ARTILLERY is not a band of many live albums, In fact, in over four decades, they have put out just one. Until now. So, when it’s bound to happen, it should be special. Enter “Raw Live (At Copenhell)”. Recorded in 2022, just coming out of pandemics lockout, in one of the biggest metal festivals in their home country (and among the biggest metal festivals in Europe!), the live set by the Danes was impeccable. Sadly, it was also one of the last live appearances by drummer Josua Madsen, who was killed the next year in a car accident. It also marks a turning point for the veteran thrashers, who recently said goodbye to vocalist Michael Bastholm Dahl and guitar player Kraen Meier and are looking forward to an exciting new era ahead. But, for now, let’s bow before Josua’s monster performance at Copenhell in 2022 and hear it from Artillery’s guitar player and founder Michael Stützer about the release.
“The year was 2022, we got the offer to play at one of the world’s absolutely coolest metal festivals: Copenhell. Everything had been destroyed by COVID-19 in the years before. So, 2022 was the year we got busy.
Big festivals contacted us, German TV and so on. Rockhard, Sweden Rock, Brutal Assault and Copenhell.
Copenhell was big for us. To share the stage with bands like KISS, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Mercyful Fate, Judas Priest, it hardly gets bigger. We sat down and decided to get the concert recorded, it had to be as raw as possible, authentic as hell and the hope was to be able to use the tracks as bonuses for future releases. Maybe as a live release. When we received the recording, we thought that the recording should be released as a concert, not as bonus tracks. Søren Andersen, our permanent producer, was put on the case. Sound levels had to be fixed a bit, but that was it. Søren said at one point, “Damn, Josh is ON FIRE!”. And he was!
Denmark’s biggest music magazine Gaffa gave the concert 5/6 stars and the headline was “The man is busy”. Josh played better than ever. Josua was killed in a car accident in 2023. Now the album is released, a little late, yes, but it’s a recording, which is as it should be when talking about Artillery. Raw, unpolished, straight in your face. Hence the name of the live record: “Raw Live (At Copenhell)”.
Artillery has been around for more than 40 years. The final chapter has not been written yet; just wait, there is more to Artillery. For example, a Metalized tour with friends from Manticora and new singer Martin Steene, known from Iron Fire and Force of Evil, as well as a larger USA tour. The album is a tribute to Josh, as well as a clenched fist in the air to our fans. Thanks Satan. Thanks to Mighty Music.”
“Raw Live (At Copenhell)” will be released on CD, LP (black vinyl) and digital formats via Mighty Music on February 2nd, 2024. Pre-orders are available here.
“Raw Live (At Copenhell)” tracklist: 1. The Devils Symphony 2. By Inheritance 3. Turn Up The Rage 4. The Face Of Fear 5. Bombfood 6. The Challenge 7. In Thrash We Trust 8. 10.000 Devils 9. Legions 10. Khomaniac 11. Terror Squad
Recording lineup: Michael Bastholm Dahl – vocals Michael Stützer – guitars Peter Thorslund – bass Kraen Meier – guitars Josua Madsen – drums
Death metal battalion VITRIOL is now unleashing yet another ferocious new single, “Weaponized Loss,” along with the visualizer! The track is taken from the band’s upcoming sophomore full-length, ‘Suffer & Become,’ which is due on January 26, 2024 via Century Media Records! The clip, which was produced by Vile Luxe Studio and directed/edited by Steve Blanco, can be found at THIS LOCATION.
VITRIOL guitarist and vocalist Kyle Rasmussen comments, “‘Weaponized Loss’ is similar in spirit to ‘The Flowers of Sadism’ in that it frames the fruits of trauma as a circumstantial strength when one is still at the mercy of an oppressive environment. Becoming well acquainted with death and loss at an early age can better equip you to walk away from situations and relationships that are harming you. Cultivating a willingness to experience painful loss voluntarily, while being dangerous, can be a very valuable tool in the pursuit of survival.”
Pre-orders are now live for ‘Suffer & Become’ HERE. The album will be available digitally as well as in Standard CD Jewelcase, Ltd. Deep Blood Red LP (All ex-US Retail), Orange Crush LP (All US Retail), and Red / Yellow / Black Transp. Splatter LP (Band Exclusive).
The artwork for ‘Suffer & Become’ was created by Dylan Humphries and can be found below along with the tracklist!
For Portland, Oregon’s VITRIOL, nothing comes easy. Nothing. The title of their second Century Media album, ‘Suffer & Become,’ says it all. “The title really sums it up,” says guitarist and vocalist Kyle Rasmussen. “I pushed things to a point while making this album where it almost became untenable. Things that were supposed to be done in weeks took months. It wasn’t easy, but I think it was suffering well spent.”
At the core of ‘Suffer & Become’ lies a profound sense of extremity and unease. This very essence defines Vitriol as the vanguard in death metal’s evolutionary path—a sonic landscape characterized by its profound darkness, density, and the infusion of nanotechnological precision interwoven with intense, seething emotions. Not easy listening in the slightest. Since forming in 2013, Rasmussen and longtime co-conspirator, bassist, and co-vocalist Adam Roethlisberger have worked with a single-minded vision: to push the genre to its breaking point and invent a new uncompromising paradigm in the process. VITRIOL is a masterclass in pain – and that’s just their jumping-off point.
Recounting VITRIOL’s initial journey into the outer fringes of extremity, Rasmussen is characteristically thoughtful. “I was starving for something that didn’t pull any punches,” says Kyle of VITRIOL’s caustic mission statement, which detonated into the realm of extreme metal with 2013’s ‘Antichrist’ demo. “Death metal was important to me because it speaks to an aggression, a frustration that I had when I was younger. It wasn’t just a sonic connection but an emotional connection, which made music almost a means to an end. What I saw happening in extreme metal at the time was almost a removal of emotion in favor of musicality, that fire, that piss and vinegar spirit. Basically, I wanted something that wanted me dead.”
With 2017’s ‘Pain Will Define Their Death’ EP, VITRIOL took its spot as one of the underground’s most uncompromising exponents, leading them to join forces with Century Media. The resultant album, 2019’s “To Bathe from the Throat of Cowardice,” was nothing short of a crucial next step for the band and the genre itself. Decibel Magazine said, “Vitriol leave no doubt they are one of the best the genre has to offer, with shades of Nile, Hate Eternal, and Anaal Nathrakh frequently peeking through.” Hitting the road that year, at first in Europe with Nile and then in the US with Cattle Decapitation and Atheist, and then Vader before the onset of Covid, VITRIOL was quick to establish themselves as much of an uncompromising force onstage as they are on record.
“Doing ‘Black Seeds of Vengeance’ alongside Karl Sanders [of Nile] onstage in Europe on our very first tour was nothing short of a ‘pinch me’ moment,” Kyle recounts from VITRIOL’s early touring days. “More recently, we were touring with Morbid Angel, and Steve Tucker, who is my favorite Morbid Angel vocalist, came out of his dressing room in a VITRIOL t-shirt and exclaimed that we were one of his favorite new bands! That blew my mind as a fan, first and foremost – a total ‘Holy Fuck!’ moment.”
‘Suffer & Become’ is nothing short of a benchmark for VITRIOL (rounded out by guitarist Daniel Martinez and Matt Kilner). It’s as dense and blackened as anything to erupt from Rasmussen’s vision of sonic disorder. From the onset of the opening track, “Shame and Its Afterbirth,” there’s a new sense of openness, grandeur, and occasional beauty in VITRIOL’s aural arsenal. “I wanted to have an album that had a stark duality to it,” says Kyle. “Very high highs and very low lows. We’re very familiar with the lows but not so much with the triumphant highs. I wanted the album to have more of a sense of optimism to it, both lyrically and musically. I wanted the album to convey a sense of optimism that probably gets lost in the black maelstrom that is the first album.”
Produced by Rasmussen and mixed by Dave Otero (Archspire, Cattle Decapitation), ‘Suffer &
Become’ isn’t merely the sound of VITRIOL upping the ante in death metal’s musical arms race; it is also the sound of salvation for its driving force. “Living in the world of that first album was very difficult for me,” says Rasmussen. “It’s not a nice place. It was very intentionally imbalanced in the same way a horror film is imbalanced. I wanted a healthier world for me to live in, and I believe I achieved that.”
Not that the writing and recording of ‘Suffer & Become’ was anything short of soul-rending. Rasmussen labored over the creation of the album in the studio, on tour in hotel rooms, to the point of painstaking obsessiveness. Kyle is straightforward about the grueling record-making process and its personal impact. “The record feels a bit like a Jungian Dante’s Inferno,” he states. “Plumbing the circles of my personal, psychological, and spiritual hell and then purposely refocusing it so it’s not the unhinged, dark catharsis of the first album. This record is a lot more vulnerable.”
Songs like “Weaponized Loss” or “The Flowers of Sadism” are what Kyle describes as a “dark baptism” in comparison to the absolute darkness of “To Bathe…”. The sound of VITRIOL remains as joyless and dark as ever, but with a glimmer of hope. VITRIOL has taken its trauma-put-to-sound approach to the next level and discovered a new sense of beauty in the blackness. ‘Suffer & Become’ is death metal with a bloody, beating heart.
Line-Up: Kyle Rasmussen – Guitars and Vocals Adam Roethlisberger – Bass and Vocals Matt Kilner – Drums Daniel Martinez – Guitars
Producer // Mixing // Mastering: Dave Otero Bio: Mike Gitter
The other night, people around the globe watched Heilung perform at The Game Awards.
The Nordic collective premiered a new song in front of a star-studded audience at The Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday, December 7. This song, including the soundtrack, was written in collaboration with Ninja Theory for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, which is scheduled for release in 2024.
Watch Heilung perform at The Game Awards:
Heilung are sticking around Los Angeles to perform their full ritual at the Shrine Expo Hall this Monday, December 11.
“Truly one-of-a-kind…a beautiful display of artistic expression” – Melodic Mag
“In a world where bands get compartmentalized into easily-digestable categories, Heilung goes against the grain” – Creative Loafing.
Since its inception in 2015, the enigmatic ritual collective HEILUNG has been paving melodic paths to the past with their unique and mystifying sound. Evading all conventional genre tags and the confines of any specific labels, the group aptly self-describes their sound as “amplified history,” emphasizing their ability to connect modern society with the rudiments of humanity’s beginnings through music. HEILUNG once again journeys back in time with its new chapter, ‘Drif;’ however, unlike previous offerings that centered around prehistoric northern Europe, album number three will explore other great rudimentary civilizations outside of Europe.
“All the songs on ‘Drif’ have their own stories,” adds HEILUNG throat singer and one of the band’s three composers, Kai Uwe Faust. Each has its place and sense of belonging, with inspiration not only from Northern Europe, but from the ancient great civilizations,” explains the band. “We took the ancient surrounding advanced civilizations in account, because our ancestral Nordic civilizations did not just pop up, exist and disappear in isolation. Already in the Bronze Age, we found silk on German land that was imported already from the far, far East 3000 years ago. From the Viking age, we found beads that were brought there from present-day Syria high up in the Northern mountains.
“Centrally important concepts, still in extensive use today, like the number Zero and all the mathematical universes deriving from it, the use of iron and the general concept of settling all originate from traditional high civilizations outside the north and still fundamentally changing our ancestor’s world.
“With singing these primordial songs we want to give tribute to these cultures, reconnect to the beginnings and remember that we all, from East to West, from past to present, are connected through the exchange of ideas and inspiring each other.” Meaning “gathering,” ‘Drif’ serves as more than merely a gateway that bridges history with modern day society, but is also a statement of the strength in unity and togetherness, which will come as no surprise to those who have experienced HEILUNG’s live ritual, in which every ceremony starts with a reminder that “we are all brothers.” “‘Drif’ means ‘gathering,’’ explains HEILUNG. “A throng of people, a horde, a crowd, a pack. In symbiosis with the album title, ‘Drif’ consists of a flock, a collection, a gathering, a collage of songs, that much like little flames were seeking towards each other, to join, to bond, to create, and be greater together.”
While HEILUNG features authentic and archaic instrumentation that ranges from rattles and ritual bells to human bones and throat singing, their captivating brand of music is far from primitive. Producer and founding member Christopher Juul implements subtle electronic elements that elevates the musical atmosphere and provides a more in-depth and layered soundscape.
“This album has very clearly dictated its own path. Our attempts to tame it were repeatedly fruitless, and once we came to this realization, the creative flow surged forward with immense force. So much so that sometimes it felt like the songs wrote themselves,” the band adds.
HEILUNG’s success has been unprecedented, achieving milestones in its few short years of existence that many do not see in a lifetime. The collective already had rapidly been growing a buzz upon the self-release of their first full-length, ‘Ofnir,’ in 2015, but their dizzying upward trajectory really took off from the moment they set foot on the stage at Castlefest in 2017 for the now-legendary debut of their live ritual. Luckily for those who were not fortunate enough to bare witness to this magical event, the full ceremony was captured on film, having since been viewed by tens of millions of fans across the globe.
As HEILUNG trekked across Europe and brought their mystifying experience to new audiences, talk of this new band and their stunning ceremony made way to Season of Mist label owner Michael Berberian, who quickly offered the band a record contract after seeing their undeniable musical impact for himself.
By 2019, HEILUNG launched their second full-length record, ‘Futha,’ which contrasted the masculine and battle-heavy themes of their debut with a feminine counterpart that celebrated fertility and female energy. Upon the first week of the record’s release, it graced the Billboard charts with coveted numbers, debuting at #3 on the Heatseekers Charts and #4 on the Billboard World Music Chart, placing on a total of seven Billboard charts while meeting critical-acclaim from the press on a global scale.
Having already made its way around Europe, HEILUNG announced its first ever North American tour for the start of 2020, which sold out entirely within 72 hours of ticket on-sale. The band later returned to the United States and performed their live ritual for a sold out audience of 10,000 people at the historic Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver, CO (USA), further solidifying their early legacy status.
By this time, the band’s music started to appear in places outside the confines of music venues, videos, and vinyl. From hit television series like ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Vikings’ to video game giants like ‘Conqueror’s Blade VII: “Wolves of Ragnarök’ and ‘Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II’ to the blockbuster Robert Eggers film ‘The Northman,’ HEILUNG’s music has risen far above the underground and has transcended into a greater world. Even a global pandemic couldn’t slow down HEILUNG’s success; it only strengthened them and gave them the gift of time to complete work on album number three, ‘Drif.’
According to Greek philosopher Pythagoras, three is a divine number, signifying harmony, wisdom, and understanding. He also believed it to be the number of time – past, present, future; birth, life, death; beginning, middle, end. Purposefully or not, ‘Drif’ embodies this philosophy, putting forth a divine work of art that ties together the beginning of civilization with the modern world today. Make no mistake, HEILUNG still does not represent any modern political or religious ideology, but rather delivers a humbling reminder of where we came from. “Remember, we are all brothers. All people, beasts, tree and stone and wind, we all descend from the one great being that was always there, before people lived and named it, before the first seed sprouted.”
Lineup: Kai Uwe Faust Christopher Juul Maria Franz
Fierce heavy rock powerhouse LITTLE PIG ignite the music scene again with their blasting track, “Uncle Jack”, taken from their self-titled album out via Wormholedeath.
“Uncle Jack” is a track from Little Pig’s self-titled album, which is available for purchase and streaming in digital formatand on CDvia Wormholedeath. The album, which features themes of love, damnation, addiction, and salvation, showcases the band’s diverse influences, including Alternative Rock, Grunge, and Nu Metal.
Catch the adrenaline-pumping lyric video on YouTube:
Formed by Agos (guitar and vocals), Mago (drums), and Alessio (vocals and bass), Little Pig is a band that is serious about their music while not taking themselves too seriously. The band’s unique sound is a result of the members’ shared musical influences and personal experiences.
Aussie hard rockers Palace Of The King have been keeping the new singles coming with brand new tracks every eight weeks for a while now and it’s finally time to release the full album “Friends In Low Places” on December 14!
But just before the album AND TOUR drops the final instalment in the run of singles is here one week before the album.
“A Run For Your Money” reminds us what a great soulful band POTK can be and gives the great Seany Johnston plenty of time to showcase his fantastic keyboard playing as well as the usual guitar histrionics from Leigh Maden, Tim Henwood and Johnston of course.
Mighty drumming from Cameron McGlinchey who also co-wrote the song with Sean Johnston and Tim Henwood powers through the track right in the pocket and Anthony Licciardi sits right there in the groove with him. Of course the icing on top is Henwood’s distinctive blues rock voice which brings back memories of Bon Scot in his prime.
Produced and recorded by Tim Henwood and mixed by the Ricki Rae (Baby Animals), the track is sounding as fat as any Black Crowes track from their prime.
Fans of high energy soulful bluesy rock music can look forward to experiencing the full album “Friends In Low Places” on all major streaming platforms and digital music stores starting December 14th through the mighty “Reckless Records”. Pre-save here – https://bfan.link/friends-in-low-places-1
PALACE OF THE KING – FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES ALBUM LAUNCH TOUR. Thursday Dec 14 – Mo’s Desert Clubhouse – Gold Coast With guests – The Black Water Fever & Jollee Friday Dec 15 – King Lear’s Thrown – Brisbane With guests – The Black Water Fever & Black Whisky Saturday Dec 16 – Duke – Sydney With guests – Shotgun Mistress & Avalanche Sunday Dec 17 – The Basement – Canberra (afternoon show) With guests – Shotgun Mistress & Filthy Rocks Monday Dec 18 – Shotkickers – Melbourne With guests – Shotgun Mistress & Stonetrip
About Palace of the King: Palace of the King is an Australian rock band known for their high-octane performances and a unique blend of classic and modern rock influences. With a string of acclaimed releases and a reputation for captivating live shows, the band has firmly established themselves as one of the country’s most exciting rock acts.
Progressive groove metal juggernaut JINJER will embark on a massive tour across the UK and Europe in fall 2024 as special guest for metal icons Sepultura on their Celebrating Life Through Death – European Farewell Tour 2024, together with Obituary & Jesus Piece. This genius line-up delivers heavy sounds from various genres of metal: from old school burners from Sepultura and Obituary to new school bangers from JINJER and Jesus Piece, all coming together to celebrate the end of an era and making it a tour you can’t afford to miss!
JINJER on the upcoming tour: “Touring together with this legendary band on their farewell run is for us, as longtime fans and now friends, the perfect way to celebrate their undeniable influence on us as a band, their contribution to metal music as a whole and to their 40 year long legacy. Let’s tear up the roots and plant some new ones together next fall!”
Since the Summer of 2022, JINJER have solidified their reputations as one of the hardest touring bands around, having just finished a 1,5 year long world tour where they played reknowned festivals such as Download UK, Rock am Ring, Wacken and Rockville, and toured across Europe, Australia, Latin America and North America, sharing stages together with Slipknot, Bullet for My Valentine and Disturbed and many more.
JINJER are currently taking a much deserved rest but already working hard on album #5 as well as some other surprises to be announced very soon – so stay tuned!
The Celebrating Life Through Death – European Farewell Tour 2024 kicks off on October 30 in Paris, France, covering 21 cities in total, before wrapping up in Prague, Czechia, on November 23. Tickets for the dates are available starting Wednesday, December 13 at 10:00 AM CET.
Celebrating Life Through Death – European Farewell Tour 2024 JINJER as special guest for Sepultura, w/ Obituary (Main Support) & Jesus Piece (Opener)
30.10.24 FR – Paris / Zenith Paris – La Villette 31.10.24 DE – Offenbach am Main / Stadthalle 01.11.24 DE – Hamburg / Edel Optics Arena 02.11.24 DE – Cologne / Palladium 03.11.24 DE – Den Bosch / The Rock Circus 05.11.24 BE – Brussels / Ancienne Belgique 06.11.24 LU – Esch-Sur-Alzette / Rockhal 08.11.24 UK – Manchester / Manchester Academy 09.11.24 IE – Dublin / Olympia Theatre 10.11.24 UK – Belfast / The Telegraph Building 11.11.24 UK – Glasgow / Barrowland Ballroom 12.11.24 UK – London / Hammersmith Apollo 14.11.24 CH – Zurich / The Hall 15.11.24 DE – Ludwigsburg / MHP Arena 16.11.24 DE – Munich / Zenith 17.11.24 HU – Budapest / Barba Negra 19.11.24 DE – Leipzig / Haus Auensee 20.11.24 AT – Vienna / Gasometer 21.11.24 PL – Katowice / Spodek 22.11.24 DE – Berlin / Columbiahalle 23.11.24 CZ – Prague / O2 Universum
JINJER Shows 2024 22.04.24 US – Milwaukee, WI / The Rave 27.04.24 US – Las Vegas, NV / Sick New World 08.08.24 ES – Villena / Lyendas del Rock 09.08.24 CZ – Jaromer / Brutal Assault 10.08.24 FR – Cercoux / Festival 666 11.08.24 BE – Kortrijk / Alcatraz Open Air 15.08.24 DE – Dinkelsbühl / Summer Breeze Open Air 17.08.24 FR – Carhaix / Motocultor Festival
Get your copy of JINJER’s latest album, Wallflowers,NOW
You can find more formats and specials, as well as new merch in the JINJER merch shop HERE!
About JINJER: Through their relentless hard work, non-stop touring and critically acclaimed /chart-breaking releases gaining millions of streams/views across all platforms globally – JINJER are truly one of modern metal’s hottest and most exciting bands around today. The band has become synonymous with doing things their own way and breaking every rule in the Heavy Metal handbook- which they made loudly clear on their hugely successful fourth studio album: Wallflowers. The four-piece progressive groove metal wrecking machine known as JINJER have carved their very own place in the Metal landscape. JINJER was formed in 2009 but consider the official start of the band with the addition of the incredible vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk in 2010.
JINJER is: Tatiana Shmayluk – Vocals Roman Ibramkhalilov – Guitars Eugene Abdukhanov – Bass Vlad Ulasevich – 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
