Metal News for December 23, 2015
Last updated on September 14, 2025 at 3:01 AM ET
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32 news articles posted on this day.
Omnihility Unveils New Album
Hailing from the Willamette "Valley Of Death" amongst the woods of Eugene, Oregon, technical death metal outfit Omnihility returns with a third offering of audio carnage entitled "Dominion Of Misery."
The album will drop February 26th via Unique Leader Records. The follow-up to 2014's "Deathscapes Of The Subconscious" was again captured at Castle Ultimate with producer Zack Ohren (Animosity, Suffocation, All Shall Perish).
"Dominion Of Misery" includes the maniacal artwork of Mark Cooper (Rings Of Saturn, Deeds Of Flesh, Master et al), who brings the entire package alive with his twisted Lovecraftian-meets-Giger inspired visuals. The track listing is as follows:
1. Morte Aeterna
2. Psychotic Annihilation
3. Immaculate Deception
4. Dementia Praedox
5. Dead Eden
6. Within Shadows
7. Reflections in Blood
8. Parasitic Existence
9. Necrotic. Consumption. Obsession
10. Dominion of Misery More...
Teloch Vovin Releases New Psalm Of Chaos
New York City coven Teloch Vovin commemorates the Winter Solstice with the release of "Psalms Ov Khaos -- Orobas Invocato," the first in the "Psalms Ov Khaos" recordings set to see release from the band in the coming months.
The prime intent of the "Psalms Ov Khaos" series is to further extend and shed black light upon the more electronic and ambient instrumentation and ritualistic elements which are typically only slightly present in Teloch Vovin's death-influenced occult black metal.
The series begins on the 2015 Winter Solstice with the release of "Orobas Invocato," with additional Psalms to be issued on the upcoming Spring and Fall Equinoxes and Summer Solstice. While each Psalm is to be initially released digitally, Teloch Vovin will later amass the works to be pressed onto a physical package as well.
The band comments: "The concept of the 'Psalms Ov Khaos' tracks are independent of the main theme entwined within the two full-lengths the band is currently working on, as the albums focus on the black metal aspects of the band intertwined with black ambience, and the Psalms solely highlight the ceremonial, ambient aspects." More...
Abyssic Releasing "A Winter's Tale"
In 1997, Memnock (Susperia) founded Abyssic Dreams and recorded a two song demo together with drummer Athera (now vocalist in Susperia and Chrome Division). Not much happened after that as they focused on Susperia – a band they started together with Tjodalv (Dimmu Borgir) and guitarist Elvorn.
Abyssic Dreams went into hibernation and in 2012 Memnock wanted to give life to his old project again after coincidentally meeting Andre Aaslie, who just had finished the debut album of the orchestral extreme metal band Gromth. This was the beginning of a unique collaboration between the two, and within one and a half years they had material enough to start the recording of the album.
Memnock’s band mate in Susperia, Elvorn, was engaged as guitarist, and soon after Asgeir Mickelson (Borknagar, Ihsahn, Spiral Architect) came in to handle the drums.
The band changed names from Abyssic Dreams to just Abyssic and went into the reputable Toproom Studio to record the album during 2014. The mix & mastering took place at the very same place the winter of 2015. A release date is finally set for February 26, 2016 and the track listing is as follows:
1. A Funeral Elegy
2. A Winter's Tale
3. Sombre Dreams
4. The Silent Shrine More...
High Hopes Posts "The Greater Plan"
High Hopes just released an animated stream for “The Greater Plan,” a track featuring an appearance by The Color Morale frontman Garret Rapp. The song comes from upcoming release "Sights & Sounds," available everywhere February 5th, 2016 via Victory Records.
Vocalist Nick Brooks explains the song's meaning: “’The Greater Plan’ is about turning a negative mindset into a positive one. How life is always worth making the most of, even if you believe to have made mistakes, you will always have the gift of life to make your own future. There is no one to impress only to improve yourself as a person and to learn more than you did before.”
On working with Garret Rapp, Brooks adds: “We always enjoyed hearing Garret’s vocals on record and thought his style and technique would make a strong contribution to this track. We messaged him on a whim to see if he would reply to which he did nearly immediately! He’s a great guy with a good attitude towards music and the way a musician should be in a modern music industry.” More...
Kilmara To Play Il Male Festival
Spanish heavy metal band Kilmara is confirmed for the Il Male Heavy Metal Festival that will be held on the 29/30 of January 2016 in San Lazzaro Di Savena, Italy.
Kilmara comes on stage Saturday the 30th to present songs from third album "Love Songs And Other Nightmares" with the band's new singer Daniel Ponce. The group is confident of choosing that new vocalist well and is sure that Daniel Ponce is the right candidate to reach new goals, new fans worldwide and new horizons. More...
Eight Bells Adds More Tour Dates
With sophomore album "Landless" coming in February 12th on Battleground Records, Eight Bells will embark on a full U.S. tour that includes three weeks supporting avant-metal godfathers Voivod and thrashers Vektor.
Kicking off the tour in hometown of Portland, Eight Bells heads south then makes a beeline for the East Coast to join forces with the Voivod/Vektor caravan. The newly updated list of dates is as follows: More...
The Banner Covering Killing Joke
Good Fight Music announces a special treat to kick off 2016: coming up on January 8th, the label will release "Love Like Blood," a limited cassette single from New Jersey vets The Banner.
The single features The Banner's new cover of Killing Joke's 1985 anthem, "Love Like Blood," and Norfolk, Virginia industrial act hERETICS iN tHE lAB's new remix of "Send Me Down," a song off The Banner's latest album, "Greying."
1) Love Like Blood (Killing Joke)
2) Send Me Down (hERETICS iN tHE lAB remix)
Followers of The Banner will not be surprised to find the "shadowy, metallic hardcore antiheroes" (in the words of Decibel Magazine) paying respects to Killing Joke. Standouts of the Jersey scene since the early '00s, The Banner was ahead of the curve in bringing goth/industrial elements into hardcore. More...
Venom Inc. Gearing Up For Rescheduled Tour
Venom Inc. will kick off a North American tour next month. Initially scheduled to take place this past fall but postponed, the rescheduled demolition will pillage its way through nearly two dozen cities from January 5th through January 28th.
The band features original Venom members guitarist Jeff "Mantas" Dunn and drummer Anthony "Abaddon" Bray with former Venom bassist/vocalist Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan. The band made a live debut as Venom Inc. in April 2015 at the Keep It True Festival in Lauda-Königshofen, Germany, performing a full set of Venom classics.
See Venom Inc. live on these upcoming dates alongside Necrophagia: More...
Sanktuary Offering Free Metal Song
The power / thrash champions from Sanktuary are returning in 2016 with new album "Winters Doom" to follow 2013's "Something Fierce."
Set to be unleashed on January 22nd, the Yukon warriors of the Canadian north have teamed up with PureGrainAudio.com for the premiere and free download of the "Corpse Blockade" single. Listen in below, or grab your free copy over here.
Bassist Cole Hume explains the track: "A Necromancer summons the dead and forms a wall of corpses as his entourage. Moral of the story...don't fuck with this Necromancer." More...
Love Sex Machine Announces New Album
French sludge band Love Sex Machine has announced the upcoming release of second album "Asexual Anger."
The record will be out this winter on 12’’ vinyl (Throatruiner Records) and CD (Lost Pilgrims Records), with cover art courtesy of Førtifem. A track premiere and pre-ordering details will be following soon.
1. Asexual Anger
2. Drone Syndrome
3. Black Mountain
4. Aujeszky
5. Devolution
6. Atrocity
7. Infernal Spiral
8. Silent Duck More...
Lionheart Posts "Keep Talkin" Video
The California hardcore band Lionheart has unleashed another new music video from upcoming album "Love Don't Live Here."
"Keep Talkin" was released today (check it out below) and was shot at a house party the band threw in Oakland.
"This is an ignorant and heavy song, which is all its supposed to be," says vocalist Rob Watson. "We do this shit for fun, not for a career. We aren't looking to change the world via an MP3. For all you whiny internet weirdos who take this shit way too seriously: this one's for you, & if you don't like it you can suck my dick from the back, you fuckin crybabies. "
New album "Love Don't Live Here" will be released via LHHC Records (a label formed by the band members themselves) on January 22nd. Lionheart has also signed with BDHW Records for the album's release in Europe and Asia. It was engineered by Cody Fuentes at Rapture Recording Studios in Hayward, CA and is available for pre-order at All in Merch. More...
Wrekmeister Harmonies Announces New Tour Dates
"Night Of Your Ascension" is the latest full-length from Wrekmeister Harmonies, out now on Thrill Jockey Records. If you haven't heard it yet, check out the full release below.
Following a recent West Coast run, the band will take these eclectic sound manifestations to the stage on an extensive East Coast trek this February. Instrumentation for the tour will be provided by Bell Witch. Dates are as follows:
2/23/2016 St. Vitus - Brooklyn, NY
2/24/2016 Side Bar - Baltimore, MD
2/25/2016 King's Barcade - Raleigh, NC
2/26/2016 The Earl - Atlanta, GA w/ Pallbearer
2/27/2016 The End - Nashville, TN w/ Pallberer
2/28/2016 Zanzabar - Louisville, KY w/ Pallbearer
3/01/2016 Club Café - Pittsburg, PA
3/02/2016 Kung Fu Necktie - Philadelphia, PA
3/04/2016 O'Briens - Allston, MA
3/05/2016 Turbo Haus - Montreal, QC
3/06/2016 Soybomb HQ - Toronto, ON
3/07/2016 Nectar's - Burlington, VT More...
Dream Theater To Play "Astonishing" On U.S. Tour
Dream Theater has announced new tour dates for an "Astonishing" North American run that's set to kick off on April 14th at the Theatre Du Capitole in Quebec City, Canada.
The tour will see the prog-virtuosos delivering a one-of-a-kind show playing their entire forthcoming album live. The band's unique performance is already set to make stops at theaters in Canada and the United States, with additional dates to be announced soon. Currently announced dates are as follows: More...
Eric Peterson Posts New Symphonic Winter Track
As the winter solstice arrives, guitar legend Eric Peterson (Testament/Dragonlord) and Canadian Celtic songstress Leah are revealing a brand new symphonic metal track titled "Winter Sun."
"Winter Sun" was written and recorded by five musician in different countries in three days by incorporating app technology.
"Leah and I orchestrated the vocals, drums, guitars and bass by leaving each other voice messages that you can record and can leave/make decent recordings of clips of music through WhatsApp," states Peterson. "Also, the sound quality is sharp enough that you can actually hear the dynamics well. It's truly amazing! It's a free app, so between Canada and Germany and Slovenia, that's some savings for sure! Pretty awesome!"
Leah adds, "I'm so excited about how technology has changed the music industry. Suddenly people are able to collaborate from all around the world and produce incredibly high-quality material. The possibilities are endless. Even something as simple as an app on a smart phone has completely revolutionized the way we write music. As a busy artist and mother of five kids, it was vital for me to be able to quickly record my vocal and lyric ideas and literally sing them into WhatsApp and fire it off to Eric in seconds. It made this song entirely possible." More...
One-Eyed Doll Announces Tour With Eyes Set To Kill
One-Eyed Doll is thrilled to announce the band will be embarking on a co-headlining spring tour with fellow rockers Eyes Set To Kill.
With support from Open Your Eyes, the appropriately titled “Visions Tour” will kick off in Salt Lake City, UT on March 16th, routing all throughout the U.S. and wrapping up in Sacramento, CA on April 30th. Tickets for the tour go on sale this coming Wednesday, December 23rd, 2015.
Fans who pre-order tickets before Midnight PST on Wednesday will receive a free official “Visions Tour” poster, autographed by both One-Eyed Doll and Eyes Set To Kill. If you haven't heard One-Eyed Doll's new album "Witches" yet, check it out in full below. More...
Condition Critical Parts With Label
Condition Critical has issued the following announcement about parting ways with the band's label and going solo:
"We would like to announce that after all the years of service, we will be leaving our current record label Burned By God. This decision, although extremely tough to make, was one that was long thought and within our best interest as a band. Although, we will be handling distribution and promotion ourselves from now on.
"As stated above, we will be releasing this new album on our own, unless we receive an offer that would potentially change this. We would like to thank record label owner Shawn Scarano for all his hard work and dedication towards us as a band, and the commitment he made for us during our tours. Everything is all recorded, artwork is underway, and a release date will be announced shortly."
A full, month-long U.S. tour is also in the works for April - May of 2016, with full details to arrive shortly. More...
Mountain Tamer Reveals New Album Details
Mountain Tamer has a self-titled album coming out on February 12th, 2016 via Argonatua Records. The label comments:
"Formed during 2010 in Santa Cruz (CA), this heavy psych band avoids setting a limit on psychedelic experimentation, demonstrated by their immersive recordings and their one of a kind hypnotic live performances. The mind-expanding sounds and heavy riffs Mountain Tamer creates can be traced from an influence of 60's and 70's classic/psych rock delivered with an in-your-face punk rock attitude.
"Melodic hooks, omnipresent bass riffs and complex rhythms pull you into Mountain Tamer's dark, kaleidoscopic world, transporting you to a realm that transcends both time and space. Their new selftitled album took over a year of writing and recording and actually has massive influence of living near the powerful Pacific Ocean and the mythical Redwood."
The album's track listing is as follows:
1. Mindburner
2. Knew
3. Dunes Of The Mind
4. Vixen
5. Wolf In The Streets
6. Sum People
7. Satans Waiting
8. Pharosite More...
Sacrilegium Announces Reunion Show
Klub Protokultura and Left Hand Sounds are honored to announce the return of Polish black metal legend Sacrilegium.
The band's first concert in almost 20 years accompanies the upcoming release of the full-length "Anima Lucifera" coming via Pagan Records. The event will take place in Klub Protokultura in Gdansk, Poland on April 2nd, 2016.
Sacrilegium will be joined by equally special guests, whose names will be revealed soon. Tickets will be available on January 10th. More...
Braindamage Signs With My Kingdom Music
My Kingdom Music is absolutely delighted to announce that the signing of a piece of Italian metal history: Braindamage. The label comments:
"We will release their brand new album titled 'The Downfall' in April 2016. The new album is a futurist, abrasive and visionary output in the best avantgardish metal tradition of Voivod and Killing Joke, appealing to the modern-ish last decade’s growing post-thrashy audience."
Andrea Signorelli, bass player and vocalist of the band since 1988, leaves this comment: “The agreement between our band and My Kingdom Music is a new start for us. It was a long time that we didn't feel such an enthusiasm and 'The Downfall' is simply the testimony of this great time we are spending with the new line-up that coincides with a great creative moment. The result is an avveniristic musical experience... so expect for something really shattering and upsetting!" More...
Headline News
The Best And Worst Of Metal In 2015
We've almost got another year in the bag, so it's time to take a look back at all that went down throughout 2015 in the world of heavy metal.
This was an uneven year featuring both highs and lows, and metal didn't escape the drama frequent in other styles of music at all in the last 12 months. Echoing previous schisms in famous black metal bands, Immortal finally took its turn imploding and split into two, and this was probably the worst year in recent memory for U.S. metal tours.
On the flip side of that, a solid number of amazing albums saw release, and metal also catapulted to the top of the charts with some major releases that made people outside the underground take notice.
After two solid years dominated by reunions and reboots, it looks like that craze is finally winding down. This year most notably we saw the return of Faith No More with “Sol Invictus,” but on the more underground end industrial black metal outfit Diabolicum also came back with a first album in 14 years. Although not quite on the same scale of time, Arcturus finally returned with a new full-length after a decade's waiting.
While there are less surprise reunions announced for the coming year, there is one classic outfit hitting the road to take note of, as Black Sabbath's “final” tour - dubbed The End - runs through most of 2016 across the globe. While we wait to see what's in store in the coming year, first we'll look back at everything that went down throughout 2015.
The Good: The Best Of Metal In 2015
Both Slayer and Lamb Of God ended up topping the charts with their latest albums (with Lamb Of God even getting nominated for a Grammy). It's not often a metal album hits #2 in the world, but Slayer managed to do it. While not everyone loved the album, the exposure alone is good for the genre overall.
But how was the more underground metal? Simply put: pretty killer, if you knew were to look. There was a solid mix of great albums from long time bands like Amorphis, Cattle Decapitation, Enslaved, and Soilwork, as well as excellent material from newer and less prolific groups like Alkaloid, Tribulation, and Lychgate.
The tried and true classic outfits from Cradle Of Filth to Iron Maiden to My Dying Bride made appearances, and there were some seriously ambitious undertakings (Swallow The Sun released a TRIPLE album). A handful of bands that were already solid managed to really outdo themselves with stellar material this year though, including Subterannean Masquerade, Code, Shining, and Melechesh. More...
Witchcraft Streams New Track
Swedish stoner/doom act Witchcraft is streaming the new track "Theory Of Consequence." The song appears on the upcoming new release "Nucleus," which is out January 15th via Nuclear Blast Records.
The track listing for "Nucleus" is:
1. Malstroem
2. Theory of Consequence
3. The Outcast (song streaming here)
4. Nucleus
5. An Exorcism of Doubts
6. The Obsessed
7. To Transcend Bitterness
8. Helpless
9. Breakdown
Check out "Theory Of Consequence" here: More...
Borknagar Unleashes "Winter Thrice"
Norwegian metal act Borknagar unleashed some frosty cold from the upcoming new release "Winter Thrice." Check out the music video for the title track in the player below. The album is set for worldwide release via Century Media Records on January 22, 2016.
The track list is:
1. The Rhymes Of The Mountain (see lyric video here)
2. Winter Thrice
3. Cold Runs The River
4. Panorama
5. When Chaos Calls
6. Erodent
7. Noctilucent
8. Terminus
Check out "Winter Thrice" here: More...
Messiah's Kiss Issues Live Video
German power metal act Messiah's Kiss, featuring ex-Riot/ex-Jack Starr's Burning Star vocalist Mike Tirelli, issued a live music video for the track "Without Forgiveness." The song appears on the band's latest album "Get Your Bulls Out," which was issued back in 2014 via Massacre Records. The footage was captured at the band's performance at Bloodstock.
Check out the clip here:
Sleepy Hollow Is "Bound By Blood"
New Jersey traditional metal act Sleepy Hollow issued the first taste of the upcoming third full length studio release "Tales of Gods and Monsters." Check out the music video for "Bound By Blood" in the player below. The album is set to drop on February 19th via Pure Steel Records.
"Tales of Gods and Monsters" features the debut studio release for vocalist Chapel Stormcrow (Altar of Dagon) and bassist Saculus von Doom (Altar of Dagon), both having joined in 2014.
The track listing for the album is:
1. Black Horse Named Death
2. Sons Of Osiris
3. Alone In the Dark
4. Bound By Blood
5. Goddess Of Fire
6. On Blackened Seas
7. Baphomet
8. Creation Abomination
9. Shapeshifter
10. Time Traveller
11. Shadowlands
Check out "Bound By Blood" here: More...
DSG Issues "Still A Warrior" Lyric Video
Ex-Manowar guitarist David Shankle issued a new lyric video for the track "Still A Warrior." The song is the title track of the David Shankle Group's latest album, which was issued back in April via Pure Steel Records.
The band features Damien Thorne vocalist Warren Halvarson. Check out the clip here:
Chronos Zero Issues "The Compression Of Time"
Chronos Zero released a lyric video for the new track "The Compression of Time." The song appears on the band's upcoming sophomore release "Hollowlands - The Tears Path: Chapter One," which is set to drop on January 22nd via Scarlet Records.
The album is the first to feature the new vocal team of Manuel Guerrieri (Crawling Chaos, Hortus Animae) and Margherita Leardini, both having joined the band in 2014.
"Hollowlands - The Tears Path: Chapter One" was mixed and mastered by producer Simone Mularoni (DGM) at Domination Studios in San Marino and features guests appearances by Mularoni himself, Matt Marinelli (Borealis) and Jan Manenti (Love.Might.Kill.).
The track listing is as follows:
1. The Compression of Time
2. Fracture
3. Shattered
4. On the Tears of Path
5. Who Are You? (A Shape of Nothingness)
6. Who Am I? (Overcame by Blackwater Rain)
7. Ruins of the Memories of Fear
8. Phalanx of Madness
9. Oblivion, Pt. 1 - The Underworld
10. Oblivion, Pt. 2 - The Trial of Maat
11. Oblivion, Pt. 3 - The Harp
12. The Fall of the Balance
13. Near the Nightmare
14. From Chaos to Chaos
Check out "The Compression of Time" here: More...
Starblind Releases "A Dying Son" Music Video
Starblind issued another music video for the latest release "Dying Son." Check out "A Dying Son" in the player below. The album was issued earlier this month via Pure Steel Records.
The sophomore album was recorded live in the studio and was produced by Rocka Rollas/Blazon Stone mastermind Cedrick Forsberg. The band's philosophy is "no guitar dubbing, no triggers and no metronome when recording," so the album has a very authentic and organic feel. What you get on the album, is what you get live!
Check out "A Dying Son" here:
Cil City Premieres New Music Video "Back Off"
Vienna, Austria's AC/DC inspired and female fronted hard rockers of Cil City premiere their new music video for "Back Off", taken from the band's brand new album "Red Ocean", out in stores now on via GiFD Records. The album is digitally available now on iTunes and Amazon etc. .
Check out now "Back Off" below.
Just For Fun
Iron Priest/Judas Maiden? Two New Mashups Posted
YouTuber "TheTaskmaster" has put Halford's "Devil’s Child" vocal track over top of Iron Maiden's "Iron Maiden" for a "Maiden’s Child" mashup.
On the following mashup "TheTaskmaster" did it the other way round and put Bruce Dickinson's "Flight Of Icarus" vocal track over Judas Priest's "You’ve Got Another Thing Coming" for a "Icarus Got Another Flight Coming" mashup.
Check it out now below: More...
Jesusegg Premieres Pre-Release Full-Album Stream
Cleveland's deathgrind/grindcore outfit Jesusegg premieres the pre-release full-album stream of the band's upcoming new album "Jesusegg", which will be out in stores on - of course - Christmas Day, December 25, 2015 via Seeing Red Records.
Check out now "Jesusegg" below.
At The Gates Documentary Preview Posted
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of At the Gates' landmark record "Slaughter of the Soul" documentarian Sam Dunn travels to Gothenburg, Sweden to talk with the band about their metal classic. In an extensive new interview, members recall the highs and lows of their early years, how they made their masterpiece, their break-up, reunion, and legacy. This 30-minute documentary also features rare photos from the band’s own archives, never-before-seen interviews with producer Fredrik Nordstrom and members of Shadows Fall and In Flames, plus all-new live concert footage shot at a sold-out hometown show in 2014, including an epic version of "At War with Reality".
You can pre-order the entire video HERE.
Headline News
Emmure Members All Quit Band Except Vocalist
All Emmure members except vocalist Frankie Palmeri have exited the band. Mark Davis (bass), Jesse Ketive (lead guitar), Mike Mulholland (rhythm guitar), and Adam Pierce (drums) all plan to continue on together with a new project next year.
States Mark Davis:
"As some of you may or may not have heard, Jesse, Mikael, Adam, and myself are no longer in Emmure. We have decided collectively to pursue other endeavors. We would like to thank the Emmure fans for all the support and love over the years, and to everyone who has help the band on its way, you are all greatly appreciated. Be on the lookout for a new project from the four of us in 2016."
Continues Davis: More...
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