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The Polish veterans return with a renewed vigour and a more groove-laden direction. I was never a huge fan of this band (or for the most part, Death Metal in general), but the past few years have delivered a slew of great Death Metal albums, from the brutality of Dyscarnate to the technicality of Dying Fetus and Decapitated now join the slim ranks of Death Metal bands that I am happy to call myself a fan of. Even if you are not a fan of the genre I'd recommend clicking on the link below as this might not be what you are expecting.
Striker
If I was to say that Striker are another 80's Metal obsessed NWOTHM band, you may well roll your eyes and / or yawn. Well don't...as these chaps are rather special. Marrying the classic rock swagger of Whitesnake and Europe with the NWOBHM sensibilities of Cauldron, Enforcer and White Wizzard and with more than a hint of Speed Metal legends, Agent Steel thrown in for good measure, Striker have really upped the ante.
Darkness By Oath
Imagine a band that sits (almost too) comfortably between two disparate styles - and two Swedish bands (the sadly defunct The Duskfall and the very much active, Vintersorg) as it would happen - These Spaniards deliver a distinctive and brilliant take on Melodic Death with a slightly progressive tinge. The underlying vibe though is definitely the aggressively unique Melodic Death Metal of The Duskfall and although it may occasionally veer a little close to plagiarism at times, I'm more than happy to let it slide for two reasons: 1, this is great stuff and 2, The Duskfall are one of my favourite bands and are also one of the most criminally under-rated bands in the history of Metal. I am sad to report that during the preparation of this post, I learned that the DBO have called it a day.
Islander
There is only one Deftones and they are one of those very rare bands that are instantly recognisable and unique. Until now. It finally happened and I'm surprised it took this long for a band to come along with a sound clearly influenced by the Sacramento heroes. On one hand it lacks originality, but on the other, bands have to start somewhere...besides, there are worse bands to sound like.
Northen Oak
Coming across as something of a mix between the furious Black Metal of Mayhemic Truth, the Folk Metal of veterans Skyclad and the Progressive Metal of Opeth or even Vintersorg, Northern Oak are something of an enigma. Distinctly different from the sound of their mainland European cousins, Of Roots And Flesh finds the band exploring ever more progressive avenues, while managing to maintain their overall sound as that of Folk Black Metal. As English as Morris Dancing and Marmite, this album will probably be as divisive among fans of the genre.
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