Otherwise took to the streets to capture a picture of Las Vegas no one inhabiting the Earth thought they would ever witness. As the entire civilization across planet Earth navigates towards a better day, the band took the path of continuing to create in support of their recent release, Defy. Today, they present a new video for the second single, “Crossfire”, which can be seen below.
Singer Adrian Patrick shares, “One of the hardest things we've ever had to do, as performing artists, was cancel our Defy Division Tour. It's left us wondering how we'll be able to feed our families, if we'll still even have a career after this. We know that millions of others across the globe are facing the same dire prospect. Yet it's not just jobs & money that we are losing... people are fighting for their lives, right now. The whole world has been caught in the Crossfire. We never thought we'd live to see the heartbreaking day when the bright lights and dancing fountains are turned off in the Neon Desert. But we are all in this together, so let's keep our heads down low & hopes up high, for humanity. This pandemic doesn't discriminate... and neither does rock n roll. Stay safe, stay home, stay strong."
On the release of the lead single, “Lifted”, Patrick offered, “We're currently living in very divisive and polarizing times, but what both sides of the aisle need to realize is that the left wing and the right wing are part of the same damn bird. Thankfully we still have the unifying power of rock n roll with the hope we can all learn to fly together."
As American society comes together in practicing social distancing to reach a moment of containment, and support one another in a manner that potentially is unprecedented, politicians alongside the entire populace will hopefully step forward united as the singer envisioned with hope before the world was turned upside down.
Defy album details below.
Tracklisting:
"Bad Trip"
"Money"
"Crossfire"
"Lifted"
"Picking At Bones"
"Ain't Done Yet"
"Goliath"
"Don't Even"
"Fame And Miss Fortune"
"Unbreakable"
"Goodfight"
Canadian metaller Lindsay Schoolcraft, formerly of Cradle Of Filth, has released an official video for "Dangerous Game" from her debut solo album, Martyr. Check it out below.
Martyr is available for streaming via Spotify here. Purchase physical copies of the album at SchoolcraftShop.com.
The limited edition storybook digipack version of the album includes extra pages in the booklet that tell the tale of the album’s beginnings and a page signed by Lindsay. Each copy is auto-numbered and will not be printed again. It is limited to 500 copies.
Tracklist:
"Savior"
"Dangerous Game"
"Stranger"
"Into The Night"
"Blood From A Stone"
"Dawn"
"Remember"
"See The Light" (feat. Xenoyr)
"Where I Fall"
"My Way Without You"
"Lullaby"
Bonus tracks:
"Warn Me"
"Betrayal"
Martyr was co-written with former Evanescence drummer Rocky Gray.
For further details, visit Lindsay Schoolcraft on Facebook.
German heavy metal legends Scorpions continue to roll out the retro footage, this time in celebration of the Live Bites album's 25th Anniversary. Check out frontman Klaus Meine and guitarist Matthias Jabs performing "White Dove" on 2.12.1994.
"White Dove" was a new studio track featured on the Live Bites record, which is a cover of the song "Gyöngyhajú lány" by Hungary's Omega.
Members of rock legends Scorpions offer messages of support and encouragement in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch the video below.
"Take good care of yourselves and don't forget: In good times, in bad times music will lift up our souls." - Klaus Meine
Legendary German industrial pioneers, Die Krupps, meet up with Goth N' Roll icon Jyrki 69, vocalist of the Helsinki vampire rock band The 69 Eyes, for a brilliant rendition of The Neon Judgement's 80's classic, “Chinese Black”.
Feverish and pensive, this video perfectly captures this new recording. With paranoia surrounding the uncertainty of the current pandemic, Die Krupps and Jyrki have delivered the perfect soundtrack.
The duo also teamed up with renowned video director Vicente Cordero (Not My God, Skold, 3Teeth) to deliver a PSA to all of the quarantined guys and ghouls around the world.
“Chinese Black” will be available on all digital platforms everywhere starting April 6. The track will also appear on the forthcoming Die Krupps album for Cleopatra Records.
Hazzerd, one of thrash metal's most exciting young contenders, have released a music video for their song “Waking Nightmare”, which captures the raw energy of the Calgary-based quartet as they jam the track live in their rehearsal room (guitarist Toryin Schadlich's basement). Check out the clip – which also features additional conceptual footage by Rafael Ortega of Ecliptic Visions (The Absence, Ayreon):
“Waking Nightmare” is a standout track from Hazzerd's sophomore recording, Delirium. The album – which is available on CD, digital and limited-edition colored vinyl – was mixed and mastered by Johnny Gasparic (Into Eternity) and features cover artwork by Andrei Bouzikov (Municipal Waste, Toxic Holocaust, Skeletonwitch).
Says drummer/vocalist Dylan Westendorp, “'Waking Nightmare' is one of our favorites off the new album, as it is super-aggressive and fast with a melodic build-up intro. The song itself was written about sleep paralysis and how scary that situation can be. A number of people have reported waking up in the middle of the night unable to move and seeing things that aren’t actually there, like monsters, demons, and other apparitions. The video was shot by a local production company called Russman Productions. We were going for that underground / thrash feeling for the video, and we think we got it.”
Tracklisting:
"Sacrifice Them (In The Name Of God)"
"A Tormented Reality"
"Sanctuary For The Mad"
"Victim Of A Desperate Mind"
"Call Of The Void"
"Dead In The Shed"
"Illuminated Truth"
"Waking Nightmare"
"The Decline"
"The End" (Outro)
2019 was quite a year for melodic death metal band Hollow World. Not only did the Melbourne natives tour Europe with Psycroptic and Aversions Crown, Australia with Rings Of Saturn, and played the boutique metal festival Halloween Hysteria alongside Ruins, Jet Boys and Hadal Maw. But they also went in search of a new frontman, one that could lead them into their next chapter as one of the most promising bands in the Australian metal scene.
Now, with Clint Curtis (Down Royale, Humality) having been formally announced as their new vocalist. the band are dropping their brand new single, accompanied by a visually stunning film clip, "Negative Gain".
"Negative Gain" was the next logical progression when it came to creating music for Hollow World. With Clint injecting new inspiration and a new vision into the band, they set out to create music that fit both his and the band's style. And what they came up with is a blistering track that seamlessly brings together their signature sound, now more matured and polished, with Clint's ferocious vocals.
"'Negative Gain' has been a truly collaborative process. The verse riff actually came to me when I was procrastinating just before our European Tour and became my soundcheck staple," explains guitarist Theo Goslett.
"Upon returning to Australia and taking up the writing efforts again, everyone was heavily involved and the track underwent many transformations before it became what you're hearing now and Clint was integral to the sound-design process. Not only did he handle all the synths, but he sent me a suggestion for some guitar parts that had me wishing I'd thought of those ideas myself. It's been seamless and effortless to have Clint become part of our creative effort and I think I speak for everyone when I say we're really excited about the things yet to come," continues Goslett.
The clip itself is the brainchild of Miki Simankevicius, whom Hollow World has entrusted to bring their visions to life over the years.
"While the video can be interpreted as you like, Negative Gain is about something many creatives, professionals, parents, workers, and all sorts of people can relate to: Impostor Syndrome - the feeling of being beyond your depth, unworthy of your achievements, or fear of being exposed as a fraud. After weeks trying to come up with a concept and considering if it would be feasible, I realised I was experiencing perfect example of this phenomenon - I still had no idea what I’m doing and now I’m in too deep to back out. The realisation of that feeling led to the development of the concept for this video as it stands," explains Simankevicius.
The song is a culmination of hard work from the talented musicians, and also a trial of sorts for Clint as they played shows and worked with him in the studio to write the new material, to make sure that every aspect fit before officially announcing him as their new frontman. This news really came as no surprise to their fans, for those who had seen him play with Hollow World had already adopted him as the new vocalist.
"First of all, I’d like to thank the Hollow World fans for making me feel so welcome over the last year during shows and tours. It’s no secret that I was more than likely the new singer, so this is more of a confirmation to the fans on what’s happening. It’s an honour to make it official and it’s very exciting to be moving forward," says Curtis of the decision.
"We have been working hard as a band over the last year on new material and progressing to another level artistically. What we have in store I’m sure will excite old fans, but bring in a lot of new fans too. Personally, I’m really looking forward to showing everybody what we’ve been brewing up. I can’t wait to get it all going!"
GREY DAZE has released "Sometimes", the third single from the band's upcoming album "Amends" (June 26, Loma Vista Recordings), with a corresponding video that showcases the Chester Bennington-written song's message of hope amidst unexpected times.
"Sometimes things just seem to fall apart, when you least expect them to," offers Bennington in the lyrically profound three-and-a-half minute song. The track, which was written in 1994 but only recently re-recorded for "Amends", goes on to say, "maybe things will look better, maybe things will look brighter."
"Chester was already a masterful lyricist at the age of 18, when he wrote this song (which was initially recorded when he was 21)," explains Sean Dowdell, GREY DAZE co-founder and drummer. "I've said this in prior interviews but this is one of those songs that when I hear it now, I recognize the pain Chester was living with even more acutely now that I'm an adult. As so many of Chester's lyrics do, this message in this song, that bad things happen and that things will get better, resonates in an entirely different way with the current crisis we are all living through, and brings a message of hope."
"Amends" was originally slated for an April 10 release but due to the rapidly shifting situation with COVID-19, the band and Loma Vista Recordings announced the 11-song album would move to a June 26 release date. As a thank you to the fans who have been so integral to this release, the band gave newsletter subscribers a free download of "Sometimes" last night and have offered supporters the ability to hear "Amends" in its entirety on its original release date of April 10 from 7 to 9 p.m. local time. The series of global listening parties hosted by fans for fans, will be streamed online from 10 different countries across 11 different time zones in nine languages (Bulgarian, Chinese, Czech, English, French, German, Hindi, Portuguese and Spanish) and across various platforms (including Facebook, Twitch, Twitter and YouTube). Additional information can be found here.
The 11-song album, which was created to honor both the legacy of Bennington and to see one of his final dreams, the reunion and re-recording of the band's long out-of-print and largely undiscovered catalog, to completion. With an abundance of concern for those that need to spend time with their loved ones over the coming weeks due to COVID-19, the band and label came to the difficult decision to postpone the album's release.
GREY DAZE previously released a pair of singles: "Sickness" and "What's In The Eye". "Sickness" is No. 8 on this week's Active Rock chart.
"Amends" is the origin story of one of modern rock's most recognizable voices and also a full circle moment among friends. The album is the fulfillment of a planned GREY DAZE reunion that Chester had announced prior to his untimely passing. The remaining bandmembers — Dowdell, Mace Beyers (bass) and Cristin Davis (guitar) — along with Talinda Bennington (Chester's widow) and his parents, made it their mission to see the project through with assistance from Tom Whalley, the founder of Loma Vista Recordings and former Warner Bros. Records chairman during LINKIN PARK's tenure at the label. Dowdell, Beyers and Davis selected the tracks from the band's mid-'90s, but largely unknown, catalog and re-recorded the music in 2019 to accompany Chester's re-mastered vocals. Produced by Jay Baumgardner, several musicians leant their time and talent to the album, including KORN's Brian "Head" Welch and James "Munky" Shaffer, Page Hamilton (HELMET), Chris Traynor (BUSH, HELMET, ORANGE 9MM), LP (Laura Pergolizzi), Jaime Bennington, Jasen Rauch (BREAKING BENJAMIN), Marcos Curiel (P.O.D.) and Ryan Shuck (ORGY).
"Amends" is available in a variety of collectible formats with several iterations available exclusively via the band's web site. The CD comes as a 16-page case-bound book; a first pressing, ruby red vinyl variant exclusive to the band's webstore; and a numbered deluxe edition featuring both a CD and LP, which includes the first ever disc tray designed for vinyl, a 60-page book with never-before-seen photos, 180-gram red and white splattered vinyl, and a collectible set of band memorabilia dubbed the "Grey Daze Archive."
BraveWords is premiering "Diet Of Worms" the brand new single from Houston proggers Anova Skyway, released today.
"Diet Of Worms" is the first single from Anova Skyway in three years and offers a glimpse into their forthcoming EP recorded in collaboration with Louis Abramson of Jolly.
“Louis took our demos and dissected the layers to help us arrange things in a way that reins us in and keeps us focused on what works,” comments vocalist Garret West. “This new record we are working on has been tuned down a step and has some heavier metal elements and a slight exploration into some jazzy rhythms, with falsetto vocals. We also worked with producer Dean DiChoso; we were introduced to him through his work with our friends in To Whom It May. For Diet of Worms, we recorded drums in Studio 2 of the famous East West Studios in Los Angeles. So many of our musical idols have graced East West over the years, so that was a surreal experience.”
On the meaning behind the gripping new single, West explains: "We find ourselves in strange times, and things are getting more bizarre daily. Diet of Worms is a reflection on what we choose to focus on despite our mere existence being nothing more than recycled matter."
Drummer Mike Marksberry adds: “This song represents so much more than just a new single. It represents the work and careful planning that has gone into expanding our team. We’ve met new people and forged new friendships along the way that will show in our output moving forward. The theme of “existential questioning” rings even truer today then it did when The song was originally written. We can’t wait to share it with the world.”
"We've taken a new approach in our writing with this song. It's both a steep mountain we had to climb and only a stepping stone to greater heights yet unseen. It's only the beginning of a new adventure for us," states Bassist Cory Miles.
Even more details on the EP will be revealed soon, in the meantime the new single “Diet of Worms” is available now on all digital music retailers and streaming services. Get your copy of the new single now here.
Anova Skyway is:
Drums - Michael Marksberry
Guitar - Andrew Alvarez
Guitar - Mike Palacios
Bass - Cory Miles
Vocals - Garret West
Swedish band Chronus have revealed the video for their song "Mountains of Madness". The song is the first track of the band's new album Idols, which will be released on April 24th in Europe and on May 8th in North America.
The band has drafted a track by track commentary of "Idols'
“Mountains of Madness” - “The first single from 'Idols' and also the first song written for the album. To us, every song needs a purpose and beside making you want to bang your head, it's designed to make you think. There's two different meanings intertwined in the lyrics, although heavily inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, it touches on the dark sides of a plummeting relationship.”
“Heavy is the Crown” - “The second single from 'Idols'. A sonic punch in the gut. Many want to rule the world but nobody wants to carry the weight that goes along with it. The title says it all.”
“Shepherd” - “The third single from 'Idols'. A percussive journey with never-ending momentum and a powerful chorus. It's the longest track on the record. You could say it's like the movie 'Jaws', a slow burner with a thrilling pay-off.”
“My Heart is Longing For You” - “The ballad of the album. With haunting melodies and bleeding guitars it embodies a desperate call to reach the other side, whatever you want the other side to be.”
“Ghosts” - “Immediately fires off with sparks already flying but keeps on building into what feels like an impossible crescendo. Electricity in audio form.”
“Sun” - “As heavy as the sun itself, this instrumental leaves you with a desire for more.”
“Pharos” - “An unwavering percussive song with an imposing and impactful hook. Pharos is the guiding light in the darkness and the symbol of hope. If your hope dies the Pharos fades.”
“Black Water” - “This melodic ’70's inspired rock song aims to evoke feelings of nostalgia and has the most classic sounding riff of the album.”
“Memories” - “Memories propel you further into the void, absolving you of your past, taking you to the other side.”
“Idols” - “The title track of the album. A dynamic hard rock finale with a simple message, think for yourself.”
Chronus are:
The Baron - vocals and rhythm guitar
Svante Furevi - lead guitar
Oliver Delander - bass
Adam Kapusta - drums
AOR supergroup, Champlin Williams Friestedt, have released the first single from their upcoming album, II. This first track is called "Between The Lines" and can be heard everywhere. Stream the single here and watch the video below.
Champlin Williams Friestedt consists of renowned Toto singer Joseph Williams, composer of film and drama scores and can also be heard in Disney’s animated feature film The Lion King as the singing voice of adult Simba.
Teaming up with none other than Bill Champlin formerly of the legendary band Chicago and critically acclaimed guitarist, producer and recording artist Peter Friestedt, the album II also includes contributions from vocalist, Michael McDonald, drummer John JR Robinson (Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones), Randy Goodrum (Toto, Chicago), Tamara Champlin and Polar price 2020 winner Diane Warren among many others.
With the Toto haunting “10 Miles” to the Chicago sounding ballad “Between The Lines” and the soul-flavoured “Love In The World” to the straight forward rock track “Runaway Dancer” this album really takes you on a journey.
The album was recorded at Goldmine Studios & Friestedt Productions Studio and produced by Peter Friestedt, Bill Champlin and Joseph Williams. II will be released May 15 on both digital and physical formats.
Tracklisting:
"Runaway Dancer"
"10 Miles"
"Love In The World"
"Amandas Disguise"
"Between The Lines"
"Look Away"
"All That I Want"
"Restless Love"
"Price Of LovE"
"Sometimes You Win"
Italy's Frozen Crown have released an official video for "In The Dark", the third single off the band's second album, Crowned In Frost. Check it out below.
Crowned In Frost is the latest album from Frozen Crown, coming a year after the debut The Fallen King, which gave the band huge media exposure and brought a deal with international booking agency Nine Lives Entertainment, amongst many other accomplishments.
This time, mastermind and songwriter Federico Mondelli amplified the classic/heavy and power metal components of the band, making Crowned In Frost an aggressive and monolithic album from the very beginning, still keeping the listener engaged with its rich sound and wide variety of songs, including instrumental interludes and outstanding female vocals, brought to life by talented Giada "Jade" Etro.
As with the first album, Federico wrote the music and recorded all guitars and keyboards (being an all-round artist he designed the beautiful artwork as well) for Crowwned In Frost, whilst the drum parts were arranged by drummer Alberto Mezzanotte. Lyrics are once again the result of the joint efforts of Giada and Federico. Production duties have been handled by Andrea Fusini.
Crowned In Frost broadens Frozen Crown’s musical landscape still keeping intact an uncommon taste for melody and catchy refrains. The album was released on March 22nd, 2019 via Scarlet Records.
Tracklisting:
"Arctic Gales"
"Neverending"
"In The Dark"
"Battles In The Night"
"Winterfall"
"Unspoken"
"Lost In Time"
"The Wolf And The Maiden"
"Forever"
"Enthroned"
"Crowned In Frost"
The pro-shot video below was filmed in Vienna, Austria on March 31st, 2018. Watch Metallica shred their way through the Budgie classic, "Breadfan":
"We’re back with more information about the rescheduled shows in South America," begins a new message from Metallica. "As we told you a few days ago, we’re all putting safety first, self-isolating and socially distancing, but are also looking forward and are excited that we’ll still be able to visit our friends in South America later this year. Greta Van Fleet will be joining us and while all the cities are the same, a few venues have changed.
"Please hold onto your tickets for the originally scheduled April dates and check in with your ticket provider for the show(s) you plan to attend for additional details or for refund information if you are unable to hang with us in December.
"We wish you, your friends and families, and the extended ‘Tallica family around the world the very best during these difficult times. Stay home, stay safe, and we’ll catch you in December!"
New dates:
December
4 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Hipódromo de San Isidro
7 - Santiago, Chile - Estadio Nacional
14 - Porto Alegre, Brazil - Estacionamento da Fiergs
16 - Curitiba, Brazil - Estádio Couto Pereira
18 - São Paulo, Brazil - Estádio do Morumbi
20 - Belo Horizonte, Brazil - Estádio do Mineirão
Meanwhile, Metallica have released this professionally-filmed footage of the band performing "Hardwired" at Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, Germany on March 29, 2018:
Progressive rockers, Haken, are excited to announce their new studio album, Virus. The follow-up to 2018’s Vector will be released June 5. By way of introduction, the band have recorded a special video message to give some background to the record:
Today also sees the launch of the album’s first single and opening track, "Prosthetic", with a video directed by Vicente Cordero. Watch below.
The band comments: “'Prosthetic' was the first song we completed during the Virus writing sessions and we always felt it would be the perfect opener for the album. It’s a very guitar heavy track with its roots in 80s thrash riffing, but with the unconventional rhythmic twists and turns we often like to explore in Haken. We sadly never had a Jeff Hanneman and Robert Fripp collaboration, but this song at least draws on inspiration from them both! Lyrically the song is a bridge between our two albums Vector and Virus. The message was brilliantly brought to life by video director Vicente Cordero, who also beautifully captured the live energy of the band in a way that both enhances the song, and perfectly sets the scene for what’s to come.”
Since releasing Vector in October 2018, Haken have completed headline tours the world over, played sold-out shows across Europe and North America as support for Devin Townsend and picked up a Prog award for their efforts too! All the while, they have been quietly, secretly working on the follow-up album, Virus.
Drummer Ray Hearne reveals, “Since releasing ‘The Mountain’ in 2013, one question has been asked of us time and time again, ‘who is the Cockroach King?’. This is something we were interested in exploring more deeply too, so we essentially did that through our music; elaborating and expanding upon the intervallic, harmonic, rhythmic and lyrical themes of that song. The end result is in an arc which spans across two albums: Vector and Virus”.
Once again, Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood has mixed what is perhaps the most eclectic Haken album to date, with the seven tracks revealing hints of influences from multiple genres, all intertwined with Haken’s own recognizable sound.
Guitarist Richard Henshall had this to say about the production, “Using Nolly again was a no-brainer, as we wanted the two albums to be sonically connected. But having just spent a day mixing with him in his studio, it’s obvious that this album will be an evolution of the ‘Vector’ sound. These songs seem to allow a lot more freedom of creativity with the production, so we’re excited to see where it leads."
Longtime Haken collaborators, Blacklake, have designed the visuals and artwork and the album will be available as a Limited 2CD, Standard CD, Gatefold 2LP + CD & as Digital Album. Pre-order here.
Tracklisting:
"Prosthetic"
"Invasion"
"Carousel"
"The Strain"
"Canary Yellow"
"Messiah Complex i: Ivory Tower"
"Messiah Complex ii: A Glutton For Punishment"
"Messiah Complex iii: Marigold"
"Messiah Complex iv: The Sect"
"Messiah Complex v: Ectobius Rex"
"Only Stars"
"Prosthetic" video:
Virus is the culmination of a musical thought experiment which started with the Vector writing sessions in 2017 and holds intriguing potential for the band’s future, as vocalist Ross Jennings explains, “whilst Virus can absolutely be enjoyed as a stand-alone work, it is thematically and conceptually linked with Vector, so our intention is to perform both albums back to back for a special performance someday."
Lord Of The Lost has teamed with senior choir for a special rendition of “We Were Young”. This performance is part of a special program airing in Germany on ZDF. The program will be available with English subtitles soon. “We Were Young” will be on Swan Songs III; the presale for the album will begin soon.
Lord Of The Lost have released a video for "Under The Sun", a track from their album Thornstar (Napalm Records). Get the album here, and watch the new video below:
The official Balázs Gróf-created animated music video for the song "Children Of The Next Level" from San Francisco Bay Area metallers TESTAMENT can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Titans Of Creation", which is being released today (Friday, April 3) via Nuclear Blast.
Singer Chuck Billy comments: "Being so busy with touring, we weren't able to schedule a video shoot and thought we'd try something different and came up with a killer animated video for the song 'Children Of The Next Level'. With the song being about the Heavens Gate cult, we thought it would make for a good visual story. It takes a lot of time and effort to make animated video and it was really cool to watch the process as it came to life. i think it came out awesome."
Guitarist Eric Peterson adds: "Watching clips as it was being put together was exciting, but after seeing it for the first time from beginning to end, its hilarious as hell and lots of fun to watch. It sticks to the story board of lyrics while remaining very entertaining to watch and much more, I think even non metal fans will love this too!"
The long-awaited follow-up to 2016 album "Brotherhood Of The Snake", "Titans Of Creation" was produced by singer Chuck Billy and guitarist Eric Peterson while Juan Urteaga of Trident Studios handled co-producing, recording and engineering. Andy Sneap was responsible for the mixing and mastering of the album. Eliran Kantor stepped up once again to create a new masterpiece of artwork for the cover of this release.
In an interview with Heavy New York, Billy was asked if the band's new disc is a musical continuation of "Brotherhood Of The Snake". He responded: "You're always trying to top your last record, and I thought 'Brotherhood', up to that point, was a pretty strong record. This one, it definitely stands on its own — all the songs have their own identity. Eric somehow came up with a way to make it be TESTAMENT but feel fresh and new still TESTAMENT, so that's pretty awesome."
He continued: "It was a quicker process than the last time, but I think at the end, the mix is awesome, the songs came out awesome, and the process wasn't as painful as it was the last time. So, it's a good record. I can't wait for everybody to hear it."
Asked if he waits for music for new TESTAMENT songs to be completed first before he starts working on lyrical ideas or if he has lyrics in mind before even hearing a note of music, Chuck said: "I have some concepts before I hear music and apply 'em to what I feel when I feel the song. So usually, a lot of it, the riff is first — it's a riff; it's not even a song yet, so it's usually just a riff. And then, from there, I just kind of feel it out and just kind of find my way through it.
"On this record, we didn't get to work and do any demos, so a lot of it was a lot of riffs going into the studio with ideas and then fine-tuning it, which I think put the pressure on ourselves," he explained. "Sometimes when you're under pressure, I think you work a little harder and you give it a little more. So I think, again, us forcing ourselves in the studio — 'Let's go. We're gonna record this record now' — it paid off, 'cause the record came out great. Everybody's performance — Steve [DiGiorgio, bass] and Gene [Hoglan, drums] just killed it on this record. It's an awesome record. TESTAMENT fans, I think, are gonna dig it."
Last year, Billy told the WSOU radio station that the new TESTAMENT album would "definitely" contain "some different elements. I think Eric definitely stepped back into little of his — I don't know — maybe, MERCYFUL FATE shoes," he said. "There's a lot of MERCYFUL FATE kind of stuff. Eric does some black metal stuff. There's some blast beats, which he's kind of mixed in there, which that's not the norm for us. So it's a little different again. I think all the songs definitely have their own identity and stand on their own."
Chuck said that he is using his "melodic tone of a voice and less of a death metal voice" on the new TESTAMENT LP. "It's just kind of where the songs took it," he said. "There's a song on here that was kind of one of the last ones that came around — it's one of the slower-tempo songs. And I kind of was shying away from it 'cause the pace of the rest of the record was pretty quick, so I wasn't sure it was the right fit. But in the end, once we wrote it and finished it, it turned out to be a great song. But I'm doing some stuff on there — I've never sang a three-part harmony on a TESTAMENT song ever. And on this one, there's a situation where I tried it and did it, and it sounds really cool for the song. So it was just something different — challenging again that was different notes to use and different challenges, and I kind of dug it. And it actually was cool, and it actually made the experience on those songs, of creation, just kind of fun."
Billy went on to discuss two of the tracks that appear on TESTAMENT's new disc, saying: "On this record, there's a song called 'Children Of The Next Level', and that's one that really came together, musically, and came together lyrically. There's another one on the record that, actually, the first time I heard the song, I kind of mimicked the vocal pattern and actually we wrote it the next day. So that was a song that was, like, 'Wow!' I got inspired and laid down the first gut feeling of what it felt like. And it ended up being a keeper, and we ended up molding it right into a killer song. And lyrically, the timing, the melody, the lyrics — everything just really kind of fell into place."
TESTAMENT recently completed "The Bay Strikes Back 2020" European tour with EXODUS and DEATH ANGEL.
SKILLET's official music video for the song "Save Me" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's tenth full-length album, "Victorious", which was released last August via Atlantic.
SKILLET frontman John Cooper told Cryptic Rock: "'Save Me' was a song where I had written the chorus melody… I was thinking I could almost hear [FIVE FINGER] DEATH PUNCH doing that chorus. Then I said, 'I just think that this could really be a SKILLET song.' Instead of moving towards ultra-metal, it can move a little bit towards romantic and sad. Then when we started recording it and working on the parts, I was, like, you know what? It can be sad and metal at the same time. I literally thought, 'If this was a FIVE FINGER chorus, what would they do on the drums?' I know it doesn't sound like FIVE FINGER — it sounds like SKILLET — but for a musician, if they really picked apart the guitar and the drum parts and the chorus, you can hear that being a DEATH PUNCH chorus with his voice — if Ivan [Moody] was singing it. Some bands don't like to admit stuff like that, but I do. I like to pay homage to bands that I love, because I don't have much of an ego — I think it's cool. So, I can hear Ivan sing it.
"I wanted to make the song kind of sad, because the lyric is very romantic, actually. It's dark-sounding, but it's about the fact that intimacy is really hard. We all want to be known and we all want to know someone in an intimate way, but what we're not always prepared for is that intimacy hurts. The second verse lyrics — 'Peel back the skin, exposed to you / Take pleasure in the pain' — what that's saying is that it's really wonderful to be known, but it also hurts because we have a lot of ugly crap inside of us. It's not always wonderful when somebody finds out how selfish of a person you can be, or what a jerk you can be in the mornings when you're in a bad mood; the way you respond to someone you love when you're exhausted and they find out how bad you are. But it's still wonderful to be known, and to still be loved is a really wonderful thing to me, and that is what 'Save Me' is about. And we get to show off a little bit: the bridge on that song has got some riffage. When we've been playing it live, somebody was, like, 'I had no idea SKILLET could play like that.' I was, like, 'Son.' [Laughs]"
Coupled with the production strides made in the previous full-length studio offering, 2016's "Unleashed", John and wife/guitarist/keyboardist Korey took the reins for the bulk of production on "Victorious" — a career first.
"'Unleashed' recharged us, and we returned to what we love about writing," John said. "It was tight and electronic hard rock. We wanted to keep the sound modern and pull in influences from hip-hop drums and keyboards, while staying riffy. 'Victorious' started there. Our confidence was sparked by the last record and all of the other projects. We were feeling prolific. We thought, 'We can produce our own SKILLET album.' It lit a fire. Korey and I have produced in the past, but nothing quite like this. It's a brand new season."
Polish death metal metallers VADER will release their 16th studio album, "Solitude In Madness", on May 1 via Nuclear Blast.
The official music video for the disc's latest single, "Into Oblivion", is available below. The clip was directed by Grupa 13, which has previously worked with BEHEMOTH.
VADER leader Piotr "Peter" Wiwczarek comments: "Humanity never learns from its lessons. I feel tensions continuing to rise around the world. People have forgotten about true pain, from a bigger picture standpoint. Generationally, the new generation doesn't respect the old, and I'd challenge they don't even respect themselves. Our everyday lives are on TV, so there's no soul left. Everything's empty. I think technology is also sucking the human out of us. There are more lonely people now than ever before, and yet we're supposed to be connected together by technology. It's madness! That's where the title, 'Solitude In Madness', came from, actually. Of course, I approach these topics in a very VADER way. I love telling stories and expressing myself through those stories."
For "Solitude In Madness", VADER went outside its comfort zone to Grindstone Studios in Suffolk, England, where the band teamed up with one-stop shop Scott Atkins to engineer, produce, mix, and master for four weeks in summer 2019. The album artwork was created by Wes Benscoter (AUTOPSY, CATTLE DECAPITATION).
The official live video for the song "Death March For Freedom" from NIGHTWISH bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala (a.k.a. Marko Hietala) can be seen below. The track is taken from will release the English version of his solo album, "Pyre Of The Black Heart", which came out on January 24 via Nuclear Blast. The style of the effort, which was issued in Finland last May under the title "Mustan Sydämen Rovio", has been described by Hietala as "hard prog."
In regards to the goal behind his solo album, Hietala comments: "Well, let's put it this way: NIGHTWISH is without any doubt my main band, and thanks to income from that direction, I don't have to be that commercially aware... What I mean is that when I was coming up with the ideas for this solo record, I was able to do simply anything without limits. So if I had a goal, it was to not have any kind of limits, but to prepare an unpredictable, spontaneous, adventurous, ferocious and intimate solo record. And now when I listen to the final album, I can say with my hand on my heart that I — or rather us — pulled it off... The record is a really diverse musical roller coaster ride that takes eager listeners into a world of strong emotions and deep feelings!"
Hietala went on to honor his skillful bandmates, saying: "Even if 'Pyre Of The Black Heart' is definitely my solo album, I didn't compose everything on my own. When the songwriting process was really in full swing, I kept sending all the ideas to my long-time collaborators Tuomas Wäinölä [guitar] and Vili Ollila [keyboards], and this ingenious two-some came up with great additions and arrangements, one after another. Drummer Anssi Nykänen — who is simply a wizard behind his set — completed the lineup like no other."
The official music video for the song "Bring Back The Plague" from San Diego-based deathgrind masters CATTLE DECAPITATION can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Death Atlas", which was released last November via Metal Blade Records.
CATTLE DECAPITATION frontman Travis Ryan comments: "With the cancellation of our ironically titled 'Europandemic Tour' and social distancing recommendations set in place, we found ourselves with not much to do. So we figured why not address the elephant in the room in the form of a music video for 'Bring Back The Plague' and just film it on our mobile phones instead of with an actual crew. Dave [McGraw] didn't even have access to a drum kit and nobody is leaving their houses anyways so we decided to lighten the mood with a video.
"Everything from the band name to the lyrics to the merchandise to the imagery have always been heavily steeped in metaphors and irony always with tongue firmly in cheek, so this new video by David Hall at Uneasy Sleeper may just be our coup de grâce... for better, or for worse. Just don't take it too seriously, we obviously didn't. After all it is April Fool's Day so sit back, have a laugh if you can and stay the fuck home."
Ryan added on Facebook: " Covid-19, toilet paper, self-isolation, hand sanitizer, party people, some douche with tigers, TikTok dancing, face masks, boredom, video games, latex gloves, people fighting over some of these things, hand washing... find it all in the new CATTLE DECAPITATION video for 'Bring Back The Plague'! Filmed while bored as fuck during the Covid-19 pandemic, March 2020 and shot by ourselves on our mobile phones. Edited by David Hall."
Produced once again by Dave Otero, "Death Atlas" also features a number of guests: Laure Le Prunenec (IGORRR, RICINN), Riccardo Conforti (VOID OF SILENCE), Dis Pater (MIDNIGHT ODYSSEY), Jon Fishman (PHISH) — plus, brass instrumentalists from Ottone Pesante.
"Treasure Chest Party Quest", the new video from Scottish pirate metallers ALESTORM, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Curse Of The Crystal Coconut", which will be released on May 29 via Napalm Records.
Commented ALESTORM: "Oh wow! We tried our very best to make a video that would alienate as many of our fans as possible. I think we succeeded! This song is about giving birth to yourself, selling out, and driving awful Yugoslavian cars. All the classic elements of pirate metal!"
Two years after the release of "No Grave But The Sea", the pirate metal drinking crew — led by courageous Captain Christopher Bowes — is proud to present eleven bombastic anthems in its signature unadulterated, chaotic fashion.
Breaking from the stereotypical portrayal of pirates as the lone wolves of the sea, on "Curse Of The Crystal Coconut" ALESTORM will be joined by Ally Storch of SUBWAY TO SALLY (violin on the entire album) and Captain Yarrface of RUMAHOY, among others. The variety of tracks featured on the album will satisfy even the pickiest adventure-seeker and become an instant soundtrack for the wildest pirate parties out there. "Chomp Chomp", featuring the vocals of Vreth of FINNTROLL, may make you never want to enter the open waters again, but will definitely invite you to dance along to ravishing melodies. The catchy rhythm of "Pirate Metal Drinking Crew" makes the track yet another foot-stomping anthem in the assortment of these treasure-searching marauders. However, don't take their rage too lightheartedly, as once they unleash the "Pirate's Scorn" and its brutal riffs, there may be no coming back…
Of course, it wouldn't be an ALESTORM album without their unique sense of humor — this, and much more, can be found on the party-smashing "Treasure Chest Party Quest" or the surprising "Zombies Ate My Party Ship".
США
Otherwise![=]](/img/news-bord-shr.gif){kind=small}
Канада
Германия
Австралия
Швеция
Финляндия
Италия
Великобритания
Польша
