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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 […]

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 […]