Archive for hellevate

HELLEVATE Share Video for “Killicon Valley (Silicon Dust)”

Posted in Heavy Metal, Metal, metal bands, metal music, Music, music news, music videos, news with tags , , , , , , , on May 11, 2026 by Metal Odyssey

Watch the video for “Killicon Valley (Silicon Dust)” at this location.

Kansas City thrash masters HELLEVATE have posted the official music video for the title track off their new album, Killicon Valley. This five-minute thrash-fest aims its rage at the use of AI in today’s culture.

“This song is the result of several years of us watching the development of AI and ranting about it with each other. So many songs out there about AI have their hearts in the right place, but they always sing about it like it’s Skynet or SHODAN; some unstoppable robot overlord coming to bring the apocalypse,” comments guitarist Joshua Cole about the song

“Then you actually use it and it’s a crappy productivity tool that only helps create more noise and BS that we all have to wade through, all because some idiot billionaires decided they liked the idea of a computer that could do all their thinking for them and replace those pesky employees. The lyrics fit the music perfectly, as it’s nasty, aggressive, relentless, and fast! If you like your thrash metal played pissed off and at warp speed, we’ve got you covered with this one!”

Vocalist Robert Browne expands on the song’s lyrical theme, “The so-called “leaders” of the tech industry have made shit more expensive, turned a multitude of careers upside-down, and gotten this moronic presidential administration to give them access to sensitive systems. And for what? It fucks up simple tasks. It fills our news feeds with garbage and lies. It gives mediocre idiots with no skill the delusions that they can make art with no effort, all at the cost of the planet that sustains our lives. Older folks who fear AI think it’ll be like a Terminator 2 thing. It’s much worse; I’d rather be blown up than starve.”

Watch the video for “Killicon Valley (Silicon Dust)” at this location.

Killicon Valley is relentless in execution. Eleven tracks of the bullshit-free, ‘thrash-or-be-thrashed’ attitude the band has cultivated over their nearly 20 years of existence. Today, that fury has escalated beyond the breaking point. The result is an album that true fans of old-school thrash can blast with pride.

Watch the video for the album’s first single, “In the Long Grass,” at youtu.be/4pvJtJcOrvo.

Killicon Valley is set for release on May 22. Pre-order the album at: hellevate.bandcamp.com/album/killicon-valley

Photo credit: Kaitlyn Waggoner

Line-Up:

Robert Browne – Vocals
Dan Whitmer – Guitar
Joshua Cole – Guitar
Zack Burke – Bass
Ruben Lopez – Drums

HELLEVATE will mark the release of Killicon Valley with an album release show at Warehouse on Broadway in Kansas City, MO. Support will come from Jackson Country 5, Meat Shank, and Bloodscent. Check the event page for details.

Stream more from HELLEVATE on SpotifyApple Music, and Amazon Music.

Track-list:

1) D.T.C.

2) In the Long Grass

3) Invoke Apocalypse

4) Demagogue

5) The Rampart

6) Holy Man

7) Jorogumo

8) Part of the Tribe

9) Killicon Valley (Silicon Dust)

10) The Lost Pages

11) Thou Shalt Kill

12) Curse God and Die

hellevate.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/hellevate

www.instagram.com/hellevatekills

www.tiktok.com/@hellevatekills

Source: ClawHammer PR

Kansas City Thrash Crew HELLEVATE to Return With Killicon Valley

Posted in Heavy Metal, Metal, metal bands, metal music, Music, music news, news with tags , , , , , , , on April 9, 2026 by Metal Odyssey

Kansas City thrash masters HELLEVATE will unleash their sixth assault this spring!

Killicon Valley is relentless in execution. Eleven tracks of the bullshit-free, ‘thrash-or-be-thrashed’ attitude the band has cultivated over their nearly 20 years of existence. Today, that fury has escalated beyond the breaking point. The result is an album that true fans of old-school thrash can blast with pride.

Guitarist Dan Whitmer comments on Killicon Valley, “We couldn’t be more excited about this release! It’s the result of the last few years of a concentrated effort to expand our songwriting capabilities and deliver something for every kind of metal fan there is. Sonically, we’re going to places we haven’t been to before, and we’re trying out a lot of different approaches, sounds, and songwriting angles in our mission to make heads bang worldwide! Everyone involved has pushed themselves physically and mentally in their performances, and it’s all come together in a unique blend of melody and aggression, tackling every subject from our anger at the injustices in the world, to velociraptor attacks and Japanese spider demons. Grab a brace, because this album will make you wreck your neck!”

Get your first taste of Killicon Valley with the album’s lead single, “In the Long Grass.” Check out the official video at: youtu.be/4pvJtJcOrvo.

Killicon Valley is set for release on May 22. Pre-order the album at: hellevate.bandcamp.com/album/killicon-valley

HELLEVATE will mark the release of Killicon Valley with an album release show at Warehouse on Broadway in Kansas City, MO. Support will come from Jackson Country 5, Meat Shank, and Bloodscent. Check the event page for details.

Stream more from HELLEVATE on SpotifyApple Music, and Amazon Music.

Track-list:

1) D.T.C.

2) In the Long Grass

3) Invoke Apocalypse

4) Demagogue

5) The Rampart

6) Holy Man

7) Jorogumo

8) Part of the Tribe

9) Killicon Valley (Silicon Dust)

10) The Lost Pages

11) Thou Shalt Kill

12) Curse God and Die

HELLEVATE is a thrash metal band from Kansas City, MO, known for their unique blend of melodic thrash, extreme metal, and power metal influences. Formed in the late 2000s by guitarist Dan Whitmer, HELLEVATE maintains a commitment to writing unforgettable music that hits hard and leaves a lasting impression.

Lyrically, the band continues to deliver powerful messages with directness and intensity. Together, they have crafted a sound that is both expansive and undeniably thrash, incorporating influences from speed metal, power metal, death metal, and hardcore to create something truly unique.

Photo credit: Kaitlyn Waggoner

Line-Up:

Robert Browne – Vocals
Dan Whitmer – Guitar
Joshua Cole – Guitar
Zack Burke – Bass
Ruben Lopez – Drums

HELLEVATE‘s discography includes their debut self-titled album (2012), Kill Confirmed (2014), Weapons Against Their Will (2016), The Purpose Is Cruelty (2023) and their newest album Killicon Valley (2026).

Since their debut in 2012, HELLEVATE has built a reputation for delivering electrifying live performances, sharing the stage with some of the biggest names in metal, including EXODUS, KREATOR, ACCEPT, OVERKILL, DESTRUCTION, HAMMERFALL, UNLEASH THE ARCHERS, GHOUL, VENOM INC., and DANZIG, among others.

hellevate.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/hellevate

www.instagram.com/hellevatekills

www.tiktok.com/@hellevatekills

Source: ClawHammer PR

HELLEVATE – “Purpose is Cruelty” EP Releases On January 14, 2023

Posted in Heavy Metal, Metal, metal bands, metal music, Music, music news, news with tags , , , , , , , , , on November 24, 2022 by Metal Odyssey

Kansas City thrashers HELLEVATE will kick off 2023 with the release of The Purpose is Cruelty. The band’s newest EP features five aggressive tracks of classic speed/thrash metal with a modern attack. A violent hybrid of East Coast and Bay Area thrash, The Purpose of Cruelty shows why HELLEVATE has been called “a new hope for thrash” (All Around Metal).

Playing melodic thrash metal with a mixture of extreme and power metal thrown in to keep listeners on their toes, HELLEVATE draws from across the spectrum of sounds to forge the most potent of heavy metal. The band was formed in the late 2000s by guitarist Dan Whitmer, and while it has experienced several lineup changes, the band has found its superior form with the addition of Zack Burke, Joshua Cole, RJ Whitmer, and new singer Robert Browne.

HELLEVATE’s debut was released in 2012 and was followed up in 2014 with the EP Kill Confirmed and the album Weapons Against Their Will in 2016. Singles “Last of the Fell” and “Krampusnacht” were released in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The band’s new EP, The Purpose Is Cruelty, is the culmination of the work the band has put in up to this point. Packed with riffs across a spectrum of sounds and the razor-sharp vocals of Robert, HELLEVATE seeks to make a statement with the release.

The band has established itself by sharing the bill with many nationally touring bands, including Exodus, Kreator, Accept, Overkill, Destruction, Ghoul, Venom Inc., and Danzig, just to name a few. With a great lineup and a bright future ahead of them, HELLEVATE continues to grow as a musical force in the metal world and intends to dominate and annihilate for many years to come.

The Purpose is Cruelty will be out on January 14, 2023.

Tracklist:
The Purpose is Cruelty
Dagon
Buried Under Mistakes
Die or Be Killed
(No) Further Action is Required

https://hellevate.bandcamp.com/

Source: ClawHammer PR