LIZZY BORDEN to be at Metal Blade Records Museum Every Saturday in April

Posted by tarjavirmakari on April 5, 2024
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: , . 1 Comment

Metal Blade Records is pleased to announce that LIZZY BORDEN will be at its Las Vegas, NV based heavy metal museum every Saturday this month. Inside the museum, fans will be able to wander the halls of heavy metal history, collected throughout the life and career of Metal Blade’s founder and Chairman/CEO, Brian Slagel. You’ll see items like old promo materials, old show flyers from the Sunset Strip and beyond, plaques, props from tours and music videos, original promotional photos from bands’ album releases, original artwork from bands’ cover art, merch, gear, and so, so much more.

Tickets HERE!

Metal Blade Records has also opened up additional museum tours the weekend that both Amon Amarth and Cattle Decapitation are in town on their individual headlining tours.

Friday, May 24th
Saturday, May 25th
Sunday, May 26th

Tour #1 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Tour #2 2:30pm – 4:30pm

For a better idea of what the museum holds, check out these videos which offer a quick tour through the museum with Metal Blade’s very own, Brian Slagel. Pt 1 HERE – Pt 2 HERE

And while out and about in Las Vegas, make sure to stop by Metal Blade Records‘ store at the Antique Mall Of America. Full of Metal Blade collectibles and out-of-print items that can’t be found anywhere else, fans can visit the location to get their fix of rare vinyl, t-shirts, CDs and more. (Antique Mall of America 9151 S Las Vegas Blvd # 344 Las Vegas, NV 89123 – directions HERE)

About Metal Blade Records:
Founded upon owner Brian Slagel‘s enduring drive to find great bands and get their music out to as many people as possible, since 1982 Metal Blade has brought wave after wave of powerful, innovative, and often genre-defining music to the ever-hungry metal masses. It is this ethos that has seen Metal Blade build up a stunning and diverse catalog, weather the various storms facing any independent label, and in an age of declining record sales boast the most successful years of its existence as it celebrates its fourth decade.

Metal Blade Records launched Metallica, Slayer, Armored Saint, Fates Warning, GWAR, Cannibal Corpse, Amon Amarth, Whitechapel, The Black Dahlia Murder, Cattle Decapitation, and dozens more genre giants, shaping four decades and counting of hard rock, metal, and extreme music culture. Brian Slagel worked as a record store clerk when he founded Metal Blade in 1982, reserving a spot for a young Lars Ulrich on his Metal Massacre compilation series. Metal Blade grew from humble beginnings in Los Angeles to become an international powerhouse, selling millions of albums while remaining fiercely independent. In 2017, Slayer‘s Kerry King inducted the label into the Hall of Heavy Metal History. Slagel‘s For the Sake of Heaviness: The History of Metal Blade Records arrived the same year.

In 2022 Metal Blade Records celebrated its 40th Anniversary by way of two live shows in Las Vegas – one featuring Killswitch Engage and another featuring Sacred Reich. In addition to these two packed live shows/parties, the label reissued its first release, the compilation album Metal Massacre, plus specially branded 40th Anniversary small batch vodka and rum, and a West Coast style IPA beer. Brian Slagel also saw the release of his second book, Swing of the Blade: More Stories from Metal Blade Records that was released on May 9th and was met with rave reviews from fans and press alike. One fan on Good Reads called the book “a sentimental journey through Brian’s metal origin-story recollections from his deep and wide perspective as founder of Metal Blade that I enjoyed very much” while MetalTalk.net wrote that “Swing Of The Blade is an endearing, honest, and enjoyable journey into the deeper world of Brian Slagel, the main man behind the legendary Metal Blade Records…this is very much Brian in his own words, recounting tales from the early days of Metal Blade through to a brief post-pandemic epilogue, where he expresses his regret that the book hasn’t coincided with the 40th anniversary of the label.” To round out the celebration, Brian Slagel opened up the label’s collection of heavy metal memorabilia to fans in Las Vegas, NV, marking the opening of the official Metal Blade Records Museum that is open every Saturday.

The celebrating rolled over into 2023 and in October AXS TV picked up and premiered the Denise Korycki documentary of Metal Massacre: The Story Behind the Legendary Album. Packed with all-star interviews, rare photos, the film tells the story of the groundbreaking 1982 Metal Massacre vinyl compilation-a sonic celebration of the burgeoning Los Angeles Metal scene, which helped launch the careers of iconic acts Metallica and Ratt, and ultimately led to the birth of the legendary independent record label Metal Blade Records. The film boasts priceless commentary and anecdotes from Metal Blade founder Brian Slagel and his friend and collaborator John Kornarens, two metalheads with a dream who made Metal Massacre a reality; as well as Metallica members Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield; Ratt frontman Stephen Pearcy; and Black N’ Blue singer Jamie St. James, among many others.

Find Metal Blade Online:
https://www.metalblade.com
https://metalblade.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/metalbladerecords
https://www.instagram.com/metalbladerecords
https://www.youtube.com/MetalBladeRecords
https://twitter.com/MetalBlade
https://www.metalblade.com/museum

BARRUS Premieres Debut Album “The Kids”, Out Now + Streaming

Posted by tarjavirmakari on April 5, 2024
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

Barrus is the alias of Polish guitarist and music producer, Rafał Lipka. His creative journey began in 2010 in Olsztyn as a co-founder of the thrash metal band Eyewash.

In 2018, the band split up and Rafał fully devoted himself to his solo project. In the same year, he released a demo “surcease” and two years later, the debut album “DPDR“, featuring six instrumental tracks spanning the genres of art/atmospheric/progressive rock.

Barrus released his new album titled “The Kids” on April 2nd.

The new album “The Kids”  takes its name from the second track on the record, which explores the theme of abandoning one’s inner children. In this context, they serve as a metaphor for all kinds of fears, pains, or wounds that we carry within ourselves. In the pursuit of being “adults,” we desperately reject that part of ourselves which is no different from a small child, in need of warmth, love, and understanding. We approach negative emotions like pathological parents, abandoning them in an internal orphanage, washing our hands of their existence.

The lyrics on the album partly describe and raise awareness of such repression or its consequences. Through this, the author provides his metaphorical inner children with care and space for understanding, offering them a new home.

The music on the album combines alternative, art rock, and downtempo genres. The sonic foundation is a gritty-sounding electric guitar and vocals, often appearing in harmonious arrangements. However, “The Kids” doesn’t stick to a static instrumentation. The album features a classic lineup (guitar, bass, drums, Rhodes, synthesizers), as well as unconventional electronic beats sampled from everyday objects such as a tobacco heater, water droplets, or a creaky chair.

“The Kids” is an album that resembles more of a narrative than party bangers or background music for conversations. It serves as a soundtrack for moments when you feel down and need someone to clothe your emotions in melody and abstraction.

Music for this release was recorded and mixed by the project leader – Rafał Lipka, while the mastering was done by Marvin at Tide Studio Lodon (Tableau Mort, Phantom Horde). Album cover artowk was done by Urszula Pachała. New album titled “The Kids” was released digitally April 2, 2024.

Stream the album on platforms ▶ https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/barrus/the-kids-2

Tracklist:

01. Dream Bible
02. The Kids
03. SIarka
04. Zgliszcza
05. Wilk
06. Brak
07. Ghost
08. The Barrus
09. Postrain

More information at Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Exclusive Premiere for Finland: SILVERA Feat. Dreamshade ‘Utopian’ Lyric Video

Posted by tarjavirmakari on April 5, 2024
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

In the final stages of recording their sophomore album, Danish rockers SILVERA realized that two more songs were needed to complete the project. In a spontaneous turn of events, they decided to write one of these songs in the studio – a completely new process for them. As soon as the layers were added to the track, they sensed that they had introduced a fresh element to the Silvera flavor.

Inspiration struck, which led the collective to consider featuring harsh vocals on the song. That’s when Silvera reached out to the talented individuals from Dreamshade, sharing their vision for the track. Their immediate understanding and incredible contribution transformed the song into something truly special.

Lyrically, the narrative revolves around the human imagination’s pursuit of utopia – a place where perfection becomes reality. Follow a diverse group as they embark on a quest for this idyllic haven, seeking refuge from the flaws of reality. Venturing into unexplored territories

Join the premiering below.

A new Silvera album will be released in 2024.

Lineup:
Michael Krogh – guitar & vocals
Simon Krabbesmark – guitar & backing vocals
Rasmus Lindegård Hovde – bass & backing vocals
Martin Nielsen – drums

Digital single: https://bfan.link/utopian

More information at:
https://silvera.dk/
https://www.facebook.com/silveraband
https://www.instagram.com/silveraband/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0uE76EfCRAHXuM0n5hesvK
https://tidal.com/browse/album/148073127

BLAZE OF PERDITION Release ‘Przez rany’ Video / Single

Posted by tarjavirmakari on April 4, 2024
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
Photo by Justyna Kaminska

“Przez Rany” is the harrowing new single from long-running outfit BLAZE OF PERDITION. Having existed at the forefront of the Polish black metal movement, the band returns in 2024 with their sixth full-length, Upharsin, set for release on April 19th via Metal Blade Records.

A step back from the somewhat unusual direction the band followed on their previous offering — 2020’s The Harrowing Of Hearts — Upharsin takes on a dark and pessimistic tone reflected by its appropriately oppressive music. Haunting and melancholic melodies rooted in traditional black metal meet unforgiving blastbeats and solemn marches, while emotional yet feral vocals aim to bring a proper sense of rage and disgust.

“With Upharsin, we aimed to open the wounds of humanity as a collective,” the band notes. “The album reflects on how humans tend to gravitate towards conflict and strife. How religions and politics as well as other aspects of our everyday life are tainted and driven by our lower instincts as we willingly refuse to learn from our own history, as we choose to ignore and neglect the shadow aspect of our psychic reality, which in turn takes us further and further in the everlasting cycle of violence. It’s probably the most realistic concept we’ve taken on, with noticeably less spiritual leanings and a much more grounded approach.”

Following lead single and album-opener, “W Kwiecie Rozłamu,” BLAZE OF PERDITION today delivers “Przez Rany” – English translation: Through The Wounds – for which vocalist S. comments, “… It’s not common for us to keep the songs in a similar mood for their entire duration, but this one is a rare exception. We aimed to create a march-like anthem with a certain ceremonial tone to it. We also included something rather uncommon here, namely a rhythmic, chanted chorus to underline some sort of a twisted sense of elation and rapture.

“Lyrically, the song is about how religions and ideologies nurture our complexes and prejudices and ultimately drive us into the depths of lesser instincts and self-importance; how by repressing the minds they also inspire repressed demons to take over by giving us a sense of self-righteousness and how it eventually becomes the final straw before the eruption.”

Stream the prior single, “W Kwiecie Rozłamu,” HERE.

Find pre-orders at: metalblade.com/blazeofperdition

Upharsin Track Listing:
01. W kwiecie rozłamu
02. Przez rany
03. Niezmywalne
04. Architekt
05. Młot, miecz i bat

BLAZE OF PERDITION:
S. – vocals
XCIII – guitars
M.R. – guitars
VZN – drums
Wyrd – bass (session)

https://www.facebook.com/blazeofperdition
https://www.instagram.com/blazeofperdition
https://blazeofperdition.bandcamp.com

MAMMAL Release Explosive Single + Video ‘Keanu Reeves’, New Album “The Penny Drop” Coming Soon

Posted by tarjavirmakari on April 4, 2024
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Narrm neo punk/funk warriors Mammal target misinformation in scintillating fashion, with their explosive new single Keanu Reeves, out now. Marking the band’s first new material since 2022, the single is fittingly accompanied by a music video inspired by one of the actual Keanu Reeves’ most iconic cinematic moments.

Buy: https://music.apple.com/us/album/keanu-reeves-single/1713800645
Preorder the album: https://mammaltheband.bigcartel.com/

Named for the Internet’s Boyfriend while also laden with the trademark Mammal spitfire stylings, Keanu Reeves finds the Melbourne quartet embracing spacious frustration and brutal neo-scream in musically muscular fashion. Drawing sonic inspiration from the equally powerful likes of Rage Against the Machine, Jimi Hendrix, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Public Enemy, Metallica and Clutch, Keanu Reeves also brought Mammal together with the multi-platinum awarded Jimi “The Island” Maroudas (The Avalanches, Tim Rogers, The Living End) on producing duties, as well as engineering by Tyson Fish and mixing by long-time Mammal collaborator Forrester Savell (Karnivool, Helmet, Sunk Loto).

Full of riotous beats, elasticated basslines and the voracious vocal delivery of frontman Ezekiel Ox, Keanu Reeves is a lyrically pop culture-laden powerhouse beating with a timely thematic core, as Ox elaborates, “We started writing for our new album, and Pete [Williamson] and Zane [Rosanoski] came up with the original Keanu Reeves song. I flew down for a couple of days of drinking, smoking and freestyle, and the song came out. It’s about misinformation, and the need for humans to be able to agree on an objective reality to survive. It’s grim out there at the moment, Orwellian. But in the end, some things are real. We name check Tracey Chapman in the song too, which is exciting.”
 
Continuing their music video hallmark of live performances, the accompanying clip for Keanu Reeves draws irreverent yet powerful inspiration from a bona fide 90s action movie classic, Mammal-style. With long-time friend and creative collaborator Dean J Miller shooting and editing, the end result for the ‘Keanu Reeves’ music video proves that humour and hard-hitting thematics can truly go hand in hand, with the end result also featuring a local Narrm coastal setting to backdrop the memorable clip. “Mammal always performs live in our clips,” shares Ox. “The dancing is important to our culture and mission, so we set up at a local Narrm beach for the live stuff. The clip is a tongue-in-cheek recreation of the original Point Break, which of course starred Keanu Reeves alongside the late Patrick Swayze. Expect chase scenes, tuxedos and ex-Presidents of the USA galore. The concept? Have fun and make something entertaining, it’s not rocket surgery.”

Since forming and releasing their debut self-titled EP in 2006, Mammal have toured relentlessly while also crafting a formidable reputation for their animated live performances, timeless sonic creations and authentic, working-class political activism that has garnered the quartet an ever-growing cult-like status across the globe. Revered as a “must see” rock’n’roll juggernaut, Mammal’s back catalogue includes their striking singles Smash The Pinata, The Majority, Hell Yea and Think, with their touring history also spanning headline shows in London, Perth, Auckland, Brisbane and everywhere in between, as well as supports with some of the heavy scene’s towering giants, including Kiss, Avenged Sevenfold, Sebastian Bach, Cog, Grinspoon, Spiderbait and Shihad to name a mere few. A band who also walk the walk alongside their musical calls-to-action, Mammal have also previously volunteered their live services, raising much-needed funds for various charities, supporting Interchange, the Refugee Action Collective and Fitzroy Legal Service over the years.
 
 Now primed to release their sophomore studio album The Penny Drop in 2024, the long-awaited follow up to the band’s debut full length The Majority in 2008, Mammal are ready once again to fly their commanding flag for meaningful rock’n’roll with a newfound and dynamic vigour. And, as Ox concludes, Mammal are entirely locked and loaded to light the fire loudly and proudly once more, with Keanu Reeves gifting the perfect lead into an unforgettable 2024 from the band. 

“We feel ready and raring to go,” says Ox. “We say what we want, how we want and play loud and proud. We believe that at its best, rock and roll is a form of rebellion. Punters know when they come to the show that we give shit, about the music, about them. About their schools and unis, their hospitals and parks, their housing situation. Their favourite bands. We always punch up, and we aren’t pulling the ladder up behind us.”

https://linktr.ee/Mammalband
https://www.facebook.com/mammaltheband
https://twitter.com/mammalband
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb9M0D0cyn7Ne4V-pGG2npQ
https://www.instagram.com/mammalband
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4KhPN2T6Vncn12ktO3IwP4
https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-majority/1280641849
https://www.tiktok.com/@mammalband

POWERWOLF to Release New Studio Album “Wake Up The Wicked” on July 26th

Posted by tarjavirmakari on April 4, 2024
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
[Photo Credit: VDPictures]

POWERWOLF – a band that fills the hearts of every heavy metal fan with joy – will release their highly-anticipated new studio album, Wake Up The Wicked, on July 26, 2024 via Napalm Records! With several #1 chart entries and multiple gold and platinum records, POWERWOLF is undoubtedly one of the most successful current heavy metal bands worldwide. Headline and premium slots at premier rock and metal festivals like Wacken, Hellfest or Graspop, as well as massive sold-out arena shows have further solidified the Wolfpack’s standing at the very top of the scene. POWERWOLF’s high quality releases are steadily praised by critics and fans alike, building upon the successful reach of their songs and impressive official music videos, which have been streamed tens of millions of times across platforms to date.

Fans can get a taste of the massive live shows by ordering one of the formats including the bonus album Manhattan Metal Mass –Live in New York City, recorded at their first ever US show! Pre-order your version of the new album now!

Pre-Order your version of Wake Up The Wicked HERE

Wake Up The Wicked – the highly anticipated successor to the extremely successful previous studio album, Call Of The Wild (2021) – will be released just in time for the award-winning band’s first ever full North American tour, starting in August 2024, followed by their biggest European headline tour to date, the Wolfsnächte 2024. Wake Up The Wicked is once again produced by the outstanding Joost van den Broek at Sandlane Recording Facilities and marks a new benchmark and undisputed career highlight for the band. The new album is hard, surprising and full of variety. While staying true to their established, loved sound, POWERWOLF go one step further and showcase a different facet of their deft musical and technical skills. This is evident, for example, on the outstanding single “1589”, which is based on a true story from the 16th century.

20 years after their formation in 2004, POWERWOLF are expanding their repertoire with the highest quality and adding many future live hits to their extraordinary discography. Wake Up The Wicked is yet another statement cementing the status of the band as a leading force in the world of heavy metal!

Wake Up The Wicked Tracklisting:

  1. Bless ’em With the Blade
  2. Sinners of the Seven Seas
  3. Kyrie Klitorem
  4. Heretic Hunters
  5. 1589
  6. Viva Vulgata
  7. Wake Up the Wicked
  8. Joan of Arc
  9. Thunderpriest
  10. We Don’t Wanna Be No Saints
  11. Vargamor

POWERWOLF 2024 North American Tour:
w/ Unleash The Archers
29.08.24 US – Los Angeles, CA / The Hollywood Palladium
31.08.24 US – Denver, CO / The Ogden Theatre
03.09.24 US – Chicago, IL / The Riviera Theatre
04.09.24 US – Cleveland, OH / The Agora Theatre
05.09.24 US – Silver Spring, MD / The Fillmore
07.09.24 US – Tampa, FL / Jannus Landing
08.09.24 US – Atlanta, GA / The Masquerade
09.09.24 US – Charlotte, NC / The Fillmore
12.09.24 US – Philadelphia, PA / The Fillmore
13.09.24 US – Worcester, MA / The Palladium
14.09.24 US – New York City, NY / Brooklyn Paramount
15.09.24 US – Laval, QC / Place Bell

POWERWOLF Wolfsnächte 2024:
w/ HammerFall, Wind Rose        
04.10.24 DE – Hamburg / Barclays Arena            
05.10.24 NL – Amsterdam / AFAS Live   
06.10.24 BE – Antwerp / Lotto Arena
09.10.24 FR – Nantes / Zenith
10.10.24 LU – Esch Sur Alzette / Rockhal
11.10.24 DE – Stuttgart / Schleyerhalle
12.10.24 DE – Frankfurt / Festhalle
14.10.24 IT – Milan / Alcatraz
16.10.24 CH – Zürich / The Hall
17.10.24 FR – Paris / Zenith
18.10.24 DE – Oberhausen / Rudolf Weber Arena
19.10.24 DE – Berlin / Velodrom
21.10.24 PL – Krakow / Tauron Arena
22.10.24 HU – Budapest / MVM Dome
23.10.24 AT – Vienna / Gasometer
25.10.24 DE – Munich / Olympiahalle
26.10.24 CZ – Prague / Sportovni Hala Fortuna

POWERWOLF are:
Attila Dorn – vocals
Falk Maria Schlegel – organ
Charles Greywolf – guitar
Matthew Greywolf – guitar
Roel van Helden – drums
 
POWERWOLF online:
HOMEPAGE
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
NAPALM RECORDS