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Metal Chick of the Month – Aleks Radmanovich

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Stygian – Abyss – Call – To me!

The month of November has always been cold, rainy and dark in the northern hemisphere, the perfect type of weather for some ass-kicking Extreme Metal. However, this time The Headbanging Moose will travel all the way to the stunning Australia not only to experience a much better weather, but also to enjoy the Black, Death and Thrash Metal attack by our metal lady of the month. She’s the lead guitarist for an amazing thrash squad from Down Under named Thraxas!, as well as for a ruthless Black Metal horde known as Pestilential Shadows. Her name is Aleks Radmanovich, and she will mercilessly shred you to pieces armed with her unstoppable axe. Having said that, do you think you have what it takes to face one of the most badass guitarists from the current Australian metal scene?

Born and raised in the charming city of Sydney, the dauntless Aleks began her career in Heavy Metal back in 2018 when she joined the four-piece thrashing machine named Thraxas!. The band was actually formed a few years prior to her becoming their axe lady, more specifically in 2011, by vocalist Chris “Bull” Woods and drummer Izak Easterbrook (of Divine Carnage), and the only release by the band before Aleks joined their ranks, as well as bassist Dan Andrews, was their 2018 debut demo Slave Wages. As their lead guitarist, she released with Thraxas! the single Cthulhu Rising, in 2019, the 2021 EP Planetary Terrorism (under the moniker Aleks Rad), the 2025 single Blast Shadows, and more recently their first full-length opus, titled Violent Vacation. Not only that, Aleks was also responsible for the layout and design of their debut EP Planetary Terrorism. All of those songs and albums are available on BandCamp and on Spotify, and you can also visit their official YouTube channel to enjoy their official videos including Concrete Cowboy and Ecophagy.

In addition, apart from Facebook and Instagram, you can also stay up to date with all things Thraxas! by clicking HERE, and if you want to know even more about the indomitable Aleks and her scorching axe you can find a few interesting videos and interviews on YouTube, including the highlights of her chat with The Horsemen Podcast earlier this year, her guitar playthrough for the song Exemplary Punishment, and a video named 5 Minute Series – Aleks Rad where she talks about her idols and influences like Alex Webster of Cannibal Corse, Iron Maiden, Candlemass, Slayer, Exodus (mentioning her favorite Thrash Metal album of all time is Tempo of the Damned, by the way), plus her own rig rundown. No idea why the video is named “5 Minute Series” as it’s only one minute and a half long, but that doesn’t really matter as Aleks kicks some ass even in such a short period of time.

In 2024, Aleks joined Sydney, Australia’s own Black Metal veterans Pestilential Shadows, spreading her dark wings over humanity under the Stygian moniker Drekavac. A Drekavac, also called drekalo, krekavac, zdrekavac or zrikavac, is a mythical, monstrous creature from South Slavic folklore, known as “the screamer” or “the screecher” from the verb “drečati” (“to screech”). It is often the spirit of an unbaptized child, though sometimes described as an undead man. Let’s say that’s exactly the sound emanating from her fiery riffs and solos in Pestilential Shadows, sounding as dark, menacing and evil as possible, therefore showcasing a more obscure side of our unstoppable Aleks.

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The band was formed way before Aleks joining them, though, more specifically in 2003 by vocalist and guitarist Balam, who had been playing in local Black Metal bands since 1997, with the goal of creating atmospheric and intense Black Metal and cement its reputation as one of the most innovative bands in the scene. Currently formed of Balam on vocals and guitar and Aleks (or Drekavac, as mentioned) also on the guitar, alongside Lithuz on bass and Basilysk on drums, the band had already released the albums Embrace After Death (The Fate of All That Lives II) (2005), Cursed (2006), In Memoriam, Ill Omen (2009), Depths (2011), Ephemeral (2014), Revenant (2021), and Devil’s Hammer (2024) before Aleks became part of the band, but she was still able to play some live shows in Australia with them before the recordings for their ruthless eighth studio album Wretch started.

Released by the uncanny German label Northern Silence Productions in conspiracy with Brilliant Emperor Records this past September, Wretch continues the band’s progression (or regression) toward uglier, gnarlier expanses, offering more of their trademark ruminations on death and the beyond. The album has already led Pestilential Shadows to tour Europe in late August through September, followed by an October tour in their homeland Australia and in New Zealand, allowing fans from different parts of the world to witness the power of the Stygian riffs by Aleks. The band can be found on Facebook and on Instagram, and you can purchase or stream Wretch (or any of their previous albums) from BandCamp or Spotify. You can also enjoy Wretch in all of its glory on YouTube, and also enjoy the official video for the song DeathKnell, with Aleks shredding her axe while displaying her badass Black Metal attire and corpse painting. She also played live back in 2022 with a Sydney, Australia-based Death Metal outfit named Deiformity, formed back in 2016, and although there’s nothing released by the band with Aleks on the guitar for obvious reasons, you can still enjoy their 2018 debut (and only released to date) titled Corpse Stomper on BandCamp.

It looks like Aleks has recently started her life as a digital influencer by launching her own YouTube channel; however, maybe due to her busy life on the road, there’s only one video online so far, a cover version for Joe Satriani’s A Celebration. Well, who knowns, maybe we’ll get more killer videos like that in the not-so-distant future. Anyway, switching topic a bit, Aleks is endorsed by Blackstar Amplification, Schecter Guitars, and D’addario Strings, currently touring with the Blackstar Amped 3, HT Stage MKIII and HT Metal 100, Schecter Evil Twin V and Hellraiser, and playing D’addario NYXL 10-46 and EXL 11-56, and if you’re able to catch her live with either Thraxas!, Pestilential Shadows, or Deiformity, you’ll see how her equipment makes her sound feel extremely powerful onstage, exactly what we all want in extreme music.

Aleks Radmanovich’s Official Facebook page
Aleks Radmanovich’s Official Instagram
Thraxas!’s Official Facebook page
Thraxas!’s Official Instagram
Thraxas!’s Official YouTube channel
Pestilential Shadows’ Official Facebook page
Pestilential Shadows’ Official Instagram

Album Review – Los Males Del Mundo / Descent Towards Death (2021)

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It’s time to descend into death to the sound of the debut album by this Argentinian duo, inviting us all to a conceptual journey and dragging us into the darkest and most remote places of the human soul.

Formed in 2016 in Buenos Aires, the capital of the charming Argentina, by vocalist and drummer Dany Tee (of bands like Acathexis and Seelenmord) and guitarist Cristian Yans (of Eroica), Los Males Del Mundo (which translates from Spanish as “the evils of the world”) combine today’s modern Black Metal sound with late 90’s Melodic Black Metal, with lyrics deeply influenced by Friedrich Nietzsche, Emil Cioran and A. Schopenhauer. Later joined by bassist Nikita Kamprad (of German Black Metal band Der Weg einer Freiheit) as a producer and guest musician, the project released in 2020 their debut self-titled EP, shaping up their sound and inspiring them to release now in 2021 their first full-length effort, titled  Descent Towards Death. Recorded at Estudio Carmen in Argentina, produced, mixed, and mastered in Würzburg, Germany by Nikita himself, and displaying a grim artwork by Matt Lombard, Descent Towards Death is an invitation to a conceptual journey, dragging you into the darkest and most remote places of the human soul, reflecting an internal battle between aggressive and furious passages blended with dense and introspective landscapes full of melancholic melodies. In other words, simply hit play and be prepared to face one of the best and most intense Black Metal albums of the year.

The sluggish, somber guitars by Cristian kick off the 12-minute Atmospheric Black Metal feast titled Falling Into Nothing, exploding into dissident Black Metal where Dany not only crushes his drums ruthlessly, but his demonic gnarls bring even more obscurity to the final result, taking the listener on a one-way journey into the netherworld. In The Silent Agony their cryptic words will penetrate deep inside your psyche (“Like worms hiding from sunlight / we take shelter in the dirt / descending to the deepest filth -memories of the past – / trying to give sense to our existence / as redemption / to justify the misery of our days”) while the music remains dense and scorching from start to finish, with Dany sounding infuriated behind his drum set and screaming like Dani Filth in his Cruelty and the Beast-era; whereas in Eternal Circle Of Vain Effords they add a huge dosage of Blackened Doom and Doom Metal to their core sonority, with the bass punches by Nikita hammering your head without mercy while Cristian continues to extract darkness from his wicked riffs. Then venturing through more epic and Stygian lands the band fires the infernal Nothing But A Lie, where Cristian’s riffage and Nikita’s vicious bass walk hand in hand, therefore providing Dany all he needs to haunt our souls with his otherworldly roars and screeches. And Slayer-ish guitars à la “Seasons in the Abyss” permeate the air in the closing aria The Heavy Burden while Dany continues to growl like a demonic entity, always accompanied by the rumbling bass by Nikita, resulting in a multi-layered creation that will undoubtedly blacken the skies and your heart, not to mention how beautiful Cristian’s closing guitar solo sounds and feels.

In a nutshell, it’s truly impressive how bold, detailed and sharp the entire Descent Towards Death sounds coming from only two guys from Argentina that are just starting their career in metal music, positioning the album as one of the best releases of 2021 as aforementioned. Hence, if you want to put your hands on such precious gem of South American Black Metal, simply go to their own BandCamp page, to the Northern Silence Productions’ BandCamp page or webstore, as well as other locations such as Juno Records and Clear Spot. In addition, don’t forget to follow them on Facebook and on Instagram for all things Los Males Del Mundo, including new music and videos, tour dates and plans for the future. It’s time to begin our descent into darkness and death together with this multi-talented Argentinian duo, and there’s nothing better than the austere and captivating music found in their newborn opus to guide us on this harsh but extremely thrilling voyage.

Best moments of the album: Falling Into Nothing and The Heavy Burden.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2021 Northern Silence Productions

Track listing
1. Falling Into Nothing 12:12
2. The Silent Agony 8:28
3. Eternal Circle Of Vain Effords 5:16
4. Nothing But A Lie 4:56
5. The Heavy Burden 10:00

Band members
Dany Tee – vocals, drums
Cristian Yans – guitars

Guest musician
Nikita Kamprad – bass (session)

Album Review – Ruadh / The Rock of the Clyde (2020)

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Open your heart and join musician and songwriter Tom Perrett in his Atmospheric Black Metal journey through the Iron Ages in Scotland.

Drawing from the vast well of history, culture and mythology, Glasgow, Scotland’s own musician and songwriter Tom Perrett set out to compose music purely to taste with his Atmospheric Black Metal solo-project Ruadh (which is pronounced ‘Roo-Ah’ and translates to ‘red’), creating an unmistakable atmosphere with the beating heart of old school Black Metal favourites of his since the project’s inception in 2018, such as Windir, Bathory, Burzum and others, which should also appeal to fans of Saor, Winterfylleth, Panopticon and similar acts. Hailing from Rutherglen (also known as the red glen) in the central belt of Scotland, Tom and his very special guests Cieti on female vocals, Kimberly Copland on bass and Philip Morrison on drums are unleashing upon us all Ruadh’s sophomore album The Rock of the Clyde, an evolution from their 2019 debut album Sovereign presenting six tracks of epic Scottish Atmospheric Black Metal with Folk elements, taking you through the Iron Ages in Scotland and also exploring the history and mythology of the people of Scotland, conveying both sorrow and uplifting, almost heroic tones, all embraced by the delicate and enthralling artwork by Joan Llopis Doménech Illustrations.

Tom and his bandmates don’t waste a single second and fill every single space in the air with crisp, dark and atmospheric sounds in Embers, where Tom fires some deep guttural roars accompanied by Philip’s classic, steady beats and Cieti’s delicate vocals in a 10-minute sonic voyage alternating between heavier moments and an enfolding and whimsical vibe, not to mention the amazing job done by our brave Scottish warrior with his strident guitar riffs. After a fantastic welcome card like that, a ritualistic intro kicks off the title-track The Rock Of The Clyde, morphing into an Atmospheric Folk and Black Metal extravaganza where Kimberly and Philip generate a bold and groovy base for Tom and his soulful riffs and solos, as well as his potent clean vocals, also bringing to our ears acoustic passages and endless melancholy before finally exploding into a visceral fusion of traditional Folk and Black Metal. And in Winters Light the band continues to pave their dark and introspective path, with Kimberly delivering thunderous bass jabs together with the blast beats by Philip while Tom is once again on absolute fire with his growling, his riffage and all background elements found throughout the song’s inspiring nine minutes of music.

Fields Of Heather is another lecture in Atmospheric Black Metal made in Scotland going full Black Metal at times, with all band members generating a classy and piercing sonority with their sonic weapons, sounding at the same time violent, rebellious and epic, and with Tom’s riffs and Kimberly’s bass walking hand in hand it doesn’t matter the speed of the music. Then acoustic and serene sounds and tones permeate the air in Only Distant Echoes Reign (Part 1), a very personal and gentle creation by Tom heightening our senses and warming up our hearts for the second part of this beautiful aria, Only Distant Echoes Reign (Part 2), where a murder of ravens in fugue follows Tom and his dense and captivating music, uniting the heaviness and darkness of Black and Death Metal with more atmospheric and ethereal sounds while Philip dictates the rhythm and Tom barks rabidly as usual, flowing majestically until the song’s grand finale and, consequently, putting a stunning conclusion to such vibrant voyage through Scottish lands.

You don’t need to travel all the way to Scotland to join Tom and his Ruadh in their quest for Atmospheric Black Metal, as all you need to do is follow the project on Facebook and on Instagram to know more about his music, his goals and his music, and above all that, grab your copy of The Rock of the Clyde directly from Ruadh’s own BandCamp page, from the Northern Silence Productions’ BandCamp page, or simply click HERE for all locations where you can buy and stream the album. Massive in both scope and scale, The Rock of the Clyde will feature among the best Atmospheric Black Metal albums of the year without a shadow of a doubt, proving not only that Tom is thoroughly connected to his Scottish roots, but also that underground metal music always sounds more compelling and vibrant when its made of Scottish iron.

Best moments of the album: The Rock Of The Clyde and Fields Of Heather.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Northern Silence Productions

Track listing
1. Embers 10:01
2. The Rock Of The Clyde 10:20
3. Winters Light 9:01
4. Fields Of Heather 10:56
5. Only Distant Echoes Reign (Part 1) 4:44
6. Only Distant Echoes Reign (Part 2) 8:54

Band members
Tom Perrett – vocals, all instruments

Guest musicians
Cieti – female vocals
Kimberly Copland – bass
Philip Morrison – drums

Album Review – Horn / Turm am Hang (2017)

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One of the most respected underground musicians from Germany returns with more of his nature-themed, medieval style Black Metal bound to pagan roots and tribalism in another remarkable album.

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coverSince its creation in 2002 by German multi-instrumentalist Niklas “Nerrath”, Teutonic one-man army Horn has aimed at creating nature-themed, medieval style Black Metal bound to pagan roots, focusing on the relation of man and nature in a regional context. And this excellent project, hailing from Paderborn, a city in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, has been extremely successful in its journey, delivering high-end extreme music always with a meaningful concept behind it and always singing in its mother tongue German. Now, in the beginning of 2017, we have Horn’s seventh studio album, the folk, dynamic opus Turm Am Hang.

Inspired by the classic German folk song “Es ist ein Schnitter”, from the 17th century, as well as lansquenets (a gambling game of German origin), wars of the past, tribalism and the spirit of masculinity, Turm Am Hang will stimulate your most primeval senses with its distinctive ambience and powerful music. Furthermore, the artwork, layout and visual concept, all brought forth by German illustrator Timon Kokott, perfectly visualize the album’s combined musical and lyrical themes, complementing the already thrilling experience of listening to the music crafted by Nerrath.

After a pleasant folk intro in the opening track, titled Alles in einem Schnitt (which would translate as “everything in one cut”), Nerrath offers us his thrilling Black Metal with Folk and Pagan Metal elements, all sung in German as aforementioned to make things even more aggressive, not to mention the uniqueness of his tribal and stylish guitar lines. The title-track Turm am Hang (“tower on slope”) also begins in a serene way, again exploding into what can be called Blackened Folk Metal, with Nerrath blasting his enraged growls, potent beats and blazing, rhythmic riffs; followed by Verhallend in Landstrichen (“ranging in landscapes”), with the folk elements in the background adding a lot of epicness to the musicality together with its menacing drums. Furthermore, simply close your eyes and you will be able to feel all the energy flowing from the folkloristic sounds generated by Nerrath in this brilliant composition.

primarA song with an impactful name like Die mit dem Bogen auf dem Kreuz (“the one with the bow on the cross”) couldn’t sound less amazing than this, with its somber intro being gradually joined by guitars until all becomes an Extreme Metal extravaganza, perfect for drinking a few pints of beer together with your friends. Ä(h)renschnitter (“spices”) kicks off at full speed, with Nerrath going berserk with his fast-paced beats and riffs while powerfully vociferating the song’s lyrics at the same time. Moreover, hints of old school German Punk Rock are a very welcome addition to the overall musicality, enhancing the song’s effectiveness. And in Totenräumer (“Mortimer”), a fantastic fast-paced creation by Nerrath, our one-man army is startling on vocals, giving life to the song’s epic lyrics. Leaning towards sheer Pagan Metal, it never slows down, keeping the listener fully entertained from start to finish.

The eerie instrumental Lanz und Spieß (“lance and spear”) works as an intro for Bastion, im Seegang tauber Fels (“bastion, in the sea of deaf rock”), a voyage through the realms of experimental and atmospheric extreme music, bringing forward elements of Black and Pagan Metal with an obscure rhythm. Ad lastly, as a “bonus” Nerrath offers the listener his excellent version for The Sky Has Not Always Been This Way, a melancholic and introspective journey of ambient music by American Ambient Black Metal band When Bitter Spring Sleeps, from their 2013 album Coven of the Wolves. Not only this is the only song in English in the album, but it also features guest vocals by American Lord Sardonyx, the mastermind behind When Bitter Spring Sleeps himself.

In order to enjoy everything Nerrath and his amazing project Horn have to offer, simply follow his steps on Facebook, and go to Horn’s BandCamp page or Big Cartel to grab your copy of Turm am Hang. As mentioned before, the experience of listening to an album by Horn is beyond unique, connecting you to the pagan and tribal origins of man and embraced all the time by superior metal music. As this is always the main goal of ambient and experimental extreme music, I must say Turm am Hang triumphs brilliantly hands down.

Best moments of the album: Alles in einem Schnitt, Verhallend in Landstrichen and Totenräumer.

Worst moments of the album: Bastion, im Seegang tauber Fels.

Released in 2017 Iron Bonehead/Northern Silence Productions

Track listing
1. Alles in einem Schnitt 5:42
2. Turm am Hang 5:09
3. Verhallend in Landstrichen 5:10
4. Die mit dem Bogen auf dem Kreuz 5:00
5. Ä(h)renschnitter 5:35
6. Totenräumer 5:34
7. Lanz und Spieß 2:09
8. Bastion, im Seegang tauber Fels 4:44
9. The Sky Has Not Always Been This Way (When Bitter Spring Sleeps cover) 8:12

Band members
Nerrath – vocals, all instruments

Guest musician
Lord Sardonyx – additional vocals on “The Sky Has Not Always Been This Way”