Hail to Austria: Adder's Fork; Frust; Weltenasche

If you would like to hear some metal from Austria, check out these three entities. Adder's Fork is melodic metal; Frust is post-black metal; Weltenasche is "atmospheric black metal from Graz, Austria."

Adder's Fork: "This project has been created to channel my musical ideas, influenced by a wide array of great bands like Sisters of Mercy, Talk Talk, Joy Division, The Sound and classic gothic rock/metal classics. What I’m trying to achieve is a satisfying combination of these unforgettable sounds with the more hard-hitting elements of heavy metal, creating my vision of the music that guided me through my life."

The Fatalist by Adder's Fork

The Advent of Adhara by Frust

Melancholie Der Jahre by Weltenasche

Verjährt by Weltenasche

review: Tantivy -- what happens when thrash punk rock meets heavy metal at a biker bar in Wisconsin

Tantivy

Eyes In the Night

15 January 2021

Tantivy is a Wisconsin, USA duo that plays a rowdy, thrashy heavy metal with rough-throat vocals. The music is too tough and too thrashy to call it traditional heavy metal, and too rock and roll to call it thrash, but if you split the difference, you might come up with something like Tantivy, driven by the high energy drumming of Jon Zimick, while his amigo-compadre Adam Geurink takes care of the guitar, bass, and vocals. Geurink, who growls and plays guitar in the fuzzed uptempo heaviness of Wardehns, sounds a bit different here. The vocals are less growled, and easier to understand but still rough, channeling the style of punk metal vocals, and dare we say it, singing. Can you imag-ine thrashy heavy metal played with a punk rock attitude? It’s melodic, catchy, rock-ing, simple and non-computerized garage heavy metal made for the pure fun of it. Hello, Wisconsin!!

Eyes in the Night by Tantivy

review: Winterage -- grandiose symphonic power metal from Italy

Winterage

The Inheritance of Beauty

Scarlet Records

15 January 2021

Metal Archives shows a debut EP in 2011, and album in 2015, and now the sophomore full-length effort by the symphonic power metal band from Italy. The album opens with a grand introduction that welcomes the listener to the world of Winterage’s imagination, and the ambitious, pompous style of huge, melodic opera house power metal. Given the album’s duration of one hour and almost two minutes, the band has in mind something a lot broader and expansive than the framework of power metal per se. Listeners will notice that folk, opera, classical and what is probably Italian traditional music, amongst other components, are woven into a grandiose style. For example, the last song “The Amazing Toymaker” is a 16-minute closer with the feel of opera, film score, circus music (?!) and everything else that your epic-loving ears will like. Winterage is aiming to give audiences a more elegant experience by pairing power metal with various European music traditions or styles. They seek to impress big time, and the genre fans that hear these songs may discover a new gem from Italy.

WINTERAGE - Of Heroes And Wonders (Lyric Video)

https://scarletrecords.it/releases/winterage-the-inheritance-of-beauty/

https://www.facebook.com/winterage

Siren’s Rain (Washington state, USA)

ABOUT: "Offering a layered composition of metal and traditional folk instruments, Siren’s Rain is the premiere folk metal band in Washington State, blending the new with the timeworn. With each album comes rebirth, renewal, and revival. Siren’s Rain is devoted to weaving the haunting and torrid tales of the mysterious North West in song and soul."

Nightmares from the Abyss by Siren's Rain

Beneath the Narrows by Siren's Rain

Sindios (Washington state, USA)

Metal Archives shows an album called Modern Plagues from 2005, and no other recordings for this "progressive melodic black metal" entity.

Modern Plagues

Black Denim Rage -- new thrash demo from the USA (featuring a Running Wild cover)

Black Denim Rage (USA) is "South Florida's newest and youngest 'Street Metal' band, bringing the aggression of the South American scene to a whole new audience. Bring-ing back the 80s with Old School Speed, Thrash, and Heavy Metal." It looks like they formed in 2019, and in August of 2020 they published some "unmixed demos," basically raw recordings of their 1980s-loving songs. Their music now in January 2021 is clearer with the better sound of this demo called State of Emergency, containing four originals and “Soldiers of Hell,” a cover taken from the 1984 debut album by German pirate metal pioneers Running Wild (before formally adopting the pirate image in 1987 with the third album Under Jolly Roger). The Running Wild cover is the catchiest and most melodic, while their own songs push the speed faster, of course, but at the same time there is a melodic sense in the guitar solos, and should interest the really dedicated fans interested new U.S. thrash in 2021.

State of Emergency Demo by Black Denim Rage

Introtyl -- Mexican death metal brutes official music video for "Inner war"

"Inner war" comes from the 2020 EP Vmbra.

Metal Archives shows these recordings:

Inception Demo 2011

Several States of Violence EP 2013

Inception EP 2014

Inside of Violence EP 2017

Dissection of the Soul Single 2018

Creation of Insanity Full-length 2018

Vmbra EP 2020

INTROTYL- INNER WAR

https://www.facebook.com/IntrotylMx

Simulation Theory (Washington state, USA)

ABOUT: "Science Fiction based Brutal Grinding Deathcore from Everett, Wa."

This publication has not found a demo, EP or album online at this time.

https://www.facebook.com/Simulationtheoryofficial

Signed In Blood (Washington state, USA)

ABOUT: Started in March of 2012, Signed In Blood was formed by guitarist Chris "Pirate" Wilder and drummer Justin Walker from the band Perhaps Nothing, and bassist Bo DeLong from Black Heart Blight. In October of 2012, Michael Re joined on as lead guitarist.

Signed In Blood disbanded in 2014.

Scream of the Sun-Signed In Blood

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

Shrouds (Washington state, USA)

ABOUT: "New project consisting of ex members of Unearthly Trance, Madraso, and Evangelist"

On Bandcamp they say: "Rough unedited demo w/o vocals. New recordings coming soon." The recording is from 2016, and there does not seem to be newer music available. Their music is "black metal/ doom/ Dbeat voids."

DEMO by Shrouds

Endorphins Lost -- Washington grind band streaming demo songs from upcoming album

Washington state grind band Endorphins Lost has been working on a new music: "A pandemic edition demo we recently recorded of some of the songs from our upcoming third LP, Night People! We are stoked on how these turned out! This is also the first recording we've done with our new drummer Brian!" It is called Demo 2020 and it is available on Bandcamp. The track list is: 1.The Day The Well Went Dry 01:09; 2.Bounded Choice 00:45; 3.Funerals To Come 01:00; 4.Field Tested Genocide 01:14; 5.60/30 00:39; 6.Uptown Traffic 00:42. The sound quality of these songs is pretty good. One can hear everything just fine, and it is fun and fast grind. As soon as it ends, it's time to hear it again. The full-length album should be a good time, from the looks of it.

Demo 2020 by Endorphins Lost

Frostcloud -- one-person DIY new black metal from Washington state, USA

Frostcloud seems like a very new addition to Metal Archives, and on there and on Bandcamp there is almost no information. It does say "Port Townsend, Washington," a town to north of Seattle, in the western side of the state. In 2020 there was the single “The Blackened Tree” and in 2021 the EP “One,” (includes the 2020 single) lasting a bit of over 26 minutes. This is DIY, humble black metal for the devoted fans of lesser-known projects. Bandcamp attributes the music to one “Spirit,” for whom Metal Archives also lists no name besides said the pseudonym. The music has two basic sides: the fast, shrieking black metal and the mellow, quiet, folky component. The sound quality is about normal for a new project, a type of fuzzy, grey, hazy overall feel, and not an up-front, aggressive sound quality. The only true harsh or extreme element is the shrieking. Other than that, the music is surprisingly easy on the ears for fans of “forest” black metal.

Frostcloud: One [EP] by Frostcloud

The Blackened Tree by Frostcloud

review: Gravehuffer -- big ole hairy American "Show Me State" metal machine

Gravehuffer

NecroEclosion

Black Doomba Records

15 January 2021

Years ago in the ancient lands of the ouemessourita, which is nowadays known as the Show Me State in the U.S., as far back as 2008 there was a band called Krom and they did an album in 2009. Around 2010 they changed their name to Gravehuffer and in 2012 they launched their debut album (but really it was a second one, of course): a rowdy, muscular, punk-metal big boy thick-thrashing with growled-sludge screamed vocals, in a rough-and-ready fun, loud, obnoxious sound. They have been doing more recordings (album, EP, single, split, so on and so forth),and in 2021 they have a new al-bum. Their attitude is the same, but they now sound tighter, especially the drumming. What would happen if a sludge band, one of those big-burger-belly American bands with a thick guitar tone, sped up a whole lot to play thrash/death/black/punk extrem-ity? Well, that’s a bit what this sounds like, very mosh-friendly yet tightly executed, in-cluding with a bit of humor/party jives thrown in for good measure, like the super fun disco introduction to “Death Before Disco” and the cowboy howling and rock and roll party guitar shredding on “Stingray.” There is also some (sampled?) tuba (?) on “Mad Wolf”!

NecroEclosion by Gravehuffer

Causes (single - from NecroEclosion) by Gravehuffer

review: Stellar Death -- mellow & melodic instrumental from USA

Stellar Death

Fragments of Light

8 January 2021

Stellar Death is an instrumental two-piece entity from Washington, D.C., USA. Matt and Scott are or have been involved in Brave, Witnesses, Arise from Thorns, As the Sea Parts, and While Heaven Wept. The music is mostly of a contemplative style. It is not a loud, obnoxious type of guitar sound. Oftentimes it is melodic, bluesy, long-winded passages of easy-listening guitar, aided by background keyboards and/or spacey sounds/ambience. Stellar Death likes for the melodies to float and stay in the air for a while. In some places, there is something that fans would recognize as metal guitar in the sense of the faster tempos or the power chords, although those moods are not the prevalent style and are there as a contrast. In general, it would be accurate to say that this is a relaxing, pleasant listen that allows the audience to focus on the music. In terms of production values, the drums sound mellow and we assume that those are not real, live drums but programmed/sampled sounds. In essence, if you are a metalhead looking for something mellower, ambient, melodic, this recording may spark your curiosity.

Fragments of Light by Stellar Death

Throwback Thursday: Adore (black metal, USA)

Adore was a black metal solo project 2004-2016. Metal Archives shows these recordings: Infamy of the Black Legions Demo 2013; Wanderers of Oblivion Full-length 2015.

Adore - Last Night's Sky For Dying Eyes

Throwback Thursday: DOHRN (extreme metal, USA)

"Alicia Warrington (born August 30, 1980) is an American drummer. She has played drums for Kate Nash, Kelly Osbourne, Lillix, Hannah Montana, Uh Huh Her, Gore Gore Girls, Dawn Robinson, The All-Girl Boys Choir, The Dollyrots, The Bruises, Tracy Chapman, Selena Gomez, Colton Dixon, Chris Rene and others. In December 2018, Alicia signed for American professional wrestling company WWE and started working for their NXT brand, (using the name Alicia Taylor) as the host of the post-show. As of the April 25, 2019, episode of the NXT show on WWE Network, she is the show's ring announcer, replacing Kayla Braxton, who moved up to an interviewer position on SmackDown." (Wikipedia)

Levels Of Hate by DOHRN

Becoming the Disease by DOHRN

DOHRN - Becoming The Disease

Alicia Taylor’s heavy metal journey to NXT

Leather Witch -- heavy metal from Colombia

Below are two videos from what Metal Archives says is the self-titled debut album from 2020. If you like the hard-hitting, banshee-screaming style of those songs, the band has posted the entire album on YouTube. If the opinions of people on YouTube are anything to go by, you will notice that fans really enjoy the traditional approach that the band uses with high singing and guitar-hero string work. -Metal Bulletin Zine

Leather Witch - Pull the Trigger (Official Videoclip) (Resize HD)

Leather Witch - Stronger than Death (Official Video).

Leather Witch - Full Album

https://www.facebook.com/LeatherWitchBand/

Adamah (Brazil) -- melodic Christian heavy metal in Portuguese

YouTube has the 2020 album called Cordeiro de Deus ("Lamb of God"). At this moment it's not clear what other social media they use.

Adamah - Cordeiro de Deus

Adaga -- black metal from Brazil

So far it seems like they have only a 2019 EP Spawning Black Seeds on Bandcamp.

Spawning Black Seeds by ADAGA

https://www.facebook.com/adaga666/?ref=page_internal

Mehul Kanani (Uganda) -- new instrumental single "The Ghosts of Khaosan"

ABOUT: Mehul Kanani: A guitarist with styles ranging from Michael Schenker, Ritchie Blackmore, Michael Weikath, Kai Hanson and Jonas Hanson. Heavily influenced by european metal Mehul is the lead guitarist of Threatening a metal band based in Uganda. The material featured here is his solo work.

ABOUT the song: On one of my visits to Bangkok I was mesmerized by a street band outside Saphan Taksin BTS train station who were playing Isaan music from the northwestern region of Thailand. The guitarist was playing a Phin guitar. This is a northeastern lute that features a pear-shaped body. It is made up of a neck, frets, steel strings and a unique dragon shaped head played mostly by ethnic Laotians in Thailand and Laos.

The music was very traditional but had a western feel to it. I loved the phrasing and melodies

I decided to compose my version of a melodic rock themed version Inspired by the Phin guitar this is an instrumental with traditional Thai melodies and structure and of course my neoclassical rock feel and tempo it also has that ambient feel in some parts reminiscent of some of the bars and lounges on the famous Khaosan Road in Bangkok.

In the last 40 years, however, Khaosan Road has developed into a world-famous "backpacker ghetto" and in an essay on the backpacker culture of Khaosan Road, Susan Orlean called it "the place to disappear."

Belief in ghosts in Thai culture is both popular and enduring. In the history of Thailand Buddhist beliefs intermingled with legends of spirits or ghosts of local folklore. These myths have survived and evolved into my new single “The Ghosts of Khaosan”. Enjoy.

The Ghosts of Khaosan by Mehul Kanani

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

Immurement -- brutal death from Trinidad and Tobago

ABOUT: Immurement is a Slamming Brutal Techical Death Metal outfit from Trinidad.

Insidious Cerebral Debilitation by Immurement

https://www.instagram.com/immurement_slam/

Doomed Immortal -- U.S. death metal solo project

ABOUT: Through time, space, and technology Ed has watched his musical career and passion grow, and to make artistic fusion — one between his greatest passion: music, and what he calls his favorite thing ever: freedom.

Genesis Requiem by Doomed Immortal

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

Solemn Vision -- prog melodeath from New York, USA

ABOUT: Born and raised in New York City. A band thats constantly delivering their unique, organic, progressive/melodic death metal sound. With a plethora of influences, the New York quintet's sound is for fans of Opeth, At The Gates and Insomnium all the while having songs compared with bands from Behemoth to Obscura. Self titled full length album out now!

Solemn Vision is a 5-piece band from NYC delivering unique and original progressive/melodic death metal in the vein of Opeth, Dååth, In Mourning, and more.

Solemn Vision is a Brooklyn-based melodic death metal band renowned in the mid-Atlantic metal circuit for their eclectic take on the genre. The band brings in a range of influences, most heavily building on the sounds of acts like Opeth and Insomnium. Solemn Vision’s live performances are high energy and interactive. Their focus has always been on showmanship and stage presence complimenting raw musicianship. This lethal formula has packed out venues and wowed audiences all around the region.

The band is currently composed of Aaron Harris on vocals, guitarists Mauricio Cornejo and Kadin Wisniewski, Anthony Rafferty on bass, and Carlos Crowcell on drums. Solemn Vision’s music showcases a variety of sonic flavors ranging from frigid Scandinavia, to the deserts of the Middle East; from classic metal mastery to modern innovations. This range in their sound is in part a product of New York City itself, which has always been a melting pot of cultures, styles, and sounds. This approach has fostered a widespread fan base not just in the Tri-State metal scene, but with online followers all over the globe.

The band's self-titled debut was released in Spring 2019, to critical acclaim – and the band is already wrapping up their sophomore offering. Solemn Vision’s focus is on ensuring that the raw, melodic death metal sound of the band will never be compromised and instead only grow and evolve. As Solemn Vision gear up to tour and take on the world they hope to build on past accomplishments, including performances with everyone from Carach Angren to Kataklysm by way of incoming titans like Blood Incantation. This is melodic death metal envisioned in a new light, and it’s utterly, wonderfully twisted.

Cerebral Labyrinth by Solemn Vision Live at Saint Vitus

Solemn Vision by Solemn Vision

Narcotic Wasteland (U.S. death metal featuring Dallas TW, formerly of Nile)

ABOUT: "Narcotic Wasteland started as a side project Dallas Toler-Wade had been working the past few years when he was not touring or in the studio."

Metal Archives shows these recordings: Narcotic Wasteland Full-length 2014; Delirium Tremens Full-length 2017.

Delirium Tremens

Narcotic Wasteland Live August 2019 Seneca NY

https://www.facebook.com/narcoticwasteland

Voracious Scourge streaming 2020 album In Death (project featuring Sinister, Suffocation, Cynic [ex]members)

About: "Old school Death Metal Project inspired by early 90's death metal"

In Death by Voracious Scourge

Epica (Holland) -- two songs from Omega (2021)

These are two songs from Omega, the February 2021 album by Epica.

"Epica is a Dutch symphonic metal band, founded by guitarist and vocalist Mark Jansen after his departure from After Forever. Formed as a symphonic metal band with gothic tendencies, later Epica have incorporated into their sound strong death metal influences. Starting from the third album, even progressive metal attitudes have become evident. In addition, the band often uses thrash metal and groove metal riffs, black metal passages (mostly in the drum technique), power metal moments and references to Arabic music. Some songs also have electronic shades, djent transitions and folk metal melodies derived from middle eastern, Chinese and Celtic traditions. Epica is also known for the attention to the vocal lines that, in contrast to the heavy context, weave very catchy, easy to hold, sophisticated and emotional melodies. The use of mezzo-soprano vocals and growled vocals, performed by Simone Simons and Mark Jansen respectively, is fundamental to the band's sound. They primarily write their own lyrics, which often deal with philosophical, psychological, spiritual, moral, scientific, environmental, socio-political, global and topical and personal themes. Epica is also known for their wide use of orchestra and opera choirs." (Wikipedia)

EPICA - Abyss of Time (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)

EPICA - Freedom - The Wolves Within (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

https://www.facebook.com/epica

Shrieks of the Impaled (Washington state, USA)

Metal Archives shows these recordings for this extreme metal band: Welcome to the Kingdom of Flesh EP 2009; The Demise of Babylon Demo 2012.

The Demise of Babylon by Shrieks of the Impaled

Shizerdome (Washington state, USA)

ABOUT: "Metal has become super wimpy. We are here to save you."

Shizerdome - Black Metal (Venom Cover) Rough Mix

SHIZERDOME - BLACK METAL 2-STEP

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

Shadow of the Torturer (Washington state, USA)

ABOUT: "SOTT is a band dedicated to DOOM METAL."

Marching Into Chaos by Shadow of the Torturer

Dronestown by Shadow of the Torturer

Inferi -- melodic tech-death from USA

ABOUT: Inferi is an American melodic death metal band forged from the bowels of Nashville, Tennessee. The band formed in 2006 and strived to merge the classic melodic metal sound with a taste of crushing technicality.

Of Sunless Realms by Inferi

The End of an Era | Rebirth by Inferi