Round Eye, the experimental, sax wielding, freak punk outfit have accrued a loud and controversial name for themselves since forming in 2012. The Shanghai based group have as of late been a crucial force in bridging a wide gap between the eastern and western hemispheres of DIY punk rock.  

There’s seldom an album I listen to where I immediately love it. Granted, I like a lot of music. “Like” being the emphasis;  I like At the Gates. I love Insomnium, I like Darkthrone. I love Emperor. Even then, I’m generally only listening to the album that I love in my spare time the artist rather than trying to convince myself to love a different album by them. I’m picky about what I love. With that logic in mind, Yob’s Our Raw Heart is a stupendous, if not transcendent album that I loved from the get-go. Three minutes into the ten minute minute opening track and it was immediatey obvious that this album was on another level, entirely separate from the rest of the pack. There’s a lot of hype... 

Metal Blade Records is proud to welcome Killswitch Engage to its roster! Partnering with Sony Music Entertainment outside of North America, the band will be releasing their upcoming album in 2019 worldwide. Metal Blade’s CEO/founder Brian Slagel comments: “I have been a huge fan and friend of Killswitch for a long time, so it is truly an honor to be able to work with them. So happy to welcome them to the Metal Blade family.” Jesse Leach (vocals): “I’m beyond stoked to sign with the legendary Metal Blade Records and Columbia/Sony Music. It’s clear they truly understand and believe in what we do as a band, and we’re psyched to have them on our side. It’s an exciting new... 

Sci-Fi inspired, progressive metal band LIVING MACHINES has released the official music video for “Valkyrie VOL 2,” off of the Declassified Booster Pack for their debut LP, I: After Onyx.  

Enuff Z’nuff are the living, breathing example of what a rock ‘n roll group should be. Now centered around bass player and vocalist Chip Z’nuff, Enuff Z’nuff are still alive and kicking with a legion of loyal fans, who can’t get enough of the band’s power pop melded with hard rock stylings. They have proven this once again with the release of their upcoming album “Diamond Boy” which is set for an August 10th release via Frontiers Music Srl.  

Platinum-selling alternative band BLUE OCTOBER have announced their long-awaited ninth studio album I Hope You’re Happy (Release date: August 17, 2018; Up/Down-Brando Records). One track will be released on the 17th of each month leading up to the August 17th release date of the album.  

Marvel is excited to celebrate CAPAIN AMERICA #1 from Ta-Nehisi Coates and Leinil Yu with a new, hidden gem variant cover from superstar artist Mike Zeck!  

This tour needs no introduction. You know what it is. In what can only be described as the biggest metal tour in the past few years, Slayer know how to announce their end in nothing short of the greatest of ways. Combining forces with Testament, Behemoth, Anthrax, and Lamb of God, there was no stopping this tour from being the stuff of legends. You knew it was going to be amazing, and actually witnessing it all happen within six hours was a major feat. Like Iron Maiden’s World Slavery Tour,  this one is for the books.  

I’ve become somewhat lost with progressive and technical death metal in recent years. Not that the genre has grown stale, but rather that my interests have been directed elsewhere while the two grew and prospered. Around 2015 is when I fell off the wagon, but through the early years of the decade I was all about the techically-inclined bands of that time. Burial in the Sky makes me nostalgic for that point in my life, but granted it’s probably not worth visiting those albums again because I’m quite certain Burial in the Sky are far more impressive to me today than what caught my attention back then.  

Having just completed a European headlining tour, modern thrash metal trailblazers HAVOK will continue to promote their latest album, Conformicide by announcing their upcoming North American Summer headlining tour with support from Jungle Rot and Extinction A.D.  The tour also includes four dates with Havok supporting Suicidal Tendencies.  This continues an already impressive touring year for the group which kicked off the year on a massive tour all over North America with Killswitch Engage and Anthrax.  

Oakland’s EXTREMITY will issue their proper debut full-length, Coffin Birth, via 20 Buck Spin in July, the label dispatching the album’s maiden single, “Grave Mistake,” alongside preorders and details on the record.  

The Las Vegas-based doom metal quartet DEMON LUNG – who Pitchfork says “harken back to the arching lurch of classic Candlemass and the distortion-caked tones of Electric Wizard” – have released a lyric video for their haunting and powerful rendition of the Danzig classic “How The Gods Kill.”