Technical Death Metal veterans Gory Blister just unleashed their latest masterpiece of Death Metal… a new music video for their song ‘Profound Sedation’, a standout track from their monumental album Reborn from Hatred which was released via Eclipse Records in the Fall of 2023. The brutal new video was directed by Maurizio Del Piccolo and contains footage recorded live during their performance at the Firenze Metal Fest in Florence, Italy.
“This isn’t just another video for us” says lead vocalist John St. John. “it’s a cinematic odyssey into the depths of darkness, capturing the raw energy of our live performance that will leave you captivated. Movidel Productions captured this performance amidst the fiery atmosphere of the Firenze Metal Fest at Viper Theater in Florence. As evidenced in the video, the fervent enthusiasm of the fans was palpable and left an indelible mark on the genre. Now, with the release of this electrifying music video, we invite you to immerse yourself fully in our world of sonic fury and unbridled passion. Get ready to be enthralled, get ready to be consumed. “Profound Sedation” is poised to redefine the metal music experience.”
Cover Art by Iron Doom Design
The seventh album by Gory Blister is entitled Reborn from Hatred. The brutally-technical full-length release contains eleven masterful songs, with artwork by Augusto Peixoto of Iron Doom Design. It was Produced by Raff Sangiorgio and Gianluca D’andria, mixed by Ricardo Borges (Sepultura, Kreator, Carcass) at Fascination Street Studio, and mastered by Peter Brussee (Steve Vai, Yingwie Malmsteen) at Q Point Studio, and it is available everywhere now. The music on the album screams for us to go hard, all the way, face-first into the den of our demons so we can wear their blood on our faces like war paint. The drum licks come in hurricanes of 4/4 and mixed meter time signatures, with the bass replacing our own pounding hearts. The guitars on this record, while scorching, are patterned with such complexity, that there is a raucous intricacy to what is delivered as delicious and violent. This is personal. Gory Blister are not just playing music, but providing our soundtrack as we walk through the fire. There’s a zombie in the funhouse, and we’re going in with baseball bats. There’s a rabid jackal loose in the gift shop, and we’re going in with a net. There’s a circus clown slaughtering people in the freak tent, and we’re going in with machetes, broadswords, and Mineral Mountain Battle Hatchets. The band never tells us to play nice, and like a muse inspires artists to create, Gory Blister shows us the way retool the darkness.
American progressive/heavy metal adepts HALCYON WAY will return with a three track digital EP titled “Night Crawling”, set for release on May 31st via Agonia Records. The EP features two brand new compositions and a cover of Miley Cyrus’s song, which can be listened to, below.
“Like just about every band out there, the pandemic was a huge kick in the dick for Halcyon Way, and we had a lot of tours canceled or postponed,” comments guitarist Jon Bodan. “We had a period of serious writer’s block that we finally punched through and we’re hard at work on a new record for a 2024 release. However, we decided to have some fun recording a cover version of Night Crawling by Miley Cyrus and we decided to release an EP with that as well as 2 more tracks. So we hope you enjoy the new tunes and we will see you on the road soon!”
HALCYON WAY is the ultimate example of blue-collar work ethic, self-reliant bootstrapping, and hard work & perseverance in spite of nearly insurmountable odds. The award winning band has released four albums worldwide, performed on 4 continents, and about 20 countries and counting. The band has toured extensively with the likes of Saxon, Sabaton, Queensryche, Fates Warning, Fozzy, Skid Row, U.D.O., Delain, Geoff Tate’s Operation: Mindcrime and most recently Metal Church (2018’s North American tour). HALCYON WAY‘s sound cannot be neatly slotted into any sub-category of metal. It can be described as heavy, catchy, technical, progressive and above all, focused on strong songcraft. From Megadeth to Dream Theater, to Testament and Chimaira – HALCYON WAY draws influences & inspiration from many metal bands. Their last installment – 2018’s “Bloody But Unbowed” – pleased the fans with a magnitude of catchy hooks, vocal harmonies a la King’s X or Stryper, and heavy, technical, yet ultimately accessible instrumentation.
The new EP “Night Crawling” was mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis (Whitechapel, Trivium, Bad Wolves, Threat Signal). The song “Night Crawling” was mixed by Zach Householder.
Tracklisting: 1. Night Crawling (Miley Cyrus cover) 2. Insufferable 3. Stand for Something
Line-up: Steve Braun – vocals Jon Bodan – lead guitars, backing vocals, programming Max Eve – rhythm guitars Skyler Moore – bass, backing vocals Aaron Baumoel – drums
Babylon A.D. announce their brand new studio album “Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day” to be released May 17th on Perris Records. It’s been 6 years since the last studio album “Revelation Highway” came out and the band has grown a lot since then. The live album that was released last year, ”Live Lightning” really super-charged the band to get back on their game and they really put a lot of time and effort into the album and it really paid off. The band had over 20 songs to choose from and they picked what they believe are the best 11 tracks to represent the band’s sound and direction.
You can pre-order the autographed CD bundle at perrisrecords.com/babylon-a-d
Songs like the opening adrenaline rushed driving track, “Wrecking Machine”, the slow burn metal rocker “Pain”, and the atmospheric “Crashed Into The Sun”, really capture the bands diversity of musical tastes and the input of the band members contributions. While songs like “Face Of GOD”, “I Will Never Break Again” and “Sometimes Love Is Hell” are all great ballad musical arrangements and really have some interesting lyrical content and visual story telling that Vocalist/Songwriter Derek Davis has written for the listener. The big hook choruses the band is known for like the title track “Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day”, “White Hot Bullet and the very melodic track “Looking For A Heartbeat” reminisce their first album.
Vintage Artwork Concept Design – Derek Davis
Derek Davis is really excited about the new record, “The fans are really gonna love the new Babylon A.D. album. You know what they say’ “Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day” and this album took some time but “man was it worth the wait! We got real lucky to have Grammy award winner David Donnelly ‘DNA Mastering’ to master the album, he’s done many top records we’ve all heard, ‘Motley Crue”, Chicago”, Aerosmith”, Slash” and a whole lot more bands we all know. This guy has got a great ear and knows his turf.”
Tom Mathers, Perris Records President shared his thoughts on the new album, “The new “Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day” studio CD is what the Babylon A.D. fans have been waiting for. It is like the band went back in time and captured the style and influence of their debut “Self titled” release on Arista Records. The opening track “Wrecking Machine” is a hard driving rocker & “Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day” has a HUGE killer chorus that you will be singing along with. This release guarantees every Babylon A.D. fan will not be disappointed.”
Babylon A.D. can’t wait to start playing the songs live and have some very exciting shows coming up, The ‘Whisky Go A Go’ in June and ‘Monsters On The Mountain’ in August in Gatlinburg Tennessee.
Upcoming Babylon A.D. Tour Dates: May 18th – Retro Junkie – Walnut Creek CA June 7th – Whisky go Go – Hollywood CA Aug 3rd – Fulton 55 – Fresno CA Aug 25th – Monster On Mountain – Gatlinburg TN Sept 21st – Horsefest – Newark CA
Looking For A Heartbeat 4:21 D. Davis – R. Freschi
I Will Never Break Again 7:00 D. Davis – J. Matthews
White Hot Bullet 3:45 D. Davis
Crashed Into The Sun 4:52 D. Davis – R. Freschi – D. Soto – C. Pepe
Face Of GOD 6:30 D. Davis
Shut Up 4:31 D. Davis – D. Soto – C. Pepe
Super Beast 3:43 R. Freschi – J. Matthews – D. Soto
Album details: Produced, Mixed, Engineered by Derek Davis @ The BADMOFO’s Recording Studio, Pleasanton, CA. Drums recorded by Gabriel Shepard @ 25th Studios Oakland CA. Mastered By David Donnelly, DNA Mastering Los Angeles CA.
Band Members
Derek Davis – Vocals, Keyboard, Guitar Ron Freschi – Lead Guitar, Background vocals John Mattews – Lead Guitar Craig Pepe – Bass, Background vocals Dylan Soto – Drums / Background vocals
Background vocals *I Will Never Break Again* Lane Borchard
Following the critically acclaimed debut of their lead single “Stay Free,” Black Country Communion, the celebrated rock supergroup featuring Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Jason Bonham, and Derek Sherinian, has unveiled “Red Sun,” the second single from their eagerly awaited fifth studio album, ‘V,’ out June 14th. Available now on all major streaming platforms, “Red Sun” showcases the collective genius of Hughes and Bonamassa, both in its powerful lyrics and profound musical composition. Produced by the band’s longtime collaborator, Kevin Shirley, the song is a testament to the group’s evolving sound and undeniable chemistry.
“Red Sun” is a lyrical journey through the depths of the soul, echoing the struggles and revelations that come with life’s challenges. The song’s rich narrative and compelling melody are enhanced by the band’s signature blend of hard rock and blues, marking yet another milestone in their storied career. “This band allows me to embrace all of it,” comments Bonamassa. “It’s funny because the four musicians up here – everybody brings a certain thing to this that’s very specific. Every part is irreplaceable. For me, it’s about playing old-style rock guitar, loud.”
Hughes adds, “We make music for the five of us. We make music that we love and like, hoping it registers with everyone else. We don’t make it for record companies, or this guy or that guy.” Sherinian credits producer Kevin Shirley for keeping the band’s creative energies focused, adding, “We got to give Kevin Shirley massive credit because he controls. He keeps it all flowing.”
“Red Sun” is a profound piece in Black Country Communion’s discography, showcasing the band’s growth and mutual respect. It stands as a beacon of their shared philosophy — to create music that is authentic, heartfelt, and a reflection of their collective experiences and musical prowess.
As Black Country Communion gears up for the release of ‘V,’ “Red Sun” serves as a compelling preview of what fans can expect from the album. The release follows the band’s performance at the Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale, FL, which marked their first live performance in the U.S. in over 11 years. This event, along with their appearance on the Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea cruise, signifies an exciting new chapter for the band and their fans around the world.
Album cover artwork by Hugh Syme
Track Listing: 1. Enlighten 2. Stay Free 3. Red Sun 4. Restless 5. Letting Go 6. Skyway 7. You’re Not Alone 8. Love And Faith 9. Too Far Gone 10. The Open Road
About Black Country Communion BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION is a powerhouse supergroup fusing the incredible talents of Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Trapeze), Joe Bonamassa (Blues Rock Legend), Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin, Sammy Hagar and the Circle, Foreigner) and Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater, Sons of Apollo). Their brand of earth-shattering rock is heavily influenced by both British and American classic hard-rock and blues-rock music. The reputation they’ve cultivated after 15 years since their inception, not only as amazing songwriters, but as a powerful live act, is only exceeded by their dedication to their craft and willingness to challenge each other to make the best music imaginable.
Though they formed during the first trying year of the pandemic, Black Lava erupted on their scorching debut. Now, just two years later, these Aussies are roaring back with more blackened heavy metal on The Savage Winds to Wisdom.
Watch the dark, devilish video for lead single “Ironclad Sarcophagus”:
Black Lava stir from the same cauldron of influences on The Savage Winds to Wisdom. Eerie, dissonant countermelodies and a hex of progressive rhythms boil together with sludgy, old-school death metal, spilling over into medieval fantasies. Carved from a harem of blast beats and one bone-crushing riff, “Ironclad Sarcophagus” conjures an ancient sorcerer.
“I try and stay true to the spirit of metal”, Rob Watkins says about crafting lyrics. “For this song, I pictured this ancient wizard sending out evil vibes into the world in hopes of tricking someone into opening his coffin”.
But while still crushingly heavy, Black Lava took more time to carefully conduct the mystical atmosphere that soaks through The Savage Winds to Wisdom. “Ironclad Sarcophagus” creaks open with foggy synths and slithering cymbals before a nasty groove drags it screaming from the grave. “The crypt echoes the ancient hymns“, Watkins warns before summoning another hellish growl.
“We took greater care in composing The Savage Winds to Wisdom“, says guitarist Ben Boyle. “This album has a real sense of balance that lends to repeat listens, while still staying true to what we set out to do: create heavy but anthemic tunes that tell a powerful story”.
The video for “Ironclad Sarcophagus” also has more layers than meets the eye. What appears to be another customarily Satanic metal video turns on a knife’s edge into something even more bloody and sinister.
“Witness the damnation of all that remains unholy”, Watkins warns of the video. “Resurrected only to reap the taste of eternal sleep in the cold, absent black of an ironclad Sarcophagus. Hear the tortured whispers of perdition summon cries of triumph from the breast of the usurp, driven by lust for wicked power. A tale of avarice and death played out to the annihilating tones of Blackened Metal antagonists Black Lava”.
The video for “Ironclad Sarcophagus” was filmed, directed and edited by Colin Jeffs. It was produced by Black Lava. The story was written by Ryan Pett.
Additional credits Makeup and set design – Renee Schultz and Selena Hema Actors – Bridget D’Agata and Jim Luxford.
Track list 1. Colour of Death (6:44) 2. Dark Legacy (4:08) 3. Wrapped in Filth (4:03) 4. Unsheathing Nightmares (4:45) 5. Summoning Shadows (6:03) 6. Ironclad Sarcophagus (4:08) [WATCH] 7. Pagan Dust (4:46) 8. Sanguis Lupus (5:21) 9. The Savage Winds to Wisdom (7:07) Total runtime: 47:12
Not even the most stifling period in recent history could contain Black Lava. Despite being kept under strict lockdown during the pandemic, these Aussies were just stewing together, waiting to erupt. Now, only two years removed from their smoldering debut, the band are roaring back with even more mythical firepower on The Savage Winds to Wisdom.
“Our second album is a step up from the first in all aspects”, drummer Dan Presland says. “We took more time on the songwriting. The Savage Winds to Wisdom shows exactly where we want to take our music”.
Though possessed by an ancient and mysterious alchemy, Black Lava formed with the ease of a natural spring. Over the past decade, all four members have crossed paths around the various corners of Melbourne’s metal underground. On top of their progressive all-instrumental vision quests in Vipassi, Presland also drums alongside Hadal Maw guitarist Ben Boyle in the grinding, tech-death, underground curiosity A Million Dead Birds Laughing. But when the two got together to blow off steam amidst quarantine at Presland’s newly minted home studio, they were pleasantly surprised by the darkness that swept over these jam sessions.
“Both of us were dealing with a lot of pent-up frustrations”, Presland remembers. A few weeks before, his flight home from America (where he was supposed to track the drums for Ne Obliviscaris’ fourth album Exul) touched down hours before Australia closed its borders. “But that anger, coupled with our need to keep creating, led us in a different direction”.
Progressive metal was still a clear undercurrent, but the songs that came spewing out were unusually heavy. Death and black metal held more sway, though sludgy rock n’ roll also found its way into the mix. Such a peculiar range of influences required a vocalist with a very particular set of pipes. Fortunately, Rob Watkins jumped at the opportunity to reunite with Presland, who was the drummer in their thrash band Metalstorm. With Watkins’ Blackhelm bassist Tim Anderson added to the fold, Black Lava burst onto the scene in 2022 with their smoldering debut.
“Soul Furnace more than lives up to those lofty expectations”, Distorted Sound hailed, “proving to not only be a late contender for album of the year, but also one of the more impressive debut albums of recent years”.
Black Lava wasted no time in keeping the juices flowing. The band was already hard at work on their second album while the first one was hot on the shelves. The Savage Winds to Wisdom stirs from the same cauldron of influences. Lead single “Ironclad Sarcophagus” echoes from the crypt with eerie countermelodies and a rhythm section that’s more bewitching than a spell book.
“I pictured this ancient wizard sending out evil vibes into the world in hopes of tricking someone into opening his coffin”, Watkins says. “When writing lyrics, I try and stay true to the spirit of metal. But really, I’m just channeling how the music makes me feel”.
If Soul Furnace was like stumbling upon the entrance to an ancient cave, then The Savage Winds to Wisdom is a fiery, full-blown descent into the belly of the beast. “Dark Legacy” rings through the long black night with one sustained roar of a guitar roar, like an angry, one-eyed ogre. But while the songs came quickly, with Presland and Boyle carving out monstrous riffs and scaly grooves for Watkins to splatter his medieval fantasies, Black Lava took their time with this album. It’s not until nearly three minutes into the opening number, after “Colour of Death” has boiled to a full headbang, that the first of its many horns-up roars is unleashed.
“There was greater care taken with compositions on The Savage Winds to Wisdom”, Boyle says. “There’s more depth and layering to the riffs and melodies. Calling on a more broad list of inspirations and tones, the album has a real sense of balance, a certain quality that will lend itself to repeat listens and attention to detail, while still staying true to what Black Lava set out to do; create heavy, yet energetic and catchy anthemic tunes that tell a story and emanate a sense of atmosphere and power for the listener.”
True to its name, The Savage Winds to Wisdom swirls within a deeper and darker sense of atmosphere. Whereas before their bang-bang approach to songwriting resembled something closer to a punk rock band, this time around, Black Lava concentrated more on atmosphere. “Unsheathing Nightmares” reveals its root source of terror in careful layers, mutating from raw black metal and razor-sharp tech-death into a rainy, ambient hellscape. “That’s one of the songs that really excited me”, says Watkins, who calls upon a coven of witches by digging into the slimier depths of his baritone.
The title track is big enough to stand alone as its own self-contained world. Winding over the course of seven eventful minutes, it’s the longest and perhaps most ambitious song in Black Lava’s musical geology. Blast beats pound like hail beneath waves of distortion that crash with the force of a monsoon. “The silents of fate” Watkins reckons, like a sea captain stranded among the wreckage. “The thousand winds swirl the soul”. Swept up by a screeching solo from special guest Ben Baret (Ne Obliviscaris), the song whirls into an unstoppable force, a torrential finale that brings this album to a truly epic conclusion.
“We sharpened our tools with this album”, the band says. “We went a little more brutal and that sets the tone for where we’ll head in the future.
On The Savage Winds to Wisdom, Black Lava conduct a perfect storm.
Recording line-up Dan Presland (drums) Ben Boyle (guitar) Ben Boyle (bass) Rob Watkins (vocals)
Guest musician Benjamin Baret (Ne Obliviscaris, Vipassi) plays the guitar solo on “The Savage Winds to Wisdom”.
Live line-up Dan Preslans (drums Ben Boyle (guitar) Nick Rackham (bass) Rob Watkins (vocals)
Recording studio Bushido Studios in Melbourne, Australia
Producer and sound engineer Troy Mccosker
Mastering, mixing and engineering Studio Fredman and Fredrick Nordstrom
In late 2022, ALTAR OF OBLIVION signed a deal with From the Vaults and released last year’s “Burning Memories”-EP serving as an appetizer for their upcoming fourth full-length. But NOTHING could foresee what was to come. “In The Cesspit Of Divine Decay”, the new album from the Danish epic doomers, is a concept album based on the diary of guitarist Martin Meyer Sparvath’s maternal great-grandfather Jesper Wilhem Meyer, who reluctantly fought for the German Empire during The Great War (1914-1918).
Preparations for this aural endeavour began in 2005, when the band tracked a demo version of what years later would morph into the now completed album, which was originally supposed to be the debut full-length of the early duo incarnation of the band. This album contains some of the band’s first ever creations, and in many ways, it can be regarded as some sort of Altar Of Oblivion-prototype, bringing forth and spewing out their darkest and most traditional epic doom-work to date.
During and since the pandemic, Altar Of Oblivion have been in recording mode, finishing both new and old stuff, including two full-lengths, two EPs and an acoustic album, enabling the band to take a well-deserved studio-break in order to focus on live shows from now on. A number of gigs have been confirmed for 2024, and the collective is now looking forward to hitting the stage again, heavier, older and more invigorated than ever. Time will tell if playing live is the right cure for a severe case of discoloured studio tan.
“In The Cesspit Of Divine Decay” will be released on LP (black vinyl) and digital formats on June 28th, 2024 via From The Vaults. Pre-order are available here.
1. Nothing Grows From Hallowed Ground 2. The Fallacy 3. Ghosts In The Trenches 4. Mark Of The Dead 5. Altar Of Oblivion 6. The Night They Came 7. Silent Pain 8. Damnation 9. In The Cesspit Of Divine Decay 10. Wind Among Waves
Lineup: Mik Mentor – vocals Martin Meyer Sparvath – guitars & guitar-synth Jeppe Campradt – guitars C. Nørgaard – bass Danny Woe – drums Jannick Nielsen – keyboards
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 ) 