Tag: metal
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Deity – Deity
With a name like Deity (which means ‘Godhead; the Supreme Being; a fabulous god or goddess, a divinity’), this band have a lot to live up to, a self-imposed high water mark if you will. One the whole Deity more than do their moniker justice. Moreover, while being true to their death metal roots (indeed…
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Hollow Leg – Crown (Murder edition)
Now here’s a band that’s after my bloated, sagging stomach. I dunno if Florida outfit Hollow Leg can actually chow down with the best of them, but when it comes to throwing down, well they do a pretty good job of that. Crown, their third album, came out last year on Argonauta Records, but with…
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Harsh Toke / Joy / Sacri Monti – Burnout!
San Diego is starting to become known for its heavy psych scene, as several stoner jam bands have followed in the wake of Earthless. This three-way split from Tee Pee Records captures three of them: Harsh Toke, Joy and Sacri Monti, all of whom have likely already shared a stage, or even a split EP with…
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Fire Down Below – Viper, Vixen, Goddess, Saint
Taking their name from either a shitty Steven Seagal movie or a 1970’s skin flick, this Belgian outfit draws its sound from the likes of Kyuss and Lowrider. Their debut album was independently released last year, but Fire Down Below have since been picked up by Ripple Music, who have made Viper, Vixen, Goddess, Saint more…
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WARBRINGER interview: John Kevill in Oakland CA, 22 May 2017
“The band’s called Warbringer so it’s gotta blow your head off…” Warbringer is currently on tour with Destruction and Jungle Rot. Hellbound’s Todd Owens met up with vocalist and founding member John Kevill in Oakland to chat about the new album, reconstructing the band (twice), great heavy metal and much more. Check out the interview…
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Volur – Ancestors
The sophomore album from Toronto folk-doomsters Volur is nothing if not an ambitious effort. Though it only contains four tracks, it clocks in at over 53 minutes, with some songs stretching over 15. And while the lyrics are not clearly discernible, I do detect a theme here—each song title begins with “Breaker.” We start off…
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Beastmaker – Inside the Skull
Beastmaker is a band with solid heavy-rock bloodlines—their singer’s father played bass on Montrose self-titled, arguably one of the finest examples of American proto-metal and inarguably the best thing Sammy Hagar has ever sung. The California trio rises above the crop of faceless Swedish outfits on Rise Above, taking us back to the glory days…
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Zealot Cult – Karmenian Crypt
Having seen Limerick’s Zealot Cult play an excellent set at Siege of Limerick, I had high expectations for this three-track EP, and I wasn’t disappointed. The title track shows a strong grasp of song-writing craft; the song is intricate and yet economic at the same time, clever but not cluttered. Most pleasing of all is…
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Contra – Deny Everything
When I get something from a band I’ve never heard of, I usually give it two or three songs to grab me. In this case, Contra grabbed me right away, reminding me of now-defunct local outfit AF Analog (who have since given way to the excellent Warsnake). Like the AF Analog dudes, the guys in…
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Ritual & Revival: Preserving heavy metal, one jar at a time
Renee Trotier is stirring a pot in the culinary world. In it, she combines freshly picked plums, essence of lavender and drops of gin to create a beautiful deep purple concoction. In a few hours, it will be ready to go with your favourite crackers and cheese, on toast, or with dessert. But don’t forget…