CD

This Köln based German Indie Punk Rock act [not to be confused by the '90s German Power Metal band (left us only demos in 1991 and 1994), or one of the other acts by that name : the now defunkt Thrash/ Power Metal band from Alaska (founded in 1996, they left us a 2000 demo and have since disappeared), or the still existing Dutch Death Metal outfit (founded in 2004, they have so far a 2006 demo and a self-titled 2000 full-length) and the Doom/ Thrash/ Stoner act from New Zealand (who released a self-titled full-length in 2012)] was founded in late 2012 by 4 childhood friends whom, in spite o

Revontulet is a female fronted Symphonic Metal band from Russia. The band was formed somewhere in 2008, when the future core of the band, Alexandra Revontulet (songwriting, vocals) and Sergey Zorg (drums), found each other in the Internet. During the next two years the line-up changed many times, until 2010 when they finally found a steady line up.

This Danish duo (consisting of Mats Damsgaard Kristiansen and Esban Valloe) was formed in 2009, first operating under the monicker Reptile & Retard. They soon changed their name because they preferred to be seen as a “movement” which would allow them to work in a frame within which many stylistic changes could happen, rather than be pigeonholed at any time!

Following my review of this Amsterdam & North of Holland based “Latin” Stoner Rock/Metal outfit's debut full-length (review posted 08/12/2010 serves as history of the band up to that point) Cantos A La Vida, the quartet continued their musical career with a pace which is very in tune with the Latin antecedents of some of its members, playing short tours and some separate shows [among the short tours, a Dutch one at the end of March 2012, another short one through South America (Argentine, Peru and Paraguay) in July 2012, and a 4-day Spanish stint in early Nov.

This Utrecht based Dutch ElectroPop band originally started out life as the “solo” project of singer/ keyboardist Anne Broekmans, who collaborated with her husband Maarten Besseling (known from In A Cabin With – taking on production) and Anne's brother Jesse (whom added bass and guitar to the whole) to create the self-titled Minus The Tiger [name came from the couple's cat Meines, which got killed by a car rather early in its life – hum...and if it was a “tiger” cat (you kn

Okay, before we start off with the review of this new band under the monicker of Messenger, let's first state the fact that the name is not an uncommonly used one. To my knowledge, at least 6 bands have prior rights to the name, although some of 'em are no longer in existence...those being the German Progressive/ Thrash Metal act which only gave us a 1993 demo, or the Polish, 1991 founded act which brought us demos in 1992 and '94, and a full-length album in 1996.

This Hamburg based German Hardcore unit was founded towards the end of 2011, and following the release of their debut EP Peter Pan Syndrome (issued on vinyl through Anchored Records, and digitally through Acuity.music, the latter version containing two extra songs) in early 2012 (a re-issue of the EP was also brought on CD through Bruised & Broken Records, during Summer 2012 – a nice detail of the EP, was that the guys managed to attract several other bands' singers to come bring a contribution :

Austrian Harakiri For The Sky (I have to admit that this moniker is pretty original, though probably somewhat silly???) are a young band (formed in winter 2011-2012) that debuted in 2012 with a self-titled full length (also through Germany’s Art Of Propaganda). Pretty soon after, this release got followed by several live shows with bands like Fäulnis, Heretoir or Whiskey Ritual in their home country, yet also in Germany and Italy.

Californian band Gravehill was formed in 2001, but they had a short-lived history with one EP only (which was called Practitioners Of Fell Sorcery). The band split up shortly after, but in 2007 they reformed, with the EP Metal Of Death somewhat later that very same year, and 2009’s Rites Of The Pentagram as proof of their glorious comeback.

Consisting of lead singer Gunther Uytterhoeven (also of Damn our Idols and Massif, and having a past with Serengeti and Saint Agatha), guitarists Jo Sente (whom apparently comes along with most ideas on which the band as a whole then constructs the songs) and Wim Van Cauwenbergh, bassist Jody Croes, and drummer Niels Schuyten, this Belgian Modern Metal band was founded in 2012.