Two years ago, the prospect of As I Lay Dying vocalist Tim Lambesis being arrested, then convicted of a murder-for-hire plot would have been met with utter disbelief. About as nice, clean-cut, and wholesome of a dude in the metal scene, Lambesis’s squeaky-clean image worked seamlessly with the band’s Christian beliefs, which while never the focal point of their lyrics, oftentimes became the center of discussion. The band’s ultra-successful run from 2003 to 2012 seems for naught now, as Lambesis will spend the next nine years in jail. What his bandmates will do is yet to be known, but one could guess that two years ago, they never saw this coming either… – David E. Gehlke
General housekeeping
A pair of giveaways were launched this week, one for Israeli death/thrashers Hammercult; the other for Unspeakable Axe Records. Check ’em out.
Our February album of the month: Behemoth’s The Satanist. Is that a surprise?
Caught in the act: Live shots of Iced Earth in Israel; a live review of Rivers of Nihil in Brooklyn.
Features
Get to know fresh-faced Swedish post metallers The Isolation Process.
Australian power metal outfit Vanishing Point are drawing some quality praise for their new Distant is the Sun album. Our own Matt Coe caught up with the band to discuss.
Slough Feg’s Mike Scalzi is one of metal’s true characters. Read what he had to say on the grind of being in a band for 25 years, kids and their darn phones, and the rock ‘n’ roll dream.
Reviews
Our February Rapid Fires features 15 short reviews, from James LaBrie, to MacBeth, all the way over to…Ass to Mouth. Oh yes.
Inferi’s The Path of Apotheosis scores high marks for its brand of elaborate melodic death metal.
Members of Swallow the Sun don’t stray too far from their main act via Kuolemanlaasko’s Tulijoutsen.
Delaware/New Jersey six-piece I Am Heresy deliver metal with a message on their Thy Will debut.
Now-defunct French death metal outfit Insain go out in style with the four-song Enlightening the Unknown EP.
Helloween frontman Andi Deris goes after the banking industry with his second solo album, Million Dollar Haircuts on Ten Cent Heads.
A female-fronted, retro-rock du jour is Sabbath Assembly’s Quaternity.
Suicidal Angels need to learn to stay in the throes of mid-tempoville, thus rendering their Divide and Conquer album quite bland.
Shoegaze rock is afoot via Nothing’s Guilty of Everything.
Yet another stalwart on Unique Leader: Alterbeast’s Immortal.
Carnifex makes good on their Nuclear Blast debut, Die Without Hope.
The news in ten.
1. Katatonia announces fill-in guitarist for European festival shows.
2. Sonata Arctica release lyric video for “Cloud Factory.”
3. Exmortus release the video for “Foe Hammer.”
4. Crowbar to release Symmetry in Black this May.
5. Down to release IV: Part Two in May as well.
6. Prong to release Ruining Lives…in May.
7. Misery Index to release The Killing Gods in? May.
8. As I Lay Dying vocalist Tim Lambesis pleads guilty for murder for hire. Gets nine years behind bars.
9. Cavalera Conspiracy now mixing their third album.
10. Gamma Ray releases lyric video for “Hellbent.”