Author Archives: CountDoom

Review: BIG BUSINESS – ‘The Beast You Are’ [Song Stream]

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Big Business is a band. They play heavy rock. On that, we can all agree. Things get tricky when you try to classify exactly where on the musical spectrum the dynamic duo’s racket falls. “I guess psychedelic heavy metal punk rock? I don’t know. People always say ‘sludge rock,’ which I always found to be lazy and kind of inaccurate,” says drummer Coady Willis. “A lot of our songs are fast, and it’s not like we’re playing a half-assed Black Sabbath riff over and over again. That’s been the struggle of the band. We’re a band that doesn’t really fit into what everyone else is doing.” Continue reading →

Review: HIGH N’ HEAVY – ‘Warrior Queen’ [Album Stream]

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High n’ Heavy are a four piece instrument of destruction out of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Formed in late 2014 with The Stooges, Black Sabbath, and Motörhead in mind; their sound has evolved to perfectly embody all of their influences. Mostly playing shows in their native New England, High n’ Heavy has been picking up a handful of new fans every time they perform. The following is multiplying not only because of their talented musicianship but also because of their high energy live sets that create fandom simply by word of mouth. Their first 3 albums have shown the band to be at home playing everything from the most brutal of doom to the dirtiest of rock n’ roll. The electric circus that is High n’ Heavy consists of  Kris Fortin on vocals, John Steele on guitar and keys, Mike Dudley on bass, and drummer Nick Perrone. The New Bedford band have now released their 4th album ‘Warrior Queen’ (via Electric Valley Records): An album full of psychedelia, mysticism and killer airfare! ‘Warrior Queen was recorded & engineered by Trevor Vaughan, recorded at The Colosseum and produced by Trevor Vaughan and High n’ Heavy.

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Review: IRON GRIFFIN – ‘Curse Of The Sky’ [Album Stream]

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Iron Griffin, the throwback/retro metal band from Finland are set to release ‘Curse of the Sky’ on March 22nd via Gates of Hell Records. Like the self-titled debut, Oskari Rasanen handles all the instrumentation himself! Joining him on vocals, however, is Maija Tiljander whose previous experience included singing power metal covers in Finnish bars and clubs. Continue reading →

Review: CANDLEMASS – ‘The Door to Doom’ [Track Stream]

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Candlemass are one of the most important names in Doom Metal. Along with Saint Vitus, Trouble, and The Obsessed they all helped create a form of music that was heavily influenced by the forefathers of Doom and Gloom: Black Sabbath! From their 1986 debut classic ‘Epicus Doomicus Metallicus’ to the 2018 ep ‘The House of Doom’ Candlemass have been one of the hardest working and most consistent bands in the Metal scene. However, with the upcoming release of ‘The Door to Doom’ (available February 22nd via Napalm Records) the band have managed to top past glories and have (arguably) released the best album of their long career! Continue reading →

Review: THE ACCUSED AD – ‘The Ghoul in The Mirror’ [Official Video]

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Blaine Cook (also known as The Wizard) is a musical figure who has been around since the 80’s. He started his music career fronting the Seattle based political punk band The Fartz, but he is perhaps best know for his time in Splatter Rock kings The Accused. Founded in 1981, The Accused were one of the most important bands of the time as they were one of the first to bridge the gap between Punk Rock and Thrash Metal which eventually lead to the creation of Crossover. Despite being an influence on everyone from Lamb of God, Cannibal Corpse, Dead Cross and Municipal Waste, The Accused largely remained underground and underappreciated. Fast forward to 2019 and we no longer have The Accused; but we do have something just as great: The Accused AD! This is a band that features the iconic vocals of Blaine Cook as well as the talents of Alex “Maggotbrain” Sibbald, Steve “The Beast” McVay, and Poison Idea drummer Mickey Widmere! Later this year, The band is scheduled to release a limited edition tape entitled ‘The Ghoul in the Mirror’ via Blackhouse Records Ltd. The album will be produced by Jack Endino (Nirvana, Toxic Holocaust) and mastered by Pig Destroyer’s Scott Hull! Continue reading →

Count Doom’s Top Ten Albums Of 2018

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Between the exceptional work of underground bands such as Deviated State and Wax Lead (who both released vastly different but equally awesome releases) to mainstream heroes such as Judas Priest, 2018 has shaped up to be another very strong year for rock and heavy metal! Here is my list of favorite rock/metal releases of 2018! Continue reading →

Review: INSANITY ALERT – ‘666-Pack’ [Official Video + Tracks Streaming]

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Austrian crossover thrashers Insanity Alert will release their new full-length, ‘666-Pack’, on January 25th via Season Of Mist. “Forged in Innsbruck in 2011 and influenced by the likes of S.O.D., D.R.I., Suicidal Tendencies, Nuclear Assault, Bones Brigade, Municipal Waste, and Toxic Holocaust, Insanity Alert are the kind of people who know what to bring to a party: a big dose of humor with a dash of darkness, party tunes, and a six pack. It’s these ingredients that make up the basis of the band’s third full-length. A relentless, twenty-one-track ripper, ‘666-Pack’ brings the classic spirit of speed metal’s salad days back with savage metal precision. Ultra-catchy riffs, vicious vocals, and empowering gang vocals are packed into short, sharp rapid-fire attacks delivering everything great about thrash in spades.” ‘666-Pack’ was produced and mixed by Toni Meloni Loitsch (Die Toten Hosen, Silbermond, H-Blockx) at Nautilus Sounds Studio, mastered by Dan Randall (Municipal Waste, Toxic Holocaust, Ghoul, Cannabis Corpse) at Mammoth Sound Mastering and comes wrapped in the gruesome cover creation of Mark Riddick (Rotting Christ, Horrendous, Revocation, etc.). Continue reading →

Review: KING DIAMOND – ‘Songs For The Dead Live’

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The King is back! After a long wait, King Diamond has returned with ‘Songs for the Dead Live,’ which is the first thing KD has released since 2007’s ‘Give Me Your Soul….Please.’ On January 25th, KD will release a new DVD/Blu-ray ‘Songs for the Dead Live’ via Metal Blade Records. Here is some official info summarizing what to expect from this extensive collection of music and footage: Continue reading →

Review: CREATE A KILL – ‘Summoned To Rise’ [Album Stream]

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‘Summoned to Rise’: the new album from Create A Kill is an homage to forefathers of Thrash, specifically those that would help shape the birth of Death Metal, ala Slayer, Sodom, Possessed, Kreator, and Dark Angel. Create A Kill carve out a vicious collection of tunes that will make you want your bang your head like it’s 1989! ‘Summoned to Rise’ was recorded and mixed by Gus Rios who also wrote all the music for the album while Alex Marquez and Matt Harvey contributed all the lyrics. The album was released July 13, 2018.

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Review: CANCER – ‘Shadow Gripped’ [Track Stream]

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Cancer was formed in 1988 by drummer Carl Stokes, guitarist John Walker and bassist Ian Buchanan. Not long after forming, the band released 2 demos (‘No Fuckin Cover’ and ‘Demo 2’) and toured with a variety of bands including Bolt Thrower and Charged GBH. During the 90’s, Cancer released the most material, however, it would be the first two of these albums that really gave the band a name in the Death Metal scene. ‘To the Gory End’ (1990) and ‘Death Shall Rise’ (1991) are relatively obscure releases even to many Metal fans, however, for those of us who have heard them we know they are classics of the genre! After being absent since 2005’s ‘Spirit in Flames’ Cancer have returned in 2018 with a new album! Available now via Peaceville Records ‘Shadow Gripped’ is an album that harkens back to the glory days of Death Metal! Continue reading →