A Forest Of Stars - A Shadowplay For Yesterdays (2012)

01. Directionless Resurrectionist 03:13
02. Prey Tell of the Church Fate 07:27
03. A Prophet for A Pound of Flesh 10:11
04. The Blight of Gods Acre 06:09
05. Mans Laughter 03:00
06. The Underside of Eden 08:14
07. Gatherer of the Pure 08:20
08. Left Behind as Static 06:43
09. Corvus Corona (Part 1) 03:15
10. Corvus Corona (Part 2) 06:13
11. Dead Love (Bonustrack) 05:47

Fantastic! This is the perfect word to define this new album. Taking as reference some of the black metal patterns they totally redifine the style adding a bunch of prog-circus melodies, enriching the music until they create this wonder. An album that needs to be carefully listened to extract all of its essence. Don´t you miss the video either, simply astonishing!

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Sigh - In Somniphobia (2012)

01. Purgatorium (4:48)
02. The Transfiguration Fear (4:51)
03. Opening Theme: Lucid Nightmare (1:58)
04. Somniphobia (7:34)
05. L’excommunication a Minuit (5:38)
06. Amnesia (8:10)
07. Far Beneath The In-Between (7:10)
08. Amongst The Phantoms (9:31)
09. Ending Theme: Continuum (1:42)
10. Fall To The Thrall (5:17)
11. Equale (8:00)

The best cover art of this year so far. Fantastic as the album as well. It´s been a long time since they started playing black metal. They have evolved until their current sound, wich is a mix of progressive, avant-garde and some of that black metal of the beginning. Crazy work with a lot of changes and countless shades. This is the kind of albums that needs more than three or four listenings to get into it, but it´s worth to try it.  

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Infidel - King Of Cynical Control (2011)

01. No News, Good News 07:53
02. The Pessimist 07:16
03. King Of Cynical Control 09:33
04. Song For The Black Sheep 05:54
05. III-Your Falacy 06:49
06. Shades Of Solitude 09:25

Another great band from Greece, wich offers to us an interesting album of doom wrapped in progressive and heavy metal  sonorities. The powerful production gives strength and energy, and the clear voices, a sort of mix between  the vocal registers of Ozzy and Fondelius (Count Raven), give to this album an epic touch, making it at the end, an excellent work.   

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Vargton Projekt - ProgXpriMetal (2011)

01. Jaipur 05:27
02. Ujevkoszonto 00:47
03. Uggarderojr 06:33
04. Rjoredraggu 02:45
05. Birka Trilogy I – The Gathering 01:50
06. Birka Trilogy II – Rendition 04:01
07. Birka Trilogy III – Defender & Believers 08:56
08. Norrsken 05:28
09. Lvorna 07:47
10. Capriccio 01:07
11. U Playin On My Drum 05:05
12. Outrott 01:07
13. Allegro Vivace 03:08
14. Digerrojr 01:40
15. Vargton 06:49
16. Naudljaus 04:17
17. Tokeri 1 05:02
18. Tokeri 2 03:08

Mats Hedberg (guitars), Morgan Ägren (drums) and Björn  Jansson (vocals) are the core of this project. Progressive metal with some rock fusion and jazzy influences. Totally amazing the work of guitars and percussion, but the voices are truly dispendables to me. A long album with a lot of details needed of more than a couple of listenings.

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NAPE - The Void Yukio (2011)

01. Humid Geometry 04:24
02. Blades at the Door 07:40
03. The Void Yukio 14:39
04. Trailing Random Artefacts 08:42
05. Ruthless Formation 05:45

Imagine the most alien parts of Meshuggah and mr.Thordendal, add to it some of the industrial heaviness of Godflesh, and a touch of jazz. This is NAPE. Interesting, instrumetal and experimental music. Do you wanna taste it? 

*sorry there isn´t videos available.

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Serious Beak - Huxwhukw (2011)

1. Baxwbakwalanuksiwé 02:23
2. Han 08:17
3. Swagger 05:11
4. Gödel !Xun 02:40
5. Tuī / Tuō 07:23
6. Anhrefn 02:29
7. Sporãs 02:43
8. Lähendama 02:17
9. Fljóta 03:44
10. Taheu Nadryvy, Taheu! 04:33

Instrumental, progressive, experimental, talented compositions, excellent production, empathy... These are the australian Serious Beak. Another great surprise for this year. Really good album!
You can buy a copy here: artascatharsis.bandcamp.com

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Cynic - Carbon-Based Anatomy EP (2011)

01. Amidst The Coals  2:14
02. Carbon-Based Anatomy  6:34
03. Bija!  2:30
04. Box Up My Bones  5:41
05. Elves Beam Out  4:05
06. Hieroglyph  2:31

The brand new EP of the progressive masters is here. They follow the way of his last EP, it means that the progressive sounds are the stars in this work, leaving aside the extrem parts of his beginings. Personally I love both periods, so I´m enjoying this little taste awaiting for a new full lenght album.

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Antigua y Barbuda - Círculos De Amigos EP (2010)

1.- Australopithecus 4:28

2.- Dead Friends 4:23

Awesome! Odd name for an odd band. It´s hard to label their music, because it is influenced by many styles, and sounds really original, but the result is really great. The best thing that you can do is listen it and decide by yourselves.

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