Metallian Heavy

Canada-based black metal duo SORGUINAZIA has an album called The Negation of Delirium through Iron Bonehead Productions.

UK-based ANDRACCA has an album called To Bare The Weight Of Death through Vendetta Records.

HEXER is working on an album called Black Flame In Cosmic Void. This will feature a new line-up. In the meantime, the act is appearing at Endzeit Festival, Hell Over Hammaburg and Crawling Chaos Live respectively in January, March and May.

ARCH ENEMY has split with guitarist of one decade Jeff Loomis and recruited Joey Concepcion as its new guitarist. Concepcion had taken Loomis’ place live in 2018 as well. Concepcion was in Armageddon and has been touring with Dark Tranquillity.

PERVERATION will release its new album, Putrefaction Of Infinite Apogee, through Comatose Music on February 2nd.

ARTILLERY is issuing Raw Live (At Copenhell) through Mighty Music. It is out on the 2nd February. It was recorded in 2022. It is the last live appearance by drummer Josua Madsen who was no longer part of the act after the show and died in 2023.

Germany-based pagan metal act HEIMDALLS WACHT has an album called Mystagogie through Trollzorn. The record delves into German romanticism and the philosophical concepts of Ludwig Tieck and Klingemann.

Germany-based NORNÍR’s Skuld album is out through Northern Silence Productions. It is the final piece of the band’s Three Nornes trilogy, which melds Norwegian black metal with folk elements.

MASSACRE has signed with Agonia Records for the release of the band’s next album. Kam Lee and bassist Mike Borders are joined by guitarists Rogga Johansson and Jonny Pettersson and new drummer Jon Rudin (JUST BEFORE DAWN, HEADS FOR THE DEAD, etc.). The live line-up features Carlos Gonzalez (GRIM REALITY) on guitars and Elden Santos (DRUID LORD) on drum.

RIBSPREADER will release a full-length called Reap Humanity through Xtreem Music in January. The band is Rogga Johansson on guitar, bass and vocals, Taylor Nordberg (DEICIDE, INHUMAN CONDITION and ex – MASSACRE) is on guitar and Jeramie Kling (VENOM INC., INHUMAN CONDITION and ex – MASSACRE) is on drums.

MERRIMACK has an upcoming album called Of Grace And Gravity in 2024. Season Of Mist is uploading an advanced song and video called Sulphurean Synods.

Italy-based grindcore trio NEID has signed to Time To Kill Records for the release of a covers’ EP entitled Still Offensive. It will focus on the 1990s hardcore scene.

SEPULTURA has joined KISS, OZZY OSBOURNE, HOLY MOSES, ELTON JOHN, BLACK SABBATH, JUDAS PRIEST, AEROSMITH, FOREIGNER, MÖTLEY CRÜE, STATUS QUO, MANOWAR and SCORPIONS on the farewell tour circuit. SEPULTURA’s 40th anniversary farewell tour will cover the “entire globe” for 18 months starting in March.

Loud Rage Music and Pest Records have solo Romania-based act INSEPULTUS’ Deadly Gleams Of Blood – Steel And Fire album available this month. It is described as, “A Black Metal Symphony of Death in seven acts.” The labels also have a rerelease of ULTIMATUM’s Among Potential States out in January. It is described as, “the very first Death Metal full-length album released in Romania, initially out in 1996, and now re-mastered.”

Metal Crushes All Tour 2024 covers Canada and the USA in April and May and features AMON AMARTH, CANNIBAL CORPSE, OBITUARY and FROZEN SOUL.

The video for AMON AMARTH song Saxons And Vikings from its The Great Heathen Army album features SAXON‘s Biff Byford, Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt. Byford also contributed vocals.

HULDER will release its Verses In Oath album through 20 Buck Spin in February. It was mixed and mastered by Ahti Kortelainen at Tico Tico Studio in Finland. The 2024 Decibel Magazine Tour will take place with HULDER, DEVIL MASTER, WORM and NECROFIER in the USA in February and March.

CARCASS and THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER are touring Australia and New Zealand in April.

Poland-based schizophrenic act WARBELL has a video for the track Melancholical. The song is taken from an upcoming demo called Ruin, which has been in the works for three years. The lyrics for Melancholical were inspired by Sotha Sil, a half-god from The Elder Scrolls series.

SCHIZOGEN has one of those lyric videos for the song Out Of The Light. The song will be featured on the band’s upcoming full-length, which will be released through Willowtip Records.

Osmose Productions will release 333, the new album of the Netherlands-based group FUNERAL WINDS on 26.01.2024.

Anthology Of Horror is the new full-length by ACHERON’s VINCENT CROWLEY. It will be released through Hammerheart Records on February 23, 2024.

Anti-underground: Repulsive Echo Records and Frost & Fire Records have re-released the I’a Aem’nh S’ha-T’n the 1995 demo of OSCULUM INFAME on CD.

CORROSIVE has a live video for the song The White Witch. It was recorded at a concert in Hannover, Germany in August. The band shall release the complete concert recording in 2024. The track is taken from the band’s Wrath Of The Witch album.

EXODUS’ bassist Jack Gibson will skip the remaining concerts on the group’s U.S. tour due to “a family emergency”. The band has not honoured or respected him by cancelling the concerts. Instead, filling in is Mike Schleibaum of opening act DARKEST HOUR.

Canada-based thrash metal act TRISKELYON has re-signed with Moribund Records for two more albums. The band issued its Artificial Insanity album in September.

DEAD EARTH will release the CD version of its Et Disperdam Illud album through Chaos Records in February. It was released by De:Nihil Records as an LP in 2022. DEAD EARTH features Mathias Kamijo known from ALGAION and HYPOCRISY and has several notable guests like Henke Forss (DAWN), Björn Larsson (MORDBRAND and GOD MACABRE), Kristin Starkey (TEMPERANCE), Thomas Clifford (ABSCESSION and THRONE OF HERESY), Angus Norder (WITCHERY), Kim Arnell (MORIFADE and PRIME CREATION) and leads by Toby Knapp and Chaq Mol (DARK FUNERAL).

Germany-based thrash metal band SMORRAH has a demo called Welcome To Your Nightmare in February. The band is compared to EXHORDER and SEPULTURA.

Australia-based thrash metal group EXECUTUS has a demo called The Black Throne Of Chaos Abandoned.

VIO-LENCE, EXHORDER, DECEASED and MORTAL WOUND are conducting a mini-tour of the USA in April. The first two bands conducted a joint tour recently as well. VIO-LENCE will play its Eternal Nightmare debut album in its entirety.

Original RDP bassist Jarbas “Jabá” Alves died in 2023. He was sixty-years old.

MORTA SKULD will release a new album, entitled Creation Undone, through Peaceville Records on 23.02.2024.

MESSIAH will release a new album, entitled Christus Hypercubus, through High Roller Records in March. It features the band’s newer members Marcus Seebach (vocals) and V.O. Pulver (guitar). A video for the title track is available.

Austria-based metalcore act XENOCRACY has a record called Impermanence through Kvlt Und Kaos Productions. “Each of the 12 tracks on the album presents a narrative rich in literary and cultural references, such as “Vanitas” influenced by German Baroque poetry and “Fireflies” inspired by a Japanese war film.”

DIPYGUS has a self-titled full-length. It shall be released through Memento Mori (CD) and Crypt Of The Wizard (vinyl) on 22.01.2024.

Atmospheric band SLOW has released an album called Abîmes I through Code666.

VLTIMAS has a new album coming through Season Of Mist called Epic in March. The band is Rune Eriksen (ex-MAYHEM), Flo Mounier (CRYPTOPSY) and David Vincent (ex-MORBID ANGEL). The band’s previous record was called Something Wicked Marches In and issued in 2019.

Serbia-based all-girl band NEMESIS has an album called Embrace Reality in January. The original title was Here To Stay, which ended up being a track on the new record.

Groovy metalcore act DEVOLVER has uploaded a song called New Blood, which will also appear on the band’s next release. The band wanted to pay homage to the Guitar Hero video game and added, “We had someone make the Guitar Hero charts for New Blood and Jewels Of The Maw, so if you play Clone Hero on PC you can download and play our songs!”

Colombia-based CERCENATORY will release GoreSphere, its first album in seven years, through Comatose Music on February 16th.

DEFEATED SANITY has signed with Season Of Mist. The band is working with new guitarist Vaughn Stoffey on an album, which will be released in 2024. DEFEATED SANITY will also be playing Maryland Deathfest with label-mates SEVERE TORTURE and BRODEQUIN this year.

Romania-based NECROTUM has an album called Defleshed Exhumation, which will be released through Memento Mori on 22.01.2024.

WHITE DEATH has a video for the song Deathstruction, which is a bonus track on the band’s Iconoclast album. It is out through Werewolf Records. The LP version will follow next year.

Spain-based crust/black metal group SVDESTADA will issue its Candela album in January. The CD and LP editions will be available through Long Legs Long Arms Records and Shove Records respectively.

Thrash metal act SOVEREIGN has a full-length called Altered Realities, which will be out through Dark Descent Records this month.

Black metal band GRAVENOIRE, featuring Maximilien Brigliadori (BÂ’A, DIABLATION and ex-HYRGAL), Emmanuel Zuccaro (BÂ’A, VERFALLEN and ex-HYRGAL), Vicomte Vampyr Arkames (DIABLATION and ex-SETH and AD-INFERNA) and RMS Hreidmarr (GLACIATION, BÂ’A and ex-ANOREXIA NERVOSA and THE CNK), has signed with Season Of Mist. An album is expected in 2024.

GORGUTS has picked up DEVIANT PROCESS’ drummer Michel Bélanger as replacement for Patrice Hamelin who left to take care of his “business.” The band is booked for the Maryland Deathfest this year.

DISBELIEF will release an album called Killing Karma album through Listenable Records in April.

FOETAL JUICE is touring the UK into February. It is in support of the Grotesque album, which is out through Gore House Productions.

BRUJERIA has announced Esto Es Brujeria – European Tour 2024 for June.

Because loyalty, focus and dedication are so last century: COUNTING HOURS, featuring current and former members of SHAPE OF DESPAIR, RAPTURE, IMPALED NAZARENE, COLOSSEUM and THE CHANT, has an album called The Wishing Tomb Through Ardua Music on 23.02.2024. The band has uploaded a song called Timeless Ones in advance.

Another self-cover version release: PUTERAEON has a digital EP called Quindecennial Horror through Emanzipation in March. Among others it contains the first song the band wrote, The Plague.

Doom/noise band LACOLPA has uploaded a song called Larva I. Per the press release it “is a stream of consciousness type of experiment brought to light by sessions of cathartic improvisations.”

NEMOPHILA has announced a new album and it is called Evolve. An advanced slow song is called Odyssey and featured on the advertising for a new animation called Oshiri Tantei, which is a series geared at schoolchildren in Japan.

STAGES OF DECOMPOSITION has uploaded a song called Skid Row Slasher. This track, along with the video, is from the group’s Raptures Of Psychopathy album, which will be released through Gore House Productions in February. The advance song refers to the infamous Skid Row Slasher and the Skid Row Stabber.

Canada-based tech death metal act APOGEAN has a full-length, entitled Cyberstrictive, through The Artisan Era in March. It makes the debut of new vocalist Mac Smith (live vocalist of DECREPIT BIRTH until recently). The advance song Thousand-Yard Glare addresses “the damage of overconsumption and the dangers of desensitization in media. The general populace, on a daily basis, is bombarded with endless electronic stimulus, which drastically affects every aspect of our lives and induces a pseudo-PTSD via photo-radiation.”


Metallian Hard

RAGE announced a new album called Afterlifelines for March 29th, 2024. The double album consisted of 21 songs with different musical approaches: The first CD was called Afterlife and comprised of songs that were recorded as a trio, while the material on Lifelines also included classical orchestral arrangements, The band will tour Canada in the spring before covering Europe and Wacken festival.

Spain-based heavy metal band IN VAIN will release an album called Back To Nowhere through Fighter Records in February. The band was founded in 2003.

Another project: Nuclear Blast has signed CROWNSHIFT. The band is MYGRAIN and DAMNATION PLAN’s Tommy Tuovinen (vocals), CHILDREN OF BODOM and NORTHER’s Daniel Freyberg (guitar), NAILDOWN and NORTHER’s Jukka Koskinen (bass) and drummer Heikki Saari of NAILDOWN and NORTHER. The band insists its music is diverse. An album is expected in 2024.

Another project: WHOM GODS DESTROY, featuring keyboardist Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER), guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (GUNS N' ROSES), singer Dino Jelusick (WHITESNAKE and TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA), bassist Yas Nomura and drummer Bruno Valverde, has signed a deal with InsideOut Music. The band, which has been writing music for the last three years, will issue an album called Insanium in March.

Germany-based thrash metal group BOUNDLESS CHAOS’ debut full length Sinister Upheaval will be released through Dying Victims Productions on January 19th. Malte Gericke (SIJJIN and ex – NECROS CHRISTOS) performs guest vocals to the track Guillotine.

Serbia-based all-girl trio JENNER has an album called Prove Them Wrong through Fighter Records in January. The band is a trio now.

MANTICORA’s next album Mycelium is out through Mighty Music in January. A lyric video for the song Necropolitans created in Unreal Engine has a “Cthuluian” vibe according to the press release.

Sweden-based AXENSTAR has an album called Chapter VIII through Inner Wound Recordings.

To commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Alice In Hell album, ANNIHILATOR will play the entirety of it at Topfest 2024 in Slovakia in June 2024. Original drummer Ray Hartmann will join the band. Original singer Randy Rampage is dead and the band will be fronted by Stu Block.

METAL CHURCH will tour Canada and the USA in March.

After ten years of absence in that country, MANOWAR announced a concert at Kings Theatre New York City in the USA for November 30th 2024. The date is the 40th anniversary of the Sign Of The Hammer record.

RIOT V will release a new album, entitled Mean Streets, through Atomic Fire Records in February. A lyric video for the song High Noon is available now.

JOURNEY and DEF LEPPARD will tour the USA next summer. HEART, CHEAP TRICK or STEVE MILLER BAND will open select concerts. There is a concert in Toronto, Canada as well.

ZZ TOP will tour Europe in the summer.

Gibson guitar has launched the GIBSON BAND, which is supposed to feature a revolving line-up of musicians that use their guitars. A lyric video for the GIBSON BAND's first single, Deconstruction, which was co-written by Serj Tankian of SYSTEM OF A DOWN and Cesar Gueikian CEO of Gibson, and also features Tony Iommi of BLACK SABBATH on guitar is available now. The proceeds will go to Armenia Fund's Artsakh Refugee Initiative.

Season Of Mist’s PONTE DEL DIAVOLO will release its debut album, Fire Blades From The Tomb, on 16.02.2024. Metal fans have been cautioned that it includes darkwave material.

VOIVOD and PRONG will tour the USA in February and March. There is a Canadian date in Vancouver, Canada as well.

THRONE OF THORNS is a new band featuring singer Josey Hindrix of OSTROGOTH. The act’s full-length album Converging Parallel Worlds is out through Rock Of Angels in February.

ARMORED SAINT has announced it will tour Europe and also appear at the Wacken, Alcatraz, Rock Of Ages, Brutal Assault and Rockstadt Extreme festivals in Europe in July and August of this year.

THE RESILIENT DREAM PROJECT, a project led by Chilean guitarist and keyboardist Iván Ramírez (ex-CRYSTAL SOUL and ex-MAGNALUCIUS), presents Hikikomori. It is a song lasting more than 25 minutes with thirteen musicians participating.

Tony Clarkin, guitarist and main songwriter for MAGNUM, has been diagnosed with a rare and incurable spinal condition, forcing the band to cancel its spring 2024 tour. He will undergo treatment, but the disease is degenerative.

SHOK PARIS guitarist Ken Erb died in November.

SCARELIGHT, the new band from ex-EMERALD SUN singer Jimmy Santrazami, has a debut single called Scream Out Loud. Originally composed by SCARELIGHT vocalist Jimmy Santrazami and guitarist Johnie Athanasiadis when the pair worked together in EMERALD SUN, Scream Out Loud first appeared on that band’s 2007 album, Escape From Twilight.

USA-based JUDICATOR has a demo called I Am The Void. The band has strangely decided to make a visualizer video of another group’s music, namely a cover version of BLIND GUARDIAN song The Curse of Feanor.

IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson married his fiancée, French fitness instructor Leana Dolci, last month. She is an IRON MAIDEN “super fan” who followed the band from show to show. The two live in Paris.

PAUL DI’ANNO has postponed his Brazilian tour dates and instead opted to reschedule at a time when he can walk again.

KK’S PRIEST, L.A. GUNS and BURNING WITCHES will tour the USA in March.

Label-mates SAXON and URIAH HEEP will tour the USA in the spring. The Hell, Fire & Chaos tour will take place in April, May and June. The two bands are touring Europe with JUDAS PRIEST earlier. SAXON is supporting its Hell, Fire And Damnation album. URIAH HEEP is supporting its Chaos & Colour record.

SEBASTIAN BACH, with former SKID ROW drummer Rob Affuso in tow, has released a single called What Do I Got To Lose? through RPM. The man was also on the American TV program The Masked Singer recently. Bach will commemorate the 35th anniversary of SKID ROW’s debut and self-titled album by performing it in its entirety at select gigs in 2024. He is also booked for South America.

SKID ROW cancelled several concerts in the USA due to flu among members in December.

The Isle Of Man's progressive act AEONS has signed with Sliptrick Records for the release of an album called The Ghosts Of What We Knew. It is the follow-up to Consequences and due this year.

SUPER MONSTER PARTY has a video for the song Dance Dance Revolution (Till The Death). It is taken from an upcoming demo called Rage Quit. The band focuses on video game characters and features Emilio Martinez, who is the bassist for YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, and Fernando Lemus who drums in LIONS AT THE GATE.

Folk/progressive band BORKNAGAR will release an album, entitled Fall, through Century Media Records on 23.02.2024. The record is based on “the fascination and appreciation of the very outskirts of life,” according to the band. The group returned from a tour of South America recently. A visualizer clip for the song Summits is available now.

TESLA’s Keepin' It Real tour of the USA will begin in January, take a break and continue in March.

SONATA ARCTICA will support its Clear Cold Beyond album with a tour of Finland this March and April. TEMPLE BALLS opens.

RAVEN, VICIOUS RUMORS, LUTHARO and WICKED will tour North America this spring. The opening acts differ based on the city.

Finland-based folk rock act KORPIKLAANI will release a new album, entitled Rankarumpu, through Nuclear Blast on April 5th. The band reports this one to be more uptempo. The rockers will tour the UK with ALESTORM and HEIDEVOLK in February and March, travel to Mexico on April 5 and April 6th and conduct a North American tour with VISIONS OF ATLANTIS and ILLUMISHADE in April and May.

CRIMSON GLORY has a new singer and guitarist and is uploading two new songs. Ben Jackson (guitar), Jeff Lords (bass) and Dana Burnell (drums) are joined by new singer Travis Wills of INFIDEL RISING and guitarist Mark "Borgy" Borgmeyer of THE LOST BOYS. Two new singles, entitled Triskaideka and Indelible Ashes, are out soon. The band will tour Europe late next year. Founding guitarist Jon Drenning reported that his family life prevented him from returning with the fold.

Guitarist Joe Satriani and drummer Jason Bonham will join former VAN HALEN singer Sammy Hagar and bassist Michael Anthony on a US tour playing mostly VAN HALEN songs this summer.

A new festival called Metal Park will take place in Vicenza, Italy from July 6th to July 7th 2024. Bands appearing are BRUCE DICKINSON, EMPEROR, CAVALERA (with a SEPULTURA set), THE DARKNESS, STRATOVARIUS, RICHIE KOTZEN, DARK TRANQUILLITY, MICHAEL MONROE, MOONSPELL and FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE.

APRIL WINE singer and guitarist Myles Goodwyn died on December 3rd. He was 75.

HONEYMOON SUITE will release an album, entitled Alive, through Frontiers Music on 18.02.2024. The band is singer Johnnie Dee, guitarist/keyboardist Derry Grehan, bassist Gary lalonde, drummer Dave Betts and Peter Nunn (keyboards).

Every single band and album on the metal scene is “critically acclaimed” since everyone gives everything a minimum of 7.5/10.


Metallian Demos

LADY AHNABEL - MY TAYLOR IS RICH
A writer and reviewer cannot be blamed for doing research in order to not come across as wrong, foolish or both. It goes without saying that the readers benefit from this. More research could be done regarding Lady Ahnabel, but something tells me that it may lead to an impasse. The question here was whether Lady Ahnabel is serious or the act is pulling the listener’s chain. Could we be victims of a practical joke by this band? Are the music, title, lyrics and artwork of this duo’s second recording whimsical? This seems to be a joke all around.
Early signs point at this lady pulling our collective legs. The whole thing seems tongue in cheek. The act is composed of a duo. First, there is the name Lady Ahnabel. Then there is the demo title, which seems jocular in itself, but even if not, it seems to have been confused between ‘taylor’ and ‘tailor!’ Oh là là (or should I say, Oh ly ly?). The cover artwork has a man and a woman (the band members?) missing their feet. Instead of limbs the two are standing on blades attached to where the human foot would have been. An aeroplane is crashing overhead. The ostentatious duo don’t seem to mind or care or even notice. What could it all mean?
The first song is called Norma and begins with a pleasantly melodious Classical intro where the singer attempts to sing with class and in tune. She only half succeeds. The French words come out of her with a sad tone, but is she serious? Her range is so limited that it comes across more as an altar boy or eunuch and less as a glorious cabaret singer attempting a torch song. It definitely is not hard ‘n heavy anyway. The tattooed singer could not pass as classy either. Edith Piaf’s position remains secure! Then the music comes in and is both hard rock and heavy. Get over the mess of a production and it could even be compared to any famous German hard rock act. The guitarist has the looks even if his hair could be hotter if longer. The drum machine is pronounced and there is a synthesizer added to beef up the sound, but the guitarist could riff and solo proper metal and does. The vocalist’s singing on Chimère is embarrassing and the next song Le Petit Monstre De Papa throws away a metal riff to have the singer try to be as poppy and mainstream as possible. What is the vocalist doing singing with that style on top of metal guitars? Are they really earnest? If yes, what is with all the oddball aspects? Is the band self-aware? Did the singer knock on the door of the wrong rehearsal room? Was she looking to join a cabaret band and entered the wrong studio? I just cannot tell. The singer needs to stop pretending she is hard rock or heavy metal. She should also stop pretending that she is a singer. The guitarist needs to choose his partners with some (or any) minimum level of standards and not be content with mixing his metal with the fluff that the singer is practising. You tell me after visiting https://ladyahnabel.wixsite.com/vertuose - Sheila Wes Det