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Sunday, April 30, 2023

Superhorror Releases New Video Single "Holy Water"


A video for Superhorror’s second single “Holy Water” is available on YouTube.

The band states: “After releasing ‘Satan Loves You’, a typical Superhorror-style song, we're trying something more ‘cinematic’, and ‘Holy Water’ was chosen as a perfect soundtrack for the story we wanted to tell... we hope our fans will appreciate this 90s B-Movie -like videoclip!”

“Holy Water” is taken from Superhorror’s new self-produced full-length album “Devilish Whisper”, due to release on April 28, 2023; the very same night a release party will be held in Milan, Italy, at Legend Club. The album will be available in both digital and physical format through Bandcamp and will feature some special guests like guitarist Casey (The Brokendolls, ex-Thee S.T.P.), singer Jack (Speed Stroke) and bassist Mr.4 (ex-Superhorror).

Check out the video HERE.

Greta Van Fleet Announce Starcatcher World Tour


In celebration of their much anticipated forthcoming third studio album Starcatcher — due July 21 on Lava/Republic/EMI Records—Grammy-winning rock band Greta Van Fleet are set to kick off their Starcatcher World Tour on July 24 in Nashville. The tour, produced by Live Nation, includes stops at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York, The Forum in Los Angeles as well as London’s Wembley Arena and more; see below for a complete list of dates.


TOUR DATES:

May 5-7—Atlanta, GA—Shaky Knees Festival

May 5-7—Memphis, TN— Beale Street Music Festival


July 24—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena*

July 27—Fort Worth, TX—Dickies Arena*

July 28—Houston, TX—Toyota Center*

July 31—Denver, CO—Ball Arena*

August 2—Salt Lake City, UT—Vivint Arena*

August 4—Seattle, WA—Climate Pledge Arena*

August 5—Portland, OR—Veterans Memorial Coliseum*

August 8—Oakland, CA—Oakland Arena*

August 10—Los Angeles, CA—The Kia Forum*

August 12—Las Vegas, NV—T-Mobile Arena*

September 3—St. Paul, MN—Xcel Energy Center†

September 6—Chicago, IL—Allstate Arena†

September 8—Detroit, MI—Little Caesars Arena†

September 11—Washington DC—Capital One Arena†

September 12—New York, NY—Madison Square Garden†

September 15—Boston, MA—TD Garden†


September 16-17—Asbury Park, NJ—Sea Hear Now Festival 2023


September 19—Philadelphia, PA—Wells Fargo Center†

September 22—Indianapolis, IN—Gainbridge Fieldhouse†

September 23—Cleveland, OH—Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse†

November 6—Hamburg, Germany—Sporthalle^

November 8—Amsterdam, Netherlands—Ziggo Dome^

November 9—Paris, France—Accor Arena^

November 12—Brussels, Belgium—Forest National^

November 14—London, UK—OVO Arena Wembley^

November 16—Dublin, Ireland—3Arena^

November 19—Manchester, UK—AO Arena^

November 20—Glasgow, UK—OVO Hydro^

November 26—Copenhagen, Denmark—Forum+

November 28—Munich, Germany—Zenith+

November 30—Bologna, Italy—Unipol Arena+

December 3—Barcelona, Spain—Sant Jordi Club+

December 4—Madrid, Spain—WiZink Center+

December 6—Lisbon, Portugal—Campo Pequeno+


September 20, 2024—Mexico City, Mexico —Foro Sol~

September 27, 2024—Mexico City, Mexico —Foro Sol~


*with Kaleo

†with Surf Curse

^with Mt. Joy

+with Black Honey

~as part of Metallica: M72 World Tour

US Progressive Metallers Source Announce New Single


US progressive metallers Source have returned with their latest single, “Vesica (The Path In)”. Taken from their upcoming fourth album, the band released the single on April 7th, 2023.

Talking about the single, vocalist/guitarist Benjamin Gleason stated:

“This song is about how early prenatal experiences can shape our psyche and have a large impact on us throughout our lives. 'Vesica' is a reference to one of the most important shapes in sacred geometry called the 'Vesica Piscis'. The shape can be used as a lens to view the earliest experiences our consciousness has with 'other'. Ultimately this song is about forging connection and resonance despite the seductive pull of the safety in solitude.”

The video for “Vesica (The Path In)” can be found HERE.

Israeli Symphonic Metallers StormbounD Insist "The Show Must Go On" With Queen Cover Video


Following on from the release of their debut album ‘December’ in August 2022, Israeli symphonic metallers StormbounD have returned with a video cover of the Queen's classic track “The Show Must Go On”, which was released on April 7th, 2023!

Speaking about why they chose to go with this track, the band stated:

"First of all, most of us are Queen fans. One day we were just fooling around with this song's intro at rehearsal, and it felt like something that could fit our sound and style, so we learned the entire song and played it at the next show. Ever since then, we can't do a show without it so we figured out that if everyone enjoys it, we might as well record the thing. It felt really good to take such an iconic song and give it a little energy boost while keeping the original version's harmonies, and we hope we've done it justice."

The video can be seen and heard for "The Show Must Go On" right HERE.

ANGELSPIT RELEASES NEW SINGLE 'THIS GAME IS STUPID'.


Angelspit's new track 'This Game is Stupid' is a gritty, distorted homage to late 80s Cyber-Industrial. The song's driving beats, anchored by drummer Dave Nato (4th Wall https://www.facebook.com/4thwallmusic), provides a relentless foundation for the track's harsh synths and blistering Blaster Beam riffs. Vocalist and frontman Zoog Von Rock delivers scathing lyrics with his trademark sneer. PLAY IT LOUD!

ARTIST STATEMENT:

"I built this track from samples of me bashing a giant metal sculpture of a fish (it wasn’t damaged!!) - the sculpture’s tubular bars rang deep, clear and loud when struck. The sculpture was situated in a dangerous part of Downtown LA, I had to sneak in at night to do the recording.

The war-tom drums of Dave Nato (4th Wall https://www.facebook.com/4thwallmusic) provides the backbone of the track. The rest of the track is layers of mega-distorted Blaster Beam processed by George Bikos at Baysound Studios (https://www.facebook.com/baysoundstudios). It’s super gritty like late 80s Cyber-Industrial!" - Zoog Von Rock, Angelspit.

Check out the track HERE.

Blackened Rose's Aleksei Iagunkov Talks of Influences, the Sound of Music, and What the Future Holds!


Hard rock, glam metalheads BLACKENED ROSE have a debut single out, with the band working upon their second single, expected to be released real soon! The band talks about their influences, the sound of their music, and what future plans are ahead for them for this year.


1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

Blackened Rose was originally planned to be a side project of the vocalist Aleksei Iagunkov (ex-Step In Blood), who wanted to delve more into his recent fascinations with 80's styled hard rock and dark beauty of gothic metal, but due to circumstantial changes quickly grew into something bigger through the first rehearsals at the end of 2022. Recruiting the guitarist Erick Perdomo-Borelly (Dimi.xomusic, Noon Shift, ex-Matt Charleston), classically trained keyboardist Naomi Campbell and bass player Paya Jebelli (Dimi.xomusic) the newly formed ensemble started writing their first original songs. Soon the line up was complete with the Brazilian rhythm machine Luan Medeiros (Dear Scarlett, ex-Devils Paradise) and the Sydney-based quintet has found their wings, playing a few shows around their home city and releasing the debut single “Ginger Red (Oh, So Bad)”, which was inspired by bands like Airbourne and HIM. Now Blackened Rose is looking forward to more shows and more music to be released soon! 

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

The name originally came from one of the older songs of mine (which might be released in due time, who knows!). There were two lines: “A ray of light on blackened rose Lying on a dead love's grave.” And the words Blackened Rose just stood out to me! And think! Roses often stand for love, and when roses die, they kind of lose their colour, blacken. So Blackened Rose can be perceived as the metaphor for “dead love” in a way. –  

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

Blackened Rose is from Sydney, Australia. Currently there are quite a lot of indie bands in Sydney or solo acoustic artists. In metal thrash and death sub-genres are currently predominant. From the local bands I’ve seen, I could recommend checking out Hellz Abyss, who play a blend of old-school classic heavy metal and hard rock. Other notable artists to me would include a blues rock songwriter Matt Charleston and melodic death metal band Besomora. – Aleksei Iagunkov

4. How would you describe your style?

Blackened Rose blends influences from old-school fun 80’s hard rock and glam metal with dark, melancholic beauty of goth. Main influence bands would be: HIM, Poison, Whitesnake, Skid Row, Type O Negative, Airbourne, Ghost, Negative, Warrant, The 69 Eyes, Bon Jovi, Cinderella, etc.

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

The debut single “Ginger Red (Oh, So Bad)” is available now on all the streaming platforms. It’s a fun song about a certain girl that likes to play with others’ hearts for her own pleasure. At least in the nearest future you can expect a variety of songs from us from fun joking ones like this to dark and gloomy tunes about love.

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

Yes, we are currently planning our second single. And most likely it will be very different from the first one.

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

Currently we have two shows planned, one of them being BattleFest in West Sydney. That’s the event no rocker or metalhead should miss! It’s going to be massive!

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

I like to plan according to the situation and circumstances, so for this year the plan is to release two more singles, play a few shows around Sydney (and hopefully not only Sydney) and release a music video. But then who knows what opportunities might arise?

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

Currently our music is only available online, but is in plans to make our own merchandise soon too.

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

The catchiness of it and the fun. I have noticed that a lot of rock and metal seems to be quite dark or aggressive. I want to make a case that it doesn’t have to be that way. Where is fun 80’s rock? Let’s revive that enjoyment!

Saturday, April 29, 2023

The Spectre Beneath Discusses the Past and the Present!


Power progressive band THE SPECTRE BENEATH has had an interesting past up until the present day, releasing material over sometime. The band discusses how they got their name, sound, and what has bee released and what they have up next for newer music and other plans for them.


1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

In January 2019 Pete had finished an album with his other band, ‘Plague and the Decay’, in which Consta plays. When writing song for the next Plague and the Decay album, he noticed the style was more melodic and accessible but quite bombastic and heavy at the same time. It was a slight shift in tone band and he felt adding a female voice would bring out the melodic side even more. He brought on board long-time collaborator, Katy Lennon, to add extra nuance to the melodies and ensure the top lines and backing vocals were suitable for a female voice. He knew Consta had the drumming chops for the faster and more intricate material and he agreed to come on board. Pete then found L Lockser from an online demo. Having power and subtlety in equal measure, L Lockser was a perfect fit for the hard hitting but melodic approach Pete had in mind. Thanks to L Lockser’s diverse range of influences, she was not restrained by Metal’s rubber stamp approach and brought a unique flavour to the band’s sound.

In September 2019 our debut album, The Downfall of Judith King, was released to amazing feedback. When lockdown happened in early 2020 we decided to record the follow up utilizing distance recording and we released, The New Identity of Sidney Stone, in November 2020. Again, it was met with critical acclaim and was picked up by WormHoleDeath records who re-released it worldwide in May 2021.

With the world still in lock down, Pete and Katy kept writing and recording started for album number three, however, when it came to the vocals, something did not feel right. L Lockser was having trouble with her throat and, upon advice from the doctors and her vocal coach, she stepped down from vocal duties in late 2021, health always comes first.

The loss of one of the band’s unique elements was a devastating blow and there was talk of retiring the project. Yet, the band’s belief in the new material gave them the impetus to continue. 

After a very lengthy and frustrating search to find someone who could fill the chasm left by L Lockser, the band were blown away by Stevie’s vocal ability. With a background in rock, country and soul, the band were unsure if they could stick the landing twice with a vocalist who was not directly from the metal genre. Taking the gamble, they asked if she would be interested in singing some songs and, to the band’s delight, she agreed. 

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

It just happened one day. Pete is a big Bond fan and has a hat with the Spectre logo on it which he wears every time he takes his dog out. We thought the word was strong but it needed something else as there are other bands called Spectre. It was the film What Lies Beneath which sealed the deal as it was on television at the time so we put the two together and voila! Something just clicked.

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

The Spectre Beneath is based out of the North-West of England, however, vocalist Stevie is currently in America. We have to be honest and admit we don’t follow the music scene in our area. However, living so close to Manchester we spend a lot of time going there to live shows where the live music scene is very healthy as Manchester is a frequent stop off point for bands doing tours of the UK. On the other hand, one band we would recommend from the area is Boss Keloid, very heavy, lots of big riffs.

4. How would you describe your style?

We were coined Power/Prog metal in the first ever review for our debut album and it’s probably a fair summing up. If you like power metal and progressive metal but don’t want to go too far in either direction, The Spectre Beneath maybe for you. Definitely all clean vocals to allow the melodies to shine and allow for some big harmony choruses. We certainly have fast songs and lots of melody but also longer more involved tracks. However, under the surface there is certainly an undercurrent of thrash especially with the pace and twisting riffs as Pete is big fan of bands like Overkill, Forbidden, Testament and Annihilator. We like to think it’s that element which stops The Spectre Beneath from falling too far into the cheesy tropes of Power Metal and the over indulgence of Prog. We definitely don’t have layers of keyboards either, even though drummer Consta tries to squeeze some in. Apart from some piano and a few atmospheric hums, we try and keep the music riff and vocal focused. 

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

We released our debut album ‘The Downfall of Judith King’ in 2019. From a thematic point of view, our lyrics are like flash fiction in song form, we’re not great at writing real world topics and touchy-feely stuff, we like our stories. There are a handful of connected songs centered around Judith King, a woman plotting revenge for something that happened in her past. We also like to use sound FX where it’s suitable to create atmosphere and to enhance the subject of the song. For example, the song ‘Teach Yourself Guitar (Step 2)’ does have an extract from a teach yourself guitar CD which came from the front of the magazine of the same name. It cost us $100 for permission to use that clip.

We followed it up in 2020 with ‘The New Identity of Sidney Stone’. The album is in 2 parts, the first half is stand-alone rockers, whereas the second half is five linked songs about a guy called Sidney Stone whose death if faked and then is buried alive. The album is fast in places, heavy in others but also quite dark as well. WormHoleDeath records who called it a masterpiece and re-released it world-wide in May 2021.

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

Oh yes, most definitely. We have a mini-LP out later this year with 6 songs on it. We have the next album planned out and we would say 70% of it is written. There are some killer riffs in the mix, fast songs, moody songs and a song called Germ which has a sleazy groove which is something new for The Spectre Beneath. After two and a half years without releasing anything we are keen to get more music out there. After releasing the mini-LP hopefully around July/August time, we’d like to finish writing the new album and get it recorded before Easter 2024.

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

Live shows have not entered the equation yet because we’ve been focused regrouping after losing a singer and trying to find a new one.  With Pete supplying bass duties and most of the guitars on the album, we’d need some extra troops to complete a gigging line-up. However, we’d love to bring The Spectre Beneath to the live arena but we’re still consolidating as well as writing and recording.

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

As mentioned, we have a mini-album out later this year, hopefully towards the end of summer. We’re currently writing the next full-length release which we want to have completed by Easter of 2024, sooner hopefully.  After those two albums we’d like to tell the full Sidney Stone story as we have twelve songs mapped out for that. Also, once we have a completed line-up, it’d be nice to squeeze some live performances in as well at some point as that’s the aspect of music we all miss.

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

The Spectre Beneath can be listened to from all the usual streaming platform with the digital album being available to buy from Amazon and Apple. If you are after physical copies, they are available at our Bandcamp site. https://thespectrebeneath.bandcamp.com.

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

We’d like the listener to remember the way The Spectre Beneath blends heavy, fast, sometimes thrashy riffing with melodic, sassy female vocals. We realize this is nothing new in the realms of metal, but we try not to compromise on, for example, length of intros, harmony solos, pace, the quirkiness of the lyrics and themes and the use of sound FX. All of that, we feel, enables us to carve our own little corner in the metal genre.

The New Pacific Says Lots of Songs on the Way!


Rock band THE NEW PACIFIC have released countless tracks so far, with a whole bunch of new songs underway currently. Some local shows are set for the early summer time, with plans of releasing never ending amounts of music! See what else the band had to say about themselves and music below.


1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

We formed the band in Los Angeles in 2015. Since then we’ve put out a ton of music, toured, played festivals and got a little love on the radio. We’re so grateful keep putting out songs and hope people dig what they hear!

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

I (Alec) moved to LA from Nashville in 2014. It was a new start for me and just really fit the idea of coming out to a new coast and starting fresh.

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

We’re kind of all spread out as of now but I’m back in Nashville, TN. There’s a great underground music scene here and really like Plastic Friends, Pink Spiders, Kaby and Look What I Did.

4. How would you describe your style?

It’s definitely a loud rock band with melodic tendencies. We mostly came out of punk/metal world but love a good pop chorus. Throw a ton of distortion and emotion on top and there you have it. 

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

We’ve put out something like 40 or 50 songs and there are a bunch of new ones on the way. I’ve been writing a ton this year, so excited to put out a full length album this summer.

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

We’ve got 13 new songs that are getting mixed and mastered as we speak.

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

We’ve got a couple local shows here in Nashville in May then will play around the release of the record.

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

Just putting out as much music as we can and building that connection with folks that feel the same way.

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

You can listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon etc. and check out some videos / merch etc on the website at TheNewPacific.com.

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

Keep your head and heart open. It’s a crazy world out there and we’re all lucky to have music to help guide us through the heavy and light sides of life. Make sure to turn it up.

Friday, April 28, 2023

Solstice Rider Talks of Upcoming Single, New Album, and Some Touring As Well!




Melodic death metal band SOLSTICE RIDER have had a couple of single's released, along with a new EP and new album out this year for 2023! New music is coming within the next couple of weeks, with some talks of even touring about, releasing even more music, and wanting to connect with the fans!


1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

Solstice Rider was formed in 2020 in the State of Maryland in the USA. It was birthed from my desire to combine elements from the European Metal Scene with some elements from my home country. I had already been writing power metal over the years and decided I wanted to get serious about making music. This was the birth of Solstice Rider.

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

The Band’s name origin is meant to signify a people who walk through big changes. The solstice is when the Earth moves back in one direction or the other, Summer towards Winter, Winter towards Summer and to be a Rider is one who walks through and lives through that.

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

Solstice Rider hails from Baltimore and is based out of Southern Maryland. We do not have relationships with the local scene as the band was birthed out of the events in 2020. We have instead built relationships with other bands across the world. In this age of connection through the internet friends can be made across the world. We recommend people check out Sylvatica, Upiór, or Okkultist. All excellent bands.

4. How would you describe your style?

Solstice Rider’s style is best described as melodic death metal. But I find labels to be restricting. We’ve combined elements of black metal, power metal, folk metal, doom metal, and other genres as well. We’ve seen fans upload our content to YouTube and even they can’t seem to decide what they are. We’ve seen from epic folk metal to melodic black metal. 

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

We’ve released Star of the North and Suffer to Glory in 2021 and we expect to release a new EP and new album this year in 2023.

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

Sure do! A new single in the next couple weeks and a new album this year.

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

We’re in the talks for doing some touring. :) 

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

Release more music most likely, and connect with our fans more.

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

Bandcamp! Please buy the album off Bandcamp or merch from Shopify. We are an independent band. We’ve had a few offers for record deals, but the terms were not ideal for us, :)  We press on with support from fans like you!

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

Probably the effect that the music has on your emotions. I write songs to be melodic and full of feeling, atmosphere with aggression. If you’ve felt joy, sorrow, or a whole host of emotions. I feel like the message is getting across.

Englomanatic Glitch Talks of New Music, Video Series and More!


Stoner rockers ENGLOMANATIC GLITCH released an album and single back in 2018, then after the pandemic hit, and some time off, they went on to release not one but three singles. One of these being a video as a part of a series of videos to come. The band is also working on all new music, with show playing being kept on the low for now. The band talks about their music and further plans.


1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

We were formed as a dissertation project that was meant to combine two genres that are not supposed to work together -  drum and bass and stoner metal. Something which I am still not sure that we’ve achieved however we’ve evolved into something that we like to call “Electro-rock”. Our current lineup consists of Drewzi on vocals, Emo on guitar, Mr Woody on bass and myself - Viko on the drums.

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

Some years ago we were recording a demo in a small production room in our university but we had no lyrics and Drewzi was just reading the signs on the wall, one of which said “Electromagnetic Switch”. But he mispronounced it and out of that came “Englomanatic Glitch”. I should still have that recording somewhere.

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

We are based in London and as one of the capitals of Rock and Pop music the scene is vast, colorful and full of problems that would be too long to describe here. 

4. How would you describe your style?

We are The Electro-Stoner band - a combination of stoner-rock, synthesizers and a lot of fuzz. 

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

We’ve released an album and a single back in 2018 and after the pandemic and  our break we’ve released another 3 singles in the past 6 months, the last one of which (Wretched Palace) came with a video that is part 1 of 4. We also have the other 3 parts of our “video series” that are scheduled to be released later this year. They all show various aspects of our world and how we perceive the change of moods, night and day, intoxication and sexual frustrations. The second instalment coming out on the 5th of May and it’s called “Tribulations in May”

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

We are always working on new music, the way I see it is that you have to be constantly writing if you want to come up with something really good. 

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

At the moment we are keeping our live shows to a minimum, because when we actually perform we want to be hungry and really go for it, or that’s the theory at least. How successful it is, we have yet to find out, haha.

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

We are focused now on the videos and telling our story and reaching out to as many people as we possibly can. We believe that what we experience as young adults is something that many people our age can relate to and find some comfort in the fact that our reality is completely different from what we were told to believe life would be.. Anyway, I’m getting a bit too deep. 

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

You can find us everywhere apart from your local record shop, because they don’t exist anymore, haha. But yeah - Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and probably some obscure places on the internet.

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

I would like a first-time listener to remember our sound as a whole, without being able to pinpoint one specific element that sticks out. 

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Crostpaths Discusses EP, Show Arrangements, and Being Heard By All!


New wave nu-metal band CROSTPATHS have had a handful of EP's released, with an all new EP out for this summer time! A launch for the EP is set, featuring a few shows here and there, with the band just wanting to be reached by as many people as they possible see fit. Just see what the band discusses about all of this right there below.


1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

Ritchie McCombe (frontman) & Owain Lewis (bassist/vocalist) crossed paths with James Mason (drummer/percussionist) & Michael Edwards (guitarist) via mutual friend Erim Ahmet (keyboardist/producer) to form in 2019 after becoming disillusioned from the dissolution of their former projects. 

The genre-bending greebos mutated that frustration into motivation to capture the attention of a swarming underground scene, while simultaneously turning mainstream heads by scoring airplay from the likes of Kerrang! & BBC Radio One. The crossover crew’s collaborations with contemporaries Kid Bookie, Adam Ramey (Dropout Kings) & Jot Maxi (Hacktivist) have contributed to a continuous rise in popularity. Live tours have seen the rapcore revivalists perform with The Kennedy Soundtrack, Seething Akira, Cassyette & more while encompassing performances at Kent’s Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses Final, Scala’s Face Down club night and London’s MCM Comic Con.

Crostpaths are set to launch their 4th EP, “This Is Fire”, in May 2023, with a headline show at Camden’s Black Heart followed by exclusive appearances at Breaking Bands Festival & Hammerdown Festival.

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

Asides from the obvious notion of the members having "crossed paths" socially and musically, it was also a portmanteau of Crossfaith & Stray From The Path (2 bands our sound was influenced by at the early formation of this project).

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

We're from Kent, UK. We have a strong scene with a number of well beloved venues in our region. Leo's Red Lion in Gravesend, Lady Luck in Canterbury, The Booking Hall in Dover, Ramsgate Music Hall, Poco Loco in Chatham and many more. Local bands are diverse and varied including the likes of Struck/Down, Pryma, Tides Of Ire, Dohny Jep, Jukebox Monkey. We really could go on and on here.

4. How would you describe your style?

We typically say "genre-bending" but we're absolutely riding the new wave of nu-metal.

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

3 EPs, a plethora of remixes and collaborations (see question 1). You can expect everything from hard rock, to drum & bass, to lo-fi chilled out tracks amongst our back catalogue. From bangers to ballads, we've got you covered.

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

Our new EP This Is Fire drops on 2023 26th May. The first single I Am The Liquor is already out now and we'll be releasing 2 more singles before the full EP.

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

Our EP launch is at The Black Heart in Camden on 26th May, we follow that up with appearances at Breaking Bands Festival, Hammerdown Festivals and many more TBA.

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

We're painfully aware that there is little to no money to be made in the industry these days so for us this is a matter of ticking off as many bucket list items as possible. Hopefully this will mean reaching more people, playing bigger and better shows etc. We'll do this until we've scratched that itch.

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

You can hit linktr.ee/crostpaths for all of our links or find us via any platform as @crostpaths.

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

Ideally an adrenaline rush from our energy, passion and sincerity. If not it would have to be amusement or anger at how terrible we are. 

As long as they feel SOMETHING, not feeling anything would mean that we're not doing this music thing right!

Austin Mulka Goes into Talks of Music, Projects, Writing Process and Plans Ahead!



Solo artist AUSTIN MULKA began with music way back whilst growing up up until this point in time, where he was in a band but now went the route as a solo act. His music style approach is different taking on the context of inspiration, genre, mood, and themes of the song in question. With this he has gone on to release one EP thus far, but has an array of ideas for numerous projects and albums coming forth. Austin himself goes into talks about his music crafting skills, plans ahead, and all that has been done so far.


1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

Growing up, I was constantly surrounded by music, with my dad being a talented musician and singer. Some of my earliest memories are of him singing and playing "La Bamba" on his guitar, inspiring me to follow in his footsteps. Although I experimented with the piano, guitar, and even the saxophone in middle school, it wasn't until high school that I truly committed to learning an instrument. My determination to impress a girl led me to dive headfirst into playing the guitar, and from there, my passion for music only grew. In my early twenties I joined a band called Face the Fire. We played some shows but the pandemic put a halt to the band and we just slowly stopped playing. I continued to play and record music as a solo artist and here we are. 

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

My first name Austin, was given to me by my parents. The surname "Mulka" has roots in Eastern Europe, primarily in Poland. It is derived from the Polish word "mulek," which means "young man" or "lad." This origin suggests that the name may have originally been a nickname given to a young man, before evolving into a hereditary surname.

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

I am based out of Detroit, which has an incredible music scene. I would recommend the band TOED, a Jazz/Pop band with some underrated musicians and a Saxophonist. 

4. How would you describe your style?

My musical style is deeply rooted in research and exploration. I often begin by selecting a topic or subject that captivates me, such as the song "Dawn," which was inspired by an Emily Dickinson poem. I then dive into the historical and literary context of the inspiration, using it to shape the genre, mood, and themes of the song. This approach allows me to create music that is not only emotionally resonant but also intellectually engaging.

What sets my music apart from others is the extensive preparation I undertake before writing a song. I dedicate a significant amount of time to researching and determining the best way to musically represent the subject matter. This meticulous process helps me craft songs that are both unique and deeply connected to their source material.

My songwriting process can vary depending on the inspiration. Some songs begin with a raw, emotional outpouring that I refine and polish, while others start as abstract ideas or researched concepts to which I later infuse emotion and feeling. This flexibility allows me to approach my music from multiple angles, resulting in a rich and diverse catalog of songs that reflects my curiosity and passion for storytelling through music.

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

So far, I have released an EP titled "This Is My Message to the World," which is inspired by the poetry of Emily Dickinson. Additionally, I have two singles, "Peace" and "6-MAM," that are part of my upcoming album, "Reveries and Requiem." My music delves into various themes, drawing inspiration from literature, history, and personal experiences to create a unique and immersive listening experience.

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

As for my future plans, I have a plethora of ideas for innovative projects and albums. One such concept is a Tactile Concert, where I aim to design live music experiences that incorporate haptic feedback. This would allow the audience to feel the music through vibrations or other tactile sensations, creating a truly immersive experience. Another project I'm exploring is Brainwave Synchronization, in which I will design music that synchronizes with or entrains the listener's brainwaves to promote desired mental states such as focus, relaxation, or creativity.

With hundreds of songs already written and thousands of ideas in the pipeline, I am determined to increase my output to two albums per year. Listeners can expect a diverse range of music that pushes boundaries, invites introspection, and encourages connection with both the material and the emotions it evokes.

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

Right now, I'm really focused on recording and getting some albums out. But I am practicing and planning to tour in the near future. 

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

In the future, I have ambitious plans to expand my musical horizons and further connect with my audience. Some of the key projects I have in mind include:

Tactile Concerts: Designing live music experiences that incorporate haptic feedback, allowing the audience to feel the music through vibrations or other tactile sensations. This innovative approach will create a multisensory experience that deepens the connection between the listener and the music.

Brainwave Synchronization: Exploring the potential of designing music that synchronizes with or entrains the listener's brainwaves, promoting desired mental states such as focus, relaxation, or creativity. This project aims to push the boundaries of music's impact on our minds and overall well-being.

Increased Output: With hundreds of songs written and thousands of ideas, my goal is to eventually start releasing two albums per year. This will allow me to continually share my passion for music and storytelling with my fans.

Collaborations: I'm excited about the possibility of collaborating with other artists, musicians, and creators from various fields. These collaborations will help me grow as an artist and bring fresh perspectives to my work.

Live Performances and Tours: As my discography grows, I plan to bring my music to life through live performances and tours, sharing my unique sound and vision with audiences around the world.

These plans reflect my dedication to pushing the boundaries of music, exploring new frontiers, and engaging with my listeners on a deeper level. I'm excited to see where this journey takes me and how my music continues to evolve.

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5vJjZt8Zx7zgQJGdEJ9f6m?si=3b4e9f2d7b8a4c3c

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1WkKQXyLzjK5v0LxhWw6Vw

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/austin-mulka/1447985727

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/austinmulkamusic/

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

When a listener hears my music for the first time, I'd like them to remember the unique and immersive experience it provides. Through my research-driven approach and the exploration of diverse themes, I strive to create a meaningful connection between the listener and the subject matter of my songs.

I hope that listeners will appreciate the thought and care that goes into each piece, as well as the emotions and stories conveyed through my music. My ultimate goal is to leave a lasting impression on their minds and hearts, encouraging them to explore the deeper meanings and contexts behind each song.

I hope that first-time listeners walk away with a sense of curiosity and a desire to explore more of my work, delving deeper into the stories, emotions, and ideas that my music presents.

Sunday, April 16, 2023

CAVALERA SIGN TO NUCLEAR BLAST + ANNOUNCE RE-RECORDING OF BESTIAL DEVASTATION & MORBID VISIONS


Nuclear Blast is proud to announce the signing of metal legends CAVALERA. Today, the band reveal they re-recorded SEPULTURA's first EP Bestial Devastation and first full-length album Morbid Visions.

Max Cavalera comments, “As we get harder year after year, sometimes you’ve got to go back to where it all started! We re-recorded Bestial Devastation and Morbid Visions with the amazing sound of NOW,  but with its raw and timeless spirit. The artwork reflects the times we’re living in right now…. Apocalyptic as hell! We also have two new tracks with riffs from those days, remembered by heart.”

Iggor Cavalera states, “I always felt like the recordings of our earlier work didn’t do justice to the way we performed the songs. So, this is a very special moment in our lives that we are very proud to show you real fans our true representation of the amazing records Bestial Devastation & Morbid Visions with an insane visual identity…enjoy and see you all in the pit” 

Morbid Visions and Bestial Devastation were re-recorded at The Platinum Underground. The albums were produced by Max Cavalera and Iggor Cavalera while John Aquilino handled the engineering. Arthur Rizk was responsible for the mixing and mastering of both albums. CAVALERA enlisted Eliran Kantor to create the artwork for both albums.


Below is the tracklisting for Morbid Visions:

1. Morbid Visions

2. Mayhem

3. Troops Of Doom

4. War

5. Crucifixion

6. Show Me The Wrath

7. Funeral Rites

8. Empire Of The Damned

9. Burn The Dead


Pre-save Morbid Visions here: https://cavalera.bfan.link/morbid-visions

Below is the tracklisting for Bestial Devastation:

1. The Curse

2. Bestial Devastation

3. Antichrist

4. Necromancer

5. Warriors Of Death

6. Sexta Feira 13

Pre-save Bestial Devastation here: https://cavalera.bfan.link/bestial-devastation

Signs Of The Swarm Drops New Standalone Single/Video, "Amongst the Low & Empty"

 


Pittsburgh deathcore unit Signs Of The Swarm is giving fans an incredibly heavy new standalone single - "Amongst the Low & Empty" - which can be heard here. 

Signs Of The Swarm comments: "We are extremely pleased to unleash 'Amongst the Low & Empty.' This song represents a theme that we have been building for a few years and were finally able to bring to life with the help of Josh Schroeder, with additional production from Joshua Travis. We wanted to create something that gets you moving from beginning to end, no bullshit, just heavy.

"We knew we accomplished that when our manager laughed out loud at a part in the breakdown when hearing it for the first time. We hope you headbang and/or laugh with us."

Co-produced and mixed by Josh Schroeder (Lorna Shore, King 810, Tallah), "Amongst the Low & Empty" is the first taste of what's to come from the ferocious deathcore quartet in 2023.

The video (directed by Joey Durango) can also be seen now at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kPEbV8T35k.

Young Medicine Release Electric Dubstep Remix of "Winter Soldier"


Young Medicine has released an electric remix of "Winter Soldier" from HIGHSOCIETY. The track is one of Young Medicine's most popular tracks and the standout from their smash EP UFO Party. The single originally a synthwave rock fusion morphs into a bombastic dubstep electro with industrial overtones. HIGHSOCIETY mixes in distorted vocals and rhythms with male and females vocals whilst maintaining the passionate emotional energy of the original.  With this remix, HIGHSOCIETY continues to expand his hybrid rock/EDM "DATAMOSH" world, following a string of original and remix collaborations with the likes of Escape The Fate, Attack Attack!, and Micah Martin, now adding Young Medicine into the mix. 

"My aim with this remix was to bring out and intensify the heavier aspects of the song and turn it into a dancefloor destroyer for clubs and festival stages," explains HIGHSOCIETY. "Despite the bass-heavy foundation, I still kept the band's cinematic quality intact. This remix keeps the listener guessing throughout, switching from heavy industrial trap to guitar-driven melodic dubstep without missing a beat."

 Purchase/Stream:

https://link.fixtmusic.com/HIGHSOCIETYsEveryStep


BLACKLIST UNION Release Official Music Video for "The Queen Of Everything"!


Los Angeles, CA - Hard Rock band BLACKLIST UNION has returned with the official music video for their new single, "The Queen Of Everything"! Filmed and directed by Thomas Crane Kill Devil Films, "The Queen Of Everything" is the first single off of the band's upcoming fifth album, Letters from the Psych Ward*, tentatively set to release in Summer 2023.

"'The Queen of Everything' is about never letting love destroy you, and never ever judging a book by its cover." - Tony West / BLACKLIST UNION

Check it HERE.

Wretched Hallucination Announces New EP


American Stoner Metal band Wretched Hallucination will release their new EP "Self" on 31 May 2023. The upcoming release was recorded, mixed and mastered at “Noslomusic Studio” by Jerred Roach. Right now the single "Wizards" from the upcoming EP is available online


Check it out linked below:

https://wretchedhallucination.bandcamp.com/album/self


Wretched Hallucination was formed in 2019 at Oklahoma, US by guitarist Jerred Roach and drummer Joseph Roach. The duo delivers heavy, smoke indulged riff wizardry as well as cryptic weed-themed grooves.

WEAK13 New Single/Official Video 'I’m More Metal Than You!'


British independent band WEAK13 launch their latest single I’m More Metal Than You! out now, are marking their debut release after signing with record label Sliptrick Records. The song arrives with a fresh new official video and the artwork for the single was created by Andy Meanock.

WEAK13 singer & guitarist Nick J Townsend was asked what the new song is about and he replied; "It’s basically a song about how Metal we are; so metal that we’re more metal than you; I hope that’s helped solve the mystery."

Check out the single made video HERE.

Tsar Stangra Talks of New Music, Member Count, and Perhaps Some Gigs Too!


Black metal folk act TSAR STANGRA has been actively doing much for a while now, releasing a couple of pieces of material, with an all new album in the works! The band talks of their history, namesake, music, attire, and what they have lined-up next for themselves with music, shows, and more!


1. How did the band come up with the name Tsar Stangra? Does it have a meaning to it?

Hi there, this is Stanislav answering. I am the band’s leader and I would like to thank you, on the behalf of the entire band, for having us interviewed here. 

First of all, the name Tsar Stangra came into my mind during my teenage years. Stangra was initially a pun between my nickname (Stan) and the name of the Bulgarian Pagan God Tangra. Tsar stands for ruler or leader in Eastern European lands. I wanted to create an Eastern European artist name that sounds as epic as King Crimson, King Diamond, etc. In addition, the artist name of Knjaz Varggoth, an important black metal musician of the Eastern European Metal History, inspired me. When I invented this name, I had just discovered his band, Nokturnal Mortum. I used the name Tsar Stangra to record some stuff at home and build my curriculum, but most of the stuff was experimental and not intended to be released officially.

Later, when I started playing music with my Bulgarian bud Dobrin Stoyanov, he suggested we use the same name, and found a deeper and more interesting interpretation. Written “Цар с Тангра” it literally means “king (tsar) with Tangra”. The interesting part is that Bulgarians started calling leaders Tsars with the arrival of Christianity, which makes the name blasphemous in some way. In addition, it is catchy enough and very easy to shout it out loud.  

2. What has influenced your sound and style?

When I started digging underground extreme metal, it didn’t take long before I fall in love with what I call “exotic metal”. First, I discovered the whole Norwegian black metal scene, where some bands incorporate elements of traditional Scandinavian music. My personal background pushed me further into my quest. I am born in Bulgaria, even though I grew up in Quebec, Canada. Therefore, I immediately started to search for similar kind of bands but in Eastern European. I was mind-blown by Nokturnal Mortum, Drudkh, Rotting Christ, and Negură Bunget, just to name a few. Unfortunately, I didn’t find a Bulgarian equivalent. I concluded it was my duty to create at least one and to do my best to make sure the quality matches the industry standard. I teamed up with Dobrin, that shared the same mission and we started composing music with this vision in mind.

Of course, other bands from different parts of the World that are inspired by occultism and that incorporate traditional music from their country into metal also gave us ideas on how to do such a thing, even if their influence is not as direct. Among them we have Melechesh, Cult of Fire, and Aeternam.  

3. Can you discuss the inspiration behind your newest single “Черна песен,”?

Our newest single “Черна песен”, which means Black/Dark Song in Bulgarian, contains material written by Dobrin Stoyanov, my musical partner. Unfortunately, he officially left the band but keeps on contributing musically. He moved back to Bulgaria, where he got married and now plays in the folk project Freija. He still sends me riffs from the other side of the world and I find a thematic, suitable lyrics, and so on. It’s hard to speak on his behalf, but he is a big Negură Bunget fan. We also went together to see the band perform live in Quebec city. I think his riffs have something to do with them when it comes to metal. From a Bulgarian traditional music point of view, the song follows the rachenitsa dance (seven beats divided: 2+2+3). And just to add some spices to it, there is a small “Rock star” moment where you have a solo exchange between the keyboards and the lead guitar. 

In terms of imagery, since we used the poem written by Dimtcho Debelyanov having the same name, we wanted to exploit the contrast between life and death and build a theme around it. So we divided the cover art into three main parts, each having one color from the Bulgarian flag. The middle part is mostly green (because of the vegetation), and shows a dead Haiduk lying on a red land of roses (the bottom part), and some roses grow in the entrails of the dead hero. The sky is mostly white and we see some of the Pagan Gods welcoming the man in the afterlife. Roses are the national flowers of Bulgaria. Finally, the frame around the image is made of the traditional life motive. 

4. Where does the creative process come from when creating the music that you do?

First of all, we made it nearly mandatory for every member to take part in the writing process, which puts us in a situation where we can expect to have songs with different inspirations, each having its own treatment.

But in most of our songs, we start by building riffs following the Bulgarian musical theory. Then I spend hours, days, and sometimes weeks reading a different kind of stuff in the literature. It varies from poetry to ancient proto-Bulgarian pagan texts translated into the actual Bulgarian language. We never write our own stuff because I attended no Bulgarian school since I did my entire education in Quebec, Canada. In addition, our history contains material that ages from the antiquity, so how can a guy that lives in 2023 beat centuries of knowledge? We followed more or less the Drudkh formula when it comes to lyrics and historical concept. 

5. Besides the new single “Черна песен,” does the band have any newer music, perhaps a follow-up to your 2017 album “Н​е​б​е​с​н​и​я​т к​о​в​а​ч”?

We are definitely working on a new album and the preproduction is 90% completed. The style of the new album is more folk-oriented and more diversified at the same time. We also faced a major lineup change, so the contribution from the newer members is very different as well, but both my contribution and Dobrin’s will remind the listeners some songs we recorded for the first album. We are working hard to release it somewhere this year or at the beginning of next year. 


6. Why did you want this band to have 7 members?

This is a great yet so simple question that may have a pretty epic and complex answer. At the beginning, I was alone, then we were two. Things became more interesting when we were five. Then, I lost literally everyone for different reasons. As said earlier, Dobrin moved back to Bulgaria to get married, so we just replaced him at first. Then all members left for musical and personal goals. We never had bad blood or anything, but the show must go on. So, for a short period, I was alone again, and I tried to gather different people in the lineup until I finally reached some stability in 2019. Then we activated and faced the same challenge as most bands in the entire world faced. We live 1-hour apart, so it was impossible to rehearse with the strict measures we had during COVID-19. During that time, we convinced the boyfriend of our keyboard player to complete the lineup and to play rhythm guitar. I no longer play bass while I sing. That makes six (6) members for now. Bulgarian and Eastern European traditional music in general is well-known for its female vocals, so I always wanted to hire a singer to complete the lineup. I wanted to incorporate more clean traditional female vocals so that I could play more exotic instruments, but fate has decided otherwise. The seventh member you see in the picture is a guest vocalist and has other (very excellent) projects on her priority list. But the job she is doing for us is tremendous, so we welcome it with arms wide open. This said, we are officially six (6) members. 

Visually speaking, it’s interesting to have more members in the photos, since we kind of have our own imagery, so it is a way of creating more trademarks around the main idea, hahaha!

7. Your genre style is a mix of black metal and folk metal, but when it comes to the appearance, a typical black metal shows the face paint of black/white, but your band goes the white/red route. Why? And is that “red” the blood of your enemies or fellow band members?

We created something based on elements from the Bulgarian culture and refused to wear traditional black and white corpse paints since we are not a Scandinavian Black Metal band. Martenitsi and Kukeri inspired our make-ups and costumes.

Martenitsi are small pieces of adornment, made of white and red yarn, usually in the form of two dolls worn during the Baba Marta Holiday (that takes place in the entire month of March).

Kukeri are scary costumes that are used to perform traditional rituals intended to scare away evil spirits. People have practiced this Bulgarian tradition since Thracian times.

So we kind of combined those two elements and added some black metal to it by looking at traditional black and white corpse paint designs as well and ended up looking like we fought against enemies while wearing our traditional folkloric costumes, as you said so well in your question.

8. How would you say you differ from other bands and artists on the scene?

The music we play is a combination of elements that nearly no one wants to mix together, especially in Bulgaria. On one side, you have the metal/rock part of our music and on the other side you have the traditional/folk part.

In Bulgaria, both scenes are some kind of rivals because of the mainstream music Chalga, that is played on the radio and in most nightclubs. This music is a mixture of pop music with traditional/folk music. A lot of Rockers hate it with passion and it is seen as a shame for a Rocker to get interested in such stuff. And regarding the more ancient/ancestral traditional folk music, it is widely viewed by Rockers as music for retired old people that live in the countryside. 

In addition, Bulgarian music theory follows different rules than most Western music ones (followed by Rock and Metal, among many). Bulgarians use strange harmonies and asymmetric meters, which is very hard to digest when you are used to your “comfort metal/rock”. In other words, it’s not famous for being particularly catchy. 

To sum up, we are kind of building the grounds for this new type of sound and I heard other bands try to do so, but I never heard them from Canada since these bands are not distributed here. But having travelled in Bulgaria recently, I can confirm to you I have not heard such a thing before except one band or two that have very raw recordings. 

9. What do you want to achieve as a band?

To be quite honest, as long as we don’t run out of ideas, I would love that we keep on recording our stuff and build more solid ground in this new type of experimentation. It will also be pleasant if we inspire other people to pursue similar goals. Playing at some festivals or gigs all around the world can also be very cool. I think that in a term of “achievement wish list” we are not very different from a typical band. We would all like to have some sort of recognition for what we do. 

10. What does next year hold for Tsar Stangra?

Our priority is to finish the second album and promote it with some gigs, and who knows? Maybe we will have a chance to visit you and play in your hometown.  Thank you once again, on the behalf of the entire band for having us and we wish you all the best. 

Saturday, April 15, 2023

Kyle Kendall Discusses All of the Music and Projects!


Progressive metal rocker KYLE KENDALL does the discussion about his debut releases, upcoming projects, with plans to tour soon enough. Plus much else is also discussed about his future planning, more music, and lots else as well.


1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

“01:25” is the solo project of “Our Sorrows” guitarist and singer Kyle Kendall. I started this project with the intent of creating animated episodes that would elaborate on the songs of the concept album, though animation proved to be outside of the scope these are still songs and stories that I'm incredibly proud of.

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

Whether it's in “Out Sorrows” or “01:25” time and the passing thereof it's something I find myself writing about a lot. So it only makes sense I have a band name referencing time.

The answer to this question from the perspective of 13-year-old me is that the minute hand in second hand have the makings of the letter “K” and I always thought that was cool as a child.

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

I currently live Flagler Beach, FL which is a tiny place between St Augustine and Daytona Beach. That being said I rarely step outside of my little bubble so I'm not very familiar with the bands out here.

In Florida however there are tons of bands doing incredibly well, and self-serving but for those that enjoy my lyricism on this album I'd highly recommend checking out my band “Our Sorrows “.

4. How would you describe your style?

My favorite compliment from those that I've shown is “It’s like prog rock or prog metal but you skip straight to the good stuff.”

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

This is the debut release for “01:25”, but you can find old music of mine and more recent in “Mayday! Cried The Captain” and “Our Sorrows”. As far as what to expect, I always try to paint a picture with the lyrics that I write and give multiple layers for people to look into without being too generic. My good friend and incredibly talented producer Andy Karpovck over at The Audio Compound once said;

“So many of the songs you have REALLY tap into like an internal monologue that I think so many people have (including me) but don’t really have the capacity to put into words or even begin to articulate. It really is special, man. It’s kinda like the more I listen to it, the more there is to feel.”

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

I do, “Our Sorrows” has an album dropping this year, I've been working closely with my brother Chris on an untitled project that will be releasing new music this year or next.

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

Initially I wasn't planning on touring with this band, but I have some friends in the heavy music community whose side projects firstly a line in sound with what I'm doing, so I'm considering it.

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

I'll be recording three more songs for this project later this year to be released next year. And then I'll be finishing up my next concept album sometime in the near future.

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

My first single “Machine” recorded and produced by Chris Wiseman (Shadow of Intent/Currents) will be available April 14 on all major platforms and you can find all my links for merch and updates at https://linktr.ee/iam0125.

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

I don't think there's anything particular that I would like them to remember, just hope they enjoy it as much as I do.

Hellaphant Talks of Recent Album, Playing Shows, and More!


Aggressively loud and straight forward, everything band HELLAPHANT began four years ago, with line-up changes over time, releasing music including an EP, album, with them writing all new material too. The band talks about their recent album release, playing shows, and what else is in-store for them.


1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

The band started approx 4 yrs ago (different members then)  Garrington Begner is the founder (Singer, guitar and songwriter) and is an established musician in SW Ontario for his previous bands. A mutual friend introduced Gary to Chris Arenburg (bass) who had a long career playing in the local punk scene), the same person introduced Scott Cameron (drummer) who was known for his past work in the local punk/skate scene. and finally Jason Holmes- Mr Sunshine came to the band when the previous guitar player left. Jason (lead guitar) had been laying low and focusing on work, but a fan of the band asked to try out. His first tryout cemented his place in the band with his positive attitude and great playing. Scott and Chris joined the band approx 3 yrs ago and Jay has been in for a yr.

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name? 

The band name Hellaphant was written down in a ledger approx 20 yrs ago. The name, obviously, a play on elephant and the skate term "hella"  (Hella rad, hella cool) The 2 words were a perfect marriage. When we saw the response to it we knew it was a good fit.

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

Hellaphant is based out of London Ontario Canada. The scene is always growing and changing. We are 2 hours away from Toronto and 1.5 hrs from Detroit. We're fans of a lot of local bands. Hard core bands like Choices Made (TO),  Junko, DayDream, LDN, Heart Attack Kids (LDN), Dave Rocket and the Jobbers (LDN), Gold Tongue LDN and so many more.

4. How would you describe your style? 

Our style is a mix and hybrid of everything. We are loud, aggressive, and straight forward (NWBHM) while pulling influence from pop hooks (The Monkees, Beatles, Big Drill Car, Replacements) and some straight forward energy and emotion. We like loud distorted guitars that are interesting with weaving bass lines and hard hitting drums.

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works? 

We've released a few things on compilations around the globe.  as well as our first EP "Crumble" and our first full length album "Crumble and Rise" produced and mixed by by Simon Larochette (the Sugar Shack) and Mastered by Harry Hess at (H Bomb mastering- Harem Scarem). The Crumble and Rise is an album is dealing with mental health issues and is a loud aggressive album drawing a 90's skate punk/rock influence.. From the first track "3 kicks" to the last "Orphan" it's a ride that gets you up for the day. It's life

6. Do you have any new music in the works? 

Yes, Crumble and rise was finished a while ago and since then (Gary) I've been writing up a storm. Hoping to be back in the Studio (with Simon at the helm again) by the end of the year. We'll also be releasing a split 7' on the label Faster and Louder Records (who have released all of our music) as well the Crumble and Rise just got picked up by the Ohio label "This is Just a record Label" to release it on CD in the US.

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out? 

We're playing as much as we can in the Ontario region while we work on our live set. We are scheduled for a small tour to the east and west coast in Oct. Currently we are working on getting over to Europe as well.

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band? 

The business plan is simple. Write record, release, tour, repeat. LOL  We have some to shoot that will be released for the current album as well.

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?  

The band can be heard on bandcamp and purchased at  https://fasterandlouder.bandcamp.com/album/hellaphant-crumble-and-rise as well as www.Hellaphant.ca and spotify and all streaming channels.

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time? 

It's honest. We are not trying to catch a wave.  This is my style of writing and when it falls out of favor I won't be writing or chasing the next trend. We'll just be writing angrier.

Thursday, April 13, 2023

Vomitory's Tobias Discusses Return And All New Album


Swedish death metal band VOMITORY formed way back when in 1989, releasing an array of album's, later on breaking up come 2013. For only to yet reunite once come 2017, reforming that next year in 2018. The band would then go on to celebrate their 30th anniversary in 2019, with yet another hiatus due to the pandemic and would return to touring once more in the summer of 2022. To make an even further announcement of releasing all new material and continuing to this day in 2023, with releasing their first new album in 12 years titled "All Heads Are Gonna Roll" due this summer time for 2023! Drummer Tobias Gustafsson does the talking, whilst hopefully NOT actually vomiting during this discussion about the new album, and everything else since our last and only chat way back in 2013! 


1. Am I your newest and or latest interviewer since your last one you could think of, doing research I think you did some back in 2019 but nothing since?

I've done a few new interviews lately, but before those I think I did the last one in 2019 or so. 

2. It's been 9 years since we last spoke, so what has happened between then and now that you can tell us in a brief summary?

After we disbanded in 2013, me and Erik (Rundqvist bass/vocals) went on and started a new band called Cut Up. We have done two albums so far - "Forensic Nightmares" 2015 and "Wherever They May Rot" 2017, both released by Metal Blade Records. But now that band is put on hold for a while. Old-school Swedish deathsters God Macabre reunited in 2014 and I was asked to join on drums, since their original drummer wasn't active anymore. So I did, and we made a bunch of cool shows over a few years, not least at Maryland Deathfest in 2014. In 2017 I also joined Nifelheim. First only temporary, but I later grew into a permanent member. We recorded a new album in 2019, which unfortunately still hasn't seen the light of day. I quit Nifelheim in December 2022. In 2018 Vomitory reunited to prepare for playing live shows during 2019 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the band. 

3. You of course reunited for a one-off show in 2017, reforming officially in 2018, why the change of mind after the BIG previous announcement made way back in 2013?

Because when we did that one-off show, it all felt great again. Some years had passed since the band split up, and I think all of us needed that time away from the band and each other. After that show we all were like "we want to do this more!". So Erik got the idea that we should get together again and play live in 2019 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the band. Or rather to have that as an excuse to get out and play again haha. But it was a great idea, because we did a lot of shows during that year in countries and cities that we never played in before. 2019 was a very successful year for us, making us want more.

4. Out of the eight albums in your discography a few have hit certain milestones, 15, 20, one close to 30 etc. Any plans on performing said releases in full at a show?

We have mentioned it occasionally, but at the moment there are no such plans. But it's a cool thing to do not only for the fans but for ourselves too, so maybe we will do it in the future.

5. You had said 2011's "Opus Morits VIII" was the swansong for Vomitory but it turns out an all new album is expected this summer, spill the details?

Yeah, sometimes it's good to be terribly wrong about some things! Our new album is entitled "All Heads Are Gonna Roll" and will be released on May 26th through Metal Blade Records. It contains 10 songs of skull crushing death metal the Vomitory way. It was recorded in October last year in our rehearsal place on a mobile studio and at Leon Music Studios, Karlstad/Sweden, engineered by Mats Lindström and Rikard Löfgren. Mixed and mastered by Lawrence Mackrory at Rorysound Studios, Uppsala/Sweden. Produced by Vomitory. Album artwork is made by Giannis Nakos at Remedy Art Design. 

6. Does this new album have a concept to it, if so how did the idea come about for it?

No, it doesn't have a lyrical concept.

7. When did you start writing for this album? How was the songwriting process different/similar to previous Vomitory albums?

We began writing for the new album in August 2021. The process this time was different in the way that we were actually finished with all the songs before we started the recording. Lyrics and everything. That has not happened since we did our debut album "Raped in their own Blood" in 1996. Also, me and Erik worked more closely together than we usually do during the writing process. This proved to be a very good way of working, since we are very satisfied with the outcome of it. The process was similar to previous albums in the way that we never jam out a song together, but write by ourselves and present it to the rest of the band when the music for the song is completely finished, arranged and all.

8. Did the band have any definitive goals they were shooting for before the recording process began for this album?

Yes, we wanted to focus on writing stronger choruses in the songs, and I think we pulled it off great. Erik Rundqvist (vocals & bass) did a fantastic job with the vocal arrangements, phrasings and overall vocal performance on the album.

9. What can fans expect from the new Vomitory album?

They can expect good ol' Vomitory but with a new explosive energy. 



10. Why do you think people should check out your new album once released? 

Because it's our first album in 12 years and it's indeed a crushing album.

11. Do you feel any pressure to follow this album up to previous releases?

To be honest, no. We have been doing this for so long so we have the confidence and self-criticism needed to create a killer album. 

12. Tobias had mentioned being in a few side projects, are the other members involved in any?

I think for the first time in the band's history, no member of the band is currently involved in any side projects. Well, Erik and I still have Cut Up, but that band is not active at the moment. During all the years I was always involved in a side project or two, parallel to Vomitory, but not anymore which feels great. Erik was in a project called Kadaverkult some years ago, but I guess that's all. 

13. Would you consider bringing side projects and Vomitory together for a show or tour? Or would that be too much to ask?

Earlier, that would probably have been possible. I did double duty one or two times back in the day with Vomitory and Torture Division. But I think none of us would be up for a tour together with a side project these days. And luckily we don't have any side projects now haha.

14. Did the band end up re-releasing the whole Vomitory catalogue after all?

Yes, our label Metal Blade Records re-released the whole Vomitory catalogue on vinyl recently. That was a great thing for us and the fans, since not all albums were available on vinyl earlier. 

15. Has the band released or thought of releasing a live album or DVD if not a combo of both?

We released a self-produced live-DVD in 2011, filmed at our 20th anniversary show in Karlstad, Sweden in 2009. But we have never thought of releasing a live album, and I don't think we ever will either. Maybe to include live bonus tracks on special album versions or such, but never a whole live album. We're not big fans of those.

16. Is the band on all of the "newer" social media besides your official website which I think need's updating by the way! But where can people find you Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or none of that stuff?

We're on Facebook and Instagram at facebook.com/vomitoryband and instagram.com/vomitoryband. Our website www.vomitory.net is being completely re-done at the moment and will be online when this interview is published.

17. Does the band have plans on coming over to the U.S. for a tour or couple of shows?

We have only one U.S. show booked at the moment, and that's at Maryland Deathfest 2024 in Baltimore, MD. But we will try to get more shows booked in the U.S. We'd love to do a tour there, because we've never done that before. That's on our bucket list.

18. What are your plans for the rest of 2023?

To play a bunch of summer festivals in Europe and to enjoy the fact that we actually have a new album out. In the fall there will be some touring in Europe, a killer tour which is yet to be officially announced, and also a festival show at Mexico Metal Fest in Monterrey.

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Vomitory Return with New Album "All Heads Are Gonna Roll"


In any serious conversation about death metal the name VOMITORY has to come up. Following their inception in 1989, between 1996 and 2011 they dropped eight of the most blistering albums the genre has spewed up, the quartet parting ways in 2013. However, the band's retirement turned out to be short lived, returning to stages in 2019 to celebrate the band's 30th anniversary, and now they drop their first new full-length in twelve years, the monstrous All Heads Are Gonna Roll.

For a first preview of the album, a video (directed by Marcus Svensson / dpmarcus.com) for the title track All Heads Are Gonna Roll can be viewed at: metalblade.com/vomitory - where All Heads Are Gonna Roll can also be pre-ordered in the following formats:

- Digipak-CD

- 180g black vinyl

- dim gray marbled vinyl (limited to 700 copies)

- crimson red marbled vinyl (limited to 500 copies)

- clear w/ red & white splatter vinyl (limited to 300 copies)

- silver w/ black splatter vinyl (limited to 300 copies)

- red w/ purple splatter vinyl (limited to 300 copies) Sound Pollution exclusive

Boasting the classic VOMITORY sound with a few new twists and turns, it is everything their faithful could have hoped for, the band having taken their time before committing to it rather than rushing in. "We weren't feeling any pressure, it was rather about making a decision whether we should continue as a band, i.e. release new material, or simply put the band back in the grave again," explains drummer Tobias Gustafsson. "We wrote a few songs first just for the fun of it, to see if we still 'had it', before we made the final decision to continue and make a new full-length album."

All Heads Are Gonna Roll is best described as "fast, grinding, D-beat, fist-in-your-face death metal", it features fresh aspects that are uncommon to VOMITORY records. "One thing in particular we did was to try to build distinct choruses in the songs, which is something we didn't put too much effort into earlier," explains drummer Tobias Gustafsson. "We have also spent a lot more time working with the backing vocal arrangements, which we certainly think paid off very well. It brings something new to our sound. We have also tried to write more straightforward riffs, like we did in the early 2000s."

The instruments for the record were tracked in the band's rehearsal space, on a mobile studio setup engineered by Mats Lindström, and was self-produced. This allowed them to work at their own pace in the hours that worked for them, rather than having this dictated to them as would be the case if they had rented a studio. "Although we had a lot of flexibility to choose our working hours, it was still crucial to keep the recording schedule as strict as possible, because it was so easy to say 'let's do it tomorrow instead'." For vocals, they went to Leon Music Studios and engineer Rikard Löfgren, which was where they recorded their last three albums. They brought in good friend Christian Fredriksson (Vulkan) to play some guitar solos, but otherwise it is entirely their own work. With vivid horror movie-inspired artwork - with a hint of anti-religion thrown in for good measure - All Heads Are Gonna Roll really is the whole package for death metal fans, and a stunning return to form after so many years between releases.


TRACKLISTING:

01. All Heads Are Gonna Roll

02. Decrowned

03. Ode to the Meat Saw

04. The Deepest Tomb

05. Piece by Stinking Piece

06. Raped, Strangled, Sodomized, Dead

07. Dead Man Stalking

08. Disciples of the Damned

09. Dead World

10. Beg for Death