Portland’s celestial space sludge trio, PRIZEHOG this week celebrates the release of their mammoth third full-length as outsider horde, Eolian Empire, unveils the supernova of creativity that is Re-Unvent the Whool. Stated The Obelisk, an underground metal haven online, “The bass-less trio – you’ll note no lack of low end in the record – run a spectrum of effects-laden churning, mashing together bright ambient echoes and deep, dank tonality. I wouldn’t be the first person to compare them to the Melvins, but that doesn’t really do complete justice to the psychedelic side of their sound, which shows up quickly,”  

A new slab of metallic goodness is about to drop on Tuesday March 4th! This one is made of chugging goodness, chainsaws, spiked hammers masquerading as drum pedals, and barbed wire liberally sown into a man’s throat to scrape all that is human from his guttural voice! I am, of course, talking about the new Metallica/My Little Pony collab! Of course I’m not! I kid… if only though… Just imagine Hetfield and Ulrich prancing in neon colored horse outfits!  

In support of ABORTED’s upcoming studio album “The Necrotic Manifesto” – to be out in North America on April 29 – Century Media Records are announcing the release of the special 7inch EP, “Scriptures Of The Dead”. This EP is worldwide limited to only 500 copies and will exclusively be offered on ABORTED’s upcoming North American tour (see tour dates below). Side A of “Scriptures Of The Dead” includes the title track of the new album while side B offers a ferocious cover version of SEPULTURA’s classic tune “Arise”. This track is not going to be offered on any other physical format.  

German based rockers in MEGAHERZ have announced their signing to the Austrian Powerhouse label Napalm Records! Following their highly lauded break through album Kopfschuss and subsequent critically acclaimed releases, the band is currently working on a new album, to be released this fall on Napalm Records  

Portland sludge bringers, STONEBURNER, today reveal their first audiovisual insight into the sounds that propel their forthcoming full-length, Life Drawing. Who better to visualize their desolate, down-tuned blues than Kenneth Thomas, director of Blood, Sweat & Vinyl, the captivating documentary about independent music, as told through the eyes of some forward thinking labels, including Neurot Recordings, home of STONEBURNER.  

Taking influence from bands like TESTAMENT, FORBIDDEN, ARTILLERY, EVILE, and BLIND GUARDIAN, the albums boasts classic 90’s thrash metal guitar riffs with speedy double-bass drums and harsh yet melodic vocals with no keyboards, drum samples or re-amped guitars! Just tough, honest, and pure metal!  

Salvation Of Innocents, the epic new album from EARTH CRISIS, is nearing release worldwide, its street date for North America now slated for March 18th.  

BATTLECROSS, who just returned home from a very successful tour in Europe (the band’s first) playing with Killswitch Engage, Trivium, and Miss May I, are set to hit the road in the States this weekend on the US tour featuring Protest the Hero, The Safety Fire, Intervals, and Night Verses. The first date of the tour is in Buffalo, NY on Saturday, March 1 and wraps up in Amityville, NY on April 6.  

Sorry for the lateness, but this is a very important announcement: Shredaholica band Exmortus has released an official video for “Foe Hammer“, through Prosthetic Records, from the newest album Slave to the Sword!  

Today, the volume pushers at This Is Not A Scene vomit forth another helping of auditory punishment from Swiss death metal tyrants, NEAR DEATH CONDITION. Titled “Evolving Towards Extinction,” the latest requiem of revulsion comes by way of the band’s upcoming new full-length of the same name. Set to detonate next month via technical death metal empire, Unique Leader Records, Evolving Towards Extinction was mixed at renowned Hertz Studios (Vader, Hate, Dead Infection, Vesania etc.) in Poland, mastered at Iguana Studios in Germany, and boasts eleven imposing tracks of hypnotic drum gymnastics, demented riff structures, oppressive atmospheres and calloused vocal incursions. Dark, acrimonious and wholly... 

Baltimore-based duo, DARSOMBRA, is about to embark on the most extensive tour excursion in the band’s history, beginning tomorrow, February 28th in Richmond, Virginia.  

NOLA riff lords CROWBAR will release an all new full length album entitled “Symmetry in Black” on May 27, 2014. The album will be released in Europe on May 26, 2014 via Century Media Records. Founding vocalist Kirk Windstein provides the following comment,