Rebel Extravaganza

Heavy Metal And Other Occasional Musics And Cultures

Album Reviews

Album Review: MEIN KOPF IST EIN BRUTALER ORT – Ton Steine Sterben

For a band who’s been around for a decade as of this year, to be referred to as “the German LAMB OF GOD” is likely not as flattering as one would think. After ten full years, shouldn’t MEIN KOPF IST EIN BRUTALER ORT (“My Head Is A Brutal Place”, for those who care) have at least taken steps towards developing its own sound? Its own identity? Now I understand full well that bands aren’t always to blame for their PR info, and sometimes such veers from slight exaggeration to all out untruth, but gotta shift them units, right? And in […]

Music News

ABOVE And BELOW: New Solo Industrial Project From Plaguewielder Member To Release Debut Album, Suffer Decay Alone, Through Disorder Recordings; Teaser And More Posted

Disorder Recordings presents Suffer Decay Alone, the debut album from Ohio rust belt-based industrial metal outfit, ABOVE AND BELOW. Hot off the release of Plaguewielder’s 2021-released Covenant Death album, primary member Bryce Seditz sets off to branch out in 2022 with his solo act ABOVE AND BELOW. Utilizing the local noises of mines, steel mills, and the gloom of his surrounding area to create an overwhelming feeling of rejection and despair on the debut album, Suffer Decay Alone sees Seditz applying his influences from the likes of Tim Skold and 3Teeth, and taking and taking Ministry’s Al Jourgensen’s approach of […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Ufomammut – Fenice

When a band eight albums deep into a storied career has not only the honesty to look itself in the mirror and admit it doesn’t like what it sees but the boldness to admit such to its fans, that counts for something. And that’s exactly what UFOMAMMUT did during its thankfully brief hiatus over 2020. Some even wondered if there would be another album. Well, founders Urlo and Poia have returned, new drummer Levre in tow, and Fenice is the result. ‘Dust’ begins, distant waves, heartbeat pulse of rhythm, electronic blips, a band coming back from coma/hibernation, let us say. […]

Music News

Charlie Griffiths (Haken) announces debut solo album Tiktaalika, first single ‘Arctic Cemetery’ out now

CHARLIE GRIFFITHS, guitarist with British progressive metal heavyweights HAKEN, is pleased to announce his debut solo album Tiktaalika for release on June 17th, 2022 via InsideOutMusic. With musical roots still firmly in the progressive realm, Charlie draws from his love of old-school ’80s thrash, ’90s tech-metal and alternative rock. Running the gamut from melodic to avant-garde to straight-up heavy, you might say Tiktaalika bridges the gap between King Crimson and King Diamond! The album features an impressive roster of guests, and the albums first single ‘Arctic Cemetery’ includes guest vocals from Tommy Rogers of Between The Buried And Me. Watch […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Skull Fist – Paid In Full

Now on its fourth LP, Toronto’s SKULL FIST are true believers in the timelessness of heavy metal as it was in what so many of us geezers nostalgically refer to as “the glory days”, “back when…” or “before all this…”. The title track kicks off with all the energy of MTV-era GREAT WHITE and half the power, straight from that time when major labels were throwing heaps of cash at anything with a cucumber in its pants and a can of hairspray in a holster. Now don’t get me wrong, vocalist/guitarist Zach Slaughter has some pipes. It’s just that he’s […]

Music News

CLOAKROOM ANNOUNCE NORTH AMERICAN SPRING 2022 HEADLINE TOUR

Northwest Indiana trio CLOAKROOM announce Spring 2022 headline tour dates throughout North America. The 15-date tour surrounds an appearance at Desertfest NYC 2022. CLOAKROOM are touring in support of their new album Dissolution Wave out now! Order and stream Dissolution Wave HERE CLOAKROOM TOUR DATES: May 07 Columbus, OH @ Big Room Bar May 08 Nashville TN @ DRKMTTR May 09 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl May 10 Asheville, NC @ Static Age Records May 11 Charlotte, NC @ Neighborhood Theatre Side Stage May 12 Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery May 13 Philadelphia, PA @ Ukie Club May 14 Queens, […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: ABBATH – Dread Reaver

Black metal’s Uncle Buck returns to action and I’m not quite sure what to make of Dread Reaver. Yes, a lot of the ABBATH (and by way of osmosis, IMMORTAL) trademarks are here, but this has a different sound and approach than the man’s last two solo efforts. For one thing, the sound is rawer…a lot rawer. That’s not always a bad thing, to be sure, but the precision of previous ABBATH and also the last few IMMORTAL records is not here. Everything sounds a lot looser, almost like jamming in the rehearsal room, and the riffs don’t stick in […]

Music News

Rivers Of Nihil Debut The Work Documentary

RIVERS OF NIHIL unleashed The Work on the world back in September of 2021. In continued celebration of the album, the band are prepared to finally release a mini-doc that offers a look into the creative process and recording of The Work. The short film was directed by Mike Trueheart, who also helmed the band’s music video for ‘Clean’ and instrumental playthroughs for ‘More?’, and ‘The Void from Which No Sound Escapes’. Follow the band’s creative process around Reading, PA with producers Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland on YouTube HERE RIVERS OF NIHIL are set to return to the road […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: IZTHMI – Leaving This World, Leaving It All Behind

IZTHMI’s been practicing the dark arts for just over five years now, and yes, they’re from Washington state, but don’t let that mislead you into writing the quintet off as some WITR clone of the “Cascadian” black metal “scene”. After the whispered delivery of ‘Ever Beneath His Gaze (He Will Drown The World In His Tears)’, ‘The Shadows Of Our Disillusionment’ begins Leaving This World, Leaving It All Behind proper. The guitar tone immediately sets apart IZTHMI, being almost mechanical at times, yet shot through with super-clean lead phrases. While it’ll make a good many BM purists cringe or grouse, […]

Music News

VERMÖRD: No Clean Singing Hosts Exclusive Stream Of Nostalgic Predictions Debut Full-Length From Baltimore Black/Death Metal Trio; Album Sees Release This Friday

The extreme metal authorities at No Clean Singing are currently hosting an exclusive stream of Nostalgic Predictions, the debut album from Baltimore, Maryland-based black/death metal outfit VERMÖRD. The stream precedes the independent release of the album this Friday. Crafting intense, epic, ominous, music, VERMÖRD’s aggressive approach is more realized than ever on Nostalgic Predictions. With rapid drumming and tremolo-picked riffs backed with occasional chugging chords, the band infuses components of sinister death metal into a wholly blackened aura, with technical and progressive tendencies and melodic elements instilled throughout, noting Necrophagist, Emperor, Decapitated, and Dark Funeral as reference points. Nostalgic Predictions […]

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