Metallian Heavy

FALLEN ANGELS will be hitting the road for concerts in Oregon and Washington to promote the release of World In Decay, which was produced by Michael Rosen. The album is set for release on August 4th through Cyberdyne Records.

AKURION is a new Montreal-based project featuring former CRYPTOPSY and NEURAXIS members Mike DiSalvo, Rob Milley, Oli Pinard and Tommy McKinnon. The band is recording.

This August, Maryland-based label Crucial Blast will issue a CD version of the recently released Iron Scorn album by Japanese death/doom duo, LEGION OF ANDROMEDA. It follows its vinyl release in North America by Unholy Anarchy and At War With False Noise in Europe.

Now signed to Wicker Man Recordings, DE PROFUNDIS is releasing an album called Kingdom Of The Blind.

Arisen New Era is the new album by KRONOS, which is out through Unique Leader Records. It was recorded, mixed and mastered by David Potvin at Dome Studios (LYZANXIA, ARCANIA, UNDER THE ABYSS, etc.)

Finland’s crossover quintet FORESEEN HKI is touring the USA on the Helsinki Savagery Over America. FORESEEN HKI’s relentless debut LP, Helsinki Savagery, saw worldwide release through 20 Buck Spin last November.

NYC-based occult metal band TELOCH VOVIN will release a demo called Further Down The Tunnel in the autumn.

Test Your Metal Records has signed Mexican death metal band EVILHEART for the re-release of the 2014 release Quinquaginta. The release is out on September 15th. EVILHEART will also be supporting the release with a cross Canada tour that will kick off in Montreal on September 15th and go West to wrap up in Vancouver on September 26th.

Commemorating its thirtieth anniversary with shows across Canada and the USA this year, ‘80s’ thrashers AGGRESSION have new material and will be releasing a new album entitled Fractured Psyche Demons. The 11-track release will be coming out through Galy Records on August 18th and is the band’s first new album since 1987.

US thrash band VHÖL, which features vocalist Mike Scheidt (YOB), guitarist John Cobbett (HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE, ex-LUDICRA), bassist Sigrid Sheie (HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE, ex-AMBER ASYLUM) and drummer Aesop Dekker (AGALLOCH, WORM OUROBOROS, ex-LUDICRA) will unleash its sophomore full-length Deeper Than Sky this autumn through Profound Lore.

Quebec City-based death metal trio and recent Unique Leader signees, UNBREAKABLE HATRED, will unleash the audio carnage of their forthcoming new full-length next month. Titled Ruins, the eight-track face-breaker was recorded by Chris Donaldson at The Grid Studios.

Art Gates Records’ has signed RAVEN’S GATE. A new album is due this year.

Long Island, NY thrash metal band TO THE PAIN has released its follow-up to 2013’s debut, which is titled 7. It is out through Jukester PR.

REVOCATION will hit the road this autumn on a North American headlining tour. The tour features support from CANNABIS CORPSE, ARCHSPIRE and BLACK FAST and marks REVOCATION’s first headlining tour following the release of the latest album, Deathless.

Infernö Records has issued ELVENSTORM’s Soulreaper MCD. It is described as traditional Teutonic speed metal with female vocals.

Polish death metal quartet OGOTAY’s second album, Dead God’s Prophet, is now out through new home, Selfmadegod Records.

Dutch death thrash band IZEGRIM has entered Soundlodge Studio (GOD DETHRONED, SINISTER,..), the German recording studio owned by Jörg Uken, to begin tracking the follow-up to 2013’s Congress Of The Insane, which is scheduled for an early 2016 release.

INFERNAL MÄJESTY has picked No God as the title for its next album, which is due either in late 2015 or early 2016.

NILE will release a new album, called What Should Not Be Unearthed, on August 28th through Nuclear Blast. It was produced by NILE and mixed by Neil Kernon.

ANTHRAX played the last metal show for Sunset Strip House Of Blues on Wednesday, July 29. The club shuts down on August 7th to make way for a new hotel and retail development.

Vancouver’s SCISSORTOOTH has issued an album called Novagomorrah through Galy Records as of July 28th.

No Temple, the new full-length by Turkish black metal band BLLIIGGHHTTED is now available through London-based Merdumgiriz Records.

ACCURSED SPAWN has announced that bassist Weiyun Lu will be playing his first dates with the band this summer in Ontario and Quebec, Canada including stops at Grind Your Mind Open Air, Trailer Thrash Festival and the third annual Oshawa Deathfest.

Belgian death metal band SERIAL BUTCHER, which features current and former members of ABORTED, EMETH, MOKER, ECTOPIA and more, will issue its first full-length offering in five years this autumn through Unique Leader Records. Titled Brute Force Lobotomy, the follow-up to 2010’s A Crash Course In Cranium Crushing was recorded and mixed by Lander Cluyse.

Demiurge Of Gore Abomination, the new EP from Italian death metal band MINCER is now available through London-based Merdumgiriz Records.

Epilogue Eternal, the new EP from American black metal band SAR NATH is now available through London-based Merdumgiriz Records. As with all work on Merdumgiriz, each Epilogue Eternal Tape is handmade by Emir Togrul (YAYLA, ViRANESiR, BLLiiGGHHTTED) who sprays the discs, cuts and inserts the prints for the jewel case, hand-paints the t-shirts and patches and pretty much makes everything from scratch.

Seattle’s BLACK BREATH has completed its third LP, Slaves Beyond Death, and is preparing the album for worldwide release this September through Southern Lord Recordings. Additionally, the band has been confirmed for the West Coast US alongside GOATSNAKE, BATTALION OF SAINTS and OBLITERATIONS in September as part of a West Coast Southern Lord package tour.

Catholic Dictatorship, the second album from Poland’s grindcore quartet NORYLSK is out now on Selfmadegod Records.

BROKEN HOPE will release a DVD called Live Disease At Brutal Assault on September 18th through Century Media. It was filmed and recorded at the 19th annual Brutal Assault festival in Josefov, Czech Republic on August 8th, 2014.

MASTERS OF METAL, featuring members of AGENT STEEL Juan Garcia, Bernie Versailles, as well as Robert Cardenas and drummer Rigo Amezcua (drums), will release its full-length debut From Worlds Beyond on September 18th through Metalville Records. “Masters Of Metal, Agents of Steel” line stems from AGENT STEEL’s debut album Skeptics Apocalypse.

Self-cover band: GRAVE DIGGER will release a 35th-anniversary album, called Exhumation – The Early Years, on October 23rd. The album will contain re-recorded versions of the band’s “absolute classics with a dynamic and powerful sound of 2015.”

BLOOD EAGLE has asked bassist Mikeal “Gammelfar” Ehlert to leave and replaced him with ex-THE PSYKE PROJECT bass player Jeppe “Panzer” Skouv.

OVERKILL, which recently signed a new worldwide deal with Nuclear Blast, will issue a box set comprised of the band’s later back catalog ueon September 18th. It is entitled Historikill: 1995 – 2007. The package includes several demo tracks.

MEGADETH and LAMB OF GOD will co-headline a UK tour in November. CHILDREN OF BODOM and SYLOSIS will open. LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler will pull double duty on the tour following being recruited by MEGADETH recently.

Newly founded Argento Records has announced the label’s first title, which is Circle Of Molesters by Italian sludge quartet GRIME. Based out of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Argento Records was founded by Michael Bertoldini (THE SECRET) and Clio Leeuwenburgh (Headspin Records).


Metallian Hard

Former ACCEPT and U.D.O. singer Udo Dirkschneider will tour as DIRKSCHNEIDER next year where he will perform ACCEPT songs for the last time before he closes the chapter on those songs for good. ACCEPT, with new singer Mark Tornillo, is continuing on.

SCORPIONS’ Taken By Force and Tokyo Tapes albums will be re-released in November including unreleased tracks.

Singer Jill Janus of HUNTRESS has revealed that she was recently diagnosed with cancer.

QUEENSRŸCHE will release a new album, Condition Hüman, on October 2nd through Century Media. The album was partially recorded at Uberbeatz Studio in Washington with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris.

LOUDNESS played at last Month’s Bang Your Head Festival in Germany.

SAXON drummer Nigel Glockler and METAL CHURCH guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof have announced they will work together in a new project.

UK-based progressive metal outfit OPPOSING MOTION has unveiled the artwork and track listing for the successor to 2013’s debut Laws Of Motion released by Lion Music. This second LP, titled Inertia, will be released early 2016.

Former AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd has been sentenced to eight months of home detention after pleading guilty to charges of threatening to kill and possession of drugs. He was originally facing heavier sentences. The drummer threatened a former employee and apparently attempted to hire someone to kill the man. AC/DC has re-hired Chris Slade to drum. Rudd was subsequently arrested again for breaching his home detention conditions.

RED DRAGON CARTEL has recruited former JONES STREET singer Shawn Crosby to sing for the group for its upcoming shows.

GOJIRA “postponed” three European shows after the mother of the band's guitarist Joseph Duplantier and drummer Mario Duplantier died last month.

Following recent musings by former RAINBOW singer Joe Lynn Turner that he and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore may reunite in 2016 for a string of RAINBOW shows, the former RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE guitarist has confirmed his inclination to play rock music again. In an interview with Le Parisien, the current guitarist for BLACMORE’S NIGHT qualified the plans as tentative, however, and added the personnel involved are unclear and may exclude Turner. In other news, HEC Enterprises and Deep Purple (Overseas) are being sued by Blackmore who is alleging the royalty and publishing companies have underpaid him due royalties for his DEEP PURPLE work. The other former DEEP PURPLE members had won damages a decade earlier.

SPIRITUAL BEGGARS has written fifteen new songs and will record a new album next month.

Following the success of a recent South American tour, British heavy metal band SATAN will release its new studio album this October through Listenable Records. Titled Atom By Atom, the ten-track album was recorded at Newcastle's First Avenue Studio and mixed and mastered by Dario Mollo.

Jolly Roger Records has issued DISTRUZIONE’s self-titled album. This is the group’s comeback record.

JUDAS PRIEST has announced a North American tour beginning in October and ending in November in Halifax, Canada.

20 Buck Spin has signed Portland's NIGHTFELL and is preparing to release the band's Darkness Evermore sophomore LP later this year.

Lars Eric Mattsson's ROADHOUSE has issued an album called Them Changes. The story of ROADHOUSE goes way back to 1983 to 1986 when members Lars, Olle and Micke played together in the band JOE COOL. Lars’ recent album Hot And Able 1983-86 featured the songs written during this period.

Brazilian power metallers HIBRIA’s upcoming fifth and self-titled full-length will be released on Test Your Metal Records for North America on August 7th.

HYPNOTHETICALL has welcomed Davide Pellichero (ex- VAIO ASPIS) as its new singer. Davide is currently working on the new single Awake(ning). The band is still looking for a new keyboard player to complete the line-up.

Guitarist Kevin Estrella’s solo project PYRAMIDS ON MARS has a new demo called Echo Cosmic due out on September 8th.

CREMATORY has filled its guitar gaps by recruiting Tosse Basler (SCAPEGOAT, POISON ASP, AVALANCHE, EVOLUTION, etc.) on and producer Rolf Munkes.

HELLOWEEN has announced that it will play several shows in Canada in February of 2016.

GUNS N' ROSES has lost guitarist D.J. Ashba. The guitarist was in the band for six years and will focus on SIXX: A.M.

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King joined KING DIAMOND on stage on July 25th at the Mansfield, Massachusetts show of Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival to perform the MERCYFUL FATE song Evil.

A three-CD/DVD reissue of the 1997 album A Pleasant Shade Of Gray by FATES WARNING will be made available on October 2nd through Metal Blade.

Rock band GENTLEMANS PISTOLS, which features CARCASS guitarist Bill Steer, has used CARCASS’ deal with the label to also sign with Nuclear Blast. The band's third album, Hustler's Row, will be released later in the year.


Metallian Demos

KYRBGRINDER - CHRONICLES OF A DARK MACHINE
This trio features Johanne James (Threshold) and Chronicles Of A Dark Machine is the band's third album. James takes on the vocals here as well. Karl Groom, of Threshold of course, has taken on production duties for this album. The opener Slipping Away is heavier than might be expected, James' vocals may need a bit of getting used to but the music and production are solid. Towards its end the song suddenly slips (no pun intended) into a brief progressive solo courtesy of Aaron Waddingham. Captain America is next and starts with a thick heavy rock type sound and then moves to a more melodic and catchy sound before switching back. Kill Them All starts a la Tool before becoming heavier and mixing Black Label Society type guitars with a mellower solo and laid back vocals. Egocentric Suicide also showcases the lyrical theme of the album with lines like "Obsessed with possessions, all have reddened with rust". James also shows some of his drumming prowess. Oxygen is not far from a song Living Colour would write. Taking Control lets Dave Lugay come to the fore and show his skills on bass. I Know Why is more mainstream sounding. I Feel Blue is not a highlight song. Take Your Soul is catchier with lyrics that make the listeners curious to follow along and try to understand what James says. The title track finishes this 40 minute album as a one and half minute haunting outro. Reach the band at www.facebook.com/Kyrbgrinder. – Anna Tergel

LUCIFER'S FRIEND - AWAKENING
The Germans were formed in 1970 and were last active in 1994! The band featured and features John Lawton who had a stint in Uriah Heep in the latter part of the ‘70s after leaving Lucifer's Friend. He had returned to the band in the ‘80s. Awakening is a double CD the first of which is a remastered compilation of sorts and the second features four new studio recordings. The ‘70s’ progressive rock sound with organs is apparent in Ride The Sky, the song originally appeared in 1970's Lucifer's Friend. The same is true of In The Time Of Job - originally In The Time Of Job When Mammon Was A Yippie - Keep Going and Toxic Shadows. Burning Ships is from the 1972 album ....Where The Groupies Killed The Blues. Fugitive, Moonshine Rider from 76's Mind Exploding, Dirty Old Town from 74's Banquet, Fire And Rain and Hey Driver from 81's Mean Machine. The song titles and lyrics are often a clear indication of that era. Burning Ships however is more of a ballad and Fugitive and Hey Driver are more accessible.
The four new recordings are Pray, Riding High, Did You Ever and This Road. The band is now a trio with Lawton, Peter Hesslein and Dieter Horns. Pray has a pop feel to it and is catchy. Riding High's main strength is the catchiness once again. The trio has managed to compose, if not very modern sounding, at least four songs that stand on their own as a rock EP in 2015. Become a friend at www.facebook.com/LucifersFriendOfficial. – Anna Tergel

ELDEROTH – MYSTIC
It takes getting a minute-long intro out of the way to hear that Elderoth is a pop pomp rock band akin to a softer Kamelot. First, though, one notes the Oriental notes in the intro Within as well as the mid-CD track Falling Star. The disc is otherwise mostly comprised of Kamelot-lite music played at the wrong speed played by a main man named Collin McGee. Not to suggest Kamelot is right at any speed, but think of the tracks as 45 rpm pop ditties playing at 78 rpm!
Every song starts with a keyboard intro or slow part as a pattern with the exception of Far In The Sea, which is a better song owing to its speed and layered vocals. It is still littered with keyboards however. Indeed, keyboards and synthesizers drown out everything in the mix with the not particularly strong vocals also coming out the winner. The singing sounds like a grown man happily humming songs suited for children at either the play or fair grounds. Then there are the hints and melodies of the Oriental. This Shadow By My Side attempts to go heavier with a guitar riff, but the fantasy sounds and synths do it in. Always Remember, which again goes Oriental, ends the disc with the certainty of ethnic melodies.
Like bands of this ilk Elderoth’s storytelling and singing style and tempo change according to the lyrics somewhat, but at the end of the day this is for fans of the sub-genre and not for heavy metal fans. This is the fallacy of solo acts. There is no objectivity towards the mix and production, and here coupled with the watered down music and vocals damage the release. This band needs a backbone, a singer and a better sound. The band is at http://www.elderoth.com and could be contacted at press@elderoth.com. – Ali “The Metallian”