Part III: Death ... The Only Solution ... the 1990s This time I’ll spare you my silly astronomical metaphors … Yes. The 1990s were uneven and somewhat unfathomable in regards to metal. It’s also true that outstanding, proper metal saw the light of day during this decade. Transitioning from the 1980s, thrash metal has reached a new soaring peak and marked huge milestones in the early 1990s. By 1991 Metallica has reinvented itself, releasing perhaps the most popular metal albu

Part II: Metal For The Masses ... the 1980s Following such respectable size big-bang, an equally sizable expansion was unavoidable … and it arrived! Heavy metal experienced an intensely thriving period during the 1980s, managing to carve its' way into music’s mainstream by the later years of the decade, ushering an array of sub-genres and styles during the process. From the dawn of the decade, both sides of the North Atlantic were producing acts that were attracting larger f

Part I: From The Start ... the 1970s February 13th 2020 marks the fifty year anniversary of Black Sabbath's self-titled debut. Metal was born! Driven by this extraordinary event, DENIM & LEATHER's "50 Years of Metal"series seemed to be the appropriate personal contribution to this occasion. While metal could trace its lineage back to the 1950s, it was during the late 1960s when all the constellations began to collide, resulting in the "big bang" of February 13th 1970! The res

You heard the album (if you didn't - must correct immediately), you read the reviews, including the one, here on DENIM & LEATHER. Now is the time to learn more about this great band. My friend and metal brother, "the curator" JayKeeley engaged NECROPANTHER into a "live" Twitter conversation yesterday, January 4th 2020. The complete transcript of their conversation is published below. Many thanks to the band and to JayKeeley for allowing Denim & Leather to became a small part

Band: DEAD KOSMONAUT Title: Gravitas Label: High Roller Records Country: Sweden Release date: January 31, 2020 Format reviewed: (high-rate) mp3 promo To qualify DEAD KOSMONAUT's music on their forthcoming opus, "Gravitas", simply as heavy metal would be inaccurate. Admittingly, I was unaware of the band's previous offerings: debut full-length "Expect Nothing" (2017) and 2019's EP, "Rekviem". The day before yesterday I've played the promo for the upcoming album for the first t

Seattle (WA) - Atmospheric Metal band Izthmi will release full-length debut album The Arrows of Our Ways February 14 on Within The Mind Records. Izthmi's style is birthed from a wide variety of influences, such as progressive Black Metal, Doom, and Noise/Ambient. Despite being driven by a strong melodic character, Izthmi’s sound often explores a darker and more disheartening approach to their style of playing. The Arrows of our Ways is a concept album focused on the journe

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

Twenty honorable mentions (in no particular order): MEMORIAM Requiem for Mankind (6/21/2019) Death Metal UK Spotify link IMPRECATION Damnatio Ad Bestias (3/22/2019) Death Metal USA D&L Review Spotify link THE FERRYMEN A New Evil (10/11/2019) Power Metal International Act Spotify link GATES TO THE MORNING Return to Earth (7/19/2019) Post Black/Progressive Metal USA D&L article Spotify link SALIGIA Vesaevus (11/30/2019) Black Metal Norway Bandcamp link SANHEDRIN The Poisoner (2

ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2019 continued the exponential climb on the upward trajectory of the most recent years, in the ever expending realm of underground rock and metal. The black metal, including the growing array of "blackened" crossover styles, continued to dominate the underground. As I've predicted over an year ago, we also witnessed a rise of the more traditional heavy metal, with strong offerings from both, veterans of the scene and newcomers alike. Personally, I was as exc

Hard'N'Heavy - AOR - Glam Metal Far too long hard rock has been eclipsed by the more extreme offerings of the metal realm. For the past 25 (or so) years, hard rock (and mainly it's direct descendant, the glam metal) continued to take the bad rap for the decline of rock and metal in the music mainstream of the early to mid 1990s, and beyond. Whether you agree or not with this theory, here are ten new albums that bring further proof that #RockAintDead! 10. BLACKRAIN Dying Breed

Ten best EPs of 2019. Mixed bag. 10. HOUND THE WOLVES & GLASGHOTE (split) Released on August 2, 2019 D&L Review Spotify link 9. BERETTA Beretta Released on August 28, 2019 Bandcamp link 8. ZERO FIRE Second Sun Released on March 22, 2019 D&L Review Spotify link 7. SENSORY AMUSIA In Extremis Released on May 18, 2019 D&L article Spotify link 6. STORMRIDER What Lies Within Released on July 27, 2019 D&L article Spotify link 5. WOLFSKULL Hexum Released on May 31, 2019 D&L article S

There are many elements that excite me when it comes to quality music. One of them is the velvety overdriven sound of an electric guitar thru a valve loaded amp head! A fine common denominator of the rock music of the late 1960s and beyond. Leaping over five decades of rock music, the current wave of retro rock is leaving it's mark in the music patrimonium! Honorable Mention: HOT BREATH Hot Breath EP Released on October 18, 2019 Spotify link Top 5: DEWOLFF Live & Outta Sight

Live albums. They represent events in music history. Covering a certain period, a lineup, a milestone or a reunion, live albums are either loved or completely disregarded. Here are the top five live albums released in 2019: CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL Live at Woodstock Released on August 2, 2019 Band's newly remastered full set recorded at the historic Woodstock Music & Art Fair on August 17, 1969. Spotify link LOVEBITES Daughters of the Dawn Live in Tokyo 2019 Released on J

With literally days left, the current decade (2010-2019) will eclipse to the new dawn of this millennium's third decade. On December 31st 2019, we leave behind ten tumultuous years befouled by global financial crisis and international recession, austerity and socioeconomic crisis, endless wars and conflicts, coups, assassinations, gun violence, terrorist attacks, epidemics, tensions, polarization and unrest, rampant greed and immense inequality, and above all, stringent, exis

Band: PORTA NIGRA Title: Schöpfungswut Label: Soulseller Records Country: Germany Release date: January 17, 2020 Format reviewed: (high-rate) mp3 promo German avant-garde black metallists PORTA NIGRA are releasing their 3rd full-length effort, "Schöpfungswut", available worldwide on January 17th 2020. The band's founding duo: O. (drums/vocals) and Gilles de Rais (guitar/bass) have recruited Tongue (André Meyrink, vocalist, guitarist and founder of German black metal outfit Ch

Band: REVEL IN FLESH Title: The Hour Of The Avenger Label: War Anthem Records Country: Germany Release date: December 6, 2019 Format reviewed: (high-rate) mp3 promo This IS death metal! For the last eight years, the southwestern German Deathkult metallers REVEL IN FLASH had launched awesome albums (four full-lengths, to be precise) and a load of (equally great) splits, received by the underground metal masses and critics with high accolades, building a true kult grassroots fo

As a preface to this review, I'd like to bring to readers attention a rather important fact. I don't get material assigned to review - out of the dozens of promos received on weekly basis, I personally pick albums that I personally like, and in the vast majority of cases, physical copies (on vinyl or CD) will become permanent fixtures in my personal collection. I won't waste any of my own time reviewing something that just doesn't cut it. There is no financial gain from runni

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

"Beyond the realm Devoured by darkness Cursed storms will rise The omen returns ..." Band: Diabolic Night Title: Beyond the Realm Label: High Roller Records Country: Germany Release date: November 15, 2019 Format reviewed: (high-rate) mp3 promo Multi-instrumentalist, composer and singer, Heavy Steeler (Kevin Heier) conceived DIABOLIC NIGHT back in 2013, as a solo project. And so under this moniker, Steeler released a demo, followed up by a debut EP, in 2014, and a precursory

Recommended Underground Titles - Part III In this new edition of N.W.O.U.H.M. Recommended Underground Titles I've made the decision to keep the number of titles at five: four full-lengths and one EP. In an effort to further exemplify heavy metal's current state-of-affairs, I choose five titles distinctively different from one another, crossing over boundaries, but still maintaining heavy metal as the common denominator. Please support the bands. Turn it up! 4 BAJO ZERO Abomin