Metallian Heavy

Rouyn-Noranda, Canada-based death metal band BACKSTABBER has a demo called Conspiracy Theorist in February.

W.T.C. Productions is issuing ADAESTUO’s Krew Za Krew and a DEVATHORN/INFERNO split called Zos Vel Thagirion.

DØDSFALL’s Døden Skal Ikke Vente is out through Osmose Productions on 25.01.2019. This album is also the debut of drummer Telal.

Japan-based DESECRAVITY’s Anathema album is out through Willowtip Records on 25.01.2019.

Century Media Records has signed WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM and the band’s imprint Artemisia Records to release the band’s upcoming albums in the world outside of North America.

SACRED REICH has welcomed back drummer Dave McClain.

France-based NUISIBLE, featuring former members of AS WE BLEED, issued an album called Slaves & Snakes through Deadlight Records in September. The band has elements of death metal and hardcore.

SE LUSIFERIN KANNEL’s Valtakunta is out through Signal Rex on the 1st of February. It was originally released in October of 2017.

EXODUS Guitarist Gary Holt is missing the current leg of the current SLAYER European tour in order to be home with his dying father. He is replaced for the shows by former MACHINE HEAD and VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel. SLAYER will tour North America with LAMB OF GOD, AMON AMARTH and CANNIBAL CORPSE this May.

CANNIBAL CORPSE guitarist Pat O’Brien was arrested for breaking into a neighbour’s home and subsequently rushing police officers who responded to the disturbance and unauthorized entry. O’Brien was apparently on drugs and involved in a domestic dispute that resulted in damage and fire to his house in Tampa. The man is a NRA member and owns many weapons.

Odium Records announces it is re-releasing the mini album Suicidal Salvation with four bonus tracks from the split with VARATHRON/THORNSPAWN. The special package is limited to 50 copies.

France-based AEPHANEMER newer demo is out in March. It was mixed by Dan Swanö at Unisound AB and mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studio.

Belarus-based death metal group RELICS OF HUMANITY shall issue Obscuration through Willowtip Records on 22.02.2019.

BLUE HUMMINGBIRD ON THE LEFT’s Atl Tlachinolli LP/CD/cassette is being issued through Iron Bonehead/Nuclear War Now!/Crepúsculo Negro in February.

Death metal band OF HATRED SPAWN has issued its self-titled debut album through Boonsdale Records. The band is of JJ Tartaglia (SKULL FIST) on drums, his brother Remy Tartaglia on guitars, Oscar Rangel (ex-ANNIHILATOR) on bass and Matt “Coldcuts” Collacott on vocals.

MEATHOOK’s Crypts, Coffins, Corpses is out through Unmatched Brutality.

MISERY INDEX’s next album, Rituals Of Power, will be released through Season Of Mist in March. The band has a video for the song New Salem.

Canada-based NORILSK’s Weepers Of The Land is out through Hypnotic Dirge Records.

VALLE CRUCIS’ Iron & Blood is out through Pagan Pride Records/Narcoleptica Productions. The band is described as black metal.

France-based Solo project IN SHADOWS AND DUST’s Enlightened By Darkness is out through Redefining Darkness Records. Shadows & Dust was the name of a KATAKLYSM album.

Original MORGOTH guitarist and owner of Direct Management Carsten Otterbach has died due to multiple sclerosis. He was 48.

HOUR OF PENANCE has moved to Agonia Records. A new album is slated for 2019.

DEEDS OF FLESH’s Erik Lindmark died in November due to multiple Sclerosis.

TORTURE SQUAD won a contest that would take a band to perform at Wacken Open Air in 2007. The band also won the 2007 Metal Battle and a spot to perform again in 2008. A contract with Wacken Records and the Hellbound (2008) and Aequilibrium (2011) albums followed. The group returned for a third show in 2011. The chronicle is a documentary called Torture Squad – Wacken Open Air 2011 Documentary now and available on YouTube.

HELLNITE’s Midnight Terrors album is slated through Sliptrick Records in February.

PROTECTOR has uploaded a new song called Three Legions, which will appear on the group’s 2019 album Summon The Hordes through High Roller Records this spring.

ENON CHAPEL will have a self-titled EP through Acephale Winter Productions in February. ENON CHAPEL is the new side-project of Meghan Wood (CROWN OF ASTERIA and IARNVIDJUR) and Balan (PALACE OF WORMS, BOTANIST and ORDO OBSIDIUM).

Italy-based black metal group THE SCARS IN PNEUMA will release its debut album The Path Of Seven Sorrows through Promethean Fire/Kolony Records in February.

In an interview SATYRICON frontman Sigurd “Satyr” Wongraven has offered that his ‘90s EIBON project fell apart due to Philip Anselmo’s drug addiction.

Italy-based DEVANGELIC will play at PartySan Metal Open Air Festival 2019 which will take place in Schlotheim, Germany in August. BELPHEGOR, SATAN, TESTAMENT, LEGION OF THE DAMNED, DEICIDE and others are also confirmed.

Italy-based ELECTROCUTION’s Psychonolatry album is out through Goregorecords on 08.02.2019.

CRACK HOUSE’s Smoke Crack In Hell is out through Horror Pain Gore Death now. The band is described as grindthrash.

ECTOVOID’s Inner Death 7″EP/tape is out through Blood Harvest on 18.01.2019.

PLAGUE YEARS’ Unholy Infestation demo is being digitally distributed by Seeing Red Records.

TOR MARROCK’s album The Concept Of Self is out through Black Vulture Records. The band has a video for the song The Belonging.

MAJESTIC DOWNFALL’s Waters Of Fate is out through Solitude Productions. The band is based in USA and plays death/doom metal.

HELLLIGHT’s As We Slowly Fade is out through Solitude Productions. The band is based in Brazil and plays death/doom metal.

PAINTHING’s Where Are You Now…? is out through Solitude Productions. The band is based in Poland and plays death/doom metal.

Spain-based doom/death band SÖNAMBULA has an album called Bicéfalo through Xtreem Music.

WRETCHED FATE’s Demoed In Flesh is out through Redefining Darkness Records.

Macedonia-based white metal band MY DARKEST TIME has a demo called Dawn.

Chicago, USA-based death metal act WARFORGED has signed with The Artisan Era. The group will be working with the label to release its first full-length album in the spring of 2019.

USA-based CONTRARIAN will issue Their Worm Never Dies album through Willowtip Records on 15.03.2019.

DECAPITATED has parted ways with drummer Michal Lysejko. He will be temporarily replaced by VADER’s drummer James Stewart.

Tokyo, Japan-based SUPERBEAST has a demo called Dead World. The band is a duo.

Norway-based black metal band BEKMORK released a demo called Incantations Of The Frigid North last month.

CARNIFEX has released a new EP, called Bury Me In Blasphemy, through Nuclear Blast. The record was mixed by Jason Suecof (DEATH ANGEL, CHELSEA GRIN, JOB FOR A COWBOY, etc.).

Chile-based CRIMINAL has recruited drummer Danilo Estrella replacing Zac O’Neil.

Toronto-based grindcore band VESICATION has a compilation called A Decade Of Damage through Horror Pain Gore Death this month. The band is compared to CLITEATER and BUTCHER ABC.


Metallian Hard

Canada-based SEER’s Vol. 6 is out through Artofact on 08.02.2019. The band is influenced by ‘70s’ heavy rock, doom metal and NWOBHM.

URIAH HEEP and JUDAS PRIEST will tour Canada and USA next May.

Sweden-based HOLLOW lead by Andreas Stoltz (BINARY CREED) has signed with Rockshots Records for the release of its upcoming album, Between Eternities Of Darkness. Expect it this month.

MY DYING BRIDE has booted drummer Shaun Steels "due to unresolvable drumming issues." He has been replaced by Jeff Singer (PARADISE LOST). Singer is drumming on the forthcoming MY DYING BRIDE album.

Germany-based German heavy metal band BLOODY TIMES has released a 100-copy limited edition single CD including two bonus tracks and a free sticker for the song Alliance. It features Ross The Boss (ex-MANOWAR) and John Greely (ex-ICED EARTH). The track is taken from the forthcoming album On A Mission.

Another project: Geezer Butler, singer Franky Perez (APOCALYPTICA), guitarist Steve Stevens (BILLY IDOL) and drummer Matt Sorum (GUNS N' ROSES and VELVET REVOLVER) have a project called DEADLAND RITUAL. The act has signed to play at the Hellfest festival in France next summer.

HAMMERFALL is in the studio recording a new album. Entitled Dominion, the album will be released through Napalm Records in August.

KROKUS has joined other bands that have announced a farewell tour.

MAD HATTER has uploaded a song and video for a new gag track called Winter Time.

KISS singer Paul Stanley is in the studio with his R&B band SOUL STATION recording a full-length album.

One-time FREHLEY'S COMET members Tod Howarth, Richie Scarlet, John Regan (bass) and drummer Steve Werner have joined forces in RETURN OF THE COMET.

White metal band DEMON HUNTER will release two new demos, entitled War and Peace, on March 1, 2019.

The Ninth Star is an album by project act EMERALD SABBATH featuring a dozen former BLACK SABBATH members playing the latter band’s tunes. Names participating include Bev Bevan, Terry Chimes, Laurence Cottle and more.

Former TWISTED SISTER bassist has a new project called ANIMAL TACTIX. The project has uploaded a Holidays’ song.

Embarrassing: MORTANIUS has a video for its cover of WHAM's Last Christmas, which is one of five that will appear on the band's debut album Till Death Do Us Part that will be released on Rockshots Records on February 22nd.

LORDS OF THE TRIDENT has gone retro and released a Sega CD game. The game is for the song Chasing Shadows and comes twenty years after the demise of the format.

Greece-based SERPENT LORD has released a video for the song Seed Of Divine. The song is from the debut album Towards The Damned, which was released through Alcyone Records in September.

The reunited TORA TORA will issue an album called Bastards Of Beale through Frontiers this February.

The sextet lineup of BRAND NEW SIN will reunite for a concert at the Lost Horizon in Syracuse, New York, USA, which is its hometown, on May 4th. Singer Joe Altier has been busy playing piano in JUST JOE.

The Sweden-based melodic metal band DARKWATER will release an album called Human through Ulterium Records in March.

Kernkraftritter Records will issue CONVICTORS’ Atrocious Perdition on 25.01.2019.

LORD DIVINE’s Facing Chaos album is out through Fighter Records on 05.02.2019. The heavy metal band is based in Argentina.

LORDS OF THE TRIDENT is supporting its Shadows From The Past release through several USA shows. The monicker is The Metal, Spikes, (sic) And Chicken-Fried Steak Tour. Several shows will have A SOUND OF THUNDER as opener.

THE CARDS is a new bluesy rock project featuring singer and bassist Harrison Young (ex-DORO, ex-U.D.O.), guitarist Paul Quinn (SAXON) and drummer Koen Herfst (ex-DEW-SCENTED, and I CHAOS) on drums. The band will release a self-titled demo this month.

YOB and VOIVOD will tour together in North America in the spring.

BORKNAGAR's is recording a new album and has recruited drummer Bjørn Dugstad Rønnow to replace Baard Kolstad.

EVANGELIST’s Deus Vult is out through Nine Records. The band is described as epic doom metal. EVANGELIST claims inspiration from R.E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft.

A band cannot be underground or ‘cult’ and have a Facebook page.


Metallian Demos

KOSM - COSMONAUT
The young Vancouver, Canada quintet was formed as recently as 2016. The name of the band, the song names and numerous mentions of HP Lovecraft in the bio and introduction of the band may provide clues as to what to expect. The length of the album, at over one hour long, might too. The band is led by Jessie Grace who is also credited for the cover artwork. Space Mead starts off with heavy riffing. It is a song that features male backing vocals on several occasions but is dominated by Grace's vocals and proficient and sometimes varying guitars. A solid start. The title track is next with Grace's voice perhaps too loud in the mix. The lyrics are not provided but the theme seems obvious. The music carries the characteristics of progressive metal bands, the technical guitar work is rooted in the Rush and later progressive sounds mixed with some may describe as groove metal. Colossus slows things down and waits until its third minute to awaken and be reminiscent of a band like Between The Buried And Me. Wolves Upon The Throne starts something akin to Stream Of Passion but moves into a higher tempo before coming back down again. Esoteric Order is very much like a continuation and features few moments of 'harsh' vocals. As is Farseer, the song structure is rather predictable. Ancient Heart includes the verse 'Sticks and bones may break my bones' and therefore cliché alerts appear on the radar. The song seems a tired one. Fiefdom In The Sky is a short mostly acoustic piece that is followed by Omnipresence and sometimes faster riffing. Monarch is a seven minutes plus song. It is mostly ballad like and once again takes its time in introducing any tempo. Umbrakinesis - defined as the ability to manipulate darkness - is vocal oriented for the most part before drifting into the closing song of Cosmonaut. Wza-Y'ei (a Lovecraftian phrase apparently meaning ‘the force that holds and supports everything’) seems angrier but doesn't deviate from the album concept. Travel to www.kosmband.com for more about the band. – Anna Tergel

CASPAR MCCLOUD - REVELATION ROCKER
Caspar McCloud is introduced as Pastor Caspar McCloud of The Upper Room Fellowship which meets weekly in Georgia, USA. The theme is gospel of course. The 13 (!) songs include many references to Jesus with titles like Jesus Wins, Pictures Of Jesus, and Jesus Be Glorified. The man's YouTube channel features many videos of his talks and the running theme seems to be spiritual encounters as he claims to 'see pictures of Jesus' in his mind. Musically he does the vocals, bass and guitars with Michael Angel doing the drums, mixing and mastering. The two share the credit for the production on Revelation Rocker. Verses include numerous 'holy spirit', 'message so profound' mentions and are clearly one attempt to spread the gospel. Whether a simple no frills rock sound - or closer to hard rock on Push Back for example - accompanied by these words makes the songs in any way (more) effective is very questionable. As is the appeal of such a release to a heavy metal audience. www.theupperroomfellowship.org is the man's main site. – Ann Tergel