Markus' Heavy Music Blog

Hamburg and the Vikings have a history that stretches back centuries, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. Thankfully, the days of Viking raids are long gone. These days, it’s Viking metal making its way into the Hanseatic city. Amon Amarth are back on the road for another European run, stopping at Alsterdorfer...

Forbidden are unquestionably one of the veteran names of thrash metal. With two albums that helped define the late-’80s scene, the band earned a place in metal history. The debut, Forbidden Evil, with its iconic artwork, and Twisted Into Formbelong in any serious metal record collection. After that, however, things became less consistent. Later releases...

Mental Cruelty take an interesting step forward with their new album. The band broadens its musical scope without abandoning its deathcore roots. Three years after the release of Zwielicht, the Southern German extreme metal outfit introduces new elements into both its lyrics and its sound. Echoes of a Forlorn Land still delivers breakneck extreme metal,...

Anyone landing on this blog already knows Tony Iommi. The legendary guitarist didn’t just influence an entire genre with his riffs, playing, and passion—alongside Black Sabbath, he helped lay the foundation for heavy metal itself. As we all know, Black Sabbath eventually called it a day after the The End tour and their final, historic...

Gloryhammer are still on their fantasy mission, and the band has now brought the next chapter of its sci-fi journey into the spotlight with a new album. Space 1993: Wrath of Kor-Virliath is the band’s fifth album and picks up directly where 2015’s Space 1992: Rise of the Chaos Wizards left off. Angus McFife is...