So one of my absolute favorite NWOTM bands has lost its bassist.
Max Ejaxx, bass master for the thrash titans TANTARA has decided to exit the band. Apparently, his heart lies in other types of art other than thumping the rhythm strings. Sez Max on the Tantara Facebook page:
"I want to thank everyone of you for supporting, listening, banging your head and drinking to Tantara. For all the smiles, fists and thrashing heads I've seen on our shows over the past two years.
It has been a great experience for me. Recording the debut album and being a part of it all was amazing. I'll never forget it.
The reason for this message is this.. I have come to the decision to leave the band. It's a tough one for me, but it's for the best. I want to focus on art and other stuff right now. Being a musician is just a hobby for me at the moment.
The guys in Tantara respects my decision and I am still up for playing on the coming shows until they find a new bassist.
Looking forward to seeing the future of the band from another perspective and I promise you... the next album is going to be insane. Herregud."
Usually, losing a band member can be a frightening prospect, especially if the loss alters the band's sound in any way. I mean, if the band sucks donkeys, then maybe a change is for the better. However, Tantara doesn't suck donkeys, or any other animal for that matter. So, considering Tantara has put together some modern classic thrash tunes, here's hoping that the change won't kill the chemistry within the band, thus putting a damper on the songwriting.
As hungry as these guys are, I believe a new bassist (a new LUCKY bassist) will be found and Tantara will be just as strong as ever, cranking out the promised "insane" album we are clamoring for.
So now, the question will be…who will become the new bassist for TAN-f'n-TARA?!
You?
Probably not, but I'm sure it will be someone great. Now scroll down and thrash.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013
New song from Ultra-Violence!
In a previous post, The NWOTM Blog sung praises about the mighty Italian thrashers ULTRA-VIOLENCE and their powerfully solid brand of aggressive METAL.
Although the wait hasn't been too long for some new Ultra-Violence, I believe that kick-ass music can never come soon enough, right? Right. Well, recently we've been blessed with a taste of Privilege To Overcome, their upcoming full-length album from Punishment 18 Records!
Take a look-see down and check out the frenzy of their new song Turn Into Dust! This song is a continuation of the throat-tearing music we've come to expect of a band with such a horns-up moniker.
Turn Into Dust is delightfully sick with a riff (that begins about 2:14) that is sure to cause more than a couple injuries in the pit. I'm freakin' excited to jam the rest of this album!
As for you, listen below, thrash out, and then go hit up their Facebook page. \m/
Although the wait hasn't been too long for some new Ultra-Violence, I believe that kick-ass music can never come soon enough, right? Right. Well, recently we've been blessed with a taste of Privilege To Overcome, their upcoming full-length album from Punishment 18 Records!
Take a look-see down and check out the frenzy of their new song Turn Into Dust! This song is a continuation of the throat-tearing music we've come to expect of a band with such a horns-up moniker.
Turn Into Dust is delightfully sick with a riff (that begins about 2:14) that is sure to cause more than a couple injuries in the pit. I'm freakin' excited to jam the rest of this album!
As for you, listen below, thrash out, and then go hit up their Facebook page. \m/
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Weekend Breakdown with Metreya and Evil Invaders
I need to thank Cat H. for pointing me toward Australian metallers METREYA. Based on their one available song, I am now waiting impatiently to hear more, more, MOOOAR!!
With their self-titled tune, Metreya invoke the stomp of Anthrax with killer doses of Slayerisms and Testament. One can even hear slight touches of power thrash sewn into the audible fabric. I dug everything I heard, but it was the songs mid-section of stellar fast riff gallops and moshable rhythms that brought it all together.
A nice piece of ear-damaging brutality, one which I hope will be followed by equally kick-ass mass of bludgeoning thrash metal.
Check out the tune below and then hit Metreya up here.
--------------------------
Thanks again to Luuk Hoogland, who originally brought my attention to bands such as Brazil's Maniac Force, among others, has brought yet another gem to light.
Here we have the speed metal mania of EVIL INVADERS. These Belgium metal men excel in unreal riffage of insane acceleration, and foundation-shaking solos to give the droopy-eyed jaded metal fan a kick in the ass.
Vocalist Jöe Anus eats lightning and jets out sonic weapons of pure, thunderous METAL. My God, this stuff kicks ass!
Check out the tune Driving Fast below and then keep tabs on Evil Invaders here for updates on their new EP.
METAL!!!
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
New Iron Reagan song "Cycle of Violence"!
The guys over at Invisible Oranges are lucky enough to premiere the new track from punk/metal madmen Iron Reagan!
The song, titled Cycle of Violence, comes off their upcoming album Worse Than Dead, due to drop on March 6th.
The song crushes with a mid-paced neck-breaking rhythm, while Foresta's familiar pipes are solid as ever. A satisfying taste of what's to come from the new album. Can't wait!…but I have to, so whatever.
Check out the tune below! Hit Iron Reagan up here!
The song, titled Cycle of Violence, comes off their upcoming album Worse Than Dead, due to drop on March 6th.
The song crushes with a mid-paced neck-breaking rhythm, while Foresta's familiar pipes are solid as ever. A satisfying taste of what's to come from the new album. Can't wait!…but I have to, so whatever.
Check out the tune below! Hit Iron Reagan up here!
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Atominated ROCKS!
"Wait a minute!" I said out loud to nobody. "I shall ALSO write a kick-ass post about Atominated, and I shall call it good."
After all, an upstart band who crushes as much as Atominated does on their World Without Flesh EP deserves all the press they can get.
These guys excel at no-frills thrash f'n METAL. Short and sick tunes, each with handfuls of catchy riffs that slightly echo the gamut of the classic thrash bands of yore. The song Contagion has to be one of the most headbang-able songs I've heard in recent memory.
Sure, props must be given to guitarist David Curran for chugging out these slamming riffs, but all the members help summon success in these tunes. Drummer Nathan Quinn is the master conductor for the killer dynamics that make you want to MOSH, while bassist Toejam Hannjob (?!) keeps the rhythm tight.
Vocalist Eoin Clarke's raspy, yet powerful vocals channel classic thrash cadence, at times bringing to mind the locomotive delivery of "Brutal" Ben from Insinnerator's recent release (For example, check out Clarke's work on the majestic My New Face).
As much as I love these songs, at times they do feel a bit too short. The ending riff to the tune Atominated almost begs to dive into a well placed breakdown, causing assured mayhem in the pit (Yes, I said it. Breakdown. Kiss it, elitist groove-haters).
Thrash fans who are looking for nothing more than to satisfy that headbanging itch would do good in checking out Atominated's World Without Flesh EP. That's not a back-handed compliment at all, because sometimes we need to sit back and appreciate what a good volume-driven ass-kicking can do for the soul.
Atominated. Bad ass.
Check out the tune below and visit the band here.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Sonic Pulse and Six In Line to tour the east coast
Hey, as a resident in a far-away state, I can't go to any of the upcoming Sonic Pulse / Six In Line shows, but some of you on the U.S. east coast CAN.
So just to live vicariously through SOMEbody who will eventually post a bragging write-up on my Facebook page, I'm going to post some of the bands' songs as well as the tour dates in hopes that those of you who can attend will do so in the most thrashing manner possible.
Why would it rule if this tour comes through your city? Well, it's Sonic Pulse's first solo trek in support of their Lager Than Life album (not counting the string of shows with Lich King). Also, Six In Line is coming in all the way from Sweden for their first U.S. tour.
Needless to say, I'm excited for 'em all and I hope the tour goes well.
Check out the tunes below and then scroll down for tour dates to see if they are hitting your area.
Monday, January 7, 2013
The NWOTM Blog's Top 10 Albums of 2012
I have finally pieced together the New Wave of Thrash Metal Blog's Top Ten Albums of 2012.
Creating lists based on music favorites is always a difficult task for me because the list changes almost daily. Plus, I don't have the funds to get EVERY single thrash release, so really an "official best-of list" would be rather bogus coming from me. So if you don't see on my list what should be an obvious choice for every thrash top-ten, just know that either I haven't bought the album or your idea of a good album is pure silliness.
Also, let it be known that I originally included an "Honorable Mentions" list as well, but it became way, way too freakin' long. I could have easily made a Top 30 list for the year, but I only have so much time and patience (as do you, I'm sure), so I axed the honorables.
Now...let's get started!!
10. Conflagrator - Inevitable Punishments
These guys cranked out a killer self-released EP with songs chock-full of thick riffs hammered over heavy, mid-paced rhythms.
9. Dr. Living Dead - Radioactive Intervention
Delivering another lesson in energetic crossover thrash, Dr. Living Dead offered up an album every bit as good as their debut.
8. Bio-Cancer - Ear Piercing Thrash
A chaotic mass of head-jolting riffage and venomous vocals weaved together in a rather original sound. Just an undeniably powerful album.
7. Testament - Dark Roots of Earth
As I said in my review for this album, "Testament managed to take everything they have perfected over the course of the band's career and build upon that foundation to give us an album that is savagely hungry, effectively beautiful, and as heavy as a near-flawless metal album should be." Too true.
6. Violentor - Rot
Their second album is another vicious attack of balls-out punk thrash. The riffs are infectious, creating songs that are satisfyingly catchy and brutal all at once.
5. Insinnerator - Hypothermia
Insinnerator's second release takes the unique sound of their debut and adds a confidence and maturity to the songwriting, making it all tighter, meaner, and completely neck-shredding. Utterly fantastic.
4. Overkill - The Electric Age
Veterans showing the young'uns how to CRUSH! When I read interviews with Blitz about his competitive spirit against the young and hungry thrash bands, he shows that while he and D.D. are older and wiser, they are every bit as hungry. The Electric Age is one hell of a kick in the ass.
3. Tantara - Based on Evil
At the time, the wait for this album to drop was excruciating. So much hype surrounded Based on Evil, and when it finally became available, I felt the music surpassed expectations. Based on Evil rages with well-written thrash, propelled by killer old-school riffing and ripping vocals. This will be considered a classic album within the NWOTM.
2. Lich King - Born of the Bomb
Pure thunder from a band clearly on top of their game. It's interesting to wonder if Lich King knew how special and thoroughly kick-ass an album Born of the Bomb was going to be as they were writing it. I love how people were almost surprised at just how damn good BotB is. We live in crazy times when a band like Lich King still remains unsigned to a solid metal label.
1. 4ARM - Submission For Liberty
Modern thrash done perfectly. With Submission For Liberty, 4ARM created a bulldozer of a metal album with hardly an inch of filler. Completely engrossing, Submission For Liberty contains dynamic musical passages of aggression and beauty that soars along on the backs of tight, well-crated riffs and rhythms. Smart, lively, and it freakin' CRUSHES.
Creating lists based on music favorites is always a difficult task for me because the list changes almost daily. Plus, I don't have the funds to get EVERY single thrash release, so really an "official best-of list" would be rather bogus coming from me. So if you don't see on my list what should be an obvious choice for every thrash top-ten, just know that either I haven't bought the album or your idea of a good album is pure silliness.
Also, let it be known that I originally included an "Honorable Mentions" list as well, but it became way, way too freakin' long. I could have easily made a Top 30 list for the year, but I only have so much time and patience (as do you, I'm sure), so I axed the honorables.
Now...let's get started!!
10. Conflagrator - Inevitable PunishmentsThese guys cranked out a killer self-released EP with songs chock-full of thick riffs hammered over heavy, mid-paced rhythms.
Delivering another lesson in energetic crossover thrash, Dr. Living Dead offered up an album every bit as good as their debut.
A chaotic mass of head-jolting riffage and venomous vocals weaved together in a rather original sound. Just an undeniably powerful album.
As I said in my review for this album, "Testament managed to take everything they have perfected over the course of the band's career and build upon that foundation to give us an album that is savagely hungry, effectively beautiful, and as heavy as a near-flawless metal album should be." Too true.
Their second album is another vicious attack of balls-out punk thrash. The riffs are infectious, creating songs that are satisfyingly catchy and brutal all at once.
Insinnerator's second release takes the unique sound of their debut and adds a confidence and maturity to the songwriting, making it all tighter, meaner, and completely neck-shredding. Utterly fantastic.
Veterans showing the young'uns how to CRUSH! When I read interviews with Blitz about his competitive spirit against the young and hungry thrash bands, he shows that while he and D.D. are older and wiser, they are every bit as hungry. The Electric Age is one hell of a kick in the ass.
At the time, the wait for this album to drop was excruciating. So much hype surrounded Based on Evil, and when it finally became available, I felt the music surpassed expectations. Based on Evil rages with well-written thrash, propelled by killer old-school riffing and ripping vocals. This will be considered a classic album within the NWOTM.
Pure thunder from a band clearly on top of their game. It's interesting to wonder if Lich King knew how special and thoroughly kick-ass an album Born of the Bomb was going to be as they were writing it. I love how people were almost surprised at just how damn good BotB is. We live in crazy times when a band like Lich King still remains unsigned to a solid metal label.
Modern thrash done perfectly. With Submission For Liberty, 4ARM created a bulldozer of a metal album with hardly an inch of filler. Completely engrossing, Submission For Liberty contains dynamic musical passages of aggression and beauty that soars along on the backs of tight, well-crated riffs and rhythms. Smart, lively, and it freakin' CRUSHES.
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