After years of steady evolution, SEDNA return with a new, monumental chapter: “Sila Nuna”, out on November 21st, 2025 via Dusktone.
The first single “Amarok”, featuring Giò of PSYCHONAUT 4 on guitar, is now streaming HERE.
The Cesena-based band, known for its introspective nature and a discography steeped in darkness and intensity, continues to follow a coherent path of growth, distant from trends, deadlines, and external expectations. Since their inception, the group has always taken the necessary time to create music that feels authentic, essential, and deeply lived.
“Sila Nuna” is a compound word of Inuktitut origin meaning “Sky and Earth.” With this new album, SEDNA move away from the mythological and astronomical themes explored in their previous four records to delve into Inuit mythology, narrating myths and legends from the peoples of the ice. From Tulugaq, the Raven god and bringer of light, to Amarok, the shadow wolf who guards the forest, to Torngarsuk, the protector of the spirit realm, passing through Arnajuinnaq, goddess of wind and ice, and finally reaching Sedna, the goddess of the sea.
With this record, the band embraces a more violent and aggressive sound, shortening song lengths to achieve a sharper, more immediate impact on the listener, while still preserving their experimental vein. This approach reaches its peak in the closing track “Sedna”, dedicated to the sea goddess and featuring S. D. Ramirez of PSYCHONAUT 4 and Agnese Alteri as guest vocalists.
The creation of “Sila Nuna” was marked by a long and turbulent process, spanning nearly two years and involving multiple lineup changes due to the accumulated stress of finding the right sound to embody such a complex thematic concept. The band regards this release as a turning point, both professionally and stylistically, aiming for a less instinctive yet more pragmatic, precise, and refined approach – a sign of human and artistic maturity for the project.
The album was recorded by Mirko Abà in Ravenna (guitarist of Stygian and now bassist of SEDNA) and mixed and mastered by Jack Shirley, “Sila Nuna”.
With this work, SEDNA reach a new synthesis of their sonic language. The album reveals a sound that is raw and instinctive yet more self-aware, one that merges the ferocity of black metal and the weight of sludge and post-metal with a refined melodic sensibility. It is an album that feels like both an open wound and a catharsis: visceral, direct, yet contemplative and profoundly human.
While atmospheric black metal remains the most accurate label, to confine SEDNA within a single genre would be limiting. Their music is made of nuances and deviations, a sonic flow that crosses darkness in search of balance between aggression and introspection. “Sila Nuna” stands as the testimony of a fully matured vision, from a band that has learned to turn chaos into form and tension into language.
With this new chapter, SEDNA reaffirm their nature as an ever-evolving entity, capable of introspection and of offering the world music that doesn’t seek answers, but digs deeper questions.
Alternative rock collective KING ULTRAMEGA, featuring members of ALICE IN CHAINS, ANTHRAX, MASTODON, and SOUNDGARDEN, have unveiled an emotional new rendition of the TEMPLE OF THE DOG classic, “Say Hello 2 Heaven”, featuring Richie Kotzen on vocals and guitar. KING ULTRAMEGA crafted this single in loving memory of legendary vocalist Chris Cornell, while raising funds and awareness for MusiCares. MusiCares is the Recording Academy’s nonprofit that provides mental health, addiction recovery, and emergency services to those in the music community.
Originally written by Chris Cornell as a tribute to MOTHER LOVE BONE vocalist Andrew Wood, KING ULTRAMEGA members Richie Kotzen, Charlie Benante, and Mark Menghi have now reinterpreted “Say Hello 2 Heaven” in memory of Chris Cornell. Richie Kotzen lends his soulful, expressive vocal delivery to the reimagined version of the song, imbuing it with deep personal meaning. Kotzen’s performance puts emotional expression over technical preparation, resulting in an honest and moving take on the music.
“I lost my sister to suicide in 2022, and that kind of loss changes how you experience certain songs,” Kotzen comments. “It’s not something I set out to bring into the session, but it showed up. That’s when it stopped feeling like just a tribute and became something more personal.”
Bassist and mastermind Mark Menghi knew that “Say Hello 2 Heaven” would become an integral piece of KING ULTRAMEGA from the start, due to its lyrical message. Menghi chose to keep the song’s arrangement and structure almost identical to the original, but the band took some creative liberties in lending R&B/soul-inspired stylings to the music.
Menghi comments, “The lyrical message in ‘Say Hello 2 Heaven’ strikes a chord when you think back on how Chris wrote about Andrew’s untimely passing, and here we are over 30 years later paying tribute to Chris with his song about his untimely passing. It’s an emotional rollercoaster to say the least.”
ANTHRAX Drummer Charlie Benante immediately agreed to play on “Say Hello 2 Heaven” due to his personal connection with the song. As a longtime fan of MOTHER LOVE BONE, Benante considers “Say Hello 2 Heaven” to be one of his all-time favorite songs.
Lineup for “Say Hello 2 Heaven”: Richie Kotzen – Guitar, Vocals Mark Menghi – Bass Charlie Benante – Drums
KING ULTRAMEGA is a passion-driven musical project honoring the life, voice, and genius of Chris Cornell, one of the most gifted artists of our time. It launches in conjunction with SOUNDGARDEN’s long-overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
This project did not begin with a single, dramatic moment. Instead, it grew quietly and gradually, an organic result of years of conversations, inspiration, and deep reverence for a musician whose impact remains immeasurable.
“There is not a singular moment in time that led to this project,” says bassist and producer Mark Menghi, the driving force behind KING ULTRAMEGA. “It was a trail of events that led to the formation of KING ULTRAMEGA and the evolving creation to pay tribute to the voice of a generation.”
It started in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, when Menghi recorded a version of “Rusty Cage” with friends. What began as a creative release soon became something larger. With every step forward, the project deepened in meaning and purpose. “I kept crossing the mental roadblock of ‘you are entering uncharted waters, are you sure you wanna do this?'” Menghi reflects. “Chris is one of those dudes if you cover, you better do it justice.”
The decision to continue became clear when SOUNDGARDEN guitarist Kim Thayil joined the project and re-recorded one of his own iconic tracks. “Once Kim got involved and re-recorded one of his own songs, I knew something was brewing,” Menghi says.
Thayil embraced the project wholeheartedly. “I’m super honored to record alongside all the amazing musicians appearing on the KING ULTRAMEGA project,” he says. “I’m equally proud that it celebrates SOUNDGARDEN in this tribute to the songwriting of Chris. Ultra-admirably, everyone’s participation is supporting the work of the MusiCares Foundation. Thank you Mark Menghi, Charlie Benante and Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM).”
For Menghi, this project is as personal as it is musical. “I went through some very difficult times in my life. I should not be here right now, but I am,” he shares. “I like to think my past trials and tribulations helped me understand Chris just a little, hence the formation of KING ULTRAMEGA.”
Song selection was guided by instinct. “My mood. It’s really that simple,” Menghi explains. “‘Rusty Cage’ was recorded simply because it’s one of my favorite songs featured on one of my favorite records.” Other songs came to Menghi during moments of reflection and inspiration. “There is a bunch more in the can right now, all with drums fully recorded, which are currently being worked out for future releases.”
The goal was never to reinvent Cornell’s work. It was about honoring it with the respect it deserves. “It really is only about honoring the legacy of Chris Cornell. Nothing more,” Menghi says. Each musician brought their own voice, but always in service to the song and to Cornell’s memory.
“Each musician has their own individual musical stamp,” Menghi explains. “You hear the absolute best of each one of them. You are talking about musicians who helped invent and shape musical genres and helped define their generations in popular culture, not just music, but society as a whole.”
The cast of collaborators is remarkable. Kim Thayil, Charlie Benante, Joe Satriani, William DuVall, Bill Kelliher, Alissa White-Gluz, Kenny Aronoff, Menghi himself, among many others. The mix of past friendships and new connections created a unique bond among them. “I think back and go ‘did I really ask Joe Satriani to do an instrumental reinterpretation of one of the greatest modern vocal songs ever recorded?’ or ‘what the fuck was I thinking asking the great Kim Thayil to re-record one of his own classic Soundgarden songs?'”Menghi laughs. Yet, no egos entered the room. “Each participating musician saw the vision and understood that this is about honoring the legacy of not only an inspiring musician, but an amazing husband, father and man.”
For Menghi, Cornell’s music has always been a constant presence. “Chris Cornell has been one of only a very small handful of musical constants in my life,” he says. “I never waivered, not once.”
Certain moments in the process were surreal. Recording with Thayil was one of them. “I remember thinking back saying to myself ‘holy fuck, I’m on a SOUNDGARDEN song with Kim Thayil. What planet are we on?'”
Throughout it all, Menghi served as the project’s creative director, always guided by one central question. “How would Chris like this?” Every choice, from guest musicians to mixes to artwork, was measured against that standard. “If there is even a shred of uncertainty at any point in the process, back to the drawing board we go.”
The recordings were completed remotely over several years. The final tracks were mixed with care to ensure a cohesive sound that still captured the raw emotion of the performances.
Hope is the underlying theme that runs through KING ULTRAMEGA. It is an offering to longtime fans and an invitation for younger listeners to discover the timeless brilliance of Cornell’s work. “KU is just a blip in the Chris Cornell universe,” Menghi says. “We are a subtle reminder that Chris was a true musical genius.”
For Menghi and his collaborators, KING ULTRAMEGA is both a deeply personal labor of love and one of the greatest honors of their musical lives. “To be here thirty-plus years later paying tribute to whom I believe was the king of those times is one of the greatest musical honors of my life.”
MusiCares helps the humans behind music because music gives so much to the world. Offering preventive, emergency, and recovery programs, MusiCares is a safety net supporting the health and welfare of the music community. Founded by the Recording Academy in 1989 as a U.S. based 501(c)(3) charity, MusiCares safeguards the well-being of all music people through direct financial grant programs, networks of support resources, and tailored crisis relief efforts.
Freshly-signed thrash metal outfit Hostilia have previously announced the release of their brand new album Face the Fire. The new offering will be released on 24th October via Hammerheart Records, just before embarking on their tour with The Haunted this month.
Lead guitarist William Lindeblad comments on the track: “Every band’s got those songs that have been around since forever – the ones that kind of define who you are. ‘Eternal Death’ is totally that song for Hostilia. Finally being able to drop the proper album version feels amazing. This is how it was always supposed to sound.”
Brother and drummer of the band Albert adds: “It’s become a real live favorite for us. That breakdown in the middle never fails to get the crowd going. ‘Eternal Death’ is kind of the perfect way to close a show – like a rock-hard punch to the face that just won’t quit. Honestly, that’s how every band should end their set, haha“
The Swedish thrash metal band Hostilia was formed in Gothenburg in the fall of 2021, by brothers William (lead guitar) and Albert Lindeblad (drums) – just 18 and 14 years old at the time. Before the year was over, the band had released their first demo, which caught the attention of the underground. Several line-up changes followed, but everything fell into place when bassist Gabriel Sepúlveda, guitarist Petter Hernroth, and dynamic frontman Tim Angelini joined the ranks. The band had finally found a lineup ready to go all the way.
Since the beginning, Hostilia was set on pouring all their energy into becoming a ferocious live act. Their reputation spread fast, and in December 2023 they were handpicked to perform at the annual party at Restaurant 2112 – the Gothenburg bar owned by members of In Flames and The Halo Effect.
Among the guests was Jakob Herrmann, producer and owner of Top Floor Studios. There to enjoy the party, he left impressed and intrigued by the band’s songwriting and tight performance. Driven by curiosity, he offered Hostilia a chance to record at his studio – free of charge.
To test his gut feeling, Herrmann insisted on recording everything live in one room: no overdubs, no click tracks, no edits. The raw session exceeded all expectations and was released in December 2024 by Portuguese label Gruesome Records as All The Blood Spilt – The Top Floor Live Sessions, the EP captured the essence of Hostilia in full force. Each track was accompanied by a live-in-the-studio video.
Track-list: 1. Power Out 2. Face The Fire 3. P.T.D. 4. Bone Collector 5. Shadow People 6. Lord Of Lies 7. Eternal Death 8. The Storm 9. The Domino Effect
In the summer of 2024, KISS legend Gene Simmons was looking for a young guitarist to join him on stage during his headline show at Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg. The Simmons team chose Hostilia lead guitarist William Lindeblad – on the very day of the concert. Just hours later, William stood on stage with his childhood hero, performing ‘I Love It Loud’ in front of 5,000 people – a song he had never played before.
Determined not to waste time, Hostilia began work on their debut album even before the EP was released. Drums were recorded and produced by Jakob Herrmann at Top Floor Studios. However, the band soon realized they wanted full creative control – and fearlessly chose to produce and record the rest of the album themselves, made possible by the band’s guitarist Petter Hernroth, at this point a certified sound engineer.
In November 2024, Hostilia joined Swedish heavy rockers Bombus as support act on a nationwide tour – an eye-opener for many unsuspecting metal fans across the country. By the tour’s end, Hostilia had been offered support slots with death metal legends Dismember and a tour supporting thrash icons The Haunted – both happening in the fall of 2025.
That same year, the band was featured with an interview and live footage in the critically acclaimed “Total Metal” exhibition in Stockholm – a tribute to Swedish metal past, present, and future. The segment was produced by world-renowned director Jonas Åkerlund. Swedish national TV also aired a piece about the future of metal in Sweden, with Hostilia as the example – including footage from their Top Floor live session videos.
What began as a simple ambition – to become a killer live band – may just have been the perfect strategy after all.
Hostilia upcoming tour dates: 30-10 Uppsala (SWE) with The Haunted / Eradikated 31-10 Örebro (SWE) with The Haunted / Eradikated 01-11 Vara (SWE) Vara In Rock Festival 2025 04-12 Gothenburg (SWE) with The Haunted / Eradikated 05-12 Norrköping (SWE) with The Haunted / Eradikated 06-12 Gävle (SWE) with The Haunted / Eradikated 11-12 Malmö (SWE) With The Haunted / Eradikated 12-12 Jönköping (SWE) With The Haunted / Eradikated 13-12 Karlstad (SWE) With The Haunted / Eradikated
Praise for Hostilia: “Daaamn!! I’m stunned by how Hostilia master their magic and at that young age, just woooow!! I’m so happy to see a new hungry young band from Gothenburg take the torch and run with it fast and with tons of Thrash Metal hits!!” – Niclas Engelin / The Halo Effect
“Wow! These amazing young guys know how to kick all kinds of ass and reinvigorate a genre and push it further. This is such an amazingly strong album from start to finish. Do not miss this incredibly talented band!” – Mikael Stanne / Dark Tranquillity
“It’s so cool how Hostilia manages to sound both nostalgic and totally new at the same time—they’re carrying the torch forward in their own way. Check out their new album “Face the Fire” and also live supporting Dismember and The Haunted this fall.” Victor Brandt / Dimmu Borgir
Line Up: William Lindeblad: lead guitar Albert Lindeblad: drums Gabriel Sepúlveda: bass Petter Hernroth: guitar Tim Angelini: vocals
Powerhouse SoCal metal quintet FRAXURES follow up their acclaimed “Blackheart Serenade” single with a thunderous new slab of naked passion and an audacious assault upon Depeche Mode’s “Its No Good.”
Featuring vocalist Travis Neal (Divine Heresy, The Bloodline) and drummer Fred Aching (BulletBoys, Dead Groove, Kings of Thrash) alongside A Hero Within alumni Nolan Davis (guitar, vocals), Vinny Marvaso (bass) and Esteban Sanchez (lead guitar), Fraxure’s distinctive sound is firmly rooted in the members’ combined experience and rich history, and a shared passion for creating earth-shattering music.
With a lineup that blends raw intensity and technical precision, Fraxures continues to carve its own path in the modern metal scene, delivering crushing hooks and sinister melodies – Bravewords.com
Taken from Depeche Mode’s 1997 album Ultra, “It’s No Good” was described by Billboard as “a sleek sleaze-pop banger,” highlighted by unsettling bass tremors and “:zooming synths that crest and crash like ocean waves.” A Billboard Hot Dance chart topper and a UK Top 5 smash, “It’s No Good” remains among Depeche Mode’s most recognizable tracks – or, at least, it did until Fraxures for their hands on it.
Utterly transformed now, it is accompanied by an equally transformative video, atmospherically directed by drummer Aching and Holly West and effortlessly encapsulating the sheer weight and energy of this fast rising band.
SEVEN SPIRES is proud to release the digital deluxe version of ‘A Fortress Called Home,’ out now via Frontiers Music Srl. To celebrate this release, the band also shares the new track “House of Lies (Acoustic),” alongside an official visualizer available below. In addition, to further support the release, SEVEN SPIRES will be kicking off their European tour on October 17th in London.
On the new single, Adrienne comments:
“’House of Lies’ first spilled from my heart in this stripped-back form as a tender meditation on the knife’s edge between hope and grief. Sometimes a song speaks differently when its bones have space to breathe.”
About the digital deluxe release, Jack adds:
“When making an album, there are inevitably some ideas that get cut from the official release due to the limitations of CDs or other physical media. What a wonderful thing then that we live in a digital world where many of those limitations don’t have to apply! Over a year after the initial release, and in celebration of the imminent European tour, we’re happy to be releasing the Deluxe version of ‘A Fortress Called Home’ on all of your favorite streaming platforms.”
SEVEN SPIRES is an American symphonic metal band. Since their inception in 2013 at Berklee College of Music, these best friends have forged their home in the darker corners of the melodic metal world. Known for their penchant for pushing genre limits, they draw influence from across the spectrum of metal and beyond, reaching ravenously into jazz, late Romantic-era orchestral music, and cinematic soundscapes.
To support the release of their fourth studio LP, ‘A Fortress Called Home,’ SEVEN SPIRES toured on three continents: first in Europe as direct support to Skálmöld with Atavistia as first support, then in North America directly supporting Kamelot with Ad Infinitum also featured on the bill. To end 2024, SEVEN SPIRES embarked on their first-ever headlining tour of Japan with Lords of the Trident.
In 2025, SEVEN SPIRES is slated to perform at Wacken Open Air and Rock in Rautheim in Germany, Leyendas del Rock in Spain, and Legions of Metal in the United States, before embarking in the fall on a run of UK dates with Sonata Arctica, quickly followed by a European tour with Ad Infinitum and Tulip.
The band’s previous touring history includes North America with Eluveitie and Omnium Gatherum in 2023, Europe with Twilight Force and Silver Bullet in 2023, as well as North America with Dragonforce, Firewind, and Visions of Atlantis in 2022. They have also performed at prestigious metal festivals, such as 70000 Tons of Metal, Metaldays, ProgPower USA, and Mad With Power Fest, where they played a sold-out, nearly two-hour headline show in 2023.
‘A Fortress Called Home’ Digital Deluxe Track List:
1 – A Fortress Called Home 2 – Songs Upon Wine-Stained Tongues 3 – Almosttown 4 – Impossible Tower 5 – Love’s Souvenir 6 – Architect of Creation 7 – Portrait of Us 8 – Emerald Necklace 9 – Where Sorrows Bear My Name 10 – No Place for Us 11 – House of Lies 12 – The Old Hurt of Being Left Behind 13. House of Lies (Acoustic)
SEVEN SPIRES Live 2025
w/ Sonata Arctica: Oct 17 – London, England – 0² Academy Islington Oct 18 – Wolverhampton, England – KK’s Steel Mill Oct 19 – Manchester, England – Academy 2
w/ Ad Infinitum and Tulip: Oct 23 – Aschaffenburg, DE – Colos-Saal Oct 24 – Kortrijk, BE – DVG Club Oct 25 – Paris, FR – Backstage by the Mill Oct 26 – Bern, CH – Stellwerk Oct 27 – Zurich, CH – Dynamo Werk 21 Oct 29 – Munich, DE – Backstage Oct 30 – Vienna, AT – Szene Oct 31 – Zlín, CZ – Masters Of Rock Cafe Nov 1 – Leipzig, DE – Hellraiser Nov 2 – Berlin, DE – Lido Nov 4 – Herford, DE – Kulturwerk Nov 5 – Copenhagen, DK – Pumpehuset Nov 6 – Hamburg, DE – Logo Nov 7 – Tilburg, NL – O13 Nov 8 – Bochum, DE – Bochumer Event Center
SEVEN SPIRES Live 2026
Jan 29-Feb 2 – Nassau, BS – 70000 Tons of Metal
w/ Sonata Arctica: Apr 9 – Stockholm, SE – Slaktkyrkan Apr 10 – Göteborg, SE – Pustervik
FRIENDSHIP COMMANDERS reveal and stream their complete new album “BEAR” and a new music video for the track ‘DRAIN‘, released on October 10, 2025. “BEAR” via Magnetic Eye Records and available for purchase here: http://lnk.spkr.media/friendshipcommanders-bear
FRIENDSHIP COMMANDERScomment on the album: “I have spent my life feeling like an outsider, which can be cool in some contexts but isolating in others“, Buick Audra explains. “As I wrote the songs that would become this album, I was able to pinpoint where I have often been a misfit, but also where I have always belonged – something, I had never truly looked at. Being on the outside can also be beautiful, and now I’m glad to be here. There is an arc to this album, one that is also illustrated in the sounds and performances. It was powerful to create the recordings with Jerry and Kurt, and I think it’s our boldest body of work to date. I hope it finds whoever needs it. And to anyone on the margins of something: you always belong with us.“
Jerry Roe writes: “I feel like we’ve done everything that I’ve ever wanted to do within the bounds of heavy melodic rock on this record“, the drummer and bass player continues. “We pushed the arrangements into wonderful, adventurous and expansive places, got our tones and parts refined within an inch of their lives, and of course all of this was easy and fun to do, because Buick wrote such an incredible batch of songs. Kurt really captured and mixed this all so perfectly too. There’s nobody better for what we do. If this is the last record that I ever made, I would feel like I said and did everything I wanted to as a musician in this life.“
Credits Video directed & edited by Jerry Roe Video shot by Jerry Roe & Buick Audra Gaffed by Jerry Roe Shot at Our Vinyl, Nashville, TN (US)
FRIENDSHIP COMMANDERS also announced more US live dates for Fall 2025. Please see below for an updated list of currently confirmed shows.
Listen to ‘Bear’ here:
FRIENDSHIP COMMANDERS are not just any band within the wider musical cosmos of heavy rock and stoner metal. Artistic excellence, reflected in the two Grammy wins of singer, songwriter, and guitarist Buick Audra as well as the status of drummer and bass player Jerry Roe as one of the most sought after studio percussionists, paired with outstanding lyrical intelligence have once again flown together organically to shape their forthcoming album “BEAR”.
“BEAR” was written around the realisation that Buick Audra had essentially been kicked out of womanhood. This album is a documentation of her awareness also while cataloguing other areas of human connection: art, outsider culture, and dark rock venues – all places where empathy and creativity grow wild. Audra and Jerry Roe arranged and performed the fourth full-length of FRIENDSHIP COMMANDERSalbum to have two sides to it, musically: heavy and light, salt and sugar, fire and air, and lost and found.
Although hailing from Nashville, Tennessee these denizens of the ‘Music City’ kindly beg to differ. FRIENDSHIP COMMANDERS‘ sound draws from sludge, doom, heavy metal, and grunge with roots in punk and hardcore, among other guitar driven styles.
FRIENDSHIP COMMANDERS were originally conceived as a side project by the two industry veterans Buick Audra and Jerry Roe, whose accolades have already been mentioned above. When the duo found common ground, they were able to bring all their combined musical excellence, perspectives, precision, and power to their new band.
Their early works, the EPs “GARFIELD” (2015) and “JUNEBUG” (2017) as well as the debut full-length “AVE” (2016) were all self-recorded as well as self-produced in their own studio, Fort Knockout, and supported live with regional tours.
FRIENDSHIP COMMANDERS‘ sophomore album ‘BILL’ (2018) was co-produced by the band with Steve Albini and engineered at his Chicago studio, Electrical Audio. Working with Albini proved a pivotal experience for the duo, both personally and professionally. “BILL” reached a notably larger audience and allowed national touring. Following Albini’s passing in 2024, the band released his original analogue mixes of the project, “BILL- The Steve Albini Mixes”.
Although the duo’s members maintained other ventures, FRIENDSHIP COMMANDERS had developed into a focal endeavour for them both. Their again self-produced 2020 EP, “HOLD ON TO YOURSELF”, was the beginning of their by now years-long collaboration with Kurt Ballou, who mixed the record. He also mixed their self-produced pandemic-era singles “STONECHILD/ YOUR REIGN IS OVER” (2020), “ALTAR / LAND OF MEN” (2021), and “AND IF MY BODY” (2022). These were later compiled on a limited vinyl release entitled “RELEASE OF THE REST” (2022). The singles also marked a departure from the duo’s previous punk and hardcore leanings while introducing a heavier, sludgier sensibility.
FRIENDSHIP COMMANDERS recorded and co-produced their third album “MASS” again with Ballou at his GodCity Studio in Salem, MA. Audra recorded and produced her vocals at her Nashville studio, and Ballou then mixed the tracks. With “MASS” (2023), a concept album about memory, language, and the state of Massachusetts, the duo took the important next step of reaching a global audience.
“BEAR” was again co-produced by band members Buick Audra and Jerry Roe. The duo returned to Salem to work along once more with their longtime collaborator, Kurt Ballou, who also tracked the instrumental performances and mixed the record. As a result, the songs with a huge range of musical ideas and expressions are unified in sound as well as in theme, which runs throughout the record in various ways: the ever-elusive idea of belonging, where it occurs, and where it absolutely does not.
With “BEAR”, FRIENDSHIP COMMANDERS present a rare sparkling gem of an album, heavy yet captivating, shiny yet dark, and songs that brim with important meaning. “BEAR” is easy to get into, but beware, this album will draw its listeners into fascinating and thought-provoking depths!
Tracklist:
KEEPING SCORE
DRAIN
DRIPPING SILVER
MELT
NEW
X
MIDHEAVEN
IMPERFECT
FOUND
DEAD & DISCARDED GIRLS
Produced by Friendship Commanders & Kurt Ballou Recorded by Kurt Ballou at GodCity, Salem, MA (US) Vocal recording by Buick Audra at Fort Knockout, Nashville, TN (US) Additional engineering by Jerry Roe at Fort Knockout, Nashville, TN (US) Assistant engineering by Zach Weeks at GodCity, Salem, MA (US) Mixed by Kurt Ballou at GodCity, Salem, MA (US) Mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege, Portland, OR (US)
Cover artwork by Jerry Roe & Buick Audra Layout by Buick Audra & Keith Brogdon
Upcoming shows: 16 OCT 2025 Columbus, OH (US) Ace of Cups 17 OCT 2025 Lexington, KY (US) Al’s Bar 18 OCT 2025 Frederick, MD (US) Café 611 19 OCT 2025 Allston, MA (US) O’Brien’s 20 OCT 2025 Brooklyn, NY (US) The Wood Shop 22 OCT 2025 Richmond, VA (US) Bandito’s 23 OCT 2025 Raleigh, NC (US) Slim’s 24 OCT 2025 Nashville, TN (US) The Cobra 07 NOV 2025 Austin, TX (US) Raven Room at Crowbar 08 NOV 2025 Houston, TX (US) 1810 Ojeman 09 NOV 2025 Fort Worth, TX (US) The Cicada 11 NOV 2025 Albuquerque, NM (US) TBA 12 NOV 2025 Las Vegas, NV (US) The Griffin 13 NOV 2025 Los Angeles, CA (US) The Redwood Bar 14 NOV 2025 Santa Cruz, CA (US) The Jury Room 15 NOV 2025 San Francisco, CA (US) Kilowatt 16 NOV 2025 Palmdale, CA (US) Transplants Brewing Co. 19 NOV 2025 Bellingham, WA (US) Waterfront Tavern 20 NOV 2025 Portland, OR (US) High Water Mark 21 NOV 2025 Seattle, WA (US) Bad Bar 23 NOV 2025 Laramie, WY (US) Ruffed Up Duck
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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