HOLY HELL. According to several sources, including Metal Hammer Magazine and Blabbermouth.net, Fear Factory fans are in for one hell of a headbanging gift come this Summer. Band mainmen Burton C. Bell (vocals) and Dino Cazarez (guitar) have finally put aside their petty differences and joined forces in Fear Factory once again! Joining them to form the strongest FF lineup imaginable is bassist Byron Stroud and drumming god Gene Hoglan. Gene – fucking – Hoglan. I swear, the simple addition of Gene can increase the ballscrushingly-awesomenessitude of any band tenfold. Words can barely express how amazing I think this all sounds (and my creation of several new words in the previous sentence only strengthen this argument).

Fear Factory: Deluxe Edition plans to play several shows this Summer, though no word on what those shows may be just yet. My guess is a few festivals overseas or in the U.S. if we’re lucky (though chances of that are low since the U.S. is sadly lacking in the metalfests our European headbanging brethen enjoy every year). The band also plans to record a new album in the near future. I, for one, can’t wait to hear what these guys can come up with. I’ve liked their last 2 albums without Dino, so I’m interested to hear if he can bring the band to a new whole level… or if we’ll be punished with another Digimortal. Please… oh god please… NO.

For a quick and to-the-point reminder of Fear Factory’s glory days, enjoy the video below…

THERE! IS! NO! LOOOOOOVE!

Eluveitie – Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion

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Not quite up to par with many of the other acoustic instrumental tracks off their two previous albums, at times Eluveitie’s newest is still an excellent, mellow listen for days you’re wanting something unique, interesting… and very celtic-sounding. Though it is odd not hearing usual vocalist, Christian “Chrigel” Glanzmann, belting through every verse, Hurdy Gurdist Anna Murphy’s vocal performance throughout the album is exceptional and much more fitting to this lighter selection of music.
Recommended Tracks: Brictom, The Cauldron of Renascence, Omnos

Devin Townsend Project – Ki

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A look at the very low key side of formally skullet-clad Devin Townsend, this is an eclectic collection of some of the best-written and catchy Townsend material to date. The first in a 4-part collection, Townsend described Ki as being an appetizer for what is to come with the remaining releases… if this album is any indication, we’re in for quite an amazing main course.
Recommended Tracks: Coast, Heaven Send, Lady Helen

Heaven & Hell – The Devil You Know

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Ronnie James Dio and the Black Sabbath boys bring oldschool heavy metal back to life in this amazing, groove-laden behemoth of a metal album. Tony Iommi is at his best and even after 40 years of rocking our faces off, the 66 year-old Ronnie James Dio proves he still has some of best pipes in heavy metal. This album is huge, heavy, and easily lives up to they hype. Highly recommended for Black Sabbath fans, Dio fans, and hell, every other self-respecting metalhead.
Recommended Tracks: Eating the Cannibals, Bible Black, Rock and Roll Angel

Last Summer when I hit up Metal Masters Tour at Pine Knob* I was pumped as hell to get my first live taste of Ronnie James Dio rocking it out with the Black Sabbath boys, or Heaven and Hell, as they call themselves these days (I was not disappointed in the least). I was also pumped to learn that after 16 years, Ronnie, Tony & Geezer would be laying down tracks for a whole new Heaven and Hell album, set for release in 2009.

Well, the time is upon us. “The Devil You Know” is set to hit retail shelves April 28th and we now have our first look at the album cover, which is over to the left burning a hole through your monitor with it’s heavyFUCKINGmetalness.

Holy hell! Look at that fucking thing! An eyeless, tri-tongued demon triumphantly holding some poor fuck who’s not only been crucified, but from the looks of it, was the victim of an executioner with terrible fucking aim. He’s been nailed more times than Lindsay Lohan! ZING! This cover couldn’t be any more metal if it were stamped in blood while fully engulfed in flames.

Click the image to view a slightly embiggened version. Don’t stare too long or your eyeballs will implode from an overload of awesome.

As reported by Blabbermouth.net, 34-year-old Miika Tenkula, former guitarist and main songwriter of Finland’s Sentenced, was found dead in his home yesterday morning (Thursday, February 19th). As of today, the official cause of Miika’s death hasn’t been released, but it’s well known that he had a serious drinking problem that only got worse when Sentenced disbanded in late 2005.

This news really bummed me the hell out. Sentenced’s 2002 album “The Cold White Light” along with their earlier, heavier offerings, have been some of my favorites for a long time now. It’s all very melancholy and dark, but catchy as hell nonetheless. I was always hoping for the off-chance there would be a reunion and/or new album as I’d love to see them live and in person, though the chances of that happening now looks to be just about nil. I suppose the closest I’ll ever get will be the band’s 2006 live album, Buried Alive, which beautifully captures Sentenced’s final farewell performance in all its headbanging glory.

Check out the video after the jump to see Sentenced playing the badass track “May Today Become the Day” at their very last live performance in Oulu, Finland on October 1, 2005…

While I’ve grown pretty accustomed to the standard death growl vocal delivery used in bands like Amon Amarth, Arsis, Kataklysm and Hypocrisy, I have never… never… been able to make out the lyrics for tha vast majority of the songs by death metal giants Cannibal Corpse. Fellow blogster Nyck and I have had an ongoing joke about this for a long while, after we read through the band’s page on Dark Lyrics one wasteful afternoon at the office. Hell, most of the song titles are comedy gold in themselves… as long as you have a twisted sense of humor like we do.

I understand these lyrics, like horror movies, are meant to be completely over the top, cringe-worthy entertainment, and I really have no problem with that. Especially when they’re sung by fake Australian lounge singer,  Andrew Hansen, who, in this performance, is cringe-worthy in his own right. Enjoy!

Now, why have I never heard Richard Cheese do a cover like this? A Heavy Metal Thanks goes out to Travis for giving me the heads-up on this. It looks like it’s been online for ages… I have no clue how I’ve missed it this long.

PAGANFEST USA definitely makes it in the top 5 shows I attended in 2008 (along with such epics as Judas Priest and Barlow’s glorious return to Iced Earth). It was an amazing way to kick off Chicago Powerfest, and it was an outstanding lineup of bands in it’s own right. Eluveitie and Turisas blew me away, and though I wasn’t (and still am not) a huge fan of Tyr, I do have to say that they played a good show. Headliners Ensiferum closed out the night in such glorious folk metal fashion, I think most of the concertgoers didn’t even mind they were watching 4 shirtless, sweaty, longhaired Finns in skirts. It was certainly much more badass than that last sentence makes it out to be.

Well, to the glee of metalheads far and wide who enjoyed last year’s show, organizers Rock The Nation America have announced the second annual folk-fueled metalfest will be making it’s way across the U.S. of A. this upcoming year! This year’s installment will feature some truly phenomenal bands, such as fellow Finns Korpiklaani & Moonsorrow, Ireland’s Primodial, & Switzerland’s Eluveitie (who I am supremely happy to see returning from last year’s bout). Opening the show will be Canada’s Blackguard (formerly known as Profugus Mortis) and New Jersey’s own axeshredding freebooters Swashbuckle.