A.O.D. is the abbreviation for Architects Of Disease. It’s a Polish act, formed in 2012 after the demise of Iugulatus. The question is whether A.O.D. can be considered a new band, or whether it is Iugulatus after a change of moniker. As a matter of fact, Iugulatus split up after the departure of singer Balrog; shortly before, also drummer Wojtass left. Both of them are now in Slain, but that’s another story.
Villainy are a Dutch act that were born to pay tribute to the origins of Extreme Metal. The trio recorded this debut, ingeniously titled I (just joking; there’s nothing wrong with such a title, of course) at Perimeter Audio with Marc van Duivenvoorde (Entrapment, Acid Deathtrip, F.U.B.A.R. etc.) and it lasts for forty minutes.
This Trondheim based Norwegian fivesome going under the nicknames of Lord Mordor (lead singer), T-Bag Joe (guitars), Big Truck (guitars), Sars The Virus (bass), and El Nigardo (drums) have chosen to separate themselves from the typical choice of musical direction which Norwegian bands usually take, going for an exhilarating Metalcore, in stead of the usual Black Metal.
Sunchariot are a solo-project by former Svetovid-member C.R.G., located in San Francisco, California. After two demos, Sunchariot signed to Winter Solace Productions, with Warrior Of The Winds as first result, followed by Swirling Sunwheel Of Eternal Life via Werewolf Promotion. It’s the first of these two records that this review deals with.
Šmiercieslaŭ are a duo (Darkut-d and Radzim-v, g, b; both of them used to play together in Oyhra, and are active as well in Zmrok) from Belarus that were formed at the end of last century (1998 to be more precise). Despite one and a half decade of existence, Šmiercieslaŭ weren’t that active.
Hailing from the capital town of the most north-western Indian state of Assam, this Guwahati based Metalcore act was originally founded in 2005 by guitarist Saudragupta Dutta.
Polish act Lugburz were formed in 1996, and after some demonstrational recordings, they released a first full length studio album in 2006, called Triumph Of The Antichrist. There has been a split too in mean time (with fellow countrymen Meghorash, a one-man project by Northrend) and a break for many years. But now, finally, Lugburz return with a second full length, Pure Misanthropy Of Death, which was actually recorded in early spring 2011.
No, no, not a new release by this Croatian band, but a re-issue of their 2009 album. Don't ask me what the reason of the re-issue is, because I don't know, and whether those reasons have an artistic backing or are simply inspired by commercial greed, I couldn't are less really, because after all it brought the band to our attention.
Ars Moriendi are a solo-project by Bastien ‘Arsonist’ Mailhot, whom you might know from, for example, Rein, Solipsis or Notre Amertume (so this has nothing to do with the same-named act from Lithuania nor the one from Austria; and maybe, who knows, there are others with the very same moniker?...).
Not contenting themselves with the re-release of ‘The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell Part One & Part Two", Steamhammer are also at the same time re-releasing Virgin Steele’s 1998 album ‘Invictus’.
