NARCOLEXIA coming from Italy and the band play rock based in electronic-techno sound, they invest in a pop electro-rock, but we can listen some industrial echoes in the music (like MINISTRY or NIN), the songs have strong refrains and climatic keyboard grooves, the vocals are inspired by the punk punch. If you like techno rock, you will certainly like those work! The most interesting tracks are "Salgalaluna" and "Lastfist". Powerful release for electro-rocker brains! Contacts: info@narcolexia.org   / www.narcolexia.org  (EF) 

NECATOR - Vicarius Filii Dei (CD - Self Released -- Brazil).

Heavy Metal, only the real old roots of heavy metal is the inspiration of this brazilian guys from Limeira city, this is the debut album of NECATOR and it is a real kick in the ass of new metal lovers and posers in general. 11 tracks with a lot of personality, power and energy!!! Killer guitar riffs in the vein of heavy icons like JUDAS PRIEST and the bay area thrashers ANTHRAX, MEGADETH, TESTAMENT with a great touch of old brazilian cult act VIPER, the guitar emblems and the punch of the vocals remember very much the VIPER´s classic "SOLDIERS OF SUNRISE", but with a good sound production. Listen songs like "Devil's Night" (power metal hymn) and the heavy mid-tempos classic "Gates of Fryel" and feel the power of these five metal horsemen! Contacts: necator@necator.com.br /  necator@terra.com.br  /  www.necator.com.br   (OE) 

NECRONOM - Exordium / A Darkening Path (MCD / MCD -- Winterthorn - USA). 

Those two wonderful EPs in luxurious Digipack editions arrived for us in an only package and as they are the first two parts of a trilogy we decided to review them together. The project NECRONOM was born in 1994 of the union between Christopher Howard Lincoln and Colleen Bortscheller, unhappily, Colleen died on this same year in a tragic automobile accident (she was only 17 years old at the time), Christopher decided to continue with the project, but he lived a long wounded time for the tragedy that took his lover, of 1995 up to 1999 he conceived the idea of the "Trilogy of Tears", three EPs with music inspired and dedicated to Colleen. The work of Christopher is very good, he conceived two perfect MCDs, his work can be classified as dark death metal with symphonic epic passages and atmospheric climates. The first release "Exordium" is a impressive death atmospheric masterpiece with great songs, the death epic "A prophet's Return", the darkest "The Ashes of The Empire" and the climatic instrumental "Thistles in Winter", with interesting atmospheric keyboards. The second chapter of the trilogy "A Darkening Path" is more powerful and intense than the first, 25 minutes of dark death hymns, killer death classics like "Deadface: A Tale of Purity" and the epic "Shepherd to the Faithless" are recorded with dark atmospheric symphonies like "Sanctuary". The cover artworks is simple marvelous, deatails from Gustave Dore pictures. MARVELOUS releases!!!! We are very ansious to listes the third chapter of the Trilogy of Tears!!!!  Contacts: necronom@winterthorn.com  / www.winterthorn.com  (EF) 

OBSCENITY - Cold Blooded Murder (CD - Morbid Records - Germany).

The Arrival of 6^th album from Obscenity will make your head comes off your body, after banging it untiring. One of the biggest Death Metal band in Germany launched a petard called “Cold Blood Murder”. Poisonous guitars, guttural vocals, tireless drums and bass makes “COLD BLOOD MURDER” one of the best Death Metal album in this year. Listen to “The Arrival”, “The Dark One”, “Cold Blood Murder” and you’ll understand my point of view. Highly recommended. Contacts: obscenity@obscenity.de  / promo@morbidrecords.de / www.obscenity.de / www.morbidrecords.de  (Thiago Sousa) 

PESSIMIST - Slaughtering the Faithful (CD - Lost Dissciple Records - USA).

The rotten putrid Gods of the neodeath apocalypse returs with the tortured opus for the darkest souls!!!! This is a perfect album for musical agression lovers, only destructive guitars, only cavernous vocals, only brutal grind bass and drums, only death is real in the hands of the slaughter!!!! A classic of the genre, a masterpiece of the creative insane brutal death metal, PESSIMIST is now a god of the death elite, it is side by side of DEICIDE, KRISIUN, CANNIBAL CORPSE, NILE and HORDE OF WORMS!!! Great production and an infernal cover complete de eternal destruction of this album, the track "Infernal Abyss" is the perfect simbol of the band´s agression! Contacts: info@pessimist.com /  ALHuman@aol.com  /  www.lostdisciple.com  (EF) 

PINK LITTLE PIG - Piercing by Blades (CD - Gemini Records - Italy).

The first good impact of these album is the expressive artwork of the digipack, the cover brings some sparkling of blood and a symbol that reminds a cartoon (a triangle with a circle inside and two points, the simbol of the band), the blood sign it plows saw in all booklet with cotidiane objects...The name of the band is very unusual and curious and the album's title is a perfect definition of PINK LITTLE PIG music!!! Yes, the guitars are death metal piercings cutting our flesh all time, the band create a raw death metal with punk influences and some grunge references, generating pearls of extreme sound, listen "Lies Btween My Eyes" and "Echo of Your Death" and feel the pain!  Contacts: www.pinklittlepig.net  (OE)

PREJUDICE - Reality (CD - D&F Agency - Belgium)..

Another great brutal death metal promisse coming from Belgium(one of the most importants cradles of the new european brutal music!). The album begin to impress us in the beautiful and agressive cover art (probably a girl fallen in hell?!!), the music of the band is a raw & instinctive brutal death metal with powerful grindcore parts, the vocals are really chorus from de deep abyss of hell, torturous &cavernous scream that frozen our souls, the guitar riffs are simple killer blades cutting our brain for all time!!! The prominences brutal death hymns of this brutal bomb are: "Act of Despair", "Dictated Lives" & "Embrace". PREJUDICE rules!Contacts: prejudice@pi.be /  d_fagency@pi.be  /  www.metalprejudice.com  (OE) 

PROJEKT - Autumn (CD Compilation - Projekt - USA)..

The new label PROJEKT already is one of the most importants labels of the neogothic/darkwave/atmospheric music, it has in its cast some of the most creative and acclaimed new groups of these musical styles as acclaimed MORS SYPHILITICA, UNTO ASHES, LYCIA, & STEVE ROACH, all of them are prominences in that extraordinary compilation released by the label. Além das bandas e músicos citados, aparecem ainda : MIRA, SOULWHIRLINGSOMEWHERE, THIS ASCENSION, LOWSUNDAY, BLACK TAPE FOR A BLUE GIRL, ALIO DIE/AMELIA CUNI & RAJNA. This is an fabulous document of the paths of the neo-gothic & atmospheric music, an release that show to us the great cult avantgarde acts of the new era!!Contacts: order@projekt.com /  www.projekt.com  (OE) 

QUEIRON - Impious Domination (CD - Mutilation Recoords -  Brazil).

Brutalizing the third world with the real ferocity of true death metal in old school vein, this is the proposal of QUEIRON. The first full-length atack "Impious Domination" is the crude mix of powerful riffs, destructive bass-drums and abissal vocals. The visual and sound production stands out the rottenness climate and power, making to remind classics of the eighties as " Show no Mercy " (SLAYER), " Endless Pain"(KREATOR), " Seven Churches " (POSSESSED) and the cult first releases of brazilian label Cogumelo (SEPULTURA, HOLOCAUSTO, CHAKAL & MUTILATOR). The best songs of the album are " Blind Devouts ", new brazilian death hymn with a furious message against the fanatic religious and the technic and intense instrumental track " Veni et Vici ". QUEIRON is more a test of the maturity and quality of the south american death metal! Contacts: queiron@bol.com.br / www.queiron.cjb.net  (OE) 

RAIN FELL WITHIN - Refuge (CD - Dark Symphonies - USA).

If you love the neo darkwave metal with lyrical female vocals and ethereal deep keyboards this is your new Gods, the band have creativity and personality,the debut full-length “Believe” was a impressive proof of the talent of these american darkwave new legend, RAIN FELL WITHIN signed their name in the sacred book of the metal avantgarde icons. Now, the band release “Refuge”, the second album by the legendary label DARK SYMPHONIES, a masterpiece of deep feelings and sad atmospheres when we can feel all climates more deepest than the first work, now the master female vocals Dawn is more intense too and all songs touch the sad sides of our souls, real hyms to the sadness like "Torn Apart", "In My Dreams" and  "Passing  Time"! Contacts: charlesrgore@hotmail.com / band@rainfellwithin.com / www.rainfellwithin.com / darksympho@aol.com / www.darksymphonies.com (EF) 

SAD THEORY - The Lady and The Torch (CD - Megahard Records - Brazil).

Brazil already has its legitimate representative of the modern atmospheric death/black metal, and their first full-length is an expressive masterpiece of the genre. SAD THEORY borned in 1998 and the professionalism, creativity and maturity of that first CD of the band is a test of the talent of the 4 musicians' that compose SAD THEORY. "The Lady & The Torch" is an ocean of deep, dark, sweet and abyssal atmospheres, symphonic guitars, evocative strings and keyboards and infernal vocals mixed with clean voices creating a varied landscape of sound climates & shadow sorceries. Sometimes very extreme and brutal, sometimes oniric and ethereal, and another times epic & orchestral!!!! MARVELOUS work, please listen "Frighten Lady", "Burying the Wizard" & "Coldness" and fly with SAD THEORY sound! Contacts: juan@sulbbs.com /  www.sadtheory.com (EF) 

SAXORIOR - Saxot (CD - G.U.C. - Germany)

SAXORIOR is an old legend of Pagan Epic Black Metal coming from Germany, the band exist since 1994 and they are released 2 full-length albums before thse new holochaust named "Saxot", the music of the band has a lot of maturity and power, it is a group of medieval, power, dark, black, epic & folk metal influences, the keyboards are the great prominence, they are heavy and dense for all time, united to the killer guitars and the obscure cavernous vocals they create an of the most epic and intense black metal opus of the present time. The lyrics are great (one of them "Siegfried" are singing in German and include an arrangement for the overture of the R.wagner's opera!); but the best moment of the album is the marvelous powerful version of the instrumental classic TUBULAR BELLS from MIKE OLDIFIELD (the original music are used in "THE EXORCIST" movie soundtrack!), SAXORIOR transformed the music in a true eternal epic of heavy metal!  Contacts: saxorior@aol.com /  www.saxorior.de /  G.U.C.@gmx.de  / www.guc-area.de (OE) 

SEIRIM - Kill.War.Chaos (CD - Cudgel Agency - Gerrmany).

The second full-length of SEIRIM is another proof of the power and brutality of this agressive band that mix influences of true old black metal and the neo brutal death, the new album is more speed and visceral than the first work, the technic of the musicians is better and the energy will try break our necks!!!! You won't find anything new in the SEIRIM's music, but this isn't the band's intention, they aren't interesting in create a new musical genre, only create a nightmare abyss of brutal tracks like the powerful "Time for Your Death" and "Creatures of Pain". Another good release from the legendary CUDGEL AGENCY. Contacts: www.seirim.de / office@cudgel.de / www.cudgel.de (OE)  

SHADEWORKS - Sooty Limbs (CD - Self Produced - Belgium).

This MCD is an interesting exemple of neo atmospheric melodic metal with darkwave touches, the band is a project of Arnaud Nicolas ( that play drums in ICY WINDS and is ex-OBSIDIAN member), in this new release Arnaud is aided by the special participation of Fae (female vocals from ICY WINDS). The music of the band is a good melodic metal with female voices with influences of cult bands like NIGHTWISH, LACUNA COIL & LACRIMOSA, the guitars are great and the Fae vocals are very impressive in tracks like "Blind Healing" & "Terra". Good musical promise from Belgium. Contacts: shadeworks@easynet.be  (OE) 

SHADOWSIDE - Shadowside (CD - Self Produced - Brazil)).

Marvelous first release of that band recently formed, the proposal is create a energetic and melodic power metal in the line of bands like HAMMERFALL, MANOWAR, IRON MAIDEN & VIPER (R.I.P.) and SHADOWSIDE impresses a lot in that MCD! Young musicians with great technic, incredible melodic sense and a powerful female vocal (Dani Nolden) influenced by gods like Geoff Tate, Andre Matos & Rob Halford, good production an interesting lyrics. All 6 songs of the work are great, above all "Vampire Hunter", "Illusions" and "Kingdom of Life". Good promise from the new power metal music, you will still hear to speak a lot of that band! Contacts: shadowside@shadowside.com.br   / www.shadowside.com.br (EF) 

S.M.E.S. - Goregasmic Tales from Technophobia (CD - Black Hole Productions - Holland).

This is the most avantgarde gore attack of the new era, if you can think the improbable mix of synth-electronic-techno-jungle with goregrind groove and a putrid vocal you will see the image of sickness S.M.E.S. In a metal scene full of clones and derivative bands, SCHIJTEN MET EEN STIJVE (“Taking a shit with a hard dick”) is an interesting project to open ears. A one man project done by Erwin de Groot, famous musician from the splatter gore cult act “LAST DAYS OF HUMANITY”, S.M.E.S is a kind of gore splatter nightmare made by synths and rotten pig voices, the new CD-R “Goresmatic Tales from Technophobia” was released by the new brazilan label BLACK HOLE PRODS, and it is strange synth-sickness surprise! 17 tracks when you will find the more extreme electro sound experiments without boundaries to the gore feelings...Only for visionaries of the metallic future!!!Contacts: smes_eindhoven@yahoo.com /  mail@blackholemag.com / www.blackholemag.com/bhp  (EF) 

SUBTERA - Discord (CD - Tumba Records - Brazil).