Invincible Shield is the 19th studio album from the iconic Judas Priest.
———————————
Also: Judas Priest landed on the official U.K. chart at #2, with Invincible Shield.
LONG LIVE JUDAS PRIEST.
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.
Preview and purchase Punching The Sky at: metalblade.com/armoredsaint.
ARMORED SAINT:
John Bush – vocals
Jeff Duncan – guitars
Phil Sandoval – guitars
Joey Vera – bass
Gonzo Sandoval – drums
Source: EARSPLIT PR
From Exhumed Bandsintown:
Tickets for EXHUMED‘s Decayed Decades tour featuring Skeletal Remains and Morbikon are ON SALE NOW! Get them via the following link:
www.bandsintown.com/a/8627-exhumed
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 album from 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
Check out my blab and photos for VOIVOD by clicking this link: https://metalodyssey.net/2024/03/06/voivod-concert-review-photo-gallery-from-columbus-ohio-at-king-of-clubs-february-28th-2024/
See the setlist at bottom of post.
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:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3jKKrknW5ETLF859b6dPlf?si=00c2be8bd55c4d62
Source: C Squared Music
IT BECKONS US ALL – THE NEW STUDIO ALBUM FROM NORWEGIAN TRAILBLAZERS DARKTHRONE DUE FOR RELEASE ON PEACEVILLE RECORDS ON 26th APRIL 2024
“A cauldron of old and epic metal beckons thee” – Fenriz
A SPELLBINDING CHRONICLE OF SEDUCTIVE
FROZEN ATMOSPHERES AND FEARLESS INNOVATION
PRE-ORDERS ARE AVAILABLE HERE NOW
(https://darkthrone.lnk.to/beckons)
An introduction from Fenriz
(https://youtube.com/shorts/FMQwAGpfxKA)
Watch the “It Beckons Us All” trailer
(https://youtu.be/ZHaKnsJjkjY)
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.
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.”
In that sense, It Beckons Us All is 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.
It Beckons Us All was recorded in April and May 2023 at Chaka Khan Studios in Oslo, the same location used for the Eternal Hails and Astral Fortress albums, mastered by Jack Control at Enormous Door, with artwork courtesy of Polish artist Zbigniew Bielak. (https://www.facebook.com/zbigniewmbielak & https://www.instagram.com/zbigniewmbielak).
It Beckons Us All – tracklisting:
It Beckons Us All is available on the following formats and pre-orders are live NOW! https://darkthrone.lnk.to/beckons
Follow Darkthrone: Instagram
From: Pathology Bandsintown
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!
From Stillborn Records:
Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jasta has finally gotten a release date for his 10 song love letter to thrash album And Jasta For All. May 17th, 2024.
10 original tracks featuring guest appearances from Scott Ian, Chuck Billy, Zetro, Phil Demmel & More! this album is ALL RIPPERS NO SKIPPERS!!
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,” IRON MONKEY 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.com HERE.
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.
Source: EARSPLIT PR
One of the early bastions of true U.S. metal, New Jersey’s Attacker is back to celebrate their 40th anniversary on The God Particle, 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).
Pre-order:
attacker1.bandcamp.com/album/the-god-particle
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.
Track List:
Source: ClawHammer PR
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:
amongtheseashes.bandcamp.com/track/restless-gypsy-w-a-s-p-cover
open.spotify.com/track/1IPutpceHrmUtIypMxSNvw
music.apple.com/us/album/restless-gypsy/1733179382
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.”
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.
Written by Blackie Lawless.
Artwork by Jayson Cessna.
Source: ClawHammer PR
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.
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).
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)
Source: Speakeasy PR
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 Qumran Records late this Summer.
ÇÖKÜŞ:
Mark Weiner – vocals
Jason Muxlow – guitar
Steve Ligeza – guitar
Patrick Green – bass
Chris Wozniak – drums
Source: EARSPLIT PR
Band to perform at Party San 2024!
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.
Source: Metal Blade Records
Following ‘Kreel’s Magic Staff’, a first single and album harbinger released in 2023, Rhapsody Of Fire have revealed full details about their brand new studio offering, entitled ‘Challenge The Wind’, due out this May! In support, the band has announced a busy touring schedule, with many more shows to follow soon. Find all upcoming Rhapsody Of Fire dates listed below!
Their upcoming studio album, ‘Challenge The Wind’, is slated for a release on May 31, 2024 via AFM Records, the pre-sale has started today at:
https://rhapsodyoffire.bfan.link/challenge-the-wind
For more than thirty years, fans of symphonic melodic metal act Rhapsody Of Fire have been able to rely on one thing: there’s nothing half-hearted about this band. The Italian masters of their craft can look back at an impressive catalogue of 14 studio albums, three EPs and two live recordings to date, all marked by lots of heart and soul, passion and a virtually inexhaustible wealth of ideas. Since 1993, mastermind and founder Alex Staropoli has been hailed as the creator of the film score metal genre and his band as one of the most charismatic acts worldwide. In addition, Staropoli has enlisted a highly creative first-rate guitarist in Roby De Micheli, who joined the fold in 2011, contributing lots of gritty metal riffs and virtuoso solos to contrast the band’s symphonic orchestral style.
The song is out now on all digital streaming services via:
https://rhapsodyoffire.bfan.link/challenge-the-wind-single Watch the new Rhapsody Of Fire clip HERE
Rhapsody Of Fire:
Giacomo Voli (vocals)
Alex Staropoli (keyboards)
Roby De Micheli (guitars)
Alessandro Sala (bass)
Paolo Marchesich (drums)
The album will mark Rhapsody Of Fire‘s most fast-paced rager to date. “Compared to all previous Rhapsody Of Fire releases, the current album consists exclusively of up-tempo numbers, not a single ballad in sight,”reveals composer and keyboardist Alex Staropoli. None of our other records have featured as much pure, unadulterated metal as ‘Challenge The Wind’!” Give ear, today, Rhapsody Of Fire are premiering a music video for their new single, the album title track!
Staropoli adds: “The new Rhapsody Of Fire single “Challenge The Wind” is another strong musical statement from the band. Speed, energy, orchestrations, shredding guitars, amazing vocals and choirs; truly epic and divine music. Expect to be blown away, the entire album will shake you to your core!”
Challenge The Wind’ was produced by Alex Staropoli and mixed by Seeb Levermann (Orden Ogan), who is responsible for the homogeneous sound of the ten songs’ elaborate arrangements. As the first single releases prove, one can be sure: Rhapsody Of Fire’s fast-paced adventure is set to continue with undiminished intensity!
‘Challenge The Wind’ tracklist:
Rhapsody Of Fire Live:
05.05.2024 (MX) EL CONDE, Foro 360
07.05.2024 (CO) BOGOTA, Astor Plaza
09.05.2024 (BR) SAO PAULO, Caricoa Club
10.05.2024 (CL) SANTIAGO, Blondie
11.05.2024 (AR) COMUNA 1, El Teatrito
18.05.2024 (IT) TREZZO SULL’ ADDA MI, Live Club
29.06.2024 (FR) CLISSON, Hellfest
13.07.2024 (BG) MOGILOVO, Midalidare Rock in the Wine Valley 2024
19.07.2024 (FI) PERUNKA, John Smith Rock Festival
07.11.2024 (SE) MALMOE, Plan B
08.11.2024 (SE) GOTHENBURG, Surr Arena
09.11.2024 (SE) STOCKHOLM, Fryshuset Klubben
10.11.2024 (SE) GAVLE, Centralteatern
Source: AFM Records
Chilean Thrashers Critical Defiance are set to release new album The Search Won’t Fall… March 22 on CD via Unspeakable Axe Records and vinyl LP via Dying Victims Productions. The album will also be available digitally on the usual platforms.
Critical Defiance has released a lyric video for “44 Minds” and an official video for the title track, both of which are available below:
“44 Minds” (Lyric Video): youtu.be/p62kXs9hBeQ
“The Search Won’t Fall…” (Official Video): youtu.be/nKOwHggGnrg
The Chilean metal force known as Critical Defiance has something for every thrash fan out there. Not in the sense of being homogenized and generic, but in their alchemical and nearly magical melding of blitzkrieg tempos, dizzying technicality, aggressive shouts and gang vocals, and rarest of all for a post-1990 thrash act – a healthy dose of actual, memorable melody. They have added a new element to the mix: just a taste of the eerie melancholy and harsh melodrama of black metal.
Their release schedule has been nearly as fast as their music, with the debut (Misconception) coming in 2019, and its follow-up (No Life Forms) in 2022. They have let even less time elapse from then until this new platter’s arrival, taking line-up changes in stride and pushing forward relentlessly regardless.
The addition of Mauricio Toledo on guitar (just prior to their previous album) has pushed their music in new directions. That black metal aspect, some tremelo riffing, some blastbeats, bits of a distinctly new melodic sensibility–lends the album an updated feeling that sets it apart from its predecessors, while by no means abandoning the thrash foundation that has served them so well.
All of this ambition is well-served by a terrific production job that balances just the right amount of rawness and polish. Three albums in, Critical Defiance are poised to deliver their most ferocious work yet. Angry yet uplifting, full of the spirit of true metal both old and new, it’s a record that only these guys could make.
Line-Up:
Felipe Alvarado – Vocals, Lead Guitar
Mauricio Toledo – Backing Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Ignacio Arévalo – Bass
Rodrigo Poblete – Drums
Pre-order:
unspeakableaxerecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-search-wont-fall
unspeakableaxerecords.com/purchase
Track Listing:
Source: ClawHammer PR
From POWERWOLF / Bandsintown:
Zenith – Nantes, FR – Tickets on sale now.
NEW DATE FOR THE WOLFSNÄCHTE TOUR 2024! After the metal mass in Paris is almost completely sold out already 8 months before the show, we have set everything in motion to make another date in France possible! On October 09th we will play an additional show at the Zenith in Nantes. We are already looking forward to coming back to the region near Hellfest, it brings back great memories! See you all there!
Tickets available here: https://powerwolf.net/tickets
If there is one band that combines a classic approach with fresh ideas and an expansive joy of playing to honor their ancestors from the likes of early Exodus, Metallica, or Slayer, then it is the German heavy metal hellions, VULTURE. On their fourth album Sentinels, set for release on April 12th via Metal Blade Records, they prove once again that tradition and further development are not mutually exclusive, but on the contrary can lead to something extraordinary that leaves no headbanger untouched.
“In direct comparison to the last album, Dealin’ Death, we’ve picked up the pace again noticeably,” elaborates guitarist Stefan Castevet. “We’re bolder and a bit wilder again. It was important to us to be catchy and to include choruses that stick. Of course, we’ve basically retained our style, but we’ve defined the framework of the songs more clearly.”
“In order to create such a monster as Sentinels, some changes were necessary. “It started with the songwriting, where we took more time than usual. We recorded a total of three demos with numerous songs, which we also produced to the best of our ability. This gave us the chance to let our songs sink in as relatively final versions so that we could then choose the best pieces and – at least in part – rework them again.”
VULTURE again recorded with Marco Brinkmann in his Hellforge Studio where there were also some innovations. “We had a clearly structured daily routine, a normal working day with set goals in which we could focus purely on recording the songs. Our previous recordings were a bit less organized which resulted in working overtime for everyone involved at the end. This is one of the reasons why Sentinels is the best sounding VULTURE record to date!”
“In advance of the record’s release, today the band unleashes first single, “Unhallowed & Forgotten,” which serves as a blueprint for the VULTURE style: wild riffs, lots of breaks, and tone changes, furious solos, exploding toms, and a huge chorus! “Lyrically, we also stay true to ourselves,” notes Castevet. “The song is about the Blind Dead film series, whose thirst for blood, like ours, is difficult to quench.”
Watch VULTURE’s “Unhallowed & Forgotten” video, directed by Robert Piel, HERE.
Crystal Clear w/ Black Smoke (US)
180g Black (EU)
Blood Red & White Splattered (EU – Ltd. 200)
Bright Red White Marbled (EU – Ltd. 700)
Special Edition Bundle w/ 12″ (Midnight Blue Marbled), 7″, Patch, Signed Photo, Poster (EU – Ltd. 500)
Find preorders at: metalblade.com/vulture.
VULTURE:
L. Steeler – vocals
S. Castevet – guitars
M. Outlaw – guitars
A. Axetinctör – bass
G. Deceiver – drums
Sentinels Track Listing:
VULTURE Live:
3/14-17/2024 Underground Resistance Festival – Göteborg, SE
4/11/2024 Don’t Panic – Essen, DE * Record Release Show
4/12/2024 Bambi Galore – Hamburg, DE * Record Release Show
4/13/2024 Hühnermanhattan – Halle, DE * Record Release Show
4/26/2024 SWR Festival – Barroselas, PT
5/10/2024 Huginns Awakening Fest – Ostende, BE
5/30 – 6/1/2024 Muskelrock Festival – Alvesta, SE
Source: EARSPLIT PR
New Album, ‘Creation Undone,’ Out Friday!!
“PERFECT PREY” – WATCH THE VIDEO
https://youtu.be/pXrdbQHaunI?si=x2ueYpBWT7L3UdrE
‘CREATION UNDONE’ – PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE FROM https://mortaskuld.lnk.to/Creation_Undone
Ahead of the release of their crushing new studio album ‘Creation Undone’ on Friday 23 February through Peaceville Records, the revered death metal legends Morta Skuld unleash a new single and video on the masses for the song “Perfect Prey”.
The single is available to stream & download here: https://orcd.co/ms_perfect_prey_listen
“Perfect Prey”, Dave Gregor states, is “about control and how the powers that be can really put a stronghold on us as humans, I felt it was like shooting fish in a barrel and that we as people were the perfect prey.”
Watch the accompanying video capturing an incendiary performance from the band here
Scaling new heights of brutality for the longstanding US death metal veterans, ‘Creation Undone’ is the latest work of inspired extremity from frontman and mastermind Dave Gregor and co. In a time when the band’s iconic and celebrated debut ‘Dying Remains’ reaches its thirty year milestone, and with recent live activity on both sides of the Atlantic seeing the quartet performing to a ravenous fanbase of metalheads both old and new, Morta Skuld returns with a ten track opus of pure death metal in their unrelenting and unwavering pursuit of heaviness.
With themes exploring an increasingly savage, corrupt and destructive state of the world in present times, and executed with a razor-sharp precision, with ferocious and hook-laden compositions to match and even exceed any of their highly-regarded early output.
‘Creation Undone’ was recorded and mixed at Belle City Sound Studios by Chris Djuricic, with mastering work conducted at Flatline Audio with Dave Otero.
1. We Rise We Fall [04:56]
2. The End Of Reason [03:57]
3. Painful Conflict [04:22]
4. Unforeseen Obstacles [04:25]
5. Perfect Prey [03:25]
6. Soul Piercing Sorrow [04:59]
7. Into Temptation [04:09]
8. Self Destructive Emotions [04:49]
9. Oblivion [04:55]
10. By Design [04:42]
The album will be released on LP, Limited edition Green LP, CD and digital. Pre-order copies right here: https://mortaskuld.lnk.to/Creation_Undone
Catch Morta Skuld in March on the Latin America tour with countrymen Malevolent Creation.
21/3- Bogota – Colombia
23/3 – Quito – Ecuador
28/3 – Puerto Montt – Chile
29/3 – Santiago – Chile
30/3 – Concepción – Chile
06/4 – Merida – Mexico
More dates to be confirmed soon .. stay tuned.
Line up:
David Gregor – Guitar/vocals
Scott Willecke – Guitar
John Hill – Bass
Eric House – Drums
Follow Morta Skuld:
https://www.instagram.com/mortaskuld1offical/
Kraków (PL) – Willowtip Records has signed Polish Death Metal duo DORMANT ORDEAL! The band is preparing to enter the studio soon to record what will be their first album for the label and the fourth overall, following 2021’s The Grand Scheme of Things (Selfmadegod Records).
The band released the following statement concerning the signing:
“We’re honored to announce the signing of a worldwide deal with Willowtip Records. Many great releases that we personally hold in high regard have been featured on this label and we are thrilled to be joining the roster. We truly appreciate the trust Willowtip have placed in us – can’t wait to start this chapter!
We’re planning on going into the studio in the upcoming weeks to record our fourth album. We may be the worst reviewers of our own music, but one thing we can say for sure – it is more ‘us’ than ever. The successor to 2021’s ‘The Grand Scheme of Things’ is planned to be released later this year.”
DORMANT ORDEAL:
Maciej Nieścioruk (Guitar)
Maciej Proficz (Vocals)
Source: ClawHammer PR
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