Metallian Heavy

Canada’s DESPISED ICON has signed with Nuclear Blast. The band has already recorded an album called Beast.

RAZEND, featuring members of ACROSTICHON and ANTROPOMORPHIA, has a new CD available for 10 euros plus p&p through razendband@gmail.com.

HEXENIZER’s debut album Witches Mentors Cult is now out through Infernö Records. The band plays speed metal.

GORGUTS is touring in Europe in advance of the release of the Pleiades Dust (out May 13th) EP, which contains an eponymous 33-minute song.

Season Of Mist has signed Canada’s NUMENOREAN. The band will issue a full-length this year. The label has signed THE GREAT OLD ONES, which it describes as “French Lovecraftian black metal cultists.” An album is also due this year. New signee NECROWRETCH is a death metal band whose album for the label is out in 2017.

Canadian thrash metal band AGGRESSION is touring the Canadian and USA West Coast in June with a new bass player Martin Meyer (ex-DISCIPLES OF POWER, LIFE AGAINST DEATH, and THE GOLERS).

AKERCOCKE has recruited bassist Nathaniel Underwood and working on an album called Renaissance In Extremis, which is due in late 2016.

Swedish death metal band EUCHARIST reunited for a concert at the Metal Reunion PTD3 festival on April 16th in Varberg, Sweden. The band was comprised of singer and guitarist Markus Johnsson, guitarist Matti Almsenius, bassist Tobias Bernström and drummer Daniel Erlandsson.

Swiss black/death metal band STORTREGN‘s Singularity album is out on May 27 Non Serviam Records.

EDxKEMPER out of Greece has an album called Cut Her Head And Love Her. The grindcore record is out through Symbol Of Domination.

Algerian trio LELAHELL’s new album Alif is slated as the group’s second full-length album and third release since the band’s formation in 2010. The band is set to record at Hertz Studio in Poland under the guidance of producers the Wiesławscy brothers. To this end the band has a crowdfunding campaign at http://igg.me/at/lelahell.

AMON AMARTH’s album Jomsviking has debuted at position number 4 in Canada.

Swedish black metal band NAZGHOR’s Death’s Withered Chants album is now out through Satanath.

Oakland, California-based death metal band NECROT has issued The Labyrinth full-length through Sentient Ruin Laboratories. The band is also touring the USA.

Track selections from Brute Force Lobotomy, the latest full-length from Belgian death metal band SERIAL BUTCHER will be included in the soundtrack for Troma Entertainment’s upcoming Return To Nuke ‘Em High Volume 2 by Lloyd Kaufman.

Norwegian technical blackened death band SULPHUR, which features past and present members of GORGOROTH, AETERNUS, ENSLAVED, VULTURE INDUSTRIES and more – will release the Omens Of Doom full-length through Dark Essence Records.

German black/doom band ENDLOS’ Im Fallen Verlaufen is out through Symbol Of Domination. The band was founded in 2016.

The German band REVEL IN FLESH and Swedish act WOMBBATH have united for a split record. REVEL IN FLESH’s Casket Ride was recorded at Maggesson’s VAULT M. Studio and mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö at Unisound. WOMBBATH’s To Suffer Eternally was taped at Unbound Studio (UK) and Nostalgic Studio (Sweden).

Costa Rica’s COLEMESIS’ album Vivisección is rereleased now through Symbol Of Domination.

BLACK CROWN INITIATE will release a new album, called Selves We Cannot Forgive, on July 22nd through Entertainment One Music.

TOD HUETET UEBEL’s Malícia album is out now in tape format through Caverna Abismal Records. The album was originally released in 2015.

German speed metal band PARADOX will issue a new album called Pangea. It is out on June 3rd through AFM. The album is the follow-up to 2012’s Tales Of The Weird.

To commomorate its 35th anniversary since founding and the 30th anniversary of its Darkness Descends album, DARK ANGEL will play the album in its entirety on October 8th at the Vogue Theatre in Vancouver.

Brazil’s all-girl band NERVOSA has a new album called Agony, which will be released on June 4th through Napalm Records.

DERANGED has signed to Agonia Records. The group’s follow-up to 2011’s Cut Carve Rip Serve album will be recorded this summer for an autumn release.

Arlington, Texas, USA-based thrash metal band RABID FLESH EATERS has its Reign Of Terror full-length out through No Clean Singing.

OVERKILL has asked the band’s soundman Eddy Garcia, who drums for PISSING RAZORS, to sit on the stool for the European tour as Ron Lipnicki cannot travel due to personal issues.

Gore metal band LIVIDITY will release a 3” MCD in May through Viscera Records. LIVIDITY is returning to Europe for a short tour with DICTATED.

INCANTATION has kicked off a run of European dates with MORGOTH, DARKRISE, METHEDRAS and OMOPHAGIA, which saw the band giving shows in Europe, the UK and Russia this April. In time for the band’s 25th anniversary, INCANTATION has announced a second leg of European dates this summer. INCANTATION has completed recording a new full-length at its own Incantation Studio in Johnstown, PA. The album will be mixed and mastered by Dan Swano and is expected to be released this summer.

Profound Lore Records will issue the second album, Stranger To Violence, from New York City-based PSALM ZERO this July.

Swiss black metal band ENOID has set May 5th for the next release Exile Aux Confins Des Tourments, which will be out through Black Plague Records.

INTERNAL SUFFERING will release its fifth full-length this June through Unique Leader Records. It is called Cyclonic Void Of Power.

Murder metal? PROLL GUNS’ album Horseflesh BBQ is out through NRT Records. The band, appropriately, calls its style Thrash ‘N’ Roll.

Art Gates Records has signed Germany’s REBEL SOULS.

DESTRUCTION will tour Europe this autumn. Opening will be FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, Sweden’s ENFORCER and Brazil’s NERVOSA.

DE PROFUNDIS will co-headline a UK tour with Egyptian death metal band SCARAB this summer. Dubbed the Kingdom Of Serpents tour, the five-date trek will see the two metal bands also take part in something called the Warhorns Festival.


Metallian Hard

CINDERELLA bassist Eric Brittingham is touring with POISON singer BRET MICHAELS's solo band. Brittingham was on stage on Saturday, April 30th at Harrah's Laughlin Casino & Hotel in Laughlin, Nevada, USA.

Danza Macabra is the debut LP from Italian occult doom rock band ARCANA 13.It is available through Aural Music.

Swedish band DAYS OF ANGER has a new release called III through GoldenCore Records/ZYX Music. The album was mixed and mastered by Philip Crusner (FATAL SMILE and DIAMOND DAWN).

GREY WOLF's next album will be released on June 18th through Arthorium Records. The CD is entitled Glorious Death and features a booklet with 16 pages and cover artwork painted in traditional media by French illustrator Nicolas Bournay.

VENOM INC., featuring original VENOM members guitarist Jeff "Mantas" Dunn and drummer Anthony "Abaddon" Bray alongside former VENOM bassist/vocalist Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan will, kick off the second leg of the North American tour this month.

Southern Lord has confirmed the impending release of Total Destruction (1999-2006) the collected discography of now defunct Satanic thrashers, ASSCHAPEL. The compilation will come with a bonus DVD.

LIGHTLESS MOOR’s Hymn For The Fallen will be out through Wormholedeath/Aural Music Group on June 9th.

ACT OF DEFIANCE will kick off its spring and summer tour with its appearance in the Philippines at Pulp Summer Slam, a festival featuring LACUNA COIL, PROTEST THE HERO, VEIL OF MAYA and many more. ACT OF DEFIANCE will be touring in support of the recently released album, Birth And The Burial.

MARAUDER’s next album, Bullethead, the follow-up to 2012’s Elegy Of Blood, is out through Pitch Black. The band now includes singer Nikos (Mygas) Antonogiannakis.

The Montreal, Canada, hard rock band ARAPACIS released a full-length called System Deceive on April 15th, 10 years to the day from the release of the So Many Leapers CD. The band is working through its imprint Note Musik. ARAPACIS launched the new recording at Bistro de Paris in Montreal on April 30th.

US metal band ARISE IN CHAOS will release its Terminal Cognition album on May 20th in Europe through David Ellefon's (MEGADETH) EMP Label Group and have it distributed by SPV.

Former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley was admitted to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania due to exhaustion and dehydration following his concert on April 15th at the F.M. Kirby Center.

Helmuth Lehner, the singer and guitarist for BELPHEGOR was confronted by a Russian religious character when the band arrived at the Saint Petersburg airport for a concert supporting NILE. There was a verbal exchange, kicking and spitting before the band was whisked away.

BMG is milking its purchase of the catalogue of Germany’s Noise label (via its purchase of Sanctuary) by rereleasing the company’s back catalogue.

KISS singer and guitarist Paul Stanley underwent surgery to reattach a torn bicep tendon. The band’s announced Freedom To Rock Tour and its July date will not be affected.

Massachusetts-based doom metal band CONCLAVE will release the Sins Of The Elders full-length demo this June.

Minotauro Records is re-releasing SAVAGE THRUST's album Eat 'Em Raw LP along with the rest of the band’s discography. The demos, singles and live material are being issued on two CDs in a three-panel fold out Japanese style Mini LP paper sleeve.

WESTFIELD MASSACRE has recruited guitarist Ira Black (LIZZY BORDEN, HEATHEN, etc.). The band’s self-titled debut album was issued on April 29th through Urban Yeti Records. Drummer Tim Yeung is out.

Frontiers Music has signed BULLETBOYS. The band's next album will be released in late 2016.

OVERTURES’ Artifacts album will be released on May 27th by the Greek label Sleaszy Rider Records.

San Francisco’s SPIRAL ARMS featuring former members of FORBIDDEN and DEATH ANGEL has thrown in the towel.

AEROSMITH singer Steven Tyler has told rolling Stone magazine that his band may conduct a farewell tour in 2017.

Former MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil is under investigation after pulling a woman, who approached Nicolas Cage for an autograph, down in a Las Vegas hotel. He and actor cage departed together. Neil denies having pulled the woman’s hair.

MICHAEL SCHENKER'S TEMPLE OF ROCK's November 19th, 2015 concert at Joy Eslava in Madrid, Spain will become new CD and DVD called On A Mission: Live In Madrid. It will be released on May 6th in North America through Inakustik.

GUNS N ROSES singer Axl Rose has broken a bone in his foot after slipping on stage during the band’s show at the Troubadour club. He has an inserted plate and screws, but the band is not cancelling any shows despite Axl being in a cast for four weeks. Rose has also joined AC/DC for its touring line-up.

Bassist Brad Lang of Y&T is on indefinite hiatus to deal with “personal issues.” He has been in the band for less than five years. An Aaron Leigh has stepped in. The man has divulged that he is an alcoholic.

ARMORED SAINT and METAL CHURCH will tour the USA west coast this summer.

One-time Former ACCEPT and BANGALORE CHOIR singer David Reece has joined with guitarist Mario Percudani in a new hard rock project called the REECE PERCUDANI GROUP (RPG).

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich introduced DEEP PURPLE to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on April 8th.

Pomp band DIMMU BORGIR has signed a new deal with Nuclear Blast. The band has a CD/DVD, called Forces Of The Northern Night, and a new full-length out this year.

Pathetic: Rapper Darryl "DMC" McDaniels and GENERATION KILL, featuring former EXODUS singer Rob Dukes, have made their collaboration permanent and formed FRAGILE MORTALS. The band is working on a full-length.

ICED EARTH will headline the MTV Headbangers Ball European tour in December. Opening will be ENSIFERUM, KATAKLYSM and UNEARTH. Headbangers Ball was the name of a ‘80s MTV hard rock program.

Mascot has signed AYREON, the project of Arjen Lucassen. The label will digitally issue the project’s back catalogue.

BLUE ÖYSTER CULT founding bassist and multi-instrumentalist JOE BOUCHARD has issued a solo album called The Power Of Music.

The touring THIN LIZZY has recruited a number of musicians for its line-up. MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee has been replaced with JUDAS PRIEST drummer Scott Travis except for the August 6th show in Sweden where EUROPE drummer Ian Haugland will drum. AEROSMITH bassist Tom Hamilton will tour with the band as well. Dee has instead obtained the stool position in SCORPIONS replacing James Kottak who is in rehabilitation for being an alcoholic.

FATES WARNING will release its next album, Theories Of Flight, on July 1st through InsideOut Music.

Sweden’s LEGIONS OF WAR has an EP, called Honour to The Past, out through Inferno Records.


Metallian Demos

SIDEWINDER - MY COUNTRY
Texas-based band, check. American flag on cover, check. Song called My Country, check. Song intro featuring the pledge of allegiance, check. Lyrics like “take my country back”, check. At least the video for the aforementioned song doesn't seem to target only "one" party. Musically the trio play simple hard rock and at times something akin to southern rock. Lost Inside A Dream is more of an ‘80s type power ballad song with a strong bass sound. Let's Go features a good, solid solo. Take My Dreams goes ballad, more pop-ish form, again and once again talks about country and asks for change. You Will Be Mine seems to present a pattern of songs switching between love of country and just simple love. Listen To The Music takes inspiration from Iron Maiden at its start and repeats the same later on. Pirate Of Love is heavy rock. Strangers In The Night closes My Country taking more inspiration from ‘80s rock and hard rock. The production is solid and clean, eight songs at just over 33 minutes. Check the band at www.facebook.com/pages/Sidewinder/117533961733784. – Anna Tergel

SIDEWINDER - Same
The second release by the Brownsville, Texas band has them becoming a quartet with the addition of Raul Garcia as the vocalist with Paul Pederson on drums, David Valdez on guitars and JJ Pena on bass. The opener Ready To Rock is speedy and a la opening songs of many hard rock and heavy metal albums of yesteryear. It also features a speedy solo and screams - an encouraging opening. Cruisin' On The Levee is up next and has an edge. Flying High is somewhat reminiscent of the ‘80s again, perhaps a Cinderella or Poison type of a song. Breakaway is very much ‘80s again. Rock You is over six minutes long and is sometimes fast paced and musically even surprisingly good. Dreamers is the sixth song and again on the speedier side of hard rock. Never Say No is the mandatory ballad. I Believe is somewhat more standard rock/hard rock. Rock For The Love has a commercial sounding start with the Texans trying their hand at being an American version of Scorpions, the rest of the song carries the accessible hit banner. Dirty Haven closes these ten songs with a faster pace and higher pitch vocals. The growth or contrast to My Country released two years prior to this self-titled 45 minutes is very obvious, Garcia has added an important element to the band's music too. Head on to sidewinderrocknroll.com to contact the band. – Anna Tergel