Grammy-nominated metal band TRIVIUM has uploaded video of "The Deepest Cuts II", the second and final installment in its series of free, single-camera livestream shows that were broadcast from the group's rehearsal room in Orlando, Florida. The performance took place on Saturday, October 24 and was streamed on frontman/guitarist Matt Heafy's ever-popular Twitch channel.
Featured songs:
02:30 Insurrection
07:56 Falling To Grey
16:21 Declaration
24:10 Wake (The End Is Nigh)
34:10 Cease All Your Fire
42:20 The Calamity
49:12 Drowning In The Sound
55:00 Washing Away Me In The Tides
1:00:30 And Sadness Will Sear
1:07:05 Broken One
1:15:00 Drowning In Slow Motion
1:24:00 Incineration: The Broken World
This marked TRIVIUM's third livestream overall. The first was the massively successful global concert event "A Light Or A Distant Mirror", which was followed by the first "The Deepest Cuts" set a month later.
TRIVIUM is taking some time off from full band streams as its new Hangar HQ is built. They will return next year with more high-quality, programmed streaming content dispatched from the new location.
"A Light Or A Distant Mirror" marked the first show TRIVIUM played since the April 2020 release of its new album "What The Dead Men Say". The show featured brand new production and was an arena-style visual show at Full Sail Live, the state-of-the-art event and broadcast arena at Full Sail University in the band's hometown of Orlando. TRIVIUM debuted a new stage show that was cohesive with new album visuals and performed songs from the new album on stage for the first time. A portion of the profits of the show benefitted the music therapy program at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, a non-profit hospital. All told, the show earned into the six figures range with both ticket sales and merch.
SEPULTURA has recorded a cover version of the 1980 smash hit "Tainted Love" for the Brazilian TV series "Desalma". The track was produced by Rafael Ramos, who also mixed it with Jorge Guerreiro at Studio Tambor in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The recording was mastered by Justin Shurtz at Sterling Sound Studios in New York.
"Tainted Love" was originally composed by Los Angeles writer and producer Ed Cobb and released in 1965. It was eventually covered by SOFT CELL in 1981 and became a multimillion-seller.
A Globoplay original production, "Desalma" made its debut on Thursday, October 22.
SEPULTURA's version of "Tainted Love" was released via the Som Livre label and can be streamed below.
According to Drama Quarterly, "Desalma" ("Unsoul") is the first TV series from Ana Paula Maia. It is set across two time periods and "combines themes of crime, mystery and the supernatural to create a complex puzzle that aims to keep viewers guessing right until the end."
SEPULTURA's latest album, "Quadra", was made available in February via Nuclear Blast Records. It is a concept effort created at Sweden's Fascination Street Studios with renowned producer Jens Bogren.
SEPULTURA comprises vocalist Derrick Green, guitarist Andreas Kisser, bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr., and drummer Eloy Casagrande.
SEPULTURA was formed in Belo Horizonte by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera, who are no longer with the band.
"Quadra" is the follow-up to 2017's "Machine Messiah", which was SEPULTURA's fourteenth studio album and the eighth since Green joined the ranks.
Finnish folk metallers KORPIKLAANI will release their new studio album, "Jylhä", on February 5, 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records.
"Jylhä" — which has no direct meaning, can be described as "majestic" and it can also be described as wild, rugged in a strong beautiful way — will be available as a digital album, CD, black vinyl, and grass green vinyl (limited to 300 pieces).
In celebration of the happy news, the band has released a music video for the first single, "Leväluhta".
KORPIKLAANI is unique. Their blend of Finnish folk music and heavy metal is like no other. Like traditional folk music that tells tales of joy, heartbreak, and stories of old, KORPIKLAANI brings new life to these tales adding the high energy of rock 'n' roll and heavy metal. What you hear on the record is what you hear live; authentic, honest, and a lot of fun. KORPIKLAANI is a natural representation of our journey in this life, bringing music and emotions that can have you dancing all night, to quiet moments of melancholy.
"Jylhä" continues this journey with a collection of tales of folklore, nature, celebration, and three stories of murder, including the infamous Lake Bodom murders.
Singer Jonne states: "'Jylhä' is not just a battering heavy metal record, it's also our most volatile full-length album to date. For example, some of the new songs feature energetic punk rock influences and there are even some audible laid-back reggae-rhythms, like our first single, 'Leväluhta'."
Leväluhta (or Levänluhta) is a spring in Isokyrö. The remains of approximately a hundred Iron Age bodies have been found buried there, and it remains unclear why the deceased were laid to rest in the spring. In the story, the narrator himself is one of the buried, floating in the lap of clear water beyond time and knowledge. The video tells us a fictional story about what may have happened in the mystical Leväluhta...
ARMORED SAINT has released a music video for the song "Missile To Gun". The clip was produced by Defiant Digital Productions and directed by Robert Graves.
"Missile To Gun" is taken from ARMORED SAINT's eighth full-length album, "Punching The Sky", which is being released today (Friday, October 23) via Metal Blade Records.
Leaders and stalwarts of the American heavy metal scene since the early 1980s, ARMORED SAINT's "Punching The Sky" sees them returning hard. A diverse, attitude-drenched collection, it's everything the band's faithful have come to expect from them while pushing their signature sound forward.
"The goal is to write really good music. I know I'm stating the obvious here but that's about the size of our agenda," says bassist Joey Vera. "We've been able to shed a lot of expectations that sometimes plague a band like ours that has been around a long time, and we've recently moved into a comfort zone with just being ourselves. We have this kind of freedom now that we didn't really have early in our career, and we can take some chances and make the kind of music that we want to hear. This record is a reflection of where we are at, right now."
Exploding to life with the crunchy, rousing "Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants" and not letting up until the closing ruthless riff of "Never You Fret", the record is possessed of an urgency and vigor which very much places it in the right now, but could only be the work of Vera, guitarists Phil Sandoval and Jeff Duncan, drummer Gonzo Sandoval and vocalist John Bush.
"When you're a band that began four decades ago, you really have to push yourself harder than ever when it comes to making a new record," states Bush. "The last thing you ever want is for it to appear as though you were going through the motions or that you're just putting a product out to do some touring. The records are immortal. They'll be here long after us. Every one needs to count in its own individual way."
With Vera acting as producer, he recruited the same engineering team that worked on "Win Hands Down", with drums recorded by Josh Newell at El Dorado Studios in Burbank, California, guitars tracked by Bill Metoyer at Skullseven studios in North Hollywood, California, and vocals, bass and additional recordings by the bassist at his studio.
"I like working with people that I trust and have a good personal rapport with," Vera says. "That same reason is why I hired Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, AMON AMARTH, STONE SOUR) to mix the record. It's important to be able to work with people who understand what the end goal is."
The process of realizing the album was a lot of hard work, Vera admitting he took on too many of the tasks himself, but he states that overall it was a good experience and everyone brought their A-game to the table and the right attitude for getting things done.
"At the end of the mixing stage, I always have a hard time walking away from the project we've been working on for so long," he says. "It's hard to let it go. The end result is good though. Everyone played and sang their asses off and it shows."
"Punching The Sky" features a few guest musicians further expanding its sonic palette, the whole thing kicking off with the sound of Uilleann Pipes, Vera finding player Patrick D'Arcy in Los Angeles and recruiting him to the cause. GUNS N' ROSES keyboardist Dizzy Reed also contributes, Vera giving both him and D'Arcy some general directions and letting them loose, both of them delivering strong performances. The band's own Gonzo Sandoval plays an American Indian flute on "Never You Fret" — a first for ARMORED SAINT and their drummer. Also Jacob Ayala, the son of a childhood friend who is a drum major in high school, added some marching snare on one of the tracks, which really stands out.
With the band's place in the metal scene firmly re-established with "Punching The Sky", they are staring down their four decade anniversary, which Vera reflects on.
"Part of me feels like I can't believe we've been doing this for that long. It's kind of incredible," Vera says. "So I feel pretty damn lucky really, that we've been able to have the support from fans and our record company for all these years. Without this support, we really couldn't do any of this. So this is the big part of what has kept us going, and when I stop and look around, I am humbled that we've had this opportunity to make music and tour for such a long time. That's what our initial goal was back when we were just 18 years old."
Italian orchestral death metal masters, Fleshgod Apocalypse, have unplugged for a stunning new rendition of their song "The Day We'll Be Gone". The acoustic two-track digital single features an instrumental version and is accompanied by a studio performance video clip directed by Martina Lesley (Sanda Movies).
The artwork was created once again by renowned visionary artist Travis Smith. The original song is found on the band's critically praised fifth album, Veleno.
Stream "The Day We'll Be Gone" (Acoustic) here, and watch the studio performance video below:
The band is also very proud to announce their new official lineup, featuring Veronica Bordacchini (vocals), Fabio Bartoletti (guitar) and Eugene Ryabchenko (drums).
Frontman Francesco Paoli states: "In these uncertain times, we wanted to bare our inner souls and let the music speak for itself. This track pushes us out of our comfort zone as musicians and performer, proving that art in any form can survive the most dreadful circumstances. Given the current situation, it was the right time to do something truly experimental, a once in a lifetime musical exploration for the band.
"Our recent live streaming concert introduced our new band members to a worldwide crowd, but this song really shows how strongly open minded and skilled they are. Me, Francesco and Paolo have been through this journey together for over a decade, but we haven't felt this good for a long time. That's why we're glad to announce them as official band members. Expect much more, sooner than you think."
Francesco adds: "This is the best line-up we could ask for. Eugene is an absolute phenomenon on drums, so I'm really glad to pass the torch to a great successor. Fabio is a true guitar hero, extremely tight and tasteful. Veronica has been with us for 7 years now and even today her incredible talent never ceases to amaze me, so I know she can push her limits further in the future. Now our rehearsal room feels like home again."
HammerFall have released a third video, "Any Means Necessary", from their new live album and BluRay, Live! Against The World, available now. Watch the clip below, and order your copy of Live! Against The World here.
Singer Joacim Cans on the album release: “The thing with live releases is, they need to feel authentic, and Live! Against The World captures exactly what a live show with HammerFall is all about.“
Guitarist and founding member Oscar Dronjak on the new video: “’Any Means Necessary’ has been a staple of our repertoire since it came out. This video shows really well why, it’s one of these songs that gets both audience and band going no matter what.”
Recorded on February 15th at the MHP Arena in Ludwigsburg, Germany, Live! Against The World contains songs fresh off their latest album, Dominion, mixed with a ton of band classics and a hand-picked selection of songs that rarely appear on HammerFall's setlists to fulfill the needs of both new and old fans.
Tracklisting:
"Never Forgive, Never Forget"
"One Against The World"
"Heeding The Call"
"The Way Of The Warrior"
"Any Means Necessary"
"Hallowed Be My Name"
"Blood Bound"
"Redemption"
"Hector's Hymn"
"Natural High"
"Second To One"
"Renegade Medley"
"Keep The Flame Burning"
"Dominion"
"The Dragon Lies Bleeding"
"Last Man Standing"
"Let The Hammer Fall"
"Hammer High"
"(We Make) Sweden Rock"
"Hearts On Fire"
“Keep The Flame Burning” video:
"Never Forgive, Never Forget" video:
HammerFall are:
Joacim Cans - Vocals
Oscar Dronjak - Guitar
Pontus Norgren - Guitar
Fredrik Larsson - Bass
David Wallin - Drums
Connecticut hardcore/metal masters HATEBREED will release their new album, "Weight Of The False Self", on November 27 via Nuclear Blast Records. The official Justin Reich-directed music video for the LP's second single, "Instinctive (Slaughterlust)", can be seen below. The cover artwork, which can be seen below, was painted by artist Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with SOULFLY, TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH and SODOM, among others.
Singer Jamey Jasta stated about "Instinctive (Slaughterlust)": "In a fight for survival, which a lot of us are right now, we must channel our inner animal and trust our instincts."
"Weight Of The False Self" was produced by frequent HATEBREED collaborator Chris "Zeuss" Harris and it arrives on the heels of the sold-out anniversary shows that HATEBREED embarked upon throughout 2019 and the unprecedented success of 2016's "The Concrete Confessional". Not only did the latter tally over 42 million Spotify streams, but the single "Looking Down The Barrel of Today" also clocked 30 million-plus Spotify streams. The band also covered Revolver and The Guardian bestowed a 4-out-of-5-star rating on the album, proving that over 20 years deep into its career, this Connecticut hardcore metal institution remains as vital as ever.
"When writing lyrics and riffs, I try to be in the moment, getting a mental picture of my current reality in order to convey what I want to say," Jasta aid about the new material. "Sometimes, I think my reality consists of two irreducible elements, expressed by the age-old interior battle of the dualistic self. The angel on one shoulder stands firm, providing reason, wisdom, and compassion while the devil dances angrily on the other, ranting with passion, spite, and dark desire. I often wonder if a truly centered mind is attainable, an effortless and non-dualistic state of equilibrium. Until then, I'll just listen to both sides of my personality and hope I make the right choice. At the end of the day, the listener will choose to hear what they want, but when I am writing, I imagine the voice of the angel to be a lil' louder."
Renowned for their ability to provide an intense and cathartic release for their fans, HATEBREED challenged themselves and their writing style in order to produce material that is exceptionally relatable in a contemporary world flooded with overstimulation, emotional dampening, and lack of social patience.
"'Weight Of The False Self' is a perfect representation of HATEBREED in 2020, a fresh onslaught of soon-to-be classics with all the elements that led you here since day one," explained guitarist Frank Novinec.
Drummer Matt Byrne shared: "There's no shortage of beefy riffs and adrenaline-fueled drums on this record. I'm proud to say that we will consistently provide a soundtrack to which you can mosh in your living room and destroy your apartment."
This past February, HATEBREED released its first new single in four years, "When The Blade Drops". At the time, Jasta described the track as "just a taste of what's to come… The speed, intensity, and brutality that people have come to expect from us is on full display."
THE PRETTY RECKLESS has released a creepy and cool Halloween song called "Broomsticks".
THE PRETTY RECKLESS's upcoming album, "Death By Rock And Roll", is the band's first to be made without longtime producer Kato Khandwala, who died in April 2018 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.
"Death By Rock And Roll" will be released in early 2021 via Fearless Records in the U.S. and Century Media Records in the rest of the world.
THE PRETTY RECKLESS singer Taylor Momsen confirmed that RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello guests on "Death By Rock And Roll". Morello appears on a track called "And So It Went".
Morello joins previously announced guests Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron from SOUNDGARDEN. The song with Cameron and Thayil, called "Only Love Can Save Me Now", was recorded at Seattle's legendary London Bridge Studios, where seminal LPs like PEARL JAM's "Ten" and SOUNDGARDEN's "Louder Than Love" were laid down.
According to Momsen, "Death By Rock And Roll" "almost feels like the first record in the sense that we really threw everything that we had at it — we worked so hard on it," she said. "And I'm just excited for it to be out and have people come on this journey with me and see where it took us. I think it took us, in my opinion, to a new level. It's a new and improved PRETTY RECKLESS."
Former GUNS N' ROSES and current SIXX:A.M. guitarist DJ Ashba introduced his unique version of EDM to the world last summer with his debut single "Hypnotic". Having creatively combined multiple genres with EDM into one unique sound, Ashba continues forging his journey into an exciting new genre with his second single, "Let's Dance", the official music video for which can be seen below. Mixed and mastered by three-time Grammy nominee Luca Pretolesi of Studio DMI (Steve Aoki, Diplo, Lil Jon), the track features James Michael, co-founder and lead singer of SIXX:A.M., which he and DJ formed with Nikki Sixx (MÖTLEY CRÜE).
"On 'Let's Dance', my goal was to create the perfect blend of rock and EDM by laying down the foundation with an infectious hardcore dance beat, melodic guitars and topping it off with one of the best vocalists in rock," said Ashba. "Now the party moves from Las Vegas to Miami, and James Michael is right there with this understated bravado sure to surprise our rock fans and hopefully capture the attention of club-goers around the world. I want to bring them all together for an amazing celebration."
Pretolesi said: "Ashba brings a new dynamic to dance music with his amazing live guitar element married with an electronic foundation that makes his sound incredibly unique."
Michael added: "To hear Ashba's incredible guitar work surrounded by the electronics of EDM showcases not only his skills as an artist but as a producer and writer as well. I was thrilled when he invited me to be a feature on 'Let's Dance'!"
Ashba, signed to Edgeout Records/Universal Music Group/UMe, wrote and produced "Let's Dance". Ashba's unwavering experimental vision and Pretolesi's skillful mixing touch results in a sound that adds yet another new dimension to EDM.
"Ashba's unique version of EDM, immediately caught my attention. And now, the industry is calling his music the new sound coming out of Vegas," says Tony Guanci, Edgeout founder and label head.
Ashba told the Las Vegas Review-Journal about the musicial approach of his new effort: "I would go to a lot of EDM concerts, and their shows are so over the top and, you know, all these young kids just losing their minds, right? And the one thing that I've noticed is … it lacks guitar, you know, and I saw an opportunity, like five years ago, going, 'If I could take what I do and somehow inject it into this world.' A lot of kids are not being exposed to a lot of guitar in that world."
"Hypnotic" and "Let's Dance" will appear on ASHBA's first full-length effort. According to DJ, he will promote the LP by embarking on a tour on which he will be joined only by a VJ.
"The one thing I've noticed is the lack of performance. Now, that excludes a lot of the good ones, like Aoki — there's nobody like him, and Diplo, and Calvin Harris's brilliance is amazing," Ashba told Las Vegas Review-Journal. "But I'm but I'm talking about performances as far people bringing an instrument onstage."
Although Ashba initially started work on the project as a collaboration with Michael — under the band name PYROMANTIC — it has since evolved into an Ashba solo venture, with Michael announcing in 2018 that he was stepping away from the group.
Today, Swedish metal force Soilwork shakes the modern world in its foundations with the announcement of their most daring yet ambitious project to date:
On December 4th, the band will release the new EP, A Whisp Of The Atlantic, via Nuclear Blast. You can preorder the EP in various formats here.
To give an idea of the overwhelming energy driving Soilwork into the creation of their masterpiece, the band has released the first single of that EP today, "The Nothingness And The Devil". Check out the video below.
Guitarist David Andersson states: "Between 'The Nothingness And The Devil' is a song about how the old concept of a patriarchal God doesn’t work anymore, and how everyone with any logic reasoning must accept that we have to create our own deities, if we need them. Or if we don’t, we’ll have to accept the fact that our lives are essentially meaningless unless we are able to find our meaning and make ourselves feel fulfilled. The video also hints at the emasculation of a male god, and how gender shouldn’t be a factor in any form of religious discourse anymore. Perhaps this is the time to question your beliefs and accept that no God will correct the mess that we all have put ourselves into."
Soilwork's musical and their philosophical approach on the new EP does not only close the circle of the The Feverish Trinity, but also invites the listener to dive deep into the most primal element: Water.
Starting with "Feverish" and ending with "A Whisp Of The Atlantic", the whole EP is a journey from the rage of individuals to the search for something that replaces religion.
Andersson: “From the desire of 'Feverish', the urge of 'Desperado', the determinism of 'Death Diviner', the insights and questions of 'The Nothingness And The Devil' and the acceptance and spiritual searching of A Whisp of the Atlantic. The whole song and video sequence is like a slightly different take on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. It’s all about realising that we’re all stuck on this rock and that we need to find something more inclusive than religion to get through this together. Because in the end, we’re all outsiders, genetically hunter-gatherers trying to fit in in a world that we created but at the same time wasn’t really made for us. The overarching theme is liberation from the extremely low level of the social and cultural debate these days, and it starts with the fundamentals and ends with the phenomenological. From liberation into ascension.”
The tracklist reads as follows:
"A Whisp Of The Atlantic"
"Feverish"
"Desperado"
"Death Diviner"
"The Nothingness And The Devil"
A punch in the face is coming right at ya’ in the form of Rockin' Engine’s new album The Wretched And The Damned. This is a follow-up to their 2019 album Midnight Road Rage.
The lyrics and music of this new full length were inspired by the physical and social destruction evolving in this world in the past few years. The listeners will be able to relate these stories with personal experiences, creating a deeper emotional connection with the songs. The tracks all have a different story but they all revolve around the same concept. The band explains the album in their own words:
“This album truly reflects the evolution in our musical genre and the hard work we all put into this. We decided to follow our roots and do what we love most, pure metal! The concept of this record is to bring the listeners into an emotional roller coaster and connect with our music. The lyrics were written in a storytelling fashion, in a post-apocalyptic metaphor, which places everyone in a chaotic world of injustice and control. The message is for people to unite as one and fight oppression, put aside our differences, and strive for a better life."
The video for the single “Let It Burn” is literally a verbal attack on everyone responsible for the problems in the world we live in. They are basically saying, with the devil’s perspective, to just let everything burn because at this point, there’s just no coming back to a peaceful world. It is the band’s opening song and the infectious heavy rock will satisfy even the most particular of headbangers.
Blast the new video now, premiered through BraveWords!
Great chemistry and contagious energy can be found in Rockin’ Engine, they are explosive in their playing and always go full throttle. They are recommended for fans of Pantera, Megadeth, and Slayer.
The full album will be available on Halloween, October 31, 2020. Preorder on Bandcamp.
Tracklisting:
“Let It Burn”
“Mass Hysteria”
“Broken Angel”
“I Sold My Soul To The Devil”
“The Wretched And The Damned”
Israeli progressive / symphonic metal band Scardust has unveiled “Gone”, the epic conclusion to their latest two-part music video saga. The new clip – which completes a narrative that began in the video for its companion track, “Stranger” – can be viewed below. “Gone” and “Stranger” can also be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp and other digital platforms starting tomorrow, October 23.
Scardust's new record, Strangers – set to be released on October 30 by M-Theory Audio – is an intriguing concept album built of complementary song pairs working from the outside in. The first taste of the band's unique vision for their second full-length release was unveiled in September, through the music videos for “Tantibus II” and “Addicted.”
Says vocalist Noa Gruman, “When someone close to your heart is leaving you and you’re breaking down and feeling that you’re left to face the world on your own, the shared memories and moments that you had become 'Stranger.' Being neglected is a fragile and exposed feeling, so in this one song we chose to lose the choir and strings and strip things down to the core musicians. In the video, they are playing the song, but never together, in an obscure, unrealistic location. They are surrounded by concrete pillars and the scene is continuously spinning, leaving the viewer feeling dizzy and uncomfortable. Lyrics pop out here and there to highlight specific parts, and there are also hints of water by the musicians' feet and paint cans lying on the ground. One may wonder why, and it will all be revealed in the other side of the story, told from the side of the neglector.”
Mastered by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Devin Townsend, Arch Enemy), Strangers was written and composed jointly by singer Noa Gruman and composer Orr Didi, who also collaborated with Gruman on Scardust's full-length debut, Sands Of Time, and their 2015 EP Shadow. The album features guest appearances from German folk musician Patty Gurdy, as well as vocals by the Hellscore choir and England’s prestigious Westbrook Hay Prep School Chamber Choir.
Pre-orders for CD and limited-edition gray smoke vinyl editions of Strangers are now live, here.
Scardust recently launched the “Mist Cover Challenge,” an invitation for fans to play or sing along with the final minute of the new song “Mist,” the closing track of Strangers, with the chance of winning a deluxe package of signed CD and vinyl copies of Strangers, a new Scardust t-shirt design and guitar picks. To enter the challenge, follow the instructions at this location and upload your video anywhere on social media, tagging the band and including the hashtag #scardustmist. Entries close on October 25, and winners will be announced by the band during a special livestream on November 1 that will also feature a live performance and a Q&A with special guest Patty Gurdy.
Tracklisting:
"Overture For The Estranged"
"Break The Ice"
"Tantibus II"
"Stranger"
"Concrete Cages" (feat. Patty Gurdy)
"Over"
"Under"
"Huts"
"Gone"
"Addicted"
"Mist"
Katatonia will release Dead Air, an extensive and majestic set of fan favourites, captured during their 2020 lockdown session. Watch "Behind The Blood" from the session below:
The Dead Air release will be available on November 13 via Peaceville Records as a gatefold double LP; a limited edition 3-disc set featuring 2 audio discs and DVD format, and digitally. Pre-order now:
Formed in 1991 by Jonas Renkse & Anders Nyström, and transitioning from early pioneers of the rising black/death/doom movement, to powerhouses of the progressive metallic rock genre, 2020 saw Katatonia present their eleventh studio opus, the poignant City Burials, to unanimous acclaim. And so now, following closely in its footsteps, the Swedish dark rock masters present Dead Air to further immortalize the strangest of times.
With a somewhat unforeseen global event transpiring this year which resulted in touring being made all but impossible for artists internationally, Katatonia conducted a more intimate “lockdown” show which was streamed live from Studio Grondahl, Stockholm on May 9. Dead Air offers fans a full 88-minute set containing 20 tracks from the band’s extensive and illustrious repertoire to date, with inclusions spanning two decades of dark progressive greatness, and essentially also debuting three of the City Burials album tracks in a live setting.
"Due to an overwhelming demand, we are proud to confirm that our lockdown livestream from Gröndahl earlier this year will now see a physical release where you can re-experience the #20 most wanted songs exclusively voted by our fans from all around the world. This very special evening of May 9th will forever serve us as a memory of something equally weird as fantastic, so it feels essential to make it available as something you can touch and own forever” - Anders Nyström
The tracklisting itself contains a very literal selection of fan favourites overall, having being voted for exclusively by the band’s worldwide fanbase, flawlessly flirting between earlier singles such as metallic anthems "My Twin" and "July", to the stirring emotional grandeur of new song, "Lacquer".
The recording, mixing & engineering work was orchestrated by David Castillo, notable for his extensive body of work with Katatonia to date, and the performance itself was professionally filmed by Blackbox Video.
Dead Air 2CD + DVD tracklisting:
Disc 1 - Audio
"Lethean" (Dead Air Session)
"Teargas" (Dead Air Session)
"Serein" (Dead Air Session)
"Deliberation" (Dead Air Session)
"The Winter Of Our Passing" (Dead Air Session)
"Ghost Of The Sun" (Dead Air Session)
"The Racing Heart" (Dead Air Session)
"Soil's Song" (Dead Air Session)
"Old Heart Falls" (Dead Air Session)
Disc 2 - Audio
"Forsaker" (Dead Air Session)
"Tonight's Music" (Dead Air Session)
"In The White" (Dead Air Session)
"Leaders" (Dead Air Session)
"Lacquer" (Dead Air Session)
"Omerta" (Dead Air Session)
"My Twin" (Dead Air Session)
"Unfurl" (Dead Air Session)
"July" (Dead Air Session)
"Evidence" (Dead Air Session)
"Behind The Blood" (Dead Air Session)
Disc 3 - DVD
Same running order & timings as the CDs
Professionally-filmed footage of British hard rockers, Heaven's Basement, breaking hearts inside Bullhead City Circus at Wacken Open Air 2013 can be seen below.
Setlist:
"Welcome Home"
"Can't Let Go"
"Fire, Fire"
"I Am Electric"
" Heartbraking Son Of A Bitch"
"Executioner's Day"
On November 13, Accuser will release their new self-titled album via Metal Blade Records. Watch a guitar playthrough video for the first single, "Phantom Graves", below:
Since they began flying the flag for German thrash in the 80s, Accuser have gone on to prove themselves one of the most enduring forces in global metal. With eleven full-lengths behind them, they return in 2020 with their latest masterwork: a blistering collection that captures everything that makes the band so vital, produced by longtime collaborator Martin Buchwalter (who has worked on five Accuser albums) and mastered by Dan Swanö.
"You stay fresh through curiosity," states vocalist/guitarist Frank Thoms. "Writing new songs keeps you fresh, and it is always exciting how things develop and how the listener reacts to them afterwards. This process never gets boring. It is always exciting and invites you to try new things."
The result is a dynamic album that is very much rooted in thrash, but still takes the listener through various moods and styles, further cementing Accuser's status as leaders, not followers.
The return of lead guitarist René Schütz to the band's ranks - who appeared on multiple Accuser records prior to 2011 - only served to up the ante on Accuser.
"We are very, very happy to have him back in the band, and as you will be able to hear, his leads are definitely over the top. From my perspective, he is one of the very, very few thrash metal guitarists who are able to combine technique and feeling in a proper way."
With writing for the new record commencing as soon as 2018's The Mastery was completed, Thoms pushed himself until he was in "100% concentration mode", knowing he is on the right path when he forgets his daily routine and normal life falls away. With no structure or plan envisaged, the songs came together naturally, as they always have.
"The Accuser sound is in our DNA, and at the end of the day, it is our own blend of thrash metal. To be honest, that's what I like best during the process of making a record, seeing how the music develops and how the album is taking shape."
The shape Accuser took is definitely versatile, and perhaps sounds simpler than it actually is.
"We managed to make well thought-out songs sound simple. Crazy things don't seem like a disturbance or a foreign body. In addition, we have inconspicuously processed various genres of metal. Ultimately, we just tried to offer the essence of the band, the groove from 'Repent' (1992), the riffs in the veins of Who Dominates Who (1989), plus structures that could be found on the first album The Conviction (1987) and stylistics that could be from Reflections (1994) or Taken By The Throat (1995) - everything put together in catchy songs."
The combination of these elements that shout back to earlier Accuser releases - without repeating or copying themselves - alongside the return of Schütz, led Thoms to believe this album "must be called Accuser".
The record can be pre-ordered here in the following formats:
- digipak-CD (incl. bonus track)
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- golden brown marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- ivory / beige / grey marbled vinyl
- gold / black melt vinyl (Kings Road exclusive - limited to 100 copies)
Accuser tracklisting:
"Misled Obedience"
"Phantom Graves"
"Temple Of All"
"Lux in Tenebris"
"Be None The Wiser"
"Rethink"
"Psychocision"
"Contamination"
"The Eliminator"
"Seven Lives"
"A Cycle's End"
"Phantom Graves" video:
Accuser lineup:
Frank Thoms - vocals/guitars
René Schütz - guitars
Frank Kimpel - bass
Olli Fechner - drums
US heavy metal outfit, Spirit Adrift, recently released their new album, Enlightened In Eternity. For the music video for “Battle High” they teamed up with video director Dillon Vaughn.
The band comment on the video and song: “Despite the fact that we are spread across three different states, we made this video happen and we're glad we did. We are finally able to showcase the new US lineup, featuring Preston Bryant on guitar and Sonny DeCarlo on bass. Battle High is a song about the human cost of war. This is an anti-war song, and we made a video to reflect that. It's pretty cliche for metal bands to glorify war, but we wanted to do something more honest and realistic. The stance of this song is more in keeping with the guys who invented metal and wrote songs like 'Hand of Doom' and 'War Pigs'. As always, we're trying to honor that tradition and carry the torch into the future in our own way. They were living in a world with napalm and agent orange, we're living in a world with drone bombing, but the sentiment remains the same. Rest assured, the song and video are still metal as fuck. We hope you enjoy it.”
“Ride Into The Light”
“Astral Levitation”
“Cosmic Conquest”
“Screaming From Beyond”
“Harmony Of The Spheres”
“Battle High”
“Stronger Than Your Pain”
“Reunited In The Void”
Sweden's Demonical will release their new album, World Domination, tomorrow (Friday, October 23) via Agonia Records. In anticipation of the release, the band have unveiled a brand new video for the song "Slipping Apart", featuring guest vocals from heavy metal singer Nils Patrik Johansson (Astral Doors, ex-Civil War).
Watch the video below:
World Domination is a gateway to old and new Demonical. The band's sixth album marks the debut for vocalist Christofer Sätderdal and the return for original drummer Ronnie Bergerstål (2006-2011, 2019-present). There are no major changes to the band's proven formula of brutal, melodic and insolently Swedish death metal. World Domination picks up where 2018's Chaos Manifesto left off, with a touch of extra dynamics and vibrancy that enrich the band's sound.
Demonical commented: "So here we have it, World Domination; our sixth full-length album and the first one to feature new vocalist. Christofer Sätderdal and new-old drummer Ronnie Bergerstål. World Domination continues the same path as our previous Chaos Manifesto slap, in other words, fierce HM-2 driven Swedish death metal, a ravage combination of brutality, melody and darkness. As always on every album, even this time we tried out some new traces and elements we haven’t explored before and have to say that we are stoked about the final outcome. When it comes to the production, this is clearly our most dynamic and vivid album so far. Not only did we use a different way of recording everything, we went also for a much more energetic and breathing sound closer to how albums were produced in the late '80s and early '90s. World Domination was recorded at a few different studios around Sweden, then mixed & mastered by Karl Daniel Lidén - a victorious collaboration we started with on our previous album."
World Domination was recorded in June 2020 at Glashuset and Sellnoise studios by Johan Hjelm and Jonas Arnberg, with production by Demonical. Mixing and mastering were handled by award winning producer Karl Daniel Lidén (Bloodbath, Katatonia) at Tri-Lamb Studios. The cover artwork was created by Susan Wicher.
Classical guitar virtuoso, Thomas Zwijsen, has released the new video below, featuring a cover of Iron Maiden's "Empire Of The Clouds". This acoustic/orchestral version has Wiki Krawczyk on violin and Thomas on classical fingerstyle guitar, electric guitar and bass.
Says Thomas: "'Empire Of The Clouds' is the final song of The Book Of Souls album (2015) and was written by Bruce Dickinson. It tells the story of the R101 Zeppelin disaster. It features Bruce Dickinson playing piano and was never performed live (yet)."
Wind Rose are back with another visual to their epic, story-filled album Wintersaga, releasing the official music video for “We Were Warriors”.
"We Were Warriors" is a follow-up to their popular first singles, “Diggy Diggy Hole” and "Drunken Dwarves", which together racked up well over 20 million views on YouTube. In "We Were Warriors", Wind Rose take the viewer on an adventurous hunt for gold through dark ruins and caves, passing old relics from a morbid past.
Says the band: "'We Were Warriors' is a song about the Dwarves fallen in battle and their eternal rest inside the great halls of stone. A strong theme needed strong music, so we came up with one of the most astonishing songs we have ever composed: powerful riffs, massive orchestrations and epic choirs. We could not imagine a better epilogue for our latest album Wintersaga.”
Wintersaga can be ordered here, and is available in the following formats:
- Regular Jewel Case Edition
- 1 LP Gatefold (black)
- 1 LP Gatefold (gold) Limited to 200 copies
- Jewel Case & Shirt Bundle
- 1LP Gatefold (black) & Shirt Bundle
- Wooden Deluxe Box: CD, flag & pendant & 7” Single, Limited to 300 copies worldwide
Album artwork by Tom Thiel.
Tracklisting:
“Of Iron And Gold“
“Wintersaga“
“Drunken Dwarves“
“Diggy Diggy Hole“
“Mine Mine Mine!“
“The Art Of War“
“There And Back Again“
“The King Under The Mountain“
“We Were Warriors“
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