Author: Mason Beard

Read this review of Destroy the Runner's Void

Today, I’m doing something a little different. These bands are bands that people should know and that are on the rise. Check them out! And here you go! 5. Saints Can Lie Metalcore acts have become very common in the United States. But Saints Can Lie seem to be doing something sort of fresh. The band formed in 2012 with the original lineup of brothers Vocalist Jake and Guitarist/Pianist Hunter Shaw, Guitarist John McDonough and Drummer Bryce Garland. The band comes from Texas, home to many amazing metal bands including Pantera and The Famine.… Continued →

The slamming brutal death (UnDead) metal band, Abated Mass of Flesh has announced their sophomore album, Lacerated. The band formed in 2011 as a solo project of Zach Plunkett (Guitars). Zach later added his brother, Matthew Plunkett on Vocals, Logan Hayworth on Bass and Kade Dodson (ex-Tony Danza Tapdance Extravagaza) on Drums. Hayworth and Dodson quit the band and were replaced by Max Tubville (O Majestic Winter) and Riley Wingate, as well as Thomas Wingate on Rhythm Guitars. The band has released five EPs, The Omen King (released via Rottweiler Records) and a Live EP.… Continued →

Revulsed has announced that they have started to work on their sophomore album. For those who don’t know, Revulsed in a band that drummer Jayson Sherlock, formerly of Mortification, Paramaecium, Inexordium, Horde, Deliverance, and Altera Enigma, and guitarist Sheldon D’Costa, formerly on InExordium, formed as a way to still do music. The duo hired on Konni Lühring of Defeated Sanity and formerly of Despondency, to do vocals for the album. After the album was recorded, the band was starting to play shows and due to Konni living in Europe and the others in Australia, Konni parted with the band.… Continued →

Here’s another one of those lists I’ve been working on. Primarily, the reoccurring genre this time ’round are in the ‘core genre. Hope you enjoy! 5. A Thousand Times Repent Deathcore, as of late, has been extremely popular, especially with the last 4-5 years. If you want some good Christian deathcore, go listen to A Thousand Times Repent, as well as the Christian deathcore comps on Bandcamp. But back to the topic at hand. The band formed in 2006 as a sixpiece, one vocalist, one drummer, one bassist, and three guitarists.… Continued →

PA Metalcore act Zao are at it again. With their 11th album, The Well-Intentioned Virus to be released on December 9, 2016, the band has decided to give everyone a preview of the album. The album can be streamed here. The band has been hyping this album up since 2014 or so. The band even released some music in 2015. The Xenophobe EP is available for purchase below. … Continued →

Scoop Roberts, Guitarist of the band Spoken, has announced his departure from the band. Roberts has only been featured on Breathe Inside and their new upcoming album, set to be released in 2017. The band now will only consist of Vocalist Matt Baird, the only remaining original member. The band is going on this tour and then working on their new album, which Roberts will be featured on. … Continued →

Slechtvalk, the black metal band from the Netherlands, has some new music to offer. After two years of work, (yes it was two years), the band has finally released a lyric video for their song “We Are”. It’s fast, brutal and has some of the best quality for black metal I’ve heard yet! The album, titled Where Wandering Shadows and Mists Collide, will be released in December 2016. Enjoy! … Continued →

The Extreme hybrid metal, Death Requisite, have released their sophomore album, Revisitation, through Rottweiler Records. The band started in 1999 with original guitarist Dave Blackmore. The band released two EPs and their debut album before going on a permanent hiatus. In 2010, the band resurfaced with a new lineup, with the band’s two consistent members. The band’s current lineup includes, Blackmore, William Lee (Drums), Joseph Moria (Guitars), and Vincent St. James (Vocals). The bass position has been revolving as of late, with Bassist RTJ seeming to have left, and Blackmore’s son Gabriel taking over that position.… Continued →

On November 23, 2016, Metal Hammer wrote an article about the top 10 essential Christian metal albums. I agreed for the most part with their list. But there were a few that I thought, “why would you pick those albums?” Read the article, and comment what albums you would vote as the Top 10 essentials and then, maybe, we’ll do an article on it, with an average of your votes. I know that I would vote Living Sacrifice’s Reborn rather than probably any other album on their list.… Continued →

Read this review for Fit For A King's new album "Deathgrip"

The melodic hardcore band Conveyer has started to work on their third studio album. After the release of their Victory Records debut, When Given Time to Grow, the band has spent the last year touring, playing countless shows with countless bands, including Colossus, Comrades, Ghost Key, and many more. Recently, the band put out a post on their Instagram page stating they were hard work on their third album. The band will release more information soon I’m sure. Be prepared for that!… Continued →

Today, I am posting a list of Christian Metal bands from the old days that aren’t mentioned very often when talking about Christian metal. Most of them tend to be Nu-metal, ironically, even though the 90’s was the time for Nu-Metal/Rapcore. 5. Oficina G3 Oficina G3 is a Christian prog metal act from the late 80’s. Forming in 1987, the band began as a heavy metal/hard rock band, influenced by Stryper and Petra, but progressed into a Progressive metal/nu-metal/metalcore-ish band. This band was most likely thrown out, due to this period, when the Christian thrash scene had just hit it’s stride, with the Big 4 of the Christian scene: Deliverance, Vengeance Rising, Tourniquet and Believer.… Continued →

Recently, I discovered The Ongoing Concept. Ok, well I had heard of them before, just was never interested. I downloaded the Son of Screamfest 2016 compilation and heard “Prisoner”. I followed up with listening to “Cover Girl”, “Failures and Fakes” and “Saloon”. I did a little more research, and discovered something. It seems that Brothers Kyle and Parker Scholz and friend TJ Nicholz seem to have left the band. Leaving Dawson Scholz, the remaining brother, the main member. There was no mention of the members departure at all, but there were several pictures with another lineup.… Continued →

For All Eternity, the Christian melodic metalcore band, has started to work on the demos for their third album. After the release of Metanoia, the band hit the ground running. Scoring high in the charts, the album hit 23 in Billboard Christian Albums and 21 in Billboard’s Top Heatseekers Albums. The band teased the recording of demos on November 15, 2016. The band is currently signed to Facedown Records. Here’s a podcast episode Shane Carroll (Vocals) did with As The Story Grows.… Continued →

August Burns Red over the years have become notorious for releasing Christmas Metal songs.This years happens to be “What Child Is This (Greensleeves)”. Go listen to the song at Alternative Press. Or go purchase it here. “This song has a bit of a black metal flavor, but takes a turn in the middle,” guitarist JB Brubaker says. “We always have fun writing and recording the holiday songs and we hope you like it too.” The band is going to embark on their album Messengers 10th year anniversary tour.… Continued →

Elgibbor, an Unblack metal project, started back in 1999. The founder, Jarek Pozarycki a.k.a. Fire, has played in several bands, most notably Frost Like Ashes. Elgibbor released 5 demos, 3 EPs (two splits), and 12 studio albums. On November 17, 2016, Fire put out a statement claiming the new album, entitled The Roots of Blood will be released on CD. The CD will be released through Visions of God Records. Fire is clearly musically prolific. Considering he released Revenger of Blood and The Roots of Blood 6 months apart.… Continued →

Advent announced they are releasing their third album, Pain and Suffering, on January 27, 2017. The album is being released through Bridge 9 Records, home to Agnostic Front, Sick of it All, and New Found Glory. The band has been back for over a year now, you might even call this a “Revival“. Get ready for the pre-orders and such!… Continued →

Do you remember The Agony Scene? Signed originally with Solid State Records, many people thought of them as a Christian metal band. Which originally they were. They dropped that label and then signed to Century Media and later on Roadrunner. Anyways, the band broke up in 2008, but reunited in 2013. Since 2013, the band played a few shows in 2014 with Living Sacrifice, and Project 86. The band recently has put out a statement stating they are working on a new EP, their first release since Get Damned (what a title) in 2007.… Continued →

Demon Hunter has announced that they are going to release their 8th full-length album, Outlive, in March 2017. The band formed in 2000 with brothers Ryan and Don Clark and Jesse Sprinkle on drums. The band then added on Jon Dunn and Kris McCaddon (ex-Embodyment, ex-The Famine) and the band progressed from there. The band’s current lineup consists of Ryan, Dunn, Guitarists Patrick Judge (The Showdown) and Jeremiah Scott (The Showdown, Destroy Destroy Destroy) and Drummer Timothy “Yogi” Watts (ex-The Lonely Hearts).… Continued →

7 Horns 7 Eyes, the death metal band from Washington, has started to record again, after taking an unofficial hiatus. The band started in 2006 with two brothers, Aaron and Brandon Smith and their friend, Kyle Wood, whose brother, Ryan, joined the band and later Project 86. 7 Horns 7 Eyes started working on a new album after Ryan’s departure, with the lineup of the Smiths, Vocalist JJ Polachek, Guitarist Sean Alf, and, for this session, Unearth Drummer Nick Pierce. The band’s Facebook page put this image up:  On November 13, 2016 (today as I’m writing this), JJ Polachek, who they call Shiv, posted a photo on his Instagram.… Continued →

Rottweiler Records is taking submissions for their annual Christmas comp, entitled an album “Fleas Naughty Dog Vol.4”. The label does this every year and even did one with Indie Vision Music awhile ago. The compilation has had a few submissions including, Leper, Wretched Graverobber, Grave Robber, Death Requisite, Peter 118, and Immortal Souls (go figure, what with their love of winter and snow. Here’s proof). Anyways, send your submissions to this address. … Continued →

The new thrash metal band, Hand of Fire, is on the verge of releasing their debut album. The band consists of ex-Tantrum of the Muse member Jim Settle, Guitarist Tiago Souza, Bassist Tom Eaton, and Drummer Bill Davies. The band recently released a lyric video for their new song “Let the Killings Begin”. Enjoy! … Continued →

Beautycore. That’s what this band of sisters calls them selves. Pretty. Clever. GFM has been hard at work with releasing their debut album, ”Identity Crisis”. The band released a kind of mix between bands like Skillet and Barlow Girl mixed with bands like Memphis May Fire and Asking Alexandria. Go check it out! Enjoy the video! … Continued →

Jim Hughes of the bands Colossus and For Today released a parody video called “All the Fall Things” in October. The song is a parody of Blink 182’s song “All the Small Things”. The song is a pop-punk parody, rather than the metalcore/deathcore/djent Hughes has been involved with. Hughes also works for Facedown Records. … Continued →

Check out this review of My Heart To Fear's "The Draft"

Read this article about Impending Doom and their upcoming album!

Christian alternative metal band, Random Hero has announced they will be going on tour on the City Rockfest Tour with fellow Christian alt metal bands Disciple, Project 86, Seventh Day Slumber, and Decyfer Down. The tour will be from February 8 to March 14 with the same lineup. Later dates of the tour are to be announced.… Continued →

Check out this review of Dangerous Minds "Blood Diamonds" (On The Attack Records)

Awhile back, I was able to interview, via Instagram private messaging, with Alan Sears of the deathcore band, Mortal Treason. We talk about the Mortal Treason Hiatus, Issues with the band’s former label, and ZAO References. Those first two specifically. I saved this interview specifically for the IVM Rebirth! Check it out!!! Who am I speaking to? Alan Sears: What’s up guys, This is Alan Sears. I played bass on the first album and played guitar during the reunion. What is your discography? You were only on A Call to the Martyrs correct?… Continued →