Bandcamp Series: Forever Still - Breaking Free (2013)

Combining metal, hard rock and industrial, Forever Still are a gem of a find. From Denmark, this band have been making waves on the Danish music scene since Mikkel Haastrup first spotted front woman Maja Schønning playing with her previous band in 2009.  Soon after the band added drummer Chad T. Charlton, along with guitarists Anders Bo Jespersen and Carsten Christensen to the lineup.

In 2013, they released the 4 track EP, Breaking Free and if the Internet is to believed, there are hints at a full-length album in the making.

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HURRAY! The Femetalism Photo Gallery is LIVE!!

Since the we made the decision to overhaul the femetalism website, I have wanted to include a photo gallery. Craig takes excellent live music shots and I really wanted to showcase them in their own section of the site. Today he has finally completed the work and the photo section is alive!! Yay!

As you will see if you head on over there, there are a few sets already uploaded for you to be getting on with. These include: Epica and Stream of Passion, December 2012 in Sheffield, the fantastic Warhorns Festival, September 2013 in York and most recently, the Tarja and Elyose gig in Nottingham. I will also be going back through some older gigs and uploading a few more sets for you to enjoy.

Hmmm, so all I need now is to get to some more live music events pronto! :) Next up in our live music calendar will be in April - Van Canto in London and Within Temptation and Delain in Manchester - gigs that I am sure will produce some excellent images!

Do let me know what you think to the gallery and photos we post and remember to connect with us on Facebook and Twitter for updates, ramblings and general femetalove.

Nocturnal to release third album, Storming Evil - February 2014

Nocturnal are a German thrash metal band born from the band Bestial Desecration in 2000 and with a vision to play teutonic thrash inspired by the German thrash metal scene. After two full length albums and a list of EPs and splits as long as your arm, they are preparing to release their first album in 4 years; Storming Evil.

Only the second to feature Tyrannizer (formerly of Necrosadistic Goat Torture) on vocals, the new album sets out to bring an even heavier slab of blackened thrash to your eardrums and promptly smash them into a million tiny bits.

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Extreme Thursday: Cripper

This week Extreme Thursday hops back across the pond and heads into the depths of mainland Europe. After spending a week in Arizona with Landmine Marathon, we've crossed the meridian and landed in Germany to listen to Cripper, a thrash band from Hannover formed by guitarists Christian Bröhenhorst and Jonathan Stenger and vocalist Britta Görtz.

Utilising a technical thrash style with faster, thrashier parts offset by slower, death/doom parts and Britta's growls, they have carved a niche in the thrash market that has resulted in 3 albums in 7 years. Not a bad average. Incorporating angry thrash sentiments with more death metal oriented despair, loneliness and anquish, the lyrics sometimes take on an almost punk quality, while staying firmly on the metal side of the fence.

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Bandcamp Series: Anaria - Evince Ethos (2009)

Anaria are an American symphonic metal band who were originally known as Evince Ethos.  Their self-titled EP was recorded in 2009 and is made up of five tracks.  After recording the EP they changed their name to Anaria and are currently working on a full-length album to be released this year.

In January 2014, Anaria released a brilliant cover of Ed Sheeran’s I See Fire, from The Hobbit soundtrack.  A version which I very much prefer and that is available to buy for just $1 on Bandcamp.

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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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Van Canto release fifth album, Dawn of the Brave - February 2014

German a cappella metal band Van Canto release their fifth studio album on the 10th February. Dawn of the Brave features 9 original compositions and 4 covers (including The Final Countdown, Holding out for a Hero, Into the West and Black Sabbaths, Paranoid).

Van Canto also have one UK date on the Dawn of the Brave tour. Sadly it is in London, but as is proper and correct, I will be heading down south to catch them on the 2nd April at The Underworld, Camden.

The band have released a teaser video which provides a snippet from each of the tracks on the album:

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