An Interview with BALLPEIN

A scene that frequently gets shoved to the wayside by the heavy-metal community is the massively influential, thriving and certainly one-of-a-kind brand of underground music that was both a worldwide phenomenon commonly known as “Hardcore punk”, and more specifically in this context a significant subculture that had begun to emerge in the wake of Thatcher-era Britain, – indeed, “Hardcore punk” has now become a very generalised term yet it barely scratches the surface of what the community did for so many young people in an era of increasing economic crisis, political unrest and social inequality. This was a chance for young people’s voice to get heard amidst all of the unravelling chaos – yet it wasn’t always easy. Continue reading

Latest News About MONSTRANCE (Ex-Members of CARCASS, MY DYING BRIDE, MALEDICTION)

This is the latest news about MONSTRANCE, a metal supergroup that have began to accumulate a steady following over the past few months. In a recent statement, founding guitarist Carlo Regadas said of the band..

Not many know that, by the time I got rushed into hospital on 3rd September with severe necrotising pancreatitis and splenic vein thrombosis, I’d nearly lost my entire band, due to personal commitments and logistics. I lost my bass player whilst I was in hospital and that left only myself and Steven Hargraves. The departure of the previous members was purely amicable and we’re all still great friends who wish each other success and happiness in our respective lives. From my hospital bed I was able to put a new lineup together and we now have a lineup that is able to play gigs, record and tour. The new lineup is not only dynamic and highly musically proficient, it also has a lot of quality, pedigree and experience in extreme metal over the last 30 years, it’s also the most stable lineup this band has had, we all live close enough to rehearse regularly etc. I now have a clean bill of health and I now look forward to making some seriously earth-shattering heavy metal with these lads.”

The new lineup is as follows:

Carlo Regadas (ex-CARCASS) – Lead / Rhythm Guitars                                                                                                    Steven Hargraves (BALLPEIN) – Rhythm Guitar                                                                                                              Rich Mumford (GODTHRYMM, ex-MALEDICTION) – Bass Guitar                                                                           Rik Simpson (AUSTERYMN) – Vocals                                                                                                                                  Dan Mullins (BLASPHEMER, ex-MY DYING BRIDE, ex-BAL-SAGOTH) – Drums

This line up will be recording the ‘Injustice for All’ EP for Cosmic Key Creations on limited edition black and gold 12” vinyl and Transcending Records on CD and all digital platforms.

The band’s first live performance will be Eradication Festival in Cardiff, with WOMBBATH, HECATE, ENTHRONED, MERCYLESS and more on 20 May!

Stay tuned for more information regarding the release of the EP.


Album Review: SPIDER ROCKETS – ‘Along Came a Spider’ [Song Stream]

If you’ve been on the prowl for innovative rock artists during the last couple of decades or so, one group that may have crossed your path is New Jersey-based Spider Rockets. Celebrating the twentieth anniversary since their initial formation, the group are set to release their fifth studio album, ‘Along Comes a Spider’ which marks yet another evolution for the group as a songwriting unit. With new producer Dan Malsch (Framing Hanley, Tantric, Doro) involved in the thick of it, the group are keen yet again to introduce a different sound to their repertoire. The group’s first three studio recordings during the early 2000s were produced by Martin Bisi (Sonic Youth, Swans, The Dresden Dolls, John Zorn, Herbie Hancock, Helmet, Unsane, White Zombie) and later Eric Rachel (Atreyu, Black Dahlia Murder, Hatebreed, Patti Smith Group, Misfits etc) Continue reading

Interview: Ritchie Randall of GRAVEHUFFER

Photo Credit: Chet Smith

If you’ve been keeping a watchful eye upon the current state of affairs within extreme metal’s underground vaults, the likelihood is that you may have came across a band named Gravehuffer. Their second LP, titled ‘Your Fault’ is a mature follow-up to their debut which was released five years earlier. The album’s tonality highlights one’s most earnest thoughts about modern society with a vague sense of jocularity and cynicism. The album’s line-up is comprised of Mike Jilge on bass, Larry Deardorff on drums, James Hiser on vocals and Ritchie Randall on guitars. The album also features ex-Carcass / current Monstrance guitarist Carlo Regadas as a session musician. It was released via Reality Impaired Recordings in March 2017.

Almost a year later, we here at Metal Nexus thought it would be a good idea to check up on the Gravehuffer camp and see how they’re doing. With rehearsals now underway and new material being written, it’s fair to say that Gravehuffer is anything but inactive at the moment.

Interviewer Jaime Regadas had the immense opportunity of chatting with guitarist Ritchie Randall about their origins as a band, their plans for 2018 and more!

 

Album Review: BLACK LABEL SOCIETY – ‘Grimmest Hits’ [Links Below]

From fanatic heavy-metal advocates to casual listeners, a group that has managed to reel in an eclectic mixture of both communities is the now long-established, versatile force of Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society, whose tenth studio album, whimsically titled ‘Grimmest Hits’ is perhaps a little bit of a celebration record for the band as it marks their twentieth anniversary as a recording unit. The record is scheduled to be released via eOne Music on 19/01/2018. Continue reading

Review: Nebula – ‘Let it Burn’ 20th Anniversary Reissue

For fans of Nineties psych-fused heavy rock, a group that commonly springs to mind is Los Angeles based power-trio Nebula, a group whose initial incarnation was formed out of the ashes of Fu Manchu and their decaying line-up at the time. Celebrating their 20th Anniversary, the group are planning to reissue their first three recordings under the newly-established, slightly esoteric label under the name of Heavy Psych Sounds. Each individual release features two bonus tracks as well as the original track-listing and is certainly marked by a deep feeling of sentiment and accomplishment. Today we’ll be focusing on the first of their upcoming releases which is also evidently the first plunge into oblivion the group embarked upon as a recording unit; – why yes, of course I’m talking about the EP ‘Let it Burn’ which was in its heyday originally released via Relapse Records. Continue reading

Album Review: Frozen Crown – ‘The Fallen King’

Today we’ve a very special review for you here at Metal Nexus which concerns a group that are more-than-likely virtually unknown to the vast majority of our most avid readers at this precise point in time but are more than certain to achieve high bursts of success and international acclaim in the years to come. Frozen Crown aren’t a name you’ve heard before but will most definitely hear a lot more of very soon. They are a self-categorized ‘Melodic Power Metal’ group Continue reading

Interview: Woody Weatherman Says “Punk Was Huge For Corrosion of Conformity.”

Today we here at Metal Nexus were given the wonderful opportunity to chat with Woodroe ”Woody” Weatherman, co-founder and lead guitarist of the highly revered act Corrosion of Conformity, a name that has been a pivotal figurehead in the realms of heavy-metal since their origins in 1982. Continue reading

Operation: Mindcrime – ‘The New Reality’ (Review)

If metal could be tied down to a number of iconic soundbites or phrases, “Operation: Mindcrime” would most certainly be high on the list after the seminal Queensryche rock-opera of the same title. Recently such a phrase has found yet again its prevalence in the corridors of rock with the emergence of ex-Queensryche vocalist Geoff Tate and his concept project Operation: Mindcrime, whose third studio album ‘The New Reality’ is set to hit the market on December 1, 2017. The album Continue reading

Interview: Puppet Master of Priest says “We’re all very influenced by New Romantics”

While the Scandinavian music scene is one frequently revered and heavily romanticized, – particularly amongst heavy-metal listeners; – one particular group you might not have heard of is the blossoming figurehead of macabre synth-pop, PRIEST. The group, since their incarnation, have consistently sought to experiment with a diverse array of visual and musical stylings. Their upcoming debut album ‘New Flesh’ is scheduled for release on November 17 2017 via Lovely Records. The album was produced by Alpha (ex-GHOST) Continue reading