German blast-beat lunatics KEITZER are back to burn everything in sight with their brand new fifth studio album, The Last Defence. The follow-up to 2011’s Descend Into Heresy delivers 14 bulldozing tracks that combine influences from the likes of Misery Index, Marduk and early Deicide. The Last Defence was recorded mixed and mastered at Soundlodge Studio by Jörg Uken. Cover artwork by Florian Furtkamp.
FDA Rekotz will release The Last Defence on July 18th, on CD and digital formats. Vinyl treatment will come on August 15 via 7Degrees Records. Pre-orders for the CD, bundles and limited-edition colored vinyl are now being taken at the FDA Rekotz Deathstore. For details visit www.fda-rekotz.com.
Philly-based hard rock power trio ON TOP have released the lyric video for “Don’t Go,” off the band’s newest EP, Top to Bottom. Check out the lyric video for Don’t Go:
Top to Bottom is now available on CD and digital formats via Horror Pain Gore Death Productions. Stream the EP in its entirety at hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/top-to-bottom.
This release marks the return of Jaron Gulino (MACH22) on lead vocals/bass guitar and Danny Piselli (FISTHAMMER) on drums, with skilled newcomer Brian Davis on lead guitar. Following up on their killer debut album Top Heavy, ON TOP have continued their style of rockin’ metal with edgy vocals, powering drums, dominating riffs and white-hot leads. Top To Bottom raises the bar and showcases the band’s evolution, presenting their finest efforts to date. For fans of Accept, Dio, Dokken, Grim Reaper, Iron Maiden, LA Guns, Loudness, Megadeth, Motley Crue, Obsession, Ozzy Osbourne, Queensryche, Ratt, Van Halen and W.A.S.P.
Top To Bottom was recorded at Tribe Sound Studios in West Chester, PA, engineered/mixed by Brian Davis and mastered by Chris “The Wizard” Collier (KXM, LYNCH MOB).
Cruz del Sur Music is proud to announce the July 8 release of Omniscient, the first new studio album in 10 years from originators of the U.S. Progressive Power Metal Movement: STEEL PROPHET. The band returns with their classic sound led by Steve Kachinsky Blakmoor (guitarist and founding member) and by veteran metal singer Rick Mythiasin. The recording lineup is completed by Vince Dennis (bass), Chris Schleyer (guitar), and Jimmy Schultz (drums); after the recording original drummer John Tarascio, and guitarist John Paget returned to the band together.
Omniscient is composed of 12 songs based on an original story written by Kachinsky. The idea of telling a story throughout a whole album is similar to STEEL PROPHET’s 1999 classic Dark Hallucinations, which featured the “Fahrenheit 451” story by Ray Bradbury. Famous German Artist Timo Würz was hired to create the amazing cover artwork, and 12 original booklet illustrations to go with the lyrics and story itself.
The album also contains a 13th song, a cover of QUEEN’s Bohemian Rhapsody, which was successfully presented by the band at the 2013 edition of the Keep It True Festival in Germany; a video clip of the event will see the light shortly before the release of Omniscient. The album will be released in limited edition 36-page digibook, regular compact disc, limited gate-fold double LP and digital download.
A new video for album cut 666 is Everywhere (The Heavy Metal Blues) has just been released and can be viewed below:
Although STEEL PROPHET is not well-known for always being humorous, the whimsy of the lyrics is reflected in the video clip shot by AGENT STEEL/REDEMPTION guitarist Bernie Versailles. About the song Kachinsky says “Steel Prophet knows metal fans have a fascination with the numbers “666”. And when you’re in a metal band trying to make a living, sometimes it seems like 666 is Everywhere!”
Dark Melodic Metallers DEATHWHITE have announced the upcoming release of the Ethereal EP on July 1. Ethereal is the band’s first full sonic representation, recorded in the spring of 2014 with producer/engineer Matt Very at Very Tight Studios. An additional song, A Burden to Carry is also included, having been recorded in the fall of 2013 during a separate studio session.
Formed in 2012 from several holdovers of well-established extreme metal bands, DEATHWHITE was created as means to explore new avenues for its members. In turn, the band’s sound is heavily influenced by KATATONIA, mid-90’s PARADISE LOST, ALCEST, and early ANATHEMA, creating a dark, melodic metal landscape without boundaries. The thread of melody, darkness, and memorable songwriting is the primary aim of DEATHWHITE, with lyrics exploring the pitfalls of existence, and organized religion.
“Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man.”
– Friedrich Nietzsche
Track Listing:
Ethereal
When I (Wasn’t) You
Give Up the Ghost
Silenced
Feeding the Illusion
A Burden to Carry
MISERY INDEX – On May 27th, the fifth studio album, The Killing Gods, from Maryland’s Death Metal warriors MISERY INDEX was released via Season Of Mist. This insanely good slab of Metal rammed into the Billboard Charts for the week ending June 14th, 2014. Metal be thy name and whoa. Here is the Metal result:
* Heatseekers Albums – #18
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MISERY INDEX:
Jason Netherton – bass & vocals Adam Jarvis – drums Mark Kloeppel – guitar & vocals Darin Morris – guitar
As reported by the legendary Jon Schaffer, on the ICED EARTH Facebook page:
It is with sincere apologies that I write to inform you all that ICED EARTH is forced to cancel this summer’s festivals and headline shows.
As many of you know, I underwent surgery on my neck in the year 2000, due to an onstage injury that occurred in 1996. Since that time, I have battled with this problem, and it has begun to accelerate in the past several months, causing additional issues that can no longer be ignored.
In February, while on tour in Europe, I underwent highly specialized treatment in Germany from a doctor who has helped, among many others, Tony Iommi and Eddie Van Halen. This treatment helped sustain my ability to perform so that we could complete our Worldwide Plagues Tour.
However, I am now forced to take further, more invasive action sooner than I intended in order to maintain my overall health.
Surgery was originally planned to take place in September during our break, but I have now been advised to have the procedure completed sooner rather than later.
As much as it pains me and everyone else in our camp to have to cancel these dates, this is something that cannot be put aside any longer.
Once the surgery and recovery are completed, we will be back to work – healthy, strong, and ready to bring the metal to you, our fans.
Jon Dette will fill in for drummer Charlie Benante on the first few weeks of ANTHRAX’s 29-city European tour that kicked off May 27, in Barcelona, Spain and runs until July 12 in Balingen, Germany. Benante, who had surgery on his hand last summer and has been going for regular physical therapy up until just recently, thought he’d be back to 100% for the Carolina Rebellion and Beale Street Music Festival shows that ANTHRAX also did earlier this month.
“Playing those shows, I realized I’m just not quite there yet,” Charlie said, “especially for the schedule ANTHRAX has on these European dates. I’m hoping to join the tour for the last couple of weeks, but until then, we all appreciate that Jon can sit in for me.”
Benante plans to be drumming on ANTHRAX’s handful of North American dates later this summer that include Heavy MTL in Montreal and the MOTÖRHEAD Motorboat Cruise set for late September with MOTÖRHEAD, MEGADETH, Zakk Wylde and others. Following these dates, ANTHRAX will enter the studio to write and record their follow-up to 2011’s Grammy-nominated Worship Music, named “Metal Album of the Year” by fans and in media outlets across the globe.
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Stone notes: Jon Dette is also a former drummer of Slayer and Testament; he has also toured as a member of Iced Earth, to name just a few.
Brooklyn-based hardcore four-piece BIOHAZARD have just announced their re-signing with Nuclear Blast, this time for a worldwide deal. “We’re so psyched to still be involved with the awesome crew at Nuclear Blast and we’re looking forward to releasing our new music!,” states vocalist and guitarist Billy Graziadei.
Following their run of European festival appearances & tour dates this July and August, BIOHAZARD will enter the studio to record the follow-up album to 2012’s Reborn In Defiance. An early 2015 release is expected.
A video of BIOHAZARD performing Urban Discipline live at the Black N‘ Blue Bowl in Brooklyn, New York last month can be viewed here (and includes behind-the-scenes footage):
BIOHAZARD:
• Billy Graziadei – Vocals & Guitar (1988 – Present)
EYEHATEGOD’s self-titled new studio offering – their first full-length in nearly 15 years – landed at #82 on the Billboard Current Album chart, #92 on the Top 200 chart, #26 on the Rock chart, #4 on the Hard Rock chart and #12 on the Indie chart! The record continues to reap the critical adulation of fans and media globally. Additionally, EHG graces the cover of the July 2014 issue of Decibel Magazine, available now at THIS LOCATION.
EYEHATEGOD is currently leveling stages across the US on a near month-long live infiltration alongside metallic hardcore cohorts, Ringworm, and morose punk metal marauders, Enabler. Comments vocalist Mike IX Williams, “Turns out folks are as psyched up as we are about the new EHG album. The current tour is off the hook and the response has been completely fanatical!”
6/07/2014 Europa – Brooklyn, NY
6/08/2014 Basement Transmissions – Erie, PA
6/09/2014 Bug Jar – Rochester, NY
6/10/2014 Loving Touch – Detroit, MI
6/11/2014 Now That’s Class – Cleveland, OH
6/12/2014 Birdy’s – Indianapolis, IN
6/13/2014 Cobra Lounge – Chicago, IL
6/14/2014 Pyramid Scheme – Grand Rapids, MI
6/15/2014 Bottom End Bar – Appleton, WI
6/16/2014 Triple Rock – Minneapolis, MN
6/17/2014 Diamond Pub – Louisville, KY
6/18/2014 Fubar – St. Louis, MO
6/19/2014 Hi Tone – Memphis, TN
6/20/2014 Southport – New Orleans, LA
6/21/2014 Dollhouse – Savannah, GA
6/22/2014 Orpheum – Tampa, FL
6/23/2014 Looseys – Gainesville, FL
6/24/2014 Zydeco – Birmingham, AL
6/25/2014 The Handlebar – Pensacola, FL
Eyehategod is available via Housecore Records atTHIS LOCATION.
Critical Praise:
“…this entire album at times feels like being engulfed by a wet blanket on a 90-degree day… To say that this album is a triumphant return, or ‘the album we’ve all been waiting for’ are elephantine understatements. This album holds its own against some of the best of their canon and that alone makes it one of the best metal albums you’ll hear this year.” – Metal Insider
Tucson’s caustic metal outfit, LETHAL DOSAGE, has confirmed the second tour in support of their sophomore full-length, Consume.
Following their Consume The Southwest run in February, preceding the release of Consume, the latest LETHAL DOSAGE run will now take place on a more widespread level, venturing well beyond the extreme Southwestern region into Texas, Louisiana, Colorado, New Mexico in addition to their native Arizona. With eleven shows confirmed, the itinerary runs from June 18th in the band’s hometown and running through 28th in Albuquerque.
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LETHAL DOSAGE Consume The West 2014:
6/18/2014 The Rock – Tucson, AZ
6/19/2014 Hap Hazard Hall – Las Cruces, NM
6/20/2014 Kegler’s Lounge – Midlands, TX
6/21/2014 Beerland – Austin, TX
6/22/2014 Twist O’ Lime – New Orleans, LA
6/23/2014 The White Swan – Houston, TX w/ Lycus
6/24/2014 Taqueria Perditos – Dallas, TX
6/25/2014 Depot O Bar – Lubbock, TX w/ Rattlehead
6/26/2014 Kvlt Haus – Colorado Springs, CO
6/27/2014 Phil’s Radiator – Pueblo, CO
6/28/2014 The Jam Spot – Albuquerque, NM
LETHAL DOSAGE released Consume in February via local cohorts, Battleground Records. Having harnessed the band’s massive live sound at Arcane Digital Studio, engineered by Ryan Butler and then finalized at Sonorous Mastering, Consume contains over fifty minutes of groove-heavy, contemporary metal comparable in parts to Lamb Of God, Chimaira, Pantera and the like, yet breathing with LETHAL DOSAGE‘s own desert-baked, contaminant-induced volatility.
The Consume digipak is available for $8 exclusively at Earsplit Distro, and the digital available via Bandcamp and more.
The misadventures of New Jersey thrash n’ rollers HAMMER FIGHT continue with the release of the official music video for Ginger Rails. The song comes off the band’s newest release, Chug of War and features cinematic direction by DCintheCity Productions.
The video is now playing below:
HAMMER FIGHT is on the last leg of the three-week long “Chug of Tour Vol. 3” in support of Chug of War. Remaining dates are as follows:
6/6 – Quincy, MA @ South Shore Music Hall w/ Sexcrement
6/7 – Atlantic City, NJ @ The Boneyard w/ Sexcrement
Chug Of War is out now on Horror Pain Gore Death Productions. A cross between Slayer, Motorhead, and beer, HAMMER FIGHT return to Horror Pain Gore Death Productions, who released the band’s 2011 untitled EP, for Chug Of War. Combining ripping guitars, bass leads and gritty dirty vocals, HAMMER FIGHT stand out from the rest with a unique sound. Chug Of War is a rockin’ album of drunken madness for fans of Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Anthrax, Slayer, Blood Duster, Blood For Blood, Carnivore, Thin Lizzy, Gang Green and Venom.
Spawned from a New Jersey scene saturated with death metal and hardcore, HAMMER FIGHT brings a sound that many kids these days may have missed; Hard Rockin’ Metal. Versatile enough to share the stage with the most extreme death metal acts to classic hard rock bands and everything in between. HAMMER FIGHT is here to kick some ass! Keep your eyes and ears open, they’ll be in your town soon.
Critical Praise:
“To get it so right is pretty scary.” [9/10] –Decibel Magazine
“This four piece of tattooed Jersey shore hooligans play a real aggro punk metal influenced highly by MOTORHEAD.” – Scumfeast Metal 666
“Only pussies don’t like this band.” – Some Really Smart Dude
Apochs.net and Against PR have teamed up to present an exclusive stream of the brand new Goats of Doom EP – Ashes from the Past, a recording that the site owner himself claims is “blurring the lines between traditional Black Metal and that of largely melodic riffs”! In cooperation with Ewiges Eis Records, all three tracks from the mysterious Finnish four-piece are available to stream right now! But don’t let this opportunity slip by as it’s only here for a very limited time!
Goats of Doom hails from Nivala, Finland. “Ashes from the Past” is the follow-up to the band’s 2012 debut full-length album Lost in Time and Void. It was released March 18th, 2014 through Ewiges Eis Records.
LYSURA – Formed by ex-Acheron guitarist Max Othworth, LYSURA originally premiered in 2012 with the release of their EP Malignancy. A Black Metal band from Indianapolis, LYSURA takes no shortcuts in delivering their blackened lyrical rage and ultra-impressive song crafting with their newest EP II. The two songs on II each carry the identical running time of 8:41 and are epics to be savored.
Seasons In Exile and Tome Of Surreption both accentuate LYSURA’s conscientious approach to experimenting with time signatures and doing so very effectively; making both songs radiate on a technical and melodic level, while not vacating the Black Metal experience for one nanosecond. Guitarist Max Otworth’s vocals are convincingly demonic and true to the genre. I applaud each musician in LYSURA for their stellar musicianship; which I can listen to all day.
I can pinpoint moments of Death Metal riffage in Tome Of Surreption, along with some Iron Maiden(ish) guitar licks, however, LYSURA has entered into the Black Metal realm with outstanding originality and I wouldn’t want to see them stray from the Blackened musical path they’ve taken thus far. I absolutely cannot wait for a full-length album from LYSURA. Metal be thy name. – Stone
GOD’S ARMY A.D. – On May 23rd, the self-titled debut album from God’s Army A.D. was released via Germany’s (great) Massacre Records. With no religious ties to their music, God’s Army A.D. are a seasoned group of musicians that have let the world know they can play an incredible blend of Melodic, Power and Traditional Metal. That’s what my ears and Metal senses have told me, anyways. Whoa.
If you’re hankering for screaming duo guitars, articulate and soaring vocals, goose-bump inducing drumming with adrenaline fueled bass thumping, this debut from God’s Army A.D. is for you! God’s Army A.D. plays a sound that is bullseye perfect for the BIG venues, with their wide-open feel and vibes on this album. As an unexpected touch, which I really dig, God’s Army A.D. adds a whoa-o chorus, on Waiting For The Miracle. Very cool.
John A.B.C. Smith (Scanner, Gallow’s Pole, Hallowed, At Vance) on vocals is in the same class with Mark Boals, Doogie White, Göran Edman and Blaze Bayley; just a terrific singer he is. Drummer Mark Cross (Kingdom Come, Helloween, Firewind) has an envious resume as well and trust my Metal word: Mark Cross brings it on this album!
Watch and listen to the God’s Must Be Crazy music video, below! Whoa!
There is a (delicious) old school quality of Metal swirling about this album, with Coming Back To Lifeand Running Around In Circles igniting my Metal memories to easier Metal days. Yes, the Metal relevance is saturated within this album too, with more hooks, riffs and fired-up fret work to make any Heavy Metal loyalist dizzy with Metal glee!
Is this an album that should be written on your Metal must list for 2014? Hell yes it is! With NO artificial sweeteners, NO ballads or fillers, God’s Army A.D. has made this middle-aged Metal knucklehead into an instant fan. This album simply makes me feel damn good. Metal be thy name. – Stone
Track Listing: The World That Never Was, City Lights, Gods Must Be Crazy, Waiting For The Miracle, Hear You Scream, Coming Back To Life, Running Around In Circles, God’s Army
John A.B.C. Smith – Vocals, Lead/Rhythm Guitars, Bass, Keys
DRUNK DAD Ripper Killer – releases July 1st, 2014, via Eolian Empire.
DRUNK DAD – When I first heard Drunk Dad’s Morbid Reality EP, I was very happy. Why you query? Answer: Drunk Dad plays Noise Rock and experiments with their sound like it’s the night before doomsday, while giving little or no regard about what others will say about the end result. Drunk Dad has their own terminology for their sound and they call it: Fuck You All Wave.
Make no mistake, Drunk Dad can and will shock you into embracing their music. Maybe. It’s weird how it happened to me. The mixture of several genres of non-mainstream, apocalyptic underground goodness is what Drunk Dad creates and they do it superbly, in my Metal opinion. I sometimes wonder to myself, would Noise be the genre that I would pursue If I wanted to start a band? Just listening to Drunk Dad seems to calm my nerves. After listening to Ripper Killer, I feel as though I took a hammer to an aluminum garbage can and now everything is cool.
Ripper Killer is Drunk Dad’s first long play and I see it being the launching pad of this Portland, Oregon ensemble. Drunk Dad needs to play Ripper Killer in its entirety at this year’s Super Bowl halftime show, just to shut the mouths of and piss off all those plastic millionaire/billionaire dorks that get all the free corporate seats. I’m serious. The overall sound that is Ripper Killer just has to appeal to a cross-section of Punk, Sludge, Hardcore and Experimental fans. If you dig Mr. Bungle and/or the Melvins, you are in for a sonic treat with Drunk Dad. Yup.
As a past student of Art History, I’ve been trained to look beyond the first impression and explore the many inner cavities of the visual creation. With that said, the cover art (or photo if you will) of Drunk Dad’s Ripper Killer, (see atop post), exposes light years of relevance to what is happening in our world today. Albeit shocking to look at, the cover art does symbolize the death that is in our hourly news; whether it’s carnage from a madman firing off a gun in public, wars, cruelty to any life form or even an oil spill from an ocean tanker.
Relating the cover art of Ripper Killer to Drunk Dad’s music just seems to fit; for if the photo turns off the fancy and out-of-touch mainstream, then surely the music heard within will too. Sometimes one picture is truly worth a thousand words. That’s my interpretation, anyways. Metal be thy name. – Stone
Ripper Killer – Track Listing: Five Pack, Life’s Work, Fuck In Garbage, Light A Fire, S.O.U., Ripper Killer, Worthless, Whiskey Liver
Austin Spence, bassist and vocalist for Northern California’s Death Metal juggernauts EMBRYONIC DEVOURMENT recently sat down with LivingInTheMovie.com to discuss a number of topics, including the band’s newest album, Reptilian Agenda, the philosophies that went into the album’s lyrics and more. The video interview, which was filmed at Slim’s in San Francisco during a stop on the Brutal Alliance Tour, is now playing below.
Out now on Deepsend Records, Reptilian Agenda has forged a whole new level of brutality for the band and sees them continue to push beyond the boundaries of Death Metal. Reptilian Agenda was mixed and mastered by Colin Davis (Vile). Preview and purchase Reptilian Agenda at deepsendrecords.bandcamp.com.
“Without compromise.
This is angry, brutal, technically adept and controlled chaos. Brutal and Grinding? Oh yes..!” – Metal Temple
We are amazed and to be honest a bit shocked to announce that our new album “Heroes” entered the World Chart at position nr 9. That means that Sabaton is currently one of the top 10 best-selling artists, in the world!
And this is ALL BECAUSE OF YOUR SUPPORT! – Which of the new songs do you want to hear live?
And that’s why Hammerfall’s new album will be released on August 29 (Sweden: 27.08., UK: 01.09., USA: 02.09.) via Nuclear Blast!
On July 18, 2014 the hymn-like ‘Bushido’ will be released as the first single track – digitally as well as on vinyl. The song sums up the band and its history perfectly, as in Japanese bushido means “the way of the warrior”.
Here’s the album’s track list:
1. Hector’s Hymn
2. (r)Evolution
3. Bushido
4. Live Life Loud
5. Ex Inferis
6. We Won’t Back Down
7. Winter Is Coming
8. Origins
9. Tainted Metal
10. Evil Incarnate
11. Wildfire
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HAMMERFALL
Joacim Cans – Vocals Oscar Dronjak – Guitar & backing vocals Pontus Norgren – Guitar & backing vocals Fredrik Larsson – Bass guitar & backing vocals Anders Johansson – Drums
The new SABATON long player, Heroes, just came out, and reached fantastic chart entries all around the world – including #1 in Sweden, #2 in Finland, #3 in Germany, #4 in Czech Republic, #6 in Poland, #7 in Switzerland, #11 in Austria, #13 in Norway – and many more!
“We are proud, happy and extremely thankful to all of you who supported us over the years. Heroes has reached higher positions in every country than anything we done before”, the band commented and is still overwhelmed by those amazing results.
It is also SABATON’s first #1 in their Swedish motherland – where the previous Carolus Rex is in the charts for 73 weeks (!!!) – ever since it was released – by now, currently on #43.
It’s been Four long years since Central California’s Etched In Stone unleashed their crushing debut full length, Emulate The Defiler, and immediately followed that up with an unanticipated lengthy hiatus. However, the last year has seen the band pushing to get things back in order, and they are finally ready to make their return with a brand new full length album entitled The Failure of Modern Man.
Despite the many setbacks the band has had from dealing with multiple line up shifts to only releasing the single “At the Altar of Lethe” via Nefarious Realm in April 2013, Etched In Stone have pushed on, refining their sound and recording the remaining tracks for their follow-up as time and finances allowed. The recording process was finally finished up in Spring 2014, with Jesse “Fioren” Quintero handling final mixing and mastering at The Ice Chamber Studios in Modesto, CA, and Etched in Stone are now set to release their sophomore album, The Failure of Modern Man, this June.
To give fans an idea of what they can expect from the new album, the band has partnered up with Ghost Cult Mag and are proud to premiere a track from The Failure of Modern Man entitled, “Only Silent, Still.”
Etched In Stone vocalist/producer Brian Lewis, had the following to say about the track and the new album: “When Jesse sent our final mixes back to us, it was completely surreal. “Only Silent, Still” is a great example of the overall sound of this record and representation of the evolution of our sound. Alongside this premiere, we’re stoked to officially launch the physical and digital album pre-orders as well, so this week is shaping up to be something excellent! We’re currently hard at work getting our live set organized and these past few months have been the most busy musically, that we’ve had in years!”
Pre-orders for The Failure of Modern Manare now available in both physical and digital formats at the following location. The Failure of Modern Man is officially set for release on June 24, 2014, and is the long-awaited follow-up to Etched In Stone‘s debut full length, Emulate The Defiler, which can be streamed in its entirety at this location.
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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