None More Black - Belphegor

"Bondage Goat Zombie" by Belphegor, off the album Bondage Goat Zombie (Nuclear Blast 2008)
How much more black could this be? And the answer is none, none more black.

Bondage Goat Zombie (mp3)

New Skeletonwitch Album Art

The release date is set for October 13th for Skeletonwitch's 3rd full-length studio album Breathing the Fire (Prosthetic)

Flaying

From Flaying's album "Commandments-Violated" the song Injection. Defiantely worth a good listen.

BTBAM - Aspirations

Check out a classic track from Between The Buried And Me, Aspirations off their self-titled release...progressive metal at its finest

Aspirations (mp3)

Nunslaughter

There should be more death metal bands out there like Nunslaughter. They play pure unrelentless old school death metal. No female vocals, no keyboards, no guitar solos, just pure untamed death metal the way it should be. I was graced to be able to listen to their second full length album "Goat", what a wonderous piece of music. After their first album which was released in 2000, three years later they produced their best album to date. Being around since the early 80's and not making an album till 2000. Their longest song is on "Goat", which clocks in around 3 minutes and 7 seconds. Most songs don't even reach 2 minutes in length. On "Goat" they have a sense of humor and also put their hatred for christians and relgion in the lyrics. This album is probably one of the best albums I have ever listened to. Recommended if you like Autopsy or Demo era-Death. Get this album NOW!!!

Six String Slaughter

Six String Slaughter, a new death metal band from Denmark. They just released their first Ep entitled "The World Slaughter Ep". An excellent Ep, good production, lots of melodys and still they manage to remain pure death metal in vein of bands like Morbid Angel and Kataklysm to name a few. All of the members have been in bands before. I obtained their new ep from the lead singer of the band, Daniel Wilkens. He was also in the band Deadicated. Highly recommend checking them out. They have a myspace and a facebook. Great new death metal!

Profound Lore

"This is a realm where middle ground doesn't exist. Fuck middle ground." announces Profound Lore Records on their website. Forget what you thought was heavy. It's a feather to Profound Lore. This is one of, if not the, heaviest labels in existence. It's dark, it's black, it's doom, it's noise, and it will scare the pants off you. The bands on this label shrug off not only the conventions set by pop music, but they also shed the archetypes of their own genres. Some of the acts on Profound Lore are so heavy as to be almost unlistenable, even for the hardest of metalheads. But the acts here are not slasher film gross-outs, they're haunting psychological horror masters. Some of these beasts include Alcest, Cobalt, The Gates Of Slumber, Krallice, Portal (Aus), and Wold. The site has a selection of free downloads to sample some of this sonic terror, make sure you pack an extra pair of underwear. Always cordial, Profound Lore apologizes if it takes awhile to receive your order. It's a long way from the depths of Hell to your doorstep.

Profound Lore Records

Brand new Clutch track!

Bluesy rockers Clutch have a fresh new bonus track Metroliner Special available for free download on their website, check out their latest release Strange Cousins From The West while you're at it!

You can get the new track here...
http://www.pro-rock.com/freesongweathermaker/

Lord Gore

A great band for old school death metal/doom metal. Lord Gore has proven themselves a worthy band in the goregrind genre. They have song titles, album titles and lyrics that will repulse you. Gore driven maniacs, sick twisted geniuses, sadistic surgeons these would be ways to describe the men in Lord Gore. The band started in 1998, Portland, Oregon, from the first demo to their last full length album they will forever reign as masters of the genre. The lead singer Gurge, his vocals are always changing never staying the same. So that every release is a new and different experience. Unlike that of Cannibal Corpse nowadays, with George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher. The album "Resickened" is probably their best offering they made during Lord Gore's existence. If you like old school death metal, death metal or grind you will hold Lord Gore dear to your heart. Mandatory Metal: Liquid Lunch, Brainfucker, Kicked to Death, Morgue Whore, Rape Camp and Lord Gore

Lair Of The Minotaur

Warlord!!! Shouts Steven Rathbone (Lead singer/guitarist) at the top of his lungs during their song with the same name. Lair Of The Minotaur (LotM) originated in Chicago, Illinois. Their greek mythology inspired lyrics, sludgy riffs with some thrash thrown in, and some raw production are some of the things that LotM fans have come to love about them. Playing a very aggressive style of thrash, people whom are very precise about genre labeling would consider them aggro thrash. Not quite sure what other bands would fall into this sub-genre, but that really doesn't matter much. Their latest release "War Metal Battle Master" wasn't their best album, but it did show the world what talent they possessed. The production on the album was much better then that of the likes on "Carnage". This band is one that I would highly recommend taking a listen to especially if you like sludge or thrash metal, or even maybe black metal?

Mandatory Metal: Warlord, Carnage Fucking Carnage, War Metal Battle Master, The Wolf and Doomtrooper

Horde Of Undead Vengeance (mp3)

Free Revolver Sampler!

A new 21 track sampler is available for free download from Revolver magazine. Some big names here, including Baroness, Dying Fetus, Living Colour, Job For A Cowboy and much more! You can download it here....
http://redmusic.com/mayhem/

Circle Of Dead Children

Formed in October 31st 1998, a deathgrind band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvannia. The band name, when uttered in front of a Catholic or any other church goer or anyone that has kids brings thoughts of crazy mad men whom love to see little children dead or worse. This though is far from true, the band name came from one of the band members dreams. Dreaming about a circle of flags from different countries, and on each one was a dead child. Their songs are very short, a typical thing in the grindcore genre. After their first self-titled demo the band signed to Willowtip records. They released their first album under that record. Later they switched from numerous different record labels, then finally back to Willowtip once again. Only two original members remain in the band, but still they are going strong. They have made quite a name of themselves in the grindcore/deathgrind genre.
Mandatory Metal: Pigeon Vs. Crow, It's A Bloody Day When You Get Your Head Nailed to A Kross, Extreme Cannibal Smoke!, Destiny Of The Slug, Corsage Of Fresh Meat and Rotten Pride

None More Black - 1349

Sculptor Of Flesh by 1349 off the album Hellfire (Candlelight 2005)

How much more black could this be? And the answer is none, none more black.

Psych-O-Delia Friday - Colour Haze

This German stoner/psychedelic band has been at it for 15 years already, but in case you haven't checked them out now's as good a time as any. Deutschland's own Rockpalast sums it up best:

"Colour Haze ist eine Stoner- und Psychedelic-Rock-Band aus München. 1994 gegründet, ergab sich 1999 die bis heute aktuelle Bandbesetzung. Anfänglich stark von Black Sabbath beeinflusst, finden heute bevorzugt warme, trancelastige Melodien und tief verzerrte Riffparts Verwendung wie auch komplexe Songstrukturen, Jazz-Elemente und zunehmend Jams. Liedmonumente von epischer Länge werden mittlerweile durch weltmusikalische Zutaten aufgebrochen, Stefan Kogleks Gesang ist zurückgenommen und wirkt oft eher als zusätzliches Melodieinstrument denn als erzählerische Kraft. Colour Haze geben Progressive-Rock das Progressive zurück."
(http://www.rockpalast.de/bands/colour_haze/)

I have no idea what that means, but if you're planning a road trip to Venus in your VW Microbus, this makes some great road trippin' music.

Here's Silent off the 2008 album All

Colour Haze - Silent (mp3)

The Ancestors

It seems like a fitting way to begin by introducing some of the bands that helped start the fire that would develop into heavy metal. Taking cues from the blues, rock and roll, classical music, and other genres, these bands were some of the heaviest, loudest, and darkest of their time.

Deep Purple - The classic incarnation of Deep Purple produced many great tunes that will never be forgotten, and that can be viewed as direct precursors to heavy metal. Ritchie Blackmore, playing a heavy blend of blues and classical music, wrote some of the most memorable riffs rock music has ever seen. Ian Gillan tore through songs with the unprecedented aggression and versatility. From haunting moans to banshee screams, Gillan provided an unforgettable voice to the metal machine of Deep Purple. Roger Glover and Ian Paice supplied a forceful rhythm section that drove the beast, while the influence of Jon Lord's keyboard can still be seen today in the darkest recesses of metal.
Mandatory Metal: Child In Time, Pictures Of Home, Burn, Lazy, Black Night, Highway Star

Led Zeppelin - Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham, and Jimmy Page made up arguably the biggest rock band of all time throughout the 1970's. Incorporating strong blues influences, the foursome turned up the volume and brought blues-rock to a new level of popularity on both sides of the Atlantic. Jimmy Page, one of the finest guitarists in rock history, turned blues guitar into a full orchestra through groundbreaking production techniques and geniune skill. Robert Plants soaring vocal style certified him as a true bluesman, while John Paul Jones created mini symphonies on keys and drove the beat on bass. John Bonham, gone before his time, was one of the most powerful and dextrous drummers the world has ever seen, and his style will never be duplicated. In between bluesy numbers, straightforward rockers, and forays into funk and reggae, the mysticism and occult interests of Led Zeppelin (particularly Jimmy Page) let the band venture into dark territory.
Mandatory Metal: Kashmir, Stairway To Heaven, Dazed And Confused, Communication Breakdown, No Quarter, Immigrant Song

Black Sabbath - Without a doubt the darkest band of the three mentioned, Black Sabbath went to new levels of occult and evil imagery to become one of the first acts to define the heavy metal aesthetic. Tony Iommi's powerful riffs were as evil as possible, while still retaining firm blues roots. Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince Of Darkness himself, provided devilish moans and shrieks that brought the dark lyrics to life. Later, Sabbath would also feature another metal master on vocals, the diminutive gremlin Ronnie James Dio. Geezer Butler and Bill Ward on bass and drums respectively powered Black Sabbath into the depths of the protometal caverns. Today, bands from all genres of metal list Black Sabbath as an influence, from the icy reaches of Norwegian black metal to the stoner metal of the American southwest.
Mandatory Metal: War Pigs, NIB, Sweet Leaf, Black Sabbath, Wheels Of Confusion, Paranoid

Welcome To Hell

I've never done this before. Bear with me.

These words have been uttered before. By first-time neurosurgeons, skydiving instructors, airline pilots, and the members of Attack Attack! when describing their musicianship.

Luckily, my situation isn't nearly as life threatening.

I'm here to explore heavy metal and to report on my discoveries. Being into metal for a few years, I still find myself passing through gateway bands and out of the mainstream. My simple goal is to cover new and exciting metal artists as I find them. With that mission statement in mind, a short list of some of my favorite metal bands....from up-and-comers to the all-time legends...

Iron Maiden
Baroness
Skeletonwitch
In Flames
Between The Buried And Me
God Dethroned
Hung
Possessed
Primordial

Not as grand of an introduction as Churchill's speech before Aces High, but I hope it set the tone for an exciting trip through all places dark and evil.

Welcome to Hell!

\m/