All small reviews added.

Apologies for possible grammar error.

Non MetalStorm band links:

Basarabian Hills: bandbasarabianhills.bandcamp.com/
Ered Wethrin: http://eredwethrin.bandcamp.com/
Human Collapse: http://humancollapse.bandcamp.com/
Sacro Sanctus: https://www.facebook.com/AlbertBellsSacroSanctus
Shores of Null: http://candlelightrecordsusa.bandcamp.com/album/quiescence
Skogmark: http://soundcloud.com/skogmark
Stoic Dissention: http://stoicdissention2.bandcamp.com/

Created by:

Rot Teufel | 01.01.2015

	1.	Infestus - The Reflecting Void Dark, dense, deep and ipnotic. A grover album that need more listens to understand this darkest vojage in the deeps of human mind. More focus on the clean production that helps ease the immersion into the music, Andras knows the right time when it's time to go faster. Everything caught the listener attention, expressing ideas and emotions of our darknest part inside us. Vocals goes to scream cries to deep grunts in an inner odyssey where everything seems lost, but then the mind reacts in its deeps trought suffering and illusion, until the revelation. Highly reccomanded.
	2.	Shores Of Null - Quiescence Since january i wait that MS add this band as a staff pick, cause it whort and show that even in Italy the metal scene is able to produce something really good (last year this happens with Progenie Terrestre Pura). They debut signing soon with Candlelight records and this was a preludium to a great norther europen tour. It's highly recommended to all old Opeth fans, even if they play progressive black metal. Maybe in this album we miss the masterpiece, but they put all songs in the right order, so the listner is able to follow the album song by song. Highly reccomanded. http://candlelightrecordsusa.bandcamp.com/album/quiescence
	3.	Shylmagoghnar - Emergence Probaly with "Quiescensce" this is the best debut album of this year. The indipendent scene year after year is able to show us some rare underground jewels with great productions. The dutch duo is able to perform atmospheric part and progressive black metal with no addition of fillers or boring songs. It's not easy start with a full instrumental 9 minutes song as opener able to caught the listener attention creating something pleasant and interesting. With the second track become clear the solid rhythmic part of "Emergence", where great melodic up-tempo guitar riffs alternating with slow instrumental (or atmospheric) section. Vocals are bit too harsh, but still understable. Howewer the biggest quality is the songwrinting, that's so stunning to let finish the whole album from beginning to the end without any pause or skip. Reccomanded. shylmagoghnar.bandcamp.com
	4.	Saor - Aura After a good debut and a name change, here comes this second release and whatever good has the previous one, here is improved in the right direction. First of all, a different songwriting structure, by reducing the average time of each song, that made the whole album more easy to listen as a continuum. Even the side folk instruments, that were just a small part in Roots, now became the essential part of the scottish band's folk nature. An intelligent way to fuse atmospheric black metal and folk to recreate musically and lirycally the scottish highlands. Reccomanded.
	5.	Human Collapse - Darkness To Fall In those last years more and more indipendent bands show us a polished production and mature sound. A smart and essential way to mix doom and death metal sound, that increase the ethereal atmosphere of the whole album. Melodic lines and heavier riff often works together without overpower each others. That's made "Darkness to Fall" a solid debut performace album to listen again, again and again. Reccomanded. http://humancollapse.bandcamp.com/
	6.	Kampfar - Djevelmakt When i start listen the opener "Mylder" i was surprise by hearing the piano theme. I was unsure if was really listen them... Don't take it bad, i was just surprise (in a good way). The album is just the natural evolution of "Mare": this is an example of altering the sound and doing it right. Expect a dark atmosphere that surrounds the whole album, wich have a huge variety in the songs. Dark heavy riffs, orchestrated synths, folk instruments, Dolk's aggressive growls such as clean parts, everything fits in the right place, thanks to a great sounding mix work. With this album Kampfar has found a perfect balance between progression and aggression without losing the folk influence. Reccomanded.
	7.	Die Apokalyptischen Reiter - Tief.Tiefer It's hard pleasing old fans, expecially when you evolving your sound with open mind and individual way of playing music. Songs are very rich in variety and vocalist Fuchs is always giving a great addition (and performance) to them. Maybe for manies, german is too much harsh, meanwhile is able to cover every possible feeling aspect. Listen the only Tief will be just a waste of time: you have to listen the advangarde/industrial/folk/death CD and the simply simplistic guitar harmonies and soulful bass of Thiefer. There is a lot of difference between the two CDs, but there is no contradiction: a great example how a band can play different sounds, but not losing their identity. An album that should be listened from the start to the end. Reccomended.
	8.	Árstíðir Lífsins - Aldafǫðr Ok Munka Dróttinn I really like how this band take seriously his history from the most realistic point of view possible. The use of old Norse and the lost art of skaldic stanzas relive with their last work. And probably it's their best so far. The album shows us the point of view of both sides (heatens and christians; to be honest i think no one will ever do that) in a particular historical event of Iceland. The opposite sides were well rappresented with different composition and arrangement. Ambient archaic folklore patterns, dark chants, classic instruments and norse black metal: everything pulse of their musical abilities and materialize a vivid image of icelandic middle ages and teach a powerful history lesson. It's not for everyone, but if you love the Norse History, it's a have to album in your personal collection. Reccomanded.
	9.	Cruachan - Blood For The Blood God After the lame and flat only black metal album in 2011, expectations were low... First of all, because this was presented as the second part of "Blood for the...." trilogy. Anyway the recent line up changes and the sing to Trollzorn as new label, became a preludium to the return of celtic black metal sound as they used play. The result is a clear and powerful production, that cover every aspect of their sounds, increasing the power feel. Even vocals has the same huge coverge, from grunts, raps, choirs, clean and female strewn (not credited). Songwriting cleverly shows a large use of changing rhythms and tempos, bringing you on a pure irish folklore journey.
	10.	Sacro Sanctus - Deus Volt Metal and history most of the time never disappoint me. Even if it's a fictional tale, but with a long historical and mitological research. And this Albert Bell Heavy/Doom Blacknecked Metal project is just pure heavy riffing album with no fancy introduction, by showing his skills on composition arrangement and guitar work that really impresses me. The song structure often follows this scheme: it starts dark, slow and heavy, to then speed up towards the middle brings up the tone and medioriental atmosphere very well. Re-playability is a certainty strong point of this album, even if sometimes you have the impression that some riffs sound familiar. In conclusion this album is a success and is for sure something you will listen for. https://www.facebook.com/AlbertBellsSacroSanctus
	11.	Stoic Dissention - Authocton Normally i prefer much more the european black metal scene than the USA one. Sometimes happens that i'm able to find something really good. A slow organic black/doom metal album rather than focus only on oppressive atmospheres, focus on bizarre melodic tones and rolling percussion, with sometime non invasive minor key passages amidst the heavy black riffing. In some cases the slowness increases even purely in a monotone ecstasy, creating a strange fascination... Even if the hearing is very overused in some passages, a few more highlights in songwriting would have been good in the longer songs. http://stoicdissention2.bandcamp.com/
	12.	Decaying - One To Conquer I didn't expect that this finnish band could produce a good old school death album with war themes. Normally I use listen them meanwhile i waiting something better, but this performance plesantly surprise me; at the end we're speaking about a band that release an album each year. The scenario's change from Europe to Asia significantly improved the finnish guys work without significantly changing anything. But to be honest, i don't know how define what they have done for made this album worthwhile; the only thing I know is this album feels slightly better than previous. The longest and most technically proficient "Ho Chi Minh Trail" is where band really shines, allowing them to show us how they can do a longer song.
	13.	Just Before Dawn - The Aftermath The strange guest only project of Anders Biazzi hits again and it's unusually good. Unusually for a large amount of guest (that clearly know what to do), even at vocals, wich gives each song its own character. The drums are a like a continuos machinegun that extend the atmosphere, meanwhile dark and dramatic primal guitar melodies let the listener images a saturated sense of devastation in the battlefiels, where everything is dense of death, pain, blood, mud and hopeless desolation. An album that whorts more listens.
	14.	Slipknot - .5: The Gray Chapter If you hate them, don't read this and remove from that list. If not, well give it a chance. I'll tell the truth, after the previous crappy one and the whole crap happened in the past years (Gray death, Jordison fired, Taylor more oriented to Stone Sour) and the first song released, everything seems going to the letdown direction. Anyway i was curious to listen and it worths. Sometimes they come back: that's the big surprise of this album. The band bring what they have done with Vol 3 and do it better with a coherent album that will please fans. The replecements are doing their work great fitting in the group, and maybe that was what we miss "All Hope is Gone". Musically is the ring between Iowa and Vol 3, so expect agressive parts as much melodic ones. If this will be their last album, it'll be a good testament. If not, it's a good thing to continue this adventure and maybe surprise us again.
	15.	Duskmourn - Legends Probably the hardest small review for this year. The best quality of this album it's played straight. It's a good album to listen meanwhile wandering deep in a forest, or climbing a mountain and beeing sorruonded by nature. Sound is like late 90s/early 00s death metal meets folk instrument and epic ambient, that often sounds like Jackson LOTR soundtrack (expecially the flute), but at least is really well executed. In fact folk and epic rise up the whole album, beacuse without them the death metal structure will results often mediocre... If you want listen it, it's better meanwhile wandering somewhere. It'll be helpfull. https://www.youtube.com/user/DuskmournMetal
	16.	Skogmark - Sworn To Paganism Why not support this promising band that put all his releases for free. Even if title made suppose the listener this is more pagan sound oriented, this album is more black metal oriented, musically similar to "Gernotshagen". Powerfull and chilling album that knows were it's the time slow down or plays fast: their enthusiasm deserve great credit. Shame that sometimes this enthusiasm carry this band to overpowered some times the instuments, reflecting their youthful inexperience; so album deserves more listen to be appreciated full. The sad lonliness atmopshere is perfectly executed by the howling vocals, great guitar lines, intertwined with bass guitar. But in my opinion, the best part are drum in the mid - slow tempo parts, able to recreate the sensation of a hitting snow storm; so really great kudos to thier drummer for his great performance. http://soundcloud.com/skogmark
	17.	Metsatöll - Karjajuht Like for Cruachan, even those Estonian have return back to folk instruments, by using the native ängipill. Even the bagpipes adds a distinctive folk flavor to their work. Compared to the flat black metal only "Ulg", this album is the complete opposite: full of energy since its begin with almost everything on fire. This is clear since the first track "Külmking" starts. Where metal lacks, folk rises in a perfect balance between modern and past. A good album that let the folk metal submerge from the happy drunken clichè. And you don't need to learn estonian for understand this.
	18.	Overkill - White Devil Armory 30 years of career, the same unconfondible sound trademark and 17th career albums. Just old school thrash metal that made you banging the head on and on in a full andrenalic frenzy atmosphere. Shame that this work for the first seven songs and then it slows down, showing some abused riffs and ideas. In few words, lacks of that spark that highlights "The Eletric Age" to a listen again and again album. Anyway this album is the testament of how Overkill are still compact example of enthusiastic power and energy. An alarm bell to all those thrash veterans that have change their sounds for commercial reason.
	19.	Primordial - Where Greater Men Have Fallen I you have loved the previous album, you'll like this one too. But why only like? Because is too much similar to the previous one. Just the sound, meanwhile songwriting is become even more darker with Nemtheanga showing his great literate skills. This is the strongest part ot the album, increasing the emotiional atmosphere. Listen and wait for the next album, 'cause i think Primordial could maybe surprise us.
	20.	Basarabian Hills - Groping In A Misty Spread 4th self-release of this moldavian one man. If you know it, it's more ambient than black metal. Vocals move like the wind and become one with the ambient. Excellent use of synth and keyboards than brings you in a snow covered forest and desolate landscapes. bandbasarabianhills.bandcamp.com/
	21.	Ered Wethrin - Tides of War True, it's another atmospheric black metal band inspired by Tolkien. And you'll tell me: but we got Summoning. And if i want listen something lirically different there's Caladan Brood And it's not over, 'cause this one man band comes from Salt Lake City as their Malzan cousins, but the good thing is that their sound is more close to Winterfylleth and eastern European black metal scene, in a good nostalgic mix of atmosphere and dreamy melanconic melodies. Don't expect so anything innovative, but belive me, this album worth at least some listens. http://eredwethrin.bandcamp.com/
	22.	Eluveitie - Origins I was unsure to put them in list, but considering swiss band were focused more on folk, they deserve a little spot in 2014. Maybe the line up changes turn the band in the right direction after the simplified flat "Elvetios" performance that lack folkish riff and melodies, ripping off the wide variety of other instruments played.... But with Origins the folk has come back (this made the whole album more complete) and i can't be more glad of this stepback in the right direction. Welecome back Eluveitie.