Cemetery Skyline have released their debut single, "Violent Storm", via Century Media Records. Stream/download the single here, and watch a music video below.
Says the band: "Cemetery Skyline. A band crawling out from the Scandinavian nightless nights. Formed somewhere in time in 2020, from the idea to create ageless dark music with respect to our generation’s biggest influencers. This Nordic collaboration was born with the plan to create something which has not been out there before, something different to all the music the band members have ever done. A unique combination of heavy riffs and emotions packed in a dark and deep creative context. You may call it gothic rock, dark rock or even heavy metal. We just call it Nordic Gothic."
In regards to the "Violent Storm" single, the band adds: "This song is highly inspired by the late nightly empty roads of GOTHenburg and their desperate stories of loneliness and getting lost to the unique beautiful misery and sorrow of Nordic gothic. It’s about a built-up frustration and how it can get out of hand, the feeling of helplessness and how it can take over. It’s a simple, rocky song that represents the band perfectly. "
Cemetery Skyline is:
Vocals: Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquillity, The Halo Effect, Grand Cadaver)
Guitars: Markus Vanhala (Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum, I Am The Night Horde)
Keyboards: Santeri Kallio (Amorphis)
Bass: Victor Brandt (Dimmu Borgir, Witchery, ex-Entombed, ex-Satyricon)
Drums: Vesa Ranta (Sentenced, The Abbey)
Prepare to be hammered by a sonic force of modern metal. Hailing from Switzerland and formed in 2022, Korrupted - singned to Wormholedeath - explodes onto the scene with their new single and video, "Choices," out now on all digital platforms worldwide.
Mixed and mastered by Raphael Crivelli, "Choices" is a sonic assault that expertly blends infectious melodies with bone-crushing breakdowns. Korrupted always manages to find a way to place some catchy melodies before drowning them in a massive, violent ambiance.
The song's concept centers on urging people to take responsibility for their actions and accept the outcomes. It highlights how many individuals tend to avoid facing the consequences of their choices. The song challenges this mindset, encouraging listeners to confront their decisions, even if it's uncomfortable.
The band teamed up with graphic talent Seam (@sarrowarseam) to craft the video for the single. Check it out below.
Former Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has shared his weekly cover, this time taking on teh 1991 Rednex hit, "Cotton Eye Joe".
Johansson recently announced his departure from Sabaton and issued the following statement:
"My dear friends! After seven glorious years of heavy metal, I have decided to step down as the guitarist of Sabaton. This has been the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my entire life.
As many of you may know, I do a lot of things outside of Sabaton. I play with another band, perform with various artists, and have a career as a singer that I’ve put aside for years to focus on Sabaton. After doing this for seven years, I feel it’s time to start following my heart. This means I will no longer tour with my brothers in Sabaton and will not meet all you lovely Sabaton supporters on the upcoming tours with the band.
I will never quit playing music. I’ll still be touring with Majestica and other projects, but not on the same level as Sabaton, of course. I am sure I will meet you lovely fans on the road again in the future.
My brothers in Sabaton and the best crew in the world will forever be my second family, and I will miss spending time with all these wonderful people. We had so much fun together every day. I’ve come to learn so much about life, about music and about touring that I wouldn’t have learned anywhere else.
A massive thank you to all you lovely Sabaton fans for accepting me as the new guitarist in 2016. I am certain you will accept the person who takes over after me.
All the best to you all and I’ll see you again soon!"
Croatian thrash metallers Krematorium are set to release their highly anticipated second full-length album, Sinister Seduction, this summer.
“Sinister Seduction is our second full-length album. It contains eight tracks in which we tried to deliver an old-school vibe, incorporating ‘80s thrash metal and NWOTHM.
“Both of these genres were our driving forces while writing and recording this album.
The approach we took when we wrote lyrics was quite different than songwriting on our previous releases.
“We didn’t want to release another war and anti-religious themed album. Instead, we opted for writing about themes which are more familiar to us.
“Our inspiration came from movies, people and events surrounding us. Musically speaking, this album has way more traditional heavy metal influences than predecessor Body Bags. At the same time, there’s no lack of speed and explosiveness.
“Sinister Seduction has everything we like- from headbanging mid-tempo tracks and heavy metal melodies to fast-paced songs with harsh screaming vocals. We can’t wait to share it with you!" - says the band.
First single and video for “Moonshine Rider” streaming below:
A new Satanic Panic is on its way! Satanic North is what happens when you let two well-known Finnish metal artists stare into the abyss for too long: Petri Lindroos (Ensiferum, Warmen) and Janne Parviainen (Ensiferum) are well-traveled, experienced musicians who have stared into said abyss long enough for the abyss to stare back with interest.
Satanic North will unleash their self-titled debut full-length on April 19, via Reaper Entertainment. In advance of the record’s release, today the band reveals second single, "Behind The Inverted Cross,” with an accompanying video filmed during the dark Winter months in Kouvola, Finland under the direction of Markku Nykänen from Concrete Media.
The band comments, "We are very eager to release our second single with a music video along with it. Your Good Friday will be better with your dead Messiah. Here's ‘Behind The Inverted Cross.’"
Satanic North came together quickly and effortlessly, exorcized, and recorded during an unholy summer. "We kept everything very simple and practical. We didn't want to waste too many takes to keep the songs raw and natural," Lindroos explains. "The mix was completed by the Winter solstice and now this beast lies in wait, ready to be unleashed."
Satanic North, which features cover art by Finntroll guitarist and graphic mastermind, Samuli Ponsimaa, is an album storming towards us in the sign of hell, delivering an unrelenting, extreme approach to a genre that has perhaps become a little soft and tender as of late. Lindroos elaborates, "We all have the same vision of black metal, and that vision is: stop the midtempo, let's bring back the blastbeats."
DEAD ICARUS, the new project of former ATREYU lead vocalist Alex Varkatzas, has shared a fourth single in the form of "Ad Infernum". The song's accompanying official music video, directed by Monte Legaspi, can be seen below.
"Everyone loves the romanticized cliche of 'dying for what they believe in," says Varkatzas. "But death is the end of all things. Sometimes living with the consequences of one's actions can be more severe than death itself. Sometimes, simply persevering in the face of constant adversity is the victory. 'Ad Infernum' asks, 'Are you ready to live through what you believe in?'"
DEAD ICARUS has also digitally released the "Ad Infernum" EP consisting of the four previously issued tracks and a cover of PANTERA's "Yesterday Don't Mean Shit".
"Ad Infernum" EP track listing:
01. Sellout
02. The Vultures Circle
03. So I Set Myself on Fire
04. Ad Infernum
05. Yesterday Don't Mean Shit (PANTERA cover)
Varkatzas was the founding vocalist of metalcore giants ATREYU, who have sold over one million records across two decades of his tenure. An uncompromising, brutal, impassioned, confessional assault, Alex's new musical vehicle DEAD ICARUS introduces itself to the world with the "Ad Infernum" EP via MNRK Heavy. Produced and co-written by Gabe Manfold of ENTERPRISE EARTH, "Ad Infernum" sounds both fresh and familiar for the legions of metalheads who revere the unapologetic aggression of PANTERA or the dynamic metalcore of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE.
A staple of Ozzfest in the mid-2000s with two gold albums, ATREYU is one of the defining bands of the New Wave Of American Heavy Metal, alongside groups like AVENGED SEVENFOLD and LAMB OF GOD. Metalcore classics like "The Curse" and "A Death-Grip On Yesterday" were powered by Alex's distinctive scream.
In October 2020, ATREYU surprise-released a new song called "Save Us". It was the first taste of the band's music since the departure of Varkatzas a month earlier. A couple of days before "Save Us"'s release, Varkatzas updated his Instagram stories with hashtags that seemed to throw shade at his former bandmates and their new material: #fakeheavy, #conartists and #justwaitandsee.
ATREYU's former drummer Brandon Saller, who is now focusing completely on singing after previously sharing lead vocals with Varkatzas for most of the band's two-decade-plus existence, discussed Alex's departure from ATREYU in an interview with Terry "Beez" Bezer of Knotfest.com's "Mosh Talks With Beez". Asked what he thought of Varkatzas implying in a social media post that "Save Us" was "fake heavy," Saller said: "I thought it was hilarious, because I think everyone heard it and then was, like, 'Hmm. Okay.'
"The four of us were very, very adamant on this whole thing" — referring to the split with Alex — "being very, very positive. There's no shitting on people that we wanna do. There's not a part of us that wanted anyone to shit-talk us or him. And our whole stance was, like, this is what it is, but we can still lift each other up and make our fans feel good about the fact that there's no beef; there's no whatever.
"He did his own thing, and it wasn't exactly the kind of idea of a narrative that we would have liked to put forward," Brandon continued. "We've always, still to this day, been fully positive. When people say stuff about Alex, I'm still, like, 'The dude's awesome. You should support whatever he does next.' He's learning guitar, he's taking interest in different things, and I will still, till I'm blue in the face, say, yeah, support him. If you like his voice, if you like what he did in ATREYU, he's probably gonna make more music. Now you have two bands you can listen to.
"The 'fake heavy' thing was — we don't know where that came from," Saller added. "Alex wrote 'Save Us' with us. He wrote probably seven, eight songs that are on the next record. He was a part of the beginning of the album, so for him to say it's fake heavy, then he wrote a fake-heavy song.
"I think 'Save Us' is one of the heavier songs we've ever written. It is two and a half minutes of facepunch. Another view we've had is no matter who says what, let's do what we've always done and just let the music talk. We're just gonna continue doing that and let the tunes do all the talking. And people will know what we're all about. They'll know everything they need to know from [listening to] the songs."
According to Brandon, he and his ATREYU bandmates wanted to avoid making the split with Alex more dramatic than it needed to be in the eyes of the public, preferring instead to give everyone a taste of the new music they were working on.
"A lot of people got really butthurt because of the lack of detail that we gave [in our statement announcing Alex's departure]," Saller said. "And I feel like we just felt so strongly that in this day and age, click culture and clickbait, every headline's looking for, 'Guitar player of ATREYU slept with the singer's wife' — some weird drama. But we had no interest in that. We just wanted to keep it about the music and keep it positive and let our fans know that this is what's happening, we're separating, it is what it is, and let's just think about the future."
"I think people think a lot of it is a lot more quick than the reality," Brandon theorized. "I think that people think that we just made this decision and posted it on the Internet, and that was it. But we've been going through this for months and months and months. When you're in a business and a relationship — a marriage, essentially — with someone for 20 years, there's a lot of steps to go through before you can say anything. We were very much wanting to say really nothing — just be positive and let's be adults. And luckily, we have so many people that really, really are showing us a lot of love."
In December 2020, Brandon implied in an interview with "Sappenin' Podcast With Sean Smith" that ATREYU was no longer on speaking terms with Varkatzas: "We'll call it a breakup," he said. "There's obviously a separation, so I think that's something that, in our hopes, the future will heal. But the five of us in the current situation are tighter than ever."
Gothic metal veterans, Crematory, performed at Germany's Wacken Open Air festival for the eighth time when they hit the W:E:T Stage in 2023. Professionally-filmed footage of the band performing "Break Down The Walls", "Rise And Fall", and "Tears Of Time" can be viewed below:
Crematory's latest album, Inglorious Darkness, is available via Napalm Records. Order here.
Tracklisting:
"Inglorious Darkness"
"Break Down The Walls"
"Trümmerwelten"
"Rest In Peace"
"The Sound Of My Life"
"Tränen der Zeit"
"Until We Meet Again"
"Zur Hölle"
"Not For The Innocent"
"Forsaken"
"Das Ende"
"Rest In Peace" visualizer:
"Trümmerwelten" video:
“Tränen der Zeit” visualizer:
“Break Down The Walls” video:
"Inglorious Darkness" video:
Lineup:
Felix Stass – Vocals
Katrin Jüllich – Keyboards
Markus Jüllich – Drums
Rolf Munkes – Guitar
Patrick Schmid – Bass
Sci-Fi alt-metallers, Sick N' Beautiful, have released their new single, "My Wounds", out today via Frontiers Records. A video for the song can be found below.
Says the band: "Here we go Terror Terrans! We're thrilled to announce our second single 'Death Police', released through Frontiers Music srl and now available on all streaming platforms. As promised, our descent into darkness continues, and we're stoked to have you with us on this journey into utter madness!"
On March 8th, Jesse James Dupree of Jackyl performed a free solo show in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Dupree's set included a tremendous cover of "Stay With Me", originally released in 1971 by English rock band Faces, which featured vocalist Rod Stewart and guitarist Ronnie Wood; who would go on to join The Rolling Stones. High quality video footage can be enjoyed below.
Joining Jesse on stage was his son Nigel T. Dupree on guitar, Roman Glick on bass, and Rodney Hammer on drums.
Catch Jesse James Dupree on tour with Jackyl at the following shows:
When legendary rock band, Angel, released their new album last year, a great cry of “Hallelujah!” could be heard from far and wide across the music world.
Reuniting the holy trinity of Angel, vocalist Frank DiMino, guitarist Punky Meadows and guitarist Danny Farrow, alongside keyboardist Charlie Calv, drummer Billy Orrico and bassist Tommy Caradonna, Once Upon A Time brought some of the most melodic and supremely powerful songs the band has ever released, and fans and critics responded with a hearty “Amen!”
Now the band has returned bearing a divine gift for their many devotees, a captivating and stunning new video for the album’s title track. Sporting a title as enormous as its subject matter, “Once Upon A Time An Angel And A Devil Fell In Love” this melodic epic offers the story of a supernatural love that dared to defy the natural order of the Heavens, told with bold lyrics and even bolder, earth-quaking power chords. Combining performance footage with dramatic, cinematic scenes, this video captures the magic and magnificence that Angel have embodied throughout their multi-decade career.
Says Punky Meadows, "'Once Upon A Time An Angel And A Devil Fell In Love' is a cautionary tale... an age old tale... it's Biblical... and it did not end well! Beautifully dark!... visually stunning! It has everything that makes a story wondrous! Love, sex, lust, desire, betrayal, murder."
Once Upon A Time, the album, is available now on CD, vinyl, cassette and digital. Order the CD/Vinyl/Cassette here; get the digital edition here.
Tracklist:
"The Torch"
"Black Moon Rising"
"It’s Alright"
"Once Upon A Time An Angel And A Devil Fell In Love (And It Did Not End Well)"
"Let It Rain"
"Psyclone"
"Blood Of My Blood, Bone Of My Bone"
"Turn The Record Over"
"Rock Star"
"Without You"
"Liar Liar"
The Melvins latest opus, Tarantula Heart - out April 19 via Ipecac Recordings - is quite possibly the band’s most unconventional, catchiest and imaginative work yet, continuing a legacy celebrated for its eccentric and extraordinary output.
A new preview of the five-song, 39-minute collection arrives with the release of "Allergic To Food", and the accompanying visualizer. Watch below:
“The way we approached Tarantula Heart was different than any other Melvins’ album,” explains Buzz Osborne. “I had Dale and Roy Mayorga come in and play along with Steven and I to some riffs, then I took those sessions and figured out what parts would work and wrote new music to fit. This isn’t a studio approach we’ve ever taken. Usually we have the songs written BEFORE we start recording!”
“The majority of Tarantula Heart has dual drum parts,” adds long-time Melvins drummer Dale Crover. “Roy is an amazing drummer. We would discuss what we would do pattern wise, then we’d just go for it. Improvising riffs and trading off on drum fills.”
In actuality nothing appeared out of thin air. Buzz spent hours and hours with the drum tracks by himself writing songs to what he was hearing drum wise. “When the rest of the band heard these songs I’d created from the sessions, they were blown away,” Buzz shares. “These were fully developed new songs that they’d never heard before that had seemingly appeared out of thin air. Presto!”
Recorded, mixed and co-produced by longtime Melvins’ collaborator Toshi Kasai, the album also features We Are The Asteroid guitar player Gary Chester. Gary and the Melvins’ history goes back to their days on Boner Records, with the guitar player formerly having been a part of the legendary band, Ed Hall.
Tarantula Heart pre-orders are available here, with the album available on a trio of vinyl variants (black, indie exclusive Silver Streak and Ipecac Recordings’ 25th Anniversary Puke Green), featuring a 12-page booklet, as well as on CD and digitally.
Tarantula Heart cover artwork by Mackie Osborne.
Tarantula Heart tracklisting:
"Pain Equals Funny"
"Working The Ditch"
"She’s Got Weird Arms"
"Allergic To Food"
"Smiler"
"Working The Ditch" video:
The Melvins are one of modern music’s most influential bands. Having formed in 1983 Montesano, Washington, the group founded by singer/guitar player Buzz Osborne (with stalwart drummer Dale Crover joining the following year), has been credited with merging the worlds of punk rock and heavy music, forming a new subgenre all its own.
Over the band’s 40-plus-year history, they’ve released over 30 original albums, numerous live full-lengths and far too many to count singles and rarities. Recent releases include 2022’s Bad Mood Rising, a really good collection of what the Melvins do, what they can do and what they want to do, and 2021’s 36-track acoustic collection Five Legged Dog, featuring reinterpretations of some of the band’s heaviest songs as well as covers from their favorite artists.
In the course of their discography, they've partnered with Jello Biafra, Mudhoney, and Fantômas for individual releases and toured the world many times over. In fact, the band had the misfortune to be in both Christchurch and Tokyo for their 2011 earthquakes. In 2012, the Melvins completed the “51 States in 51 Days” (50 states +DC) tour, which was chronicled in the film “Across The USA in 51 Days.”
The current incarnation of the band is Osborne, Crover, and Steven McDonald (Redd Kross). Previous lineups include a pairing of Osborne and Crover with Big Business band members Jared Warren and Coady Willis, a four-piece featuring the current trio plus Butthole Surfers’ Jeff Pinkus, as well as Melvins Lite, which partners Osborne and Crover with Mr. Bungle’s Trevor Dunn. Sometimes, if you’re extra lucky, one version of the Melvins will open for the Melvins.
Holy Mother presents the follow-up to Face This Burn, and their overall seventh studio album, Rise.
Slated for release on June 7, 2024 via Massacre Records, the Rise album pre-sale – available as CD Digipak, Ltd. Vinyl LP and Digital formats – has just started at this location. A video clip for the first single, the furious album opening track "Fire", can be seen below.
"This song is about a toxic love addiction that’s never ending and keeps haunting you forever. What inspired me to write this song was knowing people who just can’t get out of their relationship, and finally put an end to their misery," comments Holy Mother singer Mike Tirelli.
"Also, at the very start of this song is the eeriness of my daughter Violet’s voice, who was only 14 years old at the time. Her voice really set the musical tone, and mood that inspired me to write that specific vocal melody; like a cry of agony and pain."
Melbourne-based blackened deathcore group Mélancolia released their debut album HissThroughRottenTeeth last year via Nuclear Blast Records and Greyscale Records.
In April, the band is gearing up to head across Europe with headliners Ingested on The Tide Of Death And Fractured Dreams Tour with Fallujah and Vulvodynia. To celebrate the upcoming trek, Mélancolia delivers the music video for the single entitled “Dread Will Follow” from their debut album. The final offering will sink its teeth into the listener's senses, with eerie passages, guttural deliveries, and grotesque visuals, serving up a delicate dose of pure dread.
Mélancolia's Alex Hill comments, “The heaviest offering and final single from our debut album HissThroughRottenTeeth, featuring the biggest breakdown and dirtiest “blegh” on the entire record, written to incite violence.”
The video was directed by Shaum Wilkinson while recapturing was completed by Tom Drizners. The single was produced by the band and Declan White who also handled the engineering, mixing, and mastering.
Smoking Snakes, the electrifying sleaze metallers hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden, recently issued their debut album, Danger Zone via Frontiers. Order the album here, and watch a video for the new single, "There Is No Tomorrow":
Smoking Snakes are known for their high-energy performances and a sound that pays homage to the golden era of rock while infusing a contemporary edge. With their upcoming debut album, Danger Zone, the band aims to solidify their place in the sleaze metal genre and captivate audiences around the globe.
The band states: "It's our aim to start writing a new chapter for the music we love. We aren't trying to reinvent the wheel, but at the same time, we are using our own experiences and passion for the sleaze genre and are committed to keeping it alive"
Produced by Jakob Herrmann, known for his work with acclaimed acts such as Anthrax, In Flames, and Machine Head, Danger Zone promises to be a sleaze metal masterpiece. Herrmann, who honed his skills with Hardcore Superstar, lends his signature touch to the album.
In 2022, Smoking Snakes made a thunderous entrance onto the music scene, grabbing attention with a self-released demo that cranked up the volume to 11. Their distinctive blend of powerful old-school rock with a modern edge garnered acclaim, drawing inspiration from iconic artists such as W.A.S.P., Ratt, Dokken, and KISS. Recognizing their potential, Frontiers Music eagerly welcomed Smoking Snakes onto their roster.
With a perfect blend of raw energy, infectious melodies, and a commitment to the essence of sleaze, Smoking Snakes are poised to make a significant impact on the global music scene with Danger Zone.
"Angels Calling":
"Sole Survivors" video:
Smoking Snakes are:
Brett Martin - lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Andy Delarge - bass, backing vocals
Stan Ricci - drums, backing vocals
Leo Razor - lead guitar, backing vocals
Mythraeum was introduced to the metal world last year via the EP release, Halls Of Mythras. The San Diego-based black metal band beat out over 140 other artists vying to win the Wacken Metal Battle, competing at the prestigious German festival and showing so much potential.
That potential while hinted to on the EP, is now becoming clearly defined as we present the first single from the group’s forthcoming new full-length. “Skies Torn Asunder” steps up from what was heard previously and further previews the barbarity, yet musical majesty that the quintet possesses sure to please fans new and old of harsh, cold and extreme music.
"This track will definitely be a favorite for fans of epic metal,” boldly claims Mythraeum. “It takes the melodic, fast-paced riffing style of acts such as Wintersun and Kalmah and gives it a darker, more aggressive edge. A 'get-up-and-go' type song that is sure to get the pit moving.”
The “Skies Torn Asunder” digital single is complemented by a video created by Raf Ortega (Hecate Enthroned, The Absence, Helsott) for the song.
The song is the first track we’re showcasing from Mythraeum’s full-length effort, planned for an early summer release. The band’s proper features a crushing and technical rhythm section, folky melodies, shreddy guitar wizardry and gut-wrenching vocals. Watch for more news, music and pre-order soon.
The Chinese progressive metal band OU (pronunciation: “O”) is set to unleash their mesmerizing sound in their upcoming sophomore album, 蘇醒 II: Frailty, co-produced, mixed and feat. Devin Townsend.
The album will be released on April 26 via InsideOutMusic, and is available for preorder here.
Townsend has issues the following statement on the collaboration:
"As I age, I find myself growing easily bored with new music, which is disappointing as a music fan. Despite being very busy, mutual circumstances aligned myself and OU. I appreciate this connection, as their music is exceptionally well executed and interesting to me. I am pleased to have been involved with something refreshing like this."
Check out the official video for the new single, “淨化 Purge”, featuring Townsend, below
They add on the album announcement: “We are very excited to present our forthcoming album OU - 蘇醒 II: Frailty, due for an April 26 release via InsideOutMusic. We were honoured to have the privilege on working with the mighty Devin Townsend to produce this album in order to further explore and enhance our sound, working to provide a sonic adventure for you all.”
The album will be available in the following versions:
•Ltd. CD Jewelcase
•Ltd. White-Black Marbled 1LP 180g Vinyl – Strictly limited to only 1000 copies worldwide
•Digital Album
Progressive metalcore outfit Reliqa have announced the details of their new album, Secrets Of The Future, which is set to be released on May 31st via Nuclear Blast Records for all territories outside of Australia, where it will be released via Greyscale Records. Alongside the announcement, the band have revealed the video for their brand new single, "Killstar (The Cold World)".
Vocalist Monique Pym comments: "We're so pleased with the feedback we received for 'Terminal', especially because it fuelled our excitement in knowing that Killstar was coming next. It really flips the switch – we've gone from an airy, introspective debut track to this spiteful, sharp-tongued groove that has some more worldly and politically driven themes behind it. We think these two sides of us are the perfect taste test for Secrets Of The Future, not because the whole album sounds like this, but because it shows we're not afraid to take risks. Can't wait for you to hear it in May!"
Pre-order and pre-save Secrets Of The Future now at this location.
Tracklisting:
"Dying Light"
"Cave"
"Killstar (The Cold World)"
"The Flower"
"Sariah"
"Terminal"
"Keep Yourself Awake"
"Crossfire"
"Physical"
"Two Steps Apart"
"A Spark"
"Upside Down"