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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
