DEAD METAL

Until Death Overtakes Me is a one-man band from Belgium. It/he has a lot of material, having been around since 1999; and there have apparently also been a number of aliases over the years. It's surprising that this wealth of output hasn't found more of an audience, given its quality - if this album is anything to go on, at least. Funeral doom meets  Burzum -style dark ambient/neo-classical/dungeon synth. Or, as more aptly-put by the artist himself, 'ambient funeral muzak'. Well Of Dreams (which can be heard below) is a collection of individually-released tracks from 2016. You can name your price for a Bandcamp  download, and the package includes high-resolution CD inserts for you to print at home.

Released in 1993 on Eurorecords, this is an obscure Swedish death/thrash gem. Captor went on to become a nu metal band, by all accounts, but don't hold that against their debut. Lots of early Sepultura influence here, but a little more progressive and melodic. Lay It To Rest is a quirky and original release, it really stands out from the crowd. If you like old school thrashing death metal and you don't know this record, then you should do something about that. The CD is rare, but you can invest in a copy here ; or listen to the album below.

Old school-style death metal with doomy sections here. Graceless is a Dutch band, signed to a Dutch label (Raw Skull Recordz). Musically you can hear a lot of Bolt Thrower influence, and a dose of  Obituary ; vocally the closest comparison is probably  Vader . Shadowlands contains plenty of hooks, variety, and interesting moments. The production is raw-but-modern; it's an excellent debut. You can preview the album below, and order it  here .

For an introduction to Evoken, see  here ; and for a recent interview with founding member Vince Verkay, see  here . This is the band's 2010 release with Sweden's Beneath The Frozen Soil, on I Hate Records. Their four contributions amount to a full-length, in duration terms; and they do not disappoint. It's a highly cohesive split, too - with Beneath The Frozen Soil bringing three solid funeral death-doom tracks with blackened vocals to the table. The CD is rare, but you can keep an eye out for a copy  here ; or the mp3 release is still widely available. A choice track from the Evoken 'side' can be heard below.

Kingdom of Shadows is the first full-length from this Belfast Band. It's a very solid debut, too - well-written, well-executed, well-produced. Old school-style death metal with hints of  Bolt Thrower ,  Immolation , Morbid Angel... Originally self-released on the band's Forbidden Realms label in 2010, it went on to be reissued by Hostile Media in 2012. Special mention goes to the excellent artwork, which really draws you in. You can listen to the album below and purchase it here .

Any fans of Bolt Thrower  who aren't familiar with this album should rectify that. Aside from the musical similarities, it features Dave Ingram - who went on to sing for Bolt Thrower from 1998 until 2004. It also features Frank Healy, who now plays with former members of both Benediction and Bolt Thrower in  Memoriam . Released in 1993 by Nuclear Blast, Transcend the Rubicon is the British band's third full-length; and their finest hour. The Dan Seagrave artwork tops off the package perfectly, too. You can hear the album below, and pick up a copy here .

If you would like to win the two releases pictured above, just head over to  the Dead Metal Facebook page  and comment on the post about this giveaway there. It's open to anyone worldwide, but you do need to have 'liked' the Facebook page to qualify. The competition closes at midnight (GMT) this Sunday (12th August). A winner will then be chosen at random, and notified on Facebook.