Take a look at this original DEMON 7” red translucent vinyl I bought many years ago! This was the debut single from DEMON, released back on August 5th, 1980, via Clay Records. (My source for the release date is from The Metal Archives website). The pressing amount for this DEMON debut vinyl single was 5,000!
“Liar” side
DEMON originated back in 1979, in Leek, Staffordshire, England. They are considered as one of the pioneering bands of NWOBHM.
From my research, the original members of DEMON, beginning in 1979, were: Dave Hill (vocals), Mal Spooner (guitars), Clive Cook (guitars), Paul Riley (bass) and John Wright (drums). Vocalist Dave Hill has been the only constant member over the decades and still present with DEMON.
Back cover sleeve“Wild Woman” side
DEMON have existed across 6 decades, with their most recent studio album, Invincible, releasing back on May 17th, 2024. A bonafide, persevering and legendary metal band! Metal be thy name! – Stone
German power metal force STORMHAMMER have released the official music video for their brand-new single“Wrath Of The Hammer”, the title track of the band’s upcoming studio offering.
With “Wrath Of The Hammer”, STORMHAMMER deliver a powerful first glimpse of their forthcoming album and once again prove why they remain one of the most consistent and exciting acts in the European power metal scene. The title track combines massive riffs, epic melodies and the band’s unmistakable energy into a modern metal anthem rooted in classic heavy metal spirit.
Phil Meyer (guitar, backing vocals) comments: “Tracks like Wrath of the Hammer perfectly represent the album’s direction, aggressive downstrokes, fast power chords and epic melodic moments coming together in a very classic yet modern Heavy Metal way.”
Drummer Ashley Guest confirms: “Wrath of the Hammer maintains the spirit of classic StormHammer while pushing the sound forward with a sharper and more aggressive edge.”
Following the acclaimed album Seven Seals,STORMHAMMER open a new chapter with Wrath Of The Hammer.The album combines traditional heavy metal roots with thrash-driven guitars, epic melodies and progressive elements while staying true to the band’s unmistakable identity.
“Wrath of the Hammer reflects all generations of Heavy Metal,”Phil Meyer says. “The old school, the melodic, the anthemic and the modern. That’s exactly who StormHammer are as a band today. We didn’t want the album to be purely melodic power metal. StormHammer has always had a more raw side, and we wanted to push that further by bringing in thrash elements, modern metal and even some ’90s punk roots without losing the band’s heavy metal identity.”
Vocalist M.Nox adds: “We went into this album with the idea that we didn’t want to play it safe. We mixed in elements of Thrash, Symphonic and Classic Metal while keeping it true to StormHammer’s Power Metal roots. With this album, you will hear StormHammer in a way you have not heard before.”
Recorded at Mastersound Studio with producer Alexander Krull, the album delivers a massive production, atmospheric arrangements and renewed creative energy throughout, showcasing a band that continues to evolve while remaining a vital force in modern power metal!
Horst Tessmann (bass, backing vocals) reveals: “Recording with Alex Krull was fantastic because we shared the same vision for how these songs should sound. He delivered a powerful and outstanding production. Wrath of the Hammer combines traditional Power Metal with Thrash Metal elements in a way that feels natural and energetic. The older I get, the faster and heavier I want the music to be.”
“This album feels honest and alive,” guitarist Christos Efstathiou states. “We challenged ourselves creatively while staying true to what StormHammer is about. There’s power, emotion and adventure in these songs.”
Track-list: 1. Beware 2. Wrath Of The Hammer 3. Ashes Of The Throne 4. Light In The Dark 5. Wheels Of Eternity 6. Guardians Of The Night 7. Veil Of Fire 8. Scars Of The Abyss 9. Shattered Dominion 10. The Dune
LEFT TO DIE has signed to Relapse Records and today announce their debut full-length, Initium Mortis, set for release on July 17th!
Death alumni Rick Rozz and Terry Butler joined forces with gore metal pioneer Matt Harvey and Gruesome drummer Gus Rios to form LEFT TO DIE. Their new album, Initium Mortis, pays homage to the brutal beginnings of Death.
Initium Mortis sees the supergroup – including original Death members Terry Butler (Obituary) and Rick Rozz (Massacre) – joining Harvey (Exhumed, Gruesome) and Gus Rios (Gruesome) to capture the morbid depths of Death‘s early catalog.
Members of LEFT TO DIE comment on the new album:
Matt Harvey: “After Gus and I performed Spiritual Healing in its entirety with Terry and James [Murphy], Rick wondered if people might want to hear something similar, but with him joining the three of us to perform Leprosy. Of course, I leapt at the chance to do it, and we quickly threw together a tour which surpassed everyone’s expectations, especially in terms of how much fun we were having playing together.”
“As we continued to tour throughout the US, Europe, Latin America, Australia, and Asia, people kept asking if we were going to record or write anything. After going back and forth on the topic, we felt that (ahem) exhuming some of these old tracks made the most sense for us, after all, we’re not gonna top Leprosy.”
“I gleefully combed through the myriad Death/Mantas demos and rehearsals looking for stuff that would make sense for a record, and we ended up going with tunes that we felt would make the most cohesive album, hence why ‘Skill To Kill’ and ‘Back From The Dead’ sadly didn’t make the cut. I look at Initium Mortis as a kind of ‘alternate-universe’ version of the Scream Bloody Gore track list, as so many of these tunes were circling around the many Death lineups and rehearsals from ’83-’87.”
“In fact, Chuck [Schuldiner] and Chris [Reifert] recorded a version of ‘Legion Of Doom’ for Scream Bloody Gore that never got completed. In revisiting these songs, it was crystal-clear to me that Rick’s fingerprints are all over the Mantas stuff and tunes like ‘Slaughterhouse,’ so with that connection, the songs where his style really shone through immediately made sense to include on Initium Mortis.”
Terry Butler: “Left To Die went from a thought to doing a full US tour in about three months! Pretty remarkable. We wanted to play the early material for the fans that couldn’t see the first albums in a live setting. There are many young fans at our shows that are hearing the foundation that Death stands on to this day live for the first time! With Matt channeling the best Chuck Schuldiner out there and Gus playing the material perfectly and respectfully, we hit the road and haven’t looked back!”
“For Initium Mortis, we wanted Death fans who never heard these demo songs to hear them with good production. Most of these early demos were recorded on a boom box, so by the time someone got their demo through tape trading it was almost inaudible!”
“We think these tracks are a good representation of the birth of Mantas/Death. This is ground zero, where it all started: three 15-year-old kids creating Death Metal history, and even within these choice cuts from the demo days you can hear the evolution of the music. ‘Archangel’ is a great way to introduce this album. It’s controlled chaos at its finest, catchy and riffy with a killer evil-sounding middle section!”
Rick Rozz: “First, I would like to thank Gus, Matt, and Terry for making LEFT TO DIE happen. It’s been an honor and pleasure working with them for the past few years and beyond. It’s really cool to be able to hear these tunes from 1984 properly! The old school Death fans are going to dig this release.”
Gus Rios: “The band started simply because Rick called me and asked if I’d be into it… Which I very promptly replied by referencing bears, shit, and woods. I then called Matt and Terry and the rest is history. Death’s Leprosy record is my favorite death metal album, let alone Death album. To be given this unbelievable opportunity to play those songs with Rick and Terry across the globe is an honor and a blessing I find hard to put in words. Matt and I are living our 14-year-old selves’ death metal fantasy!”
“And now, to make an album with the guys, is flat out surreal. I’m a pretty solid Death fan if I do say so myself, and yet these songs were all new to me. I never really gave the Mantas stuff much of a listen because I’m just not a ‘demo’ production fan. To hear these songs with clean and solid, yet classic analog style production for me is like getting new Death songs… Which rules!”
Featuring tracks like “Archangel,” “Witch Of Hell,” and “Legion Of Doom” expertly executed in the now, Initium Mortis is a must-have for Death fans and collectors alike. Ultimately, LEFT TO DIE celebrates a seminal band and the camaraderie of the genre’s most extreme corner of music.
Initium Mortis will be released on CD, LP, cassette, and digital formats. Find preorders at Relapse.com HERE.
Initium Mortis – Track Listing:
1. Legion Of Doom
2. Archangel
3. Power Of Darkness
4. Zombie
5. Witch Of Hell
6. Rise Of Satan
7. Summoned To Die
8. Mantas
9. Slaughterhouse
10. Death By Metal
See LEFT TO DIE live throughout Europe this August and Latin America in September! A full list of confirmed dates is available below. Stay tuned for more tour announcements in the weeks to come.
LEFT TO DIE w/ Livlos: 7/31/2026 Rockstadt Extreme Festival – Brasov, RO 8/02/2026 Colosseum – Kosice, SK 8/03/2026 Drizzly Grizzly – Gdansk, PL 8/04/2026 Hype Park – Krakow, PL 8/05/2026 Zescianek – Berlin, DE 8/06/2026 Alcatraz Festival – Kortrijk, BE 8/07/2026 Bastard Club – Osnabrück, DE 8/08/2026 Brutal Assault Festival – Jaromer, CZ 8/09/2026 Backstage Halle (Free & Easy) – Munich, DE 8/10/2026 Colos-Saal – Aschaffenburg, DE 8/11/2026 Turock – Essen, DE 8/12/2026 Bahnhof Paul – Hamburg, DE 8/13/2026 Dynamo Metalfest Pre-Party– Eindhoven, NL End Tour 9/02/2026 São Luis, BR 9/03/2026 Teresina, BR 9/04/2026 Fortaleza, BR 9/05/2026 João Pessoa, BR 9/06/2026 Recife, BR 9/09/2026 São Paulo, BR 9/11/2026 Puerto Montt, CL 9/12/2026 Santiago, CL 9/13/2026 Concepción, CL 9/15/2026 Montevideo, UY 9/17/2026 Rosário, AR 9/18/2026 Buenos Aires, AR 9/20/2026 Córdoba, AR 9/22/2026 Lima, PE 9/24/2026 Medellín, CO 9/25/2026 Pereira, CO 9/26/2026 Bogotá, CO 9/27/2026 Cali, CO 9/29/2026 San Salvador, SV 9/30/2026 Ciudad de México, MX
Horror Pain Gore Death Productions are set to release the new EP from Lansdale Pennsylvania’s L.M.I. – V is up now for pre-order and will be released June 19th on CD and Digital formats along with merch.
L.M.I. return to Horror Pain Gore Death Productions with the new EP V! Following up on 2024’s album Failed To Feel It, Lansdale, Pennsylvania’s L.M.I. unleash five new tracks showcasing the band’s uniquely intense blend of Sludge Metal, Hardcore Punk and Math Rock.
V will leave you in a daze of riffage and pummel you with it’s ripping guttural vocals, along with experimental dynamics and song structure, which makes the listener rethink what Hardcore Punk can contort and morph itself into.
For fans of Portrayal Of Guilt, early Mastodon, Neurosis, Imperial Triumphant, Drive Like Jehu, Napalm Death and Kylesa.
Vancouver (BC) – Canadian Thrashers W.M.D. (When Minds Develop) will release Against All Warnings, the band’s second full-length album, June 5th, on vinyl, CD and digital formats.
A music video for the album’s first single, “Eyes of a Killer,” is available at:
Thematically, Against All Warnings concerns the constant human need for more, where nothing ever feels good enough, and people ignore every warning sign until everything starts to collapse. The album is also a reflection of W.M.D.‘s experience during the last few years: refusing to quit, getting angry at what the world really is, and trying to find their place in the middle of all of it. Every song comes from a different perspective on the chaos and pressure people are living through every day.
“The songs were built in the jam room first, so what you’re hearing is the exact pace, feel, and weight of what we created, while feeding off each other’s energy in the room. We wanted it to feel alive, raw, and honest. We’re proud of this record and stoked to finally share it with you.” – W.M.D.
Skyler Mills – Vocals/Guitars Jon Power – Bass Ryan Idris – Drums
Guest Guitar Solos: “Post Human Predator,” “The Thin Red Line, and “Painful Vengeance” performed by Casey Trask. “Against All Warnings” performed by Kai Sakaguchi.
In other W.M.D. news, the band will join countrymates Iron Kingdom on the True North Strong and Heavy Canadian Tour 2026 in June!
Produced by Skyler Mills. Co-Produced by W.M.D. Mixed & Mastered by Adair Daufembach. Pre-Production by Ryan Idris & Skyler Mills. Drums recorded by Dan Yakimow at Monarch Studios, Vancouver, BC. Assisted by Aaron Klassen. Guitars & Bass recorded by Skyler Mills & Adair Daufembach. Vocals recorded by Adair Daufembach @ Daufembach Studios, Los Angeles. CA & Colin Ryley @ Singularity Sound Studios, Vancouver, BC. Sound Design by Skyler Mills.
Artwork by Alex Malakmadze. W.M.D logo by The Pit Forge. Band Photography by Shimon Karmel. All songs written and performed by W.M.D. Independently released by W.M.D.
May 18, 2026, Gothenburg, Sweden – Monolord shares a final preview of their forthcoming album Neverending (May 29, Relapse Records) with today’s release of “It’s Neverending,” featuring guest vocalist Jörgen Sandström of Grave, formerly of Entombed.
“I did the growling on the demo, but it took me forever to record,” vocalist/guitarist Thomas Jäger explains. “It was more like to illustrate the idea. But Jörgen’s voice is so powerful, and his performance on the song is really great.”
The finished track is a deathly-doom epic. “When we got the vocals finally in place, I remember I just burst into laughter,” bassist Mika Häkki adds. “That was just my sincere reaction to how happy that end result made me. Jörgen must have opened some new portal of some kind with those screams!”
To create Neverending, Monolord decamped to Ashland, Oregon to record with legendary producer/engineer Sylvia Massy (Tool, System of a Down, and Johnny Cash). The collaboration began when Massy asked vocalist/guitarist Thomas Jäger to send everything the band had ever written.
“She asked me to send her everything we had, not just songs written for the album, but every stray riff and idea,” he says. “I even sent her stuff I’d written ten years ago. She listened to all of it and sent us a list of what she wanted to work on.”
The band rehearsed 12 songs, recorded 11, and ultimately selected eight for Neverending. The result captures a focused but expansive version of Monolord’s sound.
The band announced the new album with a video for “You Bastard,” which captured moments from their studio sessions with Massy. Revolver said the four-plus minute track is “glorious” and Consequence, who named it their “heavy song of the week,” described it as “a hefty and quite melodic piece of doom metal,” while simultaneously declaring Monolord the “Swedish titans of doom.”
They offered a second preview with the recently released song “Oozing Wound,” which MetalSucks noted is “a major change for the band, as it’s the first time they’ve tuned wayyy down for maximum heavy.”
*features vocals by Jörgen Sandström (Grave, ex-Entombed)
The band’s U.S. tour begins on June 11. Mizmor opens the Western U.S. dates, Khemmis opens on all Eastern U.S. dates with the exception of the Muddy Roots Festival. Tickets for all dates are on-sale now via Monolord.com.
Monolord U.S. tour dates:
Mizmor opens on all Western U.S. dates:
June 11 San Diego, CA Casbah
June 12 Santa Cruz, CA The Catalyst
June 13 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
Copenhagen grinders MELTIFICATION have arrived with their blistering, self-titled debut album. Reminiscent of the late 80s/early 90s era of Earache Records bands, MELTIFICATION unleash a fast and aggressive breed of grindcore with shares of hardcore punk and thrash metal.
Meltification delivers 18 rapid-fire anthems of obliteration aimed right at the throats of old-school fans of extreme metal and grindcore.
Meltification will be released by Extremely Rotten Productions on all physical formats and digital on Friday May 29th 2026.
Track-list:
1) Turmoil
2) Midian
3) Assembly Line Of Horror
4) Nuclear Death Threat
5) Leech
6) River Of Torment
7) Raw Hate Inferno
8) Hellscape
9) A.I.mageddon
10) Hellscape Part 2
11) Memento Gory
12) Wargod
13) Doomsday Horde Caravan
14) Fragments
15) Mass Hypnosis
16) Lycanthropic Brutality
17) Calculated Demise
18) Final Ritual
MELTIFICATION was formed by veteran of the Copenhagen hardcore scene, Tue Sprogø (Death Token, Asbest, Deformation). Sprogø’s passion for classic grindcore lead him to team with ex-Imperious Mortality drummer Thomas Rindom. The band gives life to an absolute bulldozer of an album, marked with fast, hectic blastbeats and crushingly heavy grooves.
In addition to writing the music, and recording all of the guitars, bass and vocals, Sprogø also illustrated the album’s artwork.
Meltification was recorded, mixed and mastered by Lasse Ballade at Ballade studios in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Check out my autographed band photo of METAL CHURCH!! From left to right: Rick Van Zandt (lead guitar), Kurdt Vanderhoof (rhythm guitar), Mike Howe (vocals), Jeff Plate (drums) and Steve Unger (bass). They signed my photo after the show! The only autograph missing is Jeff Plate, due to him being with some friends chatting.
I went to see METAL CHURCH back on September 16, 2016, at Oddbody’s Music Lounge, In Dayton, Ohio. Was an incredible night! An all-time Metal memory I cherish!!
It was the second time I saw METAL CHURCH play live. The first time I saw them was back in 1985, when they opened for METALLICA at the West Hartford Ballroom, in West Hartford, Connecticut! (The late) David Wayne was the lead singer for METAL CHURCH back in 1985.
On this night (the late) Mike Howe was the lead singer and he lit up the stage! I was chest against the front stage, living my best Metal life, that night, back in 2016! See the photo below of Mike Howe and myself, taken after the show.
Stone and (the late) Mike Howe.
METAL CHURCH on that night were so gracious and humble, signing their band photo for free, while chatting away and accepting photo requests by many jubilant fans! I couldn’t thank them enough, then and now. – Stone
L-R – Andres Martinez Torres (Drakar) – Voices, Lead Guitar, Bass – Michel Amyot – Rhythm Guitar / Photo Credit – Patrick Auger
Eternal Drak, the long‑running extreme metal force originally from Latin America and now based in Quebec City, Canada, known for its evolving blend of black, thrash, and death metal, announces the arrival of its sixth full‑length album, The Violence of Time, a work that reframes time itself as the enemy of human meaning and will be released on July 17th, 2026, on Canadian label FirstWave. Alongside the announcement, the band unveils the album’s first single, “We Force It To Speak.”
Born, as the band puts it, “in the middle of a drunk among friends,” Eternal Drak has spent years forging a sound defined by varied rhythm and catchy aggression, shaped by decades within the metal underground. With this new album, the band reaches its most cohesive and intense expression to date.
The Violence of Time is not a concept album in the traditional sense; it is a philosophical assault. Lyrically and musically, the record presents time as a hostile, eroding force that distorts memory, identity, and causality. The songs function as “violent theses,” each dismantling a human assumption about how time works.
The band explains:
“Time does not accompany human beings; it subdues them. It does not flow; it imposes. It does not advance; it erodes.”
Every track reflects fragments of a larger narrative inspired by a short story written for the album, an exploration of how attempts to understand time only warp it further.
Track Listing:
1. We Force It To Speak – 5:15 2. The Unborn Paths Rot – 3:51 3. Me Hice Simultaneo – 3:30 4. The Blasphemy of Time – 3:35 5. Chaos Is the Law – 3:34 6. Where Cause Is Buried – 3:55 7. Across the Watching Veils – 3:53 8. Breathing Once Again – 3:45 9. The Cosmos Rejects You – 4:09 10. No Direction Total War – 2:57 Album Length: 38:24
Serving as the album’s opening strike, “We Force It To Speak” captures the essence of Eternal Drak’s new era. Rooted in black metal yet enriched with acoustic textures and dense atmospheric layering, the track establishes the album’s emotional and conceptual tone.
Lyrically, it confronts the human obsession with explanation, how the act of observing or defining reality alters it beyond recognition. The band describes it as a reflection on “how the more we search for answers, the more certainty slips away.”
Eternal Drak’s evolution has been shaped by decades of experimentation, from analog distortion and classic pedals to modern digital textures. With The Violence of Time, the band believes it has finally crystallized its definitive sound: aggressive, cohesive, and uncompromising.
Listen to “We Force It To Speak” at the following links:
Influences such as Dimmu Borgir, Watain, Kreator, Motörhead, and Desaster echo throughout the record, yet the album stands firmly in its own identity, extreme metal sharpened by introspection and conceptual depth.
Album Band Line Up: Andres Martinez Torres (Drakar) – Voices, Lead Guitar, Bass Michel Amyot – Rhythm Guitar
One year after the release of the HERTA debut album Crossing The Illusion, we proudly present The Illusion Alive.
“The Illusion Alive” is the band’s first ever self-produced headline show in their hometown, Athens, Greece, on December 21, 2025 with special appearances by Sakis Tolis (Rotting Christ), Fotis Benardo (Septicflesh, Nightrage) and George Prokopiou (Poem, Mother of Millions).
“A huge thank you to everyone who supported this show, all the bands and musicians involved, and every single person we had the pleasure of working with throughout this journey.”
Shape this world to be saved.
HERTA’s sound is characterized by groove- and rhythm-driven compositions that continually offer surprises and fresh impressions. Despite the complexity and technical prowess of their music, the songs remain accessible and catchy. The band’s keen sense of atmosphere and melody shines through, creating eventful tracks that captivate listeners from start to finish.
01. Tribal (live) 02. Eyes of Sorrow (live) 03. The Snake Devours the Wolf (live) 04. The Labyrinth feat. Fotis Benardo (live) 05. Beyond the Dead (live) 06. Monolith feat. Sakis Tolis (live) 07. My Demise (live) 08. River to the Abyss feat. George Prokopiou (live) 09. The Path (live) 10. Incarnation (live) 11. Control (live)
French heavy metal force Seven Metal Sins return with “Eternal Downfall”, the new single taken from the band’s forthcoming debut album Legacy Of Chaos, set for release in June 2026.
Following the release of “Hypocrisy” and the recent unveiling of “Wolves Of The Last Dawn”, the new track further consolidates the band’s uncompromising approach to heavy and power metal, combining razor-sharp riffing, commanding vocals, and an atmosphere fueled by tension, urgency, and raw intensity.
Formed in 2024 by former Manigance rhythm section Stéphane Lacoude and Patrick Soria, Seven Metal Sins was born from the desire to return to a more direct, personal, and aggressive vision of metal songwriting. The lineup was later completed by guitarist Antton Iriart, vocalist Claw-G. and guitarist Fred Auclerc, forging a sound rooted in classic heavy metal, power metal, and old-school speed metal traditions while embracing a sharper contemporary edge.
Lyrically, “Eternal Downfall” perfectly reflects the dystopian and socially conscious vision at the core of Legacy Of Chaos. Inspired by environmental collapse, authoritarianism, greed, and humanity’s destructive trajectory, the band channels its frustration and rage into a heavy metal framework enriched by dark futuristic imagery and apocalyptic undertones.
The band describes its sound as “powerful – strong – heavy – sharp – huge”, delivering “pure, hard-hitting metal in the vein of cult bands that have marked different eras”.
Track Listing: 1. The Fall (Intro) – 0:57 2. Scars of Injustice – 4:35 3. No Sanctuary – 4:22 4. Hypocrisy – 4:07 5. Eternal Downfall – 4:57 6. Feel the Steel – 4:20 7. Wolves of the Last Dawn – 4:36 8. Beyond the Breaking Point – 4:01 9. Sun Eaters – 5:00 10. Rise of the Phoenix – 3:55 11. King of Sorrow – 6:25
Produced by Seven Metal Sins, Legacy Of Chaos was mixed by Jérémie Garat at Reseda Prod and mastered by Simon Capony at Basalte Studio, while the album artwork and layout were created by Marco Orlando.
Modern metal act A COLD PARADISE have released a new music video for their latest single “Here I Rise”. The project is led by Antonio Calanna, known to many metal fans as the former vocalist of ALL FOR METAL. Marking a bold new chapter, the track combines modern heaviness, emotional intensity and soaring energy into a powerful statement of intent.
Driven by massive riffs, cinematic atmosphere and an uncompromising performance,“Here I Rise”perfectly captures the core identity of A COLD PARADISE. The song reflects themes of growth, resilience and transformation while channeling raw emotion into an explosive and deeply personal listening experience.
Calanna comments: “‘Here I Rise’ is a statement. After our first live shows, we felt the connection with the audience and knew this was just the beginning. This song captures exactly what A Cold Paradise stands for: the will to grow, to rise, and to turn emotion into something powerful. It’s raw, energetic, and unapologetically intense.”
A COLD PARADISE is a modern alternative metal band founded in 2025 by Antonio Calanna, signed to Perception – A Division of Reigning Phoenix Music. The project was born from a desire to emphasize atmosphere, melody, and emotional depth within heavy music, without compromising its force.
Rooted in genuine feeling, A COLD PARADISE builds its sound from the inside out, letting emotion guide both songwriting and production. Heavy riffs collide with expressive melodies, cinematic atmospheres and carefully woven electronic elements that shape the emotional arc of each song.
The band works with a defined collective identity: music, lyrics, and visuals all feed into the same artistic world, where storytelling, contrast, and emotional weight matter as much as the breakdowns. Living in the tension between vulnerability and force, A COLD PARADISE blends modern metal and rock with immersive textures to create a dynamic, evocative, and unmistakably human sound.
A COLD PARADISE Artist Line-Up: Antonio Calanna | vocals Paolo Avanzini | guitars, vocals Luca Birocco | guitars Fortunato De Negri | bass Daniele Motta | drums
The new hardcover book, …And Justice For Art: Stories About Heavy Metal Album Covers – Ultimate Edition, is now available.
…And Justice For Art: Stories About Heavy Metal Album Covers – Ultimate Edition includes 372 color pages, 700 graphics, and more than 120 exclusive interviews about the making of hundreds of iconic metal album covers. This epic journey through the art of heavy music features stories about the sleeve artworks for albums like Black Sabbath’s Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden’s Killers, Metallica’s …And Justice For All, Cynic’s Focus, At The Gates’ Slaughter Of The Soul, Slayer’s Reign In Blood, Opeth’s Heritage, Darkthrone’s A Blaze In The Northern Sky, Suffocation’s Effigy Of The Forgotten, Tiamat’s Wildhoney, Neurosis’ Times Of Grace, among many others.
The stories behind these iconic artworks are told through hundreds of exclusive comments and interviews with metal icons like Max Cavalera (Soulfly, Nailbomb, ex-Sepultura), Jeff Walker (Carcass), David Vincent (ex-Morbid Angel, Vltimas), Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian), Esa Holopainen (Amorphis), Fenriz (Darkthrone), Tom Angelripper (Sodom) and many others. The book also includes insightful interviews with legendary illustrators such as Eliran Kantor, Dan Seagrave, Travis Smith, Valnoir, and Costin Chioreanu, who also designed the book’s cover.
“This hardcover book features 372 glossy color pages, more than 700 images and firsthand information about hundreds of graphics, which are presented in extremely high quality,” author Ramon Oscuro comments. “This is a complete reinvention of the original …And Justice For Art book published in 2015, which have been out-of-print for almost a decade. Instead of just reprinting the original volume, I decided to rewrite, redesign and update every page. I also added 108 new pages featuring new chapters, new interviews and hundreds of new graphics. It’s a completely new book, an epic journey through heavy music imagery from 1970 to 2025.”
According to Vltimas/ex-Morbid Angel frontman, David Vincent, who penned the book’s foreword, this is “a historical document about the importance of Metal album covers.” Soulfly’s Max Cavalera has thanked the author “for helping to keep alive the ritual of the album cover.” Cattle Decapitation vocalist Travis Ryan assured that “this is exactly what the music world needs to remind us how important album covers have been to all of us that grew up surrounding ourselves with physical media.”
Watch a trailer for …And Justice For Art: Stories About Heavy Metal Album Covers – Ultimate Edition HERE.
This is a limited edition of 500 copies. It’s only available at THIS LOCATION. Use the discount code AJFA15GOOD to save 15% on your purchase.
Journalist/musician, Ramón “Oscuro” Martos García, was born in Cuba in 1975. His interest in heavy music started at a very early age after discovering the music of bands like Queen, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Slayer, Sepultura, among others. He graduated from the Conservatory of Music in Santiago de Cuba before emigrating to the Dominican Republic in the early 1990s, where he played in several metal bands, including Necro, Divinis Invocat, and Los Recalcitrantes, and founded the country’s first rock/metal fanzine, Esperando El Final. After moving to the United States in the 2000s, he started writing for publications like MetalUnderground.com, This Is Metal Magazine, PureGrainAudio.com, among others.
In 2011, Ramón formed the Metal art community …And Justice For Art, which is the result of his longtime obsession with visual arts, especially heavy music art. This community and the book series ...And Justice For Art – Stories About Heavy Metal Album Covers (which has spawned five volumes during the last decade) have provided exclusive information about the making of thousands of metal album covers, the work of hundreds of graphic artists and other related topics.
An explosive offering awaits from the Raleigh, NC, based ensemble CRIMSON STEEL. As the band gear up to unveil their forthcoming full length album, Show No Fear, CRIMSON STEEL present their first single release in “No Absolution“. Show No Fear is set to arrive on October 2nd, 2026, via Heaven and Hell Records.
“No Absolution” showcases the dynamic characteristics of CRIMSON STEEL‘s sound. While inspired by traditional styles, progressive metal and power metal, the single delivers a modern feel. “No Absolution” provides haunting melodic moments alongside ferocious rhythms. Throughout the track, emotional vulnerability is entwined with heavy power.
Lyrically, CRIMSON STEEL delve into themes surrounding guilt, condemnation, and spiritual isolation. The imagery evokes a sense of a being who is trapped with their own internal suffering, unable to atone or make amends for past actions. “No Absolution” explores an inability to escape from the torment that exists within oneself.
CRIMSON STEEL focus on storytelling through their music. Each track across the album contributes to the larger emotional narrative experience. At its core, Show No Fear explores the human experience often drawing on fantasy and mythical imagery to convey the central themes of fear, transformation, power, and perseverance.
Show No Fear – Track List:
As Above, So Below 1:11
Dark Rider 4:39
No Absolution 5:53
Purifier 4:18
Final Phase 5:44
Prelude to the Blade 0:45
Century Sword 5:18
Bleed into One 6:30
Show No Fear 4:52
Show No Fear was produced by Wendy Brancaccio and recorded and mixed at Vintage Noise Studio with Wendy Brancaccio and Bill Spears. The album was mastered by Anthony Focx. Cover artwork and design for Show No Fear isby Johnathan @gerardster.
Guest vocals on “Bleed into One” were provided by James Rivera, recorded at Hombre Malo Studio and engineered by Larry Barragán.
About CRIMSON STEEL:
With a style rooted firmly in classic metal, Raleigh, NC based CRIMSON STEEL combine elements from traditional metal and power metal to produce a high octane sound with a modern feel. Initially formed in 2022 by bassist Joel McGee, the quartet draws influence primarily from the likes of JUDAS PRIEST, BLACK SABBATH, IRON MAIDEN, SAVATAGE, CRIMSON GLORY, and QUEENSRŸCHE.
Alongside McGee is vocalist Tina Langevin, both of whom performed together as teenagers before unexpectedly reconnecting in this new musical endeavor. The line-up is completed with David Ryan on guitars and backing vocals, along with Will Adkins delivering percussion in addition to backing vocal duties.
Entwining story-driven songwriting with the intense energy of crowd-participation and the live stage, CRIMSON STEEL is preparing to unveil their debut album Show No Fear on October 2nd, 2026, via Heaven and Hell Records.
Marking 35 years since its original impact on the heavy metal landscape, the seminal Seattle-based technical thrashers, FORCED ENTRY, are pleased to announce the definitive reissue of their cult-classic masterpiece, As Above, So Below. In partnership with M-Theory Audio, this long-awaited celebration and sought-after classic will make its vinyl debut, as well as a Digipak edition CD, available July 31, 2026.
“Can’t thank the guys at M-Theory enough for getting our best work back out on CD and Vinyl! 35yrs later, this record still thrashes the SHIT outta ya! Crack a beer and listen up!” – Tony Benjamins (vocals, bass)
Formed in the late 1980s, FORCED ENTRY carved out a unique space within the burgeoning Seattle metal scene, blending blistering thrash speed with complex, progressive song structures. As Above, So Below remains a high-water mark for the band, celebrated by fans and critics alike for its aggressive intensity, musicianship, groove and technicality.
The anniversary reissue ensures that a new generation of metalheads and long-time devotees can experience the record in prestige formats. Fans can secure their copies now via the M-Theory Audio webstore www.m-theoryaudio.com/store or the Forced Entry Bandcamp page. (Items will ship from US or Europe based upon your location).
Microcosm Splatter Vinyl: first time on vinyl, pressed to just 300 copies.
Sludge Green Vinyl: Exclusive mail-order only variant restricted to 100 copies.
Digipak CD: includes booklet
As Above, So Below features freshened up and expanded layouts by Marc Lopes, including a new interview with vocalist/bassist Tony Benjamins and extra pics and flyers. The original album was produced by Tom Soares (Demolition Hammer, Cro-Mags, Meliah Rage) and engineered by Jamie Locke (Obituary, Prong, Leeway) with artwork by Sean Wyett (Exodus, Cyclone Temple, Devastation). The album featured two music videos – “Macrocosm, Microcosm” and “Never a Know, But The No.”
About Forced Entry:
FORCED ENTRY is a technical thrash metal band hailing from Seattle, Washington, known for their influential role in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s underground scene. The trio of Tony Benjamins on bass, Brad Hull (later of the reformed Sanctuary) on guitar and Colin Mattson on drums built a reputation for themselves within their regional scene through pounding live work and via the worldwide underground and fanzine circuit with the release of 3 classic demo tapes (which M-Theory will compile and release in early 2027).
Signed to Combat Records, FORCED ENTRY released two albums – 1989’s Uncertain Future and 1991’s As Above, So Below and toured with bands like Sacred Reich, Coroner, Atrophy, and Obituary. Their music is characterized by blistering riffs, complex arrangements, and an unrelenting, aggressive energy that helped define the “Seattle sound” of the era, along with scene mates Bitter End and Panic.
Chilean death metallers ROTTEN TOMB present today their new single “Here Lies Death”, with the exclusive premiere hosted by Mystification Zine. The track offers a new glimpse into the band’s upcoming third full-length album Vestiges of Tortured Souls, due for release on June 6th, 2026 via Nuclear Winter Records, available on LP, CD and cassette.
“Here Lies Death” showcases a more refined and focused evolution of the band’s sound, while preserving the raw intensity and underground conviction that have defined their identity. The single highlights a clearer songwriting approach and a sharpened sonic vision, pointing toward what is described as the band’s most mature and complete statement to date.
Formed in 2016 in Iquique, ROTTEN TOMB have steadily risen as one of the most compelling acts within the South American extreme metal scene, blending death metal with doom-laden atmospheres and occult undertones. Following the strong impact of Visions of a Dismal Fate (2022) and the equally praised The Relief of Death (2024), the band now returns with their most ambitious and fully realized work to date.
Vestiges of Tortured Souls stands as one of the most anticipated death metal releases of the year. On this new record, ROTTEN TOMB refine their sonic identity without sacrificing intensity or authenticity. The riffs are sharper and more cohesive, while the melodies take on a more prominent role, painting soundscapes that feel more sorrowful and evocative than ever before.
Without losing any of the crushing heaviness and sense of decay that defined their earlier material, the band now delivers songs with an immediate and lasting impact. Each track strikes a balance between overwhelming force and carefully crafted lead guitar work, resulting in compositions that are both memorable and devastating.
The album channels the oppressive weight of the genre’s darkest pioneers alongside a deeply mournful and introspective atmosphere, while still maintaining a distinct and personal voice. This duality allows ROTTEN TOMB to push their sound forward, achieving a level of songwriting maturity that marks a clear evolution from their previous efforts.
Vestiges of Tortured Souls represents a major step forward for ROTTEN TOMB, solidifying their position at the forefront of Chile’s increasingly renowned extreme metal scene and extending their reach far beyond national borders.
For fans of: Incantation, early Paradise Lost, Krypts, Sonne Adam.
Track-list:
Horror Manifestations
Condemned Reality
Lost Memories
Waiting, Dying
Mortified
Mind of Chaos
Here Lies Death
Ancestral Preservation
Human Pyre
Line-up:
Deathbringer – Guitar, vocals C. – Guitar A. Prophaner – Drums Utukku – Bass
Italian symphonic death metal titans FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE are storming New York City on May 15, 2026 for a show at The Palladium. To celebrate, they have teamed up with Handcraft Burgers & Brew, a top-ranked New York City restaurant. The “Opera Of Ruin Burger” features the following ingredients:
Smashed beef and sausage patty
Garlic aioli
Arugula
Tomatoes
Provolone cheese
Chili crunch
Parmigiano crisp
Balsamic glaze
Crispy bacon
Brioche bun brushed with garlic butter on top
This special, limited-edition burger is only available until May 15, so check it out at Handcraft Burgers & Brew before the show.
Horror Pain Gore Death Productions are set to release the new album from Sacramento California’s Hardcore Crossover Thrashers Eyes Out. Satiate The Blade is up now for pre-order and will be released June 12th on CD and Digital formats along with merch.
Horror Pain Gore Death Productions welcome Eyes Out to the roster with the new album Satiate The Blade! Hailing from Sacramento California, Eyes Out have been contaminating the River City with their pollutant Crossover Hardcore since 2019.
Satiate The Blade delivers a barrage of fast tempos, heavy breakdowns and emotionally charged lyrics combining a sound of classic hardcore, with an infusion of modern Thrash Metal. The end result is a frenzy of mosh fueled madness that will surely leave your favorite DRI shirt stained with the remnants of your melted face! Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Greg Wilkinson (Autopsy, Necrot, Undergang) at Earhammer Studios in Oakland California.
For fans of Leeway, Downpresser, Trapped Under Ice, Municipal Waste and Killing Time.
Lifeforce Records is thrilled to welcome international Melodic Death Metal band TIL THE END to its family!
TIL THE END, formed in 2023, boasts a lineup of battle-tested musicians: Antony Hämäläinen (Nightrage, Armageddon) on vocals, Kostas Sotos (Mystic Prophecy, Crystal Tears) on guitar, Márton Veress (Orgy, Armageddon) on drums, and Nic Svensson (Slaves For Scores) on bass/rhythm guitar.
The band shared their excitement about the signing:
“After three years of dedication and countless late nights in the studio, we’ve found the perfect partners at LifeForce Records. We’re incredibly proud to join the family! Get ready for an exciting new chapter!”
Vocalist Antony Hämäläinen added, “Returning to LifeForce feels like coming home! I’ve always valued the passionate culture Stefan fosters here, and I’m excited to contribute another amazing release to the label’s legacy.”
TIL THE END offers razor-sharp melodies, relentless energy, and a deep understanding of what makes melodic death metal truly captivating. Fans of Slaughter of the Soul-era At the Gates, early In Flames, and modern Arch Enemy will find TIL THE END’s sonic assault incredibly familiar.
The Lifeforce Records debut album is scheduled for release in September 2026, with the first single dropping on June 19th.
In the meantime, please check out the band’s already released singles on your favorite streaming platform or the band’s YouTube channel.
If you’re a band or musician and would like your music reviewed or be interviewed by Stone, please click the link under the “ALBUM REVIEWS ARCHIVES” section below!
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