Author Archive

In a world of increasing conformity and musical banality, Devin Townsend is among the few real personalities who have character, charisma and surprising innovative creativity. As a solo artist and producer, a member of the (by now disbanded) Strapping Young Lad, with whom he played Ozzfest and the main stage at the Download festival, and […]

Dutch brutal death metallers SEVERE TORTURE have started the writing process for their next album, the follow-up to 2007’s SWORN VENGEANCE. SEVERE TORTURE bassist PATRICK BOLEIJ discusses the band’s recent activities: “Here’s a short update to let you all know what’s been going on in the Severe Torture camp over the last couple of months. […]

Holy sh– No that wont work. Jesus Chri– That wont work either. God damn– Crap. Well roger me with a Yorkshire terrier and call me Sally- man this is good. Those Christians sure are bringing the pain this year. Not only is the debut from California six piece Earth From Above arguably the heaviest Christian […]

Texan black metal cult BAHIMIRON are currently working on a new album for MORIBUND. Reports drummer Blaash, the band’s as-yet-untitled next album will be a combination of last year’s Southern Nihilizm and the unholy primitivism of VON. Recording will be sporadic throughout the year, with a view to release the album in early 2010 at […]

Reports guitarist Kelly Kuciemba, “DRAWN AND QUARTERED and MORIBUND RECORDS have been compiling the materials for the upcoming Assault Of Evil DVD. Odin has done a fantastic job with the layout, which includes an expanded view of the Gabriel Byrne painting from Merciless Hammer Of Lucifer and live photos of the band. The DVD compiles […]

In support of their just-released Corpus In Extremis, infamous Swedish goregrinders GENERAL SURGERY will be touring the western half of the USA in May and will also make a coveted appearance at this year’s Maryland Deathfest. The confirmed dates/venues are as follows: May 9 2009 LA Murderfest @ Knitting Factory Los Angeles, California May 10 […]

THE DEAR HUNTER SET TO RELEASE THE LATEST CHAPTER IN THEIR EPIC ROCK OPERA;‘ACT III: LIFE AND DEATH’ DUE OUT JUNE 23 ON TRIPLE CROWN RECORDS;  TOUR WITH MEWITHOUTYOU STARTS JUNE 8 April 23, 2009 — THE DEAR HUNTER will be releasing the third chapter of their rock opera on June 23 via Triple Crown […]

Burning Human is the classic death metal band that was originally formed in way back in 1995, but they never officially released anything. Of note though is that Burning Human (then and now) features current Shadows Fall and former Crisis drummer, Jason Bittner. The band recently re-united and with the help of producer James Murphy (who […]

One of Canada’s newest and upcoming metal labels Misfortune Records is proud to announce the signing of Toronto’s hardcore metal act “A DISTANCE FROM” to their rising roster (SkumLove, Hebron). A DISTANCE FROM is set to record their debut EP titled Transitions at Metal Works Studios in Toronto, ON in June 2009 followed by a […]

There’s been an almost Bring Me the Horizon/Bullet For My Valentine like buzz in the British media about this Brighton metalcore act and their third release- on Century Media records no less. However, after absorbing Hollow Crown for a while, it’s really nothing too special in the realms of noisy, occasionally melodic metalcore/hardcore and nothing […]

Christian Älvestam from Swedish Death Metal monsters MISERATION checking in: We are set to enter the Panic-Room studios late June, once again with producer Tomas “Plec” Johansson at the helm, to record the follow-up to our debut album “Your Demons – Their Angels“. The new album, entitled “The Mirroring Shadow“, will most likely include eight […]

New Orleans, LA’s sons of American no-frills black metal, GOATWHORE, have just announced that the title of their fourth full-length album, and second for Metal Blade, will be Carving Out the Eyes of God. For the follow up to 2006’s A Haunting Curse, GOATWHORE headed back to St. Petersburg, FL to record with producer Erik […]

Chicago’s blackened sludge tribe Lord Mantis announces they will be joining Seventh Rule labelmates Wetnurse for a week of dates down the East Coast this summer.  Lord Mantis features a former member of Nachtmystium and a current member of Indian. Lord Mantis’ debut full length, Spawning The Nephilim, hits stores April 28 via Seventh Rule.  […]

Celebrated French metallers GOJIRA will be embarking upon a headling North American tour next month in support of their critically acclaimed The Way of All Flesh. Here are the confirmed dates + venues: May 01 Springfield, VA @ Jaxx May 02 Worcester, MA @ Palladium May 03 Philadelphia, PA @ TLA May 04 Cleveland, OH […]

Nevada based technical death metal band I BUILT THE CROSS has announced the name of their debut album as, “BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN HEART AND MIND“. The album is scheduled for a spring release via OPEN GRAVE RECORDS. The cover art was designed by Fernando Catipillán. I BUILT THE CROSS has also filled their line-up […]

Folks, THIS is how clean vocals on a metal record are done right. Plying a familiar form of modern metal that will appeal to fans of Killswitch Engage, All That Remains and such, Canada’s Odium add a couple of things to spruce up their sound: some heavy handed but well placed, dramatic orchestral synths that […]

I decided to review this self released Italian metalcore effort and the debut, At The Bottom from Canada’s Odium on the same day so you readers could get two slightly different examples of how clean vocals affect the totality of the album. In the case of Inside Process, their heavier, meatier take on metalcore (a la […]

April 22nd, 2009 – (Detroit, MI) Thrashing death anti-heroes THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER are set to release their first ever DVD, Majesty, this May.  This side splitting peek into the hard working band’s humor laced brand of daily life will have you smelling the funk of the van from coast to coast and keep you […]

Listen -I love metal. I grew up on metal and have listened to metal for the better part of 25 years. I live, breath, eat, shit and ejaculate (much to my wife’s chagrin) metal. It’s part of my being, part of my personality and part of my soul and never in a million years could I see myself listening to any other music as I grow even older. Nope – I’m going to be in the old person’s home, drooling and shitting all over myself, listening to Deicide on headphones while on my death bed. When I do croak, my hands will be stuck in the shape of the ol’ horns.

That being said, there are some things about metal and all of its many sub genres that annoy the ever loving shit out of me. Things that grate my nerves, mildly irritate me, some things I just flat out hate and few I’m even embarrassed to be associated with. So I thought I would share a few of them in no real order. And as always feel free to add your own or comment on mine.

Of course, please remember this is for mild entertainment and very weak humor purposes only….. Don’t get all butt hurt.

New Album “Unspoken Words” In Stores May 19th, 2009 Montreal based Derelict has officially signed with Year of the Sun Records and Kerosene Media for the release of their upcoming new album, “Unspoken Words.” The album will surface in stores across Canada on May 19th, 2009. The group is currently streaming tracks from their forthcoming […]

Full album will be available for preview on MySpace music this Thursday.   Shadowside together with MySpace Brazil will feature all tracks from the upcoming record on their official MySpace profile. From noon on, Rock/Metal fans all over the world can check out, from April 16th to May 16th, the full Dare to Dream album […]

Artillery – one of the best thrash metal bands around returns with a brand new studio album! New material entitled “When Death Comes” will be their first studio release since the 1999’s album “B.A.C.K“!!!!! Denmark’s Artillery is one of Europe’s earliest exponents of thrash metal and the band’s contribution to the bourgeoning genre is difficult […]

BICLOPS (ex-Postman Syndrome, current East Of The Wall) are currently in the studio at The Machine Shop (King Crimson, Clutch, Lamb Of God) with producer Will Putney, completing their debut full-length for a to-be-determined label. Demos for three of the nine songs can be heard at http://www.Biclops.net. Immediately following the completion of the recording, the […]

With 2007s debut, Nailed. Dead. Risen, California’s Impending Doom rustled some feathers and raised some eyebrows with their attempt at  pure, brutal death metal from a Christian viewpoint. On some levels it succeeded, but it also felt a bit forced and gimmicky. So here is the follow up, and I’m glad to say, that for […]

Like this record, I’ll get xstraightx to it: 9 songs, 22 minutes of very impressive, incredibly hefty, heaving Straight edge hardcore/metal that’s some of the most impressive of this style I’ve heard since Black My Heart and Redline. Also, because some of the huge, open note breakdowns, this will appeal to the likes of The […]