The official video for the song "No Friends" from reunited California metallers BLEEDING THROUGH can be seen below. The clip was filmed at the band's sold-out comeback show on June 8 at The Observatory in Santa Ana, California.
"No Friends" is taken from BLEEDING THROUGH's new album, "Love Will Kill All", which was released on May 25 via SharpTone Records.
Vocalist Brandan Schieppati states: "We are super stoked to be putting out our third music video from our brand-new album 'Love Will Kill All'. 'No Friends' is perfect for the 'live set' and simply slams! This is about how through time you will absorb a collection of people who you will call friends, but in your greatest time of need, only the 'true' friends will rise to the top. This is ultimately about overall grit and perseverance, along with those incredible moments where you realize 'I'm better off without shit-head friends anyways!' This video captures a raw energy and emotion of that song played live at our hometown, sold-out album-release show, so check it out."
Asked in a recent interview with "Bods Mayhem Hour" about the circumstances that led him to reform BLEEDING THROUGH, Schieppati said: "It's a little bit of a bunch of stuff. It's not the popular answer, because bands don't want everyone to talk about finances and the business of the band, and the reason why they don't and the fact they don't talk about it more lets the music industry kind of control that dynamic when it comes to the music. I know it's like I said, it's not the popular thing to talk about it, but it needed to be talked about.
"We were a band for 15 years and once you're a band for 15 years, it really becomes your full-time job and, for a lot of us, our sole means of income," he continued. "It really was time for us; we needed to focus on other things in our lives on the personal side. We were getting to our mid-30s and it was the sort of thing where people wanted to start having kids and start families and pursue other careers they've never able to pursue before because there were always obligations to BLEEDING THROUGH. I think that, for us, it was really important to do those things.
"I find that when you look at a lot of bands, the older they get, they don't do those things. Outside of music, their life is a fucking mess. I've seen it first-hand. We saw it first-hand with hundreds of people in bands where their lives were just a fucking mess. We never really wanted to be like that. It was sort of the responsible thing, the more grown-up thing for us to do is take that time off and pursue other things.
"For me," he added, "I opened my first gym, Rise Above Fitness, in 2011 and it kind of came to a point where I realized I needed to focus on this if it's going to happen. Screaming into a microphone is not going to pay the bills forever, nor did it comfortably pay the bills ever. That's the sort of thing where people are, like, 'Fuck you, you guys do it for the money.' It's easy to say that when you're not in a band and you're in a position where we are we were literally tour and do so much that we can't do other things. It is a little about money because when that is your sole income and you're trying to support yourself and a kid and a wife, whatever, pay a mortgage, that's the long and the short of it. That's reality there.
"I think that the music industry is so fantastical all the time where they don't dwell on the reality of checks and balances, and they should. It's irresponsible for labels and management and booking agents to go out there and tell bands to do a certain thing when you know damn well it's the wrong thing on a personal level for every single person in that band. It's irresponsible. Because at the end of the day, they make the money regardless. For us, that's how we were beginning to think and feel about ourselves. We felt that to the people that were working for us label-wise, management-wise, booking agent-wise, we were a cash cow. They just kept whipping the dead horse and [told us] go out there and play and go do more and go do more and grind yourself and don't worry about your personal lives and it's all about this music and blah, blah and the whole fucking shebang rhetoric that everyone gets fed when it comes to underground music and this and that. They didn't care how we did or how we were doing because they were making their 15 to 25 percent. That's all that matters. For us, it was, like, 'Fuck these people. We need to take care of our lives because our lives were beginning to kind of be a mess and we refuse to be like that.' We also didn't want to be one of those bands who has so many daily stresses where it gets in the way of the creation of the music and the importance of the creation of the music and us being around each other and being friends and touring and playing music, because that was number one, our creation with each other is the reason why we do it.
"We just felt it was a time where we had to shut it down in order to kind of regroup [and] refocus. And then it was as easy as me being in the studio with my producer, and I was writing some stuff for some other bands, and I wrote a song that sounded like a BLEEDING THROUGH song, so I recorded it and I sent a group text to everybody in the band and said, 'Do you guys want to do this again?' And everybody said, 'Yup. Let's do it!' And I said, 'If you guys don't want to do it, if you're perfectly satisfied being away from it, then that's fine. But if you want to do it, then let's do it.' Everybody said, 'All right. It's time, let's do it.' I guess that close-to-five-year hiatus was enough to get our affairs in order on a personal level, which I think is important."
HALESTORM has released the official "visualizer" video for its new single, "Black Vultures". Check it out below. The track is taken from the band's fourth album, "Vicious", which will be released on July 27 via Atlantic.
Recorded last year at Nashville, Tennesse's Rock Falcon recording studio with producer Nick Raskulinecz, "Vicious" is available for pre-order at all DSPs and streaming services.
Deluxe album packages are available for pre-order exclusively at the band's official webstore, including the new album on standard vinyl, plus a limited-edition opaque purple colored double vinyl with enhanced cover art and bonus tracks, limited to 1500 units worldwide. Also exclusively available at the webstore are a limited edition t-shirt, dog tag necklace, autographed poster, and a free album cover magnet with physical album purchase while supplies last.
Raskulinecz is an acclaimed producer who has previously worked with RUSH, KORN, ALICE IN CHAINS and DEFTONES, in addition to having produced HALESTORM's third covers EP, "ReAniMate 3.0: The CoVeRs eP", which came out in January 2017.
HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale told Boston radio station WAAF about the band's new album: "I feel like this is the most… Every record, we try to kind of get it closer and closer to what people see every day live. And I really think that this is the most HALESTORM record that you're gonna hear from us as of yet."
HALESTORM debuted "Black Vultures" at the opening show of its Canadian co-headlining tour with STONE SOUR in late January in Abbotsford, British Columbia.
HALESTORM guitarist Joe Hottinger told the SiriusXM show "Trunk Nation" that the band's follow-up to 2015's "Into The Wild Life" would contain some of "the heaviest stuff we've ever done."
"Into The Wild Life" was criticized by some HALESTORM fans for veering too far into pop music territory.
"Vicious" track listing:
01. Black Vultures
02. Skulls
03. Uncomfortable
04. Buzz
05. Do Not Disturb
06. Conflicted
07. Killing Ourselves To Live
08. Heart of Novocaine
09. Painkiller
10. White Dress
11. Vicious
12. The Silence
HALESTORM will embark on the second leg of their milestone U.S. tour showcasing all female-fronted hard rock bands. The dates — once again co-headlined by Roadrunner/Atlantic group IN THIS MOMENT — get underway July 27 at Kansas City, Missouri's SEC Arena and then travel through the end of August. Support throughout the trek comes from special guests NEW YEARS DAY. The tour will include stops at a number of upcoming festivals and state fairs, including Oshkosh, Wisconsin's Rock USA (July 12), Cadott, Wisconsin's Rock Fest (July 13), Dubuque, Iowa's Dubuque County Fair (July 28) and Springfield, Illionois's Illinois State Fair (August 11). Other highlights include a one-night-only event supporting JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS — set for August 9 at Moorehead, Minnesota's Bluestem Amphitheater — as well as a free concert on Las Vegas, Nevada's Fremont Street (August 25).
Richmond, Virginia's MUNICIPAL WASTE released its sixth studio album, "Slime And Punishment", a year ago via Nuclear Blast. In support of that release, the band is about to embark on a run of 20 club and festival dates across nine countries in Europe. To mark the occasion, the guys have unleashed a brand new music video for the album's title track.
Commented MUNICIPAL WASTE's Ryan Waste: "Teaming up with Norman Cabrera for this video was a match made in horror. His 35 years experience with practical FX in film shined through, as you'll see in this latest WASTE clip. Not only a fan of monsters, he's a metal lifer like us, so we saw eye to eye on the aesthetic of everything involved.
"Initially, Norman approached me to make a mask for MUNICIPAL WASTE, which has been his specialty for many years. I said, 'Why don't you do us one better and make a damn video?!' He leaped on the opportunity and even stepped up as the director, as well as the effects designer, making multiple masks and creating the horrific world of 'Slime And Punishment'.
"We all grew up on VHS and that played a major inspiring role in the video as well. It was like making a movie, all the work that went into this and there are countless people to thank. I have to give shoutouts to Slasher Dave for composing the intro score and Joel Grind for taking us out with the synth outro, bookending this nightmare perfectly."
"Slime And Punishment" was the first WASTE album to be engineered by bassist Phil "Landphil" Hall at Blaze Of Torment Studios in Richmond, Virginia. Mixing and mastering was completed by Bill Metoyer (SLAYER, W.A.S.P., LIZZY BORDEN and DARK ANGEL) in Hollywood, California.
The cover artwork for the sixth album was created by the band's good friend, Andrei Bouzikov. This was the fourth cover he created for them as he was responsible for the art for "Massive Aggressive", "The Art Of Partying" and the split with TOXIC HOLOCAUST, "Toxic Waste".
"Ethereal Skies", a brand new song from Germany's progressive death metal masters OBSCURA, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Diluvium", which is due out July 13 on CD, LP and digital via Relapse Records.
OBSCURA completes its long-running, four-album conceptual circle with the release of "Diluvium" (defined as a great oceanic flood), the band's most evocative, diverse and vibrant release to date.
Recorded with longtime producer V. Santura (TRIPTYKON, PESTILENCE) at Woodshed Studios in Landshut, Germany, "Diluvium" is a stunning achievement for the illustrious quartet and a landmark release for progressive metal as a whole. Complete with all the band's signature elements plus groundbreaking polyrhythms, dramatic songwriting, and jaw-dropping virtuosity, "Diluvium" will go down in the annals of metal history as one of the most astonishing performances the genre has to offer.
"Diluvium" track listing:
01. Clandestine Stars
02. Emergent Evolution
03. Diluvium
04. Mortification of the Vulgar Sun
05. Ethereal Skies
06. Convergence
07. Ekpyrosis
08. The Seventh Aeon
09. The Conjuration
10. An Epilogue to Infinity
11. A Last Farewell (Bonus Track)
Additionally, OBSCURA has announced a North American headlining tour, set to take place from mid-September through early October. The band will be joined by BEYOND CREATION, ARCHSPIRE, INFERI and EXIST for what is sure to be the most talked about progressive death metal tour of the year. The full list of tour dates will be announced shortly.
Vocalist/guitarist Steffen Kummerer commented on the run: "OBSCURA finally return to North America with an extended headlining tour supporting our brand new record 'Diluvium', which marks the end of a ten-year, four-album cycle. With BEYOND CREATION, ARCHSPIRE, INFERI and EXIST, we return to the United States and Canada with the most extreme tour of the year. We can't wait to hit the road again and present you songs off all four records 'Cosmogenesis', 'Omnivium', 'Akroasis' and 'Diluvium'."
The official video for the "Diluvium" title track can be seen below. The clip was directed by Mirko Witzki (KREATOR, BLIND GUARDIAN, CALIBAN) and further explores the album's celestial themes.
Canadian progsters Pyramid Theorem, hailing from Toronto, have released an official video for their song, "The Fight That Never Ends". Check it out below.
In addition , the band is gearing up for a short summer tour of Southern Ontario - including a show in Montreal - with Earth's Yellow Sun and AfterWake. Dates are as follows:
July
6 - Maxwell's Music House - Waterloo, ON
7 - Club Absinthe - Hamilton, ON
8 - Warehouse Concert Hall - St. Catharines, ON
13 - La Vitrola - Montreal, QC
14 - LIVE! On Elgin - Ottawa, ON
20 - The Moustache Club - Oshawa, ON
27 - Garrison - Toronto, ON
Maryland rockers CLUTCH have released the official music video for "How To Shake Hands", the second single from their upcoming album, "Book Of Bad Decisions".
A very limited seven-inch picture disc in a transparent PVC pocket has been made available. "How To Shake Hands" is on the blue side and "Gimme The Keys" on the reverse, green side.
"How To Shake Hands" traces its lineage back to Ry Cooder and John Lee Hooker via the song "John Lee Hooker For President". In that song, Ry Cooder impersonates JLH giving a stump speech on what will happen when he becomes president. CLUTCH's original idea of covering the Ry Cooder song was soon abandoned as vocalist Neil Fallon said he couldn't do the song justice. Instead, Neil put his own lyrics in the style of Ry Cooder/JLH to a new CLUTCH song which ended up becoming the fast-paced "How to Shake Hands".
Each of the single releases from "Book Of Bad Decisions" is accompanied by a Spotify playlist put together by one of the bandmembers. In this instance, guitarist Tim Sult is responsible for surrounding "How To Shake Hands" with other songs to his liking.
"Since Neil mentioned Jimi Hendrix and Bill Hicks in 'How To Shake Hands', I decided to make a playlist including both," said Sult. "Classic guitar playing meets classic comedy. What could go wrong?"
"Book Of Bad Decisions", will be released on September 7 via the group's own Weathermaker Music label. The disc was completed at Sputnik Sound studio in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Vance Powell. The album cover was designed by renowned photographer Dan Winters.
CLUTCH has announced a fall 2018 "Book Of Bad Decisions Tour" with support from SEVENDUST and TYLER BRYANT & THE SHAKEDOWN.
Monstrous black/doom/punk chimera Mantar have released a video for the new track "Age Of The Absurd", to feature on the band's upcoming third studio album The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze. The album will include 12 songs and is set to be unleashed on August 24th via Nuclear Blast.
Northern Germany’s feral two piece Mantar have achieved more in five years than most bands twice their age and size. The product of a twenty year friendship between guitarist/vocalist Hanno Klaenhardt and drummer Erinc Sakarya, theirs is a success story born entirely of one thing: hard work, with three albums, an EP and a live release already to their name. Releasing their 2014 Svart Records debut Death By Burning, an uncompromising clash of stripped-back punk attitude and metal intensity to instant critical acclaim, the band toured relentlessly, gracing stages the world over, including the hallowed likes of Roadburn, Wacken Open Air and Maryland Deathfest. They used 2016’s Ode To The Flame, their Nuclear Blast Records debut, to further build upon their incendiary live reputation, conquering not only Europe and the US, but Russia, Japan and South Africa.
Now, following a brief period of repose which saw Hanno move to Florida, Mantar return with The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze, a short, sharp shock that hones the hungry riffs and breath-taking pace of their previous records. “We skipped the bullshit,” explains Hanno. “I wanted 3 or 4 minute songs; bam, bam, bam. Every song different, catchy - that’s what rock and roll is about.”
Mantar's metallic genesis is unique in that neither member classes themself as a metalhead. Hanno’s a punk kid that developed a love for black metal later in life. Erinc’s tastes are even further removed, preferring the svelte sadness of the likes of The Sisters OF Mercy. “But we have a metal audience and we are a metal band, I guess!” states Hanno proudly, “I take that as a gift.” He’s never listened to more classic metal records than when writing »The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze«, and it shows in the album’s ceaseless, hook-laden riffs and caustically blackened, nihilistic atmosphere. “Riffs, riffs, riffs are the only hard currency for Mantar - simple as fuck - that’s what I like,” says Hanno. “The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze is way more metal than the previous two records; on the other hand I think the songs speak for themselves, without the need for genre classification.”
The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze is a title in-keeping with Hanno’s symbolic obsession with fire on albums previous; this time disavowing mankind’s tendency to blindly follow those that would lead us into oblivion. This isn’t necessarily a political statement; more a morbid fascination with current smouldering tensions that threaten to set the minds of the masses on fire. The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze is the spark that will ignite the flame - especially onstage. “I’m addicted to those moments up there,” impresses Hanno, “being loud, raw and aggressive - setting the stage ablaze, causing violence; that’s what I live for.”
The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze is a title in-keeping with Mantar's symbolic obsession with fire on albums previous; this time disavowing mankind's tendency to blindly follow those that would lead us into oblivion. This isn't necessarily a political statement; but rather a morbid fascination with current smouldering tensions that threaten to set the minds of the masses on fire.
Mantar is currently on the road, playing select club shows as well as Europe's biggest festivals. See dates below.
June
29 - Tuska Open Air - Helsinki, Finland
July
1 - Fusion Festival - Lärz, Germany
11 - Eistnaflug - Neskaupstaður, Iceland
13 - Eulenglück - Braunschweig, Germany
14 - Dong Open Air - Neukirchen-Vluyn, Germany
27 - Metaldays - Tolmin, Slovenia
August
3 - Wacken Open Air - Wacken, Germany
5 - Sylak Open Air - Saint-Maurice-de-Gourdans, France
10 - Sonic Blast Moledo - Moledo, Portugal
12 - Bloodstock - Derbyshire, England
24 - Kulturkombinat Bunker - Rostock, Germany
25 - Reload Festival - Sulingen, Germany
Belgium-based death metal/grindcore act Leng Tch’e have released a video for "Redundant", a track from their latest album, Razorgrind, released last year via Season Of Mist. Order the album at this location, and watch the video below.
Named after their self-styled take on grindcore, the album deploys all the classic genre hallmarks; light-speed drumming, rabid vocal barking, and a swarming guitar attack packed into ferocious bursts of aggression. This is easily some of the finest work by the band, and nothing short of a ripping rush of sonic violence.
Razorgrind tracklisting:
“Gundog Allegiance”
“Indomitable”
“Cibus”
“Spore”
“AnarChristic”
“Stentor Of Doom”
“Redundant”
“Commitment Fail”
“The Red Pill”
“Species. Path. Extinction.”
“Guinea Swine”
“Cirrhosis”
“I Am The Vulture”
“Magellanic Shrine”
Marilyn Manson's music video for his cover version of Gerard McMahon's "Cry Little Sister", which is best known as the theme to the 1987 cult classic "The Lost Boys", can be seen below. The shock rocker recorded the song for the soundtrack of the forthcoming X-Men movie "The New Mutants", which is due in August 2019.
Manson's clip for "Cry Little Sister" was filmed with director Bill Yukich. The singer teased the video on Instagram in May, describing it as "a supernatural experience."
Over the years, Manson has released a number of covers, including his versions of the EURYTHMICS' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)", SOFT CELL's "Tainted Love" and DEPECHE MODE's "Personal Jesus".
Manson's music has been featured on quite a few movie soundtracks, including "Spawn", "Queen Of The Damned", "The Matrix" and "Resident Evil". Most recently, his cover of MINISTRY's song "Stigmata" appeared on the "Atomic Blonde" soundtrack.
Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie will join forces for the "Twins of Evil - The Second Coming" tour this sumer. The 29-date North American trek will kick off in Detroit on July 11.
PROPHETS OF RAGE's music video for the song "Legalize Me" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's self-titled debut album, which was released last September. The disc was recorded with legendary producer Brendan O'Brien who has done notable work with RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and AUDIOSLAVE.
PROPHETS OF RAGE is the supergroup featuring Chuck D, Tom Morello and other members of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE alongside CYPRESS HILL's B-Real.
Formed amid 2016's tumultuous election, PROPHETS OF RAGE have toured extensively in the U.S. and Europe and coalesced into an explosive unit capable of playing with equal parts precision, passion and muscle. The album, with bold cover art created for the band by renowned street artist, Shepard Fairey, fuses the diverse styles, sonic firepower and hard-hitting social consciousness of their previous work into an inventive, compelling and timely new musical statement. Michael Moore, who directed the blistering, politically charged video for the track "Unfuck The World" declared: "PROPHETS OF RAGE is the right band, saying the right shit, at this very critical moment."
"When we put this band together a year ago, I don't think any of us knew what to expect or how it would be received by the people," stated B-Real. "From that time to now, it's been amazing to see the growth of this new amazing band and to see the effect it has had on the fans we've played for. I feel blessed to be a part of it. Our chemistry is undeniable when we are on stage, and to finally bring forth a new album with that same powerful chemistry is exciting and we can't wait to see what the future brings."
At its core, PROPHETS OF RAGE functions not only on a love of music, but a deep belief in its power as a tool and a weapon. Woven into the band's DNA are influences as varied as THE CLASH, KRS-One and Johnny Cash, as well as the undeniable ideals and aesthetics of its predecessors: PUBLIC ENEMY's frenzied, racing textures, RAGE's jaw-melting riffs, and CYPRESS HILL's manically playful party energy.
Hailing from the abysmal forests of the mystic North, Belzebubs have possessed a stealthy cult status throughout their existence. Originally summoned together in 2002, the band has succeeded in creating a thrilling blend of melodic black metal, guttural growls and vivid solos, forged with progressive twists and cinematic soundscapes. Accompanied by a new drummer and a three-record-deal with Century Media, Belzebubs finally feels fit to take on the (under)world.
"We are extremely proud to sign with Century Media on their 30th anniversary year, joining the likes of Watain, Tribulation, Moonsorrow, Insomnium, and Rotting Christ, just to name a few. We have been busy composing new material, and can’t wait to get in the studio (and tour!?) with our new drummer Samaël, who’s brought a tight, progressive twist to our gritty yet melodic sound."
"Blackened Call" is the band's first single, taken from their upcoming debut album, scheduled for a February 2019 release. It was mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö, who's also responsible for the sound of Dark Funeral’s The Secrets Of The Black Arts, Dissection’s The Somberlain and many more.
From tomorrow on, "Blackened Call" will be available on all streaming and download platforms both as a digital single and a strictly limited 7" vinyl (500 copies worldwide), available at cmdistro.de and BackstageRockShop.com.
Belzebubs is:
Obesyx – lead guitars
Hubbath – vocals, bass
Sløth – guitars, vocals
Samaël – drums
BraveWords stumbled upon the cult hit online comic Belzebubs a few weeks ago thanks to Linsday Schoolcraft from Cradle Of Filth. Samples of author JP Ahonen's work are available below.
Penguin Random House will be releasing the first hardcover edition of the comic in February 2019. Following is the official press release:
Juggling work and family can be… hell. Calvin & Hobbes meets Call of Cthulhu as the sensationally popular heavy metal webcomic Belzebubs comes to print in a grim, goofy, and gorgeous hardcover.
Belzebubs is a “trve kvlt mockumentary” focusing on the everyday challenges of family life: raising kids, running a small business, and making time for worship. Except the kids are named Lilith and Leviathan, the business is a black-metal band, and the worship… isn’t exactly aimed upstairs.
In a few short years, what started out as improvised social-media doodles has now become a wildly successful webcomic with hundreds of thousands of fans. The irresistible cartooning of JP Ahonen (Sing No Evil) combines relatable slice-of-life humor with over-the-top occult antics and references from metal music to Lovecraftian horror, making Belzebubs a devil of a good time.
Pre-order the book at this location. Check out the series from the beginning here.
For updates go to the official Belzebubs Facebook page here.
Acclaimed alternative rock pioneers THE SMASHING PUMPKINS have released a music video for their new single, "Solara". Directed by Nick Koenig, the dreamlike clip expands on the theatrics of the band's catalog of iconic music videos.
"Solara" marks the band's first recording to feature frontman Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin together in 18 years. The track, which was produced by Rick Rubin, also features longtime guitarist Jeff Schroeder.
Corgan, Iha and Chamberlin last played together on 2000's "Untitled". "Untitled" was Iha's last PUMPKINS recording prior to "Solara", while Chamberlin's was 2009's "FOL".
Original SMASHING PUMPKINS bassist D'Arcy Wretzky is is not taking part at all in the band's reunion after recently claiming that Corgan offered to have her come out and do sporadic appearances on the upcoming reunion tour.
Corgan did not mince words about Wretzky in a New York Times interview, saying he has not seen her in 19 years and was horrified she shared their private correspondence about the PUMPKINS reunion tour online. Corgan explained: "I think what she did demonstrates why she couldn't be involved. I was vulnerable and shared things and trusted that there was a reason to give it a chance, despite plenty of empirical evidence that that was not a wise decision."
Corgan added that the bridge between him and Wretzky — with whom he started rebuilding his friendship two years ago — is now burned "forever."
But the Times also spoke with Wretzky herself, who said that Corgan misled her about the reunion. She revealed: "He was stringing me along and using me to be able to say that it was, in fact, a reunion of all the members. Billy can be incredibly charming and funny and fun, but when it comes to money and giving credit where credit is due and any kind of work situation, it's not pretty."
Wretzky said there were disagreements about how the members would be paid, with Corgan making twice as much as the others. She added: "I really wanted to do this tour for the right reasons. If everybody was doing it for free, I would have done it for free."
The "Shiny And Oh So Bright" tour, which will reportedly focus on the band's first five albums, kicks off on July 12 in Glendale, Arizona.
Boston-based heavy music pioneers CONVERGE have released a new four-song EP titled "Beautiful Ruin". Recorded during "The Dusk In Us" sessions, this EP completes the release of all their recorded material from that time period. Each song on "Beautiful Ruin" is a staccato burst of emotion from CONVERGE at their most raw; viciously precise yet alluringly out of control.
Watch the powerful music video for "Melancholia", which appears on "Beautiful Ruin", below.
"Beautiful Ruin" was produced and mixed by Kurt Ballou at his renowned Godcity Studios in Salem, Massachusetts and follows CONVERGE's ninth full-length album, "The Dusk In Us", which was released in November of 2017.
CONVERGE will embark on a west coast tour with NEUROSIS on July 6. The two-week tour will bring the bands from the Pacific Northwest through California, heading down and ending Texas and will feature support from AMENRA and BIRDS IN ROW on select dates.
"King Of Madness", the new video from Germany's PRIMAL FEAR, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's new album, "Apocalypse", which will be released on August 10 via Frontiers Music Srl.
"Apocalypse" will be available in the following formats:
* CD
* CD/DVD
* Box set (includes CD/DVD + T-shirt) [T-shirt size L in EU/UK edition, size XL in N.A. and AU edition]
* LP
* LP red-colored vinyl (exclusive to U.S. indie retail stores. Fans can visit www.recordstoreday.com to find their local store or an indie store they can order album online from.)
* LP blue-colored vinyl (exclusive to Frontiers' EU webstore. Fans can visit www.frontiers.shop to order.)
"Apocalypse" is PRIMAL FEAR's 12th studio album and another milestone release in keeping with the consistent growth the band has shown through their career. PRIMAL FEAR, through years of hard work and a steady stream of increasingly powerful albums, have become one of the most beloved and respected heavy metal bands around the globe, a true metal institution. Their last two studio albums, "Delivering The Black" and "Rulebreaker", saw them climbing the charts in several territories and receiving even more critical praise than previous releases. Truly, especially in recent years, the band has continued to raise the bar in terms of quality and musicianship with each release, constantly pushing themselves to find new ways to best themselves.
Production of the record started at the end of 2017 and was wrapped by spring 2018 at Hansen Studios is Denmark with producer Mat Sinner and engineer/mixer Jacob Hansen.
"My personal highlight of recording the album was the fantastic teamwork. Peaceful, focused and really creative," says Mat Sinner. "No big discussion, no heated arguments. Everybody did a fantastic job and the performances were top notch. This was the key to improve every little detail of the songs, from old school to epic, from modern to symphonic, from fast to slow — you will hear it all on 'Apocalypse'."
The guitars on the album are truly outstanding. Each of the three guitar players of the band — Magnus Karlsson, Tom Naumann and Alex Beyrodt — shine in their own respective right. Thanks to the fantastic mix provided by Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, DELAIN, PRETTY MAIDS, AMARANTHE), each player is highlighted.
And finally, what to say about the performance of Ralf Scheepers, one of the truest and most outstanding vocal metal heroes of our times? "Ralf is more motivated and ambitious than ever before," relays Sinner. "The band vibe is extremely peaceful and creative these days and this really elevates Ralf. He had the opportunity to try different things on the songs and even some extreme ideas, which are always welcomed. Ralf sounds good in every pitch from a very deep sonor voice, to a mid-range power vocal to extreme high-pitched screams, so we could fool around with all different scales and scenarios. For example, I think the vocal performance on the song 'Supernova' speaks for itself. The result on 'Apocalypse' is utter satisfaction paired with maximum enthusiasm and we're really happy about the final result — I hope the fans will enjoy the record as much as we do!"
"Apocalypse" track listing:
CD
01. Apocalypse
02. New Rise
03. The Ritual
04. King Of Madness
05. Blood, Sweat, & Fear
06. Supernova
07. Hail To The Fear
08. Hounds Of Justice
09. The Beast
10. Eye Of The Storm
11. Cannonball
12. Fight Against Evil (Bonus Track - Deluxe Version)
13. Into The Fire (Bonus Track - Deluxe Version)
14. My War Is Over (Bonus Track - Deluxe Version)
Bonus DVD (deluxe edition & limited-edition box set only)
Greek power metallers Secret Illusion have released a video for "Sailing The Open Sea", featured on their new album Awake Before The Dawn, out now via Lion Music. Watch below.
Tracklisting:
"Curtain Falls"
"Neverland"
"Fall Of Human Kind"
"Sailing The Open Sea"
"Hope Is Lost"
"Kings And Pawns (Napoleon)"
"Winds Of Tomorrow"
"Falling"
"Eerie"
"Awake Before The Dawn"
Monotheist — Orlando’s progressive tech-death macabre just posted their brand new video for “The Grey King.” Featuring Christian Alvestam (ex-Scar Symmetry), “The Grey King” is the ireful opener off the latest Monotheist album, Scourge, out now on Prosthetic Records.
"We're excited to announce that we are hitting the road the finally! To celebrate, we are dropping our first-ever music video for the track 'The Grey King.' We are stoked to get out on the road for this east coast run and we can't wait to meet you guys. We also got some all-new merch coming out so come out and let's have an awesome time!" the band adds.
Scourge features eight tracks, clocking in at almost an hour of music and sees the band taking their progressive and technical style of metal into the next stage of their musical evolution. It was mixed and mastered by Aaron Smith (7 Horns 7 Eyes) of Envisage Audio and features guest contributions from metal luminaries such as Bobby Koelble (ex-Death, Death to All) and the aforementioned Alvestam.
Scourge tracklisting:
"The Grey King"
"The Great Chain At The Neck Of The Earth"
"Mark Of The Beast Pt. 1: The Image"
"Mark Of The Beast Pt. 2: Scion Of Darkness"
"Infinite Wisdom"
"Desolate It Mourns Before Me"
"Abominable Acts"
"Scourge"
"Scourge":
"Mark Of The Beast Pt. 2: Scion Of Darkness":
"The Grey King":
In addition to the new video, Monotheist have also confirmed new tour dates in the U.S. this summer. Taking off in August, Monotheist will hit the road headlining the Consumed and Forgotten Tour.
Lineup:
Shiv - Vocals
Prophet - Guitar
Cooper Bates - Drums/Vocals
Tyler McDaniel - Guitar/Vocals
Jose Figueroa – Bass
Two-time-Grammy-nominated blues-rock titan Joe Bonamassa returns with a brand-new studio album, "Redemption", which will be released on September 21 via his own record label J&R Adventures. As part of today's announcement, he shares the official music video for the hard-hitting title-track single "Redemption".
"Redemption", Bonamassa's 13th solo studio album and third in a row of all-original material, sees him at his most ambitious yet as he continues to redefine and push the barriers of blues-rock. It features a staggering collection of 12 songs that weave effortlessly through an assortment of genres and reflect the artistic rebirth that he is currently experiencing.
"I'm going through some other stuff in my life I didn't expect to be going through," he explains. "It's a rising, it's contrition, it's acceptance, it's everything. It's painful, but knowing that there's a rising coming."
The album reunites Bonamassa with some of Nashville's finest music minds such as Tom Hambridge, James House, Gary Nicholson as well as Richard Page and American rock and roll legend Dion DiMucci (THE WANDERER, RUN-AROUND SUE) who adds his songwriting expertise to the title track. Joe also continues his long creative relationship with Kevin Shirley and together create an album bigger than ever before. "From a producer's perspective, this is far and away the most challenging and diverse album that Joe has ever made, " says Shirley.
The album was recorded at various locations, including Blackbird Studios in Nashville, The Cave Australia in Sydney, Studio At The Palms in Las Vegas, Criteria Hit Factory in Miami and Addiction Sound Studios in Nashville. It was once again recorded with a remarkable collection of musicians, including drummer Anton Fig (DAVID LETTERMAN BAND), bassist Michael Rhodes, keyboardist Reese Wynans, horn players Lee Thornburg and Paulie Cerra, harmony vocalist Gary Pinto, background singers Mahalia Barnes, Jade McRae, Juanita Tippins, and Kevin Shirley introduced two additional guitar players, Kenny Greenberg and Doug Lancio. "It was interesting, because having two extra guitar players involved, allowed me to play a certain way," Bonamassa adds.
The album opens with a tip of the hat to LED ZEPPELIN on "Evil Mama" that burrows into a deep groove before ripping into the rockabilly-tinged boogie blues of "King Bee Shakedown". Next, Bonamassa dips into his BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION influence to tell a tragic tale with timeless hard rock riffs for "Molly-O" and "Deep In The Blues Again" changes the course yet again with a driving rhythm meant for the car stereo.
"Self-Inflicted Wounds" is most telling of Bonamassa's progression as a true singer-songwriter, and Joe claims it as his best songwriting yet. "Pick Up The Pieces" channels Tom Waits for a late night after hours while "The Ghost of Macon Jones" sees Joe trade vocals with Nashville country singer Jamey Johnson as they recount a cautionary tale of a rural renegade. "Just Cos You Can Don't Mean You Should" channels Gary Moore for an upbeat taste of blues-rock euphoria before Bonamassa makes light of his trials and tribulations on "I've Got Some Mind Over What Matters".
Then Joe strips it down to only acoustic guitar and vocals on the heart-breaking tale of "Stronger Now In Broken Places", which promises that things will be better over time and features MIDNIGHT OIL's Jim Moginie providing soundscapes and Kate Stone on the hand pan. After this intense musical journey, Joe wraps it all up with a traditional blues rock tune with "Love is A Gamble".
There is a resounding theme of redemption and salvation on the album, but also very much a sense of strength and empowerment. "We all need to be redeemed at some point in our lives. It's this yearning to redeem yourself after just this tremendous loss and this tremendous feeling of pain," explains Bonamassa.
Bonamassa is at his ultimate creative peak with "Redemption", which follows the recent release of his last live masterpiece, "British Blues Explosion Live", that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Blues chart and marked his 20th No. 1 album. Bonamassa's fire is unstoppable both in the studio and live on the road. Joe will also be performing live on tour this summer and fall in North America as he debuts new tracks from "Redemption" as part of his live set.
HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD's new single, "Gotta Let Go", now has an impressive video to accompany it. The offering showcases a raw, authentic performance from the quintet and follows the main character during the final moments of his life, including a surreal encounter in outer space where he learns to finally let go of the past. Watch it below.
"We wanted the 'Gotta Let Go' video to be a visceral experience about letting go of something we all have to part with in the end," says Johnny 3 Tears (vocals, bass guitar). "Our mortality is what gives life its defining purpose. It's our greatest gift and our greatest cross to bear. We wanted to capture that delicate legacy in our own way, and this video was our interpretation of life...and its inevitable ending."
"Gotta Let Go" marks a shift in HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD's sound, highlighting a more melodic and upbeat side of the band. More new music is also on the way — "Gotta Let Go" is the first of a batch of new songs to be released over the coming months.
2018 has been a massive year for HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD. The band recently clocked 1.1 billion total U.S. streams across their catalog, as well as garnering 1.7 million total Shazams, 57 million total global streams of their latest album, "Five", and 30 million views on all six music videos from the record. Their music has also landed on a number of impressive playlists: Spotify's "New Music Friday" and "New Noise" and Apple Music's "The A List Rock." The five-piece have also accumulated 5.5 million total Pandora artist station adds and 2.7 million total Pandora radio spins on their latest album.
After wrapping their headline tour across Europe, HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD will head back to North America for a short run of dates across the northeastern U.S. and Canada. The band will play headliners in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire and Poughkeepsie, New York, followed by slots at Bangor, Maine's Impact music festival and Montréal, Quebec's Heavy Montreal. The guys will also perform at the legendary Reading and Leeds festivals in August.
Swedish black metallers MARDUK have released the official music video for the title track of their new album, "Viktoria", which was made available on June 22 via Century Media Records.
In a recent interview with the Impact metal channel, MARDUK guitarist Morgan Steinmeyer Håkansson stated about "Viktoria": "For me, it's a continuation of the 'Frontschwein' album. It's, in the sense, a MARDUK album, I would say. The music writes a different journey from 'Frontschwein', I would say, but it's still the continuation for the same thing. As with any other MARDUK, it's a complete different musical journey. It has a lot of variation, power, aggression, devotion, feeling. It's hard to explain when it's so fresh in your mind. But, we're proud of it. I think it's a great MARDUK album.
Morgan also talked about MARDUK's evolution, saying: "It's hard to describe. You constantly play and keep on doing what you believe in. Things change. That's the way it is. You don't do the same thing you did when you were 17 years old or whatever. Most people would say it's a natural progression. We're not one of those bands who sit down and think, 'We have to do this, we have to do that.' We always follow our instinct. We do whatever we think. It's always about making music and lyrics becoming one. The music is reflected in the lyrics and the other way around. That's why we keep on doing whatever theme the album has. This is the fourteenth album and I'm sure the fifteenth is going to be different as well."
Morgan stressed the significance of MARDUK's lyrics, explaining: "The thing that I always say is important is, as I said earlier on and I've said a thousand times, is to make music and lyrics to become one. For instance, a lot of bands, I get the feeling they write music and they just put some lyrics on it just to have something to sing. For us, the lyrics are equally as important as the music and we put a lot of energy into making it fit into each song so they reflect each other so you get the full picture in your mind and it creates a picture in your mind. It should be like a painting stuck in your mind."
"Viktoria" track listing:
01. Werwolf
02. June 44
03. Equestrian Bloodlust
04. Tiger I
05. Narva
06. The Last Fallen
07. Viktoria
08. The Devil's Song
09. Silent Night
Morgan is the sole remaining member of MARDUK who played on the band's debut album, 1992's "Dark Endless".
Brazilian band Heaven: choir metal, that mixes the tender sounds of a classic choir to the pressure of heavy metal, has just released a music video for its first original single, entitled “Sacred Blood”.
The song has many influences from power metal and classical music, with references to the Two-Voice Invention in B flat major (BWV 785), by Johan Sebastian Bach. The lyrics are based on baroque themes and describe, without religious associations, a ritual of fertility and prosperity present in many different cultures, which refers to the blood and sacrifice coming from the continuity of life.
The music video shows behind-the-scenes footage from the recording sessions, which happened between April and May 2018 on Whatafolk-Studio (S?o Paulo, Brazil), and bridges the public to the day-by-day work of the band members.
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