EXISION to Release Second Album “Uhreina Ajassa” on February 20th, First Single ‘Persona Non Grata’ Out Now

Posted by tarjavirmakari on November 5, 2024
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Photo by Kalle Kervinen

Finnish groove/alternative metal band Exision released the first single Persona Non Grata from their upcoming second studio album ‘Uhreina Ajassa’. The album is set to be released on February 20th 2025 via Inverse Records. This single is featuring vocalist Jesse Salo from Garden of Stone. 

LISTEN to Persona Non Grata on streaming services: https://push.fm/fl/exision-persona 

  • Composed by Jarkko Oksman
  • Lyrics by Joonas Kataja
  • Single cover by Mari K. / usva_peikko

The band comments: 
“The black sheep of the group or a cornered mutt, the crown of persona non grata is not easy to bear… But someone must always be crowned. The crown bearer must decide for themselves whether they measure their status in gold or mud.” 

Uhreina Ajassa ­Track list:

  1. Puhdistava Liekki
  2. Älytön Ikiliikkuja
  3. Haaksirikko
  4. Pimeyden Aallot
  5. Tähtihenkilö
  6. Persona Non Grata
  7. Impulssi
  8. Uhreina Ajassa
  9. Loputon Meri
  10. Adrenokromi
  11. Ihmisvirhe

Album cover by Mari K. / usva_peikko

Exision is a groove/alternative metal band formed in 2017, known for their energetic live performances and colourful social media updates.

The band’s line-up includes vocal nightingale Joonas Kataja, who has written almost all of Exision’s songs. Bassist Jere Ala-Varvi is the ultimate songwriter, producing so much new material almost weekly that his desk drawer has had to be cleared for other projects.

Tapio Haverinen, the mainstay of the rhythms, keeps the drums pounding and the crowd moving. Nico Välkkilä, who enjoys an iron-fisted attitude and a flighty lifestyle, stands guard on the bass. The lead guitar is carried by Jarkko Oksman, who also does the songwriting and puts the finishing touches on the songs.

The songs are polished to their final form by the band members, and the original music draws its influences from politics, movies, games and other music, regardless of genre.

Line-up:
Joonas Kataja – Vocals
Tapio Haverinen – Drums, mixing
Nico Välkkilä – Guitar
Jarkko Oksman – Solo guitar, backing vocals, keys
Jere “AV” Ala-Varvi – Bass, backing vocals, mixing, keys

https://www.facebook.com/ExisionBand
https://instagram.com/exision.official
https://tiktok.com/@exision.official
https://exision.bandcamp.com

ESCAPE THE HIVE Guitarist Conrad Varela Joins ALICE COOPER in Phoenix, Footage Available

Posted by tarjavirmakari on November 5, 2024
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Photo: David Majure / Majure Motion Pictures

This past Saturday night saw rock legend Alice Cooper did a pop show at Phoenix’s Wasted Grain club with students and faculty from his Solid Rock Foundation – and one very special guest.  ESCAPE THE HIVE guitarist Conrad Varela joined Alice for his entire show.

Varela, who first gained national attention when he won the Alice Cooper “Proof Is In Pudding” talent contest in 2018, has played with Alice on multiple occasions in the past several years. Taking the stage alongside the 76 year old phenom he, as always, had a blast doing so.  “Sharing the stage with Alice has always been an honor beyond belief, but the energy of last night’s crowd put this particular show above the rest! Working with Cooper is always an absolute blast, and in terms of stage presence, I can barely keep up!”

Photo: David Majure / Majure Motion Pictures

ESCAPE THE HIVE frontman Michael Beck was in the crowd and remarked, “We are so proud to have our guitarist sharing the stage with Alice Cooper. But not surprised. Conrad is a top-level player and we are proud to have him on the ESCAPE THE HIVE stage as well. I’ve been lucky to share the stage with some great guitar players. Conrad is in that conversation for a reason.  “It was a great show,” Beck continues.  “The band played a full set with Alice and his son Dash on vocals. Including 80s hits like “Feed My Frankenstein”& “Poison” as well as some of Alice’s earlier catalog such as “No More Mr. Nice Guy”, “I’m 18″, and “Schools Out.”

You can see Conrad Varela on ESCAPE THE HIVE’s new video for “I Can See It“, off of their debut release This Is Gonna Sting!  The band also continues to tour the album throughout this winter and into early 2025.

ESCAPE THE HIVE:
Michael Beck – Lead Vocals
Conrad Varela – Guitars
Mike Vars – Keyboards
Paul Williams – Bass
A.D. Adams – Drums, percussion

ESCAPE THE HIVE ONLINE:
Website 
Facebook

SVAR Unveils Single for Title Track of Upcoming Debut Album “In the Land Called Night”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on November 5, 2024
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Svar is a one-man black metal project founded in 2020 in Krakow (PL) by Kamil “Hexed” Bolesta. By concept, it is melodic black metal thematically revolving around the pagan beliefs of the Slavs. In 2021, Svar released first EP called “Behind the Veil”. A year later, the second EP “Under a Sky Full of Thunder” – a concept record centered around the theme of the Slavic God Perun. After two years of working on new material comes the milestone of the project in the form of a first full album entitled “In the Land Called Night”.

This is Svar‘s first LP. The album consists of 7 songs and lasts about 40 minutes. Thematically, the lyrics as in the case of the first 2 EPs include mainly Slavic beliefs, as well as more philosophical topics, often referring to the struggle with nihilism. The album takes its name from the song that was written as first and also defined the musical direction of the album. 

Kamil “Hexed” Bolesta comments: “After composing the first song, I decided that this time I would go more in the direction of the 90s Swedish melodic black metal. Musically, that was the idea behind this release and I think you can hear those inspirations quite clearly, lyrically, as I mentioned, not much has changed.“

Instruments and vocal were recorded by Kamil Bolesta. All was mixed and mastered by Mariusz Wołosz. Cover artwork was done by Yaggvh.

Debut album titled “In the Land Called Night” will be released on November 29, 2024 on digital format, tape and CD by Polish label Via Nocturna (pre-order).

Listen to the song “In the Land Called Night” at Black Metal Promotion:

Tracklist:

1. Through Lakes, Forest and Swamps
2. Expelling The Zmei
3. The Essence of Decline
4. Heart of Stone
5. In The Land Called Night
6. Venomous Words of Virtue
7. Lost In The Carpathian Forest

More information: Facebook | Bandcamp 

ALTAR OV ASTERIA Share ‘Pilatus’ Single from Upcoming Debut Album “Éna”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on November 5, 2024
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German black metal duo ALTAR OV ASTERIA release the second single, “Pilatus”, preceding their forthcoming debut album, “Éna”. The song is now premiering at Black Metal Daily. Stream it HERE.

Established by two girls from the Dresden area, Satyra and Melpomene, both heavily involved in the rich local underground, ALTAR OV ASTERIA was envisioned and formed through its members’ shared influence of black metal. The goal of the band’s material, embodied in their “Éna” debut, is to balance visceral energy with enveloping atmosphere and dark melody, creating a sound both rooted in black metal tradition and expansive new avantgarde sounds.

“Imagine you would wake up in a world full of mysteries and realities woven into each other, like in a story book of the past centuries of Dante Alighieri or Homer. Two black-robed mysteries in gold-snake masks wake you up from the heavy dorm with blackened sirens crushing your ears, mesmerizing your mind to sense the allegories of humankind existence. You’ve got an invitation to a storybook of hellish Sodom, chapter by chapter illustrating thy and foreign dystopia”.

Dusktone will release “Éna” on CD and all digital platforms on November 25th 2024.

Preorders:

Watch for updates on the vinyl, as well as news on other activities to post over the weeks ahead.

Tracklist:

01. Arroganz
02. Fegefeuer
03. Hesperus
04. Kataklysm
05. Pilatus

https://www.facebook.com/altarovasteria/
https://www.instagram.com/altar_ov_asteria/
https://altarovasteria.bandcamp.com

AARA Premiere Second Single ‘Senkrechte Welten’ from Upcoming Album

Posted by tarjavirmakari on November 5, 2024
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Swiss Black Metal band AARA unleash a powerful second single from forthcoming new album “Eiger”. ‘Senkrechte Welten’ launches at an unyielding pace in a blasting storm of tremolo-picking, before grand and haunting melodies begin to set in – perfectly encapsulating the band’s signature fusion of intense aggression and ethereal beauty.

Listen on DMP’s YouTube channel below or via Bandcamp:

Composer Berg describes ‘Senkrechte Welten‘:

“Like ‘Felsensang‘, ‘Senkrechte Welten‘ stands for the beginning of the narrative and is therefore suitable for an advance presentation of the album so as not to anticipate too much of the dramaturgy within the songwriting of the whole album. It is the second song on the album and is characterised above all by the perhaps somewhat youthfully naive euphoria that the mountaineering group (who died climbing the Eiger) brought to the project at the beginning and which is also expressed in the melodies and song structure. At the same time, the song marks the beginning of the ascent up the mighty north face. Above all, I tried to reflect the summery atmosphere in the Grindelwald valley in contrast to the cold and darkness of the wall.“

As a first preview of “Eiger“, AARA previously released the track ‘Felsensang‘ (listen here). Together, these singles form a powerful lyrical and musical pairing, as Berg notes:

“Both songs come right after each other on the album, so they are connected. I wouldn’t say that they are too different in mood. ‘Senkrechte Welten‘ shows only a few signs of the tragedy that appears more and more in ‘Felsensang‘, but again differs from the later songs, which become more oppressive.“

Find all album details here!

“Eiger” will be released on CD, vinyl and digital on December 6th. Pre-orders are available via the label’s EU, US, and Bandcamp shops, bundle options are available.

More information:

Switzerland’s AARA was founded in 2018 by vocalist Fluss and multi-instrumentalist Berg to create art highly influenced by atmospheric Black Metal. Sporting an epic, classical feel, their sweeping compositions aim to take the listener through the darkest alleys of human existence.

Soon after releasing their debut record “So fallen alle Tempel” in early 2019, AARA joined forces with Debemur Morti Productions, releasing their mosaic EP “Anthropozän” that same year.

Barely a year after their debut, AARA unveiled a new full-length record in April of 2020. A conceptual look into Europe’s Age of Enlightenment, “En Ergô Einai” sees AARA take their accomplished sound to new heights of mature artistic expression. Opened with a haunting acoustic intro courtesy of Vindsval (BLUT AUS NORD), “En Ergô Einai” is a triumph of fluid melodic euphoria and classical elegance, setting an even higher watermark in a bright, young discography. The third album and beginning of a trilogy, namely “Triade I: Eos“, was released in March 2021. In this epic and dramatic new work of art, AARA are interpreting the Gothic novel “Melmoth The Wanderer” (1820) of Irish writer Charles Robert Maturin.

Venturing forth into the next chapters of Maturin‘s work, AARA crafted the second part of their trilogy, “Triade II: Hemera“. The six tracks of brutally melodic, top-tier Black Metal was released in May 2022. The third and final album of the Melmoth trilogy saw see the light of day on March 31st, 2023.

In follow up to 2023’s “Triade III: Nyx“, the band now breaks away from the literary and apply their stunning musicality to real-world events. AARA‘s new album, “Eiger“, will be released on December 6th.

LIFESICK Drop New Video ‘Hollow Treats’, New Album Out Now

Posted by tarjavirmakari on November 5, 2024
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Photo by Allan Kristiansen

Danish death metal/metallic hardcore goliaths LIFESICK today drop their fiery new video for “Hollow Treats.” The savage new track comes off the band’s equally ferocious full-length, Loved By None, Hated By All full-length, released on November 1st through Metal Blade Records.

LIFESICK manifests brutal and brutally honest songs with lyrics inspired by the turbulent nature of life. Musically influenced by Swedish death metal, the band’s authentic and explosive mixture of crushing tones and modern breakdowns create an uncompromising sound and vision.

Comments the band on “Hollow Treats,” “When we were born, we were told all these fairytales about what the world had in store for us. But as soon as you get a taste, you realize there’s nothing inside – no love, no compassion, nothing. This song is catchy with groovy two-step rhythms and even groovier breakdowns. It’s a hardcore track with plenty of sing-along parts, and it ends with a twist of acoustic elements.”

Watch LIFESICK‘s previously released videos for “Loved By None” at THIS LOCATION and “Legacy Of Misery” at THIS LOCATION.

LIFESICK was forged in Fredericia, Denmark in 2015. After three full-lengths of increasing weight and intensity, 2023’s Life And Other Lies EP brought the band’s sobering death/metallic hardcore to Metal Blade Records, where they have come of age with the kaleidoscopic fury and ironclad gloom of Loved By None, Hated By All.

As with previous offerings, the LP was recorded by Jacob Bredahl at his Dead Rat facility. This time Bredahl’s role expanded beyond engineering, helping to shape and revise new material before twiddling a single knob. “He came down to our rehearsal room where we played all the songs for him live, so he could add his touch to each song or edit stuff that we might have been a little blind to from playing the songs too much. This was the first time we did this, and it was very effective.”

Mixing was farmed out to Taylor Young at The Pit, “to give it a different touch or nuance from our previous releases,” while the tracks were handed to noise collective John Cxnnor, “to enhance the album with sound design and samples throughout every song, to better unify the album. We provided them with all the songs, along with keywords about the lyrical themes and the album artwork. With this information, they created unique dark industrial samples that perfectly fit the songs and our vision for the album.”

The results ring loud and clear from this tumultuous masterwork of bleak aggro beauty. Loved By None, Hated By All is unquestionably the band’s finest recording to date which is no easy feat considering the compulsive force of previous releases — there is some special spark of magic at work here.

Order yours today at: metalblade.com/lifesick

LIFESICK has tours across Denmark and Southeast Asia booked through the new year with more shows to be announced in the weeks to come. See all confirmed dates below.

Live Dates:
11/08/2024 Copenhagen Distillery – Copenhagen, DK *Record Release Show
12/06/2024 Blueprint Livehouse – Bangkok, TH
12/08/2024 Atlantis Bar – Siem Reap, KH
12/09/2024 Cloud Bar – Penh, KH
12/10/2024 142 Tran Nao – Ho Chi Min, VN
12/11/2024 Petai Belalang – Kuala Lumpur, MY
12/13/2024 The Rockin Jamz Hall – Johor Bahru, MY
12/14/2024 88Fryer – Timoq, PH
12/15/2024 Unknown 13 Pub – Quezon City, PH
12/18/2024 Tops Commercial Complex – Bacolod, PH
12/19/2024 South Republic Live House – Davao, PH
12/20/2024 BGC, Bottle Grounds Cafe – Baguio, PH
12/21/2024 Frontway Music Restaurant – Tarlag, PH
1/10/2025 Baltoppen – Ballerup, DK
1/17/2025 Sønderborghus – Sønderborg, DK
1/18/2025 Tøjhuset – Fredericia, DK
2/07/2025 Headquarters – Aarhus, DK

LIFESICK:
Simon Shoshan – vocals
Nicolai Lindegaard – guitar
Nikolai Lund – guitar
Jeppe Løwe – drums
Jeppe Riis Frausing – bass

https://lifesick.dk
https://www.facebook.com/lifesick
https://www.instagram.com/lifesickhc
https://x.com/lifesickhc