What makes NAPALM DEATH so special? Well, let’s think back 30 years: Would you have thought that a grindcore band from Birmingham would ever make it into the official album charts with some of the most infernal noise ever put on tape, enter the Guinness book for the shortest song ever recorded or appear in a prominent UK TV series named “Skins”? That it would be part of an Alice Cooper hosted episode of BBC’s Never Mind the Buzzcocks to guess from a couple of look-alikes who is the singer in NAPALM DEATH? Could you have ever imagined a down-to-earth lad named Mark “Barney” Greenway, a soccer fan (Aston Villa F.C.), vegetarian, prog metal freak and one of music history’s most renowned representatives of “cookie monster” style vocals would become a personality within the extreme music realm that is not about beer-drinking and hell-raising but synonymous with sounding hard while being smart? Well, that is where we are at now. From filthy, sweaty rehearsal rooms and tiny clubs and pubs NAPALM DEATH has conquered every music festival you can think of and toured through corners of the world a lot of bands would not even dare to tour while becoming famous for combining brutal music with political engagement and ethical values beyond the usual cliché of sex, drugs & rock n roll. And, as most fans will be delighted to hear, this remarkable story is far from being over…

Very few bands survive for four decades. Even fewer are those that continue to reach new creative heights, long after legendary status has been achieved. Voïvod were never like other bands: even as the thrash metal scene exploded in the early ‘80s, the Jonquière, Québec crew stood apart, both as unique visionaries and as proud subverters of the metallic norm. From early prog[1]thrash classics like Killing Technology and Dimension Hatröss through to the psychedelic explorations of The Outer Limits, Voïvod have been standard-bearers for individuality and creative freedom for nearly 40 years.

Still one of the most fervently creative bands on the planet, Voïvod have created another kaleidoscopic sonic monster. The perfect antidote to just about everything, Synchro Anarchy has lit up 2022 with crazed, lysergic glee.

Excreting their malignant essence onto an unsuspecting Metal scene in 1998 with their confrontational debut full-length, “Gore Metal”, Exhumed have since become synonymous with the genre they helped brand. Their signature sound, a savage blend of snarling, grinding down-tuned guitars, alternately abrasively screeched and grotesquely gurgled vocals, and pummeling, straightforward drumming, have become universally recognized as the hallmarks of the style now called Gore Metal. Taking these elements several steps beyond their previous works, including the barbarically stripped-down, in-your-face approach of their sophomore effort, “Slaughtercult”, Exhumed have returned with their third full-length album, “Anatomy is Destiny”.

IRON REAGAN are no strangers to the art of crossover. Comprised of Tony Foresta (vocals), Phil Hall (guitar), Mark Bronzino (guitar), Rob Skotis (bass), and Ryan Parrish (drums), between them they fill, or have filled the ranks of Municipal Waste, Cannabis Corpse and Darkest Hour alike. Now, with their recent signing to metal powerhouse Relapse Records, the hardcore thrash quintet are ready to take their bruising antics to the next level. Formed in 2012, they’ve already released a demo EP, the Worse Than Dead full length via A389 Recordings, and most recently a split with gore-masters Exhumed through Tankcrimes. The gang are currently in the process of recording their sophomore release and Relapse debut at Blaze of Torment studios in Richmond, VA. Self-produced and mixed by Kurt Ballou (Converge), the record looks set for a fall release date. In the meantime, they’ll be hitting the road and joining Ghoul and Occultist across the US in April. Stay tuned for more mayhem and destruction as they begin their maniacal global conquest.

RINGWORM, the reigning kings of destructive hardcore metal, have brought forth yet another testament to their sheer brutality: The Venomous Grand Design. Ever since their emergence from the Cleveland metal scene, RINGWORM has garnered the immediate attention of hardcore metal fans, leading them to spots on tour with bands such as Blood For Blood, Hatebreed, and Terror. RINGWORM displays an awesome ferocity in the power of their instruments, and vocalist the Human Furnace uses his voice as a tool to extract the diabolical nature of anyone who hears it.
RINGWORM was spawned in 1991 from the metal scene in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1993, the band released The Promise on Incision Records, finding their place amongst other hardcore metal heavyweights such as Terror and Earth Crisis. However, despite this early success, RINGWORM decided to pursue personal ventures, the Human Furnace concentrated his focus on tattooing and his artwork, while other members joined up with hardcore legends Integrity. Nearly 10 years later, 2001 saw RINGWORM emerge from their dark place in the shadows with their critically acclaimed Victory Record’s debut: Birth Is Pain. Extensive touring followed, although this was interrupted by personal ventures, as the Human Furnace owns a chain of tattoo shops, and guitarist Frankie “3 Gun” Novinec was touring with fellow hardcore deity, Terror. However, 4 years later, Justice Replaced By Revenge was released. Following their extensive touring in support of their latest album, RINGWORM made record time recording their latest offering: The Venomous Grand Design. In 2013, RINGWORM signed to Relapse Records and plan to release a new album the same year.
Destined to be a mainstay in every hardcore metal fan’s headphones, RINGWORM’s The Venomous Grand Design summons forth a new frenetic rage, breathing life into the rage within human kind that has gone unanswered for so long. RINGWORM shows any newcomers to the genre exactly what hardcore metal is supposed to be.