In any serious conversation about death metal, the name Vomitory has to come up. Following their inception in 1989, between 1996 and 2011 they dropped eight of the most blistering albums the genre has spewed up, the quartet parting ways in 2013. However, the band's retirement turned out to be short lived, returning to stages in 2019 to celebrate the band's 30th anniversary, and now they drop their first new full-length in twelve years, the monstrous All Heads Are Gonna Roll.
Check out a visualizer for the new single, "Piece By Stinking Piece", below:
Boasting the classic Vomitory sound with a few new twists and turns, it is everything their faithful could have hoped for, the band having taken their time before committing to it rather than rushing in. "We weren't feeling any pressure, it was rather about making a decision whether we should continue as a band, i.e. release new material, or simply put the band back in the grave again," explains drummer Tobias Gustafsson. "We wrote a few songs first just for the fun of it, to see if we still 'had it', before we made the final decision to continue and make a new full-length album."
All Heads Are Gonna Roll is best described as "fast, grinding, D-beat, fist-in-your-face death metal", it features fresh aspects that are uncommon to Vomitory records. "One thing in particular we did was to try to build distinct choruses in the songs, which is something we didn't put too much effort into earlier," explains drummer Tobias Gustafsson. "We have also spent a lot more time working with the backing vocal arrangements, which we certainly think paid off very well. It brings something new to our sound. We have also tried to write more straightforward riffs, like we did in the early 2000s."
The instruments for the record were tracked in the band's rehearsal space, on a mobile studio setup engineered by Mats Lindström, and was self-produced. This allowed them to work at their own pace in the hours that worked for them, rather than having this dictated to them as would be the case if they had rented a studio. "Although we had a lot of flexibility to choose our working hours, it was still crucial to keep the recording schedule as strict as possible, because it was so easy to say 'let's do it tomorrow instead'." For vocals, they went to Leon Music Studios and engineer Rikard Löfgren, which was where they recorded their last three albums. They brought in good friend Christian Fredriksson (Vulkan) to play some guitar solos, but otherwise it is entirely their own work. With vivid horror movie-inspired artwork - with a hint of anti-religion thrown in for good measure - All Heads Are Gonna Roll really is the whole package for death metal fans, and a stunning return to form after so many years between releases.
All Heads Are Gonna Roll is available in the following formats:
- Digipak-CD
- 180g black vinyl
- dim gray marbled vinyl (limited to 700 copies)
- crimson red marbled vinyl (limited to 500 copies)
- clear w/ red & white splatter vinyl (limited to 300 copies)
- silver w/ black splatter vinyl (limited to 300 copies)
- red w/ purple splatter vinyl (limited to 300 copies) Sound Pollution exclusive
All Heads Are Gonna Roll, available via Metal Blade, can be ordered here.
Cover art by Giannis Nakos.
All Heads Are Gonna Roll tracklisting:
"All Heads Are Gonna Roll"
"Decrowned"
"Ode To The Meat Saw"
"The Deepest Tomb"
"Piece By Stinking Piece"
"Raped, Strangled, Sodomized, Dead"
"Dead Man Stalking"
"Disciples Of The Damned"
"Dead World"
"Beg For Death"
"Raped, Strangled, Sodomized, Dead" video:
"All Heads Are Gonna Roll" video:
Unboxing video:
Vomitory lineup:
Erik Rundqvist - vocals/bass
Urban Gustafsson - guitar
Peter Östlund - lead guitar
Tobias Gustafsson - drums
Zwielicht, the latest full-length album from Mental Cruelty, will be made available via Century Media Records on June 23. “Nordlys” their newest offering describes the tale of the Nordic afterlife, where ancient deities and restless spirits reign with almighty wrath. Follow the journey of souls rising up to heaven, but beware the phantoms of the afterlife and the omen of bane; the “Nordlys” may be listened to here; the awesome music video (produced by Aurora Motion Pictures) can be watched below.
Mental Cruelty comments on the new single: “The song 'Nordlys' is about ancient sagas of the northern lights, interpreted differently by Vikings and Norwegian tribes. These tales interpreted the lights in the sky in different ways. We should approach new situations positively, remembering fear often lies in our heads. Musically, it's not a typical Mental Cruelty song, with an acoustic guitar intro and orchestration setting the mood. The song ends with a guitar riff that will make you want to headbang.”
Zwielicht artwork and tracklisting:
"Midtvinter"
"Obsessis A Daemonio"
"Forgotten Kings"
"Pest"
"Nordlys"
"Mortal Shells"
"Zwielicht"
"Symphony Of A Dying Star"
"The Arrogance Of Agony"
"A Tale Of Salt And Light"
Mental Cruelty comments on the upcoming album: “Let us embrace a new era of darkness by bringing the 'black' into blackened heavy music. Join us on the way down to infernal gates of hell to be rebirthed back to life. The album will contain the most mind-bending variety of different heavy musical influences and sounds. Epic symphonic orchestras accompanied by slam breakdowns; this will have it all. Inspired from metaphors written by nature, death, and inner demons.”
Check out the previously released videos for “Zwielicht / Symphony Of A Dying Star” and “Forgotten Kings”:
ALICE COOPER guitarist Nita Strauss will release her sophomore solo album, "The Call Of The Void", on July 7 via Sumerian Records. The official music video for the LP's latest single, "The Golden Trail", featuring a guest appearance by IN FLAMES vocalist Anders Fridén, can be seen below.
Regarding the album's title, Strauss shared: "Have you ever been at the top of a high building and had the fleeting thought, '… I could jump right now?' This feeling is sometimes called 'The Call Of The Void,' also known as 'high place phenomenon.' It's not a suicidal impulse, rather the exact opposite — a subconscious decision to live your life, to step back from the ledge, and take control. As researcher April Smith aptly put it: 'An urge to jump affirms the urge to live.'
"I wanted the follow-up to 'Controlled Chaos' to be exciting, new, and fresh, to take listeners to a new place and take myself somewhere new as an artist too. We have some amazing collaborations on this album with incredible musicians, as well as the instrumental guitar music that first inspired me to play.
"Some pieces of music come into the world gracefully and easily. This album is not one of them! 'The Call Of The Void' was born kicking and screaming, a labor of love for sure, but also of blood, sweat and plenty of tears. I couldn't be more proud of the end result. Making this album helped me learn and grow so much as a musician and songwriter and I'm excited to finally unleash it on the world."
On the collaboration with Fridén, Strauss said: "When I was first learning how to play guitar, IN FLAMES were my BEATLES, my first favorite band. Anders's iconic vocal style is burned into my mind! To write a song like this and have him sing on it, as a kid who grew up with IN FLAMES posters on my walls, is an absolute dream come true."
"It was a lot of fun to collaborate with Nita on 'The Golden Trail'," added Fridén. "She's an amazing guitar player and I can hear the history of metal flowing through her fingers."
"The Golden Trail" is the fourth song Nita has released featuring a star guest vocalist, the first being the enormously successful "Dead Inside" which featured guest vocals from DISTURBED's David Draiman and saw Nita become the first-ever solo female to have a No. 1 hit at Active Rock radio. She also returned to her instrumental roots last year with the release of single "Summer Storm", a fast-paced, emotive shred-fest. In October 2022, Nita dropped "The Wolf You Feed", an epic headbanger of a track featuring the insane vocal talent of Alissa White-Gluz of ARCH ENEMY. This past March, Strauss released "Winner Takes All", featuring a guest appearance by Alice Cooper.
Back in February 2022, Nita told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about her upcoming LP: "It's gonna be half and half — six tracks with vocalists and six tracks of instrumental [music]. We've been doing ['Dead Inside'] live on the solo tour and it's been getting a super-good reaction from our crowds."
In early December 2022, Nita told "The Mistress Carrie Podcast" about her decision to make the upcoming LP half vocal songs and half instrumental: "I did feel, and the label and everybody agreed, it's still important for me to keep my identity as a guitar player and not just branch off too much and go, 'Okay, well, now it's just guests.' Let me still have a little of what makes me me, which is the instrumental shred stuff. And the instrumental pieces that I've written on this record are, I think, better than anything I did on the first one — definitely more… I don't know if it could be more emotional but they're very emotional pieces of music and I think a little better crafted this time around. So I think all the songs in general are more well thought out, better put together this time around. And I do have some of my absolute favorite [singers guesting on it]. I have three amazing powerhouse female vocalists on this album so far."
Nita released 2018's "Controlled Chaos" to mass acclaim from fans and media alike, with Metal Injection calling it "a great debut that — as its creator intended — leaves no doubt", and Guitar World stating "'Controlled Chaos' is a panoramic view of Nita Strauss's many strengths".
In March, it was announced that Nita would return to Alice's band for his 2023 tour.
The Alice Cooper North American tour, with an all-new show dubbed "Too Close For Comfort", kicked off in late April in Michigan and will continue through late September, including a handful of August stadium shows with DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY CRÜE, followed by a co-headlining late summer "Freaks On Parade" tour with Rob Zombie.
Nita spent eight years playing with Alice before joining Demi Lovato's band last summer,
Strauss played her first full live show with Demi in August 2022 at the Grandstand at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, Illinois.
Nita made her live debut with Demi in July 2022 with a performance of "Substance" on ABC's Emmy Award-winning late-night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!".
Strauss had been playing with Cooper since 2014 when she replaced Australian musician and former Michael Jackson player Orianthi. She joined Alice in time for a mammoth MÖTLEY CRÜE tour. She was recommended to Cooper by the legendary rocker's former bass player and WINGER frontman Kip Winger.
"The Call Of The Void" track listing:
01. Summer Storm
02. The Wolf You Feed (feat. Alissa White-Gluz)
03. Digital Bullets (feat. Chris Motionless)
04. Through The Noise (feat. Lzzy Hale)
05. Consume The Fire
06. Dead Inside (feat. David Draiman)
07. Victorious (feat. Dorothy)
08. Scorched
09. Momentum
10. The Golden Trail (feat. Anders Fridén)
11. Winner Takes All (feat. Alice Cooper)
12. Monster (feat. Lilith Czar)
13. Kintsugi
14. Surfacing (feat. Marty Friedman)
On September 22, Finland’s Hexvessel return with their sixth album, Polar Veil, a cold, metallic hymn to the Sub Arctic North. Haunted by primal forest spirits, Mat “Kvohst” McNerney summons the ghosts of his past in a jaw-dropping, unheard-of rebirth of style and sound. At once unmistakably Hexvessel, Polar Veil is also steeped in the nocturnal atmosphere of McNerney’s past, churned in the cauldron of black metal, ritual folk psychedelia and doom rock, and echoing with shivering Gothic undertones.
Holed up in a home-made studio in his log cabin during the winter of 2022, McNerney drew on all the fundamental elements of his music career as a shamanic shapeshifter, with only the isolation of nature’s solitude as inspiration. Painting an aura with Polar Veil which resonates with solitary reflection and themes of personal spiritual transcendence, Hexvessel’s new album is a bold statement from an artist who continues to reinvent and explore nature mysticism through music.
“Nature represents freedom, darkness and the call of the wild. Black metal has always been at the borders of my sound and playing, at the heart of everything I do. Tradition, nature, ritual, mythology, mysticism and philosophy, along with clashing and jarring chords have always been synonymous with Hexvessel. It was natural with Polar Veil, finally now as we reach the zenith of the journey, that these influences surface to the human ear, and with the freezing cold guitar sound that the climate here demands.”
Polar Veil features Nameless Void from Negative Plane, performing the guitar solo on the song "Ring" and on "Older Than The Gods", Okoi from Bølzer provides guest vocals. At first an unlikely partnership but one that makes total sense as the album deepens, and threads can be drawn that reveal the place Polar Veil is coming from.
When the components of the medicine are familiar but brewed in a completely novel concoction, the resulting side effects can be deliriously intoxicating. Peer behind this Polar Veil for a breath of fresh tundra air.
Polar Veil is pressed on exclusive limited edition transparent lake green vinyl, wider release limited transparent ice clear natural vinyl and standard issue blacker than midnight wax variants and each comes with a large scale 12 page booklet featuring artwork by Thomas Hooper.
Pre-order here, and watch a video for the single "Older Than The Gods", below.
Tracklisting:
"The Tundra Is Awake"
"Older Than The Gods"
"Listen To The River"
"A Cabin In Montana"
"Eternal Meadow"
"Crepuscular Creatures"
"Ring"
"Homeward Polar Spirit"
Ted Nugent, Robin Zander (CHEAP TRICK),Jack Blades (NIGHT RANGER) and Matt Sorum (GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER) were part of the KINGS OF CHAOS lineup that performed this past Monday (May 22) at the Hendon Rocks party for select global ICSC Las Vegas retail conference attendees at The Chelsea in Las Vegas, Nevada. The set included a rendition of the song "Coming Of Age" from DAMN YANKEES, the 1990s supergroup that both Nugent and Blades were part of, alongside STYX's Tommy Shaw and Michael Cartellone. Video and photos of the performance can be found below.
Blades shared a few photos from the event on his Facebook page and wrote in an accompanying message: "A bit of a DAMN YANKEES reunion with The Motor City Madman Ted Nugent & myself belting out 'Coming Of Age' with the help of the great Matt Sorum & fellow NR brother Keri Kelli!
"A fun KINGS OF CHAOS gig in Las Vegas at the Hendon Rocks private party! Carmine Rojas & Robin Zander of CHEAP TRICK joined us as well!"
During a March 2023 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Shaw was once again asked about the possibility of a reunion of the DAMN YANKEES. He responded: "I think we kind of ran that thing until the wheels fell off of it. And I'd like to just keep it like that. It was a fantastic run. It was just wild and wooly. We made those two records. The first record, that was the shit. The second record, it just started to lose the thing that it had on the first album. And I think everybody else knew that it was probably time to go back to your regular job."
Pressed about whether he would be open to revisiting DAMN YANKEES for a one-off tour or concert, Shaw said: "Michael is a permanent fixture in LYNYRD SKYNYRD, and DAMN YANKEES without Michael Cartellone just wouldn't be right. And we [in STYX] do 90 to 120 shows a year, and you have to go home some time. It's like having two wives, your two families.
"As far as I'm concerned, we had our day. We had big records, we sold a lot of records, we got a lot of airplay, and I just don't know how we would be able to fit all that in," Tommy explained. "I wouldn't wanna tell the guys in my band [STYX], 'Sorry, guys. We can't play any shows for a few months.' 'Cause that's what everybody wants to do."
DAMN YANKEES formed in 1989 and released two albums, an eponymous debut and the 1992 follow-up "Don't Tread". Hit singles included "Come Again", "High Enough" and "Coming Of Age".
DAMN YANKEES has reunited twice since its early-'90s heyday — in 1998 and 2010.
In 1999, A&R guru John Kalodner tried to reunite the DAMN YANKEES for a new album for the Portrait Records imprint, but Shaw's commitments to STYX prevented him from taking a major part in the writing and the recording. Kalodner later told Melodic Rock about the aborted effort: "I didn't think it was quite good enough, and at the time with 80's style rock, you'd have to come up with something pretty spectacular. I was disappointed in the record mostly because of Tommy Shaw's non-participation. I say that was probably the greatest problem. Tommy was totally an integral part of it. He was busy with STYX and it was sort of my mistake because I just couldn't control him. It's one of those projects that I failed on. I mean the buck stops here. It lacked the input of Tommy Shaw."
Shaw previously discussed a hypothetical DAMN YANKEES reunion during a June 2020 appearance on "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". At the time, he said: "Well, we never broke up… We are all still best of friends. [So] who knows? It's hard, because with STYX, we work so much, and to do that [a DAMN YANKEES reunion], it would mean putting [the members of STYX] out of work for a while. So it's a tough one. But every once in a while, we wind up on the same stage."
Asked if he feels there is some "unfinished business" with DAMN YANKEES creatively and whether he would like to do a record or a song with the band to "put a button on it," Shaw said: "Well, we can always do more. I don't think you can ever put a 'we're done' button on any of the members of the DAMN YANKEES. Who knows? Never say never. And we haven't said never."
End Reign makes their Relapse Records debut with their explosive album, The Way Of All Flesh Is Decay, out July 14. Masterminded by underground music fixture Domenic Romeo (Integrity/Pulling Teeth/A389 Recordings) and featuring an all-star cast of musicians and contributors, End Reign fuses apocalyptic hardcore with vicious metal in a deadly collision of the classic and the modern.
“Inspired by the post-apocalyptic feeling my surroundings provided at the time during lockdowns (the roads were empty…no one was outside…it was a lot like the movie ‘Last Man On Earth’) I wanted to create a band whose aesthetic reflected that isolation and desolation. That's how End Reign was born.”
Watch End Reign’s “Desolate Fog” music video, directed by Jeffrey Sisson (Exhumed, Gruesome), below.
Domenic Romeo comments on “Desolate Fog”: “This song was written with the intention of being the album opener. The whole first part before the vocals come in was inspired by the final scene in Tales from The Crypt (1972). The part where the crypt keeper tells his entourage that ‘they are here for allll eternity’ before they fall into the abyss one by one. The intro also pays homage to my favorite Overcast song ‘Begging For Indifference’ before launching into a death / black metal ride that falls off the track and bursts into flames….only to fall off again and burst into even more flames….oof. I was listening to Mayhem ‘De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas’ a lot when I wrote this, it’s pretty evident in some of the riffing. I had to stop though...that record gives me the creeps.”
The Way Of All Flesh Is Decay physical pre-orders are available here. Digital downloads/streaming here.
The Way Of All Flesh Is Decay tracklisting:
"Desolate Fog"
"Chaos Masked As Order"
"The Hunger"
"Divine Abysmal End"
"Serpent Messiah"
"House Of Thieves"
"Giving Life To Tragedy"
"Chasing Divinity"
"When Death Comes Crawling"
"The Night Creeps Upon Me"
"Desolate Fog" video:
Taking musical inspiration from ’80s linchpins Amebix, Bathory, Slayer and Cro-Mags, End Reign sees the talents of Mike Score of New York metalcore kings All Out War, Adam Jarvis of grind titans Pig Destroyer and Misery Index, former Bloodlet bassist Arthur Legere and Exhumed/Noisem shredder Sebastian Phillips joining Romeo to bring his vision to life.
Score’s lyrics explore the psychological torment of being trapped between opposing realities. “Most of the album, especially songs like ‘The Hunger’ and ‘Death Comes Crawling,’ deal with being caught between two worlds—the living and the dead, heaven and hell, what was and what is to come,” the vocalist explains.
Recorded over a year at Landmine Studios with Len Carmichael at the helm, End Reign’s full-length debut features vocal cameos from Romeo’s longtime collaborator and Integrity bandmate Dwid Hellion, Full Of Hell’s Dylan Walker and—incredibly—Ed Ka-Spel from avant-rock fabulons The Legendary Pink Dots.
The result is one of 2023's most aggressive and enthralling albums. “This album is like riding a rollercoaster in a theme park based on all the extreme music I’ve enjoyed throughout my life,” Romeo says. “I hope that any fans of our musical family tree will enjoy the ride as much as we did.”
End Reign Is:
Mike Score: Vocals
Domenic Romeo: Guitar
Adam Jarvis: Drums
Arthur Legere: Bass / Backing Vocals
Sebastian Phillips: Guitar
Steve Lukather and The Players Club / Mascot Label Group have released he second reveal in front of the release of Lukather's new studio album, Bridges. The song, "Someone" was written by Luke, Joseph Williams and David Paich. Lukather performed guitars, bass, and the lead vocal, with Williams contributing keys, background vocals and percussion. David Paich contributes keyboards while Shannon Forrest appears on drums.
Luke shares, “I am so happy and grateful for the reaction to the new music. Here is another song that is a co-write with Joe, Paich and I. Hope you like it.”
His ninth solo album, Bridges, could not be more accurately titled. Luke shares, “I see it as a bridge between my solo music and Toto Music. The fact that Joseph Williams, David Paich and I wrote most of the record, and the fact I invited many of the old Toto gang to come and play, co-writers like Randy Goodrum and Stan Lynch brings all this together. It also proves that most of my old pals and I are still great friends, and I wanted to do a record ‘in the style of,' as Toto will never record another studio album. This is as close as we will get.” He continues, “We still love writing and creating and recording together, and we will no doubt continue to work with each other on our respective solo works. It's complicated, and at the age I am now, I do NOT wish to do anything complicated.”
Amongst the repertoire recorded, “Far From Over” is a co-write with his eldest son Trevor. Luke reflects, “It’s funny…when he was born 35 years ago, I looked into his eyes before I cut the cord and said to myself, 'I wonder IF he will follow in my footsteps?' He sure did! It is a joy beyond belief cause he really is f*cking good! I wish I could say I taught him everything but I didn't. He is the only one of my four kids that has gotten into music (so far), and made it his life. He has a natural gift that one can’t learn. I could not be prouder than I am.”
Over the course of Luke’s career, both Stan Lynch and Randy Goodrum have frequently co-written with him. On Bridges, both of these prolific writers once again have collaborated. Lynch, of Heartbreakers fame co-wrote multiple songs with Lukather / Paich / Williams, and Goodrum with Luke alone on “All Forevers Must End.” As Luke offers, “These guys are the guys that come in and write the lyrics way better than me. I knew they would bring it as always and they did. They are also dear friends as well, and we love working together. I do have input to the lyrics. I give them ideas of what I wanna say and they articulate my feelings into the music, and then perhaps once I see their first drafts we talk about it, edit here and there, and the end result is what we have on this record.”
Bridges presents deep roots and branches from Toto’s family tree. Past and present members contribute on both the writing and performance side. Joseph Williams has writing credits on six of the songs, while David Paich does on four. Williams performs on all recordings contributing background vocals, synths, percussion or keys pending on the track, while Paich plays keyboards on five. Drummer Simon Phillips performed on “Far From Over,” “Not My Kind Of People,” “When I See You Again,” and “Burning Bridges.” While Shannon Forrest returned to play on “Someone,” “All Forevers Must End,” “Take My Love” and “I’ll Never Know.” Both old friend and former member Lee Sklar and Gov’t Mule bassist Jorgen Carlsson perform bass on a couple of tracks, while Luke himself performs on several others. On “Far From Over,” Trev Lukather performs guitars, bass, background vocals, and synths. Current Toto keyboardist Steve Maggiora co-wrote “Take My Love” and performs all keys alongside singing background vocals on that track. Luke shares, “Some people think cause someone has left the band or moved on to their own thing that we stopped being friends or stopped wanting to work together. I think this proves that is not the case, and I wanted to make music with my old friends, alongside having a laugh or two. It was a lot of fun and it also has a sound that is familiar.”
When it comes to David Paich and Joseph Williams, the three remain close to this day. Paich remains the musical director of Toto although he no longer travels appearing at every show. Williams and Lukather are the Dogs of Oz, helming the career of the band in to the future. As Luke shares, “I have been working with both these guys since I was a kid. I revere their talent, and wanted to take pressure off myself. Joe produced the record so I could just be an artist. Paich is the guy that not only taught me how to make records, but he was the one that encouraged my songwriting in Toto, and really pushed me in every musical sense. And, I love these guys and it is so easy. We all like the same stuff and have worked together for most of our lives. It was like going back to summer camp with my best pals!” He continues, “Joe is a remarkable Producer and songwriter as is Dave so…I was able to relax and enjoy the process. Hence it may have a 'familiar' sound or style when this is all mixed together. Not intentionally…it's just what happens when we create together.”
"Far From Over"
"Not My Kind Of People"
"Someone"
"All Forevers Must End"
"When I See You Again"
"Take My Love"
"Burning Bridges"
"I'll Never Know"
"When I See You Again" lyric video:
Over the course of five decades Steve Lukather has placed an indelible stamp on pop culture. Alongside his tenure as the only member of Toto to never take a hiatus from the band, he has performed on thousands of albums as a session musician. Amongst these musical contributions are some of the most successful, influential and enduring records of all-time including Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Additionally, he released a memoir titled The Gospel According To Luke which was a global best-seller. He continues to be Toto’s band leader, a long tenured member of Ringo’s All-Starr Band, and a solo artist.
Toto has enjoyed a celebrated global resurgence over the last decade. Through 2022-2023, the band will perform in front of close to a million fans. Their repertoire has 3 Billion+ streams at Spotify alone, with “Africa” counting for one billion plays on its own. Album sales exceed 40 Million copies. Toto is one of the few 70’s bands that have endured the changing trends and styles, and 45 years in to a career enjoy a multi-generational fan base and still selling out shows around the world. Toto was inducted in to the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009.
FILTER frontman Richard Patrick has revealed to Soundsphere magazine that the band's long-awaited new album, "The Algorithm", will arrive in August. Regarding why he decided to drop the previously announced working title for the project, "They Got Us Right Where They Want Us, At Each Other's Throats", Richard said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was just too long. I thought it was kind of funny because it was long, but then I just realized it's just too much to say."
As for the inspiration for "The Algorithm" title, Richard said: "That's indicative of just where we are as a species on the planet and the whole A.I. and everything and where we are digitally in the world."
Earlier in the month, Patrick spoke about the lyrical themes covered on "The Algorithm" in an interview with Lancer of Watertown, New York's 94 Rock WOTT radio station. Asked what inspired the latest batch of FILTER songs, Richard said: "America. Just social media, America, divisive behavior. We're all in this together. The ultimate message is we're all in this together, bro. We're all on this tiny little planet. And it's fragile, it's being polluted, the people on it are fighting. We live a very, very, very beautiful life for 70 years or so, and then we pass on. And let's take advantage of this time and work together and protect each other and help each other. And that's the ultimate message of the record."
Originally conceived in 2018 as a collaboration between Patrick and fellow FILTER founding member Brian Liesegang, the project was given a tentative title, "ReBus", as a nod to FILTER's 1995 debut, "Short Bus", before being changed to "They Got Us Right Where They Want Us, At Each Other's Throats" and later to "Murica" and then back to "They Got Us Right Where They Want Us, At Each Other's Throats".
Earlier this month, FILTER released a new single, "Face Down", via Golden Robot Records. "Face Down" followed the release of "For The Beaten", which was the first FILTER track to be issued by Golden Robot in October 2022. Written by Patrick, "Face Down" is classic FILTER — a tight song with loads going on, including some killer drum fills and a restrained vocal delivery that seems ready to explode at any given point as the song progresses. The track lets you know early on where it is headed and locks you in from the start without ever becoming predictable. It will appear on FILTER's upcoming album, which is expected to arrive in 2023.
"'Face Down' speaks to the hate and negativity plaguing the world today," said Patrick. "I wrote it after being inundated with lies, deceptions, and pure vitriol I saw on social media. I'm pumped. I can't wait for everyone to hear the full album."
For the first time in its 30-year career, FILTER will present "California Screamin'" — a full concert global stream performed live on location in Los Angeles. HITKOR will be the official on demand streaming partner for the show, which will take place June 17. The live performance will include special guests, classic songs FILTER has not performed in over 25 years and the debut of brand-new material.
"I've been itching to do a live stream since things shut down a couple years ago but I got caught up in the studio working on our new album," said Patrick. "When Scott [Donnell, CMO HITKOR] came to me and told me about HITKOR, and then invited me down to see MINISTRY do their thing, I was sold."
"California Screamin'" tickets are $14.99 and All-Access passes are $19.99. For this special engagement, FrontRow advanced ticket discounts are $9.99 and $14.99, respectively, and are available until Friday, June 2. Purchase only at HITKOR.com.
Last September, Patrick reunited with his former bandmates in NINE INCH NAILS for the first time in over 25 years. Patrick, the first guitarist to ever tour with Trent Reznor and NINE INCH NAILS, was in the band for four years before departing to form FILTER.
Patrick's career is a vision of multifaceted creativity, which he has delivered throughout his 30-plus years producing music professionally through his band FILTER, various collaborations, side projects, super groups, scoring films and writing for soundtracks.
Patrick's initial foray into the public eye was as NINE INCH NAILS' first touring guitarist. Patrick had met Reznor in the late '80s in a music store in Cleveland. The two became close friends and then bandmates. Patrick played with the band from 1989 to 1993, appearing in numerous music videos including "Down In It", "Head Like A Hole", "Wish" and "Gave Up".
FILTER's debut album, "Short Bus", was released in 1995 and went platinum, largely due to the success of the first single "Hey Man Nice Shot". The follow-up, 1999's "Title Of Record", also went platinum driven by the huge crossover success of the song "Take A Picture". FILTER's third album, "The Amalgamut", is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The album spawned such classic songs as "Where Do We Go From Here" and "American Cliché".
In 2006, the ARMY OF ANYONE project — a supergroup led by Patrick with Dean and Robert DeLeo of STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and Ray Luzier of KORN — came to light, releasing one album and a tour before each went back to their respective bands. Patrick refocused on FILTER, releasing "Anthems For The Damned" in 2008, "The Trouble With Angels" in 2010, "The Sun Comes Out Tonight" in 2013 and "Crazy Eyes" in 2016, and two singles in 2020.
FILTER has just kicked off a six-month-long tour crisscrossing the United States and Canada before a planned trip overseas to play in Europe and Australia in 2024. FILTER's tour plans so far include headline shows, festival appearances and a place on the "Freaks On Parade" tour with ROB ZOMBIE, ALICE COOPER and MINISTRY. The band will be offering a limited number of "Filter Fanatic" VIP packages that include exclusive merch, signed tour posters, used gear items, meet-and-greets and photos with the band on many of the dates. More information and tickets are available at www.officialfilter.com.
After breaking up in 2013, the Swedes of Vomitory reunited again five years later to continue to bring old school death metal to the world – check out a performance of three tracks, “Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize”, “Regorge In The Morgue”, and “Chaos Fury” – from Wacken Open Air 2022.
In any serious conversation about death metal, the name Vomitory has to come up. Following their inception in 1989, between 1996 and 2011 they dropped eight of the most blistering albums the genre has spewed up, the quartet parting ways in 2013. However, the band's retirement turned out to be short lived, returning to stages in 2019 to celebrate the band's 30th anniversary, and now they drop their first new full-length in twelve years, the monstrous All Heads Are Gonna Roll.
For a preview of the album, a video (directed by Marcus Svensson / dpmarcus.com) for "Raped, Strangled, Sodomized, Dead" can be viewed below:
Boasting the classic Vomitory sound with a few new twists and turns, it is everything their faithful could have hoped for, the band having taken their time before committing to it rather than rushing in. "We weren't feeling any pressure, it was rather about making a decision whether we should continue as a band, i.e. release new material, or simply put the band back in the grave again," explains drummer Tobias Gustafsson. "We wrote a few songs first just for the fun of it, to see if we still 'had it', before we made the final decision to continue and make a new full-length album."
All Heads Are Gonna Roll is best described as "fast, grinding, D-beat, fist-in-your-face death metal", it features fresh aspects that are uncommon to Vomitory records. "One thing in particular we did was to try to build distinct choruses in the songs, which is something we didn't put too much effort into earlier," explains drummer Tobias Gustafsson. "We have also spent a lot more time working with the backing vocal arrangements, which we certainly think paid off very well. It brings something new to our sound. We have also tried to write more straightforward riffs, like we did in the early 2000s."
The instruments for the record were tracked in the band's rehearsal space, on a mobile studio setup engineered by Mats Lindström, and was self-produced. This allowed them to work at their own pace in the hours that worked for them, rather than having this dictated to them as would be the case if they had rented a studio. "Although we had a lot of flexibility to choose our working hours, it was still crucial to keep the recording schedule as strict as possible, because it was so easy to say 'let's do it tomorrow instead'." For vocals, they went to Leon Music Studios and engineer Rikard Löfgren, which was where they recorded their last three albums. They brought in good friend Christian Fredriksson (Vulkan) to play some guitar solos, but otherwise it is entirely their own work. With vivid horror movie-inspired artwork - with a hint of anti-religion thrown in for good measure - All Heads Are Gonna Roll really is the whole package for death metal fans, and a stunning return to form after so many years between releases.
All Heads Are Gonna Roll, out May 26 via Metal Blade, can be pre-ordered here in the following formats:
- Digipak-CD
- 180g black vinyl
- dim gray marbled vinyl (limited to 700 copies)
- crimson red marbled vinyl (limited to 500 copies)
- clear w/ red & white splatter vinyl (limited to 300 copies)
- silver w/ black splatter vinyl (limited to 300 copies)
- red w/ purple splatter vinyl (limited to 300 copies) Sound Pollution exclusive
Cover art by Giannis Nakos.
All Heads Are Gonna Roll tracklisting:
"All Heads Are Gonna Roll"
"Decrowned"
"Ode To The Meat Saw"
"The Deepest Tomb"
"Piece By Stinking Piece"
"Raped, Strangled, Sodomized, Dead"
"Dead Man Stalking"
"Disciples Of The Damned"
"Dead World"
"Beg For Death"
"All Heads Are Gonna Roll" video:
Vomitory lineup:
Erik Rundqvist - vocals/bass
Urban Gustafsson - guitar
Peter Östlund - lead guitar
Tobias Gustafsson - drums
King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his wife, Toyah Willcox, are inviting fans to their upcoming "Toyah & Robert's Rock Party" dates - May 26 & 27 at Huntingdon Hall in Worcester, UK. Watch the video below, and get tickets for the shows here.
Toyah & Robert's Sunday Lunch is going on tour throughout the UK in September and October. The couple will be accompanied by a live band, with Fripp on guitar.
Nemophila, the all-female Japanese band who recently wrapped up a U.S. tour, which was preceded by a performance at Aftershock 2022, have released “Night Flight,” a new song, and its accompanying video.
“This is a song we’ve been playing live for some time, but have not recorded or released it until now,” explains singer/Nemophila founder Mayu of the new track. “Please take a look at the video as well, as it does a great job capturing the spirit of the song.” In March, preceding the band’s SXSW show, Nemophila released the single, “Rise”.
Today’s arrival of “Night Flight” coincides with the release of Seize The Fate, a concert film featuring Nemophila’s February performance from Tokyo’s Zepp DiverCity.
Nemophila formed in 2019, playing their first live show in August of the same year, supporting Loudness and Hammerfall at Tokyo’s Metal Weekend 2019. The band have released two albums: Seize The Fate (2022) and Revive (2021). Nemophila is Mayu (vocals), Saki (guitar), Hazuki (guitar), Haraguchi-san (bass) and Tamu Murata (drums).
Whitesnake returned in 2008 with Good To Be Bad, the band’s 10th studio album and its first in over a decade. Fans embraced the comeback, pushing the album into the Top 10 in the UK and flocking to shows on the band’s massive world tour. Today, album tracks like “Best Years” and “Summer Rain” have taken their place in the band’s live repertoire alongside global hits like “Here I Go Again” and “Still Of The Night.”
The band has released the official live video for the above-mentioned "Best Years". Watch below:
Whitesnake explores the group’s 2008 return with the legacy retrospective, Still Good To Be Bad. The collection is now available in different configurations. The first collection is a 4-CD/Blu-ray with two new versions of the original album (one remastered and the other newly remixed), a selection of rare and unreleased studio and live recordings from the period, and videos all the music videos, interviews, and electrifying live performances from the Good To Be Bad world tour.
Three other versions of Still Good To Be Bad are also available. The album’s 2023 Remix is released on vinyl as a double-LP and a single CD. Still Good To Be Bad also comes as a 2-CD set that includes the remixed and remastered versions of the album. The new alternate mixes also feature new background vocals from the “Hook City Harlots,” Cami Thompson, Misty Rae & Jackie Landrum, plus the “Hook City Horns” with Rick Metz on saxes and the trumpet of Joshua Reed.
Whitesnake founder and lead singer David Coverdale played an integral role in making the new collection, serving as its executive producer. In the set’s liner notes, Coverdale traces the creative spark for Good to Be Bad back to 2003 when he reconvened Whitesnake for a tour celebrating the band’s 25th anniversary.
“We went out for two months and came back nine months later, and I had a big smile on my face and felt really energized.... I thought—‘Wow! I’ve got thirty years of music here that I can go out and play, and I don’t have to promote a new record...I can just have fun out there.’”
The anniversary ended, but the tour buses kept rolling as Whitesnake remained in demand on the road. As a result, in 2006, the band released Live...In The Shadow Of The Blues, a concert album that also introduced four new studio recordings. Those songs raised fans’ hopes for a new Whitesnake studio album, the first since 1997’s Restless Heart.
Coverdale enjoyed a newly forged creative friendship with electrifying guitarist Doug Aldrich...After initially saying he wasn’t interested in new projects...after three years of touring, he felt the need for new music...not only for the fans, but also to reinvigorate himself.
He found the perfect writing partner with Doug Aldrich. Not only as a co-writer but, as a co-producer, too...
“Doug & I got on so well, I suggested we sit down with our acoustic guitars & see what unfolded...I was thrilled how effortless it was to create new Whitesnake music with him...”
So, it was that in 2007, Coverdale, guitarists Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach, keyboardist Timothy Drury, bassist Uriah Duffy, and drummer Chris Frazier began recording tracks for Whitesnake’s 10th studio album, Good to Be Bad. Celebrated by both fans and critics, the record was named “Album of the Year” at the 2008 Classic Rock Awards.
Still Good To Be Bad explores the creative process behind the record with 28 different mixes and alternate versions of album tracks, all but one of them previously unreleased. High points include “If You Want Me,” backed by the Hook City Harlots and Horns and a version of “All For Love” that features a different guitar solo by Aldrich. The collection also includes “Evolutions”, a disc of unreleased recordings that presents a guide through the genesis of each song, from initial ideas with rough vocal melodies, lyrics and riffs through to finished demos and full band production versions.
The Blu-ray delivers a variety of Whitesnake video footage, including live tracks from the band’s 2008 European tour, acoustic performances from the era, and an interview by Eddie Trunk. New songs like “Best Years,” “A Fool In Love,” and “Can You Hear The Wind Blow” come to life in these incredible live performances. The Blu-ray also features promo videos for “Ready To Rock” and “Lay Down Your Love.”
CD 1: New Remix
"Best Years"
"Can You Hear The Wind Blow"
"Lay Down Your Love"
"If You Want Me"
"All I Want All I Need"
"Call On Me"
"Ready To Rock"
"Summer Rain"
"Good To Be Bad"
"All For Love"
"All I Want Is You"
"Got What You Need"
"A Fool In Love"
"Dog"
"‘Til The End Of Time"
CD 2: New Remaster
"Best Years"
"Can You Hear The Wind Blow"
"Lay Down Your Love"
"If You Want Me"
"All I Want All I Need"
"Call On Me"
"Ready To Rock"
"Summer Rain"
"Good To Be Bad"
"All For Love"
"All I Want Is You"
"Got What You Need"
"A Fool In Love"
"Dog"
"‘Til The End Of Time"
CD 3: Alt Mixes and Various Versions
"Lay Down Your Love" w/ Hook City Harlots
"If You Want Me":w/ Hook City Harlots
"Call On Me" w/ Hook City Harlots
"Good To Be Bad" w/ Hook City Harlots
"All For Love" w/ Hook City Harlots
"Got What You Need" w/ Hook City Harlots
"A Fool In Love" w/ Hook City Harlots
"If You Want Me" Tommy Aldridge drums
"Ready To Rock" Tommy Aldridge drums
"All I Want Is You" Tommy Aldridge drums
"Dog" Tommy Aldridge drums
"All For Love" Doug Aldridge alternate solo
"Summer Rain" Unzipped
CD 4: Evolutions
"Best Years"
"Can You Hear The Wind Blow"
"Lay Down Your Love"
"If You Want Me"
"All I Want All I Need"
"Call On Me"
"Ready To Rock"
"Summer Rain"
"Good To Be Bad"
"All For Love"
"All I Want Is You"
"Got What You Need"
"A Fool In Love"
"Dog"
"‘Til The End Of Time"
Disc 5: Blu-ray / DVD
"Ready To Rock" (Promo Video)
"Lay Down Your Love" (Promo Video)
"Best Years" (Mini Concert From 2008)
"Can You Hear The Wind Blow" (Mini Concert From 2008)
"Lay Down Your Love" (Mini Concert From 2008)
"A Fool In Love" (Mini Concert From 2008)
"Got What You Need" (Purplesnake Video)
"Call On Me" (Purplesnake Video)
"Can You Hear The Wind Blow" (Purplesnake Video)
"All For Love" (Purplesnake Video)
"Best Years" (Purplesnake Video)
"Can You Hear The Wind Blow" (Cutting Room NY Live Acoustic)
"All I Want All I Need" (Cutting Room NY Live Acoustic)
"Lay Down Your Love" (Cutting Room NY Live Acoustic)
Symphonic metal unit, Sirenia, have revealed the third and final new single, entitled “Wintry Heart”. Ranking at the top of their genre for more than 20 years, the band will release their eleventh studio album, 1977, on May 26 via Napalm Records.
Fast-paced single “Wintry Heart” gives a bittersweet taste of early 90’s vibes, roaring guitars and synth melodies, exploring a new style like never before. The single comes with an exciting performance music video.
Morten Veland on “Wintry Heart”: "'Wintry Heart' is a powerful, melodic and more up-tempo song. I also find it to be very energetic - it's definitely one of the songs on the 1977 album that I really look forward to performing live. The chorus also has a great hook line. I hope you'll enjoy it!"
Captivating album opener “Deadlight” is followed by “Wintry Heart”, and “Nomadic” that represents Sirenia's characteristic dark and heavy side as shredding guitar riffs alternate with playful interludes while relentless drums and symphonic electronic elements go hand in hand with one another. “A Thousand Scars” marks a totally new fusion for Sirenia, as heavy symphonic tunes dressed as remarkable rock riffs and poppy rhythms dance together with the feathery light vocals of Emmanuelle. With the eerie and epic tunes of “Fading to the Deepest Black”, the song is reminiscent of their last album, Riddles, Ruins & Revelations (2021). Kicking off with vertiginous blast beats and a mesmerizing performance by Emmanuelle Zoldan, a warm vocal interlude by Morten Veland supports the song's stunning atmosphere before it leads into an impressive guitar solo. Following their operatic symphonic highs, the heavy side of SIRENIA is not forgotten and appears especially towards the end of their 11th record.
"Deadlight"
"Wintry Heart"
"Nomadic"
"The Setting Darkness"
"A Thousand Scars"
"Fading To The Deepest Black"
"Oceans Away"
"Dopamine"
"Delirium"
"Timeless Desolation"
"Twist In My Sobriety" (Bonus track)
"Deadlight" video:
"Twist In My Sobriety" performance video:
Sirenia is:
Morten Veland – Vocals, guitars, bass, synth, programming
Nils Courbaron – Solo Guitar
Emmanuelle Zoldan – Vocals
Michael Brush – Drums
BraveWords is hosting the premiere of Corvus Lore’s new music video for “Blind & Broken”.
Since Corvus Lore's inception in 2015, their goal has been to write music that is memorable, inspiring, and possesses the perfect blend of the various styles of rock music that they grew up on — keeping original rock music alive today. And people in the music industry are taking note.
SoundwavesTV has referred to Corvus Lore as the Bay Area's buzz-worthy band in 2023. Internet show host Chris Akin recently published his interview with the band stating, "Why Corvus Lore is the NEXT Velvet Revolver!" Inspiring and eye-catching videos such as "Boxing Ballerina" have won "Best Music Video" category at the 2022 Poppy Jasper International Film Festival. And their momentum keeps building — having shared the stage with notable rock legends like Tesla, Richie Kotzen, and Dizzy Reed from Guns n Roses, and Eric Martin. They have also made TV appearances on the KBFX morning show.
Their sophomore album, Lucida, scheduled to be release in July 2023 on Valley of Fire Records, contains nine new songs that will take you on a ride and make you want to set the needle back again and again. Keep an eye out for their upcoming shows in 2023.
Five long years since the band's latest, self-titled offering, Finnish power metal masters, Frozen Land, return with a brand new studio album, entitled Out Of The Dark. The album will be released on June 16 via Massacre Records, the pre-sale is available here.
Out Of The Dark is basically a 7-song cohesive ensemble in the traditional power metal genre. But on the last two tracks it gets even more exciting! It's not a secret, Tuomas has a perversion for 90's Eurodance, and on the last album the band already covered E-types "Angels Crying". Now, the band even created their own songs mixing Eurodance and metal. But, don't take it too seriously... Frozen Land certainly doesn’t. Let's give ear, following a previously-released, first single, the album opening track "King’s A Bitch", today, Frozen Land have shared a music video for the song "Señorita".
"This is the most meaningful track in Frozen Land's discography," the band comments. "The tune and lyrics came to Tuomas after consuming about 0.7l of vodka. It was an awesome night, the birth of 'Señorita'. They say the northern star shined extra bright that night. We feel that the song is our "baby Jesus", actually. From now on we celebrate the birthday of the song giving presents to each other. A little 'Señorita' doll is also made and then crucified on a small cross."
Find the video for "Señorita" below.
Apart from the band's Eurodance affairs, Out Of The Dark is old-school power metal – period. It is a wet dream for everybody who started listening to power metal in the 90's. No fillers, no non-catchy choruses, and no uninteresting guitar solos guaranteed. The album was mixed by Nino Laurenne and Juho Mäntynen at Sonic Pump Studios, and was mastered by Svante Forsbäck at Chartmakers Studios.
Out Of The Dark tracklisting:
"King’s A Bitch"
"The Prophecy"
"Dying Of The Light"
"Don’t You Ever Leave Me"
"The Northern Star"
"White Lightning"
"Out Of The Dark"
"The Slayer"
"Señorita"
"Señorita" video:
"King’s A Bitch" lyric video:
Lineup:
Tony Meloni - Vocals
Tuomas Hirvonen - Guitars, Backing Vocals, Vocals on tracks 8 & 9
Aleksi Salomaa - Bass
Antti Sorsa - Keyboards
Aki Kuokkanen - Drums
(Band photo - Hank J Newman and Fotolab Studio Italy)
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