Metallian Heavy

Veteran Ottawa, Canada-based thrash metal band INFRARED has a demo called From The Black Swamp. There is a video for the title track. Singer and guitarist Armin Kamal, guitarist Kirk Gidley, bassist Mike Forbes and drummer Alain Groulx are booked to play in Ottawa in late November.

KREATOR is at Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin, Germany to record a new album. Arthur Rizk, who has worked with a number of mallcore bands previously, is producing.

One Eyed Toad Records is re-issuing HELGRIND’s Insurrection on 22.10.2021. The album is billed as the first writing collaboration between vocalist and bassist Paul Nelson and guitarist Si Ellis.

Poland-based SARMAT has recruited CALM HATCHERY’s bassist Pawel Koreluk into its fold. This makes the band a quartet.

Featuring Oscar Ortega (STRAPPADO, TORTURED etc.), Randy Leung (FACELIFT DEFORMATION) and Juan Pablo Flores (REPTILIUM), CYSTECTOMY has a debut album called Deprive To Hollowness through Comatose Music. The band was founded in 2020.

BEHEMOTH frontman Adam “Nergal” Darski, who was convicted in Poland of offending religious sensibilities after posting photo of a foot stomping on prostitute Mary by a court in Warsaw, has had the conviction overturned upon appeal. The court of appeal opined that fair warning of the content was given. BEHEMOTH played a streamed show in an abandoned church in rural Poland last year. This show is being released as In Absentia Dei by Nuclear Blast in December. This is both a digital release and a 3-LP record.

SUFFOCATION will mark the end of being fronted by singer Frank Mullen with a live album, called Live In North America, which will be issued through Nuclear Blast Records in November.

HYPOCRISY’s next album is called Worship and out on Nuclear Blast Records in late November. It was recorded and mixed at the band’s singer and guitarist Peter Tägtgren’s Abyss Studio.

Austria-based death metal INFECTED CHAOS has a demo called Dead Aesthetics. It was recorded at the band’s own studio.

France-based dark metal band OTARGOS has a new album, entitled Fleshborer Soulflayer, through Xenokorp on 10.12.2021. The album was produced at Vamacara studio (MERCYLESS, SAVAGE ANNIHILATION, etc.) in France. The album marks the recording debut of new drummer Michael Martin (ex-EXOCRINE and ex-FLESHDOLL).

THE AGONIST will release an EP, entitled Days Before The World Wept, through Napalm Records on 15th of October. Days Before The World Wept was produced by Christian Donaldson.

The Italy-based version of BURIAL has an album called Inner Gateways To The Slumbering Equilibrium At The Center Of Cosmos through Everlasting Spew Records on 29th of October. The band is described as death and doom metal.

Indonesia-based PERVERATION has a full-length debut, called Perversion In Manifest Disease through Comatose in November. The duo is drummer/bassist/guitarist Sahrul Ramadhan (ANTHROPOPHAGUS DEPRAVITY, DEPRAVED MURDER, etc.) and vocalist Jossick (INNOCENT DECOMPOSURE, INVIGORATE, etc.).

Japan-based SELF DECONSTRUCTION is releasing a compilation called How Many H8 Can U Feeling? through Shove Records. It features the Superficial, Triad, split with Guevnna and Virtue releases, which are all from 2012 to 2016. The cover artwork parodies BLACK SABBATH’s Heaven And Hell.

Poland-based WINGLESS has an album called Nonconform through Selfmadegod. The package’s layout has been designed by singer Michal Loranc who also works with the likes of BEHEMOTH.

Negra Nit and Vertebrae labels have a vinyl reissue of A Source Of Hollow Essence, EMPTY’s first album, which was released 19 years ago.

HOLY DEATH’s Separate Mind From Flesh is out through Seeing Red Records on 19.10.2021. The band is compared to NAILS.

USA-based solo act SOMNENT will release a second album, called Gardens From Graves, through GS Productions on October 25th.

Avantgarde is issuing OLIO TÄHTIEN TAKANA’s Spectral Katharsis album. The Finland-based band is described as symphonic black metal. The label is also issuing Italy-based symphonic black metal band LYS’ Silent Woods album.

ALL THAT REMAINS cancelled its concerts at the Blue Ridge Rock Festival and the Inkcarceration festival in the USA after one of the members tested positive for COVID-19. ALL THAT REMAINS has also lost bassist of six years Aaron “Bubble” Patrick.

THE LURKING FEAR, the side-project featuring members of AT THE GATES and THE HAUNTED, will release its new album Death, Madness, Horror, Decay, through Century Media Records on 19.11.2021.

Canada-based SNAKEBLADE (a.k.a. Mike Redston) has an upcoming demo called The Curse.

VOIDHRA, the solo act of Chris Horseblood, will release an album called Sorrow Guides US All through Crawling Chas in late October.

The Netherlands-based duo TERDOR has a new album called De Goddeloze Tolgaarder out through Negra Nit of Spain. The album was composed between 2013 and 2020.

USA-based death/grinders FEED THE CORPSES TO THE PIGS has an album called This Insidious Horror through Horror Pain Gore Death.

The North American leg of The Bay Strikes Back Tour with TESTAMENT, EXODUS and DEATH ANGEL has been postponed to 2022 now. The pandemic is to blame.

Jeff Becerra, the singer for POSSESSED, has reported that he walked a few steps with help from new robotic legs.

EXHORDER, PLAGUE YEARS, TAKE OFFENSE and EXTINCTION A.D. will tour the USA in November and December. PLAGUE YEARS is still supporting the 2020 album, Circle Of Darkness.

IMMORTAL BIRD and WITCHING are conducting a mini tour of the USA in November.

France-based AEPHANEMER has a new album, entitled A Dream Of Wilderness, out through Napalm Records on 19.11.2021. The band has a video for the song Panta Rhei. It was mixed by Dan Swano.

SOLITARY has several shows planned. The band is headlining in Edinburgh, playing with ACID REIGN, DAMNATIONS HAMMER and DOG TIRED in Glasgow and appearing at the Hordes Festival where they also played in 2018. The band’s last show was Bloodstock Open Air in 2019.

UNLEASHED has a new album, entitled No Sign Of Life, through Napalm Records on November 12th.

Tom Warrior/Tom Gabriel Fischer was among the recipients of the Swiss Music Prize 2021, which was awarded by the Swiss Federal Office Of Culture in Switzerland in September.

Sweden-based thrash metal band ETERNAL EVIL has an album called The Warriors Awakening Brings The Unholy Slaughter through Redefining Darkness Records on 26th of November.

Exile On Mainstream will issue Haunted, an album from the Germany-based doom/sludge metal quartet CONFUSION MASTER in November.

FUNERAL CHANT will release the Dawn Of Annihilation full-length through Carbonized Records on November 1st. A song called Lucifuge Domain is out now.

Vancouver, Canada-based death metal band ATRÆ BILIS will issue its debut LP, Apexapien, through 20 Buck Spin in early October.

HATE will release a new album, called Rugia, through Metal Blade Records this month. There is a video for the song Resurgence.

GHOUL will release Live In The Flesh opus through Tankcrimes this month. It was recorded live at the Oakland Metro Operahouse in 2018.

NILE has signed a worldwide deal with Napalm Records and working on its next album. The band, INCANTATION, SANGUISUGABOGG and I AM are touring the USA in the winter.

RUDE’s Outer Reaches EP was recorded in 2020 and out through Headsplit and Dawnbreed Records now. It is comprised of six songs including two instrumentals. The closing track Omega was featured on Metal Blade’s Metal Massacre XV, which was released in May.

Another “folk” band! “Folk/death metal act” NIDHOEGGR will issue an album called Arise through Art Gates Records on October 29th.

Los Angeles, California, USA-based death metal band APPARITION has released a song called Nonlocality out now. It is from the debut album Feel from Profound Lore Records, which is out in November.

Death metal band 200 STAB WOUNDS has its debut album, Slave To The Scalpel, out through Maggot Stomp in November. The band has shared the stage with GATECREEPER, SANGUISUGABOGG, DEVOURMENT, INTERNAL BLEEDING, CREEPING DEATH, KNOCKED LOOSE, YEAR OF THE KNIFE and GOD’S HATE. The album contains references to cannibalism.

Florida, USA-based WORM has a new album, called Foreverglade, through 20 Buck Spin. The song Murk Above The Dark Moor is a homage to PARADISE LOST, ANATHEMA and MY DYING BRIDE.

GAAHLS WYRD has an EP called The Humming Mountain through Season Of Mist on 05.11.2021. A track called The Humming Mountain can be heard on the label’s website now.

Portugal-based RUTTENSKALLE will issue Skin Em Alive through Gruesome Records on 31.102.2021. RUTTENSKALLE is a death metal solo act from the Portuguese musician and producer Paulo Soares, which was founded in 2013.

DEAD’s sexy You’ll Never Know Pleasure… album is being re-issued for its 25th anniversary in a remastered format as part of the Xenokorp Kvlt Series in December.

LUCIFUGUM’s Anaphora Lithuactinism album will be available through its own Propaganda imprint on October 14th.

Niagara Falls, Canada-based VARIUS has a demo called Concordance. The band had started as an instrumental act with keyboards.


Metallian Hard

Calgary, Canada-based SYRYN has uploaded a song entitled Madness Becomes Me. The song is a preview for the forthcoming 2022 demo, which follows the band’s 2020 debut, Beyond The Depths.

UK-based industrial doom band SPECTRAL DARKWAVE has a demo called At Outer Dark on October 8th. The band performed at the small stage at Bloodstock 2021.

Norway-based doom metal group FUNERAL will be releasing the Praesentialis In Aeternum album through Season Of Mist on December 10th. The song Ånd features guest vocals from Lars Are Nedland (SOLEFALD/BORKNAGAR).

KIX cancelled two September shows as a band member was afflicted by COVID-19.

MASTODON will release a new album, Hushed And Grim, through Reprise on October 29th. The band has a single and a music video for the song Pushing The Tides. OPETH, MASTODON and ZEAL & ARDOR will tour the USA in November and December.

Finland-based AS I MAY has an album called Karu through Uprising! Records in early 2022. The band has a music video for the song Charged.

BAND-MAID will release a new single entitled Sense on October 27th. This song has been selected as the opening theme for the anime Platinum End, which will debut on TBS in Japan in October.

Sweden-based HOLLOW has an album called Tower through Rockshots Records in late November. The title and the title track speak to a character growing up in isolation in a tower with the only contact being limited to a teacher.

Switzerland-based THOLA’s debut album Somewhere is out through Art Gates Records in November. The title track’s video is available now.

JOE SATRIANI's manager Mick Brigden died due to an accident at home on September 5th. He had previously managed the likes of PETER FRAMPTON and MOUNTAIN.

JUDAS PRIEST has postponed the rest of its Canada/USA 50 Heavy Metal Years tour as guitarist Richie Faulkner had to undergo emergency heart surgery on Monday September 27th. He suffered a heart attack following the band’s concert at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky, USA.

Kyoto, Japan-based ALEISTER has a demo called Bottle Neck through the C.W.Y imprint. The band has been around in one form or another since 1982.

Guitarist Cloudberry has left THE SHEGLAPES as of 30.09.2021. The band is seeking a replacement. A guitarist called Shun will play with the band for the next two shows.

After being booted from MEGADETH for having a video exchange with a fan, bassist Dave Ellefson’s next project is THE LUCID, which is a rock/hard rock band with singer Vinnie Dombroski (SPONGE), guitarist Drew Fortier (BANG TANGO) and drummer Mike Heller (RAVEN and FEAR FACTORY). THE LUCID's debut self-titled album is out now.

Russia-based doom band MEGALITH LEVITATION has an album called Void Psalms through Aesthetic Death (CD), Addicted Label (digital) and Pestis Insaniae Records (cassette).

Hanover, Germany-based “modern metal” band PERSONA has a demo called Animal on 23.10.2021. This is the band’s second full-length.

RAVEN is touring the USA this and next month using the Metal City monicker. The band’s Metal City album was issued in 2020. London, England-based LA Riot Survivor Records is issuing All for Raven - The Tribute. Featuring twelve bands from Europe, USA, Africa, America Latina and Asia, John Gallagher from RAVEN himself appears as guest on vocals with Anthony Drago’s band. Drago owns the label.

SABATON‘s Joakim Brodén and Pär Sundström have been ordered by the Swedish Tax Authority or Skatteverket to pay thousands of dollars in back taxes after being found to have underreported income including from North American tours in 2016 to 2018. The members have claimed the taxation was the responsibility of their accountants and have the option to appeal. The band was part of the now interrupted JUDAS PRIEST tour.

IRON MAIDEN's new album, Senjutsu, has entered the Billboard 200 in the USA at position No. 3. It is the band's highest entry into those charts. IRON MAIDEN’s cohorts at the top of the charts are DRAKE and KANYE WEST.

Athens, Greece-based Goth band W.E.B. has a release called Colosseum through Metal Blade Records on 19.11.2021. The band calls the album its “most metal.”

VARDIS is issuing a live double album called 100 M.P.H.@100 Club in late November. The album is being issued 40 years after the debut live album 100 M.P.H. and was recorded at London, England’s The 100 Club in 2020.

1980’s MANOWAR guitarist Ross "The Boss" criticized his former band-mates and the band by calling them "mediocre” and “fucking pieces of shit" after explaining that, in his opinion, he was pushed out of the band over greed and that the band’s recent music is “terrible.” He subsequently apologized and expressed regret over his words.

OPERUS has a music video for the song Lost from its Score Of Nightmares album, which was released through the German label Pride & Joy Music during June 2020. The band is compared to NIGHTWISH.

A plaque and memorial honouring Eddie Van Halen, the guitarist for VAN HALEN, has been approved for his main town of residence of Pasadena, California. It will be installed near the city’s Civic Auditorium. The Amsterdam, Netherlands-born guitarist died in 2020.

Yet another project: Former ACCEPT members guitarist Herman Frank and singer David Reece have a new project. It is called IRON ALLIES. Other members are bassist Donnie Van Stavern (RIOT) and drummer Francesco Jovino (U.D.O., PRIMAL FEAR, REECE, etc.). Frank and Reece were not in ACCEPT at the same time.

Sweden-based NEKROMANT (formerly SERPENT) will release a new full-length, called Temple Of Haal, through Despotz Records this Winter. A song called Behind The Veil Of Eyes is available now.

A new GUNS N' ROSES single called Hard Skool was released on Friday, September 24th. The track was recorded during the Chinese Democracy period, but did not make that album.

SIGNUM DRACONIS has a video for the song Gate Of Hell (Arrival Of Charon) from its concept album The Divine Comedy: Inferno, which is out through Rockshots in November. The album is inspired by Dante's inferno with Purgatory and Paradise to follow as subsequent albums.

It’s the final tour story again: UFO will embark on its final tour in the summer of 2022 with a final show slated for Athens, Greece for October 29 next year.

CARMEN MAKI & OZ have three shows in Japan in November. The band is playing Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo. Maki and Hachi Kasuga were the founders in 1972. The band’s self-titled debut album was issued in 1975. Carmen Maki returned with a show in October 2018.

India-based KRYPTOS has a new album called Force Of Danger through AFM. There is a video for the song Hot Wired.

Germany-based SCORPIONS will release its Rock Believer album on February 11th. The album’s first single Peacemaker is out on October 21st. The band is booked for six shows in las Vegas, Nevada in March and will tour Europe thereafter with MAMMOTH WVH.

JACK STARR’s BURNING STARR has announced new management by Giles Lavery (GRAHAM BONNET, ALCATRAZZ, DAVID REECE, Louder Than Loud Records, etc.) and will issue an album called Souls Of The Innocent soon.

DREAM THEATER has postponed its North American tour to early 2022 due to the pandemic situation in the USA.

Progressive rock band CYNIC will be releasing a new full-length, entitled Ascension Codes, through Season Of Mist on 26.11.2021. The band is singer and guitarist Paul Masvidal.

Obsesión is the name of a new song and video from Spain-based TÁLESIEN. The track is taken from the band’s upcoming EP through Suspiria Records.

Black is white: a band called ILIOUR GRIFTEN’S HEAVEN DENIES has its the Essence Of Power Pt. 1 (‘Part’ was too long and complicated for the band) released by someone called Elevate Records. The band, which its publicist describes as “combo of Power (sic) Metal (sic) contaminated by progressive, epic, gothic and symphonic influences” features a soprano vocalist called Claudia Corona and a piano player called Gabriels and has a song called… Metal Pride! One cannot make this stuff up.

Following contracting COVID-19, TESLA drummer Troy Luccketta is taking a break from the band in order to spend time with his family and rest. He is replaced by Steve Brown (THE END MACHINE, OLEANDER, RONNIE MONTROSE, etc.) who is the brother of former DOKKEN and TED NUGENT drummer Mick Brown.

Every band that uploads a song onto the web calls it a “single.”