Chris Appleton is perhaps best known to PM readers as the lead vocalist with his band Absolva, as well as the lead guitarist with former Wolfsbane/Iron Maiden frontman Blaze Bayley’s touring band.  To others, he might just be familiar as the brother of Iced Earth’s Luke Appleton.  He’s also part …

Satan’s Host are one of those rare bands that the much over-used musical terminologies “cult” and “underground” most definitely can be applied – and liberally! After forming around the nucleus of guitarist Patrick Evil and vocalist Leviathan Thisiren (otherwise known by his real name of Harry Conklin, frontman of Jag …

January – and especially the middle of the month – is a notoriously difficult time of the year, with most people still recovering from the needless over-expense of Christmas and counting the minutes until their next pay day… so, it is extremely rewarding for those promoters who dare to venture …

Pennsylvanian firecrackers Halestorm release their third album, ‘Into The Wild Life’, on April 6.  However, before that there is the small matter of their forthcoming return to the UK for their most extensive headline tour to date – as well as their first ever shows on the island of Ireland.  …

Greek thrashers Biotoxic Warfare have issued the title track to their forthcoming debut album, ‘Lobotomized’, as a single: ‘Lobotomized’ is released this coming Monday (January 19)  via Slaney Records.  The band have this to say about the album: “The sound of ‘Lobotomized’ is mostly influenced by the European Thrash Metal …

Saxon are to headline the ninth annual Hard Rock Hell, which takes place at Pwhelli in north Wales from November 12 – 15. The NWOBHM legends return to HRH after five years to play a mammoth two hour set covering their entire back catalogue. Other acts to be confirmed today include …

Estonian black metallers Thou Shell Of Death are to release a two-track 12” EP, ‘Cave Hill’, via Talheim Records on January 30. The release – originally issued digitally last November – is billed as an homage to the American poet Madison J. Cawein, who died in December 1914, whose works …

Relapse Records are to re-release a collection of archival recordings from Bedemon – featuring original Pentagram members Randy Palmer, Geof O’Keefe and Bobby Liebling. The recordings, made between 1973 and 1979, have been unavailable for more than ten years, and are being re-issued as ‘Child of Darkness’ on February 24th.  …

This second album from Hamburg-based power metallers Shadowbane is one which almost did not see the light of day, as – in common with a number of other projects – it was undergoing its mastering process, at the hands of Dirk Schlächter when the Gamma Ray bassist’s Hammer Studios spectacularly …

Sicilian black metal maestro Vardan has been described as perhaps the busiest man in the genre:  and, with an amazing work rate which has seen him release an astonishing 22 albums during his career – including three (and one split EP) in 2014 alone – that is undoubtedly a more …

This fourth album by Reading’s Sylosis is one born out of trauma:  several months before they started recording it, the band were involved in a serious road accident while touring the States with DevilDriver – and it is this incident which seems to permeate the sense of darkness which pervades …

Ukrainian doom metallers Apostate are to release their second album, ‘Time Of Terror’, through Ferrrum on March 2. Originally formed in 1993, the band released one EP, ‘A Song Of The Dead Lake’, in 1997, before splitting up the following year.  Following the release of a retrospective, ‘From Consign To …

Hailing from the eastern French region of Haute Savoie, Hybrid Sheep play traditional deathcore heavy enough to induce devastating avalanches on nearby Mont Blanc and send it crumbling into Lake Geneva. For where these five young guys score heavily is in their emphasis on old-school death metal sensibilities – such …

Canadian death metallers Kataklysm have revealed that their new album – tentatively scheduled for a summer release via Nuclear Blast – will be called ‘Of Ghosts And Gods’. The band are currently in the studio recording the album – the follow up to 2013’s ‘Waiting For The End To Come’ …

Relapse Records have announced details of the first deluxe final re-issues, being released to mark the label’s 25th anniversary.  Throughout 2015, the label will be commemorating the milestone with an extensive reissue campaign, featuring many of their classic and underground titles on deluxe vinyl. The first batch of four albums …

Dubai-based death metallers Voice Of The Soul, have had their self-released debut full-length album, ‘Catacombs’, picked up by Hells Hammer for European distribution. Released in the UAE last Septmeber, it will now be available in Europe from March 27. Formed by teenage friends Kareem Chehayeb and Monish Shringi in Kuwait in …

Wolfheart, the new project from composer and multi-instrumentalist Tuomas Saukkonen – the mastermind behind the likes of Before The Dawn, Dawn Of Solace, Black Sun Aeon, Routasielu and a slew of others –are to re-release their debut album, ‘Winterborn’, via Spinefarm Records on February 2. “After all the blood, sweat and …

Veteran Los Angeles metallians Ruthless are to return with their first album in almost 30 years – ‘They Rise’, being released via Pure Steel Records on January 30. Featuring nine new songs, the album also includes 1984’s ‘Metal Without Mercy’ EP. Following the release of ‘Metal Without Mercy’ and the …

Enforcer are to release their fourth album, the self-produced ‘From Beyond’, via Nuclear Blast on March 2 in the UK. Vocalist and guitar player Olof Wikstrand said of the new album: “From Beyond is faster, heavier, louder, darker and more vicious all at the same time without losing a tiny bit …

Formed out of the ashes of Norwegian AOR-sters Wig Wam, Ammunition is the new project from vocalist Age Sten Nilsen who, since the surprise split of his former band last March, subsequently has teamed up with guitarist/producer friend Erik Mårtensson (best known for his work with W.E.T and Eclipse), with …