Sonus Mortis "Synapse The Hivemind" Album Review

  For more then a decade the gradual ascendency shown by the absolutely phenomenal Symphonic Death Metal solo artist Sonus Mortis is nothing short of amazing and over that period the progression with each album is amazing, over the past few years the standard has been raised substantially which leads us to the missing part in the Dystopian Trilogy of  Collapse The Mountain , Of Red Barren Earth and the upcoming masterpiece that is Synapse The Hivemind.

  Commencing this dystopian passage with the absolutely relentless symphony of Biomechanical Horrors this has more then enough darkness and atmopsheric to give you a proper feel for what's to expect throughout this opus, delivering a short sharp shock with Eyes In The Sky which touch on the topic of surveillance drones(music video above will show this) yet again this is unnervingly dark and portrays the horrfic idea that we're launching head first into some sort of surveillance state(Big Brother is watching), things are slowed down a bit with the darkly atmopshericand doom laden riff fest that is I Used To Be Human this feels like humanity has become some sort of digital entity or a humanoid if you will,the musical composition is at time really awe-inspiring and epic while at the same time having a subtle element of tragicness which is pushed by the overall dystopian theme, possibly the heaviest and most intense track The System Shock combines deavastating drumming layered on top of a dark symphonic template,we're also treated to some fantastic ochestral elements not to far removed from Black Metal in the vein of Emperor.

  

  

 The standards are escalated with the phenomenal The Perfect Host we're introduced to some brilliant clean vocals which add even more depth and a somewhat Progressive element and even more awe-inspiring passages that will leave you speechless, the basslines in this are another thing to be lauded and celebrated and create a even darker forboding atmopshere, th synths layered on the spoken sample at the beginning of The Unravelling Array bring the atmopshere to even darker levels ,this one delves into more black metal elements and the melodic passages become even more prevelent all of this is layered on those sublime symphonic templates ,it begins to feel like we're appraoching some sort of Orwellian nightmare the future we get into this album.

   Getting to the penultimate stages of this magnificent opus we delve into the sublime Synapse The Hivemind which goes into the topic of being a slave to the system and being deprived of any sort of basic needs making it feel like you're appraoching the end times and having no control of it happening, the releentlessness is pushed into the stratosphere with Deracinated this really pushed the symphonic elements to even higher levels while still maintaining that dystopian feel, this also gives off the incoming doom has become too much to bear and the struggle is unsurmountable, closing track Slaves To The Algorithm(Execute The Code) is even more relentless then what preceded it and offers plenty of crushing brutality combined with the trademark symphonic and melodic elements,this touches on the topic that we're lost control of ourselves due to social media and that we've lost some of the qualities releated to human interaction,this for me is the best way to close this nightmarish dystopian opus.

 Eight albums in and the brainchild behind Sonus Mortis Kevin Byrne so no signs of stopping and continuously delivers absolutely sublime albums that will be remembered in years to come,not only does he consistently give us these memorable offerings ,the willingness to add different elements with each release has to be praised and complimented to the fullest extent,Synpase The Hivemind is definitely some of the best output he's released,say what you will(and i know i have folk who agree) most of the topics/themes throughout this album (and the previous two masterpieces) are happening in plane sight right in front of our eyes but we chose to be distracted by trivial topics instead,this masterpiece is like some sort of warning of the impending futuristic surveillenace society,if you happen to find an album as sublime as this let me know, my ears want to hear such magnifience.

RATING:9.8/10

FB: https://www.facebook.com/sonusmortisband

IG: https://www.instagram.com/sonusmortis/

XIII Doors "Into The Unknown" Album Review

   The quality within the underground Irish Rock & Scene just continually gets better and better with each year,one band that have the potential to be huge internationally is the absolutely sublime XIII Doors who delve into elements of Alt Metal,Progressive Metal ,Groove Metal with ruthless efficiency, when they released their debut single over a year ago it was no surprise when the feedback they got from that was phenomenal, fast forward to 2025 and their sublime debut album Into The Unknown has being unleashed upon the world.

  

  Launching straight into the absolute riff fest that is Unleash The Beast,this is full on groove laden passages with soaring vocals and a rhytmn section that flows with a killer mid paced tempo, the lead guitar work here is absolutely sublime, we're treated to some really heavy progressive elements on the absolutely awe-inspiring Sorceress Of Lies, this is possibly my favourite track on the album, those double bass drums give this that aforementioned progressive element while still maintaining those tasty grooves, the beautiful Middle-Eastern intro at the start of Make a Life Again sets a really dark atmosphere and has very socially conscious lyrical output,touching on topics of war,life struggles all layered over thaty trademark groove.

  

  

  When this band first became known was with their brilliant debut single Lead The Way, the vast majority who heard it knew full well that we were going to be in for something special with these,suffice to say this track is only a small layer of what this band are truly capable of,this is a relentless non-stop riff fest backed by a brilliant vocal delivery,also lyrically this is really inspiring and shows plenty of passion, the pummelling drums on Face The Truth really hit hard and pushes every other element from the vocals,guitars to the limits making for yet another anthemic number, leading us onto the excellent title track Into The Unknown,there's a real old school Hard Rock vibe to this while also maintaining that trademark groove and anthemic feel,you can literally feel the positivity as you go through each track with this one possibly hitting another level.

 

  Time to bring in the sublime awe-inspiring rock ballad that is the brilliant See How You've Come So Far this is yet another one that has that 90's Rock anthem vibe with the beautiful acoustic guitars layered with those soaring vocals and catchy hooks that will get inbedded in your mind, closing out this magnificent opus is the rip roaring Inside this flows along with a killer tempo and groove, the leads throughout this track are sublime and add plenty of depth to the overall product and the best way to close out this excellent offering.

 Many positive things can be said about this album, you can be sure that this will be on many end of year lists come the tail end of 2025, this has everything from amazing production,stellar musicianship, plenty of bonafide anthems ,soaring and passionate vocals that are filled with awe-inspiring lyrics and  passages throughout this truly is worth it's weight in gold and will defintely remembered in years to come as a bonafide masterpiece.

RATING: 9.5/10

 FB: https://www.facebook.com/XIIIDOORS

 IG: https://www.instagram.com/xiiidoors/

 

Snowblind "Shapes In The Trees" EP Review

 

    Over a decade ago a potentially sublime band would come to fruition,this very band is the brilliant Progressive Metal trio Snowblind their early sound was a mix of Thrash Metal in the vein of Megadeth with subtle progreesive leanings in the mould of Rush,these two influences still hold true to this day but their sound has become more expansive and musically they've matured one thousand fold, although their last release was a really long nine years ago,they would still play live pretty regularly including at the renowned Bloodstock Festival in the UK, it will all become apparent why they took so long to bring out the absolutely phenomenal new EP Shapes In The Trees.

  Kicking it off with the infinitely epic title track Shapes In The Trees nothing will prepare you for the absolutely mental time signatures and genre defying gymnastics throughout this, the start sounds similar to something Rush would do then they launch into a really heavy passage that harks back to their early thrash influences,a new element they've introduced which is a huge but welcome curveball is the twin Vocals from Ian McKeon( like a mix of Di'Anno & Geddy Lee) & Sean Boland which sees them switching between really aggressive and soaring vocals to a more Blues/Rock Based Vocal delivery that shows an ode to Thin Lizzy or Budgie,also there's some sort of Psychedelic element to the lyrical and structure of the song which can be best described as like some Hullucinogenic dream were you go between been relaxed and like been lost in some nightmarish dream that you can't escape,the twin vocals help to portray this brilliantly, we treated to some real old school rock tendnecies on Barrow Wight that also have subtle sludge hints similar to mid era Mastodon, there's also plenty of massive homages to Thin Lizzy & Gary Moore with the absolutely killer Guitar work,already two song in you can feel yourself getting lost in the sheer volume of all that is going on,at times it's just so immersive and mind boggling you just need to let it all sink in.

 

   

The blues tinged elements of Burning Red are totally mesmerizing and hint at more old school rock escapades which sound both retro and modern at the same time,everything throughout this oozes quality,the melody and harmonies combined with the sublime drumming of Jake McCarthy drive this in a different territory then the previous tracks,it's almost like some love story gone wrong were you've been through a lot of heartache and  struggle, The shortest and catchiest song on the EP is the brilliant groove laden Primal Spy this has a  real air of confidence and swagger about it with the delivery of the vocals and music, again this one owes an ode to old school rock, closing track Go Forth has a great combo of Traditional Heavy Metal reminiscent of early Iron Maiden,especially with McKeon's vocal delivery,also the guitar harmonies hint at this as well, this gives the overall product a really cool nostalgic vibe while still having plenty of modern elements for your listening pleasure.

 

  

  Despite such a long period between releases Snowblind really have come of age and delivered an absolutely mind blowing masterpiece of epic proportions, anyone who was doubting they'd capture the essence of what they were doing 8/9 years ago will be hugely mistaken this just renders everything they've done before almost obsolete,that's not a condemnation of their earlier work but this release is flawless to me,everytime i listen  to it on i discover something new ,this is definitely a true contender for EP of the year within the Irish Rock & Metal Scene and verifies why Snowblind have always being highly thought of,long may it continue for years to come.

RATING:10/10

  FB: https://www.facebook.com,/SnowblindIreland

  IG: https://www.instagram.com/snowblindirl/

Pincer Consortium "Geminus Schism" Album Review

  What started out as a merger, the two minds behind the bands Scald and qip set about forming the entity that is Pincer Consortium to create a black worded tapestry so complex and mind bending beyond human comprehension,the two minds would start laying the foundations in 2022 to create this Odyssean tome now almost 2 years later the monumental Geminus Schism is about to unleashed on the world,prepare to have your mind blown by this absolutely phenomenal offering.

 

  This conceptual tale of duality is commenced with beautifully crafted Alpha Omega Decay which contains alot of symphonic elements to give an atmopshere both harrowing and beautiful,the numerous vocal patterns really emphasis the concept brilliantly,musically this sets out to create some sort of storyboard in an attempt not to repeat each part this sets the tone perfectly to unleash the absolute cacophony of riffs that is Twin Galatic Tides the vocals deliver a crushing Death Metal style with plenty of industrial undertones to add plenty of dynamics to the track, there is little to no slowing down on this track just a relentless audio assualt of the senses, things start going into epic territories with the absolutely mind blowing Schizoid Rivalry/Double Occultation  this gradually builds to a monumental crescendo were you get an even better understanding of the duality concept, it feels like there two conflicting entities like a darkness and a light  or dual personalities comparing each other but almost sounding identical with the way they think,while the track is split in two to create an even more complex story with the concept.

  Continuing with the earth shattering Dual Shock Termination this is the shortest track on the album but makes for a really interesting listen the melodics combined with the relentless riffing give this an extremely varied soundscape ,we're treated to a more progessive and technical output throughout this also, the further you get into this album the more mind bending it becomes with the progressive elements getting pushed to another spectrum with Tandemic Dispersal,this is another one that keeps building and introducing different elements the further the song elapses,the lead guitar work throughout this shows how far into the stratosphere this coincept can go leaving nothing left untouched,a little after the half way mark of the track the speed of guitars,vocals get's progressively faster taking everything to an unfathomable plateau of  consciousness.

  Getting to the penultimate atges of this opus with the absolute mindfuck that is Spectral Dyad it becomes apartment that this dual entitiy/presence has gone beyond the pale of sanity/existence and into some other alternate afterworld/universe asking the question has the entity become one being created through the dual entities,the relentelessness throughout this at time feels suffocatingly heavy while also going even further into progressive passages,especially the part with the orchestral keys, now to the concluding part of this phenomenal opus with the brilliant Bi-Fold Conclusion again this starts out pretty slow with an extemely haunting foreboding bass line pushing a really dark atmopshere to the fore until it gradually builds to a complete explosion of auditory assualt on the senses, the progressiveness goes into levels of mind boggling proportions epicness making you feel that this storied concept may or may not have some sort of conclusion and is left open to what the mind can comprehend.

  Pincer Consortium set out to create a really ambitious and  mind bending concept with Geminus Schism that will leave you speechless and constantly questioning is this real or just some surreal dream taking place in some alternate reality, the whole idea of the duality behind this is to try to put some sort of balance between dark and light,good or evil etc while creating a soundscape that is full of beauty,darkness,light,hope and despair,at times this album may be hard to take in for some but you will come back for even more and embrace the absolute madness that lies within.

RATING:10/10

  FB: https://www.facebook.com/PincerConsortium

Lock Horns "Red Room" Album Review

  Six years on from their excellent debut album Molon Labe Progressive Metal Force Lock Horns finally unleashed their highly anticipated second album Red Room,this is a monstrous step up form the much loved debut offering ,this is full of mind bending unpredictable brilliance that will leave you speechless.

 The absolute cacophony of mindfucks commences with the brilliant The Origin Of Evil Impulses not confined to one specific genre you can hear industrial elements layered with Progressive undertones,the seamless progessive between clean and abrasive vocals adds plenty of depth and feeling to this track, mixed with aggressive vocals and punchy rhytmns Rust packs an absolutely devastating punch leaving you even more disorientated , the madness continues to evolve with the mind blowing Skin and Bones, the punishing brutality within this track is at times mind blowing,you can literally feel the anger and lack of control through the vocal delivery.

 The relentless power and speed of Lab Rat takes the mind boggling consequences to even more disturbing levels, lyrically and musicially this sounds like some gone wrong botched experiment were control and the lack thereof seem to have a sense of duality through manipulation and coerciveness, we're treated to some absolutely soaring interludes with the phenomenal Impressions Of a Dream the groove and time signatures are something to behold on this and the soaring vocal deliveries give a whole new dimension to the overall them within the album,there is a beauty invloved to all the lack of control and it's executed magnificiently by the band.

 The rip roaring relentlessness of The Golden Mean delivers a short sharp shock to the sense leaving a trail of destruction in it's wake,this one is full of progressive riff gymnastics,the drumming is executed with razor sharp precision and the deranged vocals leave the perfect desired effect, closing track Expressions Of Madness is full of slow heavy grooves that leave a sense of unnerving insanity and a dread that's ready to crush the senses into oblivion.

  Lock Horns leave no cross unturned on this absolutely mind blowing release.although short in length Red Room ticks all the right boxes ,the whole theme of control and the lack thereof really hits home with devastating consequences,for all the superlatives alot of people have been saying about this the anticipation and hype is 100% real,this is a modern masterpiece and a definite contender for Album of The Year.

  RATING: 9.5/10

FB: https://www.facebook.com/LockHornsOfficial

IG: https://www.instagram.com/lock_horns/

Enshroud "Mortal" Album Review

  A band shrouded in Mystery and somewhat an enigma within the Irish Metal Scene  following on from their excellent debut album Darkness Grips Us All Enshroud have been working dilligently in the background on their absolutely mind blowing new album Mortal ,the wait for this has been more than worth it, this ticks all the right boxes for a modern classic, also there's a real life story behind this release ,a concept straight from the heart that will grip your attention from beginning to end,lets get into this epic offering.

 We're treated to the relentless Dust To Dust ,the emotion throughout this will give you an idea of what's in store on the rest of the album setting the tone perfectly, the crushing grooves of Frailty are another indiciation of how this band can mix the heaviness with emotionally charged passages ,there's a little interlude half way through that builds the emotional atmosphere to another level,at times it almost feels like all the energy and will drains from the body.

  When you think there's some respite from the emotionally charged elements it only serves to get progressively more so with the absolutely sublime A Fate For No One this really pulls at the heartstrings and leaves nothing left unturned, it's amazing how they can convey these sort of feelings through the music alone and then those soaring vocals just grip like a vice and don't let go, the relentlessness of  Infestation potrays alot of anger combiined with the already emotional atmosphere within this release, War Within hints at some sort of inner struggle to accept the consequences of what's happening ,once again this really delivers some thought provoking feelings and drags you further along this emotional rollercoaster, things begin to get even more emotionally charged on the passionate and soaring Safe In Forever it almost feels like there's an acceptance that you're going to loss something and are resigned to the inevitable end but at the same time there's an anger that refuses to let go.

The inpending horrors become a little more obvious the further into this offering ,this is abundantly clear on Decay,although not as pacey as previous tracks this has a level of darkness that really hits like a tonne of bricks emotionally,like the going through all the pain and suffering you've had to endure from a terminal illness, that inevitable end comes in the form of the beautifully tragic Fallen Time this is were the emotions escalate to the a plateau so high you can't even comprehend the hurt and loss that's about to take hold of you,it's like you're going tthrough some sort of nothingness that leaves you feeling so numb and empty.

  When i first heard that Enshroud were going to be releasing a second album to say i was excited was an understatement but nothing prepared me for the magnitude of feelings and emotions running throughout this release,at times i found it hard to get through the album without feeling some sort of emotion or attachment to the overall theme within this album, it's hard to fathom how magnificently the band conveyed the feelings and emotions throughout the writing process of this album and the whole album itself, this is definitely one of the best releases within the Irish scene this year,an absolute tour de force of  an album.

 RATING: 10/10

 FB: https://www.facebook.com/enshroudnimetal

 IG: https://www.instagram.com/enshroudnimetal/

Kraik "The Neon Piper" Single Review

   

  Hailing from the North West of The Emerald Isle the absolutely Mind Blowing Progressive Groove Metal act Kraik  have been brewing something special for the past few months,late last year they released their debut single Effigy which for all intense purposes was a phenomenal offering,some may know a few of their members were previously in the excellent Pursuit Of Ruin many years ago,so it will come as no surprsie they've got the pedigree and chops to unleash mind blowing epic tunes,as much as i enjyoed their debut single it's nowhere near the level of their sublime new single The Neon Piper,lets explore the finer details of this excellent track.

   Delving straight into a cacophony of mind bending riffmania backed with a crushing rhytmn section that pound like a sledgehammer,when the first vocal passgae enters the fray we treated to some almost Death Metal tinged powerfulness,one thing this bands implements really well is killer grooves full of hooks with severely crushing heaviness, an element that didn't exist on their debut single is some awe-inspiring clean vocal passages which add a really epic feeling to the overall structure of the song,then you throw some absolutely tasty lead guitar work the sequences are at times difficult to comprehend making this a song full of surprise which will leave you specchless.

  As i previously mentioned i was expecting something special with this new offering but to be brutally honest i wasn;t really prepared  for the sublime quality Kraik have to offer, if this is the sort of standard we can expect in the future all i can say is bring it  fucking on and plenty more please,absolutely phenomenal stuff,on a side note before i finish Metal is alive and well in The North West of Ireland ignore at your peril.

RATING: 9.5/10

 IG: https://www.instagram.com/kraik_band/

Uragh "Maelstrom" Album Review

 

   On the rare ocassion a new band will come to fruition and for some unknown reason you'll think they've being playing for a very long time,this is the effect the absolute force of nature Progressive Metal act Uragh have had on me when i first witnessed them live for the first time almost a year ago at the Grand Final of Metal 2 The Masses 2023,since then they've continued to garner a wider audience with their stellar live shows, a few months ago they entered JSR Audio  to record their absoutely earth shattering debut album Maelstrom, i knew they ahd something special for us all but nothing prepared me for the absolute magnitude of quality within this album.

   Straight from the off they go for the jugular with the full on assualt of  Monarch, the Pounding Bass and Drums drive a barage of  disorientating riffs combined with a visceral vocal delivery,the lyrical theme with this is about a Baroness who rules over a district and rules over them through fear and subjugation,the line "Let The Rats Fight Amongst Themselves" shows the level of disdain she has for them, the rhytnm sections throughout Apparition are unnervingly dark and relentless with the Guitar intertwining and meandering through various time signatures leaving your brain mangled and continously guessing what sort of mind blowing passages are on the horizon, the pace and relentlessness is brought down a bit for the short atmospheric bassline interlude of  Gewissenbiss, this serves as a nice way of splitting proceedings before the next part of the relases.

 

   We're treated to the mid paced groov laden heaviness of the brilliant The Widening Gyre the Guitar passages are taken to another level of abrasiveness the combination of those crushing grooves and screeching guitars are like  a short sharp shock to the senses,the drumming gradually builds an atmosphere,then we're thrown another bit of a curveball with the clean vocal passage this adds a really passionate and awe-inspring element to  the overall product.

  At This stage of the album you think you've heard everything the band are capable of doing,not likely with the absolutely mind blowing Capsize which drags you every which way through plenty of Progressive passages with amazing clean vocal delivery then switching into barages of Death Metal brutality,at times during this you feel like your been tossed through a grinder then floating through dream-like psychedelic passages which ,the way Vocalist Craig Murphy orchestrates the different vocal styles between the clean and aggressive is like some puppet master controlling all your emotions, this next track Ar An Tra Fholamh is really interetsing and feels like some sort of time lapse ,having the spoken word As Gaeilge adds a really eery and dream like sequence as if your lost in some sort of upside down alternate reality

    There's still more superlatives left to explore within this monumental offering especially when were treated to more groove infused heaviness with Regrowth At The Mouth Of Sickness ,the levels of crushingly heavy passages throughout this are mind numbing ,combine that with the trademrk fantastic rhytmn section and the absolutely amaizng lead guitar work of  Marcelo Varge and you have a track of truly epic proportions, another things that needs to be pinted out is the fantastic bassline of Sebastian Sparr and the phenomenal drumming from Jason Hodgkins these become even more prevelent throughout the quality El Cazador which throws up even more disorientating passages, closing track Mo Dhia Mhaith remember i mentioned the clean vocals well they're more to the fore throughout this track, if you're thinking the add a similar feeling to the other times ,not a chance this time they're have a melancholic aura to them which adds extreme levels of vitriol to the aggressive ones,the epic structure throughout this is absolutely phenomenal and is the perfect way to close out this part of the bands stories.

  

Not only is it mind blowing to believe this is the bands debut album but also that thet formed less then 2 years ago,although the members may have previously been in other band before,the levels of how tight and brilliantly structured the whole album is a monstrous testament to how much hard work and attention to detail they put into not just this release but also their live performances,which i may add are a sight to behold is, Maelstrom is possibly up there with one of the best debut albums from an irish Metal act,this is definitely a bonafide contender for album of the year for me and i will add this is only the beginning of what this band will deliver in the future.

RATING: 9.8/10

FB: https://www.facebook.com/uraghband

IG: https://www.instagram.com/uraghband/

Keith McCoy "Dawn Of The Machine" EP Review

 Those who've been following some of the quality output from the multi talented Keith McCoy will be aware and know about the various projects/bands he's being invloved with for a number of years including Hedfuzy,Symbiotic Tomorrow,Soylent Chiba and numerous homages/tributes to the legendary John Carpenter,you can also include a plethroa of stellar Instrumental synthwave and Progressive Metal EP's/Albums which leads us to his upcoming EP Dawn Of The Machine which will be his first to have vocals included,this was something myself and other fans were always curious to see what it would sound like and suffice to say the results are absolutely phenomenal,let's get into the finer details of what to expect.

  Instantly with the opening intro The Tuning Test you know you're about to be taken on a journey with the sublime 80's Synthwave instrumental which feels like it from a John Carpenter movie score,a brilliant way to commence this superb offering, thise soaring  vocals from Jason Guile at the start of  H.U.M.A.N. officially conform was i was suspecting with the addition of vocals to all those instrumental releases and it's done with magnificient aplomb,also the atmosphere created by the synths is absolutely breathtaking and creates a really 80's vibe to proceedings.

  

    Hear Me has a really upbeat vibe with extremely inspiritional lyrical output touching on themes of hope the struggles that come with it and the will to strive and succeed, the Guitar work throughout this is absolutely awe inspiring and  when you combine it with the synths the conclusion is truly superb, the time signatures in Dawn Of The Machine are seriously intense with slow paced riffing and a pulsating heavy bassline which adds  a fantastic feeling to those relentless drum fills,there's also a subtle dystopian feel to the lyrics like it's part of some post apocalyptic film were the machines are about to take control of humanity, the closing outro track Imitation Game helps to add a very eery atmosphere to the overall feeling within this offering while also feeling like the story within is going to be continued.

  Dawn Of The Machine further confirms the true capabilities of what McCoy is capable as a musician and producer,as mentioned before i was always curious to see what his music would sound like with vocals added and i can now confirm this is beyond what i was expecting and Jason Guile has delivered an absolute masterclass full of emotion, soaring vocals and unbridled passion; There's also something really unique with this release beneath all the awe inspiring,hope and very emotional passages throughout there's also a really subtle underlying dystopian atmosphere which becomes more apparent with repeat listens,this is an absolute must for fans of 80's inspired Synthwave mixed with plemty of Progressive elements of Rock and Metal.

RATING: 8.5/10

  FB: https://www.facebook.com/keithmccoymusic

  IG: https://www.instagram.com/keithmccoymusic/

Nebularis "Exodus: Shattered Earth Saga Pt.1" Album Review

   The absolutely fantastic Progressive Metal act Nebularis set out to create a sci-fi legacy that comes from another galaxy in time and space,what founding member and the bands Guitarist/Synth player Mo Sheerin set out to do started coming to fruition just over a year ago were the band slowly treated us to something new.fresh and interesting,peoples interested was peaked when the band played their first live shows during Metal 2 The Masses Ireland were they would eventually make it to the final,late last year they would deliver a stellar set at the hugely popular Siege Of Limerick,the culmination and results of all this would see the release of their mind blowing debut album Exodus:Shattered Earth Saga Pt.1 just last week let's dissect the finer details of this magnificent opus.

  Straight away the tone and atmosphere is set for what's to come with the beautifully crafted synth/keyboard intro  Tellurian this feels like something from a movie score and gives the atmosphere if soemthing tragic/disastrous is about to take place, laucnhing into the sublime Cataclysm judging by the song title and lyrics you know something tragic has happened and a group of people have to leave their world behind and find some new habitat,the vocal delivery from Hytham Martin is awe-inspiring and soars beyond out planetary existence.

  Aurelia is another short interlude/passage that has an eerily oceanic feeling like your submerged beneath the surface which leads us into the mind blowing offering of Subnautica the question of making the same mistakes as before are permeating throughout this track,the guitar work on this is outworldly and the vocals reach another level of quality,the drumming by Damian Dziennik is truly amazing and adds another dimension to the overall story within this release.

  We're treated to the absolutely brilliant ballad-like Voyager the combo of  Keys/Synth with the guitar and bass are seamless and create a really beautiful galactic atmosphere, we also treated to some samples of Carl Sagan another part of the storyboard becomes prevelent when the people think they've found new place within the universe, Exodus is another one of these short interludes that are used to create an eery atmosphere and create another part of the storyboard,this one sound like some lost sattelite signal maybe yet another place for the people to explore.

   Time to delve into something that bit more darker with Holocene the aggression that unfolds in this track is another dimension to this bands overall sound,while still maintaining the awe-inspiring vocal delivery and outworldly guitar work the added heaviness creates a darker atmosphere to proceedings, if you think you've heard every element of this band thus far wait til you get to the closing track Critias prepare to have another curveball with the added element of the beautiful backing vocals courtesy of Mo Sheerin,also this track has possibly one of the most awe-inspiring lead guitar outros i've heard in a really long time,have to mention this is the part of the story where the people seem to have found their way,maybe we'll find out in Pt.2 of this magnificent opus.

 

If Shattered Earth Saga is the beginning of some epic story/adventure we're definitely going to be getting something truly amazing from band who have constructed a story full of hope,struggle,despair within another planetary dimension,it's like the took little sections from War Of The Worlds, Aliens,The Abyss and other sci-fi masterpieces and combined it with Carl Sagan's evolutionary thoughts thus making a universe full of mystery, it likes they've sucked us into some story were we want to know what happens,the potential within this part of the opus is too good not to ignore and a whole new standard has been set and it's truly sublime.

RATING: 9.5/10

 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/nebularisofficial

 IG: https://www.instagram.com/nebularisofficial/

Bands To Watch(Irish Rock & Metal Community) For 2024(Part 1)

 2023 was full of memorable releases within the Irish Rock and Metal scene including a few new bands making their mark on a thriving community,i will be including a few who unleashed some quality releases in 2023 and a few bands who i think are worth paying attention to in 2024, i'll include links to all their music in this spotlight

URAGH

 The Absolutely mind blowing Progressive Metal Quartet Uragh are an absolute Force of Nature and made a huge ripple within the Irish scene,about a year ago they were releatively unknown that all changed pretty quickly with truly explosive performances in Metal 2 The Masses which saw them eventually make it to The Grand Final and delivered an absolutely devastating performance,they were unlucky not to win the competition but this experience really pushed them to the fore within the scene,not long after the band carried on regardless of not winning the competition with the release of their debut single Decimate which garnered a lot of attention ,near the end of November they unleashed the absolutely monumental single Monarch which was a really huge step forward for this truly talented band,in writing this piece coincidentally i was checking my emails and low and behold there's another absolutely devastating new single entitled The Widening Gyre which is due to be released on 9th February with an accompanying video out on 23rd February,there's was also the announcement that their highly anticipated Debut Album Maelstrom will be released on 19th April, The Storm is Slowly Brewing and i think no one is prepared for the devastation this band are about to unleash.

 FB: https://www.facebook.com/uraghband

  IG: https://www.instagram.com/uraghband/

TERAS

 

Not confined to one specific genre the absolutely brilliant Teras have an aura like no other band ,their live performances are not like your regular gig it's more like an experience were you feel you're in some sort of trance and you feel this addictive urge were you keep wanting more,it's kind of tricky to explain unless you're lucky enough to see them, about a year ago they made an unbelievabke impact within the Northern Ireland Metal community as their first few gigs were in Metal 2 The Masses NI competition culminating in them reaching The Grand Final,this is by no reach of the imagination a phenomenal achievement, after this they continously keep performing at as much shows as possible garnering much deserved attention from more people,before i finally got to see them live i knew there was something special about them and on my second time seeing them they done their first ever Headline show with two established bands in Acid Age & Cursed Sun supporting them in the 7Twenty Bar in Derry, they played an hour+ set at this and were absolutely phenomenal,they ended the year with another headline show in Belfast were they premiered a new song Kill Your Idol this is something that will help to expand their setlist for further live shows,recently it was announced that they'll be playing at Siege Of Limerick for the first time at the end of March,they're also taking part in Metal 2 The Masses NI on March 22nd in Voodoo Belfast, there's also the possibility that they'll be releasing an album in the not so distance future,keep a real close watch on these and if you haven't go see them live.

FB: https://www.facebook.com/TerasOffical.ni

IG: https://www.instagram.com/teras_ni/

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LAVEIN

    About a Year ago to the day i went to a gig in Fibbers basement for the first Rage Metal Night of 2023,was paying attention to all the bands that night but one in particular stood out that night a newky formed Modern Metallic Hardcore outfit by the name of LaVein, i knew very little about these with the exception that their Drummer Lachlan also plays with Fornoth, it would become apparent really quickly to a number of people that these weren't messing around and had seriously unmatched potential, i now refer to them as "The Glass Ceiling Smasher" with good reason at that,in the midst of all the furore this band achieved a mind blowing story by not only getting to the Grand Final of Metal 2 The Masses Ireland  they also won it, not many bands cna say they formed and about half a year later were told they're going to be playing at Bloodstock Festival,also just before the Grand Final they did release their absolutely devastating Debut EP Fine Failure ,they also got to support one of their favourite bands Kublai Khan TX and played numerous other shows including their first ever time at Siege Of Limerick last October,they're currently working on EP #2 and at the start of March they go on a Five day tour over in the Untied Kingdom

THE BOAT SANK

 This final band in my first round up are an absolutely bombastic Instrumental sludgy groovy heftmonger machine, The Boat Sank are also another act that achieved  alot in such a short space of time,the sludge trio would eventually come together out of a love for Groove laden heavy Riffage in the vein of Crowbar,Down etc,was pure coincidence that the members became aware of each other sharing the same practice space in seperate bands,they eventually would start jamming together(Secretly so i'm lead to believe) ,anyway they developed a reputation for stellar live shows extremely quickly during sets in Metal 2 The Masses NI which would culminate in them getting to The Grand Final,although they are mainly an instrumental band there is version of their tracks with vocals,also should mention the use of samples in their live sets adds to the overall aura/sound of the band,anyone who i've tlked to that's seen them says their drummer is an absolute beast behind the kit and he also has a hilarious sense of humour which you'll come across on some of their social media posts and you tube content, as of now i've yet to see this band live ,this NEEDS to be corrected this year,beofre i close this out i have heard murmurings of a brand new single and they're also going at it again in Metal 2 The Masses NI for Heat 6 on 22nd March,interesting times ahead for this absolutely brilliant Trio.

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Theboatsank

IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_boat_sank/

 

Aesect "Simulacra" Single Review

 

Progressive Tech Metal Stalwarts Aesect are a real force of nature and have been honing and crafting their sound for over a decade,the band have put out consistently good releases throughout the years,despite numerous different vocalists and other difficulties for the band this hasn't detered the quality of what they deliver,over the past three years their bassist Willow has now transitioned to vocals on their past two singles Revolutionary Suicide and now on their mind blowing new single Simulacra, lets get into the finer details and see what sort of quality they've delivered this time.

 Aesect have always delivered quality tunes full of heaviness,aggression and full of  thought provoking lyrics so when i first listened to Simulacra i was speechless when i heard a new added element of clean vocals,this adds a whole new dimension to their sound and gives them a somewhat Progressive edge, lyrically the band touch on the theme of mental illness and the struggle to maintain some sort of sanity,this is conveyed beautifully on the music video for the track: dare i say this but when they transition between the really heavy parts and the clean vocals it adds a really awe inspirng and passionate element to the track, it sounds like there's an inner struggle between two different personalities and a lack of self control and awareness,an insatiable rage locked in a cage.

  This is definitely one of the best singles/releases i've listened to so far this year and  is a taste of things to come from one of the best bands on this wee island,this is going to be a really interesting year for Aesect and i have a feeling we're going to be treated to more memorable and thought provoking material from them.

RATING: 9.5/10

FB: https://www.facebook.com/AeSect

IG: https://www.instagram.com/aesect/