Nameless Grave Records Unleashes Heavy Metal Shrapnel Single “Heavy Metal Overdose”

Nameless Grave Records confirms the release of the new HEAVY METAL SHRAPNEL single “Heavy Metal Overdose”, a high velocity introduction to the forthcoming album “Heavy Metal Hairspray”, which arrives on 17th of April 2026. The track delivers rapid neoclassical flashes, towering riffs and a fierce rock and roll spirit.

Fronted by Mark Boals and driven by guitarist Andrew Lee, the single gains further intensity through a guest appearance from acclaimed keyboardist Derek Sherinian. With a career that includes Dream Theater, Alice Cooper, Billy Idol and KISS, Sherinian joins Lee in a fast paced exchange that recalls the technical fire of the classic Shrapnel Records era and the precision of groups such as Cacophony and Racer X.

“Heavy Metal Overdose” is available now on all major digital platforms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGtnJPVM194

Releasing on 17th of April 2026 through Nameless Grave Records, “Heavy Metal Hairspray” marks the return of HEAVY METAL SHRAPNEL with a nine track collection that pays tribute to the harder edge of 1980s US Power Metal. Lee’s guitar work anchors the record with aggression and clarity, while Boals delivers one of his most forceful vocal performances to date, stepping away from the more melodic direction of his recent output.

The album blends the excess of power metal and touches of glam with the grit associated with Fifth Angel, Jag Panzer and Alcatrazz. Sherinian’s contribution to “Heavy Metal Overdose” adds an extra layer of virtuosity and reinforces the album’s position as a key heavy metal release for 2026.

All physical orders are expected to ship on or around 27th of March 2026.

Recommended for listeners of Alcatrazz, Jag Panzer, Dokken, Yngwie Malmsteen’s “Trilogy” era, Fifth Angel, Racer X and Cacophony.

Band Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heavymetalshrapnel

Band Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavymetalshrapnel

Nameless Grave Records: https://namelessgraverecords.com/

Band of the day: Helms Deep (USA)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSPT3Qn0v7Q

Band: Helms Deep

Country: USA

Label: Nameless Grave Records

Members: Alex Sciortino – Vocals, Guitars Ray DeTone – Guitars John Gallagher – Bass Hal Aponte – Drums

Album: Chasing The Dragon

Track Info: 1. Wing Chun 00:00 2. Black Sefirot 00:40 3. Chasing The Dragon 07:22 4. Craze Of The Vampire 12:05 5. Cursed 18:56 6. Flight Of The Harpy 23:59 7. Frozen Solid 29:40 8. Necessary Evil 33:42 9. Red Planet 38:42 10. Seventh Circle 44:43 11. Shiva’s Wrath 50:16

Helms Deep is a heavy/power metal band from Florida, United States, formed in 2017. Drawing on themes of epic fantasy, they deliver soaring vocals, driving riffs, and a classic metal sound. Signed to Nameless Grave Records, the band released their debut full‑length Treacherous Ways in 2023, followed by Chasing the Dragon in 2025. The lineup features Alex Sciortino on vocals and guitars, Ray DeTone on guitars, John Gallagher on bass, and Hal Aponte on drums.

Links

Bandcamp: https://helmsdeep666.bandcamp.com/album/chasing-the-dragon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelmsDeep666

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helms_deep_metal/

Label: https://namelessgraverecords.com/

#BandOfTheDay #ChasingTheDragon #HeavyMetal #HelmsDeep #HelmsDeepUSA #NamelessGraveRecords #NewAlbum #NewWaveOfTraditionalHeavyMetal #NWOTHM #thenwothm #thenwothmCom #TreacherousWays

Blizaro – Light and Desolation Review

By Baguette of Bodom

What do you get when you combine old school doom with older school horror movie soundtracks? John Gallo of Orodruin asked this question roughly twenty years ago, and the answer became known as Blizaro. Despite the years of experience accumulated, the discography of this mostly solo project is quite brief;1 Light and Desolation is only Blizaro‘s third full-length. Time, ever the unfair mistress, treats everyone quite differently. Some artists have a lot to re-learn,2 others are able to pick up right where they left off.3 With nine years having passed since their previous album, how has the hourglass treated the intriguing and slightly bizarre concept of Blizaro?

It becomes immediately apparent that Blizaro takes heavy influence from the ‘70s and ‘80s. After a short melodramatic intro sets the stage, the Candlemassive and Troublesome hammer of doom descends. John Gallo’s wonderful guitar tone and playing style echo as much old Sabbath and ‘70s Judas Priest (“Internal Chasm”) as it does traditional doom, and the part-NWoBHM lead guitars (“Glare of Light and Desolation”) bring light and energy into the formula. The gloomy but heavy sound is complemented by Gallo’s eerie and dramatic vocals. His Ozzy-coded, blue-collar delivery fits the mold well, and good usage of layers adds extra oomph to an already good performance. But Light and Desolation isn’t just about the metal world. Horror-themed suspense and Tangerine Dream-touched synthesizers (“Sentenced Pathways”) color much of the album’s material both on the foreground and in the background. These individual elements already sound good on their lonesome but create spectacular hooks and crescendos when working in unison (“Silver Tower,” “Lightning Strikes Back”).

Crucially, Blizaro’s songwriting is both authentic and fresh, combining many old inspirations into newer ideas. Imitation is flattery, but it can only take you so far without understanding how your influences formed their sound in the first place. And throughout Light and Desolation, Gallo showcases a wealth of knowledge in not only his influences but also their various heroes and followers. Whether it’s the Iron Maiden pyrotechnics at the start of “Internal Chasm” or the ‘70s prog rock bounce of “Lucifer’s Lament,” Light and Desolation keeps throwing new curveballs to switch up its songwriting mojo. Not all of it is created equal, as some of the transitions in the aforementioned feel jarring, but most of the resulting breadth ends up a net positive. This wouldn’t be half the album it is without its cinematic atmosphere tying it all together. Sword-swinging closer “Warriors of the New Lands” is a culmination of Blizaro’s heavy metal, horror atmosphere, and space synth tendencies alike. It’s not just a throwback sound—it’s a unique blend of them.

On top of Light and Desolation being written like a lost relic, it also sounds the part. The mix allows all instruments room to shine and breathe, the crashing of cymbals in particular being a pleasure to listen to. The fuzzy production makes for a surprisingly warm album despite its cold and desolate demeanor, proving once again that heaviness does not require overcompression.4 Some of it might even sound a bit too ancient for my tastes, and it certainly took some getting used to. The vocals aren’t perfect either, occasionally stumbling during the latter half of the album. But what Blizaro sometimes lacks in consistency, they make up for in pure character and charisma. I’ve had trouble getting “Lightning Strikes Back” out of my head ever since first hearing the song, and it’s far from the only memorable moment here.

Light and Desolation is another strong success in a recent streak of distantly similar but ultimately unrelated nods to the old school. Blizaro continues putting their own spin on classic heavy and doom metal with elements of Italian horror ambience and olde prog synths from outer space. Aside from some minor vocal and songwriting slip-ups, it’s a majorly fun and replayable package with many layers to uncover. John Gallo’s busy schedule makes his writing speed tend towards the George R.R. Martin end of things, but the wait was well worth it. Here’s hoping there are more chapters of this—or even stronger—quality in the book of Blizaro yet to come!

Rating: Very Good
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s CBR MP3
Label: Nameless Grave Records
Website: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: September 26th, 2025

#2025 #35 #AmericanMetal #BlackSabbath #Blizaro #Candlemass #DoomMetal #HeavyMetal #IronMaiden #JudasPriest #LightAndDesolation #NamelessGraveRecords #Orodruin #ProgressiveRock #Review #Reviews #Sep25 #TangerineDream #Trouble

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#BraveWords–WhereMusicLives
Alberta’s REVELATOR To Release Debut Light The Devil’s Fire In September; First Single Streaming

https://bravewords.com/news/albertas-revelator-to-release-debut-light-the-devils-fire-in-september-first-single-streaming/

#Revelator #LightTheDevilsFire #NamelessGraveRecords #AlbertaMetal #EdmontonMetal #CanadianMetal #ExtremeMetal #BlackDeathMetal #DebutAlbum #September2025

Helms Deep – Chasing the Dragon Review

By ClarkKent

Helms Deep made quite a splash with their debut, Treacherous Ways, thanks to their high-energy ode to speed metal acts of the ’70s and ’80s. Now they’re back with a little extra firepower in the form of guitarist Ray DeTone and a more progressive-minded drummer in Hal Aponte (Ice Age). The remaining two players make their return, including bassist John Gallagher, who AMG writers have attempted to lure back into the comments section since his infamous critique of Huck N Roll’s review of Raven’s Metal City. Finally, there’s Helms Deep founder and frontman, Alex Sciortino, whose impressive vocals help propel this project to the next level. On Chasing the Dragon, Sciortino promises a new focus while still maintaining their modern take on old-school thrash and traditional heavy metal.

Initially, Chasing the Dragon doesn’t actually sound all that different from Treacherous Ways. Early Satan and Savatage remain strong influences, and you’ll hear classic Iron Maiden, especially on the galloping “Chasing the Dragon.” Judas Priest makes their presence felt on the chugging opener of “Frozen Solid”, while mid-tempo cuts like “Cursed” have a Ride the Lightning-era Metallica feel to them. These songs have a relentless energy with fast, pounding drums and endless riffs oozing from all three guitarists. There are also some new additions to the already impressive Helms Deep sonic repertoire. You’ll first hear it in the final minutes of “Craze of the Vampire,” when the guitar tone takes on a noticeably spacey, prog-like Pink Floyd hue. This turns out to be no accident, as “Red Planet” also dabbles in psychedelia that features arpeggios so fast and fun they’ll make you want to mix your LSD with speed. Even with these psychedelic tones, Helms Deep still promises speed first.

Chasing the Dragon boasts crystal-clear production, allowing the 12-string guitars ample room to soar. Close listens will reward lovers of guitar riffs, and Helms Deep goes buck wild on most songs. “Craze of the Vampire” is a perfect example of the artful fretwork on display, beginning with classical-sounding tremolos, moving into creative rhythm riffs, and putting the icing on the cake with frantic arpeggios during the chorus. It’s not just the 12-string guitars that steal the show. Gallagher’s groovy bass is also prominent. Just listen to the opening of “Black Sefirot” and feel your heart pumping as Gallagher’s noodling prepares you for combat. Sciortino’s riveting voice will spur you onward to battle fierce space dragons as he switches from gruff to high-pitched on the turn of a dime. My one complaint is the drums. Aponte’s work on the kit comes off a bit more repetitive than Mike Heller’s, who handled drums on Treacherous Ways, and gives some songs the feeling that they’re dragging on at parts.

If there’s anything that prevents Chasing the Dragon from achieving greatness, it’s that Helms Deep has pulled a (minor) Senjutsu. While Holdeneye felt that their prior record was “a tad long” at 50 minutes, this one clocks in at almost an hour. The problem with having not one but two 12-string guitars is that musicians don’t want to waste that firepower, and so they play nonstop, almost aimless solos. A number of tracks, such as “Craze of the Vampire” and “Flight of the Harpy,” include three additional minutes of guitar wizardry after Sciortino sets his microphone aside. When the riffs are consistently so fun, however, this is only a minor setback. I might have still given this the 4.0ldeneye treatment if it weren’t for the finale, “Shiva’s Wrath,” a 7+ minute instrumental that falls short of the glory of the classic Metallica instrumentals. It features some fun riffs, but lacks focus.

Within the belly of this dragon is a great album. I immensely enjoyed my time with Chasing the Dragon, trying my best to sing along with Sciortino’s anthemic choruses. Fans of that old school thrash and NWoBHM sound should definitely give this one a whirl. It has a modern sound that is clearly dedicated to its influences without ripping them off. Sciortino has created a magical project, and I even like the moments of experimental psychedelia he infused in some songs. I will be revisiting this one throughout the year, and I’d probably be considering it for my year-end list if it were more tightly edited. If Helms Deep can combine their balls-to-the-wall energy with some discipline, their next album could be a monster.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Nameless Grave Records
Websites: helmsdeep666.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/helmsdeep666
Releases Worldwide: June 20th, 2025

#2025 #35 #AmericanMetal #ChasingTheDragon #HeavyMetal #HelmsDeep #IceAge #JudasPriest #Jun25 #Metallica #NamelessGraveRecords #NWOBHM #PinkFloyd #PowerMetal #Raven #Review #Reviews #Satan #Savatage #SpeedMetal

Obscene – Agony & Wounds Review

By Steel Druhm

When first I heard Indianapolis OSDM fiends Obscene on their 2020 The Inhabitable Dark debut, I was quite impressed by the raw, nasty sound they wielded like a blood-soaked cudgel. It was like the best bits of early Pestilence, Asphyx, and Obituary distilled into something extra gruesome and then leaked into the beer supply. It offered nothing I hadn’t heard prior, but it kicked much ass and took many a name. I was considerably less enamored with the 2022s From Dead Horizon to Dead Horizon, which felt less impactful and memorable, although the basic template and style remained the same. It seemed like the band rushed a second album out before it was ready for prime time and I was left wanting more. Now, we get Agony & Wounds, their third release in 4 short years. That’s an impressive degree of productivity for any act, but has the speed of release come at the expense of songcraft? That’s the big question here.

Absolutely savage opener “The Cloverland Panopticon” offers a promising start, sounding like something off Pestilence’s godlike Consuming Impulse platter, adding dissonant guitar lines that feel claustrophobic and panic-inducing to the usual OSDM gallop and stomp. It makes the song feel jangled and unsettled, disturbing and oppressive. It’s the kind of tune you would play to make non-metal friends leave the room and as such, it’s a win. There’s enough raw power in the thrashy blastery of “Watch Me When I Kill” and “Breathe the Decay” to overcome a sense that you’ve heard this exact song a million times before, but neither are what I would call essential death metal. “Noxious Expulsion” rights the ship somewhat by taking the best of prime Pestilence and Obituary and injecting sadboi gloomy melodoom leads and melancholic introspective amid savage death blasts and horrific vocal excesses. It works and stands out as something a bit different.

The second half of Agony & Wounds is a mixed body bag of nuts. Several tracks feel generic and rote, failing to grab my attention (“Death’s Denial,” “The Reaper’s Blessing”), but there are a few average to slightly above average moments. “Dressed in Corpses” starts out with a vaguely d-beaty gallop but slowly mutates into heavier and more sweeping moments capped off with some impressively melodic solo work. The closing title track stands out because it’s essentially a Gothic doom-death number with somber piano lines, restrained heaviness, and emotive, melodic solos that wouldn’t feel out of place on a Candlemass album. Unfortunately, taken as a whole, Agony & Wounds is more filler than killer, with only a handful of cuts really making a lasting impression. While it’s great to hear Obscene trying new things and dabbling in dissonance and doom, the end results aren’t a complete success. This is an album that should be totally in the Wheelhouse of Steel but man, I really struggled every time I tried to digest this thing in one sitting. Songs bleed together and fail to hold my attention, and I had to force myself to backtrack to replay songs that made me glaze over and miss entirely. The 41:47 run-time feels much longer and despite the new elements, the bulk of the material leaves me unfazed.

There’s legitimate talent on hand here, with guitarist Mike Morgan in particular showcasing chops and ability. His solos are inspired, especially the melodic ones, but there’s a glaring absence of truly killer death riffs to kick the ass region. Bolt Thrower-esque power chugs are present at times but dialed back and the dissonance elements are used too sparingly to make a big impact. Kyle Shaw’s over-the-top vocals are a love-or-hate feature of the Obscene sound and will always alienate certain factions of the metalverse. He’s essentially blending the sound of Martin Van Drunen (Asphyx, ex-Pestilence, ex-Hail of Bullets) and John Tardy (Obituary) and then trying to outdo them in excess and volume. He’s all in and fully monstrous but he can’t save stock, generic material. It’s the writing that really comes up short here, with too many tracks feeling underwhelming.

Agony & Wounds isn’t a disaster, and it does have redeeming features, but the downward trend continues from their codswalloping debut just a few years ago. Perhaps Obscene need to slow their roll and take more time developing songs with more immediate impact and staying power. I want to like them more than they are allowing me to and that’s a shame. Worth a spin for playlist poaching but this one falls well short of the must-hear level.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Nameless Grave Records
Websites: obscenedeathmetal.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/obscenedm | instagram.com/obscenedeathmetal_official
Releases Worldwide: July 12th, 2024

#25 #2024 #AgonyWounds #AmericanMetal #Asphyx #BoltThrower #DeathMetal #FromDeadHorizonToDeadHorizon #Jul24 #NamelessGraveRecords #Obituary #Obscene #Pestilence #Review #Reviews #TheInhabitableDark