Although active on the live front ever since their foundation in 2006, Serbian Black Metal commando KOLAC have released their latest official material “Zauvek crni” in 2014. Now, 9 years later, KOLAC reveal a new digital material in anticipation of their third full-length album to be unleashed later this year in collaboration with Pest Records.
KOLAC – Advance Promo 2023 is available for streaming and free download here.
Here are KOLAC‘s comments on the new material: “In a line of firsts in Kolac‘s career, we’ve come upon our first fully digital release. In actuality, it is an advance selection of pre-production, demo material for the upcoming full length album that is well-underway. The three tracks presented here were among the first to be written for the record, with “Jebo te Bog” being written long time ago and actually already published and performed live extensively over the years. However, we’ve agreed to have it properly recorded and published for the wider audience than what the limitation on its original release was. “Eppur Si Muove” and “Monsieur de la Nuit” are here before our fans for the first time, while we crack the door into our third album just a tiny bit.”
A new visualizer video for the track “Eppur si Muove” was recently released and available here.
KOLAC‘s upcoming official effort will be a special one: a self-titled loose concept record featuring 9 new tracks plus intro revolving around the usage of stakes (KOLAC in Serbian language) as punishment methods in the Middle Ages and beyond. Primarily a traditional Black Metal band, KOLAC allows plenty of Thrash Metal touches to enrich their compositions, and the result is a combination of primal fury and energy, with darkened melodies and rhythmic diversity.
Here’s what the band had to say about their upcoming album and collaboration with Pest Records: “It is but a pinnacle… The memory from the time we’ve made the initial contact fades. Pest Records has ever supported us and when it came to searching for an honest, dedicated label that shares our passion for dark soundscapes, there were obvious pointers. Through various forms of collaboration to the finalization of this agreement, we do not only hope, but are actually certain that we have found a reliable partner to help spread our wings further. We are beyond honored to be on Pest Records! Long awaited new music from Kolac is well on its way. Look out for pest’s new breed!”
VACANT VOICE have released a guitar play-through for their newest single, “Transience”, taken from their upcoming album “Cathartic Beauty.” The record will be the groups debut effort, and features 8 tracks that all bleed individual colors, making up a dynamic first release for the Wisconsin-based quintet.
Portuguese prog metal act PHASE TRANSITION have unleashed a brand new track and video ‘Your Guide’.
Phase Transition was born in Porto, Portugal. It is composed by the drummer Fernando Maia, the guitarist Luís Dias, Zé Pereira on the bass, and Sofia Beco, on violin and vocals.
The band combines influences ranging from classical music to technical progressive metal, as a result of the eclectic backgrounds of the members.
They started at university, in the middle of their studies for exams, with Dream Theater covers. While trying to pass their courses, they managed to release their first EP called “Relatively Speaking”, in 2020. Since then, they are playing in several venues like HardClub and festivals such as Comendatio Music fest.
After an exciting start telling their cosmological tales at some of the largest Iberian stages, earning the attention of the metal media giant Prog Magazine, Phase Transition decided to kick down reality’s door by delivering Your Guide, an earth-shattering anthem with a message of hope.
The lyrics are part in Portuguese and part in English. The Portuguese part expresses the sorrow and pain that was felt by the subject, which affirms this is the time to move on and leave all these feelings and their cause in the past. The chorus emphasizes this message of hope to inspire and guide the change, justifying the title of the music, Your Guide.
A revolution in the band’s sound, mixing a modern production style with a symphonic, larger-than-life, catchy yet groovy approach to Prog metal. A perfect fit for any Prog playlist.
The video recently premiered via Ghost Cult Magazine and the feature can be found here.
PHASE TRANSITION are: Sofia Beco (vocals and violin) Luís Dias (guitar) Zé Pereira (bass) Fernando Maia (drums)
Nu-metal rising stars SICKSENSE, featuring Killer V (Vicky Psarakis formerly of The Agonist) and Rob The Ripper (Robby J. Fonts of Stuck Mojo), have release new single ‘Feed Them To The Wolves’ along with another brilliantly entertaining music video. This is the second single taken from their new EP Fools Tomorrow, set for release on 11th June.
Killer V comments on the single: “‘Feed Them To The Wolves’ is a multifaceted song. The lyrics were written collaboratively between Rob and I, which led to that beautiful contrast.
My inspiration and emotional connection to it came from my own life as a musician. Being in this industry, there’s this constant feeling that what you’re doing is never enough. From the music you’re creating to the content and interactions you have with others over social media, you’re often left feeling drained and your efforts unappreciated. In current times, people always crave more and some fans develop these parasocial relationships in their minds that come with a strong sense of entitlement. You do one thing they don’t like; you’re criticized, you say one thing they don’t like; you’re crucified, you create music that’s different from what they’re used to; you’re abandoned.
“All these things can cripple you emotionally and make you feel like a puppet to your audience, as you’re always trying to appease them. However, the strings are imaginary. At the end of the day what you choose to do should be your own decision. As long as you’re able to connect with and impact some people’s lives positively, what you’re doing is enough. Opening your arms to the world is a scary feeling, but every beautiful thing that comes with it is ultimately worth it.”
Outliers never stick to the script. Instead, they constantly and consistently surprise. As such, Sicksense bob and weave past any and all boundaries, flipping convention upside down and fusing heavy metal, hip-hop, and alternative like never before. Extreme screams puncture nimbly rapped verses, tempering a male-and-female call-and-response and giving the metal game a truly “new” sound. Unpredictability drives the quintet—Vicky “Killer V” [vocals, keys], Rob The Ripper [vocals], Breakdown Bran [guitar], Spot-On Sam/SOS [bass], and The Trve Cody Taylor [drums]. After piling up hundreds of thousands of streams and views independently with their debut EP Kings Today, the group present their scorching signature style on second EP Fools Tomorrow.
On the new EP, Killer V continues: “The songs across Fools Tomorrow deal with a lot of introspection and how we as individuals fit into this crazy world of ours. We take a raw, open and honest approach with this EP and the music and stories take you on an emotional rollercoaster. We hope you enjoy being on this ride with us.”
Sicksense have also announced two EP release headline shows at Turbo Haus in Montreal, Canada, on the 9th and 10th of June. Get tickets here: https://soundescapeagency.com/sicksense/events
Few bands can claim to have played a festival set so hard that the stage broke. Fewer still can claim to have done so when still barely teens.
Then again, Manchester-based thrashcore band TORTURED DEMON are already onto something special.
The band today celebrate the release of their huge new single, ‘Global Threat’, taken from their forthcoming new album Rise Of The Lifeless, released 2nd June.
Watch the band on their debut headline tour this Autumn:
Oct 5: Manchester Academy 3 (co-headline with Red Method) Oct 6: Nottingham Old Salutation Oct 7: Glasgow Ivory Blacks (Moshville Times Oktoberfest) Oct 10: Southampton Joiners Oct 11: Norwich B2 Oct 12: London Black Heart
Tortured Demon will be supported by Somerset death metal force Unburier. Get tickets from: tortureddemon.com
1: An Empire Condemned 2: Rise Of The Lifeless 3: Virtual Death 4: Global Threat 5: Disfavour 6: Conflict Of Interest 7: Erase Your Life 8: This War Will Come To You 9: Eyes In The Fire 10: The Damage Is Done
Aged between 17-22, the group have already opened for Evile and Xentrix in 2022, and, at Bloodstock 2021, such was their performance, the Jagermeister Stage fell down around them.
Drawing the largest crowd ever seen on that stage, Tortured Demon have since been invited back to perform at Bloodstock 2023, where surely they wouldn’t be able to repeat the feat.
Releasing their debut in 2021, recorded when all bandmembers were still at school, Tortured Demon have moved up a gear with their new record, Rise Of The Lifeless.
Rise Of The Lifeless will be self-released by the band worldwide, except for Japan, where they’ve already inked a deal with Spiritual Beast/Universal Music Japan. Tortured Demon’s debut – In Desperation’s Grip – was DiskUnion (Tokyo’s leading record store)’s best-selling international metal record on release week. Again, no mean feat for a band so young.
Suffice to say, the quartet have been hammering their way through the UK Metal Scene. Their line-up consists of brothers Jacob (Vocals and Guitar, 17) and Joe Parkinson (Drums, 19), joined by Billy Houigan (Lead Guitar, 19) and Sean Xavier (Bass and Backing Vocals, 23) completing the ground-shaking quartet. Combining Thrash riffs and Hardcore breakdowns with technical drums, all whilst maintaining a strong focus on quality songwriting, Tortured Demon bring a fresh yet classic sound to the UK scene.
Over the last 6 months Tortured Demon have been writing and recording their second album Rise Of The Lifeless with producer David Radahd-Jones, whilst playing select shows. Tortured Demon have built a loyal live following nationwide thanks to their high-octane live show, and will surely make this year their own.
Indie rock band THE INTEMPERATE SONS released the official music video for the title track from their highly anticipated new album Game of Keep Away that will be released to all major platforms via FRAME|WORK in the fall of 2023. The band is in the early stages of planning a fall run of shows on the west coast.
The boys in The Intemperate Sons traveled to CA to record this track at MAPS Studio at the direction of Amir Derakh (Julien-K, Orgy, Dead by Sunrise) and Ryan Shuck (Julien-K, Adema, Orgy, Dead by Sunrise). This is the first time, and definitely not the last, having Amir and Ryan at the producer helm and was an amazing collaborative experience. Amir joined Jake and Max on guitar to contribute to the track as well.
The Intemperate Sons’ video supporting the release was shot by Ryan Whitehead from Ardent Owl Media and edited by Brandon Smith from The Anix.
“Game of Keep Away” is the story of the struggle to dig out of hole created by one’s own destructive behavior. The Intemperate Sons release all their music through the Frame|Work record label at the direction of Amir Derakh, Ryan Shuck, and Denny Sanders at The Label Group.
The Intemperate Sons emerged onto the rock scene in the summer of 2019 in Dallas, TX, to bring their distinct sound to the genre. A deep love for music brought family members Keith Watson (drums), Jake Watson (guitars) and Max Watson (vocals, guitars, keys) together along with close friend Mark Marks, who provides the groove on bass to unite everything together.
Keith is well acquainted with entertaining massive crowds of concert goers and has played with many successful bands in Dallas, such as Gun Hill, Natural Born Thrillers and Agents of Solace, on top of opening for Lynch Mob, Joe Lynn Turner and Sponge. He is the primary lyricist for the band and has written the music for some of their most successful songs, including “Dust to Dust,” “The Color Within,” and “Unrealized.”
Multi-talented and gifted with the ability to play various instruments, Max is also the lead vocalist of the group. Along with being musically dexterous, he has also collaborated with Keith to write lyrics on the released songs “Going Crazy” and “Way Back When.” In the studio, Max usually surmounts expectations and goes above and beyond to prepare prior to a session with his own vocal harmonies.
Jake is the song architect of the Sons and extremely instrumental in the crafting of the music. His inventive ways of bringing lyrics to life in clever ways are unprecedented and fascinating to see in the studio setting. He is a prolific writer of music as well and is credited with helping create the songs “What’s Done is Done,” “Remission,” “Way Back When” and “Wading in the Gray.” Both Max and he play lead guitar on many of the songs as well. The other members of the band fondly refer to him as the “art director” since he enjoys taking charge in those areas for the group.
Prolific and unifying, Mark is an accomplished bass player and well known in Dallas. He was in the regionally successful band, Haggard, and had opened for Sebastian Bach of Skid Row. His input in song writing has been invaluable to the process of creating captivating melodies.
Despite the pandemic putting a pause on many major events, The Intemperate Sons lived up to their name and let nothing hold them back from making music. Constantly hard at work in the studio, they have collaborated with Amir Derakh (Julien-K, Dead by Sunrise, Orgy, Rough Cutt) and Ryan Shuck (Julien-K, Adema, Dead by Sunrise, Orgy). Both have lent their musical talents to various songs and ultimately have brought the Sons on to their label, Frame|Work. This led the band to also recently join the management roster at The Label Group. Ryan worked with Amir to produce the band’s upcoming track, “Game of Keep Away,” and has had a huge impact on the group. He’s been especially influential on Max’s vocal melodies and delivery. Amir also plays guitar on this latest ballad and has been mixing all of the band’s music as well as performing on multiple songs.
Another notable collaboration has been with Tony Franklin (The Firm, Roy Harper, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Whitesnake), primarily on the first album, The Color Within. He has been a valuable friend of the band and has played bass on some of their best tracks from that album, including “Running Man,” “Dust to Dust” and “The Color Within.”
The Intemperate Sons’ take on alternative rock is a dark and powerful concoction of hard rock mixed with folk and grunge concepts. The band has earned a serious reputation for writing and performing tracks that scratch deep into the backbone of the human experience. There is no shortage of darkness in their writing style, which has a retro vibe with many guitar-driven tracks stacked on top of a groovy rhythm section. The heavier style fits perfectly with the two and three-part vocal harmonies that are a huge part of their overall sound. It has been said that musicians that are related form unique sounds and communicate at a frequency only they can understand. This frequency has become engrained in their songwriting, arrangements, guitar melodies and vocal harmonies. The band has been compared to Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots and even R.E.M.
After a successful show at The Viper Room in Hollywood, CA, the band plans to do some regional shows in Texas and then head out West this year as well.
The Intemperate Sons Show Dates:
Fri June 2 @ Red Zeppelin Records in McKinney, TX Fri June 2 @ O’Riley’s in Dallas, TX Sat June 17 @Fireplace Lounge in Dallas, TX Tues July 18 @ The Revel Patio Grill in Frisco,TX Sat Sep 16 @ Hanovers Draught Haus in Pflugerville, TX Sat Sep 30 @ O’Riley’s on Dallas, TX Sat Oct 14 @ Six Springs Tavern (Private Event) in Richardson, TX
The Intemperate Sons are: Max Watson (vocals, backing vocals, guitars, keys, bass) Jake Watson (guitars, bass and backing vocals) Keith Watson (drums, backing vocals) Mark Marks (bass)
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 ) 