There are bands that, no matter how hard you search, will always slip past you in the endless ocean of metal. Axemaster is one of those names: active since 1985, with a history full of changes, breaks and comebacks, but with a core that never bent. That core is Joe Sims, the only original guitarist who has played on every release since the band’s founding.
With the new album “Of Beasts and Plagues”, Axemaster return with a sound that clearly honours their legacy: solid, authentic heavy metal with a strong 80s aesthetic, yet played with the freshness and experience of a band that knows exactly what it wants to express.
A band with a history that never bent
In their early years, Axemaster released four works that left their mark on the underground:
- Slave to the Blade (1986, demo EP)
- Blessing in the Skies (1987, full‑length)
- The Vision (1988, shaped picture disc)
- Crusades (1988, shaped picture disc)
At the same time, they appeared on the Metalgon compilation by Azra Records and in the cult horror comedy film Killer Nerd. Their course had its ups and downs, but the band never really disappeared.
Tracklist – Of Beasts and Plagues
- The Plagues Among Us…
- Murder of Crows
- The Dark Side
- Kissed With a Fist
- Clinging to Life
- Terrortory
- Forsaken II
- Dealers
- Danse Macabre
- Machine
- Dagon Rising
- Shadows Cast
Release
“Of Beasts and Plagues” is released on June 19 via Cosmic Fire Records.
