After almost 15 years, this Spanish Black Metal horde is finally back in action and will summon all creatures of the underworld with their ruthless sophomore opus.
After a hiatus of 14 years, the devilish Spanish Black Metal horde Yskelgroth is back with a new and pulverizing album, titled Bleeding of the Hideous, the follow-up to their 2010 opus Unholy Primitive Nihilism. Although the band was formed back in 2000 with the aim of creating a ferocious and savage blend of Death and Black Metal, the project fell apart in 2007 when frontman Dave Rotten (Avulsed, Christ Denied, Decrapted, Holycide, Putrevore) moved to Germany, but they relaunched their evil beast in 2008 when Dave together with guitarist and bassist Vicente J. (Decrapted, Golgotha, Holycide, Unbounded Terror) teamed up to write songs for their debut album. Now in 2023, alongside Javier Fernández (aka Nexus 6) of bands like Harmpit, Nexus 6 and TodoMal on drums, synths and guitars, Yskelgroth will summon all creatures of the underworld with Bleeding of the Hideous, a ruthless metal attack comprised of nine sulfurous songs with an even more complex, twisted and intricate sound highly influenced by Myrkskog, Angelcorpse and Emperor, among other Black Metal giants, that will leave you craving more, all embraced by the infernal artwork by Venezuelan artist John Quevedo Janssens.
Infuriated and epic Black Metal flows from all instruments from the very first second in The Morbid Earth before Dave arises from the underworld with his demonic roars and screeches, being therefore highly recommended for fans of the iconic Immortal; whereas Javier is infernal behind his drums in Prone to Gobble Life while Vicente and Javier himself provide us with a technical yet blackened riff attack. Furthermore, Dave also delivers his more demonic guttural from Avulsed, making the whole song even heavier. Then the sinister, phantasmagorical keys by Javier walk hand in hand with his massive drumming in Omnicidal Ends, supported by the rumbling bass by Vicente; and investing in a pure Norwegian Black Metal sonority it’s time for the band to smash our senses with Aeons Empty, offering our ears three intense and sulfurous minutes led by Dave’s hellish gnarls. After such powerful tune, infinite aggressiveness and devilish roars are the main ingredients in Plagueridder, with Javier once again pounding his drums in the name of Black Metal.
Those Spanish metallers put the pedal to the metal in Spasmic Extinction, inspired by the most recent works by Immortal and Abbath, with the riffage by Vicente and Javier exhaling rage and obscurity for our total delight, and it’s quite interesting how the band added elements from their other Death and Thrash Metal projects to their music yet still sounding purely Black Metal, which is exactly what you’ll get in Primal Expulsion. Their second to last explosion of brutality and evil is titled Riddance of the Graves, a solid, in-your-face Black Metal extravaganza showcasing spine-chilling gnarls by Dave supported by the massive wall of sounds crafted by his bandmates, and Javier’s blackened keys give the last song of the album, the demolishing Path to Devourment, an even more Stygian vibe. In other words, the band’s return to action couldn’t have ended in a more demonic manner.
In the end, although it might have taken over a decade for the ruthless Yskelgroth to return from the pitch black pits of the underworld with a new slab of evil and sulfur, the wait was absolutely worth it based on the infernal music found in Bleeding of the Hideous, and if you want to show the talented Dave, Vicente and Javier your utmost support and admiration, you can succumb to their devilish powers by following them on Facebook, and of course by purchasing a copy of their newborn spawn from the Xtreem Music’s BandCamp page. As aforementioned, Bleeding of the Hideous is twisted, demonic and very detailed, inviting us all to worship our beloved darkness while listening to the first-class Black Metal blasted by a Spanish trio that hopefully won’t take another 15 years to release more of their unrelenting music.
Best moments of the album:The Morbid Earth, Aeons Empty, Spasmic Extinction and Riddance of the Graves.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2023 Xtreem Music
Track listing 1. The Morbid Earth 3:12
2. Prone to Gobble Life 3:46
3. Omnicidal Ends 4:17
4. Aeons Empty 2:58
5. Plagueridder 2:55
6. Spasmic Extinction 4:08
7. Primal Expulsion 3:57
8. Riddance of the Graves 3:51
9. Path to Devourment 3:30
Band members Dave Rotten – vocals
Vicente J. – guitars, bass
Javier Fernández – drums, synths, guitars
Spain’s most ferocious Melodic Death Metal entity offers us all an impressive 55-minute album full of incendiary riffs, blast beats, and the always venomous roars by Diva Satanica.
Almost five years after the release of their critically acclaimed sophomore album The End of Faith, Spanish Melodic Death Metal outfit Bloodhunter is finally back in action with their third full-length installment, beautifully titled Knowledge Was the Price. Formed in 2008 in A Coruña, Galicia, but currently located in the Spanish capital Madrid, the band comprised of the stunning Diva Satanica on vocals, Dani Arcos and Guillermo Starless on the guitars, Daniel Luces on bass and Adrián Perales on drums is on fire throughout the album’s impressive 55 minutes of flammable metal music, all of course spiced up by the top-notch production by Dani Arcos, the production, mixing and recording by Carlos Santos at Sadman Studio, the mastering by Víctor García at Ultramarinos Mastering, the recording by Daniel Luces, and the stylish cover art by Antonio Sicre, turning the album into a must-listen for fans of a good mix of melody, rage and storytelling with venomous vocals.
The opening tune Sharpened Tongues Spitting Venom Inside is very progressive and sinister, spiced up by its wicked lyrics barked by Diva Satanica (“Sharpened tongues spitting venom inside, / The disease is growing, you’re falling, it’s your last sigh. / Repulsive minds create a world full of lies, / Your false awareness infected the world’s demise.”), whereas Adrián kicks off the title-track Knowledge Was the Price with his rhythmic beats accompanied by the strident guitars by Dani and Guillermo in another ass-kicking display of sharp, devilish Melodic Death Metal. In A Twist of Fate to Come the band drinks from the same fountain as renowned acts the likes of Arch Enemy and Soilwork, with Adrián hammering his drums nonstop and, therefore, providing Diva Satanica with exactly what she needs to vociferate like a true she-wolf; and an eerie intro evolves into a neck-breaking feast in Medea’s Guidance, with the metallic bass by Daniel beautifully reverberating in the air. The song could have been a little shorter, though, but nothing to worry about. Then featuring the sensational guest vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens (Judas Priest, KK’s Priest, Beyond Fear, Iced Earth, Charred Walls of the Damned) we’re treated to Never Let It Rest, where Ripper makes an incendiary, devilish duo with Diva Satanica while the music is simply bestial thanks to the fantastic guitar work by Dani and Guillermo; and more of their piercing guitars are offered to us all in Find Your Inner Fire while Diva Satanica darkly declaims the song’s inspiring lyrics (“Blind Faith – There’s no “tomorrow can wait”. / The Shame – Will be your final disgrace. / All Ends – Even darkness and despair. / Be Brave – Open your arms to self-defense.”).
Investing into a more ferocious, thrilling sonority it’s time for the band to crush us all in The Eye of the Serpent, once again showcasing an amazing job by Adrián with his rhythmic but always demented beats. Put differently, it’s first-class Melodic Death Metal made in Spain, which is also the case in Spreading Your Disease, starting in a somber way to the minimalist guitars by Dani and Guillermo before exploding into another frantic sonority perfect for slamming into the circle pit, also showcasing some sick guitar solos for our total delight. In Nothing Beyond the Realms of Death we face another round of their fusion of melodic, rage and progressiveness, with the intricacy flowing from Adrián’s drums walking hand in hand with the riffage by the band’s guitar duo, whereas an enfolding start to the sound of their harmonious guitars that lasts for almost two minutes morphs into a Stratovarius-ish instrumental tune titled A Relentless Force, followed by The Forsaken Idol, featuring guest vocals by Rosalía Sairem of Therion, a wicked creation by the band that will please all fans of extreme music with Diva Sanatica’s gnarls generating an interesting paradox with Rosalía’s clean vocals. The last original song of the album, The Hunters, brings forward more of the excellent string work by Dani, Guillermo and Daniel while Adrián hammers his drums mercilessly, and as a beyond infernal and heavy-as-hell treat the band blasts their cover version for Children of Bodom’s hit Bodom After Midnight, from their 2000 classic Follow the Reaper (check the original version HERE), with Diva Satanica stealing the spotlight with her roars as usual.
After all is said and done, we can all agree Bloodhunter have outdone themselves with Knowledge Was the Price, stepping up their game and positioning themselves as one of the driving forces of Melodic Death Metal in their homeland. Having said that, you can enjoy their newborn beast in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, and of course follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and so on, and purchase their new album by clicking HERE or HERE. Diva Satanica and the boys are on absolute fire from start to finish in Knowledge Was the Price, and I’m sure after such intense album they’ll advance even further in their already solid career, cementing their name among other giants of the Melodic Death Metal scene worldwide and, consequently, leaving us eager for more of their music in the near future.
Best moments of the album: Sharpened Tongues Spitting Venom Inside, Never Let It Rest, The Eye of the Serpent and The Forsaken Idol.
Worst moments of the album:Medea’s Guidance and A Relentless Force.
Released in 2022 Maldito Records
Track listing 1. Sharpened Tongues Spitting Venom Inside 3:34
2. Knowledge Was the Price 3:45
3. A Twist of Fate to Come 2:49
4. Medea’s Guidance 5:23
5. Never Let It Rest 4:39
6. Find Your Inner Fire 3:40
7. The Eye of the Serpent 5:05
8. Spreading Your Disease 5:16
9. Nothing Beyond the Realms of Death 4:47
10. A Relentless Force 4:05
11. The Forsaken Idol 4:03
12. The Hunters 4:30
13. Bodom After Midnight (Children of Bodom cover) 3:38
Band members Diva Satanica – vocals
Dani Arcos – guitars
Guillermo Starless – guitars
Daniel Luces – bass
Adrián Perales – drums
Guest musicians Tim “Ripper” Owens – vocals on “Never Let It Rest”
Rosalía Sairem – vocals on “The Forsaken Idol”
Raúl Plaza – bass
Let’s turn up the heat here at The Headbanging Moose in this month of June and properly kick off the summer season in the Northern Hemisphere with a metal lady that will absolutely stun you with her powerful vocals and onstage presence. A metal singer and vocal coach known for her work with bands the likes of Born In Exile, SerapiS, and Cobra Spell, she has a fantastic vocal range that allows her to sing not only metal but pretty much any music style, which explains why she’s becoming more and more famous, respected and admired in the current music scene. I’m talking about the multi-talented Kristina Vega, also known as Kris Vega, carrying the flag of Catalan metal wherever she goes armed with her fulminating voice. I bet you’re eager to know more about such skillful musician as much as Kris is waiting for you to join her in her quest for heavy music.
Born and raised in Barcelona, Spain, Kris had her first contact with metal music when she was only eight years old, more specifically a Rammstein song which she has tattooed on her arm (which we’ll talk about shortly). When she was 16 she had a band called MOTH (which didn’t last for too long according to Kris herself), she also spent five years with a Japanese music group where she used to write music and do the guttural vocals, then three more years with a Blues band, and another metal group called Lunes 12. However, Kris had to take a break from music for a while, getting back in action in the metal scene after seeing an ad asking for a vocalist for a local band. It didn’t take long for Born In Exile to take its desired shape and form, catapulting our diva to stardom right after the band’s first release. Furthermore, growing up in the golden years of Nu Metal helped her to detect all her registers, to play with different techniques of singing and to find her way as a vocalist, having also thoroughly studied how harsh vocals, textured voice and hyper-compression techniques work in order to reach different types of sound. A formed vocal coach by Rodrigo Llamazares at Vocal Studio (a specialist in vocal coaching for teachers), she actually started studying electric bass at the age of 14, and two years later she recorded her first album as a bass player and a guttural vocalist.
Formed in 2012 in Barcelona by drummer JuanMa Ávila and guitarists Carlos Castillo and Rodrigo Baez (all from the band Corelyn) with the goal of creating a project with progressive influences inside Heavy Metal that would please fans of bands the likes of Symphony X, Opeth, Dream Theater, Rush, Myrath, Leprous and Circus Maximus, among others, the unstoppable Melodic Progressive Metal outfit known as Born In Exile has been on a roll since its inception, all of course multiplied by one thousand after Kris joined the band in August 2015 with her melodic, raspy and soaring vocals, having recorded with the band their debut opus Drizzle of Cosmos, in 2017, which by the way led the band to play at Barcelona Rock Fest in 2018, their sophomore album Transcendence, in 2020, and an EP titled Live at Vampire Fest, in 2021. Kris mentioned in one of her interviews that she recorded a cover version for Queen’s “The Show Must go On” as a reply to the band’s ad where they were searching for a new vocalist, followed by a short meeting with JuanMa and Carlos, and both were absolutely mesmerized by her vocals, which you can enjoy in all its glory in songs such as Fields On Fire, The Lighthouse of the Haunted Keeper, Enchantress, One More Line, Ziggurat, Revenant and Torch.
Apart from her career with Born In Exile, our talented diva can also be seen blasting her unparalleled vocals with the bands Cobra Spell, Uneven Frame and SerapiS, as aforementioned. As a matter of fact, Kris has just started her stint with Cobra Spell, the Dutch Heavy Metal/Hard Rock outfit led by guitarist Sonia Anubis (Burning Witches, Crypta), having replaced the band’s original vocalist Alexx Panza about a month ago, and although she hasn’t recorded anything in the studio yet with the band you can already enjoy her visceral vocals with Cobra Spell on the road, as she’s now touring with the band despite the extremely short time to rehearse with them. It’s not clear if Barcelona-based Nu Metal project Uneven Frame is still active as there are no news from the band since 2020, but it would definitely be interesting to see what Kris can do in a more alternative style (and you can take a listen at their demos on their YouTube channel); and regarding Progressive Metal project SerapiS, recently formed by Kris together with guitarist Joaco Luís (Mollitiam, Born In Exile), you can enjoy the band’s first three singles on Spotify, or go to YouTube to be stunned by Act I: Defiance, Act II: Dissidence, and Act III: Wistfulness, pointing to a very interesting future ahead of them.
Our multi-talented Kris can also be seen as a guest vocalist for the songs Our Demise, from the 2021 album The Harbour in Me, by Spanish Symphonic Power Metal act Embersland, and The Breathless Season Bane, from the 2021 album Portraits, by Spanish Atmospheric Black Metal horde Perennial Isolation; and as a metal vocal coach at the Metal Academy School of Music, the first school completely devoted to Heavy Metal and Hard Rock founded in 2017 in Barcelona, and as a voice actress for The Monster Factory, a Montreal, Canada-based company specialized in the conception of voices for monsters, zombies, aliens and many more creatures in the video game and film industries provided by metal vocalists the likes of our unstoppable diva.
Highly influenced by a wide variety of styles, from bands like Tool, Arch Enemy, Opeth, Leprous, Slipknot and Jinjer to vocalists like Freddie Mercury and Mónica Naranjo, Kris has already performed in over 500 concerts, singing not only Heavy Metal and Hard rock, but also Blues, Soul, Death, Progressive and Experimental Metal, proving not only how skillful she is, but also how experienced she already is in the music industry. As mentioned, having listened to her first metal song at the young age of eight, more specifically the song Klavier, from the album Sehnchust by Rammstein, thanks to the father of one of her neighbours, Kris quickly moved on to other bands and artists such as Linkin Park, Slipknot, Machine Head, System of a Down, Otep and Arch Enemy, being right now a huge fan of Jinjer, In This Moment, Gojira, Opeth, Devin Townsend, Myrath and Twelve Foot Ninja. When asked if she listens to any bands that she considers some sort of “guilty pleasure”, Kris mentioned Nino Bravo, from her childhood years, Azul y Negro, from her teens, and Evanescence, when she was in her 20’s. In addition, when questioned if she prefers Nightwish or Epica, she said she doesn’t really enjoy their voices, being a much bigger fan of stronger vocals the likes of Jinjer and Battle Beast.
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An avid reader of everything surrounding the voice anatomy, Kris is also writing a book to help singers who are just starting their careers and trying to find their own voice, focusing on all obstacles a vocalist might find along the way as for example not being told what’s working and what’s not, which by the way happened to her in the beginning of her career. She believes anyone can sing as long as it represents your own voice and delivers the desired message, always working not only her students’ voices but also their fears, their landscapes and so on, trying to transfer as much courage and strength to all of them during her classes.
It was right after the release of Drizzle of Cosmos that Kris and her bandmates from Born In Exile began touring on a more professional level, having played in different countries and festivals, such as Barcelona Rock Fest. She mentioned that when the band received an email informing they were selected to open that festival she almost cried of pure joy, also saying their performance at the festival was one of the most memorable moments of her life so far. She mentioned in one of her interviews how difficult it is to perform onstage for a massive festival crowd, the importance of being mentally prepared, and the energy shared with the crowd. Still talking about touring, Kris said that she loves to play alongside renowned bands as everything feels a lot more professional, and that although organizing tours (especially outside of Spain) is a lot of work, all that effort is definitely worth it.
As a prominent woman in Heavy Metal, Kris commented on how she sees the role of women in the current metal scene and the type of treatment she receives from men. She mentioned that despite a few bad experiences and situations in her career, one of the most beautiful things in her life is the fact she’s extremely well treated by her bandmates, who support her in everything and the whole feminist movement. However, she believes women in metal should stop fighting against each other for different reasons and realize that they’re stronger when united, saying it’s important to stop thinking like a man and avoid at all costs using sexist words and expressions that are stuck inside our minds thanks to the way we’re taught those things by our society. Moreover, Kris also faced some criticism and sexism when she decided to move from her hairdresser job (which she had been doing since she was 15) to pursue her career in music. She used to listen to things such as being a vocalist or working with music doesn’t pay your bills, doesn’t put food on the table, that she should get a “real” job, and so on, but that didn’t stop her from becoming the awesome vocalist she is today.
Regarding the metal scene these days, she said she thinks the musical landscape is unfair, complaining about an empty venue for an excellent band that goes all the way from Australia to Spain, for example, which is frustrating for the musicians involved. In addition, she said she would like to encourage all bands to have more respect and companionship among themselves, and to see more support to local bands by inviting them to open for the foreign headliners, just like what happened to Born In Exile during Barcelona Rock Fest where the band might have played for only 30 minutes, but according to Kris herself it was good enough to show the crowd what they got. And to be honest, even if they had played for only five minutes that would have been more than enough for the metalheads at the festival to witness how amazing the music by Born In Exile is and how powerful Kris’ vocals are, always singing about love, pain, real-life experiences and other related topics, therefore adding an extra personal touch to her thrilling performance.
As aforementioned, Kris is an accomplished vocal coach, offering vocalists not only from Barcelona but from all around the world different options to work with her, including more basic, free courses through the Metal Academy School of Music, or intensive online and in-person courses (which you can get more details by contacting her by email), and she’s waiting for you to begin a very productive and fun partnership in the name of rock and metal music. By the way, you can also click HERE to check all of her official links where you can get to know more about Kris and her career. Lastly, in case you decide to take vocal classes with Kris and it starts to rain, that might be a very good sign, and the reason for that is quite funny. When she was asked about something curious that has already happened with Born In Exile, she said that every time the band is about to do something important, it rains, it doesn’t matter if it’s the recording of a new album, signing with a record label, playing at a famous venue, or anything else. In other words, let’s join the incendiary Kristina Vega in her quest for heavy music, and may the rain fall down on us for many decades to come together with such inspiring musician.
There’s nothing better than ending another fun weekend and getting ready for a cold and rainy Monday than a night of pure Thrash and Death Metal, and that’s exactly what several Torontonian metalheads were able to enjoy last night at Lee’s Palace thanks to the ruthless Diabolical North American Tour 2022, with the bands VX36, SUNLORD, NERVOSA and the iconic DESTRUCTION offering their fans exactly what they needed to slam into the pit and raise their horns nonstop. The first band to hit the stage was Geyserville, California-based Thrash/Groove Metal band VX36, led by vocalist and guitarist Nate Klug, who inspired all thrashers at the venue to bang their heads to great songs such as Satan’s Fury and Blood War. That was an excellent start to the night, and I just wish the band had new material to present as everything they played, despite being awesome, was from over seven years ago I believe.
Band members
Nate Klug – vocals, guitar
Gage Higgins – lead guitar, vocals
Nick Altenburg – bass
John Lorence – drums
After a really, really quick break, it was time for Jackson Heights, New York’s own Heavy/Speed Metal trio SUNLORD to kick some ass on stage. Comprised of vocalist, guitarist and founder Alfonso Ferrazza, bassist Ashely Wells and drummer Lamar Little, the band delivered a solid show including the fun songs Forbidden Witch and Turn Me Loose, with Lamar stealing the spotlight with a beyond professional and thrilling performance behind his drums, adding an extra touch of groove and heaviness to the band’s music. In the end, Sunlord might not be as thrash as the other bands from the night, but they definitely proved why they were chosen to open for Nervosa and Destruction with their energy and passion for heavy music.
Band members Alfonso Ferrazza – vocals, guitars
Ashely Wells – bass
Lamar Little – drums
Finally, after years and years waiting, I was able to see for the first time ever the all-female thrashing machine NERVOSA pulverizing everything and everyone live on stage. One of the most multinational bands of the current metal scene, as the band is now formed of Spanish frontwoman Diva Satanica, Brazilian guitarist and founder Prika Amaral, Italian bassist Mia Wallace and Greek drummer Eleni Nota, the quartet was infernal with their fusion of Death and Thrash Metal from start to finish, with the stunning Diva Satanica not only showcasing a breathtaking vocal performance, but her stage presence was also a thing of beauty. Still promoting their 2021 opus Perpetual Chaos, Nervosa made a lot of awesome noise playing songs the likes of Kill the Silence, Masked Betrayer, Into Moshpit, Guided By Evil and Under Ruins, as well as my favorite ones of the night, Genocidal Command, Time to Fight and Rebel Soul, where not only Diva Satanica was flawless on vocals, but Prika, Mia and Eleni were also smashing their instruments in great fashion. I just wish the girls had some time to interact with their fans at their booth (which apparently was reduced to just a few random items as their shirts couldn’t be delivered on time), but again, what really matters is what they do on stage, and they more than succeeded by inflicting that nice pain in our necks due to all headbanging involved.
Band members
Diva Satanica – lead vocals
Prika Amaral – guitar, backing vocals
Mia Wallace – bass
Eleni Nota – drums
Another short break and there they were, German Thrash Metal institution DESTRUCTION, ready to show everyone at Lee’s Palace what old school thrash is all about. Anything I say about the band’s frontman and mastermind Schmier won’t be enough to depict his energy, his charisma and his onstage performance, kicking ass from the very first second and showing absolutely no mercy for our souls armed with his metallic bass and raspy vocals. Blending classics the likes of Nailed to the Cross, Born to Perish, Mad Butcher, Thrash Till Death, Bestial Invasion and The Butcher Strikes Back with songs from their recently released album Diabolical, including the amazing title-track and the pulverizing No Faith in Humanity, Schmier and his henchmen Damir Eskić and Martin Furia on the guitars and Canadian beast Randy Black on drums gave a lecture in Thrash Metal to their fans, showing why they’ve been alive and kicking since their inception in the distant year of 1983. By the way, close to the end of the show, Schmier had some very nice words to say about a guy that was present at the venue who was their first ever North American fan, being the first person in the US and Canada to purchase their 1984 demo Bestial Invasion of Hell. That was a really cool moment, and that guy, who was not too far from where I was standing, seemed deeply touched by such amazing tribute by one of his favorite bands of all time. That’s pure Thrash Metal, and after all was said and done (already past midnight, by the way), we were all certain those Teutonic metallers will return to destroy Toronto once again in a not-so-distant future.
Band members
Schmier – vocals, bass
Damir Eskić – lead guitars
Martin Furia – guitars
Randy Black – drums
This unstoppable Spanish metal force attacks again with their sophomore album, showcasing an evolution in their sound together with endless energy and a deep passion for heavy music.
Comprised of experienced musicians from Galicia, Catalunya, Andalucía and Madrid, all in Spain, the Heavy Metal brigade known as Evil Hunter attacks again with their sophomore opus, entitled Lockdown, following up on all the energy and heaviness of their 2018 self-titled debut effort. Produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by the band’s own guitarist José Rubio and displaying a classic artwork by Felipe Machado Franco, Lockdown represents a step forward in the band’s career, showcasing not only an evolution in the sound crafted by Damián Chicano on vocals, José Rubio and Victor Durán on the guitars, Alberto Garrido on bass and Anxo Silveira on drums, but also offering us fans of old school metal music an amazing option to enhance our personal collection of heavy music albums.
The quintet begins distilling their classic Heavy Metal in the opening track Guardian Angel, already putting the pedal to the metal with José and Victor taking the lead with their flammable riffs while Damián fires his Udo Dirkschneider-inspired roars, whereas investing in a pure Hard Rock vibe from the 80’s we have You’ll Never Walk Alone, an upbeat tune with a very positive message where Alberto and Anxo dictate the song’s headbanging pace with their respective bass punches and steady beats. Then infernal riffs ignite another metallic feast by Evil Hunter entitled Get Up, which will sound amazing during their upcoming live concerts as Damián screams the song’s words in great fashion accompanied by the thunderous beats by Anxo; and it’s time for the band to speed things up and deliver a classic Power Metal tune named Burning in Flames, blending the old school sound by Accept and Judas Priest with the more melodic approach by Stratovarius, also presenting an amazing performance by the band’s guitar duo with their striking riffs and solos.
Back to a smoother sonority, it’s time for Anxo to lead his bandmates with his 80’s-inspired beats in Fear Them All, a song that could have easily been released 40 years ago, with José and Victor once again doing a superb job on the guitars, followed by Beyond the Down, a beautiful treat to diehard fans of 80’s Heavy Metal where Damián is on fire with his raspy vocals supported by his bandmates classic backing vocals, not to mention the rumbling kitchen generated by Alberto and Anxo. And Evil Hunter slow things down and get slightly darker and more melancholic in Locked Down, evolving into another Heavy Metal hurricane where their sharp riffs and solos will penetrate deep inside your mind. Lastly, the band brings to our ears Blown With the Wind, with its headbanging rhythm, epic vocal lines and pounding drums reminding me of some of the older creations by Manowar and Hammerfall, putting an inspiring ending to such frantic and electrifying album.
Evil Hunter are more than ready to hunt you down with their first-class Heavy Metal and Hard Rock, and if you want to tell them how much you enjoy their music you should start following them on Facebook and on Instagram, and subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their incendiary creations. Furthermore, you should definitely purchase Lockdown from the Demons Records webstore, from Apple Music, from Amazon or from Discogs, proving you’re a true metalhead and an admirer of the underground. Those Spanish metallers stepped up their game considerably with Lockdown, setting the bar really high for their future releases and, of course, inviting us all to join them in their musical world and share with them our deep passion for heavy music.
Best moments of the album: Guardian Angel, Burning in Flames and Beyond the Down.
Worst moments of the album:Locked Down.
Released in 2021 Demons Records
Track listing 1. Guardian Angel 4:21
2. You’ll Never Walk Alone 4:36
3. Get Up 4:24
4. Burning in Flames 4:38
5. Fear Them All 4:37
6. Beyond the Down 4:11
7. Locked Down 5:46
8. Blown With the Wind 4:47
Band members Damián Chicano – vocals
José Rubio – guitars
Victor Durán – guitars
Alberto Garrido – bass
Anxo Silveira – drums
It’s time for The Headbanging Moose to chat with guitarist, composer and lyricist Jaume Antuñano about his awesome solo project Eonian and his debut EP The Nomad, among other fun topics.
Jaume Antuñano (Eonian)
The Headbanging Moose: Hi, Jaume! Welcome to The Headbanging Moose, and thanks for joining us for this interview! Can you please begin by introducing yourself to our readers and talk a little about your new project Eonian? How would you label your music?
Jaume Antuñano: Hi Gus! Thank you so much for having me. Eonian is a symphonic black/death metal solo project that I started in early 2020. The pandemic had just hit NYC and we were stuck at home, so I began writing music to keep my mind busy. Originally, this was going to be an instrumental project, but as I started composing and recording, I decided to write lyrics and to incorporate vocals too.
THM: You have just released a fantastic debut EP entitled The Nomad, which I highly recommend for fans of bands like Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir. What’s the main idea or concept behind the album, and how long did it take for you to finalize the entire process until the release of the album?
JA: The Nomad is a concept EP. All five songs tell the story of this mysterious, once powerful character who is condemned by the gods to wander for eternity after falling from grace. Trying to tie all the songs together both musically and through the lyrics made it a little harder, but overall it was a pretty quick process. It took about ten months for the EP to be completed.
THM: I personally enjoyed all five songs from the EP, especially Winter Wanderer and Cleansing Fire. What about you? What’s your favorite song of the EP and why? And you can’t say all five, of course! 😉
JA: This is like choosing between mom and dad! But okay, I’ll go ahead and say Cleansing Fire too.
THM: The main band that plays with you in The Nomad is formed by French vocalist DM, Italian bassist Francesco Loconte, Swedish drummer Freddy Ortscheid and Argentinian musician Diego Soldi. How difficult was it to put together such distinct international project, and how did you get to know each one of your band members?
JA: They all did such an amazing job and I’m so glad I got in touch with them. I can compose parts for different instruments, but I can only play the guitar, so I went on Fiverr and contacted these great musicians to record everything else. After I wrote the songs, I sent them a first demo and midi files, and we went from there. This was entirely done via the Internet and we actually never met in person, but despite all that, this was a very easy process and they knocked it out of the park.
THM: There are also seven other guest musicians on the album, as for example Russian violinist Margarita Chernova and Ukrainian pianist Polina Chornaya. Why did you decide to have so many guests on the album, how did you recruit each one of them, and how happy are you with the final result?
Album Review – Eonian / The Nomad EP (2021)
JA: The reason behind having all these guest musicians is because I wanted to include musicians from different backgrounds. Some of them are used to playing metal, but some others are not, and I think that added some depth to my original ideas. Each one of them brought something to the table that I wouldn’t have been able to come up with myself, and I’m absolutely stoked with the results.
THM: What’s next for Eonian? Can we expect a full-length album from you in the near future? And as you’re basically a virtual band (at least for now), do you have any plans for a tour either with the same musicians featured on the album or with new local ones from the New York area?
JA: I already have some ideas for new songs, but it is too early to know if the next release will be an EP or a full-length album. As for a future tour, I would really like it if Eonian became a band, so NYC folks, hit me up if you are interested.
THM: How has this never-ending pandemic impacted your work as a musician? And do you see a light at the end of the tunnel for metal bands now that the vaccination is picking up almost everywhere and concerts and festivals are starting to be scheduled again?
JA: Like many other musicians, new and consolidated, being stuck at home for so long really pushed me to start writing new stuff. Luckily, it looks like things are improving rapidly and that many bands are going to be presenting their new material live soon. I can’t wait and I already marked down a few concerts I don’t want to miss, including your fellow Canadians Unleash the Archers at Le Poisson Rouge here in NYC.
THM: When and why did you decide to move from Spain to the United States? Did it have anything to do with your career as a musician, or was it due to a completely different reason?
JA: I moved to the U.S. in 2011 to complete a Master’s degree in Literature. My plan was to stay for two years and go back to Spain, but I met my now-wife and… never left.
THM: How different is the metal scene in your home country Spain compared to where you are now in The United States? Any local underground bands from both countries you would recommend to our readers?
JA: There is so many different styles and so much talent out there that I find it difficult to come up with major differences between the current metal scenes of Spain and the U.S. Maybe ten, fifteen years ago the difference was more defined, as European metalheads in general were very into the wave of Power Metal bands and also the Gothenburg sound was huge over there. The elitists will probably correct me, but I think that today there is quite an overlap regarding the genres that metalheads from both countries listen to. As for your second question, I’ll start by giving a shout-out to a couple of bands from my hometown of Valencia: In Mute (Melodic Death Metal) and Retribution (Symphonic Black/Death). And as for New York bands, I’m going to go with Valcata, which is another Internet-produced project that features many different musicians and vocalists from all over the world. Check them out!
THM: Thanks again for your time, and congratulations for your amazing debut EP! Please feel free to send your final message and considerations to our readers, and keep up with the excellent work with Eonian!
JA: Thank you for the interview and for your positive review of The Nomad! I would also like to thank all of the session musicians that recorded in this EP, and Fernán Nebiros, from Peruvian death metal legends Mortem, who was involved in the early stages of this project and whose valuable input helped me immensely. And to the readers, I encourage you to follow Eonian on Instagram and Facebook and to let me know what you think of the EP!
Raise your horns to the first-class fusion of furious riffs, drums, and vocals with epic choirs and orchestral arrangements carefully brought forth by this international Symphonic Extreme Metal project.
Assembled in 2020 by Manhattan, New York City-based Spanish guitarist Jaume Antuñano, the amazing multinational Symphonic Extreme Metal project that goes by the name of Eonian is set to release their debut EP, entitled The Nomad, a must-have for fans of bands the likes of Cradle Of Filth, Dimmu Borgir and Septicflesh. Mixed and mastered by Simone Pietroforte at Divergent Studios, and displaying a classic cover art by Javier Barjollo and a stunning logo designed by Alice Malvisi from Hexibex Design, The Nomad was fully produced online and includes five songs that blend furious riffs, drums, and vocals with epic choirs and orchestral arrangements carefully brought forth by Jaume together with French vocalist DM (Helioss), Italian bassist Francesco Loconte (Koroth, Kormak), Swedish drummer Freddy Ortscheid (Entrails) and Argentinian musician Diego Soldi on all orchestrations, as well as seven other very special guest musicians from all over the world.
A metal storm is about to begin in Winter Wanderer, featuring guest solos by Indian musician Manish Kashyap (Deathknell) and Spanish musician Isaac “Whitefingers” Solanas (Frozen Shield), with Jaume’s riffage and Freddy’s blast beats generating a bold and visceral ambience, all boosted by DM’s infernal roars; whereas living up to the legacy of Symphonic Black Metal the band delivers the imposing Versus The Titan, where the orchestrations by Diego are superb, not to mention the stunning guest violin solo by Russian musician Margarita Chernova. Then a movie-inspired intro grows in intensity until all hell breaks loose in the Dimmu Borgir-like aria Cleansing Fire, featuring a keyboard solo and arrangements by Mexican musician Andrés Samboní (Desvirtual), once again showcasing all the fury of DM on vocals together with the piercing, scorching riffs by Jaume. It’s time for an epic journey with Jaume and his horde in Delirium, offering us all a keyboard solo by Argentinian musician Pablo Pallares (Utópica) and an electric violin solo by Spanish musician Néstor Català (Tales of Gaia), with Francesco, Freddy and Diego generating a beautiful wall of sounds in the background, before the piano solo by Ukrainian musician Polina Chornaya adds a touch of finesse to the thunderous tune Shores Of A Lost Sea, putting a fantastic and climatic ending to the EP with DM roaring and screaming rabidly amidst a top-of-the-line Extreme Metal sonority.
In a nutshell, the debut EP by Eonian is without a shadow of a doubt a precious gem hailing from the underground of several countries that truly deserves our admiration, and you’ll soon be able to stream it or purchase it from different locations by clicking HERE. Hence, if you want to know more about the team led by Jaume you can start following Eonian on Facebook and on Instagram and click HERE to not only read more about the project, but to also hire each person involved in the creation of The Nomad in case you’re looking for some skillful musicians for your own metal or non-metal endeavor. In a world where we’re all becoming more and more involved with technology yet at the same time isolated from society, it’s always a pleasure to witness guys like Jaume bringing people together in the name of heavy music, providing us fans first-class Extreme Metal and, therefore, pointing to a bright future ahead of the project. And although the name of the EP somehow represents Jaume’s personal and musical life, as if he is the nomad depicted in the album art moving from one place to another, he’s far from being a solitary man in our Heavy Metal universe as you can see.
Best moments of the album: Winter Wanderer and Cleansing Fire.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2021 Independent
Track listing
1. Winter Wanderer 4:17
2. Versus The Titan 4:32
3. Cleansing Fire 4:55
4. Delirium 3:37
5. Shores Of A Lost Sea 4:44
Band members DM – vocals
Jaume Antuñano – guitar
Francesco Loconte – bass
Freddy Ortscheid – drums
Diego Soldi – orchestrations
Guest musicians Manish Kashyap – guitar solo on “Winter Wanderer”
Isaac “Whitefingers” Solanas – guitar solo on “Winter Wanderer”
Margarita Chernova – violin solo on “Versus The Titan”
Andrés Samboní – keyboard solo and arrangements on “Cleansing Fire”
Pablo Pallares – keyboard solo on “Delirium”
Néstor Català – electric violin solo on “Delirium”
Polina Chornaya – piano solo on “Shores Of A Lost Sea”
Spain’s own Melodic Death Metal institution returns with their most creative album to date, showcasing a message by a creature brought into being by humans from a synthetic embryo and alien DNA.
Pre-produced by Roronona and produced by Facundo Novo at Novo Studios, 0K4M1 is the brand new opus by Valencia, Spain’s own Melodic Death Metal institution SynlakrosS, following up on their critically acclaimed 2018 release Malice Murder while addressing a conceptual message in which the listener also becomes the protagonist of the story. “This album is completely different from our previous albums. This time you are part of history, how? The album is a message sent by the creature 0K4M1, and you are the one who receives this message from millions of light years away. Like a message in a bottle. At the end of the listening, you must choose if you want to keep it a secret, or if you want to share it with others. And who is 0K4M1? 0K4M1 is a creature created by humans from a synthetic embryo and alien DNA. Created to be a lethal weapon, the new antichrist. Before dying, it decides to record its life experience and share it with everyone who receives this message. Because perhaps its experience can ease the listener’s existential pain and suffering. It’s a sad but beautiful album, dark but full of energy,” explained the band currently comprised of frontwoman Patricia Pons, guitarists Ivan Muñoz and Aaron Hidalgo, bassist ‘Roro’ Pablo Fuentes, and drummer Dan Shurak.
As soon as you hit play you’ll be treated to a futuristic, eerie intro simply named Intro 0K4M1, warming up our senses for the melodic and visceral Pitch Black, with Patricia screaming the song’s words beautifully (“Alone I am. Cold and black / Neutron Star / Dark halos of God shine when massive stars collapse / Black Goo / Blood, hate and fascination”) in a venomous display of the band’s modern-day fusion of Melodic Death Metal and Metalcore, flowing into the headbanging Melodic Death Metal extravaganza Oscilloscope, where newcomer Dan smashes his drums mercilessly while Roro extracts the most metallic sounds you can imagine form his menacing bass. After such exciting start to the album it’s time for The Last Day of Eris, another shot of their multi-layered and thrilling music once again showcasing cryptic words vociferated by Patricia (“This is the last day of Eris / I sail in the storm / Everything crashes around me, / but I don’t want to lose hope”) while Ivan and Aaron slash their axes in great fashion.
Then a cryptic beginning grows in intensity until all hell breaks loose in Ökami, with the rumbling bass by Roro walking hand in hand with the vicious drumming by Dan, therefore resulting in a solid display of Melodic Death Metal for admirers of the genre; followed by Lost In The Universe, a somber mid-tempo tune by SynlakrosS where the guitars by Ivan and Aaron sound utterly sharp, piercing our minds mercilessly (albeit not as breathtaking as the rest of the album). And Patricia mesmerizes us all with her wildest side in the high-octane Escape From Earth, screaming like a true she-wolf while also providing at the same time some rebellious clean vocals. Furthermore, her bandmates make sure we feel absolutely inspired to slam into the circle pit to the sound of their infernal riffs, bass punches and stylish beats, before the entire band brings forward six minutes of introspective, futuristic sounds in the grim Stardust, flowing smoothly and darkly until the very last second and, as a consequence, putting a climatic ending to their first-ever Sci-Fi release.
After all is said and done, are you going to share the message sent by the creature known as 0K4M1 with the world, or are you going to keep it a secret? In case you haven’t made up your mind yet, you should definitely stream the album on Spotify as many times as you want, follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and more of the band’s unique music, subscribe to their official YouTube channel for more of their insane videos, and above all that, click HERE to purchase your copy of the album and support SynlakrosS on their quest for heavy music. Those Spanish metallers did an awesome job narrating the synthetic life and death of this uncanny creature named 0K4M1 in their new album, and let’s hope we hear more from Patricia, Roro & Co. in a not-so-distant future. End of transmission.
Best moments of the album: Oscilloscope, The Last Day of Eris and Escape From Earth.
Worst moments of the album:Lost In The Universe.
Released in 2021 independent
Track listing
1. Intro 0K4M1 1:14
2. Pitch Black 3:04
3. Oscilloscope 3:34
4. The Last Day of Eris 3:44
5. Ökami 3:30
6. Lost In The Universe 4:14
7. Escape From Earth 3:56
8. Stardust 6:27
Band members Patricia Pons – vocals
Ivan Muñoz – guitar
Aaron Hidalgo – guitar
‘Roro’ Pablo Fuentes – bass
Dan Shurak – drums
Forged in turmoil but full of the hope that only music can inspire, the new album by the Spanish angels of thrash is indeed the pulverizing metal record that the whole world needs right now.
Brought into being in 2000 in Albacete, a city and municipality in the Spanish autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha, Spain’s leading Thrash Metal institutionAngelus Apatrida returns to the battlefield now in 2021 with their seventh full-length opus, self-titled Angelus Apatrida, celebrating 20 years as a band. Forged in turmoil but full of the hope that only music can inspire, the album is the pulverizing metal record that the world needs right now, showcasing all the dexterity of Guillermo Izquierdo on vocals and guitars, David G. Álvarez also on the guitars, José J. Izquierdo on bass and Víctor Valera on drums. Recorded by Juan Angel López at Baboon Records, mixed by Christopher “Zeuss” Harris at Planet Z Studios, and displaying an ass-kicking artwork by Hungarian artist Gyula Havancsák (Hjules Illustration and Design), Angelus Apatrida features ten original songs that sound more determined, versatile and ferocious than ever before, inviting us all to slam into the circle pit to the band’s undisputed thrashing music.
And five seconds is all those Spanish bastards need to kill with a Pantera’s “Fucking Hostile”-inspired hymn entitled Indoctrinate, a brutal thrashing anthem to kick off the album on a high note, penetrating deep inside our minds with their wicked sounds and catchy-as-hell lyrics (“Indoctrinate / through fear then / dominate / Indoctrinate / one true faith / inculcate / Predominate / strong voices will be heard / Intoxicate / snake tongues to / indoctrinate”), whereas in Bleed The Crown the stringed duo Guillermo and David is ruthless with their razor-edged riffs while Víctor keeps hammering his drums nonstop, resulting in another bestial fusion of Thrash and Groove Metal. Then we have The Age Of Disinformation, with Guillermo viciously singing about our addiction to new tech, about the spread of fake news and how we’re forgetting to enjoy reality (“Slaves, dependents, victims of technology / Exposed to a world of lies / Living through the age of disinformation”), while José and Víctor make the earth tremble with the heavy kitchen; followed by Rise Or Fall, another song inspired by the golden years of Pantera with the band’s own Spanish twist where the quartet doesn’t stop blasting sheer violence and heaviness through their sonic weapons of mass destruction, spearheaded by the austere screams by Guillermo. And there’s no sign of slowing down as Angelus Apatrida fire another round of their high-octane, incendiary Thrash Metal in the form of Childhood’s End, showcasing an amazing job done by Guillermo and David with their sick riffs and solos.
In Disposable Liberty we’re treated to a solid instrumental led by the groovy beats and fills by Víctor, albeit not as vibrant nor as dynamic as its predecessors but still presenting tons of good elements like the low-tuned, metallic bass jabs by José, and back to a more frantic and vicious sonority the quartet offers our avid ears the headbanging tune We Stand Alone, perfect for slamming into the circle pit like a maniac while blending Bay Area Thrash with European Thrash and Groove Metal. Following such infernal tune, Víctor sounds like a stone crusher on drums, pulverizing everything and everyone that crosses his path in Through The Glass, while his bandmates extract endless aggressiveness and rage from their respective instruments. And there’s no escape from the thrashing madness blasted by Angelus Apatrida, as they keep smashing their instruments in the classic Empire Of Shame, with Guillermo, David and José being on fire with their intricate and thunderous riffs and bass punches, whereas closing the album they bring forward the menacing, sharp-as-a-knife Into The Well, presenting an awesome sync between Víctor’s wicked beats and their electrifying riffage throughout almost six minutes of first-class, contemporary Thrash Metal for the masses.
In the end, it doesn’t matter if you’re a fan of Thrash Metal or not, you have to admit Angelus Apatrida have outdone themselves in their newborn spawn, providing the heavy community another sensational display of their skills and their passion for heavy music, therefore sending a sound statement to all mankind that those Spanish metallers are far from calling it quits, having the sky as their limit. Hence, don’t forget to give them a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their music and videos, to stream all of their albums on Spotify, and of course to purchase their new album by clicking HERE, adding to your personal collection what’s by far one of the most exciting Thrash Metal albums hailing from Europe from the past decade. As already mentioned, this is the type of album our world needs right now, with the Spanish angels of thrash offering us fans a very good reason to slam into the pit and bang our heads like there’s no tomorrow while our rotten society crumbles into pieces.
Best moments of the album: Indoctrinate, Rise Or Fall, We Stand Alone and Empire Of Shame.
Worst moments of the album:Disposable Liberty.
Released in 2021 Century Media Records
Track listing 1. Indoctrinate 5:39
2. Bleed The Crown 4:26
3. The Age Of Disinformation 4:42
4. Rise Or Fall 3:36
5. Childhood’s End 3:49
6. Disposable Liberty 4:21
7. We Stand Alone 4:11
8. Through The Glass 5:41
9. Empire Of Shame 4:17
10. Into The Well 5:47
Band members Guillermo Izquierdo – vocals, guitars
David G. Álvarez – guitars
José J. Izquierdo – bass
Víctor Valera – drums
What happens when you put together four metalheads hailing from Brazil, Italy, Spain and Greece? A deadly and thrashing lesson in perpetual chaos, of course.
Staying true to their roots while exploring new terrains with a revitalized international line-up now comprised of Brazilian founding guitarist Prika Amaral, Spanish growler Diva Satanica (of Bloodhunter), Italian bassist Mia Wallace (of bands such as Abbath, Triumph of Death and The True Endless) and Greek drummer Eleni Nota (of Lightfold and Mask of Prospero), the ruthless all-female Death and Thrash Metal powerhouse Nervosa is ready to attack with inexorable fury, pungently sharp riffs and aggressive vocals on the 13 massive tracks from their newborn spawn, entitled Perpetual Chaos, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2018 opus Downfall Of Mankind. Recorded at Artesonao Casa de Grabación Studio in Málaga, Spain, produced by Prika Amaral and Martin Furia at Studio Porino, and mastered by Yarne Heylen, Perpetual Chaos builds upon the turbulence, adding diverse musical elements to create an infallible new standout that will strike the listener in a way only Nervosa could, therefore placing the album as one of the best releases of 2021 hands down.
The unstoppable Prika ignites their thrashing machine with her flammable riffs in the brutal Venomous, sounding pulverizing from the very first second with Diva Satanica being a true she-demon on vocals while Eleni showcases all her skills and rage on drums, whereas in Guided by Evil the rumbling, obscure sounds blasted by Mia and Eleni are everything Diva Satanica needs to growl the song’s vile words (“Desire consumes you, blinds you, takes you off the line / But you go slowly cause all you do is lie / Every step taken, misfortune is your delight / Tormented by feelings, swallowed by quicksand”) in another ass-kicking fusion of Death, Thrash and Black Metal. Following such frantic start, People of the Abyss is perhaps one of the most infuriated and heaviest of all songs in the history of Nervosa where Prika will pierce your ears mercilessly with her classy riffs and solos accompanied by the devilish bass by Mia, therefore inflicting some serious pain in your neck due to the intense headbanging needed. And more of their demented and grim sounds is offered in the title-track Perpetual Chaos, with Eleni and Prika making a hellish duo and, consequently, providing Diva Satanica a solid base for her to haunt our souls with her otherworldly screeches and gnarls.
Featuring guest guitarist Guilherme Miranda (of Entombed A.D.), Until the Very End is a high-octane fusion of Death and Thrash Metal brought forth by those unrelenting women where Prika is once again phenomenal armed with her killer strings; and it’s time for Nervosa to smash our skulls mercilessly in Genocidal Command, with German thrash legend Schmier, from the one and only Destruction, making a demented vocal duo with Diva Satanica, always supported by the thunderous kitchen by Mia and Eleni. Slower but heavy-as-hell, Kings of Domination presents hints of Groove Metal added to the guitar lines by Prika and the bass jabs by Mia, resulting in the perfect sound for headbanging like there’s no tomorrow, while Time to Fight is another short and sweet display of their thrashing savagery, inviting us all to slam into the pit while Eleni pounds her drums in great fashion. If you think the girls from Nervosa are tired already of so much violence, you better get ready for more of their Stygian sounds in Godless Prisoner, showcasing a straightforward sonority led by Prika while Eleni dictates the pace with her solid beats, albeit not as powerful as the other songs from the album.
Blood Eagle gets back to a more ferocious and somber musicality, with Prika and Mia being in total sync with their stringed weapons while Diva Satanica adds her personal dosage of Death Metal to the band’s core Thrash Metal through her devilish gnarls; and Eric A.K. (of Flotsam and Jetsam) lends his trademark vocals to Rebel Soul, a Motörhead-inspired metal extravaganza that will invite you to raise your horns and bang your head like a beast, bringing forward Diva Satanica and Eric on absolute fire from start to finish. Never slowing down nor selling out, and always loyal to the foundations of Thrash Metal, the band offers us all Pursued by Judgement, with Mia hammering her evil bass accompanied by the crushing drums by Eleni, keeping the album at a high level of animosity before we’re treated to the closing tune Under Ruins, presenting disruptive words viciously barked by Diva Satanica (“I feel death coming / Getting lonelier everyday / In the cravings that consume me / Self destruction without limits”) while her bandmates make sure the electricity keeps flowing nonstop through their wicked instrumental.
To be fair, I was a little worried about the future of Nervosa after the departures of vocalist and bassist Fernanda Lira and drummer Luana Dametto last year, but the moment Prika announced Diva Satanica, Mia Wallace and Eleni Nota as the new members of her thrashing squad I was more than sure their new album would sound phenomenal to say the least based on their unique talent and background in heavy music. Well, let’s say those four metal ladies exceeded all expectations in Perpetual Chaos, delivering an album that’s at the same time brutal, melodic, thrilling and detailed. Hence, don’t forget to give the girls a shout on Facebook and on Instagram to let them know how much you enjoyed their newest creations, to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their distinguished music and videos, to stream all of their catalogue on Spotify, and above all that, to purchase Perpetual Chaos from their own BandCamp page or webstore (America or Europe), or simply click HERE for all locations where you can buy or stream what’s by far one of the most exciting metal albums of the year. And before I forget… VIVA PERPETUAL CHAOS!
Best moments of the album: People of the Abyss, Genocidal Command, Time to Fight and Rebel Soul.
Worst moments of the album:Godless Prisoner.
Released in 2021 Napalm Records
Track listing 1. Venomous 3:46
2. Guided by Evil 3:30
3. People of the Abyss 3:27
4. Perpetual Chaos 3:39
5. Until the Very End 3:18
6. Genocidal Command 2:56
7. Kings of Domination 3:41
8. Time to Fight 2:32
9. Godless Prisoner 3:19
10. Blood Eagle 3:41
11. Rebel Soul 3:17
12. Pursued by Judgement 3:27
13. Under Ruins 3:57
Band members Diva Satanica – lead vocals
Prika Amaral – guitar, backing vocals
Mia Wallace – bass
Eleni Nota – drums
Guest musicians Guilherme Miranda – additional guitars on “Until the Very End”
Schmier – additional vocals on “Genocidal Command”
Eric A.K. – additional vocals on “Rebel Soul”
After a hiatus of 14 years, the devilish Spanish Black Metal horde Yskelgroth is back with a new and pulverizing album, titled Bleeding of the Hideous, the follow-up to their 2010 opus Unholy Primitive Nihilism. Although the band was formed back in 2000 with the aim of creating a ferocious and savage blend of Death and Black Metal, the project fell apart in 2007 when frontman Dave Rotten (Avulsed, Christ Denied, Decrapted, Holycide, Putrevore) moved to Germany, but they relaunched their evil beast in 2008 when Dave together with guitarist and bassist Vicente J. (Decrapted, Golgotha, Holycide, Unbounded Terror) teamed up to write songs for their debut album. Now in 2023, alongside Javier Fernández (aka Nexus 6) of bands like Harmpit, Nexus 6 and TodoMal on drums, synths and guitars, Yskelgroth will summon all creatures of the underworld with Bleeding of the Hideous, a ruthless metal attack comprised of nine sulfurous songs with an even more complex, twisted and intricate sound highly influenced by Myrkskog, Angelcorpse and Emperor, among other Black Metal giants, that will leave you craving more, all embraced by the infernal artwork by Venezuelan artist John Quevedo Janssens.
In the end, although it might have taken over a decade for the ruthless Yskelgroth to return from the pitch black pits of the underworld with a new slab of evil and sulfur, the wait was absolutely worth it based on the infernal music found in Bleeding of the Hideous, and if you want to show the talented Dave, Vicente and Javier your utmost support and admiration, you can succumb to their devilish powers by following them on Facebook, and of course by purchasing a copy of their newborn spawn from the Xtreem Music’s BandCamp page. As aforementioned, Bleeding of the Hideous is twisted, demonic and very detailed, inviting us all to worship our beloved darkness while listening to the first-class Black Metal blasted by a Spanish trio that hopefully won’t take another 15 years to release more of their unrelenting music.
THM: How different is the metal scene in your home country Spain compared to where you are now in The United States? Any local underground bands from both countries you would recommend to our readers?
Assembled in 2020 by Manhattan, New York City-based Spanish guitarist Jaume Antuñano, the amazing multinational Symphonic Extreme Metal project that goes by the name of 
Pre-produced by Roronona and produced by Facundo Novo at 
After all is said and done, are you going to share the message sent by the creature known as 0K4M1 with the world, or are you going to keep it a secret? In case you haven’t made up your mind yet, you should definitely stream the album on 
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 