Finally, here it is. My long overdue heavy metal blog. For the last 15 years I have been writing for Scream magazine, but as it looks now (April 2013), I will put all the energy and creativity I have invested in Scream into Metal Squadron. While reluctant at first, I have decided to try to do some reviews. The focus will be on quality before quantity both when it comes to interviews, features and reviews. I simply can’t do things halfhearted. By the way, the name “Metal Squadron” is inspired by a song by the Japanese speed/heavy metal band Aiming High.
To those of you reading this, who don’t know me, my name is Leif. I earn my money working as a teacher, but I am also a journalist, having spent two years at Høgskolen i Stavanger, now The University Of Stavanger several years ago. I have been writing for Scream magazine since 1998, mostly covering the genres I love; heavy, speed, doom, thrash and power metal, and always with at least one eye on the underground. I like other genres as well, but there are (with a few exeptions) no place for those in this blog.
By the way, if you are wondering about the picture, it’s me, drowned in sweat on the left. The other guy is Eric Cook from Lethal. Eric sadly passed away on the 23rd of August last year, and I want to dedicate this blog to him.
Metal Squadron – Too True To Be True!
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Swedish post-metal outfit Cult Of Luna have unveiled “The Rift“, the third single from their forthcoming album, In The Shadow Of Your Shadow, due November 06th through Red Crk.
The band will headline a European/UK tour in early 2027 in support of the new record, with BRUIT = and Youth Code joining the run: Read More/Discuss on Metal Underground.com
Down have now shared “The Myth”, the second single and opening track from their upcoming studio album, Volume V, which will be released on November 20th via Nuclear Blast Records. Check out the music video below. Read more…
How much blood would constitute an arterial bombardment? Probably a lot, right? Too much. I don’t want to bombard anyone arterially. It makes me think of a firehose, or maybe a Gwar show. It also makes me think that the blood must somehow be solid, and possibly also explosive? It sounds unpleasant, which means it’s a great topic for a new Undeath song.
(written by Islander) Transcending Obscurity Records doesn’t often release splits, but on November 20th they’re dropping one that’s likely to leave a smoking crater in the midst of the coming winter. Aptly titled Indomitable Hostility, the split joins together new songs from two death metal ravagers whose forward-thinking music you should already know — Replicant […]
Reunited Midwest emo pioneers American Football have influenced a great many bands over the years. They’ve been back together since 2014, though they haven’t always had an easy time with it, and young artists like Hayley Williams and Turnstile’s Brendan Yates have lined up to work with them. While they’re out there promoting their fourth album, American Football recently did an in-studio session for SiriusXMU and covered one of their own great influences, the Cure.
For the second straight year, metalcore heroes Converge are throwing their Saddest Day festival at Roadrunner in Boston this Dec. 12 and 13. The lineup is once again stacked, and we’re giving away a pair of full-weekend passes.
Down has shared the official music video for “The Myth,” the latest single from the New Orleans heavy metal brotherhood’s long-awaited new studio album, Volume V. The album arrives Nov. 20 via Nuclear Blast Records — produced by Eddie Mapp and Down, mixed by Dave Fortman and mastered by Maor Appelbaum. Among the album’s most notable moments: “Merciful Fate” features King Diamond, with a vocal duel between Philip H. Anselmo and King Diamond alongside fret-burning solos at 120bpm; King’s wife Livia Zita also lends dark vocal accents to the track.
Anselmo comments on “The Myth”: “‘The Myth’ has some epic moments. It’s a jammer. It’s got a big nod to Trouble, but vocally I’m thinking of James Dewar, Ronnie James Dio, Ozzy Osbourne, Glenn Hughes, and many of the other greats… The track and video are both straightforward and hammering.”
Kirk Windstein adds: “It’s a perfect example of a classic Down collaboration. Amazing vocals, great riffs, and it comes together in a great Down song!”
Pepper Keenan says: “‘The Myth’ is classic Down in all its hammer fisted glory leading into a ’70s jam trip that’s damn well worthy of the ride. Deliberate decisions of all the things we love… Quoting my main man. ‘When times are tough, they count on us!’”
Pat Bruders notes: “This is one of those songs that almost wrote itself. Especially when we all got in the same room together to work it out. It stands alone like all the other songs on this album.”
Jimmy Bower adds: “It’s one of my favorite tracks off the new record. It’s heavy hitting and has all the right moves. It’s no myth…. This song rules!”
Lead single “Blood Oath” is anchored by an alternately hard-hitting and hummable riff and an anthemic chorus. Anselmo says of the track: “Anybody who’s from New Orleans is going to get a kick out of the references to the city. Musically, it’s got a big hook. It’s a Down song, but it takes a turn.” Keenan adds: “You’ll know it’s Down right off the f***ing bat. It’s heavy in its attack.”
Volume V was written face-to-face at Anselmo’s home studio, Nodferatu’s Lair, over the course of 2025. Keenan and Windstein chose to record their guitars simultaneously, giving the album a timeless punch. Closer “Twice-Told Tales” caps the record with a heavy and hypnotic denouement, with Anselmo noting: “It’s a conglomerate of tight riffs and blues rock mixed with the diligence of classic metal. It’s an important song to us. I could feel Ozzy Osbourne’s influence on me in the strangest way.”
On Volume V as a whole, Anselmo says: “We were all excited about this. There was a sense of lightness in the air. Everyone’s attitude was positive. There was more focus than ever.
“It just felt fresh again. Each one of us was individually striving for something, and I believe we achieved what we wanted to achieve. The record is a journey. It’s classic Down, but it’s also unique.”
Windstein adds: “Everybody played their asses off, wrote great riffs, and Philip is singing amazing. There’s so much electricity when we get together. To me, it’s the same vibe as our debut NOLA, but we’ve got another 35 years of experience as songwriters.”
Keenan reflects: “The five of us are from the same era, grew up together, and accomplished a lot on our own. We all sounded different, but we’re still from the same 20-block radius. As far as what makes Down special, we knew one another before any of us had done anything. There’s history.”
On Nov. 20, the night Volume V drops, Down will headline “The Great NOLA Trendkill!” festival at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans — a two-day event (Nov. 20–21) also featuring Pantera’s first New Orleans show in 30 years, Black Label Society, Corrosion of Conformity, Power Trip, Crowbar, Eyehategod and Pig Destroyer, presented by Housecore Horror, Housecore Records and Live Nation. Down will also headline day two of the Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest Denver on Dec. 5.
Thus far this year, New Orleans’ Twisted Teens have already released two albums of awesomely swampy lo-fi garage-punk, Blame The Clown and Florida Water Blues. A third is on deck. Twisted Teens have made the leap to Sub Pop Records, and their new LP The Holy Cross Tigers drops next month. We already posted lead single “When We First Met,” and their new song “Stalks” hits the internet today.
