As one of the more dynamic vocalists of the early ‘90s, NYC native Ray West’s defiant screams and guttural wails defined a generation of headbangers. The leader of Spread Eagle, West aided in the creation of such metal anthems such as “Switchblade Serenade” and “Devil’s Road.” And now, with his collaborator/bassist/producer, Miguel Gonzalez, by his side, West has created his most personal music and songwriting yet. Brimming with heavy urban power grooves, SupaFly represents an evolution for West. SupaFly’s the Vibe is due out on March 8 via Deko Entertainment (ADA/Warner Music Group) and features revisited and remastered versions of tracks previously recorded, as well as new compositions.
“SupaFly’s music is on the heavier side,” explains West. “It’s got an urban groove, emotionally charged lyrics that come from a place of strength–and much vulnerability. And since I’m an open book, that’s cool with me. While Spread Eagle is a quintessential NYC, high-energy, hard rock n’ roll band…SupaFly is old school with new school sensibilities. The singer is confident that longtime Spread Eagle fans will also appreciate SupaFly. In a recent success, SupaFly released a cover of the KC and the Sunshine Band classic “I’m Your Boogie Man” for Halloween, immediately connecting with fans (with the song’s video getting over 30K views upon release).
SupaFly hits again just before the holidays with the extremely personal track “Hypothermia.” West explains the story behind the song, “A talented musician with dreams of stardom gets a record contract only to become disillusioned with the life he’s chosen. He turns to drugs to mask his emotional downfall. And the person who loves him unconditionally is helpless to save him.” “’Hypothermia’ is like driving down a foggy coastal mountain highway – it’s lonely road,” adds Gonzalez.
The Vibe contains ten tracks – featuring both aforementioned singles along with the standout track “Drowning Man,” which will hit on January 26.
Looking forward, West plans to remain busy and introduce his new band to the masses, “Keep writing SupaFly music, spread the vibe worldwide, and play live shows. Because if you’re not playing shows, then what’s the point?”
VIPASSI laid the groundwork for their mind-bending instrumental passages back in 2017, when they debuted Śūnyatā. The Australian quartet built on that solidly progressive foundation last month with the release of “Phainesthai”, the first single and keystone of their new album Lightless.
Today, the band are handing us another key. “Labyrinthine Hex” weaves a maze of intricate melodies and rhythmic complexities into a symphony of emotions.
The accompanying studio playthrough reveals not only the technical virtuosity of each member but also their telepathic chemistry. Watching the way they play off each other, it’s no wonder that Vipassi can spin epic stories without uttering a word.
In Buddhist tradition, VIPASSI is the twenty-second of the twenty-eight Buddhas. Etymologically, the name has its roots in clear vision – a being of extreme contemplation. The band of the same name is a world-spnning instrumental extreme metal band from the lands of Australia, France and the UK.
With members of acts such as Ne Obliviscaris, Black Lava, Hadal Maw & Virvum, their work on the 2017 debut album ‘Sunyata’, which has a loose signification of Emptiness or Void, set the grounds for a technically impressive and fully instrumental exploration of sonic textures in what can best be described as – a divine experience reaching the depths of the human soul.
Originally made as a project between Daniel Presland (Drums) and Ben Boyle (Guitars) as far back as 2007 to explore new concepts and sounds not currently engaged by their projects at the time, the band has since then grown and expanded to an international connection of like-minded musicians and virtuosos with Arran McSporran (Fretless Bass) and Benjamin Baret (Guitars).
Further exploring their labyrinthine textures and layers of sounds, the band VIPASSI is back with their sophomore album ‘Lightless’. The album shifts from the realm of the void towards a clash of light and dark – and sees the band expanding into even more technical and experimental realms, pushing the limits of their own ideas and abilities to heights unimagined when the band began all those years ago.
Lineup Daniel Presland – Drums Ben Boyle – Guitars & Synths Arran McSporran – Fretless Bass Benjamin Baret – Guitar Solos
Recording Bushido Studios, Melbourne, Australia with additional recording in Gandia, Spain & Bordeaux, France.
Production Sound Engineer – Troy Mccosker Mixing & Mastering Engineer – Mark Lewis
Ground-breaking symphonic death metal band GENUS ORDINIS DEI (Milan, Italy) just revealed another new music video entitled “The Fortress Without Gates”. This is the fourth and final video episode from the band’s new full-length concept album The Beginning which was just released worldwide on December 8, 2023 via Eclipse Records. The album was produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Tommaso Monticelli at Sonitus Studio in Crema, Italy. The video series was directed by Genus Ordinis Dei and filmed by Steve Saints.
“The Fortress Without Gates” is the fourth & final episode of The Beginning which shows us unbridled ceremonial cannibalism in a burst of horrific, violent beauty as The Brother is consumed by sensuous, barbarous tribal women, some wearing animal skulls. The magic of the music works to multiple climaxes where amazing hummingbird sixteenths lay down a red carpet for the guitarwork and emotion-filled vocals. Hearts are devoured here, and treasures are fatally ignored. Watch all four episodes of the full metal music video series The Beginning and listen to the full album at https://bio.to/thebeginning
“The video was shot at night along the sandy banks of the Adda River” says guitarist & producer Tommy Monticelli. “Throughout the day, we set up the sandy camp, decorated the ritual circle, and did the makeup. The band looked like a group of seasoned farmers. Certainly, the intense scene of the heart extraction was the most challenging and incredible ever. The props and SFX from our collaborators Beatrice Tell and Valentina Radenti were amazing. There was no room for error, but at the same time, synchronizing the extraction with the camera and the blood while actor Lorenzo (The Shaman) performed was a real feat. There were actually two hearts, one edible (less realistic) and one absolutely inedible. The edible one tasted like terribly sweet raspberry. We spent a fantastic day together with all the fantastic girls, assistants, and actors who collaborated in the shooting. We will never forget it!” Guitarist & vocalist Nick Key adds, “This final episode recounts the epilogue of this story and the genesis of a mysterious black stone that the brother now wears around his neck. The brother’s return to the tribe is welcomed by The Shaman, who, along with his harpies, escorts him towards the dreadful cannibalistic ritual he must undergo. In the midst of this whirlwind of emotions, the brother is placed on the altar, and his mind returns to the last farewell and embrace shared with his sister during their journey.”
(Cover art by Andrea Spoto)
The Beginning is the fourth studio album from symphonic death metal band Genus Ordinis Dei, which redefines the way we listen to music and process cinematic theater. In simpler terms, the final product is an exceptional twelve-track album and a stunning set of representative videos called “Episodes,” that directly address the way we use our senses. Interspliced in a clever foreshadowing technique, are images of blood pouring over a stone, advancing like the crooked fingers of some skeletal miscreant, and when The Brother character starts singing, we are startled into the recognition that this is not merely some standard high-quality film, but the vibrant offspring we get from a brilliant, well-produced metal album. Symbolically, the parallel is clear. We are watching exquisite savages at the dawn of existence, who are shockingly similar to us in terms of their passion, physicality, and natural tendencies toward glorified violence. More thematically, Genus Ordinis Dei shows us quite clearly that brutality is the lifeblood of society, as we still so ironically fool ourselves with carefully crafted social constructs. The Beginning is not just music. It is an experience. A red dawn. An awakening.
January 26, 2024 will see German melodic death metal act HIRAES – featuring former members of DAWN OF DISEASE and CRITICAL MESS – furiously kick off the new year with the release of their sophomore studio album Dormant via Napalm Records!
Following the previously shared, thunderous album opener “Through The Storm”, today, HIRAES are premiering a music video for their brand new single, the fast-paced rager “We Owe No One”! The concept for the video comes from singer Britta Görtz and GUP Media is responsible for the realization.
The band comments about the track and video: “Catchy – groovy – thrilling! Today we present you our rebellious anthem and second single “We Owe No One”. Embedded in an intense sound and filled with anthemic melodies that will burn themselves into your brain, the song creates a gripping sense of unity that can be transferred to our entire metal community. The track goes straight to the front and in the video we have given free rein to our creativity together with the camera team. Put the song on continuous rotation, watch the video and don’t forget: We Owe No One!“
Compared to their lauded 2021 debut, Solitary, it’s immediately evident that HIRAES did not only grow within their sound due to countless live appearances, but have invested more time and energy into developing their sophisticated songwriting and production, leaning further into their own unique sound profile. Due to the use of varying keys and sonic elements, Dormant is undoubtedly fresh without sacrificing the nuances that caused their first album to connect so successfully with fans.
With their very first offering, HIRAES already created an exciting new melodic death emergence, built upon a brutalized vocal attack, intense melodies and aggressive guitars. On Dormant,HIRAES flexes their own trademarks in an intensified way, ranging from versatile drumming, catchy riffs and hymn-like melodies to enthralling soundscapes and the impressive vocal onslaught of singer Britta Görtz. Dormant is a stirring, intense and dynamic death metal affair that is both heavily brutal and dark, yet full of melodic melancholy. This album is highly recommended for fans of Insomnium, Dark Tranquillity, Arch Enemy, Amon Amarth and At The Gates!
The band recently said:
“The album will grab you with its intensity from the first second on and won’t let you go. We invested a lot of energy, dedication and passion to create this monumental and melancholic piece of melodic death metal. Having played countless shows over the last two years, Dormant captures the energy of HIRAES’ live performances and places the songs right between heart and gut.
Once again, none other than the talented staff of Fascination Street Studios are responsible for the refinement of our sound. Jens Bogren and Ricardo Borges did an excellent work on the record. We are so much looking forward to unleashing Dormant upon all those metalheads out there!“
KILL THE THRILL are blessed with a uniquely elusive vision. The French duo have been dreaming up an abrasive-but-hypnotic blend of industrial rock, post-punk and dark wave. Heck, the title track off their upcoming fifth album, Autophagie, arrived with a surreal fever dream of a video that could give David Lynch nightmares.
Today, Kill the Thrill are releasing yet another cinematic video for their new single.
At nearly 10 minutes, “Capitan” is an epic, albeit patient voyage. The video’s opening shot appears slowly out of the darkness, like the camera is wiping sleep from its eye. Strings buzz like flies as the riff crests into an industrial-sized groove behind Nicolas Dick’s weathered croon.
The seas have slipped over the cities The sky laughs above us Embarked on the ship of fools
A sea of disjointed images floods the screen: sunken statues, blooming flora, hummingbirds suspended in mid-flight. Somehow, these surreal visions come together, gravitating around the song’s steadily roving drumbeat, as if assembled by their own dream logic. Before the final curtain, a synth-streaked climax roars with all the terror and wonder of life itself.
Here’s what Dick and bassist Marylin Tognolli have to say about their new single:
“‘Capitan’ is an inhabited vessel, engulfed by reality, on its way to its own shipwreck. It is not a shipwreck conceived as divine punishment, but as an almost beneficent fate for what finds no place in the company of men. The cycle swallows everything and spits it out, the simulacra, the organic and the inert. The clip was edited as a narrative, with each image forming part of the allegory. An allegory of earthly and temporary paradises”.
Autophagie comes out January 26, 2024 on Season of Mist.
1. Tout va bien se terminer (8:53)2. À la dérive (5:36) 3. Le dernier train (10:30) 4. Autophagie (4:21) [WATCH HERE] 5. Capitan (9:21) [WATCH HERE] 6. Cluster headache (5:38) 7. Les enfants brûlent (4:10) 8. Je suis là (5:40) 9. Ahan (5:47) Total: 59:56
KILL THE THRILL was formed in 1989 and is composed of Nicolas Dick on vocals, guitar and lap-steel, Marylin Tognolli on bass for its founding members. Stemming from the French noisy wave of the early 90’s, their music is often described as dark, abrasive and hypnotic, full of epic moments, with a dense and rich sound mixing elements of industrial rock, post-punk, dark new wave and experimental metal.
Forging an atmosphere as dreamy as chaotic, with multiple layers and atmospheres, sometimes ambient, sometimes more hostile. Kill the Thrill interlaces orchestrated soundscapes, enriched with innumerable layers and arrangements, playing amongst the rifts to create a unique and personal work, so far from everything and so close to everyone. The group released its first album in 1993 entitled DIG, followed by an EP: PIT (on the labels Noise Product CH and Semetary), and at that time had three musicians, already working with samples and playing with blocks of sound.
In 1996, the trio became a duo with a second album entitled LOW (Noise Product CH), recorded, mixed and produced by Nicolas Dick. The artist ErikM intervened on the interludes with sound tracks which frame each title of the group. The album is hailed by the press as a perfect balance between melody and distortion.
Over the years, tracks have appeared on a large number of compilations: La Famille (Noise Product Belgium), Serial Killer Vol 1 (Roadrunner), Brutale Generation (Semetary / WMD), Ah Quelle Belle journée (Amanita records), A Wild State Of Noise And Disorder (Pandemonium), 5 Years Of Fury (Noise Product CH), Tribute To Godflesh (Nihilistic H. Rec.), Fear Drop 14 : “Coal Fire” The Cure masterpiece Pornography, Dark 80’s (Atropine Records) etc.
Frederic De Benedetti joined the band on guitar and it’s again as a trio that the album 203 BARRIERS was released by Season Of Mist in 2001, the album again entirely recorded and produced by Nicolas Dick. With this new opus Kill the Thrill’s music has evolved towards a daring, disturbing and more extreme sound. With international promotion and distribution, signing with the label Season Of Mist allowed an opportunity of further development for the band.
Kill the Thrillhas shared stages all over Europe with other artists such as Godflesh, Killing Joke, Zeni Geva, Isis, Young Gods, Treponem Pal, Einstürzende Neubauten, La Muerte, Neurosis, Jesu, Jim Rose Circus, Grötus, Dillinger, Escape Plan, Dälek, etc.
The album TELLURIQUE released in 2005 (Season Of Mist, recorded and produced by Nicolas) combines a cold and clinical industrial/metal sound with a new wave sensibility, bathed in a heavily melancholic atmosphere, but leaning more in the direction of noisy, distorted shoegazing mists than the fires of metal. The album is described by the press as an organic journey in which you must immerse yourself to feel its harshness and beauty.
This exacerbated trio asserts itself as a true entity in symbiosis, with an unfiltered and no holds barred take on music and sound. Anger has no origin, and when the events from which it arises, physical bodies and soundwaves, can no longer contain patience and intelligibility, the sounds become the violence.
But with Kill the Thrill, violence is always suggested more than frontally expressed, it remains hemmed in and contained.
In 2015 the band reissued its first under the title 1989 (Atypeek Records), a digital-only album intended as a nod to KILL THE THRILL’s origins. During a few years of silence put to good use on the personal and musical projects of the members of the group, Kill the Thrill took the time to polish a new version which should be released at the beginning of 2024.
The band has released a limited number of albums in its career so far, but is resistant to all erosion, the secret of its longevity residing in the timelessness of the music.
An atypical band whose music is enough to itself ; a discrete band for imposing music ; a group which reveals next to nothing but pursues its sonic quest, outside of common standards. A living ambiguity: cold and hot, the calm and the storm.
“A long flow of orgasmic lava, a wave of shimmering noises that carries away everything in its path. One immerses oneself entirely in its bewitching atmospheres. We leave for a long descent on a carpet of guitars, their richness is inside, under this heap of notes and noises, under this black and disturbing mass. It’s up to you to understand what you can during a journey that is sublime”.
To Kill the Shiver reaches for the ineffable.
Line-up Nicolas Dick – Lead vocals, guitar, lap steel, sample Marylin Tognolli – Bass Guitar François Rossi – Drums
Switzerland’s legendary industrial black metal force SAMAEL unleash their live album, Passage – Live, out on February 16, 2024 via Napalm Records! Recorded during a sold-out concert in Krakow on the last day of the European leg of the “Passage 25th Anniversary Tour”, Passage – Live offers a fresh take on the highly influential original album released in 1996. Played live in its entirety, the album gets a makeover on the new live recording, with a raw and boisterous sound!
SAMAEL creates energetic and rousing nuances to get lost in, and with their live video for “Jupiterian Vibe” below, recorded during their shows in Lyon (FR), Essen (DE) and Erfurt (DE), they have captured the unforgettable power of their live performances on record. Watch the live video and get caught by their impressive intense atmosphere.
Vorph on “Jupiterian Vibe”: “‘Jupiterian Vibe Live’ is the first single from the forthcoming album Passage – Live, the song features a mix of heavy guitar riffs with a pachydermic rhythm. The tribal sound of percussion, coupled with industrial samples lay the foundations for the song.”
The songs of Passage – Live remain the same, but captured in the urgency of a live environment, they appear rawer and heavier than they were originally, and the maturation of a quarter-century makes them more immediate. Passage – Live is the first official recording with the band’s current line-up, and as Drop and Ales both were fans of the album before joining the band, they add new vigor and energy to the music.
Passage – Live is a testament to an album that left its mark on a generation of metal fans, as SAMAEL moved towards a more industrial sound, distancing themselves from their roots in black metal, and simultaneously breaking the band into a wider international audience. Passage has stood the test of time, remaining as fresh today as it was nearly three decades ago, and with Passage – Live, SAMAEL adds new depth to one of the most important albums in the band’s history.
Vorph says about Passage – Live: “The blend of metal, industrial and electronica that has been our trademark for almost three decades began with Passage. It’s almost ground zero for us, and we’re delighted to offer these songs a fresh approach and bring this album to life for our long-standing audience as well as those who have discovered the band recently.”
Passage – Live tracklisting: 1. Passage 2. Rain 3. Shining Kingdom 4. Angel’s Decay 5. My Saviour 6. Jupiterian Vibe 7. The Ones Who Came Before 8. Liquid Soul Dimension 9. Moonskin 10. Born Under Saturn 11. Chosen Race 12. A Man in Your Head
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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