Arising from Los Angeles, California, Melodic Metalcore trio Light The Torch prove just how fitting their name is with their sophomore album, You Will Be The Death Of Me (Nuclear Blast Records). Each metallic anthem sets the stage as if the band had just lit their torches and sharpened their pitchforks in preparation for taking on their greatest demons.Continue reading
Like 2018’s Becoming A Demon EP before it, Silver Talon’s first full-length album feels like the missing link between Sanctuary and Nevermore. The latter is especially felt with the sweeping layers of Jeff Loomis-style shred guitar, modern tones, and densely arranged vocal melodrama ala mid-era Warrel Dane. There is also an underlying Power Metal spirit throughout is perhaps most rooted in something like Refuge Denied or even classic Queensryche. The band has only doubled down on that spirit with Decadence And Decay (M-Theory Audio).
Relative newcomers to the scene, Detroit’s Plague Years follow up their independently released 2018 debut EP with their first full-length offering, Circle of Darkness (eOne Music). Continue reading
Modern Metal band Behind The Horror will drop their new album tomorrow – Burn Up This Truth! You can stream the full album here at Ghost Cult right now! The band brings a blend of current and throwback flavors into their metal, with sounds from everyone from Lamb of God, Testament, Warbringer, Bonded By Blood, Megadeth, Holy Grail, Dream Theater, Nevermore, Sepultura, Shadows Fall, and more! Born in Brazil but based in New Jersey, led by brothers Gabriel and Lucas Alves on guitar and drums, you definitely want to hear their over the top style. Check out the stream here!
Ghost Cult continues to fly the flag of Slayer high, and customarily we celebrate the life of Jeff Hanneman, who passed away on May 2nd, 2013. Jeff left an indelible mark on all of metal through the music and performances he created with Slayer. His legacy as a riff maker, songwriter, soloist, and metal personality has not been dampened since his death. In the time since he passed, Ghost Cult observed Slayer as they released a final studio album with Jeff’s contributions (Repentless), had a legend take his spot live (Gary Holt of Exodus), released a comic book with Jeff’s likeness, completed their final world tour ever of two years, released an incredible film/music video trilogy (The Repentless Killogy), former bandmate DaveLombardo wrote a loving tribute to his fallen friend, and we have written two career-spanning retrospectives (read them here and here) on the end of the band. Every night on that final world tour, Slayer honored Jeff during ‘Raining Blood’ with the still reigning banner. Hail Jeff and Hail Slayer!
Ghost Cult is bringing you the furiously savage and melodic Thrash Metal of Kill Ritual today, and their anthemic new lyric video for ‘Touch The Dark’. The track comes from their upcoming third full-length album The Opaque and the Divine, and the Bay Area-based group are not only looking to follow their forbearers’ footsteps but also chat their own path. T/he new album is due out The album is scheduled for release on March 27th, 2020 via “POS illegal torrent file sharing and old school metal head tape trading”. For the uninitiated, Kill Ritual will find fans in modern bands, but also old school heads that love Forbidden and Kreator. Check out the ‘Touch the Dark’ lyric video right now! Continue reading
One of our favorite interviewees in person or the phone is Matt Harvey of Exhumed. Matt is as amazing to chat with as he is a guitarist and bandleader. Exhumed’s new album is the aptly titled Horror (Relapse Records) which came out just ahead of Halloween 2019, and he was in a spooky mood when we chatted. We talked about the new album, his proclivity for writing great OSDM songs, the consistency of the current lineup of the band, his favorite horror movies ever, and his thoughts on attending one of Metallica’s “S and M 2 Concerts” in San Francisco, earlier this fall, and more. Catch the band on tour through the start of December with Necrot! Continue reading
When thinking of the power metal scene in general, you would be forgiven for not necessarily considering Britain an institution of it. Considering that Germany has offered the worldwide scene the likes of Helloween and Blind Guardian, and Finnish groups such as Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica, it is unsurprising that power metal shows in the UK come few and far between, despite the country’s roots in the highly influential NWOBHM genre.Continue reading
Yeah, this sounds fucked upcoming from me the advocate of all things Death Metal, loud and slamming drums, but young extreme bands need to learn when to hold them and when to fold them. There are many moments of technical brilliance – leads and solos in particular – to be found in Vitriol’s To Bathe from the Throat of Cowardice (Century Media Records), but they tend to get lost in a monochromatic cement sea. Continue reading
Six years ago today Jeff Hanneman of Slayer died. It still feels unreal that he is gone. Although Slayer has soldiered on without their fallen brother, Slayer is on their final world tour, a definite eventuality once Jeff passed away. Ghost Cult has written a lot of words about the importance of Slayer and Jeff as a composer and guitarist to the thrash metal genre, but also what he has meant to the scene as a personality, in both life and death. What follows is a collection of Jeff’s greatest Slayer hits as well as our original obituary, written at the time of his passing. Rest In Power Jeff!