March 29th, saw the glorious return of MAVERICK with single #1 SWEET SURRENDER taken from their long awaited and highly anticipated upcoming album SILVER TONGUE.
Check out this great song starting a new victorious era for the Belfast based Hard Rock outfit! Produced by guitarist Ryan Balfour and mixed & mastered by Neal Calderwood at Manor Park Studio.
SILVER TONGUE will be released on CD, vinyl and digital on June 21st, 2024.
Tracklist: CD: 1. Puppet Show, 2. Sweet Surrender, 3. Daywalker, 4. Lorelei, 5. Halfway to Heaven, 6. Evenfall, 7. Bloody Mary, 8. Time, 9. Hideaway, 10. Do or Die, 11. Cheyenne, 12. We All Die Young
Vinyl: 1. Puppet Show, 2. Sweet Surrender, 3. Daywalker, 4. Halfway to Heaven, 5. Evenfall, 6. Time, 7. Bloody Mary, 8. Lorelei, 9. Hideaway, 10. Do or Die, 11. Cheyenne
MAVERICK are: David Balfour – Vocals Ryan Balfour – Guitars, keyboards, backing vocals, gang vocals Ric Cardwell – Guitars, backing vocals, gang vocals Richie Diver – Bass Mike Ross – Drums
WRISTMEETRAZOR has today released their third album, Degeneration, via Prosthetic Records. In support of Degeneration‘s release, the US metalcore band will be heading out on the East Coast Degeneration tour this April – with full details and dates below.
Speaking on the album release, WRISTMEETRAZOR‘s Justin Fornof (vocals) comments: “This is an incredibly important record for us, Degeneration combines everything we have built with our first two LPs into the strongest iteration of our band. This is us at our most misanthropically realized. The heaviest – both lyrically and musically – and most dynamic presentation of who we are and what we’ve done.”
Degeneration tracklist: 1. Turn On, Tune In, Drop Dead 2. Static Reckoning 3. Trepanation 4. Xeroxed Reflection 5. DogdayGod 6. Love Thy Enmity 7. Culled and Forgotten 8. Synthetic-51n 9. No Ceremony 10. The Vanity Procession 11. Negative Fix 12. Greatest Love Offering in the History of the World
Following the release of their 2021 sophomore effort, Replica of a Strange Love, the WRISTMEETRAZOR’s line-up went through of metamorphosis with Justin Fornof abdicating his role on bass in favour of lead vocals – bringing Userelaine (bass) and Nate Billmyer (guitar) to the fold in the process. Extensive North American touring soon followed with stints on the road among the likes of Seeyouspacecowboy, Traitors, Eighteen Visions and festival appearances at Furnace Fest and Code Orange’s Code World, respectively.
Having solidified and fine-tuned the strengths of their latest incarnation onstage, the newly upgraded quintet found themselves with a renewed focus leading into Degeneration’s gestation period. During this moment of rare quiet WRISTMEETRAZOR sought the production, engineering, mixing and mastering skills of Randy Lebeouf (The Acacia Strain, Dying Wish, Kublai Khan). Ushering themselves into near total isolation in the woods of New Jersey, the writing and recording process for Degeneration was one of acute solitude, only leaving the studio’s cabin three times during the 30 day lock-in between almost non-stop 12 hour recording sessions.
Degeneration’s backdrop of self-imposed seclusion bore fruit as the album’s lyrical focus began to develop. Whilst there are still traces of WRISTMEETRAZOR’s established world of Nietzchian philosophy and twisted romanticism, Fornof found himself gravitating towards themes of misanthropy, apoplexy, and moral, political and religious hypocrisy within society. With WRISTMEETRAZOR’s ire pointed outwards rather than inwards, societal degeneration is explored through allegorical tales of mechanical decline and system failure that pull together to reveal a larger picture of the band’s disdain for humankind’s more repulsive traits.
Songs such as Turn On, Tune In, Drop Dead, DogdayGod and The Greatest Love Offering in the History of the World reference intentional exits from society and sordid real life stories of assassination, against deftly woven industrial and EBM influences with groove based nu-metal flourishes at the fore. Degeneration’s post-apocalyptic production values lend a cold and methodically calculated quality to WRISTMEETRAZOR’s new skin, without losing the visceral core of their identity.
Seeking to ensure a fully realised aesthetic to represent the absurdity of seeking justice in an unjust world, the cover was put together by Philadelphia, PA visual artist Alex Eckman-Lawn (END, Dim Mak, Woe). Merging what was once flesh with machine and technology, Degeneration’s visual presentation is a towering counterpart to WRISTMEETRAZOR’s bleakest album to date.
WRISTMEETRAZOR East Coast Degeneration tour dates: w/ The Requiem (April 8 – 21), Thus Spoke Zarathustra (April 3 – 6), Fallen God (April 8 – 10), fromjoy (April 11 – 14), Silenus (April 16 – 21)
April 3 – Ottobar – Baltimore, MD April 4 – Riffhouse Pub – Chesapeake, VA April 5 – Milestone – Charlotte, NC April 6 – New Brooklyn Tavern – Columbia, SC April 8 – Pompano Brewery – Pompano Beach, FL April 9 – Conduit – Orlando, FL April 10 – Orpheum – Tampa, FL April 11 – Canteen – Birmingham, AL April 12 – Bogg’s Social – Atlanta, GA April 13 – Arcane Workshop – Nashville, TN April 14 – Vinos – Little Rock, AR April 16 – Black Circle – Indianapolis, IN April 17 – Preserving Underground – Pittsburgh, PA April 18 – Rec Room – Buffalo, NY April 19 – Kingsland – New York, NY April 20 – Alchemy – Providence, RI April 21 – Rockwood Music Hall – Boston, MA
FiXT is proud to announce the signing of alt-cyber-pop-metal artist Izzy Reign. To celebrate FiXT is re-releasing the metalcore industrial single “Broken By Design.”
Bold. Eclectic. Rebellious. Izzy Reign thrives on originality and thinking outside the box. Her music is nothing short of a reflection of this. Her father was an avid drummer and she grew up singing to Alanis Morisette, Jewel, and Madonna with her mother. Inspired by Enter Shikari’s music video “Sorry You Are Not A Winner” and the musical stylings of Imogen Heap, Izzy took the plunge into the industry and played her first live show when she was 15 years old.
Since then she’s taken a deeper dive into production, songwriting and performing, working with a variety of artists that come through the production house she shares with producers Jon Eberhard (I Prevail, Skillet, Sleeping With Sirens) and Nick Matzkows (Wind Walkers, Until I Wake, ENMY, Attack! Attack!). Over the past four years she has released a myriad of covers, originals and music videos on her YouTube channel racking up millions of views. She has received notable attention for her popular The Nightmare Before Christmas cover of “This Is Halloween”, which has over 10 million streams across Spotify and YouTube along with 25,000 videos using the sound on TikTok.
“I wanted to create something that embodied the different styles and backgrounds of multiple genres that’s I’ve grown up with and have recently learn to love in one. Musically inspired by artists like Eiffel 65 and Daft Punk, mixed with artists like Bring Me The Horizon, Poppy, and K/DA. This song to me, is a mental conversation I’ve had with myself about feeling numb to the world on a wider spectrum resulting from a past of growing up thinking the world and intentions of people were one way, and learning later on that it was indeed the opposite.”– Izzy Reign
In 2023 Izzy came to the attention of the US-based record label FiXT, through the discovery of her independent release, “Broken By Design”, which showcased a new edge to Izzy’s sound. Signing on for a multi-album deal, Izzy Reign is now set to release her debut album with FiXT in 2024.
“Stoked to be a part of the FiXT family. This is a killer fit and I’m looking forward to these future projects together.” – Izzy Reign
“Hearing Izzy Reign for the first time I was immediately hooked by the range of her powerful voice, the production and the songwriting. Me and the whole crew at FiXT were excited when we officially signed a deal with Izzy to bring her into the FiXT family. I’ve recently listened to the demos for the full album and my jaw was on the floor. I can already tell the album is gold and I think you guys are going to love it.” – Klayton, FiXT President & Co-Founder
“I’m extremely honored to be working with Izzy. When Dave (FiXT A&R Manager) first shared ‘Broken By Design’ I must’ve listened 20 times in a row – absolutely love the combination of genres/styles and the production quality is absolutely killer. Getting to know Izzy over the past few months, she’s a perfect fit for the FiXT roster and I can’t wait to see the growth ahead!”– James Rhodes (FiXT Vice President & Co-Founder)
“I am extremely excited to welcome Izzy Reign to the FiXT Roster. When I first found her track “Broken By Design,” I knew she had something special and immediately brought her to the table as a potential signing. She has an outstanding voice with an intricate sense of dynamics and power. Her songwriting and style round out the FiXT roster in a way that we were really hoping for. She has a great production team behind her that makes for the perfect storm of electronic metal. I’m very grateful to work with Izzy and so excited to see where this new album and working with FiXT takes her.”– Dave Hansen, FiXT A&R Manager
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Symphonic Fantasy Power Metal act KNIGHTFALL have released their highly ambitious debut album “Destiny Calling”, feat. exquisite musical guests who provide plenty of variety!
The latest single “The Hero Walks Alone” was released on March 22, 2024 on Youtube and on all popular music streaming services!
Keith crafted this song as a poignant metaphor for the boundless love a parent holds for their child. It underscores the unyielding resolve of parents to shield their offspring from harm, even at the cost of their own lives. Just as the Knight in the narrative bravely defended his people and kingdom, parents stand ready to make any sacrifice to ensure the safety and well-being of their children.
🎬 ⚙️ Keith and Racheal Dombrowski
Keith adds: “‘The Hero Walks Alone‘ tells the tale of a valiant Knight embarking on his final battle, driven by an unwavering commitment to safeguard his people and realm. True heroism, it suggests, lies in the ability to set aside personal desires and relentlessly pursue what is just, regardless of the sacrifices involved.
At its core, the essence of true heroism is selflessness – being willing to go to any lengths to shield loved ones and extend aid to the less fortunate. This principle echoes the noble code of chivalry that a genuine Knight embodies.”
Knights heed the call! Combining SYMPHONIC/POWER METAL with sounds from the 80’s, KNIGHTFALL is breathing new life into the genre. The project is the brainchild of composer/songwriter Keith Dombrowski (ex Anaria). Keith had a vision to collaborate with musicians from around the world and create songs that would evoke a myriad of emotions from its listeners. Keith has put together an eclectic group of songs to create KNIGHTFALL’s debut album “Destiny Calling“. [ learn more here ]
Erlangen, Germany (March 27, 2024): Horror metal band ALCHEMIA has confirmed their presence at the Summer Breeze festivals in Germany and Brazil. The band, which combines elements of symphonic metal, horror soundtracks, heavy metal, symphonic metal, gothic, industrial, black, and death metal, is currently producing their second album, “Become Human,” which will be released in 2024.
Alchemia’s music is an immersive blend of darkness and cinematic soundscapes, exploring themes of self-reflection, consciousness, mental imprisonment, phobias, and psychological disorders. Their debut album, “Inception,” was released in 2021 by Italian label WormholeDeath Records. The album, mixed and mastered by Danish Tue Madsen, was acclaimed by critics and audiences alike and led the band to an international tour that included stops in Europe and Latin America.
Alchemia will perform on April 26 (Friday) at the Summer Breeze Open Air Brazil, which takes place at the Memorial da América Latina in São Paulo. Their performance at the Summer Breeze Open Air in Dinkelsbühl (Germany) will take place on August 16.
“We were first invited to play at the second edition of Summer Breeze Brazil, which made us extremely excited, as this is the biggest metal festival in Latin America and it is a great honor to be able to participate with Alchemia,” said Victor Hugo Piiroja. “But 2024 is very special for us, in addition to producing our new album, we will play at both editions of Summer Breeze! We are honored with the invitation from Summer Breeze Germany, especially since it will be the 25th-anniversary edition of the festival, which is one of the biggest metal festivals in the world! Germany is our second home, we have our European base in the country and it is where we are producing the successor to ‘Inception’, the ‘Become Human’. For Alchemia, it will be a unique opportunity to present our music to thousands of people,” concluded the vocalist.
Watch Alchemia perform “Mind Prison” at the Horror Expo 2023:
About Alchemia
Alchemia is a Brazilian horror metal band formed in São Paulo in 2018. The band’s debut album, “Inception,” was released in 2021 by Italian label WormholeDeath Records and helped Alchemia become one of the most promising horror metal bands in the world. The band’s music is dark and cinematic, with lyrics that explore themes such as reflection, consciousness, mental imprisonment, phobias, and psychological disorders.
Luke Fortini‘s “The Beginning Of Creation” was released yesterday, March 30, 2024! It’s the album truly full of grit, technique and passion for music. The album, is available, on all the world’s best music stores, on Wanikiya Record’s Japanese shop and on Crashsound Distribution in digital format.
Born in Mirandola on March 4,1977. As a child no particular interest in music,but during adolescence,precisely in seventh grade he was impressed by Guns N’Roses and more specifically by the guitar playing of Slash. In the eighth grade he discovers Iron Maiden and from then on he will never break away from metal. He began playing guitar at the age of 15,playing over Maiden records. The very first guitar was a DIY stuff,with a wooden board and wires,where he then connected to an old radio turned into an amplifier. Later came the real guitars and from there began the study and the musical journey.
From then to now a lot has happened,but one stage to remember in particular is the period from 2002 to 2005,where there was the collaboration with the first singer of Iron Maiden,namely Paul Di Anno. During that period there were several tours,both in Italy and in various parts of Europe. Just before the Covid period a nice experience was with the band Imago Imperii,for a mini tour in Croatia.
Currently in addition to the solo project, he is dedicated to Imago Imperii, power epic metal band from Bologna. All the experiences he had were useful,but some times he had to give up the continuation of some musical groups.
Of sufficient prominence are two albums recorded with the band Hyperion,which have gained acclaim in various parts of the world, with notable reviews. He also played in local commercial cover bands for some time,but that period ended by personal choice. The previous solo album entitled Technical Supremacy was released in 2022 in digipack cd,with the Finnish label Lion Music. The passion is great and you continue to play, record,make videos and a few live shows with the band.
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
