#nwotm

The Ironfist - AKUMALIZE

Bestial Black/Thrash Metal from Singapore

"AKUMALIZE" is the 6th album by ultra bestial black/thrash metal outfit “The Ironfist”. The Ironfist (originally named Ironfist but changed due to the numerous Iron Fists that exist around the globe) was originally formed in 98-99 but officially had their first release in early 2002 in the form of the Dragonlore demo disc.Tyrannikal Adversaries was soon released a year after in 2003 defining the style and sound of the band.

1. AKUMALIZE 05:27 2. THE LOST SAMURAI 06:21 3. SELF ANNIHILATION TO IMMORTALITY 06:01 4. AOKIGAHARA MORBID PALACE 04:34 5. AS THE DIVINE WINDS DESCEND 05:33 6. NECRO-SHINBATSU 04:25 7. TOWARDS A GUROI ENLIGHTENMENT 05:33 8. ZOTTO SURRU- THE APOCALYPSE OF DEVIL IN MAN 06:07 9. SABBATICALUCIFERIZED 06:30

Beatrix - Deathsent Ceremony (EP)

Black/Thrash Metal from Tampere, Finland

After a rocky road of many delays Beatrix is finally ready to kick off the next chapter with the Deathsent Ceremony EP featuring 3 new brain crushing tracks and the harrowing Torment of the Soul known from the demo. This release will act as a prologue to the upcoming full length album which is set to be recorded in the spring.

1. Deathsent Ceremony 03:34 2. Hatefed 03:37 3. Torment of the Soul 04:23 4. Zeraphine 03:52

Release date: January 1st, 2025

Reflexor - Frozen Imbeciles (EP)

Thrash Metal from Giessen, Germany

5 Track EP from Giessen, Hesse, German Thrash Metal outfit. Founded: 2010 (2006 under the name „CRUSH HATRED“) Origin: Gießen, Hessia, Germany Genre: Thrash Metal (flavoured by Crust Punk / Blackened Thrash) Members: Nico Viehl (Bass), Oliver Mühlig (Guitar), Hannes Koch (Drums), Frederick Keßler (Guitar), Constantin Koch (Vocals)

1. Frozen Imbeciles 03:55 2. Nerdrage 02:27 3. LANSA508 03:53 4. Layers of Trepidation 03:26 5. Visitors 04:47

Release date: November 9th, 2024

Guest blogger Anastasia Udarchik offers up some anecdotes and insights from her research with/in Toronto’s New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal scene.

This past May, I started rampantly attending local heavy metal shows in Toronto. Timidly standing at the back of small venues, I was surrounded by men and women with long hair and dangerously tight pants. An informant would later reveal to me his rebuttal in case anyone ever questioned his wardrobe: "If you have a problem with seeing my [junk] through my pants, then why are you looking!?"  Here, denim and leather, chains and studs, and the occasional animal print are the norm.  Despite how tolerant my informants wanted me to believe they were, if you deviate from this uniform you are immediately marked as an outsider.

I had to keep reminding myself that my summer outings to places like the Bovine Sex Club, Sneaky Dee's, the Hard Luck Bar, and Izakaya Sushi House were technically considered schoolwork; I was completing fieldwork for my MA major research paper on the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal in Toronto.  And in addition to drinking PBRs, yelling along to the lyrics of Iron Maiden covers, and complementing random metalheads on their long locks, I had to do super serious things like make field notes and recordings, and ponder the role of traditionalism in this genre of metal, and its employment of nostalgia, parody, and pastiche.

From left to right: Inti Paredes (Hard and Heavy Records Canada), me, Chris Riley (AXXION)

Over the past year I conducted twelve private interviews with metal musicians, promoters, and diehard fans lasting an average of two hours each, targeting every leading NWoTHM band in Toronto. Working up the courage to come up to complete strangers and ask them for interviews was something I initially struggled with, but had eventually realized that all the rejections (which were very few) were worth the interviews that I did get (which ended up being too many). I met with informants at bars, clubs, greasy spoons, restaurants, and sometimes even in their own homes.  I bought them food, drinks, drove them home, attended their shows, birthday parties, and gifted them rare releases of heavy metal vinyls that they were looking to add to their collection.

Chris Nascimben (Midnight Malice)

Prepare for Attack by Havok