I’ll preface this review, as I usually do, by admitting to my fanboy admiration for Savatage and the projects of the various members. That said, Zakk Stevens’ Circle II Circle has never completely connected with me since the band’s best effort, their debut record Watching in Silence in 2003. Their last outing, 2008’s Delusions of Grandeur, […]

Oceano is back with their new album entitled Contagion. After jamming this album a couple times I tend to think they should have called the album Depths Pt. 2 or Depths Redux or something. Because in all honesty it seems as though Oceano made a few touch ups and played it a tad bit safe […]

CHILDREN OF BODOM (also COB), the hard partying Finnish Heavy Metal band that features frontman and modern day guitar hero Alexi Laiho will release its new album Relentless Reckless Forever on March 8, 2011 via Universal Music.  Recorded in Finland’s Petrax Studios with famed rock producer Matt Hyde (Slayer, Monster Magnet), Relentless Reckless Forever is […]

Fans of Symphorce are likely to be split on their latest record, Unrestricted. The album moves the band farther away from the progressive and symphonic elements of their earlier work and puts more of a straight-ahead hard rock spin on their sound. Album opener “The Eternal” gives us a dark piano intro that sounds promising, […]

French alternative/metalcore/whatnot outfit Holding Sand recently celebrated their On Sleepless Nights album by releasing a video of the title track (watch below or head to Youtube) MMhm

Swedish death metal veterans DIABOLICAL have signed with Abyss Records for the worldwide release of their upcoming full-length album, Ars Vitae; due out in February of 2011. Ars Vitae contains 17 tracks and will feature a mix of new material – recorded earlier this year at Necromorbus Studios – and previously unreleased recordings. The band […]

Saw this New York-based black/death band in the writers’ backlog here at TOTD, so I decided to check out their Myspace. Liked what I heard (from their ‘05 split with funeral doom act Rigor Sardonicus, and also from their full ‘07 release): raw and clattery, with the occasional melodic strain, and huge, gargled demonic vocals […]

In metal more than any other genre it seems that the domain of the small/underground record label is more often than not run by those with a genuine appreciation and love of the music over anything remotely resembling profit motivation. That is certainly the case with Iordan K, owner, operator, and overload of Stormspell Records. The music offered is, in the most fundamental of terms, Heavy Metal. If it furthers your understanding of the Stormspell mission, then you may also wish to consider descriptors like “old school,” “traditional,” or “classic” heavy metal, as well as “thrash.” Iordan prides himself on offering the complete package to consumers and eschews MP3 sales. He also scours the planet in a quest to find the true gems of the genre, whether old, new, obscure, or geographically isolated. Iordan’s story is an interesting one, to say the least, and Stormspell Records is one of the coolest labels on this planet we call Earth. Read on, learn, and support metal! Labels like Stormspell and guys like Iordan deserve it.

As astutely observed by Erik in his review of Fitcage’s Pighumanity, Soulflesh Collector Records from Russia is definitely pushing to match Unique Leader/Unmatched Brutality/Sevared/Comatose etc in Europe as a top tier label for brutal death metal and the more eclectic strains of grind. Over the past eighteen months they have been clawing their way up the […]

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 […]

Canada’s ELECTRO QUARTERSTAFF have completed work on their new album, entitled Aykroyd.  Guitarist Drew Johnston offers his comments:  It may take us three years to write a record, but better late than never, right ?  Our Aykroyd album is a 40 minute extract of musical punchlines that have been cracking us up in our jam […]

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 […]

Raleigh NC’s Birds of Avalon are organizing themselves to step into the limelight with an upcoming self-titled album (through Bladen County Records) early next year. To prepare for the upcoming ordeal, the band has just released one of the new songs, “Invasion”, as a free mp3 download which you can, conveniently, download & listen right […]

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 […]

As I’ve lamented a few times this year, it really sucked that Burst broke up. They released two of my favorite releases of the 2000s, post-metal or otherwise, and I was really looking forward to a follow-up to Lazarus Bird. Ah well, they say the best way to get over a break-up is to go […]

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,” […]

Discontent with the waves of false metal plaguing our great nation, the members of Gravehill joined forces to school all in the realm of true death metal, and they’ve done exactly that since their inception. Ringleader Mike Abominator chatted with Teeth about Gravehill’s role in the takeover of the metal world, the band’s plans to dominate at Maryland Deathfest next year, and various other topics involving leather, steel, blood and carnage.

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 […]

The only thing I’d ever heard about Valient Thorr was, “They’re great live, dude!”  Yeah, well, maybe the same could be said about Mushroomhead, but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna like ’em.  But after spinning Stranger a few times, the initial skepticism was sent flying out the window.  The furry outer-spacers comprising Valient Thorr rock […]

Milwaukee metal/hardcore band Cause For Revelation have debuted their new video for the track, “Destroying Recollections”. The video was directed by Jason Meudt and Emmet Austin of Vision 4 Films (Lazarus AD, GWAR, Dirge Within, Dean Guitars, DDrums). “Destroying Recollections” is the first single featured from Cause For Revelation‘s latest album, Resurrecting The Hostility [which we […]

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 […]

In 2007, tech death pioneers Atheist announced that they would be playing some of their last shows ever, and specifically, that their appearance at Chicago Powerfest that year would be the band’s last in the Midwest.  Heavily into Atheist, I jumped at what would most likely be the only chance I’d ever have to see […]