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Here are two very different albums from two very different bands. First is the offering from Canadian metal band Baptized in Blood, which happens to be a self-titled album. This is also the London, Ontario, Canada- based band’s first album. The track list is as follows:

 This band sounds like an All that Remains copycat, but with only screaming vocals. The guitar work sounds very similar to All that Remains, albeit with the occasional original melodic hook and the typical repeating patterns. The track list has some oddly named songs, with “Up Shirts Down Skirts” and “Dirty’s Back” being among them. Baptized in Blood doesn’t have a whole lot going for them in terms of sounding original, but the guitar work is satisfactory. Overall, the album sounds like a spirited effort by the band to either cash in on the All that Remains sound or somehow break away from it.

Rating: **

                  Next is the latest offering from New York-based black metal band Abigail Williams. Titled In the Absence of Light, it is the band’s second album after its debut album In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns. The track list is as follows:

                  On a bimonthly basis, the State Theater in Falls Church, VA is shaken to its foundations by a sonic onslaught from within. On those chosen nights the floors shake, the walls rumble, and the stage is home to the decibel daredevils from the Mid-Atlantic metal circuit. Created by State Theater employee Alan Margazano, the event has gained a strong following among DC-area metalheads and decibel junkies. Round One in August was a success, and Round Two in October promised to be just as explosive.

                  This time around, the bands featured were Deranged Theory, Immortal Decay, Trihexyn, and Apothys. Deranged Theory, a metal group from Northern Virginia, opened the event with an enthusiastic set-list featuring songs influenced by movies, video games, and other forms of “badassery”. They even had a song about Starcraft II. The performance was a good one, but the vocals sounded a little forced at times.  Immortal Decay took the stage next. Their brand of death metal was fast and furious, with very little time between songs and a tendency to just keep chugging through the set-list. After they powered through their songs, the audience was left with ringing ears and spinning heads. The last two bands of the night were the headliners. Trihexyn and Apothys have gained a local reputation for their talent and showmanship, and they certainly did not disappoint. Both performances were distorted onslaughts that finished the night of metal mayhem with a bang.

                  Round Two of Mandatory Metal at the State Theater was a success. This reviewer hopes to see you  at Round Three. And remember to bring earplugs…because these locals really do get LOUD. 

Norwegian Symphonic Black Metal band Dimmu Borgir has returned with a vengeance. After the successes of previous albums such as Death Cult Armageddon (2003) and In Sorte Diaboli (2007), expectations were high for the 2010 offering. The band’s newest studio album, Abrahadabra, is a haunting addition to the band’s legend and a fitting “Renewal.” The track list as is follows:

This music on this album is beautifully haunting, chillingly eerie and well-produced. Symphonic elements are blended seamlessly with black metal style, producing an enjoyably atmospheric symphonic black metal offering. This is true Dimmu Borgir.

Rating: ****