Metallian Heavy

Canada-based ARCHSPIRE has an album called Relentless Mutation through Season Of Mist.

AT THE GATES has recruited guitarist Jonas Stålhammar (GOD MACABRE/MACABRE END) and will record an album this coming winter.

CANNIBAL CORPSE will release a new album, called Red Before Black, on November 3 through Metal Blade. It follows 2014’s A Skeletal Domain.

NECROFULGURATE’s Putrid Veil is a cassette-only release featuring the band’s demo tracks out through Caverna Abismal this month.

Australia-based thrash metal band MASON has a new demo called Impervious out on October 6th. The band is compared to SODOM.

Chile-based THY SERPENT’S CULT has an album called Supremacy Of Chaos through Ordo MCM.

Italy-based CORPSEFUCKING ART, featuring current and former members of VULVECTOMY, DEVANGELIC, MORBO and SOUTHERN DRINKSTRUCTION, is working on the follow-up to its last album Quel Cimitero Accanto Alla Villa, which was released on Sevared Records in 2014. In the meantime, the band has a new promo track called Satanic Barbecue out through the Indonesian label Brutal Mind.

TROLLECH’s Každý Strom Má Svuj Stín album is out this month through Ketzer Records. The band plays black metal.

France-based black metal band DUN has an album called Hors Du Gouffre through Heathen Tribes.

USA-based PROFUNDUM has an album called Come, Holy Death through Heathen Tribes.

Black speed metal band BREATHING HELL has its debut album, Gospel Of Annihilation, out through Act of Sin Records. The band was founded in 2012 and spent the first three years of its existence writing the material. Founded by Singer and bassist S.H. (DRACONIS INFERNUM, HELLUCINATE, SCALDED INFAMY, etc.) and Triumphator (INFERNAL WAR and ex-THUNDERBOLT), the group also includes second guitarist Ghiulz Borroni (also in BULLDOZER, ANCIENT, ex-FAUST and ex-PROFANATUM) and drummer Daray (also in DIMMU BORGIR, VESANIA, HUNTER, MASACHIST, ex-VADER).

POISON BLOOD is a collaboration between Jenks Miller (HORSEBACK) and Neill Jameson (KRIEG). The black metal duo has a self-titled EP through Relapse.

Russia-based death metal band TOWN TUNDRA has signed a distribution deal with Wormholedeath for the worldwide release of its Misanthropy Never Fails album.

ALTARAGE has an album, called Endinghent, out through Season Of Mist on October 13th.

Belarus-based WOE UNTO ME has an album called Among The Lightened Skies The Voidness Flashed through Solitude Production. The band’s style is death metal.

Canada-based “misogynistic musical” band HIVE has a demo called Fights The Reds and looking for a record deal.

The Netherlands-based thrash metal band HATEMORE has a demo called The Pain Of Loss.

Brazil-based veteran black metal band SODOMA has a video for the song Ramaerata, which was sung in Portuguese. The track is off the latest album Mutapestaminação that was produced by Victor Hugo Targino of VH Records.

There is a new DEMONIAC. This Chile-based band has an album called Intemperance through Witches Brew. The band plays thrash metal since 2011.

Germany-based death metal band MORPHOSYS has an album called The Saw Is Family through Witches Brew.

Austria-based black/thrash metal band TULSADOOM has a split with HELLRAZORS out through Witches Brew. The band has also shot a video.

Bern, Switzerland-based technical death metal outfit SULPHUR SUN is completing working on a new album due soon. As a taster, the band has issued a song called Vitreous.

With Canadian vocalist Adam ‘Greasy’ Benito of Calgary’s TRAIN BIGGER MONKEYS being appointed as EVILHEART‘s new singer, the Mexico-based blackened death metal band has announced a second cross-Canada tour in support of the latest album Quinquaginta, which was re-released in 2015 on Vancouver, Canada-based Test Your Metal Records.

Greece-based black metal band AEOLITH has an album called Remnants Of A Future past through Heathen Tribes.

A new release from Greece-based black metal band NERGAL is now available through Hammer Of Damnation. It is entitled Νυκτα Γεματη Θαματα-Νυκτα Σπαρμενη Μαγια.

The first MCD of Italy-based WIKING1940 is available. It contains 25 minutes of sound of battles in eight tracks by ex-members of VIA DOLOROSA.

Spain-based LAMASTU has an album called Death To All through Heathen Tribes. The label has also released GOAT WAR’s Warwolf, DITHEIST’s Eternity Of Nothingness and SOUL DISSOLUTION’s Pale Distant Light albums.

San Francisco-based LIGHT THIS CITY has announced the band’s recent reformation to record a first new LP in a decade. LIGHT THIS CITY will enter Castle Ultimate Studios with Zack Ohren to record its fifth full-length LP in December. It shall be released next spring through drummer Ben Murray’s Creator-Destructor Records.

Death metal band EMBRYO’s fourth LP is called A Step Beyond Divinity and out on October 27th through AGR.

Inspired by KEEL? Producer Waldemar Sorychta has reformed DESPAIR. MORGOTH’s former singer Marc Grewe is in the line-up now, as is original drummer Markus “Makka” Freiwald and Marius Ickert on bass.

After years of illness Börje “Boss” Forsberg, owner of Black Mark Production and father of BATHORY’s Quorthon, died on September 14th.

Sweden-based LETTERS FROM THE COLONY has signed a deal with Nuclear Blast. The band is recording its debut album, called Vignette, which is due in 2018.

Season Of Mist has signed ABYSMAL DAWN. An album is due in 2018.

SKELETAL REMAINS has signed with Century Media. An album is due in the spring of 2018.

MACHINE HEAD will tour immediately in support of its Catharsis album, which is expected this coming January.

NO RETURN will release a new album, called The Curse Within, through Mighty Music on November 17th.

Groupies ahoy! DECAPITATED has been accused of gang raping a girl on their tour bus’ toilet in Spokane, Washington, USA on August 31st.

NACHTMYSTIUM has signed with Prophecy Productions and has an EP entitled Resilient.

Turkey-based death metal band CARNAC’s Times Undone and France-based thrash metal/stoner group WORSELDER issued its Paradigms Lost album through Sliptrick on September 30th.

Canada-based death metal band AUGURY has signed with The Artisan Era. An album is scheduled for next spring.

No longer on Massacre Records, CORAXO’S upcoming second album, entitled Sol, is out through Snow Wave Records on November 23rd.

Denver, Colorado, USA-based black metal trio SAR ISATUM has a self-titled demo single, which will also appear on a planned full-length. The band is compared to EMPEROR and GORGOROTH.

ALL PIGS MUST DIE has an album called Hostage Animal through Southern Lord.

Aiming to become an annual festival Decimate Metalfest will take place June 7th, 8th and 9th, 2018 at the Nite Owl in Calgary, Canada. The festival is inviting band submissions at https://decimatemf.wixsite.com/decimateme. Decimate Metalfest is the idea of Sloan Voxx of Voxx Promotions.


Metallian Hard

Ottawa-based AUDIOREHAB has a demo called Old School Medicine later this year. The band is compared to AEROSMITH and SAMMY HAGAR.

Toronto-based heavy metal band DECATUR has a debut demo called Badder Than Brooklyn out now. It was produced by Joe Duplantier of GOJIRA. The band is touring Canada.

Nostalgia music, one-off recording and side-project specialist Frontiers Music has signed REVERTIGO featuring singer Mats Levén and Anders Wikström (guitar). The project was completed during the TSO, TREAT and CANDLEMASS members’ time off.

WARLORD has signed with frontiers and will issue an album through the label in 2018.

Italy-based heavy metal band TYTUS is in the studio recording a new album.

Warner Music will release IRON MAIDEN's The Book Of Souls: Live Chapter on November 17th.

VIOLENT DIVINE has an upcoming demo called Louder Than Love out on November 10th. The Sweden-based metal band has chosen a title reminiscent of SOUNDGARDEN.

DIVINITY has recruited second guitarist Gord Olson and is touring.

AEROSMITH has again had to cancel shows this time in South America due to Steven Tyler having "unexpected medical issues." He reportedly had a seizure following a show in Brazil.

ZORNHEYM’s Where Hatred Dwells And Darkness Reigns is out through Non Serviam on September 15.

USA-based MIDNITE HELLION has an album called Condemned To Hell through Witches Brew. The band plays heavy and thrash metal.

Sweden-based AERODYNE has signed with Street Symphonies. The album Breaking Free is due next winter.

Art Gates Records and Millenia Studios have become business partners. The studio has been used by BILLY GIBBONS, PLACIDO DOMINGO and LOS PIRATAS in the past. The first output of the new arrangement is the latest recordings of NOCTEM, [IN MUTE].

Nuclear Blast has signed RIOT V.

ENTROPY guitarist Danny Lauzon returns to E-FORCE for the latter band’s Canadian tour of November and December.

A number of cover versions recorded by MOTÖRHEAD has been compiled and issued as Under Cöver by Silver Lining Music to cash in on the band. The material was already released elsewhere.

Progressive rock band PERFECT BEINGS has signed with InsideOut for the release of an album, which is due in January 2018. The band's line-up features drummer Sean Reinert (ex-CYNIC, DEATH, etc.) now.

There are two new releases out through Arthorium Records. WILD WITCH’s The Offering is a debut that is a rerecording with newer members. GREY WOLF’s The Beginning is a compilation of material culled from the band’s six demos between 2012 and 2013. During this period GREY WOLF was an actual group and not a solo project.

Yet another project: Short-lived ANTHRAX singer Dan Nelson, guitarist Vinnie LaBella (EXHORDER), bassist Jason Viebrooks (GRIP INC. and HEATHEN) and drummer Sasha Horn (FORBIDDEN, HEATHEN, etc. ) have a new group called YEAR OF THE TYRANT. The band is recording a demo.

October 28th is the release date for Sweden-based CHRONUS’ self-titled debut album through Ellefson Music Productions. The band is touring with SOILWORK and THE UNGUIDED.

White metal band LOSTAIR has an album called Ad Jubilaeum through the Christian imprint Revalve Records on October 20.

Sweden-based doom metal band SORCERER will release a new album, called The Crowning Of The Fire King, through Metal Blade Records on October 20th.

FIREBALL MINISTRY next album, called Remember The Story, shall be released through Cleopatra Records on October 6th. The band has a video called The Answer.

ELECTRIC WIZARD will release a new album, called Wizard Bloody Wizard, through Spinefarm on November 10.

Italy-based heavy metal band SERIAL VICE has signed to Sliptrick Records and will issue an EP called Nightmares Come True this month.

Early CORROSION OF CONFORMITY singer Eric Eycke has died.

USA-based power metal band NIVIANE will issue The Druid King through Pitch Black Records on the 3rd of November.

Folk rock posters AMORPHIS has re-signed with Nuclear Blast Records. Interestingly, the band, which decided to sign, expresses its happiness.

Gene Simmons and Ace Frehley formerly of KISS appeared together on September 20th for The Children Matter benefit concert to support the victims of Hurricane Harvey. Simmons subsequently repeated his line that Ace will not rejoin KISS. ACE FREHLEY reunited with former FREHLEY'S COMET members John Regan and Tod Howarth for the songs Rock Soldiers and Cold Gin on September 15 in Poughkeepsie, New York.

US-based REDEMPTION has parted ways with FATES WARNING’s singer Ray Alder and recruited EVERGREY's Tom Englund.

Former AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd’s band has canceled its European tour of this autumn. Ticket sales and an illness are cited.

PINK CREAM 69 will issue an album, called Headstrong, through Frontiers Music on November 10.

Inspired by KEEL? GALACTIC COWBOYS is back and has signed with Mascot. The band's original line-up of singer Ben Huggins, guitarist Dane Sonnier, bassist Monty Colvin and drummer Alan Doss will release its first album in almost two decades, called Long Way Back To The Moon, on November 17th.

After years and years ICE AGE will release a debut album, called Breaking The Ice, through GMR on October 21st. It features new songs and re-recordings.

Inspired by KEEL? HEAVY PETTIN' will regroup for the first time in nearly three decades at the WinterStorm Festival in Ayrshire, Scotland this November.

USA-based funeral doom metal band MESMUR has an album called S through Solitude Production.


Metallian Demos

CRAFTEON - COSMIC REAWAKENING
This Denver, USA-based band's bio mentions HP Lovecraft almost as many times as the band itself and the singer of Crafteon, Lord Mordiggian, is a literature teacher who has decided to channel his fascination (obsession?) with the said writer into a "bardic black metal" project. Cosmic Reawakening is eight songs and over 42 minutes long. The lyrics are meant to remain as true as possible to the work of the aforementioned author and the vocals are simple enough to aid in that. Musically The Outsider starts things off with what could be described as typical Norwegian black metal, indeed Ancient is one possible comparison, no keyboards here however. Sometimes fast sometimes less so with chords familiar to black metal fans. What The Moon Brings continues with the known and expected and once again doesn't insist on including extra instruments or effects, it does 'melodic' black metal well. The Temple is an old school black metal song, bits of Naglfar and Dissection styles pervade. Dagon solidifies this debut, a song with many of the hallmarks of black metal including a simple solo reminiscent of those on the Swedish side of the Atlantic. The Color Out Of Space takes the more mid-tempo riffs route. The White Ship - much like the most of the songs named after a HP Lovecraft work - is again more controlled in pace and includes a Dissection-like slow passage. From Beyond starts off with an acoustic intro ala Annihilator's Crystal Ann befitting a horror tale. The song itself features heavy metal riffing, it is somewhat catchy. It offers the most variation on Cosmic Reawakening. The Whisperer In The Darkness closes the album and acknowledges and reconfirms the heavy influences that have created these songs. Steering clear of the temptation to use non-metal instruments adds to this strong debut by the quartet. Step into the gates at www.facebook.com/crafteon. – Anna Tergel

FS PROJEKT - Various
This review is for Review for The Birth Of The Magus EP, Over The Mountains Cold single, The Elven March single and The Harpy EP.
FS Projekt is a project by Moscow, Russia-based artist Sergei Fomin - aka FS aka Efes - whose main objective is to bring the power back to metal via a 'fantasy metal' effort. The man is keen to emphasize that the project is very much his and all other collaborators are hired to aid in the project. He denies all outside influences, obligations and claims to be wholly free to lay out his vision. FS is also seemingly very prolific but a look at his discography reveals something a bit less. He has no less than eight releases since 2013 but all are singles or EPs. The Birth Of A Magus is a 2013 three song EP. The lyrics are (naturally) Russian. Musically it is perhaps predictable, this is heavy metal or power metal. Simple songs with flashes of musicianship in this first EP. If outside influences are absent it hasn't led to anything groundbreaking in its stead. Over The Mountains Cold is certainly influenced by Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit. The cover and sleeve artwork attest to that. One song which starts with female vocals turns into another simple metal or what that may be termed epic power metal, keyboards take their turn too in this four minutes single. Move one year forward to 2014's The Elven March. This time the singles starts acoustically and proceeds to borrow a bit of Nightwish type arrangement. The song is commercially sound, for the European market. It also features Ann Mishina providing backing or "choir" vocals. 2015's The Harpy is another three-song EP and starts with the heaviest and up tempo guitars yet but features keyboards more prominently as well. Oleg Mishin once again provides the vocals. The second track, Six Strings, is also more straight up heavy metal. The third song, The Crimson Sail, confirms The Harpy to be the most metal of the man's work.
For all the work Fomin has taken up none pop out as spectacular, this is no guitar hero solo effort for example. Delve deeper at www.fsprojekt.com. – Anna Tergel