Roadrunner recording group THE AMITY AFFLICTION has debuted the official video for "All Fucked Up", the latest single from its new album, "This Could Be Heartbreak". The full-length disc arrived on August 12. The clip was directed by the band's frontman, Joel Birch, along with Ryan Mackfall, and it follows the band's two-part epic laid out in the videos for "I Bring The Weather With Me" and "This Could Be Heartbreak". THE AMITY AFFLICTION is currently celebrating "This Could Be Heartbreak" with a truly epic world tour, highlighted by their ongoing North American headline trek. The dates — which feature special guests including BEING AS AN OCEAN, HUNDRETH, TROPHY EYES and DEADSHIPS — are set to conclude on October 22 at San Diego, California's Soma. In addition, the band will be performing a festival set the following day, October 23, at Monster Energy Aftershock. Deeply personal and emotionally wrenching, "This Could Be Heartbreak" is THE AMITY AFFLICTION's most transformative and revealing record yet. Recorded by producer and longtime collaborator Will Putney at Melbourne's Holes And Corners with additional drum tracking done at Sing Sing Studios, the album finds THE AMITY AFFLICTION evolving their signature powerful and cathartic song craft. Both ambitious and grand, album standouts "This Could Be Heartbreak" and "All Fucked Up" are equal parts heavy and hopeful, fueled by frontman Joel Birch's desperation which achieves extraordinary transcendence through radical honesty and absolute power. "This Could Be Heartbreak" track listing:
01. I Bring The Weather With Me02. This Could Be Heartbreak03. Nightmare04. Tearing Me Apart05. O.M.G.I.M.Y.06. All Fucked Up07. Fight My Regret08. Some Friends09. Wishbone10. Note To Self11. Blood In My Mouth
ETERNAL IDOL's music video for the song "Another Night Comes" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's debut album, "The Unrevealed Secret", which will be released on December 2 via Frontiers Music Srl.
ETERNAL IDOL is a new band formed in early 2016 and that marks the start of a new musical adventure for RHAPSODY OF FIRE and ANGRA singer Fabio Lione, together with the experienced Italian guitar player Nick Savio (ex-HOLLOW HAZE) and a lineup completed by the young vocal rising star Giorgia Colleluori, Camillo Colleluori (both also from HOLLOW HAZE) on drums and Andrea Buratto (SECRET SPHERE, HELL IN THE CLUB) on bass.
While all the musicians have solid pedigrees and musical history behind them, ETERNAL IDOL have a brand new and original sound which will certainly catch many fans by surprise. Lione says: "After all the experiences with bands such as KAMELOT, RHAPSODY OF FIRE, ANGRA and many more, I think it is time to show the world a new side of myself with this amazing new band.
"Musically, ETERNAL IDOL offer an intriguing mix of classic metal, symphonic rock and a few progressive twists which is truly unique, thanks to the combination of female and male vocals."
Fabio took care of most of the lyrics and vocal melodies, along with three gorgeous tracks he wrote, while Nick Savio worked hard on songwriting and arrangements.
"'The Unrevealed Secret' is the album where all our ideas came to the light," says the axeman from Vicenza. "Heavy classic rock with symphonic elements and the magic atmosphere of two lead vocals, male and female, create a contrast between good and bad as the main subject, as it is possible to see on the impressive and mysterious cover artwork."
The album was recorded in the summer of 2016, produced by Nick Savio and mixed by Simone Mularoni (DGM, SUNSTORM) and promises to be one of the melodic metal releases of the year. Fans of KAMELOT, MAGNUS KARLSSON'S FREE FALL, MASTERPLAN and AVANTASIA should pay attention.
"There is a story to be told with this album, and the secret will be revealed on the next ETERNAL IDOL releases, so please take your time to listen this first chapter and enjoy... A new story has begun," Nick concludes.
"The Unrevealed Secret" track listing:
01. Evil Tears02. Another Night Comes03. Awake in Orion 04. Is The Answer Far From God?05. Blinded 06. Sad Words Unvailed 07. Desidia 08. Hall Of Sins 09. Feels Like I'm Dying 10. A Song In The Wind 11. Stormy Days 12. Beyond
ETERNAL IDOL is:
Fabio Lione - Lead VocalsGiorgia Colleluori - Lead VocalsNick Savio - Guitar, KeyboardsCamillo Colleluori - Drums Andrea Buratto - Bass
Cruz Del Sur Music has announced the release of Hammer King’s second album King Is Rising on November 11th. It will be available on CD (with one bonus track), vinyl and in digital formats.
Recorded at Charles Greywolf's "Studio Greywolf”, King Is Rising is once more packed with the truest heavy metal in this and all possible other worlds - heavy metal in the tradition of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest with more than a reference to German power metal. For the album’s artwork, the band decided to set up again a partnership with brilliant German artist Timo Würz.
Tracklisting:
“King Is Rising”
“Last Hellriders”
“For God And The King”
“Warrior’s Reign”
“Reichshammer”
“Kingbrother”
“Battle Gorse”
“Kill The Messenger”
“The Hammer Is The King”
“Viva ‘La King”
“Battalions Of War”
“Eternal Tower Of Woe”
“Our Fathers’ Fathers” (CD bonus track)
“King Is Rising” video:
The album will have its release party on November 12th, at Cruz Del Sur Music own Burn This Town Festival in Rome, also featuring Sacred Steel, Rosae Crucis, Battle Ram and Graal. Other shows have been recently confirmed, including:
October
14 – Weiher, Germany – Live Music Hall
15 – Kusel, Germany – Schalander
29 – Landeck, Austria – Altes Kino
November
19 – Kaiserslautern, Germany – Release Party
Dario Mollo’s Crossbones will release their new album, Rock The Cradle, on December 2nd. The video for the title track is streaming below.
Best known for his partnerships in the The Cage with Tony Martin (ex-Black Sabbath) and Voodoo Hill with Glenn Hughes (Black Country Communion, Deep Purple, California Breed), Italian guitarist Dario Mollo began his career in 1981 with the band Crossbones. With them, he released his first studio album in 1989, which was produced by Kit Woolven (Thin Lizzy Official, Magnum and UFO, among others) before getting involved in the production side of things himself.
For this new Crossbones album, the Italian axeman brought back original drummer, Ezio Secomandi with the lineup completed by his regular collaborator Dario Patti on bass and keyboards. The choice for the singer was Carl Sentance (Nazareth, Don Airey Band, Persian Risk, Krokus), who came at the suggestion of Don Airey of Deep Purple, during a recent visit to Dario’s home.
“I think this record has a strong identity and character,” says Dario. “It is a mature production and the songs range on many styles of hard rock and classic heavy metal, but every song has a catchy chorus. I also think this album shows how much I liked working with Carl. He is easily one of the best singers I have ever worked with. I am certain our cooperation will not end with this CD!”
Rock The Cradle tracklisting:
“Red”
“Take Me High”
“Navigation”
“Rock The Cradle”
“Gates Of Time”
“I Got This Feeling”
“In My Blood”
“Running From The Shadow”
“Speed”
“Fright”
Hváll of Norway's Vreid has checked in with the following update:
"'Når Byane Brenn' is one of the strongest songs we have ever written, The response is intense when we play this song live, and I am sure it will be a regular part of our live set for years. The song has actually been around for years. The first ideas for this song popped up when I wrote the Milorg album. It's been haunting me ever since, but when I wrote the Sólverv album the puzzle became complete."
The video was produced by Einar Loftesnes and it was shot in the wilds of Vreid's home county, Sogn.
Vreid venture back to their roots on their seventh album, titled Sólverv, which was released through Indie Recordings on October 9th, 2015.
Tracklisting:
“Haust”
“Sólverv”
“Geitaskadl”
“Ætti sitt Fjedl”
“Når Byane Brenn”
“Storm frå Vest”
“Fridom med daudens klang”
“Haust”:
Hváll: “Sólverv is not just another album, this is the definition of our lives and heritage. We share a bond since our childhood days, and the fire burns stronger than ever. We strive for the timeless, and through our music we lose track of time.”
French heavy metallers Existance are back with their brand new album Breaking The Rock. This new 100% heavy metal load to be released on October 15th via Black Viper Records. The album was recorded and mixed in France at Boss Hog Studio and mastered in Los Angeles by Maor Appelbaum (Halford, Malmsteen, Dokken).
Strong riffs, catchy rhythms and lyrics, memorable solos and Julian Izard (vocalist) shows he can hang with his traditional metal contemporaries. The band's declaration is to keep the musical spirit of the ‘80s metal alive and Breaking The Rock certainly does. They have released an official video for the album's title track, which can be viewed below.
Tracklisting:
“Heavy Metal Fury”
“Honest”
“We Are Restless”
“All Is On Fire”
“Deserve Your Love”
“Sinner Of Love”
“Marilyn (Icon Of Desire)”
“In The Name Of Revenge”
“Pain In Paradise”
“Breaking The Rock”
Venice Beach, CA's purveyors of psychedelic violence, The Shrine, have released a new music video for “Acid Drop”, filmed on 16mm live at their raucous Rare Breed album release party in Los Angeles in early 2016 with special guest Nik Turner of Hawkwind fame. You can watch the video below:
Now, the band have announced their follow up to that event, which will take place at The Roxy in Hollywood on Sunday, October 30th: dubbed the House Of Horror with co-headliners Ho99o9. A good reason to escape the European rain and catch some Californian sun.
The Shrine’s Century Media debut, Rare Breed, came out in October 2015 (January 2016 in the US). Since then they played a 6-week tour with Kadavar and Horisont, followed by a massive run of summer festivals including Hellfest, Download, Graspop and many more.
Produced by Dave Jerden and recorded through the very amp that Greg Ginn recorded Black Flag's Damaged on, Rare Breed exists in a space that once was was bleeding with razor sharp lines separating punks, metal heads and hippies, where a violent clash in the parking lot of the Cuckoo's Nest was inevitable.
Tracklisting:
“Coming Down Quick”
“Death To Invaders”
“Rare Breed”
“Acid Drop”
“What's Let For Me”
“Savage Skulls & Nomads”
“The Vulture”
“Never More Than Now”
“Pull The Trigger”
“Dusted & Busted”
“Space Stepping”
“Never More Than Now” feat. Keith Morris *
“Symptom Of The Universe” *
* Bonus tracks on North American digipak release only
"The Madness", the new video from ART OF ANARCHY, the band featuring CREED singer Scott Stapp alongside DISTURBED bassist John Moyer and ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Dan Catullo, who set a Guinness World Record for using the most cameras (239) to record a live concert when he helmed the 2009 DVD "Creed: Live".
"Dan puts 110 percent in his work," Stapp told Billboard. "I thought he would be a great fit for our first video. He really understood the concept of the meaning of madness in a way that only someone who had experienced similar situations could understand. This video really gave the band its first taste of a live performance."
ART OF ANARCHY will make its live debut on Thursday, October 27 at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City. The group will perform all brand new songs, including "The Madness", which has just been serviced to Active Rock radio.
Said Stapp: "I was approached by the ART OF ANARCHY guys and asked to join them last year.
"This project has been a very cool, unique experience for me.
"I'm proud of our work and made some great friendships along the way.
"It's been great collaborating with artists from different backgrounds and you can definitely hear it in the music.
"We're kicking this off with our debut performance in New York City at the Gramercy Theatre.
"I love performing and connecting with the fans, and I'm really excited for what's ahead."
Added Thal: "We've got great chemistry together, and the songwriting process has been so natural and seamless. Now you'll get to see it and hear it at our debut performance in New York City on October 27, where we'll do a VIP meet-and-greet and play some of our new material that will be on our debut album on Another Century Records early next year.
"It's exciting to get out there to perform together; it's never felt more right than it does now.
"We're creating something special that we can’t wait to share with the world.
"Come on out and be a part of this with us. It'll be a night to remember."
States Moyer: "The individual personalities of the musicians on this record have come together to create a uniquely powerful album of songs that we feel will have a strong message and emotional connection with fans.
"After working on this record for over a year, we can't wait to hit the stage and play these songs live."
ART OF ANARCHY released a self-titled debut album last year that featured former STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland.
Weiland, whom STP parted ways with in 2002 and again in 2013, died last December.
Stapp went through a highly publicized, drug-enhanced meltdown in 2014, after which he entered into an intensive rehab program and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Stapp is now sober and in intensive therapy, although he recently began touring as a solo artist again.
ART OF ANARCHY is the brainchild of Thal and Jon (guitar) and Vince Votta (drums), who have been friends for 19 years dating back to their days on the New York music scene.
Thal joined GUNS N' ROSES in 2006 and stayed in the band for eight years, playing on the 2008 album "Chinese Democracy". He has also released a number of solo CDs.
"Atoma", the new animated video from Swedish melodic death metallers DARK TRANQUILLITY, can be seen below. The song is the title track of the band's eleventh album, "Atoma", which will be released on November 4 through Century Media Records.
The band comments: "The title track is one of the catchiest and most direct numbers on 'Atoma' and already feels like a future live favourite. The first 30 seconds could be heard on one of our studio documentary clips, but here is 'Atoma' in its full glory. Enjoy!"
"Atoma" track listing: 01. Encircled02. Atoma03. Forward Momentum04. Neutrality05. Force Of Hand06. Faithless By Default 07. The Pitiless08. Our Proof Of Life09. Clearing Skies10. When The World Screams11. Merciless Fate12. Caves And Embers A limited-edition double CD will be available as a digipak in North America and as a mediabook in Europe. The bonus disc features the songs "The Absolute" and "Time Out Of Place" that showcase a very different side of the band. Recorded and mixed by Anders Lagerfors at Nacksving studios, these tracks are among the darkest and most brooding ever from the band — but their experimental nature make them far removed from the usual metal territory. The band explains: "A lot of our songs start out as pieces of music written on piano/keyboards before getting transformed into guitar driven metal. With this recording, we wanted to explore what would happen if we instead let the material take another direction, and we're extremely thrilled by the result."
These songs will exclusively be available on the physical deluxe edition of "Atoma" and won't appear on the digital edition of the album. A vinyl seven-inch single is planned for early 2017. The gatefold vinyl LP will contain the 12 track CD and is available in different vinyl colors:
* Black vinyl: worldwide* Blue vinyl: limited to 400 copies exclusive through Bengans in Sweden* Dark Green: limited to 200 copies exclusive through CDon in Scandinavia* Clear vinyl: limited to 400 copies in North America* Transparent Blue vinyl: limited to 300 copies exclusive through cmdistro.com in North AmericaTransparent Red vinyl: limited to 200 copies exclusive available through cmdistro.com in Europe "Atoma" was recorded at Rogue Music in Gothenburg, the studio owned by DARK TRANQUILLITY keyboardist Martin Brändström. Mixing duties were handled by David Castillo, known for his work with bands such as KATATONIA, OPETH and CANDLEMASS. The cover artwork was once again created by the band's guitarist Niklas Sundin. The touring cycle for "Atoma" will start with a headline North American run in November, featuring SWALLOW THE SUN, ENFORCER and STARKILL as support acts. A European tour is planned for early 2017.
DARK TRANQUILLITY vocalist Mikael Stanne recently told Kaaos TV about the recording process for the band's upcoming album: "We actually decided to start recording in January, and then we realized, 'Nah, we're not really ready. We need to work on this stuff a bit more.' And then a bit more and then a bit more. And finally, it was, like, 'Fuck it! We need a deadline. We need to finish this.' So finally it happened. But for a while there, I just couldn't see it. Like, 'It's not even close.'"
Asked why it was so difficult for DARK TRANQUILLITY to come up with a new album's worth of material that they were happy with, Mikael said: "This is gonna be our eleventh album, [and] for yourself, you feel, like, 'My God! We don't wanna repeat ourselves. We don't wanna do the same thing over and over again. We wanna do something new.' It has to feel fresh, and it has to feel different. And how do you find the inspiration and stuff like that? It is kind of tough. But we got started, and eventually, it's, like, 'Holy shit! We're on to something here.' And it started feeling really good, and now it feels awesome. Some of the songs are incredible."
Regarding how DARK TRANQUILLITY's recent lineup change affected the songwriting process for the new album, Mikael said: "[Bassist] Martin Henriksson left the band in January, and that was a big blow. I mean, he used to write tons of stuff for the band, but in the last couple of years, he has kind of focused on other things. He's more like a manager for he band — he arranges all the festivals and trips and everything like that — and he just kind of fell out of love with touring and writing and playing, so now he's a full-on manager and stuff."
Mikael also talked about how the songwriting process was different this time around. He said: "Anders [Jivarp, drums] has written most of the songs, I think, or most of the material, and then Martin [Brändström, keyboards] and Anders kind of structured it and put it together. And then Niklas wrote two or three songs, and Martin [Brändström] wrote two or three songs, stuff like that. It's becoming really diverse. Like some of the stuff that Anders has done is really different, and the stuff that Niklas has done is really different and the stuff that Martin [Brändström] has done is really, really kind of out there in a way. So I'm super excited. The album is shaping up to be fantastic."
Los Angeles-based band, Mindwars (featuring former Holy Terror guitarist Mike Alvord), have released a video for “Scalp Bounty”, a track from their Sworn To Secrecy album, released in April 2016 via Punishment 18 Records.
The song is about Native American genocide and the video features hand drawing artistry by MisterNatMan.
Sworn To Secrecy was mixed and mastered by Bill Metoyer (Armored Saint, COC, Fates Warning) at the Skull Seven Studios in Los Angeles.
Wardruna’s new album, Runaljod – Ragnarok, will be released on October 21st. This is the third instalment in a trilogy of albums that began with Runaljod – gap var Ginnunga (2009) and continued with Runaljod – Yggdrasil (2013). A music video for the album track “Raido” can be seen below.
In short, the ambitious idea behind the trilogy was to create musical interpretations of each of the twenty-four old Nordic runes. It proved to be a lengthy and challenging task. Some of the material on the album even date back to 2003 and the early stages of the project, when multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Einar Selvik started to develop the genre-defying sound and style that Wardruna have become known for. It is a contemporary sound, but one that is characterized by the use of old and historical instruments like Kraviklyra, taglharpe, goat horns, birchbark lures and more. The vocals range from whispering voices to melodic song and mighty choirs. All performed with sincerity and conviction.
Musically and conceptually there is a clear continuity between all three of the albums, but with time and experience comes refinement. And new elements has certainly been added along the way. Most notable on Runaljod – Ragnarok is the use of the Scandinavian bronze lures, whose iconic sound and appearance make them a perfect fit with Wardruna’s instrumentation and concept. Special guest performances by Einar’s own children and Skarvebarna children's choir must also be noted.
Runaljod – Ragnarok was written, recorded and produced by Einar Selvik from 2003 to 2016 at his own Fimbulljóð studio.
A tour in support of the album will commence in November, with concerts in Norway, Germany, Poland, Netherlands, France, Sweden, Denmark, the UK and the US. As many of the concerts were sold out quickly and further touring is planned for 2017.
With seven Billboard Top 10 albums to their name, multiple Platinum album certifications all over the world and a place in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, the legendary ZZ Top are officially the world’s longest running rock band with its original lineup intact. After over 45 years together, the Texan trio finally released their first official live album, Live - Greatest Hits From Around The World, out now in North America.
Live - Greatest Hits From Around The World picks the greatest moments from ZZ Top’s illustrious back catalogue captured with the phenomenal energy of their renowned live performances. It covers the breakthrough hit “La Grange” plus three snappy blues-rock classics from the 1973 album Tres Hombres, through to their huge crossover hits – “Gimme All Your Lovin’”, “Sharp Dressed Man”, “Legs” – and then to the present day with their recent collaboration with Jeff Beck on the Tennessee Ernie Ford / Merle Travis “Sixteen Tons” (video streaming below).
Tracklisting:
“Got Me Under Pressure” (Live from New York)
“Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers” (Live from Las Vegas)
“Cheap Sunglasses” (Live from Paris)
“Waitin For The Bus” (Live from Nashville)
“Jesus Just Left Chicago” (Live from Nashville)
“Legs” (Live from Sao Paolo)
“Sharp Dressed Man” (Live from Los Angeles)
“Rough Boy” (feat. Jeff Beck) [Live from London]
“Pincushion” (Live from Berlin)
“La Grange” (Live from Dallas)
“I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide” (Live from Vancouver)
“Tube Snake Boogie” (Live from Rome)
“Gimme All Your Lovin” (Live from Houston)
“Tush” (Live from Chicago)
“Sixteen Tons” (feat. Jeff Beck) [Live from London]
Melbourne, Australia-based rockers, Mammoth Mammoth, have released a video for “Sick (Of Being Sick)”, a track from their 2015 album Volume IV - Hammered Again (Napalm Records). The new video was shot this year in England, Germany, France, Switzerland, and Belgium.
Volume IV - Hammered Again album details below.
Tracklisting:
"Life’s A Bitch"
"Lookin´ Down The Barrel"
"Electric Sunshine"
"Fuel Injected"
"Black Dog"
"Promised Land"
"Reign Supreme"
"Sick (Of Being Sick)"
"Hammered Again"
"High As A Kite"
Recently unleashing their debut album 'The Human Paradox' produced by Chris Donaldson (Cryptopsy, The Agonist, Beyond Creation, Neuraxis) on September 7th, Montreal prog metallers Fractal Cypher have released the new music video “Imminent Extinction”.
"'Imminent Extinction' clearly reflects the death metal influences of the band. This one is a good blend of heaviness and catchy melodies, definitely one of the most brutal and technical songs of the album. Play it loud and bang your head hard!" comments the band.
The Human Paradox features nine songs, each handpicked and strategically chosen to best represent the living, breathing entity that is Fractal Cypher. The band exists to captivate audiences with progressive instrumentals that cut through the mesmerizing vocals yet somehow evolving; each listen provides a new perspective. Straight out of the heart of Canada’s metal scene, these Montreal metallers constantly shift their compositions with seamless transitions and theatrical interludes to keep audiences on their toes. Since 2014, ex-Far From Reality members Simon Lavoie (vocals), Ludovick Daoust (keyboard), and Vincent Bruneau (guitar) have dedicated themselves to Fractal Cypher.
The powerful quintet is just as versatile in their music as they are in their musical interests, darting between djent, death metal, and classic rock. Each song acts of their own volition almost taking control of the members and shaping a personality and energy not unlike a living entity. Ludovick is at the helm of songwriting, calculating and unlocking each melody and becoming the voice for each piece.
KORN's official video for the song "A Different World" can be seen below. The track is the next single from KORN's upcoming album, "The Serenity Of Suffering", following the Top Five song "Rotting In Vain". "A Different World" also features a guest appearance from SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor.
KORN singer Jonathan Davis spoke about getting Taylor to appear on the track. "We were trying to figure out who we wanted to collaborate with, and I'm like, 'You know, that's the one, that's the guy,'" he said. "And I texted him, I'm like, 'Do you want to be on a new KORN track?' He's all, 'Hell yeah! When and where, what do I do?' So he did great on the song. I already did my parts, I'm like, 'Do what you do, man.' And I like the way he did it, the approach: he starts creeping in underneath the song, you can start slowly hearing his voice under mine, and it crescendos up into the middle part where he sings, and then it's just full-on at the end, so the song came out great."
Taylor said that he became involved in "A Different World" after receiving "a phone call, like, 'Hey, do you wanna do this?' And I was on the plane the next day. I flew in, and I hadn't even heard the music. I was, like, 'Yeah.' 'Cause as a fan and as a friend, it was just something that we had been talking about for years. And all the stars aligned and I got to do this track. And it is heavy, dude. It is so righteous. People are gonna lose their minds.
"This whole [new KORN] album, and I'm gonna brag now, because I've heard eleven songs of this, it is such a great throwback to the first three KORN albums and mixed with that maturity that they have now. Like, it's, really, really heavy. People are gonna lose their minds. It's that good."
Due on October 21, "The Serenity Of Suffering" marks the band's return to Roadrunner, which previously released 2010's "Korn III - Remember Who You Are" and 2011's "The Path Of Totality".
The cover art for "The Serenity Of Suffering" was created by acclaimed artist Ron English. It depicts a teenage KORN fan at a dystopian acid-nightmare funfair who is clutching a disembowelled and skeletal version of the doll who adorned 1999's "Issues".
KORN has hit the road this fall with co-headliners BREAKING BENJAMIN for the "Nocturnal Underground Tour". The trek kicked off on September 24 in Fargo, North Dakota and will run through late October.
Northern Irish rockers THE ANSWER will release their new album, "Solas", on October 28 via Napalm. The CD was produced by Andy Bradfield and Avril Mackintosh, who previously worked with THE ANSWER on their 2006 album "Rise". "Solas", which is the Gaelic (Irish language) word for "light," is also the title of the lead track on the new album. The official music video for the song can now be seen below.
A decade into the band's career, "Solas" marks a significant turning point for THE ANSWER and, in particular, lead singer Cormac Neeson. After their 2015 U.S. "Raise A Little Hell" tour, the band returned to a scene of utter emotional and financial chaos with matters escalating further for Neeson, when his newly born son, Dabhog, arrived into the world three months premature with multiple health issues. After four months of fighting for his life in a nightmarish world of ventilators, blood transfusions and an enveloping fear of the unknown, it was time for THE ANSWER to return yielding a newfound strength. For this they turned inwards to their culture, and their deep-rooted sense of "Irishness."
"I look back at that time of my life as a darkness I didn't know existed," Neeson says. "It felt like all the lights in the world had been dimmed and weren't ever coming back up again. I emerged from that whole experience a different man. The world was never going to look the same again but at least I could start to think about stuff I hadn't thought about in a while. 'Solas' arrived at just the right time for me because I felt strongly that I had a lot to say and to get off my chest."
A testament to personal resolve and dogged determination, the band bunkered down in their home rehearsal room converting it into a self-contained recording set up and shut themselves away from the world to create "Solas". Guitarist Paul Mahon became the default engineer, arranger and guiding light that would help navigate the evolving creativity and newfound freedom, delivering updates and files from the bunker over to London-based producers Andy Bradfield and Avril Mackintosh.
"We initially sat there looking blankly at each other. It became apparent that we would have to approach writing in a completely different way. It was certainly disconcerting to move away from our traditional approach but we had to embrace a new process," Paul recalls. "We didn't want to limit ourselves and as well as exploring our Celtic roots wanted to explore roots music in a broader sense. There may have been some conscious resistance at first but it felt we were being guided down a much more atmospheric, surreal and cinematic path and I think that is reflected in the final album."
"Solas" is a varied body of work encompassing elements of their Celtic heritage as well as their renowned trademark guitar attack. Rooted in bassist Micky Waters' love of Irish harmony, the combination of mandolins and Celtic choral arrangements suspend time on the harmonious "Thief Of Light" while "In This Land" summons an epic resolve and demonstrates an atmospheric turning point in the band's sound.
Not turning their back on their blues-filled rock anthems, "Demon Driven Man" is perfect rock'n'roll fare, grounded as ever by drummer James Heatley's remorseless beat, but it is the epic "Battle Cry (Seo An La Mo Laoch Mo Ghra)", a six-minute call to arms featuring elements of Celtic music, a Gaelic vocal chant, windswept rock and even thunderous Samba rhythms, which best epitomizes the old and new of THE ANSWER.
Having gone back to their roots and rediscovered their inner selves, "Solas" is an honest and brave album that panders to no label, to no media framework and to no rules. It is dark, occasionally menacing and at certain moments, joyous and uplifting. It is a record that bears the scars and soul of four talented men from Northern Ireland; sometimes troubled but seeking creative liberation.
The symbol that sits on the front cover, the ancient Celtic sign for "illumination," bears witness to this 2016 musical evolution. THE ANSWER are firmly embarked upon a new journey having been through the darkest period in their relatively brief rock history.
THE ANSWER consists of Cormac Neeson (vocals), Paul Mahon (guitar), Michael Waters (bass) and James Heatley (drums).
Barcelona, Spain’s Obsidian Kingdom have released a new video for their track “Black Swan”. Guitarist Eaten Roll I and guitarist/vocalist Rider G Omega perform the track from the band’s album, A Year With No Summer, at the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) in Barcelona in June 2016.
A Year With No Summer was released back in March via Season of Mist. The band released the dystopian mockumentary (see below) that was produced for “Black Swan”, the second single from the album.
A message states: ““Black Swan” reflects on the idea of a dramatic and unexpected shift in the routines that define our comfort zones. It is at the same time a vintage memento from an idyllic past, and the foreboding of a terrible, hostile and sublime future. By the way, we know there's a typo in the video. It's entirely our fault and now we will have to live with it all our lives. Sometimes we find it hard to sleep at night because of that.”
A Year With No Summer album details…
Tracklisting:
“A Year With No Summer”
“10th April”
“Darkness”
“The Kandinsky Group”
“The Polyarnik”
“Black Swan”
“Away/Absent”
Denmark's Rising has released a new video for "Death Of A Giant, which comes off the band's third album, Oceans Into Their Graves. The video can be seen below.
Following the April release of their third album, Oceans Into Their Graves, Rising performed a string of dates in their homeland. The group's performance at Roskilde Festival, one of Europe's biggest of its kind, marked a natural peak of the band's recent ascendance from their rebirth in a new lineup to the release of the album and their return to the stage after two years of absence.
Rising now releases a brand new video for "Death Of A Giant”, one of the album's heaviest tracks and an ode to an imploding star, the video created from footage from the band's Roskilde set, captured by director Palle Demant who also directed the band's "All Dirt" video.
Rising will play a couple Danish shows later this month, and will play their first German show in over three years with a headlining slot on the North Of Mainstream Festival in Rostock, Germany this November. More festival dates are in the works, along with a full European tour in the Spring that will be announced in the months to come.
Rising has also begun writing new material and developing concepts for their next full-length album which will be recorded and released in 2017.
Hard rockers Darkh, from The Czech Republic, have released the official music video for their track "My Curse", the second single off of their debut album A Story Yet Untold, which was released in September.
"The story of the song is about that special someone in our lives," says Darkh. "And when we filmed the music video we didn't just want to capture a cliche boy and girl thing, we wanted something obscure and unique. And who doesn't love a bit of Grindhouse vibe."
Darkh has upcoming shows in Czech Republic, Germany, and Finland; their complete tour schedule can be found here.
The video for "Bury Our Bones", the first single from A Story Yet Untold, can be seen below.
"It was pretty obvious before 'Bury Our Bones' was even finished that it would be the first single off the album. Individuals whose interests and lifestyles are different from the vast majority will understand, because B.O.B. underlines how powerful and encouraging it is to be among people who get it," says Darkh.
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