Author Archive

Martyr set to release first live dvd

Canadian tech death metal act Martyr are set to release their first ever live DVD-Havoc in Quebec City-In stores April 29th (Canada), June 24th (USA).  A Preview of the DVD is available on here Watch as Progressive death thrash pioneers MARTYR rip to shreds any previous notion of tightness right before your eyes on their […]

Metal Mind to reissue 2 Dismal Euphony releases

In the history of gothic metal not many groups managed to deliver such skillful combination of genres as Dismal Euphony from Stavanger, Norway. Their unique mixture of death & black metal, pop, psychedelic and classical motives brought a collection of unforgettable recordings, taking the Gothenburg sound to a whole new level. Metal Mind Productions presents […]

Genocide – Apocalyptic Visions

I’m sure this release is more in the realms of fellow scribe Grimulfr, however, in an attempt to broaden my black metal horizons, I made myself listen to and review the debut from this German spike and corpse paint clad trio. There’s nothing remotely original going on here, but it is spitefully done and typically […]

Spearhead – Decrowning the Irenarch

There’s not too many high-quality, new, young death or black metal acts coming out of the UK right now. Sarpanitum and Scythian are the only ones that immediately come to mind. However, after Spearhead’s 2005 primal but forgetful debut, Deathless Steel Command, the Brits have returned with a superior follow-up (subtitled The Doctrine of Imperial […]

Origin – Antithesis

While certainly death metal in 2008 is on the upswing with releases by Brain Drill, Decrepit Birth, and Hate Eternal, the fact is death metal is still just death metal. However, Origin, after four albums of complex yet relatively singular and forgetful speed, have now fully embraced and developed songwriting chops hinted ever-so-slightly on 2006’s […]

October Falls: Album details revealed

The title and artwork of Finnish artist October Falls’ forthcoming second album have been unveiled. The vast vistas and lycanthropic landscapes encountered during the four epic tracks of The Womb Of Primordial Nature are tragic, morose and discomforting.There is no tracklisting; instead, the prevailing theme – centred around the primal beast within man – is […]

Dead to Fall singer confirms split

After days of rumors, Dead to Fall singer Jonathan Hunt has finally confirmed that the long running Chicago metalcore pioneers have indeed broken up. According to a post at the band’s MySpace page Hunt states: “Dead to Fall is no more. After 9 years, it’s time to say good-bye. There really isn’t an easy way […]

Gates of Slumber finish new album; New song posted!

Heralded Indianapolis, IN doom metal masters THE GATES OF SLUMBER have completed work on their new album, entitled Conqueror. Conqueror will see a May 27, 2008 North American release date via Profound Lore Records. Weaned on Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, the melodic might of Iron Maiden and a host of classic bands from Thin Lizzy […]

Skeletonwitch announces tour dates!

Celebrated Athens, OH metal band Skeletonwitch has announced U.S. tour dates in support of its recently-released album, Beyond the Permafrost. The scheduled three week trek will include a high profile appearance as part of the 2008 New England Metal & Hardcore Festival on April 26 in Worcester, MA. Proudly waving the NWOBHM flag while uniting […]

Bury Your Dead – Bury Your Dead

Well, based on this, (sorry labels, I don’t do digitally released reviews) enjoy possibly the last review of a Victory release on this site. Luckily, it’s is a damn fine surprise. With a new line-up, gone are the gimmicks like songs named after Tom Cruise movies, fairy tales, suits and sense of humor. Instead, fronted […]

Island – Orakel

So often words like “atmospheric,” “progressive,” and “experimental” get thrown around in extreme metal. It seems like if you add any sort of tangents, acoustics, clean vocal or such you get lumped in with the “progressive” crowd — ask Opeth. But what was the last really experimental but ‘real’ death metal album you heard? An […]

Stigma – When Midnight Strikes!

Italy, while certainly a player in the metal genre, isn’t really known for its deathcore/metalcore/melodic death metal (Nail Within and Slowmotion Apocalypse immediately come to mind), so I really wasn’t really looking forward to reviewing the debut from Mondovi’s Stigma. Even more so when I discovered the album is also centered around horror movies and […]

Stormlord set to release “Mare Nostrum”

Italian “extreme epic metal” band STORMLORD will release its long-awaited fourth full-length album, Mare Nostrum, on May 23 via Locomotive Records. The CD was recorded at Giuseppe Orlando’s Outer Sound Studios (NECRODEATH, NOVEMBRE, KLIMT 1918) and was mastered at Finnvox Studios by Mika Jussila (HIM, CHILDREN OF BODOM, NIGHTWISH, SENTENCED). The artwork was designed by […]

New Agnostic Front Video Premieres on MTV2

MTV2’s Headbangers Blog will host the worldwide online debut of the most meaningful Agnostic Front video of the band’s career, “For My Family,” this Friday, April 11th. The video will make its on-air debut on Saturday, April 12th at 11 p.m. EASTERN/8 p.m. PACIFIC on MTV2’s Headbangers Ball. Taken from Agnostic Front’s 2007 release, Warriors, […]

Scream For Prayer Tour announced.

A host of Christian metal acts inlcuding Impending Doom, Sleeping Giant, Mychildren Mybride, War Of Ages, Before Their Eyes, Blessed By A Broken Heart, Soul Embraced, With Blood Comes Cleansing, Here I Come Falling and Agraceful will be joining forces this summer for the “Scream The Prayer Tour”: Scream For Prayer Tour Dates: June 13th […]

Across Five Aprils – Life Underwater

After a couple of releases on Indianola Records, Tennessee’s Across Five Aprils made the expected jump to Victory Records, where their metalcore/hardcore meets post-rock meets emo hues, fit perfectly into the Victory-core style of music so popular with the kids today. You’ve heard this formula thousand times before, and while not quite as sugary as […]

Farewell To Freeway – Definitions

Much like The Devil Wears Prada, Farewell To Freeway suffers greatly from the whole decent metalcore ruined by utterly sniveling, wimpy clean vocals syndrome… Musically, the band has a decent mix of catchy, commercial heavy/clean Killswitch Engage styled metalcore mixed with a dash of Misery Signal-ish layering and harmony. There are some decent riffs and […]

Burning Witch – Crippled Lucifer

Arising from the ashes of Thorr’s Hammer, Burning Witch is known for being one of the forefathers of extreme doom metal, and featured two of the genres current luminaries in Steven O Malley and Greg Anderson who have served/currently serve in acts such as Sunn O))), Teeth of the Lions Rule The Divine, Khanate, and […]

Ferret Music announce signing of Knights of the Abyss

Ferret Music (A Life Once Lost, Twelve Tribes, Ligeia, Zao) has announced the signing of, AZ’s Knights Of The Abyss. The band plays metal which forges an onslaught of heavy and intricate riffing while adding a sense of melody uncharacteristic of most bands today. Guitarist Cody Bechtel says, ‘We aim to make music that is fun […]

The Acacia Strain to headline ‘Sun Your Bunz’ Tour across the US

The Acacia Strain to headline Sun Your Bunz Tour across the USSupport offered by All Shall Perish, The Warriors, Eternal Lord, Since The Flood Massachusetts’ The Acacia Strain are proud to announce a summer 2008 headlining tour across the United States. Dubbed the ‘Sun Your Bunz’ Tour, and featuring support from All Shall Perish, The […]

Interview with Protest the Hero

As recently discussed here, I recently attended a Protest the Hero concert, and thought what better way to open the interview section of this new internet endeavor than to interview one of the most polarizing bands in metal today. And find out a little more about these Canadian kids (literally, they are all just 22-years […]

The Funeral Pyre debuts new music from forthcoming album.

Los Angeles’ THE FUNERAL PYRE has posted a track from the band’s forthcoming record, ‘Wounds,’ online at the band’s MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/thefuneralpyre), entitled “Black Earth”. Scheduled for a May 27 release through Prosthetic Records, Wounds is the follow-up to 2006’s The Nature of Betrayal, which saw an early 2007 re-release through a distribution deal with […]

Exalted – We Are the Grim Throng

For a moment I thought this was called We Are the Grim ‘Thong’, and I had some really odd visualizations going through my head, but I digress… Exalted are a USBM act hailing from Chicago and they are eschewing the popular US obsessed, one man mope-fest style of black metal, and instead going for a […]

Agalloch – The White EP

The White EP is the follow up to 2004’s The Grey EP, (which I never heard) and consists of 7 more acoustic, ambient and instrumental tracks from the leading purveyors of ‘grey metal’. Composed from 2004 to 2007, this limited edition EP is a good place for this batch of material as it’s hardly recognizable […]

HEADHUNTER’S Paradise of Society American Release Date Confirmed.

For Immediate Release;April 2, 2008 HEADHUNTER’S Paradise of Society American release date confirmed. Candlelight Records in cooperation with AFM Records confirms June 10 as the US release date for Parasite of Society, the new album from reformed German trio Headhunter.  Featuring the famed line-up of Schmier (Destruction), Schmuddel (Talon) and Jorg Michael (Saxon/Stratovarius), Parasite to […]