New Release: Castrator - No Victim (May 2015)

What do you get when some of the best underground female death metal musicians join forces to make a band set out to emasculate death metal and turn the traditional death metal sausage-fest on its head? Castrator is what you get, and they're releasing their debut EP, No Victim", on 5th May on Horror Pain Gore Death Productions. The EP is an extension of their earlier No Victim demo, featuring two new songs.

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Smirking Revenge - Mind Uploading

Smirking Revenge is an all-female death metal band from Montreal who are, their bio says, ready to rip your guts out. They are doing this via their debut EP, Mind Uploading, available on Bandcamp.

Smirking Revenge was formed in 2012 when drummer Joannie Gagnon and guitarist Roxane Labonté decided to form a death metal band from ashes of the defunct Aenygmist. Charlotte Lemieux, whose voice is described as "from beyond the grave", joined in early 2013 on vocals, and Gabrielle Bordeleau completed the lineup on bass.

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New Release: Gruesome - Savage Land (April 2015)

Gruesome is a band, a supergroup of sorts, that plants its roots firmly in the Florida death metal scene of the late 80s and early 90s. Unapologetically retro, the band set out to capture the spirit of the early Death records. Savage Land is their debut album, and it's out soon.

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New Release: Anachronism - Reflecting The Inside (April 2015)

April 10th saw the release of Anachronism's new EP, Reflecting The Inside. The band's first release since their debut album Senseless in 2012, the EP is six tracks of ear-bursting technical death metal. Reflecting The Inside demonstrates the band's progress, both technically and musically. The sound on the new EP sounds fresh, brutal and angry.

Anachronism were formed in Switzerland in 2009 by Matthieu Favre, Lisa Voisard and Florent Duployer on vocals, guitar and drums respectively. After a few lineup changes, Nicolas Riederer and Julien Waroux were added on backing vocals, guitar and bass.

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New Release: The Passion of our Souls - Soulmates (March 2015)

Finnish melodic death metal band The Passion Of Our Souls are about to release their first EP called Soulmates. The band was formed 2014 when Julia Mattila and Samuli Mäkelä met each other and began to carry out their passion of music together. That's where the band gets their name The Passion Of Our Souls.

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Extreme Thursday: Arkan

Life. Don't talk to me about life. Brain the size of a planet, and I can't even write a blog post once a week to publish on a Thursday. What's the point, eh? Well, the point is to talk about kick-ass bands who do awesome things, of course. Just because real life (ugh) commitments get in the way doesn't mean there aren't amazing bands putting out fantastic music.

But enough hyperbole. We're here to talk about music, not sporting events, and this neatly segues us into our band of the week, Arkan, from Paris. Their French influence, though, extends only as far as their location and the former band of founder Foued Moukid, who was drummer for progressive goth legends The Old Dead Tree. The band's sound is billed as melodic death metal with middle eastern influences. Not the shortest genre tag but probably not the longest.

Foued's initial vision of the band was a side-project highlighting Maghreb metal in reference to his Moroccan heritage. He hired Mus El Kamal and Samir Remila to play guitar and bass respectively from the Algerian band Worth. Finally Florent Jannier and Sarah Laysacc from French/Algerian band The Outburst joined on growls and clean vocals respectively, with Florent picking up some guitar duty too.

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Extreme Thursday: Dehydrated

It's a busy old time here at Femetalism towers, and the impending dread of Thursday doesn't make things any easier. After a short break last week we're back with something a little heavier, a little louder and a little bit growlier.

This week we are taking a peek at Dehydrated, a death metal band from Tomsk in Russia. A 6 year career has seen them produce three EPs, two albums and three videos of proper death metal. Formed in 2008 from the remains of Komitet, vocalist Irina Sidenko and bassist Evgeniy Zimin joined forces with Evgen Tsibulin on guitar to form Dehydrated and bring Dehydrated to life.

By 2010 and with the help of drummer Alexey Ablaev the band had produced their first EP entitled Suffering From Mummification. Three monstrous, chugging death metal tracks with names like Blood And Suffering and the eponymous Dehydrated set the band's agenda early on.

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New Release: White Empress - Rise Of The Empress (29th September 2014)

White Empress released their first album, Rise Of The Empress, on 29th September. The album, entirely funded by a Pledge Music campaign, is the band's debut release after a free-to-download four track EP.

White Empress was formed by ex-Cradle Of Filth guitarist Paul Allender after his relocation to Minneapolis. Inviting other local musicians to join the band led to the formation of White Empress, with Mary Zimmer of Luna Mortis on vocals. Paul, via the Pledge campaign, says this about the band:

"White Empress is the link the music scene has been so desperately missing. The band started writing together two years ago and have slowly crafted the sound that is White Empress. White Empress has all the best parts of the metal scene rolled up in to one band. The music is hard, but emotive. White Empress’ unique style and sound stands is bringing the fresh life to the music scene that its been crying out for.”


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Extreme Thursday: Cadaveria

Ah, a return to form. A return to dispensing with the horror of Thursday with a bit of something horrific. This week we're looking at a bit of a hydra; one name, two entities. A woman, a band, a personal crusade of metal macabre.

Italian born Cadaveria is a singer/songwriter who first rose to fame as the vocalist of symphonic metal band Opera IX, but this relationship was relatively short lived. Feeling constricted by the limited range of styles and philosophies of Opera IX, Cadaveria left the band along with drummer Alberto Gaggiotti. Her desire to not be pigeon-holed as an "occult" metal singer led her to start a project of her own; a form of self-expression, her personal vision. In line with this intent, the band is named for its formidable front-woman, CADAVERIA.

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Extreme Thursday: Derkéta

Everything has to start somewhere. According to biblical accounts, the very first Thursday was the day before humans, steak and pork chops were invented. A terrible day indeed. This Thursday we're winding back the clock to 1989 for a particularly pertinent first; the first all-female death metal band.

Not that Derkéta particularly wanted to be known as such. They just wanted to play brutal, downtuned, doom inspired death metal to a hungry audience. Things never do run smooth, and Derkéta's Yale is a 25 year journey of woe and hardships.

Hauling from Pittsburgh, PA, Derkéta was formed in 1989 by guitar player and vocalist Sharon Baschovsky and drummer Terri Heggen. There first foray onto the scene was a recording of a rehearsal session in '89 that pricked up a few ears. After that, a four track Demo entitled The Holy Ground in 1990, then a two track 7", Premature Burial, containing remastered demo tracks.

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Extreme Thursday Presents: Hyperial and Karkaos

After last Thursday's little foray into a more varied format, it seemed fitting to present a couple more bands for your perusal that I came across while idling away a quiet Thursday afternoon on Bandcamp.

Quite a distinctive pair of bands, we have a melodic death metal band and a blackened death/industrial outfit from almost opposite sides of the globe; Montreal's Karkaos and Hyperial from Dobre Miasto, Poland. Each of these bands has only an EP and a single full length to their name, but each have proven themselves with quality, style and high production values. There are even a few videos to enjoy.

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Extreme Thursday: Liquid Graveyard

It's been a strange old week here at Femetalism, with everyone going off in different directions and having holidays in disparate parts of the country. I for one spent a weekend in fog and pouring rain up a hill in Derbyshire drinking tea and listening to Agalloch. But now we're back, chilled out and relaxed, just in time for yet another bloody Thursday.

If there's one thing musicians in successful bands love to have, it's side projects. It gives them room to breathe, try new stuff, experiment and, hopefully, produce some kick-ass metal while they're doing it. This week we have the side project of Cancer front-man John Walker; a bit of avante-garde progressive death metal in the form of Liquid Graveyard.

Liquid Graveyard were formed way back in 2006 by John, his wife Raquel and Adrian de Buitléar of Mourning Beloveth. Mixing many different styles and influences, the result is a somewhat eclectic mix of every bit of metal pulled together by the precise playing and hugely diverse vocal range of Raquel. Whether growling deep and slow, taking it higher with a more ethereal sound, or messing with synths and electronics, Raquel's vocal abilities pull together the disparate riffs, beats and styles.

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Extreme Thursday: Black September

The summer approaches, and the day star threatens to burn our pale, necrotic skin. The days are growing longer, the comfort of the dead of night a fading memory. But we will always have Thursday.

This Thursday we are taking offence. It's something that's done a lot in the extreme metal world. Whether it be the blatant horrific imagery, unnecessary unpleasantness, or sacrilegious connotations, it's obvious that being vile and offensive is key to many bands' images. This is especially true in the more extreme death and grindcore bands.

This week's offensive band is Black September. When I first heard the name, it just sounded like a pretty cool band name. Upon searching, however, I discovered that it's actually the name of the 1970-1971 Jordanian civil war and, subsequently, the name of the group responsible for the kidnap and murder of 11 Israeli athletes and officials at the 1972 Olympics. This has been considered distasteful by some, even within the world of metal. I can't help thinking that that makes it a perfect death metal band name.

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Extreme Thursday - Vastum

Thursday is once again upon us. This week's installment of Extreme Thursday looks at a different sort of extreme metal. The themes of brutal death metal are rooted deep in the taboos of society. Violence, blood and guts are staples of the genre, with demonic references or anti-religious rhetoric thrown in. But one band in particular takes on another sort of uncomfortable subject.

The use of horrific elements has become less shocking over the years. Much of it has become mainstream, with even the most mundane police drama featuring hideously disfigured corspes. Lyrical depictions are seldom more shocking than a B movie horror or a low budget slasher flick. Much of death metal's staple horror, when stripped of the guttural roars and chugging guitars, can end up looking a bit silly.

But another sort of taboo, another sort of uncomfortable reality has grown alongside. One that has always been there, but has become more prominent in recent years as society grows and fights with itself. The subject of human sexuality.

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Extreme Thursday: Persian Metal Special

This week's Extreme Thursday is doing things a little differently. Rather than commiserate all that is dismal and terrible about a day of the week, we will instead be turning our eyes toward a more Persian influence.

With two very different stories, the bands Mortad and Master Of Persia have very different origins, aims and reasons for being. With only a single album each so far (although more on that front later), these two bands are relative newcomers to the metal scene, but have a great deal to say.

Have a read, have a listen, support the bands. In the west we are fortunate to be able to enjoy the music we love however and whenever we want. But little is more extreme than focussing your whole life, or even losing your whole life, for the sake of the music, the message and the meaning you have defined for yourself.

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Extreme Thursday: Arch Enemy

It's Thursday again. Sorry about that. But to try and improve the situation we're going to look at a band. A band who need no introduction. A band whose name is the Family Fortunes top answer for "death metal bands with female vocalists". And a band who has been very much in the public eye of late. I am referring, of course, to Bananarama.

I jest, of course, but to try and pretend that nobody has heard of Arch Enemy would be somewhat foolish. Over the last 15 years the band have forged a name for themselves and become of one the best known names on the melodeath circuit.

They have certainly had their fair share of nay-sayers, detractors and general curmudgeons trying to decry them as false and relying on the "gimmick" of Angela Gossow's gender. Fortunately they didn't take any of it to heart, and through it all they have maintained a consistent style that is recognisably Arch Enemy, and a fiercely loyal fan base.

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Extreme Thursday: Izegrim

This week Extreme Thursday takes a stroll to the Netherlands to investigate long-standing death/trashers Izegrim. Playing a deeply political, thrashy take on melodic death metal, Izegrim have four studio albums under their belt and have just returned from a stint on 70,000 Tons Of Metal 2014.

 Featuring bassist and vocalist Marloes Voskuil on double duty, the band have been hard at work over the last few years, producing three of their albums since 2008. The most recent, Congress Of The Insane, came out six months ago in October 2013.

Seemingly always busy, the band has certainly built up a large following since joining their current label, Listenable Records, in 2009. No sooner have they landed from 70k Tons, they are already promoting the new tour.

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Extreme Thursday: Wykked Wytch

From the bleak misery that is Thursday comes a fresh dose of Extremity, this week in the form of Florida's Wykked Wytch. Having been around for 20 years and having released 5 full length albums, this is a band not stuck in its rut and melds black, death and thrash metal with gothic imagery and aggressive melodies.

It would be fair to say that band is as much a vehicle for its terrifying frontwoman Ipek, the founding and only remaining original member. Driving the band through many fortunes, Ipek has used her unending aggression and drive as well as her trademark black metal screams and death metal growls to great effect.

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Extreme Thursday: Landmine Marathon

Another week is nearly over, which means it must be time for another Extreme Thursday. This week we are shunning the fantastical themes, the elaborate costumes and conceptual story arcs of last week and instead embracing the brutality of raw death metal with the curiously named Landmine Marathon from Phoenix, Arizona.

Active since 2004, Landmine Marathon was formed by bassist Matt Martinez and vocalist Grace Perry. Initially playing short, grindcore-influenced songs, the band produced two demos before being picked up by Level Plane Records to release their first full-length, Wounded, in 2006.

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Extreme Thursday: Astarte

Our brand new Extreme Thursday feature starts with a fantastic band that encapsulates everything Femetalism is about; the all-female black metal outfit Astarte. Hailing from Greece and active since 1995, they have a healthy five albums under their belt (plus an extra one under their previous name, Lloth.)

The band have had three distinct "phases" of their evolution with lineup changes between them. In fact, the only founding member left is Tristessa (Maria Kolokouri), who started out on guitar, bass and keyboard and has since taken up vocal duties.

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