Cerebral Rot is dead. From its maggot-infested corpse an entity even more repulsively loathsome has emerged, CORPUS OFFAL. Cerebral Rot’s lead guitarist/vocalist Ian Schwab and guitarist Clyle Lindstrom have reconstituted in this ghastly operating theater, now with the new rhythm section (de)composed of Jesse Shreibman (Bell Witch, Autophagy) on drums and Jason Sachs (ex-Demoncy) on bass.
With the Cerebral Rot songwriting core intact, CORPUS OFFAL reeks of similarly foul decrepitude and bludgeoning subterranean weight. Additionally, a sickly goregrind presence hovers over the murk like a horrid miasma, engulfing the tunes with a cadaverous redolence.
The two demo tracks here, “Ripened Psychosis” and “Gorging Gastric Decedent,” will both appear on the band’s eventual debut LP (in re-recorded form) to be recorded by Billy Anderson straight to tape later this year and released in 2025. For now, inhale the first rotted whiff of CORPUS OFFAL in demo form to sate your lust for excretion.
The tracks on Demo 2024 were mixed by Michael Foster and the band members, mastered by Dan Lowndes at Resonance Sound (Krieg, Drawn & Quartered, Witch Vomit), with art by Ian Schwab and layout by Dan Fried. If the works of Fetid, Cenotaph, Goatlord, Undergang, Cianide, and of course Cerebral Rot frequent your gravedigging playlist, CORPUS OFFAL should be on your list.
CORPUS OFFAL’s Demo 2024 is out today on cassette and digital via 20 Buck Spin; Find it at the label webshop HEREand stream it at YouTube HERE, and Bandcamp HERE.
Demo 2024 Track Listing:
Ripened Psychosis
Gorging Gastric Decedent
CORPUS OFFAL: Ian Schwab – guitar/vocals Clyle Lindstrom – guitar Jason Sachs – bass Jesse Shreibman – drums
Philadelphia’s MALPHAS return with the second single/video off their sophomore full-length. Listen to “Leviathan’s Moonlit Sanctum” at all streaming/download platforms now. In addition, the band has also premiered a new music video HERE .
“Leviathan’ marks the point in the story where Malphas returns to the real world. He and his demons murder the power elite figures on the island, but then travel to a nearby village and subjugate the people there,” explains singer/guitarist Paul DeSanctis. “The main character has a vision where he sees a demonic totalitarian government on the other side of the portal; he realizes he’s left the door wide open for them to take over.”
Both songs continue the tale and concept revolving around the demon Malphas and his encounters with people in life and death that the melodic death/black metal band began telling on their debut ‘The 39th Spirit’ released on Poland’s Via Nocturna in 2018.
’Portal’ takes place chronologically two hundred years prior to the events of ‘The 39th Spirit,’ explains Paul. “The album explores new themes like politics, economics, and historical events in fleshing out how the dystopian world in ‘The 39th Spirit’ comes to be.
‘Portal’ was recorded, mixed and mastered by Chris Kelly (Ice Nine Kills, Baby Metal, Galactic Empire). The new album, ‘Portal,’ will be released on CD and digital platforms March 29th and is available for preorder now HERE.
About MALPHAS: Founded by Paul DeSanctis and drummer Eric Dunleavy in 2012, guitarist Damian DiFrancesco and bassist Joshua DeJesus joined the lineup in 2014 and 2019 respectively. Appealing to fans of CHILDREN OF BODOM, WINTERSUN, DIMMU BORGIR, SEPTIC FLESH, and IMMORTAL, MALPHAS produce a sound comprised of symphonic melodic death and black metal.
The band debuted with their EP The ‘Conjuring’ in 2015 followed by their first full-length, ‘The 39th Spirit’ in 2018. MALPHAS have toured Europe supporting Norway’s Keep of Kalessin and Finland’s Shade Empire, with US runs opening for Tengger Cavalry, Felix Martin, and Helsott.
Upcoming Record Release shows:
3/29 – Our Wicked Lady – Brooklyn, NY
3/30 – Record Release Show – The Nail – Ardmore, PA
Iconic heavy metallers ARMORED SAINT, who’ve been hard at work demoing tracks for their upcoming new full-length, will return to the stage later this month as direct support to Queensrÿche! The trek, which commences on March 27th in Anaheim, California, includes twelve ARMORED SAINT headlining shows scattered throughout.
Comments ARMORED SAINT bassist Joey Vera: We’re super stoked to be going back out on the road with our good friends Queensrÿche! We’ve done several tours in the past and we always have a great time being on the road with these great musicians and friends! We’re looking forward to playing some cities we’ve never played before and also, we’ll be playing some of these dates as headliners! We’ll be pulling out some deep cuts and playing an extended set so we hope to see you come out to all of these shows! We’ve been busy writing new music so keep your ears peeled in the near future for some new SAINT! Until then, we’ll see you up front!”
Tickets are on sale now with VIP upgrades available at THIS LOCATION. See all confirmed dates below.
ARMORED SAINT’s most recent studio album, Punching The Sky, was released in 2020. The critically lauded full-length hit worldwide record charts including #4 on Billboard’s Current Hard Music Albums chart, #6 on the Top New Artists chart, #16 on the Top Independent Albums chart, and #17 on the Current Rock Albums chart upon its first week of release.
We’re thrilled to announce an exclusive run of U.S. Tour dates kicking off in New York City on June 6th at Racket NYC. We’ll be hitting some of our favourite cities and venues across the country.
We’re going to give you a taste of some of our new music and will be releasing a single in support of the tour. So you’ll be hearing some new stuff as well as your favourites at these shows.
Keeping it in the family, John, Doug, David, and Michael look forward to welcoming heavy hitting Tommy Clufetos (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath) back to the line-up.
“We’re looking FORWARD to seeing all of our incredibly supportive friends, fans, and family out on the road, right here in the “Good Old U.S. of A” kicking off June 6th… Thank you, we love you!!!” – John Corabi
June 2024 U.S. Tour:
06 Racket NYC New York, NY 08 The Landis Theater Vineland, NJ 09 Mickey’s Black Box Lititz, PA 11 The Machine Shop Flint, MI 12 The Arcada Theatre St. Charles, IL US 14 The King Of Clubs Columbus, OH 15 Blue Note Harrison, OH 16 The Basement East Nashville, TN 19 House Of Blues San Diego, CA 20 Whiskey a Go Go Los Angeles, CA 22 Goldfield Trading Post Roseville, CA
May 8 Santa Cruz, CA @ Blue Lagoon May 9 Fresno, CA @ Fulton 55 May 10 Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room May 11 Las Vegas, NV @ Sinwave May 12 Salt Lake City, UT @ Ace’s High Saloom May 14 Cheyenne WY @ Ernie November May 15 Denver CO @ HQ May 16 Lincoln NE @ Cosmic Eye May 17 Sioux Falls SD @ Remedy May 18 Des Moines IA @ Lefty’s May 19 Milwaukee WI @ Milwaukee Metal Fest May 21 Indianapolis IN @ Black Circle May 22 Knoxville TN @ The Brickyard T May 23 Columbia SC @ New Brookland Tavern May 24 Atlanta GA @ Boggs May 25 Raleigh NC @ Kings May 26 Norfolk VA @ The Annex May 28 Brooklyn NY @ The Meadows May 29 Boston MA @ Sonia May 30 Bensalem PA @ Broken Goblet May 31 Pittsburgh PA @ Spirit Club June 1 Cincinnati OH @ Legends June 2 Cleveland OH @ No Class June 5 Little Rock, AK @ White Water Tavern June 6 Dallas TX @ Red Blood Club June 7 San Antonio TX @ The Rock Box June 8 Houston TX @ The Secret Group June 9 Austin TX @ Parish June 11 Albuquerque NM @ The Launchpad June 12 Scottsdale, AZ @ Pub Rock Live June 13 Los Angeles CA @ The Echo June 14 Oakland CA @ Eli’s Mile High June 15 Portland OR @ Dantes June 16 Seattle WA @ Madame Lou’s
I went to see PRONG and VOIVOD back on February 28th, at the King of Clubs in Columbus, Ohio. What a night! I was (and still am) elated to have experienced PRONG on this tour! PRONG took the stage first and ripped out a scorching set of their songs, culminating with their intense and heavy hitting cover of “Working Man” by RUSH.
PRONG is continuing to tour in support of their newest and 13th studio albumfrom 2023:State Of Emergency. Tommy Victor and his band kickstarted my Metal adrenaline that lasted straight through VOIVOD and into the next day! Tommy’s vocals sounded stronger than ever; while always a master on his guitar. PRONG flat-out kicked Metal ass that night; I couldn’t have expected any less! Metal be thy name. – Stone
Tommy Victor – photo credit: Stone/Metal OdysseyTyler Bogliole – photo credit: Stone/Metal OdysseyJason Christopher – photo credit: Stone/Metal OdysseyTommy Victor – photo credit: Stone/Metal OdysseyTommy Victor – photo Credit: Stone/Metal Odysseyphoto credit: Stone/Metal Odyssey
SETLIST:
The Descent Irrelevant Thoughts Seeing Red (Killing Joke cover) For Dear Life Beg to Differ Unconditional Disbelief Cut-Rate Broken Peace Breaking Point Whose Fist Is This Anyway? Another Worldly Device Revenge…Best Served Cold Dark Signs Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck Third From the Sun (Chrome cover) Working Man (Rush cover)
Edward Escamilla, lead guitarist of Chicago based thrash metal band REIGN has joined WAR CURSE, replacing co-founder and lead guitarist Joshua Murphy. The lineup change comes on the tail of the band’s Metal Blade Records / Blacklight Media debut album, Confession, which was released October 20th, 2023.
Guitarist Justin Roth comments: “It’s on the best of terms that we thank Joshua Murphy for ten years of commitment and for his invaluable contributions to WAR CURSE. Murphy is truly like a brother to me. We’ve played in bands together for the last 20 years, spent holidays with each others’ families, and driven each other up a wall on occasion, as brothers do. I speak for all of us when I say that we’ll miss his shenanigans. But as they say, the show must go on.”
We had conversations with a few guitarists, but ultimately Ed was our first choice. We were stoked when he accepted our offer to join. The dude absolutely rips, and more importantly, we like him as a person. Talent matters, but so does liking the people you’re going to be stuck in a van with. We’re optimistic about the band’s future and embracing the change.”
Roth continued: “We’ve wasted no time getting new music ready to record. I’ve been demo recording new material nonstop since the week after Confession was handed in. I truly believe that I’m writing the best material of my career right now. We tried some new things on Confession. I really like some of it. Some of it will never be revisited. We’re constantly evolving. Some of the new stuff is heavier than hell. Heavier than I ever saw us going with WAR CURSE. It’s a lot of fun. But we’re always working. We’re a band that’s laser-focused on the future.”
Listen to WAR CURSE’s most recent album Confession on Spotify:
SIX FEET UNDER will unleash their pulverizing fourteenth studio album, Killing For Revenge, on May 10th through Metal Blade Records.
From the opening moments of first single, “Know-Nothing Ingrate,” which kicks off the record, it’s immediately clear that SIX FEET UNDER focused their energies into something that’s as brutal, lyrically visceral, and musically dazzling as one would hope for from the ground-breaking Tampa-bred death metal. Killing For Revenge, a gnarly beast of a record that’s not for the faint-hearted, dishes up nightmare-inducing imagery courtesy of frontman Chris Barnes via the vocalist’s trademark guttural vocals. Both the album title and darkly detailed red-hued album cover by artist Vince Locke are perfect containers for the brutality within.
“I chose the title Killing For Revenge after we completed writing and noticed that all the lyrics and storylines had a common theme of revenge. Revenge by human or revenge by nature,” Barnes says. “The album title describes the flow of the stories within the lyrics perfectly.”
Watch a lyric video for SIX FEET UNDER’s “Know-Nothing Ingrate” at THIS LOCATION.
Killing For Revenge marks the second album that Barnes and guitarist Jack Owen (ex-Cannibal Corpse) have created together since reuniting for 2020’s Nightmares Of The Decomposed. Owen also produced Killing For Revenge. “We worked well together in Cannibal Corpse,” recalls Barnes. “I loved him to death as a friend and a musician, so I’m really comfortable giving him the reins because I just have such great respect for him as an artist.”
The songs on Killing For Revenge dive headfirst into subjects that are as gleefully vile, graphic, and downright grotesque as you might dream of from a Barnes/Owen project. After all, the two men were vital cogs in the Cannibal Corpse band that released such delightfully offensive death metal classics as Butchered At Birth and Tomb Of The Mutilated. SIX FEET UNDER also recorded a cover of Nazareth’s “Hair Of The Dog,” which appears on all formats of Killing For Revenge with the exception of vinyl.
As a first preview of the record, today the band unveils “Know-Nothing Ingrate.” Notes Owen, “This music was written early in the writing process. Wanting to keep the aggression of a prior SIX FEET UNDER song like ‘Amputator,’ I wrote music in the style of early Dark Angel or Kreator, who always had cool driving drumbeats. I had all the riffs in my head as I wrote the drums in a couple hours. Lyrically, I kicked around a phrase that fit the stop parts throughout the song. After coming up with ‘Know-Nothing Ingrate,’ the lyrics wrote themselves. It’s basically about online trolls who voice their uneducated and unnecessarily spiteful review of any artist’s output. You’re entitled to your opinion, and I’m entitled to mine.”
SIX FEET UNDER was initially formed as a side project for Barnes during his final years with the band that he co-founded, Cannibal Corpse. It became the frontman’s sole focus in 1995, coinciding with the release of their debut, Haunted. Only Barnes remains from SIX FEET UNDER’s original incarnation, but the quality has remained remarkably consistent. The current lineup of Barnes, guitarists Owen and Ray Suhy, bassist Jeff Hughell, and drummer Marco Pitruzzella make for a devastating unit.
Killing For Revenge, which features a guest appearance by guitarist Jason Suecof on “Neanderthal,” was mixed and mastered by Chaz Najjar at Badlands Recording in Denver, Colorado. The record will be released on CD and digital formats as well as vinyl in the following color variants:
180g Black (US) Clear w/ Red Bloodshot (US) 180g Black (EU) Crusted Blood Marbled (EU) Khaki Brown Marbled (EU – Ltd. 300) Blood Red Splatter (EU – Ltd. 300) Gold “Black Dust” (EU – Ltd. 200)
A SPELLBINDING CHRONICLE OF SEDUCTIVE FROZEN ATMOSPHERES AND FEARLESS INNOVATION
Pioneers of a sound that changed the world. Lifelong disciples of suspense and mystery. An enigmatic duo like no other, hell-bent on haunting souls through the eternities. There are many things Darkthrone have been called since forming in 1986 and these are but a few, having drawn from a creative well so potent and powerful it turned them into one of Norway’s biggest musical exports. Following from their debut album Soulside Journey, the next three full-lengths, often referred to as ‘the unholy three’, set the benchmark for black metal in the early 90s, though in truth they’ve never been the kind to rest on such laurels – distilling elements of vintage punk, doom, thrash and death into their own sonic fingerprint and continuing to test that equation throughout the years. It’s been quite the journey, having won cryptic pair Nocturno and Fenriz legions of loyal fans around the world. This tradition will only continue with latest masterpiece It Beckons Us All.
Set for release on Peaceville on 26th April 2024, the new music is an intense observation of the world around them – exciting and challenging the listener in equal measure, in the way only they can. Some of the riffs howl across a gallery of ice and snow while others crackle like a volcano awakening from its timeless slumber, Nocturno’s demonic barks ricocheting across the intoxicating structures almost like it’s beaming from a long-distant galaxy. As Darkthrone have shown us so many times in the past, their music is as visual as it gets – evoking tangible imagery through the medium of sound. Whether the ideas are sombre, reflective or incensed, they exist as emotional concepts you can see and feel as much as you hear.
“I am having difficulties putting into words my personal feelings around the existential title It Beckons Us All, I can only hope others out there can feel the darkness that encompasses it,” muses Fenriz.
Fenriz
Never afraid to venture beyond the confines of the extreme metal template they were paramount in creating, there are moments on It Beckons Us All that will dazzle and surprise, as well as satisfy fans of old.
Nocturno comments: “We recorded in the manner we always do, live, meaning drums and guitar, with another guitar added later. We found a new twist during this process that surely benefited this album. Fenriz did stellar clean vocals on several songs, and his way of thinking creatively made it so good. We also shared the bass work this time around. We added a lot of extra layers like solo guitars… it was just a cauldron of ideas. Instead of finding a plug-in or choir synth patch, we both recorded four vocal tracks each. Darkthrone is an ever-evolving band, as many should know by now, and this album is touching a bit into the heavy genre. I have no idea what genre we are, and have really not cared much about it, but I know for sure it’s metal.”
Nocturno Culto photo courtesy of Peer Olav Kittilsen
In that sense,It Beckons Us Allis very much demonstrative of two visionaries at their world-commanding best. They know what works but more importantly they choose to grow, throwing every ounce of their hearts and souls into evolving the jaw-dropping whirlpool of noise that could only ever have come from their collective minds. There are clean guitars, clean vocals and less typical instruments thrown into the mix, but the approach, intent and ethos at the heart of their fearless artistry remains very much the same. This is music for dreamers who find themselves paralysed by the contrasting beauty and ugliness in the world surrounding them. Never ones to appease the faint-hearted, Darkthrone are as real and human as it gets.
Limited Edition Deluxe boxed edition: includes It Beckons Us All on CD, an exclusive corona vinyl LP & cassette and art prints all housed in a heavy duty lift off lid box
Limited edition ‘Fenriz’ edition LP on blue marble coloured vinyl– exclusively available through the Peaceville stores
Limited edition ‘Nocturno Culto’ edition LP on grey marble coloured vinyl–available through the Peaceville stores
CD
LP
Digital
Plus other limited edition coloured vinyl LPs are available in stores across the world – cream white, crystal clear, petrol and .. a collectors dream .. if you can find them!
Don’t miss out on the chance to experience the electrifying energy of the apocalyptic spring tour! Get your tickets now and join us for an unforgettable night featuring performances by Pathology, NecroticGoreBeast, and Aethereus.
Pathology is set to blow your mind with tracks from their highly anticipated new album. Stay tuned for album details, coming your way very soon! Grab your tickets before they’re gone and prepare for a night of intense metal mayhem!
Two big names of the 80s teamed up and took the Music City by its cowboy boots. Adrian Vandenberg, and Geoff Tate played the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville Tennessee on March 5th, to a very rock n roll hungry crowd.
Adrian’s band, properly named Vandenberg, took the stage first. The screams of excitement started right when the first member hit the stage. Vandenberg opened with “Hit the Ground Running” off their newest album, Sin, released in 2023. Not only was the album well received by fans all over the world but the song they did play was the perfect way to open the show. A few days prior to this show Adrian took to his social media accounts to express how much he enjoys having so many Whitesnake songs in the set as it was 12 years of his career. Vandenberg played 7 Whitesnake songs out of an 11 song set and the crowd devoured every song.
Vandenberg’s current lead singer, Mats Levén, has quite the resume, including working with Yngwie Malmsteen and touring with Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Levén has a very seductive voice that pairs very well with the overall sex appeal of almost every Whitesnake song. He stays nicely in a lower register which is perfect for songs like “Sailing Ships,” but when he needs to hit the high notes, like in “Still of the Night,” he hits them spot on. Ears perk up and bras come off. (Not literally but it wouldn’t be surprising). Adrian even stated he had vocal cords of steel.
Adrian started Vandenberg when he was around 27 years young, watching him play on stage 43 years later he is still that lively young man who stole hearts with the power of his guitar in the 80s. Whether you understand how to play or not there is no questioning Adrian’s abilities. Every guitarist says they always have more to learn but watching and listening to him play it’s easy to say that every young guitarist could learn a lot from him.
The rhythm sections is currently made up of Randy Van derElsen on bass and Joey Marin on drums. 10 out of 10 and absolutely solid pair. Van der Elsen absolutely tears up the bass and his facial expressions show that he’s not just playing the notes but feeling the music as he goes. Marin destroys the drums with such speed yet such grace and happily holds up the thunderous sounds of Vandenberg and Whitesnake. Last but certainly not least, Len Van de Laak adds those finishing touches on the keyboard.
Vandenberg had a very good mix of high and low energy songs transitioning from the intensity of Vandenberg’s “Freight Train” to the slightly more subdued sound of Whitesnake’s “Sailing Ships.” The most intimate moment of their whole show was during “Here I go Again.” As the band began their final song every fan in the audience knew their role.
Levén let the crowd have their moment singing the chorus back at him, and even had the crowd repeat it back to him one extra time. Needless to say, Vandenberg set the crowd on fire and prepared them for who was to take the stage next.
Geoff Tate and his band closed out the night. The second the lights went out, the crowd was on their feet trying to get as close to the stage as a seated venue would allow. They opened the show with “Empire,” the title track off Queensryche’s fourth studio album. Tate and his band treated fans to at least one song off of six different Queensryche albums including Operation: Mindcrime, Rage for Order, and Promised Land.
Very little has changed with Tate’s vocal range since the release of the self titled EP Queensryche in 1983. Every vocalist who has been doing this for as long as he has should be aware of what notes they can and can’t hit. Tate smoothly transitioned over pieces that he may have felt weren’t going to come out like the album, but also added a little spice to those high notes he knew he could hold.
Sound is definitely very important when putting on a good show for obvious reasons but so is having good chemistry between band mates. The best way to describe the relationship between Tate and his band is a loving and encouraging father and his 6 sons. Tate has put together a nice blend of young international rockstars.
Tate had up to 4 guitarists raising hell behind him, including James Brown (Ireland), Dario Parente (Italy), AmauryAltmayer (France), and Cillian Plummer (Ireland). The fun didn’t stop with the guitarists. The fiery rhythm section was made up of Jack Ross (Scotland) on bass and Danny Laverde on Drums. As a group they play like they are the original line up of Queensryche!
Fans sang along to every song never missing a beat and it fed the energy of everyone on stage. Tate even conducted the crowd during “Operation: Mindcrime.” After singing “Screaming in Digital,” Tate explained how he loves singing that song because of how accurate it is in this day and age with AI and all the new technology that has come along since the song was released.
Tate is not only a wonderful musician but there is something oddly satisfying about his story telling. Right before going into “Silent Lucidity,” he tells a silly story of being recognized at a gas station but not for being Geoff Tate! As the show comes close to the end Tate asks what everyone would like to hear as the last song. Unanimously the crowd screams for “Queen of the Reich” and honestly it was the perfect way to close out the show.
Tate and Vandenberg came together to remind the crowd of what fun the 80s were or for those of us not alive then, to give us a little taste of what it was like. – Tanis Enos
UK sludge trio IRON MONKEY today shares new song “Off Switch” from their forthcoming new full-length, Spleen & Goad, set for release on April 5th through Relapse Records!
On Spleen & Goad, the legendary band is as uncompromising as ever, churning out some of the grittiest sounding sludge doom in their twenty-five-plus year history. Dubbed a “doom sludge vanguard” by The Sludgelord, IRON MONKEY lives up to their legacy, absolutely pummeling through each of the nine tracks on their new album.
From the two-ton, heavier-than-anything-else riff opening “Concrete Shock,” IRONMONKEY shows no signs of easing up; fuzzed out guitars crash against pulse-pounding drums, set against vicious, misanthropic snarls and barks. Elsewhere, tracks like the aptly titled “Rat Flag” kicks the band into high gear with palpable fury and malaise.
Check out IRON MONKEY‘s “Off Switch” on YouTube HERE or listen on all streaming services HERE.
Watch IRON MONKEY’s previously released video for first single, “Misanthropizer,” HERE.
Preorder Spleen & Goad on LP, CD, and digital formats via Relapse.comHERE.
Recorded in their native Nottingham, Spleen & Goad was mastered stateside by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege.
IRON MONKEY was formed in the year 1994AD in the city of Nottingham, England. The original members were J.P. Morrow, J. Rushby, D. Dalziel, S. Watson, and J. Greaves. IRON MONKEY released six tracks of raw sludge-core via the label Union Mill that were later re-released on Earache Records. During this period S. Watson was replaced by D. Berry.
1998 saw the release of the album Our Problem, widely regarded as a masterpiece of negative rock. This was succeeded by a split EP on Man’s Ruin Records with Church Of Misery from Japan.
IRON MONKEY destroyed itself sometime in 1999. Vocalist J. Morrow died from heart failure in June 2002. Rest In Noise…
The band reformed in the winter of 2016 with original members J. Rushby and S. Watson with the addition of the then Chaos UK drummer Brigga. As of 2023, IRON MONKEY are back with a new lineup featuring founding member J. Rushby and D. Berry from the Our Problem sessions and ex-Widows drummer Z. Big.
One of the early bastions of true U.S. metal, New Jersey’s Attacker is back to celebrate their 40th anniversary on The GodParticle, a triumphant, eight song classic metal offering! The new album will be released on CD, vinyl and digital formats through Cruz Del Sur Music on April 12.
A lyric video for the first single, “The Mighty Have Fallen” is available at: youtu.be/cVpamPWzZg8.
New Jersey heavy metal legends Attacker are celebrating their 40th anniversary in 2024. A milestone marked by their influential 1985 Battle at Helm’s Deep debut and 1988 The Second Coming sophomore effort, as well as post-2001 reformation full-lengths like 2004’s Soul Taker and 2006’s The Unknown that served as reminders of Attacker’s staying power.
While it hasn’t always been easy for Attacker, founding member and drummer Mike Sabatini attributes the band’s longevity to their love of heavy metal music. That red thread and never-ending appreciation for what Attacker means to them and so many across the globe helps define the band’s newest studio foray, The God Particle.
The follow-up to 2016’s Sins of the World LP and 2018’s Armor of the Gods EP was recorded at Sabatini’s Bandmother Recording Studio in Jersey City, New Jersey, from November 2023 to January 2024. The album was mixed by Sabatini alongside C.J. Scioscia, with mastering by Joe Lambert.
The God Particle is a tried-and-true dose of pure, unbridled heavy metal with ample broadsides of aggression and melody; both permanent elements of Attacker’s sound. The band rounded out by vocalist Bobby Lucas, the guitar tandem of Mike Benetatos and Jon Hasselbrink and bassist Brian Smith, have gelled into a formidable writing unit, offering what is perhaps Attacker’s most varied batch of songs.
The album’s gestation period was longer than normal (see: Covid). The extended time writing afforded Attacker the opportunity to craft new songs that are primed and ready for European festival sing-along participation. Lucas is responsible for the album’s soaring choruses and its concept, which is based on the Large Hadron Collider Particle Accelerator in Cern, Switzerland, that is used to create energetic collisions of particles like protons, breaking them into subatomic components that are detected and studied. Adding to the intrigue: supposedly a satanic ritual was performed at the Collider site to call in evil from another dimension. Whether that actually happened or not, it serves as the perfect tie-in to Marc Sasso’s cover art (DIO, HALFORD, Marvel Comics).
Sabatini has been on record that he was reluctant to reform the band during its 1990s dormancy. Only the passing of original guitarist Jim Mooney and vocalist John Leone (who performed on The Second Coming) reignited the Attacker fire. The band now exists to honor its storied legacy and to create new, compelling music to satisfy a worldwide fanbase that remains hungry for Attacker music. Consider the job complete on The God Particle.
Detroit (MI) – Melodic Power Thrashers AMONG THESE ASHES have released “Restless Gypsy,” a cover of the W.A.S.P. classic on all major streaming platforms, including the following:
Guitarist/Backing Vocalist Richard Clark released the following statement on the decision to cover the song:
“W.A.S.P. embodies so much of what I love about metal, and at that band’s core has always been masterful, memorable songwriting. Restless Gypsy has long resonated with me as a great song, and JP [Abboud] and I have been discussing covering this track since we started this band in 2020. We’ve slightly reconfigured a few of the riffs to put our stamp on the song while prioritizing staying true to the original recording. Matt Ries from Traveler gave us an awesome guest solo on it. Also, Matt Roach gave us an excellent mix and master that perfectly captures the atmospheric elements of the 1980s recording. We intentionally dropped this cover so that we could make a content release prior to the release of our second album. The new album is completely tracked, and we expect to drop it in summer 2024.”
Photo Credit: Aaron Lumsden of Akuro Productions
Line-Up:
JP Abboud: Vocals Richard Clark: Guitars and backing vocals Dylan Hamann: Guitars Kane Bochatyn: Bass Kyle Wagner: Drums
BIO: Among These Ashes is a melodic power/thrash metal band hailing from Detroit, MI. The central focus of this band is creating stellar, highly-memorable metal songs. The band’s sound is crushingly heavy and punctuated by cerebral arrangements, thought-provoking lyrics, and dynamic shifts in tempo and aggression. The band’s debut musical offering, Dominion Enthroned, is a conceptual tour de force inspired by modern societal parallels and struggles. In April 2023, the band released the single “The Enemy In I” with a b-side cover of Savatage’s “Sirens.”
Credits:
Guest guitar solo: Matt Ries (Traveler).
Recorded by Among These Ashes. Mixed and Mastered by Matt Roach.
March 6, 2024 – Baroness and Red Fang have announced five special co-headlining performances this May, bringing back-to-back sets from two of heavy music’s most beloved bands, for the first time ever.
“It will be great to get out and play some shows with our old friends in Red Fang,” Baroness collectively shared. “Surprisingly, we’ve never properly toured together, so we’re all excited to bring these shows to you this spring. Furthermore, it will be great to have another opportunity to support and perform songs from our latest record, STONE, with you!”
Red Fang’s Bryan Giles adds: “We’re stoked to be paying shows with Baroness this Spring! I’m pretty sure these shows are gonna go off!”
Baroness/Red Fang tour dates:
May 13 Winston Salem, NC The Ramkat May 14 Norfolk, VA Elevation 27 May 15 Baltimore, MD Ram’s Head Live May 16 Asbury Park, NJ The Stone Pony May 18 Harrisburg, PA HMAC
Tickets for the newly announced, non-festival dates are on-sale this Friday at 10 am local time. Ticketing links can be found on: YourBaroness.com.
Baroness – photo credit: Ebru Yildiz
About Baroness:
Founded in 2003, Baroness is John Baizley (vocals/guitar), Gina Gleason (guitar), Nick Jost (bass) and Sebastian Thomson (drums). The Philadelphia-meets-Brooklyn foursome have released six full-length albums to date: STONE(2023), Gold & Grey (2019), Purple (2015), Yellow & Green(2012), Blue Record (2009), and the Red Album (2007).
Red Fang – photo credit: James Rexroad
About Red Fang:
Red Fang is Aaron Beam (bass/vocals/guitar/keyboards), Bryan Giles (guitar/vocals), John Sherman (drums) and David Sullivan (guitars). The Portland, Oregon-based band have released five studio albums: Arrows (2021), Only Ghosts(2016), Whales and Leeches(2013), Murder the Mountains(2011), and Red Fang (2009)
On February 28th, VOIVOD launched their 2024 North American Tour with PRONG, in Columbus, Ohio, at The King of Clubs. I was accompanied by my buddy Troy, who helped guide me along in the trenches due to my now using a cane to get around.
I’ve waited my entire life to see this legendary, pioneering, Canadian Metal band and I was left in awe; reminded at just how fabulous they are as musicians. Honestly, watching and hearing Michel “Away” Langevin was a treat in itself. His drumming was simply captivating.
Michel “Away” Langevin – photo credit: Stone/Metal Odyssey
Away is a founding member of VOIVOD and I’ve always yearned to hear and see his drumming on the live stage. Mission accomplished!
Michel “Away” Langevin – photo credit: Stone/Metal Odyssey
Fronted by vocalist and founding member Denis “Snake” Bélanger, VOIVOD had their fans ecstatic the entire night; inviting us all into the Sci-Fi themed world of their progressive thrash.
VOIVOD played songs that spanned their deep catalog of albums, (see set-list below). Snake stalked the stage, adding humor with his mannerisms to the Sci-Fi sound effects and speaking to the crowd between songs.
Snake’s vocals were sound and he worked the stage like a true Metal warrior. Snake even did a tribute to late founding member and guitarist Denis “Piggy” D’Amour, with VOIVOD playing their first ever song for him. The crowd chanted “Piggy” and it made for a memorable moment.
Daniel “Chewy” Mongrain – photo credit: Stone/Metal Odyssey
Lead guitarist, Daniel “Chewy” Mongrain was on fire the entire show! His playing is top-tier for Metal guitarists, in my Metal opinion. I was caught fixated on his shredding and so were many, many around me; if he could’ve heard the adoration! Chewy has become a fixture of VOIVOD over these years.
Daniel “Chewy” Mongrain and Away – photo credit: Stone/Metal OdysseyDominic “Rocky” Laroche – photo credit: Stone/Metal Odyssey
Bassist Dominic “Rocky” Laroche was head banging while playing nearly the entire set it seemed, it looked like he felt every note he played go through his body and so did the crowd of fans! He and Away fit together perfectly on the rhythm section.
In summary, if you get any chance to see VOIVOD on their current tour or live in the future then GO! Truly one of the very best of Metal bands ever and they delivered a memorable show to brag about! Metal be thy name! – Stone
Daniel “Chewy” Mongrain photo credit: Stone/Metal Odyssey
SETLIST:
Forgotten in Space Condemned to the Gallows Holographic Thinking Rise Pre-Ignition Nuclear War Fall Tribal Convictions The End of Dormancy Fix My Heart Encore: Voivod
From the heart of the Chicago underground metal scene arises epic traditional/doom metal collective ÇÖKÜŞ, today unveiling an earthmoving new single, “Wolf Moon.”
Chicago-based ÇÖKÜŞ is the product of ten years of mostly virtual collaboration between former Earthen Grave bandmates, vocalist Mark Weiner, drummer Chris Wozniak (Vanishment, Lair Of The Minotaur), and guitarist Jason Muxlow (Witchcryer, The Living Fields).
Even though Muxlow and Wozniak had moved thousands of miles away after the abrupt conclusion of Earthen Grave in 2013, the three stayed in touch, trading riffs, beats, and lyrics from their respective corners of the United States. The material that emerged saw influences from the usual suspects — Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Trouble, Dio — as well as old favorites like Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, and Kyuss.
Shortly before the pandemic, the group started meeting periodically in Chicago to write and record. Embracing a shorter, more polished format than their previous engagement, they privately released a demo under the moniker WMW in 2020, which generated a lot of buzz and positive feedback among those who had access to the recording.
Watch ÇÖKÜŞ’ “Wolf Moon” visualizer HERE and stream the song HERE.
In 2021, the group re-branded as ÇÖKÜŞ (pronounced cho-koosh; Turkish for “decline” or “collapse”) and recruited bassist and longtime friend Patrick Green to complete the lineup and the material which will become the band’s debut album. Soon after, they were joined by another old friend, Steve Ligeza (Torg, Makahiya), on second guitar, and ÇÖKÜŞ began playing live.
ÇÖKÜŞ’ first album, An Hour Of Lies, was captured in three states – Illinois, Washington, and Texas – the drums and vocals recorded by John E. Bohmher, Jr. at Berwyn Recording, the bass recorded by Patrick Green, and the guitars recorded by Jason Muxlow, the finished recordings were mixed by Chris Wozniak and mastered by Chris Hanzsek (Melvins, Soundgarden, Helms Alee).
The visual elements including the logo, album and single art, and video content was handled by Tom Denney (Soilent Green, Weedeater, Rwake)
While An Hour Of Lies will be released late this Summer, ÇÖKÜŞ presents a harbinger of the record with the new single, “Wolf Moon,” with it writing, “‘Wolf Moon’ is one of the last — and longer — songs written for the album, but quickly became a favorite, so we decided to release this one first. It’s a lot of fun to play, too. Musically, it features some odd scales and feels, which complement the lyrical themes well. It pairs well with Halloween and haunted walks through the woods.”
The full details on An Hour Of Lies will be issued in the months ahead and will be released by QumranRecords late this Summer.
ÇÖKÜŞ: Mark Weiner – vocals Jason Muxlow – guitar Steve Ligeza – guitar Patrick Green – bass Chris Wozniak – drums
The Black Dahlia Murder will be returning overseas this summer for their first tour across Europe since 2019 including performances at festivals like Party San, Download, Graspop, Brutal Assault, Summer Breeze, and more. Support for select dates comes from Suffocation, Shadow of Intent, and Decapitated. See dates and support breakdown below and get your tickets HERE.
The Black Dahlia Murder – EU Tour Dates & Festivals: 6-14-24 – Zamora, ESP – Z! Live Rock Fest 6-16-24 – Donington Park, UK – Download 6-17-24 – Belfast, UK – Limelight 6-18-24 – Dublin, IE – Opium 6-20-24 – Athens, GR – Arch Club 6-21-24 – Thessaloniki, GR – Block 33 6-23-24 – Dessel, BE – Graspop 6-24-24 – Nuremberg, DE – Hirsch w/ Suffocation 6-25-24 – Lille, FR – The Black Lab w/ Suffocation 6-26-24 – Stuttgart, DE – Im Wizemann w/ Shadow of Intent 6-27-24 – Trier, DE – Mergener Hof 6-28-24 – Lindau, DE – Club Vaudeville w/ Suffocation 6-29-24 – Yasselsteyn, NL – Jera On Air 6-30-24 – Clisson, FR – Hellfest 7-31-24 – Brasov, RO – Rockstadt Extreme Fest 8-02-24 – Dortmund, DE – Dortmund Deathfest 8-03-24 – Wacken, DE – Wacken Open Air 8-04-24 – Roitzschjora, DE – Full Rewind 8-06-24 – Cham, DE – Lifestyle Café 8-07-24 – Jaromer, CZ – Brutal Assault 8-08-24 – Schlotheim, DE – Party San Open Air 8-09-24 – Wien, AT – Szene 8-10-24 – Ljubljana, SI – Menza Pri Koritu 8-11-24 – Milano, IT – Slaughter Club 8-13-24 – Salzburg, AT – Rockhouse 8-14-24 – Aarau, CH – Kiff 8-15-24 – Dinkelsbühl, DE – Summer Breeze 8-16-24 – Sulingen, DE – Reload Festival 8-17-24 – Gent, BE – Chinastraat w/ Decapitated 8-18-24 – Carhaix, FR – Motocultor
The Black Dahlia Murder has recently finished recording their next full-length album with longtime producer Mark Lewis at his studio in TN. More news on the upcoming album will be released over the year so be sure to keep eyes on the band’s and Metal Blade’s socials for updates.
The Black Dahlia Murder‘s last full-length, Verminous, was released in 2021 via Metal Blade Records. Without compromising a scrap of heaviness, the record stands among the band’s most dynamic, rousing, and emotional releases to date.
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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