Not so very long ago DMB reviewed an album by an international Folk Metal collective called Folkodia. We scored the album, titled Battles and Myths, a 7 out of 10, liking the heroic/epic inclination of the songs. Over the past few days we’ve been in contact with Michaël, a.k.a. Saga, composer, guitarist, bassist and vocalist to the group. We talked about the band, how he joined it and how it works to write for a big musicians collective like Folkodia.

This one’s by suggestion of visitor Ventilation Shaft. The band in question’s first album, titled Distant Tides (2006), is one of the guy’s all-time favorite Power Metal albums. Since that the band has stepped up the ”spice factor” a bit, but the roots are still present.

We’re talking about an American band and currently a three piece, manned by Matt Moliti (guitars ‘n’ vocals), Randy Knecht (bass) and Brian Larkin (vocals). A drummer is currently lacking. The band is from New Jersey and has been active since 2004. After Distant Tides there was Humanity Dethroned (2008) and soon there will be From Refuge to Ruin (2012), all are full-length records. Following VS’ suggestion, we’ll be serving some of each today, in chronological order. Because it’s logical.

Happy new year to all you bastards! Hangover? Yes? Good!

Let’s get straight to work then. Charred Walls of the Damned is a band that came to my attention thanks to our, by far, most active link dumper: motig. This dude’s spreading more Metal around than a hippo spreads shit. The fallacy in this analogy obviously is that Metal is good and hippo shit is… well, not so good.

But let’s not get caught up in technicalities here and focus our attention on what we like to focus it most: Metal. CWotD is from Long Island, New York and got its name from the host of a Christian radio station who stated in reply to a prank call in the Howard Stern Show he would pray for the prankers, ”saving their soul to be saved by God’s grace… not in the devil’s hell where you’d be put in your nails in the charred walls of the damned”. The sense of humor on some people is amazing!

I was just done writing an article when I stumbled over Cage, whom have just released their latest effort Supremacy of Steel. Normally, I’m not too much into Power Metal, but listening to this band just put a smile on my face. Where Black Metal Bands are known for singing about the occult, Thrash Metal bands about killing posers, Heavy/Power Metal bands are known for singing about Metal in general. However, Cage takes all of this over the top and covers this Metalness with a sauce made of even more Metalness. It seems like they took the American concept of deep fried butter, and replaced the butter with Metal. Well that’s Metal isn’t it?

Supremacy of Steel shows Cage at their best. Where previous releases seemed to be a bit flat in the mix, they have overcome this and now they are steaming on to bring the world their deep-Metalled Metal. This Metal is formed by a combination of Heavy Metal, Power Metal and a splash of Speed Metal. This last is probably due to the resemblance with Agent Steel’s work (you know the alien stuff, the screams etc.). One can’t deny the fact that Sean “The Hell Destroyer” Peck’s vocals have a lot in common with the sound Rob Halford pumps out of his throat. However, again the boys take it over the top, and Peck seems to spend whole songs screaming the lyrics in stead of normally singing.

Earlier this week I re-discovered a band from my home state Tennessee. I first discovered them nearly two years ago at a fantastic site known as Death Metal Baboon. Back then visitor SludgeGod suggested them and, now, for a second time, I’m glad he did.

Destroy Destroy Destroy is the band in question and they’ve been making Scandinavian flavored symphonic Melodeath with loads of power metal influence since 2003. They have released an EP and two full-lengths. That second full-length, released in ’09, is wonderfully titled Battle Sluts and is the source of our sounds.

It’s Halloween, bitches! Have some Helloween from ’87′s Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I.

We have more Helloween here and here. Facebook ‘em here or visit their official site here. Go read/watch!

It’s not too long ago when we discussed Unsphered, a Finnish Death Metal band with more talents than a circus elephant holding a maths degree, and taking elements from all over the realm of Metal, from Progressive to Thrash to Melodic to Power. It’s all there explicitly yet brilliantly mixed and blended into something of rare coherence and unity. And intelligence.

About a month ago the band released its new EP, Katharsis, following up on its 2009 debut self-titled full-length. Katharsis contains only three songs and just over eighteen minutes of playing time, but it is so impressive that even God loves it. I think he said that to me when I wasn’t listening.

Now the good news about this EP is that you can download it for free. We’ll hook you up with a download link at the end of this review! Also, we would like to note that apparently the band pic we’ve used is not currently up to date. This is an old line up. However, we’ll roll with it as long as there’s no substitute available.

“I’m a dude who likes metal. I’m weird. You should be too.” These are the words of Ben Robson, a.k.a. Orbsonb, the sole perpetrator of Robot Zombie Army. Back on August 25^th he released his “debut(ish)” EP titled 42 EP. Five original tracks written and performed by Ben and a sixth track which is a cover of Celine Dion’s Titanic hit My Heart Will Go On. This young man is definitely a student of Metal of all types and a very skilled multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and songwriter.

Today’s post features two new bands that do Melodeath with a light Power Metal angle of attack in the style of Mercenary or Tracedawn. And because the former released a new record this year, that we haven’t yet featured, we’ve got a shot of that as well.

Fuck. Me. Sideways. This motherfucker’s intense! Like getting-hit-in-the-face-by-a-train intense. Like being-stripped-of-your-skin intense. Like getting-a-rectal-cavity-search intense. Except that where all this are unpleasant, Unsphered is definitely pleasant! Thanks to brutal fonias for the tip!

The group is Finnish and has been in action since 2008, which has resulted in just one album so far. The quintet’s self-titled debut came out in 2009 and contains seven songs and nearly 35 minutes of the band’s heavy-as-fuck, delicious-as-gravy Death Metal. Death Metal that is also progressive and melodic and has even got a strong Power Metal-like component.

We’ve got the title track of the self-titled debut in position after the jump.