Our January 2013 Band of the Month Is…

Nostra Morte

This gothic-symphonic rock outfit from Mexico jumped to an early lead in the poll. And, to make a short story even shorter, they held the lead right up to the final day. So, felicitaciones to Nostra Morte for becoming our first Band of the Month for 2013!

Click here to visit Nostra Morte’s Band of the Month page.

Here is the final vote tally:

1. Nostra Morte –  1,277 votes (81.7%)
2. Huldre –  108 votes (6.91%)
3. Ophidian Spell – 67 votes (4.29%)
4. Romantic Rebel – 57  votes (3.65%)
5. Céphée Lyra– 54 votes (3.45%)

Wow, now we have to think about 2013! Here are our nominees for the honor of Band Of The Month in January:

• Blaine The Mono, an alternative rock band from Orlando, Florida, USA. A band that’s only been together for less than 2 years, Blaine The Mono released their debut EP, Vices In Verses,in December.
• Elferya, a symphonic metal band from Lausanne, Switzerland. Last month, Elferya self-released their first full-length album, The Straight And Narrow.
• Immanent, a progressive metal band from Paris, France. Immanent’s debut album, In Acedia, was released on November 27th and was recorded at Fortress Studios in London, United Kingdom.
• To-Mera, a progressive metal band from London, United Kingdom. To-Mera independently released Exile, their third full-length album and fourth release overall, in September.
• Weeping Silence, a gothic doom metal band from the island nation of Malta. Weeping Silence released their third album, For The Unsung, in October via Ravenheart Records, and recently announced Diane Camenzuli as their new female vocalist.

Starting this month, we’re no longer using PollDaddy and WordPress for our Band Of The Month Polls. Instead, we’re using the Question option on the official Unleash The Furies Facebook page. Click here to visit us on Facebook. Voting ends on Thursday, January 31st!

Which bands would you like to see featured in our next Band of the Month Poll? Let us know by posting a suggestion on Facebook or emailing us at unleashthefuriesmetal@gmail.com.

Our December 2012 Band Of The Month Is…

Venturia

This was the closest Band Of The Month Poll we’ve had in UtF history! We watched this one closely to the very end because both of the French bands, Markize and Venturia, made huge runs for the top. And with 1 hour – yes, 1 hour – to go, Venturia finally pulled away to take the title of Band Of The Month for December 2012. Congrats to the melodic prog metallers from Montpellier! And hey, how about Venturia and Markize play a gig together in 2013? We think that would be fantastic. *hint hint*

Click here to visit Venturia’s Band of the Month page.

Here is the final vote tally:

1. Venturia – 3,759 votes (45.39%)
2. Markize – 3,537 votes (42.71%)
3. Armonight – 896 votes (10.49%)
4. Thought Machine – 64 votes (0.77%)
5. Triaxis – 52 votes (0.63%)

Wow, now we have to think about 2013! Here are our nominees for the honor of Band Of The Month in January:

• Céphée Lyra, a gothic progressive metal band from Rhône-Alpes, France. Céphée Lyra recently released Privati Honoris Causa, their second EP and their third recording overall.
• Huldre, a folk metal band from Copenhagen, Denmark. In October, Huldre released their debut album, Intet Menneskebarn, via Gateway Music.
• Nostra Morte, a gothic symphonic metal act from Tepic, Mexico. Nostra Morte released their debut album, Sin Retorno, earlier this year via Skarlet Records.
• Ophidian Spell, a symphonic death metal band from Strasbourg, France. Ophidian Spell independently released their self-titled debut EP in October and have a music video out for the song “Lost Souls.”
• Romantic Rebel, a hard rock quartet from Chicago, Illinois, USA. Romantic Rebel recently released their self-titled debut EP, which features a guest appearance by drummer Matt Walker (formerly of Smashing Pumpkins, Filter, and Morrissey).

Visit our WordPress site and scroll down to find the poll on the right-hand sidebar. Vote once a day through New Year’s Eve – Monday, December 31st!

Which bands would you like to see featured in our next Band of the Month Poll? Let us know by posting a suggestion on our Facebook page or emailing us at unleashthefuriesmetal@gmail.com.

Our November 2012 Band of the Month Is…

Apparatus

This was another fun poll – and unpredictable, too! Four different bands had the lead at different points during the month. But, in the end, Canadian alternative metallers Apparatus received the most votes. And now they’re our November 2012 Band of the Month!

Click here to visit Apparatus’ Band of the Month page.

Here is the final vote tally:

1. Apparatus – 495 votes (46.88%)
2. The Mystery– 341 votes (32.29%)
3. Seven Kingdoms – 162 votes (15.34%)
4. Pursuing The End – 42 votes (3.98%)
5. Destiny Potato – 16 votes (1.52%)

Time to reveal the nominees for our December 2012 Band of the Month Poll! And they are:

• Armonight, a melodic rock band from Vicenza, Italy. Armonight released their second album, Tales From The Heart, through Ravenheart Music in September.
• Markize, a trilingual electro-rock band from Paris, France. Markize will celebrate the release of their self-titled second album on November 16 with a party / concert at Le Zèbre de Belleville in Paris.
• Thought Machine, a “cyber metal” (modern / industrial) band from Milano, Italy. Thought Machine independently released their self-titled debut album in May to critical acclaim.
• Triaxis, a heavy metal band from South Wales, United Kingdom. Triaxis released their second album, Rage And Retribution, in October through Rocksector Records.
• Venturia, a melodic progressive metal band from Montpellier, France. Venturia released their third album, Dawn of a New Era, in September through Lion Music.

Visit our WordPress site and scroll down to find the poll on the right-hand sidebar. Vote once a day through Friday, November 30th!

Which bands would you like to see featured in our next Band of the Month Poll? Let us know by posting a suggestion on our Facebook page or emailing us at unleashthefuriesmetal@gmail.com.

Our October 2012 Band of the Month Is…

El Cuervo de Poe

Well, this was a fun poll to watch! The lead for this poll switched between three different bands, until Danish symphonic metallers Akoma and Mexican alt-prog metallers El Cuervo de Poe pulled away midway through September. Fans made strong pushes in the last few days for both bands. And in the end, El Cuervo de Poe emerged as the Band of the Month for October 2012!

Click here to visit El Cuervo de Poe’s Band of the Month page. And here’s an interesting fact: El Cuervo de Poe is the first Band of the Month winner to perform most of their songs in a language other than English.

The complete results are as follows:

1. El Cuervo de Poe – 833 votes (42.5%)
2. Akoma – 768 votes (39.18%)
3. The Forsaken Creation – 244 votes (12.45%)
4. Embracing Soul – 65 votes (3.32%)
5. Stone Cold Outlaw – 50 votes (2.55%)

So, who are our nominees for the November 2012 Band of the Month Poll? Here they are, without further ado:

• Apparatus, an alternative metal band from Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Apparatus self-released their second album, Evolution, on September 8th.
• Destiny Potato, a Djent metal band from Belgrade, Serbia. Destiny Potato will release their highly anticipated debut EPsoon through Century Media Records. In the meantime, the band will play at EuroBlast in Cologne, Germany on October 21st.
• Pursuing The End, a symphonic metal band from Parma, Italy. Pursuing The End released a three-track EP, Withering, in early September. The band is currently working on their first full-length album.
• Seven Kingdoms, a power metal band from DeLand, Florida, United States. On October 9^th, Seven Kingdoms will release The Fire Is Mine, their second album with female singer Sabrina Valentine and their third album overall.
• The Mystery, a melodic heavy metal band from Heiligenhaus, Germany. The Mystery released their second album, Apocalypse 666, on September 8th via Pure Steel Records / Pure Legends Records.

Visit our WordPress site and scroll down to find the poll on the right-hand sidebar. Vote once a day through the spookiest day of the year – Wednesday, October 31^st (a.k.a. Halloween)!

Which bands would you like to see featured in our next Band of the Month Poll? Let us know by posting a suggestion on our Facebook page or emailing us at unleashthefuriesmetal@gmail.com.

Our September 2012 Band of the Month Is…

Heaven Rain

Another month has gone by, and so has another UtF Band of the Month Poll. And once again, we’re surprised by the results. Our staff had never heard of this progressive power metal band from Bosnia & Herzegovina until one of our readers nominated them. Then we watched as Heaven Rain stormed to a commanding lead and kept it that way to the end. So, the September 2012 Band of the Month crown goes to Heaven Rain!

Click here to visit Heaven Rain’s Band of the Month page.

Here are the complete poll results:

1. Heaven Rain – 160 votes (59.26%)
2. Dorota Malek –   70 votes (25.93%)
3. Crystal Viper – 21 votes (7.78%)
4. Kontrust – 13 votes (4.81%)
5. White Skull –  6 votes (2.22%)

Time to reveal our nominees for the October 2012 Band of the Month! Your choices are:

• Akoma, a symphonic metal band from Silkeborg, Denmark. Akoma self-released their second EP, The Other Side, in March and is currently working on material for their first full-length album.
• El Cuervo de Poe, a gothic alternative metal band from Guadalajara, Mexico. February was a busy month for El Cuervo de Poe, as they opened for one of Within Temptation’s Mexican shows and released their second album Ex Libris.
• Embracing Soul, a gothic rock/metal band from Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. Embracing Soul released their second EP, Luna, via Illusive Records in July.
• Stone Cold Outlaw, a hard rock band from Chicago, Illinois. Stone Cold Outlaw has a three-track, self-titled EP out now and is currently booking shows in their local area for the fall.
• The Forsaken Creation, an ambient metal project from Paris, France. Comprised of singer Anne-Emmanuelle and instrumentalist Eric Valley, The Forsaken Creation released its debut EP, Fragments, in May.

Visit our WordPress site and scroll down to find the poll on the right-hand sidebar. Vote once a day, every day through Sunday, September 30th!

Which bands would you like to see featured in our next Band of the Month Poll? Let us know by posting a suggestion on our Facebook page or emailing us at unleashthefuriesmetal@gmail.com.

Our August 2012 Band of the Month Is…

4Without

We thought this month’s Dame-Nation 2012 themed poll would be a close call. Turns out that it became a battle between two of Chicago’s up-and-coming hard rock bands: Burning Eve and 4Without. And after one day of Burning Eve at the top, 4Without fans came back with a vengeance. That’s why 4Without is our Band of the Month for August 2012!

Click here to visit 4Without’s Band of the Month page.

Thanks again to everyone who showed their support for Dame-Nation 2012 by voting! Here are the complete results:

1. 4Without –  851 votes (58.61%)
2. Burning Eve –  490 votes (33.75%)
3. Schoolcraft – 33 votes (2.27%)
4. Persistence of Memory – 28 votes (1.93%)
5. A.D.D. –  26 votes (1.79%)
6. (tie) MindShatter – 8 votes (0.55%)
7. (tie for 6) Last Red Ransom – 8 votes (0.55%)
8. Virulence Factor – 5 votes (0.34%)
9. DeadMansWake – 3 votes (0.21%)

Onto our September 2012 poll! Your choices are:

• Crystal Viper, a Polish heavy metal band. Crystal Viper released their fourth full-length album Crimen Excepta via AFM Records in April.
• Dorota Malek, a hard rock / metal singer from Wels, Austria. Her full-length debut album Dayphobia was released this past March via Noisehead Records.
• Heaven Rain, a progressive power metal band from Banja Luka, Bosnia. Their third release Second Sun is their first full-length album with current singer Miona Graorac.
• Kontrust, a cross-over band rock/metal band from Ried and Vienna, Austria. Although Kontrust have been around for several years, their popularity exploded in mid-2012 with the release of their new album Second Hand Wonderland.
• White Skull, an Italian heavy metal band. White Skull recently premiered the music video for “Red Devil,” the first single from their latest album Under This Flag.

Visit our WordPress site and scroll down to find the poll on the right-hand sidebar. Vote once a day, every day through Friday, August 31st!

Which bands would you like to see featured in our next Band of the Month Poll? Let us know by posting a suggestion on our Facebook page or emailing us at unleashthefuriesmetal@gmail.com.

Our July 2012 Band of the Month Is…

Wedingoth

This month’s poll was a lot tighter than the final numbers show. Orlando, FL alternative rockers Ideal Zero had a close yet comfortable lead up until the last couple days. That’s when fans for French prog/goth rockers Wedingoth rallied together for a commanding win. Slow yet steady wins the race? Maybe so. Either way, Wedingoth is our July 2012 Band of the Month!

Click here to visit Wedingoth’s Band of the Month page.

Here are the final results for the July poll:

1. Wedingoth –  1,004 votes (45.8%)
2. Ideal Zero –  811 votes (37%)
3. Astral Tears –  164 votes (7.48%)
4. Dawn of Destiny – 156 votes (7.12%)
5. Embassy of Silence – 57 votes (2.6%)

Since we’re still in a Dame-Nation 2012 state of mind, our next Band of the Month Poll features all nine bands from this year’s line-up! The nominees are:

• 4Without, a hard rock band from Chicago, Illinois, USA.
• Analog Digital Disorder (A.D.D.), a hard rock / metal band from Lockport, Illinois, USA.
• Burning Eve, a hard rock / metal band from Elk Grove Village, Illinois, USA.
• DeadMansWake, a hard rock / metal band from Chicago, Illinois, USA.
• Last Red Ransom, an industrial metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
• MindShatter, a hard rock band from Joliet, Illinois, USA.
• Persistence of Memory, a hard rock / metal band from Chicago, Illinois, USA.
• Schoolcraft, a symphonic pop project led by Lindz Riot of Mary And The Black Lamb out of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
• Virulence Factor, a melodic metal band from Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Visit our WordPress site and scroll down to find the poll on the right-hand sidebar. Vote once a day, every day through Tuesday, July 31st!

Which bands would you like to see featured in our next Band of the Month Poll? Let us know by posting a suggestion on our Facebook page or emailing us at unleashthefuriesmetal@gmail.com.

Our June 2012 Band of the Month Is…

Winter In Eden

Winter In Eden had the upper hand on this poll almost as soon as it launched. The symphonic rockers from the UK jumped to an early lead and held it until the very end, even after a couple close calls from Swedish melodic metallers End Of September. And so Winter In Eden is our Band of the Month for June 2012!

Click here for Winter In Eden’s Band of the Month Page.

Here are the final standings:

1. Winter In Eden – 359 votes (48.45%)
2. End Of September– 258 votes (34.82%)
3. 69 Chambers – 68 votes (9.18%)
4. Lyriel – 51 votes (6.88%)
5. Unleash The Archers – 5 votes (0.67%)

And when one poll ends, another one begins! Here are your choices for our July 2012 Band of the Month:

• Astral Tears, a melodic metal band from Orleans, France. In April, Astral Tears self-released their debut album Hypnotic, which combines modern alternative metal with progressive influences, Middle Eastern / oriental elements, and mesmerizing harmonies.
• Dawn of Destiny, a power metal band from Bochum, Germany. Dawn of Destiny’s recently released fourth album, Praying to the World, is their first with new vocalist Jeanette Scherff.
• Embassy of Silence, a Finnish atmospheric / gothic rock band. Embassy of Silence are preparing to release their second album, Antler Velvet, this month through Inverse Music (Finland, Scandinavia) and Ravenheart Music (United Kingdom).
• Ideal Zero, an alternative rock band from Orlando, Florida (United States). Ideal Zero’s self-titled debut EP was released in April and has been making waves throughout the Internet since then.
• Wedingoth, a gothic / progressive rock band from Rhône-Alpes, France. Wedingoth released their second album The Other Side via M&O Music in April to rave reviews.

Visit our WordPress site and scroll down to find the poll on the right-hand sidebar. Vote once a day, every day through Saturday, June 30th!

Which bands would you like to see featured in our next Band of the Month Poll? Let us know by posting a suggestion on our Facebook page or emailing us at unleashthefuriesmetal@gmail.com.

Our May 2012 Band of the Month Is…

Meden Agan

Many of you know that this month’s poll was our first “Second Chance” Band of the Month Poll, where we gave six previous second-place finishers another chance at winning Band of the Month. We thought that all bets would be off with this poll. That wasn’t the case. Greek symphonic metallers Meden Agan rose above the rest of the competition, though not before a brief tussle with Opus Doria. So we congratulate to Meden Agan with the honor of being our May 2012 Band of the Month!

Click here for Meden Agan’s Band of the Month Page.

Here is how the final tally shaped up:

1. Meden Agan– 724 votes (48.72%)
2. Opus Doria– 427 votes (28.73%)
3. Pythia – 215  votes (14.47%)
4. Die So Fluid – 65 votes (4.37%)
5. Kells – 43 votes (2.89%)
6. Sacramento – 12 votes (0.81%)

And now, here are your five choices for the June 2012 Band of the Month Poll:

• 69 Chambers, an alternative metal trio from Zurich, Switzerland. 69 Chambers released their second album Torque in Europe through Massacre Records last week, and will have a (free admission!) record release gig on May 1st at Mascotte in their hometown.
• End of September, a melodic metal band from Växjö, Sweden. End of Septemeber’s self-titled debut album will be released on May 11th in Europe and on May 22nd in North America via Ulterium Records.
• Lyriel, a melodic / folk metal band from Gummersbach and Köln, Germany. Lyriel’s recently released fourth album, Leverage, shows the band deviating from their whimsical folk metal origins and opting for a more powerful, straightforward heavy metal sound with violin arrangements.
• Unleash The Archers,a power metal band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Unleash The Archers are wrapping up a tour of Western Canada in support of their second album, Demons of the Astrowaste, and will release a music video sometime in May. (Do you notice how similar their name is to ours? *wink*)
• Winter In Eden, a symphonic rock band from Durham, United Kingdom. Winter In Eden will play a few shows in their native UK this month to celebrate the release of their second album, Echoes of Betrayal.

Visit our WordPress site and scroll down to find the poll on the right-hand sidebar. Vote once a day, every day through Thursday, May 31st!

Which bands would you like to see featured in our next Band of the Month Poll? Let us know by posting a suggestion on our Facebook page or emailing us at unleashthefuriesmetal@gmail.com.

Our April 2012 Band of the Month Is…

Vainglory

Atlanta heavy metallers Vainglory owned this poll from March 1st and onward. Not even a last-minute surge could get metal’s newest starlets Huntress to snatch the lead away. So, in convincing fashion, Vainglory wins the honor of being our April 2012 Band of the Month!

Click here for Vainglory’s Band of the Month Page.

Here is how the final tally shaped up:

1. Vainglory– 228 votes (43.85%)
2. Huntress– 158 votes (30.38%)
3. Arkona – 74 votes (14.23%)
4. Shadowside – 52 votes (10%)
5. Mortad – 8 votes (1.54%)

Since Unleash The Furies celebrated  its first anniversary last month, we decided to do something special for our May 2012 Band of the Month Poll. It’s our first “Second Chance” Poll! We picked the six best-performing second-place finishers from the past year’s polls and are giving them another shot at winning the Band of the Month contest. The chosen six are:

• Die So Fluid, who battled it out with Dimlight to the very end for August 2011, but lost by 48 votes (827 to 875). Die So Fluid are currently working on their fourth studio album, due out later this year.
• Kells, who couldn’t match Stream of Passion’s 2,823 votes for July 2011, but still gathered 1,731 of their own. Kells recently released their third album, Anachromie, and areplaying headlining shows in their native France this month.
• Meden Agan, who came so close to winning for November 2011, but couldn’t overcome Dama’s 76-vote lead (1295 to 1371). Meden Agan are currently promoting their latest album, Erevos Aenaon, and are scheduled to play at this year’s Metal Female Voices Festival.
• Opus Doria, who were neck-and-neck with Modified for February 2012 until Modified ran ahead with a 600+ vote lead (2,783 to 2,143). Opus Doria recently announced a new lead singer, just a few months after releasing their debut album Infraworld.
• Pythia, who never caught up to Elyose’s 1,468 votes for March 2012, but were well ahead of the rest of the pack with 965. Pythia released their second album, The Serpent’s Curse, at the end of February.
• Sacramento, who couldn’t hold off a last-minute rebound by EarlyRise and came up short by 54 votes (394 to 448) for October 2011. Sacramento recently released a video for “Everything To Waste,” from their 2011 album Weight Of Sin.

As always, visit our WordPress site and scroll down to find the poll on the right-hand sidebar. Vote once a day, every day through Monday, April 30th!

Which bands would you like to see featured in our next Band of the Month Poll? Let us know by sending an email to unleashthefuriesmetal@gmail.com.