Did you listen to the radio every Friday Night? So sang Saxon on ‘Denim & Leather’ and it’s without a doubt that the Friday Rock Show and the voice of Tommy Vance is at the centre of the very foundation Iron Fist Magazine is based upon. On the anniversary of his death in 2005, it is fitting that Vintage TV are planning on bringing back the Friday Rock Show with Nicky Horne. Guy Strachan spoke to FRS producer Tony Wilson about this slice of heavy metal history

“The Friday Rock Show was the only education I needed” Shane Embury, Napalm Death

“I knew Tommy from our first album. He helped our career more than people realise. I’ve got many memories of him. He came to see us several times both in the studio and live and was always supportive. The Friday Rock Show was the MTV of the UK – if you were on the show – you’d made it.” Biff Byford, Saxon

It’s been a tough time for the BBC of late, what with scandals, debates about its licence-funded future and costly moves up and down the country, such stories often overshadow just how much of an influence the organisation’s output has had … Read More

The musical spider’s web cast by Black Sabbath 46 years ago has mutated in many directions, and here at Iron Fist we often forget the crawling, deadly, filthy tentacles that became droning, sludgy doom metal. Germany’s Black Shape Of Nexus are here to remind us of the dread and unease that this genre permeates with a cover of Fist favourites, Hellhammer.

From their 1983 demo ‘Triumph Of Death’, this eponymous song reeks of decay and BSON have dragged it even further into the grave.

Featured on their new album, out on March 18 through Exile On Mainstream Records, ‘Carrier’ stinks like hell, as this song dictates. Drenching their songs in atmosphere, aggression and/or even speed, it is described as “a tour de force that will exhaust all but the completely deaf”.

The band said of this cover version: “Chris from Fucking Kill Records asked us if we would be willing to cover ‘Triumph Of Death’ for his ‘A Fucking Tribute To Hellhammer’ sampler 12”. The result was in our opinion so good, that it also deserved to be released on ‘Carrier’. ‘ToD’ (what a perfect abbreviation!) is a typical BSON track, beginning well-structured and ending up in full deconstruction. Our approach to the … Read More

New York thrash icons Anthrax release their latest album ‘For All Kings’ today via Nuclear Blast and for the band who formed in 1981 and have pushed out 12 of these bad boys, not to mention countless EPs, live albums and singles, they’re well aware of the changing tides when it comes to picking up your favourite band’s new record.

But reflecting their ol’ pals Metallica’s support for Record Store Day, founding axeman Scott Ian has some words to say about people’s attitude towards buying new music. He says in a video shot this week in London, that “Shouldn’t ten or eleven new songs by your favourite band be enough?” He also says that he “stills loves going to record stores” and that he’s worried it’s “an experience that [future] generations will never understand”.

“It’s like pushing your little bird, your little baby, out of your nest,” bassist Frank Bello tells Iron Fist’s Martin Popoff, on making new albums. “You nurture it to this point and then you start doing interviews, people hear it, and hopefully everybody likes it as much as we do. We’re just psyched, honestly, to be at this level in our 30-something year career. People have a real nice buzz … Read More

IRON MAIDEN FORT LAUDERDALE BB&T CENTER Sometimes it’s easy to forget that the members of Iron Maiden are in their late 50s-early 60s. However, compared to the majority of their contemporaries, the band still has plenty of energy, which is especially evident here, on the first show of their massive The Book Of Souls World tour. The band get the audience pumped up by playing AC/DC’s ‘Powerage’ over the PA, but when the ‘Strangers In The Night’ cut of ‘Doctor Doctor’ starts up fans know exactly what’s coming. A new CGI animation that sees Ed Force One marooned in a Mayan desert, only to be rescued by the hand of Eddie, is followed by the opening strains of ‘If Eternity Should Fail’. The excitement gets the blood boiling; you might recall how ‘Satellite 15’ had the same vibe when the ‘Final Frontier’ tour begun. From the moment the band comes on stage they command it. Each of the guitarists nail their parts, and share that famous chemistry with each other, and the rhythm section is still heavy metal’s finest. Steve Harris’ gallops rarely steal from the shredding, but he always holds his place, as Nicko hammers every beat down perfectly. Bruce Dickinson is undoubtably the night’s VIP. He allows a quick joke with … Read More

California’s legendary pioneers of sick and twisted death metal Autopsy released a platter of splatter late last year via Peaceville Records, the first of which was ‘After The Cutting’, a monster of a collector’s release that will feature four discs worth of material. We got in touch with vocalist/drummer Chris Reifert to get more of an insight into these releases…

What? Autopsy sneaked out two new releases in 2015, why are you being so kind to us gore junkies? “Well getting right down to it, Peaceville approached us and said they were wanting to do an Autopsy box set. Sounded great to us, especially since we got to pick out the whole track listing, which is spread out over four discs; 82 songs and five hours, that is! There’s enough death metal in there to choke a zombie’s uncle, enticed yet? This rotten puppy has studio cuts from all of the albums and EPs, the original ’80s demos, unheard live and rehearsal stuff, a rare track by the very obscure Grave Violators, and to top it off, the new EP, ‘Skull Grinder’. And there’s a full-length book in there written by Dennis Dread with tons of pics, memorabilia, and all kinds of … Read More

A South American band with a Belgian singer, King Heavy have a story as inspiring as their doom-drenched heavy metal. That the four-piece assembled in one place for the first time back in 2014 to tour Chile, Peru and Ecuador – vocals and music for both 2012’s ‘Horror Absoluto’ EP and their self-titled full-length, released by Cruz Del Sur last year, were recorded on separate continents, synthesized with the aid of the internet – is not even that story’s most inspiring aspect. It is the passion which they have equally for the music that is, of necessity, only a part-time part of their lives and for their children – the band’s two lynchpins, Chilean bassist Daniel Pere’z Saa (ex-Procession) and vocalist Luther ‘Luce’ Veldmark (Hooded Priest, Witchsmeller Pursuviant) each have two – which really strikes a chord. “I have two ladies evil. They are the light of my life,” says Daniel when asked if Luce, the band’s eldest member by a margin, is the only one with offspring. (Note: drummer Miguel Canessa became a father in January, after this correspondence took place). “Isi, who is seven-years-old, sings very good, and Fran, she is very much a true rocker. She loves … Read More

‘Holy Diver’, ‘The Last In Line’ and ‘Sacred Heart’ are regulars on the Iron Fist HQ turntable and while Dio’s passing in 2010 means that as a band Dio will never reform, however LAST IN LINE are as close as we’ll get. Formed in 2011 to play the songs they wrote between 1982 and 1985, Vinny Appice, Jimmy Bain and Vivian Campbell – the original Dio band – got together after 25 years along with Lynch Mob frontman Andrew Freeman to simply play the “hits”. But in 2013 they were offered a record deal that changed the way they viewed their future. Heading for the studio, the making of ‘Heavy Crown’ was to be the project to spur bassist Jimmy Bain into battling his substance abuse demons. Writing while in rehab he won and had been sober for over a year. But fate was the deal another card, as the band prepared to release the album they’d been working on for three years Jimmy Bain passed away. Devastated by the news, and wanting to STAND UP AND SHOUT that Last In Line are a band that deserve to be celebrated, we caught up with guitarist VIVIAN CAMPBELL to ask him what lies ahead for this … Read More

For the country that gave heavy metal to the world we don’t do so well in the way of big festivals. Gone are the hairspray and cocaine-fuelled glory days of the ’80s when the titans of the genre would descend on Castle Donington for the Monsters of Rock festival and full-scale tours spanning the length and breadth of the island seemed ten a penny. We don’t fare badly but nowadays Donington is more synonymous with the Download Festival than being home to the real heavyweights (bar Sabbath and Maiden naturally), and you’ll be lucky if a UK tour is comprised of more than four or five dates.

Metal is built firmly on its underground scene – this has been the case since time immemorial – and as always it falls to this underground to remind the true of what metal really means. Lucky for us here in the UK then that the fans are taking the power back, and though unable to parade a collection of bands on the scale of Monsters Of Rock, the likes of Brofest in Newcastle and Live Evil Festival in London are standing defiant in the wake of mediocrity and plastic music by showcasing raw talent … Read More

I’ve said this before, when starting Iron Fist I had a dream list of interviewees. It’s been astounding to have the honour of ticking these off the list, from Girlschool to Rock Goddess to Bruce Dickinson and Scott Gorham. Michael Schenker was high on the list, but it’s always nerving to predict which Michael Schenker you’re going to get. Notoriously spiky about his art being at the centre of his world, turning down high profile gigs with Aerosmith and Ozzy, he’s not always been the willing interviewee, but as he’s prepares to embark on a new Temple Of Rock tour, starting today in Bilston, he’s accommodating, chatty and charming. What’s so obviously clear from our conversation is that the former Scorpions, UFO and MSG mastermind has found a new lease of life and of art with his latest project Temple Of Rock.

What started as a solo project in 2011 with friends Pete Way on bass (UFO), and Herman Rarebell on drums (ex Scorpions), with guest vocals from Robin McAuley (ex MSG) and Doogie White (ex Rainbow/MSG etc), Temple Of Rock has become a band in its own right, with Herman, Doogie and Michael joined by formed Scorpions colleague Francis … Read More

Last night was surreal. Watching a funeral in a pub? Cheering, whooping, and laughing (a lot of laughing actually) while glued to a big screen TV. What was supposed to be a sombre affair turned to belly-aching chuckles with every wild story or dad joke but you couldn’t resist the devil’s grip of emotion either. The weirdness of watching a webcast memorial as you would a footie match left me reeling but I was so glad I went. Some of the Iron Fist team opted to watch it at home alone so they could let it sink in privately, some chose to not watch it all believing it to be voyeuristic bordering on the tasteless, and some threw parties in Lemmy’s honour, but Jim Martin and I decided to brave the Holloway Road, London’s less glamorous Sunset Strip. As we gathered in front of the screens at the 12 Bar I realised in that instant what impact Lemmy had on such a cross section of music lovers.

When he passed away on December 28, I couldn’t find the words to write a tribute. But that alone felt irresponsible. Here I am, editor of a magazine named after my favourite Motörhead song and … Read More