Thrashers Frozen Hell come from Italy and when the percussive intro subsides they explode super speed thrash metal with some great dual guitar riffage, shouted vocals and lashings of heaviness. This is the band's first EP and they have a great showing on theses 6 songs mixing thrash with death and sounding like a less power metal version of Amon Amarth and even some COB in there for good measure. Songs like the battering ram of Face Me, the swaggering Rise! is another strong track from this E.P and has some great soloing. As with a lot of bands in their early stages the production is quite raw on the record and the bass is a bit high in the mix and the drums a bit flat but in some places this adds a bit of authenticity to the mix showing that not all bands have to be highly polished to be accomplished. A nice debut from the Italian's. 7/10
Morguenstern: Sepulchral Burden (Self Released)
Morguenstern are industrial/gothic/horror metal band that have obviously listened to too much Lacuna Coil, Rammstein and even some Horrorpops. The band have gothic keys and synths from vocalist Morganna, who has the big crooning gothic vocals that work well with the heavy metal backing from the band. Despite being horror metal I can't really see it as the Russian band have more in common with bands like Nightwish than they do say The Misfits especially on tracks like Sonata but then on Posledni Put they have lots of industrial beeps that make them have a sound industrial and also Gothic. The press for the band say that they sing about vampires, werewolf’s and the like but because the album is in Russian I wouldn't know but they do create atmosphere with the songs and for those that speak the lingo they are a good band with lots of Lacuna Coil parts from because of the dual vocals of Morganna and Guitarist Morok. Like I said there is nothing wrong with the album the music is good but without the lyrical images the band lose something. 6/10
Jesus Christ: We Will Fight (Self Released)
Thrash: fast guitars, speeding drums, and usually songs about death, destruction and violence. Invariably the music incites circle pits and causes grown men to act like teenagers again. The controversially named (possibly mostly in their own native Russia) Jesus Christ play thrash, although with a name like that you could be forgiven if you thought it was Christian metal but no this is fast, loud thrash metal that sounds a lot like Anthrax with the shouted gang vocals and the singers enthusiasm being greater than his actual ability, however this never matters in thrash as it's all about the attitude and JC have buckets of it with the The Deadmen Attack and Eternal War both having that Scott Ian style metal stomp with bags of soloing. The production is nice and raw like the thrash bands of old; the riffs of Max Shcheglov and Sergei Morozov are nice and meaty the bass and drums are both clearly audible and powerful driving the pit inducing madness and the vocals of Andrei Mironov screech over the metal madness like Joey Belladonna or Overkill's Bobby Blitz. For a first try this is a great album that harks back to the bullet belt wearing days of yore, these Russians are taking thrash back to basics. 8/10
Jesus Christ: We Will Fight (Self Released)
Thrash: fast guitars, speeding drums, and usually songs about death, destruction and violence. Invariably the music incites circle pits and causes grown men to act like teenagers again. The controversially named (possibly mostly in their own native Russia) Jesus Christ play thrash, although with a name like that you could be forgiven if you thought it was Christian metal but no this is fast, loud thrash metal that sounds a lot like Anthrax with the shouted gang vocals and the singers enthusiasm being greater than his actual ability, however this never matters in thrash as it's all about the attitude and JC have buckets of it with the The Deadmen Attack and Eternal War both having that Scott Ian style metal stomp with bags of soloing. The production is nice and raw like the thrash bands of old; the riffs of Max Shcheglov and Sergei Morozov are nice and meaty the bass and drums are both clearly audible and powerful driving the pit inducing madness and the vocals of Andrei Mironov screech over the metal madness like Joey Belladonna or Overkill's Bobby Blitz. For a first try this is a great album that harks back to the bullet belt wearing days of yore, these Russians are taking thrash back to basics. 8/10
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