Austria’s own Post-Black Metal duo returns with another brilliant album, a snapshot of the world we are living, a world that’s tragically broken.
Despair, loss, love, and existential struggles have always been the foundation of the distinctive sound by Austrian Post-Black Metal duo Harakiri For The Sky since their inception back in 2011, with multi-instrumentalist M.S. and vocalist J.J. having gained recognition for pushing musical boundaries with their emotionally charged blend of Atmospheric Extreme Metal and Melodic Post-Rock, Grunge and modern Hardcore, carving out a genre of their own. Now in 2025 the duo attacks again with their new tour-de-force titled Scorched Earth, following up on their critically acclaimed 2021 opus Maere. Mixed and Mastered by Kristian Kohle at Kohlekeller Studio, with cover artwork and illustrations by Brvno Gonzalez, and featuring session drummer Kerim “Krimh” Lechner, the new album by J.J. and M.S. is their way of showing how rotten and decaying our world has become. “Our society is divided to its core and peace seems further away than ever in the last decades. This is what inspired the title of the new album: ‘Scorched Earth’ is a snapshot of the world we are living, a world that’s tragically broken.”
Heal Me, featuring Tim Yatras of Austere on guest vocals, offers a classic Harakiri For The Sky sound right from the start, with its atmospheric, gentle background clashing with the harshness flowing from M.S.’s riffs and Kerim’s beats. Keep Me Longing is an eleven-minute masterpiece by the duo where once again their heavy and soothing sounds collide in a brilliant manner, with M.S.’s riffs and bass being perfectly supported by the massive beats by Kerim; and the duo keeps delivering sheer brilliance in Without You I’m Just A Sad Song, another lengthy song that doesn’t feel long at all so dynamic, vibrant and thrilling it is, with J.J. roaring in great fashion until the end. Then letting their Post-Black Metal vein pulse stronger than ever we face No Graves But The Sea, where the electrifying riffs by M.S. will inspire you to bang your head like a maniac while Kerim dictates the song’s frantic yet dark pace.
Classy, charming piano notes will penetrate deep inside your mind in With Autumn I’ll Surrender, growing into a diverse, classic Post-Metal wall of sounds with J.J. once again bursting his lungs screaming, followed by I Was Just Another Promise You Couldn’t Keep, a lovely title for a passionate display of Post-Black Metal by the duo, also bringing hints of 80’s Gothic Rock in its core essence. Then featuring guest vocalist Serena Cherry of Svalbarduk we have Too Late For Goodbyes, alternating between sheer violence and pure ethereal moments, and if you go for any of the special editions of the album you’ll be treated to two bonus tracks, their rendition for Radiohead’s Street Spirit (Fade Out), featuring guest vocalist P.G. of Groza (check out the original version from the 1995 album The Bends); and Elysian Fields (featuring guest vocals by Daniel Lang of Backwards Charm), both excellent songs leaning towards a more introspective side of the band that are definitely worth the extra investment.
“Scorched Earth is like the conclusion of all the albums we’ve done in the past, all that Harakiri For The Sky stands and stood for, musically and lyrically. This is what we stand for, this is what made us, this is our story,” commented such an extraordinary duo of heavy music about their new work of art, and you can get to know more about them on Facebook and on Instagram, stream more of their music on Spotify, and grab a copy of the majestic Scorched Earth from the AOP Records’ BandCamp or webstore, or simply click HERE for all things Harakiri For The Sky. There’s endless darkness and beauty in Scorched Earth just like in real life, not only making the album truly special and already positioning it as a strong contender for album of the year, but also working as the perfect soundtrack for the toughest moments of our lives.
Best moments of the album:Keep Me Longing, No Graves But The Sea and With Autumn I’ll Surrender.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2025 AOP Records
Track listing 1. Heal Me 7:37
2. Keep Me Longing 10:40
3. Without You I’m Just A Sad Song 10:03
4. No Graves But The Sea 8:01
5. With Autumn I’ll Surrender 8:39
6. I Was Just Another Promise You Couldn’t Keep 9:01
7. Too Late For Goodbyes 7:53
Attention, guitarists and shredders of the world! Summer is just around the corner, and here at The Headbanging Moose it’s time to pay a short and sweet tribute to a metal lady that knows how to extract pure fire and heat from her guitar. She might be currently working as a stock investor and real state agent, even saying she’s a “retired pro guitarist”, but we all know once you let Rock N’ Roll and Heavy Metal run through your veins there’s no turning back, you become a metalhead forever. I’m talking about Gia Federico, also referred to as simply Gia G, a well-known guitarist from the Boston, Massachusetts area who will certainly blow your mind with her undeniable talent and electrifying style. Having said that, are you ready to rock with such talented American guitarist?
Born and raised with her middle-class Italian family in Somerville, a suburban city located directly to the northwest of Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States, Gia mentioned in one of her interviews that she started late in the world of rock and metal music, only when she was around 17 years old by listening to her parents’ collection of albums, taking lessons with Boston-based shredder Joe Stump (Alcatrazz, HolyHell, Raven Lord) for three and a half years before continuing on her own and developing her own style, focusing mainly on instrumental rock and metal while also having her Alternative Metal band Devil In The Mist, plus doing studio work for various projects and owning her own commercial home studio. In addition, she mentioned that she bought her first guitar at a music store a long time ago for only 90 US dollars, a remake of a Fender Telecaster, but that she doesn’t have that guitar anymore.
Regarding her solo project Gia G, which is obviously her moniker when playing with that project, Gia explained that her middle initial is actually G (as her legal name is Gia G Federico), and that Gia G sounds and feels catchy. Managing to elevate her sound and show distinction from her prior projects, she has infused “jazz modal and scalar legato” into the mix, adding an extra kick to her instrumental creations while also presenting elements from metal, shred, rock, alternative, experimental, indie, blues, jazz, classical and acoustic pop, among others, representing all her freedom as a musician. With the project’s most recent lineup being formed of Gia on the guitars and keyboards, Mark George on drums, and Paul Angle on bass, and by the way they didn’t know each other before (having met through Gia’s sound engineer), she released the singles The Chase (2013), Interwoven (2015), Spontaneous (2017) and The Ladder (2019), as well as the three-track EP Cosmic Wave (2022), which can be appreciated in full on Spotify, on YouTube and on BandCamp. Furthermore, Cosmic Wave can be considered her most successful release to date, reaching number 1 for one week on KB Radio in Canada on their Top 25 International chart and on Paramount FM 94.5 Radio, number 3 on Radio Guitar One Top 30 Rock, and number 6 on Holy Noise Radio.
Speaking of her Alternative Metal/Grunge band, named Devil In The Mist, despite the fact the band released their debut self-titled EP in 2018 and the full-length album Hidden In Plain Sight in 2022, via Sliptrick Records, the band formed of Gia Federico on the guitars and keyboards, Mark George on drums and Paul Engle on bass seems to be on a hiatus or defunct, as all of their social media doesn’t work anymore, plus the fact that Katy Reign is no longer their vocalist (and therefore Gia decided to focus on her solo project instead). More open to every style including jazz, blues, classical, acoustic, pop, country and so on, the project looked very promising if it wasn’t for the lineup changes (and for Gia’s career change, of course), but you can still enjoy some of their songs on YouTube including Mercy, Far Gone, and Severed Ties. And on a side note, you can also find her lending her guitar abilities to Lakes Region, New Hampshire-based Heavy/Groove Metal band Infinite Sin, playing the guitar solo on the song Temple of Darkness as a guest musician.
Highly influenced by guitar heroes such as Eddie Van Halen, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Randy Rhoads, Allan Holdsworth, Scotty Moore, Ritchie Blackmore, Chuck Berry, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix, as well as renowned rock and metal giants the likes of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Aerosmith, The Beatles, Black Sabbath, The Police, Tool, Metallica, Van Halen, Led Zepplin, Queen and Alter Bridge, just to name a few, Gia writes her music by going over scales and modes, by listening to other artists (including all types of music from pop to blues, from shred guitar to old metal music, and so on), and inspired by things going on in her life, her past, her present, and even her future. In addition, when asked which band in the world she would love to play with, she mentioned some big names including Judas Priest, Ozzy and Dio, also saying she would enjoy doing something like what Nita Strauss did with Alice Cooper, but not forever, as she likes to create her own music. Moreover, when asked to pick three people in history (dead or alive) she would love to sit down and have dinner with, Gia curiously didn’t mention any musicians, but people in business who invented something relevant, such as Steve Jobs, Elon Musk and Warren Buffet.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Endorsed by several companies the likes of Seymour Duncan, Fishman, SKB Cases, SIT Strings, Coffin Gear, FU -Tone Copper Sound Pedals Emperor Cabinets, Revv Amplification, ZT Amplifier, and WB Gear, among others, and known for her tap harmonic style, Gia loves her custom shop Fender Stratocasters, having custom ones from 2005, 2015 and 2022, and also having four custom shop Jacksons, among others, to a total of around 27 guitars. In addition, she also mentioned in one of her interviews that she wants to get a custom shop Les Paul to be able to compare it to the other guitars. When asked about her favorite guitar setup, she said it’s tough to say it exactly because it always depends on which song she’s playing or writing, although she mentioned that during her live performances she was using her custom red Fender Stratocaster with a Marshall JVM. Having played for a very small crowd on her first ever concert in a small club in Somerville, but of course feeling nervous just because it was her first live show, Gia said the best way to overcome stage fright is by pretending you’re jamming in your room when it’s time to hit the stage. Furthermore, she said she would love to play in big festivals like the ones in Europe alongside some of her favorite bands like Metallica; however, due to the significant change in her career now, I guess that, unfortunately, we might not see Gia playing anytime soon in any festival or small venue.
Gia has already won many prizes and was featured in different charts in her career as a guitarist, such as for example being ranked in 4th place in the “Top 15 Hard Rock & Metal Female Guitar Shredders” chart by Metalholic.com in 2014; winning 1st round, being 3rd place in the 2nd round, and advancing to the finals at Emergenza Festival in 2004; seeing her EP Cosmic Wave reaching position #1 for one week on KB Radio in Canada on their Top 25 International chart, position #3 on Radio Guitar One Rock Top 30, and position #6 on Holy Noise Radio (as already mentioned); being ranked #1 in local charts for instrumental artists in Boston, and also on ReverbNation in their national and global charts for instrumental artists many times; among several other awards. That’s not just amazing for her as a guitarist, but also as a woman, as Gia herself mentioned already that female guitarists do not get the same respect as male ones, also saying it can be really hard for a woman who plays the guitar in the United States to have the same support as a man.
Having already reached over 100,000 unique views on YouTube in one month for one of her videos (and that number went up to 500,000 views later), and with around 6 million views in total on her channel plus almost 70,000 subscribers, Gia thinks that at the same time that streaming is great, many musicians can get screwed up with that due to the insignificant amount of money made. In addition, she obviously prefer buying vinyl over digital music, as she believes vinyl has a much more organic (and therefore less mechanical) feel to it. She also mentioned she would certainly sell her back catalog if a big label such as Sony or Universal offered to buy everything, but of course she said she’s not even close to the size or level of the artists managed by those labels.
As aforementioned, Gia considers herself now a “retired pro guitarist”, focusing now on her career in the investing and real state market, something she has actually been doing for quite a while (even when she was still playing the guitar on a professional level). However, our talented guitarist/businesswoman still has some advice to give to young musicians who are just starting to learn how to play the guitar. She said new musicians should look at it as a hobby and with an open mind, playing mainly for their personal enjoyment, and never thinking they’ll become the next big thing in music because that’s not the reality for most people in such competitive market. Wise words by a seasoned guitarist, I might say, and you can find a lot more information about Gia and her work as a musician online, such as this nice interview to ROX TV in the beginning of 2022. Good luck to Gia on her not-so-new endeavors in the business world, but of course we’ll all receive her back to the rock and metal community with open arms anytime her mind, heart and soul feel the need for the riff again.
A highly enterprising and unusual release by four Greek rockers who definitely know how to blend 90’s Seattle Grunge with Stoner and Southern Rock.
Athens, Greece-based Hard Rock/Post-Grunge quartet Puta Volcano has been building up their legacy and fanbase one gig, one album and one song at a time since their inception in 2012, having released their debut EP Represent Victory Below Eye that same year, their first full-length installment The Sun in 2015, and more recently another EP titled Harmony of Spheres, in 2017, gaining notoriety in their homeland for their heavy mixture of Seattle Grunge with Stoner and Southern Rock, all with a Southeastern European twist. Already acknowledged in the Greek heavy rock scene, the band comprised of Anna Papathanasiou on vocals, Alex Pi on the guitar, Bookies on bass and Steve Stefanidis on drums is ready to take the world of heavy music by storm once again with their brand new opus AMMA, a highly enterprising and unusual release full of heft and verve, combining elements from the music by Alice In Chains, Melvins, Hole, A Perfect Circle, Kylesa and Baroness and, therefore, creating a tantalizing and electrifying sound.
Produced by Johnny Tercu, recorded by Alex Ketenjian, Nick Dimitrakakos and Alex Bolpasis and mixed and mastered by Alex Ketenjian and Johnny Tercu, all at Unreal Studioz in Athens, and featuring a classy artwork that’s the collective effort of artists Anna Papathanasiou herself and Laura Bricta, with an inner sleeve photo by Chrysalena Antonopoulou and logo and layout by Fuzz Ink., AMMA is a multi-layered and very entertaining album of rock music, bringing forward a collection of songs reflecting the whereabouts of a band who illustrates the well documented character of their craft, while simultaneously branching out to new territories using bits and pieces of novelties, making the exploration of each and every track of the album a detailed nit-picking adventure for the listener.
The inspiring an cinematic intro R-Entry prepares our ears and minds for the groovy Entropica, showcasing poetic lyrics declaimed by Anna (“Back from an endless slumber / Across event horizons / Silence where once was thunder / Ashes and rust surround me / I’m breaking / Having seen too many ends / I’m choking / Struggling to let go”) while Steve blasts some sluggish and potent beats accompanied by Bookies’ low-tuned bass, resulting in a lecture in Post-Grunge. Then again drinking from the same fountain as iconic bands like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden we have Venus Lullaby, presenting a beautiful sonority led by Alex’s distortions and Anna’s charming vocals, driving you absolutely addicted to her passionate performance, not to mention the song’s electrifying vibe; and venturing through more aggressive and harder lands the band offers us all First Light, a true headbanging Rock N’ Roll anthem with hints of classic Heavy Metal where Alex and Bookies are on fire with their stringed weapons, while Anna continues to shine on vocals.
Then a somber intro morphs into a Hard Rock and Grunge extravaganza titled Black Box, with Steve and Bookies hammering their instruments ruthlessly, therefore providing Anna all she needs to fire her Alice In Chains-inspired vocals and inspiring us all to bang our heads like there’s no tomorrow, followed by Sugar Cube, a more introspective creation by the quartet showcasing crisp and delicate guitar lines and beats, bringing to our ears that trademark Seattle sound with a nice Greek twist. The atmospheric bridge Echoing Icons sets the stage to the exciting Primitive Data, another explosion of Post-Grunge with gorgeous lyrics (“Like raindrops on the sea / Break stillness and riple the veil / I fall from blackest space / A flailing newborn / Heliacal rising again / More shadows in my head / I left my center back home / A lifetime ago”), also showcasing the ass-kicking shredding by Alex and the fierce drumming by Steve.
Wicked guitars and deep, dark vocals permeate the air in Apnea, again exploring 90’s Grunge grounds with metallic nuances, flowing smoothly until its crisp ending, whereas Torus sounds groovier than all previous songs thanks to the potent bass jabs by Bookies, presenting stunning performances by all band members with Steve slamming his drum kit mercilessly, living up to the legacy of the Seattle sound. After such enfolding sonority it’s time for Puta Volcano to enhance their heaviness and rage in Space Blanket, a very melodic, sinister and vibrant song where Anna sounds as dark and devilish as possible and with Alex having another amazing performance with his riffs and solos, while ethereal sounds ignite the closing tune titled Kassandra’s Gift, led by Anna and her whimsical voice before the entire band comes crushing our senses one last time in a lesson in modernity and progressiveness.
The excellent AMMA is available for a full and detailed listen on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course if you want to show your true support to Puta Volcano you should definitely purchase the album from their own BandCamp page or from Apple Music, or simply click HERE for all locations where you can grab a copy of the album or simply stream it. Also, don’t forget to follow them on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, with AMMA working as the utmost representation of everything the band stands for, their talent and their strong focus on what they do, leaving us all eager for more of their music and pointing to a fantastic future for such distinguished Greek quartet with their Seattle-inspired sound.
Best moments of the album: First Light, Black Box, Primitive Data and Space Blanket.
Worst moments of the album:Sugar Cube.
Released in 2020 The Orchard
Track listing
1. R-Entry 0:42
2. Entropica 4:28
3. Venus Lullaby 3:45
4. First Light 3:41
5. Black Box 4:20
6. Sugar Cube 3:18
7. Echoing Icons 1:41
8. Primitive Data 4:32
9. Apnea 2:43
10. Torus 4:15
11. Space Blanket 4:15
12. Kassandra’s Gift 5:47
Band members
Anna Papathanasiou – vocals
Alex Pi – guitar
Bookies – bass, backing vocals
Steve Stefanidis – drums
A raw, multi-layered fusion of noise, sludge and grunge by three old men from Chicago who still like to play rock music.
Describing themselves as “three old men who still like to play rock music“, Chicago, Illinois-based three-piece outfit Escape Is Not Freedom definitely knows how to combine elements of rock, noise, sludge and grunge in their creations, resulting is a feast of catchy and melodic sounds reminiscent of Nirvana, Soundgarden and The Melvins, to name a few. After the releases of their debut EP The Truants, in 2015, and their first full-length albums Goldsmith, in 2017, it’s time for Mike Gussis on vocals and guitar, Josh Parlette (from Soul Attrition, whose album Vashon Rain was reviewed at The Headbanging Moose not a long time ago) also on vocals and on bass and Darrin Wolf on drums to blast more of their first-class Sludge and Noise with their sophomore full-length effort, titled Surrounded By The Great Nothing. Produced by Shane Hochstetler at Howl Street Recordings and mastered by Carl Saff at Saff Mastering, Surrounded By The Great Nothing continues to blend the band’s personal experiences with their dark humor and, of course, with an endless amount of distortions and noise, cementing the trio as one of the most interesting names of the genre not only in their hometown but also in the international scene.
And eerie, distorted noises already permeate the air in the opening track Brick, a modern-day Sludge and Stoner Metal tune with Mike kicking ass with his enraged riffs and deranged vocals while Josh and Darrin keep the atmosphere as thunderous as possible with their rumbling instruments, resulting in a thrilling welcome card by the band for newcomers to their musical world. Their powerful exhibit of madness and distortions goes on in Boomslang, with Darrin dictating the pace with his classic beats, alternating between more obscure, heavier moments and serene and melancholic passages; followed by Freezer Burn, where the band ventures through more contemporary styles such as Post-Metal and Indie Rock. Moreover, Mike continues to bark and roar rabidly while Josh blasts sheer heaviness through his bass punches, getting darker and more piercing as the music progresses.
Portraying a truly austere name, Drinking Bleach is a slashing and crisp song where the insanity flowing from Mike’s screams is effectively complemented by his dirty riffs and Darrin’s crushing beats, turning it into one of the most incendiary songs of the album, whereas Leonard is another solid display of Sludge and Post-Metal featuring the scorching guitars by Mike and the ominous bass punches by Josh, recommended for fans of the most aggressive side of Nirvana and going on for over eight minutes with all band members putting us on some sort of grim trance. Then, as opposed to its predecessor, Ruined Ground brings a more serene and introspective vibe, with Josh darkly declaiming its lyrics while Darrin smashes his drums slowly and steadily, bringing a good amount of distress to our hearts.
Back to a more vicious sonority, the trio offers the melodic and mesmerizing Underwater Birth, where Mike and Josh are in absolute sync with their metallic strings, resulting in an amazing option for banging your head alone in the dark and letting their Sludge Metal penetrate deep inside your mind, while in Slowly Falling off a Cliff it’s time to slam into the circle pit to the crushing metal music blasted by those three rockers, again fluctuating between demented sounds and ethereal moments and, consequently, elevating the album’s aggressiveness and wickedness to a whole new level, all spiced up by Mike’s flammable riffs. The second to last song from the album, Acid Blood, sounds like a more obscure version of Alice In Chains infused with Sludge Metal nuances, with Josh adding tons of groove to the music with his bass, not to mention this is perhaps the song where he delivers his most personal vocal performance. And lastly acoustic guitars ignite the closing tune entitled Rhea, evolving into a dense and melancholic extravaganza where Josh and Darrin bring forward a precise balance between heaviness and finesse.
In a nutshell, although Escape Is Not Freedom might not be considered a pure metal band, I personally believe they have what it takes to conquer the hearts of most metalheads from all over the world with their heavier-than-usual rock and grunge, with Surrounded By The Great Nothing being the perfect depiction of what they’re capable of and what we can expect in their future releases. Hence, don’t forget to follow Mike, Josh and Darrin on Facebook, and to buy Surrounded By The Great Nothing from their own BandCamp page, where you can by the way find all of their previous albums for sale as well. As the name of the band states, escaping from someone or something doesn’t necessarily mean freedom, but at least the music found in Surrounded By The Great Nothing can provide you a very entertaining escape from your daily struggles.
Best moments of the album: Drinking Bleach, Underwater Birth and Slowly Falling off a Cliff.
Band members
Mike Gussis – vocals on “Brick”, “Freezer Burn”, “Drinking Bleach”, “Leonard” and “Underwater Birth”, guitar
Josh Parlette – vocals on “Boomslang”, “Ruined Ground”, “Slowly Falling off a Cliff”, “Acid Blood” and “Rhea”, bass
Darrin Wolf – drums
An amalgamation of metal and non-metal styles in the form of a concept album influenced by Greek philosopher Plato and his famous allegory of the cave, all carefully served in a cone.
Have you ever been served a “god in a cone”? If you have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about, let me take you all the way to the charming Greece, where since 2016 vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Nick Marinos (lead singer for Greek Gothic/Industrial Metal act Slitherum) has been crafting a very fresh and unique amalgamation of styles such as Atmospheric Black Metal, Coldwave, Hard Rock, Industrial and Country Rock under the eccentric name of God in a Cone. And this Experimental Metal one-man army from Greece is ready to attack your senses once again with Passing, his seventh album and a concept album influenced by Greek philosopher Plato and his famous allegory of the cave, featuring a stylish artwork by Daniel Goudelis and produced, mixed and mastered by Dimitris Delis at Studio 222.
No one knows if the very atmospheric, ethereal and captivating title-track Passing is an intro to the album or if it’s a regular song, which in the end is the beauty of it, showcasing piercing vocalizations and a curious vibe that blends the strength of Black Metal with the innovative approach of Post-Metal. Then in Ξεψυχαω we’re treated to an eccentric fusion of Electronic and R&B with contemporary Hard Rock, with the raspy vocals by Nick giving an extra kick to the song’s Rap-like lyrics; whereas Νερο, one of the heaviest songs of the album, brings forward gripping guitar riffs, classic beats and a lot of potential for igniting some circle pits, also carrying several elements from the distinct music by metal acts like Pantera and Gojira, ending in a very serene manner. And it’s time for Nick to present his Grunge and Alternative Metal side with the semi-acoustic tune I Have to Pretend, with his Alice In Chains-inspired vocals being potentialized by the song’s Country-ish instrumental, proving God in a Cone truly have no boundaries in music.
Continuing with the same 90’s Seattle-based Grunge vibe, Iodine is a song perfect for being played at a badass Rock N’ Roll pub, with its rhythmic drums, soulful guitar solos and endless energy turning it into one of the best songs of the album. Then back to a more electronic musicality inspired by 80’s Gothic Rock the likes of Depeche Mode, Joy Division and Devo, Mr. Explode offers the listener cleaner vocal lines that match perfectly with all beeps and tones in the background, inspiring you to party together with Nick, while Deep Down sounds slightly darker than its predecessors, but also in the veins of Alice In Chains and Soundgarden in a well-balanced hybrid between Post-Metal and 90’s Grunge, flowing smoothly before Find Soul Brothers brings to our ears the weirdest version of God in a Cone. It’s a decent Country-inspired song, albeit it lacks the more obscure punch from the rest of the album.
Leaning towards a more rockin’ sonority, in special its slashing riffs and inebriate vocal lines, In And Out presents a vibrant rhythm perfect for banging your head nonstop, even displaying hints of progressiveness (which enhances the song’s impact considerably), followed by Will Of Diamonds, a very introspective, pensive tune with Nick’s somber vocal parts working as its core element, but with all background sounds also playing a very important part in keeping the entire song mournful and gloomy. And last but not least, Nick offers his fans a bonus track entitled Escape From the Cone, going back to the 80’s one more time to pay his own tribute to the music by all pop rock icons from that decade, making the investment in the deluxe edition of Passing totally worth it.
After you start following Nick and his God in a Cone on Facebook and after subscribing to the project’s YouTube channel, there’s no way back. You’ll be forever hypnotized by the wicked, idiosyncratic and utterly experimental sounds blasted by this talented Greek musician, with Passing being perhaps his boldest and most diverse album to date. Put differently, Passing is not only a very entertaining album of modern rock and metal music, but a solid statement that Nick will never stop trying new sounds and challenging our senses, serving us his wicked music “in a cone” for many years to come and always demonstrating his utmost passion for all things related to our good old Rock N’ Roll, no matter how weird it can be.
Best moments of the album:Νερο, Iodine and In And Out.
Worst moments of the album:Find Soul Brothers.
Released in 2019 Independent
Track listing 1. Passing 2:20
2. Ξεψυχαω 2:17
3. Νερο 4:21
4. I Have to Pretend 4:21
5. Iodine 3:30
6. Mr. Explode 5:12
7. Deep Down 3:39
8. Find Soul Brothers 3:53
9. In And Out 3:32
10. Will Of Diamonds 3:25
Deluxe Edition bonus track 11. Escape From the Cone 3:34
Band members
Nick Marinos – vocals, all insturments, programming
If you also think Rock N’ Roll is not dead and you enjoy all modern shapes and forms of the genre, you definitely need this album made in the UK.
Hailing from Darlington, a large market town in County Durham, in North East England, Deever are a modern Hard Rock band with Heavy Metal influences who are making a name for themselves in their homeland, delivering an onslaught of aggressive riffs and captivating hooks with a distinct British edge highly recommended for fans of Foo Fighters, Muse, Shinedown and several other bands that play a heavier version of our good old Rock N’ Roll. Now in 2019 it’s time for vocalist and guitarist Wil ‘Billy’ Taylor (from Inglorious) together with his henchmen Stevie Stoker on the guitar, Phil Appleton on bass and Dan ‘Higgy’ Higgins on drums to show us what they got with their debut album, titled You Need This, all in the name of rock and metal music.
“I love the classics when it comes to rock music, and I’ll always appreciate my time with Inglorious. All of the guys are extremely talented musicians and we shared some things most people don’t get the opportunity to do. Things change though, and I knew I wanted to do something different that suited me, something more contemporary based musically. Now I’m in a band back home with some of my best mates, hammering out the hard stuff and having a great time doing so. It’s reminded me of all the reasons why I wanted to do music in the first place! We all love what we are doing and are very excited for where DeeVer is heading,” commented Billy about his new band and what to expect when you hit play and let the music found in You Need This invade your senses.
Rev up your engines to the sound of the dirty riffs by Billy and Stevie, who lead a Stoner Metal and Hard Rock onrush of sounds titled Fire At Will, a song perfect for sharing a beer with your friends at a rock n’ roll pub while Higgy pounds his drums like a beast. Then Phil shakes the foundations of the earth with his groovy bass, igniting another modern and vibrant rockin’ party entitled All Come Running, with its guitars and bass walking hand in hand, therefore generating a fun atmosphere for our total delight; and it’s Phil who once again kicks things off in the also thrilling Alright, a well-balanced and dense mix of Hard Rock and Rock N’ Roll infused with Southern Rock, Grunge and even Progressive Metal nuances, or in other words, a born-to-be-a-radio-hit beautifully crafted by the quartet.
Back Down presents hints of Glam and Hair Metal but without sounding cheesy at all; quite the contrary, it’s a vibrant feast of razor-edged riffs and rhythmic beats perfect for dancing the night away, with Billy kicking some ass with his spot-on vocals, whereas in Waves the band speeds things up a bit, even bringing elements from Punk Rock to their sound, with Billy, Stevie and Phil being on fire with their stringed weapons while Higgy keeps the energy level truly high through his precise beats. And the party goes on with Parachute, where a headbanging start gradually morphs into a more melodic musicality, alternating between heavier and more serene passages (which is also reflected in Billy’s vocals), getting too radio-friendly at times but still very enjoyable; and back to a more aggressive, rockin’ attitude, the band offers our avid ears the fast and punk-ish Only Enemy, where Billy’s vocals get an amazing support from the backing vocals by the rest of the band, while the song’s slashing riffs and thunderous bass punches will pierce you head, reaching deep inside your mind.
Drinking from the fountain of Alternative Rock and Metal, Phil and Higgy build a rumbling background for Billy and Stevie to attack with their stringed weapons in We Are, setting the tone for the next tune, simply titled Jim, a fast-paced, straightforward Rock N’ Roll composition tailored for fans of bands like foo Fighters and Breaking Benjamin where the sound of guitars nicely complements the precise vocals by Billy. Put differently, it could easily be part of the soundtrack of any teen or rock n’ roll movie in my humble opinion. Lastly, I Am The Cavalry, the closing song of the album, brings more of the band’s modern-day Hard Rock, being led by Higgy’s potent beats while the rest of the band continues to extract sheer electricity and thunder from their strings.
In a nutshell, if you’re a fan of both old school and contemporary rock music, as the title itself already says, “you need this” album in your collection, and in order to grab your copy of such electrifying display of modern-day heavy music simply go to the band’s Big Cartel, to iTunes or to Amazon, and show your support to DeeVer by following them on Facebook and by listening to their music on Spotify. Billy and the boys did an amazing job in You Need This, proving one more time that as long as there are people out there who love, live and breathe rock and meta; like the guys from DeeVer, Rock N’ Roll will never die.
Best moments of the album:All Come Running, Back Down and Only Enemy.
Worst moments of the album:Parachute.
Released in 2019 Independent
Track listing 1. Fire At Will 3:47
2. All Come Running 3:45
3. Alright 3:44
4. Back Down 3:44
5. Waves 3:24
6. Parachute 3:44
7. Only Enemy 3:30
8. We Are 3:26
9. Jim 3:33
10. I Am The Cavalry 3:50
Bonus track 11. Only Enemy (Radio Edit) 3:27
Band members Wil ‘Billy’ Taylor – vocals, guitar
Stevie Stoker – guitar, vocals
Phil Appleton – bass, vocals
Dan ‘Higgy’ Higgins – drums
Kneeling at my feet, encased in black sheaths of ecstasy… Fulfill your deepest desire to submit to me…
It’s time to set fire to The Headbanging Moose with a woman that’s perhaps the most eccentric, distinct and explosive of all metal chicks who have already embellished our pages through the years. She’s not only a professionally trained actress, dancer, singer, performer and an internationally recognized model in the Gothic and fetish genres, having been featured in several publications and websites, but also an activist and the frontwoman for an American metal act that blends the heaviest and most obscure elements from Gothic, Black and Death Metal. If you have absolutely no idea who that woman is, I bet you’ll be stunned by her talent, beauty and passion for music and arts in general. Having said that, let’s cut to the chase and begin our humble tribute to our last metal lady of 2018, the unstoppable and dauntless Lilith Astaroth (also known as Goddess Lilith), lead singer for Boston, Massachusetts-based metal entity Sorrowseed. In other words, are you ready for total chaos and anarchy with Lilith?
Born on October 31, 1997 in Cambridge, just outside of Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States, Lilith loves music from the bottom of her heart, having started her musical pursuits at the age of five when she learned to play the piano. At the age of fourteen, she began to teach herself how to play the guitar, and in the following year she started her first band, curiously named Satan’s Kids, a Grunge and Rock N’ Roll project inspired by the music from icons like Marilyn Manson, Nirvana and Pantera. And Lilith received a lot of criticism in her early days as a singer, as people kept saying she sounded “like a guy” and that she should start singing “like a normal person”. However, despite that continuous criticism, including being kicked out of a band for “screaming too much”, she refused to change her vocal style and kept working hard for several years, until Sorrowseed came along in 2009 after numerous failed band attempts.
Her style of singing combines low guttural growling and high-pitched shrieking, being often compared to famous extreme vocalists like Dani Filth and Angela Gossow, but also exploring after 2010 a more operatic style in the soprano range, like in her 2011 cover version for the classic Christian Woman, by Type O Negative (I guess all women who succumbed to the dark side of music are admirers of the deceased Peter Steele). A true lover of cybergoth, steampunk and latex fashions, Lilith explores her sexuality while creating music at the same time, offering her fans a full-bodied experience during her live performances and on her videos. Using a combination of inhalation and exhalation screams, she is able to produce a vast array of sounds with her voice, turning each live show into a ferocious display of intensity. Since the beginning of her career, she has released several solo works and has lent her voice and performed live with many different projects throughout New England including Sorrowseed, Mostri and Pandora’s Toybox, always loyal to the Doom, Death, Industrial and Gothic Metal styles. Her biggest inspirations when writing and composing music are quite straightforward and interesting. Lilith was very clear and honest when saying that hatred, or unbridled hatred for humanity and its ignorance, always inspire her to write music, as her day-to-day experiences with other human beings gave her plenty of reason to be angry much of the time. Obviously all that hatred and anger couldn’t be better represented than the flammable fusion of Extreme Metal styles from all her bands and projects.
In regards to her most famous project, American Melodic Doom Metal band Sorrowseed, Lilith formed the band in 2009 in Boston highly influenced by bands like Amorphis, Behemoth, Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, Satyricon and Therion, singing about controversial topics like the Apocalypse and anything related to the total annihilation of mankind, as well as spreading stories of madness, death, destruction, dark mythology and horror to the masses, all embraced by the band’s obscure musicality. As a matter of fact, the band started in 2008 by Josh Carrig, of Pandora’s Toybox, evolving to its desired shape and form only in 2010, with the concept behind the band being based on the story of two characters, the Reaping Willow and the Scarab Prophet. Lilith obviously portrays the Reaping Willow, who was once the nature Goddess, Demeter. Over time, she watched humankind’s pollution, ignorant destruction and environmental abuse overcome the earth. She wept for the ignorance of mankind, becoming enraged with madness and, as a consequence, transforming into the Reaping Willow who, along with the Scarab Prophet, is set upon the destruction of mankind, unleashing apocalyptic terror onto humanity. The band has already released one EP titled Portents, in 2009, and four full-length albums since their inception, those being The Extinction Prophecies (2011), Descent of the Scarab Prophet (2012), Dread Sylvan Summonings (2012), and Nemesis Engine (2013), including incendiary songs like Ocean Scorn (and you can always listen to their albums and obviously purchase them from their own BandCamp page). Working as a way for Lilith to channel her powerful feelings into something creative and non-destructive, as she’s always been very much about vengeance, wrath, and destruction, Sorrowseed kick some serious ass live as you can see in their performance during the Damsels of Darkness Tour playing the song Arcana (of the Lich Queen), with their first ever concert happening at the launch party of 420Mass.com during the 2010 Boston Freedom Rally.
You can also find Lilith lending her beautiful and devilish voice to several distinct bands and projects in the world of heavy music, such as doing vocals for Chilean/American Thrash/Death Metal band Angor from 2014 to 2015, and for American Blackened Death Metal band Coffin Birth starting in 2016. She also worked as a guest vocalist in the song Bloodborne Penance, from the 2016 album The Bowels of Chaos, by Coffin Birth; in the song Halle Ravine, from the 2017 album The Sachem’s Tales, by American Atmospheric Black Metal band Dzö-nga; and in the song The Black Feathered Vixen, from the 2013 EP Unleash the Inferno, by American Death Metal one-man band Eric Pellegrini. There are other projects which are not as “clear” as the ones listed above, such as her involvement as the lead singer of Nemesis Engine, a hybrid of ex-Sorrowseed and ex-Theogonia members which was actually a code name used for the revamped Sorrowseed lineup, as well as her participation with other bands including a Melodic Death Metal band (with use of electric violin) with former bandmate Chris Adamcek and Rachel Zuckerman named Akashic Shadow, in 2012, and an upcoming collaboration with Melodic/Progressive Death Metal act Solemn Vision, from New York.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
As aforementioned, Lilith is not only a regular vocalist and musician, but also an actress focused on the underground and independent scene. It was in 2009 when she began exploring the world of acting, starting with taking courses from Harvard University, doing extra work for major films, and landing minor roles in independent films such as God of Vampires, Nun of That, Heaven and Hell, Legless and Scrooge in the Hood. She has also appeared on NESN as a ring girl for Boston Boxing, has done several interviews in the cosplay documentary Cosplayer Nation, appeared on NBC’s The Dr. Keith Show to talk about safety as a public figure on the internet, and appeared several times in the reality-based web series Quiet Desperation. You’ll also find Lilith in many different music videos as an actress, such as When Steel and Bone Meet, by Goatwhore; Misbegotten Candy, Down in the Mire, and Slaves to the Sleigh, by Pandora’s Toybox; Runnin From Jesus, by Matalon; and Babylon Train, by Desar.
Furthermore, you can take a look at her her IMDb profile to see in detail all B-movies, shorts and TV series she’s been featured, like playing a character named Petunia Pete Sawyer in the 2017 comedy-horror movie Groundhog. In addition to that, Lilith has also attended a good amount of public events through the years, like doing public speaking in different editions of the annual Boston Freedom Rally and the Philadelphia Freedom Festival Benefit, as well as constantly improving her acting skills by taking several training sessions and courses like Introduction to Acting and Advanced Acting from Harvard University, in 2009, Acting Shakespeare and Introduction to Public Speaking also from Harvard University, in 2010, and private classes in C.O.R.E. Acting, in 2013. Do you think that’s already a lot for just one person? Well, you better be prepared, because there’s still a lot more to come.
If you haven’t noticed yet, Lilith is also an internationally recognized professional model, having shot in different exotic locations ranging from Iceland to Montreal, Ireland, Costa Rica, London, Germany and Italy, as well as all over the United States, with some of her favorite runway events being the Montreal Fetish Weekend Fashion Show, and the New Designer’s Fashion Show of New England. A versatile model with 8 years of experience and a wide variety of looks, ranging from classic pinup, swimsuit, Gothic, cosplay, fantasy, fetish, sci-fi, horror, among many others, Lilith has already done event hosting, art modeling, spokesmodeling, living art, bodypainting, being a Ring Girl, Go-Go dancing, and modeling for some of the edgiest latex designers emerging in the fetish fashion scene. However, when asked which career out of music, modeling, dancing and acting she would like to pursue the most, our devilish goddess said music is what she’s really focused on (as we all know, screaming is something that has always been very natural to her), but she also truly wants to pursue professional acting to the fullest. Acting is according to Lilith herself the most challenging of all activities because there’s always room for improvement with anyone, but finding appropriately paying work in modeling and dancing is the most challenging thing she’s been facing on a regular basis. In addition, maintaining a healthy balance of all those activities and responsibilities is not an easy task at all (by the way, she’s also a LMT – Licensed Massage Therapist, an activist for cannabis legalization, animal rights, and preservation of nature, and a reiki master), but as a great and very efficient multi-tasker she is, nothing stops Lilith from always moving forward in her life and career.
One very important topic to Lilith is her utmost support to the legalization of marijuana, and she has a very strong opinion about what should be done in this case. In one of her interviews, she said that people need to focus the war on drugs against the real problems, like pills, which originate with drug companies, and crime which is funded in large part from marijuana. In her own words, Lillith said that “no one is making pills at home – they come from drug companies with bad policies, operating under bad laws with bad inventory and bad control, they have huge lobby groups that let them get away with this and pills have become one of the most major problems in America.” She complemented by saying that she personally would rather not put any chemicals in her body or take the risk of becoming addicted to a chemical, and she has found that she doesn’t need to take those risks, because marijuana helps alleviate her health issues. “We need to take ‘the money’ out of the illegal marijuana equation; by legalizing and regulating we would lower the prices by lowering the value (the price is artificially propped up by its illegal status), and this would take a big bite out of the pocketbook that funds guns and harder drugs, and open the door to affordable, safe and legal medical marijuana.”
When asked in one of her interviews about the current music scene in the United States and what has changed since she started her career in 2009, Lilith said that it actually hasn’t changed much, despite an increase in the number of metal bands in her area, New England, which according to Lilith herself is at the same time a good and a bad thing because some of those bands are very talented, but others are just terrible. She also said there are some bands she’s a good friend of, such as Faces of Bayon, Matalon, Abnormality, AbSynthe, Necrophiliac Meat Circus, Fever Vein and Voices of the Dead, among others, and that she loves to meet and work with bands that play a similar style to hers because those are not only easier to keep in touch, but to also play more shows together. And last but not least, when asked how important her fans are to her, she was pretty straightforward saying that without fans there would be no one to perform for. She does her best to treat her fans well and hook them up with good prices and merch, and communicate with them every day through her website and all her social media. That being said, I guess no one can complain at all that Lilith is a lazy or an arrogant person; quite the contrary, although we all know how unique she is, the world of metal music definitely needs more women with the same attitude, stamina and passion as the multi-talented Lilith Astaroth.
“Since I was young, I’ve always been the center of attention. My parents were always sticking a camera or video camera in my face, so I got used to it early. It wasn’t until I was 15, however, that I decided I wanted to front a band. Oddly enough, it was Nirvana that inspired me to find this path. I taught myself how to play guitar and formed my first band shortly thereafter.” – Lilith Astaroth
It might have taken 18 long years for Mr. Mike Patton and his demented squad to release a new album, but the result is so good it was definitely worth the wait.
At long last, after 18 fuckin’ excruciating years, the demented squad composed by the gentlemen Mike Patton, Jon Hudson, Billy Gould, Roddy Bottum and Mike Bordin, “usually” known as American Alternative Metal/Rock band Faith No More, is back with another freakish experiment entitled Sol Invictus (Latin for “Unconquered Sun”), the seventh studio album in their revolutionary career. Without Faith No More there wouldn’t be Alternative Metal, Funk Metal, Nu Metal, Grunge, contemporary Hard Rock, and so on. And if you think what I’m saying is bullshit, how about what Corey Taylor, frontman of the biggest Alternative Metal group in the world, Slipknot, said after seeing Mike Patton and his crew performing the all-time classic “Epic” at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards? “I was mesmerized by that. I never felt a moment like that until that moment. It completely turned me around.”, stated the iconic #8.
Perhaps the greatest question in everyone’s minds, after knowing the band was officially getting out of their state of “creative hibernation”, was that if they were going to be capable of releasing something as amazing as their previous albums, especially the masterpieces The Real Thing (1989), Angel Dust (1992) and King for a Day… Fool for a Lifetime (1995). Well, although Sol Invictus doesn’t have any “A Small Victory”, “The Gentle Art of Making Enemies” or “Digging the Grave” among its songs, it’s still a well-set album with lots of thrilling moments, showcasing a band that doesn’t seem to have been on hiatus (not including their sporadic live performances and tours along all those 18 years) since their previous release, the also spectacular Album of the Year, from 1997.
The title-track, Sol Invictus, is just as weird as the album artwork, which means it’s perfect for opening their live performances. It’s short and melancholic, just like they’ve mastered doing through the years, and we all have to agree that with that piano intro and those whispering vocals you know somehow it’s Faith No More even if you’ve never heard anything about the band in your entire life. The same can be said about the awesome Superhero, a very melodic and alternative tune with interesting keyboard notes by Roddy Bottum, where after only two seconds you know it’s pure Faith No More. I guess there’s no need to mention how incredible Mr. Patton’s crazy screams and vocals are, but it’s valid to mention that the lyrics beautifully follow that vocal craziness (“Like an American drug / Makes a mean cock grow / …kill a priest / Makes a superman of glass”).
The next track, Sunny Side Up, sounds a lot like many songs from Album of the Year, with a stylish blend of Jazz, Blues, Rock N’ Roll and everything else. In other words, fans of the band will enjoy it for sure, while others will probably ask themselves “what the fuck is this?” Even if you don’t understand that song really well, you’ll relish Separation Anxiety and its stronger Rock N’ Roll vein. Mike Patton once again steals the show with his wicked voice and proves why he’s among the best and most versatile singers in the world. The only setback in this exciting tune is the drumming: I was expecting more from Mike Bordin, despite him doing a relatively decent job throughout the whole song.
The dark intro in Cone of Shame corroborates they really enjoy sounding bizarre, with its last part getting a lot more vibrant and intense, while Rise of the Fall offers the listener some elements from Reggae music and more audible guitar lines, as well as more rhythmic beats. Moreover, the crazy screams by Mike Patton end up adding a lot of electricity to a song that’s below average for a band like Faith No More. Following the lowest point of the album we have Black Friday, a song purely inspired by 80’s classic rock music which despite its lack of creativity has a good blend of semi-acoustic parts and heavier riffs and screams.
And just when you think Faith No More cannot get weirder, they come up with the stupendous Motherfucker, another perfect choice for opening their live concerts, where the focus is obviously on Mike Patton’s vocal lines and the song’s eerie lyrics (“Get the motherfucker on the phone, the phone…”), also including the best guitar solo of the entire album. Not only that, I doubt you won’t be singing this song everywhere, even at work with your boss by your side. Unless you don’t know shit about the band, you probably know how much they love songs with Portuguese or Spanish names (and sometimes lyrics), but unfortunately the boring Matador doesn’t get close at all to the marvelous classic “Caralho Voador”, for example. It’s just an average song with nothing new or outstanding, except for the strong bass lines by Billy Gould. And sounding like a B-side from King for a Day… Fool for a Lifetime, From the Dead gives a melancholic ending to Sol Invictus with the band’s trademark. It’s a good listen if you’re at home or in your car, but definitely not recommended for their live performances.
I wish there were a few more guitar solos by Jon Hudson and some faster beats by Mike Bordin in this or that song, as Sol Invictus sounds too calm for me in many of its moments, but at least we can loosen up knowing Faith No More are not “dinosaurs”. They are a more-than-alive group that still got it in them, and from now on (well, they’ve been doing this already) there are even more outstanding tunes in their lunatic arsenal to be masterfully played during their live concerts all around the world. And we’re all very thankful to the unparalleled Mr. Patton and his fellow mates for that, even if it took so many years for them to return.
Best moments of the album:Superhero, Separation Anxiety and Motherfucker.
Worst moments of the album:Rise of the Fall and Matador.
Released in 2015 Reclamation Records
Track listing 1. Sol Invictus 2:37
2. Superhero 5:15
3. Sunny Side Up 2:59
4. Separation Anxiety 3:44
5. Cone of Shame 4:40
6. Rise of the Fall 4:09
7. Black Friday 3:19
8. Motherfucker 3:33
9. Matador 6:08
10. From the Dead 3:06
Band members Mike Patton – vocals
Jon Hudson – guitar
Billy Gould – bass guitar
Roddy Bottum – keyboards, vocals
Mike Bordin – drums
Despair, loss, love, and existential struggles have always been the foundation of the distinctive sound by Austrian Post-Black Metal duo Harakiri For The Sky since their inception back in 2011, with multi-instrumentalist M.S. and vocalist J.J. having gained recognition for pushing musical boundaries with their emotionally charged blend of Atmospheric Extreme Metal and Melodic Post-Rock, Grunge and modern Hardcore, carving out a genre of their own. Now in 2025 the duo attacks again with their new tour-de-force titled Scorched Earth, following up on their critically acclaimed 2021 opus Maere. Mixed and Mastered by Kristian Kohle at Kohlekeller Studio, with cover artwork and illustrations by Brvno Gonzalez, and featuring session drummer Kerim “Krimh” Lechner, the new album by J.J. and M.S. is their way of showing how rotten and decaying our world has become. “Our society is divided to its core and peace seems further away than ever in the last decades. This is what inspired the title of the new album: ‘Scorched Earth’ is a snapshot of the world we are living, a world that’s tragically broken.”
“Scorched Earth is like the conclusion of all the albums we’ve done in the past, all that Harakiri For The Sky stands and stood for, musically and lyrically. This is what we stand for, this is what made us, this is our story,” commented such an extraordinary duo of heavy music about their new work of art, and you can get to know more about them on Facebook and on Instagram, stream more of their music on Spotify, and grab a copy of the majestic Scorched Earth from the AOP Records’ BandCamp or webstore, or simply click HERE for all things Harakiri For The Sky. There’s endless darkness and beauty in Scorched Earth just like in real life, not only making the album truly special and already positioning it as a strong contender for album of the year, but also working as the perfect soundtrack for the toughest moments of our lives.
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 