Metal News
May 22nd, 2013 at 10:26am
Burning Rain – ‘Epic Obsession’ (Frontiers)
Frontiers Records
Genre: Hard Rock
Traditional hard rockers Burning Rain have followed an odd path in their off and on again career. Formed in 1998, they released two under the radar releases before guitarist Doug Aldrich was asked to join Dio’s solo band. The band was put on hiatus and for thirteen years sat dormant. The band is finally back to release their third record Epic Obsession.
After Aldrich’s time in Dio he has been David Coverdale’s right hand man in Whitesnake and you can hear the blues influenced hard rock of his primary band all over this release. Vocalist Keith St. John has an incredible vocal range and is at his best on the tender ballad “When Can I Believe in Love.” This is Aldrich’s time to shine though as his shredding solo’s are filtered throughout the album.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Drago)
Enshine – ‘Origin’ (Rain Without End)
Rain Without End Records
Genre: Melodic Death/Progressive Metal
Originally started as a solo project, Enshine evolved into a band collaboration. Their debut album is Origin. It’s a wide-ranging and diverse effort, incorporating genres such as death, progressive, ambient and doom.
Traditional melodic death metal is combined with lengthy instrumental sections that are sometimes mellow and ambient, other times more progressive and dynamic. Those instrumental parts sometimes meander. Enshine is more effective when there’s a lot going on, like on “Ambivalence.” Atmospheric female choruses, a dense arrangement and excellent guitar work make it one of the more compelling songs on the album. There are a few lulls, but Origin is an engaging release.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Extrema – ‘The Seed Of Foolishness’ (Scarlet)
Scarlet Records
Genre: Thrash/Groove Metal
In their quarter century of existence, the Italian band Extrema has shifted their sound from thrash to groove metal. On their latest albumThe Seed Of Foolishness they have returned to their roots.
It’s an album full of galloping riffs and old school thrash. They also inject some of that groove, which adds diversity and some tempo shifts. Gianluca Perotti’s vocals are also diverse, going from an Anthrax style sing/bark to In Flames-esque melodic singing. The veterans sound reinvigorated, combining old and new.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
May 21st, 2013 at 5:30am
Airbourne - Black Dog Barking (Roadrunner)
Burning Rain - Epic Obsession (Frontiers)
Circle - Six Day Run (Ektro)
Death Of An Era - The Great Commonwealth EP (Artery)
Erlen Meyer - Erlen Meyer (Shelsmusic)
Extrema - The Seed Of Foolishness (Scarlet)
For The Broken - Aurora (Imminence)
Gaytheist - Hold Me…But Not So Tight (Good To Die)
Hebosagil - Lähtö (Ektro)
Masteroid - MMXIII (Inverse)
NK - Nothing To Be Gained Here (Triple Crown)
A Pale Horse Named Death - Lay My Soul To Waste (SPV)
Palisades - Outcasts (Rise)
The Poodles - Tour De Force (Frontiers)
PTSD - A Sense Of Decay (My Kingdom)
Ruindom - In The Eyes Of Death (Inverse)
Saffire - From Ashes To Fire (Inner Wound)
Satan - Life Sentence (Listenable)
Svart Crown - Profane (Listenable)
Timo Tolkki’s Avalon - The Land Of New Hope (Frontiers)
U.D.O. - Steelhammer (AFM)
Zed - Desperation Blues (I And I)
May 15th, 2013 at 9:26am
Aggressa – ‘Nuclear Death’ (Iron Bonehead)
Iron Bonehead Productions
Genre: Speed Metal
Aggressa were an Australian band who released a couple of EPs in the late ’80s. Its drummer was Sloth, who would go on to join the legendary Sadistik Exekution. This release collects the 1988 EP Nuclear Death along with a demo.
Aggressa’s music was old school speed/thrash, sloppy and raw. The production on both the EP and demo is low-fi. The songs are melodic and catchy, but have edge and grit. Speed/thrash historians will especially appreciate this reissue, which is available on vinyl. Few outside of Australia probably remember Aggressa, and it’s a nice blast from the past.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
Ape Machine – ‘Mangled By The Machine’ (Ripple)
Ripple Music
Genre: Doom Metal/Stoner Rock
Portland, Oregon’s Ape Machine use vintage equipment and have a ’70s sensibility, but do it without sounding completely retro. Their music is psychedelic, doomy and extremely catchy. The guitar work is outstanding, delivering everything from basic stoner riffs to complex solos.
Ape Machine’s influences range from classic bands like Sabbath and Zeppelin to more modern acts like Mastodon and The Sword. All the songs are good, but the band really shines on up-tempo tracks like “Tyrant’s Arm” and the title track. Mangled By The Machine heavy and memorable, and will be especially popular in Washington, Colorado and Amsterdam.
Rating: 4
(Chad Bowar)
Arckanum ‘Fenris Kindir’ (Season of Mist)
Season Of Mist
Genre: Black Metal
Arckanum is the long running solo project of Shamaatae, a mysterious figure. Ideologically different than most of his Scandinavian black metal brethren, Shamaatae’s approach to black metal mirrors his beliefs in Chaos-Gnosticism. Mumbo jumbo aside, Arckanum’s back catalog is a bit of a mixed bag with outstanding releases in Kostogher and ÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞsprinkled amongst average albums.
Fenris Kindir falls into the latter category with low-fi black metal anchored by droning cadences that take on a mechanistic quality, a strange approach to the thematic elements. The backdrop is still one of nature, primeval forests, and so on, but the result is just not very good with rather mediocre songwriting that doesn’t really play to Shamaatae’s strengths.
Rating: 3
(Dave Schalek)
May 14th, 2013 at 5:45am
Adoran - Adoron (Consouling)
Ape Machine - Mangled By The Machine (Ripple)
Arckanum - Fenris Kindir (Season Of Mist)
Artizan - Ancestral Energy (Pure Steel)
Beyond Creation - The Aura (Season Of Mist)
Beyond Mortal Dreams - Dreaming Death (Lavadome)
Black Cowgirl - Black Cowgirl (Restricted Release)
Cultura Tres - Rezando Al Miedo (Devouter)
Death Dealer - War Master (Steel Cartel)
Death Ray Vision - Get Lost Or Get Dead (Bullet Tooth)
Devil - Gather The Sinners (Soulseller)
The Dillinger Escape Plan - One Of Us Is The Killer (Sumerian)
Enshine - Origin (Rain Without End)
Entrails - Raging Death (Metal Blade)
Escape The Fate - Ungrateful (Eleven Seven)
Extinction Protocol - Aeonic Obliteration (P2)
Fatal Smile - 21st Century Freaks (FS)
From Far Away - Recover Repeat (At Your Command)
Gravewurm - Infernal Minions (Hells Headbangers)
Heart In Hand - Almost There (Siege Of Amida)
Hexvessel - Iron Marsh EP (Svart)
Immolation - King Of Conspiracy (Nuclear Blast)
Intoxicated - Rock N Roll Hellpatrol (Hells Headbangers)
Kadavar - Abra Kadavar! (Nuclear Blast)
Killing Joke - The Singles Collection (Spinefarm)
Kings Destroy - A Time Of Hunting (War Crimes)
Lifeforms - Multidimensional (Lifeforce)
Mortal Form - The Reckoning (My Kingdom)
The Monolith Deathcult - Tetragrammaton (Season Of Mist)
My Dying Bride - The Manuscript EP (Peaceville)
Negator - Gates To The Pantheon (Prosthetic)
Ocellus - Departure (Pavement)
Orchid - The Mouths Of Madness (Nuclear Blast)
Pop Evil - Onyx (eOne)
The Resistance - Scars (Armoury)
Steve Von Till - As The Crow Flies Re-Release (Neurot)
Thinning The Herd - Freedom From The Known (Saint Marks)
Tribulation - The Formulas Of Death (Invictus)
Trucker Diablo - Songs Of Iron (Ripple)
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats - Mind Control (Metal Blade)
Utopium -Vicious Consolation / Virtuous Totality (Bleak)
Vindictiv - Cage Of Infinity (Escape)
Zolle - Zolle (Supernatural Cat)
Zombiefication - At The Caves Of Eternal (Pulverised)
May 8th, 2013 at 8:11am
Amber – ‘Lovesaken’ (Halo of Flies)
Halo Of Flies
Genre: Post Metal
Lovesaken is the first full-length from Maburg, Germany’s post-metal outfit Amber, following a promising self-titled EP released in 2012. The five-piece combine the strange, elliptical songs structures favored by hands like Isis with heavy, exploratory and occasionally sludgy riffs, delivered with a post-hardcore grandness that recalls Cult of Luna.
While much of the instrumental is solid, even monumental in places, it is the light and ethereal quality of the vocals and occasional guitar experiment that defines Lovesaken. Each song on the five-track record is vast and full, most clocking in around six minutes and the title track reaching ten and a half. Each track listens like a novella, unraveling at its own pace and making the most of the time and weight Amber allow. If their debut piqued listeners’ interests, Lovesaken seals the deal.
Rating: 3.5
(Natalie Zed)
The Amenta – ‘Flesh is Heir’ (Listenable)’
Listenable Records
Genre: Industrial Death Metal
Aussie extremists The Amenta have unleashed Flesh is Heir, their third full length and first since 2008. Moving away from the blackened aspects of previous albums, The Amenta are now firmly based in industrial death metal territory.
Mechanical samples and a general robotic feel augment their death metal machinations. Powerful, crunchy riffs steamroll the listener while multi-textured vocals scream and howl. The kick drum is especially prominent and speedy, following the riffs as is common now. It’s exquisitely executed and plays to the sort of aspects young metalheads are looking for. Flesh is Heir is not your boring old death metal, yet neither is it overly complicated.
Rating: 3.5
(Matt Hinch)
Blowsight – ‘Life & Death’ (Eclipse)
Eclipse Records
Genre: Hard Rock
The Swedish band Blowsight has a gift for writing radio friendly hard rock, and their latest album Life & Death is packed with potential chart-toppers. Their harder edged tracks like “This Pain” use some harsh vocals, and on the other side of the coin they also are able to pull off ballads.
In addition to crunchy guitars, Blowsight utilize electronic elements for added atmosphere, although sometimes a bit too much for my liking. If you’re a rock or hard rock fan, you’ll find plenty to like with Life & Death.Nick Red is a step above the usual generic hard rock vocalist, and Blowsight know to write catchy, memorable songs.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
May 7th, 2013 at 6:55am
Acolyte - Alta (Mordgrimm)
Amber - Lovesaken (Halo Of Flies)
The Amenta - Flesh Is Heir (Listenable)
Atrocity - Okkult (Napalm)
Control Human Delete - The Prime Mover (Code 666)
Delain - Interlude (Napalm)
Dug Pinnick - Naked (MVD)
Earthling - Dark Path (Forcefield)
F.K.U. - 4: Rise Of The Mosh Monsters(Napalm)
Freedom Call - Ages Of Light (SPV)
Gama Bomb - The Terror Tapes (AFM)
Gloomball - The Distance (SPV)
Grime - Deteriorate (Forcefield)
In The Silence - A Fair Dream Gone Mad (Sensory)
Kingdom Come - Outlier (SPV)
Magister Templi - Lucifer Leviathan Logos (Cruz Del Sur)
Metal Law - Lawbreaker Re-Release (Metal On Metal)
Mpire Of Evil - Crucified (Deadline)
Nordheim - Refill (Maple Metal)
Rhapsody Of Fire - Live: From Chaos To Eternity (AFM)
Sacred Gate - Tides Of War (Metal On Metal
Sadgiqacea - False Prism (Candlelight)
Sidious - Ascension to the Throne ov Self (Kaotoxin)
Sodom - Epitome Of Torture (SPV)
Temple of Thieves - Passing Through The Zeros (Goomba)
Tormented - Death Awaits
V8 Wankers - Got Beer? (SPV)
Vicious Rumors - Electric Punishment (SPV)
May 4th, 2013 at 9:49am
Last Thursday night was the fifth annual Golden God Awards. This included special performances by Anthrax, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Five Finger Death Punch, Stone Sour, Danzig and Metallica. There was also a special toast by Slayer’s guitarist Kerry King that shared a toast to his fallen bandmate Jeff Manneman. All the winners are fan-voted awards (lame) and you can see the list below. There are very few I agree with.
Best Guitarist:
Winner: John 5 of Rob Zombie
Nominees:
Alex Lifeson of Rush
Brendon Small of Dethklok
Kim Thayil of Soundgarden
Misha Mansoor of Periphery
Stephen Carpenter of Deftones
Best Drummer:
Winner: Arejay Hale of Halestorm
Nominees:
Abe Cunningham of Deftones
Gene Hoglan of Dethklok/Testament
Mario Duplantier of Gojira
Neil Peart of Rush
Roy Mayorga of Stone Sour
Most Dedicated Fans:
Winner: HIM
Nominees:
A Day To Remember
Black Label Society
Black Veil Brides
Rammstein
Slipknot
Best Live Band:
Winner: Slipknot
Nominees:
Anthrax
Five Finger Death Punch
Hatebreed
Lamb Of God
Volbeat
Best New Talent:
Winner: Device
Nominees:
Ghost
Kvelertak
Miss May I
Of Mice & Men
Young Guns
Comeback Of The Year:
Winner: Tenacious D
Nominees:
Aerosmith
Quicksand
Refused
Soundgarden
The Darkness
Paul Gray Best Bassist:
Winner: Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead
Nominees:
Geddy Lee of Rush
Jason Newsted of Newsted
Rex Brown of Kill Devil Hill
Sergio Vega of Deftones
Steve Harris of Iron Maiden
Best Vocalist:
Winner: Corey Taylor of Stone Sour/Slipknot
Nominees:
Chino Moreno of Deftones
Chris Cornell of Soundgarden
Maria Brink of In This Moment
Phil Anselmo of Down
Lzzy Hale of Halestorm
Most Metal Athlete:
Winner: Triple HHH
Nominees:
CJ Wilson
Clay Guida
Geoff Rowley
Tanner Foust
Tom Crabtree
Song Of The Year:
Winner: Black Veil Brides – “In The End“
Nominees:
Avenged Sevenfold – “Carry On“
Asking Alexandria – “Run Free“
Dethklok – “I Ejaculate Fire“
Halestorm – “Love Bites (So Do I)“
In This Moment – “Blood“
Album Of The Year:
Winner: Deftones – “Koi No Yokan“
Nominees:
Gojira – “L’Enfany Sauvage“
Halestorm – “The Strange Case Of…“
Marilyn Manson – “Born Villain“
Stone Sour – “House Of Gold & Bones Part I“
Soundgarden – “King Animal“
Riff Lord Award:
Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath
Golden God Award:
Rob Zombie
Ronnie James Dio Lifetime Achievement Award:
Metallica
May 3rd, 2013 at 8:07am
SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman passed away at about 11 a.m. today on Thursday, May 2 near his Southern California home. He was 49. Hanneman was in an area hospital when he suffered liver failure. He is survived by his wife Kathy, his sister Kathy and his brothers Michael andLarry, and will be sorely missed.
May 1st, 2013 at 2:29pm
CCE productions, We Party Productions, and Jurassic Ink are proud to announce the return of this year’s 2013 Loud As Hell Heavy Metal Festival in Drumheller, Alberta at the Dinosaur Downs Stampede Grounds.
With three days of face melting metal from August 23rd – 25th in the heart of the Canadian badlands, the show will feature 3 Inches of Blood, Into Eternity, Divinity, and All Else Fails among many more. The lineup is as follows:
Friday, August 23
Dead Locals (Drumheller)
Days of Atonement (Drumheller)
Magnus Rising (Vancouver)
Into Eternity (Vancouver)
Saturday, August 24
Tramp Stamper (Edmonton)
Archeleos (Calgary)
Dalhmers Relm (Edmonton)
Without Mercy (Vancouver)
Leave the Living (Red Deer)
Until Dawn (Fort McMurray)
Exit Strategy (Calgary)
Divinity (Calgary)
All Else Fails (Edmonton)
Three Inches of Blood (Vancouver)
Sunday, August 24
Parapsychotic (Lethbridge)
Maimed Wolf (Didsbury)
Naraka (Medicine Hat)
This is War (Edmonton)
