The spiritual successor to God is Myth and Ars Magna Recordings, AlteSeelen is a new US-based label supporting the extreme metal underground and adjacent subgenres.
Founded by the heads of God is Myth and Ars Magna Recordings, Alte Seelen aims to produce high-quality releases while illuminating the bands, artists, and individuals who contribute to the music that is our life’s blood. In time the label hopes to expand its reach to provide unique items, ranging from prints to wood carvings and leatherwork.
While the label acknowledges and draws upon the experiences of the past, Alte Seelen represents a conscious decision to leave those ventures dormant and dreaming.
A new banner has been raised… Halloween 2024 will see the release of the first two Alte Seelen titles.
Ringare – Sorrow Befell (majestic black metal / dark synth), CD and digital (originally released on vinyl by Iron Bonehead).
Kveldstimer – Scripture of the Woods (primitive, yet majestic Black Metal), CD and digital (limited-edition cassette released by Altare Productions).
In late fall/early winter, Alte Seelen will release By The Grace of Death from atmospheric black metal band Canis Dirus. Bindrune Recordings will handle vinyl treatment.
We’re excited to announce our second guitarist. From now on the Italian/Cuban guitar sensation Thalia Bellazecca of Angus McSix will join PRIMAL FEAR as a full member and guitar partner of Magnus Karlsson!
Comments Thalia: “I’m stoked and excited to have the opportunity to play with these giants of the heavy and power metal scene. I feel so honored to share the stage with these amazing musicians and to start a new journey also with this incredible and historical band! Can’t wait to start working with all of you!”
Comments Ralf Scheepers: “After my last show in Italy, I got to know Thalia personally and I realized what a wonderful person she is… Anyone who knows me knows that personal contact and sympathy is very important to me. So I read up on her musical projects and skills and was blown away by her incredible talent! I can’t wait to work with her in the studio and of course live soon!“
Welcome Thalia and we’re super happy to have you in the Metal Commando!
New video and re-recorded version of classic track “No One’s Crying” streaming now!
Italian heavy metal veterans Crying Steel have released a re-recorded version of their iconic track “No One’s Crying”, originally released on their 1987 debut album On The Prowl. The new version features Ralf Scheepers of Primal Fear and ex-Gamma Ray on vocals.
The video was created by Natalia Śmiechowicz / @n.station (Motörhead, Dokken, Uriah Heep)
The release of the video follows the news of the band’s new permanent live and recording vocalist Tiziano HammerHead Sbaragli. Crying Steel will be performing with the new vocalist at Italian Metal Heroes festival on Saturday 31 August.
Earlier this year the band released “Live And Thunder”, a brand new live album recorded at the band’s 40th anniversary festival in their hometown of Bologna in Italy. Grab the album via Bandcamp, listen via Spotify and other digital platforms.
Crying Steel was formed in 1982 and is considered to be one of the very first heavy metal acts to come out of Italy. The band’s discography includes: Crying Steel (1985), On the Prowl (1987), The Steel is Back! (2007), Time Stands Steel (2013), Crying Steel Deluxe Edition (Crying Steel and On the Prowl remastered + Wacken DVD – 2016), Stay Steel (2018) and Steel Alive (2019).
Next week, Finnish metal icons AMORPHIS will return to North America on a co-headlining tour with their comrades in Dark Tranquillity. The journey begins on September 3rd in Richmond, Virginia and winds its way through over two-dozen cities with the tour coming to a close on October 6th in New York City. Support will be provided by Fires In The Distance. Tickets for this must-see tour are on sale now at: amorphis.net/tour. See all confirmed dates below.
AMORPHIS w/ Dark Tranquillity, Fires In The Distance: 9/03/2024 Canal Club – Richmond, VA 9/02/2024 Hangar 1819 – Greensboro, NC 9/06/2024 Prog Power USA @ Center Stage – Atlanta, GA * AMORPHIS Headlining 9/07/2024 Conduit – Orlando, FL 9/09/2024 White Oak Music Hall – Houston, TX 9/10/2024 Trees – Dallas, TX 9/11/2024 The Rock Box – San Antonio, TX 9/13/2024 Nile Theater – Mesa, AZ 9/14/2024 Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA 9/15/2024 Echoplex – Los Angeles, CA 9/17/2024 DNA Lounge – San Francisco, CA 9/18/2024 Goldfields Roseville – Roseville, CA 9/20/2024 Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR 9/21/2024 Rickshaw Theatre – Vancouver, BC 9/22/2024 El Corazon – Seattle, WA 9/24/2024 Metro Music Hall – Salt Lake City, UT 9/26/2024 Marquis Theatre – Denver, CO 9/27/2024 The Bottleneck – Lawrence, KS 9/28/2024 The Cabooze – Minneapolis, MN 9/29/2024 The Forge – Joliet, IL 10/01/2024 Opera House – Toronto, ON 10/02/2024 Fairmount Theatre – Montreal, QC 10/03/2024 La Source de la Martinière – Quebec City, QC 10/04/2024 The Middle East Down – Cambridge, MA 10/05/2024 Baltimore Soundstage – Baltimore, MD 10/06/2024 Gramercy Theatre – New York, NY
Last month, AMORPHIS released Tales From The Thousand Lakes (Live At Tavastia) via Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM). Exactly thirty years after its original release, the band celebrated the anniversary of their milestone release, Tales From The Thousand Lakes, with a unique live edition of the record, which represents an essential collector’s item for every AMORPHIS connoisseur. The magic of this work, grandly transferred onto the stage of Helsinki, Finland’s Tavastia Club, displays the band in their full glory: powerful, passionate, and unforgettable.
Tales From The Thousand Lakes (Live At Tavastia) manifests AMORPHIS‘ unparalleled dynamism and artistic uniqueness. Rarely has the raw power and emotional depth of a live performance been captured so authentically as on this sonic memento and extraordinary concert film. With their second album, AMORPHIS erected a monument to Finnish mythology, nature, and music that remains as touching, inspiring, and nurturing today as it was back in 1994.
Tales From The Thousand Lakes (Live At Tavastia) is out now via Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM) and can be ordered both physically (CD+Blu-ray-digipak or colored vinyl) and digitally or streamed now at: amorphis.rpm.link/taleslivePR.
Watch AMORPHIS’ previously released videos for “Drowned Maid” HERE, “Black Winter Day” HERE, and “Into Hiding” HERE.
This week, we finally kick off our North American tour with Unleash The Archers on Thursday in Los Angeles! Who’s ready to celebrate with us? It’s uncertain when we’ll have the chance to return, so make sure you don’t miss it!
Today marks the release of a new digital single from HATCHET. Surprisingly it’s the band’s cover of the W.A.S.P. classic “Hellion” from the LA shock rockers 1984 self-titled debut album, which just celebrated its 40th anniversary last week. “Hellion” can be heard on all streaming/download digital platforms or check it HERE https://youtu.be/V05Sa9n3Hv0?si=QA9epgSClc7Rl7TE
“Fist-pumping, headbanging, hardest of hard rock songs is what WASP’s ‘Hellion’ makes me feel. Few songs can take me from bored, sleepy, end of the day dredge to just full-on can’t sit still in your seat, rockin’ out with your cock out!” reveals HATCHETsinger/guitarist Julz Ramos.
“While there’s definitely heavier, faster, music galore out there, something about the energy in the recording of that specific song from that early time period of the band just can’t be beat. I’ve always wanted to play this song in some way. So here we go!
I really do have to lend a big thanks to our bassist and (ANUBIS frontman) Devin Reiche for helping with the melodic vocal duties on this one. It was a bit of a challenge for me, but with some coaching and his vocals in there thickening it up, it really enabled it to become a reality.”
“Hellion” will be included on the band’s forthcoming EP, Leave No Soul, out Oct. 25th, which also includes the title track https://youtu.be/w45dmT7Hvn4?si=aie6nhKcF8s_DtFI plus 2 more originals and the group’s take on another cover – ANNIHILATOR’s “Human Insecticide.” This specially priced EP (featuring cover artwork from Andrej Bartulovic/All Things Rotten (Raven, Hirax, Alcatrazz) and recorded, mixed and mastered by Nick Botelho/NB Recording (Interloper, The Kennedy Veil) the team behind HATCHET’s last albums, is available for pre-order now on limited-edition (300) blood moon colored vinyl, limited run (100) of cassettes or CD. https://lnk.to/leavenosoul
“We’re thrilled to finally release ourselves into you… haha – Yup! Go get yours now as they are very limited in physical format,” exclaims Julz. “Once they’re out – they are out!”
HATCHET was formed in 2006 by teenagers that shared a mutual love for the bands that built their hometown Bay Area metal scene two decades prior. Bands such as Testament, Exodus, and the early work of then-Bay Area transplants Metallica infused the initial blueprint that informed HATCHET’s sound. Signing to Metal Blade Records the group released ‘Awaiting Evil’ in 2008, followed by the release of three more albums – 2013’s ‘Dawn of the End,’ 2015’s ‘Fear Beyond Lunacy’ and 2018’s ‘Dying to Exist.’ The group has also cemented their status as a live powerhouse, performing alongside acts such as Trivium, Soilwork, Flotsam and Jetsam, Metal Church, Raven, Warbringer, Misfits’ Doyle, Jeff Loomis, Kataklysm, Krisiun, Havok and Exmortus.
Chicago (IL) – Progressive Tech-Death stalwarts, GIGAN, are pleased to announce the forthcoming release of Anomalous Abstractigate Infinitessimus, their first album in seven years! The album will be released October 25 on CD, Ltd edition CD long box, vinyl, cassette, Ltd edition four-album cassette boxset, and digital formats via Willowtip Records.
Metal Injection has premiered the first single and opening track, “Erratic Pulsitivity and Horror.” Click the link below to stream!
The single will be released to all platforms on Friday, August 23. Album pre-orders will be available on the same day.
Speaking to the new album, GIGAN’s founding member, guitarist, sole-songwriter and lyricist; Eric Hersemann, had this to say: “Anomalous Abstractigate Infinitessimusis a perfect expression of where GIGAN is as a band and where we are headed into the future. Like all GIGANsongs, our emphasis is on creativity and limitless imagination, while still working within the realms of interwoven madness and colorful technicality combined with the oppressive elements of misanthropic dissonance and crushing brutality. Any fan of GIGAN, or any fan of genuine Metal music that is completely fearless and without pretentious delivery, is in for a mind-bending treat.”
Track Listing:
Trans-Dimensional Crossing of the Alta-Tenuis
Ultra-Violet Shimmer and Permeating Infra-sound
Square Wave Subversion
Emerging Sects of Dagonic Acolytes
Katabatic Windswept Landscapes
Erratic Pulsitivity and Horror
The Strange Harvest of the Baganoids
Ominous Silhouettes Cast Across Gulfs of Time
Photo Credit: Dopirt Photography
Line-up:
Eric Hersemann – All electric, acoustic and bass guitars, theremin, otomatone, synths, lyrics, concepts and madness.
Nathan Cotton – Drums, percussion and Sunny weather.
Jerry Kavouriaris – Vocals and violence.
Credits:
All music, lyrics, vocal patterns and concepts: Eric Hersemann. Recorded and mixed by Sanford Parker at Palisades Studio and the Hypercube in Chicago, IL.
Mastered by Collin Jordan at Boiler Room. All album art and layout: Max Winter (Teratogen)
Rochester (NY) Contrarian is recording a new album and guess who’s back? Confirmed by the band via Bandcamp, original members Jim Tasikasand and George Kollias have joined forces once again to record Contrarian’s sixth studio album to be entitled Escaping Depravity.
The recording process has started in Athens, Greece and with sound engineer Doug White at Watchmen Studios as with previous albums. Contrarian’s last tour was in support of Suffocation and Atheist across North America. A touring line-up has also been established to support the upcoming album.
Escaping Depravity will be released through Willowtip Records. Contrarian released its previous album, Sage of Shekhina, on Willowtip Records in 2023.
After our last trip to Latin America in 2020 and the great time we had there, we knew we had to come back! In April and May 2025, the time has finally come for the Latin American Crusade!
“Mammoth’s Hand”is the latest single from THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER. The track comes by way of the band’s upcoming tenth studio album, Servitude, set for release on September 27th via Metal Blade Records.
“Mammoth’s Hand” is partly inspired by a scene from Don Coscarelli’s 1982 swords ‘n’ sorcery epic, The Beastmaster. “We usually like to give some idea of what kind of diversity is gonna be on the album with the first two tracks we release,” vocalist Brian Eschbach offers. “[Guitarist] Ryan Knight wrote the music for this, and the slow rhythm made me think of these barbaric warriors riding mammoths out in the snow or that scene from The Beastmaster when the Jun horde takes the village.”
Eschbach further elaborates, “‘Mammoth’s Hand’ is a romp through a fictitious frozen tundra in which a clan of nomadic mammoth riding cannibals conquer villages in a time devoid of technology. The slow groove of this song is a vibe not often implemented by the group but immediately inspired a vision in my mind of a slow moving yet gigantic and powerful beast of antagonistic nature.”
Watch THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER’s video for “Mammoth’s Hand,” created by Marco Pavone, at THIS LOCATION.
Watch the band’s previously released video for “Aftermath” at THIS LOCATION.
Servitude will be released on digipak CD, cassette, and digital formats. Find preorders at: metalblade.com/tbdm.
Butcher Babies with very special guests: Ded, Dropout Kings, and Fox Lake. With NEW music in hand!
Tix go on sale on this Friday 8/9. Early bird Bandsintown presale available at https://bit.ly/4dJUDyr And we’re bringing back our coveted VIP Pre-Parties & After-Parties on the Butcher Bus!
Sept. 18 Palmdale, CA Sept. 19 Los Angeles, CA Sept. 20 Bakersfield, CA Sept. 21 Reno, NV Sept. 23 Seattle, WA Sept. 24 Portland, OR Sept. 26 Salt Lake City, UT Sept. 27 Colorado Springs, CO Sept. 29 Denver, CO Oct. 1 Tulsa, OK Oct. 2 Oklahoma City, OK Oct. 4 Austin, TX Oct. 5 Dallas, TX Oct. 6 San Antonio, TX Oct. 7 El Paso, TX Oct. 8 Roswell, NM Oct. 10 Tucson, AZ Oct. 11 Phoenix, AZ
Announcing Panopticon‘s Autumnal Oration tour, presented by Hierophant Booking.
US black metal legends Panopticon will embark on an unprecedented string of intimate and powerful shows in the US and Canada this fall alongside dear friends and talented contemporaries Exulansis and Primeval Well – prepare accordingly!
We are thrilled to announce the newest addition to our band – the incredibly talented Tobias Schmeisser! Tobias is not only a powerhouse drummer but also a versatile musician who brings a wealth of experience from his work with bands like Abstractyss, Scävenger and Spire of Lazarus.
In addition to his impressive band credentials, Tobias also offers drumming lessons, sharing his skills and passion with aspiring drummers. We are beyond excited to have him join the Profanity family and can’t wait to see the amazing energy and creativity he will bring to our music.
Please join us in giving Tobias a warm welcome!
Stay tuned for more updates, upcoming shows and a new release! Cheers from all of Profanity!
It’s finally time to WAKE UP THE WICKED! Our new album is OUT NOW, and we want to celebrate its release together with all of you with the new music video for “We Don’t Wanna Be No Saints.”
WOLFSNÄCHTE TOUR 2024: PARIS SOLD OUT and more and more cities have fewer and fewer tickets! There is already no doubt that this will be by far the biggest Powerwolf tour ever!
Heavy metal enchantress WHITE CRONE has released her latest single “Prognosticator”. The hard-rocking single conjures up the magic of another time both in its lyrics and in its feel. The music recalls metal classics such as DIO and JUDAS PRIEST, while the lyrics whisk the listener into a world full of darkness and corruption. Vocalist and composer Lisa Mann howls her condemned protagonist’s tale with elegant fury.
About WHITE CRONE: Based out of Portland, Oregon, WHITE CRONE is the metal brainchild of award-winning blues artist and bassist/vocalist Lisa Mann. Growing up in the mosh pits of the 80s, she was inspired by bands such as IRON MAIDEN, MERCYFUL FATE, BLACK SABBATH, MANOWAR, DIO, and more. A mostly one-woman project, WHITE CRONE is a love letter to this grand era of metal, and a lyrical homage to mystical storytelling traditions of yore.
In 2020 she channeled all those influences and released her debut album as WHITE CRONE, the critically acclaimed The Poisoner. For the first time, she featured not only on bass guitar and vocals, but on 7-string guitar as well. Larry London provided most of the drums, save for one track featuring the legendary Vinny Appice (BLACK SABBATH, DIO).
Now she is poised to release a follow-up album, of which the title track, “Prognosticator”, is the first single. The song “Prognosticator” is a fast-paced, prog-adjacent power metal romp which tells the preternatural origin story of the character WHITE CRONE, retaining the occult storytelling elements of the first album. It is the tale of a self-fulfilling astrological prophecy.
King Diamond returns to North America and has conjured support from Overkill & Night Demon to bring you a night of unholy apparitions. We have summoned and welcome Myrkur with special guest vocals during the King Diamond set.
We will be playing brand new songs from the upcoming album THE INSTITUTE also known as Saint Lucifer’s Hospital, which you will see on our brand new stage.
Presale begins tomorrow July 31st at 10 am EST. General on sale this Friday August 2nd at 10 am local: kingdiamondcoven.com/tour
Anyone that viewed the opening ceremony for the Summer Olympics held in Paris, France knows that there was music performances. One of the featured performers was Frances’ very own Gojira, at the Conciergerie on the banks of the Seine river.
I was surprised as any other metalhead to see Gojira there as well. It’s an extremely rare moment for any Metal band to take the world stage. They did our genre proud. I only tuned in because of hearing via news outlets that Gojira was featured. “Ah! Ça Ira” (a song made prominent during the French Revolution) was what I later found to be the song.
The (now controversial) headless Queen Marie Antoinette theme that segued into Gojiras’ performance took me by surprise as well and its visual shock and special effects made it all the more, well, can I say… Metal. Once Gojira was finished, I turned off the Paris Summer Olympics opening ceremony and went back to my UFO documentaries.
I will add, I later viewed the performance from Celine Dion and she was fabulous. This opening ceremony originally aired on NBC on July 26th and is currently being streamed on Peacock.
Hellwitch begin their US Tour with Exciter, Midnight, and Wraith on July 18th! See the dates below:
07/18 – Morro Bay, CA @ The Siren 07/19 – Santa Ana, CA @ La Santa 07/20 – San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick 07/21 – Phoenix, AZ @ Nile 07/22 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad 07/24 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall 07/25 – San Antonio, TX @ The Rock Box 07/26 – Austin, TX @ Come And Take It Live 07/27 – Dallas, TX @ Echo Lounge 07/29 – Minneapolis, MN @ Turf Club 07/30 – Chicago, IL @ Reggies 07/31 – Cincinnati, OH @ Legends 08/01 – Brooklyn, NY @ Meadows 08/02 – Boston, MA @ Middle East 08/03 – West Seneca, NY @ Rockin Buffalo* 08/04 – York, PA @ Skid Row Garage* 08/05 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Baltimore* 08/06 – Washington, DC @ The Pie Shop* 08/17 – Atlanta, GA @ TBA
HELLWITCH: Pat Ranieri – Guitars, Vocals J.P. Brown – Guitars Brian Wilson – Drums
INFO: Originally formed in 1984, Old school Florida Death Metal Absolute Legends HELLWITCH are back and their unique brand of highly energetic, incisive, Thrashing Death Metal. The band has always sounded insanely catchy, always balancing technicality to a great measure, HELLWITCH have drafted some genuine classic songs over the years and their new album is a culmination of all such works and experience.
Ontario death metal unit TOMB MOLD launches their massive North American tour this Thursday.
Following festival performances at the Decibel Metal & Beer Fest, the inaugural Austin Deathfest, the inaugural Prepare The Ground Fest, and the annual Sled Island gathering, TOMBMOLD now begins their most extensive tour in the band’s history on the Enraptured By Fate’s Tangled Thread Tour. Joined by their allies in Horrendous, the three-week trek begins in TOMB MOLD’s hometown of Toronto this Thursday, July 4th, and ends in Brooklyn on July 27th. See all confirmed dates below.
The album’s artwork was handled by Jesse Jacobi who was also responsible for the Planetary Clairvoyance artwork, with additional artwork by Karmazid, layout and design by Chimère Noire, and photography by Colin Medley.
Stream TOMB MOLD’s The Enduring Spirit everywhere including YouTube HERE and Bandcamp HERE.
The Enduring Spirit is now available on CD, MC, and both LP and the label’s first picture disc LP ever – both vinyl versions including a four-panel insert and huge 36×24-inch poster – at the label webshop HERE and Bandcamp HERE.
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!
Metal Odyssey's Rock, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Hall of Fame! These Are The Rock And METAL Legends Wrongfully Ignored By "The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame"
Metal Odyssey > Heavy Metal Music Blog 
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