It almost beggars belief that, 17 years into Midnight’s career, they remain something of a best kept secret—a seditious pleasure celebrated only by those who lurk in the darkest alleys of the underground. Founded in Cleveland in 2003, Midnight is a one-man shop, conceived by multi-instrumentalist Athenar, whose original vision saw the band staying well out of the spotlight, favoring EPs and split releases over full albums. The approach was both celebrated and bemoaned by his growing fan base.
Crowbar and Down guitarist Kirk Windstein steps outside of his wheelhouse on his debut solo album Dream in Motion. Handling every instrument except drums, its 10 tracks are a fantastic affair, including a riveting cover version of 70 rock icons Jethro Tull’s “Aqualung.”
Formed in 2013 in Boston, symphonic/power/black/melodic death metal band Seven Spires’ members met while attending the renowned Berklee College of Music. Featuring frontwoman Adrienne Cowan, guitarist Jack Kosto, bassist Peter de Reyna, and drummer Chris Dovas, the band has just released its sophomore affair, Emerald Seas, through Frontiers Music.
Even after 11 albums and a history that goes back further than most of you reading this have been alive, God Dethroned’s Henri Sattler is still bright-eyed and bushy tailed about the band he formed as an unruly, Christ hating teenager back in 1991 in the Dutch village of Beilen. It’s the band he still leads—and is still excited about—as a rebellious adult who has failed to conform…
Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton steps outside of his day job with his second solo effort Ether. Known for his extreme metal style of playing with Lamb of God, Morton strips the music down with five acoustic songs, including covers of The Black Crowe’s “She Talks to Angels” and Pearl Jam’s “Black.”
In the interest of full disclosure, my Annihilator fandom goes back to 1986 and the Phantasmagoria demo. Back in the day, the four track demo may have had the most ridiculous looking piece of headgear for its cover art, but it set my home and native land ablaze. Annihilator ended up being placed in a stead with Sacrifice, Razor, and Slaughter to often be referred to as The Big Four of Canadian Thrash…
The rise of Copenhagen quartet Konvent has been astronomical. When bassist Heidi Withington Brink got the idea to direct her lifelong love of music towards actually creating and playing it, she didn’t let her inexperience get in the way. Teaming up with a collection of fellow exuberant amateurs from the local scene, Konvent was born, and in four short years, the doom/death quartet—Heidi, guitarist Sara Helena Nørregaard, vocalist Rikke Emilie List, and drummer Julie Simonsen—has gone from nervous newcomers to Danish festival regulars, a band with European tours under its belt, and a deal with Napalm Records, who are issuing the band’s debut, Puritan Masochism.
Hindsight can be a funny thing. I’ll admit that, at the time, I didn’t quite hip myself to what Satyricon was doing with their fourth full-length LP, Rebel Extravaganza [1999]. Gone were the medieval trappings of The Shadowthrone and Nemesis Divina, and in its place were songs that were cold and aggressive, with a very noticeable mean streak. Oh sure, I eventually grew to dig the album pretty hard, based largely on the presence of undeniable jams like “Havoc Vulture” and “Filthgrinder,” but the actual sound of the album always felt like it could’ve used improvement.
If you’re a child of the 90s, meaning you were born in the mid to late 80s and grew up during that seminal period, you probably begged your parents to let you watch Nickelodeon for 24 hours straight on the regular. Amazing programming such as The Adventures of Pete & Pete and All That were comedy staples in every healthy American kid’s diet. Thankfully, Danny Tamberelli and Lori Beth Denberg, giants in kid comedy from both of these pivotal hits, are giving us another taste of personified nostalgia with...Nostalgia Personified
Outburn had the pleasure of speaking with Italian melodic rock star Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil at the band’s Los Angeles show with All That Remains a few days before the release of the band’s new album, Black Anima. We dug deep into the inspiration behind Black Anima—Lacuna Coil’s ninth full-length studio album—and Cristina’s personal philosophy on the healing power of music.
The Hu is taking North America by storm, from the band’s headlining tour to their innovative style of “hunnu rock”—a captivating blend of modern heavy rock and Mongolian folk music sung in their native tongue and using traditional Eastern instruments. Gaining viral international success from their debut music videos, which are comparatively epic to a scene from Game of Thrones, The Hu was quickly scooped up by Eleven Seven Music and recently released their debut full-length album The Gereg.
Demons & Wizards, the power metal side-project featuring Iced Earth guitarist Jon Schaffer and Blind Guardian vocalist Hansi Kürsch, has returned after a lengthy hiatus. The band kicked off its A Magical Encounter with Demons & Wizards Tour—its first tour in nearly two decades—in Europe last summer in Saarbrücken, Germany, including a headlining show at Wacken Open Air, while their North American headline tour began in Los Angeles with Lizzy Borden and Tyr as support.
Ghost has been on the rise for nearly a decade, getting exponentially larger with each year, each album, and each tour. Ghost has had its best year yet, jumping from theaters to arenas, opening for Metallica, and finishing out their Prequelle tour cycle with US and European tours. We spoke with Ghost mastermind Tobias Forge at the end of the US The Ultimate Tour Named Death. With just one more run of dates before taking all of 2020 off from touring, we found out what we could expect in the next chapter of Ghost…a new album, the end of Cardinal Copia, and a new Papa?
This fall, The Infernal Pathway sees the legendary black metallers returning with an absorbing 11 track odyssey that showcases some of the band’s most aggressive and ambitious efforts to date. We caught up with 1349’s founder and frontman Ravn to discuss the songwriting process and the unique creative directions within the record. He also shared one of his favorite US television shows, and there’s no way you’ll guess which one it is.
3TEETH is a band that is hard to ignore, with heavy riffs and ideological undertones, not to mention a stage presence that intoxicates a room. With the band right on the cusp of its forthcoming release Metawar, its first time sharing the spotlight with a major label, we were able to get right into the mind of 3TEETH frontman Alexis Mincolla.
Abigail Williams is one of the most diverse bands in modern metal. Their earlier material was the perfect combination of melodic and technical with plenty of black metal influences. But the band’s newest release, Walk Beyond the Dark, introduces a more evil atmosphere to Abigail Williams’ signature sound. We spoke with Sorceron about the writing behind Walk Beyond the Dark and the band’s tour with Ensiferum, Kalmah, and Aenimus.
New Zealand’s very own Alien Weaponry have found their way back to California soil to kick off a tour with Black Label Society. A band heavily influenced by Māori, Alien Weaponry has quickly made a significant splash in the metal world. From playing all of the biggest festivals in the world to touring with legendary bands, this group is hard to ignore.
The Ghost of Ohio only has one eye and one hand. He doesn’t have a cool cape and he doesn’t have superpowers found in any DC or Marvel comic book. In reality, The Ghost of Ohio doesn’t really seem like a superhero at all. The brainchild of Andy Black is on a deeper mission—to do good in the now.
Guitar heroes Angel Vivaldi and Nita Strauss go head-to-head and interview each other while on the first date of this year’s The Guitar Collective tour, which is also Strauss’ first solo show and live debut of her new record Controlled Chaos.
It’s hard to think that Animals as Leaders forged its legacy only 10 years ago. The trio of musical geniuses still reigns today, but we can’t forget about the band’s powerful self-titled debut that will perpetually leave its mark on both metal and instrumental music history.
In the interest of full disclosure, my Annihilator fandom goes back to 1986 and the Phantasmagoria demo. Back in the day, the four track demo may have had the most ridiculous looking piece of headgear for its cover art, but it set my home and native land ablaze. Annihilator ended up being placed in a stead with Sacrifice, Razor, and Slaughter to often be referred to as The Big Four of Canadian Thrash…
The name Asking Alexandria was on the lips of countless metal fans in early 2015, with vocalist Danny Worsnop’s very public falling out with the rest of the band, including best friend and guitarist Ben Bruce.
There are few bands as varied in sound and audience as Astronoid. Having spent the better part of the last two years opening for unholy metal champions Ghost and Zeal & Ardor, as well as prog heroes Periphery and Tesseract, the Lowell, Massachusetts quartet is gearing up to hit the road with Between the Buried and Me.
Love them or hate them, Attila might be the most polarizing band in metal today. They continue to be an unstoppable force in heavy music, however, and coming out of 2016’s Chaos free of a record label, Fronz and crew have self-released their new album Villain…
With so many fads and trends coming and going in heavy music, it’s not always easy to keep your integrity and stick to your guns while maintaining a fan base. In August Burns Red’s case, this has never been a cause for concern. Remaining true to its core sound while progressing naturally with each record, the band has built up one of the most admirable catalogs in contemporary metalcore.
Metal musicians from all different types of bands and backgrounds came together in 2017 to form Bad Wolves, a Los Angeles based supergroup that blended pounding yet accessible hard rock with some of the most infectious melodies around. Recently, drummer John Boecklin spoke with us about Bad Wolves’ new album, N.A.T.I.O.N., acting as a producer as well as a musician, and the various ways he likes to think outside the box.
THE BANDS THAT WE STILL CELEBRATE DECADES after their debut are the ones that ignored the rules and the prevailing wisdom of their day and instead challenged listeners to reconsider all that music might achieve.
The core members of Portland’s Bewitcher are headbanging, earth dog rivet heads to the death. Okay, maybe not to the death, but they have sacrificed the creature comforts and stability of workaday life for the chance to rock out and travel around spreading their metallic fire and brimstone, living by the skin o’ their teeth in the process.
Following the release of Borknagar’s 10th album in 2016, Winter Thrice, many of the pieces that drove the band’s progressive Viking/folk/black metal for a good portion of the past two decades started falling by the wayside. These included guitarist Jens Ryland, whose association with the band went back as far as 1997, and lead vocalist Andreas “Vintersorg” Hedlund, who understandably bowed out after suffering a near-tragic injury.
Angry, defiant, and aggressive. That’s what you get when you spin New York hardcore/metal hybrid heavyweights Brick by Brick’s sixth album Hive Mentality. Released on February 22 via Upstate Records, the nine pit slamming tunes, including a revamped song featuring The Acacia Strain’s Vincent Bennett and brutal covers…
In today’s modern metal climate, the melodic death/thrash that emanated from Sweden back in the 90s and mid millennium is looked at quite differently depending on the age of the fan in question. For those who remember, the sound from Gothenburg, Helsingborg, and beyond…
This summer sees the release of World War X, the seventh and most ambitious outing yet from San Diego’s Carnifex. Delivering all of the neck snapping riffs and pulverizing tempos that have become the band’s calling card, World War X sees the death metal five piece conceiving a war themed modern metal epic that’s as emotional and evocative as it is brutal. We caught up with vocalist Scott Ian Lewis to get the story behind the new record.
It’s been close to a decade since the world has received a new record from Florida based rockers Cold. Making their mark in the heyday of big nu metal such as Staind, Linkin Park, and Evanescence, Cold was always the dark horse, pumping out heavy anthems of tragedy and adversity, anchored by frontman Scooter Ward.
As one of the most highly anticipated metal albums of the year, Combichrist’s One Fire is only weeks away from being released. This album brings forth a new cycle for the band, along with a new lineup and even new management. We had the opportunity of picking the brain of Andy LaPlegua of Combichrist on all of this and so much more.
Though Pepper Keenan rejoined Corrosion of Conformity back in 2014, it’s taken some time for the band to drop a new record. With No Cross No Crown, the first Corrosion of Conformity release to feature the vocalist since 2005’s In the Arms of God, they have returned…
Today, there are two iterations of the Cro-Mags touring out there on the road, but that’s definitely not the case if you speak to band founder, bassist, and songwriter Harley Flanagan. For him, there’s only one Cro-Mags, and it’s the band with him set firmly in the creative driver’s seat.
Umeå, Sweden’s Cult of Luna is one of the few bands that has been able to emerge from the post-metal morass with an identity intact. Having roots that go back to 1998 have been helpful in the band being one of the scant few to be mentioned as overarching influences and genre leaders not followers (the others being Neurosis and Isis), as has creating awesome music with individuated and defining characteristics.
For Father’s Day we spoke with Black Veil Brides first tour manager, merch manager, lighting director, driver, roadie, and so much more... Andy’s father Chris Biersack. With a daily active online presence of support for Andy, we had to find out more about the history of Chris and Andy’s incredible father son bond.
Strange as it may sound to say, what stands out most about Liverpool based trio Dawn Ray’d is that the black metal sound is all that’s really attaching them to the black metal scene. Hailing from the same boundary pushing outskirts as outfits like Wolves in the Throne Room, Alcest, Panopticon, and those who dare weave other genres around black metal’s DNA helix—in their case, classic folk and protest music—Dawn Ray’d has found kinship with the DIY scene, squat and underground independent venue touring circuit, and make no bones about their far left politics.
Demons & Wizards, the power metal side-project featuring Iced Earth guitarist Jon Schaffer and Blind Guardian vocalist Hansi Kürsch, has returned after a lengthy hiatus. The band kicked off its A Magical Encounter with Demons & Wizards Tour—its first tour in nearly two decades—in Europe last summer in Saarbrücken, Germany, including a headlining show at Wacken Open Air, while their North American headline tour began in Los Angeles with Lizzy Borden and Tyr as support.
You can’t say “legendary thrash metal band” without mentioning Destruction. We spoke to Destruction vocalist and bassist Schmier to discuss Born to Perish, writing and recording with new members, the band’s history, and his views of the German Big Four.
Everything Canadian oddball Devin Townsend touches turns to gold. From his nomadic beginnings as frontman for guitar wizard Steve Vai to industrial hooligans Front Line Assembly to the brutal Strapping Young Lad to the Devin Townsend Project and now with his current solo band, Townsend continues to walk his own musical path.
Here’s what happens when you speak to the legendary Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein and Alex “Wolfman” Story, along with a special appearance from Alissa White-Gluz, in a single interview.
Escape the Fate has had many ups and a few downs over the years, and now with the band’s strongest and most solid lineup yet, the quartet is celebrating 10 years of This War Is Ours.
Exhorder originally burst onto the scene back in the mid 80s with two classic demos that eventually begat the band’s much heralded and respected debut album, 1990’s Slaughter in the Vatican. It’s an album that not only expanded the dimensions of thrash metal, but also heralded in what would come to be called groove metal, influencing a little band you may have heard of called Pantera to take the sound and run with it on a little album you may have heard of called Cowboys from Hell.
The idea to release a short, 26 minute album titled Horror with VHS inspired cover art could have exploded in the face of a lesser retro thrash act without the pedigree and experience of Exhumed. Thankfully, Matt Harvey and Co. have all the bases covered with their seventh full-length, an absolute ripper of a record that strikes like lightning with riff after devastating riff.
Times they are a-changin’ for Minneapolis’ False. Quickly after their 2010 formation, they were heralded as shining stars on the American black metal scene following an EP and a split with Barghest. The sextet’s insistence on anonymity and refusing interviews created both mystique and controversy. Fans of the band’s progressive and melodic black metal style clamored for information…
Ghost has been on the rise for nearly a decade, getting exponentially larger with each year, each album, and each tour. Ghost has had its best year yet, jumping from theaters to arenas, opening for Metallica, and finishing out their Prequelle tour cycle with US and European tours. We spoke with Ghost mastermind Tobias Forge at the end of the US The Ultimate Tour Named Death. With just one more run of dates before taking all of 2020 off from touring, we found out what we could expect in the next chapter of Ghost…a new album, the end of Cardinal Copia, and a new Papa?
Even after 11 albums and a history that goes back further than most of you reading this have been alive, God Dethroned’s Henri Sattler is still bright-eyed and bushy tailed about the band he formed as an unruly, Christ hating teenager back in 1991 in the Dutch village of Beilen. It’s the band he still leads—and is still excited about—as a rebellious adult who has failed to conform…
GREEK GUITAR GOD Gus G. was born to shred. Throughout his 20 year career, the six string axe slinger has performed with established acts such as Arch Enemy, Mystic Prophecy, and Dream Evil to his own band Firewind before...
“GWAR lives motherfucker!” says new frontman Blothar after every show as the band leaves the stage. And it’s true. Not even the death of original frontman Oderus Urungus (Dave Brockie) in 2014, as well as their fallen brother guitarist Flattus Maximus (Cory Smoot) in 2011, can stop GWAR.
It takes great strength and determination to move on after a loss. But how do you continue when someone so integral to a band has died? Hellyeah is still trying to figure this out. Legendary metal drummer and founding member of Hellyeah, Vinnie Paul (Pantera, Damageplan), passed away from heart disease in 2018 during production of the band’s new release, Welcome Home. Paul finished tracking drums for the album prior to his death, so what listeners hear are his final recordings.
Extreme metal band Incite—led by vocalist Richie Cavalera—has had to fight for everything they’ve achieved thus far in its 15 year existence. As the stepson of Max Cavalera of Sepultura and Soulfly fame, nothing’s ever been handed to him.
In 1997, Jimmie’s Chicken Shack cooked up one of the greatest hybrid albums of all time. Pushing the Salmanilla Envelope launched the Annapolis, Maryland band into heavy rotation on MTV and radio with the singles “High” and “Dropping Anchor.”
With the band’s third full-length album Macro out on Napalm Records, Ukrainian extreme metal band Jinjer pulls inspiration from within while speeding forward on the road to success. We spoke with bassist Eugene Abdukhanov on what it feels like to be “On the Top” amidst their almost completely sold-out headlining US tour.
Easily one of the most prolific and skilled guitarists of the past several decades, John 5’s proclivity for diverse and downright strange song crafting has never been more evident than what the 47-year-old Michigan native has given us on his ninth record, Invasion.
As part of Outburn’s Warped Tour retrospective, and with the tour on its final cross country run, we sat down and to talk with its creator and curator Kevin Lyman about the history of Warped Tour—where it started and the journey that got it to where it is today.
Metalcore mainstays Killswitch Engage was born in 1999 out of the ashes of two prominent Massachusetts metalcore bands—bassist Mike D’Antonio from Overcast (which also included future Shadows Fall vocalist Brian Fair) and guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz (who switched to drums) and guitarist Joel Stroetzel from Aftershock, as well as vocalist Jesse Leach from Nothing Stays Gold.
Crowbar and Down guitarist Kirk Windstein steps outside of his wheelhouse on his debut solo album Dream in Motion. Handling every instrument except drums, its 10 tracks are a fantastic affair, including a riveting cover version of 70 rock icons Jethro Tull’s “Aqualung.”
The rise of Copenhagen quartet Konvent has been astronomical. When bassist Heidi Withington Brink got the idea to direct her lifelong love of music towards actually creating and playing it, she didn’t let her inexperience get in the way. Teaming up with a collection of fellow exuberant amateurs from the local scene, Konvent was born, and in four short years, the doom/death quartet—Heidi, guitarist Sara Helena Nørregaard, vocalist Rikke Emilie List, and drummer Julie Simonsen—has gone from nervous newcomers to Danish festival regulars, a band with European tours under its belt, and a deal with Napalm Records, who are issuing the band’s debut, Puritan Masochism.
Outburn had the pleasure of speaking with Italian melodic rock star Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil at the band’s Los Angeles show with All That Remains a few days before the release of the band’s new album, Black Anima. We dug deep into the inspiration behind Black Anima—Lacuna Coil’s ninth full-length studio album—and Cristina’s personal philosophy on the healing power of music.
Norwegian/German folk metal band Leaves’ Eyes has overcome several obstacles in the past year and a half. From the divorce of husband/wife bandmates Liv Kristine and Alex Krull (keyboards) to new powerhouse singer Elina Siirala and the band’s latest release, Sign of the Dragonhead, Leaves’ Eyes has been rejuvenated.
Twenty-six years later, we finally discover the fate of the protagonist from Life of Agony’s groundbreaking debut River Runs Red at a time that couldn’t be more fitting in the rise of support for mental health awareness. With a reinvigorated lineup, featuring drummer Veronica Bellino, the band has returned with unwavering passion and relentless energy on their new album The Sound of Scars. Find out more as we chat with bassist and songwriter Alan Robert.
ORIGINALLY BILLED AS A SUPERGROUP, the metalcore quartet Devil You Know proved to have more heart and staying power than similarly manned novelty acts...
Lizzy Borden may take its namesake from an infamous murderer, but the band’s music is intended to take you on a visual journey like no other. Having just returned from a very successful tour with Tyr and Demons and Wizards, we had a great time chatting with the frontman himself about the tour, the anniversary of Visual Lies, and more.
Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton steps outside of his day job with his second solo effort Ether. Known for his extreme metal style of playing with Lamb of God, Morton strips the music down with five acoustic songs, including covers of The Black Crowe’s “She Talks to Angels” and Pearl Jam’s “Black.”
It almost beggars belief that, 17 years into Midnight’s career, they remain something of a best kept secret—a seditious pleasure celebrated only by those who lurk in the darkest alleys of the underground. Founded in Cleveland in 2003, Midnight is a one-man shop, conceived by multi-instrumentalist Athenar, whose original vision saw the band staying well out of the spotlight, favoring EPs and split releases over full albums. The approach was both celebrated and bemoaned by his growing fan base.
Brandon Mendenhall was told by doctors and his own family that he could never play a musical instrument due to his cerebral palsy. With inspiration and some help from Korn, Mendenhall never took no for an answer and persevered by teaching himself how to move his hands in order to play guitar and overcome the doubts of those around him to start his own band, The Mendenhall Experiment. Mind Over Matter is a documentary film by Sébastien Paquet chronicling Brandon’s journey from birth, his rocky childhood, and overcoming addiction…
The bond that brings and keeps the members of Misery Index together is rooted as much in the music its four members create as in the message purveyed by the band’s lyrics. Heralded since the early 00s as one of the brighter lights shining from the netherworld of America’s death metal/grindcore scene…
For Mother’s Day, we wanted to do something special with one of the most supportive moms in music. We had the pleasure of speaking with Judith White-Gluz, mother of Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy) about Alissa’s history with art, music, health, rescuing animals, some funny stories, and, of course, the amazing bond between Alissa and her incredible mom, along with advice we should all take to heart.
For Mother’s Day, we wanted to do something special with one of the most supportive moms in music. Starting off by shining a light on a parent that not only supported her daughter’s journey, but continues to do so to the fullest extent to this very day. We had the pleasure of speaking with Sandy Hittesdorf, mother of Ash Costello (New Years Day) about Ash’s history with music, some funny stories, and, of course, the amazing bond between Ash and her incredible mom…
There’s something perfect about Monster Magnet titling an album Mindfucker, and the recipient of this name is arguably one of the finest releases in their nearly 30 year career.
Mortiis has gone through various changes in musical direction throughout his career, starting in Emperor and then going on to have an incredible solo career first with dungeon synth (a genre he helped create) before moving to a more goth industrial sound for the past 15 years. Now, Mortiis is digging back into his Era 1 material, performing and reinventing classic songs from his second album, and even considering potential re-recordings in the future.
It’s one thing to take online fire from social media trolls that aren’t actually interested in your music, but it’s a bit thornier when your own fans are coming at you. That’s precisely where Motionless in White found themselves after releasing its sophomore album, 2012’s Infamous, which alienated some of their longtime supporters…
Everyone's favorite goblin-centric band has been busy with a new album, a cruise, a hit YouTube show, a sponsorship from Chili’s, and even a book deal for their hype man John Goblikon.
Technical death metal band Nile has been churning out slabs of authentic Egyptian inspired metal since 1993. The band is on fire as of late with a renewed sense of brutality, which is on full display on its ninth full-length, Vile Nilotic Rites, its first album in four years. We spoke with Sanders about Vile Nilotic Rites, how he’s inspired by Egyptian history, and news on his future solo album.
We spoke to multifaceted shred queen Nita Strauss (Alice Cooper, Iron Maidens) directly after her first solo show and the live debut of Controlled Chaos to talk about guitar technique, The Guitar Collective tour, balancing life on the road with Alice Cooper and her own material, and, of course, all about her new album.
If you’re a child of the 90s, meaning you were born in the mid to late 80s and grew up during that seminal period, you probably begged your parents to let you watch Nickelodeon for 24 hours straight on the regular. Amazing programming such as The Adventures of Pete & Pete and All That were comedy staples in every healthy American kid’s diet. Thankfully, Danny Tamberelli and Lori Beth Denberg, giants in kid comedy from both of these pivotal hits, are giving us another taste of personified nostalgia with...Nostalgia Personified
It’s been an eventful year for Southern California metalcore kings Of Mice & Men. Despite the departure of their founding vocalist Austin Carlile, the band has soldiered on as a quartet, with bassist and clean singer Aaron Pauley taking over full vocal duties.
Parody bands have come and gone over the years. Weird Al Yankovic, Dread Zeppelin, and Beatallica, among others, made their mark in pop culture. Phoenix based death/punk band Okilly Dokilly…
From the suave to the sultry, from the dark to the even creepier, PIG is back at it with a new twist on songs you may never expect to hear. With pop music always wrapped in a colorful, innocent little package, PIG’s Raymond Watts has unearthed the more sinister side within the lyrics.
For the band and the man who put a name to the sound, it’s been a long, hard road for death metal O.G.’s Possessed, in which near insurmountable hurdles have been traversed. They may have been done with all the grace of a herd of meth-ed up elephants, but what’s important is that those obstacles have been leapt over at all, and the result is Revelations of Oblivion…
The Greeks may have invented mythology, philosophy, the Olympics, and ridiculously delicious yogurt, but Athens based heroes Rotting Christ are a true Grecian success story. When Sakis Tolis and his younger brother Themis formed the band in 1987, the world was a larger and less connected place, and the isolation facing a politically motivated grindcore band was daunting…
Get your battle gear on, we are going to war! Military-esque legends Sabaton have released their newest album, The Great War. Inspired by the events of one of the most monumental wars in history, this World War I record shows the metal scene just how incredible real life history can be. We had the opportunity to go deep with Sabaton bassist Pär Sundström on everything to do with the battle metal band’s ninth record.
Hindsight can be a funny thing. I’ll admit that, at the time, I didn’t quite hip myself to what Satyricon was doing with their fourth full-length LP, Rebel Extravaganza [1999]. Gone were the medieval trappings of The Shadowthrone and Nemesis Divina, and in its place were songs that were cold and aggressive, with a very noticeable mean streak. Oh sure, I eventually grew to dig the album pretty hard, based largely on the presence of undeniable jams like “Havoc Vulture” and “Filthgrinder,” but the actual sound of the album always felt like it could’ve used improvement.
September Mourning has been busy touring and working on a follow-up to Volume II and the September Mourning comic book. With fate on the heels of Emily Lazar, both literally and figuratively, we find out from the enigmatic Lazar and guitarist Rich Juzwick what the band has been up to.
Formed in 2013 in Boston, symphonic/power/black/melodic death metal band Seven Spires’ members met while attending the renowned Berklee College of Music. Featuring frontwoman Adrienne Cowan, guitarist Jack Kosto, bassist Peter de Reyna, and drummer Chris Dovas, the band has just released its sophomore affair, Emerald Seas, through Frontiers Music.
Shattered Sun has been through a lot in the past year, with the departure of two longtime members, separating from Victory Records, and narrowly missing out on opening for Metallica. As with all things, the pendulum swings back, and it swings back just as hard as the band’s new music.
Wayne Static was a legend. Is a legend. His untimely passing left a hole in the hearts of many, from his family, to his friends, to all of the fans that were touched by his music. Away from the public, an idea was brewing from those closest to Wayne to somehow, in some way, bring a piece of him back to the world. Fast forward to now, and we are on the cusp of an anniversary tour…
It would be an impossible feat to discuss the entire history of legendary rock band Sum 41 in one sitting. Now, the group’s years of touring and 15 million records sold worldwide have culminated into some of their most raw and vulnerable material ever written on their new album Order in Decline.
Six long and quiet years have passed since The Almost last graced our speakers. With a very public saga of the demise and subsequent rebirth of vocalist Aaron Gillespie’s juggernaut of a full-time job, drumming for Underoath, fans of his side gig weren’t holding their breath for a follow-up to 2013’s Fear Inside Our Bones. As fate would have it, keeping fans in the dark is exactly what Gillespie needed to complete Fear Caller.
The Crow has been a cult classic for 25 years, but what many may not know is before the film’s incredible soundtrack featuring Nine Inch Nails, The Cure, Rage Against the Machine, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and Stone Temple Pilots, there was a soundtrack made for the comic book.
The Haunt may not be a household name yet, especially since the band recently changed its name from AnastasiaMax to the much more fitting moniker only a short time before this interview...
The Hu is taking North America by storm, from the band’s headlining tour to their innovative style of “hunnu rock”—a captivating blend of modern heavy rock and Mongolian folk music sung in their native tongue and using traditional Eastern instruments. Gaining viral international success from their debut music videos, which are comparatively epic to a scene from Game of Thrones, The Hu was quickly scooped up by Eleven Seven Music and recently released their debut full-length album The Gereg.
Primal Future: 2019 may be the sixth Toxic Holocaust full-length, but six albums is just the tip of the discographic iceberg for the Portland crossover thrash institution. Numerous EPs, demos, splits, live albums, and compilation appearances, in addition to those six albums, round out and comprise the 20 years of Toxic Holocaust’s recorded history. Ironically enough, Primal Future: 2019 has the most in common with the band’s earliest releases…
As one of the great voices in rock, Wayne Hussey is an English musician with quite a résumé in the gothic world. From being a part of cult icons The Sisters of Mercy to fronting his own band The Mission, Hussey has one of the most interesting lives out there. So interesting, in fact, that he has recently begun chronicling his life in books, with the first titled Salad Daze having just been released.
From new characters to an inside look into the creation of his highly anticipated new record, horror aficionado Wednesday 13 was just a few days away from releasing his latest album Necrophaze via Nuclear Blast Records when we got to pick the man’s unique brain.
AT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MIX THE MUSIC of slave spirituals with black metal and give it a satanic twist? Originally conceived as a challenge to combine two vastly different genres of music, Zeal & Ardor quickly went from an internet sensation to a critically acclaimed band atop countless best-of lists, performing at almost every major festival across the world.
We caught up with the always astute, eloquent, and hilarious guitarist Matt Fox to discuss coming back from the grave, releasing a record no one wants or cares about, and why zombies are lame.
