Germany's Motorjesus play a high-octane mixture of classic heavy metal and dirty hard rock, with a tour history that includes supporting Motörhead, Anthrax, Prong and many more. Their last studio album, Race To Resurrection, hit the German Album Charts at #42 which was their highest position in Germany's Media Control Charts to date. 

New album Hellbreaker is due to be released on April 9 via AFM Records. New single and video for "Car Wars" is streaming below.

Tracklisting:

“Drive Through Fire”
“Battlezone”
“Hellbreaker”
“Beyond The Grave”
“Dead Rising”
“Car Wars”
“Firebreather”
“Lawgiver”
“Black Hole Overload”
“Back To The Bullet”

"Car Wars" video:

"Hellbreaker" video:

"Dead Rising" lyric video:

Check out the official Motorjesus Facebook page here for information and updates.




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San Diego's Monarch are declaring "Nuclear Warfare" with their new thrashing music video in support of their upcoming sophomore album Future Shock due out April 16.

The video is a slamming assault, showcasing the Wacken Metal Battle USA champions' loud speedball riffs till the very end. The track was originally written by vocalist/guitarist Matt Smith as an assignment for a composition course while earning his Associate of Arts in Classical Music Degree. It's a full circle Metal-education!

Compared to their first, very DIY album, Future Shock was done professionally at Clarity Recordings in El Cajon, California, and is a big step forward for the band both musically and sonically. It explores the entire spectrum of Monarch’s creativity, with each song varying in sound but maintains a cohesive feeling. The band comments on the album:

“We’re all just super excited to get this album out to everyone because I think everyone right now needs something new to get excited about. At the time of this release, the world is still under quarantine from the COVID-19 virus in parts of the world and we think it will be a welcome escape from having to worry so much right now. We should all be cautious of course, but we can't make our lives not worth living. This album really inspires us to write even better and we're still amazed at how it came out. We look forward to hearing its response by fans and getting to play it live and loud again.”

Future Shock is out on April 16, 2021. CD / Vinyl preorder here.

Tracklisting:

“Blast The Seed”
“Khaos Warrior”
“Future Shock”
“Nuclear Warfare”
“Shred Or Die!”
“Multiverse”
“Fatal Vector”
“Collison Of Bones”
“Swarm Of The Whorenet”
“Metal Soul”

"Nuclear Warfare" video:

“Future Shock” video:

(Photo – Astrid Anaya)




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SUNBOMB, the project featuring L.A. GUNS' Tracii Guns and STRYPER's Michael Sweet, will release its debut album, "Evil And Divine", on May 14 via Frontiers Music Srl. The official music video for the second single, "Life", can be seen below.

According to a press release, "Evil And Divine" is "an absolute blinder of a heavy metal album, melding influences of classic metal bands such as BLACK SABBATH and JUDAS PRIEST, with Tracii's love of metal subgenres, specifically doom metal."

Initiated and conceived after Serafino Perugino, president and A&R director of Frontiers Music Srl, reached out to Tracii about working on a new musical project for the label, the idea of a classic heavy metal-sounding album was born. The music style on "Evil And Divine" is much heavier than what one would expect from these two musicians and is firmly planted in the "metal" category. While Tracii wrote the music for the album, the fact that Michael Sweet has been writing/playing in an increasingly heavier style in the latter era, and extremely well-received STRYPER albums made him a very logical choice to sing for the band. And since doom metal, often known for having powerful singers like Messiah Marcolin from CANDLEMASS, was a massive influence on Tracii's songwriting here, Sweet's ability and range were a perfect match.

Tracii told Talking Metal about SUNBOMB: "The greatest thing about Michael and I is that we have the same influences in music, we're great friends, and we have completely opposite ideologies — completely; on every level. And we laugh about it. We are two guys, when put together, we do discuss these things without any judgment. It's just, like, 'Hey, I respect your opinion. Cool.' Whether it's religion, politics — it doesn't matter; we get along.

"It kind of came to be where when we did 'The Devil You Know' record, which is [L.A. GUNS'] last studio album, I wanted to tour with STRYPER," he continued. "Of course I wanted to tour with STRYPER — it's like the 'Heaven And Hell' tour. And Michael wanted to do it too. We couldn't get promoters to okay it. They were just, like, 'Oh, man. C'mon.' It's, like, what happened to the music industry? It's, like, this is fun. This is great. This is literally combining two rock audiences that love the same style of music, but two separate audiences; a great opportunity. So, anyways, we couldn't make it happen. So Michael and I just kept talking. And then I got a solo deal with Frontiers, who L.A. GUNS is on, and STRYPER has done records with Frontiers. And I started writing this stuff that's super metal, man. It's awesome; I totally love this album. And I sent Michael a couple of tunes and said, 'Hey, I want you to sing on this stuff.' I go, 'It's a great opportunity for us to do something together after talking about it for two years.' And he goes, 'Yeah. Totally. This is insane. This music is insane.' And I'm, like, 'All right. Cool.' So, a lot of time went by, and finally I started getting the tracks back from him, with his vocal. And it's mindblowing."

Regarding SUNBOMB's musical direction, Guns said: "I compare it — in my catalog, my personal catalog — to BLACK SABBATH's 'Born Again' album. That album is so different than any other BLACK SABBATH album, yet it's BLACK SABBATH. It's a hundred percent Tony Iommi, but Ian Gillan is singing. That's what this record is like — I hear my riffs and my style times a hundred; it's what I do normally, but extra strength. And Michael's voice is insane, man — he's so good."

Tracii leaked the news of the new project in a March 2019 tweet, where he described the project's debut LP as "the metal record I would have made when I was 17 years old."

Drums on the album were handled by Tracii's old L.A. GUNS bandmate Adam Hamilton, and bass was recorded by Mitch Davis, with the exception of the track "They Fought", which features current L.A. GUNS bassist Johnny Martin.

Michael said: "Hard to believe that I met Tracii for the first time just a few years ago. We hit it off right away and we obviously share the same love for metal.

"Tracii sent me a song and I loved the vibe and then he eventually asked me to sing on the entire album.

"What I love about it is it's definitely different not only for me, but for Tracii as well. I think fans will love this album, and although it's reminiscent of some of the greatest metal bands of the past, it also has a fresh spin to it. I can't wait for everyone to hear it! I'm honored to be a part of it."

"Evil And Divine" track listing:

01. Life

02. Take Me Away

03. Better End

04. No Tomorrows

05. Born To Win

06. Evil And Divine

07. Been Said And Done

08. Stronger Than Before

09. Story Of The Blind

10. World Gone Wrong

11. They Fought

Recording lineup:

Tracii Guns - Guitars

Michael Sweet - Vocals

Adam Hamilton - Drums

Mitch Davis - Bass

Johnny Martin - Bass (on "We Fought")

MESHUGGAH appears to have commenced the recording process for its new album.

Earlier today (Friday, March 19), the Swedish extreme tech-metal pioneers shared an Instagram photo of their drum setup at a recording studio, but didn't offer any other details.

MESHUGGAH's latest album, "The Violent Sleep Of Reason", came out in 2016 and resulted in a "Best Metal Performance" Grammy nomination for the song "Clockworks". The disc was produced by the band and was engineered by Tue Madsen of Puk Studios in Kaerby, Denmark.

Last October, MESHUGGAH drummer Tomas Haake confirmed to Knotfest.com's "Mosh Talks With Beez" that the band had spent much of the downtime during the COVID-19 pandemic working on material for a new album.

"Since March, we all kind of separated, and Jens [Kidman, vocals] took all his stuff and started working from home," he said. "And me and Dick [Lövgren, bass], the bass player, we usually work a lot together, but he also worked separately since then. But at this point, we're back together, and we're trying to hammer it out."

According to Haake, working remotely hadn't posed any huge any problems for him and his bandmates so far.

"By now, Internet is so fast, even huge files — like gigabyte files — you can just send 'em back and forth; it's not really a big problem," he explained. "So we've been able to keep working. But it's still at a fifth or a tenth of the pace that you normally would have when you're working together [in person]… Just changing one riff… Every single little thing you're trying to do or adjust within a song or an idea takes days instead of maybe hours when you're sitting together at the studio.

"If you're a band that kind of jam up stuff or you kind of write together as a band in the rehearsal space or whatever, it would obviously be very different, if you can't do that. We're not really that type of band, and we haven't really been that type of band since the early '90s, mid-'90s. So for us, it's not that big of a deal. We write separately a lot of stuff. And Mårten [Hagström, guitar], he lives up north — he works at home on his stuff. Me and Dick, the bass player, we work on stuff here, usually together. Jens works separately from us and so on.

"Since we program drums — that's kind of how we do demos nowadays. We don't go into the studio and record demos, like we used to. So for us, programming drums and recording into the computer and doing it that way, that's kind of how we've been doing it for so long now. So, fortunately, I would say, this hasn't really hampered us that much, other than just the time aspect of things."

Speaking in more details about the MESHUGGAH songwriting process, Tomas said: "It does take us quite a bit of time with each album. And we're also very easily distracted. We don't write on the road. Some bands, you see they have gear set up in their bus and they're constantly writing. We're not that type of band. We really need to just have time completely off and preferably not even a gig date in the calendar. That way, we can kind of relax and get into the writing and get into that modus."

Asked how far into the writing process for the new MESHUGGAH album he and his bandmates were, Haake said: "I think we have most of the material for the new album. It takes a long time for us between each album, and this time, due to COVID as well, it's gonna be longer than usual, I think. Right now, we're aiming at a release in late '21. Then the question mark right now is, is touring even gonna happen at that point? And if not, do you release the album or do you hold off with it and try to make money some other ways, like doing live shows on the Internet or whatever? So, yeah, it's time consuming, for sure. We tend to scrutinize everything we do a lot, too, so… I think, to some degree, you just turn kind of insane over time when you try to do this thing, because we always try to challenge ourselves and we always try to find something that [we] haven't done before. But we've done this for 30 years now, so it's harder and harder to find what's special with this — like, 'This riff, is it cool enough? Or what's going on?' So you tend to kind of overly scrutinize things. And sometimes you just kind of paint yourself into a corner with that kind of thinking. And sometimes you even realize, 'I can't even listen to this. Why would we release anything like this? It doesn't even make sense.' So you have to find kind of a balance. What's a good balance of a song or an album as far as technical aspects? And what do people wanna hear? What do we wanna hear? And hopefully we can get to some kind of good level of mix in that. But that's always an aspect too. And definitely with the years that we've put into it, we definitely feel like we're more and more locked. It just gets more and more narrow. With each album, you're just kind of in a tighter and tighter space."

Regarding the musical direction of the new MESHUGGAH material, Tomas said: "Of course, we have a certain framework that we still wanna sound like MESHUGGAH, we wanna have that signature sound, we want people to be able to — even if they haven't heard the song [before] — in the best-case scenario, it's, like, 'Oh, that's gotta be MESHUGGAH,' even if it's a brand new thing. So hopefully that's something we're aiming at. But with that said, as far as the music goes, we try to [do] kind of the opposite of what AC/DC has been doing for 40 years. So we're not trying to write the same album over and over. And whether we succeed with that or not, that's more up to our fans and other people, but that's definitely the aim. We try our best to kind of find new grips within the framework of what we're supposed to be, I guess. 'Cause we don't wanna really step out of that either. We're not looking to be another band all of a sudden or something that we haven't been or that is not true to kind of what we're doing."

Haake said that MESHUGGAH has fared better during the coronavirus-related music shutdown than most other artists.

"We know a lot of bands that just had their album out or just finished something and were just about to go on tour, and this [pandemic] happened," he said. "So, of course, we feel with 'em — that's no fun. We were fortunate enough [in that] we just kind of finished the tour run for [MESHUGGAH's last album] 'The Violent Sleep Of Reason', so we're just writing. We played a lot the last few years, so we had a good amount of cash in the bank to keep us afloat for a while, so we've been really fortunate in all this compared to a lot of bands that are just — they're done. What are they supposed to do?"
























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Big Big Train have released a new video, created by Love Fagerstedt, for the track "Brew And Burgh."  The brand new song was recorded for the reissue of the band's 2009 album The Underfall Yard, which will be released on April 9, 2021.

Greg Spawton says: “‘Brew And Burgh’ is a song about how individuals can build something strong if they work together. And, even if a fellowship comes to an end, the ties that bind the individuals still remain in place. I first came across Love Fagerstedt's animation work when he made a film for a song called They Fade by my Big Big Train band mate Rikard Sjöblom's Gungfly. I have been hoping that Big Big Train could work with Love ever since and the release of Brew and Burgh as a single gave the perfect opportunity. Love has made a beautiful film which tells the story behind our song in a way which I think many will find very moving.”

The new release will be available as 2CD and 3LP Vinyl as well as in digital formats and will be available on March 25 (CD version in Japan via Marquee) and April 9 (rest of the world via English Electric/RSK/2 CD/digital version and Plane Groovy/RSK/3 LP version).

Released in December 2009, The Underfall Yard was the first Big Big Train album with vocalist David Longdon and drummer Nick D'Virgilio as full band members, the first to feature Dave Desmond's brass band and the first to include the guitar playing of Dave Gregory.

Alongside the remix of the original recordings, a second companion CD/third vinyl LP features 48 minutes of material, including a new 2020 studio recording of the title track, preceded by a previously unreleased brass prelude.

Also included is the Songs From The Shoreline suite, which was planned for the album’s original release in 2009. For this reissue, in 2020 the band completely rerecorded “Victorian Brickwork”, which segues into “Fat Billy Shouts Mine” (which has to date only been available on the Far Skies, Deep Time EP).

The final track on the second disc is “Brew And Burgh”, a newly composed song written by BBT founder and bassist Greg Spawton specifically as a companion piece for this reissue of the album. In addition, original album artist Jim Trainer has painted some new images for an expanded booklet.

“The Underfall Yard is where the story of the contemporary line-up of Big Big Train begins. For the reissue we asked BBT mixing engineer Rob Aubrey to open up the original sessions and to completely remix the album so that we could make a definitive version,” explains Greg Spawton. Rob had more time and a bigger budget to work with, plus the benefit of another decade of mixing experience. His new mix has significantly improved the sound and dynamic range of the album.”

“The Underfall Yard just missed out on the vinyl revival, so for some time we have been planning for a vinyl version of this reissue,” David Longdon adds. “We’re thrilled to have the album available on vinyl for the first time and so beautifully presented with Jim Trainer’s paintings.”

Preorder here.

Tracklisting:

CD1
“Evening Star”
“Master James Of St George”
“Victorian Brickwork”
“Last Train”
“Winchester Diver”
“The Underfall Yard”

CD2
“Songs From The Shoreline”
         (i) “Victorian Brickwork” (2020 Version)
         (ii) “Fat Billy Shouts Mine”
“Prelude To The Underfall Yard”
“The Underfall Yard” (2020 Version)
“Brew And Burgh”

"Brew And Burgh":

"The Underfall Yard" lyric video:




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Anders LA Rönnblom has put a new band together, called Social Disorder. Anders is best known as the founder and songwriter of Killer Bee and X-Romance, and as a member of Wolfpakk - his ability to write great riffs with classic melodies is what's always defined him. This time he's on his own, but still together with great friends. 

This project has evolved to an album, which is a journey through Anders' life, including inspirations from his musical past, it could easily be seen as a concept album - this is his story. Every song carries a message, a story of a period in his life. The struggle with his alcoholism, demons and his way back. His musical story will be unleashed later in 2021.

The international lineup speaks for itself: Tracii Guns (L.A. Guns), Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake), Jeff Duncan (Armored Saint), Dave Stone (Rainbow), Snowy Shaw (King Diamond, Dream Evil, Mercyful Fate), Shawn Duncan (DC4), Leif Ehlin (Perfect Plan) to name but a few collaborators on this melodic and timeless rock album. The unknown singer, Thomas Nordin, is an uncut diamond from northern Sweden who really knows how to deliver great vocals.

AFM is very happy about this new artist: “Signing a band like Social Disorder, a band that will experience its debut with us, always comes with a certain amount of risk, but we definitely consider ourselves up to it! The recordings are bursting of heart and power. The band members are all veterans who have been through the motions of countless tours, recordings and one or another complication. This feeling is also reflected in Anders' songwriting. The excitement and yet the danger of a downfall. A constant interplay of emotions. The whole album presents a journey into Anders' soul and we are more than grateful to him for giving us this inside view.”






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Legendary Dutch progressive rockers Kayak recently announced they will return with their 18th studio album Out Of This World on May 7, 2021. Following the launch of the album’s first single in February, they have revealed the follow-up, titled “Waiting”. Watch the video, created by Kristoffer Gildenlöw below.

Ton Scherpenzeel comments: “Not the kind of song you’d expect from Kayak, I suppose, and all the more reason to do it. We get a little but disturbing peek inside the mind of someone who is overly obsessed by what he thinks is his love for another person.”

The album is now also available for preorder, arriving as a Limited CD Digipak, Gatefold 2LP + CD, and as Digital Album. An exclusive blood red vinyl edition is available directly from the band. Preorder here.

Out Of This World, the band’s eighteenth studio album, with 15 new tracks, spanning 70 minutes of energetic and incredibly diverse material- though still very much recognizable as Kayak. It is clear that the new found energy has gained even more momentum since Hans Eijkenaar rejoined the group. Although they were forced to cancel all tours because Ton Scherpenzeel suffered a heart attack at the end of 2019, and immediately after that because of the Covid pandemic, we’re hearing a band that, since the demise of Pim Koopman in 2009, has not sounded more together, balanced and motivated.

Tracklisting:

“Out Of This World”
“Waiting”
“Under A Scar”
“Kaja”
“Mystery”
“Critical Mass”
“As The Crow Flies”
“The Way She Said Goodbye”
“Traitor’s Gate”
“Distance To Your Heart”
“Red Rag To A Bull”
“One By One”
“A Writer’s Tale”
“Cary”
“Ship Of Theseus”

"Waiting" video:

“Mystery” video:

Teaser:

The current lineup of the band is as follows:

Ton Scherpenzeel - Keyboards, lead and backing vocals
Bart Schwertmann - Lead and backing vocals
Marcel Singor - Guitar, lead and backing vocals
Kristoffer Gildenlöw - Bass, lead and backing vocals
Hans Eijkenaar - Drums




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Victor Smolski’s Almanac have issued previously unreleased version of "Kingdom Of The Blind," which originally was part of 2017’s Kingslayer album featuring vocalist Frank Beck (Gamma Ray) as well as new arrangements.

Victor Smolski comments: “On our European Tour 2020, Frank Beck became the main singer of Almanac. Kingdom Of The Blind was his favorite song from Almanac. So, we decided to do a new version of this song with great support from Belarus Symphony Orchestra, which brings the song to a new level.”

The track is available as a digital single on all platforms here.




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Vanagandr is the forthcoming new full-length from long-running Swedish Viking/Pagan metal act, Thyrfing. Set for release on August 27 via Despotz Records, the record serves as the band’s first proper studio output in eight years.

Vanagandr was co-recorded and co-produced by Jakob Herrmann (In Flames, Machine Head, Evergrey) at Top Floor Studios, in Gothenburg, Sweden with renowned producer/engineer Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, U.D.O., Katatonia) looking after the mix and mastering. The art concept for Vanagandr was executed by former Dark Tranquillity guitarist Niklas Sundin of Cabin Fever Media who reconnects with the band once again (he did the Vansinnesvisor album back in 2002).

In advance of the record’s official release, today Thyrfing unveil a video for first single, “Döp dem i eld” (translation: “Baptize Them With Fire”). A powerful, heavy, and aggressive track packed with groove and melody, it’s the perfect way to re-establish the band and celebrate their new union with Despotz Records. This will be the first of two new videos produced for the band by Patric Ullaeus (Dimmu Borgir, Europe, Arch Enemy).
 
Comments Thyrfing in a collective statement, “The opening track was actually the first song written for the album, back in 2015. It’s quite a straightforward song: a lot of aggression and intense drumming with our measures, still carrying both groove, melody, and epic moments. Also, it’s the first single and first-ever video for Thyrfing!”
 

Thyrfing emerged from the ever-growing underground scene in Sweden back in 1995. After seven full-length albums and numerous live performances worldwide, the band stands among the most revered of the Viking/Pagan metal genre and 2021 will prove that Thyrfing are so much more with a truly outstanding and self-contained musical offering.
 
Named in honor of the sword “Tyrfing” in Norse mythology, a cursed blade that appears in several tales and myths, mythology has played a profound role in the scenery and imagery of Thyrfing’s music and lyrics, something which is still intact in 2021. Despite there being no new studio recordings since 2013’s acclaimed De ödeslösa, Thyrfing has remained active on the tour circuit with appearances at the likes of Wacken Open Air, Summer Breeze, and Sweden Rock Festival, amongst many other shows and festival slots. The lure of creating new music always remained however, and beginning in 2015, plans were made for what would become Vanagandr, the band’s eighth studio release.
 
Lineup:

Jens Rydén – vocals
Patrik Lindgren – guitars
Fredrik Hernborg – guitars
Joakim Kristensson – bass, keyboards
Dennis Ekdahl – drums

(Photo - Jens Rydén)




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Brazilian metallers, Angra, have released a live video for the Secret Garden album track, "Upper Levels", from the band's Ømni World Tour. Watch below:

Check out the previously released live videos from the Ømni World Tour below:




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Students Mitchell, Ben, Adam and Daniel of Canada's Metalworks Institute, which was founded by Triumph's founded by Gil Moore, recently collaborated virtually to inspire others with their cover of the Triumph song, "Lay It On The Line". The song was mixed and mastered at Metalworks Studios, established in 1978 by Gil Moore. Watch the video below:

"We are so excited to announce our 2021 Record Store Day Canadian Ambassadors, Triumph!," states a recent update from Record Store Day Canada.

"One of the greatest and most successful Canadian rock bands of all-time, Triumph first rose to prominence back in the golden era when vinyl was king – and the preferred format of most music fans. So, it makes perfect sense for Triumph - Rik Emmett (guitars/vocals), Mike Levine (bass, keyboards) and Gil Moore (drums, vocals) - to be named the 2021 Record Store Day Canadian Ambassadors!

"Plus, the band will release the 40th anniversary Allied Forces box set for the June 12 RSD Drops date!

"We couldn’t be more proud and honoured to welcome Triumph to the RSDC family!"

A rock music collector’s dream, the Round Hill Records-issued Allied Forces box set will include:

- Vinyl #1 : Picture Disc of Original Allied Forces Studio Album
- Vinyl #2 : 2xLP Live in Cleveland 1981
- Vinyl #3 : 7” Single – Tribute 2021
- Version of “Allied Forces” + “Magic Power” Live from Ottawa 1982 (Never Before Released)
- 11x17 Maple Leaf Gardens Poster (CANADA EXCLUSIVE)
- 24-page booklet featuring rare photos and behind the scenes. + Allied Forces essay
- 40th Anniversary Allied Forces retro tour book
- 40th Anniversary Allied Forces retro tour poster
- 40th Anniversary Allied Forces retro tour pass
- Rik Pics (3 Hand Drawn Cartoons)
- Handwritten Lyrics (Magic Power, Allied Forces & Fight the Good Fight)

Allied Forces tracklist:

Side A
“Fool for Your Love”
“Magic Power”
“Air Raid”
“Allied Forces”
“Hot Time (In This City Tonight)”

Side B
“Fight the Good Fight”
“Ordinary Man”
“Petite Etude”
“Say Goodbye“

2 X LP Live in Cleveland 1981 (remastered)

Live in Cleveland tracklist:
Disc 1 Side A
“Intro”
“Tear the Roof Off”
“American Girls”
“Lay it On the Line”
“Allied Forces”

Side B
“Fight The Good Fight”
“Blinding Light Show/Moonchild”

Disc 2 Side C
“Rock ‘N’ Roll Machine”
“I Live For The Weekend”
“Nature’s Child”
Drum Solo

Side D
Instrumental
“Rocky Mountain Way”
“Hot Time (In the City Tonight)”

Limited Edition 7” Single
Vinyl #3 : 7” Single – Tribute 2021 Version of “Allied Forces” + “Magic Power” Live from Ottawa 1982 (Never Before Released)   

For more info, head here.




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Los Angeles-based quintet Budderside bridge the gap between the sexy swagger of the Sunset Strip and the soulful depths of Seattle on their forthcoming sophomore release, Spiritual Violence, out March 26 via Motörhead Music/Silver Lining Music.

Its fourth single, “Amber Alert" (featuring Carla Harvey of Butcher Babies), is out today, streaming across all digital platforms here. In the video for the song, Budderside vocalist Patrick Stone and Harvey lead viewers into a circus where the devil is the ringleader - portrayed by music personality and host of KLOS’ ‘New and Approved’ show Matt Pinfield. Watch below.

“In LA everyone wants to be a rockstar but no one wants to put the work in,” says Butcher Babies vocalist Harvey. “Patrick is a long-time friend of mine that has always shown true tenacity in going after his dreams. Both of us have picked up the pieces and started over many times to come as far as we have. I’m super proud of what he’s done with Budderside, so naturally I said yes when he asked me to feature on ‘Amber Alert.’ I had a blast throwing a little estrogen on this banger!”

“Budderside are one of the most exciting bands out of LA in a really long time,” declares Pinfield. “For my money--what rock music should be. They have the goods--a frontman with real swagger and incredible players who deliver their songs with passion, power and conviction. Visually, the band’s videos for the new album are on an unparalleled level of creativity. I was honored to be a part of their new video for the single ‘Amber Alert.’ The song’s heavy groove is complimented by the vocal duet with Budderside’s charismatic frontman Patrick Stone and Butcher Babies’ Carla Harvey, who adds a heavy, menacing yet melodic interplay with this unforgettable in-your-face rock anthem that never lets up and doesn’t disappoint.”  

Spiritual Violence was recorded with legendary producer Jay Baumgardner (Bush, Godsmack, Papa Roach) and mastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer Howie Weinberg (Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage). Its 10 spiritually evocative and meticulously crafted songs are thoughtfully designed to resonate, both musically and lyrically, across the world.

Pre-order Spiritual Violence here.

Tracklisting:

"Wide Awake"
"Zen"
"Amber Alert" (feat. Carla Harvey of Butcher Babies)
"Pardon Me" (feat. Phil Campbell of Motörhead)
"I’m A Man"
"Folsom Prison Blues" (Johnny Cash cover)
"Things We Do" (feat. Musyca Children’s Choir)
"Feels So Good"
"Soul Searches"
"Daygobah"

"Wide Awake" video:

"Pardon Me":

"Zen" video:

(Photo - Mathias Fau)




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Swiss melodic extreme metal band, Morrigu, have released "Omnia", the third single from their In Turbulence album.

Have you ever been so desperate that death scared you less than your current life? "Omnia" is exactly about this topic.

Omnia is Latin and means everything. There are two meanings in the lyrics of the song, the first meaning is when you are so desperate and reaching for a future and put everything on one card and the second meaning is that you should look at this planet as a whole, that everything belongs to each other. "Omnia" is about pain, suffering, despair and flight. They are stories that have to be heard. There are stories that simply have to be told. "Omnia" is one of them.

"Omnia" can be viewed below, and streamed at Spotify.

The band comments: "'Omnia' had the working title 'Paradise Lost' at the beginning. Adrian Erlandsson made fun of it when we were in the studio and recorded the song with his Paradise Lost signature drumsticks. For those who don't know, Adrian Erlandsson played for Paradise Lost from 2009-2016."

The band invited two important guest vocalists to appear on "Omnia": "Elektra Amber, she lives in lovely Italy and has a world class voice. She will enchant you in the song 'Omnia'. You can find her on Youtube with some really nice bands like Amber Town and Nightland. And Ricardo Borges, who is responsible for the harsh vocals on the entire album. He works at Fascination Street Studios of Jens Bogren, who also did the mastering for In Turbulence. Ricardo is really a very talented musician and sound engineer!"

Morrigu's upcoming album, In Turbulence, will be out on April 23. The album was mastered by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Arch Enemy, At The Gates), with Niklas Sundin (Dark Tranquility, In Flames, Soilwork) drawing the phoenix artwork on the front cover.

"In The Shade" video:

"A Funeral Of Liberty" video:

Morrigu lineup:
Severin Binder - Guitars Acoustic Guitars, Synths
Mirko Binder - Bass
Luca Neukom - Guitars

Additional musicians:
Adrian Erlandsson - Drums (At The Gates, The Haunted)
Ricardo Jorge Borges Rodrigues - Vocals (Clamaty Islet, Forbidden To Fly)

Guest musicians:
Moonchild Shi / Ethnic Vocals




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Legendary Norwegian outfit TrollfesT have released their new dual-themed EP, Happy Heroes, via Napalm Records. To celebrate the release of this spectacular funfest, the band have released a crazy, colorful and hilarious music video for their cover of Pharrell Williams’ hit song “Happy”, animated by TrollfesT’s own Mr. Seidel.

This cover by TrollfesT truly rockets the worldwide hit into new dimensions: If you’ve ever wondered what this modern classic would sound like with hard-hitting drums, highly energetic, harsh vocals and metal riffs, TrollfesT deliver the answer.

Watch the animated music video:

Four vivid songs on Happy Heroes deliver a vast variety of spectacular musical romps, made evident by the catchy original title track “Happy Heroes”, wherein TrollfesT tells the story of evil, self-righteous troll superheroes whom you should probably not call if you’re in need of help. The EP then presents three re-energized cover songs – Balkan and folk metal re-imaginings of the world-famous “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, quite possibly the cheeriest song known to man, the newly released “Don’t Worry Be Happy”, by Bobby McFerrin, as well as the Aqua hit “Cartoon Heroes”. Each revitalized track keeps its original catchiness and will have you humming in K.A.O.S!

Order here.

Happy Heroes tracklisting:

"Happy Heroes"
"Cartoon Heroes"
"Don’t Worry Be Happy"
"Happy"

"Happy Heroes" video:

"Don’t Worry Be Happy":

TrollfesT is:

John Espen Sagstad (Mr.Seidel) - Guitar
Fabian Jiru (Grimdrap Glutenfri Fleskeng) - Guitar
Jostein Austvik (Trollmannen) - Vocals
Eirik Renton (TrollBANK) - Drums/Vocals
Kai Renton (Fjernkontrollet) - Synth/Accordion
Dag Stiberg (DrekkaDag) - Saxophone
Øyvind Erik Strønen Johannesen (Lodd Bolt) - Bass/Vocals
Bjørn Dugstad Rønnow (Kjellkje) - Drums/Vocals

(Photo - Eirik Folkeda)




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While concerts and cheering crowds seem to be a long lost echo from the past these days, melancholic progressive metallers, Amorphis, bring back some of the life and incomparable energy that many of us have been missing so desperately. Recorded during a special hometown show that took place on December 7th, 2019, little did the Finns know that this would be one of their last concerts before the pandemic outbreak in early 2020. With 15 tracks in total and a running time of over one and a half hours, Amorphis take you on a journey through their past, showcasing their best songs from the last 30 years that saw the band turn into one of Finland's finest metal exports.

"Helsinki Ice Hall, what can I say... the very same venue where we used to see bands like Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, Metallica and many many more back in the 80’s when we were kids”, Tomi Koivusaari contemplates when thinking of the show. “I’m sure we all dreamed about playing there someday. In our hometown Helsinki, where it all started with Amorphis 30 years ago. So I’d say we had a special feeling at that gig, the last one of the tour in Finland for that year. I guess this recording is a very honest picture of us playing live, nothing is fixed afterwards, except mightily mixed and mastered of course. When I listened to it a while ago, I realized how much I miss playing live. And yet we have no idea when it will be possible next, in this crazy situation with Covid and all... So, stay healthy, take care and shine on you all, see you hopefully soon on tour. We will."

Live At Helsinki Ice Hall will be available as 2CD digipak and download/stream. The 2LP version of this show is exclusively available in the "Vinyl Collection 2006 – 2020" boxset, also out on May 21.

Pre-order Live At Helsinki Ice Hall here. Pre-save Live At The Helsinki Ice Hall here. Pre-order Vinyl Collection 2006 - 2020 here.

With the captivating live anthem "Daughter Of Hate", one of Finland's greatest exports deliver the first excerpt of their upcoming Live At Helsinki Ice Hall. Watch the video below.

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor has spoken out against "cancel culture," saying "people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."

Cancel culture is the idea that someone, usually a celebrity or a public figure, whose ideas or comments are considered offensive should be boycotted. These people are ostracized and shunned by former friends, followers and supporters alike, leading to declines in any careers and fanbase the individual may have at any given time.

Addressing the cancel culture issue in a new interview with Rolling Stone, Taylor said in part: "No one can handle anything anymore, which means no one can handle real talk anymore, which means everyone just wants to cancel shit, with no room for improvement. There are several people at fault for this: the right, the left, the media, celebrities, the Internet, social media, but if you're truly looking for who's really responsible, or more importantly irresponsible, you should probably find the nearest mirror.

"I'm not saying there aren't things that deserve our attention," he continued. "I'm not saying that things shouldn't change in so many different ways. I'm not even going to tell you that you have no right to be passionate on social change. What I'm saying is pick your spots, know what the hell's going on before you go chasing after people with pitchforks for no fucking reason whatsoever. There's so much to be done on so many different things, you don't have to protest everything that someone tries to hoist up the pole as a red flag.

"Be a little smarter in how you swing the hammer, because when everything is a problem, that means everyone is a suspect… including yourselves. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, to paraphrase. Nobody's perfect; stop acting like we all should be."

Earlier this month, Taylor said that "the 'outrage' age" would be the inspiration for his upcoming fifth book. "I was reading about how Gen Z is trying to cancel Eminem because of one line that was in a Rihanna song that he did with her," he told told Matt Pinfield of 95.5 KLOS's "New & Approved" series. "And I'm just, like, is that where we are right now? I mean, at this point, you're talking about the Salem witch trials. You're talking about America in the '20s where the KKK was a political force. You're talking about complete condemnation without context or any rationalization for an action like that. And to me, that's [what's] most dangerous — when the mob decides that you're gone. That is Caesar at the Colosseum, for god's sakes. That's when it's dangerous. The level of censorship that we're starting to see… And I'm not saying that certain things haven't been said that easily offend people. However, the flipside of that is that you can't even make a joke anymore — even in the cleanest of situations. [People] completely turn on you. And there's not one hint of satire, there's no hint of irony — it's just all-out rage, and it's all through this [shows his smartphone]. And that's when it's really greedy, that's when it's really dirty. It can't be that way. If we can't have a conversation, how the hell are we gonna communicate. And if we can't understand the difference between metaphor and complete reality, then we're in real trouble. And that's where I'm leaning with the book."

Roughly one-third of Taylor's last book, 2017's "America 51", was dedicated to his derision for President Donald Trump.

Corey, who is often referred to as the "Great Big Mouth" due to his outspoken views, told the 94.3 KILO radio station in a 2017 interview that he is not worried about possible fallout from his comments. "That's part of being an American," he explained. "I mean, nothing drives me more crazy than when somebody says to celebrities or whatever, 'Why don't you just stick to acting?' And I'm, like, 'What? Leave politics to you? Why don't you stick to writing bad reviews in your mom's basement? Just shut your mouth. I'm just as American as you are, I have every right to say what I want, and you can shove that kind of attitude straight up your ass."

Taylor's debut solo album, "CMFT", was released in Octo

John Cooper, the frontman and bassist for the Grammy-nominated Christian rock band SKILLET, has blasted Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's performance of their hit song "WAP" during Sunday's Grammy Awards.

"WAP", whose title itself is an abbreviation for "wet ass pussy," is a track filled with explicit lyrics referencing female empowerment and sexual pride. During the show, the singers changed many of the original lines in "WAP", and CBS censored out others, while performing on a stage that featured a pole on a massive high heel, and ending with the two rappers writhing together on a giant bed.

Earlier today, the 45-year-old Cooper, who defines himself as "conservative in ideology," posted an episode of his "Cooper Stuff" video podcast in which he addressed Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's Grammy appearance and suggested that it was a good example of how humanity has always been dexterous at confusing evil with good.

He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're living in a world right now where there are certain Dr. Seuss books that you cannot sell on eBay," referring to the fact that six Dr. Seuss books will no longer be published because they "portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong," according to the business that preserves the author's legacy. "They are just too much for anybody to even be allowed to buy; they're being yanked down from all the bookstores and stuff like that. It's just too much; it's too evil. So you can't go on eBay and buy it — too evil. But you can, and must, applaud the sexual degradation of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion simulating sex together on the Grammys. This is the perfect example. You must celebrate it. In fact, if you don't celebrate it, then you're actually a bad person, and you kind of, like, don't love people. You're actually not nice. This is the perfect example, you guys."

Cooper went on to read chapter 5 verse 20 of the book of Isaiah, which states: "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil." He said: "'I don't think that would ever really happen.' Really? It's happening right now. It's been happening in America for the last few years like crazy — especially the last five years, especially during the last year.

"Why would anybody ever call evil good and good evil? It's simple: because they just redefine the terms. The question is, who is going to define what is good, and who is gonna define what is evil?

"Every dictator in history says that what they were doing was good," he continued. "That's what they believe. If you go back and you read some of Hitler's speeches, he's, like, 'I'm gonna set people free — free from the bondage of the Ten Commandments.' In his mind, he's a liberator. It's always like that, you guys. All you do is you just redefine evil and you redefine good. That's what's happening right now on the Grammys.

"Now, I know there are people going — some of my 'woke' friends — 'John, you're making a big deal about nothing. It's always been oversexualized.' And yes, okay, of course, Grammys have always been oversexualized," Cooper added. "Music has always been oversexualized. Hollywood has always been oversexualized. Two differences, and they matter. Number one: this is just a step beyond what we've seen. That's all. I mean, you're right — it has always been that way. Fine. This is pretty overt, all right? This is pretty over-the-top stuff.

"But the biggest difference that is not the same is that 20 years ago, when Madonna did it — in fact, Madonna was really pushed into stardom from a performance like this. I can't remember if it was Grammys or was it MTV Awards. I don't really remember, but I watched a documentary on it a few years ago on Netflix; I can't remember what it was. She did this performance where she was simulating self-sex and rolling all around on the stage. The difference was this: nobody said that she was virtuous for doing it. That's a major difference, you guys. She was doing it because it was a climate of hedonism — it was a climate of sex, drugs [and] rock and roll. That's the motto of my generation and the generation before me — sex, drugs, rock and roll. It's a rebellion. It was a revolt against Christian values, traditional values, even just Western values in general. The family values — it was a revolt against traditional sexuality. But it wasn't because they were virtuous. Nobody looked at Madonna and was, like, 'She's such a virtuous person. I really want my daughter to live this way.' Nobody did that. That's the difference. Madonna was doing it and getting famous because she was courageous and brave to do something that was like shock rock. Now it's not just shock rock. Now it's, like, yeah, we're redefining what virtuous is. So we're taking paganism, and we're not just saying, 'Yeah, I'm gonna get famous 'cause I'm willing to be into paganism and hedonism and idolatry and sexual degradation,' and this and that and the other. No — we're saying, 'I'm doing all those things because I know what virtue is. I know what morality is. I define morality.' That is what it means to call evil good, and good evil."

Cooper recently published his first book, titled "Awake & Alive To Truth (Finding Truth In The Chaos Of A Relativistic World)". It "tackles the reigning philosophies of our day of post-modernism, relativism, and the popular view of the goodness of man-and combats these viewpoints by standing on the absolute truth of the Word Of God," the book's description reads.

In various interviews over the years, Cooper has said that he "always had faith in God" and that his mother was a "Jesus fanatic." He also claimed that he was willing to put his career on the line to take a stand for Christ.

In a new interview with Spain's Metal Circus, WITHIN TEMPTATION's Sharon Den Adel was asked if last year's standalone singles "The Purge" and "Entertain You" are an indication of how the band plans to make its music available going forward. The singer responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "This is the first time that we're actually releasing singles without having released the album — with an album already finished. Because, of course, when we finished an album in the past, we would release one or two singles, and then the album would be released. But we don't have an album, actually [laughs] — so we have released two singles, but we don't have a full-length album recorded, [and] not even written yet. So we are releasing [songs] along the way. And that's something totally new for us."

She continued: "The advantage of that is that when you feel a certain song because you feel the need to address certain subjects or you have a song that has a certain kind of vibe that really fits in that moment instead of releasing it in two years, [which is] what normally would happen, and then already it would already feel outdated with the way the production is or something, then it's really nice to really release it now in the moment."

According to Sharon, periodically releasing singles instead of being silent for three years and then dropping an album is a way for fans get a steady stream of new music, especially during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. "In other styles of music, they've done this for a longer period — like dance music — and there are more [artists in other] music genres who are already doing this," she said. "But for rock and metal, it's a little bit different, because we have a very dedicated fanbase still, where I think some music genres have a different dedication of fans, probably — a different way of dedication, I guess. And the fanbase of metal and rock is still dedicated to buying an album — a full-length album; physical product [is still popular]. And so that's different. So that's why we're a little bit behind in that way of releasing songs. But I think because of the streaming platforms, and also because of this pandemic, I guess it came to a fast-forward kind of feeling. A lot of people are actually doing the same thing as we are doing now — releasing [singles] without an album. Because they're stuck at home, they can write, and everybody has a home studio nowadays, so it becomes also a little bit more easy."

"Entertain You" kicked off of a series of digital single releases and was No. 1 most added on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Indicator chart, with airplay on at least 40 radio stations, including Music Choice, SiriusXM Octane, WZOR and KQXR, No. 5 in the Contraband Metal chart, and at No. 18 in the Billboard Mainstream Rock Indicator chart in USA.

WITHIN TEMPTATION released the official music video for "Entertain You" last May. The song was a surprisingly quick follow-up to WITHIN TEMPTATION's seventh studio album, "Resist", which came out in February 2019.

"Resist" debuted in several Top 10 charts worldwide and was the first WITHIN TEMPTATION album to ever reach a No. 1 position on the official German chart.

"Entertain You" arrived one week after the last show of the "Worlds Collide" tour was supposed to happen. The co-headline trek with American rock band EVANESCENCE was originally planned for April 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has now been postponed to September 2021. The trek, for which an impressive 150,000 tickets were sold in eight countries, is slated to take place across venues such as the O2 Arena in London, AccorHotels Arena in Paris, Velodrom in Berlin, and Palais 12 in Brussels.

Three official Hawkwind jigsaw puzzles are due to be released via Zee Company on May 14th, 2021. The puzzles feature the cover artwork from the band's albums In Search Of Space (1971), Space Ritual (1973), and Warrior On The Edge Of Time (1975). They are now available for pre-order here.  

From ‘60s legends the Grateful Dead to Grammy winning flautist Paul Horn, industrial band Killing Joke, and Hawkwind co-founder Nik Turner, Egypt’s Great Pyramids have been a powerful source of inspiration for many musical adventurers over the years. Some, like Turner, have even gone so far as to record their instruments inside the ancient wonders, capturing the unique resonance of these mystical spaces and blending them with modern techniques and sensibilities to create a truly innovative work of art.

Shortly after his abrupt departure from Hawkwind in the late ‘70s, Turner recorded nearly a half an hour’s worth of improvised flute melodies within the Egyptian pyramids, which he then used as the basis for his incredible 1978 experimental ambient masterpiece Xitintoday. The album, which is officially credited to Nik Turner’s Sphynx, is an adventurous, groundbreaking collaboration with several alums from prog rock legends Gong including Steve Hillage (who produced the album), Miquette Giraudy, Harry Williamson, Mike Howlett, Tim Blake and more.

For Turner, the album has a more personal meaning as he explains, “Xitintoday was a very necessary source of catharsis and healing for me, not only from being fired by my former band but also from the death of my father.”

Now this superb project is being reissued in a deluxe collector’s edition on gorgeous picture disc vinyl housed in a gatefold jacket with 16-page booklet insert that meticulously recreates the distinctive artwork of graphic design icon Barney Bubbles. The package also includes the entire album on CD with a special bonus track of Turner's raw 30-minute flute recording from deep within the pyramid.

Order the album here.

Tracklisting:

Vinyl:

Side A
"The Awakening (Life On Venus)"   
"The Pyramid Spell"    
"The Hall Of Double Truth"   
"Anubis"    
"Thoth"    

Side B
"Horus"    
"Isis And Nephthys"    
"Osiris"    
"God Rock (The Awakening)"

CD:
"The Awakening (Life On Venus)"    
"The Pyramid Spell"    
"The Hall Of Double Truth"    
"Anubis"    
"Thoth"    
"Horus"    
"Isis And Nephthys"
"Osiris"
"God Rock (The Awakening)"
"Pyramidflutenik" (Bonus Track)




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Roman Empire-inspired epic death metal band Ex Deo - featuring mastermind Maurizio Iacono of Kataklysm - plans to release their new album, The Thirteen Years Of Nero, this summer. Iacono has checked in with a new update:

"The new Ex Deo album, The Thirteen Years Of Nero, is now complete and it makes some of these so-called 'controversial' look-at-me-I'm-Satanic bands sound like Disneyland metal. 

Behold Nero, the one they named the Antichrist, taken from the books and the legends of history and made into a modern symphony of madness with the talented help of the twisted maestro Clemens 'Ardek' Wijers  and a collosal production via J-F Dagenais. The artisitc and deadly vision of artist Seth Siro Anton has brought back from decay a glorious vision into the twisted soul of  Nero, a true masterpiece. Ex Deo is set to re-attach a big pair of cojones back to the word Metal! 

Release coming  this late summer via Napalm Records. I can't wait to share the first single with you in just a few months. AVE ROMA !

I thank you for your patience."

Check out Seth Siro Anton's work here.

After three years since the release of their latest acclaimed full-length, The Immortal Wars, Ex Deo returned in March 2020 with a new single, entitled "The Philosopher King". The track features very special guest Francesco Ferrini of Italian symphonic metallers Fleshgod Apocalypse.

Ferrini provided the stunning orchestral score for the colossal track, which tells the tale of one of Rome’s greatest emperors, Marcus Aurelius - an important historical figure that Maurizio Iacono feels a deep connection with. The track also features pummeling production by Colin Richardson (Slipknot, Machine Head, Bullet For My Valentine) and Chris Clancy (Mutiny Within).

Iacono offers: “It’s been three years since the release of The Immortal Wars - an album that propelled Ex Deo to a new level. This time, we didn’t want to wait another five years to release new material, so we decided to release a standalone new single called, 'The Philosopher King' while we wait for the follow up album to The Immortal Wars. For this track, we asked our brother, the talented Francesco Ferrini, for his contribution on the orchestral score.

"The song is based on the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. It’s a song that strikes a chord with me personally, exploring my life experiences and tribulations. I find myself very close to this man’s philosophical ideals - some I have struggled to understand, some I have adopted. He is the author of the famous book “Meditations” (now you know the influence behind the recent Kataklysm album). Stoicism is something I have been applying more and more to my life in recent years - self-control, discipline. Marcus Aurelius, while commanding the world’s largest army and the most advanced society in ancient times, was perceived as one of the most regarded and prosperous emperors not only economically, but also in military and social triumphs. This is an homage to one of Rome’s greatest, The Philosopher King!”

Francesco Ferrini adds, “When Maurizio suggested to join forces on a brand new Ex Deo release, he had me bought in straight away! This song was incredibly inspiring to work on, being such a powerful combination of drama and epicness. I’m sure everyone will love it as much as we do.”




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Just one year following the release of their promising debut EP Unleash The Storm, Finnish doom metal duo Desolate Realm are back with their first full-length album, which is set for release on April 23. 

Formed by members of Decaying, Chalice and Altar Of Betelgeuze, Helsinki’s Desolate Realm combine the epic grandeur of doom-metal acts like Candlemass and Solitude Aeturnus with the classic heavy metal of Savatage and Metal Church, and the mighty groove of Black Sabbath. This self-titled album features eight new tracks full of epic melodies and gripping, heavy riffs. Pre-orders are now available at this location.

The album's opening song and leading single "Spire" can be enjoyed now:

Desolate Realm artwork and tracklisting:

"Spire" 
"Beneath The Surface"
"The Circle"
"Crypt"
"Reckoning"
"The Chosen"
"A Tall Order"
"Tormented Souls"

For further details, visit Desolate Realm on Facebook.

 




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Fuath, the atmospheric black metal offshoot of Saor’s Andy Marshall, will be releasing its new full-length, II, on Friday, March 19 via Season of Mist Underground Activists. An advanced album stream can be found below.

Originally slated as a one-off project after the release of 2016’s I, Marshall has decided to turn Fuath into a serious project. Written during the winter of 2019 and then recorded in August and September 2020 at Fortriu Studios in Scotland, II features Marshall handling vocals and all instrumentation except for drums, which were performed by Carlos Vivas in Spain. Whereas I dutifully remained within the boundaries of conventional black metal, II finds the songs going further into the frozen plains with elaborate doses of melody, ominous riffing and hypnotic blast-beat sections. II marks a huge progression for Fuath from I. When writing the debut album, Marshall was treading Fuath as a side-project and didn’t have a formalized idea of how he wanted it to sound. In contrast, II is an improvement across the board with better-crafted songs, sharper black metal vocals from Marshall and enhanced production values.

Tracklisting:

“Prophecies”
“The Pyre”
“Into The Forest Of Shadows”
“Essence”
“Endless Winter”

Album stream:

“Into The Forest Of Shadows” video:

“Prophecies” video:




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Coming May 7, the release of the brand new Save The World album, Two. Frontiers will also reissue their debut album, One, on the same date. Available for streaming below is the official video for the new single, "Defenders Of The Faith".

Save The World pens emotionally charged songs with rich, melodic choruses, playing music that forgoes genre conventions in favor of a signature sound that’s modern, anthemic, and refreshingly dynamic. The band features chief songwriter Dan Tracey (Alan Parsons) on guitar, vocals, keyboards and Robert Wright on bass, vocals, keyboards, Taurus pedals, percussion, and drums.

Two tracklisting:

"Camera Obscura"
"Bones"
"Miss Muse"
"Defenders Of The Faith"
"Daphne Blue"
"When Amanda Hits The Stage"
"Man On An Island"
"Longer"
"Denslow Park"
"Automaton"
"Illuminati"
"Who's That Girl"

One tracklisting:

"Bleed"
"Comic Con"
"In Pieces"
"Circus Maximus"
"This Little Pill"
"Let Love Win"
"I Wish"
"Black Pearl"
"Cecilia Weiss"
"Princes & Thieves"
"Cern"
"The Light"

"Bleed" video:

"Circus Maximus" video:




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Emerging out of the gloom comes Replica Of A Strange Love - the new record from Wristmeetrazor. The album arrives June 11 on Prosthetic Records, illuminating the darkest corners of their every nightmare and representing a nihilistic plunge headfirst into an intoxicating mix of death, sin, and romance. The video for first single "Last Tango In Paris" can be seen below.

Isaac Hale of Knocked Loose made his production debut with Replica Of A Strange Love and also makes a guest vocal appearance on "Last Tango In Paris." Fans can also listen to "Last Tango In Paris" via Bandcamp. It will be available on all streaming platforms tomorrow, Friday, March 19.

"'Last Tango In Paris' is a song about desire and satisfaction through a nihilistic lens," shares vocalist/bassist Justin Fornof. "When writing for the record, it felt important to have a track that emphasizes the futility of complacency. We've been excited about this one from the first day we began writing in pre-production and Isaac's vocals added a lot to the finished product."

Hale adds, "I think the coolest part about singing on 'Tango' is that I was there for the creation of the song itself. That was a song that we were all so excited about from the very beginning. It covered new ground for the band and we knew it had to be a single. I was asked to sing on it in the spur of the moment, but it made sense because that was our most exciting song we made together. I can't thank them enough for involving me in the song and featuring me in the video. It's very sick to be a part of something you're also a fan of."

Replica Of A Strange Love is a modern take on metalcore - building on the foundations of their past to leave a shimmering trail of visceral energy in their wake. The album was engineered and mixed by Andy Nelson at Bricktop Recording Studios, before being mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege.

Through his lyrics, Fornof deconstructs his own psyche in the wake of Misery Never Forgets, observing heartbreak through a philosophical lens. Replica Of A Strange Love is introspective, utilizing the work of Nietzsche, Foucault, LaVey, and more to make sense of human reactions and sociological phenomena specific to ongoing events. Hopeless romanticism is the past - personal philosophy is the present.

From their roots as a DIY band - Jonah Thorne started WMR as a solo project before joining forces with Fornof for his creative vision before later welcoming Bryan Prosser and Tyler Norris for their eclectic skill sets and artistry - Wristmeetrazor have blossomed into a force to be reckoned with. Still driven by the desire to get down in the dirt in a live arena, expect to see this four piece in a town near you as soon as is possible.

Still fashionably dead, now is the time to take note of Wristmeetrazor.

Replica Of A Strange Love tracklisting:

"Our Distress Entwined"
"Last Tango In Paris"
"Sycophant"
"Nietzsche Is Dead"
"Love's Labor's Lost"
"Anemic (The Same Six Words)"
"Eyes of Sulfide"
"Dies Irae"
"99 & 44/100"
"A Fractured Dovetail Romance"
"This Summer's Sorrow II: Growing Old In The Waiting Place"
"All The Way Alive"

"Last Tango In Paris" video:

Wristmeetrazor are:

Justin Fornof - Vocals/Bass
Jonah Thorne - Guitar
Tyler Norris - Guitar
Bryan Prosser - Drums




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Rockshots Records  announces the signing of Karpenter for the release of their album, Sleepless, this coming May.

Named in tribute to horror movie master John Carpenter, the alternative-metal band was formed in 2019 by former Fightcast members Filippo Tellerini, Francesco Vicini, and Marco Biondi, along with Federico Conti (Creep), Manuel Nucci and Michele Mingozzi (Figure of Six). By connecting old-school influences with modern-sounding songs, the band aims at keeping the core of the style that characterized the past while projecting itself toward new and original experimentations of sounds and metal sub-genres.

Sleepless will be Karpenter's debut full length to follow their 2019 singles “Dark Mountain Side” and “The Hardest Party”. The album was recorded and mixed by Gabriele Ravaglia (Extrema) and Gianmarco Bambini at Fear Studio in Italy, and mastered by Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Epica, Fleshgod Apocalypse).

The album's tracks are inspired by horror movie themes and characters such as "Shark" influenced by Jaws, "The Manor" for Army of Darkness, "Perfection Valley" for Tremors, and "No Vacancy" for Alfred Hitchock's Psycho.

The band explains in further detail: "Sleepless is a gateway to a hostile and tormented world, where space and time are perceived in a distorted way. Each track hides a story, a tale steeped in fear. You will be dragged into a spooky world devoid of any logic. Tight riffs and cinematic melodies will hit you from the beginning, alternating with darker and more introspective atmospheres."

Karpenter's members have shared the stage with established bands such as The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Ghost Inside, Poison The Well.

For fans of In Flames, Amorphis, Machine Head, and Mercenary, Karpenter will release Sleepless via Rockshots Records on May 28.

Tracklisting:

"Sleepless"
"Mechanical Sense"
"Perfection Valley"
"Falconer"
"Shark"
"The Manor"
"The Hardest Party"
"The Swamp Thing"
"No Vacancy"
"Dark Mountain Side"

Album Credits:

- All music and lyrics by Karpenter
- Recorded and mixed by Gabriele Ravaglia and Gianmarco Bambini at Fear Studio, Italy
- Mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios, Denmark
- Artwork by Nomad by Fate

Karpenter are:

Filippo Tellerini - Vocals
Federico Conti – Lead Guitar
Manuel Nucci – Rhythm guitar
Michele Mingozzi – Keyboards, Programming
Francesco Vicini - Bass
Marco Biondi - Drums




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