With the departure of Jo Amore from the band, who better than to take up the reins than one of the best vocalists out there, Magali Luyten (Beautiful Sin, Virus IV)? Like injecting a new level of venom into a snake that's already bitten you once, Dead Sun wastes no time diving straight for your wrist in tracks like "Serpentine" and "Ikarus," leaving your fist only one option: to be raised in the air!

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Jason W. Dream Taster, Milena

From the guitar riffs drowning in gloom, to the mixture of somber beauty and ominous power of the male and female vocals, Weeping Silence deliver an album full of poetic pain and mourning for happiness, the individual, and the Earth itself. They pay homage to the withering effects of time, and offer the listener an "icy throne in winter's embrace" to sit in as they stand beside you, as we all watch the sun set one last time.

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Jason W. BloodTears

Like leaves that fall between two trees grown together in the majestic beauty that is the chance and fate of nature, Kowai's Dissonance covers the listener in poetic sorrow and somber symphonic metal melodies. Lush keyboards, calming guitars, and vocals with lyrics that plead for escape, Kowai's debut offers a wintry embrace that warms the shivering soul with a cathartic sense of pride.

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Jason W.

Leaving the Earth behind and exploring uncharted worlds and all the star systems rarely sounds this decisively passionate. Like kissing the world goodbye with the explosive romanticism of a mushroom cloud, Skylight offers vocal lines and guitar solos that echo the beauty of a nebula, all while letting us travel with them in the warmth of their journey afar. Like a tear with a smile beneath it.

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Jason W. BloodTears, Ag Fox, R'Vannith, X-Ray Rod

Like walking through a home just as its owners are silently moving out, with different cities as their destinations, To Cast A Shadow finds a way to express warmth and desire within a lonely, gloomy atmosphere of doom-drenched gothic metal. Deliberate percussion, heavy bass and guitar, with a pulsing drama and internal struggle lyrically, they mostly keep it mid-tempo to slow, but with the occasional outburst that adds an urgency to the overall arrangements within. Distraught male growls & murky female vocals that yearn for an end to interpersonal distances, In Memory Of is a swansong to what two people once were, and the reality of what is left behind.

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Jason W. Ag Fox, Susan, Dane Train, Milena, X-Ray Rod

Melancholic & reflective, Weeping Silence's latest has us peering into a rain-soaked window of a forgotten cathedral, only to find a lush scene of classy atmospheric, doom & gothic metal within. Rich with warm female vocals, well-timed choir passages, and numerous memorable guitar melodies & contemplative instrumental sections, "Theatre Of Life" is a rewarding release of poetic sadness & reflection.

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Jason W.

It took me about one minute to realize Novembers Doom's latest is a drastic improvement over their previous release. They have found that ideal balance between dark, melodic death and the pulsing, downbeat of doom, and do it with arrangements and production that is assertive yet fluid. For fans of deeply personal lyrics, Paul Kuhr has always been one of the best around, and he's as drastic as ever here. And to top it off, fans of Anneke van Giersbergen will find her doing an excellent guest appearance with Paul as well (and in the available video track)!

Oh, and did I mention how great they are live?

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Jason W. Ag Fox

Releases like this are few and far between for me. Mandrake continue to refine their gothic metal style, walking their own solitary path throughout a city of antiquity, traveling on paths left oft-unexplored, hidden between the shadows of overproduced and commercialized albums. They reveal a sorrowful, passionate song writing, full of coarse male vocals and sincere female vocals, ready to slowly haunt you with its own honesty and yearning for a release from own our psychological seclusions. This is easily my Gothic Metal album of 2010!

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Jason W. Susan

Not only are these guys massive live, their latest disc is as well. The production really lets those bluesy doom riffs take center stage, and Victor's vocals and lyrics are delivered with purpose and depth. From the thick opening sounds "The Maker" to the reflective "Though He Slay Me," and finally to my choice in "Timeless Hearts" with its great groove, this is metal that calms while also inspiring the mind and soul.

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Jason W. Dane Train, Marcel Hubregtse, Troy Killjoy, White Winter Sun

It has been too many years since I've heard that unmistakable sound of Finnish melancholic metal/hard rock echo through my mind. I had never expected that release to come from Negative's latest Neon, as I always thought their past production was just too flimsy for my taste, but it seems I have been proven wrong, thankfully! The guys take me on a journey that makes me yearn for that mildly-used 1970s convertible, ready to drive away into the endless horizon with pounding, melancholic metal to throw away my life's disappointments into the wind.

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Jason W. Ivan

Rarely does an album make me feel nostalgic for the human race at the same time that I forsake all hope in it. Solidly crafted and produced, complete with thoughtful and personal lyrics and melodies, Helevorn offer us a somber experience into the withering of us all.

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Jason W. Thryce, Marcel Hubregtse, White Winter Sun

This is what symphonic metal is all about! Inspiring lyrics and guitar solos that lead you down the road to personal empowerment and self-discovery, and vocals that are polished, refined, and beautiful. Sometimes, reaching for the sky can mean actually grabbing hold of it.

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Jason W. fade, GT

At the time, World War I was the war to end all wars, but instead it became the gateway into modern warfare. Passiondale gives us a heavy dose of aggression, emotional depth, and authoritative visions of the suffering that reflects the stalemate that took nearly 1 million lives during that war. After repeated listens, you'll find yourself one step closer to drowning in mud, and with a lungful of mustard gas as your last breath. And for all you North Americans - just in time to check them out live in April.

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Jason W. White Winter Sun, Ag Fox