Infected Dead made a grand impression with their Lovecraftian cosmic horror debut Archaic Malevolence and have left fans salivating for more ever since. Today the band proudly reveal a blistering new single and video to sate those in wait, a track entitled ‘The Rache’ out now via Hostile Media.
The video was shot in the woods of Heathfield, Sussex UK earlier this summer with Loki Films. Vocalist Lou Ede elaborates: “The song is loosely based on the lesser known Lovecraft short story ‘The Hound’ so the main concept we had in mind was to give the allusion of the band being stalked by the titular monster, I think the director did a great job of getting that across.”
“We are delighted to finally be unleashing our first fresh track since Archaic Malevolence. It was great to be back working with Wynter Prior (producer) and work is well underway on our debut album, we’re really excited to share the first glimpse of what we’ve been up to over the past year.”
‘The Rache’ was produced by Wynter Prior, while Inner Sound overseen mixing and mastering. Luciferium War Graphics manned the helm once again for the epic artwork.
Catch Infected Dead Live in UK with Bloodshot Dawn next month!
Oakland death metal outfit VASTUM is preparing for the release of their gnarled fourth album, Orificial Purge. Ahead of the album’s public unveiling through 20 Buck Spin at the end of October, the new single “I On The Knife (Second Wound)” has been issued.
With lead vocalist Daniel Butler, guitarist/vocalist Leila Abdul-Rauf, guitarist Shelby Lermo, bassist Luca Indrio, and drummer Chad Gailey, Ryan Honaker provides guest strings on VASTUM‘s Orificial Purge, and Honaker and Abdul-Rauf also help shape the album with elements of ambience. Recorded with Greg Wilkinson (Necrot, Nightfell, Ulthar) at Earhammer Studios and visually represented by the brooding abstraction of San Francisco artist Laina Terpstra, VASTUM’s Orificial Purge is one of the year’s most vicious and hypnotic LPs. Fans of Bolt Thrower, Undergang, Autopsy, Necrot, Asphyx, Mortuous, Tomb Mold, and Scorched are orificially summoned to take note.
Vocalist Daniel Butler exposes of the track’s lyrical content, “‘I On The Knife’ is about psychophysical self-mutilation under the command of a thing, an it, which is gradually symbolized as an object (e.g. father, knife) that in turn reveals the self as a wound. Basically, it’s about how you’re a wound and nothing else.”
Guitarist/vocalist Leila Abdul-Rauf offers, “We felt this song – along with initial single, ‘Reveries In Autophagia’ – was the most representative of the classic VASTUM sound.”
Hear VASTUM’s “I On The Knife (Second Wound) at THIS LOCATION or below:
20 Buck Spin will issue Orificial Purge on CD, LP, cassette, and all digital platforms on October 25th. Preorders go live this week at the label webshop HERE and at Bandcamp where “Reveries In Autophagia” is now streaming HERE.
Guitar World just ran a feature on the 25 Best Metal Guitar Tones Of All Time where VASTUM‘s Leila Abdul-Rauf was featured alongside the likes of Black Sabbath, Slayer, Metallica, Entombed, Meshuggah, Danzig, Sunn O))), and more. See the piece HERE.
Having just made their return to Killtown Death Fest 2019 in Copenhagen alongside Grave, Coffins, Abhorrence, Tomb Mold, and many others in September, VASTUM has also been confirmed to play the inaugural Shadow Frost Music & Arts Festival taking over Frederick, Maryland February 21st and 22nd, 2020. The band joins The Chasm, Primitive Man, Thantifaxath, and labelmates Magic Circle as one of the event’s main headliners, and guitarist/vocalist Leila Abdul-Rauf will also perform a set from her solo/ambient project at the fest as well.
VASTUM Live:
2/21-22/2020 Shadow Frost Music & Arts Festival – Frederick, MD [info]
After four years of near silence, Oakland death metal outfit VASTUM returns with Orificial Purge, the anxiously awaited follow-up to their acclaimed Hole Below. With its members playing in Acephalix, Necrot, Ulthar, Mortuous, Ionophore, Cardinal Wyrm, and others, the band’s dedication to their craft is showcased throughout the underground. After three standout albums over the course of the last eight years, the effect of VASTUM‘s influence has by now seeped into the wider death metal scene, leaving an indelible mark due to their singular amalgam of aural primitivism and aesthetic originality. Their most markedly refined and tortured oblation to date, Orificial Purge represents the dominant return of VASTUM, a death-doom band driven by the horrors of psychic and corporeal life.
VASTUM‘s Orificial Purge offers a distinctive blend of sinister atmosphere, punishing brutality, and an unparalleled lyrical and visual imagery that traces connections between perversion, mortification, and “an abyssal mysticism of sin.” Elements from previous albums are preserved on Orificial Purge, but they are evolved and devolved at once. The usual mid-paced dirge and cave-dwelling riffs are intertwined with slicing melodic dissonance and a celestial frenzy in the solos and the leads, all of which is set against the background of a bulldozing rhythm section. The dual vocal and lyrical exorcisms of Daniel Butler and Leila Abdul-Rauf combine to deliver unsettling, dichotomous meditations on “abjection as life, life as tragedy, and tragedy as an eviscerating, eroticized rapture through which an evil and useless humanity comes into being.
International extreme power metal unit DRAGONFORCE will kick off their anticipated North American headlining tour this week. The trek will commence on October 1st in Tucson, Arizona and conclude October 12th in Ventura, California. Support will be provided by Dance With The Dead and Starkill. The following day, the band will set sail as part of the first annual Megacruise. See all confirmed dates below.
DRAGONFORCE w/ Dance With The Dead, Starkill:
10/01/2019 Encore – Tucson, AZ
10/02/2019 Sunshine Theater – Albuquerque, NM
10/03/2019 Vinyl @ Hard Rock – Las Vegas, NV
10/04/2019 Strummers – Fresno, CA
10/05/2019 Cargo – Reno, NV
10/06/2019 Hawthorne Theater – Portland, OR
10/07/2019 The Red Room – Vancouver, BC
10/08/2019 El Corazon – Seattle, WA
10/11/2019 August Hall – San Francisco, CA
10/12/2019 Ventura Theater – Ventura, CA
10/13/2019 Megacruise – Los Angeles, CA* DRAGONFORCE only
DRAGONFORCE is touring in support of their eighth full-length, Extreme Power Metal, released worldwide on September 27th via Metal Blade Records. Produced in Los Angeles, California by Damien Rainaud at Mix Unlimited, Extreme Power Metal was also recorded, in part, on guitarist Herman Li’s livestream channel on Twitch (twitch.tv/hermanli) with participation from fans. To preview the record, and to view the band’s recently-released video for “Razorblade Meltdown” visit metalblade.com/dragonforce.
DragonForce – Razorblade Meltdown (New Official Video)
The Grammy-nominated extreme power metal group is based in London, England. Their platinum-selling record, Through The Fire And Flames, brought them international acclaim and was featured as the most-challenging song on Guitar Hero III. Their energetic and humorous live performances have won them fans on every continent.
The group is known for their long, complex, and fast guitar solos performed by Herman Li and Sam Totman, who founded the band after meeting through a classified ad in 1999. Since then, the band has released seven studio albums, including Valley Of The Damned (2003), Sonic Firestorm (2004), Inhuman Rampage (2006), Ultra Beatdown (2008), The Power Within (2012), Maximum Overload (2014), and Reaching Into Infinity (2017). 2019 brings the next chapter in DRAGONFORCE history: Extreme Power Metal!
Regarding Extreme Power Metal, Li says, “This album again combines the best of DRAGONFORCE in an even bigger, more epic way than we have ever done before. We are so excited for fans to hear it!” The keyboards of the new album were performed by Coen Janssen of symphonic metal titan Epica, adding a new dimension to the album. Notes Totman, “We worked really closely with Coen on this new album. We are so happy with what he has brought into this new album. Every fan will be so happy to hear his majestic playing!”
Drawing from a wide range of influences, the band’s sound combines the sing-a-long choruses of classic ’80s rock with triumphant, uplifting melodies and fantasy-themed power-metal-inspired lyrics. As a nod to their passion for all things video-game related, the band frequently incorporates retro game sounds and melodies into their recordings and live shows.
Following the release of Extreme Power Metal, DRAGONFORCE will begin their world tour in support of it. Li promises, “In this age, where our music is easily accessible, I am not going to waste time trying to describe the sound of our new album. I’ll let the music do the talking! However, what I can tell you is, our upcoming tour will be our biggest in a decade. We have a massive epic production and a really special surprise for VIPs. We can’t wait to see everyone out on the road!”
Finnish melodic metal group PHOENIX TITAN have released their powerful debut album AVATAR OF FIRE. The album is available as CD and listenable on online streaming services.
Phoenix Titan is a five-piece group from Finland playing tight melodic metal. The history of the band began 2014 and all the band members have around 20 years experience of recording and playing live on several different bands.
The debut album ”Avatar of Fire” is released on September 27th 2019 via Inverse Records. The recording of the album began on summer 2017 and the final studio tracks were recorded early 2019. The album is recorded and produced by Aksu Hanttu (S-Tool, Tuoni, Entwine) and mastered by Svante Forsbäck at Chartmakers. Common denominator on all of the album tracks is catchy riffs and melodies combined to fierce energy.
Phoenix Titan – Avatar Of Fire – Track List:
Torment Of Vanity
Metal Shark
Accused
Ride For Vengeance
Will I Ever Find My Peace?
Napalm Phoenix
(In)Sanity
The Game
Chosen One
Line-up:
Harri Ahola – vocals
Santtu Rautiainen – guitar
Topi Vuorela – guitar
Tatu Rautiainen – drums
Juhana ”Jusa” Ovaska – Bass
Band comments on the recording process:
“We wanted to put effort to the quality of the recording on every production phase. Even as it took a lot more time, nerves and bad humor than we expected. The professional work can be seen and heard on the record. We are really satisfied with the album and we are looking forward the live shows to come.”
King Diamond is embarking on 23 black masses across North America starting Nov. 2. To make the tour even more memorable, King Diamond has collaborated with Surly Brewing Co., the Minneapolis-based craft brewery, for a limited release beer: Black Horsemen Danish-style black lager. The beer will be available at select venues within the Surly footprint and VIP ticketholders will have the opportunity to raise a toast of Black Horseman with King Diamond at each tour stop.
The Black Horsemen can design reflects the unforgettable album, Abigail, leading beer drinkers on a journey when they crack open a can, finding the traditionally light lager style turned pitch black. This beer is not for the faint of heart.
A limited run of Black Horsemen Danish-style black lager will be available in cans and on draft starting Oct. 31 across Surly’s distribution footprint. King Diamond ticketholders can find the beer at select venues throughout the tour, including: Riviera Theater (Chicago, Nov. 18), Palace Theater (Minneapolis, Nov. 19), and The Fillmore (Denver, Nov. 22).
“Everything regarding this beer fits perfectly together. It’s a 6% Danish style black lager named “Black Horsemen”. The label carries the front cover of the King Diamond album “Abigail”. The yeast used to brew it comes from my long time favorite Danish brewing company, Carlsberg.
Since I had the very first taste of it, I cannot wait to taste it again, and will, without hesitation, serve it to the best of my friends any time, any day of the week. I’m extremely proud to be a participant in this. In my personal opinion, this is the perfect beer.
PS: If you are in a bar somewhere, you can’t just order “one Black Horsemen”. That would not be proper English… it has to be: “two Black Horsemen”, at the least! 😈”
W.A.S.P. is happy to announce their participation in the upcoming KnotFest Festival in Bogota, Colombia, on December 6th 2019.
We look forward to seeing you there!!
Southern Lord has issued the details of WOLFBRIGADE‘s impending tenth full-length, The Enemy: Reality, now confirmed for release on November 8th.
On the wind-bitten plains of Skaraborg, Sweden, the wolves have arisen once again. They are on the prowl, yearning for your blood, warm and fresh. On their tenth album, WOLFBRIGADE cuts deep, and they are ruthless. This time they have only submitted to themselves, from recording to production and artwork working in isolation, resulting in heightened senses and sharpened fangs. The ten songs rip into both body and mind, with no holds barred regarding power, substance, and melody.
This time around, WOLFBRIGADE‘s hybrid beast of Swedish hardcore and death metal known as Lycanthro Punk has become even more distinct. These ten tracks of destruction display both a love for 80s metal hooks and intros, as well as primitive hardcore brutality.
The lyrics on The Enemy: Reality dissect the state of human existence, the bizarre animal presence that we are. The naked apes. Exploring the dynamics that rule man. Power and submission. Manipulation. The injustices of inequality. This is an album seething with anger and frustration.
The band remarks, “Humans are a narcissistic breed, incapable of real change. This album is a way for us to deal with the fact that we are one of a large pack, submitting to the same societal norms as everyone else. No matter how much we would like it to be different. We are all on the same crazy trip.”
The Enemy: Reality will see release through Southern Lord on November 8th. Watch for audio premieres, preorders, and more to post in the weeks ahead. Following a one-off show in Los Angeles, California with Final Conflict and Dropdead and a set at Off Limits Festival in Naucalpan, Mexico last week, expect new live dates for WOLFBRIGADE to post over the coming months.
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!
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