SHADOWS FALL has released a second new single, "Souls Devoured". Like "In The Grey", which was made available last December, the track was issued via SHADOWS FALL's new record label home, MNRK Heavy.
SHADOWS FALL singer Brian Fair comments: "SHADOWS FALL have always been a band that lets all of our influences and ideas show in our music and have never been afraid to mix and match genres within our sound. "'Souls Devoured' is a great example of that style of songwriting where we let it all hang out. It opens with a huge groove and rock riff before transitioning into a black metal-inspired verse to add a little evil to the party. Things open up into a half-time chorus that has an almost PANTERA-style vibe before we inject some melodic death metal into the bridge and solo section. On paper, that can sound a bit schizophrenic, but we always try to have a cohesiveness and underlying theme that keeps it all unified. It's a song that captures what I believe is the true essence of SHADOWS FALL by bringing in elements of our past but with a clear eye towards the future. It has familiar elements but sounds like nothing we have ever written before."
Fair opens up about the subject matter, saying: "Lyrically, the song is about finding yourself trapped in an apocalyptic event where demons and disasters have begun to consume the world. It's about fighting for survival as the planet crumbles around you, and you realize the only way to survive it is to fight fire with fire. We spend most of our lives trying to quiet the evil voices in our minds or denying they exist, but in this scenario, tapping into that darkness and letting the personal demons out may be the only way to survive the terror."
He finishes: "Facing pure evil by becoming that evil yourself. You know, heavy metal-type shit! I usually write from a personal or philosophical place, but 'Souls Devoured' allowed me to step outside of that box and tap into a dark form of storytelling that fit the intensity and foreboding vibe of the instrumental side of it. Bang your head and get into it!"
In a recent interview with the Thunder Underground podcast, Fair spoke about "In The Grey". "We're just so happy to finally release new music," he said. "We're working on a full album's worth of material, but I feel like it's gonna drop kind of in chunks and then hopefully the rest of it all at once kind of thing. We just couldn't sit on it. We were just so excited with how that tune came out. And it's kind of a different world now too, where you can release singles leading up to more songs and keeping people interested. So, yeah, man, we were stoked with how it came out and just wanted to get it out in front of people. And I'm super psyched to just be writing again with the guys, 'cause we didn't know if that was gonna be kind of part of the deal when we started playing shows again. And the writing has really become the main focus for the last year and a half or so, which has been awesome again to kind of get back in that mode. So it's killer."
Regarding SHADOWS FALL's songwriting approach for the new music, Brian said: "When we first started kind of writing music, we wanted to make sure it was gonna be SHADOWS FALL music. We hadn't worked on new material in such a long time, and once we started writing, things just clicked right outta the gates. And 'In The Grey' was one of those songs that kind of came together pretty quickly too. And we wanted to kind of have the first song pretty energetic, just come out swinging thrash metal style. It's got a big, melodic chorus, but the rest of it is pretty much just pedal-to-the-metal thrash. So, that was also — why mess around? Just come out with the first one swinging. So we were super stoked. So, yeah, everything about it was just kind of an exciting new chapter."
As for how SHADOWS FALL approached the recording process after being away from the recording studio for so long, Brian said: "This recording process with [producer] Zeuss [Chris Harris] this time around, we've done it pretty stripped down as far as we're not reamping guitar tracks a ton… Before we would experiment with reamping a million different things and combining tones and all this. This one we kind of wanted to make something that didn't sound maybe as surgical and clinical as some metalcore or modern metal's kind of gotten. We wanted to bring a little bit of thrash energy to it and a little more of a raw — not necessarily sonically raw, but just a little more live-ish approach to it."
On the topic of SHADOWS FALL's new deal with MNRK Heavy, Fair said: "We talked to a few labels, but very few, 'cause we kind of had an idea of what we wanted to do and kind of the type of deal we were looking for. So, we hit it right off the bat with them. They have a great roster with everyone from Zakk Wylde and Ace Frehley, but then also DARKEST HOUR and ESCUELA GRIND and then HIGH ON FIRE and CROWBAR — just so many killer bands. So, it really made sense. And they're kind of also approaching it more as we're signing for a group of songs where we can sort of release things slowly and then put it all together. 'Cause just the way we work as a band right now, since it's not everyone's full-time life, we wanna do it — not necessarily take our time, but we wanna make sure we maximize our time when we can get it, 'cause it's so hard to get everyone together. So, they were really willing to kind of work with us on that level of realizing where the band is at this point in our life. So that was a big part of it. And they've been killer so far."
Elaborating on the differences in the way music is being released nowadays compared to how it was a couple of decades ago, Brian said: "Yeah, it's more just the break from the album-cycle sort of thing. When we first were around, you basically put out a record every year and a half or so, and then you toured nonstop. And that was kind of how it worked. And now there's so many different outlets, there's so many different ways to get your music to people. It's not as traditional record label relationship kind of setup, which is cool. And you have to kind of have a modern approach. And for a band like us — we kind of come from an old-school approach, so it's good to have a label that has that forward thinking and kind of knows how to navigate the kind of new way of the music biz."
Asked about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the next SHADOWS FALL album, Fair said: "We have a couple [of songs] that are totally done that may need some mix [tweaks], but are tracked. And then we have the instrumental tracks for a lot. And we're starting to work on vocal demos. Right now we're kind of trading things back and forth. And we've got the skeletons to another group of new songs that we haven't tracked instrumentally. So, all said and done, we're gonna kind of keep just writing and recording kind of as things come along, but we have a good foundation of, I'd say, six or seven songs that are pretty much there and tracked instrumentally. And the vocal ideas are at least in a skeleton form; it's a matter of getting in and getting time to record 'em. But then, like I said, there's a whole other group of songs right behind it that we've gotta start working on too."
When "In The Grey" was first released, Brian said in a statement: "We are incredibly excited to share our first new music in over a decade with our single 'In The Grey' and are proud to announce our partnership with MNRK Music Group.
"When SHADOWS FALL first got back in the practice space to prepare for our reunion shows, we did not know if it would lead to new music, but the excitement of jamming together and all of the riffs that Jon [Donais, SHADOWS FALL guitarist] had floating around in his head led us in the direction almost immediately. The idea began flowing, the energy started building and new songs began taking form out of the chaos."
He continued: "'In The Grey' is a full-throttle thrasher that contains all of the elements that are the bedrock of the SHADOWS FALL sound, but also adds new elements and approaches that developed in the recent past while we all explorer other musical avenues. Lyrically, I was trying to put into words and describe the physical manifestation of the weight and crushing power that can come with depression, that feeling that the weight of gravity is crashing down on you or being trapped in the dark waters of our own mind, trying to rise to the surface and take a breath. It can be an overwhelming and lonely place but there is always a light at the end of that tunnel and we always need to keep striving for a brighter day and escaping the grey."
Fair finished: "We want to sincerely thank everyone for the decades of support that you have given SHADOWS FALL and we cannot be happier to be back and rocking once again. Crank up 'In The Grey', raise those horns to the sky, and bang your head as hard as you can. Stay tuned for more music and news soon..."
Last August, Fair was asked by Sh!t Talk Reviews if it is "safe to say" that SHADOWS FALL "is back" and is "not going to go anywhere anytime soon." Brian responded: "It's not going anywhere, but I don't think we'll ever be the full-time touring band we were. It's a lot of family stuff and people have just got different things going on. Jon, being in ANTHRAX, that's gonna be kind of his main gig most of the time. Jason [Bittner, drums], yeah, he left OVERKILL, but he's also got CATEGORY 7 with John Bush and Phil Demmel and all those guys, and that new record's killer. So they'll be busy with that. But we're definitely gonna keep playing shows. We're gonna keep doing festivals. We probably will hopefully do some short tours here and there, especially when new music comes out, but we're gonna kind of pick and choose our battles, which is, again, also a nice place to be in.
"When the band was our full-time job, you couldn't stay at home for too long or there wasn't gonna be a home to come home to," Fair explained. "You've gotta go out and grind. So it's nice to not have that pressure, but also to do it because it's fun again. Each show that we've done have all been blockbusters in our minds because there's just enough time between each one that you get that excited again. It ramps up and then it's just like an explosion.
"Me personally, I was so burnt out by the time we stopped touring in 2015. We'd been on a 15-year run where I hadn't been home for more than a few weeks through that whole thing. And physically, my neck was shot, my back was shot. I was burnt mentally as well, so it was time to come home for a while. But then, now I'm, like, 'Okay, cool. Let's go have some fun.'"
"The only way to survive in a band like us… We're not gonna sell 10 million records and have all that stuff," Brian added. "So you've gotta go out there and stay on the road to keep your name in front of people, keep everything exciting. You've gotta sell t-shirts — that's how you make your money, [by staying] out there on the road. And, yeah, if a label is gonna spend a bunch of money to drop a record and do videos, they're, like, 'You've gotta go promote it now. You've gotta get out there and hit it.'
"What's driving us to record now is that we love the songs we're writing. It's not 'cause there's a deadline. And the shows we're playing is because we're just, like, 'That sounds like a party, man. Let's do it.'"
Elaborating on how he and his SHADOWS FALL bandmates chose their new record-label partner, Brian said: "It's totally changed things where they've kind of realized their best role is as a promotional partner and a manufacturer, if you're doing vinyl or whatever. CDs, they still make 'em, I guess, but not in the numbers they used to. And a lot of them downsized, because they had to. So it's more about partnering with the band and label relationship and finding a way to make it make sense for everyone.
"The old model doesn't work," the 49-year-old singer, who now lives in St. Louis, Missouri with his wife and their two kids, added. "It's broken. You can't just throw money at things and think it's gonna hit. People have too many choices. You can put out music yourself, so there's definitely an oversaturation, unfortunately, as well because of that. So there's just so much content, you've gotta find new and innovative ways to share it and keep it special. And I think the labels that are surviving and thriving are the ones who are flexible, willing to evolve, willing to work with the artists' vision as opposed to just, 'Cool, man. Let's stick to the old method.'"
Fair and his SHADOWS FALL bandmates have played a number of reunion concerts so far, including at Blue Ridge Rock Festival in Alton, Virginia, at the Furnace Fest in Birmingham, Alabama, and at the Milwaukee Metal Fest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The long-running Massachusetts-based metallers, who were at the forefront of the New Wave Of American Metal scene that dominated the '00s, celebrated the 20th anniversary of their "The War Within" album by playing the LP in its entirety in March 2024 at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey, the site of the band's many classic shows. It also marked the first time the band has performed in the Garden State in a decade.
In December 2023, Fair told RichardMetalFan about SHADOWS FALL's decision to reunite: "We'd wanted to play shows again for a while and we just wanted the time to be right. And once the pandemic kind of hit, we sort of realized, like, 'Why are we waiting around? It's the time.' So we were lucky that we were able to kind of get everyone's schedules together. And it was incredible. As soon as we started jamming together again, it just felt fun, it felt right. So the shows were a blast. We really rehearsed like crazy for it. And we're probably better prepared for that than anything we'd ever been for before that. And we also realized, like, man, we should have been practicing more when we were together. We used to hate practicing. We always were, like, 'Ah, we tour enough. We don't need to.' And then after we practiced a bunch, we were, like, 'All right. Maybe we really should have.' [Laughs] But then also when we started practicing, we figured if we have ideas, why not write new music as well? If we're gonna get together, let's see what we've got. So that started leading to some new stuff. So [I'm] looking forward to seeing where it heads."
SHADOWS FALL released a statement in August 2014 in which the bandmembers explained that financial difficulties made it virtually impossible for the group to continue as a full-time concern.
In August 2015, SHADOWS FALL played a few reunion shows on the U.S. East Coast, one year after completing what was being billed at the time as the band's "final" European tour.
"Fire From The Sky" was released in May 2012 via Razor & Tie. The CD sold around 10,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 38 on The Billboard 200 chart.
King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his wife, Toyah Willcox, have shared a brand new Sunday Lunch video, in which they perform Rod Stewart’s classic hit, “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?”. The was released as the first single from Stewart’s ninth studio album, Blondes Have More Fun (1978).
Says Robert and Toyah, “Its time for a BRAND NEW Sunday Lunch and special bonus footage as well!! Its a belter this week!!!”
Enjoy the newly released music video for The Native Howl’s unique “Thrash Grass” take on the Man In Black’s classic “Ring Of Fire”.
“Thrash Grass” pioneers The Native Howl have announced their US headlining run in support of their latest album, Sons Of Destruction (available now via Sumerian Records), with outlaw alt-folk group Tejon Street Corner Thieves as direct support. The tour kicks off on June 6 in Detroit, Michigan and wraps in Chicago, Illinois later in the month. Tickets are on sale now, so be sure to get yours here before it’s too late.
Recorded deep within the Finnish forest, Restoring The Primordial Order captures the raw energy and authenticity that defines Abysmal Rites. The duo, known for their primal and brutal heavy/sludge sound, recorded the bass and drums live, ensuring that the album mirrors the intensity of their electrifying performances.
While their debut album was a journey of experimentation, Restoring The Primordial Order marks a significant evolution in their sound. The pieces have finally fallen into place, showcasing a solidified identity that resonates with their vision.
The album explores themes that explore the core of humanity and reflects on how our behaviors drive us toward inevitable destruction. Despite the wealth of information and opportunities available, humanity seems destined to veer toward a dead end—a realization that offers the band a strange sense of comfort. Abysmal Rites confronts the harsh truth of mankind’s struggle to coexist respectfully with each other and with nature itself.
Tracklist:
“Restoring The Primordial Order” (intro)
“The Secret Of Pure Grief”
“The Sacrifice”
“The Zone”
“Cryptic Noise From Beyond”
“A Grave For Us”
“Ancient Race”
Formed in late 2021 in Tampere, Finland, Abysmal Rites began as a duo and quickly evolved into a trio, solidifying their lineup with J on drums, M on bass, and R on vocals. Their first taste of success came with the music video, “Polluted”, which was selected for the Most Bizarre category at the Berlin Music Video Festival. Their debut full-length album, Nihilism Is Realism, was self-released in 2023, showcasing their clear vision and determination to carve out a unique sound in the heavy music landscape.
With Restoring The Primordial Order, Abysmal Rites invites listeners to join them on a journey through the depths of human experience, wrapped in a sound that is as heavy as it is thought-provoking.
The renegade rock ‘n’ roll outlaws, Gypsy Pistoleros, return with a swagger-drenched, glam-punk riot of a single – “I’m In Love With Myself”, out now via Golden Robot Records in Australia and New Zealand.
The single is a full-throttle anthem of outrageous confidence, self-empowerment, and unapologetic individuality. Dripping in glitter, swagger, and rebellion, this track is a fierce celebration of the beautiful outcasts, the wild hearts, and the gloriously unconventional.
“I’m In Love With Myself” is the final single in the lead up to Gypsy Pistoleros’ upcoming album, Church Of The Pistoleros. The album has been described as a genre-defying manifesto for the misfits. Produced by Dave Draper (The Wildhearts, Mike Monroe), this forthcoming record is a sonic explosion where glam, punk, Latin rock, sleaze, and emo all collide in a bold, brilliant rebellion.
Stream “I’m In Love With Myself” here. Church Of The Pistoleros is available to pre-order / pre-save here.
Welcome To The Church Of The Pistoleros, recorded at the renowned Old Cider Press Studios in Pershore, is produced and co-written by the legendary Dave Draper, whose credits include work with Ginger Wildheart, Nickelback, The Professionals and Terrorvision, etc. Draper has described Church of the Pistoleros as “a total monster” and one of the best projects he’s ever worked on.
This album is a rallying cry to the outcasts, the misunderstood, the shy, the quiet and disenfranchised of society. A place where they are welcome. Gypsy Pistoleros is a band that refuses to conform. Proudly walking their own path, their music is a rallying cry for misfits everywhere. With a sound that defies traditional genres, Gypsy Pistoleros stand as one of the most unique and innovative acts in the world of rock music today.
Gypsy Pistoleros’ sound spans a vast musical landscape – from 1950s Phil Spector-esque ballads to high-energy glam punk and Latin-infused rock, creating a sonic experience that is truly unmatched. Fusing anthemic rock, Latin swagger, glam punk, and even elements of goth and emo, their music is a celebration of the unconventional.
Gypsy Lee Pistolero states: “Welcome to the Church of the Pistoleros. Come and take my hand, all you beautiful weirdos, for the lost, the strange, and the ne’er-do-wells! This is a call to all the misfits and outcasts, to stand up and join us and be proud to be different. Join the New Church.”
Today, the musical alliance of guitar legend George Lynch and powerhouse singer Casandra Carson shares a new digital single, “Wicked Woman”. The track is from their recently released studio album, Garden Of Earthly Delights, available via Frontiers Music Srl.
Casandra comments on “Wicked Woman”: “In a nutshell, ‘Wicked Woman’ encapsulates all the names I’ve been called by my exes at one time or another. When I got the track from George, I was getting these tough, bad-bitch vibes, so when I started writing the lyrics, I took all that ammo, ramped it up to 100, and created this ‘wicked woman’ character who embodied all of those names plus a few more.”
About the song’s music video, Casandra adds: “It was really hard getting a video done for this project at first, just due to our touring schedules this past year, but all the stars finally aligned on the Final Ride Tour. Adrienne Beacco (Exceleration Media) was on the road with Paralandra during the tour, so we were able to put our heads together and create the concept for this video in just a couple of weeks, and then shot it at the Newton Theatre in NJ one day, just a couple of hours before soundcheck. It’s always a pleasure working with Adrienne; she always gets my vision, and I have to give major props to George for showing up and relearning the song at half speed for this shoot. But beyond all the details, I’m just thrilled that Casandra’s Crossing now has a music video to go along with the album.”
Check out the video for “Wicked Woman” below:
The musical chemistry between these two talented artists has created a magnificent modern hard rock album that showcases Lynch’s trademark riffage driven by the outstanding voice of Casandra Carson, who is set to be the next rock singing sensation.
About Garden of Earthly Delights, Casandra also adds: “It’s a major milestone and accomplishment, not only to have collaborated with a legend like George Lynch, but to have created music that I’m so proud of. I wrote the lyrics and melodies of each song without any expectations in mind, other than to serve the music George had written. In doing so, the lyrics are eclectic yet relatable. I truly feel like there’s a song in here for everyone, no matter what genre of music you’re into, and I’m extremely proud of that.”
Order Garden Of Earthly Delights here.
Tracklisting:
“Stranger”
“Impatient”
“Closer To Heaven”
“Ring Me Around”
“Devastating Times”
“Waltzing Nites”
“Just Business”
“Mind Eraser”
“Run For Your Life”
“Wicked Woman”
“Kneel Before You”
Baltimore hardcore band TURNSTILE has shared a double music video for "Seein' Stars" / "Birds" — two new songs off its eagerly awaited album "Never Enough", which is set to arrive on June 6. The new music video is directed by the band's own Brendan Yates and Pat McCrory, and "Seein' Stars" includes additional vocals contributed by BLOOD ORANGE's Devonté Hynes and PARAMORE's Hayley Williams. Both tracks are available today across all streaming platforms.
Earlier this month TURNSTILE announced details of "Never Enough" and shared the album's title track along with a music video directed by Yates and McCrory. "Never Enough" marks the band's first full-length release in four years and is available for pre-order / pre-save, with several limited edition vinyl color variants available in the band's store.
Recorded between Los Angeles and their homes in Baltimore, "Never Enough" is produced by TURNSTILE's Brendan Yates. The expansive collection is a restless and exhilarating evolution of the band's genre-defying sound. A transformative journey, both fearless and alive, by one of the most forward-thinking and influential bands of their generation. "Never Enough" follows TURNSTILE's widely celebrated album "Glow On", which earned the band four Grammy nominations.
TURNSTILE recently revealed plans for a special New York record-release show set to happen on June 5 at Under The K Bridge in Brooklyn, New York, which will see them joined by special guests TEEZO TOUCHDOWN, BOY HARSHER and BIG BOY. The band also shared plans for a run of European dates this summer. Additionally, TURNSTILE has a handful of North American festival dates planned for the summer and fall.
TURNSTILE is Brendan Yates (voice / synth / keys ),Franz Lyons (bass),Pat McCrory (guitar),Daniel Fang (drums) and Meg Mills (guitar).
Yates described his feelings about hardcore and making music in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times: "What drew, and still draws me to [hardcore], is that none of us were musicians. Punk and hardcore are less focused on skill and more on expressing yourself. It's hard to imagine other communities where you [can have] people come out and support you when you're really bad at your instrument. The way I taught myself how to play the guitar is wrong — I played with the wrong fingers and stuff like that — but I learned enough to feel good about what I was trying to get out. I think making music is just a shot in the dark. It's this open canvas."
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