Sumerlands have returned from the astral plane with another powerful collection of timeless, hooked filled hits: Dreamkiller. In the driver’s seat is renowned producer and guitarist Arthur Rizk who polished these eight metallic gems at Philadelphia’s Redwood Studios with his brothers in Sumerlands. Coming off of recent production credits with Kreator, Soulfly, and Show Me The Body, Rizk needs no introduction. His past work and expertise behind the boards with Power Trip, Ghostemane, Code Orange’s Grammy nominated album, Forever, Sacred Reich and many others have blown minds for over a decade. But it’s Sumerlands that truly fulfills his dream of melancholic chug.
The Sabbath-inspired haze of their 2016 S/T debut has been turbocharged with bigger riffs, distinct, Jan Hammer worthy synths, and forays into Badlands gone doom. But although doom crackles at the edges of Dreamkiller, this is classic, melodic metal forged with the melodrama of the Scorpions, the emotional heft of Foreigner, with an extra dose of depression.
The band have released a video for the track, "Force Of A Storm", which you can find below.
The band’s alchemy is on full display throughout Dreamkiller as bassist Brad Raub (Eternal Champion) smirks behind his P-Bass while drummer Justin DeTore (Innumerable Forms, Dream Unending) stares you dead in the face, swinging. New vocalist Brendan Radigan (Pagan Altar, Magic Circle) sings strikingly of lost souls in a world gone mad. Rizk and guitarist John Powers (Eternal Champion) keep their “Strats only” policy intact while wheeling in the full Marshall stacks to douse the record in glorious solos (witness the album closing duel of “Death to Mercy”).
Make no mistake, Dreamkiller is full of traditional metal fuel. After an amicable split with original vocalist Phil Swanson, Sumerlands have dug deeper into their secret well of cathartic riffage to soundtrack a planet “Running in circles as the bells, they chime.” Sing along, dream along, Dreamkiller kills ‘em all!
Dreamkiller sees its release on September 16 via Relapse Records. The physical pre-order is available here, and to pre-save or listen on digital platforms, go here.
Tracklisting:
"Twilight Points The Way"
"Heavens Above"
"Dreamkiller"
"Night Ride"
"Edge Of The Knife"
"Force Of A Storm"
"The Savior’s Lie"
"Death To Mercy"
"Force Of A Storm" video:
"Edge Of The Knife" visualizer:
"Dreamkiller" video:
Sumerlands is:
Brendan Radigan (Vocals)
Justin DeTore (Drums)
John Powers (Guitar)
Brad Raub (Bass)
Arthur Rizk (Guitar/Synth)
Jari Behm is a Finnish musician who is known especially among friends of heavier music. He was the bassist for Stratovarius in early 90's. Later on for Finnish bands like Tunnelvision and STUD.
The new album, Mind Adventures, is Jari's type of music which represents a really broad selection of music. "I promise that I will not repeat myself on the album as the music genre of my music varies from metal, funk, classical, hard rock to blues, but still heavier music shows the biggest role", says Jari.
Jari managed to gather vocalists who fits perfectly to the dedicated tracks. Brazilian Gus Monsanto (ex-Adagio, ex-Revolution Renaissance), Finnish Peter James Goodman (Conquest), Turkish Berzan Önen and Italian Alessandro Granato. Toni Paananen (Malpractice) played drums on five tracks. All tracks and lyrics are written by Jari. Also he played bass, guitars and synths.
He was two decades away from music business until he started to put more effort on music again a few years ago. It was finally time to release his own music as he has been composing songs since the middle of 80's when he started his music career. There are many unreleased tracks in his drawer waiting to be released.
"Break from music gave me perspective how I would like to produce the music and I felt it is the time to finally release my own music without any musical limitations. Distinctiveness of instruments and sound quality without too much of compression are very important part of the whole picture and I put special attention into this", says Jari who has mixed, produced and mastered the music by himself.
Tracklisting:
"Fight For A Victory"
"Neon Gravity"
"Fading"
"Gratitude"
"Leave Me If You Don't Feel"
"Dusty Canyon"
"Coming Back To The Point"
"Bass Rogue"
"Tuuliajolla"
"Odotus"
Those Damn Crows have released their new single, “Wake Up (Sleepwalker)”, taken from their upcoming album, Inhale/Exhale, out February 17 via Earache Records. A heavy-hitting tempest of a track that boasts the arena-filling sound of the likes of Alter Bridge or Shinedown, “Wake Up (Sleepwalker)” urges listeners to rouse from the slumber of modern society's puppet strings.
Frontman Shane Greenhall explains, "It's meant to be upfront and personal. It’s supposed to make you sit up and think about how we are all living in today's society, where the rich are getting richer, and where tech giants are moulding us into whatever and however THEY see fit via technology and social media. Get your heads out of your phones. Look up, WAKE UP!”
The official video for “Wake Up (Sleepwalker)”, created by Shaun Hodson of Loki Films (Volbeat, Skindred, Architects) and David Provan of 12 Inch Media (Alice Cooper, Stereophonics, Alter Bridge), underlines this message.
Shane elaborates, “When coming up with ideas on how to tell the story of ‘Wake Up’, I remembered the scene in 'The Matrix' where Neo and Morpheus were in between worlds and talking in the white rooms, similar to the scene in 'Willy Wonka' where they zap the little boy into the TV. In the video we are in between the two worlds, "The Real World" and "The Tech World”. We hack the system as our message is transmitted to interrupt the algorithms that cleverly influence us while being led by the corporate and tech giants, fuelled by greed and false news, via the portals that they use on us – our smartphones, TVs, tablets, billboards - anything with a screen.”
Watch the video below.
In between their main stage slot at Download Festival 2022 and selling out headline shows at the likes of Cardiff Castle, Those Damn Crows have created a new album that elevates their signature hard-hitting rock to dizzying new heights. Inhale/Exhale whips up a storm of atmospheric hard rock that sees Shane's trademark rousing lyricism delivered with molten-smooth melodies and ever-passionate emotion, backed by drummer Ronnie Huxford's earth-quaking percussion, guitarists Ian “Shiner” Thomas and David Winchurch's twin-attack of rampaging riffs and glacial auras, and bassist Lloyd Wood's juddering bass thunder.
Inhale/Exhale was recorded at the picturesque Vada Studios (built within a 13th Century chapel amongst 20 acres of rural Warwickshire) and in the beating heart of their Welsh homeland at Giant Wafer Studios, with producer Dan Weller (Enter Shikari, Monster Truck, Bury Tomorrow) and mixer Phil Gornell (Bring Me The Horizon, 5 Seconds Of Summer, You Me At Six) capturing this next evolution of the band.
Shane shines a light on the concept from which the album grew: “The album is talking openly and honestly about how we react as individuals to our life's surroundings and experiences. Have you ever noticed when you experience an emotion that your breath changes? We all must learn how to breathe in certain scenarios.”
He continues, “How we respond is sometimes more important than how we react in those unpredictable scenarios. We can all breathe, but how we breathe and the manner in which we inhale, exhale can literally change how we feel in that moment.”
The album's artwork embodies this concept and the title's duality, presenting a ribcage with one desolate, blackened side and one side brimming with life. Shane explains the thought behind the cover: “The rib cage is the protector of our respiratory system. When we were talking about the album name it seemed the perfect visual representation, where we could portray life and death starting and finishing via the artwork.”
Inhale/Exhale is available for pre-order worldwide now at earache.com/thosedamncrows on an immense number of formats including: a collector's edition bundle (which will house a burnt orange and black splatter vinyl with alternate fire carousel cover, exclusive to this edition); limited edition coloured vinyl with an exclusive 12-page booklet (clear with black smoke, purple, yellow), plus blue and white splatter vinyl with alternate blue sky carousel cover; signed CD with exclusive 12-page booklet and alternate fire carousel cover; a cassette collection of the band's full discography; USB; and digital download. HMV carry two more exclusive formats: CD with alternate blue sky carousel cover and black vinyl with alternate fire carousel cover. A green vinyl format exclusive to indie stores is also available.
Inhale/Exhale tracklisting:
"Fill The Void"
"Takedown"
"Man On Fire"
"Wake Up (Sleepwalker)"
"This Time I'm Ready"
"I Am"
"See You Again"
"Lay It All On Me"
"Find A Way"
"Waiting For Me"
"Wake Up (Sleepwalker)" video:
Those Damn Crows will join Monster Truck on their UK tour in September/October 2022. Tickets are on sale now for all dates. A turquoise vinyl version of Inhale/Exhale will be sold exclusively on this tour via a special edition tour laminate available at Those Damn Crows' merch desk.
Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen's project SMITH/KOTZEN will release "Better Days …And Nights" on September 16 via BMG. The effort comprises five previously unreleased live tracks, plus for the first time ever on CD, the four studio tracks featured on their sold-out, limited-edition 12-inch vinyl EP, "Better Days", released in conjunction with Record Store Day in November 2021.
The live video for second singe "Got A Hold On Me" was directed by Ryan Titley and can be seen below.
The full track listing for "Better Days ...And Nights" is:
Days:
01. Better Days
02. Got A Hold On Me
03. Hate And Love
04. Rise Again
Nights:
05. Hate And Love (Live)
06. Got A Hold On Me (Live)
07. Scars (Live)
08. You Don't Know Me (Live)
09. Running (Live)
The live songs were recorded during SMITH/KOTZEN's inaugural whistle-stop tour of the U.S. and U.K. at the start of 2022, which attracted unanimously rave reviews from fans and media alike, celebrating the duo's debut on stage together with stellar back-up from Richie's wife, internationally acclaimed bass player Julia Lage, and drummer Bruno Valverde of ANGRA.
Japan's metal bible Burrn! magazine reviewing the Whisky A Go Go show in Los Angeles pronounced it, "An amazing night….this rock n' roll band is very different from any other…totally unique …and bringing you great songs!". U.K.'s Classic Rock magazine said the show was a, "masterclass in guitar playing and performance".
Smith comments: "I think everyone in the band was extremely happy with how our very first tour turned out. We were all naturally a little anxious as we'd never played live together before but once we got out there, everything fell into place really easily and we all had a tremendous amount of fun. I can't wait until we can do it again and get to play in many more places next time round."
Kotzen adds: "We spent a lot of time discussing which of the songs from the live show to include on this CD. We wanted to capture an accurate snapshot of the special vibe we all felt on the tour and I think we've achieved this in the songs we've selected, and hope our fans will agree. We're looking forward to seeing everybody again on future tours."
"Better Days….And Nights" will be released globally on CD and digital formats.
The original EP tracks were produced by Kotzen and Smith and mixed by Kevin Shirley. The live tracks were produced and mixed by Kotzen and Smith.
In a recent interview with Metal Edge magazine's "Another FN Podcast With Izzy Presley", Richie stated about how the short tour came together: "What happened was it was all just by timing. Nathalie [Dufresne-Smith, Adrian's wife] and Adrian came into town, and Adrian said, 'Hey, we're gonna be there for a couple of months. You wanna write some more songs?' And we did get together and we did about seven things that are in the works; we have some demo stuff that are in the works. And then we started thinking, 'Man, we're here. Why don't we play?' Julia was in the house and we were talking about it. And it just kind of — boom. It just made sense. 'Let's go. Call Bruno.' And we put it together. It was real easy."
Adrian added that fans can definitely expect to hear more music from SMITH/KOTZEN, which released a full-length album and an EP during 2021.
"We started writing with a view to doing another album, and then we got sidetracked on dates," Smith said. "Like Richie said, we've got six or seven things. It's just taking where we left off with the EP — just writing as we do.
"I don't wanna change the world," he added. "I just wanna make good rock music. It's n there, and you've just gotta do it. You just have to do it, really. It's one of those things."
SMITH/KOTZEN's eponymous debut album was released globally through BMG in March 2021 to media and fan acclaim, charting No. 10 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart in the U.S., Top 20 in the U.K. as well as in other major markets such as Germany, Japan and Canada.
Smith is best known as one of IRON MAIDEN's principal guitarists, having also enjoyed success as a solo artist. Kotzen is the frontman for THE WINERY DOGS as well as having been the guitarist for both MR. BIG and POISON during his long and acclaimed career, which has to date seen him release more than 20 solo albums. Both artists are also prolific songwriters.
Melodic death metal duo, Hatchets For Hands, are back with a new single - their first offering since the release of 2020's "Cabaret Of Decay". "Mephistis" features guest drums from John Tempesta (White Zombie, Testament), and fans can check out the occult music video below.
“After several years of friendship, John joined us on a writing session above The Rainbow Bar & Grill in LA,” says Hatchets For Hands drummer/vocalist Cullen Poythress. “After a few whiskies together at the bar afterward, we knew it was on. We had to have Johnny T’s heavy-handed groove on ‘Mephistis’, and it was an honor to have him join us behind the kit on this one.”
Formed in San Francisco, California in 2009, Hatchets For Hands is the death metal duo of guitarist/bassist Brian Parks and drummer/vocalist Cullen Poythress. The band is defined by familiar elements of American thrash and traditional death metal mixed with the soaring leads and darkened melodies associated with Northern Europe's more melodic exports.
2017 saw Brussels-based rock sensation, Black Mirrors, take the world by storm with the debut of their awe-inspiring Funky Queen EP. Feverishly acclaimed live appearances and a powerful festival showcase later, the band fronted by extraordinary vocalist Marcella Di Troia quickly inked a worldwide deal with leading rock and metal empire Napalm Records, soon gaining further praise with the release of their first full-length album, Look Into The Black Mirror. Continuing to exceed expectations, the unstoppable Black Mirrors have now crafted a new masterpiece and one of rock’s leading highlights of 2022 – their upcoming release, Tomorrow Will Be Without Us, out November 4 via Napalm Records.
Are we killing our own planet? No, Black Mirrors doesn’t believe that we as humans have the power to destroy mother earth. However, as the album cover below portrays, it’s clear who will end up burning – all living creatures, us. Tomorrow Will Be Without Us is a clear statement impacting every single one of us living on our planet.
As first album single “Hateful Hate, I’ll Kill You” proves, the band pushes their fuzz pedals to the max, delivering a powerful rock anthem you can’t help but move and groove to, yet perfectly showcases Black Mirrors’ unforced, versatile and organic talent.
Black Mirrors says about their first single: "‘Hateful Hate, I’ll Kill You’ is one of the first songs we wrote and recorded for this album. We felt the song really helped us to shape the album as it embraces a lot of different influences like Nirvana and Hole, but also Queens Of The Stone Age, Jack White and even Radiohead.
The song is a shout out to the bitter world we’re living in, a shout out to our consumerist society! Our beautiful planet has its limits! We are on a sinking ship. We have left so many living beings to die, to disappear even. We need to change now more than ever - we have to change our ways."
Watch the new Black Mirrors music video for “Hateful Hate, I’ll Kill You” below.
About the new video, the band states: "The energy of ‘Hateful Hate I’ll Kill You’ video is pretty close to what you can expect from a live show of Black Mirrors. Furthermore, we focused on what’s behind the lyrics. The colors, mainly yellow and red, were used as a symbol of the burning of our forest, our planet. One of the outfits Marcella’s wearing is a nod to the last mass extinction to warn us of the 6th mass extinction we are currently living in. At the end, she even changes into a tree to embody the return to nature."
Black Mirrors’ sophomore outing is a deep, soulful and vividly textured 90's inspired rock record with umpteen layers begging to be picked apart with each spin, and lyrically, traverses humankind’s increasing apathy towards the world around them. The grunge-infused guitar lines meld in harmony, giving way to memorable riffs, rhythmic gems, big grooves and the addictive, beautifully unchained vocals of Di Troia. The album fluxes from fierce and blustery to often gentle and calming, channeling the flavor of MTV’s glory era showcasing acts such as Nirvana, Radiohead, Hole, Alain Johannes, Alice In Chains and beyond.
Contrary to the album’s title and its evocative themes about today’s society and a world falling apart, tomorrow does belong to Black Mirrors – there is no doubt they will own the next decade, providing us with the finest in heavy rock and melodic grunge grandeur the world of tomorrow unconditionally needs.
"Like all of us, we had to go through a lot during these past years. Tomorrow Will Be Without Us is our answer to all the questions we had during that time, our reflection on the ecological catastrophe we're all witnessing, our thoughts on our consumerist society, …“ the band comments. "Writing these songs gave us the strength to go forward and to heal us, it was our catharsis. We deeply hope it will bring you some light in these dark times."
Together with the touch of worldwide-acclaimed producer Alain Johannes (Eagles Of Death Metal, Queens Of The Stone Age, Arctic Monkeys, No Doubt,…), Black Mirrors have reset the bar to unexpected heights, and their new album promises to leave its mark on today’s rock scene worldwide! One can be sure, the music world of tomorrow would be a lonely place without Black Mirrors, and Tomorrow Will Be Without Us locks them at the top.
Tomorrow Will Be Without Us will be available in the following formats:
- CD Digisleeve
- LP Gatefold BLACK
- LP Gatefold Marbled BLACK/GOLD (ltd. 300)
- Digital Album
"Snake Oil"
"Lost In Desert"
"Tomorrow Will Be Without Us"
"Hateful Hate, I'll Kill You"
"Ode To My Unborn Child"
"Through The Eyes Of A Giant"
"Collapsology (Raise Your Voice)" feat. Alain Johannes
"Anthropocene"
"Tears To Share"
"Say It Again"
"Hateful Hate, I'll Kill You" video:
Current band lineup:
Marcella Di Troia (Vocals)
Pierre Lateur (Lead Guitar)
Yannick Carpentier (Drums)
Pierre Guillaume (Guitar, Synths, Backing Vocals)
Earlier this year, Cannibal Corpse vocalist George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher released his debut solo album, Corpsegrinder. Now, Corpsegrinder returns with a new video for the album track, "Bottom Dweller".
Animated and directed by Andrew Ralph (MGK, Juice WRLD, Paramore), "Bottom Dweller" can be viewed below:
"Acid Vat" (feat. Erik Rutan)
"Bottom Dweller"
"On Wings Of Carnage"
"All Souls Get Torn"
"Death Is The Only Key"
"Crimson Proof"
"Devourer Of Souls"
"Defined By Your Demise"
"Master Of The Longest Night"
"Vaguely Human"
"Acid Vat" lyric video:
"On Wings Of Carnage":
(Album artwork by Dan Goldsworthy; concept by Corpsegrinder)
Previously unreleased drum-cam footage of late Megadeth drummer Nick Menza playing along to the band's classic song "Skin o' My Teeth" can be seen below.
The HD video was filmed in March 2014 at Uberbeatz Studios in Seattle, Washington. The drum audio was mixed by Richard Easterling / KRM Studios and is believed to be some of the final studio drum recordings of Menza before he passed away more than two years later.
The footage was supposed to be used for the late drummer's first-ever instructional DVD, "Intense Mega Drumming", that was to feature 10 re-recorded classic Megadeth drum tracks with tons of tips and tricks from Menza's arsenal to help teach anybody out there become a better player. The DVD, which was produced and directed by Kari Pearson and edited by Menza's manager, Robert Bolger, has since been shelved.
The unreleased video footage from the session will be a featured highlight in the recently announced official Menza documentary film, This Was My Life - The Story Of Nick Menza. It is described in a press release as "an unflinching exploration into the life of one of the most successful thrash-metal drummers of all time, authorized by the Menza family.
From his childhood all the way through to the end of his life including a true blow-by-blow account of the repeated failed attempts of the classic 'Rust In Peace' lineup." "This Was My Life - The Story of Nick Menza" is being produced/directed and edited by Holly Mollohan from Screaming Butterfly Entertainment.
David Ellefson has signed on as a co-producer of the film, and also will provide narration to guide the viewer through the exploration of the late Megadeth drummer's life.
Mollohan said: "'This Was My Life: The Story of Nick Menza' is now deep into the production phase of the film. The generous support of the fans during our Indiegogo campaign, as well as the amazing participation of the interviewees has enabled us to gather some truly unique memories and stories. For this, we are truly grateful.
The recent Los Angeles / Seattle portion of interviews went extremely well and we look forward to traveling to NYC, September 5th for the final set of interviews. This project is proving to be an interesting and rewarding one, and we look forward to sharing Nick's story."
Ellefson previously added: "The making of the Nick Menza documentary has been such a joy for all of us, like a sort of MEGA family reunion where we share stories, laughs and even a few tears around Nick and what he meant to so many of us. I think this film and Soundtrack will touch the hearts of the fans and viewers in the same way, as we remember his larger-than-life character behind the drum kit, but also his lovable charm and warmth that made him the beloved one of a treasured musical legacy."
The Menza family previously said: "We are excited for the fans to see the life Nick lived before, during, and after Megadeth, it was quite the journey. Stay tuned for an epic documentary. As Nick would say, 'It's gonna be RAD, Thank you everyone for the continued support in keeping Nick's legacy alive."'
Menza's longtime personal manager Robert Bolger previously said: "Nick loved his fans and always said without the fans none this would be possible. I really think Nick's fans will enjoy this journey through his life".
"This Was My Life" will be the first-ever film to memorialize Menza's legacy and celebrate his life exactly how it was. It is described in a press release as "an unflinching exploration into the life of one of the most successful thrash-metal drummers of all time, authorized by the Menza family. From his childhood all the way through to the end of his life Including a true blow-by-blow account of the repeated failed attempts of the classic 'Rust In Peace' lineup."
"This Was My Life" will feature rare and never-before-seen photos and video footage from Nick's archived VHS tape collection, personally filmed by Menza himself from 1988 through 1991. Included will be exclusive content showcasing Nick working at the studio, personal home movies, casual time and party time with his fellow bandmembers, as well as other well-known artists of the era that Nick toured with.
The cover photo for the film was shot by Los Angeles music photographer Alex Solca and designed by Brazilian artwork designer Alcides Burn of Burn Artworks.
Late in the evening on May 21, 2016, Nick collapsed after suffering a heart attack during a concert with Chris Poland and Robertino "Pag" Pagliari in their band OHM: at The Baked Potato in Studio City, California and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner said Menza died of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Nick rightfully earned his place as one of heavy metal's fiercest drummers during Megadeth's 10-year commercial peak. The highlight of his career, Nick said, was playing Rock In Rio before more than 100,000 people. The lowest point was being fired by Megadeth mainman Dave Mustaine while he was still in a hospital bed after surgery to remove what doctors feared was a cancerous growth.
Earlier today (Wednesday, September 7),QUEEN guitarist Brian May teamed up with SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman Serj Tankian, SONS OF APOLLO vocalist Jeff Scott Soto, Graham Gouldman and opera singer Montserrat Martí to perform the QUEEN classic "The Show Must Go On" with the Armenian National Orchestra at the sixth edition of the Starmus festival in Yerevan, Armenia. Video of the performance can be seen below (courtesy of Victims Of A Down).
Starmus festival features presentations by legendary astronauts, Nobel Prize winners, prominent figures of science, technology, culture and arts.
Every edition of the festival is organized around a particular theme related to space exploration, and this year's topic is "50 Years On Mars".
May, who is an astrophysicist and Starmus co-founder, has performed at virtually all previous editions of the festival.
"Starmus VI: 50 Years On Mars" is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the first soft landing on Mars by "Mars 3" and the first orbiter "Mariner 9". "Mariner 9" took the first high-quality images of Mars while "Mars 3" brought the first rover, Prop-M, to the surface of Mars.
The Starmus advisory board includes Dr. Brian May, Emmanuelle Charpentier, Jill Tarter, Peter Gabriel, Richard Dawkins and Tony Fadell.
Speakers at Starmus VI include world-renowned astronauts, including social media-sensation Chris Hadfield; Charlie Duke (Apollo 16),the youngest man to walk on the moon; Jim Bagian, a former astronaut of Armenian descent; and Charles Bolden Jr., the former head of NASA. In addition, Starmus features a wide selection of Nobel Laureate scientists such as Kip Thorne, Emmanuelle Charpentier, Donna Strickland, iPod creator Tony Fadell and physicist and science communicator Brian Greene. Other musicians include rock band SONS OF APOLLO, legendary keyboardist Rick Wakeman, revered jazz pianist Tigran Hamasyan and Andrey Makarevich, founder of Russia's oldest active rock band, amongst other celebrities and renowned scientists.
Stephen Hawking, one of the most influential scientists of the 20th and early 21st centuries, was a Starmus advisory board member and became the inspiration for an ambitious award in 2016 that recognizes the merit of popular science at an international level. The Stephen Hawking Science Medal awarding ceremony is one of the key events of the festival, aimed at promoting science to everyone. Previous winners of the medal have included Hans Zimmer, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Buzz Aldrin and Brian Eno.
Armenia was selected for its contribution to astronomy, astrophysics and space exploration. For much of the 20th century, it was home to the Soviet space program, and to this day it remains a key location for the international community, housing The Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory and the Aragatz Station.
Israelian says: "Armenia has played an extraordinary role in the past, present and future of how we understand and explore our universe, and I'm looking forward to welcome this extraordinary range of thinkers and creatives to encounter this special place and share ideas."
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Swedish melodic death metallers AMON AMARTH played a surprise set at this year's Wacken Open Air festival on August 4 in Wacken, Germany. An official video recap of the performance is available below.
In a recent interview with Ireland's Overdrive, AMON AMARTH guitarist Olavi Makkonen spoke about the surprise set, saying: "We knew about it for about six months. And you know what? It was kept as a pretty solid secret for the best part of five and a half months or so. Which is not bad, considering how many people are involved in events like that."
According to Makkonen, the stripped-down performance was "more stressful" than a regular AMON AMARTH show because "there is a lot of pyro and lights that hides me [at a proper AMON AMARTH gig] if I want to be hidden for a while. But this was just us and the instruments and it was an intense feeling that so many eyes were on us in the sunlight."
He continued: "The original plan was that we wanted to play the smallest stage they had but there was a lot of concern for the safety of people, so it was decided that would put a small stage in the middle of the main two stages in the arena. It was a really awesome experience and we all had such a good time. We really didn't know how people were going to react but now looking back… it was incredible."
A few days before AMON AMARTH's appearance at Wacken Open Air, the Swedish death metallers teased the show as an appearance from a band called GUARDIANS OF ASGAARD, which, they said, would make "a brief appearance at Wacken on Thursday to play some of your favorite AMON AMARTH hits."
Wacken Open Air takes place annually in the village of Wacken, which has a population of just about 2,000.
Up to 85,000 people attend the event, which is 32 years old.
200 bands performed at this year's Wacken Open Air, including headliners SLIPKNOT, POWERWOLF and JUDAS PRIEST.
Wacken Open Air was forced to take a break for two years due to coronavirus restrictions.
AMON AMARTH has just released its twelfth studio album, "The Great Heathen Army", via Metal Blade Records. The LP was recorded with acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap, who previously worked with the band on 2013's "Deceiver Of The Gods" and 2016's "Jomsviking" albums.
AMON AMARTH will team up with MACHINE HEAD for the "Vikings And Lionhearts" co-headlining European arena tour in September and October. A North American tour with CARCASS, OBITUARY and CATTLE DECAPITATION will follow in November and December.
AMON AMARTH stands tall and unassailable: 30 years into a career that has seen them evolve from humble origins in the dark, dank rehearsal rooms of their native Tumba to their current status as explosive festival headliners and one of the metal world's most widely adored bands.
Formed in 1992, AMON AMARTH became modern metal greats the hard way. Ruthlessly dedicated to creating new music and taking it out on the road, the Swedes steadily built a formidable reputation as a ferocious live band and, as the years passed, were increasingly recognized for their recorded achievements too. Since the dawn of the millennium, AMON AMARTH has been unstoppable.
Breakthrough releases like 2006's "With Oden On Our Side" and its now-legendary follow-up, 2008's "Twilight Of The Thunder God" further cemented their popularity throughout the metal world, while the band's stage show evolved with each successive tour, transforming into one of modern metal's truly great spectacles. "Berserker" brought with it an epic, history-making trek across North America with fellow Swedes ARCH ENEMY, AT THE GATES and GRAND MAGUS and saw multiple sell-outs.
Heathens! Thank you for joining us today on the glorious battle ground of @Wacken for a surprise set. Until next time! - Amon Amarth (Guardians of Asgaard) ⚔️🛡 pic.twitter.com/paLw4dC1ib
Our raid on Wacken Open Air was a success! Thank you for helping us celebrate the release of ‘The Great Heathen Army’. Stream our latest album now at https://t.co/cVsJAelZMv ⚔️🛡 pic.twitter.com/vraeQr8lyg
Cathartic black metal titans, Gaerea, will release their new album, Mirage, on September 23 via Season Of Mist. Pre-order the album here, and watch a guitar playthrough video for the single, "Mirage", below:
Behind black shrouds of obscurity and desolation, the men of Gaerea deliver their odes in cascading maelstroms of aggression and beauty with full-length number three, Mirage.
Emerging from the age of pandemic to whatever awaits humanity next, the Portuguese horde remains on the frontlines of the next generation of extreme metal. The beauty of Gaerea lies in the directness and simplicity found within their florid tapestry of extremity and aggression.
With talons dipped in the inky blood of black metal and scraped across the flesh of human suffering, Gaerea is leading a charge into the future of darkness, and all those who find beauty and power in the dark side of existence would do well to take heed.
Cover by Saros Collective.
Tracklisting:
"Memoir"
"Salve"
"Deluge"
"Arson"
"Ebb"
"Mirage"
"Mantle"
"Laude"
"Dormant" (Deluxe media book bonus track)
PUDDLE OF MUDD has released the official music video for the song "My Kind Of Crazy". The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Welcome To Galvania", which came out in 2019 via Pavement Entertainment. It marked PUDDLE OF MUDD's first full-length collection of new material since "Volume 4: Songs In The Key Of Love And Hate".
This past May, PUDDLE OF MUDD frontman Wes Scantlin told Reno's Rock 104.5 radio station that the follow-up to "Welcome To Galvania" was "basically pretty much done. I've just gotta polish it a little bit up and revise a couple of things," he said. "I did a lot of work with [former PUDDLE OF MUDD bassist] Doug Ardito [and former PUDDLE OF MUDD guitarist] Christian Stone that used to be playing with me and stuff like that. And they had basically saved a bunch of songs that were recorded. And I'm really happy about it. It was a little funky, but I'm glad that it was put into a musical vault. So it takes a lot of weight off my shoulders."
Last November, Scantlinnmade headlines for on onstage meltdown at the EPIC Event Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin where he seemed to barely get the words out to the band's hits, complained that the lighting was blinding him and abruptly ended the show after just a few songs.
Wes had almost non-stop problems with the law, alcohol, finances and other issues, before claiming to have gotten sober in 2017. Scantlin said that he ended up going back to rehab and receiving treatment "because there's really nowhere else to go." He also credited his family and fans for giving him the strength to try to get better.
Scantlin was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in September 2017 after he attempted to board a plane with a BB gun. He pleaded no contest and was banned from LAX unless it involved traveling for work.
Before that, there have been a few tumultuous years for the singer and guitarist. In January of 2016, he was arrested on suspicion of breaking into his former home and vandalizing some of the property.
He skipped two court dates related to the charges later that spring, which led to another arrest.
Prior to that, Scantlin was arrested in December 2015 for possession of a controlled substance and had several previous busts that same year for driving under the influence.
Additionally, he was arrested at a Denver airport in 2015 for taking a joyride on a baggage carousel and taken into custody as far back as 2012 for an altercation with a flight attendant.
He also ended a number of PUDDLE OF MUDD shows in 2016 early with various meltdowns, including one in which he accused a fan of stealing his house
PUDDLE OF MUDD was formed in 1991 in Kansas City by Scantlin, the only original member still with the band. The group into the mainstream with 2001's "Come Clean", which yielded three hits — "Control", "Blurry" and "She Hates Me".
The Offering has released a new visualizer video for “Tiny Disappointments” today.
“Tiny Disappointments” is off of the band’s forthcoming new album Seeing The Elephant out November 4 via Century Media Records. Preorders available starting today here.
With Seeing The Elephant, The Offering have woven together a record as rich, adventurous and heartfelt as anything you’re bound to hear anytime soon. Conceived during the chaos of the 2020 protests and the ensuing warzone of cultural upheaval, Seeing The Elephant is a challenging (and ultimately rewarding) record for extreme times.
“Even on my most wonderful days, I can find myself feeling strangled by my own expectations and find myself disappointed in little facets of the world, in everyone, and everything,” states Alex Richichi (vocals). “I have found life is made up of ‘Tiny Disappointments’, where overcoming and coping with these ultimately becomes the hardest thing we do every day. This song addresses those feelings of drowning, which I believe is universal in the human experience - albeit on different scales.”
Nishad George (guitar) adds, "During the writing process for Seeing The Elephant, my dad's cancer diagnosis had gotten much worse, and I had felt this pressure knowing this would be my last album that he could listen to. Living up to my own expectations for making that special was strenuous. I eventually stumbled upon the opening chord to ‘Tiny Disappointments’, and I just let go - I blinked and 12 hours of euphoria later, the song was complete. It was a massive turning point in the writing process for the album. Less than a month before he passed away, my dad finally got to listen to the album, and singled out this song as the best we've ever done. I couldn't agree more."
Seeing The Elephant is available in the following formats:
-300x transp. red LP available at CM Distro Wholesale EU and cmdistro.de
-Black LP
-Standard CD Jewelcase
-Digital album
Vocalist Alex Richichi and guitarist Nishad George construct a new framework from past work with the help of mixer Zach Weeks (Kvelertak, The Armed) at the Salem, Massachusetts’ renowned God City Studios, proving The Offering as a band that not only challenges the norm but one that will refine and redefine them.
In the past, the foursome have warmed crowds for diverse acts such as Primal Fear, Rhapsody of Fire, Prong, Genitorturers, 36 Crazyfists, and have been a fan-favorite at the main stage of the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival. Right before the release of HOME they played European festivals such as Wacken Open Air, Fezen Festival and Gefle Metal Festival.
Kalamity Kills have debuted their first single, "Sinners Welcome", produced by Jamey Perrenot, who has worked with Taylor Swift, Leann Rimes, Joey Belladonna and Guardian. Kalamity Kills is Jamie Rowe with a revolving cast of musicians who will remain anonymous and wear masks while performing.
Jamie Rowe shares "I strongly believe in God but am aware that God's 'fan club' aren't necessarily the most welcoming folks on the planet. 'Sinners Welcome' is a commentary on that. I want my music to be heard by lovers of hard rock. That's my goal: find those who will tune into what I'm doing. If anything, maybe someone just needs to hear the riff cranked up in the car after a long day at work."
Jamie Rowe is best known as the vocalist for Christian hard rockers Guardian. He also has recorded many albums with Bronx-based melodic hard rock band AdrianGale. With a touring history of over 35 countries, Kalamity Kills is sure to appeal globally to those who loved his previous work, as his trademark vocals are well represented here.
Guitarist Ryan Peake and guitarist/vocalist Chad Kroeger of Canadian rockers NICKELBACK spoke to Terrie Carr of the Morristown, New Jersey radio station 105.5 WDHA about their upcoming album, "Get Rollin'", which is due on November 18. Asked if the LP's heavy first single, "San Quentin", which will arrive on September 7, is a good representation of the album's overall direction, Chad said: "The record's all over the map, just like all of our records are — they're all over the map. We're just starting off with a big, kick-the-door-down rocker, and there's other heavy material on there, but, just like I said, like every other NICKELBACK record, it ebbs and flows and there's something there for every single mood."
Last week, Chad told the WRAT radio station about why it took so long to produce the follow-up to 2017's "Feed The Machine": "Well, we should have been making a record a lot sooner, with all that time off [due to the coronavirus pandemic]. But it's weird to say this, but for 25 years it feels like someone's been standing behind us with a cattle prod and telling us, 'Hey, the record's gotta be done at this time. We're gonna tour at this time. We're gonna do Australia and then we're gonna go do Europe and then we're gonna come back. We'll go across Canada. We'll hit America.' Just like every other band that has to do this stuff, you wanna get a chance to see your fans all around the world. But with this, we were, like, 'We'll get to it when we get to it.' [Laughs] And yeah, we took our time with it, which was just a wonderful luxury, to be able to sit back and [go], 'No. I'm gonna play this guitar solo 40 more times for another three days and make sure it's just exactly how we want it as opposed to deadline, deadline, deadline."
Regarding some fans' initial reaction that the already-released 10-second clip of "San Quentin" is trailering what sounds on initial listen like the heaviest song the band has ever written and unlike anything NICKELBACK has done before, Ryan said: "It's funny. We've been hearing that quite a bit. It's actually interesting because I think NICKELBACK fans would know for sure [that it's us once they heard the full song]. I don't think it's unusual… It's a heavy rock song, and if you've seen us live, you would definitely get it. But I kind of like that people are feeling like it's a surprise that we can have rock songs like that in the repertoire."
Chad also talked about the lyrical inspiration for "San Quentin", saying: "I met the [San Quentin prison] warden at a party. And I couldn't believe how young he was. I was, like, 'There's just no way that you're the warden of San Quentin,' and everyone was, like, 'Yup. He is.' Guy Fieri's [American restaurateur, author and Emmy Award-winning television presenter] a buddy of mine, and I was at his birthday party a few years back. And the entire time we were talking, I'm, like, [laughs] I'm speaking to this guy, but in my head all I could think about was, 'I'm gonna write a song called 'San Quentin'. That's it.' And I stuck it in my notes in my phone. And then once the riff was down, I think I screamed out this line, 'Can somebody please keep me the hell out of San Quentin?' And we just took it from there."
A music video for "San Quentin" was filmed on August 30 at the Simon Fraser University Convocation Mall in British Columbia. The clip will make its online debut by mid-September.
According to CTV News, hundreds of NICKELBACK fans attended the shoot, including one fan who one fan traveled all the way from Edmonton.
NICKELBACK will embark on a U.S. tour in support of its new album in the summer of 2023.
Peake said in April 2020 that NICKELBACK's documentary — which has been in the works for at least a few years — was "very close to being released."
In August 2020, NICKELBACK released a music video for its cover version of THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND classic "The Devil Went Down To Georgia". Honoring Daniels, who passed away in July 2020, NICKELBACK invited guitarist Dave Martone to join them on a cover of the infamous classic story — paying homage to Daniels's influence on their careers and the legacy left behind.
NICKELBACK's "All The Right Reasons: 15th Anniversary Expanded Edition" was released as a two-CD set in October 2020. The collection featured a newly remastered version of the original 2005 album, a selection of B-sides and a 2006 live concert recording.
Since forming in Alberta, Canada in 1995, NICKELBACK has cemented itself as one of the most commercially viable and important acts of the past three decades. NICKELBACK's success includes worldwide sales of more than 50 million units, solidifying their status as one of the top-selling acts of all time.
With more than 23 chart-topping singles and fans spanning the globe, NICKELBACK boasts twelve consecutive sold-out world tours, playing to well over eight million diehard and adoring fans.
So it appears we have a release date for the new album Get Rollin' and that comes to me as no surprise! November 18th is...
Belgian extreme heavy metal frontrunners, Evil Invaders, performed at the Alcatraz Metal Festival 2022 in Kortrijk, Belgium on August 13th. Pro-shot video of their full show can be viewed below.
The setlist was as follows:
"Hissing in Crescendo"
"Mental Penitentiary"
"As Life Slowly Fades"
"In Deepest Black"
"Sledgehammer Justice"
"Tortured By The Beast"
"Broken Dreams In Isolation"
"Feed Me Violence"
"Die For Me"
"Raising Hell"
Evil Invaders dropped another bomb earlier this year by delivering their epic anthem and third single, "Die For Me" - the last harbinger of cutthroat energy released before the band unleashes their latest album, Shattering Reflection.
Evil Invaders on “Die For Me”: "'Die For Me' was the first video script I actually wrote out before we recorded the video. Working with a crew that executed the visual aspect of it exactly as I had it in mind was just killer! The song itself has a strong rock'n'roll vibe with a lot of anger and insanity mixed into it. I opened some dark and wicked doors in my mind while writing this song... Now tell me what you're gonna do...”
Shattering Reflection is a monster of an album that indisputably proves that, within in a new generation of metal bands, Evil Invaders have developed and matured record after record, just like classic metal bands of yore. Fans will instantly clamor to hear Shattering Reflection in full, and see these sinister tracks performed live on stage.
Joe (vocalist & guitarist) on Shattering Reflection: "I’m very satisfied with what we achieved on Shattering Reflection. We’ve created a very versatile and surprising album. Because it had been so long since we’ve released anything new, we had a lot of demo material to choose from and I think that’s what made this record so interesting. We had the time to experiment with the songwriting, arrangements and vocal lines. Also the collaboration with Francesco Paoli as a producer was really cool. We managed to truly give the songs a unique vibe. It feels like we’re at the start of a new chapter for the band and I’m excited to hear people’s reactions to the new stuff. It was a long and heavy process but it was totally worth it."
Tracklisting:
"Hissing In Crescendo"
"Die For Me"
"In Deepest Black"
"Sledgehammer Justice"
"Forgotten Memories"
"Realm of Shadows"
"Eternal Darkness"
"My World"
"Aeon"
"The Circle"
"Sledgehammer Justice" video:
"In Deepest Black" video:
Lineup:
Joe - Vocals & Guitars
Senne Jacobs - Drums
Max - Guitars
Joeri - Bass
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