Celebrating the release of their debut album Aletheia via Rockshots Records, Spanish power melodic metal Dreamyth is welcoming fans to join them in "Dreamland" with their latest music video featuring guest vocals from Primal Fear's Ralph Scheepers and a keyboard solo from Bob Katsionis (ex-Firewind).





Guitarist /composer Adrián Carrero adds:




"We arrive at one of the most significant tracks of the album, not only for the incredible vocal performance of Ralf Scheepers, but for being one of the songs that represent the sound of the band, in the same way as Aletheia, but a little more complex in terms of composition and arrangements.


“A simple but forceful introduction gives way to a classic riff adorned with classic and modern instruments (organ and synthesizers) to create a unique atmosphere before the entrance of Mr. Ralf, who bursts in a somewhat mysterious way as if it were a dream, to then print a huge power to the voice. More than 6 minutes of song that surprises you, lifts you up, and leads you through its dynamics for a wonderful journey, you will not be disappointed.


“Obviously, I'm talking about ‘Dreamland’, whose name comes from being the original name we wanted to give to the band before we saw that it was already taken.


“As in all cultures, there is philosophy and we question the meaning of life, here again, we will not have a clear answer but the lyrics will encourage us to reflect on that question.


“Personally, it is one of the songs that I am most proud of composing and one of the songs that the fans will like the most, I hope they enjoy it as much as I do.


“One of the voices we grew up with, that has been with us all our lives, now on our first album, just crazy!"


Combining heavy riffs, epic and majestic orchestrations, modern synths, and stunning vocal and harmonies with finesse like no one else, Dreamyth delivers a high caliber album with special guests Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear), Herbie Langhans (Firewind, Avantasia), Bob Katsionis (ex-Firewind) and Eduardo Guilló (Sun of the Dying, Crusade of Bards). Dreamyth intends to conquer the heart of metal fans all around the world.


Dreamyth was formed in 2020 by guitarist and composer Adrián Carrero (Crusade of Bards) and drummer David Macarrilla. Dreamyth crafted its name by combining the words “Dream” and “Myth”, which they described as “a new world beyond imagination where its Myths and legends are real”. Andrea Carrero completed the core of the project after singing on all the song demos (released and unreleased). Soon after they were joined by Paolo Andreotti (Crusade of Bards) and second vocalist Dani G.


Band co-founder Adrián Carrero’s passion for classical history and culture, especially his stories about mythology in different cultures influences the lyrics that accompany the band's compositions. Everything takes place in a new world where they are the Gods, Aletheia.





The concept album transports fans to a new world “Aletheia”, and the myth and legends that surround it are sometimes approached from a philosophical point of view.


"The idea was born from the need to give a new approach to the way of telling the myths of our world. Over the years, these stories derived from cultural traditions or legends, which have a deep symbolic meaning and usually involve a lesson, have been shared in different ways and have always generated a certain curiosity and inspiration in society. Luckily, there are tons of myths and legends and often many variations of the same core story between different cultures." adds Adrián Carrero.


Order Aletheia at the Rockshots Records webshop.

Northeast hardcore titans Kings Never Die have issued the new video "Stay True". The track is the second to be revealed from the band's debut album, All the Rats, set for international release on May 26 via Metalville Records.


Says guitarist Dan Nastasi about the song, "'Stay True' is as simple as it comes. Stay true to yourself and the ones you love - the inner fight to keep yourself healthy and happy, and being true those that have been true to you."







Hailing from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, Kings Never Die walk the line between positive, uplifting messages and dead-serious subject matter. A musical and lyrical mix of hardcore, punk, metal, with chat or sing-along vocals: in the band’s words, "We love making music together, and this is what gets spit out. Kings Never Die are comprised of members Dylan Gadino (vocals), Dan Nastasi (guitar/additional vocals), Danny Schuler (drums), Larry Nieroda (guitar), and Evan Ivkovich (bass).


Some may recognize Dan Nastasi from his past work from the original Dog Eat Dog (All Boro Kingsera) and, before that, Mucky Pup; Danny Schuler, obviously, as drummer in Biohazard; and Evan "ONE" Ivkovich as bass player in Wisdom in Chains. Although fans of those bands are sure to not be disappointed, Kings Never Die want to completely stand on their own regardless of their resume of bands. Nastasi adds, "This is all about what we are doing now. Although we love and respect the people and bands we have played with, past and present, people should only judge Kings Never Die on this new album and The Now. Of course, we hope people who enjoy what we’ve done individually in the past dig it, but make no mistake, there are no shortcuts or riding on past successes. We have cultivated this band from the ground up; we’re putting the work and love what we are doing and what we created here.”


The new album contains 10 nonstop tracks, a mix of memorable hardcore/punk riffs.

Bay Area thrash veterans Forbidden have opened an Instagram account and have progressively been making posts showing each letter of their band name – with the last post currently on “B”. They have also been making the posts on their official Facebook page.  


 




 

 
 

 


View this post on Instagram

 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

A post shared by Forbidden (@official_forbidden)








 


Forbidden’s most recent album was Omega Wave, released in 2010 via Nuclear Blast and featured the lineup of Russ Anderson (vocals), Craig Locicero (lead guitars), Steve Smyth (guitars), Matt Camacho (bass), and Mark Hernandez (drums). 


The thrashers went on hiatus in 2012 and have been dormant since.

Norwegian progressive rock group, Avkrvst, recently announced that their debut album, The Approbation, will be released on June 16. You can pre-order the album here.


Today, the band are pleased to release the track “Arcane Clouds”, the second single taken from the upcoming album. Listen here, and below.


Says the band: "'Arcane Clouds' is the second single off the concept debut album The Approbation, and the anthem of forsaken hope. An inner voice trying to convince you to fight back and keep your head above water, while the ghosts are hunting you down.”







The Approbation is a concept album about a bleak soul who is left solely with his thoughts, isolated on a cabin deep into the dark forests, far away from civilization. The 49 minute long concept album contains 7 songs, which take the listener though the thoughts of a man struggling towards the acceptance of death, being hauled into the abyss.


The whole album is written and recorded at a cabin in Alvdal (Norway) during a rainy, cold fall and winter. Throughout the album, the sounds of rain and train horns from afar can be heard, which are actual sounds recorded outside the cabin at night under the stars.


Sonically, The Approbation is a massive sounding piece of music. It’s everything from lush, melancholy moods to heavy, more aggressive atmospheres. It tries to capture the feeling of a cold, gloomy fall - a dark sky, filled with gazing stars above the mist.





Tracklisting:


"Østerdalen"
"The Pale Moon"
"Isolation"
"The Great White River"
"Arcane Clouds"
"Anodyne"
"The Approbation"


"The Pale Moon" video:





At the young age of 7 years old, Martin Utby and Simon Bergseth made a pact that they would form a band when they got older. Now, 22 years later they’ve done just that. An album is ready - 55 minutes of music inspired by everything they grew up listening to - everything from Mew, Anekdoten and Porcupine Tree to Opeth, Neal Morse and King Crimson.


All the music has been written at a small cabin, deep into the Norwegian forests (Alvdal, Nor- way). Simon (composer, guitars, bass and vocals) and Martin (composer, drummer and synths) have later been joined by Øystein Aadland on bass/keys, Edvard Seim on guitars and Auver Gaaren on keys.


(Photo - Kristian Rangnes)

In a new interview with Matías Arteaga of Chile's Rock Legacy webzine, Eicca Toppinen of Finnish cello rockers APOCALYPTICA was asked if the band's recently released singles, including "Rise Again", which came out last December, will be part of the band's next studio album. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "At the moment, they are all totally separate. Because we realized that this modern release culture, with digital platforms, allows us, actually, to do different types of APOCALYPTICA at the same time in different formats. So we have an album that's instrumental; then we do those singles that are vocal collaborations; and then we also release this classical EP. So we actually can do a lot of things at the same time.

"At the moment, there's no plans… Those singles are not part of the album," he reiterated. "We are just starting to work on material for the next album, which is gonna be something totally different again. And still we are going to release singles on the way before we get the album ready. So we kind of want to have continuously coming out some songs."

"Rise Again" featured a guest appearance by Simone Simons of EPICA on vocals. Accompanied by an artistic and unique music video directed by Lisa Mann, "Rise Again" is a new version of APOCALYPTICA's instrumental track "Rise", taken from the band's most recent album "Cell-0".

At last year's Louder Than Life festival, Toppinen told Knotfest that a new full-length album from APOCALYPTICA probably won't arrive before 2024. He explained: "We are kind of following different paths, because the digital world gives you the possibility that it's not the old-school way that you release an album and then you tour for two or three years and then you make a new album. It's not like that. The modern world requires, in a way, to deliver something new and fresh pretty much constantly. And we have this classical covers world, then we have the original instrument APOCALYPTICA world, and then we have the vocal world of APOCALYPTICA. We have kind of three tracks we are [following]. At the same time when we are working on a new album, we are also working… Because an album is always a little bit more like a concept — it's one type of full structure of an idea — and we don't want to stick only on that. Even [while] we go for this one album structure, we want to keep these both other paths alive at the same time. So that's why it's very hard to say exactly what's gonna happen in which order."

"Metal Classic, Classic Metal" was released last September. The effort included the focus track "Flight Of The Bumblebees", originally by Nikolai Rimski-Korsakow. "Metal Classic, Classic Metal" also contained a new version of Beethoven's "5th Symphony" as well as a remake of Maurice Ravel's "Bolero".

In March 2022, APOCALYPTICA released the "I'll Get Through It" single, which was written for the band by American award-winning songwriter Diane Warren. It featured Franky Perez — guest vocalist in APOCALYPTICA's 2015 record "Shadowmaker" — as well as Geezer Butler of BLACK SABBATH on bass guitar. The song was born out of a visit Geezer and Franky paid to their friend Diane, who had already written the track "Not Strong Enough" for APOCALYPTICA, included in their 2010 record "7th Symphony".

2015's "Shadowmaker" was APOCALYPTICA's first album to feature just one singer — Perez — instead of guest collaborators. The disc was recorded with Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, DEFTONES, MASTODON).

Prior to enlisting Perez, who accompanied APOCALYPTICA on the band's 2022 North American tour, the group released eight albums that melded the classically trained cello mastery of the three core bandmembers with the harder elements of the rock world, including drums and guest vocalists, such as Gavin Rossdale from BUSH, and Corey Taylor of SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR fame.

In April 2021, APOCALYPTICA released the official music video for its collaboration with PAPA ROACH singer Jacoby Shaddix on a cover version of the CREAM classic "White Room". The track was produced by Howard Benson at West Valley Recording Studios in Woodland Hills, California and mixed by Chris Lorde-Alge.

"White Room" was the first release from APOCALYPTICA since "Talk To Me", which arrived in August 2020. That song was a collaboration with HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale.

"Cell-0" came out in January 2020. The effort was the band's first fully instrumental record in 17 years.

Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Revolution Saints) has announced the upcoming third release from his solo project Joel Hoekstra's 13, entitled Crash Of Life, on June 16.


Crash Of Life introduces a new talent into the fold as Girish Pradhan (Girish And The Chronicles, The End Machine) takes on lead vocal duties on the album.


The first single from the album, "Far Too Deep", is out today. Watch a music video for the track below, and pre-order/save Crash Of Life here.




As with the previous two albums, the all-star cast of bassist Tony Franklin (Blue Murder, The Firm), drummer Vinny Appice (Last In Line, ex-Dio, Black Sabbath), and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Sons Of Apollo, Black Country Communion) contribute their immense musical talents. And, as he did on the last record, vocalist Jeff Scott Soto also lends a helping hand with background vocals.


Hoekstra once again handled the bulk of the creative process, overseeing production, songwriting, and arranging (music and lyrics) for this stunning hard rock record. Chris Collier returns and does a masterful job mixing and mastering here as well.


New York City based guitarist Joel Hoekstra currently plays for Whitesnake and Trans Siberian Orchestra. He is also a member of Revolution Saints with Deen Castronovo (Journey) and Jeff Pilson (Foreigner, The End Machine, ex-Dokken) and Iconic with Michael Sweet (Stryper), Nathan James (Inglorious), Marco Mendoza (ex-Journey, The Dead Daisies), and Tommy Aldridge (Whitesnake, ex-Ozzy Osbourne).


Additionally, Joel is also well-known for his work with Cher, Night Ranger, the Broadway show Rock of Ages, his fill in work with Foreigner, annual sets on the Monsters of Rock Cruise, recording projects like VHF and his acoustic shows with Brandon Gibbs. He is also a frequent columnist for Guitar World Magazine.





Crash Of Life tracklisting:


"Everybody Knows Everything"
"Crash Of Life"
"Damaged Goods"
"Torn Into Lies"
"Far Too Deep"
"Not Tonight"
"Over You"
"I Would Cry For Love"
"Don't Have Words"
"Find A Way"
"You're Right For Me"
"Through The Night"


"Far Too Deep" video:





Lineup:


Joel Hoekstra - Guitars
Girish Pradhan - Lead Vocals
Vinny Appice - Drums
Tony Franklin - Bass
Derek Sherinian - Keyboards
Jeff Scott Soto - Backing Vocals