Interview: Children of Bodom | March 2008

Sliding down the lane at a bowling alley in late January 2007, Children of Bodom frontman Alexi Laiho had actually accidently stepped over the foul line. Laiho slammed hard into the wall, and the result of the accident was a broken left shoulder. Doctors ordered that Laiho should rest for six weeks, and so the group's planned appearance at Dubai's Desert Rock festival in March was cancelled. On February 16^th at the Cable Factory in Helsinki, Finland, Children of Bodom garnered the “Band of the Year” award at the Finnish Metal Awards, held during the Finnish Metal Expo. At the same event, Laiho announced that the quintet would enter a rehearsal room in late February in order to begin writing material for the group's sixth studio album...

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Review: Virgin Black | Requiem - Fortissimo

Their fourth full length, Adelaide, Australia's Virgin Black meticulously plot a triumphant return to the world of extreme in writing the third (and second to be issued) installment of the Requiem trilogy, namely Fortissimo...

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Interview: Deathstars | January 2008

Forming via the ashes of Swordmaster, Stockholm, Sweden's Deathstars grouped in 2000. Its ranks boasted the following lineup; former Dissection drummer Ole Öhman (“Bone W Machine”), guitarist Emil Nödtveidt (“Nightmare Industries”), vocalist Andreas Bergh (“Whiplasher Bernadotte”), and second guitarist Erik Halvorsen (“Beast X Electric”). Debut album Synthetic Generation witnessed its inaugural release through LED Recordings during March 2002. In November 2003, legendary German label Nuclear Blast reissued the debut album. Only a month earlier, Jonas Kangur (“Skinny Disco”) was announced as the group's official bassist...

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Review: Brainstorm | Downburst

Assembled almost two decades ago during 1989, Brainstorm's inaugural lineup consisted of guitarists Torsten Ihlenfeld and Milan Loncaric, whereas Dieter Bernert stepped behind the drumkit. Initial demo Hand of Doom emerged a year later in 1990, a foundation built upon with further demo material (1992's Heart of Hate and 1994's The Fifth Season respectively). Brainstorm didn't actually ink a record deal until 1997, unmistakable proof of their devotion towards the Heavy Metal genre...

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