Release date: 28-06-2023
Ninth Gate comes to release Hell on Earth with their first release: Vox Demoni. The voice of demons definitely seeps through the death and thrash-influenced tracks, that sound like they were recorded in the 90s. Let’s dive into this debut release and open the Ninth Gate of Hell.
Release date: 19-05-2023
Darkness Within released their first EP ‘DION’ last year (read the review here). This year the band is back for more with the second part, aptly named ‘DIION’. While playing a lot of shows all over our tiny country, the band still found time to create and record some new music. DIION gives us 3 new tracks that take us back to a few decades ago where, in the band’s words, “Metal was still made of metal”.
Releasedate: 03-06-2023
Hardcore/Metalcore is the flavor of the season. With bands like Man as Plague, Reformist, Changing Tides, and For I Am King we already had a decent collection, but now we can definitely add Salvage to that list. Salvage is a 5-piece hardcore/metalcore band from the Netherlands. They combine various styles to create their own blend of metalcore, but it’s still very recognizably metalcore. On June 3rd they released their first EP: ‘As Above, So Below’.
With 4 tracks in total, of which one (Autumn) already previously got released, there aren’t any big surprises. As Above, So Below is a nice introduction to what this band has to offer us. More than decent vocals, with the right amount of grit in the grunts. Interesting guitar riffs, melodic riffs where they are supposed to be, orchestration in the background, all the goodness.
Standing in the Ashes might be my favorite track of this album. It has a nice catchy chorus, which gets amplified by those orchestrations. I imagine this will be a crowd-pleaser when played live. Any of these tracks will be, really. The energy is high and stays high throughout, although the moshpit riffs are most present in The Year of the Gallows. As are the headbang riffs, it’s a pretty versatile track.
As Above, So Below is an EP the band can be proud of, and we as Dutch Metalheads are proud to deliver so many high-quality metalcore acts at the moment. My favorite track of the album is Standing in the Ashes, but all 3 are fine to play on repeat.
Tracklisting:
You can find Salvage on Facebook or on their page in the database.
Release date: 18-05-2023
There isn’t much known about Suicide Prophet yet, besides that they just released their self-titled EP on May 18th, and that they are a hardcore band. That doesn’t stop us from reviewing it though.
Release date: 26-05-2023
Wake of Dawn completed their debut EP, titled “Brinicles,” with the release of their latest track, “EGO,” on May 26th. While relatively new to the Dutch metal scene, this band has already gained a lot of attention for their track, “Nightlights.” Let’s see what these four young guys have to say.
Releasedate: 31-05-2023
On May 31st, Dogma unveiled their latest album titled ‘Face of Violence,’ following their earlier teasers for the tracks ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ and ‘Borderli(n)es.’ DOGMA is a (metallic) hardcore band, that combines a plea for social justice with hard riffs and heavy drums. The band started working on this album during the pandemic and is now ready to unleash their message on stage. If you want to hear what kicking institutionalized violence in the face through heavy riffs sounds like, let’s dive into this album.
Release date: 02-06-2023
Man As Plague have been around for a while, with their debut album “Aftermath” hitting the scene back in 2015. Now, the band is set to unleash their third album, a release we’ve been waiting for. While the pandemic may have put a halt to most live performances, it also gave the band more than enough time to refine and craft new tracks. They’re preparing to unleash their music with full force later this week at their own mini-festival, aptly named Plague Fest vol. 1, with hopes of many more volumes to come. We were lucky enough to be able to hear the full album before the release.
Release date: 03-03-2023
It took me some time to review this album. I had valid reasons for the delay, but the primary cause was my mixed feelings about it. Neverus made a strong entrance into the Dutch Metal Scene. When I heard the track Banish and Burn, I was sold already and couldn’t wait for the album. Mournful March even topped that for me. And I have to say, when I heard the first tunes from ‘On this Mountain Peak’ I loved the idea that the orchestral version of Banish and Burn was the opener of their album. And then it … kinda stopped for me. While there are impressive tracks on the album, I’m uncertain about the album as a whole. Let’s dive into Neverus and what they have to offer, and come to a final conclusion.
Saturday may 21st was the perfect weather for a metal festival. Those who got to go to Achterhoeks Metalfest got to enjoy some nice bands in awesome weather. Even though most people came for the headliner Napalm Death, all the other bands killed it on stage too. It was good to see the next metal generation rocking it as well <3. Richard Snijder took some pictures to give you all an impression of the vibe at the festival. See you there next time!
Last Saturday, the 6th of May, it was time to party in a small town near Arnhem called Westervoort. For the 6th time, Metalfest No Sleep was being held at Zalencentrum Wieleman. We were lucky enough to be a part of the party. With perfect festival weather for most of the day, I’m sure everyone was looking forward to having a good time. In this review, we’ll talk a bit about how Metalfest No Sleep got started. We’ll also give an overview of the Dutch bands that played at the festival.
