Devil's Horns Zine

Despised Icon-Purgatory album review and interview. Neither despised but without a doubt an absolute icon in the field of Deathcore. Cheesy puns aside, this is a breathtaking release of unrivaled and belligerent weight. It is extremely fierce and to create such a colossal album this far into their distinguished career is pretty damn amazing. Two albums after reforming and the world is at this band's feet. Purgatory is impeccable and magnificent.
Their bio states: 

Despised Icon is a Canadian deathcore band from Montreal, Quebec. Formed in 2002, the band is noted for the talent of its drummer, Alex Pelletier, whom makes frequent use of the blasting technique, as well as for its dual lead vocalists; Alex Erian and Steve Marois. Erian makes use of a mid-range growl technique while Marois performs high-pitched shrieks, deeper growled vocals and pig squeals.
In April 2010, the band disbanded, but officially reformed four years later in February 2014.Beast was released in 2016 and was e…

Fucking Violence-Ingratidao album review and interview. How do you view hardcore to be? personally, I think it needs to be aggressive and have a message. The overarching impact is a key factor and Fucking Violence is like a shotgun blast to your kneecaps my friends. Pure unadulterated audio warfare that will blow you across the room. San Paulo, Brazil is the battleground and Thiago is the battalion leader crushing all fake arse stooges. Heavy and hard as nails is the essence of this sensational release.
1054 records amazingly (yet no surprise with the incredible artists on their roster!!) secured this debut killer album from the boys from Brazil and that is one score. Because even the preview tracks didn't give a hint to how intense and brutal this album would be. This is the debut full-length album direct from the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil. And we all know Brazil has always and still does give rise to the most relentless bands worldwide.
And with a name like 'FUCKING VIOL…

Strigoi-Abandon all Faith Album review and interview. Grim and heavy is the commanding tone throughout this remarkable release. Strigoi is a band that drips into the dark side of metal. You could easily reference bands like Amebix, Bolt Thrower, Morbid Angel and Amenra in the concrete foundations of this monolith of an album. But let it stand on its own merits because it is a thrilling and nasty work of art.
Strigoi was formed when Greg MacKintosh (of Paradise Lost) reunited for an upcoming project with his comrade Chris Casket; who previously played with him in Vallenfyre (as well as Extreme Noise Terror) for a completely different project. All the fine-tuned skills both members have gained over their musical careers have resulted in an album that is frankly amazing, compelling and jaw-dropping. And this is their debut, now that is astonishing. 
The heart of the album's sound is old school death metal with noteworthy touches of black metal, industrial and doom metal. Then beneat…

Diploid-Glorify album review. Music should be a richly creative construct that has depth and is not remotely throwaway. This requires specialist skillsets that draw on both life experience and the ability to transfer ideas into the chosen medium. This is why fans of extreme music (and art) have a deep connection to artists that deliver this with no bravado, just devotion, and frenzied dexterity to their craft. 
Diploid is a breathtaking three-piece band that basically does what the hell it wants to. And that is not just being D.I.Y. or punk, it's fierce and utter defiance to the filth of mainstream music. Indeed they have black metal, noise, blackgaze, grind, hardcore, and even doom influences or snippets in their works. But it is how it all comes together throughout each of their releases, in the final product both as an overwhelming live performance or an album. And deliver they do, yet again with the heartstopping and breathtaking Glorify.
Glorify is dark, fucked up, brooding, d…

King-Coldest of Cold album review. Melbourne just keeps providing some of the best bands in the entire country. King is such a clearly dominant metal force and even though it has an all-star lineup from bands like Blood Duster and Psycroptic; it reaches beyond these constraints on their second and very defined album; Coldest of Cold.
It is musically brilliant as expected, but easily the sharpest and most creative band we have heard in the last decade. King exists in between subgenres, but not as a crowd pleaser, but rather a band that really, like really understands the purpose of metal. That is to create an atmosphere, a soundtrack to the harsh reality of existence and grab at your soul. Plus make you wanna rock out at its heaviness.
For an album with such a grim title, (and let's be frank this is an exceptionally dark and unsettling album that is very broadly blackened metal with tons of mood and guitar wizardry) this has so much soul and groove. The moody buildups are fantasti…

Smash Your Enemies- Become Death EP review. Upstate Records yet again busting heads again. No chance of any let up on this label and this one will cure any fans of abrasive, metallic hardcore with a massive metal edge. The sheer grit of this release was awesome. Well recommended!!.
Bio reads as such: Straight out of Detroit comes Smash Your Enemies; a band that has established a reputation from the hard-edged music they make and chaos that it brings. Settling no qualms made, the band has already toured the United States and Canada with only one thing in mind: destruction.

Smash Your Enemies first full length "The Great Midwest Trendkill" was just the beginning.  2019 sees this band bring their brand of Murder City mentality with the gloriously evil Become Death EP.
Sound-wise think of Blood for Blood meets Biohazard in a bare-knuckle brawl with Hatebreed and Sacred Reich. And that's no joke. Six tracks of extremely gritty hardcore that is very catchy and the music is agg…

Arcline-Gateway Drugs EP. Upstate Records continue to be the best American hardcore label by a mile. Arcline is a fantastic band that has existed since 2014, but a rejigged line-up sees them stronger than ever. Marty from Hoods fame is now on vocals and this lineup is solid for these five tracks of sheer hardcore perfection.
Production is immense with Taylor of Nails/Twitching Tongues handling production and killing it.  It's aggressive and just heads on heavy with the clarity of my fave sxe records.
The EP consists of four originals and a Warzone cover, yeah baby!!. The style is definitely a mix of old school crushing NYHC meets L.A. hardcore, which this war ensemble is based. So pretty much angry as fuck stuff with some Terror style class.
This EP gives you a taste of hopefully a full album in the future. I loved the aggression, but the delivery was so perfect in every way. Riffs are plentiful and pissed off vocals carry every song in a joy-filled Merauder meets Excel kinda sty…

We recently reviewed Fallbrawl's incredible album Darkness and it's a beast you definitely need on rotation. When the chance to interview this amazing band came up, we jumped at the chance.

Fallbrawl is at the cutting edge of their genre and even biting into at other heavy genres. Groundbreakingly heavy and they simply demand your attention.

Stefan (guitar) was great value and passionate as hell. Enjoy this wicked interview.

DH-You have dropped one of the heaviest metallic hardcore/extreme metal releases in 10 years, what is the background to this album, I know the label gave you three years to refine and craft this release, we would love to hear about the inspiration and also the processes behind it.

S-First off; Thank you for your kind words, I really appreciate that. You may have noticed that over the last years and the previous LP’s the metallic influence has grown constantly, leading to our release “Chaos Reigns” in 2016. With “Darkness” we basically have tried to follow…

Ross the Boss interview pre-Australian Tour. Manowar has greatly influenced and been a gateway for many metal fans into our wide and varied genre. But great music is always great music and Ross the Boss lives and breathes these attributes. Ross left Manowar back in 1989, but since then has simply not wasted any time releasing fantastic albums and frankly killer live performances. Also one cannot be too Manowar centric, because Ross was in (and still is) in the mighty Dictators; a punk band that to me was always as solid as New York Dolls and The Stooges.  


From this Friday, Ross the Boss band are touring New Zealand and Australia and playing the classic Manowar album Hail to England in its entirety plus other Manowar classics. Plus tracks from Ross the Boss band's solid three albums. And this writer rates them as high as the Manowar's classics, particularly the last album, By Blood Sworn.
We were lucky enough to chat to this living legend and he remains as hard-working as ev…

Download 2020.
People remember this is only the first announcement, but it's damn huge. Something for everyone.

Kudos Download Festival Australia Clutch, Ministry, In Flames, Bodyjar, Venom Prison(still can't believe it) Testament and Carcass(you do realise they play tons off the first three albums yeah???) Disentomb, The Hu and Baroness.......like hell yes!!!

Miss this at your peril,

you know you loved the last two, don't miss this.


We are of course covering the event.Horns Up Peeps!!


Tickets on sale now and Moshtix even has a after/later pay deal.
Melbourne: https://rcl.ink/O2u
Sydney: https://rcl.ink/O2O
And to any sad people bagging this out, remember a few things; festivals are complicated to organise and cater for all genres, and all you need is literally four bands to have a kickarse day!!!
Cannot fucking wait for this festival!!

Agnostic Front- Get Loud! album review. To dilute the influence Agnostic Front has had on hardcore worldwide would be absolute sacrilege to this musical institution. To us Agnostic Front fans, we have been blessed; we had the glorious The Godfathers of Hardcore film, which to me is the best hardcore doco ever released and now we get a new album. And an absolute killer one that sits right next to their best albums.
Take a breath punk and think about how incredible the classic AF albums were. This writer doesn't think they have ever released a weak album, they mixed it up and be it street punk or metal, always keep themselves a pivotal force in hardcore. That's right, progression folks. A real secret to longevity. But as I suggested, think Victim In Pain, Cause for Alarm, Liberty and Justice For... and Live at CBGB. Simply stunning hardcore classic albums with grit and power. Well time to step up and Get Loud!.
This is a well-produced album that sounds like a proper hardcore re…

EyeHateGod Interview with Mike IX Williams. EyeHateGod is pure sludge metal greatness, but with a solid punk/hardcore base that crosses so many genres. Undefinable, heavy and original. That is definitely the way of EHG. On the eve of their Australian tour, we had the chance to chat with Mike IX, lead singer and the lead protagonist of this classic band. To say it was all we imagined and more is a gross understatement. 
Eyehategod have rightfully been anti-authority and non-mainstream since your inception, why is pushing back against the norms so damn important
still in 2019? (Because regardless of genre EHG still remains as punk as
hell in my opinion)

Mike IX: First of all EHG is not a political band, I'm just speaking
personally for myself when my opinions are espoused. It's so damn important
in 2019 ESPECIALLY but always and forever as well of course. The president
of the AmeriKlan people right now is a fucking joke & has brought the
cockroaches out of the woodwork and into th…

INTERVIEW WITH MICK GEGGUS/COCKNEY REJECTS. Through my media work, I have got to do some interviews with those I consider musical icons and legends that have influenced me in so many ways. None come greater than this interview with Mick Geggus, guitarist and one of the founders of street punk pioneers, Cockney Rejects. Their influence on punk/hardcore/metal is far-reaching and for this writer opened up a whole world of music; for me, the Rejects were my Clash or Sex Pistols. Complete game changers and their albums are still absolute classics. I had the chance to have a great chat with Mick about all things Rejects, football, East End Babylon Dvd, political correctness and music in general. The bloke was as genuine and endearing as you expect. Down to earth, a wicked sense of humor and a straight shooter. After the interview, I had the chance to finally see the Cockney Rejects live and many of my peers called it the greatest night of their punk lives. I agree the set was solid as hell…