Hellwell

Manilla Road – To Kill a King Review

Manilla Road – To Kill a King Review

“18 albums into their crusade to bring Kansas proto-metal to the masses and Manilla Road keeps right on truckin’. To Kill a King is yet another cobblestone on their pathway to Vahalla and predictably delivers a flying buttress of epic, olde-timey metal mixed with doom and 70s hard rock, sounding like Atlantean Kodex would if the current members were replaced by dirty bikers.” The crime you’ve selected is… regicide.

Carach Angren – Dance and Laugh Amongst the Rotten Review

Carach Angren – Dance and Laugh Amongst the Rotten Review

“After a lengthy North American tour as the special guests of Kataklysm, beginning in California, traversing the outskirts of Long Island (New York) and wrapping up in Florida, I’m expecting some Kataklysm melodic death-isms to wheedle its way into Dance and Laugh Amongst the Rotten. In short I was expecting a shakeup.” Don’t shake the rotten.

Hellwell – Behind the Demon’s Eyes Review

Hellwell – Behind the Demon’s Eyes Review

“On the fateful day Mark “the Shark” Shelton was begotten, the planets and stars aligned and the Prime Mover proclaimed him the Eternal Champion of Trve Metal and Ass-tastic Productions. Burdened thusly by the crushing weight of metallic destiny, young Mark immediately set about the Herculean task of putting Kansas on the map for trveness. Founding the now venerable Manilla Road in the late 70s, he’s been churning out epical, olde timey metal ever since. The band’s sound always had one boot in the 70s prog rock scene with the other in early metal (and I mean way early, like Iron Butterfly), and though the results have been uneven over the decades, much respect is owed the man.” In-a-Gadda-Manilla.

Black Hole Generator – A Requiem for Terra Review

Black Hole Generator – A Requiem for Terra Review

“Give this some thought for a second: you’re putting together a black metal dream team, who would it include? I wonder how many of you would arrive at noted producer and Vulture Industries’ frontman – Bjørnar E. Nilsen, and guitar aficionados Arve Isdal (Enslaved, I, Audrey Horne) and Gjermund Fredheim (Taake, Orkan).” Super groups doing stranger things.

Angry Metal Guy’s Unsigned Band Rodeo: Witch Ripper – Witch Ripper

Angry Metal Guy’s Unsigned Band Rodeo: Witch Ripper – Witch Ripper

In our new monthly feature, which will show up here on the 15th of every month and run over the next few days, I (Angry Metal Guy) will select 5 bands at random (usually those who have followed my directions and have bandcamp accounts) to get blurbed by every member of the AMG staff. The idea is to do at least a bit of our part to point out that the metal underground is still an important part of the world of metal. While we simply don’t have the manpower to produce regular reviews of unsigned bands, this is my attempt at a minor mea culpa if nothing else. So enjoy Angry Metal Guy’s Unsigned Band Rodeo and our fifth and final entry: Witch Ripper!

Manilla Road – Mysterium Review

Manilla Road – Mysterium Review

Manilla Road has more lives than Michael Myers or Jason Vorhees and much like those respective masked lunatics, they just won’t die. Although toiling away since the late 70s, Manilla Road and founder/vocalist/guitarist Mark “The Shark” Shelton have achieved nothing more than obscure, cult status in the metal world. They are the quintessential “true” metal act and have been releasing slight variations on their mega old school, American proto metal since I was in grade school.” Steel Druhm destroyed the last album by these legends, but loved the related Hellwell project. Will he find love on the Road or will the Hammer of Judgment come down again?

Steel Druhm’s Top Ten(ish) of 2012

Steel Druhm’s Top Ten(ish) of 2012

Neither snow, holiday hangovers nor lackluster apocalypses can keep Steel Druhm from showcasing his picks for Top Ten(ish) of the year in metal. He did all the work, you just need to read carefully, nod approvingly and give some harrumphs to the Steel One.

Hellwell – Beyond the Boundaries of Sin

Hellwell – Beyond the Boundaries of Sin

Manilla Road is an institution in the metal world and deserve many accolades. However, their last album bummed Steel Druhm out bigtime. Now, Hellwell, the Manilla-fueled side project of Mark Shelton is here to right the wrongs and kill with songs. Steel Druhm is happy again and back in the Cthulhu cult where he belongs. Join him…