Weekend Breakdown: Jack Devil, Beyond the Divide, OrckOut, T.C.L.

We're doing the Weekend Breakdown post early because I've been such a Scrooge with the lack of posting lately. So, in the spirit of Christmas, I thought I would make penance with you all and keep the holiday spirit alive with a Weekend Breakdown post that features bands that are giving away their tunes for free.

So here's a late Merry Christmas present! I hope you find something you like. Let's get into it!



JACK DEVIL
Brazil's thrash metallers JACK DEVIL freaking rock. Period. These dudes slam out some gritty speed thrash with riffs evocative of Justice-area Metallica minus the weighty prog wankery. The flow and dynamics of the songs sound effortless, offering up slabs of kick-ass thrash that is both harsh and fun as hell to listen to.

Songs such as Under the Metal Command, Road to Hell, and Violent Invasion show how screamingly bad-ass and uncompromising metal should be played. So how awesome is it that they are offering their album up for a free download? Completely.

Thanks, Jack Devil!

Check them out below and download their album here.





BEYOND THE DIVIDE
As of this writing, Cincinnati's BEYOND THE DIVIDE have only one song available for a free download. The song, titled Payment, is a catchy mid-paced thrasher with cool breakdowns, and a main riff that gets me moving every time (especially when it kicks in after the chorus). Vocalist Mike Reichert's voice brings to mind Phil Rind of Sacred Reich with a hint of Hetfield.

The big bonus here is that on January 17th, 2012, Beyond the Divide will make their entire album available as a free download!

Get a taste below and then be ready to get your thrashin' freebie this January! Facebook them here.





ORCKOUT
Brazil's ORCKOUT plays a crushing brand of modern thrash metal that manages to capture bits of the sludge-filled NOLA sound, Chicago doom, and even some Seattle grunge for flavor. OrckOut's musical mix makes for an interesting hard rock/thrash hybrid that might draw the favor of metal fans who aren't looking for smiley-faced rainbows in their music.

OrckOut has bestowed us with a whopping nine free songs (so far) for download, including three new ones!

Check them out below and them hit them up on Facebook to snag the free tunes.






T.C.L.
Yes, it's no secret that I love me some hardcore. Without crossover taking up space in my thrash arsenal, I'd only be a half-full headbanger. Which brings me to Japan's T.C.L., a hardcore band that blends searing noise and sonic insanity with some straight-forward mosh inducing riffs.

T.C.L. might not be for the average traditional thrasher, but their music is hard hitting nonetheless. Still interested? Check out the tune below and then visit their Facebook page to download their four available tracks for free!

18 Wheels of Justice's Christmas gift!

The guys from the Boston metal powerhouse 18 WHEELS OF JUSTICE are offering their Execution album as a free download during this holiday weekend!

Head over to their Reverbnation page and take advantage of the band's Yuletide joy. Afterward, hit them up on Facebook and thank them for the gift!

Thanks, 18WoJ!

If, by chance, you are stumbling upon this page after the Ghost of Christmas Present became the Ghost of Christmas Past, go check out 18 Wheels of Justice anyway (or click here to see the small write-up I posted about them on this here blog).

Merry Christmas!

Thrash Zone Radio

There is a relatively new online radio station called Thrash Zone Radio that is dedicated to this blog's favorite genre of metal.

These guys play all things THRASH, from crossover, Bay Area, Teutonic, new wave, old-school, underground, and everything in between. If you're a fan, this station is for you.

For a direct link, go here. If you're streaming iTunes, hit them up in Radio - Hard Rock/Metal - Thrash Zone Radio.

If you're interested, Facebook them here.

Daxx & Roxane ROCKS!

A big hat tip to Basile Golaz for tipping me off on Montreux's DAXX & ROXANE.

Yes, Daxx & Roxane doesn't seem to be the most "metal" name for a band, but when the riffs rock this hard, the band could be called Rainbow Farts and I would still proudly pimp these guys on my blog.

The essence of Daxx & Roxane's music is pure hard rock. It's as if the band originally set out to write tunes influenced by AC/DC and Deep Purple but took a detour and riffed their way into the land of Kill Em All, Ace of Spades, and Among the Living.

This is not a knock on Daxx & Roxane. Truthfully, the mix of influences in their music absolutely works. As I listen to these guys, I just can't get over the bad-ass catchy riffs, used as the electrically charged building blocks for creating monstrous horn-up metal. Killer!

The vocals harken back to classic 80s metal. I'm not simply speaking about the sound of vocalist Cédric Pfister's voice, but also his patterns and melodies which express a clear understanding of melding with the music instead of just screaming on top of it.

I dig it, man.

Check out the tunes below and then go holler at them on Facebook.

Weekend Breakdown: Exzeltic, Mortal Infinity, Drunkards, Terror Detonator, Captain Trips

EXZELTIC
Dublin's EXZELTIC offers up a healthy dose of old-school thrash with hints of traditional and power metal. The song writing is top-notch with both catchy sharp riffs as well as old Megadeth-esque rolling riffage. This is all topped with truly epic solos and some killer raspy vocals similar to Rodney Dunsmmore of Devastation.

Even as I write this, I grow in excitement over how kick-ass this band is and how much potential the future holds for them. Exzeltic is a band to keep an eye on.

Check out their tunes below and then definitely hit them up on Facebook.








MORTAL INFINITY
Modern German thrashers MORTAL INFINITY hammer your teeth in with some monstrous angst-ridden metal. Mortal's thrash attack has plenty of speedy moments, complete with the barrage of double bass drumming and Slayer spider riffs. The balance between the speed, the mid-paced slam, and the Bolt Thrower-like slow grind make for a killer time jamming to Mortal Infinity's crushing tunes. Awesome.

Check out the songs below and hit them up on their Facebook page to download some FREE metal!










DRUNKARDS
Italy's DRUNKARDS tear through their brand of thrashy speed punk like an explosion of controlled chaos. Part rock and part punk thrash, Drunkards hammer out some unusual riffing and acid-throat vocals. For fans of music on the fringe.

Check out their tune below and then hit them up here.







TERROR DETONATOR
Greece's TERROR DETONATOR roll out their thrash-fueled crossover like a grime-covered boulder. Their raw, meaty riffs and throat-torn vocals thrash hard, bringing to mind the gutter punk rage of Violentor and Speedboozer. The touches of traditional thrash and even some grind add well-placed layers to Terror Detonator's mass of violent music.

Check out the tune below and find out more about them here and here.






CAPTAIN TRIPS
Out of Stillwater, MN, the mighty metal trio CAPTAIN TRIPS guide us through their music with an array of killer chunky thrash riffs and song structures that hint at bits of Slayer and Nuclear Assault. Captain Trips sound like they write music with a sense of pure pleasure, and even come off at times as if they are on an ad-libbed jam. It's raw and fun.

Listen to their homage to John Carpenter below and then Facebook them here to download some free tunes!

New Tantara song!

Oh, yeah! Thashmasters TANTARA have released the song Trapped in Bodies, which will be included on their upcoming full-length album.

The track sounds amazing, full of sharp riffs, epic solos, and straight-ahead head banging thrash.

So mark this as the beginning of a huge metal onslaught Tantara will unleash soon after the new year. If the rest of the new album is as good as Trapped in Bodies, Tantara will have a jump start on the best thrash album of 2012.

Check out the song below!

Weekend Breakdown: Like a Texas Murder, Battlecreek, and Vivisection!

LIKE A TEXAS MURDER
First of all, here is a big THANK YOU to the dude's in Six In Line for directing me to what has become one of my new favorite bands. If you are a fan of more hardcore-leaning crossover thrash like I am, then by all mean check out Brazil's LIKE A TEXAS MURDER. Cool name. Cooler tunes.

The dynamics in their music is stellar. I'm not talking simply about the effortless crunch of the guitars and flow of the drums, but also the standout performances by vocalists Gabriel and Leo. It shouldn't be surprising, but it's amazing how killer sounding vocals coupled with a vocal pattern that enhances the music can make a good band great. In this case, they make a great band nearly perfect.

The production of their albums, in particular their album Tudo de Ruim, sounds devastating. The speedy parts are explosive and will twist your head off, while the breakdowns build and release with agonizing power.

Check out a couple samples below, stream the sh*t out of them over at their Bandcamp page, and then hit them up on Facebook.








BATTLECREEK
Taking notes from the more aggressive side of the old-school thrash masters, Germany's BATTLECREEK crank out a vicious onslaught of tight riffs, badass guitar solos, and searing vocals. A big thumbs up to guitarist Christian Meisl for creating a literal wall of sound with a one-guitar attack. Battlecreek bring the tight speed of Gama Bomb and the ferocious bite of Warbringer and combine it into a sonic weapon of monstrous, throat-ripping intensity. This is thrash f**king metal.

Check out the streaming tune as well as Battlecreek's sick and darkly funny video for their song Psycho Torture. Afterward, if you're so inclined, Facebook them here.









VIVISECTION
Sometimes there is power behind wild abandon. When I first came across Wisconsin's VIVISECTION, the recording and sound of the band came off as a bit too raw and loose. At the time I felt this hurt the dynamics of the songs, hampering my interest which sent Vivisection back into my thrash limbo cloud where literally hundreds of thrash bands float around, pimping out amateurish and tedious attempts at songwriting.

The thing is, Vivisection is anything but amateurish and they definitely are not tedious. I kept reaching back into my limbo cloud, pulling Vivisection out for a listen and discovering a band with solid riffs, killer song structures, and bloodthirsty vocals. These guys started to have me hooked!

Over repeated listens, that raw and loose sound had morphed into a pissed beast of a metal band, one that I believe will continue to grow.

Vivisection are not quite perfect, but they are damn good and it may be worth it to keep your eye on them to see what they plan to unleash in the future. I know I will.

Listen to their tune Living Dead below, go here to download it for FREE (thanks, guys!), and then hit them up on Facebook.

Thrashline: News on Entrials, Insinnerator, Magnetron, Paralyzer and more!

Scratch the Surface Webzine has a cool interview with ENTRAILS guitarist Jimmy Lundquist. Entrials, a band that cranks out punishing old-school Swedish death metal, are in writing mode for album number three. Why is this news a big deal? Well, if you're a fan of this particular genre, listen to the streaming vids below and after you say, "Holy SH*T!" then go like them on Facebook here.

Just…brutal.




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According to this sweet graphic I snagged off FAITHREAT's Facebook page, they will have a new 7" coming soon. If you like punk-infused metal, you need to give these crossover crushers a hard listen.

Here, I made it easy for you:



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HAVOK fans know by now that the Denver thrashers have a new video out for their killer tune DOA. However, if I didn't report it here then I wouldn't be a very good NWOTM blogger guy, would I? On the off chance that one or two of you haven't yet heard Havok's stuff, I'm obligated to offer up a golden opportunity. Man, this blog rocks.

Anyway, I dig the look of the video. These guys really, really like greeeeeeen.



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Denmark's HELL'S DOMAIN has a new website up. According to the band, the site is "more of a page with a logo and some songs to listen to actually! Either way, pay it a visit…"

I agree! Go pay it a visit and feed your ears.
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Check out the new album cover for INSINNERATOR's upcoming album. I mentioned it before that the art makes me want to roll up some old-school D&D characters and kill some ice monsters! Insinnerator have not issued a release date, but you can follow them here to stay updated. Of course The NWOTM Blog will spill the news as soon as I get it.










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As of this writing, Jersey City hood thrashers LETHAL STRIKE are looking for a guitarist. Live in the area? Moving to the area? Oh yeah…play GUITAR? Check out Lethal Strike here to listen to their songs and catch up on any info you may need.

If you're not interested in trying out for the band, check them out anyway and jam out to some kick-ass metal!



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Storming out of the Netherlands is the debut album from the mighty MAGNETRON titled A Measured Timeframe. I can't comment on the music just yet because my copy has not yet arrived, but based off streaming vid these guys released of the song Compulsory Communication, it is going to be killer!

Give it a listen below and if you dig it, order it here.


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Johnson City, TN's PARALYZER have completed their four track EP titled Hellish Demise. Although these guys play straight-forward, kick-ass, chug-a-thon thrash metal, they also throw in little nuances of speedy spider-like riffage that march right along with their brand of metallic brutality. Every song has moments of head banging bliss to keep the pits rolling in a live setting.

Our friends over at Skull Fracturing Metal posted a positive review of Hellish Demise. Check that out , then check out Paralyzer here.



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In case you didn't already know, you can legally download the new SAVAGE MESSIAH album Plague of Conscience over at the Earache website for FREE. Thanks, Earache! You're good people!
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One of my new favorite thrash bands on the block, THRASH OR DIE, have released a video for their song Terrorvision! Check it out below and hit them up here to get a hold of their album, the modern thrash classic Poser Holocaust!


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Emmett Ewing, the headmaster of the Skull Fracturing Metal Zine has a new metal review blog up called Nightmare Reality Webzine. This blog features ONLY reviews of old-school metal albums, so hit them up here and enjoy. You might find something you haven't heard before. I'm just happy NRW is giving up so much Bolt Thrower love. Nothing is heavier than Bolt Thrower. Nothing.


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Guitar World posted a 13 minute interview with WARBRINGER guitarist John Laux!
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The new VEKTOR album Outer Isolation is out! Oh, you knew that? Again, I have to include the info to remain a good NWOTM blogger guy.






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Now when is LICH KING going to put out album #4 Born of the Bomb? This album is taking longer than their merch shipping time.