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Staff picks


Forbidden - Omega Wave
11.11.2010 | Bay Area Thrash metal

Thirteen years have passed since the latest band's offering, entitled Green, which had exhibited a subdued result.

Anyway Omega Wave marks an attractive return. Indeed Forbidden are back and their amazing thrash riffs too.

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Picked by:
Thumbs up:
White Winter Sun
Thryce, Marcel Hubregtse, Collin, Mr. Doctor
Helloween - 7 Sinners
11.11.2010 | Power metal

Helloween are back with their best album definitely at least since The Dark Ride. This is heavier stuff, modern, and certainly catchy without being cheesy. This will be one of the albums of the year for all those concerned.

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Picked by:
Thumbs up:
Baz Anderson
GT, Ag Fox
Rosetta - A Determinism Of Morality
09.11.2010 | Post-Metal / Atmospheric Sludge / Ambient

Definitely among the best albums of the year. Rosetta are pushing the boundaries of metal once again, practically raising it to a form of art. Brilliant release through and through!
Picked by:
Thumbs up:
Thryce
BitterCOld, White Winter Sun, DreamWeaver, Ag Fox, Mr. Doctor
Ufomammut - Eve
06.11.2010 | stoner doom

Featuring tons of fuzzed out stoner doom distortion in the basic format of Sleep's Jerusalem - i.e. one long-ass song divided into several parts - these Italians followed up their MS Award winning Idolum with another superb effort. Eve is an enjoyable head-trip for after you've knocked out a couple belts of the firewater.
Picked by:
Thumbs up:
BitterCOld
Thryce, Promonex, !J.O.O.E.!, Dane Train, Marcel Hubregtse, Ag Fox, Mr. Doctor
War From A Harlots Mouth - MMX
02.11.2010 | Mathcore / Technical Metalcore / Jazz

New War From A Harlots Mouth album! New War From A Harlots Mouth album!
New War From A Harlots Mouth album! New War From A Harlots Mouth album!

Here's the stream link... you know what to do.
Picked by:
Thumbs up:
Thryce
Collin, Mr. Doctor
Helevorn - Forthcoming Displeasures
31.10.2010 | Gothic Doom

Rarely does an album make me feel nostalgic for the human race at the same time that I forsake all hope in it. Solidly crafted and produced, complete with thoughtful and personal lyrics and melodies, Helevorn offer us a somber experience into the withering of us all.

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dismaleuphony
Thryce, Marcel Hubregtse, White Winter Sun
Melechesh - The Epigenesis
30.10.2010 | melodic black metal

The masters of modern Mesopotamian melodic black are back. Epigensis sees Melechesh continuing to put their stamp on melodic bm by incorporating all sorts of exotic scales and instrumentation foreign to many western ears. All the exotic is piled on to a solid foundation of pounding drums, sneering vocals and ripping riffs to create an album that definitely stands apart from and above the crowd.

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Picked by:
Thumbs up:
BitterCOld
daniell_p, Marcel Hubregtse, Jeff, GT, Mr. Doctor, wormdrink414
James LaBrie - Static Impulse
30.10.2010 | Progressive Metal

James LaBrie is hands down one of Metal's greatest voices and after five years returns with his newest solo album. When most people think of LaBrie doing a solo album the first thought is a bunch of ballads. But not on this record. A brilliant blend of Gothenburg and Prog, Static Impulse is a hard hitting, kick-ass record that is sure to turn heads and shows Dream Theater's vocalist in a whole new light!

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Dane Train
daniell_p, Ag Fox, BloodTears, MoraWintersoul
Byfrost - Black Earth
30.10.2010 | Blackened Thrash or Thrashy Black, you decide.

Can you define cool? It's something that's not necessarily brilliant, or inventive, or grounbreaking, or world-changing. It doesn't redefine anything, it doesn't discover new realms. But you love it anyway. It hits this part of your brain that expects simple pleasures, without justifying why they are so pleasant.

That's how I perceive Byfrost's debut album. It delightfully tickles my ears and massages my belly with its groovy, bassy rhythms and riffs. It spellbinds my hands so that I can't take the CD out of my player and I'm forced to press "play" again. Oh, it also sounds great in my car. It makes traffic jams a lot less unbearable. And it makes drivers around me look at me in bewilderment as I rock, jump, and do air-guitar to the sounds of Byfrost.

Do not miss out on those simple, un-pretentious pleasures. Let Byfrost bring you one.

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Picked by:
Thumbs up:
daniell_p
Lyrinan, Marcel Hubregtse, Mr. Doctor
The Man-Eating Tree - Vine
26.10.2010 | Suomi metal

Clear melancholia and pure sadness, the essential Finnish way. Just delightful, isn't it?
And just like that, a little piece of Sentenced lives on. Winter cannot come fast enough...
Picked by:
Thryce
Ion Dissonance - Cursed
19.10.2010 | Deathcore

If there's one worthwhile deathcore album released in 2010, that you'll still be playing when you're old and flatulent, it's Ion Dissonance's meteorite of a record. Intelligent deathcore that will wreck your head!

(Thanks again Dangerboner for the tip!)
Picked by:
Thumbs up:
Thryce
!J.O.O.E.!, Mr. Doctor
Yakuza - Of Seismic Consequence
14.10.2010 | Avant-Garde Metal/Jazz

A crunchy and delicious combination a hardcore delivered aggression and intensity with lengthy, post-influenced smoky jazz concoctions; a visual palette of neon lights in slow, nostalgic motion.

The saxophone never sounded so good.
Picked by:
Thumbs up:
!J.O.O.E.!
Marcel Hubregtse, Collin, jupitreas, Thryce, BloodTears, Fat & Sassy!, Mr. Doctor
System Divide - The Conscious Sedation
12.10.2010 | Melodic Death metal

Modern melodic death metal never sounded so fresh... and surpassingly versatile... and crushing.

Spiced up with the female vocals of ex-Distorted singer Miri Milman, Aborted frontman Sven de Caluwé is back with another unforgiving assault of an album!
Picked by:
Thumbs up:
Thryce
White Winter Sun, Ag Fox
TotalSelfHatred - TotalSelfHatred
11.10.2010 | Depressive black metal

The album responsible for keeping me sane during my month-long absence from Metal Storm due to internet connectivity issues.

Art this depressive truly helps put "real life" and one's priorities into perspective.

Still awaiting Apocalypse In Your Heart (tentatively set to be released in 2010, though it's beginning to look more like 2011 will set the stage for its unveiling).

My ISP better get back to me before then...
Picked by:
Thumbs up:
Troy Gallant
!J.O.O.E.!, Collin, DerRozzengarten
Killing Joke - Absolute Dissent
07.10.2010 | Killing Joke

This new album, the first in nearly 30 years with the original line-up, completely lives up to its promises. Or not. Depends on what you were looking for.

This certainly doesn't prevent it to be full of great songs, reminiscent of many eras of the band's history. But make no mistake: it's not a trek along Nostalgia Lane. Killing joke is as always terribly relevant, actual and modern (or, dare I say it, post-modern).

Plus, these new songs kick ass live!

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Picked by:
Thumbs up:
Darkside Momo
jupitreas, !J.O.O.E.!, Baz Anderson, BitterCOld, Ag Fox