Christian metalcore upstarts Bloodlines join Facedown Records; new single "Colder" out now

ANNOUNCEMENT from Facedown Records: Facedown is proud to welcome Bloodlines to the Family! From the Gulf Coast of Texas come Bloodlines, a four-piece modern -core outfit taking cues from bands like For Today, Impending Doom and Convictions. The band's 2019 debut LP Hostile | Minds, which marries classic metal core with a distinctly progressive twist, was hailed as a "dark and violent record," with one reviewer noting "A heavy band is born." Bloodlines' mission statement is as clear as their sound is brutal. They plainly assert that their vision is very simple and that's to spread the hope and love of Jesus Christ. Bloodlines have released a brand new single, "Colder," which will be followed by "HEVEL," a 5 song EP slated for spring/summer 2021.

Bloodlines - Colder

https://www.facebook.com/BloodlinesTexas

out now: Neorhythm -- Mudvayne-loving groove extreme metal from Russia

You know it when you hear it. That thick guitar tone, the chugga-chug-chug grooves, and those down rhythms that have made generations of American fans jump into mosh pits and sometimes do martial arts moves. Neorhythm uses those sounds effectively, practically daring the listener to move, jump, and punch the air, and do everything that is sparked in the brain by the simple, fat low-string plucking. Imagine the grooves of nu-metal/rap rock, 90s groove Pantera/Fear Factory/Sepultura/Machine Head, put it all together with a bit of the death metal elements, and you got yourself a nice little party in a bottle. Neorhythm seems to know what they are doing. Therefore, you can bet all your Super Bowl tortilla chips on the fact that Neorhythm did not just accidentally begin their song "Lies" with a very Mudvayne vibe. The beginning of the song must be a big tribute to Mudvayne's 20-year-old song "Dig," which apparently has more than 40 million views on YouTube. Neorhythm's vocals are in Russian, but that does not matter because it's not like we would be able to understand the growling and screaming if it were in English or Martian or Vulcan anyway. Below is the official propaganda about the music. -Metal Bulletin Zine

ABOUT Neorhythm: Prolific duo NEORHYTHM are set to release new EP Evils. As a conceptual link between Terrastory and the next full-length album, the band pesents new EP Evils, sung completely in Russian language. Having studied the history of Planet Earth and all mankind in large stages, it became interesting for the duo to consider poetically and musically the vile animal features of a particular human society, which entailed much of the terror that our whole history has undergone, highlighting in this work the main mortal sins of people, precisely in the band's own interpretation of this concept. “Evils” are the duo's tablets. Evils is about our common vices, internal and external, each of us individually and of society, as a whole, haunting all civilizations from the beginning of time and, probably, never erasable, because such is our dual nature. Musically, NEORHYTHM can be described as a mixture of metal genres such as Groove, Death, Math, Thrash and Progressive Metal, which may resemble in various ways bands like Gojira, Pantera, Death, Mudvayne, Meshuggah, and Mnemic.The band uses different languages of Planet Earth in their lyrics (English, Russian, Latin, Volapuk, Ancient Greek).

Duo NEORHYTHM originates in 2017 in Lapland. Two researchers begin their creative narration in June 2018 with the album Zetetic, containing cosmological and futuristic themes, as well as the themes of general galactic values of a philosophical plan. A continuation of this work in November of the same year was the mini-album Meteoric Thoughts, which musically and lyrically completed the theme of the debut album. Subsequently, the band decided to continue and develop with each next release their own ontological concept of studying the World and Man. The next album Terrastory, released in March 2020, completely dedicated to the Planet Earth and in stages tells the entire history of the Earth and mankind, reflecting different eras and civilizations, lyrically and musically. Man and the study of sociology and psychology of human society became the subject of the next releases.

Язы​/​Evils by Neorhythm

The Airwaves: Metal Heart (featuring Tony Martin from Black Sabbath)

This publication recently was told about this song. It is traditional heavy metal and they say that it is the former Black Sabbath singer Tony Martin on vocals on the track. At this moment, there is not much information to pass on to you, but why don't you check it out for yourself and see if you like it. If you do like it, and would like to know more, it looks like their YouTube channel is a starting point to find out more about them.

The Airwaves: Metal Heart (featuring Tony Martin from Black Sabbath)

Buried -- foaming-at-the-mouth rabid meat-and-potatoes brutal death from Holland

The following phrase has never been uttered by Buried, "We like to mix up different genres!" Buried is for the die-hard, love-it-all fans of frenzied brutal, microphone-swallowing-vocals death. Below there is one song to hear, and then they have eight more songs just like it. It is all brutal all the time, all fast chugging every day, and twice on Sunday. If you consume brutal death like children consume candy, then this album is your next victim. Approach it like sharks approach their food once they have smelled the aroma that drives them into a feeding frenzy. Buried won't even know what just happened to them once your death metal thirst gets ahold of this album. This is one is for the total, complete, maniacal fanatics of the fast, brutal death. -Metal Bulletin Zine

ABOUT: Brutal Mind is proud to announce the forthcoming release of Oculus Rot, the new album from Dutch Death Metal crew BURIED.. Featuring former members of PYAEMIA, BURIED pays tribute to old school Death Metal, but with a unique, modern twist. BURIED released the following statement concerning the band's style and the forthcoming album: "You may remember the brutal vocals of Joel Sta and the insane drumming of Robbe V, as they were part of the brutal death metal band PYAEMIA. Now they’re up for something new: together with Worm on bass – who also played in PYAEMIA - they have teamed up with Steve on guitars who adds a lot of groove in his songwriting." "Bands like Suffocation, Revocation and Decapitated are big influences on our sound, and even Pantera comes to mind. We like it heavy, sometimes with odd time signatures and at the same time we want the audience to bang their heads," says Steve. "The lyrical theme is about all dark things we call upon ourselves," Joel adds. "Nothing new on that part, just brutal stuff!" Soon after the recording of their debut album, Oculus Rot, BURIED signed a deal with Brutal Mind. Now get ready for some sick Death Metal from The Netherlands!

Oculus Rot by Buried

Blessed Black -- melodic doom from Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Blessed Black issued their debut album Beyond the Crimson Throne in 2020. They are melodic doom with singing that could appeal to listeners that want some catchy choruses to go with the big riffs. The official propaganda describes them as "Transcending genre barriers and infusing influences from the worlds of traditional heavy metal, post punk, grunge, while incorporating the best elements of the doom genre, Blessed Black is primed and ready to be the new name in the crowded stoner / doom landscape." The music is doom heaviness, but the melodic singing will probably surprise listeners, especially if they were expecting the usual vocals of doom/stoner, which is to say, some person sort of making do with their limited skills in vocals, so they usuallly just kind of punkshout and yell and stuff. That's not a crime, of course. You have to make do with what you have. However, Blessed Black may convince you that the vocals have something more going on than just "some person yelling." They are not some experimental, weirdo band, like the official description might lead you to believe. Anyway, they will have a new single called "La Brea" available on the 12th of February. It's not available on Bandcamp yet, but they say that they are doing the new single as a preview because they will record their second album in the spring of 2021. In the meantime their debut is a nice, solid introduction to what could be described as a more musical form of doom or stoner doom. Again, you might enjoy the heavy but melodic style of the songs, and the clear, melodic singing.

Beyond the Crimson Throne by Blessed Black

Throwback Thursday -- back to the beginning of Agrimonia

For fans of the bands on Southern Lord Recordings this Swedish band is known for "thundering death and black metal soaked doom, with hints of crust, as well as atmospheric and epic darkness." They have three albums are listed at Metal Archives. Good albums. However, before they got the ball rolling, they had a 2008 self-titled demo (below). The demo sounds good and it was an exciting beginning. You can certainly hear the "death and black metal soaked doom" and where things would be going later. As you will hear, this was no average demo.

Agrimonia by Agrimonia

Throwback Thursday -- back to 2007 with Crackdust

"Ruptured" is the first track from the 2007 album Dented Reality by Crackdust, a death metal band from Botswana. It looks like they are no longer active. YouTube appears to have the entire album, in case you are interested in the music.

Crackdust

Dented Reality

December 10th, 2007

Core Riodic Records

1. Ruptured 01:41

2. Birth of Hatred 01:36

3. Desecrate 02:25

4. Breeding the Undead 02:50

5. Grind the Flesh 02:02

6. Consumed 01:47

7. Mass for the Dead 03:04

8. Born of the Sorcerer 02:55

9. Price of Truth 02:09

10. Subliminal Sorrow 04:08

11. Deranged Psychopath 02:56

12. Fate 02:26

13. Mortal Decay 03:39

14. Tainted Saints 02:27

15. Son of Rosobola 03:00

16. Retribution 02:49

total time 41:54

Ruptured

review -- Deiquisitor: Humanoid (death metal from Denmark)

Deiquisitor

Humanoid

Dark Descent Records

5 February 2021

Deiquisitor began in 2013. By that time the founding members were already old hands in other bands, some of whose origins reach back to 1991 and 1992, according to Metal Archives. With the exception of 2015, Deiquisitor has at least one recording for every year beginning in 2013. This six-song EP is devotion to basic, chugging brutal blasting death, with a raw, bestial execution. Here and there, they have a couple of miniscule very brief “solos,” but other than those fleeting seconds, the guitars are too busy chugging to bother with soloing. The bass guitar rumbles away paired up with the speed-obsessed drumming, and the low growling functions like a part of the rhythm section. In some places, vocal special effects come out for emphasis. The whole thing sounds like a big, frantic rush of brutal rhythm. Then, before you know it, it's over in some 25 minutes. They have cut out the fat: no melodies, no real solos, no introductions, no intermissions, no quiet breaks, no nothing. Fans of bestial death should be interested in these Danish cave dwellers.

Humanoid by Deiquisitor

review -- Cult of Luna: The Raging River

Cult of Luna

The Raging River

Red Creek Recordings

5 February 2021

They seem to attract a tremendous quantity of praise, and seem to be well liked even by casual listeners for the combination of prog and sludge, a kind of long-winded, instrumentally loquacious heaviness with growl-scream vocals. This 38-minute recording is considered an "EP," because their albums usually last longer, like the 79 minutes of 2019’s A Dawn to Fear. This is a more accessible work. One way to see it would be that the spacey prog is dialed down a bit, which in turn allows the sludge heaviness to be more present, as it were. Or at least, it feels that way to some extent. In a way, for new fans, this could function as a good introduction to the Swedish band. The duration is not too intimidating or off-putting, but still is their brand: hardcore/punk-based desperate growling scream; a big crawling caravan of chugging, simplistic heaviness peppered with proggy, spacey keyboards. This is probably as accessible as their music is ever going to be! Don’t forget to check out the mellow song “Inside of a Dream” with the guest singing of Mark Lanegan, of whom they are fans.

THE RAGING RIVER by Cult of Luna

review: Revulsion -- in-your-face death metal from Finland

Revulsion

Revulsion

Transcending Obscurity Records

February 5th, 2020

Revulsion was first active in 2005, says Metal Archives, and the first demo came out in 2010: four songs of gore and brutality. A seven-song EP followed in 2011 and two more songs in 2016. All three recordings, which feature a strong execution and a good production, are available for free at their Bandcamp. Here we have the debut full-length album (ten songs in almost 37 minutes). It appears that two of the songs are from 2016. For fans that prefer direct brutality, this Finnish band should be of interest. It’s very accessible, groovy and headbanging. The growling is strong, the music goes into blasting and it has some groovy parts, too, for a balanced approach: fun, brutal, simple death, with no melodies/soloing, and looking for bodies ready to mosh. One more thing that may interest you is the good, clear sound quality of the production. The bass guitar is audi-ble, and the drums sound solid, not soft (we do not know if it’s real drums, or good sampled/replaced drums; we hope for the real thing).

Self Titled (Death Metal) by REVULSION (Finland)

Snow Wight (Washington state, USA)

ABOUT: Snow Wight is a Heavy Metal band, originated from the wettest, filthiest, STD-ridden part of the NW of North America (between Portland and Seattle).

Snow White by Snow Wight

Slutvomit (Washington state, USA)

Metal Archives shows two albums for this black metal band.

Copulation of Cloven Hooves by Slutvomit

Swarming Darkness by Slutvomit

https://www.facebook.com/Slutvomit-123318014412787/?ref=page_internal

Slumber Room (Washington state, USA)

This is "minimal industrial black metal." Metal Archives shows this 2012 recording.

Slumber Room Ep by Slumber Room

Slave Traitor (Washington state, USA; 2005-2012)

Slave Traitor, says Metal Archives, was a band in Washington state. Metal Archives shows: Black Narcissus EP 2006; Man Infest Destiny EP 2008; Too High to Reach EP 2012.

A person on Metal Archives wrote about this band: For their 2nd EP, Seattle's Slave Traitor deliver six flowing tracks of sludge and doom infused death metal, complete with some bluesy leads and gruff vocals. I could liken this to a less aggressive EyeHateGod, or a less noisy Buzz*oven as far as its riffs are concerned.

"Wilderness of Mirrors" opens the EP and I believe this is the real strong point. It develops a nice atmosphere in its opening riffs and then kicks out a groovy jam with angry vocals, and a little death metal riff over the chorus. I wasn't feeling "Burning Sniper" or "Pill Cutter" as much, both have a groovy sludge dynamic to them with some more uplifting melodic riffs. "The Middle Passage" has a stony heavy metal vibe, and the vocals on this track are pretty nice, it's like a death metal Cirith Ungol, Cathedral or Trouble. It's another of the better tracks. "Insult" rocks out but there is little of note after its initial driving rhythm. "Dust in the Wound" is grooving and angry, with some nice gang shouts.

The EP sounds spectacular, with the perfect bite to the guitars and the vocals sit just above at the proper volume. I also dig the band's aesthetic, especially the cover art with the gasmask visor reflection of a Seattle holocaust. Gives it a sort of thrash feel which actually meshes well with the band's music. I did enjoy a few songs here, but others not so much. Maybe next time. They've definitely got a strong style and if you dig heavier doom with some groove to it (Eyehategod, Grief, etc) then you might get more from this.

Slave Traitor - Watching The Sky

Slaughter Haus 5 (Washington state, USA)

This publication has no further information about this band from the 1980s.

Slaughter Haus 5 (WA / USA) - Reckless Endangerment

Slam Shifter (Washington state, USA)

Slam Shifter seems to be a band in the Everett area. This publication does not at this moment have links to their recordings, if they have any. This is a video from YouTube.

Slam Shifter

https://www.facebook.com/Slam-Shifter-583485265088678

Skinwalker (Washington state, USA)

ABOUT: Omak black metal. Skinwalker's riffs and beats represent the period of time when black metal wasn't saturated by the masses. That primal beginning of the second wave of black metal.

Magic and Gore by Skinwalker (WA)

review: Lawrence Wallace -- instrumental guitar shred magic and wizardry

Lawrence Wallace

Journey Through Time

1 February 2021

As you already know very well, in metal music there is a whole lot of growling, screaming, yelling, gargling, snarling, screeching, pig squealing, shrieking, hollering, shouting, and gnashing of teeth. Really, it’s all a bit distracting, isn't it? Here's how it goes when you are in your music zone: "Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, I like that riff, that's cool. I can dig it. I’m vibing. Oh, no, wait, who dis? Wha? That's, what now? Oh, I get it. I guess those are them vocals for this music. Yikes! Is that a person trying to sound like a rabid dog? Yup, yup, that’s it. Oh, wait, there's more, that sounds like a pig ha ha! This person is trying to sound like a pig, oh that's so funnieee! Let me see if I can imitate that sound, and see if I can also sound like pig ha ha, hwurghwurghwurgh, that's hilarious!"

Next thing you know, you totally forgot about the guitar work, didn’t you?! That person that makes animal farm sounds got you distracted, didn't they? Now you're not even noticing the bass lines (and the bass player worked so hard, so very hard, there, living in the van down by the river, to write those lines so that you would notice!). Of course, you forgot the drummer, too. Now the drummer feels so neglected because the pig squeals got you all dazed, amazed and confused. Metal is kind of weird because we seem to enjoy some person shouting in our ear, but we wouldn't want that person at school shouting at us to do our homework or yelling at us when it is time to go out for recess.

Do you know who has had it up to here with all that yelling nonsense?! Lawrence Wallace, that's who! Lawrence Wallace is here to keep you totally focused on the music. The first thing that Mr. Wallace did is that he fired the vocalist since the inception of the music. You’re fired! No more vocalist! Finally! Freedom! I’m freeeeeeee! What a sense of relief not to have to listen to somebody using their mouth and make noise to annoy me. You can finally feel your guitar wavelengths join the wavelengths in which Mr. Wallace is travelling. Here's the situation: this is fast metal music guitar shredding all the live long day. If you want fast guitar soloing, you want shredding, then you see what Mr. Wallace is doing. The best thing is that it is melodic and it sounds like songs. There are eight songs, and one quick intermission slow track. Of those eight songs, only one seems to be a slow song. That's probably about the right ratio for the album. Keep the fast songs going, Mr. Wallace.

Mr. Wallace is DIY and is not perfect because he’s no billionaire. The drum sound could stand improvement, for instance, and Mr. Wallace, we are sure, already knows that very, very well. This music is very catchy and it seems like a guitar player interested in turning shredding into songs. Nice! Very nice songs, and who needs a singer when you can make the guitar sing?! The name is Wallace. Lawrence Wallace, at your service.

Journey Through Time by Lawrence Wallace

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