Mandatory Metallica Saturday

A slight change in the presentation of Mandatory Metallica today.



This is to celebrate the release of Guitar Hero Metallica.

Text book stuff from Sweden!

Now Morifade are another one of those many underground power metal bands that you’ll usually only come across completely by accident or in mentioned in a list on Youtube or something. Funnily enough, I came across this band in another way, that is; I typed ‘Sci-fi’ and ‘power metal’ into the Metal Archives search engine and picked a band name at random and then My-spaced them. How lucky I was because I really liked what I heard.

Morifade of Sweden are nothing special, but I have to say, they’re bloody good for what they are, which is: light-hearted, sci-fi sounding power metal with elements reminiscent of bands like Stratovarius and Labyrinth.

They have plenty of speed, but not an overdose. They have interesting riffery with a lot nice rhythmic work as well as a lot of great modern power metal leads and melodies. The drumming is great too, a lot of alternating patterns and ‘speed up and downs’ (think Wuthering Heights (but not that much lol)). The overall arrangement has some good variation, you won’t get bored with this after the first few tracks and you’ll easily loose you self in a two or three back-to-back listens of the album. Vocals are what you would expect from Stefan Peterson, mid-ranged, full, melodic and straight forward. Keyboards are well placed, subtle and get very quick in the pre-chorus areas, as in most great power metal.

This is just another of the great, hard working power metal bands out there that just know what they’re doing and do it well. There’s’ a lot of catchy soul-raising tunes on this release the will have you coming back again for more. My only criticism is of the lyrics which are very bland and is nothing you haven’t heard before but other than that, the music is top notch power metal.

7/10

Highlights: Escape, In Martyria and Revive for a while.

Megadeth

To prove that we're not 100% biased against Megadeth only 95% here at DoD, here's a clip of Burnt Ice being played in 2008 in San Diego:



Enjoy!

Mandatory Metallica Saturday (again)

Sorry I couldn't resist posting this one:

Entombed

I didn't realise this but 2009 marks the 20th anniversary of the birth of Entombed and that legendary Swedish Death Metal sound. So everyone play your favourite Entombed album and open a bottle of beer and celebrate.
This is what I will be playing:

Mandatory Metallica Saturday

Holy shit, its been a week already and I haven't posted once, sorry about that people. Its a bit hard to post when your internet speed is down to 56k for a few days.

Mandatory Metallica Saturday

I'll step in once more and deliver your weekly dosage of Metallica:

Avantasia

I read this curious article this morning which made me think a bit more of Tobias Sammett but I also kind of question his way of thinking a bit. Here is what he had to say regarding the release date of the next Avantasia album:

"This is not a rock-&-Roll-homestudio-project, we'll work with a choir, with a symphony orchestra and - no matter if the music-industry goes down the toilet - I'll spend a fortune on creating the whole thing. So I'll take all the time I need, and it won't see the light of day until I am completely satisfied. Some who know my plans said, that it's unreasonable to spend one's savings on creating a piece of music these days, as the music industry is going through hard times. Absolutely right! But do you consider it extremely reasonable to shoot a man into space? It's unreasonable to spend money for whatever, life itself is unreasonable, because - believe it or not - in the end it's quite often pretty lethal. I am rather unreasonable and therefore unsad."

Interesting.




Priest

Project Strato

Not sure how many of you are fans of Stratovarius but as one of the early power metal bands they have been around for a very long time and gone through numerous changes. I was reading on metal-rules.com earlier today that Timo Tolkki (who recently departed the band) is forming his own project called Project Strato which is utilising the Dreamscape line-up and tentatively called their album Return to Dreamscape. The hope is this will revisit the type of music they played on this album 15 years ago and give Timo Tolkki the opportunity (in his mind) to close the book on Stratovarius. The remaining band members still continue to play with the band's name and the issues they have had to deal with Tolkki and his mental illness came to culminate in late 2007 with his departure. This year they have a new album, new guitarist and hopefully a new fresh outlook.

I will get a chance to see this on Monday when I go to see them play along with Firewind.

Priest

Walknut

Since I accidentally discovered these guys from Russia, they have been on constant play. Here is the second song off the album Graveforests and Their Shadows, Motherland Ostenvegr.


Enjoy



by the way its not a video its just the full length song

Mandatory Metallica Saturday

I think Death may have missed this, but I am here to continue your dose of Metallica as it is still Saturday for me. Mandatory Metallica Saturday people:

Update from the Asylum

Hey everyone,
Just letting you know our resident Black Metal genius AE, has uploaded a new song to his myspace, go there now and listen.

Asylum Escapes Myspace

Aersosmith have started a nasty trend

So! According to blabbermouth.net (the "heavy metal" news site that updates every 6 seconds) has reported that late this year Guitar Hero Van Halen will be arriving on shop shelves. It was cool with Metallica, because, well.....it's Metallica. I can see this turning in to one big cash cow and every band in existence will be on the gravy train.

This is what cracks me up the most, band politics:

The biggest questions center around which band personnel will appear in the game. There's no word on whether original bassist Michael Anthony will be excluded from the game play in favor of current bass player Wolfgang Van Halen, and it's also unknown whether the game avatar of singer David Lee Roth will be joined by Sammy Hagar or even Gary Cherone.

I will have to go on a shooting spree if I see a Guitar Hero Linkin Park come out.

This is why you dont drink.....

......when you are at a signing session, especially when that signing session involves your idols.



Cheers to metalsucks.net for the vid.

New Slayer Album! Tell all your friends

7th July, mark it on the calender, thats when the new Slayer album, which seems to be still untitled, will land. To hold you over here is the song Psychopathy Red

Evergrey...sadness and depression to make you feel fortunate

Not for everybody but by far one of the most depressing prog/power bands around. A lot of their lyrics have to deal with child abuse, violence, abduction, religious abuse and depression. Tom Englund has a very emotive voice with full conviction and Evergrey create the perfect atmosphere for feeling trapped, empty and left with no hope. So sad...

Evergrey - For Every Tear That Falls



I forgot how much I do enjoy their music.

Check these out

I stumbled across these two gems of bands, Walknut from Mother Russia and Skagos from Canada, the home of Philip and Terrance. Each of them play their own brand of Atmospheric Black Metal and they are both epic as epic can be...

Check 'em out

Walknut

Skagos

Escape from the Asylum

Another one man project and a friend of all of us contributers here at DoD is Asylum Escape, from Canada. Wraith, as he likes to be known, has written some great songs, unfortunately he has removed them from his myspace and only has his latest up, check it out:

Asylum Escape's myspace

Just crank up the volume, its a little on the quiet side.

Take Note People

I would like to direct your attention to our very own Gigaslave and his one man Black Metal project, Mannfall. Take a listen to his myspace, he has great potential so listen and tell us what you think.

Mannfall Myspace

Our Forum

Hey guys, all of you who read here are welcome to post at our forum; Metal You, we are slowly rebuliding our list of members and the more the merrier, so click the link and begin posting.

if you join please leave a comment here because I will need to approve your account


Metal You Forum - A Forum For All MetalHeads

The Decision has been made

Being May and with me being a bit of an Enslaved fan I have decided that May is now International Day of Enslaved. So dress up in your favourite Viking outfit, put on your favourite Enslaved album and terrorise the neighbourhood.

Blood Red Throne!!!!!!!

Priest and I were discussing the upcoming BRT album, "Souls of Damnation", due out 1st June and it got me all excited, so here is the trailer to the new album:

Testament let fans choose songs they want to hear played..

Check this out:

TESTAMENT is offering fans the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to choose what songs they would like to hear during the band’s upcoming North American headlining tour! The poll is being conducted on the band’s official MySpace page.

There are three set lists fans can vote on:

* Set A – The Legacy full album + ‘Best Of’
* Set B – The New Order full album + ‘Best Of’
* Set C - The Persecuted Won’t Forget, Practice What You Preach, Into the Pit, Dog Faced Gods, Raging Waters, More Than Meets The Eye, Demonic, True Believer, The Legacy, Over the Wall, The New Order, Souls of Black, First Strike Is Deadly, Disciples of the Watch, D.N.R., Three Days in Darkness, The Formation of Damnation

Each city’s set list will be open for voting, so make sure to visit www.myspace.com/testamentlegions and make your voice heard!

Singer Chuck Billy commented on the MySpace/set list poll: “Dudes, we have something SICK planned for you…we know times are tough, and it is hard to get out there and spend the money on a ticket, so we are making this tour YOURS. It is your choice what we play. Check out the BRAND NEW contest live on our MySpace and VOTE on 3 set lists to determine our musical fate for the evening. We promise which ever set wins, we will get out on stage every night and kick your motha-f*@king ass...Also, for the first time EVER we have VIP packages for sale. Not only does the VIP package include a ticket to the show but... hey, go ahead have a drink ON US...and with us. You will hang with us and check out our sound check, PLUS receive an autographed poster, collectible laminate, Testament Music Skins, a Very Special Limited Edition Merch Item and you will be entered into a raffle to win one of our NOT EVEN OUT YET Darkstar Testament Skateboard as well as Eric Peterson’s signature Dean guitar ‘Old Skull’ V, and more! So don’t waste time, take a look at our dates, see when we are coming to your city, buy a ticket to the show & GET INTO THE PIT! Heavy Metal Forever!”

testament-beer

TESTAMENT is about to kick off their first North American headlining tour in support of 2008’s critically-acclaimed The Formation of Damnation. The tour also features Unearth and Lazarus A.D. For the tour, TESTAMENT is offering special VIP packages that include meet-and-greet opportunities, access to soundcheck, collectible laminate, an autographed poster, TESTAMENT music skins, a limited edition TESTAMENT messenger bag, and a chance to win a DEAN Guitars Eric Peterson signature ‘Old Skull V’ and TESTAMENT Darkstar skateboard.

Testament US headlining tour:

(with Unearth and Lazarus AD)

5/2 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon
5/3 - Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory
5/4 - Vancouver, BC – Commodore
5/6 - Calgary, AB – MacEwan Ballroom
5/7 - Edmonton, AB – Edmonton Events Centre
5/9 - Winnipeg, MB – The Garrick Centre
5/10 - Maplewood, MN – The Rock
5/12 – Milwaukee, WI – Eagles Theater
5/13 – Sauget, IL – Pop’s
5/15 - Chicago, IL – House of Blues
5/16 - Detroit, MI – Harpos
5/17 - Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
5/18 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
5/20 - Toronto, ON – Sound Academy
5/21 - Montreal, QC – Metropolis
5/22 - Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom
5/23 – Hartford, CT – Webster Theater
5/24 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium
5/26 – Baltimore, MD – Ram’s Head Live
5/27 – Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero
5/28 – Norfolk, VA – Norva
5/29 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theater
5/30 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
5/31 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues
6/2 – Houston, TX – Scout Bar
6/3 – San Antonio – Scout Bar
6/4 – Ft. Worth, TX – Ridglea Theater
6/6 – Kansas City, MO – The Beaumont
6/7 – Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre
6/9 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues
6/10 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues
6/11 – Los Angeles, CA – House of Blues
6/12 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore

Slayer and Megadeth on Canadian Tour

Talk about a mind-blowing line-up. Slayer and Megadeth - two of the bands that defined the thrash/metal genre - will perform together for the first time in more than 15 years when they co-headline four shows in Canada in late June. The tour, dubbed "Canadian Carnage," will also feature Machine Head and Suicide Silence, and will see Megadeth and Slayer each closing two of the four shows. Tickets will go on sale Saturday, May 2, and will be available at all Ticketmaster outlets and at Ticketmaster online.

Few bands come close to matching the intensity that Slayer brings to its live shows, having been named "Best Live Band" by numerous media outlets including Revolver, SPIN, and Metal Hammer. Slayer - guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, vocalist/bassist Tom Araya and drummer Dave Lombardo - is currently in Los Angeles recording its as yet untitled tenth studio album with Greg Fidelman producing and Rick Rubin executive producing. Fans were given an early taste of the brutal new Slayer material when "Psychopathy Red," a song inspired by the heinous Russian serial killer Andrei Chikatilo, who confessed to savagely murdering 56 children, was recorded last October and then leaked online. Attendees of "Canadian Carnage" will be treated to Slayer performing "Psychopathy Red" live on stage. Plans are to release the new album in July, in tandem with the Mayhem Festival tour Slayer is co-headlining with Marilyn Manson.

With over 20 million albums sold worldwide, the icon that is Megadeth culminated earlier this month, with Dave Mustaine’s acceptance of the highly coveted “Golden God” accolade and the band's headline performance at the inaugural Revolver Golden Gods Awards in Los Angeles. Megadeth – lead guitarist/lead vocalist Dave Mustaine, lead and rhythm guitarist Chris Broderick, bassist James Lomenzo and drummer Shawn Drover – is currently recording their 12th studio album in Los Angeles with Andy Sneap. The disc is scheduled for release later this summer to coincide with a full scale world tour. Known for their ferocious live show, Megadeth will once again bring this intensity to their loyal throng of Canadian followers.

Bay Area titans Machine Head add to the carnage as main support. Machine Head - vocalist/guitarist Robb Flynn, guitarist Phil Demmel, bassist/backing vocalist Adam Duce and drummer Dave McClain - are currently touring in support of their critically-acclaimed and Grammy nominated The Blackening. Since its release, the band has been awarded both Best Album at the Metal Hammer Awards and Album of the Year at Kerrang's annual ceremony that same year. And with a fan base so rabid, they've actually been banned from certain U.S. venues, Machine Head will bring with them the relentless stage show they are renowned for.

There is little doubt in anyone's mind that Suicide Silence is one of the frontrunners of the new wave of American metal, a statement further validated as the group won the "Best New Talent" award at the inaugural Revolver Golden Gods Awards, held at Club Nokia in Los Angeles on April 7. The group was also hailed as the event's breakthrough artist by the L.A. Times, but make no mistake that this extreme juggernaut is not resting on its laurels and is about to take things up a notch with their highly-anticipated sophomore release, No Time to Bleed, which was produced by acclaimed producer Machine (Lamb of God) and set for a June 30 release.

Dates for the Megadeth/Slayer co-bill are:
June
24 GM Place, Vancouver, BC
26 Rexall, Edmonton, AB
27 Saddledome, Calgary, AB
29 MTS Centre, Winnipeg, MB

Mandatory Metallica Saturday