Heavy Metal
Extreme Metal Stalwarts Enslaved, Kataklysm, and Ihsahn All Release New Singles: Stream
Renowned extreme-metal acts Enslaved, Kataklysm, and Ihsahn all released new singles with accompanying music videos on Friday (August 28th), delivering a thunderous dose of new music to metalheads everywhere. Norwegian metal veterans Enslaved have unleashed “Urjotun” as the third single from their upcoming album Utgard, due October 2nd via Nuclear Blast. “The lyrical idea for ‘Urjotun’ had been spinning around in the chaos in the back of my head for quite a while, when Ivar sent me the riff-demo last autumn,” stated Enslaved singer Grutle Kjellson of the song. “I knew instantly that this was it, the very soundtrack of the rise of the primeval giant, the Urjotun! Our mutual love and fascination for that early krautrock scene and for bands like Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk, finally fully as...
Metallica’s S&M2 Cleans Up Nicely for Home Release: Review + Stream
The Lowdown: Last September, Metallica reunited with the San Francisco Symphony for the two performances that would become S&M2 — the sequel to their illustrious symphonic metal collaboration from 20 years earlier. To commemorate the event, the band teamed with Trafalgar Releasing to screen the concert film in movie theaters across the world. The S&M2 shows took place on September 6th and 8th, and the film premiered on October 9th. In film production timelines, that’s an impossibly small window for post-production on a concert film and album. Nevertheless, the theatrical film was a box office success, though a trained eye and ear could tell that it might have been rushed to release. The initial edit of director Wayne Isham’s footage, though clean, had an unfinished quality to it. I...
Deftones Serve Up White Pony Beer in Honor of Album’s 20th Anniversary
Deftones fans have been drinking in the sensational sounds of White Pony for 20 years. Now, they can actually consume “White Pony” beer, as the alt-metal act has announced a new IPA named after their 2000 landmark album. In addition to prepping the release of a brand-new album titled Ohms, due September 25th, Deftones have been commemorating the 20th anniversary of White Pony in style. Previously, the band launched a limited-edition merch capsule, and revealed that they are working on a reissue of the LP, complete with a bonus disc of remixes titled “Black Stallion”. Now, add beer to the White Pony celebration. Deftones have teamed up with San Diego brewery Belching Beaver to create the double dry hopped IPA, and the description is nearly as appealing as Chino Moreno’s soaring vocals: “Whi...
Mining Metal: Cobra Spell (Premiere), Atramentus, Humavoid, Krallice, Necrot, Nug, Question, and Terminal Nation
“Mining Metal” is a monthly column from Heavy Consequence writers Joseph Schafer and Langdon Hickman. The focus is on noteworthy new music emerging from the non-mainstream metal scene, highlighting releases from small and independent labels — or even releases from unsigned acts. As I’m writing this, the metal underground is still reeling from the unexpected passing of Riley Gale, vocalist for Texas thrashers Power Trip. Gale was known for his unabashedly political lyrics, charismatic live performances, and interpersonal messages of kindness. The underground will be feeling his loss for some time. I first heard Power Trip a few days after publishing an essay on Invisible Oranges declaring the post-Municipal Waste thrash revival dead. Power Trip’s debut album, Manifest Decimation rendered my...
Tribulation Announce New Album Where the Gloom Becomes Sound, Unveil 2021 European Tour Dates
Tribulation have announced a new album, Where the Gloom Becomes Sound, due out in January 2021. The dark metal act also unveiled European tour dates alongside Bolzer and Molassess set to kick off around the same time. The Swedish band began as a death metal act before making a major artistic pivot toward a more cinematic, gothic style on 2015’s The Children of the Night. Tribulation have never looked back, embracing new sounds and adjusting their stage show accordingly. The group dons vampiric attire as they present their stage show as a heavy metal ballet, with athletically nimble guitarist Adam Zaars traversing the stage while simultaneously shredding. The new album sounds like it could be even more conceptual than recent LPs The Children of the Night and Down Below, the latter of ...
Uniform Share Title Track from Upcoming Album Shame: Stream
New York City trio Uniform have unleashed the title track from their upcoming new album, Shame, out September 11th on Sacred Bones. “Shame” follows on the heels of previous single “Delco”, showcasing the idiosyncratic blend of heavy music Uniform have honed for their latest LP. John Carpenter-style synths build into a crushing blast of electronic and live instrumentation. It’s not quite metal or industrial or hardcore, though there’s subtle elements of each. Vocalist Michael Berdan stated, “‘Shame’ is the song that sets the thematic tone for the rest of the record, which seems appropriate for a title track. It is a portrait of someone riddled with regret in the process of drinking themselves to death. Night after night they sit in dark reflection, pouring alcohol down their throat in order...
99 Metal Artists Team Up to Sing “99 Bottles of Beer” for Charity: Stream
Testament’s Chuck Billy (photo by Antonio Marino Jr.), Philip Anselmo (Amy Harris), Sepultura’s Derrick Green (Philip Cosores) Well, this is one helluva collaboration! Ninety-nine metal artists have banded together to sing “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” for charity. Among those providing their voices to the charitable track are members of Pantera, Mastodon, Slayer, Testament, Sepultura, and more. The collaboration was the brainchild of Scour guitarist Derek Engemann and bassist John Jarvis, as well as Gruesome bassist Robin Mazen, all under the moniker The Boozehoundz. They recruited the likes of their Scour bandmate Philip Anselmo (Pantera, Down), Kirk Windstein (Crowbar, Down), Bill Kelliher (Mastodon), Gary Holt (Slayer, Exodus), Brendon Small (Dethklok, Galaktikon), Derri...
Slayer’s Kerry King Is Working on a New Project: “I’ve Got More Than Two Records’ Worth of Music”
The legendary Slayer bid their farewell at the end of last year, but that doesn’t mean the individual members are done making music. Guitarist Kerry King has revealed that he has two albums’ worth of material for a new project. Slayer played their final show ever on November 30th after an extensive farewell tour, and the members have been relatively quiet since parting ways. However, in a new interview with Dean Guitars, with whom he has signed on as a signature artist, King revealed that he has been quite productive during the pandemic. “I’ve been very, very lucky with riffs in 2020,” said Kerry in a video interview posted on Dean Guitars’ YouTube channel. “Maybe because I can’t go anywhere, I don’t know, but riffs have certainly not been a problem.” He continued, “Looking forward into th...
Fates Warning Announce New Album Long Day Good Night, Unleash Single “Scars”: Stream
Progressive-metal pioneers Fates Warning have announced their 13th studio album, Long Day Good Night, will arrive on November 6th. The band has also shared the lead single, “Scars”. Fates Warnings’ storied career spans over three decades, and they keep delivering albums that push the band in new musical directions. Over the years, the group’s prog leanings have begun to outweigh the metal in its songwriting. But as “Scars” proves, Fates Warning can still lay down something heavy and atmospheric. For Long Day Good Night, the band aimed for diversity between songs rather than hold to any one template, as singer Ray Adler explained in the press announcement for the album. “The styles of music we’ve written distinguish this record from the rest of our catalogue,” Alder stated. “There are some ...
R.I.P. Riley Gale, Power Trip Frontman Dead at 34
Riley Gale, frontman of the acclaimed Texas thrash metal band Power Trip, has tragically died at the age of 34. A statement from Power Trip on Tuesday evening (August 25th) confirmed his passing. The circumstances behind his death were not immediately made available, but it was revealed that he died on Monday night (August 24th). Power Trip’s most recent full-length, Nightmare Logic, ranked among our favorite albums of 2017, and also made our list of the Top 25 Metal Albums of the 2010s. As of March, the band was back in the studio working on new record. In June, they released a surprise live album. The band issued the following statement via Twitter: “Dear Power Trip fans worldwide. It is with the greatest of sadness we must announce that our lead singer and brother Riley Gale passed...
Ronnie James Dio’s Holy Diver Album Inspires Upcoming Graphic Novel
The Dio album Holy Diver is one of metal’s most iconic LPs, not just for its music but for its striking album cover. Now, thanks to a new graphic novel from Z2 comics, fans will finally find out why a priest was seemingly hurled into the ocean by the demonic figure Murray. Z2 Comics has tapped horror writer Steve Niles to tell the story leading up to the dramatic illustration on the cover of Holy Diver. Niles (Criminal Macabre, 30 Days of Night, October Faction) is being paired up with artist Scott Hampton (Gotham County Line) for the 120-page graphic novel. Ronnie James Dio’s widow, Wendy Dio, is fully on board with the project, stating, “Steve Niles tells the story behind the album cover Holy Diver, a story about how you can’t judge a picture by the way it appears, which is what Ronnie w...
Flying V Guitar Documentary Features Members of Metallica, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Slayer, and More
The Flying V guitar is one of the most iconic instruments in heavy metal history. It’s silhouette alone is enough to warm the blood of headbangers. The guitar will be the subject of a new documentary, Flying V, out on DVD on September 11th. The 67-minute film was directed by Peter Hansen and features interviews with most of the major metal acts that popularized the Flying V over the years, including members of Metallica, Judas Priest, Slayer, Megadeth, and many more. As the cast of the documentary indicates, the guitar, introduced by Gibson in 1958, became a staple of ’80s thrash metal. Slayer’s Kerry King was never without one; it remains the choice axe of Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine; and Metallica’s James Hetfield is appropriately front-and-center on the movie poster, having wielded th...
