Review by JD on February 20, 2009.

I sit in front of my computer, pondering how to explain this Greek metal powerhouse that calls itself Dark Vision. I carefully listen to the five song EP I have been given, and now I feel that the words are finally there... and the way is clear on how to explain to the metal mad masses about this Greek metallic explosion.

Dark Vision are a unique mix of extreme Death Metal, damming Black Metal sounds and throw in the oddly razor sharpness of mid-career VoiVod (akin to the 1987 release: "Killing Technology"). I was stunned and also very elated all at once, my senses were battered and bruised by assaulting guitars while those low frequency subterranean bulldozing bass riffs soothed my metal starved heart.

Those vocals... oh damn, let me tell you about these deliciously evil sort of vocals (by lead singer Giannis N). They were gloriously guttural and sandpaper harsh as they were thrown out there with hate fuelling each note that this man could have squeezed out of himself. It was like he was giving every last drop of blood he had in his body to catapult these words out. The last part of the equation was the drums, which sounded like they were the pulse of Satan himself. This is exactly what I had been craving.

They were engaging, volcanically so superb... simply put, they were great. Dark Vision are what the Death/Black metal crossover genre is all about... and it shows how bands like this are bringing it forward and kicking ass at the same time. All of these new bands are cutting a swath through metal right now and are thankfully killing all of the false music that are stupid enough to get in their way.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 8
Originality: 8
Overall: 9

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Review by JD on November 15, 2011.

Having been a musician myself for many years (I will not admit to how long I have played), I tend to love bands that have something different yet still very heavy to offer my ears. For the most part, my artistic and metallic needs have been met with a few disappointments along the way.

Italy’s Martiria is a Epic/Progressive band that has been around since 1987, yet only have released four full albums since 2004. As a band, they are fuelled by old school metal that is filled with massive melodies and pinpoint hooks that seen to leap out at you... but there is a problem. Martiria’s dated sound and weak sounding production and even weaker guitar bite holds this talent filled act back from where they could be.

Songs like 'The Sower' and Twenty Eight Steps' are more than just good pieces of music, but the weak sounding production and the lighter than it has to be guitar sounds makes it less than what it is. If Martiria could add some real punch to every sing that they have, these songs would go from really good to utter godliness in no time, and showcase a band that could be commanding a global audience. As it stands now, they cannot compete with some of the other acts that are out there - even from their homeland.

A few tweaks in the studio, plus a putting a little bit of steroids in their guitar sound will propel Martiria to a whole different level, and will get the metallic masses around the world to fall at their feet. I hope that this band takes this little bit of a suggestion to heart - I hate seeing a band that misses out on their potential just because of a little oversight and a tad bit of stubbornness.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship:8.5
Atmosphere: 7
Production: 6.5
Originality: 7
Overall: 7.5

Rating: 7.3 out of 10