The official animated video for the song "Sultan's Curse" from Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's new studio album, "Emperor Of Sand", which will be released on March 31 via Reprise Records.
The track listing for the effort is as follows:
01. Sultan's Curse02. Show Yourself03. Precious Stones04. Steambreather05. Roots Remain06. Word To The Wise07. Ancient Kingdom08. Clandestiny09. Andromeda10. Scorpion Breath11. Jaguar God
MASTODON's follow-up to 2014's "Once More 'Round The Sun" album was once again helmed by famed producer Brendan O'Brien, who first collaborated with the band on their 2009 groundbreaking concept album "Crack The Skye".
MASTODON recorded the new disc at the Quarry in Kennesaw, Georgia before moving to Henson Studios in Los Angeles for the mixing stage.
MASTODON drummer-singer-lyricist Brann Dailor recently told Rolling Stone that the band's new album grapples with themes of mortality and was inspired by seeing close friends and family diagnosed with cancer in recent years. "Time is a very big theme of the album," Dailor said. "How much time do we have left? What are we doing with our time?"
"I get a little movie going in my head about a situation and I start writing about that," he added. "I try really hard to make it personal and relatable and not too esoteric. It's embarrassing to write lyrics. I'm a drummer, and I sing a little bit. Together we tackle these things and we figure it out — how to be this vocally driven band that has three people singing that don't want to sing."
He went on to say: "It's about going through cancer, going through chemotherapy and all the things associated with that. I didn't want to be literal about it. But it's all in there. You can read between the lines."
Regarding the musical direction of MASTODON's next album, guitarist Bill Kelliher told GuitarMania: "It's a little bit of the same as the last album, but I think it goes even deeper in certain areas — a couple of more psychedelic parts, a little more technical parts. There are a couple of new places we haven't gone before. So it's just kind of a continuation of the last record to me, but even deeper."
MASTODON has confirmed a spring U.S. headline tour, which will kick off on April 14 in Missoula, Montana, with support from EAGLES OF DEATH METAL and RUSSIAN CIRCLES. The tour also includes stops at several festivals, including the Carolina Rebellion on May 5.
Born Of Osiris have released a video for “Empires Erased”, featured on their upcoming release, The Eternal Reign, out on February 24th via Sumerian Records. The clip is available for streaming below.
In regards to The Eternal Reign (The New Reign completely re-recorded and re-envisioned, including the brand new song “Glorious Day”), guitarist Lee McKinney comments: “We are beyond excited to break the silence on what we've been up to this past year. 10 years ago we were seniors in high school in Chicago and spent our spring break recording a record that we had no idea would massively impact our lives. The New Reign was something we all believed in, and for that reason we were all anxious and curious to see how it would be taken.
“This past year we decided to re-record our debut. I know what you're thinking.... "they took the album and sent it to someone else to re-mix / re-master and they are going to re-package and re-sell it." Wrong! We went to the studio, re-recorded the entire thing, changed guitar riffs/drum parts/bass/vocals and even recorded a new song that I wish made it onto the original version 10 years ago. This song "Glorious Day" was made before some of the other songs that made the original recording.
“I must say, it's crazy to still be in our 20's and be on a 10 year anniversary. I'm so thankful for this... and I must thank the fans for supporting us every step of the way, as well as Sumerian Records for believing in us all of this time.
“So to go along with such a monumental occasion, we give you The New Reign Tour to go along with this release. We are going to play this record for you now that we as a band and production are better and tighter than ever. Joining us, Volumes, and some more new friends on what should be one of the most meaningful Born Of Osiris tours to date.”
Sumerian Founder, Ash Avildsen states: “The New Reign was a seminal album for both Born Of Osiris and Sumerian Records. 10 years later, it is getting a well-deserved rebirth as they have re-created it from scratch. I believe fans, old and new, will be excited to hear these songs come to life re-imagined both musically and production wise."
Tracklisting:
“Rosecrance”
“Empires Erased”
“Open Arms To Damnation”
“Abstract Art”
“The New Reign”
“Brace Legs”
“Bow Down”
“The Takeover”
“Glorious Day”
“Empires Erased” video:
“Glorious Day”:
The New Reign Tour runs from February 17th - March 19th. Dates and tickets here.
As they prepare for the release of their debut full-length album Created In The Image Of Suffering, Bay Area CA’s King Woman have unveiled an extremely emotional and powerful music video for “Deny”. Vocalist and lyricist Kristina Esfandiari commented:
"The video for ‘Deny' is a depiction of the shadow aspect in Jungian psychology. It's about the inner darkness buried deep within the subconscious. In the video you see this portion of the mind surfacing and coaxing the preacher into his truest form; drawing out the aspects of himself which he loathes because it doesn't fit in with his beliefs.
“In church, I saw others being raised with a rod in their backs, trying to fight their own carnality - buried in shame and guilt. The belief was to deny anything inside of themselves that was considered ugly or wrong, and instead attain a pristine image. With this video we aimed to paint a picture of how tormenting and exhausting it is to wrestle with your true self.”
Director Kevin Haus comments, "I wanted the video to be extreme in all emotional directions, and I think we accomplished that."
Due out February 24th, Created In The Image Of Suffering was recorded with engineer Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Wreck & Reference, Oathbreaker) at the Atomic Garden in Palo Alto, CA. Each song evokes rich, gloomy imagery with crumbling washes of blurred, billowing distortion densely layered atop hazy, psychedelic atmospheres that call to mind a surrealistic Black Sabbath fronted by Mazzy Star. Complete with deeply personal, introspective lyrics that serve as a catharsis for years of religious and mental torment, King Woman truly suffer to create their art.
King Woman will tour throughout 2017 in support of Created in the Image of Suffering; they’ll kick off the run with a string of west coast headline dates and have been tapped as support for part of the Oathbreaker U.S. tour in March. Additionally, King Woman will tour Europe with True Widow and select dates with Chelsea Wolfe.
The band's debut EP Doubt (released on leading SF avant-garde imprint The Flenser in 2014) paired weighty subject matter such as religious abuse with cathartic, brooding, and hypnotic songwriting with a transcendental feel. With Esfandiari's lush and dramatic vocals, King Woman go far beyond mere stoner metal. The band's compositions call to mind rich, detailed imagery and powerful atmospheres that elevate their music beyond classification. King Woman’s mystical sound resonated strongly enough to catch the attention of Relapse Records, who signed King Woman in 2016.
Since the release of their new album, Proponent For Sentience, this past September, Allegaeon has shared the stage with the likes of Black Sabbath, Disturbed, Megadeth and more at Ozzfest Meets Knotfest, as well as joined label-mates Battlecross and Necromancing the Stone for the annual Winter Warriors Tour.
Today, the group is launching a new video for "Of Mind and Matrix”, the fourth video from Proponent For Sentience. Directed, edited, and animated by Nick Hipa (Wovenwar), "Of Mind And Matrix" can be viewed below:
Next month, Allegaeon will join label-mates Whitechapel, Cattle Decapitation, and Goatwhore for a special US tour that celebrates Metal Blade Records' 35th anniversary. See below for all dates.
February
22 - Brighton Music Hall - Boston, MA
23 - Theatre of Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
24 - The Fillmore - Silver Spring, MD
25 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY
26 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
28 - St. Andrew's Hall - Detroit, MI
March
1 - Deluxe @ Old National Centre - Indianapolis, IN
2 - Bogart's - Cincinnati, OH
3 - Mercury Ballroom - Louisville, KY
4 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL
5 - Riot Room - Kansas City, MO
6 - Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO
8 - Belasco Theater - Los Angeles, CA
9 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA
10 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA
11 - Ace of Spades - Sacramento, CA
14 - House of Blues - Houston, TX
15 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX
16 - House of Blues - New Orleans, LA
Vitja have released a video for “No One As Master No One As Slave”, a track from their sophomore album, Digital Love, which is set for release on March 3rd via Century Media. Watch the new clip, produced by Iconographic, below.
Digital Love was recorded and produced over the course of a year at Sureshot Studios by Vitja, Daniel Keller and Andreas Vieten and mixed/mastered by Aljoscha Sieg at Pitchback Studios.
If you pre-order a digital copy of Digital Love via iTunes or Amazon you get access to “Scum” and “No One As Master No One As Slave” immediately.
Vitja is the Russian equivalent to the first name Viktor which translates to “winner”. After already creating an underground buzz in their native Germany with their album Echos and the Your Kingdom EP, the four-piece from Cologne and Muenster is set out to win over the rest of the world.
Tracklisting:
“Scum”
“D(e)ad”
“No One As Master No One As Slave”
“Roses”
“Digital Love”
“Six Six Sick”
“The Golden Shot”
“Heavy Rain”
“Find What You Love And Kill It”
“In Pieces”
“The Flood”
“I'm Sorry”
“New Breed”
“No One As Master No One As Slave” video:
“Scum” lyric video:
“New Breed” video:
After playing more than 300 shows already, it is time for Vitja to headline their first club tour throughout Germany. Special guests will be Breathe Atlantis, Improvement and Die Heart.
NWOBHM band, Sacrilege, have released a video for "Lies". The song will be featured on their upcoming new album, The Court Of The Insane. This version is for the video, a different version of the song will be on the new album.
Sacrilege lineup:
Bill Beadle - vocals, guitars
Jeff Roland - bass, back vocals
Neil Turnbull - drums
Tony Vanner - lead guitar
Queens, New York deathcore act Footage Of A Yeti have released their new album Purging The Human Condition.
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Kevin Antreassian of Backroom Studios (The Dillinger Escape Plan), Purging The Human Condition features a total of seven tracks including titles such as, “D.R.E.A.M. [Death Rules Everything Around Me]”, “Death Prayer”, and “Wretched World.”
To celebrate its release, members Mike Pellegrino (lead vocals), Vincent Heffron (guitar), John Alaimo (guitar), Brian Ginzberg(drums) and Jesse Heimowitz (bass) have premiered the “Wretched World” video, directed by Nicholas Prainito.
Tracklisting:
“D.R.E.A.M. [Death Rules Everything Around Me]”
“Purging The Human Condition Part 1”
“Purging The Human Condition Part 2”
“Wretched World”
“Hellgate”
“Deceiver Deceiver”
“Death Prayer” (featuring Tyler Shelton of Traitors)
“Death Prayer”:
In live news, Footage Of A Yeti will return to the road next month, confirmed shows are as listed:
February
3 - Fearcliff Sk8 Park - Woodbridge, VA
4 – Swayzes - Marietta, GA
6 – HBGB - Brunswick, GA
7 - Uncle Lou's Pub - Orlando, FL
9 – The Juke Joint – Ocean Springs, MS
10 – The Atomic Pop Shop - Baton Rouge, LA
11 - Grizzly Hall - Austin, TX
12 – Boozers Bar – Corpus Christi, TX
13 – Freakshow Studio – Dallas, TX
15 – Malverne City Park, Malverne, AZ
17 – Triad Underground – Jamestown, NC
18 – 37th & Zen – Virginia Beach, VA
"Era", the new video from Swedish progressive metallers OPETH, can be seen below. The beautifully shot, cinematic clip was directed by Markus Hofko and features stunning visuals that perfectly sync with the band's dynamic music.
Commented OPETH mainman Mikael Åkerfeldt: "I have to say our involvement in the making of the 'Era' video was so minimal we can't take credit either for or against its brilliance.
"We did 3D scans of our bodies (clothed) in Munich during the last European tour. I remember everyone was extremely tired and probably slightly hungover. The director just placed us in a ice-cold room and then scanned us with something that looked like a flashing hairdryer. Done! We've done our part for the video. Next!
"During the process of finishing the piece, it got clear to me that it really works with the song. That's something I was involved in actually, picking the song. It's extremely difficult. Which song to choose? How do I know what works best for this format? Well, I don't. I picked a song from the record that has a strong chorus. Slightly old-school way of thinking, I guess, but ultimately it didn't matter all that much to me.
"The video is nice. I dig it. It's slightly on the pretentious side, but hey, works for me! And like I said, it really works with the overall vibe of the song. Lyrically and musically and definitely emotionally."
"Era" is taken from OPETH's twelfth album, "Sorceress", which was released at the end of September.
For the band's first effort for Nuclear Blast via OPETH's imprint label Moderbolaget Records, the group returned to Rockfield Studios in Wales, also home to pivotal releases from QUEEN, RUSH and JUDAS PRIEST, where the Swedes had tracked "Pale Communion" in 2014 with Tom Dalgety
"It's got a little bit of everything," Åkerfeldt told Guitar World about the album's musical direction. "There are some progressive moments, some jazz moments, some acoustic things. And even though it's not a death-metal record, it's still got some really heavy moments in there as well."
British heavy metal five-piece, Synaptik, recently announced the re-release of their debut album, The Mechanisms Of Consequence, as a heavier remixed album, due out on January 30th.
The Norwich-based band show no signs of slowing down as they are set to make a huge impact in 2017 by following it up with the release of their sophomore album, Justify & Reason, out March 10th.
For US fans, it’s a double dose of metal as the remix album and the new album, Justify & Reason, will be released as a double album directly via Divebomb Records. The first pre-orders for this collection will be available on February 1st from the band's website.
Synaptik describe Justify & Reason as: "A collection exhibiting real finesse, true technicality but not at the expense of neck-snapping riffs and a progressive air that’s both bracing and intimidatingly menacing."
The UK and US version of Justify & Reason come with different artworks, as seen below.
UK Edition:
US Edition:
Justify & Reason tracklisting:
“The Incredible Machine”
“Human / Inhuman”
“Conscience”
“White Circles”
“Esc Ctrl”
“A Man Dies”
“As I Am As I Was”
“I Am The Ghost” (intro)
“Your Cold Dead Trace”
“Esc Ctrl” video:
Both UK and US editions have the same track listing. However the US version has the remix album as a bonus disc.
THUNDER will release a brand new studio album, "Rip It Up", on February 10, through earMUSIC. The disc, the band's eleventh, features eleven brand new songs recorded in 2016, and is proof positive that this is a band that exists only to push itself and aim higher. Following on from the Top Ten success enjoyed by previous release "Wonder Days", "Rip It Up" — as the title suggests — sees Danny Bowes, Luke Morley, Ben Matthews, Chris Childs and "Harry" James stretching themselves musically, lyrically and creatively.
A live studio session video for the album's lead track, "No One Gets Out Alive", can be seen below. Frontman Danny said simply: "After the positive reaction to 'Wonder Days', we were very happy, and it justified the approach we took in the writing and recording. We decided to push it further on all fronts this time, to see what happened, and I think it shows in the writing and the individual performances. We couldn't have made this album 10 or even 5 years ago, we weren't good enough! We're really looking forward to playing the new tunes live alongside the more established ones." Fans don't have to wait long, the band will embark on a nationwide U.K. tour in March, with full details and ticket links on the band's web site. This album comes nearly three decades into their career and, if 27 is normally famed and feared as the rock milestone at which many of the great and the good have had their creative flames extinguished, then THUNDER have arrived with a bulging bag of tunes, a notebook of great lyrics, a jerrycan of petrol, and a match. There are rockers, like the incendiary title track, ripsnorters like "She Likes The Cocaine", while songs like "Right From The Start" take the pace down, but turn the intensity up. While the album closes out with the stylish blues-tinged melancholia of "There's Always A Loser", it's clear that the band have continued with their winning ways. After a summer of great gigs including killer performances at Ramblin' Man and Steelhouse festival, the quintet know what works and how to pace a set of songs. Title track "Rip It Up" is more than just a great and contemporary rock track, it's a statement of intent. THUNDER, as Danny sings, "Don't do subtle, don't rely on luck," there's quality in depth and style to burn here. THUNDER have never sounded so intent or intense and, whilst this album cleaves to what made the band's fans fall in love with them originally, there's risk taking and ambition aplenty here. THUNDER have no interest in taking the easy way. "Rip It Up" track listing:
01. No One Gets Out Alive02. Rip It Up03. She Likes The Cocaine04. Right From The Start05. Shakedown06. Heartbreak Hurricane07. In Another Life08. The Chosen One09. The Enemy Inside10. Tumbling Down11. There's Always A Loser
Amsterdam based metal band, The Charm The Fury, has announced their sophomore album, The Sick, Dumb & Happy, will be released on March 17th via Nuclear Blast (worldwide) and Arising Empire (Europe).
Today, the band released the music video for the first single, "Down On The Ropes". Watch the music video below.
Pre-order your copy of The Sick, Dumb & Happy here. Pre-order your copy of the album on either iTunes or Amazon and receive a download for "Down On The Ropes" instantly.
The album was recorded at Wisseloord, ICP Belgium. The mixing was completed by Josh Wilbur (Megadeth, Lamb Of God) with additional mixing by Stefan Glaumann (Within Temptation, Paradise Lost). Ted Jensen (Machine Head, Death Angel) of Sterling Sound in New York City and Brian 'Big Bass' Gardner (David Bowie, Gemini Syndrome) handled the mastering of The Sick, Dumb & Happy..
Tracklisting:
1. Down On The Ropes
2. Echoes
3. Weaponized
4. No End In Sight
5. Blood And Salt
6. Corner Office Maniacs
7. The Future Need Us Not
8. Silent War
9. The Hell In Me
10. Songs Of Obscenity
11. Break And Dominate
Egonaut, the Swedish doom connoisseurs, return to the sonic maelstrom that is streaming music media with the new single “Initiium”. Mellotrons and organs set the scene followed by crushing drums, heavy guitars and soaring vocals giving the listeners a taste of what is to come from Egonaut.
Intended as a preview of the upcoming album, "Initiium" continues down the musical path from Egonauts previous full length album, Deluminati, albeit a bit doomier and gloomier.
Egonaut's fourth album, The Omega, will be out on Mighty Music in late summer 2017.
Egonaut are:
Emil Kyrk - Vocals
Fredrik Jordanius - Guitars
Mikael Bielinski - Bass
Dennis Zielinski - Keyboards
Markus Johansson - Drums
Swedish hard rockers, Horisont, have released a video for the title track of their new album, About Time, out on February 3rd via Century Media Records.
Says the band: “New single and video! As our third single from the album About Time we decided to go with the title track. It is perhaps not what you would expect a single by Horisont to be but that is also exactly why we decided to go for this song. The outstanding video directed by Max Ljungberg completely captures the essence of the song and together with the song and lyrics; it will make your heart bleed. A big thanks to Leif and Jennie-Ann for acting like true actors, no one could have done it better, and the amazing team of Sami, Johanna and Marcus.”
The band recently commented on the cover artwork, “The fabulous artwork for our fifth album About Time is once again crafted by the wizard of art himself – Henrik Jacobson, who also did the Odyssey artwork. Henrik has managed to capture the concept of the album and title in a brilliant Horisont way. We couldn’t be happier with the result and we hope you’ll enjoy it!”
About Time will be available as Special Edition Digipak (Europe only), Jewel Case CD (North America only), Gatefold LP and as digital album.
The LP will be available in the following vinyl colours:
* Black vinyl – unlimited
* Lilac vinyl – limited to 200 copies / exclusively available at Bengans
* Clear vinyl – limited to 100 copies / exclusively available at CMDistro
* Silver vinyl – limited to 200 copies / exclusively available at Green Hell
* Transparent Green vinyl – limited to 200 copies / exclusively available at Nuclear Blast
* Yellow vinyl – limited to 300 copies / North America only
About Time tracklisting:
“The Hive”
“Electrical”
“Without Warning”
“Letare”
“Night Line”
“Point Of Return”
“Boston Gold”
“Hungry Love”
“Dark Sides”
“About Time”
Swedish stoner rockers, Stonewal Noise Orchestra (S.N.O.), have released a video for “Superior #1”, a track from their latest album, The Machine, The Devil & The Dope, on May 20th, released last year via Steamhammer/SPV. The new clip can be found below.
The Machine, The Devil & The Dope was produced by S.N.O. at their own Studio 454, with Jonas Kjellgren (Scar Symmetry, Carnal Forge) mixing and mastering the album at his Black Lounge, renowned for its close collaboration with Peter Tägtgren’s (Hypocrisy, Pain, Lindemann) The Abyss studio. The album artwork was designed by Per Wiberg (Opeth, Spiritual Beggars, Arch Enemy).
Tracklisting:
“The Fever”
“Welcome Home”
“Into The Fire”
“Don't Blame The Demons”
“Superior #1”
“Stone Crazy”
“I, The Servant”
“On A Program”
“The Machine, The Devil & The Dope”
The William "Wombat" Felch-directed video for the song "Love Falls" from HELLYEAH can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's fifth album, "Unden!able", which was released on June 3, 2016 via Eleven Seven Music. The effort marks the first time HELLYEAH's current lineup — vocalist Chad Gray, guitarists Tom Maxwell and Christian Brady, drummer Vinnie Paul and bassist Kyle Sanders — has recorded together as a unit.
HELLYEAH's previous album, 2014's "Blood for Blood", was the album metal fans and critics were waiting for HELLYEAH to make, based on the revered metal pedigree of the individual members. Such an artistic achievement — the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hard Rock album chart — meant the band set the bar incredibly high. HELLYEAH does not disappoint with "Unden!able". "We turned a corner with 'Blood For Blood' and we wanted to continue that path," Paul states. "It's much heavier and darker, and we take it to another extreme." The album also fosters a sense of community and the notion that "We're all in this together" among the metal community we are part of. The upside down "i" in the title is an exclamation point — a subtle indicator of how metal fans live their lives against the grain for their entire daily existence. "It doesn't matter how old you are — you are always a metal kid," Chad Gray declares, referencing himself and fans as one. With 2007's self-titled debut, HELLYEAH broke the ice, introducing the world to a band comprised of familiar faces who played in influential bands with signature sounds. 2010's "Stampede" showed off a more pleasure-seeking side of HELLYEAH. 2012's "Band Of Brothers" was marked by internal change and further experimentation, while "Blood For Blood" found the band reaching the summit of brutality, creativity, and artfully mined piss and vinegar. "Unden!able" is the logical next step and it's frontloaded with songs that crackle with a palpable industrial aggro energy. As guitarist Maxwell succinctly says, "It's belligerent and brutal, with peaks and valleys that bring you up and down, emotionally and lyrically." One reason it's so belligerent and brutal? The time crunch that came along with crafting the album. The band spent 18 glorious but grueling months on the road in support of "Blood For Blood" and was given exactly two weeks (!!!) off before it had to start working on "Unden!able". The pressure and lack of recess awakened a sleeping giant within Maxwell. There was literally no time to waste and he marshalled his emotions for inspiration. Without any time to decompress, Maxwell, came out of the gates in sniper mode, admitting there was "no time for demo-itis!" He confessed, "I was pissed, agitated, and distraught. In the long run, it helped. There was so much intensity in the frustration." Paul notes that the band "took no time off so that we didn't get complacent. We knew there was a window of opportunity." It may not have been optimal at the time, but it yielded a maximized result. "We know we did great, broken ankles and all," he states. HELLYEAH's usual formula remained unaltered when it came to the recording process. They demoed at Paul's home studio in Dallas, Texas before writing and recording with Kevin Churko in Las Vegas. "Unden!able" hosts redemptive, but throttling songs that will "scratch your soul," according to Gray. "X" is fast, furious and "over the top," says Paul. "It is something that metal fans need." It's expected to become an instant fan favorite. Meanwhile, the more contemplative "Human" is HELLYEAH's version of a power ballad, with an emphasis on "power." It's moving yet it's monstrous. The title track surges with raw energy and industrial crunch. "Love Falls" is a rhythmic and sultry departure for the band, which measures pain and anger equally, while "STARTARIOT" is nothing short of a fist-pumping, fuel-burning heavy metal epic. "Unden!able" is a complete work, including the cover artwork inspired by Chad Gray and designed by William "Wombat" Felch, who the band discovered by his artistic interpretations of HELLYEAH songs on YouTube, and whom Paul labeled "like a new member of the band," is a definitive visual matching the album's sonic wrath. It's also emblematic of the metal community and the kids who find their kindred spirits in HELLYEAH. The eyes are the portal to the soul," Gray says. "There is more extremity, so I wanted it to represent looking into the eye of someone who is a member of the metal community being cast out. You always feel like a fighter. So we created this eye and the exclamation point [in the title] as the stamp on this madness. You are looking into the soul of a metalhead." Overall, there's a surging current of hunger in "Unden!able". The members have had success in the past, but they're not satisfied with all they have done. "It's all I know," Paul muses about what keeps him manning the kit and making new music, despite a career so illustrious that no one would fault him if he chose to hang up the sticks. "I could have quit and could be playing golf. Being a traveling musician? That fuels me. I have a true passion and belief in HELLYEAH and heavy metal music." Gray concludes, "We're all in this together. We are metal fans first and foremost. We play off each other every night with our metal family. As a metal kid, I'd go to shows because I needed the release. Being on the other side now, I need this as bad as the fans do. I need to hit that deck every day and give everything I can."
"Unden!able" track listing:
01. X02. Scratch A Lie03. Be Unden!able04. Human05. Leap of Faith06. Blood Plague07. I Don't Care Anymore08. Live Or Die09. Love Falls10. STARTARIOT11. Grave
"Lucidity", the new video from SOEN, the progressive heavy rock group featuring world-renowned drummer Martin Lopez (formerly of AMON AMARTH and OPETH) and the dynamic voice of Joel Ekelöf (WILLOWTREE), can be seen below. The song is taken from SOEN's new full-length opus, "Lykaia", which will be released on February 3 via UDR Music.
Lopez tells Billboard: "This song represents a time in my life when I unconsciously walked towards self-destruction and celebrates, to an extent, the death of that lifestyle and the birth of a new era. It's dark but comforting. The music is soft and dreamy but carries the tension of a past-life full of mistakes."
"Lykaia" is a journey into earthier places — SOEN's most cohesive, powerful and congruent creative quest yet. For those who have followed SOEN's career thus far, the new album's concepts of journey and exploration are not new. 2012's "Cognitive" beat a firmly heavy, progressive metal path. 2014's "Tellurian" — with its PINK FLOYD explorative spirit and OPETH-like forceful power — saw SOEN start to stride freely into their own control and unique visions. The new album sees SOEN remain fascinated with the shadows and the darker edges of our world, with a particular focus on the various thoughts and concepts behind religion and ritualistic, belief-based behaviour in society. "Lykaia" pre-orders are now available in three formats — digitally, audio CD in digisleeve, and gatefold vinyl. Order now and receive "Sectarian" as an instant grat. Recorded at Ghost Ward, StudioGröndal and Deep Well in Stockholm, Sweden, with production duties handled by guitarist Marcus Jidell and the mix made by Stefan Boman, SOEN kept things as far away from the digital age as possible on "Lykaia", embracing warmth and organic recordings as the drive behind the technical working process. If the first two albums were harder, more technical, angular and perhaps cerebral pieces which demanded sharp focus, "Lykaia" presents a warmer, rounder, flesh and blood on the bones approach that allows listeners a dual entry to the eight tracks presented. The journey is no less dynamic, continuing the underscore of complex melodies with crushing power and no fear of walking proudly into more ambient spaces to explore the temperature. With "Lykaia", however, it is clear that SOEN have never felt more congruent or sure of themselves. "Lykaia" track listing:
Los Angeles-based thrash metallers WARBRINGER will release their fifth album, "Woe To The Vanquished", on March 31 via Napalm. The disc was produced and mixed by Mike Plottnikoff (FEAR FACTORY, IN FLAMES), mastered by Howie Weinberg (SLAYER, PANTERA), with cover art by Andreas Marschall (SODOM, BLIND GUARDIAN, OBITUARY).
"Woe To The Vanquished" track listing:
01. Silhouettes02. Woe To The Vanquished03. Remain Violent04. Shellfire05. Descending Blade06. Spectral Asylum07. Divinity Of Flesh08. When The Guns Fell Silent
Bonus 7" single track listing:
01. Evil Dead (DEATH cover featuring Chris Monroy of SKELETAL REMAINS) 02. Arc Lite (CORONER cover featuring Jadran "Conan" Gonzalez of EXMORTUS)
The video for the song "Silhouettes", directed by Orie McGinness (Enlighten Creative Studio) and produced by Shan Dan Horen (Shadow Born Group), can be seen below.
WARBRINGER singer John Kevill states: "This song, the album opener, is a blazing and intense number; we wanted the album to open with pure annihilation. I had the lyric in my head and the frantic riff under the verse since the beginning of 2014, and I am very pleased that it exists as a full song now.
"The idea for the song came from a particularly chilling detail found at Hiroshima and Nagasaki; when the atomic bombs went off the shadows of people whose bodies were vaporized still remain burned onto the walls and the ground where they once stood. To me, this is goddamn horrifying. I thought, 'What if the souls of those dead remain trapped in the shadows?'
"I wanted to have the song written from a future where civilization has failed, the Earth is in ruins and the few remaining survivors live a horrible existence. The untold millions of shadows from this future, burnt into stone, look back at us in the present time and judge us for bringing about the apocalypse that, though we saw it coming, we did nothing to avoid.
"The way I see it, we continue funding weaponry that keeps getting more and more devastating (search 'satan-2' if you think this issue is some relic), and leadership seems on a sharp downward trend as well. Not the ingredients for a positive outcome.
"Remember, it only takes one mistake, once, and everything everyone has ever built, written, painted, all music, all culture, every ounce of human achievement is gone, in a single blinding flash. Like it or not, this is the world we live in today, and entering 2017 the delicate balance tips and sways more and more."
"Woe To The Vanquished" will be made available as:
* Regular jewel-case edition * 1LP gatefold edition (black and other colored editions)* Super deluxe wooden box warchest edition (CD, exclusive 2 track 7” single, flag, band logo dog tags) only available via the Napalm Records webstores in the U.S. and Europe — strictly limited to 500 copies!
Kevill, who is studying to be a history professor, explains the "Woe To The Vanquished" title: "The title 'Woe To The Vanquished' comes from early Roman history — before they were the huge empire they became. In 390 BC, a host of Gauls led by a warlord called Brennus attacked Rome, and captured all the city except the Capitoline Hill. From this hill, the defeated Romans made a bargain, they would pay 1,000 pounds of gold for the Gallic army to leave the city with no further bloodshed. The Romans bring the gold before Brennus, who uses his own scales to measure it. On the Gaul's scales, the Roman's thousand pounds of gold measured to be less, which led the Romans to complain that the scale was rigged (it probably was). Responding to this, Brennus speaks 'Vae Victis' (Woe To The Vanquished) and throws his sword on the counterweight. Because the Romans lost, they have to pay the rigged sum of gold as well as the weight of the sword, to add insult to injury. The irony here is that vowing this type of humiliation would never happen again, Rome went on to become an ancient war machine conquering and subjugating most of the old world. On the record, 'Woe To The Vanquished' is spoken in an ironic, mocking tone — the defeated are trampled and time marches on, uncaring, and forgets they ever existed."
He adds: "One of the great things about heavy metal as a genre is you can express tougher subject material than 'I met a (boy/girl) and it was (happy/sad).' I looked for the most monolithic evil I could find to write about with this destructive, intense music... and I did not have to look any further than reality. Forget Satan, that's a children's story. Real evil is in the hearts of men."
Nita Strauss, the Los Angeles-based guitar shredder for the ALICE COOPER band, has released a brand new solo single titled "Pandemonium".
Written, recorded and produced by Nita, the song features the axewoman on all guitar and bass, alongside Josh Villalta on drums and Katt Scarlett on keyboards.
The drums were recorded at Sable Studios while the track was mixed and mastered by Travis Huff at Nocturnal Studios.
The official video for "Pandemonium", produced by Flarelight FIlms, LLC and directed by Brian Cox and Corey Soria, can be seen below.
"Pandemonium" is featured on Favored Nations Entertainment's all-female compilation "She Rocks, Volume 1". This collection of kick-ass guitar goddesses is produced by author and former Guitar World editor Brad Tolinski with iconic guitarist Steve Vai as executive producer, and showcases eleven female guitarists, each a virtuoso in her own right. From the legendary Lita Ford to Sarah Longfield's jazzy riffin', to Orianthi's melodic stylings and the all-out shredding of Nita Strauss, these players each contribute their own voice to this carefully curated collection. "She Rocks, Volume 1" compilation will be released on January 20 via Vai's own Favored Nations label, and in cooperation with the Women's International Music Network, hosts of the famed She Rocks Awards. The compilation will be celebrated at the 2017 She Rocks Awards, taking place that evening in Anaheim, California during the annual NAMM convention.
Said Nita: "As you guys may or may not know by now, for the past year or so, I've been focusing on writing and putting my band together, and while I always thought about making a solo album, I thought my energy would be better spent right now focusing on giving the band my all and making those songs as great as they could be. But when Steve Vai asked if I'd be a part of this compilation, you better believe I jumped at the chance!
She added: "As a guitar player, even though I've always played in bands, most of my heroes have been solo players like Vai, [Joe] Satriani, Jason Becker, and, of course, the great Jennifer Batten, just to name a few. I am beyond excited to take my first step into the instrumental guitar world that I've always loved so much, and do it with the awesome players on this compilation."
"She Rocks, Volume 1" track listing:
01. Orianthi - "Transmogrify"02. Yasi Hofer - "Cosmic Stars"03. Kat Dyson - "U Know What I Like"04. Sarah Longfield - "The Taxi Time Travel Task Force"05. Lita Ford w/ LEZ ZEPPELIN - "The Lemon Song"06. Jennifer Batten - "In The Aftermath"07. Nita Strauss - "Pandemonium"08. Steph Paynes - "The Sun At Her Eastern Gate"09. Nili Brosh - "A Matter Of Perception"10. Gretchen Menn - "Scrap Metal"11. Yvette Young - "Hydra"
Strauss is a longtime Ibanez signature series endorsee who made her name with THE IRON MAIDENS, FEMME FATALE and LA Kiss.
Mighty Music has announced the signing of Italy’s Sawthis, who will release their fourth album through Mighty Music on March 24th. Check out the brand new video for “This String Is For Your Neck”, available for streaming below.
Strong live attitude and deep focus on the composition: this is the best definition of the modern thrashers Sawthis, the incredible quintet on the edge of the Italian metal scene.
Sawthis attacks this year with their fourth album, uniquely titled Babhell. It’s a fast paced powerful release to match a band that’s renowned for their hard work ethics and live onslaughts who’s previously shared the stage with the likes of Korn, Sepultura, Children Of Bodom, The Haunted, Lacuna Coil for dozens of incendiary shows and collecting many sold out shows all over Europe, UK and Russia.
Impressive atmospheres, crushing groovy riffs and intense melodies make Babhell with no doubt the best album of the band. Harmonic elements combined with an instinctive, direct and nervous approach generate an attentive and intimate listening: rage and happiness, resignation and reaction, love and hate live together into the sound of Sawthis, a multi-emotional status that generates Babhell.
This "multi-emotional chaos" is like a crowded square where each person is busy to express their views but without listening, a square where even the most beautiful point of view is confused into the total chaos. Ultimately in a world where everyone is talking and no one is listening, the dialogue is impossible and the thoughts become just noise like a Babel, a hellish Babel: Babhell.
Sawthis has something for everyone: these songs are well put together enough to keep your head banging and your ears delighted.
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