Exciter Announce Reunion.

Our friends over at Thrash Metal Times just let loos the news that Exciter are back. Here's the word straight from the band.

Great news to all Exciter fans worldwide, myself and original members Dan Beehler and Allan Johnson have officially re-united! We intend performing our bone crushing neck-snapping speed metal in as many countries that will have us! To celebrate our long anticipated reunion , one of many shows that will happen in 2014 / 2015 is the recent announcement that original Exciter will appear at the Keep It True festival in Lauda-Konigshofen, Germany, April 24, 2015. We hope to see you there! Our performance will consist of all the classics that established Exciter as one of the pioneers of speed and thrash. New material and a new release will eventually follow.

I also want to comment on my so-called `retirement` which was posted on various sites on Feb.24 by the former Exciter members. I just want to say I never said I was going to retire . In my opinion this retirement announcement was fabricated exaggeration. What I did say is that `I need a break from music` due to some rebellious behavior from one of the musicians in the band. So at this point all that B.S. is behind me and I am now focusing on delivering some new ear splitting brain rattling METAL with Dan and Allan! I want to thank all the loyal and dedicated fans and music industry individuals that contacted me during this false retirement statement and offering their support and a positive outcome to a situation that was non-repairable.

Hope to see you soon with `horns high and fists in the air!

- John Ricci of Exciter

Keep up with events in the Exciter camp at ExciterMetal.com

Alex Skolnick is our guest on this weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 180 - Geek To Guitar Hero

Alex Skolnick is our guest this week. Besides his tenure in Testament and his other musical excursions into the world of jazz Alex also took time to write a very insightful autobiography "Geek To Guitar Hero". We sat down to discuss the book, Testament, and much more on this episode of Focus on Metal

Get insight into all things Alex at: http://alexskolnick.com/ 

Alex is also heavy user of Twitter. Follow him at: http://www.twitter.com/alexskolnick

Grab it now from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, The Cast Iron Ring or on iTunes

And as always Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

JUDAS PRIEST UNLEASH TASTER FROM THEIR 17TH ALBUM, 'REDEEMER OF SOULS'

***IMAGE IS SINGLE (NOT ALBUM) ARTWORK*** For U.S. fans of Judas Priest that simply cannot wait for the July 15th release date of their latest classic metal album, 'Redeemer of Souls,' there is some relief on the way. On Tuesday, April 29th, the title track from the album will be available for purchase via iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/redeemer-of-souls-single/id863086125) and other digital service providers. And a clip of the song (plus the single's artwork) is now available to sample at the band's website, www.judaspriest.com. If you are wondering what to expect from the mighty Priest on their forthcoming album, guitarist Glenn Tipton has set the record straight. "Sometimes in the past we may have come under fire for being too adventurous musically - so we have listened!! From start to finish 'Redeemer of Souls' is 13 songs of pure classic Priest metal!!" There are only a select number of bands that have accomplished what Judas Priest has throughout their career (as well as having served as a stylistic influence on such a wide variety of bands). Soon the group - singer Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis - will be offering up more classic Judas Priest metal with the release of 'Redeemer of Souls' FOR FURTHER INFORMATION VISIT: www.judaspriest.com www.facebook.com/OfficialJudasPriest

INVERTIA: Free Download of "The Sidewinding" Available at ShakeFire.com

Industrialized Black Metal duo INVERTIA and ShakeFire.com are offering a free download of the song "The Sidewinding" off the band's recently released Another Scheme of the Wicked.

To snag a free MP3 of "The Sidewinding" visit:

www.shakefire.com/track/invertia-the-sidewinding  *(Right-click > Save Link As...) 

Another Scheme of the Wicked is out now on Ohm Resistance. Purchase the CD or digital download at ohmresistance.bandcamp.com.

The album is also on sale at: 

iTunes 

Amazon  

INVERTIA are the New England duo of guitarist/vocalist Dave Coppola and drummer/programmer Tim Winson. A mirror displaying some of the darkest paradoxes and truly terrifying segments of American society, INVERTIA's music ridicules the hypocrisy of cult-religious fervor with nitroglycerin and napalm shred guitars and psycho-bombastic drum programming.  

The follow up album to 2013's self-titled debut, Another Scheme of the Wicked combines a blistering five-track assault with five remixes from musical backgrounds, including Ohm Resistance veterans Justin K. Broadrick (GODFLESH, JESU), End.user (THE BLOOD OF HEROES), and Submerged (METHOD OF DEFINANCE, THE BLOOD OF HEROES).

INVERTIA has been described by Metal Army America as a "bastard child of Gorgoroth." One could also view them as a hybrid of SKINNY PUPPY, SUFFOCATON, MERZBOW, and EDWARD SNOWDEN: revealing the truth by demonstrably inflating the cultural lies and political deceit of our times to a soundtrack of black metal dissonance and their infamous programmed "buzz beat." One of the absolute scariest moments ever recorded on Ohm Resistance occurs during the R3TRD remix of "They're Everywhere," with a Pentecostal preacher vampirishly admonishing children to visit with him as he speaks in tongues. Must be heard to be believed - as well as the entirety of Another Scheme of the Wicked.

"Another Scheme for the Wicked is one of those albums where you wish you had the physical copy in your hands, opening up the jewel case, unfolding layer upon layer of fine art, while their monster punches its fist through your delicate chest." - Angry Metal Guy

"Intriguing, harsh and exciting; this is an album to keep returning to." 

- Wonderbox Metal

www.inv3rtia.com

www.facebook.com/invertiamusic

www.twitter.com/Inv3rtia

www.ohmresistance.com

www.soundcloud.com/ohm-resistance

www.facebook.com/ohmresistance

www.twitter.com/ohmresistance

CRAVING Featured in Danish TV Commercial

German melodic death/black metal band CRAVING are being featured in a TV commercial for Samsung Galaxy S5 on Danish television. The spot is scheduled to run for the next three weeks and features the band's cover of "Only Teardrops" by Emmelie de Forest. 

Watch the ad at this link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qty-ruVmt8

Since 2006, CRAVING has masterfully blended black and death metal with soaring melodies and folk influences. In October of last year, Apostasy Records released the band's sophomore album, At Dawn. With lyrics written in German, Russian and English and a noticeable progression from their 2012 debut, At Dawn stands as one of the most intriguing and varied records in recent memory. Guest appearances on At Dawn include Helge Stang (Ex-Equilibrium),Chris Caffery (Ex-Savatage),  Niels Löffler (Ordan Ogan) and Agalaz (Obscurity). The official music video for CRAVING's cover of "Only Teardrops" can be seen at this location.

For information on purchasing At Dawn visit:

www.apostasyrecords.com

www.cravingmetal.de

BLACKWELDER Featuring PRIMAL FEAR, DIO DISCIPLES, HANGAR Members, Signs With GoldenCore Records

International power prog metal band BLACKWELDER signs record deal with Germany’s GoldenCore Records/ZYX Music. BLACKWELDER is currently recording, mixing and mastering the yet untitled album for a release later this year. Hailing from the four corners of the world, BLACKWELDER is a brand new metal experience featuring some of the top names in Power Prog Metal today. Arguably the best singer in all of metal, Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear, ex-Gamma Ray) fronts this extraordinary outfit at the top of his game, alongside guitar virtuoso Andrew Szus (Seven Seraphim), Bjorn Englen (Dio Disciples, ex-Yngwie Malmsteen) and Aquiles Priester (Hangar, ex-Angra) round out this unstoppable team of what quite possibly could be one of the greatest lineups metal has ever seen.

BLACKWELDER are:

Ralf Scheepers – Vocals (Primal Fear, ex-Gamma Ray)
Andrew Szucs – Guitar (Seven Seraphim)
Bjorn Englen – Bass (Dio Disciples, ex-Yngwie Malmsteen)
Aquiles Priester – Drums (Hangar, ex-Angra)

BLACKWELDER began as the long-awaited follow up to Seven Seraphim’s “Believe in Angels“. Bit by bit, as the songs materialized, it became evident to mainman Andrew Szucs that this music should carry the banner of a new musical entity, emerging from a richer, darker source – thus, BLACKWELDER was born.

Andrew began this musical journey alone, however, once he completed the framework for all of the songs, the band members began to fall into place like pieces of a puzzle.

Bjorn Englen was the first to climb aboard, expertly adding his bass lines to the songs. Bjorn would later go on tour with Tony MacAlpine alongside drummer Aquiles Priester, after which, it seemed only natural to keep this rhythm section in tact for BLACKWELDER.

Once Andrew’s guitars were recorded, it became evident that a true powerhouse vocalist was needed to carry these songs to completion. Not just any voice would do.BLACKWELDER would need the stratospheric vocal stylings characterized by the rich tradition of European heavy metal, and who better to do that than the voice of Primal Fear: Ralf Scheepers. Like a dragon with its fire, Ralf’s voice and lyrical themes are a natural fit to the songs of BLACKWELDER; blending and contrasting with the Marshall-based guitar tones in perfect harmony.

Topping off this powerful lineup is the unparalleled drumming of Aquiles Priester. Andrew and Aquiles agreed to finish the songs with Aquiles’ unique pyrotechnic display of progressive metal drumming techniques and what a display it is.

BLACKWELDER is a winning formula of raw musical virtuosity that holds the listener’s ears right from the start. This act is surely not one to be missed and cannot be denied!

www.facebook.com/BlackwelderMetal

MACH22 Debut New Track with All About The Rock

Philadelphia Hard Rockers MACH22 and All About The Rock have joined forces for the exclusive worldwide premiere  of "Backslider" off the band's forthcoming debut album, Sweet Talk Intervention. 

Find out why MACH22 is being considered the future of rock 'n' roll at the link below:

http://allabouttherock.co.uk/exclusive-premier-stream-mach22-backslider/

Sweet Talk Intervention will be released on May 6. MACH22's rise is set to mach speed with no turning back. With killer riffs, bluesy rhythms, and soulful delivery, the band's songs span the emotional spectrum, capturing that classic rock feel with a modern edge. It's no wonder guitar icon Slash chose them Grand Prize Winner in Guitar Center's Onstage with Slash contest.

  

Metalholic's Rustyn Rose put it best in describing the MACH22 sound as "steeped in classic rock influences with ample amounts of bluesy rhythms, soulful delivery, and that intangible magic missing from so many of today's cookie cutter cut-and-paste knock-offs."

  

Check out the official video for "Go Ahead" at this location.

"It's one of those feelgood rock 'n' roll albums that you pop in your CD player and start playing Air Guitar/Air Drums to." - All About The Rock

  "This is classic melodic hard rock, with a bit of the blues, and a metal edge tossed in for good measure." 4.5/5 - Dangerdog Music Reviews

  

"It's rare that you come across a band who is so obviously musically intelligent, diverse yet have power, punch and attitude. MACH22 fits the bill. They have what it takes to appeal to rock fans, soul aficionados...anyone who enjoys into songs oozing class."
- Malcolm Dome (Metal Hammer UK, TotalRock.com)

  

"MACH22 create songs that are a mishmash of hard rock, soulful melody and funk...it's good that they don't stick to one particular musical formula!" - Black Velvet Magazine

"MACH22... A great live show and talent that really shines through in well written, confident and catchy songs with solid rock riffs and engaging lyrics. I really look forward to hearing all that this band has to offer."- Jaxson, 93.3 WMMR-FM, Philadelphia

  

"Big fuzzy guitars and leather clad funk outfit the raw soul of Lamont Caldwell's voice--creating a sound that is classic for an audience that is Eclectic!"

- Keith Donaldson, 88.1 FM-WMBR Boston

Sweet Talk Intervention will be available for purchase through the band's website

- www.mach22music.com -  iTunes, and damn near everywhere else. The album was Produced by Jeff Labar (CINDERELLA) and recorded at Dragon Sound Studios in Nashville, TN. Engineered by Ronnie Honeycutt (JACKYL). Additional engineering and tracking done at Tribe Sound Studios in West Chester, PA by Brian Davis and mastered at Sterling Sound in NYC by UE Nastasi.

MACH22 will be appearing at the highly acclaimed ROCKLAHOMA festival, which will be held May 23-25 in Pryor, Okla,. For more info, visit www.rocklahoma.com.

www.mach22music.com 

 www.facebook.com/mach22 

www.reverbnation.com/mach22  

 www.soundcloud.com/mach22music

www.twitter.com/mach22theband 

www.youtube.com/mach22music 

Fight The Good Fight

   It's record store today. This is personal. I bought a lot of stuff here.

http://www.rte.ie/ten/news/2014/0419/609837-hmv-returns-to-grafton-street/

Richie

Shadow Kingdom Records to Release Album from Obscure 80s Death Metallers Terminal Death on July 8

Shadow Kingdom Records has announced the upcoming release of a CD's worth of demo and rehearsal material from obscure 80s Death Metal group TERMINAL DEATH on July 8. A vinyl LP version will also be released in tandem with Hells Headbangers Records.  

Based on the material, the Chicago band should have gotten high praise across the globe, but fell through the cracks without a proper record label deal. That all changes now, as fans of early SEPULTURA, DEATH, and POSSESSED are in for a real treat. In addition to the remastered material, a nicely assembled CD booklet includes a detailed interview by Laurent of Snakepit Magazine.   

Shadow Kingdom Records owner Tim McGrogan shared these words about the release:

"When you talk about the earliest Death Metal bands, we think of SEPULTURA, DEATH, POSSESSED (all stemming from VENOM) right off the top, but there were a few ripping bands that quickly fell into obscurity and TERMINAL DEATH is one of those bands. This is not just an obscure band; they could have been a HUGE Death Metal band if they were signed to the right label back then. They certainly had all of the talent of the aforementioned bands. Their 1985 Demo tape screams with energy and intensity!  This collection is another snapshot of that amazing early Slayer-esque Death Metal. Co-founder Shaun Glass, whom also co-founded SINDROME, later joined the more well-known classic Death Metal band BROKEN HOPE in the early 1990's. Shadow Kingdom Records also teamed up with Hells Headbangers Records to release this lost gem as a Double LP. If you're into vinyl, keep your eyes peeled for it will be a glorified presentation."

Select tracks from Terminal Death are streaming at: shadowkingdomrecords.bandcamp.com/album/terminal-death 

Demo 1985:  

1. Terminal Death  

2. Judge Death  

3. The Day After the End  

4. Brain Tumor  

5. Celestial Execution  

6. Hacksaw 

Rehearsal -- December, 11 1985: 

7. Terminal Death/Judge Death  

8. Brain Tumor  

9. Celestial Execution  

10. Intermission  

11. Hacksaw  

12. The Day After the End  

13. Chained to the Abyss [Unreleased]  

14. Dying in the War [Unreleased] 

Rehearsal -- April 19, 1986:  

15. Terminal Death/Judge Death  

16. Brain Tumor  

17. Bloody Retribution [Unreleased]  

18. Hacksaw  

19. The Day After the End  

20. Chained to the Abyss

store.shadowkingdomrecords.com 

 www.shadowkingdomrecords.com

shadowkingdomrecords.bandcamp.com 

www.facebook.com/ShadowKingdomRecords 

ENTHRALLMENT Release Official Music Video for "Mummified Ante Mortem"

Bulgarian Death Metal vets ENTHRALLMENT have released the official music video for "Mummified Ante Mortem," off the band's newest album The Voice of Human Perversity. 

The video is now playing at the link below:

"Mummified Ante Mortem" -  http://youtu.be/HPEEPs_zSGo

PureGrainAudio.com is currently offering a download of  album track "Tool of Suicide." The MP3 is still available free of charge at this location.

Fans and critics across the globe have latched onto this eight-track monstrosity, with WonderBoxMetal calling the album a "compelling offering that has a timeless quality." The Voice of Human Perversity is out now on Rebirth the Metal Productions in Europe, South America, and North America and on Grindhead Records in Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. Mastered by James Murphy in Safehouse Productions, the follow up to 2012's

People from the Lands of Vit (United Guttural) raises the bar yet again with ETHRALLMENT's deft blend of U.S. and European Death Metal styles.

"A true classic of death metal." 14/15- Twilight-Magazin.de

"35 minutes of pound your face in to a steel girder whilst inserting your fingers in a meat grinder Metal, their greatest album to date." - Metal Temple

"From the cavernous, dark production to the no-nonsense approach to the music, this record just reeks of Death Metal brutality." 4/5 - Metal Rules

"Pure and good...approximately what CANNIBAL CORPSE on 'The Bleeding' celebrated masterfully." 4/5 - Stormbringer.at

www.enthrallment.eu

www.facebook.com/Enthrallment

Paradise Lost

   Cruises. Don't you just love them, a chance to relax and soak up some sun with a beer or a good read. Just chill and put those headphones on and let all those troubles float away. Then the wise got wiser. There's money to be made here and lots of it, all these young to middle aged folk with a looser wallet all chasing a GOOD TIME. Morals and ethics somewhat out the window, the motto becomes drink differently drink more and more often. Work is for pussies.

   Management and in particular those music types want their piece thank you very much. The whole ship just became a floating merch booth. The captain's the only sober one on the ship, well you hope so anyway especially at those prices. Band after band after band line up like all those empty glasses in front of you, some of them with less substance then the one staring you in the face, you need a couple more to forget how bad they were. Or how bad you are.

   I'm sure they are fun and I would like to go on one someday but how many fingers can you put in the dyke before everyone drowns? The album and tour to promote it, the album to promote a tour or for the really lazy one song. The package tour with bands that played together not so long ago. Hey, lets change a song or two so it feels kind of fresh and the fans won't feel the pinch like everyone is 5 years older and the ticket price is doubled. So the boat's the new thing. Or the old thing. Just like your mobile phone you just got but the next couple of models are up and coming. So where's the new concert model? Really this concept is old hat already like a lot of the bands on board who should know better, or don't know how to do anything else, or the ones who stay in their cabin for the trip because their ego is back in 1988.

   I'm sure the vibe amongst the fans is great. The one chance you have to get that Winger shirt out and not be sniggered at by so called normal folk. You wink and you nod with people you have never met but have known for life. You hope the opportunity arises that you can shake a musicians hand and get a pic or an autograph and get out of there before he thinks you a complete weirdo and drool all over him. Hey, it's the alcohol talking.

   Then you go home and tell everyone about all the bands you saw but didn't really because you were so blind drunk for the duration of the trip. The way these cruises are going you could probably guess 70% of the bands anyway cause they show up every year. Now you would never see Lemmy doing one of these things.........

Richie.

Former Megadeth Drummer Nick Menza Intense Mega Drumming DVD Footage Available

The first in six part series of webisodes documenting the making of former MEGADETH Drummer Nick Menza's first ever DVD Intense Mega Drumming can be seen below. The footage shot this past March in Seattle Washington at Uberbeatz Studio's, produced and directed by Kari Pearson & Robert Bolger 

Intense Mega Drumming DVD is going to be educational, entertaining and will feature Menza's years of playing drums in MEGADETH with tons of tips & tricks from his arsenal to help teach anybody out there become a better player, plus rare & unseen bonus footage from the Menza Mega Vault.

The DVD is expected to be released some time at the end of this year.

Menza joined MEGADETH for the 1990 recording "Rust In Peace" and for the next ten years became associated with the band's "classic" and most profitable era

Asked last September by Argentinean rock journalist Lucas H. Gordon if there is a possibility of him ever doing anything with MEGADETH again, Menza said: "You never know what can happen in the future. It's, like, I'm open to whatever. I would never say, 'I'll never join MEGADETH again. But it's really up to MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine. It's what the fans want, so I put the ball in his court.

Following the reissue of the entire MEGADETH catalog, Menza was invited to reunite with the band in 2004. Days after a reunion was announced, Menza was fired after rehearsals and replaced with Shawn Drover. Mustaine said that this was because Nick just wasn't prepared!!

Don't Raise The Curtain Again Lads

   So the official word has Malcolm Young taking a "break" from AC/DC for health reasons. Come on, let's not kid ourselves here, you won't see him on stage with the band again. It's no secret that one of the band has been under the weather lately but with AC/DC the info flows one way a drip at a time. It amazes me in the modern age how certain bands are able to keep these things under wraps and these guys are tops. Clan I don't know you so keep the fuck away.

   The band should knock it on the head. They've had a great run and a list of classic albums but seriously, how many of you guys out there break out Black Ice these days? Stiff Upper Lip anyone? Nah, it's back to the classics and that's not because the newer stuff is crap cause it isn't it's just not as good. There are people out there who say they release the same album again and again well I beg to differ.

   Brian Johnson is in his mid-sixties now and croaks the tunes out but anyone who says he sounds like he did years ago is not living in the real world. I'm all for nostalgia but without the cringe please. Justifying the continued existence of the band by bringing in another Young brother is not fair dinkum. Malcolm Young is the leader of that band and the backbone of their sound. He might shun the limelight and move around less then Ian Hill on stage but he is a fantastic rhythm guitarist, ask Dave Mustaine as he should know.

   For Those About To Rock.....We Salute You. Now go away and enjoy your retirement. Bring Lemmy with you.

Richie.

Focus on Metal 178 with Ann Boleyn of Hellion now online

Episode 178 - The Return of Hellion

On this weeks show we bring some classic American metal along with a dose of German power metal. First off we feature a chat with Ann Boleyn of Hellion and we follow that up with a talk with Piet Sielck of Iron Savior.

Grab it now from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, The Cast Iron Ring or on iTunes

And as always Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

HAMMER FIGHT Announce "Chug of Tour Vol. 3"

New Jersey thrash n' rollers HAMMER FIGHT will hit the road next month for the "Chug of Tour Vol. 3" in support of their newest release, Chug of War. The tour kicks off on May 16 in Asbury Park, NJ and will keep the band on the road until early June. Dates are as follows:

Chug Of War is out now on Horror Pain Gore Death Productions. A cross between Slayer, Motorhead, and beer, HAMMER FIGHT return to Horror Pain Gore Death Productions, who released the band's 2011 untitled EP, for Chug Of War. Combining ripping guitars, bass leads and gritty dirty vocals, HAMMER FIGHT stand out from the rest with a unique sound. Chug Of War is a rockin' album of drunken madness for fans of Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Anthrax, Slayer, Blood Duster, Blood For Blood, Carnivore, Thin Lizzy, Gang Green and Venom. Chug of War is available in CD and digital formats at hammerfight.bandcamp.com In other news, HAMMER FIGHT have contributed a song to MetalSucks.net's NYC Sucks Volume 3 digital compilation. Featuring some the best bands in the New York metal scene, HAMMER FIGHT's "Made in Rock" is showcased alongside tracks from BLACK TABLE, CAR BOMB and more. The comp is 100% free and can be downloaded at this location.  "To get it so right is pretty scary." [9/10] -Decibel Magazine "Chances are, they'll steal your drink and fuck your girl..."  - StereoKiller.com "This four piece of tattooed Jersey shore hooligans play a real aggro punk metal influenced highly by MOTORHEAD." - Scumfeast Metal 666 "Only pussies don't like this band." - Some Really Smart Dude  www.facebook.com/HammerFight  hammerfight.bandcamp.com

OMEN announce new Lead vocalist

Pure Steel Records Artist, OMEN from the USA are excited to announce that the PHANTOM X member Kevin Goocher will be taking over for Matt Story as singer. LINE-UP: Kevin Goocher - vocals Kenny Powell - guitars Andy Haas - bass Steve Wittig - drums

POTENTIAL THREAT SF Release Video for "Destroy and Dominate"

Bay Area thrashers POTENTIAL THREAT SF have released the official music video for the song "Destroy and Dominate." The song comes off the band's 2013 release Civilization Under Threat, out now on Old School Metal Records.     

Check out the video for "Destroy and Dominate" HERE. 

The video was directed and edited by Mike Sloat. Support crew included Mike Collins and Crow Beerling, as well as lighting provided by Alan Williams and Scotti Holden. Filmed at Soundwave Studios in Oakland, courtesy of Alan Lucchesi.  

  

The follow up to 2009's A New Threat Level, Civilization Under Threat gives a nod to the old school by combining aggressive, commanding vocals with dual guitars and a thundering bottom end. Engineered and mastered by Juan Urteaga (Machine Head, Testament, Heathen) at Trident Studios has given the album delivers a massively heavy quality without being over-produced. 

To order, visit: osmrecords.enstore.com/item/potential-threat-sf---cut.   

The album also available on iTunes and will be coming to other digital outlets soon.  

   

Thrash 'til Death!

www.facebook.com/potentialthreatsf

www.reverbnation.com/potentialthreatsf

Stream selections from the band's 2009 release A New Threat Level at:

www.myspace.com/potentialthreatsf

FERIUM's "Reflections" Voted Revolver's Album of the Week

Reflections, the debut album from Israeli metallers FERIUM, has been voted Revolver's Album of the Week in a fan-based poll on the magazine's website. FERIUM took home the honors after outscoring new releases by BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, FROM HELL, TIGER FLOWERS and INVERTIA. Check out the results and album track "Business of Demand" at the link below:

www.revolvermag.com/news/album-of-the-week-ferium-reflections.html

Reflections was released last week on CD and digital formats by Transcend Music. The album is streaming in full exclusively on MetalMouth.net. Give it a listen at this location.

Purchase Reflections at:

CD: http://transcendmusic.bigcartel.com/

Digital: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/reflections/id835603871

The band have also released a narrated video telling the album's story:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLw_GSUprhQ

The band comments: "We felt like this lyric video story would be the perfect alternative interpretation to our debut "Reflections"because it sets as the mood perfectly for the whole approach that the album takes lyrically and musically. To absorb the full essence of this album, we believe that if you listen to the story and right after to 'Reflections' itself, the maximum impact of the life-story the protagonist has gone through will be crystal clear."

Formed in 2006, FERIUM were initially inspired by Pantera and Lamb Of God but over time influence from the likes of Textures, Gojira, Death and more found its way into their sound. 2009 saw their first EP 'The New Law' which gained the band international recognition, enabling them to play large local events such as Summer Carnage and Hallelujah, but also shows outside of their homeland, including Wacken 2009. 2013 saw the band return to tour Europe/UK supporting The Agonist and Threat Signal.

Featuring cover art by Eliran Kanto Hatebreed, Sodom, Atheist), Reflections is the culmination of four years of hard work, pain, passion, anger and hatred and the results are not for the faint-hearted.

"Ferium are the real deal" (9/10) -Total Deathcore

"They've got a lot of talent and dedication behind their music. Really aggressive, massive metal..." - The Circle Pit

"Ferium's Reflections is a crimson juggernaut that will not be easily restrained or constrained into any one concise definition." - Matthew's Metal

www.feriumband.com www.facebook.com/FeriumIsrael twitter.com/Ferium_Band www.youtube.com/user/BandFerium

THE AGONIST Announce Summer European Dates

Extreme Metallers THE AGONIST have announced a series of UK and European summer festival and club show dates. This will be the first tour with the band's new singer Vicky Psarakis. The tour kicks off on August 8 in Vienna. Dates are as follows:

05.08 - Vienna (Aus) "Viper Room"

06.08 - Jaromer (Cze) "Brutal Assault"

07.08 - Gaevle (Swe) "Getaway Rock"

08.08 - Frankfurt-Am-Main (Ger) "Elfer Club"

09.08 - Tilburg (Hol) "Little Devil"

10.08 - London (UK) "The Underworld"

11.08 - Reading (UK)  "The FaceBar"

12.08 - Wolverhampton (UK) "The Robin"

14.08 - Gardelegen (Ger) "Metal Frenzy"

15.08 - Dinkelsbuehl (Ger) "SummerBreeze"

16.08 - Rasnov (Rom) "Rockstadt Extreme"

The band's new single, "Disconnect Me," is scheduled for release on April 28 and will be available on iTunes. Check out the lyric video for "Disconnect Me" at the link below:

"Disconnect Me" (Lyric Video)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5htNJsh1IQ

www.facebook.com/TheAgonistOfficial

Worth A Peek

Good read.

http://mickwall.com/?page_id=33

Richie.

Audio Goodness

   Been a busy week for us as we have another four interviews in the bank for future posting. There could be more I don't know about. I scheduled and took part in a couple, the planets aligned and like everything with the show these days it all ends up being a bit of a rush, all in a good way of course.

   So the first was with producer Keith Olsen. I had no idea he was part of the Sound City clan until I saw the documentary recently. I love getting guys like Keith on the show as these guys have the real stories not often told. Tales of Whitesnake, Scorpions, Kingdom Come, Ozzy, Foreigner and more coming soon.

   Later in the week was Alex Skolnick. I will admit to being late to the party on his book From Geek To Guitar Hero. Get it, it's great and self-written too and Alex was gracious enough to talk to us about it even though the thing came out last year. Another great conversation on the way.

   I love doing this.

Richie.

MASTER: US Tour Starts Next Week

Death metal pioneers MASTER are less than a week away from an anticipated return to North American in support of their latest release, The Witchhunt.

  

Kicking off on April 17 in Philadelphia, the North American Witchhunt Tour 2014 will see MASTER spending three weeks demolishing stages across the U.S. Joining MASTER's legendary founder/frontman Paul Speckmann will be guitarists Alex Bouks [ETURNUS, ex-INCANTATION] and VJS [NIGHTBRINGER, INCURSUS], along with drummer Ruston Groose [SURGEON].    

The Witchhunt track "The Parable" is now streaming at this location.  

North American Witchhunt dates are as follows:

4/17 Philadelphia, PA @Millcreek Tavern in
4/18 Brooklyn, NY @ St. Vitus
4/19 Wilmington, DE @ Mojo 13
4/20 The Forvm - Buffalo, NY
4/22 Chicago, IL @ Reggie's
4/23 St. Louis, MO @ Fubar
4/24 Milwaukee, WI @ The Metal Grill
4/25 Oklahoma City, OK @ Leon's Metal Lounge
4/26 3 Denver, CO @ 3 King's Tavern
4/28 Portland, OR @ Slabtown
4/29 Seattle, WA @ 2 Bit Saloon
4/30 Oakland,CA @ The Metro
5/01 Rosemead, CA @ Spike's
5/02 Pomona, CA Characters
5/03 Tempe, AZ @ Red Owl
5/05 San Antonio, TX @ Korova
5/06 New Orleans, LA @ Siberia
5/07 Tampa, FL @ Brass Mug
5/09 Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter  

The Witchhunt features 11 brand new tracks of classic and catchy death metal played with the intensity and attitude that MASTER fans have come to rely upon over the years. The album's thick, massive production demonstrates the band's superb musicianship and songwriting skills. This is an album that sees MASTER at the top of their 20+ year career. The Witchhunt is out now on FDA Rekotz. 

www.master-speckmetal.net 

www.reverbnation.com/master 

www.facebook.com/pages/Master/18521536017

LAWNMOWER DETH LAUNCH 'OOH CRIKEY' CD/LP REISSUE KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN

British madcap thrashers LAWNMOWER DETH have launched a Kickstarter campaign to re-press their 1990 debut album, "OOH CRIKEY IT'S... LAWNMOWER DETH", after recently being confirmed to play at this year's Download Festival on Saturday, June 14th.

Having been unavailable for nearly twenty years, repeated demands from hardcore fans has led LAWNMOWER DETH and Earache to launch a campaign to get the album remastered and reissued, with a range of suitably-mad items concocted for fans to pledge for and all profits going to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation.

LAWNMOWER DETH frontman PETE "QUALCAST MUTILATOR" LEE comments:

"You know that giddy feeling you get.  The one when you're 9 and 3/4 old, that one where it makes you kick your legs, the one that makes you run down hills going 'urgh-urgh-urgh-urgh-urgh'.  You mean you've forgotten?  Fear not.  Here's how to get it back.  Them lovely people at Earache and now honorary buffoons have decided, after your years of pestering, to reissue the now legendary opus that is 'Dark Side of the Moon'.  Ok, they couldn't get that, but they have got 'Ooh Crikey It's...'.  Horns.  Heard ya!  And not only that, all profits will go to our most favourite and deserving charity, The Sophie Lancaster Foundation.  We need your pledges, now!  Show us the money.  Show SOPHIE the money.  You can always chuck the vinyl away afterwards."

If the campaign is successful, "OOH CRIKEY IT'S..." will be reissued on CD and vinyl in a limited print run, remastered from the original tapes in Full Dynamic Range (FDR) audio, which allows the music's nuances to shine through, giving the album a more ferocious, immersive and dynamic sound than ever before.

Fans can pledge now for signed band photos, "OOH CRIKEY IT'S..." CDs, FDR vinyl in a range of colours, never before released demo tracks, your name in the credits of the entire CD and vinyl print run and, in true LAWNMOWER DETH style, signed original Weebles (rare vintage toys), a "Satan's Trampoline", adopt-a-sheep, and even a Qualcast lawnmower signed by the band.

Also available is one pair of VIP day passes to this year's Download Festival on the day that LAWNMOWER DETH are performing, including a meet & greet with the band themselves.

Pledge now and get your hands on a limited edition "OOH CRIKEY IT'S..." re-press and other one-of-a-kind collectibles at http://bit.ly/oohcrikey2014

Please note there is no risk when pledging, as money will only be taken if the campaign reaches its target, at which point production will begin.

Get other LAWNMOWER DETH music and merch from the Earache Webstore in Europe at http://webstore.earache.com/lawnmower-deth or in North America at http://uswebstore.earache.com/lawnmower-deth

Get more LAWNMOWER DETH news and info at http://www.lawnmowerdeth.co.uk

TYRANNY Sign With Dark Descent Records

Finnish Funeral Doom Metal band TYRANNY have signed with Dark Descent Records for the release of the band's long-awaited follow up to 2005's Tides of Awakening. The as-of-yet-untitled album is scheduled for release later this year.

The band comments:

"Stirrings in the xenobathyal abyss, a star has shifted in the black gulfs of space, tectonic grinding releases another upheaval to foreshadow the third emanation of Tyranny - last performances before the release will be witnessed at Roadburn 2014"

TYRANNY will make an appearance at Roadburn Festival 2014, taking place this week (April 10 - 13) in Tilburg, The Netherlands. For more details, visit www.roadburn.com.

(Photo by Peter Troest - troest.nu)  

www.facebook.com/tyrannyfuneraldoom

DIAMOND PLATE KICK OFF U.S. TOUR WITH HATCHET TONIGHT

Chicago metal trio DIAMOND PLATE are due to start a US tour tonight with Bay Area thrashers HATCHET.

DIAMOND PLATE wrapped up a five-week trek with EAST OF THE WALL this past Sunday, and are kicking off the "America Under Plague" tour tonight at the Downtown Lounge in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Also joining DIAMOND PLATE and HATCHET on the tour are Colorado power metallers CELLADOR.

DIAMOND PLATE recently commented:

"Back in the early days of us playing shows in Chicago, Hatchet would always be the band from California that we looked forward to bringing out to our scene the most.  They even played Konrad's 18th birthday show.  Years later, we're pumped to finally hit the road with our friends and bring heavy music to new scenes across the USA.  The road for Diamond Plate doesn't end in 2014!"

Don't miss DIAMOND PLATE on tour with HATCHET and CELLADOR at the following shows:

Apr. 11 - Tulsa, OK - Downtown Lounge
Apr. 12 - Del City, OK - The Chameleon Room
Apr. 13 - McKinney, TX - The Boiler Room
Apr. 15 - Plano, TX - Scout Bar
Apr. 18 - Big Spring, TX - Sugars Bar
Apr. 22 - Las Vegas, NV - The Dive Bar
Apr. 23 - Phoenix, AZ - Club Red
Apr. 24 - Fullerton, CA - The Slidebar
Apr. 26 - Walnut Creek, CA - Red House Live
Apr. 30 - Sparks, NV - The Alley
May 01 - Salt Lake City, UT - Burt's Tiki Lounge
May 02 - Denver, CO - Moon Room

View the America Under Plague tour flyer at http://bit.ly/O28BAj

Get DIAMOND PLATE's new album, PULSE, on CD in the USA from CM Distro at http://bit.ly/176xt2F or get the album on iTunes at http://bit.ly/1dPuJ73

Watch DIAMOND PLATE's music video for the track "Dance With Reality" at http://youtu.be/awMKsnoyB_4

View a photo of DIAMOND PLATE at http://bit.ly/1lpx68T

Get more DIAMOND PLATE news and info:

Official site - http://www.diamondplateband.com
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/diamondplate1
Twitter - http://twitter.com/diamondplate1

SATAN: U.S. Tour Starts Tonight

Legendary NWOBHM band SATAN will kick off its first U.S. tour tonight at Black Bear Bar in Brooklyn, New York. The influential trad metal pioneers will spend the next six days gracing North American stages in support of their 2013 comeback album, Life Sentence. Dates are as follows:

4/11 - Brooklyn, NY @ Black Bear Bar

4/12 - Montreal, QC @ Katacombes

4/13 - Worcester, MA @ Ralph's Rock Diner

4/14 - Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie

4/15 - Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter

4/16 - Baltimore, MD @ The Metro Gallery

Life Sentence was featured on many a "Best Of 2013" lists, and has been heralded as one of the best comeback album of the decade. 

Footage of SATAN performing "Cenotaph" at last year's Live Evil Fest in London is now playing at this location. 

"The 80s NWOBHM legends return with an absolute beast of a comeback"

- Metal Hammer

"With the original lineup all in place, Satan's high-flying, expertly-phrased melody lines and riffing have returned as if reappearing, modified DeLorean-style, from the past."

- Worm Gear Zine

www.satanmusic.com 

www.twitter.com/satanmusic_com 

www.facebook.com/officialsatanpage

KILMARA 'Cold Rain' Video Released

The official video for the song “Cold Rain” from Spanish metallers KILMARA can be seen below. The track is taken from the band’s third album, “Love Songs And Other Nightmares“,  which will be released April 8th worldwide via Sony Music. The CD was tracked at Grapow Studios with Grapow at the helm. 

The cover artwork was created by Canadian artist Jessica Allain, known for her work in digital photo manipulation. Photos were taken by Gina Roma from Spain.

http://vevo.ly/Cwy4QC

Guests on the new album are Dave Imbernön from ENUMA ELISH on keyboards and Kaleb from young Spanish pagan death metal band DRAKUM on the violin.

“Love Songs And Other Nightmares” will probably be the heaviest KILMARA album up to date and finally make the breakthrough on European and international level.

www.kilmara.com
www.facebook.com/kilmaraofficial

SAVAGE MESSIAH NOMINATED FOR METAL HAMMER GOLDEN GOD AWARD

London metallers SAVAGE MESSIAH have been nominated for an award at this year's Metal Hammer Golden Gods.

The band have been nominated in the "Best New Band" category, following the release of their new album, THE FATEFUL DARK, which has proven to be a hit amongst critics and fans alike.

SAVAGE MESSIAH frontman DAVE SILVER comments:

"We're feeling extremely honoured right now to be have been recognised by Metal Hammer and nominated for 'Best New Band' at this year's upcoming Golden Gods awards.  We're all serial attendees at the Gods so we know what a truly killer event it always is, and to take part in it as a nominee will be incredible.  We humbly ask that you go to their website and vote for us, as winning it would be a monumental achievement for our band!  We'd like to extend a massive thanks to everyone who has supported us and who continues to support Savage Messiah!"

Vote for SAVAGE MESSIAH in the "Best New Band" category at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods now at http://goldengods.metalhammer.co.uk/vote

Watch SAVAGE MESSIAH's music video for the track "Hellblazer", featuring famed London contortionist PIXIE LE KNOT (GAME OF THRONES Season 3, THE DEVIL INSIDE), at http://youtu.be/qMLgbl7yU98

SAVAGE MESSIAH members DAVE SILVER and JOFF BAILEY recently took over the Lyn Connolly Rock Residency on Roundhouse Radio, with the show due to air on Tuesday, April 15th from 11pm to midnight UK time.  Tune in then at http://www.roundhouse.org.uk/roundhouse-radio

Don't miss SAVAGE MESSIAH on tour at the following shows:

Apr. 19 - Norwich, UK - Thrashersaurus Festival
Apr. 28 - London, UK - Underworld (w/ TOXIK)
May 17 - San Antonio, Ibiza - Hard Rock Hell Road Trip
Jun. 28 - South Lanarkshire, UK - Les-Fest
Jul. 19 - Manchester, UK - SOS Festival
Aug. 16 - Kettering, UK - Alt-Fest
Dec. 13 - London, UK - Underworld (w/ LAWNMOWER DETH, EVIL SCARECROW)

Get more SAVAGE MESSIAH news and info:

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/SavageMessiahMetal
Twitter - http://twitter.com/savagemessiah