🔥 Who Will Rise as This Week’s Champion on the MDR Battle Of The Bands? 🔥And who will dominate next month as Band of the Month on Metal Devastation Radio? Last month’s winners, ANTIPOPE , crushed the... More

🔥 Who Will Rise as This Week’s Champion on the MDR Battle Of The Bands? 🔥And who will dominate next month as Band of the Month on Metal Devastation Radio? Last month’s winners, ANTIPOPE , crushed the competition with a staggering 721,717 VOTES, claiming the title of Band of the Month on Metal Devastation Radio! You can check them out HERE! This is the weekly championship edition of the Band Of The Month – Battle Of The Bands that we host every month on MDR! How does it work?Every Monday, we launch a new poll featuring bands that submit music each week on metaldevastationradio.com. Voting runs until Friday at 9PM EST. Each Friday night, at the start of The Zach Moonshine Show, I’ll be spinning the Top Six weekly winners, and announcing the #1 band of the week live on air — getting thousands of listens on Mixcloud! At the end of the month, all weekly votes are added up, and the band with the highest total votes becomes our Band of the Month! Winning Band of the Month gets: A featured post on our Facebook page, reaching thousands of fans A front-page spotlight on metaldevastationradio.com, which pulls in hundreds of thousands of views every month A free PR email blast from Metal Devastation PR, hitting 40,000+ contacts including labels, zines, stations, and more Airplay every hour during general rotation Tons of social media shares and exposure across our network If you want the world to know who your band is, this is the easiest way to make it happen! 💥 Want in on the next battle?Comment below with your band name and we’ll add you to next week’s poll — or email me at zach@metaldevastationradio.com with “Battle Submission” in the subject line. Bands can compete as many times as they want, and if you enter multiple weeks in the same month, your votes combine toward the Band of the Month title! 👇 Click on the bands below to vote as many times as you like, or add your own! Poll closes Friday, May 29th at 9PM EST! Who Will Rise as This Week’s Champion on the MDR Battle Of The Bands?? 05/25/26 - 05/29/26 Less

Rick Rozz Talks Left To Die, Early DEATH Demos, Chuck Schuldiner Memories, And The New Album Initium Mortis Death Metal history is alive and well in 2026, and legendary guitarist Rick Rozz is right in the middle of it. During a recent appearance... More

Rick Rozz Talks Left To Die, Early DEATH Demos, Chuck Schuldiner Memories, And The New Album Initium Mortis Death Metal history is alive and well in 2026, and legendary guitarist Rick Rozz is right in the middle of it. During a recent appearance on The Zach Moonshine Show on Metal Devastation Radio, the original DEATH and MASSACRE guitarist opened up about Left To Die’s upcoming release Initium Mortis, the resurrection of early Mantas and DEATH demo material, working alongside Terry Butler, Matt Harvey, and Gus Rios, and the legacy of Chuck Schuldiner that still echoes through the underground Metal scene decades later. For longtime fans of Scream Bloody Gore, Leprosy, and the earliest days of Florida Death Metal, this conversation was pure gold. Left To Die Revives The Earliest DEATH And Mantas Material Unlike a standard tribute act, Left To Die digs directly into the roots of Death Metal itself. The band features original DEATH alumni Rick Rozz and Terry Butler alongside Matt Harvey of EXHUMED / GRUESOME and Gus Rios of GRUESOME. Their upcoming album Initium Mortis, arriving July 17, 2026 via Relapse Records, focuses heavily on the obscure 1983 and 1984 Mantas and DEATH demo era material that many fans only experienced through generations of worn-out cassette tape trading. According to Rozz, much of the credit for reconstructing those songs belongs to Matt Harvey. “Matt relearned all the songs from all the old demos. He literally went down the rabbit hole and pulled all those old tunes together.” Rozz repeatedly praised Harvey throughout the interview, emphasizing how much work went into preserving the authenticity of the original material while making it powerful enough for modern listeners. “The songs are probably 90% like they were back then. It’s basically a modern sounding demo.” That approach is exactly why the newly released single “Archangel” feels so unique. The song carries all the raw aggression and primitive chaos of early DEATH recordings while benefiting from modern production clarity. “Archangel” Captures The Spirit Of Early Death Metal When asked about the newly released version of “Archangel,” Rozz explained that the mission was never to modernize the songs beyond recognition. Instead, the goal was preservation. “Those old Mantas and DEATH demos were recorded on a jam box outside the garage with a towel over it.” Fans familiar with the earliest DEATH recordings will immediately recognize the influence of Slayer, Venom, and the primitive Thrash roots that helped shape Death Metal itself. Rozz laughed while discussing how surprising it feels hearing those riffs fully realized decades later. “I haven’t heard these songs in forever. There’s so much Slayer and Venom influence, it’s crazy.” The end result sounds less like a nostalgia project and more like an alternate-universe DEATH album finally receiving the production it always deserved. Rick Rozz Discusses His Classic Death Metal Guitar Tone For guitar players and gear fanatics, the interview also delivered plenty of insight into Rick Rozz’s iconic tone. Rozz broke down the exact amp settings and pedal combinations he has used for decades, explaining that his overall setup has remained surprisingly consistent throughout his career. “Presence all the way up on 10. Treble around two o’clock. Mids scooped completely out. Bass all the way up and gain all the way up.” He also discussed the impact of vintage BC Rich guitars equipped with onboard preamps, particularly during the From Beyond era with MASSACRE. “That preamp gave it that extra sizzle.” Despite experimenting with newer gear over the years, Rozz admitted he always ends up returning to his classic Boss Super OverDrive setup. Old-school Death Metal players everywhere immediately nodded in approval. Because some things simply do not need fixing. Chuck Schuldiner Memories And Life On The Road While many fans hoped for outrageous tour stories from the early DEATH days, Rozz kept things grounded and honest. According to him, the reality was far less glamorous and far more human. “There’s no crazy stories, man. It was just silly kid stuff.” Instead of destruction and chaos, Rozz shared memories of jokes, hotel room antics, and the tight friendships formed during the earliest years of DEATH and MASSACRE. One particularly hilarious memory involved Chuck Schuldiner climbing into a baby crib inside a hotel room while the band laughed hysterically. “Why was there a baby crib in the hotel room with four dudes? I still have the picture.” The interview revealed a side of the early DEATH era that often gets lost beneath the mythology: young musicians simply having fun while unknowingly creating an entirely new genre. Left To Die Continues Touring Worldwide Beyond the album release, Left To Die is also preparing for major international touring throughout 2026. Rozz confirmed upcoming European festival appearances and South American tour dates scheduled for later this year. “We’re going to Europe in July and South America in September.” Demand for the new material already appears massive, with multiple vinyl editions reportedly selling out quickly through Relapse Records shortly after announcement. For longtime fans of classic Florida Death Metal, the response proves there is still enormous hunger for the roots of the genre. The Legacy Of DEATH Still Lives Throughout the interview, Rozz consistently returned to one central idea: respect for Chuck Schuldiner and the original spirit of DEATH. “It’s all out of respect for Chuck.” That respect radiates throughout Initium Mortis. Rather than simply replaying old songs, Left To Die is preserving foundational Death Metal history for both longtime maniacs and newer generations discovering these riffs for the first time. And judging by the reaction to “Archangel,” fans are absolutely ready for it. Initium Mortis arrives July 17, 2026 via Relapse Records. Stay tuned to Metal Devastation Radio for more exclusive interviews, underground Metal coverage, and pure sonic devastation. STAY LOUD. Buy the record here at this link : https://www.relapse.com/pages/left-to-die-initium-mortis Full Show Track List:  Battle Of The Bands Top Six Winners:  1 - Trivan - Abyss Of Crawling Shadows - (5,135,523 votes)2 - La Paille - Aeon Dissector - (2,961,562 votes)3 - Another Demon - Drawn and Quartered feat. James Murphy (Testament, Death, Obituary) - (1,671,781 votes)4 - NIKOLA'S CAGE - RASCAL - (477,724 votes)5 - Heidbekka - Völva - (73,940 votes)6 - Soul Of Sheol - Paradise Is Not For Us - (28,447 votes) The Zach Moonshine Intro 7 - Ozzy Osbourne feat Type O Negative - Pictures Of Matchstick Man8 - Dimmu Borgir - AS SEEN IN THE UNSEEN9 - Violence System - Endmother LEFT TO DIE - Interview featuring Archangel 10 - Death - Zombie Ritual/Pull The Plug11 - Inhuman Condition - Executioner's Tax (Swing Of The Axe)/Whiplash12 - Six Feet Under - Mister Blood and Guts/Deathklaat/This Suicide13 - Tyrant - Between the Dirt and The Sky14 - Nervosa - Ghost Notes15 - Iron Wings - Snake eater16 - FROLIC - CELESTIAL AVENTUS17 - The Phoenix Within - Meat Bags18 - Vessel of Light - Dead Flesh And Bone19 - Primal - Infernal Nightmare20 - VOIDMAKER - The Post Human Emergence21 - Symphony of Destiny - The Riddle22 - Algebra - Resuscitation (Live at RKC)23 - Sweetland - Pariah24 - INSCRIBED - Machinery of War25 - Gravehuffer - Custom Of The Sea - (Live)26 - Anderwelt - Transanimalism27 - NetherDred - Spellbound28 - Webb Of Deceit - Hellswithin (Feat. Dave Frost & Jason Aaron Wood)29 - Burnt Witch - Bastard30 - Gods & Punks - The Lighthouse Full show streaming on Mixcloud:  Also check out the interview segment on YouTube, Spotify etc [jrEmbed module="jrYouTube" youtube_id="iWXTfEu-swU"] [jrEmbed module="jrYouTube" youtube_id="h_FOENr9hWU"] Super massive shout out to the 331,317 metal maniacs from around the world that tuned in to the live broadcast Friday night!  Less

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Violence System Announces New Album The Hollowing Featuring Crushing First Single “Endmother” Atlanta, Georgia melodic death metal wrecking crew Violence System are preparing to unleash their newest full-length assault, The... More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Violence System Announces New Album The Hollowing Featuring Crushing First Single “Endmother” Atlanta, Georgia melodic death metal wrecking crew Violence System are preparing to unleash their newest full-length assault, The Hollowing, arriving August 7th on all major streaming platforms. Leading the charge is the already released first single, “Endmother,” a punishing statement of intent that showcases the band’s evolving sound: razor-sharp precision, suffocating atmosphere, and sheer unrelenting aggression. Combining the brutality of Thy Art Is Murder with the technical ferocity of Decapitated and the dark cinematic scope of Dimmu Borgir, Violence System continue carving out a lane entirely their own. Since forming in 2015, the Atlanta-based outfit has steadily built a reputation for blending melodic depth with crushing heaviness, creating music that feels both massive and emotionally devastating. With The Hollowing, the band pushes further into darker territory, delivering a record packed with punishing riffs, haunting textures, and apocalyptic intensity. “Endmother” offers listeners a glimpse into the themes explored throughout the album, touching on decay, existential collapse, and the fragility buried beneath human nature. The track has already begun turning heads among fans of extreme modern metal and signals a bold new chapter for the band. Known for their explosive sonic production and immersive songwriting, Violence System continue to refine the formula that has earned them a loyal underground following. The Hollowing promises to be their most ambitious and devastating release to date. Fans can stream “Endmother” now and prepare for the arrival of The Hollowing on August 7th. https://open.spotify.com/artist/4wE9grWmR6adR4mvqjuenS  For more information, promo requests, or to arrange an interview, please contact: zach@metaldevastationradio.com [jrEmbed module="jrYouTube" youtube_id="YC82dTMy8j8"]   Follow the band and label at these links: https://facebook.com/ViolenceSystemOfficialhttps://violencesystemga.bandcamp.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/4wE9grWmR6adR4mvqjuenShttps://www.facebook.com/DarkSailsEntertainment Less

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MULCIBER Featured By Necromance Following Release Of Crushing New Single “Ashes Of Gehenna” Cleveland, Ohio death metal destroyers Mulciber continue building momentum toward their upcoming full-length album Of Insidious... More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MULCIBER Featured By Necromance Following Release Of Crushing New Single “Ashes Of Gehenna” Cleveland, Ohio death metal destroyers Mulciber continue building momentum toward their upcoming full-length album Of Insidious Essence with a major feature from Spanish extreme metal outlet Necromance, spotlighting the band’s latest single and video “Ashes Of Gehenna.” Originally released on March 13, 2026, “Ashes Of Gehenna” serves as the first devastating taste of Of Insidious Essence, due out later this year. Necromance praised the band’s savage fusion of early 2000s death metal brutality, modern precision, and old-school riff worship, shining a light on MULCIBER’s unrelenting approach to extreme music. Forged during the chaos of the 2020 global pandemic, MULCIBER emerged from Cleveland’s underground with a mission to combine multiple eras of death metal into one punishing sonic assault. The band delivers a crushing blend of blast-driven aggression, monstrous riffs, and abyssal vocal fury that hits with both nostalgic brutality and modern intensity. The current lineup features underground metal veterans Aaron Gall (ex-EMBALMER, ex-LIMBSPLITTER), Dan Gates (ex-TON, VICAR BLOOD, MUTUAL HOSTILITY), alongside Ian Lanney and Bill Long. Following the release of their 2022 EP Misery Of One through Redefining Darkness Records, the band has continued sharpening its sound into something even more vicious and unforgiving. Drawing influence from legendary acts such as Morbid Angel, Suffocation, Aborted, Blood Red Throne, Vile, and Aeon, MULCIBER’s sound channels the relentless aggression of classic death metal while maintaining a razor-sharp modern edge. “Ashes Of Gehenna” was produced by Tony Tipton, while the official music video was created by Chris Walter Visuals. The track showcases the band’s most extreme material to date and sets the stage for what promises to be a devastating full-length release with Of Insidious Essence. With international media support growing and anticipation building around the upcoming album, MULCIBER are proving they are more than ready to carve their name deeper into the modern death metal underground. Check out the Necromance feature here:https://necromance.eu/mulciber-estrenan-el-video-de-ashes-of-gehenna-y-anuncian-su-nuevo-album-of-insidious-essence/  Connect: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mulciberWebsite: www.Mulciberohio.com Contact: mulciberohio@gmail.com Less

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TYRANT ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM EMERGO + RELEASE FIRST SINGLE “BETWEEN THE DIRT AND THE SKY” Lansing, Michigan metal outfit Tyrant returns with their third full-length album Emergo, set for release on July 17, 2026. Alongside the... More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TYRANT ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM EMERGO + RELEASE FIRST SINGLE “BETWEEN THE DIRT AND THE SKY” Lansing, Michigan metal outfit Tyrant returns with their third full-length album Emergo, set for release on July 17, 2026. Alongside the announcement, the band drops the first single, “Between The Dirt and The Sky,” available everywhere starting May 22, 2026. Built on a foundation of speed metal aggression, sharp melodic hooks, and emotionally driven songwriting, Emergo pushes Tyrant into deeper and more expansive territory without losing the bite that defines their sound. The record moves through themes of love, grief, confusion, and self-empowerment, delivered with the kind of intensity that feels like it was forged the old-school way, loud, fast, and unapologetic. “This record is about persevering through the chaos and trials of life and pushing forward to see what truly lies ahead” the band states. Unlike many modern releases that outsource the creative process, Emergo was fully written, engineered, and produced by Tyrant themselves, keeping the vision tight and uncompromised from start to finish. The album was mixed and mastered by Alex Parra of Second Sight Sound, giving the record its final punch and clarity while preserving its raw edge. The lead single, “Between The Dirt and The Sky,” sets the tone for what’s coming, balancing high velocity metal with atmospheric tension and emotional punch. It’s a strong first signal that Tyrant is not repeating the past, but sharpening it. The accompanying visual work features cinematography by Terjae Maki and video editing and FX by Barak Haring, rounding out a full creative package that reflects the band’s hands-on approach. For fans of classic and modern heavy metal intensity, Emergo lands in the lane of bands like Lamb of God, Trivium, and Shadows Fall, while still carving out its own identity. Pre-orders for Emergo are available now via the band’s official website Tyrant Official Website and select digital platforms. Release Schedule Single “Between The Dirt and The Sky” — May 22, 2026Album Emergo — July 17, 2026 Label: NoneManagement: None Credits Written, engineered, and produced by TyrantMixed and mastered by Alex Parra (Second Sight Sound)Cinematography by Terjae MakiVideo editing and FX by Barak HaringArtwork by Ryan T Hancock  Check out the video:  [jrEmbed module="jrYouTube" youtube_id="-xtXvDXEYas"] Connect: https://linktr.ee/tyrantband Contact: info@tyrantband.com Less