Album Review: OVERKILL – ‘Live In Overhausen’ (Nuclear Blast)

OVERKILL are a legendary thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey. They have gone through many line-up changes, leaving bassist D. D. Verni and lead vocalist Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth as the only constant members. OVERKILL‘s current lineup also includes Dave Linsk on lead guitar, Derek Tailer on rhythm guitar and Jason Bittner on drums.

The band are masters of the crunchy thrash that the 1980’s spawned.  They eat and drink metal music and Blitz is a renowned singer within the genre, being one of the godfathers of thrash, along with James Hetfield of METALLICA and Chuck Billy of TESTAMENT.  They have a significant library of studio albums (nineteen in total), including the stone cold classics ‘Under The Influence’ (1988) and ‘Horrorscope’ (1999). Continue reading

THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA Premiere Official Music Video for New Single, “This Time” and Unveil New Album Details [Video Stream]

Swedish melodic hardrockers, The Night Flight Orchestra release official music video for their brand new single, “This Time” from their upcoming LP, ‘Sometimes the World Ain’t Enough;’ scheduled for release June 29th, 2018 via Nuclear Blast Records. The new track definitely has that 80’s arena rock-inspired feel to it, with its epic riffing and huge choruses reminiscent of such legends as Night Ranger, Europe, and Boston. The band commented: Continue reading

CHILDREN OF BODOM Starts Working On New Album

Finland’s finest export and homegrown metal stars CHILDREN OF BODOM have good news for all of us. Word is out that the melo-death outfit from Espoo, are currently working on a new album as you read this article. The forthcoming album will be their much anticipated one after 2015’s highly acclaimed,’I Worship Chaos‘. The guys just entered their own Danger Johnny Studio with producer Mikko Karmila to kick off the recordings of their brand new studio album. The upcoming album marks the continuation of their partnership with Mikko Karmila who worked both on ‘I Worship Chaos‘ and 2013’s ‘Halo Of Blood‘.

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Interview: Oli Beaudoin Of KATAKLYSM, Reveals New Album Release Date, Upcoming Music Videos [Audio Stream]

I recently had the great pleasure of interviewing Oli Beaudoin, drummer for Canadian death metal band, Kataklysm; who are about to release their 13th studio album, ‘Meditations’ in June, 2018  on Nuclear Blast Records (no official release date yet). The album was originally scheduled for an April release, but was pushed back to June to finish mixing and mastering. Link to full audio interview below. Continue reading

Album Review: EARTHLESS – Black Heaven (Song Stream)

 

Earthless

Black Heaven

Nuclear Blast Records

Release Date: March 16, 2018

It’s been more than four years since the last Earthless album, the mammoth double LP From the Ages, and to say things are a little different now would be an understatement. Since the 2005 release of their debut album Sonic Prayer, the San Diego power trio have built their reputation on a repertoire of expansive, instrumental psych-rock explorations, side-long, many-movement mindfucks that split the difference between Amon Düül II and Black Sabbath. Black Heaven, their latest effort (and first under the Nuclear Blast banner), is a leaner, meaner affair that’s way more James Gang than Flower Travellin’ Band. The songwriting and structures have been tightened up and whittled down (the longest song on Black Heaven is slightly less than nine minutes, which for Earthless is practically a pop single), based more on refined guitar riffs than semi-improvised rhythm section interplay and trimmed of a lot of hallucinogenic fat. Perhaps most jarring for longtime listeners will be the introduction of the human voice into the Earthless equation; four of Black Heaven’s six tracks feature guitarist Isaiah Mitchell stepping into the vocal spotlight. Doubters and worrywarts can relax and unclench, though; this is still Earthless through and through, plenty trippy, plenty heavy, and more than capable of levelling even the most hardened of psychic warriors.

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MADBALL Finish Recording New Album ‘For The Cause’ Featuring ICE-T Guest Appearance

New York hardcore veterans, Madball have finished recording their upcoming album, ‘For the Cause,’ which will feature a guest appearance from rapper/Body Count frontman, Ice-T.  About being featured on the record, Ice-T commented, “It‘s an honor to record with the legendary Madball. Body Count draws its closest similarities to NY Hardcore. This is a natural.” Singer, Freddy Cricien added, “It’s truly an honor to have Ice-T on our record! I grew up on his music from his early hip hop stuff till now. He’s an iconic figure but also a ‘class act’, you don’t always get both at once. Ice has a great respect for NYHC and Madball, means the world. This was meant to happen…. real recognizes real.” Continue reading

Album Review: MINISTRY ‘AmeriKKKant’ [Video Stream]

Industrial pioneers, Ministry return with the highly topical and timely release of their fourteenth full-length studio album, ‘AmeriKKKant’ –  scheduled to drop on March 9th, 2018 via Nuclear Blast Records.  Coming out during a time when the political climate in America is at its most volatile in recent years, “Uncle Al” and co. are clearly pissed off at the current state of things and are not at all interested in sugar-coating or holding back their anger on this record.  The resulting tone, presented cynically throughout ‘AmeriKKKant,’ is a hypnotically and grittily electronic, apocalyptic waltz of anarchist protest. Continue reading

LETTERS FROM THE COLONY Launch Video For New Single “Galax” And It’s Prog!

LETTERS FROM THE COLONY are your newest prog kids on the block. Hailing from the small town of Borlänge, central Sweden the quintet is an amalgamation of young, artistic and exceptional musicians who are determined to channel their thoughts in a creative and at the same time, an extreme way. LETTERS FROM THE COLONY spawned back in 2010, and since the very first day of their existence they have been determined on bringing something new and virgin to the metal scene. Just adding the right amount of progressiveness, melded with extreme technical aspects the band now is ready to unleash their all new debut studio album, which is releasing tomorrow, out via Nuclear Blast. It’s a progressive extreme metal album, entitled, ‘Vignette‘.

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NIGHTWISH Release Official Trailer #1 For ‘Decades’ [Video Stream]

Finnish symphonic metal band, Nightwish release epic, cinematic trailer for ‘Decades,’ a painstakingly selected collection of twenty-two of the most quintessential Nightwish tracks recorded throughout the band’s history.  Available on March 9th, 2018, on Nuclear Blast Records, ‘Decades’ is more than just a greatest hits album, but rather a musical journey through some of the key moments of discovery and evolution the band has experienced since their 1996 inception until today. Continue reading

PHIL CAMPBELL & THE BASTARD SONS – Studio Diary Released, Pre-Order Date Announced

The long-anticipated full-length debut from Welsh hard rockers Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, The Age of Absurdity, will see worldwide release via Nuclear Blast Records on January 26, and the band is offering fans a glimpse into the album’s creation with the first episode of their official studio diary. The brief video shows the group, led by veteran Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell, working on drum sounds with producer Romesh Dodangoda, discussing song structure and lyrics, and tightening the songs up in rehearsal.

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