Vocalist Ethan McCarthy commented on the signing and new album: “Our new CD is being recorded by Dave Otero at Flatline Audio (Cephalic Carnage, Catheter, Cobalt) and it is our most dynamic, bleakest, and dirtiest material to date.  We can’t wait to go out and tour on this release, and we are proud to be a part of the PROSTHETIC roster.”

CLINGING TO THE TREES OF A FOREST FIRE has toured tirelessly over the past several years throughout North America, and is currently planning a summer tour with Oregon’s BURIALS. The band will be appearing at PROSTHETIC’s South By Southwest showcase this Wednesday, March 17 at the Mohawk in Austin along with label-mates THE FUNERAL PYRE, BOOK OF BLACK EARTH, WITHERED, LANDMINE MARATHON and SCALE THE SUMMIT. The new album is slated for a late spring/early summer release.

Jensen commented on the signing: “DEW-SCENTED are honored to announce that our new album ‘Invocation’ will be released via Prosthetic Records in North America! The label’s dedicated staff, their outstandingly classy and open-minded musical taste for all things extreme as well as the quality work delivered for cool bands like Lamb Of God, Gojira, Skeletonwitch, All That Remains and Beneath The Massacre make us happy and proud to be teaming up with them as new partner for our upcoming releases! We look forward to unleashing ‘Invocation’ upon the thrashing masses in North America!”

DEW-SCENTED were founded in 1992 and have released seven full-lengths to date on labels such as Nuclear Blast, Grind Syndicate and Steamhammer/SPV. The band has toured with a who’s who of extreme music, including Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death, Behemoth, Kreator, Sodom, Overkill and many more. “Invocation” is being released in Europe on Metal Blade Records.

The band, which was formed in 1997 from the ashes of the band Alvheim and features Frost of Satyricon on drums, and which takes its name from the year the Black Plague reached Norway, have toured with the likes of Celtic Frost, Carcass, Suffocation, Aborted, among others and will appear at this year’s Wacken and Summer Breeze Festivals. 1349′s record “Hellfire” received critical acclaim from music outlets worldwide and was considered an instant classic.


Frost, Ice Dale and Teloch have been recruited for the first full-length release which is entitled “The Underworld Regime”. The album combines the best from two worlds – King`s remarkable riffs and the distinguishable voice of Shagrath. The end result is a black metal album that contains all of the power and blast beats worthy of their evil pedigrees. Expect an assault on all false gods and hypocrisy that is of this world today.
 
 ”The album will contain a mixture of our different musical preferences and the personalities involved, which hopefully will lead to something original and new. Although I have to say though that I am more occupied of developing myself spiritually and musically than strive to be viewed as original by fans. This album contains music I’ve worked on in my Gorgoroth and God Seed years.  It’s been a little hell to actually see this music form into a band, so the name of the band is quite suitable. Through the first song I got from Shagrath I knew that he would be the perfect man to join forces with. He has strong individual qualities and a strong will to power.  I am very positive that when we finish up this album it will be an album that won’t sound like anything we have done before, and with a quality that won’t stand back from anything presented in black metal earlier!” – KING
 

“With both of our demanding music careers and other projects, timing was not on our side. After last years inferno festival, King and I yet again joined forces to brainstorm our need to collaborate our passion for dark art. Over the course of the past year, King sent me demo ideas that were so inspiring it made me put my skeptic feelings aside. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to have another Black Metal project but my unquenchable thirst to explore my darkest beast, launched the birth Ov HELL. The majestic Ov HELL has become a band that reflects our roots, raw, ugly, arrogantly blasphemous with uncompromising truth from two influential Norwegian musicians needing to express our primitive side, straight out Ov HELL.”  - Shagrath

The band, who appear masked in photos, play in near total darkness and smoke and do not publicize their individual names, commented about today’s heavy music scene: “A few blastbeats, a scrawled logo and people accept it, regardless of the reality. DRAGGED INTO SUNLIGHT is a concept, we’ve taken the time to come up with our own understanding and presentation of what we want to see associated with extreme metal in 2009 and beyond.”

Terrorizer chronicle DRAGGED INTO SUNLIGHT as “crushing, sweeping and just plain riffing,” praising their “crusty blackened doom” and “delicious black majesty.” Meanwhile, Metal Hammer distinguished their sound as “a torrent of seething riffs so caustically expansive, they feel as though they’re about the burst out of your skin. It’s also the sheer, pre-meditated malice that drives them on a systematic rite of destruction, whose domineering, scorched-Earth tactics leave no synapse or nerve-ending unscathed.”

The band will be making its first trek to North America this spring in support of the re-release. Check out a culling of the gruesome beast at Myspace.com/DraggedIntoSunlight

Originally known as Sorcerer, HOLY GRAIL formed when three members of the band White Wizzard decided to go out on their own. The band is helmed by vocalist James Paul Luna, a native of Van Halen’s hometown, Pasadena. A classically trained singer whose monster pipes have drawn comparisons to Sebastian Bach, Rob Halford and Ronnie James Dio, Luna was also recently heard providing vocals in a Gamestop commercial for the new video game, “Brutal Legend.” He’s backed by virtuoso guitarists Eli Santana and James J. LaRue, whose interweaving shredding and riffing harkens to an imaginary time when Yngwie Malmsteen and Marty Friedman jammed together. Tyler Meahl and Blake Mount form the thunderous rhythm section whose power could shake the foundations of Valhalla itself.

In the short few months after the band’s inception, they received a full-page feature in the L.A. Weekly, toured the Western U.S. and signed to Prosthetic Records, who released their debut EP, “Improper Burial,” in late 2009. The CD version features two original tracks, “Immortal Man” and “Fight to Kill,” alongside Accept and Judas Priest covers, while the vinyl version contains only the two original tracks. The artwork was done by the infamous Ed Repka (Megadeth, Death, Nuclear Assault). The band toured in November with 3 Inches of Blood and Saviours in support of the EP and have already been confirmed for 2010’s Tusca Open Air Festival and Wacken Festival, as well as a slot of Amon Amarth’s spring 2010 North American tour.

HOLY GRAIL will hit the studio in February with producer Danny Lohner to record their debut full-length, “Crisis In Utopia,” which was picked by Decibel for their “25 Most Anticipated Releases of 2010” list.

Pick up “Improper Burial” now, and check out HOLY GRAIL live in your town to witness the glory of timeless heavy metal today!

Fusing a unique, distinctly Scandinavian take on rich, challenging metal and punk with a powerful progressive edge, MANTRIC recorded their upcoming debut in Norway, with studio guru Tue Madsen (Dark Tranquillity, The Haunted) handling mixing and mastering duties. Prosthetic Records quickly recognized that something rather special was developing and are now very happy to have MANTRIC as part of their diverse roster.

The as-yet-untitled MANTRIC debut album is scheduled for worldwide release in February. A special preview track, “Spear Of Heaven,” is now online at the official MANTRIC Myspace page at www.myspace.com/mantricofficial.

Commenting on the signing, MANTRIC said in a joint statement: “We are truly satisfied to end up signing with Prosthetic! Our first album using the MANTRIC name to our ears deserves to get out to lovers of hard music all over the world, and Prosthetic makes this possible. We also feel honored to be amongst the quality and variety represented by the bands signed to Prosthetic. Our music embraces creativity and originality outside the limits of narrow genres, so it suits us fine to deal with a label that also values this. This is a release that is both accessible and original, catchy and complex at the same time, and we can’t wait to get it out!”

The partnership with MANTRIC is a significant move for Prosthetic, being the label’s first worldwide signing of a European band. Prosthetic’s European label manager, Duncan Dinsdale, also commented: “I’m very excited to be working with a band of such pedigree. I’ve been a huge fan of Extol for a long time, and now MANTRIC are making truly urgent music that reaffirms my faith in what challenging heavy music should be.”

After forming in the hot, sticky Indiana summer of 2001, guitarist John Hehman and vocalist Chad Zimmerman set out to create a band that would trump all their previous time as members rotating through bands in the local Indianapolis scene. Now, years later with scores of live experience, a full-length record (2004′s Your Blood, My Vendetta), and an unquenchable thirst to breath life into a scene overcrowded with bands only ripping off bands who were, in turn, already ripping off At The Gates, YEAR OF DESOLATION‘s mission is to re-inspire a whole slew of concertgoers who no longer have anyone original or innovate to inspire them. In a scene where paths are continually re-trodden, and real metal music has taken a backseat to fashion shows and pit dancing at concerts,YEAR OF DESOLATION is here to prove that real metal hasn’t died, it’s only waiting in the shallows for the right time to strike. And if the band has any say in it, now is as good a time as any.

Where most modern metal bands pull inspiration from the mid- to late-90s death metal bands and hardcore crews alike, YEAR OF DESOLATION goes against the grain. Drawing equally from modern masters Slayer and Sepultura, and the classic works of Iron Maiden and Sabbath, as well as modern day European neo-classical metal, YEAR OF DESOLATION also, quite shamelessly, draws inspiration from the timeless melodies on classic records from Boston and Journey, creating a sound that’s refreshingly old-school, yet brutal enough to stand alongside Dismember and Carcass and melodic enough to stand up to In Flames.

“Our goal as a band is to make music people can move to, relate to, fuck to, fight to, bake cookies to, whatever,” guitarist John Hehman says. “We’re not some ego maniacs who think we’re the shit. We still go to shows, we still hang out, we just want to have a good time and ultimately make some fuckin’ metal.”

Metal, after all, is what it’s all about for YEAR OF DESOLATION. Melodic inspirations aside, as long as the songs are thrashingly heavy, fast, and uncompromising, this band doesn’t need to fall back on conventional verse-chorus-verse-chorus song construction or gimmicky flavor of the week styles to appeal to the metalhead inside us all. Instead, the band sticks to their guns, and plays music they want to hear, music that’s fast, heavy, brutal, and still melodic enough to contain memorable riffs and leads, creating songs that stand apart from each other. With the January 2007 release of YEAR OF DESOLATION‘ Prosthetic debut, a self-titled effort, that’s exactly the combination that will help replace faith in modern metal music without gimmicks.

“Teaming up with Prosthetic will be a good investment for both band and label,” Hehman continues. “We’ve got plenty to offer and so do they. When the self-titled album drops, everyone’s going to know that real metal isn’t dead. That’s what their goal is, and that’s exactly what our goal is too.”

Staying deeply rooted in a genre all its own, YAKUZA’s existence lies on a metal base with progressive flair, while somehow also incorporating elements of jazz, world beat, and post-rock ambiance. Picture (if you can) a mixture of King Crimson, all periods of John Coltrane’s career, Tortoise, and Napalm Death. The end result is captivating, a sound that Rolling Stone, Revolver, Alternative Press, the Chicago Sun Times, the Chicago Tribune, All That Jazzand countless others all agree is refreshingly original, technically proficient, all the while still staying very metal.

Continuing the band’s genre-defying sound with Transmutations, the follow-up to 2006’s critically acclaimed record, Samsara, the album sees YAKUZA again pushing the aural boundaries further albeit in a different way, incorporating more psychedelic elements alongside stretching, doomy movements and the band’s trademark jazz-influences, while also incorporating breakneck grind riffs and grooves at the same time.

“Exploration, experimentation, riding the line between the familiar and the foreign; the essential elements forYAKUZA have already been established,” frontman Bruce Lamont says. “We are not interested in creating music that’s not easily definable. Our roots are firmly planted in metal – yes, but like life, the sounds here are not cut and dry. At times this record can be uplifting, cruel, celebratory and just downright fuckin’ mean.”

Utilizing producer and established multi-instrumentalist Sanford Parker (Rwake, Pelican, Minsk) for the recording ofTransmutations, YAKUZA couldn’t be happier with the album’s end sound. “Sanford was great to work with,” Lamont says. “We really feel he has refined his craft over the past half a dozen recordings he’s done. He’s known the band for a long time and helped with our last release, so he is already aware of our studio tendencies. With him the process felt almost effortless.”

With an album that continues the YAKUZA sound while – somehow – also expanding upon the band’s already established enigmatic concepts and forward-thinking approach to metal, Transmutations continues to push the envelope, carving a niche in the metal genre, while still continuing the band’s originality that has garnered so much attention in the underground – metal, mainstream or otherwise.

It was back in 1995 that Swedish metalheads Niklas Stålvind and Mikael Goding decided (coincidentally enough, after 666 pints) to form a heavy metal band that was in the true sense of the word, both heavy and metal. The duo recruited drummer Daniel Bergkvist into the fold and the mighty WOLF was born. The band’s debut self-titled album, with artwork from legendary Swedish horror artist Hans Arnold, saw the light of day in 2000 leading to great reviews. All culminating playing high-profile festivals, banging their heads, and drinking beer, it was a stellar beginning for WOLF.

2002 rolled around and WOLF recorded the smashing Black Wings album. Utilizing Thomas Holm (Mercyful Fate) as the album’s artist, Black Wings simply screamed heavy metal, looking heavier than a classic Exodus riff. Again, the album received stellar reviews and the band played huge festivals including Sweden Rock and Wacken, as well as touring with the likes of Saxon. With three being an uneven number, WOLF recruited seasoned axe man Johannes Losbäck as its live and session guitarist and hit the road. The band lives and breathes heavy metal at aWOLF live show – energy, volume, Flying V guitars and an unofficial, but strictly enforced, “never stand still” policy, giving every metal fan exactly what they want.

In 2004, WOLF decided it was time to go back to the studio, returning again with Peter Tägtgren as producer to record the band’s groundbreaking Evil Star album. The continuing trend of great reviews and more live shows followed, gaining the band an ever-growing fan base from the public, the media and other bands. During this period, long time drummer Daniel Bergkvist decided to leave the band, but the whole pack remains close with Bergkvist remaining the “fifth member” of WOLF. Drummer Tobias Kellgren (Dissection, Soulreaper) landed the spot for the open throne.

Fast forward to 2006, and The Black Flame, the band’s fourth album, ceremoniously continues WOLF’s ascension on its way to being the elite classic, old–school inspired metal band. With thrashing guitar work, an airtight rhythm section and memorable choruses, you can bet it’s safe to wear your bullet belt, don that old jean jacket and crankThe Black Flame.

Philosophicaly, UNHOLY view humanity as a cancer, a fungus that will devour all in sight and, once all has been consumed, ultimately itself. Their debut album for Prosthetic Records revolves around this exact premise, progressing as an end-time narrative of the final days of humanity delivered by its own hand, and continuing into an afterlife that is nothing like the heaven we have been promised. Inspired by the writings and art of Thomas Ligotti, H.P. Lovecraft, Joe Coleman, Alejandro Jodorowsky and Anton LaVey, among others, UNHOLY have in mind a life after death far less rosy than most of us hope for. In death, we are merely another feast for the insatiable beast that is the order of humanity.

UNHOLY activily began in 2006 with the release of their debut EP “Awaken The Sleep” on NY-based label Closed Casket Activities (Recon, Another Victim, and The Acacia Strain side-project Cockpunch!). In 2007, Lambgoat Records released the full-length “Blood Of The Medusa” followed by persistent touring to promote the record. Unholy in 2009 is a seasoned beast, primed for the long haul.

Much like the gluttonous core of our very design, UNHOLY’s message that we are born as mere feed for the cancer is channeled through a throbbing and raw musical vision that brings to mind British pioneers Carcass and Black Sabbath, American trendsetters Testament, Slayer, and Crowbar, and of course, the almighty Entombed. Powerful heavy music, like the earth itself, emits a certain frequency that burrows itself under one’s skin much like maggots would on a dead body.

UNHOLY’s “Life Behind Closed Eyes” will grab you from within the same way death draws you nearer to it on a daily basis. With a philosophical vision so clear and a musical focus so exact, it should come as no surprise that in recent years, UNHOLY have braved roads alongside bands as respected as Meshuggah, Municipal Waste, God Forbid, labelmates The Acacia Strain (whose frontman, Vincent Bennett, calls UNHOLY “an amazing band”), Earth Crisis, Soilent Green, Suicide Silence, Death Before Dishonor, 100 Demons, Ringworm, Shadows Fall, Ministry, Nevermore, A Life Once Lost, As Blood Runs Black, and more.

Ultimately, Jonathan Dennison’s perspective on the meaning of human life is as promising as the touring cycle that will ensue following the release of UNHOLY’s “New Life Behind Closed Eyes” this coming Spring: “If there was a purpose, we’re here to destroy everything around us, we’re here to destroy the planet, and every form of life that walks this earth.”

Since signing with Prosthetic in 2005, TTEOTD has SoundScanned nearly 60,000 copies and toured with a who’s who of heavy music, perhaps most notably as part of the now-legendary 2006 Sounds of the Underground tour that featured a stacked lineup of metal gods In Flames, Trivium, Behemoth, Cannibal Corpse, GWAR, The Black Dahlia Murder, As I Lay Dying and more.

Unlike 2007′s “Malice” — which was produced by Hate Eternal main man Erik Rutan (Cannibal Corpse, Goatwhore) and yielded the hit video track “Failure In The Flesh,” voted the #7 video of the year by MTV’s “Headbangers Ball” — TTEOTD self-produced “Skepsis,” the group’s first album with new vocalist Danny Rodriguez, drummer Mike Ranne and guitarist Chris “Hank” Henckel, at Gellar Cellar Studios in New York. The end result is unquestionably the heaviest and most personal TTEOTD record yet. Whereas many bands opt for a more “mature” or melodic sound as time passes, TTEOTD has done the complete opposite, as brutality, speed and aggression are the new dictators here.

Guitarist and founding member Justin Longshore commented about the album, “Our new record ‘Skepsis’ finally captures the sound we’ve always envisioned. We really wanted to raise the bar with this one but also keep the consistency that Through The Eyes Of The Dead is known for. Overall, everyone has become better at their instruments and it really shows on the record. I have no doubt in my mind that new and old fans of the band will be pleased when they hear it!”
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“Skepsis” irrefutably proves to even the most skeptical fan of heavy music that THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DEAD are a force to be reckoned with and should face little resistance reclaiming the genre they pioneered.

Bursting out of the Bay Area as Legacy in 1983 and later molding into the classic line-up that would be remembered for years,TESTAMENT was birthed in 1986 at a time when thrash metal was just beginning to change the American musical landscape. With a handful of timeless classics released throughout the 80s and 90s,TESTAMENT was one of the few bands that seemed to get angrier, thrashier and more intense with each release. Case in point: The scathing guitar work, frantic rhythm section and ever-increasingly intense vocal deliveries of mainman Chuck Billy on two of TESTAMENT’s most brutal albums, 1997’s Demonic and 1999’s The Gathering.

Over those few years TESTAMENT released these two unrelenting records, the band’s longtime cohorts Eric Peterson (guitar) and Chuck Billy (vocals) managed to enlist several of metal’s most respected musicians including James Murphy (guitar), Steve DiGiorgio (bass), two former members in the form of Glen Avelais (guitar) and Derek Ramirex (bass), rounded off by Gene Hoglan and Dave Lombardo, two of metal’s most esteemed drummers.

The end results are two of TESTAMENT’s most brutal records, Demonic and The Gathering, which will now see a January 2008 reissue worldwide, remastered with new layouts, after being out of print, and ultimately unattainable for the legions of TESTAMENT fans both new and old, for far too long.

“TESTAMENT is far and away one of the most influential bands in all of modern metal,” says Lamb of God’s Chris Adler. “While other veteran acts soak up much of the spotlight with sing a-longs, TESTAMENT maintains the unsurpassed musicianship, integrity and brutality that continues to create an untouchable legacy.”

Now available worldwide to fans young and old, to the uninitiated and those owning the entire catalog alike, andDemonic and The Gathering are staples in one of heavy metal’s most accomplished and longest lasting acts. Serving as a pre-cursor to the band’s forthcoming new album, the first of entirely new material in nine years since the release of The Gathering, two odes to TESTAMENT’s staying power, musical intensity and masterful musicianship are available once again.

To lay this nasty, raging slab to tape, SKELETONWITCH traveled to Seattle and hooked up with legendary producer Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden, High On Fire). To make things extra filthy, The ‘WITCH enlisted Scott Hull of grind kings Pig Destroyer to handle the mastering duties. Tracks like “Crushed Beyond Dust” and the leveling album-opener “Submit to the Suffering” are sure to whip even the most jaded metal fan into a psychotic frenzy.

“Breathing the Fire is a burning, fucking beast!” says guitarist Scott Hedrick. “The drums are monstrous; Chance’s sickening vocals sound inhuman and somehow retain amazing clarity; Evan’s bass sounds like Steve Harris, Lemmy and D.D. Verni in a blender; and the guitars sound like jousting chainsaws. A lot of people said that on Beyond the Permafrost, we married black and thrash metal. With Breathing the Fire, they banged and had a kid – and that baby’s a burner!”

SKELETONWITCH’s vicious live show and fierce blue-collar ethic have helped to establish the band as torchbearers of today’s metal scene. They have logged countless miles on the road crisscrossing the nation with the likes of Municipal Waste, Job For A Cowboy, Amon Amarth and Dimmu Borgir, and they’ll do so again this fall when they hit the road with Children of Bodom and The Black Dahlia Murder. The band also made high-profile appearances at the 2008 New England Metal and Hardcore Fest, this year’s Scion Rock Fest in Atlanta (along with Mastodon, High on Fire, etc.) and South By Southwest, and were handpicked by Glenn Danzig for his 2008 Blackest of the Black tour.

“White van, black t-shirt: that’s been my life since we started SKELETONWITCH,” adds Hedrick. “We love and live for the road. We’ll play the enormo-dome or we’ll play in your fucking closet – we don’t care as long as we get to play. Being out there on the road and mixing it up with all the metalheads is what it’s all about. We’re all one and the same, and if we weren’t fortunate enough to be on the stage, we’d be right in front of it banging our heads.”

SKELETONWITCH formed in 2003 and self-released their debut full-length, At One With the Shadows, in 2004. In 2006, after several underground tours, the band broke through musically with the self-released EP Worship the Witch (which included a limited, handmade edition by Baroness’ John Baizley). Worship the Witch peaked label interest, and in 2007, the band signed with Prosthetic Records and released Beyond the Permafrost, which received numerous accolades in the U.S. and overseas and landed on many year-end “Best Of” lists including Revolver, Decibel, and Pitchfork. The album also cracked the top ten of the CMJ Loud Rock Chart.

SKELETONWITCH brings together the old and sacred elements of true heavy metal, melts them down, and forges them into a brand new monolith of riffage. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll come out and bang your head when SKELETONWITCH comes to your town. Worship the ‘WITCH!

In 2004, guitarists Chris Letchford and Travis LeVrier moved to Los Angeles to attend the Musicians Institute where they met drummer Pat Skeffington. Several months later, the band was completed with the addition of Jordan Eberhardt, While attending M.I. Chris and Travis also attended a luthier course, where the duo learned to build their own custom guitars. With an unparalleled chemistry, the band easily progressed into a serious affair. At the end of 2006, SCALE THE SUMMIT moved to the Letchford’s home state of Texas (Houston to be specific), where they recorded their self-released debut album, Monument. The result of a great deal of hard work and commitment, the album stood as a testament to the dedication and perseverance of the young quartet and garnered the group international recognition. Magazines such as Kerrang, Rock Sound and Amp heaped praise upon the band while early radio play also helped to bolster their reputation and fan base.

SCALE THE SUMMIT’s influences aren’t the obvious names you’d expect – the band reveres the technicality of Dream Theater and Cynic – but at the same time, Letchford feels the band has taken strides toward developing its own identity. “Our music is very organic-sounding. Since we started writing music, we’ve had people talking about how our music takes them on a journey, so we decided to call it ‘adventure metal.’ It felt better than just calling it ‘progressive metal.’” Soon after signing with Prosthetic Records in 2008, the band began recording its second album, Carving Desert Canyons, New Jersey’s Nuthouse Recording with producer Tom Beaujour. The album taps into the many different musical textures that SCALE THE SUMMIT has mastered. One example is” Glacial Planet,” which submerses itself into everything, from great chord voicings to heavy riffs and melodic structures. Highlighting the overall dynamic scene of the album is “The Great Plains,” while a particular standout for the Letchford is “Dunes,” which he says is “a little different from what we’d normally write, in that it’s slower, heavier and darker.” “The new album has way more dynamics than Monument,” adds Letchford. “The production alone was our biggest concern for this album. On the last CD, we didn’t quite get the production we wanted or enough time in the studio. We were able to spend a lot more time writing Carving Desert Canyons, and I think it shows, with the song writing having matured”. SCALE THE SUMMIT is preparing for their most active year yet. Entering into the next stage of their careers, the band is hoping to tour throughout the entire year to promote their newest release. SCALE THE SUMMIT’s determination to grow can only be rivaled by the love they have for creating music that they are proud of, regardless of fickle trends or genre classifications. “As far as fitting in with modern music,” Letchford says, “I don’t think that we fit in with anybody– at all.”

Formed by vocalist Ash Avildsen and guitarist Tosin Abasi in March 2002, REFLUX didn’t truly become the progressively brutal and melodic band the pair had envisioned until drummer Vinny Vinh and bassist Evan Brewer joined up just as REFLUX were getting interest from labels. Vinh and Brewer not only solidified the lineup with their total commitment to the band, they brought the necessary skills to keep up with Abasi and Avildsen’s challenging technical material which has the musical complexity and savagery of Meshuggah and the melodic intensity of bands like Killswitch Engage and Shadows Fall.

From the beginning, REFLUX‘s diversity and technical expertise has allowed the band to fit right in no matter whether they were opening for Hatebreed, Dying Fetus or Strapping Young Lad. Avildsen expresses his conspiracy-themed lyrics with a vein-popping hardcore roar, and his clean vocals add a melodic dimension to the always bludgeoning sound. Abasi, the architect of massively brutal epics, builds REFLUXs songs from impossibly fast riffs and skittering fills, hammering home his point with huge breakdowns to diffuse the tension. Vinh and Brewer supply the support, keeping a solid, punishing base when Abasi throws in odd time signatures and experimental diversions.
REFLUX‘s Prosthetic Records debut, The Illusion of Democracy is a necessary step forward in the evolution of extreme music. Recorded during a particularly contentious presidential election year, it not only captures the fury and frustration fuelled by a democracy that has derailed in the midst of a controversial war, it successfully unites the visceral passion of hardcore and the vicious attack of death metal with a certain avant-garde virtuosity. Add Avildsen’s consciousness-raising lyrics to the mix and you have a volatile concoction that’s just ready to explode.

The band’s 1997 debut, Imagery, showcased NEURAXIS‘ early death/grind approach while the band’s sound progressed over the course of two self-released promos in the coming years, culminating in 2001’s A Passage Into Forlorn, introducing a more melodic and progressive side of the extreme spectrum to the band’s arsenal. Continuing to evolve and mature yet again with 2002′s Truth Beyond…, NEURAXIS dizzyingly raised the bar yet again in terms of both musicianship and worldwide exposure. Seeing release in Canada through Galy Records, the US through Willowtip and Europe by means of Earache Records, Truth Beyond… was NEURAXIS’ catalyst, leading to several tours across North America and Europe alike, in turn cementing NEURAXIS’ place in the live spectrum as a jaw-droppingly accurate and excitingly-energetic live band.

Continuing down the path of masterful musicianship and intense technicality alongside a keen melodic sheen,NEURAXIS’ 2005 effort, Trilateral Progression, took the band to new heights, gaining NEURAXIS not only critical praise, but notoriety as one of the premiere extreme and technical bands to break out of Canada in recent years. Setting the band apart from their contemporaries and gaining credentials as an articulate model for challenging the technical death metal norms while successfully rejecting the day’s bucking commercial trends, NEURAXISsuccessfully showcased the band’s knack for balancing a majestic sense of melody with go-for-the-throat aggression out on the road. While gaining over 150 live shows to the band’s credit between 2005 and 2007, Live Progression was released through Galy Records to document the achievements, the band’s first-ever live album, which captures NEURAXIS‘ neck-breaking live show after tour experience throughout North America, Europe and Japan.

Now, with the band’s latest foray further delving into technicality and musical finesse, NEURAXIS unleashes The Thin Line Between, the band’s first effort for new home Prosthetic Records. Featuring the studio recording debuts of new vocalist Alex Leblanc and guitarist William Seghers, The The Thin Line Between establishes NEURAXISas a strong contender for the crown of Canada’s next leading technical death metal outfit. Drawing a line and spreading the distance between themselves and their contemporaries, NEURAXIS has written the band’s most brutal and ambitious effort to date without losing that keen sense of melody and the progressive tinge that has given the band its signature sound over the years.

After releasing the Chris Chambers Never Misses EP in 2002, THE MINOR TIMES followed that up with a 2004 release of Making Enemies via Level Plane Records, quickly catching the ears of hardcore diehards across the country, as well as garnering critical praise and ultimately landing a 2005 re-release of the record through Prosthetic Records. Now, with a few more years and an abundance of shows already in the books, THE MINOR TIMES is ready to release Summer of Wolves, an eagerly-awaited release brimming with ferocity and passion that is matched in quantity, and quality, only by the jarring and technical riffs and the unrelenting screams of frontman Brendan McAndrew.

Summer of Wolves showcases creative, unconventional song structures and uncommon ideals as much as it does caustic, pissed off hardcore angst. Showcasing the ability to pace themselves across the record’s length and somehow still pulling off the 8-minute “This Is The Blues” alongside more turbo-charged two- and three-minute anthems like “+ + +” and “Bring In The Suit” and “Firespitter,” THE MINOR TIMES proves that there’s still plenty of room for intelligence, creativity and ingenuity within the confines of an easily pigeonhole-able genre.

Spanning 41 minutes across 11 tracks, Summer of Wolves is a more than worthy follow-up to Making Enemies, sure to keep fans already on the band’s side happy, while still catching newcomers’ ears…and eyes. With detailed artwork and layout from artist Mark Price, mastering from Alan Douches (Shadows Fall, Mastodon, Converge) and a crystal clear recording from returning producer Vince Ratti (A Life Once Lost, Bury Your Dead), Summer of Wolves is a complete package, necessitating a hard copy in the digital age.

After touring for much of the life cycle of the band’s last album, Facing The Thousand, Stormchaser marks the recording debuts of bassist Jon Frost and guitarist Ryan Hansen, the latter of which brings an element of melody and heavy-handed shred to Stormchaser, something critics and fans alike may have been yearning for in past efforts. Joining founding members Ben Murray (drums), and Laura Nichol (vocals), and established guitarist Brian Forbes, the melodious “Fragile Heroes” dances with subtle melody, while “Beginning With Release” showcases the band’s thrash roots alongside Swedish melodeath sensibilities, and initial focus track “Sand And Snow” showcases the tandem duality of melody and aggression that slathers LIGHT THIS CITY with their signature sound.

Joining the Prosthetic roster in early 2005, the band had to initially pass the legal paperwork onto their parents;LIGHT THIS CITY’s then-line-up were still busy passing their days pushing pencils in high school. Now, with four full-lengths and a swath of touring under their belts, Stormchaser shows the maturity and enhanced musicality, that the band has picked up through the rigors of the road and so much written and recorded material in such a short span of time.

Formed in 2002 around a mutual interested in melodic death metal like At The Gates and Carcass as much as the classic recordings of early thrash giants Megadeth and Testament, the band’s impressive debut The Hero Cycle led to a deal with Prosthetic Records shortly thereafter. Next came 2005’s critically-acclaimed Remains of The Gods, which earned the band a spot on Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles’ best of 2005 list, only to be followed up in 2006 by the band’s then-opus, Facing The Thousand, garnering additional critical praise from the likes ofAlternative Press, Revolver, Decibel, Metal Edge, Metal Hammer, and a swath of other like-minded metal press.

With momentum on its side coupled with the impressive musicianship and high-speed intensity on display onFacing The Thousand, LIGHT THIS CITY took the band’s melody-driven death metal sound to the next level, over the course of four years, touring nearly non-stop, eventually leading to appearances at Los Angeles Murderfest 2.0, New England Metal & Hardcore Festival, tours with Darkest Hour, All That Remains, and Vader, among others – effectively securing the band a place in the upper ranks of young upstarts proving their live and recorded worth through hard work and diligence, in addition to the band’s past three musical outings.

While on an early summer run with Death Angel, God Forbid and Soilent Green in 2008, however, the band announced its plans to disband after six years. However, with LIGHT THIS CITY’s – it was then realized – swansong was already recorded with returning producer Zach Ohren (All Shall Perish, Odious Mortem), and featuring guest cameos from Testament’s Chuck Billy as well as The Funeral Pyre’s John Strachan, along with artwork from Kristian Wåhlin (Emperor, Dissection, The Black Dahlia Murder), Stormchaser was showing a more metal sound with more shred and equally matched aggression – paired with the band’s ever-increasing fanbase – deciding for itself that Stormchaser couldn’t simply be shelved, but rather released as a farewell for a band that achieved as much as many of today’s upstarts can only hope to gain.

“We’re extremely excited about signing with Prosthetic and can’t wait to forge new friendships and relationships with them,” says guitarist Ryan Butler. “They’ve been nothing but a blast to work with through the signing process, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for this partnership.”

LANDMINE MARATHON was founded in 2004 by bassist Matt Martinez, drummer Mike Pohlmeier and vocalist Grace Perry, the latter of whom periodically blogs for the website of Revolver magazine. Butler joined in 2006, soon after the release of the band’s debut album Wounded. The following year, the group released a praised split CD/LP with Scarecrow; in its review, All Music Guide wrote that “LANDMINE MARATHON‘s three tracks have more good ideas than most bands’ albums.”

In 2008, the group welcomed guitarist Dylan Thomas and returned to the studio to record Rusted Eyes Awake.Revolver called the album “a gnarling and gnashing blood-caked throwback to 1990, when Napalm Death couldn’t decide if they were going to be grindcore or death metal,” while Lambgoat praises the band’s “pure urgency and grit,” calling the release a blend of “the ferociously thick riffs of Bolt Thrower’s death metal (and) Napalm Death’s blistering grind mentality.”

LANDMINE MARATHON has toured extensively and played locally alongside numerous national acts and the band will continue to tour periodically throughout the year while writing their Prosthetic debut, which they plan to begin recording before year’s end.

…and As The Palaces Burn just might be that soundtrack. One of the most kinetic, technically challenging and unabashedly heavy pieces of music you’re likely to hear, As The Palaces Burn is the soundtrack to the confusion, fear and evil that affects so many of us today. With timing of the release as impeccable as the music, LAMB OF GOD have further elevated their craft and risen to the very top of the extreme metal scene – a scene of which they became a part nearly eight years ago.

This doesn’t happen by accident, of course. LAMB OF GOD embody the most essential qualities of a successful band: impeccable skill, a tireless work ethic and, perhaps most importantly, character. Hailed as the heroes of new American metal by legions of fans across the country, LAMB OF GOD have taken influences from bands like Slayer, Pantera and Sepultura and injected a contemporary extreme music aesthetic to create an unmistakable signature sound. With one of the most charismatic frontmen in rock and four awe-inspiring players behind him,LAMB OF GOD have mastered a sophisticated sound that transcends genres and can be appreciated by any open-minded music fan.

In their salad days in Richmond, VA, LAMB OF GOD members Morton, singer Randy Blythe, bassist John Campbell and drummer Chris Adler operated under the moniker BURN THE PRIEST. After releasing their self-titled album, a split 7″, and a split EP with Agents Of Satan, the band changed their name to LAMB OF GOD, added guitarist Will Adler (brother of Chris Adler) and signed to Prosthetic Records.

Armed with a new name, new label and ten devastating new songs, the band teamed up with producer Steve Austin (Converge, Today Is The Day, Unsane) to create their debut, New American Gospel – a sonically pummeling album that became one of the best-received independent metal albums ever recorded. The success of the album landed the band on MTV, Much Music, DC Shoes commercials, and Fox Sports Net, in addition to some of the hottest tours of the past three years, including runs with Cannibal Corpse, Mushroomhead, GWAR, Six Feet Under, Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall and Amen.

Praise for the band reached a crescendo when Revolver magazine listed New American Gospel as one of the “69 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums Of All Time” in its September/October 2002 issue. With expectations for their new material threatening to burst through the ceiling, the quintet entered the studio with producer Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad, Soilwork, Stuck Mojo) and met the challenge with all guns blazing. As The Palaces Burndelivers the violent blend of thrash, death metal and groove their fans have come to expect, but is poised to blow a new set of minds with the infusion of more melody. The album also features guest performances by former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland, Today Is The Day frontman and New American Gospel producer Steve Austin, and Strapping Young Lad frontman/guitarist and producer Devin Townsend.

“We approached this record with a more conceptual and song oriented focus, rather than just stringing riffs together,” says Morton. “It’s more of a cohesive piece – another step in our evolution.”

Eight years of rock and roll have paid off in spades for LAMB OF GOD. Two names, three albums and countless shows – grinding days in the studio, endless hours in the van and ferocious nights on stage - LAMB OF GOD are re-defining American metal with each move.

Laura Pleasants, who, along with Phillip Cope, provides KYLESA’s dual-guitar and vocal onslaught, said that Static Tensions marks not only the next phase in the band’s musical progression, but is by far KYLESA’s finest and most experimental effort to date. And that would make sense, seeing as Kylesa’s been at it since 2001, and has experienced frequent lineup shifts over the years. Pleasants, who joins Cope as the band’s sole remaining founding member, feels like the band has truly found its thunder.

“From the first record until the most recent record, my musical influences have changed a bit, and I’ve become a better guitar player,” Pleasants said. “We write better together than we did when we first started, and I feel like we’re a more cohesive unit now. I put a lot of personal pressure on myself, perhaps more so than maybe some of the previous records, because I was more creatively excited about what I wanted to do, and I knew we were going to have more time in the studio than we’ve ever had before. I think that with Time Will Fuse Its Worth (2006), we were really close, but we didn’t quite get it. I think we got it with this record.”

“It was definitely a lot more thought out,” Cope offered. “We have the hindsight of some of the mistakes we’ve made in the past, so we were trying to avoid making them again on this record. I think we came away from the experience with our best stuff yet.”

Produced by Cope, Static Tensions was tracked at the Jam Room in Columbia, S.C. In order to make the best use of their time, the band utilized two studios simultaneously, at times recording the drum parts of both Carl McGinely and Eric Hernandez. It also provided Pleasants with more time to experiment with guitar parts. “All of our records sound pretty different, but with the same core vibe or sound, and I think this new record has our core KYLESAsound, but branches out even more to incorporate more of our rock and psychedelic influences,” Pleasants explained.

Cope credits Pleasants with expanding on the psychedelic on the new record, but said he wanted to make an album of more accessible songs. “I didn’t want to make the songs too longwinded or too crazy,” Cope said. “I wanted to rein it in and leave the listener with something they could hum along to. We’re not trying to be a pop band by any means but I think you can write memorable riffs. You can write a guitar line or a vocal line that stays with you, instead of going in one ear and out the other. I wanted to write a record that had a lasting impression.”

Like any band, since their formation, KYLESA’s had its ups and downs. At one point, after the death of KYLESA’s original bassist, Brian Duke, Pleasants said the band nearly called it quits. Born after several months of jamming,KYLESA wrote and recorded its eponymous debut with Duke, who unexpectedly died in his sleep a few days afterKYLESA’s first live gig.

“After that, we weren’t really sure we were going to continue,” Pleasants said. “He was our good friend, and it was devastating. We just put the band on hold at that point but we had already recorded the first record, so we decided we wanted to put it out because Brian was our good friend and he was really happy and stoked on the band. So, we put it out and decided six months later that we would continue.”

Now, after successful tours with Torche, High on Fire, Baroness and Genghis Tron, a late winter Japanese road trip, and U.S. treks planned for this spring with Skeletonwitch, The Haunted, Intronaut and Nachtmystium, KYLESA– feeling strong, and sounding tighter than they ever have before – are preparing for what will be a busy 2009. But while KYLESA have found their voice, they’re not exactly sure what to call it. “I’m at the point now where I really don’t care,” Cope joked. “People can call us whatever they want. Personally, I just play what I want to play, whatever it may be stylistically, and I’m not at all concerned about what other people want to tag us.”

“I think there are metal elements to KYLESA, for sure, but we draw from so many different influences, especially with this new record,” Pleasants added. “We’re a little bit metal, a little bit rock, a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I guess it depends on who you ask. I think in terms of song structure and tones, we down-tune so much that it is super heavy, so it has more of a traditional death metal tuning to it. As far as the writing and the song structures, it’s more rock-based, with melodic and psychedelic influences as well.”

Having already shared the stage with Malevolent Creation, Deeds of Flesh, Vile, and Impaled among others,INFERNAEON hit Home Land Studios in late 2006 to record the band’s debut, A Symphony of Suffering. Featuring guest screams from Ben Falgoust (Soilent Green, Goatwhore) on “The Oracle of Armageddon” and Keith DeVito (Obituary, Suffocation, Catastrophic) commanding the dead to rise on “March of Death,” A Symphony of Suffering boasts skillful musicianship alongside a mastering job from death metal legend Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal, ex-Morbid Angel) and Werner’s own vocal-spewing style pushing the boundaries of extreme vocals. On “Sleeping God” alone, Werner holds a one-breath scream for an unheard of 40 full seconds while his unrelenting band mates rage on.

A Symphony of Suffering itself houses a closing concept-driven trilogy, “The Oracle of Armageddon.” Beginning with Falgoust’s unholy vocals, the song weaves a tale of an oracle with powers to see the future through the eyes of the dying, leading to bloody wars in order to continue amassing power. “March of Death” continues on to tell of the oracle’s victims returning to life only to wage a retaliatory attack on the armies of their prophesying killer. “A.I.D.S.” – standing for Annihilating the Inner Decay of Species – wraps up the climactic saga with the dead eradicating the land of the living across the globe, believing that once everyone has returned from the dead, death cannot exist in the world.

Needless to say, the music housed within A Symphony of Suffering stands alone and INFERNAEON knows what it takes to initially set the standard, only to raise the bar higher yet again with each assault. With the determination, loyalty – and most importantly – the heart to make sacrifices result in success, INFERNAEON is poised to stir up waves in the extreme underground one step at a time.

From the straight, galloping metal attack of “Sabbat” to the nearly 12-minute brooding and brewing “Peripherals” and the progressive juxtaposition of the focus track, “Thujon,” HOLLOW CORP. intriguingly melds a host of metal styles together that one may not first think conceivable. But, much like fellow, like-minded countrymen Gojira,HOLLOW CORP. manages to pull off a sound both progressive and pummeling without feeling standoffish. All the while, the breadth of Cloister of Radiance is both epic in scope and monstrous in sound, progressively roping in a wide array of sounds and subgenres, yielding a metallic outing with three songs over the eight-minute mark and nearly as many metal genres within its grasp.

Engineered and mixed in Switzerland with Julien Fehlmann and mastered in Sweden at Tonteknik Studio (In Flames, Entombed, Refused) by Magnus Lindberg and Pelle Henriccson, the initial, European release of Cloister of Radiance led to the production of a promotional video for the eight-minute album-closer “Thujon” with The 7th Eye (7e Oeil) production studio. Edited down to four-minutes and featuring eerie imagery, dusky atmosphere and the band’s intense, pummeling performance footage, the clip only begins to succumb to the culture of Cloister of Radiance, only beginning to illustrate HOLLOW CORP.’s unique vision on extreme music.

A feat better left to a straight-through experience with Cloister of Radiance’s nearly 60 minutes of music over the course of eight tracks, summing up the vision of HOLLOW CORP.’s music might best be ingested as a whole. Wholly original and feverishly fresh, Cloister of Radiance’s North American release will expose hordes of metalheads to a progressive sound entirely HOLLOW CORP.’s own, a sound, arguably, yet to be experienced on this side of the Atlantic.

The Japanese quartet, who calls their kamikaze brand of thrash “samurai crunch,” first made an international splash with their 2005 debut, A Mounting Crisis…As Their Fury Got Released (reissued worldwide by Prosthetic in early 2008). Worship should garner the band even more acclaim, thanks in part to a sharp production that was mastered by Ted Jensen of New York’s legendary Sterling Sound, who has previously put the final touches on works by acts ranging from Kiss to Kreator.

Worship — a 10-track, 44-minute thrash tsunami whose highlights include the infectious gallop of “Disorder,” the breakneck “Revolt” and the headbanging-friendly riff of the title track — also features a contribution by one other notable individual: Korn lead guitarist Shane Gibson, who performs a blistering solo on the song “Into The Void.”

So how did a member of one of the biggest metal bands in the world — nu, true or otherwise — end up jamming with a comparatively obscure, retro-minded group from The Land of the Rising Sun? Vocalist/bassist/lyricist Manabu Hirose, who also recorded, engineered, produced and mixed Worship, explains it was quite easy: “Since Ken (Sato, GRIEF OF WAR’s lead guitarist) likes shredding guitarists, and he knew Shane would come to Japan while we were recording, he made contact with Shane and asked him to play on the album. We sent him the demo of ‘Into The Void,’ he liked the song and we welcomed him to the studio when he visited Japan.”

Big-name cameos aside, one listen to Worship proves that while GRIEF OF WAR is 25 years and one ocean removed from the heyday of the Bay Area thrash scene, its influence is stronger than ever. Banzai!

Originally dubbed Godzilla, after the scaly, green film star with an equally huge reputation as the newfound band’s sound, the brothers Duplantier – guitarist/vocalist Joe and drummer Mario – and fellow Frenchmen Michel Labadie on bass and Christian Andreu on guitar, quickly released several demos, ultimately changing the band’s name and independently releasing the first GOJIRA album, Terra Incognita, in 2001, offering up a brief glimpse into the giant GOJIRA would eventually become through persistent hard work and years of toiling in the metal underground.

After the 2003 release of the band’s follow-up, The Link, throughout Europe and the subsequent live DVD release the next year, of the aptly-titled The Like Alive, 2005 brought the release of From Mars To Sirius, the band’s breakthrough release, garnering high praise and a North American release through Prosthetic Records in 2006. Fans of not only heavy, extreme music took notice, but so did the intellectual world, thanks to Sirius’ thoughtful and expansive inner examination of the world at hand and the consequences of humanity’s struggle to coexist without harm. The metal world was amused and amazed: much of it hadn’t yet seen an equally intelligent and pummelingly heavy release that was as expansive and open as it was dense and concise.

Following the immense praise of From Mars To Sirius and recurring trips across the Atlantic for North American touring alongside the likes of Lamb of God, Children of Bodom, and Behemoth among others, GOJIRA established its stranglehold on the extreme metal spectrum with a linguist’s touch, a lyricist’s finesse, and a crushingly heavy live show that left audiences astounded, establishing the band’s live performance as a spot-on recreation of the band’s increasingly adept and intelligent studio output.

While 2007 wrapped with GOJIRA again touring North America on the Radio Rebellion Tour alongside Behemoth to the best reaction yet, the dawn of 2008 saw a nearly 10 month wait for while the band assembled The Way of All Flesh, one of the year’s most anticipated records. This time revolving around the undeniable dilemma of a mortal demise, GOJIRA’s soundtrack to the situation seems fitting. Shifting ever-so-slightly from the eco-friendly orchestra of impending doom on From Mars To Sirius to the band’s new message of the equally uncontrollable inevitability of death, The Way of All Flesh melds the open and airy progressive passages GOJIRA has become famous for with the sonically dense sounds and bludgeoningly heavy rhythms that makes the band an equally intelligent force as it is unmatchably heavy.

Featuring a guest vocal spot on “Adoration For None” from Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe – one of GOJIRA’s most vocal supporters from their first moment making an impression in the Americas – and the now familiar Morbid Angel-isms of TThe Way of All Flesh’s title track join the angular riffing more akin to Meshuggah on “Esoteric Surgery” and the epic, artful plodding of the nearly 10-minute “The Art of Dying,” showing that GOJIRA have indeed opened a new bag of tricks for The Way of All Flesh, while not abandoning the sound that first showed a massive promise of potential on Sirius.

“It’s more inventive than From Mars To Sirius and at the same time more straight to the point,” GOJIRA frontman Joe Duplantier says of The Way of All Flesh. “The whole album is about death, death is like a step on the path of the soul. The mystery surrounding this phenomenon is just so inspiring, and death is the most common thing on earth.”

“This album is also a ‘requiem’ for our planet,” Duplantier continues. “We don’t want to be negative or cynical about the fate of humanity, but the situation on Earth is growing critical, and the way humans behave is so catastrophic that we really need to express our exasperation about it. It’s not fear, but anger. But we still believe that consciousness can make a difference and that we can change things as human beings.”

Two things are different for The Funeral Pyre. It really is the band’s best work yet and despite the occasional, misjudged consensuses, the band’s been hard at work honing this sound for what panned out to be Vultures At Dawn, even since its inception in 2001. Plus, it’s hardly been a year, let alone two, between an EP, split, or full-length for these Southern California scumbags.

Drawing inspiration from Gorgoroth, Dawn, Dissection, Beherit, and — somehow — the SoCal hardcore scene they grew up in alike, the band’s newfound focus might be partially because guitarist Justin Garcia is back in the fold. It might be guitarist James Joyce’s newfound experimentation beyond the boundaries of what’s ‘supposed to be’ in metal’s most esoteric subgenre. Or it might be drummer Alex Hernandez’s double bass rolls that seem unrelenting, at least until he slows it down. Maybe it’s also vocalist John Strachan’s poetic lyrics by way of throat-searing rasp, or maybe it’s bassist Adam Campbell’s chance to not only play with his fellow founding members, but to also record the record at his own Awkward Studios.

Throw all that into a pot, send it over to Ryan Butler at Arcane Digital and call it a day.

The fourth full-length, and third for Prosthetic Records, amidst a myriad of DIY splits, EPs, and self-booked tours, Vultures At Dawn sees the band mix their blend of Swedish and Norwegian influences into 44 minutes of music that hits the nodes of doom and thrash, but still stays black metal. Sure, it may be a contradiction on paper, but over Vultures’ eight tracks, the band has penned two songs past the seven-minute mark, and two of their, arguably (but not really), fastest songs yet. Whatever it is that the band has done over its tenure, it’s turned out to beyond any of The Funeral Pyre’s expectations, either in 2010, or in the band’s inception.

In a place known for money-grubbing gold diggers, fancy cars — and a knack for breeding bands like Atreyu, Avenged Sevenfold, and Bleeding Through — The Funeral Pyre has somehow found inspiration in European black metal, do-it-yourself tendencies, and the almighty riff. In this day and age, when has a little hard work and a sick riff ever hurt?

Forming in 1996, THE ESOTERIC are a shining example of the determination, diehard work ethic and do-it-yourself values so characteristic of the band’s Midwestern roots. Using those traits to turn tragedy into opportunity and setbacks into starting blocks, the band has rebounded on numerous occasions and are continuing to trudge on towards greener lands and greater exposure.

For example, the band’s house burned to the ground in February of 2005, leaving THE ESOTERIC with virtually nothing on the very morning the master CD for the band’s album, With the Sureness of Sleepwalking, arrived in the mail. Fitting almost, as the band embarked on what would be a non-stop whirlwind touring schedule in support ofSleepwalking just a week later with friends Nodes of Ranvier, followed by tours with The Acacia Strain, Since The Flood, LoveHateHero and Secret Lives.

April 2005 then saw the release of Sleepwalking and the acclaimed “Ram-Faced Boy” music video. Directed by Matt Bass (Linkin Park, Rasputina) for Factory Features, the video garnered immediate attention at both MTV2 and Fuse and set the stage for an appearance at the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival, a summer tour with Himsa and a leg on the esteemed Vans Warped Tour.

The band continued to stay on the road through the fall and into winter with such diverse acts as Every Time I Die, High On Fire, The Red Chord, boysetsfire, and From Autumn To Ashes before taking a small break to shoot their second video, for “Your New Burden” in early 2006. Following that up with co-headlining tour across America with Scarlet, Calico System and Fight Paris, and headlining run with Mouth of the Architect, THE ESOTERIC have assembled all the building blocks necessary to lead to Subverter, the band’s newest foray into untapped mediums of metal.

With a genre-defying stab at modern conventions, THE ESOTERIC provide a feral glimpse into the future of music and bring the attack on the modern state of rock music with their unique grasp of song craft and a live performance that MUST be seen to truly be experienced. With Subverter well in-tow and the band continuing to test and defy conventional rules of abrasive music, now is the time for THE ESOTERIC to make its presence be known, continuing to rewrite typical guidelines for metal music and winning over fans on the live circuit.