German progressive metal masters, Vanden Plas, will release The Ghost Xperiment - AwakenIng on October 11 via Frontiers Music Srl. The album is part one of a two part concept album, with the second album to be released in 2020. A music video for the song "The Ghost Xperiment" can be found below.
The album will be available on CD, vinyl, limited edition color vinyl, and digital. Pre-order the album here. Fans can pre-order limited edition, 180g, gatefold, gold color vinyl and merch bundles from Frontiers' webstores here.
The quintet's ninth regular studio production, The Ghost Xperiment - AwakenIng continues to underscore the high artistic level of musicianship and lyrical creativity that the band have sustained for so long. Based on an actual documented paranormal experiment, the main character in the story, created by frontman Andy Kuntz, is Gideon Grace, a man who has to fight constantly for his life against the relentless shadows of the “House of Rain” as he wanders through France. Burdened with a heavy weight of sorrow following the agonizing death of his beloved Ivy, Gideon's pain is also his driving force in the war with his demons. He expands his knowledge with books he finds in the library of a German school of metaphysics. It is here that he reads about secret teachers and parapsychological experiments, which become an important foundation from which he can fight against the creatures of darkness. When it comes to the first showdown with said creatures, rather than finding peace, Gideon's battle tears open a hole deep into the abyss of Hell…
Musically, Vanden Plas once again offers a perfect combination of heavy and melodic, while the orchestral arrangements here are more in the background compared to the last studio album. At the same time, the quintet comes closer to its original roots, such as “The God Thing” or “Far Off Grace”: more progressive elements in the songs, similar to what one knows from those earlier releases. The six, mostly long, pieces achieve their impressive and fascinating effect through a very band-oriented arrangement, so that the clear and intensive urgency of the songs shines through naturally. The listener is captivated from the start, first by songs that each deserve to be called epic and second through the story told through the lyrics.
This recording is once again a product of the band's trusted collaborations with sound engineer Markus Teske at Bazement Studios. The Ghost Xperiment - AwakenIng, a phenomenal long player, once again proves why Vanden Plas are among prog metal's elite class.
Tracklisting:
"Cold December Night"
"The Phantoms Of Prends-Toi-Gardes"
"Three Ghosts"
"Devils´ Poetry"
"Fall From The Skies"
"The Ghost Xperiment"
"The Ghost Xperiment" video:
Lineup:
Andy Kuntz - Vocals
Stephan Lill - Guitar
Günter Werno - Keyboards
Andreas Lill - Drums
Torsten Reichert - Bass
The official music video for DRAGONFORCE's new single, "Heart Demolition", can be seen below. Directed by the Mase Brothers, the clip utilizes a classic arcade game look while the song features DRAGONFORCE's signature uplifting melodies and furious guitar solos.
Guitarist Herman Li said: "The fans are really going to like this video because it's classic DRAGONFORCE: big choruses and a tribute to the Sega Mega-Drive console. The haters are going to like it even more because you'll get to see Sam Totman without his hat on for the first time in 10 years, showing off how bald he has become!"
"Heart Demolition" is taken from DRAGONFORCE's eighth full-length album, "Extreme Power Metal", which will be released on September 27. Produced in Los Angeles, California by Damien Rainaud at Mix Unlimited, "Extreme Power Metal" was also recorded, in part, on Li's livestream channel on Twitch with participation from the fans.
"Extreme Power Metal" track listing:
01. Highway To Oblivion
02. Cosmic Power Of The Infinite Shred Machine
03. The Last Dragonborn
04. Heart Demolition
05. Troopers Of The Stars
06. Razorblade Meltdown
07. Strangers
08. In A Skyforged Dream
09. Remembrance Day
10. My Heart Will Go On
Regarding "Extreme Power Metal", Li said: "This album again combines the best of DRAGONFORCE in an even bigger, more epic way than we have ever done before. We are so excited for fans to hear it." Following the departure of Vadim Pruzhanov from the band last year, the keyboards of this new album were performed by Coen Janssen of symphonic metal titan EPICA, bringing a new dimension into a DRAGONFORCE album. Guitarist Sam Totman says: "We worked really closely with Coen on this new album. We are so happy with what he has brought into this new album. Every fan will be so happy to hear his majestic playing."
Following the release of "Extreme Power Metal", DRAGONFORCE will begin a world tour in support of it. Li promised: "In this age where our music is easily accessible, I am not going to waste time trying to describe the sound of our new album. I'll let the music do the talking. However, what I can tell you is our upcoming tour will be our biggest in a decade. We have a massive epic production and a really special surprise for VIPs. We can't wait to see everyone out on the road."
DRAGONFORCE recently parted ways with longtime bassist Frédéric Leclercq.
Leclercq, who became an official member of DRAGONFORCE in 2006, played his last show with the band earlier this month at Elb-Riot in Hamburg, Germany.
Filling in on bass for the U.S. leg of DRAGONFORCE's upcoming world tour will be musician and YouTube personality Stevie T (Steve Terreberry).
Sitar Metal out of India - the first band to feature tapping and all-out shred applied to a sitar - have released an offcial video for the track "When Time Stands Still", taken from their forthcoming self-titled debut EP. Check it out below.
Sitar Metal is the world's first and only sitar-fronted Indian classical / heavy metal fusion band. Follow them via Facebook here.
Pre-order the album using the widget below. The track "It All Ends Here, Vol.2" is currently available for streaming.
"When Time Stands Still"
"Beyond Me Beyond You"
"We Will Never Exist Again"
"I Am The Wake Up Call"
"It All Ends Here, Vol.2"
"Dreamers We Never Learn"
Cradle Of Filth keyboardist and vocalist Lindsay Schoolcraft, has now released a lyric video for her song "Where I Fall". The track is from her upcoming album Martyr which will be released on October 7th. The album was co-written with former Evanescence drummer Rocky Gray.
Join the mailing list to be notified when Martyr is released by clicking here. For further details, visit Lindsay Schoolcraft on Facebook.
Hailing from Stockholm, Sweden, Metalite will release their AFM Records debut, Biomechanicals, on October 25th. Pre-orders can be placed now by clicking here.
Serving as an appetizer is the first single and video, "Far From The Sanctuary".
The cover art and tracklisting for Biomechanicals can be seen below.
"Far From The Sanctuary"
"Apocalypse"
"Biomechanicals"
"Warrior"
"Mind Of A Monster"
"World On Fire"
"Eye Of The Storm"
"Breakaway"
"Social Butterflies"
"Rise Of The Phoenix"
"Victory Or Death"
Urn have released a video for the track "Hunted", to be included on the band's new studio album, Iron Will Of Power, out September 20 via Season Of Mist. Watch the clip below.
Tracklisting:
“Downfall Of Idols”
“Malignant Strange Vision”
“Funeral Oath”
“Prayers”
“Gates To Hyboria”
“Demonlord”
“Spears Of Light”
“Hunted”
“Will To Triumph”
Australia's Lethal Vendetta have released a video for the song "Battle Warcry", from their latest album No Prisoners No Mercy. Watch below.
"Battle Warcry" was lyrically inspired by the battle of Hastings in 1066. As this was only an inspiration of the song, vocalist Brent Logan describes the lyrics as, "a warcry song for any battle and it’s meant to psych people up".
Lethal Vendetta's new album, No Prisoners No Mercy, is now available for download on iTunes, CDBaby, Spotify. Physical copies are available via the band's website.
Tracklisting:
"Liars Dice"
"Erasing Hate"
"No Prisoners No Mercy"
"Deserve To Die"
"Plains Of Serenity"
"Salute To The Gods"
"Battle Warcry"
"Final Conflict"
"Race Is Only A Name"
"Battle Warcry" video:
Lethal Vendetta exudes pure energy and power with dynamic rhythm and melodic riffs, gut wrenching drumming and soaring vocals that hark back to the classic days of metal. Lethal Vendetta they never disappoint, they leave nothing behind.
Lethal Vendetta are:
Brent Logan - Vocals
Ben Drennan - Rhythm Guitar
Liam Donelan - Lead Guitar
Jay Burnham - Bass
Morris Markovic - Drums
Norwegian death metallers, Blood Red Throne, have released a video for "InStructed InSanity", a track from their upcoming Fit To Kill album. Find the clip below.
Blood Red Throne needs no introduction in the death metal world. But in case you need one: they've killed it since 1998, when guitar player Død (ex-Satyricon) formed the band. Since then, they've become a death metal legend and one of the hardest working names in the Norwegian scene, having released eight studio albums, done countless tours and played in major festivals worldwide.
Now it's time for album number 9. Fit To Kill has nine songs of pure Norwegian death metal, a cover artwork designed by Giannis Nakos and sees Blood Red Throne at the peak of their form.
Død states: "We keep climbing the Throne. Fit To Kill is by far our most old-school release since 2003's Affiliated With The Suffering. Back to the roots. Death metal never dies.”
Fit To Kill will be released on CD, vinyl LP (transparent and green versions) and digital through Mighty Music on September 13. Pre-orders are available at this location.
Tracklisting:
“Requiem Mass“
“Bloodity“
“Killing Machine Pt. 2“
“WhoreZone“
“Skyggemannen“
“InStructed InSanity“
“Movement Of The Parasites“
“Deal It Or Die“
“End“
"InStructed InSanity" video:
“Requiem Mass” lyric video:
Lineup:
Daniel “Død” Olaisen - guitar
Ivan “Meathook” Gujic - guitar
Freddy "the Shred" Bolsø - drums
Stian "Gunner" Gundersen - bass
Yngve "Bolt" Christiansen - vocals
Lords Of Black guitarist Tony Hernando is one of the most exciting guitarists, writers, and producers in the European metal and rock scene today. With his many talents, it was a natural next step for him to stretch out and work on a solo album after the promotional cycle for Lords Of Black's third album, Icons Of The New Days, wrapped up.
Hernando has always been passionate about melodic hard rock music, so the idea of pairing him with some of the best singers from his fellow labelmates' bands to lay their vocals over his songwriting seemed not only logical, but destiny. Thus, Restless Spirits was born and the self-titled debut is out now via Frontiers Music Srl. Order the album here, and watch a video for the song "Nothing I Could Give To You", below.
Aside from Hilli, guest vocalists include none other than Johnny Gioeli (Hardline, Axel Rudi Pell), Deen Castronovo (Revolution Saints, ex-Journey), Dino Jelusic (Animal Drive), Alessandro Del Vecchio (Hardline), and Diego Valdez (Dream Child and now, the new vocalist for Hernando's main project, Lords Of Black). In addition to vocal duties, Deen Castronovo also takes care of drums on every track.
Hernando says, "Restless Spirits is a melodic hard rock record featuring several singers that showcases some different sides of my playing and songwriting. We have rockers, ballads, and everything in between. I had the opportunity to work and co-write with some of the best guys in the business. I hope everyone can enjoy this album as much as I did recording it!”
Restless Spirits is an album that showcases some of the most outstanding vocal talents operating in the melodic hard rock scene right now, while also offering truly exciting and adventurous melodic hard rock songwriting. Enjoy!
Tracklisting:
"Stop Livin' To Live Online" (Johnny Gioeli on vocals)
"Unbreakable" (Deen Castronovo on vocals)
"I Remember Your Name" (Kent Hilli on vocals)
"'Cause I Know You're The One" (Dino Jelusic on vocals)
"Nothing I Could Give To You "(Johnny Gioeli on vocals)
"Calling You" (Deen Castronovo on vocals)
"Live To Win" (Deen Castronovo on vocals)
"You And I" (Alessandro Del Vecchio on vocals)
"When It Comes To You" (Alessandro Del Vecchio on vocals)
"Lost Time (Not To Be Found Again)" (Dino Jelusic on vocals)
"In The Realm Of The Black Rose" (Diego Valdez on vocals)
Gone In April, the symphonic melodic death metal ensemble including Testament bassist Steve Di Giorgio, have contacted BraveWords with the following update:
"We have worked tirelessly over the past year and a half to compose and record our new album, Shards Of Light. We just released a new music video, 'If You Join Me', featuring a track from the upcoming album. Shards Of Light is scheduled to be released on September 6th, just before we leave for a four-week North American tour in support for Eluveitie & Korpiklaani."
Earlier this year, Gone In April unveiled a music video for the song “The Curtain Will Rise", which was filmed and edited by Norwegian artist Thomas Mortveit. The track is taken from the band's second album, Threads of Existence, recorded at WaveTransform Studio, USA.
Commented by Gone in April: “This track is a very special one for the band and for the fans. In addition to carrying the theme of the second album, the fight to stay alive, it possesses a certain elegance that we wished to portray. We found the perfect blend of strength and elegance in the Historic Southern Railway Station, an old train station from 1903 located in Tennessee.”
Gone In April features musicians from Testament, Death, Quo Vadis, Märchenbilder and Vivaldi Metal Project and combines elements of symphonic, death, speed and folk metal in a compelling and aggressive blend sure to please a wide audience.
MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson has released a video for "Sleeping Giants", the title track of his debut solo release, in stores now via Combat Records. "Sleeping Giants" is a companion release to Ellefson's new memoir, "More Life With Deth", in stores now via Jawbone Press. The track features lead vocals by Ellefson's partner, and "More Life With Deth" co-author, Thom Hazaert, and legendary hip-hop MC Daryl "DMC" McDaniels, plus guest appearances by Steve Conley (FLOTSAM AND JETSAM), Ethan Brosh, ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, and Ilias Papadakis (MEMORAIN).
Says Hazaert: "David had all these great instrumental songs laying around, and 'Sleeping Giants' was one of them. He suggested I write and record some vocals parts for them, so I called up DMC and asked if he'd want to collaborate with us on a track, and we got to work. I've always loved off the wall metal/hip-hop collaborations, 'Judgement Night', etc. And I think 'Giants' definitely draws from that. The song and video both ended up with a really cool aggressive, old-school New York hardcore/hip-hop. feel. It my book, it doesn't get any more legendary than RUN DMC. And this was definitely one for the history books."
Ellefson adds: "It was truly an honor to collaborate with DMC, and I think the track came out great. When Thom said DMC wanted to do a collaboration with us, I instantly thought of 'Sleeping Giants'. And when he came out to Revolution in Amityville to perform with us, and shoot the video, it was an awesome energy. I think everyone there got a show they won't ever forget."
"Sleeping Giants" will be released in Europe in November, as Ellefson and Hazaert cross the pond for a string of European shows and signings on their "Sleeping Giants"/"More Life With Deth" tour.
Shot on location in Amityville, New York; Phoenix, Arizona, and The Salton Sea in California, the video, directed by Melody Myers and Thom Hazaert, and filmed and edited by Melody Myers/Designed By Melody (ALTITUDES AND ATTITUDE, ESCAPE THE FATE), can be viewed below.
Ellefson and Hazaert also recently collaborated with legendary producer Max Norman (MEGADETH, OZZY OSBOURNE), who put his stamp on "Sleeping Giants" track "Vultures", with the "Max Norman Mix", released last week on all digital platforms.
Ellefson and Hazaert, with backing band Dave Sharpe and Opus Lawrence of DEAD BY WEDNESDAY, and special guest Steve Conley of FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, will wrap up the summer leg of their "Basstory More Life With Deth" 2019 tour next week with shows in Phoenix, Orange County, and San Diego.
"More Life With Deth" is the follow up to Ellefson's celebrated "My Life With Deth", and delves deeper into the later stages of Ellefson's career, as well as a thorough exploration of the earliest days of MEGADETH and beyond.
"Sleeping Giants" is a retrospective featuring several new tracks, plus a collection of demos, and unreleased material spanning David's career outside of MEGADETH, including the unreleased demo "If You Were God", featuring John Bush (ANTHRAX, ARMORED SAINT), and several unreleased demos featuring former HOUSE OF LORDS/GIUFFRIA vocalist David Glen Eisley. The CD version will also include a second bonus disc, featuring a compilation of EMP and Combat Records artists, including WRATH, LAST CRACK, DOYLE, ARISE IN CHAOS, SUNFLOWER DEAD, Marc Rizzo, and more.
Produced by Ellefson and Hazaert, with additional production from ICON guitarist John Aquilino at the Platinum Underground in Phoenix, "Sleeping Giants" also features a multitude of guests including former MEGADETH guitarist Chris Poland, Ken Mary (ALICE COOPER, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM), Steve Conley (FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, F5), Eric AK (FLOTSAM AND JETSAM), Ethan Brosh, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Dave Sharpe and Opus Lawrence of DEAD BY WEDNESDAY, Mark Tremonti, Illias Papadakis (MEMORAIN), Dave McClain (MACHINE HEAD, SACRED REICH), Joey Radziwill (SACRED REICH), and a remix by "Game Of Thrones" star Kristian Nairn (Hodor).
On October 25th, Alcest will once again open the gateways to the otherworldly and release their sixth studio album titled Spiritual Instinct. Recorded at the French Drudenhaus Studios and written in bursts both during and after a prolonged period of touring in support of 2016’s hugely successful Kodama, the new album - the first to be released via Nuclear Blast - will lead the blackgaze pioneers into dark soundscapes full of spiritual catharsis.
Today, the wait is over as singer/multi-instrumentalist Neige and drummer Winterhalter have revealed the first single "Protection" from the band's upcoming album.
Frontman Neige comments:
"'Protection' is the first track I wrote for Spiritual Instinct. It’s probably one of our most heavy, spontaneous songs. It is about inner conflict, the tension between the spiritual and darker sides of a person, facing your own anguishes in order to embrace them and then fight them. Like the other tracks on the album, writing it was a very cathartic, healing process for me."
The music video for "Protection" was filmed by director Craig Murray (Mogwai, Blood Red Shoes).
The album is now available for pre-order in the following formats:
- digipak in O-card
- 36 pages earbook including 2 CD + 180g LP (stone effect) (limited to 2000 copies)
- 180g LP in sleeve available in the colors:
black (retail)
ocean green (NB mailorder + wholesale, limited to 500 copies)
burgundy (NB mailorder exclusive, limited to 300 copies)
polar white (Rough Trade exclusive, limited to 300 copies)
royal blue (band shop exclusive, limited to 300 copies)
- Boxset collector's edition including 2 CDs + 180g LP (stone effect), earbook, bonus mini LP (violet sparkle, etched) in sleeve, art prints and patch (limited to 500 copies)
Digital
USA exclusive vinyl colors:
mint green (retail, limited to 1.700 copies)
clear+blue/bone splatter (indie exclusive, limited to 300 copies)
blood red (NB mailorder exclusive, limited to 500 copies)
German epic metal pioneers, Equilibrium, have released a video for "Final Tear", a song from their sixth studio album, Renegades, out today via Nuclear Blast. Watch the clip below, and order the album here.
Renegades was recorded and produced from September 2018 through March 2019 by the band itself and Swedish producer Robin Leijon. It's the first Equilibrium album to feature Skar with his clean vocals and Skadi Rosehurst on synths.
Tracklisting:
"Renegades - A Lost Generation"
"Tornado"
"Himmel und Feuer"
"Path Of Destiny" (feat. The Butcher Sisters)
"Moonlight"
"Kawaakari - The Periphery Of The Mind"
"Johnny B"
"Final Tear"
"Hype Train" (feat. Julie Elven)
"Rise Of The Phoenix"
"Path Of Destiny" video:
"Renegades - A Lost Generation" video:
"Renegades - A Lost Generation" (8-Bit Version) video:
The Defiants are back with their sophomore album, Zokusho. Comprised of Paul Laine, Bruno Ravel, and Rob Marcello, The Defiants are three fabulous musicians who, as fans in the know will immediately recognize, all have ties to popular hard rockers, Danger Danger.
Pre-order Zokusho here, and watch a music video for the track "U X'd My Heart" below.
On how the new album compares to their debut, bassist Bruno Ravel says, "I think the “sound” of the album, while very similar to the debut, is a bit more focused. I also think that the songs, as a collection, are stronger than the debut."
Vocalist/guitarist Paul Laine says, "I think the sound of the record is a natural progression from the first record. I think both Bruno and I felt pressure to deliver a record that we could feel as proud of as the first one. On a personal note, I feel the Bruno really outdid himself on the mix of the album. To me, it is sonically beautiful."
Guitarist Rob Marcello adds, "It’s basically more of the same. Why mess with a winning concept! Haha I’m very proud of the last one, but I feel the songs are stronger on the new album."
The songwriting process for Zokusho was, "the same as the debut. Paul and I sift through ideas, refine them and what you hear is the end result," tells Ravel. "Bruno and I tossed the idea ball back and forth until the album was completed. Discipline and hard work, with a focus on the same passion that we had making the first album," adds Laine. Marcello chimes in that, "Bruno and Paul have such a great formula for writing songs, so when I get to them they’re pretty much complete. Then I get to decorate them with some Scandinavian flavor!"
The Defiants debut album was greeted with a great acclaim as a glorious return to the “in your face” melodic hard rock that enraptured millions of fans back in the '80s and '90s and is currently enjoying a renaissance here in the 21st century, so a follow-up album was a no-brainer. The brand new album, Zokusho, a Japanese word meaning "sequel” or "the next chapter”, is now set for release on September 13. This album also features Steve West of D2 on drums. Needless to say, this album has all the ingredients to thrill D2 and The Defiants fans. A BIG melodic rock album with big choruses, hooks and soaring guitars and vocals.
Best known for being the D2 vocalist on four studio albums over the course of 12 years, Paul Laine came back to work with his former bandmates Bruno Ravel and Rob Marcello, who are the other two pillars of The Defiants, for the band’s self-titled debut album in 2015. The guys reunited at the suggestion of Frontiers' President Serafino Perugino, who really wanted these current and former Danger Danger members to offer fans of that band some new music. The resulting album was pleasing not only to the D2 fans, but also to ALL the fans out there who are into the classic sound of the era from which D2 emerged.
Tracklisting:
"Love Is The Killer"
"Standing On The Edge"
"Hollywood In Headlights"
"Fallin' For You"
"Hold On Tonite"
"Allnighter"
"U X'd My Heart"
"It Goes Fast"
"Stay"
"Alive"
"Drink Up!"
"U X'd My Heart" video:
"Hollywood In Headlights":
"Fallin' For You" video:
Lineup:
Bruno Ravel: Bass
Paul Laine: Vocals, Guitar
Rob Marcello: Guitar
Steve West: Drums
Victoria, British Columbia-based metallic hardcore outfit, Vultures, have released a video for "Push", the opening track of their upcoming Hunger EP, out on October 4. Watch below.
Vultures conveys an unapologetic and visceral energy through their brand of hardcore. With sonic inspirations that include the likes of Converge, Dead And Divine, and The Dillinger Escape Plan, the band combines the technicality and bite of metal with the attitude of hardcore punk in order to deliver performances with unrivalled potency and aggression.
Initially playing local DIY house shows as a means of introducing themselves in 2016, Vultures has since proceeded to support metal heavyweights Enterprise Earth, Fall City Fall, Hideous Divinity, and Depths Of Hatred on a series of Canadian tours, and has shared the stage with eminent groups '68 and Archspire.
Vultures now prepares to release their second EP Hunger. Boiling with six tracks that put forth an attack of driving riffs and incendiary finger-pointing in just under twenty minutes. Hunger was produced, mixed, and mastered by Tim Creviston (Misery Signals, Spiritbox), and fitted with artwork created by Dusty Ray and arranged by Kevin Moore of Soft Surrogate. The EP also includes a guest vocal feature from Larissa Stupar (Venom Prison, Wolf Down).
Since recording Hunger the Vultures lineup has shifted slightly, as bassist Ian Bezpalko has left the band. Bradley Seabrook has taken his place with guitarist Cole Lamb, drummer Graham Scanlon, and vocalist Alex Pearce.
In the wake of this upcoming release, the band is looking to broaden its horizons and make waves worldwide. Vultures will embark on their largest tour yet in support of the EP. Canadian dates will include notable performances with the likes of Cancer Bats in Victoria September 21 and Despised Icon in Vancouver September 23, leading into the band's first ever foray into the United States. The bulk of the tour begins in Kelowna on October 2 and runs down the coast and back ending in Seattle on October 21.
"Generation", the new music video from ATREYU, can be seen below. The song is taken from the deluxe edition of the band's latest album, "In Our Wake", which was released on August 16 via Spinefarm Records. The new version features the original "In Our Wake" album, along with seven additional tracks. The bonus material includes B-sides from the sessions for both "In Our Wake" and 2015's "Long Live", along with alternate versions of the title track and "The Time Is Now" from "In Our Wake". The deluxe edition features completely redesigned artwork and a total of 19 songs.
"I'm excited for these songs to see the light of day," said drummer/singer Brandon Saller. "To us, these are songs that we loved, but didn't find a space within the album as a unit. To further that, we're excited to have some older material that only saw limited release be fully available for our fans. As for the re-imagined tracks from 'In Our Wake', this is something brand new to us and it was a really fun moment for us to re-think these songs. They turned into something special that we feel stand on its own."
"When the topic for the deluxe edition was introduced, my brain instantly exploded with fun avenues and ideas for re-developed imagery," said bassist Porter McKnight, who created the new packaging and imagery. "I wanted something that flirted with my original ideas for 'In Our Wake', but took them down a new and darker path. I chose to invoke a classic punk/black metal feel with this one, and even ended up drawing the cover by hand. It's always an honor and a pleasure to create something for this band."
"In Our Wake" deluxe edition track listing:
01. In Our Wake
02. House Of Gold
03. The Time Is Now
04. Nothing Will Ever Change
05. Blind Deaf & Dumb
06. Terrified
07. Safety Pin
08. Into the Open
09. Paper Castle
10. No Control
11. Anger Left Behind
12. Super Hero
13. In Our Wake (Acoustic)
14. The Time Is Now (Alternate)
15. Generation
16. Straight To Hell
17. So Others May Live
18. Stronger Than Me
19. When The Day Is Done
ATREYU will celebrate their 20th anniversary on a U.S. tour this fall. Support on the 27-date trek, which will kick off at the Las Rageous festival in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 19, will come from WHITECHAPEL and HE IS LEGEND.
ATREYU guitarist Travis Miguel recently said that the band will begin work on the follow-up to "In Our Wake" in early 2020.
The official music video for "Nothing Lasts Forever", a brand new song from VISIONS OF ATLANTIS, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, titled "Wanderers", which will be released on August 30 via Napalm Records.
"This is by far the richest and most emotional video VISIONS OF ATLANTIS has ever released," the band says. "It perfectly vehicles the universal message of the song 'Nothing Lasts Forever', which is about living the moment and cherishing the present with our loved ones, before they go. We shot this video in the beautiful Styria in Austria, with nature and the very old castle Rothenfels as environments, to convey the timeless aspect of our message. Despite the sad connotation of the song theme, this video isn't dark for a metal band video, as we do believe the overall message to be positive and that it will touch music lovers of all genres and ages."
According to a press release, "Wanderers" "offers a captivating musical and lyrical journey across the untamed seas along a powerful path towards self-discovery. It's armed with amazing duets by Clémentine Delauney and Michele Guaitoli and is one of the most intense and profound symphonic metal albums the world has seen (or rather, heard) in the past 15 years."
"Wanderers" track listing:
01. Release My Symphony
02. Heroes Of The Dawn
03. Nothing Lasts Forever
04. A Journey To Remember
05. A Life Of Our Own
06. To The Universe
07. Into The Light
08. The Silent Scream
09. The Siren & The Sailor
10. Wanderers
11. At The End Of The World
Bonus tracks:
12. Bring The Storm
13. In And Out of Love
VISIONS OF ATLANTIS really went all in regarding its promotional photo shoot for the new album. They chose a deserted beach along the coast of the vast Atlantic Ocean, including stranded pirate ships and a harsh coastline created by the elements. It is quite obvious why the Peninsula of Quiberon was the perfect destination for this photo shoot: the natural light and rough seas supplied a beautiful backdrop and the pictures capture the vision of "Wanderers" perfectly.
Earlier this year, Delauney said that the follow-up to 2018's "The Deep & The Dark" would continue in a similar musical direction. "I think it's going to be done pretty much in the same with 'The Deep & The Dark', except we have a new singer now, Michele," she said. "The vocal division and harmonies will be different with him, but we're looking forward to it. He's an amazing vocalist. The songs, we trying to keep track with 'The Deep & The Dark'. It's going to be a continuation of the symphonic metal, but it could be a couple of songs will show us under a different light. We need to evolve as a band. There's no point in doing 'The Deep & The Dark' Part II. The band needs to grow up and evolve. Those who really like that album will definitely not be disappointed."
VISIONS OF ATLANTIS performed with an orchestra for the first time ever at this year's edition of the Bang Your Head!! festival in Balingen, Germany. The concert was professionally filmed and recorded for the band's first-ever Blu-ray/DVD, to be released in 2020.
The official music video for the song "Cold" from Finnish melodic metal titans SONATA ARCTICA can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's tenth studio album, "Talviyö" (which means "Winter Night"), which will be released on September 6 via Nuclear Blast.
"We were talking about having an album cover made from a photo and luckily managed to find this award-winning photographer Onni Wiljami who actually hails from a village not too far from our hometown and his pictures were just perfect for this album," explains keyboardist Henrik "Henkka" Klingenberg.
"The idea was to create an album that is musically in line with at least the previous two albums," says vocalist Tony Kakko and adds: "I am very happy with the songs and the general mood of the album. Some career highlights there, I feel."
"We recorded a bunch of kick-ass songs and tried some new stuff as well. I'm really proud of how we managed to record the band sounding more live, playing together instead of just tracking everything one by one", states Klingenberg.
"Talviyö" was recorded between September 2018 and May 2019, produced by Mikko Tegelman and SONATA ARCTICA in Studio57. Additional recordings took place in various other places. The mixing was done by Mikko Tegelman and Pasi Kauppinen and the mastering was handled by Svante Forsbäck for Chartmakers.
"Mikko produced the album and he really managed to push us to do our best, even with the more experimental stuff," says Klingenberg. "Working with an outside producer was the biggest new thing we tried this time."
Following the release of their 2017 album Monumentum, Swedish rockers Eclipse return with the band's seventh studio album, Paradigm, out on October 11 via Frontiers Music Srl.
The album will be released on CD, vinyl, limited edition color vinyl/t-shirt bundles and digitally. Pre-order here. There is also a limited picture vinyl available for the single "Viva La Victoria". Order here, and watch a video for the song below.
The new album title Paradigm is no coincidence. Eclipse’s new album stands as a paradigm for the sound they’ve developed over their last albums: massive arena choruses over heavy guitars coupled with frontman Erik Martensson's stellar vocals.
Over the last few years they have per-formed to audiences around the globe including the US, Japan, Australia and Europe and have opened for giants like Aerosmith and Scorpions. Their albums have amassed millions of streams and charted in several European countries including a top 20 spot on the official Swedish album chart for their previous record.
Describing the new record Paradigm, Erik Martensson says: “I once saw someone describing our previous record as an accelerating motion, picking up more and more speed as the record progressed. Well, I think it is safe to say that Para-digm picks up where the previous record left off. We have a whistle blowing a few seconds in on the opening track and from there it’s just full speed ahead! We’ve written some of the best songs of our career and we can’t wait for people to hear them!”
The album’s opening track "Viva La Victoria" is the first video off the record and sees the band cooperating with renowned video director Patric Ullaeus who has previously made videos for bands like In Flames, Arch Enemy and Europe to name a few.
Magnus Henriksson, the band’s lead guitarist: “'Viva La Victoria' was the obvious choice for the first video and Patric was fantastic to work with. We had a bunch of fans show up on the set and made the video together with them which fits the theme of the song perfectly.”
Paradigm is Eclipse tour de force: the crafting of the tracks on this album is su-perb and overall this is a killer hard rock album with many highlights. If you like modern, well-played well-produced hard rock, don't miss it.
Tracklisting:
“Viva La Victoria“
“Mary Leigh“
“Blood Wants Blood“
“Shelter Me“
“United“
“Delirious“
“When The Winter Ends“
“.38 Or .44“
“Never Gonna Be Like You“
“The Masquerade“
“Take Me Home“
"These Chains" is the second single release from AnoxiA, prior to the word wide release of the full-length album To The Lions out on Mighty Music October the 4th. The song operates somewhere between melodic hard rock and metal blended with thrashy elements. Check out the new video, premiered by BraveWords, below:
Lars Frederiksen (vocal/guitar) explains:
"Here we are dealing with both a classic AnoxiA recipe music wise but also a clash of metal meeting hard rock. The fundament of the song is a melodic and powerful riff and the song opens up with several changes in speed and intensity. I am tempted to call it the ballade of the album due to the high melodic chorus, but I won't - everyone knows that ballades are not to be found on true metal records.”
To The Lions is in the natural vein of AnoxiA’s previous works, not deviating too much from the recognizable AnoxiA-formula of heavy metal. However, this time AnoxiA decided on a more direct and clear edge to the sound, allowing the songs to speak more for themselves. The musical direction bears references to the likes of Iron Maiden, Slayer, In Flames, and a lot of classic hard rock and ‘80s thrash.
Guitarist Claus S. Nielsen states: “This time our approach to the writing process was to create aggressive and raw, yet melodic and memorable heavy metal songs that first hit you between the eyes and then stick in your ears! That has indeed been a pleasant journey, however with many a fun detour along the way. ”
Vocalist and guitarist Lars Frederiksen elaborate: “We wanted to keep intact the AnoxiA trademark, but at the same time also to renew or refine our sound. By teaming up with our longtime friends, Ole W. Bertelsen (producing, recording, mixing)) and Simon Joergensen (drum recording) we gained a more direct and dynamic sound than the previous album. Adding Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios, who in fact did some of our first demos in 2000, for mastering the album, gave the new album the last boost and we’re very satisfied with the sound.”
AnoxiA is a well-established act on the Danish underground live metal scene, their longevity dating back 20+ years. Hell bent on having fun during performance, AnoxiA approaches any gig fully charged, sincerely convinced that in order for the audience to enjoy, the band must enjoy.
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