Punk Flashback

 Todays Punk Flashback The Nosebleeds

Ed Banger and the Nosebleeds was a short-lived punk band formed in Wythenshawe, Manchester, England in 1976. Though the band never recorded an album and released just one single, it is well known in modern rock history for the later successes of its individual members.

On July 20, 1976 fellow Wythenshawe band Slaughter & The Dogs supported the Sex Pistols along with the Buzzcocks at Manchester’s Lesser Free Trade Hall. The Sex Pistols were returning to the Hall after a legendary June 4 concert that served as a catalyst for Manchester’s fledgling music scene.

Garrity worked the July 20 gig as a roadie for Slaughter & the Dogs. When the crowd became violent and he and a friend were injured, someone said, “You’re a right bloody mob aren’t you? Headbanger here and him with a nosebleed,” inspiring Wild Ram’s transformation into Ed Banger and the Nosebleeds.

Vini Reilly, later of The Durutti Column played guitar, Garrity (Ed Banger) sang, Tomanov played drums and Peter Crookes played bass.

The newly-christened group changed their image and sound to concord with the punk movement and released the single “I Ain’t Been to No Music School”/”Fascist Pigs” on Rabid Records. It sold 10,000 copies but failed to launch the band to success.

At the Roxy in London the band played the same two songs over and over. “The audience went absolutely beserk (sic),” Reilly said, “and consequently we were asked to play again and again, because that was what was required.”

The band began to argue over money and fired manager Vinnie Faal. Shortly thereafter, Garrity and Reilly left the band.

Manchester music fan Steven Morrissey, later of The Smiths, replaced Garrity and Billy Duffy, later of Theatre of Hate and The Cult, replaced Reilly.

The new lineup played several gigs, one of which was well reviewed in the New Musical Express. “The Nosebleeds re-surface boasting a Front Man With Charisma, always an advantage,” wrote reviewer Paul Morley. “Lead singer is now minor local legend Steve Morrisson (sic), who, in his own way, is at least aware that rock ‘n’ roll is about magic, and inspiration.”

Morrissey’s compositions with the band included “I Get Nervous” and “(I Think) I’m Ready for the Electric Chair.”

After The Nosebleeds folded, Garrity supported Penetration and The Fall as Ed Banger and His Group Therapy. In 1978 he released a song called “Kinnel Tommy” on Rabid Records, which was rereleased in 1979 by EMI. Also in 1979 he released a single under the moniker Eddi Fiction.

In 1979-80 he sang for Slaughter & the Dogs on the Bite Back album and singles “I’m the One” and “East Side of Town.” He subsequently went solo again and released the 1981 single “I’ve Just Had My Car Nicked” on Spiv Records. In 1983 he released the single “Poor People” on Cloud Nine Records.

In 1991, under the name Sound of the Baskerville , Garrity released a complilation of Nosebleeds, Slaughter & the Dogs and Ed Banger tracks together with new material.

In 2005, vintage 1977 documentary “The Rise And Fall Of The Nosebleeds – Punk Rediscovered,” directed by John Crumpton , premiered in Salford, Manchester.

As of 2006, Garrity is “fronting a ’70s glam band called Edwina’s Rockschool.”

Hardcore Flashback

 Todays Hardcore Flashback Final Fight

Los Angeles’ FINAL FIGHT embody the uplifting passion that defines the new wave of west coast hardcore. With their unique melodic sensibility, and lyrical content ranging from the political to the personal, FINAL FIGHT speak volumes.

Their first full length “Under Attack” (Straight On, 2005) is a true hardcore masterpiece that needs to be heard to be believed.

A split 7” with Life Long Tragedy was also released on Deathwish Inc.

They have most recently come out with their second full length “Half Head, Full Shred” released in 2009 on Panic Records.

FINAL FIGHT played their final show at Chain Reaction (Anaheim, California) on March 5th 2010 alongside fellow Californian Hardcore bands. They will be missed.

Classic Flashback

 Todays Classic Flashback Marianne Faithfull

Marianne Faithfull (born 29 December 1946 in London) is an English singer-songwriter and actress whose career spans more than four decades. Her early work in pop and rock music in the 1960s was overshadowed by her struggle with drug abuse in the 1970s. After a long commercial absence, she returned late in 1979 with the highly acclaimed album, Broken English. Faithfull's subsequent solo work, often critically-acclaimed, has at times been rather overshadowed by her personal history. From 1966 to 1970, she had a highly-publicised romantic relationship with Rolling Stones' lead singer Mick Jagger. She co-wrote "Sister Morphine", which is featured on the Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers album.

Faithfull was born in Hampstead, London, to Major Robert Glynn Faithfull, a British Army officer and professor of Italian Literature and Eva von Sacher-Masoch, Baroness Erisso, a Viennese noblewoman of half Jewish and half noble Austrian descent, coming from the Habsburg dynasty. Faithfull attended a Roman Catholic girls school.

Faithfull began her singing career in 1964 after being discovered at a launch party for The Rolling Stones by pop music producer Andrew Loog Oldham. Her first hit, "As Tears Go By", was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. She then released a series of successful singles, including "This Little Bird", "Summer Nights", and "Sister Morphine" (which she co-wrote with Jagger).

Faithfull married artist John Dunbar in 1965, and in that same year gave birth to a son named Nicholas. The marriage was short-lived however, and Faithfull began a much publicised relationship with Mick Jagger. The relationship with Jagger lasted throughout the late 1960s. After they split up in 1970, Faithfull briefly stopped recording and nursed a drug addiction. She moved to Dublin in the middle of the 1970s, and had quite a success with "Dreaming My Dreams", which reached the top of the Irish pop charts.

She returned to recording in 1979 with Broken English, one of her most critically hailed album releases. Broken English also saw Faithfull emerge as a songwriter of some ability, with powerful songs on follow up albums Dangerous Acquaintances and A Child's Adventure. Her success continued throughout the 1980s, culminating with Strange Weather (1987), her most critically lauded album of the decade.

When Roger Waters assembled an all-star cast of musicians to perform the rock opera The Wall live in Berlin in July 1990, Faithfull played the part of Pink's over-protective mother.

Faithfull's musical career had a second fillip during the early 1990s with the recording of the live album Blazing Away and performances of the work of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill. She released a recording of The Seven Deadly Sins and also performed in The Threepenny Opera. Her interpretation of the music of this era has been critically acclaimed, and led to a new album, Twentieth Century Blues, and a successful concert and cabaret tour.

In 1994 she published her autobiography, Faithfull. The next year she recorded A Secret Life, with songs written with Angelo Badalamenti, a composer favored by film director David Lynch.

Faithfull also sang with Metallica providing backing vocals on "The Memory Remains" from their 1997 album ReLoad, and appeared in the song's surrealistic video.

Faithfull's 1999 DVD Dreaming My Dreams contains material about her childhood and parents, historical video footage going back to 1964, and interviews with the artist and several women friends who have known her since she was a young girl. There are sections on her relationship with first husband John Dunbar and with Mick Jagger, and brief interviews with his fellow Rolling Stone Keith Richards, with whom she has remained on friendly terms since the 1960s. The DVD concludes with a thirty-minute live concert.

The new millennium has seen Faithfull's talent flourish, with every album receiving critical praise. In 2000 she released Vagabond Ways, which was hailed as one of the finest of her career, and certainly showed her songwriting reaching a new peak. Her renaissance continued with Kissin' Time (2002), with songs written with Beck, Billy Corgan, Jarvis Cocker, Dave Stewart, David Courts, and the French pop singer Etienne Daho. On this record, she paid tribute to Nico (with "Song for Nico") whose work she admired, and showed a strong sense of humour with the autobiographical "Sliding Through Life on Charm". This was followed in 2004 by Before the Poison, a collaboration with PJ Harvey, Nick Cave, Damon Albarn, and Jon Brion. It was considered by many critics to be the best work of her career, though to much of the public Broken English remains her definitive record. In 2005, Andre Schneider did a cover version of her song "The Hawk".

With a recording career that spans over four decades, Faithfull has continually reinvented her musical persona; experimenting in vastly different musical genres and collaborating with such varied artists as David Bowie, The Chieftans, Tom Waits, Lenny Kaye, and Pink Floyd.

Faithfull also made a modestly successful foray into an acting career and has given notable performances in the 1967 film I'll Never Forget What's 'Is Name alongside Orson Welles, as a leather-clad motorcyclist in the 1968 French film Girl on a Motorcycle opposite Alain Delon, and in the 1969 Kenneth Anger cult film Lucifer Rising. In 1969, Faithfull played Ophelia in the Nicol Williamson adaptation of Hamlet. In 1993 she played the role of Pirate Jenny in The Threepenny Opera at the Gate Theatre in Dublin. Later she performed The Seven Deadly Sins with the Vienna Radio Symphony. She has made brief guest star appearances in the British sitcom Absolutely Fabulous (as God), in Patrice Chéreau's Intimacy (2001 film), and plays Empress Maria-Teresa in Sofia Coppola's biopic Marie-Antoinette, starring Kirsten Dunst in the title role.

She also pursues a theatrical career. In 2004 and in 2005, she appeared in Robert Wilson and Tom Waits's The Black Rider. Faithfull currently lives in Paris, France, and still regularly appears in concerts. Most recently she performed a duet on Patrick Wolf's new album The Magic Position.

Happy Birthday

 Happy Birthday Christian Andreu

Christian Roger Andreu (born November 15, 1976) is a French musician best known as the lead guitarist of metal band Gojira. He was guitarist on an album of Familha Artús.

Christian Andreu's influences include bands such as Death, Morbid Angel, Metallica, Slayer, Tool and classical music. His favorite musicians are Death, Metallica, Tool, Mozart, La Tordue, Barbara, Jacques Brel, and Georges Brassens among others.

He was also a guitarist in an experimental ethno-tribal progressive rock band playing in a traditional style called Familha Artús in 2007.

In an interview for ZYVA Magazine, a French media outlet, Christian Andreu explained that he listens to only a few metal artists outside his band, Gojira. Andreu stated that he listens to classical music primarily. He also listens to Bulgarian music, Indian music and Björk. In the same interview, Andreu quotes "Symbolic" from the band Death as the song that portrays him

Christ Agony

 Today in 2015 Christ Agony released the EP Black Blood

Morąg (early), Olsztyn (later),Poland Melodic Black Metal

Status:Active

Years active:1990-2005, 2005-2007 (as Union), 2007-present

Christ Agony is one of Poland's cult underground extreme metal bands, having formed in 1990 by guitarist/vocalist Cezar. Cezar has been the one mainstay in the band, the lineups frequently changing over the years. Reviewed here are two mid-period albums, 1995's Moonlight Act III and its successor, Darkside, released in 1997. The band is broadly in the black metal camp, though their style isn't quite the traditional black metal style, instead borrowing more from traditional metal riffing, with an epic, drawn-out songwriting style. Moonlight is the more conventional of the two albums, as Darkside is much more experimental, with industrial touches, a more somber, melancholic feel (in places), and some clean singing. On the strength of these two albums, Christ Agony hasn't quite reached must-hear status, but their somewhat original style is commendable, and that alone makes them an interesting listen.

Witching Hour Productions

Cezar Guitars, Vocals, Bass

Darek Drums

1. Black Blood ov Universe 06:55

2. Coronation 05:57

3. Kingdom ov Abyss 06:35

19:27

Cover/design & layout by Blackteammedia.

Recording information:

Recorded in Studio666, Morąg, Poland, 2015.

Buckethead

 Today in 2014 Buckethead released the album Pike 92 - The Splatterhorn

Los Angeles, California Various Metal

Status:Active

Years active:1988-present

Buckethead (Brian Carroll) is an American musician, songwriter and guitar virtuoso, famed for his distinctive stage outfit and elaborate stage shows. He has released over 180 solo studio albums and performed on over 70 more since 1992. He has also made guest appearances on more than 40 different albums by various artists. His music spans such diverse areas as heavy metal, funk, ambient, jazz, electronic, and avant-garde music.

When performing in his theatrical persona, Buckethead used to wear a KFC bucket (emblazoned with an orange bumper sticker that read “FUNERAL” in black block letters) on his head and a plain white costume mask (commonly found in costume shops and used primarily for dramatic theater productions). More recently, he has switched to a plain white bucket no longer bearing the KFC logo. He also incorporates nunchaku, robot dancing, and toy trading into his stage performances. Buckethead’s persona represents a character who was “raised by chickens” and has made it his “mission in life to alert the world to the ongoing chicken holocaust in fast-food joints around the globe.”

Although a multi-instrumentalist, Buckethead is best known for his electric guitar playing. He has been voted number 8 on a list in GuitarOne magazine of the “Top 20 Greatest Guitar Shredders of All Time.”

Buckethead performs primarily as a solo artist. He has collaborated with a wide variety of high profile artists such as Les Claypool, Tony Williams, Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell, Iggy Pop, Serj Tankian, Guns N’ Roses, Saul Williams, Mike Patton, Viggo Mortensen, and with Bill Laswell in Praxis. Buckethead has also written and performed music for major motion pictures, including: Saw II, Ghosts of Mars, Beverly Hills Ninja, Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation and Last Action Hero.

Bucketheadland Records

Band members

Buckethead Everything

1. Horn 1 02:39 instrumental

2. Horn 2 03:07 instrumental

3. Horn 3 04:19 instrumental

4. Horn 4 03:48 instrumental

5. Horn 5 03:03 instrumental

6. Horn 6 03:17 instrumental

7. Horn 7 04:02 instrumental

8. Horn 8 03:05 instrumental

9. Horn 9 02:52 instrumental

30:12

Torture Squad

 Today in 2013 Torture Squad released the album Esquadrão de Tortura

São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil Thrash/Death Metal

Status:Active

Years active: 1990-present

One of Brazil's better underground death/thrash bands, Torture Squad have been around since 1990, managing eight albums thus far in their career. Their brand of extreme metal (maybe mixing two parts death metal with one part thrash) isn't particularly groundbreaking, but they've got a good sound and style.

Substancial Music

Castor Bass, Vocals (backing)

Amílcar Christófaro Drums

André Evaristo Guitars, Vocals

Guest/Session

João Gordo Vocals (on track 3)

Augusto Lopes Guitars

Fernanda Lira Vocals

1. No Escape from Hell 04:55

2. Pull the Trigger 05:41

3. Pátria Livre 05:10

4. Wardance 06:29

5. Architecture of Pain 06:33

6. Never Surrender 05:53

7. In the Slaughterhouse 06:16

8. Conspiracy of Silence 07:46

9. Nothing to Declare 04:08

10. For the Countless Dead (Dirge) 02:26

11. Fear to the World 08:50

12. A Soul in Hell 04:19

01:08:26

Released in Brazil by Substancial Music, in Mexico and Central America by Ozz Productions, in the United States and Canada by End of Light, in Europe by Quality Steel and digitally via Wikimetal.

Videos were made for Pátria Livre and Nothing to Declare.

Recording information:

Recorded, mixed and mastered at Norcal Studios between April and August 2013.

Produced and arranged by Torture Squad, Brendan Duffey and Adriano Daga.

Nuclear Assault

 Today in 2013 Nuclear Assault released the single Hang the Pope

New York City, New York Thrash Metal

Status:Active

Years active: 1984-1995, 1997-1998, 2001-2008, 2011-present

Formed by Danny Lilker after his departure from Anthrax, Nuclear Assault's sound combined both the hardcore influences of Lilker and John Connelly with the more metallic styles of Anthony Bramante and Glenn Evans, accentuated by Connelly's rather unique whiney (yet effective) vocal style. Game Over and Survive are arguably the band's best albums and are highly regarded as hardcore-tinged thrash classics. The band dissolved soon after the release of Something Wicked, the only album not to feature the classic lineup (Bramante and Lilker had left the band previously).

In 2002 the original lineup came back together, and a live album Live Again was released in 2003. With new guitarist Scott Harrington now on board (who replaces Erik Burke, who had replaced Anthony Bramante), the band has released their first studio album in over a decade, entitled Third World Genocide.

Sidipus Records

Dan Lilker Bass

Glenn Evans Drums

John Connelly Guitars, Vocals

Anthony Bramante Guitars

1. Hang the Pope 00:42

Classic song released as a digital single.

Lion Twin

 Today in 2013 Lion Twin released there debut album Nashville

Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Heavy Metal/Hard Rock

Status:Active

Years active: 2011-present

LION TWIN is a German metal-pop duo which was established in the early summer of 2011 by Li (vocals) and Jan (guitar). LION TWIN meld real metal with rock pop. Their Nashville album builds on the sound of 80s metal and weaves in today’s musical taste in the genre. Two big names from the rock scene add fire to the mix: Udo Dirkschneider (Accept and U.D.O.) sings a duet with Li on one song, and Michael Wagener (Alice Cooper, Megadeth, Accept, Mötley Crüe, Raven, Metallica, Janet Jackson, Queen, Ozzy Osbourne) mixed and mastered this debut album in his WireWorld Studio in Nashville.

Sonic Revolution

Jan Kömmet Guitars, Keyboards

Armin Alic Bass

Johannes Glashagen Drums

Ralf Kappmeier Keyboards

Liane Vollmer Vocals

Guest/Session

Marcus Bielenberg Vocals (backing) (track 1)

Paul Dahlmann Vocals (backing) (track 1)

Holger vom Scheidt Vocals (backing) (track 1)

Oliver Lux Vocals (additional) (track 8)

Jürgen Dorfmüller Organ (track 7)

Ahmed Amrou Vocals (spoken radio voice) (track 2)

Clay Vann Vocals (spoken Bible voice) (track 7)

Udo Dirkschneider Vocals (track 2)

1. Ready to Rock 05:27

2. Day of Anger 04:56

3. When the Lights Go On 05:51

4. Tristan & Isolde 05:12

5. Eco Warrior 06:21

6. Far Away 06:37

7. Behold the Man 06:57

8. Occupy! 06:21

9. Notung 06:07

10. Wings of Love 05:19

59:08

Text consultants: Ron Robinson and Danny Antonelli.

Make-up by Dijana Bozikov and Dino Baksa.

Recording information:

Produced by Lion Twin.

Recorded at Ducklake Studio, Hesel, Germany.

Mixed and mastered at WireWorld Studio, Nashville, USA.

Backing vocals on "Ready to Rock" and additional vocals by Oliver Lux on "Occupy!" recorded at MC-Audio Digital Studio, Remscheid, Germany.

Pipe organ on "Behold the Man" recorded at Historische Stadthalle Wuppertal, Germany.

Leaves' Eyes

 Today in 2013 Leaves' Eyes released the album Symphonies of the Night

Ludwigsburg, Germany / Stavanger, Norway Symphonic Metal

Status:Active

Years active: 2003-present

Girl sings in band.

Girl marries boy in different band.

Girl and boy's band form new band.

Girl quits old band.

Perhaps not the most traditional of heavy metal biographies, but that's the story behind Leaves' Eyes. Liv Kristine Espenæs achieved fame and fortune singing for Theatre Of Tragedy, as that band transitioned from the prototypical gothic metal band in the early days to a more techno-pop-metal stance on their last couple of releases. She married Alexander Krull, founder and vocalist for Atrocity, and shortly thereafter came the announcement that Liv would front a new project, essentially with Atrocity as the backing band, and thus Leaves' Eyes was born. At around the same time Liv decided to leave Theatre Of Tragedy, citing personal (and perhaps musical) differences. Espenæs and the Atrocity members are no strangers, as she had guested on Atrocity albums frequently in the past. For the rest of the band, this is somewhat of a departure from their norm, as the music here is in the melodic gothic camp, with Liv of course the star of the show (Krull does sing here as well, the duo pulling off the beauty-and-the-beast vocal performance quite well, though his is more of a secondary vocal role). Liv has already proven she knows gothic metal, and with her new band here she seems poised to reach new heights of popularity.

And now the story takes another turn, as Liv Kristine left the band in April 2016, to focus on other projects (not coincidentally, she and Krull have broken up as well). The relatively unknown Elina Siirala is now the new singer.

Napalm Records

Liv Kristine Espenaes Krull Vocals, Lyrics, Songwriting

Alexander Krull Vocals, Keyboards, Samples

Felix Born Drums

Sander van der Meer Guitars, Songwriting (tracks 8, 9)

Thorsten Bauer Guitars, Bass, Mandolin

Guest/Session

Carmen Elise Espenæs Vocals (track 12)

Gwenole Jestin Fiddle

Full Moon Choir Vocals (choirs)

Christoph Kutzer Uilleann pipes, Whistles

Annette Nussbaum Violin (additional)

Anna Sayler Violin (additional)

Lingua Mortis Orchestra Orchestra

Joris Nijenhuis Percussion (additional)

Elvya Dulcimer Dulcimer (track 10)

1. Hell to the Heavens 04:32

2. Fading Earth 04:33

3. Maid of Lorraine 05:13

4. Galswintha 04:14

5. Symphony of the Night 04:58

6. Saint Cecelia 04:12

7. Hymn to the Lone Sands 05:22

8. Angel and the Ghost 03:36

9. Éléonore de Provence 06:24

10. Nightshade 03:41

11. Ophelia 04:24

12. Eileen's Ardency 03:30

13. One Caress (Depeche Mode cover) 03:04

57:43

Includes 70x100 cm flag.

Some CDs contains a sticker with the cat# NPR 513 LTD.

Recording information:

Produced at Mastersound Studio, Stuttgart.

Manufactured by Optimal Media GmbH – AD27745.

Eisregen

 Today in 2013 Eisregen released the album Todestage

Thuringia,Germany Gothic/Black/Death Metal

Status:Active

Years active: 1995-present

German death metal band Eisregen is chiefly notable for singing in their native language rather than English and for being "indexed" by Die Bundesprüfstelle für Jugendgefährdende Medien (i.e., the Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons). For example, the band's album Krebskolonie (1998) is prohibited from being played in public for audience members under the age of 18, a fate known as verbreitungsverbot, on account of its lyrics, which were deemed "grausamen, menschenverachtenden, frauenfeindlichen und verrohenden" (i.e., cruel, human-despising, misogynistic, and brutalizing). Other Eisregen albums, including Farbenfinsternis (2001) and Wundwasser (2004), were indexed as well -- actions that severely limited the band's commercial ability while at the same time engendering infamy. In fact, it was in the wake of Wundwasser's indexing that the band enjoyed its best chart debut to date, as Blutbahnen (2007) entered the German album chart at number 32.

Massacre Records

Roth Vocals, Lyrics

Yantit Drums, Programming

Lenz Guitars

Franzi Keyboards

West Bass

Guest/Session

Martin Schirenc Guitars (Track 3)

Frau N. Feind Brache

1. Waldgott 06:33

2. Todestag 03:40

3. DSDSL (Deutschland sucht die Superleiche) 04:36

4. Höllenfahrt 04:04

5. Lang lebe die Nadel 05:24

6. Familienbande: Vater Tod & Mutter Nacht 03:35

7. Oh wie sie schrie 04:12

8. Mitternacht 04:33

9. Oststern am Narbenhimmel 04:28

10. Tot / Untot 04:02

11. Seele mein 05:26

50:33

Recorded at Klangschmiede E, Mellrichstadt in July - August.

Pre-production in January - July 2013 at The Hen Rooms.

Mixed and mastered in August 2013.

Hellbastard

 Today in 2012 Hellbastard released the album Sons of Bitches

Newcastle, England Crust Punk/Crossover/Thrash Metal

Status:Active

Years active: 1986-1992, 2007-present

An early Earache Records signing, Hellbastard are often mentioned as being punk or grind. While that may be true in their early days, it's not really the case on 1990's Natural Order, as there the emphasis is on standard thrash accentuated by gruff vocals by Scott Lewty. Lewty and drummer Brian Newton were later seen in the very different Nero Circus, and Lewty has kept the band alive with scattered recordings throughout the years.

PATAC Records

Paul Bass, Vocals (backing)

Tom McCombe Guitars

M.S. "Scruff" Lewty Vocals, Guitars

Nathan Ellis Drums

Side A

1. Arcadia 04:51

2. Sons of Bitches 03:51

3. System Whore 05:44

Side B

4. We Had Evidence 06:18

5. Throw the Petrol Bomb 02:11

22:55

Track 4 is a re-recorded version of 1988 song "We Had Evidence."

100 copies on white vinyl with woven patch

400 copies on green vinyl

35 hand numbered test pressings with woven patch, alternate silk screened sleeves. Pre-Orders came with a limited t-shirt.

Folkearth

 Today in 2012 Folkearth released the album Valhalla Ascendant

International Epic Folk/Viking Metal

Status:Active

Years active: 2004-present

Folkearth is an international folk metal supergroup. Until now they have released seven albums. Their debut 'A Nordic Poem' was released in 2004, their second album 'By The Sword of My Father' followed in 2006, third came 'Drakkars In The Mist' in 2007, the fourth, fifth and sixth (respectively 'Father of Victory', 'Songs of Yore' and 'Fatherland') were out in 2008 and their latest work 'Rulers of the Sea' was released in 2009.

Stygian Crypt Productions

Juan Pablo "Juskko" Churruarin Accordion

Michaël Fiori "Saga" Guitars, Bass, Vocals

Simon Müller Guitars (acoustic), Mandola, Flute

Kyle Freese Drums

Hildr Valkyrie Vocals (female)

Jaco Bass, Guitars

Gianluca Tamburini Guitars, Bass

Nostarion Cello

Dennis Schwachhofer Drums

Ruslanas Danisevskis (R.I.P. 2013) Vocals

Yanina Zelenskaya Vocals (female)

Anaïs Chevallier Vocals (female)

Emily Cooper Soprano recorder, Alto recorder, Piccolo, Tin whistle

1. Valhalla Ascendant 04:02

2. Solstice Fires 04:08

3. No Mercy 04:09

4. Winter Enthroned 05:26

5. Hrolfr, the Viking 04:47

6. Dragon's Blood 04:04

7. The Brave 04:27

8. Sail in the Wind 05:22

9. Carved in Runes 04:07

10. The Legend of Thule 04:03

44:35

Agoraphobic Nosebleed

 Today in 2012 Agoraphobic Nosebleed released the single Merry Chrystmeth

Springfield, Massachusetts Grindcore

Status:Active

Years active 1994–present

Headed by guitarist/bassist/drum programmer Scott Hull (also of Pig Destroyer and formerly of A.C. as well), grindcore nut-cases Agoraphobic Nosebleed have existed in various forms since 1994. Their bleak, punishing sound mixes together caustic vocals, harsh (and inhumanly fast) drum-machine beats, and Hull's Earache-schooled guitar riffing. Their songs are short and compact, in most cases clocking in at less than a minute long. Their lyrics are often as unorthodox and/or inscrutable as the band's name and song titles (e.g., "Chalking the Temporal God Module," "The Fatter You Fall Behind," "Lives Ruined Through Sex") would seem to suggest. Topics such as crackpot apocalypse theories, homophobia and misogyny, drug conspiracies, mind control, rampant capitalism and consumerism, and bio-terrorism have all surfaced in their songs; and are often addressed in ambiguous, free-associative ways, interspersed with plenty of tasteless scatological outbursts, sometimes with a humorous slant and sometimes not.

Honky Reduction Following a few split and EP releases and a couple of lineup shifts, Agoraphobic Nosebleed's first "full-length" -- the 26-song, 19-minute Honky Reduction -- came out in 1998 on Relapse Records and was recorded by the lineup of Hull and vocalist/electronics manipulator Jay Randall. The following year saw the release of a 6" EP entitled PCP Tornado as well as a split CD with the Boston, MA, hardcore band Converge entitled The Poacher Diaries. For The Poacher Diaries, Agoraphobic Nosebleed's lineup was expanded to include a second vocalist, J.R. Hayes (also the lead vocalist for Pig Destroyer). Agoraphobic Nosebleed's second full-length, the long-promised Frozen Corpse Stuffed With Dope, finally came out in 2002, once again on Relapse. This time around, Hull and Randall were officially joined by vocalist Carl Schultz and bassist/vocalist Richard Johnson (of Enemy Soil and the Index, and also a member of Agoraphobic Nosebleed in their earlier days). The album also featured guest vocal appearances by Hayes as well as members of Benumb, Necrophagia, Cephalic Carnage, and Brutal Truth.

Decibel

Kat Vocals

Jay Vocals

Scott Guitars, Drum programming

Rich Vocals

Single-sided

1. Merry Chrystmeth 03:30  

  03:30  

Issued on white vinyl and green vinyl.

Included with the January 2013 Decibel Magazine #099.

Recording information:

Recorded and mixed at Visceral Sound in Bethesda, Maryland in October, 2012.

Vile

Today in 2011 Vile released the album Metamorphosis

Concord, California Brutal Death Metal (early), Melodic Death Metal (later)

Status:Active

Years active: 1996-present

Formed in 1996, from the remnants of numerous local bands, Concord, CA, death/black metal band Vile (not to be confused with the New York doom band with the same name) combine high velocity, crude guttural power, and no small amount of technical prowess for a brutalizing sound reminiscent of Suffocation and Nile. After warming up with two demos, vocalist Juan Urteaga, guitarists Colin Davis and Aaron Strong, bassist Jef Hughell, and drummer Mike Hampton (soon to be replaced by Tyson Jupin) unleashed their first album, Stench of the Deceased, in 1999, then signed with the Unique Leader label for their second, 2002's Depopulate. Urteaga and Strong have since departed and various replacements helped out with tours of the U.S. and Europe that took place in 2004.

Willowtip

Tyson Jupin Drums

Colin Davis Guitars, Bass

Mike Hrubovcak Vocals

Guest/Session

J.J. Hrubovcak Guitars on the song "Rise"

1. March Towards the Dawn (3:36)

2. The Revealing (3:49)

3. What Lies Beyond (3:36)

4. Rise (3:23)

5. I Am Alive (3:52)

6. Wolf at Your Door (2:12)

7. I Am Become Death (2:05)

8. Shadow Work (4:55)

9. Prophetic Betrayal (4:36)

10. As One (3:26)

11. Redemption (2:52) (instrumental)

Total Time 38:22

Ancient Bards

 Today in 2011 Ancient Bards released the album Soulless Child

Rimini, Emilia-Romagna, Italy Symphonic Power Metal

Status:Active

Years active: 2006-present

The Ancient Bards project takes its origin in the january of 2006 from the mind of the keyboards player Daniele Mazza, whose intent was to create a metal band with epic and symphonic sounds. After the meeting with the bass player Martino Garattoni the project began to materialize. Initially the line up was not stable beacuse of several problems, but in the summer of 2007, after a period of inactivity, the band found it’s final line up with Sara as singer, Claudio as solo guitarist, Fabio as rythm guitarist and Alessandro as drummer. The sextet imediately sarted working on the demo ep “Trailer” containing four excerpts of the exciting Black Crystal Sword Saga conceived by Daniele himself, that is influenced from fantasy nordic tales and japanese stories like Final Fantasy. During the realization of the demo, the bards were also busy performing in several Italian live contests from which they gained great results always reaching the first place. In May 2008 Trailer was finished and was reviewed by many italian webzines and magazines always obtaining high marks. In the meantime they were noticed by Emiliano Nanni, the president of the promotion and booking agency BRC (Bologna Rock City), that brought them on the stages on many italian live clubs supporting bands such as Turisas, Over The Rainbow, Almah, White Skull, etc. getting loads of success. In the summer of 2009 the band recorded at Fear Studio in Ravenna it’s first full-length album that merges Sara Squadrani's vocals with clean choral singalongs and heavy guitar sounds, to create an album teeming with ultra-catchy gems. Up to now the path of the six bards has led them to sign with Limb Music Products (Rhapsody, Luca Turilli, Pagan’s Mind, Eldritch and many more!). The rest of the Ancient Bards’ adventure is still to be written…

Limb Music

Martino Garattoni Bass, Vocals (choirs)

Claudio Pietronik Guitars

Fabio Balducci Guitars

Sara Squadrani Vocals, Vocals (choirs)

Daniele Mazza Keyboards, Vocals (choirs)

Federico Gatti Drums

Guest/Session

Joseph Spiller Vocals (choirs)

Chiara Delvecchio Vocals (choirs)

Claudia Saponi Vocals (choirs)

Giorgia Palmerini Vocals (choirs)

Claudia Rivoli Vocals (choirs)

Ala Ganciu Vocals (choirs)

Raffaella Ceccarelli Vocals (choirs)

Fabrizia Conti Vocals (choirs)

Maria Letizia Sassaroli Vocals (choirs)

Maria Luisa Cenci Vocals (choirs)

Giambattista Volpones Vocals (choirs)

Edoardo Canducci Vocals (choirs)

Michele Canducci Vocals (choirs)

Giovanni Frison Vocals (choirs)

Roberto Coffee Vocals (choirs)

Gian Maria Vocals (additional) (track 9), Vocals (choirs)

Simone Mularoni Guitars (acoustic) (tracks 5, 10), Vocals (choirs)

1. Struggle for Life 01:53

2. To the Master of Darkness 07:33

3. Gates of Noland 05:13

4. Broken Illusion 05:11

5. All That Is True 09:55

6. Valiant Ride 04:13

7. Dinanzi al flagello 01:29

8. Soulless Child 09:15

9. Through My Veins 07:19

10. Hope Dies Last 14:31 01:06:32

Japanese Bonus track:

11. The Skies Above (Final Fantasy X - Zanarkand's Theme) (03:07)

All music and lyrics written by Daniele Mazza.

"The Black Crystal Sword Saga" written by Daniele Mazza.

Logo design by Flush Design.

Recording information:

Recorded at Domination Studio between June and July 2011.

Mixed and Mastered at Domination Studio.

Produced by Ancient Bards.