Speed metal

Guides, Primers, and Features

Bestial Invasion: A Guide to Teutonic Thrash Metal

The German thrash metal scene of the 1980s, often called Teutonic thrash because of the old Germanic tribe name, is not the most obscure or overlooked part of metal overall. Bands like Sodom or Kreator are popular and, relatively speaking, commercially successful. In terms of available information, the German metal media also make this scene quite approachable to a new listener: interviews, articles and documentaries are all available today within a few clicks.

This is an invitation to take a look under the hood of a fascinating and very influential scene.

By Quorton, ago
Demo Dungeon

Demo Dungeon: Whetstone – Ancient Metal Review

Just one look at the cover of the demo tape tells us everything we need to know. Scanning the artwork, you see an all black and blood-red aesthetic featuring a medieval warrior sitting upon a throne. Your eyes are drawn to the words “WHETSTONE” and “ANCIENT METAL”. Now I see something like this and it immediately gives me a certain expectation of the band’s sound and luckily, Ancient Metal sounds exactly like it looks.

By Marco, ago
Lost in Time

Lost in Time: Su Ta Gar – Jaiotze Basatia Review

As heavy metal grew in Spain during the 1980s, metal bands appeared in all regions of the country. In the midst of this explosion, on the 14th of August 1988, a new act by the name of Su Ta Gar played their first concert in the small village of Ondarru. Unlike their regional peers, they sung completely in Euskera (Basque). While this might not seem like a big deal, heavy metal there had always been delivered in Spanish to achieve the widest appeal possible. Euskera was reserved for the punk-influenced acts of the Basque radical rock scene. They were received with thunderous support and this was the spark that would push them forward, not knowing the legacy they were about to create.

By dzorr, ago