Skull: "Beer, Metal, Spikes"

Still as great today as in 2004

More often than not, the passage of time is the only factor that can truly determine if a release truly holds up. Albums that blow you away at first listen may in the long run prove to blow off their steam too quickly to have lasting appeal, and vice versa an EP that failed to impress at first may grow on you and become a favourite over the years. With Skull's Beer, Metal, Spikes demo tape from 2004, it's sort of a double whammy.

Prajna: "Lost in the Void"

South-American crowd pleaser, strong in attitude but thin in essence

Reviewing lesser known bands from all over the world can reveal huge talent yet unknown to the masses, but first and foremost there's a lot of surprise to be had. With Prajna from Colombia it's hard to tell what to expect just from the name and cover, but in essence it is a band whose efforts wallow in several 80s heavy metal currents, lending speed and power from bands like Helloween, Fates Warning, Anthrax and more.

Total Desaster: "Warfare Noise"

For when you need your own musical confidence bolstered

When Desaster aren't gruesome enough, there's always Colombia's trio Total Desaster to fulfill your needs. Presumably they took their name from the song by Teutonic thrash titans Destruction, but that's where the similarities end. The Colombian band point to an old kinship between thrash and black metal, a combination that was highly popular in the 80s in South America, for inspiration.