Unto The Locust Artwork and track listing!

The artwork for the new Machine Head album "Unto The Locust" has been released in the last few hours along with the albums track-listing! The album will be released on 13th September, the song "Locust" off the new album can be seen below! Track listing as follows:

Standard CD:
'I Am Hell (Sonata In C#)'
I) 'Sangre Sani'
II) 'I Am Hell'
III) 'Ashes To The Sky'
'Be Still And Know'
'Locust'
'This Is The End'
'Darkness Within'
'Pearls Before The Swine'
'Who We Are'

Special Edition CD+DVD:
'I Am Hell (Sonata in C#)'
I) 'Sangre Sani'
II) 'I Am Hell'
III) 'Ashes To The Sky'
'Be Still And Know'
'Locust'
'This Is The End'
'Darkness Within'
'Pearls Before The Swine'
'Who We Are'
'The Sentinel' *
'Witch Hunt' *
'Darkness Within' (Acoustic) *

* Bonus tracks

DVD:
- The Making Of Unto The Locust Documentary

Iced Earth - Dystopia Cover art, release dates and track listing!

Iced Earth have set Dystopia as the name of their new album! It will be the first album to feature new vocalist Stu Block, Dystopia will be released worldwide on 17th October! A full press release can be seen on the bands website www.icedearth.com Track listing follows:

Dystopia
Anthem
Days of Rage
Soylent Green
V
Boiling Point
Anguish of Youth
Iron Will
Dark City
End of Innocence
Equilibrium
Tragedy and Triumph

High Voltage 2011

As you all know we were at High Voltage this past weekend checking out bands both metal and non metal, every band I saw there was a first so it was great to check out loads of bands that I had heard of but not seen and those which I hadn't heard of! For this review I will stick to the Metal Bands which I saw:

Sylosis: These guys are seriously on a role! Their crushing music gripped an avid audience right from the start of "Empyreal". The band were on top form and although only having a 45min set this did not stop them from having a good time. The set was combined with songs from their new album "Edge of the Earth" and their first album"Conclusion of an age". Although playing to a varied audience (many who had just come to see prog bands) Sylosis definitely won over some new fans with their performance.

Judas Priest: From a young age I was encouraged not to listen to Judas Priest by my dad who thought they were the devils spawn so I can't tell you an awful lot about them (I would like to point out that my Dad isn't tough on what I can or can't listen to now as I am my own person and heavy metal has won him over!), however for a band who has been going for nearly 40 years Priest certainly pull out all the stops to put on a good show. Rob Halford's vocal range is still there, and captivates the audience with his signature vocal style. New boy Richie Faulkner was received with a warm welcome and even had something over Glen Tipton at points in the show, nevertheless Judas Priest were incredible musically and visually with pyrotechnics and light shows which by themselves would keep anyone mesmerised!

Dream Theater: The pressure was on. Every one was eager to see how Mike Mangini would fit into the band but even before they hit the stage, Mangini's monstrous kit was put on-stage, this was a sight that made anyone weak at the knees. The band took to the stage and effortlessly romped through their 2 hour set! Mangini performed a five minute long solo which was just phenomenal, proving why Dream Theater chose him to fill Portnoy's shoes. Precision is paramount in a Dream Theater set with everyone having to be in time with each other but this was not a problem as the band were completely in tune with each other! James LaBrie pointed out that the band would be back in the future to support their up coming release "A Dramatic Turn of Events" which is due out 12th September! I was so happy that I had seen this sceptical and was sad to leave early to catch a train home! It seems no matter what you throw at Dream Theater they are unstoppable and therefore are not to be missed! Certainly the highlight of the weekend!

The Hunter - Mastodon news!

Mastodon's new album "The Hunter" is to be released on 27th September. The album can now be pre-ordered at www.mastodonrocks.com and for those who do they will receive a free song "Curl of the Burl" which will later be released as a single. As well as all this information a new song "Black Tongue" has been released on youtube which can be seen below! Enjoy!

The Black Crown - Suicide Silence review!

I have to admit although being new to Suicide Silence I have been waiting for this album to be released! It doesn't let you down; meticulous riffing, awesome guests, guttural growls and spooky harmonies make this album a great listen.

The band have been criticised for deviating from their "old" sound but to be honest, this IS Suicide Silence, there is still all the stuff that was on their other albums but with just a bit more melody. If a band didn't change a bit then it would get boring after a while so I see this as a move in a positive direction! The songs themselves are brutal with some of the best drops I've ever heard before picking up speed again, a great example of this is "Smashed". As previously mentioned the album features some brilliant such as Jonathan Davies of Korn on "Witness the Addiction", Alexia Rodriguez of Eyes Set To Kill on "Cross-Eyed Catastrophe" and Frank Mullen of Suffocation on "Smashed". "Witness the Addiction" is probably one of my personal favourites but, each song has a unique quality which makes them all a great listen.

The production of this album is top notch everything is audible and clear, my only slight gripe with this album is that some of the lyrics are a bit monotonous with everything being constantly repeated "Fuck Everything" is a brilliant example and the "UGGH" sound also gets slightly annoying. On the whole this is a brilliant album, if you are just getting into the band then pick this one up before the others. Check out "You Only Live Once" below to get a feel for the band!

The Black Crown - Suicide Silence 8.5 - 10

While we have been away!

As you know most of the good stuff always happens when i am away from my computer! So here is a brief low down on what has occurred in the past 2 weeks!

Anthrax: The art work for Anthrax new album "Worship Music" has been released and can be seen below

The Big Four: Played their first shows in Europe.

Slipknot: Returned to the UK for the first time since the death of bassist Paul Gray. The concert is available for streaming and can be seen bellow:

Machine Head: Have made their new album available for exclusive pre-order with Metal Hammer! This includes a special book with the album for only £14.99. Link : http://www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/metal-hammer-presents-machine-head/

Machine Head have also played their new song "Locust" live on the Mayhem tour videos of which can be found on youtube.

Mastodon: Have released a teaser for a new song "Black Tongue" and artwork for their new album "The Hunter" which can be seen in the video below:

Megadeth: Have named their new album TH1RT3EN; being the 13th studio album and all the mysterious goings on during the recording of the album it seems only right that this should be the album's name. Dave Mustaine posted on twitter the other day that he was considering walking out on the mayhem tour, no reason was given but a few hours later he posted again saying that the situation had been resolved, drummer Shawn Drover also posted something elso to cover the bands back stating that all is well!

Trivium: Just before I left "Dusk Dismantled" was posted on youtube now "Inception of the End" has also been uploaded and can be seen below.

Suicide Silence: Have just released their new album " The Black Crown" a review will be up in the next few days!

However due to personal issues there will be no review of Sonisphere 2011 as we were unable to attend much of the festival! However I can tell you that Metallica absolutley killed Friday night!

If I have forgotten something I will edit this post! Hope your all having a killer summer! Peace Charlie \m/(>_<)\m/

MoCara debut EP "The Shallow South" Review

MoCara – The Shallow South

Local boys MoCara recently released their debut EP “The Shallow South”. MoCara is something totally out of the blue and an assault on the senses at first listen, their fusion of punk-rock and groove makes this a very intriguing listen. The band features some very catchy guitar leads but then again some punchy rhythms supported by technical drumming. The EP starts with the punchy “We’ll Never Mention Tonight” , which is MoCara in a can. This song picks up on all of the features of the EP: Rapid rhythms, catchy leads, raw vocals, grooving passages, killer solos and a momentous breakdown. The next song “Love Has Grown” follows in the same vain and is a personal favourite of mine. Probably one of the more catchy songs on the EP “Love Has Grown” will have you humming the guitar intro within seconds! “Break Us Down” follows with a clean intro before throwing you back into that punchy punk rock vibe before returning to the former with great precision. “Apathy/Insanity” features the standard punk rock sound but also features an immense groove which flows through the entire song. Before you know it you’re onto the last track of the EP “Never Be Gone” which features another one of those fantastic catchy riffs balanced with a great groove. Overall the EP is testament to the band members own different talents, each track presents you with something different whilst remaining unanimously MoCara. The only slight criticism I have is that the lyrics are possibly a bit too samey with various mentions of drug taking (possibly a bit over emphasised), apart from that it is very solid considering it is a debut EP! Look out for MoCara, soon to be on iTunes. To hear MoCara’s music go to the bands facebook page!

MoCara is:

Stu Andrews – Guitar + Vocals

Gary Rendle –Guitar

Axel Olsson –Bass

Joe Colfar – Drums