Polish death metal maniacs, Disloyal, present the first details for their forthcoming fifth full-length album, Divine Miasmata.

All the lyrics were written by Wojciech Mytnik, who wrote for Disloyal before and who has contributed his words to some of the songs in The Kingdom Of Plague and Godless albums. All the music was written by the band's guitarist and musical mastermind Artyom Serdyuk (Deathbringer, Woe Unto Me, Amentia, Thy Disease).

For bonus material, the band has recorded two covers of great death metal masterpieces: "Father, You’re Not A Father" by Immolation, and "Altering The Future" by Death.

The artwork was created by NaphulaArt.

Tracklisting:

"Silent Revolution"
"The Black Pope"
"1347-1352"
"Stella Peccatorum"
"Betrayed Faith"
"Religion Of Warfare"
"Ravens Of Starvation"
"The Ascension Of Abaddon"

Disloyal plan to finish the mixing of the album in Monroe Sound Studio (Poland) during the first half of 2021. Stay tuned for updates.

Teenage retro-rockers Red Voodoo have released their new video, “Bring It Back!” via BraveWords! The song is the title track and first single for their upcoming debut album titled Bring It Back! which will be released in spring 2021. The debut album will include eight brand new and previously unreleased songs, as well as a bonus track of Sammy Hagar’s classic song “Rock And Roll Weekend.” “Bring It Back!” is a high-energy rock song with a video that sets the tone for a young band that is planning to do just that; bring back live rock and roll music for the masses.

Red Voodoo is fronted by the 18 year old dynamic lead vocalist Dino McCord, and the young band caught the ear of Tesla guitarist Frank Hannon who has been developing the songwriting skills of the band by producing the recordings for the album over the past year. Frank Hannon states: “Most of all the new songs on the Bring It Back! album are recorded in a live fashion with the band guys in a room jamming the songs together live after they’ve been arranged and rehearsed to the best they can be. Some of the other best songs are titled; ‘Mystery Girl’, ‘Run To Win’, ‘K.S.A.’ and ‘Morgan Lane’, which I think are highly mature songs for a band of this age. I’m really looking forward to putting out a great debut full length album for 2021 releasing these songs to create a sound track for fans of high energy rock and roll music.”

Red Voodoo is Dino McCord (age18) on lead vocals, Davin Lolier (age19) on lead guitar, Drew Edwards (age17) on bass guitar, and Nick Pesely (age20) on drums. The group is unusual in the fact that they are heavily influenced by hard rock of the 1980’s. With the recent passing of Eddie Van Halen, guitarist Davin Lolier has purposefully incorporated the legend’s hammer-on technique into his own guitar style and this can be heard during the guitar solo of Bring It Back!

The new "Bring It Back!" music video was filmed by up and coming video director Brandon Gullion and was shot on location in the Northern California foothills. Brandon rounds out a production team created by Tesla guitarist / producer Frank Hannon, which includes graphics artist Duane Serfass, and executive producer Chris LaBarbera. Additionally, Hannon and LaBarbera are teaming up together, in conjunction with Frank Hannon Productions, to create an independent record label for young artists. The record label will feature the band Red Voodoo, and singer/songwriter J.T. Loux on their debut artists' roster.

Red Voodoo gained national attention during the summer of 2020 with their #1 Underground radio hit “Rise Up”, a song and video that expressed their feelings about isolation during the Covid-19 crisis and attracted the ears of their musical hero Sammy Hagar. Dino visited the legend for his birthday bash at Cabo Wabo and was invited to sing onstage with Sammy for a set of acoustic songs.

The new song, “Bring It Back!” Is the first song ever written by the band and is also the mission statement for the young rockers influenced by 1980’s musicality, wanting to help usher back the spirit of rock and roll and adding their own fresh interpretation to the genre with soulful harmony vocals and great songwriting skills being honed by producer Frank Hannon of Tesla.

Finland's Norseman plays colorful heavy metal inspired by the Nordic mysticism and they are preparing to release their long awaited second album later this year via Inverse Records. For a starters they present a single and music video to album track "Horizon". The music video of the track is dedicated to children who have lost their parents. Check it out below.

Norseman was founded in 1994 by Esa Eerola and has operated with the same line-up ever since. Their debut album was released in 2007; it was recorded between 1997 - 1999. In 2005 they started to record their second album but the recordings faded for more than a decade after their record label went down and the band members moved across the the country. Recordings were re-launched in 2020 and finally the album, Immortal Superminor, will see the light in 2021. It's an album built on big stories and minor keyed melodies. 

The album is produced by Hannu Leiden and engineered by Eero Kaukomies.
 

Norseman is:

Esa Linna - rhythm guitar
Petri Koski - drums & percussion
Esa Eerola - bass, lead vocals
Jukka Tikander - lead guitar
Jaska Aholainen - rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals

For information and updates on Norseman check out their Facebook page here.

Darkest Hour performed inside the Bullhead City Circus at the 2012 edition of Germany's Wacken Open Air festival. Professionally-filmed footage of the band's full set can be found below.

Setlist:

Intro
"The World Engulfed In Flames"
"No God"
"Savor The Kill"
"With A Thousand Words To Say But One"
"Violent By Nature"
"Love As A Weapon"
"The Sadist Nation"
"Doomsayer (The Beginning Of The End)"

In the first phase of rollout for their new audio / video release titled Live In Lockdown - The Complete Collection, Darkest Hour have delivered the audio version of the album to their Patreon subscribers today. Additionally, the band has revealed a full performance video for the standout single “Demon(s)”.  For this track on Live In Lockdown, Darkest Hour was joined by Fella Di Cicco (Dreamshade) for an epic performance.

Filmed on September 26, 2020 as a benefit for Washington D.C.’s legendary venue Black Cat, Darkest Hour invited guest guitarists Fred Ziomek (Darkest Hour), Kris Norris (Darkest Hour), Buz McGrath (Unearth), Doc Coyle (Bad Wolves / God Forbid), Fella Di Cicco (Dreamshade) and Mark Heylmun (Suicide Silence) to join them via satellite as the band performed 11 of their greatest hits (+ 1 cover song) spanning their 26-year-long career thus far.

A download / full video of this legendary concert and limited 12-inch vinyl will be available in the coming months. Darkest Hour will continue to roll out the distribution of the Live In Lockdown - The Complete Collection audio, video, and limited 12-inch vinyl via their Patreon — subscribe now to stay up-to-date, and look for release details to surface very soon. In addition to Live In Lockdown, Darkest Hour will continue to bring their subscribers unreleased demo songs, lost treasures from their vault, exclusive video content and updates about their upcoming 10th studio album.

Live In Lockdown is free and only available to all Darkest Hour Patreon subscribers at this time. Subscribe now to immediately receive a download code for the audio version of the album and be automatically reserved for the future video and vinyl component.

Tracklisting:

"Doomsayer (Or The Beginning Of The End)"
"Knife In The Safe Room"
"Demon(s)"
"These Fevered Times"
"For The Soul Of The Savior"
"An Epitaph"
"The Sadist Nation"
"Tunguska"
"Enter Oblivion"
"Nazi Punks Fuck Off"
"With A Thousand Words To Say But One"
"Tranquil"

Live In Lockdown - The Complete Collection credits:

Mixed by Mattias Nilsson
Directed by Chad Fjerstad
Produced by Darkest Hour

Darkest Hour is:

Aaron Deal - bass
John Henry - vocals
Travis Orbin - drums
Mike Schleibaum - guitar

In a new interview with Drew Stone of The New York Hardcore Chronicles, former SEPULTURA drummer Igor "Iggor" Cavalera reflected on the group's groundbreaking 1996 album "Roots", on which he and his bandmates collaborated with the Brazilian Xavante tribe.

"We were experimenting with a bunch of stuff, and I remember I had this talk with Max [Cavalera, Igor's brother and then-SEPULTURA frontman], where we felt that there was no way to go any deeper in our roots than to do something with the Brazilian tribes," he said. "And that inspired us through the whole record — it was a whole inspiration on how they were there before anyone, and they were already making music. So it was the deepest connection you can find, in my opinion, it's the natives of Brazil. And to have a chance to go there and record with them, it was amazing. And that's something that's crazy."

Igor went on to say that "Roots" "broke a lot of barriers" for both SEPULTURA and the heavy metal genre in general. "We're talking from people like Dave Grohl, Moby — all these people — at that time, they were paying attention to what we were doing," he said. "And that was really special. And then, of course, not everyone loves it. There's people that they don't think it's our best record — they think they like 'Arise', they like 'Beneath The Remains' [better] — but it was a necessary record at that time, where we were really pushing the limits of music. And from that moment, we influenced a lot of bands to look into their roots. Even Norwegian black metal bands started doing stuff with their roots.

"I think that album [was] a big step in the right direction of breaking barriers, and also people being more open-minded," he concluded.

"Roots", along with 1993's "Chaos A.D.", is considered SEPULTURA's most commercially successful release, having been certified gold in 2005 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for U.S. shipments in excess of 500,000 copies.

In a 2009 interview with Live-Metal.net, Max admitted that he drew inspiration from some of the so-called early "nu metal" bands during the songwriting process for "Roots". He explained: "SEPULTURA did [take] a little bit of an influence from KORN and DEFTONES in some areas. And the funny thing is that we influenced those bands from when they started out. I talked to the KORN guys and they said they listened to 'Chaos A.D.' religiously when they started — it was like one of their favorite records. So it's kind of a 360 degrees kind of influence — back and forth."

Igor left SEPULTURA in June 2006 due to "artistic differences." His departure from the band came five months after he announced that he was taking a break from SEPULTURA's touring activities to spend time with his second wife and their son (who was born in January 2006).

In 1996, Max exited SEPULTURA after the rest of the band split with his wife Gloria as their manager.

For a decade and a half, Igor has been part of the MIXHELL DJ/hip-hop/electro project with his wife Laima Leyton.

Two years ago, Igor teamed up with Wayne Adams (BIG LAD, DEATH PEDALS, JOHNNY BROKE) to form the PETBRICK project. The band's debut album, "I", was released in October 2019 via Closed Casket Activities in the U.S.

Igor's other current musical projects include CAVALERA CONSPIRACY (alongside Max) and SOULWAX.

The official lyric video for "Fuck Euphemism", the latest single from the longstanding California punk band NOFX, can be seen below. The track is taken from NOFX's 14th full-length album, "Single Album", which will be released on Friday, February 26 via Fat Mike's label Fat Wreck Chords.

Boasting 12 new tracks and recorded at Motor Studios in San Francisco with Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore (RISE AGAINST, ALKALINE TRIO, TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET), the follow-up to 2016's "First Ditch Effort" is NOFX's most personal effort to date.

Originally intended to be a double record, "Single Album" was scaled down after the coronavirus pandemic changed NOFX's plans.

Regarding "Fuck Euphemism", Fat Mike said in a statement: "We had to make a lyric video for this song because these might be my favorite lyrics I've ever written. Oh, what fun it is to write a song that's completely PC, but sure as hell sounds like it isn't!"

In an interview with Spin, Fat Mike spoke in more detail about the inspiration behind the song. "I consider myself queer and part of it, so I can sing a song like this," he said. "I live a BDSM lifestyle and I'm a crossdresser, so it did bother me when people were calling me a cis male. I like the whole thing of defining yourself using your own terms, because I'm a punk rocker first, and then a submissive crossdressing male. The transgender community and the gay community are taking a stance on how we want to be known, and I'm going to be known as a certain way."

Last month, NOFX released the first single from "Single Album", a song called "Linewleum", featuring AVENGED SEVENFOLD.

"Single Album" track listing:

01. The Big Drag

02. I Love You More Than I Hate Me

03. Fuck Euphemism

04. Fish In A Gun Barrel

05. Birmingham

06. Linewleum

07. My Bro Cancervive Cancer

08. Grieve Soto

09. Doors And Fours

10. Your Last Resort

For nearly 40 years, the reigning kings of punk rock have remained relevant by continuing to push the boundaries of their music, lyrics and good taste in a way that's as endearing as it is infectious.

Despite the fact that NOFX helped invent melodic punk music (alongside their longtime peers such as BAD RELIGION and RANCID), they've never made the same album twice.

After battling skinhead punks in the eighties, major-label executives in the nineties and George W. Bush in the early 2000s, NOFX are finally ready to enjoy the success they've been too preoccupied to embrace in the past.

British extreme metallers CRADLE OF FILTH have set "Existence Is Futile" as the title of their 13th studio album, due later this year via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP was once again recorded at Grindstone Studios with producer Scott Atkins and features artwork from Arthur Berzinsh, who previously worked with CRADLE on 2015's "Hammer Of The Witches" and 2017's "Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness Of Decay".

"The stunning new album is everything you can expect from the many shades of black that go to discolor a CRADLE OF FILTH release and far, far, worse," frontman Dani Filth said.

This past December, Dani said that isolation and lack of live touring amid the coronavirus pandemic has contributed to making CRADLE OF FILTH's upcoming LP "our best album of current years, if not all time." He wrote on CRADLE's Facebook page: "There was absolutely no pressure to turn the album in. In fact, there really was nothing better to do than indulge our creative juices and thus a huge swathe of the year was spent in the sultry depths of the Suffolk countryside polishing and perfecting our latest musical excretion.

"It's an absolute killer of an album (if you forgive my self-flattery), with an immense production courtesy of Scott Atkins and Grindstone studios once again, and I'd like to be able to describe it to you but there is so much bubbling intently in this album," he continued. "Fast and slow parts (and faster still), new delectable flavours and those reminiscent of earlier COF albums galore, massive choruses and melancholic drop-downs, old skool melodic NWOBM amid furious, scathing black metal amid apocalyptic groove and we as a band can't wait for everyone to hear it…. And more importantly, experience our birthed monster live."

Last October, Dani told Metal Injection that CRADLE OF FILTH's follow-up to "Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness of Decay" was turning out to be "fantastic" and "probably the best album we've written. We've had the opportunity to really dig deep into it and work hard on the tracks, and, if necessary, rewrite parts, which we have done," he said. "I certainly have rewritten parts and have no qualms about Scott saying this just isn't good enough compared to all the other songs on the record. But I would say it's not very different from 'Cryptoriana'. It's not as intricately laced. That album spoke of the times it was trying to assimilate and represent. This album is about existential terror. The threat of everything. The end of the world, the end of one's life, existential dread. A little hope, I guess in there. It's a CRADLE OF FILTH record. The songs are strong. They're extreme, but it's a mixture of everything."

Regarding what is has been like working with Atkins again, Dani said: "It's very comfortable recording with him. You know, he's very free and easy with how he talks to me. There's no pandering; we're good friends and we can talk to each other how we want. His studio is not far from where I live. It's in the countryside, so during lockdown, I was able to travel to and from the studio. We had less hours to work. We had nothing more that we could do. There was no pubs that we could saddle off to over lunch time — it was just work, work, work. And it was nice, relaxed and, fortunately, lockdown in England's been okay, because we've had some fantastic weather this year."

In February 2020, CRADLE OF FILTH announced the departure of its keyboardist of seven years, Lindsay Schoolcraft. A replacement keyboardist has not yet been announ

SEVENDUST frontman Lajon Witherspoon has just completed another round of songwriting and recording for his long-in-the-works debut solo album. As before, the latest sessions were overseen by RA's Daniel "Sahaj" Ticotin, this time at Sweetwater Studios in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Last month, Lajon released his new solo single, a cover of British singer Jacob Banks's 2017 song "Chainsmoking".

In September, Lajon told Talking Metal that working on his solo LP has been fun. "I've not had any pressure," he said. "It hasn't been something that, 'Oh, I have to do this.' This is something I've done on my own.

"I've been working with a very close friend of mine, Sahaj, [who] is the lead singer from the band RA, which I think a lot of people out there would know," he continued. "[He's] an incredible friend and artist, and we write well together."

Asked about the musical direction of his solo material, Lajon said: "You can be on the avenue and hang out with my solo stuff. It's rock. It's a little bit of heavy, but I think it lends more towards a bluesy, soulful, more radio friendly… I'm not saying SEVENDUST isn't radio friendly, but I think this is more of a radio friendly… I don't know. It's a lot, a lot, a lot of melody. It's cool."

Witherspoon released the standalone solo single "Love Song" in 2017.

SEVENDUST's 13th studio album, "Blood & Stone", was released in October via Rise Records. The follow-up to 2018's "All I See Is War" was once again tracked at Studio Barbarosa in Gotha, Florida with producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette, who has previously worked with ALTER BRIDGE and SLASH, among others.
























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STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet has told the "Get Hard! With Jaide Alicia" podcast that he is optimistic about live shows coming back in 2021. "And yet in the back corners of my mind, I'm thinking, 'Hmmm… I don't know,'" he said (hear audio below).

"I think most people can figure it out on their own that it's gonna take a while to get out there and do it the right way," he continued. "And it's gonna take a long while till we get back to the way we did it before — in full capacity, touring all the time. I mean, that's gonna be a while."

Sweet also talked about how STRYPER has adapted to the "new normal," with many artists resorting to live streams as a way to promote their content.

"We made a decision that if we can't tour, let's do this series called 'Live At Spirithouse' where we will record, eventually — the plan is — every album," he said. "We've already done two. We're releasing 'To Hell With The Devil' in a few weeks. So we did that. And we're gonna get the guys out here when we can and go and record two more albums. We're gonna do two at a time till we get through all of them. We've got 13 studio albums, so it's gonna take a little while. We'll definitely be into 2022, maybe even 2023, to get through them all, but we just figured it's something we've always wanted to do anyway, and now is a good time to do it. And everybody can sit back on their computers, or televisions, and watch STRYPER anytime they want."

STRYPER's latest album, "Even The Devil Believes", was released in September via Frontiers Music Srl.

Most of the recording sessions for STRYPER's new LP took place at SpiritHouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts with engineer Danny Bernini.

Formed 38 years ago, STRYPER is the first overtly Christian metal band to go mainstream. The group's name comes from Isaiah 53:5, which states: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

STRYPER's other albums include "To Hell With The Devil", "Second Coming", "No More Hell To Pay", "Fallen" and "God Damn Evil".

Listen to "Michael Sweet (Stryper)" on Spreaker.

In the two years since Memoriam released Requiem For Mankind, the band haven't rested on their laurels. Their fourth studio album, To The End, is due for release on March 26th via Reaper Entertainment. Today, the band presents the first album trailer discussing how drummer Spike T Smith joined the band aaand the album recordings. Check it out below.

Memoriam recently released the first digital single "Onwards Into Battle". The song is available on every major streaming platform now. The official lyric video can be viewed below.

Vocalist Karl Willetts comments: "'Onwards Into Battle' is the opening track from the new album, To The End. A powerful introduction that sets the tone of the album and gives the listener a taste of what is to come. Lyrically, the track provides continuity from the previous album, Requiem For Mankind, and is similar in many ways to the track 'Fixed Bayonets'.

The lyrics focus on the start of battle Zero Hour which is appropriate for the start of the album, within the theme of war the lyrics explore the brutally of trench warfare specifically.

The war continues. Let battle commence."

Marking the beginning of a second trilogy of albums, To The End serves as something of a prologue to the first three Memoriam albums. Working backwards and narrating the life story of the leader whose demise was depicted in the first trilogy, the lyrics on the album may play out in a fictional realm, but they incorporate inspiration from real life. A central theme of war is coloured with political fulminations and everyday experiences that combine to create a cohesive and enthralling chronicle.

The four-piece returned to producer, Russ Russell, for the recording of To The End. For the first time, the band demoed the songs and entered the studio with a new level of preparedness. Coupled with their close relationship with Russell, this created an environment that allowed for greater experimentation, as demonstrated by the diverse array of textures and sounds present on the nine tracks on the album.

From the earliest days of the band, they had their eye on the art Dan Seagrave (Benediction, Dismember, Hypocrisy, Suffocation etc) as an accompaniment to their music. Having created the artwork for the first three Memoriam albums, he has also created the cover for To The End.

The band comment:

"We are really chuffed to be collaborating with Dan, his vision and interpretation of ideas are totally unique and its fantastic to be involved in the creative process with him - seeing the ideas that we have transformed into stunning images that we are proud to have as artwork for our albums. His style is second to none, so much so that using any other artist at this point would seem like a compromise; his attention to detail is incredible. To The End is the first album of this trilogy and features the events that led up to the scenes depicted on our first album, For the Fallen. The art shows the king leading his troops into the last battle in which he was killed. It looks bloody killer."

Seagrave elaborates:

"In this moment we’re capturing the dawn of the onslaught of the city; visible from the industrial outskirts, as the forces descend with a pincer movement into the valley, spreading destruction towards their goal. The king character to me at this stage has become something of a creature - beyond human. There is an elemental shift in its DNA and a detachment of its ordinary senses. Held together by earthly materials, I feel its presence brings with it a surrealistic sickness that affects the immediate environment and those who tread within its boundaries.

"My aesthetic look of this was to combine the retro military tech of the early 20th century with the memory of renaissance times art. For example, tanks that have bas relief sculpture, and inventions such as the flying wingsuit - a metallic armoured vehicle contraption worn by the foreground figure. There's less of a literal darkness in the depiction. Here there seems to be a permeating flow of dust particles, like a concocting mist of specular ice and grey concrete. The dawn of a bright day reacting with it, both illuminating and deadly."

Memoriam is:

Karl Willetts - vocals (ex-Bolt Thrower)
Frank Healy - bass (ex-Benediction)
Spike T Smith - drums (Sacrilege, Conflict, Killing Joke, The Damned)
Scott Fairfax - guitars (As The World Dies, ex-Benediction)

French cinematic metalists Hypno5e have announced their very first online concert stream entitled A Distant (Dark) Source Experience, where they will perform the Pelagic Records release: A Distant (Dark) Source in its entirety. This concert experience marks the first time Hypno5e has taken their unique and special live show to living rooms around the globe.

Directed by Hypno5e singer, songwriter and independent film maker in his own right, Emmanuel Jessua, it was not only his goal to capture the intensity of their live show, but also to add a touch of artistic flair to the visuals: “When we decided to do this, it was mainly a way to reach people who wanted to see us play but couldn't due to the pandemic, but also for our fans from all over the world who may not have seen Hypno5e live for a long time, if not ever. We wanted to do something special which was more than just a live show ... something special in these dark times for our fans and for us.”

A Distant (Dark) Source Experience will take place on February 27, 2021, 8 PM CET with tickets available at this location and will include a ticket/T-Shirt bundle designed by Reuben Bhattacharya of Visual Amnesia (Jinjer, Twelve Foot Ninja, Monuments).

"Ashen Piles Of Incinerated" from New York City-based black/death metal trio Gravesend is now streaming as the band's debut LP, Methods Of Human Disposal, nears release in just over two weeks through 20 Buck Spin.

Gravesend arises with ill intent like a foul emanation from the aging sewage filled rot slowly winding its way beneath the city's vast concrete walls and pavement pathways; a New York of discarded needles, noxious fumes, scavenging rats, broken bottles, and cracked minds. An aural manifesto of urban blight and disgust, Methods Of Human Disposal is the appropriately grotesque follow-up to their cult-revered Preparations For Human Disposal 2020 demo. The LP works like a lone killer stalking the streets, internally seething with rage, preparing to cast off the last remnants of restraint. Bear witness to savage black/death metal with a hellish grindcore fixation, searing warped speeds, and the slowly swelling carnage of a derailed subway pileup. Like the centuries old cemetery that bears its name, the fetid stench of death and decay permeates Gravesend and the predatory wrath and inhumanity embodied in Methods Of Human Disposal holds up a shattered mirror reflecting back the filth and corruption of a New York that never really went away.

Guaranteed to be one of the most disgustingly savage releases of the year, Methods Of Human Disposal was recorded in September 2020 by Nolan Voss of Thirty Legion, mixed by Arthur Rizk (Power Trip, Tomb Mold, Xibalba), and mastered by Brad Boatright (Obituary, Vastum, Terminal Nation).

20 Buck Spin leaks this auditory scourge on LP, CD, cassette, and digital formats February 19. Find preorders at the label webshop here.

Flames, concussions, and the horror of mechanized slaughtering – Death Kommander’s new album Pro Patria Mori combines it all into a 49-minute-long debut, which immediately reminds the listener that old school death metal is far from old or dead and the mighty Bolt Thrower may have a worthy successor.

Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan from Venom Inc. and Patrick “Frugi” Herrsche from Messiah round up the album with guest appearances on the first and last song, adding another layer to the already very volatile release.

The album can be divided into two parts – the first slower worship of groovy riffs, and the second, more daring and faster attack on enemy trenches. The variety and length of the album are making the album worth multiple listening iterations where every time something new can be discovered.

Pro Patria is out now on Warhorn Records. Order on Bandcamp.

Tracklisting:

“Intro”
“Tunes Of War”
“Steel Reaper”
“Incoming Death”
“Shock Trooper”
“Mechanized Warfare”
“Unnamed Grave”
“Play Of Death”
“Flander’s Blues”
“Flamethrower”
“The March”
“Pro Patria Mori (Outro)”

Full album stream:

Blackened industrial doom collective Culted will be releasing their brand new full-length, Nous, on February 26, 2021. The band is now sharing the official music video for the third and final single, "Maze." The clip, which was created entirely by the band, can be seen below.

"'Maze' is both a reaction and objection to the extra-ordinary, potentially dangerous, awe-inspiring, fear-inducing beliefs, rites, and objects that are often crowned sacred," explains Culted. 'Maze' is sound ordained to render the invisible and the tangible, to make manifest the lamentable impurity of the flesh, and to make sublime the infinite distress of the soul."

Nous is available for pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"Lowest Class"
"Lifers"
"One Last Smoke"
"Ankle Deep"
"Black Bird"
"Opiate the Hounds"
"Maze"
"Crown of Lies"
"The Grid"
"Crush My Soul" (Godflesh cover)

"Culted" video:

"Black Bird" video:

From the icy expanse of the Canadian prairies to the Nordic coast of Sweden, industrial blackened doom collective Culted have long been innovators of creating music remotely, transcending both literal and metaphorical boundaries for over a decade. Michael Klassen and Matthew Friesen were first approached by Daniel Jansson to collaborate on an international project and come 2008, these ideas began to coalesce, with fellow Canadian Kevin Stevenson joining the cult. The band soon recorded and unveiled their first LP, Below the Thunders of the Upper Deep (2009), as well as the EP Of Death and Ritual (2010.)
 
In 2013, sophomore full-length Oblique to All Paths was released upon being written, recorded, and produced in various closets, basements, dens, and domiciles. After forming a union with Season of Mist,  Culted continued their down-tempo exploration of blackened and industrial soundscapes with 2019’s mini-album, Vespertina Synaxis; A Prayer for Union and Emptiness, which was inspired by the isolation, alienation, and damnation that dominates the rime-encrusted lands Culted inhabit. Now, the band is ready to unleash their most devastating and personal opus yet, Nous.

Nous was born in turmoil after members of the band endured a period of extreme personal experiences, both psychological and physical. The creation process was informed by disease, death, and the resulting existential crises. Instead of predetermining the direction Culted would take with their third full-length, the band allowed the music to speak for itself as it came together organically. Nous was a result of its creators attempting to destroy or ignore the egoic (that chatter and everything outside of pure consciousness that attempts to sabotage you of peace and rob you of the moment) and instead, opening themselves up to the unidentifiable and nameless muse of sound.

Culted further explores their relationship with doom, black metal, and industrial on yet another experimental effort in which the band’s collective agony is translated into something both nihilistic and tangible through dissonant soundscapes. Each song is a nightmare in the abyss, dragging the listener through caverns of inexplicable darkness and suffering.

Exemplifying the themes, meditations, and diatribes of the human condition, Nous, which roughly translates to “common sense” or “practical intelligence,” explores both the religious and conspiratorial processes of the mind within the framework of critical thought. According to biblical scripture, Satan convinced Eve that the most powerful of conspirators - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - were secretly trying to keep the first humans shrouded in a veil of ignorance, preventing them from becoming “like God” and “knowing good and evil.” Eve became the first in a long line, from Gnostics to flat-earthers, to believe powerful forces were withholding secret information. Nous attempts to know God or the inner essence or principles of created things by means of direct perception. Nous must be carefully distinguished from reason as it does not formulate abstract concepts or argue them using deductive reasoning, but rather, it understands divine truth by means of immediate experience. Thelema of the gods.

To further solidify these introspective concepts, the cover art is an interpretation of the Temptation of St. Anthony who was one of the first monks to retire to the desert to devote himself to fasting and prayer, which is an often-repeated subject in the history of art and literature, especially concerning the supernatural temptation reportedly faced by Saint Anthony during his sojourn in the Egyptian desert. The art encapsulates both the music and lyrical concept, visually.

Culted is now inviting you to open your mind, abandon your religion, and to join the cult on this existential and devastating journey.

Lineup:

Matthew Friesen - guitar, bass, keyboards, noise and percussion
Michael Klassen - guitar, bass keyboards, noise and percussion
Kevin Stevenson - drums and percussion
Daniel Jansson - Vocals and noise

Lisbon-based retro rock bringers Miss Lava have unveiled their trippy new video for "Brotherhood Of Eternal Love." The track comes by way of the band's latest full-length, Doom Machine, released last month via Small Stone Records and Kozmik Artifactz.

"The lyrics were inspired by a documentary called Sunshine Makers, where some of the first LSD makers wanted to offer LSD to everyone in order to end wars," notes Miss Lava vocalist Johnny Lee. "Of course, things turned out differently and out of control; a bit like the world we live in nowadays."

The perfect soundtrack for the post-lockdown world, the band's fourth album and follow-up to 2017's Dominant Rush EP, stands as their densest output to date doused in kaleidoscopic riff explorations and hypnotic interludes; a multi-textured sonic journey that's at once deep, heavy, mesmerizing, and cathartic. Captured live at Generator Music Studios in Sintra, Portugal by Miguel "Veg" Marques, the record carries with it the warmth and soul of a band full of fresh vigor and perhaps the demons of these tumultuous times.

The record is loosely focused on the tragic death of guitarist K. Raffah's infant son and the other members' children born during the creative process. "Doom Machine is a very emotional experience for us...," Raffah shares. "[My son] was only here for a month and a half, but his light was very bright. We feel his presence every time."  

Tracklisting:

“Fourth Dimension”
“In The Mire”
“Magma”
“Brotherhood Of Eternal Love”
“Sleepy Warm”
“The Great Divide”
“Karma”
“The Fall”
“Alpha”
“The Oracle”
“Terra”
“Doom Machine”
“God Feeds The Swine”*
“Feel Surreal”*
“Red Atlantis”*

*CD, digital bonus tracks

“Fourth Dimension” video:

(Photo by André Cardoso)

New Jersey’s Manuel Barbará is releasing his debut album, Moonrise, this coming March. The first single for this full length is the title track. Watch a guitar/bass playthrough video below.

Featuring seven instrumental tracks of classically inspired progressive metal, Manuel Barbará puts a conscious effort into making each song into a cohesive, well-composed whole rather than a collection of flashy guitar tricks.

This recording features songwriter Manuel Barbará on guitars and programming, Nick Thorpe on bass along with Joey Ferretti on drums. The album is designed to take the listener on a journey through a series of loosely interconnected sound worlds that Barbará has created.

He explains the single “Moonrise”: “It was actually the first complete piece I ever wrote that I was really happy with. It has gone through many revisions since then, but it is still special to me as that first one. I wanted to make something big and epic and heavy with just enough of a weird edge to keep people interested. Funnily enough, the chorus riff, which seems to be everyone’s favorite part, was supposed to be a throw-away idea that I was going to replace later, but it stuck around.”

According to Barbará, this album is the first step towards his longtime goal to take his training as a classical composer and apply it to this style of modern metal that he loves so much in a way that goes beyond the standard Yngwie “neo-classical metal” thing.

The full album is out on March 19. Album pre-order is available here .

Tracklisting:

"Moonrise"
"The God Complex"
"Children of Prometheus"
"Mirrors I - Image"
"Mirrors II - Silver"
"Mirrors III - Reflection"
"The Nightmare Weaver"

After a brief hiatus that saw him join forces with Psyclon Nine’s Nero Bellum on last year’s dark electronic project, Not My God, former Marilyn Manson member Tim Skold has returned to his primary creative outlet and namesake project, the heavy industrial metal band, Skold.

It seems his time away has only rekindled Skold’s fiery passion while simultaneously sparking a desire to shake things up as he takes the project in a bold new direction, crafting a new album, called Dies Irae, that leans heavy into the metal side and showcases his own aggressive guitar playing prowess. The album bleeds pure metal mayhem from the stunning  album opener “Dirty Horizon,” which presages the album’s shift away from digitized electronics to the more organic feel of acoustic drums and overdriven guitars.

But Dies Irae isn’t all riffs and power chords, this Skold album still brims with sonically elaborate keyboards that add mood and the kind of haunting atmosphere that fans have come to expect from Skold. Lyrically, as the title suggests, the album finds the veteran songwriter contemplating death and final judgement (“dies irae” is a Latin phrase meaning “day of wrath”) on such tracks as “The End Is Near,” “Terrified” (“I’m not afraid of dying, I’m f**king terrified”) and the album’s closing track “Goodbye.”

With “Goodbye,” which is released today as the album’s first single, Dies Irae reaches its zenith blending keyboards and guitars perfectly as Skold sings “Can you see the light / Do you feel the rigor mortis setting in / Can you feel the end begin / Goodbye” and thus sheds the rotting corpse of his past to fully embrace the bold future ahead.

Stream the single here.

Dies Irae features stunning artwork from hugely talented German artist Sebastian Nabel (https://sebastiannabel.com/) showcased beautifully on reverse-board digipak for CD plus a special limited edition vinyl edition with a reverse-board jacket and full-color inner sleeve housing a gorgeous clear vinyl LP.

Pre-order/pre-save the album here.

Tracklisting:

"Dirty Horizon"    
"Unspoken"    
"The End Is Near"    
"Terrified"    
"Love Is A Disease"    
"This Is The Way"    
"Silicon Dreams"
"As Above So Below"    
"Kill Yourself"    
"Goodbye"

Finnish classic metal squad, Coronary, will release their debut album, Sinbad, via Cruz Del Sur Music on February 19 on CD, vinyl, and digital formats. The album track, "Reflector", is available for streaming below.

On Sinbad, Coronary assumes the mantle as one of their country’s finest representations of pure, 1980s heavy metal that goes in for the kill!

While there are still some who balk at the idea that metal should have both of its feet firmly planted in its glory years, there is a growing consensus that this was the time when metal was at its best. Without all of the mindless, if not grating sub-genre tags that exist today, 1980s heavy metal was pure, raging, and, most of all, fun. Coronary recaptures those elements and more on their first full-length album and initial release for Cruz Del Sur Music, Sinbad.

Coronary came together in 2017 when guitarist Aku Kytölä and drummer Pate Vuorio happened to be browsing in the same second-hand vinyl section at a Tampere flea market. The two instantly struck up a connection over their shared love of music and over time, started making plans to form a band of their own. The band was soon rounded out by Korpiklaani bassist Jarkko Aaltonen, second guitarist Jukka Holm and vocalist Olli Kärki, and got to work on writing original material. The freshly-branded Coronary promptly issued Demo 2018, an effort so promising that Gates of Hell Records paired the band with emerging Canada metallers Traveler for a highly-regarded split release the same year.

Recorded at Headline Studio in Tampere under the guidance of producer and engineer Jari Latomaa, Sinbad picks up where Coronary left off their debut demo. Fans were treated to a handful of sneak previews earlier in 2020 with songs such as “I Can Feel This Love”, “The Hammer” and “Reflector” but taken as a whole, Sinbad is a consummate pure metal album complete with an array of scorching guitar leads, fiery lead vocals courtesy of Kärki and memorable compositions. The Sinbad album title is a reference to Sinbad the Sailor, the fictional traveler and his amazing journeys. But, look further and it’s also an amalgamation of the words “sin” and “bad,” both of which, in Coronary’s estimation, are “perfectly suitable life goals.”

Tracklist:

"Sinbad"
"Firewings"
"The Hammer"
"Bullet Train"
"I Can Feel This Love"
"Reflector"
"Burnout"
"Fight St. 666"
"Mestengo"
"Wonders Of The World"

"Reflector":

"Sinbad":

Danish metalcore four-piece, Ghost Iris, have announced their new studio album, Comatose, which will see a May 7 release via Long Branch Records.

Since the release of their album, Apple Of Discord, the band has made a name for themselves with relentless touring throughout Europe, UK, and Japan - sharing the stage with the likes of Dream Theater, Jinjer, After The Burial, and Soen, along with playing renowned festivals such as Copenhell, Rockstadt Extreme Fest, and Euroblast. Winning over new fans every night with their intense and energetic performance, audiences around the world instantly hunger for the band’s return.

Gearing up for the release of their fourth full-length album, Ghost Iris are building upon the sounds they explored on their previous album. Pulverizing instrumentals, bleak lyrics, catchy and hard-hitting - Comatose is no exception to these descriptors; being their most visceral material yet.

Ghost Iris about the album title and artwork for Comatose: "Comatose is a title that represents in a plethora of ways. It’s about the fact that many people are asleep, but even from a coma, one can arise. On the surface, it might seem extremely dark, nihilistic, and bearing of a defeatist attitude, but darkness cannot exist where there’s light. We all exist in the age of enlightenment and even though it seems as if we’re all screwed and the earth is almost destroyed, times will surely change. Arise from the coma, no longer comatose, we fight the demons.

"The artwork for Comatose depicts Kali, whose name translates to “she who is death”, as a mere mortal. To serve the title of the album, the majority of mankind are asleep and oblivious as to what is going on around them. Ultimately, we are death. However, there is no darkness without the light - let us all arise from the coma."

Pre-order Comatose here. Stream the first single, "Paper Tiger", here. Watch the video below.

Comatose tracklisting:

"(3815935)"
"Desert Dread" Feat. Mark Hunter
"Paper Tiger"
"Cult"
"Former Self"
"Coda"
"Ebb//Flow"
"Cold Sweat"
"Coma"
"Power Schism"

"Paper Tiger" video:

Lineup:

Jesper Vicencio Gün - Vocals
Nicklas Grønlund Thomsen - Guitar
Daniel Leszkowicz - Guitar
Sebastian Linnet - Drums

Sirenia have released a solo playthrough video for "Addiction No. 1", the opening track of the band's upcoming album, Riddles, Ruins & Revelations. Watch below:

Founded back in 2001 and after being active as a top-notch offering in the genre for almost 20 years, Sirenia serve a new, exquisite pearl of symphonic metal: The four-piece around mastermind Morten Veland releases its tenth studio album, Riddles, Ruins & Revelations, on February 12 via Napalm Records.

On this magical output, the French-Norwegian quartet combines a heavy symphonic sound with modern influences, which their most recent record, Arcane Astral Aeons (2018), is proof of. This time, Sirenia offer an exciting new twist to their songs, spicing them with electronic vibes, but never losing sight of their musical core. Riddles, Ruins & Revelations was produced, mixed and mastered by Morten Veland himself – which marks his first time doing so.

With Riddles, Ruins & Revelations, Sirenia, around mastermind, bandleader, multi-instrumentalist, composer, songwriter and producer Morten Veland, remains as true to their album title word-play as they do to their dedication to symphonic soundscapes, drawing the listener into a pounding narrative about the darkest aspects of life. All eleven songs accumulate step by step to an integral sound artwork, where the versatile mezzo soprano voice of singer Emmanuelle Zoldan always shines in high-profile. In addition, there are many enchanting, instrumental surprises lurking on the way that absolutely need to be discovered.

"We Come To Ruins" offers a contrast of harshness to the more modern-orientated songs on the record, like “The Timeless Waning”, and skillfully portrays the multi-faceted nature of the band. On "Downwards Spiral", Emmanuelle is supported by the remarkable voice of longtime friend Joakim Næss on clean vocals, who has joined the symphonic metal outfit on previous releases. Sirenia’s tenth full-length ends with a cover of Desireless' 1986 hit “Voyage Voyage”, where the unit again impressively combines symphonic sounds with electronic atmosphere, which doesn’t count only for this final epos, but for Riddles, Ruins & Revelations as a whole.

Morten Veland on the album: "Riddles, Ruins & Revelations is Sirenia's tenth studio album. The album is very diverse, as a Sirenia album should be. There's a lot of material that shows the band from a new side, and there is lots of material that is to be expected from the band musically. All in all the album will take the listeners through a journey that will cover both familiar and unexplored musical landscapes. We hope that you will enjoy the journey.”

Riddles, Ruins & Revelations will be available in North America in the following formats:

- CD Digipack
- Digital Album

Pre-order Riddles, Ruins & Revelations here.

Riddles, Ruins & Revelations tracklisting:

"Addiction No. 1"
"Towards An Early Grave"
"Into Infinity"
"Passing Seasons"
"We Come To Ruins"
"Downwards Spiral"
"Beneath The Midnight Sun"
"The Timeless Waning"
"December Snow"
"This Curse Of Mine"
"Voyage Voyage"

"We Come To Ruins":

"Addiction No. 1" video:

Sirenia is:

Morten Veland - guitars, bass, vocals, keyboards, programming
Nils Courbaron - lead guitar
Emmanuelle Zoldan - vocals
Michael Brush - drums

(Photo - Richelle ter Heege)

Nordic favorites The Vintage Caravan announce the upcoming release of their new full-length album, Monuments, out April 16 via Napalm Records. The band incorporates a fountain of modern influences mixed with retro reminiscences to create an addictive sound all their own.

After countless high-voltage live performances at festivals such as Roadburn, Wacken and Hellfest, and touring with Opeth, the Icelandic band’s new full-length impressively demonstrates that they have matured both musically and lyrically, accented by bold, nostalgic nuance. Virtuosic ‘70s-inspired guitar ruminations encounter an irrefutable mixture of fresh elements and psychedelic, progressive and blues rock trademarks on Monuments, radiating the soul of some larger-than-life bands of the past as these youngbloods breathe new life into a classic formula.

Cut from Monuments, their first new single, “Whispers”, showcases the band’s musical progression without sacrificing the retro-inspired staples they’ve become renowned for. The accompanying video takes its viewer straight into the hearts and studio of the band, connecting with lucid live-music vibes. Above all, the performance video also highlights the band's musical passion and provides an intimate glimpse into their sonic work.

The Vintage Caravan on the new single “Whispers”: “First single is Whispers! It was one of the first things we came up with for the album. We always try to start our albums in a strong and powerful way and it felt fitting as an opener. Hope you like it as much as we do! Enjoy!!”

Watch the “Whispers” video below.

On 11 diverse tracks, these fast-rising musicians from Reykjavik truly cast a spell on fans of bewitching, guitar-driven classic and blues rock influences. The album opener, “Whispers”, clearly showcases the band’s musical progression without sacrificing their tried-and-true, retro-inspired sonic trademark. “Crystalized '' convinces with light blues influences, encircling the listener in enchanting guitar lines and quickly rising to the full extent of its power while evoking anecdotes of retro nostalgia. “Can’t Get You Out Of My Mind” takes its listener on a blistering ride through pounding drums, intense guitar solos and an undeniably catchy chorus, while tracks like “This One’s For You” represent a stunning blueprint in The Vintage Caravan’s musical universe with unconventional, surprisingly calm melodies and Óskar’s gripping, tranquil vocal power. In contrast, bold drumming merges with fast-paced riffs, enveloping an impressive galloping vortex and pronouncing tracks like “Dark Times” and “Said and Done” as top notch rock pieces. The softly plugging, atmospheric sound of album closer “Clarity” symbolizes the crowning culmination of a 60-minute journey through the eternal landscapes of Iceland and the poetic lyricism of the trio.

With their new studio-album, Monuments, and its captivating, stellar arrangements, these rising stars definitely know how to put their very own stamp on the retro rock wave.

The Vintage Caravan on the new album: “We are proud to present to you our new album Monuments!! This one has been long in the making and we truly believe this is our best work so far. We went into a legendary Icelandic studio, Hljóðriti, during the stormiest season of last winter and tracked non stop for 22 days, working around the clock to get as much done as possible. Luckily enough we finished tracking just before the pandemic hit.

"Having worked with producer Ian Davenport on our previous album Gateways we were comfortable and inspired to take the album to new heights in terms of sound, feel and songwriting. We ended up with quite a diverse set of songs through an interesting and in many ways different process than our usual recording sessions.  It was a great feeling to get to experiment more with our sound in so many different ways. We hope you'll enjoy the journey through Monuments!"

Monuments will be available in North America in the following formats:

- 1 CD Digipak
- 2 LP Gatefold Vinyl Black
- 2 LP Gatefold Vinyl Marbled Yellow/Red - limited to 300 copies
- Limited Diehard Edition - 2 LP Gatefold Vinyl Multicolor Splatter + Patch, Slipmat - limited to 200 copies
- Digital Album

Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"Whispers"
"Crystallized"
"Can’t Get You Off My Mind"
"Dark Times"
"This One’s For You"
"Forgotten"
"Sharp Teeth"
"Hell"
"Torn In Two"
"Said & Done"
"Clarity"

"Whispers" video:

The Vintage Caravan are:
Óskar Logi Ágústsson – lead vocals, electric guitar
Alexander Örn Númason – bass guitar, backing vocals
Stefán Ari Stefánsson – drums, percussion

(Photo - Hörður Sveinsson)

German power metal institution, Orden Ogan, will release their new album, Final Days, on March 12 via AFM Records. Check out the video for the new single, "Inferno", below, and pre-order the album here.

The record features guest appearances by Firewind guitarist Gus G. and Brothers Of Metal vocalist Ylva Eriksson.

Where to go from the Wild West? Singer and producer Sebastian "Seeb" Levermann explains: "Final Days is a dark-science-fiction-concept-record and it features all Orden Ogan trademarks such as fat and modern riffs, epic chorusses and melancholic orchestral arrangements. On this record you will find the best songs that we have ever written. Gunmen was a strong and important record for us, but Final Days takes it to the next level."

Tracklist:

"Heart Of The Android"
"In The Dawn Of The AI"
"Inferno"
"Let The Fire Rain"
"Interstellar" (featuring Gus G.)
"Alone in The Dark" (featuring Ylva Eriksson)
"Hollow"
"It Is Over"

"Inferno" video:

"In The Dawn Of The AI" video:

"Heart Of The Android" lyric video:

Frontiers Music Srl announces the upcoming release of the The Treatment's new studio album, Waiting For Good Luck, on April 9. Today, fans can get their first taste of the new album in the form of new single and video, "Rat Race". Watch the clip below, and pre-order/save Waiting For Good Luck here.

Waiting For Good Luck is the fifth full-length album from British hard rockers The Treatment. Showcasing an intense sonic power only hinted at thus far, The Treatment is truly firing on all cylinders now. A first listen will instantly reveal hulking riffs and memorable choruses and further listens reveal more and more as the listener delves into this love letter to hard rock. Waiting For Good Luck truly is a classic album in the making.

Produced by UK rock maestro Laurie Mansworth (Airrace) and mixed by Kevin Shirley (Iron Maiden, Led Zeppelin, Black Country Communion, etc.), Waiting For Good Luck is The Treatment’s second album featuring Tom Rampton on vocals (new bass player Andy Milburn joined after the recording of the album). Rampton's raspy, whisky-soaked vocal style suits the band's driving, hard rock style perfectly and the results of him having toured with and gelled further with the band can really be heard distinctly here.

A magnificent slice of groove-laden, fist-pumping, unapologetic rock 'n roll anthems, which showcase a band hungry for more and showing no signs of slowing down, Waiting For Good Luck is the most realized offering yet from The Treatment.

“We honestly all believe this album is a huge step forward for The Treatment and we can't wait for you to hear it. We will be touring as soon as circumstances will allow us and we look forward to seeing all you Treatment troops at our shows next year,” says the band.

Tracklisting:

"Rat Race"
"Take It Or Leave It"
"Lightning In A Bottle"
"Vampress"
"Eyes On You"
"No Way Home"
"Devil In The Detail"
"Tough Kid"
"Hold Fire"
"Barman"
"Let’s Make Money"
"Wrong Way"

"Rat Race" video:

Lineup:

Tom Rampton - Vocals
Dhani Mansworth - Drums
Tagore Grey - Guitars
Tao Grey - Guitar and Bass Guitar

Kobra And The Lotus vocalist / founder Kobra Paige has checked in with the following news:

"Since 2018 I've been working on a new musical project. I'm back in the saddle again, full throttle, with some incredible mentors by my side! Eleven demos and counting. Can't wait to start bringing you on the journey!! Have an inspiring week."

Kobra And The Lotus released their latest studio album, Evolution, on September 20, 2019 via Napalm Records. The record sees the band imbued with a new fire that comes through by way of undeniable hooks, soaring guitar riffs, marching drum beats, and the soulful, bombastic vocal delivery of lead singer Kobra Paige. No longer bound by old formulas and expectations from the past, Evolution comes through with a sound that is expansive and, at times, borders on outright swagger. Each song feels like an Active Rock hit in the making, while still having the grit and feverish intensity that longtime fans have come to admire from Kobra And The Lotus.

Evolution boasts the band's most cohesive and confident material to date. For the new record, Kobra And The Lotus enlisted the services of producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette (Alter Bridge, Linkin Park, Slash, Sevendust).

"The new body of work sets the tone for the music going forward. Sonically, it’s still heavy. It highlights the showmanship and maintains the edge. At the same time, it’s approachable. It pays tribute to our influences, but it takes the next step. So, it’s a reintroduction to us and a rebirth. A firm goal was to build a strong identity and update everything. We just want to be Kobra And The Lotus; that’s what we’re doing."

The first single, "Burn!” ignites this chapter. A hummable riff snaps into a visceral verse as the frontwoman directly declares, “I really hate you, yes I do.” The track builds towards an incendiary and infectious chorus, hinging on a seesawing guttural groove and hitting like a sledgehammer.

“It’s about all of the reasons you hold yourself back,” she explains. “You literally need to burn all of those feelings, stories, excuses, and obstacles keeping you from being your own authentic self. It’s super personal. It’s a product of growing and arriving as a person. I’m realizing who I am. It’s symbolic of the rebirth,” says Kobra.

Going further into the process behind Evolution, Kobra comments, “We’ve never done a record like Evolution. We’ve flown demos over the internet back and forth or started a few ideas prior to hitting the studio. This time, we were all working together in the flesh for the full duration of the writing process. It’s a collision of everything we love. We feel like it’s the freshest and most timeless thing we’ve brought to the table.”

Tracklisting:

"Evolution"
"Burn!"
"We Come Undone"
"Wounds"
"Thundersmith"
"Circus"
"Wash Away"
"Liar"
"Get The F*ck Out Of Here"
"In The End"
"Tokyo" (Japan Version Only)

"Burn!" video:

Erik Rutan says that he will continue playing with HATE ETERNAL even though he has just been named a permanent member of CANNIBAL CORPSE.

On Tuesday, CANNIBAL CORPSE revealed the details of its upcoming 15th studio album, "Violence Unimagined", due on April 16 via Metal Blade Records. Rutan, one of the death metal's most acclaimed guitarists who is known for his time as part of MORBID ANGEL throughout the '90s and early 2000s, as well as handling vocals/guitars for HATE ETERNAL, lent his guitar as well as production skills to the effort, which was recorded at his Mana Recording in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Several hours after CANNIBAL CORPSE made Rutan's addition to the band official, he took took to HATE ETERNAL's Facebook page to write: "I felt it very important to personally share some big news with all of you today.... I am officially joining CANNIBAL CORPSE! I am super excited and honored and honestly it still seems a bit surreal.

"CANNIBAL CORPSE has been a big part of my life and career having listened to them for over 30 years, produced 5 albums with them, done many many tours together and having decades of friendships with everyone involved. Anyone that knows me knows that I will give everything I have to being the best I can be with CC. For the new album 'Violence Unimagined' I contributed and wrote 3 songs of music and lyrics as well as playing guitar, producing and mixing it at Mana Recording.

"I am very very proud of what we achieved together.

"I have been sitting here today reflecting on my life and career and the journey to get here. 30 years ago I was recording my first album with RIPPING CORPSE at 19 years of age, then onto MORBID ANGEL, then starting and continuing with HATE ETERNAL and Mana Recording and now CANNIBAL CORPSE. I feel so grateful to have been and still continue to be a part of this music that I feel so passionate about and embrace.

"HATE ETERNAL will absolutely continue on.. JJ, Johnny and I look forward to recording another unrelenting HATE ETERNAL album in the future when the time is right.

"As many people know I have always done multiple things in my career and I plan on continuing that starting with CANNIBAL CORPSE as well as HATE ETERNAL, Mana Recording, producing and other musical endeavors when time allows.

"We will have some other great HE news to share in the near future and look forward to continuing down the path I have been a part of for decades.

"Hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy and excited to what the future shall behold!

"Thank you all for your unwavering and undying support. It means the world to me. Eternal Gratitude."

Rutan joins CANNIBAL CORPSE as the replacement for longtime guitarist Pat O'Brien, who was arrested in Florida more than two years ago on charges of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and burglary of an occupied dwelling with assault. Deputies said he burglarized a house and charged at a deputy with a knife.

O'Brien allegedly broke into a Northdale, Florida home on December 10, 2018 and shouted that "the rapture is coming" before pushing a woman to the ground. He ran toward a responding deputy with a knife and was subdued with a stun gun.

Less than half a mile from where O'Brien was arrested, a fire broke out at the house he was renting, sending flames billowing into the night sky from the roof. Fire marshals found a large cache of weapon, locked safes and potential explosive devices inside O'Brien's home.

The owner of the home where O'Brien was arrested wouldn't go on camera but told ABC Action News he thought the guitarist was hallucinating when he spoke to him and claimed "someone was after him." The homeowner added O'Brien seemed scared and at one point even hid in his closet.

Erik Rutan photo credit: Alex Morgan Imaging


I felt it very important to personally share some big news with all of you today.... I am officially joining Cannibal...

Posted by Hate Eternal on Tuesday, February 2, 2021