New Jersey six-piece FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY are proud to announce new European tour dates for this coming November and December. Two years after their last headline tour through Europe, the band will visit over 20 different cities including London, Oslo, Berlin, Prague, Milan and many more! Starting the run on November 22nd in London, UK, FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY will be supported throughout the tour by label mates SYLOSIS and also DARKEST HOUR and HERIOT.
FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY about the upcoming tour: “FFAA is always excited to get over to Europe to play shows! The European metal community has always been amazing to us. This tour is stacked with great bands that just happen to be people we consider friends. It’s one of those tours that you know will be a good time before it even starts!”
FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY · 2024 EU/UK TOUR Special Guests: SYLOSIS DARKEST HOUR HERIOT
22.11. UK London – Elecltric Brixton* 23.11. UK Leeds – Stylus* 24.11. UK Glasgow – QMU* 26.11. UK Manchester – O2 Ritz* 27.11. UK Birmingham – O2 Institute* 28.11. UK Bristol – SWX* 30.11. NL Nijmegen – Doornroosje 01.12. BE Antwerp – Kafka Zappa 02.12. DE Hamburg – Gruenspan 03.12. SE Gothenburg – Pustervik 04.12. NO Oslo – John Dee 05.12. SE Stockholm – Fryshuset Klubben 07.12. FI Helsinki – Ääniwalli 09.12. DK Copenhagen – Amager Bio 10.12. DE Berlin – Hole44 11.12. PL Warsaw – Proxima 12.12. CZ Prague – Meetfactory 13.12. DE Dresden – Reithalle 14.12. HU Budapest – Barba Negra 15.12. AT Wien – Simmcity 17.12. IT Milan – Live Club 18.12. CH Pratteln – Z7 19.12. DE München – Backstage 20.12. DE Karlsruhe – Substage 21.12. DE Köln – Essigfabrik
Black Tusk came roaring out of the Savannah swamplands nearly twenty years ago, but the sludge metal veterans aren’t looking back anytime soon. On their seventh album, The Way Forward, the band blaze full steam into the future behind the force of their new yet familiar lineup.
“This record represents our steadfast resolve to keep making music together as a band and evolve our sound”, says Andrew Fidler, Black Tusk’s longtime guitarist and co-vocalist.
The Way Forward is released today, Friday, April 26, and you can hear all 11 hard-hitting tracks on the Season of Mist YouTube channel.
The Way Forward pulls no punches. Right from the rip, album opener “Out of Grasp” charges head-on to the relentless chop of James May’s snare drum. Lead single “Brush Fire” quickly grabs the baton and lights it up like a Molotov cocktail. New bassist Derek Lynch makes one hell of a first impression. “I watch you burn!” he spits, already spewing with righteous fury.
“Derek said he’d never done heavy vocals before, so I was like, ‘Well, here’s the mic. Here’s some words. Yell at it and see if you like it.’”, says Fidler. “I was blown away the first time he did it. It sounded good as fuck.”
Black Tusk recorded The Way Forward at Hidden Audio, a studio run by frequent collaborator and now official member Chris “Scary” Adams. Not only did Scary handle the production, but he locks horns with Fidler, making this the band’s first album to feature a two guitar attack. On “Dance on Your Grave”, Fidler lays down a boot-stomping riff so Scary can rip into a solo that never stops climbing.
Cover artwork by Brian Mercer
Of course, no band makes it 19 years without having to shovel their share of shit. “The big theme of this record is putting your life back together”, Fidler says. Black Tusk have switched labels and lost members, all while navigating the bumps in the road that come with being tour musicians. But The Way Forward leaves those past misgivings in the rear view. “Sometimes the worst things you’ve ever seen or done end up being the best thing that’s ever happened to you”, May says.
“Breath of Life” opens with murky synths that swirl like a depressive fog, but that’s just the quiet before the storm. Over fuming distortion, together, Black Tusk reach for something that sounds close to a silver lining. “Mercy in suffering, all I see“, they scream in unison.
“The title is kind of a double play,” Fidler says. “It’s the first record with the new lineup, and this is the direction we’re taking the band in. We’ve been doing Black Tusk for 19 years now, and we still love it. That’s why we called it The Way Forward.”
Tracklist 1. Out Of Grasp – 2:47 2. Brushfire – 2:22 [LISTEN] 3. Harness (The Alchemist) – 2:35 4. Lessons Through Deception – 2:14 5. Breath Of Life – 5:12 [WATCH] 6. Dance On Your Grave – 2:54 [WATCH] 7. Against The Undertow – 3:06 8. Lift Yourself – 3:31 9. Ocean Of Obsidian – 2:50 10. Flee From Dawn – 3:38 11. The Way Forward – 4:40 Total runtime: 35:54
Celebrate The Way Forward with Black Tusk’s new four-piece lineup today, April 26, at their free record release show! Joining the party at Congress Street Social Club are special guests Bronco and fellow Savannahians The Maxines.
Black Tusk will then hit the road in May for more shows with fans down south.
The Way Forward Record Release Show April 26 – Savannah, Georgia @ Congress St. Social Club [Free Show]
Black Tusk 2024 May Tour Dates May 23 – Atlanta, GA @ Boggs Social & Supply [TICKETS] May 24 – Orlando, FL @ Will’s Pub [TICKETS] May 25 – Stuart, FL @ East Ocean Pub [TICKETS] May 26 – Jacksonville, FL @ Rain Dogs [TICKETS]
“The big theme of this record is putting your life back together.” That’s Black Tusk guitarist/vocalist Andrew Fidler talking about the band’s new album, The Way Forward. “When everything seems like it’s against you, put your head down and push through. Take those bad things that are happening and use them to help create.”
The Way Forward might be the Savannah swamp metal crew’s seventh album, but it marks many firsts for Black Tusk. It’s their first with their new lineup, which sees guitarist Chris “Scary” Adams and bassist Derek Lynch joining Fidler and drummer James May. Which also makes it Black Tusk’s first record with a two-guitar lineup. “We were able to add leads and harmonies and all kinds of stuff on the new record that we haven’t done in the past,” Fidler says. “As far as our records go, this one has the most guitar work.”
You can hear it in the squealing solo of “Dance on Your Grave,” the killer harmonies on ripper “Harness (The Alchemist),” and the glorious dual guitar interplay of the powerful title track.
“‘The Way Forward’ is my favorite song on the record,” Fidler says. “It’s based on a personal experience that everyone can probably relate to. I got divorced in 2020, and I kinda felt like my entire world was collapsing when that happened. But I pulled myself out of it. I realized that this one thing ending in my life isn’t the end of everything. I’m gonna find a way forward. I’m gonna figure out how to live my life and create and be happy and make new relationships. Which is what I’ve done.”
In true Black Tusk fashion, the new lineup has expanded their triple-vocal approach to quadruple. “Everyone is doing vocals,” Fidler says. “That’s always been a thing in Black Tusk. Derek said he’d never done heavy vocals before, so I was like, ‘Well, here’s the mic. Here’s some words. Yell at it and see if you like it.’ I was blown away the first time he did it. It sounded good as fuck.”
That’s Lynch on lead single “Brushfire,” a song for which he wrote the main riffs and lyrical concept. “That was my first real contribution to the band,” the bassist says. “Thematically, I wanted the aggressiveness of the lyrics to keep with the idea of pushing forward even when the world is trying to drag you down. The mood of the lyrics needed to match the pulverizing tempo of the song.”
The lyrics for second single “Dance on Your Grave” were written by May, who moved from Savannah to Athens, GA, in the time since Black Tusk’s last album. “It’s about his struggles through Covid and what this lifestyle can do to people,” Fidler says. “It’s about getting past the party lifestyle and continuing to do things that are creative.”
Meanwhile, “Breath of Life” distills Black Tusk’s lyrical philosophy into a righteous five-minute pummeling. “Scary came up with the main riff of this song, and it’s one of my favorite riffs on the record,” Fidler says. “I wrote the lyrics, and it’s just about darkness crushing everything. The world is a fucked-up place that we have to navigate through. That’s what a lot of Black Tusk songs are about.”
Black Tusk recorded The Way Forward at Adams’ own Hidden Audio studio just outside of Savannah. Adams engineered the album and the whole band produced. “I actually helped him build the studio in the detached garage next to his house,” Fidler explains. “Me and my carpentry company went out there to do it, and Scary helped.”
“We had about 90% of the riffs and song structures going into the studio, while still experimenting with ideas and inspirations,” Adams explains. “Sometimes we completely reworked parts, which made all the difference. For example, early versions of ‘Breath of Life’ and ‘The Way Forward’ are quite different than the record, and I love where they ended up. Though we did use a few effects and synths here and there for texture and space, to me this record still feels raw and powerful. It captures the feeling of being at a Black Tusk show.”
The cover art for The Way Forward was done by Brian Mercer, who also created the sleeve for Black Tusk’s 2018 album, T.C.B.T. “T.C.B.T. had a dark cover because it was a dark time for the band,” Fidler says, referring to the period immediately after the passing of their longtime friend and bassist Jonathan Athon. “This time, it’s full blown, full-color Black Tusk. Brian Mercer and James collaborated on the concept, and Brian really knocked it out of the park.”
“The title is kind of a double play,” Fidler says. “It’s the first record with the new lineup, and this is the direction we’re taking the band in. We’ve been doing Black Tusk for 19 years now, and we still love it. That’s why we called it The Way Forward.”
Line-up:
Andrew Fidler: guitar, vocals James May: drums, vocals Derek Lynch: bass, vocals Chris “Scary” Adams: guitar, vocals
Recording Studio Hidden Audio
Producer/sound engineer Chris “Scary” Adams
Mixing studio and engineer Chris “Scary” Adams
Mastering studio and engineer Brad Boatright at Audiosiege
American Gothic purveyors WAYFARER will be embarking on a full North American headlining tour starting tomorrow, April 26, in support of their critically-acclaimed new album, ‘American Gothic.’ The trek will kick off in Jackson, WY and will make its way around the continent before concluding on May 24 in Lincoln, NE with support from SONJA as well as special appearances by VALDRIN on select dates. Tickets can be found HERE while the full itinerary can be found below.
Wayfarer guitarist/vocalist Shane McCarthy previously commented, “This tour has been a long time coming for us – it will actually be the band’s first ever full US headlining tour in our 10+ year history. We are looking forward to hitting some places we have never been before (Wisconsin, Montana), some places we haven’t been in 7+ years (Philly, Boston etc), and of course returning to several of the places that have always brought it in the past. We are thrilled to bring AMERICAN GOTHIC to the stage in a big way, and hugely thrilled to be doing so alongside a band the caliber of SONJA, a Philadelphia crew ripping talents that the world needs more of. It will be an honor to be on the road with them, and exciting as well to be joined by Cincinnati’s Valdrin on a stretch of dates as a band that is on the cutting edge of American Black Metal.
“Wayfarer and Sonja are coming to town – join us for North American Gothic 2024.”
American Gothic was released on October 27, 2023 via Century Media (Europe) and Profound Lore Records (North America). The album is sold out in all formats on both labels and was lauded as one of the best albums of 2023 by Rolling Stone, Decibel Magazine (#3), Metal Hammer UK, and many others! The album can be streamed, downloaded, or ordered HERE.
(w/ SONJA + Special Guests VALDRIN on select dates) 4/26: Jackson, WY @ Mangy Moose # 4/27: Missoula, MI @ VFW Post 209 # 4/29: Seattle, WA @ Clock-Out Lounge # 4/30: Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios 5/1: Sacramento, CA @ Cafe Colonial 5/2: Oakland, CA @ Stork Club 5/3: Los Angeles, CA @ Knucklehead 5/4: Phoenix, AZ @ Nile Underground 5/6: Albuquerque, NM @ Sister 5/8: Austin, TX @ Mohawk 5/9: New Orleans, LA @ Siberia 5/10: Atlanta, GA @ Boggs Social & Supply 5/11: Asheville, NC @ Eulogy * 5/12: Washington, DC @ Atlas Brew Works * 5/13: Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s * 5/14: Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus * 5/15: Boston, MA @ Middle East * 5/16: Montreal, QC @ Piranha Bar * 5/17: Toronto, ON @ The Garrison * 5/18: Youngstown, OH @ Westside Bowl * 5/19: Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle 5/21: Chicago, IL @ Reggies Rock Club 5/22: Milwaukee, WI @ XRay Arcade 5/23: St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club 5/24: Lincoln, NE @ Cosmic Eye
#WAYFARER ONLY *WITH VALDRIN
Best of 2023 – #3 – Decibel Magazine
After ten years of existence, the band presents American Gothic – a defining statement ofWestern heavy music that explores the dark soul of the nation itself. This time working alongsideaccomplished producer Arthur Rizk (Eternal Champion, Kreator), the band brings anaggressive and expansive vision to life in a new full-length LP.
Best Of 2023 – Rolling Stone
Led by powerful riffing, bleak melodic sensibilities, and pointed songwriting, this record servesas a funeral for the American dream. Caked in dust, and buried deep in blood and gunpowder, itpaints a brutal and beautiful portrait, and sees Wayfarer elevate their unique and genuine brandof metal to new heights.
WAYFARER is the pre-eminent Western American Metal band. Comprised of four black clad players from Denver, Colorado, the band’s sound draws from the deep wells of black metal, gothic country, and americana – creating a thunderous and uniquely American genre of metal all to their own.
After ten years of existence, the band presents AMERICAN GOTHIC – a defining statement of Western heavy music that explores the dark soul of the nation itself. This time working alongside accomplished producer Arthur Rizk (Eternal Champion, Kreator) the band brings an aggressive and expansive vision to life in a new full length LP.
Led by powerful riffing, bleak melodic sensibilities, and pointed songwriting, this record serves as a funeral for the American dream. Caked in dust, and buried deep in blood and gunpowder, it paints a brutal and beautiful portrait, and sees WAYFARER elevate their unique and genuine brand of metal to new heights.
AMERICAN GOTHIC, the band’s fifth official release, is their third album with longtime partners Profound Lore Records in North America and first for Century Media in Europe. The album was released worldwide in the fall of 2023, and now the band rides across stages the world round to tell its tales.
“What we have now is a world full of oil drillers, and railroad barons. Cattle thieves and company men. This is the new American Gothic.”
Lineup: Isaac Faulk: Drums James Hansen: Bass, Vocals Shane McCarthy: Guitars, Vocals Joey Truscelli: Guitars
Rising Indonesian death metal squad CRANIAL DISORDER has signed to Lethal Scissor Records for the release of their debut album “Congenital Depravity”, due out on July 10th 2024.
The first single, “Perpetual Dismemberment“, is now streaming HERE.
The fresh eight track offering “Congenital Depravity” marks the outfit’s Lethal Scissor Records debut, and is the successor to their acclaimed “PromoSick 2022” demo. Formed in 2019, CRANIAL DISORDER has brought a breath of fresh air to the scene and has delighted fans and underground connoisseurs alike.
With this album, CRANIAL DISORDER continue to sharpen their sound, which faithfully captures the essence of late ‘90s and early 2000’s brutal death metal. The band’s influences are no secret, but rattling off a list of classic death metal influences doesn’t do justice to the impact that CRANIAL DISORDER achieve with their music, a sound that is as relentless as it is morbid.
The songs are generally aggressive and pummeling, leaving the listener with little or no respite from the assault, but even at breakneck speed, there’s a compositional intricacy on display. Riff is piled upon monstrous riff and razor-wire solos slice, gleaming, through filth as CRANIAL DISORDER bring us a new level of sickening death metal power.
For fans of: Suffocation, Disgorge, Disavowed, Pyaemia
Tracklist:
01. Kobar Bumi 02. The Remained Lust 03. Perpetual Dismemberment 04. Period of Atrocity 05. Inebriated Flesh 06. Exalting the Perversion 07. Compulsive Savagery 08. Traitor
Who is My Merry Machine? My Merry Machine – when even the most courageous visions become reality! And My Merry Machine make sure only My Merry Machine take hold of the reins of their wheel – or better machine – of fortune! Founded with a clear vision of their music and their origins and at the same time equipped with super strong visual images and imaginations combined with the enthralling storytelling metaphoric language of their song lyrics, My Merry Machine invite us on “Total War” to their fascinating world, their very own dream factory, fueled by total dedication and unstoppable creativity! Get ready for a deep-dive with no escape-plan! Get ready for My Merry Machine!
Tracklist: 01 – Dealing with Satan 02 – Illuminati 03 – Total War 04 – Hello Darkness 05 – Fallen Demon 06 – Extreme 07 – Rise Up 08 – Nervermore 09 – Temple of Doom
At the beginning of 2018, drummer Tim, guitarist Markus and singer Kirsten, then still with bassist Georg, threw their instruments and visions together and created a new musical happiness machine – MY MERRY MACHINE. Formed, matured and grown together in many years of musical journey with their former band BLOODFLOWERZ, studio recordings, 3 albums and extensive live experiences at home and abroad, it was high time to create something new. With their first self-released debut album ‘Ignition’, the musicians broke new ground. In the spirit of “reduce to the max”, reduced to Kirsten on vocals, Markus on guitar and bass and Tim on drums, My Merry Machine now return with expanded musical visions and a return to their musical origins: Metal! The engine is still driven by a passion for hard guitar riffs, driving drum beats, growls and catchy songs full of energy and melody. With the EL PUERTO RECORDS label, the band found a home at the end of 2023 that suits them perfectly. There, the band uses the opportunity to realize their music and ideas without compromise. Passion for music is the top priority. With energetic songs and creative art & video content, the new album will be ready in early summer 2024.
Line-up: Kirsten Zahn-Massing – Gesang Markus Visser – Gitarre, Bass Tim Schwarz – Schlagzeug
Heavy rock megalith LUCIFER has teamed up with GRAVEYARD‘s Joakim Nilsson to record an English cover version of Polish rock evergreen ‘Poszlabym za toba‘ by the band Breakout, which was originally released in 1969. The song ‘I Would Follow You Babe‘ will serve as the official festival anthem of MYSTIC FESTIVAL 2024, Poland’s biggest metal festival, which is located at the scenic shipyard of Gdansk.
LUCIFER played an unforgettable show at Mystic Festival in 2023. The group’s music is an elegant tribute to the golden era of hard rock and heavy metal and the big crowd in attendance couldn’t get enough of it last year. Their friend Joakim Nilsson, frontman of the Swedish band GRAVEYARD, provides guest vocals on the track. GRAVEYARD are grand masters of psychedelic, gloomy hard rock – which they will prove once again at this year’s edition of Mystic Festival on June 7th. Both bands have recently released internationally acclaimed new albums , Lucifer V and Graveyard 6.
Picking a song from Breakout‘s repertoire has a symbolic meaning for Polish metal fans. The band was led by Tadeusz Nalepa who is considered one of the pioneers of hard rock in Poland, and can therefore be called the forefather of heavy metal in that country.
LUCIFER‘s Johanna Sadonis commented: “It’s been an honor and great fun to take on this Polish classic together with Jocke for Mystic Festival. Nicke totally nailed it, making the song a very groovy Lucifer number. Jocke’s voice fits Lucifer extremely well and totally went into some sort of galactic overdrive. He killed it! I just sort of eased back into a lower register, lacing myself around the boys’ work, purposely taking a backseat here. I think this single turned out fantastic and makes me look extremely forward to this year’s festival season! Can’t wait to be back at Mystic festival again soon, too!“
‘I Would Follow You Babe‘ by LUCIFER feat. Joakim Nilsson (GRAVEYARD) will be released as a 7-inch single (gatefold) in a limited edition of 666 copies – to be purchased only at Mystic Festival 2024.
Mystic Festival 2024 will take place from June 5 to 8. For more infos and tickets visit www.mysticfestival.pl.
LUCIFER live:
08.06. SE – Sweden Rock Festival 20.07. PT – Woodrock Festival (headline show) 28.09. SE – Ultimate Rock Fest Karlskrona 02.11. SE – In Rock Festival Vara 05.12. JP – Tokyo – tba
Latin America Tour 2024 03.10 Buenos Aires ARG, Uniclub 04.10 Santiago CHI, Teatro Cariola 05.10 Rio de Janeiro BRA, Agyto 06.10 São Paulo BRA, Fabrique Club 08.10 Belo Horizonte BRA, Caverna Rock Pub 10.10 Bogota COL, Ace of spades 12.10 Monterrey MEX, Mexico Metal Fest 13.10. Mexico City MEX, Hdx Circus
GRAVEYARD live:
06.06. SE – Sweden Rock Festival 07.06. PL – Mystic Festival 16.11. NL – Helldorado Festival
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 ) 