Upharsin, the sixth full-length from long-running Polish black metal unit BLAZE OF PERDITION, was released yesterday, April 19th via Metal Blade Records!
A step back from the somewhat curious direction the band charted on 2020’s The Harrowing Of Hearts, BLAZE OF PERDITION‘s Upharsin, written entirely in the native language, 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.
Comments the band, “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.”
Watch below a visualizer for the closing track, “Młot, Miecz I Bat“.
Canadian Roots, Rock, and Soul band Bywater Call are excited to release their second single of 2024, “Roll”, an uplifting and quirky retro-soul number. Stream the single HERE.
The single release accompanies the official announcement that the band will release their highly anticipated third studio album Shepherd on August 9th. The album will be available to pre-order on May 15th from www.bywatercall.com.
“Roll” was recorded and mixed by Bywater drummer Bruce McCarthy at his studio The BeatFarm in Toronto. “This song, through the stories of three ordinary people, speaks to the curve balls thrown at us all in the game of life,” says Bywater Call’s singer, Megan Parnell. “The lesson: you have to hold your head up and just keep moving forward.”
Featuring a signature bass line played by Mike Meusel and conceived by keyboard player John Kervin, who throws in his own tasteful organ lick, the original inspiration for “Roll” was an old James Carr R&B tune, “The Dark End of the Street.” The song, however, quickly took on a life of it’s own.
Throw in the classic soul of Otis Redding, the American rootsiness of the Wood Brothers, a little humour and quirk, mainly supplied by drummer Bruce McCarthy’s percussion, some twangy resonator and fiery slide guitar from Dave Barnes, sultry vocals from Meghan Parnell, and then top it all off with the unforgettable horn section of Julian Nalli (sax) and Stephen Dyte (trumpet) and a gospel-inspired build that will have us all celebrating our resilience; out comes “Roll”.
The release of “Roll” follows the early March release of “Holler” which saw extensive A-list radio play on UK’s Planet Rock Radio, and the 2023 releases of singles “Sweet Maria” and “For All We Know”, which received rave reviews from UK, Europe, and North America. All three tunes will be included on the new album.
Set to be released August 9th, 2024, Shepherd features a captivating mix of 10 original songs, showcasing the bands continual exploration, experimentation, and reach beyond the boundaries of their genre, further developing their own unique voice. The new music shows their growth, while still paying tribute to their historical and contemporary influences.
Packed with ripping rock tunes, quirky off-beat numbers, and beautiful ballads, the upcoming album Shepherd is exuberant, rootsy, funky, joyful, and heartbreaking all at once. At its core, this album celebrates, and reflects the human experience with all its highs and lows: love, passion, regret, patience, resilience, reconciliation, anger, hardship. This album will truly take the listener on a journey.
Shepherd is the Bywater Call’s first fully self-produced and self-recorded album.
Often transcending genres, Bywater Call is known for their dynamic, emotional live shows, featuring powerful vocals and exciting interplay between all band members.
“It is rare to find such good songwriting and such strong arrangements in a style that is known for its jams coming to life approach … Bywater Call is the best of both worlds. With – and I cannot emphasize this enough – fantastic vocals.” – Kevy Metal
“Brilliant songs performed by amazing musicians who left every ounce of energy and sweat on the stage tonight.” – Jace Music Media
Bywater Call is currently UK Blues Award nominated for International Blues Artist of the year. They have toured extensively in Europe where shows have been praised by Dutch, German and UK media, with references to Meghan as one of the best female voices in blues and roots today.
The band has been busy. In 2023 alone, they played a total of 96 shows in 10 countries, 89 cities, 19 US states and 3 Canadian provinces, including Joe Bonamassa’s third Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea Mediterranean Cruise.
In October 2024, they will headline their second UK tour. Tour info at www.bywatercall.com.
MANCHESTER, ACADEMY 3 WEDNESDAY 16 OCTOBER 2024 TICKETS: THE GIG CARTEL
CARDIFF, GLOBE THURSDAY 17 OCTOBER 2024 TICKETS: THE GIG CARTEL
LEEK, FOXLOWE ARTS FRIDAY 18 OCTOBER 2024 TICKETS: THE GIG CARTEL
LEEDS, BRUDENELL SATURDAY 19 OCTOBER 2024 TICKETS: THE GIG CARTEL
GLASGOW, ORAN MOR SUNDAY 20 OCTOBER 2024 TICKETS: THE GIG CARTEL
NEWCASTLE, THE CLUNY TUESDAY 22 OCTOBER 2024 TICKETS: THE GIG CARTEL
SHEFFIELD, CORPORATION WEDNESDAY 23 OCTOBER 2024 TICKETS: THE GIG CARTEL
NORWICH, WATERFRONT STUDIOS THURSDAY 24 OCTOBER 2024 TICKETS: THE GIG CARTEL
LONDON, DINGWALLS FRIDAY 25 OCTOBER 2024 TICKETS: THE GIG CARTEL
NEWBURY, ARLINGTON ARTS SATURDAY 26 OCTOBER 2024 TICKETS: THE GIG CARTEL
SITTINGBOURNE, BOURNE MUSIC CLUB SUNDAY 27 OCTOBER 2024 TICKETS: TICKET SOURCE
EUROPEAN SPRING TOUR 2024
19-April Piteå, Sweden Studio Acusticum 20-April Luleå, Sweden Kulturens hus 22-April Stockholm, Sweden Melodybox 23-April Näsby, Sweden Carla’s Café 24-April Malmö, Sweden Folk å Rock 25-April Kristianstad, Sweden Kulturkvarteret 26-April Falkenberg, Sweden Tryckhallen 27-April Joldelund, Germany Gerd’s Juke Joint 28-April Joldelund, Germany Gerd’s Juke Joint / duo show 30-April Norderstedt, Germany Music Star 1-May Bremen, Germany Meisenfrei 2-May Leiden, Netherlands Qbus 3-May Weert, Netherlands Moulin Blues 4-May Dortmund, Germany Musiktheater Piano 5-May Assen, Netherlands Bevrijdings Festival 7-May Burglengenfeld, Germany VAZ 8-May Zwickau, Germany St Barbara 9-May Eppstein, Germany Wunderbar 10-May Kufstein, Austria KuFa 11-May Ludwigshafen, Germany DasHaus 12-May Krefeld, Germany Kulturrampe 14-May Madrid, Spain El Sol 15-May Jerez, Spain La Guarida Del Angel 16-May Castellon, Spain Sala Because 17-May Valencia, Spain Loco Club 18-May Peer Belgium Blues Peer Festival 19-May Schöppingen Germany Grolsch Blues Festival 21-May Santander, Spain Sala Niagara 22-May Bilbao, Spain Antzokia 23-May A Coruña, Spain Sala Mardi Gras 24-May Aviles, Spain Niemeyer 25-May Vallés Spain Bocanegra 26-May San Sebastian, Spain Dabadaba
SPRING/ SUMMER USA/CANADA/ROMANIA TOUR 2024
7-June – Montrose, CO, Montrose Summer Music Series 13-June – Syracuse, NY, New York State Blues Festival 14-June – Somers Point, NJ, Somer’s Point Beach Concerts 16-June – Franklin, PA, Franklin Blues & BBQ 18-June – Lima, NY, Fanatics 19-June – Sellersville, PA, Sellersville Theatre 20-June – Tuckerton, NJ, Lizzie Rose Music Room 21-June – Hagerstown, MD, HubCity Vinyl 22-June – Hughesville, PA, Billtown Blues Festival
5-July – Ottawa, Ontario, Ottawa Blues Fest 12-July – Omaha, NB, Playing with Fire 13-July – Kansas City, MO, Knuckleheads 19-July – Brezoi, Romania, Brezoi Open Air Festival 23-July – Syracuse, NY, Club 443 24-July – Syracuse, NY, Club 443 25-July – Athens, NY, Summer Music Series 28-July – Norwood, MA, Fallout Shelter
2-August – Pomeroy, OH, Big Bend Blues Bash 3-August – Nashville, TN, City Winery 4-August – Knoxville, TN, Tennessee Riverboat 9-August – Nanaimo, BC, Nanaimo Blues Festival 11-August – Wheeling, WV, Heritage Music Blues Fest 16-August – Norwich, NY, Chenango Blues Fest 17-August – Thornton, NH, White Mountain Boogie N’ Blues Fest 24-August – Ontonagon, MI, Porcupine Mountains Music Festival 29-August – Pelham, ON, Fonhtill Bandshell Concerts 6-September – Port Credit, ON, Southside Shuffle 7-September – Drumheller, AB, Canada Badlands Roots, Blues and BBQ
EUROPE FALL TOUR 2024
2-October Verviers, Belgium Spirit of 66 3-October Heilbronn, Germany Waldhaus 4-October Zaandam, Netherlands De Flux 5-October Enschede, Netherlands Mystiek Theatre 6-October Weert, Netherlands De Bosuil 8-October Fulda, Germany Kulturkeller 9-October Utrecht, Netherlands Tivoli (Cloud 9) 10-October Herent, Belgium GC De Wildeman 11-October Isernhagen, Germany Blues Garage 12-October Assen, Netherlands New Blues Festival 13-October Bonn, Germany Harmonie
Melbourne Gothic Metal powerhouse Victoria K have recorded their own heavy rendition of Madonna’s iconic 1998 ballad, ‘Frozen.’ Victoria K bring their dark and tenebrous stylings to the classic with heavy riffs and the judicious incorporation of harsh vocals, while at the same time paying tribute to the soulful and introspective nature of the song with more dulcet moments led by frontwoman Victoria Knight’s hypnotic voice.
Reflecting on the journey of recording the song, Knight reveals, “’Frozen’ is one of my favourite Madonna tracks, I’m so excited to be breathing new life into the song.”
She continues, “We’re hoping that with this cover, we can bring a new and fresh sound to Victoria K.” Fans can indeed look forward to a bigger Victoria K sound than ever, as ‘Frozen’ is mixed and mastered by the deft hand of Lance Prenc, whose work includes some of Australia’s biggest heavy acts such as Alpha Wolf, Thornhill and Void of Vision.
Victoria K exploded into the minds and ears of Australian audiences with their 2019 hometown support of Swedish Folk Metal legends, Eluveitie. The band then took the Gothic Metal world by storm with the release of their debut album, Essentia. Although the now-infamous 2020 pandemic struck on the eve of their first headline show as the world entered lockdown, Victoria K were undeterred by this setback. While touring was off the cards, the band embraced the opportunity to deliver a live-streamed show direct from the studio where Essentia was recorded, providing a beacon of Gothic celebration in the darkest of times. The show is now available as the Essentia – Live Isolation Concert DVD.
Since the world’s emergence from the pandemic, Victoria K have hit the road in earnest, touring Australia in support of Essentia and their 2022 follow-up, Kore. Kore exponentially expands the beguiling soundscape of Essentia as Knight sonically explores the mythology of her Greek heritage. In addition to Knight’s majestic lead vocals, Victoria K’s current touring line-up includes Charlie Curnow tearing up the stage on harsh vocals, Adyn Young leading the melodic charge on guitar, Ethan Colussi holding down the bottom end on bass, and the indomitable percussive machine of James Davies on drums.
With Victoria K leaning into epic and fantastical tales, it’s only fitting they supported Blind Guardian at the Northcote Theatre on Friday 9 February 2024 and Katatonia at The Croxton on Saturday 10 February 2024. The next steps of the band are limited only by the power of imagination as they tread ever deeper into the tenebrous realms of Gothic fantasy, armed with the power of Metal.
Prepare for an onslaught of extreme metal madness as MASS PUNISHMENT proudly unveils their latest single, ‘Breaking Point’!
“Breaking Point” was Recorded at The Bomb Shelter Recording Studio in Jackson, NJ under Producer George Pond. Mixed and Mastered by Producer Eric Rachel at The Dungeon undisclosed in NJ.
This single addresses a scene of an unnamed citizen fighting against multiple policemen in a fierce hand-to-hand confrontation. Who will remain standing, the citizen or the police? Inspired by the mainstream media’s narrative of the rising number of police officers over use of force on the population.
Listen to “Breaking Point” on all major digital platforms HERE
Mass Punishment is a 4 piece Metalcore/Extreme Metal band based out of New Jersey music designed to inform as well as hit as hard as the facts and events the songs are written about. Current events on a social, political, environmental, and economic scale. Of government corruption and depopulation with a population facing death by design.
Mass Punishment is:
Erick Laurino (Vocals) Christopher Milos (Guitars) Matt Voltz (Bass) Brian Donat (Drums)
Brazilian Melodic Death Metal Group Eldermoon have released their new single Primal Chain, a track taken from their forthcoming album Egregora, set to be released on July 30th, 2024 via Sliptrick Records.
Here’s what the band had to say about the song; “In a world that has recently sprung to life, the Moon watches human beings stand out from other life forms. This is due to the effective way in which they lead the food chain at the same time as they begin to develop their more rational instincts and feelings, making the Moon see them as worthy and gift them with the knowledge of fire.”
Swedish progressive metal veterans LOCH VOSTOK are celebrating the release of their brand new studio album, “Opus Ferox II – Mark of the Beast”, that is out now on ViciSolum Productions!
“Opus Ferox II – Mark of the Beast” expands on the groundwork set by its forerunner, “Opus Ferox – The Great Escape” (2021), featuring infectious chorus melodies and vibrant songwriting that highlights LOCH VOSTOK‘s distinctive sound. The record brims with a superb display of unbridled energy, delivering compelling new tracks that are bound to enthrall audiences.
Guitarist Teddy Möller about the album: “Opus Ferox II – Mark of the Beast, provides all your needs for prog nerdery of the highest rank. Soaring vocals over atmospheric progressive music with thrashy djent tendencies. Growls accentuates the aggressiveness, and the super professional production makes this the progmetal album you always asked for“.
“Opus Ferox II – Mark of the Beast” is out now on ViciSolum Productions. Get the album HERE
Additionally, to promote their latest album, LOCH VOSTOK have released a captivating performance video of their song “The Great Wide Open.” This exceptional live recording took place at Söderhamns Teater during an unforgettable evening with Scar Symmetry in January 2024. Immerse yourself in the mesmerizing realm of LOCH VOSTOK by watching the video:
Loch Vostok are: Jonas Radehorn – Lead Vocals Teddy Möller – Guitars and Vocals Niklas Kupper – Guitars Patrik Orwald – Bass William Parkstam – Drums
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 ) 