Review: VELVET VIPER – ‘Respice Finem’

According to German metal band, VELVET VIPER, you don’t leave before wintertime. Fresh off from their spring released by GMR Music Group, ‘Respice Finem’ is the new album from the German metal band, VELVET VIPER. Formed in 1990 by blues vocalist, Jutta Weinhold, VELVET VIPER released two albums, “Velvet Viper” (1991) and “The 4th Quest For Fantasy” (1992), before the band split up in 1993. It’s been 26 years since VELVET VIPER’s last album and come to 2017, when Jutta Weinhold reformed the band with a brand new line-up. With Fabian Ranft plucking the bass, Micha Fromm shredding the guitar, and rounding up the band is Holger Marx keeping the backbeat on drums, VELVET VIPER is as relevant as ever and they’re ready to concur the metal scene once again.

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Aftershock 2018 Spotlight: THE JACKS [Video Stream]

*This is part of our “Aftershock Festival 2018 Spotlight” where we branch out and focus on some of the up-and-coming bands that fans can see at this year’s Aftershock Festival on October 13th & 14th.  This week, we’re checking out THE JACKS.*

This year’s Aftershock Festival is packed with some of the biggest trendsetters in today’s current music scene. Going stronger than ever is the revival sound of classic rock and psychedelia. Doing their part to contribute to the retro movement are The Jacks who offer their spin on the British Invasion sound of the sixties and seventies. It’s a nuts-and-bolts style of catchy pop hooks and rock n’ roll simplicity that opts for a rawer sound as opposed to excess studio gimmickry. Continue reading

WARBRINGER To Bring Back Good Ol’ Thrash With New Single; Embarks On Tour Across Europe!

Photo Credit: Alex Solca

WARBRINGER have continued to evolve throughout their 5th album into the most lethal band in modern thrash! With their latest effort ‘Woe to the Vanquished‘(2017, Napalm Records) the US based thrashers have delivered a monumental record and are now ready, in fact already conquering and marching ahead in European shores with their explosive live appearances over hot summer festivals & exclusive support shows with the mighty SEPULTURA!

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Review: DEICIDE – ‘Overtures of Blasphemy’ [Video Stream]

Once again, Florida death metal pioneers, Deicide return with a new collection of sonic hatred and brutality. The band’s upcoming LP – and 12th studio album to date – entitled ‘Overtures of Blasphemy’ is scheduled for release September 14th, 2018 via Century Media Records. This time around, they’ve stuck to the “we’re not gonna fix what isn’t broken” approach, as drummer and main songwriter Steve Asheim describes. The music is as brutal and aggressive as their reputation would imply and exactly what fans would expect from these undisputed masters of the genre. There’s no fat left to be trimmed from the concise, 12 tracks of God-bashing tunes that clock in at an average of about three minutes each. ‘Overtures of Blasphemy’ walks the line expertly between melodic and balls-out insanity for a focused and potent death metal record to solidify that Deicide are still the kings and not even Christ himself dares to challenge their throne. Continue reading

The Bucketlist With LOLA BLACK


*In this series we pose the age old questions to a wide array of music lovers. As fans of music most of us keep a mental list of active bands we want to see live that we haven’t yet seen. The Bucketlist brings to you those lists of your favorite artists and why those bands mean so much to them*


It’s that time of the month again, yes the Bucketlist segment is back with another killer band opening up about the bands they’d love to see so bad. For today’s edition we have from Denver, CO, LOLA BLACK, who has been rising up the ranks of Denver metal scene real quick. With a mesmerizing live performance and a relentless work ethic she and her eponymous group have become the “it” band in Colorado taking in 3 Westword Music Awards putting them in alumni status, landing the title of 106.7 KBPI’s Best Band in Denver and becoming the go to act for national festivals and other numerous radio events.

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State Of The Art: West Virginia’s ROZWELL KID

*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured state. This month’s state is West Virginia.*

“I’m tired of tugging my hair
And scratching my neck ’til it’s red
And I’m wired from all of the coffee
I’m funneling into my head
My legs are jelly at night
From boogiein’ straight into bed
And I try to straighten it out
And get tangled all over again” – “Boomerang”

Rozwell Kid are an unusual landmark band, breathing life into the saturated market of pop punk.  They take a quirky look inside the body politic of American society much the same way that David Lynch does with his vignettes of life in his movies. Continue reading

Bobby Burns (PRIMER 55) “We’re Either Gonna Do It or We’re Gonna Destroy It”

This week, Joshua Toomey is joined by guest Bobby Burns, guitarist and co-founder of Primer 55 for a special edition of Talk Toomey: The Metal Nexus Podcast. The impromptu interview comes fresh on the heels of the tragic news about the passing of longtime Primer 55 vocalist, Jason “J-Sin” Luttrell due to severe health issues just hours prior. Toomey (also of Primer 55 alumni) reminisces about the good times had with Luttrell while a noticeably shaken Burns shares his memories of the band and feelings about the vocalist’s untimely passing. The interview is a somber yet heartfelt tribute to the life and times of Luttrell and the ups and downs of the extreme nature of being in a band like Primer 55. Continue reading

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY & C.O.C. Shred In Knoxville, Tennessee [Review & Gallery]

Black Label Society

What to do on a rainy first day of August? You point your truck south and head to The Mill & Mine in Knoxville, TN. Why, you ask? Because someone told me that Black Label Society, Corrosion of Conformity and EYEHATEGOD were going to melt the roof of the building! So I needed to go see for myself! Continue reading

Review: THE VINTAGE CARAVAN – ‘Gateways’

 

Classic rock trio The Vintage Caravan caused an earthquake in the heavy music scene with their self-released debut album “The Vintage Caravan” (2011), and their sophomore record “Voyage” (2012; re-released in early 2014). In 2013 the band was officially signed with Nuclear Blast. Also their reputation as a powerful live band soon got around and gave them numerous possibilities to open up for acts such as Blues Pills and Grand Magus.

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