Rebellion - Arminius - Furor Teutonicus (SOtD DLXXXIX)

Rebellion is a Heavy Power Metal band from Germany.
Arminius - Furor Teutonicus is their sixth full length.

Rebellion - Ala Germanica

Kamelot - Silverthorn (SOtD DLXXXVIII)

Kamelot needs no introduction, the best Symphonic Power Metal band of the USA is back with their tenth album!
The great fear about this new album was the replacement of Roy Khan by Tommy Karevik. Khan is a true legend and Tommy had a really difficult set of shoes to fit in.
But against the predictions of many, Tommy does the job with great quality. And for my surprise, I can't really say that I miss Khan's presence in Silverthorn.

Kamelot - Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife)

Orden Ogan - To The End (SOtD DLXXXVII)

Orden Ogan is a Power Metal band from Germany.
To The End is their fourth album.

Orden Ogan - The Things We Believe In

Shining - Redefining Darkness (SOtD DLXXXVI)

Shining is back with another full length release after last year's album VII - Född Förlorare.
Redefining Darkness is the title of the new work from the Swedish Progressive Black Metal band.

Shining - Du, Mitt Konstverk

Skálmöld - Börn Loka (SOtD DLXXXV)

Skálmöld is a Viking Folk Metal band from Iceland, formed in 2009.
Börn Loka is their second release.

Skálmöld - Narfi

Serenity Broken (SOtD DLXXXIV)

Serenity Broken is an Alternative Metal band from Greece.
They have released their first album back in July.

Serenity Broken - Alone?

Pharaoh (SOtD DLXXXIII)

Pharaoh is a Power Metal band from the USA.
They were founded in 1997 and have 4 albums released.

Pharaoh - Slaves

Solbrud (SOtD DLXXXII)

Solbrud is an Atmospheric Black Metal band from Denmark.

Solbrud - Bortgang

Sacred Blood (SOtD DLXXXI)

Sacred Blood is a Power Metal band from Greece.

Sacred Blood - Ride through the Achaemenid Empire

Machinae Supremacy - Rise Of A Digital Nation (SOtD DLXXX)

Machinae Supremacy is a Power Metal band from Sweden.
Rise Of A Digital Nation is their sixth album.

Machinae Supremacy - Laser Speed Force

Mob Rules - Cannibal Nation (SOtD DLXXIX)

Mob Rules is a Power Metal band from Germany.
Cannibal Nation is their seventh full length.

Mob Rules - Ice & Fire

Obscurity - Obscurity (SOtD DLXXVIII)

Obscurity is a Viking Black/Folk Metal band from Germany.
After several releases that passed unnoticed, finally their self-titled album, already their sixth, is finally freeing them from obscurity.

Obscurity - Fimbulwinter

Wintersun - Time I (SOtD DLXXVII)

The most desired album from these last years was finally released.
Eight long years after the acclaimed self titled album, the Finnish Extreme Power Metal band Wintersun return with their second release, Time I. And a promise to released the second part of Time in 2013.
I must tell you that I was very affraid of what this album would be, after all this years and all the hype around Wintersun. But it looks like it's all it was supposed to be, and that is saying a lot!

Wintersun - Sons Of Winter And Stars

Pelle K (SOtD DLXXVI)

Pelle K is a Progressive Power Metal band from Norway.

Pelle K - Fugue State

Angel Vivaldi (SOtD DLXXV)

Angel Vivaldi is an Instrumental Progressive Metal band from the USA.

Angel Vivaldi - A Martian Winter

Aeternam - Moongod (SOtD DLXXIV)

Aeternam is a Melodic Death Metal band from Canada.
Moongod is their second release.

Aeternam - Invading Jerusalem

Magica - Center Of The Great Unknown (SOtD DLXXIII)

Magica is a Symphonic Power Metal band from Romania.
Center Of The Great Unknown is their sixth release.

Magica - Center of the Great Unknown

Galneryus - Angel Of Salvation (SOtD DLXXII)

Galneryus is a Power Metal band from Japan.
Angel Of Salvation is their eight full length in just 10 years.

Galneryus - Angel Of Salvation

Poema Arcanus - Transient Chronicles (SOtD DLXXI)

Poema Arcanus is a Progressive Doom Metal band from Chile, already with a 20 year long career.
Transient Chronicles is their fifth release.

Poema Arcanvs - Omniscient Opponent

Daylight Dies - A Frail Becoming (SOtD DLXX)

Daylight Dies is a Melodic Death Doom Metal band from the USA.
A Frail Becoming is their fourth album.

Daylight Dies - A Final Vestige

Weeping Silence - For The Unsung (SOtD DLXIX)

Weeping Silence is a Gothic Doom Metal from Malta.
For The Unsing is their third album.

Weeping Silence - Love Lies Bleeding

Dalriada - Napisten Hava (SOtD DLXVIII)

To the long time readers of this blog, Dalriada needs no introduction.
(But I'll do it anyway just for the sake of everyone else)
The Hungarian Epic Folk Metal band have release one of the best Folk Metal albums of 2011, Ígéret (Promise). It had an innovative sound, introducing some female harsh Death Metal voice in the mix of speedy Hungarian folk with epic riffs.

They have just release their seventh album, Napisten Hava, and I can't avoid being disappointed.
First of all, to make it clear: Napisten Hava is a good album, probably the second best of Dalriada's career. Second, I already knew that topping or even matching Ígéret would be very difficult. These are not the motives of my disappointment.

I'm disappointed because I felt Ígéret like a breath of fresh air pointing to a new an unexplored path in Folk Metal, and I was expecting them to follow that path, sometimes failing, others hitting the nail, but moving forward.
Instead, Napisten Hava is a step back, in a way that is closer to their older albums than the previous one.
Of course it isn’t all bad. The catchy speedy Folk is there, and also the epic riffs, but the female death voice has almost disappeared, and with it the aggressiveness that made me like Ígéret so much.

Here is the song from the new album that still holds on to a bit of aggressiveness.

Dalriada - Borivók Éneke

Versailles - Versailles (SOtD DLXVII)

Versailles is a Power Metal band from Japan, notorious also for making part of the Visual Kei movement, and one of its most relevant ambassadors wordwide.
Their self-titled album, Versailles, is the fourth full length of their career.

Versailles - Truth

Thy Majestie - ShiHuangDi (SOtD DLXVI)

Thy Majestie is a Symphonic Power Metal band from Italy.
ShiHuangDi is their fifth album, the first one with singer Alessio Taormina and keyboardist Giuseppe Carrubba. They seem to really bring some added value to the band, as, to me, this album is their best release so far.

Thy Majestie - Harbinger Of New Dawn

Winterfylleth - The Threnody Of Triumph (SOtD DLXV)

Winterfylleth is a Pagan Black Metal band from the United Kingdom.
The Threnody Of Triumph is their third release.

Winterfylleth - The Glorious Plain

Evocation - Illusions Of Grandeur (SOtD DLXIV)

Evocation is a Death Metal band from Sweden. Although not categorized as Melodic, their riffs have some melody, giving them a sound that sometimes resembles Amon Amarth.
Illusions Of Grandeur is their fourth album.

Evocation - Illusions Of Grandeur

Sybreed - God Is An Automaton (SOtD DLXIII)

Sybreed is an Industrial / Groove Trash Metal band from Switzerland.
God Is An Automaton is their fourth full length.

Sybreed - God Is An Automaton

As I Lay Dying - Awakened (SOtD DLXII)

As I Lay Dying is a Melodic Metalcore band from the USA.
They have been steadily improving with each release. Awakened is their sixth full length, their best so far.

As I Lay Dying - A Greater Foundation

Blut Aus Nord - 777 - Cosmosophy (SOtD DLXI)

Blut Aus Nord is an Atmospheric Industrial Metal band from France.
777 - Cosmosophy is their tenth fulll length, the final chapter in their 777 trilogy.

Blut Aus Nord - Epitome XVI

Elvenking - Era (SOtD DLX)

Era is the seventh album from the Italian Power Folk Metal band Elvenking.

Elvenking - Poor Little Baroness

Vision Divine - Destination Set To Nowhere (SOtD DLIX)

Vision Divine is a Power Metal band from Italy, fronted by Fabio Lione, singer of Rhapsody Of Fire.
Destination Set To Nowhere is their seventh full length.

Vision Divine - Mermaids From Their Moons