Rebel Extravaganza

Heavy Metal And Other Occasional Musics And Cultures

The Circle Music

Short Sharp Shocks

Hexbane – From Hell

In which members of ROTTING CHRIST, EMPEROR and ELECTRIC WIZARD as HEXBANE revive the days when black metal was dangerous, standing opposed to all except itself. ‘From Hell’ spits vitriol, tremolo picking shanks in the guts while drums of disgust and Sheol-born bass hold aloft a shattered screech. There’s no nowadays here whatsoever, no pissing about to get to the point. “From Hell we ride, ascending darkness.” Fuck yeah, they do. Following, ‘Nefarious Spells’ is a rigid ‘n’ frigid blast of icy storm, the more menacing for the measured and intentional pacing, reveling in the damage it’s causing. Wish the […]

Music News

Gates of Ishtar sign with The Circle Music

The Circle Music has signed the influential Swedish melodic death metal band, GATES OF ISHTAR. Revered as one of the genre’s most underrated acts, GATES OF ISHTAR are poised to triumphantly return with their first new album in nearly three decades. Formed in Luleå, Sweden, GATES OF ISHTAR burst onto the scene with their seminal 1996 debut album, A Bloodred Path, which quickly cemented their place in the pantheon of melodic death metal. Two more critically acclaimed albums followed, The Dawn Of Flames (1997) and At Dusk And Forever (1998), showcasing their signature blend of razor-sharp riffs, thunderous drums, and […]

Short Sharp Shocks

Trail Of Tears – Winds Of Disdain [EP]

Norwegian Sympho-gothers TRAIL OF TEARS were always at the very least reliable for being TOT, and now, after just over a decade, these early progenitors of the “Napalm sound” make their return on the Winds Of Disdain. New female vocalist Ailyn shines amid the gruffness of Thorsen on the title track, the band seeming breathing, alive, as if the silence has been a time of true reevaluation and this move forward purposeful, focused. I would’ve liked to see the melodic, subtle ‘Take These Tears’ continue in that way through the whole tune, but ‘No Colors Left’ bounces off the walls, […]