Metallian Heavy

Greyvestorm Productions has released CORROSIVE ELEMENTS’ debut album. The album is called Toxic Waste Blues and was mastered by Dan Swanö. According to the label, the band is rooted in the French and Algerian metal scense.

WILT from Winnipeg, Canada released its debut album Moving Monoliths through Bindrune Recordings on Friday, November 27th. The band is described as, “atmospheric black doom metal.”

ARTILLERY, RAZE and PHOBOS PREACHER are touring Spain and Portugal together next April.

Kosmoskampf, the fourth full-length by Turkish Satanic Black Metal band BLLIIGGHHTTED shall be released through London-based Merdumgiriz Records on December 24th.

XPUS’ Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth debut full-length album by the Satanic Italian band is out through Metal Scrap Records.

SOLOMONIC DEMONS’s Firestorm hand-made Cassette and CD is now out through London-based Merdumgiriz Records. The band draws from elements of heavy, thrash and death metal.

Wormholedeath Records is issuing BLOODY INVASION’s Bloody Invasion (death metal from Germany) and SUBLIME EYES’ Sermons & Blindfolds (death metal from Norway).

Metal Scrap Records has issued DIESEAR’s Ashes Of The Dawn. The Taiwanese band’s album was issued in much of East Asia in 2013.

ANTHRAX will release a new album, called For All Kings, on February 26th through Megaforce in North America and Nuclear Blast in Europe.

LAMB OF GOD will embark on a U.S. tour in January with support from ANTHRAX. LAMB OF GOD cancelled its remaining dates of its European tour due to “security concerns.” The support acts CHILDREN OF BODOM and SYLOSIS, however, would continue the trek.

Ottawa, Canada’s technical death metal band ANTLION has released a full-length called The Prescient on October 23rd. The Prescient was recorded by the band’s drummer Arend Nijhuis and subsequently mixed and mastered by Zach Ohren (FALLUJAH, INANIMATE EXISTENCE, etc.).

Glory to killing! BATTLECROSS and Metal Injection have teamed up to bring the second installment of The Winter Warriors Tour to Eastern US and Canadian markets in honour of American killers in the US armed forces. Joining this thrash bill will be HAVOK, NEKROGOBLIKON and BLACK FAST.

“Epic Celtic death metal outfit” STEIGNYR has a new album, called The Prophecy Of The Highlands through Art Gates Records.

The Finnish “avantgarde death metal band” CORAXO has issued an album called Neptune through Massacre Records.

Infernö Records has issued PHRENETIX Fear album. The band is compared to SLAYER, HIRAX and EROSION.

NOCTEM has announced a new European tour with NAGAROTH for March of 2016.

Death metal band CONTRARIAN, featuring members of NILE, SULACO, MITHRAS, GOEMAGOT, DELIRIUM ENDEAVOR and others, has an album called Polemic through Willowtip Records.

Alternative extreme band FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE has an upcoming album called King due in early 2016 through Nuclear Blast.

Creator-Destructor will issue SPINEBREAKER’s Ice Grave debut on 12″ vinyl on January 15th, 2016. The band was formed in 2013.

DIMESLAND’s debut full-length album, Psychogenic Atrophy, had its CD release through Crucial Blast last Friday. Shortly after the initial 2014 digital release of Psychogenic Atrophy guitarist Drew Cook tragically died as DIMESLAND was preparing to tour. The band’s future remains uncertain.

Kansas City technical death metal band AHTME, formerly known as THE ROMAN HOLIDAY, is the latest addition to Unique Leader Records’ expanding roster. The label will be reissuing the band’s 2013-issued The Demonization debut in early 2016. It was recorded in 2009.

FORSAKEN WORLD has recorded a 45-minute documentary entitled Inside Fragments. The members explain the story behind the band, making of the new album, going on tour and more.

Suspiria Records has released RAZE’s Mankind’s Heritage album. The band is a thrash metal act.

ABBATH, the band of ex-IMMORTAL frontman Olve Eikemo (a.k.a. Abbath), will headline the 2016 Decibel Magazine Tour starting March 17th in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Opening will be HIGH ON FIRE, SKELETONWITCH and TRIBULATION.

Inspired by KEEL? The original line-up of Norway’s OLD FUNERAL reunited for a show on November 15th at BlekkMetal show in its hometown of Bergen, Norway. On the stage were Olve Eikemo (Abbath formerly of IMMORTAL) on vocals and bass, Tore Bratseth on guitar and Padde (also formerly of IMMORTAL) on drums. OLD FUNERAL played the entire Abduction Of Limbs demo from 1989 and a CELTIC FROST cover version.

Norwegian band BORKNAGAR will release a new album, called Winter Thrice, on January 22nd through Century Media. The album was mixed by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studio. (KREATOR, AMON AMARTH, etc.).


Metallian Hard

AMORAL will release its next album In Sequence in early 2016. It will be issued on January 29th through Ward Records.

Victor Arduini, a founding member of FATES WARNING, and Brian Balich of ARGUS and PENANCE have a new project called ARDUINI/BALICH.

KISS will perform an acoustic show at the Badlands in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Thursday, February 11th, 2016.

A memorial event for guitarist Ronnie Montrose will be held on January 23rd, 2016. The event, Ronnie Montrose Remembered, will be held at the Observatory in Santa Ana, California, USA and will feature many musicians.

Stoner/doom band YIDHRA will issue a new EP through Black Voodoo Records. Titled Cult Of Bathory, the follow-up to 2013's Hexed full-length was captured live with engineer and producer Bill Metoyer (SLAYER, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, TROUBLE, etc.) at Skull Seven Productions.

THE PHOENIX has signed a record deal with the American label Demon Doll Records and a promotional deal with Atomic Stuff Promotion. The Italian act had a demo called My Turn To Deal this summer.

The Greek heavy metal band ALPHASTATE will release a demo called Out Of The Black. The band is compared to OZZY OSBOURNE, PANTERA, PRIMAL FEAR and BRAINSTORM to name a few.

Industrial metal band KILLUS has a new album entitled Ultrazombies. This new album is expected to be released in February or March 2016 through Art Gates Records.

Edmonton, Canada’s STRIKER has a demo called Stand In The Fire being released through its own Record Breaking imprint on February 5, 2016.

DEF LEPPARD's new and self-titled album has entered The Billboard 200 chart at No. 10 based on sales of 30,000 in the USA.

SISTER SIN has thrown in the towels.

FIREWIND has recruited singer Henning Basse (formerly of METALIUM) The man had toured with the band previously.

AXEL RUDI PELL will release his next album, Game Of Sins, on January 15th through SPV/Steamhammer.

As reported last month Ritchie Blackmore is playing several 2016 shows featuring hard rock material stemming from his DEEP PURPLE and RAINBOW days. The band is playing the UK in June and Monsters Of Rock festival on Friday, June 17th at Freilichtbühne in Loreley and on June 18th at Festplatz am Viadukt in Bietigheim-Bissingen. Despite much hope by former RAINBOW singer Joe Lynn Turner to front the band the line-up is Blackmore on guitar, LORDS OF BLACK singer Ronnie Romero, BLACKMORE NIGHT’s bassist Bob Nouveau Curiano, BLACKMORE'S NIGHT drummer David Keith and STRATOVARIUS keyboardist Jens Johansson.

KATATONIA has made drummer Daniel "Mojjo" Moilanen a permanent member of the band. The band is working on a new album for 2016.

Ex-MOTÖRHEAD drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor died on Wednesday, November 11th at the age of 61. He was with the band beginning its debut album until definitively leaving in 1992. MOTÖRHEAD was forced to cancel late November concerts in Germany after the band's guitarist Phil Campbell "suddenly required hospitalization."

Frontiers Music will release the self-titled debut album from the project NORDIC UNION on January 29th. NORDIC UNION is the handiwork of Frontiers president Serafino Perugino for singer Ronnie Atkins of PRETTY MAIDS and Swedish songwriter and producer Erik Martensson of ECLIPSE and W.E.T.

Tobias Sammet's AVANTASIA will release its next album, Ghostlights, on January 29th through Nuclear Blast. The twelve-song CD was produced by Sammet and Sascha Paeth at Gatestudio in Wolfsburg, Germany.

FEAR FACTORY was involved in a bus accident early morning of November 25th while en route to the band's show in Munich, Germany during the current European headlining tour.

PRONG's new album, X - No Absolutes, will be released on February 5th, 2016 through SPV/Steamhammer as a digipak and 2-LP gatefold.

Swedish casino games developer NetEnt will release a GUNS N' ROSES-themed slot machine, which will have the band’s imagery and music.

Laser's Edge Group has completed a deal with long-running Detroit progressive hard rock quartet TILES for the release of the band's sixth studio full-length, the double CD Pretending To Run.

US band GRAVESHADOW has released a music video for Namesake, a track from the debut album Nocturnal Resurrection, released on December 13th through Mausoleum Records.

Boston's MAGIC CIRCLE has issued an album called Journey Blind through 20 Buck Spin. A vinyl release will follow in 2016.

Danish metal four-piece RISING has completed its new and third album to be released in April 2016 as the band gears up for its first shows in over two years. It will be released through Indisciplinarian.

Hair I Go Again, a documentary about the determination and failures of a former hair band chasing its dreams will be released worldwide on March 10th, 2016. It features interviews with Jeff Keith and Frank Hannon (TESLA), Ron Keel (KEEL), Steve Blaze (LILLIAN AXE), Frank Bello and Joey Belladonna (ANTHRAX) and more. Find more information here: http://www.hairigoagain.com.

WHITFORD ST. HOLMES featuring AEROSMITH guitarist Brad Whitford and former TED NUGENT vocalist Derek St. Holmes have announced an autumn tour New album “reunion” coming in 2016.

Swedish hard rockers COLDSPELL has been confirmed for the new Norrlandsvrål rock festival, set to take place May 27-28, 2016 in Luleå, Sweden. COLDSPELL is scheduled to play on Friday, May 27th, alongside bands like PAIN, HOFFMAESTRO, THUNDERMOTHER, CORRODED, AMARANTHE to name a few.

Swedish heavy rockers MARYSCREEK have signed a two-album deal with Escape Music. The band’s album, Infinity, will be released on January 22nd.

Minotauro Records has CD re-releases of Ash and Violet Art Of Improvisation in Japanese-style mini LP format with custom OBI cards of said PAUL CHAIN releases.

JOE SATRIANI and United Nations’ musical director Robin DiMaggio have a song called Music Without Words. A portion of all proceeds from downloads will be donated to support UNICEF.

LUCA TURILLI'S RHAPSODY and PRIMAL FEAR will embark on a North American co-headlining tour beginning next April.

DREAM THEATER has picked The Astonishing as the title for its next album, which is due in January through Roadrunner. The band is touring Europe to coincide with the release.


Metallian Demos

VIOLENT REVOLUTION - DAMAGED SOCIETY
The Phoenix, USA based quintet is made up of George Robb (early Agent Steel, Obscene Gesture) John Gilleland of Arizona and three other musicians who have made their way to Arizona from Ashland, Ohio, Philadelphia and New York. The band's monicker and attitude scream crossover and hardcore. Musically the ‘80s influence is obvious and is not hidden. The four songs and intro are a mix of crossover and thrash and reminiscent of the style in the late ‘80s. The second full song, Final Vow, is not all out speed however and moves along slowly before speeding up. The structure is not unlike something heard on a Sacred Reich album but the sound and production are more modern and full and move Damaged Society away from being a totally dated release. Not surprisingly this EP is under 14 minutes long and perhaps even less surprising is the political theme running through songs called All Hail, Damaged and Sudden Death. New material is in the works, more at www.violentrevolution.net. – Anna Tergel

SILENT LINE - SHATTERED SHORES
The Edmonton, Canada quartet have had two albums before Shattered Shores and have decided to write a "weathering the storm" concept album for this their third. Musically the opening is foreboding too much 'melody' and not enough metal. The band is self-compared to In Flames, Wintersun, Dark Tranquillity and others. The folk-ish sounding early seconds or minutes don't promise much originality. Synthesizer remains present but is often drowned out as the band inject the Gothenburg and American post Gothenburg sound into the mix. The songs come after another quickly and carry the concept along. The title track is divided into two parts and sits before and after the fourth song, Summersong, and fifth, Starfall. The aforementioned concept is elaborated as the story of one stuck on a faraway shore lost in time and slowly eroding away. Almost inevitably there are also clean vocals scattered in places like the title track. They are accompanied by breaks and more melodic sections. The In Flames influence remains strong and there are times when other bands like Evergrey can be attributed. In some sections an American band can also be named as a sound alike and that would be Chicago's Starkill. Summersong stands out a bit more than the other songs as it is dominated by a melodic sound that makes it more melancholic than the rest. The second part of the title track is eight minutes long and as the longest of the 52 minutes it features more of everything Silent Line offers, be it more synthesizers or more clean vocals. The closer is called Embrace The End, it is left up to the listener to decide if that is a fitting song title or not! Travel to far away shores via www.facebook.com/silentlinemetal. – Anna Tergel