Metallian Heavy

Canada-based veterans AGGRESSION will release a full-length called From Hell With Hate through Xtreem Music this month. A song called Return Of The Frozen Aggressor is available first.

Edmonton, Canada-based trio RISING SUN will issue a demo called Quest For Absolution in 2023. A song called Archons Of Death is available now. The act came together in 2018.

Black/death metal trio IMPERIAL EXECRATION releases its debut album, Commanding Satan’s Crusades, through Comatose Music on December 9th.

Colombia-based death metal act CASKET GRINDER issued the Sepulchral Trip album through Awakening Records on 31.10.

Canada-based BORN DIVIDED has a video for Human Masquerade, which is off the Impending Doom demo. BORN DIVIDED comes from the remains of BLINDED BY FAITH when Tommy Demers decided to pick up the bass instead of staying solely on vocal. He brought in guitarist Michael Beaudoin, also from BLINDED BY FAITH; guitarist Fred Bedard; drummer Lucas Biron and Maxim Levesque on vocals.

ABORTED has signed a record deal with Nuclear Blast. Guitarist Dan Konradsson (OPHIDIAN I, UNE MISÈRE) has replaced Harrison Patuto in the band. ABORTED, LORNA SHORE, INGESTED, ANGELMAKER and OV SULFUR are touring North America.

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions is issuing SNIPERS OF BABEL new album Gabriel. Hailing from Maryland, USA SNIPERS OF BABEL was conceived in 2016 and is the brainchild of Mike Bossier (MORBIUS and OBLIVION). It goes without saying that Kevin Talley (DYING FETUS, MISERY INDEX, SUFFOCATION, et cetra) is on drums.

Guitarist Anders Björler is back in AT THE GATES after an absence of five years. The band is playing at UK’s Damnation festival and touring with IN FLAMES. The mallcore band IN FLAMES has an album called Foregone through Nuclear Blast in February.

Emanzipation is issuing NERVOCHAOS’ Chthonic Wrath record in January.

DEFLESHED has a full-length, called Grind Over Matter, through Metal Blade Records and a video for the track Heavy Haul. This is the band’s first record in 17 years and follows the act’s reformation in 2021.

Denmark-based black metal band LOTAN has a self-titled debut record through Uprising Records in March.

France-based black metal group IFFERNET has an album called Silences this month. A summary of the list of ‘labels’ involved goes something like this: Vendetta Records, Rope Or Guillotine, Bad Moon Rising, Breathe Plastic Records and La Harelle. The band was founded in 2018 and appeared at Roadburn Festival’s off-program and Icelandic Nordanpaunk Festival.

VARGSHEIM’s, also known for live work with IMPERIUM DEKADENZ, has a new album called In The Tower Of Ivory through Crawling Chaos this month.

STABBING has a full-length debut album, called Extirpated Mortal Process, through Comatose Music on December 9th. The band was founded in 2021.

Citing logistical difficulties following a series of stand-in members VIO-LENCE has parted ways with guitarist Bobby Gustafson.

Thrash and groovy band ELEMENT has signed with No Reentry Records and issued a single entitled Anepsi, which is taken from the album 2198 Secondi Di Odio. The album is to be released on December 15th.

Louisiana, USA-based GAMERRA has a demo called Couillon Death Squad.

CELESTIAL SCOURGE has signed to Time To Kill Records for the release of its debut EP Dimensions Unfurled. CELESTIAL SCOURGE is a death metal band from Norway founded by Stian Gundersen during the pandemic. The band features members from BLOOD RED THRONE, DECEPTION, RUUN and ARVAS. The line-up is Eirik Waadeland – vocals, Hans Jakob Bjørheim and Sindre Wathne Johnsen – guitars, Stian Gundersen – bass and drummer Kristoffer Lunden. The EP’s recording line-up was Eirik Waadeland, Stian Gundersen, Kristoffer Lunden and Sanjay Kumar on session guitars.

DEICIDE is working on and recording a new album that is due in 2023. It is the follow-up to 2018’s Overtures Of Blasphemy.

PYRE released a vinyl edition of its 2014 debut album Human Hecatomb through Dawnbreed Records and Nuclear Winter Records in October.

Deron Miller of WORLD UNDER BLOOD has joined MALEVOLENT CREATION as its newest singer. The band has gone through half a dozen singers. MALEVOLENT CREATION is working on a new album.

Flowing Downward is issuing TRHÄ’s Endlh​​​ë​​​ton​​​ë​​​g, NOSTALGHIA’s Au Milieu De L’hiver and MOURNING BY MORNING’s A Step Away From Light; A Step Into Abyss.

THE WOLVES OF AVALON releases Y Gododdin through Godreah Records on November 25th. The band is described as pagan metal and founded by vocalist and lyricist Metatron (THE MEADS OF ASPHODEL) in 2009.

DARKTHRONE released a new album, entitled Astral Fortress, through Peaceville Records. There is a lyric video for the song Caravan Of Broken Ghosts, which was filmed by DARKTHRONE’s Gylve “Fenriz” Nagel.

Bassist David Napier departed from white metal act SYMPHONY OF HEAVEN “after much prayer and consideration” in the summer. The band has been working on material since Napier’s departure. The band announced the introduction of Tyler “Onyx” Brown, formerly of FORTHRIGHT. Brown had previously filled in for the band when Napier was unable to perform due to a medical condition. The group is continuing to work on a next release to be released through the newly acquired Rottweiler Records.

Austria-based crossover formation INSANITY ALERT is re-issuing its second full length Moshburger from 2016 on vinyl and CD through Season Of Mist. There is also a live video for the track Desinfektor, which was shot during the performance at Wacken Open Air in August 2022.

The Netherlands-based duo KNEKELPUT has issued a demo called Teloorgang. The act reports that the members have been playing with one another for two decades and the material stems from 2007.

UK-based HELLFEKTED releases a single called Death Of Iron on November 4th. The band is working on a new full-length.

Spirit Coffin Publishing presents The Waves Have Teeth, the debut demo by Sweden-based death metal act FLOATING, on CD and MC format. The CD version will be released on November 11th, while the tape version will follow on December 16th. FLOATING was founded by Arvid Sjödin and Andreas Hörmark, two Uppsala-based musicians who had met in their formative years as members of death metal band MORBID ILLUSION, in 2021. The two were also in the krautrock project TRÄSKFEBER.

FLESHGORE will release a full-length called Carnival Of Flesh through Xtreem Music on December 20th. A song called Distorted Lights is available now.

Sweden-based grindcore group SICKRECY, featuring members from BIRDFLESH, GENERAL SURGERY and WORLD IN RUINS, issued its debut full-length Salvation Through Tyranny through Selfmadegod Records last month. Eight additional bonus tracks included cover version of INGRON HUTLÖS and D.T.A.L., as well as six tracks from the First World Anxiety EP.

FALL OF SERAPHS has a full-length called From Dust To Creation through Memento Mori.

Spain-based BLEEDING DARKNESS has a demo called Rise Of The Tyrants. After three years of inactivity, the band was resurrected in 2019.

BLACK BEAST has uploaded a song called Night Of The Arctic Darkness. It is from the Arctic Darkness album, which will be released through Primitive Reaction this month.

DEMONICAL has a video for the song Wrathspawn. The song is on the band’s Mass Destroyer album, which is out through Agonia Records

THY CATAFALQUE has a Blu-ray, containing its first live show, which took place at the Fekete Zaj festival in Budapest, Hungary in August 2021. The performance shall be released through Season Of Mist on November 25th.

MYCELIUM has a song called Rosecomb Marauder from its upcoming Mycoticism (Disseminating The Propagules) album, which will be released through Blood Harvest Records this month.

IMMORTAL will release a new album, entitled War Against All, through Nuclear Blast Records in early 2023. The band is promising no surprises.

Norway-based ABYSSIC has a full-length called Brought Forth In Iniquity through Osmose Productions.

Saudi Arabia-based IMMORTAL PAIN played at Comic Con Arabia in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Friday October 21st. Such a performance is considered novel in the country.

Florida, USA-based HIBERNUS MORTIS is back with a song called Enshrined In Spiritual Atrophy. It is taken from The Monoliths Of Cursed Slumber album, which will be released through Blood Harvest Records this month.

Rude Awakening Records is re-releasing Singapore-based EIBON’s 1995 demo, The Garden Of Theophrastus. The band’s 2003 Ineffable Prodigious Odyssey demo is added as a bonus.

Romania-based WARHYMN will release the Cult Of Primordials EP through Loud Rage Music this year. The band was founded as a one-man act by Shavy in 2019, but sports a full line-up now. The EP contains a concept about a civilization.

Ukraine-based REABILITATOR has a lyric video for Holy Lies. The song is on the band’s Mentally Defected album, which will be released through Xtreem Music this month. A song called Deadly Infection was uploaded in advance.

DEIMOS’ DAWN, featuring Marc Grewe (ex – MORGOTH and INSIDIOUS DISEASE) on vocals, has signed a deal with MDD. The band’s debut full-length is due next spring. A lyric video for the track Deathstar Spangled Banner is available now.

Denmark’s Næstved Metalfest will take place in August 2023 and so far GRAVE, ILLDISPOSED and CABAL are among acts appearing.

France-based band EXOCRINE has signed with Season Of Mist. The act was on Unique Leader most recently.

Former CANDLEMASS singer Messiah Marcolin and CANDLEMASS guitarist Mats “Mappe” Björkman joined ANVIL on stage at the Slaktkyrkan venue in Stockholm, Sweden to perform the ANVIL song Metal On Metal last month.

BLOOD OF THE WOLF IV: The Declaration Of War Eternal will be issued through Horror Pain Gore Death this month. The band is compared to BELPHEGOR and VADER.

REBEL SOULS’ Dawn Of Depravity demo is called Blood Fire Death. This death metal band was originally founded in Germany in 2000, but re-formed in Málaga, Spain in 2013.

Japan-based extreme band CHARLOTTE THE HARLOT has an album called Soaks In Curse through Zero Dimensional Records.

Finland-based LOST SOCEITY has an album called If The Sky Came Down through Nuclear Blast.

DISILLUSION has an album called Ayam through Prophecy this month. The act features two new members.

I AM MORBID has parted ways with guitarist Kelly McLauchlin and replaced him with Richie Brown (EXMORTUS and TRIVIUM). The line-up made its debut in Colombia at Grita Fest on 16.102022.

Canada-based NIHILIST DEATH CULT has a demo called Death To All Tyrants in December. Formed by Nick Sagias (TRIBE OF PAZUZU, SOULSTORM, OVERTHROW and ex-PESTILENCE) on bass and vocals and his brother John Sagias on drums (SOULSTORM and ABYSS), the act added guitarist Ethan Bolduc (JAWW and ABYSS). The group has added guitarist Rick Kowalski (SOULSTORM and BOUND BY DEFIANCE) since the recording. The band’s sound is described as “hardcore death punk” and the demo was recorded and mixed by Scott Middleton (ex-CANCER BATS).


Metallian Hard

Rockshot Records has jumped on the re-release trend and is reissuing DISARMONIA MUNDI’s 2004 album, Fragments of D-Generation, on vinyl as part of its new Vinyl Series.

LIV SIN led by SISTER SIN’s tattooed and inked figure Liv Jagrell has released a digital single called Antihero through Mighty Music. It is taken from the band’s forthcoming album. Mighty Music is issuing LIV SIN’s Kali Yuga album in January.

CROM’s The Era Of Darkness is out through From The Vaults in January. It was mixed by V. Santura (DARK FORTRESS and TRYPTIKON). The band features former DARK FORTESS man Walter “Crom” Grosse on vocals, guitar and bass.

Sleazy hard rock band based in Calgary, Canada LŸNX has a video for the song Shake It Up from its forthcoming demo Claws Out. The band was founded in 2020 and released its debut self-titled demo in February 2021. It followed it up by Long Live Rock N Roll through Bullzhorn Records in 2021.

Rockshots Records has signed France-based BLACK HOLE for the release of the Whirlwind Of Mad Men album, which is out on November 11th. The band now has a keyboard man called Christophe. A preview track is called Never Surrender and offers a “Celtic atmosphere that is inspired by the character of Braveheart William Wallace who fought to save his land.”

Richard West of THRESHOLD and his side-project OBLIVION PROTOCOL have signed to Atomic Fire Records. The Fall Of The Shires debut album is a sequel to THRESHOLD’s Legends Of The Shires from 2017. The THRESHOLD members opted not to do a sequel album. The album is expected in 2023.

IN THE WOODS… has a full-length called Diversum through Soulseller Record this month.

L.A. GUNS has announced Black Diamonds as the title for its next record.

RILEY'S L.A. GUNS has a digital single, entitled Overdrive, through Golden Robot Records. The song is taken from the band's second album The Dark Horse, which is due in mid-2023.

SKID ROW roadie Casey Sproatt filled in for guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo at the start of the band’s UK tour following the latter man contracting COVID-19.

LEATHERWOLF’s Kill The Hunted is out through Rock Of Angels this month. It is the band’s first studio album in 15 years.

Former GUNS N’ ROSES drummer Matt Sorum and his super group KINGS OF CHAOS (previously ROCK 'N' ROLL ALL STARS) has signed with AFM Records. A first single and video from KINGS OF CHAOS is called Judgment Day. An album is expected next year.

Singer Alissa White-Gluz of ARCH ENEMY and former ALICE COOPER and current DEMI LOVATO guitarist NITA STRAUSS have collaborated on a song called The Wolf You Feed.

MÖTLEY CRÜE has recruited John 5 of ROB ZOMBIE fame as its new guitarist following Mick Mars's decision to cease touring with the band due to being afflicted by Ankylosing Spondylitis (A.S.), which is a degenerative disease. The band would not contemplate disbanding again. Mars claims to remain in the band as a non-touring member. DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY CRÜE are conducting The World Tour. This tour will take the bands to South America followed by Europe in 2023. MÖTLEY CRÜE has split up twice. The second time with a promise that it is forever.

Rockshots Records has signed pomp rock band HIGHLORD for the release of the new album Freakin' Out Of Hell, which will be released on December 9th. The album has been recorded, mixed, mastered and produced by bass player Massimiliano Flak at Evolution Recording Studio.

POWERWOLF will play its first North American concerts in February. The band will perform in New York City on 23.02.2023 and in Montreal, Canada the day after.

IRON MAIDEN has announced The Future Past Tour for Europe in June and July 2023. The band will perform songs from its latest album, Senjutsu, and 1986’s Somewhere In Time among others. The tour will run into 2024.

Frontiers Music has signed Spain-based progressive metal/pop band AFTER LAPSE and will release the upcoming debut album Face The Storm on December 9th. The act was founded in 2018.

Star Wars-inspired band VIS MYSTICA will issue the Celestial Wisdom EP through Dark Star Records in December. The band is Connor McCray - guitar, bass, keyboards, Devin Dewyer – vocals and Dillon Trollope – drums. The recording features guest appearances by Ty Christian (LORDS OF THE TRIDENT), David Michael Moote (OPERUS) and Jonas Heidgert (DRAGONLAND). It was produced by Chad Anderson (HELION PRIME).

FnA Records is re-releasing two EROTIC SUICIDE albums. Abusement Park and Perseverance are coming again this year.

Solo artist and UFO guitarist Vinnie Moore will release a new record, which is called Double Exposure, through his own Mind's Eye Music imprint this month. Guests include Mike DiMeo, Keith Slack and drummer John Pessoni.

LYNCH MOB, a name retired last year by guitarist George Lynch owing to its negative connotations, was resurrected at the Sugar Creek Casino in Hinton Oklahoma, USA. The guitarist and LYNCH MOB were supporting the guitarist’s former band Dokken. Lynch has been touring as ELECTRC FREEDOM for the last year. The guitarist explains that he cannot get away from the brand and demand for the monicker. The act also performed at this year’s Kiss Kruise.

The Poland-based AIRSTRIKE has a demo called Power In Your Hand. The heavy metal act was established in 2014.

Both former guitarist KK Downing and former drummer Les Binks will join the current members of JUDAS PRIEST on stage for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in Los Angeles, California, USA on November 5th.

Another side-project: Singer Ronnie Romero (RAINBOW), guitarist Richie Faulkner (JUDAS PRIEST), bassist Rex Brown (PANTERA) and drummer Scott Travis also (JUDAS PRIEST) have a project called ELEGANT WEAPONS. The band’s album, Horns For A Halo, was produced by Andy Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST) and due through Nuclear Blast Records in the spring.

After using him as a stand-in for one show while singer Andrew Freeman had a scheduling conflict due to a concert with LAST IN LINE, GREAT WHITE has made vocalist Brett Carlisle permanent. Oddly, GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall explained that the band needs a dedicated singer who is in one band only. LAST IN LINE was founded with Andrew Freeman in 2012. Carlisle is in a band called ALL OR NOTHING. In the meantime, former GREAT WHITE singers Jack Russell And Terry Ilous released a cover Of Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers’ I Won't Back Down.

Royal Australian Mint is commemorating AC/DC’s 50th anniversary with coins featuring guitarist Angus Young.

KISS played a private concert for Philip Morris International, which is a multinational tobacco company, in Austin, Texas, USA on 22.10.2022. Claiming to again be on its final run of concerts, the band organized and was at Kiss Kruise XI between October 24 and November 3rd.

Will it also include information on how vaccines have 5G chips? Metaverse Music Festival (MVMF) 2022 this month features a virtual performance by OZZY OSBOURNE.

Japan-based all girl act NEMOPHILA has an album called Seize The Fate on 14.12.2022. An advance single for the title is available now.

Singer EYE formerly of MARY'S BLOOD has a solo album called Graffiti. Her former bandmate bassist Rio is a guest.

Art Of Melody Music and Burning Minds Music are releasing a lyric video for Once And For All, which is taken from The Golden Cage album by SAINTS TRADE.

17 CRASH has a music video for the song Higher, which is taken from the Stamina album. The record is out through Rockshots Records this month. The glam influenced band was founded by drummer Phil Hill and singer Ros Crash back in 2011.

HOST, an electronica and goth side-project from PARADISE LOST singer Nick Holmes and guitarist Greg Mackintosh, will release its debut album IX through Nuclear Blast Records on 24.03.2023. PARADISE LOST had an album called Host in 1999.

WITCHE’S BREW’s Chronicles Of Electric Sorcery album is out independently. This release was also touted as being issued by Universal Music two years ago. The band was founded in 2007 and has its name inspired by its guitarist, Mirko Witche Bosco.

Australia-based IRONSTONE has a demo called The Place I Cannot Find. The band is described as progressive metal.

Japan-based all-girl band LOVEBITES has welcomed bassist Fami to the family as its newest member. She is a solo artist and a YouTuber.

Singer Akane has left PINKISH CROWN citing musical differences.

LOUDNESS has announced three Japanese concerts for December to commemorate its 40th anniversary a year late. The concerts in Takamatsu, Hiroshima and Tokyo are dubbed 40th Anniversary Japan Circuit 2022 SUNBURST ~ Gamushara Chapter 3. The Tokyo show has LAZY opening.

Italy-based doom act EXPIATORIA has a record called Shadows, which is released on CD by Diamonds Prod and LP by Black Widow Records. The band was founded in the 1980s.

Goth and doom band WHITE MARE has an album called Isle Of Bliss through Negre planY and Symbol Of Domination. Swiss musician D.G. (DUTHAIG, 3 DAYS OF SILENCE, NIGHTSHADE, etc.) joined forces with Dutchman J.A. (DOOMCULT) to create the band in 2019. One song features violin.

ESTRANGEMENT has a new album called Disfigurementality through Aesthetic Death. While the band is described as funeral doom the album is set to feature jazz, Classical and flamenco.

Sweden-based doom metal band KATATONIA will release an album, called Sky Void Of Stars, through Napalm Records in January. A song called Atrium is available now.

And The Dyatlov Pass is a preview song in advance of the release of Classified-V by the Italy-based band SPELLBLAST.

USA-based progressive band MINDSET X is releasing a new single entitled Breathe. It is part of an upcoming full-length entitled Humanz, which will be released in segments over the next few months.

Deaf and blind? SABATON will conduct its European leg of The Tour To End All Tours in April and May with BABYMETAL and LORDI in tow. SABATON’s singer Joakim Brodén states, “If there ever was a band that would break all the rules, it's BABYMETAL with the power and precision to deliver a full-on heavy metal show.” Elsewhere, SABATON guitarist and MAJESTICA singer Tommy Johansson has a solo cover of ELTON JOHN's 1994 song Circle Of Life.

Decibel Books will release an English translation of Amorphis: The Official Story Of Finland's Greatest Metal Band in January. This is a hard cover biography written in collaboration with the band.

ACCEPT played a concert in Toronto, Canada without singer Mark Tornillo. The other members filled in on certain parts and explained that Mark had a virus and throat infection. ACCEPT subsequently cancelled a concert in Vineland, New Jersey and had DANGEROUS TOYS’ Jason McMaster sing for a Pennsylvania, USA concert.

Finland-based heavy rock band LEAFLET will be releasing its sophomore album Something Beyond through Rockshots Records in January. The album follows the debut album Outta Door released through VR Label Finland in 2017. The band was founded in 2013.

MARINO guitarist Ohtani Raven died due to cancer in September. He was 62.

Stop right-wing cancel culture: Don’t let them cancel fresh air, clean water, public health, unions and democracy.


Metallian Demos

BLACKLIST 9 – FED BY DESTRUCTION
So everyone knows my preferences and that ‘groove metal’ is not my thing. Pantera is revolting.
Blacklist is part of that sound. There is the chug, the macho vocals and certainly the crushing tough guy heaviness, but it is not remotely appealing. For fans of the sub-genre, the crunchy production helps the chunk and fans of Pantera and Disturbed should not hesitate.
It has been a few years so SOD’s Sargent D got old and needed any work he could get so he is on the cover (notice this disc’s title) here. Just like old army types he is wasted and is sniffing glue.
Need more details? The CD begins with a cover version. What type of a band puts out a CD and presents someone else’s song first? To boot, it is a David Bowie song and it is called Jean Genie. Boy, oh boy. There is a song here called Breaking Bone. That is such an appropriate title for bands of this ilk. Anyway, the singer raps during his vocal takes and mixes in some yelling and clean vocals too. The tone is clear and, to be fair, the metal guitar rhythm and tap work comes across as appealing. Right next is Fade (yes another good title since it is the final number) and the listener gets a song with acoustic guitar and vocal obviously influenced by Chris Cornell. Did you know that man was in a band that was heavy at one point before his band went wimpy and he went even wimpier as a solo crooner? Oh, who cares? Anyway, the synthesizer on Fade sounds like it was dubbed backwards. Overall, the material is less intense than some of the group’s previous output. Compare these to an older song called Liars.
What else? The drummer loves to shred the songs to pieces although his snare sound is nifty, Disturbed fans should get three copies, Pantera fans four copies and Pissing Razors fans ten copies of this and the disc itself has a Pantera imprint on it. I am not kidding. Just that the band should not get its hopes up. No one is going to get ten copies. Pissing Razors does not have any fans. Never did. Those corporate reviewers do not buy albums after all. There is nothing new or added here, but like I said. Pissing Razors Fans should order ten copies. The band is at https://blacklist-9.com/home and at mosekkprods@yahoo.com. – Anna Tergel