“The funny thing is that I’m not even a doom fan at heart! I’ve been playing in bands since 1987 in many different sub-genres but somehow the only ones who really had an impact were in the doom category. But believe me, Satan’s Wrath is a whole different beast!” Indeed, less than a minute into debut album ‘Galloping Blasphemy’, ‘Show No Mercy’ era Slayer, Bathory and early Celtic Frost spring to mind more than Black Sabbath’s heavy stampede and samples of rainfall and thunder in the distance. But such expectations are understandable, because besides having impressive facial tattoos, it’s with bands falling into that doom category – first, with the short-lived but awesome Great Coven and Eight Hands Of Kali and then with Electric Wizard – that the Greek-born Taz Danazoglou really made a name for himself.

Despite being spawned right after his exit from the Wiz, Satan’s Wrath is not just a way for him to reconnect with his roots though. “I’ve been playing in bands for a quarter of a century so I didn’t even considered stopping now,” Taz says. “I was always first and foremost a heavy and thrash fan so I wanted to pay tribute to the metal from … Read More

Ottawa, Canada have vomited forth yet another raw, nasty slice of punk metal prowess courtesy of Jo Capitalicide (Cauchemar/ex-Bastardator) called Iron Dogs. “At the time of recording [debut album] ‘Cold Bitch’, I listened to Savage Grace and Omen daily,” he explains. “We wanted the drums to sound like Savage Grace’s ‘Master Of Disguise’, which is really rough and raw. Bands like Gotham City and Vice Human also had this incredible raw feel we were going for.” With songs about vampires, an unhealthy fascination with the Grim Reaper and “trying to find meaning in this pointless existence”, Iron Dogs is where Metal Blade’s early output meets Motörhead and has a fist fight that ends in the gutter. “’Another Night’ is a rock ‘n’ roll song about touring with no budget in shitty vans with shitty gear in shitty venues, never getting any sleep and being underfed,” he continues, and there is a definitely sense of urgency and desperation in their music. Drummer Dan Lee picks up the description: “I’m a big fan of primitive metal, although I do enjoy polished metal played by highly talented musicians. I am not skilled, I am foremost a fan and diehard enthusiast so what I lack … Read More

Norway’s Black Magic are one of the best kept secrets in the metal underground. The exceptional three-piece was formed in 2006 after drummer Cato Stormoen (also of Deathhammer) approached singer/guitarist Jon Henriksen to form a new act (they later added Daniel Salsten on bass duty). Their first self-released demo ‘Raise The Dead’ showed they had a real talent for raw Hellhammer’ing but it was the 2010 ‘Reap Of Evil’ demo that caught many a tuned-in metaller’s ear. This three-track affair added more straight-ahead heavy metal elements into their evil attack, mixing a variety of styles into one of the best heavy metal tracks released in the last ten years. The key weapon in the bands arsenal is Jon’s fantastic vocals and incredible axe-work; the naturally charismatic Ralph Macchio-looking frontman has a mean set of warm heavy rock pipes and a loose way of both singing and playing guitar that is rare in the modern age. His natural charisma and ability results in that rare mix which comes along only so often, while the live show is highly entertaining, unpredictable and punctuated by fantastic covers of Rush, Uriah Heep and Quartz. The band have done no interviews and you shouldn’t expect … Read More

Norway’s Töxik Death was formed in 2003 by “two metalheads starting a band,” exclaims guitarist and founding member Anders. “It was nothing more original than that. Morbid thrash was our thing, and we wanted to create something ourselves.” Even with such enthusiasm, it took four years for the limited EP, ‘Happy Fukking Holocaust’ (Misantrof ANTIRecords), to appear. “I don’t know really,” replies Anders when asked why it took so long to release their debut. “Lack of everything I guess! I wanted to do something, but the rest of the band wasn’t that interested. The lack of a decent drummer in the area didn’t make things easier either.” Another five years would pass before ‘Demo 2012’ became a reality. “The same story started over again,” says Anders. “It didn’t turn out quite as good as hoped, and after the EP the vocalist and the bassist moved away so it was impossible to keep that line-up. Then in late 2011, I decided to start looking for new members. Bjarte was brought in as an additional guitarist and he was joined by new drummer, Robin, bassist, Robert, and Eirik on vocals. All the riffs for the demo were ready so we just started rehearsing and writing … Read More

Heavy metal’s collective canon boasts a sizeable handful of bands whose influence and importance are indisputable; names like Iron Maiden, Death, Motörhead, Venom, Bathory and Black Sabbath loom larger than life (or death) and always will. However, few of metal’s legendary figures cut quite as stark and ugly a figure as these masters of primitive death; a band that requires no introduction, took no prisoners, brought forth the primal roots of black metal from the fetid bowels of Brazil and spread their poison across the globe: Sarcó fuckin’ Fago. To say that it’s an honour to have been granted a rare interview with founding member Wagner Antichrist is putting it lightly.

“The honour is mine,” he counters. “I think it’s strange because I don’t believe in the idolatry of men. But I do believe in the idolatry of ideas. Men fail, but ideas persist. I think we’ve done our bit to change the history of misery and alienation of our youth in relation to religion and politics, but there’s still a lot to be done.

“However, I don’t see many bands thinking about that nowadays,” Wagner complains. “Regarding the worship of Sarcófago, I’m not surprised at all because people who are into … Read More

“I don’t know,” isn’t the most succinct of answers, but Sodom‘s Tom Angelripper is finding it all but impossible to describe how he sees his long-standing band within the wider context of heavy metal. One of the early (and certainly one of the most initially unrestrained and chaotic practitioners of thrash, he is in even more wonder at the fact that Sodom have clocked up 30 years as a living, breathing entity.

“I think Sodom is still a strong part of the metal scene,” he continues. “I’m surprised, you know, myself, after 30 years that the band is still alive. We’re still touring, still writing new songs, still writing and recording new albums; it’s amazing! The ‘30 Years’ box is a special gift for the fans. But yes, the band is still alive and we will keep on going; that is the most important thing.”

As mentioned, the reason we are putting Sodom down for the first in this series of articles that looks at the biggest game-changers in the heavy metal universe is that Sodom are celebrating their anniversary with the mammoth ’30 Years Sodomized’ box set. One of the two central components to the box is ‘30 Years’ War’; ostensibly … Read More