Iowa is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band Slipknot. Produced by the members and Ross Robinson, it was released on August 28, 2001, by Roadrunner Records. The title refers the band's state origin, Iowa, which members have stated is one of their greatest sources of inspiration. With much anticipation for the album following the success of their 1999 self-titled debut, pressures on the band were high. Their relationships with each other suffered and this was later described as the darkest time of their career. It was also the first full album to feature guitarist Jim Root after only appearing on one song from their previous album. Despite troubles within the band and with Iowa's development, Slipknot promoted it for almost a year.
Metalcore is a broadly defined fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, that originated in the late 1980s. Metalcore is noted for its use of breakdowns, which are slow, intense passages conducive to moshing, while other defining instrumentation includes heavy and percussive pedal point guitar riffs and double bass drumming. Vocalists in the genre typically perform screaming; more popular bands often combine this with the use of standard singing, usually during the bridge or chorus of a song. However, the death growl is also a popular technique within the genre.
Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1999. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist M. Shadows, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, bassist Johnny Christ, and drummer Brooks Wackerman.
A Blaze in the Northern Sky is the second studio album by the Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone. It was recorded at Creative Studios in August 1991 and released on 26 February 1992 by Peaceville Records. In addition to earlier rehearsal recordings made between March 1991 and the Norwegian summer holidays, the album features the band's first official black metal recordings and is regarded as a classic within the genre. It is the first album of what fans refer to as the "Unholy Trinity," with the other albums being Under a Funeral Moon and Transilvanian Hunger. This album was the last to feature bassist Dag Nilsen. In 2020, it was included in the National Library of Norway's permanent exhibition due to its significance to Norwegian culture and its role as a foundational work in Norwegian black metal.
Cancer Bats are a Canadian hardcore punk band from Toronto, Ontario. To date, they have released seven studio albums and six extended plays; with their most recent LP, Psychic Jailbreak, having been released on 15 April 2022. The band is currently composed of lead vocalist Liam Cormier, drummer Mike Peters and bassist/guitarist Jaye R. Schwarzer. The band are also currently joined by touring guitarist Jackson Landry, following the departure of founding guitarist Scott Middleton in 2021. The members of Cancer Bats have also toured and recorded as a Black Sabbath tribute band under the name Bat Sabbath.
Architects are a British metalcore band from Brighton, East Sussex, formed in 2004 by twin brothers Dan and Tom Searle. The band now consists of Dan Searle on drums, Sam Carter on vocals, Alex Dean on bass, and Adam Christianson on guitar. They have been signed to Epitaph Records since 2013.
Decapitated is a Polish death metal band formed in Krosno in 1996. The group is composed of guitarist, founder and composer Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka, vocalist Eemeli Bodde, bassist Paweł Pasek and drummer James Stewart. Decapitated are recognized as one of the death metal's most widely respected bands and one of the finest exponents of technical death metal. The band earned an international fan base in the underground music community and became an innovating act in the modern death metal genre.
Oliver Scott Sykes is a British singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band Bring Me the Horizon. He also founded the apparel company Drop Dead Clothing, and created a graphic novel.
Harm's Way is an American hardcore punk band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 2006. The band started as a side project, but ended up becoming a more serious and full-time band in their later years. Harm's Way has since released four studio albums: Reality Approaches (2009), Isolation (2011) and Rust (2015) and several EPs. On February 9, 2018, the band released their critically acclaimed Metal Blade Records debut, titled Posthuman. They have been recognized for their unique blend of metal, industrial, and hardcore music.
Oni is a metalcore band formed in Canada by singer Jake Oni. They have released three albums as of 2024.
Eonian is the ninth studio album by Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir, which was released on 4 May 2018. It's the fifth and final album featuring lead guitarist Galder before his departure in August 2024.
Amo is the sixth studio album by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Originally scheduled for release on 11 January 2019, it was released on 25 January 2019. The album was announced on 22 August 2018, a day after the release of the lead single "Mantra". It was produced by vocalist Oli Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish, and was written and recorded primarily in Los Angeles.
Batushka is a Polish black metal band based in Białystok founded by Krzysztof Drabikowski in 2015. Their music and lyrics, which are written exclusively in Church Slavonic language, are inspired by the Eastern Orthodox Church. The band members wear religious habits and Eastern Orthodox schemas during live performances to conceal their identities. In contrast with many other black metal bands, they use eight-string guitars.
Berserker is the eleventh studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band Amon Amarth. It was released on 3 May 2019 through Metal Blade Records and Sony Music. The album was produced by Jay Ruston and marks the first album by the band to feature drummer Jocke Wallgren, who joined the band in 2016.
We Are Not Your Kind is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. Recorded at EastWest Studios in Hollywood, California with co-producer Greg Fidelman, it was released on August 9, 2019, by Roadrunner Records. The title is taken from a lyric in the song "All Out Life", which was released as a standalone single in 2018 and features as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of the album. We Are Not Your Kind is the only Slipknot album to be recorded as an eight-member band, as their former percussionist Chris Fehn was fired from the band in March 2019 after suing the group for alleged unpaid royalties.
Atonement is the eighth studio album by American metalcore band Killswitch Engage, released through Metal Blade Records on August 16, 2019. Lead single "Unleashed" was released on June 25, and followed by "I Am Broken Too" in July which would later follow up with a music video in August, as well as "The Signal Fire" shortly before the album's release. The band began a co-headlining tour of North America with Clutch in promotion of the album in July.
Post Human: Survival Horror is a commercial release by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. It was released on 30 October 2020 and is intended to be the first in a series of four projects to be released by the band under the Post Human name. The release was produced by frontman Oli Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish, with additional production from composer Mick Gordon. Stylistically, the release marks return to the heavier and more aggressive metalcore sound of the band's earlier material.
Requiem is the fourteenth studio album by American nu metal band Korn. The album was released on February 4, 2022, through Loma Vista and Concord. It was produced by the band and Chris Collier.
Absolute Elsewhere is the fourth studio album by American death metal band Blood Incantation. It was released on October 4, 2024, through Century Media.
Patriarkh is a Polish black metal band based in Białystok. The band has its origins in Batushka, from which it splintered after a conflict over the rights to the band name. Their music and lyrics are inspired by the Eastern Orthodox Church, traditional hymns, songs, history and conflicts of the church and regional folk-lore. The band members wear Eastern-styled vestments, Eastern Orthodox schemas, Mitres, and Klobuks during live performances.
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