Photo Credit: Hugo Juarez (Juarez Photography, Heavy Defender)
Southern Californian melodic death shredders EXMORTUS have revealed the final single, ‘Storm Of Strings,’ ahead of the highly anticipated release of their 6th studio album, Necrophony, that’s out August 25th from Nuclear Blast Records. On their latest song, EXMORTUS puts their signature shred into a cover of legendary new age artist Yanni’s song ‘The Storm,’ which was based off of the great Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi’s concertos ‘The Four Seasons.’
Commenting on the single, guitarist/vocalist Conan says: “We’ve been meaning to cover this piece for a long time and now it feels right for Necrophony. Honoring two artists at once, we give you a heavy metal shred version of Yanni’s arrangement of Vivaldi’s Summer Concerto. Enjoy the groove, enjoy the passion!”
Canadian extreme-metal legends CRYPTOPSY have revealed their depraved, merciless new single, ‘Flayed The Swine,’ today! Found on the band’s first full-length album in over a decade, As Gomorrah Burns, that’s out September 8th from Nuclear Blast Records, the influential death-dealers’ latest single, ‘Flayed The Swine,’ is an accessible yet face-melting track that takes listeners down a dark and demented path to madness. In true CRYPTOPSY fashion, the track is accompanied by a horrific, blood-soaked video that will only fuel viewers’ nightmares.
Commenting on the new single, vocalist Matt McGachy says: “‘Flayed the Swine’ is one of the catchiest Cryptopsy songs I have ever written. It is brutal, filled with massive groove sections and extremely vulgar. Lyrically, it concentrates on a mental breakdown, an utter loss of control. We all have dark intentions, but we rarely act upon them. The protagonist by the end of the track most certainly wishes they hadn’t.”
VOYAGER have come a long way. The band just released their breakthrough album ‘Fearless in Love’, but they first formed back in 1999, when Daniel Estrin was studying at the University of Western Australia.
Different members have come in and out of the Voyager orbit. But by 2014, when ‘V’ came around, the lineup that would launch the progressive pop metal band all the way to Eurovision had locked into place.
Ashley Doodkorte has always been the one behind Voyager’s covert art, but this is their first album that features him on drums. You can feel his impact right from the jump. “Hyperventilating” tumbles through an asteroid field full of metallic riffage and proggy bass bends. When the chorus hits, the band shoot straight for pop stardom.
Today, Voyager are reissuing ‘V’ on CD. The new version includes two live bonus tracks. Order it from our online store HERE.
Tracklist 01. Hyperventilating (04:41) 02. Breaking Down (04:36) 03. A Beautiful Mistake (05:02) 04. Fortune Favours the Blind (01:02) 05. You, the Shallow (04:33) 06. Embrace the Limitless (03:06) 07. Orpheus (04:19) 08. The Domination Game (04:30) 09. Peacekeeper (04:47) 10. It’s a Wonder (05:11) 11. The Morning Light (05:58) 12. Summer Always Comes Again (02:21) 13. Seasons of Age (04:40) 14. Hyperventilating (Live) (Bonus Track) 15. Breaking Down (Live) (Bonus Track)
Total runtime: 52:46
Watch below the video for “Hyperventilating”
Voyagerare coming back to Europe and the UK in October! Tickets are on sale HERE.
EU/UK Dates 01 Oct 23 Cologne (DE) Euroblast Festival 02 Oct 23 Hamburg (DE) Headcrash 03 Oct 23 Berlin (DE) Cassiopeia 05 Oct 23 Warsaw (PL) Voodoo 07 Oct 23 Prague (CZ) Futurum 08 Oct 23 Budapest (HU) Durer Kert 09 Oct 23 Vienna (AT) Szene 10 Oct 23 Munich (DE) Feierwerk 11 Oct 23 Milan (IT) Legend Club 12 Oct 23 Zurich (CH) Komplex Club 14 Oct 23 Lyss (CH) Kufa 15 Oct 23 Paris (FR) Les Etoiles 16 Oct 23 Antwerp (BE) Kavka 17 Oct 23 Tilburg (NL) 013 18 Oct 23 Zoetermeer (NL) Boerderij 20 Oct 23 Manchester (UK) Club Academy 21 Oct 23 London (UK) The Dome
Line-up Danny Estrin – Vocals, Keytar Simone Dow – Guitars Alex Canion – Bass Scott Kay – Guitars Ash Doodkorte – Drums
Ukraine’s death metallers LIEWEAVER have shared a new single entitled “Last Hope”. Stream it HERE.
LIEWEAVER convince with a dark mixture of everything that is extreme, but with grooves and modern sounding, recognizable songs, that basically can be described as black hymns with pit-stirring mentality.
LIEWEAVER first began to coalesce in October 2018 through the union of vocalist Vasiliy Kutsenko, guitarist Alex Choopov, and drummer Bogdan Fesenko. Soon, guitarist Alex Reshetnuk joined the group, and together they released a a debut single, “Paradox Of Creation“. A few months later bassist Bogdan Khoroshilov joined the band, and in February 2021 Ruslan Kovtun (keys/synth) completed the line-up for the recording of “The Origin” EP, which released by Lethal Scissor Records a few months later.
After release of the EP, the band kept themselves busy by playing gigs and working on new material. The outbreak of war made the band’s activities difficult for some time, but lately LIEWEAVER have managed to return on stage and to focus on songwriting once again.
The band’s new single, “Last Hope”, can be considered the swansong of their old sound. LIEWEAVER are now working on brand new material that while retaining the heaviness of the old style, will delve into a darker spectrum of sounds and concepts.
Watch for more news on other upcoming LIEWEAVER activities to be posted shortly.
Combining modern rock anthems with emo-drenched pop-punk melodies, THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT caters to outcasts from all walks of life. Their over-the-top theatrics and loud, uncompromising music offer audiences a sense of community where the “weird kids” can let loose. The band have today (August 4) released the new single “Generation Psycho,” a sarcastic take on our current cultural climate. “Generation Psycho” will be featured on THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT’s debut album due later this year via Better Noise Music. The massive, no-holds-barred forthcoming release was co-produced by Johnny Andrews (Three Days Grace, Motionless In White, Halestorm) and Josh Landry, aka Lø Spirit (Motionless In White) while mixing and mastering was completed by Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Arch Enemy). Listen to “Generation Psycho” streaming across all digital platforms HERE. A horror-inspired music video for “Generation Psycho” can be seen streaming below or via YouTube HERE.
“‘Generation Psycho’ is a statement piece from our band, a song about the out of control feeling so many people have about our culture, our society, and our government,” shares vocalist Lee Jennings. “The song captures the creeping fear of the future, of being outcasted and abandoned, and of falling through the cracks. We are hoping to connect with the disenfranchised and struggling with this song, the people who don’t know where to turn for help or guidance. We want to offer solace for people in this situation, so they know they are not alone in their fears, worries, and anxieties for themselves & their loved ones. So often it does feel like the whole world has gone crazy. We are no strangers to it and empathize with the experience.”
THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT—Lee Jennings (vocals), Cody Weissinger (guitar), Caleb Freihaut (guitar/auxiliary), Robert Weston (bass) and Homer Umbanhower (drums)—have built an unwavering fanbase, The Coffin Crew, whom they devote their music to thus labelling their live performances as ‘devotion ceremonies.’ The ‘devotion ceremonies’ consists of full theatrics, stage décor, costumed actors and more. With previous tours alongside acts including Shinedown, Underoath, Skillet, Bad Wolves, From Ashes To New, Starset and Pvris under their belt anda main stage set at Inkcarceration Festival, THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT will bring their devotion ceremonies to audiences across the U.S. this fall. The band will next be seen opening for horror rock mainstays Ice Nine Kill for their “Silver Scream Concert” on September 9 in Lynn, MA which takes place amidst Ice Nine Kills’ horror convention, Silver Scream Con. They will then make their way to Greenville, SC on September 13 to join the “Emo Dreams Tour” with Icon For Hire, Conquer Divide and Concrete Castles. The tour will make its way across the U.S. and a stop on September 22 in Toronto, ON before wrapping up on Halloween, October 31 in Memphis, TN. All upcoming dates can be found listed below. Tickets are on sale now at www.tfpcoffincrew.com.
THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT 2023 DEVOTION CEREMONIES: 9/9 Lynn, MA – Lynn Memorial Auditorium (with Ice Nine Kills & Inspirit) 9/13 Greenville, SC – The Radio Room^ 9/15 Rochester, NY – Montage Music Hall^ 9/16 Elmira, NY – The L (The Pit)^ 9/17 Leesburg, VA – Tally Ho Theater^ 9/18 Mechanicsburg, PA – Lovedraft’s^ 9/19 Hamden, CT – Space Ballroom^ 9/20 Brooklyn, NY – Kingsland^ 9/22 Toronto, ONT – Lee’s Palace^ 9/23 Erie, PA – Basement Transmissions^ 9/24 Lakewood, OH – The Winchester^ 9/25 Columbus, OH – A&R Music Bar^ 9/26 Indianapolis, IN – Hoosier Dome^ 9/27 Grand Rapids, MI – The Stache at The Intersection^ 9/29 Joliet, IL – The Forge^ 9/30 Des Moines, IA – Leftys^ 10/1 Fargo, ND – The Aquarium^ 10/3 Billings, MT – Pub Station^ 10/4 Great Falls, MT – The Newberry^ 10/6 Boise, ID – The Shredder^ 10/7 Spokane, WA – Big Dipper^ 10/8 Seattle, WA – El Corazon^ 10/10 San Francisco, CA – Brick & Mortar^ 10/12 Fresno, CA – Full Circle Brewing^ 10/13 Anaheim, CA – House of Blues (Parish Room)^ 10/14 Los Angeles, CA – The Mint^ 10/15 San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick^ 10/17 Las Vegas, NV – The Usual Place^ 10/18 Phoenix, AZ – Rebel Lounge^ 10/19 El Paso, TX – Rockhouse^ 10/20 Rosewell, NM – The Liberty^ 10/21 Lubbock, TX – Jake’s^ 10/22 San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger (Small Room)^ 10/24 Houston, TX – Scout Bar^ 10/25 Corpus Christi, TX – House of Rock^ 10/27 Destin, FL – Club LA^ 10/30 Detroit, MI – Saint Andrews Hall (with Twiztid)
^“Emo Dreams” Tour with Icon For Hire, Conquer Divide and Concrete Castles
Trevor Rabin, the South African guitarist, singer, multi-musician, writer and producer, recently announced ‘Rio’, his first solo album of vocal material in 34 years, set for release on the 6th October 2023 worldwide. Today he is pleased to reveal the albums first single, ‘Big Mistakes’, alongside a brand new video. Watch it below.
Trevor comments: “‘Big Mistakes’ the first single on the album, is essentially about surviving my late teens/twenties, hence the lyric: ‘We played in the fire, we danced in the rain. Up all night we made Big Mistakes’. I should have called the song ‘I Can’t Believe I’m Alive.” Trevor plays all the instruments on the track, aside from the drums which were performed by Lou Molino, and backing vocals from Dante Marchi & Liz Constantine. ‘Rio’ will be available as a Ltd CD+Blu-ray Mediabook & Ltd Deluxe Gatefold Red 180g 2LP + Blu-ray (including 8-page LP-booklet and obi strip), both featuring bonus material, 5.1 surround sound & liner notes. Also available as Standard CD Jewelcase, Gatefold 180g
2LP+LP-booklet (with etching on side D), and as Digital Album. The cover for the album was created by Trevor himself: “I dabble with digital art so I sent some images of mine to the label and was pleasantly surprised when they liked them.”.
The full track-listing is as follows: 1. Big Mistakes 2. Push 3. Oklahoma 4. Paradise 5. Thandi 6. Goodbye 7. Tumbleweed 8. These Tears 9. Egoli 10. Toxic
Given that his previous vocal-led solo album, ‘Can’t Look Away’, was released in 1989 (2012’s ‘Jacaranda’ was all-instrumental), Rabin has kept us waiting for more than three decades for a follow-up. Trevor admits that there was pressure from all sides, including his own family, to have speeded up the process. However, the delay is excusable. Since leaving Yes following the ‘Talk’ album in 1994 and largely as a prequel to touring as part of ARW in 2016, the guitarist entered the time-consuming world of movie soundtracks. Not just any old movies, either. Trevor’s name appears as composer for such blockbusters as Con Air, Armageddon, Remember the Titans, Enemy Of The State, Deep Blue Sea, Glory Road, and Gone In 60 Seconds and both National Treasure movies, amongst many others. “Over the past ten years I was having ideas, concepts that I couldn’t implement due to my busy schedule,” he explains, adding: “To be honest, those years flew by in a flurry. I knew that this was the time, and once I found my momentum I worked on the album 24/7.” The process proved a labour of love and as with his first and second solo records, ‘Trevor Rabin’ and ‘Face To Face’ (from 1977 and ’79 respectively), Rabin handled just about all of the instruments himself.
Stylistically, ‘Rio’– is tough to categorize. Besides guitar-driven rock-meets-pop, ‘Goodbye’ is Country & Western with an edgy drive, while ‘Tumbleweed’ begins in a burst of harmonies. No wonder its working title was ‘The Demographic Nightmare’.
“I wanted to get into many different areas,” Rabin states. “Of course there are ‘prog things’, but overall there are a lot of styles going on.”
As mentioned, Trevor plays the majority of the instruments on the record. However, on drums for a number of tracks is Lou Molino, while Trevor also contributes some drums and percussion. Vinnie Calaiuta provides drums on ‘Push’, and Rabin’s son Ryan Rabin helped out with some of the most important percussive arrangements. Along the way Trevor also drafted in a couple of friends, Dante Marchi and Liz Constantine, to sing back up on two songs.
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