I’ve been get a lot of CDs sent to me by truly independent bands – small but talented bands just wanting some press. Luckily it’s  my and Teeth of the Divine’s pleasure to give some exposure to quality acts like At Dusk, Iron Thrones, Johan Wolfgang Pozoj, The Sequence of Prime, Karnak Seti, Ironwood and […]

As much of a fan of Faroese Viking metal act Tyr and frontman Henri Joensen that I am, I was excited to finally hear a CD/retail version of his side project, Heljareyga, which has been available digitally since February. With Tyr becoming a bit more streamlined and catchy on By the Light of the Northern […]

Originally self released back in 2009, the reissue of this Aussie trio’s second full-length CD comes to us thanks to the fine folks responsible for Diabolical Conquest ‘zine (so, whose up for Teeth of the Divine records?), and it does much the same their 2007 self-titled debut did: Old school, simple death metal with a […]

For me 2010 was where everything went far more digital and I’m not talking about just promotional CDs! Bands and labels started actually releasing their music digitally too: Shadow of the Colossus, Martolea, Origin of Darkness, We Are the Illusion, Demise of Gideon to name a few. All quality releases… but only available digitally. Adding […]

Listen, I get sent a lot of things in the mail from bands, labels and PR companies; stickers, CDs, shirts, candy and all that, but the main man behind Santa Cruz’s one man black metal act At Dusk, Korihor, has done a first. The cover art of his split CD-R with fellow Santa Cruz act […]

Quebecois technical death metallers NEURAXIS have unveiled the cover of their upcoming album, “Asylon,” which will be released in North America on February 15th, 2011. The cover art was created by artist Dennis Sibeijn of Damnengine Artwork, who worked with the band on their previous album, “The Thin Line Between,” as well with Job For […]

Nine albums into their rather underrated career and it’s safe to say that The Netherlands’ God Dethroned have entered into the metal elite inhabited by the likes of Bolt Thrower, Dismember, Obituary and such. No, not quite the genre defining metal royalty, but that small club of bands who have ascended into such a level […]

Well, the fine folks a xo Publicity are giving one away.  For Free. Featuring 11 xo alternative, rock and indie bands including Pictures of Then, Transients Songs and Triggers , performing their takes on Christmas classics, xo For the Holidays Volume III can be heard and downloaded right here. There’s even a special appearance by actor […]

  Having recently returned from a successful stint on the coveted Blackest Of The Black tour through North America playing alongside Danzig and Possessed (among many others), Swedish black metal squadron MARDUK recently set out to destroy Asia. The tour kicked off this weekend in China and will pummel its way through Singapore and several locations in […]

The debut from this Sydney Australia progressive folk-metal act was ambitious, but didn’t quite reach its potential. Fire:Water:Ash was a bit too wandering and unfocused for its own good. The maritime themed follow-up however, is an improved effort that sees the act fulfill the promise of the debut. Though hailing from Australia, the influences of […]

Bizarre Swedish black metal buzz band GHOST will dispense its debut directive Opus Eponymous in North America on January 18, 2011 via Rise Above Records.  The release of the album will assist the abhorrent agents in spreading their “unholy gospel” and “tricking mankind into believing the end is ultimately a good thing via the ever […]

Miami, FL’s MARUTA have finished up work on their new album, and second for Willowtip, entitled Forward Into Regression.  A release set has been set for February 22, 2011.  Germany’s Power It Up Records will be releasing a gatefold LP version.  A release date for the vinyl is TBD.  Vocalist Mitchell Luna comments, “So we […]

 Kings of Swedish death metal AMON AMARTH have just announced the title of the band’s forthcoming album as Surtur Rising. Due out in the spring of 2011, Surtur Rising marks the group’s 8th full-length studio release and undoubtedly one of 2011’s most anticipated releases by fans and critics alike. Surtur Rising is the follow up […]

MULTI-TALENTED ARTIST’s RECORD DESCRIBED AS “A JOURNEY THROUGH SOUND” TOMMY ROGERS, lead vocalist, keyboardist and founding member of the award-winning North Carolina progressive rock band BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME (also BTBAM) will release his debut solo album Pulse on February 1, 2011 via Metal Blade Records. The versatile front man and multi-instrumentalist, who not […]

I’ve always been partial to promoting local (Missouri) bands, especially talented ones like O’Fallon’s black metal tribe Harkonin. Now fittingly signed to Australia’s Battlegod Productions, Harkonin have released the follow-up to 2006’s solid Ghanima, complete with topnotch artwork and packaging. The end result shows a more controlled and mature band, replete with more of an […]

Incantation is the new black. If mimicry is the highest form of flattery, Incantation have to be drowning in flattery considering the rather sudden rash of supposedly old school death metal acts that are plying a form of their trademark style. It’s a style I never cared for when Incantation played it 15 years ago […]

Horror metal supergroup DENIAL FIEND has posted a video preview of their upcoming full-length release on their official YouTube channel and Facebook page. Recorded at Mana Studios, the long awaited follow-up release to 2007’s They Rise, Horror Holocaust, is due out in early 2011 on  Ibex Moon Records. The video features a clip of the […]

         Celebrarating their 25th Anniversary of all original members Chicago’s murder metal pioneers MACABRE  unleash their brand new studio album entitled “Grim Scary Tales” in Europe on January 31st, 2011 by Hammerheart Records & in North America on February 8th, 2011 by Willowtip Records.  The album explores the history of murder from […]

I’ll get right to it, after one full-length (2007’s The End of All You Know) and a couple of splits, California’s The Makai have somehow rendered one of the most brilliant pieces of music I’ve heard with Embracing the Shroud of a Blackened Sky. Now I know most regular readers of this site know that […]

Reactivated Swedish death metallers DESULTORY are set to release their long-anticipated new album, Counting Our Scars, through Pulverised Records later this month. The full-length — their first since 1996’s Swallow The Snake — was recorded, mixed and mastered by Tore Stjerna at Necromorbus Studio (Watain, Unanimated, Deströyer 666 etc.) in Alvik, Sweden and features the meticulous cover […]

Australian progressive folk metallers Ironwood has unveiled two tracks from their new album Storm Over Sea for free digital download. The tracks, Share the Burden and Will to Live, are available via the band’s website as well as Myspace, Facebook, iLike, and Reverb Nation pages.  “These two tracks represent the extremes that Ironwood runs to,” […]

Nuclear Blast has to be happy: The last couple of months have seen the label release new albums from Enslaved, Dimmu Borgir and now, Cradle of Filth. Three of black metal’s forefathers in the early ’90s, now grown and developed far beyond their roots into metal’s biggest acts ― regardless of what genre you lump […]

Hate Eternal is working on their fifth studio album (second for Metal Blade Records) and follow up to Fury & Flames once again at Erik Rutan’s own Mana Recording Studios. JJ Hrubovcak has been added as the band’s bassist and the devastating combo of Erik Rutan on guitar and Jade Simonetto on drums is at […]

After ripping my face off with 2009’s Unconsecrated Australia’s The Red Shore return with a new label, a new vocalist and a new drummer ― yet none of those changes stop The Avarice of Man being as completely devastating as the band’s debut. Despite the fact the band will be lumped in with the current trend of […]

As much as I like Facedown/Strikefirst Records and their quality―consistent Christian metal―none of the 2010 releases have blown me away. Sure, the likes of Impending Doom, In the Midst of Lions, As Hell Retreats, Onward to Olympas, Letter to the Exiles and The Burial are all solid, but I have to go back to the […]