MAD PARISH are a really active band. Since 2006 they've played plenty of shows, and even supported the likes of SKID ROW, GRIM REAPER, OFF! HOLY GRAIL, Cauldron and Priestess! With their self-released album Procession the band shows what they're made of, making use of their knowledge and experience to produce this themselves.

The album kicks off with "Darkness Befalls This Cursed Land" and this is a great opener, with some nice old school riffage and some great vocals too, capturing the listener's attention right away. "Doppelganger" provides a great follow-up that strengthens the band's sound and style and really establishes what we can expect. I'm reminded a little of classic NWOBHM style bands like IRON MAIDEN or DIAMOND HEAD and this of course is no bad thing, with plenty of great melodies and vocals throughout!

This album gives you plenty to keep rocking out to, with tracks like "A stitch in crime" containing some awesome song writing and a nice sense of tension throughout. This is a really great metal track with old school attitude and plenty of energy! There's also the fantastic "Mad Parish" which has a nice furious feel to it. The band really makes use their multitude of guitarists, with plenty of nice harmonies and riffs going on throughout.  "The Rite Of Belonging" is also worth a shout with its nice sense of groove and some really good melodies.

The album ends on "Dawn Of The Unforgiven" which is a nice heavy one to finish things off. There are some really chunky guitar parts here, with some great solid rhythm section work too! This has a real epic feel and closes the album nicely, leaning a bit towards a more progressive approach to writing with some really cool moments.

The production is pretty good, with lots of heavy guitar sounds produced really well. The rhythm section is quite solid sounding and the vocals have a really cool sound, with good recording quality and effects used.

"Procession" is a really good album, especially for a self-released one. I am quite impressed by the band's melodic abilities and strong song writing that is evident throughout.