Rage Against The Machine bassist and former Audioslave member Tim Commerford has formed a new punk and hardcore-influenced band - Wakrat. In addition to Commerford who sings and plays bass, the group consists of drummer Mathias Wakrat and guitarist Laurent Grangeon.
"I am as excited about Wakrat and what we're doing musically as I was when Rage Against The Machine first started," Commerford said. "Wakrat is brand new, we're not a 'known commodity,' so we're looking forward to finishing the album, paying our dues and earning our fans, and getting out there and playing shows as often as possible."
While Wakrat finish recording their debut album, they've launched their first video for the track “Knucklehead”. Visually, the video is a wild, dizzying spectacle shot at the band's Los Angeles rehearsal studio with cameras attached to flying drones and an abundance of go-pros positioned literally in every nook and cranny of the room. Lyrically, the song is rooted in a dark, difficult time Commerford went through personally, and putting that struggle into words and music helped the musician come out the other side.
"I don't ever want to go back there again," Commerford says, “but it lead to “Knucklehead”, so it all worked out."
“Knucklehead” video:
Wakrat has already been confirmed to play a series of major European festivals this summer and will be announcing North American dates soon.
Tour dates:
April
30 - 13th Annual Summer Meltdown - Santa Clarita, CA
August
18 - FM4 Frequency Festival - Sankt Pölten, Austria
20 - Pukkelpop - Hasselt, Belgium
21 - Lowlands - Biddinghuizen, Netherlands
26 - Rock En Seine Festival - Paris, France
27 - Reading Festival - Reading, United Kingdom
28 - Leeds Festival - Leeds, United Kingdom
"Ben Sahar", the new video from Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH, can be seen below. The clip is described by the band as "a sprawling sensory experience, complete with ambitious production and design."
"Ben Sahar" is taken from BEHEMOTH's latest album, "The Satanist", which sold around 10,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 34 on The Billboard 200 chart.
BEHEMOTH has announced its return to North America this spring with a special tour, featuring MYRKUR as support. BEHEMOTH will play "The Satanist" in its entirety. In addition to the concert, fans will also have the chance to view "The Congregation" exhibition at each venue. Dubbed "a symbiosis of BEHEMOTH and Toxic Vision," the display showcases the collaboration between the two parties.
BEHEMOTH guitarist/vocalist Adam "Nergal" Darski recently told the video question-and-answer site asQme that he has been inspired by the "avant-garde" when writing the band's upcoming album. He also revealed that he listens to classic rock groups and artists from other genres, admitting that he is "really keen on the primitive, primal kind of tempos."
The official video for the song "G O A T" from THE CULT can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's tenth studio album, "Hidden City", which was released on February 5 via Cooking Vinyl. The follow-up to 2012's "Choice Of Weapon" was written by singer Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy and was produced by Bob Rock, who has previously worked with METALLICA and MÖTLEY CRÜE.
The final installment in a trilogy of recordings, completing 2007's "Born Into This" ("The Fall") and 2012's "Choice Of Weapon" ("Dark Night of the Soul"), "Hidden City" is a tightly woven series of experience and visions with underlying themes of redemption and rebirth threaded through THE CULT's visceral music. Astbury's signature baritone and blood-soaked lyrics paired with Duffy's smouldering, textured guitar tones, create a musical environment that is fearless and peerless.
From the sonic assault of the opening track "Dark Energy", "Hidden City" launches quickly into the dark underbelly of its subject matter. Stemming from the Spanish phrase "La Ciudad Oculta" or "hidden city," the album reflects an awakening of consciousness through its tone and complexity.
"Hidden City is a metaphor for our spiritual lives, our intimate interior lives," explains Astbury. "I find today's gurus are trying to peddle some cure, product or insight as if it's a new phenomenon. My place is to respond, not react, to observe, participate and share through words and music. There is no higher authority than the heart."
"Hidden City" track listing:
01. Dark Energy02. No Love Lost03. Dance The Night04. In Blood05. Birds Of Paradise06. Hinterland07. G O A T08. Deeply Ordered Chaos09. Avalanche Of Light10. Lilies11. Heathens12. Sound And Fury
THE CULT played its first show with new bass player Grant Fitzpatrick on October 28, 2015 at Stubb's Bar-B-Q in Austin, Texas.
THE CULT is Ian Astbury (vocals), Billy Duffy (guitars), John Tempesta (drums), Grant Fitzpatrick (bass), Damon Fox (keyboards, rhythm guitar).
In advance of their 2016 Spring live takeover, California atmospheric tech death unit, Wrvth, unveils the visual companion to "Larkspur", from their self-titled full-length album released via Unique Leader last year.
Wrvth's latest run of onstage mayhem will commence with a short string of headlining dates this Friday, April 8th in Riverside, California and run through April 13th in Austin, Texas. From there, the band will join Seeker and Forty Winters for a fifteen-date pillage through the end of the month. The chaos continues with four more headlining dates from May 1st in Spokane, Washington through May 4th in Cupertino, California with additional live abrasions to be announced in the weeks to come.
Catch Wrvth live in concert:
April
8 - Clash City Station - Riverside, CA
9 - The Nile Underground - Mesa, AZ
10 - Blu Phoenix Venue "The Compound 2" - Albuquerque, NM
11 - Mesa Music Hall - El Paso, X
12 - Renos Chop Shop- Dallas, TX
13 - Dirty Dog Bar - Austin, TX *
14 - Boneshakers - Corpus Christi, TX
15 - Twist Of Lime - Metairie, LA
16 - The Handlebar - Pensacola, FL
17 - Backbooth - Orlando, FL
18 - Anonymous Guitars - Lake Worth, FL
19 - Epic Problem - Tampa, FL
20 - The Basement - Atlanta, GA
21 - The DHP - Fayetteville, NC
22 - The Hideaway - Johnson City, TN
23 - Cafe 611 - Frederick, MD
24 - Championship Bar- Trenton, NJ
25 - The Outpost - Kent, OH
26 - The Ritz- Warren, MI
27 - Fubar- St Louis, MO
29 - Black Gold Grille - Casper, WY
30 - Roxy Theater - Denver, CO
May
1 - The Pin! - Spokane, WA
2 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
3 - Wandering Goat - Eugene, OR
4 - Homestead Bown & The X Bar - Cupertino, CA
UK-based modern rock quartet, Skarlett Riot, release their anthemic new single “Voices” today, April 4th. A new video for the track can be seen below.
Taken from the upcoming Sentience EP, “Voices” is a slice of hugely melodic modern rock, blessed with a stadium sized hook and showcasing the always exceptional vocals of frontwoman Skarlett.
The band will release the Sentience EP on May 2nd. Sentience sees the band exploring a darker, heavier sound than before without losing any of their signature trademarks.
With the commanding presence of Skarlett at the helm, her powerful and incredibly versatile voice defines Skarlett Riot’s sound and ensures they remain a cut above the rest. Musically the band are exploring a heavier avenue than before; taut guitar lines bolstered by clattering drums but all the while remembering the hooks and melodies that seen this band grow into one of the UK’s finest young bands.
Next month, Small Stone will release Sonic Debris from Portugal riff rockers, Miss Lava. A music video for the album track "In The Arms Of The Freaks” can be found below. A true sonic voyage with a diversity beyond anything yet evidenced by the band, Sonic Debris explores new auditory landscapes and an open and inclusive creative process. Throughout the record's ten consuming movements, Miss Lava manifests explosive sound textures, kaleidoscopic asteroids, and obscure beasts making for an all-consuming listen that's difficult to overlook.
Sonic Debris will be released May 20th and come available on CD and 180-gram light blue vinyl limited to 500 units. For pre-orders go to this location.
Sonic Debris was captured at Pentagon Audio Manufacturers, JDB Showroom and Estúdio Crossover in Lisbon at various times throughout 2014 and 2015, produced by Fernando Matias and Miss Lava, engineered by Matias, José Pedro Ataíde and Ricardo Bravo, mixed by Benny Grotto at Mad Oak Studios in Boston, Massachusetts, and mastered by Chris Goosman at Baseline Audio Labs in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Sonic Debris follows 2013's Red Supergiant and 2009's Blues For The Dangerous Miles, which was listed among Loud Magazine's Top Five Portuguese albums of that year, and 2008's limited edition, self-titled EP.
"With this album we left the door of our spacecraft wide open... this is a trippy ride with lots of headbanging going on," comments guitarist K. Raffah. "We feel this is our best journey so far," adds Lee. "It explores a sonic galaxy somewhere between Monster Magnet's Dopes To Infinity and Corrosion Of Conformity's Deliverance."
Tracklisting:
“Another Beast Is Born”
“The Silent Ghost Of Doom”
“I’m The Asteroid”
“In A Sonic We Shall Burn”
“At The End Of The Light”
“In The Arms Of The Freaks”
“Symptomatic”
“Fangs Of Venom”
“Pilgrims Of Decay”
“Planet Darkness”
The official music video for "Infinite Entanglement", the title track of the eighth solo album from British heavy metal vocalist Blaze Bayley (IRON MAIDEN, WOLFSBANE), can be seen below. The CD was released on March 1.
In a recent interview with Jimmy Kay and Alan Dixon from Canada's The Metal Voice, Blaze stated about his new album: "I had this idea to write my own book. I had a story that… kind of coming from the character from 'Tenth Dimension' [Blaze's 2002 album] that I really wanted to do. And we started work on it, and we had too many songs for one album. And I thought, you know what? When I did 'Tenth Dimension', I had to keep that down to a certain amount of time because I was working with a record company; I had deadlines to meet. I thought this time… I think this is a really big story. And so, I started thinking about it like 'Dune' and 'The Lord Of The Rings' and something like that. I thought if I was gonna do exactly what I wanted to do, then I would do it in three albums. Well, I am my record company, so I can do what I want to do. So I'm doing it in three albums. And this is my first studio album — full metal studio album — for four years, and it's part one of a trilogy. And the story is told across the three albums. And so far, it's turned out really, really well. And the first few people now have got their pre-orders delivered, and they're really enjoying it. The feedback I've had is great."
Blaze also spoke in more detail about the story that is covered on the trilogy. He said: "It's about a man who does not know if he is human. It's his personal journey, and he is on a mission to discover one of the new Kepler planets. You know, Kepler discovered all these new planets. It's set a hundred years in the future, and he's on a spaceship and it's how he deals with the fact that he will be one of the first people ever to live for a thousand years because of advances in technology, and how he deals with that. And the question is: is he human or not? And that's it in a nutshell. And the story expands from there. And we discover a lot of different things — first, his emotions and how he feels, but also why he's there and how he is reacting to the circumstances. And everything is not what it seems. He's been chosen for the mission, and we find out why. And that's part of the overall story. So it's a kind of mystery horror, in a way, set in space, and this is part one of it. So I'm hoping that you'll like the rest as well."
According to Blaze, he intentionally made "Infinite Entanglement" so that fans of his music can listen to the album and enjoy it without having to be familiar with the entire story. He said: "That is how I started with the whole idea. I had to do something that I would enjoy. So I really wanted to do something more in the 'War Of The Worlds' style and in the 'Operation: Mindcrime'. I wanted it so, as a listener, you can enjoy each song without knowing the story. But if you want to look at the sleeve notes, if you want to get deeper in it, then you'll see the connections. You don't have to listen to all the songs to know the connections. And the order of the songs isn't in a way that you have to play it from start to finish either. And you won't really know where all of the songs fit until that third album comes out and it explains to you the whole story and all of the details."
Asked if he already has a timetable in mind for the release of the second and third albums in the trilogy, Blaze said: "We have half of album two, we have half of the songs ready for that, and we have some of the music and one of the songs for album three. So we kind of have the ending and a bit of the middle. So, as we're going along on tour, and I'm writing the rest of the story, then we'll come up with the rest of the songs."
He continued: "What I've enjoyed with this one is having the liberation of not having to connect everything to reality or directly to me, to be able to use somebody else's emotions and somebody else's thoughts, and have more than one set of eyes to look at the world through. That's been really liberating, and I've enjoyed it very much."
The 52-year-old Bayley, who was born in Birmingham, was the original frontman in WOLFSBANE, but left in 1994 to join MAIDEN, with whom he recorded two studio albums — 1995's "The X Factor" 1998's and "Virtual XI" — before Bruce Dickinson returned to the group.
Bayley released a career-spanning double-disc collection, "Soundtracks Of My Life", on October 31, 2013.
Up and coming UK hard rockers The Blackmail Snaps have released their debut single, "The Wheel Is Spinning (But The Hamster Is Dead)", along with a promotional video. The band have dedicated the song to "...anyone who can't face mornings without an intravenous coffee drip, or anyone who's having a bad day! Play it loud, we hope it helps!"
Vocalist/guitarist Rich Davenport adds "We take the music seriously, but not ourselves. There are some songs about more serious subjects on the album, but we grew up on bands like AC/DC and Twisted Sister who weren't afraid to let their sense of humour shine through. The song title describes that early-morning brain-dead feeling when you have to drag yourself off to work before the coffee's kicked in!!!"
The Blackmail Snaps’s debut album, When One Door Closes, Smash A Window is and is available on CD via their website, where the band are also giving away a free MP3 track, at www.blackmailsnaps.com
Taking their musical cues from classic acts like Thin Lizzy, AC/DC, UFO, Black Sabbath, Motörhead, Judas Priest, Scorpions, Iron Maiden, Accept and Metallica, The Blackmail Snaps offer up a fresh, contemporary blend of hard rock and heavy metal, delivering memorable songs with relentless energy. Pounding drums, rumbling bass, biting guitars and gritty vocals underpin the band’s heavy, melodic material.
A power trio in the vintage mould, the band feature David Nuttall (drums, vocals / ex-Toy Dolls), Marc Hood (bass, vocals) and Rich Davenport (guitars, lead vocals / ex-See Red, ex-Atomkraft). Songs from their debut album have already met with an enthusiastic reception at live shows.
Other songs deal with getting through tough times, dealing effectively with people you’d rather attack with a cattle prod, corruption in high places, and trying to emerge from all of the above with your sanity intact, all summed up in the title track – “When One Door Closes, Smash A Window!”
Their down-to-earth attitude and in your face live performances have seen them garner enthusiastic responses from a range of audiences, and they aim to carry on gigging extensively in support of the album throughout 2016.
Just enter your name and email address at the band's official website here and you will be immediately sent the download link to the free track. Check out the band's official Facebook page here.
BraveWords scribe Carl Begai has weighed in on When One Door Closes, Smash A Window!: "Imagine a bare bones garage band weaned on the likes of Thin Lizzy and The Sex Pistols given the chance to run amok in the studio for a few hours. The Blackmail Snaps are all spit, no polish. As real as rock gets at street level."
"I Got Bones", the new solo video from former ASKING ALEXANDRIA and current WE ARE HARLOT frontman Danny Worsnop, can be seen below. The song is taken from Danny's has forthcoming debut solo album, "The Prozac Sessions", due later in the year.
The singer, who recently spent time in Nashville seeking a suitable label to release the record, told Alternative Press last year about the musical direction of his solo material: "[The solo album has] still got some of that typical snotty flair going. I'm still, for the most part, singing the blues. But I went into it with country in mind. I've always loved country. In England, I grew up as a country boy. I was in a small village of two hundred people. The lifestyle goes hand in hand with the music all over the world. [But writing] it just never crossed my mind. Obviously, of late, I've made a lot of life changes, where I'm exploring new things. So it seemed like an appropriate time. I had some time off, I was jamming on the guitar and I had some ideas, and I was, like, 'Fuck it, let's take this and run."
The songs on "The Prozac Sessions" were completed with songwriters like John Paul White (THE CIVIL WARS), while producer Jim Kaufman sat behind the boards.
"We're definitely going to push to radio a lot, do videos," Danny told Alternative Press. "[The solo project] is definitely something I'd like to make a lot of money doing and get to do more of. If it's not a success, I doubt I'll have much opportunity to do it again. [But] there's no plans to tour, per se. Maybe just shows here and there. So it's nothing that's... I know I've said this before, and it ended with me leaving the band. [Laughs]"
Danny said in an online post that every piece of artwork for his upcoming solo album "was so perfect" that he "decided to use them all, which means there will be four versions of the album, all with different visuals." He added: "I am thinking of writing a couple more songs so that each version will have a different bonus track."
More information, including audio samples, can be found at TheSnop.com.
Worsnop exited ASKING ALEXANDRIA in January 2015, explaining in a statement: "Over the last eight years together, we've done some amazing things and created something truly special. I now, same as then, want what's best for the band and at this point in time, that isn't me."
Danny has since been replaced by Ukrainian singer Denis Shaforostov, who gained notoriety posting ASKING ALEXANDRIA covers on YouTube and consequentially inked a deal with Sumerian in his band DOWN & DIRTY.
Doom/sludge metal vets Sourvein will release their Metal Blade Records debut, Aquatic Occult, on April 8th worldwide. Featuring guest performances by Lamb Of God's Randy Blythe (vocals, organ), Amebix's Stig Miller (guitar), Corrosion Of Conformity's Reed Mullin (drums) and many others, the album is described by front-man T-Roy as the record he wanted to make at a time when his life was at its bleakest.
With only one week until Aquatic Occult drops, Sourvein has revealed a brand new music video for the track “Avian Dawn”, directed by Randy Ada.
T-Roy details the guest appearances on this track and in the “Avian Dawn” video: "The 'Avian Dawn' video is directed/edited by Randy Ada and features live footage of us recording at SSP Studios in Raleigh, NC. You'll see Mike Dean of C.O.C. on the production board, Reed Mullin of C.O.C. on drums, Kevin Rochelle of Sea of Tyrants on guitar, Lou Gorra on bass and myself recording riffs and vocals. This video truly gives a behind the scenes look at the album's core performers hard at work. Music wise, 'Avian Dawn' is an upbeat song about positive thinking with an overall loose theme surrounding the sea birds of Pleasure Island, relayed as abstract wordplay in the lyrics throughout the song. We really dig this tune and it's a lot of fun to play. Enjoy."
Aquatic Occult was produced by Mike Dean and mastered by Brad Boatright (Sleep, Yob). Pre-orders for Aquatic Occult are available now in CD, vinyl, and digital formats at Metal Blade.
Aquatic Occult tracklisting:
“Tempest (Of Desire)” (feat. Stig Miller) *
“Avian Dawn” *
“Ocypuss” (feat. Randy Blythe, Mike Dean) *
“Aquanaut” (feat. Dean Berry)
“Hymn to Poseidon” *
“Mermaids” *
“Urchins”
“In the Wind” *
“Cape Fearian” *
“Capsized” (feat. Dave Capps) *
“High Tide”
“Bermuda Sundown” (feat. Keith Kirkum)
“Coral Bones” *
“Oceanic Procession” (feat. Stig Miller, Randy Blythe on organ) *
* Reed Mullin on drums
"Avian Dawn" video:
"Aquanaut":
"Ocypuss":
"Aquatic Occult promises to be heavier than a two-ton anchor dropped into an antique porcelain bathtub - it's going to break things," comments guest vocalist Randy Blythe. "This record sees Sourvein at their most musical and focused of any recording to date."
"Finally man, finally, my years of hard work have paid off," says T-Roy, reflecting on the lengthy, gruelling trek that brought his band to Metal Blade's roster. He adds, "'Aquatic Occult' is going to bring the truth. The lyrics are reality to me; I don't write about cars or chicks or horror movies, I write about the sacrifice and struggle, all the stuff I saw growing up and what I see now. But I want it to be positive, to let people know that there is a way out of bad times and tough situations."
Stay tuned for more information, tracks, and other exclusives coming soon from Sourvein.
Copenhagen, Denmark’s Heidra have released a new music video for their track “The Eyes Of Giants”, featured on their debut album, Awaiting Dawn (Mighty Music/Target Group). Find the new clip below.
Tracklisting:
"Prelude"
"Awaiting Dawn"
"Betrayal"
"Witch Of Prophecy"
"Into Cursed Lands"
"The Eyes Of Giants"
"Wolfborn"
"The Power Of Gods"
"Harbringer Of War"
“The Eyes Of Giants” video:
“Wolfborn” video:
"Betrayal" lyric video:
Heidra is heading out on an big European tour tomorrow (April 2nd) with Ensiferum and Fleshgod Apocalypse. Find their tour schedule at this location.
Massachusetts tech deathsters Eschaton have released the video for “The Beast Is Awakened”. The track comes by way of the band's spine-twisting Sentinel Apocalypse full-length released through Unique Leader last year.
Captured at drummer Darren Cesca's House Of Grind Studios in southern Connecticut, Sentinel Apocalypse is a relentlessly abrasive exercise in technical agility and blatant aggression boasting eleven tracks of methodical guitar sweeps, fierce drum incursions and dominating vocal tirades for fans of the twisted craftings of bands like Carnifex, The Faceless, Necrophagist, The Black Dahlia Murder, and Beneath The Massacre.
"'The Beast Is Awakened' is an attempt to illustrate mankind's metamorphosis into savage and destructive animals that is the result of the perpetual struggle between man's obsession with power and inextinguishable thirst for freedom," elaborates the band of the track. "Some would rather face death than oppression while others will stop at nothing to maintain control, resulting in a cycle of horrific acts that represent the worst of who we are as a species. The video's producer, Miceli Productions LLC, went to great lengths to capture the chaotic and violent nature of the song, but also the energy and technicality of the band's performance. The goal was to blend dynamic angles, post production effects, war footage and editing techniques to give the viewer an intense and captivating experience."
Lifeforce Records will release the self-titled debut from London-based progressive metal/hardcore act, When Our Time Comes, on April 15th in Europe and May 6th in North America.
The band have released a video for their debut single, “50 Years From Now”. Produced by Justin Hill (Bury Tomorrow, Young Guns), “50 Years From Now” combines anthemic hooks with big metallic grooves that are both technical and accessible.
The self-titled debut features ten more tracks of powerful melodic rock with impressive riffery and strong songwriting, resulting in a very memorable album. Influences as diverse as SikTh, Parkway Drive, Thrice, and Periphery give a good indication of the band’s musical background, but expect a whole lot more.
Check out the band on the following dates:
April
14 - Bassment Bar - Chelmsford, UK
August
18 - Hevy Festival - Newhaven, Derbyshire, UK
MINISTRY mainman Al Jourgensen's new project, SURGICAL METH MACHINE, will release its self-titled debut album on April 15 via Nuclear Blast. The CD was recorded primarily at Jourgensen's home studio in Burbank, California with his longtime engineer Sam D'Ambruoso.
The official video for the song "I'm Invisible" can be seen below. Al states: "Hello, folks. [I] thought y'all might like to see some home videos of my last Las Vegas vacation. WARNING: do not attempt to view this unless sufficiently high!"
"Surgical Meth Machine" track listing:
01. I'm Sensitive02. Tragic Alert03. I Want More04. Rich People Problems05. I Don't Wanna06. Smash And Grab07. Unlistenable08. Gates Of Steel09. Spudnik10. Just Go Home11. Just Keep Going12. I'm Invisible
"Surgical Meth Machine" LP track listing:
Side A
01. I'm Sensitive02. Tragic Alert03. I Want More04. Rich People Problems05. I Don't Wanna06. Smash And Grab
Side B
01. Unlistenable02. Gates Of Steel03. Spudnik04. Just Go Home05. Just Keep Going06. I'm Invisible
In an October 2015 interview with In The Loop magazine, Jourgensen stated about how the idea for SURGICAL METH MACHINE came about: "You know, [guitarist] Mikey [Scaccia] died a couple of years ago, from MINISTRY, and I just figured, like, nah, it's time to quit. I don't want to have John Bonham's kid playing drums for us and having replacement parts forever; that's just not my scene. So I just figured, 'All right, let's stop this. Let's do some other stuff.' And not only that. I found that it was really unburdensome to not have the MINISTRY moniker or expectations and just do something like whatever the fuck we want. I mean, the band's name is SURGICAL METH MACHINE. It's not like we're gonna be on Top 40 radio and on 'The Voice' and 'American Idol'. [Laughs]"
He continued: "I understand it's not a real commercial project for us, it's not gonna put bank in my wallet, but it was a lot of fun to do, in that sense — of just not having the constraints of the expectations of what you've done for twenty years. So this is… It's kind of new stuff. It's pretty cool. It sounds like kind of MINISTRY, but it's a different level. It's like I literally just put my foot on the gas pedal for this record."
According to Jourgensen, the sound of SURGICAL METH MACHINE's debut release leans heavily on the aggressive side, but fans can also expect to hear a few surprises. "There's a couple of real poppy things on there, which brings me full circle, because, literally, I don't give a fuck anymore," he said. "So I'm actually almost acknowledging that first horrible pop record I did in 1983. I'm crooning on some songs, I've got some pop songs on there, and then there's just brutal assault for the rest of it. It's a very dichotomous record, but it's me, and I'm acknowledging everything that's been me through, like, the last 35 years. Let's just throw my balls on the table and hope somebody doesn't have a meat cleaver running."
As far as the future of MINISTRY, Jourgensen has said in recent interviews that there will be no more MINISTRY albums, making 2013's "From Beer To Eternity" the band's swan song following Scaccia's death.
"Mikey died during the recording," Al told the Illinois Entertainer. "He just got finished with his last parts, went back to Dallas to play a show with RIGOR MORTIS and I got the call two days later that he was dead. I had to mix the record with his death still fresh in my mind, so the final playback on that one was extra special, and that album to me is very special."
"Now Fear This", the new video from former MARILYN MANSON and current ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Matt Zane and contains live footage that was edited and directed by Zane.
"Now Fear This" will appear on John 5's new solo album, "Guitars, T!ts And Monsters", due later in the year.
'This is my fourth video for the fourth month of the year," the guitarist tells Loudwire. "I'm having a lot of fun releasing a new video the first of every month. At the end of the year, I will release the physical CD called 'Guitars, T!ts And Monsters' with a documentary, all the videos, and all the songs. I hope you enjoy this new song 'Now Fear This'."
He adds: "All my life I've really enjoyed music: making music, playing it, and recording it. It's such a relief and a joy to do what I do for a living. I know it sounds corny, but I think the meaning of life is to do what you love and be happy."
John has had an illustrious career collaborating with chart topping artists such as LYNYRD SKYNYRD, Ricky Martin, and Rod Stewart. John has performed on critically acclaimed world tours with Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie. Later, John ventured into the world of film score composing for Rob Zombie's "The Lords Of Salem". In 2004 he branched out into a successful solo career and has since released eight studio albums.
Beastmaker have released a video for “The Mask Of Satan”, a track from their debut, Lusus Naturae, out now via Rise Above Records.
Beastmaker hail from the unlikely locale of Fresno, California. Sweating profusely in a parched no man's land about three and a half hours northeast of Los Angeles, the city isn't exactly a cultural mecca-and yet it's the birthplace of Hollywood outsiders and weirdos like Sid Haig, Slim Pickens and director Sam Peckinpah. Still, it suffers from an unsurprising dearth of musicians interested in heavy rock. Though Church had the concept for Beastmaker as far back as 2006, it wasn't until he and drummer Andres Alejandro Saldate, aka Juan Bonham, hooked up with bassist John Tucker in 2014 that the band was fully realized.
"I was really inspired by old bands and metal," mastermind Trevor William Church explains. "From the Zombies to Slayer, from Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons to Black Sabbath. I was really into NWOBHM and what bands like Witchcraft are doing now. After many failed attempts and at least five bands in between, we found John and finally had a solid lineup."
Bleak and burly overtones of Sabbath, Pentagram and Witchfinder General ring through Lusus Naturae like echoes from a haunted past. Slow-rolling bruisers "Eyes Are Watching”, "Arachne" and "It" set the tone of doom and despair with nods to heavy '70s classics, cult horror flicks and the inimitable work of one Mr. Glenn Anzalone.
"When it comes to genre, I think of us as a much slower version of the Misfits or Danzig, but I've come to love the word 'Doom' whether or not it really relates to us," Church offers. "It just feels like home."
Beastmaker's lyrical landscape is awash in imagery from midnight movies and the dark arts, but that's only part of the picture. "I like to make up stories," Church says simply. "I use horror movies and the occult as influences but rarely directly. For instance, 'Mask of Satan' is me paying homage to the great horror film Black Sunday very directly. On the other hand, 'You Must Sin' is about a woman longing for love and finding it in the most bizarre place, but John will tell you it's a political song. I like to think that people come up with their own interpretations of what the songs mean and let their minds run free."
Lusus Naturae tracklisting:
“Clouds In The Sky”
“Eyes Are Watching”
“Arachne”
“Skin Crawler”
“Find The Stranger”
“You Must Sin”
“Burnt Offering”
“Mask Of Satan”
“It”
“Astral Corpse”
“Lusus Naturae”
“The Strain”
Bristol, UK-based classic rockers with a modern roll, Tax The Heat, are set to release of their full-length Nuclear Blast Entertainment debut, Fed To The Lions on April 8th. A new video for the track “Learn To Drown (You’re Wrong)”, as well as the first part of an album track-by-track video series, can be found below.
Fed To The Lions shows why there is so much excitement at the release of this record. Previous singles “Some Sympathy”, “Highway Home” and “Fed To The Lions” sit alongside future classics such as “Caroline”, “Animals” and “Stood On The Platform To Leave”. The driving rhythms of Jack Taylor (drums) and Antonio Angotti (bass) overlaid with the powerful riffs of JP Jacyshyn (guitars) and distinctive melodies of Alex Veale (vocals, guitars). The album is available on CD and vinyl. Pre-order Fed To The Lions here.
Tracklisting:
“Highway Home”
“Animals”
“Under Watchful Eye”
“Fed To The Lions”
“Hit Me Hard”
“Stood On The Platform To Leave”
“Some Sympathy”
“Devil's Daughter”
“Learn To Drown (You're Wrong)”
“Caroline”
“Your Fool”
“Lost Our Way”
Finnish masters of melancholic metal, Amorphis, played a special set at the 26th Wacken Open Air, featuring only songs from their earliest records. Check out perfomances of “Black Winter Day”, “Against Widows” and “My Kantele” below:
Amorphis recently released an official live video for the track “The Four Wise Ones”. The track is featured on the band’s Under The Red Cloud album, released last September via Nuclear Blast. The new video was shot late last year in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Check it out below:
Amorphis tour dates:
March (with Textures)
31 - Nova Gorice, Slovenia - Mostnova
April (with Textures)
1 - Novi Sad, Serbia - The Quarter
2 - Sofia, Bulgaria - Mixtape 5 Club
3 - Bucharest, Romania - Arenele Romane
5 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra Club
6 - Wroclaw, Poland - Alibi
7 - Vienna, Austria - Szene
8 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
9 - Geiselwind, Germany - Music Hall
10 - Milan, Italy - Fabrique
12 - Frankfurt, Germany - Batschkapp
13 - Berlin, Germany - PBHF Club
14 - Ludwigsburg, Germany - Rockfabrik
15 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7 (no Textures)
16 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix
17 - Bochum, Germany - Matrix
London-based rock trio, Black Orchid Empire, have unveiled the epic video for their second single, “God Is Awake”.
“This story is a prequel to the video we made for “Come In” – we wanted to show the origins of the crazy soap-box character and how he was driven to insanity. Most people aren't born crazy, something in their life changes them. It explores the idea that violently shaking someone's world up could send them on a descent into obsessive madness – a complete breakdown of their personal reality. Seeing the incredible actors Anto Sharp and Terry Wood bringing it to life was amazing – those guys totally killed it.” - Paul Visser (vocals)
Black Orchid Empire burst onto the scene with their powerful and melodic debut single “Come In” earlier this year. Having performed alongside heavyweights such as Biffy Clyro, Skunk Anansie, Feeder and Editors, the band are thriving in the resurgent British rock scene.
Winners of Emergenza UK, the band includes previous members of highly-acclaimed groups Queen Adreena and Cape Fear, and is poised to be one of the breakthrough acts of the year. The full length album is on it’s way.
Swiss avant-garde extreme metal titans, Schammasch, have released a new track, "Metanoia”, from their upcoming triple-album, Triangle, which is set for worldwide release on April 29th via Prosthetic Records. Watch the new video for "Metanoia" below.
Marking the third album in their discography, Schammasch's newest epic, Triangle encompasses 100 minutes in its entirety, with three distinct 33-minute movements differing in atmosphere and style and each representing the three stages of the album's strong concept – Part I: The Process Of Dying, Part II: Metaflesh and Part III: The Supernal Clear Light Of The Void.
This unique concept is visually represented through a series of four inventive photographs packaged as a bold triple-gatefold, limited-edition 3LP set and a 3CD set with imagery realized by acclaimed photographer Ester Segarra (Watain, Behemoth) and graphic designer Valnoir (Alcest, The Black Dahlia Murder). Rarely is such a grand musical and aesthetic feat accomplished within the bounds of extreme metal.
Pre-order's are now available which include a 3CD set (limited to 2,000 copies worldwide) as well as a triple gatefold vinyl 3LP set (limited to 666 pressings worldwide), reserve your copy in North America or UK / EU.
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