REVIEW: NEXILVA - Defile The Flesh Of Innocence

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Nexilva, a six-piece beast from Sunderland in North East England. They previously released a full length last year titled The Trials of Mankind which was a great first impression in my eyes but now they are back with Defile The Flesh Of Innocence. You can hear that Nexilva has progressed majorly in this seven tracks of technical brutality.

Defile The Flesh Of Innocence begins with the 'Intro' which sounds to be a sound track but is the perfect eerie beginning to the next heavy track which happens to be the self titled track. You hear the technicality instantly with fast paced guitars and face-melting drums. The vocals are in your face instantly. This track also wouldn't be complete without a bone-crushing breakdown and flawless solo work. The following track 'Decades of Suffering Pt. 1' which continues the onslaught of heavy darkness. Not one moment in this track are you focused on just one instrument let alone one part. With guitars each doing mind-bending riffs and the drums just doing light speed blasts at parts, its unbelievable. 'Shadows Rising' gives you a break from what sounds like the apocalypse approaching with what sounds like the calm before the real storm with a clean guitar part and rain and thunder in the back before going into what I thought was one of the most capturing riffs in the album. 'Enthrallment' plays after opening the storm gates again with vocalist's Gary King's bellowing lows and extreme highs and once again more technical and heavy floods. This track also has one the most spine-tingling breakdowns in it that just makes you want to break something. 'Decades of Suffering Pt. 2' picks up after and begins with guitar work that is out of this world followed by a breakdown that once again adds to the heaviness this band has taken by the throat. The last track 'Vendetta' features a special guest and one of my personal favorite bands, The Juliet Massacre. This track is probably the heaviest of all the songs because the drums are just unmatched to any other and the vocals have so many ranges with the help of The Juliet Massacre that you will think this is a deathcore mashup dream come true.

Once again, the vocals on this were provided by Gary King with the help on the last track by The Juliet Massacre. Gary's vocals were spot on at every part in every track. You really feel the power behind them through his lows that seem to come from the bowels of hell to his highs that are ear shattering. The guitar work is not your usual lineup but is brought together by three guitarist; Connor Jobes, Simon Atkinson, and Andy Mallaby. It's hard enough as one or two guitarists writing and recording and performing such technical music but they have managed to push the bar higher by working together as three. It has really paid off because you can really feel the solidity in sound with the wall that they have put up of mastery guitar excellence. Ryan Banks brings the bass tones into this which you can truly feel as if you are being possessed all through your body. Last but not least, Jon Simpson's drumming was both technical and on time. His blasts are just insane. At some parts in the songs like 'Decades of Suffering Pt. 1' for example, you would think that he's not real and that this is a computer but it's not, Jon has just mastered the art of technical brutality.

With the perfectly blended art of technical death metal and today's deathcore, Nexilva has gone far beyond the norm and brought this release to show the world that they are here to stay and anyone who gets in their way, I feel sorry for you.

MY VOTE:

5.0/5.0

REVIEW: A WANTED AWAKENING - Rebirth EP

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When we think of rebirth, we think of new beginnings without a past. The melodic deathcore five-piece outfit from Lowell, MA will take you through a musical travel of a world of tortured souls, serial arsonists and ancient evils as well as the downfall of lost civilizations.

The band has blended beautifully the mix of death metal heard through their references of The Black Dahlia Murder and Through The Eyes Of The Dead as well as the complexity of bands such as Between The Buried And Me and Protest The Hero.

The release starts with the track 'Flameborn' which right away jumps into ferocious technicality and heaviness. With clean vocals overlapped with otherworldly highs and lows with guitar riffs of high originality. Not one part of this song is repetitive or boring to the listener. 'Misanthrope' follows with a nice melodic intro which leads into heaviness but still conveys the melodic sound. Another captivating track. 'The Massacre to Come' seems to be the track that is the heaviest as it starts with blast beats and fast guitar work. The vocals seem to pierce through you with bellowing lows and screeching highs which as noted have the familiarity of The Black Dahlia Murder while having their own sound. The track 'Spiders' gives the listener another breather with a quite melodious and beautiful intro before going into a unique riff that I can promise will haunt you. The final track 'The Perseus Veil' is as they say, "best saved for last" since this track seems to show the band's true skill. The timing is precise and the song is very catchy. This one is a crown mover and a crowd pleaser.

The guitar excellence by John Tree and Derek St. Martin work perfectly together as if complimenting each others work. Not one part lacks originality and not one moment are you bored thinking you may have heard something similar somewhere else. The drum work by Evan Carney is beyond what some drummers of well known bands can play. His timing is impeccable and precise. Constant and flowing are his fills. Jason York's bass work is hard to hear but you can hear his virtuosity under headphones or with a close ear. The vocals provided by frontman Rick Hardy is not your usual death metal vocals. His range is not to be found on a scale but of his own. As I have noted before, the close resemblance of The Black Dahlia Murder and older Through The Eyes Of The Dead is heard but once again, not exact so his work is unique.

This release was very pleasing and I can see this band going far. Please keep lookout for their future releases and this EP is highly recommended!

MY VOTE:

4.9/5.0

REVIEW: GRAVEWORM - Fragments Of Death

The Italian melodic black/death metal group Graveworm released Fragments of Death October 21st through Nuclear Blast Records. The album has been noted to be a mixture of the best of the last four releases as well as some old school roots and also noted to be a darker release than the past albums.

The album's main topic if you have not picked up on it yet is death in its thousand faces as reflected in the album art and title. Each track represents a way to die. As stated by vocalist Stefano Fiori, "For example, song six is about the happenings in Japan. Other songs are about war, which sadly still exists in the world these days." The album is a true concept of what we think about constantly, all the death and dying in the world.

Now musically, this album is a dark, mystical and melodic masterpiece which follows perfectly after Diabolical Figures from 2009. The album delves more into the melodic death metal realm but is relished with a bit black metal and nineties gothic metal. Within the first two tracks, 'Insomnia' and 'Only Death In Our Wake', Graveworm unleashes a brutal onslaught. You may think right away that this is just a ferocious and heavy death metal album until 'Absence of Faith' which is mid-paced with piano and a nineties gothic/doom metal feel. Each song as well has variety as heard in 'Living Nightmare' which has really fast rhythms but also has an epic touch. 'The World Will Die In Flames' may have an instrumental start but goes straight into blastbeat ferocity. The track 'Anxiety' as noted before, is dedicated to the victims of the disaster in Japan. This track we do hear female vocals but not a sweet gothic lady, we hear a firm woman. A video has been shot for 'See No Future.' The track is heavy and fast but turns to slower paces. A very catchy track, probably the album single. The instrumental track 'The Prophecy' has a mysterious and mystical touch to it as you can hear an oriental touch with the sounds of violin. 'Remembrance' and 'Where Angels Do Not Fly' both have guitar work in vain of Amon Amarth. 'Old Forgotten Song' in between gives air to those who need it. The special edition release features an old favorite newly recorded titled 'Awake.'

All tracks were recorded with the melodious guitar skills of Thomas Orgler and Eric Righi as well as the atmospheric keyboard melodies by Sabine Mair. This album is sure to please any metal fan so go out and have a listen.

MY VOTE:

4.8/5.0