AXEMASTER

Joe Sims here (lead guitar, songwriter, and Producer for AXEMASTER); I spent the first couple months of when most things were shut down due to the pandemic, by putting together the few riffs I had written over the last couple years and writing all the rest of the music for a new Axemaster album (12 songs and an album intro); then recording demos of each tune to a metronome for a drummer to record his tracks to. I'm extremely proud of the guitar/bass parts I wrote. I personally feel that, taking all the songs into account as a whole, they feature the most creative and interesting guitar parts I've ever written. To me, the stuff is very high on the kick ass scale!!! It has amazing potential, but obviously, to reach that potential, all the other parts (vocals, drums, etc.) and the performances have to be just as killer as the guitar parts. That's the goal and challenge that awaits us.

Ex-Axemaster drummer (and current drummer for the Disturbed tribute band STUPIFY), Denny Archer, has agreed to play session drums for the album and record his tracks using his personal studio (a professional setup designed specifically for recording drums). I worked with him on the 2 songs he's starting with and was blown away by what he came up with. He really got the "vibe" and "feel" of the songs perfectly. Denny and I have known each other almost our entire lives, I've played with him in 2 different bands, and heard him play with several other projects, and I've never heard him play quite like this: very heavy and intense in ways that are outside his normal wheelhouse. He's obviously putting a whole lot of time and effort into writing the best drum lines for us that he possibly can, so I want to give my brother a public and totally sincere THANK YOU for what he's doing and ask anyone out there from the (expired link). Ohio area and the surrounding states to check out Stupify if you see that they are playing near you, a kick ass band with kick ass musicians!!!!! (expired link)

Other than the drums, I will be recording, producing, mixing, and mastering the album entirely at my studio: Chamber Studios. And (like I need any more reasons to be excited about this project!), my studio has just gotten a huge facelift: a new studio computer (thanks to our singer Geoff McGraw) as well as upgraded multi-track and mastering software, all of which are HUGE upgrades over what I was previously using and will allow me to do things production-wise that I've never been able to do before.

Lately a lot of people have been asking me when the new album is going to be out. Please remember, we are at just the very beginning of an EXTREMELY long, involved, and detailed process. There is a whole lot of time and work that must go into ALL the material before we get to the point to where we can send masters to Pure Steel Records to be printed. And I'm a perfectionist, I will not settle for a product that just sounds "okay". I'll put in whatever amount of time is necessary to make sure the sounds are RIGHT. Then once we send the masters to PS, it's totally out of our hands. Usually a good time frame is us having CDs in our hands somewhere around 4-6 months after sending out the masters. So we ask everyone to PLEASE BE PATIENT. We are definitely flattered that so many people are so anxious to hear new Axemaster ASAP, but we will not sacrifice quality to get the new CD out quicker. Your patience WILL be worth it, I PROMISE THIS TO ALL THE FANS!

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AXEMASTER unfortunately announces that, due to separate life situations, lead guitarist Damin Bennett and bassist Jim Curtis are no longer with the band. Both parted ways with the remaining band members as good friends and will always remain as important members of the extended Axemaster family. Jim and Damin's contributions to the band have been extremely valuable and will always be remembered; both will definitely be missed, but Axemaster will continue to move forward!

In moving forward, the band is glad to report that they have recently added a new lead player named Shannon Rivera. Originally hailing from Tuscon Arizona, he relocated to the Cleveland Ohio area in 2001 and has since been the lead guitarist for the bands Drenalin, Blackjack Symphony, and Sociopath; and has shared the stage with the likes of Metal Church, Kings-X, Y&T, Doro Pesche, Michael Schenker, and Jake E. Lees Red Dragon Cartel. Obviously Shannon is a very experienced and talented player, and the band is very happy to have been able to add him to both the Axemaster lineup and family!!!!!!

In other news, Axemaster is currently scheduled to play a portion of the upcoming 2019 (expired link). tour by Leather Leone's solo band (the legendary voice of the legendary band Chastain, "the voice of the cult"!!!!!). Axemaster is scheduled to play throughout the month of March with the possibility of playing additional selected dates throughout the year. You can check for dates/locations as they become available at the band's website: (expired link), and/or at Axemaster's management's website: (expired link). Specific tour inquiries can be made to Mary Feller at mfeller@(expired link).

All can hear a brand new audio interview with Joe Sims of AXEMASTER at: (expired link)

Thanks to Rob Loiacano for his interest in the band!

AXEMASTER has just received a "Music Award of Excellence" from THE AKADEMIA for the song "10,000 Pound Hammer" from their current album "Crawling Chaos". The Akademia award recognition program is a formal A&R review process in which every music submission is heard, discussed, debated, and rated by their executive team which is comprised of artists, producers, and record executives. Some of the specific comments concerning their evaluation are:
--"The song craft furnished here is superb and substantive"
--"The commercial potential of this work is excellent, making is highly accessible to mainstream audiences"
--"The vocal quality is excellent and enhances the overall listening experience"

Their official quote concerning the song overall is: "This patiently rendered metal monster imposes a new standard on the downtempo domain of the genre; '10,000 Pound Hammer' exemplifies the conscientiously articulated requirements of the style".

The band is extremely proud for having been so recognized by an organization such as this; you can see the page declaring Axemaster's award at (expired link)
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For anyone who would be interested in sampling clips of all the songs from AXEMASTER's albums "Crawling Chaos", "Overture to Madness", and "Blessing in the Skies" (as well as a couple other Axemaster songs that are currently on I-Tunes), they are all on Music Aficionado at the link below. It's a great opportunity to be able to sample all the tracks in advance if anyone is thinking of buying any of the albums and/or are just interested in hearing more Axemaster material (possibly prior to seeing the band live) - (expired link)!/search?queryString=Axemaster&section=recommendations&category=all

--The clips of songs from "Blessing" and the other older songs on that page are NOT the mastered versions from Pure Steel Records' recent vinyl re-release
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AXEMASTER is very proud to announce that the band has signed with Smoke N Phire Productions for complete management services. Smoke N Phire is a young company that has quickly risen in both scope and stature to where they have become a force in the music business. Axemaster joins a great roster of artists the company works with that includes bands such as Stonebreed and Cold Revive. For more information see: (expired link) & (expired link)

Mary Feller, head of Smoke N Phire Productions, stated: "We treat all our artists as family and give them the freedom to concentrate on thier music and know that everything else is being taken care of. We are very honored to announce that Axemaster has been brought into that family for our management services. Look for more info on tours coming soon!"

Anyone interested can contact the company via email at (expired link) and by phone at 520-220-6660

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See the links below to purchase downloads of the AXEMASTER albums "Crawling Chaos" and "Overture to Madness"; either the entire albums or individual songs (also includes lengthy clips of each song to sample).
CRAWLING CHAOS - (expired link)
OVERTURE TO MADNESS - (expired link)

NEW AXEMASTER VIDEO
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Official video for the AXEMASTER song "10,000 Pound Hammer", which is the first video from the band's new album "Crawling Chaos" (Pure Steel Records). Dedicated to the military and each soldier whose sacrifice allows us to continue to be able to bang our heads in the free world!

Axemaster would like to thank Creative Masters Unlimited who produced the video and Joe from The Outpost Concert Club in Kent, Ohio for all his help!

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The new AXEMASTER album "Crawling Chaos" on Pure Steel Records (Germany) has been released and is now available worldwide. "Crawling Chaos" combines major label quality sound, killer artwork & graphics, and material that has received rave early reviews, which helps to affirm the general belief that it has all the elements necessary to become the most successful and memorable Axemaster album to date. The new tracks show the band's evolution by retaining a portion of the thrash feel of "Overture to Madness", while having an overall sound that pays respect to their traditional metal roots from the late 80's and early 90's. You can check out the 2 singles from the album on the band's page here........

What the critics are saying about "Crawling Chaos".......
=THE METAL MAG - It's pure Heavy as fuck and will get you back to the 80's heavy pounding sound with an edge of darkness swallowing your soul to obey the master. Ten tracks of pure guitar sounds and shreds with heavy pounding riffs and melodic yet deep vocals that captures the listener to slave him to pleasure.
=ROCK CABAL - Crawling Chaos is a 10 track, pure metal journey, with nostalgic riffs and chant filled vocals. Just straight horns in the air metal. Take the time to grab this album and sit back and be prepared to be transformed to a younger you.
=AEA ZINE - Their biting thrash crunch and classic flavor is still present but the open, untamed energy of their early days has given way to studious songwriting delivered with slow tempos and riffs written with forethought, showing more in common with Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Manowar.

Also, the first video from the album is in the final stages of completion and will be released soon. Axemaster would like to thank the film company Creative Masters Unlimited for their hard work and professionalism in creating what will be an exceptional video that will be of more than suitable quality to be featured on ANY media outlet.
If any member of the media (radio/zine/tv) would be interested in receiving the video (upon completion) and/or the material from "Crawling Chaos" or the re-mastered Axemaster tracks from 1985-91 that were recently released on the collectable double album "Blessing in the Skies (and other cuts from the chamber)", please return this email with your request.

"Crawling Chaos" is now available at the following places (among many others):
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You can also purchase the album as an MP3 download at:
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Pure Steel Records has issued an official release date for the new AXEMASTER album "Crawling Chaos". The CD will officially be available through the label on NOVEMBER 24th. Those of you in the US will be able to easily remember the date as this year, the 24th is black friday!

"Crawling Chaos" combines major label quality sound, killer artwork & graphics, and material that early reviews describe as some of the best Axemaster ever. While retaining a portion of the thrash feel of "Overture to Madness", the new songs show the band's evolution with a feel that goes back to their roots from the late 80's & early 90's. In that spirit, "Crawling Chaos" includes a new version of the classic Axemaster song from 1988: "Death Before Dishonor". Pre-orders for the disc will begin November 10th through the Pure Steel website.

The new CD features the return of vocalist Geoff McGraw, lead guitarist Joe Sims, and bassist Jim Curtis; and is the Axemaster recording debut of lead guitarist Damin Bennett (making this the first time the band has had a dual axe attack), and drummer Denny Archer. Each musician has extensive experience in music and is a true professional, which is very evident and on full display on the new album!

While "Crawling Chaos" shows the band's present and future, the "autumn of Axemaster" begins with a celebration of the band's past on October 6th with the re-release of 19 of the band's songs from 1986-1991 on a vinyl 2 record set, titled "Blessing the the Skies (and other cuts from the chamber)". It's a limited edition collectable (only 200 pressed), pre-ordering begins Sept. 22nd through the Pure Steel website. Any radio/zines that would like MP3s of these songs (which have been mastered and now sound MUCH better than they ever have), please contact us.

"Crawling Chaos" track-list:
1) 10,000 Pound Hammer - 2) Crawling Chaos - 3) Axes of Evil - 4) Flowers for the Dead - 5) Mystify the Dream Hypnotic - 6) Aldar Rof - 7) Shallow Grave - 8) Death Before Dishonor - 9) Bravado - 10) Knight of Pain

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While awaiting the official release date for the new Axemaster CD "Crawling Chaos", we are excited to be able to share that Pure Steel Records has issued an official release date for the re-release of old Axemaster material on vinyl which will be titled "Blessing in the Skies (and other cuts from the chamber)". The album is scheduled to be out on October 6th as a collectable; a very limited number are being pressed. It will be a 2 record set including the entire "Blessing in the Skies" album, the entire "5 Demons" EP, and several other assorted songs (the entire track list is below). The material has been mastered by Robert Romagna and all the songs now sound MUCH better than they ever have. Overall, the record is a definite must for all metal vinyl collectors and Axemaster fans!

Once released, "Blessing" will be available through the Pure Steel shop at (expired link), and afterward, once the band's copies arrive, a VERY limited number will be available through the webstore section of the Axemaster website at (expired link).

Stay tuned as we will be sharing the release date for "Crawling Chaos" soon. The 2 releases are a great duo, highlighting some of the best of the old and some of the best of the new Axemaster!!!!!

TRACK LIST FOR "BLESSING IN THE SKIES" (AND OTHER CUTS FROM THE CHAMBER)"
--From "Blessing in the Skies"--
The Prophecy/Golgotha - Blood of the Temple - Rock Forever - Without a Trace - Crusades - Demon Machine - The Reaper - Slave to the Blade - The Predator
--From "5 Demons"--
Phantom Armies - Black Dungeons - Secrets Untold - False Consciousness - Full Moon at Dawn
--From "Slave to the Blade"--
The Power - Snake Charmer - Axemaster
--Originally unreleased--
Heretical Valor - Naked Eye

AXEMASTER NEWS.........
Axemaster is back with a pair of upcoming releases!!!! First, all the material for the band's new album "CRAWLING CHAOS" has been sent to Pure Steel Records. We see this album as being a very special one for Axemaster; 10 tracks of a combination of traditional/thrash/doom metal that shows the band's evolution while still paying respect to their roots. We feel it has all the elements necessary to become the most successful and memorable Axemaster album to date.

Along with "Crawling Chaos", Pure Steel also plans to re-release a collection of old Axemaster material ON VINYL. No details are available as of yet, but PS has had all of the band's older studio material re-mastered in preparation for the release, and everything now sounds MUCH better than it ever has.

I will share more info and release dates when available

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