Vassal
Heavy/Power metal band from Durham, NC
Crimson Steel
Crimson Steel is a North Carolina-based traditional/US power metal band. “Show No Fear” is being released on Heaven and Hell Records on October 2nd.
Aitalla
The music of AITTALA (pronounced ‘EYE-tah-la’) crosses many metal genres; it’s hard to put it into just one category. The sound infuses elements of classic heavy metal, doom, progressive, power, thrash and hard rock with lyrics drawing inspiration from the darker side of the human condition. The AITTALA sound has been cited for being unique which is no easy feat in the metal genre.
The first version of AITTALA was formed in 1991 while Eric was living in Holland. With fellow American Tim on vocals and Dutch bandmates Ed (drums) and Jon (bass), the band became a staple of the Dutch metal scene.
With the release of the 3-song EP ‘Selling Heaven’ in summer of 1993, AITTALA opened for such bands as THE GATHERING and SADIST.
Unfortunately, as the demo started to create a buzz in the underground European metal scene, Eric had to return to the US and disbanded AITTALA. In 2008, the time was right to resurrect AITTALA.
In total, AITTALA released 6 full-length albums and 3 EPs: ‘Selling Heaven’ EP (1993), ‘Bed of Thorns’ (2009), ‘Haunt Your Flesh’ (2011), ‘Effigy’ (2014), ‘American Nightmare’ (2016), ‘False Pretenses’ (2019),’Live to Regret (2022), ‘Machines’ (2025) and ‘Ill-Gotten Gains’ (2025).
Each release showcasing a natural progression of songwriting and lyrical content but retaining the core AITTALA sound and evolving it.
The current lineup of AITTALA consists of Eric Aittala on guitars/vocals and Gary ‘Zeus’ Smith (THE FIFTH, ex-MR BLACKWELL) on drums and Dane Taylor (EVIL I, ex-MOTORBILLY) on bass. They continue to write, record and tour to bring AITTALA to the masses.
