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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.”
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.
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.
ORIGINALLY BILLED AS A SUPERGROUP, the metalcore quartet Devil You Know proved to have more heart and staying power than similarly manned novelty acts...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
