Former Judas Priest guitarist KK Downing made a blog post this week in connection with his 62nd birthday, speaking to how there’s no other era of music he’d rather come up through. It’s hard to find fault with Downing for say that, for the 60’s and up were a time of great expanse and exploration, and even as music devolved more into a business than a platform for art, it provided musicians an opportunity to earn a living through hard work and even record sales. Those times are long gone and some may argue that one doesn’t need to work very hard these days to get noticed thanks to YouTube, but Downing’s look back into time really does put things into perspective. That was truly a golden era of music. – David E. Gehlke
General housekeeping
A giveaway for Kataklysm’s excellent new album, Waiting for the End to Come, can be accessed by clicking here.
Caught in the act via band live shots: Lazer/Wulf, Holy Grail, and Orange Goblin.
We are streaming Tales, the sophomore album from Canadian prog/power act Tribune. Check it out here!
DR attended Death Angel’s headlining date in Pittsburgh on Halloween. Check out our show review.
Features
Norwegian grind stalwarts Beaten to Death spoke to DR about their new Dodfest! album, impressing their friends, and more.
Our October installment of Demo Tribunal posted, with ten bands ready and willing to be subject themselves to our thoughts and viewpoints.
Get to know Chicago death/thrash combo Scythe, who are keeping it real…and vintage.
Nightwish mainman Tuomas Holopainen phoned to give the scoop on the band’s new singer Floor Jansen, and what lies ahead for the Finnish symphonic metal masters.
Reviews
In need of short reviews? Then check out our Rapid Fires column where we ten albums got the quickie treatment. (That sounds a tad gross, actually.)
Devin Townsend’s Retinal Circus DVD/CD is a hoot and visually captivating. Anything less from Devin would be a surprise.
Norwegian death metal combo Obliteration make good on their Relapse debut, Black Death Horizon.
Texas caustic death outfit Seeker might be the heaviest band to grace the Victory Records roster. They prove it on Unloved.
Semi-supergroup Kill Devil Hill return with their sophomore album, Revolution Rise.
British NWOBHM activists Hell also return with their own sophomore album, Curse and Chapter.
French black metallers Otargos make some noticeable strides on their fifth album, Apex Terror.
Beatles-meets-prog goes down on Thunder Tribe’s War Chant debut.
Toxic Holocaust does the usual on their new album, Chemistry of Consciousness.
Southern black metal in the house with Glorior Belli’s oddly-named Gators Rumble, Chaos Unfurls.
German 70’s rock makes a play via Zodiac’s enjoyable A Hiding Place.
The news in ten
1. Broken Hope and Deicide kiss and make up after tour spat.
2. Eyehategod adds drummer Aaron Hill.
3. Newsted releases the video for “King of the Underdogs.”
4. Veil of Maya resigns with Sumerian Records.
5. Hank Shermann and Michael Denner of Mercyful Fate post a play-through of the band’s classic album, Melissa.
6. Anthrax has seven songs arranged for new album.
7. Sacred Reich’s Phil Rind says the band has no new plans for another studio album at the moment.
8. Motorhead is forced to cancel their European tour after more issues with Lemmy’s health.
9. Drummer Jon Rice leaves Job For A Cowboy.
10. In Flames to record new album in Berlin.