Just 15 months after last year’s sophomore effort, “2nd Edition,” Ventura, California’s Gygax has returned with “High Fantasy” (June 21, 2019, Creator-Destructor Records), its third album of gaming- and Thin Lizzy-inspired rock ‘n’ roll (review). Instead of being a dramatic departure from what the band has done in the past, the record is a crystallization... Continue Reading →
Led by extreme metal veteran Matt Harvey (Exhumed, Gruesome, Expulsion), Pounder is what metal is all about. Using the classic sound of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal as a starting point, Pounder incorporates a wide range of metal and hard rock influences, all of which come through on its full-length debut, “Uncivilized,” released... Continue Reading →
With five full-length records under its belt and firmly established as one of the leading American progressive metal bands, Periphery struck out its own for album number six, releasing “Periphery IV: HAIL STAN” (review) on its own label, 3DOT Recordings. And it’s clear the quintet that originally formed in the Washington, D.C., suburbs of Maryland... Continue Reading →
After sticking mostly to the same angry, metallic sound through its first six studio albums, Godsmack took a bit of a chance with 2018’s “When Legends Rise” (review). Though the recording is unmistakably Godsmack, the slicker production and frontman Sully Erna’s increased vocal range paved the way for a more modern feel with big, melodic... Continue Reading →
Guitarist Mark Morton has achieved worldwide success with Lamb of God, one of the leading metal bands of the past 20 years. But it turns out there’s a lot more to him as a musician and songwriter—a side that often leans more toward rock than metal. So he took years of song ideas that would... Continue Reading →
2019 is shaping up as the year of Jinjer. After coming to North America for the first time in 2018 for tours with Cradle of Filth and DevilDriver, the Ukrainian quartet released the EP “Micro” (review) in January and already has completed a European tour with Soilwork and Amorphis. More shows in Europe, plus dates... Continue Reading →
Drawing inspiration from a variety of styles of metal, Immortal Guardian, hailing from the great state of Texas, refuses to be hemmed in by genre or any other label. The band—guitarist/keyboardist Gabriel Guardian, vocalist Carlos Zema, drummer Cody Gilliand and bassist Thad Stevens—released its debut full-length, “Age of Revolution,” in September 2018 via M-Theory Audio... Continue Reading →
Cane Hill’s self-described year-long “romance with LSD” yielded its superb second full-length album, “Too Far Gone” (review), released in January 2018. And while that year was a dark period in the band members’ lives, now that they’ve moved past it, it’s the gift that keeps giving. Emotions that didn’t have an outlet on the heavier... Continue Reading →
I've been writing that the last few years have been a celebration of Max Cavalera and his incredible career in metal, first with the mighty Sepultura, and now with the Soulfly tribe. With "Ritual" being released last year, Soulfly now has 11 studio of albums just on its own. It's truly unbelievable.
Below, in what is becoming a regular column here, Live Metal's Jeff Maki caught up once again with the iconic guitarist, vocalist and ambassador of metal, Max Cavalera. "Ritual," touring, and all things Soulfly are discussed. Plus, did anyone know that Max is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? I didn't. And is rock really "dead?" Max has the best answer we've heard yet. Read on ...
