Exumer is an old-school thrash metal unit from Wiesbaden in Germany. They were active from 1985-1991 during which time they released two highly influential albums. The band would break up and remain inactive until reforming for a one-off performance at the 2001 staging of The Wacken Open Air Festival in their native land.

In 2012, Exumer resurfaced with their first studio album in 25 years, the highly impressive return to form Fire & Damnation. Now, four years later, the band has delivered their excellent fourth album The Raging Tides. The record was released on January 29, 2016 via Metal Blade Records. If you’re a fan of classic thrash like early Slayer and Anthrax, be sure not to miss this record… it kicks some serious ass!

This week’s Massive Metal Monday spotlight song is from The Raging Tides and is called “Catatonic.” Check out the official video right here below. Crank it up and get your mosh on!

Convulse hails from the town of Nokia in Finland and originally went by the moniker of S.D.S. They are widely considered to be the forefathers of death metal in their native land. The band was initially active from 1988 to 1994, in which time they released two hugely influential albums. They would sit out 18 years before resurfacing in 2012 and have since released two more critically acclaimed albums in a more progressive death metal style. Their latest album was released March 18, 2016 and is titled Cycle of Revenge.

This week’s Massive Metal Monday track is the second song on Cycle of Revenge. This is “God Is You.” Crank it up and enjoy!

Polish death metal band Decapitated is celebrating its 20th anniversary as a band this year. It is a career that has been filled with major triumphs and devastating tragedies.

Formed in 1996 by 15-year-old guitarist WacÅ‚aw “Vogg” KieÅ‚tyka and his 12-year-old brother Witold “Vitek” KieÅ‚tyka, the band would sign their first record deal before the members were out of their teens. Over the course of their first four albums, Decapitated established themselves as one of the preeminent technical death metal bands in the world.

Sadly, tragedy stuck the band while touring Eastern Europe in 2007 when their tour van collided with a logging truck. Vitek was killed at the age of 23, while singer Adrian “Covan” Kowanek was left in a coma. He has not fully recovered from his injuries to this day.

One might not immediately equate the late, great David Bowie with heavy metal, but to dismiss his influence on the genre would be remiss. Between the years of 1988-1992, the Thin White Duke teamed up with guitarist Reeves Gabrels and a rhythm section consisting of brothers Hunt and Tony Sales (sons of famous TV funnyman Soupy Sales) to form a metallic edged hard rock collective known as Tin Machine.

The project only saw the release of two studio albums (both of which were produced by my friend Tim Palmer) and one live record, but in that short span the band would produce some of the heaviest, angriest music of Bowie’s storied career.

Magic Circle may have been born in the wrong decade. The young Massachusetts band sound like they belong to the early ’80s New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Their epic arrangements, clean soaring vocals, and driving riffage calls to mind a cross between Iron Maiden, Diamond Head, and Dio era Sabbath.

Continue below for a taste of the band in the form of the epic fifth track off their second full-length album Journey Blind, titled “Ghosts of the Southern Front.”