This Portuguese Metal label offers the 4th volume of its Metal Onstentation series, featuring - in total - eighteen 'obscure' bands from nearly all over the world. The label is proudly working on such releases (some may also know the Kingdom Of Glory series) and surely needs 'thumbs up!' for supporting the 'underground' Metal scene (Heavy/Power/Extreme/Goth) in the most proper way.
Even if it's not that critical to judge on each band's performance, there are certain differences between the participant artists, not only in terms of musical 'field' but also regarding the quality of their work. Hence, Swedish Massacre open up the compilation with a thunderous old-school Thrash/Death tune, while Incendium did not impress me with their atmospheric/prog song. Stolen Pleasure raise an in-your-face Thrash/Death attitude and By Pale Light offer an interesting 'dark' Metal sample. Devoured show their grind beliefs with a plain song, while at the same time The Pharaos present a straightforward 80's Metal gem of my 'taste'.
Anachronaeon flirt with the melodic side of Exrteme Metal music, while Between The Frost don't need any melody to express their Scandinavian Black Metal grimness. Dumah meant nothing to me (sorry guys!) and Urban Fight's dark melodies did not fix my mood. Thyvorent mix classic Metal guitars with 'blackened' choirs and brutal vocals, while Memorain lay on the 'riff' Metal side with an interesting Heavy tune. Dragonlance - omit the ridiculous vocals - present a good Melodic Metal song, whilst Ancestral Legacy remain even more primitive than Darkthrone in their production. Hinthruna carry on the Black Metal sound with a notable up-tempo warcry, even if I couldn't find out what Methedras propose (some New Metal chords, some brutal vocals, Thrash/Death solos etc). Yet, Todtgelichter were brief enough with their sample: 'warhammering' Black Metal. B-Low sums it up in this collection with a tune featuring a Venom/Celtic Frost 'vibe'.
This compilation - as every one in this series - is offered at the 'honest' price of 5.00 Euros per pair. Thus, 2.50 Euros per CD. Are you nuts? There's the 'fresh' underground Metal scene of today. Good or bad, laughing or banging your head, I see no reason why you should not enlist yourself with the consumers of sincere move. Thumbs up!