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Tomahawk, the noise-rock supergroup led by Faith No More/Mr. Bungle frontman Mike Patton, played their first show since 2013 last night.

The post Tomahawk Reunite For First Show In 13 Years appeared first on Stereogum.

Rather than rulers, battles and victory monuments, Stockholm’s Riket are interested in those moments in history when progress, human ambition or even good intentions go astray. This can happen just as easily in an explosives factory or a housing estate intended to embody modernity as during an Arctic expedition or amid a crowd gathering beneath […]

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Slovakian blackened heavy metal mystics Malokarpatan have been a firm favourite band in the current underground for several years now. It is now time to explore their world of metallic mysteries and folklore…

1. Hails! Please introduce yourself and the band to us!

Hello! I’m Adam from the Slovakian band Malokarpatan. I view us simply as a black metal band, but you’ll get lots of nerdier definitions from different people – I guess everything needs to be pedantically pigeonholed in the era of internet over-saturation. There’s sadly a lot of people to whom black metal is synonymous with the Scandinavian 2^nd wave style – which is but one of many forms of the genre, it just got the most spotlight partly due to its musical innovation and partly due to the crimes and controversies of the early 90s. Our sound has its roots in times prior to that – particularly bands that arose behind the Iron Curtain, but also Venom, Mercyful Fate, Italian bands like Death SS & Black Hole and even further back in time towards Black Sabbath and occult 70s rock.

2. “Stridžie Dni” was your first output, back in 2015. I understand the themes to be relating to a celebration of local / rural myths and witchcraft. But I think you could explain it much better, so please, what is the real story of the record?

Correct! It was in many ways a very spontaneous record. It first started as my solo project to pay homage to both early black metal of the 80s and to the darker idiosyncrasies of local folklore. But I wanted it to be more of a real band, so early on I invited more people to take part. Musically, it owes a lot to The Return era of Bathory, more so than anything we’ve released since. But you already get Mercyful Fate and Tormentor vibes too, which heralded our more melodic and archaic sound in the future. It was done on an almost zero budget, recording in bedrooms and rehearsal garages, the only money going to a guy in Czech Republic who mixed it to resemble early Bathory style of production. While not a concept album per se, lyrics are mostly centred around the winter carnival traditions of the Carpathian’s. Up to the 20^th century, our ancestors believed this is when dark forces are the most powerful and they performed various rites of primitive folk magic in order to ward them off – cracking whips, blowing alpine horns, dancing in grotesque masks etc. That’s the  atmosphere we wanted to conjure with the album.

3. How was the process of creating your first LP? Can you tell us a bit about it?

I kind of answered that in the previous question I guess. Spontaneous, DIY recording with lots of passion and lots of boozing. It was recorded during winter which gave it a specific wintertime feeling, at least in my ears. The climate here might not be as punishing as in Scandinavia for example, but during December there really isn’t much more to do than lock yourself away from the world with a guitar, old books, movies, and a bottle of liquor.

4. “Nordkarpatenland” came next in 2017. This felt like a further exploration of the sound you were trying to achieve on the debut and perhaps ventured a little further out there. What was different when creating this record?

It was quite different. I didn’t expect any bigger success at all with the debut, just had hopes a few underground maniacs who are into the right kind of bands will get it. That happened, but it became way more popular than I’d imagine. Soon we had a contract and live gig offers. So we quickly transformed into a full-time band with five members, rehearsals and all. It was still just me writing all the material though, so there hasn’t been much change in that. While not consciously on my mind when writing, the big difference to the debut was that this time around there have been expectations for the album. So it became more ambitious on all levels. Influences were still similar, it just dwelled a lot less on Bathory and I was inspired by listening to many NWOBHM records at the time. We expanded our sound and have continued doing so ever since. It’s also the first time you can trace 70s influences in our music, although there were already tiny hints of that on the debut in guitar solos and Moog synthesiser.

5. “Krupinské Ohne” is the next in your full-length discography (I will get into the shorter releases later). This 2020 LP felt like by far the strongest work yet from the band. I have enjoyed them all, do not get me wrong, but this felt a league above all that came before. The injection of a lot more classic heavy metal being the most obvious factor for this to me. What led to this change in sound towards that more traditional attack? Was this a conscious shift? And what was the story of “Krupina” and the witches that dwelled there?

Interesting how views differ here! It’s definitely a controversial album because some people consider it our best and some our worst. That was basically my aim with it as well. Nordkarpatenland was popular in the underground and the first thing I’ve thought was – I can’t and won’t do a Nordkarpatenland 2. There’s no point in repeating yourself. So we went from shorter, catchy songs to long epics that take time to immerse oneself in. Influences were the epic era of Bathory and Root, early doom metal like Witchfinder General & Pentagram, and generally the more occult kind of heavy metal and rock, including progressive & psychedelic. It’s our darkest album, which was done to fit with the lyrical concept of a witches coven. Story-wise, it’s not much different from most European witch trials of those times. I just picked it because it’s local and no one has ever used the story before. It gets more interesting when you speak Slovak, because it’s written using a very archaic speech from the 17^th century which creates a special atmosphere.

6. Your most recent album, 2023’s “Vertumnus Caesar” beautifully followed on from its predecessor. The mixture of black and heavy metal with all these archaic elements from all over the musical spectrum is profoundly wonderful to listen to. These two albums feel the most “close” in sound to me. Do you feel you have found your sound and something you want to hold onto or will Malokarpatan always reach for the unpredictable and unwieldy?

Thank you! Again, interesting because to me it’s more like the debut and Krupinské ohne are close to each other, and Vertumnus Caesar is closer to Nordkarpatenland. The biggest change was going from D Standard tuning used on all previous albums to E Standard. Using D Standard was inspired by Black Sabbath and early doom metal, the shift to E Standard was to get closer to classic heavy metal. It creates a lighter, more melodic sound. Vertumnus Caesar is a conceptual album about the life of Emperor Rudolf II who was infamous for his dabbling with occultism and that hugely influenced how it sounds. It’s very mystical and its darkness is more subtle. We also hugely increased the use of synthesisers, inspired by 70s progressive rock – especially its darker kinds like Goblin from Italy. As much as all our records differ, I think this helped to solidify our sound: Classic E Standard tuning, melodic riffs inspired by 80s metal, and 70s progressive/psychedelic elements that create a specific occult aura. Mix that with raspy vocals and you basically have the Malokarpatan formula, although there are a few more subtleties to that. That being said, I always want to move to a slightly different direction with each album and our next record will be another proof of that.

7. Can you tell us about how your write, record and produce your albums? What goes into the lyrics, mixing and artwork? Your outputs are something truly unique and the insight into this from start to end would be fascinating to hear.

It’s a quite painstaking and long process! I am my own harshest critic, so I overthink each riff, each lyrical verse. When in the proper mood, melodies and lyrics can come easy to me. The difficult part is assembling it together. I think good songwriting is a bit of a lost art in the current metal scene and many bands just stick random riffs on top of each other, without thinking too much of having the song tell a story. I want a song to make me feel like a good book or movie does. It has to have development, an element of adventure, memorability and some sort of conclusion in the end. I’d say the biggest influence on how I write songs is Tony Iommi. He usually starts Black Sabbath songs with a catchy verse and chorus, and then when other bands would just dwell on that, he suddenly wanders completely some place else. Once I pair the music with lyrics, I tend to adjust arrangements so the music follows the emotion in the lyrics. The final touch on top of that is the artwork and band pictures, it all has to follow the same atmosphere and work as a whole. You can’t write a song about 16^th century alchemists and then pose in work clothes and have a flaming skull on the album cover.

8. Okay, we have really covered the albums but as real underground maniacs you haven’t overlooked doing EPs or splits, some as recent as 2023. What is the importance in doing these shorter releases when you have such grandiose albums as well? Are they ideas that do not fit the longer format or do you simply enjoy the collaborative creative effort with another band?

I never plan those releases and all basically happened by the bands contacting us to do something. In case of the EP, it wasn’t even planned as a standalone release, it was just part of a split release done for a small festival we played in Germany. Sun & Moon Records from Romania then offered us to release it on vinyl so we said sure, why not. Generally, the material we put on these short releases tends to be more experimental or outside of our usual style. It can be anything from experimental ambient through cover versions of a local country band to primitive early Törr worship. There’s one very unusual split song coming at some point with Caixão from Portugal, after that I don’t really plan to do any because I don’t have any extra songs. It’s totally ok for fans to skip these smaller releases, they’re meant for collectors and for diehards of the band who want to hear our less usual material too.

9. Building on this I know you collect and listen to some excellent records. I won’t ask you to pick your top ones, because we did that in the last issue. I will ask you though; what is the importance of physical music to you? Do you prefer one particular format or are they all valuable and perhaps what is special about each? 

I’m quite far from a collector haha. I’m used to living on minimal budgets, so I don’t buy a lot of material things. I was mostly buying tapes as a kid in the mid-late 90s using money from parents and grandparents – at the time I was obsessed with the Scandinavian 2^nd wave so that was a major part of what I bought. I have some old death metal tapes which I traded from an older friend who is no longer around. Some vinyl from a record collection a friend’s dad got rid of – classic 60s/70s stuff, nothing too rare or unusual. And then I have a bunch of CDs from 70s progressive bands which I used to buy from bits of extra cash I had in my student years. Some other stuff I got for free or as trades, but that’s roughly it. LPs are of course the best format for many different reasons, but tapes are the nostalgic one for me because due to their cheap price that was what most metal kids in Eastern Europe grew up with. I haven’t held a CD in my hands before at least 1997.

10. I think it would be wise to ask if there are any newer bands you find particularly noteworthy or inspiring despite your very ancient sound? I am sure you can recommend us some very deep cuts from the Slovakian or neighbouring underworlds…

I’m really the wrong person to answer this because I follow the scene only very minimally. I live in the past because I believe the music was better. So I just have a basic overlook on what is happening, but most bands play in styles that are way too modern for my taste. I can recommend the new death/doom metal band from my town called Hrob, they released an album this year which I think will do fine internationally. It’s old school without being forced and you can feel they have their personality. There’s also a new traditional heavy metal band called Cmÿter – which is an almost nonexistent style here because almost every melodic Slovakian band plays the flashy kind of Euro-power metal instead. I think our black metal scene is doing quite alright, they all play in styles influenced by 90s Scandinavian BM or newer, so maybe fit more for a different kind of zine.

11. So far, Invictus Productions has been your main label, although others such as The Ajna Offensive, Hexencave Productions and a few others have been involved. How has the working relationship been with Darragh and the others? I assume you must be quite happy to stay with him for so long and be a part of such a strong roster.

There’s always things that could be improved, but we’ve had a friendly relationship with Darragh on a personal level going back over a decade now. There were offers from bigger labels and I almost signed one of those after our third album, but seeing all the million tiny mechanisms they have to control different aspects of the band, I just freaked out. The certain unpredictability and chaos of independent labels fits me more. I don’t like being bound by contracts – we in fact never had one with Invictus and all works just on mutual trust. There’s downsides to everything including this, but as you can see, we haven’t felt the need to jump ship over the years. Our next album will once again come out on Invictus as well. When it comes to their roster, I actually feel like we are the odd bunch out, but I’d feel like that on almost any other label too haha.

12. Before we end things, I am curious; is there a reason Malokarpatan do not play many live shows? Do you enjoy it or not particularly? Can we expect more in the future? Lastly, are there any intriguing tales from prior shows you can share with us?

It’s a combination of reasons. One is that, I indeed am not the biggest fan of playing live and have always preferred the quiet seclusion of studio work. I never understood the kind of bands who have just a bunch of EP releases out and focus on playing millions of gigs instead. Then there’s the practical side of gigs – the endless waiting, tiresome travelling, terrible food, cheap beer and the often poor amounts of money you make in the end – if you make any at all. Not to mention the disgusting practice of Pay For Play which many bands agree to with hopes of future stardom. If anything, live gigs are a sort of fan service to me. I believe the fans deserve them for their support so I mostly do it for them. But for several years now, there have been logistical obstacles stopping us from doing so. Our old drummer left, the new one is from Sweden which isn’t exactly a stone’s throw away from Slovakia, and there’s generally a shortage of musicians I could pick for live gigs here. Slovakia’s metal scene is tiny and the absolute majority of bands play in a style more modern compared to ours. Malokarpatan songs aren’t super technically challenging to play, but they require a certain 70s inspired groove which you’ll find in Mercyful Fate or Black Sabbath. Most metal musicians play in a stiff style which became prevalent especially from the 90s onward. So there are people who could play my music, but not many who could play it the right way if you get me. Like blues – you just have to feel it rather than painstakingly practice it. I’m still trying to figure out a way to do some gigs, so it’s not yet a closed question. It just may take some extra time. I’ve had to stop answering gig offers because I still get them on an almost weekly basis despite us not playing live for 6 years now. It gets really tiresome to reply the same thing in dozens of different emails.

13. I’ll wrap things up by asking you what comes next? Album five seems to be underway, can you reveal some details about that?

Our new album Baron Ferat is recorded for a long time now, just slowed down by the usual delays. Currently, I’m waiting for the guy who’ll be mixing it because he’s busy with other jobs. Artwork is almost done except a few details and I think it’ll be really special this time around – certainly nothing like you see from other bands. Musically, we build upon what started on Vertumnus Caesar, but it’s once again something a little different. Some people told me it reminds them of the more direct, catchy songwriting on Nordkarpatenland. This is partially true as I tried to simple things down. But there’s also new elements – there is a lot of synths throughout for example. We’ll just mix a lot of them low so it creates a more subtle cinematic atmosphere instead of being abrasively symphonic. It’s also very inspired by soundtracks of 70s horror movies, even though people will probably mention something completely else in the reviews like they often do, haha. I can’t tell you a release date because of the infinite delays, but it should be this year at least!

Available in print as part of Shrieks From The Abyss fanzine issue 8! Buy here!

Live Review: Thorns – Satans Hollow, Manchester

18th July 2026
Support: Visitor, Thorns
Words: Matthew Williams

Having watched a few Instagram clips and heard a few tracks elsewhere, I was intrigued about watching Ohio thrash upstarts Thorns, as they embarked upon their first ever UK tour. Having witnessed their undoubted heroes Metallica in Berlin and Cardiff a few weeks before, I still find the stage set up at Satan’s Hollow very strange, as there’s no front row for the band to play towards, as the crowd can meander around the stage.

It was down to Manchester’s Leader to begin proceedings to a sparse crowd. I saw them last year at Thrashchester and could have sworn they had more members, but the 3-piece consisting of two guitarists and a drummer, set about delivering their own melodic thrash metal with “Things are Going to Change”. They switch solos well and the drums get a right old battering as they rip into “The Grind” which has a tight rhythm and decent pace to the song.

The two guitarists work well, but they do lack some bass which would add a heavier edge to their overall sound especially around the crunchier “Hanging on by a Thread”. They get faster and thrashier on “Circle of Defeat” however both songs suffer from an issue with the vocals, which comes back for the finale of “Stand your Ground” which is oddly about how much they hate Liverpool. Must be a `Manchester thing` I suppose!!

Next up were four-piece Manchester metallers Visitor, looking mighty fine in their black t-shirts with a green V on them. This was the first time I’d seen them, and after the Predator intro, they plough into “Deadlock” followed by “Level The Mountains”. They have dual vocals going on, with guitarist Jim and drummer Tim interchanging, and Jonathan doing back up when required. Their mix of melodies are enjoyable, from the faster, heavier sound, to the slowed down sections, with a snappy snare sound to boot.

The next two songs, “Forsaken Soul” and State of Disarray” add further to the fierce display of speed metal and during the excellent “Infidel” Jonathan goes for a walk around the stage and stands opposite the frontman on some seats. Their sound is consistent and heavy, with some seriously heavy parts mixed in for good measure and “TR3B” has lots of deathly vocal grunts. They end with a brutal rendition of “Lie Lives On” with a deeper bass sound from Josh, as the guitarists stretch their limits one final time.

And so, to the headliners Thorns, on the final night of their “Ready to Strike” UK tour bringing their brand of Cincinnati thrash to Manchester. Now, it’s not unjust of me to say that they are heavily influenced by metal legends Metallica, as they have plenty of their riffs openly displayed in their songs, as this is what brought them to my attention in the first place.

Their intro was fun to watch, with drummer Connor setting the rhythm off before bassist Peyton joins him on stage. Next up was lead guitarist Connor who fired up a riff instantly before they were completed by vocalist/guitarist Luke and start off with “Muzzle”. They have that instant 80’s thrash sound but with a fresh edge and high energy. “We are Thorns and have come to kick your ass” shouts Luke as they play the fast and furious “Headcase”. Thankfully, there’s a few more people in the venue now, and heads are starting to bang across the venue.

With bassist Peyton adding back up vocals, they are certainly a no frills, thrashy thrills sort of band, and it’s great to see them mix up old and new metal sounds. I sense a bit of Alice in Chains inspired grunge on “Sickfit” as the deeper bass and whammy bar add further to their array of tempos. There’s a mighty thrash roar that kicks off the wonderfully titled “Prick” which alongside the catchy vocals has decent solos and well executed drums.

There’s no real change to their format, and why should they, as they deliver “Bad Business” in a simplistic and uncomplicated manner, leading into the excellent “Death by Proxy”. The vocals are clear and compliment the guitar work and as you would expect at the end of a tour, they are musically very tight as the song ends on a drum solo due to some monitor issues.

“We’ve got 1 more song motherfuckers” screams the singer and they end with the hugely enjoyable “60 Cycle Hum” which sees them huddled together around a great drum sound to bring down the curtain on the final song of their final night in the UK. I’m certain that these have a bright future ahead of them, and I look forward to seeing them again when they return to our shores.

For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.

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On July 13th, alternative metal/grunge pioneers L7 announced that bass player Jennifer Finch would not be able to take part in their upcoming farewell tour, due to battling an aggressive form of brain cancer. Tragically, only five days after the announcement, Jennifer has passed away. She was fifty nine years old. A statement posted on her Instagra… Read More/Discuss on Metal Underground.com

Album Review: Madball – Not Your Kingdom

Reviewed by Dan Barnes

It’s been an eight year wait for this new Madball record, following 2018’s For the Cause, a gap that even the hiatus of 2001 can’t match. Still, Not Your Kingdom is finally with us and, from the outset, just looking at the album cover, you instantly get the feel that this is some classic NYHC.

Interminably linked to the history of the genre through familial association with Agnostic Front, Madball is one of the movements finest ambassadors, consistently touring and keeping the flame alive; and, I’d go as far to say, flag-bearers and the heartbeat of the movement.

The title of album number ten refers to the lack of autonomy we all feel when it comes to the state of the world at the present time and, according to vocalist and main man, Freddy Cricien, Not Your Kingdom is Madball’s most diverse record to date, eclipsing the eclectic nature of For the Cause, in its attempt to make sense of what’s going on.

Preceded by the single, Rebel Kids, it would suggest Madball have embraced a more metallic direction, through Mike Gurnari’s chugging guitars and Freddy’s more varied vocals, creating a fist-pumping, chest-beating anthemic tune that is sure to light the touchpaper of any pit where it is played.

Those metallic elements continue through What Say You, the tune from which the album takes its title, using simple but effective guitar lines and, despite the mid-paced nature of this tune, it still brims with energy and bite. Stab Wounds arrives in a bombastic fashion, new bassist, Paul Delaney bores through the centre of the track like a diamond-tipped drill, accentuating the central rhythm as though the pumping of an adrenalized heart.

Second single, Tethered, assuaged fan’s worries that Madball had gone all Hatebreed, by serving up an abrasive and confrontational slice of the New York streets; Mike’s guitars rip to an equal degree, but this is Madball doing what Madball do best, acting as the album opener, assuring established fans that it’s business as usual.

A short interlude, Sunrise, acts as the introduction to the thoroughly NYHC Life’s a Mural, shot through with belligerent punk attitude; Clockwork and Chase a Dream come with chugging, choppy riffs and two-steppin’ breakdowns; short, sharp shocks Flammable, Don’t MisStep and IWI combine to less than three minutes of uncontrolled rage in musical form, all flailing stomps and punk whirlwind pace.

Maybe it’s cliched or, more likely, a heartfelt tribute to the driving force behind Madball itself, but the sentiment of Family First is the core principle of the NYHC scene, be that Agnostic, SOIA, Cro-Mags, Biohazard, et al, the notion that family matters and responsibility should not be shirked, is a foundational idea to the movement. The tune stomps its slow introduction, offering a sense of security until the blasting begins and the ripping pace along with the abrasive delivery comes with fat chugs and the prospect of flailing limbs and mortal danger. So, just like family then.

Recorded in the Hardcore hotbed of Nashville, Tennessee by Andrew Baylis and the band themselves, Not Your Kingdom captures a Madball, almost forty-years into their career, but playing like folks half their age. This is the first recorded outing for the rhythm section of Mike Justain and Paul Delany and they make sterling work of it, laying a foundation upon which Mike Gumari can weave those sonic tapestries. Freddy is always Freddy and the beating heart of everything this band does.

Not Your Kingdom bristles with rage and ire, without letting it consume everything around it. Rather it’s the album we needed going into the second half of the year, and an absolute blast of a good time too.

For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.

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L7 bassist Jennifer Finch has died at the age of 59 following a battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer, her bandmates confirmed Saturday, July 18. The news comes just five days after Finch publicly revealed her diagnosis and withdrew from the band’s farewell “Last Hurrah Tour” — a five-day window in which fans and some of the biggest names in rock raised more than $375,000 to cover her in-home care. In their statement, L7 described being shattered by the loss of the woman whose fierce spirit, humor and creativity helped shape the band from its earliest days.

L7 Confirms Jennifer Finch’s Death

The band broke the news in a statement posted to social media on Saturday, remembering Finch as “our beloved bandmate, friend, and fellow troublemaker.” L7 said Finch fought a long, courageous battle with brain cancer, and described her as a true original who lived entirely on her own terms — someone whose impact on music, art, and the people around her can’t be measured.

They wrote in a statement on social media: “With a very heavy heart we announce that our beloved bandmate, friend, and fellow troublemaker Jennifer Finch has passed away today. She had a long courageous fight with brain cancer and was loved by many wonderful friends, musical peers and fans worldwide.”

They added: “We are shattered by the loss of our beloved bandmate, sister and friend, whose fierce spirit, humor and boundless creativity helped shape L7 and changed all of our lives forever.

“Jennifer was a true original who lived entirely on her own terms, and the impact she made on music, art and everyone lucky enough to know her cannot be measured. We love her beyond words and will carry her with us always.

“Rest in power, our dear friend.

“With love, L7“.

Finch’s death lands with brutal speed. As Loaded Radio reported earlier this week, her diagnosis was only made public on July 13, when L7 announced she would be unable to join the band’s final tour. What was initially believed to be treatable with a full course of radiation progressed rapidly, requiring multiple surgeries and around-the-clock in-home care.

Five Days, $375,000: How The Rock World Rallied

In the days between Finch’s diagnosis announcement and her death, a GoFundMe campaign launched by her friends, family and bandmates raised more than $375,000 — earmarked for in-home nursing care, medical equipment, physical and speech therapy, home-care expenses, and to help complete a creative project of Finch’s that was due in 2027.

The donor list reads like a cross-section of everyone Finch’s four decades in music touched. Bad Religion guitarist and Epitaph Records founder Brett Gurewitz and his wife Gina gave $10,000. Garbage donated $8,000. Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna, Sub Pop Records, Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament, and Adrienne Armstrong — wife of Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong — each gave $5,000. Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan and Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman contributed $2,500 apiece, with Korn’s Brian “Head” Welch and Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto adding $1,000 each.

That outpouring — punk, grunge, riot grrrl, nu-metal and prog royalty all showing up in the same week — says everything about how far Finch’s influence reached beyond L7’s own catalog.

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The Last Hurrah Tour Will Go On — At Finch’s Request

Before her death, Finch asked her bandmates to carry on with L7’s farewell run without her, and the band committed to honoring that request. The first U.S. leg of the “Last Hurrah Tour” kicks off October 9, hitting New York City, Washington D.C., Nashville, Chicago and Seattle before wrapping with a hometown celebration in Los Angeles — a finale that now carries a far heavier weight.

Tsuzumi Okai, who previously toured as a bassist with LIMP BIZKIT in 2018, will handle bass duties on the dates. L7 had previously noted the tour was planned when all four members were in good health, and pledged to make Finch’s care their immediate priority while fulfilling her wish that the shows continue.

Jennifer Finch’s Legacy In L7

Formed in Los Angeles in 1985, L7 became one of the most ferocious and influential bands to emerge from the collision of punk and grunge — a group whose blend of heaviness, melody, humor and socio-political fire earned them a place among the most important women-driven acts in heavy music history. Finch anchored the band’s low end through its classic era, including 1992’s “Bricks Are Heavy” — home of the alternative radio staple “Pretend We’re Dead,” which climbed to No. 8 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart — and 1994’s “Hungry For Stink,” which delivered the No. 20 alternative hit “Andres.”

After L7 went on indefinite hiatus in 2001, the band reunited in 2015, with the 2016 documentary “L7: Pretend We’re Dead” chronicling their story. Their comeback album “Scatter The Rats” arrived in May 2019 via Blackheart Records — the label founded by Joan Jett, one of the many rock icons who publicly rallied behind Finch in her final week.

Beyond the bass, Finch was a respected photographer and multidisciplinary artist whose lens documented the L.A. underground for decades. She was 59.

Our thoughts are with Jennifer’s family, her bandmates Donita Sparks, Suzi Gardner and Dee Plakas, and the generations of fans she inspired. Share your favorite Jennifer Finch memory in the comments below — and follow Loaded Radio for continuing coverage of this story and daily rock and metal news.

Check This Out – Grunge’s Grunge-iest: 13 Bands That Defined the Genre

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TL;DR

• L7 bassist Jennifer Finch died Saturday, July 18, 2026, at age 59 after a battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer
• Her death came just five days after her diagnosis was made public and she withdrew from L7’s farewell tour
• A GoFundMe launched for her care raised more than $375,000, with donations from members of GARBAGE, TOOL, PEARL JAM, BIKINI KILL, KORN and more
• At Finch’s own request, L7’s “Last Hurrah Tour” will continue as planned, launching October 9 with Tsuzumi Okai on bass
• Finch played on L7 classics including “Bricks Are Heavy” (1992) and “Hungry For Stink” (1994), and was also an accomplished photographer

FAQ

Rest in power, Jennifer Finch. Share your favorite Jennifer Finch memory in the comments below, and follow Loaded Radio for daily rock and metal news.

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40 years, 34 past and present members, over 230 releases credited in the archives, and one migration from Pennsylvania—this is the rap sheet for Cleveland, Ohio’s Nunslaughter, who have been jousting Jesus since 1987. Some 5 years¹ further down the left-hand path from 2021’s Red Is the Color of Ripping Death, which our own El Cuervo described as “an enjoyable experience that’s frayed around the edges,” Nunslaughter return in fine form to bless the black masses and kick Christian asses with sixth long-player, and BLKIIBLK Records debut, Satanic Chaos Legions. Such prolific proselytization on Satan’s behalf requires a certain type of longevity and focus, of which the sole remaining founder and vocalist, Don of the Dead, seems to have in droves, as Nunslaughter returns two-thirds of their Ripping Death lineup (intact since 2016) but for bassist Detonate, who was replaced by Malum in 2022. My only question: is this the Nunslaughter worth bringing your daughter to?

Nunslaughter play attention-deficit death metal—Satanic Chaos Legions’ 14-track, 34-minute runtime replicating the Ripping Death blueprint to a tee. Tormentor’s riffs, of which there are legion, buzz just short of HM2 worship, but crackle with a thrashy electricity that slices through flesh with surgical, tremolodic speed (“Unsacrament”), chugs along with Deicide-ic groove (“Cathedral of Stench”), and pummels doomily like hell’s hammer (“Heavenless”), all evidence of a practitioner in full control of his dark art. Don of the Dead’s vocals are as viscerally vehement as ever—I love this dude’s voice—his death growls and howls amping up the evil with distinct lyrical clarity. And while Nunslaughter’s base devil metal approach hasn’t really changed over the past two score years, Satanic Chaos Legions stands as a high point in the discography, triumphantly marrying their knack for writing uniquely catchy bite-sized brutality with a newfound talent for pacing, producing an album perfectly assembled for maximum damage.

If the boots-marching intro to the opening title track serves as the warning of Nunslaughter’s coming, then it’s track two that has them kicking in your fucking door. A visceral indictment of Catholicism and priestly pedophilia, “Jesus Fucking Dies” is a vicious, 1:20 speed fest that will leave you more breathless than a polar plunge. Moments like these have always worked in Nunslaughter’s favor, their bread and black butter, and with an average track length of 2:30, Legions suffers no dearth of these minute malignancies (“Listen To the Lies,” “Infernal Reign”). And while I enjoy the raw energy and brevity, I find myself more drawn to Nunslaughter’s slower, slightly drawn-out side. Lumbering, sludgy bass lines and some distorted spoken words welcome us to the inverted communion of the apex track, “Peukharist,” which further probes “Casket Lid Creaks” territory. Slow and dripping with heavy, sustained death chords, the track features some of Don Of the Dead’s most vile, hateful spitting, and with the clever sans-cringe song title, grabs my top spot as album highlight. In this, Satanic Chaos Legions eludes the curse of swirling similitude that could have easily cast a pall over the proceedings of a non-stop speed penned by lesser songwriters.

Engineered, mastered, and mixed by Noah “Tormentor” Buchanan at his own Mercinary Studios in Cleveland, Satanic Chaos Legions benefits greatly from this backyard setup. A far cry from the early albums, Legions’ production surpasses that of its predecessor in terms of death metal heaviness, the slick mix highlighting all of Nunslaughter’s talent without sacrificing any of the raw edge the group’s become known for. Malum’s bass lines thrum, Wrath’s drums pulse with profane putridity, and all those god-forsaken riffs land like so many one-two punches to the solar plexus, making Satanic Chaos Legions one of, if not the, best-sounding Nunslaughter records in the discog. In nearly every respect, Satanic Chaos Legions improves upon the Ripping Death template, perhaps taking cues in some part from El Cuervo’s critique, and in so doing leaving me with little to fuss over. Aside perhaps from a couple of song titles that had me chucklingly eye-rolling (“Die Your Own Death,” “In the Flames of Inferno”), I had a blast with Nunslaughter this time out.

For a band that’s been around for as long as Nunslaughter has, I’m often surprised by how little notoriety they receive. Is it the moniker, the subject matter, the gob-stopping depth of the discography? I’m not sure, but I will say if you’re looking for an entry point into Nunslaughter’s canon, look no further than Satanic Chaos Legions, and for those pre-ordained fanatics, buckle up; you’re in for a fun ride.

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Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: NA | Format Reviewed: Fookin’ Stream
Label: BLKIIBLK Records
Websites: Facebook | Instagram

The post Nunslaughter – Satanic Chaos Legions Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

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