REVIEW: DEATH METAL.BE – Sampler 9

 

DEATH METAL.BE – Sampler 9

Independent

It’s fair to say that this is one of the longest‑running and most consistently solid compilation series in the underground, and Sampler 9 continues to justify that reputation. One of the main strengths of these releases is the clear effort put in by the participating bands. They’re given six months to prepare a track that represents their sound, and more often than not they choose to contribute something new—often an unreleased song—which immediately adds value for anyone considering picking up the sampler. After all, a compilation loses its purpose when you already know most of the material.

Beyond that, several factors make this series appealing. The fact that this is the ninth consecutive sampler from deathmetal.be  speaks to its success and staying power. Over the years, it has introduced me to numerous noteworthy Belgian bands, and it remains one of the most effective ways to explore the country’s underground metal scene.

Sampler 9 offers an additional point of interest: its musical breadth. Previous editions focused strictly on extreme metal, but this time the spectrum widens. Alongside the expected grind, black, and death metal, listeners will also encounter dark progressive metal (THE DIFFERENCE deliver a particularly impressive contribution), folk metal, stoner, deathcore, and metalcore. This variety gives the compilation a dynamic flow and makes it easier for listeners to discover new corners of the scene.

On a personal note, I found myself returning to this sampler repeatedly, and I expect it will stay in rotation for a while. Credit is due to the team behind it for curating a release that not only highlights established acts but also brings forward bands worth following from here on.

Participating bands: 

CARRION, POWERSTROKE, TITAN, SLEEPLESS MALEFICE, HEIDRUN, THE EVIL PONY’S, SOLIFUGIA, FATAL RECOIL, THIRD DYNASTY, G.O.D., ORANGE HILL, THE DIFFERENCE, PREMATORY, BEAR, SEED OF ROCK, ALESIA, CORPSE MUTILATION, SHADES OF GREY, URZAMOTH.

Christine  Parastatidou

abadon · Sleepless Malefice - Nuclear Holocaust

REVIEW: NIGHTFALL, Lesbian Show

 

NIGHTFALL, Lesbian Show (1997)

Holy Records

Με το ένα πόδι στην καταξίωση

Οι Nightfall και ο κινητήριος τροχός τους, ο Ευθύμης Καραδήμας, προφανώς δεν χρειάζονται συστάσεις στο κοινό μιας χώρας όπως η δική μας. Από τους στυλοβάτες της ελληνικής ακραίας metal σκηνής ήδη από τα τέλη της δεκαετίας του ’80 και τις στάχτες των Epidemic, η μπάντα έπαιξε τη μουσική της και έγραψε τους πρώτους δίσκους της περιπλανώμενη ανάμεσα στο death και το black metal.

Με τον τέταρτο πλήρη δίσκο τους, αυτόν εδώ, όμως, συγκλόνισαν τα στεγανά του ακραίου ήχου — κάτι που είχε ήδη ξεκινήσει, σε έναν βαθμό, από το εξαιρετικό προηγούμενο Athenian Echoes. Κάποιοι είπαν ότι έβαλαν πολύ κλασικό heavy και gothic metal νερό στο blackened death metal κρασί τους. Δεν μπορώ να διαφωνήσω· παρ’ όλα αυτά, δεν ήταν οι μόνοι. Από την άλλη, το τελικό αποτέλεσμα θεωρείται πλέον κλασικό και αγαπημένο, άρα ο χρόνος το δικαίωσε πανηγυρικά.

Mike Γαλιάτσος στην κιθάρα, με τον Δημήτρη Αγγελόπουλο να συνδράμει επίσης σε κάποια κομμάτια· ο Ευθύμης σε φωνή και μπάσο· ο Γιώργος Ασπιώτης στα πλήκτρα και το ηλεκτρικό πιάνο· ντραμς από τον Toni Kostiainen στην ηχογράφηση — και πέστε μου ότι τα Lesbian Show, Aenaon, Dead Woman Adieu, The Secret Admirer, My Own Troy, Death Star, Cold Bloody Killer δεν τα θυμάστε πάντα από εδώ μέσα… Δεν γίνεται απλά.

English:

One Step Away from Acclaim

Nightfall — and their driving force, Efthimis Karadimas — hardly need an introduction to an audience like ours. As one of the pillars of the Greek extreme metal scene since the late ’80s and the ashes of Epidemic, the band carved its early path moving between death and black metal, shaping its identity through those first formative records.

With their fourth full‑length album — this one — they shook the boundaries of the extreme sound, a shift that had already begun, to some extent, on the excellent Athenian Echoes. Some argued that they poured too much classic heavy and gothic metal “water” into their blackened death metal “wine.” It’s not an unreasonable observation; still, they were far from the only ones exploring such hybrid directions at the time. What matters is that the final result is now regarded as both classic and beloved — proof that time has vindicated it spectacularly.

Mike Galiatsos on guitar, with Dimitris Aggelopoulos contributing to select tracks; Efthimis handling vocals and bass; Giorgos Aspiotis on keyboards and electric piano; drums recorded by Toni Kostiainen — and honestly, try telling me you don’t immediately recall Lesbian Show, Aenaon, Dead Woman Adieu, The Secret Admirer, My Own Troy, Death Star, Cold Bloody Killer from this album alone… It’s simply impossible.

Τάκης "Ε-Μortal One" Γιώτης!

REVIEW: FINAL DEPRAVITY - Nightmare 13

 

FINAL DEPRAVITY - Nightmare 13

Nihilistic Empire / Twilight Vertrieb Records

FINAL DEPRAVITY emerge from Germany’s Ruhr region, a place long associated with the country’s thrash metal lineage. Unsurprisingly, the band draws heavily from the area’s defining acts—SODOM and KREATOR—and that influence is immediately audible. Their approach also folds in elements of American thrash, occasionally echoing SLAYER, while touches of melodic death metal surface throughout the record.

“Nightmare 13” further incorporates modern metal traits, including scattered core‑leaning moments, particularly noticeable in the vocal delivery. Taken together, these components give a clear picture of the band’s stylistic intentions: energetic, aggressive, and rooted in familiar thrash traditions.

Despite the solid musicianship and evident enthusiasm, the material ultimately feels too conventional. The riffs, structures, and overall direction follow well‑worn paths, offering little that stands apart from countless similar releases. It’s competent and spirited, but rarely distinctive, and the album doesn’t leave a lasting impression beyond its influences.

“Nightmare 13” may still appeal to dedicated thrash completists or listeners who actively seek out every new entry in the genre. For others, it’s a respectable but unremarkable effort that doesn’t push beyond the boundaries it so clearly reveres.

Christine  Parastatidou

REVIEW: THE SILENT RAGE, Nuances Of Life

 

THE SILENT RAGE, Nuances Of Life (2023)

Scarlet Records

Κρίνοντας από το εξώφυλλο… τι καταλαβαίνει ο ακροατής; 

Ότι ένα κλασικό Melodic Power Metal έργο κρύβεται από κάτω — πόσο μάλλον όταν προέρχεται από ελληνική μπάντα όπως η συγκεκριμένη. Επτά χρόνια μετά το ντεμπούτο άλμπουμ τους, επιστρέφουν με ένα μεγάλο έργο και με αισθητά ανανεωμένη σύνθεση. Με τον Μιχάλη Ρινακάκη στο μικρόφωνο, τους Νίκο Σιγλίδη και Νίκο Σαρμπάνη στις κιθάρες, τον Γιώργο Χανιωτάκη στο μπάσο και τον Σταμάτη Κατσαφάδο στα ντραμς, έχουμε μπροστά μας ένα πραγματικά γεμάτο άλμπουμ από κάθε άποψη.

Η παραγωγή, η σύνθεση και βεβαίως το τελικό αποτέλεσμα όχι μόνο δεν έχουν τίποτα να ζηλέψουν από αντίστοιχες δουλειές μεγάλων σχημάτων του εξωτερικού, αλλά έχουν και να διδάξουν: το μοντέρνο Power Metal περνάει μια δεύτερη εποχή κρίσης, και κυκλοφορίες σαν το συγκεκριμένο CD το βγάζουν από το τέλμα με τρόπους που αξίζει να βρουν μιμητές — και μάλιστα επειγόντως.

Σε αντίθεση με την πλειονότητα της ντόπιας σκηνής, εδώ έχουμε Heavy/Power/Speed Metal ευρωπαϊκής αισθητικής, με έντονη την παρουσία των πανταχού παρόντων Judas Priest, ειδικά χάρη στα υψίφωνα φωνητικά του Μιχάλη. Όχι ότι λείπει η στόφα του ελληνικού ήχου· υπάρχει, αλλά είναι τόσο όμορφα αναμεμειγμένη με όλα τα υπόλοιπα στοιχεία, που τελικά αναδεικνύει ακόμη περισσότερο το συνολικό αποτέλεσμα.

Αν κάποια κομμάτια ξεχωρίζουν λίγο παραπάνω, αυτά είναι τα The Serpent Lord, Carve Your Rage, Code of Destruction, Crows Fly Back, Another Fallen Dreamland, Scarlet Dawn, The Man in the Mirror, Ghost of a Wayward God, Black Monday. Αντικειμενικά, το άλμπουμ απέχει οριακά από το να χαρακτηριστεί άριστο σύνολο — οπότε απλώς το βάζεις να παίζει από την αρχή ως το τέλος σχεδόν κάθε φορά.

English:

Judging from the cover alone… what does the listener expect?

That a classic Melodic Power Metal record lies beneath — especially when it comes from a Greek band like this one. Seven years after their debut album, they return with a major work and a noticeably refreshed lineup. With Michalis Rinakakis on vocals, Nikos Siglidis and Nikos Sarbanis on guitars, Giorgos Chaniotakis on bass, and Stamatis Katsafados on drums, what we have here is an album that feels complete in every sense.

The production, the songwriting, and of course the final result not only have nothing to envy from the works of major international acts, but actually have something to teach: modern Power Metal is going through a second period of crisis, and releases like this one pull it out of stagnation in ways that deserve to be imitated — urgently, even.

Unlike the majority of the local scene, here we get Heavy/Power/Speed Metal with a distinctly European aesthetic, marked by the strong presence of the ever‑influential Judas Priest, thanks especially to Michalis’ soaring vocals. Not that the Greek metal identity is absent — it’s there, but blended so elegantly with all the other elements that it ultimately enhances the overall result.

If a few tracks stand out a bit more, they would be The Serpent Lord, Carve Your Rage, Code of Destruction, Crows Fly Back, Another Fallen Dreamland, Scarlet Dawn, The Man in the Mirror, Ghost of a Wayward God, and Black Monday. Objectively, the album comes very close to being a flawless whole — which is why you end up playing it from start to finish almost every time.

Τάκης "Ε-Μortal One" Γιώτης!

NORTHERN KRIG Unleash new album

 

Norwegian black metal force Northern Krig have released their new full‑length album, “Worship Files For Anthropophagolagnia Predators.” The record was tracked and mixed at Icelandic Fire Records by Jan Reichel, with mastering handled at Totenklang Studios.

Formed in Oslo in 2021 by Morfran, Erik Lund, Mikkel Stein, and Jonar Gunnarson after the dissolution of Skyrsdag, Northern Krig quickly carved out a place in the underground. Following their 2022 demo “Myrk Blóðfórn,” the lineup shifted to its current trio: Morfran (vocals, guitar), Miasma (bass, guitar), and Maikon Q. (drums).

With a growing discography that includes a split release and their debut album “Concept Of A Suicidal Journey,” the band now pushes deeper into raw, unfiltered aggression on their latest offering. “Worship Files For Anthropophagolagnia Predators” captures Northern Krig at their most uncompromising, channeling the bleak, violent spirit of modern Norwegian black metal.

REVIEW: LEATHERHEAD, Violent Horror Stories

 

LEATHERHEAD, Violent Horror Stories (2026)

No Remorse Records

Παρασκευή και 13 έσκασε, Σάββατο 14 παίζει…

Αααα, οι πέντε φίλοι από τον κάμπο της Θεσσαλίας και την πρωτεύουσά του, τη Λάρισα, επιστρέφουν με νέες σκοτεινές speed metal περιπέτειες στον δεύτερο, ολοφρέσκο δίσκο τους! Η συνέχεια του ομώνυμου ντεμπούτου τους, δύο χρόνια νωρίτερα, κινείται στα ίδια πλαίσια, αλλά τη βρίσκω βελτιωμένη σε κάθε τομέα.

Ο Τόλης Μέκρας στη φωνή, οι Θάνος Μετάλιος και Δημήτρης Κομνηνός στις κιθάρες, ο Γιώργος Χατζηγεωργίου στο μπάσο και ο Μιχάλης Ζουναράκης στα τύμπανα εμφανίζονται ανελέητοι και λες και ζουν ακόμη κάπου μεταξύ 1983 και 1986 από πλευράς μουσικής. Μοιράζουν απλόχερα πόνο, ταχύτητα, συνθέσεις και άφθονη όρεξη για headbanging μέσα στις βίαιες ιστορίες τρόμου τους. Με το U.S. Metal ως βάση — παιγμένο όχι μόνο με διάθεση για αναπολήσεις ή αγιοποίηση, αλλά ως εφαλτήριο και έμπνευση — το άλμπουμ σε πιάνει από τη μούρη, όπως ο σκοτεινός ερυθρόδερμος Witchdoctor στο εξώφυλλο αρπάζει τον άτυχο θεατή μέσα από την οθόνη στο ομότιτλο V.H.S., που ανοίγει το σερί της επίθεσης.

Ακολουθούν τα Summoning the Dead, The Visitors, Children of the Beast, Incubus, Crimson Eyes, Something Evil (This Way Comes) και Dreamcatcher, που σε πηγαίνουν περίπατο για κοντά σαράντα λεπτά, ανάμεσα σε σκοτεινή φαντασία και δημιουργική ανάγκη για καλοπαιγμένη metal μουσική.

Χαλαρό 9/10 και μπράβο στην ομάδα. Ραντεβού στις σκηνές, ρε Έλληνες Απάτσι!

English:

Friday the 13th dropped, Saturday the 14th is already raging…

Aaaah, the five friends from the plains of Thessaly and their capital, Larissa, return with new dark speed‑metal adventures on their second, freshly forged album! The follow‑up to their self‑titled debut from two years ago moves in the same territory, but I find it improved in every single aspect.

Tolis Mekras on vocals, Thanos Metalios and Dimitris Komninos on guitars, Giorgos Chatzigeorgiou on bass, and Michalis Zounarakis on drums sound absolutely relentless — as if they’re still living somewhere between 1983 and 1986 musically. They dish out pain, speed, sharp songwriting, and plenty of appetite for headbanging through their violent horror tales. With U.S. Metal as their foundation — played not with mere nostalgia or worship, but as a springboard and source of inspiration — the album grabs you by the face, just like the dark red‑skinned Witchdoctor on the cover snatches the unlucky viewer through the screen on the title track V.H.S., which kicks off the attack.

What follows — Summoning the Dead, The Visitors, Children of the Beast, Incubus, Crimson Eyes, Something Evil (This Way Comes), and Dreamcatcher — takes you on a forty‑minute ride through dark fantasy and a genuine creative urge for well‑crafted metal.

A relaxed 9/10 from me, and kudos to the whole crew. See you on the stages, you Greek Apaches!

Τάκης "Ε-Μortal One" Γιώτης!

REVIEW: SYMPHORCE – Unrestricted

 

SYMPHORCE – Unrestricted

AFM Records

There are some bands like SYMPHORCE that many metal fans speak highly of, yet when I revisited parts of their back catalogue, I couldn’t quite understand what made them stand out in a scene overflowing with thousands of acts. Formed back in 1998 by vocalist Andy B. Franck—well‑known also for his work with Brainstorm—the band built its identity around a down‑tuned power/thrash approach, often compared to what NEVERMORE were doing in the late‑90s/early‑00s era. So when their new release landed on my desk, I can’t say I approached it with much excitement.

Still, persistence often pays off in metal, and Unrestricted feels like the moment SYMPHORCE finally align with the sound that suits them best. Being their seventh studio album, and produced by Dennis Ward (a name tied to some of the most polished European metal releases), the record immediately shows a cleaner, more modern direction. The darker atmosphere of Become Death (2007) is largely set aside in favor of groove‑driven metal with a contemporary edge.

At times, the BLACK LABEL SOCIETY influence is unmistakable, and there are even subtle hard rock touches woven into the riffs. Yet the core remains firmly heavy metal. Much of this shift seems to come from guitarist Cede Dupont, whose melodic and groove‑oriented writing gives the album a more focused and confident character than some of their earlier work.

What stands out is the balance: Unrestricted sounds modern without abandoning traditional metal foundations. As someone who gravitates toward classic metal aesthetics, I found this combination surprisingly appealing. The songwriting feels sincere, the performances controlled and expressive—especially Franck’s vocals—and the overall result is an album that doesn’t rely on trends but on solid, well‑crafted metal.

SYMPHORCE may never have been a mainstream name, but this is arguably one of their most accessible and cohesive works. If you appreciate strong metal tunes regardless of era or subgenre, Unrestricted offers a straightforward and enjoyable listen. Hopefully, this is the direction they continue to explore.

Nick Parastatidis