Today, the wolves of Varg release their second pagan metal single, “Auf die Götter” (engl. To The Gods), cut from the upcoming full-length, Zeichen, to be released on September 18 via Napalm Records. Along with an artful conceptualized official music video, the track relates to the Viking era and the tradition of worshipping miscellaneous gods, but also to the band’s past.
Shot in an ancient druid grove, the audio-visual embeds the music into the perfect surrounding and atmosphere. Freki’s cutting vocals merge with powerful guitar riffs and a melody that gets stuck in your head! Varg has never forgotten their pagan metal roots and this track marks their pure heritage as they return with full musical power!
Singer Freki states: "We decided to release 'Auf die Götter' (engl. To The Gods) as the second single, because it helps our fans to dive deeper into the concept of our new album Zeichen (engl. Signs). Before Christianisation, the Nordic mythology had a dominant impact on Viking culture. Gods as Odin, Thor, Loki and Freya embodied the center of belief. 'Auf die Götter' refers to this ancient belief and to the traditions within."
Watch the video for “Auf die Götter” below.
On their authentic masterpiece Zeichen, the wolves of Varg return to their roots and embark on a journey further down a new road. Within the first seconds of the album opener breaking loose, Varg draws the listener into the year “793” that heralded the ferocious era of the Vikings. In contrast, "Fara Til Ranar", including additional female vocals, is a melancholic, captivating saga about the Nordic sea goddess Rán, who pulls wandering sailors down into her wet grave. "Verräter", on the other hand, emphasizes the suffering and vengeance towards former allies with rapid guitar leads, and ultimately, the album culminates in the mighty title hymn “Zeichen”.
In addition to the ten new tracks, the mediabook contains a bonus CD featuring alternate versions of each song the band recorded with renowned guest musicians from Eluveitie, Nachtblut and Equilibrium among others. Looking at the final opus, it's not surprising why Varg took four years after the publication of Das Ende Aller Lügen (which hit number 17 on the German charts) to regather their forces, and today, Zeichen shows that Freki, Fenrier, Morkai and Garm consciously took their time to realign their inner compass and are not afraid of musical and intellectual freedom.
Singer Freki states: "In Norse mythology, the earth cleanses itself in fire and rises from the ashes - Zeichen is the rebirth of Varg. Based on our pagan metal roots, we have lyrically discarded all modern elements and simultaneously lifted vocals, melody and musical hardness to a whole new level. The path we walk on Zeichen is raw, pagan, authentic and completely dedicated to the Viking cult, runes and the old gods. Can you hear the murmuring? The runes have awakened!"
Zeichen will be available in the following formats:
- 2-CD mediabook
- 1-CD jewelcase
- 1 LP gatefold black
- 1 LP gold/black spotted (Napalm shop exclusive)
- wooden box set (Napalm shop exclusive)
- digital
Knoxville, Tennessee rockers 10 YEARS have released the official music video for their new single, "The Shift". The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Violent Allies", which will be released on September 18 via Mascot Records. The disc was recently recorded at West Valley Recording Studios in Woodland Hills, California with Grammy-nominated producer Howard Benson, who previously worked on 10 YEARS' 2010 effort, "Feeding The Wolves".
"The Shift" has already been streamed over a million times on Spotify, and 2.2 million collective plays across all platforms. Additionally, the track is Top 25 at rock radio.
The band shares: "We have all been missing the stage so much, and 'The Shift' is one of those songs that was built for the energy of the live show. Since we can't be out on the road right now, we wanted to visually escape back to the days of touring, and bring that energy to the video."
On its ninth full-length album, 10 YEARS — Jesse Hasek (vocals), Brian Vodinh (guitar [live] /drums, bass, backing vocals [recording]), and Matt Wantland (guitar / synth programming) — progresses as a unit once more. Embracing heightened vulnerability, elevated songcraft, and sonic adventurousness, they convert the push-and-pull of their collective creativity into a cohesive, clear, and cathartic body of work.
"We don't ever try to recreate what we've done in the past," explains Jesse. "We knew we had to challenge ourselves to see what we had in us. If it's not stressful, you're not challenging yourself to grow. From the beginning, music has always been therapy and an outlet. We let ourselves enjoy the process, be vulnerable, and talk about those emotions. We got back to why we love music with the maturity of where we're at in our lives. We were able to harness that love of creating from a wiser and more developed perspective."
"We were hard on ourselves," admits Brian. "It was more intense than during records past, but it was worth it. The outcome was exactly what we wanted it to be.
"Time spent in the studio or simply collaborating on our vision was a catalyst in reaching creative clarity like we've never had before. It reminded all three of us that this bond created over the last two decades is best served when individual voices becomes collective vision. It was fun, because we were back to being brothers. No matter how frustrated we might get, once we looked out at it, the energy was unexplainable. Our mission was to really connect with the songs, break them down, and build them back up."
Brian adds: "The younger versions of us would've been going to Hollywood every night and partying. It was different. We actually came up with a lot of ideas, melody tweaks, and had really good brainstorming sessions in the car on the PCH. The whole vibe contributed to what the record is. All we cared about was writing and recording the best songs we possibly could. We felt like we had something to prove, especially to our A&R guy and the president of North America for Mascot Ron Burman."
They prove it on cuts like the first single "The Shift". Melodic guitars slide across a caustic beat before a rush of distortion ignites the refrain, "We are a violent virus, without a remedy."
"Lyrically, it's about the polarization of society and the human impact on the earth itself," states Brian. "We were thinking about how humans can be a virus to the Earth."
"While in the studio last fall, we were looking at the state of the world as we wrote 'The Shift'," Jesse reveals. "As a society, we're so distracted that we're not united. When the pandemic happened, it became so important to finally see the positivity of humanity. We've realized we're all in this together. You can pick a side, but we're sitting in the same realm." Airy keys echo through "The Unknown". It builds towards a sweeping celestial chorus. "We're in a wide-open world we've created, but we have to step back and look at where we are and adapt," continues Jesse. "We're all in the unknown right now."
A clean riff snakes past the verses of "Without You" before a hypnotic hook unfurls. The instrumental "Planets" interludes thread the album together with soft piano and acoustic as a counterpoint to the explosive energy of "Cut The Cord" and "Start Again". There is a broad, dynamic range of repertoire on the new album as exhibited by the lead single "The Unknown" and its opening with ominous yet hopeful piano notes alongside Jesse's lamenting uncertain times in the vocals, to the heavy drums and distorted guitars on "Déjà Vu". Everything culminates on "Say Goodbye". The conclusion's cinematic soundscape and poignant lyrics bid farewell to Jesse's late grandfather and emphasize "the band at our most vulnerable," according to the frontman.
Meanwhile, the title speaks to an overarching theme. "We came back to this quote, 'There's a strange power in the joining of unlike things'," remembers Brian. "There is something incredibly special about how we create. 'Violent Allies' is the perfect way to summarize it. We go through hell facing all challenges head-on, but the final product is worth it. Simultaneously, it reflects the state of divisiveness in The World. Everything is so political. Everyone is angry at each other. We're better when we come together though."
In the end, 10 YEARS keeps growing as "Violent Allies". "This record wasn't just another record," Brian leaves off. "It's the result of working hard to improve on all levels. There's a lot to dig into. It's a graduated state for the band."
"After all of this time, 10 YEARS is a brotherhood," Jesse concludes. "I've spent the better half of my life accomplishing what I never thought was possible with these guys. It's been an unexplainable, crazy, and awesome journey since Brian first asked me to join the band on his 19th birthday. We've beat the odds and continue to live life. It bothers me when people don't try to push themselves to enjoy what life has to offer. Life is beautiful, if you really go for it and try. It can show you beauty — and that's what this band has shown me."
Cristian Machado, former lead singer of Latin hard rock band ILL NIÑO, has premiered the video for his new single "Die Alone". Watch it below.
"Every video I've been in before, I'm headbanging and jumping around like a maniac," says Machado. "'Die Alone' is unlike any video I've ever made. It features me as a songwriter and musician, it includes some very close friends, and it's a dance of emotions. It's likely a different side of me some may be surprised existed all along."
The song, penned by Machado himself, will appear on the artist's debut solo album "Hollywood y Sycamore", due out September 25 on Chesky Records' sub-label Coconut Bay. Overall, the album finds Machado moving away from the guttural screams and screeching guitars that defined his previous work in favor of flexing his creative muscles and expressing his eclectic Latin influences through transcendent bilingual songwriting. "Die Alone" is also a departure from the single mic-style, live recording Chesky Records is known for, and combines elements of live recording with the added impact layering provides, all captured in digital high resolution.
"'Die Alone' is a song of hope for anyone faced with unimaginable challenges," Machado said. "Out of all suffering can evolve monolithic personal growth, and I seek comfort in that. If we let go of the painful past, we don't become the suffering. Shedding skin is sometimes the hardest part but it is why we're here — to love, to hurt, to feel, to adapt, and, most importantly, to evolve and not make the same mistakes we made in the past."
"Hollywood y Sycamore" includes completely new original songs, new arrangements of some previous ILL NIÑO songs ("How Can I Live", "Numb"), and covers from PINK FLOYD ("Welcome To The Machine"), LIFE OF AGONY ("Weeds"), and a spell-binding take on Post Malone's "Blame It On Me".
"Hollywood y Sycamore" track listing:
01. Say Hello Again
02. Die Alone
03. Better You Know
04. Blame It On Me
05. Bring You Home
06. Good Mother
07. Weeds
08. Pase Lo Que Pase
09. How Can I Live
10. Welcome To The Machine
11. Corazon En Un Cajon
12. Numb
This past March, Machado, lead guitarist Ahrue "Luster" Ilustre, rhythm guitarist Diego Verduzco, drummer Dave Chavarri and bassist Laz Pina announced that they "have reached a mutual, amicable and binding agreement" that will allow Chavarri and Pina to continue with ILL NIÑO while Machado, Verduzco and Ilustre will move on with new projects. According to a joint statement release by the five musicians, "No party has admitted fault and there has been no court judgment on the merits. The parties entered into a confidential settlement agreement."
Back in January 2019, Chavarri and Pina said that they had recruited vocalist Marcos Leal (SHATTERED SUN), lead guitarist Jes DeHoyos (SONS OF TEXAS) and rhythm guitarist Sal Dominguez (UPON A BURNING BODY) to be in their new incarnation of ILL NIÑO. The Chavarri-led ILL NIÑO also issued a new single, "Sangre". A day later, Machado, Ilustre and Verduzco dismissed reports that they had left ILL NIÑO and vowed to continue with their own version of the band. Two months later, the trio filed a lawsuit against Chavarri and Pina, accusing the drummer and bassist of failing to pay the band's tour rental company and engineers, slandering Machado by spreading rumors that he has a drug problem, collecting and spending the band's money without consulting in all of the members and refusing the members access to the group's financial records.
In a statement announcing the launch of his new version of ILL NIÑO, Chavarri said about the split with his former bandmates: "Being in a band is much like being married, and sometimes people grow apart, and no longer see eye to eye, and a separation becomes inevitable."
This Friday, the 30th anniversary deluxe edition of Anthrax's fifth studio album, Persistence Of Time, will be released. Episode Six of the Persistence Of Time Video Series, entitled "Process", can be seen below:
Watch previous episodes below.
Episode One: "Dali":
Episode Two: Public Enemy, "Bring The Noise":
Episode Three: "Iron Maiden":
Episode Four: "Married With Children":
Episode Five: "Tour Stories":
On August 21, 2020, 30 years to the day after its initial launch, Anthrax will celebrate with the release of the deluxe anniversary edition of their fifth studio album, the Gold-certified Persistence Of Time, produced by Anthrax and Mark Dodson (Megaforce). Available exclusively on disc and vinyl, the CD package will include two CDs and one DVD, the vinyl edition offers four LPs, as well as revised cover art that reflects what had been the album's original visual concept. Pre-orders can be placed here.
As with Anthrax's previous anniversary deluxe editions, the band's Charlie Benante shepherded the one for Persistence Of Time. Disc One is comprised of the 11-track album, fully-remastered by Paul Logus (who mastered Anthrax's Worship Music and For All Kings. the Anthems EP, and the DVDs Kings Among Scotland and Chile on Hell). Disc One also features a special "bonus B-side" version of "I'm The Man" from 1990 that leans more hip-hop than rock, and a live version of "Time" that was recorded at Michigan's Palace of Auburn Hills in 1991. The final two songs on Disc One, as well as all nine tracks on Disc Two, are special recordings from "Charlie's Stash," an incomparable wealth of Anthrax music from the band's rehearsals, writing sessions, preproduction, and live performances that Benante has recorded over the past 40 years and has been kept safely filed away. These recordings will put listeners "in the room" with the band, privy to the evolution of the songs on Persistence Of Time starting with Benante's original riffs and demos for the songs, moving on to Frank Bello, Scott Ian, Joey Belladonna, Dan Spitz, and Benante shaping the songs in rehearsal, then into preproduction, and finally into the recording studio. Said Benante, "you'll hear parts of songs that never made it to the final recording or songs with an arrangement different from the finished song."
The 40-minute "guerilla-style" DVD was shot when Anthrax was on tour with Iron Maiden in 1991 and features live footage of Benante taking over the drums for Iron Maiden's Nick McBrain, as well as backstage and dressing room footage with members of both bands. The piece wraps with Benante, Bello, and Ian joining Iron Maiden on stage for the final song of the night, "Sanctuary."
Check out the first single/music video from album's 1990 release, "Got The Time":
With revealing liner notes written by Scott Ian that pull back the curtain on some of the incidents that fueled the album's lyrical content, the artwork showcases a selection of mementos from the Persistence Of Time cycle: script pages from the band's 1992 "My Dinner with Anthrax" episode of the TV sitcom "Married With Children," band photos and magazine covers, backstage passes, and an assortment of vintage promo items. Also, the deluxe package's cover art has been revised. Explained Benante, who also oversees all of Anthrax's artwork, "We had been a band for only about five years, but so much had been and continued to be crammed into those few years, and we realized we couldn't stop time, it was just persistent. Simultaneously, I was at the height of my Salvador Dali phase, I was just absorbed in his art, and I wanted to tie the two together - Salvador Dali and time. I loved what [artist] Don Brautigam did with the original cover, but for this deluxe edition, I wanted it the way I had originally seen the cover in my head - with the clock melting, so that's what we did."
"Recording the vocals for this album was a great experience," said vocalist Joey Belladonna. " I really liked working with Steve Thompson and Mark Barbiero, everything came together nicely, we all became good friends. And it was great to work in Manhattan again, especially at Electric Lady Studios. That place has such an aura, recording in the same place where Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, and Led Zeppelin did, it was a really cool experience."
"One of the things I'll never forget from the 'Persistence Of Time' tours," added Frank Bello, "was when we played the songs 'Time' and 'Got The Time' live. We had this big clock on our stage, the 'Persistence Of Time' clock, and the hands on this clock went around and around while we played the songs 'Time" and "Got The Time." Today, something like that would be motorized, but back in 1990, it had to be done manually using a hand crank on the back of the clock. My bass tech from that time, Troy, it was his job to keep those hands turning during those two songs, throughout the entire songs. I mean, what a workout that guy got from turning that crank."
"It was a weird time for us for a number of reasons," added Benante, "but at the same time, a lot of great things happened. We did 'Married with Children,' we toured with Slayer and Megadeth on the 'Clash of the Titans Tour," and we recorded 'Bring The Noise' with Public Enemy, and that turned everything around."
Persistence Of Time/Deluxe 30th Anniversary Edition Vinyl tracklisting:
Side A
"Time" (Remastered)
"Blood" (Remastered)
"Keep It In The Family" (Remastered)
Side B
"In My World" (Remastered)
"Gridlock" (Remastered)
"Intro To Reality" (Remastered
"Belly Of The Beast" (Remastered)
Side C
"Got The Time" (Remastered)
"H8 Red" (Remastered)
"One Man Stands" (Remastered)
"Discharge" (Remastered)
Side D
"I'm The Man" (The Illest Version Ever)
"Time" (Live at The Palace of Auburn Hills)
"Got The Time" (Pre Production)
Side E
"In My World" (Pre Production - Scott Guide Vocal)
"H8 Red" (Rehearsal Room/Charlie's, Riff Tape/Pre-Production)
"Discharge" (Charlie's Riff Tape/Rehearsal Room/Pre-Production)
Side F
"Keep It In The Family" (Rehearsal Room/Scott Guide Vocal)
"Blood" (Rehearsal Room/Pre-Production)
Side G
"Intro To Reality" (Pre-Production)
"Belly Of The Beast" (Tracking)
"Gridlock" (Tracking)
Side H
"One Man Stands" (Pre-Production)
"Time" (Pre-Production, Scott Guide Vocal)
"We put a lot of work into Persistence Of Time. We pushed ourselves harder, self-analyzed, criticized, and agonized more than any of the previous records, and we were really proud of it." - Scott Ian, from the Persistence Of Time liner notes
Charlie Benante: "Here is a peak of some of the video footage you may see..."
Arizona's Realize channels Godflesh, Nailbomb, and Meathook Seed with their sophomore full-length, Machine Violence, assembling an abrasive and hyper-aggressive take on industrial metal. The band, featuring Kyle Kennedy (Sex Prisoner), Matt Underwood (Sex Prisoner), and Matt Mutterperl (North, Languish), amalgamates crushing metal riffs with driving, yet often unorthodox industrial rhythms and dissonant noise. New video for "Slag Pile" is streaming below.
Machine Violence will be released via Relapse Records September 25 on CD, LP, and digital formats. Physical pre-orders are available here and digital downloads/streaming services here.
The pace of Machine Violence is unrelenting throughout. Realize tackles stark themes such as isolation, altered reality, simulations, and anxiety, taking inspiration from science fiction writers such as Phillip K. Dick and Frederik Pohl. Redefining "heavy," tracks such as "Disappear" and "Slag Pile" see the band unleashing menacing riffs against in-your-face, confrontational vocals, while "Alone Against Flames" and "Melted Base" thrash the listener straight away with faster tempos and a hardcore swagger.
Adhering to an old-school approach to writing and recording, Realize and Machine Violence reflect on the advancing convergence of organic life and machines. No amps or drums were used in the recording process; vocals, guitars, and bass all used computerized amps and effect modulations, and drums were programmed on an Alesis machine. With Machine Violence, Realize leaps forward and showcases industrial metal at its most ferocious and uncompromising.
Machine Violence tracklisting:
"Alone Against Flames"
"Melted Base"
"Ghost In The Void"
"Long Stare"
"Hypermech"
"Disappear"
"Simulated World Down"
"Slag Pile"
"Gateway Trial"
"Heavy Legs In The Mansion"
Releasing their debut album Luggage Falling Down this past April, Los Angeles' Lufeh (a band of both Brazilian and American musicians) have been sharing their blend of progressive rock injected with jazz styles, heavy metal foundations, and rhythmic Brazilian influences with a series of music videos for each individual track from the full-length.
Today, the band shares their next video that showcases their high energy and knack for performing with the track “End Of The Road”.
The band explains the song: "'End Of The Road' is upbeat, catchy, and thrilling. Bass and keyboard counterpoint lead beautifully into a jazzy classic rock verse and chorus, but are interrupted by moments of heavy metal and of introspective soul-searching.
Lufefh's new album Luggage Falling Down is available for stream and download on Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music.
On September 4, Iceland's Cult Of Lilith will release their debut full-length, Mara, via Metal Blade Records. A frantic collision of death metal, prog, complex classical structures and more, Mara is a restless, constantly shifting collection that is as imaginative as it is compulsive. The album can be pre-ordered here. A guitar and bass playthrough video of their most recent single, "Purple Tide", is streaming below.
A video for the new single, "Purple Tide" (directed by Dániel Puskás / Valhallartworks) featuring a guest keyboard solo by Lucy In Blue's Arnaldur Ingi Jónsson was recently released. The band has followed it up with a Making Of video clip, Check them both out below.
Cult Of Lilith's Mario Infantes Ávalos (vocals) comments: "'Purple Tide' is a hymn to justice. One that brings balance to our kind, gives rest to the afflicted, empowers them and beheads the tyrants. When justice fails, hope fades away in our hearts and leaves nothing but a thirst for vengeance. May all rapists meet the same fate as the wretched sailors in this video."
Founded in Reykjavik, Iceland in 2015 by guitarist Daniel Þór Hannesson as the sole member, he hired a session drummer and singer to create the Arkanum EP (2016), going on to put together a full band that was cemented in 2018 with the addition of vocalist Mario Infantes Ávalos. "Stylistically, Mara is way more diverse and refined than Arkanum, but still retains some of the essential ideas of composition. There was another vocalist at the time and since their styles are so different, it has made a big impact on the progression of the band. Mario has great range, so he fits very well with our diverse music. There is also a big difference in sound: Mara is much heavier, in your face and beefier than Arkanum, thanks to the amazing Dave Otero, who mixed and mastered the album."
Tracking was done at two studios: drums laid down at Dutch Ice Productions with renowned engineer Chris van der Valk (Hail of Bullets) with everything else recorded at guitarist Kristján Jóhann Júlíusson's Krummafótur Studio. "Tracking guitars was grueling, as it always is for this type of music. Both of our guitarists are perfectionists and achieving a perfect result requires going overboard with tracking until execution is flawless. The whole process was challenging and difficult, but that is kind of the whole point. It makes it more gratifying when it all comes together," says Júlíusson. The results speak for themselves, and open a thrilling new chapter for a band helping establish Iceland's place on the extreme metal map.
Mara tracklisting:
"Cosmic Maelstrom"
"Purple Tide"
"Enter the Mancubus"
"Atlas"
"Comatose"
"Profeta Paloma"
"Zángano"
"Le Soupir du Fantôme"
"Cosmic Maelstrom":
Cult of Lilith lineup:
Mario Infantes Ávalos - Vocals
Daniel Þór Hannesson - Guitar, Composition and arrangements
Kristján Jóhann Júlíusson - Guitar, Composition and arrangements
Samúel Örn Böðvarsson - Bass
Kjartan Harðarson - Drums
Drummer Joel Maitoza (24-7 Spyz, Seventrain, Shockhead) has just released the first single and video from his new project The Frequency Conspiracy. It’s a cover version of “Rock Candy” by the legendary band Montrose from the soon to be released Quarantine Covers album featuring:
Andrew Freeman (Last in Line, Lynch Mob, Offspring) – Vocals
Joshua Jones (Poster Child) - Guitars
Rick Skatore (24-7 Spyz) - Bass
Joel Maitoza (24-7 Spyz, Shockhead, Seventrain) – Drums
The album is currently being recorded at Exum Studios by Scott Exum (Stabbing Westward, Unwritten Law), Room 9 Studios by Jerry Whiting and AJP Studios by Alex Pappas (Finch).
The single is available now on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and most digital platforms. The full-length album is scheduled to be released worldwide in early 2021; however, no specific release date is available at this time.
Bay Area natives, Aenimus, have released a bass playthrough video for "The Dark Triad", a track from the band's most recent offering, Dreamcatcher. Watch below:
"Before The Eons"
"Eternal"
"The Ritual"
"My Becoming"
"The Dark Triad"
"Between Iron And Silver"
"The Overlook"
"Caretaker"
"Second Sight"
"Day Zero"
"Dreamcatcher"
Los Angeles-based industrial-fused metal band, Society 1, has debuted the latest video from their upcoming Black Level Six album, “Get Up Again". Watch below.
“This is the most positive song I've ever written,” says vocalist Lord Zane. “It's basically about getting up after getting knocked down, no matter how many times you may find yourself in less than desirable situations. Whatever happens, just keep getting back up to fight another day. I'm sure everyone right now is feeling somewhat destroyed and that's understandable. Things aren't easy. The point of the song is to say...take a breath, refocus then get up again and just keep going no matter what.”
“Get Up Again” is also available to stream via Spotify.
Directed by Zane, who heads up Lord Zane Productions, the company behind the lens for videos from Zakk Wylde, DMC (Run DMC), Static-X, John 5 and many more, “Get Up Again” is the first video to feature the current lineup of Society 1, despite touring and recording with the same lineup since the fall of 2019. Within weeks of getting together, the current incarnation of Society 1 had hit the road for the Static-X Memorial Tour and continued performing live until the night before lockdowns went into place.
“This line up came together fast and it just clicked,” Zane says. “It feels great to finally get the new line up in a proper video. We didn't have a lot of time downtime to do videos but now, due to the pandemic, we have all the time we need since touring is on hold. When we decided to create this, we just wanted to create a video that was very abstract and didn't really take place anywhere in reality. We figured, ‘Let's visually escape for this one.’ Everyone wants a little escape right now including us.”
Innovation, invention and intensity are all words that sum up Lord Zane. Through the peaks and valleys of Society 1’s career, Zane’s passion and staunch dedication to his art have never subsided. Society 1 has seen it all before and has a hunger riding within the seat of experience - still as dangerous but with focus and intensity matched only by wisdom.
Zane is backed by Russian drummer Zhenya Pro, one of the most recognized and demanded session drummers in his home country; bassist Jimmy Minj, who has spent two decades touring professionally; and Johnny Pilz, a well-known and respected guitarist from the Orange County scene.
Although the 13 tracks on Black Level Six, the sixth album from Society 1, are based on a conventional theme of recovering from heartbreak, Zane’s cutting-edge songwriting and lyrical mastery approaches the topic in the unconventional style for which Society 1 has garnered its reputation. Described as “very somber, but very delicate in a way – and sad and creepy all at the same time,” Black Level Six tackles not only pain and suffering but also the steps through recovery and the process of letting go.
The longstanding band revealed a futuristic, sci-fi-inspired video for the track “Bleed You Away” last month. Check it out below:
Black Level Six was recorded at Pawnshop Studios, mixed by Greg Hetson, Shane Smith and Blake Harden, mastered by Mike Wells, and co-produced by Patrick Burkholder. The album is slated for release later this year.
Society 1 is:
Lord Zane - Vocals
Jimmy Minj- Bass
Zhenya Pro- Drums
Johnny Pilz - Guitar
Draconian have released their third single, “The Sacrificial Flame”, off their upcoming album, Under A Godless Veil, out October 30 via Napalm Records.
The second epos on Draconian’s new collection of hymns draws the listener deep into endless landscapes consisting of doomy guitars and heavy growls. The angelic voice of singer Heike Langhans accompanies the opus like a nightingale flying through dark woods, haunting the last lines of shimmering light somewhere at the end of the horizon. Along with an artful conceptualized lyric video, “The Sacrificial Flame” guarantees a complete immersion into the band’s essence, making it hard to emerge from this vortex of emotions in the end as it’s quite more tempting to just stay there forever.
Heike Langhans on “The Sacrificial Flame”: “This is definitely one of the heaviest songs on the album and reminds me of all the old-school riffs and moody atmospheres that got me into doom metal in the first place. A dark and confrontational anthem that stirs me inside and silently demands answers from all that is Archonic in this world. Also one of my favorite vocal performances by Anders on the album.”
The upcoming full-length delivers a captivating mélange of dreary doom and contrasting vocals and is already the second offer featuring the stunning singer Heike Langhans: The mix of Heike’s angelic, female voice and Anders Jacobsson's thrilling death growls will drag the listener into a sorrowful cosmos. Already the first notes of the opener will draw you into the void of interweaving beauty, coalescing with paralyzing depression that leaves nothing but the desire of total immersion in the whole record. Under A Godless Veil carries the legacy of gothic doom metal à la My Dying Bride into a new decade of the genre.
Draconian states: "To us, Under A Godless Veil is by far the most diverse album we have created. Inspired by some of the music closest to Johan’s heart; everything from traditional Doom to scaled-down, Gothic rock-inspired pieces and more. Some will perhaps describe the songs as more refined and meditative. Some ambient elements have been added to the mix without overshadowing the traditional characteristics that are Draconian. Resonating with the compositions, Anders’s lyrical direction is ambiguous and a progression of the first two-three albums, yet more subtle while embracing the Gnostic philosophy more directly. One could say Under A Godless Veil is an act of contemplation; About living and dying and remembering who we are in a strange, abrasive world far from home.“
Under A Godless Veil will be available in the following formats:
- CD Jewelcase
- 2LP Gatefold Black vinyl
- 2LP Gatefold Gold vinyl
- Digital Album
Under A Godless Veil is available for pre-order here.
Tracklisting:
"Sorrow Of Sophia"
"The Sacrificial Flame"
"Lustrous Heart"
"Sleepwalkers"
"Moon Over Sabaoth"
"Burial Fields"
"The Sethian"
"Claw Marks On The Throne"
"Night Visitor"
"Ascend Into Darkness"
“Sorrow Of Sophia” lyric video:
“Lustrous Heart” lyric video:
Draconian and Nightfall are teaming up for a European tour in March 2021.
Draconian's Anders Jacobsson comments: "We're psyched to announce our European headline tour for March 2021, in support of our upcoming album, Under A Godless Veil! It will be an honor to have Nightfall with us, as we've been huge fans since the early nineties. We can't wait to play the new songs live and to see you all on the road!"
Tour dates:
March
11 - Hydrozagadka - Warsaw, Poland
12 - Drizzly Grizzly - Gdansk, Poland
13 - Nuke - Berlin, Germany
14 - Hellraiser - Leipzig, Germany
15 - Black Pes - Prague, Czech Republic
16 - Eventhall Airport - Regensburg, Germany
17 - MS Connexion Complex - Mannheim, Germany
18 - Junkyard - Dortmund, Germany
19 - Kronensaal - Hamburg, Germany
20 - Metropool - Enschede, Netherlands
21 - Baroeg - Rotterdam, Netherlands
22 - Zappa - Antwerpen, Belgium
23 - Ubu - Rennes, France
24 - Petit Bain - Paris, France
25 - Hall of Fame - Wetzikon, Switzerland
26 - Slaughter Club - Paderno, Italy
27 - Revolver - San Donà di Piave, Italy
28 - Viper Room - Vienna, Austria
Draconian is:
Anders Jacobsson - vocals
Heike Langhans - vocals
Johan Ericsson - guitar
Daniel Arvidsson - guitar
Jerry Torstensson - drums
(Artwork - Natalia Drepina; Band photo - Eleni Liverakou Eriksson)
US-based heavy metal outfit, Helstar, will release their new 7” single, "Black Wings Of Solitude", on October 2 via Massacre Records. You can now watch the official video for "Black Wings Of Solitude", below.
The single, which will include the title track as well as a cover version of Black Sabbath's "After All (The Dead)", will be available in digital formats as well, and can be pre-ordered here.
The artwork was created by John Fossum.
"Black Wings Of Solitude" was mixed by Martin "Mattes" Pfeiffer at Redhead Studios in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, and mastered by Stefan Kaufmann at ROXX Studio in Solingen, Germany.
DEATH ANGEL's Ted Aguilar (rhythm guitar) has joined forces with WARBRINGER's Carlos Cruz (drums), HOLY GRAIL's Alex Lee (lead guitar), and HELLFIRE's Herman Balanda (bass) to record a quarantine cover version of METALLICA's "Orion". Video of the performance can be seen below.
Aguilar said in a statement: "A METALLICA favorite that just has to be played! And so we did!"
METALLICA's Kirk Hammett famously produced DEATH ANGEL's first demo, 1985's "Kill As One".
In recent years, Hammett has joined DEATH ANGEL on stage to perform the the METALLICA song "Trapped Under Ice" and the BLACK SABBATH classic "Heaven And Hell".
Back in 2018, DEATH ANGEL singer Mark Osegueda told RadioactiveMike Z about how his band ended up getting Hammett to work on "Kill As One": "[Kirk] took us under his wing when we were very, very young, prior to being signed. We would give him tapes of new songs. We'd see him at Ruthie's Inn or any of those local clubs and we'd give him cassette tapes of new stuff we'd written. It was literally in our rehearsal room. So what we'd do is we'd get our tape recorded or boom box, hit 'Play' and 'Record', stick it in a carboard box and throw a jacket over it and put it in the middle of the room, and that's how we'd record these new songs. And I'd give 'em to Kirk when I'd see him at these shows, just hoping he'd listen. Next time I'd see him at a club, he [would be like], 'Hey, I really dug that new song you wrote.' And eventually he approached us and was, like, 'I'd really be interested in producing a demo for you guys.' How are you gonna say no to that? So it was brilliant. We recorded that up in Glen Ellen, California, which is up in the Wine Country. We went up to the studio there, and over weekends, when we weren't at school, we would go up there and stay at the studio and just record on the weekends. And we did that for about three weeks — three or four weeks even — and it worked out great. And eventually, that's the demo that got us signed to Enigma that released our first two records."
DEATH ANGEL guitarist Rob Cavestany told Metal Refuge that working with Hammett was a "totally inspiring" experience, "because at that point in time, 'Ride The Lightning' had just come out, and so we were just freaking out that we were going to be doing this demo with the guitar player who was on 'Ride The Lightning', for God's sake! Basically, we were already kind of somewhat friends anyway, from just around the scene here and there. This was before METALLICA was untouchable. At that point in time, they were actually our local mentors in the scene, and we had just done some shows, either we were just about to do the shows, or we just did a couple shows with METALLICA at this place called the Kabuki nightclub in San Francisco. It was actually METALLICA, ARMORED SAINT and DEATH ANGEL. It was a great time. Kirk came in and basically just brought his experience to the recording studio with us, and also took his vibe and energetic and enthusiastic way that he was. It was just extremely thrilling for us at the time."
Floridian thrashers Intoxicated have unveiled their new video "Walled". The track hails from the band's new EP, Walled, set for international release on August 28th via Seeing Red Records.
The history of Florida's Intoxicated dates back to the early '90s. Throughout the early-to-mid '90s, the band released four demos, one of which, the Drain EP, was recorded and produced by their friend Chuck Schuldiner and also featured Trevor Peres.
When Obituary went on hiatus for all those years, Donald Tardy actually joined Intoxicated and played with the band for nearly four years. During that time, Andrew WK, being a huge Obituary fan, approached Donald to be in his band. As it turned out, since Donald was jamming with the Intoxicated boys at the time, Andrew WK hired all of the Intoxicated members to be his backing band, which is also why Intoxicated has taken a giant backseat for all these years.
What's even more interesting is that Erik Payne, the vocalist and guitarist of the band, is brother to Tim Payne of Team Pain! Tim and Team Payne were the architects behind the infamous Animal Chin skate ramp and are the most famous skatepark-building team in the world, having worked on nearly everything you could imagine - Jackass, X-Games, the list is endless.
While the band's roots are firmly planted in the death / thrash roots of their Florida brethren, Intoxicated have expanded their sonic palette to incorporate more crossover and hardcore influences, as well. Intoxicated are the real deal, and after all these years, Seeing Red Records feels really fortunate to have connected with the guys and are extremely proud to officially announce them to the world! With music that is as equally amazing as the story, grab a board, a bike, or get behind your favorite set of wheels and crank this EP to 11!
Tracklisting:
"Smash The Line"
"Walled"
"Grab The Rope"
"Hells Reward"
"Stuck In Mode"
"Yuck"
"It's good to hear new music from old friends and seeing them keep the flame burning during this pandemic. It's like as if traces of Chuck Schuldiner's DNA is still in the Florida drinking water, Intoxicated are still keeping Florida Death Metal true and alive." - Donald Tardy, Obituary
"Pure Florida-grown Thrash Metal with heavy Death Metal grooves and overtones." - Trevor Peres, Obituary
For further details, visit Intoxicated on Facebook.
On Saturday, August 15, Morrison Hotel Gallery and its partners presented (De)Tour, a daylong charity music festival featuring an all-star lineup of artists working in association with MusiCares, National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), and Spotify in support of fellow artists, crew members, and independent venues and promoters.
(De)Tour brought together the brightest stars of the music world in order to combat widespread tour cancelations and continued financial uncertainty faced by thousands of music industry professionals.
The video below contains performances of two songs: a rendition of THE BEATLES classic "Come Together" featuring Lzzy Hale, Linda Perry, Slash, Gilby Clarke, Mike Garson, Rob "Blasko" Nicholson and Matt Sorum; and a version of AC/DC's "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'N' Roll)", as performed by Lzzy Hale, Robin Zander, Gilby Clarke, Rob "Blasko" Nicholson and Matt Sorum.
With (De)Tour, Morrison Hotel Gallery took the new normal to the next level, offering patrons all-day, unlimited access to YouTube Live streamed performances of festival headliners. Stars delivered intimate performances from their own homes, as well as stunning shows from the otherwise vacant stages of legendary music venues throughout the nation, including New York City's Bowery Electric, West Hollywood's Whisky a Go Go, The Roxy Theatre, and the Viper Room — with numerous surprise stops and celebrity guests along the way. (De)Tour was hosted by Spotify global head of rock Allison Hagendorf and famed MTV/VH1 personality Matt Pinfield.
An all-access experience tailored for music fans, (De)Tour was created to honor and assist music’s unsung heroes. With no cost for admission and donations accepted in real time via YouTube Live and Facebook Live, Spotify matched donations to MusiCares dollar-for-dollar up to a collective total of $10 million through its COVID-19 Music Relief project, with all proceeds being split between MusiCares and NIVA. Spotify also created a special (De)Tour playlist featuring songs from the performers.
The Recording Academy and its affiliated charitable foundation MusiCares established the COVID-19 Relief Fund to help their peers in the music community affected by the coronavirus pandemic. While The Recording Academy is best known for the Grammy Awards telecast, it serves the music community year-round by providing emergency aid through MusiCares, as well as performing advocacy work to protect musicians’ rights.
Formed in the days following the shutdown, NIVA works to preserve and nurture the ecosystem of independent live music venues and promoters throughout the United States. Independent venues exist in every state across the country. They were the first to close, have zero revenue, enormous overhead, and there’s no view into when they can reopen. When surveyed, 90% of NIVA members reported that if the shutdown lasts six months or longer and there’s no federal assistance, they will be forced to shutter forever. To enable their 2,500 members' survival, NIVA is advocating for the passage of the bipartisan Save Our Stages Act and RESTART Act. People can contact their elected representatives through SaveOurStages.com to ask them to support these bills.
(De)Tour was made possible by a long lineup of festival sponsors and partners, including Rolling Live Studios, MusiCares, Sports Illustrated, Volcom, Roland Corporation, Jack Daniels, YouTube, Spotify and the Condé Nast Collection.
Morrison Hotel Gallery is the world's leading brand in fine art music photography representing over 125 of the world's finest music photographers and their archives. Their vast catalog of photography encompasses jazz, blues, and rock imagery spanning several generations through to today's contemporary music artists and now includes iconic photographs in the world of celebrity and sports as well. MHG has a robust online presence, featuring over 100,000 images searchable by photographer, music artist, band or concert.
For this week's #MetallicaMondays (August 17th), Metallica streamed their full concert from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY on September 14, 2011. The cover of Motörhead's "Overkill" featured members of Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax including Kerry King, Dave Lombardo, Gary
Holt, David Ellefson, Chris Broderick, Shawn Drover, Scott Ian, Rob, Caggiano, Frank Bello, Charlie Benante, and Joey Belladonna. The clip features an intro by drummer Lars Ulrich.
The setlist was as follows:
"Creeping Death"
"For Whom the Bell Tolls"
"Fuel"
"Ride the Lightning"
"Fade to Black"
"Cyanide"
"All Nightmare Long"
"Sad but True"
"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)"
"Orion"
"One"
"Master of Puppets"
"Blackened"
"Nothing Else Matters"
"Enter Sandman"
Arch Enemy vocalist Alissa White-Gluz has checked in with the following update:
"I’m so incredibly proud to share the project that has kept me bubbling with ideas and not sleeping for the past couple weeks - 'Lizzie'! Now, on both Charlotte Wessels and my own Patreon pages, we shared the music video for our song 'Lizzie', which is actually a three-way, all-woman collaboration with the deceased artist, Elizabeth Siddal.
Doing this kind of thing on top of our main bands is an incredible amount of work, but so rewarding! It is made possible by the support of our patrons (my Beastlings!). So - in return, the members of my Fan Club and Charlotte’s page get all sorts of perks and today they get the whole song, the whole music video and even isolated stems so they can remix the song or sing and play along with us.
Thank you, Charlotte, for this amazing experience!!
Leaves' Eyes have released their new single and video "Dark Love Empress", the first track from their upcoming album The Last Viking, which is due for release on October 23rd via AFM Records.
England in the year 1066. The decisive battle near Stamford Bridge. Warriors fighting death, the grounds soaked in blood. Norway’s king Harald III, called Hardrada ("the hard ruler") lies dying. His whole life flashes before his eyes: cruel wars, fights over power, journeys to exotic worlds guiding to powerful women, emperors and kings falling into ruin. The last Viking King is dead - the Vikings’ age is over. Long live the Vikings.
The Last Viking is the 2020-monumental-piece from Leaves' Eyes. The setting of the symphonic metal masterpiece couldn’t be more tremendous. With their cult-albums Vinland Saga (2005) and King Of Kings (2015) they already turned Leif Erikssons discovery of America and the life of Norway’s first king into music. Now, Leaves' Eyes bring the Viking Sagas to their bombastic finale.
The album was produced by Alexander Krull at Mastersound Studio. The cover is an artwork masterpiece created by Stefan Heilemann, which perfectly fits to the collection of top-class Leaves' Eyes covers so far.
The Last Viking will be available on 2CD Digipak (incl. instrumental bonus CD), 2CD Digipak “Collector’s Edition” (incl. instrumental bonus CD, alternate cover artwork & hand signed autograph card), Ltd. Gtf. Vinyl (pinewood green, hazy orange - ltd. to 533 units each) and Ltd. Hardcover Artbook (exclusive cover, 30x30cm, 60 pages, incl. album, Viking Spirit DVD featuring the original film documentary about the growing Viking re-enactment scene of which Fronter Alex and the band is part of since many years, Studio Making Of, Official Videoclips, Soundtrack Bonus-CD & handsigned autograph card - limited to 1066 units).
"Death Of A King"
"Chain Of The Golden Horn"
"Dark Love Empress"
"Serpents And Dragons"
"Black Butterfly" (feat. Clémentine Delauney)
"War Of Kings"
"For Victory"
"Two Kings One Realm"
"Flames In The Sky"
"Serkland"
"Varangians"
"Night Of The Ravens"
"The Last Viking"
"Break Into The Sky Of Aeon"
Dutch psychedelic rock formation Molassess (featuring members of The Devil's Blood), will be releasing their debut full-length, Through The Hollow, on October 16. The record will be released via Season Of Mist, making it the band's debut to the label. A video for the song "Death Is" can be found below.
Says the band: "Today, we lift the veil some more. This time accompanied by the visual magic of S. De Jager. A glimpse of what is to come. Hold up harden die!"
Featuring four musicians from The Devil's Blood, Molassess was formed upon being commissioned for a performance during the 2019 edition of Roadburn Festival. Yet, Molassess is not a continuation of a buried past, nor a celebration of a cherished collaborator, but a culmination of heartache, requisite resolution, a rediscovery of rage and the relighting of a fire that never really burned out.
The cover artwork, which was created by Max Rivers, can be found below along with the tracklisting.
Tracklisting:
"Through The Hollow"
"Get Out From Under"
"Formless Hands"
"Corpse Of Mind"
"The Maze Of Stagnant Time"
"I Am No Longer"
"Death Is"
"Tunnel"
"The Devil Lives"
"Death Is" video:
"Through The Hollow":
Lineup:
Oeds Beydals - guitar
Ron van Herpen - guitar
Job van de Zande - bass guitar
Bob Hogenelst - drums and percussion
Matthijs Stronks - keys
Farida Lemouchi - vocals
German rock band, Serum 114, have released their new single, “Jeden Tag Jede Nacht” (English: “Every Day Every Night”), along with an expressive music video, fresh off the upcoming album Im Zeichen der Zeit (English: Signs Of Time), to be released via Napalm Records on September 18. Pre-order the new album here.
The hard-hitting blend of punk, pop and modern rock will pierce straight into your eardrums: With an unmistakably catchy chorus and Esche’s remarkable vocals the German rock combo showcase that the mixture of modern rock and edgy punk simply flows through their veins. The accompanying audio-visual presents a different side of the bands artistic work and underlines their visual versality without losing their unique Serum 114 trademark.
Serum 114 on their new single “Jeden Tag Jede Nacht”: “It seems kind of crazy how long one can carry a broken heart. 'Jeden Tag Jede Nacht' touches upon a very personal note: Each of us knows it, each of us has experienced it once or will experience it in the future. No matter how long it’s been and no matter how much you want to stay strong - it tears you up inside and you can’t hide - no matter how much you are trying to hide. Losing a person who once meant “everything” to you is one of the most painful and difficult challenges - it remains a part of us forever. But you can find the inner power to try something new and to create great things. We personally celebrate the new single for its honesty and the authenticity it carries within.”
Im Zeichen der Zeit, presents 14 energetic modern rock tracks: In an honest and authentic punk rock manner, "Freiheit" (English: “Freedom”) invites the listener to reflect on moments filled with happiness, to center themselves and find balance within, even if it’s just for a short amount of time. The mid-tempo anthem “Abgefucktes Leben” (English: “Fucked Up Life”) is driven by its unmistakably catchy chorus and dedicated to the simplicity of daily life. Esche’s rough vocals classify the band’s unique trademark, whilst pushing their songs, such as “Meine Band” (English: “My Band”), to a highly energetic level.
Despite wearing their punk rock attitude on their sleeves, Serum 114 is also capable of slowing down: “Wir scheitern voran” (English: “We Fail”) is a powerful ballad of failure and unveils an unusually calm side of the band.
Tracklisting:
"Abgefucktes Leben"
"Freiheit"
"Punk Rock Show"
"Zuhause ist schön"
"Ein Teil"
"Zeichen"
"Wir scheitern voran"
"Jeden Tag Jede Nacht"
"Meine Band"
"Nein"
"Biest"
"Was kann der Mond dafür"
"Zeit steht still"
"Unzerbrechlich"
“Freiheit” video:
Lineup:
Esche - vocals / guitar
Markus - bass
Nils - drums
Thorsten - guitar
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