Finnish progressive metal outfit THE HYPOTHESIS is gearing up to release their new album “Evolve” on October 18th via Noble Demon. The band has just unleashed the second single “Here I Stand”, along with an official video that can be viewed below.
“‘Here I Stand’ narrates the story of a ruler who, despite warnings, builds an empire only to see it crumble under the weight of his own greed and selfishness,“ the band reveals. “As his kingdom collapses, he is left to face the consequences of his actions, surrounded by destruction and plagued by an unending torment. In the end, he stands alone, confronting the inevitability of his demise and the perpetual suffering it brings.“
Hailing from the darkened realm of Kouvola, Finland, THE HYPOTHESIS was founded in 2009 as a melodic metal entity driven by the desire to break free from genre constraints and evolve with each musical endeavor. With former members now playing in renowned bands such as Opeth and Stratovarius, THE HYPOTHESIS is a powerhouse quartet with a relentless drive for musical excellence.
Emerging on the scene with their debut album “Origin” in 2016, followed by successful single releases in 2018, THE HYPOTHESIS signed with Noble Demon in 2024, marking a significant milestone in their musical journey. With the album “Evolve” just around the corner, fans of bands like Gojira, Textures, and Tesseract can anticipate a captivating sonic experience that pushes the boundaries of progressive metal.
“Evolve” will be coming out on October 18 via Noble Demon and is available for pre-save at THIS LOCATION
Tracklist:
Wanderer
Here I Stand
Watch the World Burn with Me
Evolve
Where the Dreams Come to Die
From the Ashes
Dead Cold Silence
Thousand Skies
Stray
THE HYPOTHESIS are: Juuso Turkki – Vocals, Guitar Asko Sartanen – Guitar, Backing Vocals Markku Ruuskanen – Bass, Backing vocals Otso Tiilama – Drums
Total Metal Records presents new release “Construction Of Evil” by NECRONOMICON.
For the first time on vinyl, the fifth full-length studio album by cult German Thrash Metal band. Necronomicon was perhaps sometimes known as a ‘poor man’s Destruction’, but they had their moments, most notably 1988’s “Escalation”. There are still comparisons to be made to Destruction, especially as Volker’s vocals still persist in their painful pinch a-la Schmier, but the riffs seem to have come into a life of their own. Much of “Construction Of Evil” has a tight, consistent flow to it, a steady violence, fun tracks like “Stormbringer”, “Paralizer”, “Bone Daddy” and “Hard Pain”, loaded with well-meaning guitars, flighty leads and bitter, biting vocals.
The album adheres very strongly to the original mixture of aggressive vocal shouts and melodic riffing observed on their early albums, but with a much cleaner production and a bit of an awareness of the newer German Power Metal acts that came out of the mid to late 1990s such as Paragon and Iron Savior. This is particularly noticeable in the peculiar sound and character of the lead guitar tracks. Naturally, the mix here is far superior to what they’ve done before, from a technical standpoint. The instruments are very well-balanced, the vocals at the forefront without robbing the guitars of their power.
Tracklist:
Side A 1. Stormbringer 3:41 2. Hard Pain 3:43 3. From Hell 4:06 4. Alight 2:38 5. Hills of Dead 4:32 6. Paralizer 3:18 Running time: 22:04 min.
Side B 1. Terrorist Attack 5:49 2. Fiction 3:47 3. Fireball 3:28 4. Bone Daddy 3:20 5. Insanity 1:24 6. Possessed Again 4:39
Likewise, the band’s mastery of the gang chorus is almost enough to put Anthrax and Overkill to shame. The lead and gang backup interchanges on the chorus sections of “Fiction” and “Paralizer” succeed in being twice as bombastic as what was heard on “Taking Over” or “Among The Living”, while being just a little too aggressive for much of the German Power Metal scene.
Stylistically, the variation in approach from song to song mostly hearkens back to the mid to late 80s approach, mostly being dominated by speed songs with the occasional slower rocker and token half-ballad. “Alight” and “Hills of Dead” have a lot of German pre-Thrash elements and NWOBHM leanings. “Terrorist Attack” definitely carries some heavy Accept influences, as well as a gloomy piano line which is fairly uncharacteristic for a straight Thrash Metal outfit. “Fireball” has this sombre acoustic line to it that meshes with some standard Power chord riffing to form a middle ground between Anthrax and Bad Religion. It’s certainly the catchiest and vocally melodic of what’s on here, but occasionally kicks in the speed to keep it from being a straight power ballad.
To the prospective shopper of faster Metal with a taste for the old school, this is something that can appeal equally to fans of Old-school Thrash Metal, early US Power Metal and early German Speed Metal. The only thing that the latter two groups of fans should consider is that Freddy Fredrich’s gravely vocal style is more akin to the semi-melodic shouts of Kreator and Destruction than the less dirty melodic vocal approach of Rolf Kasperek or Udo Dirkschneider. But for fans of German Thrash Metal, this is far superior to what most of their scene has been offering in the first decade of the current century.
Theigns & Thralls, known for their distinctive blend of folk-metal and classic rock, are excited to announce the release of their new official lyric video for “Now My Life Is Done”. This track is part of their latest album called “The Keep & The Spire” which showcases the band’s evolution with a heavier and darker tone, devoid of acoustic tracks.
Theigns & Thralls is the brainchild of Skyclad vocalist and songwriter Kevin Ridley, featuring Cruachan and Waylander band members.
Theigns & Thralls continue to push the boundaries of their sound, cementing their position in the global music scene. The new album not only reflects their artistic growth but also offers fans a deeper and more immersive experience.
The initial inspiration for the song “Now My Life Is Done” came from a ‘gavotte’ (French dance) by J.B. Lulley (from around 1686) as well as a poem called ‘Elegy’ by Chidiock Tichborne (1586). This poem was written by him while he was in prison awaiting execution, his words fits the mood of the music perfectly. The song features Alan Averill (Primordial). For fans of Skyclad, Waylander, Cruachan, Korpiklanni, Alestorm.
01. Overture 02. A Single Beam 03. Fight And Lay Your Bones 04. The Battle of Maldon 05. Aftermath 06. Pagan Song 07. The Harrowing 08. The Seeker 09. Now My Life Is Done 10. The Grape And The Grain 11. Interrogativa Cantilena 12. The Mermaid Tavern
Theigns & Thralls is the brainchild of Skyclad’s vocalist and songwriter Kevin Ridley. Originally, it was intended to be an ‘occasional band’ to perform songs from the writers back catalogue (Skyclad songs, solo album songs, covers etc) working around Skyclad’s touring plans.
However, due to the pandemic, the project became a collaborative recording project building on a few demo ideas. Friends and players from across Europe were asked to contribute and the response was overwhelmingly positive. In the end, twenty-five musicians from bands such as Korpiklaani, Ensiferum, Cruachan, Waylander, Celtibeerian and Metal De Facto, as well as solo musicians, contributed everything from drums, bass, guitar, violin, whistles, bagpipes to hurdy gurdy and vocals.
The name Theigns & Thralls (which basically means master and servant) was settled on and it was also decided to make an eponymous album, so that Theigns & Thralls was the band’s name, the name of the album and the name of the opening song. This also helped clarify the band’s ’mission’. Theigns & Thralls is where an appreciation of history, literature and humanism come together for fans of Celtic Speed-Punk, Folk-Metal and Classic Rock.
Finally, as well as putting out the album and videos, a ‘touring band’ was put together, to perform the songs live. The band have, subsequently played gigs and festivals across Europe, often with guest artist appearances.
Theigns & Thralls is:
Kevin Ridley: Vocals, guitar, mandolin, mandola, bouzouki, synths Dave Briggs: Guitar, whistles, backing vocals, bodhran John Ryan: Violin, cello, backing vocals Arjon Valk: Bass guitar, backing vocals Mike Verhof: Drums, percussion, backing vocals
January 24, 2025 will see Swedish doom and hard rock maestros Avatarium release their much-awaited new studio offering “Between You, God, the Devil and The Dead” through AFM Records. The band’s sixth album will be available as ltd. LP Vinyl (Black, Orange/White, Silver), a 2-CD Ear Book, CD Jewelcase and Digital formats, you can now pre-order your favorite edition at this location.
Following the previously-released, first single “Long Black Waves” – blending gloomy hard rock with heavy doom metal accents – today, Avatarium present an official music video for their haunting album title track! Guitarist Marcus Jidell comments:
“Sometimes it feels like being a true musician today is being a part of an underground resistance movement, resisting a culture that wants our brains and souls to shut down. Here’s a song that wants to turn your gaze towards something different. A song made by humans for humans”.
Get “Between You, God, The Devil and The Dead” on all digital streaming services here.
More than ten years ago with founding Avatarium, Candlemass icon Leif Edling made the doom metal world a darker and ultimately more interesting place. Over the next years, they released two EPs, four critically acclaimed full-length records, and a live DVD, ‘An Evening With Avatarium – Live in Stockholm’. Edling eventually left Avatarium‘s ranks due to health issues, but the band forged onward, and 2022 found them capping off a prolific decade with their latest album and AFM Records debut, ‘Death, Where Is Your Sting’.
Following the much-acclaimed record release, lauded by fans and music press worldwide and numerous live appearances at prestigious festivals or on tour with acts such as Swallow The Sun, early 2025 will see the Swedish doom maestros even double down on all expections! Their forthcoming studio offering, “Between You, God, The Devil and The Dead” — produced and mixed by Marcus Jidell with a mastering by Svante Forsbäck (Candlemass, Amorphis and many more) — features eight new enthralling tracks, that showcases the band’s exceptional songwriting skills and qualities. Avatarium have evolved since their 2013 self-titled debut, and although they have always introduced new elements along the way, with their epic fusion of a doom-ladden occult sound and dark, heavy yet melancholic, poetic facets, the Swedish collective fronted by extraordinary vocalist Jennie-Ann Smith proves, why they belong to one of the most unique acts the modern heavy music scene has to offer!
Pre-Order “Between You, God, The Devil and The Dead” now at THIS LOCATION!
“Between You, God, The Devil and The Dead” Tracklist:
Long Black Waves
I See You Better In The Dark
My Hair Is On Fire (But I’ll Take Your Hand)
Lovers Give A Kingdom To Each Other
Being With The Dead
Until Forever And Again
Notes From Underground
Between You, God, The Devil and The Dead
AVATARIUM is: Jennie-Ann Smith (Vocals) Marcus Jidell (Guitars) Andreas Habo Johansson (Drums & Percussion) Mats Rydström (Bass)
Los Angeles’ acclaimed avant-garde metal band MELTED BODIES has revealed their next single, “Something Is Wrong,” from their long-awaited sophomore album, The Inevitable Fork, that will be self-released on October 18th. The latest track from the band’s warped mind is a fever dream of frantic industrialized metal; a foreboding song that stares down a psychedelic kaleidoscope of ominous reality and turbulent sound from Southern California’s trailblazing experimentalists.
“Something is wrong. We all can feel it. So many of us inundated with the fear surrounding our current political climate and literal world climate it feels at times like it’s paralyzing. We stand in place frozen like a helpless child staring at a movie screen. Watching as we fall apart. War is coming, but not like we thought it would. It’s terrifying, lonely and inevitable.” – MELTED BODIES
MELTED BODIES has debuted a new video for the track directed by the band’s own drummer/videographer Scott McDonald.
Comprised of 3 distinctive EPs sewn together with mesmerizing interludes and abrasive soundscapes, The Inevitable Fork is an experimental genre-blending record that pushes the limits of what’s expected of modern metal and showcases the emerging talent of one of the scene’s most innovative and volatile bands around.
The Inevitable Fork is about the personal battle of survival vs. joy; our need to conform and stay afloat despite the pursuit of purpose. This is the next chapter for MELTED BODIES, but for a band designed around reflecting on the very idea of metal with glaring intensity, there’s much more to this story.
Commenting on the record, vocalist Andy Hamm (ex-Local Natives) says:
“We all have arrived at, or are approaching our own version of what I call ‘The Inevitable Fork’, and this overarching theme informs most of these songs in some way, much of which is very personal. Our bloodlines, mental health, past traumas, accomplishments, and regrets eventually lead us all to choose one of this fork’s many prongs to follow. Maybe we accept that it’s all imperfect, and we embrace our flaws to make anew or try again. Or perhaps we avoid, stall, numb, or overindulge. We’ve all been told “it’s now or never,” but yet we have heard that so many times. This stigma feeds our avoidance, unaccountability, and utter laziness. But rest assured ‘The Inevitable Fork’ is coming for us all whether we appreciate it or appall it.”
The Inevitable Fork Tracklisting: 1. Destined To Suffer 2. Bloodlines 3. The Hot Dog Contract 4. Wrath Of The Flies 5. Overinflated All The Time 6. Liars (Album Edit) 7. State Of Mind 8. Splitting 9. Vague And Easy 10. Relax You Are Lazy 11. Dreamer 12. The Avalanche (Album Edit) 13. Vital Aftermath 14. The Inevitable Fork (Album Edit) 15. Talk Some More About It 16. Think Safe 17. I Often Feel Alone While Surrounded By Other People 18. Therapy 19. There Is Something Else Here Now Too 20. Something Is Wrong
About MELTED BODIES: It’s 2015, Andy Hamm is staring at two of his favorite albums sitting above his record player – Cannibal Corpse’s The Bleeding, and Talking Heads’ More Songs about Buildings and Food. For the past decade, Andy toured the world as a founding member of indie band Local Natives, but was unexpectedly pushed out of the group by his former bandmates. Sitting alone, with unsatisfied ideas, he stared at those two albums and saw a template for a new project grounded in the music that inspired him in the first place. So he started writing.
A few months later, Andy met Scott McDonald at a screening of the Japanese cult film Why Don’t You Play in Hell? The two realized their shared love of horror and anime extends to music too. With Scott’s drumming background for Portland’s early 2000s Upon Beauty Rests, the two decided to meet up and explore Andy’s new ideas.
It quickly became clear that they needed to fill out the band, starting with bassist Houda Zakeri, a part of the LA punk scene for years with Holy Hydraulics, then ending with Ben Majoy, aka Diamondstein, electronic music producer and host of NTS Radio’s popular dark music show Night Shift. And with this, MELTED BODIES was formed.
Over the next few years, MELTED BODIES developed a reputation around SoCal for chaotic and unpredictable shows. Their difficult-to-pindown intensity led to as many mismatched billings as sold-out shows, supporting bands like Red Fang, Kikagaku Moyo, Horse the Band, Machine Girl, and Sleepy Time Gorilla Museum. Then as the world closed, 2020 became an ironically perfect year for Melted Bodies to release their breakthrough debut album, Enjoy Yourself.
Self-recorded in their depraved Inglewood rehearsal space, this album introduced their fresh contradiction to a global audience of like-minded multi-hyphenate metalheads, and quickly became one of Bandcamp’s top metal albums for the year, and a mainstay on many year-end lists, including a #1 from MetalSucks. Acclaimed for its new ideas in heavy music, Enjoy Yourself was labeled “the Most 2020 album we could have hoped for” by journalists, due to its cheeky themes of consumerism, isolation, and police cannibalism.
A step removed from the sardonic nature of Enjoy Yourself, and now firmly established as a referential part of the metal music landscape, MELTED BODIES is releasing the final piece of their existentially and sonically heavy 3 EP series, The Inevitable Fork. Finally heard in its totality, these three volumes tell a different story from their breakthrough Enjoy Yourself.
As ASKING ALEXANDRIA prepare to hit the road on the second leg of their critically praised “All My Friends” headlining U.S. tour from September 24 through November 2, the British rock luminaries share news of a new EP. Due October 18 via Better Noise Music, the digital EP will include remixed versions of popular tracks from their recent 2023 album, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? Pre-save WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? THE REMIXES at https://askingalexandria.ffm.to/wdwgfhremixesep.
ASKING ALEXANDRIA have shared the first listen to two new tracks from the EP today, September 20. The “modern day, hook-laden” (Kerrang!) song “Let Go”—the third highest-streaming track on WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? which has nearly 8 million overall streams and over 1.3 million video views—gets a remixed touch from up-and-coming LA-based producer kodeblooded. Watch its music video streaming below or directly via YouTube HERE.
The band has also released a remixed version of fan-favorite track “Bad Blood” from viral Indonesian DJ group Weird Genius. The group broke Spotify’s record for the #1 longest charting local song for six consecutive weeks on Spotify Indonesia’s Top 50 charts for their hit single “Lathi” in 2020. Stream the “Bad Blood (Weird Genius Remix)” digitally HERE.
The WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? THE REMIXES EP also includes “Dark Void (Sullivan King Remix)” which was included on ASKING ALEXANDRIA’s DARK VOID EP in January surrounding “Blue Monday”—the most depressing day of the year—to correlate with the track’s theme surrounding overcoming depression and mental health battles. See the full WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? THE REMIXES track listing below.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? THE REMIXES Track Listing:
Bad Blood (Weird Genius Remix) (3:17)
Let Go (kodeblooded Remix) (3:14)
Nothing Left (Cass Dillon Remix) (3:14)
Where Do We Go From Here? (Fairlane Remix) (3:39)
Where Do We Go From Here? (4:09)
Dark Void (Sullivan King Remix) (3:09)
Holding On To Something More (3:24)
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? saw ASKING ALEXANDRIA achieve their second-ever #1 Active Rockradio single with the genre-blending “Psycho.” Described as “a masterful fusion of hard rock personality with vulnerability” that “never loses sight of the infectious and anthemic nature of its songwriting,’ (Riff Magazine) WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? is a culmination of the band’s career, melding their signature sound with experimental electronics. Produced and mixed by Matt Good (Hollywood Undead, From First To Last), the album has accumulated over 43 million streams and its music and lyric videos have garnered more than 5 million YouTube views to date. Find WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? on CD, cassette, vinyl, and/or digital download at https://askingalexandria.ffm.to/wdwgfh
ASKING ALEXANDRIA have established themselves as one of the most important rock bands of this generation through years of hard touring, supporting massive bands like Breaking Benjamin, Shinedown, Slipknot, Godsmack, and Korn; co-headlining with Nothing More, Black Veil Brides and The HU, and headlining multiple head-turning treks. The second-leg of their headlining “All My Friends” tour will feature support from Memphis Mayfire, The Word Alive, and Archers. Tickets and VIP meet & greet packages are available now at www.askingalexandria.com. See all upcoming appearances listed below.
ASKING ALEXANDRIA 2024 TOUR DATES
9/24 Sioux Falls, SD @ The District # 9/25 Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave / Eagles Club – The Rave Hall # 9/27 Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue # 9/28 Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre # 9/29 Grand Rapids, MI @ GLC Live at 20 Monroe * 10/1 Chicago, IL @ House of Blues – Chicago # 10/2 Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom # 10/4 Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s # 10/5 Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues – Cleveland # 10/6 New York, NY @ Irving Plaza # 10/8 Boston, MA @ Big Night Live # 10/9 Portland, ME @ Aura # 10/11 New Haven, CT @ Toad’s Place # 10/12 Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony # 10/13 Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts # 10/15 Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum Complex – Piedmont Hall # 10/16 Birmingham, AL @ Iron City # 10/18 Chattanooga, TN @ The Signal # 10/19 Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works ^ 10/20 Saint Louis, MO @ The Pageant ^ 10/22 Kansas City, MO @ The Truman # 10/23 Tulsa, OK @ Cains Ballroom # 10/25 Albuquerque, NM @ Revel # 10/26 Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre – Tucson # 10/27 Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues # 10/29 Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco # 10/30 Ventura, CA @ Majestic Ventura Theatre # 11/1 San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore # 11/2 Chico, CA @ Senator Theater # 12/10 Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro % 12/12 Dublin, IE – 3Arena % 12/16 London, UK – The O2 %
#with Memphis Mayfire, The Word Alive & Archers ^no Memphis Mayfire *no Archers %with Falling In Reverse, Our Last Night & Tech N9NE
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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Visionary artist KIMMO KUUSNIEMI's ANCIENT STREAMING ASSEMBLY (ASA) have released “Aurora Nuclearis”, a powerful 12-minute audiovisual experience, dedicated to the Late Keyboardist Esa Kotilainen. - Click image to watch the video
Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 