Metallian Heavy

MORGOTH and singer Marc Grewe have parted ways, but the band is already working with singer Karsten “Jagger” Jäger (DISBELIEF) for its next album. The album will be called Ungod and is due in the spring of 2015 through Century Media Records.

Necrostable Records issued CLEAVER’s digital EP The Sickest Tales on the 6th of December. CLEAVER was founded in 2009 by CHTON members Espen (drums) and Øyvind (guitars).

Swedish death metal band PUTRIFIED will release its first 7″ EP through the German label Unholy Prophecies in mid-2015. A title has not been announced.

Possession Prayer from LORD MANTIS‘ third LP, Death Mask, is the subject of a graphic video produced by Profound Lore Records and New Density.

Metal Music Austria has issued MONUMENTOMB’s Ritual Exhumation CD. The band is compared to DISMEMBER and CARNAGE.

DIMESLAND is releasing its debut full-length, Psychogenic Atrophy, Decibel Magazine hurls the album’s volatile next-to-last track towards the masses. The album is described as a mixture of VOIVOD, GORGUTS, LOINCLOTH and DEATHSPELL OMEGA.

The sixth issue of Slowly We Rot zine is now out. It features interviews with TAATSI (Finland), TERRORFRONT (Slovenia) and THY LEGION (Malta) among others. For more information please write to swrzine@yahoo.com or visit http://slowlywerot.miiduu.com/.

Season Of Mist has signed RITUAL KILLER. The New Orleans-based American black metal band will release its forthcoming album Exterminance in 2015.

VENOM, or Cronos at least, will release a new studio album called From The Very Depths on January 27TH through Spinefarm.

BENIGHTED has revealed that its previously announced live album in celebration of the band’s fifteenth anniversary will be entitled Brutalive The Sick and will be released on the 23rd of February, 2015.

FULGORA is a shadowy grindcore/death band featuring members of PIG DESTROYER, MISERY INDEX and AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED. The band’s rarities’ sampler Stratagem will be released through Housecore Records on February 3rd, 2015.

IMMORTAL singer Abbath has publicly asserted that he should be granted the rights to the black metal band’s name and logo after guitarist Demonaz and drummer Horgh left the band – at least temporarily pending the resolution of their conflicts with the singer – earlier in 2014. Abbath’s application to the Norwegian Intellectual Property Office was disputed by a lawyer for Demonaz and Horgh. Demonaz, who experienced arm problems in 1997, has been unable to play guitars since then.

Bassist Terry Butler and singer Ed Webb have left MASSACRE. As a result, the group has again disbanded and will not take part in DEATH TO ALL’s Symbolic 20th-anniversary European tour.

CHARIOTS OF THE GODS has added new vocalist Chris Therien (ex-DEFY THE CROWN and ex-SORDID) and drummer Dave Gravel (ex-MORTOR, ex-NONSENSE) to its line-up.

Sweden’s IMPLODE will release a new EP in January called Terra Pericolosa – I of Everything, Chapter II. This is a digital-only release.

EXHUMED returned to the studio almost two decades later to re-record its debut full-length, Gore Metal. The resulting Gore Metal: A Necrospective 1998 – 2015 is set for release this February through Relapse Records. The band is touring with NAPALM DEATH and VOIVOD.

The Belgian atmospheric black/death metal band THURISAZ and its label Sleazy Rider Records have set January 24th as the release date for the upcoming CD/DVD entitled Thurisaz: Live & Acoustic.

SARPANITUM, which features within its ranks current and former members of MITHRAS, LANTLOS and TENEBROUS AEON, will release its second full-length Blessed Be My Brothers through Willowtip Records this February.

ASPHYX’s self-titled album is being re-released as a gatefold double LP through Ordo MCM.

Unique Leader Records has signed death metal band INTERNAL SUFFERING. The band has moved from Colombia to Spain and working on a 2015 album.

Guitarist Chuck Wepfer and bassist Shaun Glass have left BROKEN HOPE to concentrate on their new band, THE BLOODLINE. BROKEN HOPE has brought in Matt Szlachta (DIRGE WITHIN and CHIMAIRA) and Diego Soria (DISGORGE).

DARK FUNERAL has picked up singer Heljarmadr (CURSED 13) and bassist Natt of ANGREPP.

ANTHRAX has been nominated for a Grammy and also entered into a marketing agreement with its own bourbon brand called Indians. The company hiring ANTHRAX is called Jefferson’s Bourbon.


Metallian Hard

ARAPACIS, the Montreal, Canada female-fronted hard rock/metal band, with guitarist Jerry Fielden and singer Shelle Macpherson at the helm, has just released its fourth full-length CD. The new release features 9 tracks with some classic metal, doom metal and prog riffs spicing up the album. Featured guests on the album are keyboardists Leonardo Fagelli (an original member of ARAPACIS), Guy LeBlanc of prog group CAMEL and Don Airey of DEEP PURPLE. The band recently shared the stage with DORO, amongst others and is preparing shows to support the album.

Inspired by KEEL? PISSING RAZORS is reforming this year in its original lineup for a new release and concerts. The band is Joe Rodriguez (vocals), Mat Lynch (guitar) and Eddy Garcia on the stool.

SAVATAGE is regrouping for a show at next year’s Wacken Festival. The band is discussing more touring. The act went dormant in 2002.

Matt Hallquist has left ARMAGEDDON. The band is looking for a new singer and can be contacted through armageddondust@gmail.com.

Drummer Francesco Jovino has left U.D.O. for personal reasons. The group is seeking a replacement. A tour is planned for March. U.D.O.'s latest album, Decadent, will be released on January 26th through AFM.

Drummer Stefan Schwarzman and guitarist Herman Frank have left ACCEPT. The duo will continue with PANZER. In a separate interview Frank has lamented his not being permitted to write songs for ACCEPT.

Made Of Metal A Casual Guide To The Solo Music Of JUDAS PRIEST’s ROB HALFORD is out now. The book by Neil Daniels is available through www.neildanielsbooks.com.

Inspired by KEEL? IRON BUTTERFLY, which disbanded after the death of bassist Lee Dorman in 2012, has reformed for touring and recording of new music. The band is founding drummer Ron Bushy, Doug Ingle, Jr. who is the son of original singer Doug Ingle and guitarist Mike Pinera.

AC/DC is touring Europe beginning May.

CHRISTOPHER LEE has released a new heavy metal single entitled Darkest Carols, Faithful Sing.

Alternative band ENSLAVED will release a new album called In Times on March 6th through Nuclear Blast. The album was recorded at Duper and Solslottet Studios in Bergen, Norway. The band will tour with YOB across North America this year.

SEPTICFLESH has recruited Kerim "Krimh" Lechner (DECAPITATED, BEHEMOTH, etc.) as its drummer following the departure of Fotis Benardo (a.k.a. Fotis Gianakopoulos) from the band.

Bob Roberts: Right-wing PM and Israeli fanboy Stephen Harper conducted vocals and keyboards on a cover version of GUNS N' ROSES' Sweet Child O' Mine at the Conservatives' annual Christmas party in Ottawa on Tuesday, December 9th. He was backed by his new band the VAN CATS, which unlike his previous band apparently does not feature an alleged child molestor.

SAXON was forced to postpone the remaining dates on its UK tour due to drummer Nigel Glockler's health. The drummer was rushed to hospital with apparent cerebral bleeding. SAXON and ARMORED SAINT will tour in U.S.A next May. The latter band will be supporting a new album.

Canadian hard rock band MOXY has signed with Escape Music to release its 40th Anniversary CD+DVD in Europe/UK. A release is scheduled for March 2015. The MOXY 40th Anniversary package will include: Live DVD/CD from the Sound Academy in Toronto as well as a re-recording of the best of the band’s first 3 albums: MOXY I, MOXY II and Riding High.

UK’s FURYON will release its second album, Lost Salvation, through Dream Records/Cargo Records. The release date is January 26th 2015.

German band PREMORTAL BREATH has issued a demo called They.

Australia's ARCANE is performing across that country in support of its impending Known/Learned double-album release, which is set to hit the streets through Sensory Records this winter.

Italian band DIRTY FINGERS has signed a deal with Logic(il)logic Records to release its debut album, 250 Dollars, whose recording session took place at Atomic Stuff Studio with Oscar Burato's supervision. The album will be published in early 2015.

VIRGIN STEELE has ANNOUNCED Hymns To Damnation as the title FOR its next album, which is out in March or April of 2015 through SPV/Steamhammer.

Peavy Wagner, Manni Schmidt and Christos Efthimiadis, who released multiple albums in the early RAGE era, have formed a new project called REFUGE. The band is playing shows in Europe this summer.

TANK, with singer ZP Theart (DRAGONFORCE), bassist Barend Courbois (BLIND GUARDIAN) and drummer Bobby Schottkowski (SODOM), has re-signed with Metal Mind Productions and will issue an album in the spring. Like everyone else the band has signed on to play at 70,000 Tons Of Metal cruise this January.

ANNIHILATOR’s Jeff Waters has invited ex-vocalist Coburn Pharr to participate in the performance for The World's Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise to Jamaica in January 2015. Pharr was the lead vocalist on ANNIHILATOR's 1990 release Never, Neverland. Dave Padden remains the band’s vocalist.

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM has recruited drummer Jason Bittner (SHADOWS FALL) to replace Kelly Smith.

Jolly Rogers Records has announced that DARKING’s new album, Steal The Fire, will be released on the 2nd of February 2015.

KISS will perform its Alive! album on The Kiss Kruise V this coming October. The band KISS has collaborated with a Japanese pop group called MOMORIO CLOVER Z for a song called Yume No Ukiyo Ni Saitemina.

Frontiers Music will release URIAH HEEP's live album Live At Koko, London 2014 on February 20th.

The band that split up years ago: SCORPIONS will release a new album, Return To Forever, on February 23rd.


Metallian Demos

IDOL OF FEAR - ALL SIGHTS AFFIXED, ABLAZE
Originally from Barrie, Canada near Toronto All Sights Affixed, Ablaze is the band's debut full-length following 2013's Scavenger EP. All black and white cover art and booklet accompany a dark set of eight songs. The songs feature some variations and led by Dave's guitars seems to go several places. This is very evident in the opener, Vanquish. The production, by Jeff Wardell, is somewhat toned down and matches the songs and mood well. The band is described as being like Shining. There are black metal elements that can be attributed to this quartet but there is more going on, more melody and more slow parts that don't fit the often abysmal atmospheric keyboard filled tag either. For example, on Circle Of Vortices there is angst amongst the darkness. At eight songs and 44 minutes there is also room for the band to fall into acoustic mode and add more gloomy dimensions. Circle Of Vortices has one such section. The title track is angry and Austo's vocals expresses the emotion well. It Demands is sludgy and it does a good job portraying pain and anguish of some kind. It Militates follows and sounds like it could be another chapter to the preceding song and much the same goes later with It Tyrannizes. There is a lot here that can be termed experimental, it is different and interesting no matter the description. Idol Of Fear's future can easily be the 'a band with a cult following', that is if they don't fall into the trap of adding extra members and instruments. Fear the idol at www.idoloffear.com - Anna Tergel

NORILSK – JAPETUS
As problematic as this three-song demo CD is there is much merit to be found on it as well. The Canadian threesome pay allegiance to the likes of Thergothon with a crushing bass heavy funeral doom that is music to these ears. The cymbal heavy dissonant metal is shored up with sinister growls, menacing guitars and the distortion necessary to make it everything it needs to be.
As inherently as short to the point and ‘demonstrative’ as a demo should be a band should never include a cover version of another group’s songs on such a release. The second song here is a cover of Voivod’s Negatron – a song from their early wimped out period – which is silly. Never mind how all cover versions are entirely clichéd and useless and boring and unimaginative to begin with. The band hails from Canada, but oddly has chosen to go to Russia to find a cold northern town to stylize itself. Finally, as the alternate version of Potsdam Glo is too derivative of My Dying Bride and that whole ilk to be taken seriously. Sure, at least the band did not include an organ and trumpets, but weak is weak in any disguise. The demo’s (dark star) remains the crushing heaviness of opener Japetus and what it bodes for the group’s forthcoming full-length demo. The band has many corporate websites and one of them is here: www.norilskdoom.bandcamp.com or e-mail them through ashermedia@gmail.com. - Ali “The Metallian”

VITNE – NEON
I hope this band makes it because both SEKS and hart were good. Vitne is singer Joseph Kimbrell of USA who moved to Norway and fronted the rudely crafted SEKs there. Great band. Then when that thing did not work out (because the world is cruel and is sad) he went solo under his old pseudonym of Rock Hart and issued a Hart CD. He is now back with a new name. Is third time the charm? The songs are great, but we the boys and girls have a big reservation. When the man rocks this thing licks and rocks! Ratt, Crüe, Nightranger, Y&T it is all here. The logo, of course, is inspired by Van Halen. When the man slows down though one goes ‘is it a parody???’ Who comes up with this crap? Silhouette and Rest In Peace are terrible. Is he mocking glam ballads? Did any friends or family members hear the slow tracks? On Rest In Peace, he sings as if he is in his grave waiting for a call to nail the coffin shut. The coffin must have good mobile reception. Silhouette is just crap. Program your player to skip those misses and you have a wonderful hard rock with licks, rhythm and solos that are a blast from the past. The leads just smoke. One more thing Mr Hart/Vitne/Kimbrell, please grow your hair. You have it in you to steal many girls’ hearts and panties. Why not look good? Here he is: joseph@kagamientertainment.com. - Sheila Wes Det

KOLONY - SLEDGE
Melodic rock metal they are called. Sledge is this Montreal, Canada quartet's - but a trio for the recording - first demo. I Realize gives the impression of a symphonic metal type intro. The Trial starts off with a scream and technical guitar work, it loses the momentum briefly when the clean vocals kick in. The song alternates between the clean and screaming, the music manages to stay high-tempo for the most part and offers a good dose of heavy metal. Trust And Live tries to be inspirational as its title implies and is melodic pretty much throughout. There is a hint of Threshold in there. Echoes sounds more contemporary sounding and the band's lyrics continue to be reflective of world's problems with lines like “To leave a place that is ungrateful.” Modern Hero establishes the contrast between vocals and music. The latter is more traditional heavy metal than the former and once again the lyrics contain lines that shine a negative light on today's world and lament the lack of heroes. Anthem is folk-ish to start and takes a more modern approach with synthesizers in the background. It is a tribute to a father long gone and missed. Escape features more negative lyrics and they reflect the melody and song. I Don't Care is the obligatory ballad. Road is up next and picks up the pace and provides another dose of heavy metal that seems to fall just short. Monopoly features bits of extra instruments (saxophone?!) but otherwise is similarly structured. Sledge That Shit is a speedier closer with an outro-ish ending that declares “Kill the fascists ... Break the walls ... Kill the liars ... Make them fall.”
The band photo accompanying the bio showcases the trademark Quebec humour, but this is rarely shown in the music and lyrics. Find the band at www.kolonymusic.com. - Anna Tergel