INTRODUCING: Contention

FEATURESHARDCOREINTRODUCINGMETALCORE



“We only really aspired to be a local band in the beginning.” How many times have you heard that one before? A group of mates get together, put out three or four songs, play a few shows and move on with their lives. Often that’s exactly how it goes, but sometimes the scene has other ideas – sometimes a band is too good to slip through the cracks and before you or even they know it they’ve got multiple releases to their name and perhaps even made it to a debut full-length. This is where we find CONTENTION and their vocalist Cosmo Vidussi, their debut LP Artillery From Heaven about a month old at the time of our conversation and having firmly cemented the Tampa, Florida outfit’s reputation as one of the best straight edge metalcore bands of that scene’s current renaissance.





“Obviously it’s ARKANGEL worship in some ways,” offers Cosmo on the album’s classic sound. “But in all genres you have the benefit of looking at the last 30 years of a genre and picking what you liked from it. At the time, EARTH CRISIS didn’t have that. They were picking from stuff that was in E standard and they were pulling from metal because there wasn’t exactly that sort of sound yet and they were creating it. Now we can look back and be like ‘yo, we don’t need this’ or ‘we don’t want to do this part’.”

Admittedly, that part of the process is led by Cosmo’s bandmates – guitarists Bayly Branson and Josh Howell, drummer


“I grew up listening to bands like FOUNDATION and EARTH CRISIS and shit where there’s awesome parts of those songs but the lyrics are really what sell me on that music,” elaborates Cosmo. “I’m always trying to make lyrics that resonate with people and stand out because there’s so many bands that are awesome – especially like death metal that I really fuck with, I love some of that music – but you can’t pick out a single set of lyrics… I like sing-alongs. I like pile-on parts and that’s what I strive for, because I grew up at the bottom of the fucking dog pile getting ten sweaty fat dudes on top of me trying to grab the mic. That’s what I’m there for so I want to recreate that experience for everyone.”


“I’ve always really been interested in the worst part of warfare, like nuclear warfare and the end of days type shit,” he continues on the inspiration behind what the band have described as an ‘apocalyptic straight edge album’. “I grew up watching movies like that, but also video games like

BEWITCHER - SPELL SHOCK

While instantly recognizable as Bewitcher, three years on from the stellar Cursed Be Thy Name, the vitriolic voice of guitarist M. Von Bewitcher is more up front in the mix, with cleaner enunciation (i.e., one can make out the lyrics, first time through the album). Yes, the band has always had a strong sense of melody that belies the over-the-top approach, but Spell Shock sees some reduction in speed and a greater emphasis on groove. Most of these nine proper songs significantly alter the tempo, at some point therein: fast-to-slow, or vice versa.

Pre-release single/video "Starfire Maelstrom" kicks things off, perhaps the most aggressive number overall, borrowing the Midnight blueprint, but at the halfway point, there's a (temporary) bit of calm, shattered by an M. Von solo and return to the frenetic pace. Speaking of which, follow-up "Lavish Desecration" is destined to stir the mosh pit to action. The title cut offers another back end jam, surrounded by frenzied, hillbilly punk ‘n’ roll. Easy to sing along, mid-tempo, "Out Against The Law" (video features cameos by tourmates, from other bands, shouting the titular chorus) peppers in a few obscenities. At 3:06, it's the shortest number thus far (and second, overall, to the jangly 109 seconds tambourine "Pagan Shadows" intro, that precedes the madcap, disc closing "Ride Of The Iron Fox").

Quite the mouthful, the title "Dystopic Demonolatry", is a full bore, old school Bewitcher number, start to finish. "Season Of Foul Harvest" lets the musicianship shine through the otherwise gritty delivery, complete with backing/gang vocals, come the chorus. Initially, "We Die In Dust" lives in a mid-paced groove, with reverberating/echo vocals, but adds urgency in the final third, before ending as it began. Wind and the clinking of chains greets hopped up "The Harem Conspiracy", another nod to the back catalog.

WINTERSUN - THE TIME PACKAGE

WINTERSUN - THE TIME PACKAGE





Well Jari, you finally did it. Time – what an appropriate name considering fans have been waiting 12 years for Time II to be unleashed upon the world. Of course, it couldn’t be a simple CD/vinyl/digital release – our man Jari concocted an idea to launch an Indiegogo campaign featuring Time II (plus instrumentals, isolated tracks, singles, and dynamic) as well as a host of other music including old demos, Jari’s Fantasy Metal Project (the best part of the package), Time I 2.0 (remixed/remastered, plus instrumentals, isolated tracks, dynamic, and single versions), The Forest Seasons: Loud And Modern (plus instrumentals), and “special secret items.”

It was enough to convince it was worth the investment and the short answer is yes, it was worth it. This however, isn’t something simple to review when taking into consideration Jari’s shenanigans behind-the-scenes and the length of time it took to release 48 minutes of music. Alas, let’s take some...time and dive into The Time Package.

Time II

LEGIONS OF DOOM - THE SKULL 3

This is a bit confusing, but what we have here are songs co-written by doom legend Eric Wagner before he died in 2021 for what would have been the third record by The Skull, who ruled.

Blind-era COC vocalist Karl Agell and ex-Saint Vitus frontman Scott Reagers here take over the mic duties, backed up by drummer Henry Vasquez (Pentagram, Saint Vitus), guitarists Lothar Keller (The Skull) and Scott Little (Leadfoot), and bassist Ron Holzner (Trouble, The Skull). So, new band, Legions Of Doom, but first order of business is paying tribute to Wagner with this material, and even one song (“Heaven”) with Wagner himself singing.

Confused yet? This review is almost over and I'm still wrapping my head around it all, and also coming to terms with this: Wagner's voice was one of a kind, and going in to this with the man on my mind then... not hearing him is disappointing, but these songs are great, “Hallow By All Means” truly a hypnotic and epic closer, and opener “Beyond The Shadow Of Doubt” is heavy, soulful, doomy, southern, memorable... man, it would have soared with Wagner.

AEON GODS FEAT. FORMER AETERNITAS MEMBERS DEBUT "AEON GODS" VISUALIZER VIDEO

AEON GODS FEAT. FORMER AETERNITAS MEMBERS DEBUT "AEON GODS" VISUALIZER VIDEO

September 23, 2024, an hour ago

news heavy metal aeon gods aeternitas



Aeon Gods have released a visualizer video for "Aeon Gods", first single taken from the debut album, King Of Gods, to be released on November 22 via Scarlet Records.

In this epic metal anthem, the Babylonian god Marduk leads his valiant warriors into a fierce battle against the dark mother goddess Tiamat. With thunderous battle chants and heavy guitar riffs, the song proclaims the glory of the Aeon Gods – making it a true outstanding heavy metal hymn. Watch the visualizer below.

After the long-standing symphonic metal unit Aeternitas dissolved, their masterminds Anja and Alex Hunzinger immediately conjured up a new concept and found a different musical home built around a cinematic sound flavoured by elements of power and symphonic metal: Aeon Gods emerged as the modern messengers of the ancient mythological gods, infusing new blood into the epic metal scen

TODAY IN METAL HISTORY 🤘 SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2024🤘 BRUCE DICKINSON, NIGHT RANGER, PINK FLOYD, KISS, SAVATAGE, MEGADETH

TODAY IN METAL HISTORY 🤘 SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2024🤘 BRUCE DICKINSON, NIGHT RANGER, PINK FLOYD, KISS, SAVATAGE, MEGADETH

September 15, 2024, 8 hours ago

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TALENT WE LOST

R.I.P. John "Johnny Ramone" William Cummings (RAMONES): October 8th, 1948 - September 15th, 2004 (aged 55)



R.I.P. Richard William "Rick" Wright (PINK FLOYD): July 28th, 1943 - September 15th, 2008 (aged 65)





GENE SIMMONS Apologizes To DAVID LEE ROTH - "I Am So Sorry And Ashamed"; Video




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Married… With Children / Sons Of Anarchy Star KATEY SAGAL Reveals On-And-Off Relationship With GENE SIMMONS - “He Was Cute And Had A Lot Of Confidence”





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HEAVY BIRTHDAYS

Happy 72nd
Kelly Keagy (NIGHT RANGER) - September 15th, 1952



Happy 57th
Jerry Dixon (WARRANT) - September 15th, 1967

HEAVY RELEASES

Happy 52nd
GRAND FUNK RAILROAD's Phoenix - September 15th, 1972

Happy 40th
MOTÖRHEAD's No Remorse - September 15th, 1984



Happy 37th
KISS' Crazy Nights - September 15th, 1987



Happy 27th
SAVATAGE's The Wake Of Magellan - September 15th, 1997


Happy 26th
BRUCE DICKINSON’s The Chemical Wedding – September 15th, 1998



Happy 18th
NAPALM DEATH's Smear Campaign - September 15th, 2006
BUCKETHEAD's Crime Slunk Scene - September 15th, 2006

Happy 15th
LIVING COLOUR's The Chair In The Doorway - September 15th, 2009
MEGADETH's Endgame - September 15th, 2009

MELIAH RAGE's Masquerade - September 15th, 2009
ACE FREHLEY’S Anomaly - September 15, 2009
THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER's Deflorate - September 15th, 2009
DREAM THEATER's Wither EP - September 15th, 2009
DYING FETUS' Descend Into Depravity - September 15th, 2009
EVERY TIME I DIE's New Junk Aesthetic - September 15th, 2009
IT DIES TODAY's Lividity - September 15th, 2009
KITTE's In The Black - September 15th, 2009
MINISTRY's The Last Dubber - September 15th, 2009
PROTEST THE HERO's Gallop Meets The Earth (Live CD/DVD) - September 15th, 2009
SALT THE WOUND's Ares - September 15th, 2009
SHADOWS FALL's Retribution - September 15th, 2009
SKINLAB's The Scars Between Us - September 15th, 2009

Happy 10th
XERATH’s III – September 15th, 2014

Happy 7th
ENSIFERUM’s Two Paths – September 15th, 2017
MYRKUR’s Mareidt – September 15th, 2017
BELPHEGOR’s Totenritual – September 15th, 2017
CALIGULA’S HORSE’s In Contact – September 15th, 2017
THE CONTORTIONIST’s Clairvoyant – September 15th, 2017
CRIPPER’s Follow Me: Kill! – September 15th, 2017
FLESHKILLER’s Awaken – September 15th, 2017
A HILL TO DIE UPON’s Via Artis Via Mortis – September 15th, 2017
NOTHING MORE’s The Stories We Tell Ourselves – September 15th, 2017
PROPHETS OF RAGE’s Prophets Of Rage – September 15th, 2017
SOIL’s Scream: The Essentials – September 15th, 2017
VATTNET’s Vattnet – September 15th, 2017



Happy 1st
Baroness - Stone - September 15th, 2023
Brujeria - Esto Es Brujeria - September 15th, 2023
Corey Taylor - CMF2 - September 15th, 2023
Electric Boys - Grand Explosivos - September 15th, 2023
Gridlink - Coronet Juniper - September 15th, 2023
Mayhem - Daemonic Rites - September 15th, 2023
Molybaron - Something Ominous - September 15th, 2023
Night Verses - Every Sound Has A Color In The Valley Of Night: Part 1 - September 15th, 2023
Otep - The God Slayer - September 15th, 2023
Ronnie Romero - Too Many Lies, Too Many Masters - September 15th, 2023
Shade Empire - Sunholy - September 15th, 2023
Shining - Shining - September 15th, 2023
Tesseract - War Of Being - September 15th, 2023
War Of Ages - Dominion - September 15th, 2023

HEAVY METAL HISTORY: Leviathan – Mastodon

METALLICA had Master Of Puppets in 1986, ENTOMBED had Left Hand Path in 1990 and BRITNEY SPEARS had In the Zone in 2003. Many artists have had their breakthrough from an iconic album and, In 2004, for MASTODON, Leviathan did much the same for their trajectory.



The early-mid 2000’s surged with heavy metal releases. Nu-metal dominated the era, and 2004 saw a particular rise in metalcore. It was a time for angsty, moshing, I-hate-everyone anthems, as LAMB OF GOD dropped Ashes Of The Wake in 2004, and metal favourites SLIPKNOT broke the mainstream with Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses the same year. MASTODON didn’t fit within this “New Wave of American Heavy Metal” in which they were placed; Trading the easy-on-the-ear melodies and emo underpinnings of bands like SHADOWS FALL and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE for a grittier, more progressive offering.

2002’s Remission was an ambitious debut. Rough around the edges, but packed with fiery passion. The band didn’t hold back on unleashing their unique sound in a time where no metal sounded like theirs. While Remission was by all means a potent start, it missed the spark that ignited in Leviathan and burned throughout later albums. Released on the 31st August 2004 on Relapse Records, Leviathan took off instantly and would elevate MASTODON from an underground metal treasure to one of the biggest names in the scene. From playing clubs and bars the album saw them join the bill on the 2004 Unholy Alliance European tour with SLIPKNOT and SLAYER, plus a place on the second stage at 2005’s Ozzfest. Picking up ‘Album of the Year’ awards from Revolver, Kerrang! and Terrorizer, Leviathan‘s impact would last for years to come.

It’s not difficult to understand why Leviathan had the impact it did. The record is a powerful amalgamation of sludge, prog and heavy metal, loosely based on Herman Melville’s classic novel, Moby Dick. The second album in their four-part elemental theming (Remission (2002): fire; Leviathan (2004): water; Blood Mountain (2006): earth; Crack The Skye (2009): Air), the concept was conjured up by drummer Brann Dailor after reading the novel in 2003. Despite concerns that this could have gone down like a lead balloon, the rest of the band excitedly adopted the novel’s aesthetics. Their lives touring in vans, seeking out their musical obsession, became an analogy to Captain Ahab in search of the white whale – ‘the sea-salt Mastodon’ as it is referred to in the book.


While not a total narration of the novel, its influence and theming is immediately evident from the now-legendary cover of the ferocious white whale destroying a ship. Deliberately placed upon the head of the white whale sits a crown of cobras. In doing this, artist Paul Romano likens the whale to Vishnu, who in Hinduism, “is essentially the creator: He dreams us, and we dream him”. This mystical imagery is continued through the album’s lyrics, and enhanced by the vibrant creativity of the instrumentals. Capturing the intensity of the great voyage, the motion of the rolling waves, the mental state of Captain Ahab, and the mystery of the creatures that lurk in the deep.

If any band wonders how to open an album, they should be directed to Blood And Thunder. Creating the most face melting riff with three chords, Leviathan erupts without warning. From Troy Sanders’ first screech of “I think someone is trying to kill me!” We are teleported into the mind of Captain Ahab and his monomaniac obsession with hunting the white whale, his holy grail. The madness of interwoven riff work, bellowed repetitions and ferocious drumming echo his paranoia and loss of control. Not only did the track move mountains, or oceans in this case, it demonstrated the band’s evolution from 2002’s Remission.

I Am Ahab showcases the band’s mastery of complexity. The track falls nowhere short of the album’s beast of an opener, but it’s more technical, more emotive. I Am Ahab takes a different stance to the intense perspective of Blood And Thunder, detailing the sailors’ attraction to the sea and their decision to hunt the mighty whale:

“There’s magic in the water that attracts all men. Across hills and down streams… Built to slay and conquer. All with teeth of beasts”

In contrast, Seabeast delves into the deeper, heavier side of MASTODON. Initially melodic and slow, it gives you serious whiplash by the monstrous heaviness towards the end. The musical weight of the song is underpinned by an emotional heft, with the lyrics providing an introspective take on life at sea. While the direct references to Moby Dick disappear in the subsequent songs, Iron Tusk and Megalodon, the ocean theme is maintained. Iron Tusk takes a look at the dangerous use of harpoons, while Megalodon lives up to its name as a beast of a track. The latter opens with a swirling melody reflecting the deceptive calmness of the sea. An unexpected country-esque jingle marks a turn in the tide, launching the track into thunderous thrashing riffs with key changes that hit your ears perfectly.

Hearts Alive concludes the story of Moby Dick and, arguably, the album. At almost 14 minutes long, it’s the longest in MASTODON history, and weaves through their full array of sounds. Some fans have criticised the song for being too long or not captivating enough. And while, yes, music is subjective, that opinion is incorrect. Intentionally reminiscent of METALLICA‘s Call Of Ktulu, its opening sets the dark atmosphere for the final struggle against the whale. The shifting pace of the track echoes Ahab’s final moments with his nemesis, which culminates in the masterful repetition of a truly heartfelt riff. It’s hard to see this as anything other than MASTODON‘s masterpiece.

Leviathan is still hailed as one of the best metal albums of the 21st century, and there are few albums which have catapulted a band’s career like this. The influence of this record is not only heard throughout the MASTODON back catalogue, but has worked its way throughout the world of modern metal. Even listening to it now, 20 years on, it hits with a pummelling force which will no doubt sustain its legacy.



Leviathan was originally released on August 31st, 2004 via Relapse Records.

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