Following the recently released Tantum Religio Potuit Suadere Malorum, Dark Sky Burial - the project of Shane Embury - is announcing the new vinyl release coming out in 2024.


"Life for anyone can be a struggle at times," explains Shane Embury. An honored veteran of heavy music looks back at both sides of his artistic personality.


On the one hand - Napalm Death, Brujeria, Tronos among other projects featuring Embury’s notable bass that became synonymous to the adjective “grinding”. On the other hand - Dark Sky Burial. Not just another project. But a different one. Coming through personal tragedies, Embury believes It all ignited a quest to find meaning and also rediscover just who he is.




Using the image of a Maze on the cover of the recently released series of albums, Embury evokes the inner-search of his listeners, making them question and search for the meaning. A personal one. Accumulated by medieval-rhythms and dark-twisting passages Dark Sky Burial leads you through a twisted labyrinth, where every twist and turn are reflected on the musical level. With a landscape change, structural or compositional additions.


Described by Shane Embury as “more than just a creative outpouring”, the newly released album unites both Pulvis Et Umbra Sumus and Nascentes Morimur Morientes Nascimur a collective piece, a quadrilogy of albums. Coming up with the third piece of the series of releases, Embury questions himself: “Four is the number of wholeness… So maybe I am symbolizing my desire for personal wholeness through the album’s journey? From prehistoric times, the number four was employed to signify what was solid, what could be touched and felt. Its relationship to the cross (four points) made it an outstanding symbol of wholeness and universality, a symbol which drew all to itself."


Tantum Religio Potuit Suadere Malorum is a burning bridge built with hope and sadness, a rebirth record described by Shane as: "the letting of go many things most importantly my former self."


Commenting on the signing to Consouling Sounds, Shane explains: “I am very excited to be joining Consouling Sounds. The Dark Sky Burial following have been feverishly asking for vinyl releases for sometime now, and this is something I have really wanted to do."


Embury continues: “The debut release on Consouling Sounds will feature lots of twists and turns sonically with this vinyl release it’s the start of a new and exciting chapter in the evolution of Dark Sky Burial."





(Photo - Gobhinder Jhitta)

REVOLUTION SAINTS, the band led by JOURNEY vocalist/drummer Deen Castronovo, will release a new album, "Against The Winds", on February 9, 2024 via Frontiers Music Srl.

The follow-up 2023's "Eagle Flight" sees Castronovo once again joined by fellow rockers bassist Jeff Pilson (known for his work with FOREIGNER and DOKKEN) and guitarist Joel Hoekstra (of WHITESNAKE and NIGHT RANGER).

The official music video for the song "Changing My Mind" can be seen below.

Pilson commented: "'Changing My Mind' is another powerful track showing that amazing Deen Castronovo voice with a melodic and shredding solo from Joel Hoekstra. God he's good!! This is REVOLUTION SAINTS operating on full tilt. Can't wait for fans to hear this!!!!!"

Hoekstra added: "'Changing My Mind' is a fun, melodic rock track that shines a light on the amazing singing and drumming of Deen Castronovo and the always stellar, tasteful bass work of Jeff Pilson. I'm honored to be playing with these guys! I hope you enjoy it!"

REVOLUTION SAINTS was initially conceived by Serafino Perugino, the president and head of A&R at Frontiers, to showcase the remarkable vocal talents of Castronovo. While Castronovo had always been respected as a drummer, those who took notice of his background vocals and witnessed his lead vocal performances during JOURNEY shows, soon recognized his exceptional singing prowess.

REVOLUTION SAINTS was, and continues to be, a platform to spotlight Deen's incredible vocal abilities.

"Against The Winds", primarily produced and composed by Alessandro Del Vecchio (who also contributes on keyboards and background vocals),delivers what you would expect: captivating vocals, enchanting melodies, and hooks that will linger in your mind for days.

With this album, REVOLUTION SAINTS exhibits a heightened sense of cohesion, energy, and emotion. They solidify their status as giants in the genre, and this album unquestionably reaffirms why they belong at the pinnacle once again.

"Against The Winds" track listing:

01. Against The Winds
02. Changing My Mind
03. Fall On My Knees
04. Can't End It Right Now
05. Lost In Damnation
06. Will I See You Again
07. Show Me Your Light
08. Save All That Remains
09. Been Said And Done
10. Diving Wings
11. No Turning Back

For the first three REVOLUTION SAINTS albums, "Revolution Saints", "Light In The Dark" and "Rise", Deen was joined by bassist/vocalist Jack Blades (NIGHT RANGER) and guitarist Doug Aldrich (ex-WHITESNAKE, DIO). Produced by Del Vecchio, those three albums brought back the classic melodic rock style that thrilled and delighted legions of fans in the 1980s and 1990s and still does today. Inspiring, uplifting vocals, soaring melodies, and hooks for days is what you get in spades across those three albums.

While REVOLUTION SAINTS, MK I left an indelible mark on the melodic rock world, it was time for MK II to be born. Deen, having recently rejoined JOURNEY, was feeling invigorated and inspired and ready to sing his ass off. Filling Blades and Aldrich's shoes would be no easy feat, but, mercifully, the exact right guys were found for the job.

Hoekstra is a current member of WHITESNAKE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA and ICONIC, as well as having his own solo project, JOEL HOEKSTRA'S 13, and is an absolutely stunning guitar player, able to play multiple styles. Pilson, currently a member of FOREIGNER, BLACK SWAN and THE END MACHINE, is also known for his time in DOKKEN and of course, his more recent production work. Two stellar musicians to compliment Deen's singing and drumming is exactly what was needed for REVOLUTION SAINTS, MK II and that's what we've got here. As with the first three albums, Del Vecchio handles production as well as contributing keyboards and background vocals.

Grammy-nominated extreme power metal frontrunners DRAGONFORCE have unveiled their new single, "Astro Warrior Anthem", together with an official music video. The breathtaking opening track from the epic new album, "Warp Speed Warriors", out on March 15, 2024 via Napalm Records, lives up to DRAGONFORCE's reputation as the world's fastest band — captivating the listener from the very beginning and stunning with guitar solos delivered at an extreme speed.

DRAGONFORCE guitarist Herman Li comments on "Astro Warrior Anthem": "'Astro Warrior Anthem' captures all the elements of DRAGONFORCE's music, fused with an explosive music video. I am sure our fans will love it."

On "Warp Speed Warriors", DRAGONFORCE — composed of of guitar virtuosos and founding members Herman Li and Sam Totman, singer Marc Hudson, bassist Alicia Vigil and drummer Gee Anzalone — explore a wider range of varying musical styles than ever before, evolving their sound throughout the exciting musical journey while still staying true to their roots.

Herman stated about "Warp Speed Warriors": "After four years of creative incubation, we are beyond excited to release what we believe to be our most ambitious and grandiose record yet. This album showcases multiple facets of our artistic abilities, and we invite metal aficionados from every corner of the genre to discover something captivating within its layers. We can't wait to share this chapter of our musical journey with you, it's going to be EPIC!"

"Power Of The Triforce" keeps the volume high before DRAGONFORCE temporarily slows it down for the ballad "Kingdom Of Steel". Rapid drum patterns and thrilling guitars carry the catchy "Burning Heart", while chanting "Space Marine Corp" features a strong and uplifting chorus. Electronic influences on grandiose power metal anthem "The Killer Queen" hypnotize, as singer Marc Hudson's vocals reach for the skies. On "Doomsday Party", 1980s rock influences meet captivating retro video game soundscapes and epic guitar solos in true DRAGONFORCE manner. The last original track on "Warp Speed Warriors", "Pixel Prison", is followed by DRAGONFORCE's unexpected yet brilliant cover of Taylor Swift's "Wildest Dreams (Taylor's Version)" as a bonus track that wraps up the epic adventure.

"Warp Speed Warriors" was produced, mixed and mastered by Damien Rainaud at Mix Unlimited in Los Angeles, California with Sam Totman and Herman Li. This album is a matchless, innovative listening experience that continues the band's legacy with songs that will, without a shadow of a doubt, become instant classics in and beyond the DRAGONFORCE canon.

"Warp Speed Warriors" track listing:

01. Astro Warrior Anthem
02. Power Of The Triforce
03. Kingdom Of Steel
04. Burning Heart
05. Space Marine Corp
06. Doomsday Party
07. Prelude To Darkness
08. The Killer Queen
09. Pixel Prison

In November 2022, DRAGONFORCE released a music video for the song "The Last Dragonborn". The track is taken from "Extreme Power Metal", which came out in September 2019. Produced in Los Angeles, California by Damien Rainaud at Mix Unlimited, the LP was also recorded, in part, on Li's livestream channel on Twitch with participation from the fans.

"The Last Dragonborn" was the first DRAGONFORCE music video to feature Vigil, who first joined the band as a touring member in January 2020.

DRAGONFORCE's platinum-selling single "Through The Fire And Flames" brought the London-based Grammy-nominated extreme power metal group international acclaim and was featured as the most challenging song on "Guitar Hero III".

In March 2019, the "Through The Fire And Flames" music video reached a new milestone: it surpassed one hundred million views on YouTube — DRAGONFORCE's first music video to do so.

"Through The Fire And Flames" is the leadoff track from 2006's "Inhuman Rampage" album, which was officially certified gold in July 2017 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales in excess of half a million copies.

In August 2019, DRAGONFORCE parted ways with longtime bassist Frédéric Leclercq. He has since joined German thrashers KREATOR.

DRAGONFORCE is:

Herman Li - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Sam Totman - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Marc Hudson - Vocals
Alicia Vigil - Bass, Backing Vocals
Gee Anzalone - Drums, Backing Vocals

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

In a new interview with Marko Syrjälä of Chaoszine, former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley was asked about the passport issues which have kept him from touring Europe in recent years. He responded: "Well, there's a good chance I can make it to Europe in late summer if I get my passport renewed. I've been having issues with renewing my passport because I have some problems with the IRS [Internal Revenue Service], and it's not really the passport bureau but the IRS. Since I owe the IRS a couple of hundred grand, and they just instituted a new law that if you owe more than $50,000, they won't renew your passport. Luckily, I have some really smart attorneys working on it, and there are ways around it, so hopefully I might be able to get my passport within two or three weeks. If that happens, I will be in Europe this summer. If it doesn't happen, I will be in Europe next summer. But I'd love it to be this summer because it's been too long since I did all the festivals there."

Back in 2013, Daily Mail reported that Ace was losing his home in Westchester County, New York after a bank foreclosed on it because he hadn't paid his mortgage in two years. At the time, he also reportedly owed nearly $20,000 for taxes to the county, the town of Yorktown and the local school district that he didn't pay in 2011 or 2012. As of a decade ago, Frehley also reportedly owned two other properties in town, including a vacant lot.

For the past few years, Frehley has lived in Sparta, New Jersey with his fiancée, Lara Cove.

Ace will release his new solo album, "10,000 Volts", on February 23, 2024 via MNRK Music Group (formerly eOne Music). The official music video for the LP's title track — directed by Alex Kouvatsos from Black Wolf Imaging — was released in late November.

Ace's next all-original album will be the follow-up to "Spaceman", which was released in October 2018 via eOne.

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons co-wrote two tracks on "Spaceman", "Without You I'm Nothing" and "Your Wish Is My Command", the latter of which also features Gene's bass playing.

Frehley, who co-founded KISS in 1973, left KISS twice — in 1982 and again in 2002.

When all four original KISS members concurrently released solo records in September 1978, Ace's LP was the most successful, yielding the top 20 single "New York Groove".

In 2016, Frehley collaborated with KISS frontman Paul Stanley on a rendition of FREE's "Fire And Water". That track appeared on Frehley's covers LP "Origins Vol. 1", released that year.

Photo credit: Jayme Thornton

After nearly 10 years of absence, AUSTRIAN DEATH MACHINE muscled its way back into the scene with the announcement of its first new album in a decade, "Quad Brutal". Scheduled for release on February 23, 2024 via Napalm Records, "Quad Brutal" features 10 tracks of heavyweight thrash-infused extremity and sprint-worthy speed. It will instantly have listeners coming back for more — ready for endless reps and skipping nothing (except maybe leg day).

Following the band's raging latest singles "No Pain No Gain" and "Don't Be Lazy", AUSTRIAN DEATH MACHINE — the unmissable project helmed by AS I LAY DYING frontman Tim Lambesis — returns with another new burner, the "Terminator"-inspired track "Destroy The Machines". Featuring vocals from Tim's third wife, Dany Lambesis, and deft guitar work by Mark MacDonald and Joey Alarcon (WOLVES AT THE GATE, BORN THROUGH FIRE),the track combines the most blistering metalcore and thrash-infused savagery known to both man and machinekind.

Tim Lambesis says about "Destroy The Machines": "AI has begun taking over, and it happening pretty quickly. Arnold warned us about it back in 1991, and we should have listened. 33 years later I'm doing to best I can to spread the message that will save humanity. We must destroy the machines. Or at very least we should have a lot of fun singing about it.

"The vision I had in mind while writing the opening riff was to create a war march. Since AI can create song now, I challenge it to write one this aggressive. It's my sonic war against the machines, and I believe I'm victorious… at least for now."

In historic AUSTRIAN DEATH MACHINE fashion, "Quad Brutal" is supported by a slew of guests on each track — in addition to vocal contributions from Dany Lambesis (HELLBØRN),tracks on "Quad Brutal" are supercharged by professional bodybuilders and vocalists Craig Golias and Rob Bailey, vocalist Ricky Hoover (OV SULFUR, ex-SUFFOKATE),guitar virtuosos Angel Vivaldi, Clayton King, Brandon Richter (BLEEDING THROUGH),Joey Alarcon (WOLVES AT THE GATE, BORN THROUGH FIRE) and more.

Absolute units like relentless debut single "No Pain No Gain", hammering "Get Down", apocalyptic harbinger "Judgment Day" and massive "I Never Quit" blister and groove with unmatched fury, while death-meets-metalcore burners like "Destroy The Machines", "MeatGrinder" and "Don't Be Lazy" explode with the colossal strength of Ahhnold himself. On the other end of the weight bench, large and in charge head-spinners like "Conquer" and "Hey Bro Can You Spot Me?" bring the brutality without sacrificing melody, and will have fans of Lambesis's other projects turning their heads.

Lambesis says about "Quad Brutal": "Being commissioned by The Govournator to sonically encompass the brutality of '80s action, bodybuilding, and judgment day into one album is a task that comes with great responsibility. First, I had to make it brutal of course. Then, I had to make sure to include choruses so that people don't forget the great wisdom of Ahhnold's words. And since it's the fourth album, I had to really work on my quad strength at the gym to someday be ready to carry the weight of the world from the album cover when it's passed along to me someday. The result is an album that is much more diverse than any ADM album I've written, and in the spectrum of heavy, it is the most brutal by a long shot when you hear all 10 songs."

"Quad Brutal" track listing:

01. No Pain No Gain (feat. Craig Golias, Angel Vivaldi)
02. Conquer (feat. HELLBØRN, Clayton King)
03. Hey Bro Can You Spot Me? (feat. Craig Golias, Alarcon)
04. Judgment Day (feat. Ov Sulfur)
05. Everybody Pities The Weak (feat. HELLBØRN)
06. Don't Be Lazy (feat. Craig Golias)
07. Get Down (feat. Craig Golias)
08. Destroy The Machines (feat. Dany Lambesis)
09. MeatGrinder (feat. HELLBØRN)
10. I Never Quit (feat. Kill Rob Bailey, Craig Golias, BLEEDING THROUGH)

AUSTRIAN DEATH MACHINE launched 15 years ago as a one man band, triumphing as the metal scene's newest obsession with their 2008 debut album, "Total Brutal". After releasing two more acclaimed albums in 2009 and 2014, the one-man band did the impossible — they broke up. After a decade of regrowth and rebirth, and with the help of good friends by his side, Lambesis finally felt inspired to work on new music for the project, now emerging as "Quad Brutal" — chock full of the band's most heavy, breakneck riffage, non-stop pummeling rhythms and Ahhnold-approved ferocity yet. AUSTRIAN DEATH MACHINE is prepared to climb back to the top of their weight class - packing more punch than Mr. Universe himself with "Quad Brutal".

ENTER SHIKARI and FEVER 333 lead singer Jason Butler have shared their new collaborative single "Losing My Grip".

"Losing My Grip" marks the first new music from ENTER SHIKARI in 2024, following the band's biggest year to date which included the release of their first-ever U.K. No. 1 album "A Kiss For The Whole World" and the announcement of a huge world tour. They closed their 2023 with live runs through Europe and Australia, and will begin their biggest ever U.K. headline tour later this month.

Linking up with longtime friend and upcoming tourmate Butler for "Losing My Grip" is a characteristically inquisitive and probing single that beats its chest and locks eyes with a world spinning out of control. It again showcases the collaborative talents of a band that in the last year alone have worked on singles with AViVA, Cody Frost, WARGASM and YOU ME AT SIX.

Talking about their new single, lead singer and producer Rou Reynolds says: "We've known Jason for years now and have toured much of the world together. I think we always thought that it'd be great to collaborate on something when the right opportunity surfaced. This track certainly felt right. It required a thoughtful intensity, which Jason provides effortlessly in whatever he sets his mind to.

"We can't wait to take FEVER 333 out on our U.K. and Europe tour, it's been too long since we shared a stage together.

"'Losing My Grip' oscillates between two of our favorite and foundational genre influences; drum and bass and hardcore punk. Lyrically, it's about the immense power that our species now wields, and the pressure and weight that that adds to our lives. We're the only species capable of destroying itself (and all others) completely and, increasingly, it appears as though we're only too willing. 'Losing My Grip' is about the fight to stay sane whilst living in a deeply and dangerously flawed system."

Butler adds: "I've always been a fan of ENTER SHIKARI. Yes, them as a band, but moreover, them as people. Yes, what they do, but even more so how they do it. They are an entity in their own lane and I'm honored to have had an opportunity to swerve in it for a second and very excited to be rockin' with them on this upcoming tour. WE ARE GODS."

ENTER SHIKARI will be continuing its world tour in Europe this February and March. The band's U.K. tour is a groundbreaking tour during which £1 from every ticket sale will be donated to the Music Venue Trust in support of grassroots venues.

Photo credit: Paul Harries (courtesy of Cosa Nostra PR)

EMGtv has shared a video of JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner playing the song "Bitter Pill" from his ELEGANT WEAPONS project. Check it out below.

ELEGANT WEAPONS features Faulkner on guitar and Ronnie Romero (RAINBOW, MSG) on vocals, alongside Dave Rimmer (URIAH HEEP) on bass and Christopher Williams (ACCEPT) on drums.

ELEGANT WEAPONS' debut album, "Horns For A Halo", was released on May 26, 2023 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was recorded with bassist Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN) and drummer Scott Travis (JUDAS PRIEST) and was helmed by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with JUDAS PRIEST, ACCEPT, EXODUS and MEGADETH, among many others.

In a recent interview with Jorge Botas of Portugal's Metal Global, Faulkner spoke about a possible second album from ELEGANT WEAPONS. He said: "We've already started. We've recorded drums for the second record. We got together in March, I think, of [2023]; I think it was March — I'm not sure. We got together in the studio and played together to record the drums, get the drums recorded. So it's been started."

Asked if the second ELEGANT WEAPONS LP will arrive in 2024 or 2025, Richie said: "I don't know. Maybe [in 2024]. Back in the day, bands used to release a record every year, sometimes two in a year. I know we don't do things under the same cycle anymore. But the ideas are there for the songs. We all were together, and we thought why not get at least the drums going. We got the drums and we got the guitars, and stuff like that, so why not start the process?

"It was important for me, really, when I started the band… It was a band that it wasn't just a one-record type thing," Faulkner explained. "It was a band that plays live and records — hopefully — multiple records and grows and evolves together moving into the future. So the next record is just a part of that sort of process, really."

Richie went on to say that he plans on focusing on ELEGANT WEAPONS full-time once PRIEST has officially called it a day.

"PRIEST music is gonna be around a lot longer than we are," he said. "It's legendary music. They're genre-defining musicians and it's a genre-defining band. It will be around for a long time. But none of us gets out of this alive. That's just the reality of it. So if one day that call comes in and that's the last tour or the last album, whatever it is… I mean, I joined the band on what was the farewell tour. Luckily it wasn't, and we're still here 12 years later. [It's] fantastic. But at the time, I think I would have been silly not to consider what I was gonna do after the band, because of the circumstances of the tour. It was a farewell tour — it was [supposed to be] the last tour — so what am I gonna do after? So it's always been in the back of my mind. And this is a band that seems natural to me to continue with if that call ever came in."

ELEGANT WEAPONS played a number of shows in Europe in June and July 2024, including performances with PANTERA, festival appearances and headlining gigs.

ELEGANT WEAPONS made its first two festival appearances on June 16, 2023 at Hellfest in Clisson, France and on June 18, 2023 at Graspop Metal Meeting in Dessel, Belgium.

SMASHING PUMPKINS have revealed that they have been inundated with thousands of applicants after announcing earlier this month that they were looking for a new guitarist following longtime guitarist Jeff Schroeder's departure.

"The band has received over 10,000 submissions for the position of additional guitarist," SMASHING PUMPKINS revealed in a social media post on Tuesday (January 16). "Currently, there are 8 people working full-time to review each and every one."

Last October, Schroeder announced his departure from SMASHING PUMPKINS. The 49-year-old musician, who had played with SMASHING PUMPKINS for the 16 years, released a statement via the band's social media in which he said: "It's easy to say now that when I joined THE SMASHING PUMPKINS in 2007 I had no idea what I was getting into. The opportunity seemed to have come out of nowhere. I was at UCLA working on my doctorate in comparative Literature when a close friend messaged me and said THE SMASHING PUMPKINS were looking for a guitar player. Being a huge fan of the band, the audition was something I threw myself into. It was one of the best decisions I've made in my life. The amount of incredible memories created over the last 16 years with the band are almost too numerous to quantify.

"Although it was a very difficult decision to make, I've decided to leave the band to make some space to explore a slightly different path.

"I want to thank Billy, Jimmy, James, and Jack for being both wonderful bandmates and even better friends. I will absolutely miss sharing the stage with you. I wish the band all the success in the future. I will be watching and listening."

Billy Corgan, James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin commented on Schroeder's departure in a separate statement, writing: "We thank Jeff for his ceaseless dedication to the band and our great fans. Words can not express our gratitude and appreciation for the friend he is, and being there for SP in the good times and the tough times, too."

As stated above, Schroeder had been touring and recording with the SMASHING PUMPKINS since 2006 when a friend texted him that the PUMPKINS were looking for new band members and he quickly abandoned the grad school program he was pursuing at UCLA after landing the gig. Playing in SMASHING PUMPKINS all these years has inspired Schroeder to become "a better technical guitar player," he previously said. "There's things that I hear in my head that I want to be able to play, and so when you reach the kind of technical frontier where you're like, 'Okay, there's certain limitations here,' I just decided, 'Okay, I want to be able to play some things in my head that I can't technically do.'" In recent years, he's also taken jazz guitar lessons during a time when SMASHING PUMPKINS was off the road, and contributed to albums by the shoegaze band RINGO DEATHSTARR and electro-pop act NIGHT DREAMER.

Schroeder released his debut solo single, "Haenim", in July 2021. A fuzzed-out shoegaze-pop cover featuring Korean American vocalist Heeya So, the song was written by Shin Joong Hyun, an influential Korean rock 'n' roll guitarist, and initially appeared on 1973's "Now", a psych-folk LP released by a teenager named Kim Jung Mi.

Update

Posted by The Smashing Pumpkins on Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Brutal metallic sludge outfit Mastiff will release their Deprecipice full-length on March 22nd via MNRK Heavy.


Everything Mastiff does is in the name of intensity. Since forming amid the misery of Kingston-upon-Hull in 2013, the UK five-piece have crashed extreme metal, sludge, and hardcore together to create the most brutal sonic onslaughts possible all in the name of keeping their music fresh, raw, and seething.


Signing to MNRK Heavy three years ago, Mastiff’s commitment to blunt-force aggression remains untempered. Now comes the next release: Deprecipice – an album that, somehow, smacks even harder than anything this band has unchained before, produced by longtime collaborator Joe Clayton (Wallowing, Ithaca, Tuskar) at Manchester’s No Studio.




“We’ve gone quite a lot towards a hardcore sound,” says vocalist Jim Hodge. “Where the last one was more death metal, this one’s a lot more staccato: a lot more defined, riff-wise.”


Unlike so many of their extreme metal peers right now, though, Mastiff didn’t source this rejuvenated savagery from the anxieties and frustrations of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the lockdowns ended and real life started to resume in 2021 and 2022, Hodge and guitarist/vocalist James Lee Ross noticed the spirits of the world around them lifting. Feelings of trauma and isolation were beginning to enter people’s rear-view mirrors – and it was an overcoming that the duo couldn’t relate to. Ross was mourning the loss of his mother, while Hodge realized he was still grieving over the death of his five-day-old son, Isaac, in 2010.


“The album’s called Deprecipice, and that pretty much sums up where me and James were when we wrote it,” says the singer. “We were both standing back on the edge of a depressive void.”


The first single from Deprecipice is the furiously aggressive “Serrated,” featuring the blistering vocals of Harry Nott, the vocalist for South London’s Burner who’s debut It All Returns To Nothing was one of the hottest debut albums of 2023 featuring in Metal Hammer’s 10 Best Death Metal Albums Of 2023 and 50 Best Albums Of 2023, released on Church Road Records. Also appearing on the song, ripping a Slayer inspired solo, is Dan James, guitarist from Hull band XIII, who played with Mastiff on their 2023 tour with theatrical metallers, Avatar.


Elaborates Hodge, “The track lyrically is about the ‘bullshit machine;’ people blowing smoke up your arse but you trying to stay grounded. It’s too easy to fall foul of the reverse of imposter syndrome. We met Harry and the Burner boys when they came to Hull when they were supporting Employed To Serve and it turned out Burner were fans of us and after about 30 seconds of them playing we all became some of their biggest fans too.”


Adds Nott, “‘Serrated’ is a relentless track and the vibe clicked instantly - went in the studio and smashed it in a couple of takes with some quickly penned lyrics. Mastiff is the epitome of darkness, so I went hard on some apocalyptic imagery.”


With Deprecipice, Mastiff has a made a magnum opus that bleeds with genuine pain. The record will be released on CD, LP, and digital formats. Preorder/pre-save here.





Tracklisting:


“Bite Radius”
“Everything Is Ending”
“Void”
“Cut-Throat” feat. Primitive Man’s Ethan Lee McCarthy
“Skin Stripper”
“Serrated” feat. Burner’s Harry Nott and XIII
“Worship” feat. Yersin
“Pitiful”
“The Shape”
“Thorn Trauma”


“Serrated” video:





To support Deprecipice, Mastiff will hit the road in March touring the UK, which includes a stop at London’s legendary The Black Heart, alongside UK extreme metal outfit, Yersin.


Dates:


March
22 – Hull – Polar Bear
23 – Glasgow – Audio
24 – Edinburgh – Bannermans
27 – London – The Black Heart
28 – Brighton – Green Door Store
29 – Bristol – Crofters Rights
30 – Birmingham – Devils Dog
31 – Nottingham – Rough Trade 


(Photo – Nick Sayers)

The award-winning progressive rock band Big Big Train will release their 15th studio album The Likes Of Us on March 1, 2024. The album is the internationally-based group’s first full collection of songs since the unexpected passing of long-serving lead vocalist David Longdon in late 2021. Besides marking the debut of new frontman Alberto Bravin, a former member of the Italian band Premiata Forneria Marconi, it also heralds the beginning of a new relationship with InsideOutMusic, the group having self-released their music for almost two decades.


Today the band are pleased to reveal a second track taken from the forthcoming album. “Miramare” is an edited version of a song that features in a longer format on The Likes Of Us. You can watch the video for “Miramare”, created by Miles Skarin of Crystal Spotlight below.


Gregory Spawton comments of the track: “BBT is known for its story songs, and I was keen to find a story which is set in Italy. Alberto lives in Trieste and mentioned the story of Maximilian and Carlotta, which was both a romantic (but doomed) love story and also a tale of the end of empires.




“Miramare was their castle home, a castle of dreams, set on the shore just outside Trieste. It turned out to be a grand folly and a place of madness and nightmares. Alberto had written a lovely piece of music and melody to set the words to and so it was simply a process of reading some books on the history and finding the way to tell the story.”


Alberto Bravin adds: “Having grown up in Trieste, and recently returned here after living for some years in London and Milan, the Miramare castle has been a backdrop for most of my life.


“Putting the story of Maximilian and Carlotta into music with Greg has been hugely satisfying for me. It was very fulfilling to co-write this song together and create what will hopefully be regarded as a Big Big Train future classic. With all its twists and turns as the story progresses, Miramare should be great to play live as well.”


The Likes Of Us will be released on several different formats, including for the first time as Dolby Atmos mixed by The Pineapple Thief’s Bruce Soord, while the stereo mixes were undertaken by the band’s regular engineer Rob Aubrey together with Alberto Bravin. The Dolby Atmos mix will come as part of the Limited CD & Blu-ray Mediabook edition that also contains the album as 5.1 Surround Sound & 24-bit high-resolution stereo. 


The album will also be available as a Gatefold 180g 2LP (available in black, sky blue, olive green and orange formats), Standard CD Jewelcase and Digital Album. The stunning artwork was created by the band’s longstanding collaborator Sarah Louise Ewing, with layouts by Steve Vantsis.


Preorder here.





Tracklisting:


“Light Left In The Day”
“Oblivion”
“Beneath The Masts”
“Skates On”
“Miramare”
“Love Is The Light”
“Bookmarks”
“Last Eleven”


"Miramare" video:





“Oblivion” video:





Big Big Train will perform for the first ever time in the USA in March 2024, including an appearance on Cruise To The Edge. 


March
1 – Fort Wayne, IN – Sweetwater Performance Theatre
2 – Rutherford, NJ – Rivoli Theater at The Williams Center
3 – Rutherford, NJ – Rivoli Theater at The Williams Center
5 – Boston, MA – Regent Theatre


Ticket links for these shows are at bigbigtrain.com.


 


Lineup:


Alberto Bravin – Lead vocals, guitar, keyboards
Nick D’Virgilio – Drums, percussion, vocals, 12-string acoustic guitar, vocals
Dave Foster – Guitars
Oskar Holldorff – Keyboards, vocals
Clare Lindley – Violin, vocals
Rikard Sjöblom – Guitars, keyboards, vocals
Gregory Spawton – Bass guitar, bass pedals, 12-string acoustic guitar, Mellotron


(Photo – Massimo Goina)

Switzerland’s legendary industrial black metal force, Samael, will unleash their live album, Passage - Live, on February 16 via Napalm Records. Recorded during a sold-out concert in Krakow on the last day of the European leg of the "Passage 25th Anniversary Tour", Passage - Live offers a fresh take on the highly influential original album released in 1996. Played live in its entirety, the album gets a makeover on the new live recording, with a raw and boisterous sound.


Samuel have released a lyric video for "Moonskin" from the upcoming release. Watch below:







The songs of Passage - Live remain the same, but captured in the urgency of a live environment, they appear rawer and heavier than they were originally, and the maturation of a quarter-century makes them more immediate. Passage - Live is the first official recording with the band’s current line-up, and as Drop and Ales both were fans of the album before joining the band, they add new vigor and energy to the music.


Passage - Live is a testament to an album that left its mark on a generation of metal fans, as Samael moved towards a more industrial sound, distancing themselves from their roots in black metal, and simultaneously breaking the band into a wider international audience. Passage has stood the test of time, remaining as fresh today as it was nearly three decades ago, and with Passage - Live, Samael adds new depth to one of the most important albums in the band’s history.


Vorph says about Passage - Live: "The blend of metal, industrial and electronica that has been our trademark for almost three decades began with Passage. It's almost ground zero for us, and we're delighted to offer these songs a fresh approach and bring this album to life for our long-standing audience as well as those who have discovered the band recently.”





Passage - Live will be available in the following formats:


- 1LP Gatefold Marbled Red/White & 20 Page Booklet (Napalm mail order only, limited to 300)
- 1LP Gatefold Black & 20 Page Booklet
- 6 Page Digipack & 56 Page Booklet in a Slipacase
- Digital Album


Samael Band Store:


- 1LP Gatefold Red & 20 Page Booklet
- 6 Page Digipack & 56 Page Booklet in a Slipacase


Pre-order here.





Passage - Live tracklisting:


"Passage"
"Rain"
"Shining Kingdom"
"Angel's Decay"
"My Saviour"
"Jupiterian Vibe"
"The Ones Who Came Before"
"Liquid Soul Dimension"
"Moonskin"
"Born Under Saturn"
"Chosen Race"
"A Man In Your Head"
 
"Jupiterian Vibe" video:





Samael are:


Vorph – Guitars, Vocals
Xy – Drums, Percussion, Keyboards, Samples, Drum programming
Drop – Guitars
Ales – Bass


(Photo - Cyril Perregaux)

Remember the glory days of the '80s.... and the world's most jacked and shirtless saxophone player Tim Cappello (Tina Turner, 1987 vampire film The Lost Boys)...? Well, the shred masters in Striker have resurrected that nostalgic sound from those iconic years with their saxophone mashup track, "Give It All", beautifully wrapped up in a retro-fitting music video that can be viewed below.


"'Give it All' is a song written for the soundtrack of an 80s action movie that doesn’t exist. It’s for the kid risking it all to win the big game, or the down-and-out cop that’s gotta push it to the limit to survive," adds the band.


Stream the song here, and watch the video below:







This latest single from Striker is off their forthcoming new album, ULTRAPOWER, produced with Josh Schroeder (Lorna Shore, Tallah, King 810) and due out on February 2. The seventh full-length from Striker follows their Juno Award-winning self-released record Play To Win (2018) unleashed on their 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).


With the band writing material since 2018, ULTRAPOWER is a collection of Striker tinkering and exploring new avenues. From the album's opening track "Circle of Evil", a Malmsteen-esque metal banger about secret societies and the evil dealings behind closed doors to their previously released single "Best Of The Best Of The Best" serving up some big riffs and hockey arena vocals to "Blood Magic", which might be one of Striker's most progressive songs, taking cues from bands like King Diamond, with its unconventional structure and punctuated guitar solos. From the band delving into their obsession for late 80s AOR and pop rock with "City Calling", an ode to 1987, and bands like Toto and Kenny Loggins with their hook-powered albums. To fans experiencing the band's first attempt at a synth-wave track with "Live to Fight Another Day", this new offering sees Striker making a shredding love letter to the hard-rocking era of guilty pleasures.


The band comments on the upcoming album: "Starting with the album cover, we wanted the artwork to represent how we feel as a band right now. We are an engine that is fired up and ready to roll. We’re made of metal and our circuits gleam! The album itself is an amalgamation of 5 years of writing and exploring music. With influences from AOR to Speed Metal, Hardcore to Hair Metal, Steely Dan to Deathcore, you name it, it made its way into the album. In the end with the help of Josh Schroeder’s guiding hand, we melted it all together to present something uniquely Striker. Lyrically we’ve stuck to the Striker tradition of writing montage songs for movies that don’t exist, songs about our spiraling serfdom, and lyrics about the evils that lurk in the shadows."


The album artwork created by Al Perez / Ramone Sketch (@ramonesketch) and the tracklisting for ULTRAPOWER can be seen below. ULTRAPOWER is available for pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Circle Of Evil"
"Best Of The Best Of The Best"
"Give it All"
"Blood Magic"
"Sucks To Suck"
"Ready For Anything"
"City Calling"
"Turn The Lights Out"
"Thunderdome"
"Live To Fight Another Day"
"Brawl At The Pub"


"Circle Of Evil" video:





"Best Of The Best Of The Best" video:

In a recent interview with the "Radio Forrest" podcast, SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan was asked if it's true that the band's debut album, 1989's "Skid Row", was "completely written and done" before singer Sebastian Bach came into the group and laid down his vocals on it. Rachel responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, pretty much — all except for a couple things here and there, but I would say about 98 percent were written and done, for sure."

He added: "That's the way it just worked out. Snake [SKID ROW guitarist Dave Sabo] and I, when we first met, we just started writing songs. We each had our own band, and we didn't commit to a band. And we each did our own gigs and whatever, but we'd get together and write songs. And then once we saw, like, 'Wow. These songs are really cool. Let's put something together and just start playing them for people.' And that's how SKID ROW was born. It was kind of like a two- or three-step process. And so Snake and I just ended up the main songwriters. It's not to say that we didn't want anyone else's contributions, 'cause that's not the case."

Bolan continued: "You know as soon as you start playing an idea for the guys whether they like it or not, whether it's a good idea or not. 'Cause sometimes I think that I have the next 'Stairway To Heaven' and I'll bring it to rehearsal and everyone's, like, 'Eh.' And you're just, like, 'Oh, that hurts.' But it is what it is. All five of you have to have to get off on it for it to become a SKID ROW song."

Bach joined SKID ROW in 1988 as the replacement for the band's original lead singer Matt Fallon, who sang on demo versions of songs that were eventually re-recorded for SKID ROW's multi-platinum 1989 eponymous LP.

Back in June 2021, Bach weighed in on a Twitter discussion between SKID ROW fans in response to the announcement that the band's then-lineup would perform its second album, "Slave To The Grind", in its entirety at a California concert the folliwing month. When one fan wrote that Sebastian "made SKID ROW the band they were," another fan chimed in: "It's hard to say a guy made a band who they were when he didn't write anything on their biggest selling album. You get another good vocalist and you probably have the same result". This prompted Sebastian to write: "Hey stupid you do realize that the songwriting credits are on the album right? Can you read?" When the same Twitter user said that "Fans need to move past ERAs", Bach responded: "Fans have moved past ERAS they started back in 1996 jackass. You can either listen to #AngelDown #KickingandScreaming and #GiveEmHell," referencing his last three solo albums, "or you can listen to 'Rise Of The Damnation Army United World Rebellion Chapter 2'," which was the 2014 post-Bach EP released by SKID ROW. "The choice of songwriters is up to you".

Apparently undeterred, the fan who made the original comment about the alleged lack of Sebastian's songwriting contributions went on to say: "[Bach] wrote NONE of the songs on their biggest selling album which is the comment he is responding to,. I have been corrected on 'Slave To The Grind', I guess he can legitimately sing those 3 songs live". To this, Sebastian replied: "READ THE CREDITS YOU F****** IDIOT I wrote the song 'Makin A Mess' and every single high note on the first SKID ROW Record when I was 19 years old. You think anybody wrote the screams in '18 And Life' other than me? Why don't you go listen to the guy before me sing it on YouTube and go shove that video up your ass".

He continued: "Hey you dumb fuck I co-wrote five songs on 'Slave To The Grind' if you could learn to read you would know this. I co-wrote five songs on 'Subhuman Race' so shove that up your ass too. Go listen to my solo records & the records they make without me and have a gr8 time".

Sebastian added: "Read the credits if you want fact. The fact is u r a lifetime loser and you always will be. You have no clue what you're talking about & can't read liner notes. The albums they wrote without me are the ones that I do not sing on. My solo albums were written without them. Enjoy".

Sebastian's comments came six years after he slammed his former bandmates in SKID ROW for claiming to have written all the songs on the group's early records without him. During an appearance on the "Snider Comments" podcast with host Dee Snider of TWISTED SISTER, Bach said: "The biggest lie that those guys always tell is, 'We wrote all the songs on all the records.' If you listen to my albums and the SKID ROW albums, and then you listen to the SKID ROW albums without me, and then listen to my solo albums, that'll give you all that you need to know about who wrote what. When they say, 'We wrote the song '18 And Life', you [just] sang it.' Okay, let's examine that statement. You can go listen to the original version of that song online, and then you can listen to me doing it, and there's something called a melody line. Okay? Where it goes, [singing] 'Lived nine to five and he worked his fingers to the bone.' Every time my voice goes into the register where you turn it up and go, 'Holy shit! Did you fucking hear that?' Those are the notes that I wrote, okay? Nobody does that in the version before that I didn't fucking… 'Can I sing this note in this part?' 'Yeah, do that, Sebastian. Yeah, do that.'"

He continued: "So I'm nineteen years old, taking these fucking songs and turning them into JUDAS PRIEST songs, as far as… I'm rewriting the melody lines, never thinking anybody was gonna like it, never thinking anybody was gonna buy it. I'm thinking I'm gonna be the next MALICE, not the next BON JOVI. The last thing anybody ever thinks is that somebody is gonna like this shit. That was, like, the last-case scenario. So I'm not in court, saying, 'I wrote this note! I fucking…' I'm not gonna be in litigation when I'm nineteen. You know?! So, [them saying] 'We wrote all the songs' is such a fucking pile of shit."

Asked by Snider if he thinks it's okay for some other singer to come and imitate his vocal and writing style and represent himself as the frontman of SKID ROW, Bach responded: "No. I think they should change the name of the band and leave… Like, VAN HALEN, okay, had Sammy [Hagar]… Well, they had Gary [Cherone]…. [Laughs] I forgot about that. But anyways, I would say, save the name of the band… I'm not saying that for me; I'm saying that for all of rock and roll."

Sebastian also talked about the fact that he believes he is by far the most recognizable member of the classic SKID ROW lineup. He said: "The elephant in the room here is, like, when you [referring to Dee] and me walk down the street, Dee Snider and Sebastian Bach, we are the human beings that other human beings hang out the car window and go, 'Youth gone wild, motherfucker!' 'We're not gonna take it!' There's no other people… There's no other guy… Not one guy in SKID ROW walks down the street and can't walk down the fucking street. I can't walk down the street without people going, 'Fuck! What the fuck!' There's no [other] guy in the band that will ever have that; they never will. The public decides. It's like the show 'American Idol'. 'We're gonna pick an 'American idol'.' No, you're not. America is gonnna pick the fucking idol. America is the people that decide who the band is. You know what I'm saying?!"

Asked in a 2013 interview with Metal Covenant if Bach "actually wrote anything significant on [SKID ROW's early] albums," Sabo responded: "To be totally honest, yeah. I mean, he contributed to things here and there. There is no doubt; you can't deny it. But to the extent that what Rachel and I would put into a song, no. I mean, Rachel and I spent three months on 'Quicksand Jesus'. So to sit there and say that he didn't contribute anything, then I'd be lying. But to sit there and say that he contributed equally as we did, that would be a lie."

In a 2010 interview, Bolan stated about SKID ROW's split with Sebastian: "There was so much tension and so much infighting that it was hard to write songs. Snake and I formed the band, we wrote the songs, and then other people played and sang it. People wanted to break away from what had been working, and that impeded the songwriting."

Regarding the decision to reform SKID ROW in 1999 without Bach, Bolan said: "The blood was so bad after [1995's] 'Subhuman Race' and there was just so much stuff in the press, we knew it wasn't going to work [with Sebastian]. We decided we'd rather go on being happy with what we were doing than get right back into all the tension and dissension. We loved the music, we loved playing, and we knew we could do this and have fun again. So we decided right there to continue without him."

Finnish metallers Wintersun have finally completed Time II. The album has been in the works since 2012’s Time I and has been delayed multiple times due to various reasons. Wintersun’s last full-length was 2017’s The Forest Seasons. 


"This album has been the biggest challenge in my life and I'm still kinda surprised it is finally done." – Jari Mäenpää (band leader)


“The day finally came: Time II is done!! Couldn’t be happier!” – Jukka Koskinen (bassist)




"I thought this day would never arrive and when Jari sent me a message that Time II was ready I still couldn’t understand that we were finally done after all the obstacles and challenges. I am more than happy now. Cheers!" – Kai Hahto (drummer)


"Whoa, I think Jari surprised us all! I’m happy that after all these years the album is finally ready!" – Teemu Mäntysaari (guitarist)


The band says in an additional statement:


“Thank you to everyone for supporting and helping us to get it finally finished! We'll be dropping more information along the way about the album and how all this happened.
Now... We need just a little bit more patience from you guys while we prepare everything for the release. The album booklet (Gyula Havancsák is working on it), promo photos (we have a photoshoot soon with Onni Wiljami Kinnunen), merchandise, physical release (CD, vinyl) with Nuclear Blast, etc.


“If everything goes according to plan, the album release will happen in the late summer of 2024, the latest early fall.


“Before that, we will launch the second crowdfunding campaign, planned to start on March 1st, which will be a pre-order for a very big PACKAGE that will include Time II. More information about this later, but let's just say that there are a lot more surprises we have in store for you!”

CROWNSHIFT, the new band featuring members of NIGHTWISH, CHILDREN OF BODOM, WINTERSUN and FINNTROLL, has released its first single, "If You Dare". The track is the first single from CROWNSHIFT's upcoming debut album, which is set to be released in the first half of 2024 via Nuclear Blast.

Irresistible banger "If You Dare" pairs the razor-sharp riffing and vicious breakdowns of contemporary metal with the gorgeous and otherworldly harmonics of Finnish melodic death metal. It's the perfect song for CROWNSHIFT to mark their territory as a new household name to be mentioned alongside the beloved genre greats from their home country.

Born as the longtime idea of four friends, CROWNSHIFT's members come from the ranks of Finland's finest exports such as NIGHTWISH, CHILDREN OF BODOM, WINTERSUN and FINNTROLL, are thrilled to start a new journey together and spread their authentic sonic print across the globe.

Seamlessly covering a diversity of styles, the quartet has a unique signature to their modern sound. Hypnotizing melodies paired with ripping riffs, from moody mid-tempo songs to fierce prog-death-metal opuses, CROWNSHIFT was born to be master of all trades.

Their forthcoming debut album will undoubtedly be a showcase of relentless ambition that will take you through a wide musical spectrum, with no compromises or boundaries, proving that the band are on a quest to put a striking mark on the map.

CROWNSHIFT commented: "We're super happy to start this new chapter in our career with Nuclear Blast. Their history, reputation and devotion as a metal label is incomparable and it is a privilege to embark on this exciting journey together."

Nuclear Blast Records added: "It's a pleasure to start working with this highly talented group of musicians.

"We wouldn't call it an all-star band but it's a five-star result of their collective experience from various bands. And sometimes it takes a while until the right musicians are coming together and find the perfect chemistry. Jukka, Heikki and Daniel already played together in the last NORTHER lineup until 2012. Since then, they went different ways but always crossed each other's paths, and finally came back together as CROWNSHIFT with the addition of the amazing vocal talent of Tommy Tuovinen from MYGRAIN.

"Their music is, of course, rooted in the very unique style of Finnish melodic death metal, but CROWNSHIFT enrich it with their admiration for Devin Townsend, both his raging STRAPPING YOUNG LAD era, as well as the epic prog side, and combine it with a timeless yet modern heaviness similar to the most impressive aspects of metalcore and bands such as KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. Sounds ambitious? Yes, but that's what it' s all about: being ambitious. Welcome CROWNSHIFT!"

CROWNSHIFT recently joined the roster of Till Dawn They Count Ltd management (NIGHTWISH, BEAST IN BLACK, SONATA ARCTICA).

CROWNSHIFT is:

Tommy Tuovinen: Vocals
Daniel Freyberg: Guitar, Backing Vocals
Jukka Koskinen: Bass
Heikki Saari: Drums

Photo credit: Pekka Keränen

Hard rock juggernaut Saint Asonia — comprised of heavy hitters Adam Gontier (former Three Days Grace frontman) and Mike Mushok (Staind guitarist/founding member), along with Cole Gontier (bass) and Cody Watkins (drums) — have shared the official video for the new version of their song "Wolf." This version features guest vocals from Skillet's John Cooper; the original appears on the Introvert/Extrovert album.





The anthemic song's crunchy riffs and confident vocals and lyrics are amplified by the addition of Cooper. The collaboration was born when both bands toured together in the spring and fall of last year.




"The video for 'Wolf' was shot live on November 22 in Salem, Virginia," says Gontier. "It was filmed and directed by Justin Reich, who directed both the' Above It All' and 'Devastate' videos, and has done a lot of photography for the band, as well."


He continues, "It was a really special night. We had John Cooper get up and perform 'Wolf' with us for the shoot, which we hadn't done on the tour up to that point. And let me tell you, John is a pro. He brought such a high level of intensity to the stage that night. We all just fed off each other's energy, and you can definitely see and feel that in this video."


Saint Asonia will turn to the road this spring.





Tour dates


February
13 - Destin, FL - Club LA
14 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
16 - Ft. Smith, AR - TempleLive Arkansas
17 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom
18 - Kansas City, MO - Madrid Theatre
20 - Joliet, IL - The Forge
21 - Belvidere, IL - The Apollo Theatre
23 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave
24 - Sault Ste. Marie, MI - Kewadin Casino - DreamMaker's Theatre
25 - Wyandotte, MI - District 142
27 - Pittsburgh, PA - Jergel's
28 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom


March
1 - Hampton Beach, NH - Wally's
2 - Hartford, CT - Webster Theater
3 - Wilmington, DE - The Queen
5 - Virginia Beach, VA - Elevation 27
6 - Charlotte, NC - The Underground
8 - Greensboro, NC - Hangar 1819
9 - Lexington, KY - Manchester Music Hall

Sylosis have released a video for the track “Absent”, taken from their most recent album, A Sign Of Things To Come. The introspective cut displays a new side of Sylosis, as they showcase their masterful understanding of dynamics through post-industrial atmospherics set against their trademark brand of visceral modern metal.


Josh Middleton comments on “Absent” and its accompanying video:


“Despite having always included darker and quieter songs in our discography, ‘Absent’ represents uncharted territory for Sylosis, while staying true to our commitment to melody and emotion in our music. The video also breaks away from our usual style, and we're grateful for director Daniel Grey's efforts in creating something out of our comfort zone. We're excited to have invited our new friends, Zetra, to bring a fresh perspective to the track with their reimagined remix. Their dark synth influence really adds a new dimension to the song, which we love!”




In regards to the song's lyrics, Josh continues:


“This is a more personal song and I wanted to push myself to try a different direction lyrically as well as with the music video. The song is about being so wrapped up in your own troubles that you neglect to see or appreciate that other people around you may be hurting or in a far worse place than yourself.”


Alongside the new video, the band have also revealed a remix of the track by shadowy labelmates Zetra. Their reinterpretation of the track drags the industrial elements of the original to the fore, creating a driving and intense portrayal.





Zetra comments:


“A candle has been lit.
Summoned by the riff, we answered the call to transport ‘Absent’ into our realm.
To strip flesh from bone and be born anew.
Witness its transformation.
Thank you, Sylosis.
Always, Zetra.”


Check out the remix here.


Sylosis will head out on a run of intimate headline shows this April. The dates are their first UK & Ireland headline dates in eight years. Norwich and Dublin are already sold out, and a majority of the other days have low ticket warnings, so make sure you secure yours now.





Dates:


April
3 – Southampton – Engine Rooms
4 – Bristol – The Fleece
5 – Norwich – The Waterfront Studio (SOLD OUT)
6 – Dublin – Whelan’s (SOLD OUT)
7 – Belfast – Limelight 2
9 – Edinburgh – La Belle Angele
10 – Glasgow – Cathouse
11 – Leeds – The Key Club
12 – Colchester – Arts Centre
13 – Cardiff – The Globe
14 – Nottingham – Rescue Rooms 

Ross Valory, regarded as one of rock’s best bass guitarists and an original member of the multi-platinum band Journey until his 2020 departure, returns today with the video for "Tomland". It’s the hypnotic first single from the bassist and songwriter’s debut solo album All Of The Above due out this April (exact date TBA) via OID Music.





The single will be released this Friday (January 19), and the movingly atmospheric video, directed by Michael Cotten, can be viewed below.




Penned by Valory, the all-instrumental “Tomland” marks the second piece recorded for the project - and the first done entirely at his new studio in the East Bay area of Northern California. The track builds to a ripping, climactic solo by red-hot guitarist Miles Schon, drummer Prairie Prince and keyboardist Eric Levy. Valory had the basic parts kicking around since shortly after leaving the Steve Miller Band in 1972, a bluesy set of chords that roll into each other mellifluously, something he had jammed on a lot over the years. He pulled it out to fashion a piece that not only recalls the passing of collaborator Tom Size (accomplished engineer known for his work with Mr. Big, Y&T, and Aerosmith), but also offers an affirmation of resolve to move forward, the sunlight of optimism illuminating the process.  


Ross Valory always had pieces of music tucked away that he had written, although songwriting contributions to Journey slipped away after the first three “experimental” albums. As a member of Journey, Valory concentrated on shaping the rhythm section and contributing his baritone vocals to the background blend.


During the band’s second coming following the 1995 reunion album Trial By Fire, Valory began sorting through his files and polishing up some of his old notes. In between tour dates, he pulled together a tight-knit group of collaborators and slowly began to finish what he started. After a lifetime in music, Valory scrupulously etched All Of The Above. The album was produced by Valory and co-produced by Jacob Stowe and Eric Levy.


Valory developed a repertory company of musicians over the years that came together at his studio. He cultivated individual numbers like sprawling projects, experimenting with different arrangements played by an assortment of musicians. Sometimes spending years jamming on these ideas, the pieces took shape slowly. Different ideas were tried and discarded, remodeled and refurbished. The basic concept was to find the heart of the material and expand upon it until Valory could refine and shape the music’s path to his supreme satisfaction. He cast specific musicians to specific parts. The studio became his laboratory and the compositions his experiments.


From the Latin-fired intensity of “Wild Kingdom” to the ethereal dirge of “No One Wins A War,” the raucous party on “Low Rider” or the brilliant reprise of Santana’s “Incident Of Neshabur,” the album presents an evolved artist fully in command of his vision, a lifetime of experience behind the project, augmenting his core associates with guest musicians such as Gregg Errico of Sly & the Family Stone, drummer Steve Smith, and saxophonist Marc Russo. The nine tracks on the album represent the full maturity of Valory’s musical gifts, cutting a broad swath through the instrumental territory the music travels. He plays keyboards, guitar, and, of course, many basses in a display of cultivated virtuosity across a palette far broader than could be found in his work with Journey. He is stepping out from behind his bass and, for the first time in his more than half-century as a professional musician, representing his vision and his compositions.


Valory left Journey in 2020 and the band members worked out their issues in a peaceful mediated settlement. Valory, who spent most of his life as a member of Journey, has no regrets. He counts his blessings at having spent an amazing career with a remarkable group of musicians who succeeded beyond their wildest dreams.





All Of The Above tracklisting:


"Wild Kingdom"
"Nightflower"
"Tomland"
"Touched, Part II"
"Windmill"
"Incident At Neshabur"
"Low Rider"
"No One Wins A War"


"Tomland" video:





(Photo - Jérôme Brunet)

Running on the strong momentum of their sophomore album From The Ashes released during April 2023, along with multiple cross-Canada tours and a performance at Loud As Hell festival, Edmonton’s Fall Of Earth is unveiling their latest music video for the track “The Dead and The Soon To Be” exclusively through BraveWords!


"We are very proud to present the official video for ‘The Dead and The Soon To Be’, from our latest album From The Ashes. Ever since its conception, this has been one of our favourite tracks and a live staple for us. We were thrilled to have had the opportunity to capture the essence of this track by working with videographer Derek Kovacevic. As the song is about life being short and unfortunate with most people throwing it away before it’s too late, the comedic approach to this video was appreciated by all of us as we all need to enjoy the little things in life," adds the band.


Fall Of Earth has embraced labeling itself as “Hybrid Metal”, as its sound is a contagious mélange of genres, that is continuously being refined. The primary elements come from progressive, death, and thrash, and over time, they find a lot of their tracks becoming longer, more epic, and more dynamic becoming more melodic and groove-oriented, as well as utilizing a healthy balance between heavy sections and clean sections. The latest iteration of the Canadian quartet can be experienced with their recently released sophomore album From The Ashes.




Since writing this second album, Fall OF Earth says that they have a better understanding of what they want their music to become and where to steer the direction of their future works. All across the board, their lyrics come from a very personal place and hold a serious connotation.


Creative, unpredictable, and melodic, with a wide variety of influences, Fall Of Earth offers a little bit of something for everyone.


 From The Ashes is available at this location.


Fall Of Earth live:


February
1 – Edmonton, AB – Wacken Metal Battle
23 – Revelstoke, AB – Traverse Lounge
24 – Medicine Hat, AB – DeeJays Pub 





“Block Out The Sun”:





“From The Ashes”:





“Purgatory”:

Former GREAT WHITE singer Jack Rusell says that he would like to "at least shake" the hand of the band's founding guitarist Mark Kendall once again before one of them dies.

Russell exited GREAT WHITE in December 2011 after he was unable to tour with the group due a series of injuries, including a perforated bowel and a shattered pelvis. Jack largely blamed these injuries on his alcohol and painkiller addictions as well as the prednisone drug he was prescribed.

During an appearance on today's (Monday, January 15) episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Russell was asked if he a part of him would like to reconnect with Kendall at some point and possibly even play together again. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, of course there's always that thought. Just because I look back and some of the best times in my life were when me and Mark were hanging out when we were young kids and then started the band and were just playing around. We were making little tapes like we were doing interviews…. We were just playing. And it was a great time, 'cause we always knew we were gonna pull it off. I don't know how to tell you why, but we always knew we were gonna, and we just kept going and going and going until all of a sudden we were there. And we had so many great times. And I would love to at least shake his hand before I kick off."

Asked when the last time was that he spoke to Kendall, Russell said: "I haven't spoken to him in years. I haven't seen him in years. The last time I saw or spoke to him was at the court thing that solved the [dispute over the GREAT WHITE] name and logo. We showed up at the logo and the name thing at the court in L.A., and he was there. We agreed on what we were gonna be, and [rhythm guitarist/keyboardist] Michael [Lardie] was on the phone, I think, like this, and [drummer] Audie [Desbrow] was on the phone, I think, and Mark was there. We shook hands, and that was it."

Russell sued his onetime bandmates in 2012 over their continued use of the GREAT WHITE name after Jack had taken a leave of absence from the band for medical reasons. A short time later, Russell was countersued by guitarist Mark Kendall, rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Michael Lardie and drummer Audie Desbrow, claiming the vocalist's self-destructive behavior was damaging the GREAT WHITE name (they also alleged he was charging promoters less for his own touring version of GREAT WHITE). The parties settled in July 2013 without going to trial, with Russell now performing as JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE while the others are continuing as GREAT WHITE.

In an interview with T Stone of the radio show "Sonic Boom" onReal Rock 100.3 The Fox in Rapid City, South Dakota, Jack was asked how he feels about the fact that there are now effectively two versions of GREAT WHITE touring and making new music. He responded: "It's weird, man. I mean, it doesn't bother me — except when Mark goes out there and starts talking shit about me. Every time he gives an interview, he goes out there and starts talking some kind of shit about me. It's, like, dude, it's been 12 years. Get over it.

"It is too bad," Russell added. "We were best friends, we were brothers for years. And now it's like the guy won't even pick up the phone and speak to me. It's horrible. It makes you feel really bad. And every time I pick up a paper or [I see] something on the Internet [where] Mark's [giving] an interview, he's always talking shit about me. It's, like, dude, talk about yourself. Talk about how great your album is or how great your band is. Leave me the fuck alone. I'm not bagging on you."

Asked by T Stone why he thinks it's that way for Kendall, Russell replied: "I don't know. Maybe he's just pissed off that I'm still doing it. I mean, the first article they did after I left the band was, 'Oh, he'll never pull it off.' And it's been, what? 12 years now?

"The way I look at it is you do what you do," he continued. "Have a good time. Be happy that you're able to do this. Be happy that you're lucky enough to be able to do this — especially when there's two versions of the band."

When T Stone noted that "it's gotta be especially tough" for GREAT WHITE "trying to do it without the actual voice of the band," Jack said: "That's the one thing, I think, that separates the cover bands from the original bands — is the voice. 'Cause that's the one thing that you need. You take Steven Tyler out of AEROSMITH, I don't care who you put in there, it ain't gonna be AEROSMITH… The only time I've ever seen it work was with Sammy Hagar — and just 'cause Sammy is a better singer [than David Lee Roth]. And they wrote some really great songs. But give me a fucking choice, I'd go see David Lee Roth [before] I would [see] Sammy. And I love Sammy; he's a great guy. Dave's a great guy too."

In June 2022, shortly after GREAT WHITE announced that it had parted ways with singer Mitch Malloy, Kendall dismissed the idea of reuniting with Russell, telling Dr. Music in an interview: "[People say,] 'Why don't you patch things up with Jack?' What people don't understand is we never even got in fights [with Jack]. In 25 years together, we might have gotten in two arguments. The thing that took him out is the horrible demons of addiction, and it's really affected his health. I just saw a video the other day where he's not even standing — he's using wheelchairs and he's sitting in a stool. So for us to go back to that, it just feels dark. I'd rather remember him… 'Cause I'm very proud of our career — I'm very proud of the past. I'm so lucky to be a part of it. And I wanna remember it like that, where he's flying around on stage and getting the crowds pumped and singing his heart out — not a sick person. So going to that…"

In November 2022, Russell ruled out the possibility of him reuniting with his former bandmates, telling All Access Live! With Kevin Rankin: "As far as the fans are concerned, for the most part they've been really cool about [there being two versions of the band]. It is what it is. Of course most of them would rather see us back together. There are a few people that, for whatever reason, like a new guy better, which I don't understand. That'd be like me saying I like somebody better than Steven Tyler in AEROSMITH. Or, 'Get rid of that Robert Plant schmuck [in LED ZEPPELIN]. Let me hear somebody else.' I don't know. To each his own. Some things just defy explanation or logic. But for the most part, I think, people would like things, to see them back to where they were, which will never happen. Those days are gone, and anybody out there that's hoping and wishing and praying, it's not gonna happen; I'll tell you right now. Both camps agree [on that]."

Russell went on to say that he chooses to stay away from speaking disparagingly about his former bandmates. "I don't jump on the drama train," he said. "Unfortunately, there are still people that do, in my other band, that still choose to pass along negativity. And I'm not gonna say anything bad about anybody. It's, like, why? We were all huge friends for years. We accomplished one of the hugest things you can ever accomplish together — something that's almost impossible we pulled off. We were on five major labels, so we did it five times. Usually you lose one and you're blackballed. And we were on five different major labels. So there's something to say for that. I never was gonna let up until I was done."

Malloy had been in GREAT WHITE for nearly four years, having joined the group in 2018 following the departure of Terry Ilous.

Ilous, frontman of '80s L.A. hard rockers XYZ, joined GREAT WHITE in 2010 after stepping in for touring vocalist Jani Lane (WARRANT).

The Ilous-led GREAT WHITE released two albums, 2012's "Elation" and 2017's "Full Circle", before Terry was dismissed from the group.

In 2018, Desbrow told ListenIowa that there was never any discussion about possibly bringing Jack back after Terry's exit from GREAT WHITE. "Not at all," he said. "We've already moved on from that. We've gone through a lot of stuff with that over the years, and the fact that he sued us in federal court for the name, and we spent a lot of time and money, you just don't return from that. People tell me that they've seen his latest shows, and it's just hard to look at because his health isn't as good as it could be. We've got a really grueling schedule, and it's hard enough for me, and I'm semi-healthy. [Laughs] I couldn't imagine someone in his condition doing what we're doing. We did shows with him toward the end, and he was in and out of a wheelchair and crutches, had to be carried up stairs, was falling asleep onstage. It just got old. It's a business, and we have families to support and mortgages to pay. You can't go to work messed up 24/7 and still be able to work there."

In October 2022, GREAT WHITE officially named Brett Carlisle as its new lead singer. Carlisle joins the band as the replacement for Andrew Freeman, who sang for GREAT WHITE for only five months.

Carlisle made his live debut with GREAT WHITE on September 24, 2022 at the Cannery Casino Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Swedish multi-instrumentalist Per Wiberg will release his new solo album, The Serpent’s Here, on the new date of March 15 via Despotz Records. In advance of the record’s release, Wiberg today offers up brilliant new single, “Dead Sky Lullaby.”


Wiberg comments, “I’d like to think ‘Dead Sky Lullaby’ is good traveling music, a kraut/space rock rager that boasts a Hawkwind-meets-Sonic Youth vibe with a big chorus in the vein of Killing Joke. It was recorded live in the studio, it shows, and it definitely sets the tone for the rest of the album. It’s kinda divided into two parts with different type of choruses, the first part’s a bit wilder and the second has more of an epic melodic feel to it. It’s all tied together by the apocalyptic lyrics and a beat that could go on forever and ever and ever… enjoy!"


As an unrivaled musical alchemist, Wiberg’s work has illuminated an array of now-classic albums over the years performing with the likes of Opeth, Spiritual Beggars, and Candlemass, as well as Clutch/The Bakerton Group, Switchblade, and Kamchatka, among others, for over thirty years. However, it’s Wiberg’s solo conjurings that serve as the zenith of his musical voyages.




In 2019, Wiberg released his debut solo offering, Head Without Eyes. A record of Nordic prog submerged in a gnawing stew of jolting guitar notes and emotive melodies, Wiberg’s debut laid bare an unexplored sonic landscape that surpassed the successes of his past and solidified his strong presence as a unique solo artist in his own right. Wiberg followed Head Without Eyes with his equally stunning 2021-released All Is Well In The Land Of The Living, But For The Rest Of Us… Lights Out EP, a compelling celebration of innovative rock at its finest. Expanding and further evolving his vision, Wiberg expertly composed the definitive and established paradigms of traditional progressive rock with spirited and electrifying twists of dark tone. The Metal Observer hailed, “a great EP that serves as a fitting soundtrack to these strange, dark times,” adding, “its thick, otherworldly atmospheres represent a gloriously dark and hallucinated take on Scandinavian prog that weaves together Wiberg’s many musical influences and takes them to the next level of dark melodic exploration.


The Serpent’s Here continues Wiberg’s innovative trajectory boasting six consuming tracks, plus a fantastically gloomy rendition of Warrior Soul’s “The Losers,” that are at once grim and surreal; airy yet ominous. Wiberg paints vivid sound tapestries with his clever sense of dynamics and thoughtful lyricism. Each song moves with alluring subtlety and suspense, not unlike the conventions of classic film noir. And while Wiberg strays far from the traditional musical constructs, there’s an inescapable melodicism and intrinsic catchiness to his output that makes even his most experimental outpourings seamlessly accessible.


“The music has a strong familiar identity I’d say,” notes Wiberg, “It’s heavy in its tone but this time a little braver, up-tempo, loose, and ‘rock’n’roll’ compared to the previous two albums. Overall, this is the most epic sounding of my stuff so far. Things are more defined. I worked hard with lyrics and vocal arrangements this time.”


On The Serpent’s Here, Wiberg is joined by drummer Tor Sjödén (Viagra Boys) who played drums on the previous EP, as well as bassist Mikael Tuominen (Kungens Män). Basic live tracks (drums, basses, grand piano) were recorded at Studio Gröndahl by David Castillo and, as with previous releases, the record was mixed and mastered by Jonas Kjellgren at Blacklounge Studios.


“All songs are built from rough song sketches that I showed Tor and Mikael,” elaborates Wiberg of The Serpent’s Here’s writing process. “The idea was that they could improvise. All basic tracks were recorded live in an afternoon to give it that extra spontaneous energy, and then I’d layer keys, guitars, and vocals on top of what we recorded. Overall, there are more guitars this time as well as two basses on the majority of the tracks.”


Stay tuned for more track teasers from the record to be revealed in the weeks to come.


Find preorder bundles at the Despotz Records webshop.





Tracklisitng:


“Dead Sky Lullaby”
“The Serpent’s Here”
“Blackguards Stand Silent”
“This House Is Someone Else’s Now”
“He Just Disappeared”
“Follow The Unknown”
“The Losers” (Warrior Soul cover)


"Dead Sky Lullaby":





“The Serpent’s Here”:





(Photo – Soile Siirtola)

Verona On Venus will release its debut album, Popular Delusions, across all major music platforms on January 19. Popular Delusions represents the entry into frontman status for Mike Spreitzer, who for the last 20 years has been known and recognized as the lead guitarist of the groove metal band DevilDriver. Verona On Venus released its first single, “Rodent” on December 1, 2023, followed by the “Monarch Acid Test” release on December 15, 2023, with outstanding reviews from media, fans, and peers. 


Popular Delusions showcases Spreitzer’s powerful vocal abilities and music writing with a variety of range and technical structure to each track. The album begins with a heavier melodic metal sound and progresses to an industrial-inspired style that wraps up with a cover of Acid Bath’s “The Bones Of Baby Dolls”. Popular Delusions sets the landscape for future single releases to be expected in 2024 that embody the eerie, heavy, and industrial sounds alike with provocative lyrics and vocals as heard on this debut album.


“Popular Delusions is music for people who are reasonably not crazy, most of the time,” says Spreitzer. “But in all seriousness, I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, and I'm equally elated to share my music as I am pleasantly anxious about it all." 




Since the announcement of Verona On Venus, there has been excitement surrounding the release of the album and the compelling creative that started with the release of the two band announcement teasers, Part 1 and Part 2. These videos served as the prequels to the debut single music video for “Rodent”. 


Album artwork by Jayson Won at UNKN Creative / art inspired by Emil Melmoth:





Tracklisting:


“Rodent”
“Dead Heroes Hang”
“Floods Of Burden”
“The Hate Ballet”
“Dirty Cigarettes”
“Red Dead Rose”
“Popular Delusions”
“Monarch Acid Test”
“The Bones Of Baby Dolls”


“Rodent” video:





“Monarch Acid Test” video:

Dark Funeral frontman Heljarmader has been hospitalized with thrombosis (blood clots) and will miss the next two shows with his other band Grá.


The 40-year-old singer said in a social media post: 


Who wants to live forever? I've just returned from a really close conversation with Death himself but I'm not dead or dying yet. I suffered from a pretty severe thrombosis (blood clot), luckily I got hospitalized in time and I got the treatment needed to manage my condition, there's also a long term plan in the making for maximum recovery. I'm being well taken care of and have the right people, and family, right here with me. Please respect my privacy.




“What I need to tell you though, and this is the reason I feel obligated to make this ordeal public, is that I will not be able to perform on two of my upcoming shows and for that I am very frustrated. We don't know exactly how extensive this will be, but as of now I will definitely not be able to do the Grá shows in Athens (Jan 26) and Stockholm (Feb 3). I am not allowed to by the medical team that is taking care of me, as it could put my health at risk. However! The shows WILL be executed by the rest of the band and Niklas will step in on double duty with guitar and vocals so the gigs are NOT cancelled. I do encourage you all to go and enjoy them, you are being given a unique performance and by doing so, you support Grá and you also support me.


“Regarding future shows, me and my medical team are certain that I will be fully recovered in time and to fulfill everything else that is on my schedule.


“Thank you for understanding and I will tell you more when I can. Right now this is all there is to be said and I need time to rest to recover, thanks for your time. /Heljarmadr”


In the Chaoszine clip below, Dark Funeral frontman Heljarmadr reveals his story as a metal vocalist.





Dark Funeral performed "Leviathan" from their 2022 album, We Are The Apocalypse, during their set at Bloodstock 2022. Watch professionally-filmed footage below:





Watch the band perform "Nail Them To The Cross" at the same show:

Vltimas have been legends since the dawn of metal. Rune Eriksen took hold of axe-wielding duties for the second coming of Mayhem. Flo Mounier has been drumming for Cryptopsy since their earliest exhumations of the Canadian underground. And who could forget David Vincent, the larger-than-life vocalist for Morbid Angel.        


Having already made history, some metalheads may have stroked their beard and wondered if there could possibly be any new realms for this band to conquer. But on their new album, Vltimas ascend to truly epic heights.


A visualizer for the new song, "Scorcher", can be viewed below.




Some metal songs prefer to slowly unfold before blowing out your ear drums. But rest assured, "Scorcher" is not a slow burn. Sure, the guitars lure you in with a smoky seance. Once Rune tightens those chords into icy black tremolo picking though, Vltimas take off like a bat out of hell. The amps crank up; Flo fires off blast beats that are hot enough to singe an angel's wings, while David Vincent unleashes a miles-long battle cry.      


"Satan laughs as worlds collide!"


His growl is so massive, so heartless, you'd better believe that he's talking about himself.


"'Scorcher' brings to life a fantastic story of the great purge that's coming our way", says Vincent. "Humanity has been sleepwalking toward this reckoning for centuries. There will be no refuge, nor mercy granted".





Epic will be released on March 15 via Season Of Mist.


Available formats:


- Digital Download
- CD Digipak
- 12" Vinyl Gatefold - Black
- 12" Coloured Vinyl Gatefold - Skull Gold
- 12" Coloured Vinyl Gatefold - Dracula
- 12" Picture Vinyl


Pre-order here, pre-save here.





Tracklisting:


"Volens Discordant"
"Epic"
"Miserere"
"Exercitus Irae"
"Mephisto Manifesto"
"Scorcher"
"Invictus"
"Nature's Fangs"
"Spoils Of War"


"Miserere" video:





Extreme metal powerhouse Vltimas (pronounced 'uhl-tuh-mas') assault metaldom once more with their highly-anticipated sophomore album, Epic, through Season of Mist. Featuring Norwegian guitarist Rune "Blasphemer" Eriksen (ex-Mayhem, Aura Noir), American vocalist David Vincent (ex-Morbid Angel), and Canadian drummer Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy), the multinational quintet, rounded out by Dutch bassist Ype TVS (ex-Dodecahedron) and Portuguese guitarist João Duarte (Corpus Christii), continue to venture down their path. Moored by strength and integrity, Vltimas fortified their signature with wicked invention, as applauded by Decibel Magazine, BangerTV, Louder, and many others, on their debut, Something Wicked Marches In (2019). Singles "Miserere," "Scorcher," and "Invictus" showcase a band of musicians at the top of their game, united in their pursuit of oneness.


"We wrote every bit of Epic together at my ranch in Dime Box, Texas," offers Vincent. "The writing sessions were as organic as they could be. There were times when, at the end of the night, Rune would take his guitar and play something ridiculous. Flo would play something even more ridiculous on top of it. I'd say to the guys, 'I need to capture this.' So, the magic [of Vltimas] is being in the same room together, discussing, playing, and recording music and everything else we're doing together. We have unbelievable camaraderie."
 
While the members of Vltimas are not atavists, their preferred creative methods are time-tested and battle-hardened. Technology has its place, but the group thrive when they're together, not separated by the world. Eriksen, renowned as a riff innovator, is more effective when he's got a highly capable sideman like Vincent or Mounier, whose drumming in Cryptopsy and his celebrated instructional Extreme Metal Drumming 101 DVD has proven to be a no-limits player, by his side. Whether it's the moody, angular attack of "Miserere," the wicked groove of "Mephisto Manifesto," or the dark fury of "Nature's Fangs," the chemistry and enterprise of Vltimas is undeniable.


"The main goal [of Vltimas] is to be real," Eriksen reveals. "To channel the very moment, to let true inspiration out. I don't believe I ever set myself a goal on what an album should or needs to sound like before I or we write it because that means I have to compromise during the process. For Epic, we focused on more direct songs, trimming the fat, as opposed to Something Wicked Marches In, which had a progressive and 'playful' flair."


Vltimas was a profane concept—a constellation of riffs against a modest frame—when formed by Eriksen in 2015. After departing Mayhem in 2008 and putting his gothic doom outfit Ava Inferi to rest in 2013, the Norwegian's fingers still itched with infernal fury. Vltimas was his vent, and when Mounier and Vincent joined, he finally had the cadre of professionals to make it a reality. Together, they devised complementary schemes and themes rooted in rightness. In a world gone mad, Vltimas had a vision. On Something Wicked Marches In, they commanded attention with metaphors about the apocalypse, the ancient goddess Lilith, and truth. Lyrically, Epic spears into the very nucleus of strength through Vincent's brio of double entendre and clever wordsmithing. The songs are designed to be heard, read, and interpreted—there are no shortcuts.


"Everything we're doing and messaging is about strength and honor," says Vincent. "These are the fundamentals that I incorporate into my life, which I believe in. I want to share with others, hoping they'll incorporate strength and honor into their lives. I wouldn't say I like spelling lyrics out. I use a lot of double meanings on purpose because I want to inspire the listener to think. I'm not a short attention span guy, and I don't appreciate it. Epic is holistic and meant to be experienced that way."


Epic was recorded by producer Jaime Gomez Arellano (Paradise Lost, Grave Miasma) with engineer Jonathan Mazzeo (First Fragment, Sickening) at Arda Recorders in Porto, Portugal. Vltimas tracked the album throughout May 2023. Arellano also handled the mix and master. Like everything the band does, the main goal was to be honest. The maxim of no sample replacement or re-amping—Epic was captured on outboard gear—was adhered to and enjoyed by the team. The result is a sonic expression that sounds like nothing else. From the crushing title track to the epic musicality of closer "Spoils of War," Epic is an absolute beast.


"Stress, long walks, too much alcohol, yet very focused once in the recording mode," Eriksen says of the sessions. "We booked a month, but somehow, that flew by instantly. We worked up until the very end. I even added a few solos at my local Soundscape Studio in Almada, Portugal. Art unfolds, and once you think you are done, there's always another idea popping up."


Vltimas brought Italian artist Daniele Valeriani (Mayhem, Unanimated) to visualize Epic. The aesthetic, as illuminated by music and message, was iconic boldness. The three-eagle head crest with three different crowns, accompanied by transfigured symbols of the Passion and the "impossible triangle," projects effortlessly. In Epic, the group will dominate. There's no escape from "Miserere," "Mephisto Manifesto," "Scorcher," and "Invictus." Together, they thrust, by resolve and inventiveness, Vltimas into the uppermost echelons of extreme metal.


"[Epic is] old meets contemporary, a symbiosis of all the great things we love about extreme metal," offers Eriksen. "All combined into one album."


"I want to be as emotional and honest [with Vltimas]," Vincent adds. "I want to tell stories; I want to have the themes that appeal to me; I want to have some messaging that someone can take away, in this case, strength. Epic is strength."


Lineup:


David Vincent - Vocals
Rune Blasphemer Eriksen - Guitars
Flo Mounier - Drums
Ype TVS - Bass
João Duarte - Guitars