Metallian Heavy

Denmark-based all-girl death/doom metal band KONVENT has signed a deal with Napalm Records. An album is due in 2019.

USA-based black metal band DIVINE ECSTASY’s Strange Passions 12″ MLP/MCD is out through Iron Bonehead on the 10th of August.

Brazil-based thrash metal band CLAUSTROFOBIA has an EP called Swamp Loco.

Chile-based INVOCATION SPELLS’ Spread Cruelty In The Abyss (CD, LP and tape) is out through Hells Headbangers on the 27th of July.

GRAVE has recruited drummer Tomas Lagrén (INTESTINAL).

PRC Music issuing AKELARRE’s Decade Of Desecration CD. The band is based in Mexico.

Inspired by KEEL? The reformed and Finland-based ABHORRENCE has an album called Megalohydrothalassophobic through Svart Records on 14.09.2018.

The demo of 2017 is now out through Redefining Darkness Records: GRAVEN MAUL’s Crushed Skull Moon is now out as a physical release.

RAVENS CREED’s Get Killed Or Try Dying is out through Xtreem Music on the2nd of August.

Canada-based DROID has issued the Terrestrial Mutations LP through Shadow Kingdom on the 10th of August.

Mexico-based thrash metal band CENTAURO has a demo called Daño Colateral. It is being distributed in Mexico by Ablaze Productions.

OXYGEN DESTROYER’s Bestial Manifestations Of Malevolence And Death is out through Redefining Darkness Records the 20th of July. The band is compared to VADER.

Australia-based MONGREL’S CROSS has an album called Psalter Of The Royal Dragon Court through Hells Headbangers on the 3rd of August.

DECAYED has a demo called Of Fire And Evil.

HISS FROM THE MOAT, which was founded by acclaimed drummer James Payne (VITAL REMAINS and HOUR OF PENANCE), has signed with M-Theory Audio. An album is expected in 2019.

AXIS OF DESPAIR will issue its Contempt For Man debut full-length through Southern Lord this month.

REVOCATION will release a new album, called The Outer Ones, through Metal Blade Records on September 28th.

ABHORRENT DEFORMITY’s Slaughter Monolith will be out through Comatose Music on August 3rd.

Germany-based black metal band THE LAST SEED has an album called Hellboy Nihilistische KlangKunst.

OMNIUM GATHERUM will release a new album, called The Burning Cold, through Century Media in August.

AS I LAY DYING has regrouped with its singer who was jailed for hiring a hitman to murder his wife. The line-up again is Tim Lambesis (vocals), Phil Sgrosso and Nick Hipa on guitar, Josh Gilbert on bass and Jordan Mancino on drums.

Sweden-based FUNERAL MIST has an album called Hekatomb through NoEvDia.

The hundredth “progressive” band this week: AETHEREUS’ Absentia album is out through The Artisan Era next month.

Ottawa-based A SCAR FOR THE WICKED (ASFTW) has a new demo called The Unholy out now.

ASTRAY VALLEY’s Unneth album is out through Wormholedeath/The Orchard worldwide after a six-month long delay.

BLASPHAMAGOATACHRIST’s Black Metal Warfare tape is out through Nuclear War Now! Productions.

Horror Pain Gore Death has issued BLASPHEMOUS’ Emerging Through Fire album.

CEMETERY LUST’s Rotting In Piss is out through Hells Headbangers this month.

Australia-based CEMETERY URN has an album called Barbaric Retribution through Hells Headbangers this August.

Riot Ready Records has issued the Class War compilation featuring forty bands and forty tracks.

Japan-based ABIGAIL has a 7” called Far East Black Metal Onslaught through Helldprod Records on the 7th of August.

Norway-based black/death metal band NACHASH will issue an album called Phantasmal Trinunity through Shadow Kingdom on the 10th of August.

Ukraine-based BARKASTH issued its debut album Decaying through Svarga Music last month.

Chicago, USA-based death grind band IMMORTAL BIRD is touring with GLACIAL TOMB.

USA-based COSMOGYRAL has a demo called Behold.

USA-based FORTUNATE FALL has a demo called The Black Party through its own Riot Ready imprint.

Iron Tyrant Records has issued the early MORTUARY DRAPE demos, Necromancy and Doom Return. The band is touring North America.

KREATOR, BLOODBATH and DIMMU BORGOR will tour Europe next December.

DRAGONLORD’s upcoming album, called Dominion, is out through Spinefarm Records in September.

Yet another project: NAPALM DEATH bassist Shane Embury has launched an imprint called Extrinsic Recordings to issue his own projects and recordings. The label’s first release will be BORN TO MURDER THE WORLD’s The Infinite Mirror Of Millennial Narcissism album.

Bassist King Ov Hell has left the ABBATH. The bassist cited the lyrics, which are regarding the notions of psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung and their connection to Christianity, as the reason.

JUNGLE ROT will issue a self-titled album through Victory Records this month.

UK-based CONSECRATION has a demo called Remembrance.

The duo known as ZOMBIEFICATION is issuing Below The Grief Doomentia on the 15th of July.

New Zealand-based DEATHCALL has a demo called Eternal Darkness.

Doom/death metal band DOOMED’s 6 Anti-Odes To Life is out through Solitude Productions.

ILL OMEN’s The Grande Usurper 12″ MLP/MCD is out through Iron Bonehead next month.

OUTLINE’s Fire Whiplash is out through Hells Headbangers this month.

Spain-based AGATHOS has a demo called Nihil Est.

Belgium-based death metal band CARNATION has an album called Chapel Of Abhorrence through Season Of Mist.

Black metal act A.H.P. has an album called Forakt Hat Og Død through Avantgarde Music.

After a decade of absence MONSTROSITY will release a new album, called The Passage Of Existence, through Metal Blade Records on September 7th.

Black metal band PYREFICATIVM has an album called संसार का पथ through Living Temple Records on the 11th of August.

Obscuring Europe 2018 is the monicker for the European tour of DEVANGELIC, ANTROPOFAGUS and RELICS OF HUMANITY this September.

Black metal band SATAN MY MASTER has an album called The King Of Hell Arrives through Helldprod Records.

SYNAPSE DEFECT has announced the Kill With Kindness Tour for this September and October. The band will issue an album called Quantitative Easing this autumn.

Former DEATH, DEICIDE, etc. guitarist Ralph Santolla died on June 6th in Tampa, Florida, USA. He was in a coma after suffering a heart attack on May 30th. He was 51.

ABORTED‘s next album, entitled TerrorVision, will be released through Century Media Records on September 21st.

CONVERGE has an EP, entitled Beautiful Ruin, with material stemming from The Dusk In Us recording sessions.

Brazilian crossover band R.I.V. has a demo called Prog-Core.

Finland-based black metal band MORKETIDA has an album called Panphage Mysticism through Werewolf Records on the 17th of August.

Sweden-based deathrash band MALIGNER has an album called Attraction To Annihilation through Blood Harvest on the 31st of August.

FAUSTCOVEN’s In the Shadow Of Doom album is out through Nuclear War Now! Productions on the 31st of August.

If they had not told us we would have thought they hated doing it. Loud Rage Music has “proudly” signed Ploiesti, Romania-based death metal band SADDAYAH for the release of its Apopheny Of Life debut album.

ELBOW DEEP and THE MENTORS have a split release through Horror Pain Gore Death Productions. It is called Trash Party.

Edmonton, Canada-based thrash metal band TYMO will be performing shows in Alberta this summer in support of the latest demo Purge & Reset.


Metallian Hard

Toronto, Canada-based heavy metal trio AXMINISTER is hitting the road for dates across Southern Ontario in support of The Crucible Of Sin demo.

Described as for fans of WHITESNAKE, VAN HALEN and HAREM SCAREM, Portugal-based hard rockers BARROS have an album called More Humanity Please... through Rockshots Records.

TAD MOROSE’s Chapter X is released through GMR Music.

Norway-based EUNOMIA has an album called The Chronicles Of Eunomia Part 1 through Pride & Joy Music this month.

CANDLEMASS guitarist Mats "Mappe" Björkman missed the Freak Valley Festival in Netphen, Germany on June 1 following a diagnosis of infection at the balance centre of the brain. He was replaced by Marcus Jidell (AVATARIUM, EVERGREY, etc.).

Greece-based heavy/stoner band BEGGARS has released a video for the song Book Of Days. The track is taken from the band’s upcoming album The Day I Lost My Head, which will be released through ROAR on August 10th.

Sliptrick has signed Australia-based hard rock band 4 WALL CIRCUS. An album is due this year.

Germany-based hard rock band DEVICIOUS will issue Never Say Never through Pride & Joy Music on 24th August.

WITCHFYRE’s Grimorium Verum album is out through Fighter Records on the 8th of August. The band is based in Spain.

DESTRUCTION frontman Schmier has left PÄNZER. He apparently wants to focus on his main band.

CRYSTAL VIPER has an EP entitled At The Edge Of Time through AFM Records.

U.D.O. will release a new album, called Steelfactory, through AFM in late August. Guitarist Stefan Kaufmann has rejoined UDO in time for the European summer festival season.

KINGDOM COME will tour the US this September and October to mark the thirtieth anniversary of its debut album. Strangely singer Keith St. John of LYNCH MOB is fronting the band and Lenny Wolf will be absent!

Metal Blade will issue SATAN’s Cruel Magic in September.

GREAT LEAP SKYWARD’s Map Of Broken Dreams is out through Metalapolis on the 31st of August. The band decided to relaunch with a new name following the release of KNIGHTMARE's In Death’s Shadow in 2014 and the departure of the act’s vocalist in 2015.

Former PANTERA drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott suffered a heart attack and died at his house in Las Vegas on June 22nd. He will be buried in a Kiss Kasket, which is part of the extensive merchandise of vendors KISS.

KISS will begin a world tour in 2019 that the members believe will continue for three years.

Spain-based doom metal band FUNERAL SUN has an album called The Dragging through Godbox Records. The band’s monicker is inspired by a CATHEDRAL song. The label has also issued ÓSSERP’s Al Meu Pas S'alça La Mort (death/grind/black metal from Spain).

VOIVOD will release their new studio album The Wake through Century Media Records in September.

Japan-based metal band CROSSFAITH will release its new album, Ex_Machina, on August 3.

ENSLAVED and HIGH ON FIRE will tour Europe this September.

Very early singer Dennis Willcock is suing IRON MAIDEN for using the lyrics he wrote without attribution. The man who fronted the band from 1976 to 1978 cites Prowler, Charlotte The Harlot, Prodigal Son and The Phantom Of The Opera as lyrics he contributed. Brian Quinn, a.k.a Brian Ingham, of BECKETT has also won his case for the lyrics to the song Hallowed Be Thy Name.

UK-based heavy metal band SERPENTS KISS shall release its Dragon Lord this October. Canadian man Nikki Wozzo joined the band on vocals two years ago.

GRAVE DIGGER will release a new album, called The Living Dead, through Napalm Records on September 14th. A tour called Tour Of The Living Dead will begin on January 11th, 2019.

Australia-based hard rock band DIRTY RATS has signed with Sliptrick Records.

JUDAS PRIEST has initiated the Glenn Tipton Parkinson's Foundation following the band’s namesake former guitarist suffering from the disease.

ACCEPT will release a live video, called Symphonic Terror - Live At Wacken 2017, through Nuclear Blast on November 23rd.

Australia-based ESPIONAGE has a demo called Digital Dystopia.

Formed in 2012 Norway's heavy metal act SINSID is issuing its debut demo, Mission From Hell! The demo was recorded and mixed at Studio Borealis in Norway in early 2018 and mastered it with Jaime Gomez at Orgone Studios in the UK.

Switzerland-based hard rock band MAXXWELL shall release a new demo, called Metalized, on September 21st.

AMORPHIS, SOILWORK and NAILED TO OBSCURITY will tour Europe in the first quarter of 2019.

They are ashamed that it is a demo and call it an album, but everyone knows it is just a demo: UK-based UNITRA has a debut demo called Lock Up Your Daughters.

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY will tour the U.K. with ORANGE GOBLIN this October and November.

Italy-based LADY REAPER has signed with Valery Records and issued an album called Mise En Abyme. The band was founded in 2009.

Shadow Kingdom Records has issued POUNDER's debut EP, Faster Than Fire, on 7" vinyl. The band features Matt Harvey's (EXHUMED, GRUESOME, EXPULSION, etc.) bassist Alejandro Corredor (NAUSEA LA and live bassist for VALLENFYRE) met guitarist Tom Draper (ex-ANGEL WITCH and CROWNING GLORY).

USA-based HAUNT will issue an album called Burst Into Flame through Shadow Kingdom on the 10th of August. HAUNT was founded by Trevor William Church who is the son of MONTROSE/SAMMY HAGAR solo bassist Bill "The Electric" Church. The man is also in BEASTMAKER.

MOONSPELL will release Lisboa Under The Spell In August. It was recorded in 2017.

Frontiers Music will release TREAT's new album Tunguska on September 14th.

Poland-based EXLIBRIS has released a demo called Innertia on June 29th.

ULI JON ROTH was forced to postpone his North American tour for June due to visa issues.

Inspired by KEEL? Ian Gillan has reunited with his ‘60s band THE JAVELINS and recorded an album called IAN GILLAN & THE JAVELINS, which will be out next month. The songs stem from the ‘60s.

LEVIATHAN’s Can‘t Be Seen By Looking: Blurring The Lines, Clouding The Truth is out through Stonefellowship Recordings.

Metal Blade Records has signed SKULL PIT featuring Mem V. Stein (EXUMER) and Tatsu Mikami (CHURCH OF MISERY). An album is due this autumn.

Every demo is out by a label again. Every band is “prog” and of course the metal scene is suffering at the hands of the cliché masters.