French death metal up-and-comers Akiavel have unveiled the grizzly second video from their recently released sophomore effort, Væ Victis, issued April 23rd, 2021. “Comrade” is based on the notorious and truly horrifying serial killer: Andrei Chikatilo. Chikatilo - also known as the Butcher of Rostov, the Red Ripper, and the Rostov Ripper - murdered at least 52 women and children in the '70s and '80s.
To pay homage to the victims, Akiavel incorporated both true elements of the crimes and their own children into the video and the song.
Vocalist Auré comments on the track: "When I decided to write on this killer I knew it wasn't going to be easy... He is for me one of the most violent monsters. Above all, he targeted children…
When I was in front of my blank page, as I did for the other songs, I was watching reports on Andreï Chikatilo. It hurt me a lot. I was angry too.
I'm a mom. I couldn't help but think that it could happen to anyone...Then I had an idea. If our children could be their voices. I wrote a chorus to make it easy to sing. I wanted us not to forget these poor victims...When the song was written, I hugged my son very hard against me. I had tears in my eyes. I asked him if he wanted to participate in a tribute to the missing children. He immediately agreed. We did the test and it gave me chills.
For the video clip, I printed the real photos of the victims and the real search notices. I hope we have respected their memories. While denouncing the atrocities of this monster, we do not forget the victims."
Væ Victis is a concept album that explores the darkest and most depraved spaces of the human psyche. Further evolving their sound, Akiavel takes a radical approach to their musical assault, consuming the listener with dizzying maelstroms of chaos. Væ Victis embodies the word “death,” putting forth an intrusive battery of blistering guitars, pummeling drums, and scathing vocals that culminates in one of the most robust death metal records the genre has seen yet.
Væ Victis is available on CD, with limited edition signed and numbered vinyl pressings. Order yours now at this location.
Tracklisting:
"Frozen Beauties"
"Bind Torture Kill"
"Zombie"
"Needles From Hell"
"Comrade"
"Medium"
"The Lady Of Death"
"Pentagram Tattoo"
"Mommy I'm Capable"
"Matrimonial Advertisements"
The Two Minutes To Late Night crew are back with a new video.
"It is the year 2005. The Cybertronic Spree have teamed up Two Minutes to Late Night to bring you a cover beyond good, beyond evil, beyond your wildest imaginations (which was also in the third act of Boogie Nights for 20 seconds). This is our 43rd bedroom cover made with the support of Patreon. Become a Patreon patron today and get access to exclusive rewards like patches, t-shirts, even custom songs! Plus, you get to see every cover we make before it publicly premieres."
This cover features:
- Arcee, Hot Rod, Unicron, Rumble, Shockwave, and Quintesson from The Cybertronic Spree
- Courtney Cox - The Iron Maidens
- Chris Hornbrook - Poison The Well, Greg Puciato
- Stephen Brodsky - Mutoid Man, Cave In, Old Man Gloom, New Idea Society
- Jordan Olds aka Gwarsenio Hall
DEATHRIDERS, the band featuring featuring Neil Turbin (ANTHRAX) on vocals, Jonas Hornqvist of guitar, Richard Svard on bass, and Matt Thompson (KING DIAMOND) on drums, has released its debut single and video produced by KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque at Sonic Train Studios in Varberg, Sweden. "Never Surrender" is taken from the DEATHRIDERS' upcoming debut album, "The Metal Beast". The video was edited by Jimmy Kay of The Metal Voice and was shot on location at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas and Sonic Train Studios.
Turbin stated: "The new song 'Never Surrender' combines power, melody, neoclassical and thrash in a way that I didn't have the opportunity to sing like I did on [ANTHRAX's] 'Fistful Of Metal' and 'Armed And Dangerous'.
"I can't wait for everyone to hear our new album. The album is so diverse — there are many tracks leaning on the thrash side but there are also many tracks which are melodic and technical as well.
"DEATHRIDERS packs a punch with a brilliant team of high-precision players."
ANTHRAX has had a number of vocalists — including Turbin, Joey Belladonna, Dan Nelson and John Bush — over the last 40 years, with guitarist Scott Ian and drummer Charlie Benante remaining the sole bandmembers who have appeared on every one of the group's studio albums.
Turbin performed and recorded with ANTHRAX on the original demo recordings and the band's debut album, "Fistful Of Metal". He wrote the lyrics to all songs on that LP with exception of the cover of Alice Cooper's "I'm Eighteen", and also has writing credits on five of the seven songs on the band's "Armed And Dangerous" EP, as well as two songs on "Spreading The Disease".
Ottawa’s brutal duo, Deformatory, has crafted a maniacal and unconventional approach to extreme metal that has garnered the devotion of fans worldwide ever since their debut EP, A Prelude Of…, in 2011. This year, they are releasing their third album, Inversion Of The Unseen Horizon, with a sci-fi concept that picks up where 2016’s Malediction left off. Over time, as members joined and left the band, their sound has been reworked and redefined.
Deformatory explains further: “Initially, there were so many different ideas and flavours trying to get crammed into Deformatory that it never felt locked in. It’s safe to say that the new songs, especially for this album, are the closest Deformatory have ever been to truly sounding like itself.”
When asked what fans can expect from Deformatory, they reply: “No frills. No bullshit. Just straight-up death metal. The goal is to leave people wondering what the hell just happened. A maniacal frenzy.”
The lyrics for this album are partly inspired by The Scarlet Gospels by Clive Barker’s and guitarist and vocalist Charlie Leduc’s own interpretation and expansion of the Hellraiser mythos. This is the foundation block that helped to propel the entire concept, which was uniquely crafted and independently developed. The single and final track on the record, “Beyond The Abhorrence” starts to draw a conclusion to the predicament of an evil race of inter-dimensional light devourers find themselves in.
A sonically relentless death metal experience, Deformatory is recommended for fans of Morbid Angel, Origin, and Hate Eternal.
The music video for “Beyond The Abhorrence”, which was created by Riivata Visuals (who did the recent “Disruptor” music video for Fear Factory) can be viewed below:
Inversion Of The Unseen Horizon will be released on September 3. Pre-order on Bandcamp.
Tracklisting:
Chapter I – Inception: The Cyru’xilean Nexus
“Within The Astral Abscess”
“Behold, The Apex Of Decay”
“Engineering The Wvrmhorde”
Chapter II – Incursion: The Prototypal Eschaton
“Summoning The Cosmic Devourer”
“Masticated By An Infinite Shadow”
“In The Embervoid Where Dead Stars Reign”
Chapter III – Inversion: The Horizontal Reflection
“Deciphering The Archetype”
“Impaled Upon The Carrionspire”
“Beyond The Abhorrence”
India-based metal trio MIdhaven has revealed the first single, “Primal Song", from the forthcoming Of The Lotus & The Thunderbolt concept album, scheduled for release on July 8. Watch the video for “Primal Song,” which premiered yesterday via Rolling Stone India to coincide with the Summer Solstice, below.
The three-piece Mumbai-based band fuses traditional metal with progressive and modern rock to create earth shattering, heavy music with soaring guitars, operatic vocals, guttural growls and war track ready drums, polished off by deeply fascinating lyrical concepts.
“Of The Lotus & The Thunderbolt is extremely complex and revolves around concepts of time and rebirth,” the band says. “We follow the single but universal soul on its journey to realization, with symbolisms that are deeply rooted in the collective Indian subconscious. They are curated in a manner wherein each song appears as though it’s a chapter in a book, conveying individual meanings that when heard together form a holistic understanding of the universe.”
The melancholic and anguished tracks “Codeman” and “Para Brahman” focus on the existential search for “the reason why,” while the screams and cries of the past echo through “Primal Song” with its rage-induced lyrics and grimy vocals, conjuring images of man’s animalistic need to maraud and destroy. “Zhitro” and “Mahakaal” are the heavyweights of the album, ushering in Indian elements of dark, experimental sounds that are at once groundbreaking and heavy. Riddled with references to the ancient past, “Mahakaal” is the running theme of the album - consuming the world we exist in.- and an homage to Shiva, the Hindu god known as the Destroyer.
Of The Lotus & The Thunderbolt’s artwork, brought to life by prolific indie artist Gaurav Basu (aka Acid Toad), reflects the theme of the album, presenting a gorgeous visual representation of the album’s concept. The record was mixed and mastered by ARIA nominated and internationally renowned Australian producer Forrester Savell (Animals As Leaders, Make Them Suffer, Karnivool), who adds a touch of polish and refinement while not straying far from the raw, analog recording process.
Of The Lotus & The Thunderbolt tracklisting:
"Para Brahman"
"Primal Song "
"Codeman"
"The Immanent Effervesence Of Sorrow"
"Zhitro"
"Mahakaal"
"Bhairav"
"Primal Song" video:
Formed in 2012, MIdhaven grew quickly with the launch of their first release, the 2013 EP Tales From The Tide. The trio soon became one of the first major signings of an Indian metal band to a worldwide record label, Universal Music Group (UMG), which release MIdhaven’s debut full-length, Spellbound, in 2014. Like Of The Lotus & The Thunderbolt, Spellbound was also a concept album and featured re-recorded tracks from Tales From The Tide. MIdhaven has been nominated for the VH1 Sound Nation awards in the category of Best Metal Act, performed live on VH1’s Indian Music Diaries, and was nominated for Radio City’s Best Metal Live Act in 2015.
RESIST & BITE, the new band featuring former TESLA guitarist Tommy Skeoch, has released the official music video for its second single, "Fate". Joining him in the group are ex-LYNCH MOB lead vocalist Nathan Utz, guitarist Steve Stokes, drummer David Parks and bassist Brian Powell.
RESIST & BITE is currently mixing its debut album, which was recorded over a 21-period at Sound Stage Studios in Nashville, Tennessee with producer and engineer Michael Rosen.
RESIST & BITE's debut single, "The Myth I'm Livin'", came out in March 2020.
Skeoch left TESLA in 2006 and went on to receive treatment for substance-abuse issues. He has since been replaced by Dave Rude. Asked in an interview with SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" if he exited the group of his own accord or if he was asked to leave, Tommy said: "I was fired. I was getting fucked up and I was definitely in the wrong about a lot of stuff, and they put up with it for a long time. But at the same time, none of us were angels, and we put up with a lot of stuff from the other guys for a long time too, and they're still there. So I felt like a little scapegoated by the thing. And the other thing is they didn't want people — I guess for the benefit of my family, so it wouldn't look bad — they said, 'Tommy's just gonna spend time [with his family].' That's why nobody knows, and that's why you're asking this question. Everyone's confused on even what happened. Basically, I was fired. I was getting fucked up, and I kept fucking up, and I kept telling 'em I wouldn't, and I just couldn't stop."
Skeoch added that he accepts responsibility for the circumstances that led to his departure from TESLA. "I do, of course," he said. "But I also believe we put up with a lot of shit for a long time from almost every other guy in the band, and they're still there. So I don't know what's up with that; that's a little weird to me."
Last September, TESLA guitarist Frank Hannon was asked by Detroit's WRIF radio station if the band will ever work with Skeoch again. Hannon said: "When we were kids, Tommy Skeoch and myself, I was 16 and he was about 19 or 20. I used to really look up to him — I was a huge fan of his style, and still am, a great fan of his guitar playing. We were like best buds. And then we would collaborate and write songs like 'Modern Day Cowboy' or any of those TESLA songs, we'd write 'em together. But as time went on, man, the egos and the problems — myself included — throughout the years, the competition, it really drove a wedge between us. And the drugs and alcohol just really destroyed our relationship, I've just gotta be honest. We weren't supposed to talk about this stuff, but now I figure it's been long enough.
"I don't see that TESLA will ever go back, because we love Dave Rude, and Dave has really been a great addition to the band. And it would be disrespectful to him to go backwards to a toxic thing, a relationship that really got very toxic.
"Unfortunately, I don't think that TESLA will work with Tommy again — ever," Frank reiterated. "But I will say that myself, personally, I have always loved Tommy and I just wish him the best. I'm so glad that he's still alive, and I know he's got a new band out [RESIST & BITE] that put a song out called 'The Myth I'm Livin''. It was kick-ass; it had Tommy's guitar. Look, I'm getting goosebumps right now. Every time I hear Tommy Skeoch play, it brings a smile to my face, 'cause he's freakin' awesome. As a musician, I have nothing but love and respect for the guy. But I don't think TESLA will ever work with him again. But I do wish him the best."
In a 2011 interview with Noisecreep, TESLA singer Jeff Keith stated about Skeoch: "Look, everyone in TESLA has been through their own substance-abuse issues. But Tommy got in too deep again. So the band told him that the only way we would be able to make this work is if he was clean and sober. I felt like we couldn't ask him to do that if we weren't going to commit to it too. So I was the first one to say that I wouldn't drink, or do anything else, on the tour. The next thing you know, the other guys did the same thing. Troy [Luccketta, drums] has been clean and sober for over 20 years, so it wasn't even an issue for him... Tommy couldn't stay off the stuff he was doing. It broke my heart to see it, but we knew we had to replace him."
The Indian old school metal institution Kryptos returns with the sixth studio album, Force Of Danger, out October 1 via AFM Records. A video for the title track is streaming below. Preorder at the AFM webshop.
Kryptos stay true to their roots in old school metal: It's old school or no school. Prepare for termination because this metal juggernaut is coming in for the kill.
The Finnish hard rock act Brother Firetribe released their acclaimed album Feel The Burn, filled with charming vibes from the ‘80s, last September. After the pandemic wiped out their touring schedule, the band took on a new venture by releasing the short movie Night Drive, starring renowned Finnish actors and singer Pekka Heino. Now the group is at it again, but this time, instead of cruising with big American cars, it's time to look up in the sky, as Brother Firetribe release a phenomenal flight video to go along with their new single “Thunder Rising”.
"Living in these weirdest of times we sat down one night, lit a few candles, opened up a nice bottle of red and had a long talk about what to do. It was clear that we really had no other options than to write a song about… fighter planes. Get ready – thunder’s rising!" singer Pekka Heino jokes around.
The actual story behind the song is that it all started with a fan request: the aerobatic pilots of SKYTEXTER contacted the band, asking them about the possibility of getting a theme song to use in their performances. Brother Firetribe took the request seriously and went one step further, and ended up composing a Top Gun inspired fighter plane song called Thunder Rising. The rock song, climaxing to a marvelous guitar solo and oozing with kerosine, needed a matching music video – and the band got what they asked for.
"Filming this kind of material is very expensive, but the project was done as a collaboration: the band wrote the song and SKYTEXTER shot the footage exclusively for Brother Firetribe. We then filmed the band's parts on a runway, and the result of all this can be seen on the video. The group of SKYTEXTER are the absolute cream of the crop in acrobatic flying in the world, so this is definitely a breath-taking, stunning and a phenomenal video", the video's producer Jani Wilund says.
Brother Firetribe's summer gigs are starting up in about a month's time. The band is touring in Finland as follows:
July
24 – Lappeenranta, Finland – Rock In The City
30 – Kerava, Finland – Rock In The City
August
7 – Joensuu, Finland – Rock In The City
13 - Jyväskylä, Finland – Rock In The City
20 – Tampere, Finland - Satamaravintola Kaisla
21 – Pori, Finland – Rock In The City
28 – Nokia, Finland – Tuhdimmat Tahdit
30 – Tampere, Finland – Yo-talo
Video of GREAT WHITE singer Mitch Malloy performing a solo acoustic cover version of the JOURNEY classic "Open Arms" can be seen below.
Mitch is perhaps best known for his brief stint with VAN HALEN after the band split with Sammy Hagar. In 1996, Malloy was invited to Eddie Van Halen's studio to try out for the group and recorded a demo of the classic "Panama" before being told by Eddie he got the gig. However, his joining VAN HALEN was reportedly overridden by then-manager Ray Danniels, who wanted Gary Cherone (EXTREME) as Hagar's replacement.
Malloy's involvement with VAN HALEN is the focus of a short documentary, "Mitch Malloy: Van Halen's Lost Boy", which was uploaded to YouTube in 2013.
Malloy joined GREAT WHITE as the replacement for Terry Ilous, who was fired from the group in July 2018.
Mitch, who relocated to Destin, Florida from Nashville, Tennessee in 2019, told Destin Life about how he landed the GREAT WHITE gig: "I had a friend who knew some guys in the band, and one day he and I were talking, and he just mentioned, 'Hey, I think GREAT WHITE could really use you. They're looking for a new singer.' It just all worked out. It's been great, and it also allows me to pursue my solo projects."
The 59-year-old's influences include AEROSMITH, CHEAP TRICK, HEART, FOGHAT and DEEP PURPLE.
Fan-filmed video footage of VIXEN's June 17 performance at The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon in Ft. Myers, Florida can be seen below.
Earlier this month, VIXEN guitarist Brittany Denaro (a.k.a. Britt Lightning) spoke to Talking Metal about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's next studio album. "Well, it's going a little bit slower than we had anticipated," she said. "Before COVID, we had a bunch of writing sessions — in person — scheduled, where we all just get together and hang out and work on stuff.
"We all live in different states across the country, actually — from L.A. to Michigan to Florida — we're very spread out," she explained. "So it's not easy to travel. And honestly, nobody is super jazzed about sending tracks back and forth, trying to record it separately and everything like that. So we got a little bit slowed down. But we've got some great ideas. We're gonna be seeing each other in a couple of weeks, so we're really looking forward to getting back on track and just finishing the writing so we can get in the studio and bang this thing out. I'm very anxious to have it done. I know we've been talking about it for a while."
Asked about the musical direction of the new VIXEN material, Britt, who has been in the band since 2017, said: "Definitely it will be traditional VIXEN. When you hear it, I think you're gonna know it's VIXEN. We're gonna keep with the big three-part harmonies, the big, catchy choruses, cool, rocking riffs and solos and that thumpin' bass and, of course, Roxy's [Petrucci, drums] awesome sound. I think it'll be a slightly modern twist maybe — I think maybe I bring that a little bit, but I've been so influenced by VIXEN and other bands from that era that I think it's gonna stay consistent. And we want that — we don't want fans to be, like, 'What the heck is this? This isn't the band that I love.' But I think it's gonna be a good mix."
Britt's comments echo those made by VIXEN singer Lorraine Lewis, who told Metal-Net last November that the band's new material is "always going to sound like VIXEN as far as harmonies — [which is] really important to us — but really fresh. Lots of messages, lots of what our journey has been as individual women. And we're all just kind of putting our horses together, and I'm really excited. I'm just stoked to be in the studio again.
"We don't have it a hundred percent mapped out," Lorraine admitted. "Right now, we're still in writing process, we're still working on stuff — lots of lyrics and just kind of sharing them with all of us. Sharing choruses with [producer] Fred [Coury from CINDERELLA]. He says, 'Yes, this is a great chorus. Let's work on this.' So we're really, really happy and proud to be working with him. He believes in us, and he believes in me, which I really, really love. We've had a really great couple of talks in the studio and otherwise, like with Britt there, and him just saying, 'You guys have everything going for you. You have an amazing band. You're a legacy band. And you've got Lorraine doing vocals for you.' And I'm so appreciative that he believes in me and he thinks I can sing anything. When Fred tells you that you can do anything, you believe it. So I'm really excited to go into the studio and work with him. And I'm really honored that he has said some of the things that he said to me. So the sky's the limit here.'
Lewis added: "I wanna release a really powerful, amazing record. And let's get a couple of singles out there, and let's revise the VIXEN legacy and keep on rocking."
In January 2019, VIXEN recruited Lewis as its new lead singer following the departure of Janet Gardner.
Lewis had already performed with VIXEN in March 2018 in Durant, Oklahoma while Gardner was recovering from surgery.
Prior to Lewis's addition to VIXEN, Petrucci, Ross and Denaro vowed to "expand upon the VIXEN legacy while remaining true to our musical roots."
Gardner, who released her debut self-titled solo album in 2017, broke the news of her exit from the group on January 16, 2019.
Gardner, Petrucci and Ross are considered to be part of VIXEN's classic lineup, along with founding guitarist Jan Kuehnemund, who died of cancer in October 2013.
Gardner contributed lead vocals to VIXEN's most commercially successful studio albums — "Vixen" (1988), "Rev It Up" (1990) and "Tangerine" (1998) — as well as the group's latest release, 2018's live album "Live Fire".
UK melodic rockers Blood Red Saints have returned to the Frontiers label, who originally worked with them in 2015 on their debut, for their next studio album. August 6 will see the release of the fourth studio album from the English rockers, Undisputed.
Musically, the album is a return to the melodic rock style as heard on the band's debut, Speedway, which earned them fan and critical praise from the broader melodic rock community. Today, fans can get their first look at the album with the release of the single and video, "Heaven In Headlights". Watch the video below, and pre-order/save the new album here.
"'Heaven in the Headlights' is the song that defined this album's direction. We wrote this and knew we had the first single. It's us trying to bring a feel good vibe in a world that is in need of a little fun," says vocalist Pete Godfrey. "The new album, Undisputed is Blood Red Saints doing what we do best and we could not be more proud of this album," he adds.
Written during the Covid-19 pandemic, the recording of Undisputed took place at guitarist Lee Revills' home studio. "We didn't set out to write a certain type of record, we brought ideas to the table and they happened to be melodic. As we lived through the process and can reflect on these songs, this feels like it is shaping up to be our strongest album to date," says Revill.
Adds vocalist Pete Godfrey, "Undisputed is the idea behind the artwork being boxing themed, but for sure it's no concept album. We loved the analogy of the music industry being a fight to get your music heard, to get it out there, and to fight back against the people who want to knock you down. We are back and we're coming for you!"
Blood Red Saints were formed at the end of 2014 by singer Pete Godfrey and bassist Rob Naylor from the band Angels or Kings. They quickly got to work writing their debut album. Their search for a name ended with the chance discovery of a semi-legendary Speedway team “The Blood Red Saints”, who were formed in the late 1920s in Brooklyn, New York. Their leader 'Freddie Rendetti' became synonymous with the team and was a fiery, colorful character who ultimately lived the fast life a little too fast. The band loved the name and ran with it.
James Martin of Vega came along and was instrumental in getting the band signed to Frontiers Music Srl for their debut album, Speedway. James and his twin brother Tom also co-wrote two songs on the album and none other than Harry Hess (Harem Scarem) took care of the mastering of the album.
The band’s debut album was an impressive slice of classic British AOR, following in the traditions of early Dare, FM, and Newman. The band then went on to record two well-received albums, Love Hate Conspiracies and Pulse, for AOR Heaven, but have now returned to Frontiers for their forthcoming fourth album, Undisputed.
Tracklisting:
"This Ain't A Love Song"
"Love Like War"
"Heaven In The Headlights"
"Breathe Again"
"Caught In The Wreckage"
"Karma"
"Come Alive"
"Alibi"
"Undisputed"
"Complete"
"All I Wanna Do"
"Heaven In The Headlights" video:
Lineup:
Pete Godfrey - Vocals, Bass
Lee Revill - Guitar
Neil Hibbs - Guitar
Andy Chemney - Drums
For their upcoming Atavistic Black Disorder / Kommando EP, the most notorious black metal band have reflected on their influences by covering songs from bands like Discharge, Dead Kennedys, Rudimentary Peni and Ramones with an impressive bursting and darkened sound.
Members of Discharge comment in this new video trailer:
In addition to the mentioned cover versions, Mayhem have issued a previously unreleased track called "Voces Ab Alta", which was recorded during the Daemon session.
The video was done by high the praised artwork and video wizard Costin Chioreanu (Ghost, Opeth, Napalm Death) who impressively captured the atmosphere and the darkness of this performance visually.
The video can be seen below, and the song is also available on all major streaming platforms, here.
The Atavistic Black Disorder / Kommando EP will be released on July 9.
The visual concept was once again handled by Italian designer Daniele Valeriani (Lucifer’s Child, Dark Funeral) who already took care of the artwork for their previous long player Daemon.
The band comments: “I always had some punk influences,” says Attila. “I guess it comes from my childhood when we were constantly looking for more extreme music. That’s how I discovered Dead Kennedys, GBH, The Exploited, Sex Pistols, U.K. Subs, Discharge, Rudimentary Peni and so on, in the early 80’s, alongside heavy metal. But then I discovered Venom, that was a game changer!”
Necrobutcher further adds: “We got some extra time in the studio recording the Daemon album two years ago, all band members were asked to punch in two cover tracks for some extra material. I chose songs by Deathstrike (The Truth) and Death (Evil Dead) which were both used as the bonus tracks on the album. My other contribution was to bring in two old members because of their obvious connection with punk: Maniac on the Dead Kennedys track and Billy (Messiah) on the Discharge track and some of the others.”
“Atavistic Black Disorder / Kommando” EP is available in the following formats:
* Deluxe silver 180g LP + CD Box Set (incl. 3 Art Prints + Slipmat)
- The 3 available graphics make up the overall concept from the already released visuals of the Daemon Box Set. The total of 6 graphics were considered as an alternative cover versions of the Daemon album and will not be reproduced after this limited edition run.
- The Slipmat contains a special print of the back cover (Punk-Head) of this EP!
- Limited to 1,000 units
(500 CM Distro Wholesale & CM EU Shop / 300 Band Shop / 200 CM US Shop)
* CD Digipak
* 180g LP (double sided album cover!)
- Black LP (all outlets)
- Grey LP – 300 units (CM Distro Wholesale & CM EU Shop)
- Tangerine LP – 200 units (CM US Shop)
- Creamy white LP – 300 units (EMP)
- Dark Green LP – 300 units (Nuclear Blast)
- Deep Blood Red LP – 300 units (Mayhem Webshop)
- Aqua LP – 500 units (US Indie Stores)
* Digital EP
Pre-Order for all formats starts today and can be made here.
Tracklisting:
Side A
"Voces Ab Alta"
"Black Glass Communion"
"Everlasting Dying Flame"
Side B
"In Defense Of Our Future" (Discharge cover)
"Hellnation" (Dead Kennedys cover)
"Only Death" (Rudimentary Peni cover)
"Commando" (Ramones cover)
Dutch death metallers, Pestilence, will release their new album, Exitivm, on June 25 via Agonia Records. The band has released a music video for a new track titled "Sempiternvs". The video was recorded at Paard in the Netherlands with post production by Stratos Kountouras (Varathron).
A new album, on a new label armed with a whole new lineup and a new dynamic: no matter what, Pestilence - or more specifically their maestro Patrizio Mameli - is like the phoenix, rising from the ashes, over and over again. An official website has been launched for Exitivm, providing access to all relevant information surrounding the new album, here.
Back in 1986, in the small town of Enschede in the Netherlands, nearby the German border, a true metal phenomenon was born. More than three decades later, not only is Pestilence alive and well, but about to once again reaffirm their place in the extreme metal pantheon, with their ninth studio album entitled Exitivm, which is Latin for "total destruction".
As controversial as he can be to some, nobody will ever deny the band’s undisputable driving force, Patrizio Mameli, and his constant ability to reinvent himself. Unlike most of the bands in the scene, Pestilence just keeps evolving. From the raging thrash leanings of their cult 1988 debut Malleus Maleficarum to the jazz-infused versatility of 1993’s Spheres or 2009’s Resurrection Macabre frontal assault, not to mention the fans’ favorite and Scott Burns-produced Testimony Of The Ancients from 1991, he never did the same record twice. No matter who playes with him on any Pestilence album, Mameli always gets the best out of the musicians he is working with. But first and foremost, the man has a one-of-a-kind vision, instantly recognizable style and yet always stretching musical boundaries. And it’s never more true than on Exitivm.
After a vast reissue campaign in between 2015 and 2018 and an acclaimed new album Hadeon, the band got seemingly stopped in their mission to conquer the death metal scene in early 2020, like everybody else, by the global pandemic, going as far as forcing some of the band’s Hadeon line-up members to drop the towel. But what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger and instead of letting that whole situation drag him down, Mameli chose to do the exact opposite and write the best and darkest album possible to date. And he just did that. With its ambitious lyrical concept about "global domination", "induced mental illness", "inner and outer demons" and malicious external entities, Exitivm is propelling the band one again to the forefront of the death metal movement with yet another original and brilliant artistic overhaul.
Mind you, as soon as you’re past the very cinematic introduction "In Omnibvs", you’re instantly caught up by "Morbvs Propagationem" whose intense riffing will take back to the Testimony days. Except that their core sound has been revived, with now extra layers of ominous soundscapes ingeniously suggesting an atmosphere of suspence and horror, boosted by Mameli’s jazz-fusion impressive solo works and a renewed sense of urgency. This rejuvenation, with emphasis on "new musical landscapes but also sick and twisted riffs" as stated by Mameli himself, is no accident though. Not only has Mameli been extremely inspired by the turmoil humanity had to face since March 2020 but with a line-up once again, entirely based in the Netherlands and made up of only super-seasoned players – besides former Dew Scented and Creepmime Joost van der Graaf on bass and Bleeding Gods’ Rutger van Noordenburg on lead guitar, former God Dethroned Michiel van der Plicht joined on drums last year – Pestilence is more than ever a BAND where everybody feeds off of each other's musical talent. And it definitely shows.
With the exception of the drums - tracked down by van der Plicht himself at his home studio - the album was recorded over a period of two months in between June and August 2020 at Pitchnote Productions. The album has been produced, like all Pestilence albums, by Mameli and is co produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Jory Hogeveen (Shinigami and Ancient Rites). Last March, the band filmed their second ever official video – three decades after Land Of Tears – for the song "Morbvs Propagationem". Exitivm will be available in various formats, including supra-limited picture, pin-wheel, "firebreath" and clear vinyl versions. The cover artwork once again brought the band’s iconic sphere and was done by Michal "Xaay" Loranc, known for his various cover for Nile, God Detheroned or Evocation and who had already worked on "Hadeon".
Both a reinvention and a confirmation of everything the band has been standing for since 1986, thirty-five years later Pestilence are more than ever breaking new grounds and exploring the further outposts of the extreme metal sound on Exitivm.
Formats:
- Jewelcase CD
- Digi CD
- Box CD
- Black LP
- Ultra Clear LP
- Blood Vanilla LP*
- Picture LP**
- Pinwheel LP***
- Firebreath LP***
- Digital
* Bandcamp exclusive
** With antistatic all-print slipmat only at Agonia Webshop
*** Agonia Webshop exclusive
THE WILDHEARTS will release a new studio album, "21st Century Love Songs", on September 3 through Graphite Records. It is the follow-up to "Renaissance Men", THE WILDHEARTS' highest-charting album since 1994's "P.H.U.Q.", which debuted at No. 11.
The official lyric video for the LP's first single, "Remember These Days", can be seen below.
THE WILDHEARTS frontman Ginger (real name David Walls) said: "Sometimes inspiration strikes at exactly the right point in time. I was sitting blind drunk one afternoon, looking at a picture of me and CJ on stage having a great old time. It had been a year since we'd played live and I started to miss it even more. So I started writing this song.
"I never write while drunk," he explained. "I've probably my done it half a dozen times in my life. But the picture got me all emotional, thinking about how much fun we used to have, even in the 'bad old days.' It made me want to document these times because who knows, maybe we'll look back on these times and remember only the good things."
With THE WILDHEARTS' classic line up of Ginger, CJ, Ritchie and Danny still holding strong, this creatively brilliant band, who helped change the landscape of British rock through the '90s, is showing no sign of slowing down.
"21st Century Love Songs" will be available in usual CD and vinyl formats plus an exclusive limited-edition red vinyl. There's also signed photocards with each format whilst stock lasts, as well as t-shirt bundles available from the band's webstore.
Ginger previously stated about "21st Century Love Songs": "'Renaissance Men' reminded me of our first album, 'Earth Vs The Wildhearts'. No one knew how the fans and press would receive it, so it was balls-to-the-wall rock, and fuck 'em if they don't like it. Going in again, for '21st Century Love Songs', naturally reminded me of our second album, 'P.H.U.Q.', where we got to flex our creative muscle and show everyone what we're capable of. This time we let the songs simmer until absolutely ready. We let the theme of the album present itself. There's a subtlety to this album, something that people don't often associate with THE WILDHEARTS, and a sense of adventure in the unorthodox arrangements of the songs. This is where I become a fan of the band, when we ditch the rule book and just follow our instinct. Sarcastic, fun, angry, proud, experimental and belligerent, all wrapped up in a big 'fuck you', this is the sound of the band in their natural habitat. This time we're in control."
To celebrate the release of "21st Century Love Songs", THE WILDHEARTS will embark on an 18-date U.K. tour in September. The tour will start in Cardiff on Friday, September 3 and conclude in Southampton on Saturday, September 25.
Welsh metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE played their new song "Knives" live for the first time on Sunday, June 20 as part of the Download Pilot festival at Donington Park in Leicestershire, United Kingdom. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.
"Knives" is the first single from BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's new, self-titled album, which will be released on October 22 via Spinefarm/Search & Destroy. According to a press release, the LP sees the band open a bold new chapter and is "easily their heaviest, fiercest album so far."
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE frontman Matt Tuck told Rock Sound about "Knives": "We just wanted to come back with a song which we thought was kind of a bit of a suckerpunch, really. It speaks for itself. I don't know what to say about it, really. I don't think a lot of people saw it coming, which is what we wanted. That's what a suckerpunch is. It's heavy, it's aggressive, it's gnarly. It is what it is. I love it. The whole album's like that."
Regarding the decision to make the new BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE album a self-titled affair, Tuck said: "Well, I think 'Knives' says why. We're kind of — not in a negative way — we're letting go of the past, and we wanted to start fresh. And we thought now's the time. Everyone feels good. Everyone's in a really good place. And we wanted to come out swinging. We just feel it's a statement record. When people hear 'Knives', they'll be, like, 'Oh, shit.' Wait till you hear the rest of the record. It's a statement record for us. And we felt like the time was right to kind of put our flag in the sand. BULLET are here, and this is who we are now, and this is where we are going."
The official music for "Knives", directed by Fiona Garden, can be seen below.
"Bullet For My Valentine" follows the success of the band's last album, 2018's "Gravity", which saw the metal juggernauts' catalogue surpass 1 billion streams in the U.S. That accomplishment solidifies BULLET's hard-earned status as one of the most elite bands in the hard rock scene.
Tuck began writing "Bullet For My Valentine" in September 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic brought things screeching to a halt in early 2020. But in June 2020, Tuck and longtime producer, Carl Bown, who co-produced the band's 2015 album, "Venom", and produced and mixed "Gravity", picked up the pace again. Together, they hunkered down at Treehouse Studio in Chesterfield, where the remainder of the album was written.
GARBAGE has released a video for the song "The Creeps", created by Chilean film director, animator and painter Javi Mi Amor. The track is taken from the band's seventh studio album, "No Gods No Masters", which came out on June 11 via Stunvolume/Infectious Music.
"This is our seventh record, the significant numerology of which affected the DNA of its content: the seven virtues, the seven sorrows, and the seven deadly sins," says the band's frontwoman Shirley Manson of the album and its twists and turns from capitalism and lust to loss and grief. "It was our way of trying to make sense of how fucking nuts the world is and the astounding chaos we find ourselves in. It's the record we felt that we had to make at this time."
Produced by GARBAGE and long-time collaborator Billy Bush, the seeds for "No Gods No Masters" were planted in summer 2018 in the desert in Palm Springs. The quartet — Manson and bandmates Duke Erikson, Steve Marker and Butch Vig — convened at a home belonging to one of Marker's relatives and sketched out the skeleton of the album over two weeks, jamming, experimenting and feeling the songs out. They then took those demos and went their separate ways before connecting in Los Angeles to finish the record.
GARBAGE has also unveiled a deluxe CD/digital version of "No Gods No Masters" featuring covers of classic tracks by David Bowie, Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen along with rare GARBAGE originals. The deluxe version also features new voices, with appearances from Screaming Females, Brody Dalle, Brian Aubert, John Doe and Exene Cervenka.
Since releasing their eponymous debut album in 1995, GARBAGE has blazed a unique sonic trail, garnering critical acclaim and amassing a passel of hits as well as seven Grammy nominations along the way to 17 million albums sold.
"No Gods No Masters" track listing:
01. The Men Who Rule The World
02. The Creeps
03. Uncomfortably Me
04. Wolves
05. Waiting For God
06. Godhead
07. Anonymous XXX
08. A Woman Destroyed
09. Flipping The Bird
10. No Gods No Masters
11. This City Will Kill You
Deluxe Edition (bonus tracks)
12. No Horses
13. Starman
14. Girls Talk (feat. Brody Dalle)
15. Because The Night (feat. Screaming Females)
16. On Fire
17. The Chemicals (feat. Brian Aubert)
18. Destroying Angels (feat. John Doe & Exene Cervenka)
Former NIGHTWISH and current THE DARK ELEMENT vocalist Anette Olzon will release her new solo album, "Strong", on September 10 via Frontiers Music Srl. The first single and video, "Parasite", is available below.
"'Parasite' is a song about those who create disaster in this world with their lies, their schemes, their greed and hate. Hiding their intentions behind a respectable facade," says Olzon. "Living in a world of a bit of chaos with a pandemic, crazy politics, violence, social media behavior and people venting their opinions upon others all the time is the foundation behind the idea of the lyrics for the album. Musically, I wanted a much heavier album, yet with strong melodies and took my inspiration from bands I like such as DIMMU BORGIR and IN FLAMES."
Anette's second solo album, following 2014's "Shine", is a harder and faster musical offering than the debut. More importantly, "Strong" stakes a claim for Anette's well-deserved standing as one of the world's top female metal vocalists.
The music for "Strong" was written and composed together with acclaimed Swedish guitarist and producer Magnus Karlsson. Together, Anette and Magnus managed to create an outstanding collection of songs which showcase Anette's enormous vocal range alongside Karlsson's incendiary riffs. The songs are heavy, but still quite melodic and contemporary in their approach to the genre style. Additionally, "Strong" is mixed by Jacob Hansen (PRETTY MAIDS, VOLBEAT, THE DARK ELEMENT).
All in all, "Strong" is an album that masters the borders between heaviness and hookiness, all while showing an artist who doesn't rest on her laurels, but heads boldly into the future.
Track listing:
01. Bye Bye Bye
02. Sick Of You
03. I Need To Stay
04. Strong
05. Parasite
06. Sad Lullaby
07. Fantastic Fanatic
08. Who Can Save Them
09. Catcher Of My Dreams
10. Hear Them Roar
11. Roll The Dice
Recording lineup:
Anette Olzon - Vocals
Magnus Karlsson - Guitars
Anders Köllerfors - Drums
Johan Husgafvel - Bass
Olzon originally joined NIGHTWISH in 2007 and recorded two studio LPs with the band before being dismissed in 2012 in the middle of the group's North American tour. She was replaced by former AFTER FOREVER singer Floor Jansen.
Since the end of her five-year stint with NIGHTWISH, Olzon released "Shine" and formed THE DARK ELEMENT with former SONATA ARCTICA guitarist Jani Liimatainen. The group's self-titled debut album was released in 2017; a follow-up, "Songs The Night Sings", came out in November 2019.
Olzon and noted progressive metal vocalist Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X, ADRENALINE MOB) released a collaborative album titled "Worlds Apart" in March 2020 via Frontiers Music Srl. The project was issued under the moniker ALLEN/OLZON.
Italian power metallers Frozen Crown have shared a new playthrough clip featuring guitarist Federico Mondelli breaking down the solo in "Neverending", the first single from the band's second album, Crowned In Frost. Tabs for the song are available here.
The band recently issued the following update:
"Dear friends, we made it! And we made it together! Our new album is out now!
It's not easy to be a band in 2021. If you're an Italian band playing metal, it's even worse. If, in addition, you had to face a line-up change right before entering the studio for your third album during a pandemic, it's nightmare difficulty on Doom II played blindfold with both hands tied behind your back. But we made it, together with your INCREDIBLE support, and with these awesome new guys who fiercely conquered their place, fighting tooth and nail against time and odds proving they were meant to be a part of this.
Together with that genius called Andrea Fusini and his masterful work behind the machines, as well as our brother Luca Morselli and his unreal filming talent (who also holds the credits for this pic), and our label team, which is simply the best ever. Winterbane is a new beginning, like someone said, but also a confirmation. A message of perseverance and strength, a way to tell the world we are here to stay.
Thanks to the ones who have been with us since Day 1, thanks to the brand new fans, and also thanks to the ones amongst you who left, as they gave us the chance to prove to ourselves we don't need anyone to go forward.
Now enjoy this album as much as we enjoyed making it, let us know about your favorite songs, and be ready for A LOT of stuff, including a new official video clip as well as the usual weekly content on our YouTube channel."
Tracklist:
"Embrace The Night"
"Towards The Sun"
"Far Beyond"
"The Lone Stranger"
"Crown Eternal"
"The Water Dancer"
"Angels In Disguise" (feat Federica Lanna)
"Night Crawler" (Judas Priest cover)
"Tales Of The Forest"
"Blood On The Snow"
Winterbane was released on April 23rd on Scarlet Records and Marquee/Avalon (Japan).
Frozen Crown is:
Giada "Jade" Etro - Lead Vocals
Fabiola "Sheena" Bellomo - Lead Guitar
Federico Mondelli - Vocals and Lead Guitar
Francesco Zof - Bass
Niso Tomasini - Drums
ARTE Concert continues to roll out pro-shot footage from Hellfest filmed over the last several years. Check out Norwegian black metal legends Satyricon performing in Clisson, France at Hellfest 2015 below.
Setlist:
"The Rite of Our Cross"
"Our World, It Rumbles Tonight"
"Now, Diabolical"
"Black Crow on a Tombstone"
"Filthgrinder"
"With Ravenous Hunger"
"Nekrohaven"
"The Pentagram Burns"
"Mother North"
"K.I.N.G."
Satyricon have teamed up with artist Edvard Munch for an upcoming exhibit, opening in Norway in early 2022.
From the Munch Museum: The Norwegian black metal band Satyricon meets Edvard Munch’s art. The exhibition Satyricon & Munch explores the intersection of black metal and visual art, where a specially composed musical work is connected with a selection of Edvard Munch’s images. When you enter the large hall on Munch’s tenth floor, this exhibition will create an atmosphere that opens up new entrances to Edvard Munch’s work, and to Satyricon’s music.
Says Satyricon: "Since the fall of 2018, Satyricon has been working on the writing and recording of a musical work whose main objective is to create a symbiosis with Edvard Munch’s iconic art in an exhibition that will be held at the new Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway, opening 26/3/2022. Following the exhibition will be the release of the musical work in album format, carrying the same title as the exhibition, Satyricon & Munch.
"We consider this massive challenge the greatest honor of our career. Edvard Munch created some of the most iconic images in the world of art and through his career demonstrated the kind of courage and freedom we have always embraced and aspired to us as artists ourselves. To write music whose ambition is to take the art of Munch into uncharted territory, is quite a journey to be on», says Satyricon. «We look forward to sharing more details with you in the coming months."
Arte Concert and the organziers behind Hellfest have teamed up to bring you Testament's unedited stage show, captured live on June 23, 2019 in Clisson, France.
Setlist:
"Brotherhood Of The Snake"
"The Pale King"
"More Than Meets The Eye"
"Practice What You Preach"
"The New Order"
"Electric Crown"
"Into The Pit"
"Over The Wall"
"Disciples Of The Watch"
"The Formation Of Damnation"
Testament will be performing at the 2021 Blue Ridge Rock Festival in Danville, Virginia on September 9. Grab your tickets today at BlueRidgeRockfest.com.
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