Devotion is probably the most gut-wrenching album the band could have ever recorded, when they did. It contains that essence of raw emotion that cripples the listener into utter submission, while keeping your attention so heightened, you couldn’t walk away from it if you tried. Devotion is to metal, what a scrape on the knee is to a child: it hurts and it stings, but most importantly it’s fascinating. You’ve witnessed change, ultimately leading to discomfort, but are now experiencing the wonder of healing. Aurora has finally found the perfect song-writing skill that can convey this feeling. The most surprising aspect is each member plays a separate, equally crucial role in the band’s success. The guitars switch almost mechanically from the standard crunch pattern to a wonderful and angelic state – flowing as effortlessly as a stream through the countryside. Helping segue this switch through the song structures is a rhythm section that has matured considerably, since the last time we heard this talented band. Aurora has always contained some of the most highly-skilled musicians in the scene, but the light subtleties the band is performing nowadays, goes well beyond the call of duty.

Aurora has found a way to inseminate their sound with tribal drumming that doesn’t end up ‘cheapening’ the sound, as well as adding a noticeable amount more of clean vocals – which are agonizing as all hell, to say the very least. As much as I would like to share with you the standout elements of this album on a song-to-song basis, that would be way too tedious for this scribe.

Devotion from start to finish is utterly amazing and contains too many, way too many single points to emphasize. If you purchase one album this year, Devotion should be the only one on your shopping list.

Characteristically, most of its bands fall somewhere into the soundscape of a hyper-speed version of Morbid Angel, however it is their rhythmic tightness and overall technical talents that have brought them acclaim from fans and critics alike. Carrying on through the fiery path that the Polish Assault compilation forged, those sickos at Relapse have decided to brutalize us once again with the release of this disc as a follow-up. Basically the Brazilian Assault runs in the same format as its precursor, highlighting probably the top four underground (not signed) bands currently running amok below the equator.

While I could lump all the bands together and try and make one coherent review out of it, I have decided to take each band and give a basic overview of their sound for easier comprehension: The first band up to bat, Abhorrence, is easily the fastest and most precise band featured on this disc. However, their sound is also the most easily compared to hometown heroes, Krisiun. In fact, the three songs provided by this band sound as if these hombres took Krisiun 101 at their local university. Picture the band’s latest, Conquerors of Armageddon and you have Abhorrence in a nutshell. Musically, they are ridiculously fast with some extremely complex grooves occurring in the background, which makes for an extremely desirable listen.

Ophiolatry is definitely a hard one to pinpoint. There seems to be a little bit more picking present in their song structures, which automatically leads me to think that they could be more influenced by juggernaut, Rebellion. However, it’s the vocals that really get to me as they reminisce of older Suffocation with their forceful, yet murky presence. This band should also be noted as having some truly amazing solos patched throughout the three tracks provided, which once again goes to show that this scene is chock full of amazing musicians.

Nephasth is probably my favorite band featured here, and by the time you are reading this has become the first band to be picked up by a major label since the presentation of this material. Evidently I am not the only one who saw the talent in this outfit as Denmark’s very own Mighty Music approached the band for a proper full-length. Once again, Nephasth shares some similarities with their disc mates, but their material just seems a little more mature than the others. Like Abhorrence, these guys come from the Krisiun-school, which automatically attracts me, but it is their fluent use of time changes and clockwork song-smithing that makes these four tunes the most memorable of the CD’s 17 tracks. I am eagerly awaiting the full-length, and I have a feeling that most of you who check out this material will be just as excited as I am.

Finally, we come to Mental Horror.Roughly these guys equate to a strange blend of hyper grind meets Onward to Golgotha-era Incantation vocals. While this might strike the interest of a few, it was not enough to further their chances of more added attention from this scribe. I won’t lie that the music doesn’t sound proficient, but it is thoroughly bathed in a rehearsal-room production, and is just way too chaotic to make much sense. Well, for the most part, there you have it.

This is one of the best showcases of extreme music around, and I am thrilled that Relapse has decided to exploit the underground of this very deserving nation. So who will be the next to be signed? I’ll let you be the judge of that.

While it used to be somewhat of a blasphemy for a metalhead to even appreciate a hardcore release, it has become almost impossible to even distinguish the difference in sound. Yes, I think that the grand crossover that many of us have been expecting for years has now officially happened. Case in point: Heaven Shall Burn. Hailing from Germany, this group spits more disgusting venom with their newest full-length, Asunder, than most Gothenburg bands combined. Blazing yet crunchy guitars, meet with a rhythm section that can throw a mosh-ready breakdown at you with the drop of dime, and a vocalist whose inner wounds are thrown about with one of the most utterly gut-wrenching deliveries ever heard.

When you combine all of these individual contributions, the end picture is nothing short of remarkably innovative. Asunder is to modern-day hardcore, what Left Hand Path was to death metal; and believe me the death metal references are there. Imagine the bastard child of Bloodjinn, old Dark Tranquility and Bolt Thrower, and you have a lethal combination ready to explode. Speaking of Bolt Thrower, the U.K. war gods are finely represented here as Heaven Shall Burn delights our ears with a remarkably accurate cover of The Fourth Crusade. All in all, I can’t imagine a single listener who wouldn’t be utterly blown away by a release as noteworthy as Asunder.

With all of the characteristic death metal influences of old, along with their own modern touch-Heaven Shall Burn has created a landmark of crossover appeal. Those of you who feel alienated or faithless with our music and culture, need only to take one listen to Asunder. In no time at all, the pride of being a metalhead will course through your veins like nothing ever felt before.