Ex Deo is a Canadian metal band formed in 2008 in Montreal, Quebec, a new Roman themed death metal group led by Maurizio Iacono (Kataklysm) released their debut album Romulus to the world on June 19, 2009 (Europe) and June 30, 2009 (North America) via Nuclear Blast Records. The album was recorded with producer (and Kataklysm guitarist) Jean-Francois Dagenais (Misery Index, Despised Icon, Malevolent Creation).
Hailing from the burning southern lands of Australia comes Bane of Isildur, furiously brandishing their own brand of Triumphant War Metal. Taking their name from the subject of so many glorious battles in J.R.R Tolkiens master piece, Bane of Isildur has moved from strength to strength with a sold out debut EP, a demo out in 2009 and full-length album due for release in 2010. Uniquely, Bane of Isildur's performance remains technical and melodic while remaining full of a fury rarely seen in today's age of heavy metal.
Since 2005, SVARTSOT has conveyed their distinctive blend of metal and folk music with a hint of the medieval age. Besides crushing guitars, bass and drums, the music is flavoured with the tones of authentic folk instruments such as whistles, mandolins and bagpipes adding the ruthless medieval feel, and melodies that only a lobotomy can remove from the head. Inspiration for SVARTSOT’s lyrics is found in the wealth of Danish folklore and history, and the merciless growled vocals of Thor (yes that is his real name!) are therefore entirely delivered in Danish.
Wardruna is a Norwegian musical constellation set out to explore and evoke the depths of heathen Germanic wisdom and spirituality. Musically Wardruna has its main focus on the cultic musical language found in the near-forgotten arts of galdr, seidr and the daily acts of the cultic life, mixed with impulses from Scandinavian and Nordic folk music. They formed in 2003 in Bergen, Norway. The album entitled ‘Gap var Ginnunga’ is the first in a planned trilogy that will interpret the runes of the Elder Futhark.
1) ZEKE established a nasty disposition while cutting teeth on their own brash hardcore punk. ZEKE formed in 1993 with an original lineup of Blind Marky Felchtone, Donny Paycheck, Mark Pierce, and Dizzy Lee Roth. The band’s first release was 1993’s 'West Seattle Acid Party' single on Wrecking Ball Records, followed by the 'Holley 750' single on IFA Records. ZEKE then set out to bring their energetic recordings to the stage and established a more than formidable reputation as "the live band to beat" via concentrated regional touring.
Kerry King (born June 3, 1964 in Los Angeles, California) is best known for his work as a guitarist in the band Slayer. Over the years, Kerry King's guitar style has remained the same, giving him a very distinctive sound. On earlier Slayer albums up to and including South of Heaven his playing focused more on speed and chaos than melody. However, in his post-Seasons In The Abyss work, Kerry has managed to capture more feel to his guitar work, showcasing more diverse and melodic styles.
In late 2004, Tobias Weinreich (Bass), Sebastian Scherrer (Keyboards), Marco Schomas (Vocals) and Simon Schillinger (Guitar) founded Finsterforst. They were still seeking more members however, so instead concentrated purely on songwriting. As a result, they created many songs without being able to perform them until later on. In spring 2005 the band decided to introduce an accordion player (Johannes Joseph) into the mix, a choice which has helped to shape their unique sound.
There are two artists using this name: a Swedish vikingarock band and a German pagan/viking metal band. 1. Hel is a vikingarock band from Sweden which in the beginning was tied to Ultima Thule's record label, and later they produced their music through their own label, Peanut Music AB. The group, which consists of Malin Pettersson (vocal), Ulrica Pettersson (vocal), Esa Rosenstr
Moonsorrow is a pagan metal band formed in Helsinki, Finland, in 1995. Musically, the band incorporates elements of black metal and folk metal in their sound. The band call their sound "epic heathen metal" and try to distance themselves from the term "viking metal". The group's earliest formation consisted of cousins Ville Sorvali (vocals and bass) and Henri Sorvali (guitar and keyboards; also keyboards for Finntroll, Barathrum, and session member of Ensiferum) who released various demos that were much more characteristic of melodic black metal than future releases.