Guitars quite literally illustrate the opening action of “By The Light”, a group of paladins attacking an evil necromantic death cult. Their failure and the sole survivor Emaly’s efforts to avenge the deaths form the balance of Burning Sun’s Retribution (Metalizer Records), a Power Metal tour de force of a concept album in the vein of Helloween and my last album reviewed for Ghost Cult, Martyr. Pancho Ireland’s vocals maintain smooth power akin to Bruce Dickinson.Continue reading
Noted author Steven Blush is celebrating 15 years of the release of American Hardcore, the documentary film based on his award-winning book of the same name from 2001! He is kicking off a busy summer of projects by hosting screenings, starting this Monday. To preview a season of events appearances, and talking hardcore history, Steve caught up with Keefy to discuss the project and his upcoming book, “When Rock Met Hip-Hop!”Continue reading
A solo project from darkest Athens, Fell Omen is the brainchild of Greek multi-instrumentalist Spider Of Pynx (a.k.a. Dimitris Corax Augoustinos). A combination of old-school Metal, Dungeon Synth, Punk and classic Black Metal, Caelid Dog Summer (True Cult Records) is the band’s second album, their first, Invaded by a Dark Spirit, only landing in February of this year. A busy little Black Metal bee indeed.Continue reading
There’s something about the open air at Jones Beach Theater that always make shows seem so damn huge. Pantera brought their summer tour to Long Island with support from Amon Amarth and Shock Narcotic. The night had a sense of sadness as the metal community was collectively mourning, following the death of Ozzy Osbourne, who was honored throughout the show.Continue reading
The sophomore album from Portland’s Tar Pit, Scrying the Angel Gate (Transylvanian Recordings), sets Lovecraftian themes against a style of doom that relishes the blues-based jams. An organ haunting the opening track from the back of the mix. The backbone of the song is a lumbering wall of fuzzed-out riffage. This song eventually builds the dynamic into a more metallic attack. Vocalist Don Gozalo brings an emotive howl to the songs. Unlike most doom frontmen, he is not as blatant an Ozzy disciple. This helps set their overall sound apart from their peers. Continue reading
Heavily rooted in the traditional Doom Metal-centered alignment, Athens-based Tèlma has consistently presented melancholic sounds with ceremonial atmospheres. They have been around for roughly eight years and are profoundly inspired by many names across the globe when it comes to musical influences – including Russia’s Scald, Finland’s Reverend Bizarre, and Chile’s Procession – though most listeners probably also can sense some Candlemass-esque hints of references in their sounds.
Yeah, so this is tough.
Really fucking tough.
We all knew it was coming at some point. There might have been a whispered inevitability to it all, but that doesn’t make it any easier.
Cold Slither is here — and they’ve come to conquer both the metal world and Cobra Command!
In this exclusive interview, guitarist Gus Rios (Gruesome, Left To Die) breaks down the self-titled debut from his newest band, Cold Slither, a fierce and fun tribute to the legendary G.I. Joe universe. Out soon via Reigning Phoenix Music, this album blends blistering death-thrash with a heavy dose of nostalgia, inspired by the fictional band from the classic 1980s animated series. Gus shares how the project came together, the deeper concept behind the music, and how Cold Slither pays homage to beloved Saturday morning cartoon/comic book, and classic toy line, with the help of Hasbro!Continue reading
Daron Malakian of System of a Down is back with his solo project, Scars on Broadway. Addicted to Violence (Scarred For Life) marks the project’s second album without the drummer who played on the project’s first album and made it feel like a more direct extension of System of a Down. Much like the band that put these guys on the map, there is, at times, a punk feel that owes a great deal to the Dead Kennedys. Where this project finds its own identity is stepping away from some of the Hip-Hop bounce that drove Nu-Metal. This does not mean it forsakes groove; it approaches it differently, which can be heard on a song like “Satan Hussein.”Continue reading
Heavy metal isn’t just a genre—it’s a full-blown lifestyle. It’s loud, theatrical, chaotic, often ridiculous, sometimes profound, and always unforgettable. Honestly? The same can be said for the movies and cartoons it inspires.Continue reading