Lady Victoria ROCKS!

California's LADY VICTORIA has somehow managed to stay on my back burner for quite a while. I've been meaning to write about these guys for a long time, but as backed up as I am with my posts, it has taken longer than I would have liked.

Anyway.

Despite not having a name that screams thrash metal, I can assure you that Lady Victoria punctures through their feminine moniker with high doses of pounding metal.

Listening to their batch of available songs, I was hyped to hear so many full-on killer RIFFS that actually pack a punch. The flavor of their music brings to mind old Anthrax and Kill 'Em All-era Metallica without fully emulating either band.

The lyrics at times go a bit tongue-in-cheek, but such things never been a problem with me. Vocalist Jared Stainbrook utilizes a killer set of metal pipes to spit those lyrics out, leaning toward the Hetfieldian side of vocal delivery.

Drummer Justin Lomiglio is a freaking monster on the kit, raging with tight and precise technique. The combination of the hard-hitting guitars with Lomiglio's arm and leg work make for dynamic bliss, well-executed and heavy as hell.

Check out the goods below and if you like what Lady Victoria has to offer, keep tabs on them here and here.

PARTY SONG!! \m/

Preview the new Skeletal Remains album!

A quick post here for some excellent death metal.

I've been following the California death metal-men SKELETAL REMAINS for a while now. They recently released an album preview of their upcoming debut titled Beyond the Flesh, and it's making me anxious for its release this November.

Their previous release, the Desolate Isolation EP, absolutely crushes with killer riffs and one hell of a sick vocalist. Judging by what I've heard on the preview clips, Beyond the Flesh is going kick just as much ass. Again, I can't wait to hear the full album!

If you're an old-school death metal fan then you should definitely check out Desolate Isolation (streaming below) as well as the album preview. Afterward, hit them up here.

Banished Force ROCKS!

Let's take a collective step into Germany and meet the should-be-renowned group of thrashers called BANISHED FORCE.

These dudes play speedy old-school thrash stocked with so many killer riffs that you need to wear a neck brace as a precaution to getting your head ripped the hell off.

If you can find it, check out their 2009 slamming album titled Alienation. Songs like Insane, Thrashers in Uniform, Life in Haze, and Load the Flak are pieces of pure thrash worship done right. Banished Force's guitar work, forceful vocals, and raw sound are undiluted in their mission to thrash hard. That's all well and good, but the main draw for me is that the songs have all traces of tedium cut out to keep the music racing at a cut-throat pace.

Believe me, I don't mind well thought-out pieces of drawn-out prog thrash, but sometimes I just want the music to deliver a swift kick in the ass. Banished Force manages to do that over and over again within each song.

They have an upcoming album titled Greed that should be out…soon, I hope. I can only imagine these guys will continue the onslaught they started with Alienation.

Check out the mass of streaming vids below and then hit Banished Force up here and here.

METAL! \m/

Weekend Breakdown: The Law, Nuclear Devastation, and Seprevation

Most thrashers outside of Sweden know of the metal band THE LAW, they just don't know that they know.

Why I say such crazy things is because most fans of thrash metal have seen the stellar documentary GET THRASHED and have heard The Law's song Anthem played over the credits.

It is that song that led me to The Law, and since they kick all kinds of ass, I am bringing them to you here.

Their debut album Distorted Anthems from the Suburbs musically hit on many levels within the metal sub genres. Although their home base is grounded in thrash, one can hear groove, power, and traditional metal weaving throughout the album, taking the listener on a killer ride.

Vocalist Tobias Jansson is one hell of a proficient front man and his seemingly effortless delivery is freakin' impressive to say the least. While he is a blue-ribbon cog in the THE LAW machinery, the rest of the band is nothing to sneeze at. These guys eclipse most with catchy, hard-hitting metal.

Check out all the tunes below and then hit them up on good ol' Facebook.














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A big thanks to Luuk Hoogland from the band Insufficient for tipping me off on the next band. For a "bunch of stupid kids making noise" NUCLEAR DEVASTATION does a damn good job at making that noise kick your ass hard!

These guys excel in cranking out short, distorted tunes of punk-fueled thrash. Their album Visions of Fear tear one new asshole after another in the rawest possible way with searing venomous ire.

Is there a ton of variety between each song? Not really. This is power chord hammering to the simplest degree, and there nothing wrong with that. However, when Nuclear Devastation affords themselves a little more time, like in the song Arise, they are able to expand with mid-section riffs that add some color to the madness.

Visions of Fear is a solid foundation for a group that consists of guys who are approximately 16-17 years-old. It's not always a young man's game in finding that harsh and furious line to propel this type of music, but I'm sure it helps. Thank God these guys can play their instruments well enough to harness that energy properly.

If you're interested, Nuclear Devastation have gracefully offered Vision of Fear up for free here.

Find them on Facebook here.








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I freakin' love old-school death metal, so when I crossed digital paths with UK metallers SEPREVATION, I was hyped! From the tunes I've heard, these guys don't opt for the br00tal grind (which I also love), but instead keep their feet planted in speedy deathrash, with healthy doses of Sadus and old Death worship bleeding into the music. When they do take a breath from the speed, such as the mid-paced Cannibal Corpse-like stomp in the middle of the song Prophet of Death, it kicks the tune up to complete bad-ass levels of heavy.

Seprevation is fast, tight as hell, and death metal as f*ck. They are also cool enough to offer up two of their songs as FREE downloads. Check them out below and then hit them up on Facebook.

Interview: Tantara - Getting "Based on Evil" released

It has been nearly one year since I published my interview with the mighty TANTARA. In that interview, we spoke about the recording process of their upcoming album Based on Evil. The guys also expressed their excitement in working with legendary producer Flemming Rasmussen as well as the possibilities of landing a record contract.

Soon after, Tantara landed that contract with Ultimhate Records, getting the wheels in motion to release Based on Evil this past March. However when the release date came and went, the album remained in limbo, surprising both the band and its fans who all sat empty-handed and, well…angry!

Sure, release dates change all the time, but it seemed that no one had any answers, and after a nasty falling out, Tantara parted ways with Ultimhate.

The band eventually signed on with Indie Recordings. The label will release a 7-inch single of the album's title track on June 29th, following with the album release on August 24th.

As with my first interview with Tantara, the members (Fredrik, Per, Stian, and Max) prefer to answer questions as a band, enveloping the thoughts and concerns for Tantara as a whole. So when I ask a question, Tantara answers.

In this interview, Tantara discusses their fallout with Ultimhate, their hook-up with Indie, and their preparations in finally getting Based on Evil out to the public.




The Ultimhate label was originally going to release the album this past March. You guys seemed just as surprised as the fans that the album was not out. Is that assessment correct?

Yes. The label fucked up really bad. Not just with us, but with a lot of other bands too. Ultimhate Records is a shitty label, and a huge disgrace to the record and music industry. They don't keep their promises when it comes to promo, and they even lie about their distributors. Getting an answer via email only once or  twice a month doesn't cut it either. If you look at their silly website, they haven't even taken down our album as a feature there (it was still featured there as of this writing - ed.). They even spelled the title wrong (Made of Evil). So to all the unsigned bands out there: NEVER sign a deal with UH, because they and their boss Olivier is just full of shit. Luckily we got out of the shit.



You have had a few choice words to say about Ultimhate. Fans can only assume what is behind those statements. Are you able to speak about what went down between Tantara and Ultimhate? Why would they drop the ball on such a killer thrash album?

As mentioned, they didn't keep their promises and what was stated in the contract. It's not that they didn't want our album, the problem was that they didn't seem to know how to release an album or even how to run a label. We were furious when we couldn't find ANY info or promo about our album at the release day.



Now Indie Recordings is going to release Based on Evil. What finally led you to Indie Recordings? What makes them the best home for Tantara?

Indie Recordings is a terrific label. They actually got in touch with us in January when we already had signed with UH, so we had to say no, but luckily they wanted to sign us when we got back in touch with them late March due to UH's total fuck up.

We have plenty of meetings, both at their office and at our gigs, and they are really supportive and constructive. The fact that they even wanted to release a 7" vinyl single says how professional and cool they are. We are looking forward to stay with IR for many years and it's gonna be a great run!



You just recently began streaming the title track to your upcoming album Based on Evil. How have the fans reacted so far?

The fans seem to like it. It's definitely not a "radio friendly" mainstream song, but we thought it was appropriate to release it as a single due to it's brutality.




You're label is releasing Based on Evil as a 7-inch single with the song Court Injustice on June 29th. Why did you or your label decide to do this? What other preparations need to be completed before the full-length is released?


Preparations? Promo for sure. You can't just put an album out on the market, as it is a huge process in front. So that's why they wanted us to release a single, both for the fans, and of course for promotional reasons.

Fans seem really impatient about the release of Based on Evil. That has to feel good that your album holds such strong anticipation.

Yeah, it definitely feels good to have such an anticipated album just waiting to be released. We won't disappoint them! The album is out August 24th!




Do you have any idea if the physical CD copy will be made available worldwide?

It will be available in stores all over Europe, but our North and South American friends will need to buy it from online stores for now, if they want the physical copy. And of course, the album will be on iTunes as well




Now that you are under a new label, have there been new talks about touring support for Based on Evil?

Yes, we have a Scandinavian tour coming up in October, and maybe a bigger European tour coming up later this year, but nothing is settled yet.




Thank you for your answers! Any final words?

You're welcome. BUY THE ALBUM and come to our shows god dammit!

Conflagrator releases a new EP and it freakin' ROCKS!

 Swedish thrashers CONFLGRATOR have returned with an outright killer EP titled Inevitable Punishments.

The three song release takes everything I liked about this band and kicks it up a notch. One thing working in Conflagrator's favor is their willingness to ride a killer riff. I love it when a band can hit a sweet spot with a riff and just let it breathe for a while. Conflagrator are not afraid of a drawn-out build to their songs. The builds are far from boring, injecting each tune with character before vocalist Isak Koskinen Rosemarin storms in with his rough energetic set of pipes.

Rosemarin sounds like a pro here. He doesn't overindulge, preferring vocals that are well placed, dynamic and powerful.

Guitarist Alex Fotiadis has outdone himself on the new songs. His solos are well thought out, flying over the songs' sweeping and churning rhythms.

Inevitable Punishments is a tight, mean, son of a bitch of epic thrash metal. Right now the EP is streaming on the band's Facebook page. As of this writing, the band has promised an update of how to obtain a physical copy in the coming days and I would more than recommend picking it up once it becomes available for purchase.

Check out the tunes here.

New Tantara single!

Finally! Here is the title track off the upcoming TANTARA album Based on Evil. This song is included on the 7-inch single out on June 29th from Indie Recordings!

So when is the full-length going to be available? Dunno yet. I know a lot of you have been salivating over this album's release, and believe me - it will be worth the wait!

TANTARA!!!!

Weekend Breakdown: Reactory, Burning Nitrum, The Sequence of Prime, and Reflexor

Germany's REACTORY blast the listener with a gritty thrash sound that incorporates bits of Toxic Holocaust, Slayer, and Bolt Thrower. The music is noisy and painful, like vomiting sandpaper and claw hammers (…in a good way). The headbanging riffage stomps along with small left-field licks thrown in for color, and although the solos aren't anything to freak out about, the songs remain harsh and interesting.

Listen below and then hit these guys up here.










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Bay Area, teutonic, and crossover sub genres are touched upon throughout BURNING NITRUM's Pyromania EP, delivering a pounding storm of killer riffs. At times the songs feel a little loose and raw, but they still kick ass nonetheless. Tracks such as Death is Upon You offer up a perfect balance of crazed speedy abandon and solid headbanging thrash. From what I read, the members of Burning Nitrum were all around the age of 18 when they recorded Pyromania, making this debut EP all the more impressive. Again, although the tunes could be tightened up a bit in the studio, the songs still feature parts of stunning maturity and killer songwriting. Burning Nitrum can only get better from here.

Listen below and go meet 'em on Facebook.







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To break from the norm, let me introduce you to Brandon Duncan, a one-man show with his multi-genre-colored metal project titled THE SEQUENCE OF PRIME. Holy crap! The listener is sonically assaulted with a wall of sound comprised of industrial-tinged thrash and grind, sweeping everything into a vortex of chaos and aggression. The unwary may wonder just what in the hell Duncan is doing, but once one emerges within The Sequence of Prime's music and views the canvas from within the insanity, an appreciation builds for the complex arrangements and raw passion of creation.

Breaking well away from the verse, verse, chorus, verse, chorus variety, this music is not for a playlist on a casual Sunday drive. No, this music is surgery without anesthesia. It's scary and agonizing, but good for you in the end.

Check out the tunes below, and if this is something that settles well with your palate, you can name your price (even free) to download TSoP's available albums here. Check 'em out on Facebook here.







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Heading back to Germany, we have REFLEXOR, a band I pimped on my Facebook page a while back. These thrashers have recorded one of the most satisfying EPs I've heard in a while. The EP, titled Revenge of the Mycosis, is full of teutonic thrash metal that may not be reinventing the abacus, but the songs are solid and furious. The tunes benefit from plenty of thought into the arrangements and dynamics to offer up the ass-kicking all thrash fans want in their listening experience.

Great riffs, harsh vocals, and nicely laid-out solos make Reflexor's Revenge of the Mycosis a great find. The bonus is they are offering it up as a FREE download!

Go get it here. Afterward, thank them here.

Paper Trail ROCKS!

Let me sneak in a quick post here about a tune I found from Virginia Beach metal/hardcore band PAPER TRAIL.

This song, titled Web of Lies, is a ridiculously bad-ass mix of hardcore, thrash, and groove-based death metal. With sludgy, grinding riffs and headbangable dynamics straight off a classic Pro-Pain album, Paper Trail's Web of Lies is a swiftly-expressed display of raw muscle.

After jamming the song a few times, I clicked on their Bandcamp page where I found their 2011 album Raw War available as a free download! This album is way more hardcore in its musical delivery, at times following the fast-to-mid-tempo dynamics and breakdown templates (over)used by their more popular predecessors of the 90s/00s. Raw War is still mean as hell and those with a taste for hardcore are more than fortunate for Paper Trail to offer this up to them for free.

That being said, after hearing the new song Web of Lies (to be included on their upcoming EP What About the Wicked?), I am absolutely freaking hyped about hearing what Paper Trail will come up with on their next full-length album. THIS song breaks them out of becoming another dime-a-dozen Hatebreed clone by successfully incorporating other influences into the mix. Yes, it's a short song, but it speaks volumes about where this Paper Trail could be heading.

Check it out below. Interested parties can download their Raw War album here. Afterward, hit them up on Facebook.





NOTE!

This post had to be corrected. I previously posted a few errors, misnaming song titles, and coming off as an all-around ninny. That's what I get for posting at 3am.

Thrashline: News and comments about Diamond Plate! Cellador! The Zombie Apocalypse Tour! Sonic Pulse and MORE!

 Hey, let's talk metal!




Chicago metal men DIAMOND PLATE are in the process of recording some preproduction demos!  Their Generation Why? album always finds its way back into my music rotation so any news that hints at progress toward album #2 is good news for me!

Actually, I'm a bit surprised they already have some new tunes floating around considering their touring schedule has been freakin' crazy.







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There has been much talk about Boston's SONIC PULSE. Well, why not? If you mix in some members of Razormaze, Skull Hammer, Ravage, and a former member of Vindicator, and have them crank out some killer power thrash, then heads are bound to turn.

If you have ever thought, "I wish there were more thrash in my power metal," or "I wish there were more power metal in my...", well you get the point.

Sonic Pulse plays the type of epic power thrash that makes you want to scream the lyrics while shaking a tightly clenched fist in the air. With fat galloping riffs and the double kick drum on full tilt slam, you can jam to some fun metal about weed, beer, and Bong Zombies. METAL!

Check 'em out and then hit 'em up on the 'ol 'book. Face, that is.








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Speaking of power metal, I just found out that "extreme" power metallers CELLADOR have made their new EP Honor Forth available as a FREE download! I was (and am) a big fan of their debut album Enter Deception. Folks erroneously compare what one finds on Enter Deception to the music of Dragonforce. Actually, the music sounds more like a cross between old Helloween and Iron Maiden on steroids, not theme songs to epileptic attack-inducing video games.

Although these guys went through a bunch of member changes, the mainstay is guitarist Chris Petersen who keeps the music true to Cellador's sound. Interested power metal fans can download the new EP here.

Here's my favorite tune from them. Total, blistering, epic METAL!








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Hey, what's up with TOXIK SOCIETY? Just wondering.








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I pimped the following on my Facebook page earlier, but it's worth mentioning again. The Swedish thrashers known as INCARNIT have released a new single from their upcoming Umbra EP. The song is titled Black Death, and it's full of thick, mid-paced riffage and bad-ass soloing. Give it a listen below and then go tell the Incarnit fellas "hi" on Facebook.








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Brazilian Thrash Maniax VIOLATOR have posted about a YouTube video that contains their full Annihilation Process album. So if you're new to the insanity of Violator, check out the vid below, and behold the sheer frenzy of an all-out deadly thrash attack. VIOLATOR!!!!! Man, do these guys kick total ass or what?








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Greek thrashers EXARSIS will be releasing their debut album Under Destruction through Athens Thrash Attack and Eat Metal Records. The release date is June 15th! If you're not familiar with their music, hit play below and commence of the thrashing.








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Ohhhhh, BOY! The kick-ass monstrosity known as freakin' VIOLENTOR will hit the studio on July 1st to begin recording their new album! This band's debut from EBM Records is a staple in my playlist and I am ready to expand that playlist with another 8 to 10 Violentor songs. For me, this next album can't come out soon enough.

Check out their rough brand of boogie-drunk gutter thrash!








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A big congratulations goes out to the dudes in FOG OF WAR for getting their asses added to this year's Slaughter by the Water music event! The show is going to take place on a freakin' aircraft carrier! METAL! Those who can make it to Alameda, California on August 25th are destined to have a killer time.








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Well, Australian heavyweights 4ARM have finally announced their full US tour as part of the Zombie Apocalypse Tour package! After I noticed that there is not a Kansas City date, I went to eat a pint of ice cream and hugged my pillow for an hour or so. Yeah, I'm sensitive. However, those of you who are lucky enough to have 4ARM make a stop in your neck of the woods, go check 'em out!