EP REVIEW: Beltfed Weapon – Darkened Demise


 

Beltfed Weapon has often felt like a fun but sort of long-running vanity (but nonetheless valid) project for Seattle’s talented Frank Hetzel, many years between quite short releases featuring a who’s who of underground metal players guesting in support of a slightly odd discography. It is strange to me that there aren’t a series of full-lengths after so much time spent between releases, but every shorter thing Frank has released still has moments to enjoy for the casual thrash, death, and (at times) power metal fan. 

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Control Denied and Pharaoh Vocalist Tim Aymar Has Died 


 

Sad news as Control Denied and Pharaoh vocalist Tim Aymar has died. He was just 59. No cause of death was shared, as the news was released via Pharoh’s social media. A tribute from the Death Facebook account was also shared. Aymar is perhaps best remembered as the vocalist for Chuck Schuldiner’s Control Denied project, which released one album, 1999s The Fragile Art Of Existence. Tim was the vocalist for 313, Triple X, Psycho Scream, and Pharaoh. RIP. 

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Former Death Manager and Producer Eric Grief has Died


Terrible news to report as Eric Grief, the lawyer, music producer for the iconic band Death has died. He was 59 years old. The news was broken by the band’s social media accounts, and you can read that message to fans below. As the president of  Perseverance Holdings Ltd., Grief was the steward of the legacy of Chuck Schuldiner’s (Death, Control Denied) and was responsible for all of the lasting merch, music releases, touring projects such as Death To All, books and documentaries about Chuck. He also had a lengthy career as an entertainment lawyer for other bands in the genre such as Obituary and Massacre. Grief battled with diabetes for most of his life, and was in search of a kidney donor for transplant of late. We are deeply thankful for Eric dedicating his life to extreme music and preservation of one of its greatest legends. We send our sympathy out to his family, and friends at this time. 

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ALBUM REVIEW: Angband – IV


Formed in 2004 and based in Tehran, Angband plays a style of Power Metal in the vein of American groups like Iced Earth and Jag Panzer rounded out with elements of Prog and Persian traditional music. Their fourth full-length album, aptly titled IV (Pure Steel Records), is their first to come out since 2012’s Saved From The Truth as well as the first to feature Tim Aymar of Control Denied/Pharaoh fame on lead vocals. The prospects are exciting, but the actual execution ends up being a rather mixed bag.

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