When Swedish metal band Sparzanza started planning the music video for the title track of their upcoming album Announcing The End, they were determined to create something different than just five guys playing their instruments in a rough setting. Both the director, Mattias Larsson, and the band are fans of the first Blade Runner movie from the '80s and wanted to pay a tribute to the upcoming movie Blade Runner 2049 that will premiere October 6th 2017. The video can be seen below.
This project was extra interesting since no one had seen the whole movie, but only had the movie trailers for inspiration. A version of a trailer to a movie that nobody’s seen was a fun idea, but also a challenge.
In the selection of actors, Sparzanza only chose to work with actors from the area around Karlstad and Värmland. To work with Swedish actor Johan Östling was an obvious choice. Johan is known from Swedish director Ulf Malmros’ movies Smala Sussie, Bröllopsfotografen, and Mammas Pojkar. Last spring he won the Swedish celebrity version of TV show The Great Bake Off, and he is currently working as one of the leading roles in the new season of the TV series Ack Värmland that will air on Swedish TV4 this fall. Östling is a former musician colleague to the band and didn’t hesitate to act in the video, even though he still hasn’t brought back the keys to the rehearsal room after 15 years.
Anders Louthander, the Harrison Ford of Karlstad is also working as a small part in Ack Värmland this fall, is tall and strong, but the band’s guitarist Magnus Eronen managed to give him a bruise after one of the music video’s stage fights.
Sparzanza wanted to record the entire video in Karlstad and they put a lot of work into finding the right futuristic settings from the movie in the small Swedish town. Some of the settings are also interesting to Sparzanza fans, having recorded some of the scenes at the same places where the band has taken a lot of their band photos and pictures for previous album artworks. They’ve also recorded at places such as the University of Karlstad and Stadshotellet (one of the town’s well known landmarks together with the Sola i Karlsta statue).
Announcing The End will be released through Despotz Records on October 13th.
Announcing The End tracklisting:
“Announcing The End”
“Damnation”
“One Last Breath”
“Whatever May Come May Be”
“Vindication”
“The Dark Appeal”
“Breathe In The Fire”
“The Trigger”
“To The One”
“We Are Forever”
“Truth Is A Lie”
"Don't Stop", the new video from the Texas rock quartet NOTHING MORE, can be seen below. The track, which features a guest appearance by PAPA ROACH frontman Jacoby Shaddix, is taken from NOTHING MORE's latest album, "The Stories We Tell Ourselves". Released on September 15 via Better Noise Records, the disc sees frontman Jonny Hawkins once again bearing the soul of NOTHING MORE as his bandmates Mark Vollelunga (guitar), Daniel Oliver (bass) and Ben Anderson (drums) craft a sonic palette comprised of elements ranging from progressive metal to pop.
The songs on "The Stories We Tell Ourselves" were written early last year and recorded primarily on the road and in personal studios as production duties were often handled by Hawkins and the bandmembers themselves.
From the relentless groove of "Don't Stop" to the emotive, anthemic bent of the PIXIES-esque "Still In Love", "The Stories We Tell Ourselves" proves that confessionals have never been so catchy — and songs like "Let 'Em Burn" seamlessly alternate between aggression and anthemic pop.
Lyrically the band was further informed by everything from the writings of Carl Jung and C.S. Lewis to the potent psychedelic DMT, the latter of which helped open Hawkins's mind to new ways of understanding himself and the world around him.
NOTHING MORE has announced a 2018 extension to its current U.S. headline tour, which sees the band headlining venues from coast to coast.
NOTHING MORE's live show is a sight to behold; it features a 400 lb., 14-foot-tall instrument made from scrap metal, automotive and motorcycle parts. The instrument was hand-crafted by Oliver, a self-taught welder and metal artist. It looks and sounds like nothing you've come across and must be seen to be believed.
Spanish blackened extreme metal band, Noctem, released their 2016 full-length album, Haeresis, via Prosthetic Records to great buzz. Earlier this year, the band followed up with a separate digital single, "A Cruce Salus", giving fans a taste of what's soon to come.
Now, the band reveals their brand new music video for the track. The video, which features blistering black & white live performance footage, can be viewed below. The live performance footage in the video was filmed by Metalovisión at three festivals in Spain this past summer - Rock Arena, Resurrection Fest, and Leyendas del Rock.
The band says, "'A Cruce Salus' is the last track we composed and a bridge between our latest full length Haeresis and our upcoming record. We decided to record some of the festivals where we performed this summer to capture the energy of the band in our live show, which is outstandingly fast, ravenous and full of anger."
Noctem have dominated the stage and studio for over 15 years, with two demos, one live LP and four albums under their belts. The band has performed internationally with artists such as Marduk, Enthroned, Impiety, Napalm Death, Samael, Gorgoroth, Nargaroth, Keep Of Kalessin, Taake, Immolation, Vomitory, Malevolent Creation, Incantation, Hate, Ragnarok, Melechesh and many more.
The band's latest album, Haeresis, presents a haunting aural account of their home country's grotesque and obscene history during the Spanish Inquisition throughout 1500 A.C. stretched out over ten menacing tracks. Noctem self-recorded Haeresis in 2016 at Fireworks Studios (Valencia) before sending the album for mixing and mastering by Tore Stjerna (Watain, Valkyrja) at Sweden's Necromorbus Studios.
Noctem is:
Beleth - Vocals
Exo - Guitars
Varu - Bass
Voor - Drums
Quebec-based metalcore band, Cardinals Pride, have announced that they will release their debut full-length, The Quiet Erosion, on November 10th via New Damage Records worldwide. Produced by Cameron McLellan (Protest The Hero) at All Buttons In Studio in Ottawa, The Quiet Erosion follows Cardinals Pride’s 2016 EP Those People Will Never Die, which featured the monster single “Bearers”.
In anticipation of their forthcoming full-length, the band has just premiered the official video for their brand new single “Marrow”, which is available for streaming below.
Says Alex Pare of the track, “’Marrow’ is one of the first songs we wrote on The Quiet Erosion and we’re so happy to finally release it. It’s a song that has changed a lot since its first draft and I feel like going through those rearrangements has helped us refine our songwriting for the album. As for the lyrics, ‘Marrow’ is about refusing to shut it down when it comes to issues that matter to me. For a long time, I tried to avoid fights and arguments with my friends, coworkers and family. However, at one point I realized that remaining silent when consistently disagreeing with someone made me feel terribly miserable inside. Speaking up may make it more tense between you and your surroundings, but it’s worth it if you truly want things to change.”
The Quiet Erosion is available to pre-order (physical version) via New Damage Records here. A digital pre-order is available as of Friday, September 29th, here. Fans who take advantage of the pre-order will receive “Marrow” as an instant grat track.
Established in 2010 in Quebec City, QC, Cardinals Pride is comprised of Paré, Didier Archambault (guitar), Nicolas Doiron (guitar), Antoine McNulty-LaSalle (bass) and Nicolas Sénéchal (drums). Since the release of their EP Priorities in 2012, the 6-piece has toured relentlessly across Canada playing hundreds of shows, and along the way have built a name for themselves as one of Canada’s best new metalcore acts.
In support of their debut full-length, Cardinals Pride will be playing a handful of dates in Ontario, Nova Scotia and Quebec. For all Canadian tour dates, please see below.
October 13th 2017 will see prog rock giants Marillion playing the Royal Albert Hall for the very first time, performing their magnificent Top 5 chart album, F*** Everyone And Run (F E A R), but also celebrating a very special live version of their epic “Living In F E A R” - a powerful song about peace and reflection, a song with a more generalized look at fear that seems to characterize our times, and particularly the response it creates. An official video for the track can be found below.
“Living in F E A R strangely is a misleading title because that’s a song about ceasing to live in fear,” says singer Steve Hogarth. “It’s a kind of a hippie song about how you can choose to melt your guns as a show of strength, how you can choose to leave your doors unlocked as a show of strength and not weakness. And that we are mirrors: if you go around defensively and that becomes your outlook, you bring on that in the rest of the world. Whereas if you go around with love and the walls are down, people take the walls down, too.”
“Living In F E A R” will be released October 6th and comes in a limited CD Digipak as well as in a limited and numbered 12” vinyl edition, carrying three additional unreleased live songs: The fifth section of “The Leavers”, called “One Tonight”, a song about leaving lives and families behind to go on tour and being in a new country - a very personal song for Marillion. The epic “Neverland”, originally from Marbles, and “Dry Land”, originally from Holidays In Eden, complete this EP: two live versions released for the first time outside of the band's own Racket Records catalogue, serving a precursor of a strictly limited reissue series of the band's jewels, so far only sold or shared to through their wonderful web shop, starting January 2018.
Often referred to as the leaders of the neo-progressive movement of the early 80s, Marillion is way more than that. They are purveyors of soulful, powerful, and deeply-moving music, with a long-standing reputation of impressive live shows and an imposing, faithful and loyal global fan base. As the first of their peers, Marillion have started to embrace the potential of the internet for both their commercial approach and to interact with their audience. Throughout their over 35 years career and over 15 million records sold they have become the most outstanding representatives of their genre. With their latest studio album F*** Everyone And Run (F E A R), their second released by earMUSIC and the band’s highest charting album across the globe since Steve Hogarth joined in 1989, Marillion have shown that they are as brilliant and vital as ever.
Tracklisting:
“Living in F E A R” (edit)
“The Leavers : One Tonight” (Live)
“Neverland” (Live)
“Dry Land” (Live)
“Living in F E A R” video:
Trailer:
Marillion have announced seven new UK dates in April 2018 on the back of their October show at The Royal Albert Hall, which sold out within four minutes of going on sale, and The London Palladium in November, which also sold out in record time.
Tour dates:
April
11 - Gateshead, UK - The Sage
13 - Cambridge, UK - Corn Exchange
14 - Birmingham, UK - Symphony Hall
16 - Brighton, UK - Dome
17 - Bristol, UK - Colston Hall
19 - Reading, UK - Hexagon
20 - Liverpool, UK - Philharmonic Hall
Tickets are on sale from myticket.co.uk, seetickets.com and venue box offices.
Austrian symphonic metal masters SERENITY will release a brand new full-length album, "Lionheart", on October 27 via Napalm. The disc was mixed and mastered by Jan Vacik at Dreamsound Studios. Gyula Havancsák at Hjules Design And Illustrations created the fantastic album artwork, which can be seen below.
The official music video for the "Lionheart" title track can be seen below.
The band states: "We are thrilled to present you our first official videoclip of our upcoming album 'Lionheart'!
"Filmed in the high mountains of Tyrol, we tried to give the video the same bombastic vibe like the song itself.
"Many people who saw us during the scenes in 2400m height asked us if we would be part of 'Game Of Thrones'. So we knew... we reached our goal!!"
With a full grasp of stunning emotions and superior dramatic compositions these Austrian musicians are world class, already winners of the prestigious Amadeus Austrian Music Award 2017. Their energy and joy of playing those fantastic power symphonic metal hymns can't be tamed. Heroic and heartfelt — it's almost impossible to not be carried away. Glorious melodies and the angelic voice of Georg Neuhauser join heavenly guitars and tremendous hooks! This is pure symphonic joy!
"Lionheart" track listing:
01. Deus Lo Vult02. United03. Lionheart04. Hero05. Rising High06. Heaven07. King's Landing08. Eternal Victory09. Stand And Fight10. The Fortress (Of Blood And Sand)11. Empire12. My Fantasy13. The Final Crusade
U.K. cult legends ELECTRIC WIZARD will release their new album, "Wizard Bloody Wizard", on November 10 via Spinefarm. The LP is described in a press release as "forty-three minutes of cranium-crushing bludgeon rock, a relentless aural brain rape and, like the band's beloved vintage horror/exploitation movies, definitely not for those of a nervous disposition."
The official video for the album's opening track, "See You In Hell", can be seen below. Finally rising above convention and genre, the band have constructed their own vision of classic heavy rock, a sound harking back to the dreaded days when "heavy" meant GRAND FUNK and BLACK SABBATH and "rock" meant drugs, groupies and mountains of amplification. "Right away we knew this was it… the new direction we should go in," says ELECTRIC WIZARD guitarist/vocalist Jus Oborn. "Real heavy music… really basic heavy rock, blues-based but brutal.
"I think a lot of modern heavy music has disappeared up its own arse… it's too pretentious and technical. We wanted to get back to that primal sound… over-amplified blues… Hendrix, BLUE CHEER, ZEPPELIN. They took that music and then turned it up… so we thought let's do the blues in our style. Heavy, heavy super-fuckin' blues, total snail-paced funeral boogie for this twenty-first-century hell. I guess it's meant to be hopeless but it's also defiant and unbroken." Even though the LP promises "hymns to death, drugs, sex and violence," the overall vibe is a band that is revitalized and ready to kill. The sound is aggressive, stripped back and savage, as if the new line-up has mainlined a new level of attitude and ability. "Y'know, a lot of bad shit has happened to us, but through it all was the music," Oborn says. "We still dig loud heavy music and the album is not really depressed or angry, it's arrogant and rebellious. I still believe in rock and roll and I still believe in killing it on stage and mentally destroying an audience." And the band sounds together — really together. The last three years of touring, writing and rehearsing have honed and moulded a new sound that has truly distilled the ELECTRIC WIZARD brew. In forty-three brain-damaging minutes, the band delivers a varied, challenging and breath-taking LP, from crushing blues stomp through savage Detroit sleaze rock, paranoiac passages of droning drug rock and creepy funereal proto-metal/acidrock. "We've been worn out by the modern scene — it's all about styles and genre," Oborn says. "We just wanna make solid heavy music… no rules. We didn't set out to record a style or product. We set out to record what we wanted to hear.
"I want people to know it's ELECTRIC WIZARD from the first second, but also to know we are gonna take them on a trip.
"Heavy doesn't just mean tone and bottom end… I think people have become too obsessed by FX and boutique amps. It's more about playing style, attitude and songwriting…
"Y'know, a lot of our songs have been interpreted as acoustic numbers by various people and they are still heavy and ominous sounding… You can't dilute true darkness." The LP's stunning all analog recording has been produced by Oborn and Liz Buckingham (guitar) in their own Satyr IX Recording Studio. "It's an anti-studio really," Oborn explains. "We wanted to put as little between the band and the tape as possible. We needed to take stuff away and use less equipment, 'cause I think the raw sound of the band is killer.
"Studios have progressively made the recording situation more difficult and convoluted. I always think the best recordings are the simplest and most basic ones. So, yeah, we built the studio that we wanted… mics, mixing desk, tape machine… that's it. No bullshit." The LP sleeve and art has also been conceived by the band and echoes, again, their love of the macabre, evil and sleazy. A sick and twisted bad taste eye-assault that aims to titillate, excite and repulse you. "Sex and violence are our basest instincts," Oborn says. "I guess we think that engaging the brain and guts on this most basic, primal level is the fastest way to grab people's emotions… It's 'shock' tactics, but the world is so fuckin' brainwashed or bored that they need to be 'woken up'. The 'man' is slowly neutering and killing us with technology and lies… It's time to fight back."
Upon album preorders, fans will receive an instant download of new track "See You In Hell".
"Wizard Bloody Wizard" track listing:
01. See You In Hell02. Necromania03. Hear The Sirens Scream04. The Reaper05. Wicked Caresses06. Mourning Of The Magicians
Vancouver’s Aviator Shades have just released their new single/video "Freedom Lies Bleeding", the follow-up to the debut single "Burn It Down" from their brand new EP This Is What We Do (co-produced by Mike Fraser (AC/DC / Aerosmith) and Danny Craig (One Bad Son / Default).
Physical copies of This Is What We Do are available here and digital outlets like iTunes, Spotify, and Google Play.
Aviator Shades are currently on a 23 city cross-Canada tour that started in Kamloops, BC September 14th and takes them as far east as Montreal, QC October 3rd and wraps up in Nanaimo, BC November 4th. Full list of dates on attached tour banner.
Columbus, Ohio metalcore giants LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES will release their new album, "Dark Divine", on November 3 via longtime label Rise Records. The follow-up to 2015's "The Dying Things We Live For" was produced by Erik Ron at Grey Area Studios and mixed by Caleb Shomo (BEARTOOTH).
The official video for the first single from the disc, "Nowhere Left to Sink", can be seen below.
"We are excited to share our video for 'Nowhere Left To Sink'," singer Chris Roetter says. "The team has worked tirelessly to get it wrapped up. The song and video explore different elements of the band that some people have probably not seen from us before. I think it acts as a good bridge to the rest of the record."
"Dark Divine" track listing:
01. New Plagues02. Nowhere Left To Sink03. Shallow Truths For Shallow Minds04. Dark Divine05. Empty The Same06. From The Dust Returned07. Even God Has A Hell08. Mischief Managed09. Instinctive Intuition10. The Skeletons I Keep11. False Idol
LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES will tour this fall with FIT FOR A KING and IN HEARTS WAKE.
LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES is:
Chris Roetter - Vocals Jeremy Smith - GuitarZach Pishney - GuitarAaron Evans - Bass Greg Diamond - Drums
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE's music video for the song "Necessary Evil" can be seen below. The clip was directed by Max Moore, who has previously worked with CODE ORANGE and OF MICE & MEN.
"Necessary Evil", which features a guest appearance by KORN frontman Jonathan Davis, is taken from MOTIONLESS IN WHITE's latest album, "Graveyard Shift".
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE singer Chris Motionless stated about Davis's guest appearance on the track: "That came about because a couple of months prior we had done a tour with [KORN] and BREAKING BENJAMIN throughout the U.S. And KORN [is] a band that I've loved and looked up to for a really long time in my life — I think [in] seventh grade was the first time I heard 'Follow The Leader' and 'Life Is Peachy'.
"We were working on this song and I was working on the vocals for it, and it just felt like… There was something about it that I felt like… As I was writing some of the vocals, I was writing it hearing Jonathan's voice as the person I was writing it for," he continued. "I had written different parts of the song that, of course, felt like, 'Okay, I'm gonna sing this. I'm gonna sing this.' And then it came time to other parts, and I was just hearing Jonathan on this song. And knowing how much of a great, nice… all of [the KORN guys] were really nice people on the tour and were super great to be around and nothing but pros in every sense of the word. I was, like, 'Okay, I'm just gonna risk it and throw it out there and see if he's interested,' and he came back and said he was definitely into doing it.
"Hearing it back now, it was super easy — very… Like I said, those dudes are pros," Chris said. "It's no secret as to why KORN has had the success that they've had. And when I listen back to it, I think back to being a kid in seventh grade and hearing 'Freak On A Leash' and seeing that video with the bullet flying through the screen the whole time and how crazy that was to me when I first saw it. And I think back to the moments of where, for Christmas, I wasn't working and I didn't have any money, I was in seventh grade or eight grade at that point — maybe in ninth grade — and still being a massive KORN fan, I remember begging my dad to buy me a seven-string guitar like Head and Munky played, and he ended up buying it for Christmas for me. And I got the 'Follow The Leader' tab book and just learned every song in the book. And now, all these years later, so much later in life, I can hear one of my own songs that was written by taking all that time and learning how to play guitar and wanting to play music, and I can hear one of my own songs with Jonathan Davis singing on it, it's kind of a really emotional moment for me. And when I told my dad about it, he immediately recognized that moment in our history, and it's a really special thing. So I'm really happy that Jonathan wanted to do it and I'm very grateful that he said yes."
Last fall, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE opened for KORN on their co-headlining "The Nocturnal Underground" tour with BREAKING BENJAMIN.
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE will kick off its U.S. headline "Graveyard Shift" tour tomorrow with a performance at Las Vegas, Nevada's Brooklyn Bowl. The trek will see MOTIONLESS IN WHITE traversing the U.S. through the end of October where they will wrap up the run with a very special Halloween performance at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's Electric Factory. MOTIONLESS IN WHITE will be joined by Roadrunner labelmates THE AMITY AFFLICTION, MISS MAY I and WILLIAM CONTROL.
PÄNZER, the heavy metal "supergroup" featuring DESTRUCTION frontman Schmier alongside Pontus Norgren (HAMMERFALL) and V.O. Pulver (G.U.R.D., POLTERGEIST) on guitar and Stefan Schwarzmann (ACCEPT, ex-RUNNING WILD) on drums, will release its second album, "Fatal Command", on October 6 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2014's "Send Them All To Hell" marks PÄNZER's first release since the departure of guitarist Herman Frank (ACCEPT, VICTORY), who left the group to focus on his solo project.
The official video for the "Fatal Command" title track can be seen below. The clip was shot by Kai Swillus (Buntmetall) at the famous Swiss club Z7.
Schmier comments on the video: "We wanted to have a clip that fits with the band's sound, something that catches the energy of PÄNZER. No gimmicks — just a big stage and the look behind the curtain.
"The Z7 club in Switzerland is something like a home base for many touring bands. We wanted to pay tribute to our fave living room and the people that work there."
He adds: "As the album delivers a very pure musical direction, we have tried to maintain and transport that feeling also into the video clip. Metal does not need much frills.
"The song 'Fatal Command' stands for what PÄNZER is all about: relentless beats, possessive hooklines and melodic twin-guitar attacks!"
"Fatal Command" track listing:
01. Satan's Hollow02. Fatal Command03. We Can Not Be Silenced04. I'll Bring You The Night05. Scorn And Hate06. Afflicted07. Skullbreaker08. Bleeding Allies09. The Decline (…And The Downfall)10. Mistaken11. Promised Land
Bonus (digipak and 2LP only!)
12. Wheels Of Steel
"Fatal Command" lives and breathes heavy metal like a few other albums of recent years do. It is a monolith of a record on which the tempestuous music, the provocative artwork and Schmier's social criticism come together under a metallic and indestructible hide, courtesy of Little Creek Studio in Basel, Switzerland. One thing, however, is setting "Fatal Command" apart from the perfect heavy metal record: "There's no ballad! But as the singer, I wanted to spare mankind," Schmier laughs. Consequently, PÄNZER prefer to hit the throttle and concentrate on kicking as much ass as possible. "Fatal Command" proudly wears the insignia that so many current bands are lacking, a bold statement against wimps and posers. PÄNZER swear a solemn oath on "Fatal Command": They will be true to heavy metal in good as well as in bad times, in sickness and in health. They will love it and honor it all the days of their lives until death does them part. Amen!
In a recent interview with Metal Master Kingdom, Schmier said about PÄNZER: "Lineup changes are always a little difficult, but, basically, the backbone of the band didn't change at all; we kept everything rolling. And it's great fun. To me, it's a great alternative to play heavy metal — just straight metal and maybe very German also. And there's no limits; we just do what we want. There's no high expectations that we have to sound like this or that; we just praise the good old fucking metal."
Regarding the musical direction of "Fatal Command", Schmier said: "It's a lot of JUDAS PRIEST, ACCEPT… but there's also a lot of fast-forward music. There's no ballads… I think the new one is even more melodic [than the first one]. There's some really catchy choruses and nice hooklines, a lot of great lead guitars, double harmonies everywhere and stuff."
Pulver and Norgren officially joined PÄNZER in December. At the time, V.O. stated about his decision to hook up with Schmier and Stefan: "After producing the debut with PÄNZER, the guys asked me to help them out live to help provide the double axe-attack on stage. Of course I took the opportunity to rock out with my buddies. And when the chance came up to join them permanently, I didn't hesitate to accept and now I can't wait to play the sound of my youth!"
Norgren was just as excited to join the heavy metal war machine. "It was not a hard decision when I got asked to join the PÄNZER project; it was a straight-up YES!" he said. "To be able to create music with good friends is the most important thing in my world and in this band, having fun when making music, is number one. I'm looking forward to all of the craziness that the future is going to bring with these guys. So let's kick some serious...!"
International metal opera project, Pagliacci, have released a new music video. The song is called “A Place To Hide” and features former Therion vocalist Snowy Shaw, who has also been involved with bands such as Dimmu Borgir, Sabaton, King Diamond, Memento Mori and others.
Snowy has recorded six song for Pagliacci’s upcoming album, The Village Of Madmen, in which he plays the role of “a malevolent storyteller – the one who tells the story of each of our lives”. Or as he puts it himself in one of the songs: “I am the voice inside your head, I am all the voices in everybody’s head.”
The video was shot on two locations - Pirin Mountain in Bularia and Gothenburg, Sweden - and features 2D and 3D animation. It was directed by Anna Damaskova.
Pagliacci was founded by Zhivko Koev (Vivaldi Metal Project, ex-Allegorist) and features guest musicians from all over the world. Their debut EP, Yours Sincerely, Sister Josephine, was released in June 2017.
"Night Work", a brand new video from gore metal maniacs EXHUMED, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's new album, "Death Revenge", which will be released on October 13 via Relapse. EXHUMED frontman Matt Harvey comments: "We are extremely stoked to present this cinematic clip that brings you deep into the world of the 'Death Revenge' storyline. Director Jeff Sisson really outdid himself capturing the vibe and violence of the record and the concept. This is the first video we've done that really fulfills the horror-movie vision we've always wanted to capture with our music. Spoiler alert: It's a tale of grave robbery, murder and madness. So sit back, turn off the lights, lock your doors, and get ready to undertake some 'Night Work' with us."
EXHUMED's sixth full-length sees them tread into ambitious new territory with their first concept album: a musical melodrama in thirteen parts based on shocking true events. "Death Revenge" takes place in the late 1820s in Edinburgh, Scotland and tells the macabre tale of a series of brutal murders where the victims' cadavers were sold to anatomists, amid a grisly underground trade of grave robbery. Recorded with producer Jarrett Pritchard (GOATWHORE, ETERNAL, GRUESOME), the disc takes the band's signature gore-drenched, death metal mayhem to theatrical and ghastly new depths. Cover illustration is by Orion Landau, with interior illustrations by Lucas Ruggieri. EXHUMED recently announced a short run of live dates in November with THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, SUFFOCATION, DECREPIT BIRTH and more as well as a performance at Ozzfest Meets Knotfest on November 5 in San Bernardino, California. EXHUMED is:
Michael "Bud" Burke - Guitar, VocalsMichael Hamilton - DrumsMatthew Harvey - Guitar, VocalsRoss Sewage - Bass, Vocals
"Novacaine", the new video from 10 YEARS, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's upcoming studio album, "(How To Live) As Ghosts", which will be released on October 27 via Mascot. The band's eighth studio LP was produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz (ALICE IN CHAINS, FOO FIGHTERS, DEFTONES, KORN, MASTODON) and marks the return of bandmembers Brian Vodinh (guitar, drums) and Matt Wantland (guitar).
Sometimes when band members reunite, it's as if no time has passed and nothing has changed. That couldn't be further from the truth for 10 YEARS. When Vodinh and Wantland returned to the Knoxville, Tennessee alt-metal/post-grunge band for their eighth album and Mascot debut, they burst through their comfort zones to create something new. Something better. Something career-defining. Singer Jesse Hasek reflects: "It's funny. I named our last record 'From Birth To Burial' (2015) because I thought it was our final record. It just didn't feel like 10 YEARS without Brian and Matt, and having them back is really a reunion of the core writing team. This new record actually feels like a real rebirth for the band."
While Vodinh handled drums and guitar on the new album, he's switching to just guitar for the live shows, moving Chad Huff from guitar to bass, while Kyle Mayer stays on drums. "We're bringing it back the way they should be," says Vodinh, who left the band due to family commitments in 2013. "It feels great to be back with these guys and we're in such a better place musically and creatively than ever before."
Talking about the first single "Novacaine", Hasek offers: "Six albums and a hundred songs in, I wondered if I've already written my best stuff. But at some point, you start to get real adult problems. Life has such a numbing to it. You see people go from such optimism in their 20s to having life just beat them down later. I think we all kind of get desensitized and numb to life on some level. That's what this song is about." That better place stems, in part, from a more collaborative writing process. "It used to be that just Jesse and I would write the full song, and the other guys would add a little spice to it. This time, we're starting the writing process as a full band. Sometimes it starts with a riff. Sometimes it starts with a vocal. Our formula is no formula, and it kind of works. And, we work together in a more constructive and healthier environment now," explains Vodinh. The sixth collaborator was Raskulinecz. "Nick made us step outside our comfort zone," explains Hasek. "It made for a different-sounding record. The one thing we never wanted to do is recreate the same thing over and over. We have always been musicians that love to explore and venture into new horizons." The result is 10 YEARS' most dynamic and multi-dimensional record to date. Raskulinecz encouraged the band to strip away some of the vocal production they've grown accustomed to in order to reveal a more intimate side of Hasek. "Historically, we like to orchestrate a lot of vocal parts. We'll have harmonies and layers. This time around, Nick had us strip a lot of that away. There are a lot of moments where the only vocal is just Jesse, and not this big freaking epic thing. It makes Jesse more human. And I think the more human Jesse comes across, the more relatable his lyrics are," says Vodinh. Raskulinecz also helped Hasek be more straightforward in his lyrics and message. Hasek offers: "In the past, I've written a lot of songs that were pretty ambiguous. But on this record, I'm more comfortable being direct and talking about things that are important to me. I'm older and find myself reflecting on the world more especially after having travelled the world and talk to people and really see what's going on." The title track, "(How To Live) As Ghosts", is one such song. "After traveling the world and seeing all the political, social, and religious turmoil, it had me thinking about how many people are judging and preparing for death, but are actually missing life. And, instead of using spirituality for good, a lot of people use it to point fingers and judge. Instead of worrying where we end up in the end, we need to focus on the now and the humanity." "Burnout" is another observation on mankind. "It's about a person that's right there in the limelight, has every opportunity to see the greatest things in life that are right in front of them, but they are too inside themselves to see it," says Hasek. "Blood Red Sky" was originally from a solo EP Vodinh had recorded. "The song grabbed my ear the first time I heard it because it had such a different vibe," says Hasek, "but I had a different vocal idea for it so we changed it up. It's about the struggle of maintaining everyday life and how fast your existence just flashes before your eyes. But, it also says that we are surviving and will make it through — that we will always fight through." "(How To Live) As Ghosts" might be the band's eighth album but, to them, it feels like a new start. "There was a heavier, darker tone to our last record because we weren't in a good place," adds the singer. "'Ghosts' has a brighter side to it because we're all in a really happy, optimistic, and excited place about music and life. We're ready to see how the world embraces it."
"(How To Live) As Ghosts" track listing:
01. The Messenger02. Novacaine03. Burnout04. Catacombs05. Ghosts06. Blood Red Sky07. Phantoms08. Vampires09. Halos10. Lucky You11. Insomnia
Finnish alt-rockers THE RASMUS have released a Jesse Haaja-directed music video for their new single, "Wonderman". The track, which also serves as the theme song in the new superhero movie "Rendel", is the latest song to be made available from the band's long-awaited new album, "Dark Matters", which will be released October 6 via Playground Music Scandinavia. The disc was produced by the Swedish team The Family (Iggy Azalea, FIFTH HARMONY). "The thinking behind our new songs was to create the kind of music we would like to listen to," THE RASMUS singer Lauri Ylönen explains. "We haven't abandoned our signature northern melancholy, but you can hear a wide range of influences in our new compositions.
"The new album is like a roller coaster with many different emotions and personal feelings. Our music is at times dark, speculative, melodic and sometimes even sad."
THE RASMUS released its previous single, "Paradise", in March after a five-year hiatus. The band also announced a PledgeMusic campaign, allowing access to an exclusive fan-only area, featuring album pre-order deals, updates from the band, behind-the-scenes footage and a variety of bonus content.
In 2012, after releasing three more albums, and multiple world tours, THE RASMUS members Ylönen, Pauli Rantasalmi, Eero Heinonen and Aki Hakala, took a break from their busy band schedule. During this period, Ylönen moved to Los Angeles, a change that resonates in many of the songs he has written since.
Melodic metal band, Within Silence, will release their new album, Return From The Shadows, on October 27th in Europe and North America via Ulterium Records. A music video for the song “Heroes Must Return” is available for streaming below.
Return From The Shadows is a perfect follow-up to the debut album, Gallery Of Life, and feels like a more mature and focused album. The impressive songwriting and melodies are still there, and together with heavy riffs, symphonic arrangements and epic parts the result is a really strong album.
The album was mixed and mastered by Roland Grapow (Masterplan, ex-Helloween) and the artwork was created by Jan Yrlund (Delain, Apocalyptica, Korpiklaani). Return From The Shadows is a perfect album for fans of bands like Theocracy, Sonata Arctica and Stratovarius.
Return From The Shadows tracklisting:
“We Are The Ones”
“Heroes Must Return”
“Children Of Light”
“Calling From The Other Side”
“In the Darkness”
“The Final Victory”
“You & I”
“Master”
“Return From The Shadows”
“Heroes Must Return” video:
Within Silence tour dates:
November
3 - Brainstorm Festival - Apeldoorn, Netherlands
March
24 - Lindenkeller - Freising, Germany (with Brainstorm, Signum Regis)
Chicago-based four-piece instrumental group, Zaius, have released a video for “Seirenes”, a track from their debut LP, Of Adoration, to be released via Prosthetic Records on October 6th. Watch the clip below, and order the album here.
Formed in 2010, the band explores a lighter, more melodic side of the members' musical tastes without abandoning the metal tendencies that come natural to them.
Guitarist Dann Dolce comments on signing to Prosthetic Records: "We are insanely proud of these eight songs and can't wait to share our first full length with the world. A proper release is what this album deserves, and Prosthetic Records really has our backs on this. The four of us couldn't be happier."
Of Adoration was tracked at the start of 2017 with Jeff Edwards before being sent off to be mixed and mastered by Chris Common (Pelican, Mouth Of The Architect, Minus the Bear). The record features eight tracks that peaks and valleys its way through over 40 minutes of music.
"We try not to conform to any specific sub-genre and pull influence from as many places as possible," reflects Dolce. "Our goal is to keep our songs moving and dynamic, heavy yet engaging, not letting parts drag on longer than they have to."
Illustrations for the album were created by Marald Van Haasteren (Baroness, Kylesa) whose style is as colorful and alive as these tracks were meant to be.
The Fright will release their new album, Canto V, on October 13th via SPV/Steamhammer. A music video for the album’s opening track, “Bonfire Night”, is available for streaming below.
Put your hand on your heart: It's hardly going to be any old random stories when a band like The Fright names its latest release after one of the greatest works of world literature. The title, Canto V, goes back to Dante's Inferno, in other words to the opening section of his Divine Comedy, and it documents two things: Firstly, it's the fifth studio album by the formation from Thüringen (which explains the Roman symbol for 5), secondly, it's a particularly special piece of work, both musically and with regard to subject matter.
For, even more than on their previous releases, on Canto V, The Fright perfects their greatest strengths. At the same time, their first-class songwriting once again effortlessly meets international standards, sounding as catchy as it is ambitious. As we have become accustomed, the Thuringian dark rockers' sound derives from a wide variety of sources, from gothic rock legends like Bauhaus, The Cult, The Mission, Sisters Of Mercy and The 69 Eyes (who The Fright toured with in 2013) to traditional hard rock à la Whitesnake, Mötley Crüe, Guns N’ Roses and Skid Row. "I love Sebastian Bach!,” confesses singer Lon Fright, who founded the group back in 2002.
The album was produced by well-known producer Waldemar Sorychta (Lacuna Coil, Tiamat, Sodom, Moonspell).
Waldemar Sorychta about the co-operation with The Fright: "This is a really outstanding band and they present a well dosed mixture between Gothic tunes and Metal. Strong melodies and hook lines alongside a very talented shouter - this is top notch! The whole production process was extremely enjoyable. I definitely found some new friends. Thanks a lot guys."
Canto V will be available digitally in North America. Cover art by German artist Timo Würz.
Tracklisting:
“Bonfire Night”
“No One”
“Wander Alone”
“Love Is Gone”
“Fade Away”
“Oblivion”
“Leave”
“Drowned In Red”
“Century Without A Name”
“In Sicherheit”
Canadian metal/hardcore band Counterparts have released a video for the track “Swim Beneath My Skin”, featured on the band’s new album, You’re Not You Anymore, out now via Pure Noise Records. Order the record now at this location, and watch the new video below.
You're Not You Anymore tracklisting:
“Walk Away Slowly”
“Bouquet”
“Arms Like Teeth”
“No Servant Of Mine”
“Haunt Me”
“Swim Beneath My Skin”
“Thieves”
“Rope”
“A Memory Misread”
“Fragile Limbs”
“You’re Not You Anymore”
THE DARK ELEMENT, the new musical project featuring former NIGHTWISH vocalist Anette Olzon and Finnish guitarist and songwriter Jani Liimatainen, will release its self-titled debut album on November 10 via Frontiers Music Srl.
The official video for the song "My Sweet Mystery" can be seen below.
Since word of this project got out, fans have been frothing at the mouth with anticipation for its arrival. And no wonder considering the talent involved! Anette is widely known for being the immaculate voice on the hit albums from NIGHTWISH, "Dark Passion Play" and "Imaginareum". Jani has recently been busy in CAIN'S OFFERING alongside STRATOVARIUS singer Timo Kotipelto, but left a deep mark on the minds of all power metal fans thanks to his time in SONATA ARCTICA.
Said Liimatainen: "I have always been a big fan of Anette's voice and when the opportunity to work with her arose, writing and producing an album, it was something I just couldn't say no! It has been a blast working on the songs and I can't wait for everyone to hear the final result. This will be epic! The songs are extremely melodic and to the point. My goal has been to write catchy songs with hooks that will haunt your dreams, and I think it's pretty much 'mission accomplished.' Stay tuned for something special!"
Added Olzon: "I am so looking forward to this album and I believe our collaboration worked like a perfect match and I am really happy that Jani and Frontiers asked me to do this with them!"
"The Dark Element" track listing:
01. The Dark Element02. My Sweet Mystery03. Last Good Day04. Here's To You05. Someone You Used To Know06. Dead To Me07. Halo08. I Cannot Raise The Dead09. The Ghost And The Reaper10. Heaven Of Your Heart11. Only One Who Knows Me
* Piano on "Someone You Used to Know" and "Heaven of Your Heart" by Jarkko Lahti* Backing vocals by Anette Olzon, Petri Aho, Anssi Stenberg and Jani Liimatainen* Growls on "Dead To Me" by Niilo Sevänen
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