EUSAPIA Release New Single “Relapse”

 

American post-black metal project Eusapia have released their new single, “Relapse,” the lead track from a two-stage release that will conclude with the song “Mercy” on December 21.

Recorded in the band’s home studio and mixed and mastered by Somnium Recording, “Relapse” combines elements of progressive depressive suicidal black metal (DSBM), post-rock and blackgaze. The track explores themes of addiction and isolation within the Pacific Northwest.

Eusapia have also announced that a portion of the proceeds from their physical merchandise will be donated directly to regional overdose prevention and low-barrier harm-reduction initiatives.

Formed in Washington State in 2013 and emerging from the foundations of the solo project Somnium, Eusapia operate as a studio-focused blackened post-metal project based in the Cascade Mountains. The current lineup features Somnium (bass/vocals), Cleopatra the Alchemist (guitars/vocals), Deenie (drums), and guitarists Chazdyn and Frank Keeler.

The band’s recent discography includes the Formless EP (2024) and Thin Cities / Desert Festival EP (2026).

REVIEW: THE RODS PROJECT, Hollywood

 

THE RODS PROJECT, Hollywood (2015)

High Roller Records

Αυτό δεν ήξερα τι είναι.

Είναι το χαμένο άλμπουμ των The Rods; Γιατί γράφει και Project μετά; Πιο εμπορικό σίγουρα, αλλά πραγματικά μελωδικό, αμερικανικής σχολής Heavy Metal, με μια κάπως Adult Oriented Rock συνθετική δομή στα κομμάτια του.

Για την ιστορία, γράφτηκε το ’86 και δεν ξέρω τι παίχτηκε ή με ποια λογική τους βγήκε τόσο... μελωδικό και με πολλά πλήκτρα σε σημεία. Το άλλο άλμπουμ τους, το Heavier Than Thou, κυκλοφόρησε επίσημα τότε σε κλασικές Heavy Metal γραμμές. Επίσημα, η HR το κυκλοφόρησε το 2015, νομίζω, για πρώτη φορά.

Το “Mississippi Queen” των ’70s Rockers, Mountain, είναι η ενδιαφέρουσα διασκευή που υπάρχει στο CD.

Μαζί με τα “Prisoner of Love”, “Love Is Pain”, “Tokyo Rose”, “All American Boys”, “Heat of the Night”, “Don’t Take It So Hard” και “Money”, είναι... όλα τα λεφτά ενός δίσκου που με εξέπληξε ευχάριστα, όσο κι αν το ύφος του δεν παραπέμπει στους μεταλλικούς ογκόλιθους των συνηθισμένων The Rods.

Άμεσα συγκρίσιμο με το Turbo των Judas Priest ή και το Fight for the Rock των Savatage, που επίσης κυκλοφόρησαν τότε και με ανάλογο κυνήγι της εμπορικότητας, αλλά τα νικάει και τα δύο στα σημεία — και με διαφορά!

English:

I had no idea what this was.

 

Is this the lost album of The Rods? And why does it have Project added to the name? Definitely more commercial, but genuinely melodic, American-school Heavy Metal, with a somewhat Adult Oriented Rock approach to the songwriting.

 

For the record, it was recorded in ’86, and I have no idea what happened or what logic led them to make it so... melodic, with quite a lot of keyboards in places. Their other album, Heavier Than Thou, was officially released at the time along classic Heavy Metal lines. Officially, HR released this one in 2015, I think, for the first time.

 

“Mississippi Queen” by the ’70s Rockers Mountain is the interesting cover version included on the CD.

 

Along with “Prisoner of Love,” “Love Is Pain,” “Tokyo Rose,” “All American Boys,” “Heat of the Night,” “Don’t Take It So Hard” and “Money,” these are... worth their weight in gold on an album that pleasantly surprised me, even though its style is far removed from the metallic juggernauts we normally associate with The Rods.

 

It can easily be compared to Judas Priest’s Turbo or even Savatage’s Fight for the Rock, both of which were also released around that time and followed a similar pursuit of commercial appeal. But this one beats both of them where it counts — and by quite a margin!

Τάκης "Ε-Μortal One" Γιώτης!

REVIEW: SPLIT HEAVEN - Street Law

 

SPLIT HEAVEN - Street Law (2011)

Pure Steel Records

Latin America has given us some very good Heavy Metal releases through the years, and the scene continues to produce interesting bands. One problem for a major part of the international metal audience, however, has traditionally been that many of these bands use their native languages in their lyrics, while distribution outside their home countries can also be limited. Mexico’s SPLIT HEAVEN are one of the bands that managed to overcome part of this barrier, with their traditional Heavy Metal approach and English-language lyrics giving their music a wider international appeal.

“Street Law”, released by Germany’s Pure Steel Records in 2011, is an important step in the band’s early development. SPLIT HEAVEN had already established themselves in the Mexican underground, and their 2009 victory in the Mexican Metal Battle earned them the opportunity to represent their country at Wacken Open Air. The Pure Steel connection subsequently gave the band considerably wider exposure beyond Mexico.

Musically, the band moves along the traditional Heavy Metal path, incorporating melodic Speed Metal elements and an unmistakable 1980s influence. Personally, I would say that their influences come mainly from the U.S. Metal scene, and bands such as LIZZY BORDEN, LEATHERWOLF and FIFTH ANGEL seem particularly relevant when trying to place their sound. At the same time, “Street Law” belongs to the wider early-2010s revival of traditional and Speed Metal, when a new generation of bands was once again looking toward the energy, guitar work and direct songwriting of the 1980s. Contemporary reviews similarly placed SPLIT HEAVEN within this old-school Heavy/Speed Metal movement.

Having listened to the band’s previous material, I have to admit that here SPLIT HEAVEN sound more inspired and more assured. The songs are built around strong riffs, nice melodies and a dynamic production that allows the guitars, rhythm section and vocals to display their character without making the album sound unnecessarily polished. Tracks such as “Time Warrior”, “Street Law”, “Lonewolf” and “Night of the Jaguar” represent the energetic side of the album, while the melodic elements keep the record from becoming a simple exercise in retro Metal.

The singer once again performs with passion, and his English sounds very good, something that further helps the songs communicate their ideas beyond the band’s Mexican origins. The material also benefits from the fact that SPLIT HEAVEN do not try to complicate their music unnecessarily. The emphasis remains on riffs, melodies, guitar solos and straightforward Heavy Metal songwriting, which gives “Street Law” an immediate character.

Another interesting aspect of the album is precisely its geographical origin. At a time when much of the international Heavy Metal revival was being associated with Northern Europe, releases such as “Street Law” demonstrated that the traditional Metal spirit was equally alive in Mexico. SPLIT HEAVEN were not simply reproducing a European formula; they were taking the language of classic Heavy Metal and Speed Metal and expressing it through their own scene and experience. Their appearance at Wacken after winning the Mexican Metal Battle was also an indication that the Mexican underground had begun receiving greater international attention.

The album was released internationally by Pure Steel Records on 29 April 2011, with the label issuing it on CD, and it runs at roughly 37 minutes. That relatively compact running time suits the material well: “Street Law” gets to the point, delivers its riffs and melodies and does not overstay its welcome.

If you want to listen to a good Mexican Heavy Metal band and discover a sound that was not yet as familiar in the contemporary Heavy Metal scene as it is today, then you should check out “Street Law”. SPLIT HEAVEN offer traditional Heavy Metal with Speed Metal energy, strong melodies and an evident love for the classic era of the genre. It is the kind of album that can keep you company for a long time!

Nick Parastatidis

REVIEW: INSIDEAD - Chaos ElecDead

 

INSIDEAD - Chaos ElecDead (2011)

Massacre Records

If this is thrash metal, then I am a belly dancer…

It is not particularly easy to place Chaos ElecDead under a single genre heading, and even the “modern thrash metal” tag attached to the album seems to describe only part of what INSIDEAD are attempting. This is not necessarily a problem in itself. After all, refusing to follow a strict genre formula can sometimes lead to interesting and genuinely individual results. The difficulty here is that the mixture does not ultimately develop into a distinctive identity.

INSIDEAD combine elements of groove metal, alternative metal/rock, modern thrash and the melodic death/thrash approach associated with the Gothenburg scene. There are also moments where the harsher vocals recall bands such as EKTOMORF and SEPULTURA, while the arrangements occasionally move towards the metalcore/deathcore vocabulary that was becoming increasingly prominent when the album was recorded. The result is therefore less a clearly defined style than a collection of contemporary metal influences brought together within the same framework.

The problem is not that the band crosses stylistic boundaries. The problem is that the individual elements rarely come together in a way that gives the songs a strong personality of their own. There are some good riffs, aggressive passages, melodic ideas and occasional solos, but too many of these moments feel interchangeable rather than part of a clearly recognizable INSIDEAD sound. The album can certainly be energetic, but energy alone does not necessarily create memorable songwriting.

This becomes more apparent as Chaos ElecDead progresses. Several songs rely on similar rhythmic and vocal approaches, and the constant movement between heavier, melodic and more modern sections does not always provide the variety one might expect. Instead, much of the album eventually feels repetitive and monotonous. Tracks such as “No I.D.”, “Blood 4 Blood” and the title track contain ideas that could have formed the basis of stronger compositions, but these moments are not consistently developed into songs with enough character to remain memorable.

And this is perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the album. INSIDEAD were clearly not inexperienced musicians. The band had been active for years before Chaos ElecDead, had already released a promo CD, and had built considerable live experience, including appearances at Rockwave Festival and Wacken Open Air after winning the Wacken Metal Battle competition in 2009. The debut was also given a professional production, with R.D. Liapakis handling production and mixing/mastering duties alongside Christian Schmid at Prophecy and Music Factory Studios in Germany.

Released by Massacre Records on April 29, 2011, Chaos ElecDead contains nine songs and runs for roughly 36 minutes. The production gives the material the necessary weight and clarity, and the musicians are obviously capable of handling the technical demands of the music. In fact, contemporary reviews also pointed out the band's competent instrumental work and the presence of some effective riffs and choruses.

Unfortunately, good musicianship and a polished production cannot compensate for the lack of a convincing overall direction. The album sounds like a band still searching for the precise point where its various influences should meet. That search produces a few worthwhile ideas, but too often the ideas remain just that—ideas—rather than becoming compositions with a strong and individual identity.

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with attempting to combine different generations of metal, but Chaos ElecDead illustrates the danger of trying to accommodate too many influences without establishing a sufficiently distinctive musical personality. For me, the few good ideas are ultimately buried beneath a result that is confusing, repetitive and far too typical of the modern metal landscape of its time.

Not an album I would return to.

Nick Parastatidis

REVIEW: THE RODS, Heavier Than Thou

 

THE RODS, Heavier Than Thou (1986)

Passport Records

Εξώφυλλο που περιγράφει τον ήχο απολύτως

Με τράβηξε η απεικόνιση στο CD αυτό, το τέταρτο (ή πέμπτο;) των θρυλικών The Rods από τη Νέα Υόρκη, μετά από άλμπουμ που ακουμπάνε τον μύθο, όπως το ομώνυμο ντεμπούτο τους, το τεράστιο Wild Dogs και τη βαριά συνέχεια του Let Them Eat Metal. Το επόμενο, λοιπόν, δεν θα μπορούσε παρά να είναι ανάλογο!

Ένα σχήμα, λοιπόν, με αυτά τα ιστορικά άλμπουμ λίγα χρόνια πίσω του, φτάνει εδώ, το 1986, πραγματικά σε ένα άλλο επίπεδο. Το U.S. Metal βρίσκει στα κομμάτια του δίσκου την ηχητική του απεικόνιση ή, αλλιώς, το λήμμα στο λεξικό — μπορεί να έχει και τη φωτογραφία αυτού του έργου των τεσσάρων μουσικών: Shmoulik Avigal στη φωνή, Carl Canedy στα ντραμς και τα πλήκτρα, Craig Gruber στο μπάσο και David Feinstein στις κιθάρες και τα φωνητικά.

Είναι καθαρά ένα άλμπουμ των μέσων της δεκαετίας του ’80, που συνθετικά πατάει στο παλιό Hard Rock, αλλά κλείνει πολύ περισσότερο προς το NWOBHM. Δηλαδή, ακολουθεί τα χνάρια της μισής και παραπάνω σκηνής της εποχής του.

Τα Make Me a Believer, Angels Never Run, Crossfire, She's Trouble, Born to Rock, η διασκευή στο Communication Breakdown των Led Zeppelin και το Cold Sweat and Blood είναι τα ατού αυτού του δίσκου, με το τελικό συμπέρασμα να είναι ότι εδώ η πρώτη εικόνα είναι απολύτως αντιπροσωπευτική.

Κάτι που, βέβαια, δεν ισχύει πάντα!

English:

An Album Cover That Perfectly Describes the Sound

What initially drew me to this CD was its artwork. This is the fourth (or fifth?) album by legendary New York band The Rods, following albums that had already begun to approach legendary status, such as their self-titled debut, the massive Wild Dogs, and the heavy follow-up Let Them Eat Metal. So, naturally, what came next could hardly be anything less!

By 1986, with those historic albums already a few years behind them, the band had genuinely reached another level. U.S. Metal finds its sonic representation in the songs on this record—or, put another way, this could well be the dictionary definition of the genre, complete with a photograph of the four musicians responsible: Shmoulik Avigal on vocals, Carl Canedy on drums and keyboards, Craig Gruber on bass, and David Feinstein on guitars and vocals.

This is unmistakably a mid-’80s album. Compositionally, it has its roots in classic Hard Rock, but it leans much more heavily toward the NWOBHM, following in the footsteps of a large part of the scene of its era.

Make Me a Believer, Angels Never Run, Crossfire, She's Trouble, Born to Rock, the cover of Led Zeppelin's Communication Breakdown, and Cold Sweat and Blood are the album's highlights. The final conclusion, then, is that in this case, first impressions are absolutely representative of what lies within.

Which, of course, isn't always the case!

Τάκης "Ε-Μortal One" Γιώτης!

MorteMutta Release New Single “Hrungutsutr”

 

International symphonic black metal project MorteMutta have released their new single, “Hrungutsutr,” now available for streaming. The track was recorded at Eijefjorden Studios and mixed and mastered by Chris Highlander.

Formed in 1999 by DC (Norway) and JJ (Japan), MorteMutta describe their music as “Fjordmetal,” combining elements of Nordic and Japanese folklore with multilingual vocals and unconventional instrumentation, including the koto and chainsaws. The project places particular emphasis on world-building and mythological storytelling, creating a cinematic setting that connects the landscapes and traditions of Norway and Japan.

“Hrungutsutr” continues the duo’s distinctive approach to combining symphonic black metal with their broader cross-cultural concept.

ACCIDENTAL DEATH BENEFIT Release New Single “Despair”

 

Siberian death ’n’ grind/deathcore band ACCIDENTAL DEATH BENEFIT have released their new single, “Despair,” on September 18, 2026. The track combines intense vocals, an organic production approach and lyrics addressing themes of social inequality and industrial dominance.

Formed in 2013 in Bratsk, Siberia, the band developed their sound within the region’s distinctive cultural and social environment. Their lineup includes a mathematics and computer science teacher who also serves as drummer, composer and sound engineer, as well as handling the band’s informational materials.

ACCIDENTAL DEATH BENEFIT released their debut full-length album, Venets Tvoreniya Prirody, in 2017, followed by the Big Brother Won't Forsake You EP in 2022. Their subsequent releases include the double single Essence of Evil / White World (2023) and the single Sincerity in Hatred (2025).

The band have performed extensively across Russia, appearing at major festivals and sharing stages with acts including VADER, MARDUK, SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL and GRIMA. They have also headlined the international NOISE festival in Mongolia.

ACCIDENTAL DEATH BENEFIT are currently working on a new full-length album, which is scheduled for release in spring 2027.