Not exactly renowned for being a hotbed of thrash metal, Australia has nevertheless served up some quality bands over the years. Sadistik Exekution, Addictive, and Deströyer 666 all enjoyed relative success along with bigger names such as Hobbs’ Angel of Death, and of course, Sydney’s Mortal Sin, but in more recent years it’s been left to Melbourne act Harlott to fly the Aussie flag of hate.
A latecomer to the ’80s thrash scene, Californian act Evildead still managed to turn out two fine examples of speed metal riffery before disbanding, another victim of the burgeoning grunge movement. Aside from a single released in 2011, a first reunion proved fruitless, but this time the band includes most of the personnel from their 1989 debut, Annihilation of Civilization (SPV/Steamhammer), with bassist Karlos Medina (who played on the follow-up) completing the new and improved line-up.
Aftershock Festival has announced its comeback for the fall of 2021 with an additional day and exciting new bands! The headliners are intact with Metallica headlining two nights and My Chemical Romance’s reunion highlighting the middle weekend date. Added to the festival bill now are Limp Bizkit, Rancid, The Offspring, Social Distortion, Rise Against, Volbeat, Machine Gun Kelly, Mastodon, Gojira, SEETHER, Parkway Drive, and many more. A special first time ever Thursday night date, presented by Jack Daniels, is headlined by Limp Bizkit and also hosts Parkway Drive, Testament, Hatebreed, Exodus, Knocked Loose and Fit For a King. Brought to you by Danny wimmer Presents, the West Coast’s Biggest Rock Festival–to Discovery Park in Sacramento, CA on October 7, 8, 9 and 10. Passes are on sale now at the link below and you can watch a special trailer video now.
All good things come to those who wait, and if there ‘s one thing Bay Area thrashers Heathen believe in, it’s making people wait. With a four year gap from their 1987 debut to the follow-up, followed by a nineteen year-long hiatus, a decade has now passed since The Evolution of Chaos (Mascot Records), so make the most of new album Empire of the Blind (Nuclear Blast Records) because who knows how long it will take for another one to appear.Continue reading
Ninety-nine metal musicians recently united to sing a verse of “99 Bottles Of Beer On The Wall” for charity. Launched by Derek Engemann (Scour, Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals) and John Jarvis (Scour, Agoraphobic Nosebleed) as a means to help senior dogs, all proceeds from the twenty-three-minute track benefit Old Dog Haven, an organization that helps provide foster care for older dogs committed to the belief that all senior dogs should live peacefully in their final years as members of a caring family. Among the 100 artists featured are Down, Exodus, Sepultura, Crowbar, Eyehategod, Incantation. The song was intentionally released on August 26th to coincide with International Dog Day.Continue reading
As strange as it may seem, 1988 stands as the only year where each member of the “The Big Four” all released new studio albums. Go on, check if you want. I’ll wait.
With Anthrax, Slayer, Megadeth, and Metallica having pulled significantly away from the rest of the pack with those 1988 releases, the beginning of the ’90s gave each of them the chance to reaffirm their place at the top of the thrash metal food chain. Along with the likes of Testament, Exodus, and Kreator, 1990 opened the new decade in a blaze of glory while also becoming arguably the last truly great year for the genre.Continue reading
Whenever the subject of UK thrash metal arises, Bristolian act Onslaught are always one of the first names mentioned. From their 1985 debut to their split in 1991 and eventual reformation in 2005, the band have been one of the leading lights of the genre. Often heralded as the “English Slayer”, like their now defunct US counterparts, Onslaught draw from a history of both punk and classic metal to make their point.
Full Terror Assault Festival, slated for September, is in trouble. The festival just lost it’s two headliners and one of its other frontline bands. The fifth annual festival is to take place this year, the first of its kind, “open air” European style metal festival. GWAR, Exodus, and General Surgery has all announced they will not perform at the festival since they are all canceling all of their 2020 shows. They were to have announced more bands for the fest this week and they still might as the location for the fest reopened recently. The festival has launched a private survey for fans to gauge if the fest should carry on or not. Also slated to appear are M.O.D., War Curse, ground, Shock Narcotic, Extinction A.D., Axeslasher, Duskwalker, Escuelagrind, Pillory, and many more at Hogrock Campground, at Cave In Rock, Illinois September 9 -11th. FOundr Joey Bee will also join the Most Epic Adventures show with Robb Zip on Thursday for a live Q & A with an update at 6:30 CST.
Filmmaker Adam Dubin chatted with Ghost Cult recently about the wide release of his acclaimed documentary, Murder In The Front Row, documenting the birth of Bay Area Thrash Metal scene, which birthed several genres. We chatted about the impetus to making the film, all the thrash metal stars he interviewed such as Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Exodus, Testament, and Death Angel (53 all told) his history in the business, making films and music videos in 1980’s such as Beastie Boys “Fight For Your Right To Party” and “No Sleep ‘Til Brooklyn”, his long history of interactions with Kerry King, the lasting impact the genre has had on all heavy music, and what he learned most during the project. You can purchase the deluxe version of Murder In The Front Row at this link, stream it on VOD, and check out our chat with Adam here: Continue reading
Murder In The Front Row, the amazing thrash history documentary directed by Adam Dubin (Beastie Boys “Fight For Your Right To Party” & “No Sleep ‘Til Brooklyn”), is seeing a wide release this Friday, April 24th via Digital Platforms and as Deluxe Edition DVD. Previously the film has only been seen at film festivals and special showings. You can pre-order the film at the links below. The film, essential viewing for metal fans, contains over fifty interviews with various metal stalwarts, including Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Exodus, Testament, and Death Angel. It tells larger-than-life stories through a mix of first-person interviews, animation, and narration by comedian Brian Posehn. Watch the trailer right now! Continue reading