Founded in late 2015 by mastermind Manny Watts, extreme prog merchants VOIDGAZER released their debut EP »Years Of Exile« the following year. The band jammed around the Midwest over the next three years, naturally evolving the music and band until the current line-up. Although they first jammed together in 2019, the covid pandemic forced them put their live performances on ice as well as hit pause on release of their second EP, »Dance Of The Undesirables.«
Initially planning a large release campaign, the band pressed up only enough copies to cover their last few scheduled live performances. It was during this down time that Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM) took interest in VOIDGAZER‘s vision and offered them an international recording contract.
Recorded at Bird Cloud Recording (USA) Produced by Ryan Wasoba & Voidgazer Mastered by Noah Buchanan Artwork & layout by Jason Spencer
Danish hard rock act D-A-D has announced their brand new, thirteenth album, entitled ’Speed Of Darkness’, slated for release on October 4, 2024 via AFM Records! Not only can we expect an unusually strong collection of songs, but today the band is already premiering two(!) singles, the songs ’The Ghost’ and’1st, 2nd & 3rd’!
Teaming up with producer Nick Foss once again, Jacob Binzer reveals: ”He says that this is the strongest pool of songs in a long time, and he has, after all, been in the game since 1988.” He adds that he agrees with the producer: ”Although you can’t really judge albums before one to two years after their release, I also think that this is a strong pool. Some of these songs have surprised me positively while we recorded them, and that is very promising.”
Jesper Binzer agrees with his brother: ”For the first time in three to four albums, I am totally excited about our material, and I look forward to going into the studio every single day. We have an excess of both songs and ideas, and this is a place that I have wanted to reach with the last three to four D-A-D albums. It’s crazy how things are circular that way. I thought that everything was done, and I thought that we were just old guys who were doing whatever we could, but a new necessity has arisen,” he feels and adds that cooperation is the operative word:
”There is no Kim Larsen (a famous Danish musician) in D-A-D, but four Franz Beckerlees. We are forced to cooperate, since none of us can do it all, and that’s also beautiful. New flowers are added to the bouquet every time we gather up in the studio.” About both two new songs, the band states: ”‘The Ghost’ is an epic banger that shines a light both behind and ahead. There is a Scandinavian melancholy in our universe. A song about separated love, loss and hope in a fragmented time. About holding on to something that may come, or which may already have disappeared.
“1st, 2nd & 3rd” is about the long, hard pull when you are trying to escape something that really holds you back. To be caught in addiction with relapses to bad relationships, with a hope of getting on.”
D-A-D‘s forthcoming album, ’Speed Of Darkness’, was mastered by Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Amaranthe, Powerwolf). Drummer Laust Sonne adds: ”Jacob Hansen is really good at producing drum sounds, and he has a recording room designed for drums. There are not a lot of studios like that left out there, as most of it is done on computers in peoples’ living rooms these days. It is hard for drummers like me, who hit hard and make a lot of cymbal noise, to find studio people trained for it, but Jacob is one of them. The more I let loose, the better I sounded, so that was really awesome.”
In support of today’s first songs and while gearing up for their new record release with many more details to be revealed soon, D-A-D are about to kickstart a major festival summer tour with 24 concerts, starting on May 19 at Rock Hard Festival, Germany. Following this run, they will play 16 concerts in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany and Switzerland as well as a completely sold-out show inRoyal Arena in Denmark on November 1. Find all upcoming D-A-D shows listed below!
If you want even more D-A-D, the National Museum, Copenhagen exhibit will run all the way to late October.
D-A-D Live: 19.05.2024 DE Gelsenkirchen, Rock Hard Festival 24.05.2024 DK Jelling, Jelling Musikfestival 31.05.2024 DK Aarhus, Tivoli Friheden 01.06.2024 DK Silkeborg, Hede Rytmer 08.06.2024 DK Middelfart, Rock Under Broen 14.06.2024 PT Saõ Pedro Do Sul, Bela Vista Open Air 27.06.2024 DK Viborg, Tinghallen 28.06.2024 DK Malling, Malling Bjerge Festival 29.06.2024 DK Thisted, Thy Rock 06.07.2024 DK Nibe, Nibe Festival 11.07.2024 SE Svedala, Sommarrock 12.07.2024 DK Juelsminde, Juelsminde Havnefest 13.07.2024 DK Vig, Vig Festival 02.08.2024 DK Ringsted, Ringsted Festival 03.08.2024 DK Grindsted, Musik I Gryden 16.08.2024 DK Esbjerg, Suset Festival 16.08.2024 DK Holstebro, Open Air På Teaterpladsen 17.08.2024 DK Aabenraa, Kongehøj Festival 31.08.2024 DK Køge, Køge Festuge 06.09.2024 DK Ringe, Midtfyns Festival 07.09.2024 DK Silkeborg, Danmarks Største Vejfest 22.10.2024 NO Trondheim, Tapperiet 24.10.2024 NO Oslo, Sentrum Scene 25.10.2024 SE Stockholm, Fållan 26.10.2024 SE Göteborg, Gothenburg Film Studios 01.11.2024 DK Copenhagen, Royal Arena 08.11.2024 SE Malmö, Slagthuset 09.11.2024 SE Malmö, Slagthuset 27.11.2024 CH Pratteln, Z7 28.11.2024 DE München, Backstage (Werk) 29.11.2024 DE Aschaffenburg, Colos-Saal 01.12.2024 DE Heidelberg, Halle02 03.12.2024 DE Oberhausen, Turbinenhalle 2 04.12.2024 DE Nürnberg, Hirsch 05.12.2024 DE Berlin, Columbia Theater 06.12.2024 DE Hannover, Musikzentrum 07.12.2024 DE Hamburg, Docks
“Burning Angel” by LAURENT RINALDI is a track taken from “Out of this World” EP, re-released via Wormholedeath.
Melodic Prog-Metal artist Laurent Rinaldi has been a guitarist for over 30 years and he has been playing in bands for 25 years and on many stages. Now he decided to share the public his compositions, in a personal album, entitled “Out Of This World”.
REFLECTION OF FLESH have released a drum playthrough video for ‘We Are Legion’. The track is taken from the band’s album “We Are Legion”, out via Wormholedeath.
Reflection of Flesh is a three-piece, brutal, metal band with a wide range of musical influences. This has produced a unique sound driven by a devastating rhythm section, overlaid with infectious guitar grooves, and dark, heavy vocals.
With a lineup featuring Philip Proite on Bass/Vocals, Garrett Smith on Guitars, and Chris Oelke on Drums, Reflection of Flesh is a force to be reckoned with.
South African groove metal powerhouse THORNS OF IVORY release their highly anticipated follow-up single, “Dogs of War,” today. Known for their high-octane live performances and skull-crushing anthems, Thorns of Ivory is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the global metal scene.
Hailing from Durban, South Africa, the band consists of founder and guitarist Mitchel Tees, guitarist Marcel Smuts, vocalist Matthew Howes, and founding member and drummer Nasiphi Zwane. Since their inception in 2015, Thorns of Ivory has navigated lineup changes with ease, emerging stronger each time. Their early sound leaned towards hardcore and metalcore, but a shift in members in 2019 led them to embrace their groove metal roots, resulting in a sound that’s both heavy and infectious.
The band’s debut single, “Curtain Call,” released in July 2022, topped the charts on “The Doors Rock Radio” for four weeks straight. Thorns of Ivory has shared the stage with South African heavyweights like Vulvodynia and Facing The Gallows and reached the Wacken Metal Battle finals in 2023.
The band’s frontman, Matthew Howes, is a true survivor, having battled and conquered cancer in 2023. Their December 2023 comeback show at the Burn Reunion in Durban was a powerful display of resilience.
Thorns of Ivory are gearing up for their first performance of 2024 at the prestigious Pit At The Polo event, where they will be joined by Chase Drewett of Scathanna Wept and The Kill, who will fill in on bass.
Their new single, “Dogs of War,” draws inspiration from the political landscape of 2020-2023 and has become even more relevant with recent global conflicts. The band aims to convey the stark realities of war and its devastating impact on the lives of those involved.
“This song focuses on the abject horror experienced by those who are not given a choice and only have orders,” comments the band. “War is not glorious. The cost of life, the mental state of those on the ground, and the permanent damage it leaves is not something to be sought after.”
The track’s writing process was a journey, taking a couple of months to complete as the band navigated the direction of the song. The final lyrics were inspired by a war novel by Frederick Forsyth, with Howes crafting vivid imagery from there.
Recorded, mixed, and mastered in-house by the band themselves, “Dogs of War” showcases their ability to combine textured heavy groove with pace. As Howes is a qualified sound engineer, Thorns of Ivory’s recording process is meticulously crafted.
To bridge the gap between last year’s debut “Anthems Of The Lost” and a new longplayer planned for 2025, Berlin thrashers Deimos’ Dawn and frontman Marc Grewe were in the studio earlier this year to record a few new songs.
As a first taste of these recordings, the track “God Of Pain” is now released as a digital single on all download and streaming platforms, as well as a video on YouTube! The band is currently working on possibly releasing the recorded songs on vinyl in the course of the year, but it is still a little early for concrete information on this. In any case, you will have the opportunity to see the quartet live this year, for example in Wacken or at Metal Frenzy. You can find the confirmed dates below.
Livedates 14.06. Metal Frenzy Open Air, Gardelegen 31.07. Wacken Open Air, Wasteland Wednesday 26.10. Hannover, Subkultur, Final Cry Anniversary Fest
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 ) 