Today, Finnish melancholic dark metal legends, Amorphis, unveil the second digital single taken from their upcoming live album, Queen Of Time (Live At Tavastia 2021), which is set to be released on October 13 via Atomic Fire - just in time to celebrate the Halo European Tour 2023.
Guitarist Esa Holopainen comments: "We shot a video for the song once back in the day when the Queen Of Time album was released originally. An interesting anecdote is that Tomi Joutsen and Pekka Kainulainen [also known as the band's lyricist] both travelled to Norwegian Lapland to film the landscape shots. But in the end you could only see Pekka in the video. Poor Tomi had to travel and to spend a couple of days in Norway for nothing. The very nice video was directed by Sentenced drummer Vesa Ranta, but you can now also witness the live version of the track and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do."
Watch the official "Wrong Direction" live performance video below, and stream/purchase the song here.
Pre-order Queen Of Time (Live At Tavastia 2021) in the physical format of your choice, pre-save it on your favourite DSP or pre-order it digitally to receive "Amongst Stars" feat. Anneke van Giersbergen instantly now, here.
Queen Of Time (Live At Tavastia 2021) will be available in the following formats:
- CD-digipak + Blu-ray (EU)
- jewelcase CD + Blu-ray (US)
- 2LP in gatefold (green marbled)
- 2LP in gatefold (red marbled; exclusively available at Atomic Fire Records)
- digital
Queen Of Time (Live At Tavastia 2021) trackisting:
"The Bee"
"Message In The Amber"
"Daughter Of Hate"
"The Golden Elk"
"Wrong Direction"
"Heart Of The Giant"
"We Accursed"
"Grain Of Sand"
"Amongst Stars" [feat. Anneke van Giersbergen]
"Pyres On The Coast"
"Amongst Stars" video:
Find the band's tour itinerary and ticket links here.
Amorphis lineup:
Tomi Joutsen - vocals
Esa Holopainen - guitars
Tomi Koivusaari - guitars
Olli-Pekka Laine - bass
Santeri Kallio - keyboards
Jan Rechberger - drums
West coast-based metal unit Death Dealer Union - featuring Elena Cataraga (aka Lena Scissorhands of modern metal leaders Infected Rain) - will release their debut album, Initiation, this Friday, September 22, via Napalm Records.
Following recent singles "The Vow Of Silence" and "The Integument", today, the band has released a third single - the dynamic "Ill Fated". The track juxtaposes 80s-influenced clean guitars and sinister metallic riffs as Lena displays her soaring trademark vocal delivery and introspective wordplay. The video features eye-catching imagery, sets and costumes, making for a striking viewing experience.
Says the band: “We wanted to present something a little different with this video - everything from the fantastic Cherry Bombs dance troupe to the actors involved. We sought to do something not usually done in heavy metal videos. Enjoy!”
In 2019, metal musicians CC McKenna (drums) and Doug Weiand (lead guitars) set forth on a dark musical path - aligning diverse metal influences with otherworldly channelings of alchemy, the occult and all things esoteric. Little did they know, the final ingredient of their impending amalgamation was on the horizon, set to emerge as Death Dealer Union.
After meeting acclaimed frontwoman Elena Cataraga, a musical pact was instantly formed - propelling the band into the studio with producer Valentin Voluta (also recognized for his work with Infected Rain). Now, with two new members - Hunter Havok (rhythm and lead guitars) and Jonny Heinz (bass) - in tow, the band is set to unleash their very first sacrificial offering to the masses, Initiation. The album brings forth the huge sound and exciting visuals fans experienced with the band’s debut offerings, plus an entire new trove of musical and lyrical elements. While no track is the replicant of another, they all weave a common thread of compelling essence that will have listeners clamoring to heed the word of Death Dealer Union.
Initiation kicks off with its instrumental title track, droning deeply into electronic flourishes and spine-tingling organs. The track flows into first album single “The Vow of Silence” - a fast-paced burner featuring aggressive verses and a catchy chorus that fully showcases the album’s immense production, once again helmed by Valentin Voluta. “Ill Fated” juxtaposes 80s-influenced clean guitars and sinister metallic riffs as Elena Cataraga displays her dynamic trademark vocal delivery and introspective wordplay, while later, “The Integument” - which features a sizzling music video accented by heavy metal dance troupe Cherry Bombs - turns the pace all the way up with traditional power metal flavor before transforming into a ghostly, hypnotizing soundscape. Tracks such as “Ekphrasis” and “Mythos” - the latter boasting one of the album’s most heart-stopping guitar solos - are rife with chunky 90s heavy metal and even nu-metal-inspired riffage. “The Big Blue”, “Back To Me”, “The Downfall” and “Anew” dance with metal styles ranging from symphonic power to progressive, showcasing the band’s diverse macrocosm of musical skill, before potent, heavy ballad “Love Me When I’m Ugly” provides heartfelt lyrics and melodies. Initiation ends with “Beyond Heaven”, an opus of expansive harmonies and eerie embellishments, closing the album with its most theatrical cut.
Not only does Initiation offer fans the chance to witness Elena Cataraga’s alter ego on raw display, it introduces the band as an intriguing force to be reckoned with. Find your own power within Death Dealer Union - your Initiation is only the beginning.
Initiation will be available in the following formats:
- 1CD Digipak
- 2LP Gatefold Purple - available only via Napalm Records Mail Order and Death Dealer Union, limited to 300
- Digital Album
"Initiation"
"The Vow Of Silence"
"Ill Fated"
"Ekphrasis"
"The Integument"
"Mythos"
"The Big Blue"
"Back To Me"
"The Downfall"
" Love Me When I'm Ugly"
"Anew"
"Beyond Heaven"
"The Integument" video:
"The Vow Of Silence" behind the scenes:
"The Vow Of Silence" video:
Death Dealer Union is:
Elena Cataraga - Vocals
CC McKenna - Percussion
Doug Weiand - Lead Guitars
Hunter Havok - Rhythm & Lead Guitars
Jonny Heinz - Bass
Germany's Endseeker are back with their fourth full-length album, Global Worming, which will be released via Metal Blade Records on October 27. The album contains 9 new tracks and will be made available across all Digital platforms, on CD Digipak, Vinyl (variants listed below), and as a limited Box-Set that will include the album on vinyl, exclusive 2-track 7-inch vinyl single, 4p. newspaper, sticker, beer cozy, and 3 buttons in hand printed box* (limited to 500 copies - available in Europe only).
Here's what the band has to say about their first single off of the upcoming album, "Violence Is Gold": "This is a song about actual physical violence. Either in an environment of competition or combat. Two people fighting each other. No more words needed. Time for action. Without judgment though. Just the plain and simple aesthetics of physical confrontation of two individuals when there's nothing left to say. It's hard, it's raw and it's brutal."
Check out the video for "Violence Is Gold" below, and pre-order the album here.
Vinyl Variants
Worldwide:
Green/Black Marbled (700 copies)
Europe:
180g Black
Clear Blackdust (300 copies)
Red/White Marbled with 7-Inch (Boxset - 500 copies)
Global Worming tracklisting:
"Global Worming"
"Hell Is Here"
"Violence Is Gold"
"Wheel Of Torture"
"C.B.V."
"Terror"
"Hanging Gardens"
"Our Only Life"
"Nemesis"
"Violence Is Gold" video:
Death metal is the great undead of subgenres: rising, again and again, to take revenge on the living with maximum violence. Servants of the zombie code and masters of old school brutality, Germany's Endseeker have made their intent to kill again more than apparent over the last nine years. Formed in Hamburg in 2014, the quintet have swiftly built a reputation as one of European death metal's most dynamic wrecking crews.
From the aspirational evisceration of first full-length Flesh Hammer Prophecy, to Metal Blade debut The Harvest in 2019, and the widely acclaimed Mount Carcass two years later, Endseeker have cooked up such a formidable formula that their rise to glory seems almost inevitable. But like everyone else, they were stopped in their tracks by the Covid pandemic and its aftermath. As that global horrorshow fades in the rear-view, Endseeker are poised to return with their most crushing and charismatic album to date: Global Worming. As guitarist Ben explains, overcoming a host of new obstacles eventually led to a fruitful return to the studio.
"We played some intense, weird, strange, funny and bizarre shows during the Covid pandemic and enjoyed some almost 'normal' touring when Covid started to fade out," he recalls. "But the number of shows we could do was still quite limited, touring changed a lot, and became more expensive, and bookings were harder due to a bazillion bands trying to tour at the same time! So we slowly began to start writing new songs every now and then."
After the effusive reception received by Mount Carcass, Endseeker began the writing process for their fourth album with plenty of confidence. Before long, the creative juices began to flow to such an extent that a more formal plan of attack was required.
"At one point we decided that we need to take some time off from playing shows and completely focus on songwriting like we did for Mount Carcass," Ben notes. "So after we played our last show on October 1st 2022, in our hometown Hamburg, we totally dived into the songwriting and pre-production to make sure we had everything set for our studio time in 2023. We wanted to be as well prepared as possible."
Working once again with esteemed engineer and mixing maestro Eike Freese, Endseeker hit the studio like a nailbomb in a graveyard. The result is Global Worming - both the Germans' finest creation to date and a pulverizing new template for old school death metal. These nine new songs remain rooted in Endseeker's beloved bedrock of DISMEMBER-style savagery, but from the slithering monstrosity of the opening title track and the ultra-catchy stab 'n' stomp of Hell Is Here, to the neck-wrecking madness of Our Only Life and the epic grandiloquence of closer Nemesis, Global Worming is an unusually vivid and versatile piece of work.
"I guess our main goal was to write a record that was at least as good as Mount Carcass and to follow the path we have set with that record even further," says Ben. "We wanted the songwriting to be more on point while at the same time to be a bit wider when it comes to the boundaries of the death metal genre. We wanted the songs not only to be heavy and brutal but also to have a certain atmosphere to give them real depth."
To match the punishing splendor of Global Worming's monstrous production, Ben and his bandmates - guitarist Jury, bassist Torsten, drummer Andre and vocalist Lenny - have conjured some new tales of torment. An album that determinedly reflects the horrors of the world back at us, Endseeker's new opus is unflinching in its duty to the darkness.
"Global Worming revolves around a dystopian future where zombie worms overrun our planet and eat us all until we go extinct," states Ben. "All that's left is this enormous amount of slimy, nasty, undead worms and bugs, nesting inside empty skulls and other human remains, and living their best undead life. It's the kind of classic end-of-the-world story we have in death metal! Phonetic similarities between the song title and possible real life future events that threaten our very existence are totally by chance and unintentional!"
Aside from the impending onslaught of undead invertebrates, Global Worming also delves into the relentless upheavals and pointless polarisations of the modern world. Songs like the grotesque and grinding Wheel Of Torture and the aptly-named Terror revel in the harrowing darkness of real world conflict and catastrophe. Put simply, the human race is pretty fucked up right now and Endseeker have composed the soundtrack.
"We were inspired by all sorts of shit that's going on in the world. I mean, take a look around!" Ben laughs. "There's a deep cut ripping right through our society. People are angry beyond reason. They turn towards hate and fascist ideologies. They choose the path of destruction and denial. We have a war going on in Europe. Obvious boneheads get elected. Scientists tell us for decades that we're heading straight into drastic climate change and nobody seems to care. It's wild! You can't make this crap up!"
Death metal is a serious business and Global Worming is Endseeker's most focused and sophisticated offering to date. Nonetheless, there is always room in the underground sewers for a brain-eating monster or two, and fans of zombie-centric death metal will be more than satisfied with the new album's brilliant, bloody contents.
"Not everything about this album is deadly serious!" Ben grins. "We like to goof around a lot and we love to throw around some funny clichés, and have songs about zombies and whatnot. Adulthood ends at the doorstep of the tour bus!Some of our lyrics, like C.B.V. for example, have their origin in tour bus bullshit talk after endless hours of being crammed into a fucking van and getting cooked by the sun in an awful traffic jam on the Autobahn. It all comes from those moments where you're just one tiny step away from insanity!"
Consumed in its belligerent entirety, Global Worming soon emits the acrid stench of a future classic. Endseeker have stayed true to their deathly roots, while also writing some of the most imaginative songs in their history. Supremely catchy but as brutal and ugly as the arcane gods demand, Global Worming promises to burrow under the world's skin with maximum force.
"All our albums are unique and mark a certain era in our history," Ben concludes. "Global Worming is no exception. It's probably our darkest and heaviest album. It probably just reflects the era we're living in. I guess we just process all of this through the music and try to turn the world's shit into something we and hopefully a lot of other people can enjoy. We're definitely super excited to see where Global Worming will carry us and what lies ahead!"
Canadian shredders, Striker, have launched a Kickstarter campaign for their forthcoming seventh album and fourth independent release, ULTRAPOWER, offering fans exclusive merch and rewards.
Back in 2016, after early collaborations with record labels, Striker decided to become an independent band and after three successful self-released albums, countless tours, and festival appearances around the world they are back with a fresh slab of heavy metal.
Vocalist Dan Cleary explains further: “We are stoked to be back with our 7th full-length album ULTRAPOWER! This time we have launched a Kickstarter to help us release the album independently with some excellent exclusive merch and rewards. What makes ULTRAPOWER different? After 3 self-produced albums, we decided it was time to try something new. Talking NEW NEW. Like, why not go record with a deathcore producer? Yeah but who? Why Josh Schroeder of course. Isn't that the guy who did Lorna Shore? Why would you go to him, isn't that too heavy for you guys?' you say. Guess you'll find out!”
Entering the studio to work on their full-length with producer Josh Schroeder (Lorna Shore, Tallah, King 810) this past March was a big deal for the band but it all adds up and Striker is looking to fans to help successfully launch ULTRAPOWER. In return for Kickstarter exclusive special edition CDs, Vinyl, and merch, your support will help them recoup what they have spent to record the album along with upcoming physical production, marketing, and artwork. Ultimately, supporting the Kickstarter will give Striker the ability to continue as an independent band.
Fans can check out the exclusive offers for ULTRAPOWER, due out on January 19, here.
ULTRAPOWER follows their Juno Award-winning self-released full-length Play To Win (2018) released on their own label Record Breaking Records and features the band's latest lineup addition of long-time friend and guitarist John Simon Fallon (The Order of Chaos).
In addition to announcing the release of ULTRAPOWER, Striker is revealing their latest single "Best Of The Best Of The Best", accompanied by a music video.
"It's mullets, it's jet skis, it's shredding. What more do you want?," adds Cleary.
Stream the track on Spotify, and watch the video below:
DIRTY HONEY, one of rock's hottest young bands, will release a new album, "Can't Find The Brakes", on November 3. Both the album's title track, "Can't Find The Brakes", and "Won't Take Me Alive" are now available as instant-grat tracks when you pre-save/pre-add/pre-order the album.
With lyrics by vocalist Marc LaBelle, "Won't Take Me Alive" draws a non-negotiable line in the sand of integrity and self-determination on one side, and potentially dire consequences on the other. Lyrically, inspiration was taken from the bravery and defiance found today in the people of Ukraine, as well as from a conversation LaBelle had with a fellow traveler he met while visiting the Berlin Wall. The gentleman had grown up in Cold War Germany, so he resonated with those forced to live under autocratic rule. Musically, the song is a literal, take-no-prisoners-balls-out-rocker. The music video for "Won't Take Me Alive", released today, follows suit.
Written and directed by George Gallardo Kattah, the video centers on Ava, a private school student who is told by Helga, the school's principal, that she has to conform to the rules, wear the school uniform, no tongue piercing, no listening to rock music. But Ava is defiant; she won't submit, and instead, she continues to break down the walls of conformity that are important to establishing who she is and will be for the rest of her life. She finds solace in her attic bedroom, where she can listen to and play the music that releases her frustrations. She keeps track on a chalkboard of every day that she's in school, another day in prison. And she is desperately looking for an exit, any exit, which she finds as the story unfolds. This is "Won't Take Me Alive".
"This song made me feel like a teenager, and we had lots of fun channeling our frustrations from back in the day by doing this video," said Gallardo. "Bringing Ava and Helga to life was quite a process and a highlight of this year so far."
This past April, DIRTY HONEY — Marc LaBelle (vocals),John Notto (guitar),Justin Smolian (bass),and new drummer Jaydon Bean — headed to Australia to record the new album with longtime producer Nick DiDia. Unlike the band's self-titled, full-length 2019 debut, which, due to the pandemic, had to be recorded via Zoom with the band in Los Angeles and DiDia in Australia, DIRTY HONEY spent an entire month in the studio with DiDia.
LaBelle said: "Just physically being together in the studio with our producer made for a very creative environment; we got into such a groove, we were very focused, and not rushed, so it was great for all of us.
"We decided to call the album 'Can't Find The Brakes' because the title was almost a time capsule of our lives right now. We're constantly on the move and living each day city by city. Sometimes being a touring musician can feel like you're on a train going full speed, and even if you could find the brakes, would you really want to?"
"Having Jayden in the band has made a huge difference," said Justin. "He's an a capella singer with a background in vocal harmonies. So having him contribute, especially to the harmonies, has really added to our sound and has helped us grow a lot.
Marc added: "Jaydon's got a great approach to songwriting, and he's willing to take the ride with a song without judgment. There's a great Ed Sheeran quote that I love: 'Dare to suck. You never know what's going to happen, so just dare to suck.' Or, as Jayden puts it, 'You've just got to be open to infinity, man, you're a vessel for infinity!'"
"'Coming Home', 'Don't Put Out The Fire', 'You Make It Alright' and 'Rebel Son' are all standouts," said John. "'Won't Take Me Alive' is the most kick-ass, aggressive, badass rock song we've ever written. All of these songs widen our lane in a real energetic way."
The album cover art for "Can't Find The Brakes" was hand-painted by the world-renowned, Los Angeles-based graffiti artist Kelly "RISK" Gravel, who has been synonymous with the L.A. art scene for over 30 years. He was the first on the west coast to paint freight trains, freeway overpasses and signs, and the first artist in 400 years invited to paint in Michelangelo's studio.
"There really hasn't been a good band out of L.A. that got me pumped up," said RISK, "but DIRTY HONEY did. Their rock vibe, kind of like organized chaos, I wanted the artwork to say that."
"Can't Find The Brakes" track listing:
01. Don't Put Out The Fire
02. Won't Take Me Alive
03. Dirty Mind
04. Roam
05. Get A Little High
06. Coming Home (Ballad Of The Shire)
07. Can't Find The Brakes
08. Satisfied
09. Ride On
10. You Make It All Right
11. Rebel Son
DIRTY HONEY's 2023 North American "Can't Find The Brakes" North American headline tour launches on October 18,
AVENGED SEVENFOLD has released the official Zoe Katz-directed music video for the song "Mattel". The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Life Is But A Dream…", which came out in June. Written and recorded over the span of four years, it was produced by Joe Barresi and AVENGED SEVENFOLD in Los Angeles and mixed by Andy Wallace in the Poconos, Pennsylvania. The album is a journey through an existential crisis; a very personal exploration into the meaning, purpose and value of human existence with the anxiety of death always looming.
The album opener, "Game Over", indicts the mundanity of everyday life, particularly one without purpose or fulfilment. "Mattel" goes on the offensive about the Barbie-girl-on-steroids artificiality of cities and suburbs, from fake pleasantries to fake grass. The lead single, "Nobody", explores the ego death sought by mystics and shamans for millennia, the recognition that the self is an illusion, that we are everything and nothing at once. "We Love You" decries the rat race and "Cosmic" celebrates love traversing time, space, and evolution. "Beautiful Morning", by contrast, is a darker existential crisis, giving false relief by the empty promises found in "Easier". Tracks eight, nine, and ten form a triptych of sorts — "G", "(O)rdinary" and "(D)eath", or "GOD". People wrap themselves in The Secret, manifestation, or religion, but God? God sees them all as obsessive fans who missed the point and simply hit reset. The robot that follows ponders the nature of consciousness. Following "(D)eath", the title track is a piano number tickling toward sweet oblivion.
Far from nihilistic despair, the expansive themes and existentialist exploration of "Life Is But A Dream..." offer more of a celebration and liberation of life while exploring the possible illusion of free will and determinism. The aim is for the audience to aspire, in life, to what AVENGED SEVENFOLD aspires to in art. Confrontation, reinvention, acceptance, surrender, struggle, and the courage to fail, on our own terms, with integrity.
"There are no rules. It doesn't matter what anyone thinks," singer M. Shadows points out. "One day, we'll all be gone, and eventually we're all forgotten. So, once you find your own purpose, go for it."
"Life Is But A Dream…" sold 36,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 13 on the Billboard 200 chart. AVENGED SEVENFOLD's previous LP, "The Stage", debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200 album chart in November 2016. The surprise release of "The Stage" earned the lowest sales of an AVENGED SEVENFOLD album in eleven years. It sold 76,000 copies in its first week, less than half the tally of its previous two efforts.
AVENGED SEVENFOLD made its first festival appearance in five years on May 19 at Welcome To Rockville at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.
AVENGED SEVENFOLD's first concert since June 2018 took place on May 12 at AREA15 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In April, AVENGED SEVENFOLD announced the second leg of its extensive "Life is But A Dream…" North American tour featuring support from FALLING IN REVERSE. Produced by Live Nation, leg two includes stops in Nashville, Denver, Austin, and more before concluding at Fort Worth's Dickies Arena on October 15.
The first leg with support from ALEXISONFIRE and KIM DRACULA included thirteen cities across the U.S. and Canada, such as Mansfield, Québec City, Tinley Park, Calgary, and more.
Canadian rock band NICKELBACK has shared the official Timothy Hiehle-directed music video for the song "High Time" from the band's tenth studio album and first release in five years, "Get Rollin'", which arrived last November via BMG.
According to a press release, "'High Time' takes listeners on a hazy cross-country road trip that reminds us that it's always 4:20 somewhere."
"High Time" was the third single to be made available from "Get Rollin'", following the LP's first two singles, "San Quentin", which was released in September 2022, and "Those Days", which arrived a month later.
"Get Rollin'" debuted at No. 2 across the Current Rock, Alternative, Hard Music and Digital Album charts. The record also landed on the ARIA Album Chart at No. 3 and in the Top 10 in the U.K., Canada, Germany, Australia and Austria. Additionally, "Get Rollin'" debuted at No. 1 in Switzerland, a career first for the band.
With the new record, NICKELBACK continues its legacy as "one of rock's biggest-ever bands," as noted by Kerrang!
The group recently celebrated another career milestone at the 2023 Juno Awards where they were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame.
NICKELBACK was named the "most successful rock band of the decade" by Billboard in 2009. Globally celebrated for its career defining and award-winning hits "How You Remind Me", "Photograph", "Far Away", "Rockstar" and more, the four-piece comprised of Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Mike Kroeger and Daniel Adair is one of the most commercially viable and important acts of the past two decades. Their success includes worldwide sales of more than 50 million units, solidifying their status as one of the top-selling acts of all time and the second best-selling foreign act in the U.S., in the 2000s decade, behind only THE BEATLES. Their inescapable and irresistible smash "How You Remind Me" was named Billboard's "Top Rock Song Of The Decade" and was the number one most played song on U.S. radio (any format) in the 2000s, according to Nielsen SoundScan, with over 1.2 million spins.
Amongst all of these accolades, they've also been named Billboard's "Top Rock Group Of The Decade" and received nine Grammy Award nominations, three American Music Awards, a World Music Award, a People's Choice Award, twelve Juno Awards, seven MuchMusic Video Awards, and have been inducted into Canada's Walk Of Fame (2007) and the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame (2023). With more than 23 chart-topping singles and fans spanning the globe, NICKELBACK boasts more than twelve consecutive sold-out world tours, playing to well over 10 million diehard and adoring fans.
Austrian crossover legends Kontrust have released their second new single, the standout track “the end”, off of their upcoming fifth full-length, set to be released on November 3, 2023 via Napalm Records. On the band’s first album in nine years, Kontrust present new vocalist Julia Ivanova and new drummer Joey Sebald, who already won over live audiences in the summer of 2022 at huge festivals such as Graspop Metal Meeting, Hellfest Open Air, Barcelona Rockfest and Resurrection Fest.
“the end” is out alongside a creative animated music video that supports the dystopian lyrics of the song. While still featuring massive rhythms and a sing-along chorus, “the end” showcases that despite their overall positive attitude and party mentality, Kontrust don’t shy away from focusing on serious themes, like escaping the devastation of earth to possibly aim for a new beginning. Check out the new video below.
Kontrust on “the end”:
“We regret to announce that this is the end of everything as you know it. We spiral into chaos and in a desperate attempt for survival, we try to grasp at that which gives us hope. You can’t run or hide. Simply let go and embrace it.”
On madworld, Kontrust sticks to their lively, playful and experimental signature style, ready to entertain old and new audiences alike. Extremely danceable “madhouse” and “rock to outer space” feature heavy riffs and party pop vocals. The latter showcases that, despite the overall positive attitude and party mentality, Kontrust don’t shy away from focusing on serious themes, like escaping the devastation of earth to possibly aim for a new beginning. That feeling continues with the standout track “the end”, slowing it down halfway through madworld, while still providing massive rhythms and a sing-along chorus. With heavy and catchy “lederhosen overkill” the Austrians tap into their well-known stage attire. Electronic influences on closing track “i can’t control it” absorb the listener before the album fades out.
Without a shadow of a doubt, Kontrust are one of the most extravagant and exciting acts in the scene, and have enthralled fans and critics alike with an inimitable sense of fusing various genres like reggae, pop and dance with heavy hard rock riffs, spliced with their very own way of representing the roots of their home country. This synthesis of styles has brought them not only notable chart entries for several releases, but also high recognition in the form of the “Austrian Newcomer Award” for their debut album, as well as the “AMADEUS Austrian Music Award” - Austria’s biggest and most important prize for national bands and artists - for their second album, Time To Tango.
Throughout their two decade-spanning career, the Austrian based outfit has gained millions and millions of YouTube views on their exciting music videos, with over 15 million views on the electrifying hits “Hey DJ!” and “Bomba” alone. With their new album, madworld, Kontrust prove their standing as an unpredictable force in the scene - always hungry, wild and full of surprises, and ready to exceed everything they have achieved so far!
Kontrust add: "In a world already spinning out of control, we've cranked up the madness to 11 on madworld. This audacious venture marks a milestone for us, as we proudly present our first entirely self-produced album. It's a sonic storm like no other, where vibrant sounds clash and blend in a symphony of controlled chaos - embrace the sensory overload and prepare to be swept away by a unique excess of Kontrust that will leave you thirsting for more."
madworld will be available in the following formats:
- 1LP Gatefold Transparent Green
- 1LP Gatefold Transparent Orange
- Shirt & 1-CD Digipack Bundle
- Digital Album
"i physically like you"
"madhouse"
"rock to outer space"
"black soul"
"criminal"
"the end"
"pulling"
"lederhosen overkill"
"masterpiece of a monster"
"u.f.i.u."
"i can't control it"
"the end" video:
"i physically like you" video:
Kontrust is:
Julia Ivanova - Vocals
Stefan Lichtenberger - Vocals
Michael Wolff - Guitar / Programmings
Gregor Kutschera - Bass
Johannes Sebald - Drums
Manuel Haglmüller - Percussions / Programmings
Finland's Progeny Of Sun have released their second single, "False Radiance", from the upcoming debut album, Throne of Desolation. The album is set to be released on December 8th via Inverse Records.
Guitarist Hauta comments: "In rehearsals, our drummer always wants the guitars to be louder in the in-ear monitoring. That's how I got the idea for a song where the drummer would have to play completely on his own, and if he concentrates on the guitars, game over. The song didn't raise great enthusiasm for the singer at first, but as soon as he got his own voice in, he started to like it. Bass was executed normally."
Tracklist:
"Forged by the Devil"
"Damsel"
"Heartless Dome"
"Caldera"
"False Radiance"
"Dweller"
"Coward"
"Invasion"
"Courier"
"Restoration"
"Human Disposal Site"
"War of the Ages"
Denmark's Mercenary have released the new single, "Beyond The Waves". A music video for the song can be viewed below.
Guitarist Jakob Mølbjerg comments: "This last single is a fierce and epic son of a bitch! With a playtime of 7.13 it plunges down through a progressive musical exploration of darkness, heaviness and crushing melancholy unusual even for our standards, while dealing with humanity's inevitable confrontation with the consequences of our own cultural parasitism and our constant efforts of furthering our own place, regardless of the costs - even if the cost ends up being our gradual demise at the hands of natural catastrophes or our own existential redundancy in modern society. Speaking to that topic, an AI-fueled video was naturally the perfect performative paradox of our blossoming dependency on and inevitable exploration of technology, with all the dangers and pitfalls it entails. We hope you'll all enjoy this perfect Soundtrack For The End Times."
With album number eight and ten years since their last release, Mercenary return with a masterpiece for every melodic death & progressive metal fan. Formed in Aalborg, Denmark, Mercenary capture the unique blend of Scandinavian melancholy, melody and aggression.
This Friday (September 22) will see the band release their new offering, Soundtrack For The End Times. Order here.
Tracklisting:
"Burning In Reverse"
"Heart Of The Numb" (Feat. Matt Heafy)
"Where Darkened Souls Belong"
"Through This Blackened Hatred"
"Anthem For The Anxious"
"A Darker Path"
"Become The Flame"
"From The Ashes Of The Fallen"
"Black Heart, Dead Tissue"
"Black Blood Soil"
"Beyond The Waves"
BLINK-182 has released the official Carlos Lopez Estrada-directed music video for the song "One More Time". The track is taken from the band's new album, "One More Time…", which will arrive on October 20 via Columbia Records. It marks the first album to feature the group's classic lineup of Mark Hoppus (bass, vocals),Tom DeLonge (guitar, vocals) and Travis Barker (drums) since 2011.
In true BLINK-182 style, the group has also surprised fans with another new song, "More Than You Know". Check out the official lyric video below.
Launching with the album news earlier this week, the band shared a sentimental trailer for "One More Time…" Featuring strikingly candid interview footage pulled from the band's forthcoming extensive interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe as well as current and archival clips, the trailer finds Mark, Tom and Travis baring it all as they discuss topics they have never shared before. The trailer teases three new songs, including "One More Time". The full Zane Lowe interview will be available to watch exclusively on Apple Music soon.
The trio recorded "One More Time..." in the midst of their blockbuster reunion tour, which sold out arenas, amphitheaters, and stadiums across the world. The album, produced by Barker, features 17 new songs that capture the band at the top of their game, layering in themes of tragedy, triumph, and most importantly, brotherhood.
The brand-new album comes both digitally and physically on CD, standard black vinyl, and multiple limited edition physical vinyl variants including purple ooze D2C exclusive LP, red and clear marble colored D2C exclusive LP, and egg splatter colored D2C exclusive LP. Additional offerings on vinyl include the coke bottle clear colored indie exclusive LP, opaque white colored Amazon-exclusive LP and electric smoke colored Spotify Fans First-exclusive LP. The artist store will have a limited-edition cassette available.
"One More Time…" track listing:
01. Anthem Part 3
02. Dance With Me
03. Fell In Love
04. Terrified
05. One More Time
06. More Than You Know
07. Turn This Off!
08. When We Were Young
09. Edging
10. You Don't Know What You've Got
11. Blink Wave
12. Bad News
13. Hurt (Interlude)
14. Turpentine
15. Fuck Face
16. Other Side
17. Childhood
BLINK-182 played its first reunion concert with Tom DeLonge in April at the Coachella festival in Indio, California. The 50-minute performance marked the first time DeLonge, Travis Barker and Mark Hoppus had shared the stage together publicly since 2014.
BLINK-182 appearance at Coachella was a last-minute addition to the event, having been announced by DeLonge a day earlier.
BLINK-182 was scheduled to launch its reunion tour in Mexico and South America in March but had to postpone the dates after Barker injured his finger in rehearsals.
The North American leg of BLINK-182's reunion tour launched in May and ran through July, with TURNSTILE providing support.
Meanwhile, the 2022 reunion single "Edging" has amassed over 70 million Spotify streams and counting.
Since their humble beginnings nearly thirty years ago, when they started playing in a San Diego garage, BLINK-182 have sold over fifty-million albums worldwide and rocked audiences from Adelaide to Zurich, having become one of the defining rock bands of their generation. According to The New York Times, "No punk band of the 1990s has been more influential than BLINK-182."
DeLonge was a member of BLINK-182 from its 1995 debut album, "Cheshire Cat" through 2003's "Untitled", before leaving in 2005. He then rejoined the band in 2011 for the "Neighborhoods" LP, prior to departing again in 2015.
BLINK-182's two most recent albums — 2016's "California" and 2019's "Nine" — featured ALKALINE TRIO's Matt Skiba.
Tom has spent the last few years focusing on ANGELS & AIRWAVES before reconnecting with Mark after the latter beat cancer in 2021. Travis has collaborated with countless musicians and married Kourtney Kardashian.
Southern California hard rockers P.O.D. have released the official music video for their new single, "Drop". The track, which features a guest appearance by LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe, is taken from P.O.D.'s upcoming studio album, "Veritas", which will arrive next spring via Mascot.
"'Drop' is another one-of-a-kind, unparalleled banger that sets this band apart from everyone else," says P.O.D. vocalist Sonny Sandoval. "When you hear it, you know it's P.O.D.!"
"Dude, it's the sickest thing ever," P.O.D.'s Marcos Curiel says of "Drop", which was inspired by the guitarist's longtime love of electronic music. "When that drop hits, everyone knows it," he adds. "We needed to create a song in that way… P.O.D. style."
In a recent interview with Ethan Jackson of Topeka's rock radio station KDVV/V100 conducted at this year's Rocklahoma festival, Curiel said about the "Veritas" album title: "It's the old Latin dialect. You know, the old one that the priests are laying down when people are demonly possessed. It stands for truth. It's our truth because we wrote this record during the pandemic. Individually and collectively, it's our truth as a band, what we've been through, what we've all been through during that time, dude.
"I can't wait for you guys to hear it, man," the guitarist added. "It's pretty cool. We also got Tatiana [Shmailyuk] from JINJER on a track. And we have Cove Reber. He sang for SCARY KIDS [SCARING KIDS] and SAOSIN. And he also sings in a new band called DEAD AMERICAN. He's on a track."
Fan-filmed video of a recent performance of "Drop" can be seen below.
Last month, Sandoval told "The Jesea Lee Show" about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the three-time Grammy Award-nominated rock quartet's next studio album: "It's been a long progress, just because of COVID and everything. Once COVID hit, everybody thought, 'Well, we can make records and get everything out and get it ready to go.' But it was kind of a difficult thing for us because we're used to being together and writing together. So, it was a different process for us, but now it's mixed, mastered, ready to go, but we aren't releasing it till next year, because, you know, the way labels work. But it's cool, 'cause they're gonna waterfall like a bunch of different singles and stuff like that. So it should be cool. So hopefully by… The plan is by the time the record comes out, you would have already seen three videos or [heard] four or five songs."
Asked if the next P.O.D. album will see him and his bandmates returning to their "old-school" sound or if it will represent "a whole new era" for the group. Sonny said: "All we know how to do is be ourselves. But I think this album is definitely more rocking. The last album, 'Circles', was a little bit more on the alternative side and a little bit of all the elements of our styles and flavors. But this one, it's just kind of rock, you know what I mean? But I dig it. I think it's kind of the album that we needed. Not everybody gets all the different flavors and styles and the soulfulness of P.O.D. Sometimes I compare it to… I don't eat McDonald's, but they're the number one food chain for a reason. People, they know what they get, they know what to expect. I'm more of a foodie, so I like a great burger or maybe a steak. But people love their McDonald's, so sometimes you just kind of give 'em what they want."
P.O.D.'s latest album, "Circles", was released in November 2018 via Mascot Label Group. The disc saw the band collaborating with the Los Angeles-based production duo called the Heavy (Jason Bell and Jordan Miller),who ensured the album is contemporary sounding without losing any of the band's core sonic signifiers.
P.O.D. dropped "Satellite: 20th Anniversary Edition" as a double-CD and digitally in September 2021 through Rhino. Released a few days before the album's official anniversary, the 27-song collection introduced a newly remastered version of the original album, plus a selection of rarities, remixes, and four previously unreleased demos, including "Alive (Semi-Acoustic Version)". A few weeks later, "Satellite: 20th Anniversary Edition" was released on vinyl as a double-LP as a part of Rhino's Rocktober campaign.
After debuting at No. 6 on the Billboard 200, "Satellite" went on to sell more than seven million copies worldwide, including three million in the U.S. The record generated four singles: the title track, "Alive", "Youth Of The Nation" and "Boom". In addition to its commercial success, "Satellite" earned P.O.D. three Grammy nominations for "Alive" ("Best Hard Rock Performance", 2002),"Portrait" ("Best Metal Performance", 2003) and "Youth Of The Nation" ("Best Hard Rock Performance", 2003).
"Satellite: 20th Anniversary Edition" has a bonus disc that includes B-sides like "Critic" and "Sabbath" that were initially released in Europe, plus remixes for "Boom" by THE CRYSTAL METHOD and "Youth Of The Nation" by Mike$Ki.
Frontiers Music Srl has announced the upcoming debut album release, “Fight In Me”, from Ignescent, a dynamic new hard rock band hailing from Chicago. The first single, “Not Today”, featuring Kevin Young of Disciple, is out today. The corresponding music video, also out today, features Billy Grey of Fozzy and was directed by JT Ibanez well known for his work with Sevendust. Preorder here.
About the theme of the album, Ignescent’s Jennifer Benson says, "We will come out stronger in the end through the pain with our hearts ignited. I will never stop the fight in me."
The album will include songs co-written with Sameer of Flyleaf, along with Jeremy Valentyne and Brandon Wolfe of New Years Day among others. The band is fronted by the multi-talented singer Jennifer Benson and have released several singles and an EP in the past few years showcasing their contemporary metal sound, akin to Flyleaf, Evanescence, Jinjer and Skillet.
Since 2018, the band has been primarily touring throughout the Midwest and Nashville area. Ignescent’s last single, “Remnant” hit #46 on Billboard Rock Charts, while Ignescent’s first EP, Electrified, was produced by 4 time Dove Award winning & Grammy Nominated producer Travis Wyrick (10 Years, P.O.D.). The first song on the CD, “Calling Out To You”, was co-written with former lead guitarist of Skillet, Ben Kasica, and hit the top 30 on Billboard Rock Charts.
Tracklisting:
“Monster You Made”
“Unholy”
“Fight In Me”
“You’re Not Alone”
“Under Attack”
“Triple Threat”
“Shadows”
“Carries Me”
“The Hurt”
“Woman On Fire”
“Not Today”
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