Metal Bulletin Zine

Thursday, January 30, 2014

FREE 15-minute to-the-point crusty metal: Plague Dogs (U.S.)

Like Motorhead and Discharge, basically. It's heavy enough for death metal, fast enough for thrash and nasty enough for punk.Put it all together and you get Plague Dogs. A rock n roll gutter punk crust thrash growl metal exercise in music.

www.plaguedogs.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/plaguedogs

FREE 45-minute recording of raw, DIY, unpolished, atmospheric black metal: Downfall of Nur (Argentina)

The weekend is almost here and if you want a longer recording of quirky black metal to occupy some of your time, then Downfall of Nur will take up about 45 minutes of your downtime. It's both raw and atmospheric and very old-style, too, not too digital and whatnot. You will love it or hate it. Or think it's ok.

www.downfallofnur.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/JhanasNur

Fuglymaniacs has posted the new issue, number 40, of Metal Bulletin Zine.

Fuglymaniacs has posted the new issue, number 40, of Metal

Bulletin Zine. Go here to read the PDF of the zine:

www.fuglymaniacs.com

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Metal Bulletin Zine on Facebook

www.facebook.com/pages/The-Metal-Bulletin-paper-zine/238441519609213?ref=stream

new issue of Metal Bulletin Zine

issuu.com/metalbulletinzine/docs/metalbulletin40 issuu.com/metalbulletinzine/docs/metalbulletin40

FREE 14-minute of humble DIY heavy metal from Brazil: Black Century

If you would to hear a band playing traditional heavy metal, then listen to this Black Century recording.

www.facebook.com/blackcentury

www.blackcentury.bandcamp.com

FREE 50-minute album of good quality growl/melodic metal: Framework (U.S.)

1. Descent 00:50

2. Essence of Greed 05:02

3. The Delusionist 04:01

4. Beyond Earth's Shadow 05:55

5. Without Wings 05:33

6. Deadheart of Winter 06:27

7. Wade Through Flames 05:56

8. The Code 04:29

9. The Stains of Time 04:58

10. Eternal 07:34

50:45

www.frameworknj.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/FrameworkNJ

straight outta Sweden: FREE 27 minutes of self-produced black metal: Blotum (Sweden)

This band claims to be ugly. Well, it's difficult to argue against that. Hear for yourself and decide.

blotummetal.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/Blotum

FREE 31 minutes of instrumental melodic metal: Aephanemer (France)

Finall! Someone decided to make some cool tunes without some fool screaming and barking to annoy you! Just listen to the music and don't worry about stupid vocals ruining the thing.

Finally!!!!! You can listen to your music in peace!!! Not a bad idea, eh?

www.aephanemer.com

www.facebook.com/Aephanemer

FREE EP of 80s-obsessed crossover thrash: Acid Age (U.K.)

Do you miss the 80s?

Did you miss the 80s?

Either way, Acid Age is about to take you back to a time of thrash.

www.acidage.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/acidagethrash

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

FREE EP of modern melodic metal: Frozen in Time (Denmark)

Here and there, a few aggro screams are heard, but overall, though, Frozen in Time is a melodic metal band. The guitar work is catchy and the singing is real. Therefore, if you like guitar solos and melodic singing and would like to hear a new band strut its stuff, then Frozen in Time should interest you.

1. So Lost 04:16

2. Bedtime Stories 04:41

3. My Judgment 02:00

4. My Demon 03:23

5. Bane of Time 04:51

TOTAL 19:11

www.frozenintimeband.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/FrozenInTimeBand

Monday, January 27, 2014

FREE Ep of modern thrashing mongers: Deception (Sweden)

"Break the Silence" is the name of the EP of modern aggro-thrash.

1. Break the Silence 03:56

2. Bury the Sinners 03:24

3. Fragile 04:03

4. Make a Deal with the Reaper 03:29

TOTAL 14:52

www.deceptionswe.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/DeceptionSWE

FREE EP of 17 minutes of grind: Le Mars (Brazil)

Le Mars would not want to waste your time with lots of fluff. This is how to get to the point and finish the job right. Mostly grind, with a bit of death metal and brutality/hardcore in there, Le Mars loves to play fast and it shows. Grind listeners, this is for you.

www.lemars.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/LeMarsOfficial

FREE album of thrash: Thrashgression (Spain)

Thrashing riffs, songs about thrash, obsession with the 80s, gang-shouted vocals, moshing...ah, and just look at the name of the band. You can judge this book by the cover because what you see is what you get! www.thrashgression.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/thrashgression

FREE EP of blasting death metal: Corps-sans-Organes (Colombia)

For a free fix of daily death metal dose check out this FREE Ep by these blasting Colombians.

www.reverbnation.com/corpssansorganes

www.facebook.com/corpssansorganes

FREE album....of DOOM!! : Landskap (U.K)

Has this band channeled the spirit of Pink Floyd into their doom?! This is a good-sounding recording, with clarity, and heaviness, and some trippiness, too. If you like doom, this is a free album that awaits your free-loader ways! Check this out, doomsters! I like it, I think you will, too. www.landskap.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/LandskapUK

FREE 50-minute album of black metal: Theogony (U.S.)

Is this a one-person project or band? Not sure, but here you can download for free the complete album of black metal. I find that the guitar work is the thing that stands out the most. This sounds like a serious effort and the sound quality is also pretty good, within a black metal context.

www.theogony.bandcamp.com

Friday, January 24, 2014

FREE MUSIC: bringing the grind from Alabama to the world: Phylum

Who needs coffee to wake up when you have Phylum to shake you out of the slumber. This recording lasts less than 9 minutes because if it were longer then everything would burst.

Efficient!

www.phylumgrind.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/phylumgrind

FREE album: Disowned (Chile) wants you to have its album "Descent" for free

The "melodic death metal" band Disowned for some reason is crazy enough to post all the songs from the album on ReverbNation. This is not some garage recording, either!

www.reverbnation.com/disownedcl

www.facebook.com/Disownedcl

Fuglymaniacs has live footage of Texas thrashers Hel-Razor

Recently the thrashers Hel-Razor played a show in Houston, TX and Fuglymaniacs was there to capture footage of the wild beast in its natural habitat.

Check it out: www.fuglymaniacs.com

Thursday, January 23, 2014

GREAT NEWS!: hear right now the complete album by Tragødia (Italy): “Mythmaker”

GREAT NEWS: hear now the complete album by Tragødia (Italy): “Mythmaker”

Recently I told you about how good this album is. Well, here's a place where you can hear the complete album and see what you think. Listeners into catchy prog/dark/gothic/melancholic will mostly likely smile a lot, such as the Evergrey supporters.

OK, enough said, go here:

www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=97156

www.facebook.com/tragodia?ref=search

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

TOUR NEWS: INTER ARMA: American Tour With Russian Circles & KEN Mode Begins In Two Weeks; European Dates With Indian & Windhand Just Confirmed

FROM PRESS RELEASE: In another brand new tour update, Richmond, Virginia's tour-incessant tonal decimation crew, INTER ARMA, announces the confirmation of their maiden European trek, now set to take place just after their already looming US tour with Russian Circles and KEN Mode, which is less than two weeks from embarking.

At the beginning of February, INTER ARMA will hit the American highways once again to supply their organic, blackened, doom-ridden metal to more than two-dozen cities across the eastern two-thirds of the country, touring alongside Russian Circles and KEN Mode with a pair of headlining shows on either side of the run.

INTER ARMA US Tour Dates:

2/02/2014 The Blue Nile - Harrisonburg, VA w/ No Tomorrow, Earthling

2/03/2014 Double Happiness - Columbus, OH

2/04/2014 Gabe's Oasis - Iowa City, IA w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

2/05/2014 The Firebird - St Louis, MO w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

2/06/2014 Vino's Pizza Pub Brewery - Little Rock, AR w/ KEN Mode

2/07/2014 Red 7 - Austin, TX w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

2/08/2014 Club Dada - Dallas, TX w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

2/09/2014 Fitzgerald's Upstairs - Houston, TX w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

2/10/2014 The Parish @ House of Blues - New Orleans, LA w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

2/11/2014 Rehab - Tallahassee, FL w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

2/12/2014 Will's Pub - Orlando, FL w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

2/13/2014 The Orpheum - Tampa, FL w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

2/14/2014 WorkPlay Theatre - Birmingham, AL w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

2/15/2014 The Earl - Atlanta, GA w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

2/17/2014 Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

2/18/2014 The Rock and Roll Hotel - Washington, DC w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

2/19/2014 Underground Arts - Philadelphia, PA w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

2/20/2014 Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

2/21/2014 The Middle East (Downstairs) - Cambridge, MA w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

2/22/2014 Saint Vitus Bar - Brooklyn, NY w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

2/23/2014 Altar Bar - Pittsburgh, PA w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

2/24/2014 Grog Shop - Cleveland Heights, OH w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

2/25/2014 Blind Pig - Ann Arbor, MI w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

2/26/2014 Bottom Lounge - Chicago, IL

2/27/2014 Triple Rock Social Club - Minneapolis, MN w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

2/28/2014 The Waiting Room - Omaha, NE w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

3/01/2014 Gothic Theatre - Englewood, CO w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

3/02/2014 The Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT

3/03/2014 Neurolux - Boise, ID

INTER ARMA European Tour Dates:

4/04/2014 Kavka - Antwerp, Belgium w/ Indian

4/05/2014 Iduna - Drachten, Netherlands w/ Indian

4/06/2014 Luftschlossfabrik - Flensburg, Germany w/ Indian

4/09/2014 KB18 - Copenhagen, Denmark w/ -16-, Grime

4/10/2014 Doom Over Leipzig - Leipzig, Germany w/ Windhand, Indian

4/11/2014 AJZ - Bielefeld, Germany w/ Windhand, Indian

4/12/2014 Roadburn Festival - Tilburg, Netherlands w/ Windhand, True Widow, -(16)-, Indian, ASG, Locrian and Lord Dying

4/13/2014 Scruffy Murphys - Birmingham, UK w/ Windhand

4/14/2014 Bannermans - Edinburgh, UK w/ Windhand

4/15/2014 Roadhouse - Manchester, UK w/ Windhand

4/16/2014 O2 Academy 2 Islington - London, UK w/ Windhand

4/18/2014 Doomed Gatherings @ Glazart - Paris, France w/ Windhand

4/19/2014 Lo-Fi - Milan, Italy w/ Windhand

4/20/2014 Arena - Vienna, Austria w/ Windhand

4/21/2014 Kapu - Linz, Austria w/ Windhand

4/22/2014 Hirscheneck - Basel, Switzerland w/ Windhand

4/23/2014 Usine - Genevia, Switzerland w/ Windhand

4/24/2014 Gebäude 9 - Cologne, Germany w/ Windhand

4/26/2014 Willemeen - Arnhem, Netherlands

www.facebook.com/INTERARMA

TOUR NEWS: PENTAGRAM Announce West Coast Tour with Radio Moscow and Kings Destroy

FROM PRESS RELEASE: Longtime guitarist Victor Griffin rejoins the band for tour and next studio album!

It's with expected elation that Victor Griffin returns to PENTAGRAM for live shows and new studio album. After taking a break from PENTAGRAM to bring Victor Griffin's IN-GRAVED around the world, the doom metal guitar god returns to his main fold. The realigned lineup featuring the Liebling/Griffin duo backed by Greg Turley on bass and Sean Saley on drums will embark on a long awaited tour of the West Coast area in February and March. When not touring the world, the band will be working hard on a new album for release in 2014.

PENTAGRAM w/ Radio Moscow and Kings Destroy

02/22 Seattle, WA El Corazon Tickets

02/23 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theater Tickets

02/25 San Francisco, CA DNA Lounge Tickets

02/27 Albuquerque, NM Sister Bar Tickets

02/28 Denver, CO Summit Music Hall Tickets

03/01 Salt Lake City, UT In The Venue Tickets

www.facebook.com/pentagramusa

Master of Persia (Iran/Armenia): “Older Than History”

It looks like Master of Persia soon will be making a comeback. As it turns out, the complete album from 2011 is available for free for download at ReverbNation. It’s the kind of album that metal explorers will want to download immediately because of the quality of the music, and the vibe is probably something new to most listeners. Cultures and sounds converge on Master of Persia, a bundle of sounds, native musical influences join death and thrash metal, heaviness and grooves. It’s not a new album, but it’s new to me and probably new to you, too, while we wait for the new album reportedly called “Dark Heads.” www.reverbnation.com/masterofpersia www.facebook.com/pages/Master-OF-Persia/140433375981242 www.masterofpersia.com

horrendous cave black metal: Mortem Spiritz (Mexico)

Mortem Spiritz (Mexico)

Primal fugly cave black metallers Mortem Spiritz have a demo from 2006 and another from 2008. Now they have a new seven-song recording called “Take Your Sword and Fight with Us.” The music sounds exactly as you would imagine with that title. If you like lo fi barebones black metal (yes, “bad production”), then make your way to Mortem Spiritz. The drums sound like hyper soda cans, the vocals like an angry goblin, the guitar is all about the tremolo. This is fugly black metal and Mortem Spiritz knows how to do it correctly. This complete recording of horrendous speed is available for free at SoundCloud.

www.soundcloud.com/infested-mortem-spiritz/sets/mortem-spiritz

www.facebook.com/mortemspiritz666

Why do the angry men live in Texas? What's the deal?: AGR

AGR has a song called "Caveman Angry" and it's a vulgar one, so, listen to this if you want your music to insult you. "Care for a Rat in the Face?" is another tune. See? Avoid this if you do not like angry rock music that insults you and tell you what to do.

Who's angrier? Pantera? or AGR?

www.agoodrogering.bandcamp.com

NEWS: FLOTSAM AND JETSAM re-records full album "No Place For Disgrace"

Oh, boy, this is going to stir up the old thrashers and get them all angry again!!

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM to release 'No Place For Disgrace – 2014' through Metal Blade Records!

FROM PRESS RELEASE: Legendary classical thrash/speed metal act, Flotsam and Jetsam, have announced their new album – No Place For Disgrace – 2014! No Place For Disgrace – 2014 will be released on February 14th in Europe, 17th in UK, and digitally 18th in North America. The physical CD will be available in North America on March 4th. Fans can listen to "P.A.A.B" watch videos, and pre-order No Place For Disgrace – 2014 at www.metalblade.com/flotsamandjetsam.

Flotsam and Jetsam comments: "We have re-recorded 'No Place For Disgrace' because we have had a lot of requests to remix this record. The master tapes have been very difficult to obtain so we decided to re-record the album and use some of today's technologies to recreate it. The aim was not really to change but to enhance it with the opportunity with the use of new tools. We have the time available as well and it just seemed like a no brainer. A lot of the die hards are really nervous about it but I think after the final result they will embrace it. The sound quality is 100% better and more refined!"

Monday, January 20, 2014

THE KENNEDY VEIL: Full Album From California Death Metal Assassins Now Streaming At This Is Not A Scene; Band Announces Decimating The West Spring Tour

FROM PRESS RELEASE In celebration of its official unveiling tomorrow and following previous track premieres with Revolver and Stereokiller, today This Is Not A Scene is streaming Trinity Of Falsehood, the forthcoming new full-length from Sacramento death metal assassins, THE KENNEDY VEIL, in its entirety!

www.thisisnotascene.com/2014/earsplit-pr-thisisnotascene-bring-full-stream-trinity-falsehood-kennedy-veil/

CULTED: Oblique To All Paths Streaming In Full At Cvlt Nation

FROM PRESS RELEASE: With its official North American release now less than twenty-four hours away, today the henchmen at Cvlt Nation bring you Oblique To All Paths -- the latest full length from blackened doom conjurors, CULTED -- in its entirety!

www.cvltnation.com/culted-oblique-paths-album-review/

the time for prog metal is upon us: Lalu; Prospekt; Tragødia

Lalu (France): “Atomic Ark” (Sensory Records)

Prospekt (U.K.): “The Colourless Sunrise” (Sensory Rec.)

Tragødia (Italy): “Mythmaker” (Kolony Records)

Today I have three albums by three bands that contrast from each in several ways, yet all three albums have strong qualities to which progsters will be attracted.

Lalu features particularly strong, upfront singing and variety in the songwriting that makes them stand out. Besides, of course, being a “prog metal” entity, Lalu has plenty of “adult contemporary metal” and prog rock elements. On one side of the equation, Lalu ends the album with “Revelations,” which is over 19 minutes. Lalu appears relatively oblivious to commercial pressure because this song is mellow and perhaps a bit spacey for some 8 minutes, and then it gets a bit heavier in places, but it never gets into the rocking mode. This song is one that only the true proghead will love: patience is a must.

“Greed,” “War on Animals,” and “Slaughtered” are examples of the rocking elements in Lalu, while “Dee Blue” “Tatonka,” and “Momento” require more effort from the listener, and are not particularly metal songs, although the metal is present.

The instrumentation is easy to hear, such as the riffing and the bass guitar, while the drums sound very clean (too clean and plastic, but this is the “normal” state of drumming in so much metal, including on the other bands’ albums reviewed in this little section.).

While Lalu is less metal, and more prog/adult contemporary metal/rock, Prospekt proves to be 100% total modern prog metal. The singing sounds very inspired by classic 70s Rush and traditional, melodic metal: notes that go for the high register, often and a lot.

Prospekt has lots of the tempo found in thrash/power/speed metal, but here and there, they show different glimpses of other tempos, although they are conscious to keep things uptempo and/or fast. Prospekt tends to alternate between longer and shorter songs, aware of pacing the mood of the album in a balanced way, to keep the sound metal. The instrumentation puts focus on guitar solos, shredding and riffs, and the guitar work is one of the major highlights of the album, the other being the singing.

The youthful energy of Prospekt contrasts with the more “middle age metal” of the previous band Lalu, and the proggy adult contemporary metal of the next band, Tragødia.

Tragødia wants to have the cake and eat it, too; and after you hear the album, you just might think so. Tragødia relies almost entirely on the power of the singing which by itself basically carries the complete album. The guitar work is a bit strange in the following sense: there’s a careful, almost minimalist approach to it and it’s odd to call them prog with such a guitar style, too: play-on, heavy riffs are the foundation, with hooks throughout, powered by the appealing singing, and a bit of keyboards atmospherics.

Tragødia is by far the catchiest, most ear-friendly and easy listening of these three bands. To me, Tragødia sports an Evergrey-ish energy that’s difficult to reject. The dark, gothic-ish proggy style is tempered by the adult contemporary, ear-candy vibes.

I would be curious to know what Evergrey supporters think of Tragødia, actually, because, to my ears, this band writes songs with a similar objective towards convincing the listener through strong vocal lines. In conclusion, all three bands work with certain specific spheres of sounds, and even though all three are “prog,” they invoke very different identities.

www.lasercd.com

www.facebook.com/ProspektUK

www.facebook.com/tragodia?ref=search

Lalu