Mickey's Metal Morsels: Episode Nineteen

Welcome to Metal Morsels episode nineteen! As ever there’s a lot to get through so I’ll stop waffling and just say this – enjoy the music!
MAATKARE

In the heart of a male dominated death metal landscape, stands Maatkare – an all-female lineup channelling the essence of ancient Egypt through their fierce musical expression. Founded in March 2020, this band of ambitious women has been steadily carving their path, which culminated in the release of their debut single, War Before Peace .

In crafting their music, Maatkare draws inspiration from the rich tapestry of death and black metal, with influences from Nile, Scarab, Behemoth, Arch Enemy and Kataklysm. Infused with the untold stories of powerful women who have shaped history.

Named after one of Pharaoh Hatshepsut’s many titles, Maatkare is more than just a band; it’s a testament to the unyielding strength and resilience of female power, both past and present. Fronted by the dynamic vocalist Janneke de Rooy, whose commanding presence on stage is matched only by her pharaohcious vocal delivery, Maatkare is rounded out by the bass lines of Amie Chatterley and the guitar work of Georgia Bell.

The genesis of Maatkare was a meeting of musical minds during the dreaded 2020 spanning, with original members spanning across the Globe. With the current lineup arising from diverse backgrounds, including Janneke’s experience with Beyond The Pale, Amie’s tenure with Dakesis and WomenOwar, and Georgia’s more notable session work with Harper (thatyellaharper), the band brings a wealth of talent and experience to the table.

At the heart of Maatkare’s musical ethos lies a profound connection to Egyptian history and mythology, refracted through the lens of the band’s powerful feminine perspective. Through their upcoming debut album, slated for release later this year, Maatkare delves deep into the legacy of Pharaoh Hatshepsut, exploring her reign and the tumultuous era in which she ruled with a blend of reverence and raw intensity.

Sirens of sound, women of history, Maatkare has arrived.

TORREFY

Unorthodox Canadian blackthrashers Torrefy have just released Enslaved New World, the second single from forthcoming album, Necronomisongs.

The band released the following statement about the new single: “Enslaved New World is the next track we’ve premiered from our upcoming album Necronomisongs! With every track on the album being based on a favourite book of vocalist John Ferguson, this next one is from the fantasy series The Death Gate Cycle. One of his favourite takes on the fantasy genre; it lulls you into a sense of familiarity with an almost paint-by-numbers fantasy setting and story, which quickly evolves into a vast conceptual tapestry of excellent lore, characters and subjects.”

The band, who weave together elements of black, death and thrash metal to form their sound, report that Necronomisongs is targeted for a ( Northern) Autumn 2024 release. Have a listen to the new track and see what you think!

WARHOG

Warhog is excited to announce the release of their new EP, The Dystopian Chronicles, Vol. 1, which was released June 28th. The latest offering from the North Texas metal quartet is the first installment in a trilogy that explores the darker sides of humanity—violence, the lust for power, obsession, and deceit—through a narrative set in a dystopian future.

Formed in early 2020, Warhog consists of Scott Beetley on vocals and guitar, Eric Kendall on guitar, Justin Hopper on bass, and Robert Powers on drums. The band blends driving, rhythmic riffs with melodic, storytelling vocals, drawing inspiration from giants like Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Mastodon, Pantera and Brendon Small, creating a unique blend that honours traditional metal while pushing into new territories.

Described by Sentinel Daily‘s very own Ferry Templeton as being ‘one of the best straight-up metallic rushes I’ve had in a while’ after hearing the EP, Warhog has a sound that’s sure to appeal to metal fans across the spectrum.

As the band unveils The Dystopian Chronicles, Vol. 1, they invite fans old and new to explore this gripping new project. Each track promises to be a profound reflection on the complexities of our modern world, all set against the backdrop of an ominous dystopian future. Don’t miss this intense and immersive musical experience — experience the next chapter in Warhog’s evolving saga.

JUPITER CYCLOPS

Formed by scene veteran Aaron Peltz (Downthesun, On a Pale Horse) and joined by guitarist Dustin Lyon (Opiate for the Masses), bassist Jake Melius (Big Wheel Stunt Show), and drummer Kyle Eades (Old Fashion Assassin), Jupiter Cyclops is ready to set the rock world on fire!

Their debut album Age Of The UFOnaut is an electrifying blend of heads down fury, wigout-inducing rhythms and tunes you’ll be whistling for days after first contact. Influenced by classic rock and NWoBHM, this album is for fans of Clutch, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and more.

Jupiter Cyclops describes the album as: “The album has energy, rockin riffs, catchy powerful vocal melodies, and contagious grooves that you’ll want more of. Each song can hold its own. If you like UFOs, interstellar demons, and tapping into a part of your brain you didn’t know was there, this is for you.”

TERMINAL SUN

The race is nearly over; our wild-eyed, frantic sprint towards oblivion. With barely a backward glance at the ravaged paradise that sheltered us, or compassionate thought for the innocent in their billions, trampled beneath our feet. Gripped by an innate madness which has fed upon our base desires, like a parasitical tape-worm of the soul, we sprint faster, out-running the desperate clutches of hope, until we burst through the finishing tape and plummet into the void. Finally, there is nothing left to kill and all that will burn is already on fire…

Forged with passion, grit and determination, All That Will Burn Is Already On Fire is the debut album from Sheffield’s Terminal Sun – an overpowering, all consuming vision of the end. Catastrophic Error beckons us forward into the darkness with newsreel reports of the Chernobyl disaster and an underlying sense of foreboding and menace, a growing unease that then detonates, reforming itself into the thick, muscular riffs of AZ5 – a mechanistic march with a seething, scalding core of organic matter; man and machine in imperfect, broken dissonance. The passages of fierce and fiery energy, the staggering, lurching, unnatural riffs and the shocking solos that dance across their armour plated surfaces are immediately impressive, towering presences…but All That Will Burn… has many different elements, unsuspected angles and hidden hollows of dreaming quicksand.

This darkness is deeper than you think. These surprising shadows are not only found in the obvious alternatives of the lonely melodies of Macready’s Last Stand or the haunting atmospheres of The Spirit Of Dark And Lonely Water Pt.1; they also lurk within the morose mutations of Metamorph and in the tribal hymn to an incinerated past and non-existent future that eats at the heart of All That Will Burn Is Already On Fire. Indeed, every passage in this tale of waste and error possesses more than you might first imagine – all concluding in the staggering, epic collision of death, doom and black metals that is The Space Between Two Deaths – a magnificent summation of this final journey into the night.