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Hint: It's something he's already shown a BIG interest in. Continue reading…

Swedish melodic metal force THE HALO EFFECT have officially launched their highly anticipated European tour alongside HEAVEN SHALL BURN and THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, which was kicking off on February 27. To mark the tour’s opening night, the bands treated fans to a special gift: the release of a brand-new single, Lest We Fall. The […]

Symphonic metal titans EPICA are delighted to unveil an electrifying live version of their track Eye Of The Storm, taken from their critically acclaimed, latest studio record Aspiral. This powerful version, titled Eye Of The Storm (Live At The Ziggo Dome), was recorded last month at the band’s biggest headline show to date – a […]

Green Gardens: Greeting/I Am Kind (Tiny Library Records) DL/Streaming Out now  Leeds’s indie folk favourites return, following their second album with their most creative and undeniably moving two tracks so far. The band’s double single, touched by increasingly leftfield strands of slowcore and musique concrete, shares similarities with their most recent full-length while being even […]

The post Green Gardens: Greeting / I Am Kind – Single Review appeared first on Louder Than War.

James isn’t in Hellripper. James is Hellripper. And he’s here to have a great in-depth chat with our own Lindsay! The two catch up after a couple of years since her last conversation with the black/speed metal artist. All hail the goat! This interview is also available as a podcast Hellripper: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | spotify | bandcamp | youtube

Unlike some of our staff, I’ve never been in a band. However, I can imagine the feeling of satisfaction in putting together and releasing that first full-length record. For every band that achieves this milestone, countless more never do. Italy’s Borrower was nearly among that number. Formed in 1993, Borrower released three demos in the ’90s, a fourth in 2005, and then disappeared until 2018 with their debut EP. Whatever interrupted their musical career, the dream remained, and they finally released their first album (and signed to a label, to boot) 33 years later with their founding vocalist, Massano Ratano, and drummer, Frank Formoso, joined by new guitarists Matteo Marzo and Matteo Marini. Behold their vision, a story of killer, humanoid demons as told through music that harks back to some of the legends of ’80s and ’90s speed metal.

Granted, the concept of an album where each song tells a story about a distinctive demonic entity with its own unique “physical traits” and “specific weapon” is extremely silly, yet Killerdemons proves to be a catchy and cool affair. Borrower claim Motörhead, Judas Priest, and Dio as their main influences, and they write spare, riff-tastic tunes in their honor. The guitars carry much more heft than their influences, however, with enough reverb to take tunes dangerously close to stoner territory a lá High on Fire and Black Sabbath. This marriage between speed and stoner proves effective. “El Degollador” oscillates between lightning-fast, “Ace of Spades”-inspired riffs and slower, “War Pigs”-style stoner riffs in a performance that’s sure to give you whiplash. Taking a cue from AC/DC, Borrower keeps their song structures simple yet catchy. The rollicking “Stay Alive” best demonstrates this virtue with crisp songwriting and energetic pacing. Each track has distinctive riffs that are far more powerful than the demons it conjures.

In the eight years since their 2018 EP, A Plague Chapter…, Borrower has vastly improved their sound and instrumental prowess. The two Matteos have played a major role in this transformation. Marini’s fuzzy guitar tone adds heft where the EP’s guitars sounded tinny. His blending of Motörhead-style riffcrafting with the density of High on Fire and Mastodon adds an extra oomph to tracks like “Der Todessoldat” and “Tough Fight.” Marzo’s bass takes a commanding presence as well. He adds depth and backbone to the music, making his presence especially felt on the slower moments of “Knocking on the Coffins.” Formoso takes a restrained approach behind the kit, occasionally blasting the cymbals (“Dream on Fire”), but mostly setting the pace with an effective simplicity. The wild card of the group is vocalist Ratano. He seemingly channels Lemmy, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Fozzie Bear in a truly strange, yet somehow endearing performance. His Italian accent, which drags out the words “kee-ler dee-mons” during the chorus of “Killerdemons,” adds a level of camp that contributes to the goofy fun.

While Borrower keeps Killerdemons to a concise 36 minutes, the record does falter on the two songs that stray from the 3-4 minute range. The first, “Knocking on the Coffins,” has some memorable riffs, including a cool, old school solo, but at over five minutes, it drags on a bit too long. Positioned between the album’s two best tracks, it also proves to be a major momentum killer. The biggest sore thumb, however, is the six-plus minute finale, “A Chaos Vortex.” Not only does it lack memorable riffs, but it falters in its final two minutes as the band sorely misjudges when to best wrap it up. Trimming 2-3 minutes from each of these songs would have immensely improved the album’s otherwise incredible pacing.

As I established last month, metal tends to invite some weird characters, and the killer demon universe created here is certainly an odd one. But that’s also what makes metal so much fun. Bands feel free to try out their off-the-wall ideas, from literary– or video game-inspired themes to the creation of fantasy or sci-fi realms. And sometimes these ideas actually work. Borrower finally sees through their vision, or at least the start of it, and presents it in such a catchy, cool way. I love to see original ideas performed with such care and passion, and I hope these guys continue to cultivate their ideas and musical talents.

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Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Argonauta Records
Website: Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Site
Releases Worldwide: February 13th, 2026

The post Borrower – Killerdemons Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

"You realize how many people have so many beautiful memories attached to these songs, and what the music means to them," the guitarist tells UCR. Continue reading…

“I was in an airport and these people went: ‘Hey Steve! Thumbs up, man! Tony Soprano loves Journey!’ It was amazing”: This multi-million selling rock singer disappeared from music for more than 20 years. It took a personal tragedy to bring him back

They haven't played this one in over 20 years. Continue reading…

Bloody Vengeance from Germany take their name from one of my all-time favourite records. Their prior releases are superb and their live shows are lethal. Now they return with a new EP which Nuclear War Now Productions will unleash on the 30th of April. Combining black, death and thrash metal; especially of the South American vein; this is a band for underground maniacs.

Storming into life with a blitzkrieg of hammering drums and maniacal guitars, Bloody Vengeance make their presence known and they will not be taking prisoners. The militant, Brazilian-style metal fills the air with the musk of warfare noise and bestial devastation. The clear-cut riffing is brutal and the snappy drum sound ensures all rhythmic artillery is felt at high calibre. From ballistic guitars to heavy shelling from the percussion, this is truly exceptional and intense material that has one of the best mixes for the band to date; allowing you to truly feel the bombastic vitriol at full capacity. The clarity of the drumming and bass is absolutely pulverising and hugely boosts the elite sound of this killer band. These first two tracks will certainly maul you without mercy.

I think the unexpected moment for many will be the third track “White Clouds”. After the Teutonic steel of “Stuka Deathstrike” and “Messerschmitt Massacre” which are both unfaltering storms of death, there is something that is very different about this third track. The musicianship is strong, the idea and concept are cool, but it has a more cinematic feel to it. I am not sure it’s quite up there with the others for me, but it’s an interesting new angle for the band and definitely still keeps the wartime spirit of the record at its heart and the drumming on this is wicked! Now let’s get onto the finale. “Raging Death” could not be more appropriately named. Ending in a hammer blow of total visceral carnage, this song is a perfectly explosive final bout for the Bloody Vengeance crew and a real highlight from the band. From marauding grooves to all-out mayhem, this EP has plenty to offer in its short running time and is a defiant statement to continue the legacy of Bloody Vengeance as we eagerly await the next album. Though this is no mere teaser, a fierce and worthy release in its own right.

Only four songs in little over twenty minutes and yet so much ferocity, force and violence is packed into this short release. The three more extreme pieces are a perfect example of Bloody Vengeance’s top-shelf ability to concoct fearsome metal savagery and the more unusual “White Clouds” speaks to their dexterity. Personally for me this song held the EP back a little bit in terms of momentum, especially due to its length, but otherwise this is a brilliant release. The other three songs, however, are absolutely ruthless. Hearing more from Bloody Vengeance is always something I welcome and the excellence of their 2014 and 2023 albums is still audibly strong. “Ruído de Guerra” especially is a pinnacle of this sound in recent times for me. Anyways, back to the new EP, it is certainly a worthwhile assault of militant metallic warfare. Apparently this is to bridge the gap until their next full length, something I am very excited for, and I am glad to have this shorter campaign to keep the battle going until its arrival.