out April 6: Bushido Code -- crossover thrash from Pennsylvania, USA

Bushido Code is crossover thrash with growled vocals. They are what you expect from American musicians: angry, aggressive, rude, and violent. Simple and direct, the thrashing riffs proceed in rapid succession. They like their music to be as violent as the album artwork depicts, and more violent than rap, if possible. They have some melodic hooks, a lot more than expected from a bunch of American punks, but mostly the meat that they like to eat is chugging, thrashing riffs and angry vocals. Usually, crossover bands are not this proficient, but Bushido Code is. Bushido Code would like to meet up with the thrash and hardcore fans somewhere in the middle of a mosh pit. Karate kicks, headbanging, elbowing, push-ups, sit-ups, dabbing, knee slapping, and running in place might all be the type of activities that you see at the mosh pit, where you are also allowed to do the twist. Watch the Karate Kid movie, follow Chuck Norris, and listen to Bushido Code and you will be ready to wax on and wax off, Daniel son.

Bushido Code

The Ronin

Upstate Records

16 April 2021

BIO: Sometimes you just need to get back to your roots. No one knows this better than the Pennsylvania thrash metal squadron BUSHIDO CODE. This band of scene veterans are excited to return to their musical foundations with their upcoming full-length release, The Ronin, and melt the faces off metalheads and hardcore kids all across the world. Their sound seamlessly blends the death metal influences of Death and Obituary with thrashers like Testament and Metallica with a healthy dose of hardcore influences from All Out War, Agnostic Front and Buried Alive. All of this culminates into a high-powered arsenal of gritty vocals, crunchy riffs and a thunderous bottom end. With roots that go deep into the Pennsylvannia hardcore scene, this quintet, formed in 2017, and as so many great bands are, were born out of the primordial ooze of their local scene. They quickly rose within the community, becoming well respected throughout the worldwide heavy music underground scene. BUSHIDO CODE members have a strong brotherhood bond and commitment to their craft, making this collaboration feel very natural, authentic and precise.

BUSHIDO CODE chose a samurai inspired moniker to reflect their own personal values of being fearless and driven by their goals to achieve the highest degrees of sacrifice for what they believe in and are dedicated to. With their first two releases, The Dying Virtues: Volume 1+2 the band was able to lay out their vision of a crossover thrash sound that unapologetically goes for the throat. Having gained international recognition in Europe, Japan and Australia, BUSHIDO CODE look forward to reaching their fanbase with their follow-up release that is sure to escalate their presence as a premiere entity in the metal/thrash/hardcore crossover scene. BUSHIDO CODE is gearing up to release a brand new album, The Ronin, through Upstate Records and Blood Blast Distribution on April 16th. The Ronin uses skull cracking thrash metal to tell the story of Da Shi, a Ronin Samurai who has traveled through time, looking for a warrior worthy enough to help him achieve the most honorable sacrifice, death. However, no demon or saint has been worthy enough yet. It’s an epic story, but a natural choice for a band who seek to take on the world at large. Follow the journey and experience their crossover thrash sonic triumph now!

Bushido Code - "The Ronin" by UPSTATE RECORDS

out April 16: Intonate -- prog tech-death from Canada

Intonate is streaming a song from the second album Severed Within. They are mostly an ummelodic, and somewhat dissonant form of prog tech-death that takes repeated listens to understand. They are not a full-blown jazz metal band doing tech-death, and so, in some ways, they offer somewhat more memorable music than the super tech-death of jazz metal. While is a buzzing, busy-bee style of guitars, here and there, a bit melody creeps in by way of the solos, while the riffs remain decidedly unmelodic, although the repeated patterns of the tremolo guitar do help to notice where things are going. The song is worth hearing several times, as it is a long composition with quite a bit of progressions and some dissonance. While remaining a band strictly for the tech-death and prog extreme crowds, on this second album the band shows that they are ready to be noticed as a serious player in the game of the heavy, fast prog-tech metal.

Intonate

Severed Within

Willowtip Records

16 April 2021

ABOUT: Doing the storied Montreal death metal scene proud, Canadian bruisers INTONATE have signed to Willowtip Records for the release of sophomore album Severed Within on April 16.The album follows the 2016 independent debut The Swerve, itself a penetrating technical death metal experience, complete with progressive flourishes. Severed Within builds upon that foundation, but adds new dimensions and tendencies. The album contains five compositionally magnificent tracks that produce a 40-minute death metal firestorm sure to land on many 2021 year-end lists. Following the 2016 debut, The Swerve, the new album presents the band’s personal catharsis and reflections on life’s dual offerings constantly struggled with. Musically, the band delivers a more uncompromisingly aggressive and honest sound, while keeping true to its roots.

Severed Within by Intonate

out April 9: Cathartic Demise -- melodic extreme metal from Ontario, Canada

Cathartic Demise is now streaming two songs from In Absence, the debut album that lasts over 56 minutes and features eight songs (and an intro). Cathartic Demise's music is mostly in the field of melodeath, with a thrashy impulse that keeps the energy up for headbanging. Fans of both European and North American melodeath will find the music to be in the general zone of operations. It is also possible that fans of metalcore could understand this music, in addition to thrash fans that do not mind the growl/scream vocals. The band formed in 2017, and seem to be a young bunch of enthusiasts that are working their way up the ladder from the bottom of the genre. Essentially, the band is for audiences that want to hear a new band in 2021 try their hand at thrashy, melodic shredding extreme metal; a new band that has been working at being good musicians, and at improving the vocal delivery.

Cathartic Demise

In Absence

9 April 2021

ABOUT: Kitchener (ON) - Progressive Death/Thrash quartet Cathartic Demise are pleased to announce the upcoming release of full-length album In Absence. In comparison to the band's self-titled EP, In Absence still consists of the Melo/Prog/Death Thrash Metal elements, but with a more "mature" approach. The overall musicianship within the band improved, as well as the overall songwriting capabilities. In Absence features the same aggression as the self-titled EP, but brings an intense atmosphere with extreme tempos, and brisk riffs. This release heavily carries on the epic melodic sections heard previously, and even going further with more complex song structuring and longer tracks. Aside from the aggressive side of things, hints of experimentation can be heard, showing slower sections, and clean parts as well.

In Absence by Cathartic Demise

out April 9: Heavy Feather -- retro psychedelic rockers travelling from Sweden to 1969

Already streaming three new songs on Bandcamp, Heavy Feather's interpretation of late 1960s rock is ready for 2021. Heavy Feather projects an adoration of the music of the 1960s in a big way. They would have been a big hit in the 1960s and they are going to be liked in 2021, too. The Swedes are a band for audiences in search of the more honest sound of real people playing their instruments than having the computers take over and making everything robotized and mechanized. Heavy Feather is the sound of hard-blues heavy rock as it rose towards the end of the 1960s and early 1970s.

Heavy Feather

Mountain of Sugar

The Sign Records

9 April 2021

ABOUT: Roots rockers Heavy Feather are finally back with new music! Their upcoming sophomore album Mountain of Sugar will be released by The Sign Records in Spring 2021, with heavier 60s and 70s rock influences and amazing blues vocals at the core of the release. Heavy Feather's first album Débris & Rubble (2019) was praised by both press and audience, which spurred the band to go on tour of Europe. Now it´s time for their second album, Mountain of Sugar: an even rawer, heavier, and harder release than the previous one, but still with the roots rock and psychedelic touch holding it all together. Mountain of Sugar consists of 11 roots rock tracks oozing with a 70’s sound and feel, filled with attitude and raw vocals from blues singer Lisa Lystam (who along with guitarist Matte Gustavsson both involved with Siena Root) Catchy hooks and roaring guitar riffs are based on influences from the greats of the 60s and 70s, drawing inspiration from bands such as Free, Cream and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Recorded at No Regrets Fonogram Studio in Stockholm, the band has created a unique and intricate sound that incorporates both their influences and their own creativity. Just like their first album, this one was also recorded together with the producer Erik "Errka" Petersson. With some help from Pink Floyd's former mixer table, he gave the songs completely new dimensions. In addition, the band had the honor to work with Magnus Lindberg, who has previously mastered bands such as Lucifer and Imperial State Electric. Mountain of Sugar will be released April 9th 2021 on vinyl, CD, and digital formats via The Sign Records.

Mountain of Sugar by Heavy Feather

Exanimate - Exaltation (official music video)

This publication just came across Exanimate, a band in Washington state, USA. Check out their video and album below.

ABOUT: PNW based metal duo Exanimate, brings a very unique and uplifting approach to heavy music. A vast array of genre influence and deep personal connection to the craft, creates their own blend of groove and melody that aims to invoke intense emotion and larger than life listening experience.

Exanimate - Exaltation (Official Music Video)

Luminous by Exanimate

out April 2: Karma Violens -- extreme metal from Greece

The contemporary extreme metal band Karma Violens is now streaming three songs from the fourth album Mount of the Congregation. The three compositions are a good example of the type of fast, heavy extreme metal that they are doing in 2021. They prefer the contemporary sound for their music, and are not a retro type of extreme metal, even though the music goes fast and headbanging. Metal Archives says that they began in 2002 as a metalcore band, but nowadays have certainly moved on from metalcore or whatever their music was in the early days.

Karma Violens

Mount of the Congregation

2 April 2021

ABOUT: Greek extreme metal horde KARMA VIOLENS are set to return with their fourth full-length album, Mount of the Congregation. The band’s most straightforward release to date, Mount of the Congregation features 13 tracks of scathing blackened death/thrash. Mount of the Congregation was recorded and mixed by KARMA VIOLENS at Symbolic Studios and mastered Hertz Studios (Behemoth, Decapitated). Artwork for the album was created by Remedy Art Design(Evergrey, Suffocation, Oceans of Slumber). If you believe in karma then you have to believe that violence is something innate in every human or inhuman being. Karma in the old and now Indian religions is the concept of "action" understood which creates the entire cycle of cause and effect. Violence from the other hand, is inside in each one of us, some people can control it and others cannot, but in every occasion it is a part of human nature. Living in the modern world, all of us can witness violence on the streets and in every aspect of our everyday lives. The combination of KARMA VIOLENS describes the action and reaction of violence, as every action in these brutal days creates a violent response. KARMA VIOLENS has been active in the Greek metal scene since 2002. The band has shared the stage with some of metal’s biggest names, including Judas Priest, Amon Amarth, Opeth, Fear Factory and Testament.

Mount of the Congregation by Karma Violens

out April 2: Ischemic -- cavernous brute extremity from Ontario, Canada

Ischemic is something like "blackened death/doom" or just call it knuckledragging cavedwelling extremity for when you want to hear the opposite of clean, beautiful and shiny. At this moment they are rearing their ugly head with the stream of the opening slab of their filthy music. If you think it sounds barbaric and unpolished, then these Canadians would like to raise their glass in a big toast to you and welcome you home. You've got yourself some new friends in the woods.

Ischemic

Ischemic

2 April 2021

About: Ischemic formed in 2012 through the unholy power of Kijiji, where both Isabelle Tazbir (vocals/lyrics) and Adam Korchok (guitar) were searching for fellow ghouls to play some sort of doomy, monolithic death metal. They linked up and began to pull together people from their respective friend groups to play in the band. It wasn’t long before the lineup was solidified and Ischemic could begin churning out filthy, crushing metal from the void. Ischemic works collaboratively, riff skeletons are brought to the rest of the members, then cursed with flesh. This cohesiveness has resulted in 4 recordings: “Frigid Descent” (2013); “All Paths Lead Nowhere” (2016); “Stagnation & Woe” (2018); and “Ischemic” (2021). The earlier records resonate with filthy, hellish, death/doom sounds that give way to experimentations in melodic black metal with “Stagnation & Woe”, and a revisit to the past in the most recent album. The experienced musicians also lend their talents to other local acts; Tazbir has done time as a vocalist in the death metal bands Saprophyte, Serene Molestation, and Blastomycosis, and is currently in Experiment Specimen. Anthony Abbatangelo (bass) plays in the drone/psych band Qarafa and occasionally records and mixes projects for local bands. Mrudul Kamble (drums) fronts the progressive/death metal act Mors Verum and is working on launching a recording studio from his new home in Waterloo, ON. The live show (post covid times) from Ischemic is both unsettling and energetic. What little light is permitted showcases disjointed, violent movements as Tazbir lures you into their tales of woe. They have shared the stage with the likes of Volur, Greber, Woe, Beyond Creation, and Iskra. Ischemic’s new self-titled album is due out April 2, 2021.

Discography: 2021 – Ischemic (Full-length LP); 2018 – Stagnation & Woe (Full-length LP); 2016 – All Paths Lead Nowhere (EP); 2013 – Frigid Descent (Demo).

Ischemic by Ischemic

ODD DIMENSION (melodic prog; Italy) - Escape to Blue Planet (official video)

The Blue Dawn is the third album by Odd Dimension from Italy. The album is for the dedicated fan of contemporary, melodic, midtempo prog heavy metal. The record label says "For fans of Rush, Queensrÿche, Fates Warning, Dream Theater, Ayreon, Opeth, Porcupine Tree, Riverside."

Odd Dimension

The Blue Dawn

Scarlet Records

26 March 2021

Mission n°773 2:39

Landing On Axtradel 5:21

The Invasion 6:30

Escape To Blue Planet 6:59

Solar Wind 2:32

Life Creators 5:55

The Blue Dawn 10:04

Sands Of Yazukia 7:13

Flags Of Victory 6:37

The Supreme Being 7:12

Scarlet Records: "Their most recent album is dated 2013, yet Odd Dimension left a permanent mark on the international progressive metal scene. The band’s creative approach rejects any application to ideological or metaphysical implications, relying both music and attitude on a continuous process of collective confrontation, pluralistic vision and individual improvement. A disposition close to reach its peak in the new opus ‘The Blue Dawn’ that marks a turning point in Odd Dimension’s sound language. Their attitude is now more mature and expressive than ever, courtesy of the valuable contribution of the new members and the featuring of many relevant international guests; even on a conceptual level, the Italian band went through a remarkable evolution, from the early philosophical-humanistic topics to a more practical and concrete orientation, which conceives music as a cure for their fears and a catalyst of desires. Heart and brain, passion and rationality… progressive and metal!" The band: Jan Manenti - vocals; Gianmaria Saddi - guitar; Gabriele Ciaccia - keyboards; Gigi Andreone - bass; Marco Lazzarini - drums.

ODD DIMENSION - Escape To Blue Planet (Official Video)

ODD DIMENSION - The Invasion (Official Audio Video)

https://www.facebook.com/OddDimension/

out April 2: Austrialian heavy metal LORD's megagigantic Undercovers Vol. 1

Ok, fan of cover songs, the Australian traditional heavy/power Lord has a monster compilation of their versions of some classics, some lesser-known songs by legendary bands, and their heavy metal versions of some classic pop artists. Given that the band is very skilled, very experienced, have a good contemporary, muscular yet melodic sound, and good melodic male singing: How much do you like covers?! One moment the band is covering a Queensryche song (no, not the one you're thinking of!) or Cutting Crew (yes, that one, the only song you're thinking of!), or they go into Iron Maiden (nope, not one of their hits!) and Kylie Minogue (not the one that Americans know the most) and The Police (yup, one of their many hits). Surprise, surprise, there's a whole lot of 1980s music that gets covered because big kahuna jefe Tim (that's "Lord Tim" to you) in 1989 was already singing and playing music with his first band and still going very strong with LORD.

ABOUT: UNDERCOVERS VOL. 1 will be an exclusive 23 track release available on Bandcamp as both a digital release and as various bundle packs that includes a T-shirt, and a CD that is hand-numbered and limited to 500 hand numbered copies only, worldwide. Both the CD and streaming platforms will have a limited track listing, with Bandcamp being the exclusive destination to own all 23 tracks, which includes two covers by Lord Tim’s Blackened Angel project, as well as over 2 hours of Andy and LT talking about the stories behind the songs. The entire release clocks in at over 3 hours and 40 minutes.

Australian metallers LORD have announced their new covers album, “Undercovers Vol. 1” due out 2 April 2021 on Dominus Records. Featuring first single “To the Moon and Back” by Australian Pop Group Savage Garden.

Bassist Andy explains, “Covers have been a big love of ours since the early days of Dungeon right up to and including now. Over the years in LORD these tracks have ended up on limited edition releases, bonus tracks in isolated parts of the world and other weird and wonderful places. These songs have been scattered over so many different places that even we struggle ourselves to remember where on earth all of these songs can be found.

While bands around the world continue to navigate these uncertain times, we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to release this collection of cover songs, as well as new recordings, to keep the LORD machine moving while we continue to write new music.”

Andy continues, “UNDERCOVERS VOL. 1 is the first instalment of amassing this ever growing collection of cover tracks that LORD have recorded over the years whether it be in the studio or on the stage. There will be many you’re familiar with and there will also be a few surprises. Of course, we couldn’t help ourselves and decided to record two new cover songs for this release, SAVAGE GARDEN’s “To the Moon and Back” and JUDAS PREIEST’s “Reckless” and we even threw in two covers from LT’s Blackened Angel project. Artwork has been once again created by the talented TRISTAN TAIT and a hand numbered limited edition CD release will celebrate the highlights from Volume 1 of our Undercover journey.”

Undercovers Vol​.​1 by LORD

out April 2: angry-men Los Angeles stoner new band Sea of Snakes: World on Fire

World on Fire is the five-song debut by the stoner band Sea of Snakes from California, USA. They say that their influeces are C.O.C and Down, among others. This band is for fans of new and local bands doing their version of Southern-fried stoner sounds. At this moment they are streaming the first song "Let The Fire Burn" on Metal Assault Records Bandcamp page.

ABOUT: SEA OF SNAKES was formed by longtime friends Jeff Murray of The Shrine (drums) and Jim McCloskey of MotorSickle (guitar), soon joined by heavy-hitting vocalist Tracy Steiger (ex Saul of Tarsus) and bassist Mick Coffman. In the tradition of Down and C.O.C, Sea of Snakes offers up straightforward, fuzzed-out heavy metal, with the grit of Black Flag, Judas Priest, Motörhead, and Alice in Chains.

World On Fire by Sea Of Snakes

review: Lunar Shadow -- melodic contemporary heavy metal from Germany

Lunar Shadow

Wish to Leave

Cruz Del Sur Music

19 March 2021

The story of Lunar Shadow began rather well. The Germans’ Triumphator (2015) was a true metal EP of shredding, legacy-style heavy/power stylings. Things were looking good with the 2017 album Far from Light, a wonderful illustration of a guitar-powered band, but some people did not like the singing too much because it was bringing the band down. Some people compared them at this time to Angel Witch from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, which, to be blunt, is a way of saying that music is strong, but the singing is not quite on the same level. Say no more, and enter 2019’s The Smokeless Fires, and now things reached full potential. Equipped with a better singer, the music left behind much of the “true metal” style and was revamped into a contemporary sound, with lots of melody, shredding and more horsepower, and charging forward with a distinct, classic-style melodic black metal guitar feel and some important moments of extreme metal drumming, for an outstanding album in practically every aspect. Again, it was contemporary heavy metal in singing, shredding and production, with crucial melodic black metal guitar components, and with a bit of extreme drumming, too. In addition, the recording showed a desire to have the sound of real drums.

That brings us to 2021 and Wish to Leave. By now, this band’s audience is starting to catch on that the music keeps changing, sometimes in big ways. The new album is no different. The muscle and speed of black metal is almost all gone, and the music features a whole lot more of clean, melodic electric guitar without all the loud distortion. Thus, the music is more melodic, less riff-oriented, more rhythm-based, and the singing becomes more dominant. Lunar Shadow has mellowed out big time, but not all the horsepower is gone, although it is very obvious that they are using a lot less of it. Remarkably, all those things do not matter at all, if we are talking about the songwriting and the music itself. The newly found clean, more melodic guitar work is very good, and the songs are very memorable. They are not hiding the fact that they have good singing (hopefully, it is also true on the stage, not just on the recordings). Listeners will hear the bass guitar quite clearly, although we are not convinced that this drum sound is better than on the previous album. The music is as creative as in 2019, just in a different way. They have done it again and delivered another wonderful album.

Wish To Leave by Lunar Shadow

The Smokeless Fires by Lunar Shadow

review: Ainur -- prog power for fans of Tolkien

Ainur

War of the Jewels

Rockshots Records

19 March 2021

Ainur is a Tolkien-based film score-type of prog melodic project. The official information shows the debut album in 2006, with three more after that, including the last studio album in 2013. The following is the 2021 album personnel: Luca Catalano (composer, guitars, vocals); Marco Catalano (composer, drums, vocals); Alex Armuschio (composer, keys, lead vocals); Max Clara (lead vocals); Roberta Malerba (lead vocals); Elena Richetta (lead vocals); Giuseppe Ferrante (bass, contrabass); Luca Marangoni (violin); Carlo Perillo (viola); Daniela Lorusso (cello); Cristiano Blasi (flutes); Chiara Marangoni (horns); Wilma Collo (lyrics). The album lasts almost 74 minutes, designed for patient audiences in favor of the celebration of everything epic prog power and of metal operas. Highly ambitious, this work seeks to give the listener everything: male and female sing-ing, musicality, skills, and prog songwriting. It is almost impossible to imagine that metal opera fans would not take an interest in this work. However, there is one matter of which some meticulous listeners might want to take note. With such an impressive work, it stands out how subpar the drum sound is. This project does have a drummer in its ranks and said person is part of the creative force, as already shown in the personnel list above. They care very much about the songwriting and just about everything else, but not enough to use the real drums of the drummer and his actual drum work. It looks like they just chose to go with the lifeless, plastic-toy, pillow-soft programmed/sampled drumming. For fans that don’t care about this issue, the album should be a highlight of the year, but if you listen closely to the so-called drumming on here, it won’t take long to bug you enough to make you reconsider the album as a whole. Doesn’t it seem that if there are resources (for such a recording on a label) that it would not be such a tall task to figure out how to use your drummer’s real work and real drums and find a person to help record it?

AINUR - Spirit Of Fire (feat. Ted Nasmith & Roberto Tiranti) OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO

Facebook.com/ainurprogrockorchestra

out now: Immense -- blasting brutal traditional death metal from Indonesia

Immense

Torture Banished

Brutal Mind

23 January 2021

We have not heard the 2013 debut album Suffering Insane nor the sophomore work Slaughter of Brutality from 2018, but Torture Banished (nine tracks in 29 minutes) leaves no doubt about the band's intentions. They have the fast riffs through the thick guitar tone, with a tiny bit of chugging to transition from one brutal segment to another. Speed, gruff growling, and the objective of keeping up the intensity for the duration without any hesitation, and only briefly pausing between songs. The album offers a competent style that leaves no room for rejection from the fan of the genre. They show their the cards right away, no bluffing, and the money is on the table. No fooling around. Things could not possibly any easier for the death metal audience. This is exactly what you want from no-nonsense brutal and blasting death. All the songs take you to the same, exact corner. All roads are really the same road, and everything turns into the one and the same death execution that makes it impossible not to react. Bang your head or mosh or do whatever else it is that you do with brutal death metal, but no one can say that the band is confused about what they are doing. The listener should not be confused, either. This is why we listen to brutal death metal. A consistent album that the love-it-all and die-hard fans can welcome to the mosh pit.

Torture Banished by Immense

out now: Seraph in Travail - symphonic extreme metal from Pennsylvania, USA

Seraph in Travail has been laboring mostly under the radar in the United States. It could be that their style is too European for some U.S. fans, but fans of fast, blasting symphonic extreme metal may enjoy the third full-length album. They seem to be an independent band that has been going at it since 2008, but things got considerably more serious beginning in 2015 and at this point seem to be doing well enough to put out good, DIY albums that show an effort to deliver a production that is acceptable to fans of the genre, especially to the dedicated fan that likes to look for bands that so far have not been getting lots of coverage in the bigger publications. Fans will find that Seraph in Travail is serious business, and the presentation of their material has been getting better with each album and nowadays offer a solid, independent album that might interest fans of bands like Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth: mostly fast, black metal with a contemporary production (not raw black metal) with the symphonic background that fills out the sound.

Seraph In Travail

A Black Death Incense

19 March 2021

Bio: Seraph In Travail was formed in 2008 by guitarist Joe Bonner and vocalist Jon Sutherland to be a classically influenced metal band. It took years of scrapped demos, local shows, and group lineup changes to find a focused musical direction and give birth to the first album, Bring Forth Death, in 2015. With the addition of Mike Shaw on drums and Dan Shegue on guitar, the pace, atmosphere, and maturity of the melody-driven sound on Bring Forth Death were ramped-up to produce a second album in 2019 called Lest They Feed Upon Your Soul. Immediately after the 2019 release, the band forwent any serious live ventures and instead set to work at a breakneck speed to outdo themselves with an intense follow-up record that was completed by the end of 2020. A Black Death Incense is the third and latest installment in Seraph In Travail's series of full-length recordings that pursue an austere mastery of the art of dark music at the expense of any scene trend or genre convention. It will be released March 19th, 2021.

A Black Death Incense by Seraph In Travail

Rejeito -- crossover thrash punk metal from Brazil

Rejeito

Fúria

February 24th, 2021

The 18 minutes (intro + seven tracks) of Rejeito (Brazil; lyrics in Portuguese) gives plenty of reasons for headbanging. Their thrash has a nice uptempo energy, not super fast but certainly mosh friendly, with a pretty good sound and a strong barking semi-growling/shouting voice. Catchy, simple and punk metal, Rejeito needs very little time to get its point across. According to Metal Archives, they are a relatively new band formed in 2019 and there is no other previous recording. They have a certain old-school punk feel to the rhythms, meaning that they have the charm that comes from playing music without overthinking it. They also prefer an old-school attitude because it does feel like a band in their rehearsal space rolling through their material with the listener in the audience, even though it is not a rough rehearsal but a clean, moshing, headbanging recording. They don't like to be too computerized/robotic, and that reveals itself upon hearing the first song. Anyway, if this is the beginning of Rejeito, it's a good one, and fans of crossover thrash/punk metal may end up enjoying it quite a bit.

Fúria by Rejeito

Feuille Morte - necro black metal from France

Feuille Morte

Souvenir D'autrefois

March 7th, 2021

Feuille Morte is two individuals: Nostälgie on guitar, vocals, and lyrics; and Crépüscule on drum, vocals, guitar, bass. The recording is the following songs: 1.Récit (05:01); 2.Automne (04:20); 3.Départ (04:08); 4.Voyage (05:30). The total playing time 18:59. The lyrics are in French and available for reading on Bandcamp. Topics of an introspective or generally existentialist style, in the context of life as a riddle or a question, we can say, would be one way to describe the lyrics. Fans looking for black metal that sounds played by humans, without overusing technology to make the music seem perfect and computerized, will enjoy the noisy drums, with plenty of cymbal work to heard and drums that certainly seem like live, acoustic drums in the recording space; with a harsh but also melodic guitar tone and shrieking vocals. How much of this music is played by the musicians themselves and how much of it is sampled or computer software, only they know. However, one listen should be more than plenty to get a sense of the style of this French duo, and should be rather pleasing to audiences looking for something more primal, without the feeling of listening to plastic-toy music. The songs stay on point and appeal easily to the initiated, and could also convince other listeners willing to appreciate this type of metal music.

Souvenir D'autrefois by Feuille Morte

Symphony of Heaven (USA) -- Christian extreme metal crusading to invert the inverted cross

Symphony Of Heaven DeathMarch [Official Music Video]

ABOUT: “The Ascension Of Extinction”, the newest E.P. from Southern Indiana-based SYMPHONY OF HEAVEN showcases the band’s ever-increasing sonic growth. Dealing with humanity’s love for false ideologies, the band foretells the eventual collapse of human-based philosophy and the worship of self-made gods. The EP displays the sickening feeling of watching Mankind burn itself on the alter of Humanism and Marxism, featuring guest appearances from Karl Walfridsson of the mighty PANTOKRATOR, and MUND from the mysterious Swedish Black Metal group SKALD IN VEUM. SYMPHONY OF HEAVEN continues its drive forward in the world of metal, with a message of truth for these perilous times.

The Ascension of Extinction by Symphony Of Heaven

Invert The Inverted Cross by Symphony of Heaven

https://symphonyofheaven.bandcamp.com/releases

death metal Dehydrated (Russia)-- Piranha or Whale [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

ABOUT: DEHYDRATED is death metal band from Siberia (Tomsk). Dehydrated is a dangerous mix of expertly crafted brutality and fury of Death Metal admixed with melody and complexity of progressive music as well as extreme female vocal as cherry on top. Each show of the band is filled to the brim with aggression, anger and unutterable energy that drain life essence off listeners making them truly dehydrated.

DEHYDRATED - Piranha or Whale [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

Piranha or Whale (Part II) by Dehydrated

Hatomic -- heavy/thrash from Brazil

So far, Metal Archives shows these recordings: Trash (single) 2019; Disorder (single) 2020; Desire from Blood (single) 2020. On Facebook they do not have a bio.

HATOMIC - Desire From Blood (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

HATOMIC - Trash (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

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

out now: Sleepless -- heavy metal/thrash from Oregon, USA

Sleepless

Blood Libel

Necromantic Press Records

12 March 2021

Sleepless, in Seatle, would be welcomed by the fans of traditional heavy metal in this area. It's a type of legacy heavy metal turned into something a bit more sinister with some thrashy, chunky rhythms. Another reason why you may want to hear this band is the singing. This individual has a good set of pipes. It's a type of melodic thrashy, chunky heavy metal with good singing. The students of metal music of Portland, Oregon might like to know that this entity came about when the two Erics from Dead Conspiracy joined up with Kevin Hahn on vocals. Dead Conspiracy in the 1980s were a band with several demos of brutal, zombie, horror, gore death metal (practically the only type that there was! A kind soul has uploaded to YouTube the first demo from 1987 so that you can hear for yourself Dead Conspiracy raging in all its gory).

SLEEPLESS - Blood Libel EP by Sleepless

out now: Sepulcros -- death doom with black metal

Sepulcros

Vazio

Transcending Obscurity Records

March 12th, 2021

Sepulcros (Portugal) formed in 2018, according to Metal Archives, and is comprised of musicians associated with acts like Summon, Abominamentum, Flaktiin, Graves, Spitgrave, Viles Vitae, Blacksunrise, Annihilation, Grog, and Utopium, mostly bands in various styles of extreme metal. However, this is the debut album (37 minutes; four songs, plus an intro and outro) by Sepulcross. In describing the genre, it is important to mention a secondary but central element of the music. It is true that this is death doom, but it should be noted that this is not a band trying to be the slowest, most slothful, and most sleep-inducing act that there is. They inject bursts of speed by way of black metal-influenced segments, and such a maneuver adds a different side to the listening experience.

Vazio (Atmospheric Death​/​Doom Metal) by SEPULCROS (Portugal)

new song from ULO (slamming brutal death)-- "Seed Of Corpse Dung" (Ft. Ángel Ochoa from Abominable Putridity, Cephalotripsy, Disgorge, Sobek)

This one is exclusively for the superfans of ultrametal of the überbrutal variety. It is new from Ulo (slamming brutal death metal from East Java, Indonesia) and it is called "Seed Of Corpse Dung" (ft. Ángel Ochoa, vocalist of Abominable Putridity and Cephalotripsy). It is a one-person project of Aditya Prakoso from GEROGOT and RAW. This song is from the upcoming album on april 23th 2021 (Brutal Mind). Aditya Prakoso does guitar, bass and drum programming. The album has these vocalists: Larry Wang, Ángel Ochoa and Weerasak.

ULO - Seed Of Corpse Dung (Ft. Angel Ochoa) | BRUTAL MIND

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

out now: The Crown -- long-running Swedish extremists new album Royal Destroyer

Three decades in (with some pauses in between) and some 12 albums in total (if count all of the albums since 1990), the Swedish band reveals their current take on death/thrash, or their latest interpretation of the hybrid style that they adopted around 2000, after they modified their more prototypical melodic death. They still sound like a death metal band, just not a cookie cutter version of the genre. For fans of all things Swedish, the album should satisfy the desire to hear the veterans do their "brutal/melodic" style, at various speeds. Apparently, they are planning on reaching a higher level of success. Maybe they have seen what fellow Swedes and label mates Amon Amarth have achieved, and are thinking that they need to step up their touring activities. This new album should provide some new songs to perform live as they follow their quest to become a bigger band.

Royal Destroyer by The Crown

new song from Aurora's Eyes

Washington state's Aurora's Eyes (progressive metal) has announced: "Right now you can go listen to our new track "The Hunt for Euryale" on our bandcamp profile. It'll be available everywhere else tomorrow!"

The Hunt for Euryale by Aurora's Eyes

Draemora plays in Everett, April 9th

Draemora will play in Everett on April 9th. About: "Draemora is a Metal band based out of Seattle, Wa."

https://www.facebook.com/Draemoramusic

Grishka -- "death/black/thrash metal/hardcore" from the USA

ABOUT: GRISHKA formed amidst the onset of Covid-19 pandemic. Unemployed and angry we screamed into the ether in a Baltimore basement. GRISHKA pulls influence from Thrash, DC Hardcore, 90's Death Metal, and 2nd Wave Norweigian Black Metal.

I by GRISHKA

Spektral Hatchery (Washington state, USA)

Metal Archives shows these recordings for this black metal band: Spektral Hatchery Full-length 2016; Huldrekall / Spektral Hatchery Split 2018.

Huldrekall / Spektral Hatchery Split by Spektral Hatchery

Spektral Hatchery by Spektral Hatchery

The Speed of Darkness (Washington state, USA)

Metal Archives shows that there was a demo in 2006, and then apparently nothing else. Metal Archives calls this "melodic death metal/metalcore."

The Speed of Darkness - Starless Sky

The Speed of Darkness - Insomnia demo

Species Splicer (Washington state, USA)

Metal Archives shows these recordings for this "blackened brutal death metal deathcore" or "blackened slam" band: Paradise Through Damnation EP 2017; Purity of Filth Single 2017; Genetic Mutilation Machine Single 2017; Hymns of Devastation Split 2020. Below is their 2020 recording.

Hymns of Devastation by Species Splicer

Spear Induced Carnage (2008-2011; Washington state, USA)

Metal Archives shows these recordings for this brutal death metal band: Chapter 1 - Gutted Anatomy EP 2008; Chapter 2 - Skewered Abdomen EP 2010; 2010 Promo.

Spear Induced Carnage- Everyone Is Dead

Throwback Thursday: Abominant -- The Way After (1999)

Kentucky, USA extreme metal band Abominant began in 1993 with a couple of demos, and then two studio albums, and then in 1999 they had The Way After, their third album. Their death metal at this time remained largely fast and brutal, but an interesting detail about this particular album is a tendency to expand their sound, something that they continue until the present day. Nowadays their death metal incorporates things like traditional heavy metal, done in their own chaotic, death/thrash extreme metal way. Anyway, on The Way After the listener will hear what appears to be brutal U.S. death metal, but then the guitar work consistently shows a black metal-leaning sound, but not in the production. The production is death metal but an important part of the guitar work is a black metal tendency that adds another side to the Abominant sound of the time. Therefore, this was not a typical U.S. death metal album, and that made it stand out a bit more. -Metal Bulletin Zine

ABOUT: ABOMINANT was formed in 1993 in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, following the demise of several local death metal acts. Guitarist Tim Ball and bassist Mike May from Sarcoma joined forces with guitarist Buck Wiedeman and drummer Craig Netto from Effigy to start a new project with darker, heavier roots than their previous outfits. In early 1994 they released their Never Truly Dead demo, and soon after, Wiedeman left to join the Air Force. Acquiring Mike Barnes from Louisville’s Cataclysm on vocals, they released another demo in late 1994 which led to a union with Wild Rags Records. Wild Rags released ABOMINANT’s debut, Unspeakable Horrors, in 1996. Wild Rags also opted to issue the Never Truly Dead demo on MCD format. The band released two more full-lengths through Wild Rags — 1997’s In Darkness Embrace and 1999’s The Way After — before the label’s demise.

While in between records and labels, Wiedeman returned to the fold, increasing the band to a five-piece and doubling the material needed for a new record. ABOMINANT soon connected with Deathgasm Records for the release of 2000’s Ungodly which garnered the most success and positive reviews for the band yet. After 2002’s Upon Black Horizons, Deathgasm also officially repressed The Way After. Following the band’s 2004 full-length Conquest, ABOMINANT parted ways with its original drummer and brought in Jim Higgins who had been in multiple local bands, including Cataclysm with Mike Barnes, which helped usher in a more black metal influence and also reinvigorated the band. Not long after, they recorded 2006’s Triumph Of The Kill, however upon its release, Wiedeman decided to bow out of the band for a second time.

The quartet released 2008’s Warblast and 2010’s Where Demons Dwell with Deathgasm before opting to self-release an MCD with two covers and two new songs for 2012’s Battlescarred. By 2013, the label released the band’s most fully-realized album yet, with Onward To Annihilation. In 2016 ABOMINANT and Deathgasm Records presented the band’s eleventh full-length album, Napalm Reign, celebrating their twenty-third year as a band.

Abominant - The Way After (Full Album)

https://www.facebook.com/Abominant-152430868173200/?fref=ts

review: Images of Eden (USA): Angel Born -- melodic adult contemporary metal

"ANGEL BORN” TRACK LISTING:

1) Autumn Is Burning

2) Angel Born

3) My Promise

4) Where Dreams Begin

5) If?

6) Killing God

7) Fight The Good Fight (Triumph Remake)

8) War Room

9) Serenity Reign

10) Animation In A Still World

11) Marigold Sun

12) In Memory of Me

Angel Born is the fifth album by the adult contemporary heavy metal band Images of Eden (USA). It follows 2018's Soulrise. The new work is a showcase of the type of songwriting that is the essence of today’s Images of Eden, which began as far back as 1998 as a solo project, but after the 2001 self-titled debut found more collaborators, and nowadays is a full band that tours. At its heart, Images of Eden is a melodic, a bit proggy balance between contemporary sounds incorporated into heavy metal, with a rather muscular, chunky guitar sound, in the style of prog power. Aside from the genre characteristics, the songwriting allows the entire band to shine. You will hear the bass guitar clearly, as well as the rhythm section in general, with melodic guitar solos and hooks, and a subtle background (with things like keyboards) that fills out the sound. Of course, the singing should be a focal point for fans of melodic, mature singing, with lyrics on emotions, relations, and adult-focused topics, including some philosophical, religious and political undertones, but without making self-important grand declarations. On one hand, supporters of prog power and of veteran bands like Fates Warning, Evergrey, Symphony X and Kamelot would find here an affinity to those musical sensibilities, but perhaps one difference is that Images of Eden songs are more compact, as a general rule. In fact, only the last song reaches 11 minutes, while the rest push towards a normal duration of three to six minutes. Trivia: They muscle up a cover version of the classic song “Fight the Good Fight” by the great band Triumph (Canada; classic period from 1975 to 1988), who were very successful not just in Canada but internationally, including in the U.S., with their melodic heavy metal with classic and prog rock traits. In conclusion, in general we can say that audiences with a serious appreciation for quality adult contemporary metal should strongly consider at least checking out this new album. You may find yourself a gem.

Images of Eden- "Autumn Is Burning" (Official HD Music Video from the upcoming album, "Angel Born")

https://www.facebook.com/imagesofeden/