AntropomorphiA: Debauchery In Putrefaction – new video

Hunted by the German Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons or BPjM who seek to ban their latest album ‘Evangelivm Nekromantia’ in that country, Dutch death metal lunatics, ANTROPOMORPHIA, returned from their extended journey through the mazes of darkness with a new disturbing video created by video producer and LEGION OF THE DAMNED vocalist Maurice Swinkels. (‘Debauchery In Putrefaction’ is the band's second cooperation with Swinkels who also directed the eyebrow-raising ‘Psuchagogia’ video, available below). ANTROPOMORPHIA, who claim to be driven by nekrophilae, murder, necromancy and necrolesbian lust, stand firm in their convictions and vow not to bend to pressure exerted by “people without perception other than a retarded opinion about artistic expression”. Impressed by their posture, new guitarist J. (full name Jos van den Brand) just recently joined the controversial horde. ‘Evangelivm Nekromantia’, issued through Metal Blade Records in October 2012, consists of nine tracks, divided into three chapters of three songs, skillfully mastered by Tore Stjerna at at Necromorbus Studios. Unless you are still busy studying the shocking artwork, buy the album from Metal Blade Records here or visit the band's official store here.

Occvlt metallers ov death, ANTROPOMORPHIA, were originally known as “Dethroned Empire” and as such, starting in 1989 and heavily influenced by such bands as HELLHAMER, CELTIC FROST and BATHORY, F (vocalist and guitarist Ferry Damen), M (drummer Marco Stubbe) and former member guitarist Vincent van Boxtel recorded several rehearsal demos. As the band's musical direction changed between 1990 and 1993, so has the band's name. Joined by S (bassist Marc van Stiphout), ANTROPOMORPHIA unleashed their first official beast in 1992, which they appropriately called ‘Bowel Mutilation’. Consequently, a record deal was signed with Swiss label Blackened Recordings and EP ‘Necromantic Love Songs’ “finally rose from the grave” in 1993. In 1995, ANTROPOMORPHIA delivered ‘I have My Way’ demo, yet a new record deal had not ensued and after a few tumultuous years guitarist Vincent van Boxtel departed from the band. Subsequently, ANTROPOMORPHIA was put on an indefinite hold. Original band members reassembled in 2009; with new album in the works, they re-released ‘Necromantic Love Songs’ and their first demo ‘Bowel Mutilation’ as a double LP in 2011 through underground label The Crypt. 

ANTROPOMORPHIA features: Ferry Damen – vocals and guitar, Marc van Stiphout – bass, Marco Stubbe – drums and Jas van der Brand – guitar

Cathedral: The Last Spire – new album

“This is the album I’ve been waiting to do since the first one, it almost feels like we made our second album last in some respects. We actually recorded a lot more material but decided to sacrifice many of the tracks to make the overall album feel more complete in its nihilism. I don’t like happy endings, I never have. So many good films are ruined by happy endings and I didn’t want that to be the case with CATHEDRAL, it was my dream to bring everything full circle,” [explicated CATHEDRAL's final act the group's legendary voice for 23 years, Lee Dorrian]

CATHEDRAL's final record, ‘The Last Spire’, is out now, since April 30th, 2013, on Dorrian's own label Rise Above Records in Europe (order here) and on Metal Blade Records in North America (order here). ‘The Last Spire’ was recorded at Orgone Studios in London, England and was produced by Lee Dorrian and guitarist Garry Jennings with assistance from Jaime Gomez Arellano, who also mixed the album, with artwork created by Dave Patchett and Arik Roper, while AUTOPSY's Chris Reifert and PURSON's Rosalie Cunningham contributed as guest vocalists:

“Gaz's [Garry Jennings, guitarist] final sally for CATHEDRAL is a copious, triumphant dark labyrinth of monstrous riffs, ripping leads and beguiling melodies, REPULSION's Scott Carlson [bassist] drops jaws with his vicious, attacking bass-work, and we’re going to miss the thunderous wallopings of Brian Dixon [drummer] more than we know. Meanwhile Lee's voice sounds more impassioned and commanding than ever, his Baudelaire-in-a-Midlands-squat lyrics attaining new heights of solemn, acid majesty. Clearly there was new impetus for reconnecting with that early spirit of doleful abjection, of sinister obsessions and lamented desires; on ‘The Last Spire’ CATHEDRAL are literally doomed. We are commiserating the celebration, and in what thrilling style,” [was full of grief Chris Chantler – read more here]

Formed in 1989 by former NAPALM DEATH vocalist Lee Dorrian and bassist Mark Griffiths in Coventry, England, CATHEDRAL were signed by Earache Records shortly after the release of their first demo, 1990's ‘In Memoriam’. Their debut, lumbering doom-sounding album ‘Forest Of Equilibrium’, recorded with guitarists Garry Jennings and Adam Lehan, was issued in 1991, followed by ‘The Ethereal Mirror’ in 1993, which “found the group experimenting a bit with new sounds on their path to discover the patented sound they would polish on succeeding releases” (Jason Birchmeier, AllMusic – more here). ‘Statik Majik’ EP and ‘Cosmic Requiem’ EP were succeeded by CATHEDRAL's third full-length, ‘The Carnival Bizarre’, in 1995. Recorded by Dorrian, Jennings, bassist and mellotron player Leo Smee and drummer Brian Dixon, the record was deemed nearly perfect by many a music critic. Next came 1996's ‘Supernatural Birth Machine’, followed by “captivating, inspired and intelligent” (Christian Genzel, AllMusic – more here) ‘Caravan Beyond Redemption’ in 1998. CATHEDRAL sixth LP, 2001's ‘Endtyme’, would be the band's last issued through Earache Records save for ‘The Serpent's Gold’ compilation album the said label released in 2004. Through Spitfire Records CATHEDRAL squeezed in between the ‘The VIIth Coming’ LP.

“There was a worrying hiatus between 2005 and 2010 when some dared to wonder if CATHEDRAL were coming back at all – but they re-emerged with ‘The Guessing Game’, an overflowing treasure chest of weird and wonderful goodies exploring new, bold variations on their craft. So when news came that CATHEDRAL really were approaching the Endtyme, it was a shock,” [lamented Chris Chantler, the group's official biographer]

But, before ‘The Guessing Game’, CATHEDRAL recorded ‘The Garden Of Unearthly Delights’ and released it in 2005 through Nuclear Blast Records. Five years later the band returned with a double album ‘The Guessing Game’, “featuring some of the most psychedelic, progressive material in the band's entire catalog” (Phil Freeman, AllMusic – more here)

“By the time English doom metal institution CATHEDRAL announced that 2011 would be their last year as a performing concert unit, they’d already recorded their requiem - and a big requiem it was too - in the shape of a double-live CD named ‘Anniversary’. Captured in December 2010 at London's Islington Academy, on the occasion of CATHEDRAL's twentieth - you guessed it - anniversary, the show that became the band's first official live album (if you can believe that) was clearly conceived to reward their oldest, most loyal fans,” [wrote Eduardo Rivadavia, AllMusic – more here]

CATHEDRAL feature(d)s: Lee Dorrian - lead vocals, Garry Jennings – guirtar, Scott Carlson – bass, Brian Dixon – drums and Davis Moore - hammond, mellotron, moog & synths

Full Album Stream: Altar Of Plagues: Teethed Glory And Injury – new album

‘Teethed Glory And Injury’ awaits you in its glory (and at times appropriate pain) here (Profound Lore's store), for some sounds – especially this massive – should be appreciated. ‘Teethed Glory And Injury’, ALTAR OF PLAGUES' third studio album is out now, April 30th, 2013, on Profound Lore Records. The album was recorded with producer Jaime Gomez Arellano at his Orgone Studios in London, England. The video for ‘God Alone’, available below, was created by Pariah Productions and directed by James Kelly and Patrick O’Mahony:

“ALTAR OF PLAGUES were born different,” [wrote José Carlos Santos for Terrorizer] …Why the apex of the record, the placid second half of ‘A Remedy And A Fever’ and the first part of ‘Twelve Was Ruin’ (before it turns into a shrieking inferno), is a soothing valley instead of a peak, when everything before it seemed like a tortuous climb, why the surprisingly clean underlying melody of closer ‘Reflection Pulse Remains’ shines so luminously after almost 50 minutes with your head buried in disease and dark earth, those are all questions that aren’t easy, and if you’re going to live with this record for a while (and you will want to, despite its initially antagonist nature) it’s up to you to figure them out. And any others you will have yourself too. Don’t shy away from that path, however. It will be one of the most fascinating journeys of the year,” [he concluded his review of ‘Teethed Glory And Injury’ he awarded with 5 out of 5 marking – read the rest of it here:]

Expanding already extreme genres into new territories since 2006, Cork, Ireland's ALTAR OF PLAGUES unleashed their ‘First Plague’ demo already in 2006, which they followed with independently released ‘Through The Cracks Of The Earth’ EP in 2007 and ‘Sol’ EP in 2008. Their untraditional approach to black metal (which they fuse with ambient, progressive and post metal) appealed to Profound Lore Records who issued the band's first proper album, 2009's ‘White Tomb’, described by critics as one of 2009's most exciting releases:

After 2010's ‘Tides’ EP (listen here), ALTAR OF PLAGUES recorded their second LP ‘Mammal’. Through it revealing their darkest and most honest, the album was issued on Candlelight Records in Europe and on Profound Lore in North America:

“By putting the listener into the appropriate headspace, ALTAR OF PLAGUES are able to exert total control over the listening experience, taking listeners on a journey that, through all of the brittle production and icy, unforgiving atmosphere, is remarkably thoughtful, introspective, and visceral. This feeling really shines through in how surprisingly dynamic the record is. The songs don’t just pummel listeners into submission with their intensity, but are instead more tidal, ebbing and flowing between feverish, blastbeat-laden outbursts and quieter, more expansive passages,” [commented Gregory Heaney, AllMusic – more here:]

ALTAR OF PLAGUES features: James Kelly – vocals, guitar and keyboards, Johnny King – drums and Dave Condon – bass and vocals

Sodom: Epitome Of Torture – new album

The formidable SODOM are back with their fourteenth album ‘Epitome Of Torture’; issued in Europe today, April 29th, 2013, the album will become available in North America as a limited-edition digipak including two bonus tracks and a poster, as a double gatefold LP, as a CD, and as digital download on May 7th, 2013 through SPV/Steamhammer. Vocalist and bassist Thom Angelripper, guitarist Bernd “Bernemann” Kost and new drummer Markus “Makka” Freiwald recorded ‘Epitome Of Torture’ with producer Waldemar Sorychta, and have turned to graphic designer Meran Karanitant for the album's art. Described by SODOM's backbone Tom Angelripper as “hard as nails and contemporary” and once again featuring his highly critical powers of observation, shop at Onkel Tom's webshop here or here, or search for ‘Epitome Of Torture’ on Amazon.

Formed in 1981 by Tom Angelripper (real name Thomas Such), reportedly “as a desperate attempt to get out of having to work in coal mines” in his home town of Gelsenkirchen, Germany, SODOM have nevertheless worked hard ever since, influencing many of the early black metal bands along the way. Together with KREATOR and DESTRUCTION, SODOM are considered Teutonic thrash metal's one of the big three. After recording ‘In The Sign Of Evil’ EP, the band, featuring Angelripper, guitarist Michael Wolf/Uwe Christophers and drummer Chris Witchhunter, released their debut LP ‘Obsessed By Cruelty’ in 1986 via Metal Blade Records in North America and Steamhammer in Europe. Shifting their sound from proto-black metal to thrash, ‘Persecution Mania’ followed in 1987 on Steamhammer – as will all of their consequent releases; the record was described as “a virtual tour de force of blinding speed and blunt force” by Eduardo Rivadavia, AllMusic (more here). SODOM's second and last album recorded with guitarist Frank Blackfire, ‘Agent Orange’, came next in 1989:

“SODOM's fans have argued to the teeth about whether 1987's ‘Persecution Mania’ or 1989's ‘Agent Orange’ is the German metal act's definitive record. Both stand right at the devil's crossroads of thrash and death metal, and both are brutally furious assaults on the senses,” [wrote Thom Jurek who nevertheless judged in this 1989 release's favour – read why here]

SODOM's fourth album, 1990's ‘Better Off Dead’, was recorded with guitarist Michael Hoffman and their fling at death metal, 1992's ‘Tapping The Vein’, featured Andy Brings on guitar. Attempting to revitalize their pre-death metal stile, the band issued ‘Get What You Deserve’ in 1994, featuring new drummer Atomic Steif who stayed on for SODOM's seventh record, 1995's ‘Masquerade In Blood’. The string of underachieving albums continued in 1997 with ‘Till Death Do Us Unite’ which showcased new guitarist Bernd “Bernemann” Kost and new drummer Bobby Schottkowski. Onkel Tom & company finally succeeded to recapture the frenzied chaos of SODOM's earlier work, satisfying many of their patient fans with 1999's album ‘Code Red’. Francis Ford Coppola's “Apocalypse Now” themed album, ‘M-16’, followed in 2001 and a double live album recorded in Bangkok, Thailand titled ‘One Night In Bangkok’ came next in 2003. Twenty five years after SODOM's first tentative steps, they released their self-titled album in 2006, “because every band needs a self-titled album” they explained:

“SODOM's music is a matter of curious interest since, from the group's very inception, it has represented a rare intersection of styles that experts would normally separate into thrash, speed, death, and black metal (and, depending on how rarely they get laid, even more subdivisions). One listen to SODOM is enough to ascertain that little has changed; most of its songs tend toward the frenetic, dirt-encrusted ends of the extreme metal spectrum, their lyrics wavering between sociopolitical observations and anti-establishment diatribes,” [sharply observed Eduardo Rivadavia, AllMusic – more here]

Re-recording all five of the songs from their 1984 EP and adding seven bonus tracks with guitarist Grave Violator (Josef “Peppi” Dominic) and drummer Chris Witchhunter (Christian Dudeck), ‘The Final Sign Of Evil’ followed in 2007, preparing way for SODOM's thirteenth album ‘In War And Pieces’ Tom Angelripper recorded with Bernd “Bernemann” Kost and drummer Bobby Schottkowski. Lyrics-wise, ‘In War And Pieces’ once again focused on the worst excesses of power: arrogance, greed, spotlight-seeking, fanaticism, corruption, cowardice and oppression:

“I’ve always written about what’s going on in the world, about the injustice and mistakes that happen everywhere. I know that you can’t change anything politically that way, but I would like to at least comment on the situation and generate an awareness of this deplorable state of affairs. Being a singer in a metal band allows me to voice my anger to a large audience,” [explained Tom Angelripper]

SODOM features: Tom Angelripper – vocals and bass, Bernd “Bernemann” Kost – guitar and Markus “Makka” Freiwald - drums

  

Soilwork: Spectrum Of Eternity – new video

SOILWORK's new video, ‘Spectrum Of Eternity’, was created by Stanimir Lukic; the song comes off the band's first double album, ‘The Living Infinite’, issued in March 2013 on Nuclear Blast Records. Featuring new guitarist David Andersson who replaced co-founder Peter Wichers, ‘The Living Infinite’, was produced by Jens Bogren and showcases artwork created by Mircea Gabriel Eftemie (of MNEMIC fame), as well as guest vocalist Justin Sullivan (NEW MODEL ARMY) on the track ‘The Windswept Mercy’. ‘The Living Infinite’ nearly conquered SOILWORK's home country, Sweden, Rock Chart at number 2, peaked on UK Rock Chart at number 9, on Finland Albums Chart at number 10, on Germany Albums Chart at number 17, on Sweden and Switzerland Albums Chart at number 19 and, finally, debuted at position number 60 on The Billboard Top 200 chart, selling around 7,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release. Among four new singles given out by SOILWORK prior to the album's release, all of which are available below, you will also find previously released video ‘Rise Above The Sentiment’, directed by Sune Eskelinen. Order ‘The Living Infinite’ here (SOILWORK store), find it on iTunes, Amazon or Amazon MP3:

“While ‘The Living Infinite’ is certainly a whole lot of record, it’s filled with enough vigor and creativity that it doesn’t feel as though it’s dragging along, and though fans might be disappointed to see Wichers [Peter, guitarist] leave the band yet again, it’s clear that SOILWORK seem to be getting along just fine without him,” [commented Gregory Heaney, AllMusic – read more here]

Formed in late 1995 in Helsingborg, Sweden by vocalist Björn Strid and guitarist Peter Wichers, SOILWORK softened their death metal when they abandoned their original name, “Inferior Breed”. Through Listenable Records the band, featuring guitarist Ludvig Svartz, keyboardist Carlos Del Olmo Holmberg, bassist Ola Flink and drummer Jimmy Persson alongside Strid and Wichers, released SOILWORK's debut album, ‘Steelbath Suicide’, in 1998, which AllMusic's Vincent Jeffries described as “one of, if not the most impressive Swedish metal debut” (more here). Their critically acclaimed second album, 2000's ‘The Chainheart Machine’, landed SOILWORK a recording contract with Nuclear Blast Records which resulted in the band's, arguably, most popular album, 2001's ‘A Predator's Portrait’:

“Each song flows with a compositional sleight of hand, sounding thick and complex, but without any great exertion from the band. The album simply makes sense, like a natural flow of the band's conscience, with its dense, '80s thrash-driven guitars, tighter than thou rhythm section, and split vocal approach,” [commented Jason Hundey, AllMusic – more here]

2002's ‘Natural Born Chaos’ took SOILWORK on their first U.S. tour. The album was also the first recorded with keyboardist Sven Karlsson. Continuing on the melodic path, SOILWORK issued their fifth full-length, ‘Figure Number Five’, in 2003. After touring Europe, Japan and Australia, the band recorded 2005's ‘Stabbing The Drama’:

“Extreme enough to convince some of the genre's more suspicious fans of their authenticity to the cause, they’ve also excelled at flirting with its more mainstream sensibilities, and, like every release before it, 2005's ‘Stabbing The Drama’ is no different. Like a hyper-efficient assembly line, its songs connect components of the band's hometown melodic death metal to elements of neo-thrash velocity, to metalcore's innate simplicity, to even - gasp! - sketchy nu-metal devices in order to construct a well-lubricated driving machine that’s ever compact and economical,” [wrote Eduardo Rivadavia, AllMusic – more here]

SOILWORK's first commercial success came with 2007's ‘Sworn To A Great Divide’. Selling approximately 5,000 copies in its first week of release in the United Stated and charting at number 19 on Finnish Albums Chart, at number 25 on Swedish Albums Chart and at number 148 on the Billboard Top 200, the record featured guitarist Daniel Antonsson instead of Peter Wichers who left the group in 2005:

“There is absolutely nothing to complain about on ‘Sworn To A Great Divide’ - the melodic hardcore/death metal hybrid is ever-present and as a singer, Björn Strid has never sounded better. When he sings, he really sings; when he growls, he gets downright ugly,” [commented Thom Jurek, AllMusic – more here]

2010's ‘The Panic Broadcast’ marked the return of SOILWORK's co-founder Peter Wichers, who produced the album as well, and introduced new rhythm guitarist Sylvain Coudret. The album sold over 5,250 copies in its first week in the USA where it debuted at number 88 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, thusly becoming the highest charting album in SOILWORK's career.  

SOILWORK features: Bjorn “Speed” Strid – vocals, Sven Karlsson – keyboards, Sylvain Coudret – guitar, David Andersson – guitar, Dirk Verbeuren – drums and Ola Flink – bass

Holy Grail: Ride The Void – new video & full album stream

Old-school metal revivalists HOLY GRAIL have just unleashed their second-ever music video, directed by Will Knapp. ‘Ride The Void’ is the title track for their sophomore album, released in January 2013 on Universal Music in Japan, on Nuclear Blast Records in Europe (shop here), and on Prosthetic Records in North America (shop here). ‘Ride The Void’ was received well by music critics as well as the fans, selling approximately 1,400 copies in the U.S. in its first week, landing at number 9 on the Top New Artist Albums chart (Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart for best-selling albums by new artists who have not yet appeared on the top 100 of the Billboard Top 200). ‘Ride The Void’ was produced by Matt Hyde and its art created by world-renowned concept artist Dylan Cole, best known for his Directors Guild of America Award-winning art for the 2009 blockbuster “Avatar” (he has also worked on the “Lord Of The Rings” trilogy, “Daredevil”, “Tron: Legacy”, “Transformers: Dark Of The Moon” etc):

“While everything you’d expect is here - solid songwriting that stays close to the early-'80s school of pre-thrash HM (though they do speed things up a bit on occasion), maximum riffage, anthemic choruses, and plenty of (copious, really) blistering guitar solos - the new thing is a touch of prog rearing its head...and no, this isn’t a bad thing,” [wrote Thom Jurek, AllMusic – read more here]

“[Advised the press release:] HOLY GRAIL could have easily written an album filled with lovable tales of mead-chugging knights-on-horseback, but instead, they pushed themselves further and, in the end, created an unforgettable collection of timeless metal anthems that not only validates the early praise they received, but creates an exciting question: “Where will they go from here?” For now, though, buckle up and enjoy the ride!”

 

Formed in 2008 in Pasadena, California by rebellious WHITE WIZZARD ex-members singer James Paul Luna, guitarist James J. LaRue, and drummer Tyler Meahl, HOLY GRAIL invited guitarist Eli Santana and bassist Blake Mount to complete the line-up before they recording their first EP, 2009's ‘Improper Burial’:

 

The band's debut recording was received by raving reviews, and invitations to perform at major events such as Germany's Wacken: Open Air festival and UK's Download Festival soon followed. HOLY GRAIL's debut LP, ‘Crisis In Utopia’, followed on Prosthetic Records in 2010:

“On their full-length debut, they’re proving themselves to be old-school metal warriors, their sound rooted in the early-'80s, pre-thrash. There are guitar solos erupting all over this disc, and song titles like ‘Fight To Kill’, ‘Call Of Valhalla’, ‘Immortal Man’ etc., etc. The songs are about death, terror, and all the classic larger-than-life metal subjects, and some of them - ‘Call Of Valhalla’ in particular - are damn catchy. … overall, this is a very solid full-length debut from a bunch of talented semi-newcomers. The great WHITE WIZZARD schism of 2008 seems to have been a boon for metal in general, as there are now two good bands in the place formerly occupied by only one,” [wrote Phil Freeman, AllMusic – read more here:]

 

HOLY GRAIL features: James Paul Luna – vocals, Eli Santana – guitar, Alex Lee – guitar, Blake Mount – bass and Tyler Meahl – drums

 

 

Satan: Life Sentence – new album

Listen to rejuvenated SATAN's comeback album ‘Life Sentence’, the follow up to their 1983's debut album and NWOBHM cult classic ‘Court In The Act’! Thirty years in the making, ‘Life Sentence’ features the (classic) lineup of vocalist Brian Ross, guitarists Steve Ramsey and Russ Tippins, drummer Sean Taylor and bassisy Graeme English. The CD was recorded at First Avenue Studios in Newcastle, England, mixed and mastered by musician and record producer Dario Mollo at Damage Inc. Studio in Italy, with its artwork created by Eliran Kantor. Buy the record via the band's site here or search for it on Amazon/Amazon MP3 when available: April 29th, 2013 in Europe and May 21st, 2013 in North America via Listenable Records:

“For a genre that adopted the devil as chief muse and aesthetic patriarch, SATAN should have fitted right in; acceptance should have been instant. But while SATAN, too, were a product of VENOM's hometown, Newcastle, England, their approach was wholly different,” [introduced SATAN's resurrection Jonathan Horsley, Decibel Magazine – read more here]

Formed 1979 in Newcastle, England, SATAN released their debut album (“what at the time surely ranked among the heaviest albums yet recorded”), 1983's ‘Court In The Act’, on Neat Records:

“ ‘Court In The Act’ bordered on the yet undefined style of thrash metal, thanks to the frenetic speeds achieved, but the album also boasted more accessible and melodic mid-paced metal fare, putting great effort into the memorable melodies and choruses…,” [wrote Eduardo Rivadavia, AllMusic – more here]

Vocalist Brian Ross decided to leave SATAN in order to resurrect his first band BLITZKRIEG. With new vocalist Lou Taylor, SATAN became known as BLIND FURY and as such they proceeded to record 1985's hard rock-oriented album ‘Out Of Reach’, issued through Roadrunner Records. Enlisting yet another new vocalist Michael Jackson, the group decided to give the old moniker and pre-thrash sound another try. SATAN recorded ‘Suspended Sentence’ they issued on SPV/Steamhammer in 1987.

“Frustratingly,” [continues this perplexing story Eduardo Rivadavia, AllMusic] “SATAN would squander any momentum they might have gained from this masterful gem of an LP, by once again changing their name (although, not their singer, thankfully) before their next album, which they released as PARIAH,” [more here]

Through SPV/Steamhammer PARIAH put forth two additional albums, ‘The Kindred’ in 1988 and ‘Blaze Of Obscurity’ in 1990, before guitarist Ramsey and bassist English moved on and formed folk metal band SKYCLAD. SATAN reunited in 2004 for a one-off performance at Germany's Wacken Open Air 2004 and then reassembled their original line-up in 2011.

SATAN features: Brian Ross – vocals, Steve Ramsey – guitar, Russ Tippins – guitar, Graeme English – bass and Sean Taylor – drums

Full Album Stream: Orchid: The Mouth Of Madness – new album

Truth be told, I liked ORCHID before they were widely compared to the almighty BLACK SABBATH by just about everyone (including the metal institution called Nergal (BEHEMOTH) who reportedly advised those very same pioneers of heavy metal to “do an album like ‘The Mouth Of Madness’”), for they once offered a worthy advise. They said:

“Hide your blonde, fair-eyed daughters, let them cower with our sons. Hide your precious live stock for we shall slaughter them all and spit their blood at your tall white gates. For we recognize ourselves as the sons of the new dawn, the thorn in the heel of hypocrisy, the seeds of cancer in the bloated bellies of the rich.”

And I liked their music too, of course. Besides, they are a hard working and dedicated band, passionate about their craft. ORCHID's latest LP is out now in Europe, April 26th, 2013, on Nuclear Blast Records. ‘The Mouth Of Madness’ can be enjoyed in its witchy & doomy entirety here (Metal Hammer UK), and should be bought here (Nuclear Blast store) or via Amazon immediately (soon to be found on iTunes)! The album will see its UK release on April 29th and will be issued in North America on May 14th, 2013.

Formed in 2007 in San Francisco, USA, ORCHID don’t just write, play, record and perform their dark and heavy music, they “craft an entire experience”, eying the likes of BLACK SABBATH, LED ZEPPELIN and PINK FLOYD for inspiration. In 2009, the band signed with The Church Within Records and released their debut 4-track ‘Through The Devil's Doorway’ EP shortly thereafter:

ORCHID's first proper album, ‘Capricorn’, followed in 2011. Described as “faithful yet adventurous album of reinvented retro rock, a cauldron of infectious songs effortlessly brewed with that classic sound which seems so elusive to other bands”, ‘Capricorn’ caught the ear of the Nuclear Blast Records folks who had signed ORCHID upon their return from their first European tour:

Next came ‘Heretic’ 10” vinyl EP in 2012, followed by ‘Wizard Of War’ 10” vinyl EP in 2013. Rock Hard Germany chief editor Gotz Künemund consequently proclaimed ORCHID “the coolest band in many years” and their album ‘Capricorn’ “a stroke of genius”:

ORCHID features: Theo Mindell – vocals, Carter Kennedy – drums, Mark Thomas Baker – guitar and Keith Nickel – bass

Full Album Stream: Howl: Bloodlines – new album

HOWL, generally referred to as Providence, Rhode Island riff manglers who get at times accused of “forging a nervous truce between the worlds of progressive sludgecore and metalcore” (more here), have their new album, ‘Bloodlines’, streamed in full here (Relapse Records' SoundCloud) as well as here (MetalSucks) and below. The band's sophomore full-length offering (in some circles described as “second full-length of molten metal filth”) was recorded at Planet Z studio in Hadley, Massachusetts, produced by Chris “Zeuss” Harris and offers beautiful artwork by Ryan Begley. ‘Bloodlines’ is due in Germany and Benelux tomorrow, April 26th, 2013, in the rest of Europe on April 29th, and in North America on April 30th through Relapse Records. Get your very own copy of this lead-footed audio menace here (Relapse Records store) or via Amazon:

“[Commented the band:] ‘Bloodlines’ is HOWL 2.0, HOWL on steroids - the bigger, heavier album. We took our signature sound and pushed it to the next level. This is a metal record influenced by doom, rather than vice versa. There’s more aggression, more extremes, it’s harder-hitting. Zeuss really helped us capture the sound we wanted, the way we truly sound. ‘Bloodlines’ is huge, brutal, monstrous:

HOWL was formed in 2006 in Providence, Rhode Island by vocalist & guitarist Vincent Hausman, guitarist Andrea Black, bassist Robert Icaza, and drummer Timmy St. Amour. They self-released an eponymous EP in 2008 which Relapse Records re-issued a year later:

After a fair amount of touring with the likes of KYLESA and TORCHE, HOWL recorded ‘Full Of Hell’ album which, issued in 2010, they dedicated to “all who were made to feel out of place, to those who were made to feel guilty about doing what they wanted, and to those who others called fags, weirdos, and losers”. AllMusic's Eduardo Rivadavia, who describes HOWL's music as “sludge with benefits”, noted:

“HOWL draw the bulk of their musical cues from the classic Southern sludgecore sound, but this 2010 debut sees that sound transformed into a much more agile, dynamic, and feral beast by the time its been dragged, roaring and clawing, across the Mason-Dixon line and beyond… HOWL can certainly challenge in this space, if not come away victorious.” [Read the rest of the review here:]

HOWL features: Vincent Hausman – guitar and vocals, Josh Durocher-Jones – guitar, Robert Icaza – bass and vocals and Timmy St. Amour - drums

F.K.Ü. : 4: Rise Of The Mosh Mongers – new album & Black Hole Hell – new video

 

Well… Who can resist a band of brothers who call themselves F.K.Ü., apparently short for “Freddy Krueger's Underwear”. I mean these guys get you thinking – especially about Freddy's undergarments. Besides, they bring a new era – moshocalypse - and their goal is worthy: they intend to rid the world of everything but horror and metal:

“… the master pointed his four blades towards his disciples and commanded them to prepare for the journey, to dress in proper battle attire and be ready for war. They left their dwelling at dusk, well prepared for the task at hand. To walk the earth, from city to city, and gather the moshoholics horde. To crush the opposition and establish a new world order of horror and metal for all. And so it began [apparently]… the rise of the mosh mongers.”

Their label, Napalm Records, lovingly describes F.K.Ü.sound as “killer old school thrash metal with class and humor from Sweden” and promises that “even fans of other genres will [be] immediately transformed into die-hard moshoholics and will crave for more just like zombies crave for the brains of the living”. So, if you long for days when “things weren’t dead serious and you could fill celluloid with blood and guts with a big smile on your face”, ‘4: Rise Of The Mosh Mongers’ is just what the good doctor ordered. Get it here (Napalm Records store) and shop for the rest of what F.K.Ü. have to offer here (the band's official store). ‘4: Rise Of The Mosh Mongers’ in due out tomorrow, April 26th, 2013. The band's new video ‘Black Hole Hell’, available below, was animated and directed by Juppi Juppsen.

 

F.K.Ü, in those days die-hard S.O.D. disciples, first “raised its ugly head” back in 1987 in Uppsala, Sweden:

“After a handful of something that was supposed to be rehearsals but [bore a] resemblance to cheap beer and pizza fights, the band [went] into hiatus. It wasn’t until early 1997, when confronted with a strange guy called Larry [Lethal, vocals], that the band considered bringing the slumbering beast back to life. After the overwhelming response [to] the 20-song demo ‘Beware Of The Evil Underwear’, recorded in 1998, the guys decided to put some more effort [into it].”

In 1999, the band had spent nine whole days with engineer Daniel Bergstrand, laying down 22 tracks that would “show the world that it’s still possible to have good, friendly, violent fun and create music”. And so, F.K.Ü's debut record, their “moshing magnum opus”, ‘Metal Moshing Mad’ was released in 1999 on bassist's Pat Splat own label Head Mechanic Records. Following lots of “unforgettable club gigs” with the likes of THE HAUNTED, ENTOMBED and MESHUGGAH, “the band [had] slowed down the pace” until 2004, when “Larry, Pete, Pat and Ted realized that what the world really needed was another dose of their patented horror metal mosh”:

“Once again inspired by '80s thrash and horror movies and of course, old issues of “Metal Forces” and cheap beer, [2005's] ‘Sometimes They Come Back… To Mosh’ thrashed and slashed its way into the metal fans veins,” [admitted F.K.Ü] And once they tasted this hot dish of destruction, they ended up begging for more!”

In 2009, “due to massive demand from around the globe”, the “mighty horror metal moshing machine” recorded their third album, ‘Where Moshers Dwell’, “in the boiler room” of Ted's [full name: Dr. Ted Killer Miller, drummer] own Blueflame Productions studio. Mixed by Larry in his Great Scot! Audio studio, the record reportedly “set a new standard for horror and metal for decades to come: prime neck breaking, horror-inspired, sing-along thrash madness”.  

F.K.Ü features: Larry Lethal – vocals, Pete Stooaahl – guitar, Pat Splat – bass and Dr. Ted Killer Miller – drums