Irish Death metal is more alive than it’s been in years. The quality of recent releases and live shows from Ground Of Ruin, Overoth, Warpath and Devilmakesthree alone shows that on the demo circuit, it’s really been taken up a notch.

Vomitous is the product of one bro’s lifelong dedication to old school, American style blast and grunt. Never mind that this stuff died a death years ago. This demo is the kind of thing that makes it sound fresh again. Fan of Suffocation? Get this down your throat.

On May 29 this year, Ulver played their first live show in a decade and a half. For the band’s cult audience, the relative inaccesibility of it all only served to heighten expectations. Staged in Lillehammer as part of the Norwegian Literary Festival, the band who for so long have relied on the privacy of their studios approached the show “with humility and horror”.

Metalireland made it to the gig, and presents this EXCLUSIVE report. Itching to know what they played? Chris Storey reveals all.

Tyr are the most amazing metal band to have ever come out of the Faroe Islands - in fact, they’re the only one. Their mix of Faroese, Norse and Irish mythology hasn’t always led to the most interesting Viking Metal in the Hyperborean empire, but this new one seems to have set their longboat back on course. Customary excellent cover art and a line of great longsleeves may be their greatest achievement. But those of you into the genre might well enjoy this latest slice of bearded heroism.

Sometimes we forget how good we have it. Ten years ago, Metal in Ireland was not as it is now - and not even close. One of the people who rolled up their sleeves and got their spikes dirty was Daragh O’Leary. He founded Invictus in 1999, and now has 18 full releases as well as a full distro to boast.

On the label’s decade anniversary, Metalireland celebrates and pays tribute to the achievement with a specially commissioned article and photos. Vae Victis, indeed!

Decayor sound as if they’ve been placed here from fifteen years back. Rich guitar harmonies, guttural throaty growls and an atmosphere of despondency worthy of the best English doom are their hallmarks. And hell, there’s even a wee bit of Morgion in there as well. So it’s pretty fucking good in other words.

After many successful shows each generating respect from the punters, their first demo is finally out - and MI reckons you should pick it up sharpish.

Like many bands highly rated in Ireland’s popular metal lore, much of Morphosis’ appeal is historical. It’s taken so long for the band to come back in full gigging and recording form that the intervening years gave given plenty of time for legend to grow.

They carved out their name, and of that there’s no doubt. They’ve gigged sporadically over the last year or two, but have been otherwise quiet since their nineties heyday. Are they still relevant in 2009?