Thursday, February 5, 2015
Deathwalking: death/doom from Spain
Deathwalking
Death/Doom from Spain
depression begins:
www.deathwalking.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/dwterror
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
back to the future: Exhumed (U.S.): Gore Metal: A Necrospective 1998-2015 (Relapse Records)
Exhumed (U.S.): Gore Metal: A Necrospective 1998-2015 (Relapse Records)
“Don’t judge a book by its cover.”
On the surface Exhumed appears to be a joke band, like Gwar, leading some people to think it is all a gimmick, with little effort dedicated to instrumentation, as if Exhumed is a bunch of old con men trying to avoid having a day job by tricking “the kids” with horror movie tomfoolery.
Recently, there was a video of Exhumed as a musical guest at a television comedy show. The man that hosts said show literally runs around throwing himself at and crashing into furniture, walls and people, like a crazed professional wrestler, or a child after eating lots of candy. Anyway, that particular episode ended with Exhumed onstage performing one of their many famous hits, with The Supremes doing backup vocals. The Supremes, you understand?
Nevertheless, there is a lot more to Exhumed than just horror and gore imagery.
Do you know what Exhumed is? Exhumed is experienced, skilled death metal with catchy riffs, shredding and melodies.
“Gore Metal” is Exhumed’s 1998 debut album.
Now here is a new, re-recorded version of “Gore Metal” with a better, clearer sound. The band cannot hide the fact that they know how to write fast songs and make them very good. Exhumed is skilled at writing melodies, yes, melodies, great riffs and songs. This new version also includes the old album so you can compare and contrast. Nostalgia aside, it is more than evident that the new album is more professional, so much that while the 1998 album sounds a like good death metal album, compared with the new version, the 1998 album has underdeveloped ideas, sounds a bit more rushed, while now Exhumed is very comfortable, skilled and knowledgeable so now they are free to do just about whatever they want in a song and still make it sound like Exhumed. For instance, there is a whole lot of melody and shredding, and one wonders whether anyone will even notice how much traditional heavy metal there is in Exhumed. Think what you will about the gimmicks, but the music is undeniable. www.relapse.com
www.facebook.com/ExhumedOfficial
Exhumed - Necromaniac (2015 Redux)
melodic metal mastery: Stargazery (Finland): Stars Aligned (Pure Legend Records)
Stargazery (Finland): Stars Aligned (Pure Legend Records)
In the world of adult contemporary melodic metal things do not get much better than Stargazery because the band is so masterful at traditional, melodic heavy metal that the album will hit the mark after exactly this many listens: one. Huge choruses, gigantic classic-style metal riffs, and every song is meant to be a “greatest hit.” The album sounds like a “greatest hits” compilation, but this is a “normal” Stargazery album. The band’s second one, actually; the debut “Eye on the Sky” is from 2011.
If you form a traditional metal band it helps if you find a person that sings really well, and Stargazery’s Mr. Jari Tiura has that singing voice that propels the songs. It’s a pleasant, smooth voice that the traditional metal listener can immediately recognize and welcome. Then, of course, the question depends on the songs themselves in order to find out if Stargazery has what it takes. Fortunately, the songs represent a great study in the history of metal. Power metal, heavy metal, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and classic rock join together in Stargazery for a major conglomeration of melody and memorability in the style of classic Stratovarius and Edguy/Avantasia. More specifically, Stargazery is melodic metal with a keys/symphonic background, some shredding/virtuoso soloing, and a fundamental, polished AOR sensibility in the songwriting. At times, the listener might get the impression that Stargazery is a melodic metal version of classic, 80s, big-hit-era Journey.
Stargazery seems hell bent on making the type of album that once you hear it, you might get stuck listening to this album over and over. “Great success. High five!”
www.facebook.com/stargazery
www.stargazery.com
www.purelegend-records.com
Stargazery - Voodoo Lyric Video (OFFICIAL)
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
power metal from Seatte: LAST BASTION
Alright, Helloween aficionados, this is Last Bastion from Seattle, U.S.
This is power metal for the glory of the kingdom of metal.
"Dragons and castles, you know, the issues that really matter in your life"--Kai Hansen.
Believe it!!
www.lastbastionpowermetal.bandcamp.com/releases
Monday, February 2, 2015
melodic heavy metal: ELDRITCH (Italy) - 'Alone Again' official video
from the album "Tasting the Tears" (2014)
https://www.facebook.com/Eldritchband
Gravenloch: metal from the state of Washington, U.S.
Gravenloch
Gravenloch says that they are from Snohomish County, in the state of Washington. Metal Archives says that band started in 2002. The first demo is from 2007. The debut album is from 2009. Their most recent album is from 2013 and it is called “To the Doom of All,” which you can stream on Bandcamp. The good news about Gravenloch is that their music is no-nonsense traditional, old-style death/thrash metal. They have a song called “This Is Metal” and another one called “Of Darkest Dreams,” so you what to expect: headbanging, growling metal. This is the “Snohomish County Music” that metal people will like.
www.gravenloch2.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Gravenloch/122230521122372
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Have you heard? the death metal of THE KING IS BLIND (U.K.)
This is The King Is Blind.
If you have not heard it and you like death metal, see the links and videos below and find out more about the band today.
Cheers.
www.thekingisblind.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/TheKingIsBlind
black metal from Ohio, U.S.: VALDRIN
If you have not yet heard the symphonic black metal of Valdrin, here's a link to stream the complete album.
www.valdrin.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/valdrinausadjur
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Friday, January 30, 2015
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
monster double album of melodic prog ARCANE (Australia)
If you are into melodic prog, check this out: ARCANE.
Double album is out now. This album will take a long time to be deciphered!
ARCANE
Known/Learned
Sensory Records
Release: 20 January 2015
Arcane - Instinct
Arcane - Hunter, Heart & Home
Disc 1 - Known
1. Promise [Part 2] 08:53
2. Unturning 08:25
3. Instinct 07:01
4. Womb (In Memoriam) 02:26
5. Selfsame 08:24
6. Holding Atropos 04:10
7. Keeping Stone: Sound on Fire 09:22
8. Learned 23:16
01:11:57
Disc 2 - Learned
1. Hunter, Heart & Home 07:47
2. Little Burden 07:47
3. Impatience and Slow Poison 07:02
4. Known 02:51
5. Nightingale’s Weave 08:32
6. Eyes for the Change 06:19
7. Keeping Stone: Water Awake 07:35
8. Promise [Part 1] 02:15
50:08
www.facebook.com/arcaneaustralia
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
in case you missed it: Kaine: Resistance (The Waystone)
Kaine is a traditional heavy metal from the U.K.
If you have not heard it, here is a song. https://www.facebook.com/kaineband
If you have not heard it, here is a song. https://www.facebook.com/kaineband
Monday, January 26, 2015
Metal Bulletin Zine, issue number 50
The new issue of Metal Bulletin Zine, issue number 50, is now available for reading online and free download.
Blood and Thunder, Northern Bastard, Sadistic HelSkag
Hexe Eye, Wretch, Omnihility, Bloodtruth
thrash:
Necrodeath, Shards of Humanity, Algebra, Game Over, NervoChaos, Foreseen HKI
black/death: Noctem, Empty, Inferion, Cainan Dawn, Sidious
free metal music: Strife, Gentry Lord, Skyforest, Avalon Steel, Shattering Ice
www.fuglymaniacs.com
Sunday, January 25, 2015
death/thrash from Ohio, US: Unkured - They Live, We Sleep
Metal Bulletin Zine likes the music of UnKured.
Have you heard it yet?!
Have you heard it yet?!
Saturday, January 24, 2015
free EP of necrodepressive black metal: Shattering Ice
Shatttering Ice (Denmark)
Shattering Ice is lo-fi necrodepressive black metal exclusively for listeners into this very specialized form of black metal. This is a one-person project and the objective is “grimness,” general ugliness of the soul, and the sounds of angerfrustrationloneliness hatred.
www.shatteringice.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/ShatteringIce
free EP of traditional heavy metal: AVALON STEEL
Avalon Steel (U.S.)
Avalon Steel is traditional heavy metal from North Carolina, U.S. In short, if you want to hear heavy metal with zero or very little of core/growl/trends, then look into this band because their songs are an allegiance to heavy metal, and nothing else.
www.avalonsteel.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Avalon-Steel/235838804822?fref=ts
free "post-black metal": SKYFOREST
Skyforest (Russia)
This album sounds a like quality and professional recording. Skyforest is atmospheric/symphonic metal with shrieked vocals, the majority of the time. Some people call it “post-black metal.” At any rate, there are some melodic singing segments, and the music would probably go over well with the listeners into “post-metal” like Agalloch and Falloch maybe.
www.skyforest.bandcamp.com/releases
www.facebook.com/Skyforest.Official
free: unique metal from Finland: GENTRY LORD
Gentry Lord (Finland)
Gentry Lord is something like a crazier King Diamond/horror metal one-person project. Part circus animal party, part horror metal, part weirdo space alien heavy/speed/shred metal, Gentry Lord is for those that purposely look for strange metal sounds. It sounds like metal music for Halloween, but for Gentry Lord every day is Halloween. The vocals are crazy nuts, the playing is insane and this is all by one person. Do you know how to spell “dedication to space horror metal”? Spell it G-E-N-T-R-Y L-O-R-D.
www.gentrylord.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/officialgentrylord
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