Sammy Hagar has released an upscaled version of his music video for "Two Sides Of Love", from the 1984 album, VOA.
Says Hagar: "When I wrote this song and presented it to John Kalodner in the David Geffen company, everyone thought it was going to be a huge hit and wanted it to be the first single. It didn't chart very well and the video wasn't an MTV smash surprising to all of us, then came 'I Can't Drive 55', the unexpected smash that kicked my career in the ass. Sold 1 million records, who would've thought. But it's still a great song."
Catch Sammy Hagar & The Circle (Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, Jason Bonham, Vic Johnson) live at the following shows in 2023:
October
9 - Cabo Wabo Cantina - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
11 - Cabo Wabo Cantina - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
13 - Cabo Wabo Cantina - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
26 - The St. Augustine Amphitheatre - St. Augustine, FL
28 - The Sound At Coachman Park - Clearwater, FL
29 - Hard Rock Live - Hollywood, FL
On this week's episode of Metal Mayhem Roc (which can be seen below,) vocalist Jeff Allen of Witchslayer, the heavy metal band from Chicago who in 2023 properly released its first ever album, something that had been in the works for 40 years, is the featured guest,
Unfortunately, following the success of Witchslayer’s five-song demo in the early
1980s and Metal Blade Records including the song “I Don’t Want To Die” on the Metal Massacre 4 compilation album, the group disbanded before a new full length album could be recorded.
Fast forward to 2022, original singer Jeff Allen reformed the band with guitarist Ken Mandat (Damien Thorne), bassist Mick Lucid (Viscous Circle), and drummer Gabriel Anthony (Tyrant’s Reign).
The new album features 11 hard-hitting tracks which were originally written by the original lineup in the early '80s, but recorded by the new lineup.
Jeff joins Metal Mayhem Roc to talk about the history of the band, the new release, and plans for 2023. Jeff also shares details about early Witchslayer opening for Accept, contacting Metallica during the Kill 'Em All era and hanging out in California and the Sunset Strip era.
Finnish cello metal band, Apocalyptica, have shared live footage from 2010 shot at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland. Check out "End Of Me" featuring vocalist Tipe Johnson below.
Apocalyptica have released a deluxe box edition of their 7th Symphony album. A message from the band follows...
"Hello everyone! Some of you are quite the sherlocks and already figured it out - a part of the band is now back from a trip to L.A, where we worked on some magical music. Always great to be abroad meeting other musicians, producers, music nerds!
While we were hiding behind thick walls in studios and enjoyed the L.A. sun, there's been a lot going on around us! The new ApocalypTEAca collection has launched, we have some upcoming concerts in Finland and Portugal to look foward to... and had a crazy idea about a 7th Symphony Deluxe Box that we finally made happen!
We took our old backdrop from those days and used pieces of it to make 300 unique shirts. They are part of our special fanbox that also includes the 7th Symphony blue double-vinyl. 100 of these 300 boxes also include socks designed in the style of the artwork! We will not make these boxes again - only 300 are available!"
The band add: "We recently released a brand new edition of our 7th Symphony album featuring the classics 'Not Strong Enough' feat. Brent Smith (Shinedown), 'Broken Pieces' feat. Lacey (Flyleaf) and 'End Of Me' feat. Gavin Rossdale (Bush). The album has been remastered for vinyl and also offers a transparent blue double LP with a special etching on the D side! Now, you can order this special box. In addition to the vinyl, it includes a T-Shirt with a piece of the original tour backdrop woven into it. There are two types of boxes: With or without socks! Watch us doing an unboxing like real influencers."
Infernalizer is the brand new creature conceived and brought to life by the creative mind of Claudio Ravinale to portray his own take on the heavy metal genre. Ravinale is best known as the vocalist of Italian death metal veterans Disarmonia Mundi, who has achieved worldwide recognition with their high-octane melo-death throughout two decades and featuring Bjorn "Speed" Strid (Soilwork) among their ranks, along with being in other recognizable bands such as The Silverblack, 5 Star Grave and The Stranded.
Heavily influenced by ‘80s metal acts such as Iron Maiden, Alice Cooper, and Danzig, Ravinale's new project Infernalizer relies on the use of gloomy keys and eerie samples, paying homage to more somber gothic rock acts like Type O Negative and The Sisters Of Mercy. Vocally closer to contemporary acts like Rob Zombie and Wednesday 13, the range of influences also includes evocative cinematographic soundscapes that provide Infernalizer's songs with a more solemn and nocturnal atmosphere.
Ready to follow up the 2021 debut album The Ugly Truth, Infernalizer presents the new full-length After Dark set to be unleashed in October 2023 via Rockshots Records.
Constantly balancing between aggressive moments and gothic atmospheres properly supported by deep crooning vocals and more irate outbursts. This new record is deeply rooted in 80's metal and often prone to arena rock choruses, sets an eerie and nocturnal mood especially when it comes to the use of keyboards, often reminiscent of classic horror movie themes.
The desire to go towards more gothic rock territories on this new offering is fully represented by tracks like "Death Wish", "This Is My Yard" or "Falling In Slow Motion", while the planned-to-be-released singles "What Did You Expect?" and "What We Do In The Shadows" (both mastered at Sterling Sound Studio in Nashville by legendary Grammy-winning mastering engineer Ted Jensen) are open-heart love letters to 80's hard rock. There's no shortage of bangers as well with songs like "The Dark Passenger", "Moon of Blood" or the title track providing the more muscular edge of the album.
Infernalizer frontman Claudio Ravinale comments:
"People that loved the previous album are gonna dig this new one because we basically took our time to refine the formula, focus properly on how we wanted the record to sound, and had a starting point to evolve from. Usually with the first album you simply take a leap in the dark and see how it goes, with the second one you already have a layer of bricks to build on and that's exactly what we did. This is pure and simple entertainment. I'm not here to preach, I'm not here to make the world a better place, I simply want people to have a good time listening to this music, nothing else."
Today, Infernalizer present their first single off the album, entitled "What Did You Expect?", the track is gothic metal meets Alice Cooper.
"As soon as we finished it we decided it was going to be the first single. It's an overall very balanced and catchy track with a great chorus. It's an overall very balanced and catchy track with a great chorus. The backbone of the song is very ‘80s metal-oriented, while the vocals switch from crooning gothic verses (pretty much in the vibe of Type O Negative and The 69 Eyes) to more energetic harsh yet melodic vibes in the bridge and chorus, reminiscent of bands like Wednesday 13 and Lordi. The guitar solo is once again inspired by 80s hard rock. Lyrics-vise the track is a tongue-in-cheek reflection filled with black humor on toxic relationships. SIMILAR BANDS: Alice Cooper, Lordi, The 69 Eyes, Wednesday 13." adds Ravinale.
After Dark is due out on October 27, 2023, and available for pre-order on vinyl at the Rockshots Records webshop.
Tracklisting:
“Season Of The Witch”
“The Dark Passenger”
“What Did You Expect?”
“Moon Of Blood”
“After Dark”
“What We Do In The Shadows”
“Death Wish”
“This Is My Yard”
“Falling In Slow Motion”
“Sky Burial”
Never Obey Again will release their debut album, The End Of An Era, on September 22 via Scarlet Records. New music video for "The Storm" is available below.
Never Obey Again is a female-fronted 5-piece project from Italy that blends heavy sounds and modern electronic elements to create fascinating sound scenarios. The End Of An Era combines dramatic and introspective melodies, heavy precise riffs and layers of electronic landscapes which create the perfect scenario to welcome the powerful voice of charismatic frontwoman Carolina.
The Never Obey Again debut album represents the purest and deepest needing of an artistic expression of five experienced musicians who found their own space in this piece of work; the record felt like it was created by itself as every little idea fell perfectly into place at first attempt.
The main goal of The End Of An Era is dragging the listeners into experiencing the song and allowing them to wear the lyrics and the atmosphere of every single track on their own skin.
The End Of An Era will be released in the following formats:
Building on the foundations set by their previous 2019 album, Unseen Planets, Deadly Spheres, September 15 will see Damnation's Hammer release their much-awaited, magnum opus, Into The Silent Nebula.
On their third album, Damnation's Hammer unleashes eight songs of relentless heavy metal, incorporating the band's trademark doom-laden groove. Once again produced by Mark Mynett, Into The Silent Nebula will feature guest appearances from Rotting Christ’s Sakis, Aaron Stainthorpe of My Dying Bride and Fenriz from Darkthrone.
Give ear, today, Damnation's Hammer are presenting a first single, the colossal album opener "Sutter Cane“ (feat. Aaron Stainthorpe). A video can be viewed below.
The band comments: "'Sutter Cane' is based on the film In The Mouth Of Madness. Sutter Cane is the protagonist from the film, he's a horror novel writer who goes missing before the release of his latest book, In The Mouth Of Madness. It turns out that what Cane is writing is becoming reality: He's opening a gateway to other worlds allowing an unspeakable horror to spill into our reality! That's Aaron Stainthorpe from My Dying Bride at 02:51 minutes wanting to know 'Do you read Sutter Cane?'"
Set to be released on CD digipak, Ltd. vinyl LP and digital formats on September 15 via Massacre Records, the album pre-sale is now available here.
Into The Silent Nebula tracklisting:
"Sutter Cane" (feat. Aaron Stainthorpe, My Dying Bride)
"Do Not Disturb The Watchmaker"
"Outpost 31" (feat. Fenriz, Darkthrone)
"Into The Silent Nebula"
"The Silent Nebula" (feat. Sakis Tolis, Rotting Christ)
"The Call Of The Void"
"The Hex iv"
"The Moon And The Waters Of Death"
"Sutter Cane" video:
Album lineup:
Tim Preston - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Ady Farnell - Lead Guitar
Jamie Fowler - Bass
Gary Bevan - Drums
John Norum is mostly known as the founder and lead guitarist for the rock band Europe, that quickly took the name as Sweden's biggest rock export with the songs "The Final Countdown", "Carrie" and "Rock The Night", and has sold over 15 million albums worldwide. In October 28, 2022 Norum released his 9th solo album, Gone To Stay, and is now greeting his fans with a new music video directed by award winning director Patric Ullaeus from rEvolver Film Company.
Says Patric Ullaeus: "We created something truly special and innovative together. The energy on set was electric, and the creativity flowed non-stop. From mesmerizing visuals to mind-blowing performances, we pushed the boundaries and delivered a unique audiovisual masterpiece."
Watch the new video for "Norma" below.
Gone To Stay tracklisting:
"Voices Of Silence"
"Sail On"
"Gone To Stay"
"One By One"
"What Do You Want"
"Lady Grinning Soul"
"Norma"
"Calling"
"Terror Over Me"
"Face The Truth (Revisited)"
Southern California metal outfit Leatherwolf have announced the release of their latest video and single, “Thunder (MMXXII)”, in support of the forthcoming Kill The Hunted vinyl edition. A powerful remake of their 1989 Street Ready classic, “Thunder (MMXXII)”, is available on all major digital platforms on July 25, with the vinyl set for an August 18 release, just ahead of the band's August 23 headline show at the Whisky A Go-Go in West Hollywood CA.
"'Thunder' has always been a strong fan favorite and a song that's been a mainstay in our setlist over the years", says drummer/founding member, Dean Roberts. "Once we started putting together the Kill The Hunted album, we knew we'd likely need an extra track or two for different editions. That's when the idea arose to re-record a few of the old songs, including 'Thunder', with the new band. You know, as much as I like the original versions, I was always curious what they would sound like with today's sonic possibilities. And I think the result speaks for itself - the new 'Thunder' is sounding so much more metal! Keith (Adamiak) is killing it on vocals and giving it that extra edge, Rob (Math) is on fire, and Joel (Hoekstra) put down an amazing guest solo which Luke (Man) will be playing live. So far, 'Thunder (MMXXII)' has only been available as a bonus track on the Japanese Kill The Hunted CD so we're excited to be able to present the track to a wider audience through vinyl and digital."
Leatherwolf recently shot a video for “Thunder (XXMMII)” at a West Los Angeles facility, helmed by award winning Spanish director Eric Boadella of Nlight Productions whose credits include L.A. Guns, Black Swan, and Revolution Saints. Check out the video, premiered exclusively through BraveWords, below!
Leatherwolf will celebrate the upcoming Kill The Hunted vinyl LP with a live appearance at the venerable Whisky A-Go-Go on the Sunset Strip. Tickets for the August 23 show can be obtained through Ticketweb.
Preorders for Kill The Hunted, which will be issued as a colored vinyl double LP housed in a gatefold sleeve, with artwork by Marc Sasso (Dio, Halford, Rob Rock), can be placed through the official Leatherwolf Big Cartel store.
Back in January, guitarist Barney Ribeiro revealed that the original members of Nervecell had parted ways, and that he was forging ahead with the band. Following is his statement on the split:
"As some of you may know or have noticed, things have been rather quiet in the Nervecell camp lately. Without going into much detail, let me begin by making it official that Rajeh (James) Khazaal and Rami Mustafa are no longer in Nervecell. After 20 years of being together and touring the world, we have been through all the possible highs and lows, success, stress, compromises and achievements that come with being in a full-time band. More than anything else though, together we experienced what having dreams come true felt like. And those are the memories that will never go away. I will always be grateful for the contributions both members made during their time in the band and wish them both the best in their future endeavors.
I’ve learnt that with time people change, their priorities change and inevitably their personalities also start to alter. I’ll be lying if I said I didn’t change in the way I approach being in a band today, as opposed to when I started the band in 2000. But for what it’s worth mentioning, I will go on record and say this only because I believe YOU the fans deserve the right to know. There really weren’t any musical or personal differences amongst us. But based on my conversations with both members individually, after asking all the tuff questions and initiating the way forward going into the New Year 2022, it became very evident that I was the only one fighting for this cause.
My priorities have always been of the highest order when it comes to Nervecell. I know the struggle involved, and I’ve never taken a second of it for granted. More importantly, I know why I’m still here doing it - purely for the love of it! I’m still that same kid with that same desire and fire that burns inside. So rest assured, I have every intention to continue on with Nervecell. I humbly ask for your patience, as I start to access the challenges that lay ahead, including finding the right replacements to fill in these shoes. Fortunately, I have a select few friends / musicians within my immediate network, who I’ve consulted with and who have been super supportive towards me as I take on this next chapter.
This is definitely not the last you will hear from me / Nervecell."
True to his word, Nervecell is back in action. Check out the band's new video for their comeback single,"Believers Of The Opposite Kind", below.
Outlanders, the unique project of Finnish soprano legend Tarja Turunen, and EDM pioneer, Torsten Stenzel, recently released their long-awaited self-titled album on CD and blue curacao limited edition vinyl. Order here.
Today, Outlanders release a visualizer for the album track, "1971". Watch below:
They worked on the album for over 10 years and had support from some of the most influential guitarists of our time. Each song features a special guitarist as a guest including Al Di Meola, Trevor Rabin, Joe Satriani, Jennifer Batten, Steve Rothery, Mike Oldfield, Walter Giardino, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Vernon Reid, and Marty Friedman.
Outlanders have succeeded in creating something exciting and new: the music combines relaxed but exciting electronic beats with Tarja's emotional, classically trained voice and unique guitar performances. The sound is mysterious, gentle and yet powerful, catchy and dreamy, modern and classic at the same time. The music contains opposites that attract each other in a magical way.
Tracklist:
"Outlanders" (Feat. Walter Giardino)
"Closer To The Sky" (Feat. Trevor Rabin of YES)
"The Cruellest Goodbye" (Feat. Al DiMeola)
"World In My Eyes" (Feat. Vernon Reid of Living Colour)
"Mystique Voyage" (Feat Steve Rothery)
"The Sleeping Indian" (Feat. Joe Satriani and Nkoye Zifah)
"Land Of Sea And Sun" (Feat. Marty Friedman)
"1971" (Feat. Walter Giardino)
"We Own This Sky" (Feat. Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal)
"Never Too Far" (Feat. Mike Oldfield)
"Echoes" (Feat. Jennifer Batten)
"A Peaceful Place (Return To Oasis)" (Feat. Walter Giardino)
BEARTOOTH will release its fifth album, "The Surface", on October 13 via Red Bull Records.
Like its predecessors, "The Surface" is an intensely personal and powerful journey for singer Caleb Shomo, who has never shied away from sharing his demons in his music and with his fans. However, the frontman has turned a corner with a more optimistic outlook and demonstrates exceptional growth as both an artist and a human being through the songs that comprise the album.
"BEARTOOTH's entire discography has been snapshots of my inner monologue and emotional state over the years with a recurring theme: depression and self-loathing," says Shomo. "It's been tough to understand why I've felt the way I do for so long. During the pandemic, I was faced with two distinct paths in life. One — I continue doing nothing to manage the realities of my mental health and continue down a path of self-destruction, ultimately ending in my demise. Two — choose to do the work needed to maintain a healthier relationship with myself, no matter how difficult or painful."
He continues: "This album is the story of my beginnings in the new world I've created for myself. One focused on health, self-love, positivity, understanding, hard work, and most of all second chances. At the end of the day, life is short for all of us. We can't escape the end, so why not make friends with it and live in a world focused on living a personally fulfilling life."
And with that impactful mission statement in mind, the band has shared the video for the latest single "Might Love Myself". Watch it below. The song initially premiered yesterday via SiriusXM's Octane.
"I truly believe mental health starts with a healthy relationship with one's self," Shomo further explains. "Self-love was something I never believed would be a part of my life. I would focus on my depression and my sadness, believing those part of me were always the most prominent in my mind. But through hard work comes results. Self-love had to be a choice; it can't be an emotion. Emotions are fleeting and can change with a sunset or a single word. Choosing to put your own health (mentally and physically) as the highest priority in your life has been the only path I've found to self-love. It helped me realize what I'm capable of, how strong I am, and that progress is more important than any immediate fix to my emotions. This song is about the first moment I realized something was significantly shifting in my life."
BEARTOOTH recently wrapped up a co-headlining U.S. tour with TRIVIUM and will return to Australia for the first time in four years, co-headlining alongside PIERCE THE VEIL. They will next head to Europe for a festival run.
"The Surface" track listing:
01. The Surface
02. Riptide
03. Doubt Me
04. The Better Me (feat. Hardy)
05. Might Love Myself
06. Sunshine!
07. What’s Killing You
08. Look The Other Way
09. What Are You Waiting For
10. My New Reality
11. I Was Alive
Shomo first turned the pain of his struggle with mental health and self-image into music in 2013. BEARTOOTH began as a living document, a diary, a journal of repressed rage and depression. Alone in his basement studio, screaming and singing, playing all the instruments, and self-producing a batch of furious but melodic songs filled with reflection and confession, the Ohio native stared into the abyss, initially with no intention of returning to the heavy music world that burned him as a teen. A decade later, the different pieces of his body of work connect in title, sound, and spirit. As the frontman hits 30, BEARTOOTH's fifth album, "The Surface", completes this era in 2023. Even more importantly, it kicks off a new chapter filled with surprising optimism and just as honest. Depression is a sick, disgusting, aggressive disease below the surface. Shomo stands ready to bask in the light.
Like NINE INCH NAILS, BEARTOOTH remains a one-person band in the studio. On the heels of the introductory "Sick" EP (2013),"Disgusting" (2014) produced the band's first gold single, "In Between". "Aggressive" (2016) and "Disease" (2018) expanded on the desperation and pain, each a step closer to a balance between the blood and tears of classic recordings and the shimmer of modernity.
Rolling Stone heralded BEARTOOTH as one of 10 Artists You Need to Know. The rabid response to Shomo's music demonstrated how many people related to his struggle for self-acceptance. "Below" (2021) topped the Rock and Alternative charts and several Best Rock/Metal Albums Of The Year lists. As of 2023, the BEARTOOTH catalog boasts more than one billion streams across all platforms.
BEARTOOTH began as both bomb and balm, an outright refusal to suffer in silence, weaponizing radio-ready bombast, delivering raw emotion mixed with noise-rock chaos. Other bands play the "devastating riffs and catchy hooks" game, but this music is the difference between life and death, and now, a sort of life after death while still here. The band Forbes sees "inching towards a tipping point of becoming the latest arena headliner" is now one step closer.
Norwegian black metal pioneers MAYHEM will release a live album, "Daemonic Rites", on September 15 via Century Media Records. The record is a comprehensive look at the legendary band's chaotic and intense performances from various cities around the world over the last two years. The album promises to be a thrilling sonic journey for fans and a testament to MAYHEM's unparalleled live prowess.
In conjunction with the upcoming release, MAYHEM has unveiled a first look with a performance video of the first single "Malum (Live 2022)". Filmed during the band's March 2022 concert in New York City in collaboration with renowned director Zev Deans, the clip encapsulates the intensity and ferocity that MAYHEM brings to the stage. The video is set to premiere today at 12:00 p.m. EDT // 9:00 a.m. PDT.
MAYHEM's Necrobutcher comments: "We wanted to document how great the band and set sounds like after almost 40 years of playing live. As a treat to our fans, we decided to release this live recording.
"I knew from day one back in 1984 that this band was going to be outstanding — one of the best bands ever! I guess that's a big reason why we still are here after 39 years — and counting."
"Daemonic Rites" marks the culmination of the "Daemon" era, which commenced in 2019 with the release of their critically acclaimed studio album "Daemon". The journey continued with the savage EP "Atavistic Black Disorder" in 2021, leaving audiences hungry for more. This latest live conglomeration serves as the ultimate chapter-closer for this landmark.
Track listing:
01. Intro
02. Falsified And Hated
03. To Daimonion
04. Malum
05. Bad Blood
06. My Death
07. Symbols Of Bloodswords
08. Voces Ab Alta
09. Freezing Moon
10. Pagan Fears
11. Life Eternal
12. Buried By Time And Dust
13. Silvester Anfang
14. Deathcrush
15. Chainsaw Gutsfuck
16. Carnage
17. Pure Fucking Armageddon
For fans who are hungry for the real thing, fret not. MAYHEM will hit the road later this year with CANNIBAL CORPSE, GORGUTS and BLOOD INCANTATION. The extensive trek will kick off on September 22 in Nashville, Tennessee and will draw the final curtain a month later on October 21 in Louisville, Kentucky.
With a reputation built on their unyielding commitment to the darkness, MAYHEM has become a revered name in the world of extreme metal. As a band that defies expectations and pushes the boundaries of the genre, their live performances are known for leaving audiences breathless and in awe.
MAYHEM is thrilled to share this live opus with their dedicated fans, who have stood by them throughout their tumultuous and illustrious career. "Daemonic Rites" is not only a celebration of the past but also a declaration of the band's continued relevance and power in the present-day metal landscape.
3RD SECRET, the new band featuring SOUNDGARDEN guitarist Kim Thayil, NIRVANA bassist Krist Novoselic and SOUNDGARDEN and PEARL JAM drummer Matt Cameron, has shared a new music video for the song "State Of Mind". The track is taken from 3RD SECRET's second full-length album, "The 2nd 3rd Secret", which came out on June 23.
The group, whose lineup is rounded out by Bubba Dupree, guitarist for D.C. hardcore outfit VOID and alt-metal supergroup HATER (also featuring Cameron),and vocalists Jennifer Johnson and Jillian Raye (Novoselic's bandmate in GIANTS IN THE TREES),surprised-released its self-titled debut album in April 2022, recorded and mixed by longtime Seattle producer Jack Endino, and played its first live show that same month at the Museum Of Pop Culture in Seattle.
"The 2nd 3rd Secret" track listing:
01. Reckless Room
02. Her Disease
03. State Of Mind
04. Climb Aboard
05. So Close
06. Queens
07. Ditch
08. Awaken Ye Sleeper
09. Gift From Above
10. Let It Burn
Novoselic initially hinted at 3RD SECRET's existence in February 2022, writing in a since-deleted tweet: "I am really busy trying to finish a record. In the middle of some hangups — looking for a mid-March release. But it's a secret, so don't tell anybody!"
"3rd Secret" marked Cameron and Thayil's first full-album collaboration following the 2017 death of SOUNDGARDEN singer Chris Cornell.
Thayil recently expressed his hope that he would re-team with his former bandmates on a new project. "I think the three of us have an interest in doing new things," he said of Cameron and SOUNDGARDEN bassist Ben Shepherd. "We certainly like working together."
For nearly two decades, Harm’s Way has evolved from whispered underground favorites to favorite sons with an arsenal of songs that helped shape heavy music’s trajectory – creating a roadmap for legions interested in “reinventing” themselves. Harm’s Way has never stayed complacent and constantly morphed shape– absorbing and reapplying influences in new and creative ways to create some of the most well-executed songs in hardcore punk and metal. And yet, considering the changeling that they and their previous efforts are, Common Suffering is easily the most musically diverse undertaking in their catalog.
The album beams with incredibly memorable riffs, breakdowns, and impeccable songwriting with subtle melody and point/counter-point which kicks off loud and clear on album opener “Silent Wolf”; released today.
“‘Silent Wolf’ was birthed out of observing a sense of persistent distrust in governing bodies and systems of power in our current cultural climate,” tells vocalist James Pligge. “It speaks on the faith, or lack of faith, many have in these systems and an overall feeling of inertia and paranoia with status quo operations... leading many to the question: 'what is really informing our reality?”
Despite Harm’s Way’s reputation for unrelenting brutality, Common Suffering surprises at several turns with quieter moments of well thought out songwriting that emphasize light and shade. It’s their understanding of how to effectively orchestrate these dynamics that makes an already ironclad record feel infinitely more merciless. This is Harm’s Way at the top of their game – the ambitious sound of a band traversing new ideas. “We really tried not to settle on parts,” recalls guitarist Nick Gauthier. “Sometimes a direction that we could have taken in a song felt too obvious… We would just troubleshoot that until we felt creatively satisfied with the direction we were taking.”
The key to the success may be a shift to recording at Studio 4 in Pennsylvania with producer Will Yip (Turnstile, Code Orange). Going into the recording, the goal was to improve some of the band's processes, examine vocal cadences and experiment during production to gain the best idea from each track. The first change dealt with refocusing members on their specific wheelhouses. While Pligge had previously assisted with riffs, on this effort, his main objective was to ensure the perfect vocal attack– leaning into Yip for advice and letting the remainder of the band take the wheel with their respective parts. The result is each player pushing to the far reaches and creating material that has previously never been colonized by any band, or hardcore writ large, before.
The title Common Suffering is a clear nod to the collective experiences of the past three years of chaos, misanthropy, paranoia, disorder, confusion and anxiety, with the band exploring themes ranging from personal struggles with mental health, relationships, political upheaval, corruption, and political power. Pligge digs deep into these subjects such as the track “Cyanide,” which examines the expansion of media outlets, the correlative rise of disinformation, and the pervasive impact it has on people’s lives and systems of power. Additional tracks include “Devour,” which examines the impact of toxic people in one’s life, the highly personal “Hollow Cry,” where Pligge explores his own humanity and relationships, and the somewhat improbable “Undertow,” which features the haunting vocals or Kristina Esfandiari--AKA King Woman--who adds a whole new dimension to the record and helps exhibit the band’s willingness to push into uncharted territory.
Common Suffering sees its release September 29 across all digital streaming platforms, vinyl and CD formats via Metal Blade Records.
Variants include: Digipak CD, Grey / Black Marbled Vinyl (US Exclusive), Clear Smoke Vinyl (US Exclusive), Fog Marbled Vinyl (US Exclusive), White / Black Marbled Vinyl (EU Exclusive - Ltd. 500 copies), Silver Vinyl (EU Exclusive - Ltd. 500 copies), Crystal Clear w/ Black Dust Vinyl (EU Exclusive - Ltd. 300 copies), "Black Hole" w/ Red & White Splatter Vinyl (EU Exclusive - Ltd. 300 copies).
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