If you have some interest in a gasmask clad Chicago black metal outfit which has members of Nacthmystium, Cianide and Dysphoria in its ranks, plying a form of relentlessly  simple yet effective, Marduk/Dark Funeral meets Impaled Nazarene styled thrashy black metal, then look no further than Kommandant. There’s not much more to elaborate on really; […]

There was a lot of buzz about the Relapse debut of Germany’s tech death band Obscura, especially since being joined by Necrophagist members Christian Muenzner (guitars), Hannes Grossman (Drums) and Pestilence bassist (for Spheres) Jeroen Paul Thesseling. Now I’ve had about a month to let the album, sink in, I can confidently say the hype […]

It’s been a while since I heard anything remotely metal from Victory Records, but all of a sudden they release a slew of records in the form of Arise and Ruin’s improved thrash attack, Corpus Christi’s As I Lay Dying impression, Wretched’s impressive The Black Dahlia Murder worship and this fine melodic death core assault […]

Hot on the heels on Century Media’s Kivimetsan Druidi, come another female fronted, dirt, fur and paint covered folk metal band infusing classical/orchestral elements into the tried and true Finnish take on folk/pagan/Viking metal as plied by the likes of Ensiferum, Turisas and such. The results are largely successful, mostly due to Helena Haaparanta who […]

Walkerton, Ontario based Odium has signed with Year of the Sun Records for the release of their upcoming debut album “At The Bottom“, which was produced by Greg Dawson (The End, Moneen). Odium’s debut will surface in March 2009. The group has posted a new song online at www.myspace.com/odiummusic.  “We’re excited to join the Year […]

Swedish progressive death metallers SKYFIRE have wrapped up the recordings for the follow-up to 2004’s “Spectral,” entitled “Esoteric.” The album’s music was self-produced at Powernest Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden, while vocals were produced by THE FORSAKEN guitarist Patrik Persson. “Esoteric” is set to be mixed by Jonas Kjellgren (SCAR SYMMETRY, SONIC SYNDICATE, ZONARIA, THE ABSENCE) […]

Cleveland’s 6-headed metal beast, CHIMAIRA,  are set to give the world their first taste of The Infection, with the release of their first single, “Secrets of the Dead.” The song will be available for purchase via iTunes and can be heard streaming on the band’s official MySpace (www.myspace.com/chimaira). “Secrets of the Dead” is also featured […]

Swedish black metal cult AVSKY are currently recording their third album (and second for MORIBUND RECORDS), to be titled Scorn.  Reports guitarist/bassist AE, “We’re extremely satisfied with the result so far. The material is much better and more complex than before, and we will have Nox from CRAFT make a guest appearance on one of […]

Seriously, what are you expecting to read here? I suppose I’d better write something I guess…. 20 years, 11 studio albums, 1 million records sold worldwide, Cannibal Corpse are the very epitome of death metal consistency and even though the band is often still referred to as the band Chris Barnes used to be in […]

In a statement made on Friday, February 27, 2009: “NACHTMYSTIUM has sad news today with a once-again recurring issue surfacing from the wake of our past. We’ve been forced, at the request of the promoters and the folks at Scion / Toyota, to pull out of the Scion Rock Fest, scheduled for Saturday, February 28. […]

While the very concept of melodic death metal is somewhat of a paradox, and one could argue what exactly it entails, I think most readers of this site at least have some general idea of what melodic death metal is, so rather than try to dissect the genre and possible entries, I’ve listed 10 melodic death metal albums that A) fit the genre in my eyes, and B) would be the 10 must have examples of the genre I would choose to take on this forsaken sand dump. Now, I’m sure I’ve missed a bunch, especially from the 1997-2004 range, so feel free to chip in and tell me how wrong my personal opinion is…

So what if you took the three guitar, Brown note devastation of The Acacia Strain and mixed it with the worshipful heft of Sleeping Giant and other Christian hardcore bands? You’d get The Great Commission and Strikefirst’s best (and heaviest) release since their re-ignition and arguably heavier than anything parent label Facedown Record has released. […]

More Christian metal here, though this time more in the form of the choppy, technical deathcore with melodic chops akin to For Today, A Thousand Time Repent, Hereafter An Odyssey and such. Obviously, folks that hate deathcore and Christian metal have already clicked of this review, but if you enjoy both or either your could […]

UK thrashers EVILE, who recently announced their first full headlining UK tour, are currently hard at work on the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2007 debut album, ENTER THE GRAVE. EVILE lead guitarist OL DRAKE checks in with some details on the band’s highly anticipated second offering: “We’re very glad to announce we’ll be working […]

I’ve never been a huge God Forbid fan. I’ve given their albums cursory listens, but essentially lumped them in with the likes of All That Remains, Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage and such as far as they ply chorus driven American Metal that has one foot in the mainstream and one foot in the underground, and […]

Candlelight Records today confirms the worldwide signing of England’s Anaal Nathrakh. The popular extreme metal duo are currently in the studio working on their label debut titled In The Constellation Of The Black Widow. The album is expected for a summertime release. Vocalist V.I.T.R.I.O.L. says, “Candlelight have shown a strong belief in Anaal Nathrakh and […]

While Willowtip’s trio of releases from Maruta, Kill the Client and Phobia certainly stole a lot of the acclaim for grindcore in 2008, here comes this belated release in my mailbox (along with the new Birdflesh) from the always quality grindmongers over in Czech Republic, Obscene Productions, and I’ll be damned if it isn’t one […]

Ladies (if there any that read this) and Gentlemen: I give you the first album of 2009 that will be vying for a spot on my 2009 year end list. I’ll admit, my expectations weren’t too awful high for the sophomore release from Ohio’s Christian melodeath/thrashers Woe of Tyrants as their Tribunal Records debut, Behold the […]

Feb. 24, LOS ANGELES – Animals As Leaders, the Washington, D.C.-based instrumental/progressive band that features renowned eight-string guitarist Tosin Abasi (ex-Reflux), has signed with Prosthetic Records. The group’s self-titled debut is slated for an April 28 release, and an advance track, “Tempting Time,” is currently streaming on their MySpace page (www.myspace.com/animalsasleaders). “Animals As Leaders is […]

With 2006s Karma. Bloody. Karma, San Diego’s Vegetarian grinders added a sickly pallor to their chaotic deathgrind, and while that element seem to have been reigned in and the cleaner tones of Humanure and To Serve Man making a return, the resulting balance between sludgy oozing throes and deft caustic grindcore makes for an album […]

Loren Battle Have Already Developed A Cult Online Following With Over 300,000 Plays, 35,000 MySpace Fans And Show Stealing Performances With Suicide Silence, Job For A Cowboy and Emmure.  Phoenix based Loren Battle have announced more dates in support of their recently released debut album “Word Begin Wars“. The band has been added to dates […]

Acid Drinkers are to this day the best and the most spectacular thrash metal band in Poland. During their long and eventful career they played over 500 concerts, including still well remembered gigs at Jarocin festival, Metalmania, Węgorzewo, Przystanek Woodstock or Odjazdy. They supported such metal giants as Deep Purple, Megadeth, Bruce Dickinson, Sepultura, Paradise […]

Gothenburg based metal sextet MARIONETTE recently entered Studio PH with  Pontus Hjelm (Dead By April, ex Cipher System) to begin the tracking for the band’s follow-up to the 2008 release “Spite.” Also included in the recording team is two time Grammis award winner Åke Parmerud and metal extraordinaire Fredrik Nordström (In Flames, At The Gates, […]

According to various news sources including Blabbermouth.net, Miika Tenkula, former lead guitarist and main songwriter of the acclaimed Finnish band SENTENCED, was found dead at his home yesterday. He was 35 years old.Nalle Österman (GANDALF, LULLACRY, CHAOSBREED) tells BLABBERMOUTH.NET, “It’s true, confirmed personally by [former SENTENCED] drummer Vesa Ranta. “The fact remains that Miika had […]

The Phoenix-based death/grind quintet LANDMINE MARATHON, whose late 2008 release “Rusted Eyes Awake” continues to earn critical acclaim, has inked a deal with Prosthetic Records. The band, whose three-release Level Plane Records discography has drawn frequent comparisons to NAPALM DEATH, CARCASS and BOLT THROWER, will tour throughout the spring and perform at both the New […]