KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz is featured in episode six of Pure Grain Audio's "Tales Of Touring Terror". In the two-minute clip below, which was filmed on July 19 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dutkiewicz recalls "one damn shitty touring experience."

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Jesse Leach recently finished laying down vocals on five songs for the band's forthcoming seventh full-length album. The follow-up to 2013's "Disarm The Descent" is tentatively due in early 2016 via Roadrunner.

Leach wrote in a post on Instagram: "[I am] pretty stoked on the song I just finished. It turned out to be quite unique sonically and lyrically. It's an ode to the road, the trials and triumphs, the friendships and long-distance love."

He continued: "So far this record has a little bit of everything, and I couldn't be happier with it. [I am] also pushing my voice to higher registers and allowing the grit to come through, which definitely suits my style as a vocalist.

"The topics are pretty heavy so far on the first four (even though they are all very different from each other,) so this one rounds it out with a more uptempo sing-along feel (almost punk rock meets '80s metal riffs with double bass for good measure)."

Jesse added: "I truly hope KILLSWITCH ENGAGE fans of all types will be able to find something they dig on this record. That being said, so far I truly feel I've put my everything into this record."

A KILLSWITCH ENGAGE concert film shot on October 31, 2014 at The Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts will be included on the band's next DVD release, tentatively due before the end of the year. The performance footage was filmed by the direction team of Ian McFarland and Mike Pecci (FEAR FACTORY, MESHUGGAH) using five Canon C300 cameras outfitted with Zeiss Prime Super Speed Lenses.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE has contributed a new song, "Loyalty", to the mixtape for HBO's hit fantasy series "Game Of Thrones".

The official lyric video for "Dead In The Water", a brand new song from Michigan-based rockers POP EVIL, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, titled "Up", which will be released on August 21 via eOne Music. Recorded at Studio Litho, Robert Lang Studios and London Bridge Studios with producer Adam Kasper (PEARL JAM, SOUNDGARDEN, FOO FIGHTERS), the CD is "the sound of a rock band cementing a powerful identity that's steadily materialized over the course of three prior full-length slabs," according to a press release.

POP EVIL frontman Leigh Kakaty stated about "Dead In The Water": "The song was written about the constant feeling I have of sinking farther and farther away from reality. It has led to a internal fight to get my head above water."

"Up" track listing:

01. Footsteps02. Core03. In Disarray04. Take It All05. Ghost Of Muskegon06. If Only For Now07. ...08. Ways to Get High09. Lux10. Vendetta11. Dead In The Water12. Seattle Rain13. Til Kingdom Come

Kakaty also revealed that "Up" came from "a personal reawakening." He explained: "Our last album, 'Onyx', was written from such a dark place because of the struggles to get to the next level in our career. We really were in the trenches making that album. It was so important when writing this new album to put the darkness behind us and start focusing on a positive mind-set. One step at a time, and we look forward to the future through hard work and persistence. We're coming!"

Motograter have released a new music video, featuring the track, "Portrait Of Decay". The song is just one of the many to be featured on the bands' upcoming full-length album, which has yet to be titled. The video features live concert footage from their recent US headlining tours and the Civil Unrest Tour with Ill Nini, Straightline Stitch, and more. The instruments for the new track were produced by Andrew Nagorski in Kansas City, while the vocals were produced by Sid Menon at Sleepwalker Sound in North Carolina.

Vocalist James Anthony Legion, states: "It's awesome to be a part of the first new material to be released by Motograter in such a long time! I think new and old fans alike are going to really dig it!"

Motograter was formed in 1995 and is most well known for their namesake instrument the “Motograter”, a mysterious contraption designed with industrial cable, guitar pieces, and other components, to create a unique, low, distorted bass sound. The band is widely known for their image, notorious for covering themselves in tribal style body paint. The early stages of the group’s career consisted of heavy experimentation with industrial sounds, samples, and tribal drums. The band released two EPs Hugh Chardon and Indy and in 2001 was signed to Sever Records, founded by Dez Fafara of Coal Chamber. The band’s sound continued to evolve, eventually incorporating a dark, groove-oriented guitar styling that would help broaden the band’s appeal and reach a wider audience. 

The band is in the process of writing new material for a full-length album featuring James Anthony Legion on vocals. Motograter recently performed Knotfest 2014, alongside Slipknot, Five Finger Death Punch, Danzig, Anthrax, and more; followed by a 2 month, US headliner in April/May of 2015. Motograter recently embarked on the Civil Unrest Tour 2015, with Ill Nino, Straight Line Stitch, and more.

Florida-based metal outfit, Black Tide, will release their third full length album, Chasing Shadows, on October 16th through Pavement Entertainment.

The follow-up to the bands Post Mortem album, Chasing Shadows contains 11 new tracks is currently available as a special pre-order bundle pack that includes an autographed CD, limited edition album cover shirt, and a VIP meet and greet laminate for the show of the purchaser's choosing for the upcoming touring cycle. The bundle will be available for a limited time and can be ordered here.
 
The first single "Angel In The Dark" with be unleashed in September along with a heavy touring cycle to be announced. The album cover and tracklisting can be found below.

Tracklisting:

“Intro”
“Guidelines”
“Angel In The Dark”
“Predator (Animal)”
“Burn”
“Chasing Shadows”
“Before We Form”
“Sex Is Angry”
“Welcome To Misery”
“Heaven”
“Promised Land”

Brooklyn metallic hardcore outfit White Widows Pact will see their debut full-length, True Will, released on October 16th via New Damage Records in North America. The album will be available to pre-order on August 21st. Fans who pre-order the album digitally will receive the first single “The Watch” as an instant grat track. “The Watch” is streaming below.
 
Recorded and mixed at The Wild Arctic in Portsmouth, New Hampshire with Dean Baltulonis (Sick of It All, Modern Life Is War) and mastered by Brad Boatright (Nails, High on Fire), True Will, is the follow up record to the bands 2013 self-titled debut EP.
 
On their debut full-length, White Widows Pact does its hometown proud. New York hardcore, '90s death metal, and Southern sludge unite in a storm of grooving power that nods to Madball, Obituary, and Crowbar. A wall of strings, a machine of a drummer, and frontman David Castillo in maniac-mode – White Widows Pact owns a sound that recalls the glory days of Earache and Roadrunner, as well as the glory days of New York City, boosted by present-day hardcore energy and lyrics which plumb the existential depths of urban life.
 
Guest appearances on True Will include, Liam Cormier of Cancer Bats, Sara Taylor of Youth Code, Aaron Heinold of Hivesmasher, and Leech of Theologian. The album's artwork is a collaboration between tattoo artist Dan Bones and photographer Meg Wachter.

True Will tracklisting:

“Landlord”
“Thirteen Years Of War”
“Hangman”
“This Thing Of Ours”
“Interlude”
“No Exit”
“Blood And Smoke”
“Undertaker”
“Cruel And Unusual”
“The Watch”
 
“The Watch”:

White Widows Pact is comprised of Castillo (Primitive Weapons), drummer Kenny Appell (Goes Cube, Cleanteeth), bassist Brian Ponto, and guitarists Nick Emde (The Destro) and Travis Bacon (Grudges). Having toured with the likes of Earth Crisis, Shai Hulud, Black Breath, and Full of Hell, White Widows Pact will embark this month on a short East Coast US run.

(Photo: Gianna Leo Falcon)

Psychedelic doom purveyors, Dark Buddha Rising, will be releasing their fifth studio album, Inversum, this fall. Their first release on Neurot Recordings, Inversum will be unveiled on September 25th. An edit of the track “E S O” can be heard below:

The album follows Dark Buddha Rising's 2014 European tour with Mr. Peter Hayden, with the Finnish black psychedelic doom six-piece deservedly garnering further recognition as masters of the art of the hypnotic and dark sonics, which they've been honing for the past eight years since their inception.

Inversum swallows the listener into an introspective realm of dark psychedelia, menacing mysticism and weighty, trudging riffs and includes the stunning artwork, borne out of a collaboration between V. A. and Karmazid.

Elaborates the the band: "Inversum is the opening of the Third Cycle Of Dark Buddha Rising. It acts as an initiation for the new members V. Vatanen (guitar, vocals), J. Saarivuori (keyboards) and M. Neuman (vocals). Also, it is the first release through Neurot Recordings. Most of all, Inversum is the first album that is recorded, produced and mixed by ourselves in the depths of the Wastement, the asylum of eternal feedback. The process that led to the manifestation of the Inversum, was heavily guided by both intuition and determination, in order to take the music even further down the path we have chosen. Inversum is a monument built upon the foundation of our work and sculpted with the initial principles of Dark Buddha Rising, to celebrate the Black Arts of Psychedelia.”

CD cover

 

Inversum tracklisting:

“E S O”
“E X O”

LP cover

 

 

One Machine, the brainchild of acclaimed guitarist/songwriter Steve Smyth (Testament, Nevermore, Forbidden, Dragonlord, Vicious Rumors), recently announced The Final Cull as the title of their second album, due out on September 18th worldwide via Scarlet Records.

Today, the band has released the new album art, illustrated by Gustavo Sazes (Gus G. Morbid Angel, Arch Enemy).

“We are very happy to present our new album cover for The Final Cull, designed by the very talented Gustavo Sazes,” states Steve Smyth. “The cover concept behind The Final Cull is a bit of fantasy, a bit of reality crossed in between, as we present the idea of humanity being wiped out by the advancement of technology, at the hands of a small set of powerful human beings bent on power and control over all, even at the cost of the general population. The only useful and lasting valuable assets of humanity is the human soul, this last piece behind taken daily via technology, mind control, and psychological warfare. The scene of the cover is set in the near future, where human beings are rounded up and placed into tubes, which take the soul, to be placed in the “new” human beings, complete A.I. human replicas, and here is where the album begins… we hope you will join us down the dark path that is The Final Cull!”

Tracklistings for the two editions are as follows:

Digital Release:

“Forewarning”
“The Final Cull”
“Summoning Of The Soul”
“Screaming For Light”
“The Grand Design”
“New Motive Power”
“Ashes In The Sky”
“Born From This Hate”
“Welcome To The World”

CD Digipak and Limited Edition Vinyl:

“Forewarning”
“The Final Cull”
“Summoning Of The Soul”
“Screaming For Light”
“The Grand Design”
“New Motive Power”
“Ashes In The Sky”
“Born From This Hate”
“Welcome To The World”
“Computer God” (Black Sabbath)

One Machine recently launched a crowdfunding campaign to help offset the costs incurred during the recording. The campaign also serves as the official album pre-order, which will be available in Digital Download, CD, Digipak, and special edition vinyl formats. In addition, the campaign itself offers many great donation perks. For more information, please visit this location.

The Final Cull was tracked at Death Island Studios, with Marco Angioni and Tue Madsen helming. Recording lasted for nine days solid, as the band put in 15-18 hour days on this record.

One Machine is:

Steve Smyth (guitar)
Jamie Hunt (guitar)
Chris Hawkins (vocals)
Stefano Selvatico (bass)

 

German power metal institution, Evertale, officially announce Tyronne Silva (ex-Mystic Prophecy) as their new drummer.

The band states: "Today we have sensational news for you: our search for a new drummer is over, we finally found someone. We are proud to welcome Mr. Tyronne Silva (ex-Mystic Prophecy amongst others) to our ranks. We are delighted to have found such a talented and experienced drummer and can hardly expect to work with him live and in the studio. We believe that Tyronne can help Evertale to reach the next level in our career.Tyronne is endorsed by Pearl, Zildjian and Beyerdynamic.
 
At this point we would like to thank all the other applicants. We had the honour to get to know some incredibly good musicians. But in the end there can be only one ..."

Greek melodic metallers InnerWish entered the studio on August 5th and began recording their fifth studio album, for an early 2016 release through Ulterium Records. Drums are being tracked at Devasoundz Studios in Athens, Greece, with Fotis Benardo (ex-Septic Flesh drummer and current SixForNine vocalist) handling the recordings.

The as-yet-untitled new album is the first with the two newest members of the band, George Eikosipentakis on vocals and Fragiskos Samoilis on drums.

Regarding the musical direction of the new material, the band stated: “This time things worked a bit differently, still maintaining the basic core. New members, fresh ideas were blended to our music characteristics and we believe this is the more diverse album we have ever created. Yet powerful, melodic, heavy, lyrical and full of energy. All the InnerWish elements are still here, but expanded in a way that came naturally through this long and difficult period, during which we were composing and trying to guarantee the best possible result. In the end though, we are proud with these new songs, the sound of InnerWish of today and feel confident that you will love them too! Let’s roll the dice again”.

Song titles set to appear on the album include “Broken”, “Zero Ground”, “Through My Eyes”, “Serenity”, “Roll The Dice” and “The Sins Of The Past”.

InnerWish’s latest album, No Turning Back, was released in May 2010 via Ulterium Records.

Kaotoxin Records has teamed with Germany's Uterus Productions for the vinyl reissue of Putrid Offal's most recent release, Mature Necropsy.

This full-length - the band's first since forming in 1991 - features guest appearances by Loudblast frontman Stéphane Buriez and Noise Emission Control's Fredd Blauwblomme. The vinyl edition of Mature Necropsy will be offered as a collector-edition red LP (100 copies only) or limited-edition black LP (400 copies only). The vinyl edition will also include the two bonus cover tracks - SOD's "Freddy Krueger" and Nerve's "Sane Men" - that were featured on the CD edition.

Set for worldwide release on November 13th, Mature Necropsy has been specifically remastered for analog physical supports by El Mobo at the Conkrete Studio (We All Die (Laughing), Otargos). Mature Necropsy was first released on digital and CD formats in February 2015, with the first pressing of CDs selling out within weeks. Pre-order information for the vinyl edition will be announced soon.

In other Putrid Offal news, the band just unleashed a live music video for the song "Purulent Cold”. Footage for the video was shot at the band's May 23, 2015 comeback gig, their first performance in nearly 20 years! The video can be seen below:

Putrid Offal is currently working on new material for the follow-up to Mature Necropsy, which has been targeted for a 2016 release via The Crypt.

York, UK-based heavy rock 'n' roll quintet, The Bastard Sons, release their debut album, Smoke, today via Kaiju Records. The album is available to buy now on iTunes and Bandcamp and can be streamed in full below.

Leaving their party-anthems (for the most part) behind them, front man JJ Jackson comments on the new material; “I always said with previous releases that I would never open up too much and write lyrics that meant too much to me personally, but with ‘Smoke’ things have changed. I just had to get out my inner frustrations with all the inaccurate crap we are fed through the media; it’s leading us towards negativity instead of pushing humanity forward to a more balanced, harmonious breed.”

Smoke by The Bastard Sons
 
The Bastard Sons are:

JJ – Vocals
Ollie – Guitar
Alex – Guitar
Nath – Bass
Rich – Drums

German Viking metallers Varg recently signed a worldwide deal with Napalm Records. The band's upcoming album, Das Ende Aller Lügen, will be released in 2016. More details coming next week. The band’s upcoming EP, entitled Rotkäppchen, is set to be released on October 9th via Napalm Records
    
Get ready for this brand new EP, which should not be overlooked as only a segue to the upcoming full length album Das Ende aller Lügen. Rotkäppchen is a gem on its own. It is a magical interlude, which has some treasures hidden between his precious DIN A5-pages: between the classic version from 2011 and an instrumental karaoke-version you’ll find a version both in English (feat Christopher Bows of Alestorm) and Norwegian (featuring Trollfest), as well as a recent re-recording that, like on the original, features Anna Murphy of Eluveitie.

The EP includes special bonus gems, as well as two brand new songs; “Ein Tag Wie Heute” (featuring Dom R. Crey of Equilibrium) and “Abendrot”, which won’t be found on Das Ende aller Lügen.

EP tracklisting:

“Rotkäppchen 2015”
“Ein Tag wie Heute”
“Abendrot”
“Red Riding Hood”
“Rødhette”
“Rotkäppchen 2011”
“Rotkäppchen 2015 Karaoke”

Varg on tour:

August
29 - Crispendorf, Germany - Wolfszeit Festival

October
2 - Geiselwind, Germany - Monster Festival
16 - Stuttgart, Germany - LKA Longhorn
17 - München, Germany - Backstage *Extended Show
18.10.2015 CH - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7 *Extended Show
19 - Berlin, Germany - Postbahnhof
20 - Frankfurt, Germany - Batschkapp
21 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Garage
22 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
23 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle *Extended Show
24 - Leipzig, Germany - Hellraiser *Extended Show
25 - Wien, Austria - Gasometer *Extended Show

From the inexhaustible Swedish death metal school comes Corrosive Carcass, a combo formed back in 2004 who already recorded a few demos and a debut album in 2012 entitled Composition of Flesh. Now the band has inked a deal with Xtreem Music. who will release their upcoming album.

Forsaken Lands is the title of this work, which is already recorded and contains 10 songs of the most pure, genuine and unadulterated Swedish death metal we all know from late 80's and early 90's. All those who enjoy with the thick guitar sound and godly compositions of bands like God Macabre, Carnage, Morpheus, Nihilist, Utumno, will find on Corrosive Carcass' sophomore album, an excellent slab of brutality mixed with killer melodies, helped by a killer production and much more mature compositions than on their debut.

Cover artwork is being done by already cult artist Juanjo Castellano that will for sure create another epic masterpiece.

There's no release date for Forsaken Lands yet, but it'll happen sometime around November/ December. More details will be revealed soon, but you can listen to a teaser containing excerpts from a few album tracks:

Freaky, funky, psychedelic metal experimenters, The Oxford Coma, have issued a new single, “Ritaling”, from their impending second LP, Paris Is Mine as the album nears its release next week and can be streamed below.

Initially dubbed The Pulls, a recent change of direction has forged a new cover layout and title for the album, which is now called, Paris Is Mine. Through several lineup alterations and sporadic expansions, the usual three-piece bass, guitar and drums lineup of The Oxford Coma at times radically expands for live shows to include a second drummer, and for the first time on record, this time the tactic was applied in the studio setting. Utilizing both a former and current percussionist, and continuing their self-described recording "de-evolution" - continuing to opt for rawer, live, DIY productions with each release - through several sessions, ended up with their most corrosive and unreserved material to date. Bent on combining the weirdness and freshness of improvisation with the intensity and honesty of good metal and the lasting impact of innovative rock, the new album was produced with minimal production, the vocals all in one take in order to preserve a natural feel. Recorded, engineered, mixed, mastered by Jalipaz at Audioconfusion in Mesa, Arizona, Paris Is Mine delivers forty minutes of exploratory thunder as perplexing as it is enthralling, even closing out with an improvised jam and a drop-tuned cover of Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks."

Paris Is Mine will be independently released digitally on August 11th, with a limited physical format to follow. Stand by for additional info from the record, audio samples, an official video, tour dates and more to be released throughout the weeks ahead.

Paris Is Mine tracklisting:

“Canadian Questionmark”
“Ritaling”
“Daisies”
“The Pulls”
“Ados Watts Jam”
“When The Levee Breaks” (Led Zeppelin cover)

"Ritaling":

“Canadian Questionmark”:

From the scorching Southwestern US underground music scene comes the indefinable works of The Oxford Coma, an outfit which rides the fine line between rock and metal, experimental and straightforward, and even being a trio or quartet, and which has steadily pumped out a hearty discography of independent releases since their 2011 inception. Powered and endorsed by Orange amps, and drawing from a wide array of influences from across the spectrum of forward-thinking rock artists, bridging the early days and modern times, comparisons to the improvisational prog rock circles of the 1960s and '70s to premier extreme acts of the 1990s through today, the collective recorded output of this morphing act has drawn similarities to everything from early Tool to Primus, Radiohead to The Dillinger Escape Plan, Nirvana to Neurosis, King Crimson to Kyuss, and so on.

Tim Virgin of Chicago's WLUP-FM 97.9 (Loop 97.9) radio station conducted an interview with METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett prior to the band's August 1 performance at the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago, Illinois. You can now watch the chat in three parts below.

Asked how METALLICA gets into the mindset of playing one-off live shows like Lollapalooza after being away from the stage for several weeks, Hammett said: "Let me put it into some perspective. Okay, the last [U.S.] show we played before this was in Las Vegas [at Rock In Rio], in…. whenever it was… April or June… something like that. And it seems like we might not be doing anything in between that show and this show, but what we are doing is we are in the studio, we're recording, we're working on music. And when we're in the process of making an album, we're in for, like, weeks at a time doing exactly that. And so, when it gets closer to the actual gig time, that's when we start rehearsing the tunes that we're gonna be playing. And so, for us, it's just another date on the calendar, and we are active throughout that whole period. The only thing is that we have to shift the thinking from being in the studio and being creative in those terms to playing a live performance and getting the setlist together."

Asked if METALLICA ever thinks about which direction to take on a new studio album and whether they should change or stay the same, Hammett responded: "Constantly. A lot of times, we don't know where it's going, and we just kind of have to just keep it on the road and see where it takes us. And, at this point, we're still on that road and we're wondering where it's gonna take us."

It's been nearly seven years since METALLICA last released an album, and while the band is now writing material for its next studio effort, Hammett admitted to something that may have slowed down the process a bit. Hammett said on "The Jasta Show" podcast, "I put riffs on my iPhone, but something very unfortunate happened to me about six months ago. I lost my iPhone [containing] 250 musical ideas. And I was crushed. It didn't get backed up. And when it happened, I was bummed out for about two or three days."

Hammett added, "I lost [the phone]. I just plain lost it. I can't find it. I'm still looking for it to this day. I just set it somewhere and... It still might turn up. I'm hoping it will. To try to remember those riffs? I can only remember, like, eight of 'em. So I just chalked it down to maybe it just wasn't meant to be and I'll just move forward with it."

Asked what the new songs sound like, Hammett replied, "Let's just say that the stuff that's coming up is super riffy, super heavy… It's a lot similar to [2008's] 'Death Magnetic' but different in certain parts."

Hammett added, "There's a couple of songs that remind me of something on [1988's] '…And Justice For All', but the album doesn't sound like '…And Justice For All'."

METALLICA's new album is not expected to surface before 2016 at the earliest.

Norwegian blackjazz band Shining have disclosed that International Blackjazz Society will be the title of their upcoming full-length album, due out on October 16th. International Blackjazz Society is the band’s first release through Spinefarm Records, with whom they have signed a worldwide deal.

Just as Venom created Black Metal in the early ’80s, so Shining can proudly put their name to Blackjazz – also the title of their 2010 album, a Top 10 record in Norway. Following Blackjazz came the excellent One One One (2013), and now it’s time for studio album number seven; as with Blackjazz and One One One, International Blackjazz Society has been mixed by Sean Beavan (Depeche Mode, A Perfect Circle, Slayer, etc.), and mastered in Los Angeles by Tom Baker (Nine Inch Nails, Deftones, Beastie Boys, etc.).

A live video clip for “The Last Stand” can be seen below. “The Last Stand” is available for instant download upon digital pre-order of International Blackjazz Society. Album pre-orders – including official merch bundles offering CD, vinyl, T-shirt & patch options – are now live at this location.

In addition to this, Shining have announced a headline European tour, taking in 15 countries, set to take place in October/November this year. The band’s live itinerary can be found at this location.

 

New Jersey’s progressive metal masters, Symphony X, just released their new masterpiece, Underworld, via Nuclear Blast. This ninth studio album reached great chart results worldwide:
 
Switzerland: #10
Finland: #12
Netherlands: #20
Germany: #23
Sweden: #31 (Hard Rock #2)
US : #36 (current chart, Top Hard Rock #6, Billboard 200, #89)
France: #39
Japan: #46 (International #7)
Austria: #59
Belgium: #71
UK: #80 (Rock #7)
Canada: #103 (Hard Charts #14)
 
“The band are excited to see that people are enjoying the record and can’t wait to get on the road this fall”, commented bandleader Michael Romeo.
 
A new lyric video for the track “Kiss Of Fire” can be found below.

Underworld tracklisting:

“Overture”
“Nevermore”
“Underworld”
“Without You”
“Kiss Of Fire”
“Charon”
“Hell And Back”
“In My Darkest Hour”
“Run With The Devil”
“Swansong”
“Legend”

“Kiss Of Fire” lyric video:

“Nevermore” lyric video:

Check out BraveWords scribe Carl Begai's new Symphony X feature story here.

 

Polish prog masters Riverside continue promo activities for their upcoming studio album with another new video trailer (see below). Entitled Love, Fear And The Time Machine, the band's sixth studio album will be released via InsideOut Music on September 4th. It features cover artwork by longtime design-partner Travis Smith / Seempieces (Katatonia, Opeth) and contains the following tracklisting.

Love, Fear And The Time Machine tracklisting:

“Lost (Why Should I Be Frightened By A Hat?)”
“Under The Pillow”
“#Addicted”
“Caterpillar And The Barbed Wire”
“Saturate Me”
“Afloat”
“Discard Your Fear”
“Towards The Blue Horizon”
“Time Travellers”
“Found (The Unexpected Flaw Of Searching)”

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2:

“Discard Your Fear” lyric video:

Riverside’s Mariusz Duda checked in about "Discard Your Fear" as follows: "On the new album I wanted to combine the 70's and the 80's. The 80's were a decade of musical growing up for me. I remember being enchanted by music deep with bass, chorus and all kinds of reverb. 'Discard Your Fear' is a good example of this flow. The lyrics are about the most popular kind of fear that touches most of us - the fear of the unknown."

Duda previously checked in with the following comment about Love, Fear And The Time Machine: "On the new album I wanted to combine the 70s and the 80s. The 80s were a decade of musical growing up for me. On the new album we don't sound as retro and 70s as before, we moved forward, we sort of demolished the previous foundations and build new ones. Despite the huge dose of melancholy and nostalgia, there is a new space, the songs are arranged with more flow and at the same time they have never been so concise and to the point before. The lyrics on Love, Fear And The Time Machine talk about a transformation. About making an important, perhaps life changing, decision everyone has to make at some point in their lives. What happens to us when we have to make it? On the one hand we're excited by the change, we feel free, liberated, and on the other we fear the unknown, we are afraid of what might happen to us. We go back in time and we go forward in time in our heads. And all that happens when we have to decide something important. The first of the songs on the album is called 'Lost', the last one, 'Found'. If we sometimes get lost in life, it is to go through something and be found again on the other side, to be reborn as someone better and more valuable. I would like this album to be one of those that one day simply becomes your best friend."

Riverside are currently playing a string of European dates and next up they will be performing at Germany's Night Of The Prog festival in St. Goarshausen on July 18th.

Riverside tour dates with special guests The Sixxis:
 
September
12 - Atlanta, GA - ProgPower USA Center stage
13 - Richmond, VA - The Canal Club
15 - Philadelphia, PA - Bull Shooters Saloon
16 - New Brunswick, NJ - NJ Proghouse at The Crossroads Theatre
17 - Pittsburgh, PA - Hard Rock Cafe
19 - Montreal, QC - Theatre La Tulipe
20 - Quebec City, QC - L'Imperial
22 - Toronto, ON - Mod Club
23 - Detroit, MI - Token Lounge
24 - Chicago, IL - Reggies
25 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Ballroom
27 - Whittier, CA - The Center Theater

 

"Dielectric", the new video from Los Angeles cyber metallers FEAR FACTORY, can be seen below. The clip was filmed with director Ramon Boutviseth, who has previously worked with TRIVIUM, NONPOINT, DARKEST HOUR, INCUBUS and ALL THAT REMAINS, among others.

"Dielectric"is taken from FEAR FACTORY's new album "Genexus", which is being released on August 7 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The follow-up to 2012's "The Industrialist" was co-produced by longtime collaborator Rhys Fulber, along with guitarist Dino Cazares and vocalist Burton C. Bell and mixed by Andy Sneap (ARCH ENEMY, TESTAMENT, EXODUS, MACHINE HEAD). Artwork was once again handled by Anthony Clarkson. Drums on "Genexus" were performed by Mike Heller (MALIGNANCY).

"Genexus" can be streamed in its entirety using the YouTube playlist below.

"The word 'genexus' is a hybrid of two words: 'genesis' and 'nexus,'" explained Burton C. Bell. "This word describes the next transition in human evolution as man moves forward to a 'mechanical' state of being. Ray Kurzweil predicts that the singularity will occur around 2045. 'Genexus' is the term for that next evolutionary process. Where humans are machines, machines are human, and the differences are oblivious to the naked eye."

He continued: "This album is a record of thought patterns, psychology and struggles of the Genexus generation. The cognitive machine has arrived, and it wants autonomy from the industry that created it. This machine struggles, like every other human has throughout the course of history. This is the story of every one of us."

"Genexus" track listing:

01. Autonomous Combat System02. Anodized03. Dielectric04. Soul Hacker05. Protomech06. Genexus07. Church Of Execution08. Regenerate09. Battle For Utopia10. Expiration Date

Limited digipak bonus tracks:

11. Mandatory Sacrifice (Genexus Remix)12. Enhanced Reality

Cazares previously stated about he making of "Genexus": "We really feel this is a very special FEAR FACTORY album. While being careful not to replicate ourselves, this album still has a very classic FEAR FACTORY vibe that we feel will appease both old and new fans. The aggressive, melodic and industrial elements are all intact and shine more than ever.'

Speaking about what FEAR FACTORY was trying to accomplish with its forthcoming album, the band's first since signing with Nuclear Blast, Cazares said: "It's still just to be who we are. We are 'cyber metal,' whatever you wanna call it, but it's still a lot of the killer riffs, killer double bass, Burt's beautiful, melodic vocals. Conceptually, it's always still futuristic, man-versus-machine type of thing, but, you know, we thought we're gonna keep it real, keep it what we are and who we are."

FEAR FACTORY recently parted ways with bassist Matt DeVries (previously of CHIMAIRA, where he played guitar, and SIX FEET UNDER and replaced him with Tony Campos (ex-SOULFLY, STATIC-X, PRONG, MINISTRY).

FEAR FACTORY is currently on the road with COAL CHAMBER.

Anglo-Swedish modern metallers SONIC SYNDICATE have parted ways with longtime bassist Karin Axelsson and have replaced her with Michel "Miche" Bärzén (DEGRADEAD).

Commented Axelsson: "As most of you know by now, I haven't been touring with my boys in SONIC for a while.

"SONIC SYNDICATE has been my family and my life for many years and I've met so many great people and experienced things I never thought I would. I've had the time of my life — so many of my dreams have come true in so many ways — but sometimes you have to make hard choices in life, and it's time for me to move on, because I am in a place where I need to focus on my family and private life.

"I hope you understand my decision.

"I would like to thank all you guys who came out to our shows for your endless love and support. It has meant so much to me and the guys that we could never express in words how we feel.

"Before I officially go and start my new life, I'd like to ask you one more thing. Please take care of the boys, my brothers, because I love them with all of my heart, and although we'll keep contact and see each other from time to time, I will truly miss them and the music we've made together.

"So, with everything above said and done, I would like to officially introduce Miche to the SONIC SYNDICATE family. What I ask from you guys is to please open your hearts for this great guy who's an awesome bass player and give him a warm welcome."

Coinciding with the introduction of SONIC SYNDICATE's new bass player is the premiere of the official music video for the song "Diabolical Work Of Art", taken from the band's latest album, "Sonic Syndicate".

Commented SONIC SYNDICATE singer Nathan J. Biggs: "People pretend to be something they're not. That's what makes the world go 'round. I'm willing to bet every single person that reads this has had a person come into their lives who was either drop-dead beautiful, someone they looked up to, or someone that promised the world. Only to be revealed as an ugly deceiving c**t. The lyrics tackle this head-on. I know who I'm talking about, but, to you, it could be a relationship, a job, a best friend or whatever. The point being, I would rather people just wore their real skin rather than hiding behind a mask. However, with the video we wanted to show this in an abstract way. I've seen too many videos with cheesy effects and violence. We wanted to show pristine, sheer beauty. How immaculate on the outside doesn't mean pure on the inside. How how society and people, however well hidden, have a darkness inside that sooner or later finds its way out."

SONIC SYNDICATE's self-titled fifth album, was released on July 4, 2014 via Nuclear Blast.

"Sonic Syndicate" includes a total of 11 tracks, while the limited edition digipak features no less than three bonus tracks.

Commented SONIC SYNDICATE guitarist, main songwriter and founding member Robin Sjunnesson: "We decided to go with this one as a 'self-titled' release. Mainly because as an album, we have put everything we've got into it. All of our experience as musicians, the evolution of the music, the sound from all eras of the band, and also the road we have taken as people. This is us, this is SONIC SYNDICATE in all its beauty and destruction. It shows our strength, our love for melody, our scars, our energy. The cover art is a definite representation of that. In the background, a battle-torn city laid to waste, four figures emerging together with only each other to depend on in an environment so harsh, only those with a tough heart, body and soul can survive."

The official lyric video for the song "What Are You Waiting For" from Grammy Award-nominated, multiplatinum hard rock titans DISTURBED can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's sixth studio album, "Immortalized", which will be released August 21 through Reprise Records. Lead single "The Vengeful One" is out now, along with the accompanying animated video from award-winning filmmaker Phil Mucci, and "Immortalized" is available for pre-order everywhere. The upcoming release follows 2010's gold-certified "Asylum", DISTURBED's fourth consecutive #1 on the Billboard Top 200, and the group's subsequent break, which gave members David Draiman (vocals), Dan Donegan (guitar), Mike Wengren (drums) and John Moyer (bass) the necessary reprieve to make this imminent and deliberate return.

"The idea was to leave when we were at our peak, which we were, and to come back when we felt reinvigorated," said Draiman. "Everything was strategic. We wanted to give ourselves a chance to breathe, give the fans a chance to breathe, and give the culture a chance to evolve. Now is the time. The environment feels ready. The musical landscape feels ready. We're ready."

"We had basically been going nonstop since 1998," added Wengren. "We got to do our things. It didn't take too long until the itch started coming back."

"We wanted to return when we collectively had that fire underneath us," agreed Donegan. "We missed it so much that we could tap into this energy and deliver the right album. We did it on our own terms."

"The Vengeful One" has racked up more than four and a half million views in six weeks, and Donegan told The Pulse Of Radio they kept the creation of the new album a secret for the better part of a year. "It's been tough, because we haven't even told like some of our family and friends, so, I mean, for us to go away for almost four months, it was tricky," he said. "I mean, there was some family that I didn't even tell what I was doing. It was tricky to kind of keep that secret, 'cause I'm very bad at lying. I'm not a good liar at all, so to kind of withhold that information from our friends and family, it was tough."

Regarding the songwriting process for "Immortalized", Draiman told Billboard.com: "There's a lot of new and fresh in the mix. We had more input on each other's parts than we probably ever had previously. Everything was really put under the microscope and everybody had an opinion, and, believe me, everyone was voicing them loudly. You get all these very, very alpha type of mentalities all in one room together, all being very, very cocksure about what they want to do and how they want to do it. There were fireworks on an occasion or two, but I must say everyone was very, very decent and open and willing to try anything anyone suggested at any point in time. We were very, very cooperative with one another, very professional the entire time — not that we haven't always been, but especially this time."

DISTURBED will play its first show in four years on August 21 at the House of Blues in the band's hometown of Chicago.

SHINEDOWN's fifth album, "Threat To Survival", will be released on September 18. The new record follows up 2012's "Amaryllis", which contained the No. 1 singles "Bully" and "Unity", as well as Top 5 tracks "Enemies", "I'll Follow You" and "Adrenaline".

Says SHINEDOWN in a statement: "We can't thank you enough for your patience. We have poured our entire being into these songs and into this album. We are beyond proud and can't wait for you to hear it… We believe it is worth the wait!"

"Threat To Survival" pre-orders can be placed now via iTunes, Apple Music and Amazon.

The album cover can be seen below.

"Threat To Survival" track listing:

01. Asking For It02. Cut The Cord03. State Of My Head04. Outcast05. How Did You Love?06. It All Adds Up07. Oblivion08. Dangerous09. Thick As Thieves10. Black Cadillac11. Misfits

Fan-filmed video footage of SHINEDOWN performing two new songs, "Asking For It" and "Cut The Cord", during the band's July 11 concert in The Woodlands, Texas, can be seen below.

"Cut The Cord" serves as the first single from SHINEDOWN's upcoming album. SHINEDOWN singer Brent Smith told The Pulse Of Radio what we can expect from the record. "A lot of bands and a lot of artists take the initiative to say — if they're lucky enough to get to a fifth album — 'Yeah, it's such a different record' and all these things," he said. "And you listen to it and you go, 'That's cool, it sounds exactly the same as your last records.' That's really not the case with this. It's a devastating record. It's a heartbreaking record. It's a beautiful record, but it's ferocious."

Smith said in a statement about "Cut The Cord": "In your truest moment of weakness… When everyone and everything has betrayed you, and evil and hatred has wrapped itself around your mind, body and soul… this is the song that you play. This is the statement to the world that you will not give up, you will not give in, and you refuse to fail!!! Now is your time… to 'cut the cord.'"

Guitarist Alex Lifeson of Canadian rock legends RUSH was interviewed for the latest episode of VH1 Classic "That Metal Show" co-host Eddie Trunk's podcast, "Eddie Trunk Podcast". You can now listen to it at this location. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On how his battle with arthritis has affected his playing:

"You know, you have to careful what you say these days. I've had arthritis for about twelve years that I've been dealing with — psoriatic arthritis. For me, it's primarily in my feel and a little bit in my hands. And I am a little stiffer at the end of a show, and I feel it the next day, but it's nothing, really, that gets in the way of my playing. It doesn't really hold me back. I'm just more aware of it. But I can't say that it's the reason I make mistakes. [Laughs]

"I keep hearing it now, and I almost regret ever mentioning it in the past. 'Cause everyone thinks, 'Oh, his hands are… He's got arthritis, and that's it. He can't play.' I feel it, just like we all do as we get older — aches and all of that stuff — but it doesn't impede my playing. It makes it a little more difficult, a little more challenging to do the fast stuff, and there's a little bit of feedback that I get from it the next day, but it's nothing that really stands in the way."

On what he is doing to deal with his psoriatic arthritis:

"I've been on a biologic medication, Humira. You've probably seen the ads for Humira. And I've been on it for, I think, about four years now. So it was good. I went through a lot of different medications that were very difficult on my system and they had a lot of side effects. So I switched to Humira and now I'm doing an ad for them. And it's really worked well for me."

On whether RUSH's current tour is the band's last-ever full-scale run:

"Well, I love what we're doing. I think we're playing really well. The show's working great… all of that stuff. Clearly, Neil [Peart, drums] has not enjoyed touring… the touring aspect for a long time. And he has a young family, and he has all his own reasons. It's become difficult for him to play, and he has health issues as well. I think he mentioned in the Rolling Stone article that playing, for him, is like running a marathon while doing mathematical equations. So it's very challenging, it's very athletic, and at almost 63 years old, it's a lot more difficult. It's a three-hour show. We can't get away from it. We were supposed to cut back on this tour. We can't. Maybe in the future, there's an opportunity to change things up a little bit, the way we do it. I think, in my gut, that this is probably the last major tour that we'll do. I like to think that we'll do specialty gigs — maybe a week in New York, or something like that — but we haven't even discussed that. We just wanna get through this tour and see where we're at. We wanna discuss whether we're gonna make another record anytime soon… a lot of things.

"Whatever this tour is, it's not the end of the band. It's just… kind of, reviewing where we're at in terms of major tours. And that's kind of what it is.

"We're not waving goodbye. We're waving 'see you later.'

"Whatever it is… if it is the end of touring, I feel good that we're at least playing as well as we are, that we've developed a show that's really, you know, quite something in terms of our historical story. And it's nice to go out on a note like that, if you are — at the top of your game, or close to the top of your game.

"I would hate to think that we would be one of those bands that would do a couple of weeks in [Las] Vegas — for what reason, I don't know… Ten shows at Madison Square Garden, well, that's a little different. And you bring people in from all over the country. I'm not saying that's something we will do, but that is an option, or it is something that you could put together instead of doing a major tour, and bring people to the venue. Vegas is not the kind of environment, I think, for us. We certainly wouldn't be happy doing something like that."

On whether Peart's problem with touring has more to do with his dislike of travelling and being away from home than health issues:

"Well, yeah, it's that, and he has other interests. And I think he's happy being at home and doing the stuff that he does."

On whether RUSH has written any material for a new studio album:

"[We don't do any writing] while we're on the road. I've got a ton of stuff that I've been writing over the last couple of years… well, more than that. And I know if Geddy [Lee, RUSH bassist/vocalist] and I sit down together, we'll start that engine up fairly quickly. And we've talked a little bit about doing that. And I wouldn't doubt that, in the fall, we would get together and maybe start jamming or just playing together. He's really in an interesting space right now. He loves being on the road, he loves working. He's very healthy, feels great. And he's had a bit of a renaissance, I think, with the whole idea of playing in the band and everything that it means. So he's raring to go. It's a little bit of a, you know, tug both ways."

RUSH kicked off its "R40 Live" 40th-anniversary tour on May 8 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The concert featured no opening act and contained a number of video vignettes created for the tour, including an animated sequence shown at the start of the show that displayed the progression of the trio throughout the years.

The "R40 Live" tour wrapped on August 1 in Los Angeles, California at the Forum.

"Majesty", a brand new song from Swedish occult rockers GHOST, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's third album, "Meliora", which will be released on August 21 via Loma Vista Recordings. The follow-up to 2013's "Infestissumam" was helmed by Klas Åhlund, a prolific songwriter, producer and guitarist who is also a member of the Swedish rock band TEDDYBEARS, and was mixed by Andy Wallace (SLAYER, NIRVANA, SEPULTURA, LINKIN PARK, GUNS N' ROSES).

Regarding "Majesty", one of the nameless ghouls from GHOST said: "Lyrically, it's on one hand a hymn about the dark lord of the underworld. On the other hand, it paints a picture of a swarm of people, whom in a world of complete disaster, idolizes an authority that is clearly looking down upon thee. How to love something that hates you back."

"Meliora" track listing:

01. Spirit02. From The Pinnacle To The Pit03. Cirice04. Spöksonat05. He Is06. Mummy Dust07. Majesty08. Devil Church09. Absolution10. Deus In Absentia

The cover artwork for the CD can be seen below.

GHOST's June 3 warm-up show at at Doom in Linköping served as the group's live debut with their "new" singer, Papa Emeritus III, the three-month-younger brother of GHOST's previous frontman, Papa Emeritus II.

Asked if there is any kind of special audition process for picking a new Papa Emeritus, a nameless ghoul from GHOST told Music Radar: "Fortunately for us, we don't have to do auditions where you put people through the paces. We just expect somebody to be on time, in tune and somewhat glad. Usually we don't see much of our Papas — 'cause they're hanging out with the mamas. [Laughs] They tend to appear as we go on stage and disappear just as quickly. We don't socialize or fraternize that much, which is cool. I don't know him very well, really. He's very new to me."

Regarding whether the fact that the various Papas are "emeritus'" means that they never really go away, the nameless ghoul said: "Well, that's the ironic thing. 'Emeritus' in the tradition of popes means that you're dead — you never get that title until after you've died. Benedictus was the first pope in something like 400 years who was named 'emeritus' while he's still alive. He got to retire with that title. So our Papa Emerituses get to retire, but they're still here."

GHOST will embark on the "Black To The Future" North American headlining tour in the fall. The procession will begin at The Fillmore in Washington, D.C. on September 22.

FIRESPAWN (formerly FIREBORN) — the new Swedish death metal project featuring Lars Göran Petrov (vocals; ENTOMBED) and Victor Brandt (guitar; ENTOMBED), Alex Friberg (bass; NECROPHOBIC), Fredrik Folkare (guitar; UNLEASHED, NECROPHOBIC) and Matte Modin (drums; DARK FUNERAL, DEFLESHED) — will release its debut album in November via Century Media. A seven-inch EP, "Lucifer Has Spoken', will precede the CD on August 7 and will be limited to 500 hand-numbered copies.

The cover artwork for "Lucifer Has Spoken" was created by Paolo Girardi who is known from his detailed Hieronymous Bosch-inspired cover artworks for INQUISITION, POWER TRIP and others. The seven-inch artwork just shows a part of a huge piece that will be unveiled when further news on the album is due.

The official video for "Lucifer Has Spoken" can be seen below.

Hailing from Stockholm, FIRESPAWN is the unholy union of five death metal veterans with the aim to create blasphemous, sacrilegious and evil death metal, played by sharp minds with ancient souls. Comments Friberg: "We are stoked to be joining forces with Century Media. They are one of the biggest labels out there in extreme music and together we will spread the fire worldwide!" Adds Jens Prüter, head of A&R at Century Media: "Don't call it supergroup but this spawn of Satan combines the best of Stockholm death metal and it's great to see a bunch of old friends coming together for just one goal: to destroy. I know some of the guys for many years and it's an honor to help them spreading fire worldwide. Special thanks from my side to Costin Chioreanu and Paolo Girardi for helping out on the band's visual presentation, and my colleague Philipp Schulte for taking over the torch and bring you... FIRE! I'll see you burn!"

FIRESPAWN is:

Lars Göran Petrov (ENTOMBED) - VocalsVictor Brandt (ENTOMBED) - GuitarAlex Friberg (NECROPHOBIC) - BassFredrik Folkare (UNLEASHED, NECROPHOBIC) - GuitarMatte Modin (DARK FUNERAL, DEFLESHED) – Drums

Instrumental, forward-thinking progressive band MeridieM are releasing their Odysseia EP on August 11th via all digital providers. 
 
Who are MeridieM? They are a four-piece band featuring former members of Eye Ra Haze. The music is a smartly crafted labyrinth of sound.

Odysseia EP tracklisting:
"Katabases"
"Cosmogony"
"Arkana"
"Supernova"

MeridieM are:
Nicole Papastavrou - guitar
Karine Catenacci - keyboard / piano
Chris Marrone - bass
Kevin Corcoran - drums

Coming in like rolling thunder against a lullaby, MeridieM explore the regions of musical extremities while carefully showcasing each element. With their debut EP Odysseia, the band taps into the spirit of the unknown and heavily explore the grace of structural freedom.

The current members of MeridieM were the instrumental backbone of the now defunct alt-prog rock group Eye Ra Haze. The quartet was organically able to move forward in the creative process, further exploring the depth and voice of each instrument, while collectively expanding their musical horizons.

This freedom gave MeridieM the free-range power to further explore the reach of their personal abilities and produce a musical outcome that is distinctly progressive, while simultaneously melodic and undeniably heavy.

Odysseia nods to jazz composition, foregoing traditional structures while tying each segment back beautifully to plush piano arrangements coupled with crushing riffs.

The EP boasts a mix that highlights each nuance of this instrumental intertwining and aims to bring listeners along for the musical voyage. Live piano is ferociously coupled with standout bass, succinct distorted guitars and a perfectly aligned rhythm section. Percussive experimentation is paramount in this release, with a fierce focus on craftily weaving varied rhythms into deep grooves. MeridieM launch you into an audio journey of gorgeously juxtaposed sounds that are spread through a variety of mediums.

The first single off of the EP, "Supernova," takes listeners on a musical trail of growth and exploration. Sonically, it is a natural progression for the musical unit both brutally commanding and lush, with an exploratory nod to that idyllic "space in-between."

In writing the Odysseia EP, the band took time to remotely cultivate their contributions though the convenience of technology. Spread across several different areas, they took advantage of their ability to interpret each layer independently via Dropbox and ProTools. This unique collaborative effort spawned a sound that is indigenous to the group and individually flattering to their personal growth. Every song on the EP represents a deep mix of emotions, offering listeners a front-seat view of their journey.

 

Hells Headbangers has confirmed the signing of Cleveland death/grind veterans, Embalmer. The band recently completed recording and mixing/mastering at Brainchild Studios with producer Noah Buchanan (Nunslaughter, Solipsist) for the release of their long-awaited second album, Emanations From The Crypt.

The album will feature 10 new, previously unreleased tracks, a re-recorded version of “They Can Smell Our Blood,” and outro for over 31 minutes of pure audio horror. Full-color cover artwork was done by Chris Moyen at Thorncross Designs, with additional interior artwork by Mark Riddick at Riddick Art. The album will be released later this fall on CD, LP, and cassette formats and will receive the full Hells Headbangers treatment, complete with extensive booklet with plenty of photos, full lyrics, thanks list, and some special surprises in the works.  

This year also marks the 25th anniversary for Embalmer, who will be returning to the stage Saturday, September 5th as part of the Hells Headbangers' second annual Hells Headbash weekend at the Agora Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio. While members of the band and label have been friends for years, the relationship officially began in 2014, with Hells Headbangers releasing the 20th anniversary edition of the classic There was Blood Everywhere full-length on 12” vinyl, which was originally released on CD by Relapse Records. The Hells Headbangers pressing featured a “Die Hard” picture-disc edition with real meat-cleaver, with the remaining copies on blood-smeared wax, all of which quickly sold out.
 
Founding Embalmer drummer Roy Stewart had the following to say about the signing: “We are extremely happy to be working with Hells Headbangers again for the upcoming album, and the decision was really a no-brainer. This is a very important album for the band, and after an unsavory experience with our last label, we felt it was important to work with people we trust, are close to home, have great distribution, and an iron-clad reputation for quality products and customer service in the scene. The fact that their headquarters is also located in northeast Ohio gave us the opportunity for a more 'hands-on' approach than would have been possible through another label. This album represents our strongest, most brutal material written to date, and we could not be happier having Hells Headbangers behind us in getting it out to the masses.”
 
Vocalist Paul Gorefiend added the following: “In our discussions about label selection for the new release, Hells Headbangers was always at the top of the list. I have known some of the [Horval] brothers since before they started the label, and have watched them build it over the last 15 years into one of the most respected and credible labels in the underground. The owners on down to the warehouse staff are all true metalheads, understand the history of the band, and are committed to putting the time and attention to detail required to realize our shared vision of sickness.”

Regarding Emanations From The Crypt, Gorefiend also remarked, “This record is long-overdue, and we acknowledge that. The band never was truly happy with the 13 Faces of Death album, so we worked hard to really make sure this release was a return-to-form of sorts, and true representation of what we feel Embalmer is, and always has been. We went back to the basics and drew influence from the original Into the Oven and There was Blood Everywhere eras musically, peppered in some extra Terrorizer/Autopsy influences, added some crazed Deranged Rated-X-style riffing over the top, and backed it all against the blasting, non-triggered drum assault Roy has become known for. Matter of fact, Roy still plays the same drum-set he bought in 1988, and used for all previous recordings. Vocally, all the elements older fans expect from an Embalmer release are present, from forceful lows, the trademark eeeeeees, and tortured shrieks and highs. I am speaking as a 23-plus-year fan myself, and not a member when I tell you this is the most aggressive, blistering and punishing Embalmer release to date. Yes, the wait was long but definitely worth it, and we honestly can’t wait to get this music out to the fans and hear their feedback!”

Plans are also in the works for Hells Headbangers to re-release Embalmer's Into the Oven (1991) and Taxidermist (1992) demos on gatefold double- or triple-LP, and of course, with tons of unreleased recordings, photos, fliers, and extensive bonus materials which have been recently unearthed from the morbid vaults. This will be the definitive collection for Embalmer's classic 1990-1992 era, and provide a rotted glimpse back to the earliest eras of the band, which previously began as Corpsegrinder in 1988/'89 before the name change.
     
Embalmer sends a heartfelt “thank you” to all of their dedicated fans both new and old who have stuck by the band through the years, and continue to share in their passion for morbid, bowel-eroding death/grind done the traditional way - accept no compromise!

Cult Leader are a chaotically aggressive band from Salt Lake City, Utah. Their forthcoming album, Lightless Walk, was recorded and engineered by Kurt Ballou at God City Studios (Converge, High On Fire, etc).

From the first menacing thumps of "Great I Am", Cult Leader unleash grinding musical fury. "The Sorrower" gallops before crashing into a wall of heaviness as they vocally declare "...nothing will get better." The pessimistic spiral continues in "Sympathetic" and "Suffer Louder", two tangles of cacophony that give birth to crushers of ending riffs. "Broken Blades" then emerges as a near constant barrage, showcasing the technical prowess thriving underneath Cult Leader’s layers of grime. While "A Good Life" ushers in new dynamics, clawing through melodious dirt before taking flight again. "Walking Wastelands", "Gutter Gods", and "Hate Offering" are all metallic monsters in their own right, lurching towards the epically haunting pairing of "How Deep It Runs" and "Lightless Walk" - two songs that show Cult Leader at their most depressive and powerful as they recede into introspective darkness.

The album will be available on October 16th via Deathwish.

 
Lightless Walk tracklisting:

“Great I Am”
“The Sorrower”
“Sympathetic”
“Suffer Louder”
“Broken Blades”
“A Good Life”
“Walking Wastelands”
“Gutter Gods”
“Hate Offering”
“How Deep It Runs”
“Lightless Walk”

Fan-filmed video footage of QUEENSRŸCHE's August 1 performance at the Skogsröjet festival in Rejmyre, Sweden can be seen below.

QUEENSRŸCHE will release its new album, "Condition Hüman", on October 2 via Century Media. The CD was recorded in part at at Uberbeatz Studio in Washington with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who has previously worked with ROB ZOMBIE, HATEBREED, SOULFLY and SHADOWS FALL. Pre-Orders are available now at PledgeMusic.com.

In a recent interview with "Hard Time Radio" on KNON 89.3 FM in Dallas, Texas, QUEENSRŸCHE vocalist Todd La Torre stated about the band's follow-up to 2013's "Queensrÿche": "We're really excited about the songs. We put a lot of into it, and hopefully the fans really dig it. You never know. It's so subjective, but there's such a diversity, I think, of material that, surely, there's something for everyone — kind of like on the last record… There's some stuff that sounds like it would be from the 'Mindcrime' era, there is a couple of songs that sound like they could have been from 'Empire'. There's also some tunes that could have been from the 'Rage' and 'Warning'…"

He continued: "Honestly, I know it sounds typical or cliché to say, but I really feel that there's material on this record that spans from the first record that the band did up to 'Empire' and maybe even 'Promised Land'. There's a lot of diversity, but there's a complexity to these songs… It's a different animal to the last record. The last record was awesome and we're very proud of it. This one is a lot more involved, [with] a lot more layers. And I think, vocally speaking, I was able to do some things on this record that I didn't get to do on the last one, just because the material maybe didn't call for it, but this stuff does. There's some really dark and slow and haunting, creepy stuff on here. There's just a lot of… I don't know… It's hard to compare it to anything. So that's why I think that the best thing I can say is I think that there's something for everyone on this album; I really believe that… The drumming on this is so good, the bass… the rhythm section, the bass playing of Eddie [Jackson] locks in with Scottie's [Rockenfield] kick drum. I mean, the guitar work that Parker [Lundgren] and Michael [Wilton] did really shines. And a lot of great harmony guitar work that was so evident in the QUEENSRŸCHE sound is very vibrant on this record in certain places. Everything was microscoped to every single, tiny little detail that… no expense was spared. We didn't wanna overdo everything."

"Queensrÿche" sold around 13,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 23 on The Billboard 200 chart.