Portuguese metallers MOONSPELL will release their 13th studio album, "Hermitage", on February 26, 2021 via Napalm Records. The official music video for the disc's third single, "All Or Nothing", can be seen below.
"All Or Nothing" brings back the ethereal and melodic sounds of MOONSPELL served by a beautiful musical landscape, and makes it most likely one of the deepest and most sincerely heart-breaking tunes the Portuguese dark metal titans have ever written.
"The video for 'All Or Nothing' was recorded in an empty theatre in Portugal and it's symbolic of our days," vocalist Fernando Ribeiro says. "Solitude dominates our lives and we divide our attentions and heartbeats at the groove of darkness and hope. At the mercy of all that can be and the nothing that we have to deal with right now. It's a song that relies on a more intimate melodic frame, emotional, autobiographic almost, about the joy and the sorrow that is being in a band."
He continues: "Life is a game you cannot win. You just have to play. Our job is done, we brought you joy. Every now and then."
While the world is struggling in the dark, MOONSPELL's forthcoming album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano (PARADISE LOST, PRIMORDIAL, GHOST, SÓLSTAFIR) at the Orgone Studios in the U.K. Building upon the sensitive facets of "Hermitage", one can expect an entertaining and revolutionary, yet epic journey through the darkest days of human existence. Beautifully crafted songs such as "The Greater Good" show us the modernity of the wolves in 2021, while other tracks embrace the MOONSPELL tradition of writing a dark, gothic metal record like no other band can. The ethereal and melodic sounds of MOONSPELL, while not straying away from their metal roots — influenced by underground metal bands such as BATHORY — make "Hermitage" most likely one of the deepest, surprising and most epic albums MOONSPELL has ever written.
With "Hermitage", MOONSPELL created a wonderfully intuitive and epic journey, but also a testament to what they've always loved the most: honest, emotional metal that binds us even in the darkest times.
Fernando said: "We know that we are entering the final years of our career as musicians: the winter of our lifetime. We don't care about people saying we're still young at heart, or 'leading' wolves in a pack. We are not! But we do care about how those around us feel about us, and this album is all about how we feel, our answers to your questions. Under these circumstances, we feel our musical stakes are higher than ever. For us, it's not about likes or algorithms, reach, or opportunity of growth. We only care about the music. Music does come first on this album you will hold in your hands soon enough."
He continued: "The record is about turning our backs to the conventions of modernity. We are currently convincing ourselves that it's all about us, that we (humanity) are everything. That the world revolves around us. However, ipsi facto, we are nothing and nothing revolves around us. Moonspell's goal, on these last turns around the Sun, are to write the best music we possibly can. To tell you a few stories with our lyrics, to be close to you in these times of distancing. We wish not to tease you or to influence you or to sell you our fish. We want to sit down with you at your table and feast together upon our notes and words. Like if we were close friends, like back in the time where music matters the most. In your bedroom listening to music, without having to post our smart remarks about it, inviting the hate in.
"'Hermitage' is an open-hearted invitation to simplicity. To be humble. To be thankful. To serve you solace. Provide you comfort, entertainment. We sincerely hope this call reaches you. That you kindly accept what we offer. That you take our music with you to the place you must feel as yours. To your secret place, to your hermitage. Blessed be."
"Hermitage" will be available in several highly limited and collectable deluxe editions, mediabook, cassette, all of them including the CANDLEMASS cover "Darkness In Paradise", but also as jewelcase and digital formats. The deluxe box will also include an etched seven-inch vinyl with another special bonus track, "The Great Leap Forward", as well as much more exciting additional collectable items.
"Hermitage" track listing:
01. The Greater Good
02. Common Prayers
03. All Or Nothing
04. Hermitage
05. Entitlement
06. Solitarian
07. The Hermit Saints
08. Apophthegmata
09. Without Rule
10. City Quitter (Outro)
+ Bonus tracks:
11. Darkness In Paradise (CANDLEMASS cover; available on LP, deluxe box, MC + mediabook)
12. The Great Leap Forward (7" vinyl; available in deluxe box)
Phil X, prolific studio guitarist, songwriter and renowned guitarist for Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees BON JOVI, and his band THE DRILLS will release a new single, "'I Love You' On Her Lips" on February 8 via Golden Robot Records. The track features Phil X on guitars and lead vocals, Daniel Spree on bass and backing vocals, and Gary Novak on drums. Gang vocals were laid down by Steve Ferlazzo, Joe Lester, Matt Starr and Marq Torien (BULLETBOYS).
"''I Love You' On Her Lips' is TOTAL DRILLS," Phil said. "A hooky, energetic, big guitar punch in the face with wit and a little silliness. Everyone knows someone who says one thing and feels another. This is that with a twist."
PHIL X & THE DRILLS recently completed work on their fifth album, "Stupid Good Lookings Vol. 2", which will be released in the near future on Golden Robot Records. Featuring a different drummer on every song, which reads like a who's who, with the likes of Tommy Lee, Liberty Devitto, Kenny Aronoff and Ray Luzier, the music promises to be extremely diverse.
PHIL X & THE DRILLS, have been enjoying a rapidly growing international fan base supported by the release of four strong albums: "Kick Your Ass In 17 Minutes" (2009), "We Bring The Rock N Roll" (2011), "We Play Instruments N Sh!t" (2012) and "Stupid Good Lookings Vol. 1" ( 2019).
First a prolific session guitar staple in Los Angeles, California, recording with the likes of Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie, Daughtry, Kelly Clarkson, Chris Cornell, among many others (and even extends to playing with Canadian rock royalty such as TRIUMPH, Aldo Nova, OUR LADY PEACE, Avril Lavigne, THEORY OF A DEADMAN and more), Phil X became known for hosting the "Fretted Americana" web show that boasted over 50 million collective views.
In March of 2016, Phil was invited to Electric Lady Studios in New York to record guitars and background vocals on the BON JOVI record "This House Is Not for Sale". The album was released later that year, reaching No. 1 on the charts, with the album artwork including Phil in the band shots, confirming his position in the band as an official member.
PHIL X & THE DRILLS are looking forward to delivering their "energetic guitar-driven rock that infects your senses with addictively great anthems" to the global masses.
Los Angeles, California's WEEZER will release its fourteenth studio album, titled "OK Human", on Friday, January 29 via Crush Music/Atlantic. The LP's first single, "All My Favorite Songs", can be heard below.
For anyone keeping score at home: 2020 was going to be the year of "Van Weezer" — the big riffs rock album WEEZER made as an homage to the metal bands they loved growing up — until, thanks to the global pandemic, it suddenly wasn't. The entire time, however, WEEZER frontman Rivers Cuomo was busy at the piano, writing a very different album that took inspiration from another vital musical touchstone of his youth: THE BEACH BOYS' "Pet Sounds". Throughout the summer of COVID-19, he and the band — along with a 38-piece orchestra — chipped away at masked recording sessions using all analogue technology until the record was complete. The result is an album called "OK Human" — a cheeky nod to RADIOHEAD's technophobic future-trip "OK Computer", but sounding nothing at all like that record.
Taking the listener bit by bit through parts of Cuomo's every day, it's a Technicolor symphonic spree that meditates on how over-and-under-connected we all are, particularly in a year where we can see each other with greater ease, but can't be physically near each other at all. In addition to it being the first time WEEZER have ever featured full orchestration on any of their records, "OK Human" is also packed to the brim with some of the best, most personal songs Cuomo has written in the last decade, all of which shine brighter and bolder with splashes of string and horn arrangements courtesy of album producer Jake Sinclair and arranger Rob Mathes. While showcasing Cuomo's impeccable songwriting skills, "OK Human" also has shades of beloved albums of yore — not just "Pet Sounds", but Harry Nilsson's "Nilsson Schmilsson"; Randy Newman's self-titled debut; the stacked harmonies of THE CARPENTERS' records; even tints of Francoise Hardy's "Message Personnel". It is possibly the only record ever created that waxes poetic on themes of loneliness, disconnection, and reaching middle age alongside references to Mrs. Dalloway, Blackpink, the La Brea Tar Pits, Audible, and vegetarian Indian takeout, among others.
It's hard to imagine any other band who came up in the alt haze of the '90s creating a simply perfect orchestral pop album, but that is exactly what WEEZER's done; "OK Human" is a testament to the excellent, enduring melodies Cuomo has written since WEEZER's inception, and the ones he continues to write today.
"OK Human" track listing:
01. All My Favorite Songs
02. Aloo Gobi
03. Grapes Of Wrath
04. Numbers
05. Playing My Piano
06. Mirror Image
07. Screens
08. Bird With A Broken Wing
09. Dead Roses
10. Everything Happens For A Reason
11. Here Comes The Rain
12. La Brea Tar Pits
WEEZER is Brian Bell (backing vocals, guitar), Rivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar, piano), Scott Shriner (backing vocals, bass) and Pat Wilson (drums).
WEEZER will be touring this summer as part of the rescheduled "Hella Mega" tour alongside GREEN DAY and FALL OUT BOY.
Ektomorf have released the third single off their upcoming album, Reborn, out January 22 via Napalm Records. On “Smashing The Past”, the Hungarian thrash metal power machine is at their best: speedy, crushing guitar riffs and smashing drums upon angry, hateful vocals by singer and guitarist Zoltan “Zoli” Farkas, topped off with a dizzying guitar solo. This is thrash metal in its truest form.
Singer/guitarist Zoli Farkas says about “Smashing The Past”: “This was the very first song I wrote for Reborn - not a single note, nor a beat changed since the day of writing this song until the day we recorded this in the studio. You can still prominently feel the influences from our predecessor album Fury on this track: fast, aggressive, with a groovy breakdown and spiced with a killer solo to top it off! In my opinion, this it’s the perfect last single off the new album - pure thrash!”
Since their debut, Hangok (1994), the four-piece around singer/guitarist Zoltán “Zoli” Farkas has regularly delivered new power to their devotees. Only three years after the release of their chart-breaking full-length, Fury (2018), Reborn ignites a blazing fire with its heavy sound and harsh lyrics that will burn any genre limitations to the ground. Their 15th studio album breathes the spirit of the “Big Four” - Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth - while at the same time, beginning a completely independent new chapter of Ektomorf.
Reborn will be released worldwide on January 22 as a bundle digipak CD along with a patch and shirt, as well as an exclusive red/black splatter gatefold LP with a slipmat and signed poster, limited to 200. Pre-order here.
Be prepared for this thunderous onslaught! With Reborn, Ektomorf confidently kicks off a new chapter, taking along anyone who crosses the path of this thrash metal bullet with them.
Tracklisting:
"Ebullition"
"Reborn"
"And The Dead Will Walk"
"Fear Me"
"Where The Hate Conceives"
"The Worst Is Yet To Come"
"Forsaken"
"Smashing The Past"
“And The Dead Will Walk” video:
"Reborn" video:
Ektomorf is:
Zoltán Farkas - Vocals, Guitars
Szebasztián Simon - Guitars
Csaba Zahorán - Bass
Kàlmàn Olàh – Drums
Avatar recently launched a series of concert streams, Avatar Ages - An Impossible Concert Experience, that is taking place over the course of January. The four-part concert film experience launched January 9 and features songs from Avatar’s celebrated catalog, starting with a performance of their latest album in full, Hunter Gatherer, out now via eOne.
Watch "Regret" / "House Of Eternal Hunt" from the January 16 show, below:
The subsequent January concerts will feature fan voted set lists - chosen by ticket purchasers - with songs from Avatar Country, Feathers & Flesh, Hail The Apocalypse, Black Waltz, Thoughts of No Tomorrow, Schlacht and Avatar. Tickets are now on sale here.
The schedule of Avatar Ages - An Impossible Concert Experience concert stream events is as follows:
- Saturday, January 23 - Age of Madness (Black Waltz and Hail the Apocalypse fan voted set list)
- Saturday, January 30 - Age of Memories (Thoughts of No Tomorrow, Schlacht and Avatar fan voted set list)
About the performances, frontman Johannes Eckerström says, “Nothing can top the feeling of standing eye to eye with the roaring beast that is a metal crowd, hungry for blood. Instead, what we are setting out to do is a series of shows we could never do on a normal stage. You will see Avatar as you've never seen us before. More music, more madness. We enter this with a game plan like no other, but ultimately the power is yours. This is something we'll create together. We have missed you.”
Concert stream tickets are available for individual shows and as a four-show package. Various ticket bundles are also available, offering exclusive merchandise such as t-shirts, hoodies, vinyl, and a commemorative laminate. A limited number of exclusive virtual Meet & Greets with the entire band are also available. Fans will be able to select their date and time period in advance, and after their personal Meet & Greet, they’ll receive a video file of their conversation, as well as the opportunity to take pictures during the experience. Visit AvatarAges.com for all details and to purchase tickets.
Each livestream debuts on its respective date at 1 PM, PT / 4 PM, ET / 10 PM, CET and remains on-demand for 72 hours.
Canadian tech death masters, Archspire, are now embarking on an exciting new endeavour and have launched their very own online cooking series, Good Morning Handsome!
Hosted by vocalist Oliver Rae Aleron and produced by guitarist Dean Lamb, the guys are now taking their technical skills to the kitchen to bring you the most unconventional and spicy cooking show that would have Julia Child rolling in her grave... and we mean that in a good way! You can watch the premiere episode, "Friends With Bennies", below.
"We are really stoked to announce the launch of our new cooking channel 'Good Morning Handsome,'" comments the band. "Although barking fast and noodling lots are our actual jobs, we wanted to make a show about cooking that's the opposite of horse shit like Gordon Dickhead Ramsey. We believe cooking should be fun and want to encourage everyone to learn about food in a non stressful or demeaning format. So subscribe to our channel and check out our pilot episode and hopefully learn a bit about how easy cooking actually is."
For more episodes, which will be rolling out in February, be sure to subscribe here.
Archspire recently completed the recording for the full-length follow up to 2017's JUNO Award nominated Relentless Mutation. The offering was once again recorded by Dave Otero and will be unleashed onto the masses in 2021. Stay tuned for more details.
"WE DID IT! We completed our 6-week sentence in Music Prison (Flatline Audio Studios in Colorado) with Tech Support Professional Dave Otero at the helm!" exclaims Archspire. "We went with Dave once again as a follow-up to our 2017 release: Relentless Mutation, where our deep love for him was first kindled. This album is a product of roughly two and a half years of writing, and we truly feel it's the most solid material we've ever created. This album is very fast, so please enjoy responsibly. Stay Tech!"
Moreover, the band has announced new European tour dates for November/December 2021. The band will be blasting through 12 cities at 350 bpm and a full list of confirmed shows can be viewed here, where tickets are now on sale.
Lineup:
Dean Lamb: guitar
Spencer Prewett: drums
Oliver Rae Aleron: vocals
Tobi Morelli: guitar
Jared Smith: bass
Legendary Norwegian outfit TrollfesT is back, ready to deliver their energizing and K.A.O.S-infused sound to the masses. TrollfesT are set to release their new dual-themed EP, Happy Heroes (out March 19 via Napalm Records), proving themselves as masters of K.A.O.S and madness more than ever before (with a wee sense of humor to boot).
As a first glimpse of what can be expected, the Norwegian Balkan Metal outfit have released their cover of Bobby McFerrin’s universally loved hit song, “Don’t Worry Be Happy”. TrollfesT give the classic tune a unique twist, making for a truly insane and chaotic reimagining unlike you’ve ever heard before! Along with the single, TrollfesT have released a music video in which the band literally goes mental – providing only a taste of what’s to come on Happy Heroes. Watch the clip below.
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!
Happy Heroes will be released worldwide digitally, as well as on blue/transparent Vinyl (limited to 300 copies).
Holding Absence are featured in the newly debuted episode of Kerrang!‘s ‘The K! Pit‘. The footage finds the group performing a quarantined set at Blondies in London, UK. A new album from the band titled “The Greatest Mistake Of My Life” will be released on April 16th via SharpTone Records.
This past November, Halifax, Canada’s Ancient Thrones unleashed their concept album The Veil. The full-length is 57-minute descent into the afterlife telling the story of grief that people can relate to through dark and progressive blackened death.
Ancient Thrones explains:
“The record is a concept record so it’s meant to be listened to in its entirety to get the full experience of the story. Even the songs were written and laid out in a way that they seamlessly transition into each other. Almost as if it was just one long piece of music broken up into separate parts as tracks. We want people to headbang and mosh, but we also want to bring people on a journey through this world of purgatory and grief and understand each phase of grief the record represents through the ten tracks.”
Today, in support of "The Veil", drummer Sean Hickey is sharing his playthrough for the track "The Millionth Grave".
"I'm happy to showcase the drums for this playthrough of The Millionth Grave. It was filmed fittingly in our rehearsal space. The song itself is an eclectic blend of some of my favorite genres of metal, and in particular, I was inspired by bands like Beyond Creation to create the groove in the bridge of the song, which is still one of my proudest moments on the record. In our concept album The Veil, the track lyrically is the introduction to the character of death named Viduus and I wanted to establish that control and godlike power that character has with those crushing bomb blast chorus sections, as he showcasing his capabilities to our deceased character and taking the listener through a frenzy of tense aggression."
The Veil is a natural evolution in sound, form, and change in style that led the band to become Ancient Thrones. This is unlike anything the members have released before. Recommended for fans of The Red Chord, The Black Dahlia Murder, and Wolves In The Throne Room.
“Transient”
“The Sight Of Oblivion”
“The Millionth Grave”
“The Soul To Flesh”
“Viduus (The Veil)”
“Sentient”
“The River Of Rain”
“Divided/Dissolve”
“The Infinite Eyes”
“Permanent”
Moonlight Haze have released an “8 bit” video clip for the song “The Rabbit Of The Moon”, taken from their latest record Lunaris (2020).
Guitarist Marco Falanga comments: “Heavy metal and videogames have always been an important part of our lives. Lately the circumstances have forced all of us to spend way much more time at home than usual, so we have been thinking about the good old times and how video games used to be real masterpieces, even though they were designed using only 8 bits. Long story short, we decided to revisit ‘The Rabbit Of The Moon’ and tried to elevate its power with the magnificence that only the ‘8 bit’ world can bring along, bearing the vivid memories of the past times in our minds. This is how ‘The Ra8bit Of The Moon’ was born. So today, more than ever, with tears falling down our faces we want to tell you that... 'All your base are belong to us!'”
Italian power/progressive metallers, Secret Sphere, are back with a new studio album, Lifeblood, out March 12. The album, aside from the deft musical prowess on display, is also special because of the return of original vocalist Roberto Messina.
Today, the band has released the single and video for the title track, which you can watch below. Pre-order/save Lifeblood here.
Now approaching nearly 25 years of existence, Secret Sphere has been steadily and reliably crafting epic, melodic European metal of the power and progressive variety for their entire careers. With a rejuvenated line-up for their latest album, Lifeblood shows a band breathing new life and enjoying themselves.
"I spent the past two years thinking about the future of Secret Sphere and there was something missing. I needed to rediscover the joy in writing music for this band that has been part of my life for more than 20 years. And I'm pleased to say I found it. Lifeblood is the celebration of the joy to compose music," says founding member and guitarist Aldo Lonobile
The new album also marks the return of vocalist Roberto Messina to the fold, who fronted the band from 1997 – 2012. The reunion with Roberto takes everything back to those glorious early days for the band, with the same joy and will to make music for fun. Lifeblood is the result of this new found power. The album celebrates the classical sound of Secret Sphere with more energy, bombastic arrangements, and memorable choruses. An absolute must hear for not only fans of the band, but European metal fans in general.
Vocalist Roberto Messina says, “Lifeblood is the album that celebrates my return to the band, to my old roots, and “home” where I feel inspired and free. It also marks the return of the band Secret Sphere itself to its early unique style of pure, energetic, creative, and melodic power metal. Ten songs composed by a team of true friends, with a fun and metal attitude, killer production, and performances. We kick things off with the direct and aggressive title track, which includes more structured compositions and dreamy atmospheres, all with the guiding thread of catchy riffs and refrains that will remain etched in your memory. What we started more than twenty years ago is stronger than ever today!"
Tracklisting:
"Shaping Reality"
"Lifeblood"
"The End Of An Ego"
"Life Survivors"
"Alive"
"Against All The Odds"
"Thank You"
"The Violent Ones"
"Solitary Fight"
"Skywards"
"The Lie We Love"
"Lifeblood" video:
Lineup:
Roberto Messina - Voice
Aldo Lonobile - Guitars
Andrea Buratto - Bass
Gabriele Ciaccia - Keyboards
Marco Lazzarini - Drums
Maestros of modern melodic/symphonic metal, Temperance, have released a brand new song off their upcoming acoustic EP, Melodies Of Green And Blue.
Among six acoustic renditions from Viridian, “Evelyn” is one of two brand new songs off the melodic/symphonic metal outfit’s new acoustic EP. After many years of band history and tours with genre giants like Nightwish, Luca Turilli's Rhapsody and Tarja, Temperance will release Melodies Of Green And Blue on February 19 via Napalm Records.
Right from the start of the song, “Evelyn” sets the tone for a one of a kind acoustic ballad. Alessia Scolletti, Marco Pastorino and Michele Guaitoli each show off their powerful vocal abilities before coming together for the final, cathartic chorus, backed by marvelous acoustic soundscapes.
Watch the Music Video for “Evelyn” (Acoustic) below.
Guitarist & singer Marco Pastorino about “Evelyn”: "I‘ve had that song in my mind for a long time, inspired by Evelyn McHale, the protagonist from one of the most famous photos ever, a girl who died jumping from the 86th floor of the Empire State Building in New York. Evelyn is a sort of journey through her life, doubts, questions without answers, guided by a different song, a different style we‘ve never presented before. Close your eyes and begin to relax into this acoustic world..."
Singer Michele Guaitoli comments on the Melodies Of Green And Blue EP: "We’ve been talking about recording some acoustic versions of our tracks for a long time, as we all love the intimate and emotional feeling that this particular style can offer to any tracks. If you think of it, this is how most of our songs are composed: it’s Marco on his guitar or me on the piano. Everything for us begins in acoustic before going metal. This EP is a little dream come true, as we can finally show the heart of our music in its purest version."
At the beginning of December 2020, Chthonic singer Freddy lim and guitarist Jesse Liu performed with Flesh Juicer at the Roar Now! Bankah! festival in Taiwan. Together they played the song "Turn The Sun Off", which was originally included on Flesh Juicer's album, Fairy Tales Of Ocean Deep, and recently become very popular in the Taiwanese metal scene
The live pro-shot video below shows scenes from Taipei's oldest traditional festival, Chingshan King Pilgrimage and the historic site of Longshan Temple
It creates a perfect amalgamation of metal music and traditional culture.
The day's performance was featured in French magazine Le Point, which showcased Taiwan's experience in epidemic prevention. With this remarkable achievement, released digitally worldwide, Freddy Lim - a member of Taiwanese partiament - hopes she can help the world learn more about Taiwan's metal scene and appreciate the traditional culture of Old Taipei.
"Taiwan's performance in epidemic prevention this year has made us better known. In the future, when the borders are open, please experience Taiwan, fall in love with Taiwan."
CATTLE DECAPITATION's music video for the song "Finish Them" can be seen below. Directed by Nicholas Vidler, the clip features live footage from the band's sold-out shows in Melbourne, Australia in early 2020. The track is taken from CATTLE DECAPITATION's latest album, "Death Atlas", which was released in November 2019 via Metal Blade Records.
Vocalist Travis Ryan comments: "When traveling to Australia to embark on our Australia/New Zealand/Japan tour in early 2020, we wondered what would await us on their soil as bushfires were raging, claiming the lives of millions of wild animals, altering the lives of many of our fans and citizens of Australia. What we didn't expect was record turnouts with serious rabid fans that I think just wanted to take their minds off the current state of affairs and do their best to have a good time given the utterly shit circumstances they were experiencing. We quickly organized meet-and-greets at the last minute and were able to raise well over $25,000AUD for the Cobargo Wildlife Sanctuary, who had pretty much lost everything in the fires.
"Thanks to the incredible support from our fans Down Under and through other folks ready to help, they were able to rebuild. We really felt like we had been given a gift by the fans, so we wanted to give back to these people who came out and raged with us by releasing our final music video for 'Death Atlas', which showcases how sick the shows were and how truly amazing our fans are. Look close, maybe you'll find yourself in the crowd!
"Looking forward to returning to the stage one day, hopefully soon!"
Produced once again by Dave Otero, "Death Atlas" features a number of guests: Laure Le Prunenec (IGORRR, RICINN), Riccardo Conforti (VOID OF SILENCE), Dis Pater (MIDNIGHT ODYSSEY), Jon Fishman (PHISH) — plus, brass instrumentalists from Ottone Pesante.
Ryan told New Noise about the making of "Death Atlas": "It’s morphed from one or two people writing most of it to the process including everyone, even myself. I might not write any riffs, but arrangements change big time when I bring lyrics into play, and we've all adapted to writing catchier songs. They keep me in mind when writing choruses, and I keep in mind things I could be doing when they're writing, and it all ends up coming together, mostly in the studio. We're making honest-to-god albums now instead of collections of songs. Not to take anything away from the previous albums; it's just different. We're more experienced now."
Greek guitar virtuoso Gus G., well known in rock and metal circles for his work as Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist and as leader of his own band FIREWIND, has paid tribute to former CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman Alexi Laiho, who died last month at the age of only 41.
In an eight-minute video posted to his YouTube channel, Gus said in part (see below): "It was a shock for me to read the news [of Alexi's passing]. I knew Alexi. I wouldn't say that we were close friends or anything, but we were definitely acquaintances through the years. We did a photo shoot together. We hung out a bunch of times at the NAMM shows or the Frankfurt [Musik]messe.
"It's really sad that he passed," Gus continued. "He was a very important figure in the metal world — a very influential guitar player of his generation. So I think he will be missed by many people, by many fans. I mean, he has left us a great musical legacy, and that will, of course, live on.
"It was very sad for me to hear about Alexi's passing, not only because he will be missed by, of course, his loved ones and his family, and he was so young. The guy was so young — I mean, he was only one year older than me, so we were the same generation. So it's a little bit of a shock when you hear somebody your age leaving this world.
"I think he had a lot more to give still — musically, he had a lot more stuff he could have given us," Gus added. "And I just kind of felt like at some point, our paths crossed there for a moment. At that time, [when I first met him] 15 or 17 years ago, I felt we were kind of part of this European new movement of metal guitar players, so I kind of connected with him on that level.
"Anyways, he was a great guy. He always treated me nice. He was always very cool.
"So, rest in peace, Alexi. And my condolences to his family, to his friends, to his loved ones. I'm grateful for the times that we got to hang out, and thank you for the music that you've given to the world."
Laiho died in his home in Helsinki. He had suffered from long-term health issues leading up to his death.
Laiho and drummer Jaska Raatikainen founded CHILDREN OF BODOM in 1993, and the band was one of the most internationally acclaimed metal acts in Finland up until their very last farewell concert in December of 2019. Last year, Alexi put together BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT, which recorded three songs and shot one music video, to be released posthumously.
Besides CHILDREN OF BODOM, Laiho had played in such acts as WARMEN, SINERGY, KYLÄHULLUT and THE LOCAL BAND. Awarded with a Metal Hammer Golden God and several other international prizes, the guitarist was also the main star, leading a group of one hundred guitar players at the Helsinki Festival in 2015 in "100 Guitars From Hel" — a massive concert piece he composed.
BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT made its live debut last October at Rytmikorjaamo in Seinäjoki, Finland. The 17-song show consisted entirely of CHILDREN OF BODOM material.
Lancaster, Pennsylvania's AUGUST BURNS RED is starting 2021 off strong by dropping the animated video for a brand new song called "Standing In The Storm".
"'Standing in the Storm' is a song about fighting for something important to you, and enduring the hardships that come with that fight," says guitarist JB Brubaker. "We had a lot of fun with this track and I'm pumped on how it came out."
ABR's latest full-length, "Guardians", is out now through Fearless Records. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hard Music Albums chart, the Rock Albums chart, and the Vinyl Albums chart upon release. ABR also graced the cover of the spring 2020 issue of Revolver.
Asked who AUGUST BURNS RED's "guardians" are, vocalist Jake Luhrs told Revolver: "For the band, our guardians would be our fans. When you think of guardians, they help, right? Or they nurture or they provide. Our fans definitely do that for us. When we're coming out with a new record, they're buying actual copies or they're getting all the vinyl. They come to all of our shows. We have people who have gone to 40 shows. I don't know that I've ever gone to 40 shows outside of my band to go see anybody, ever. So we have these just diehard fans. They support the band. They give us a place to exist and continue our work. They genuinely care about us.
"For myself, personally? I mean, it's going to sound really cliché and really, really stupid and cheesy, but it is Jesus. God has just been through all of it with me — when everybody else was gone or no one came to help me. Who do you think I was talking to when I was drinking 18 drinks a night? When I woke up at three p.m. in the afternoon, who do you think was I talking to? I was talking to God. He just got me through it all. That's my guardian and it's the truth."
Last year, Brubaker told Billboard that he and his bandmates have grown more comfortable with the "metalcore" tag in recent years.
"The word metalcore became a little bit taboo for us in like, 2013," he said. "There was just this enormous boom of bands playing metalcore and it was just so watered-down and predictable and boring. And at this point now in 2020, I feel like so much of that heap of bands that were active seven years ago, so many of them have come and gone now that I'm not as embarrassed by the term 'metalcore' anymore. Because I feel like the bands who are left standing from that boom, it's sort of like the cream rose to the top. And while I much prefer just calling AUGUST BURNS RED a metal band, I get why people would call us a metalcore band. I mean, we play a ton of breakdowns. So if you want to get quite literal about it, the 'core' is obvious."
MACHINE HEAD's Robb Flynn and Jared MacEachern held the first "Electric Happy Hour" of 2021 on Friday, January 15 during which they performed around a dozen and a half songs, including MH tunes "Ghosts Will Haunt My Bones", "Struck A Nerve" and "Blood For Blood", plus covers of IRON MAIDEN's "Hallowed Be Thy Name", METALLICA's "Master Of Puppets" and SYSTEM OF A DOWN's "Aerials". You can now watch the session below.
Featured songs:
3:00 Master Of Puppets
12:00 Blood For Blood
17:13 Beyond The Pale
22:40 Now We Die
29:55 Ghosts Will Haunt My Bones
36:02 Struck A Nerve
41:36 The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears (BEERS UP!)
46:01 This Is The End
52:50 Summer Of '69 (snippet)
55:32 Hallowed Be Thy Name
1:07:43 Behind A Mask (acoustic) (intro)
1:11:06 Behind A Mask (acoustic)
1:17:43 Bastards (acoustic) (intro)
1:18:25 Bastards (acoustic)
1:25:00 Aerials
1:28:42 Locust
1:36:25 Now I Lay Thee Down
1:42:04 Halo
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Flynn has been staging "Acoustic Happy Hour" solo sessions every Friday, during which he has performed a number of MH tunes as well as covers of other artists' songs.
Flynn told Kerrang! magazine about "Acoustic Happy Hour": "It's just basically a free show on Facebook. I try to learn two new songs every Friday. I take requests, and I try to play MACHINE HEAD songs that have never been played live acoustic. Last week I covered MUSE, TOOL and LYNYRD SKYNYRD. It's been fucking awesome. The first three or four were horrible — I knew they were — but I knew that if I kept sucking for six weeks I would get past it.
"For the first 20 years of my career, I never took singing lessons," he continued. "Then I did some about 10 years ago. With these acoustic shows, I've been back in contact with my old singing teacher to try and figure out why I can do a three-and-a-half hour MACHINE HEAD show, but this clean singing is kicking my ass. It's been an opportunity to un-learn all the wrong shit and get an opportunity to do things right."
In November, MACHINE HEAD released a new single, "My Hands Are Empty", via Nuclear Blast. The song marked the first musical collaboration between Flynn and original "Burn My Eyes" guitarist Logan Mader in 24 years.
"My Hands Are Empty" was the latest in a line of singles to be released by MACHINE HEAD, which issued "Do Or Die" in October 2019, "Circle The Drain" in February, and the two-song digital single "Civil Unrest", consisting of "Stop The Bleeding" and "Bulletproof", in June. "Stop The Bleeding" featured guest vocals from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Jesse Leach, and was written and recorded just days after the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.
In July, MACHINE HEAD canceled its previously announced rescheduled 2020 tour dates for Europe and Australia due to the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe.
Each show on MACHINE HEAD's "Burn My Eyes" 25th-anniversary tour consisted of two parts: part one saw Flynn and MacEachern performing alongside new recruits, guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka (DECAPITATED) and British drummer Matt Alston (DEVILMENT, EASTERN FRONT); while part two featured "Burn My Eyes" played in its entirety for the first time ever, with original "Burn My Eyes"-era drummer Chris Kontos and Mader joining in.
Imonolith features drummer Ryan Van Poederooyen (Devin Townsend Project), guitarist Brian ‘Beav’ Wadell (Devin Townsend Project), Jon Howard (Threat Signal), guitarist Kai Huppunen (Methods of Mayhem, Noise Therapy) and Scott Whalen (Econoline Crush). They have checked in with the following update:
"Here’s some sneak peek footage of Ryan Van Poederooyen laying down brand new Imonolith music at Hipposonic Music Studios in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Expect brand new music from Imonolith and other news to be announced very soon."
A video update from Huppunen is also available below.
The collective of heavy-hitting players is at the top of their game, recently releasing their debut album, State Of Being. The album features special guest appearances from Jens Kidman (Meshuggah) and famed Swedish vocalist Johannes Eckerström and is made up of 10 hook-laden, riff-heavy tracks that center around the theme of how people deal with various stages of life.
Tracklisting:
"State Of Being" (intro)
"Becoming The Enemy" (feat. Johannes Eckerstrom)
"Instinct"
"Dig"
"The Mourning"
"Forgone"
"Breathe"
"The Reign" (feat. Jens Kidman)
"We Never Forget"
"Hollow"
"Persevere"
NERVOSA's music video for the song "Under Ruins" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Perpetual Chaos", which will arrive on January 22 via Napalm Records. The LP was recorded in Malaga at Artesonao Casa de Grabación Studio by Martin Furia, who also produced the new full-length with founding guitarist Prika Amaral. The LP was mastered by Yarne Heylen.
NERVOSA's new lineup consists of Amaral alongside Diva Satanica on vocals, Mia Wallace on bass and Eleni Nota on drums.
"Perpetual Chaos" is described in a press release as "a heavy, incontrollable vortex" which "strikes with inexorable full femme power, showcasing [NERVOSA's] ability for critical and straightforward lyricism mixed with an intoxicating blend of thrash spiced with remarkable death metal assaults."
Amaral commented: "It was a wonderful experience with these girls. They are all very talented and did an excellent job. I have never been so happy with the final result of a record.
"I chose Artesonao studio in Malaga, because it is isolated and in an extremely beautiful place, we worked hard but we had the best vibe between us."
Diva Satanica commented on the album recording: "It was undoubtedly a very intense process in every way. Not only did we learn to work together, but also to get to know each other and live together.
"I am very lucky to be able to be part of a project like this and I am sure that with the release of this album, NERVOSA will take a very important step in its career.
"Working with Martin Furia was incredible. He helped me to find nuances in my voice that I didn't know I had.
"Get ready for a new era, more powerful than ever!"
Guided by a marvelous force of uncompromising thrash and death metal, the raw power of "Perpetual Chaos" has its finger on the pulse of time: lyrically, NERVOSA does not hesitate to tackle issues that impact the very core of society as we know it. From political grievances and amplifying the voices of minorities to protesting against factory farming, capitalism and succumbing to the ill-informed musings of social elites — these commanding women do not mince words. Tracks like the airtight opener "Venomous", the fast-twitching "Until The Very End" and "Time To Fight" prove that NERVOSA's revitalized identity experiments with both fresh new elements and crucial auditory foundations without succumbing to any clichés. "Genocidal Command" perks ears with Diva Satanica's vocal eloquence, accented by the outstanding range of Schmier (DESTRUCTION) while mirroring a rousing thrash metal manifest. A tremendous outcome awaits with brawl-brushed guitar lines, blisteringly fast drums and critical lyricism — striking the listener in a way only NERVOSA could.
GRETA VAN FLEET has released a new live/performance music video for its latest single, "Age Of Machine". The track is taken from the band's second album, "The Battle At Garden's Gate", which will be made available on April 16 via Lava/Republic Records.
A bold evolution from the band's 2018 full-length debut "Anthem Of The Peaceful Army", "The Battle At Garden's Gate" came together primarily on the road or while in the studio after the runaway success of 2017's "Highway Tune" led to the band packing up, leaving home, and eagerly soaking up new experiences on an extended road trip around the world.
Over the past three years, GRETA VAN FLEET — vocalist Josh Kiszka, guitarist Jake Kiszka, bassist Sam Kiszka, and drummer Danny Wagner — played to hundreds of thousands of people across North America, Europe, Japan, Australia, South America and New Zealand. While driving to gigs, the first-time world travelers passed many unfamiliar sights, from the favelas in Sao Paulo to the Gold Coast of Australia and everywhere in between, meeting and enjoying conversations with fans and other musicians that opened up new worlds to them. To cap off the change-filled era, the quartet moved from Michigan to Nashville, immersing themselves in Music City's rich history. The melding of all these experiences opened their eyes to amazing new worlds of culture, history, philosophy and spirituality — and ushered in an entirely new way of looking at life and the approach to their music.
Accordingly, GRETA VAN FLEET poured everything they experienced into these new songs - the music reflects their spiritual and intellectual growth, increased awareness of the inequalities plaguing the modern world, and deep empathy for what other people are going through.
"We realized that while growing up, we had been shielded by many things, and we were unaware of a lot of things," says Wagner. "And then we were thrown out into this huge world, and it was a bit of a culture shock at first. But as we started to travel a lot, meet new and different people and experience different cultures, our definition of 'normal' changed."
"I suppose that everything has changed except what got us here in the first place," adds Sam Kiszka. "Everything — our perception of the world, perception of life itself, what it means to be an artist, what it means to be part of a beautiful, gorgeous society. We've gained a larger understanding of why we're all here."
In general, the album's arrangements are spacious and leisurely, giving the music pleasing dynamics, as the band touches on all manners of rock 'n' roll. "The Battle At Garden's Gate" is cinematic, capturing the breathtaking energy of an exciting fight scene or the smoldering passion of a brooding, heroic protagonist saving the day. The new music also illustrates that the members of GRETA VAN FLEET are paving the way for a new generation of musicians — ones that use rock 'n' roll's foundational elements to build an entirely new sonic blueprint.
Sonically, "The Battle At Garden's Gate" also feels bracingly modern, an embodiment of genre-blended musical freedom. Recorded in Los Angeles with Greg Kurstin (FOO FIGHTERS, PAUL MCCARTNEY), the album is ambitious and expansive, marked by epic journeys such as the second single, "Age Of Machine", released today, and the Top 5 rock hit "My Way, Soon", which boasts a towering chorus hook and rip-it-up-and-start-again lyrics.
Josh explains: "It's very dynamic, lyrically speaking. And that's the human experience. It's much more than pain or fear; it's also beauty. People need people, and love is important." Lyrically, "The Battle At Garden's Gate" muses about the influence of technology on modern life; the role conflict plays in the global sphere; the deceptive fulfillment of tangible riches; and philosophical questions about life, love and power.
"There was a lot of self-evolution happening during the writing of this album that was prompted by experiences I had, experiences we all had, so a lot of contemplation occurred," Josh says, while Jake adds, "It's reflecting a lot of the world that we've seen, and I think that it's reflecting a lot of personal truth. What Josh does very well with the lyrics is telling ancient tales with a contemporary application."
For Josh, working with Kurstin provided the confidence he needed to push his songwriting into these vivid dimensions. "I'm always a little bit hesitant about my abilities as an artist; I think a lot of artists feel that way," he says. "But Greg hovering over me while I'm on the piano, taking an interest in what I was doing — that was really important for me."
That added confidence is obvious. Josh sounds commanding on each song, stretching his already-acrobatic voice to newer heights, while the instrumentalists fearlessly push themselves into new territory. Easy going organ and acoustic folk-rock riffs drive one song, while another ends in a torrent of guitar noise that rivals Neil Young's onstage guitar freakouts with CRAZY HORSE. "For all of us, the performances — and the aspects of them that are captured — preserve where we're at musically in time right now," Jake says.
The future is unwritten, and the sky's the limit for these curious travelers and truth-seekers. Josh says, "certainly after this, we've grown in so many ways. This album has taught us a lot, about life in general, about ourselves, about all of us, about the world we live in."
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