ART GALLERY - AMON AMARTH, HUMAN IMPROVEMENT PROCESS, EXIVIOUS

Ever have album art melt your face? Every once and awhile a band will create or commission artwork which is undeniably awesome, iconic, or inspiring. Sometimes it compliments the music in the perfect way, leaving a mark on the listener or maybe even music history itself.

Welcome to the Art Gallery. We're gonna take a look at some really impressive art while listening to some great music in the process.

Have you ever seen artwork that was so damn awesome that you still remember the first time you saw it? I was flattened when Amon Amarth's "Twilight of the Thunder God" came out in 2008. Not only by the music but by the insanely detailed scene depicted on the front cover. THIS IS VIKING METAL \m/

 
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Human Improvement process is an impressive band emerging Italy on Memorial Records. This year they dropped a great record "Deafening Dissonant Millenium" bolstering some mind bending artwork. Better yet, it compliments the title of the album in an unsettling way. Highly recommended on all counts. We should have a review on this one coming soon!

Links: Facebook // Official Website // Merch // Bandcamp

Exivious needed to be included because of the way that they experiment with their artwork. For both of their albums, they've allowed the fans to create their own poster based on the official album art. The process for their latest album "Liminal" (read our review here) was intricate to say the least. All in all this band has spawned incredible results (take a look here).

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METAL PUMPKINS

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Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes

Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes

Links: Facebook // Official Website // Twitter // iTunes

AMON AMARTH HEADLINING A U.S. TOUR IN EARLY 2014!

For those of you that were disappointed with the time constraints surrounding Amon Amarth's performance in this year's Metalfest and for the rest of you that just plain want more of them, worry no more. They will be invading the U.S.A. for a nationwide tour with their tour mates Enslaved and Skeletonwitch in early 2014 for "The Deceiver of the Gods North American Tour."

Special Fan pre-sale tickets are available now here.

-\m/eyer

Links: Facebook // Official Website // Twitter // iTunes

THE WEEKEND MOSH

It's a damn party

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Links: Facebook // Twitter // Bandcamp

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Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes

Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes

Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes

Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes

Links: Facebook // iTunes

Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes

Links: Facebook // Official Website // iTunes

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MAYHEM FESTIVAL 2013 RECAP

Mayhem Festival was incredible this year. We met a lot of people, saw many bands, and got a lot of work done. From interviewing metal icons to standing in front of 8,000+ people, not to mention moshing like some mad men, it was pretty much unforgettable for our team. Thanks to Mayhem Fest and all the great people behind it.

Here's our full recap of the day. Look below for interviews with Mastodon, Born of Osiris, and Battlecross. You'll also see our photo gallery (unfortunately we had to miss Mastodon, Machine Head, and Children of Bodom due to our tight schedule...). We should have ALL of our pictures up on our Facebook page very soon...

Stay tuned for next year!

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MAYHEM FESTIVAL 2013 PICTURES

Mayhem Festival was insanity this year. Here are the pictures to prove it.

Unfortunately we missed Mastodon, Machine Head, and Children of Bodom due to our tight schedule but we did manage to cover heavy hitters like Amon Amarth, Born Of Osiris, Job For A Cowboy, Battlecross, and more! We also grabbed shots from the headliners Rob Zombie and Five Finger Death Punch. Look through the gallery below.

Stay tuned for next year!

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NEW MUSIC TUESDAY - JUNE 25TH

The kings of viking metal are back today with their newest offering of their signature brand of mighty metal. Amon Amarth is returning today with their newest album titled “Deceiver of the Gods.” The band is rolling with primarily the same style with a little more focus on the thrashy, classic metal sounds. The album is due out on Metalblade Records so that means no spotify. :( But you can stream the entire record here! Pick this one up. It's fantastic.

Links: Facebook // Stream // Official Website

August Burns Red are back with their brand of melodic metalcore. To me, this band has always leaned more to the hardcore / trendy side of the metalcore world. They are one of the exceptions of this type of band to me, being that I actually enjoy them. They’ve been growing more experimental as songwriters. From the single I’ve heard so far, titled "Fault Line", this album is a little too positive and preachy for me. So I’m gonna have to ignore the lyrics because the music is awesome. Check it out today!

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Palms self titled debut album is due out today. This thing has been available for streaming for a while and I’ve been enjoying it a lot. The combination of former Isis members and Chino Moreno has created an incredibly atmospheric and soothing piece of music. This six songs are absolutely fantastic. Fans of “Oceanic” era Isis and Moreno’s softest vocals will be most attracted to Palms but these guys have definitely made an album that is greater than the sum of its parts. The band’s first offering is available today via Ipecac recordings. Pick it up.

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-Trisolino

AMON AMARTH "DECEIVER OF THE GODS" STREAM!

Stream "Deceiver of the Gods" right here!

Amon Amarth is one of those bands that can make basically the same album over and over again and still dish out solid music. The band’s 2008 offering “Twilight of the Thunder God” is my favorite release and it was released around ten years into their career. The viking metallers have been just that for their entire career, writing music solely about vikings. Their style of music hasn’t changed very much either honestly. Like melodic death metal contemporaries Kalmah, not much has changed throughout their career.

The band’s new album “Deceiver of the Gods” is now available for streaming courtesy of guitar world. Unfortunately, Metalblade records is still a spotify holdout so this is the only place that this album can be streamed. Either way, go check out this album while you still can. The album comes out next Tuesday and I assume the stream will be down soon. You can purchase this when it comes out soon from Metalblade records or the link below.

As for the music, Amon Amarth is branching out a little. There is definitely more classic metal influence on this record. But the core of the songs are still the same. This one probably won’t grab many more fans for the kings of viking metal but honestly I doubt they care. This is more solid music from a solid band. Check it out.

-Trisolino

Links: Facebook // Stream // Pre-order

MAYHEM FESTIVAL 2013

So, the line up of Mayhem Festival 2013 has officially been announced and it's looking like a year worth going to. Usually the Festival is hit or miss, but they brought on Mastodon, Amon Amarth, Machine Head, Children of Bodom, Behemoth, Job for a Cowboy, and Born of Osiris among others for the event this summer.

Not to say there aren't some less favorable additions. Should be hilarious to see Emmure take the stage before Behemoth.

Check out the flyer along with some heavy music down below. And if you want to go to Mayhem 2013, be sure to head over to their Official Website and grab some tickets sooner than later!

Links: Facebook // Twitter // Official Website

DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL 2013

The line-up for Download Festival 2013 has officially been announced. No doubt some bands are much more appealing than others, but all in all it's looking like a great time waiting to happen.

The three headliners are IRON MAIDEN, Rammstein, and Slipknot. And there is plenty of great talent to back them up including Motorhead, Mastodon, Architects, Parkway Drive, Converge, Katatonia, Amon Amarth, The Ghost Inside, Turisas, After The Burial, and The Algorithm among many others.

There will be several stages boasting several artists over the course of three days in Nottingham, England. If this sounds like fun to you, check the flyer below, grab your tickets here, and get stoked for June!

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AMON AMARTH RECORDING NEW ALBUM & SELLING WINE!

Hailing from Sweden (aka Valhalla), Viking Metal pioneers Amon Amarth are officially back in the studio recording their ninth full-length album. The record is slated for a possible release in June through Metal Blade Records. They're currently working with a new producer, Andy Sneap (who has worked with Megadeth, Machine Head, and Exodus). Considering Jens Bogren produced the last three records, Olavi Mikkonen made the following comment on their switch in the studio.

"We were looking for a change, and Andy has been in our thoughts for some years now. After meeting with him, we felt a good connection. We think this is going to be a ripper."

If that last line is any indication, this album should slaughter and pillage like no other. While you're waiting for the upcoming greatness, blast some Amon Amarth classics below!

In other news, Amon Amarth have just released their own brand of wine \m/ “You can now get your own Amon Amarth Shiraz red wine! A must at any classy dinner party or as a gift to the wino friend! Drink irresponsibly!” Order a bottle or three right here!

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