Metallian Heavy

TORMENTRESS from Sinagpore has signed with Inferno Records. Operation Torment is due soon.

EXODUS was rejoined by former guitarist Rick Hunolt on stage on December 20th at Slim’s in San Francisco for the songs, The Toxic Waltz and Strike Of The Beast. The band has joined CARCASS and DEATH ANGEL at METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett’s first annual horror convention.

Dark Descent Records will release Abysmal Thresholds, the debut from Finland’s CORPSESSED, on February 4th.

Finnish death metal band LIE IN RUINS will release a new album, Toward Divine Death, on February 4th through Dark Descent Records. It is a follow-up to 2009’s Swallowed By The Void.

NOCTURNAL BREED will release a new album entitled Napalm Nights on March 11th through Agonia Records. DARKTHRONE‘s Nocturno Culto makes a guest appearance.

Death metal band TRENCHROT will release its debut album, Necronomic Warfare, on February 18th through Unspeakable Axe Records. The band has been compared to ASPHYX.

AVULSED’s Dave Rotten has a demo for his solo project, ROTTEN. Cryptic Catacombs contains four songs of “utterly dark, heavy, primitive and cryptic death metal,”. The cassette-only release is now out.

VADER is at Hertz Studio in Bialystok, Poland recording an album for an early 2014 release. The new album, which is tentatively entitled Tibi Et Igni (Latin for ‘For You And Fire’) is due in the spring. This is the debut of drummer James Stewart.

After some ten years of inactivity Non Nobis Production is back and issued LEATHER SYNN’s self-titled 12” EP, HIPÉRION’s Hipérion Rise, XENOTAPH’s Rock Is The Force and DRAGONS KISS’ Somewhere Up In The Mountains.

Sundsvall, Sweden-based technical death metal band, SOREPTION, has announced February 18th, 2014 as the release date for its new full-length, Engineering The Void. It will be issued through Unique Leader.

Da Capo Press has announced June 24th, 2014 North American release date for LAMB OF GOD vocalist Randy Blythe’s memoir, Dark Days: My Tribulation And Trials.

Suspiria Records has issued SKYDANCER’s Land Of The Grim and LETHAL VICE’s Thrash Converters albums.

Ottawa, Canada’s melodic death thrashers CHARIOTS OF THE GODS has announced its participation in the Brutal Winter Fest Tour in Cuba. The band will also be joined by THE PRESTIGE (France), ALGEBRA (Switzerland), NO SUN IN SAN FRANCISCO (Switzerland) and MELTDOWN (Switzerland).

CRIPPLE BASTARDS has a new album on Relapse Records next month called Nero In Metastasi.

San Diego death metal band CARNIFEX will release its Nuclear Blast debut, Die Without Hope, on March 7th. The album was recorded at Audiohammer Studio in Sanford, Florida and produced by Mark Lewis.

CAVALERA CONSPIRACY has recruited bassist Nate Newton of CONVERGE. The man will play inn both groups.

SUFFERING IN SOLITUDE has released its debut full-length through Domestic Genocide Records. Titled A Place Apart, the 28-minute recording was recorded in Florida, Louisiana, California and South America.


Metallian Hard

Spanish band KILMARA has finished recording its forthcoming album, entitled Love Songs And Other Nightmares. The band’s third album was recorded at Grapow Studio with Roland Grapow (MASTERPLAN, ex-HELLOWEEN). The album’s release is scheduled for early 2014.

Reunion 2015? Massacre Records’ FAREWELL TO ARMS has thrown in the towel.

Inspired by KEEL? 220 VOLT was at the studio last month recording an as-yet-untitled new album for a May 2014 release. Vocal nomad Anders Engberg (THERION, etc.) was on the mike.

Germany's IRON SAVIOR will release a new album, Rise Of The Hero, on February 28th through AFM Records in Europe and Avalon in Japan.

Kings Of Metal MMXIV is the name of a new recording celebrating the 25th anniversary of the release of Kings Of Metal by MANOWAR. It is out in February.

The next FALCONER album, Black Moon Rising, is to be recorded in January at Sweden’s Sonic Train studio with producer Andy La Rocque. It is due in June of 2014.

KILL RITUAL has signed a deal with Golden Core Records/ZYX Music. The band's next album, The Eyes Of Medusa, will be released in the spring. The album was recorded at Fossil Sound in San Jose, California and Fang Studio in San Mateo, California.

CREMATORY will release a new album, called Antiserum, on March 4th through Steamhammer/SPV.

Singer Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE) has a new project called LEGACY X. Also in this project are guitarist Jeff Watson (NIGHT RANGER), drummer Carmine Appice (VANILLA FUDGE) and bassist Tony Franklin (THE FIRM and BLUE MURDER). The band has signed a deal with Frontiers Records. The band's debut album will be released next spring.

DREAM THEATER has been nominated for a second Grammy. It is for the Best Metal Performance for the song The Enemy Inside from the band’s self-titled album on Roadrunner Records.

BLACK SABBATH has been nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Album for 13, as well as Best Metal Performance and Best Rock Song for God Is Dead.

San Francisco band KILL RITUAL, featuring former members of IMAGIKA and DARK ANGEL, has signed a worldwide record deal with Golden Core Records/Zyx Music. The release of the band’s second album The Eyes Of Medusa is planned for spring of 2014.

All honoured and stuff: KISS has been announced as 2014 inductees into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

John KillerBob, bass player for CADAVERIA and ex-NECRODEATH has a new band called KILLERS LODGE. The band’s website is http://www.killerslodge.com. Look for a demo.

Candlelight Records has announced February 25th as the release date for Consolamentum, the label debut from English doom metallers, THE WOUNDED KINGS. Produced by Chris Fielding (ELECTRIC WIZARD), the album will be available for preorders via iTunes and other digital platforms beginning January 14th.

British band FURYON will play at Hungary’s MetalWar Festival 2014, which takes place September 5th – 7th, 2014 in Budapest. Other band confirmed include VEXILLUM and TWISTER with more to be announced soon.

Russia’s GRENOUER has a new album called Blood On The Face. It is available through Mausoleum Records.

Metal Mind Productions will re-release the debut album of KRUK. The album entitled Before He’ll Kill You was first released in 2009 and will now be again available as a digipak enriched with three bonus tracks recorded live in 2011. The release date is scheduled for February, 24th 2014.

LEATHERWOLF has a new demo, Unchained Live, out now which was mixed by Roy Z (JUDAS PRIEST, BRUCE DICKINSON, HALFORD, etc.).

CANDLEMASS will perform its Ancients Dreams album at OPETH member’s Mikael Åkerfeldt's 2014 Roadburn show on Friday, April 11 at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

Doro Pesch will celebrate her thirtieth anniversary as a recording artist by performing two concerts on May 2nd and May 3rd, 2014 at CCD-Stadthalle in Düsseldorf, Germany. Named guests include Udo Dirkschneider, Hansi Kürsch of BLIND GUARDIAN, Mille of KREATOR and more.

Moribund Records has announced January 21st, 2014 as the release date for keyboard-laden band APOSTOLUM's second album, Winds Of Disillusion.

LET IT RAWK is a performance band acting the show in California. The band is BLACK 'N BLUE and ex-WARRANT singer Jaime St. James, guitarist Oz Fox of white metal band STRYPER, bassist Sean McNabb of GREAT WHITE and DOKKEN and drummer Brent Fitz of SLASH AND THE CONSPIRATORS. L.A. GUNS’ Stacey Blades is the producer of the show which takes place at the Chrome Showroom at Santa Fe Station and Casino, 4949 North Rancho Drive in Las Vegas on Saturday, January 18th.

New QUIET RIOT singer Jizzy Pearl has wasted no time recording vocals for the band's next album. The band turfed singer Scott Vokoun only two months ago. LOVE/HATE's six-track mini-album, Crucified, will be released on January 13th. Jizzy’s version of the band – now billed as a solo effort - is in the U.K. in March 2014. The singer has announced the end of the band thereafter due to his work with QUIET RIOT and pressure from former LOVE/HATE members.

Sure! Singer Janet Gardner, bassist Share Ross Pedersen and drummer Roxy Petrucci will reform VIXEN without dead guitarist Jan Kuehnemund. The band intended to reunite in 2012, but Kuehnemund's cancer caused a delay. The guitarist died last year.

ADRENALINE MOB has also signed a North American deal with Century Media Records following an earlier contract for Europe only. Men Of Honor (sic) will be released on February 18th. TWISTED SISTER drummer A.J. Pero replaces Mike Portnoy.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY has parted ways with long-time guitarist Nick Catanese. The band is working on a new album. KALDERA is the new project of Nick Catanese. The band is looking for a singer.

On Monday, December 16th MEGADETH performed on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Guitarist Glen Drover (EIDOLON, MEGADETH, KING DIAMOND) has changed the name of his project from GLEN DROVER BAND to METALUSION. The group's album, Between Sea And Sky, is due next summer.

ALTITUDES & ATTITUDE is a new project by Frank Bello of ANTHRAX and David Ellefson of MEGADETH. The band’s demo is out on January 14th. In related news, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian will undertake a ‘Speaking Words’ tour of North America in February. In the meantime, former guitarist Spitz was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence.


Metallian Demos

Sages Recital – Same
What would you suppose singer John West of Royal Hunt and Artension fame, guitarists Niels Vejlyt of Consortium Project and Infinity Overture and Jakob Vand of Infinity Overture and guest bassist Franck Hermanny of Adagio produce? You would be correct.
Let’s elaborate. The progressive pomp rock of the band is ostentatious, virtuosos and completely guitar-oriented. The band likes to point to Symphony X and Rhapsody as influences, but it is the first two Yngwie Malmsteen albums that are the accurate reference points. Keyboards and female vocals are present here, but the non-stop soloing that literally does not yield minute after minute takes the band to another level long forgotten by hordes of standardized and commercialized entities. The commercialized vocal harmonies occasionally lose their way and the presence of a drum machine is disheartening, saddening and anathema, but overall this is a remarkable demo. No one would expect anything else, of course, given the pedigree. The demo includes instrumentals, fantastic bass guitar runs as on track number three, a slow song on track number five and a fifteen-minute finale to complete the package.
“Never judge a book by its cover,” sings the band and the demo CD-R at hand belies the expansive music and fantastic actual CD artwork. The power really is within. Progressive, pomp, fantasy fans, as well as fans of the members’ main bands, should take note here. mail@nielsvejlyt.dk or http://www.sagesrecital.com is the next step. – Ali “The Metallian”