Swedish thrash metallers Methane have released their second studio album Kill It With Fire, and this record is a straight to the point, no frills all thrills bombardment of groovy, thrashy glory.
The record opens with the title track; a blistering barrage of pure riffing madness and thunderous drums accompanied by Tim Scott‘s incredible raw vocals. ‘Accuser (Of The Brethren)‘ opens with a soundbite from the viral ‘Religious Karen‘ YouTube video; a tongue-in-cheek track that’s every bit as fun and bouncy as a thrash metal track should be. Next up we have ‘Declare Chaos‘ and ‘ which verges on the side of a technically groovy opening and descends in to a heavily bass driven onslaught of chugging riffs and solos.
‘Shock and Awe‘ is a heavily Slayer influenced track with its raging ferocity and vocals reminiscent of Tom Araya‘s prime. With a chant-worthy chorus, soaring solos and glorious classic thrash vibes, this track is guaranteed to get you moving. ‘A Blood Red Sky‘ opens as a chugging, mid-tempo blast with thunderous war-like drums before descending in to madness with flying solos and furious blastbeats. ‘Down In The Gutter‘ is incredibly groovy and addictive which twists and turns at any given opportunity with distinctive Pantera vibes. The record close with the brutal ‘Thin the Herd,’ a sinister Slayer-esque assault full of catchy hooks and stomping rhythm ensuring the record ends just as lethally as it began.
If you’re looking for a a classic thrash metal record with modern, addictive groove that’s every bit as fun as it is brutal, look no further. Methane may have just two albums under their belt in their 10 year tenure but that just proves that taking the time to hone your craft pays off. At just 31 minutes long, Kill It With Fire is a solid thrash/groove metal record worthy to sit high amongst the greatest thrash metal records of the genre.
Rating: 9/10
Release Date: 27th January 2023
Released By: Self Released
Genre: Thrash/Groove Metal
For Fans Of: Kreator, Pantera, Slayer
Favourite Track(s): Accuser (Of The Brethern), Shock and Awe, Down in the Gutter, Thin The Herd
Machine Head are one of those bands who have a fiercely loyal fanbase and repeatedly max out gig venues. However, even the most hardcore of Machine Head fans will admit that the band appeared to have peaked with 2007’s The Blackening. Apart from a handful of tracks here and there throughout the years and the departure of long-time members Phil Demmel and Dave McClain, the future of Machine Head seemed to be in the balance. That is, until the release of “ØF KINGDØM AND CRØWN“ and this new reincarnation of Machine Head is bringing a whole new vigour to their legacy.
SLAUGHTER THE MARTYR is a 10 minute long monster of an opener with melancholic melodies cascading in to a bludgeoning force of riffing brutality. Hang in there as the melancholy vibes of a single guitar tone and hauntingly emotive vocals last a good 3 minutes or so before it kicks off and rips your face from your skull. The drums are thunderous, the riffs are flying all over the place and the solos are soaring with Robb Flynn’s vocals taking to prisoners in the process. With catchy hooks and chant-worthy choruses, this track surges forward and doesn’t feel like the 10 minute long onslaught that it is. CHØKE ØN THE ASHES ØF YØUR HATE and BECØME THE FIRESTØRM are both nods back to Machine Head‘s golden The Blackening era with all the rapid, thrashy goodness and signature pinch harmonics. Drastically shorter tracks compared to the opener but they don’t pack any less a punch.
ØVERDØSE is the first interlude, phasing in with an unnerving flatlining heartbeat monitor, distorted whispering and an anguished scream blending in to MY HANDS ARE EMPTY; a sombre yet evocative brutal ballad of sorts mired in gloomy melodies interspersed with chugging riffage. UNHALLØWED offers more melancholy vocal melodies but changes the pace with a mid-tempo beat and firey solos. ASSIMILATE is the second interlude of the record urging the listener to fight for no one else will bleeding straight in to KILL THY ENEMIES; a groove-induced, chugging track with a darker undertone. NØ GØDS, NØ MASTERS twists and turns between soft melodies and rapid ferocity whereas BLØØDSHØT pushes on with heavy intensity.
As the record shoots towards its conclusion, RØTTEN demonstrates sheer, thundering rage, ferocious riffage, heavy basslines and more signature pinch harmonics. TERMINUS is the final distorted interlude gently phasing in to ARRØWS IN WØRDS FRØM THE SKY. An epically cinematic record closer full of soaring, emotive melodies and dark themes; a classic Machine Head conclusion ending the record on a strong note.
With a new lineup and a fresh reincarnation of a band many had thought couldn’t top the popularity that was The Blackening, Machine Head have well and truly burst forth and proven that they still have what it takes to destroy their own past achievements. “ØF KINGDØM AND CRØWN” was a hugely anticipated record for 2022 and it didn’t disappoint.
Rating: 8.5/10
Released By: Nuclear Blast
Release Date: 26th August 2022
For Fans Of: Pantera, Lamb of God, Metallica
Favourite Tracks: SLAUGHTER THE MARTYR, CHØKE ØN THE ASHES ØF YOUR HATE, UNHALLØWED, NØ GØDS NØ MASTERS, RØTTEN
After releasing their first full-length album “Relics of a Dead Earth” four years ago, BATTLEGRAVE are back with their new album “Cavernous Depths” (released on the 22nd July 2022 via Bitter Loss Records). The Australian duo are showing the world exactly how death-thrash should be done, with a 10-track album packed with stank-face worthy extreme music.
Cavernous Depths album cover. Artist: Shaun Farrugia.
I sat down with Clint and Rohan to talk about the recording of the new album, the amazing album artwork and what the best and worst parts of being a musician are. You can follow BATTLEGRAVE on Instagram @battlegrave, Bandcamp (Bitter Loss Records) and YouTube (Spotify and other platforms coming soon). Listen to the full interview below…
Listen to one of my favourite songs from “Cavernous Depths” here…
Villaintropist are a modern thrash metal band from the Netherlands. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Death, Metallica and Slayer, Villaintropist released their first full-length album ‘Black Blood‘ in February 2022.
Bassist and lead vocalist Jesper Nibbelink says about their influences and sound: “there are a lot of influences actually. Basically, anything we listen to. That can be anything, any kind of stuff like Metallica, Slayer, Death but also bands like Pantera. They’re not necessarily in the Thrash kind of region that we’re in. But basically anything we like really, we put together in songs and like I said, we’re Thrash but we’re also not really Thrash; it’s one of those labels that you’re not sure how to fit exactly in there. We just make music because we like it.”
Check out my interview with Jesper below. You can also follow them on their social media accounts:
A one-man DIY band from Northern Ireland with a reoccurring theme of sci-fi, space battles and heavy riffs. A genre-crossing blend of thrash, melodic death, black metal, prog, NWOBHM and hints of folk, each release tells part of a storyline with the latest EP ‘Mechanised Infantry‘ released in May 2022 and a new full length album coming later this year.
Rupskallex says about their storyline: “Mechanised Infantry, two tracks on that are taken from the full-length album; they’re sort of dotted in the centre. So it all follows a massive storyline that also follows on from the other sci-fi albums as well. So, Mechanised Infantry is about mortally wounded soldiers. In this part of the story they’re planet-side fighting against these aliens who are invading, attempting to completely wipe out the human race.“
Check out my interview with Rupskallex below. You can also follow them on their social media accounts:
Kreator are arguably one of the most influential Thrash Metal bands to emerge from Europe. Not only is Hate Über Alles their 15th studio album but 2022 also marks the 40th year of their tenure which is an incredible milestone. The German Thrash Metal heavyweights continue to knock it out the park with their exhilarating assault on heavy metal.
‘Sergio Corbucci Is Dead‘ is a tribute to the Italian film director, producer and screenwriter known for incredibly violent Spaghetti Westerns. A solemn, atmospheric and provocative opening instrumental which stands out in such as way that it almost seems misplaced yet it perfectly transitions in to the title track which showcases a drastic change of pace. With thunderous blastbeats, lightning fast riffage, soaring solos and deafening screams, ‘Hate Über Alles’ kickstarts the record off strongly and maintains that ferocious consistency throughout. ‘Killer of Jesus‘ continues that crunching momentum with fist-pumping chants and more soaring solos and catchy hooks.
‘Crush The Tyrants‘ changes gear with mid-tempo pounding drums and groove-laden riffage followed by ‘Strongest of the Strong;’ a crowd-rousing anthem and ‘Become Immortal‘ a tribute to old school heavy metal with it’s Judas Priest-esque mood and crowd-chanting, catchy choruses.
As the record slides in to the latter half, ‘Conquer and Destroy‘ releases a dual guitar opening before descending in to ferocious, speed-defying riffage, brilliantly complimenting ‘Midnight Sun,’ the only track released from the record which features guest vocals from Sofia Portanet, a new wave vocalist from Germany. The introduction of Portanet’s ethereal vocals offsets the harsh vocalisation from Mille Petrozza creating a spectacular stand-out track.
‘Demonic Future’ is epically groovy combined with a vigorously chugging intensity leading the charge in to the penultimate track ‘Pride Comes Before The Fall;‘ sombre and atmospheric in nature to begin with before reigniting with melodic aggression. Lastly, ‘Dying Planet;’ is a dark, intense, Slayer-esque offering which closes the record with an aggressive, mid-tempo soundscape of pure aggression.
Each track on this record is a blistering onslaught of epic proportions. With lightning riffage, screaming solos, thunderous drumming and consistently ferocious vocals, Kreator have once again shown that they are titans among the thrash metal world and show no signs of stagnation or slowing down.
Rating: 9/10
Released By: Nuclear Blast
Release Date: 10th June 2022
For Fans Of: Sodom, Overkill, Exodus
Favourite Track(s): Killer of Jesus, Crush The Tyrants
I have been a long-time metalhead for over 20 years now; not only is it a love for the music but it’s also a lifestyle. The community, the merch, the live shows, an unlimited supply of all that good, heavy stuff. Metal has seen me through the good times, the bad times and the “what in the Alice in Wonderland is going on here, this is madness” times. This is my 50th post for This Day In Metal so join me as I take a jaunt down memory lane in celebration of this milestone and revisit 10 albums (in no particular order) that made me fall in love with metal. Here’s to the next 50 articles and beyond.
Slayer: Reign in Blood
At the tender age of 17 (barely) I made a hop, skip and a jump to my very first metal show back in 2006 and it all went brilliantly downhill from there. A couple of months prior to this first magical experience, I went to my local independent CD shop (Third Base, specifically) and picked up what would end up being one of my favourite ever albums. I immersed myself within this album and studied it obsessively in time for Slayer’s Unholy Alliance Chapter 2 tour with Thine Eyes Bleed, Children of Bodom, Lamb of God and In Flames. It’s still one of my favourite records to this day.
Released: 1st January 1986
Favourite Track(s): Angel of Death, Altar of Sacrifice, Criminally Insane, Raining Blood
Linkin Park: Hybrid Theory
To say I was absolutely obsessed with this record as a nu-metal loving teen is an understatement. I remember seeing the music video for ‘One Step Closer’ on Kerrang! and deciding that owning this record was an absolute requirement. It was played over and over again and I knew every lyric to every song. It’s a record I revisit every so often now; laced in nostalgia and it hasn’t lost its edge even over 20 years later.
Released: 24th October 2000
Favourite Track(s): Papercut, One Step Closer, Points of Authority, Crawling
Fear Factory: Demanufacture
Flashback to early 2000, I was 11 years old and stumbled upon the original Mortal Kombat movie on TV when I wasn’t supposed to. During the fight scene with Scorpion and Johnny Cage, I remember hearing a song in the background and it completely captivated me. Back then, I didn’t have instant access to Google or the internet in general (who remembers the days of dial-up!?) so I waited until the end credits to find out what this song was. ‘Zero Signal‘ still remains as one of my favourite Fear Factory tracks to this day and the entire Demanufacture album is not only my favourite album by the band, but is one of my top 10 favourite albums of all time.
Released: 11th June 1995
FavouriteTrack(s): Demanufacture, Self Bias Resistor, Zero Signal, H-K (Hunter-Killer)
Lamb of God: Sacrament
What. An. Album. This record is absolutely flawless from beginning to end. I first discovered Lamb of God during the aforementioned Unholy Alliance Chapter 2 show where they supported Slayer in 2006. I had zero clue what I was getting in to but when they tore up the stage during their setlist, I knew I’d be a fan for life and picked up a copy of Sacrament the following day.
Released: 21st August 2006
Favourite Track(s): Walk With Me In Hell, Again We Rise, Redneck, Pathetic, More Time To Kill.
Deathstars: Termination Bliss
When I was younger, I was a bit of a night owl and would often stay up until 4am to watch Scuzz and Kerrang! for their heavier metal playlists whilst I did my homework in a procrastinatey panic. Deathstars were one such band that were often played between that golden timeframe between 1am and 4am, especially ‘Cyanide.’ Deathstars are a particularly nostalgic band for me; they remind me of who I was then, who I am now and who I never want to be again. If Swedish, gothic glam metal full of the theatrics and synthy goodness is your jam, give these guys a spin; you won’t be disappointed.
Released: 2006
Favourite Track(s): Blitzkrieg, Cyanide, The Last Ammunition, Virtue to Vice
System of a Down: Mezmerize
System of a Down are iconic, whether you love them or hate them, they are well known for their politically charged themes and downright absurd insanity. A wee 16 year old me was obsessed with this record and often played it back to back with a lot of the albums listed in this article. I would often be spotted gliding through the ancient corridors of my crumbling high school like a nerdy spectre blasting ‘B.Y.O.B‘ through the earphones of my 256mb MP3 player.
Released: 17th May 2005
Favourite Track(s): B.Y.O.B, Revenga, This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I’m On This Song, Question!
Killswitch Engage: The End of Heartache
The second live show I ever went to and the only show I’ve ever seen at Glasgow’s infamous Barrowlands Ballroom. In my humble opinion, the Howard Jones era of Killswitch Engage is by far the strongest and most successful. His vocal range between brutal growls and soaring melodic power is something that few can match. Discovered through the movie soundtrack for Resident Evil: Apocalypse, I instantly fell in love with this record and still have it in my random Spotify playlist.
Released: 3rd May 2004
Favourite Track(s): Take This Oath, When Darkness Falls, Rose of Sharyn, The End of Heartache, Wasted Sacrifice.
Arch Enemy: Doomsday Machine
For years, Angela Gossow was an absolute legend for me. As I was navigating my way through the world that is metal as a naïve yet eager teenaged student, I stumbled upon ‘Nemesis‘ and my mind was absolutely blown. Angela Gossow was the first female I had ever heard who was capable of making such brutal, gutteral growls. Even now with Alissa White-Gluz at the helm, this record is still an absolute banger and White-Gluz does it absolute justice.
Released: 13th July 2005
Favourite Track(s): Nemesis, My Apocalypse, Skeleton Dance
Trivium: Ascendancy
Not only was this the album that got me hooked on Trivium in the first place but it is one of my top 10 favourite albums of all time. I played this record to absolute death and had the poster on my bedroom wall as a teenager (much to my mother’s dismay – not sorry, Maw). This record is another example of absolute flawlessness from beginning to end and will forever be what I perceive to be Trivium’s best album to date.
Released: 7th March 2005
Favourite Track(s): Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr, Ascendancy, A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation, Like Light to the Flies, Dying in your Arms
Metallica: Ride the Lightning
For me, this is Metallica’s ultimate record. From beginning to end, this album throws out banger after banger. It just so happens to be the very first record I ever bought with my own hard-earned cash from my first part-time job when I was 15. Albeit 20 years after it’s release, I remember being obsessed with buying this record after discovering Metallica playing For ‘Whom The Bell Tolls’ on VH1 as an itty bitty 12 year old a few years before.
Released: 26th July 1984
Favourite Track(s): Ride the Lightning, For Whom The Bell Tolls, Trapped Under Ice, Creeping Death.
Lindsay chats with James McBain, better known as Hellripper; “Scotland’s King of the Arcane Mosh” (- Metal Hammer). They chat about being a one man band, influences, the Scottish Alternative Music Awards and a hilariously unfortunate elevator incident at the Damnation Festival.
James says on his sound: “Black speed metal; that’s how I describe it. I’ve heard it described as Black Metal, Thrash Metal, Metal Punk, Black Thrash, whatever. I call it Speed Metal mainly because it’s fast, yeah there’s a lot of different influences.”
Watch the full video interview below!
You can follow Hellripper on their social media sites:
Lindsay C is a long-time metalhead, aspiring biker and caffeine enthusiast based in Scotland, UK. You can check out her weekly album reviews and regular articles/interviews @thisdayinmetal on Twitter/Instagram.
You can follow her directly on her social media accounts:
Extreme metal with groovy metalcore undertones and in your face modern thrash brought together under the umbrella of a mutual love for Slayer. Sounds up your street? Then you need to check these guys out.
Scottish quintet Deceased Society have drawn inspiration from across the metal spectrum to present their latest track ‘Storm Wolf;’ a barrage of brutally insane vocals, lightning fast riffage, heavy basslines and thunderous drumming yet with a very personal meaning. This track grabs you by the jugular and doesn’t let go from the get go. If this doesn’t get you moving, nothing will.
All 5 members of the band are very seasoned musicians in their own right having been in the music scene for a number of years. But collectively they are a very young band and currently have more material in the works which will make it’s way to the public sphere very soon. My advice is to give them a follow and keep an ear out. It’s clear that they are very passionate about what they do and are set to make quite the impact. You can check out my interview with the band below; strap in though as it’s a chatty one. Give them a follow on their social media accounts:
1. Hath – All That Was Promised(Release date: 4th March 2022; Willowtip Records) Blackened Death Metal
It has been 3 years since these guys released their last album “Of Rot and Ruin” and I for one am excited to hear the new record, which has been produced and mixed by the band’s drummer AJ Viana. The New Jersey based band are offering what they describe as “a darker, more punishing record” and have released the first single off the album called “Kenosis” to tease us. You can check it out below…
2. Venom Prison – Erebos (Release date: 4th February 2022; Century Media Records) Death Metal/Hardcore
The Welsh rising-stars of Death Metal will be releasing their 4th full-length record next month, featuring songs covering subject matters ranging from mental health, to injustices in society. The band have released two singles from the album; “Judges of the Underworld” and “Pain of Oizys“, which you can check out below…
3. Decapitated (Release date: Spring 2022; Nuclear Blast Records) Technical Death Metal
These Polish tech-death masters will be releasing their 8th studio album this year. Guitarist Vogg made a post on Instagram saying “We have 10 new songs…the album is a quintessence of Decapitated…we have created something strong, crushing, unique and unexpected” and simply stated that the album will be released in Spring 2022, revealing no more specific information. Watch this space!
4. George ‘Corpsegrinder’ Fisher – Corpsegrinder (Release date: 4th February 2022; Perseverance Music Group) Death metal/Thrash/Hardcore
Last year, Corpsegrinder announced that he would be releasing a solo album, which sent shockwaves through the metal community. Since then, he has released the first single from his debut solo album called “Acid Vat“, which you can listen to below. The album has been produced by Corpsegrinder himself, Nick Bellmore from Kingdom of Sorrow and Jamey Jasta from Hatebreed, who owns the record label which will be releasing the album.
5. Dark Funeral – We Are The Apocalypse (Release date: 18th March 2022; Century Media Records) Black Metal
With nearly 30 years in the industry, the Swedish black metal masters will be releasing their first full-length album for 5 years. To celebrate the release of “We Are The Apocalypse“, the band will be performing a one-off album launch concert, with guest bands “Samael” and “Eleine” on the 19th March in Stockholm. Check out a song from the new album below…
6. Immolation – Acts Of God (Release date: 18th February 2022; Nuclear Blast Records) Death Metal
This will be the band’s 11th studio album and their first release for 5 years. Bassist Ross Dolan revealed that this album will include 15 tracks of Immolation’s “darkest and most haunting material to date“. The band have also released a single from the upcoming album, called “Apostle“, stating that the song is “dark, heavy and explosive“. Give it a listen below…
7. Destruction – Diabolical (Release date: 8th April 2022; Napalm Records) Thrash Metal
These Gods of thrash metal will be celebrating their 40 year anniversary this year and what better time to release their 17th full-length album. The band have said that this album is “more brutal, more technical and more to the point“, describing it as “full of power and adrenaline“. They have released the title track “Diabolical“, which you can hear below…
8. Napalm Death – Resentment is always seismic – A Final Throw of Throes(Release date: 11th February 2022; Century Media Records) Grindcore/Death Metal
This 8 track mini-album is described as a partner recording, to the band’s most recent release “Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Deafeatism” from 2020. The band have released the opening track from the album, called “Narcissus” which opens with a “low-slung concrete mixer bassline” – check it out below…
9. Blood Incantation – Timewave Zero (Release date: 25th February 2022; Dark Descent Records) Cosmic Death Metal
The band have announced that this will be an ambient album, featuring 2 tracks and run time of 41 minutes, with the option of buying a limited edition CD which will feature an almost 28 minute long bonus track. The album will feature “a distillation of experimental, progressive and psychedelic elements…creating an exceedingly cosmic atmosphere”.
10. Revocation (Release date: Autumn 2022; Metal Blade Records) Tech-death/Thrash Metal
The Boston based band will be releasing their 8th full-length album since their first, back in 2008. The band have not revealed much about the album, except to say that it is “their most diabolical record to date” and that it will be released later this year. Check out their previous album “The Outer Ones” below…
This year promises to be epic for the world of extreme metal and I can’t wait to experience it! Follow me on Twitter (@DeathMetalMum) to share the albums you’re most looking forward to this year.
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Next week’s “This Day in Metal” podcast guest is the beautiful and amazing “Carrie Stevens”
