HOLE IN THE FRAME, a rising crossover groove metal band from Southern Italy, starts the new year with the electrifying live version of “Monotony”, recorded entirely in one take and released through Volcano Records. This track marks a significant moment for the band, officially introducing their new guitarist, Gianluca Vergalito.
With the central phrase “I drink to crack down on my pain!”, the band delves into themes of frustration and conformity, which erode emotional strength and the ability to rebel. “Monotony” blends crossover and groove metal elements with heavy and alternative influences, echoing the sounds of Pantera, Korn, and Slipknot. Through a high-energy and intense performance, Hole in the Frame solidify their distinctive style, delivering a powerful and exciting track for their fans.
“Monotony Live 2024” is accompanied by a music video that captures the raw energy of the track and the band’s live performance in a captivating cinematic setting, available here:
Just in time for the release of their highly anticipated upcoming album, ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ (Lat. PROROK ILJA), Polish black metal icons PATRIARKH (formerly Batushka) unleash their forth gloomy single, “ВЕРШАЛИН VII”(Lat. WIERSZALIN VII). The conceptual full length, ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ (Lat. PROROK ILJA), drops tomorrow on January 3, 2025 via Napalm Records! The eight brand-new songs delve into the true story of Eliasz Klimowicz, the enigmatic Prophet Ilja, and transforms these events into dark yet mesmerizing atmospheres, interwoven with their deeply rooted Eastern Orthodox traditions.
“ВЕРШАЛИН VII”(Lat. WIERSZALIN VII) attacks mercilessly and sets free a relentless storm of black and death metal. The song kicks off with a compelling narration, before it drags listeners into a path of fierce blast beats and haunting screams. Once more, PATRIARKH nails their balance of various influences, defying all rules and setting their own path. “ВЕРШАЛИН VII” is now available on all streaming services worldwide.
“ВЕРШАЛИН VII” (Lat. WIERSZALIN VII) is now available on all streaming services worldwide | Listen to the Track HERE!
PATRIARKH on the new album: “With this new release, we are starting a new chapter in our history – not only is our name changing, but our music is also undergoing a natural evolution. The story on the album encouraged us to get out of our comfort zone, and we reached for means that we had not used before in our music. Many of you will wonder if this is still black metal? Or is it even metal? Radio play, audiobook, theater, film soundtrack, folk music, performance… All these terms will fit here. Some will hate, others will love…”
Reborn PATRIARKH (formerly Batushka) returns with a masterpiece of arcane black metal!
ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ details a true story that happened in the band’s home area of Podlasie, in the village of Grzybowszczyzna, in the 1930s and 40s. The album takes the listener into the world of Eliasz Klimowicz, the titular Prophet Ilja, an illiterate peasant who was the leader of the Orthodox Grzybowska Sect, active until the 1960s, cultivating and transmitting the history of the self-proclaimed prophet. PATRIARKH spread their gospel by using an arsenal of folk instruments, such as tagelharpa, mandolin, mandocello, hurdy gurdy and stringed dulcimer, and worked with a symphony orchestra and choirs to give their new creations the most organic and vivid feeling possible. As is trademark with PATRIARKH’s music, Orthodox sacredness is mixed with black and doom metal, now largely enriched with folk music, neo dark folk, and even film music. The band utilizes the entire palette of Orthodox music, venturing into the areas of Byzantine monody, liturgical chant and Russian polyphony, neatly adapting folk and liturgical melodies to their own style.
The lyrical side of ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ is an interesting mix of theater and pastoralism. PATRIARKH uses fragments of texts from the theater play “Prorok Ilja” and draws from the messages contained in the works of Włodzimierz Pawluczuk, combining it with folk and liturgical texts. On ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ, listeners can hear various languages – and Polish for the first time ever! The album was recorded in January and May 2024 at Tall Pine Records (Behemoth, Zalewski, Afromental), Heinrich House (Behemoth, Vesania, Hate), Wem Studio (Kasa Chorych, Lukasyno, Cira) and Radio Białystok studio. Mixing and mastering was handled by Wojciech Wiesławski at Hertz Studio (Vader, Behemoth, Decapitated), and production was helmed by band mastermind and leading vocalist Bartłomiej “Варфоломей” Krysiuk. “ПРОРОК ИЛИЯis an album full of emotions, sentimentalism and folklore. It’s pastoral, lyrical, epic, multidimensional and multicolored, just like my Podlasie is multicolored,” says Варфоломей. Dive into the deepest of all shadows with this black metal masterpiece and join PATRIARKH on this intriguing ride!
ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ tracklisting: 1. WIERSZALIN I (Lat.) – ВЕРШАЛИН I (Cyrillic) 2. WIERSZALIN II (Lat.) – ВЕРШАЛИН II (Cyrillic) 3. WIERSZALIN III (Lat.) – ВЕРШАЛИН III (Cyrillic) 4. WIERSZALIN IV (Lat.) – ВЕРШАЛИН IV (Cyrillic) 5. WIERSZALIN V (Lat.) – ВЕРШАЛИН V (Cyrillic) 6. WIERSZALIN VI (Lat.) – ВЕРШАЛИН VI (Cyrillic) 7. WIERSZALIN VII (Lat.) – ВЕРШАЛИН VII (Cyrillic) 8. WIERSZALIN VIII (Lat.) – ВЕРШАЛИН VIII (Cyrillic)
PATRIARKH recently returned from global touring, but they are not slowing down! Tomorrow, the band will reveal the new album in full during their release show together with a symphonic orchestra and male choir. Don’t miss the chance to attend and experience the spirit of true patriarchs and dark Orthodox sacredness live as they hit the road for Poland in March.
PATRIARKH Live 2025
NOWY WIERSZALIN Poland 2025 03.01.25 PL – Łódź / Wytwórnia – SINFONIA ORTHODOXIA w/symphonic orchestra and male choir 22.02.25 PL – Krosno / Rock Klub Iron 07.03.25 PL – Wrocław / Transformator 08.03.25 PL – Zabrze / CK Wiatrak 09.03.25 PL – Kraków / HYPE PARK 14.03.25 PL – Lublin / Fabryka Kultury Zgrzyt 15.03.25 PL – Olsztyn / Scena Zgrzyt 16.03.25 PL – Warszawa / Klub Proxima 17.03.25 PL – Białystok / Zmiana Klimatu 21.03.25 PL – Gdynia / Podwórko.art 22.03.25 PL – Szczecin / Kosmos 23.03.25 PL – Poznań / 2progi
Australian Symphonic Metal band ANA are kicking off the New Year in style, heading out on their first-ever European Tour! The eight-date European Tour begins on January 10 at S8 Underground Club in Budapest (Hungary) and wraps up on January 18 at Slaughterhouse in Berlin (Germany). This tour marks a major milestone for the band, showcasing their dynamic sound and passion on an international stage. The tour will feature performances in seven cities across Europe, where ANA will bring their signature energy to audiences eager for authentic and captivating live music experiences. See below for dates and more info.
This highly anticipated tour not only highlights ANA’s relentless drive to connect with fans globally but also aims to support important causes. Alongside their powerful performances, ANA’s special guest AMARIIA (Ukraine) will join the tour, bringing awareness to the ongoing fight against Russian aggression in Ukraine. Ukrainian flags and state symbols will be displayed at each venue, and fundraising opportunities will support humanitarian efforts chosen by Amariia.
“I remember being 12 years old and watching a live video of Metallica performing in Moscow,” says guitarist Josh Mak. “To date, that performance is for me one of the greatest live performances ever captured on film. The moment when artist and fans merge into one entity. To traverse the globe and find such a sacred union is nothing short of holy. This month we finally get our chance to make our own memories. Europe thank you for being our first international tour. We are ANA and soon you will be ANA too. Together we shall put our mark on history.”
Tour Dates: Ana tour dates (get tickets here) January 10: Budapest, HUNGARY @ S8 Underground Club (w/ Amariia) January 11: Košice, SLOVAKIA @ Colessium (w/ Amariia) January 13: Warsaw, POLAND @ VooDoo Club (w/ Amariia) January 14: Kielce, POLAND @ Chicago Club (w/ Amariia) January 15: Krakow, POLAND @ Garage Pub (w/ Amariia) January 16: Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC @ Hospoda Brouk (w/ Amariia) January 17: Berlin, GERMANY @ RESET Club (w/ Amariia) January 18: Berlin, GERMANY @ Slaughterhouse (w/ Amariia)
Formed in December 2023, ANA has rapidly gained recognition within the Melbourne music scene and around the globe. In under a year, they have released two singles, an EP, and three music videos via Eclipse Records, each of which has gone viral across social media platforms. Known for their magnetic stage presence, ANA’s live shows consistently draw enthusiastic crowds, making this European tour a natural next step in their career.
Ana’s latest EP album is entitled The Art of Letting Go and the record is a portrait of passionate emotions bared to the bone, the skin peeled back on our hearts showing new vibrant colors. The album was produced by Josh Mak & Anna Khristenko, recorded & mixed by Chris Themelco (Eye of the Enemy, Colour & Shade, Naberus) at Monolith Studios, and mastered by Thomas ‘Plec’ Johansson (Groove Armada, Soilwork, Mayhem) at The Panic Room Studio. Vocalist Anna Khristenko offers us an intimate vocal that is mesmerizing, smooth, and ethereal, yet also rocking, sassy, and badass. The arrangements on this record are dynamically intriguing and sonically satisfying. Like a magic carpet ride through mist and shadows, the band creates a sense of suspense and payoff like some mystic noir-setting suddenly becoming a lighted path to an absolutely beautiful music that is addictive, catchy, and hauntingly vivid. The rhythm guitar patterns are crisp and full, the lead solos electrifying, and the keys used inventively as lead, background, and counterpoint in a variety of soundscapes. The bass is all balls and bottom, and the drums alternate between a deep groove, a force on the march, and flares and fireworks in hummingbird sixteenths smooth as late autumn dusk. Altogether, this record makes the chaotic parts of life seem poetic, and it reinforces to us that there is still room for radiance in our souls, in our lives, in the world.
So far, the band has released three music videos from the album for the songs entitled “Ouroboros”, “Moth”, and “Scars”. Watch them all at this location.
Tennessee Metal Devastation Music Fest team is heartbroken to share the tragic news of the passing of Joshua Nassaru Ward, drummer of the incredible band Voraath.
Joshua was scheduled to perform at this year’s festival in October, a performance we were eagerly anticipating and had not yet announced.
Joshua, a talented musician and kind-hearted individual, was known for his dedication to his craft and his family. He recently became engaged, and his fiancée was tragically killed alongside him in a devastating accident caused by a drunk driver. Two additional friends also lost their lives in this senseless incident, leaving behind loved ones and children.
Just a few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of speaking with Joshua during a conference call about the band and their role in the festival. What began as a quick business discussion turned into hours of heartfelt conversation about music, family, and life. Joshua’s warmth and passion left a lasting impression on everyone involved, and we were looking forward to seeing his incredible energy on stage this October.
This heartbreaking loss is a painful reminder of the consequences of drunk driving. We urge everyone to never drink and drive. Lives depend on it.
Our deepest condolences go out to Joshua’s family, friends, bandmates, and all who were touched by his music and spirit. We will carry his memory with us as we move forward, and we are committed to honoring his legacy.
Follow the Gofundme to help the family, at this location.
JULIET’S NOT DEAD are set to release their new album “This World Is Ours” on February 7th via TMR Records/Earache Digital Distribution.
“Without a weak track among the ten on offer, Juliet’s Not Dead have, at a stroke, recorded an album that is both stadium ready and radio friendly all in one package. If there were any justice in the world this band should be mentioned in the same breath as their luminaries. Outstanding.” – Fireworks magazine
Heralding from the North East, Juliet’s Not Dead are an adrenaline fuelled, driven band with the sole intention of thrilling their audiences at every show. Having just finished recording the follow up to the highly acclaimed debut album ready for release in February 2025, and if their latest EP ‘Only The Strong Survive’ is anything to go by; attitude filled riffs and a killer modern edge will be abundant. The band have paired with mercury prize & Grammy nominated producer Romesh Dodangoda to set about crafting something special.
About ‘This world Is Ours’, Stevie states “I love this album, not only do I think it’s the best music we’ve ever written, but it was also the most enjoyable writing and recording process I’ve ever been a part of. Jack & I wrote for most of 2023. We were even recording demos while on tour around Europe. From the get go we knew what we wanted to say with this collection of songs. As a band you come up against so many challenges and we wanted this album to reflect all of the emotions, difficult decisions, and strong bonds we’ve made over the last couple of years.
Getting the songs ready to record for the final time is always my favourite part of the process but also one of the most tricky. We demo them fully so every layer and part is where it should be and critique and change bits until we are happy with it. However it’s sometimes difficult to know when you’re done. Thankfully we had the right production team behind it. Approaching it with a clear view of what we wanted the final result to be. Romesh (Dodangoda) and the boys at Longwave made our job easy and we literally smiled and laughed our way through it. We hope anyone who hears it will hear the joy behind the music no matter the subject.“
Since the release tour for single ‘Don’t Play Nice’ in April 2022, JND have been crushing live performances with a truly unique visual show built in to a wall of Marshall cabs. After raising over £6k for music charities during the pandemic the boys took crowds by storm on two self-promoted UK headline tours in 2022.
With single “secrets” getting to #1 in the iTunes rock charts as well as being track of the week on Planet Rock & also had significant air time on BBC, following similar success with previous releases, their stock is rising rapidly. As well as 2 UK support tours and countless festivals, 2023 saw the band tour all over Europe and play in a total of 11 countries, and they can’t wait for what is to come next!
Friday 7th Feb – Independent, Sunderland Saturday 8th Feb – HMV – Newcastle Sunday 9th Feb – Waterloo, Blackpool
Montreal, Canada aggro-metal contingent CHÜZO is sharing their next drum playthrough in support of theirnew EP “M.T.M.D (Maximum Threshold, Minimum Decay)” unleashedthis past October. Earlier this month they unveiled the playthrough video for “Brand New Cell” and they have their second for “The Brutalator” before the year ends.
The track is abouta character who comes to each town or village to reclaim social justice for anyone who has been mistreated by greedy and evil parts of humanity. Watch the playthrough by CHÜZO drummer Carlos G. via its premiere on TechnicalMusicReview HERE.
Produced with Kevin Jardine (Slaves On Dope, Uplift Recording Studio), CHÜZO ‘s new EP “M.T.M.D (Maximum Threshold, Minimum Decay)” is a three-track record that marks the next chapter and true representation of what CHÜZO‘s sound is meant to be.
“This new EP was to showcase our new lineup with our newest songs that are truly representative of our musical style, a style that we proudly call ‘Aggro-Metal.’ Very aggressive metal songs that have relatable themes that anyone can listen to and understand. This EP is our audio shotgun blast to the world to pay attention to and to mosh intensively during our live sets.” adds guitarist Cristian S.
CHÜZO‘s new lineup features the ensnaring vocals of Taiwanese Brazilian transplant Mischa M joining local first-generation Chilean Canadian and mastermind Cristian S. along with Carlos G from Venezuela and Alex S from Russia who all have found Montreal, Canada to be their home-to-breed their blender of grindcore, Swedish death metal, thrash, and hardcore punk to transform a sub-genre dubbed ‘Aggro Metal’.
The EP’s lyrics are driven by self-reflection and daily struggles. The inspiration for writing comes from life experiences and trying to live past them, especially the traumatic ones. Using all bad energy from bad experiences to create something positive for yourself and the world. This EP speaksof vengeance and the bad side of dedicating your life to achieving your desired revenge despite your own life and sanity. Brutal Social Justice.
For fans of Sepultura (Cavalera Bros era 84-96), At the Gates, Napalm Death, Slipknot, and Fuck the Facts, “M.T.M.D (Maximum Threshold, Minimum Decay)” was released on November 15, 2024.
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ASA unveil the long-overdue release of "Collective Failure" + first music video for title-track! Check it out and stay tuned for more news! Click image to watch the video
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
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Visionary artist KIMMO KUUSNIEMI's ANCIENT STREAMING ASSEMBLY (ASA) have released “Aurora Nuclearis”, a powerful 12-minute audiovisual experience, dedicated to the Late Keyboardist Esa Kotilainen. - Click image to watch the video
Click image to watch the video
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