Megadeth – ‘Megadeth’ (BLKIIBLK)

Megadeth – ‘Megadeth’ (BLKIIBLK)

We all know the Metallica story… I’m not going to talk about that, well, maybe later. Megadeth has been a constant in the heavy metal story since back in 1983, when Dave Mustaine swore that he would put together a band faster and heavier than that other band that I said I wasn’t going to talk about.

Since then, there have been many lineup changes and some history-making music. The one constant is, of course, “MegaDave” himself. The controversial guitarist/vocalist/lead songwriter has made sure that every single heavy metal fan in the world owns at least one Megadeth album in their collection. This has been achieved by hard work, phenomenal talent and of course, Dave’s unwillingness to fail.

My first run-in with Megadeth was courtesy of a Kerrang! Compilation VHS with the video to the song Peace Sells. I loved it and got a friend to copy the album onto a C90 cassette for me. The power, the musicianship, and the snarl all made sure this teenage thrasher was hooked (in mouth?) Of course, the “classic” lineup of Megadeth came a few years later with the 1990 Rust In Peace album. This is when the world really saw Mustaine’s vision in full. I saw the band live for the first time on this tour with a little-known band called Alice in Chains opening. The fury of their live shows became legendary; they never disappoint in a live setting.

Megadeth became global superstars after the success of the 1992 release ‘Countdown to Extinction’, but this was the start of the band’s decline. Some ill-fated direction changes on the 1999 album Risk and the collapse of the “classic” line-up before that saw Megadeth’s popularity dip. This isn’t to say that the band weren’t out there making new records or playing live, they just never got another Countdown moment.

This latest LP, simply titled ‘Megadeth’, is set to be their last ever album. Mustaine has had health struggles over the last few years and has decided to hang up his guitar for good. 2022’s ‘The Sick, the Dying…and the Dead’ was a great album, and this follows on in a similar vein. Latest guitar wizard Teemu Mantysaari has a strong presence with songwriting credits on nine of the ten tracks. Drummer Dirk Verbeuren feels like he’s been around forever, and his contribution is a noticeable one. Bass player James LoMenzo still feels like a hired gu,n though, he plays a blinder here, as you’d expect.

The album opens strongly with the lead single ‘Tipping Point’. Virtuoso guitar work, machine gun double kick drums and Mustaine’s trademark love it or hate vocal style are all over the song. A brilliant opener. The production is great, too, from Mustaine and Chris Rakestraw. ‘I Don’t Care’ is a bit more throwaway, although some fun lyrics rescue the track. ‘Hey God?!’ Is a mid-paced chugger, which is a real grower. ‘Let There Be Shred’ does what it says on the tin, a real showcase of Mustaine and Mantysaari’s incredible prowess. Puppet Parade reminds me of the Youthanasia era. Another strong track. Another Bad Day chugs along nicely with lyrics that all of us can relate to. ‘Made to Kill’ kicks off with a superb drum intro before we are off into very familiar Megadeth territory, stabbing riffs, answering kick drums, and guitar solos aplenty make this one of the strongest tracks on the album. ‘Obey the Call’ has a great crunching riff. Mustaine’s vocals are more melodic here, another solid tune. ‘I Am War’ has a nice sing-along chorus which sticks in your head almost instantly.

The Last Note gives us Megadeth fans the final nod from our illustrious leader. The lyrics are actually quite moving: “I can’t outrun the spinning hands of time” and “the guitar got heavy, time to lay it down” gave me a lump in my throat. Is this really the end of the road for Megadeth? It seems to be true. We can never be sure, though, how many comebacks have Kiss, Motley Crue and even fellow Big 4 thrashers Slayer have had? I get the feeling that Mustaine is genuine in his sentiment. Rest easy, Megadeth, we salute you. Megadeth is no game-changer but it’s a good way to bow out.

I wasn’t going to mention the cover of Metallica’s ‘Ride the Lightning’. I get that Mustaine says that it’s “full circle” for him, and he wanted to put a Metallica track (that he co-wrote) on the album. It seems like a pointless exercise to me. Mustaine has nothing to prove, he’s a metal legend, and there really was no need to add this. I mean, it’s ok, Mustaine’s vocals don’t sound great, musically it’s obviously played well, but I just can’t help but feel that it blights the album rather than adding anything. My advice is, don’t bother listening to it, just end the album with ‘The Last Note’.

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Author: Kenny Kendrick

Raven – No Life Til Leather

Raven – No Life Til Leather

POWERFUL UNFORGIVING COVER OF METALLICA’S 

‘METAL MILITIA’ OUT NOW FROM SILVER LINING MUSIC’S NO LIFE ‘TIL LEATHER – A TRIBUTE TO METALLICA’S KILL ‘EM ALL OUT THIS WEEK

Pre-orders available here

DATELINE: November 12th 2025 – Silver Lining Music release No Life ‘Til Leather – A Tribute to Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All this Friday, November 14th. The fourth single from the all-star compilation is from the pioneering heavy metal legends  Raven, the ear-splitting take on Metallica’s ‘Metal Militia’.

You can divide the history of heavy metal into two distinct chapters: ‘before Metallica’ and ‘after Metallica’. When the Four Horsemen galloped to the top of dozens of countries’ charts with their self-titled album in 1991, they became the new measuring stick for their genre, and their standard is one that no hard rockers since have matched, let alone outdone.

No Life ’Til Leather – A Tribute to Metallica’s Kill ’Em All unites Metallica’s favourites, their peers, and the generations that came next. Metallica’s first proper tour was with Raven in 1983, on the famous Kill ‘Em All For One venture. Thus, it is only fitting that   Raven feature on the album with their powerfully unapologetic rendition of Metallica’s “Metal Militia”. With unrelenting energy and raw precision, Raven channels the ferocity of the original while stamping their own unmistakable identity on the track — a bold statement that captures the spirit and intensity of the entire album.

“We are very happy and honoured to have been asked to be part of this awesome tribute to our old sparring partners,” comments co-founding lead vocalist and bassist John Gallagher. “Our cover version is many things, as you will hear… in the best tradition of the guys themselves, but I think we captured that Metallica “snarl”…. Especially by changing a few key elements! Features Mark on vocals, today all is revealed!”

No Life ‘Til Leather – A Tribute to Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All is a colossal celebration of the most propulsive debut album in heavy metal history, re-imagined by the legends who inspired it and the generations that came in its wake!

The veteran likes of Saxon, Diamond Head, and Motörhead, (three of Metallica’s favourite bands) are joined by rising stars such as Tailgunner and Swedish prog metallers Soen to create a who’s-who of heavy music, with each performer lending their unique sound to one classic track. Contributions from thrash giants Testament, ex-Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, and New Wave of British Heavy Metal linchpins Tygers of Pan Tang show the label looking beyond their own artists to amass the greatest lineup possible.

The first single, ‘The Four Horsemen’, a particularly confrontational cover by hard rockers The Almighty, which propelled the band to go back into the studio for the first time with the founding line-up since 1991, is out now. Watch/listen to ‘The Four Horsemen’ Here.

The second single ‘(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth’, is a monumental cover of Metallica’s instrumental epic by the legendary David Ellefson. Watch/ listen to ‘(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth’ Here – video by Pamela Parks, edit by Freakshot Film.

The third single ‘Seek & Destroy’, is a super-charged cover of the Metallica classic by thrash metal icons Testament. Watch/ listen to ‘Seek & Destroy’ Here – video by Freakshot Film.

No Life ‘Til Leather – A Tribute to Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All is an ambitious achievement worthy of Metallica’s game-changing legacy. By the fans and for the fans, it reaffirms the Four Horsemen’s ironclad influence – and its stacked roster continues the band’s mission to shove metal up your ass!

“A project five years in the making, No Life ‘Till Leather, is more than a tribute, it’s a history lesson, a love letter, and a reaffirmation of heavy metal’s unbreakable spirit.” – FISTFUL OF MEAL

“No Life ‘Til Leather – A Tribute To Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All has to be given extra attention simply due to the impressive list of bands and their equally astounding performances.” – METAL-TEMPLE

“I see it as a great tribute and an act of love towards a band that has now become immortal! And “Kill ‘Em All” isn’t just an album! It’s an institution! And we’re still here, with our fists raised, shouting: No life ’til leather!”  – CHAOSZINE

No Life ‘Til Leather – A Tribute to Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All track-listing:

  1. Hit The Lights (Tailgunner)
  2. The Four Horsemen (The Almighty)
  3. Motorbreath (Soen)
  4. Jump In The Fire (Tygers Of Pan Tang)
  5. (Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth (David Ellefson)
  6. Whiplash (Motörhead)
  7. Phantom Lord (Saxon)
  8. No Remorse (Diamond Head)
  9. Seek & Destroy (Testament)
  10. Metal Militia (Raven)

No Life ‘Til Leather – A Tribute to Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All will be available as a vinyl, CD, and on digital formats. Pre-order here

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Sea Hags – ‘Dead And Gone’ (Liberation Hall)

Sea Hags – ‘Dead And Gone’ (Liberation Hall)

Not sure what catagory the Sea Hags belonged in back in the day they were lazily lumped in with the glam rock brigade but this band of brothers never really belonged in with that lot and had much more to do with the darker side of early Aerosmith and the likes of the MC5 and Stooges to my ears and more power to them. Only surviving for one album, and years later, a few semi-official demo releases crept out into the bargain bins of the cool record stores around the globe, but this latest offering is ten tracks of prime grade sleazy loud rock n roll.

Famed for having Kirk Hammett play on their demos and a run of live shows supporting some of the finest punk bands crawling the circuit at the time, The Sea Hags were a lean, mean rockin’ machine, and this live, rough and ready set will attest that to be the case. So there’s no ‘Half The Way Valley’ or explosive ‘Bumbed Creek’, but there is a sleazy ‘Doghouse’ and brain-busting ‘Back To The Grind’. On another day, this band coulda shoulda…you know the drill. Rock’ n roll is littered with bands we all think should have been huge had it not been for Ego, Drugs, Drink, women, death, or all of the aforementioned well Sea Hags fit that bill perfectly.

On September 3, Sea Hags stepped in front of an audience of 60 enthusiastic fans at CD Studios. It’s this live demo recording that is now making its official debut on CD & digital. ‘Dead & Gone‘ captures Sea Hags delivering a type of sleaze rock that would soon be highly bankable on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip. Opener ‘Huntin’ for Dad’ with Yocom’s snarling vocals, followed by additional newly-discovered nuggets like the swaggering ‘Happy Hours with You’, reminds me of the swagger the Heartbreakers once had complete with howling feedback and gang vocals and the grind of ‘Dead and Gone’, it’s well worth investing in for fans of that album.
 
Despite its low budget, the demo served its purpose. Sea Hags were signed to Chrysalis Records in December 1987. But at the label’s insistence, Langston would be replaced, and a second guitarist was added. The original trio was defunct as Sea Hags entered the studio with producer Mike Clink (Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction) to record their eponymous debut album. That album would include new versions of “Doghouse” and “Back to the Grind,” two tracks which appear in earlier versions on ‘Dead & Gone‘ but alas not here.  The title track is a belter, as is the Perry and Hamilton groove of ‘Chicken Boys’. Man, the groove of ‘Love Kills’ is still a pulse increasing thang and I might not have heard it in 30 years but boy is it a killer tune with a great vocal.
 
Within ten months of the release of the Sea Hags’ major label debut, the band had imploded, cracks became casms with over 300 shows done, and the lure of the big major label had taken hold.
 
Rest in Peace, Sea Hags, for you left a great looking corpse and one and done of what could and should have been. Take a listen, raise a glass and turn it up, ladies and gentlemen, the Sea Hags.  

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Exciter – ‘Kill After Kill’ (Cherry Red Records)

Exciter – ‘Kill After Kill’ (Cherry Red Records)

Canadian speed metal merchants Exciter, along with bands like Accept, Motorhead, and fellow Canadians Anvil, are widely regarded as one of the innovators of the speed metal movement. Speed metal was a precursor of thrash metal, and it has been argued that Exciter invented thrash, but for me, that title sits firmly on the shoulders of Metallica. I believe that Exciter was an influence on what would come later but they were never a thrash band.

Their debut album Heavy Metal Maniac was released through Shrapnel records in 1983 and they had a successful run throughout the eighties touring with the likes of Mercyful Fate, Motorhead and Manowar. The band split up in 1989 but reformed in 1991, the line up at the time consisted of drummer/vocalist Dan Beehler, bassist David Ledden and guitarist John Ricci. The album I am listening to right now – Kill After Kill was released in 1992 on Noise records. The album is being re issued by Cherry Red Records, it has been remastered and includes extensive liner notes and contributions from the band describing the recording process and the changing climate in the metal world at the time.

This is my first time listening to this album and I have to say it is an extremely enjoyable listen for an old school metal head like me. Pounding drums, screaming vocals, manic guitar riffs and song titles like Smashing Em Down and Rain of Terror give you a good idea of what is on offer here. There is nothing highbrow about Exciter, they absolutely deliver the goods here though. Dig out your studded wristbands and bullet belts, turn this up to eleven and worship at the metal altar of Kill After Kill!

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Author: Kenny Kendrick

U.D.O. – ‘Game Over’ (AFM Records)

U.D.O. – ‘Game Over’ (AFM Records)

German heavy metal legend Udo Dirkschneider returns with his 18th studio album under the U.D.O. moniker – ‘Game Over’. Ah, I remember as if it was yesterday (it was actually 1986) when I heard Accept’s ‘Restless and Wild’ album for the first time. The opening double bass drum barrage of Fast as a Shark had a huge impact on this young drummer. That album was a major influence on the thrash and speed metal genre with Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer, Megadeth, Testament et al citing Accept as a huge inspiration. They had further worldwide success with the follow up ‘Balls to the Wall’ which went gold in the US and Canada.

Accept’s then frontman Udo Dirkschneider made an impact with his distinctive voice and image. After leaving (or being fired from) Accept in 1987 he formed U.D.O. and enjoyed continued success. With this latest album Dirkschneider tackles important subject matter ranging from climate change, war, and political corruption. The album delivers everything you expect, and I have to say Dirkschneider sounds fantastic, he sounds as good today as he ever did. The band also deliver some top-notch performances with riffs galore from guitar duo Andrey Smirnov and Fabian Dee Dammers and Udo’s son Sven delivers a fantastic performance on the drum throne.

Great song titles like ‘Fear Detector’, ‘Metal Never Dies’ and ‘Like A Beast’ sound just like you would imagine, metal to the core! One track that stands out though is ‘Kids and Guns’ with its almost AC/DC like groove. It feels a little out of place with the other tracks, but I like it all the same. Let’s be honest, if you’re checking out this album you know what to expect, it’s true head banging heavy metal that delivers what it says on the tin. A strong album that will appeal to U.D.O.’s hardcore fan base.

With a career that spans over forty years you must admire Dirkschneider for sticking to what he does best for all these years. As Accept famously said… ‘Shake Your Heads’!

Game Over is released on October 8th through AFM records.

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Author: Kenny Kendrick

HELLRIPPER RELEASE FIRST SINGLE “SPECTRES OF THE BLOOD MOON SABBATH”

HELLRIPPER RELEASE FIRST SINGLE “SPECTRES OF THE BLOOD MOON SABBATH”

TAKEN FROM THEIR NEW STUDIO ALBUM THE AFFAIR OF THE POISONS DUE FOR RELEASE ON PEACEVILLE ON 9TH OCTOBER

Album pre-orders now available

Hellripper have released their debut single and animated lyric video for “Spectres Of The Blood Moon Sabbath” from the upcoming new studio album The Affair Of The Poisons scheduled for release on 9th October 2020 through Peaceville.

 
“Spectres of the Blood Moon Sabbath” sets the scene for the new album as its themes primarily revolve around the dark & insidious underworld witchcraft and the occult, with some tracks being based on historical events. The single unfurls in an infernal storm of heavy blackened thrash. James McBain, Hellripper mainman comments “this was one of the first tracks written for the album and has a definite “rock ‘n’ roll” feel to it with its bouncy rhythm & a Motörhead or TANK vibe, and it is one of two songs on the album where Joseph (live guitarist) performed lead guitar”.

 

James, based in the Scottish Highlands, says of their forthcoming epic new album The Affair of the Poisons that “it contains the mixture of thrash/black/speed metal and punk that Hellripper has become known for, but this time I feel that the end result is more cohesive. Some of the tracks are more straight-forward while others contain some twists and parts that are new to the Hellripper sound. As always, the whole writing and recording process was done at home by myself, with a few friends of mine contributing some additional vocals and lead guitar parts. The album was mixed by myself and was mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege who did an amazing job.

 

Skadvaldur did an excellent job, as he always does, of creating a piece of artwork that both represents the album’s themes, as well as being a somewhat of a homage in style to the old B-horror movie posters that inspired a few of the album’s tracks.”
 
The Affair Of The Poisons will be released on CD, LP, cassette and digital through Peaceville on 9th October and is available to pre-order now HERE

The band has also announced that they will be touring later in the year to coincide with the album’s release, some headline shows in the UK plus as special guests to Cleveland based Black Rock ‘n’ Roll/Thrash legends Midnight.

Headline UK shows

22.10.20 – London, The Black Heart

23.10.20 – Leeds, Boom

24.10.20 – Glasgow, Nice ‘N’ Sleazy 

With Midnight

29.10.20 Gebr De Nobel Leiden Netherlands 
30.10.20 Dynamo Eindhoven Netherlands
31.10.20 Markthalle Hamburg (Heavy Hamburg Halloween III) Germany
01.11.20 Casino Sint-Niklaas Belgium
03.11.20 Le Grillen Colmar France
04.11.20 Petit Bain Paris France
05.11.20 Rex Toulouse France
06.11.20 Caracol Madrid Spain
07.11.20 La Nau Barcelona Spain
09.11.20 Caves Du Manoir Martigny Switzerland
10.11.20 Slaughter Club Paderno Dugnano Italy
11.11.20 Backstage Munchen Germany
12.11.20 Viper Room Vienna Austria
13.11.20 Durer Kert Budapest Hungary
14.11.20 Futurum Prague Czech Republic
15.11.20 Proxima Warsaw Poland
17.11.20 Lido Berlin Germany
18.11.20 Stengade Copenhagen Denmark
19.11.20 Goldgrube Kassel Germany
20.11.20 Uhrenwerk Weimar Germany
21.11.20 Junkyard Dortmund Germany
22.11.20 Live Music Hall Weiher Germany
24.11.20 Magasin 4 Brussels Belgium 

Hellripper has been fast gaining a reputation for whipping up an infectious storm of blackened speed metal greatness in the spirit of old and are one of the most electrifying young, up & coming metal acts in the scene today.

Inspired by the likes of the old-school legends including Venom, Kreator, Sabbat [JPN] and Metallica, McBain formed Hellripper in 2014 and with the release of the debut EP The Manifestation of Evil shortly after, the band were already making a very clear mission statement… Total fucking mayhem!

Follow Hellripper

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Chesty Malone & The Slice Em Ups interview Exclusive

Chesty Malone & The Slice Em Ups interview Exclusive
Back in the old days, there were a few bands who responded well to being harrassed by some writers from this side of the pond and some who lurked in the underground punk rock scene consistently knocking out great punk rock and B movie videos. Recently one of those beasts reconnected with RPM and had some new music available so it seems only fair that we threw out a few questions to Anthony about just what Chesty Malone is up to? So here goes a quick chat whilst your waiting for the new album to drop…
Hi Anthony, What have Chesty Malone & The Slice Em Ups been up to lately?
We spent most of the spring and summer of 2019 playing east coast shows in support of our ‘Satanic Brooklyn Scum’ 7” that came out on April fool’s day this year. We played with Dr Chud’s solo band in Delaware, we headlined a record release show at Lucky 13 Saloon in Brooklyn where we had a satanic blessing just before we went on. We also played Philadelphia, PA, and Altoona and State College, PA plus a bunch more I’m currently not remembering hahaha, I think we made it somewhere in Ohio too. We also have a brand new 3 song 7” coming out on Friday the 13th in December, ‘19. It’s called ‘Destroy All Humans’ and it’s gonna be on green, purple and black wax on 1332 Records. We also have upcoming shows in Brooklyn where we’re opening for Poison Idea’s final show along with our first ever shows in Pittsburgh, PA and Baltimore, MD and more!

For those new to the band can you give us a potted overview of who you are and what brought you together?
We formed in 2006 in the very depths of Queens, NY. We (Anthony Van Hoek and Jaqueline Blownaparte) were both heavy in the NYC Punk and hardcore scene and we decided to come together to bring back a more extreme old school feel. Music wasn’t our only influence, lots of B movies, Coors Light and hanging out with cool cats (the animals, not the people) inspired our new brand of sound. We like to express our love of those things and our feelings of disgust with society and people around us. Have you ever wondered what it’d be like if the OG Misfits played a VFW show with Metallica, the Cramps, the Plasmatics, the Stooges, Venom and some Las Vegas Strip club bands from the ‘50s while a Twilight Zone marathon played between bands with a white female Dolemite MCing the whole shabang? Well, wonder no more.
The East coast around the New York area especially has been such a creative centre for great Rock and Roll? what memories have you got of getting into punk rock?
My very 1st punk rock memory is probably when my uncle Allen brought the 1st Ramones record over to our house one summer when I was about 7 years old. That made a huge and indelible impression on me for sure. The east coast is great but we still wanna make it out west one day too!
Who influenced the sound of Chesty Malone?
I mean, life in general hahaha. Walk down the street behind a bunch of inconsiderate a-holes who don’t realize there are other people trying to use the sidewalk and you can get influenced by that for sure. Be a bouncer at a biker bar in New York City where you have to listen to the same country and classic rock tunes every night for years on end and that will inevitably sink into your soul. Ride the subway every day of your miserable life alongside rats, roaches and every form of assorted degenerate the world has to offer and, well you guessed it, huge influence! Sure I could name some bands we like but that’d be a bit boring and you can probably draw some conclusions on your own anyway.

 

You have a new record on the way what are the chances of a long-player? What about live shows?
We are currently writing and rehearsing for a new full-length album, thanks for asking! I’ll even give ya a scoop: it’s gonna be called “Please Chesty Don’t Hurt ‘em” and we’re always playing shows! Comin’ at ya live!
What about 2020 any plans for the band?
Well yeah! We’ve got the ‘Destroy All Humans’ 7” coming out at the end of 2019 so we’ll be shamelessly hawking that hot slab ‘o wax along with ‘Satanic Brooklyn Scum’ and all our other stuff all year. Maybe our 4th album that I mentioned above will come out in 2020. Unless something terrible happens of course. 
On to you personally, What or Who made you pick up the guitar in the first place?  From the scene that you started out in who are still kicking about?  I’ve seen some cool footage of shows from places like Coney Island they always look like a lot of fun and a great community? where has everyone gone or are they still around?
Yeah, it’s more of a WHAT that made me want to play the guitar. I’ve always loved the dirty heavy sound of a loud distorted guitar. Literally from the scene, I started out in, I can only think of the band Slough Feg that’s still around. Look ’em up if ya don’t know.
Your videos always look like a load of fun some great B movie humour going on where do you get your ideas?
Thank ya! I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night with video concept ideas and song ideas and artwork concepts etc. I keep a notebook and pen by my bed for these purposes.
There you go, folks, a quick catch up with our Favourite Queens punk rockers check out the videos and go listen to their tunes stream them or pop along to one of the links provided and pick up an old school record – they rock!
The label’s site, where you can order the new record
All photos by Rusty Glessner

Slayer – 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗞𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 – 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗢𝗻 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 6

Slayer – 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗞𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 – 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗢𝗻 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 6

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗞𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 – 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗢𝗻 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟲𝘁𝗵 – Uncompromising and unmissable, this one-night-only event features the short film paired with a full concert performance and a cinema-exclusive welcome from the band.

Find your nearest screening and book tickets online at https://www.slayer.film

For nearly four decades, Slayer’s onslaught has proven them to be the supreme thrash-metal band on the planet – the band that other heavy acts are measured against and aspire to. With their place in music history secure, Slayer – Tom Araya, Kerry King, Gary Holt and Paul Bostaph – in conjunction with Trafalgar Releasing, Nuclear Blast Records and Prime Zero Productions, will unleash the Slaytanic offensive on the big screen when “Slayer: The Repentless Killogy” debuts in movie theatres around the world on November 6, 2019. Uncompromising and unmissable, this one-night-only event will feature the short film paired with Slayer’s entire performance filmed at its August 5, 2017 concert at the Los Angeles Forum.

Revenge, murder, bloodshed and retribution. “Slayer: The Repentless Killogy” short film was written and directed by BJ McDonnell, who conceived and directed the three brutal music videos – “You Against You,” “Repentless,” and “Pride in Prejudice”- for Slayer’s final studio album Repentless (2015).

The “Repentless Killogy” motion picture begins with the powerful short narrative film that brings together the music of Slayer and the grisly story they wanted to tell. Opening with the trilogy of music videos assembled as one chronological storyline, we are introduced to the narrative’s main character Wyatt, a former Neo Nazi associated with “The Hand Brotherhood,” a gang whose signature mark was a bloody handprint left after a murder had taken place. Prior to the first music video, Wyatt had left the gang after he fell in love with Gina. The two had gone into hiding to escape his gruesome past and start a family, but The Hand Brotherhood was not going to allow that to happen, and Gina, pregnant with their first child, was savagely murdered as Wyatt was forced to look on. The film then segues into the present-time narrative that sees Wyatt on the run from law enforcement and the Nazi gang, but now dedicated to eliminating The Hand Brotherhood and seeking retribution wherever he can.

“The Repentless Killogy” stars many of the actors who appeared in the original video series: Jason Trost (“Beats of Rage,” “Hatchet III”) as Wyatt, Danny Trejo (“Machete,” “From Dusk Til Dawn”), Richard Speight (“Band of Brothers,” “Supernatural”), Derek Mears (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”), Jessica Pimentel (“Orange Is The New Black”), Tyler Mane (“X-Men,” “Halloween !!”), Bill Moseley (“The Devil’s Rejects,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2”), Caroline Williams (“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2,” “Sharknado 4”), and Sean Whalen (“Twister,” “The People Under The Stairs”).

Part two of “The Repentless Killogy” features Slayer’s entire live set performed at the Los Angeles Forum on August 5, 2017, and was directed by Wayne Isham who has directed videos for artists including Metallica, Foo Fighters, Michael Jackson, Kelly Clarkson, and Britney Spears. Presented in front of one of the most striking stage productions of the band’s career, Slayer performs fan-favorites including “South of Heaven,” “War Ensemble,” “Mandatory Suicide,” “Dead Skin Mask,” “Raining Blood,” and “Angel of Death.”

Gone But Not Forgotten – Cliff Burton & Ken ‘Dimwit’ Montgomery

Gone But Not Forgotten – Cliff Burton & Ken ‘Dimwit’ Montgomery

Best known for his work in D.O.A. and The Four Horsemen Ken was the older brother of Chuck Biscuits who he followed into D.O.A.  The brothers both played drums and whilst Chuck went on to play in Black Flag, circle jerks and Social Distortion Ken had the honour of being the stickman in the mighty Four Horsemen. Releasing their classic rock album ‘Nobody Said It Was Easy’ in ’91 Dimwit passed away on this day in ’94 of a Heroin overdose during the making of the bands follow up album ‘Gettin’ Pretty Good… at Barely Gettin’ By’ but the band seemed cursed as Dimwit was replaced by his younger brother to complete the recording.  Later in ’95 frontman Starr was hit by a drunk driver and ended up in a coma with the album eventually coming out in ’96 with just Limzi as the sole remaining member.  The album was dedicated to Dimwit.

Enjoy him at the peak of his powers on the magnificent ‘Tired Wings’

Clifford Lee Burton Born February 10, 1962 in California he was the youngest of three children first played the piano courtesy of his father Ray.  Clifford started playing the bass at 13 and said he would become the best Bass player he could be for his brother who had passed away.  Even after joining Metallica he was still understood to practice for up to six hours a day the usual suspects influenced his style and playing Lynott, Lee and Lemmy all styles that would have a bearing on the young Californian.

 

Playing on the metal giants first three albums ‘Kill ‘Em All’, ‘Ride the Lightning’ and ‘Master of Puppets’. He also received a writing credit for the song “To Live Is to Die” from the band’s fourth studio album, ‘…And Justice for All’.

On September 27, 1986, Burton was asleep as the tour bus he was travelling in was the centre of an accident in Kronoberg County, a rural area of Sweden. Metallica was supporting the ‘Master of Puppets’ album.

His passing was big news at the time for the tragedy that befell someone so young with so much going for him having the time of his young life. former bandmate Dave Mustain wrote ‘In My Darkest Hour’ about the news of his friend and fellow metal heavyweights Anthrax and Metal Church also dedicated records to their comrade Burton. Of the accident, Hetfield refuted the drivers claims that he hit black ice by suggesting he was under the influence.

Hetfield also stated that he walked long distances down the road looking for black ice and found none. When local freelance photographer Lennart Wennberg (who attended the crash scene the following morning), was asked in a later interview about the likelihood that black ice caused the accident, he said it was ‘out of the question’ because the road was dry and the temperature around 2 °C (36 °F), above the freezing point of 0 °C (32 °F). This was confirmed by police who – like Hetfield – also found no ice on the road. Ljungby detective Arne Pettersson was reported in a local newspaper to have said the tracks at the accident site were exactly like ones seen when drivers fall asleep at the wheel. However, the driver stated under oath that he had slept during the day and was fully rested; his testimony was confirmed by the driver of a second tour bus that was carrying the band’s crew and equipment. The driver was determined not at fault for the accident and no charges were brought against him. Regardless Burton wasn’t coming back and his memory lives on through his huge contribution to the birth and growth of a whole Genre and subsequent immense career of his bandmates. Rest in peace Ken and Cliff.

That was the week that was…

That was the week that was…

Well, we certainly didn’t stand still in the last seven days as we brought you reviews from a range of artist old and new with The Lemonheads starting things off with the second studio album of cover versions entitled ‘Varshons 2‘.  As Evan Dando and Co, head out on a UK tour this week to promote the record RPM gave it the thumbs up as Dando led the band through some pretty diverse waters.  Westerberg, Cave and the Eagles all made it onto the record which as an aside came out in a scented banana yellow version as well.

 

 

It was also a week that saw two live albums hit the death decks at RPM with Metallica lending a ‘Helping Hand’ Where they released a double album with proceeds going to a most admirable cause and helping the most vulnerable in society a real genuine act of kindness that doesn’t get the exposure it truly deserves as the rock stars are often castigated for their excesses but seldom praised when they do reach out with a simple yet effective act of kindness.  So a huge well done from us at RPM as Johnny H gets stuck into the double slice of vinyl trouble.

 

 

The second of our live reviews came when Martin gave The Godfather a good seeing to with their fantastic ‘This Is War’ the once over. describing it as, “Loud Sharp and Beautiful”, is about as close a summery as you can get.  It’s fair to say that it damn near captures the current line up right at the top of their game.  It’s certainly raw it’s certainly loud and no question it has the Godfathers roaring on all cylinders and has you wondering why all live albums can’t sound this good.  Essential listening no doubt about it.

We also brought you a summary of this years Gathering from North Wales as Mike Peters and the Alarm romped through a huge chunk of their back catalogue over two nights with plenty of special guests that included original Alarm Guitar player Dave Sharp, from Texas Ryan Hamilton and 80’s pop rockers Mark Shaws then Jerico. This year’s festivities weren’t without incident as the PA went down twice but it didn’t deter PEters who climbed into the audience with his acoustic guitar and un mic’d got the audience singing along and making the most out of a potentially bad situation and making it a memorable evening no doubt about it.  Gathering twenty-Seven was again a privilege to attend and I can’t wait for 2020 and number twenty Eight.

We also brought you The Spangles album launch show from way up North otherwise known as Harrogate as Ben Hughes had an equally splendid evening with an immensely talented band playing one hell of a debut album.  I for one hope there is a lot more to come from these three guys because their album was easily one of 2018 best releases.

As far as news goes we joined the rock world in wishing Bernie Torme a speedy recovery from his hospitalization from double Pneumonia and hope he’s back to full health as soon as possible. The same for our Australian friend Hayden McGoogan from The Black Heart Breakers who also found himself in Hospital this past week – Get yourselves fit and health please gents and I’m sure I speak for all the writers at RPM in wishing you both speedy full recoveries.

There was also some superb festival news as The Dead Boys were announced as headliners for this year’s Rebellion Festival in Blackpool along with Walter Lure who will be playing L.A.M.F. at the festival and across the channel in Belgium Sjock Festival announced a raft of superb bands added to this years festival including RPM favourites The Hip Priests and Barstool Preachers who play alongside The Hives, Hellacopters, Electric Frankenstein, the Briefs  and Gluecifer. To be fair news wise last week was a bumper week for great rock n roll news.

 

Anyway, that was last week on RPM and as we are always looking forward here’s what you can expect this coming week on the website. We’ve got a couple of bumper interviews with the likes of Slyder from Last Great Dreamers as they announce a lot of dates for 2019 in what appears to be a hugely busy year for the band.  Also, we have a monster interview with “Demons” Matheus Carlsson which should see your Friday seem a lot more enjoyable as we spoke about the past present and future of the band in what also looks like a great year for the band.

As for album reviews we’re once again scouring the globe for great bands and we’ve certainly got those coming at you with the debut long player from ‘Wet Dreams’ reviewed today by Johnny H and there is also the long-awaited long player from Jim Jones & the Righteous Mind’ coming later this week as ‘CollectiV’ has certainly been entertaining RPM HQ and what will be one of the years top albums no question about that. We also look back on some significant happenings this coming week in punk, rock and pop music history so keep it RPM folks for all your turbocharged Rock n Roll!

Stay Sick,

L-U-V RPM

 

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