Northern Ireland symphonic metallers Selene are to release their second EP, ‘Paradise Over’, on October 17. The band recently recruited Darkest Era drummer Cameron Åhslund-Glass and Sandstone bassist – a move which guitarist John Connor says gives Selene a “new heavier sound”. http://www.selene-theband.co.uk https://www.facebook.com/SeleneNI

Irish thrash trio Dead Label! will release their new album, ‘Throne Of Bones’, via Nuerra Records in early 2015. The band have just finished tracking for the album at EastWest Studios and Sonora Recorders in southern California, with Michael Phelan at the helm and co-production from Chris Rakestraw (Danzig, Parkway …

Everything about this, the third album from 20-year-plus Northern Ireland veterans Putrefy screams ‘old school’ – with a very, VERY loud MUTHAFUCKA on the end of it! From the orchestral overture leading into the first punishing riff of ‘Wading Through Human Blood’ to the dying embers of the title track …

Irish pagan metallians Primordial have just released a lyric video for the title track to their new album, ‘Where Greater Men Have Fallen’. ‘Where Greater Men Have Fallen’ is due to be released via Metal Blade on November 25. Primordial will mark the release at the revived, and Alan ‘Nemtheanga’ …

T13 is a massive urban sports arena which takes its name from it’s former use – as one of the huge workshops which once formed part of the industrial powerhouse that was Harland And Wolff:  once the biggest shipyard in the world and famed for building the likes of HMS …

Nestled in an otherwise quiet side street off Dublin’s most famous thoroughfare, Fibber Magee’s is the watering hole of choice for a large proportion of the city’s metal community, as well as those of us from 100 miles or so further north venturing over the border on a frequent basis …

Perceived by many in this part of the world as the godfathers of the current Northern Ireland hardcore scene, By Any Means are about to release their second EP – and celebrate with support slots with two of the genre’s most seminal acts, Negative Approach and Madball. So, that seemed …

The final main stage line-up for the Friday night ‘Houses Of The Holistic’ stage at Roadburn 2015 – which takes pace in Tilburg in The Netherlands from April 9 – 12 – has now been confirmed. UK gothic innovators Fields Of The Nephilim will make an exclusive special guest appearance …

The second annual Blastfest – being held in Bergen, Norway from February 19 – 21 – has confirmed six more acts. Dark Tranquility join At The Gates, Paradise Lost, Satan, Dead To This World, The Sickening and Byfrost as the latest tranche of acts to be added to a bill …

PlanetMosh has partnered with Ascendancy Promotions, Ramp Rage, T13 and XporT13 to bring Belfast ‘Assault On T13’ – the city’s biggest ever all-ages heavy metal gig, being stage at the gigantic T13 indoor extreme sports and skate park (and part of the set of the hit HBO television series ‘Game …

Irish blackened death metal trio Zom are to release their debut album, ‘Flesh Assimilation’, through Dublin-based Invictus Promotions on November 24. Featuring cover artwork by renowned artist Zbyszek Bielak, the album is the follow up to a previously released demo and a subsequent 7″.  In a statement, the band said of …

Belfast thrash mob Scimitar – who play the PlanetMosh-backed ‘Assault On T13’ all ages metalfest this coming Friday (September 26) – have just released a teaser video for their forthcoming second EP, ‘Plague In The Vatican’. TThe EP was recorded by the band’s guitarist, John Thompson. https://www.facebook.com/Scimitar666

Don’t you just love it when a “name” touring band pull into your town, picking up a local support along the way – most likely based on the philosophy that “well, they seem to have a bit of a following there, so they’ll do nicely”… only for the same opening …

I (just about) remember the first time – and the only one prior to this year’s Bloodstock – that I saw Carcass live… and they not only literally blew my mind: they left it splattered all over the wall behind me… It was a Saturday afternoon – the third day …

Following on from their success in the recent Progressive Music Awards – at which they lifted the ‘Anthem’ gong for the eponymously-titled from their most recent ‘Distant Satellites’ opus magnificus (of which more anon) – Liverpool experimental progsters Anathema were obviously in great mood when they took that short trip across the …

At the end of this month, PlanetMosh will be partnering with Ascendancy Promotions, Ramp Rage, T13 and XporT13 to bring Belfast ‘Assault On T13’ – the city’s biggest ever all-ages heavy metal gig, being stage at the gigantic T13 indoor extreme sports and skate park (and part of the set …

Following the surprisely untimely demise of Cutter, Belfast riffmeisters supreme Zlatanera have been added to the bill of the city’s biggest ever all-ages metalfest, ‘Assault On T13’. Taking place in the massive indoor skate and extreme sports park of the same name, the PlanetMosh-backed gig is headlined by Rabid Bitch …

Dublin-based one-man symphonic doom/death project Sonus Mortis – aka Kevin Byrne – has shared some details on his planned second album ‘War Prophecy’ – the follow-up to ‘Propaganda Dream Sequence, which was released earlier this year. “Since the debut was released in March 2014, I’ve spent the last three to four months writing songs,” …

Unlike many “stars” of the late 80s hair metal scene, Mike Tramp is not a singer merely content to rest on the laurels of his past successes and bask in their faded glow, but is an artist who has matured gracefully and easily into someone comfortable with where he has …

Sometimes it is those things that are relatively unplanned – such as that impromptu meet up after work for “a couple of pints” – which turn out to be the most enjoyable.  And so it proved with this evening, which originally was scheduled to headlined by a “tribute” band, only …