Monument-Hellhound

Rock Of Angels Records
2018

British heavy metal band Monument will release "Hellhound" on May 25th, 2018. Preceded in life by 2016's "Hair of the Dog", this 12-track recording* serves as the group's third full-length album since forming in 2011. Opening by way of  the solid "William Kidd" (see official video below), "Hellhound" finds lead singer Peter Ellis (ex-The More I see, ex-White Wizzard) and crew once again mixing together the best parts of of N.W.O.B.H.M. (Iron Maiden, Judas Priest) and traditional heavy metal (everything from Anvil to Rainbow). With production courtesy of  Tony Newton, Monument's forthcoming album is arguably the strongest effort to date from this extremely-talented lot! Frankly-speaking, everything about this album rocks!! Having aimed for the "live" sound of these London metal merchants, Tony's Newton's slick production highlights Peter Ellis' soaring vocals, the thunder and lightening sensation that is the rhythm section of "Hellhound", and the album's (epic and simply tremendous!) lead guitar solos! With each and every number offering something new and exciting(!), "Hellhound" is traditional heavy metal at it's absolute finest!! It is obvious that a lot of hard work went into the construction of the songs of this high-flying disc! And the individual performances? The fact is everyone has put their best foot forward on this must-have release. Packed with heavy metal glory that will blow more than a few minds, "Hellhound" is what happens when every member of a band gives 100% effort in a studio setting. As good as all of the material is musically, Monument's new album would be wasted if the songs weren't well-written. Thank the maker of all that is metal that this isn't the case. Lyrically the album covers a lot of ground (per Monument's awesome lead singer the lyrics touch on history, urban London life, the occult and personal relationships) while musically this is what makes British heavy metal so great to begin with. It's not only the blazing leads and stunning vocals, but the beautiful way in which melody and metal madness work so well together. Ending by way of two choice cover songs (one from Rainbow and the other one from Iron Maiden), "Hellhound" is all about waving the flag proudly for true heavy metal! If you are a fan of top of the line British heavy metal, this forthcoming album should be a part of your personal collection!!

*The CD consists of 12 tracks (9 tracks plus 3 bonus tracks) while the limited-edition vinyl version will only have the 9 "normal" tracks.

Stray Bullets-Shut Up

Sneakout Records
2018

Active since 2007, Italy's hard rock band, Stray Bullets, offer up some easy & sleazy glam on their full-length debut album, "Shut UP". Released on January 26th, 2018, this well-crafted release serves as the follow-up to the self-recorded album, "Lost Soul Town". Having teamed up with the good folks over at Atomic Stuff Studio, a huge chunk of "Lost Soul Town' was re-written & re-recorded in order to present this enthusiastic recording! Fronted by Alex Chinaski and featuring the mad skills of guitarists Steven Evil and Nick, bassist Dave Dufford, and drummer Zen, Stray Bullets official debut is sure to bring a smile to the faces of sleaze/glam fans as well as anyone that likes (catchy and fun) down and dirty hard rock!! This hidden gem features some sinsational guitar work and more than likely it will remind some of our older readers of the heyday of the L.A. hard rock/glam metal scene. If laid back (hard & heavy) sleaze is your drug of choice, "Shut Up" is the fix you need!  

AxMinister-The Crucible of Sin

Self-Release/Independent
2018


Toronto, Ontario's AxMinister, fronted by vocalist/bassist Nicholas Klaus and citing bands like Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer, Iron Maiden, and Manowar as their primary influences, will release "The Crucible of Sin" on Friday, May 4th. It is a five-track EP that was produced by Ryan Jones and mastered by Harry Hess. Clocking in at just under twenty three minutes, this impressive EP opens up strong with the cut "Prey" and only gets better from there! With each passing track better than the last one, AxMinster's forthcoming EP is bound to impress fans of (rugged & tough) heavy/power metal!! Having first come together in 1999(!), AxMinister is a (razor blade sharp) group that has been tearing it's way through the scene since 2008. Lyrically the group covers topics such as film, history, politics, and religion. Guitarist Tim Smith and drummer Bas von Bismark round out the official line-up on this (classic heavy metal and N.W.O.B.H.M.-inspired) powerful metal release. Meanwhile there are some cool backing vocals courtesy of Nick Allaire. Available for pre-order at the link above, "The Crucible of Sin" is a lyrically-strong (hard & heavy) power metal recording with strong lead vocals, great guitar solos, a slick rhythm section, and inspired songs that will make you want to wave the banner of true heavy metal for all to see!! This is honest to goodness heavy metal that has been made possible thanks to hard work & dedication of true heavy metal maniacs. For more information on this heavy/power metal band be sure to check out AxMinister's Facebook page.