Rebel Extravaganza

Heavy Metal And Other Occasional Musics And Cultures

Short Sharp Shocks

Auditory Anguish – AFA [EP]

The title track is a perfect intro to AFA, bargain basement Roots-era SEPULTURA aping as it is, while ‘Chained In A Hole’ is rife with jumpdafucup bro-core, the likes of what you’d hear from the band that goes on first at a HATEBREED show, and you just know there are five bands left before you get to be bored by Jasta and his boyos. ‘Clementine’ is Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. dreck with some silly-ass backmasking at the end, and ‘Tierra Santa’ is – I cannot believe I’m about to say this – even worse because it tries and fails so […]

Music News

Imperial Triumphant announce Merkurius Gilded— a powerful new graphic novel experience

A 96-page, full color book written by guitarist Zachary Ezrin and illustrated by Halil Mete Incoming December 5, 2025 on Vile Luxe Press [Pre-Order] New York City Avant-death trio IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT have announced Merkurius Gilded, a 96-page softcover graphic novel that explores the band’s themes, lyrics and artwork. Written by Imperial Triumphant’s Zachary Ezrin and illustrated by Halil Mete, the book will be released December 5th on the band’s own Vile Luxe Press and is available for pre-order here. All preorders will come with an exclusive Caduceus gold patch in addition to the book. IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT’s Zachary Ezrin comments: “This […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Sacred Leather – Keep The Fire Burning

‘Resurrection’ flows naturally into ‘Spitfire At Night’, which is rife with dual leads, snapmare rhythms, and the Turbin / early Belladonna delivery of vocalist Dee Wrathchild. Come to think, at the start this one shares a bit too much shade with ‘Deathrider’ for comfort; however, to the quintet’s credit, by the end we’re being fricasseed in the fiery blaze of SACRED LEATHER’s second go-round, and it’s getting hot in here. ‘Phantom Highway (Hell Is Comin’ Down)’ is divebomb after divebomb, dual lead after dual lead, and done well, Messrs. Owens & St. Michaels flying o’er the nightside streaker freeway, swooping […]

Music News

NEMOROUS Announce New Album – What Remains When Hope Has Failed

The wait for the full-length follow-up to the promising debut EP from England’s NEMOROUS is nearly over! Four years after the debut EP, the band has finally returned with a six-track atmospheric black metal experience titled What Remains When Hope Has Failed. Listen to the album teaser HERE Bindrune Records will release What Remains When Hope Has Failed on CD, vinyl and digital formats on November 21. What Remains When Hope Has Failed Tracklist: 1) The Wyrm at World’s End 2) This Rotten Bough 3) Sky Avalanche 4) Quiescence 5) Bereft Part 2 6) What Remains When Hope Has Failed […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Withering Soul – Passage Of The Arcane

The best kept secret in Chicago metal is WITHERING SOUL. These guys should be mentioned in the same breath as CIANIDE, CARDIAC ARREST, USURPER and Chi-town’s other masters of the extreme. But instead there is silence. The band’s last album, Last Contact, was a Top Ten effort in 2021. And if anything, they’ve gotten even better with Passage Of The Arcane. They are masters of blackened death metal (or deathly black, take your pick),delivering true epics full of pounding aggression but also dense melodies and complex arrangements. They don’t really have that much in common with the other Chicago bands […]

Music News

PILE OF KNIVES: No Clean Singing Premieres Pummeling ‘Laceration’ Video From Eastern Pennsylvania Death Metal/Slam Outfit; Second EP, Driven By The Blade, Nears October 31st Release

“The slamming grooves are primitive but also the stuff of modern mechanized weaponry.” – No Clean Singing No Clean Singing is hosting the exclusive video premiere for ‘Laceration’, from Eastern Pennsylvania-based brutal death metal faction PILE OF KNIVES, preceding the Halloween release of the band’s second EP, Driven By The Blade. PILE OF KNIVES’ Driven By The Blade takes the band’s calculated viciousness to further levels of intensity, delivering four new tracks of simply merciless, slamming death. Recorded, mixed, mastered, and produced by Shaun Werle – with the drums recorded at Soundmine Recording Studio – Driven By The Blade was […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Binah – Ónkos

BINAH’s never been one to shy away from lengthy explorations within its limited number of releases, – half of the actual songs found on 2012’s Hallucinating In Resurrecture debut passing the 7-minute mark – but when the band waited seven years after Phobiate to return with Ónkos, I knew we had something potentially intriguing on our hands. Composed of two pieces, each extending past 20 minutes, it’s obvious the band wants us to immerse ourselves in this experience, and thus, headphones ‘round my earholes, I began to ascend ‘Mount Morphine’. With two synth players in the ranks, and over a […]

Music News

WOLFTOOTH: new anthem ‘Darkened Path’ available

US heavy metal mavens WOLFTOOTH release their fierce and blistering new single ‘Darkened Path’, taken from their anticipated fourth studio album, Wizard’s Light, on Ripple Music. About ‘Darkened Path’, guitarist and vocalist Chris Sullivan explains: “‘Darkened Path’ is somewhat of a departure from our mythical past. This song delves deeper into my personal life. One subject I rarely write about for various reasons. This departure wasn’t a conscious one, this song just felt right for these words. The song is loosely based on my mother, who has always had my best intentions in mind. I feel she has helped to […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Denial Of Life – Witness The Power [EP]

Look at the cover of DENIAL OF LIFE’s Witness The Power EP and can someone please tell me why basically a mash-up of two of the most recognizable album covers of one of the most recognizable bands in the history of metal seemed like a great idea? And thus, armed (or footed) with monkey boots and a length of chain, did I step boldly forward to wage unholy war against such flagrant abuse of…wait, I never really even liked SLAYER that much anyway, and – aside from the album after Those Two, for all I know or care, they more […]

Music News

Actor/Horror Icon COURTNEY GAINS Announces New Single – ‘Fear The Boogie’

Musician, actor, and celebrated horror icon COURTNEY GAINS, most known for his role as Malachai in the 1984 horror classic Children Of The Corn, will release a brand new song this Halloween. A hook-laden heavy rock horror anthem, ‘Fear The Boogie’ is a collaboration between Gains and Peruvian guitarist/producer Wal. The song was written for the soundtrack to Barn III, an upcoming horror film starring Gains and Kelly Maroney (Fast Times Tt Ridgemont High). Drums on the track were recorded by Toni Mateos (www.tonimateos.com), an accomplished session drummer with credits spanning rock, pop, and film music. Gains and Wal previously […]

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