Iron Fist Magazine

Remembering Mark “The Shark” Shelton 1957 – 2018

What follows is Chris Chantler’s look at the life of a man who embodied the meaning of the word “underground”; Manilla Road mastermind Mark Shelton – who sadly passed away following a triumphant performance at Headbangers Open Air last Thursday 26th July.  Before we dive into it, please check out the gofundme campaign launched to cover the expenses required to repatriate Mark’s body to the US and cover hospital / mortuary bills in Germany.  

“I always thought that my music could be related to by others but I was never sure if it would amount to anything. I always had the dream and I guess I’m proof that sometimes dreams do come true. But it appears this only happens when you really work hard at it and don’t give up.” – Mark Shelton, Metal Brothers webzine, 2017

Mark Shelton was entranced and consumed by music from the earliest age. His mother was Professor of Music at Friends University in the Sheltons’ hometown Wichita, Kansas, and she ensured that the fledgling Shark was learning piano from the age of four. At school Mark played trumpet and baritone and sang in choirs before playing drums in jazz band The Herd, but he finally picked up an … Read More

Phil Pendergast of Khemmis: A nice big thick slice of Thin Lizzy

Denver based four-piece KHEMMIS are set to guide us into their captivating world of heavy metal and crushing doom with their third studio album, Desolation released today.

Here guitarist / vocalist Phil Pendergast takes us through the vinyl back catalogue of one of his favourite bands and offers his appraisal of Thin Lizzy.

‘Desolation’ is released today via 20 Buck Spin (North America) and Nuclear Blast (Europe)

We ARE gonna take it! Watch A New Dee Snider Video Exclusive Here!

Rock legend Dee Snider has unveiled his official video for new track ‘Tomorrow’s No Concern’ – the first track from his upcoming solo album ‘For The Love Of Metal’.

Says Dee: “Lyrically, it’s about me living for today, not in the past. So many people waste their lives away remembering the glory days. While I am proud of all that I’ve done, I am more interested and excited about what is happening now. In the song I urge the listener to do the same; live in the moment and don’t let the past – good, bad or indifferent – or what might or might not happen in the future ever slow you down.”

 

A Truly British Steel Weekend!

Avenger and Desolation Angels headline the British Steel festival at The Camden Underworld in London starting tonight.

Tonight’s bill sees Avenger headline with Salem and Seven Sisters also playing. Desolation Angels headline Saturday night with Primitai, Neuronspoiler, Eliminator and Toledo Steel completing the bill.

Doors open at 5pm

ANGEL WITCH: Gorgons, Grocers & Grenfell – Iron Fist talks to Kevin Heybourne

Recording in bedrooms and underneath grocery stores, ANGEL WITCH leader KEVIN HEYBOURNE recalls the creation of what has been released on vinyl as the ‘Seventies Tapes’. In this abridged version of the feature from issue 21, IRON FIST’s KEVIN STEWART is all ears.

Original member, guitarist/vocalist Kevin Heybourne has guided Angel Witch through disbandings and hiatuses, continuing on to this day, emerging as popular as ever with underground bangers. With that popularity comes a further thirst for both new material and gems from the past. 2012’s ‘As Above, So Below’ album satisfied the former, while the recent issuing of ‘Seventies Tapes’ – originally digitally via Bandcamp last year followed by a more recent vinyl release – satiates the latter. As the title hints, it’s a collection of recordings from a specific era. What makes it special is that the content hails from various sources chronicling the band’s woodshopping and demonstrates the dedication required in the days before ProTools and home recording rigs. Iron Fist caught up with Kevin to discuss moving forward, giving back and why parents should never throw away their kid’s stuff.

What was the impetus for the release of the demo material?

“They have been released … Read More

The Dahmers get Creepy

Swedish rock ‘n’ roll overlords The Dhamers release their new record on Friday and you can here it first right here via Iron Fist.

‘Creepiest Creep’ is released via Lövely Records and is the follow-up to last year’s ‘In The Dead Of Night’ album.

What do they sound like? Well Iron Fist has previously said The Dhamers “twist The Stooges, Misfits, Thin Lizzy and Motörhead with fellow Swedes The Hellacopters” – so what are you waiting for?

S(c)tream ahead!

 

Satan return with new album on Metal Blade

Geordie HM veterans Satan have signed a multiple album deal with Metal Blade and has just finished recordings for their tentative new album to be released during the second half of 2018.

“Metal Blade is part of Satan’s past and we are super excited for it to be part of our future. It seems so fitting, it’s hard to imagine another label that could give us a better platform for our music today”.

Leading lights of the the early 80’s post-NWOBHM movement and responsible for ’83’s seminal Court In the Act and ’87’s Suspended Sentence, with their tentative new album Satan make it abundantly clear that in 2018 they are not interested in simply capitalising on past glories. Comprised of 10 tracks of searing metal, it is blatantly and profoundly the work of the Newcastle upon Tyne natives at their very best, infusing their signature sound with a more raw, wild and spontaneous vibe than they showcased on 2015’s mighty Atom By Atom, in the process displaying more passion and energy than slews of bands half their age.

 Keep up to date with Satan online:

http://www.satanmusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/officialsatanpage

 

Spiral Skies premier ”Danse Macabre”

Swedish quintet Spiral Skies are set to release their long-awaited debut, full-length album, ‘Blues For A Dying Planet’, on May 18th via the German imprint AOP Records.

With influences ranging over decades, Spiral Skies has created a sound that can most easily be described as “Rock from another planet.” A unique blend of folk, doom and 70’s inspired rock music. The band has been compared to band such as Jefferson Airplane, Curved Air and as well as more modern outfits grouped under the Occult Rock tag.

Check out “Danse Macabre” here

 

ELECTRIC WIZARD “Strum open E, wow, that’s heavy. What are you going to do next then?”

Evolving with every release, ELECTRIC WIZARD have created another mind-scrambling epic in the guise of ninth opus ‘Wizard Bloody Wizard’. JIM MARTIN talks to frontman JUS OBORN about its creation, celebrating the roots of heavy metal, taking control of his musical destiny and the quest for the ultimate rock ‘n‘ roll excess for Iron Fist issue 20 January 16th, 2018 marks the fiftieth anniversary of Blue Cheer’s ‘Vincebus Eruptum’, arguably the first bona fide heavy metal album of ‘em all. Moreover, somewhere in the subconscious of every metalhead – amidst the destroyed braincells and reckless pandemonium they’ve experienced in the last half-century, lurks a certain sense of this genre’s own big bang – that period from 1968 to 1973 wherein the ‘60s bled into the ‘70s, the idealistic dreams of the hippy generation began to curdle amidst violence and bloodshed from Vietnam, Altamont and the Manson family alike, and horror both real-life and imagined began to influence a feverish lurch into overdrive and dementia – reaching its apotheosis naturally with the first Black Sabbath album in 1970, amidst psychic shockwaves which still resonate well into the next century. “I don’t think there was very much of a template for what heavy music … Read More

CIRITH UNGOL “We’re still children of the devil”

After 25 years, California metal masters CIRITH UNGOL have hauled their undead corpses from an untimely grave. IRON Fist scribe J. BENNETT spoke with drummer and co-founder Rob Garven about life, death and resurrection.

Originally printed in Iron Fist Issue 19

It’s a Tuesday evening in late August, and Cirith Ungol are sweating their balls off in a Ventura, California practice space. “Some previous band blew up the air conditioner so when we come in here at night it’s like 100 degrees,” drummer Rob Garven explains. “We were gonna fix it but it’s like $10,000, so we bought a fan instead.”

A few weeks after we speak with Rob, Cirith Ungol will play their first show in 25 years when they headline the Frost and Fire Festival, a weekend-long metal extravaganza in Ventura that will also feature appearances from elder statesmen Grim Reaper, Omen and Ashbury alongside young guns Midnight, Visigoth and Night Demon. For Rob and his bandmates — vocalist Tim Baker, guitarist Greg Lindstrom and guitarist Jim Barraza (with Night Demon main man and festival organizer Jarvis Leatherby filling in on bass) — it’s pure vindication for a career plagued with label calamities, poor timing and bad luck. The band slugged … Read More

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