The rising star of melodic death metal from Finland, Hagalas, is releasing the third single from their upcoming album “Mentes Reae.” The album will be available in physical format on May 31st. The song is titled “Hope Is A Lie.”
The song narrates the story of an individual who has endured numerous losses and disappointments in life. Despite their struggles, dreams, and aspirations for a better future, each endeavor has seemed futile. Witnessing hope dissipate repeatedly as fate strikes mercilessly, the protagonist is left embittered by disappointment. They come to believe that hope is merely an illusion, trapping people in empty promises. Their tale serves as a grim reminder of life’s harsh realities and how optimism can transform into cynicism in the face of repeated letdowns.
“Hope Is A Lie” is available on streaming platforms, accompanied by the band’s first official music video, viewable on Inverse Records’ and the band’s channels.
Hailed by Rolling Stone as “the Beatles of heavy metal” and ranked by MTV as the “Greatest Metal Band of All Time,” Black Sabbath not only dominated the genre— they helped create it. Founded in 1969, the band’s distinctive heavy riffs, tuned down guitars, and apocalyptic lyrics were a stark contrast to the era’s popular feel-good pop, upbeat Motown, and earnest folk music. Their ominous new sound struck a chord. To date, Black Sabbath has sold more than 70 million records worldwide.
In INTO THE VOID: From Birth to Black Sabbath—And Beyond (Dey Street: On sale: June 18, 2024), now in trade paperback, Geezer Butler tells his side of the story—and the story of his life before and after the band’s rise to fame and notoriety. With honesty, Butler writes of his childhood in Luftwaffe-battered Birmingham, England, as one of seven in a working-class Irish Catholic family, and his disillusionment with organized religion and class systems in his late teens, which would influence the lyrics and artistic themes that made Black Sabbath a sensation. From his awakening to the power of music—and his bold decision to change his career path from accountant to bassist—Butler takes readers behind the scenes of Black Sabbath’s roots, rise, and struggles. Even longtime fans of the band are bound to learn something fresh and surprising as Geezer himself recounts:
• How in 1968 he formed the Polka Tulk Blues Band with guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, and vocalist John “Ozzy” Osborne, and forged a revolutionary creative collaboration.
• The origin story of Black Sabbath. By 1969, Polka Tulk had become Earth, but kept getting mistaken for another group with the same name. Geezer suggested an original name, “Black Sabbath,” after one of their songs, which he co-written the lyrics for partly inspired by a nightmare of a black silhouetted figure standing at the foot of his bed.
• Notable appearances with Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, and The Who, and includes a groundbreaking dedication to creating the rock music equivalent of a horror film, with dark elements of the occult.
• The stories behind Black Sabbath’s biggest hits, including War Pigs,” “Iron Man,” and “Paranoid,” and important later years, culminating with their last studio album, reuniting three of the original members, and last live performance on February 4, 2017, in Birmingham.
Featuring 30 photos from Geezer’s personal collection—some never-before-published—INTO THE VOID is both an effusive tribute to one of rock’s most exciting bands and an intimate memoir of a trailblazing musician.
About the Author: Terence Michael Joseph “Geezer” Butler, best known as the longtime bassist and main lyricist for Black Sabbath, is one of the most influential bassists in heavy metal and regarded as a “founding father” of the genre. In 2006, he reformed the “Dehumanizer”-era Black Sabbath with guitarist Tommy Iommi, vocalist Ronnie James Dio, and drummer Vinny Appice as Heaven & Hell. In 2017, he took a short hiatus from music to travel and write. In 2018, he joined the British- American rock band Deadline Ritual, composed of founder and drummer Matt Sorum (Guns N’ Roses), vocalist Franky Perez (Apocalyptica), and guitarist Steve Stevens (Billy Idol). A native of Aston Birmingham, England, he makes his home in Nevada and Utah with his wife Gloria Butler, who manages Geezer and co-managed Heaven & Hell. They live with their three cats and dogs.
INTO THE VOID: From Birth to Black Sabbath—And Beyond by Geezer Butler
Dey Street Books│On sale: June 18, 2024│Trade Paperback | ISBN: 9780063242494; $19.99 For more information, please visit our book page here.
Fans of straighter metal will be delighted! After “Extreme” and “Hello Darkness”, the trio show another facet of their skills here and it is precisely this richness of facets that characterizes the band’s refreshing style!
My Merry Machine – when even the most courageous visions become reality! And My Merry Machine make sure only My Merry Machine take hold of the reins of their wheel – or better machine – of fortune! Founded with a clear vision of their music and their origins and at the same time equipped with super strong visual images and imaginations combined with the enthralling storytelling metaphoric language of their song lyrics, My Merry Machine invite us on “Total War” to their fascinating world, their very own dream factory, fueled by total dedication and unstoppable creativity! Get ready for a deep-dive with no escape-plan! Get ready for My Merry Machine!
Finnish progressive rock/metal band Kick The Giant is set to release their debut album ‘Presence’ on July 5th 2024 via Inverse Records. The second single ‘Stop Signs’ is released today and music video made by Vesa Ilkka can be seen HERE.
Lyrics by Tony Hentilä Composed by Tony Hentilä Mixed by Santtu Lehtiniemi Mastered by Svante Forsbäck Single cover by Inari Pöyhtäri
Tony Hentilä comments: “Stop Signs is one of those songs that pretty much wrote itself. The whole journey through one’s life contains so much happiness and joy but also sometimes you stumble and fall. After falling so many times on certain occasions it’s easy to lose your way and confidence in what you do and who you are. Sometimes instead of learning from our past mistakes and blunders and letting them go, we carry them with us and it is a heavy burden indeed, so i wanna see all of you leave your past behind. Leave all the darkest times and your memories that paint your highway with stop signs”
Mixed by Santtu Lehtiniemi Mastered by Svante Forsbäck Album cover by Olli Hyvärinen
It was the summer of 2013 when Oskar Ketola and Tony Hentilä got together with an idea to form a band. Tony and Oskar had already played together in several bands and therefore the core idea for the band materialised easily. Oskars’ and Tonys’ mutual friend, Riku Rahm, joined the band soon after as their first drummer. The band performed as a trio for a while with a session bass player Kai Ketola.
Several lineup changes later bass player Lauri Aho and drummer Emilio Jones joined the band and fulfilled the final lineup.
In 2014 Kick The Giant released their first single and music video “Skip!?!” which was followed by “No Boundaries” – EP in 2015. The music video for “Space Adventure Pt. 1 Pineapple” got some media attention back when the band was featured in a finnish music magazine “Soundi”. In the article Teppo Vapaus writes that the bands music is progressive, light-hearted and fun with some serious chops behind it.
The EP was followed by 2016 single and music video “Freedom” and in 2017 single “Sonja” which are the best known songs of the band..
For the past few years Kick The Giant has been working on their debut album which will be named “Presence”
Line-up: Tony Hentilä – Guitar & Vocals Oskar Ketola – Keyboards & Vocals Lauri Aho – Bass & Backing Vocals Emilio Jones – Drums, Percussions & Backing Vocals
Photo by Sanna Solanterä – Album cover art by Petri Lampela
NUUTTI HANNULA RADIANSSI release today the first single ‘Vapaan tahdon sirpaleet’ from their upcoming album “Metamorfoosi”. The song combines heavy rhythmic riffing, melodic vocal lines, and an evocative atmosphere. The theme of the lyrics revolves around the timeless question of free will, allowing each listener the opportunity to interpret the text in their own way.
Nuutti Hannula on ‘Vapaan tahdon sirpaleet’: “‘Vapaan tahdon sirpaleet’ addresses the problem of free will that has puzzled people for thousands of years. The essence of the song boils down to the question: Does life have meaning if a person is not the master of their own actions?”
“The inspiration for the lyrics stems from my deep interest in the subject, without directly stating my personal opinion on it. The question is particularly intriguing simply because of the enormous upheavals it would bring to human self-perception or even the legal system if it could be indisputably proven that humans lack control over their own actions, despite feeling otherwise.”
“The composition of the song originated from a rhythmic riff that initially came to mind as a drum beat before I transferred it to the guitar. In the chorus and outro, I aimed to create a melodic atmosphere to contrast with the heaviness of the main riff.”
“Towards the end of the song’s production, Ilari came up with an arpeggio pattern over the initial riff, which added a slightly more mysterious tone to the song. In the acoustic section at the end, you can also hear gems of Matias’ sound design, which add further depth to the overall piece, along with, of course, the entire mixing and mastering work, which bears his signature.”
“‘Vapaan tahdon sirpaleet’ is the first puzzle piece from the upcoming album “Metamorfoosi” which thematically explores transformations of both individuals and humanity as a whole.”
Nuutti Hannula Radianssi is a band led by Nuutti Hannula, who serves as a singing drummer, multi-instrumentalist, and composer. The band’s output blends progressive, atmospheric metal with Finnish lyrics. Also part of the ensemble are keyboardist Ilari Hannula and guitar and studio wizard Matias Lehtoranta.
Slowly but steadily, Danish melodic hard rockers SILVERA have been unveiling, killer single after killer single, what will be their sophomore studio album. “Sane” is the next song to be released. And it comes with a fitting official video.
For the “Sane” composition, guitar player Simon Krabbesmark had long grappled with the impactful main riff that lay on his table, unable to decipher the puzzle’s remaining pieces. However, after an extended period of puzzlement, (singer and guitarist) Michael Krogh introduced a chorus idea that breathed life into the composition, and from that point onward, the rest of the musical narrative unfolded seamlessly.
Join the premiering here:
The song lyrics aim to convey a sense of being left behind or separated from someone important, capturing the emotions of uncertainty and a desire for connection. There’s a palpable struggle to understand the choices made within the relationship. The imagery of shadows, darkness, and the interplay between internal and external perspectives suggests a deep emotional conflict and introspection that is difficult to overcome.
The new Silvera album will be released later this year.
Lineup: Michael Krogh – guitar & vocals Simon Krabbesmark – guitar & backing vocals Rasmus Lindegård Hovde – bass & backing vocals Martin Nielsen – drums
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 ) 