Promoting metal as art and culture

Desecration

Gore is just the beginning Desecration is a brutal death metal band from Wales. The band have been causing controversy since 1995 when their “Gore & Perversion” album was infamously seized and incinerated by the police due to its offensive content. The band was told to “tone right down”, but the band continued. Now, with…

H.E.A.T

Swedish rockers raise temperature to a million degrees at this year’s Download Festival! In a blaze of golden light, stage smoke and to the music of one of rock’n’roll’s truly legendary bands, KISS, yet another Download Festival has come to a thunderous and epic conclusion. I can only presume that this year will leave a…

Tuska 2015 – Denim. Check! Leather. Check! Chains and studs. Check! Band t-shirt (Slayer). Check!

It took a little preparation but now I was armed and ready to enter the gates of Tuska (translated ‘pain’, ‘agony’) Open Air Metal Festival once again in Helsinki, Finland. Like last year there were masses of metalheads showing off their best outfits and makeups. Bands like Abbath gathered many corpsepainted human gargoyles out of…

Insomnium

Shadows of Rebellion ‘Shadow of the Dying Sun’ is the sixth studio release from Finland’s melodic death metal scene Insomnium. They have come a long way in their musical progress since their Demo release in 1999. Insomnium creations are filled with obscure sounds and haunting melodies encompassed by very dark lyrics about pain, life, nature and…

Zev Deans

The dawn of Dark Nouveau HMA: Hello Zev and thanks for this interview. Not judging but looking at your other work the style used for ‘Portal’ and ‘Behemoth’ are considerably different. How did you get involved? Zev Deans: I contacted Portal. Behemoth contacted me, after seeing the ‘Portal’ video. I’m not sure if by style,…

Godsmack

Smacked by Sully Erna at Download! Godsmack is one of the heavy-hitters of metal music. Sporting three consecutive number-one albums and a worldwide fan-base, Godsmack have more than earned the respect of even the most high-brow rock/metal critic. It’s no surprise that so many of the people who attended the last day of Download were…

Marcelo Vasco – Slayer Repentless

Slayer’s Brazilian Connection: An interview with designer Marcelo Vasco about creating “Repentless” cover artwork. In recent years, Brazilian designer/musician, Marcelo Vasco has been leaving his visual mark in the Metal scene thanks to his album covers for Metal heavyweights like Soulfly, Borknagar and Machine Head. Recently, Vasco’s pedigree went to roof thanks to his latest…

Andreu Beltrán

Creation must flow like fire, free, chaotic and passionate My parents taught me to love art and culture. I have always drawn and have been interested in sculpture and music. I studied several years in an Art School and have always taught myself through courses (drawing, design, photography, craftsmanship) in an autodidact way. Through the…

Gabriel Rodriguez

Artesanias Rockeras Honduras HMA: Can you tell us about yourself and how you started to work as a woodcarver? Gabriel Rodriguez: Everything started as a hobby when I was a kid, but I think now that I always had the passion for woodwork in my blood; that plus a certain amount of initiative and creativity.…

César Adrian

Worlds without the need for ego I never studied at art schools but I am now thinking about it. I always thought that schools might change perception on how I see art and also I do not want to follow rules. I was always been fond of my favourite bands artworks, the music/art relationship go…

Arcturus

Guided by the supernatural Norwegian avant-garde metal Arcturus is finally back after a decade with the awaited new album “Arcturian”. Formed in 1987, the first full-length was released in 1996. Current cosmic crew consist of former Dimmu Borgir member ICS Vortex and Mayhem drumming master Hellhammer alongside ex-Ulver and ex-Mortem members. HMA catch up with…

Blind Guardian

At the edge of the imagination With a musical career that started nearly 30 years ago, Blind Guardian is a cult to an incredible number of faithful fans. The year 2015 saw the release of their tenth studio album ‘Beyond the Red Mirror’ which delivers a flawless fusion of orchestral elements into heavy metal. A…