Arizona death-crusters GO AHEAD AND DIE are proud to announce their newest offering Better Dead Than Mainstream: Live At The Marquee Theater will be released digitally on September 13th via Nuclear Blast Records. The audio from the album was taken from their September 25, 2021 show with SOULFLY as well as INCITE and HEALING MAGIC. The night featured a performance of their debut self-titled album which was released two months prior. The audio for the live album was produced, engineered, and mastered by Arthur Rizk. For the album cover, the band enlisted Costin Chioreanu to create the artwork.
Max Cavalera states, “It’s amazing to me that the lockdown allowed Igor and myself the opportunity to make such a brutal record! That era gave us a clear view of harmful social issues as authoritarian rule was exploding in aggressive ways. This is a true live album, with no overdubs. It’s as brutal as the pandemic!”
Igor Amadeus Cavalera comments, “Playing live with GAAD is an absolute adrenaline rush. You can hear the unchained raw energy through every song on this recording.”
Below is the tracklisting for Better Dead Than Mainstream: Live At The Marquee Theater: 1. Truckload Full of Bodies (Live at the Marquee Theater, Tempe, 2021) 2. Toxic Freedom (Live at the Marquee Theater, Tempe, 2021) 3. I.C.E. Cage (Live at the Marquee Theater, Tempe, 2021) 4. Isolated / Desolated (Live at the Marquee Theater, Tempe, 2021) 5. Prophet’s Prey (Live at the Marquee Theater, Tempe, 2021) 6. Punisher (Live at the Marquee Theater, Tempe, 2021) 7. El Cuco (Live at the Marquee Theater, Tempe, 2021) 8. G.A.A.D. (Live at the Marquee Theater, Tempe, 2021) 9. Worth Less Than Piss (Live at the Marquee Theater, Tempe, 2021) 10. (In The) Slaughterline (Live at the Marquee Theater, Tempe, 2021)
GO AHEAD AND DIE unleashed their caustic sophomore album Unhealthy Mechanisms last year via Nuclear Blast Records. A torrential whirlwind born from the livid minds of Igor Amadeus Cavalera (HEALING MAGIC) and Max Cavalera (SOULFLY, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY). The sophomore album is a fresh dive into the madness of society and the pollution that ravages our minds. Unhealthy Mechanisms was produced by Igor Amadeus Cavalera while John Aquilino handled the recording in his Platinum Underground Studio steeped in the mystic ambiance of the Superstition Mountains’ foothills. The mixing and mastering were once again handled by Arthur Rizk (CAVALERA, SOULFLY, TURNSTILE). For the artwork, the band enlisted Santiago Jaramillo of Triple Seis Design to create the unnerving design that fits with the album title. GO AHEAD AND DIE‘s newest record is a testament to declining mental health around the world, and a reminder that we are not alone in our pain. The mind is lost. The fuse is lit. Time to set everything ablaze.
GO AHEAD AND DIE is: Max Cavalera | Vocals, Guitar Igor Amadeus Cavalera | Vocals, Guitar Johnny Valles | Drums Jackie Cruz | Bass
Eclectic singer-songwriter CHARLOTTE WESSELS (ex-DELAIN) has unveiled her brand-new single entitled “The Crying Room” today, alongside a gripping music video featuring footage from the song’s first ever live performance. “The Crying Room” is the next harbinger of Wessels’ first traditional full-length, full-band solo album, The Obsession, set to be released on September 20, 2024 via Napalm Records. The track unveils another touching facet of this sonic masterpiece, where themes like fear, obsessive thoughts and escapism run rampant on the one hand, whereas there are also songs that offer a more upbeat approach to the subject. “The Crying Room” deals with that fear while a weeping guitar solo draws the listener into darker soundscapes.
On The Obsession, CHARLOTTE WESSELS adds bucketloads of bombast to her genre-bending songwriting, as spellbinding melancholia and dark catchy elements meet progressive and heavier tunes. The storytelling within the songs give the multifaceted album even more depth, making The Obsession an exciting listening experience and Wessels’ most mature solo offering so far.
CHARLOTTE WESSELS on “The Crying Room”: “When we were gearing up for the very first performance under my own name after Covid, my tour manager asked if I wanted my own dressing room. Knowing full well that I’d be an anxious mess, I told her I didn’t need a private room — just somewhere I could have a well-earned meltdown without ruining everyone’s vibe. And that, my friends, is how ‘The Crying Room’ was born. It’s a song about the fear of failure, about needing to catch your breath before diving headfirst into something new. Everyone loves to tell stories about courage and heroism, but let’s be real: I want to hear more stories about people who are absolutely terrified… and do the thing anyway – it’s a central theme on the album, and ‘The Crying Room’ is an invitation to do just that.”
While still writing and producing the first incarnations of her songs in her Six Feet Under basement home studio and sharing them with patrons, now CHARLOTTE WESSELS is taking the songs from her new album The Obsession to the next level with a band of her fellow ex-DELAIN cohorts Timo Somers (guitars, additional arrangements), Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije (bass) and Joey Marin de Boer (drums) as well as Sophia Vernikov (piano/hammond), contributing to the new heavier sound. The album also features arrangements by Vikram Shankar (Silent Skies, Pain of Salvation), cello by Elianne Anemaat, was mixed by Guido Aalbers (Muse, Coldplay, The Gathering) and mastered by Andy VanDette (Porcupine Tree, VOLA, Dream Theater).
CHARLOTTE WESSELS about the new album: “On the one hand, this album tells a very personal story – through its unintended theme of fear, obsessive thoughts and the escapes from them – and at the same time it represents the joy of finding the song’s true forms with everyone involved in the making of this record. That’s why I chose The Obsession as a title. It refers to my personal challenges with OCD that inspired many of the songs – but I’ve also started referring to the band as The Obsession – because there were moments in the studio with them that truly reminded me of why I’m obsessed with making music in the first place.”
With thousands of monthly listeners on Spotify and a loyal fan base on Patreon, Charlotte Wessels has already made a mark with her earlier solo endeavors, Tales From Six Feet Under (2021) and Tales From Six Feet Under Vol II(2022). Now, she is taking her career to the next level with The Obsession. These compilations showcased her ability to blend various musical styles and deeply personal lyrics, earning her widespread acclaim. The Obsession is expected to build on this foundation, offering fans an even more immersive and powerful musical experience.
Songs like “The Exorcism”, “The Crying Room” and“Ode To The West Wind” (feat. Alissa White-Gluz/Arch Enemy) lead into darker spheres, whilst a track like “Dopamine” (feat. Simone Simons/Epica) shows a rather optimistic approach. It deals with SSRI-induced numbness, or “Praise” – which sings the gospel of needing external validation in order to feel anything. The reimagining of fan-favorite “Soft Revolution” won’t leave a dry eye in the room, while “Soulstice” and “Serpentine” present an unprecedented dark sensuality. Each song itself functions like an exorcism, an attempt to cast out a little of the fear it deals with.
CHARLOTTE WESSELS about the guests: “I’m extremely grateful and proud to add Simone Simons and Alissa White-Gluz to the line-up of this album. They are creative powerhouses that I have so much love and respect for. Whenever we get to work together is an absolute treat and they really elevated the songs with their performances.”
The Obsession Tracklist: 1. Chasing Sunsets 2. Dopamine 3. The Exorcism 4. Soulstice 5. The Crying Room 6. Ode To The West Wind 7. Serpentine 8. Praise 9. All You Are 10. Vigor And Valor 11. Breathe; 12. Soft Revolution (2024)
CHARLOTTE WESSELS LIVE 2024/25
Supported by her former Delain bandmates, CHARLOTTE WESSELS is set to bring The Obsession to the stage this year. The journey begins with a release show on October 4, 2024 at Utrecht’s TivoliVredenburg, followed by a special guest appearance with label mates Kamelot and Ad Infinitum in Drachten on October 11, 2024. After these shows, Wessels will join VOLA on their Friend of Phantom EU Tour 2024, kicking off on November 1.
Festivals 2025 27.-09.07.25 FI – Helsinki / Tuska 06.-09.08.25 ES – Villena / Leyendas del Rock 15. -17.08.25 NL – Eindhoven / Dynamo Metal Fest More to come…
Friend of a Phantom EU Tour 2024 Supporting VOLA 01.11.24 DK – Århus / Voxhall 02.11.24 SE – Gothenburg / Pustervik 03.11.24 NO – Oslo / Vulkan Arena 08.11.24 SE – Stockholm / Fryshuset Klubben 10.11.24 DE – Berlin / Columbia Theater 11.11.24 PL – Krakow / Hype Park 13.11.24 CZ – Prague / Meetfactory 14.11.24 AT – Vienna / Flex 15.11.24 DE – Munich / Backstage Halle 16.11.24 CH – Zurich / Komplex 17.11.24 IT – Milan / Live Club 19.11.24 DE – Cologne / Kantine 21.11.24 FR – Paris / Petit Bain 22.11.24 UK – London / Heaven 23.11.24 UK – Nottingham / Rescue Rooms 24.11.24 UK – Glasgow / G2 25.11.24 UK – Manchester / Club Academy 26.11.24 UK – Bristol / SWX 27.11.24 LU – Esch-Sur-Alzette / Rockhal 28.11.24 NL – Eindhoven / Effenaar 29.11.24 DE – Hamburg / Markthalle
Aussie melodic death metal titans, ORPHEUS OMEGA, are back to leave you breathless with the music video’s release for their soul-crushing track, “Star Maps.” Taken from their critically acclaimed album, Emberglow (out now via Wormholedeath), the “Star Maps” video is a poignant exploration of isolation, regret, and the desperate hope for redemption.
“Star Maps is an expression of stoicism and its effects on one’s self-image. When moments in life have taken hold and feel overwhelming, emotionally removing one’s self by pushing compassion away can be a coping mechanism. This is a journey of one performing such stoicism, defining their life and the path they’ve taken. “ said, Leon. “Musically it contains some of the most emotive moments of the album Emberglow, using atmosphere and long melodic passages to represent the repressed emotion given within the lyrics. Every time the chorus explodes, the emotions held back by the storyteller are kicking against its cage showing how poorly holding back such emotions can be. The bridge pulling back represents a full shift into one’s internal control, where the storyteller truly loses their sense of self and can no longer recognize the individual. “
Experience the full sonic assault of Emberglow on all streaming platforms: orcd.co/emberglow
With a career spanning 4 acclaimed albums 3 EPs and countless tour cycles both domestically and abroad, Orpheus Omega has cemented themselves as one of the hardest-working and entertaining mainstays of the Australian Metal scene.
Beginning with a sound forged along the lines of the great Gothenburg Melodeath era, the band has since grown further and further into a unique entity feeding off each member’s personality and life bringing them to touring with the likes of Insomnium, Trivium, At The Gates, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Lacuna Coil and many many more.
The continued evolution of Orpheus Omega has kept the band relevant and ever-growing and in 2024 brings with it the release of their most ambitious album yet, ‘EMBERGLOW’ through WormholeDeath Records.
Orpheus Omega is: Chris Themelco – Vocals/ Lead Guitar Leon Monaco – Bass/ Backing Vocals Matt Themelco – Drums Luke Ashley – Guitar Campbell Hill – Keyboard
U.S. band Black Metal band OTHER WORLD, featuring members of BLACK SALVATION and PILLORIAN, will release their new album, “Tenebrous“, on August 30th. In collaboration with Black Metal Promotion YT channel, DMP can now reveal an exclusive full album stream ahead of the official release date.
Across the six tracks of “Tenebrous“, OTHER WORLD weaves cinematic and hypnotic Black Metal with the relentless drive of Death Metal and the monolithic gravitas of Doom.
Composer Christopher shares some insight into the music of OTHER WORLD:
“I play in a way and style that I feel can resonate with fans of post, atmospheric, and doomy Black Metal. I am a fan of those genres, and I write what I feel fits what I am feeling. I still feel OTHER WORLD is an experimental Black Metal band. By no means will I go write a Death Metal album or something extreme. What I mean is, I don’t like limitations on what I can do. That was the sole purpose of me creating OTHER WORLD in the first place.“
Vocalist and lyricist Stephen explains the conceptual dimension:
“It is not a concept album. Generally, the lyrical theme for this record is about all kinds of grief. This could be the grief of losing someone close to you (whether they die or lost to another type of darkness, substance abuse, etc.), grieving the loss of one’s self, and anything dealing with the struggles of anxiety. It is terrifying in the split second that you think about decaying into the earth, then you realize that death is one of the only constants in our existence. One of the only things you can truly count on happening no matter what. Embrace that and enjoy your time.“
“Tenebrous” will be released on CD, vinyl and digital on August 30th. Pre-orders are possible via the label’s EU, US and Bandcamp shops.
OTHER WORLD is an atmospheric/experimental Black Metal band formed in California in 2012 as a solo project of multi-instrumentalist Christopher A. (SUFFERING IN SOLITUDE, BLACK SALVATION). As his tenure with those projects came to an end, Christopher shifted his focus to OTHER WORLD, spawning five releases over seven years. In 2022, OTHER WORLD was joined by Stephen Parker (PARAPHILIA, MAESTUS, ex-PILLORIAN) on vocals and Jacob Holland on bass, which led to a collaboration on the new track, ‘Of Death and Alteration‘.
After arriving on DMP in authoritative style with epic 2023 single, the band expand and consolidate their vision via new album “Tenebrous” to be released on August 30th.
Deathgrind band K.Y.M.I. from Finland releases their debut album on September 27th via Inverse Records. The band’s brutal lyrics are about everyday life during the busy adult years and the mid-life crisis. The songs are a result of emotional outbursts packed into a form of brutal deathgrind.
The second single, HEMICRANIA, is about what a massive headache attack would sound like musically. Migraines and other recurring attacks such as these are not only painful but also emotionally draining, often ending in the way the song describes.
Listen to the single on music services (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal etc): https://push.fm/fl/kymi-hemicrania – Composition & lyrics: Kalle Ylönen
K.Y.M.I. is a one-man project by Kalle Ylönen, that will in the future also produce Viking jewelry and other artistic craftwork under the name K.Y.M.I.paja (smithery). Tuukka Ojansivu, a strong supporter of the project, is responsible for arranging the songs and recording the instruments for the upcoming album LIHA. The vocal recording, mixing and mastering of the album was done by Pasi Löfgren at Inka Studios.
A lifelong connection to the Gods and Goddesses and culture of the ancient world, annual visits to the temples and sacred places of Greece and Italy, and the longing for dramatic storytelling full of blood, sweat, and tears that have dried in the sands of time – this all came together for former NYHC-guitarist Gabby Abularach (CRO-MAGS, VOODOOCULT) with an awakening to tune his handmade flamenco guitar like an ancient Greek Lyra, and very soon he began writing the first melodies that would later become DEA VELATA’s songs. Inspired by ancient Greek and Roman music, the romantic period of classical music, Flamenco, Spanish classical music and symphonic metal, DEA VELATA began with writing purely acoustic music, but evolved into adding classical orchestral instruments as well as symphonic and folk metal. In early 2017, Gabby had only just begun delving into and studying the harmonics, mathematics, tunings, modes and aesthetics of ancient Greek and Roman music. In combination with Angela Hicks’ beguiling soprano voice, this makes for a pairing in a class by itself, nestling the listeners into the golden fleece of mythologic musicality that is DEA VELATA.
Based on the 1st Book of the Iliad by Homer, DEA VELATA’s second single PHEBEVS FVROR (Phebean Wrath), which is included on the upcoming album, tells the rescue story of the Trojan girl Chryseis from the abduction of the Greek King Agamemnon. Her father Chryses, the Trojan High Priest of Apollo, was insulted by Agamemnon when he had come to ransom her, so he prays to Apollo for help. Apollo, enraged at the offense to his priest and abduction of his daughter, punishes the Greeks, and assists Chryses in the rescue of his daughter Chryseis, resulting in nine days of massacres. In Greek mythology, Apollo is a versatile deity, not only the god of music, light, and poetry but also the one who punishes and destroys. This duality is theatrically and metaphorically expressed in the new music video for PHEBEVS FVROR. There, Angela brings the performing arts of ancient Rome and Greece to life – not only does she sing but also act in the video, slipping into the visual form of roles she sings about. We see dark warehouses, brawling gangsters, and fencing duels in contrast with Angela Hicks’ graceful performance as the pure, angelic figure, representing the natural fragile female beauty, which men fight over and because of which ancient empires have perished in the past. A lover of all things ancient and medieval, Angela embodies the spirit of this mythological and musical journey perfectly.
The band’s eponymous first album DEA VELATA will be released on October 16th, 2024. With eleven tracks, the brilliant ensemble intends to bring the sounds, consciousness and spirit of the ancient world back to life today. DEA VELATA’s sound is truly offering something unique, something new, something that heals the soul, exalts the spirit and which connects people to the beauty and magic of the classical world of antiquity. Italian poet Stefano Losi writes the lyrics, in the form of contemporary poetry in Imperial Latin, which are then being carefully carried on symphonic metal wings. “The lyrics and poetry provide a personal perspective on the existential unquietness inherent in the human condition, and all its concrete manifestations, from the deepest desperation to the purest love. They draw an imaginary connection with the lyrics of the Poetae Novi of the Ist Century, reemerging in my own poetry filtered by a clear contemporary sensitivity, redesigning the eternity of life, the timeless value of emotion”, says the talented lyricist.
DEA VELATA Album Tracklist 1. OBITVS 2. PHEBEVS FVROR 3. IMBER ARIDVS 4. VVLTVS 5. HIATVS 6. AMO 7. DAEMON (metal version) 8. EVANESCENS VESTALIS (acoustic/orchestral) 9. KORE (acoustic) 10. IMBER (acoustic) 11. DAEMON (acoustic remix)
The full album DEA VELATA will be released October 16th, 2024. On eleven tracks, it will feature contemporary poetry in Imperial Latin – all woven in a fabric of ancient Greek and Roman music with neo-classical coloring and threads of symphonic metal.
Met by high critical acclaim, the musical ensemble performed an exclusive 5 song acoustic set at Circulo de Bellas Artes in Spain on June 25th, where they premiered the OBITVS video. During a live performance by DEA VELATA you can expect a wide range of sound, from intimate classical, acoustic duets with Gabby and Angela, to full symphonic metal. The talented artists delve into genuine ancient music and bring it into life in a modern world – a combination, which sets them apart from other bands, and makes their live events an upscale experience, no less impressive or cathartic than a classical theater performance in ancient Rome. A live recording of the impressive performance has just been published, in a compilation with interviews, serving as a short documentary about the event, offering interesting insights and taking you along on their musical journey.
Enjoy DEA VELATA’s acoustic live performance at Ciculo de Bellas Artes HERE:
After the release of two singles, with another video single release and an album release pending, DEA VELATA will play an acoustic event at the United Nations in NYC on November 7th, 2024, and they plan on doing three other shows around that date in the NYC area. So stay tuned for more to come!
About DEA VELATA
The longing for the ancient narrative power and the fascination it is capable of arousing in us is resurfacing among critics and fans alike. And in the form of DEA VELATA, it has now reached music – at several different levels. First of all, with the very own instrumental hero’s journey of New York guitarist Gabby Abularach, who, as a trained classical and jazz guitarist with metal genes, refined the studio recordings and world tours of NYHC legends CRO-MAGS and later continued the same as a founding member of VOODOOCULT. In addition to these energetic wrecking balls, Gabby also brought his six-string magic to legendary recordings by the likes of CARLOS SANTANA, EVERLAST, KORN and JOHN SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION. His secret love, however, lies in the art of antiquity: Gabby, who over the years has increasingly specialized in filigree-sporty flamenco playing, often imagined what the musical underscoring of recited stories might have felt like in ancient times.
The explorative guitarist was in the middle of an ongoing phase of researching ancient Greek and Roman music when, in the summer of 2017, he met Stefano Losi, an Italian poet and visual artist also based in New York, who had just published a poetic work in Imperial Latin. Together, they began composing and pouring the many eureka moments of their musical and now also poetic journeys into material for an album unlike any other. The British soprano Angela Hicks, who is also drawn to ancient music, joined the duo as the angelic voice of the work DEA VELATA, and not just in a figurative sense. Despite her young age, Angela can look back on an eventful career: She made her operatic debut at the Teatro alla Scala di Milano under the direction of Thomas Guthrie and has subsequently appeared at London’s Wigmore Hall, the Palace of Versailles, the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Berliner Philharmonie and the Berlin State Opera, among others. She also made a guest appearance on the big screen alongside Emma Stone, Rachael Weisz and Oscar winner Olivia Coleman in the 2018 movie “The Favourite”.
The luscious guitar, which sometimes finely chisels an uplifting flamenco into the steps of a stage of epic breadth, sometimes strives towards the warm elegance of a harp and sometimes unfolds into the full weight of symphonic metal, is combined with an always respectfully discreet metal drumming (performed by Mike Podber) and a voice that resembles God’s rays on a Tuscan painting. And together they create a soundtrack that, behind closed eyes, lets Odysseus’ ship sail from a gentle lull into a mystical storm.
THE ROCK ALCHEMIST – Italian Rock Band from Turin with a strong sonic identity that blends modern rock with progressive, hard, alternative, and pop elements!
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 