Metallian Heavy

The Belgian epic black metal band SIGNS OF DARKNESS and its label Shiver Records have set March 27th of 2015 as release date for the upcoming CD entitled The Age Of Decay.

Cessation, the debut full-length from DEAD IN THE MANGER, is out through 20 Buck Spin.

ESTAMPIDA will release new material as an EP in March 2015, in advance of the fourth album, which will be out through Suspiria Records. The band will also tour Spain once again.

Seattle’s death grind band and recent Metal Blade signees THEORIES will issue an album called Regression this spring. It was recorded at The Red Room and The Boiler Room with producer/engineer Derek Moree.

Two-time Norwegian Grammy nominees KEEP OF KALESSIN will release a new full-length in North America this month through Indie Recordings. Titled Epistemology, the eight-track offering is the band’s first studio output in five years.

Wormholedeath has signed Norwegian death/thrash metal band DIENAMIC. Their album, Afterlife, will be distributed worldwide by Aural Music/The Orchard/Wormholedeath Japan. Shows for Europe are planned, while the band will hit Japan in September.

Collected Atrocities 2005-2008, the 2xCD early works’ collection from GNAW THEIR TONGUES is out through Crucial Blast Records.

BEHEMOTH: Devil’s Conquistadors by Łukasz Dunaj is a newly issued band biography. The book “serves as an in-depth look at the history of the events that materially influenced the band.” BEHEMOTH: Devil’s Conquistadors will be released through Metal Blade Records on February 24th, 2015. The band is touring Canada and USA with CANNIBAL CORPSE.

Selfmadegod Records issued the fourth full-length from DEIVOS, entitled Theodicy, on February 15th.

Australian thrash band KING PARROT will return to the stage this March on another North American tour. KING PARROT will play two-dozen cities supporting WEEDEATER.

California technical death metal band, WRATH OF VESUVIUS, until recently known as WRVTH, has signed with Unique Leader Records for the release of its third full-length this spring. The band is touring with INANIMATE EXISTENCE.

Singer Johan Hegg of AMON AMARTH was unable to join the band on stage on January 17th in Plymouth, England after losing his voice a day earlier. As a result, the band played a mostly instrumental set and was also joined by Jill Janus of HUNTRESS.

New York City experimental black metal band, IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT, will release a new full-length called Abyssal Gods this March through Italy’s Aural Music’s Code666 imprint. It was taped at Solitude Studio in Pennsylvania and Amy Mills Studios (COUCH SLUT, EPISTASIS) in New York and mixed and mastered by Colin Marston (GORGUTS, KRALLICE, NADER SADEK, ATHEIST, ORIGIN, etc.) at Menegroth.

Following the release of its self-titled studio album, SATYRICON is releasing a CD/DVD of a show stemming from September of 2013 at Den Norske Opera & Ballet in Oslo, Norway alongside the Norwegian National Opera Chorus as part of the Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival. That show was recorded and will be released as Live At The Opera CD/DVD in April.

Unique Leader Records is reissuing Scryers Of The Ibis, the debut full-length from Florida-based theatrical metallers and recent label signees OVID’S WITHERING, this March.

SOURVEIN is currently at SSP Studio in Raleigh, North Carolina with CORROSION OF CONFORMITY bassist/vocalist Mike Dean at the recording helm tracking its forthcoming new full-length, Aquatic Occult. It is slated for release later this year through Metal Blade Records.

Turkey’s SABHANKRA has returned with a full-length called Seers Memoir. It is available through Haarbn Productions/Metalism Records.

Dutch death metal band BODYFARM is in the midst of pre-production for the follow-up to its 2013 album, The Coming Scourge. In addition, the band has parted ways with bassist Harry Van Breda on good terms. He was replaced by Alex Seegers (ex-PLEURISY). The still untitled new album is due to be released in the autumn of 2015 again through Cyclone Empire Records.

The Belgian atmospheric black/death metal band THURISAZ and its label Sleaszy Rider Records issued the band’s CD/DVD Thurisaz: Live & Acoustic in mid-January.

KATAKLYSM is recording an album called Of Ghosts And Gods this summer through Nuclear Blast.

ABSTRACTER’s second full-length, Wound Empire, is out this month through Vendetta Records.

The new KILLING ADDICTION demo, When Death Becomes An Art, was released in December. It features the entire original line-up from the band’s Omega Factor release.

Century Media Records has signed BARREN EARTH, which features KREATOR guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö. The band’s album will be out this spring. The band calls itself “death metal,” but features a keyboardist.

Art Gates Records’ PHOBOS PREACHER’s 2015 album will be entitled Asfixia. The band is in the studio now.

KILL RITUAL has started a search for a new singer following the departure of vocalist Josh Gibson. The third KILL RITUAL CD is already written and is in the final phase of recording. The new album will be mixed and mastered by Andy LaRocque at Sonic Train Studio once again. The band expects a summer of 2015 release for the CD.

Blessed Be My Brothers is the new full-length from atmospheric blackened death metal band SARPANITUM, which features current and former members of MITHRAS, LANTLOS and TENEBROUS AEON. It is out through Willowtip.

Polish death metal band DEIVOS has released a single called Ochlocracy from its Theodicy full-length through Selfmadegod Records.

MISTWEAVER has signed with Suspiria Records and is about to release its fifth album six years following the previous full-length. It is entitled Nocturnal Bloodshed.

U.S. black metal band VON has embarked on an unusual audiovisual project. The band is releasing its third album Dark Gods: Birth Of The Architects (which itself is Part II of a trilogy that began with 2013’s Dark Gods: Seven Billion Slaves) in 12 CD installments, with each of the 12 tracks accompanied by part of a comic book named Dark Gods written and illustrated by VON’s founder Venien. Each CD includes not only a version of a track from the album — which will be released in its entirety in March — but also a bonus track exclusive to the comic book.

San Antonio’s HOD has recruited bassist ZVS Gastelum. The musician comes by way of Texas black metal band, PLUTONIAN SHORE, as well as GNOSTIC and replaces Robert “Trans AM” Coleman.

NIGHTRAGE will release its sixth studio album, The Puritan, on April 24th through Despotz Records.


Metallian Hard

UFO will release a new album, called A Conspiracy Of Stars, on March 3rd in the U.S. A. through Steamhammer/SPV.

BADMOTORFINGER has recruited singer Luigi “Sange” Sangermano.

AURON’s self-titled album is out through Metal Scrape Records. The band is compared to SAXON, DREAM THEATER and YNGWIE J MALMSTEEN.

Greek band JADED STAR has signed with Sensory Records for the upcoming spring release of its debut album, Memories From The Future. JADED STAR was founded by Maxi Nil (ex-VISIONS OF ATLANTIS) and Raphael Saini (ex-ICED EARTH).

KAMELOT entered the studio in mid-2014 to record the follow-up to its 2012 album Silverthorn. The new CD will be released in May through Napalm Records as part of a licensing deal through the band's Kamelot Music LLC.

Ex-RAW POWER drummer Fabio “Pane” Ferrari and guitarist Roby Rubinho (MOLOTOV COCKTAIL and FRASTUONO URBANO) are the two new members of EASY TRIGGER. The band is in the studio recording a new album.

Female fronted band STRAIGHT LINE STITCH has signed a deal with Pavement Entertainment and will release an EP titled Transparency on May 5th, 2015. Additionally the band is in the midst of the South For The Wintour tour that began on January 15th in Merriam, KS and will wrap up on February 13th in Spartansburg, SC, USA.

After rejoining TNT last year singer Tony Harnell has again left the band shy of an intended new album.

According to Britain's Q Magazine, Malcolm Young who was recently diagnosed with dementia forcing him to leave AC/DC had additionally undergone operations for lung cancer and a heart condition requiring a pacemaker following 2008's Black Ice album and tour. AC/DC and JACK WHITE will headline the 2015 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival. The 2015 edition will be held over the April 10-12 and April 17-19 weekends in Indio, California, USA.

Barend Courbois has been announced an official bassist for BLIND GUARDIAN.

BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler was involved in a fight on January 27th at the Corkscrew Saloon on the Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley, California ultimately leading to his arrest. The local cops report a broken window and drunkenness. He was charged with a misdemeanour and released.

Guitarist Eddie Van Halen will speak at the Smithsonian's National Museum Of American History and Zócalo Public Square in Washington D.C. USA on February 12th. He is reportedly speaking about his life as an immigrant and musician.

IRON MAIDEN guitarist Dave Murray, who hails from England, is working on a new fender guitar called the Dave Murray California Series Stratocaster.

ARMAGEDDON has hired singer Antony Hämäläinen for its upcoming U.S.A. tour transpiring this month. Former singer Matt Hallquist left last month for "personal reasons."

The returning CHASTAIN will issue a demo called We Bleed Metal this year through guitarist David Chastain’s Leviathan Records.

Singer Till Lindemann of pop industrial band RAMMSTEIN and HYPOCRISY’s Peter Tägtgren have a project called LINDEMANN.

Former L.A. GUNS guitarist Stacey Blades has a new project called ATOMIC RADIO. The group also features Michael O'Mara of TALON on lead vocals.

Scott Ian finally got himself attached to Metal Blade! Guitarist Scott Ian, his wife Pearl Aday, bassist Joey Vera, drummer John Tempesta and guitarist, singer Jim Wilson of MOTHER SUPERIOR and bassist Daniel Lanois have a project called MOTOR SISTER, which will release its debut album, Ride, on March 10th through Metal Blade. Pearl will sing.

Vancouver, BC’s ID. claims to be inspired by Sigmund Freud’s theory on the levels of the human psyche. The band has released its debut demo Sagittarius A, which is the name of the black hole in the centre of our galaxy.

MICHAEL SCHENKER will release a new studio album, which is called Spirit On A Mission on March 23rd. Released by In-akustik the album features Schenker's TEMPLE OF ROCK band featuring ex-RAINBOW singer Doogie White, ex-SCORPIONS drummer Herman Rarebell and bassist Francis Buchholz and Wayne Findlay.

KORPIKLAANI has signed a new deal with folk/pop/metal label Nuclear Blast for the release of its new album, Notia, which is due in May. The band now includes new accordion player Sami Perttula. It was recorded at Petrax Studio with Aksu Hanttu.

Singers Udo Dirkschneider (U.D.O. and ACCEPT), Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, ICED EARTH, etc.), Michael Vescera (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, OBSESSION, etc.), and Blaze Bayley (IRON MAIDEN and WOLFSBANE) just completed an eight-show South American tour using the Metal Singers monicker.

Guitarist Zakk Wylde of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY has left Gibson and Marshall behind and launched his own company, Wylde Audio.

The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund, founded in memory of the singer, is putting together a series of events in Los Angeles to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the man’s death from gastric cancer on May 16, 2010. The event will include a public memorial.

Nuclear Blast Entertainment has signed FALLUJAH.

Australian hard rock band AIRBOURNE has signed a worldwide deal with Spinefarm Records. The band is looking to release its next album later this year.

Dave Mustaine and/or Ted Nugent have surely opened their yaps and said a bunch of inconsequential stupid right-wing racist American crap (forgive the redundancy) this month.


Metallian Demos

MARWOOD’S FALL – RESTITUTION
Listened to the CD at least ten times and visited the band’s website and still have no idea what or where Marwood’s Fall is. It might be an imaginary place - but it would be a place – because the cover of the CD shows a lone tree, which is either dead or sustaining in the autumn.
The band is all over the “hard rock” phrase, but for whatever reason it has it wrong. Marwood’s Fall is modern rock. This one is for Metallian fans who also listen to modern rock. Are both of you guys reading this? Think of this Chicago-based band as a cross between the other Mar… Maroon 5 (yup, now it is only two guys still reading) and Tool. Actually, the CD’s artwork takes one to Tool too for some unknown reason. The singer and the music are very commercially viable. The sound and production are top-notch, as the band’s control and composition. However, for heavier music fans the main riff of opener Carry Me and the general crunch of the title track are the best bets. The closing slow song, Angel Eyes, is musically irrelevant to hard rock or heavy metal fans, but has the best anti-love song lyrics so one cannot but smile – yes, sardonically - at the text. Incidentally, noticing the band’s fandom for the fantasy genre (Christianity, although who knows they might be into Star Trek or Lord Of The Rings too?) one could pull Creed into the review and context too. Here is the band: www.marwoodsfall.com or contact@marwoodsfall.com. - Ali “The Metallian”

THE ERKONAUTS – I DID SOMETHING BAD
If the title of the album is decidedly juvenile and smacks of something a l’il girl would utter the music on this inaugural demo overcompensates in the opposite direction. Pure molten metal this is not, but metal, progressive and rock, then sure. This is that.
The Swiss band is a new formation and one of those whose website is as useless and barren as the mind of a capitalist, but the members of Djizoes, Sybreed and 7-tone have something here. If they did not musically, just seeing a monolith on the back cover would do, but the nine songs do offer something original that, much more importantly, remains heavy and interesting. The first impression goes to Meshuggah owing to opener The Great Ass Poopery’s heavy reliance on bass guitar. The comparison stands as also join in names like Opeth (pompous ambiance) and Pink Floyd (soaring leads and experimental guitars). The clean and often melodic vocals add feeling, but rarely that of anger. While the variation takes the singing from harsher to softer and back, it is never limp-wristed like a Fear Factory song or heavy and brutal like a proper metal band. Indeed, with organs making an appearance the title is to the other end. Hamster's Ghosthouse (yeah, those stupid titles) goes full-fledged Pink Floyd, while Gog is again heavier. Aforementioned nomenclature silliness lasts the entire album. The final track is called 9 Is Better Than 8 and begins as bonus tracks often do: silly and stupid with a sing-along. Thankfully, it grinds up to become a bona fide heavy song. Nonetheless, weirdness, technicality, professionalism and genre-swapping remain the hallmarks of The Erkonauts. The Swiss fellows are at http://www.erkonauts.com/ or could be reached through shop@erkonauts.com. - Ali “The Metallian”