U.S. Heavy Metal Warriors IRONFLAME will release their third full-length album, Blood Red Victory, February 7th 2020, on Divebomb Records (CD) and Metalworld Switzerland (vinyl and cassette). Recorded, performed, mixed, and mastered by D'Cagna (with guitar leads by Lukas and Scott) at Sacred Sound in Martins Ferry, OH from December 2018 through February 2019, Blood Red Victory finds IRONFLAME once again brandishing their trademark approach to soaring, triumphant heavy me

Band: Necropanther Title: The Doomed City Label: independent Country: USA Release date: November 15, 2019 Format reviewed: (high-rate) mp3 promo NECROPANTHER launched their self-titled debut album in 2016; cementing their spot in the underground with their sophomore release, "Eyes of Blue Light" in the early 2018; followed by the EP "Oppression" (first in a series of EPs individually written by one of the band's members), roughly a year ago. On an exponential ascension and wa

Split EP Two heavy hitters of Portland, Oregon's underground heavy music scene, HOUND THE WOLVES and GLASGHOTE, teamed up and released today, August 2nd 2019, a split EP to where each band contributed two songs. A little bit of history for those not familiar with one or both of these two bands: Started in 2015 as an art project among friends, Hound The Wolves, quickly evolved into a full-blown heavy rock experience. The band's principal songwriter Juan Carlos Caceres, surrou

“Though it might be nice to imagine there once was a time when man lived in harmony with nature, it’s not clear that he ever really did.” Elizabeth Kolbert, The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History Band: Dialith Title: Extinction Six Label: self-release Country: USA Release date: August 16, 2019 Format reviewed: (high rate) mp3 promo Dialith formed in 2015 in Danbury, CT, and debuted on record in 2017, via a three tracks EP titled "Through Stone". On August 16th the band wi

It is with distinct privilege to bring you the first in many, I hope, contributions by my friend and fellow metal maniac, Mr. Terry Gardner. And what better way to commence than reviewing the new Arctic Sleep opus. Take it away, Tez! Band: Arctic Sleep Title: Kindred Spirits Label: Self-released Country: USA Release date: July 12, 2019 Format reviewed: vinyl double LP One would imagine there are few more daunting tasks in the world of music journalism than reviewing the late

"Why is this new wave of heavy metal relatively ignored by the metal masses?" - a question that I recently asked and was discussed, with fellow distinguished metal enthusiasts on social media, to a certain extent. The question drew two distinctive main responses. K, my brother in metal, made the valid point that most of the seasoned audience have transitioned to more extreme metal realms, therefore, regarding the more traditional, or classic, if you wish, side of metal as "no

Without doubt, in the last couple of years we have been witnessing the return to glory of metal. The last twenty-four months, or so, were an absolute orgy of new releases, representing well, all of the familiar styles and further crossing over into new trends and dimensions. Some may argue that metal has been making a comeback since the early days of this millennium. While that statement has a lot of truth to it, I argue that at no time, perhaps in the history of the genre, s

On July 19th 2019, GATES TO THE MORNING will finally unleash their long in development, full-length debut album, Return To Earth! About Gates To The Morning: Gates To The Morning are a New Jersey post black metal band driven by the singular vision of Sean Meyers. Having started as a bedroom black metal project whilst still attending Montclair State University for Jazz Performance, Meyers started to collect material in 2016 for what would become the bands debut, Return To Ear

“I didn’t want to just ‘put out another album,’” begins SLOUGH FEG vocalist/guitarist Mike Scalzi. “I remember telling people that I didn’t want to do another album just to do another album, like so often happens. So, we wrote a lot of songs and only picked the best ones.” Such was the approach for SLOUGH FEG’s long-awaited tenth studio album, New Organon, which will see the light of day via Cruz Del Sur Music on June 14 in European territories and June 21 in North America

Band: Widower Title: Cataclysmic Sorcery Label: Black Market Metal Label Country: USA Release date: May 24, 2019 Format reviewed: (VBR) mp3 promo If I am to use just one word to describe WIDOWER's forthcoming full-length debut effort, "Cataclysmic Sorcery", that word would be "density". Density of compositions, density of guitar riffs, density of drumming ... if you catch my drift. This album ranks in quality with some great efforts, in the same blackened thrash metal vein, o

Rock ‘n’ roll will never die - at least, not if it’s in the hands of Hot Suede. The Kansas City quintet come hurtling out of the gate with an updated take on a classic style that drips with confidence. Their self-titled is a twelve-song romp that works regardless of where it’s played - via speakers, in intimate clubs or on bigger stages. The first wave that hits is of that good ol’ American feel, the timeless classic rock of the 70s & 80s as heard in the Queen-inspired

Last Thursday, March 28th 2019, SALEMS LOTT headlined an eclectic night of music at the world famous, Whisky a Go Go, on the Sunset Strip, in Hollywood. All went without a glitch, including the quick, on-a-dime setups & soundchecks, between the live sets of the six (!) musical acts scheduled to perform that night. Hats off to the house pros that made it possible. The following five bands took the stage in the just over three hours that preceded SALEMS LOTT set, at the end o

Cincinnati metallers WAR CURSE to release new studio album, "Eradication", on May 10, 2019, via Svart Records. The Bay comes to Ohio! Thrash soldiers War Curse channel that iconic thrash sound on their second album, Eradication. But this isn’t a bunch of upstarts in someone’s garage worshiping their heroes - this is a group of seasoned vets whose callused hands and chords are a testament to their dedication to the craft. Each tune is jam-packed with heavy metal riffing,

EUGENIC DEATH was formed in late 2010 in Greensboro, North Carolina. The band name was chosen to draw attention to society's overall view, mistreatment and neglect of the poor. Jonathan McCanless (lead guitarist) had long desired to get his music into mass circulation and decided in late 2010 that the only way to accomplish this was to start a band with the most dedicated and talented musicians he could find. The natural choice for vocals was Keith Davis, whose voice i

"Hosemen embraces the best qualities of hard rock, alternative and metal to create their own unique sound." -- Anthony Truglio, Liege Lord In 2019, it’s harder than ever to be non-conformist when approaching genre boundaries - how do you break barriers when so many have already been obliterated? Fortunately for Hosemen, it’s still possible to bend people’s perception of rock by bringing in such diametrically opposed genres and marrying them seamlessly. Such is the case o

Band: Usurper Title: Lords of the Permafrost Label: Soulseller Records Release date: March 22, 2019 Country: USA Format reviewed: VBR mp3 promo I became aware of Chicago’s USURPER in the mid 1990s, at the time of release of their debut album, “Diabolosis…” (1995), an effort well received by fans. The band went on to release a couple of splits, an EP, and in 1999, their sophomore full-length effort, “Skeletal Season”, retaining their blackened thrash metal style in the process

Band: Imprecation Title: Damnatio Ad Bestias Label: Dark Descent Records Release date: March 22, 2019 Country: USA Format reviewed: VBR mp3 promo IMPRECATION has been around for almost three decades. Formed in Texas in 1991, the band released their underground acclaimed debut, “Satanae Tenebris Infinita”, in 2013, after previously releasing an array of demos, EPs and splits, in the years since their inception. The founding core of Ruben Elizondo (drums & keys) and Dave Herrer

CYCLONE TEMPLE - "I Hate Therefore I Am" 4/1991 Combat Records Year was 1991. Midway thru my high school years. After the quasi fall of the communist regime in my birth country, Romania, at the end of 1989, access to everything “western”, music, movies, TV, fashion, lifestyle, etc, was becoming rather easy. The music market was suffocating under the amount of bootleg tapes coming in from Poland and other ex-Eastern Block countries, CDs were somewhat available, so they were re

Band: Maestus Title: Deliquesce Label: code666 Release date: February 8, 2019 Country: USA Format reviewed: high-rate mp3 promo MAESTUS hails from Eugene in the Pacific Northwest. Formed in 2013, the band released a debut EP, “Scarlet Lakes” that same year, followed by a full-length, “Voir Dire” in 2015. Currently, the Oregon quintet featuring five musicians, collectively sharing a very impressive resume, is set to release their full-length sophomore effort, “Deliquesce”, ava

Band: Unendlich Title: Thanatophobia Label: Horror Pain Gore Death Productions Release date: February 1st 2019 Country: USA Format reviewed: high-rate mp3 promo Up until about one month ago, I was unfamiliar with the body of work that UNENDLICH has put out so far since 2014, when Michael Connors released “Monarch of the Damned”, the debut album of his, then, one-man project. Hailing from Baltimore in the state of Maryland, Michael released a sophomore effort in 2016, titled “