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.

Them-Sweet Hollow

Empire Records
2016

Them is a international heavy metal band that was originally formed in 2008 by singer Troy Norr (Coldsteel) as "Them - The King Diamond Tribute". After three and a half years or so of covering King Diamond and Mercyful Fate songs, Troy decided to put the well-known tribute band to rest so. Placing Them on the back-burner, Troy went out and worked on other projects. Fast forward a couple years to 2014 and the dead suddenly returned to life! Or at least the name "Them" did. Brought back into the world of the living once more by it's skilled front-man, Them suddenly began the long and treacherous journey from being in a tribute band to writing and performing all original material. To that end, Troy envisioned a whole new concept for the resurrected and largely "re-imagined" Them and soon enough he began the slow and meticulous construction of what would turn out to be "Sweet Hollow". With the help of some top-notch musicians from Germany and the U.S. (see below), the 50 minute plus "Sweet Hollow" is not only the bright light at the end of that dark tunnel for Troy Norr, but arguably one of 2016's strongest heavy metal recordings! Mixed and mastered by David Otero (Aberrant, Moth (live), ex-Dethroned, ex-Serberus), "Sweet Hollow" is a cleverly-crafted concept album that tells the "bizarre journey of a man caught between unfortunate circumstance and unspeakable evils". It serves as the follow-up to the independently-released "Fear Them" EP and features eleven songs....well, twelve if you include the all-too brief intro "Rebirth". Clocking in at just a minute and nineteen seconds, "Rebirth" flips the switch from off to on in regards to this ghoulish creature of the night. "And what is this ghastly monster made of" you might be asking? Taking a cue or two from it's namesake, Them first captured the unholy spirits of both King Diamond and Mercyful Fate in order that they might serve as this album's guiding voices. From there they built up the actual body of "Sweet Hollow" with pieces and parts of Grade A power metal. Last, but most certainly not least, lead singer Troy Norr plucked out his own heart and gave it to his new creation! Naturally charged by the thunder of the gods themselves(!), "Sweet Home" is a tribute to all those who too part in it's construction and a real gift for fan's of classic and true heavy metal!! 




Them's full-length debut find's Troy Norr (amazing enough!) backed up by:


Guitarist Markus Johansson  (4Arm, Sylencer)

Guitarist Markus Ullrich (A Cosmic Trail, Lanfear, Septagon)

Bassist Mike LePond (Affector, Elegacy, Fatal Array, Heathen's Rage, Holy Force, Mike LePond's Silent Assassins, Rivera/Bomma, Stygia, Symphony X, Waken Eyes, Distant Thunder, ex-Brute Force, Ango Tasso's Air Force, Mike Bino Project, Universal Mind Project, ex-Ashenveil, ex-MindMaze, ex-Painmuseum, ex-Seven Witches, ex-Sleepy Hollow, ex-Helstar (live), ex-Operatika Element (live), ex-Malakis Reign, ex-Rattlebone)

Keyboardist Richie Seibel  (A Cosmic Trail, Ivanhoe, Lanfear, ex-Charisma, ex-Ivorie)

Drummer Kevin Talley (Castrofate, Feared, Grot, Nothnegal, Sylencer, The Art of Hate, Dååth, ex-Horror of Horrors, ex-Consumned, ex-Decrepit Birth, ex-Dying Fetus, ex-Implore, ex-Misery Index, ex-Six Feet Under, ex-Suffocation, ex-Throes, ex-WretchedPain, ex-Absence of the Sacred (live), ex-Battlecross (live), ex-Cattle Decapitation (live), ex-DevilDriver (live), ex-Hate Eternal (live), ex-M.O.D. (live), ex-The Black Dahlia Murder (live), ex-The Red Chord (live), ex-Chimaira, ex-Worlds Divide, ex-All the Way to the Bank, ex-Throes (live))

Lady Beast-Metal Immortal

Infernö Records
2016

Lady Beast is five-piece metal band that hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and has been active since 2009. It was sometime back in 2013 when I first discovered this N.W.O.B.H.M.-inspired traditional heavy metal group and their 2012 self-titled release and I've been a huge fan ever since. Due to drop in a few short days, "Metal Immortal" is not only Lady Beast's latest recording, but arguably their best one to date! This aptly-titled EP picks right up where last year's "Lady Beast II" left off while simultaneously showcasing this group's remarkable ability to make huge musical strides between each new body of work. Whether or not that has anything to do with the additional of new lead guitarist Andy Ramage (Oh Shit They're Going to Kill Us, ex-Relique, ex-Vrolok (live), ex-Argus) this time around is open to debate, but it's not as if his rock-solid skills hurt any when it comes to such explosive numbers as "Metal Martyr", "The Devil's Due", and "Lady of the Battle"! With four new tracks in all, "Metal Immortal" is as good as it gets when it comes to an epic band delivering top-notch heavy metal and that is one statement that I do not post in jest! From the word GO (!) this hard-hitting (if sadly underrated) band has been taking care of business and it is has never been as obvious as it is now that they want the world and nothing less! Listening to a well-constructed EP like this should give you no doubt as to the ability of musicians Chris Tritschler (rhythm guitar), Greg Colaizzi (bass), and Adam Ramage (drums), but as with every every other recording that Lady Beast has put out there is one undeniable highlight. Naturally that would be the unmistakable voice of front-woman Deborah Levine. This versatile lead singer is hand's down one of the best in the business and her enthusiastic attitude and uncompromising approach to the mic is simply beyond description! Deborah Levine pumps extra Grade A rocket fuel into what is already one hell of an aggressive heavy metal band and in the process she makes me reconsider how I feel about the city of Pittsburgh itself!! As a long-suffering fan of the Cleveland Browns that's not an easy thing to do, but given the undeniable chemistry of this amazing singer and her band and this EP's unbelievable quality I'm willing to let bygones be bygones!! Soon to be available on vinyl, CD, and in digital, "Metal Immortal" is a must-have release from one band that really should start to become better known for just that reason alone. Or to put it another way, Lady Beast is very close to the point where you could blindly buy one it's recordings and expect nothing but the absolute best. At this point in time I honestly cannot think of too many bands out there that I would say that about....

Kryptos-Burn Up The Night

AFM Records
2016

Formed in late 1998 in Bangalore, India, Kryptos is a heavy metal quartet with four full-length albums to it's name. Due for release at the tail end of this month, "Burn Up The Night" is the latest recording for guitarist/vocalist Nolan Lewis (ex-Aeons of Sorrow, Witchgoat) and company. With eight solid numbers in all and a production that is second to none this forthcoming release from Kryptos picks right up where the group's last album, "The Coils of Apollyon" left off. O.K., it more or less follows the exact same blue print that was laid out for "The Coils of Apollyon", but when you strike gold why would you ever want to turn back? For those who might not be familiar with this Indian heavy metal outfit and/or their particular "inspired sound" then here's what I'm hinting at. For the Bangalore-based Kryptos (whose name reportedly comes from the Latin word "Cruptus") it's all about paying tribute to the band's that came before them and doing it in epic style. In this case it's everyone from Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Accept to Coroner, Slayer and Kreator. Last time around (ie: this group's third album) there was also some simply awesome "Master Of Puppets"-era Metallica and Holocaust(!) love to be found and I'm happy to report that when it comes to their new disc here Kryptos did not let me down! With additional nods of appreciate shown to the likes of Mercyful Fate, Heathen, Candlemass, Death Angel, (early) Testament, and Black Sabbath it's almost impossible not to love everything about this four-piece band! For all the tried & true metal manaics out there this one is a real no-brainer!

Darkage-Tales From Obscurity

Self-release/Independent
2016

Darkage is a traditional heavy metal band from Rome, Italy. The band was founded in June of 2008 by guitarist Dario Laurenzi, bassist Domenico Cannatà, and former drummer Nino. Lead singer Domenico Sepe has been with the band pretty much from the start and since 2012 the group has been rounded out by drummer Gianluca Polito. In 2011 the band released it's first demo, "The Night Calls", and the five song EP, "Tales From Obscurity", was just released back in mid-March. Interestingly enough the EP opens with the track "The Night Calls" and one would have to assume that it is a updated version of the same song that appeared on Darkage's demo. From there you have "Raw", "D.O.G.", "Evil Creatures", and "The Bells" and it all runs slightly over 28 minutes in length. As far as Darkage's take on traditional metal goes classic metal is the name of the game with the bulk of this underrated EP sounding as if it could have come from the golden era of tape trading! Naturally that is meant as a HUGE compliment and so is the admission that I simply cannot put my finger on this band's influences. In other words, Darkage sounds like no one else on the recommended "Tales from Obscurity" and that is an absolutely thrilling concept!! Other than the actual music itself (which I guess I would describe as a cross between underground eighties metal, N.W.O.B.H.M., doom, occult rock, dark metal, and classic heavy metal) the one thing I really like about Darkage is their lead singer, Domenico Sepe. Just like some of the all-time greats, Domenico Sepe has a certain presence about him and he helps give Darkage a vintage metal vibe that is simply out of this world! While I would never put him in the same class as someone like Ronnie James Dio (R.I.P.) I would point out the effectiveness of Sepe's haunting and somewhat evil voice. With someone like Domenico Sepe on the mic you could easily transform a normal metal band into something awe-inspiring. Thankfully in the case of Darkage there is already a great foundation in place so there's never a point where Domenico Sepe has to carry the load. As this kind of vintage metal is all the rage I would not be surprised to see this Italian band scoped up in a year or less. And to that end I would LOVE to hear what Darkage could pull off on a full-length album. I've got a feeling it could be nothing short of magical!!

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.

Free Metal Monday: White Hornet-White Hornet

Self-Release/Independent

2015

White Hornet is a traditional heavy metal/thrash group that hails from Baltimore, Maryland and has been active since 2010. Originally conceived of as a one-man project by multi-instrumentalist Matt St. Ours, White Hornet has grown into a full-fledged band and a damn-fine one at that if we are to go by their latest release here! These guys seeming worship the N.W.O.B.H.M. scene as well as old-school metal and thrash and it really makes for a nice vintage-vibe of this self-titled EP! Sadly the vinyl versions of "White Hornet" are long sold-out, but at least you can snag a digital copy of it for free by clicking here!

Night Viper-Night Viper

Svart Records
2016

Night Viper is a heavy metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden. And when I say they are a heavy metal band I mean just that. This is pure, unfiltered and no-nonsense heavy metal that is just the way that dear old Mom used to make it! Night Viper is old-fashioned, tried and true heavy metal and man alive is it ever refreshing! Formed in 2014 by lead vocalist Sofie Lee Johansson (whose voice absolutely kicks it!) and veteran guitarist Tom Sutton (Horisont, The Order Of Israfel, ex-Church Of Misery), Night Viper has one single to it's name in addition to this stone-cold wicked full-length LP. With a run-time of nearly 39 minutes, "Night Viper" is what you get when a bunch of righteous metal warriors come together with the sole purpose of unleashing fist-banging metal to the masses! As of this writing Night Viper is rounded out by guitarist Emil Ridderstolpe, bassist Ruben Åhlander Persson (Miasmal, ex-Guerilla, ex-Radiation), and drummer Jonna Karlsson and (collectively) it's hard to find a more well-rounded five-piece than this Swedish export! With a label like Svart Records now backing them you can expect even better things in the coming years! When it comes to this gem of a female-fronted heavy metal band we might just be looking at the next BIG thing to come smashing and bashing it's way out of Sweden! You can find this band online by heading here and if you are a fan of classic/traditional heavy metal then make sure to add this self-titled release to your personal collection!!