Arsis – We Are the Nightmare
Nuclear Blast Records

(3.5/5)

If you are looking for another influential Death metal album coming from the East Coast, you better get your hands on a copy of Arsis’ newest release entitled We Are the Nightmare! With the skills of lead vocalist/guitarist James Malone, guitarist Ryan Knight, bassist Noah Martin, and sick drum master Darren Cesca all combined, We Are the Nightmare certainly scores high on the list of brutal Melodic Death metal albums I have heard as of late. There are quite a few tracks on the album that prove this over and over again, but there are a few specific tracks I would recommend over the others. These tracks include the likes of “Progressive Entrapment” (Track 7), “A Feast for the Liar’s Tongue” (Track 8), and the title track “We Are the Nightmare” (Track 1). Whilst these tracks are not ALL of the best, these are the ones I enjoy the most. “We Are the Nightmare” serves as a great intro to the album and starts off with its own great intro that builds beautifully into the song. When the song does hit, you know it! As far as “Progressive Entrapment” and “A Feast for the Liar’s Tongue” go, these two tracks are just heavy. Hands down. There’s no arguing that they show great variance and great examples of the more Death metal side of Melodic Death metal. Overall, this is a great album that I would suggest to any Death metal or Melodic Death metal fan, so if you fit into one of those categories, go out and grab a copy of We Are the Nightmare!

Seregon – A Future Expired EP
Unsigned

(4/5)

Why is Seregon still unsigned!? Somebody get these guys a contract! Seregon’s new EP (or Mini CD as the band likes to call it) A Future Expired is a great two track example of how strong the “underground” Thrash metal scene is. Honestly, I think this EP is awesome. When I listen to it, I get a sense of a young Testament from England. One thing I like about these guys is the variation in the songs. It may not be quite as much as I normally like, but that’s probably because there’s only two tracks. But compared to some of today’s newer Thrash acts, these guys really rank high in my books. Like I said before, get these guys a contract! Their overall skills are great and I couldn’t ask for more togetherness in an unsigned band. As far as the EP goes, it’s difficult to decide between to the two tracks as to which one is my favorite, but if I had to choose, I’d say “Replicators” (Track 2). “Replicators” shows a good amount of the variance noted above with powerful guitar attack, excellent double bass and drum beats, and a bass line that really outdoes itself. This is a great example of pure Thrash metal! All in all, I have to say, look out for our boys in the UK. If Seregon shows any indication to how their Metal scene is, expect good things in the future. So, watch out for when this EP is available and go out and support good Thrash metal!