FOR THE IMPERIUM – Hail The Monsters

for the imperium lpFinland’s For The Imperium are an intense bunch. ‘Hail The Monsters’, their second full length album, is one of those records that’s really hard to get through in one sitting. It’s frightening. Not just because it’s intense and heavy – this is by no means just noisy alt-rock or metal – but more for the fact that between the obvious grooves, these guys aren’t afraid to experiment.

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WITHIN THE RUINS – Elite

WithinEliteWithin The Ruins have seen many band members come and go over the years, they’ve won and lost record label support, but still, they’ve pushed forward never giving in.  Their 2010 release ‘Invade’ found the band expanding from the melodic death metal roots and expanding their sounds to include elements of extreme tech/math metal and a pinch of industrial.  The result was still uncompromising, but far more assured – even slicker (a relative term here, of course).  With this album, it seemed very much as if years of hard work had paid off and Within The Ruins had truly arrived.  If anything, this, their third full length album (and sixth release overall), improves on that…

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