Metallian Heavy

Canada-based black metal act DÉLÉTÈRE has an album called Songe D’une Nuit Souillée through Sepulchral Productions.

LAANG’s Riluo (日落) album is inspired by the trauma and recovery of the band’s frontman Haitao Yang when shot and briefly declared medically dead. The band’s new record includes extreme instruments and folk rock pieces. Zak King is on session drums.

Awakening Records has several new releases: ABJECT MENTOR’s Abominaciones, ONE DAY IN PAIN’s In Pain We Trust, DEIMLER’s Immortalized and OSSUARY’s Stellar Annihilation.

ENGULF’s The Dying Planet Weeps album is out through Everlasting Spew Records on 12.01.2024. New Jersey, USA-based ENGULF is Hal Microutsicos who is also in BLASPHEMOUS. The band’s music is compared to early GORGUTS.

Solo act SAĦĦAR has a demo single called L-Imlejka on December 8th. This track delves into the lore of Malta and a mythological character known as the Little/Young Queen of the new year.

EXOCRINE’s Legend album is out through Season Of Mist in January.

WRATH OF LOGARIUS, which until last month was called MARTYR LOGARIUS, will still issue its demos as its first EP through Season Of Mist on December 8th.

New act EN FINIR’s Résigné album is out through Malpermesita Records since the 17th of November. Described as depressive black metal, vocals were provided by Romain Habrzyk.

Horror Pain Gore Death is releasing NECRONEMESIS’ album Warfield Forever this month. The band is compared to BELPHEGOR and VADER. The act is based in Puerto Rico.

France-based NECROWRETCH has a new full-length album called Swords Of Dajjal in January.

On its mission to re-release as many demos as possible and eradicate the underground, Dawnbreed Records will release a compilation of Russia-based UTYR’s first two demos.

The River Rot demo by MOGILA DEATHCULT is being reissued by Vargheist Records.

WHERE THE DEAD GATHER’s demo is called The. The band is described as a deathcore/groove act from Singapore that is comparable to LORNA SHORE.

Sludge band LONER has a demo called Warning Signs. LONER was included in the line-up for Feels Good Festival recently.

Rockshots Records is releasing Finland-based DECROWNED’s Persona Non Grata album in February.

Dawnbreed Records pressed a tape edition of MØREMYRK’s debut demo, MMXXII Demos, on December 1st. The band is based in Indonesia.

Nikolay Velev’s new project of the month is called SNØSTORM. The serial project founder was watching YouTube where he came across YouTuber Atle Attila Nygård. SNØSTORM’s Into The Longest Of Nights album is available through Talheim Records.

Another serial project: Horror Pain Gore Death is issuing EMPIRES OF EUPHRATES’ Echoes Of Ancient Past EP. The members include Vincent Matthews (DYING FETUS, CRIMINAL ELEMENT and SADISTIC TORMENT), Kevin Talley (DECREPIT BIRTH, MISERY INDEX, SUFFOCATION and SIX FEET UNDER) and Jim Ross (BANDWHORE). The musicians will announce upcoming new projects in due course.

Another serial project: REAP has released a debut album, entitled Born From Plague, on December 1st through Selfmadegod Records. The members are Jimmy Javins (NECROTIC DISGORGEMENT), Kyle Christman (GORGASM and BETWEEN THE KILLINGS) and Von Young (BETWEEN THE KILLINGS and LIVIDITY). The musicians will announce upcoming new projects in due course.

Italy-based FERAL FORMS featuring members of GRIME, FIERCE and THE SECRET will release a debut EP called Premalignant in December. The band is Federico – vocals, Ciro – guitar, Paolo – bass and Christian – drums.

Avantgarde is releasing Russia-based OLHAVA’s Sacrifice album. Also on the label is MALIST’s Of Scorched Earth, SGÀILE’s Traverse The Bealach and RINGARË Of Momentous Endless Night.

Australia-based MIRUTHAN has uploaded a song called Land Of The Damned. Like many newer bands it does not disclose its membership. The act is working on a full-length.

STRIGOI has an EP called Bathed In A Black Sun. The band calls it a companion to its Viscera album of 2022. It contains unreleased songs from that album’s recording sessions.

2024 marks the 40th anniversary of MAYHEM. To commemorate the occasion, a show will take place at Sentrum Scene in Oslo, Norway on May 11th.

Italy-based black metal group STORMCROW has signed to Time To Kill Records for the release of its Path To Ascension album in 2024.

UK-based VOID BELOW has a new demo called World Undone. The band is influenced by the literature of H.P. Lovecraft.

UK-based avantgarde band VOID has an album called Jadjow through Brucia Records. Jadjow was born out of the DHG Void Dancers tour in 2019 where VOID’s founding members, guitarist Matt Jarman and Camille Giraudeau both played guitar for DØDHEIMSGARD. DHG’s bass player Lars Emil Måløy and sound engineer George Geegor Anagnostopoulos decided to collaborate. The drums on the album were eventually performed by Tariq Zulficar.

Destruction Is All We Know is the title for ALMOST DEAD’s new album. It is out through Innerstrength in January.

DESTRUCTOR’s Blood, Bone, And Fire full-length is available through Shadow Kingdom Records.

MUNICIPAL WASTE will kick off the Brainsqueeze Tour of North America with GHOUL, NECROT and DEAD HEAT in February.

Isle Of Man-based SWARF DAMAGE will release a self-titled demo of crossover music on December 8th. The band cites D.R.I. and DISCHARGE as influences.

Golden Core is re-issuing New Built Ghetto Status by the ‘psycho metal’ band ECONOMIST. It was originally released by Massacre Records in 1993. This vinyl release features material from the unreleased Mind Movies album, which was aptly heard on the 2021 compilation Iceflowered – The Complete Works.

MASTER will release a new album, entitled Saints Dispelled, through Hammerheart Records on 19.01.2024.

USA-based NEVER REBORN has a lyric video for Existence Denied, which is taken from the Ashes of Our Past demo.

Guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari, who had replaced Kiko Loureiro in MEGADETH, while the latter man stayed with his children and at home has officially replaced the man who introduced him to the band. Kiko needed an extended leave of absence. Kiko has since cited the need for “freedom” as another reason for his departure.

MACHINE HEAD singer and guitarist Robb Flynn performed solo at La Bestia Music Inc. in Mexico City, Mexico on October 10th.

ARTILLERY and guitarist Kræn Meier have parted ways due to personal differences.

Morning Star Heresy will release Dark Evils Desecrate, the new album of black/death metal act by Australia-based TANIN’IVER in January.

PESSIMIST has a full-length called Keys To The Underworld this winter.. The band will be touring Europe with REAPING FLESH in May.

Italy-based crossover quartet METHEDRINE has signed to Time To Kill Records for the release of its debut album, No Solution, No Salvation.

Having released a new album called Last Of A Kind, PANZERCHRIST is issuing a new four-track EP called All Witches Shall Burn through Emanzipation in January. It was recorded at the same session as the Last Of A Kind album at Antfarm Studio with Tue Madsen.

Mallcore, metal and the session guy: IN FLAMES, ARCH ENEMY and SOILWORK will embark on a European tour called Rising From The North next autumn.

Australia-based instrumental band VIPASSI has an album called Lightless in early 2024.

France-based black-doom metal act MOURNING DAWN has The Foam Of Despair album on January 12th. There is a video available for Blue Pain. Aesthetic Death will release The Foam Of Despair on CD and LP, with the latter co-released with Tragedy Productions.

Captive In The Breath Of Life, the new album from Finland-based NOCTURNAL SORCERY, will be released through Kvlt on February 9th.

Twisting The Knife is a new upload by Denmark-based VANIR, which is taken from the upcoming album Epitome due in February (delayed from January). The lyrics refer to the historical events of 1520 in Denmark and Sweden and the accompanied executions that transpired.

STILLEKLANG’s Tränen Der Vergangenheit Pt. II was released on 29 November. This release is a collaboration between Crawling Chaos and Schattenpfade.

Drummer Jeramie Kling has left VENOM INC. after being in the band for five years. He lives in the USA while Mantas is in Portugal. He had already been replaced by drummer Nick Barker a couple of times in 2022.

DARKEST HOUR will release a full-length, called Perpetual | Terminal, through MNRK Heavy in February. A video for the title track is available.

SACRED REICH released cassette reissues of the Surf Nicaragua (1988) and The American Way (1990) albums through Time To Kill Records in November.

Thrash metal band BREED has an album called History Of Tomorrow, which will be released through Doc Gator Records on December 15th. The band cites influences from American thrash metal groups.

REBAELLIUN supported its new album Under The Sign Of Rebellion through a European tour with Italy-based EXITIUM as support.

Sweden-based CHUGGER has parted ways with bassist Larza.

LAMB OF GOD‘s Headbangers Boat cruise returned to Miami, Florida, USA one day earlier than scheduled in early November after a man went missing after going overboard. The Norwegian Cruise ship instituted an unsuccessful search that yielded no results.

DEMONCY has an album, entitled Black Star Gnosis, through Dark Descent Records. The band’s Diabolica Blasphemiae EP is also available too. This one comes through Hells Headbangers Records.

VARATHRON has a new album called The Crimson Temple through Agonia Records.

Germany-based black metal act GRAU has an album, entitled Abseits Des Lichts, through Tragedy Productions. It was recorded, mixed and mastered by Felix Rößger at Gin’Fused Sounds in 2022 and 2023.

Canada-based black metal group SOMBRE HÉRITAGE has an album called Inter Duo Mundi through Sepulchral Productions. The label also has MÊLÉE DES AURORES’ Aube Cannibale available since November.


Metallian Hard

Canada-based heavy metal trio LANCASTER has a new demo called Hell Campaign.

Australia-based hard rock group NOBODY’S FOOL has an album called Time through Battlegod Productions on 12.01.2024.

Switzerland-based hard rock and boogie band RASH PANZER has its debut album Liberation out through 7Hard/7US. The act was founded in 1979.

Brazil-based pomp rock act HEAVEN'S GUARDIAN has a record called Chronos, which is released through Sleaszy Rider. It was produced by Roy Z and Addasi Addasi. The band reports it featured 150 musicians including an orchestra.

Sure, we believe you! KISS’ final concert is the subject of a pay-per-view through ppv.com. The New York City concert is to be offered through multiple cable and satellite providers as well. The band cancelled concerts in Tennessee, USA and Toronto and Ottawa, Canada due to Paul Stanley contracting the flu. The Empire State Building in New York City was lit up at night for the occasion of the band’s final concerts on November 30th.

It is the final tour again, but in this case it is the “Final Full Tour.” GIRLSCHOOL will tour North America next spring. Support comes from LILLIAN AXE and ALCATRAZZ. The tour will kick off on March 21st at Hell's Heroes festival in Houston, Texas, USA.

THE RODS has signed with Massacre Records. The band's Rattle The Cage album will be available on January 12th, 2024. THE RODS intend to perform live for the act’s 45th anniversary in 2024.

SAXON’s Hell, Fire And Damnation will be released through Silver Lining Music in January. Produced by Andy Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST), the band will also tour Europe with JUDAS PRIEST in 2024.

JUDAS PRIEST and SABATON will conduct the Invincible Shield tour of the USA next April and May. JUDAS PRIEST will also play in Athens, Greece with support from IRON MAIDEN singer BRUCE DICKINSON on Sunday, July 21st. Former JUDAS PRIEST man KK Downing had former IRON MAIDEN singer PAUL DI’ANNO open for his band this year. No word if Al Atkins will have Paul Mario Day on tour in Alabama next.

IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson will star in a horror movie called Bjorn Of The Dead. The film was written by Bruce's son Austin Dickinson. The name refers to ABBA member Bjorn and is about an ABBA cover band caught in a nightclub during the apocalypse.

Japan-based keyboard-laden band SEVENTH SON has an album called Edge Of Insanity through Spiritual Beast since October 4th.

Wacken Metal Battle Canada winners STRIGAMPIRE have a video for the song Sold Our Soul, which is taken from a new demo called All To Dominate. It is produced by Christian Donaldson (CRYPTOPSY).

MOONSPELL and Sinfonietta De Lisboa will have a symphonic show at the Altice Arena in Lisbon, Portugal on 26.10.2024.

Finland-based CHAMELION, will release its debut album entitled Legends & Lores, through Rockshots Records this month. The band is Finnish so expect the keyboards of Marco Sneck.

Gods of cliches awaken! SONATA ARCTICA will release a new album, entitled Clear Cold Beyond, through Atomic Fire on March 8th. The band claims it is a “heavier” album, but being Finnish cannot help but include a pop tune cover version. The band covers MARTIKA’s Toy Soldiers. METAL DE FACTO covered SHAKIRA recently. OMNIUM GATHERUM covered MICHAEL SEMBELLO’s Maniac. FROZEN LAND’s Señorita was the subject of much mockery recently, but HIM’s Wicked Games and CHILDREN OF BODOM’s Ooops!... I Did It Again by BRITNEY SPEARS have all been instrumental in making Finland the butt of jokes among metal fans and a cliche.

Embarrassingly, US-based act JUDICATOR has released a cover version of BARRY MANILOW’s pop ditty, Mandy. It was recorded during the session for The Majesty Of Decay album (Prosthetic Records) and is also a send-off for guitarist Balmore Lemus and drummer Jordy Elcess who are featured in the music video, yet have since departed the band.

Drummer Daniel Svensson was not with THE HALO EFFECT on its tour of New Zealand and Australia in November due to "personal" reasons. His replacement was SEVENTH CRYSTAL's Anton Roos who is the man’s roadie.

QUEENSRŸCHE will perform its debut self-titled EP and The Warning album in their entirety as The Origins Tour in Canada and the USA in the spring. ARMORED SAINT will open.

CYNIC, OBSCURA and CRYPTOSIS will tour Europe in March.

X JAPAN bassist Hiroshi "Heath" Morie died due to cancer at the end of October at the age of 55.

PATRIARCHS IN BLACK has an album called My Veneration through MDD Records. Golden Core is pressing a vinyl version. Dan Lorenzo of HADES fame is a member of the duo.

Romania-based GOTHIC is marking the return of Alin Petruț as singer, with lyrics exclusively in Romanian language, with an album called Underground through Loud Rage.

SCORPIONS is following its 2022 residency in Las Vegas with another called Scorpions - Love At First Sting Las Vegas in April. The band will perform the Love At First Thing album on the occasion of the record’s 40th anniversary and add other tracks as well. UGLY KID JOE is opening.

HAWKWIND will release an album, entitled Stories From Time And Space, in April. The band will tour to coincide with the release.

FIREWIND, IMMORTAL GUARDIAN and EDGE OF PARADISE are touring the USA in April.

Instrumental progressive metal band DEORBIT has a demo called Retrogradient. The music was written pre-COVID.

Isle Of Man-based AEONS has a cover version of Gollum's Song, which is taken from the soundtrack to The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers.

ACCEPT, AXEL RUDI PELL, DOKKEN, VANDENBERG and ELECTRIC BOYS are confirmed for next summer's Skogsröjet festival. The festival will take place in Rejmyre, Sweden between August 1 and 3.

POWERWOLF Wolfsnächte 2024 tour with HAMMERFALL and WIND ROSE opening will take place across European arena in October 2024.

Former STRATOVARIUS, and current TIMO TOLKKI'S STRATO, guitarist Timo Tolkki was sentenced in Helsinki District Court to 45 days of suspended imprisonment for fraud and forgery after he presented phoney collateral in order to gain access to income support from the government in 2020.

Former DREAM THEATER singer Charlie Dominici, who sang on the debut album When Dream And Day Unite of 1989, died in November.

Drummer Andreas "Habo" Johansson left NARNIA in order to focus on session work. The band picked up its recent touring member Anders Köllerfors (ALL FOR THE KING, etc.) as his replacement. The act will appear at Bobfest together XXV with VENI DOMINE, CRIMSON MOONLIGHT, PANTOKRATOR and LEONOV in March.

BLUE ÖYSTER CULT has a live video for Screams, which is taken from the 50th Anniversary Live - First Night album. It is out through Frontiers Music on December 8th.

EVERGREY is asking its fans to be a part of the forthcoming album by contributing backing vocals for a song called One Heart. Anyone interested needs to record backing vocals to a video the band has made available, share it through evergreyoneheart@gmail.com and be available in-person in Sweden.

HEAVY LOAD, GRAVE DIGGER, I AM MORBID, HÄLLAS, VENGEANCE, STORMWITCH, TYRANT, etc. have been confirmed for the Keep It True XXIV festival in Lauda-Königshofen, Germany between April 26-27, 2024.

Belgium-based doom act HYDE has a record called Ardwena through Malpermesita Records.

METAL CROSS and MERIDIAN have collaborated on a song called Merry Bloody Christmas, which is available through From The Vaults.

BLIND GUARDIAN has announced The God Machine North American 2024 tour for April and May. NIGHT DEMON opens. BLIND GUARDIAN will also appear at Milwaukee Metal Fest.

KAMELOT drummer Alex Landenburg and MENTALIST’s guitarist Peter Moog are launching a new music streaming service called ROKK. Available in Europe as of January 2024, and elsewhere soon thereafter, the service strives to pay musicians better than the current crop of streamers. The duo also have an Indiegogo campaign to help launch the service.

STEEL PANTHER will conduct the On The Prowl tour of the USA this winter. The band appeared at America's Got Talent television program this last summer.

Decimate Metalfest is coming back in 2024 after skipping 2023. The festival is looking for band submissions. DMF 2024 (all ages) will take place over the weekend of June 7th, and 8th in Millet, Canada (approximately 40 kilometres south of Edmonton) and is expecting to feature 18 bands, an air guitar competition (The Canadian version of the Finnish air keyboard) and drag performers (so even Republican congressmen may apply!).

Hyperspace Metal Fest will be returning to Vancouver, Canada from April 11th to 13th. The line-up will feature headliners TÝR, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM and SKELETOR along with TROLLFEST, ATHER REALM and IRON KINGDOM.

The Electric Highway Festival has launched early bird passes for its 2024 lineup. It is being held in Calgary, Canada on April 4, 5, and 6.

Are our roads wide enough? Those SUVs are getting larger and larger as those asses become bigger and bigger.


Metallian Demos

IMPALEMENT - THE DAWN OF BLACKENED DEATH
The name of the band and title for the demo of solo act of Swiss musician Beliath mirror the music. Blasting and fierce, but very standard black/death metal, the songs are equipped with an adequate sound and mix with the latter by the veteran Andy Classen. As mentioned, it is mostly fine, but the bass drums and toms are buried. This is mostly fast, but the tempo could vary. The evil vocals shriek and rage, yet words can be deciphered mostly. There are the occasional dual vocals where lower end growls are added. Thankfully, for a solo act, the musician has included real drums courtesy of Florian Klein who has played with Belphegor among others. This is fitting because Belphegor and Impalement bear similarities.
It is zany that the first track is called The Herd Marches On because it is a one-man act. Still, we can make an allowance and imagine that the lyrics address others. Aside from the real drums, the bass is also heard in the recording. Thankfully, not a lo-fi solitary endeavour here. Dawn Of Blackened Death begins with a riff a la Bolt Thrower, but soon reverts to the accustomed sound. The band is tight. Legio Nihil comes with a sound effect that may be an aerial attack. There is a chant and a respectable solo. Will To Power blasts. Death To The Gods (an earlier song is called The Old Ones) has impressive soloing, Legio Nihil talked about the absence of the gods. Chosen By Tragedy is a thought provoking title this girl thinks. The music is more doomy and relatively, only relatively, sedate.
Looking for comparisons? Naglfar, militaristic rhythms a la Marduk, Belphegor, early Amon Amarth and Vader come to mind. The band has a website at https://impalement.ch/. - Anna Tergel

MARCABRA - DAWN OF THE SADIST
Someone researched and suggested Marcabra’s Dawn Of The Sadist model when Metallian Towers’ Feasting & Dining division serfs requisitioned for a new tool to scale the capabilities of the department. Indeed it grinds well, grates with power as the engine exudes 666 hp with steel blades to chop, grate, heck even sow anything you throw at it. This model comes with two speeds too. There are no connectivity issues either.
Yet, we decided not to purchase the model ultimately. It is too noisy and sounds about to malfunction at any time. It is not difficult to imagine the whole contraption blowing up any moment under the weight of its own noisy cacophony billowing smoke everywhere shattering the glass container, steel cap and the motor with it. Deliberately shoddy workmanship, mind you. One of the slaves who serves in the butlery, parlour, pantry and kitchen court of Metallian Towers suggested keeping the appliance for its sheer capacity to aid in food preparation in large quantities, but to mitigate the clangour emanating from the specific SKU by relocating it to the other side of the courtyard’s rock wall. That was not a workable suggestion. After all, the apparatus already sounds like it is belching from behind a thick wall. This would merely make it sound as if it is behind two walls. The slaves are told to go fetch something else. Find more information at https://marcabra.bandcamp.com/ - Ali “The Metallian”

WORN AWAY - CESSATION OF WILL
A solo act with a couple of demos to its name, Worn Away is the band of a man named Jeff and that is all he wants anyone to know about him. The demo is six minutes long and contains two tracks, which is why it is surprising that the first minute of the release is an acoustic intro called Land Of Summer. The acoustic piece is straight out of the days when bands like Annihilator, Sepultura and Sabbat would employ them before diving into the thrashing and so it is here even if the sole song is not exactly thrash metal. The rough sounding title track lashes out at a medium pace before picking up. Names that come to mind are Cerebral Fix, Sacrifice, Sodom and whatever other old-school monicker that pops into your head. Had to double check that this is a 2023 release. There is a simple noise solo tagged on. Pleasantly, it sounds like a real drum on the track despite the act being Jeff alone, but then again the nature of the production is such that my ears are not picking up the nature of the drums here. Rough and tumble metal. Wouldn’t mind hearing more because, after all, there is a finite supply of metal from 1988 to 1991 out there. Go here: https://wornaway1.bandcamp.com/album/cessation-of-will-demo - Anna Tergel