December 27th, 2015 (no.4 in December) www.metalbulletin.blogspot.com www.twitter.com/MetalBulletinZn Washington state, U.S. www.facebook.com/The-Metal-Bulletin-paper-zine-238441519609213 War Atrocities Runemaster (free) Endless Recovery Vendul (free) prog countdown: top 30 albums of 2015: 20-11 by The Man of Much Metal concert calendar upcoming concert: January 2, 2016 in Everett: Zafakon, Calamity, Kill Closet + more shows www.fuglymaniacs.com (issues online, videos, …) — "Necromantical Legions" 2015. Split "Struck by Metal Bulletin Zine Warwhip" (w/ Whipstriker) 2016. P.O. Box 1339 www.waratrocities.bandcamp.com Lake Stevens WA 98258 USA www.facebook.com/War-Atrocities- Metal Bulletin Zine #1-20: (2006-2009): Wisconsin 513707558681644/ #21-26: (2009-2010): Texas #27(2010)--now; Washington state ** Runemaster (U.K.) All album reviews, news, updates below are Wisdom & Darkness by MMB, unless stated otherwise. -— release: December 5th, 2015 NEWS: War Atrocities (Croatia) Necromantical Legions release: December 24th, 2015 Witches Brew Below is a bit of information about this extreme metal from Croatia. Listen to the recording at the link below, too. ** This "epic heavy metal" band is from Scotland. They started in 2007, but in 2015 they have two EPs, not just one. This one is the second one. They say that they love metal and they give a list of bands that they like. Of those War Atrocities is a solo project existing since bands, you could say that they are in the style 2011, handled by Wastelander (guitars & of Grand Magus, old Manowar and High On vocals) and hailing from Croatia. Style can be Fire, speaking very broadly about the general described as black/thrash metal with sounds of this band, a type of traditional speed/crust influences, accompanied by doom-ish heavy metal. evil/death/war related lyrical themes. Session 1.Path of the Serpent 05:54 member Nesveti Alkar(roughly translated into 2.God Has Himself to Blame 04:28 Unholy Horseman) plays and records bass 3.Pillars in the Abyss 07:40 guitar since 2014, but various other musicians total time 18:02 jump in from time to time. Demo "Intoxicated www.runemaster.bandcamp.com Madness" released on tape in 2014. EP www.facebook.com/runemaster/ ** with caustic lyrics against the political system NEWS: and all the odds that the reality of the capital Endless Recovery have forced us to live under. Revel in Demise In 2014 they released the EP "Resistant Bangers." release: December 24th, 2015 Right now,they are sharpening their axes to Witches Brew unleash their thrashing might with their second full length album due in late 2015 by Witches Brew. ** Vendul The Coven Rises release: September 10th, 2015 This "black metalpunk" is from Germany and was founded in 2012. This is a raw demo that follows the the tradition of Venom, Darkthrone, Celtic Frost/Hellhammer and other similar bands that they say that they consider influences. 1.Intro - The Bells of Whitewood 01:30 2.Burn the Witch 04:20 band history: 3.Nuclear Fever 04:31 4.Metal Punk Attack 02:33 5.The Coven Rises 04:01 Endless Recovery is a Thrash Metal band from total time 16:55 Athens, which was formed back to February 2011. In the first steps of the band, there were www.vendul666.bandcamp.com/album/the- a dozen of lives playing some covers and new coven-rises material. www.facebook.com/blackened.thrashing.hat Until March 2012, when Endless Recovery e.metal released a 5track EP, called “Liar Priest”. It was recorded in band’s home studio by Grigoris Serelis ( ex. Guitarist), mixed & mastered by Nikos Papakostas at Entasis Studio. progster’s paradise: The band performed some gigs as a support to Convixion (GR) and Deceptor (UK), top 30 albums of 2015: Mentally Defiled (GR) and Astrarot (GR) to promote its EP, which has been sold out and 20-11 counts over 500 online free downloads worldwide. by The Man of Much In February 2013 the band entered Entasis Studio to record its debut album, called Metal “Thrash Rider”, an album of primitive thrash 3 The Man Of Much Metal—a friend of Metal the annual countdown to 30. I hope this Bulletin Zine—is currently doing a countdown. doesn’t put too many of you off, but I honestly Below you will find more information about his believe every entry in this year’s list deserves blog. Read on especially if you support prog. their place. I shall spend the next month trying - to prove it to you. - by The Man of Much Metal. Whilst I number each release and will count down from 30, the spots from 30-16 are more Here we are again, at year’s end. I can’t arbitrary and each can be considered to be believe that another 12 months has passed as equal as each other, with the final 15 in a since I began my countdown for 2014, it solid order according to my personal and very doesn’t seem that long ago. And yet, in the subjective tastes. I’m sure there will be some intervening period, a lot has happened. My debate about who I’ve missed or who eldest daughter has started nursery whilst my shouldn’t have made the final cut, but I’m youngest has changed from a new born baby keen to hear all views – bring it on! into a cheeky, happy one-year-old. I have also moved house, relocating about 15-20 number 20 miles but remaining in the beautiful county of Arcturus Suffolk. I therefore have a new ‘Mansion of ‘Arcturian’ Much Metal’ to use as the Blog Of Much Metal HQ. Prophecy Productions Then there’s my decision to leave Powerplay * Magazine after ten great years. The reasons are numerous but the result is that I get more time to focus on the Blog, my labour of love. But, most importantly of all, the last year has blessed us with some amazing music. 2015 has been unbelievable in terms of the sheer quality of music but moreover, the depth of the quality is staggering. I have spent weeks mulling over my Top 20 of 2015 but it has proved impossible. On the advice of many of my kind and loyal followers, I decided to increase the countdown to 25. However, when it came to compiling the list, this was still impossible. The aim of this blog is to get as much For someone who holds ‘La Masquerade exposure for great music as possible. It feels Infernale’ in such high regard as one of the unfair therefore to limit the countdown to 25 best avant-garde metal albums ever bands/artists when there are bands that miss recorded, the intervening years have not out that are equally worthy of the plaudits been as kind on Norwegian eccentrics they deserve. As a result, I have expanded Arcturus. A couple of albums that failed to hit 4 the same heights and then a protracted are present and correct throughout hiatus meant that much of the momentum ‘Arcturian’. What I perhaps was less ready for was lost and the band were in danger of was the sheer amount of accessibility and consigning themselves to the pages of melody that has been injected into each of extreme metal folklore. the ten songs. Based on the comments within the preceding paragraph, I’m not for one But then, I wasn’t banking on ‘Arcturian’. If minute suggesting that Arcturus circa 2015 is ever there was an album to signal a easy listening or that they have lost their comeback from the wilderness, it is this one. eccentricity. How could they with such an Arcturus version 2015 is comprised of Steinar enigmatic and unique vocalist at the helm in Sverd Johnsen (keys), Hellhammer (drums), the form of ICS Votex? Knut Magne Valle (guitar), Hugh ‘Skoll’ Mingay (bass) and ICS Vortex (vocals). However, there is something to be heard in Together, they have created an album very just about every track that sticks in the mind. It much worthy of their lofty status and one that might be a vocal line or a subtle melody, but I would argue just about manages to match it’s enough to draw you in for repeated listens. the quality of ‘La Masquerade Infernale’. And once you return, you are taken on another quirky voyage of discovery where If you’re interested in reading my full in-depth something new is discovered each and every review of this record, it can be accessed by time. clicking here. However, to quote a small passage from it: Given the space I have here, it’s almost impossible sum up ‘Arcturian’ in a concise “…they (the songs) are all dense, multi- manner and do it the justice it deserves. That layered affairs that contain an abundance of said, if you’re a fan of Arcturus at their most richness. There are no songs that tend to original, challenging, audacious and quirky, extend over six minute mark and yet, such is prepare to take ‘Arcturian’ straight to your the ambition of Arcturus that it feels like a heart. million different ideas are injected into each * composition, testing the listener and toying with them at every turn. I strongly suspect that number 19 this has been done with a certain playful, yet Triaxis mischievous intent. Those strong Vaudervillian ‘Zero Hour’ overtones of the band’s past make a welcome return, as do a number of various Rocksector Records influences that pull Arcturus away from being simply discarded as a black metal band. As * they demonstrate on ‘Arcturian’, there are From the heart of South Wales comes a band elements of black metal to their underlying that does things the right way.