Warlord - Maximum Carnage
Some of the more notable recent reissues from Polish label, Metal Mind, include the UK's Warlord and their debut, 'Maximum Carnage' - their only album length release.
Perfect timing, as the band have just reformed, and will be releasing new material next year.
This album dates from 1996, originally released on the Nuclear Blast label.
It particularly characterizes UK Death Metal of the nineties - gutsy, down to earth, similar in style to the better known Brit band, Benediction, with whom they toured.
This new, 24 bit remastered, limited edition comes with seven (count 'em!) bonus tracks in a cracking digipack with new liner notes.
Duskfall - Lifetime Supply Of Guilt
Sweden's Duskfall were one of the more promising advocates of Death and Thrash, wrapping up abrasive, howling vocals in bleak, brutal, industrial strength riffs and ferocious rhythms.
'Lifetime Supply Of Guilt' (2005) gets the Metal Mind treatment, but sadly no additional tracks this time.
Critics of the genre accuse it of being one dimensional. But by seamlessly introducing epic and power metal elements into songs that actually have good tunes, Duskfall bring depth and width to songwriting and performance.
Sadly, they folded in 2008 after one more album, so grab yourself a piece of history.
Alchemyst - Meeting In The Mist
Alchemyst are a criminally underrated, French Power Metal/Progrock band, often overlooked by print mags and webzines.
On first release in 2003, 'Meeting In The Mist' sneaked under the radar of most industry observers.
Deservedly then, Metal Mind have reissued the album with three bonus tracks. Two live and a Radio Edit of standout title track.
The demons and wizards artwork and the cackling intro track, 'Spells And Elixirs' might have you running for cover, but stay with it. Next up, 'Still Alive', motoring along with metronomic precision and an athlete's speed and grace, will better introduce you to the band's likeable Dream Theater/Kamelot pretensions.
Epitaph - Dancing With Ghosts
For a while this seemed inferior to 2007's 'Remember The Daze'. Then, suddenly it all fell into place.
There's an elegant grace running through the tracks on this album. Strong, guitar driven songs; compassionate tales of the downtrodden and loss and grief, many with a powerful musical and lyrical payoff.
Graham Bonnet - The Day I Went Mad
This reissue on Voiceprint Records opens with the title track. To quote the cliche, It's a worth-buying-the-album-for track. Probably one of the best songs that Jo Eime has written, with a sublimely melodic, beautifully ethereal middle eight that's over all too soon, rushing into a majestic axe solo that we could have waited for a little longer.
That said, the album is no one trick pony - there's plenty more good stuff on offer, but that opener is a killer.
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