• Patrick Saad’s Top Releases of December 2012

  • By The Stone – By The Stone

Recommended: Without the Sun, Hubris.

For a band which “attempts to write the latest chapter in a book that Pink Floyd started over 40 years ago”, By The Stone’s first EP has definitely put them on the Prog map for the upcoming years. Their sound is heavy and fresh-sounding, it brings the best from bands like Tool, Porcupine Tree and Soundgarden.

For fans of: Tool, Porcupine Tree.

  • Karim Koreitem’s Top Release of December 2012

  • Borderline Syndrome – Stateless

Recommended: Shock Doctrine, Cover Me, Descending.

Borderline Syndrome is a Greek band from Athens, Greece. Their debut album “stateless” is a very surprising release. While the album is mostly bass heavy (a delight for bass fans), it’s a very enjoyable mixture of a wide variety of musical genres, from progressive metal/rock to jazz and Greek traditional music. The band states the bands Tool, Radiohead, Opeth, Meshuggah, The Dillinger Escape Plan, as their influences, among others.

The album has a distinct atmosphere to it, backed by a very unique rhythm section, grooving throughout. The vocals of Sophia Sarri have a folk feel to them, and the keyboards go from jazz piano to 60’s psychedelic organ. However, the album is rather slow paced, and might be a more or less involved listen. It’s not a metal album in its strict sense.

The album is available for streaming and purchase HERE.

For fans of: Prog Rock / Metal and Experimental Metal.