Rebel Extravaganza

Heavy Metal And Other Occasional Musics And Cultures

Psilocybe Larvae – Новый дивный мир [EP]

Russia’s majestic doom/death practitioners return after the emotionally and sonically crushing Where Silence Dwells with Новый дивный мир (Brave New World), a short but poignant EP. Writing for the first time in the band’s native language, the title track is aching from the start, a longing for a brave new world that wasn’t, isn’t, and can never be. Harmonies roll on a sea of crestfallen notes until pounding waves crash down, submerging. ‘Черта’ (‘The Line’) is begins windswept and contemplative before an overpowering passion swallows, the addition of a second guitar adding heft to the band’s already weighty sound and […]

Imperial Triumphant’s Steve Blanco announces ‘Imprints of Man’: Imperial Triumphant’s dark, labyrinthine soundworld reimagined for solo piano; pre-order the record and stream ‘Merkurius Gilded’

On November 15th, Imperial Triumphant’s STEVE BLANCO (bass, keyboards) will give fans Imprints Of Man: a solo record that reimagines Imperial Triumphant’s dark, labyrinthine soundworld for piano. Stripping away the chaos of distortion and brass, Imprints Of Man reveals the raw architecture of the band’s compositions: haunting harmonies, jagged rhythms, and spectral dissonances laid bare on the piano. This is not just an adaptation—it’s a revelation. Each piece becomes a meditation on the uncanny beauty hidden within Imperial Triumphant’s music, refracted through the stark intimacy of solo piano. A rare chance to experience the band’s avant-garde vision through an entirely […]

Album Review: Krigsgrav – Stormcaller

On its eighth album, and fourth with the same lineup, by now KRIGSGRAV of Keller, Texas had better have a good handle on what it is and what it isn’t. Not every band is meant to venture off on experimental pathways, not every band should try to shade or – more often than not – forcefully inject its music with other genres. It works for the rare few but, let’s be honest here, doesn’t for most. If it doesn’t occur naturally, the listening public who actually care about what they’re hearing will smell the stench. Stormcaller’s opener, ‘Huntress Of The […]

Dutch Black/Death Metal Project, EL MUERTO, To Release Debut EP, Lost And Amsterdamned

What began as a farewell has become a resurrection. Lost And Amsterdamned, the debut EP from the Netherlands’ one-man Black/Death Metal project, EL MUERTO, is set for release on November 21. Behold the video for ‘Enthroned In The Tower Of Shadows (The Witch)’ EL MUERTO was born in the depths of personal crisis, a raw and unflinching document of depression, trauma, and the desire to disappear. Conceived as a final message from an artist who had lost the will to live, each track captures a chapter of that darkness. But this record is no longer a goodbye. It’s proof that […]

Album Review: Syrinx – Time Out Of Place

I wonder if the hallowed halls of SYRINX’s practice space are lined with Great Computers… Yes, we got ourselves some 24 karat 70’s RUSH fans here…and how! One look at their promo picture, complete with frilly white shirts, will convince you they stepped out of a wormhole connected to 1978. That’s cool with me, I’m a huge fan of ’70s RUSH, but you are setting yourself a VERY high bar when you call your band SYRINX. This is a true artifact. Time Out Of Place is a true prog rock album…there’s plenty of loud guitar, but almost no actual metal. […]

LACERTILIA: new video + album announced on Majestic Mountain Records

Cardiff-based heavy psych torchbearers LACERTILIA return after five years with their anticipated third studio album, Transcend, due out on October 24th through Swedish powerhouse Majestic Mountain Records. Stream their brand new single and video for ‘The Sun Is The Key’ now. Watch LACERTILIA’s new video for ‘The Sun Is The Key‘ and listen to the single on Bandcamp LACERTILIA stand out as a fearless blend of psychedelic soul and heavy riff warfare, rooted in their Welsh stoner rock identity but unafraid to draw from cosmic textures, primal energy, and punk-inspired vigour. A powerhouse live act, they have leveled stages from […]

Album Review: Intercourse – How I Fell In Love With The Void

Over the past handful of years, there’s been a resurgence in death metal, for better or worse. As with any popularity or proliferation, the majority of it has sucked. Stunk to high Heaven, it has. But amid the rubble, strong flowers grow, and there are a good many (BEDSORE, DIPYGUS, DAWN OF OROBOUROS, etc) that are thriving. Well, the same thing’s been happening in noise rock for about as long, but the genre (which, like true doom,) doesn’t lend itself to popularity either due to subject matter or sonics and thus has remained underground. Connecticut’s INTERCOURSE, now four albums and […]

BONE CHURCH: new track ‘Deliverance’ out now

New Haven, Connecticut’s hard blues rockers BONE CHURCH release a stirring new track taken from their forthcoming sophomore album, Deliverance, to be released on October 24th via Ripple Music. Listen to BONE CHURCH’s new classic rock ballad ‘Deliverance’ Their forthcoming sophomore album, Deliverance, is BONE CHURCH’s boldest step yet into the heart of classic and hard rock: an album built on big hooks, anthemic songcraft, and the kind of radio-ready swagger that would’ve ruled the airwaves in 1977. Written primarily in 2019 and 2020, this record trades their debut’s doom-laden expectations for soaring, blues-soaked riffs and sing-along choruses taken to […]

Album Review: Feuerschwanz – Knightclub

I don’t know when Napalm Records became the cut-out bin when it comes to quality metal, but that’s what the Austrian Toilet has certainly proven itself to be over the past 10-15 years. 99% of the acts stink of Japanese “idol culture”. From WIND ROSE to DRAGONFORCE to fuckin’ COAL CHAMBER and the former “vocalist” of CREED, whose name I will not mention because I just had lunch and don’t feel like puking it up quite yet, if you’re looking for a laxative, Napalm is where to shop. A friend of mine mentioned the “Napalming” of bands, and I think […]

Seattle’s Hyperstrike to Unleash Debut Album, High Risk

This Fall your speakers aren’t safe. From The Blade of Seattle, HYPERSTRIKE erupts with their debut album High Risk. A high-octane collision of anthemic clean vocals, bone-crushing riffs, punk-fueled drum fire, and the razor edge of melodic death metal, HYPERSTRIKE deliver danger with every track. This is metal built like an action movie soundtrack: explosive, relentless, and larger than life. ‘Meltdown’ — The core goes critical, and the blast is unstoppable. ‘Leaving You Again’ — Love is a weapon… and heartbreak is the trigger. ‘High Risk’ — Play the game, roll the dice… win it all, or lose your life. […]