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Altitudes & Attitude – Self-Titled EP

By Andrew Bansal

David Ellefson and Frank Bello, world-renowned as bass players for Megadeth and Anthrax respectively, came together recently to form a collaborative project called Altitudes & Attitude. In his latest interview with Metal Assault conducted around the time of his book release, he was questioned about his future plans and he clearly hinted at making more music outside of Megadeth. “Because we’re all songwriters we often write things that don’t work in Megadeth, and I’m enjoying finding some other partnerships where I can do something with those songs and that music …  that’s a season of my life that I’m exploring right now, and having some fun with it”, he said. And sure enough, at the Bass Player Live event last November where he held a joint clinic with Frank Bello, the duo officially announced this project and performed an instrumental version of one of the tracks. Today, on January 14 2014, they are ready for the digital release of a self-titled 3-track EP via Megaforce Records. Continue reading “Altitudes & Attitude – Self-Titled EP”

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Exhumed/Iron Reagan – Split 12-Inch

By Andrew Bansal

After marauding audiences across North America and beyond and coming off the back of a highly successful year of 2013, Northern California goregrind masters Exhumed are now ready to unleash a split 12-inch EP with Virginia crossover thrash/punk outfit Iron Reagan, who enjoyed an equally eventful 2013. This vinyl-only release is hitting the stores today January 7th 2014 via Tankcrimes, and as a follow-up to their respective full-length releases ‘Necrocracy’ and ‘Worse Than Dead’ last year, Exhumed and Iron Reagan are offering fans an encore of sorts with this 8-track, 12-minute set of tunes consisting of some killer original tunes and a couple of appropriately chosen covers. Continue reading “Exhumed/Iron Reagan – Split 12-Inch”

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Cannabis Corpse/Ghoul – Splatterhash Split

By Andrew Bansal

Northern California deathgrind/thrash outfit Ghoul and Richmond, Virginia based marijuana-themed death metal band Cannabis Corpse have combined forces to record the ‘Splatterhash’ split EP, which is set for release via Tankcrimes Records as 12″ vinyl, CD and digital download next Tuesday January 7th 2014. Members of both bands have been highly active in recent times with various musical projects, and they’ve ridden the creative wave to write new songs for this EP which comes as a pleasant bonus for their fans. The Splatterhash split combines two vastly varying styles of extreme metal and gives listeners a short, sharp 12-minute burst of face-melting brutality.  Continue reading “Cannabis Corpse/Ghoul – Splatterhash Split”

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Michael Schenker’s Temple Of Rock – Bridge The Gap

By Andrew Bansal

Through his tenures in bands like Scorpions and U.F.O. along with various incarnations of his own solo projects, Michael Schenker has undoubtedly been a legendary figure as a rock guitarist over the past four decades. Even in recent years he has stayed prolific, and in 2011 he began working under the moniker “Michael Schenker’s Temple Of Rock”. The newest album under this project is called ‘Bridge The Gap’, and is set for a US release via Inakustik Records next Tuesday January 7th 2014. Besides Schenker himself, the album features the talents of two of his old Scorpions band mates, Francis Buccholz on bass and Herman Rarebell on drums, and this is the first album by the trio since the 1979 Scorpions release ‘Lovedrive’. Aside from them, ‘Bridge The Gap’ boasts of former Rainbow vocalist Doogie White taking the helm as frontman and Wayne Findley on guitars and keyboards. Together the quintet have recorded an album that can be best described as quintessentially Schenker. Continue reading “Michael Schenker’s Temple Of Rock – Bridge The Gap”

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‘Top 50 Albums Of 2013’ Countdown – #1: Carcass – Surgical Steel

By Andrew Bansal

After an enormous gap of 17 album-less years, British extreme metal legends Carcass released ‘Surgical Steel’ via Nuclear Blast Records this year, their first studio effort since the 1996 release ‘Swansong’, and perhaps more importantly, the first set of new material released since the reformation in 2007. It maintains the core duo of vocalist/bassist Jeff Walker and guitarist Bill Steer, while marking the debut of drummer Daniel Wilding. Second guitarist Ben Ash joined the band after the recording for Surgical Steel was already done, so the album features Bill Steer in his full glory laying down all lead and rhythm guitar parts himself. Continue reading “‘Top 50 Albums Of 2013’ Countdown – #1: Carcass – Surgical Steel”

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‘Top 50 Albums Of 2013’ Countdown – #2: Death Angel – The Dream Calls For Blood

By Andrew Bansal

San Francisco thrash veterans Death Angel go as far back as 1982 for the start of their career, when they boys in their early teens, and after nearly a decade filled with impressive album releases and fantastic live performances, they suffered a setback and broke up in 1991. But upon their resurrection in 2001, they resumed their thrashtivities full on and have been going at it full tilt. In their recent years, they put out excellent albums like ‘Killing Season’ and ‘Relentless Retribution’, and in 2013 they released their seventh studio album ‘The Dream Calls For Blood’ via Nuclear Blast Records. Continue reading “‘Top 50 Albums Of 2013’ Countdown – #2: Death Angel – The Dream Calls For Blood”