US progressive metal band EXIST has today shared a new music video for Window To The All, the visual features footage of the band performing the track live in Charlotte, NC in January. Window To The All is taken from EXIST‘s new fourth album, Hijacking the Zeitgeist, which is been released via Prosthetic Records today (April 12).
Speaking on the music video release, Max Phelps (vocals and guitar) comments: “Window To The All is the album closer for Hijacking The Zeitgeist. It probably contains some of the most ‘tech death’ parts on the album although it’s also chock full of groove as well as a beautiful jazz fusion solo executed by Charlie Eron (our new guitarist, WAIT). Musically there’s some great interaction between Alex Weber (bass) and Brody Taylor Smith (drums) that really adds life and depth to some of the repeating riffs. Lyrically the song reflects on the limitations of our vantage points as humans and how we are all stuck within ourselves.”
EXIST’s latest full-length sees the group expand upon their established dichotomy of extreme metal technicality and sanguine atmospherics with an intentionally more concise approach to songwriting, resulting in the most direct and emphatic album of their 14 year career.
Similarly to 2020’s Egoiista, EXIST took on a keen co-production role for Hijacking the Zeitgeist as recording sessions commenced in early 2022, with the band emphasising a collaborative approach to the songs arrangements. Drum co-production was handled by John Douglass (Mr. Bungle, Entheos and The Contortionist) before vocals were handled by Mike Semesky in the winter.
Hijacking the Zeitgeist’s sonic heft isn’t without its diaphanous counterpoints, as Phelps and new addition Charles Eron (guitar and synths) craft deceptively complex interplay on album high points in Thief of Joy (featuring Sanjay Kumar of Inferi and Wormhole), Blue Light Infinite and soaring closer Window to the All. EXIST’s sonorous sonic landscape is bolstered by immersive rhythmic lock-ins between Alex Weber (bass and vocals) and Brody Smith (drums), that shine in Anup Sastry’s mix and Kris Crummett’s mastering work.
At the core of Hijacking the Zeitgeist lies a multifaceted exploration of algorithmic rabbit holes, conspiratorial paranoia, and the universal traits that lie within humanity – these cautionary tales are tied together in striking detail with album art by Sebastian Jerke. EXIST treats both the allure and perils of both digital mazes and the real world, with equal parts wide eyed awe and horror.
Hijacking the Zeitgeist tracklist: 1. Blue Light Infinite 2. Thief of Joy 3. Hijacking the Zeitgeist 4. Funeral Toll 5. A Path to Nowhere 6. One Degree Removed From Human 7. Window to the All
EXIST is: Max Phelps – Guitars and Vocals Alex Weber – Bass and Vocals Charles Eron – Guitars and Synths Brody Taylor Smith – Drums
Following the release of their latest album, “Heavy Rain”, German Power Prog Metal Act IVORY TOWER has shared a new music video for the album track “Never”!
IVORY TOWER‘ssixth studio album, “Heavy Rain”, was released on March 29, 2024 as CD Digipak and digital formats via Massacre Records, order your copy at: https://lnk.to/ivorytowerheavyrain
Filmed at the Kieler Ostseehalle with support from Dancecrew K-System Kiel, the video clip for “Never” is now streaming here:
With their new studio offering “Heavy Rain”, IVORY TOWER prove that they are the masters of their craft, with a singer who can belt out cascading melodic passages as well as staccato vocals is just the cherry on top along with the spherical keyboard sounds, screaming guitar solos and the killer riffs this album has to offer! This is in-your-face metal, and the first album with Lord Francis Soto, who has joined the band as new vocalist in 2021! With his sense for great melodies and extraordinary vocal skills, he gives the tracks on “Heavy Rain” that unique something!
The new IVORY TOWER album was mixed by Jens Bogren & Alexander Backlund, and was mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios. The cover artwork was created by Frankey Efef-Media.
“Heavy Rain” track listing:
Black Rain
Holy War
Never
The Destination
60 Seconds
Heavy Ride
Recover
Monster
Voices
The Tear
ALBUM LINE-UP Lord Francis Soto – Vocals Sven Böge – Guitars Björn Bombach – Bass Frankey Fasold – Keys Thorsten Thrunke – Drums
GUEST MUSICIAN Florian Tabbert: Drums on “Black Rain” and “Recover”
IVORY TOWER Live: 13.07.2024 DE Leutenbach – Dalmstock Open Air 26.-27.07.2024 DE Osterholz-Scharmbeck – Burning Q Festival
HEAVY TEMPLE celebrate today’s release of their sophomore full-length“Garden of Heathens” with the launch of an official videosingle for the track ‘Extreme Indifference to Life’.
“Garden of Heathens” is out today, on Friday, April 12, 2024 via Magnetic Eye Records and streaming in full on all relevant platforms. Please find all album details below.
“This album is just as much a projection into the future of the band as it is a reflection of past personal experience“, singer and bass player High Priestess Nighthawk writes. “It’s about realizing my power, but I also hope that people hearing this will be able to find their own. We were able to create something truly beautiful out of a lot of strife, and ultimately what I took from the creation of ‘Garden of Heathens’ is that nothing matters and everything matters. We’re all what we’ve been waiting for. We just need to believe it. I’ve been doing this for over a decade and it feels like I’m just getting started.“
Listen to the full album here:
HEAVY TEMPLE are back. Back from touring across the United States as well as finding adventure and making new friends in Europe for the first time. Back from the rehearsal room where the making of new songs became far more of a group effort than on the debut album. And back from Animal Farm studio where John Forrestal gave the new album “Garden of Heathens” a rich and warm organic sound that is also crisp and crystalline.
Where the debut full-length “Lupi Amoris” charged forward like a roaring mastodon, “Garden of Heathens” comes across more diverse and sophisticated without losing punch or heaviness. And while the powerful vocals of frontwoman High Priestess Nighthawk provide a strong gravitational pull, HEAVY TEMPLE always remain a riff-first kind of band. Even so, the heavy-touring Philadelphia, PA trio have expanded their range to encompass an even wider breadth of rock and metal road stops, from BARONESS to THE BEATLES and BLACK SABBATH to FU MANCHU – with many crossroads in between.
Wherever HEAVY TEMPLE are heading on this diverse and dynamic record, they always stay real with both feet on the ground. Except, that is, when it comes to the lyrics. With her words, the High Priestess admits to peddling a version of things that isn’t real – with a grim smile and quite deliberately so. In fact, that’s the theme running through “Garden of Heathens” as a red thread. From the American Dream to relationships, below the surface there is anxiety, betrayal, and doubt. And while some of the lyrical metaphors might at first glance seem to focus on religion, they are definitely not that literal. Rather, these are Nighthawk’s most personal lyrics ever.
HEAVY TEMPLE came into existence on the 2012 winter solstice during a night filled with the pure enjoyment of creating and playing heavy music. Once established, they drew a steadily growing flock to local shows in Philly, and soon gladly accepted invitations to tour alongside such notables as RUBY THE HATCHET, MOTHERSHIP, ROYAL THUNDER, and CORROSION OF CONFORMITY as well as performances at notable festivals such as The Maryland Doom Fest, Psycho Las Vegas, and Decibel Metal & Beer, among many others.
Following the two EPs “Heavy Temple” (2014) and “Chassit” (2016) and a number of singles, HEAVY TEMPLE at last took a break from heavy touring to record their first full-length. “Lupi Amoris” (“Wolves of Love”) was released in 2021 to strong applause from both critics and followers alike. This album opened new doors including more festival appearances, a US tour with THE OBSESSED and their first tour of Europe with friends and labelmates HOWLING GIANT.
HEAVY TEMPLE are not just back, they are here to stay. “Garden of Heathens” gives strong testimony that the trio is pushing hard to broaden their spectrum and break through any preconceptions and obstacles in front of them. “Garden of Heathens” sheds new light and a wider perspective on heavy and desert rock, psychedelia, and doom metal. Check this out!
Tracklist:
Extreme Indifference to Life
Hiraeth
Divine Indiscretion
House of Warship
Snake Oil (and Other Remedies)
In the Garden of Heathens
Jesus Wept
Psychomanteum
Recording line-up: High Priestess Nighthawk – vocals, bass Lord Paisley – guitar Baron Lycan – drums
Sentinels, the latest full-length from German heavy metal practitioners VULTURE, is out today on Metal Blade Records!
If there is one band that combines a classic approach with fresh ideas and an expansive joy of playing to honor their ancestors from the likes of early Exodus, Metallica, or Slayer, then it is, without debate, VULTURE. On Sentinels, VULTURE proves once again that tradition and further development are not mutually exclusive, but on the contrary can lead to something extraordinary that leaves no headbanger untouched.
“In direct comparison to the last album, Dealin’ Death, we’ve picked up the pace again noticeably,” says guitarist Stefan Castevet. “We’re bolder and a bit wilder again. It was important to us to be catchy and to include choruses that stick. Of course, we’ve basically retained our style, but we’ve defined the framework of the songs more clearly.”
In celebration of the release of Sentinels, today the band unleashes a video for “Oathbreaker,” arguably the most straightforward song on the album. Comments Castevet, “‘Oathbreaker’ is our homage to both the heroes and founders of our style in the late ’70s and early ’80s, as well as the brave among us who put everything on one card, pursue their passion and have found a way outside the social norm to understand heavy metal as their purpose in life. We salute you!“
Watch VULTURE‘s previously released video for “Unhallowed & Forgotten” HERE and “Realm Of The Impaler” HERE.
VULTURE Live: 4/12/2024 Bambi Galore — Hamburg, DE * Record Release Show 4/13/2024 Hühnermanhattan – Halle, DE * Record Release Show 4/26/2024 SWR Festival – Barroselas, PT 5/10/2024 Huginns Awakening Fest – Ostende, BE 5/30-6/1/2024 Muskelrock Festival – Alvesta, SE
VULTURE: L. Steeler – vocals S. Castevet – guitars M. Outlaw – guitars A. Axetinctör – bass G. Deceiver – drums
May 31, 2024 sees Brazilian death metal extremes, THE TROOPS OF DOOM, unleash their much-awaited, new studio album “A Mass To The Grotesque”! The band’s sophomore full-length will be released as limited LP Vinyl edition and CD Digipack via Alma Mater Records, the Portuguese powerhouse label run by MOONSPELLsinger Fernando Ribeiro! The album pre-sale is available at https://bit.ly/49LaD1x, to pre-save a digital copy via Blood Blast Distribution, visit:
THE TROOPS OF DOOM was formed in 2020, during the pandemic, by the original SEPULTURA guitarist Jairo “Tormentor” Guedz. He recorded the albums “Bestial Devastation” (1985) and “Morbid Visions” (1986). Jairo left the band in 1987, making way for Andreas Kisser, who continues with the band to this day. THE TROOPS OF DOOM’s lineup also includes other significant figures from the Brazilian metal scene, such as guitarist Marcelo Vasco (Patria, Mysteriis), a globally renowned graphic artist known for his work with bands like Slayer, Dee Snider, Kreator, Machine Head, Soulfly, and many others. The vocalist and bassist Alex Kafer, former live guitarist for Matanza, and drummer Alexandre Oliveira, a former member of the band Tianastácia, complete the lineup.
Now, and just exclusively premiered via Metal Injection, the band has shared a first single, the fast-paced rager “Chapels Of The Unholy“! The song is now available on all digital providers at https://bfan.link/troops-chapels-of-the-unholy, the crushing video clip is streaming below!
Jairo Tormentor” Guedz comments: “We’ve chosen the track “Chapels Of The Unholy” as our first single, as we believe it perfectly encapsulates the essence of the album and the direction we are taking with this new release. It’s an intense and fierce song that brings to the surface the roots of our death metal. Besides that, the lyrics talks about the decay of faith and the darkness within the human mind, which are themes intertwined with the concept of this new album. “Chapels Of The Unholy” not only represents what fans can expect from the album as a whole but also serves as a great introduction to the grotesque world we have created.”
“Imagine a death metal world unaltered and pure since the 1990’s, a musical style so dear to the fans, that time, business and trend, could never hurt,“Death Metal Fan Fernando Ribeiro recommends,“Go back to the glorious time where Death Metal reigned supreme, thanks to some bands, artists, studios and an untameable will of progressing and delivering extreme music to its finest shape, like occult jewellery, filigree , brutal yet elegant in its overwhelming task of splitting your ears. The new Troops of Doom album A Mass to the Grotesque, which Alma Mater Records is brutally proud to present, rescues this long forgotten Death Metal class. They are the flag carriers of the authentic Morrisound sound (the legendary Florida studio where this album was mixed and mastered) and they leave no stones unturned on this one. Brace yourself for the best and most authentic Death Metal album in ages!”
Acclaimed by specialized media as a supergroup, THE TROOPS OF DOOM emerged to revive the classic Death Metal of the 80s, inspired by Sepultura’s early era with Jairo and other influential bands such as Slayer, Celtic Frost, Kreator, and Possessed. It serves as a time machine for those nostalgic for the golden age of Death Metal. In just two years since its formation, the band has released three EPs: “The Rise of Heresy” (2020), “The Absence of Light” (2021), and “Prelude to Blasphemy” (2023), along with their debut album, “Antichrist Reborn”, that was released in 2022 on CD, LP, and Cassette by Alma Mater Records and lauded by both fans and music press alike.
The band is currently gearing up for the release of their highly anticipated second album, “A Mass To The Grotesque”, produced by André Moraes, a multi-talented musician known for his work on Sepultura’s “Dante XXI” and the soundtrack of the film “Lisbela e o Prisioneiro,” at Audio Porto studio in Porto Alegre/RS. The mixing and mastering of the album were done by Jim Morris at the legendary Morrisound Recording in Tampa, Florida, known for producing some of the greatest Death Metal classics of the 80s and 90s. The cover art was painted by the acclaimed artist Dan Seagrave, responsible for numerous iconic Death Metal album covers.
In support of “A Mass To The Grotesque”, THE TROOPS OF DOOM have been confirmed to headline the Waves stage at the Brazilian edition of the German festival Summer Breeze, taking place at the Memorial da América Latina in São Paulo this April, followed by their first-ever European Tour in August! Find all upcoming live dates listed below, and make sure to grab your copy of this must-have album, one that belongs into every well-sorted death metal record collection, now at THIS LOCATION!
Tracklist:
Solve Et Coagula – Introduction
Chapels Of The Unholy
Dawn of Mephisto
Denied Divinity
The Impostor King
Faithless Requiem
Psalm 78 – God of Bizarre
Terror Inheritance
The Grotesque
Blood Upon The Throne
Venomous Creed
THE TROOPS OF DOOM Live 2024: 28.04 São Paulo (BRA) @Summer Breeze 02.08 Cottbus (D) @Muggefug 03.08 Nuremberg (D) @Straßenfest 04.08 Berlin (D) @Maschinenhaus 05.08 Bamberg (D) @Live Club 06.08 Halle (D) @ Reil 74 07.08 The Hague (NL) @Musicon 08.08 Breda (NL) @Sound Dog 09.08 Doetinchen (NL) @Engelenbak 10.08 Wermelskirchen (D) @AJZ 11.08 Hamburg (D) @Indra 12.08 Charleroi (B) @MCP Apache 14.08 Kassel (D) @Goldgrube 15.08 Sosnowiec (PL) @M. Doctrine 23.08 Almeria (ES) @The Time Club 24.08 Madrid (ES) @Revi Live 25.08 Milagres (P) @Milagre Metaleiro
THE TROOPS OF DOOM are: Alex Kafer (vocals and bass) Jairo “Tormentor” Guedz (guitar) Marcelo Vasco (guitar) Alexandre Oliveira (drums)
Iconic GRAMMY-winning U.S. rock band High on Fire have released a video for the title track of their upcoming full-length Cometh the Storm, due for release on 19th April via MNRK Heavy.
Directed by Phil Mucci for Diabolik Films, watch the video for ‘Cometh the Storm’ here:
“‘Cometh the Storm’ was built from a riff I started playing on bass at practice,” explains bassist/guitarist Jeff Matz. “I was noodling around with this melancholic harmonic minor line, just hammering the notes with my left hand, when Matt yelled out “Are we recording this!?” The chorus riff was something Coady and I came up with when we were jamming in LA. Matt then came in and worked up some rough lyrics and came up with the vocal line. For the chorus, I used this fretless bass I’d acquired. The weight of the low frequencies this thing produced was insane – how it blended with the guitars and drums, it was like being hit with a sledgehammer. We knew right away that this was going to be an epically heavy track.”
“This was the first time I got to work with the guys on set and we had a blast,” offers Mucci. “High on Fire lyrics can always be interpreted in a number of ways, so I started by trying to define “The Storm”. A huge list of visual ideas got whittled down to the two essential characters at work, The Man and Gaia, representing duel ends of the spectrum — with a very destructive crossover. I always try to keep things light and encourage everyone to come with ideas — like Coady’s burning cymbal idea! No better way to end your High on Fire shoot than with exploding cymbals!”
Track-list: 1. Lambsbread (5:45) 2. Burning Down (6:13) 3. Trismegistus (5:36) 4. Cometh The Storm (6:12) 5. Karanlık Yol (3:46) 6. Sol’s Golden Curse (4:52) 7. The Beating (2:29) 8. Tough Guy (3:44) 9. Lightning Beard (3:33) 10. Hunting Shadows (5:40) 11. Darker Fleece (9:59)
High on Fire will kick off U.S. headlining tour dates in support of Cometh the Storm on 4th May, then head to the EU/UK. Dates:
Jun 04: CZ Brno Kabinet MUZ Jun 10: DE Hamburg Bahnhof Pauli Jun 11: DE Cologne Gebäude 9 Jun 12: NL Nijmegen Doornroosje Jun 14: UK London Islington Assembly Hall Jun 15: UK Manchester Rebellion Jun 16: UK Glasgow Slay Jun 17: UK Leeds Brudenell Social Club Jun 18: UK Bristol Thekla Jun 20: FR Wasquehal The Black Lab Jun 25: FR Toulouse Le Metronum Jun 26: ES Bilbao Kafe Antzokia Jul 02: DE Aschaffenburg Colos Saal Jul 03: CH Dudingen Bad Bonn Jul 04: IT Torino Ziggy Jul 06: AT Vienna Arena
The GRAMMY Award-winning group, celebrating their 25th anniversary, recorded Cometh the Storm at GodCity Studio in Salem, Massachusetts with producer Kurt Ballou. The 11-song effort – the band’s ninth studio album – marks the release of the first new High on Fire music since 2018’s Electric Messiah and the first to feature drummer Coady Willis (Big Business, Murder City Devils), alongside bassist Jeff Matz, and guitarist/vocalist Matt Pike.
It has been more than five years since the band’s revered Electric Messiah earned High on Fire ‘Best Metal Performance’ at the 2018 GRAMMY Awards, placing the unit among the ranks of groups such as Black Sabbath, Motörhead, and Metallica as winners of the prestigious award. “Being nominated for a Grammy was pretty mind blowing, but winning one was truly surreal,” says bassist Jeff Matz. “A Grammy win was certainly not something we were aiming for, but it’s quite an honor to be recognized in that way, and we are grateful. In terms of how it’s affected us, it has definitely opened some new doors—we’ve gained some new fans and wider recognition, but it hasn’t changed how we approach our craft. We’ve always tried to create uncompromising music that feels good to us, and is in line with what we would want to listen to.”
In the half decade since the band’s Grammy nod, the world has seismically shifted and is a different place. The same can be said for High on Fire. The band’s musical archetype has been modded, morphed, and evolved; its blast radius widened. Bassist Jeff Matz joined Mutoid Man and traveled abroad to study and learn the techniques of Middle Eastern folk music and the plucked string instrument, the bağlama (or saz), Matt Pike formed a solo band, released an LP, and toured the U.S., and world-renowned percussionist, Coady Willis, he of Melvins, Big Business, and Murder City Devils united with Pike and Matz to breathe new life into the group a quarter century into their captivating career.
The lead track on High on Fire’s new album, Cometh the Storm, is the invigorating ‘Burning Down’, a vigorous barrage which exemplifies the prowess the unification of the three professional musicians owns.
Universally recognised as one of the most potent acts in music today, High on Fire creates dynamic metal that merges primal fury and aggression, hesher bombast and hall of fame heaviness. Described as “a supersonic exercise in conquest by volume,” High on Fire has rewritten the hard rock rule book since their formation in 1998, forging a style and sound that is both critically celebrated and unique. The group features vocalist and cult guitar hero Matt Pike (also a founding member of the famed underground band SLEEP) singular bassist Jeff Matz, and powerhouse drummer Coady Willis.
High on Fire are: Matt Pike: guitar, vocals Jeff Matz: bass, guitar, bağlama, mellotron, percussion Coady Willis: drums, percussion, vocals
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 ) 