Katon W. DePena is an intense individual. As the driving force behind one of Thrash Metal’s most tenacious and long-standing bands Hirax, he lives and breathes Heavy Metal music and culture. Aggressively DIY, he has taken Hirax to places other bands can only dream of going. Their latest album El Rostro De La Muerte is yet another scorcher in the Hirax catalog and the band plays to it’s loyal fans every single chance it gets. I had the privilege of a few minutes of his time recently and here is what he had to say.

If you’ve come here looking for sparkly emo vampires, then we have a review for you. The rest of you should already know that this is the second release from US black metal supergroup Twilight, and like the album title suggests, it is truly monumental. The first Twilight release in 2005 featured an amazing line-up […]

Earlier today Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy issued the following update on his personal website: “After having had such an amazing experience recording my drum tracks for the new Avenged Sevenfold album, we all knew it would be awesome if I’d be able to do some touring with the band after its release. I am […]

So early 2010 saw the release of two post Order From Chaos Projects- the first being the longer running Ares Kingdom and their second full length album and this debut EP from Kerasphorus which is the project that features Pete Helmkamp, also of a little band called Angelcorpse. It looks like a name change and […]

I don’t search for new bands too actively anymore. Years ago, I would download every bad quality mp3 sample, eyeball every site and seize every possibility to hear a new band. I was more than eager to go through a lot of shit to find what I wanted, which considering my modem speed, resulted in […]

Immolation’s one of those bands where I don’t feel like you need to justify liking them; they’re just that damn likable. I actually got in an argument with an artist I was interviewing when they admitted they didn’t like the band, and my (perfectly reasonable) response was, “what the fuck is wrong with you?” Not […]

Annihilator are due to release their new self-titled studio album in Europe on May 17 via Earache Records. Distribution for Japan and Australia will be handled by Marquee and Riot Entertainment, respectively. For North America and all other territories, fans can visit the official Annihilator website on May 15 for other purchase options. Meanwhile, the […]

The first taste of Tristania’s new album has gone live on YouTube today and previews the songs “Year Of The Rat” and “The Passing”.  The as-yet-untitled effort is set for a summer release through Napalm Records and has been mixed by Waldemar Sorychta (Samael, Tiamat, Moonspell, The Gathering). To support the new album, the band […]

I was far from impressed with Pestilence & Peril, the last release from Ryan Lipinsky’s (Thralldom/Unearthly Trance) latest black metal project. But the fact I only recently heard Unearthly Trance’s The Trident and Electrocution has given me a new appreciation for Mr. Lipinsky and Into the Cryopshere, which is a vast improvement over Pestilence & […]

Following their 2008 release, Kolossus, Norway’s Keep Of Kalessin will be unleashing their latest effort, Reptilian, on May 10th in Europe and June 8th in North America with a tour with Nile, Ex Deo, Psycroptic, and Pathology to commence at the end of October. Recorded in the band’s own studio in Trondheim, Norway, Reptilian was […]

Bay Area thrashers Forbidden are hard at work at Sonic Room/Audio Voyage Studios in Livermore, California recording their upcoming new album, Omega Wave. The album is being produced by guitarist/songwriter Craig Locicero and mixed by Sean Beavan (Slayer, Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails) with the artwork being handled by Kent Mathieu (Exodus, Autopsy, Exhorder). Song […]

Veteran thrashers Overkill recently announced the second leg of their Killfest 2010 tour, which will consist mainly of east coast shows throughout the month of November. Support on the tour will be provided by Forbidden, Evile, Gama Bomb and Bonded By Blood. Confirmed dates thus far: Nov. 05 – Rochester, NY – Montage Music Hall […]

Sweden’s Sabaton blew me away few years back with The Art of War and to their credit they reminded me that power metal was still a viable genre. Needless to say, since then, I’ve been waiting for Coat of Arms in my fox hole, wearing an old Finnish M16 helmet. The Swedes are back again, […]

Probably one of the best things about being a fan of metal is that you’re constantly coming across new and interesting incarnations of the music you love; a luxury not so commonly afforded to the “they’ve been there so let’s do that too” mainstream. Another advantage that the underground has over the radio scene is […]

Teeth of the Divine and The Sequence of Prime are teaming up to give you the chance to be devoured by the project’s newest album, VIRION! Read the review and take part in the contest: We’re giving out three copies of the album for free, so Christmas might come early for you… if you survive.

I’ve been telling everyone who will listen about Kiuas since I first discovered them with 2005’s Spirit of Ukko. It was a convincing blend of power, thrash, folk and just a touch of death metal that was a highlight of my listening that year (looking at the recently posted flashback, I realize it should have […]

Canada’s Bison B.C. return with their second full-length for Metal Blade Records and, after a few spins, the band members seem to have outdone themselves. This record carries everything up a notch… the Doomy atmospheres, the stomping Stoner grooves, the intricate arrangements and the impressive musicianship. There is no holding back, no simplifying, no softening […]

Lots of good Belgian stuff coming my way these days. Had some good Belgian chocolate the other day. Just found out that a restaurant that specializes in excellent Belgian brews and sour Flemish ales – not to mention the requisite mussels and fries – is opening about ten minutes from my house. And now here […]

“The Age of the Land is an album about embracing your destiny, about choosing and consciously assuming a way of fife. The Earth is where we came from and where we go back into.” Another natural and organic album from Negru and new company. Now lets move past the record label press kit and delve […]

We had the opportunity to talk with Biohazard’s main man, hardcore-extraordinaire, Evan Seinfeld. And oh boy, has he kept busy. Not only is Biohazard in the process of putting out a new album, Seinfeld himself is still preaching hardcore on film with some of the hottest chicks in all adult entertainment. Unfortunately our discussion with Evan was shadowed by the sudden death of his good friend, icon and a fellow Brooklynite, Peter Steele. But ultimately, as it became evident with talking to Evan, life will triumph. No doubt about it. Plus, we present you pussies with the largest collection of Not Safe for Work links in Teeth of the Divine’s history.

Negurã Bunget‘s Maiestrit, the album containing the last recordings of the band’s classical line-up, is out, released April 15, 2010. For all of those out there living in a cave, this is the most anticipated disc of the year, followed closely by Virstele Pamantului. The first is, as stated above the last of an era […]

More grindcore for spring, this time from Sweden’s Sayyadina (a character from Frank Hebert’s Dune) a trio featuring members of Victims, General Surgery and Nasum, and with that description, you should have a pretty solid idea of Sayyadina’s sound. The Great Northern Revisited compiles all the bands splits, 7” records and compilations dating back to […]

I killed Deacon Frost, I will find you girls as well, Lost in the Shadows, full of shitty pop music, for it you deserve to die.

2009 was a pretty solid year for the ‘shreddier’ side of metalcore/deathcore with a slew of solid releases by The Eyes of a Traitor, Conducting from the Grave, Within the Ruins, Painted in Exile and the second album, Kingdom of Might from Woe of Tyrants. Well, 2010 looks to be as shredtastic already with the […]

Power Metal, when done right, can get the blood flowing like no other genre. The double-kick tempos, the soaring vocals, the shredding guitars… all work together to get your head banging and horns flying. Sinbreed, with When World’s Collide, do just that. Something else about Power Metal is that, as fans who know the genre […]