Metallian Heavy

EXCITER will commemorate the fortieth anniversary of its debut album, Heavy Metal Maniac, with a European tour in May and June focusing on that record’s tracks. Opening at various times are ARTILLERY, BLOOD STAR and SCREAMER. EXCITER is beginning the trek with an appearance at Up The Hammers Festival in Greece.

Japan-based DEFILED has an album called The Highest Level through Season Of Mist in late April.

NAPALM DEATH singer Mark “Barney” Greenway broke his right ankle during the band’s European tour in Munich, Germany on February 19th and has been playing concerts seated ever since. This is the second time the man damages his ankle as well.

Spain-based crossover act PNUK has released Goat Civilization, a double-CD containing its first two albums, remastered and sung in English through Rock-CD Records.

Awakening Records has the following releases: ANATHEMATISE’s Bizarre Tales From The Past And The Future. The band is based in China and the record features themes from the Shaw Brothers films. ARROGANT DESTRUKTOR’s Written In Blood From The Blade is a UK-based band with a black metal release. EVILCULT is a black metal act whose album is called The Devil is Always Looking for Souls. Poland-based PANDEMIC was founded in 2015 and has a record called Crooked Mirror. Finally, there is HELLION’s The Magic Within from the Colombia-based group.

Former ARTILLERY drummer Josua Madsen died after being hit by a bus on a dark road near his house in March. He was 45.

Guitarist Jim Durkin of DARK ANGEL died on Wednesday March 8th. He was 58. The man had missed several concerts recently. The band is marching on without him and playing several concerts performing the Darkness Descends album in full.

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES’ singer Mike Muir is releasing a solo record later this year. The material is a mishmash of different styles culled from different acts the man has been in over the years.

Finland-based DAMAGE SFP has an album called Punished By The System through Samsara Records. The band’s previous incarnation was called DAMAGE and had interest from Noise Records in the 1990s based on its 1993 demo.

HELL FREEZES OVER singer Treble Gainer was part of a session jam with Mantas of VENOM INC.and Dave Du Fort of ANGEL WITCH in Japan last month. The two visitors were part of an act called DR PHIBES ELECTRIC WIZARDS. EVIL was opening. A previous night had METALUCIFER opening for Mantas playing VENOM tracks.

Singer Jason North of TRUTH CORRODED stepped in for Sean Killian of VIO-LENCE at a concert in Melbourne, Australia on March 11th when the singer could not perform due to illness.

DIMENTIANON has a new album called Chapter VI: Burning Rebirth through Pest Records this month.

Portugal-based crossover band TESTEMUNHAS DE JEOVÁ (‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’) is a project born in September 2019 that is influenced by RDP. Selvajaria Records has issued the group’s Reino De Satã album.

No Life Til Metal Records is releasing AVENGER OF BLOOD‘s latest release, Completely Re-Annihilated. After several years of hiatus, the band reformed once again in 2020 and began re-recording its debut album using the Completely Re-Annihilated title.

Australia-based LIVEWIRE has a demo called Under Attack!. The band has a video for the song called Attack! Attack! Attack!

Season Of Mist has signed PSYGNOSIS. The France-based quartet will release an album this year.

Canadian festival LOUD AS HELL is taking place in Alberta in August. Bands appearing include JUNGLE ROT, NARCOTIC WASTELAND, INCITE, NECRONOMICON, THE CONVALESCENCE, ARRIVAL OF AUTUMN and others. This is the festival’s eleventh edition. Interested acts may go to https://www.loudashell.ca/bands.

OBITUARY has scheduled Barely-A-Live-Stream for April 22nd and April 23rd. The band will perform older favourites on April 22 and songs from the Dying Of Everything album on April 23.

The Garden is the name of HANGING GARDEN’s album through Agonia Records. It was produced by Jussi Hämäläinen (vocals and guitars) and Jarno Hänninen and mixed and mastered by the latter man at D-studio.

Germany-based NECRONOMICON has a video for the song They Lie. It is taken from the Constant To Death album, which will be released through El Puerto Records this month. It was recorded by the band and mixed and mastered by Achim Köhler.

MORBID ANGEL has recruited drummer Charlie Koryn (INCANTATION, FUNEBRARUM, etc.) for the current USA tour. REVOCATION, CRYPTA and SKELETAL REMAINS open. The band’s tour was impacted when a heavy storm in Illinois, USA made the roof of the Apollo Theater collapse between sets following Crypta’s performance. At least one person was killed and dozens were injured and hospitalised.

The Dortmund Deathfest will take place in that city in Germany in August. Bands included are KATAKLYSM, DEICIDE (special Legion album set), I AM MORBID (special Covenant album set), BLOODBATH, DEFLESHED, KRISIUN, VITAL REMAINS, BLOOD RED THRONE, BAEST and others.

Germany-based FIAT NOX’s Opium To Insidious Slumber album is out through Crawling Chaos.

Pagan project UNFELLED, featuring members of WOODS OF DESOLATION, DRUDKH and AUSTERE, has its debut full-length Pall Of Endless Perdition out through Season Of Mist’s Underground Activists imprint.

Denmark-based thrash metal band AVARICE has a single called Between The Trenches through Uprising! Records.The label is issuing the band’s self-titled record this year.

SOLITARY has announced the Thrash Domination European tour with ERADICATOR and a number of other live appearances throughout 2023 including first concerts in Ireland and Germany, as well as returning to The Netherlands where the act played dates on the Diseased Tour Of Society run back in 2017 and 2018.

CADAVERIC CREMATORIUM released an album called Zombology through Punishment 18 Records on 28.04.2023.

Norway-based NEXORUM will release a full-length called Tongue Of Thorns through Non Serviam Records in May.

ABIOTIC has a single called Ocean Of Worldly Suffering, featuring Matt Heafy of TRIVIUM, who will also produce the band’s upcoming EP this year.

TSJUDER has an album called Helvegr, which will be released through Season of Mist on June 23rd. DONARHALL had an album with the same name in 2019.

NERVOSA guitarist Prika Amaral has moved to vocals. To boot, new members are Helena Kotina on guitars, Hel Pyre on bass and Michaela Naydenova on drums. This latest line-up has uploaded a song called Endless Ambition.

Italy-based EXITIUM will be releasing its debut album, entitled Imperitous March For Abysmal Glory, through Time To Kill Records in May. The band was founded in 2021.

USA-based death metal band OLKOTH is releasing At The Eye Of Chaos through Everlasting Spew Records on May 26th. It is the group’s debut record.

PERRACIDE, the solo project of drummer Per Karlsson, is releasing its first song, Horripilation. It is issued by Emanzipation. A full-length is due this summer. Perra is on the drums, Gord Olson (ANGELBLAST and DARKENED) is on vocals and guitars, Jacob Björnfot (THE DUSKFALL and KVAEN) offers a solo and Swedish band KAZJUROL offers backing vocals.

BASTARDI PUTRIDI DI VICENZA or BPVI has a single called Epica Erotica Enotica (‘Epic Erotic feelings’) is the first single of the upcoming album Musica Pessima Per Gente Mediocre (‘Bad Music For Mediocre People’) and out through Sheep United Nations Productions.

After a ten-year hiatus, Italy-based THE END OF SIX THOUSAND YEARS has returned with a self-titled EP, which is slated for release through Hypershape Records on May 18th. The band was founded in 2004 initially, but returned from a hiatus in 2020.

Italy-based deathrash metal group EXTINCTION has an album called Cryogenesis through Punishment 18 Records.

Iron Bonehead Productions will release Martyrs by Belarus-based PA VESH EN in May.

NECROFIER will be releasing its second full-length, Burning Shadows In The Southern Night through Season Of Mist’s Underground Activists in June. The band has a video for the song Burnt By The Sacred Flame.

USA-based ABADDONIA’s debut demo Dawn Of The Serpent is out now. The band has half a dozen concerts lined up.

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions is issuing EDKH’s debut album Conspirashit. The grindcore band was formed in 2019 and features members of ORBWEAVER and HIBERNUS MORTIS.

Time To Kill Records has signed Poland-based death metal band SHODAN. The band is putting the finishing touches to the new album None Shall Prevail currently, which will be released in 2023.

PANZERCHRIST has a single called Sabbath Of The Rat through Emanzipation Productions. The band is working on a full-length.

PESTILENCE is touring South America on the Testimony Of The Ancients trek.

Piranha Pit Fest in Montreal, Canada will feature RAZOR, WHIPLASH, SKULL FIST and WARSENAL in May.


Metallian Hard

Newfoundland, Canada-based CATEGORY VI has an album called Firecry through Moribund Records. The band features a female singer and celebrated International Women's Day by uploading a song called Valkyries in March. There is a video for the song The Coven.

LOUDNESS’ European tour is cancelled. Citing escalating costs the band has pulled the plug on its European trek this month.

USA-based heavy metal band PRIMAL has an album called Humachine through Roxx Records (CD and vinyl) and No Life ‘Til Metal (vinyl only).

KIX has recruited drummer Matt Starr (MR. BIG, BLACK SWAN, etc.) as Jimmy Chalfant, who collapsed on stage recently, continues with his rehabilitation. The band is part of the Monsters Of Rock cruise next.

Another final tour promise: MR. BIG is touring the world beginning this summer using The Big Finish monicker. Drummer Nick D'Virgilio (SPOCK'S BEARD) is replacing Pat Torpey who died in 2018.

TRIUMPH singer and guitarist Rik Emmett will release a memoir called Lay It On The Line - A Backstage Pass To Rock Star Adventure, Conflict And Triumph through ECW Press in October. The book is named after the band’s successful single.

A BOW WOW show has been announced for August 19th using the BOW WOW G2 monicker. The band intends to perform early material from 1977 and earlier. Opening are CHAR and MURASAKI.

TESLA’s Full Throttle Live! album is out this summer. It was taped at Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, South Dakota, USA last year and features the band’s newer tracks like Time To Rock! as well.

SAXON guitarist Paul Quinn is stepping back from active touring with the band claiming the decision is made in order to avoid seeing his performance suffer after years on the road. He is leaving the door open to recording and playing special concerts with SAXON however. SAXON has cancelled its April South American tour and the Monsters Of Rock cruise. The group cancelled its final four concerts in Germany after vocalist Biff Byford was diagnosed with COVID-19.

NoLifeTilMetal Records is issuing CD and vinyl release of PRIMAL's latest release Humachine. The band is Alberto Zamarbide, former singer of the Argentine bands V8 and LOGOS; Jorge Iacobellis (ex-HIRAX) on drums, and Glenn Rogers (DELIVERANCE and ex-HIRAX) on guitars.

The Spain-based BIFROST has a record called Her Den. It is mixed and mastered at Chromaticity Studio (VHÄLDEMAR, EVIL SEEDS, DORMANTH, RAT-ZINGER, RISE TO FALL, etc.) and has artwork by Samuel Araya (CRADLE OF FILTH, DARK MOOR, etc.). There is a video for the song When It Rains.

SHORES OF NULL is supporting its The Loss Of Beauty album through a tour of Europe with SWALLOW THE SUN and DRACONIAN, AVATARIUM.

Canada-based STRIKER has entered the studio to work on its latest album with producer Josh Schroeder (LORNA SHORE, TALLAH and KING 810). The yet-to-be-titled album follows the band's Strange Love (2022) and Death Wish (2021) singles, which will be included in the record. The forthcoming album will also feature the band's latest addition, old friend and guitarist John Simon Fallon from THE ORDER OF CHAOS. The band is booked for Bloodstock Festival in the UK, Headbangers Open Air in Germany and Hyperspace Metal Festival in Canada.

Israel-based solo act DIE ENTWEIHUNG, which reports it specialises in heavy metal with mid-eastern melodies, has a new demo called Strict Regime Country.

USA-based LEGACY, which is called SACRED SOCIETY today, has re-issued its Stand And Conquer demo of 2003 through Golden Core. The twentieth anniversary edition is remastered and includes an interview with the band in its inlay.

Golden Core has re-issued the rare demo of Germany-based SACRAFICE, entitled The First Experience With The Unknown, from 1984. The band had misspelt its monicker due to inspiration from DEF LEPPARD and LED ZEPPELIN. The releases include live tracks and music by the follow-up band TRANQUILL.

Keyboard-laden band WHYTHRE has a video for the song Scorchbreath from its new demo, Impregnate My Hate, which is out in May.

Denmark-based heavy rock group TIMECHILD has uploaded a song called The Dying Tide, Part III. It is taken from the upcoming Blossom & Plague album, which will be issued through Mighty Music. The band is touring Europe this summer.

Drastic Symphonies is the name of an album where DEF LEPPARD works with UK’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra melding its music with the sound of an orchestra. It is out in May. DEF LEPPARD drummer Rick Allen was outside at the Four Seasons hotel in Fort Lauderdale on Monday March 13th to smoke a cigarette when he was attacked by a crazed 19-year-old who was on a rampage. DEF LEPPARD was in town for a concert. The band and Genesis Publications have issued the biography, DEF LEPPARD, Definitely: The Official Story Of Def Leppard.

Former EIDOLON members brothers Shawn And Glen Drover have a new project called WITHERING SCORN. Former FATES WARNING bassist Joe DiBiase and METALIUM singer Henning Basse are also involved. Shawn is writing songs for the band.

Goth metal band CLOAK has a single called Seven Thunders in advance of its full-length 'Black Flame Eternal'.

Italy-based ELDRITCH has recruited singer Alex Jarusso.

Osaka, Japan-based BLAZE is back with a live album. Blazing Live is out through Captured Records.

Former IRON MAIDEN and current solo singer BLAZE BAYLEY has suffered a heart attack and is recovering. Spring and summer concerts have been cancelled.

PARADISE LOST has made drummer Guido Zima Montanarini a full-time member after road testing him over the past six months.

BAD BONES has a music video for the single Wanderers & Saints in support of its sixth album, Hasta El Final!, which is out through Rockshots Records. The band is composed of singer and guitarist Mekk Borra, singer and bassist Steve Balocco and Lele Balocco.

TRANSPORT LEAGUE has a digital single called Funk Hole through Mighty Music.

Live and touring member Simon Johansson has become SOILWORK’s permanent guitarist. He has been with the band since 2019.

MANTICORA has signed with Mighty Music and is aiming to release a new record in January 2024. The band is playing concerts in Europe currently.

CRIMSON DAWN’s It Came from The Stars album is available through Punishment18 Records.

Australia-based TEMTRIS has a record called Khaos Divine through Wormholedeath. The record is a concept album about a dystopian world and a lead character called Ember.

International group REPTALIEN has a self-titled album through No Life ‘Til Metal Records that was independently issued last year. There is a video for the song Hypocrites. The band features members from REVEREND and ANNIHILATOR.

Formed in January 2022, ATTRACTIVE CHAOS will release its debut demo, The Fire Between Us, on April 12th. The band is composed of Pietro Paolo Lunesu (EVEN FLOW), guitarist Clément Botz (BENEATH MY SINS) and vocalist Emma Elvaston (BENEATH MY SINS). The band is touring with TEMPERANCE and PHANTOM ELITE.

Between March and July GRAND FUNK RAILROAD tours on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of its 1973 We're An American Band song and album. The tour’s monicker is The American Band Tour.

WINGER will issue an album called Seven through Frontiers in May. It is produced by singer Kip Winger. The band has a video for the song Proud Desperado.

Hip hop and industrial band GODFLESH has a full-length called Purge on June 9th. An advance single is called Nero. The band is appearing at Supersonic Festival in England.

DAVE LOMBARDO will release a solo album, entitled Rites Of Percussion, through Ipecac Recordings in May. The music will feature many world instruments.

MEGADETH, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE and ONI will tour Canadian April and May. MEGADETH is using the Crush The World monicker. Former MEGADETH guitarist Jeff Young, who is touring with former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson in KINGS OF THRASH, has called the pandemic a “scamdemic.”

METAL CHURCH will release its latest album Congregation Of Annihilation through its own Rat Pak Records in late May. It is the first record with new singer Marc Lopes (ROSS THE BOSS).

HELSTAR is playing two concerts in Europe including Eindhoven Dynamo on the Black Cathedral tour 2023.

ICED EARTH and its rightist leader are working with ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records now. The band is issuing an EP called Hellraider/I Walk Among You containing live tracks from 2008, former singer Ripper Owens singing older tracks and remixed tracks sung by former singer Matt Barlow.

Lost In Time is the name of the first SCHEITAN track since the release of the Nemesis album on Century Media Records in 1999. The new single delves even deeper into the gothic sound and is dedicated to the people of Ukraine. Sole member Pierre Törnkvist had contemplated releasing the music under a new monicker before realizing that the material is a continuation of the sound from the Nemesis album.

Rocky Shades, who sang for WRATHCHILD and has been gigging as ROCKY SHADES WRATHCHILD has won the rights to the band’s monicker and transforming his act into WRATHCHILD going forward. The glam act is playing a couple of UK shows and has a single called Still Here In The Freak Show.

AVANTASIA is conducting a mini-tour of Mexico. The band is re-releasing a reworked version of its 2008 album, Scarecrow. AVANTASIA plays the Masters Of Rock festival in Argentina and concerts in Brazil and Chile this month.

Wino: The Documentary is a film about Scott "Wino" Weinrich, the singer for SPIRIT CARAVAN, THE OBSESSED, SAINT VITUS and more. It is out on DVD next month.

KISS has an upcoming biopic through Netflix in 2024. It is called Shout It Out Loud and directed by Joachim Rønning.

Former KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent has a listening party for his VINNIE VINCENT INVASION record Judgment Day (Guitarmageddon Pt. I) in Nashville, Tennesses, USA on May 19 and 20. The material is culled from decades of recording and unreleased projects.

GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash and several partners have launched BerserkerGang, a horror film production company. The team’s first film is 2022’s The Breach, which features music from Slash.

Germany-based doom metal group MORIBUND MANTRAS has an album, entitled …Of Fathomless Depths, through Argento Records.It was self-produced.

Formed by the members of acts like POGAVRANJEN, USUD, NAREDNIK LOBANJA I VOD SMRTI and DEFIANT, METUZALEM is a goth/doom band with influences from ANATHEMA and MY DYING BRIDE. The group has a demo called Infra.

UNCHOSEN ONES has a demo called Sorrow Turns To Dust. The band is said to be mixing heavy metal with keyboards. The lyrics are inspired by video games like Elden Ring (Infinite Gear), Castlevania (Kill The Night) and Dark Souls (Ashen Wasteland).

Synchro Anarchy netted VOIVOD a Juno award win in March. Also nominated were CANCER BATS, SKULL FIST, WAKE and GET THE SHOT.

QUEENSRŸCHE's concerts in Houston, Dallas and Midland, Texas were cancelled in March after singer La Torre "lost his voice due to illness.” He has recovered since.

OPETH-influenced goth and progressive band QADMON has a demo called Ghosted. QADMON is a new collaboration between “2 multi-instrumentalists,” Norwegian Kjetil Ottersen and Englishman James Fogarty (OLD FOREST, NATTEHIMMEL and formerly of IN THE WOODS).

The ELEGY line-up of Ian Parry – vocals, Henk Van Der Laars – guitar, Gilbert Pot – guitar and keyboards, Martin Helmantel – bass and drummer Dirk Bruinenberg has reunited for The Reunion Tour. The band has had its albums re-released on picture disc.

Five years after Footprints In The Rock, NWOBHM’s TRESPASS is back with an album entitled Wolf At The Door. The album contains environmental themes and was recorded at Crooks Hall Studio.

Metal Blade Records is publishing a new book by founder Brian Slagel called Swing Of The Blade: More Stories From Metal Blade Records. It is partly a memoir with anecdotes and trivia on bands the man has worked with. The new book, which follows the man’s previous one called For The Sake Of Heaviness, is out in May.

Luciana is the name of a single by LARS ERIC MATTSSON. It is released through the guitarist’s Lion Music.

Paid Meet And Greets are a joke.


Metallian Demos

FUZZ VOYAGE - HEAVY COMPASS
The band pulls off being an instrumental one, but it is a pity that it does not have a vocalist. Not just for the obvious reason, but because the title for the demo is Heavy Compass and the songs are called East Wind, South Side Moss, West Ice Mountain and apparently North Star. The last one is ‘apparently’ because the track is not listed on side A or B! OK, fine, confusion yeah, but anyway the titles would have made for great fantasy story telling. There could have been something mythological there.
As far as what we do get that comes out and collides with our ears this is everything (else) fans could want from the style. The Heavy Compass demo has a begrudging guitar sound that moos like it’s saying, ‘release me please. This hurts.’ Cannot blame the cow, I mean guitar, the music is as large and heavy as the UFO on the cover. Yes, the doom is played with such maximum distortion wah wah wah that the band would be broke if pedal vendors charged by the output instead of by the pedal. Check out East Wind for example. It is longer too so the band would be broke x2. The vocals are more laid back though. It is Kyuss meeting desert rock at the core of the planet. North Star has this big riff crash right at the beginning and then the distortion overload breaks over and the drummer goes wild as the strings wail under pain of torture. West Ice Mountain is an instrumental, ha just kidding, no seriously it is and speeds up a haste like it’s Saint Vitus on speed, which is like saying it’s Saint Vitus on speed on speed.
That is how it goes with the fuzzy guys. Slow, cymbals, heavy stoner fuzz doom as if it’s 1970 channelled through 2023 effects in a haze of laziness with a few bouts of energy. Basically, Blue Cheer meets hell or something. The band gets its names and titles right. I wonder if they have long hair and look good. Here is the band: https://fuzzvoyage.bandcamp.com/album/heavy-compass-demo - Sheila Wes Det