Los Angeles born and guitar-driven heavy metal icons ALCATRAZZ today release their epic new single “Grace Of God.” The track is taken from the anticipated new full-length, V, set for release October 15th via Silver Lining Music.
The band celebrates the release of “Grace Of God” with a new video contrasting scenes of beautiful, breathtaking landscape with somber and evocative displays of raw emotion and battle. The track takes the listener on a monumental journey with vocalist Doogie White’s powerful soaring vocals, perfectly complimented by Joe Stump and Jimmy Waldo’s intricate weaving guitars and keys wizardry, bolstered by the thunderous and robust bass and drums from Gary Shea and Mark Benquechea.
“I love ‘Grace Of God,’” comments White, “it is a cracking tune with lots of intricate vocal parts; I love what everybody in the band has done on it, it has great energy and drive… It’s just magic!
“Lyrically, it is set in the Middle Ages,” White continues, “it is about the fear of being sent off to war to fight for your King, your Queen, or your country… to invade a land you’ve never heard of, to conquer people you know nothing about, to fight for a reason you’re not sure of, and the desperation in accepting such fate.”
“When I first heard ‘Grace Of God,’ I just couldn’t believe how perfectly well the melody and lyrics fit together: it’s hard to imagine anything else being better than that,” enthuses Waldo. “Doogie has the ability to write exactly what the melody of a track calls for and the result is very powerful.”
BlackDonutRecords is pleased to announce that they have signed avant-garde trio BOVINENIGHTMARES. The self-titled debut album is set to be released next year on CD, vinyl and digital formats. The band recently contributed a track to World Without End, An Underground Tribute To Samhain and will also be featured on the upcoming MELVINS tribute A Future of Bad Men, both of which are on Black Donut Records.
The band’s warped vision of dark riffs, maniacal crooning and growling, and time signature mayhem have carved out a unique sound that’s akin to a melding of THE MELVINS, FAITH NO MORE, and TOM WAITS. They’ve been blending experimental and familiar soundscapes and rejecting the boredom of formula and compromise since 2019.
Black Donut Records owner Morey Straus commented “I’ve been a huge fan since discovering the band on social media a couple of years ago. I am thrilled that they chose us to release their first full length record.”‘
WILDSTREET’s latest album III (1.6 million streams) was released via Golden Robot Records in June. It boasted some incredibly successful singles like ‘Mother’, ‘Set It Off’, ‘Still Love You’ and ‘Born To Be’. III gathered a huge amount of critical acclaim both with fans and press alike, and saw some amazing album reviews.
To follow on from the success of III,Wildstreet will bring their fans a real treat with their cover of The 69 EYES hit, ‘Mrs. Sleazy’. The single will be released digitally via Golden Robot Records on the 18th of October.
WIQLDSTREET recorded their cover of The 69 EYES ‘Mrs. Sleazy’ after Jyrki 69 responded to this question on Twitter in 2011: ‘Which songs & which bands would you want to record covers of your songs?’ Never playing the song as a band, they quickly demoed the song, and recruited drummer Dennis Leeflang (Bumblefoot) to guest on the final track. WILDSTREET intended to release the song in December 2012 as a free ‘Christmas gift’ for fans, but with an industry in transition and the band on the verge of breakup the cover was never properly released until now.
WILDSTREET’s ‘Mrs. Sleazy’ pays obvious tribute to the The 69 EYES. The band effortlessly captures the original song’s Helsinki punk-rock attitude, while not at all subtly (ie: guitar harmonies and a frantic two hand tapping guitar solo) reminding the listener that this is WILDSTREET.
Making friends and headlines, the band has spent most of 2021 touring in the USA. Their ‘Kings Of World Tour’ has included a stop at Rockfest WI in July & will take them to Europe in October to perform alongside label mates Hardcore Superstar at Swiss Rock Cruise. Their tour plans in Europe include shows in Switzerland, France & Belgium. 2022 will begin with tour dates in Mexico and Colombia with Crashdiet & HRH Spring Break in the United Kingdom.
American Southern Gothic Black Metal band THENOCTAMBULANT are pleased to announce that they have inked a deal with NonServiamRecords. The new album will be released in Autumn 2021as a physical CD Digipak and through all digital platforms.
The band comments: “We are extremely proud to sign with Non Serviam records. We know several of their bands already and we are now ready to form an alliance so powerful that only darkness can master.”
Non Serviam Records CEO Ricardo Gelok further comments:
“I knew when I heard the dark, melodic and evil tones of The Noctambulant that this is a band that I had to sign. Every time I listen to their music I feel like I’m experiencing a dark ritual. The band is a huge asset for the label, and we are really pleased to work with them”
Finland’s InbornTendency brings their particular brand of groove-oriented death metal to the world via TheCharonCollective. The trio’s new EP, “GodKiller,” features four songs exhibiting their fusion of punishing metal, hardcore principles, and splendid melody. Aside from delivering pummeling guitar riffs, you can expect lyrics that delve into matters of the heart like faith, life, and death.
You can buy Inborn Tendency’s “Godkiller” on CD or Digital now right here. It’s also available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and other streaming outlets.
You can get more info about Inborn Tendency on their Facebook page.
See what other bands and projects are available from The Charon Collective here.
Following her ethereal single “January Moon” in June, MORDIAN returns to haunt the Halloween season with her chilling rendition of “Sally’s Lament” from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Her voice is joined by the hypnotic crooning of David Dubenic (DISSONA) as Jack Skellington. Take a walk through the pumpkin patch as they serenade you with this classic tune from the iconic film.
“This cover is my tribute to a film that was a huge part of my childhood, with my own twist on it. Having David Dubenic portray Jack made everything come together perfectly. It was a lot of fun to create and I can’t wait for everyone to hear it.”
MORDIAN has been winning hearts since her debut album, Romance In Disguise (2019). With her alluring voice she has crafted a unique musical approach she calls “Gothic-Alternative For The Darkened Heart.” Fans of gothic, Victorian, and metal music alike will find irresistible charm in her songs.
Her voice is chillingly apt when applied to her own version of “Sally’s Lament”. Breathlessly, the listener is carried along on her sorrow, until it is joined by David Dubenic’s heartbreaking interpretation of Jack’s verses. Their voices then unite in a final goosebump-inducing outcry of longing, and pure Halloween charm.
We are beyond excited about this one guys! April 16th, 2021 we will be headlining Hyperspace MetalFestivalIII in Vancouver. It’s Canada’s premier melodic & power metal festival!
This will be our first ever Canadian date and we are thrilled to be premiering in a new country alongside so many amazing bands!
We will be breaking out a few surprises and once more unveiling our brand of dark melodic metal on the live stage. It feels so good to start to have tour dates coming up where we can share our music with you. April 16th is going to be a special one any way you slice it!
Posted in Heavy Metal on October 3, 2021 by Metal Odyssey
“YOUR BARONESS – AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH BARONESS” BEGINS NOV. 6
Baroness make a welcome return to the road this Fall, bringing their uplifting, dynamic and much needed version of heavy music to smaller stages from coast-to-coast.
As part of the celebratory nature of the special five-week trek, the band is giving fans the power to create the setlist. “Your Baroness – An Intimate Evening with Baroness,” ticket buyers will be provided with a link to cast their vote for the ten songs they want to hear at the show. Baroness’ entire catalog will be fair game with no song off limits. Voting will close one week prior to each performance.
“I cannot remember any moment in the history of this band where we’ve been more excited to tour than we are today,” explains Baroness vocalist/guitarist John Baizley. “In many ways, this upcoming tour feels similar the very first Baroness tour in 2003: we don’t know what to expect, we’re through sitting on the sidelines, and we can’t wait to climb onstage. During the past two years we’ve tried to keep ourselves as busy as possible: writing, recording and rehearsing insofar as the pandemic would allow. Throughout that time, one fact has become increasingly clear… we are built as a live/touring band. The most powerful and important aspects of music reveal themselves only through shared experience. Baroness’ music is designed to be shared; our audience has always been the final and most important member of the band. Quite simply, it doesn’t feel right without YOU! We’ve started counting down the hours in anticipation of that first blissful moment when the lights dim and the room falls silent, when we can once again commune with our audience. We’ve missed you all dearly and we’re really excited to see the setlists you all design for us. There’s never been a better time to put the trust and control of our music in your capable hands. Electric or acoustic, sung or screamed, from the EPs to the LPs: we’re busy preparing for everything from those 6 or 7 hours of recorded music. Furthermore, we thought the pandemic had stolen from us the opportunity to play Gold & Grey in front of American audiences and we look forward to playing those songs for you as well. Finally, we’re really thrilled to have the opportunity to play up close and personal in some venues we haven’t typically played in recent years. It feels so good to share all of this news with you, we’ve missed this more than we can possibly explain. We hope to see you all soon!”
Photo courtesy of Baroness.
In addition to picking the band’s setlist, every attendee will also receive a free, limited-edition “Your Baroness” tour poster print, to be picked up at the merch booth the night of the show.
“Your Baroness – An Intimate Evening with Baroness” dates:
November 6 Baltimore, MD Ottobar
November 7 Richmond, VA Richmond Music Hall
November 9 Columbus, OH Ace of Cups
November 10 Indianapolis, IN The Black Circle
November 12 Minneapolis, MN Barfly @ Skyway Theatre
November 14 Fargo, ND The Hall @ Fargo Brewing
November 17 Spokane, WA Lucky You
November 19 Seattle, WA Funhouse
November 21 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge
November 23 Boise, ID Olympic
November 24 Salt Lake City, UT State Room
November 26 Denver, CO Globe Hall
November 29 Lawrence, KS The Bottleneck
November 30 St. Louis, MO Off Broadway
December 1 Chicago, IL Cobra Lounge
December 3 Detroit, MI El Club
December 4 Cleveland, OH Mahalls
December 5 Buffalo, NY Mohawk Place
December 7 Brooklyn, NY St Vitus
December 10 Boston, MA Middle East Upstairs
December 11 Philadelphia, PA Kung Fu Necktie
December 12 Philadelphia, PA Kung Fu Necktie
Tickets went on-sale this past Friday, Oct. 1, at 10 am local time. COVID-19 protocols will vary by venue and municipality and all attendees will be required to show proof of vaccination or have the option to provide a negative PCR test within 24 hours of the event (where allowed). All concertgoers will be required to wear masks.
Canadian thrashers LUTHARO have finally released their new video “Hopeless Abandonment”. The song is taken from their upcoming album Hiraeth.
Vocalist Krista Shipperbottom comments: Hopeless Abandonment has finally been released world wide and it comes with a strong meaning! This song wants you to remember that you were put on this earth with purpose and you have a destiny to fulfill!”
These 2 Sunset Strip Legends together for One Night Only at The Quechan Casino Resort in Winterhaven California. A night of THE hard rock that created the 80’s Sunset Strip scene. Hit after hit with MotleyCrue and RATT songs sung by the Legends who wrote and performed them from the very beginning!
Bringing the 80’s SUNSET STRIP scene to your town.
Guns Blazing & Guitars Squealing!
Winterhaven, CALIFORNIA
StephenPearcy’s solo band is bringing fans all of the RATT hits plus several hits from SMASH & VIEW TO A THRILL, to include ARCADE’s “Nothing to Lose”.
From Scorpions twitter timeline: Are you a Rock Believer? Scorpions announce new studio album “Rock Believer” + World Tour 2022.
Scorpions Rock Zone fan community members have exclusive first access to tickets + VIP packages 10a CEST tomorrow 30 Sep at the scorpionscommunity.com.
I bought these Motörhead pins sometime back in the early to mid 80’s, at a store called Wasteland in Torrington Connecticut. I was serving time in high school then. Wasteland was filled with all kinds of Rock and Metal merch; plus lots of smoking and toking supplies too. This store was in walking distance to my parents house and near the Y.M.C.A., thus I made countless trips there. I would go to that Y.M.C.A. for pick up basketball games and to lift weights; it kinda kept me out of trouble. I’m laughing as I wrote that.
I didn’t always buy at each visit; just looking around the place and smelling the burning incense was a treat for me. Wasteland was an escape from the crap a teenager had to deal with, back then. It’s amazing what memories these little Motörhead pins rekindle.
I remember buying black light bulbs, black light posters, band t-shirts, pipes, lots of pins, band stickers and patches and rolling papers there. Funny how I never bought a bong or lava lamp there for they had plenty for sale. Those really were easier times. It’s fun to reflect on it all. I just wish I kept some of those band t-shirts for they’re worth lots of money now. Then again, I really wore out those shirts.
I’ve sold and traded away hundreds of Rock and Metal pins over the years; so I’m very happy I have these Motörhead pins today. When I saw Motörhead years ago they opened for Slayer. Overkill was the other opening band. Metal be thy name! Thanks for reading and stay safe out there. – Stone
“Anadem Gyre” is the brand-new ethereal single from ANTIQVA (pronounced as; antiqua). The chamber black metal project was founded by Xenoyr (NE OBLIVISCARIS) and LindsaySchoolcraft while on tour in Europe in the Autumn of 2015.
“We’re pleased to reveal our debut music video, “Anadem Gyre”, a song released only in vinyl format in 2020 as a bonus track to our “Funeral Crown” single. “Anadem Gyre” is a more emphasised dark folk element from within our sound, a portion of this infused into our chamber black metal backbone is what to expect on our debut album. With all our tracks we utilise the Romanian tongue and so we thought it fitting that we pay respect to the country, one so rich in spirit, character, and folklore. We hope you enjoy this visual experience.”
Featuring an experienced ensemble of past, present, and live musicians from well-established bands; NE OBLIVISCARIS, NEGATOR, KARKAOS/BLACKGUARD, BLACK CROWN INITIATE, SUSPERIA/ABYSSIC, and THE OCEAN.
ANTIQVA is: Xenoyr – harsh vocals, lyrics, artistic vision Lindsay Schoolcraft – ethereal vocals, piano, main classical composer Fabian Schaper – guitars and main composer Justine Ethier – drums, percussion, main composer Memnock – bass, contrabass Dalai Cellai – Cello
Track Details: Lyrics by Xenoyr Violin and viola performed by David “Dagda” Sanchez Romanian voices performed by Ady Cernea Guitars recorded at: Doubletrack Studios – Germany Lindsay’s vocals recorded at: Monolithic Productions (Tyler Williams) – Canada Percussion recorded at: Silver Wing Studios (Jonathan Lefrancois-Leduc) – Canada Xen’s vocals recorded by: Troy McCosker (Audio Ninja) – Australia Cello recorded at: Bandito 36 Studio (Damian Murdoch) – Germany Andy’s vocals recorded at: Sonic Pariah Studio (Garrin Beaudoin) – USA Bass and contrabass recorded at: Darkwoods Studio – Norway
Mixed by Carson Slovak at Atrium Audio, USA Mastered by Lasse Lammert at LSD Studios, Germany Artwork, logo, and design by Xenoyr
Diabolica is the fourth full length album from solo project HAIDUK. Fusing punishing melodic black metal and high speed death-thrash, HAIDUK is the demonic brainchild of multi-instrumentalist LukaMilojica.
In Luka’s own words, Diabolica is: “Pure evil, speed and darkness!”
With lightning-fast songs HAIDUK returns to the hyper-speed riffing approach, following 2018’s more hypnotic sounding album Exomancer. Thematically, the new album is a continuation of the lore explored in the previous releases, with new short stories, maps, and a timeline included in the CD booklet.
Posted in Heavy Metal on September 24, 2021 by Metal Odyssey
Singer/Songwriter LINDSAYSCHOOLCRAFT has won the prestigious OMA (Oshawa Music Award) for “Artist or Band of the Year”. She won the award in honor of her critically acclaimed 2020 release Worlds Away.
Per the OMA website, “The Best Artist or Band of the Year award is presented to an artist or band, born and or residing in the Durham Region, in any genre, that has achieved substantial recognition and success within the eligibility period. The artist or band has positively contributed to the Durham Region’s music community at large and helped to put the Durham Region on the map.”
LINDSAY commented “I could not have become the artist that I did and done what I’ve done with my career if it was not for all that Oshawa has offered”.
Just popping in to tell you guys our Evergrey tour that we were so stoked about just got cancelled.
We were so excited to see all of you – but ultimately this is just another struggle we have to overcome.
Ticket refunds are available at the point of sale.
We will be announcing our own dates soon. You can be the first to find out about them by following us on Facebook or Instagram as well as by staying on this list.
In the meantime – we printed a ton of merch for this that we’re currently stuck with. It cost us a ton of money and we need to start selling it.
Check out the full line of Curse Of Autumn merch that we printed here:
Madrid (SP) – Spanish Death Metal horde THIRTEEN BLED PROMISES will release Foundation this October 22 on Lacerated Enemy Records. The EP’s first single, “A Humanless War,” is available now at youtu.be/BMFDeoTly08.
Visit this location for single availability on other digital platforms.
On the Foundation EP, THIRTEEN BLED PROMISES play dissonant blackened technical death metal in the vein of Obscura, Der Weg einer Freiheit and Abhorrent.
Comments Lacerated Enemy: “We are very pleased to announce that THIRTEEN BLED PROMISES has joined Lacerated Enemy family. Hailing from Madrid, Spain, THIRTEEN BLED PROMISES formed in 2006 creating their brand of technical Brutal Death Metal. After releasing two successful albums, Heliopause Fleets (2012) and The Black Legend (2015), the band established a strong fan base in Europe and received great reviews for both.”
While supporting numerous well known acts since the creation of the band, THIRTEEN BLED PROMISES was ready to enter the studio again to record another masterpiece of blackened technical death metal. The record brings its influences from progressive and technical songwriting, while still accompanied by a blackened atmospheric quality that keeps the listener intrigued about what will come next.
New York (NY) – In November, NYC true metallers TOWER will release their sophomore studio album, Shock To The System, via Cruz Del Sur Music. The album was recorded in May and June at Artifact studio in Ridgewood, New York, with Sasha Stroud serving as co-producer and engineer. The album’s cover was created by Morgan Jesse Lappin.
According to vocalist Sarabeth Linden, half of the music and lyrics for Shock To The System were written during the recent lockdown attributed to the global pandemic. The result is TOWER’s most complete outing to date — a veritable metal call-to-arms that combines the band’s energetic brand of NWOBHM and classic rock into ten anthemic cuts.
“We stayed centered around our established style but took it to new levels in some places,” says Linden. “The heavy parts are heavier than before, the fast parts are faster, the slow parts are slower, and one song is around seven minutes, which we’ve never come close to previously. Musically, there are a lot of firsts on this record.”
TOWER (who are completed by the guitar tandem of James Danzo and Zak Penley and drummer James Jones) only has one previous full-length studio album to their credit, 2016’s self-titled outing. While their 2019 Tomorrow & Yesterday EP featured four songs of rocked-up metal, Shock To The System takes TOWER’s sound to the next level.
“The first album is already five years old!” exclaims Linden. “It seems so long ago now. The songs that are still in the live set, like ‘Flames’, ‘Raceway Rock’ and ‘Elegy’ are still very much in the vein of the new material. The EP was a bit more simple and aggressive, and those elements are on the album, too, but manifest in a different way. In general, we have grown a lot as a band and as individuals. We’ve matured, and it’s reflected in the music.”
TOWER recently celebrated its return to the stage in July. With Shock To The System in the can, the band plans on preparing for future live dates — and a new bassist. “We’re in the process of revamping the lineup for tour, as Jeff Filmer stepped aside to give his full attention to his bands SHADOWLAND and HUSTLER,” closes Linden. “We’ll be ready to hit the road by year’s end. See you soon! Be prepared!”
Track Listing: 1. Blood Moon, 2. Prince of Darkness, 3. Metatron, 4. Running Out of Time, 5. Lay Down the Law, 6. Hired Gun, 7. The Black Rose, 8. On the Line, 9. In Dreams, 10. Powder Keg
Line-up: SarabethLinden – Vocals JamesDanzo – Guitar ZakPenley – Guitar JamesJones – Drums *Bass on the album recorded by Jeff Filmer.
Dies Irae is the new enchanting, gothic offering from JOANAVANT. Based out of Dallas, Texas, JOAN transcends genre boundaries writing classically inspired music with an experimental, heavy edge. Following her 2019 debut Drown Ophelia, the new release is louder, nastier, and darker.
JOAN comments:
“This album really melds a world of fantasy Victoriana with symphonic hard rock. I can’t wait to share it.”
JOAN’s musical venture began in childhood with classical training. Having become frustrated by the limitations of classical music and drawn to the artistic freedom of rock and metal music, she fused the two elements into her self-titled rock act.
Dies Irae will release on the 10th of December 2021 via RedMasqueRecords.
Athens-based metal outfit W.E.B. will release their Colosseum full-length on November 19th via Metal Blade Records today; unveiling the record’s artwork, track listing, first single, and preorders.
Forged in 2002 out of a “necessity to scream, blast, and create emotions and get on stage to exchange them with an audience,” Greece’s W.E.B. have steadily forged a path to becoming one of the premier European symphonic extreme metal bands expressing darkness and death through adrenaline and poetry. An output that’s both candid and theatrical, W.E.B. is here to move you, provoke you, and invite you on a journey through ravendark and starless nights. With four albums already under their collective belt, 2021’s fifth full-length, Colosseum, is inarguably the band’s greatest and most direct work to date.
“We wanted this album to be as straightforward as we could make it. We wanted it to be aggressive and to the point, and at the same time we have pushed literally everything, higher, faster, louder, harder. It is our most metal album,” states guitarist/vocalist Sakis Prekas. Combining the brutal with the catchy and drenching it in orchestrations that only serve to expand its epic scale, Colosseum is a thrilling, gripping listen with each of its nine tracks playing an important part in the album as a whole, making it clear that W.E.B. stands toe-to-toe with anyone in their genre.
With Colosseum, the band welcomes two new members: drummer Nikitas Mandolas, who joined following the recording of 2017’s Tartarus and whose playing is perfectly suited to the music W.E.B. make, and bassist/vocalist Hel Pyre. “Apart from the great lyrics and the perfect bass performance, she offered her brutal and clean vocals on many parts of the album, leaving her own mark of fire. This is a completely new element for W.E.B. that really gave a unique character to the material.”
With the lineup solidified, writing commenced in early 2019, sending ideas back and forth to one another, subsequently honing each song over many pre-production sessions. “With no references, when we make music, our only thoughts are that we want to make it sound as awesome as we can,” states Sakis. The dramatic orchestrations are of course a large part of that, with Christos Antoniou of Septicflesh handling this aspect of the sound as he has on previous W.E.B. releases. “Metal is the most revolutionary music genre ever to exist; adding to it symphonic orchestra makes the experience even more epic and emotional in a massive way. We want our music to inspire the senses, thus we aspire to make it intense from our perspective.”
Stream W.E.B.’s first single “Dominus Maleficarum” at THIS LOCATION.
W.E.B.’s Colosseum will be available on CD, fruit punch-colored LP, and digital formats. Find preordering options HERE.
In titling the record Colosseum, W.E.B. draw comparisons with the past and present, in typically brutal style. “The Colosseum was the famous gigantic arena in Rome to give the people ‘food and spectacle,’ whereas what it truly did was to quench the mob’s thirst for blood and violence and keep their minds away from thinking; kind of an ancient TV-brainwash machine,” notes Sakis. “People nowadays seem to be thirsty for blood more than ever. They seek violence in almost everything. You can see it in social media, in the streets – even a simple fight between kids in a schoolyard attracts the other kids, not to separate but to watch. Humans miss the Colosseum and what it gave to their violent nature, even though they will never admit it. The title Colosseum is the irony of giving them what they secretly desire. Maybe then they will start to understand what they see in their mirror and hopefully it will bother them.”
Colosseum was recorded, mixed, and mastered in Sound Abuse Production Studio in Athens by Psychon and produced by Sakis Prekas. While Sakis admits it was the most difficult record they’ve ever made, it was also the smoothest of all recording sessions, largely due to being so prepared. “It also had to do a lot with the chemistry between us and the way Psychon works with us: keeping the recordings on a strict schedule, and at the same time making us always feel comfortable to express ourselves.”
Still, there were obstacles to overcome when it came to orchestrations and arrangements. “When you enter the rabbit-hole of symphonic orchestra and synths, you are in a chaos of sounds, and new ideas are always born through this. We had to spend hours on sound design and decisions like never before, yet the outcome speaks for itself.”
If you’re a band or musician and would like your music reviewed or be interviewed by Stone, please click the link under the “ALBUM REVIEWS ARCHIVES” section below!
Metal Odyssey's Rock, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Hall of Fame! These Are The Rock And METAL Legends Wrongfully Ignored By "The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame"
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