Godless Noise might be one of the most appropriate album titles in the history of underground metal; I‘m surprised some enterprising young hesher hasn’t used it before. What young metalhead blasting their older brother’s copy of Haunting The Chapel didn’t have their parents yell “turn off that godless noise” at the upstairs bedroom? I’m sure […]

Just what I needed – something to tear into. Interrogate play what’s basically nu-metal trying it’s best to disguise itself as groove based death/thrash, but fails miserably. Angsty, simple and meat-headed sum it up pretty good. There’s also gratuitous use of the word ‘fuck’, which doesn’t do it any favors. It’s funny because ‘fuck’ is […]

LA-based psychedelic doom metal collective ANCESTORS have completed work on their highly anticipated sophomore album. Entitled Of Sound Mind, the record will drop on October 6, 2009 via NYC’s Tee Pee Records. A taste of what Of Sound Mind holds in store can be sampled now as the new ANCESTORS song “Bounty of Age” premieres […]

INSOMNIUM have completed work on “Down With the Sun” their new video from the band’s upcoming fourth album Across the Dark. The video, now available on Candlelight USA’s Myspace page, was filmed in high-definition and captures the band in a live soundstage setting. It is the first opportunity for fans to see and hear the […]

As many of you faithful death/doom fans will recall, previous album Above the Weeping World largely dropped the flowing acoustic passages that made Since the Day It All Came Down such a haunting (and enduring) listen. It was actually a smart move, because there are more ways to communicate grace and introspection than by simply […]

Swedish Progressive Metal act, Katatonia, is set to release their latest album, Night is the New Day, on November 10th via Peaceville Records.  The highly anticipated album, from one of Europe’s premier Progressive bands, Night is the New Day is the follow up to Katatonia’s groundbreaking 2006 release, The Great Cold Distance.  It is their […]

Metal Maniacs Magazine returns to a new online format after closing the doors to its print operation in February 2009. Resurrected by the owner of Metalhit.com, with a site developed by Reh3 Design (www.reh3.com / www.mouthforwar.net), the new Metal Maniacs features regularly updated content and features from the latest in underground metal. The site boasts […]

There’s a recent thread on the boards decrying the shitty scenester music that kids today are listening to, including the infamous BrokeNCYDE (which Erik Thomas just wiped his ass with a few weeks ago). Now, I’ve ignored the vast majority of all this stuff for the past ten years, going back to when pop punk […]

When it comes to contemporary Power Metal from Germany, Primal Fear seem to be an outfit that nearly every fan of the genre holds in great respect and keeps an eye on. Everything Mr. Sinner & Co have been bringing out since their highly-acclaimed self-titled debut is top-class, perfectly-crafted material. Even if you’re not too […]

2006’s debut release Deceptive Awareness seems to have flown under the radar of many fans of epic, atmospheric doom metal despite having been released by Firebox, to my mind the premier label for that sound, based appropriately out of Finland and also boasting releases from scene icons such as Saturnus, Until Death Overtakes Me, Swallow […]

Here’s another project from the Strapping Young Lad guys. Essentially guitarist Jed Simon’s baby, the group also consists of SYL members Byron Stroud (bass) and legendary journeyman drummer Gene Hoglan (seriously, how many projects can this man juggle? He’s a machine!), as well as thrash legends Glen Alvelais of Forbidden and Testament fame on guitars […]

Yet another new young thrash band trying their hand at the 80’s sound and feel. Conniption hail from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and A Method to Madness is the bands debut self-released LP originally released last year. Though since I’ve received the album for review, they’ve been signed by Germany’s Rock It Up Records, who are to […]

Boy do I love me some Death Angel, but I’ve never been much for live albums – I’d rather be there, or simply listen to the studio disc. Live recordings usually sound pretty terrible, and even if they don’t, the set list and songs included almost always leave something to be desired. It’s pretty much […]

Sam Dunn and Scot McFayden, oh how I envy you guys. Not only do you get to travel the world, making great documentaries, but you make them about metal. You hang out with legendary bands, meet up-and-coming acts, and oh yeah, it doesn’t hurt that the films are thoughtful, interesting and well-produced. By now, most […]

Bringer of Plagues is the second album from Dino Cazeres’ post Fear Factory (though it appears he’s back in the fold with BC Bell) baby Divine Heresy, and it’s basically more of the same, though now fronted by Travis Neal of The Bereaved, who replaced original screamer/crooner Tommy “Vext” Cummings last year after a rather […]

For those not in the know, I hate to break it to you but Trapped Under Ice is not another throwback thrash band. Far, far, far from it in fact, rather, this is some of the meanest, tuffest hardcore you’ll hear this year, probably next year too and the year after that. What’s more Trapped Under […]

Like a parent seeing a child grow, I’ve enjoyed watching Scotland’s Man Must Die blossom over the last 6 years. From their impressive 2003 demo, through the killer debut album, …Start Killing (one of 2004s very best death metal albums), to being the first UK band signed to Relapse Records for The Inhuman Condition, to […]

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, Winds of Plague have become one of the poster children for modern American metal. And to be honest I rather enjoyed their 2005 debut, A Cold Day in Hell, (which at the time was pretty fresh sounding) and the 2008 Century Media debut, Decimate the Weak. I also enjoyed the […]

God Dethroned will be assaulting North America for the first time since 2007 on the headlining War Propaganda World Tour 2009 in support of their newest album, Passiondale. Henri Sattler and co. will embark on the coast to coast campaign starting on September 30th. Joining the march will be Abigail Williams, Augury and label mates, […]

Squash Bowels has officially signed to Willowtip. The band’s new album, Grindvirus, will be released October 20. The album was recorded at Hertz Studio (Decapitated, Vader, Dead Infection) and artwork was handled by Lukasz Jaszak (Emperor, Blood Red Throne).  In other Willowtip new, another anticipated Willowtip release is the complete discography of New England based melodic […]

Devildriver is a band that gets a lot of shit from the “troo” crowd, mostly because of frontman Dez Fafara’s previous band Coal Chamber it seems. Supposedly that band called it quits because Mr. Fafara wanted to pursue heavier sounds while his bandmates wanted to head in a more mainstream direction. If that’s the case, […]

On November 10th, 2009, fans will be able to get their hands on the new deluxe version of Unearth’s latest album, The March! The album will come with a bonus DVD featuring a tour documentary entitled, The Three Day March, with footage shot by acclaimed director, Doug Spangenberg (Lamb Of God, Every Time I Die, […]

Swedish metal with all its forms and branches has been in an exceptionally flourishing state for the last decade or so, and I dare to claim its Power Metal scene would be the real pick of the basket for any first-timer to the genre. You no longer need to turn to the pathfinders like Helloween, […]

I’ve heard of saving the best for last, but on a record, it’s not usually the best idea. That’s unfortunately what Darkness Dynamite have done on The Astonishing Fury of Mankind, though. After nine tracks of OK but fairly uninventive metalcore, the last two songs on the album finally show show sparks of life and […]

Gwynbleidd’s much-anticipated debut album, Nostalgia, is set for an October 27 release on BlackCurrant Music. Founded and based in New York City, Gwynbleidd is a band whose four members all hail originally from Poland. It is this experience — leaving one’s homeland and relocating halfway across the world — that served as the original inspiration […]