out now: The Design Abstract -- Canadian symphosci-fi death band streaming new album Technotheism

The Design Abstract goes for a big symphonic style in extreme metal, with a few twists and surprises along the way. Fans of the dystopian and/or futuristic sounds may the album especially interesting. The Design Abstract is the symphony that remains after the alien zombies have taken over and this is the music that they want the world to hear to remind everyone that the zombies are horrible beings that enjoy tormenting the population with grandiouse cacophony. When can the party begin, right?! -Metal Bulletin Zine

The Design Abstract

Technotheism

Abstrakted Records

29 January 2021

ABOUT: The Design Abstract is a two-piece sci-fi-themed symphonic melo-death band from Ontario, Canada consisting of Logan Mayhem (guitar, songwriting, synth programming), and Voiicide (bass, vocals, scoring, additional sampling/programming). The band formed with a single goal: to create a blend of industrial-influenced symphonic metal that had never been done before. Since the debut album Emanate in 2017, The Design Abstract has sought to shed the antiquated tendencies of orchestral metal bands, instead pushing far into the future conceptually and lyrically. With each subsequent release (Corrupt in 2019 and Esoteric in 2020), the band pushed further into “melodic death metal” territory, brandishing more comprehensive riffs, technical drum writing, and more guttural vocals, but never lost the industrial-electronic edge or the massive and dramatic orchestral passages. The cumulation of this sound is their latest album Technotheism due out Jan 29, 2021. A grandiose display of musicality, technicality, and narrative, the sophomore full length is a monumental 13-track work of symphonic melodic death metal that tells a cyberpunk story of a group of rebels fighting to regain control of Earth. It ranges from technical guitar work to atmospheric electronic passages, and just about everything in between. One thing you’ll notice about Technotheism is how it’s structured and how it all flows together. The pattern of the types of tracks, the order, and their function was very carefully planned out in a way that few albums are.

Technotheism by The Design Abstract

out now: Belarusian occult tech-deathsters EXIMPERITUS new album Šahrartu

American fans of fast, brutal, technical death metal will need to make an appointment with EXIMPERITUS. Apparently, the band does not go around telling everyone their names, but that might not matter to you once your ears feast on the music. Some people have noticed some affinities with Nile, and you'll have to be the judge of that, but what is certain is that the album offers an entertaining listen, and seems perfect for playing air guitar and air drums. The album sounds fully professional, the music is serious and memorable. Metal Archives says that the band has been kicking around street corners since 2009, but 2021 is a good time to start the journey into this music, if you are new to the band. Longtime fans already know that this is where things were heading since the 2016 album. This is EXIMPERITUS new and improved. -Metal Bulletin Zine

Eximperitus

Šahrartu

Willowtip Records

29 January 2021

ABOUT: Hailing from Minsk, Belarus, EXIMPERITUS takes its name from dead languages of the Ancient East. The band was formed in 2009 and released its first demo - Triumpho Tenebrarum In Profundis Mors – in 2011. Two years later the band released another demo, Promo 2013. In 2016, EXIMPERITUS released its debut full-length, Projecting the Singular Emission of the Doctrine of Absolute and All-Absorbing Evil…, on Japanese label Amputated Vein Records. Despite its provocative and perplexing lyrical concepts, the album was highly-acclaimed by listeners and critics, receiving rave reviews in numerous webzines and music issues around the world. The album proved EXIMPERITUS to be a band capable of creating a detailed, conceptual universe consisting of sophisticatedly composed music with inexpressible majestic atmosphere. The debut was followed in 2017 by W2246-0525, an EP that showcased the next step in EXIMPERITUS’ evolution. As work began for another full-length album, the band released a single titled "Tahâdu" in 2019. The song showed continued progression in the band’s sound and song-crafting and captured the attention of a growing legion of fans. EXIMPERITUS then signed with Willowtip Records for the release of Šahrartu. The album is a grandiose and majestic representation of a new era of death metal being ushered in by EXIMPERITUS.

Šahrartu by Eximperituserqethhzebibšiptugakkathšulweliarzaxułum

review: Tribulation -- catchy gothic metal from Sweden

Tribulation

Where the Gloom Becomes Sound

Metal Blade Records

29 January 2021

The Swedish band Tribulation is known for changing from album to album. They began some 20 years ago as a zombie-themed thrash band, changed their name to Tribulation, changed to more extreme metal, and then to something like melodic and melancholic metal with extreme vocals, which is where they seem to have finally settled down in their most comfortable setting. The new album offers, in general, music that is midtempo/uptempo and very accessible, with lots of guitar ear-friendly melodies of a melancholic style. The melodies are not necessarily happy and they are not colorful, but after some listening the greyness of the melodies brings out pleasant feelings, and a certain subdued joy, if you will.

It is best to approach this music from the perspective of a mixture, and a non-strict attitude. At first, listeners might think that this is extreme metal (their name, the Addams Family-like imagery [clothing and make up, for instance], the calculated marketing of the music videos, their early history, and the way that the press talks about them). It seems like many people treat the music as if this were some form of extreme metal. It is not. Second, expect for the music to be, if anything, a form of gothic metal, but more like “gothic” and “heavy metal,” from the perspective of musicians who come from an extreme metal background. You can hear the experience in extreme metal, it’s something that is audible, identifiable, but it’s not the genre of the album, if that makes sense.

The last thing that fans really should know is that the vocals are extreme, and not sung. It is an intelligible snarl that focuses on enunciation. It is not a harsh tone but it is not singing, either. There are no attempts at singing. The music is unexpectedly catchy, rocking in low-key way, and also accessible for cross sections of potential audiences, if they give it a chance, and don’t get too caught up with the business model of the marketing strategies of the band.

Below are two songs from the album. In our opinion, the second song is a much better representation of the overall style found on the album.

https://www.facebook.com/TribulationSweden/

Tribulation - Funeral Pyre (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

Tribulation - Hour of the Wolf (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

Throwback Thursday: Iron Man's 1993 debut album Black Night

Iron Man (1988-2018) is definitely a band for the devoted fans of 1970s Black Sabbath-style doom. Below is their debut album Black Night from YouTube. Wikipedia has the following information about the band.

Wikipedia Biography: Iron Man was an American heavy metal band from Maryland. Iron Man began as a Black Sabbath tribute band in 1986 when Alfred Morris III (guitar) and Kim Geoffrey Martin (drums) of Force decided to take all the Black Sabbath songs that they had mixed in to the Force set list since 1976 and start a band dedicated to Alfred's favorite group. Regular rehearsals were held in Kim Martin's mother's home in Bethesda MD with the set lists refined. Alfred suggested that the name Iron Man was to be used whenever the exclusive list of Black Sabbath covers were performed. Kim Martin quit the tribute band a year later to pursue full time variety work. Approximately two years later, Iron Man became an all-original act with Alfred Morris III driving the band vision and sound. Alfred Morris III continued to write songs, utilizing and combining the large catalog of riffs he had built and saved over the years. In 1999 the band released their third studio album, Generation Void. Each album has had a new line-up with Morris being the only constant throughout the years. In 2006, a bootleg recording of Iron Man surfaced entitled Iron Man: Live in Cincinnati. This concert was one of the very few performed on the ill-fated 2000 U.S. Tour. The show was recorded on February 9, 2000 at Annie's Saloon in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the last show ever with Dan Michalak & Vic Tomaso.

At the beginning of 2000 Iron Man embarked on a 20 city U.S. tour which ended prematurely with two band members (Michalak and Tomaso) leaving. Temporary bassist ViiX recruited two additional temps (Jared Rein on drums and Jadd of MeteorCity Records founder on vocals) for the tour. She also provided a van for the band to use & did various photography & artwork. They resumed touring up until April 2000. This line up played their last show on April 1, 2000 at the Emerson Theatre in Indianapolis, Indiana.

In 2004 Michael Lindenauer took on the role as their manager and helped Morris to revive Iron Man. Morris had recruited new band members, one of which, Jon Owen, was from London, England. This caused problems when they tried to make their first comeback show on July 9, 2005 at the Templars of Doom Festival held in Indianapolis. Jon Owen was unable to secure a proper visa in time and was going through a series of personal problems as well. It took the combined efforts of both Morris and Lindenauer to put the band back together yet again. Ex-members of Maryland doom bands Wretched and Life Beyond (Louis Strachan on bass and Gus Basilika on drums) were recruited for the rhythm section. After a long search Lindenauer secure Joe Donnelly of Sabbra Cadabra (a Black Sabbath tribute band). Iron Man was booked for the Doom Or Be Doomed Festival to be held over three days in Baltimore, Maryland on the weekend of April 13-15th, 2007. Just a month before the show, Basilika left the band over musical differences and drummer Brian "Dex" Dexter filled Basilika's spot. With the new line up intact the band finally made their comeback show as planned on April 15 at the D.O.B.D. Festival. Soon after, the band released the self-produced CDEP Submission.

In 2007, Leaf Hound Records began re-released the first two albums originally released on Hellhound Records. Both albums have been remastered. The Passage was re-released on CD. In 2008, Black Night was released on LP with plans to re-release the CD version in the future. And in 2009, Al Morris III guided yet another new lineup of Iron Man into the studio to record the band's fourth album, I Have Returned, released by Shadow Kingdom Records.

2010 saw the departure of drummer Dex Dexter and vocalist Joseph Donnelly, who were replaced by drummer Mike Rix and vocalist "Screaming Mad" Dee Calhoun (ex-After Therapy & Land of Doom). This new lineup quickly recorded and released the self-produced Dominance EP in early 2011.

There are two releases on Doom Records that feature Morris. There is a self-titled Force album and A Double Dose of Doom, which features Rat Salad and Obstination (who would go on to become Unorthodox). In 1979, during the early Force years, Larry Brown was offered a spot in the Bad Brains but declined thinking Force was the better prospect. Morris also appears on the Scene Killer album (2001) on MeteorCity Records, which is a collaboration of musicians from New Jersey bands along with a few out-of-state guests. Former vocalist Rob Levey is now better known for his work in organizing the Stoner Hands of Doom festivals.

On January 15, 2012, Iron Man posted the following announcement on their Facebook page: "Iron Man are happy to announce Jason 'Mot' Waldmann as the band's new permanent drummer. Mot, a longtime friend and fan of Iron Man, recently performed with the band in a fill-in basis, and based on his performance and his friendship and chemistry with the band, has been awarded the full-time position. Iron Man graciously thanks everyone who auditioned; the response was huge, and the choice was far from easy. The evidence of the richness of the talent pool regarding drummers within the MD/VA/DC region was evident during these auditions. Everyone, please welcome Mot to the Iron Man family as we look forward to a very successful 2012!" That summer, Iron Man released their att hålla dig över EP.

On February 4, 2013, Iron Man announced that they were about to begin recording their fifth full-length album, and that they would again be working with Frank Marchand, who engineered I Have Returned. The resulting album, South of the Earth, was released in the UK/Europe on September 30, 2013 via Rise Above Records, and in North America on October 1, 2013 via Metal Blade Records.

On January 10, 2018, Morris died at the age of 60.

Iron Man - Black Night (1993) FULL ALBUM

California grooving death grunting mojo networkers REPAID IN BLOOD have released sophomore album Reflective Duality, and the partying has already begun in their parents' basement

They call themselves the "California Geek Metal Squad" and it's a reputation that they would like to maintain by playing lots of video games and dressing up as cartoon characters. When they walk around the streets of California, they hand out floppy disks and beepers so that people can keep up with the latest technology. They also play death metal in a grooving grunting kind of way that reminds every one of the California sun, Katy Perry, the beach, In and Out Burger and roller skates. Get ready to grunt like a pig, and grease up those elbows for some action right there in your living and let's get those martial arts moves going. Elbows up, knees up, and begin flailing away! That's it, that's the Repaid in Blood spirit. They say that they like metalcore and death metal, and they kind of sound like deathcore. -Metal Bulletin Zine

OFFICIAL information from Repaid in Blood about Repaid in Blood: The band comments on the album, “We have always been a fun going band, writing about the things we love and care about, metal, comics, movies, all around geek stuff. Well this time around we also wrote about what we care about, this time it’s people! You, and everyone else, are created equal. This isn’t an album about hate, it’s about our love for our country and what it should stand for. This isn’t a political album, it’s about human rights. All humans are created equal, women, children and men. Metal IS Family. We should support each other, as well as everyone that needs help in our communities. If you have a problem with our views, kindly see yourself out of our socials. We thank you for your time.” REPAID IN BLOOD mixes the best of Death Metal and Metal-core creating their own unique genre: Geek Metal! Which blends crushing riffs, searing solos, ball shattering breakdowns with a variety of pop culture, movies, games and geekdom samples into their performances that always gets the crowd going and shouting the lines and samples during the show!

REPAID IN BLOOD is a metal band that started in 2006 in Sunnyvale, CA. The name was taken from a lyric off The Black Dahlia Murder’s first full length album, Unhallowed. The name is an expression of violence in its truest form, vengeance. Victor Hernandez and Jake Burrmann formed a band in high school, with different members coming and going along the way, eventually turning into what became REPAID IN BLOOD. Jake Burrmann and Juan Galvez are the last of the founding members, and yet, with the powerful vocals and live performances of Darrell Durham, along with the blistering leads of Patrick Small, REPAID IN BLOOD is a strong cohesive family.

REPAID IN BLOOD has worked the local scene with a strong fan base, played in three showcases at South By Southwest, numerous West Coast and Southwest tours and US tours. REPAID IN BLOOD are serious about the music they create, but always have fun doing so. From the "I Saw Zombies Eating Santa Claus" Xmas parody to a Lego stop motion, Clerks inspired, Jaws parody video, to a full puppet band video for a parody of Salt N Peppa’s “Push It”, releasing tour and behind the scenes blooper videos, using Archer or Stranger Things for a live opening, kid’s cereal, zombies, pop culture, comic books, Game Of Thrones, to peeing on you, you are guaranteed to take something away from REPAID IN BLOOD musically and live.

REPAID IN BLOOD has one full length album, Born In A Lazarus Pit, which was released June 2014, with music videos released, national promotion, and press as well. REPAID IN BLOOD also has an earlier EP One Bullet Shy Of A Solution released August 2008 and more recently a second EP Terra Mourning in May 2017. The newest full length, Reflective Duality, is due out January 21st 2021. REPAID IN BLOOD have done full US tours: East Bound And Death Tour with thrashers Apothesary, The Repaid In Death Tour with Australian Death Metalers In Death..., The Split Personality Tour with Death Will Tremble, The Danger Zone Tour with Casket Robbery, and the massive No One Gets Out Alive Tour with In Death..., Casket Robbery and Bury The Rod which was a great success. REPAID IN BLOOD has shared the stage with All Shall Perish, Allegaeon, Betraying The Martyrs, Embryonic Devourment, Forbidden, Incite, Morta Skuld, Voices Of Ruin, Sacrificial Slaughter as well as so many others on the road.

REPAID IN BLOOD is:

Darrell Durham on Vocals; Jake Burrmann on Guitar and Bass; Patrick Small on Lead Guitar; Juan Galvez on Drums.

Reflective Duality was recorded, produced, mixed and mastered by Eric Hill at The Blue Room Recording Studio. All drums by Juan Galvez, all rhythm guitar, some leads and bass by Jake Burrmann. Vocals by Darrell Durham. Lead guitar by Patrick Small. Guest vocals on "Thots & Purveyors" by Jon Howard (Threat Signal). Guest guitars on "Ritualistic Stoning" by Travis Montgomery (Threat Signal). Guest guitars on "Rebel Scum" by Greg Burgess (Allegaeon). Guest vocals on "Molotov Circumcision" by Michael Alvarez (Flub, ex-Alterbeast) and guest guitars by Cameron Losch (Born Of Osiris).

Reflective Duality by Repaid In Blood

Cult of Luna -- Swedish monsters of beautiful drudging heaviness stream new song "Three Bridges"

For over two decades Cult of Luna has been slowly driving the heaviness into corners where roaring misery can find a little beauty. Sometimes the heaviness takes a while to arrive to the pleasant moods, sometimes things get there a bit faster in the context of slow heaviness. It was not that long ago that 2019's A Dawn to Fear brought some 80 minutes of their signature sound, after what seemed like a long time of studio album silence. That's why fans might be taken aback to hear that there are some 38 minutes of new music in 2021 called The Raging River. It looks like the Swedes have had some more time than usual in 2020 to write music. Listen to a new song below and check out the official propaganda from Metal Blade Records. -Metal Bulletin Zine

Cult of Luna

The Raging River

Red Creek Recordings

5 February 2021

OFFICIAL information from Metal Blade Records/Cult of Luna: On February 5th, Cult of Luna will release a new EP, entitled The Raging River, via Red Creek - the band's newly created record label, which will be physically distributed by Metal Blade Records (in North America) and Season of Mist (in Europe).

Cult of Luna comments: "After more than 20 years of touring, releasing albums and experiencing different kinds of deals and aspects of the music industry, we believed that it was the right time for us to seek more freedom and to reduce the distance between us and our audience. So, in 2020, Red Creek was born. It has been created as a safe home for our art, but we wanted to do more and offer our experience, expertise and network to the artists we love and believe in. Therefore, we gathered talents and partners around us to create a crafted solution to our needs that is adaptable also to the needs of other artists. Red Creek will be our home; if you've been with us for 20 years or 2 days, this will be your home too. We're also pleased to team up with great companies such as Metal Blade for the distribution in North America and Season of Mist for the distribution in Europe."

Red Creek's debut release, The Raging River, is a seamless continuation of the writing process and the creative mindset that has guided Cult of Luna for the last couple of years. "'The Raging River' feels more like a bridge. A midpoint that needs to be crossed so we can finish what we started with 2019's 'A Dawn to Fear,'" the band adds. "It's been an interesting, as well as an introspective, way of working, having our instinct leading the way and then having to figure out where it takes us. But not only has it been a linear journey; some aspects of it are also clearly circular. For example, we have been a fan of Mark Lanegan for many years. So in 2005, when we wrote the song 'And With Her Came the Birds', we had his voice in mind, and the working title was 'The Lanegan Song'. But we were not many years over 20, and our lack of self-confidence prevented us from even daring to ask. It took fifteen years for us to get the guts to ask him. Hearing his voice on 'Inside Of A Dream' is nothing more than feeling that we're inside of a dream."

THE RAGING RIVER by Cult of Luna

http://www.red-crk.com

Throwback Thursday: King's X -- Gretchen Goes to Nebraska (1989)

In the late 1980s King's X began to rise in popularity in the United States among fans of heavy rock in general. The band's melodic prog style appealed to both fans of the more melodic hard rock and stadium heavy metal of the time. Below is a video from the 1989 album Gretchen Goes to Nebraska, one of their classic albums for fans of the band.-Metal Bulletin Zine

Wikipedia: "Gretchen Goes to Nebraska is the second studio album by American heavy metal/hard rock trio King's X. It is a concept album based on a short story written by drummer Jerry Gaskill. Having received strong critical praise and fan support, Gretchen Goes to Nebraska is considered among the best work of King's X, and a seminal record within the progressive metal genre."

Wikipedia: King's X is an American rock band that originated in 1979 in Springfield, Missouri, who combine progressive metal, funk and soul with vocal arrangements influenced by gospel, blues, and British Invasion rock groups. Despite a largely underground reputation as the "musician's musicians", King's X was pivotal in the early development of progressive metal, and produced a series of early records considered essential within the genre. The band's lyrics are largely based on the members' struggles with religion and self-acceptance. King's X was ranked No. 83 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.

Since being signed to Megaforce Records in 1987, King's X has released twelve studio albums, two official live albums, and several independent releases. They broke into the mainstream with their first six albums, including their only top 100 charting records Faith Hope Love (1990) and Dogman (1994). The band's most recent studio album, XV, was released in 2008 on the InsideOut Music label. Since leaving Atlantic Records, following the release of Ear Candy in 1996, King's X has released albums through Metal Blade Records, InsideOut Music and independently. Each member of the group has recorded several solo albums and have made numerous guest appearances on other artists' albums, as well as participated in numerous compilation projects. Doug Pinnick and Ty Tabor also have many albums released with side bands in which they participate.

King's X - Over My Head (Official Video)

King´s X Gretchen goes to nebraska FULL ALBUM

https://www.facebook.com/KingsXofficial

review: Generation Steel -- hard-hitting rising true metal from Germany

Generation Steel

The Eagle Will Rise

Pure Steel Records

January 22nd 2021

Fans that enjoy bands that have a clear, proud style may want to look into this album. There is zero confusion about what the mission is, and there is no identity crisis, no am-bivalence about the objective. There are 13 songs of upfront, straight ahead, proud, hard-hitting traditional heavy metal. From the first song to the last, the listener will re-ceive precisely what the listener came for. Thus, the question is: Do you want an hour of proud, traditional heavy metal? Do you want a band fully committed to hitting the target every time for thirteen times? This German band will give you the uptempo, headbanging heavy metal with the riffs that the style demands. The songs that aim to please. The vocal style that is expected in this genre. There are no ballads and there are no slow songs.

This is slightly less fast and less intense than thrash, but it pushes the intensity right up to the borderline with classic thrash. Of course, this has singing, not punk-metal yelling, and it has more guitar catchiness and melody than thrash. Fans of the upfront heavy metal of Primal Fear, Accept/U.D.O., and Judas Priest may find this music to be to their liking, but again, this album has zero ballads/slow songs. Of course, the vocals are sung, in a somewhat gritty way, and not screamed, but it is not super high vocals and they have some gang-shouting heavy metal background vocals.

Die-hard fans may like to know that Accept guitarist Uwe Lulis produced this album. Metal Archives does not seem to have this band right now, but it looks like they began in 2019 with guitarist Jack The Riffer (ex-Dead Man’s Hand, ex-Bullet Train). They have Pascal Lorenz (ex-Oscura, ex-Corbian) on lead guitar; Michael Kaspar (ex-Squealer) on bass; Martin Winter on drums; and Rio Ullrich on vocals. The album lasts 58:50.

GENERATION STEEL - The Eagle Will Rise - official Video (PURE STEEL RECORDS)

GENERATION STEEL - Invoke The Machine - official Lyric Video (PURE STEEL RECORDS)

https://www.puresteel-shop.com/GENERATION-STEEL-The-Eagle-Will-Rise

https://www.facebook.com/GenerationSteelOfficial/?ref=page_internal

Moriah Formica Announces All-Girl Band PLUSH and First Single "Hate"

PLUSH is an all-female rock band with a mission––to bring an all-girl rock band back to the forefront of the music industry. PLUSH is composed of four talented musicians, all under the age of 21, whose accomplishments and talent eclipse their age. This female rock force is fronted by singer/guitarist Moriah Formica, drummer Brooke Colucci, lead guitarist Bella Perron and bassist Ashley Suppa.

Moriah skyrocketed to national recognition when she appeared on NBC’s The Voice. Miley Cyrus referred to her as a "Rock Goddess." Brooke, also known by her moniker Rock Angel, has even earned a nod from John Lennon’s official Facebook page, as she built her social media empire. Together, Moriah and Brooke have over 28 million views on their videos across social media platforms in 2020.

Bella is a freshman at Berklee College of Music and a guitar virtuoso. She adds to the band’s ferocious melodies with amazing backing vocals and a no holds barred brand of uncompromising leads. Ashley adds an undeniable bass undertow to PLUSH's sound. She has been noticed by Ace Frehley (KISS), who requested her skills on backing vocals for his Anomaly solo album.

PLUSH's first single "Hate" drops on all digital platforms February 9, 2021, via Pavement Entertainment. The song is very personal for frontwoman Moriah Formica. She says, "It's about somebody who broke my heart in a very bad way. I was just so angry and sad, but I couldn't bring myself to actually say 'I hated you' to that person, because the truth is I really, really loved that person, and I just hated that I loved them."

PLUSH wants to bring back the heart of rock to the mainstream with a new and fresh spin on the sounds you already love. It has been quite awhile since an all-female rock act has hit the mainstream, and PLUSH hopes to inspire young women everywhere to follow their dreams, regardless of whatever challenges may get in the way.

Pre-save "Hate" on your favorite streaming platform here: https://orcd.co/hate For the latest on PLUSH, visit: Official Site: http://plushrocks.net Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PLUSHOFFICIAL/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plushrocks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/PLUSHROCKS

PLUSH – Hate (Preview)

"Never Let You Go" - Steelheart - Cover by Moriah Formica

Heaven and Hell - Moriah Formica - Chrome Waterford NY 4/12/19

Moriah Formica 1/11/20: 11 - Immigrant Song [Led Zeppelin cover] - Clifton Park, NY

[In case you are not familiar with the original Steelheart song, here is the video for it.]

Steelheart - I'll Never Let You Go (Official Video)

review: Red Cain -- rising prog power from Canada

Red Cain

Kindred: Act II

22 January 2021

The 2019 debut full-length album Kindred: Act I was an announcement to the fandom of prog power and melodic metal in general that a new, very promising band had arrived for real. Equipped with memorable songs and a good energy of midtempo music that is prog yet also easy to understand, there were plenty of reasons to look into these Canadian rising contenders, not the least of which was the good, melodic singing. Usually, with independent do-it-yourself bands like this one, when they have such a good debut, one doesn't expect to hear again from them for years, if at all. Defying all such expectations, they have returned.

One of the best aspects, despite the fact that this is prog, is that the music is very easy to get into and enjoy. It is often midtempo, headbobbing music as a general style, and that makes things exceedingly easy for fans in general that prefer normal, song-friendly speeds. There are bits of uptempo, headbanging speeds, but that’s not the main tempo. The guitar melodies certainly help with understanding the music. There are good, melodic solos on the album. This is all helped by keyboards and ear-friendly rhythms in general. The combination of melodic guitar solos and those sweet keyboards and grooves make for a fun listen.

Fans will have to take notice of the singing. It is crooning that fans of melodic metal should understand without much difficulty. Here and there, there is some vocal variety, like some harsher parts and other extreme elements that show vocal contrasts, and it's nice to hear a bit of those other things. However, the real big reason to listen is the melodic singing. It makes this listener really curious to find out if the singing can be this good in the live concert. Is this voice for real?! It sounds so good, and strong, and also melodic. It is the thing that takes the band over the top in terms of music and of catching the interest of potential fans. There is an elegance and style to the singing that makes the songwriting attractive and pulls you in to check out more of the music. It's a masculine yet emotional personality, without sounding cheesy, emo, weak or fake. Just listen for yourself, and see if your ears like the voice, and take it from there.

Kindred: Act II by Red Cain

review: Aberration -- cavernous claustrophobic doom death from the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes

Aberration

Aberration

Sentient Ruin Laboratories

January 15 2021

Even though this publication is unable to reveal the identities of the illusionist-contortionists behind Aberration, the Department of Propaganda subdivision of the Ministry of Reeducation from extraterrestrial feudal overlords Sentient Ruin Laboratories has grudgingly released general details that this cacophony involves “members of Void Rot, Suffering Hour, Tvaer, and Nothingness.” That right there, dear reader, for those so inclined, is information that can be pursued at Metal Archives. Aberration is that cavernous death that has recently been spewing out of Minnesota, U.S., involving a specific inner circle of people. It is minimalistic, low-growling indecipherable death that crawls like the slowest death doom only to speed up to black/death velocities. The guitar at times chugs like you chug when you chug with the best of them, for those whole-body headbobbing motions, as you can hear for yourself on track “II.” There are three songs: “I” (06:09), “II” (03:16), and “III” (05:18), working a monolithic, hypnotic effect that happens after entering this one-way cave of heaviness in simplicity. It starts to sound like one whole recording with a couple of pauses in between, and not as separate songs. Aberration is new death but it has the intentions of old hearts at work. The production, heaviness, vocals, density, the blurry fogginess is something that old-school fans might enjoy. To those fans, Aberration might sound like Autopsy recording in their garage some covers of early Incantation, or like Immolation using Autopsy's recording garage to record some Autopsy-Immolation mashup covers. A solid three songs.

Aberration by Aberration

review: Faithful Breath (Germany) -- classic party Viking metal from the 1980s

Faithful Breath

Skol (Re-Release)

High Roller Records

22.01.2020

If we’re talking about classic rock from Germany, here in the U.S. fans think of Scorpions, and to a lesser extent, Accept. Of course, in the 1980s in Germany there were many classic-style bands (the super new trend called thrash also had attracted many younger bands and fans). Faithful Breath is one of those names that dedicated fans of 1980s legacy German party heavy metal should have in their collection if they don't already: tons of fun, big riffs, a cool rhythm section, an attractive, strong singing voice, and those super catchy songs that stayed in the memory long after the needle lifted from the vinyl. If you want party heavy metal, in the same vibe as mid 80s Scorpions, Accept, Judas Priest, Saxon, and Def Leppard (pre-1987), that radio-friendly heavy rock, Faithful Breath is exactly that. This album from 1985, and its predecessor Gold 'n' Glory from 1984, are some of the best material that the band ever did.

Like Scorpions, Priest or Accept, the Faithful Breath musicians labored through the 1970s, and their history actually began before the 1970s. They went through their prog period (see the enjoyable album Back on My Hill from 1980], but beginning in 1981 their music became fun party heavy metal with Viking imagery. That’s this album here. Unfortu-nately, some things must have been going wrong: Did the German rock press reject this band? Did the band feel uncomfortable with their stadium anthem metal style? Did the German fans mock this band (the metal youth were jumping on the thrash trend, after all)? Whatever the problems were, in the late 80s Faithful Breath changed their name to Risk, and they became a thrash band with typical thrash lyrics with newspa-per-like topics. Risk, of course, was good, faster, tighter, more serious, but the fun party metal was gone. Eventually, in the 1990s Risk would also end after some five albums. It’s a shame that Faithful Breath/Risk could not figure out how to keep things together. (As an aside, this listener likes Risk’s The Daily Horror News [1988] and Dirty Surfaces [1990], for a melodic type of thrash.)

(When Faithful Breath/Risk called it quits for good (around 1993, it seems), they already had at least 11 studio full-length albums to their name, and more than 20 years of history. If they had found a way to keep going, being proud of their whole history and playing all their music from the different periods, as a band that was there even before heavy metal was called heavy metal, can you imagine what their status would be now?!!)

Anyway, coming back to this 1985 album right here, if you want the 1980s good times, whether it's Saxon, Scorpions or Van Halen, this one and 1984's Gold 'n' Glory reflect the time when Faithful Breath was the party.

[see the High Roller Records for the info] https://www.hrrshop.de/FAITHFUL-BREATH-Skol-LP-BLACK_1

[this link is here for informational purposes so that you hear what this sounds like] Faithful Breath - 1985 - Skol (FULL ALBUM) [Heavy Metal/Hard Rock]

review: CB3 -- instrumental psychedelic space doom

CB3

Live Sessions

The Sign Records

15 January 2021

CB3 (Charlotta's Burning Trio) has a live session recording (with videos) comprised of three songs from 2020’s studio album Aeons: "Acid Haze" (12:15), "Sonic Blaze" (8:11), and "Warrior Queen" (7:37). The guitar sound is a contemporary heavy, fuzzed out tone, like today's version of late 1960s doom heaviness pioneered by Blue Cheer and the later New Yardbirds/early Led Zeppelin and heavy bands after them: a warm, psychedelic heaviness. This has a super clean sound quality, booming bass guitar grooves and clear drum sound. As an example, the first song is total space doom travelling, and then towards the end of the guitar solo, the tempo picks up for some headbanging that would make all doom fans fans smile. The last portion of the song comes back to the slow mammoth jam filled out with some background sounds of something like an astronomy documentary. In the videos of these songs it looks like the bass player is responsible for the pedal sounds of psychedelia, suspense, white noise and astronomy. Anyway, without any vocals to annoy the listener, the Swedish trio is psychedelic contemporary doom.

Lineup; Charlotta Andersson - guitar; Pelle Lindsjö - bass; Natanael Salomonsson - drums.

CB3 - ACID HAZE (Aeons Live Session)

CB3 - SONIC BLAZE (Aeons Live Session)

Aeons by CB3 (Official)

https://www.facebook.com/charlottasburningtrio

Throwback Thursday: Sound Barrier (USA) -- taking it back to 1983's Total Control

If you are interested in old heavy metal from decades ago, you might be interested in Sound Barrier from California, USA. Metal Archives says:

"The band was formed in 1980 and some time later they recorded a four track demo that lead them to sign with MCA, who released their first album, Total Control, in 1983. It had a lot of funk/blues fusion with metal, but it did not sell as MCA expected and they were dropped.

In 1984, the band released the Born to Rock EP through their own independent label, Pitbull Records. In 1986, they signed with Metal Blade and the Speed of Light album was released with more heavy metal influences in its sound.

After the release of the album, Spacey T. decided to leave and Venetian-born guitarist Alex Masi took his place. Shortly afterward, Emil Lech joined Joshua Perahia and the band collapsed. The remaining members followed Masi to record his solo project."

If you like old heavy metal, you already know that people will have their opinions and whatnot. The important thing is to listen for yourself in a serious way. Everyone is a critic and often people don't even bother to listen to the full album before they react and declare that they know what they are talking about. That's fine, of course. People do what they do. However, the whole 1983 album is available online and there's really no reason not to listen to the entire work and see if it strikes your fancy. You might surprise yourself! By the way, just in case you are wondering: This is not a "funk" album. It is heavy metal music.

The band is active nowadays and you can keep up with them at the Facebook page below.

Sound Barrier- Total Control (FULL ALBUM) 1983

https://www.facebook.com/SBround4/?ref=page_internal

Skelator (Washington state, USA)

ABOUT: Started in San Diego in 1998 by a band of nerdy teenagers trying to rip off Slayer's "Show No Mercy" to a tea then grown up and moved to Seattle to rip off Manowar and kill posers where ever they lie.

Cyber Metal by Skelator

https://www.facebook.com/TrueSkelator

Skarp (Washington state, USA)

Skarp is extreme punk.

Bury Your Dead by Skarp

https://www.facebook.com/Skarp-Official-132362343496066/?ref=page_internal

Six Gun Quota (Washington state, USA)

It looks like this heavy rock band is based in the Tricities area, Washington.

Six Gun Quota "A Means To An End" (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)

https://soundcloud.com/user-372381303

https://www.facebook.com/SixGunQuotaBand/?ref=page_internal

Six Days of Darkness (Washington state, USA)

For this death metal band Metal Archives shows only a recording from 2012 called Katharsis, and they do not seem to be active anymore.

Six Days Of Darkness - Rising From The Ground

https://www.facebook.com/SixDaysOfDarkness

review: Dread Sovereign -- swampy old metal featuring Primordial vocalist Nemtheanga

Dread Sovereign

Alchemical Warfare

Metal Blade Records

15 January 2021

"That's Venom's 'Don't Burn the Witch’!'" was the immediate thought upon hearing the opening riff of the seventh song "Devil's Bane." The opening riff is rather similar to the one starting at 00:24 in Venom. Then, the last song "You Don't Move Me" is a Bathory cover, which is to say, it is a Venom cover separated by one degree of Quorthon.

Dread Sovereign features vocalist Nemtheanga who is known for fronting the long-running and critically acclaimed Primordial, a band that was extreme metal until about 2002, and after that they have become known for slower, more melodic, doom-leaning, kind of folky, moody music. Dread Sovereign, on the other hand, is an oppor-tunity to make some politically incorrect metal in which a doomed out guitar tone plays uptempo goes from doom to heavy to extreme, in a big bundle of swampy old metal. This is not Primordial’s "Professor Nemtheanga" doing a dissertation on ancient Irish history as he known for, but more like "some Irish dude named Alan" rocking out at a bar on a Tuesday night living his best life ever and giving all the seven people pre-sent the best time that they could hope for at the local pub in the middle of the week. Dread Sovereign is kind of asking, "Hey, yo, what up, West Virginia?! It’s Tuesday night, my babiessss! Y'all like Venom, Bathory, Sabbath, The Exploited, Motorhead, Crowbar, Candlemass, GBH and all that old stuff? Well, we hope so, ‘cause we about to get up on it!"

You, the person at the bar, are thinking: "Hey, it's Tuesday night, I like Motorhead, and Venom's alright, and who doesn't like Sabbath?! Maybe these guys can entertain me tonight." So, then, your answer goes up, in a metal yell, "Yeahhhhhh!"

The Bathory cover is super low IQ punk metal, politically incorrect, and obscene. It's a good time, unless you are super uptight politically and stuff. Just beware: there is doom in here, so it's not all fast punk metal. Dread Sovereign has a little bit of everything, something for the west end girls, something for the east end boys.

Alchemical Warfare by Dread Sovereign

Throwback Thursday -- Aenygmist (Québec, Canada) melodic black 2005-2012

Below is the 2010 album Creation Born of Trauma. This is the only recording listed on Metal Archives. The music may be of interest to fans of lesser-known melodic black metal. It is not a demo; not a demo quality recording, by the way. The sound quality is rather good, in case that there are concerns about that.

Creation Born Of Trauma by Aenygmist

Throwback Thursday -- Znöwhite thrashing in the 1980s

Below is the debut EP from 1984. Also, below it there is a video of the band performing live, but the sound is of very bad quality so it's not really possible to hear the music well. It is included here for informational purposes.

Wikipedia: Znowhite or Znöwhite were an American thrash/speed metal band who have been credited for helping to pioneer thrash metal in Chicago, Illinois, United States. In 1982, the heavy metal band Znowhite was founded by two African American brothers, guitarist Ian Tafoya and drummer Sparks Tafoya (real names Greg Fulton and Tony Heath), along with cousin Nicky Tafoya (real name Curtis Fulton) on bass. Nicole Lee (real name Sue Sharp) joined the group soon after as lead vocalist. The band originally performed under the title Snowhite, but later replaced the S with a Z. They independently released their three-song flexi disc which featured the song "Hellbent". This caught the attention of Metal Blade Records founder Brian Slagel. On the strength of the recording Znowhite landed a spot on volume three of the Metal Massacre compilation, which helped give them some exposure.

After Znowhite's initial success, Nicole, Ian, and Sparks decided to replace then bassist Amp Dawg. In 1985, Scott Schafer joined Znowhite taking over the bass duties. Four years of grueling back-to-back tours of America and Canada produced the independently released live album Live Suicide. Back in their hometown of Chicago the band started work on what would be the last Znowhite release, their magnum opus, Act of God. Toward the end of the recording sessions Nicole Lee made the decision to leave Znowhite. Act of God was released in 1988 through Roadrunner Records. An extensive American tour followed the album's release and featured Sentinel Beast vocalist Debbie Gunn (real name Debbie Gunderson) and drummer John Slattery - formerly of the band Tools Of Ignorance. Gunn left after the tours due to health issues. Fulton, Schafer, and Slattery went on to form Cyclone Temple[3] When Cyclone Temple disbanded Fulton, Schafer, and Fulton's brother, former Znowhite drummer Tony Heath, formed a new group named Rebels Without Applause. Gunn went on to sing for the group Ice Age[5] and, later, to reform Sentinel Beast.

Live for the Weekend Single 1983

Demo '83 Demo 1983

Demo '83 (#2) Demo 1983

All Hail to Thee Full-length 1984

Kick 'em When They're Down EP 1985

Live Suicide Live album 1986

Act of God Full-length 1988

Znöwhite - All Hail To Thee (full 1984)

Znöwhite - Live at Blondies, Detroit, Michigan 15 May 1988

Throwback Thursday -- Suicidal Tendencies oldie but goodie thrash times

Below are two old videos from Suicidal Tendencies, and some other links for more information if desired.

Wikipedia: Suicidal Tendencies are an American hardcore punk band formed in 1980 in Venice, California, by vocalist Mike Muir, who is the only remaining original member of the band. Along with D.R.I., Corrosion of Conformity, and Stormtroopers of Death, they are often credited as one of "the fathers of crossover thrash". Their current lineup includes Muir, guitarists Dean Pleasants and Ben Weinman, bassist Ra Díaz and drummer Dave Lombardo. Notable musicians who have contributed to the band's studio or live activities include guitarists Rocky George and Mike Clark, bassists Louiche Mayorga, Robert Trujillo, Josh Paul and Stephen "Thundercat" Bruner, and drummers Amery Smith, Jimmy DeGrasso, Brooks Wackerman, David Hidalgo Jr., Thomas Pridgen and session musician Josh Freese.

Suicidal Tendencies have released thirteen studio albums (four of which are composed of re-recorded or previously released material), two EPs, four split albums, four compilation albums, and two long-form videos. The band achieved their first success with their 1983 self-titled debut album; it spawned the single "Institutionalized", which was one of the first hardcore punk videos to receive substantial airplay on MTV. After releasing one new song on the split release Welcome to Venice (1985) and their second studio album Join the Army (1987), Suicidal Tendencies were signed to Epic Records in 1988, and continued their commercial success with its next three albums, How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today (1988), Controlled by Hatred/Feel Like Shit...Déjà Vu (1989) and Lights...Camera...Revolution! (1990); the latter two were certified Gold by the RIAA. Their 1992 follow-up album The Art of Rebellion was another success, and included three of their biggest hits "Asleep at the Wheel", "Nobody Hears" and "I'll Hate You Better".

After releasing two more studio albums (Still Cyco After All These Years and Suicidal for Life), the band broke up and severed ties from Sony and Epic in 1995. However, they reunited a year later and have continued to perform and record since then. After over a decade of work and many lineup changes, Suicidal Tendencies released their eleventh studio album with all-new material, 13, in 2013, followed three years later by World Gone Mad (2016); both albums were well-received by critics, and considered comebacks for Suicidal Tendencies. Their most recent releases are the EP Get Your Fight On! and an album featuring unreleased and re-recorded material Still Cyco Punk After All These Years, both released in 2018. The band is currently working on new material for the follow-up to World Gone Mad.

DISCOGRAPHY:

Suicidal Tendencies (1983)

Join the Army (1987)

How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today (1988)

Controlled by Hatred/Feel Like Shit...Déjà Vu (1989)

Lights...Camera...Revolution! (1990)

The Art of Rebellion (1992)

Still Cyco After All These Years (1993)

Suicidal for Life (1994)

Freedumb (1999)

Free Your Soul and Save My Mind (2000)

No Mercy Fool!/The Suicidal Family (2010)

13 (2013)

World Gone Mad (2016)

Still Cyco Punk After All These Years (2018)

Suicidal Tendencies - You Can't Bring Me Down (Official Video)

Suicidal Tendencies - Trip at the Brain

Suicidal Tendencies by Suicidal Tendencies

Freedumb by Suicidal Tendencies

https://www.facebook.com/suicidaltendencies

Hail to Azerbaijan: Gatteria; Goat Ripper; Pyraweed

Here are three bands from Azerbaijan: Gatteria is groove metal; Goat Ripper is brutal death metal; Pyraweed is sludge stoner metal.

The Queen We Follow by Gatteria

Taste of Steel Live by Goat Ripper

420 by Pyraweed