Halo of Flies Records are not particularly productive when it comes to releases, but when they do release something it usually gets my attention-for example Fall of Efrafa, Protestant and now Wisconsin’s Malachi and this release which consists of the bands previous two 2008 vinyl only releases (Malachi and Wither to Cover the Tread) on […]

LAMB OF GOD’S ESCAPE THE PLAGUE SITE SET TO GO LIVE TUESDAY FEBRUARY 24TH   UK TRIP PRIZE DETAILS ANNOUNCED  On Tuesday February 24th Lamb Of God will release their latest album entitled, Wrath. In conjunction with the album’s launch, the band’s Escape The Plague contest site will go live at http://www.lamb-of-god.com/escapetheplague. As previously announced, the […]

HURTLOCKER vocalist Grant Belcher recently checked in with this exclusive update: “We have just finished recording three songs intended to be demoed for Napalm. As you know, we have done two albums for them and are under option for two more. We are really looking for things to pick up this time around, and we […]

So if you took the angular, earthy percussive assault of Kylesa or Leviathan era Mastodon, threw in the stoner heft of High On Fire, the sorrowful dirges of Crowbar and a very slight hint of psychedelic doom like Rwake, Minsk or Samothrace then name the band after Ivan Drago’s famous line from Rocky IV, you […]

Band preps for Scion Rock Fest and SXSW appearances, tours with Amon Amarth and Kylesa  Midwestern metal warriors SKELETONWITCH will premiere their debut music video, “Sacrifice For The Slaughtergod,” on Friday (Feb. 20), exclusively on MySpace Metal. The track comes from the group’s acclaimed Prosthetic Records debut, Beyond The Permafrost.   “It’s killer that the video […]

The Lancaster, Penn.-based post-metal act CENTURY – whose 2008 Prosthetic debut, Black Ocean, was named one of Revolver Magazine’s Top 20 albums of 2008 – were recently rejoined by original drummer Grant McFarland and bassist Ricky Armellino, the respective drummer and vocalist of fellow Lancaster act This Or The Apocalypse. Additionally, the group has announced […]

The debut album, Hate Takes its Form, from this Danish death metal act was a pleasant surprise back in 2007 and a nice find for Deepsend Records. So I was really looking forward to this EP, especially after hearing from the label owner that is was to contain 3 rather tasty cover tracks as well […]

Ugh. I rather enjoyed the 2006 debut, Existence from North Carolina’s The Demonstration as it displayed the melodic chops of the North Carolina metalcore scene with a confidence and heavy dose of Prayer For Cleansing/Between the Buried and Me guitar work. However, guitarists Charles Matheny and vocalist Trevor Underwood have since left the band, replaced […]

Woodstock, Ontario based Misguided Aggression has officially signed a with Year of the Sun Records and Kerosene Media for the release of their upcoming debut full-length, “Hatchala“. The album will surface in stores across Canada on March 17th, 2009. The group is currently streaming the tracks “Our Kingdom Come” and “Pigs in the Market” from […]

First off, I’d like to congratulate Australia’s Brazen Bull (an ancient torture device) for the incredibly professional and well done promotional package they sent me; a folder complete with a professional, full digipack CD EP, glossy photo, a CDR with images, press sheet, logo as well as a very nice letter asking to be reviewed. In […]

So to coincide with the band’s current US Pagan Knights run with Suidakra and Tyr, Scotland’s purveyors of Pirate metal have given us a 4 song EP to tide us over until the next album, slated for a 2009 release. The EP consists of 1 new song (the 6 minute title track), a reworked track […]

Though the third release from the newly restarted Strikefirst Records won’t appeal to too many readers of this site, it will appeal to fans of the first As Cities Burn album as well as the likes of Misery Signals, Means and such; jangly, layered, melodic worshipcore with an overabundance of emo/clean vocals, that as usual […]

Three nasty, noisy albums into their career, Sweden’s Crowpath continue to make caustic, brittle attack that seems to be a perfect fit for Willowtip and gives the label’s relatively quiet 2008, a noisy, discordant ending. With a turbulent, chaotic sound akin to a being stuck in a sonic landslide, Crowpath’s largely unclassifiable mix of grind, […]

Where as most deathcore in 2008 was content to prolapse your bowels with breakdowns and little else, the full length debut from Belgium’s Days of Betrayal is actually one of the more complete deathcore albums I’ve heard, with an actual focus on songs and riffs and opposed to endless open note beat downs. Released in […]

Candlelight Records today announces its third label packaged tour for North America. Set to kick off on June 6, CIII will feature the talents of US black metal legends Absu, with support coming from France’s Glorior Belli, Austin-based Averse Sefira and Los Angeles-based Sothis. The tour will visit 22 cities throughout the US and Canada […]

Translation Loss Records are extremely pleased to announce the addition of Columbus, Ohio’s STRUCK BY LIGHTNING to their roster! Hailing from Columbus, Ohio, STRUCK BY LIGHTNING features Gregory Lahm (previously of Mouth Of The Architect) on vocals and guitars, accompanying by Travis Kline, Mike Leach and John Peters. Encompassing the aggression and punk slathering of […]

The much maligned deathcore genre looks to be off to an explosive start in 2009 with the likes of Oceano and this sophomore release from Rose Funeral. I was actually surprised at this album, not only because Metal Blade signed them after the band virtually split up after 2007s Crucify Kill Rot, only leaving guitarist […]

I’m not usually one for stoner doom sludge rock or whatever, as A) I don’t partake of illegal drugs, and B) I’m usually too highly strung and easily distracted to let myself fall into a half sleep, red eyed stupor for any length of time. However with their self released debut (Tualatin Records is the […]

It is with immense reverence that Southern Lord Recordings announces the signing of Chicago heavy-rock instrumental icons Pelican. Their genre-defying sound and eagerness to explore new musical directions will fit right at home alongside similar bands on the label like Earth, Boris and sunn 0))). Pelican is currently at Red Room studios in Seattle, WA […]

BONDED BY BLOOD will be playing their first cross-country shows on the Masters of Disaster tour. Alongside fellow thrash acts, EXMORTUS and WITCHAVEN, BONDED BY BLOOD vocalist, Jose “Aladdin” Barrales looks to take a little bit of the LA thrash scene to every town they play. As the excitable frontman explains, “This is our first […]

Fast-rising Swedish rock band DEAD MAN will launch its first-ever U.S. tour tonight at the Union Pool in Brooklyn, NY. The buzz band, quickly becoming known for its colorful songwriting and dynamic live performances, is touring in support of its critically acclaimed new album, Euphoria. DEAD MAN, whose members possess a wealth of musical experience […]

Candlelight confirms the worldwide signing of Norway’s Susperia. Currently finishing work on their fifth album, the band recently announced a string of early spring UK dates that will kick off what is expected to be a busy year for the popular Norwegian metal band. “Ten years and still the same five guys,” exclaims vocalist Athera […]

Chet Scott’s 2006 self titled debut was an excellent doomy, ambient, almost stoner take on depressive Pacific Northwest, one man black metal, giving the scene an injection of creativity that strayed from typical depressive Wrest and Malefic worship. And the follow up, while taking the same elements, delivers an even more tribal, ritualistic, organic and […]

With 2008s watershed of superb, high profile releases, a number of lower profile but still excellent releases from the likes of Mitochondrion, Hour Of Penance, Celebrant, Battalion, Hackneyed and Virginia’s H.P Lovecraft obsessed act Cyaegha got somewhat overlooked. For a debut, Steps of Descent is a confident, under the radar entry into technical death metal, […]

When one thinks of Australian metal, I imagine not too many doom tinged melodic death metal bands come to mind, but enter Melbourne’s Be’lakor. The band’s 2007 self released debut “The Frail Tide” was arguably one of the most critically acclaimed and well received independent metal releases I can remember, so when keyboardist Steve Merry contacted me via myspace to review the upcoming follow up, I took the opportunity to sneak in an interview and find out a little more about the band as well as the new album…