Metallian Heavy

Canada-based black metal quartet VERGLAS SANGLANT has a demo called Tempête De Tourments.

NERVOSA will issue Perpetual Chaos through Napalm Records in January.

DEATH ANGEL has an EP called Under Pressure. It features both new songs and cover versions.

SCHIZOPHRENIA’s Voices EP was issued early this year through Redefining Darkness Records. The band thrashes.

Colombia-based black metal group BLACK COMMUNION has an album called Miasmic Monstrosity through Dunkelheit Produktionen.

Norway-based black metal act KEISER is issuing Our Wretched Demise through Non Serviam Records this month.

After two albums, Belgium-based symphonic metallers ANWYNN are morphing into INHUMAN. The self-titled album will be released on February 26th 2021.

HERETICAL SECT’s Rapturous Flesh Consumed is out through Redefining Darkness Records on 11.12.2020.

Rome, Italy-based SHORES OF NULL is releasing a single called Beyond The Shores (On Death And Dying) through Spikerot Records on November 27th.

UK-based technical thrash/death metal act BRUTEALLIES has signed a deal with Wormholedeath for the worldwide release of its debut album Ash & Nails this month.

Technical thrash metal act INJECTOR is back with a third album called Hunt Of The Rawhead to be released through Art Gates Records on December 18th.

Very different from all the other bands that are ashamed of their music: Australia-based death metal newcomers ESCARION “proudly” announce the release of a debut full-length demo, Pillars Of The Faith. The demo is scheduled for release on Friday, the 29th of January.

LIE STILL’s Severing The Hands Of Manipulation And Hate is out through Horror Pain Gore Death this month.

The new Belgium-based black metal group SERPENTS OATH has announced its debut album Nihil, which will be released through Soulseller Records on December 4th.

Portugal-based THRASHWALL’s ThrashWall album is out through Firecum Records.

ASPHYX will release its next album, entitled Necroceros, through Century Media Records on 22.01.2021.

Germany-based old-school death metallers DISGUSTING PERVERSION are releasing a debut full-length Eternity Of Death through Black Sunset this month. It was initially a demo.

Belgium-based melodic death metal outfit MORDKAUL has signed with Wormholedeath for the release of its debut album Dress Code: Blood.

Ukraine-based death/doom metal band BEYOND THE CIRCLE has a single and video clip for the song Lost within The stars.

FINAL DAWN has a demo called Minä Olen Pimeys.

Italy-based INTOLERANT will release its debut album Primal Future, through Time To Kill Records on 27.11.2020.

Thrashers SUICIDE OF SOCIETY have a release called War Investment. It is issued through MDD Records and is a compilation of the band’s material to date.

Germany-based ACT OF CREATION (previously E605) has an album called The Uncertain Light through Black Sunset/MDD.

Wolves Of Hades will issue UTHULLUN’s debut album, Dirges For The Void, on vinyl LP format. The record is set to be released on November 13th.

MOSKOWA’s The Man Of The Three Island is a concept album out on Music Records. It was originally released digitally three years ago.

Belgium-based BLEEDSKIN has a demo called Blood Reign.

Brazil-based black/death metal PARADISE IN FLAMES has released its new album Devil’s Collection. The album is digitally distributed by Nuclear Blast’s subsidiary label, Blood Blast Distribution.

Austria-based black/folk metal band PERCHTA has released a video for the song Wåssa, which is a track taken from the band’s debut album Ufång.

Australia-based newcomers IDLE RUIN has a self-titled demo in December.

Doom/death band APATHY NOIR has a demo called The Shipbreaker’s Song. The band is based in Sweden.

Hailing from the Netherlands, doom/noise trio FARER conspire with Tartarus Records and Aesthetic Death to release Monad, the band’s first album on November 20th.

SEPULTURA singer Derrick Green, EXODUS and SLAYER Guitarist Gary Holt and drummer Dave Lombardo have a one-off project called BELOVED GHOULS and a song called Terrorized. The track was produced by Ross Robinson in time for Halloween.

Wormholedeath has uploaded a bunch of ONSETCOLD files it calls Death Blast EP.

Raging Planet has BAS ROTTEN’s grindcore record entitled Surge.

USA-based deathrashers LUNA IN SANGUINEM has a demo called Global Bloodbath. The act claims the concert and digital-only release was issued due to popular demand.

Are other record companies disgusted with the bands they sign? According to the label’s press release, “Season Of Mist are proud to announce” the signing of Belarus-based metal band KHANDRA. The band will release a new record through Underground Activists in 2021.

Spain-based DORMANTH has an album called Complete Downfall through Xtreem Music this September.

Canada-based GREYBEARD has an album called Oracle through Wormholedeath this month.

Vancouver, Canada-based YSGAROTH is releasing its Storm Over a Black Sea demo. Initially, YSGAROTH started as Kurt Steigler’s black metal studio project.


Metallian Hard

SUCCSEXX, a Toronto, Canada-based 80s/90s sleaze metal Band releases Sexx Machine through FnA Records. The band was initially founded in 1987 and featured members of CONEY HATCH, HARLOTT and ARSON.

Sleaze glam band DESPERATION BLVD has a self-titled demo. The release includes a cover of DURAN DURAN’s Hold back The Rain.

Thailand-based heavy metal quartet NACARBIDE has a lyric video for Undisclosed from their second full-length demo. The demo, Iron Lotus, was released earlier this year. It is influenced by Japanese metal, NWOBHM, hair metal and German metal from the 1980s.

EVERY MOTHER'S NIGHTMARE co-founder Jim Phipps has a five-song release with Charlie Bonnet III and THE FOLKIN' GASHOLES, a Nashville rock act that he joined in July of 2020. It's the first studio record Phipps has worked on since 2012's Bush Hawg EP for RCA Records. The first song from the session, entitled Hillbilly Rock Star (2020 Rock Mix), was released to digital sites on November 7th.

Romania-based solo heavy metal act HEAVY HIGHWAY has a single called Twisted Revenge through Loud Rage.

Claudio Ravinale of DISARMONIA MUNDI has yet another band. This one is influenced by ALICE COOPER and IRON MAIDEN. The band is in studio putting the finishing touches on the debut full-length entitled The Ugly Truth, which is expected in 2021 through Rockshots. Leaving So Soon? is the band’s current single.

Eddie Van Halen has died due to cancer. The VAN HALEN guitarist was 65 years old.

JUDAS PRIEST and OZZY OSBOURNE have announced a 2022 tour. No word if these feature actual band members as both groups announced their retirements many moons ago.

One-time AC/DC bassist Paul Matters died in October. He did not play on an album, but toured with the band in support of its debut.

AC/DC has released a single called Shot In The Dark, which is taken from the band's Power Up (a.k.a. PWR/UP) album. The album is out on November 13th. All is forgiven, everyone is friends again, money has to be made and the line-up is Brian Johnson (vocals), Angus Young and Stevie Young (guitar), Cliff Williams (bass) and Phil Rudd on drums. Singer Brian Johnson reports he has circumvented his hearing loss. AC/DC’s new album, Power Up, in the meantime features the contribution of Stevie young on second guitar beside Angus Young.

Italy-based progressive metallers OCEANA, featuring NOVEMBRE's guitarist Massimiliano Pagliuso, has announced that they have signed to the Italian label Time To Kill Records for the release of their first album, The Pattern.

Britain-based stoner band ELEPHANT TREE has a live full-length called Day Of Doom Live through Magnetic Eye Records on December 11th.

FATES WARNING will release its new album, Long Day Good Night, through Metal Blade Records on November 6th.

The Supreme Court Of The United States of America has declined to hear the copyright dispute over LED ZEPPELIN's Stairway To Heaven song and whether it was a rip-off of SPIRIT's song Taurus. As such, LED ZEPPELIN has won the case given it is the most recent victor.

Venezuela-native LYONEN, which is a solo project, has a demo called This is Lyonen since 13.09.2020.

Iceland-based FORTÍÐ has signed a multi-album deal with Prophecy Productions. The first release will be the Icelanders' sixth full-length later this year.

MIDNIGHT GALLOWS has its doomy Attack Warning Red album issued through Wasted Wax Records.

SOILWORK will release a new EP, entitled A Whisp Of The Atlantic, through Nuclear Blast on 04.12.2020.

Italy-based SICK SOCIETY has a demo called URNØ1.

MORDRED has signed with M-Theory Audio. The group will release The Dark Parade, which is its first full-length record in more than two decades, in the spring of 2021.

Faroe Islands-based metal band ASYLLEX has a demo called Ephemeros.

MAGNUM will issue an album replete with rare tracks and special cuts called Dance Of The Black Tattoo in January.

They mean ‘Rocking Engine’ Ottawa-Canada-based ROCKIN' ENGINE’s new demo The Wretched And The Damned is available. This is a follow-up to the 2019 demo Midnight Road Rage.

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Metallian Demos

NEW CLUE - MYSTIC WINDS
Neil Whittington and friends existed as No Clue in the late 80s and early 90s. Their tale of almost getting big but being sidetracked by bad luck and member changes is a small side note in music history. Years later Whittington, Brian Dickinson and Joe Cetrone re-found each other while living on the east coast of the United States and with the addition of Will Gould Jr set about New Clue. This four song EP is their first foray back into hard rock. The opening title track features Whittington's screams dominating a low key kind of an intro. Hail To The King (Henry VIII) is more standard hard rock. The era of the band's first incarnation is a heavy influence. The somewhat bluesy tone matches the late 80s well and would work better when the types of Cinderella and Guns N Roses were at their height. Homeless feels more controlled and the lyrical theme contributes to add a measure of catchiness. Illustrious Youth falls somewhere in between. Will Gould Jr showcases his guitar skills a bit more and the band create a solid rock sound. Some nostalgia at www.newclue.band. – Anna Tergel

NEW CLUE - BLAST FROM THE PAST
Blast From The Past is New Clue's debut full length. It features eight songs plus three live performances most of which were written back in the first, No Clue, era of the band. Rippoff (sic) starts the journey back in time with a hard rock song but one that has more of an experimental feel to it. It doesn't feel like pure hard rock. The listener can hear more of Whittington's range that is not very far from David Wayne for example. Vampire Blood is one of two new songs, along with Mercy Falls. On evidence of these two songs the band has moved away from the traditional hard rock sound to something less definable. It is perhaps heavy rock with a dose of psychedelia. Shark Infested Waters takes the listener back again. The song is once again standard with a ballad like feel. I Won't Be The Fool is a full blown ballad. Rags To Riches is a sometimes catchy toned down song featuring more Whittington screams. Spiders tries more pace but the band seem to resist and constrain themselves. The end result is not straight hard rock. Beauty From Within is again toned down but can't really be called a hard rock ballad. The three live songs are Deadly Play, Spit It Out and Give Me Money. The first, especially, sees the band perhaps not being what one expected. As with the last few songs the band seems to have moved away from the norm in various periods of their existence. Check www.soundcloud.com/newclue. – Anna Tergel