Written by Alex Stojanovic

Even though it's not literal, but it feels like a lot of bands are wanting to release something new, whether it's an album, EP or a single track just before the end of the decade.  Hey, nothing wrong with that at all.  One of the new tracks that has been released right now is the brand new song from Carcass called "Under The Scalpel Blade".  The title is very Carcass-sounding, and it will be featured on their upcoming seventh studio album due in 2020.  When the new year hits, it will be seven years since the band released Surgical Steel, which was not only an awesome comeback album, so to speak, but an amazing album, period.  Ever since then, the demand for more new material has been high.

"Under The Scalpel Blade" seems to be a good blend of the vibes of Surgical Steel, Necroticism and Heartwork, which is quite a bit for one song, but that's good.  It opens with a galloping riff from Bill Steer, and blast beats from Dan Wilding, and transitions into a pure headbanging frenzy in the verses with a mid-paced chugging riff.  Vocally, Jeff Walker's signature raspy gutterals are still in tact, and the solo is a nice blend of soul and shred.  Speaking of the solo, I really like the dark harmonized part at the start of that section before the individual guitar takes over.

Given that it will be seven years since Surgical Steel came out, and how awesome it was, the next Carcass album is certainly one of the most anticipated releases of 2020, and "Under The Scalpel Blade" is a great indicator of the quality we can expect.  Just like at a restaurant, the delicious appetizer makes you excited for the main course that is to come.

CARCASS IS:

Jeff Walker - Lead vocals & bass
Bill Steer - Guitars & backing vocals
Daniel Wilding - Drums
Tom Draper - Guitars

Release Date:  December 13, 2019
Label:  Nuclear Blast Records
Website:  www.facebook.com/OfficialCarcass

Written by Alex Stojanovic

​​I can't believe it has already been six long years since Onslaught released a studio album.  Ever since the release of their most recent studio album VI in 2013, the British thrash fathers have played shows all around the world in support of the album, and a bunch of tours where they played their classic masterpiece The Force in its entirety.  Those tours were aptly dubbed The Full Force.  Over the last four or five years, the band went through some lineup changes with a revolving door of lead guitarist and drummer, but they managed to get the writing process going for what is to be their seventh studio album.  As of this typing, the band still have not announced anything regarding the new album.  They had a bunch of posts on Facebook with the heading "Major announcement coming", but they just turned out to be appearances at some major festivals.  We're still waiting.

However, earlier this year, they released a new track called "A Perfect Day To Die" as a holdover until the album is released.  The band first premiered the track during their appearance at Bloodstock Open Air in August 2018, and released a video for the track this past March.  Speaking about the track, it opens with this mean bass riff before launching into a classic speed metal assault with a punk-infused riff from Nige Rockett, and Sy Keeler's razor-sharp thrash growl.  With the gang vocals added on the "DIE!" in the chorus, that part is sure to get all the fists in the air when the track is played live.

The viciousness has gone up substantially with each album Onslaught released since Killing Peace in 2007.  That was a fantastic comeback album, and was super heavy.  Then Sounds Of Violence comes out in 2011, and that one was more vicious than Killing Peace.  Just when you thought it couldn't get more vicious than Sounds Of Violence, the band come slamming back two years later in 2013 with VI, and took it to another level.  That album is probably the heaviest album in the entire Onslaught discography.  I don't think it's going to be possible to get more vicious than that.  Will they prove me wrong?  We'll see, but if they do, my head is going to just explode.  I guess my expectations are just really high right now.  I honestly didn't find "A Perfect Day To Die" to be as brutal as "Chaos Is King", which is the most vicious Onslaught song ever.  However, given that the band have claimed that the next album is their most vicious attack yet, this song might just be the least brutal track on the album.

Written by Alex Stojanovic

TRACK LISTING

The Want Your Soul (feat. George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher)
Return From War (feat. Max Cavalera)
Strength To Draw The Line (feat. Jesse Leach)
Cleansed By The Waves (feat. Zoli Teglas)
When The Contagion Is You (feat. Matt Heafy)
Spilled Blood Never Dries (feat. Kirk Windstein)
Heaven Gets What It Wants (feat. Howard Jones)
Silence The Enemy Mind (feat. BillyBio)
Just Breathing (feat. Frank Palmeri)
Our Guardian Angel (feat. Phil Rind)
13 Appears (feat. Tommy Victor)
Holy Wars (Megadeth cover) (feat. Joey Concepcion)

Release Date:  December 13, 2019
Label:  Unsigned
Website:  www.jameyjasta.com

Okay, so here we are talking about the second of the two new Ozzy Osbourne tracks called "Straight To Hell".  I would easily take this song over "Under The Graveyard" any day.  This track also features Slash on guitar.

Written by Alex Stojanovic

OZZY OSBOURNE BAND IS:

Ozzy Osbourne - Vocals
Zakk Wylde - Guitars
Rob "Blasko" Nicholson - Bass
Adam Wakeman - Keyboards & rhythm guitars
Tommy Cluefetos - Drums

Release Date:  November 8, 2019
Label:  Epic Records
Website:  www.ozzy.com

The Prince Of Darkness: Ozzy Osbourne has had a pretty eventful decade.  He started off 2010 with the release of his last studio album Scream, which was the only album that Gus G. from Firewind played on while he was in Ozzy's band.  

Written by Alex Stojanovic

KING DIAMOND IS:

King Diamond - Vocals
Andy LaRocque - Guitars & keyboards
Mike Wead - Guitars
Matt Thompson - Drums
Pontus Egberg - Bass

Release Date:  November 8, 2019
Label:  Metal Blade Records
Website:  www.kingdiamondcoven.com

​The last time King Diamond released any studio recordings was in 2007 with the album Give Me Your Soul...Please.  At that time, I was 14, going on 15 years old, and entering my sophomore year of high school.

Written by Alex Stojanovic

TRACK LISTING

Genesis 19
Down On Your Knees
Out Of The Frontline Trench
Agent Orange (Re-recorded)
Bombenhagel (live)

SODOM IS:

Tom Angelripper - Vocals & bass
Frank Blackfire - Guitars
Yorck Segatz - Guitars
Stefan Huskens - Drums

Release Date:  November 22, 2019
Label:  SPV/Steamhammer Records
Website:  www.sodomized.info