Spitting black fire since 2000, Vornth have followed their self-titled 2013 debut with a second album of Venom-ous filth. ‘Black Pyres’ is out today as a Samhain offering, with lashings of Teutonic thrash fury, blackened ire and traditional heavy metal speed. Hailing from Sweden, the band have returned to the Iron Tyrant family – home of Profanal, Mortuary Drape and Culte Des Ghoules – and feature Janne Rimmerfors on battery, Ewil Johansson on bass and Erik Blackflexer on guitars. 

Citing “our own Electric Blood” as their only influence (despite hearing Kreator, Destruction, Mercyful Fate and even early Candlemass proudly in their sound) they say of today’s heavy metal scene that “Rock ‘n’ roll should be strong and alive. Metal should be more strong and more alive.”

We couldn’t agree more. “We chose Iron Tyrant and they chose us,” Erik continues of working with such an eminent underground heavy metal stable. “It’s a brotherhood if you like. You always see who and which bands are going strong when times get rough; that is the real difference between illusion and the definitive. We feel part of a community of hard working musicians and artists that fight with integrity no matter what. We are Vornth which we have proven a long time … Read More

Legendary German thrashers Exumer (who formed in 1985) have returned to the scene with their fourth album ‘The Raging Tides’ (their second since reforming in 2008). It’s a fierce slab of energetic Teutonic thrash metal that showcases a band clearly firing on all cylinders, sounding rejuvenated with new blood in the ranks and burning bright with musical fire. Original vocalist Mem Von Stein gave Kat Gillham an insight into the new album and the recent events in the Exumer camp…

Your new record ‘The Raging Tides’ has just been released, are you satisfied with how it turned out? Mem: It’s definitely a step up from our last album ‘Fire And Damnation’ in terms of how it’s a lot more direct, I think. We tightened the edges in many ways and I think it just pops a lot more. It just has a bigger punch than ‘Fire And Damnation’, we did like the sound of that album but I think this is a step forward in regards to bringing the mix upfront and really making sure that the guitars and drums are really punching you in the face so to speak, so yeah we were really happy with how it turned out overall. … Read More

Apologies to the guy in Black Viper who our editor attacked outside The Little Devil in Tilburg during Roadburn Festival. She overheard him telling some guys in the smoking area that he was in this “new band called Black Viper” and she just sort of grabbed him and scratched him, which is kind of her way of saying ‘Your band is fucking great’. They are. Marek Steven is less violent so we sent him to find out more about them.

Storming With Vengeance demo is great. Can you introduce us to Black Viper? Cato: The band actually started around 2012 as a one-man project because I made some riffs which didn’t fit into [his other band] Deathhammer, but I thought they were good enough to make something out of. I then made some demo tracks without vocals but didn’t release them. I also started to record an EP in 2013 but that also didn’t get finished. Then I moved to Oslo in 2013 right where Arild and Christoffer live. I hooked up with them and Black Viper finally became a full band. Then we rehearsed without vocals for a while – as we couldn`t find anyone who could sing – and we … Read More

The neo-thrash trend fronted by the likes of Municipal Waste and Evile may be waning but there are still many clinging on to the roots of the genre and resurrecting it with equally ancient, scuffed up hi-tops. Cue Southampton’s Desolator, who despite only starting two years ago have made quite a name for themselves. The trio made up of Jamie Brooks (vocals/guitar), Felix Dock (bass) and Sam Talbot (drums) love playing fast and Brooks sums up their sound perfectly; “Speed thrash ‘n’ roll! Thrash for us should be unhinged and fun, stripped down with every instrument being pushed to excite!” Desolator’s consistent desire to party has done them favours, with a constant flow of gigs around the country, gathering a mental mass of followers. Their first gig was at one of the UK’s many thrash all-dayers back in 2011 and despite only having two songs written, the band invited eager ears. “We couldn’t believe our luck, it was an unbelievable way to start,” recalls Jamie. From then on there’ve been support slots with the likes of Cannabis Corpse, DRI and Sacred Reich, giving the three-piece more opportunity to showcase their energetically live shows. “Our recent show in Belgium at Thrash Till … Read More