BLESSTHEFALL's video for the song "Sleepless In Phoenix" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Hard Feelings", which was released on March 23 via Rise Records. The disc was produced by Tyler Smyth, with additional production by Matt Good and Howard Benson.
"It was pretty awesome filming this video about Phoenix while we were actually in Phoenix," said frontman Beau Bokan."The whole concept is about a dude who buys a possessed TV and he can't get rid of it! We wanted sort of a 'Black Mirror'/'Twilight Zone' vibe. Since the narrative and the performance are happening at the same time, you'll have to watch this multiple times to catch it all! This is one of the coolest videos we've ever made."
"Hard Feelings" track listing:
01. Wishful Sinking
02. Find Yourself
03. Melodramatic
04. Feeling Low
05. Cutthroat
06. I'm Over Being Under(rated)
07. Sleepless in Phoenix
08. Keep Me Close
09. Sakura Blues
10. Welcome Home
Bokan told Upset magazine about the "Hard Feelings" album title: "Once all the songs started coming together, we realized how much raw emotion was put into every line. My wife was wearing a hoodie that said 'No Hard Feelings' on it. As I was in the middle of writing, I saw that hoodie and said to myself, 'Nah, fuck that. Hard feelings.' It's pretty random, but it all clicked."
The singer said that the new disc "sounds fresh. It doesn't sound like anything we've done before, but we've managed to keep our integrity. Fans will hear something familiar, but they will also be extremely surprised to hear what we created."
Regarding the decision to sign with Rise, Bokan said: "We were speaking to a few different labels, and frankly, we really didn't know what the future held for us as a band. Our last album was completely neglected. So we were in a scary position. Rise has a grassroots approach to the way they run their label. They don't have 25 employees running around. They have their shit together, and they're hard workers, just like we are."
BLESSTHEFALL will hit the road later this month, touring with BLACK VEIL BRIDES and ASKING ALEXANDRIA.
Raleigh, NC progressive deathcore unit Krosis have premiered a Jaiden Frost directed music video for their song "Melting Point".The track is from the group's outstanding Unique Leader debut Solem Vatem which was released on March 9th and shows Krosis pushing the boundaries of what is possible within the genre.
Drummer Daniel Cece said of the track, "Melting Point' explored the lighter, more atmospheric side of our musical creativity. We are just as much a progressive metal band as we are deathcore or death metal. That allows us to incorporate various experimental elements that might be rarely seen in today's metal genres. This one is a fun, melodic song that still jams, and the video that Jaiden shot for it fits the theme perfectly."
Krosis will headline The Solem Vatem Tour in support of their new album next month with support coming from Silent on Fifth Street and Terraform.
German death metallers Dawn Of Disease have released a new video for “Leprous Thoughts”, taken from their Ascension Gate album, out now via Napalm Records.
San Francisco Bay Area thrashers HATCHET have released a video for "Desire For Oppression", the first single from their upcoming album, "Dying To Exist", The disc will be released on June 22 via Combat Records, the relaunched imprint now run and operated by EMP Label Group, the U.S.-based label of MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson.
"Desire For Oppression" is also the leadoff track on the upcoming two-disc "Combat Bullets Vol 1.0" compilation, due in stores on April 6. In addition to the HATCHET cut, the collection features tracks from other Combat artists, including SWORD (Canada) , HELSTAR, DEAD BY WEDNESDAY, Marc Rizzo, WRATH, GREEN DEATH and THROW THE GOAT, plus over 25 of the best underground metal bands, as voted by fans, including CASKET ROBBERY, THE VENTING MACHINE, WHITE THRASH, ANIALATOR TX, JUDGEMENTAL, MIDNITE HELLION, AT HOME IN HELL, MYNAS, DIABOLOGY, A HANGING and FATAL MALADY.
HATCHET has launched the pre-order for "Dying To Exist" via CombatMerch.com, available on CD and LP, and in several bundle configurations.
Fueled by the twin guitar attack of vocalist Julz Ramos and Clayton Cagle, bassist Devin Reiche, and drummer Ben Smith, the HATCHET members have built a name and reputation for themselves carrying the torch of classic Bay Area metal, through three prior full-length releases of high-energy, intense thrash and countless tours supporting names like METAL CHURCH, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, SOILWORK, WARBRINGER, ACT OF DEFIANCE, EXMORTUS, DOYLE, D.R.I. and more.
The follow-up to 2015's "Fear Beyond Lunacy", "Dying To Exist" promises to be the band’s heaviest and most focused release to date.
Combat was relaunched in 2017 by Ellefson and partner Thom Hazaert, with all releases manufactured and distributed by EMP Label Group via Amped in North America and SPV in Europe.
Fat&Holy Records introduce Glanville, a brand new heavy metal band mostly from Darmstadt, Germany. The introduction comes by way of a video for the song "God Is Dead", which can be found below. "God Is Dead" dives, in a holy fashion, straight into twin lead guitar harmonies which immediately sets the tone for the rest of song.
Glanville was formed by childhood friends Philipp Michel (Jack Daniels) and René Hofmann (Marijuana) who wrote five great heavy metal songs and decided they needed to be played by a real band.
Hofmann, who previously played guitar, had this to say about the experience: "As an unsuccessful guitarist screaming and complaining all the time about my playing, I found out that my my tongue works better than my fingers so I became a singer. Finding the right musicians for the band was hard. It took over a year... like diggin' in the bargain bin and only finding the leftover bruised apples."
The lineup is completed by bass player Peter-Philipp Schierhorn (Cocaine), rhythm guitar player Chris West (Cheeseburgers) and Thomas Hoffmann (Heroin) on drums.
Bass player extraordinaire Schierhorn describes joining the fast-paced band: "Having grown up on a strict diet of Judas Priest, I just had to hop on board. But now my right hand constantly hurts.”
"God Is Dead" is taken from the band's upcoming First Blood EP that is due to be released May 4th via Fat&Holy Records on CD, LP and digital. First Blood was recorded live in a Darmstadt studio with most members never having played together and some only meeting for the first time during the two days pre-production and rehearsing before recording.
The band play an EP launch gig at the Oetinger Villa in Darmstadt, Germany on April 14th. First Blood can be pre-ordered here.
Snowy Shaw has released a video for the new song "My Religion (I Sold My Soul To Rock N' Roll, That Is)", taken from his upcoming debut solo studio album, White Is The New Black. Watch the clip below.
White Is The New Black will be released on May 23rd in Europe and Japan, and digitally worldwide. You can get it a full month earlier by pre-ordering the album straight from Snowy's store, here.
Says Snowy: "Check out the super-duper deluxe fan-pack, an exclusive limited edition of 333 (half evil) incl. gatefold double LP (white vinyl) + Snowy signature drumsticks + special Snowy shirt + stickers + 2 big posters + Snowy guitar picks + special gift - all numbered and autographed."
KORN frontman Jonathan Davis has released the official music video for his song "Everyone". The clip was directed and edited by Stephen Steelman and was produced by Brigantine Films / Renaissance Man Productions.
"Everyone" is taken from Davis's highly anticipated debut solo album, "Black Labyrinth", which will be released on May 25 via Sumerian Records.
Diverse and progressive, "Black Labyrinth" represents a natural evolution for Jonathan, whose previous musical contributions have yielded two Grammy Award wins, eight Grammy Award nominations, worldwide sales of more than 40 million, and countless sold-out shows in nearly every corner of the globe. In addition to the album's well-received first single, "What It Is", which debuted as the No. 1 most added single on rock radio, the new album includes "Final Days", a melodic and atmospheric track, accentuated by subtle hints of sitar and tabla, the straightforward arena-rock anthem "Underneath My Skin", and 10 other tracks primarily recorded live to tape, a departure from KORN's heavily calculated, meticulous, studio approach to creation. Longtime fans of KORN will still find the familiarity of the band's unique and unforgettable vocals, synths and commanding guitars in key tracks like "What You Believe" and "Everyone".
Inspired in part by the Ganzfeld Experiment, and the out-of-body experiments and hallucinations that often accompany it, Davis focused on religion, consumerism and apathy throughout the album. "There's a level of enlightenment I want to achieve," he confesses regarding "Black Labyrinth". "With all of the bullshit going, everyone is stuck on their fucking cell phones. This takes us way out of that. No matter how hard you try to fight bad things in your life, life will be what it is. It's up to you to accept that, combat it, and move forward, or it's up to you to be in denial. Then it becomes a thorn in your side until you finally deal with it. This is it. Just deal with it."
"Black Labyrinth" track listing:
01. Underneath My Skin
02. Final Days
03. Everyone
04. Happiness
05. Your God
06. Walk On By
07. The Secret
08. Basic Needs
09. Medicate
10. Please Tell Me
11. What You Believe
12. Gender
13. What It Is
Listen to 30-second clips of the entire album below.
Asked in a recent interview about the sound of the project, Davis explained: "It's completely different. It's a different thing. It's something I've been working on for 10 years. It's just a crazy, different world music hybrid of all kinds of things, and there are all kinds of different players who play on the record. And I'm really proud of it."
Regarding why it took so long to complete the solo album, Davis said: "I did most of it back in… I started it in '07 and '08. I was signed to another record label, and, unfortunately, the people that signed me left. Some other people came in, they wanted to do it, and they ended up not doing it, so I got the record back. And then, [I went through] a few different managers and stuff, so it's just the same thing — they want the KORN machine moving. [Laughs] So finally I've got a break now, and I'm, like, ' I wanna do this now, guys. Let's do this.' So we're doing it."
Davis also talked about why he chose to make a solo record instead of using the material for KORN. "'Cause it's completely different — it's not for KORN," he said. "You've heard 'What It Is' — that's not a KORN song. So this is stuff that's completely different. There's stuff I've brought to KORN before, like from these sessions, the song 'Take Me', on our last record [2016's 'The Serenity Of Suffering'], was one of these songs, but we took it and the guys — [KORN guitarists] Head and Munky — got it, they tore it apart and made it their own. It's totally different. Sometimes it works. But the majority of the stuff wouldn't have worked for KORN."
The singer will kick off a solo North American tour on April 6 in Portland, Oregon, ending on May 18 in Boston. KORN drummer Ray Luzier will be part of the backing band.
"What It Is" is included on the soundtrack to a film called "American Satan", which came out on January 26.
Davis has recorded and toured on his own intermittently over the years. He has composed music for soundtracks, most notably "Queen Of The Damned", and has toured and DJed frequently over the years as his alter ego JDevil.
Cult New York heavy metal band and godfathers of power metal, Riot V, have released a video for "Heart Of A Lion", a track from their upcoming sixteenth album, Armor Of Light, out on April 27th. Watch below.
The album will be available on colored vinyl (black, silver, red) 2-LP in gatefold and as a limited CD-Digipak-Edition, both including the two bonus tracks "Unbelief" as well as a new recorded verison of their classic hymn "Thundersteel".
Mastermind Donnie van Stavern (bass) states: "'Victory' is the first song on the new album Armor of Light and the first song I wrote for it! I'm taking it back to my writing roots of Thundersteel/Privilege Of Power style, a fast no holds barred face melting assault on your ears! Although it is about a victorious battle of Thunder Bay it also means a victory of sorts for us and the fans for keeping the torch burning! Rise up your voices strong and scream along cry out...Victory!"
Pre-order Armor Of Light digitally and receive "Victory" instantly.
The album was produced by Chris "The Wizard" Collier (Metal Church, Flotsam And Jetsam), while the cover artwork was created by Mariusz Gandzel (Crytal Viper).
Tracklisting:
"Victory"
"End Of The World"
"Messiah"
"Angel's Thunder, Devil's Reign"
"Burn The Daylight"
"Heart Of A Lion"
"Armor Of Light"
"Set The World Alight"
"San Antonio"
"Caught In The Witches Eye"
"Ready To Shine"
"Raining Fire"
"Unbelief"
"Thundersteel"
The official music video for "Phantom Divine (Shadow Empire)", a brand new song from KAMELOT, can be seen below. The track, which features a guest appearance by Lauren Hart (ONCE HUMAN), is taken from the band's upcoming album, "The Shadow Theory", due on April 6 via Napalm Records. The follow-up to 2015's "Haven" was helmed by acclaimed music producer Sascha Paeth and mastered by Jacob Hansen. Other guests on the album include Jennifer Haben (BEYOND THE BLACK) and Sascha Paeth. The cover and artwork was created by Stefan Heilemann.
KAMELOT guitarist Thomas Youngblood states about "Phantom Divine (Shadow Empire)": "In the future, our memories and thoughts will be extracted and transferred to synthetic A.I. Our carbon-based bodies will no longer be needed and eventually discarded. On 'Phantom Divine', we explore this vision of a world where we are replaced by A.I. Welcome to the Phantom Divine!"
"The Shadow Theory" track listing:
01. The Mission
02. Phantom Divine (Shadow Empire)
03. RavenLight
04. Amnesiac
05. Burns To Embrace
06. In Twilight Hours
07. Kevlar Skin
08. Static
09. MindFall Remedy
10. Stories Unheard
11. Vespertine (My Crimson Bride)
12. The Proud and The Broken
13. Ministrium (Shadow Key)
A 2-CD edition is available with the digipak version and the following additional tracks:
06. The Proud And The Broken (Instrumental version)
07. The Last Day Of Sunlight (bonus)
Youngblood told Metal Wani about KAMELOT's musical progression leading up to "The Shadow Theory": "I think in the beginning we were a little bit more fantasy-based, but I found that to be at some point a little bit cheesy and also kind of limiting. So we didn't wanna paint ourselves into this medieval-band box or singing about dragons and stuff. So probably around the 'Karma' album, we started really digging into more deeper topics, getting a little bit more dark with Elizabeth Bathory and these kinds of things. And from that point, we've basically kind of introduced a little bit more symphonic, gothic elements into the band. And, yeah, it's basically been kind of an interest of mine anyway, so to be able to include that to the music was a good move."
KAMELOT recently parted ways with longtime drummer Casey Grillo and has replaced him with Johan "Jo" Nunez.
Following the release of "The Shadow Theory", KAMELOT will embark on a massive world tour, starting in North America during April/May 2018, followed by European shows in the summer. The band will return to Europe in September/October for its biggest headlining tour to date.
Creative firebrand Manuel Gagneux returns with a brand new ZEAL & ARDOR single.
"Gravedigger's Chant" is set for release on Good Friday — March 30. It serves as an omen of what's to come from his forthcoming second ZEAL & ARDOR album, "Stranger Fruit".
With its haunting refrain of "bring the dead body down," the song "Gravedigger's Chant" (artwork pictured below) takes listeners on someone's final journey. Gagneux intones: "The gravedigger's chant is the song sung by the people who lay your body to rest. These people don't care where you were, but they know what you did and who loved you. All they know is what lies before them. So they sing this song, since you can no longer breathe a note."
"Our intent is both to familiarize as well as alienate," furthers Gagneux. "The video of 'Gravedigger's Chant' subverts roles: People find themselves in situations untypical for their ilk, tools become weapons, weapons turn into tools, and fingers meant for sensing make themselves felt."
Watch the video for the eerie and unsettling track below.
Mixing blues, gospel, and soul with harsher music has opened up a world of possibilities for Gagneux. Previously creating as a one-man solo effort, the immense interest and critical acclaim ZEAL & ARDOR attracted upon release of debut album, "Devil Is Fine", has led to the project becoming a fully fledged, internationally touring band.
After months hidden away, crafting the new songs for "Stranger Fruit", Gagneux entered the studio with producer Zebo Adam and mixer Kurt Ballou (CONVERGE, KVELERTAK, NAILS). While the finished sound is larger and heavier, it is still unmistakably ZEAL & ARDOR.
The diverse yet cohesive nature of the 16 tracks on "Stranger Fruit" (artwork pictured below) is designed to encourage the listener to dig a little deeper and find their own meaning in its words. In contrast to "Devil Is Fine", these songs are deliberately intended to play off each other both lyrically and musically.
While the record seethes with a justifiable rage, its wider-reaching aim is to unify, not divide, and to inspire action, not inertia. Elements of a bleak melancholy are tempered by hope. Superficially, the album tells small isolated stories, but there are also references to the Goetia, Yoruba, and obscure occult literature and history within.
"Stranger Fruit" will be available on June 8 in multiple formats, including CD, cassette, vinyl, and digital download/stream. Vinyl fans can choose between the 2LP 180-gram gatefold vinyl or the 2LP limited deluxe 180-gram triple gatefold purple vinyl. Pre-orders are available at all DSPs and local retailers.
"Stranger Fruit" track listing:
01. Intro
02. Gravedigger's Chant
03. Servants
04. Don't You Dare
05. Fire Of Motion
06. The Hermit
07. Row Row
08. Ship On Fire
09. Waste
10. You Ain't Coming Back
11. The Fool
12. We Can't Be Found
13. Stranger Fruit
14. Solve
15. Coagula
16. Built On Ashes
ZEAL & ARDOR will appear at multiple European music festivals through 2018, including Download, Graspop Metal Meeting and Hellfest.
The official video for "A Stare Bound In Stone", a new song from Swedish melodic death metal pioneers AT THE GATES, can be seen below. The clip was created by created by Costin Chioreanu of Twilight 13 Media.
"A Stare Bound In Stone" is taken from AT THE GATES' upcoming album, "To Drink From The Night Itself", which will be released on May 18 via Century Media. Produced with Russ Russell (NAPALM DEATH, THE HAUNTED, DIMMU BORGIR) at Parlour Studios in the U.K., the follow-up 2014's "At War With Reality" will feature conceptual artwork created by Chioreanu, who previously worked with AT THE GATES on the band's last disc.
AT THE GATES frontman Tomas Lindberg comments: "For the second single release of the album, we wanted this menacing stormer, fast, aggressive verses, heavy chorus and an evil mantra of an ending. This, for me, depicts the desperate, urgent mood of the record. I think it could be one of the most aggressive songs we have ever written.
"This album is so diverse and includes so much different elements that it is hard to boil down those essences to just one song. This song has a lot of them though; more to come soon.
"For the video shoot, we wanted to work with Costin on this one, as he is an essential part of this record. We felt that he knew exactly what kind of emotions we wanted to get across, and how to capture them artistically. I see this video as a brilliant complement to the song. Enjoy!"
"To Drink From The Night Itself" track listing:
01. Der Widerstand
02. To Drink From The Night Itself
03. A Stare Bound In Stone
04. Palace Of Lepers
05. Daggers Of Black Haze
06. The Chasm
07. In Nameless Sleep
08. The Colours Of The Beast
09. A Labyrinth Of Tombs
10. Seas Of Starvation
11. In Death They Shall Burn
12. The Mirror Black
Lindberg recently spoke to Decibel magazine about how the departure of longtime AT THE GATES guitarist and primary songwriter Anders Björler has affected the band's sound. "It is true that there is a big shift in the lineup," he said. "What you have to take into consideration is that Jonas Björler [bass] wrote 40 percent of both 'Slaughter Of The Soul' and 'At War With Reality'. Some people seem to forget this. They just assume that the lead guitarist is the sole songwriter. Jonas had to take a lot more responsibility this time around, but me and him have had a really great and creative time writing this album. There is a slight change of direction, maybe, but AT THE GATES fans shouldn't be worried — it is still an AT THE GATES record. If anything, it is heavier and more death metal than the last one."
Lindberg said that new AT THE GATES guitarist Jonas Stålhammar came into the band too late to be involved in the composing process for the new disc. "This one is basically Jonas [Björler] and me when it comes to the writing. All the guys have contributed in some way, but the main writing comes from Jonas and me. Most of the songs were already in the finishing stages when Jonas Stålhammar joined, so there wasn't much time for him to contribute, but we look forward to having him more involved next time around. Saying that, his solos will, of course, be written by himself."
"Council Of Wolves And Snakes", the new video from Norwegian symphonic black metallers DIMMU BORGIR, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's new album, "Eonian", which will be released on May 4 via Nuclear Blast.
The songwriting core of DIMMU BORGIR furthermore consists of charismatic vocalist Shagrath, as well as the string wizards Silenoz and Galder, but other familiar faces also emerge from the darkness: drummer Daray and keyboardist Gerlioz are still part of the team, and Gaute Storaas helped with the choral arrangements for the majestic voices of the Schola Cantrum Choir.
Shagrath states: "It's a song that sticks out from the rest of the album, it's DIMMU BORGIR going into an experimental direction, but you can also find a lot of black metal inspiration in the middle section of the song. We are a band that has never been afraid of trying out new directions and artistically, this is surely a very interesting and different track."
The cover artwork was designed in fascinating detail by Zbigniew M. Bielak (GHOST, BEHEMOTH, MAYHEM).
"Eonian" contains 10 new tracks, produced by the band itself and engineered by Jens Bogren. Emerging from the dark minds of the three songwriters, "Eonian" follows a philosophical concept, dealing with the illusion of time:
"Time, when not approaching it from the construct we're used to can't be defined and thus it is illusory," explains guitarist Silenoz. "There's only an 'eternal now,' which the album title is already hinting at. When we travel between the worlds seen and unseen, the perception of time ceases to exist, it has no function. Our energy is our torch and our compass when we make rifts and pierce through the veil — when we go beyond."
Shagrath adds: "'Eonian' represents the illusion of time, everything that is and always has been. For us, it also marks the 25th anniversary of DIMMU BORGIR and the album itself is a tribute to our own history and the Norwegian black metal history."
Silenoz told Metal Shock Finland about DIMMU BORGIR's long-awaited follow-up to 2010's "Abrahadabra": "We feel that we're sitting on the best album that we could possibly do at this time, and personally, I think it's definitely our best album to date. Obviously, that's something that everybody says, but if I didn't believe that we would do our best album, there wouldn't really be any point doing a new one. So, yeah, I'm really excited about it, and I know that quite a few fans will probably be positively surprised. And, yeah, we can't wait to get this stuff off the ground and get going."
Silenoz told Rock 'N' Roll Journalist last summer that all the writing on the new DIMMU BORGIR album was done by the core trio of Silenoz, vocalist Shagrath and guitarist Galder. "We had a little bit of assistance from the keyboard player, but it was less on this album than it was on the previous one," Silenoz said. "That seems to be working best and it means there's less cooks in the kitchen. [Laughs]"
As for the musical direction of DIMMU BORGIR's new effort, Silenoz, said: "I think it's safe to say that [the parts that are] more epic and majestic are more epic and majestic, and the same goes for the brutal sound of DIMMU and also the primitive and more black metal sound of DIMMU is more black metal this time around. So you will have the more extremes of each part that we are known for."
"Eonian" track listing:
01. The Unveiling
02. Interdimensional Summit
03. Ætheric
04. Council Of Wolves And Snakes
05. The Empyrean Phoenix
06. Lightbringer
07. I Am Sovereign
08. Archaic Correspondence
09. Alpha Aeon Omega
10. Rite Of Passage
DIMMU BORGIR's latest release was the "Forces Of The Northern Night" DVD, which was made available in April 2017 via Nuclear Blast. The set contains two of the band's live performances: their legendary show in Oslo, presenting DIMMU BORGIR on stage with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and a bombastic choir, as well as their entire performance at Wacken Open Air festival in 2012 in Wacken, Germany with almost a hundred musicians on stage.
PAPA ROACH has released a surprise music video for "None Of The Above", a song from the band's latest album, "Crooked Teeth". The clip, which was shot on location at Beaufort Castle in Luxembourg while the band was on tour in Europe, features the DanceXperience ballet troupe. It was directed by Bryson Roatch and choreographed by esteemed urban dance choreographer Alex Lopes.
"We actually wrote 'None Of The Above' near the end of recording 'Crooked Teeth'," says bassist Tobin Esperance. "We were going for a classic rock-sounding anthem, juxtaposed with current, contemporary, sounds and taking a rock anthem to a younger generation. Bryson had this great idea of going to a castle while we were on our European tour and then he made us even more excited by telling us that he could get this song choreographed and he delivered on all counts."
"We wanted to create something you would not normally see from a rock band," says Roatch. "It was amazing and such an honor to work with other artists from a different culture and see their passion."
Over the last 16 months, PAPA ROACH has taken the "Crooked Teeth" experience global — touring extensively throughout Europe, Australia, North America and South America. The band just wrapped up a successful run with A DAY TO REMEMBER on the "15 Years In The Making Tour" where they played to 100,000 fans over the course of 18 shows. PAPA ROACH is ready to bring even more of their headlining might to intimate venues in North America in April and May, featuring support from NOTHING MORE and ESCAPE THE FATE.
"Crooked Teeth" was released in May 2017 via Eleven Seven Music. The disc was written and recorded in a cramped North Hollywood studio with producers Nicholas "RAS" Furlong and Colin Brittain, with the exception of "Born For Greatness", which saw the band collaborate with writer/producer Jason Evigan (Jason Derulo, Demi Lovato, Zedd, MAROON 5).
Norwegian black/thrash metal outfit THE KONSORTIUM, feat. bassist Teloch (MAYHEM, ORCUSTUS, GORGOROTH, 1349) and drummer Dirge Rep (ORCUSTUS, ENSLAVED, AURA NOIR), has released the music video for the track "Arv". It's the first song to be revealed from the band's upcoming album, "Rogaland", due out on June 1 in Europe and June 8 in North America via Agonia Records. The clip was filmed by Stein Erik Aulie of Cicknave Media.
Named after a county in Western Norway, "Rogaland" sees the band taking a different turn from its self-titled predecessor and critically acclaimed 2008 demo combined, following a more complex and technical trajectory. The band has taken the utmost care in every detail to channel and bring forth the forces of their album's namesake, with vocals recorded and lyrics written on site in the woods, in the mountains and on the Northern shores. Nature-inspired and folk-tinged, it's the kind of album that rewards each new listen, and progressively reveals its secrets.
"This album has been a long time coming," founder and mastermind Fredrik G. Fugelli explains. "The process has been tedious and time-consuming, but in the end it has definitely been worth it. Everything clicked and fell into place; from vision to finished product, each and everyone involved has delivered their best. I feel confident that we've managed to define and refine the material in such a way that we ended up capturing the essence of what the album tries to convey: the timeless battle and coexistence between man and nature; the old magic and the bond that is lost in a modern and controlled world, void of spirituality. 'Rogaland' is a strong affirmation of roots, and a damn well executed one at that."
Drummer Dirge Rep adds: "It's the most technical and demanding album of my somewhat 25 years under black metal. I am extremely grateful for the honor of performing under THE KONSORTIUM and dedicated myself in entirety to the excellence of the work, its will and its energy."
Not only does THE KONSORTIUM return with new music, but they return in style too. Unmasked, the Norwegians finally shed light on their identity — we have the aforementioned F.G. Gugelli (vocals, guitars), famed black metal veterans Teloch (bass) and Dirge Rep (drums), followed by the talented T. Jacobsen and B. Waldejer (both on guitars). Together, they journey through the wild and untamed, the harsh darkness and the bewitching cold that is "Rogaland".
"Rogaland" was mixed and mastered by Gomez at Orgone Studios (PARADISE LOST, ULVER, GRAVE PLEASURES, PRIMORDIAL) and produced by F.G. Fugelli. The cover artwork and layout were designed by Trine+Kim (ULVER, DARKTHRONE, VIRUS). Cpt. Estrella Grasa (NIDINGR) guest appears on vocals on tracks "Skogen" and "Arv".
"Embrace The Rub", the new Mackie Osborne-directed video from MELVINS, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Pinkus Abortion Technician", which will be released on April 20 via Ipecac Recordings. The disc features both MELVINS' regular bass player Steven McDonald (REDD KROSS, OFF!) and BUTTHOLE SURFERS' Jeff Pinkus on bass.
"'Embrace The Rub' is a Steven McDonald-penned punker tune throwback to his days as a young Hawthorne, California punk hanging out with BLACK FLAG," explains Dale Crover. "For some reason, I decided that this tune really needed a piano part."
"Pinkus Abortion Technician" track listing:
01. Stop Moving To Florida
02. Embrace The Rub
03. Don't Forget To Breathe
04. Flamboyant Duck
05. Break Bread
06. I Want To Hold Your Hand
07. Prenup Butter
08. Graveyard
"With our upcoming release, we double your bass player with Steven McDonald and Jeff Pinkus holding down the bottom," explains Crover. "It's an experiment in the low end of the aural spectrum where we asked ourselves, 'Would it work?' 'Could it work??' 'Should it work???' The answers were yes, yes and YES!"
"We've never had two bass players," adds Buzz Osborne. "We've had two drummers and two guitar players, so it makes total sense to now have two bass players. We'll be taking this two-prong bass attack on the road as well which should prove to be interesting.
"'Pinkus Abortion Technician' is a radically great record and was a stone groove to record. We drank a lot of coffee and enjoyed each other's company.
"I like Steven and Jeff a great deal. I admire their bass playing and singing and both of them can grill a mean steak."
MELVINS' 10-week North American tour will kick off on April 26 at the Casbah in San Diego. The trek will feature the MELVINS as a four-piece, with both Pinkus and McDonald joining Osborne and Crover.
American power trio PRONG has released the official music video for the song "Forced Into Tolerance". The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Zero Days", which was released last July via Steamhammer/SPV. The disc was once again produced by PRONG mainman Tommy Victor, with trusted collaborator Chris Collier as co-producer and engineer.
"PRONG is happy to team with Blabbermouth to premiere the video for 'Forced Into Tolerance' from our latest album, 'Zero Days'," Victor said in a statement. "It represents the no-frills, in-your-face relentlessness of the track. It's our response to being told what to think and believe by everyone. Enjoy!"
PRONG recently announced the continuation of its "Zero Days" tour with a series of West Coast dates alongside POWERFLO. After a solid year of touring with the likes of TESTAMENT, OBITUARY, SEPULTURA and EXODUS, as well as filling key slots on the European summer festival circuit, the band now brings it back home to the states, including a highly coveted, co-headlining run with HELMET.
"PRONG is absolutely ecstatic about this upcoming, quick West Coast run with POWERFLO," Victor said. "We are very happy to announce this run of shows with these guys. It really makes a lot of sense: two hard-hitting bands whose members have a great history together! It seems to me that the shows are going to be high energy and intense!"
PRONG with POWERFLO and special guests:
Mar. 29 - Club Red - Phoenix, AZ
Mar. 30 - Slidebar - Fullerton, CA
Mar. 31 – Slim's - San Francisco, CA
Apr. 02 - The Ritz - San Jose, CA
Apr. 03 - Studio Seven - Seattle, WA
Apr. 04 - Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR
Apr. 07 - Backstage Bar - Las Vegas, NV
Apr. 08 - Brick By Brick - San Diego, CA
Victor told AXS about the follow-up to 2016's "X - No Absolutes": "I think the vocals have gotten better and better and that's indicative on the new record. I spent a lot more time on the lyrics. They had to be to be perfect on this one. That's really where I've been moving with the PRONG experience. That's become the centerpiece of my interest — the lyrics and the vocals. Finding riffs is very difficult. That is probably the less enjoyable aspect of making the record, because everything's been done already. These guitar players and kids today are so amazing and outstanding, it's like, how do you compete with that? So finding that is difficult. I think we did a good job, but the pressure to write really good songs every record is of more strategic importance here, because I think that where veterans can somehow stand alone because you know how to write songs. You've done it in the past. The kids might be able to destroy you on their instruments these days, but to write a good ol' rock and roll song, that's something we may be able to do better than them. That's what we have to focus on."
Grindcore/death metal outfit Implore have released a video for "Boundary", a track from their new album, Subjugate, released last September. Watch below:
With Subjugate, Implore have delivered a prime example on how to combine the force of death metal with grinding ferocity, the fury of blackened crust with the anger of hardcore.
Known as one of the world’s hardest touring underground band, it is now about time for Implore to join forces with the legendary Exhumed and the mighty Rotten Sound for a touring package that is surely going to leave a trail of chaos and destruction across Europe. Be sure not to miss this killer package!
Tour dates:
April
12 - Paris, France - Gibus Live
13 - Essen, Germany - Turock
14 - Amersfoort, Netherlands - Headbangers Bash
15 - Jena, Germany - Rosenkeller
16 - Rostock, Germany - Alte Zuckerfabrik
17 - Poznan, Poland - Klub U Bazyla
18 - Berlin, Germany - Cassiopeia
19 - Tannheim, Germany - Schwarzer Adler
20 - Vevey, Switzerland - Rocking Chair
21 - Göttingen, Germany - Haus der Kulturen
22 - Vienna, Austria - The Escape
23 - Bratislava, Slovakia - Randal Club
24 - Budapest, Hungary - Dürer Kert
25 - Ostrava, Czech Republic - Barrak
26 - Hamburg, Germany - Hafenklang
27 - Erica, Netherlands - Pitfest
28 - Mannheim, Germany - MS Connexion Complex
29 - Antwerp, Belgium - Het Bos
Implore lineup:
Gabriel Dubko - Bass & Vocals
Eduard Petrolillo - Guitars
Guido Montanarini - Drums
In December 2018, it was announced that Liv Kristine joined Midnattsol as their official second singer - right next to her very talented sister, Carmen Elise Espenæs.
The name "Espenæs" rightfully makes people swoon: Liv Kristine and Carmen Elise were a vital part of a magnitude of gothic / symphonic / folk metal milestones - but so far a supergroup involving both sisters sharing microphone duties was only the stuff dreams were made of. This truly is full sister power!
The band will release The Aftermath on May 25th via Napalm Records. BraveWords is premiering the new video for "Herr Mannelig!"
Midnattsol remark: "today we have something very special for you: The whole song of 'Herr Mannelig' from our new album “THE AFTERMATH” Including insights into our songwriting- and recording process. Enjoy watching and horns up."
The Aftermath relies much more heavily on folk influences lending atmospheric density to the melancholic symphonic metal compositions. It is a sumptuous and sensual affair and a shimmering highlight in the discography of this German / Norwegian team.
The Aftermath will be released on May 25th via Napalm Records in the following formats:
- 1 CD Digipack
- LP Gatefold, Black
- Digital Album
"The Purple Sky"
"Syns sang"
"Vem kan segla"
"Ikje glem meg"
"Herr Mannelig"
"The Aftermath"
"The Unveiled Truth"
"Evaluation Of Time"
"Forsaken"
"Eitrdropar" (Bonus Track)
Teaser:
Lineup:
Carmen Elise Espenæs - Vocals
Liv Kristine Espenæs - Second Vocals
Alex Kautz - Guitar
Daniel Fischer - Keyboard
Stephan Adolph - Guitar
Only six months after the Ayreon Universe took to the stage, Mascot Label Group / Music Theories Recordings will release the entire show on a variety of formats on March 30th. A video for “And The Druids Turned To Stone” from the upcoming release can be seen below.
Says Arjen Lucassen: "Here is the last full song preview we’ll give you from the upcoming Ayreon Universe DVD/BD. This is my own personal favorite: 'And The Druids Turned To Stone'. Mainly because of Damian’s amazing performance, he totally owns the stage here. Despite this being a relatively quiet atmospheric track, for me this was one of the highlights of the show. Hope you agree, enjoy!"
Ayreon Universe is the best of Ayreon Live - a unique performance featuring 16 singers, 28 songs, 2+ hour performance, 9000+ fans and a special appearance by Arjen Lucassen. All of this captured by 30 cameras!
This unique performance features 16 singers, 28 songs, an 8 piece band and a special appearance by Arjen. The duration of the show was more than 2 hours. It was filmed with 30 cameras and will be released on DVD and Blu-ray with 5.1 surround audio, with an extensive list of extras, including a behind-the-scenes documentary with interviews with every singer and musician, and a compilation of the try-out show performed a few weeks earlier.
Two years in the making, Ayreon Universe is a full on rock extravaganza, featuring songs from all Ayreon albums, including 2017’s The Source, plus a few fan favorites from Star One. An amazing array of singers appeared on stage to bring the Ayreon Universe to life: Floor Jansen (Nightwish), Damian Wilson (Headspace), Hansi Kursch (Blind Guardian), Tommy Karevik (Kamelot), Anneke van Giersbergen (The Gentle Storm), Marco Hietala (Nightwish), Jonas Renkse (Katatonia), Mike Mills (Toehider), Marcela Bovio (Stream of Passion), Irene Jansen, Robert Soeterboek (Star One), John Jaycee Cuijpers (Praying Mantis), Edward Reekers (ex-Kayak), Jay van Feggelen, Maggy Luyten (Nightmare) and Lisette van den Berg (Scarlet Stories).
This is the show every Ayreon fan wants to see and hear!
Ayreon Universe will be released on the following formats:
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