Free Metal Monday: Brutal Battle Cuba Vol. 1

Asher Media sent me this free digital compilation a few months back and somehow it slipped through my filters until just recently. All the same I am glad that I found it as it would have been a absolute shame not to share this 12 track compilation with all of our readers. Available for free by heading here, "Brutal Battle Cuba Vol. 1" features some great music from some good bands and it just what the doctor called for on this particular Monday. Enjoy!

Free Metal Monday: MetalMessage Promotion Sampler “VI”

Today's Free Metal Monday moment comes courtesy of Germany's MetalMessage Promotion. Arguably one of the better metal promotions from not only Germany, but Europe in general, MetalMessage has helped out a lot of bands over the years including several that I've had the pleasure of reviewing and interviewing! Earlier this month the PR firm posted their sixth overall sampler and, needless to say, it's pretty solid! It features material from the likes of  Halo Creation, Running Death, Warfield, Toxic Waltz, and Vengeful Ghoul and it's free as can be! There's fifteen tracks in all on "VI" and you can find it by heading here.

Black April-Lunitics-Demo 2014

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Local artist alert. And by local I mean Ohio local! Because it's all about the home-pride as I always preach.  In this case it's Black April from Cleveland Twinsburg, Ohio with their "Lunitics-Demo 2014". And no my friends and fellow lovers of all things loud and proud that is not a misspelling. If anything it just points closer to the overall insane aspect of this raw and ready death/thrash four-piece that has thus far shared the stage with the likes of Vindicator, Eternal Legacy, Arsis, Exmortus and many more! Featuring the mad skills of vocalist/bassist Sean Kratz (Benighten Empire, Lucian The Wolfbearer, ex-Eviscerated ), guitarist/vocalist Josh Nally, lead guitarist Max Zotti and drummer Nathan Karns (Benighten Empire, ex-Eviscerated) and taking their cue from bands as wide-ranging as Carcass is to Carnivore the guys in Black April take no prisoners as well as no shit on songs such as "Archwing ( Political Warfare and Damned )" and "Balls Deep". A live version of "Gravedigger" rounds out this late October release and for a band that sounds as if it really only came together in late 2013 with the arrival of lead guitarist Max Zotti they sure seem promising!  Rage-worthy and gnarly enough to peel the wallpaper right off of your bedroom walls at any given moment, "Lunitics-Demo 2014" is one of those lovely recordings that recalls they heyday of tape-trading when underground heavy thrash/death metal like this* was worth it's weight in gold!

Gloriously it's a name-your-own-price download, but as always why not throw a few coins in the fountain as it were? If for no other reason then maybe just to buy this motley lot a few beers? I'd wager a bit or two myself that performing this kind of extreme metal makes one mighty thirsty for blood an adult beverage! Either way here's hoping that this isn't the first and last that we hear from Black April as who doesn't love skull-splinting death thrash like this!!!!!

https://blackapril.bandcamp.com/releases

*You know the kind of late eighties/early nineties metal where Slayer was worshiped on the exact same alter that had previously served as a sacrificial area to Chuck Schuldiner's Death? Here it is kiddos. Only difference is Black April is unmistakeably Cleveland thrash and proud of it! 

Free Metal Monday: SHVS-"Always Forget" Single and "Feel 4U" EP

And now for something different. May I present to you Columbus, Ohio trio SHVS. A "surf punk band with prog-rock and metal tendencies" (per the band's Facebook bio) SHVS is way too much fun to keep to myself so for this Free Metal Monday feature I've linked the single "Always Forget" and the group's 2013 EP, "Feel 4U". Both are Name Your Own Price downloads, but if you can toss a few coins into this band's fountain. And since the group's previously mentioned Facebook bio is just too righteous for words here it is in it's entirety!(and yes, I totally love the "Freaky Freak-boy music" description!)

SHVS is a surf punk band with prog-rock and metal tendencies.
 
In the fall of 2013, a 7-year-old punk rocker from Pittsburgh named Abby confidently described the band as "Freaky Freak-boy music."
Basically, if Black Sabbath and the Beach Boys had a teenage daughter who wore a ripped-up (presale) Dead Kennedys shirt while listening to only Yes all the time, SHVS would be that daughter.

Now that is how you do a bio! LOL!

Incidentally, "Always Forget" is the third track from the group's upcoming LP, "My, My" 
http://shvs.bandcamp.com/track/always-forget-2 

"Feel 4U" EP:
http://shvs.bandcamp.com/album/feel4u-ep 

Holy Grove-Live at Jooniors

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Don't know the name? No worries my friends. Soon enough Portland, Oregon's Holy Grove will be on everyone's lips! And yes, it will be well-deserved chatter and then some! Formed via Craigslist in January of 2012, Holy Grove is a female-fronted doom metal act with the (Name Your Price) "Live at Jooniors" offering two samples of the group's live prowess. Recorded this past summer, "Live at Jooniors" features the tracks "Holy Grove" and "Nix" and with both numbers running past the six-minute mark there is more then enough material on hand to allow listeners to fall heavily in love with this four-piece act! Lead effortlessly by vocalist Andrea Vidal (with guitarist Trent Jacobs, bassist Gregg Emley and drummer Craig Bradford rounding out the fold), Holy Grove has become one of Portland fastest up-and-coming metal bands and after listening to this live EP it's no wonder why! By fusing vintage doom metal with classic rock riffs, 70's hard rock and the rhythmic aspects of blues-rock this four-piece brings down the house! With their honest and sincere approach to music and the way in which it all sounds so natural and free-form Oregon's Holy Grove easily captivates the audience and holds it's attention tight. Skilled beyond belief, guitarist Trent Jacobs and bassist Gregg Emley lay down thick cover (read: hearty riffs and fantastic fuzz!) over which Andrea can work her magic. Meanwhile drummer Craig Bradford keeps everything wrapped together nice and warm making Holy Grove's sound all the more alluring! With a full-length album supposedly due sometime before the end of 2014 Oregon's Holy Grove should be a household name soon enough!


 http://holygrove.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-jooniors

Free Metal Monday: "Metal Sem Fronteiras" Compilation

ONLINE METAL PROMO and FURIA METAL BRASIL radio (Brazil) have teamed up to offer this free download compilation featuring the likes of Hessler, Witchcross, Death Dealer, Hellion, Lady Beast and Maxxxwell Carlisle. All told there are 48 bands present here offering a nice mix of "current, deep, advanced and unreleased original songs from up and coming as well as established hard rock and heavy metal artists from the United States. Brazil, Germany, Australia and Mexico." I've included the back cover below so feel free to check it out before you decide whether you want it or not, but I can't imagine anyone turning down a versatile mix like this one! "Metal Sem Fronteiras", which can be downloaded from the link below, features more than a few bands that have previously been covered here at HMTM (Diamond Lane, Hessler, Lady Beast, Skinner, Death Dealer, etc.) so I can vouch for the rock-solid collection on hand. This one is definitely worth a look as you never know if a new favorite band is waiting to be discovered!

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7wd9t2rfhp1pg5d/AADng1h09wQYpHd8TPKLkn7ja?dl=0

Danger Zone-Fire Fire (Single)

Self-Release/Independent
2014

It's been two years since we last heard from Italy's Danger Zone. The thing is, based solely on the high quality melodic rock/hard rock that fans (incl. yours truly!) have come to know and love so much from this Bologna-based group, that seems like more of an eternity! Formed in 1980 (with highly skilled guitarist Roberto Priori serving time as the sole original member!) and known as much for the cult 1984 release, "Victim Of Time" (one EP that I have long dreamed of seeing it get a proper* CD release!) as they are for their excellent 2012 comeback album, "Undying" (with a handful of demo recordings and the very cool "Line Of Fire" nicely sandwiched in-between the two proper studio releases) Danger Zone has long been the type of band that is lovingly embraced by those in the know while (sadly) mainstream success seems to be just beyond the group's reach. One can only hope that the future holds better things for Roberto Priori and his brother's in arms as Danger Zone, which is lead by Giacomo Gigantelli (Spitfire) and (as of this fantastic cover song) has "officially" welcomed new bassist Matteo Minghetti into the fold (with long-time drummer Paolo Palmieri (as wonderful as ever) rounding things out) is simply far too talented and way too good to be ignored forever! Maybe the group's next release (reportedly in the works and rumored to be issued later this year or early 2015) will finally open some eyes & ears to this band's full-potential? In the meantime Danger Zone has released this digital single as a means to tide over fans and possibly hint at what is in store for the new album. Originally performed by Japanese band EZO and often-times covered by Danger Zone on the live stage, "Fire Fire" is a damn near perfect choice of covers for these Italian hard rockers seeing as it's chock full of contagious riffs and it hits the listener from all these different directions at once! Available on iTunes as well as Amazon, "Fire Fire" initially slipped past me someone how this summer but I've more then made up for that oversight by BLASTING (!) this hot slab of hard rock fury over and over again since just discovering it this past Friday! You can check out them video for this hell-raising rock number right below and if you are not entirely  familiar with this highly-underrated Italian group then be sure to check out any of links that I've posted below!

 

*There is a bootleg split CD by Revenge of True Metal Records floating around, but more then anything I would love to see this incredible EP re-mastered and re-packaged with some bonus demo material and possibly even "I Can't Live Without You" from the 1987 compilation album Metalmaniac!

Links:

"Line Of Fire" review:
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2011/04/danger-zone-line-of-fire.html

Article about "Victim Of Time":
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2012/05/forgotten-gems-danger-zone-victim-of.html

Review of 2012's "Undying":
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2012/10/danger-zone-undying.html

Sarah Where Is My Tea-Love & Honor

Self-Released/Independent
2013

Released early last November, "Love & Honor" appears to be the first release from the Russian Federation act known as Sarah Where Is My Tear. Priced at a measly $2(!) this 12-track release finds band-mates Anatoly Borisov (vocals), Sergey Novikov & Denis Pyatkovski (guitars), Igor Starostin (bass) and drummer Kirill Ayuev combining all-things hardcore (melodic hardcore, metal hardcore, post-hardcore and even progressive hardcore!) so that they have the near perfect platform upon which to display their intelligent, honest and reflective and (beautifully) passion-filled lyrics. And I for one fill all the more blessed for having experienced it! So, dig two dollars out of your wallet and slam it down on the counter for these young lads. It's a sound investment in tomorrow's generation while also serving as a nice stand-alone statement that even if nations choose to go at it in a forceful manor us music lovers will also be bound by are love and support of each other!


http://swimt.bandcamp.com/

Tyrants Blood-Coven

Tridroid Records
2014

Back in September of 2013 I covered Tyrant Blood's excellent "Into the Kingdom of Graves", an album that, besides (eventually) being released on LP (a very cool looking piece of vinyl at that!), was also issued under Tridroid Records. "Coven", while it will unfortunately not see a physical release (this one is digital only boys and girls), is nonetheless as impressive of a release if only because it collects previously released material by Vancouver-based extreme metal act (or at least material that has seen physical release before, but never digital release!) and crafts a sort-of, kind-of, "Best Of" scenario! For the uninitiated amongst you Tyrants Blood play a fairly BRUTAL form of extreme metal that highlights all the good pieces/parts of said genre (death metal, thrash and black metal) and, after compressing them under a pile of hellfire and damnation, spits it all back out at the listener with enough piss and vinegar to make one smile all day long! Not much more needs to be said as this act needs to be experienced to be appreciated so stop whatever it is you're doing (besides reading this wonderful review!) and head to the link below to download this beauty of a beast!

http://tyrantsbloodtridoid.bandcamp.com/


Review of previously released "Into the Kingdom of Graves" album:
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=Tyrants+Blood-Into+the+Kingdom+of+Graves+

Whiplash-"Sword Meet Skull, Skull Meet Sword" Single

Self-Released/Independent
2013

Not sure how I missed this one as it was released way back at the start of June in 2013! Having heard that the band was supposed to be releasing an EP called "Old School American Way, Volume 1." sometime in late 2012/early 2013 it now appears as if that whole idea was null and void! Still, at least we have this single off  of said EP right? Admittedly I lost track of these Jersey guys after their 1990 "Insult to Injury" album. O.K., I actually stopped listening to them after that. Still, when I last read about the "upcoming" EP I thought I'd give the group another try. From what I remember the EP was supposed to be a return to the group's roots. If "Sword Meet Skull, Skull Meet Sword" is anything to go by then Whiplash, which features original member Tony Portaro handling both vocals and guitars, has done right with that promise! This single, having been produced Portaro himself, features newcomers Dan "Loord" Foord (SikTh) and Dank DeLong (drums and bass respectively) joining in on the fun that can be had by blasting out straight-up speed/thrash metal! Old-school thrashers will love Portaro handling of both the vocals and guitars as his voice is just rough enough to give "Sword Meet Skull, Skull Meet Sword" edge while his leads are classic Whiplash circa late eighties/early nineties! From the looks of it Tony's two partners in crime have been backing him up since 2011 and the consistency/chemistry is obvious from the technical beat-down that is "Sword Meet Skull, Skull Meet Sword". My only gripe is at a little over three minutes in length it's come and gone before you really have a chance to sit back and settle in! I'd love to find out what the hold-up is with "Old School American Way, Volume 1.". Is it's a matter of not being able to find the proper label to release it on then why not just go ahead and release it yourself? If the lack of funds is the problem then why not go the Kickstarter route? Considering how much has been accomplished this way on the part of bands (A Sound Of Thunder is a perfect example!) Whiplash could easily raise the funds one would think. Either way this single shreds and if this is what Whiplash could be like in 2014 and beyond then you better believe I wouldn't be losing track of them again!

http://officialwhiplash.bandcamp.com/track/sword-meet-skull-skull-meet-sword

Eternal Champion - The Last King of Pictdom

One of the many sites I follow is The Metal Files. As they are another excellent source of up and coming heavy metal sites I've got to thank them (and post a link back to them) for turning me onto Eternal Champion. That link is here:
http://themetalfiles.com/2013/07/15/eternal-champion-on-bandcamp/

Firmly planted in the epic heavy metal camp, which is a really good camp to play for, this American act original released a limited-edition 2-song cassette. The tracks were then re-mastered and made available for purchase at their bandcamp page. With a 7" due out sometime towards the end of summer (which hopefully I'll be able to snag for review-fingers crossed!) this is another young band to keep an eye on. I've linked their bandcamp page just for future reference point, but it's best to get the tracks from the above link.

http://swordsandchains.bandcamp.com/album/eternal-champion-the-last-king-of-pictdom