The heavy metal 'n' roll, dark, madcap visionaries collectively known as Avatar — vocalist Johannes Eckerström, guitarists Jonas Jarlsby and Tim Öhrström, bassist Henrik Sandelin, and drummer John Alfredsson — have unleashed yet another track from their upcoming magnum opus and ninth album Dance Devil Dance, out February 17, 2023 via Black Waltz Records, distributed by Thirty Tigers. Pre-order the album here.
Today, they have shared the video for "The Dirt I'm Buried In". Follow the band through a gloriously creepy walk through the woods, and while performing, you'll even encounter some rock 'n' roll werewolves.
"Our new album is designed to make you move and to move you," says Eckerström. "We destroyed all doubt with 'Valley Of Disease'. We blew the competition off the mountain with 'Dance Devil Dance'. Now the world is ours, and yours with us. The stage is set, all that's left to do is give in and join the circus. This is 'The Dirt I'm Buried In'. You are welcome."
"Dance Devil Dance was recorded in the Swedish wilderness, far away from all the perceived glamour of the big city and modern studios. Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Mr. Bungle, Crobot, Stone Sour, Amon Amarth, Uriah Heep etc.) returned as producer. He first worked with us when he mixed Hail The Apocalypse, a role he reprised on Feathers & Flesh, before taking the wheel as producer on Avatar Country and Hunter Gatherer. No extra personnel were wanted nor needed. We stayed together for a month, eating, sleeping and breathing Dance Devil Dance, just the six of us."
"You always hear bands say, 'This is our best album yet.' This is our best album yet. It is Avatar at our most laser focused, at our most razor sharp. There's no BS, no extra fat. Every track is a weapon and has a purpose. It's all in the title, as this album is our angriest, horniest and most spiritual release, all at once. It's a must-hear," the band says.
Tracklisting:
"Dance Devil Dance"
"Chimp Mosh Pit"
"Valley Of Disease"
"On The Beach"
"Do You Feel In Control"
"Gotta Wanna Riot"
"The Dirt I'm Buried In"
"Clouds Dipped In Chrome"
"Hazmat Suit"
"Train"
"Violence No Matter What" (Duet with Lzzy Hale)
"Dance Devil Dance" video:
"Valley Of Disease" lyric video:
Avatar enjoyed quite a productive summer, traipsing North America on a successful headline tour. They next embarked on some of the biggest shows of their career - a trek with Iron Maiden, supporting the band in stadiums in Brazil. Avatar also played arenas supporting Sabaton. They secured slots at major festivals globally - Inkcarceration, Cadott Fest, Summer Breeze, and Bloodstock along the way.
Avatar added Veil of Maya in the UK and Europe this February and March 2023 on the Dance Devil Dance Tour. All dates are in the graphic below. More US touring will be announced in due time.
After releasing their latest record, Spirit Of Ecstasy, avantgarde metal trio Imperial Triumphant are back today with a video for the album track "Metrovertigo" - to coincide with their announcement for a USA headlining trek in 202.! See below for all dates, featuring support from Cloak and Couch Slut (who will be special guests during Imperial Triumphant's performance, providing guest vocals, horns, and more). For a preview of their stunning live show, be sure to check out the clip of "Metrovertigo" (filmed in London and created by Cam Shuck Productions):
Zachary Ezrin (vocals, guitar) comments: "Imperial Triumphant will be bringing the chaos of New York City to the eastern coast of the USA this winter. We are excited to be accompanied by black metal band Cloak and fellow metropolitans Couch Slut on this excursion. This will be our first headline tour since 2021 and we are elated to bring our golden ritual to a few select cities. We will be joined by horns and special guests making this tour one not to be missed."
Spirit Of Ecstasy Tour:
January
31 – Clifton, NJ – Dingbatz
February
1 – Pittsburgh, PA – Black Forge
2 – Cincinnati, OH – Legends
3 – Nashville, TN – The End
4 – Atlanta, GA – Boggs Social
5 – Mobile, AL – Alabama Music Box
6 – Orlando, FL – Haven*
7 – Miami, FL – Gramps
9 – W. Columbia, SC – New Brookland Tavern
10 – Chesapeake, VA – Riffhouse
11 – Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts**
12 – Brooklyn, NY – Saint Vitus Bar***
*with Cloak, Couch Slut, plus Artificial Brain
**Imperial Triumphant only
***Imperial Triumphant and Couch Slut
Additionally, Imperial Triumphant will be playing Spirit Of Ecstasy in full with special guests (to be announced soon) on Roadburn 2023's mainstage. "We are pleased to bring the golden ritual once again to the great festival of Tilburg: Roadburn," the band states. "Imperial Triumphant will be performing for the first time ever Spirit Of Ecstasy, in its entirety, complete with special guest musicians and flowing champagne. Please join us in this sacred worship of sonic dissonance."
Black Cross Hotel, the horror punk/industrial metal unit featuring members of Stabbing Westward, The Atlas Moth, Minsk, Broken Hope, Whipped, and more, has unveiled their new video for “Windows”. The track comes by way of the band’s recently released debut full-length, Hex.
“The song is a gloomy but punishing gothic rock dirge, reminiscent of Killing Joke at their most ominous with shades of early Cure and ’90s-era industrial rock,” writes Treble. “The clip itself is in black and white, featuring ominous imagery and a whole lot of ooze.”
Adds the band, "‘Windows’ was inspired by The Thing — both the film and the soundtrack. The sound combines Carpenter atmosphere and moods with melodic elements inspired by Ennio Morricone. The story is about attempting to blend in with your surroundings for the purposes of self-preservation and maintaining group cohesion and ultimately failing at both goals. The lesson is that denying one’s true nature ultimately hurts everyone. We feel Jakub (Chariot Of Black Moth) perfectly captured the mood and vibe in this video.”
“What if Mick Mars and John Carpenter joined Killing Joke?”
That was the question that synth player Andrew Ragin (The Atlas Moth) and guitarist Marcus Eliopulos (Stabbing Westward) posed to each other during the darkest depths of the plague. The answer turned out to be Black Cross Hotel. “Marcus and I are brothers-in-law,” Ragin explains. “I’m married to his sister, and we’ve been friends forever. He’s filled in for me with The Atlas Moth from time to time. We’ve been talking about jamming together for damn near twenty years, but the pandemic provided the opportunity.”
With a lineup completed by producer/bassist Sanford Parker (Corrections House, Minsk), vocalist Dee DeEmme (Whipped), and drummer Mike Miczek (Broken Hope, The Atlas Moth), Black Cross Hotel is a punk/industrial metal band forged in the crucible of the finest ‘80s culture. “Killing Joke is definitely our spirit animal band, but John Carpenter’s movies and music, and other classic horror movies, are where we found our inspiration,” Ragin explains. “A lot of the stuff on this first record is inspired by specific ’80s horror movies.”
Recorded primarily at Parker’s own Hypercube Studio in Chicago, Black Cross Hotel’s Hex is steeped in ‘80s fright flicks and their synth-driven soundtracks. Opener “The Shape” references Halloween homicide machine Michael Myers. “Windows” is the name of Thomas G. Waites’ radio operator in John Carpenter’s The Thing. The title track was inspired by the classic 1985 Bava/Argento production Demons and “Siren” conjures the teenage mental ward from Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.
Rather than merely pay homage or recite storylines like so many horror-inspired bands of yore, DeEmme examines these films — and the notion of otherness contained within — from their own non-binary perspective. “It’s part of what makes the band’s deep connection to horror unique,” Ragin offers. Elsewhere, Black Cross Hotel takes inspiration from the famous slow-motion chase scene in Halloween II (“Fugitive”) and Jamie Lee Curtis’ character in The Fog (“Hitchhiker”) while nodding to original horror-punk geniuses the Misfits with a deadly cover of “We Are 138” featuring Randy Blythe from Lamb Of God.
Black Cross Hotel live:
December
17 – Chicago, IL – Sleeping Village (with Ready For Death, Immortal Bird)
Witch Ripper have released the tongue-in-cheek video clip “Enter The Loop” as the catchy first single taken from the forthcoming album The Flight After The Fall. The sophomore full-length of the American melodic sludge metal outfit is slated to hit stores on March 3, 2023. Find preorder options here.
Witch Ripper comment: "We wanted to start off our new album with a musical bang, and 'Enter The Loop' is clearly making a statement about this band", guitarist and vocalist Curtis Parker writes. "Yes, we can play heavy riffs with pummeling drums, we all know that. Yet with the addition of Chad on guitar and co-vocals, we're now able to execute big dramatic musical passages inspired by bands that we love like Queen and David Bowie. 'Enter The Loop' represents a launching-off point for us both in lyrical and musical terms. It lets people know that they're in for something special, and that this musical journey is just beginning."
Witch Ripper have created a loving pastiche of the legendary pulp science fiction stories of old. The story told on their sophomore full-length The Flight After The Fall has all those tasty ingredients: a mad professor, his dying wife, cryogenic chambers, a black hole as well as themes of love, failure, loss, and acceptance.
Musically, Witch Ripper have packed The Flight After The Fall with as much aggression and barely tamed electricity as anybody knowing them would expect, but there are also fleetly intricate guitar interplay touches of subtle synth, and cosmic atmospherics as well as unshakably catchy clean vocal hooks. In short, Witch Ripper maintain their brutal roots while embracing the arena rock bombast of Queen and David Bowie, the exuberant modern prog of Coheed And Cambria, and Muse.
Artwork and layout by Chris Panatier:
Tracklisting:
“Enter The Loop”
“Madness And Ritual Solitude”
“The Obsidian Forge”
“Icarus Equation”
“Everlasting In Retrograde Pt. I & II”
PANTERA's second live performance in over 20 years took place Tuesday night (December 6) at Monterrey Metal Fest at Arena Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico. Surviving members Rex Brown (bass) and Philip Anselmo (vocals) are joined in PANTERA's reformed lineup by guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX).
The setlist was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:
01. A New Level
02. Mouth For War
03. Strength Beyond Strength
04. Becoming
05. I'm Broken
06. 5 Minutes Alone
07. This Love
08. Fucking Hostile
Encore:
09. Planet Caravan (BLACK SABBATH cover)
10. Walk
11. Cowboys From Hell
12. Domination / Hollow
The new PANTERA lineup made its live debut last Friday (December 2) at Mexico's Hell & Heaven Metal Fest.
Earlier on Tuesday, Benante reflected on the Hell & Heaven concert during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Basically, we get up there and there's a big kabuki curtain in front of us and the four of us just up there. And Philip came up to the drum riser and we just had this moment where we were shaking hands. We were so excited. And then I looked to Rex and I looked to Zakk, and the four of us just had this connection. And before I knew it — boom — we were right into playing 'A New Level'. And it was off from that point. And I was looking at the setlist, and I saw the next song coming up, and I was excited about that song. And then that song would finish, and I looked down, and I'm, like, 'Oh, I fucking love this song. Yeah!' It was that all night for me — just getting super hyped up about the next song and what was coming up. So I enjoyed myself."
He continued: "One thing I spoke to those guys about months ago, I said, 'Man, let's just try and be in the moment and just enjoy it.' And that's what we all did — we just kind of enjoyed it."
Speaking about how he and the members of PANTERA came up with the setlist for the Hell & Heaven performance, Charlie said: "Actually, Rex, myself and Philip, we were on a call and we basically came up with the setlist. And I remember saying to them, 'You guys are really close to this stuff. From my point of view, like a fan, man, these are the songs that, of course, must be played.' And, of course, they agreed with that. But then there were some deep cuts that we wanted to do too. And they were welcome to it. We even talked about adding more songs to the setlist for next year. So everybody's pretty much open. The way I kind of looked it is, 'Let's try and hit every record. Let's try and do a song from every record at least.' So that's what we're trying to do."
He added: "For this run here in South America, we're gonna keep [the setlist] as is, but next year I can see a song or two being dropped and replaced with another song. We already talked about that the other day."
It was first reported in July that Anselmo and Brown would unite with Wylde and Benante for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.
The band will headline a number of other major festivals across North America, South America and Europe and stage some of their own headline concerts. They will also support METALLICA on a massive North American stadium tour in 2023 and 2024.
According to Billboard, the lineup has been given a green light by the estates of the band's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, as well as Brown, who last year said Wylde wouldn't tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It's unclear what changed his mind.
Benante told "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that Dimebag and Vinnie are a big part of the new PANTERA show.
"Before 'Planet Caravan' starts, we have this video that runs with a little piece of the song 'Cemetery Gates', and it's basically a tribute to Dime and Vinnie," he explained. "I mean, Dime and Vinnie are all over the place. They are on my drum kit. Zakk has patches with them. But even in spirit, they're there.
"Before we went on, Sterling Winfield, who was very close to Dime and Vinnie — he basically engineered the last three records that PANTERA did — he brought me a pair of Vinnie's old gloves, and he brought me one of Darrell's old wristbands that he wore," Benante added. "And I put the wristband on and I played the show with that wristband. And I put the gloves in my pocket. So I had both of them with me that night."
Regarding how he prepared for the PANTERA live performances, Charlie said: "When I talked to Philip back in — it was, like, the end of December [2021] about this, that day, I hung up the phone and I immediately started to get my head into PANTERA mode and just figure things out. Because I knew these songs, but I didn't know how to approach playing the songs, how I'm gonna do this. And the one thing I wanted to do is I just wanted to play it like Vinnie. When the fans hear it, when anybody heard it, I wanted them to be able to close their eyes and I wanted it to sound like Vinnie."
As for how he felt about his personal performance at Hell & Heaven, Benante said: "I felt good about it. There was a couple of things that I am going to just play a little differently. Not so much the parts, but I think we were all a little bit — the adrenaline was going, and I wanna just pull some songs back a bit. We're playing here [at Monterrey Metal Fest in Monterrey, Mexico] tonight, and I think I'm going to just kind of relax a little more and just kind of settle down. I mean, it was the first show, so it was expected. We're human. I'm not playing to a click track. So tonight I think I'm gonna lay back a little bit more."
Charlie also talked about his musical chemistry with Rex, saying: "That's the thing. I didn't know how we would kind of come together and when we would make the connection. But I've gotta be honest with you, when I went down to New Orleans in September and it was just me, Rex and Philip. And after the first day, Rex and I, we had such a connection, and he said to me, he was, like, 'Dude, when I close my eyes, I feel like it's Vinnie up there.' So that made me feel so good when he said that. And Philip said the same thing too. So I was so happy about that. Because, honestly, I really did my homework. We're talking these tiny little nuances — things that maybe people wouldn't hear — I'm putting 'em in there because it's important to me to deliver it just like Vinnie would."
As for his drum setup for the PANTERA show, Benante said: "It's a totally different configuration [to what I play with ANTHRAX]. I'm playing more like Vinnie's kit, the way Vinnie played it. I wanted to play a kit like that because it gave me a bit more of a challenge. And I can't add more drums to it, because I just wanted to have the two toms in the front — floor toms — so I'm just sticking totally to the way he had it, and I wanna play it exactly like he had it and it sounds exactly how he had it too. So that's how I approach this."
Charlie went on to say that he doesn't understand all the negative comments that have been directed at him and the other members of PANTERA for trying to keep the band's legacy alive.
"This was never a reunion," he explained. "How can it be a reunion without Vinnie and Dime here? Sometimes people will send me something, and I see things online, and it's so disrespectful to both Darrell and Vinnie, and it's totally disrespectful to us too. And it's just, like, 'Man, if you don't wanna come, you don't have to come.'
"One of the first things I said to Philip on the phone, I said, 'This, to me, is more on an emotional level than any other level.' This means a lot to me personally, to go out there and represent those guys and represent the PANTERA name," he continued. "And that's all I'd ever want for me. I don't care about it financially and stuff like that; this, to me, I had to do this. I didn't wanna see anybody else playing these songs but me up there."
Reflecting on his initial conversation with Anselmo about taking part in the reformed PANTERA, Charlie said: "I was so excited about it. I said, 'Thank you for thinking of me.' And they were, like, 'There was nobody else.' And that made me feel really good. Because they knew my relationship with Darrell and they knew my relationship with Vinnie. And I loved those guys, and I love these two guys just as much."
Up until his passing, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag's death.
Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.
Vinnie passed away on June 22, 2018 at his other home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. He died of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn't pump blood as well as a healthy heart.
Pantera en vivo en Monterrey Metal Fest (MMF) Oficial
Hot on the heels of a debut CD released at the height of the pandemic to critical acclaim Blood 2 Dust attempts to make sense of human frailty and mortality ("Blood 2 Dust", "Judgement Day"), the horrors of dementia and memory loss ("I Can’t Remember Your Name") while tackling the dark sides of social media and cancel culture ("Reality Check", "Truth in the Shadows"). The title track kicks things off in style with a powerful groove capably anchored by drummer Wes Hallam and bassist Amrit Prasad. The twin guitar attack of Ted Tosoff and Dave Groves swirls seamlessly throughout the song while keyboardist Mike Russel adds color and musicality to the mix with orchestral blasts. Vocalist Kevin Wright howls forlornly “When it’s over and done maybe that’s all….from blood to dust” questioning promises of an afterlife free from earthly burdens while encouraging listeners to live each day as if it were their last.
The dark and moody shuffle that propels"‘I Can’t Remember Your Name" takes us into the mind of an Alzheimers patient struggling to retain identity and sense of self in a confusing and rapidly shrinking world. The catchy chorus and uplifting keyboard lines juxtapose with the sad nature of the lyrical content. "I Can’t Remember Your Name" is dedicated to family members whose minds have been stolen by dementia and those who have had to deal with the aftermath .
Up-tempo rocker "Reality Check" critically examines the pitfalls of social media with a warning to users to “Watch your step, it’s over in a minute until there’s nothing else that is leff". Guitar and keyboard lines intertwine harmoniously throughout, building to a hard-hitting chorus before falling to an atmospheric breakdown where vocalist Kevin Wright laments that the online world has become“A candy-coated nightmare, everybody has a blank stare”. Well said Kevin!
Living through a pandemic has highlighted just how much of daily life humanitytakes for granted. Lyricist Ted Tosoff was suddenly bereft of any gigs or income but found enough inspiration in the repetitive banality of self-isolation to write the song "Judgement Day". “I was sitting in my room just staring into space while descending deeper into madness and the words just started to flow” claims Tosoff. ‘Tomorrow keeps on turning into the day that went before’ sings Kevin Wright summing up feelings of hopelessness before more optimistically declaring that he ‘Never, never know where I’m going I know there’s something more.’ A Zeppelin-esque and relentless power grind from Wes Hallam evokes memories of John Bonham while the retro riffing of Dave Groves and Ted Tosoff give the song aflavor of Jimmy Page. Spaghetti western saloon-style piano and keyboard work from Mike Russel completes the picture nicely.
Album closer "Truth In The Shadows" comments on the difficulty of determining fact from fiction in the digital age. The bluesy vocal delivery from Kevin Wright would be at home on any Whitesnake record while the big harmonies of the chorus line ‘Truth in the shadows, lies upon the street’ sound at home on any modern rock station. The song takes a left turn in the middle section with some tasty Queen-inspired guitar work from Dave Groves before building back to a vocal crescendo of epic proportions from the band as a whole.
Epic and timely, modern and retro. Do yourself a favor and get Mad Symphonys’ Blood 2 Dust today.
From the depths of southwestern Germany’s Black Forest, Imperium Dekadenz gathered their strengths from the dark to create their remarkable atmospheric black metal sounds. Into Sorrow Evermore, the new album from this sinister unit, will be unleashed on January 20 via Napalm Records.
Keeping up with the sorrowful reality of existence, the duo addresses themes of depression, death and desperation. With eight new tracks, Imperium Dekadenz stick to their haunting roots and conquer the upper echelons of the black metal world.
Like the current dreary season, the band captures gloomy feelings in the second single, “November Monument”. Along with an official music video, it is the picture-perfect illustration for their relentlessly honest words. Steady drums and emotionally charged guitar lines merge with omniscient whispers and angry growls. Since breaking the scene with their critically acclaimed debut, ...und die Welt ward kalt und leer in 2006, the band has developed their own ambient sound with a strong emphasis on melodic structuring and raw tunes that are influenced by the second wave of Norwegian black metal without losing its unique trademarks.
Imperium Dekadenz on “November Monument”: “November is a monument to death and darkness and yet it also represents the beginning of a new cycle. Travel with us into the dark wings of melancholy and through this season, full of reflection and relinquishment.”
On their new album, Imperium Dekadenz continue their unique journey with dark, ambient sounds, luring the listener into suffocating spheres of black metal. Opener and title track “Into Sorrow Evermore” starts off with classic tremolo-picked black metal guitars and hard-hitting drums, building a gloomy atmosphere with the thrilling sound of vocalist Horaz spurring the album’s immersion. “Truth Under Stars” lures with pummelling blast beats accompanied by tragic guitar melodies as deep growls complement them to envelop the signature grim mood of the band. “Aurora” showcases melancholic pianos, accompanied by trudging drums as icy guitars swoon with a distorted but lush melody, building up to a serene guitar solo that cries its sorrows to the sky. The influence of various metal genres can be witnessed in songs like “Elysian Fields” and “Awakened Beyond Dreams”, while in between, “Forest In Gale” ensures characteristic style devices in mid-tempo speed, inducing a shift before delivering drama and dynamics. “November Monument” is a gloomy, slow doom inspired piece with steady drums that march on and guitars delicately plucking chords heavy with emotion, capturing the feeling of the approaching winter when November arrives. Imperium Dekadenz closes the album with "Memories... A Raging River", rightly encompassing all vicious vibes of the album into one final song. The album’s flow mimics life itself, beginning with high energy that slowly fades into melancholy as it lives on.
Imperium Dekadenz state: “In the dark and cold season, in a world that threatens to sink into its rising shadows, our new album ‘Into Sorrow Evermore’ rises from the fog of uncertainty. Melancholic, powerful, poignant, a reflection of the isolation and upheaval of recent years, but also a shadowy dream of what may come. Once again, we are happy to share our world and fill hearts. Into the darkness we strive, guided by our dreams, driven by the relentless time!”
Into Sorrow Evermore will be available in the following formats:
- Wooden Box Edition: 6 Page Digisleeve, Bonus Demo CD “Promo 2005”, Coverflag, Pendant, Patch (limited to 300 worldwide)
- 2 LP Gatefold White (limited to 300 worldwide)
- Tape Edition - GREY with gold print (limited to 100 worldwide)
- 2 LP Gatefold BLACK
- 6 Page Digisleeve
- 6 Page Digisleeve & Shirt
- Full Digital Album
Frontiers Music Srl announces the signing of All My Shadows, a quintet founded in 2020 by Vanden Plas members Stephan Lill (guitar) and Andy Kuntz (vocals). Their debut album, Eerie Monsters, will be released on February 17.
Today, the band has released their debut single and music video, "Silent Waters". Watch the video below, and pre-order/save Eerie Monsters here.
Stephan Lill is the guitarist and musical backbone of the internationally known progressive metal band Vanden Plas. From the very beginning, he has been a huge influence on the sound and musical development of the band with his songwriting. Outside of Vanden Plas, Lill has also left his mark with his involvement in the rock operas/theater productions "Ludus Danielis," "Christ 0," "The Chronicles of the Immortals," "Everyman," and "Last Paradise Lost".
Andy Kuntz is the charismatic and talented singer of Vanden Plas. With his distinctive voice, he moves effortlessly through all levels of vocal register and has established himself internationally as not only a rock/metal singer, but also as a lead in multiple rock musicals and operas. As the main lyricist and writer of the vocal melodies for Vanden Plas, he is the other musical mainstay and partner in crime with Lill in not only the band, but the aforementioned rock operas.
"The idea of recording and releasing some rock songs is something I've been thinking about for a while. While composing, I kept coming up with songs that have the spirit of the '80s. As a big fan of bands from that era, like Whitesnake, Ozzy Osbourne, Dokken, and the like, I still have a huge love for music from that time. The goal was to transport that classic music into the here and now. Hard rock with a powerful production, peppered with modern musical elements," says Lill.
The original idea for All My Shadows was to have different vocalists appear on the album. Lill brought in his musical partner Kuntz to write the lyrics for the songs. "We know each other inside and out, have been working together for a very long time and very well, and are a perfectly attuned team," he says. But once Kuntz was on board to write the lyrics and had demoed the first four songs with Lill, it was immediately clear to both musicians that Kuntz was the man for the job. "Why look far and away for several good singers, if the perfect singer is already there?" Lill muses.
While Lill and Kuntz continued to work on more songs, the aforementioned demos found their way to Frontiers Music Srl, Vanden Plas' current record label. Frontiers were also immediately enthusiastic about those demos and immediately and enthusiastically asked the band if they could be involved with releasing the music.
With the songs coming along nicely, the creative juices flowing, and a label home in place, Lill and Kuntz knew that a completely new entity had to be created, which would give the whole thing its own vibe and aura. When Kuntz came up with the name All My Shadows, they both knew that "the band name perfectly reflects the dark colorful aura of the lyrics and melody lines in a perfect way. The debut album, "Eerie Monsters" is an exciting musical journey through time, transporting our widely branched "heavy rock roots" into the present day in a melodically exciting symbiosis of retro ambience and modern sounds. Sonically, somewhat related to bands such as Ghost, Stone Sour, or Soen, if you will, the music unfolds in an intoxicating manner. It's time for The New Retro-Rock!" declare Lill and Kuntz.
Keyboardist Markus Teske, who is also the owner of Bazement Studios and has been turning the knobs on the mixing desk for all of Vanden Plas' albums since 2002, was brought on board first. Beside being a superb engineer, he is a virtuoso at his instrument too. Then followed Franky R., a bassist who has played with renowned guitarist Michael Schenker, among others. And to keep it in the family, Stephan's brother Andreas Lill, also of Vanden Plas and who has a tremendous reputation for his musical experience and skill set, was brought in on drums to complete the lineup.
Lill and Kuntz unanimously answer with a clear "No!" whether the participation of the Vanden Plas musicians will bring All My Shadows too close sonically to Vanden Plas. Both musically and lyrically, the differences are too great, too tangible, too obvious.
"Vanden Plas stands very much for progressive metal in all its variations, while All My Shadows stands very much for melodic hard rock. Musical points of contact are there, overlaps are not. All My Shadows have all the characteristics to have their own identity," says Lill.
Eerie Monsters tracklisting:
"Silent Waters"
"A Boy Without A Name"
"Syrens"
"Lifeforms"
"Wolverinized"
"The Phantoms Of The Dawn"
"Farewell"
"Devil's Ride"
" All My Eerie Monsters"
"Silent Waters" video:
Lineup:
Stephan Lill - Guitars
Andy Kuntz - Vocals
Markus Teske - Keyboards
Franky R. - Bass
Andreas Lill - Drums
Based in São Paulo, Brazil, The Damnnation attacks with their debut album, Way Of Perdition, releasing a versatile sound that mixes multiple strands of extreme metal and brings old school thrash to life.
Continuing to promote the record, the band has issued the music video for the track "Slaves Of Society". "In this video we decided to do it with a more 'stage' feel to express the idea of anger and anguish that is conveyed in the lyrics, a very evident moment now in the country," comments vocalist / guitarist Renata Petrelli.
In 2020, The Damnnation dropped a four-track EP entitled Parasite, on which the raging fist of old school heavy metal hit the skull of thrash metal.
The power trio is signed to Dutch label Soulseller Records. “We are very happy with this support and to be part of this cast with incredible bands from the world stage. We're definitely going to have an incredible road together!"
Recently, The Damnnation announced the departure of drummer Luana Diniz, who recorded Way Of Perdition, and announced the entry of new drummer, Ellen Tavares, who will record the band's new album, scheduled for release at the end of 2023.
Tracklisting:
"Before The Drowning"
"Way Of Perdition"
"Into The Sun"
"This Pain Won’t Last"
"Grief Of Death"
"Random Words"
"Slaves Of Society"
"Rotten Soul"
"No Hope Inside"
"The Greed"
On Decemnber 2nd, UK-based black metallers Cradle Of Filth performed at the Hell & Heaven Metal Fest 2022 in Toluca, Mexico. Fan-filmed video from their show can be viewed below.
It was the band's last show of 2022. The setlist was as follows:
"Existential Terror"
"Nocturnal Supremacy"
"I Am the Thorn"
"Crawling King Chaos"
"Nymphetamine (Fix)"
"A Gothic Romance (Red Roses for the Devil's Whore)"
"Scorched Earth Erotica"
"Necromantic Fantasies"
"Her Ghost in the Fog"
Syracuse, NY-based aggressive metalcore sextet, Fight From Within, have released the first single, “Vivisepulture”, from their forthcoming EP.
The explosive track boasts a short drum-fill intro, leaving no time to prepare for the barrage of immediate mosh-inducing fight riffs. The dual bouncing guitars peppered with wailing solos coupled with the seething vocals of Mikey Hayes and Paddy Mull create an atmosphere of intensity in its purest form.
“The song is loosely about being overwhelmed and feeling confined and oppressed. So much that it feels like you’re buried alive. ‘Vivisepulture’ - the act or practice of burying alive.”
Hayes’ lyrics, “It’s like I’ll never escape/Feels like I’m running in place” erupt before a crushing breakdown encapsulate not only the definition of the word “Vivisepulture” but a calling upon a deeper meaning of what it truly means to fight from within oneself.
The video for “Vivisepulture,” directed by Atticus Kiser, follows the band through everyday scenarios from the local bar to a gathering in the woods, as the typical turns grim quickly. Coughing up dirt and being hunted by those closest to them, the band finds themselves truly buried, but by what exactly? Check out the video for “Vivisepulture” and try not to gasp for air.
Hailing from Canada, Alienatör is a sludge metal band that confronts tough issues with razor-sharp riffs and memorable hooks. They released their debut album, Pariahs, in 2019, and have just recently followed it up this with Regrets, which is darker, more focused, and more intense.
Through the album, they look at political events, personal relationships and set heavy themes to heavy music. The title track sees the band at its most vulnerable, it's a cathartic song about the passage of time and missed opportunities.
Vocalist/guitarist Brad King lays out some of his motivations behind the single: “One of the more heartfelt and emotional songs I’ve written, dealing with personal regrets and struggles and the passage of time. I like the energy and looser feel of it, musically. Sean’s really standing on his head with some of the bass fills on this one but it’s all tasteful and fits perfectly, elevating the whole song. Simon also fills empty spaces in interesting ways on the drums here.”
The music video for “Regrets” can be seen below:
Regrets is a grim postcard from the depths of the human psyche. Alienatör’s darkest release yet, it is a reaction to years of deep political turmoil, the erosion of truth, as well as personal politics of grief, loss, and struggle. It’s an album that touches on personal and social themes. Flourishes of melody drenched in a caustic sludge, painted in shades of black.
The previous album was written as a two-piece, but since then, bassist Sean Skillen has taken more of a creative role in the process and drummer Simon Paquette was recruited for drums. The band still has some blistering fast punk-influenced tunes but they’re branching out and showing their songwriting depth on this latest recording.
Abrasion, aggression and heartfelt emotion meet driving rhythm and solid riffs throughout the album, which is recommended for fans of Botch, Jesus Lizard and Unsane.
Jesus Piece isn’t merely the sum of its parts. It’s the nexus for an explosive creative chemistry between the bands’ five founding members who have channeled their love for old school metalcore, hardcore and death metal into a sound that’s as furious as it is oblique. The band gallantly broke into the scene in 2015, turning heads for their frantic, feral live shows and grandiose, melodic songwriting which has since cemented them as standard stirrers and boundary-breakers.
Today they return to announce that they’ve signed with Century Media Records to bring listeners the next era of Jesus Piece, alongside the first piece of new music since their debut, Only Self (2018).
“An Offering To The Night” is caustic and an exercise in tension-and-release riffage from the guitar team of David Updike and John DiStefano. Bassist Anthony Marinaro and drummer Luis Aponte (LU2K)’s groove-work is as off-kilter as it is distinct and bombastic. At the heart of it all, vocalist Aaron Heard brings the pain with blunt force mental trauma.
The single is a spectacular preview into Jesus Piece’s second act and a passage to something more intense and personal for the five Pennsylvania natives. “An Offering To The Night” is available today on all digital platforms here via Century Media and comes alongside a raw video directed by Eric Richter.
Jesus Piece will play a free, all-ages NYC show tomorrow at Baby’s All Right. Come February/March, they hit the road for an extensive North American tour with peers Show Me The Body, Scowl and ZULU.
Øâåöèÿ
Avatar![=]](/img/news-bord-shr.gif){kind=small}
Øâåéöàðèÿ
Âåëèêîáðèòàíèÿ
ÑØÀ
Ãåðìàíèÿ
Êàíàäà
Èñïàíèÿ
Ïîðòóãàëèÿ
Áðàçèëèÿ
