Metallian Heavy

NECRONOMICON’s upcoming album Advent Of The Human God is being released on Season Of Mist on March 18th. The band is from Montreal, Canada.

Melbourne, Australia-based NEKRASOV has closed a four-year gap in albums with the independent release of Negative Temple. It follows the release of the There Is No Other Way EP.

The young Russian thrash metal band POKERFACE will release its first full-length album Divide And Rule on Total Metal Records.

Satanath Records has issued Burden, an album by A THOUSAND SUFFERINGS. The Belgian band has been described as sludge/stoner/doom metal.

Toronto metal band CAYM will be hitting the studio this February and March with Joe Duplantier of GOJIRA to produce a new recording at his Silver Cord Studio in NYC. The new material will be the follow up to the 2013 release From Red To Black.

JACK’s album Neurozis is out through Give Praise Records. The crossover band hails from Hungary.

Chicago’s IMMORTAL BIRD will have its first run of 2016 live shows commence on April 8th in Columbus, Ohio and conclude on April 20th in Lafayette, Indiana.

Relapse Records will issue GADGET’s The Great Destroyer album on March 4th. The band plays grindcore.

BEHEMOTH has announced a tour of North America this spring with openers MYRKUR. The Poles had previously announced that they would play The Satanist album in its entirety.

CANNIBAL CORPSE will be in Europe in April with support from KRISIUN and HIDEOUS DIVINITY.

English thrash metal band ONSLAUGHT will release a new CD/DVD, called Live At The Slaughterhouse, on February 26th through AFM.

Following the departure of Pablo del Sol THYBREATH has found a new guitarist. Morhalo Dima Petrov will tour with the band in support of the Where The Gods Fall album.

AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED’s forthcoming EP is called Arc and will be issued through Relapse.

Algerian metal documentary Highway To Lelahell is a 52 minutes documentary tracing the career of Redouane Aouameur, the “emblematic character of the Algerian metal scene.” He is in LELAHELL. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR1wgJeJ6tA&hl=en&cc_load_policy=1

Brazilian all-woman thrash metal band NERVOSA is in the U.S.A. this month recording its second album. The band is at The Foundation studio in Ashland, Oregon and Norcal Studio with producer Brendan Duffey.

German-based CALIBAN will release a new album, called Gravity, on March 25th through Century Media. It was produced by Benny Richter and guitarist Marc Görtz.

SIX FEET UNDER’s bassist Jeff Hughell is releasing a demo of songs on the Internet called Trinidad Scorpion Hallucinations.

DESTRUCTION will release a new album, called Under Attack, on May 13th through Nuclear Blast.

Los Angeles-based death metal band THE ZENITH PASSAGE, featuring members of THE FACELESS, FALLUJAH and ALL SHALL PERISH, will release its debut full-length on April 15th through Unique Leader Records. Solipsist is set for release on April 15th and examines the idea of solipsism, a philosophical theory that the self is all that can be known to exist, anything else outside of one’s own mind is uncertain.

Edmonton, Canada’s Black Mourning Light Metal Festival, a festival of black, doom, and dark death metal has announced after a successful debut during Halloween 2015 that it will be returning for a 2016 edition set for October 22nd.

The World They Took Over, the new full-length by Icelandic band SHOW ME WOLVES is available through London-based Merdumgiriz Records.

Neil Daniels has a new book called Big 4 Encyclopedia. It is a guide to METALLICA, SLAYER, ANTHRAX and MEGADETH.

ANTHRAX and Anthropology? The Smithsonian’s National Museum Of American History has posted a video of ANTHRAX called How New York of the ’80s Helped Influence Anthrax To Create East Coast Thrash, as part of its Places Of Invention exhibit’s interactive online map.

Philippines’ death metal band COMATOSE has an album called The Ultimate Revenge through Satanath Records. The band was originally called CHURCH BURNER in 2003.

The third VANAGLORIA album is now available through Suspiria Records. Vestigios De Lo Inhumano is described as modern death and thrash metal.

HUMAN DECAY’s Cleptocrazia (Kleptocracy) has been released by Sliptrick Records in April 2015 and will be re-issued in February of 2016 in Europe in CD format. The label has also issued AKHENATEN’s Incantations Through The Gates Of Irkalla album. The American band’s style is described as “black/death metal with Middle Eastern folk Influences.”

Turkish death metal band IN WHITE is entering a studio to record a demo it touts as heavier than its last release. The band has entered a contest to play at Sweden Rock Festival 2016.

BLACK EARTH is a new project featuring former and current members of ARCH ENEMY. The band will be performing music from ARCH ENEMY’s first three albums. A Japanese tour is already booked for May. BLACK EARTH is comprised of singer Johan Liiva, guitarists Michael and Christopher Amott, bassist Sharlee D’Angelo and drummer Daniel Erlandsson.

AMON AMARTH will release its next album, Jomsviking, through Metal Blade in North America and Sony Music internationally. Jomsviking is a concept record about tragedy and revenge. AMON AMARTH will conduct a North American headlining tour this spring. It is set to run from April 7th through May 21st with openers ENTOMBED A.D and EXMORTUS.

THIS ENDING, the Swedish death metal band featuring former AMON AMARTH drummer Fredrik Andersson, has signed a deal with Apostasy Records. The group’s next album, Garden Of Death, will be released in May.

Finnish death metal band GLORIA MORTI will release a new full-length through Willowtip Records on March 18th. It is entitled Kuebiko.

Southern Lord has announced the addition of LIKE RATS to the label and confirmed that the band’s new album will be out in March 2016. Several members of LIKE RATS are also in Chicago-based grindcore band, WEEKEND NACHOS.

New York City-based GERYON is finalizing the band new album, The Wound And The Bow, which will see release in early April through Profound Lore Records.

FROZEN OCEAN’s The Prowess Of Dormition is out this month through Apocalyptic Witchcraft. The Russian band is described as “melodic blackened metal.”

UK crust metal band HELLBASTARD will be touring the USA commencing in Austin, Texas at The Lost Well on February 18th. The band will play nine shows. Support will be provided by WARWOUND and NERVE DAMAGE.

Sludge band GRAVES AT SEA will issue its debut full-length, The Curse That Is, that the band reports was fifteen years in the making because of splits and line-up volatility. The album will see a worldwide release on April 1st through Relapse Records. Two weeks of shows are in the works.

Calgary, Canada-based grindcore band WAKE has completed its next full-length album, Sowing The Seeds Of A Worthless Tomorrow, for a February release through an international alliance of independent labels. The CD is out through Everyday Hate. Canadian and US shows are being undertaken.

Selfmadegod Records has signed Poland’s UNBORN SUFFER and is preparing for the release of the band’s new full-length, Nihilist. The band is influenced by NAPALM DEATH.


Metallian Hard

Frontiers Music will release ROYAL HUNT's new live album, entitled Cargo, on March 18th.

After re-signing with Metal Blade last month CRIMINAL will release its new full-length Fear Itself on March 11th.

THIRD ION, featuring former members of THE DEVIN TOWNSEND BAND and INTO ETERNITY, has lost singer Tyler Gilbert and replaced him with Dave Padden (ex-ANNIHILATOR).

RAFF SANGIORGIO is an Italian guitarist, best known for being the co-founder of GORY BLISTER. The man has a solo record called Rebirth through Sliptrick Records.

Virginia's doom metal band KING GIANT has been confirmed as support to PENTAGRAM on a run of dates in March while also announcing that the vinyl version of the latest album, Black Ocean Waves, is being prepared for release.

ACE FREHLEY has announced a number of US shows for this winter and spring.

LITA FORD will release a new album, called Time Capsule, on April 15th through SPV/Steamhammer.

Metallers Moth's Circle Flight's second full-length album My Entropy is due out on March 1st through logic(il)logic Records. The occasion marks the band’s tenth anniversary.

New Waste is the forthcoming new long player from Vancouver, Canada-based heavy metal/stoner rock band (publicity calls them “alchemists” but there is no indication they studied chemistry) BLACK WIZARD. It is released on February 12th through Listenable Records.

Dutch modern metal band SELFMACHINE will remain part of the Wormholedeath family. The band has signed a new licensing deal with the label and will enter RealSound Studio in Parma to record its next album.

Diamond Prods is issuing NO MAN EYES’ Cosmogony CD. NO MAN EYES is a four-piece from Genoa, Italy. Born in 2011 from the ashes of GRAVEYARD GHOST, the band released its debut CD in 2013. It was entitled Hollow Man and was out through Danish label Mighty Music.

Instrumental tech metal janitors INVOKING THE ABSTRACT has signed to Unique Leader Records for the release of their debut full-length entitled Aural Kaleidoscopes. A release date is unavailable.

Inspired by KEEL? NASTY SAVAGE has reunited and will both record an album and tour. The band is singer Nasty Ronnie, guitarists David Austin and John Mahoney, bassist Fred Dregischan and Greg Gall on drums.

CRADLE OF FILTH has canceled the first four shows of its Inquisitional Torture North American headlining tour due to U.S. visa issues.

Former RAINBOW, WILD HORSES, DIO and GARY MOORE bassist Jimmy Bain died on January 24th. Most recently he was in LAST IN LINE with his former DIO band-mate Vivian Campbell who is currently also in DEF LEPPARD. LAST IN LINE played in Miami, Florida on January 20th and was currently taking part in DEF LEPPARD's Hysteria On The High Seas cruise. Bain was 68. Ironically, DEF LEPPARD singer Joe Elliott was forced to pull out of the band's cruise after coming down with laryngitis. MR BIG’s, LAST IN LINE’s and other singers took over.

MARYSCREEK has a new album called Infinity released through Escape Music. The Swedish band plays hard rock.

Hailing from Turin, Italy, ‘Light and Dark’ metal band MISTEYES has signed a worldwide deal with Canadian label Maple Metal Records to release its debut album Creeping Time on April 8th.

BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler has apologized to former drummer Bill Ward for claiming the band's founding drummer was invited to take part in BLACK SABBATH's final show when he was not. Ward had earlier noted he was not and Butler had contradicted his former band-mate.

Canada’s VESPERIA will be entering Blue Sound & Music Studios in Toronto, Canada this March to record the follow-up to 2015's The Iron Tempests demo. Helming the project will be engineer/producer Russ Mackay (MASTODON, IRON MAIDEN and STYX). The new album will feature several Canadian guest musicians and the art will be created by Juno award-winning artist Hugh Syme (RUSH, NEVERMORE and DREAM THEATER).

IRON MAIDEN will travel to China for the first time in April on The Book Of Souls world tour. The band will be playing at Beijing LeSports Center on April 24th and Shanghai Mercedes-Benz Arena on April 26th. The band will issue a mobile game called Iron Maiden: Legacy Of The Beast this summer through Roadhouse Games.

Demon Records will issue a vinyl box set of SAXON’s nine studio albums, which were recorded between 1991 and 2009. Eagles And Dragons will be released on March 18th.

X JAPAN is recording an as-yet-untitled album and will have the world premiere of its documentary film We Are X take place at the Sundance Film Festival.

Lion Music will issue STRUCTURAL DISORDER's album Distance on February 25th.

Yet another project for Vinny Appice: CLUTCH singer Neil Fallon and Vinny Appice (MASTERS OF CLASSIC ROCK, RESURRECTION KINGS, LAST IN LINE, STEPHANE HONDE, 3 LEGGED DOGG, KILL DEVIL HILL) have a project called DUNSMUIR. Also in the act are guitarist Dave Bone (THE COMPANY BAND) and bassist Brad Davis (FU MANCHU).

Rome’s FUNERAL MANTRA signed a worldwide deal with Sliptrick Records for the release of its album AFTERGLOW, which was issued on December 3rd.

Power metal band ARRAYAN PATH has a new album called Chronicles Of Light through Pitch Black Records. It is the follow-up to 2013’s IV: Stigmata.

SPIRITUAL BEGGARS will release its next album, entitled Sunrise To Sundown, on March 18th through InsideOut Music. Per Wiberg (CANDLEMASS, ex-OPETH.) is still on keyboards.

Guitar player Zakk Wylde will release an album called Book Of Shadows II on April 8th through eOne Music. This is the guitar player’s first solo record since 1996's Book Of Shadows.

MEGADETH’s Dystopia was released on January 22nd through Universal Music Enterprises. It features LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler and ANGRA guitarist Kiko Loureiro. Current MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and former members Jeff Young (guitar) and Jimmy DeGrasso (drums) were on stage for the Bad Motor Scooter finale at the Ronnie Montrose Remembered event on January 23rd in Santa Ana, California.

Former MORBID ANGEL singer and bassist David Vincent has written and is playing live a country song called Buyer Beware.

Italian pomp rockers RHAPSODY OF FIRE will release a studio album, called Into The Legend, on January 15th through AFM Records.

Former LEATHERWOLF members Carey Howe and Geoff Gayer have recruited Wreck Ignition to form an act called HAUNT OF JACKALS. An Album is being recorded by Cameron Webb (MOTÖRHEAD, etc.).

MOTÖRHEAD's most successful song, the title track to 1980’s Ace Of Spades album, has re-entered the U.K. Top 20 following Lemmy Kilmister death from cancer. A group of fans had coordinated the purchase of the song. The band’s last drummer Mikkey Dee has joined an incarnation of THIN LIZZY.

Northern Ireland guitarist ERIC BELL, best known as a founding member and the original guitarist for THIN LIZZY will release a new studio album Exile on February 26th through On The Edge/Cargo Records. A UK tour begins in February. THE ERIC BELL TRIO has confirmed it will play at the Sweden Rock Festival 2016 in June. Exile is the first collection of new material since 2009’s Lonely Nights In London.

MOB RULES will release an album, called Tales From Beyond, on March 18th through Steamhammer. MOB RULES will open for AXEL RUDI PELL on tour this April.

Melbourne, Australia's INVERLOCH, featuring half of DISEMBOWELMENT, has announced its first-ever full-length release. Now INVERLOCH is set to return this March with the Distance | Collapsed full-length debut through Relapse.

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM and SHADOWS FALL drummer Jason has a new funk rock project called COCONUT DONUT.

GUNS N’ ROSES will play two Las Vegas shows on April 8th and 9th before proceeding to California for the Coachella Festival on April 16th and 23rd.

Italian doom metal band GODWATT will release an album called L'Ultimo Sole (‘The Last Sun’) on the 29th February on LP and CD through Jolly Roger Records.

GYGAX, the new act arisen from the ashes of GYPSYHAWK, has an impending Dungeons And Dragons-inspired Critical Hits debut LP through Creator-Destructor Records.

METAL CHURCH will issue the new album XI on March 25 through the Rat Pak imprint. It is produced by the band’s Kurdt Vanderhoof.

DIAMOND HEAD will release a new and self-titled album on March 11th. It features relatively new singer Rasmus Bom Andersen.

Former ANTHRAX guitarist Dan Spitz has joined Don Chaffin of RED LAMB’s VOICES OF EXTREME.

Sweden’s BULLET has signed with SPV. An album is due in 2017.

Candlelight Records has been purchased by Spinefarm/Universal.

CREMATORY will release its next studio album, Monument, on April 15th through Steamhammer/SPV.

MOTLEY CRUE guitarist Mick Mars is working on his solo album with former band singer John Corabi. Singer VINCE NEIL is also working on a record.

Will MOTLEY CRUE ‘return’ this year or next?

TED NUGENT and DAVE MUSTAINE have surely opened their mouths and sought bigoted publicity this month.


Metallian Demos

ODIUM - TERRAFORM
Terraform is the band's third full-length. Odium also released an EP, Glass Barricade, all the way back in 2006. This Canadian quintet starts Terrafom with a calm intro called Odyssey. The harsh or screamed double vocals so over-used in the last decade or so appear soon into the full opener. Feral Inversion also features a good solo. The song moves between the metalcore sound and something more progressive. Centipedes is both heavy and showcases good musicianship with slower melody, but the vocals are as typical or cliché as it can get. Return To Form starts slow as if to remain an intermission but soon jumps into the heavy, the band can be considered technical metal and at points the listener can be transported back to something akin to European or Swedish technical death metal bands of the ‘90s. Delusion starts the same way as the song before it but heavy riffs restart and speed up for an almost full-fledged death metal song and then the (clean) vocals take most of it back. By the time Dead comes along a slow start is expected and it delivers it with some piano. Dead also adds more start-stops to perhaps garner a Fear Factory comparison. The song is saved by the guitars of Bo Louther and Marc Dobson. Failure II and Obsolete follow the same pattern and the clean vocals are still there too. The instrumental The Cell lets the guitarists - including Greg Dawson (who has also mixed and mastered Terraform) on guest solo - shine even more. Redemption features more of the same including of course the clean vocals. The six minute long closer, Displacement Of Hope, starts with a brief new wave keyboard bit. The solo and guitar playing help save it from the keyboards, grunge type middle section and clean vocals ... once again. Check the band at www.facebook.com/odiummusic. – Anna Tergel

SANKTUARY - WINTER'S DOOM
The quartet originally from Canada's north is back for a sophomore full-length. The first review quoted on the band's bio is "It's like a lightweight Havok or Evile". It is doubtful that this is as positive a note as it appears. The seven songs and 33 minutes on Winter's Doom get an ‘80s heavy or power metal start with Space Race. The vocals of Alan Binger make sure memories of early ‘80s power metal flood back, the production and music solidify that same feeling. It is a stretch to call a song like Wild Is The Wind thrash, the song is closer to pure heavy metal than even power metal. Binger does seem to try to let go of the higher pitch and sound more aggressive. Vermin Lord starts more mysteriously and builds into what is the first appearance of anything thrashy on Winter's Doom. It is almost seven minutes of solid but not all out speedy metal. The title track follows and tries to retain the thrash but Sanktuary can't avoid a more melodic side and incorporate less speedy sections. The solos vary in form as well. Open Your Eyes tackles the social and political theme and includes crossover-ish screams too. Corpse Blockade features some of the higher pitch vocals again but otherwise it is a mix of the heavy and thrash but not fully of either. Maximum Authority closes Winter's Doom appealing to the ‘80s thrash fans. Winter's Doom's cover art does the same too. Join the race at www.facebook.com/sanktuarymetal. – Anna Tergel