Following the release of their latest, much-acclaimed studio album, WEDERKEER (released in February 2023 via Napalm Records), today, pagan folk metal collective HEIDEVOLK have shared a new music video for the song “Drinking with the Gods (Valhalla)”. This English-language version of their Viking anthem, “Drink met de Goden (Walhalla)”, was only included on the album’s physical editions – unreleased digitally until now!
Says the band: “It has been four months already since we released WEDERKEER. The positive feedback on the album has been overwhelming. Creating an album in the Dutch language that makes these kind of waves internationally still blows our minds and proves that music transcends barriers, even that of language. Today though we present you with a different version of the celebrated track “Drink met de Goden”. The lyrics of the song have been rewritten in the English language to tell the tale to those who haven’t picked up on Dutch yet. With the new artwork by Christan Sloan Hall we intend to give you a peek into Valhalla where we’ll be “Drinking with the Gods”. Enjoy!”
The new HEIDEVOLK video for “Drinking with the Gods (Valhalla)” is now premiering here:
In a world of myths, nature and legends of the Veluwe region of the Netherlands, WEDERKEER – a concept album based on the interpretations of the runes – is a powerful odyssey deeply rooted in metal and folklore. With dual clean vocals, irresistibly catchy songs, traditional instruments and fast metal riffing all fueled by their folkloric fire and pagan pride, HEIDEVOLK has delivered an uncompromising sound and musical adventure, and WEDERKEER (meaning to “return” or “revive”) once more proves why the Arnhem-based six-piece is one of the best, unrivaled and most exciting bands of their genre and beyond.
WEDERKEER was recorded at Sandlane Recording Facilities, mixed by Joost van den Broek and mastered by Darius van Helfteren. HEIDEVOLK knows how to perfectly release proud hymns and direct, in-your-face metal songs, and the addition of broad choirs and various folk musicians on vocals, violins, cello, bukkehorns and more traditional medieval instruments, make WEDERKEER not only a bombastic folk and pagan metal record, but a glorious album return for HEIDEVOLK!
Finnish heavy metal band BYRON, which mixes its eclectic sound from NWOBHM to doom metal and back again to occult rock, was formed in 2019 and consists of long-term, competent musicians whose history lies in doom and black metal, as in hard rock and other styles of metal. BYRON currently released the full length “The Omega Evangelion” (2021) and the song “Sometimes Dead Is Better” (January 2023).
“‘Resignation’ is the second single from Byron’s forthcoming second album” says drummer and songwriter Johannes. “It is probably the angriest song I have made for the band so far, and a big personal middle finger to all politicians and priests who talk pretty words and act like the pathetic cunts they are inside. The perfect song for a sunny summer evening, that is!”
He continues “Religion has been a great motivator for discrimination, hate and aggression throughout human history and we still see religiously motivated political decisions being made in civilized countries.
We need to believe and actively participate in building a society without superstitions and focus on a better tomorrow with equality, compassion, reason, justice and empathy towards one another.”
In the words of Denis Diderot: “Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest”.
Give ear to RESIGNATION right here:
Their sophomore album, still untitled, will be released by THE GOATMANCER Records during 2023.
‘Celestial Vision’ is the Mystfall introduction to the international metal scene, combining the traditional symphonic metal sound and atmospheres with an enthralling melodramatic approach.
All the songs features catchy melodies, captivating choirs and some very tasteful orchestral arrangements; the whole record is influenced from battle, cinematic, celtic and classic music too. The superb and touching voice of frontwoman Marialena Trikoglou is the icing on the cake on a series of amazing compositions.
Lyrically wise, the ‘Celestial Vision’ concept is quintessentially philosofical, looking for an answer to the perennial “meaning of life” quest.
produced and mastered by Dionisis Christodoulatos at CFN Recording Studio
cover and artwork by Sevi Spanou/Dimons Creative Studios
DALI VAN GOGH, the electrifying Canadian rock sensation, delivered an unforgettable sold-out showcase at The Bovine Sex Club on Saturday, June 17, as part of the highly anticipated NXNE festival. With their raw energy and irresistible sound, the band set the stage ablaze, captivating the audience and solidifying their status as a rising force in the music industry.
The explosive performance by Dali Van Gogh drew in a torrential surge of fans who packed The Bovine Sex Club, resulting in a sold-out venue and an overflow of enthusiasm. As the clock struck 11 pm, the band took the stage amidst a palpable buzz, ready to deliver an exhilarating night of rock ‘n’ roll.
Lead vocalist Rachelle Moreau’s undeniable charisma and commanding stage presence gripped the crowd from the very first note. With blistering guitar riffs, thunderous drumming, and an electrifying fusion of melodic hooks, Dali Van Gogh unleashed a sonic assault that resonated deep within the hearts of every fan in attendance.
Lead vocalist Rachelle Moreau’s emotionally charged delivery, coupled with the band’s tight musicianship, fueled an adrenaline-fueled connection between Dali Van Gogh and their fans. Each song struck a chord, resonating deeply with those fortunate enough to witness this breakthrough moment firsthand. From anthemic hits like “God Help Me I Like It” to the soul-stirring ballad “Savanna,” Dali Van Gogh showcased their versatility, leaving an indelible mark on everyone in attendance.
The overwhelming support from our fans at The Bovine Sex Club was absolutely mind-blowing,” shared Rachelle Moreau, the dynamic frontwoman of Dali Van Gogh. “We poured our hearts and souls into this performance, and the energy we received in return was simply electrifying. It’s a night we’ll never forget.
Dali Van Gogh’s sold-out showcase at NXNE’s The Bovine Sex Club marks a significant milestone in their journey, propelling them to new heights and solidifying their reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the rock music scene. With their unparalleled talent and magnetic stage presence, Dali Van Gogh continues to captivate audiences and ignite a fervor that shows no signs of dimming.
JOHNNY O’NEIL announces the release of his third album “Brand New Day”. Following on the heels of 2021’s Truth Or Dare, O’Neil’s ambitious debut solo album featuring hard rock tunes that showcase his impeccable songwriting abilities, and the five-song EP, LIVE at the Southern Theater (released in 2022), Brand New Day looks at the world through a slightly different lens. Following the tumultuous events of 2020-21 including the global COVID-19 pandemic, the murder of George Floyd in O’Neil’s hometown of Minneapolis that sparked the largest racial justice protests in the United States since the Civil Rights Movement, and the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol, O’Neil wanted to create an album that sparks rejuvenation and celebrates the fact that we made it through alive, looking ahead optimistically – but without rose-colored glasses – to what comes next.
You can stream and purchase Brand New Day at: http://johnnyoneil.hearnow.com
There aren’t many musicians who cut their teeth as a founding member of a rock band that performed five nights a week, 50 weeks a year, for 11 straight years, often for an audience of thousands, just as there aren’t many musicians who hold a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. But Johnny O’Neil is a rare artist who combines expert musicianship with astute observations of the human condition gleaned as a therapist and forensic psychologist, all brought to bear on his third solo album, Brand New Day.
“Following such difficult times, I thought it was important to put out a record that rejuvenated people,” O’Neil says. “Although we’re still struggling in many ways, I wanted to say that it’s time to move on and look forward to a better day. Some rock can be really dark, but there’s already a lot of pain and suffering in this world – singing angry songs doesn’t seem to be the way to deal with that. We try to reflect positivity and hope.”
Graphic Design & cover photo: JoBa Visuals
O’Neil’s third solo effort, Brand New Day, covers broad musical territory, taking elements from the past and adding a decidedly modern twist, combining guitar-driven hard rock and R&B with hooky choruses that get stuck in your head for days. Recruiting the talents of John Funk on lead guitar, Benny Craig on bass, and Joachim Baecker on drums, as well as engineer/co-producer Brian Bart – O’Neil’s former bandmate in Dare Force – O’Neil and his full band spent months writing and rehearsing before hunkering down to record with Bart atWinterland Studios in Minneapolis, as well as the legendary Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls, Minn., where Nirvana famously recorded In Utero.
Title track “Brand New Day,” with its soaring chorus, “I’m alive, I’m feeling fine” is about “getting through one of the weirdest eras the world has ever seen,” O’Neil explains.
“My Mona,” one of three tracks on the album co-written by Johnny and his blazing lead guitarist partner, John Funk, has a distinct R&B, honky-tonk, Rolling Stones vibe, and tells the story of a touring musician sleeping in a roach-infested motel who’s missing his companion back home, even though she “treats him so cruel.”
Arguably the album’s magnum opus, “Tell Me Your Story” clocks in at almost eight minutes and features soaring, majestic string arrangements swirling around the blistering dual lead guitars of O’Neil and Funk. It was inspired by O’Neil’s experience as a forensic psychologist and therapist. “It’s about someone who comes through a therapist’s door and has been mistreated, but is reluctant to tell their story, even though they desperately need someone to listen, but fear gets in the way. The goal of the therapist is to establish rapport with clients and get them to open up, so it’s a song about hope.”
Johnny O’Neil is excited to announce a show on July 20th at the Moondance Festival in Walker, MN. Show info and tickets can be found at https://bnds.us/2kqa3x
Tracklisting
1. BRAND NEW DAY (J. O’Neil) 2. TAKE ME DOWN (J. O’Neil, J. Funk) 3. MY MONA (J. O’Neil, J. Funk) 4. IT’S TOO HARD TO SAY GOODBYE (R. Hogan)* 5. WHEN JANIE MOVED INTO TOWN (J. O’Neil) 6. IN SEARCH OF (J. O’Neil) 7. COMIN’ DOWN LIKE A MOUNTAIN (J. O’Neil) 8. HANDS UP (J. O’Neil, J. Funk) 9. DON’T BELIEVE A WORD (P. Lynott)** 10. TELL ME YOUR STORY (J. O’Neil)
Band Members: JOHNNY O’NEIL: All Lead and Harmony Vocals, Guitars JOHN FUNK: Guitars BENNY CRAIG: Bass JOACHIM BAECKER: Drums and Percussion
SPECIAL GUEST ARTISTS:
JASON PETERSON DELAIRE Saxophone on “My Mona” Piano & Organ on “My Mona,” “Hands Up” & “Tell Me Your Story”
BRIANNA JORGENSEN Backing Vocals on “Brand New Day” & “My Mona”
JASON WOLFE Violin on “Tell Me Your Story”
RECORDED AT: Pachyderm Studios Cannon Falls, MN Assistant Engineer: Nick Tveitbakk
Logic Recording Minnetonka, MN Engineer: Brian Bart
String Arrangement on “Tell Me Your Story” by Johnny O’Neil & Brian Bart EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Johnny O’Neil PRODUCED BY: The Blood Brothers – Johnny O’Neil & Brian Bart RECORDED, ENGINEERED, MIXED & MASTERED BY: Brian Bart
JOHNNY O’NEIL:
O’Neil has been in practice as a Ph.D.-level clinical psychologist for over two decades, quite a feat considering he dropped out of high school at 16 to focus on his burgeoning music career. After more than a decade of achieving many of his musical dreams, including the ‘80s with Dare Force, O’Neil decided to go back to school at the age of 28 to get his GED. He went on to earn his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota, followed by a Master’s degree and eventually a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from The Ohio State University.
Now a solopreneur in private practice as a forensic psychologist, O’Neil conducts Independent Psychological Evaluations (IPEs) of claimants involved in workers’ comp and personal injury cases, and provides courtroom testimony as an expert witness – a fascinating occupation to be sure. In fact, he found himself interviewing dozens of Minneapolis police officers who filed disability claims due to PTSD in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
Not surprisingly, for O’Neil, playing music is an invaluable form of therapy and expressing his emotions. “I don’t have a choice, I have to play music,” he says. “It’s how I’m wired and how I preserve my sanity. It’s therapy for me. I’ll be performing until my last gasp.”
O’Neil fell in love with music at the age of five, begging his parents to buy him a guitar after seeing The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show, which they finally did when he turned eight years old. The stars aligned when his future Dare Force bandmate, Brian Bart, moved in across the street when he was nine. “We had a tussle over something silly in the front yard, then my mom invited us in for a piece of cake; we’ve been thick as thieves ever since,” O’Neil says.
O’Neil and Bart immediately bonded over their mutual love of music (including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Johnny Winter, Steppenwolf, and Creedence Clearwater Revival), and quickly formed a band together. One of their first gigs was at Sunny Hollow Elementary School in 6th grade, where Bob Dylan’s younger brother, David Zimmerman, was their music teacher and introduced their band to an audience of 500-some fellow classmates.
Infusing his songwriting with his personal values of tolerance, compassion and empathy throughout his career, O’Neil believes that an important part of an artist’s job is to not only reflect what’s going on in the world, but also to comment on it and influence it. To this end, O’Neil’s driving rock tunes go beyond being simply upbeat, feel-good rock ‘n roll, to songs that really have something to say to the world.
DARE FORCE: (Johnny O’Neil’s previous band Dare Force) Dare Force was a legendary hard rock/heavy metal band based in Minneapolis that was initially founded by Johnny and Brian Bart when they were 18 years old. Dare Force released three albums in the 1980s and performed in concert with numerous national acts such as KISS, Ted Nugent, Triumph, Kansas, UFO, the Joe Perry Project, and Ratt, as well as headlining in venues throughout the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. Dare Force also had several songs that received heavy airplay on rock radio stations throughout the midwestern US in the 1980s. Dare Force released its third album, “Firepower,” with a reformed version of the band in 1989. The original lineup performed occasional reunion gigs after the long run of the original band ended in 1987, but the original version of Dare Force stopped performing live altogether after their last reunion show in 2002. Dare Force reformed yet again with a return to a four-piece lineup in 2017, and released its fourth album, “Callin’ Your Name,” in 2018.
DIRTY BUSINESS is out now via Wanikiya Record! The brand new album by the fantastic Dirty Blade! Album is available in digital format on all the best music stores and also in Audio CD version! Find the album also on the label’s showcase in Japan on Crash Sound DIstribution! Fantastic album, full of grit, pure Hard and Heavy, the right album for lovers of the purity of Thrash Metal!!!
Dirty Blade were born in 2018 thank’s to an idea of the guitarist/lead singer Simone. When the time to recruit a drummer comed, the choice was clearly Alessandro who already played with him in another band. The formation is completed first with Lorenzo and then ultimately with Leonardo. with this formation the band has recorded their first songs: bring her to the grave and It’s Fuck. For Bring her to the grave the band did an official video in collaboration with Lotus Music production published on may 5 2021. In march 2022 they officialized their collaboration with Wanikiya record for the distribution of their first album……… who was recorded in april 2022 with the production of the Saffa666Studio.
They release the single “Keep Your Head Down” which marks their deal with Wanikiya Record and within a few months, it hits radio stations all over the world, receiving a big hit!
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 ) 