Category Archives: New Releases

Out Today: Power Theory – An Axe to Grind

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Power Theory – An Axe to Grind (29 June 2012, Pure Steel Records)

 
So who out there is heading out to the Warriors of Metal Open Air Festival today (or tomorrow, or both days)?

Well, I suppose if you were going today, you’d be there already. But I dunno, maybe you’re heading out later in the afternoon, or maybe you’re catching up on the latest Valley of Steel updates in between bands or something…

Myself, although I’ve been reporting about it for months, unfortunately I’m stuck here at work, which is pretty shitty because it sounds like it’s going to be an awesome time! (Although the heat and humidity are forecasted to be pretty brutal this weekend — hell, when I left home at 5:30 this morning the air was already difficult to breathe — so anyone who’s attending, have fun, but be sure to drink lots of water!)

Although it sucks I’ll be stuck inside a boring office all day with no throngs of screaming metalheads (and no alcohol), at least I can try to make myself feel better by listening to some heavy tunes. No matter how high I turn the volume on this computer, I know a pair of headphones will never compare to a huge stack of speakers on an outdoor stage, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Anyway, when I was trying to decide exactly what I should be blasting into my ears today, the perfect choice suddenly became obvious: the brand new Power Theory album! Not only is German label Pure Steel Records releasing An Axe to Grind today, but the band will be celebrating that release when they take the stage at WOM this evening!

Maybe I won’t be there to see it live, but I can at least experience it vicariously through the studio version — and for all those readers out there who are also unable to make it to the Frontier Ranch in Pataskala Ohio, I’ll tell you where you can hear some Power Theory too, and where you can get your own copy of this album.

 
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A Brand New TrollfesT Song? Free Download? Yes, Please!!

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That’s right, everyone’s favoreite True Norwegian Balkan Metal band TrollfesT, in conjunction with their label NoiseArt Records, have made one of the songs from their upcoming album Brumlebassen available as a FREE MP3 download!

All you need to do to take advantage is: go to the NoiseArt website, click the link and subscribe to their newsletter.  That’s it!

The song will be available for download for one week only, so hurry!  (Offer ends next Friday, 06 July).

 
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Out Last Month: The Reticent – Le Temps Detruit Tout

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The Reticent – Le Temps Detruit Tout (Heaven and Hell Records, 29 May 2012)

 
Well, shit.

I hate when I feel so overwhelmed by all the stuff I’ve got going on, that I start forgetting about things I was planning on doing. Does that happen to you? It’s like, everything needs my attention, everything needs to be a priority, and some stuff just unfortunately ends up falling through the cracks.

For example: it was about six weeks ago that I wrote about The Reticent — that post was just a comment on a news item about a politically-charged message that the band’s mastermind (and sole member) Chris Hathcock had shared on his Facebook page. But, at the same time, I had mentioned the (then) upcoming album (the band’s third full-length) Le Temps Detruit Tout (“Time Destroys All”), and I did mention then that I was planning on writing a review for the album.

Well, two weeks later, the album came out (on Heaven and Hell Records, who also released the previous two — in fact, the band’s 2006 debut Hymns for the Dejected was the first album that label ever released). And since then another four weeks have passed, and now I find myself digging through some unfinished drafts, when I stumbled upon this one. Not only did I forget to finish writing the review, but I almost shared this too late for you to enter the contest to win a copy of the CD!

When I say almost too late, I really mean it — the contest ends tomorrow (Friday, 29 June), so keep on reading, but then hurry up and hit the link near the end of this post, for your chance to win!!

 
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Now Hear This: New A Band of Orcs Song Now Streaming!

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Well, I feel like I’ve just had my head repeatedly bludgeoned, between an enormous hammer and and an even enormous-er anvil.

And I’m about to go back and do it again.

If that sounds appealing to you, too, then feel free to join me… head on over to Hails and Horns, where they are streaming the first single off A Band of Orcs‘ upcoming album Adding Heads to the Pile, “In the Keeper’s Chamber”!

They’ve also collected quite a bit of information on that page about the story of the band and of their soon-to-be-released concept album, so be sure to check that out while you’re there!

“In the Keeper’s Chamber” is due to be released on Saturday (30 June) as a downloadable single, in advance of the album’s August release (via Itchy Metal). If the rest of the songs are as brutal and punishing as this one, then I’ll definitely be counting down the days until then!

As of right now, the album is expected to come out on CD and digital download, but (as you may recall) the orcs are also taking pre-orders for an incredible 2xLP picture-disc vinyl package (through Kickstarter) — click here for the full details on that, and hurry up if you’re interested, because there’s less than a week remaining for them to achieve their target amount to be able to afford to get the records manufactured! (FYI, a free download of this song is just one of the many glorious rewards that await you for your contributions…)

 
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A Band of Orcs: website, Facebook, Myspace, Youtube
Hails and Horns: website, Facebook

Out Now: Strong Intention – Razorblade Express

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Strong Intention – Razorblade Express (02 July 2012, Patac Records)

 
Maybe it’s because of when I was born (after Star Wars but before The Empire Strikes Back) — I just barely missed out on the original genesis of both the punk and heavy metal movements; I was too young to get much exposure to either genre until the late 80s, and when I did start listening to some of the stuff in my pre-teen years and beyond, I didn’t really have any sense of the history behind either scene or the animosity that existed between them…

I don’t know what the explanation is, exactly, but I do know I’ve always had one foot on each side of the line, not really caring about definitions or labels or exactly what separates “punk” from “metal” — and in fact, I tend to gravitate towards stuff that has a little of both flavors (and attitudes) mixed in. I’ve never understood the mindset of people who seem to think they have to pick a side, and refuse to acknowledge anything that the other team has done. To me, if it sounds good, it sounds good — it doesn’t matter what you call it.

That’s why I don’t really get the attitude of the folks who maintain the Encyclopædia Metallum, who (from what I’ve heard) are very particular about genre classifications, and extremely selective about which bands they approve for inclusion in their archives. Almost entirely absent from that compendium of musical knowledge: anyone who would be considered more closely associated with the realms of hardcore or punk (including grindcore or crust) than what they consider “real” metal. Where exactly the line is drawn, though, isn’t always completely clear. For example, it seems Napalm Death qualified as exceptions to the rule, as did Motörhead, yet the Misfits seem to have been overlooked — despite being no less influential in the metal world than either of the others.

Anyway, I could go on rambling about this for the rest of the day (and I’d be glad to hear YOUR thoughts on the subject — just visit the comments section below, or hit the VoS Facebook page, whatever works for you), but I really came here just to share some new music with you. That would be the new EP by Strong Intention, Razorback Express — now available on 7″ vinyl through Patac Records!

 
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New Music Roundup: Dead Trooper, Auroch, Project Mars, Ever Circling Wolves

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Hello out there on the other side of the computer screen! How are things where you are? Here, it was a pretty typical Monday. Back to work, feeling half-asleep all day long, struggling to do simple things like remember my network password…

Sounds like lots of fun, doesn’t it? Yeah, not so much. Times like this, it’s pretty tough to stay focused on anything for very long. So just to warn you, this will end up being a pretty disjointed post! I’ve been hearing about upcoming new music from a bunch of different places over the past few days, so basically I’ve assembled a collection of previews for you — some you can listen to, some you can watch, and some you can download.

There’s a pretty wide variety in this assortment of songs, so chances are, you’ll find something here that appeals to you. If you see/hear something you find interesting, let me know! It’s always nice to know what resonates with you, the reader, so I can be sure to put more effort into stuff like that. And if you don’t find anything you like here, then definitely let me know, and I’ll try harder next time!

Anyway, here we go…

 
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Just Released: Dead Guys – Duties

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Dead Guys – Duties (self released, 02 June 2012)

 
Hey there, folks. How’s it going? (For the record, that question isn’t always rhetorical — if the mood ever strikes you, you can feel free to hit me with some feedback using the comments section at the bottom of each post!)

It’s Saturday, and I’m in sort of a mellow mood, myself. It’s been a long week, and we especially tend to get pretty busy at work as we get closer to the end of the month — hooray for accounting — with the peak usually coming about a week before month-end, so in other words, approximately yesterday. I wouldn’t say that what I do is particularly difficult or strenuous, but sometimes it can be very mentally taxing or feel overwhelming at times. So like I said, I’m basically in the mood for relaxing this weekend.

I’ve mentioned before about how sometimes I need to step outside of the “metal music” box, and treat my ears to something a little different. I’d wager that’s true about everybody: it’s hard to listen to nothing but amps turned up to eleven, pounding drums, and screaming vocals all day every day. Sometimes you need some variety in your life, and for me, today is one of those days.

So I’ve got some mellow bluesy rock to share with you today — but of course I don’t expect all of you readers to be feeling exactly the same way I am when I write these posts! That’s why there’s a whole archive of stuff out there for you to check out (about 193 articles not including this one); surely there’s something there that’ll tickle your fancy. And then the next time you’re feeling like you’re in the mood for some mellow bluesy rock, you can come back to this one. Or even better — I’ll give you the chance to download this EP for free, and then you can hang on to it to listen to anytime you choose!

 
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Coming Soon: New Icarus Witch Album (But They Need Help Making a Video!)

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So the fifth album by Cleopatra Records recording artists (and Pittsburghers) Icarus Witch is coming out in two weeks!

 
Here is a video teaser for Rise, to be released on the 3rd of July:

 
You can also listen to the album’s title track here.

 
Furthermore, the band has filmed a video for the track “The End,” which they hope to be able to get edited and released prior to the release of the album… which is where you come in!

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BREAKING NEWS: Municipal Waste / Toxic Holocaust – Toxic Waste Split – 2nd Pressing and FREE DOWNLOAD!

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Good morning! It’s early as hell — I haven’t even had any coffee yet and I can’t quite see straight — but this news is too big to wait around before sharing. Sometime in the middle of the night, I got an email from Scotty at Tankcrimes Records saying that there is now a second pressing available of the Municipal Waste / Toxic Holocaust Toxic Waste split!

 
You can read all about this split 12″ release at this earlier post, if somehow you missed the news the first time around — including the track listing, a brief history of each band, summer tour dates, etc.

(And don’t forget — there’s also more free Municipal Waste tracks available to download for free here!)

 

 
But the big news right now is that 1000 more copies of this record are NOW AVAILABLE to buy (ORDER HERE), since the first ones flew off the shelves almost immediately. Pictured above, the new versions include:

200 – Striped (Green/Yellow/Blue)
350 – “Toxic Spill”
450 – Highlighter Yellow

 
And that’s not all — Tankcrimes has also released all four tracks from the split for FREE DOWNLOAD grab it here…

 
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Municipal Waste: website, Facebook, Myspace, Reverbnation
Toxic Holocaust: Facebook, Myspace, Reverbnation, Bandcamp
Tankcrimes: website, Facebook, Myspace, Bandcamp

Coming Soon: A Band of Orcs’ New Album on Vinyl Picture Disc – Pre-Order Now to Help Fund the Pressing!

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California’s A Band of Orcs would love to release their forthcoming self-titled album in the huge, full-color glory that is a double-LP picture disc vinyl format. They would also love to come to your house and slay you and your family, then steal all your gold and eat all your food. They don’t seem too particular about which of those things takes place, but I suspect you might have strong feelings about one or the other.

Fortunately, the band has decided to give you the opportunity to help ensure the first outcome can happen — which would also ensure that you are spared during the orcs’ eventual quest for world domination. If that sounds appealing to you, here’s how it works…

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