Out Of The Beyond 9

Blood Ceremony: S/T

This occultist doom/metal band hail from Canada. They are your typical Rise Above records fodder, the songs concentrate on Witchcraft and mysticism. Satan and the party God Pan feature heavily. The band have a set of nine heavy rocking songs drenched in organ and flute both of which are played by front woman Alia O'Brien, who also provides the suitably moody and bewitching vocals that have more than a passing resemblance to Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane. The tracks are all heavy/jazzy/folky and psychedelic in their own way. Fans of Rise Above bands and this kind of 70's style Doom rock will enjoy this retro throwback of an album. 8/10

Protest The Hero: Fortress

This album is the bands second and I think is their best album. Each track is a cacophony of noise and speed that is mixed with the great vocals of Rody Walker. The band were a Mathcore band but on this album they have stepped up their game and released a schizoid progressive metal album, that’s sounds like what would happen if Dragonforce gave the swords and sorcery a rest. (DF Keyboardist Vadim plays a keyboard solo on one track in an interesting link). The band could well now be linked with the djent scene but they are so much more and are intentionally very hard to classify. Cracking album that will be like Marmite to most people. 8/10

Exit Ten: Remember The Day

Another band that are more than how they look on paper. They seem to be another scene band that will only be liked by kids and those with fringes. However Exit Ten are a band that bring searing technicality and merge it with pop sensibilities. The band reminds me of InMe and their debut is a great prog rock album that is truly progressive as they are a rock band that tries to push the boundaries of their sound. The vocals are great as is the playing. One warning though this album is very hard to find as problems with the production company meant that it was withdrawn just after release. If you can find it however you will be surprised by what you find. 9/10


Blood Ceremony: http://youtu.be/W3QWZl5vWCw
Protest the Hero: http://youtu.be/32Q4x112dAU
Exit Ten: http://youtu.be/XEUkkO6FDBE