In the wake of their recently released, acclaimed, debut LP, States Of Chaos, Hyderabad, India-based death metal crew Godless has issued a new drum playthrough video for the album’s “Fluxion.”
States Of Chaos shows Godless unleashing eight intense and unfaltering tracks of their thrash-laced death metal which pummel the listener into submission, while thematically exploring psychological trepidation and terror, phantasmagorias, and nightmare-inducing dreamscapes. The result is a uniquely vicious-sounding record that takes no prisoners, delivered by one of India’s most promising young metal acts.
Engineered by Godless’ Abbas Razvi, the drums on States Of Chaos were recorded at Wind Horse Recording Studios, the guitars and bass recorded at Infinity Studios, and the vocals recorded at Hydrozoa HQ. The completed tracks were sent to Poland’s Hertz Studio (Vader, Behemoth, Decapitated) who handled mixing and mastering, and the album was completed with artwork and design by New Salem and photography by David Dawson.
States Of Chaos was surrounded by vast critical acclaim from fans and media alike, including hitting #2 on the Bandcamp best-sellers list for death metal and #1 on the thrash list as an independent release.
Godless’ new drum playthrough presents one of the album’s primary singles, “Fluxion,” in an altered instrumental delivery, focusing on the pummeling percussive execution by drummer Vishesh Singh.
Denmark’s Rambuk has just released the single “Death Of The Chosen” together with a music video. This is their third single from their upcoming album Chains and it is one of the fastest and fiercest songs they have written.
Rambuk’s first EP Beneath The Corpses was released in November 2020 and now the time has come for Rambuk’s first full length record Chains. The album will be released early 2022 and is a huge leap forward for the band: Chains is bigger, fiercer, has better production (helped by Cabal’s Chris Kreutzfeldt) and most importantly it is pure heavy metal. While the album musically preserves the legacy of the EP, the lyrics explore everything that binds humans and humanity.
Live, the band is dedicated to give their all and energize the crowd to the fullest extent. As their first concert since the corona lockdown, Rambuk performed on High Voltage in Copenhagen for a full audience on October 29, and are looking forward to more concerts in 2022.
DREAM THEATER's official YouTube channel has uploaded the band's cover of the holiday classic "O Holy Night". The track was recorded during a soundcheck at the Roseland Theater in Portland, Oregon on June 9, 1993 and was released three years later on a very rare fan-club-only Christmas CD.
Last year, DREAM THEATER released a medley of holiday classics called "The Holiday Spirit Carries On". The proceeds of the song, which was made available via Bandcamp, went to support the band's road crew which was unable to work in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
DREAM THEATER's latest LP, "A View From The Top Of The World", came out in October. It was produced by guitarist John Petrucci, with engineering and additional production by James "Jimmy T" Meslin and mixing and mastering by Andy Sneap. The artwork for "A View From The Top Of The World" was created by longtime DREAM THEATER collaborator Hugh Syme (RUSH, IRON MAIDEN, STONE SOUR).
DREAM THEATER — comprised of Petrucci, singer James LaBrie, Jordan Rudess, John Myung and Mike Mangini — was in the middle of a sold-out world tour in support of its 2019 last release "Distance Over Time" and the 20th anniversary of "Scenes From A Memory" when a global pandemic brought the world to a stop. The musicians found themselves at home, with LaBrie in Canada and the rest of the group in the States. As fate would have it, they'd just finished construction on DTHQ (Dream Theater Headquarters) — a combination live recording studio, rehearsal space, control room, equipment storage, and creative hive. With LaBrie in Canada, he initially wrote with the band via Zoom on a monitor in DTHQ. In March 2021, he flew down to New York, quarantined, and recorded his vocals face to face with Petrucci.
Former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson joined RAVEN on stage on November 4 at The 44 Sports Grill & Nightlife in Glendale, Arizona to perform a cover of the JUDAS PRIEST classic "Hell Bent For Leather" and the RAVEN original "Seek And Destroy". Video footage and photos of his appearance can be found below.
RAVEN drummer Mike Heller is Ellefson's bandmate in THE LUCID, which released its self-titled debut album in October via SpoilerHead Records.
"The Lucid" was produced by Heller and mixed/mastered by Lasse Lammert.
RAVEN's latest album, "Metal City", was released in September 2020 via SPV/Steamhammer.
Considered part of the "New Wave Of British Heavy Metal" movement of the early '80s, RAVEN is perhaps best remembered for its trailblazing tours in America in the early '80s that gave groups like METALLICA and ANTHRAX their first taste of the road.
RAVEN's albums "Rock Until You Drop", "Wiped Out" and "All For One" virtually invented both the speed metal and power metal genres, with the band consistently pushing the envelope while retaining its unique sound and attack — both in the studio and in their true element: onstage.
Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH earlier this year after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter. At the time, Ellefson was accused of grooming an underage girl through videos and online messages. David has denied the allegation and has repeatedly said the woman in question had been a willing, consenting adult at the time of their virtual sexual encounter. Ellefson accompanied his denial with an alleged screenshot of a statement from the woman with whom he was supposedly involved at the time. In it, the woman admitted to recording the alleged intimate communications she had with Ellefson and called herself "naïve" for sharing them with a friend without the musician's permission.
David was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.
In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Dave Mustaine, alleging the MEGADETH frontman shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.
David, a Christian who launched the Mega Life Ministries worship group in 2007, studied for a year at Concordia Lutheran Seminary in St. Louis nearly a decade ago.
Thanks Mike Gaube's Headbangers capturing some live video of David Ellefson jamming "Hell Bent For Leather" and "Seek and Destroy" with us tonight in Glendale, AZ.
Italian bass master and composer Alberto Rigoni (Natural Born Machine, Vivaldi Metal Project) will release his new album, Songs For Souls, on January 15th, 2022 in memory of his Father.
Alberto has posted online a stunning performance video for "L'Origin du Monde", featuring Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater) and Mark Zonder (ex-Fates Warning). Check it out below.
Alberto Rigoni on "L'Origin du Monde": "Composed by myself and Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater) and featuring Fates Warning drummer Mark Zonder, 'L'Origin du Monde' is one of the songs of my upcoming album, Songs For Souls, out on January 15th in memory of my father. Happy Christmas!"
Jordan Rudess adds: "I co-wrote a song with Alberto Rigoni and I think it turned out beautifully. He originally sent me a lovely bass track and I let the inspiration flow and came up with the rest!"
Just recently, Rigoni announced Jordan Rudess, Mark Zonder, Fabrizio Leo, Marco Sfogli, Tommaso Ermolli, Enrico Taddei, Alessandro Bertoni and the legendary guitarist Jennifer Batten, joining the Songs for Souls album line-up.
In case you missed, also watch Jennifer Batten's promo for Songs for Souls below. Pre-order / fund Songs For Souls, available in digital and digipack CD at this location.
Cradle Of Filth drummer Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka has shared drum cam footage of Iron Maiden's "Hallowed Be Thy Name" performed live in New York City on October 11th. Check it out below.
Fan-filmed video of the band performing "Hallowed Be Thy Name" on October 1st in Dallas, Texas is also available.
Cradle Of Filth released their new album, Existence Is Futile, on October 22nd via Nuclear Blast. The album consists of 12 new tracks with a total playing time of 54 minutes.
Tracklisting:
"The Fate Of The World On Our Shoulders"
"Existential Terror"
"Necromantic Fantasies"
"Crawling King Chaos"
"Here Comes A Candle… (Infernal Lullaby)"
"Black Smoke Curling From The Lips Of War"
"Discourse Between A Man And His Soul"
"The Dying Of The Embers"
"Ashen Mortality"
"How Many Tears To Nurture A Rose?"
"Suffer Our Dominion"
"Us, Dark, Invincible"
"Sisters Of The Mist" (Bonus track)
"Unleash The Hellion" (Bonus track)
The New Black guitarist / Who Brought The Dog frontman Fabian "Fabs" Schwarz kept himself busy during lockdown with more musical experimentation. He recently released a full album of '80s-inspired synth wave tunes under the moniker SixMixSix, and is gearing up to release a new album, ROAR!, via RetroSynth Records. It will be released on January 7th, 2022.
The video for first single, "Hate Me In Return", featuring The New Black vocalist Fludid is streaming below.
SixMixSix released a live album recorded this past summer in Würzburg, Germany at the annual Umsonst & Draussen festival. It is available for free download here.
"This is just a document about our very first show EVER! So have fun with this historical grain of sand."
Live @U&D WÜRZBURG by SIXMIXSIX
Tracklist:
"The Howler"
"Plains Of Eidolon"
"Antarktos"
"Fortuna"
"Evening Star"
"Heart Of Deimos"
"Continuity"
"Cambion Drift"
"Star Winds"
"Azathoth"
The New Black is a hard rock band hailing from Würzburg, Germany, launched in 2007 by Schwarz and guitarist Christof Leim. They have released four albums to date via AFM Records: The New Black (2009), II: Better in Black (2011), III: Cut Loose (2013) and A Monster’s Life (2016).
Inspired by the Magic The Gathering card game, Planeswalker is the new power metal band founded by Helion Prime guitarist Jason Ashcraft and newly added Gloryhammer vocalist, Sozos Michael.
Today, the duo is unveiling the music video for their second single, "The Spark", from their forthcoming debut album, Tales Of Magic, due out on January 21. Watch below.
Tales Of Magic includes guest performances from Brittney Slayes (Unleash The Archers), Heather Michele (ex-Helion Prime), Taylor Washington (Paladin), R.A. Voltaire (Ravenous), and more.
Tracklisting:
"Tales Of Magic"
"The Spark"
"Shadow Of Emeria"
"Blackblade"
"The Forever Serpent"
"Oath Of The Gatewatch"
"A Million To One" (KISS cover)
Two Minutes To Late Night is back with another cover, this time taking on King Diamond's "Halloween". Watch below.
A message states: "Ho Ho Ho happy haunted days! Last year we covered a King Diamond Christmas song for Halloween, and this year we're doing the opposite. Please enjoy our 52nd bedroom cover made with the support of Patreon. Become a Patreon patron today and get access to exclusive rewards like patches, t-shirts, even custom songs! Plus, you get to see every cover we make before it publicly premieres."
Official video footage of German thrash metal gods, Kreator, performing "Phobia" at Bloodstock 2021 can be viewed below.
Says the band: "It is always a pleasure returning to the UK for Bloodstock Festival, and so as a treat to our hordes worldwide, 'Phobia' from our Bloodstock 2021 set is now streaming on Bloodstock's YouTube."
Kreator recently announce a very special re-release of their 2001 masterpiece, Violent Revolution, for its 20th anniversary. The reissue of Violent Revolution is scheduled for a January 21 release through Nuclear Blast Records and it will include a huge selection of assorted live bootleg recordings, grouped together under the name Bootleg Revolution.
Listen to "All Of The Same Blood" (Live at Wâldrock) from the upcoming release:
The 20th-anniversary edition of Violent Revolution will be available in various formats, including Digital Album, CD Jewelcase, CD Digipak, Double LP, Cassette, and a limited Edition 4LP+2CD Boxset, which will also include an exclusive Kreator comic book called Graphic Violence - Chapter 1.
To give you a taste of the Bootleg Revolution material, which has been recorded in countries like Brazil, Korea, and Istanbul & on German Festivals like Wacken and Waldrock - check out the visualizer video for "Reconquering The Throne" (Live In Istanbul), below.
This Violent Revolution re-issue will be available in the following formats:
- Digital Album "Bootleg Revolution"" (Live In Brazil, Korea, Wacken / Live In Istanbul / Live At Waldrock)
- 2 CD Digibook incl. Live Bonus CD (Brazil, Korea, Wacken)
- 1 CD Jewelcase
- 2 LP Gatefold
* Gatefold Solid BlackGatefold Solid Red
* Marbled Clear/Red (EMP Exclusive)
* Splatter Red/Black
- Box Set
* 2 CD Digibook (Album & Live Bonus)
* 2 LP (Album)
* 2 LP" (Live Bonus; Brazil, Korea, Wacken)
* 1 CD Slipcase" (Live In Istanbul), 1CD Slipcase" (Live At Waldrock)
* 20-page Comic Book "Graphic Violence - Chapter 1"
Pre-order Violent Revolution in a format of your choice, here. Listen to Violent Revolution on a digital service of your choice, here. Pre-save Violent Revolution on a digital service of your choice, here.
Listen to the single "Servant In Heaven - King In Hell"" (Live In Brazil), here and watch a visualizer below.
Violent Revolution tracklisting:
"Reconquering The Throne
"The Patriarch
"Violent Revolution
"All Of The Same Blood
"Servant In Heaven - King In Hell
"Second Awakening
"Ghetto War
"Replicas Of Life
"Slave Machinery
"Bitter Sweet Revenge
"Mind Of Fire
"System Decay
Live Bonus:
"Violent Revolution" (Live in Brazil)
"Reconquering The Throne" (Live in Brazil)
"Extreme Aggression" (Live in Korea)
"People Of The Lie" (Live in Korea)
"All Of The Same Blood" (Live in Korea)
"Phobia" (Live In Korea)
"Pleasure To Kill" (Live in Korea)
"Renewal" (Live in Korea)
"Servant In Heaven - King In Hell" (Live Brazil)
"Terrible Certainty" (Live in Korea)
"Riot Of Violence" (Live in Korea)
"Terrorzone" (Live in Brazil)
"Betrayer" (Live in Brazil)
"Lost" (Live in Brazil)
"Coma Of Souls" (Live in Brazil)
"Flag Of Hate" (Live at Wacken)
"Tormentor" (Live at Wacken)
Bootleg Revolution tracklisting:
"Violent Revolution" (Live in Brazil)
"Reconquering The Throne" (Live in Brazil)
"Extreme Aggression" (Live in Korea)
"People Of The Lie" (Live in Korea)
"All Of The Same Blood" (Live in Korea)
"Phobia" (Live In Korea)
"Pleasure To Kill" (Live in Korea)
"Renewal" (Live in Korea)
"Servant In Heaven - King In Hell" (Live Brazil)
"Terrible Certainty" (Live in Korea)
"Riot Of Violence" (Live in Korea)
"Terrorzone" (Live in Brazil)
"Betrayer" (Live in Brazil)
"Lost" (Live in Brazil)
"Coma Of Souls" (Live in Brazil)
"Flag Of Hate" (Live at Wacken)
"Tormentor" (Live at Wacken)
"Violent Revolution" (Live in Istanbul)
"Reconquering The Throne" (Live in Istanbul)
"Extreme Aggression" (Live in Istanbul)
"People Of The Lie" (Live in Istanbul)
"All Of The Same Blood" (Live in Istanbul)
"Phobia" (Live in Istanbul)
"Servant In Heaven - King In Hell" (Live in Istanbul)
"Terrible Certainty" (Live in Istanbul)
"Riot Of Violence" (Live in Istanbul)
"Betrayer" (Live in Istanbul)
"Flag Of Hate" (Live in Istanbul)
"Tormentor" (Live in Istanbul)
"The Patriarch" (Live at Waldrock)
"Violent Revolution" (Live at Waldrock)
"Reconquering The Throne" (Live at Waldrock)
"Extreme Aggression" (Live at Waldrock)
"People Of The Lie" (Live at Waldrock)
"All Of The Same Blood" (Live at Waldrock)
"Phobia" (Live at Waldrock)
"Pleasure To Kill" (Live at Waldrock)
"Renewal" (Live at Waldrock)
"Servant In Heaven - King In Hell" (Live at Waldrock)
"Flag Of Hate" (Live at Waldrock)
"Tormentor" (Live at Waldrock)
"Reconquering The Throne" (Live In Istanbul) visualizer:
"Servant In Heaven - King In Hell" (Live In Brazil) visualizer:
As the 21st century was born, so Kreator underwent what was nothing less than a seismic creative rebirth. By this time, the iconic German band had released nine studio albums in the 1980s and '90s, which had established them as one of the most important metal names of these decades. In the first period, they had helped to shape and pioneer the thrash scene through such releases as Pleasure To Kill (1986), TerribleCertainty ('87), and Extreme Aggression ('89). During the following decade, the band had opened up exciting horizons of experimentation on albums like Coma Of Souls (1990), Renewal ('92), and Endorama ('99). Now, though, it was time to move into a fresh era, as vocalist/guitarist Mille Petrozza explains. “During the 1990s, we were definitely experimenting with what the band was doing. But (drummer) Ventor and I decided that for this album – our first of the new millennium – we wanted to go back to the sort of sound that we had at the start of Kreator. In other words, to get back to the reason why we began the band in the first place.”
There were some significant changes for this album, one being the fact that the band signed to SPV/Steamhammer. There was also a new guitarist introduced, as Sami Yli-Sirniö (who had made his reputation with Finnish band Waltari) took over from Tommy Vetterli. The latter (also known as Tommy T. Baron) had joined in 1996 and played on the Oucast (1997) and Endorama albums.
As usual, it was Petrozza who did all the writing for the album.
The producer for this album was Andy Sneap, who was now making a name for himself as one of the pre-eminent masters of this art in the modern metal world. Pre-production was done in Essen at KKS Studios, before the band went to Area 51 Studios in Celle, near Hamburg where they recorded the drum and bass (handled by Christian Giesler).
The album title came from something Petrozza had read. “In a book, I came across a comment that John F. Kennedy said (in 1962). This was: 'Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.' I thought 'Violent Revolution' would make a good title for an album. So, I kept it in my mind for this record. I think 'Violent Revolution' is a title that makes a real impact."
For the cover, Kreator turned to Andreas Marschall, who had done such a striking job on the 1990's Coma Of Souls album sleeve.
Violent Revolution was released in September 2001, and became the band's highest-charting album to that point in Germany, as it reached number 38. “We knew we had a good album, so in that way, it wasn't a surprise to see this do so well in the chart. But however good you might think your album is, you can never be certain how people will react to what you've done, and whether you can pick up new fans, as well as satisfy the older ones. So, I suppose there was an element of us being pleasantly surprised when we got into the Top 40 for the first time. But I have to give a lot of credit to our label. They knew exactly how to market and promote the album, and showed we had made the right choice in signing to them.”
Violent Revolution is without question an excellent album. While in some ways it does hark back to the glories of the band's earlier days, nonetheless it does not sound at all nostalgic. The performances and production values are very much part of the contemporary era, and the strength of the compositions themselves are of the highest values. Rising to the challenge offered by a new generation of ambitious metal bands, Kreator proved they were far from being a spent force. Unlike so many of their peers, here was a band who still had so much creativity to offer, and were also clearly excited themselves by what they were doing. And when you hear the band themselves enjoying the entire process, then you know this is a bona fide revitalization.
“I feel this is one of our strongest albums,” says Petrozza with conviction. “We took what we'd done on 'Coma Of Souls' and 'Extreme Aggression' but this wasn't a case of repeating it. No, we added in modern metal elements to the sound as well. It was a new era for Kreator. A rebirth if you want to put it that way. And the start of what I would call our second career.”
Kreator's Violent Revolution lineup, 2001 (pictured at top):
Mile Petrozza - Vocals, Guitars
Sami Yli-Sirniö - Guitars
Christian Giesler - Bass
Ventor - Drums
In their new video, for the song “Masquerade Du Macabre”, Vincent Crowley pays homage to the story "The Masque Of The Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe, as well as the movie by the same name, featuring horror film legend Vincent Price.
“Masquerade Du Macabre” appears on Beyond Acheron - a conceptional album climbing the rungs of the latter of death. From beginning to end it takes the listener on a ghastly journey with somber tales of doom, casting a Poe-esque shadow.
Tracklisting:
"Intro"
"Where No Light Shines"
"My Eternal Vow"
"La Muerte"
"Bring Forth The Dead"
"Masquerade Du Macabre"
"Farewell (At Death's Door)"
"Outro"
After 30 years of fronting black / death metal underground legends Acheron, lead vocalist
Vincent Crowley put the group to the rest to pursue a solo career with the new band - Vincent Crowley. Back from the blacked Abyss, this new musical entity veers to a different dark path from his past work. Instead, the material is influenced by all kinds of metal music and is hard to be automatically lumped into any certain genre. Along with their macabre music, a visual stage - show of horror is planned for live performances.
Spanish death metallers Barbarian Prophecies have released a new music video for their song "Alpha", from the album Horizon.
In this video, which can be seen below, Barbarian Prophecies try to metaphorically represent the cycle of life and death with water (rain and ocean) as an element that connects everything.
Filmed by 60 Ráfagas Studio, "Alpha" features guest actresses Nora Xiana and María Lara.
Acclaimed metal guitarist, Terry Syrek, released Story - his fourth full-length album - on December 21. Story is a progressive rock/metal concept album that outlines the journey of two fictional creatures through in a parallel world - told via adventurous compositions and virtuoso musicianship.
The cast of characters includes Marco Minnemann (drums), Bryan Beller and Mohini Dey (bass), Lalle Larsson (keyboards) and Florian Cristea (violin). Narration is provided by Keith Szarabajka and Terry’s son, Luke.
The official video for the track "Balloon Ride Over A Jigsaw Map" is a juxtaposition of live performance footage interspersed with animation styled after the CD artwork.
“I think that 'Balloon Ride Over a Jigsaw Map' is a good representation of the overall musical direction of Story. It features some great performance footage of the incredible musicians who were gracious enough to help me realize my vision,” said composer and videographer Terry Syrek. “This track was also a good vehicle to incorporate some animation to introduce people to the characters and larger concept of Story… and who doesn’t want to take a balloon ride?”
Story is available in physical digital formats. Visit terrysyrek.com for more information.
This unreleased demo of "Izabella / Machine Gun" was recorded during Band Of Gypsys rehearsals at Baggy Studios in New York City in late December 1969. As the new trio featuring Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Miles (drums) and Billy Cox (bass) prepared for their four historic shows at the Fillmore East on New Years Eve/Day, the group retreated to Baggy's to prepare.
In 2002, Dagger Records debuted the collection, Jimi Hendrix: The Baggy's Rehearsal Sessions, that presents 12 songs from those rehearsals. Not included in that collection is this bonus track "Who Knows" which documents the trio working their way through this classic track.
Jimi Hendrix: The Baggy’s Rehearsal Sessions represents the fifth release by Dagger Records, the official bootleg label created by Experience Hendrix. This edition offers the fruits of the guitarist’s spirited rehearsals fronting the Band Of Gypsys as they prepared for their four unforgettable Fillmore East concerts.
These unpolished, direct to two-track recordings were made over the course of two long December 1969 evenings. Hendrix had just returned from Toronto, Canada where he had been acquitted in a jury trial for narcotic possession. The verdict had lifted an enormous burden from the guitarist’s shoulders. With the court case and all of its possible ramifications now behind him, Hendrix redirected his energy toward preparations for the recording of a live album at the Fillmore East with bassist Billy Cox and drummer Buddy Miles.
“We rehearsed at a place called Baggy’s in New York,” explains Cox. “It was located down by Chinatown. We were there prior to Christmas and then a little after, practicing and rehearsing. We were working up a set with the songs we were going to perform for the [Fillmore East] concert. Then we realized that we had to do four shows and we used quite a few of those numbers in each of the shows.”
Seattle heavy metal practitioners Dark Meditation will release their Polluted Temples full-length via Satanik Royalty Records January 28, today unveiling the record’s first single, artwork, and preorders.
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 first single, “Haunt Of Fear,” “‘Behold the Devil and He appears’… ‘Haunt Of Fear’ deals with the concept of creating a ‘devil’ or a problem you may fixate on to serve as an invented boogeyman, where fear governs your mindset and instills hatred or provides a scapegoat on why you can’t move forward with your life. Musically, it’s a thunderous foundation of first-wave black metal riffage, wailing pinch harmonics, and dueling guitar solos.”
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. Preorder 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”
Devin Townsend has shasred a new guitar demo video along with the following message:
"Sorry for my absence; my life kind of exploded for awhile there, and I'm just getting it back on track. Here's a new guitar demo with some really cool features courtesy of Prestige guitars and True Temperament frets (I'm a bit rusty and out of tune, regrettably, but c'est la vie). Been awhile since I sang quietly but I've started practicing again to be ready for touring so I thought I'd share.
I am doing a streaming concert in February where I do Infinity in its entirety, so I'm just starting to work on that now as well.. I hope you all have a nice holiday and I wish you good things. I'll be a lot more active here now, thanks for the patience."
The setlist on the night was as follows:
Intro - Ziltoid Speech
"Aftermath" (Strapping Young Lad)
"Kingdom"
"By Your Command"
"March of the Poozers"
"Supercrush"
"Almost Again" (Strapping Young Lad)
"Regulator"
"Love?" (Strapping Young Lad)
"Deadhead"
- guitar duel with Ziltiod -
"Bad Devil"
"Spirits Will Collide"
"Detox" (Strapping Young Lad)
"Vampira"
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