‘CHASING THE DREAM’ might be the name of their new album, but SKULL FIST  singer JACKIE SLAUGHTER has been living the dream since he moved to the big city of Toronto from his hick-town home aged 19. Yeah, he may have broken a few bones along the way but is showing no signs of slowing…

“I tried to do this handrail, and I hadn’t skated in a while so I somehow thought I was better than I was. I snapped a bone in my neck, right where it holds onto your head… Man, people always make that sound when I tell them.”

Fuck. Of all the hardcore things we’ve written about in Iron Fist that’s gotta be one of the grimmest, but we deserve it, after all we did ask the question; “So what exactly happened to delay the latest Skull Fist album?”

In true, care-free (some might say careless) abandon, Skull Fist founder, frontman and guitarist Jackie Slaughter is doing this interview by phone, while biking to work. “Biking, as in Motorbiking?” He laughs; “C’mon, I don’t have a motorbike. I hurt myself skateboarding, imagine a motorbike!”

Still, we’re not sure health and safety killjoys would recommend cycling while being interviewed, especially in downtown … Read More

Johnny Touch emerged from the graffiti-stained streets of downtown Melbourne, Australia. Comprising of various street-toughs from Stargazer, Cauldron Black Ram and Beyond Mortal Dreams, Johnny Touch is the heavy metal embrace for hooligans who, above all things, love heavy metal. If you like Riot, early-Ozzy, Judas Priest, Queensryche, Racer X and Dio, then chances are you are going to like Johnny Touch.

“Heavy Metal is important and defining in so many ways,” explains founder and drummer Denny. “Over 30 years of tradition, it is so important; the culture, the comradeship, the denim and the leather.”

Earlier this year and in the midst of recording the debut album, ‘Inner City Wolves’, bass player Inphiltraitor instigated an indefinite delay after finding himself under the wheels of a semi-trailer truck.

“This happened on the eve of recording his bass lines for the new album! He is currently undergoing rehab and will be home before the year’s end. We are currently putting together new songs and have whittled away at whatever we could for the album.” This has not quashed future plans for the band, as they set their sights on rival gang territory New Zealand. “Bigger stage shows, bigger hair, bigger crowds, bigger breasts. That’s it, and all.”

But … Read More

The lyrics to the 12-minute epic track ‘Goddess Of Doom’ could very well be the Nicene Creed of doom metal, Christina Ricci love aside. In the plodding song, Finnish titans Reverend Bizarre chant 33 impeccable band names – the ones that moisten underpants, of course – concluding with the obliging, “We kneel at your altar, we bless thy holy names. You gave Doom to men, we try to do the same.”

Historically, doom has always been this unpretentious; it’d be dismissible if it weren’t so damn earnest and intentionally tongue-in-cheek. Band members celebrate their forefathers and mothers without hesitation, revelling in the mournful cries of their elders and contemporaries, and join forces to spread the despondent credo. In that sense, Vancouver doom act Funeral Circle is a typical doom band. Let the checklist commence: their name was borrowed from track three of the 2004 demo of Australian quartet The Wizar’d. They’ve covered the fist-pump-inducing classics, both obscure and well known – a song by Montreal’s Lord Ryür (‘Pact With A Sinner’) and Witchfinder General (‘Burning A Sinner’). They’re frequently name-dropped by premier German export Atlantean Kodex due to a longstanding friendship, and released a split in 2011 with ex-Bizarre project Lord Vicar. … Read More

Ominous, anonymous, terrifying and obscure, Germany’s Beyond invoke a schizophrenic whirlwind of the deadliest death metal best described as the bastard spawn of Morbid Angel, Possessed, and (early) Kreator. Joining the Iron Bonehead roster with the ‘Enter Transcendence’ EP in 2012, July’s ‘Fatal Power Of Death’ full-length debut is among the utmost insanely violent extreme metal records unleashed this year.

“Beyond is anything that isn’t part of this world. Beyond feeds upon the blackness to violently humiliate the human psyche,” explains guitarist, vocalist, and mastermind, ‘R’, of his dangerously introspective and otherworldly musical visions. “We’ve been inspired by something that is difficult to explain. Speaking for myself, I’ve been against the grain of normality all my life and I’m way more open to stuff that is ‘weird’ among ordinary people. Paranormal material, mysteries about ancient history etc, this would be the blueprint to any decision that complements art in my life.”

Though, for all the esotericism, it seems there are greater and more determined forces at work: “Moreover, the reason Beyond was created was to determine an icon to start ending the ever-growing lack of quality in modern black/death metal era. If you ignore 99 per cent of all releases that surround … Read More

2013 will go down in history as being the year that death thrash horde Pentagram Chile released their blistering debut, but it will also herald the less high-profile re-release of ‘Profane Cvlt’ – the initial offering from fellow Chilean blasphemers Praise The Flame. Quite the year for this country then, famed for its barbaric output and it’s good to hear fresh-sounding offerings blasting through the mire of tired formulas. Bassist Necroterror sums up their sound: “It’s a band that cultivates merciless and obscure death metal with fast passages of thrash in the vein of the pioneering hordes of the genre. Unquestionable, Possessed, Morbid Angel (Old), Sadistic Intent, Death (Old) among others, are great inspiration for us.” ‘Profane Cvlt’ honours these pioneers in shovel loads; at once notes of Slayer and Possessed ring through the barrage of blastbeats and frantic guitars, but it is the brief hints at melody and obscure twists that make this release all the more memorable.

The foundations upon which PTF build their hellish hymns are firmly rooted in the Chilean tradition, comprising a strong “rhythmic base, with fast drumming and a furiously-played overdriven bass guitar.” No complaints here! Then “a single guitar is added to this base … Read More

Back in 2009 Cursed 13 released a split with Domgard, within moments the ground we stand upon shook and cracks started to appear and fumes from the bowels of Hell began to rise, but with the release of ‘Triumf’, their first full-length, they are ready to reach right into the depths of the underworld, bringing about the apocalypse. Brought together by bassist and vocalist Heljarmadr, “The line up came to be as we all are involved in Grá and now each other well, both musically and personally.” And though they have strong team Heljarmadr explains that he has written virtually all of the music and lyrics for ‘Triumf’, admitting “this album is the culmination of a long struggle.” When asked what influenced them musically there were the usual Mayhem and Burzum references, but Heljarmadr was unafraid to confess his interest in acts such as Johnny Cash, Nick Cave or even Wagner, and one listen to Cursed 13 and you’ll wonder where the hell those guys creep in, but that will be a fleeting thought as you’re taken back in by the rip roaring nastiness that they spew at will.

So many bands give out clichéd responses to their band philosophy, some … Read More

Something has been stirring in the waters of the Mersey over the last few years. The Old Ones have clearly awoken in the Liverpool Scene with the likes of Black Magician and Conan exporting excellent Northern darkness to the rest of the country. Joining them is Crypt Lurker, an extremely promising young death/doom band who offer sinister riffs and atmosphere of claustrophobic, terrifying brilliance. Front Man J.C.H explains the bands approach and unique sound:

“Our brand of doom metal is one that I find difficult to put my finger on, despite it’s inherent simplicity. This perhaps arises from a disparate set of influences from across our line-up. Nonetheless, things could certainly be described as crawling, monotonous and claustrophobic, I’d like to think.”

Having just released their debut EP, ‘Baneful Magic Death Worship And Necromancy Rites Archaic’ on underground label Ulthar, the band take their occult concept seriously and there is real thought and praxis behind the project; “The name Crypt Lurker was intended as being a subtle reference to the process of seeking liminal spaces, places like the crossroads, a sea cave or a crypt, which mark the threshold between realms; similar to the significance of sitting upon a burial mound and … Read More

On September 11th, 2011 a beast called Ghold was born. Well technically it was called The Judas Ghoat, but even that name came later. Two aspiring guitarists got together and started playing, writing and recording music. They wrote with more people in mind, but in the long-run, they would be only two – and there would be no guitar in what was to come. Imagine all the dark, dank, dragging low-end horror of Godflesh, but propelled by the interplay between drummer Paul Antony’s pounding and bassist Alex Wilson’s strumming, and even more by their unison vocals.

“We just started writing music without any intention of playing shows,” Paul affirms, before Alex clarifies: “Well we started writing four and five-piece music, so we were fucked from the start.”

If Ghold go on as long as they deserve, ‘Fucked From the Start’ should be the title of a retrospective compilation – or perhaps a reissue of their first two releases, the ‘Ghold’ three-track demo and ‘Judas Ghoat’, a 40-minute mindfuck unleashed on cassette. “The first one was recorded in a toilet, the second in a shed,” says Alex.

‘Judas Ghoat’ was ready to record in mid-2012, “it just took ’til October to get the recording … Read More

Disgusting, crust-ridden speed thrash. From the North of England. Utter scum. We can’t get enough. Al Osta (vocals), Oliver Turner (guitars), Callum Cox (drums) and James Lawrence (bass) admit they have a “penchant for all things heavy and fast” but that’s an under-fucking-statement, for sure. With a nod from Fenriz on his blog, Satanic Dystopia are heading for the big smoke and Live Evil Festival. “We were nothing more than some frosty dudes bonding over a few choice bands whilst yearning to play evil and fast music,” they admit of their formation. “It clicked from the off and we just started writing. Satanic Dystopia was birthed into this wretched world.

“It invokes the feeling of post-apocalyptic wastelands and horror, something all good thrash is about,” they continue of the name choice. “The song titles and lyrics give the feeling of total annihilation and violence, something that will play a big part in our artwork and overall aesthetics.”

Cult movie fans, SD write songs like ‘Double Denim Shotgun Massacre’, admitting that “the band is all about paying homage to films of lesser quality, but brilliant films in their own right. There is an incredible world of crazy horror, sleaze and action beyond the … Read More

Like so many others, Kim Kelly discovered superb Swedish black/death practitioners IRKALLIAN ORACLE online and was immediately blown away by the immediate quality and authoritative tone of their demo, and after being name-checked by Bestial Mockery’s Master Motorsag in Iron Fist #6 she tracked them down to find out more. The following Q&A sheds a few beams of light on their dark intentions…

Those behind the project have clearly had plenty of experience in writing and playing music, but choose not to divulge their past efforts, or indeed, any identities at all. It can be difficult for bands to preserve their anonymous status without seeming to resort to gimmickry; Ghost used it to their advantage and Dragged Into Sunlight have their members’ professional lives to consider, but then again, they inhabit a very, very different world from Irkallian Oracle. What is the purpose of your anonymity? “I actually never claimed to be anonymous at all but simply have chosen not to display and discuss such matters publicly as we see no valid point in weltering in our egos and past endeavours when focus should be laid on Irkallian Oracle and nothing else. Paradoxically I would say that our human faces and names actually … Read More