Trivium - The Crusade (2006)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Metalcore /Thrash Metal
Label: Roadrunner Records

Tracklist:
01. Ignition
02. Detonation
03. Entrance of the Conflagration
04. Anthem (We are the Fire)
05. Unrepentant
06. And Sadness Will Sear
07. Becoming the Dragon
08. To The Rats
09. This World Can't Tear Us Apart
10. Tread the Floods
11. Contempt Breeds Contamination
12. The Rising
13. The Crusade

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Pig Destroyer

Pig Destroyer is an extreme metal band from Virginia, United States. Combining elements of grindcore, thrash metal, death metal, and doom metal, Pig Destroyer have pushed the boundaries of their chosen genres and gained a loyal following in the process. Their unique sound is characterized by, amongst other things, an absence of bass guitar.

The band formed in 1997 with vocalist J.R. Hayes of Enemy Soil, guitarist Scott Hull of Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Anal Cunt, and Japanese Torture Comedy Hour, and drummer John Evans. John Evans was later replaced by Brian Harvey.

The band chose their name motivated by a strong socio-political consciousness. Believing that naming themselves "Cop Killer" or "Cop Destroyer" would be tactless, they eventually settled on "Pig Destroyer" ("pig" being a pejorative American slang term for the police). Derived from a non-musical source as extreme as the band's sound, Pig Destroyer's easily identifiable logo was created using the emblem from the infamous ANSWER Me! magazine as a template. The band has become less political in recent times, causing some fans to believe that the name no longer holds the meaning it once did.

In the summer of 2006, the band recruited a fourth member, Blake Harrison (previously seen in the bands Triac, Daybreak and Hatebeak), who will be using electronic instruments to add noise and samples to the live show, as well as on the upcoming records.

Pig Destroyer - Pig Destroyer / Orchid Split (1997)

Pig Destroyer - Explosions In Ward 6 (1998)

Pig Destroyer - Pig Destroyer / Gnob Split (1999)

Pig Destroyer - Pig Destroyer / Isis Split (2000)

Pig Destroyer - 38 Counts of Battery (2000)

Pig Destroyer - Prowler In The Yard (2001)

Pig Destroyer - Benumb / Pig Destroyer Split (2002)

Pig Destroyer - Painter of Dead Girls (2004)

Pig Destroyer - Terrifyer (2004)

Exhumed

Exhumed is a death/grind band from the San Francisco Bay Area signed to Relapse Records. Exhumed plays gore-obsessed death metal with a tongue-in-cheek flair and an overall musical approach that are often reminiscent of Carcass, a band whom they have frequently acknowledged as a primary influence. They have endured constant lineup changes to become, if not a highly original act, at least one of the better representatives of their doomed-to-obscurity subgenre. The band formed in 1991 with a lineup consisting of Matt Harvey (guitar, vocals), Col Jones (drums), Derrel Houdashelt (guitar), Jake Giardina (vocals), and Ben Marrs (bass). They made their first recordings under this formation, including the Excreting Innards 7" for Afterworld Records. Giardina and Marrs left the band within the next few years, with Matt Widener (bass) and Ross Sewage (vocals) brought in as replacements. After recording the Horrific Expulsion of Gore demo (1994), Widener left and Sewage took over bass duties. This lineup eventually recorded a split CD with the Ohio band Hemdale, In the Name of Gore, which came out on Visceral Productions in 1995 and featured an absolutely revolting album cover. Soon after, Houldashelt left and was eventually replaced by Mike Beams. With this lineup intact, they signed to Relapse Records and finally released their first official full-length, Gore Metal, in 1998, with guitarist James Murphy (Death, Obituary) at the production helm. Sewage left the band shortly after this record, leaving the trio of Harvey, Beams, and Jones to record the follow-up, Slaughtercult. The album was released on Relapse in 2000 and was enthusiastically received among the death metal scene.

Exhumed - Dissecting The Caseated Omentum (Demo) (1992)

Exhumed - Excreting Innards EP (1993)

Exhumed - Cadaveric Splatter Platter (Demo) (1993)

Exhumed - Grotesque Putrefied Brains (Demo) (1993)

Exhumed - Exhumed / Pale Existence Split (1996)

Exhumed - In The Name of Gore (1996)

Exhumed - Chords Of Chaos EP (1997)

Exhumed - Instruments Of Hell EP (1997)

Exhumed - Exhumed / Retaliation Split (1998)

Exhumed - Totally Fucking Dead (1998)

Exhumed - Gore Metal (1998)

Exhumed - Recordings 2000 (2000)

Exhumed - Exhumed / Gadget Split (2001)

Exhumed - Slaughtercult (2001)

Exhumed - Anatomy Is Destiny (2003)

Exhumed - Platters Of Splatter (2004) ---> CD1 CD2

Exhumed - Garbage Daze Re-Regurgitated (2005)

Exhumed - Something Sickened This Way Comes/To Clone And To Enforce (2006)

Symphony X

Symphony X is a North American progressive metal band from New Jersey founded in 1994 by guitarist Michael Romeo. Their 1997 album The Divine Wings of Tragedy and their 2000 release V: The New Mythology Suite brought the band atop the mainstream progressive metal field. Musically Symphony X is similar although heavier than most other progressive metal bands to which they are commonly compared to: Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Machinae Supremacy, and Pain of Salvation. They play in a style similar to that of power metal acts DragonForce and Rhapsody Of Fire, however in a very syncopated, progressive fashion, also incorporating elements of symphonic metal into their sound. Their music contains strong neo-classical elements in line with the music of Yngwie Malmsteen, Randy Rhoads and other influential neo-classical metal artists.

Symphony X - Danse Macabre (Demo) (1994)

Symphony X - Symphony X (1994)

Symphony X - The Damnation Game (1995)

Symphony X - The Divine Wings Of Tragedy (1996)

Symphony X - Twilight In Olympus (1998)

Symphony X - Prelude To The Millennium (1998)

Symphony X - V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)

Symphony X - Live On The Edge Of Forever (2001) ---> CD1 CD2

Symphony X - The Odyssey (2002)

Symphony X - Rarities And Demos (2005)

Asphyx

Asphyx was a Dutch death metal band formed in 1987. The band featured former Pestilence singer Martin van Drunen in the early 1990s and had signed to Century Media Records. In 1998, they changed their name to Soulburn. In 2000 they renamed back into Asphyx. Their music was largely death metal based, but they melded forms of doom metal and thrash metal into their music. Asphyx disbanded in 2001.

Asphyx - The Rack (1991)

Asphyx - Crush The Cenotaph EP (1992)

Asphyx - Last One On Earth (1992)

Asphyx - Asphyx (1994)

Asphyx - Embrace The Death (1996) ---> Pt1 Pt2 Pt3

Asphyx - God Cries (1996)

Asphyx - On The Wings Of Inferno (2000)

Blind Guardian

Blind Guardian is a speed metal/power metal (and more recently epic metal) band started in the mid-1980s in Krefeld, Germany by André Olbrich (guitar), Hansi Kürsch (vocal, bass), Marcus Siepen (guitar) and Thomen Stauch (drums). Before calling themselves Blind Guardian, the band released two demos under the name Lucifer's Heritage in 1985 and 1986.

From the very beginning, Blind Guardian have been inspired by the fictional worlds of fantasy writers such as John R.R. Tolkien, Michael Moorcock, Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, as well as traditional legends and epics. Over the years, a running theme has developed associating the band members with traveling bards.

The line-up has always been the same since 1988, but in 2005 the drummer, Thomen Stauch, has left the band due to the direction the band was taking in their last studio albums, "Nightfall In Middle-Earth" and "A Night At The Opera". He was replaced by Frederik Ehmke.

Lucifer's Heritage (Pre-Blind Guardian) - Symphonies Of Doom (Demo) (1985)

Lucifer's Heritage (Pre-Blind Guardian) - Battalions Of Fear (Demo) (1986)

Blind Guardian - Battalions Of Fear (1988)

Blind Guardian - Follow The Blind (1989)

Blind Guardian - Demo 1990 (1990)

Blind Guardian - Tales From The Twilight World (1991)

Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond (1992)

Blind Guardian - Tokyo Tales (1993)

Blind Guardian - A Past & Future Secret (Single) (1995)

Blind Guardian - Imaginations From The Other Side (1995)

Blind Guardian - Mr. Sandman (Single) (1996)

Blind Guardian - The Forgotten Tales (1996)

Blind Guardian - Mirror Mirror (Single) (1998)

Blind Guardian - Nightfall In Middle-Earth (1998)

Blind Guardian - And Then There Was Silence (Single) (2001)

Blind Guardian - The Lucifer's Heritage Demos (1985-86) (2001)

Blind Guardian - A Night At The Opera (2002)

Blind Guardian - The Bard's Song (In The Forest) (Single) (2003)

Blind Guardian - Live (2003)

Blind Guardian - Fly (Single) (2006)

Blind Guardian - A Twist In The Myth (2006)

Sadus

Sadus is a highly tech metal thrash metal trio from the United States. Sadus formed in 1984 in Antioch, California. While their very first efforts were based highly on Slayer, these players gradually progressed and developed their sound into a unique, innovative kind of music. Even suffering from poor media exposure, this band has been able to reach the highest peaks in the genre, due to the constantly improving musicianship.

Sadus - Death To Posers (Demo) (1986)

Sadus - Illusions (1988)

Sadus - Swallowed In Black (1990)

Sadus - A Vision Of Misery (1992)

Sadus - Elements Of Anger (1997)

Sadus - Out For Blood (2006)

Black Label Society - Shot To Hell (2006)

New album of Zakk Wylde’s hard rock band Black Label Society.

Tracklist:
01. Concrete Jungle
02. Black Mass Reverends
03. Blacked Out World
04. The Last Goodbye
05. Give Yourself To Me
06. Nothing's The Same
07. Hell Is High
08. New Religion
09. Sick Of It All
10. Faith Is Blind
11. Blood Is Thicker Than Water
12. Devil's Dime
13. Lead Me To Your Door

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Mayhem

Mayhem is a Norwegian black metal band which was originally formed in 1983, taking strong influence from earlier bands such as Bathory. The band's initial line-up consisted of Manheim on drums, Necrobutcher on bass guitar and Euronymous on guitar. The name "Mayhem" was taken from the title of the Venom song "Mayhem With Mercy". Much controversy has surrounded the band regarding various murders, suicides, and other forms of violence. Mayhem have moved through a variety of black metal styles, even going so far as delving into the areas of dark avant-garde industrial and electronica. The group (at least in its earliest incarnation; 1983-1993) are widely considered to be one of the cornerstone bands in the movement often labelled "the second wave" of black metal. In the years since, their influence has only grown; many consider Mayhem the greatest extreme metal band of all time.

Mayhem - Pure Fucking Armageddon (Demo) (1986)

Mayhem - Deathcrush EP (1987)

Mayhem - From The Darkest Past!!! (1992)

Mayhem - Live In Leipzig (1993)

Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (1994)

Mayhem - Dawn of the Black Hearts (1995)

Mayhem - Out From The Dark EP (1996)

Mayhem - Wolf's Lair Abyss EP (1997)

Mayhem - Mediolanum Capta Est (1999)

Mayhem - Grand Declaration of War (2000)

Mayhem - Eurpean Legions (2001)

Mayhem - Chimera (2004)

Mayhem - Sadistic Black Years

Týr

Týr is a band from Faroe Islands. Their music can be described as folk/progressive metal. They incorporate many folk elements and melodies in their songs. But the thing that makes Týr stand out is that they really are progressive. Their songs include many rhythm changes and complex time signatures instead of playing easier, linear melodies.

Týr - How Far To Asgaard (2002)

Týr - Eric The Red (2003)

Týr - Ragnarok (2006)

Lord Belial

This venerable Swedish band has been around since 1992, playing reliably decent, if a shade generic, black metal for the last decade or so. This is one of those bands that doesn't clone anyone else and performs their material well, yet doesn't really offer much in the way of originality or uniqueness -- though no single band comes to mind when listening to them, their style is quite familiar and they don't stray far from the boundaries of traditional Scandinavian black metal.

Lord Belial - Kiss The Goat (1995)

Lord Belial - Enter The Moonlight Gate (1997)

Lord Belial - Unholy Crusade (1999)

Lord Belial - Angelgrinder (2002)

Lord Belial - Scythe of Death EP (2003)

Lord Belial - The Seal Of Belial (2004)

Lord Belial - Nocturnal Beast (2005)

Falkenbach

Black metal seems to be one of the few genres of metal where one-man bands are commonplace, and Falkenbach is just such band, led by one Vratyas Vakyas, who once lived in Iceland but is now residing in Germany (so, make up your own mind on whether Falkenbach is an Icelandic or German band). Lyrically, the band is rooted in various Germanic and Scandinavian folklore, making Falkenback much more of a pagan/Viking band than a traditional black metal band. Musically, mid-period Bathory stands out as a prime influence, the songs being mid-paced, drawn out epics, with Vakyas alternating between clean and black singing, and with prominent keyboards providing the proper folkloric atmosphere. Two albums were recorded in 1996 and 1998, with Vakyas spending much of his time since then running his own record label, Skaldic Art Productions. Finally, in late 2003, a new album was released, the first with session musicians (three members of a Skaldic Art band named Vindsval), followed by Heralding - The Fireblade in 2005.

Falkenbach - ...En Their Medh Riki Fara... (1996)

Falkenbach - ...Magni Blandinn Ok Megintiri... (1998)

Falkenbach - Ok Nefna Tysvar Ty (2003)

Falkenbach - Heralding - The Fireblade (2005)

Overkill

A legendary East Coast thrash band, Overkill gained a large initial following from their well-received stage shows, and have carved a remarkable career for themselves, churning out blue-collar thrash albums for just short of 20 years now. Members have come and gone (the exceptions being vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth and bassist D.D. Verni, who've been there from the beginning), but the basic style hasn't really changed much, and nor has their commitment to energetic live shows and quality thrash metal.

Overkill - Fell The Fire (1985)

Overkill - Taking Over (1987)

Overkill - Under The Influence (1988)

Overkill - The Years Of Decay (1989)

Overkill - Horrorscope (1991)

Overkill - I Hear Black (1993)

Overkill - W.F.O. (1994)

Overkill - Wrecking Your Neck Live (1995)

Overkill - The Killing Kind (1996)

Overkill - Fuck You And Then Some (1996)

Overkill - From The Underground And Below (1997)

Overkill - Necroshine (1999)

Overkill - Coverkill (1999)

Overkill - Bloodletting (2000)

Overkill - Wrecking Everything (2002)

Overkill - Extended Versions (2002)

Overkill - Killbox 13 (2003)

Overkill - ReliXIV (2005)

Forefather

The Forefather project was born in September 1997 in Surrey, England by founding members and brothers Athelstan and Wulfstan. The aim was to create powerful and epic Metal tributes to their Anglo-Saxon ancestors, straight from the heart and of the highest quality. Song-writing began immediately for what was to become their debut album "Deep Into Time" and in true underground fashion it was recorded in August 1998 at their home-studio "The Croft" and released in March 1999 by their own label Angelisc Enterprises. The album was well-received by the underground Metal press and by this time album number 2 was already beginning to take shape.

It wasn't until a year later though that "The Fighting Man" was recorded, between the months of May and August in 2000. Thanks to an improvement of the equipment at "The Croft" the sound this time around was much improved and the already evident originality of the duo's music was taken to new levels. The album was released in October 2000, again by Angelisc, and once more the reaction from magazines was very positive.

Also during 2000 a limited edition album "Legends Untold" was released by Germany's Millennium Metal Music label. It featured 5 demo recordings, including the never-before-heard "The Fyrdmen Cometh", "The Paths of Yesterdays" and "These Lands". The "Deep Into Time" recording of "These Lands" (left of the final master) and a synth rendition of Ancient Voice (from "Deep Into Time") completed the tracklisting.

Athelstan and Wulfstan next entered the studio in September 2001 to record their 3rd and latest album "Engla Tocyme" (The Coming of the English). Work was completed in November and after a small delay Angelisc released the album in March 2002 along with a re-issue of "Deep Into Time" featuring brand new artwork and bonus-track "These Lands". "Engla Tocyme" sees Forefather's unique style brought ever more to the forefront with all the power and passion one has come to expect. Songs such as "Into The Forever" and "Fifeldor" have once again attracted Forefather the praise and acclaim they deserve.

Forefather - Deep Into Time (1999)

Forefather - Legends Untold (2000)

Forefather - The Fighting Man (2000)

Forefather - Engla Tocyme (2002)

Forefather - Ours Is The Kingdom (2004)

Paradise Lost

Paradise Lost is generally regarded as one of the founders of the the genre of metal known as doomdeath, mixing the raw vocal style of death metal and slowing the riffs down to doom metal speed. Gothic, the band's second album, is widely considered a classic in the genre. As with many doomdeath bands, however, the succeeding albums have moved steadily away from that style, gradually losing the death vocals and instead opting for a more melancholy, slighty goth-influenced mainstream sound, losing almost all metallic ties on albums such as Host and Believe In Nothing. Since then, they've reverted slightly, with Symbol Of Life and the recent Paradise Lost containing a few nods to their mid-period days.

Paradise Lost - Paradise Lost (Demo) (1988)

Paradise Lost - Frozen Illusion (Demo) (1989)

Paradise Lost - Lost Paradise (1990)

Paradise Lost - Gothic (1991)

Paradise Lost - Shades Of God (1992)

Paradise Lost - Icon (1993)

Paradise Lost - Draconian Times (1995)

Paradise Lost - One Second (1997)

Paradise Lost - Host (1999)

Paradise Lost - Believe In Nothing (2001)

Paradise Lost - Paradise Lost (2005)

Paradise Lost - B-Sides & Rarities (2006)
CD1 ---> Pt1 Pt2 CD2 ---> Pt1 Pt2

Iron Maiden - A Matter Of Life And Death (2006)

New album of the NWOBHM gods Iron Maiden. The album doesn’t have an original style. It’s kind of a mix between new and old Iron Maiden. Anyway it is a must have for every metal fan on the planet.


Tracklist:
01. Different World
02. These Colours Don't Run
03. Brighter Than a Thousand Suns
04. The Pilgrim
05. The Longest Day
06. Out of the Shadows
07. The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
08. For the Greater Good of God
09. Lord of Light
10. The Legacy

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Opeth

Opeth are a progressive death metal band. Opeth adds several lighter elements to their music with acoustic guitar interludes, and influences from jazz, '70s progressive rock and blues on top of a fast, churning death metal-esque sound. Vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt performs both clean singing and death vocals (although on the first two albums, his vocals are actually more similar to the shrieking typically found in black metal). Due to their unique blend of melodic and progressive elements, they are said not to conform to typical death metal acts, or any other specific metal sub-genre. Opeth has also attracted a lot of attention from doom metal fans. The name "Opeth" was taken from the novel Sunbird (1972) by author Wilbur Smith (Åkerfeldt calls the book "shit"), and was originally spelled Opet. In the book, Opet is the name of the location for an ancient empire which translates to "City of the Moon".

Opeth - Apostle In Triumph (Demo) (1994)

Opeth - Orchid (1995)

Opeth - Morningrise (1996)

Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse (1998)

Opeth - Still Life (1999)

Opeth - Blackwater Park (2001)

Opeth - Deliverance (2002)

Opeth - Damnation (2003)

Opeth - Ghost Reveries (2005)

Shadow Gallery

Shadow Gallery is a six-piece American band from Pennsylvania. Their name is taken from the graphic novel V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and their musical style can be described as progressive metal. They have a reputation amongst fans for complex song structures and virtuoso musicianship and have been compared to contemporaries Dream Theater, Queensrÿche and Symphony X. Despite the many complex passages in their songs Shadow Gallery manages to combine them with tight songwriting, production and performance. Their songs are frequently long with instrumental pieces in the middle. Their music is hard at times, soft at others, providing an interesting variety to the listener.

Shadow Gallery - Shadow Gallery (1992)

Shadow Gallery - Carved In Stone (1995)

Shadow Gallery - Tyranny (1998)

Shadow Gallery - Legacy (2001)

Shadow Gallery - Room V (2005)

Iron Maiden - The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg (CDS) (2006)

This is the retail single, and has a newly recorded version of the Iron Maiden classic "Hallowed Be Thy Name" on it.


Tracklist:
01. The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
02. Hallowed Be Thy Name (Radio 1 Legends Session)

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Behemoth

Behemoth is an influential Polish blackened death metal band. They are considered to have played one of the most important roles in establishing the Polish extreme metal underground, alongside Graveland and Sacrilegium. Until early 2000s, the band played rather classical black metal with a heathen lyrical content, but soon changed to that of occult and thelemic themes written by their lead vocalist, Nergal and Krzysztof Azarewicz. This coincided with an increase in musical craftsmanship that allowed them to expand out of the black metal underground and garnered them with some international recognition. With the 2004 release of Demigod, they had fully embraced brutal technical death metal, while retaining their own signature style characterized by the staggering drumwork of Inferno, multi-layered vocals and Nile-style middle-eastern influence. Their transition from black to death metal has made them "traitors" in the eyes of some fans, but they have become darlings of the modern death metal scene, often mentioned alongside other rising stars such as Nile (with whom they have collaborated and toured).

Behemoth - Endless Damnation (Demo) (1992)

Behemoth - ...From the Pagan Vastlands (Demo) (1993)

Behemoth - And the Forests Dream Eternally EP (1994)

Behemoth - Sventevith (Storming Near The Baltic) (1995)

Behemoth - Grom (1996)

Behemoth - Pandemonic Incantations (1998)

Behemoth - Satanica (1999)

Behemoth - Thelema.6 (2000)

Behemoth - Antichristian Phenomenon EP (2001)

Behemoth - Zos Kia Cultus (Here and Beyond) (2002)

Behemoth - Conjuration EP (2003)

Behemoth - Demigod (2004)

Behemoth - Slaves Shall Serve EP (2005)

Behemoth - Demonica (2006)

Holy Moses

One of the few female-fronted thrash bands of the eighties, Holy Moses released a couple of well-received albums early in their career (Finished With The Dogs appears to be the most popular) and then dropped from view. They carried on for a time, with several different lineups, finally disbanding in 1992, with the No Matter What's The Cause album released two years later. Finally, in 2000 vocalist Sabina Classen recruited an entirely new lineup, and the group has prospered ever since. Sabina was actually recruited to the band by then-boyfriend Andy Classen (the two later married, and have since divorced), who has been a successful record producer for some time.

Holy Moses - The Bitch (Demo) (1986)

Holy Moses - Queen Of Siam (1986)

Holy Moses - Finished With The Dogs (1987)

Holy Moses - The New Machine Of Lichtenstein (1989)

Holy Moses - World Chaos (1990)

Holy Moses - Terminal Terror (1991)

Holy Moses - Reborn Dogs (1992)

Holy Moses - Too Drunk To Fuck (1993)

Holy Moses - No Matter What's the Cause (1994)

Holy Moses - Master Of Disaster EP (2001)

Holy Moses - Disorder Of The Order (2002)

Holy Moses - Strength Power Will Passion (2005)

Whiplash

Whiplash was an American thrash metal band. The band was founded in 1984 in Passaic, New Jersey by the three Tonys: Tony Portaro (vocals, guitar), Tony Scaglione (drums) and Tony Bono (bass). Joe Cangelosi replaced Tony Scaglione in 1986 when he left for a small stint with Slayer. Joe Cangelosi recorded Ticket To Mayhem in 1987 with the two Tonys. In 1989 Glenn Hanson joined the band as the new singer along with Joe from the pevious album. They were part of perhaps the best Whiplash album yet, titled Insult to Injury. The band split up, but reunited in 1996 for two great albums before the three Tonys recorded a final album together in 1998. Bassist Tony Bono died in 2002 after suffering a heart attack, at the age of 38.

Whiplash - Power And Pain (1985)

Whiplash - Ticket To Mayhem (1987)

Whiplash - Insult To Injury (1900)

Whiplash - Cult Of One (1996)

Whiplash - Sit Stand Kneel Prey (1997)

Whiplash - Thrashback (1998)

Whiplash - Messages In Blood (1999)

Six Feet Under

Six Feet Under (often abbreviated as SFU) is a death metal band that was formed initially as a side project of lead singer Chris Barnes (then of Cannibal Corpse). Six Feet Under lyrics are apocalyptic and brutal, though Barnes's lyrics are somewhat less brutal than that of his past.

While their lyrical themes revolve around concepts of violence, gore, and death, many Six Feet Under songs are politically keen and advocate, among other things, legalization of marijuana, overthrow of capitalism, and even anti-war sentiments. One notable song by SFU is their pro-cannabis track "4:20" from Warpath. The album's liner notes state that the song (which clocks in at four minutes and twenty seconds) was recorded at 4:20 p.m. on 20 April, 1997.

Six Feet Under has also released two albums of cover songs. The first, Graveyard Classics, is an album of cover songs ranging from Dead Kennedys' California Über Alles, to Black Sabbath's Sweet Leaf, to Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze, whilst the second, Graveyard Classics II, is an entire remake of the classic AC/DC album Back in Black.

Six Feet Under has a strong following in Europe, especially in Germany. In fact, the band also released a special German language version of the song "Bringer of Blood". Six Feet Under have met moderate commercial success, with Maximum Violence being their best-selling record. They figure among the top 5 best-selling death metal bands.

The band's line up has remained stable since 1997 when Allen West quit and was replaced by Steve Swanson, formerly of Massacre.

Six Feet Under - Haunted (1995)

Six Feet Under - Alive And Dead EP (1996)

Six Feet Under - Warpath (1997)

Six Feet Under - Maximum Violence (1999)

Six Feet Under - Graveyard Classics (2000)

Six Feet Under - True Carnage (2001)

Six Feet Under - Double Dead Redux (2002)

Six Feet Under - Bringer Of Blood (2003)

Six Feet Under - Graveyard Classics II (2004)

Six Feet Under - 13 (2005)

Sonata Arctica

Formed in Finland in 1996 (initially as a non-metal act known as Tricky Means), Sonata Arctica quickly established themselves as a power metal force with their debut, Ecliptica, and really hasn't looked back since. The style here is classic melodic Euro power metal, with their closest soundalike perhaps being countrymen Stratovarius. As with a lot of bands in this arena, Sonata Arctica score high points for presentation, musicianship, and overall class, with low marks for sheer originality -- as good as they are at what they do, it's hard to really say that they are a lot different from several other European bands playing this style. Thus, Sonata Arctica aren't about broadening the horizons of metal, but rather perfecting their art of crafting fine melodic speed metal tunes. They are among the best in their field, and highly recommended to those into bands such as the aforementioned Stratovarius or Gamma Ray.

Tricky Means (Pre-Sonata Arctica) - Fullmoon (Demo) (1999)

Sonata Arctica - UnOpened (Single) (1999)

Sonata Arctica - Ecliptica (1999)

Sonata Arctica - Successor EP (2000)

Sonata Arctica - Orientation EP (2001)

Sonata Arctica - Wolf & Raven (Single) (2001)

Sonata Arctica - Only Way You Can (Bootleg) (2001)

Sonata Arctica - Silence (2001)

Sonata Arctica - Last Drop Falls (Single) (2001)

Sonata Arctica - Songs of Silence - Live in Tokyo (2002)

Sonata Arctica - Victoria's Secret (2003)

Sonata Arctica - Winterheart's Guild (2003)

Sonata Arctica - Broken (Single) (2003)

Sonata Arctica - Takatalvi EP (2003)

Sonata Arctica - By The Gates Of Metal (Bootleg) (2004)

Sonata Arctica - Don't Say A Word EP (2004)

Sonata Arctica - Reckoning Night (2004)

Sonata Arctica - Shamandalie (Single) (2004)

Sonata Arctica - Symphony Of Angels - Live At Palladium (Bootleg) (2004)

Sonata Arctica - The End Of This Chapter (2005) (Bonus Tracks)

Sonata Arctica - For The Sake Of Revenge (2006)

Cannibal Corpse

Cannibal Corpse is an American Death Metal band from Buffalo, New York, noted for its controversial and ultra-violent lyrics and imagery, founded in 1988 by Chris Barnes, Bob Rusay, Jack Owen, Alex Webster and Paul Mazurkiewicz. Cannibal Corpse is noted as the most successful death metal band of the Sound Scan era, having combined worldwide record sales of over one million copies with virtually no radio or television exposure. They are regarded as one of the longest lasting and best-known bands in the death metal scene.

Cannibal Corpse - Cannibal Corpse (Demo) (1989)

Cannibal Corpse - Eaten Back To Life (1990)

Cannibal Corpse - Born In A Casket (Vinyl) (1991)

Cannibal Corpse - Butchered At Birth (1991)

Cannibal Corpse - Tomb Of The Mutilated (1992)

Cannibal Corpse - Hammer Smashed Face EP (1993)

Cannibal Corpse - Meat Hook Sodomy Live Dallas (Bootleg) (1993)

Cannibal Corpse - The Bleeding (1994)

Cannibal Corpse - Created To Kill (Demo) (1995)

Cannibal Corpse - Vile (1996)

Cannibal Corpse - Deadly Tracks (1997)

Cannibal Corpse - Monolith Of Death (1997)

Cannibal Corpse - Gallery Of Suicide (1998)

Cannibal Corpse - Bloodthirst (1999)

Cannibal Corpse - Live Cannibalism (2000)

Cannibal Corpse - Gore Obsessed (2002)

Cannibal Corpse - Live In Wacken (2002)

Cannibal Corpse - Worm Infested EP (2002)

Cannibal Corpse - Live At Waldrock (2004)

Cannibal Corpse - The Wretched Spawn (2004)

Cannibal Corpse - Kill (2006) (Bonus CD)

Rudra - The Aryan Crusade (2001)

Rudra is a Death Metal band from Singapore. This album is their second release.

Tracklist:
01. Aryaputra
02. Hymns to Thee
03. Anantarupa
04. Malevolent Creed
05. Burnt at the Stakes
06. Rudrapatni
07. Amen
08. Homage to the Seers
09. Manifesto of the Demented
10. Atmavichara
11. Sad But True
12. My Soul is Marching On
13. I

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All That Remains

All That Remains is a Massachusetts, United States-based metalcore band. Originally established in 1998, the group is currently signed to Prosthetic Records. Vocalist Philip Labonte was previously singer for the metalcore band Shadows Fall before he was replaced by Brian Fair. The band's debut album, Behind Silence And Solitude, was released in March 2002, prompting DigitalMetal.com to hail the group as "one of the premier melodic death metal acts this side of the Atlantic." Since the release of the first album, All That Remains have toured the United States three times, including tours with The Crown, Darkest Hour, As I Lay Dying, and Arch Enemy. This Darkened Heart, All That Remains' second album, showcases a kinetic sound drifting seamlessly between melody and relentless aggression. Produced by Adam Dutkiewicz at Zing Studios, some hits from this album were "Vicious Betrayal", "Enter Sandman", "Passion", and "This Darkened Heart". Videos from this album were "This Darkened Heart" and "Tattered on My Sleeve", and "The Deepest Gray."

The bands newest album entitled "The Fall Of Ideals" was released on July 11, 2006. The first video from this new album is "This Calling" and can be viewed on the bands myspace page.

All That Remains - Behind Silence And solitude (2002)

All That Remains - This Darkened Heart (2004)

All That Remains - The Fall Of Ideals (2006)

Soilwork

In the space of a few short years, Soilwork has risen from their initial status of just another Swedish melodic death metal band to their present position as one of the most popular and well-respected bands playing the so-called Gothenburg style. Though their first two albums were fine efforts themselves, it was their third album, 2001's The Predator's Portrait, that really put their name on the map, and their position as leaders in their field was solidified a year later with Natural Born Chaos, an album that topped many fan's and writer's lists for best album of 2002. Now, in 2003, Soilwork takes another step forward with Figure Number Five. Even though their style has not radically altered over the years, and even though the style itself is not terribly unique, Soilwork makes it effective, by maturing and refining their sound with each successive release. They are what modern extreme metal is all about.

Soilwork - Steelbath Suicide (1998)

Soilwork - The Chainheart Machine (2000)

Soilwork - A Predator's Portrait (2001)

Soilwork - Natural Born Chaos (2002)

Soilwork - Figure Number Five (2003)

Soilwork - Stabbing The Drama (2005)

Nevermore

With a string of solid albums dating back to their debut in 1995, Nevermore has firmly establisheed themselves as one of the premier modern American power metal bands. In a genre overrun with staleness and unoriginality, Nevermore continues to deliver quality music, mixing just the right amounts of power, melody, crunch and aggression to great effect. The roots of the band go back to an earlier band called Sanctuary, a similarly-styled technical power metal outfit that themselves released two albums before internal problems forced their breakup. Vocalist Warrell Dane is Nevermore's trump card, as he's one of the best in the business, with a clear yet forceful voice that never wanders out of control. Nevermore really have yet to release a sub-standard album, and considering the stellar reviews given to their new release (This Godless Endeavor), the band look set to continue their reign as a premier metal act.

Nevermore - Nevermore (1995)

Nevermore - In Memory EP (1996)

Nevermore - The Politics Of Ecstasy (1996)

Nevermore - Dreaming Neon Black (1999)

Nevermore - Dead Heart In A Dead World (2000)

Nevermore - Enemies Of Reality (2003)

Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor (2005)

Therion

Therion is a Swedish symphonic metal band. It takes its name from the Greek word therion (θηρίον), which means beast, in reference to the "beast" of the Christian Book of Revelation. However, the band's name itself originates from the Celtic Frost album To Mega Therion. Therion was founded by Christofer Johnsson in 1987. Beginning as a death metal band, they later turned to combining orchestral elements with their metal music, employing heavy use of choirs and classical musicians, not only as additions to but also as integral parts of the composition.

Therion's music takes its themes from different mythologies and is based on concepts ranging from occultism, magic and ancient traditions and writings. The majority of their lyrics are written by Thomas Karlsson, head and founder of the magical order Dragon Rouge, of which Johnsson is a member. The band has seen many changes in line-up and style throughout its history.

Therion - Beyond The Darkest Veils Of Inner Wickedness (Demo) (1989)

Therion - Paroxysmal Holocaust (Demo) (1989)

Therion - Time Shall Tell EP (1990)

Therion - Of Darkness... (1991)

Therion - Beyond Sanctorum (1992)

Therion - Symphony Masses: Ho Drakon Ho Megas (1993)

Therion - The Beauty In Black (Single) (1995)

Therion - Lepaca Kliffoth (1995)

Therion - Siren Of The Woods (Single) (1996)

Therion - Theli (1996)

Therion - A'arab Zaraq Lucid Dreaming (1997)

Therion - Eye Of Shiva (Single) (1998)

Therion - Vovin (1998)

Therion - Crowing Of Atlantis EP (1999)

Therion - Deggial (2000)

Therion - Secret Of The Runes (2001)

Therion - Bells Of Doom (2001)

Therion - Live In Midgard (2002)

Therion - Lemuria (2004)

Therion - Sirius B (2004)

Therion - Atlantis Lucid Dreaming (2005)

Therion - Celebrators Of Becoming (2006)

Kerrang! Presents 'Remastered' (Metallica's Master Of Puppets Revisited) (2006)

Some of the players on this revisited album weren’t even born when Metallica unleashed the monster that is Master Of Puppets on a Metal hungry populace twenty years ago. So to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of this ground breaking release legendary UK Metal mag Kerrang! has brought together a collection of today’s heavy hitters in the world of Metal who attempt to stamp their own authority on this classic release.

Tracklist:
1. Machine Head - Battery
2. Trivium - Master Of Puppets
3. Mendeed - The Thing That Should Not Be
4. Bullet For My Valentine - Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
5. Chimaira - Disposable Heroes
6. Fightstar - Leper Messiah
7. Mastodon - Orion
8. Funeral For A Friend - Damage, Inc.

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Vanden Plas - Christ 0 (2006)

This is an album that's larger than life with epic orchestral sections, complex solos and painstaking arrangements. It's a work with a noticeable arc of musical ebbs and flows and superb dynamics. The musicianship is outstanding as well. And most importantly they are able to combine emotion with technique.

Kuntz's vocals have improved dramatically. His time in the theater served him well as his vocals here are spot on. The album ends with the song "Gethsemane" from the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. It's an appropriate way to end the album, one that is a must have for progressive metal fans.

Tracklist:
01. Christ 0
02. Postcard To God
03. Wish You Were Here
04. Silently
05. Shadow I Am
06. Fireroses Dance
07. Somewhere Alone In The Dark
08. January Sun
09. Lost In Silence
10. Gethsemane

Pt1 Pt2

Vader

Vader is a Polish death metal band founded in 1986. It stands as one of the best known European death metal bands. Vader plays a style of death metal different from that of their American counterparts, but their approach is nonetheless firmly based upon the template created by Slayer. For example, many bands of this genre tend to play guitar solos and lead parts which do not adhere strictly to traditional musical principles (such as being in key) and make extensive use of tremolo bar, creating a rather dissonant sound. Vader, on the other hand, whilst often playing in this style, occasionally diverge and play diminished, augmented, and even minor scale solos. Vader is also different in that vocalist Piotr Wiwczarek's vocals do not follow the standard sound widely considered acceptable for death metal. While his vocal approach remains extreme, it is a much more throaty approach, giving him the ability to sound out words far more clearly than most death metal bands.

Vader - Necrolust (Demo) (1989)

Vader - Morbid Reich (Demo) (1990)

Vader - The Ultimate Incantation (1993)

Vader - The Darkest Age (1993)

Vader - Sothis EP (1994)

Vader - De Profundis (1995)

Vader - Future Of The Past (1996)

Vader - Black To The Blind (1997)

Vader - Reborn In Chaos (1998)

Vader - Kingdom EP (1998)

Vader - Live In Japan (1998)

Vader - Litany (2000)

Vader - Reign Forever World EP (2001)

Vader - Revelations (2002)

Vader - Blood EP (2003)

Vader - Beware The Beast (MCD) (2004)

Vader - The Beast (2004)

Vader - Night of The Apocalypse (2004)

Vader - The Art Of War EP (2005)

Vader - Impression In Blood (2006)

Barathrum

Barathrum is one of the older Finnish black metal bands, with a rich history featuring several members who went on to success with other bands. Formed in 1990 as Darkfeast by vocalist Demonos Sova, they debuted in 1994 with Hellstorm and have recorded relatively steadily since then, with eight albums released. The two albums reviewed here are quite different. 1996's Eerie, their second album, is a simplistic, raw, bass-heavy black metal album, somewhat in the same league as fellow Finns Beherit, quite effective for its primal groove and, unbelievably, catchy (yet undeniably evil) rhythms. By contrast, 2002's Venomous is far more uptempo in keeping with modern black metal bands, arguably less distinctive than their early work but certainly more polished and mature. With the release of 2005's Anno Aspera came word that the band was done, or at least on indefinite hold. A trivial note that is often mentioned is that the first letters of the band's eight albums spell out "Heil Sova".

Barathrum - Hailstorm (1994)

Barathrum - Eerie (1995)

Barathrum - Infernal (1996)

Barathrum - Jetblack EP (1997)

Barathrum - Legions Of Perkele (1998)

Barathrum - Saatana (1999)

Barathrum - Okkult (2000)

Barathrum - Venomous (2002)

Barathrum - Anno Aspera (2005)

Yngwie Malmsteen

Yngwie Malmsteen is arguably the most influential classical metal guitarist of the 80's and 90's. Though he was already well known in Europe in the early 80's with his Rising Force project, he didn't really get worldwide acclaim until he collaborated with Ron Keel (who later went to found his band, Keel) on a short-lived project called Steeler, and then followed that with a stint in Alkatrazz before going solo. Detractors may criticize his songs-written-just-for-soloing style, but his musical and technical talents are unparalleled. The numerous people who have played on an Yngwie album comprise a virtual all-star lineup in the field of hard rock/metal.

Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force (1984)

Yngwie Malmsteen - Marching Out (1985)

Yngwie Malmsteen - Trilogy (1986)

Yngwie Malmsteen - Odyssey (1988)

Yngwie Malmsteen - Trial By Fire: Live In Leningrad (1989)

Yngwie Malmsteen - Eclipse (1990)

Yngwie Malmsteen - The Yngwie Malmsteen Collection (1991)

Yngwie Malmsteen - Fire And Ice (1992)

Yngwie Malmsteen - I Can't Wait EP (1994)

Yngwie Malmsteen - The Seventh Sign (1994)

Yngwie Malmsteen - Magnum Opus (1995)

Yngwie Malmsteen - Inspiration (1996)

Yngwie Malmsteen - Facing The Animal (1997)

Yngwie Malmsteen - Double Live (1998)

Yngwie Malmsteen - Concerto Suite For Electric Guitar (1999)

Yngwie Malmsteen - Alchemy (1999)

Yngwie Malmsteen - Best of Yngwie Malmsteen: 1990-1999 (2000)

Yngwie Malmsteen - War To End All Wars (2000)

Yngwie Malmsteen - Attack (2002) ---> Pt1 Pt2

Yngwie Malmsteen - The Genesis (2002)

Yngwie Malmsteen - Unleash The Fury (2005) ---> Pt1 Pt2

Children Of Bodom

Children Of Bodom is a metal band from Espoo, Finland. There is some contention regarding the band's genre classification, but in general the band's musical style can be described as a hybrid of power metal and melodic death metal.

The band's earlier releases leaned more towards a power metal style, but recently the band has focused on a style more closely related to melodic death metal. However, several key traits have remained consistent throughout the band's history, such as a focus on rapid tempos and technical guitar and keyboard solos. Other traits, such as Alexi's vocal approach and Jaska's use of blast beats are also consistent across the band's discography. The lyrics of Children of Bodom's songs are written in English and most often are concerned with the subjects of death, personal struggles, the grim reaper, war and the Lake Bodom murders. Recent albums have seen a shift to more antagonistic lyrics (songs such as "Better Off Dead" and "In Your Face") that has alienated some older fans.

Inearthed (Pre-Children Of Bodom) - Shining (Demo) (1996)

Children Of Bodom - Something Wild (1997)

Children Of Bodom - Hatebreeder (1999)

Children Of Bodom - Tokyo Warhearts (1999)

Children Of Bodom - Follow The Reaper (2000)

Children Of Bodom - Hate Crew Deathroll (2003)

Children Of Bodom - Trashed, Lost & Strungout (2004)

Children Of Bodom - In Your Face (CDS) (2005)

Children Of Bodom - Are You Dead Yet? (2005)

Norther

Norther is one of several Finnish bands that have been dogged with the "Children Of Bodom clone" tag. The similarities between the two bands are undeniable, as both mix harsh vocals with inventive speed/power metal. Whether Norther is a COB clone, a COB-influenced band, or just a band that happens to sound similar, is subject to debate. The guys themselves probably don't care one way or another, as their career is moving along quite nicely, as evidenced by a strong early showing from their latest album, Till Death Unites Us.


Norther - Dreams Of Endless War (2002)

Norther - Mirror Of Madnes (2003)

Norther - Death Unlimited (2004)

Norther - Solution 7 EP (2005)

Norther - Scream (CDS) (2006)

Norther - Till Death Unites Us (2006)

Ensiferum

Ensiferum is one of a handful of bands operating under the Viking metal banner, though they aren't as overtly Viking as, say, Einherjer or Thyrfing. Their self-titled 2002 debut received several glowing reviews, and with good reason, as the band has a keen sense of melody and pacing, as well as a varied songwriting style that gives them an air of originality. There are moments where a Finntroll influence is very plain, but otherwise no one band stands out as a standalike. Anyone into melodic death/black/folk/viking metal should give Ensiferum a listen. 2004's Iron is similarly being well received.

Ensiferum - Demo I (Demo) (1997)

Ensiferum - Ensiferum (2001)

Ensiferum - Tale Of Revenge (CDS) (2004)

Ensiferum - Iron (2004)

Ensiferum - 1997-1999 (Demo Re-Release) (2005)

Ensiferum - Dragonheads EP (2006)

Ensiferum - 10the Anniversary Live (2006)

Amon Amarth

Amon Amarth is a viking-themed melodic death metal band from Sweden founded in 1992 in Tumba, named after a location in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. The name means "Mount Doom" in Sindarin.

The five Swedish musicians are known for their songs based on Norse Mythology, with such tunes as The Arrival of The Fimbul Winter, Pursuit of Vikings and Versus the World.

Formed under the name Scum, they switched to the name Amon Amarth in 1992 and released a demo recording, The Arrival of the Fimbul Winter, in 1994, selling all 1000 demo discs in less than 12 hours. With the release of the album Once Sent From the Golden Hall in 1998 their popularity rose on an international level and since has brought forth multiple U.S. tours, two music videos and appearances in over 100 metal magazines.

Their new album, With Oden On Our Side, will be released on September 26, 2006.

Amon Amarth - Thor Arise (Demo) (1993)

Amon Amarth - The Arrival Of The Fimbul Winter (Demo) (1994)

Amon Amarth - Sorrow Throughout The Nine Worlds EP (1996)

Amon Amarth - Once Sent From The Golden Hall (1998)

Amon Amarth - The Avenger (1999)

Amon Amarth – The Crusher (2001) ---> Pt1 Pt2

Amon Amarth - Versus The World (2002)

Amon Amarth - Versus The World (Bonus CD) (2002) ---> Pt1 Pt2

Amon Amarth - Fate Of Norns (2004)

Lamb Of God - Sacrament (2006)

Thrash metal's Next Big Thing handled their much-ballyhooed leap to the majors admirably on 2004's Ashes of the Wake. Now, in the throes of an extreme music renaissance, they (along with Mastodon and Shadows Fall), have an opportunity to break down mainstream doors for good. First single "Redneck" conjures Pantera in the best possible way.


Tracklist:
01. Walk With Me In Hell
02. Again We Rise
03. Redneck
04. Pathetic
05. Foot To The Throat
06. Descending
07. Blacken The Cursed Sun
08. Forgotten (Lost Angels)
09. Requiem
10. More Time To Kill
11. Beating On Death's Door Click Here

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Darkthrone

A charter member in the infamous Inner Circle of early Norwegian black metal bands, Darkthrone remains true to the spirit of that era. Originally known as Black Death, the band played standard Scandinavian death metal, releasing one album in that field (Soulside Journey) before deciding that the then-new wave of black metal was the way to go -- abruptly they changed style and image (adopting the corpsepaint look synonymous with the scene) and with A Blaze In The Northern Sky the legend was born. Darkthrone albums are uncompromisingly primitive, raw, evil works, mostly in a similar early black style (the aforementioned Journey and Panzerfaust, with its quite evident Celtic Frost worship, are slight variations on the theme) -- definitely not easy listens but quite notable for their influence on the black metal scene.

Darkthrone - Soulside Journey (1991)

Darkthrone - A Blaze In The Northern Sky (1991)

Darkthrone - Under The Funeral Moon (1993)

Darkthrone - Transylvanian Hunger (1994)

Darkthrone - Panzerfaust (1995)

Darkthrone - Total Death (1996)

Darkthrone - Goatlord (1996)

Darkthrone - Ravishing Grimness (1999)

Darkthrone - Plaguewielder (2001)

Darkthrone - Hate Them (2003)

Darkthrone - Sardonic Wrath (2004)

Darkthrone - Under Beskyt'telse Av Morke EP (2005)

Darkthrone - Too Old, Too Cold EP (2006)

Darkthrone - The Cult Is Alive (2006)

Sigh

Once upon a time it seemed that every band coming out of Japan was little more than a Loudness soundalike. Not anymore, with bands such as Zeni Geva and Church Of Misery making their mark on the noisier end of the metal spectrum, and now there's this here band called Sigh, one of the oddest bands to emerge from anywhere in quite some time. Others have found it difficult to describe exactly what Sigh sounds like, and this is quite understandable. Though the core of their sound isn't hard to fathom (semi-black metal vocal rasps, and (a heavy, 80's-inspired affair with riffs that alternately might remind one of the more experimental side of Celtic Frost, at other times perhaps old Mercyful Fate (guitars, not vocals), the trio constantly throws in oddball riffs, instruments, and interludes, from odd female backing singing to weird piano breaks, to hand clapping, jazz breaks, country (!) interludes, and a host of various where-did-that-come-from sounds that can often baffle the listener. Sometimes these only serve to distract, but more often they intrigue and draw the listener in, just to find out what might come next. Though the last three albums in particular are not dissimilar from each other in style, the ever-broadening outside influences make each song, and each album, unique in itself. This is truly a band for those who want and seek out the unexpected. Highly recommended.

Sigh - Desolation (Demo) (1990)

Sigh - Tragedies (Demo) (1990)

Sigh - Requiem For Fools EP (1992)

Sigh - Scorn Defeat (1993)

Sigh - Infidel Art (1995)

Sigh - To Hell And Back (A Tribute To Venom) (1995)

Sigh - The Eastern Force Of Evil (1996)

Sigh - Ghastly Funeral Theatre EP (1997)

Sigh - Hail Horror Hail (1997)

Sigh - Scenario IV: Dread Dreams (1999)

Sigh - Imaginary Sonicscape (2001)

Sigh - Gallows Gallery (2005)

Anacrusis

Hailing from Missouri, Anacrusis was one of the best bands that attempted to blend thrash and progressive metal. The debug album (Suffering Hour) featured raw thrash, bordering on death metal, but by the time of their third album (Manic Impressions) the progressive elements had been brought to the fore, resulting in an intense and unique style -- both Impressions and the fourth (Screams And Whispers) were landmarks in the progressive thrash field, thanks to excellent songwriting and the unique vocal style of Kenn Nardi. The band unfortunately disbanded some time after that fourth album, with little information as to what future plans the ex-members may have had.

Anacrusis - Annihilation Complete (Demo)

Anacrusis - Quick To Doubt (Demo)

Anacrusis - Manic Impressions (Demo)

Anacrusis - Suffering Hour (1988)

Anacrusis - Reason (1990)

Anacrusis - Manic Impressions (1991)

Anacrusis - Screams And Whispers (1993)

The Berzerker

Originally conceived as a solo project in 1995, The Berzerker arrived on the Australian scene as a rather mysterious band, the members referenced only by their instruments ("The Singer", "The Guitarist", etc) and wearing masks on stage. The masks are gone now, some names are now known, but their style remains intact, that being a frenzied death metal assault laced with industrial touches such as a few samples and drums that often sound programmed (but aren't, at least on their second album, though some of the blast beats do sound inhumanly fast), a veritable sonic blast that bludgeons with each succeeding track.

The Berzerker - No! EP (1996)

The Berzerker - Inextricable Zenith EP (1998)

The Berzerker - Demo (2000)

The Berzerker - The Berzerker (2000)

The Berzerker - Dissimulate (2002)

The Berzerker - The Principles And Practices Of The Berzerker (2004) ---> Pt1 Pt2

The Berzerker - World Of Lies (2005) ---> Pt1 Pt2

Gorgoroth

Formed in 1992 and taking their name from Lord Of The Rings (as have many other bands), Gorgoroth is a pretty typical Norwegian black metal band in many respects. They've got the standard corpsepaint visual, they have suitably black-metal-like pseudonyms, their present and past members have several ties to other black metal bands, and most importantly, their music is firmly rooted in old-school black metal, in the tradition of Darkthrone, Marduk, and the like. As a result, much of their work, particularly the early albums like Antichrist, is on the generic side -- certainly they've nailed the style to a T, but there isn't a lot that distinguishes them from other similarly-styled bands. On their more recent album, such as 2000's Incipit Satan, they are more adventurous, as they are starting to spread their wings just a bit without sacrificing any of their early evilness or intensity.

The band has had its share of notoriety in recent times, with vocalist Gaahl facing jail time on an assault charge and a recent show in Poland potentially running afoul of local law for "offending religious beliefs".

Gorgoroth - Pentagram (1994)

Gorgoroth - Antichrist (1996)

Gorgoroth - Under The Sign Of Hell (1997)

Gorgoroth - Destroyer (1998)

Gorgoroth - Incipit Satan (2000)

Gorgoroth - Twilight Of The Idols (2003)

Gorgoroth - Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam (2006)

Mirror Of Deception

Germany's Mirror Of Deception has been around for some time, forming in the early nineties and releasing several demos in their formative years, along with two EPs and two albums. Mirrorsoil, the band's first full-length album released in 2001, is a decent traditional doom album, not really expanding the boundaries of the genre but yet still with enough variation and personality to avoid the clone tag. The vocals are a bit understated -- while not possessing the greatest of range, the voice does fit the music well, and is a welcome respite from the overly histrionic high-pitched vocals of many a European band. Again, these guys aren't radically different than other modern doom bands, but fans of the genre will surely want to give them a listen.

Mirror Of Deception - Word Unspoken (Demo) (1994)

Mirror Of Deception - Veil Of Lead EP (1997)

Mirror Of Deception - Mirrorsoil (2001)

Mirror Of Deception - Conversion EP (2003)

Mirror Of Deception - Forgone (2004)

Unearth

Unearth (formed 1998) is a metalcore band from Winthrop, Massachusetts. Their debut album, The Stings of Conscience, was a popular offering in the underground metalcore scene. Their music is categorised by complex guitar riffs and loud screaming vocals. They are also well known for playing seven-stringed guitars, while the bass player plays a five-stringed bass.

Unearth - Above The Fall Of Man EP (1999)

Unearth - The String Of Conscience (2001)

Unearth - Endless EP (2002)

Unearth - The Oncoming Storm (2004)

Unearth - Our Days Of Eulogy (2005)

Unearth - III: In the Eyes of Fire (2006)

Secret Sphere

Secret Sphere is an up-and-comer in the Euro prog/speed metal field. Their sophomore effort, A Time Never Come, is a flawlessly produced and executed slice of prime melodic progressive metal in the Rhapsody or Angra vein. Occasionally they get a bit too sweet and poppy for their own good (as on the ballad "The Mystery Of Love"), but in other places a good deal of heaviness emerges (see "Under The Flag Of Mary Read"). If there's a criticism here, it's the same one that one might have for others in this field, and that is that Secret Sphere is offering absolutely nothing new in metal, but instead are content to stay within the confines of the style that has been popular in their native Italy and other European countries for some time now. Having said that, those into the aforementioned bands will surely enjoy this band.

Secret Sphere - Mistress Of Shadowlight (1999)

Secret Sphere - A Time Never Come (2001)

Secret Sphere - Scent Of Human Desire (2003)

Secret Sphere - Heart & Anger (2004) ---> Pt1 Pt2

Nile

Nile has been at the forefront of old school American death metal for a number of years now, ever since their album Amongst The Catacombs Of Nephren-Ka hit the streets in 1998. Much has been made of their fascination of Egypt and Middle Eastern rites, though to an extent this has been overstated. True, their lyrics are steeped with references to Egyptian gods the like, but musically such influences are slight, mostly relegated to the occasional intro or interlude (two fine examples are found on the Nephren-Ka album, these being "Die Rache" and the intro to "Ramses Bringer Of War". No, the musical focus is brutal, heads-down thrashing death metal to the core, flawlessly played and executed. Truly one of the best of the field.

Nile - Nile (Demo) (1994)

Nile - Festivals Of Atonement EP (1995)

Nile - Ramses Bringer Of War EP (1997)

Nile - Amongst The Catacombs Of Nephren-Ka (1998)

Nile - In The Beginning (2000)

Nile - Black Seeds Of Vengeance (2000)

Nile - In Their Darkened Shrines (2002)

Nile - Annihilation Of The Wicked (2005)

Obituary

Formed in 1985 as Xecutioner (before changing name to avoid confusion with the Boston band Executioner), Obituary was one of the leading bands of the then-rampant Florida death metal scene of the late eighties (along with Death, Morbid Angel, Deicide, and others) and carved a successful career for themselves playing brutal, old-school death metal. After a string of successful albums in the nineties, they announced their breakup in 2000, with John Tardy's disinterest in touring apparently a major factor. Trevor Peres soon started up a new band, Catastrophic, while Donald Tardy joined Andrew WK's band some time later. But as of early 2004 the band was back in business, and their first studio album in eight years, Frozen In Time, has since been released.

Obituary - Slowly We Rot (1989)

Obituary - Cause Of Death (1990)

Obituary - Godly Beings (1991)

Obituary - The End Conplete (1992)

Obituary - World Demise (1994)

Obituary - Back From The Dead (1997)

Obituary - Dead (1998)

Obituary - Anthology (2001)

Obituary - Frozen In Time (2005)

Obituary - Turned Inside Out... In Germany