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Hailing from Lille, North of France (why...that's almost Belgium...ain't it!?), and founded in 2009, The Betrayer's Judgement is a Metalcore band with a difference.

What we have here is good prog with the synth driven styles of alternative rock music that is a pleasant enough listen at times, it just will not be remembered a year or so down the line. While Synaesthesia do have some musical similarities to Porcupine Tree, Muse and Frost, they aren't a clone band. The prog music is varied, with nice changes in dynamics, some catchy melodies, and even some brief outbursts. The playing is good, with some intricate parts in places.

“Oo-ooh, Suzanne Vega! Gee...Suzanne Vega?”...believe it or not, but those were the words goin' through my mind when I first found out I had to review this artist's first studio album in 7 years!

“Get that album a priority review, will you?” went my editor-in-chief! “What?” I countered, “I've got several hard-disc reviews to do yet, and there's at least 15 other bands that were released earlier?”! “Yeah well...the Belgian promo guy of the label is acting up, so...”! So a rush-job they want, do they? Okay, but it'll be at the cost of not doin' my usual in-depth review of the product and band, eh?

Suicide Silence is an American deathcore band from Riverside, California. Formed in 2002, the band released three albums. The member were Mitch Lucker – vocals (RIP), Chris Garza – rhythm guitars, Mark Heylmun – lead guitars, Dan Kenny – bass and Alex Lopez – drums.

You know, in this “business” of music journalism, I have found that it's usually the “small” labels which keep coming up with rather nice surprises...and the last one on that list is this album by the South-of-France Noise-Hardcore act Stuntman, who turn out to have been around already since the autumn of 2002! The band hails from Sète, which is situated in the Herault region (Languedoc-Roussillon), and somewhere between Montpellier and Beziers.

Pffoooh...okay now...about 4 years ago colleague Erik did a review of the sophomore full-length release by this Bergamo (Lombardy) based Italian Power Metal act (and you can still consult it in the “Archive” section of this here website, posted 10/07/2010), but he kinda left out giving a decent history of the band...so that's now up to me, ain't it?

Sinbreed is the project around 27 year old Guitarist Flo Laurin who joined forces with dedicated artists of the European metal scene. The members are Frederik Ehmke [Blind Guardian] on drums, Hebie Langhans [Seventh Avenue] on vocals, Alexander Schulz on bass and Flo Laurin who handles guitars and keys.

French act Silent Opera was formed in 2007 by Olivier Sentenac (b), Romain Larregain (g) and Laure Laborde (v). They (and ‘they’ includes some new members) recorded a first album at the Laguna Records Studio, which got released as Act One in 2010.

The guys at Mandaï delved into their closets, and got some of their not too recent items out for us to appraise. One of those, was the debut full-length of experimental outfit [sic], who are not to be confused with the Hardcore/ Thrash/ Death Metal act SIC from the Faroe Islands of Iceland!.