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The Finnish band Katakombi was formed in 2011 and debuted one year later with Hämärän Vartija. Since that moment, Katakombi played millions of gigs (at least: almost…), especially in their home country, which made their fan-base grow enormously. Now they return with an untitled mini-album (duration: twenty six minutes), which was recorded and mixed at the Space Junk Studio with Kimmo Nyyssönen. And damn yeah, but it comes with fantastic cover artwork, done by Heikki Hautala, known from bands like e.g.

Insomnium ( latin for dream) a Finnish formed in 1997 playing melodic death metal. Current members are Niilo Sevänen - Vocals/Bass, Ville Friman - Guitars/Vocals, Markus Vanhala – Guitars and Markus Hirvonen – Drums.

Inexistenz are a Slovenian one-man project by a guy called B., formed in 2010, with a first (and self-released) album shortly after (called Lebensweg). Inexistenz now return with the sophomore full length, Erfundene Welten, which lasts for about thirty six minutes (six tracks).

Immoral Majority from Portland, Oregon, are one of the most extreme bands. Half of the crew is female, by the way, with one of the most extreme female screamers on earth in its ranks. They released a mini-recording last year (Cut Your Losses) and within the very same vein continues this beautiful collection of lullabies, sweetly entitled Exist To Get Pissed. But after the first listen I knew: these guys and girls indeed are pissed!

Yet another band I’d never heard of before. Although this is already their third album so far for this band that hails from Brooklyn

Their music is pop-punk in the vein of Green Day and other bands in that genre. It’s energetic, fast paced music,  nice to listen to, but easily forgotten.  And since so many bands have been active, or still are active in this genre, I doubt they’ll ever make it to the European Music Charts. This is a type of band, or a type of music, that begs for an outdoor music festival, with lots of beer, to have some fun with.

One of the best known Doom-acts from Japan is (in their home country), and will be (internationally), Funeral Moth, formed in 2005 by former members of e.g. Deathchurch, Coffins and Morquido. With their self-titled 2006-demonstrational recording they drew attention of the great Weird Truth Productions-label, but that isn’t that surprising for guitarist / singer Makoto Fujishima owns this Japanese label.

Erlen Meyer are a French combo which I had not heard of before, despite their decade of existence. And with this self-titled album they do really impress me. The quintet (bassist Jérémy Abella, vocalist Olivier Lacroix, guitar players Pierre Berger and Jérémie Noel, and drummer Karol Diers) recorded this material more than a year ago, and the initial release was via Shelsmusic (May 20^th 2013).

Deus Ignotus are a Greek duo (Reshep and Xolferoth) that released two demos at the end of last decade. In 2010 they also released some material on a split with French (defunct) act Abnorm, and a first ‘real’ record was their 2012-album Chrismation, released via the strong Forgotten Wisdom-label. And now the duo returns with a new EP, consisting of five tracks with duration of sixteen minutes.

Coldun are a solo-project by multi-instrumentalist Steffen ‘Coldun’ Thümmel, whom you might know from bands like Isenburg or Andras as well. With this solo-project, he released a first album in 2007, called Necessariis? Dubiis? Caritas?. That one stood for firm and powerful Doom-laden Melodic Metal. Now, after seven years of waiting, Coldun returns with his second solo-recording, which goes further than the self-released debut.

Avitas are a project from the English-speaking part of Canada (British Columbia), formed by Patrick Myrtroen, who runs the label Bud Metal Records. All Avitas-recordings have been released via this label, and then we’re talking about three studio full lengths, an EP and a live-recording. The latest full length, by the way, called Saga Of The Nationalist, sort of gets re-issued, so I will have the kindness, once again, to review it in a very near future.