Originally released in 1995, Domination is the fourth full-length studio album from Florida’s death metal titans, Morbid Angel. Eleven brutal tracks from one of death metal’s biggest and most influential bands.
Domination is the closest the band got to commerciality, this album is non-stop clean-cut death metal from start to finish - includes "Where the Slime Lives" and the experimental "Hatework". It is available for the first time on Earache’s famous Full Dynamic Range audio, pressed from the original master tapes.
Fan-filmed video of TWISTED SISTER singer Dee Snider's solo performance on Sunday, January 16 at RokIsland Fest in Key West, Florida can be seen below.
According to Setlist.fm, the setlist was as follows:
01. I Gotta Rock (Again)
02. The Kids Are Back (TWISTED SISTER song)
03. You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll (TWISTED SISTER song)
04. Stay Hungry (TWISTED SISTER song)
05. Burn In Hell (TWISTED SISTER song)
06. The Beast (TWISTED SISTER song)
07. We're Not Gonna Take It (TWISTED SISTER song)
08. Become The Storm
09. The Price (TWISTED SISTER song)
10. I Wanna Rock (TWISTED SISTER song)
11. Stand
12. Real Wild Child (Wild One) / Rock and Roll
13. White Christmas (Irving Berlin cover)
14. Highway To Hell (AC/DC cover)
Dee's fifth solo album, "Leave A Scar", was released last July via Napalm Records. Once again produced by HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta with co-production, mixing and mastering by drummer Nick Bellmore, "Leave A Scar" sees Dee continuing in the invigorated, modern direction of his previous release, "For The Love Of Metal", infusing a dose of classic heavy metal flavor that longtime fans have rushed to embrace.
In 2016, TWISTED SISTER embarked on one final trek, titled "Forty And Fuck It", in celebration of its 40th anniversary. These shows featured the band's "core lineup" of Snider, guitarists Jay Jay French and Eddie Ojeda, and bassist Mark Mendoza, along with drummer Mike Portnoy. The band's last-ever concert took place in November of that year — 20 months after the passing of drummer A.J. Pero.
TWISTED SISTER's original run ended in the late '80s. After more than a decade, the band publicly reunited in November 2001 to top the bill of New York Steel, a hard-rock benefit concert to raise money for the New York Police And Fire Widows' And Children's Benefit Fund.
The surviving members of the classic lineup of TWISTED SISTER — Snider, French, Ojeda and Mendoza — reunited virtually on March 20, 2021 for a special episode of Mendoza's Internet TV show "22 Now". The hour-and-a-half-long program was a tribute to Pero, who died exactly six years earlier at the age of 55 while on tour with the band ADRENALINE MOB.
Prior to last March's virtual reunion, the four surviving members of TWISTED SISTER reunited for two days and nights in November 2019 to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the band's classic album "Stay Hungry".
New York death metal giants, Immolation, recently announced their latest immense creation, Acts Of God, which will be released February 18.
The 11th studio album serves as the next chapter of Immolation’s death metal epic. With five long years passed since Atonement, Acts Of God vigorously showcases Immolation’s ability to consistently create fascinating sounds, while still keeping their feet firmly rooted in the old school, New York Death Metal for which they are renowned.
Today, the band offers fans the second single of the album, “The Age Of No Light”. Check out the video below.
Vocalist/ bassist Ross Dolan comments, "We are very excited to unveil the next single ‘The Age of No Light’ to all the Immolation maniacs around the globe! This song showcases some of the more extreme elements as well as the darker heavier moments that run throughout this album. This is an intense and furious track that does not let up once it starts, and I think Bob really did an amazing job in capturing this sonic fury as well as the dark essence of this song visually with this video. We hope everyone enjoys it!!!!”
Acts Of God saw the return of long-time friend and recording counterpart Paul Orofino of Millbrook Studios while final touches were brought about on the mixing and mastering by Zack Ohren of Castle Ultimate Studios. For the cover artwork, the band enlisted Eliran Kantor to create the haunting new masterpiece that featured the muted colors and ethereal images that are hallmarks for Immolation's artwork. The artwork pieces Inside the booklet were created by Santiago Jaramillo of Triple Seis Design.
Acts Of God will be available in the following formats:
CD Jewel
T-Shirt
Double LP
- Black
- Sun Yellow + Black Marbled (Limited to 300)
- Crystal Clear/Black Marbled (Limited to 300)
- Crystal Clear W/ Gold Splatter (Limited to 1800)
- Gold W/ Black Splatter (Limited to 300)
Cassette
- Smokey
- Gold (Limited to 150)
- Grey (Decibel Exclusive; Limited to 100)
CD (Jewel) + T-Shirt Bundle
Longbox (Limited to 500)
- CD (Jewel)
- Sticker
- Button
"Abandoned"
"An Act of God"
"The Age of No Light"
"Noose of Thorns"
"Shed the Light"
"Blooded"
"Overtures of the Wicked"
"Immoral Stain"
"Incineration Procession"
"Broken Prey"
"Derelict of Spirit"
"When Halos Burn"
"Let the Darkness In"
"And the Flames Wept"
"Apostle"
"Apostle" video:
Immolation will be kicking off their Acts of God North American Tour 2022 on February 18 in Richmond, Virginia. The 24-date trek will make stops in Orlando, Seattle, and Montreal before concluding on March 19 at Irving Plaza in New York.
Joining the band on tour are Imperial Triumphant (2/18-3/13), Mortiferum (2/18-3/18), And Black Anvil (3/15-3/19). The final hometown show will include performances by Demolition Hammer, Mortician, Funeral Leech. The complete list of dates can be seen below.
February (with Imperial Triumphant and Mortiferum)
18 - Richmond, VA – The Broadberry
19 - Huntington, WV – V Club
20 - Greensboro, NC – Blind Tiger
21 - Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
22 - Orlando, FL – The Haven
24 - Houston, TX – The Studio at Warehouse Live
25 - Dallas, TX – Amplified Live
26 - Austin, TX – Come and Take It Live
28 - Mesa, AZ – Nile Theater
March (with Imperial Triumphant and Mortiferum)
1 - Los Angeles, CA – 1720
2 - San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
4 - Seattle, WA – El Corazon
5 - Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theater
6 - Vancouver, BC – The Rickshaw
8 - Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
9 - Denver, CO – Oriental Theater
11 - Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line
12 - Chicago, IL – Reggie's
13 - Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
March (with Black Anvil and Mortiferum)
15 - Detroit, MI – El Club
16 - Toronto, ON – Velvet Underground
17 - Montréal, QC – Petite Campus
18 - Worcester, MA – Palladium Upstairs
March (with Demolition Hammer, Mortician, Black Anvil and Funeral Leech)
19 - New York, NY – Irving Plaza
Ahead of their new album, DAMNUM (out February 25), Allegaeon have delivered the next video from the album, the visually haunting and captivating "Of Beasts And Worms". Find the clip below.
"This is the place where I rest my bones and the river that cleanses me runs alone!" cries frontman Riley McShane on the track. "This song is about finding a place of inner quiet, a safe haven to explore your thoughts and escape from the anxieties of your life," the vocalist explains. "This lyrical intention is paired with a depiction of disparity and tiredness with the world around you and the stressors that contribute to the deafening silence of the mundane. In the music video, we showcase a more physical - and graphic - display of this thought process where the escape from the daily grind is manifested into a willing self-sacrifice. Though a dramatization, this concept of sacrifice to find your own personal peace can be applied to something less tangible and played an important role in my own process while writing the lyrics for DAMNUM. Thank you for watching and listening, we hope you enjoy it."
Allegaeon recently released the first video behind the album, "Into Embers" (see below) and have built themselves a unique place in the musical landscape, forcing both technicality and melody to the forefront as they create tumultuous and riveting death metal. With DAMNUM, their sixth full-length, they push everything further into the extreme, and in the process deliver the definitive Allegaeon record.
"Bastards Of The Earth"
"Of Beasts And Worms"
"Into Embers"
"To Carry My Grief Through Torpor And Silence"
"Vermin"
"Called Home"
"Blight"
"The Dopamine Void Pt. 1"
"The Dopamine Void Pt. 2"
"Saturnine"
"In Mourning"
"Only Loss"
"Of Beasts And Worms" video:
"Into Embers" video:
Catch Allegaeon as their first tour behind DAMNUM kick offs with the band supporting Omnium Gatherum, beginning February 26 in Brooklyn, NY.
Tour dates:
February
26 - Brooklyn, NY - The Kingsland
27 - Baltimore, MD - Metro Gallery
28 - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
March
1 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade (Hell)
2 - Orlando, FL - The Haven
4 - Austin, TX - Come and Take it Live!
5 - Houston, TX - Satellite Bar
6 - Dallas, TX - Amplified Live
8 - Denver, CO - Oriental Theater
9 - El Paso, TX - Rockhouse Bar & Grill
10 - Mesa, AZ - Nile Theater
11 - San Diego, CA - Brick by Brick
12 - Los Angeles, CA - Catch One @ Jewel
13 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
14 - Portland, OR - Bossanova Ballroom
15 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
16 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre
18 - Calgary, AB - Dickens
19 - Regina, SK - The Exchange
20 - Winnipeg, MB - Park Theater
21 - Minneapolis, MN - Amsterdam Bar & Hall
22 - Madison, WI - The Crucible
23 - Chicago, IL - Reggies
24 - Toronto, ON - Velvet Underground
25 - Montreal, QC - The Ritz
26 - Quebec City, QC - Source de la Martiniere
27 - Boston, MA - Middle East Downstairs
UK grindcore pioneers, Napalm Death, performed "On The Brink Of Extinction", from their 2009 album Time Waits For No Slave, at the 2021 edition of Bloodstock Open Air, held last August at Catton Hall and Gardens, Walton-on-Trent, England. Watch pro-shot video of the performance below:
Watch the band perform "Breed To Breathe" at the same show, below:
Continuing the fearless exploration of their legendary sound’s outer limits, Napalm Death recently announced the release of a new mini-album, entitled Resentment Is Always Seismic - A Final Throw Of Throes, out February 11 via Century Media Records.
Resentment Is Always Seismic - A Final Throw Of Throes is a partner recording to Napalm Death’s latest, much acclaimed Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism album from 2020, concluding matters through vital, tumultuous grindcore and shockwave ambience.
While currently on the road across North America, Napalm Death frontman Mark “Barney” Greenway checked in with the following comment about the upcoming release: “You can certainly consider “Resentment Is Always...” as an extension of - or partner recording to - the “Throes…” album. We had long since wanted to put a mini-album out – in the spirit of the old days – and found we had enough quality tracks even after all the “Throes...” bonus tracks to do that. Hopefully this mini holds some nice twists in its own right for people, and certainly covering “People Pie” by Slab! made us really stretch ourselves, which feels great artistically. In the end, resentment is certainly seismic – it can trigger the complete erosion of humanity in many situations. That was the point that I really wanted to hammer home overall.”
“Narcissus”, the furious opening track of the release, is being launched today as small foretaste of the mini-album. Check it out at full volume below.
““Narcissus” just seemed to fit the bill as one of those rampaging tracks that we always seem to gravitate towards as an album opener. The low-slung concrete mixer bassline at the start really ushers it in nicely. It was written at a time when the ‘alt-right’ was parading itself around, so lyrically I like to think it exposes the vanity and personality cult of that whole thing,” added Greenway.
The 8-track mini-album comes with a total playing time of 29 minutes and will be available as Ltd. CD Digipak, Vinyl as well as in the Digital Album format.
The vinyl edition will come as 12” (at 33 ⅓ RPM) on 180g vinyl, available in the following variants/limitations:
- Black LP - unlimited
- Transp. Red LP - 1500x copies via CM Distro & Webshop Europe & all US outlets
- Clear LP - 300x copies Nuclear Blast
- Silver LP - 300x copies via EMP
- Transp. Green LP - 500x copies via Napalm Death
"Narcissus"
"Resentment Always Simmers"
"By Proxy"
"People Pie" (Slab! Cover version)
"Man Bites Dogged"
"Slaver Through A Repeat Performance"
"Don't Need It" (Bad Brains cover version)
"Resentment Is Always Seismic (Dark Sky Burial Dirge)"
"Narcissus":
Napalm Death recently announced a next edition of their Campaign For Musical Destruction tour across Europe for February/March, this time featuring support by Doom, Siberian Meatgrinder and Show Me The Body. Dates below.
Tour dates:
February
3 - Magdeburg, Germany - Factory
4 - Wrocław, Poland - Concert Center A2
5 - Budapest, Hungary - A38
6 - Wien, Austria - Arena
7 - München, Germany - Backstage
9 - Manchester, UK - Club Academy
10 - Glasgow, UK - Classic Grand
11 - Buckley, UK - The Tivoli
12 - Birmingham, UK - Hammerfest
13 - London, UK - Electric Ballroom
15 - Paris, France - La Machine Du Moulin Rouge
16 - Besançon, France - La Rodia
17 - Marseille, France - Le Jas Rod
18 - Biarritz, France - Atabal
19 - Mérignac, France - Krakato
22 - Paderno Dugnano, Italy - Slaughter Club
23 - Nürnberg, Gerrmany - Z-Bau
24 - Brno, Czech Republic - Sonor
25 - Leipzig, Germany - Werk 2
26 - Herford, Germany - X-Herford
27 - Utrecht, The Netherlands - Tivoli
March
1 - Hamburg, Germany - Gruenspan
2 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle
3 - Lindau, Germany - Club Vaudeville
4 - Mannheim, Germany - Alte Feuerwache
5 - Berlin, Germany - Astra
6 - Eindhoven, The Netherlands – Dynamo
Arch Enemy and Behemoth will return to the states to co-headline "The North American Siege 2022" tour. Set to kick off in April, the trek also features Napalm Death and Unto Others as special guests.
See below for all dates; purchase tickets starting Friday, January 21 at 10 AM, local time, at archenemy.net, or behemoth.pl.
Tour dates:
April
16 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
18 - San Antonio, TX - The Aztec Theatre
19 - Dallas, TX - Amplified Live
21 - St Petersburg, FL - Jannus Live
22 - Atlanta, GA - The Eastern
23 - Charlotte. NC - The Fillmore Charlotte
25 - Toronto, ON - Rebel
26 - Montreal, QC - Mtelus
28 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
29 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore Philadelphia
30 - Worcester, MA - Palladium
May
2 - Chicago, IL - The Riviera Theatre
4 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
7 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
9 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo
10 - Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theatre
11 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
13 - Berkeley, CA - The UC Theatre
15 - Los Angeles, CA - The Hollywood Palladium
George Lynch rejoined DOKKEN on stage on Sunday, January 16 at RokIsland Fest in Key West, Florida to perform three of the band's classic songs: "Kiss Of Death", "When Heaven Comes Down" and "Tooth And Nail". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.
Lynch had previously played the same three songs with DOKKEN on several occasions last summer and fall, including in West Hollywood, California; in Glenside, Pennsylvania; in Waukegan, Illinois; in Ashland, Virginia; in Moline, Illinois; and in Sunbury, Pennsylvania.
Last March, Lynch was asked in an interview with Jeff Gaudiosi of MisplacedStraws.com if there has been any talk of more shows featuring the reunited classic lineup of DOKKEN. He responded: "I've actually been talking to Don [Dokken] a little bit, and we're both in agreement that that should probably happen — meaning some kind of a meaningful reunion done in the right way, carefully and with proper preparation and time and rehearsals and not just throwing it out there like we did last time." George went on to say that "the obvious choice" to replace DOKKEN's recently retired drummer "Wild" Mick Brown would be Mick's brother Steve, who can be heard playing alongside Lynch and ex-DOKKEN bassist Jeff Pilson on the latest THE END MACHINE album, "Phase2".
In a separate interview with Alamo True Metal, Lynch reflected on the last time DOKKEN's classic lineup — Dokken, Lynch, Pilson and Mick Brown — reunited for a short Japanese tour in the fall of 2016. The trek marked the first time in 21 years the four musicians had hit the road together.
"I think I was slightly disappointed in it — not overwhelmingly disappointed, but I have some regrets," he said. "I wish we had prepared more. And I know we all feel that way. 'Cause of the logistics, we all had things we had to do right after the time we had allotted and beforehand. So we just were barely able to even pull it off with everybody else's pre-existing commitments. The fact that we got to do it at all was… you know, we were fortunate for even being able to pull it off. So we were a little underprepared, I feel. And yes, we were offered a good amount of money to go to Japan and do some other things, so it made it just kind of a no-brainer."
A DOKKEN concert DVD focusing on the band's reunion tour, "Return To The East Live (2016)", was made available in 2018. In addition to the Japanese performance, the set included footage from the classic lineup's only U.S. show in September 2016 at Badlands in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as well as newly recorded acoustic reworkings of "Heaven Sent" and "Will The Sun Rise". Also featured on "Return To The East Live (2016)" was "It's Just Another Day", the first DOKKEN track featuring the group's classic lineup since 1997's "Shadowlife".
Since completing the Japanese reunion dates, DOKKEN has continued to perform with the group's current lineup — including bassist Chris McCarvill, guitarist Jon Levin and drummer BJ Zampa (HOUSE OF LORDS).
DOKKEN recently finished recording a new studio album, tentatively due later this year via Silver Lining Music, the label owned by Thomas Jensen, one of the founders of Germany's Wacken Open Air festival. It will mark the group's first disc since 2012's "Broken Bones".
Over the past four years, Lynch has appeared on recordings by THE END MACHINE, KXM, ULTRAPHONIX and SWEET & LYNCH. He released his first-ever full-length instrumental album, "Seamless", last August via Rat Pak Records.
US metal band Extinction A.D. have unveiled their seething new single / video "Mastic", taken from the upcoming album, Culture Of Violence, due March 18th via Unique Leader.
On the new single, the band comment: "Choosing to be an outlier in society so you can go on a path that gives you a higher fulfilment than a stacked bank account is exactly what the modern world is against. We've based our entire lives around following that road and have been forced to make many sacrifices along the way that other people have crumbled under at just the thought of. If you know Mastic, New York, you know it's a very nuanced place. If you don't, you're better off staying where you are."
Pre-order Culture Of Violence now at this location. Cover art and tracklisting are as follows:
"Culture Of Violence"
"Dominion"
"Thirteen"
"Mastic"
"1992"
"Heads Will Roll"
"Behind The Times"
"Star Spangled Banner"
"Praise The Fraud"
"National Disaster"
Formed in 2013 on Long Island, Extinction A.D. are an intense metal band with modern power and frenetic energy. The band have released two full-lengths and two EPs, and have shared stages with the likes of Obituary, Thy Art Is Murder, Havok, Municipal Waste, Testament, Suicidal Tendencies, Exodus, Kvelertak, Harm’s Way and more.
Extinction A.D will tour the USA 18th January - 20th February with Cattle Decapitation, The Last Ten Seconds Of Life and Creeping Death, and follow that with a headline run alongside Rhythm Of Fear.
Dates:
w/ Cattle Decapitation, The Last Ten Seconds Of Life and Creeping Death:
January
18 - San Diego, CA - Brick by Brick
19 - Pomona, CA - The Glass House
20 - Los Angeles, CA - 1720
21 - Berkeley, CA - The Cornerstone
22 - Reno, NV - Cargo
24 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater
25 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
27 - Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Music Hall
28 - Colorado Springs, CO - The Black Sheep
29 - Denver, CO - The Oriental Theater
31 - Belvidere, IL - The Apollo AC
February
1 - Minneapolis, MN - Turf Club
2 - Joliet, IL - The Forge
3 - Hobart, IN - Hobart Art Theater
4 - Columbus, OH - The Foundry
5 - Lexington, KY - Manchester Music Hall
6 - Detroit, MI - The Shelter
8 - Worcester, MA - Palladium Upstairs
9 - NYC, NY - Le Poisson Rouge
11 - Atlanta, GA - The Loft
12 - Tampa, FL - The Orpheum
14 - Houston, TX - Secret Group
15 - Dallas, TX - Amplified Live
16 - Austin, TX - Come And Take It
19 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad
20 - Mesa, AZ - Nile Theater
Extinction A.D. only:
February
22 – Odessa, TX – Cactus House
23 – Little Rock, AR – Vinos
24 – Memphis, TN The Hi Tone
25 – Chattanooga, TN – The Spot
w/ Rhythm Of Fear:
March
15 - Worcester, MA - Ralph's Rock Diner
16 - Manchester, NH - Angel City Music Hall
17 - Quebec City, QC - La Source de La Martinière
18 - Montreal, QC - Cabaret Foufs
19 - Ottawa, ON - Brass Monkey
20 - Toronto, ON - The Garrison
21 - Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place
22 - Altoona, PA - McGarvey's Bar
23 - Harrisburg, PA - HMAC
24 - Richmond, VA - The Camel
25 - Kearny, NJ - Jimmy's Bar & Grill
26 - Amityville, NY - Amityville Music Hall
A new video clip has been uploaded to the official Children Of Bodom YouTube channel, which remains active through the band's former members Janne Wirman (keyboards), Henkka Seppälä (bass) and Jaska Raatikainen (drums).
"In 2018 we did a tour called No Place Like Home. This clip is more like Jaska's point of view, in Tavastia, Helsinki."
Ykä Järvinen at scratchnbake recently shared rare footage of Children Of Bodom in action back in 1997, performing at Tavastia in Helsinki, Finland.
Järvinen previously shared unreleased single cam footage of Children Of Bodom performing The Ramones classic "Somebody Put Something In My Drink" at Tavastia on December 30th, 2014. Check it out below.
The remaining COB members commented on the footage:
"In the end of 2014 we did a small tour in Finland called Bodom Xmas Bash. One of the shows was part of the legendary New Years celebration aka Helldone Festival that took place in Tavastia, Helsinki. Here’s a small memory of that show."
In celebration of “Come On Come On” being featured on the Peacemaker series (out now on HBO Max) and with permission from director James Gunn himself, Action Show Studios decided to make an insane video. Watch this!
When director James Gunn was looking for a truly rocking and raunchy song to include as part of the Peacemaker show on HBO Max (starring WWE wrestler John Cena as the role of Christopher Smith/Peacemaker), he couldn’t have made a better selection than the Nashville Pussy classic, “Come On Come On”.
It appears that Gunn is a fan of The Pussy, in a Twitter exchange between mutual friend actor Earl W. Brown (‘Deadwood,’ ‘Something About Mary’), Gunn admitted to personally choosing the Grammy-nominated Nashville Pussy and song “Come On Come On” for the Peacemaker’series, and texted, “It has great placement in the first episode.”
The first episode, entitled A Whole New Whirled, premiered on Thursday, January 13, and the song (which was originally included on the band’s 2005 album, Get Some!) was included as part of the show’s official Spotify playlist last week.
The release of the official (and explicit) Red Band trailer for Peacemaker, which can be seen below, perfectly coincides with the release of Nashville Pussy’s latest album, Eaten Alive (of which the CD was issued on December 24, and the double gatefold vinyl on January 14). Recorded in the UK, this is Nashville Pussy’s Live at Leeds and one of most unrelenting concert albums since Motörhead’s No Sleep ‘til Hammersmith. To order, head here.
Nashville Pussy is especially honored to be included in Peacemaker. “It’s great seeing someone who shares our sense of humor, and it is especially an honor to have our lyrics used as actual dialogue by John Cena!”
Seattle heavy metal practitioners Dark Meditation have unveiled their new video for “Desolation Days”, which can be seen below. The track comes by way of the band’s Polluted Temples full-length, set for release January 28th via Satanik Royalty Records.
Dark Meditation may hail from Seattle, but their sound is steeped in traditions associated with other corners of the globe — England’s working-class cities, frosty Scandinavian towns, Southern California meccas of the ‘80s. Or as the band puts it, Dark Meditation sounds like the bastard amalgamation of Venom and Judas Priest fighting it out on the Sunset Strip while Danzig and King Diamond cheer them on. While such reference points may suggest a nexus of evil kitsch and arena-level theatrics, the band’s debut album Polluted Temples comes from a place of down-and-out urgency and punk ethics, adopting the gloomy anthems and riff worship of heavy metal titans for their sonic exorcisms rather than their rock n’ roll panache. It’s an album that basks in big hooks, righteous guitar work, and an arena-level stomp without compromising any grit, grime, or guts.
Comments the band of their latest single, “‘Desolation Days’ is a commentary on the disparity between people and our continued march to oblivion, how no matter hard you might try it seems like you can’t keep up with the world and in each passing day, people or institutions manipulate emotions/relationships to get what they want without a care for the toll it takes on society. Fittingly, it’s a righteous strut of mid-tempo death rock with heavy metal flourishes culminating in a fitting chant for the end of days."
Originally conceived by vocalist A.D. Vick, guitarist Rane, and guitarist/synth player Ian as a recording project intended to provide personal catharsis, Dark Meditation came to serve as a crucial artistic outlet for the entire five-piece band — a salve during trying times. Along with compatriots JW Mullett (bass), and Will Klintberg (drums), the founding trio poured four years of blood, sweat, and equity into Polluted Temples, though the inner-band relationships go back even further. The members of Dark Meditation all cut their teeth and crossed paths in various niches of the underground, churning out visceral and vitriolic bangers in acts like Emeralds (SEA), O.S.S., R.I.P., and Wildildlife. A punk ethos permeated their earlier acts, and while they may have excised some of that primitivism in their current project, the members of Dark Meditation have not skimped on the aural punishment and physical intensity.
Recorded over two weeks during Seattle’s record-breaking heatwave of June 2021 by Matt Bayles (Mastodon, The Sword, Soundgarden), Polluted Temples is the culmination of nearly half a decade’s worth of work. Not only does it represent a triumph over recent adversities, it serves as a negation of ingrained prejudices and social mores. “Most of our songs deal with personal consequences of our actions and how it effects the world around us,” Vick says of his lyrics. “But there is also the looming specter of evangelical Christianity that I was brought up in and trying to break away from the dogmatic concepts that were pushed upon me in childhood.”
These themes are displayed on songs like “Haunt Of Fear,” where Vick explores the idea of the devil as an invented boogeyman used to govern by fear and instill hatred in the populace while the band lays down a thunderous foundation of first-wave black metal riffage, wailing pinch harmonics, and dueling guitar solos. On a similar tip, the album’s title track—a perfect blend of melodic gloom and pounding force bolstered by synth-colored choruses and heroic guitars—uses the biblical metaphor of the body as a temple to examine how physical pleasure-seeking turns people inward and away from the rest of humanity. This kind of social commentary manifests in the relentless chug of “Babalon.Money.Magick,” where the increasing disparity between the haves and have-nots is reflected Seattle’s new construction and tent cities. And it pops up again in the mid-tempo death rock strut of “Desolation Days,” where manipulative institutions and power-hungry people are brought to task for valuing the dollar over human lives.
Ultimately, Dark Meditation’s true power lies in their razor-sharp musicianship, addictive songwriting, and fist-pumping instrumentation. It’s no small wonder that the band’s early demos warranted an official release by Austria’s boutique black metal label Doctrina Carnis before they’d even played their first live show. Polluted Temples marks a substantial progression in both performance and production, and with that evolution comes the requisite support of a strong stateside label.
Polluted Temples will be released on LP and digital formats. Pre-order at the Satanik Royalty webshop.
Tracklisting:
“Horus Rising (Prelude)”
“Babalon.Money.Magick”
“Haunt Of Fear”
“Strange Caress (Of The Night)”
“Masters Coil”
“Desolation Days”
“The Howling Wild”
“Drink Of The Blade”
“Nocturnal Forever”
“Polluted Temples”
The Temperance Movement's White Bear-era YouTube acoustic session is available for streaming in full below. The video includes never-before-released footage of tracks such as "Three Bulleits" (Acoustic) and "Battle Lines" (Acoustic)".
The Temperance Movement have released their new collection Caught On Stage: Live & Acoustic, and recorded at the legendary Metropolis Studios in London.
This special release features a collection of rare live tracks recorded from various locations including intimate acoustic live shows, radio sessions with Planet Rock and rehearsal room recordings, compiled with the help of founding member and guitarist Paul Sayer. Simply a must-have for any fan of The Temperance Movement.
"Magnify" (Live Bear)
"Modern Massacre" (Live Bear)
"The Sun and Moon Roll around Too Soon" (Live Bear)
"I Hope I'm Not Losing My Mind" (Live Bear)
"Midnight Black" (Amazon Session)
"Only Friend" (Amazon Session)
"Ain't No Telling" (Live at Kore)
"Modern Massacre" (Live at Metropolis)
"Smouldering" (Planet Rock Session)
"Stay With Me" (Planet Rock Session)
"Take It Back"
"Lovers And Fighters" (Live in the Living Room)
"Only Friend" (Rehearsal Session)
"Battle Lines" (Acoustic)
"Do The Revelation" (Acoustic)
"Get Yourself Free" (Acoustic)
"Three Bulleits" (Acoustic)
"Time Won't Leave" (Acoustic)
"White Bear" (Acoustic)
Canada’s My Hollow has a new album coming out, entitled Fighting The Monsters, which they are anxious to release upon the world this year. Taking inspiration from modern death metal bands, they are continuously evolving and this next release from them is no exception.
The first single “Vultures”, came about when guitarist Greg Gallagher set out to write something heavy based on a black metal fast tremolo guitar riff that, as he puts it, just totally crushed. This was one of the more difficult songs for him to write, but the finished product made the struggle completely worthwhile. Humorous and lighthearted, the video contrasts the pummelling drums and harsh riffs throughout the song, making the single heavily engaging both visually and sonically.
The video for the single was created by Jennifer White, the wife of vocalist Graham. She created all of the puppets, props and backgrounds by hand, all while serving as de facto director for the video.
The band explains further: “The music video for ‘Vultures’ was single-handedly designed and created by Graham’s amazing wife and very talented tattoo artist, Jennifer White. She has been creating our artwork for almost as long as we’ve been a band. Jen and Graham went over the details and she came back with a storyboard complete with different acts and scenes and it was clear at that moment that her talents were definitely not limited to static artwork. Then we saw the puppets she had created to go along with the storyboard; she poured hours into it and we think it turned out amazing. The level of detail in these puppets was way more than we were expecting, and it's so cool to see ourselves represented as puppets.”
Watch the video below.
Fighting The Monsters was mixed and mastered by Tyler Williams at Monolithic Productions and the artwork was done by Jennifer White. The EP is slated for release this coming spring.
Tracklisting:
"Vultures"
"Fighting The Monsters" ft. Björn Strid (Soilwork)
"Hell Or High Water"
"Faded Through"
"The Iron Harvest"
Romanian metal band, Scarlet Aura, have released a music video for "In The Line Of Fire", featured on the band's album, Genesis Of Time released last September digitally, and as special limited-edition CD-digipak and double black orange splatter heavy weight 180g vinyl via Universal Music Romania and Silver City Records. Watch the Eugen Dediu-directed clip below.
Says the band: "“We wanted to write a song that is a powerful encouragement and a message to anyone to not lose hope and keep fighting one’s own battles no matter what. We were broken but that only made us stronger, we were laughed at but we always showed up better, we jumped and fell but had the power to not only walk but to fly again higher and higher as any battle in and outside of yourself can be won if you stand up for what you believe in!“
Lineup:
Aura Danciulescu – Lead Vocals
Mihai Danciulescu – Lead guitar, special FX and keyboards
Rene Nistor – Bass
Matthias Klaus – Drums
THE HALO EFFECT, the new project featuring five former members of the Swedish metal band IN FLAMES — Jesper Strömblad (guitar), Daniel Svensson (drums), Peter Iwers (bass), Niclas Engelin (guitar) and Mikael Stanne (vocals) — has released its second single, "Feel What I Believe". The track, the official music video for which can be seen below, will appear on THE HALO EFFECT's first album, due later in the year via Nuclear Blast.
Stanne comments: "'Feel What I Believe' is basically about how it felt growing up and discovering extreme metal in our late teens. Delving into something that was both frightening and alluring at the same time. And having that as the sole focus as you started playing in a band and in essence decided who you wanted to be. That confidence and laser focus is what still fascinates me. I love that this somehow endured over the years. This is basically us at 19 screaming, 'How don't you understand this?' And even if people around us didn't get it at the time, at least they could see our passion for it and that's what this song is about."
He adds: "The video is also reminiscent of the videos we saw growing up. A bunch of long-haired people in an abandoned warehouse playing loud music while trying to look cool, basically. What we did here though is bring it to another level thanks to Theo Gabay and his amazing team. I love that it captures the vibe of us playing and really enjoying what we do. Also it looks spectacular."
Last November, THE HALO EFFECT released its debut single, "Shadowminds".
Regarding how THE HALO EFFECT came together, Stanne told the "Heavy Hops" podcast (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "This is basically all my old friends from the area. Gothenburg is small, and it's always been very incestuous in terms of members, back and forth, in bands.
"I got asked by Niclas Engelin, who I've known since he… We played our first-ever show together with his old band; they were called SARCAZM, and we were still SEPTIC BROILER, before DARK TRANQUILLITY. So that's how far back we go. So he asked me, like, 'Let's play some music together.' And I was, like, 'Sure. It would be nice.' I was really deep into the writing and recording of the latest DARK TRANQUILLITY album, 'Moment', but I said, 'I'll be done soon.' 'Cause I was still kind of in the mode of sitting at home, recording and singing. So I was, like, 'Send me some songs. I'll see what I can do.' And then Peter Iwers called me as well and he was, like, 'I'm probably gonna be a part of this thing with Niclas. And it would be great if we could do it seriously. And we can probably get Daniel as well,' who played in IN FLAMES as well, 'and then maybe Jesper Strömblad as well.' And I was, like, 'That sounds fucking awesome.' That's totally old school. Even though we never played in that constellation in the early days of IN FLAMES, I was there, and Jesper was there, and then the other guys kind of joined later. So it was kind of, like, 'All right. Yeah, why not? Let's see what we can come up with.' So it's basically all the kind of old ex, weird members of IN FLAMES. But for me, it really is like… Daniel was in my younger brother's class when we grew up, so I started getting to know him because he got into death metal and he started his band SACRILEGE that I really loved. And Niclas was always kind of like a really, really proficient, great guitar player, playing in SARCAZM and tons of other bands that I always went to see, and we always hung out in the late '80s and early '90s. And Peter, of course, I knew, because he was the brother of Anders, who's been my friend forever. And Jesper I met during our first-ever shows in maybe '87, '88 — or something like that — hanging out at Valvet, which was the only kind of underground metal place here in Gothenburg in the late '80s and early '90s. So it kind of made perfect sense. So when we started talking about playing together, it was, like, 'Okay. What do we do then?' Should we just see if we can kind of pick up — not where we left off, but what we wanted to back then and see if we can update with what we have learned [through] our collective experiences. So that was kind of the idea. And it's been a blast — just being able to hang out with old friends. Because of touring schedules and all the stuff, in the recent 15 years or so, we never really get to see each other that much. But now we have. So it's been super, super, super cool."
On the topic of THE HALO EFFECT's musical direction, Mikael said: "Niclas started writing a few songs, just based on what he has and what he kind of digs. And I immediately felt, like, 'Oh, this is super cool. We're on to something here.' It's super heavy, it's melodic — it's all those things that we kind of grew up trying to do. Then Jesper got involved and he started changing a little bit of that or adding stuff to it. And we were, like, 'Okay, this is awesome.' It doesn't feel new at all, it doesn't feel super different, but at the same time, why should we? Let's focus on the things that we know best and try to kind of recapture that feeling that we had when we were kids, when we wanted to play together and that kind of playful atmosphere. Because the longer you play together with your main band or what have you, you try to constantly reinvent yourself, and so much energy goes into trying to be different from what you have done before. Whereas starting something new like this with a very familiar genre of music meant that you could be very free about it. It doesn't have to be anything in particular, it doesn't have to conform to any rules — it just needs to fucking kick ass and feel good. So that was the starting point. And then I tried, lyrically, to sing about or write about how it was growing up and how we felt and what was the thing that drove us to this extreme kind of music and all those things. It became kind of a thing that we always talked about: 'Do you remember this? Do you remember that old show? Do you remember that venue where we used to go and the long bus [ride] that took us all the way to that shitty youth center where we saw those bands?' or whatever. So it really became partly nostalgia but also kind of an appreciation for where we came from and how things turned out."
Stanne also talked about "Shadowminds", which was accompanied by a music video directed by Lucas Englund. He said: "It was one of the first songs that we wrote. We decided, like, 'Let's record a few songs, see if it works, see how it feels, see what we can come up with.' So we recorded three songs, and 'Shadowminds' was one of those. And we were really happy with all three of them. And we were, like, 'This feels great.' Because everything was written really fast. We went into the studio. Jesper put his spin on it. Then I wrote some lyrics in a day or in a couple of hours, sang it on a demo version and sent it to them, and they were, like, 'All right. Cool. Yeah. Let's record this super fast and see what happens.' Then we recorded a few more songs. And we couldn't decide on what would be the first single, because when we initially recorded these demos, it was just a way for us to present something to a label, see if someone is interested. So we were, like, 'Okay, but what song is most representative of this music, this band that we hardly even know yet.' So we played five songs to a bunch of friends and people who work in music, and they all kind of agreed this is probably the one. This feels most representative of what we are. It's a really intense song, it's melodic, it's heavy, and it's the first song that we eventually finished where we felt, like, 'Okay, this is a good direction. This is a good way of moving forward. And if we can have the songs be at least this kind of quality but in a different way, then we should be fine.' So that felt good. It was a great starting point — starting off with something that we were instantly very proud of and we felt like this is gonna be a song that's gonna stick for a while."
A founding member of IN FLAMES, Strömblad quit the band in February 2010 in order to continue receiving treatment for his alcohol addiction.
Svensson, who joined IN FLAMES in 1998, announced in 2015 that he was leaving the group to focus on his family life.
A member of IN FLAMES since 1997, Iwers issued a statement in November 2016 saying that he was exiting the band "to pursue other endeavors."
Engelin has been sitting out IN FLAMES' tour dates for the past two and a half years but has never officially confirmed his departure from the band. Engelin's replacement for IN FLAMES' live shows for most of 2019 and early 2020 has been former MEGADETH and current ACT OF DEFIANCE guitarist Chris Broderick.
When Engelin was asked in an August 2020 interview with the "MetalBreak" podcast what his "future" with IN FLAMES was, he responded, "I choose to pass on that [question]," before quickly adding, "I'm still in the band."
As of 2020, Engelin was not listed as a member of IN FLAMES on the band's Facebook page (Broderick was), and he is not featured in any of IN FLAMES' current promotional photos from the group's record label, Nuclear Blast.
Shortly after leaving IN FLAMES, Iwers joined CYHRA, the band featuring vocalist Jake E (ex-AMARANTHE) and Strömblad. He announced his departure from that band in May 2018.
THE HALO EFFECT's first-ever tour will be as the support act for Swedish death metal giants AMON AMARTH and U.S. metallers MACHINE HEAD on 31 dates throughout Europe in the summer and fall of 2022.
The first in a series of videos documenting the making of MACHINE HEAD's as-yet-untitled tenth studio album can be seen below.
Back in June 2021, MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn and bassist Jared MacEachern entered Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California with producer Zack Ohren to demo some new ideas for the band's follow-up to 2018's "Catharsis". With not a whole lot to track, things were off to a slow start, but eventually ideas started to flow.
MACHINE HEAD's next LP is tentatively due in the summer. Last month, Flynn offered an update on the album's progress during an episode of his "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast. He said: "I'm in the studio right now. In fact, we started yesterday — Zack and I were in the recording studio finishing up the new album, working on the new album. It's coming along. Right now, they're setting up in there. They've got Navene Koperweis [of] ENTHEOS, ANIMALS AS LEADERS and a million other bands — he is setting up drums and he's gonna be laying down some heat with the drums. Yeah, it's going really good — [it's] been really, really productive. And we're kind of getting towards the end here, man — we're getting towards the finish line. The finish line is in sight, and I haven't been able to say that for a long time."
He continued: "If you recall, Navene is the dude who played on '[Become The] Firestorm', 'Arrows In Words From The Sky', 'My Hands Are Empty', he played on 'Circle The Drain'. Yeah, it's comfortable. [He's] a local guy, which really helps.
"We're probably gonna be dropping some new songs pretty soon," Robb added. "Then the record will be dropping probably end of summer. We've gotta wait till the vinyl all lines up 'cause the vinyl takes fucking forever now. Nine-month lead time on vinyl. Adele just shifted 130 thousand copies of vinyl first week. Dude, it's crazy. All these fucking major labels are clogging up all of the vinyl pressing plants now. So, yeah, it's been a challenge. But we'll be dropping some songs on the DSPs, digital service providers."
Flynn and MacEachern previously said that they were "making great progress on at least six different new songs, including a 10-minute-plus epic."
Last June, MACHINE HEAD released the "Arrows In Words From The Sky" single. Featuring the tracks "Become The Firestorm", "Rotten" and "Arrows In Words From The Sky", the effort was recorded at Sharkbite.
In November 2020, MACHINE HEAD released a new single, "My Hands Are Empty", via Nuclear Blast. The song marked the first musical collaboration between Flynn and original "Burn My Eyes" guitarist Logan Mader in 24 years.
"My Hands Are Empty" was just one in a line of singles to be released by MACHINE HEAD, which issued "Do Or Die" in October 2019, "Circle The Drain" in February 2020, and the two-song digital single "Civil Unrest", consisting of "Stop The Bleeding" and "Bulletproof", in June 2020. "Stop The Bleeding" featured guest vocals from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Jesse Leach, and was written and recorded just days after the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.
According to Flynn, all three tracks from "Arrows In Words From The Sky" single — "Become The Firestorm", "Rotten" and the title track — as well as "My Hands Are Empty", will be included on the band's next full-length studio album. "And the other stuff is just gonna stay kind of in whatever void it came out in — and probably be released on a collection of songs with a bunch of other B-sides at some point, a physical version," he told the "Behind The Vinyl" podcast last June. "But for now, these four songs, and then some future songs, are gonna make up the next record."
Asked if the "turbulent" nature of the last couple of years was a good thing for him creatively, Flynn said: "Oh, totally. I'm an impatient man. [Laughs] I want it, and I want it now. And the music business can be mind-numbingly slow at times. And certainly with the pandemic now, just the lead time to set up a record is, like, seven months. Vinyl is fucking seven months. If I turned in a record today — done, mastered, finished, artwork, everything — we're not gonna get the vinyl until seven months from now. I'm, like, 'This is fucking crazy.' And I don't wanna wait; I just wanna put it out.
"When I started in the [1980s] thrash scene, bands put out demos and fucking rehearsals and new songs every month or two," he explained. "I had every EXODUS song released just from bootlegs and from demos and stuff like that. Same with METALLICA. And it was just so much faster. And the world has just kind of shifted into this extremely slow — certainly the metal world has. And I wanted to bring it back to that… Yes, I'm not releasing a cassette tape, but yeah, I'm putting it out so that if the diehards wanna hear it, you can fucking hear it. And consistently do that — consistently put out music so that it's constantly giving the fans, the diehard fans, the Head Cases, the ones who fucking live and breathe this shit, something to chew on every three or four months. And I really dig it. I think it's amazing. And I think that we have the technology — thanks to Spotify and all the streaming services now — [so that] we can do this shit. So why not?"
Seven months ago, MACHINE HEAD announced that it was abandoning plans to resume its "Burn My Eyes" 25th-anniversary tour now that the pandemic is slowing down. Flynn said that the "Burn My Eyes" tour, which saw him and MacEachern play the band's classic debut album in its entirety for the first time ever, with original "Burn My Eyes"-era drummer Chris Kontos and Mader joining in, would not pick up at such a time as MACHINE HEAD can continue touring. Flynn also confirmed that MacEachern is still a member of MACHINE HEAD alongside new recruits, guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka (DECAPITATED) and British drummer Matt Alston.
MACHINE HEAD will team up with Sweden's Viking metal overlords AMON AMARTH for a co-headline "Vikings And Lionhearts" European arena tour in September and October. Support on the trek will come from THE HALO EFFECT, the new band featuring five former members of IN FLAMES: Peter Iwers, Daniel Svensson, Jesper Strömblad, Niclas Engelin and Mikael Stanne.
Finnish Heinola-based metal band Where's My Bible have released a new single and music video, "Chapter I: Escape". The track is taken from their upcoming Circle EP, which is set to be released on May 13th via Inverse Records. There will be four tracks on EP and music video is done for each song.
Check out "Chapter I: Escape" below.
Singer Jussi Matilainen comments: "When it comes to the storyline of EP and videos they are all connected to each other and it tells a multidimensional story about mental health problems, mainly focusing on depression. I love to use metaphors in lyrics so Circle is more diverse than you might imagine at the first hear. I believe listening / watching after times it opens up over and over again to the listener. Fun to see what kind of experiences people will have from Circle."
Guitarist Pasi Löfgrén continues: "In new material the band have taken new direction to a more modern metal but still having our own sound. The new material will be definitely darker than earlier stuff, serving bigger sound elements including some brutal, melodic and some fast stuff. It will be bigger and heavier W.M.B than ever than before."
Guitarist Toni Hinkkala concludes: "I'm not saying that the journey with this release has been easy but now at the time of the release I can proudly say that everything has been worth it...A step to the dark side can also bring something beautiful with it..."
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Morbid Angel
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