Rampart - Voice Of The Wilderness

Rampart - Voice Of The Wilderness

Written by Branimir Lokner
Thursday, 28 January 2010

RAMPART " Voice Of The Wilderness"
( INFERNO Records ) 2009.
CD - BULGARIA
Heavy/melodic metal

Out of Bulgaria comes a new sensation, band Rampart, formed back in 2006 year. They have a
female singer in its line-up, and till now, they delivered a Demo ,entitled " Warriors Demo", and actuelle full-length "Voice Of The Wilderness". They are also a newer hope of " Inferno" label, and some of worldwide reviewers supported them. Rampart are band faithful to 80's tendencies, and in its offering exists many repeatable manniristical elements, similiar to legacies of especially German acts as a Warlock, Running Wild, Helloween. But, also a 80's NWOBHM tendencies as same as some true and power metal includings are evident in its authors works. I would add also that even of strong performings and releasing threathenings, a production of present materials also suffers from evident manniristical problems. According to mentioned stylish elements, a band has introduced themselves as a certain and also convinceble act, but a key problem is a less o originalities in its presenting views. So, a 9 songs from " Voice Of The Wilderness", will maybe satisfies die hard fans of groups of older German school, but a Bulgarians have to change something in authors realizations.

Rating : 6 / 10
C / o : www.inferno-records.net
www.myspace.com/rampartbg

STRAYBULLET - Trilogy

STRAYBULLET - Trilogy

Written by Branimir Lokner
Wednesday, 16 December 2009

STRAYBULLET " Trilogy "
( Self - released ) 2009.
EP CD - BRAZIL
Rock/hard rock/power pop

Straybullet are newer Brazilian act. A some period ago, they have released an EP, with 3 songs in :" Hard Blood" ( mixed by legendary Beau Hill ), "Fields Of Sands" and " Awaken". A mentioned tracks found its place in some USA and UK radio programs, and also some indie distributors sell a band's EP.
Straybullet are pretty melodic act, but not in classical so call hittish way, and present songs also posses one pretty forgotten 80's power pop pastiche.
" Hard Blood" and " Awaken" are very radio friendly tunes, and band members has showed a vividly skillful knowledge in general arangments threathenings.
They are a promising act, and we'll see what the future brings, especially after realization of a full-length album in the first part of 2010 year.

Rating : 7,5 / 10
C / o : www.myspace.com/straybulletonline

SILVER CYPHER - Cryptic Characters

SILVER CYPHER - Cryptic Characters

Written by Branimir Lokner
Wednesday, 16 December 2009

SILVER CYPHER " Cryptic Characters "
( Self - released ) 2009.
CD - USA
Dark power metal/progressive metal/various metal genres

Silver Cypher are Cincinnati, Ohio based band formed in 2005 year. Till now a USA fourpiece did a more than 100 shows across the state, and musically they found a specific performing genre's formula. Its actuelle offering "Cryptic Characters" are consists of 6 tracks in, basically done in dark/power metal mood, but fullfield with clear progressive traces and some other metal
additionals, as a 80's and 90's hard rock as well. Silver Cypher seriously has croosed in ambitious arrangments challenge, and its arrangments variants in many segments touches non-metal therithories.
A production work didn' t posses a modern look but a members from band finally did a lotta' efforts that its songs structurally find for them a well-known model. A fourth track " No Forgiveness" could be a favourable one, but it seems that more or less a group has offered an equalizing materials.

Rating : 7 / 10
C / o : www.silvercypher.net

BIG TERRIBLE - Face The Stone

BIG TERRIBLE - Face The Stone

Written by Branimir Lokner
Tuesday, 08 December 2009

BIG TERRIBLE " Face The Stone "
( Self - released ) 2009.
CD - USA
Hard rock/70's rock/stoner/grunge

Out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania comes a newer very promising act - Big Terrible. They work as a trio - Jon Dumoff is vocalist and bassist, Tim Lynam is drummer and Dan Lynam is guitarist. They have received a pretty supportable reactions from collegues , press and radio editors, and it seems that they will have as a band a promising forthcoming future. Musically Big Terrible communicate with 70's rock, hard rock, stoner and even grunge lagacies, but all things they released on perfect way. All of 8 present songs posses convinceble approach and performing dimension, and as a band they have sounded pretty atractive and also as a well-experienced act. We can hear in its music influences comes out from Soundgarden, Black Sabbath, Gov's Mule kitchen, but trio has accepted standards of our time, and judging by authors offering, its views coming in modern ( rock ) therithory. " Face The Stone " absolutely satisfies in every exsisting elements, and as a album is more than recomandable for 70's hard rock and rock followers, but I' m sure that as a band Big Terrible will pleased also a newer rock fans.

Rating : 9 / 10
C / o : www.myspace.com/bigterrible

DIMMZ - This Is Life

DIMMZ - This Is Life

Written by Branimir Lokner
Tuesday, 08 December 2009

DIMMZ " This Is Life "
( Blue Topaz Records ) 2009.
CD
Hard rock - SWEDEN

As a band Dimmz started out in 2005 year, and short after they have announced its arrival with first Demo offering. A band are consists of 4 youngsters, whose musical orientation leads to hard rock/classic rock tendencies. " This Is Life" is actuelle album where we can find a 9 tracks in. A band members are solid musicians and all of pressent songs posses a respectable performing energy too. Even of evident hard rock/classic rock 70's and 80's pastiche in its perfoming and authors works, part of materials posses some stylish variations, so we can find here and there some songs with stronger punk attitude, some thrashy includings, and some tracks with expandier arrangments approaches. On the other hand production is maximally modern for mentioned genre's variants, but finally it seems that simply a little more originalities miises in band's author's offering.

Rating : 6,5/10
C / o : www.myspace.com/dimmzspace

NEBULEYES - The Universal Being

NEBULEYES - The Universal Being

Written by Branimir Lokner
Monday, 30 November 2009

NEBULEYES " The Universal Being "
( Orfeo Lab ) 2009.
CD - FRANCE
Progressive/sympho metal

Nebuleyes are French group, started out in 1999 year. During the October this year, they have released an actuelle album entitled " The Universal Being".
That was their third full-length offering, before actuelle one, they have released also " Digital Enfant" ( 2004 ) and " Divine Revolution" ( 2006 ). Nebuleys has offered a seriously done material, and in its album we can find a 12 mainly eqiualizing tracks.Nebuleyes are judging by stilish options progressive/sympho metal band, but with some differencies. Even of some
comparabilities with Therion or Nightwish legacies, Nebuleyes in different manner has threathed vocalizations in its compositions. A female singer sung in classical operetic manner with strong falceto includings, and all of present songs posses a same realizations. Also a playing elements of band members posses more symphonic and progressive details, than standard metal includings. Some interesting ideas passes through releasing materials, and band members has showed a respectable performing experience.
I' m not quite satisfied with productional work, and group didn' t clearly "defines" some intereting places on album. All other technical details has showed a seriousness of Nebuleye as a band.

Rating : 7 / 10
C / o : www.nebuleyes.free.fr

ONGO - Malice In Ongolanda

ONGO - Malice In Ongolanda

Written by Branimir Lokner
Tuesday, 24 November 2009

ONGO " Malice In Ongolanda "
( Ongo Records ) 2009.
CD - PUERTO RICO
Experimental/progressive/crossover

Out of Puertorician Minor Outlying Islands comes a band ONGO. They were formed in 1999
year, and till now with actuelle one, they have released a 3 albums - " Aqui No Pasa Nada" ( 2001 ), " Negra " ( 2004 ) and "Malice in Ongolanda " ( 2009 ). Ongo members (they work as a quartet ) performs music with lotta' improvizations, many turnarounds, breaks, rhythm changes. Often atmosphere transformations also characterize its opus, and band also sung own materials part in Spanish, part in English language. A songs are different among them, most of present materials posses an agressive approach and "brutal" realizations, but some posses an easiest dimension too.
I have to mention that band has cited some influences taken from PRIMUS band kitchen, and especially a method of rhythm section lines threathenings reminds on Primus works. But ONGO as a band has offered a more interesting performing spheres, judging by its evident authors creativities, and present materials deserves more listeners challenges. Ongo is certainly uncommercial act, judging by so call mainstream standards, but " Malice In Ongolanda" is surely a pretty interesting product.

Rating : 8 / 10
C / o : www.myspace.com/ongoband
e-mail : ongoband@gmail.com