El Salvador’s Conceived By Hate offers an eclectic, furious debut in the four-song EP, Witness of Decay, featuring current Tainan resident Carlos Basagoitia on bass. The members of the band obviously have diverse tastes in music, and they let the best parts of their respective record collections shine through on what is hopefully an indication of what can be expected of them in the future. Vocalist Juan Carlos Oseguera has a raspy growl somewhat similar to Malevolent Creation’s Brett Hoffman, providing a fitting accompaniment the backdrop of music that resembles the death-thrash of Mexico’s Foeticide with elements of Swedish melodic death metal from the likes of Jester Race era In Flames and At the Gates, with a few unique surprises along the way.

Conceived By Hate combines brutality with straight-forward mosh sections and memorable rhythms and leads. The opening Track “Vengeance is the Law” takes the listener from one of the aforementioned elements to the next, featuring a clean interlude in between harmonized guitar leads, death metal blast beats and riffs, and a ripping solo.

This is followed by the title track, which is the first time the keyboard work of Tulio Mata becomes readily evident in the mix, providing an intensely dark atmosphere to the song. The band demonstrates that the musicians collectively possess a well-rounded sense of song structure, as evidenced by the Morbid Angel-style outro lead to appropriately compliment the track’s apocalyptic tone.

Korea’s Audio Blossom play a mix of classic metal and rock that harkens back to the late 70s and early 80s. It’s got a little bit of that Thin Lizzy groove and some definite glam scene influence from the likes of W.A.S.P., especially on the gritty vocals. In fact, until some online fact checking was done, upon listening to the first few tracks on 1st Faust, this reviewer was convinced that vocalist Hye Jon Son was a man. However, the fact that the English name given for the singer is Lydia, and that it explicitly states “female” beside that name on the band’s Myspace page, would suggest otherwise.

Singapore's Bhelliom are back with their second album, the first with new vocalist Vivek who took over the screaming duties from bass player Joe. Having been around since 2000 and touring around Asia, many in the Asian metal scene are familiar with Bhelliom's take on the melodic death Gothenburg sound. It's a little In Flames, some Arch Enemy, a bit of Hypocrisy with a touch of Soilwork thrown in. The result is an accessible yet punishing sound. Harmonized Euro leads are played over chugging, simplistic yet catchy rhythm guitar lines and the type of low end bass and drum work that, while not overly showy, gives the music a rock-solid foundation and heaviness one can't help but feel.

Spread Your Wings was Black Masquerade’s first full-length album, released in 2005, and have since followed with 2007’s Holy and Bright. The Japanese five-piece was founded in 2001, and have been pounding out power metal with traditional 80s metal elements ever since. It’s a blend of bands such as Hammerfall or Gamma Ray and a little bit of Iron Maiden. Black Masquerade plays very upbeat power metal in the German style, complete with over the top falsetto vocals that have become the genre standard. The lyrics border on the comical at times, such as the line “Life isn’t all beer and Skittles” from “The Guardian.” Whether it’s tongue in cheek or not is up to you to decide, but it can be forgiven as English is not their first language.

Vision of Disorder is the long-awaited full-length debut from Taiwan’s masters of melodic thrash, Infernal Chaos, known locally simply as I.C. Their debut E.P. sold out in Taiwan, and inspired a loyal legion of fans who memorized every lyric, particularly those to the new-school thrash anthem “We Stand Alone.” As such, big things were expected from the band for this release.

Though some may know the band as a side project of guitarist Jesse Liu, also known as Jesse, the Infernal when he pulls six-string duty in Taiwan’s best-known metal outfit, Chthonic, this is not a side project, and this is no mere side project offering. From the opening riff on the album’s first song “Wasted Time,” Infernal Chaos make it clear that they are here to deliver catchy arrangements, shout-along choruses, and heavy, but memorable songs with an emphasis on timeless songwriting and carefully-measured balance.

Evocation were founded in 2004, and presumably spent the last four years crafting their epic debut album, Take Your Soul. It was well worth the four-year wait. They are Hong Kong's own Dissection, producing an utterly impressive brand of progressive black metal, with six of the disc's nine tracks clocking in at over six minutes. The vocals have a slightly necro tinge, somewhat akin to Ihshan's sound on the early Emperor recordings, but vocalist Tomy also throws in some lower tones and the sound is  less muddled. The music itself is a mixture of melodic Swedish death and Norwegian black metal. In other words, Black metal riffs are reinvented with a Swedish twist. It's very disarming at times, as is the case with the clean neo-classical guitar interlude on “Final Division,” but the lull is quickly broken by brutal shrieking and blast beat fury.

Put this disc in and let the beautifully-played flamenco-infused intro, “The Beginning,” wash over you. Then, you may want to consider getting all the valuables out of the room, because by the time this CD stops spinning your room could very well be completely thrashed. In the pummeling intro of the CD’s title track, the triggered bass drum sounds of drummer Yazu, who is an absolute rock throughout this CD, rattle the skull while the eardrums are simultaneously pierced by the strong, punishing vocals of screamer Inamoto, who is equal parts Randy Blythe and Phil Anselmo.

Japan’s Soundscream have arrived with a debut E.P., My Heart Will Never Die, a mix of Japanese upbeat power metal and classic Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. The opener, “Never,” has that Japanese anime happy vibe to it. But on the second track, “Nightmare,” the Priest and Maiden influence is put on full display, with a palm muted, chugging verse, and dueling solos between guitarists Yuichi and Kei, who also pulls vocal duty. The main riff even sounds a little like “Fear of the Dark,” if you use your imagination. The vocals are more mid-range and dirty, though they do stray into the stereotypical power metal over-the-top territory.

Taiwan’s Beyond Cure serve up a deathcore beat-down on their debut E.P., Chronically Fester.  No strangers to breakdowns, the occasional bout of melody, and the odd unabashed pig squeal, this E.P. is a diverse effort with heavy doses of  the two main influences on the band, hardcore and death metal, though nods to acts like As Blood Runs Black, Whitechapel, and The Black Dahlia Murder are readily apparent. Many listeners will probably see the parallels between the tongue-in-cheek humor o f TBDM and Beyond Cure as well.  But make no mistake, as any humor that is thrown in, mostly via the pig squeals, does nothing to detract from the overall heaviness of the music.

The mere mention of the term “concept album” is enough to draw skepticism, ire and even audible guffaws from hardened metal purists. However, Anthelion could not have chosen a more metal storyline for their debut full length release, Bloodshed Rebefallen. The songs follow the story of the Snake Corpse, a creature condemned to suffer for thousands of years for trying to tempt mankind.  After millennia spent in agony and enslavement, the beast then reawakens and joins forces with the Snake Tribe, focusing its unlimited wrath on waging war on all creation, and the annihilation of all living things.