Portland punk metal hellions, TOXIC HOLOCAUST, are pleased to unleash their most volatile offering to date. Titled Chemistry ofConsciousness, the devious new full-length spews forth eleven tracks of revved up, road-raging bestial devastation. Chemistry Of Consciousness was recorded by the band, mixed with Kurt Ballou (Converge) at his own GodCity Studio and mastered by Brad Boatright (Sleep, From Ashes Rise, Nails) at Audiosiege Engineering.
Chemistry of Consciousness is the sound of Discharge on speed, Slayer with a punk rock chip on its shoulder, The Exploited on a Metallica overdose. It is the perfect marriage of punk angst and metal guitar hooks. If there’s one thing the punks and the heshers will agree on in 2013, it’s that TOXIC HOLOCAUST’sChemistry of Consciousness is a rager of a record destined to top any worthwhile best of 2013 list. Recommended for devout followers of Municipal Waste, DRI, Sodom, Midnight, GBH etc.
Chemistry Of Consciousness will detonate in North America on October 29 (October 25 in Benelux/DE/Finland and October 28 in UK/World).
Further TOXIC happenings, including preorder packages and live takeovers, to be announced in the coming weeks.
ANTHRAX – Any red-blooded Metalhead knows that the (unreal) legendary ANTHRAX likes to have some extra fun with their Metal; and this goes back to those golden years of the 80’s. With Anthems, ANTHRAX definitely exhibits their appetite for Classic Rock with contagious and Heavy Rockin’ fun once again! With 6 cover songs, along with their original studio version of Crawl and a Crawl Remix, ANTHRAX have delivered a doozie of an EP to their fans (like myself).
ANTHRAXdoesn’t cover these Rock classics with a Thrash Metal attack, as I had expected they would; instead ANTHRAX stays quite true to the original’s structures and gives these songs a much more harder, heavier and energetic push. Joey Balladonna just has an incredible knack for sounding like he should have been a huge Classic Rock star back in the glorious ’70’s. Joey Belladonna sounds grand on every song, from top-to-bottom.
Above: Digipak Cover Art
The entire band grabs ahold of Anthem, TNT, Smokin’, Keep On Runnin’, Big Eyes and Jailbreak as if they truly thought this entire project over for years. There’s never a point where I wince or question as to why ANTHRAX have chosen to play these classics in such a classic way. Crawl (from 2011’s Worship Music) fits right into the mix of these Classic Rock gems. I guess I never listened upon Crawl as being such a genuine Classic Rock song, up until now. The CrawlRemix is given much higher vibes, courtesy of the orchestration from Michael Lord.
ANTHRAX have proven to my ears their sincere appreciation for the Classic Rock era with Anthems. If you’re as loyal to the classics and ANTHRAX as I am, then this EP is an absolute, 100% must! ANTHRAX is a band that should be inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame… NOW! Metal be thy name.
ANTHEMS – Track Listing & Info:
Anthem (Rush)
TNT (AC/DC)
Smokin’ (Boston)
Keep On Runnin’ (Journey)
Big Eyes (Cheap Trick)
Jailbreak (Thin Lizzy)
Crawl
Crawl Remix
* Special guest keyboard performance on Smokin’ by Fred Mandel.
* Special guest guitar solo on Jailbreak by Phil Campbell.
Scott Ian – guitars
Charlie Benante – drums and guitars
Joey Belladonna – vocals
Frank Bello – bass
Rob Caggiano – lead guitar
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* ANTHRAX Anthems was released on March 19th, 2013, in North America, via Megaforce Records.
In support of their forthcoming new full-length, Serpents Unleashed, Ohio blackened Metal quintet SKELETONWITCH will join The Black DahliaMurder on a North American trek this Fall. The journey will commence in late October following a short run of dates alongside Ghost B.C. Additional support will be provided by Fallujah as well as Noisem and Wolvhammer on select dates.
Comments vocalist Chance Garnette: “We can’t think of a better way to release the venom that is Serpents Unleashedthan by getting back on the road with our buds in The Black Dahlia Murder. It’s going to be a killer tour that you won’t want to miss! Don’t sleep on this one — come out and get your face melted!”
Scheduled for release in North America on October 29 (October 28 EU/UK, October 25 G/A/S) via Prosthetic Records, SKELETONWITCH’s Serpents Unleashed was recorded earlier this year with Kurt Ballou at GodCity Studio (Converge, Trap Them, Kvelertak) and features eleven tracks of abominable, frosty fire. New tune, “Burned From Bone,” premiered yesterday on SiriusXM’s “Liquid Metal with Jose” and is now available as a free download by texting SERPENTS to 24587 (standard data and message rates may apply). Behind-the-scenes footage of the band tracking the song in the studio can be seen below:
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