Steel Inferno-Aesthetics Of Decay

Infernö Records
2016

Every bit as metallic as their name implies, Steel Inferno is a up and coming/super buzz-worthy group from Copenhagen whose full-length debut album, "Aesthetics Of Decay", is scheduled for release on October 20th. This five-piece band, which was formed back in 2012 and is lead by the simply exceptional Karen Collatz, is apparently made up of musicians from not only Denmark, but Greece, France, and Poland. In addition to the forthcoming "Aesthetics Of Decay" this female-fronted heavy metal band has a back catalog that includes one demo and a 7". Having shared the stage with the likes of Cauldron, Encyrcle, Night Viper, Ranger, and Savage Master (to name just a few!), Copenhagen's Steel Inferno looks as if it is more than ready to make the leap from hometown heroes to word-wide icons! That's assuming the band's "Aesthetics Of Decay" gets the proper press it so rightly deserves. Well, that and plenty of spins on any/all stations that specialize in hard rock and heavy metal. God knows the fan-base is out there just waiting for a record like this! The truth is I can't help but get extremely excited about not only this band's stone-cold killer debut album (and mark my words friends it is damn fucking fine!), but Steel Inferno's potential impact on the scene at large! Seeing as this wicked as shit heavy metal band combines some of my all-time favorite things into one tidy little package (more on that in a second!) it's easy enough to wager on Steel Inferno's future success. Especially when you've got someone as good as Karen Collatz standing up front on the mic! That right there is golden brown deliciousness, but really there's a tad bit more to the story of Steel Inferno than just it's talented front-woman. I mean what happens when you surround a great singer with such top-notch musicians as Lars Lyndorff (guitars), Patrick Mantzouridis (guitars), Thierry Zubritovsky (bass), and Krzysztof Baran (drums)? Well, it's a two part answer. First you've stacked the deck in favor of this Danish heavy metal band as there's honestly enough talent on display here to fill a couple of projects! These guys (and gal!) really know how to put together a record that hits all the right buttons and that even includes the big read one that says "Maximum Devastation"! Musically and lyrically this one simply destroys the competition and that brings us right back around to the second part of this question. Frankly-speaking when it comes to this female-fronted heavy metal group you have one of the best new bands that Infernö Records has to offer (and yes, the irony that a band called Steel Inferno is on a label called Infernö Records is not lost on me!!). For a record company that has more than a few great bands on it's roster that is certainly saying something, but pound for pound this one definitely stacks up to it's new label-mates!! As for what Steel Inferno brings to the party? For the intoxicating drink called "Aesthetics Of Decay" you are going to want to start off with one lean and mean five-piece band that is equal parts dirty speed metal, classic heavy metal, and punk-flavored N.W.O.B.H.M. (Iron Maiden's first two albums will do just fine in a pinch). In a blender combine that with a heaping spoonful of high-octane 80's metal (up to and including the early U.S. power metal movement!) and a dash or two of "Master Of Puppets"-era Metallica. Last, but not least finish things off with a splash of furious women who know how to rock. Once you have all of the necessary ingredients together be sure to add in plenty of ice and then blend it on high until you have a rich and smooth consistency. That right there is how you end up with a recording like this one and yes, it is just as fucking radical as it sounds!  Geared up and ready to go with it's eleven powerful moments, "Aesthetics Of Decay" is hopefully just the first in what will prove to be a long-line of epic recordings for Steel Inferno!!


 

Demon Bitch-Hellfriends

Skol Records
2016

Demon Bitch is a up-and-coming traditional heavy metal band from Detroit, Michigan that was formed in 2011 by three life-long friends: guitarist Mars Weston (aka: Lord Mars-Isenblåst, White Magician), lead vocalist Logon Saton (aka: Logon-Joint Custody, White Magician), and drummer Samuel Ceckowski (aka: Reverend Ceckowski-White Magician, ex-Dungeon Beast, ex-Borrowed Time). The group made it's studio debut in late June of 2012 with the release of "Demon Bitch" and that limited-edition cassette demo proved to be hit with fans and critics alike. After rounding out it's ranks with bassist Brian Buckmaster (aka: B. Beastmaster-Isenblåst) and second guitarist Derek DiBella (aka: D.B. Cooper-Isenblåst, Joint Custody, White Magician, ex-Borrowed Time {live}) the group would go on to release the highly-regarded 2014 EP "Death Is Hanging..." and the rest is history! Now signed to Skol Records, Demon Bitch offers up their best material to date on their first full-length album and with "Hellfriends" further demonstrating this five-piece band's love of all things classic there is very little standing between this Detroit metal band and world-wide conquest! In Demon Bitch you get a band that is not only influenced by eighties metal and the N.W.O.B.H.M. scene, but seventies hard rock and progressive rock! Throw in some underground speed metal from the early days of U.S. metal and a little bit of vintage Mercyful Fate and you have one hell of a fucking party on your hands! On "Hellfriends" Demon Bitch has clearly captured the sounds and the overall appeal of yesteryear's metal scene and even though that is the crowd who will most likely benefit from such a soundtrack this is still a metal release for metal fans. Vintage metal aside, "Hellfriends" is very much a heavy rockin' affair and with it's speed-tinged solos thickening the plot this soon to be released album should be able to find a lovely home within the hearts of today's traditional heavy metal crowd. As this is only their first full-length album and it is so strong Demon Bitch could easily grow into something huge and influential before our very eyes! For the time being be sure to mark your calendars down as this album will drop in June. Until then you can check out (and if you so desire) download a copy of the title track for free by clicking here.

Angel Martyr-Black Tales- Prelude (EP)

Self-Release/Independent
2015

Angel Martyr is a N.W.O.B.H.M./80's metal-inspired heavy/speed metal band from Piombino (Livorno), Tuscany that first contacted us on our Facebook page many moons ago. Having previously covered the band's self-titled EP this three-piece band was nice enough to shoot us a message about their three-track EP here. It can be found here (where you can download it for free folks!) and it features more of the same as far as cool as shit speed-tinged 80's metal/N.W.O.B.H.M. worship goes! Lead vox (of the wicked old-school variety*) come courtesy of nasty** guitarist Tiziano "Hammerhead" Sbaragli (Etrusgrave, ex-Harvest) while Dario "Destroyer Rostix" Rosteni and Francesco Taddei (ex-Etrusgrave) handle bass and drum duties respectively. All three musicians do their best to bring about maximum metal carnage and thanks to a sound and style that takes it cues from not only the likes of Iron Maiden, Angel Witch, Blitzkrieg and Judas Priest, but Omen, Exciter, ADX, and Exxplorer this up-and-coming trio almost always nails it! With the proper amount of support and a solid budget a band like Angel Martyr could really turn heads. Let's hope they get that chance. 

*The vox on this 3-track EP sound as if they were ripped straight from the early eighties, but then again s does much of the actual music! 

**Just so there are doubts as to what I'm getting at let's just call it like it is-Hammerhead shreds!!