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.
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.
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.”
Celtic metal duo HANDOFKALLIACH have released their track “Beneath Starlit Waters” on Bandcamp. The song is from their upcoming release Samhainn which will be released on October 22 2021. You can download the track when you purchase the CD or digital pre-order of the album.
The band commented about the release “We’re both extremely excited to be releasing our debut full-length, Samhainn. Named after the ancient Celtic festival of winter (pronounced ‘Sah-win’), this album represents a huge gear change in our writing and production from our initial work, bringing a darker and more aggressive energy to our hybrid sound of melodeath and folk metal.”
Seattle-based doom/sludge trio DEATHCAVE will return to the stage this Winter for a two-week run of live dates beginning December 2nd in Seattle, Washington and concluding December 15th in Sacramento, California. Support will be provided by labelmates Heiress as well as Worship, Duhkha and Ugly on select shows. See all confirmed dates below.
Named after the Apache Death Cave in Arizona, DEATHCAVE was forged in 2018 and hit the ground running as its three members — Freiburger (Throne Of Bone, Brain Scraper), Benny Koslosky (Swampyheavy), and Tony Muñoz (Razorhoof, Worship) — are longtime veterans of the underground touring circuit.
The band released their critically lauded Smoking Mountain full-length last year.A devouring fusion of thrash, psychedelic, stoner, and doom elements with lyrics based on personal stories reinterpreted in the realm of mythological tales, DEATHCAVE’s Smoking Mountain revolves around the concept of inevitable death and decay of not only humans, but nature as well.
Smoking Mountain was recorded by Ben Verellen (Harkonen, Helms Alee) at The Unknown in Anacortes, Washington, mixed by Verellen at Verellen Amplifiers and mastered by Brad Boatright (Integrity, Full Of Hell, Gatecreeper, High Command) at Audioseige. The thundering five-track offering, which includes guest vocals by Andrea Vidal (Holy Grove), Dave Verellen (Botch, Narrows), and Neil McAdams (Black Breath), as well as a track dedicated to late Black Breath bassist Elijah Nelson, and is available digitally and on limited edition vinyl.
Stream Smoking Mountain via the DEATHCAVE Bandcamp page at THIS LOCATION.
DEATHCAVE is putting the finishing touches on their followup to SmokingMountain with details to be unveiled in the weeks to come.
Harder Truths is the epic debut solo release from JOSEPHIZAYEA featuring some heavyweights of the metal world including the legendary Doc Coyle from BAD WOLVES & GOD FORBID, Kris Norris, formerly of DARKEST HOUR, Buz McGrath of UNEARTH, Chris Daniele, formerly of The ACACIA STRAIN, Tim MacMillar of PROTEST THE HERO, THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DEAD’s Justin Longshore, as well as Josh Gilbert of AS I LAY DYING / WOVENWAR.
“I’m absolutely elated to announce the coming release of my first ever solo album, “Harder Truths”. I did my very best to assemble this album in collaboration with some of the best and brightest songwriters in heavy music, some of whom I have personally been following for many years, and even a few of whom I’m honored to now call my friends. This endeavor took a lot of time to put together, as ensuring my commitments to my other projects, Sour Times, Seeking Sirens, and From Under Concrete Kings was paramount of my priorities. Also of tremendous importance was doing this thing the right way, involving as many of my friends in my current and former bands into the fold as possible, because I wouldn’t be here today without them. I truly hope that you all will find this release well worth the wait.”
JOSEPH has been producing songs and performing as a vocalist since 2007, and has released nine albums, numerous singles and covers of various genres. Currently the vocalist for FROM UNDER CONCRETE KINGS, SEEKING SIRENS, and SOUR TIMES, he’s shown no signs of slowing down. This collaboration album will be released under the umbrella of JOSEPH’s production company “Do Work” on the 26th November 2021.
Canadian extreme metal band ILLYRIAN have premiered their latest single, “Age of Fire” exclusively on Metal Underground. The track is taken from their upcoming EP Aegis due out on October 15th 2021.
Founded in 2015 in Calgary, Canada, ILLYRIAN was formed from the remnants of several bands and music projects in their local scene. Seeking to bring together their different backgrounds and strengths, the band quickly set to work on what would become their debut offering, 2016’s Round 2: Fight!
2019 marked the release of ILLYRIAN’s sophomore record, The Entity, Unknown. The album solidified the band’s signature approach to the metal genre, blending elements of death and thrash metal with technical and melodic composition.
Adventuring out from their prototypical thrash metal roots while embracing the energy and drive from the genre, their sound further evolved into a more focused and precise vision, injecting elements of death metal and less conventional textures such as world percussion and traditional folk instruments into their music.
For their album, The Entity, Unknown, ILLYRIAN was awarded the 2020 YYC Music Award for “Metal Recording of the Year,” punctuating a comparatively quiet year for the unit. Soon after, the band set to work on writing and recording their next production – a concept EP. Intentionally narrowing the scope of it to fully explore and realize its story and musicality, it was written and refined in isolation from one another both due to circumstance and creative choice.
Now, with the EP recorded and ready to be unleashed, late 2021 will see the arrival of Aegis, and the return of ILLYRIAN.
Promo pic by Hannu Perälä (Hannu Perälä Photography)
Finnish melodic death metal band Wolftopia is set to release their debut album Ways of the Pack on December 17th 2021 via InverseRecords.
“Hound of War” is the first single by the melodic death metal band Wolftopia, from the Finnish city of Vaasa. Introducing their 2021 debut album, Ways of the Pack, this is a hard-hitting single that grabs you with the first notes and won’t let you go until the last chords have faded. The song begins with a massive double guitar riff, played aggressively by lead guitarist Topi Karhunen and frontman Aleksander Okhotnikov and supported by the wild double bass drums of Tom Israels and growling bass guitar of Tim Reus. The song opens up hard, shakes the listener awake and drags them into the aggressive, fast and bombastic world of Wolftopia.
Okhotnikov explains that the song was inspired by the Gothenburg death metal scene and that inspiration of the band’s western neighbours can be heard in the riffs. “Hound of War” might be one of the more straightforward songs on the album, but it expresses perfectly what Wolftopia is all about: fast-paced, melodic and atmospheric death metal. This is evident from the crunchy double guitar riffs in the introduction and verses, but also from the majestic solo by lead guitar virtuoso Karhunen and the brooding bridge, glowering with power chords and a heavy bass sound.
Album cover by Roberto Toderico
This brooding aggression might be a surprise for those who look at the inspiration for the lyrics. The words tell of the wolfhound Huan, from the classic J. R. R.Tolkien love story of Beren and Lúthien. The story isn’t only about love, however: it also asserts that destiny is foretold and can’t be denied. And that’s the angle that “Hound of War” focuses on. The threatening bridge and the sorrowful, emotional guitar solo and outro are a representation of this struggle to accept our destiny.
San Antonio (TX) – Prolific Melo-Death/Black Metal artist BRYAN ECKERMANN has announced the forthcoming release of eighth full-length album Plague Bringers. The album, which serves as Part II to 2018 concept album Winters Plague (The Final Eclipse), will be released on November 5.
Winters Plague (The Final Eclipse), or Part I, detailed an alien invasion of earth by blocking out the sun with a giant ship and freezing the planet in which humanity inevitably arises to defeat the aliens. Plague Bringers, or Part II, details the aftermath from the aliens’ perspective as they resurrect their long dead queen, clone an army, and escape their dying planet to enter earth once more. Using the power of a magic orb they open a portal through space, then hide in the darkness, manipulating human minds to force mass suicides in their attempt at revenge. The mission however is in itself a suicide mission without the use of their ship to block out the sun (their weakness). They know they will perish along with the humans, leaving earth as a mass grave of emptiness… “Tomorrow is a lie, we won’t survive” but revenge is sweet.
Set to a melodic black/death metal soundtrack, the music and lyrical content go hand in hand, as each plays a significant part in the storyline to tell the grim tale of the two races’ demise.
FFO: For fans of: Arch Enemy, Old Mans Child, Death, Hypocrisy, King Diamond, Agathodaimon, Mors Principium Est, Zornheym, Carach Angren.
1. Ice Queen, 2. Sands of the Hourglass** 3. The Devouring Sun, 4. Reflections in a Dirty Mirror 5. Moonlight and Frostbite*, 6. Plague Bringers, 7. An Oath of Scrying Souls, 8. Astral Realms, 9. Skinwalker, 10. Of Death and Decay, 11. Tomorrow’s Lie** 12. Oblivion
Album Credits:
Recorded, engineered, produced, mixed and mastered by Bryan Eckermann at Bonespill Studios (Aug. 2020-Aug. 2021)
All music and lyrics written by Bryan Eckermann. Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards and Drums by Bryan Eckermann.
*Guest vocals on track 5 by StuBlock (Into Eternity, ex- Iced Earth).
**Guest drums on track 2 and guest drums/vocals on track 11 by ClintonWilliamson (Darker by Design).
DISTORTION MUSIC GROUP is a new boutique record label helmed by industry veteran and Juno award winner, MaurizioIacono. Having fronted the long running extreme metal band Kataklysm (Nuclear Blast Records) as well as Ex Deo (Napalm Records), and Invictus (Entertainment One) over the last three decades; in addition to launching Hard Impact Music Inc. in 2008, (a music management company that quickly grew into a top performing home for metal artists worldwide), Iacono has distinguished himself as a forward-thinking music industry entrepreneur. Iacono has also helped build two thriving touring agencies: Continental Touring in North America and Decibel Touring in Europe, giving DISTORTION MUSIC GROUP a big advantage in developing musical careers through the touring outlet.
DISTORTION MUSIC GROUP aims to serve artist needs and create a partnership that benefits everyone involved in this ever changing musical climate.
Horror Pain Gore Death Productions have signed vicious Death/Thrash Metal assassins CHARRED. The debut album Prayers Of Malediction is up now for pre-order and will be released October 1st on CD and Digital formats.
Hailing from the swamps of South Florida, CHARRED perform vicious Death/Thrash Metal. Prayers Of Malediction showcases nine tracks of pure blasting brutality that is not for the faint of heart. Prepare for annihilation as CHARRED leave their mark on the underground with an intense slab of sickness and slaughter!
Prayers Of Malediction was recorded at Angel Recording Studios, mixed & mastered by Anthony Burke and features artwork by Robert Cerrito. For fans of Bone Sickness, Celtic Frost, Darkthrone, Death, Deathhammer, Evil Army, GISM, Pestilence, Repulsion and Sepultura.
Pre-save this release on Spotify, Apple Music, etc. at ffm.to/charred
TRACK LISTING: 1. Incantations Of The Pyromancer, 2. Disseminating Hatred, 3. The Athame Of The Witchking, 4. Entity Of War, 5. Killsite, 6. Enthralling The Weak, 7. Consumed By The Catacombs, 8. The Means Of Destruction, 9. Kesai Khati (Eater Of The Raw Flesh)
Indiana’s DEATHONFIRE are confirmed to play at this year’s FullTerrorAssaultOpenAir festival.
Following the successful release of their 2021 EP, Six Foot Box, and lack of shows due to the pandemic, DEATH ON FIRE is eager to get back performing in front of a live audience. The Full Terror Assault festival marks a momentous date in the beginning of the band’s live shows planned for Autumn 2021.
Full Terror Assault brings the energy and atmosphere of the European style extreme metal festivals to the USA. The independently run event, held in Cave In Rock, Illinois, strives to bring impressive underground acts to the festival stage. Taking place from September 8th – 11th, it’s three days on non-stop brutality. DEATH ON FIRE will be taking to the stage on Thursday September 8th.
We are very pleased to announce the newest addition to the Witherfall merch store. TheCurseofAutumn complete guitar tablature book. We teamed up with transcriber Evan Bradley to painstakingly transcribe all of the individual guitar tracks from Curse Of Autumn. Almost 200 pages of music, lyrics and photos. The complete guide to all the notes and fingering positions where parts are performed. Every purchase also comes with an access code to download Guitar Pro files that can be slowed down or looped.
ASHESOFREDEMPTION has released their new EP Washed in Blood (W.I.B). Re-energizing the groove metal genre, ASHES OF REDEMPTION is a one-man band spearheaded by Justin Buell and based out of Detroit, MI.
Recorded with multiple different session artists from all around the world, located in countries such as Italy, India, and Indonesia, W.I.B was written and produced by Justin Buell who also undertook guitar and bass tracking. The theme of the music is forcing yourself to persevere through some of life’s darkest moments. Channelling his own experiences from his time in the Marine Corps Infantry which included two deployments to Iraq during the war, Buell pours this inspiration into his music. In particular, “By Design” was written from a war veterans’ perspective.
“Rotten” is about losing the ability to communicate with people. It deals with grief and wanting to confide in someone but being unable to, resulting in a body and mind that feel foreign. The song highlights the fact that we continue on without help despite the destruction it causes.
“By Design” deals with the physical and mental pain of war. It starts with a physical injury, which leads to questioning if it was worth it. When the physical pain heals the mental pain still remains. The song speaks of the struggles that brings and the ultimate demise in this particular case.
“W.I.B.” is about losing innocence. Once lost it refers to the grind of opening wounds and repairing them ultimately creating an offensive on others. A sort of defence mechanism. Destroy in blood or feel defeat. “Unscathed” is a song about having to pull the plug on a loved one. It deals with the struggles a person in that position goes through and how everyone involved is touched in some way. No one leaves unscathed.
Disorder Recordings announces the late October release of Broken Mortal Coil, the debut album from new Chicago-based outfit CONTRITION. The group unites current/former members of Nachtmystium, Wolvhammer, Usurper, Cobalt, Yakuza, Novembers Doom, Chrome Waves, Bones, and more, and the album features guests from The Black Dahlia Murder, Impaled, Graveripper, and Gridfailure.
CONTRITION’s sound picks up where prior collective Doomsday left off, rebuilding the lineup with a new moniker and immense intensity. The band unites Jerome Marshall (Cobalt, Yakuza) on vocals, Garry Naples (Novembers Doom, Without Waves) on drums, Jeff Wilson (Chrome Waves, Deeper Graves, ex-Wolvhammer) on guitars and synth, and Jon Woodring (Bones, ex-Usurper) on bass. The group’s Broken Mortal Coil debut is a gnarled, gritty affair, recorded during the 2020 lockdowns. The album delivers a deluge of stomping, groove-forged, low-end savagery, with the influence of early 1990s death metal, thick modern tones, and a hostile, streetwise vibe.
Broken Mortal Coil was engineered, mixed, and mastered by Jeff Wilson at Disorder Recordings, and completed with cover art by Ethan McCarthy (Primitive Man) and design by Wilson. Further expanding the record’s attack, CONTRITION invited several guests to contribute to the record, with additional vocals on “For Misery” by Trevor Strnad (The Black Dahlia Murder), additional guitars on “Diluted” by Leon del Muerte (Impaled, ex-Exhumed), additional synth and vocals on “Desolation Star” by David Brenner (Gridfailure), and additional guitars on “Nihilistic Right” by Corey Parks (Graveripper). The album closes with a twisted rendition of Nirvana’s “Tourette’s.”
A brief teaser for CONTRITION’s Broken Mortal Coil is now playing at THIS LOCATION.
Broken Mortal Coil will see release through Disorder Recordings October 29th, on 12” vinyl, digipak CD, and all digital platforms. Find preorders RIGHT HERE.
Watch for additional audio previews, videos, and more to post over the weeks ahead.
Broken Mortal Coil Track Listing: 1. Diluted 2. Amped 3. Nihilistic Right 4. For Misery 5. Desolation Star 6. Added Subtraction 7. Without Guilt 8. Tourette’s (Nirvana cover)
CONTRITION: Jerome Marshall (vocals), Garry Naples (drums), Jeff Wilson – (guitars/synth), Jon Woodring (bass)
Swedish heavy metal power trio NEKROMANT will release their fourth full-length, Temple Of Haal, via their new label home of Despotz Records this Winter.
Hailing from the city of Vänersborg and formerly known as Serpent, NEKROMANT is renowned for delivering an authentic and effortlessly brilliant oldschool metal assault.
Standing on the shoulders of metal giants such as Black Sabbath and Pentagram, the band is well versed in the art of crushing riffs and powerful melodies, boasting a sound that echoes the might of the past with an eye cast toward the future. From a punishing percussive battery through to the Iommi-esque guitars, NEKROMANT understands that the riff is king, as demonstrated throughout their superb new long player.
Temple Of Haal is packed with ambitious metal gems such as the epic “Behind The Veil Of Eyes” and the doom-laden “Olórin’s Song.” In advance of the record’s release, the band is pleased to unveil first single, “The Woods,” revealing of the track, “This is a classic, unapologetic heavy metal tune. We’re not content with living this modern lifestyle, detached from what really matters. ‘The Woods’ is therefore an aggressive expression of Scandinavian grumpiness.”
Comic-inspired steampunk metal project HEIRSOFISILDUR have released a new song from their genre-bending second album Heirs of Isildur vs Tales From Nocturnia.
Heirs Of Isildur vs Tales From Nocturnia is the latest release from the content creation #DynamicDuo at Insymmetry Creations LLC. Most known for their forays into the comics world, with multiple titles to their credits in the independent market, Heirs Of Isildur vs Tales From Nocturnia again stretches their offerings into their other passion: METAL MUSIC.
The album contains songs that expand out on two of their comic titles (the steampunk time travel “Heirs Of Isildur” and the medieval fantasy “Tales From Nocturnia”).
“Into the Wilderness,” follows Svengard The Currier during events that take place in issue #3 “Tales From Nocturnia” comic book series. It features the violin mastery of Andrew Polo, alongside guest female vocals by Kelli Clark, and a guitar solo by the late Corey Steger (original UNDEROATH guitarist).
Insymmetry Creations LLC will release Heirs Of Isildur vs Tales From NocturniaSeptember 16 on digital and CD formats. The album will be available on vinyl in late 2021.
While both of the “Heirs Of Isildur” and “Tales From Nocturnia” comics are co-written by Insymmetry Creations’ Matt Knowles and Steph Cannon, the musical side of HEIRS OF ISILDUR is the brainchild of Knowles, with Cannon filling a producer role. Heirs Of Isildur vs Tales From Nocturniafeatures guest appearance by Fabio Grimdrap (Trollfest), Zac Leaser, Bryan Eckermann (Scars of the Flesh), Kyle Westin, and violinist Andrew Polo.
The album also features the final recorded tracks from original UNDEROATH guitarist Corey Steger. His tracks were recorded just 11 days prior to his untimely and tragic death in March of 2021. The album and associated comic issue “Heirs of Isildur – Nightmare Scenario” are dedicated to his memory.
In April, HEIRS OF ISILDUR released the album’s first single, which also features appearances by Andrew Polo and Corey Steger. Stream “The Perilous Prospects of Shadow’s Haven” at www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KRyR5_ZG88
While HEIRS OF ISILDUR (musically) is a studio project, both Knowles and Cannon are active in the comiccon scene, and have appeared at such shows as San Diego Comiccon, Megacon Orlando, Wondercon Anahiem, GalaxyCon Raleigh, Spooky Empire (Tampa), and Awesomecon DC (debuting their all ages comic Misfitz Clubhouse (Scoot / Scout Comics)).
First new music since 2013 available now for pre-order.
Los Angeles thrash metal force FUELEDBYFIRE have signed with M-Theory Audio. The group’s first new music since 2013 will be unveiled later this year with the release of Past…Present…No Future…Part 1, the first in a pair of two-song 7-inch releases mixed by Carlos Cruz (Warbringer, Hexen, Exmortus), mastered by Toxic Holocaust’s Joel Grind (Exhumed, Midnight, Power Trip) and featuring artwork by Mark Riddick (Autopsy, Exodus, Suffocation), out Nov. 11th.
Pre-orders for the first 7-inch release – which will be pressed on white vinyl and includes a sticker – are available now. The group also performed live for the first time in 2021 this past Friday, August 20 at the legendary Whisky A Go-Go in Hollywood, at a sold-out show alongside veteran Southern California thrashers Evildead and Hirax.
“We’re excited to be a part of the M-Theory crew and finally get some new music out to the masses. It’s our most violent and aggressive music yet and we can’t wait to get it into your hands” states drummer Carlos Gutierrez. “Thank you, Marco, for your support. Cheers!”
FUELED BY FIRE was formed in 2002 by a group of Southern California teenagers that bonded over a love of ’80s thrash metal acts such as Exodus, Testament and Possessed. The group recorded their first demo in 2004 and emerged as a persistent presence on local concerts throughout the greater Los Angeles region. Those shows saw them open for many of the iconic acts that they grew up worshipping, as well as performing alongside other burgeoning thrash bands that were emerging around them in Southern California such as Warbringer and Hexen.
They initially self-released their 2006 debut album, “Spread The Fire.” The album was praised by AllMusic.com for its “authentic thrash,” and the combination of their impressive studio effort and prolific live performances earned the attention of Metal Blade Records, who reissued the record a year later.
FUELED BY FIRE soon spread their sound on stages across the United States alongside fellow rising thrashers such as Bonded by Blood and Merciless Death before re-emerging with their self-released 2010 follow-up record, “Plunging Into Darkness.” That album was applauded by Metal-Rules.com for serving as a reminder of “just how vibrant thrash metal can be,” and the band followed up that momentum by touring Europe alongside heavy hitters such as Kreator, Morbid Angel and Nile.
The group applied a more sinister tone to their lyrics and compositions on 2013’s “Trapped in Perdition,” which was released by NoiseArt Records and produced by Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal, Cannibal Corpse). The album received accolades from Burning Ambulance for being “their best album yet” and – alongside well-received performances the following year on European festivals such as Hellfest and Metalfest Open Air Loreley – cemented FUELED BY FIRE’s reputation as generators of powerful thrash metal.
The group went on hiatus shortly after those festival performances, but reconvened at the beginning of 2020 to record new music. Initially set to be released in fall 2020, the four songs put together by the new lineup – consisting of returning members Rick Rangel (guitars/vocals), Anthony Vasquez (bass) and Carlos Gutierrez (drums), who are now joined by Gutierrez’s bandmate in Blade Killer, guitarist Jon Rubio – were further refined during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first of two 7-inch singles to come, “Past…Present…No Future…Part 1” showcases FUELED BY FIRE as a group ready to re-stake its claim to thrash metal supremacy, with the second 7-inch single to come in 2022.
More information on new music from FUELED BY FIRE will be unveiled in the weeks to come by M-Theory Audio and at www.facebook.com/FueledByFireOfficial.
OMINOUSCONCLUSIONS, the Lovecraft-inspired instrumental project of French guitarist and composer Louis Nas, is streaming his new EP The Outsider via Ghost Cult Magazine. The EP will be released tomorrow.
Louis commented “The Outsider was supposed to be released almost a year ago, but there were a lot of issues that forced me to postpone it. Now that it’s out, it’s an incredible relief, and I must say I’m really proud of the result! I owe it to a lot of talented people I’ve had the chance to work with, and who kept faith in me all the way.”
The Outsider is a three-part instrumental piece built around H.P. Loevcraft’s tale and fully immerses the listener in the story, with only the notes to guide them. Nas comments: “I use instrumental music mainly because I’m not a singer, but also because I find the use of words too restrictive. I think that with just music you can really go into incredible nuances and details, and make the listener live the story you tell. Also, what’s great about not using words, is that every listener will picture something different in his mind while listening to the music, and thus connect deeper with it.”
It’s progressive metal, but so much more. Packed with technical proficiency and profound storytelling, in one word OMINOUS CONCLUSIONS is… OMINOUS.
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