Top Ten Albums of 2023 / Rob "The Metal Guy" Awards

As 2023 comes to an end, looks like it's time once again to reflect back on all the killer releases that helped me get through this crazy year. Overall, I would say that the world of hard rock, punk and metal continues to thrive, unlike the state of Hollywood which cannot seem to put out anything worth seeing right now. Disney is so bad right now that the only thing they did this year was give South Park a great idea for new content. In terms of music labels, I would say that the underground/independent labels once again proved to be an inspiring force by working extremely hard to promote some great artists this year. Sentient Ruin for example really made an impact throughout the year and I would trust them to lead the country right now more than the knuckleheads we currently have in charge. Yes, competent leadership is hard to come by these days and sometimes I wonder if I should run for office, because I know I cannot do any worse (Rob "The Metal Guy" 2024!).  In the end, I was rather pleased with the amount of solid albums that came out in 2023 and I really look forward to hopefully another year of great music...unless our president presses the wrong button thinking he is hitting the button to have his diaper changed. Anyway, here it is people, my top ten albums of 2023!

10. Shadows "Out for Blood"

This Chilean heavy metal act really draws from classic 80's metal elements, while coming up with some sinister lyrical themes. I definitely hear a lot Mercyful Fate influence on this record, but that is what I believe made it such a solid sounding release. The riffs are unbelievably catchy and hook you right away. Also, the vocals provide that utterly haunting touch to create this dark horror movie like atmosphere where evil is lurking around every corner. This album is one of many albums that came out from Sentient Ruin this year which really stood out and ended up being in my top ten. 

Link to my full review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2023/05/shadows-out-for-blood.html

9. Uranium “Pure Nuclear Death”

Uranium is an utterly devastating act and when I listened to this new release, "Pure Nuclear Death," I was blown away by the abhorrent compositions that combine industrial elements and black/death metal. Talk about a surrealistic extreme metal exploration! Uranium does not disappoint when pertaining to the pure Armageddon like atmospheres that leave you feeling suffocated by this massive wall of decimating distortion. 

Link to my full review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2023/09/uranium-pure-nuclear-death.html

8.  Marduk “Memento Mori”

One of the most vicious and raw black metal acts around that has influenced so many young black metal bands over the years, really came out and offered up some utterly blasphemous cuts of savage black metal. I thought Marduk put together a solid album featuring some truly raw sounding black metal compositions, while not settling for overproduced substandard black metal riffs. I was rather pleased with this album and I hope to see Marduk continue to charge forward waiving the flag for intense and insidious black metal music. 

Link to my full review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2023/09/marduk-memento-mori.html

7. Decoherence "Order"

For Decoherence's third full-length album, "Order" the band went all out with more insane industrial noises mixed in with some harsh black metal elements to construct one mind altering release. The album is a dark exploration through these very unorthodox sounding riff structures, which creates some utterly entropic soundscapes. The experimentation and willingness to push the boundaries of extreme music is why I have always respected Decoherence, and I look forward to what they have in the works on future releases. 

Link to my full review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2023/07/decoherence-order.html

6.  Old Tower “Draconic Synthesis”

Following up Old Tower's 2021 release, "The Old King of Witches," an album that I greatly enjoyed, The Specter has returned with yet another sinister dungeon synth tale to lead minds astray and travel into the dark mysterious depth. The Specter is a genius when it comes to composing ambient dungeon synth arrangements, and I must say that the albums he has been come out with over the last few years have really stood out. Even though there are no lyrics, the sounds and synth arrangements create a profoundly dark synergy which slowly builds these vivid atmospheric tales. I cannot wait to get this on vinyl, as Old Tower's releases are a must have if you enjoy ambient/dungeon synth music. 

Link to my full review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2023/10/old-tower-draconic-synthesis.html

5.  Ch’Ahom “Knots of Abhorrence”

This album is a surrealistic venture into Mayan lore that draws you in like a malevolent jungle spirit possessing your mind as you slowly go insane from the pure blackened death bludgeoning. Ch’Ahom's ritualistic sound is perfectly captured on their debut album, “Knots of Abhorrence," and I would definitely consider this to be one the strongest conceptual releases to come out this year. Sentient Ruin was responsible from putting this out, and I think Ch’Ahom's sound and style perfectly fits in with the other bands in the Sentient Ruin roster. 

Link to my review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2023/10/chahom-knots-of-abhorrence.html

4. Ash Prison “Future Torn” 

This was yet another one of my favorite albums to be released on Sentient Ruin this year and it really took me by surprise. "Future Torn," is a killer debut album featuring some monstrous tracks that blend together industrial metal and black metal. If you are fan of early Ministry and abrasive black metal then this album will be that perfect combination of cold harsh sounding industrial rhythms and ear shattering heavily distorted guitar riffs. 

Link to my full review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2023/09/ash-prison-future-torn.html

3.  Night Demon "Outsider"

Night Demon's third full-length album took a turn into new territory by being band's first full blown concept album. Initially when I heard the first single,"Outsider," I did not think the band was going to be deviating too far from their core classic NWOBHM influenced sound, but when you listen to this album in its entirety you can really hear where the band took their time to make the album flow and tell a very fascinating story. From the musicianship to the songwriting, I truly believe Night Demon is one of the most talented acts around and deserves a lot of respect for the hard work they continue to pour into their recordings. 

Link to my full review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2023/03/night-demon-outsider.html

2.  Ceremonial Bloodbath “Genesis of Malignant Entropy”

Ceremonial Bloodbath is without question one of the most brutal and unforgiving acts around. The band's debut album which was released through Sentient Ruin in 2020, "The Tides of Blood," is an inhumanly insidious blackened death album that I consider to be one of the greatest extreme metal releases to come out in the past few years. For their follow-up release, the band did not disappoint one bit and the new material continues the bestial onslaught with even more ferocious riffs and decimating blast beats. When you look at this albums cover you see pure unholy devastation, which is exactly what you imagine when listening to the barbaric riffs and savage blast beats on this album/ 

Link to my full review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2023/10/ceremonial-bloodbath-genesis-of.html

1. Lathe of Heaven “Bound by Naked Skies” 

As someone who enjoys post-punk and new wave music, I was extremely impressed the first time I heard Lathe of Heaven's debut album, "Bound by Naked Skies." The songwriting is exceptional and the production on this album really captures that classic post-punk/new wave sound. Based out of NYC, Lathe of Heaven is a very talented act, and the band's sound reminded me a lot of Killing Joke, Joy Division and Echo & the Bunnymen, yet even though I heard a variety of influences I thought the band had very distinct and original sound. I have listened to this album almost everyday and I find that the music is written with such great substance to where you become profoundly drawn to the breathtaking chord progressions and captivating lyrics. 

Link to my full review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2023/09/lathe-of-heaven-bound-by-naked-skies.html

Rob “The Metal Guy” Awards

Label of the Year: Sentient Ruin

Best Live Performance: My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult at the Ritz in San Jose, CA

EP of the Year:  Eternal “Faceless Evil”

Most Brutal Album Cover of the Year: Ceremonial Bloodbath “Genesis of Malignant Entropy”

Music Video of the Year: Night Demon "The Wrath" 

Up and Coming Artist of the Year: Sin Offering (Check out their EP "Charnel House")  

Manga of the Year: Mao by Rumiko Takahashi 

Biggest Douche of the Year: Tony Khan the head of All Elite Wrestling (If he does not win Booker of the Year from that schmuck wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer, then at least he wins something…) 

Night Demon "Outsider"

    Whether it be the band’s passionate classic old school heavy metal and hard rock style, or their relentless touring schedule which has taken them all around the world, Night Demon is a band that continues to confidently thrive by charging ahead at full speed. The band’s third full-length album, “Outsider,” is without question an album that sent the fanatical Night Demon fanbase into a frenzy upon hearing the news about a new album to follow-up, “Darkness Remains,” which was released back in 2017. 

    Although the band waited almost six years to put out their next full-length album, during that period they sure as hell were not kicking back and lazing around. The band embarked on constant tours and put out a live album as well as a compilation album featuring numerous new singles and covers called, “Year of the Demon.” Of course during the early years of the pandemic Night Demon like so may bands had to cut back on touring for a period time, but that did not stop the band from finding ways to connect with their fans and the band’s podcast series has provided fans with a tremendous amount of insight into the band’s history along with stories pertaining to how band approaches recording songs. 

     “Outsider,” is yet another chapter in the Night Demon story which has continued to thrive ever since their first self-titled debut four song EP. This current line-up with Jarvis Leatherby on bass/vocals, Armand John Anthony on guitar and Dusty Squires behind the drum kit, has proven to be an utterly strong heavy metal power trio. I would say that the band’s first album, "Curse of the Damned," is definitely more raw and fearsome, while “Darkness Remains,” showed a slight different side at times by putting great focus into the songwriting aspects as well as the production. Jarvis Leatherby is a tremendous lyricist who draws influence from NWOBHM and classic hard rock by crafting these profound stories where the chorus stays in your head and the words leave such an impact. 

    “Outsider,” might be the band’s most ambitious and unique album to date due to the fact that this is a concept album from start to finish. On previous Night Demon releases like, “Curse of the Damned,” there were songs which complimented each other and featured very vivid conceptual themes, but never did the band write a complete concept album. “Outsider,” brings together the supernatural world with an individuals thoughts and feelings that profoundly ties into what some people might experience in their day to day lives. During the pandemic Jarvis was staying in Northern Ireland and at times when listening to the album I can hear where having to deal with the isolation and feeling exiled around that period of time might have greatly influenced his songwriting for this album. 

    Lyrically, I really enjoy the title track off of this album and find the words to be extremely relatable. Night Demon’s sound has not drastically changed, except there are time when. you can hear some subtle adjustments. There is definitely more emphasis placed on coming up with catchy hooks to create very addictive sounding rhythms, but you there is a moment during the title track where the music slows down and creates a more doom like atmosphere. The song, “Outsider,” is a very dynamic track that I believe can appeal to wide range of rock and metal fans given the creative riffs and adrenaline pumping rhythms. 

    There are songs on the album like, “Obsidian” and “Escape from Beyond,” which do capture the triumphant sound of classic NWOBHM, although the music never comes across as cliché, nor presents itself as simple sounding like generic NWOBHM worship. On the song, “Beyond the Grave,” the band comes up with a very creative piece of music featuring some solid melodic arrangements. Armand’s guitar work really stands out throughout the track, especially in the beginning of the track where he comes up with these haunting chord progressions. 

    Another track off of the album that contains a plethora of epic compositions is the last song, “The Wrath.” From the melodic guitar and bass parts to the thunderous cymbal crashes, the song is a monumental sounding finale. Jarvis delivers the lyrics with such raw aggression to help bring to life the chaos that is conjured up by the instrumental parts. As the notes solemnly ring out and fade into the dark abyss, you stop and reflect upon the emotional journey feeling almost at ease as the music fades away. Also, I could not believe how the time flew by so quickly when listening to the album, because it really hooks you right from the beginning and you lose track of time as if you are stepping into another realm created by Night Demon. 

    In the end, Night Demon came up with a very creative third album and I do think that they found a way to step outside the box on this release. Even though this album might not feature the same hungry and ravenous energy which you can hear on early Night Demon recordings, the band demonstrates how they have become even more accomplished as songwriters by constructing a truly fascinating concept album. A concept album can be extremely hard for some fans to accept if a band has not done one before, so I strongly recommend listening to the entire album more than once before forming an opinion. Overall, this album is highly worth check out and in a perfect world would win a Metal Grammy if the people over at the Grammy Awards actually pulled their heads out of their rears. 

Check out the video for the song "Outsider" below:

Night Demon's Website:

https://nightdemon.net/

Top Ten Albums of 2018 / Rob "The Metal Guy Awards"

If someone was to tell me that 2018 was a poor year for hard rock and heavy metal music I would consider tying them to one of Elon Musks' SpaceX rockets and sending them off into space. In reality 2018 was another strong year for rock and metal music with plenty of impressive sounding releases. I know that moron from Maroon 5 says rock is "nowhere" but then again, his music is equal to that of horse manure, so what does he really know. I was pleased with the albums that came out this year and I do not think rock and metal are going "nowhere." People just need to pull their heads out of their asses, or do more goddamn research before opening their douche crusted hipster mouths. Here are my top ten picks of 2018 from some exceptional artists in the rock and metal world...

10. Skeletal Remains - Devouring Mortality

Skeletal Remains is a death metal band that knows how to craft some bombastic sounding old school death metal music, while also providing some solid elements of technicality. I feel like, “Devouring Mortality,” was definitely a step into more of a technical world compared to their previous releases, and I think the musicianship is becoming really impressive. Skeletal Remains is a strong act with more left to offer, so I am looking forward to how they can top this album.

9. Exmortus - The Sound of Steel

The shredding assault of Exmortus is still going strong and their new album. “The Sound of Steel,” does not disappoint. Exmortus is a band full of talented musicians and the guitar playing always stands out on each release. Their mixture of neoclassical shredding with thrash and death metal make for some epic and exciting cuts of metal. Plus, I always enjoy hearing battle themed lyrics accompanied by blistering lead guitar playing.

8. Petrification - Hollow of the Void

Gruesome, terrifying and paying homage too old school death metal, Petrification delivered a sinister sounding release this year with “Hollow of the Void.” These Portland, Oregon death metal musicians are exceptional players and wrote some really vicious tracks. I think they are definitely one of the strongest up and coming death metal acts to come out within the last couple years and a force to be reckoned with in the future.

7. Summoning - With Doom We Come

One of the most important bands in the world of atmospheric black metal, Summoning, is such an iconic force that when news of their new album came out fans were highly anticipating this new album. The bands 1995 release, “Minus Morgul,” is quite possibly the blue-print for atmospheric black metal and is an album that has inspired so many current artists within the sub-genre. “With Doom We Come,” features long epic pieces with lyrical content inspired by the works of Tolkien that pulls you into a world of cinematic musical fantasy. I think fans will be pleased to hear the band maintain a very epic atmospheric black metal sound.

6. Vargrav - Netherstorm

When I first heard Vargrav I was quickly reminded of Emperor and all those black metal bands who are able to successfully incorporate keyboards into their black metal sound. “Netherstorm,” is stellar blizzard of raw black metal, yet has these moments of cosmic melodic atmosphere. You can’t write this band off as another typical black metal band, because the riffs and song structures are very well crafted. There are no recycled riffs, or poorly written compositions. Each song flows with great synergy on this album, so you never lose interest when listening to it.

5. Abstracter - Cinereous Incarnate 

Another band from the Sentient Ruin roster, Abstracter did a tremendous job creating what could possibly be the soundtrack for the apocalyptic demise of humanity. The music is unbelievably heavy to where seismic shocks are sent out each time a chord is struck, or a cymbal smashed. Overall, these musicians are a solid unit and keep offering some wicked sounding tunes of destructive blackened sludge. 

4. Barren Altar - Entrenched in the Faults of the Earth 

I have seen Barren Altar a fair amount of times over the last few years and have interviewed the band on a couple occasions. To finally hear this Sonoma County based band release a devastating full-length album really made 2018 a solid year for extreme music. The dynamics and unique blend of black metal, death metal and doom metal sends chills down your spine, while also obliterating your speakers. The vocals on this album present tales of pure agony and inner anguish, which compliments the abysmal sounding instrumental compositions. 

3. Atrament - Scum Sect 

One of the most brutal sounding releases to come out this year, Atrament’s “Scum Sect” is a pulverizing assault of blackened death crust spewing hatred from the dark depths of the Bay Area. I thought the songwriting on this album was extremely well done and there were no throw away tracks throughout the album. Plus the overall production quality added a malevolent punch of musical insanity to your ears. When pertaining to underground extreme music, Atrament is one of the top up and coming acts around.

2. Cauldron - New Gods

Cauldron’s last album, “In Ruin,” was an impressive release from top to bottom in my opinion. The production and songwriting was flawless, so I looked forward to what they would do on their next album. “New Gods,” definitely maintains that same essence which can be heard on “In Ruin,” while taking a more melodic hard rock/classic metal approach at times. There are plenty of catchy riffs on this album along with very melodic song structures. The lyrics are well written and can get stuck in your head for hours. What is it about Canada and great rock and metal power trios? They just seem to know how to make them. 

1. Old Tower - Stellary Wisdom 

Old Tower, “Stellary Wisdom,” was without a doubt one of the most fascinating and most brilliant sounding releases to come out this year, hence why I have it as my number one pick of 2018. The artist behind this project known only as, The Specter, continues to demonstrate amazing composition skills by taking dungeon synth music and creating worlds of tranquil sounding darkness. The overall atmosphere on, “Stellary Wisdom,” is truly phenomenal and the consideration to detail and recording quality is so well done. For those who are looking for a great dungeon synth release I can tell you “Stellary Wisdom” is the album you should be checking out. 

Rob “The Metal Guy” Awards :

Best EP of the Year: Mournful Cries “Vices” 

Best Split Release of the Year: Putrid and Pathetic “Devorando Carne Divina” 

Best Live Album: Night Demon “Live Darkness” 

Label of the Year: Sentient Ruin

Best Live Performance: Trecelence (March 23 at the Phoenix Theater / Opening for Act of Defiance)

Up and Coming Artist of the Year: Blood Star

Most Metal Movie of 2018: Terrifier (First premiered in 2016 but I saw it in 2018)

Most Metal WWE Wrestler: Becky Lynch 

Most Obnoxious Group of People on the Planet: ANTIFA (For cancelling the Taake tour. Hoping they don't cancel any shows or tours in 2019...fucking dicks)

Biggest Douche Award: The dumbass from Maroon 5 with Gene Simmons as runner up (Surprisingly Gene wasn't as big of a douche this year as the previous year.) 

Concert Review: Night Demon, Blood Star and Space Vacation at Thee Parkside (08/08/2018)

    If you think having a heavy metal show on a week night is a bad idea, well think again people! Given the right bands, the right venue and the right amount of headbanging fanatics, you might find yourself experiencing an all around great show. Such was the case this past Wednesday night in San Francisco at Thee Parkside where Night Demon along with Blood Star and Space Vacation, put on one monumental show for the ravenous Bay Area metal community.

    After being quite busy over in Europe since the release of their second full-length album, “Darkness Remains,” Night Demon finally was gearing up for a North America tour. The last time I saw the band perform live was around 2016 in Sacramento when they were touring with Ghoul, Crowbar and Carcass. Kicking off their North American tour in San Francisco seemed to be the most optimal place and the fans showed up in full metal force at Thee Parkside.

    Opening the show was Space Vacation, a local SF Bay Area band I had seen once before in Petaluma a few years back. These guys are all skilled musicians and they definitely know how to offer up that classic hard rock/NWOBHM sound with plenty of sweet sounding guitar riffs and bombastic ear pounding rhythms. Drummer Eli Lucas is a true maniac behind the kit and plays with great personality as he smashes his way around the cymbals and snares. Lead guitarist Kiyo Morgan shreds like a madman with true precision and is an amazing showman when executing his lead parts. Singer/guitarist Scott Shapiro has a strong voice which stands out especially during each song’s chorus section. Bassist Steve Hays handles the low end with crushing force and his ability to inject some extra force into each riff section does not go unnoticed. Fans seemed to be really digging their songs, so Space Vacation started night off right and was a solid choice as the opening act.

    After Space Vacation finished their set the next band, Blood Star, began setting up. I tried looking them up when Night Demon announced the tour and listed Blood Star as their main support. This band seems to be fairly new, however, I can honestly say that their stage presence and ability to perform did not seem that way. Their entire sound was tight and reminded me of that classic early eighties period in metal where the riffs are heavy yet the music is extremely catchy. Also, the band had these large black banners with their band logo and even had smoke machines, which I thought were great visuals to add to their performance. In the end, the singer really blew me away with her powerful voice and confident stage presence. I also thought the band’s sole guitarist offered up some tasty leads and hard hitting classic sounding metal riffs. I’m looking forward to hopefully an album from this band, because their live sound did not disappoint.

    As soon as Blood Star concluded their set to a thunderous applause, Night Demon started setting up the stage for their metal assault. Once the lights dimmed and the band took their positions waiting to break into the opening song, the entire audience was making noise and showing their support for the Venture, CA trio. The band opened their set with, “Welcome to the Night,” and set the tone for an overall thrilling performance by bringing tremendous amounts of energy. Singer and bassist Jarvis Leatherby displayed his exceptional skills as the band’s frontman by constantly giving one hundred percent during each song. Guitarist Armand John Anthony played with precision while cranking out some wicked sounding riffs and solos. Adding an extra boost of seismic force, drummer Dusty Squires was locked into each song and did not miss a single beat. All around, the musicianship just did not disappoint and all three musicians worked extremely well together to produce such a tight sound.

    The band’s set consisted of material from “Darkness Remains,”  “Curse of the Damned” which is the band’s first album and a few from the band’s debut self-titled EP. They also added a powerful and epic cover of, “In Trance,” by Scorpions. I was really excited to hear them perform songs like, “Save Me Now” and “Full Speed Ahead,” since those are two of my favorite songs off the first album. During the song, “The Chalice,” the band’s mascot Rocky appeared holding a goblet and received a major pop from the audience. They finished with their self-titled song and the place was still erupting even after a feverous set of songs.

    At the end of the night, all three bands put on one brilliant overall show, so everyone walked away satisfied and with their ears ringing. This is what heavy metal is all about and to see so many passionate metal fans show up is a testament to the longevity and loyalty within the heavy metal community. I think Night Demon is one of the most driven and hard working bands around. Their performance once again proved that they are true professionals that keep waving the flag for metal. Also, Space Vacation and Blood Star are two promising acts that I hope to see around more, because both bands know how to write some killer heavy metal jams. In conclusion, I am extremely optimistic about metal’s future as the fury just won’t die and we have plenty of bands and fans to keep the power and glory of metal moving forward.

Top Ten Albums of 2017

Where has the time gone? I feel like I just finished doing my top ten albums of 2016 list and now I am starting on my top ten albums of 2017 list. Once again, it has been an extremely busy year for rock and metal music with numerous releases coming out this year. 2017 was also a year full of major stories with some positive and some negative, but no matter what happened the new albums that were released this year provided a great chance to escape the bullshit. Whether it was ANTIFA shutting down a black metal show with false claims, or Gene Simmons of Kiss opening up his big mouth and offering an ignorant comment, 2017's hard rock and metal music did not disappoint. So enough babbling, here it is people, my top ten albums of 2017...

10. Domgård “Ödelagt”

    Swedish black metal act Domgård is well regarded in the black metal community and their sound stays very true to the traditional black metal style. After some years of not releasing new material it was great to see a new album from them. Their sound conveys a raw aggressive black metal attitude, but contains some bone chilling melodic black metal moments. The album also contains these dynamic arrangements with really unique tempo changes and massive atmospheric sounding touches. Overall, the album is a strong and engaging release that should definitely be added to ones collection.

9. Eldamar “A Dark Forgotten Past”

    Eldamar is a one-man atmospheric black metal act that captured my attention when I first heard their debut album, “Force of the Ancient Land.” I am glad to hear Eldamar continue all the elements and epic song structures from the first album on this new release. The music picks up where the last album left off and establishes itself as a unique journey through captivating atmospheric landscapes and heavenly choir like vocal sections. If you enjoy long epic pieces of atmospheric black metal you need to check out Eldamar. They also released an awesome split with Dreams of Nature this year, so Eldamar is extremely active when it comes to writing new material.

8. Game Over “Claiming Supremacy”

    I have reviewed quite a few releases from these Italian thrash metal maniacs over the years. Their new album once again demonstrates a group of enthusiastic thrash fans who seem to keep pushing themselves as musicians and songwriters. The choruses are catchy along with the solid arsenal of mosh forming riffs. Where their earlier albums felt more straightforward at times, the new album pushes into more progressive thrash boundaries. Game Over is definitely a thrash band to be reckoned with and one that I look forward to seeing grow even more with future releases.

7. Necrot “Blood Offerings”

    This Bay Area death metal trio did a tremendous job with the release of their debut full-length album. I reviewed a compilation album they released last year called, “Labyrinth,” and I was highly anticipating new music from them. The band has become a force to be reckoned with amongst the underground community by relentlessly touring their brand of gruesome old school death metal. Brutal cuts of bone sawing riffs and crushing drumming conjure up some killer headbanging opportunities throughout this release.

6. Rude “Remnants…”

    Rude has established themselves as a solid old school death metal worship outfit and the release of their sophomore album, “Remnants…” only verified what I already knew about these guys. There are some death metal bands who throw songs together claiming to sound old school, but Rude’s music actually sounds like something released from the late eighties/early nineties. The riffs grind away at your ears with an unholy terrorizing sound of old school death metal while being accompanied by monumental drumming to create vicious cuts of extreme music. I don’t think you can ask for anything more when it comes to good quality death metal.

5. Death of Kings “Kneel Before None”

    Death of Kings is a fierce and awesome bunch of metal musicians from Atlanta, GA. Their hard work paid off with the release of, “Kneel Before None.” The quality of wicked sounding riffs and head crushing pieces of brutal sounding thrash is definitely welcomed in a day when most bands sound like watered down versions of Slayer. Death of Kings did a great job injecting energy into the music and the album itself is well produced and well recorded. I hope to hear them continue to build off the success of how this album sounded on their future releases, because their talent is truly amazing.

4. Lustre “Still Innocence”

    Compared to previous Lustre recordings the new album, “Still Innocence,” is not as grandiose and has received criticism for not being as ambitious. I honestly felt the album offered a relaxing and very therapeutic sound that flowed with amazing synergy. The recordings capture your imagination, yet do not overwhelm you with too many unnecessary sounds. The album is one of those releases that I turn to when I want to escape and relax my mind. Lustre is one of those artists you can always rely on for solid release, so to those people bitching about the album…go chill out and maybe give it another listen.

3. Demonsmoke “Morphine Moonshine”

    I saw these doom metal musicians from Antioch, CA a couple years back play at a bar in Petaluma and literally destroy by laying down some unbelievably heavy sludge/doom riffs. When they released their debut album, “Morphine Moonshine,” I was blown away at how they were able to capture that raw destructive doom sound which I was fortunate to have witnessed live. These guys offer a strong selection of swampy distorted sounding tracks of pure doom with this album. There is not one weak song on the album and the overall production is quite amazing when comparing it to a lot of modern day metal releases. I really hope to catch them live again, because they put on one hell of a show.

2. Morbid Angel “Kingdoms Disdained”

    Released December 1 of this year, I honestly did not know if this album would even make the list. After the bands last release, “Illud Divinum Insanus,” was in my opinion a major disappoint, the band had a something to prove with the new album. Not only did the new album exceed expectations, but I think it is one of the heaviest and most unforgiving sounding releases to come out this year. Steve Tucker’s return was something I really looked forward to and Trey is back to being the death metal guitar master that we all know and appreciate. It is great to hear the band throwing down some pulverizing death metal which signals a new dawn of brutality. Just like when Tucker came in after “Domination” back in 1995, the band has the opportunity to unleash some more malicious sounding tunes moving forward. This new album is an extremely good starting point and was very close to being in my number one slot. 

1. Night Demon “Darkness Remains” : 

    When Night Demon released their debut album, “Curse of the Damned,” back in 2015, I had it as the number one album or my 2015 list. Two years later after relentless touring across the world and showing true dedication for the music that they enjoy playing, the band has returned to the number one spot for 2017. Their sophomore album, “Darkness Remains,” continues the exciting and solid NWOBHM style you heard on “Curse of the Damned,” with more epic sounding riffs and catchy lyrical content. You cannot find a dual moment on the album, which I contribute to the band’s strong songwriting skills. Songs like “On Your Own” and “Dawn Rider” completely tear through your speakers with a heavy metal fury of blistering guitar work and thunderous old school metal rhythms. All hail the Night Demon! 

Honorable Mentions:

Petrification “Summon Horrendous Destruction”

Iron Griffin "Self-Titled EP” 

Mournful Cries “Three Song Demo”

2017 Rob “the metal guy” Awards 

Up and Coming Artist of the Year: Mournful Cries

Metal Label of the Year: A tie between “Sentient Ruin” and “Nordvis”

Come Back Artist of the Year: Morbid Angel

Best Live Act/Performance of the Year: Barren Altar 

Best Split album of the Year: Eldamar / Dreams of Nature 

Biggest Douche of the Year: tie between “Gene Simmons” and “Otep”  

Most Pathetic Group of People in the World: ANTIFA 

Night Demon "Darkness Remains"

    After releasing what I considered to be the best metal album of 2015, Night Demon is looking to take 2017 by storm with the release of their second full-length album, Darkness Remains. The Ventura, CA trio’s hard work and enthusiasm for heavy metal is undeniable. Ever since the release of their four song EP, Night Demon has been relentlessly touring and appeasing those ravenous classic metal worshipping fanatics.

  I have always felt that Night Demon is not just another typical N.W.O.B.H.M. / classic metal worship act. The band plays with a tremendous level of exciting energy that keeps you engaged throughout each song. Curse of the Damned, Night Demon’s debut full-length album, is from top to bottom full of great songs and features all the elements you would want in a strong heavy metal release. Plain and simple…these guys know how to write damn good songs!

  Before I get into the tracks off the new album, I wanted to talk about the musicianship and production. Bassist / singer Jarvis Leatherby offers up some killer bass lines and does an exceptional job as the band’s frontman. Dusty Squires once again demonstrates his talents from behind the kit to where each track thrives on his ability to lay down crushing rhythms of pure metal force. The new album also marks the first Night Demon release to feature guitarist Armand John Anthony. I was in attendance for Armand’s first show with Night Demon last year after the departure of the band’s former guitarist Brent Woodward. I think Armand comes into this album bringing his own creative style and sound.

  A slight difference between this album and Curse of the Damned, is that I felt like the production on Curse of the Damned sounded a bit more raw. I especially noticed this with how the vocals were recorded. There are a fair amount of songs on Darkness Remains that focus heavily on building up these more melodic choruses. For fans expecting the more raw sound like on the EP and Curse of the Damned, they will hear a minor difference between the old material and the new songs. The new tracks definitely maintain that distinct Night Demon sound, so you can be assured that Night Demon isn't going off into some bizarre direction by adding saxophones and trumpets in their songs.

  The new releases's opening track, “Welcome to the Night,” grabs your attention right away by building up suspense and then exploding into an epic riff section. This is the album’s first single and the band even created a music video for the song. Overall I would say that it is solid song, but in my opinion it isn't one of the top songs off the album. The next track, “Hallowed Ground,” is a scorching piece of metal music with a more aggressive tone compared to the opening song. Track number three, “Maiden Hell,” is a catchy tune that references the titles of Iron Maiden songs. I thought the song was a clever way to pay homage to one of metal’s most iconic bands.

  Song number four, “Stranger in the Room,” reminded me of certain tracks off of, “Curse of the Damned,” with a slower tempo and very impactful lyrical delivery by Jarvis. For the next two tracks, “Life on the Run” and “Dawn Rider,” the band demonstrates their ability to capture that classic metal energy by coming up with some bad ass lyrics and wicked guitar riffs. I especially enjoyed the ferocious galloping riff on, “Dawn Rider,” which I guarantee will get you banging head along to the music.

  The last four songs on the album deliver a truly unforgiving punch of metal vengeance. “Black Widow,” is an intense sounding metal assault that contains a blistering solo by Armand. Also, the vocals sound great during the chorus to where you instantly start singing along. My favorite song off of the album, “On Your Own,” contains some powerful riffs and really inspiring lyrics that listeners might find very relatable. The second to last song, “Flight of the Manticore,” is a well constructed instrumental piece full of creative sounding dynamic compositions. Unlike some instrumental songs that I have heard, Night Demon does not bore people with endless amounts of random shredding. The final song, “Darkness Remains,” is rather unique compared to the other tracks. Jarvis' vocals are altered and the music takes on this gloomy atmospheric quality. The overall song sounds as though you are drifting through an eternal void of darkness as the album reaches its conclusion.

   In the end, Night Demon is still bringing the heavy metal heat with the release of Darkness Remains. Although I think Curse of the Damned was a stronger release overall, I must say that Darkness Remains is an impressive album in its own right. I look forward to hearing these new songs performed live since out of the five times I have seen the band live, they have always put on an amazing live show. So remember to mark your calendars for April 21st when the album is released worldwide, because you are definitely going to want to pick up a copy. No matter how much the world changes, I feel confident that Night Demon will always be there fighting for metal and giving us fans something to look forward to at the end of the day.



Check out the video for "Welcome to the Night" below :

Night Demon Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/nightdemonband/

Night Demon Website:
https://www.nightdemon.net/

Classic Review: Night Demon "Debut EP"

"With the current news of Night Demon's second full-length album, "Darkness Remains," which is to be released in April, I decided to reflect upon the band's debut EP. I was sent the EP for review back in 2013 when the band had teamed up with Shadow Kingdom Records for its release. At that time my friend Yuvraj "The Master" Singh and I ran a website called "Rock and Metal Zone." Unfortunately, we no longer run that website and the review I published back in 2013 is no longer available. However, after doing some searching through old documents on my computer, I found the original Night Demon EP review from 2013. So, I have decided to re-publish the article as a reflection of the band's past history and to remind readers how their hard wok has led to even more opportunities. I never would have thought back in 2013 that this band would have two full-length albums and done countless tours by 2017. The last four years have been exciting watching Night Demon continue to rise and I can't wait for what the band has to offer next!" 

  "Back during the late seventies and early eighties the New Wave of British Heavy Metal was on the rise. The music that those bands created would leave an everlasting impact on future metal groups from all around the world.

    Night Demon is a trio from Ventura, CA with that great NWOBHM sound. The bands who influenced them can definitely be heard on this four song EP. When listening to Night Demon I hear influences ranging from Diamond Head, Angel Witch, Raven, early Iron Maiden, and at times Motörhead.

    Vocally, the singer in Night Demon offers his own distinct vocal style that is melodic yet still extremely powerful. I find his vocal presentation to be very consistent along with his bass playing. The guitar playing demonstrated on this EP is exceptionally well done and at times the lead guitar playing is extremely creative with a fierce sounding tone. The guitarist sounds like he is taking Iron Maiden and Diamond Head riffs and incorporating his own style to create really heavy fast paced classic NWOBHM like riffs that can melt your face off. The drummer in Night Demon comes up with some solid crushing rhythms and he is the one making the songs groove with tremendous force. All three musicians are extremely talented and together come up with some great material.

    Now, like most groups who have been influenced by the NWOBHM, Night Demon’s lyrics are fairly constrained to the usual dark themes about pure evil, death, the occult, and unholy rituals where someone gets it. Still these guys come up with four great original tracks where the lyrics work well with the overall music. The first song on this EP is the actual name of the band… “Night Demon.” To me this song is Night Demon’s manifesto describing to the metal world who they are and what they have to offer. Right away a catchy galloping riffs starts taking form and throws the listener into Night Demon’s intense Heavy Metal world.

     Song number two “The Chalice” is my favorite song on this album because the dark pounding guitar parts do a great job complimenting the sinister lyrics. The song sounds like impending doom which keeps me fully engaged until the music stops. Track number three “Ancient Evil” reminds me of early Iron Maiden where the palm muted galloping guitar riff dictates the song’s structure. The drums and bass hold down the rhythm section to give the guitarist a chance to throw in some killer licks. The last song “Ritual” sounds a bit like the first song, with an intense fast paced guitar riff at the beginning. I find the main riff in “Ritual” to be extremely catchy along with the chorus.

    After listening to these four songs I think Night Demon’s EP demonstrates true Heavy Metal talent and allows people a chance to preview a band with hopefully more great music to come. The songwriting and musicianship is very consistent on this EP. Of course Night Demon is one of many metal groups who are playing this classic sounding NWOBHM style, but with their consistency I believe that Night Demon will standout amongst the other groups.

    Again, this is an EP so we are still waiting for Night Demon to give us a full-length release to make a complete judgment. However, the EP is extremely solid and contains some of the best metal music I have heard this year. Definitely worth checking out and I highly recommend it for all those leather jacket NWOBHM fans wishing they could take a time machine back to the 1980s."

Here is an interview I did with Jarvis Leatherby from Night Demon for my radio show shortly after I reviewed the EP. Once again, it is important to stress that hard work and dedication will help you grow as an artist and I have always respected Jarvis for the effort he puts into his music and for how he treats his fellow metal maniacs:

Concert Review: One Foot In The Grave Tour (July 22, 2016)

Carcass

    Very rarely do you have such a diverse line-up featuring a selection of extremely talented acts from different areas of the metal spectrum. The One Foot In The Grave tour may have had four bands who sounded different, but they all happened to have undeniable passion for the music while up on stage. Who would have thought to have Carcass, Crowbar, Ghoul and Night Demon on the same bill? Well, it happened and let me tell you what this killer tour package brought to Sacramento. 

    After making the metal pilgrimage from Rohnert Park to Sacramento and getting stuck in the well known I-80 traffic, I finally arrived at Ace of Spades in downtown Sacramento. I was really impressed by the layout of this venue and how the stage was setup. Also, talk about a strong turnout and even before the opener, the crowd was taking up most of the floor space. I had a feeling that with such a diverse line-up that this could draw out all kinds of metal maniacs. Again, whoever put together this tour really did something special and in my opinion a bit rare when it comes to North American tours. 

    Opening the show was Ventura, CA’s very own NWOBHM-style soldiers Night Demon. This would mark my fifth time seeing Night Demon. I can’t believe that about two years ago I saw them playing at a small bar in SF and now they were opening for Carcass. Hard work and dedication can honestly take you places and Night Demon is living proof of that. Starting their set off with some epic cinematic music, the band then proceeded to burst out the song, “Ritual,” from their debut EP. The crowd was really getting into it as bassist/singer Jarvis Leatherby and guitarist Armand John Anthony feverishly played away on stage. Drummer Dusty Squires was pounding away on his kit and the drum parts to songs like, “Curse of the Damned” and “The Chalice,” sounded titanic at times. During, “Curse of the Damned,” the band really invoked the crowd’s inner metal spirit and people were throwing their hands up and rocking out the entire time. The band concluded their set with the self-titled song from their first EP and I was singing along until the last verse. 

Night Demon

    After Night Demon’s highly enjoyable set, Ghoul quickly began setting up for what would be their set of wild splatter thrash music. I saw Ghoul open up for Gwar awhile back and could not wait to hear some wicked riffs and get sprayed with fake blood. The crowd started making more of a push towards the front, because these headbangers in the audience did not seem to care about getting some fake blood on them. The cannibal thrashers from Creepsylvania walked out on stage and proceeded to rip into a crushing song. Also, in between their songs they had some visitors from Creepsylvania who ended up getting hacked up or disemboweled, but no matter what, they sprayed fake blood into the crowd. Ghoul also played some songs off of their new album which I believe comes out later this month. “Shred the Dead” was one of new tracks I really liked and the new material is definitely worth checking out. Cremator and Digestor also have some of the best stage banter and I think they deserve their own talk show. Overall, Ghoul knew how to appease the Ghoulunatics during their set with plenty of thrash and fake blood. 

Ghoul

    The third act of the night would not be spraying any blood into the audience, but instead cranking up the volume with some good old fashion New Orleans sludge. It would be my first time seeing Crowbar live and I could not wait to hear what Kirk Windstein and the other dudes in the band had to offer. Not only does Kirk have the beard of doom, but he has the riffs of doom. From the start of their set the guitar tone was extremely heavy and addicting. You just wanted to keep hearing those slow behemoth sized riffs. I noticed that the band had a good mix of old material from different albums and even threw in some of the new tracks that I personally enjoy like, “Walk With Knowledge Wisely.” Plus, only Crowbar can take a Led Zeppelin song like, “No Quarter,” and turn it into a crushing riff onslaught. The entire band sounded tight throughout their set, which contained killer riffs and planet colliding compositions. 

Crowbar

    Ending the night of diverse and epic metal music was the surgical themed death lords, Carcass, from Liverpool, UK. Talk about an iconic and influential band that has had a brilliant career. Also, after not releasing an album for some time, the band put out what in my opinion was one of the best metal albums of 2013, “Surgical Steel.” Right when they walked on stage, Carcass was given a loud welcome as they tore into the first cut of death metal madness. Jeff Walker is a great frontman and not too shabby of a bass player. Bill Steer played some phenomenal guitar leads and the riffs him and fellow guitarist Ben Ash played were undeniably brutal. Drummer Daniel Wilding is a technical machine behind the kit and gave quite a drum lesson while up on stage. 

    I noticed during their set a few people would shout certain classic songs they wanted to hear, which I honestly get annoyed with at times. The newer material like the song, “The Granulating Dark Satanic Mills,” is an amazing song with one hell of a catchy chorus. So, new songs or classics I don’t mind...It all sounds damn good! The band also threw into the set, “Keep on Rotting the Free World,” where they even asked a member from the audience to come up on stage and sing a verse for them. Unfortunately, the first person they picked forgot the words, but they found another person to help them out. To conclude, Carcass put on one crushing set and the Sacramento audience let them know how much they appreciated the band by making endless noise until the last note faded. 

Carcass

    By the end of the night I was pretty tired along with most of the people in the crowd. There may have been only four bands, but the energy coming from the stage was never ending. I must say that The One Foot in The Grave tour is something I would like to see more often. You had old school classic NWOBHM from Night Demon, splatter thrash from Ghoul, massive sized sludge riffs from Crowbar and feverish surgical death metal from Carcass...if anyone could not find something enjoyable to take away from that line-up, they deserve to get a foot in the rear end and fall right down into a grave. There may have been a difference in sound and style, but what these bands showed was that it is the passion for heavy metal that can make for one evening of great metal music.  

Concert Review: Anvil, Night Demon, Unleash the Archers, Graveshadow

    A Tuesday night in San Francisco may seem like a tough night for people to get out and attend a concert, however, when you have Anvil playing along with Night Demon, Unleash the Archers and Graveshadow, it does not matter what day of the week it is. Last night’s concert at the DNA Lounge proved that heavy metal fans have passion and will show up ready to bang their heads and drink some beer. 

    After waging a great battle through the streets of San Francisco just to find parking, I made my way to the DNA Lounge. It would be my first time attending a show at the venue, and I must say I liked how the place was set up. The stage is raised a bit higher than most venues, but no matter where you go in the venue, I feel like you get a decent view of the stage. I was surprised to see a fair amount of metal fans already inside, which means there was a solid crowd for the first opener. Besides Night Demon who I have seen three times before, this would be my first time seeing the other three bands. Also, Anvil being such an iconic group that influenced bands like Metallica, I knew there would be those die hard metal heads who have the jackets with endless patches and remember when Lars still had hair. Actually, you had a mix of old school metal heads and the younger metal fans which was due in part to the DNA Lounge’s awesome all ages policy. 

    Starting off the night of epic fist raising metal was the symphonic metal band, Graveshadow. I became quite interested in how they would sound once I saw that they had a keyboard player. Most of your symphonic metal bands come from Europe, but Graveshadow was from Sacramento, CA. It sounded like they had a decent following come out to support them since Sacramento is not far from SF. Right away the band hammered out a bombastic sounding riff followed up by some cinematic keyboard arrangements. Graveshadow’s singer was able to switch from clean vocals to growl vocals, while matching the instrumental tones. She seemed very comfortable on stage along with the other band members. However, I found their set to be filled with repetitive song structures and the lead guitar playing needed a boost. Again, they seemed to be having a great time on stage and their keyboard player was really banging her head while she played the keys. Not my cup of tea musically, but I respect the passion and their onstage presence. 

Graveshadow

    Taking the stage next was Vancouver’s Unleash the Archers. This band of epic metal musicians from the North has been on my radar for some time now, and I have always wanted to hear how they sound live. Their recordings and music videos are rather impressive, especially the Mad Max themed one. When they firs took the stage I was slightly confused as to why they only had two guitar players and no bass player. Even without a bass player, Unleash the Archers found ways to put on an enjoyable set. Singer Brittney Slayes has a phenomenal voice and her vocal range is amazing. She can really hit those high notes like on the band’s albums which is not easy to do live. The twin guitar attack of Grant Truesdell and Andrew Kingsley was working overtime by trading off leads and ripping through epic melodic riffs. Drummer Scott Buchanan held down the rhythm section and contributed to the group’s tight sound. Finishing with the song, “General of the Dark Army,” the band kept the energy flowing until the very last note. The crowd was really engaged during their entire set and I was not surprised when the fans chanted for them to play one more song. 

Unleash the Archers

   Well, Unleash the Archers did not play another song, probably due to the fact that the openers needed to adhere to a strict time limit. Getting ready to go on next was Ventura, CA’s Night Demon. Waving the flag for traditional style heavy metal and relentlessly touring since they released their debut album, Night Demon once again delivered a smashing set. Opening with the song “Ritual” from their first EP, Night Demon destroyed in top notch heavy metal form. Bassist and singer Jarvis Leatherby rocked the mic and feverishly struck the strings on his flying v bass. Guitarist Armand John Anthony who joined the band in late March has solidified his role as the band’s guitarist. Watching him play the riffs in, “Mastermind” and “The Chalice,” was simply amazing. Drummer Dusty Squires of course did a solid job behind the kit by pounding out thunderous rhythms with precision. The band played three covers with my favorite being their version of Golden Earning’s, “Radar Love.” I felt like I would have preferred more songs from their debut album, “Curse of the Damned,” but I understand that the band might have wanted to change up the set list. Still, their entire performance was on another level and I feel each time I see them they find ways to get more metal fans rocking out to their crushing style of classic metal. 

Night Demon

    After Night Demon ended their set with their always enjoyable self-titled song, Anvil was getting ready to begin their highly anticipated set. This band has really been touring the United States more since that documentary came out and I was looking forward to finally being able to see them. When the band came out it was just drummer Robb Reiner and their new bassist Chris Robertson. I was looking around thinking, where is guitarist Steven "Lips" Kudlow?! Then I looked in the middle of the crowd and saw a crazy brown haired dude holding a red flying v guitar, and realized he was in the crowd! Talk about being up close to personal with the audience. You don’t see Axl Rose and Gene "Money Bag" Simmons doing that. 

Anvil 

    The guys in Anvil may look old, but when on stage they reminded me of young hyper kids having great fun playing their instruments. Some songs that I thought sounded good were, “Badass Rock 'n' Roll” and “Die For a Lie.” Also, the classic song, “Mothra,” gave each member a chance to show off their talents. Honestly, Rob Reiner’s drummer solo kind of took all the spot light and was the high moment of Anvil’s set. He is a master behind that kit and I respect the traditional grip he uses. Lips of course made me laugh a lot by having great stage comments along with using a dildo during his guitar solo. Towards the end of their set the band played the one song that most fans were waiting for which was, “Metal on Metal.” Then for their encore they played a cover of, “Born to Be Wild.” The cover was okay and I think they should have just ended with, “Metal on Metal.” Compared to what I thought going in, Anvil still knows how to rock and roll. 

    After all that metal music from each of the four bands, my ears are still ringing and I am still laughing about the dildo guitar solo. I think the all ages venue definitely allowed for a diverse and passionate audience. Even though I thought Night Demon should have been able to play a couple more songs (I’m biased), it was an enjoyable concert all around and I am glad I went. Whether it be old heavy metal music or new heavy metal music, the fans and bands keep the spirit alive by showing up and banging their heads.