Although having only formalised a line-up and commenced rehearsing in January 2013, Sheol have already made waves; their ‘Live Demo MMXIII’ and mini-album ‘Sepulchral Ruins Below The Temple’ proffering some particularly vicious and cavernous blasts of prime, unholy death metal or, as founding member A.B.S describes it, “sepulchral death metal rising from the primordial Abyss.”

With a healthy and growing reputation, wholehearted support from both Iron Bonhead and Invictus as well as a delivery aesthetic that follows in the footsteps of the Father Befouled and Encoffination school of deathliness, great things are expected of the British band. With such a gaping, hellish and bleak sound adding to the audial decimation of their forceful songwriting, Sheol sound keen to maintain their individuality. Kat ‘Shevil’ Gillham discovered more about these tyrants…

Hails A.B.S.! Please give Iron Fist a quick background history on the band. “She’ol was formed around 2012 by me and our former drummer, A.H.S. (Vorage). We both have a longer experience in black metal but She’ol began initially out of ideas which did not fit elsewhere, closer to death metal inspired by Incantation, Sadistic Intent, early Darkthrone, Autopsy and Absu – but so too was there a significant difference in vision. … 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