British rockers THE DARKNESS have released a brand new song, titled "Southern Trains". Delivering rip-roaring riffs that soar much faster than the lamented train service, England's most distinctive, multiple award-winning, platinum-selling rock gods have once again created an important anthem for the nation, replete with spirited invective (a.k.a lots of swearing). Regarding the track, frontman Justin Hawkins says: "This song has genuine realness in it, innit. Dan and I had to endure the Southern Trains 'services' during the making of this album. The only difference between a normal day on Southern Trains and a day when they're all on strike, is that on strike day the ArseClownery is deliberate. They are utterly incapable of running a reliable service. Fact. The rest of the world is laughing at us. I hope this song goes some way towards facilitating change..." As some of the more printable lyrics relate: "Major delays, cancellations, tedious conversations / Trying to eat your dinner with an arse in your face, It's a disgrace… Heaving carriages of indignation / Grown men weeping in pure frustration / Totally packed and always late." The wildly entertaining video finds the band performing the song via ludicrously fun Snapchat videos. "Southern Trains" follows the release of both lead single "All The Pretty Girls" and the expletive-drenched insight on the music industry, "Solid Gold", both of which feature on the forthcoming album, "Pinewood Smile", out on October 6. All three tracks are available on all streaming platforms and also available for download with pre-orders of the album for the instant gratification of fans. "Pinewood Smile" finds THE DARKNESS on electrifying form, delivering some of the most sharp-witted, infectious and downright brilliant songs of their career, and is being greeted with rave reviews, including four stars in the brand new issues of Q, Planet Rock and Mojo magazines. To celebrate the album's release, THE DARKNESS will be touring extensively at the end of this year, playing seventeen dates in the U.K. throughout November and December including a headline show at London's Hammersmith Eventim Apollo on December 10. The shows are part of a wider European tour, titled "Tour De Prance".
METALLICA played the song "ManUNkind" live for the first time during its September 10 concert at AccorHotels Arena in Paris, France. Professionaly filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.
"ManUNkind" is taken from METALLICA's latest album, "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", which came out last November.
METALLICA frontman James Hetfield explained the song's meaning to the band's fan-club magazine So What!: "[This song is] biblical, the Garden of Eden. 'Wow, you've got it all, but you want more?' You've got all this greatness and then it's torn… the biblical story… but let's get back to the goodness of man. Man is sinful and has to crawl and try to make up, it's like we're always down below in the higher power's eyes, [and] we have to prove ourselves over and over daily that we're not evil. And having faith in this world [where] everyone's out for themselves. Finding the negative in a bunch of stuff is… at the end of the day, have faith in man. Instead of just blaming it on mankind. Yeah, there are some unkind people out there, but having faith that we get through that, or they learn about it, or somehow they become more part of the solution instead of the problem."
The official video for "ManUNkind" was directed by Jonas Åkerlund, who originally worked with METALLICA on the clips for "Turn The Page" and "Whiskey In The Jar".
Åkerlund was the original drummer of BATHORY, one of the first black metal bands, who made his mark directing music videos for artists from Madonna and THE ROLLING STONES to MAROON 5 and Beyoncé. These have won him a host of awards including several Grammys, an MTV VMA, MVPA Hall Of Fame award and more. Åkerlund has also directed a number of feature films, including cult favorite "Spun" starring Jason Schwartzman, Mickey Rourke, Brittany Murphy and John Leguizamo.
"Hardwired...To Self-Destruct" was produced by Greg Fidelman with frontman James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich. The band recorded the disc at its own studio.
The European leg of METALLICA's "WorldWired" tour kicked off in Copenhagen, Denmark on September 2 and will run through November. After a break, the trek will pick up again on February 1, 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal, and continue through May, finishing up in Helsinki, Finland.
"Lost In The Moment", the new video from the Michigan post-hardcore outfit WE CAME AS ROMANS, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's fifth album, "Cold Like War", which will be released on October 20 through SharpTone Records.
According to a press release, the disc represents adversity — in all of its various forms. It is a thrilling, energetic and immensely catchy compendium of songs that run the full gambit of emotion — aggression to sorrow, love to hate — to capture the fullest extent of the conflict and turmoil WE CAME AS ROMANS endured to make it to this point in their careers and their lives.
"'Cold Like War' is about struggle, those trials," says guitarist and songwriter Joshua Moore. "They can turn us towards each other, towards those we love, towards those who have supported us. Because the last two years to us have felt like this giant war — an internal war — to figure out the right path for our band… to figure out how to stay together and be happy again."
"Cold Like War" track listing:
01. Vultures With Clipped Wings02. Cold Like War 03. Two Hands 04. Lost In The Moment 05. Foreign Fire 06. Wasted Age 07. Encoder08. If There's Something To See (feat. Eric Vanlerberghe from I PREVAIL)09. Promise Me 10. Learning To Survive
Buzzworthy metal group Tetrarch have been making huge moves this summer! The band is about to wrap up their current North American tour with metal giants DevilDriverand fellow support artists 36 Crazyfists, Cane Kill and Uncured, and next Friday, September 29, they will release their new full-length album, Freak.
Diamond Rowe says: "I can't think of a better song to come out on this record right now lyrically than "Oddity". It is so pertinent to everything that is going on in our world right now. With this song, we wanted to take a different approach lyrically rather than have it just be a song about all of the hate going on right now and how everyone is mistreated. Instead, we made this song about youth taking a stand and being excited about making a ruckus for what they believe in. We did not want to play the victim in this song and we didn't want anyone who heard it to take that meaning away from it either. We're a band that heavily believes that it is possible to pave your own way, your own success and your own image and that's how we believe people should conduct themselves every day. If you want respect, if you want to be looked at in a certain light - go out and raise hell."
With one listen it's clear - Tetrarch oozes raw, unbridled skill. The band's new album, Freak, amplifies the band's tried-and-true blend of intense metalcore riffage and driving drums with the dark vibes and haunting choruses of hooky modern hard rock. Tetrarch's most cited influences - ranging from bands such as heavy metal giants Slipknot and Trivium to hard rock darlings Mudvayne and Linkin Park - are evident but never replicated, as they stay true to their own unique mixture that appeals to any heavy music fan.
Freak was recorded with seasoned producer Dave Otero (Cattle Decaptitation, Allegeon, Khemmis) at the helm, who brought out the band's profound heaviness without sacrificing the catchy, melodic edge that has hooked the band's impressive underground fanbase. The resulting sound is crushing enough to fit on any heavy metal bill, but catchy enough to land confidently in commercial radio rotation.
Tracklisting:
“Freak”
“Spit”
“Pull The Trigger”
“Mary”
“Oddity”
“Break The Trend”
“Please Let Me Be”
“Torn Apart”
Coldspell have released a music video for the song “Forevermore”, the track is taken from the new album, A New World Arise, which is out today September 22nd. For the fourth time the band from the land of ice and snow up in the north of Sweden is going to bring the world 12 songs that will melt a rocking heart. The band has captured emotions of a world going crazy and finding peace in the wilderness.
The album was recorded at various studios throughout Sweden and once again mixed by Tommy Hansen (Pretty Maids, Helloween, Jorn).
With three albums released so far the wait is over. Coldspell are ready to strike again with the brand new album titled A New World Arise. This is stunning recording that features 12 new songs of epic proportions and it’s going to put Coldspell firmly on the map. This is Scandinavian melodic rock of the highest order and will be a strong contender for the hard rock album of 2017.
Tracklisting:
“Forevermore”
“Call Of The Wild”
“It Hurts”
“Miles Away”
“Signs”
“Love Me Like You Do”
“This Is Me”
“Get To The Top”
“Wait Until Tomorrow”
“Losing My Mind”
“Just One Night”
“A New World Arise”
"Angry Heart", the new video from Las Vegas rockers OTHERWISE, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's third full-length album, "Sleeping Lions", which is being released today (Friday, September 22) via Century Media.
The conceptual clip is a dynamic, new look visually for the band, as they all acted in this full, intriguing storyline scenario.
OTHERWISE vocalist Adrian Patrick states: "The concept for the video of 'Angry Heart' is specifically constructed around the lyric line: 'So who is all bite and who is all bark? The Wolf of Light or the Wolf of Dark?'
"I gave our director, Mike Watts, some insight into my own struggles with anger and alcohol, and trying to find a balance between my new life as a family man and my lifelong musical mission. He devised this brilliant, provocative storyline that serves as an analogy for my inner battles... Do I follow the overwhelming love for my family and give up on the fire of my passion, or vice versa? Having the entire band act in the video itself helped to capture the authenticity of our plight. The video is a powerfully honest piece and it feels good to be so proud of it."
Adrian adds: "The initial spark for 'Angry Heart' took place on a cross-country flight from New York to L.A. I was watching UFC on the in-flight entertainment and the fighter, Cyborg, was giving an interview in which she basically said, 'I am a pretty nice person outside of the ring. I don't know why I fight with such an angry heart.' Upon landing on the West Coast, I told my brother about what she said and the lyrics just flowed out of me, like a molten poem of rage. For whatever reason, be it how our father raised us to fight for what we believe in, we completely related to Cyborg's statement.
"Personally, I've always felt like I was waging some kind of spiritual war, but I didn't know why, until my sons were born. Those two beautiful boys have utterly redefined the 'good fight' for me. Anger is a gift, if utilized properly, and we plan to somehow make the world a slightly better place by using that righteous fire for positive goals."
You'd be hard pressed to find a more fitting album title than "Sleeping Lions" for latest studio release from OTHERWISE. The album hits like a revelation, jolting the listener upright and transporting them from a dreamy landscape to a wide-eyed state of consciousness textured by humility and sandblasted by the winds that weather life.
"We named the album 'Sleeping Lions' because that's what we feel like - we've been hibernating in our neon desert cave, licking our wounds and regaining our strength for the hunt," says Adrian, who along with guitarist Ryan Patrick, form one of the most incendiary sibling duos in modern music. "Now we're back on the prowl again, and our eyes are wide open. The album title absolutely references a bigger awareness of who we are and what we're capable of. The last thing you ever want to do is wake sleeping lions."
The twelve-track epiphany runs an emotional gamut that juxtaposes the very nature of the recordings, "Angry Heart" flowing with the frontman's blistering vocal cadences as he "fills with hate" and "embraces the monster I'm becoming." As quickly as it boils over, the rage subsides on "Blame", one of the most sensitive statements of the band's career. "If it makes it better for you, just blame it all on me," the frontman pines, bleeding into the emotional effervescence of "Bloodline Lullaby", a heart-wrenching ballad of epic proportions.
OTHERWISE is a band built on emotion and fueled by the feelings that drive our lives. Anger. Regret. Love. This isn't packaged rebellion, it's the real world. And it's what makes the band — and album — connect at such a visceral level. "Emotion is the most important element of our writing process," Adrian says. "We try to capture every aspect of the human condition so the subject matter of our songs runs the gauntlet of what it means to be alive. Every lyric comes from a very genuine and heartfelt place. There are no fictional storylines or tough-guy rhetoric in any of our tunes."
One of the album's more mature musical excursions, "Monster" takes flight in a flurry of programmed embellishments and supple guitar play, an unbridled reminder of the relationship that destroys us all but we just can't bring ourselves to leave. The risks continue on "Nothing To Me", where the symphonic grandeur boils over amidst emotional disrepair, and "Suffer", where the guitars jangle more than mangle, conveying a melodic appreciation that far outweighs a more pedestrian quest for being heavy.
"As artists, evolution is the lifeblood of creativity," continues the singer. "We spread our musical wings a bit more on this album in a concerted effort to remain true to ourselves and not conform to what others expect of us. Rock and roll is all about taking risks, and that's what we do best. If we were forced to stagnate or remain trapped in the same stylistic box, the fire inside us would burn itself out."
One can confidently call "Sleeping Lions" the most mature chapter of OTHERWISE's impressive volume of work, but don't mistake mature for soft in the middle. Quite the contrary, the band's evolution is poignant both musically and lyrically, and they steer clear of the awkward growing pains that so many other bands endure.
That's a bold statement when talking about a band whose had four singles crack the Top 20 at Active Rock radio — "Soldiers", "I Don't Apologize (1000 Pictures)", "Darker Side Of The Moon" and "Coming For The Throne" — seen "Soldiers" alone surpass eight million streams on Spotify, toured alongside such heavy hitters as STONE SOUR and PAPA ROACH, and shared festival stages on land and sea, appearing anywhere from Rock On The Range to Shiprocked, and everywhere in between.
"Both 'Weapons' and 'Sleeping Lions' are special to us on several levels," the singer continues, pointing out a few of his favorite tracks. "Not only were they co-written with two of our idols, but 'Weapons' can absolutely be considered social commentary and 'Sleeping Lions' is basically our protest song. Album closer 'Bloodline Lullaby' serves as a tribute and legacy for our family, while the bonus track 'Won't Stop' is an anthem for our better angels... We try to infuse a sense of hope into all of our songs, regardless of how angry or sad or introspective they may seem. It's always an intentional goal of ours, to leave everyone, including ourselves, with a feeling of empowerment. We are eternally seeking the light through the darkness."
"Eating Lies", the new Richard Pembridge-directed video from British heavy metal vocalist Blaze Bayley (IRON MAIDEN, WOLFSBANE), can be seen below. The song is taken from his ninth solo album, "Endure And Survive", which was released on March 3 via Blaze Bayley Recording. The disc was recorded at Birmingham, England's Robannas Studios and said to be "an exciting and enthralling sequel" to his 2016 release "Infinite Entanglement", which was the first of a trilogy of releases following a sci-fi concept and storyline.
Throughout the "Endure And Survive" world tour, Blaze is being backed by his main recording and touring musicians, picked from British metal band ABSOLVA and including Chris Appleton (guitar, backing vocals), Martin McNee (drums), Karl Schramm (bass, backing vocals).
In addition to the established bandmembers as above from ABSOLVA, "Endure And Survive" also contains a talented array of collaborators: Luke Appleton (ICED EARTH, ABSOLVA) on backing vocals; Michelle Sciarrotta on nylon acoustic, backing vocals, voice actor; Jo Robinson on backing vocals; Mel Adams on backing vocals; Liz Owen on backing vocals; Thomas Zwijsen on nylon acoustic, Anne Bakker on violin, backing vocals; Corvin Bahn (Uli Jon Roth) on accordion; Aine Brewer (voice actor); and Rob Toogood (voice actor) on backing vocals.
The spectacular album artwork was created by Andreas Sandberg, with additional images from Christopher Steenstrup who is also working on a Blaze Bayley video game.
"Endure And Survive" was recorded between October and December 2016, produced by Blaze Bayley and Chris Appleton, mixed and engineered by Miguel Seco, mastered by Ade Emsley (IRON MAIDEN, TANK, PHIL CAMPBELL). As with the previous record, the songwriting has been a collaboration between Blaze, Chris Appleton and Michelle Sciarrotta.
"Endure And Survive" track listing:
01. Endure And Survive02. Escape Velocity03. Blood04. Eating Lies05. Destroyer06. Dawn Of The Dead Son07. Remember08. Fight Back09. The World Is Turning The Wrong Way10. Together We Can Move The Sun
Bayley told AXS.com about "Endure And Survive": "The trilogy starts last year with 'Infinite Entanglement', which is the story of someone being selected for a mission to go right across the galaxy to a new earth-like planet discovered by telescope. He discovers that he's not actually in a tight-fitting spacesuit, but his consciousness has been downloaded into a machine body. He only discovers that when he's on the mission. Then he has to decide, 'Well, I think like a human. I feel like a human, but I have no flesh and blood. Am I human?' And, it's a question of identity and going to a new place with no regrets and no past, but leaving behind everything that you know and consider to be home and knowing it's a one-way journey. On part two, 'Endure And Survive', it is the end of this mission. It takes a thousand years to get to the new earth-like planet; there is no faster-than-light travel, so he has to 'endure' this journey of a thousand years. As he gets close to the planet, he starts to realize that he was never meant to get there. The ship's computer and the ship itself are programmed to get rid of him, to throw him out into space, to treat him like a piece of junk. Now, his mission is accomplished, his DNA is never supposed to reach that point. And that is the 'survival' part. He has to survive this attempt on his life, the attempt to obliterate him, to destroy him. That's why it's 'Endure And Survive'.
"This second album is much darker, but it also has songs like 'Fight Back', which is about out of sheer spite, not giving in. You know they want to get rid of you and you're just hanging on for sheer spite. 'Dawn Of The Dead Son' is about coming back from it, making a decision in your own mind that you will not let go. That you will not give up, no matter what, as the drowning man, you refuse to drown. That's what it's about.
"There are many of these subjects on the album and it's much darker. So far, live, everywhere we've played in the U.S., we've played a lot of new songs from the 'Endure And Survive' album and from 'Infinite Entanglement' and fans have gotten really into it. They've gone down really well and the album is doing well."
Swedish bashers Zephyra have returned with their melodic death metal sound to release a new single, "The Darkest Black".
"The Darkest Black" is released through Inverse Records and builds a bridge between their second album, the critically acclaimed As The World Collapses, and the progress of writing and recording a third one. Once again the band has worked with Micke Andersson at MRG Studios (Borås) for recording and producing, and with Christian Donaldson at The Grid (Montreal) for the mix and master works.
Check out the video for "The Darkest Black" below.
For information and updates on Zephyra go to this location.
"Lost In You", the new video from BUSH, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's seventh album, "Black And White Rainbows", which was released on March 10.
Written, recorded and produced by Gavin Rossdale, "Black And White Rainbows" is the follow-up to 2014's "Man On The Run".
Gavin said of the single: "'Lost In You' is a song about the cycle of love and the danger of patterns and how true love is to lose yourself in someone.
"The video chronicles a relationship that is beautiful and wide until the cracks appear and the question is how strong is the love and do we make it back?" As Rossdale was lighting up TV screens this past spring with his work as a coach on the U.K.'s "The Voice", BUSH also played a rip-roaring homecoming show at a sold-out Shepherds Bush Empire in March, tearing through a setlist packed with classic hits and new favorites, with Gavin once again proving why he is one of the best frontmen in rock. BUSH has sold over twenty million records and has also had an incredible 18 Top 40 singles at radio. Currently on a nationwide tour of North America, BUSH returns to Europe this autumn.
"Midnight Madness", the new video from international metal superstars DRAGONFORCE, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's latest album, "Reaching Into Infinity", which was released on May 19 via earMUSIC on CD, LP and a special-edition CD and DVD. The follow-up to 2014's "Maximum Overload" marks the band's third full-length studio release with singer Marc Hudson, who joined the group in 2011 following the departure of original frontman ZP Theart (now in SKID ROW).
DRAGONFORCE guitarist Herman Li says: "Many fans have asked us over the years what's it like working in the studio on an album. The music video from the latest song to be released from the 'Reaching Into Infinity' album, 'Midnight Madness', has the perfect vibe to take the fans behind the scene and see what we get up to!"
The bulk of the recording sessions for "Reaching Into Infinity" took place at Fascination Street studios in Örebro, Sweden with producer Jens Bogren, who has previously worked with OPETH, THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT, AMON AMARTH, KATATONIA, SOILWORK and SYMPHONY X, to name a few. The band also laid down tracks while touring their "Killer Elite" best-of album, utilizing Lamerluser Studios in London, U.K.; Dark Lane Studios in Witney, U.K.; as well as the band's own Evil1 Studios in Charleville-Mézières, France and Shredforce One Studios in California.
"We were flying out, playing a festival, then back into the studio, then back out again," explained DRAGONFORCE bassist Frédéric Leclercq, who also handled the majority of songwriting on this album. "It was very intense and very tiring. I obviously played bass but also a lot of rhythm guitar, electric and acoustic, and lost my temper a few times. I think we all did at some point, because we wanted to deliver nothing but the best." For their seventh studio album, DRAGONFORCE have opened up their sound like never before, capturing the fierce, forlorn and fun with both menace and melody. "I think we have proven that playing fast was something we were good at, so this time I wanted to bring even more diversity into our music," Frédéric continued. "It's great to challenge ourselves instead of staying in a comfort zone, and I really wanted to experiment with Marc's vocals. I think people are going to be surprised at his brutality."
"Reaching Into Infinity" is DRAGONFORCE's first album to feature Gee Anzalone, the Italian drummer who has laid down an insanely impressive performance to provide the perfect backbone to the DRAGONFORCE sound, which, of course, still boasts the bands trademark crazy-fast solos, courtesy of guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman.
"The title of the album explains pretty much what we are trying to do with our music," Frédéric concluded. "Today's world is really crazy — there is fear of the future, uncertainty. But the power of music is infinite, and it can give strength and hope to people."
Australian thrash / grind metallers King Parrot have revealed the new music video directed by Dan Farmer of Farmwalker Films. The song "Piss Wreck" appears on the band's new album, "Ugly Produce", set to be released this Friday (September 22nd) via Agonia Records in Europe (Housecore Records in North America andRocket/EVP in Australia).
This latest instalment from King Parrot exceeds the wildest expectations for an acerbic and unapologetic slab of thrash metal. Fierce lyrics, spiked with grindcore intensity, and dusted with shades of hardcore-infested punk attitude, the album sets the bar higher than its predecessor, Dead Set, from 2015.
Ugly Produce offers ten tracks of distinctively punishing and powerful anthems, veined deeply in the extreme underground sound. After recording the previous album in the US, 2017 saw the band head back home to where it all began - recording their third full-length album with Blood Duster's Jason PC, at the enigmatic Goatsound Studios. The mastering was done by Brad Boatwright at Audiosiege Studio (Sleep, High On Fire, Nails) in the US, while the cover artwork was created by Boyd Synnott and Simon Robins for GraphOrlock.
Commented by King Parrot: "Ugly Produce reaches new heights in abrasive song-writing and serves up an odious pile of repulsive flavors you wouldn’t want to find on your local fruit and vegetable shelves. A repugnant harvest of gnarled and nasty grind, death metal, thrash, and punk rock and it's more caustic than ever".
Tracklisting:
“Entrapment”
“Piss Wreck”
“Disgrace Yourself”
“All Hail The Grub”
“Ten Pounds Of Shit In A Five Pound Bag”
“Scattered”
“Now It Stokes Frenzy”
“Numb Skull”
“Die Before You Die”
“Spookin’ The Animals”
"Piss Wreck" video:
“Disgrace Yourself”:
“Ten Pounds Of Shit In A Five Pound Bag” video:
Available formats:
- 6 panel digipack CD with folded booklet
- Regular black LP
- Picture disc
- T-shirt
- Digital
Richmond, VA’s Windhand have released the official video for “Forest Clouds”, off their latest full-length album, Grief’s Infernal Flower. Watch the Jordan Vance-directed video below:
Additionally, Windhand kick off their headlining European tour with Satan’s Satyrs tomorrow night in Copenhagen, DK. A full list of confirmed tour dates is available below. Windhand recently recorded songs for an upcoming split with Satan’s Satyrs that will be released by Relapse in early 2018. Details will be revealed shortly.
Tour dates:
September
21 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Loppen
22 - Oslo, Norway - BLA
23 - Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser Strand
25 - Helsinki, Finland - Kuudes Linja
27 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Pustervik
28 - Hamburg, Germany - Hafenklang
29 - Cologne, Germany - MTC
30 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Kesselhaus
October
1 - Leipzig, Germany - UT Connewitz
2 - Berlin, Germany - Cassiopeia
3 - Vienna, Austria - Arena
4 - Munich, Germany - Feierwerk
5 - Bologna, Italy - Freak-Out Club
6 - Mezzago, Italy - Bloom Club
7 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Up In Smoke Festival
8 - Paris, France - Stoned Gathering
9 - London, UK - The Borderline
10 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell
11 - Glasgow, UK - Audio
12 - Manchester, UK - Rebellion
13 - Bristol, UK - Exchange
14 - Antwerp, Belgium - Desertfest BE
Brazil-based animator Val Andrade has released his new Iron Maiden cartoon clip, based on “Man On The Edge”, featured on Maiden’s 1995 album, The X Factor. Watch below:
Andrade's previously released cartoons can be seen below:
"Don't Miss You Much", the new video from Kee Marcello, can be seen below. The track is taken from his latest studio album, "Scaling Up", which was released in October 2016 via Frontiers Music Srl.
With "Scaling Up", the former EUROPE guitarist is using his past as a springboard to take a giant leap into the future. With the new music firmly grounded in the songwriting tradition that made him a multi-platinum rock star in the first place, Kee explores the boundaries of melodic hard rock with a contemporary performance that nods to his past and employs sizzling production. This is an album all his fans will have to pick their jaws up off the floor after hearing!
Kee Marcello is a unique artist in the hard rock genre. He has never stopped evolving and growing as both a writer and a guitarist and the new album illustrates how much he has managed to raise the bar yet again with both his guitar playing, singing and writing.
Conceived and recorded in the winter and spring of 2016, "Scaling Up" encompasses all the influences and genres in which the Swedish musician has been involved in since the start of his career. Besides the obvious resemblances to EUROPE's classic sound, Kee also gives a nod to his past in EASY ACTION. Speaking of EUROPE (particularly the "Prisoners In Paradise" era), Kee took two officially unreleased songs, "Wild Child" and "Don't Know How To Love No More", and rearranged and re-recorded them from scratch. Beyond those two tracks, you can hear a touch of sleaze and more classic hard rock on songs like "Fix Me", "Blow By Blow" and "Soldier Down".
Marcello says: "The whole idea of 'Scaling Up' is to, very respectfully, use the music of my past as a canvas to paint a picture of where I stand today and what I aim for in the future as a guitarist/singer/writer. I think we've got the balance of now and then just right, and it's performed by the best group of musicians I've ever had the honor of playing with!"
Kee Marcello is one of the most renowned guitarists from Scandinavia and has an amazing history to his name. He's best known as the guitarist — from 1986 to 1992 — of one Sweden's biggest musical exports, EUROPE. In the late '80s and early '90s, EUROPE were one of the biggest rock bands in the world. They sold over 30 million albums, landed at No. 1 on sales charts in 26 countries and shared the biggest stages with acts like METALLICA, DEF LEPPARD and BON JOVI. Kee is now also enjoying a new wave of success as a TV persona in Sweden, as well as being involved in other musical projects.
"Scaling Up" track listing:
01. Black Hole Star02. On The Radio03. Don't Miss You Much04. Fix Me05. Wild Child06. Finger On The Trigger07. Soldier Down08. Scandinavia09. Good Men Gone Bad10. Scaling Up11. Don't Know How To Love No More12. Blow By Blow
"Hail To The Chief", the new video from PROPHETS OF RAGE, the supergroup featuring members of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, PUBLIC ENEMY and CYPRESS HILL, can be seen below. The track is taken from PROPHETS OF RAGE's self-titled debut album, which wasreleased on September 15 via Fantasy Records. 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 came together during 2016's tumultuous election to combat the coming storm, wherever it may lead. Following last summer's inaugural tour, the group knew it could evolve from protest performance art with a tactical mission, to a stand-alone entity with creative ideas all its own. Holed up with longtime RAGE collaborator, producer Brendan O'Brien, the band fused the diverse styles, sonic firepower and hard-hitting social consciousness of their previous work, into an inventive and compelling new musical statement, completing the album's twelve tracks in just over a month of recording.
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, CYPRESS HILL's manically playful party energy.
"The music is the passport to the world," Chuck D. says, describing the unique bond the group shares. "It's not always a given to have members who want to go where few have gone."
"Prophets Of Rage" track listing:
01. Radical Eyes02. Unfuck The World03. Legalize Me04. Living On The 11005. The Counteroffensive06. Hail To The Chief07. Take Me Higher08. Strength In Numbers09. Fired A Shot10. Who Owns Who11. Hands Up12. Smashit
"Code Of The Slashers", the brand new video from Florida-based death metallers CANNIBAL CORPSE, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Zev Deans, who previously worked on BEHEMOTH's "Messe Noire", GHOST's "Square Hammer" and PORTAL's "Curtain" videos.
Deans comments: "After crawling through abandoned buildings, crashing our van into a tree in the middle of a scene, witnessing a real stabbing and drenching ourselves in fake blood in a derelict park at 5 a.m., we can safely say this was a proper introduction to the slasher genre for Panorama Programming. We brought a slab of fresh meat back from a rotting metropolis, and we're serving it to you raw. Come and get it."
"Code Of The Slashers" is taken from CANNIBAL CORPSE's new studio album, "Red Before Black", which will be released on November 3. The follow-up to 2014's "A Skeletal Domain" was recorded at Mana Recording Studios in Saint Petersburg, Florida with producer/engineer Erik Rutan (SOILENT GREEN, BELPHEGOR, HATE ETERNAL), who previously worked with CANNIBAL CORPSE on 2006's "Kill", 2009's "Evisceration Plague" and 2012's "Torture".
Many words come to mind when you hear the name CANNIBAL CORPSE, but one truly defines the soon-to-be-thirty-year death metal veterans: unstoppable. Returning with their fourteenth full-length, the monstrous "Red Before Black", serves to not only reiterate this but to once more raise the stakes, making it very clear who sets the standard when it comes to always compelling music that is equally brutal and complex. Moreover, the band have pushed themselves again, ensuring that it stands out from their catalog.
"We always try to make our music aggressive, but where an album like 'A Skeletal Domain' [2014] was definitely aggressive, it has a targeted refinement that the new album doesn't. 'Red Before Black' is as well executed as anything we've done, but it has a rawness to it that we haven't had in a long time," asserts bassist Alex Webster. "We really worked super hard crafting these songs, practicing them, and getting them where we wanted to be more so than on any of our previous albums," adds drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz. "And, as Alex said, musically I think it's the most raw sound we've had — and at the same time I think it's our most focused, tightest and catchiest record."
With 2017 seeing a slew of stunning new releases from death metal's old guard — including SUFFOCATION, OBITUARY and DYING FETUS — it's been a landmark year both for the genre and its early innovators, and with "Red Before Black", CANNIBAL CORPSE stand strong alongside their peers. "We're proud to be part of a scene that has great, experienced bands that stick to their guns," affirms Webster. "Death metal is an established form of underground music that's here to stay, and the leadership bands like these have shown by staying true to the genre is no doubt part of the reason it has such longevity."
That CANNIBAL CORPSE have carved out a career spanning almost three decades is testament to their work ethic, innovative songwriting, passion and devotion to extreme music — though it still remains an astounding feat to the members, as Webster makes humbly clear.
"Who could have imagined this?" he says. "When we started, even BLACK SABBATH hadn't been around for three decades. There simply was no precedent for a lifelong career in metal, of any kind, let alone a relatively new form like death metal. We've been unbelievably lucky, and we are so grateful to our fans for making it possible." In typically grounded fashion, they continue to forge ahead, seeing no end in sight, Webster stating he likes to think they have yet to write their best record, while Mazurkiewicz outlines their goals: "I would say we just want to keep it going, try to better ourselves — and finally open for SLAYER!"
"Red Before Black" track listing:
01. Only One Will Die02. Red Before Black03. Code Of The Slashers04. Shedding My Human Skin05. Remaimed06. Firestorm Vengeance07. Heads Shoveled Off08. Corpus Delicti09. Scavenger Consuming Death10. In The Midst Of Ruin11. Destroyed Without A Trace12. Hideous Ichor
The cover artwork for the album can be found below.
This November, CANNIBAL CORPSE will kick off a USA tour in support of the upcoming disc. Support on the trek will come from POWER TRIP and GATECREEPER.
"A Skeletal Domain" sold 8,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 32 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Torture", opened with 9,600 units to land at No. 38. This figure was in line with the first-week performance of 2009's "Evisceration Plague", which entered the chart at No. 66. CANNIBAL CORPSE's 2006 CD, "Kill", debuted at No. 170 after shifting more than 6,000 copies.
"A Skeletal Domain" was produced by Mark Lewis (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, DEVILDRIVER) at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida.
The official video for "Afternow", a new song from BLACKFINGER, the band led by former TROUBLE singer Eric Wagner, can be seen below. The track is taken from BLACKFINGER's latest album, "When Colors Fade Away", which was released on September 15 via M-Theory Audio.
"After I finished the first BLACKFINGER record and actually sat back and listened to it, it dawned upon me that 'when colors fade away' would be a great title and concept for the next one… of course, I didn't know there would be one, but I always hope," explains Eric. "A common thread throughout that album was the different feelings of what colors meant to me. I wondered what would happen if all the colors were gone? What would life be like without colors? I also wanted to clear up some of the misconceptions of what we are taught throughout our lives, most of which seems unrealistic to me and only serves to better the collection plate."
Renowned and still cherished for the classic material he recorded with Chicago's TROUBLE for over two decades, Wagner has in recent years been focusing on a couple other promising new bands in a similar vein, including BLACKFINGER. Now relocated to Pittsburgh, Eric is joined in the new BLACKFINGER lineup by another respected name in doom metal circles, guitarist Terry Weston of DREAM DEATH/PENANCE.
Featuring photos from Matt Bluejay and graphic design by Al Oaks, "When Colors Fade Away" is a striking and artistic package with a full color twelve-page CD booklet and a four-page vinyl insert. Vinyl limited to four hundred copies of blue/black marble.
"When I saw the photographs of the old abandoned funeral home by Matt Bluejay, I thought it would make the perfect album cover for 'When Colors Fade Away', and the start of the journey to feel good about oneself again," explains Eric M-Theory Audio is the new label launched by Marco Barbieri, the former president of Century Media Records, whose previous experience includes Nuclear Blast and Metal Blade. Joining Marco in this adventure are colleagues whose past experience includes work for labels like Century Media, Prosthetic, Victory and Epitaph. The label's roster includes Bay Area thrash outfit CULTURAL WARFARE, Las Vegas prog/power metal band SICOCIS, Sacramento headbangers BLESSED CURSE, Southern California's pagan death metallers HELSOTT, nomadic folk metal band TENGGER CAVALRY, female-fronted symphonic metal band GRAVESHADOW and Nor Cal's death/metalcore band APOTHESARY. "Eric Wagner is a true artist, talent and storyteller," says Barbieri. "I've spent the last thirty-four years listening to classic tales weaved by this man; and he is truly one of my favorite vocalists. Along the way I've had the pleasure of working with Eric and TROUBLE while at Century Media during their 'Plastic Green Head' album cycle and even had his other band, THE SKULL, headline one of the Doom In June festivals. Now our co-operation and friendship continues and I am fortunate to release the new and phenomenal BLACKFINGER album."
Norwegian dark metal masters, Gothminister, will release their sixth studio album, The Other Side, on October 13th worldwide via AFM Records. You can pre-order your copy here. A music video for “The Sun” can be found below.
With tracks like “Devil” (Gothic Electronic Anthems 2003), “Monsters” (Empire of Dark Salvation 2005), “Darkside” (Happiness In Darkness 2008), “Liar” (Anima Inferna 2011) and “Utopia” (Utopia 2013), the last single from the CD/DVD horror movie concept album which even reached the national finals of the Norwegian Eurovision contest, Gothminister has gotten a significant following of fans through the years. His new album The Other Side, produced, mixed and mastered by Henning Verlage (Unheilig, Eisbrecher), exceeds even the highest expectations. Powerful metal riffs march relentlessly arm in arm with huge orchestras and heavenly choirs.
The Master himself reveals an astonishing range of vocal-art: from the deepest Gothic-dungeons up to the higher spheres of steaming rock. The Other Side is about spiritistic seances, and supernatural experiences. And again, Gothminister find it in the dark and unknown, where the greatest inspiration lies from within the motto Happiness In Darkness, as he sings in the opening track “Ich Will Alles” (I want everything): “Cause I have darkness on my mind - It is the sign of the times”
Tracklisting:
“Ich Will Alles”
“The Sun”
“Der Fliegende Mann”
“Aegir”
“Red Christ”
“We Are The Ones Who Rule The World”
“All This Time”
“Day Of Reckoning”
“Taking Over”
“Somewhere In Time”
Ghost Iris have released a video for “Detached”, a track from their new album, Blind World, released back in February via Long Branch Records. The new clip is available for streaming below.
Blind World contains 10 brand new tracks from Denmark’s most streamed metal act in 2016, including the singles "Pinnacle" and "Save Yourself”. Order the album at this location.
Tracklisting:
“Gods Of Neglect”
“Save Yourself”
“The Flower Of Life”
“Pinnacle”
“No Way Out”
“Blind World”
“Time Will Tell”
“The Silhouette”
“After The Sun Sets”
“Detached”
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