Metal Bulletin Zine

Thursday, October 15, 2026

Review: SHORES OF NULL - Homesick - Dusktone - 16 October 2026

SHORES OF NULL - Homesick - Dusktone - 16 October 2026

Dorothy, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.

Strong with this one, the doom and gloom is. On their fifth album, hold back they do not in delivering their special brand of doom and gloom, loading every song with the two things that best they do: melancholy and melody.

The music is melodic-gothic uptempo death doom, uptempo enough that it is not really the trudging of death doom and with a slight feel of a depressive-progressive vibe. However, they're not crazy! It is ten songs in 47 minutes, with only one song reaching the six-minute mark: most of the songs stay within the timeframe of four minutes to 5:30. Very reasonable. Gloomy? Yes. Yes, but it is engaging, melodic extreme and melodic metal. You'd be surprised that this album will not be setting you up to enter a deep depression at all. You might feel joy!

The band works their signature sad-melodic, that heavy-melodic sound with riffs that sound and feel good, and the heavy vocals with good singing. The album moves well between the lines of gothic and doom death metal, and heavy metal, albeit melancholic heavy metal, and the result is melodies that I remember, and want to hear again. I am pleased with the general quality of the album as an entire work.

https://www.facebook.com/shoresofnull

Shores Of Null - The Numbing Void (Official Video)

Shores Of Null - Bleed to Life (Official Video)

Review: IAPETUS - The Mother Void - Willowtip Records - 16 October 2026

Just trust, and know that you won't understand right now, but you will understand later, little by little, and it may take years to comprehend in a deeper way.

Do you like songs that are 17 minutes long? Are you interested in the idea of 18 minutes for a composition? This album features, amongst other shorter tracks, "The Mother Void" and its length is 12:54. Another song is called "Aniara" and the duration is 17:13. The length for "Red Giant" is 11:59 and for "TON" is 18:44. Now, of course, consider those details and observe that this release is from Willowtip Records, which holds a reputation for complex, forward-thinking, and uncompromisingly heavy music.

This album is probably everything that devoted prog metal fans enjoy, and everything that fans who truly hate prog metal and prog rock will despise. This project's previous album is from 2019. Yes, it probably does take a long time to put together all the pieces for an album like this: loud and quiet segments, various singing and various screaming, high-speed moments and super mellow, spacey moments, everything, just everything in the kitchen sink, and more.

I do not understand this album. Why would I! It's a new album and it's very progressive and there are many things happening in it. If you think about it, it would be insulting to these musicians to claim that what took them seven years to make, took me only several listens to comprehend. I trust that it takes a long time to understand the album, and by the time I get more comfortable with it, it will probably be time for a new IAPETUS album. I don't regret the time I have spent listening to this album. I will not be getting rid of it. I am confident with repeated listens this album will make more sense. One last thing: This is not some crazy, experimental, whackjob of an album. It is not a technical album, either. There is melody and melancholy. There are things that are memorable, but there is just a whole lot of everything happening in songs that are this long.

Iron Maiden 1980s live heavy metal anniversary

October 14, 1985: Iron Maiden - Live After Death - EMI Records

Happy birthday to NARNIA guitarist CJ Grimmark!

October 14, 1977: CJ Grimmark (Carl-Johan Grimmark guitarist for Narnia) – birthday

"Carl Johan Grimmark (born 14 October 1977) is a Swedish guitarist. He has appeared with several influential Christian metal bands including Narnia, Saviour Machine, and Rob Rock. He joined the band Beautiful Sin in 2006. He has also played with Jerusalem on several occasions including Sweden rock in 2015. He's been a special guest guitarist on fellow Narnia bandmate Christian Liljegren's side projects Divinefire and Audiovision. He recorded his debut solo album titled Grimmark, where he also handles the lead vocals. Grimmark's style of playing, especially on Narnia's earlier work, is often compared to the neoclassical metal stylings of Yngwie Malmsteen, or under a more broad genre, neoclassicism." -Wikipedia

NARNIA - I STILL BELIEVE (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO HD) 2016

A hunger deep inside wakes me up at night

Where are we going

We’re far away from home

Like a blind leading a blind

We sail away from all responsibilities

Far away from home

Tearing it down stone by stone

Raise an altar of pride, leave the worries behind

I still believe in the Maker

One by one, we all must bow down

I still believe in the Father, the Son and the Fire

Burning on, I still believe

Turning the tide, following the winds of change,

Denying everything we know

I’ve heard enough.

Your silence is deafening to my ears

Did I ever know you?

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Happy birthday to singer Kobra Paige!

October 14, 1988: Kobra Paige - birthday Kobra Paige is the singer for Kobra and the Lotus. "Kobra and the Lotus (also initialized as KATL) is a Canadian heavy metal band formed in 2009 by lead vocalist and songwriter Kobra Paige." -Wikipedia

KOBRA AND THE LOTUS - You Don't Know (Official Video) | Napalm Records

SANCTUARY Seattle metal anniversary

October 14, 2014: Sanctuary > The Year the Sun Died > 2014, CD, Century Media Records (US)

The Year the Sun Died

MEGADETH 1980s classic thrash anniversary

"What do you mean I don't believe in God? I talk to him every day!"

October 14, 2003: Megadeth > Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? > 2003, DVD, Capitol Records [reissue of 1986]

About this reissue: "Audio tracks featured in DVD-A 5.1 surround, DTS 5.1 surround, and PCM 2.0 stereo, all with 96K sample rate and 24 bit depth. Bonus features include exclusive interview footage and 'Play Along' versions of 'Devils Island' (different tracks of the song). Also has lyrics and photo gallery." -The Metal Archives

Wikipedia observes: "In the liner notes on the 25th anniversary reissue, Lars Ulrich gave his praise for the album, 'Whether you heard this record for the first time in 1986, or you hear this record for the first time today or tomorrow, Peace Sells is a great heavy metal album. Nothing more, nothing less. It has stood the test of time. And will continue to do so.'"

Wikipedia also notes: "According to Ellefson, he was once approached by Dimebag Darrell giving his approval of the album, 'We went out, drank hard, a good time, and Dimebag – who was known as Diamond Darrell at that time – after we had been drinking all night, he comes up to me and he looks me dead in the eye and he goes, ---David, I just want to tell you the Peace Sells album changed my life.--- And I kind of shrugged it off like, 'Oh, thanks, man. Appreciate it.' And I remember he put his hand on my shoulder. He goes, ---No, it changed my life.--- It was like a sobering moment right there when he said that.'"

Megadeth - Peace Sells

Happy birthday to DREAMS OF GRAY vocalist guitarist Luis Rivera!

October 14: Luis Rivera – birthday

The city of Chicago, Illinois, USA is home base for the melodic death metal of DREAMS OF GRAY. When I look online for reviews, I find nothing but positive reception for their previous EPs, and on December 4, 2026, their third EP, titled In the Shadow of the Storm, comes out. The first song is called "Edges of Thought" and it is available for listening now.

DREAMS OF GRAY delivers efficient, compact songwriting: the new track features some classic-style feral, snarling death metal vocals to begin, then moves on to midrange singing, including both a higher, more melodic tone and a lower register—and all these vocal styles are remarkably easy to make out due to the great effort put into clear enunciation. The music features headbanging, thrash-based death metal riffs with catchy, melodic hooks.

DREAMS OF GRAY also uses a whole bunch of subtle elements that take a few listens to identify: there is melancholy woven into this song, including a certain feeling of a gothic doom atmosphere, and it is done with guitars, not keyboards. All these things happen in a song that is only four minutes and 14 seconds! In addition, expect intelligent, real, heartfelt lyrics—in this case, exploring what happens when the mind races nonstop, disrupting all trains of thought and refusing to let you focus or sleep.

In the Shadow of the Storm EP track list:

1. Edges of Thought 4:14

2. Shadow of the Storm 5:08

3. Venas Abiertas 4:31

DREAMS OF GRAY - Edges of Thought

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090219272895

https://www.instagram.com/dreamsofgray

Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Happy birthday to the Red Rocker!

October 13, 1947: Sammy Hagar (Samuel Roy Hagar) - birthday

"Samuel Roy Hagar (born October 13, 1947), also known as the Red Rocker, is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and entrepreneur. He rose to prominence in the early 1970s with the hard rock band Montrose before launching a successful solo career, scoring a hit in 1984 with "I Can't Drive 55". He enjoyed further commercial success as the second lead vocalist of Van Halen from 1985 through 1996, and from 2003 to 2005. In 2007 Hagar was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Van Halen. His musical style primarily consists of hard rock and heavy metal. A lifelong entrepreneur, Hagar has founded four spirits brands and 13 restaurants. In 2008, with his wife, Kari Hagar, he founded a private non-profit focused on children's causes and hunger relief, the Hagar Family Foundation." -Wikipedia

Sammy Hagar - VOA (Voice of America)

Extol metal anniversary

October 12, 2023: Extol — Labyrinth of Ill / Exigency [EP] - Indie Recordings

"Extol is a Norwegian Christian metal band from Bekkestua, formed in 1993. The band is known for playing different styles of metal, including progressive metal, death metal, black metal and thrash metal. Over the course of their career, the band has released five studio albums and two EPs, beginning with their debut, Burial, in 1998. The band are noted for their precise, technical musicianship. The fourth album, The Blueprint Dives, received a Spellemannsprisen nomination for Best Metal Album of 2005. Extol has toured the United States and Europe several times with such bands as Mastodon, God Forbid and Opeth. Extol has sold over 500,000 albums worldwide." -Wikipedia

Extol - Labyrinth Of Ill (Official Visualizer)

All That Remains anniversary of melodic metalcore, hard rock, heavy metal, melodic death metal

October 12, 2010: All That Remains - For We Are Many - Prosthetic Records / Razor & Tie

"For We Are Many (stylized as ...For We Are Many) is the fifth studio album by the American heavy metal band All That Remains. Released on October 12, 2010, it is the third album by the band to be produced by the Killswitch Engage guitarist, Adam Dutkiewicz, who also produced This Darkened Heart and The Fall of Ideals." -Wikipedia

All That Remains - "For We Are Many"

Terrorizer grindcore anniversary

Terrorizer studio album number 4

October 12, 2018: Terrorizer - Caustic Attack - The End Records

Terrorizer - Caustic Attack

in memory of 1980s heavy metal bassist Jody Henry (OMEN)

October 12, 2025: RIP Jody Henry (1962-October 12, 2025) (Omen bassist 1983-1989)

Jody Henry was an American musician best known as the original bassist and a founding member of the Los Angeles heavy metal band Omen. Originally a guitarist, he made the switch to bass when he joined forces with guitarist Kenny Powell, vocalist J.D. Kimball, and drummer Steve Wittig in 1983. Together, they established Omen as one of the defining acts of the early U.S. power metal scene. During his initial run with the band from 1983 to 1989, Henry played bass and provided backing vocals on all of Omen's classic early releases. His work featured on the albums Battle Cry (1984), Warning of Danger (1985), The Curse (1986), and Escape to Nowhere (1988), as well as the 1987 EP Nightmares.

The 1986 album The Curse is a personal favorite of mine. Here is song number three from said album.

OMEN - Holy Martyr

McAuley Schenker Group anniversary

Michael Schenker 1980s heavy metal anniversary

Michael Schenker 1980s hard rock anniversary

October 12, 1987: McAuley Schenker Group - Perfect Timing - Capitol / EMI Records

"Perfect Timing is the debut album recorded by the McAuley Schenker Group. It was the first collaboration between Michael Schenker and Robin McAuley (ex-Grand Prix and Far Corporation), resulting in Schenker's first top 100 US hit with the song 'Gimme Your Love.'" -Wikipedia

Robin McAuley – lead vocals; Michael Schenker – lead guitar; Mitch Perry – rhythm guitar, additional lead guitar on tracks 1 and 6, backing vocals; Rocky Newton – bass guitar, backing vocals; Bodo Schopf – drums; additional musicians: Steve Mann – keyboards and rhythm guitars

Gimme Your Love - Here Today Gone Tomorrow - Don't Stop Me Now - No Time for Losers - Follow the Night- Get Out - Love Is Not a Game - Time - I Don't Wanna Lose - Rock 'Til You're Crazy

McAuley Schenker Group - Gimme Your Love

Monday, October 12, 2026

Mortification death metal anniversary

October 12, 1991: Mortification - Mortification - Intense Records

"Mortification is the debut studio album by Australian Christian death metal band Mortification. It was released on 12 October 1991. This album leans more towards death metal than the band's demo album Break the Curse, but retains thrash metal elements. Five songs from the demo album were re-recorded for Mortification. In 2002, The Billboard Guide to Contemporary Christian Music described the album's sound as 'punk-meets-metal grind-core'. A bundle containing Mortification and Scrolls of the Megilloth was released on KMG Records in 1998 and on Rowe Productions in 2015, with the latter being exclusively on cassette. Soundmass Records re-released the album with five bonus tracks in 2020, and again in 2022 with new remastering and nine bonus tracks recorded at Q.U.T. Campus Club in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia on 27 September 1991." -Wikipedia Mortification - Until the End

in memory of BLUE CHEER's Dickie Peterson

October 12, 2009: RIP Dickie Peterson (Richard Allan Peterson (September 12, 1946 – October 12, 2009)

"Richard Allan Peterson(September 12, 1946 – October 12, 2009) known as Dickie Peterson was an American musician, best known as the bassist, lead singer and only constant member of Blue Cheer." -Wikipedia

"Blue Cheer was an American rock band that initially performed and recorded in the late 1960s and early 1970s and was sporadically active until 2009. Based in San Francisco, Blue Cheer played in a psychedelic blues rock or acid rock style. They are also credited as being some of the earliest pioneers of heavy metal, with their cover of 'Summertime Blues' sometimes cited as the first in the genre. They have also been noted as influential in the development of genres as disparate as stoner rock, experimental rock, and grunge." -Wikipedia

Blue Cheer - Summertime Blues (American Bandstand,1968)

BARQUE OF DANTE remembers this very important date in history: the great explorer and navigator Christopher Columbus reaches the Americas!!!

October 12, 1492: Christopher Columbus's first expedition makes landfall on San Salvador Island in the Caribbean

Christopher Columbus lands in the Americas on October 12, 1492 connecting two parts of the world that did not know each other. This single event changed human history forever. Before 1492, people in Europe, Asia, and Africa knew nothing about the Americas, and native people in the Americas knew nothing about them. Plants, animals, and foods moved across the ocean. American foods like potatoes, corn, tomatoes, and chocolate moved to Europe and Asia, feeding millions and growing the world's population. In return, horses, cows, wheat, and coffee came to the Americas. Trade exploded across the Atlantic Ocean. Ships carried goods, silver, and people across the sea, creating the very first truly global economy and kicking off modern science, travel, and mapmaking. Christopher Columbus was a intrepid navigator whose bold 1492 transatlantic voyage permanently linked the Old World and New World, fundamentally altering the course of human history.

Columbus by Barque of Dante (2023 album)

Sunday, October 11, 2026

Overthrust - death metal anniversary

October 10, 2019: Overthrust - Suicide Torment - Indian River Music Company

"Overthrust a 4-piece old school death metal band from Ghanzi-Botswana. Band theme of songs is about death, purgatory, false preachers and Morbid subjects. The band was started in 2008 and have 5 albums (Freedom in dark, Desecrated deeds to decease, Suicide Torment, Demon Grave and Infected by myth). Vulture -Bass/vocals, Spencer -lead guitar, Zehst-Rhythm guitar and Beast-Drums." -Bandcamp

Suicide Torment by Overthrust

Tony MacAlpine - instrumental guitar anniversary

October 10, 1995: Tony MacAlpine — Evolution - Shrapnel Records (Wikipedia date) [The Metal Archives shows only the year 1995 for the earliest release date.]

Tony MacAlpine Guitars, Keyboards, Songwriting

Mike Terrana Drums

Tony Franklin Bass

Tony MacAlpine - Futurism

Thin Lizzy - classic rock anniversary - hard rock anniversary

October 10, 1980: Thin Lizzy - Chinatown - Vertigo Records

Chinatown - Thin Lizzy

in memory of VIXEN's Jan Kuehnemund

October 10, 2013: RIP Jan Kuehnemund (Janice Lynn Kuehnemund; November 18, 1953 – October 10, 2013)

"Janice Lynn Kuehnemund (November 18, 1953– October 10, 2013) was an American guitarist who founded the all-female hard rock/glam metal band Vixen." -Wikipedia

Vixen - Cryin'

Vixen - How Much Love Official Video 1990 From The Album Rev It Up 1

Saturday, October 10, 2026

Imari Tones - heavy metal from Japan

October 10, 2010: Imari Tones - Victory in Christ - Kitchen Knife Records

The band describes themselves as the first Christian heavy metal from Japan.

Imari Tones - Simple

https://www.facebook.com/imaritones

in memory of Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi on his birthday

October 10, 1813: Giuseppe Verdi, 1813–1901, Dies Irae

"Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas ... Verdi came to dominate the Italian opera scene after the era of Gioachino Rossini, Vincenzo Bellini, and Gaetano Donizetti, whose works significantly influenced him. He was also strongly influenced by the French Grand opera style, particularly Giacomo Meyerbeer and Gaspare Spontini ... He found further fame with the three peaks of his 'middle period': Rigoletto (1851), Il trovatore and La traviata (both 1853). He surprised the musical world by returning, after his success with the opera Aida (1871), with three late masterpieces: his Requiem (1874), and the operas Otello (1887) and Falstaff (1893). Verdi's operas remain among the most popular in the repertoire. In 2013, the bicentenary of his birth was widely celebrated around the world with television and radio broadcasts and live performances." -Wikipedia

IVerdi, Il trovatore - Chi del gitano i giorni abbella? (Prêtre)

THERION - Vedi! Le Fosche Notturne Spotigle (From "Il Trovatore")

Battle of Tours - Franks defeat Muslim Invasion

ATTACKER remembers this day in history: The Christian Franks led by Charles Martel defeat The Muslim invasion and save Western Europe from Islamic rule

October 10, 732 AD: The Battle of Tours

"The Battle of Tours ... was fought on 10 October 732, and was an important battle during the [Islamic] Umayyad invasion of Gaul [France]. It resulted in victory for the Frankish and Aquitanian forces, led by Charles Martel, over the invading Umayyad forces, led by Abd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi, governor of al-Andalus. Many historians, including Edward Gibbon, have credited the Christian victory as an important factor in curtailing the spread of Islam in Western Europe." -Wikipedia

"Charles gained a victory against an [Islamic] Umayyad invasion of Aquitaine at the Battle of Tours, and Charles is credited as an important factor in curtailing the spread of Islam in Western Europe. Alongside his military endeavours, Charles has been traditionally credited with an influential role in the development of the Frankish system of feudalism." -Wikipedia

ATTACKER - The Hammer [from the 2013 album Giants of Canaan]

Happy birthday to Bolt Thrower drummer Alex Thomas!

October 10, 1978: Alex Thomas - birthday (Bolt Thrower drums 1997-1999; drums on the 1998 album Mercenary)

[The Metal Archives shows Alex's work: ex-Bolt Thrower, With the Dead, ex-Earl Shilton, Anna Calvi (live), UNKLE (live), ex-Adem, ex-Fridge, ex-Group Dogdrill, ex-New Young Pony Club, ex-Prey, ex-Toah Dynamic, ex-Air (live), ex-Bat for Lashes (live), ex-Beth Orton (live), ex-John Cale (live), ex-Mount Kimbie (live), ex-Squarepusher (live), ex-The The (live)]

Bolt Thrower - Mercenary

[Mercenary · Bolt Thrower · Karl Willetts · Gavin Ward · Barry Thomson · Jo Bench · Alex Thomas]

MEGADETH 1980s thrash vinyl anniversary

October 10, 2025: Megadeth > Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! > 2025, 12" vinyl, Century Media Records (Limited edition, 3 color, Remixed) (reissue of 1985)

MEGADETH - Mechanix (Remastered)

Happy birthday to Dave!

October 10, 1954: David Lee Roth - birthday

David Lee Roth - Shyboy

Van Halen - Somebody Get Me a Doctor

David Lee Roth - California Girls

Friday, October 9, 2026

new album out now: TUNGSTEN - Joker (Official Music Video)

Released today: catchy pop power metal band TUNGSTEN new album Ashes.

Check out this song that features … wait for it … yodeling!

You read that right.

Tungsten doing Tungsten things.

TUNGSTEN - Joker (Official Music Video)

https://www.facebook.com/tungstenband

Thursday, October 8, 2026

in memory of Johnny Ramone on his birthday

October 8, 1948: Johnny Ramone (John William Cummings October 8, 1948 – September 15, 2004) "Johnny Ramone, was an American musician who was the guitarist and a founding member of the Ramones, a band that helped pioneer the punk movement. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Until the band's disbandment in 1996, Johnny, along with the lead vocalist Joey Ramone, were the only two original members who stayed since its inception, and appeared on every one of the band’s albums." -Wikipedia

Well, let's not waste any more time. Here is the band firing on all cylinders!!!

Ramones - Live At The Rainbow - December 31, 1977

Happy birthday to CJ Ramone!

October 8, 1965: C. J. Ramone (Christopher Joseph Ward October 8, 1965) "He is best known for performing from 1989 to 1996 as the bassist, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of the punk rock group the Ramones after replacing original bassist Dee Dee Ramone — a role that lasted until the band's retirement." -Wikipedia

Ramones - Makin Monsters For My Friends