Fear of Water is a one-man-band created by Dave Perry out of Austin, Texas. Born clinically deaf, the consumption & creation of music has been a critical aspect of his recovery and a central focus of Dave’s life.
The newest release by Fear of Water “Systemic” is a musically complex and driving collaboration between Perry and artistic savant Aaron Nordstrom of Gemini Syndrome. Perry actually had Nordstrom specifically in mind when writing this song and was thrilled to have him as a collaborator. The catchy hooks and driving beat of “Systemic” tell the story of the political corruption & false piety that is damaging the United States and the desire of most people to evolve past that in the best interest of mankind.
Fear of Water most recently released a single “Codependent Parasites” with Elias Soriano of Nonpoint that has been very well received by radio, streaming and social media alike. Perry has future collaborations with Heidi Shepherd of Butcher Babies and Clint Lowery of Sevendust ready to go with several other exciting creative partnerships in the works.
“Devil’s Best Friend “ is a collaboration between Redlight King’s Mark (Kaz) Kasprsyk and Jeremy Edge. It makes a stylistic departure for them both as a groovy fuzz laden, delta blues inspired stomp.
“The song is really about being drawn to someone who’s not good for you and instead of removing yourself from a toxic situation you only dig yourself deeper in. As for the down and dirty blues rock vibe, we’ve been tight with Jeremy for over a decade and it only made sense to do a collab.” -Mark (Kaz) Kasprsyk
“I first met Kaz and Julian from Redlight King in 2011 playing shows together on the same bill. Then we shared a bus in 2012’s Uproar tour and after doing more shows after that, we’ve stayed in touch ever since. We figured it was finally time to do a proper collaboration. Kaz and I wanted to do something fun and something that was stylistically different from our own projects. It’s a totally different vibe.” – Jeremy Edge
“The Devil’s Best Friend “ is basically about a difficult person and a warning to steer clear from them. Kaz started with the original guitar riff and vocal hook and it just exploded from there. We both finished the lyrics and traded vocals with me doing the lead guitar work and him laying down the rhythms. It was a lot of fun creating this and hopefully there will be more to come!” – Jeremy Edge
Black Tusk go way back. Guitarist Andrew Fidler and drummer James May both grew up down in the swamps of Savannah, Georgia, where they’ve been banging heads together for the past 19 years.
The last Black Tusk album found these metal punks fighting to steady their footing after bassist Jonthan Athon passed away. Today, the band are blazing full steam ahead by announcing their seventh album. The Way Forward pulls no punches; it charges straight-on behind their new, albeit familiar lineup. Long-time collaborator Chris “Scary” Adams has now joined as an official member alongside new bassist Derek Lynch, who’s run in the same circles around Savannah and the national touring circuit.
Together, these four have cleared a path into the future by relying more on what Black Tusk does best: heavy, no-frills riffing backed by rough and rowdy gang vocals.
“We do use a few lays, effects and synths here and there for texture and space”, says Scary, who not only chipped in on vocals and guitars but pulled double duty by producing and mixing The Way Forward. “This record still feels raw and powerful. It captures the feel of being at a Black Tusk show”.
“I watch you burn!” That’s how Black Tusk burst through the door on their first single in seven years. Though he contributed to T.C.B.T., Lynch makes his first impression as an official member of the band on “Brushfire”. He comes out firing, too, already spitting and full of righteous fury.
“Thematically, I wanted the lyrics in all of its aggressiveness to keep with the idea of pushing forward even when the world is trying to drag you down”, Lynch says. “The mood of the lyrics needed to match the pulverizing tempo of the song”.
Around the halfway point of “Brushfire”, Black Tusk break for an eerie, pinging, bass-heavy interlude. “Reach up toward the wall / climbing just to fall”, intones May, like he’s playing with a voodoo doll. But don’t get it twisted; “Brushfire” burns hot and fast. “I am your burden” Fidler screams while Scary lays down the hammer with a mean, ugly, foot-stomping riff.
“It’s been 19 years since we started this band”, says Fidler. “That’s seen us have some success and some setbacks, some label changes and lineup changes. One thing has remained steadfast though: our love for playing music. This record represents just that, our steadfast resolve to keep making music together as a band and evolve our sound. This is The Way Forward“.
Cover artwork by Brian Mercer
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 6. Dance On Your Grave – 2:54 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
“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
Traditional metal stalwarts SULPHUR AND MERCURY have signed to Time To Kill Records for the release of their debut EP “Alchemia Prophetica”, out on April 12th 2024.
SULPHUR AND MERCURY was born from a love of classic heavy metal and doom. The band is embodied by Jason Netherton (Misery Index, Asphalt Graves, ex Dying Fetus) on vocals, Francesco Conte (Spiritual Front, Nero Omega, ex Klimt 1918) on guitar, Marco Mastrobuono (Hour Of Penance, Inno, Buffalo Grillz) on bass and Dario Casabona (Griefbringer, ex Schizo, Sinoath) on drums.
Today, the band shares their first single, “Lightless Slumber”. Watch the video HERE.
SULPHUR AND MERCURY comment: “The song tells the story of a seer who finds the key to opening the ‘gate of lightless slumber’ – an interdimensional portal to otherworldly realms found deep in the ancient Arabian desert. It chronicles his journey through the gate and into the dark realms where old gods sleep and nameless creatures dwell in nameless cities. One of the more melodic songs on the EP, the track evokes the awe and melancholy of the old traveler in his journey across time and space, and ultimately his return home to his own mundane and seemingly meaningless existence”.
Tracklist:
1. Presagio del Maligno (introduzione) 2. Invoke the Adversary (Pugnali di Megiddo) 3. Lightless Slumber 4. Venereal Levitation (Voci dall’aria) 5. Entombed in Necrodust 6. Heads Will Roll (Satan cover)
As time-travellers from 1987…SULPHUR AND MERCURY have arrived.
Born in the Cerverteri Necropolis under the blood moon of the Italian summer solstice, SULPHUR AND MERCURY forge haunted dirges of occultic heavy metal from the fires of its glorious past. Elements of Frostian apocalyptic doom are summoned and collide with the melodic instincts of the NWOBHM, manifesting caustic anthems to the arcane arts.
The group came together in 2021, when guitarist Francesco Conte and vocalist Jason Netherton bonded over their shared affinity for the darker incantations of 1980s heavy metal, along the lines of Mercyful Fate, Celtic Frost, Satan and Sabbat (UK). The pair were later joined by drummer Dario Casabona and bassist Marco Mastrobuono, after which they commenced to songwriting and then recording in 2022. Like soothsayers channelling the spirit of ‘87 (a year pivotal for both Conte and Netherton in their metal edification), the band explicitly invoke the ghosts of metal’s past, in order to hammer it into a distinctly modern vision.
The outcome is the 6 track EP “Alchemia Prophetica”. Featuring 4 original songs and a cover of Satan‘s demo-era anthem “Heads Will Roll”, the EP stands as an ode to the glory of heavy metal’s yesteryear in the form of haunting anthems to the unknown and otherworldly.
Line-up
Jason Netherton – Vocals Francesco Conte – Guitars Marco Mastrobuono – Bass Dario Casabona – Drums
DOWNFALL OF GAIA have announced a tour through Spain and Portugal with Syberia. The tour will kick off on April 26 in Barcelona and takes both bands to the cities of Oviedo, León, Bilbao, A Coruña, Santiago de Compostela, Porto and Lisbon, before the final curtain drops in Madrid on May 4th. A full list of dates and venues can be found below.
DOWNFALL OF GAIA comments: “It’s been 7 long years since we’ve been to Spain and Portugal has been even longer. So when Syberia asked us to join for a few dates, we simply couldn’t turn it down! We have very fond memories of our last visits, so we’re really looking forward to it!“
Syberia adds: “After an extensive tour presenting Statement on Death throughout Europe, this will be the farewell tour before focusing on writing new songs and what better way to do it than with a great band like Downfall of Gaia, see you on the road!“
DOWNFALL OF GAIA with Syberia 26.04. Barcelona – Upload 27.04. Oviedo – Gong Galaxy Club 28.04. León, Babylon Pub 29.04. Bilbao – Rocket 30.04. A Coruña – Filomatic 01.05. Santiago de Compostela – Moon 02.05. Porto – Maus Hábitos 03.05. Lisboa – Musicbox 04.05. Madrid – Wurlitzer
Over 15 years, Germany/US based DOWNFALL OF GAIA have carved a unique space in the metal scene, evolving naturally and unafraid to take risks. Progressing in part by looking backwards and returning to familiar territory, DOWNFALL OF GAIA‘s latest album “Silhouettes Of Disgust” (Metal Blade Records) delivers a dynamic and textured blend of crust punk and post-black metal doused in atmospheric elements, taking everything that ever made the band compelling and pushing it in new and gripping directions. Stream the album, check out the videos and order your copies from metalblade.com/downfallofgaia
DOWNFALL OF GAIA are: Dominik Goncalves dos Reis – Guitar/vocals Peter Wolff – Guitar Anton Lisovoj – Bass/vocals Michael Kadnar – Drums
Extreme folk metallers VERIKALPA have released a video for ‘Arvon Tuomari’, first single taken from the new album ‘Tuomio’ to be released on April 19th via Scarlet Records.
‘Tuomio’ is the most accessible record ever in Verikalpa’s discography, and yet another intense and aggressive display of power.
The new album of the Finnish alcoholic trolls showcases an exceptional guitar work and a pristine production, enhancing the majestic melodies for which they are known for and taking their songwriting to the next level.
Lyrically-wise, this is a mixed bag of fictional stories about drinking, partying, fighting, and of course a bunch of crazy Finnish folklore creatures setting up the stage.
A very fun and easy collection of songs & tales to listen to, alongside rivers of beer and weird Northern liquors!
‘Tuomio’ tracklist:
Arvon Tuomari
Laulava Vainaja
Noijan Sauna
Sammalsynti
Tuhkakruunu
Tulimerten Taa
Hakkaa Hakkaa
Maat Hauraan Hautaa
Eksyneet
Veritonttu
Kaunan Valta
Tuomio
fourth album for the unstoppable extreme folk metal armada
distinctive Finnish sound and lyrics with twists from other metal genres complementing each other
produced, mixed and mastered by Pasi Kauppinen (Sonata Arctica) at Studio 57
cover & artwork by Alvaro Valverde/AV Art Ilustracion (Unanimated, Night Crowned, Drown In Sulphur)
FFO: Korpiklaani, Alestorm, Turisas, Trollfest, Eluveitie and Finntroll
VERIKALPA: Jani Ikonen – vocals Sami Ikonen – guitar Janne Niva – guitar Jussi Sauvola – keyboards Sami Knuutinen – bass Jari Huttunen – drums
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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 ) 