Rebel Extravaganza

Heavy Metal And Other Occasional Musics And Cultures

Metal Blade

Album Reviews

Album Review: Falconer – From A Dying Ember

In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve been into FALCONER since before there was a FALCONER. With the ending of MITHOTYN, I was glad to see founding guitarist Stefan Weinerhall moving on in any capacity, and FALCONER fit the bill, which now comes full circle in the band’s final release. While 2014’s Black Moon Rising was undoubtedly FALCONER at its heaviest, most gritty, I wasn’t expecting the lackluster ‘Kings And Queens’, which opens From A Dying Ember. Musically, the band still knows how to write a tune, but Mathias just sounds tired. Not just a bit weary; dog-ass-dragging knackered and, […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Ensiferum – Thalassic

It’s been a while since I shipped out with ENSIFERUM, the Euro folk metal veterans. A lot has changed in that time. Folk metal has gone from a relative novelty to a well-worn genre with hordes of bands jostling each other for attention. I remembered the band being more “warrior-like” and stern than the fun and happy melodies that pop up on Thalassic – too happy and fun for this grumpy Cornish Viking to digest. I like my folk metal with a bit more grit than this. Everything on Thalassic has been polished to a blinding sheen and many of […]

Music News

Neaera launches video for ‘Deathless’

After the successful release of their self-titled comeback album in February which resulted in a Top 10 chart entry in Germany (on position 8!) NEAERA is now launching a brand new video (directed by Ben Liepelt for Port Royal Films) for the album track ‘Deathless’. Please view the video HERE. The live footage in the video was filmed during the band’s release show for NEAERA in Münster, Germany on February, 29th. Comments singer Benjamin Hilleke: “One of the songs on our current album is called ‘Deathless’, which deals with the topic of sexualised violence. According to UNIFEM it is estimated […]

Music News

Cult of Lilith signs worldwide deal with Metal Blade Records

Metal Blade Records is proud to welcome Iceland’s CULT OF LILITH to its worldwide roster! Formed in 2015, CULT OF LILITH draws inspiration from multiple genres and time periods of music: metal (and all of its sub-genres), jazz, blues, flamenco, avant-garde, baroque and classical music. Uncompromising, raw and brutal, with hauntingly beautiful melodies, CULT OF LILITH is truly unique and diverse, but has a cohesive theme that binds all of their musical elements together. CULT OF LILITH comments: “We are beyond happy to announce this signing with a label which has influenced generations including us. It is an honor to […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: God Dethroned – Illuminati

GOD DETHRONED has been one of my “go to” bands since the early ’90s, as well as probably the top extreme metal act from Holland. That’s why it pains me to say that their latest, Illuminati, is a very average release, and one that lacks the usual fire and fury we can expect from Henri Sattler and whoever his current cohorts are. It’s not that the band have radically changed their style here, or that this lacks technical skill and ability. Something just seems off about it. It is generally slower than what we’ve been getting from GOD DETHRONED and […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Don Jamieson – Denim And Leather

I’m not a big fan of “fun”. It’s not that I don’t enjoy doing things in life, but “fun” – in the traditional sense, at least – has always, in the words of TOM WAITS “…rubbed me up the wrong way.” The same goes doubly for stand-up comedy. Quite frankly, all our gods are dead in that realm, and modernity (by and large) has yet to bestow on us the next Foxx, Hedberg, Carlin, Williams, Hicks, Bruce, or Gardner. You get where I’m going with this, surely… I’ll admit to being fairly curious when DON JAMIESON announced his first offering, […]

Music News

Behemoth release official video for ‘Rom 5:8’

Having released their most gripping album to date, I Loved You At Your Darkest, BEHEMOTH return once again to spread the word of the unholy. On January 24th, the band releases the I Loved You At Your Darkest Tour Edition – an obsidian gem in their discography, including the original track-listing with brand new, alternate artwork by Nicola Samori; plus, an exclusive BBC Radio 1 session and unreleased documentary, Thou Darkest Art, taken from the band’s career affirming art gallery exhibition in London last year. Pre-order the I Loved You At Your Darkest Tour Edition HERE Today, the band has […]

Music News

Cattle Decapitation presents: The Unerasable Past – A Short Film by Wes Benscoter

Shot during summer and fall 2019, this elaborate music video showcases the striking universe of Wes Benscoter’s art in conjunction with the concepts brought into play by CATTLE DECAPITATION in stunning 4K glory. The video is the culmination of a fruitful 18 year long relationship between the band and the world renown artist and is the first ever music video of his vastly expansive career, which includes having worked with such metal mainstays as Slayer, Kreator, Dio, Nile, Autopsy, Broken Hope, among many others. Having worked with him for so many years and being admirers of his 2009 award-winning short […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Angel Witch – Angel Of Light

Talk about an erratic album schedule…ANGEL WITCH should top that list. The last effort from the NWOBHM giants was As Above, So Below back in 2012…7 years ago. Over the last three decades, I’m never exactly sure if these guys are an active band or not, but Angel Of Light definitely declares that ANGEL WITCH is back in the game. My feelings towards this one are conflicted. It is certainly true to the classic ANGEL WITCH style of gloomy and galloping melodic metal that approaches doom, but is not quite there. The band hasn’t thrashed up their style or gone […]

Music News

Cirith Ungol launches live video for ‘Join The Legion’ from upcoming live album/DVD, I’m Alive

On October 25th, CIRITH UNGOL will release their new live album/DVD, I’m Alive, via Metal Blade Records. Capturing CIRITH UNGOL at the peak of their darkened, mystical powers before a rapturous crowd at the Up the Hammers festival in Athens, Greece, this recording showcases the magic and might of the band onstage. It’s accompanied by additional performances recorded at the Hammer Of Doom (2017) and Rock Hard Festivals (2018) in Germany. For this monumental release, a special in-depth documentary spanning 2 hours in length was recorded, which includes exclusive interviews about the history and legacy of the band, as told […]

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