Ehsan Imani is a London-based music producer and guitar player. He started his music career in Iran and studied at Berklee College of Music and Goldsmiths University of London. He previously released an album “Rager Blaze” back in 2014 and is now following it with the powerful “The Flames Within” EP, which is available now. This EP is supporting the Iranian protesters against the Islamic regime of Iran and Imani expects a positive reception from rock and metal fans in both Iran and the rest of the world. He explains further:
“As an Iranian artist who had lived there for more than three decades, I wrote these three songs to express my disagreement with the Islamic regime and to stand in solidarity with the people of Iran. That’s why the audience can experience different emotions listening these songs, such as sorrow, anger, and hope. I believe most of the rock and metal listeners around the world can relate to the words and will enjoy these groovy and rebellious music.”
The three-track EP covers government corruption, the lives lost in the Iranian protests, and the energy coursing through the people who were on the front lines. This emotion is paired with groovy guitar riffs, shredding solos, orchestral instrumentation and soulful vocals.
The EP comes in English version and is a passionate display of anger, motivating vibes, and an epic atmosphere. It is recommended for fans of Disturbed, Alter Bridge, and Falling in Reverse.
Released on February 15, 2023, you can listen to “The Flames Within” on Spotify and Apple Music.
Track Listing: 1. The Flames Within (3:47) 2. Once and For All (3:28) 3. The Raging Blaze (3:33)
Top – L- R – Ryan Price – Bass, Alex Nasla – Keyboards & Synthesizers, Chandler Mogel – Lead Vocals
Bottom – L – R – Alex Bosson – Drums & Percussion, Brian Lewis – Growl Vocals, Balmore Lemus – Guitars
LUNAR is a riveting progressive metal band from Sacramento, USA. They are eager to be releasing their third album “The Illusionist” this March and with that anticipation, proudly present the third single “Showtime” featuring a guest guitar solo from PALADIN’s Taylor Washington. The nine-track concept album tells the story of a magician that questions his entire life’s work. He’s spent his entire life devoting himself to his craft and now he questions if it was worth it. The band expects that the underlying theme is one many people can relate to, especially those who have careers in some kind of artistic field. The single follows the main character as he gets ready to perform, it is high energy and a bit more power metal inspired as the band explains:
“Not letting anyone have a breather from the last single, here’s another fast, high-energy song from the album! This song was actually written last for the album and almost wasn’t included. I thought the album was finished, but something early in the track listing felt like it was missing to me, so I threw this one in and it turned out to be, in my opinion, one of the strongest and most unique songs on the album. This one features an amazing guest guitar solo from Taylor Washington (PALADIN), who is now the only guest who has appeared on all 3 Lunar full-length albums.”
Optimistically, Lunar expects this full-length to be the fan favorite and they consider it the best album they have ever done, the songwriting is stronger, the production is stronger, and every song sounds different, but it’s a strong cohesive record to listen to from front to back.
With lyrics that are based on real-life experiences complemented by proggy riffs, they are recommended listening for fans of Katatonia, Haken, and Caligula’s Horse.
Watch and listen to “Showtime” via its video premiere on AllAboutTheRock HERE.
Previous singles: “Juggling Chainsaws” ft. guest guitar solo Obscura’s Christian Münzner – https://youtu.be/RrA61tilg7k “Turn Off The World” ft. guest guitar solo from Caliguala’s Horse’s Sam Vallen – https://youtu.be/iNTrk0V4uz4
Track Listing: 1. Prestidigitation – 6:16 2. The Illusionist – 10:04 3. Showtime – 3:45 4. Worship The Sun – 5:23 5. Turn Off The World – 7:14 6. Disassembled – 5:53 7. Juggling Chainsaws – 7:30 8. For My Next Trick – 3:57 9 . Now You See Me – 8:39 Album Length: 58:46
Album Credits: – Album Produced by: Alex Bosson – Album Mixed by: Linus Coreliusson – Album Mastered by: Jens Bogren – Album artwork by: Travis Smith – Album layout / design by: Brian Lewis – Member of ASCAP
Recording Lineup: Drums & Percussion – Alex Bosson (Music – Track 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8,9) (Lyrics – Track 2, 3, 5, 6,9) Guitars – Balmore Lemus (Music – Track 4) (Lyrics – Track 4, 7 Bass – Ryan Price (Music – Track 8) Keyboards & Synthesizers – Alex Nasla Lead Vocals – Chandler Mogel Growl Vocals – Brian Lewis Clarinet – Gleb Kanasevich (Track 1) Saxophone – Patrick Corona (Track 2) Flute & Saxophone – Jørgen Munkeby (Track 6) Violin & Viola – Ben Karas (Track 9) Additional Guitar Solo – Andy Gillion (Track 2) Additional Guitar Solo – Taylor Washington (Track 3) Additional Guitar Solo – Sam Vallen (Track 5) Additional Guitar Solo – Christian Münzner (Track 7)
The French kings of Heavy Metal SORTILÈGE are now sharing the second single from its upcoming album, ‘Apocalypso!’ The album will be release via Season of Mist (worldwide excl. France) on March 3 and the song can be heard HERE.
L-R: Juan de Ferrari Montoya – Jerry Vergara Cevallos – Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr – Alejandro Londono Montoya
Today long-running South American metallers CULTURA TRES unveil the third single taken from their upcoming album “Camino De Brujos” due for release on April 7th 2023 via Universal Music in the Americas and Bloodblast in the rest of the world.
“’The Land’ is probably the most complete song on our album. The intro is cinematic, the first impression is dark but as the bass-line becomes clear you find yourself in a 70’s soft guitar solo feel, the climax of this intro builds slowly and it results on a powerful drum beat filled with toms and a heavy open guitar riff. Vocals kick in immediately shouting about the lost lands of the Amazons, About the atrocities indigenous people had to endure by religion and corporate interests. The subject is dense and so is the music this track. It goes through atmospheres of dark rock and sections where Slash-like solos catch the attention of the listener and yet this is our most Sepultura influenced composition. Paulo is right in his element here and he leads the rhythm during most of the track.” comments the frontman AlejandroMontoya.
Early this year the band welcomed SEPULTURA’s bass player Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. in their ranks.
“In 2019 after hearing about the plans for a new Cultura Tres, I offered Ale and Juanma to join the band. The music is very organic. There are a lot of influence from the 90’s and a little bit of hardcore as well.Personally in this album I got inspired by the bass players who I’ loved the most back in the 70’s”, enthuses Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr.
In the studio the band explored new ideas and found a musical common ground. The resulting style retained elements of the psychedelic-sludgy past, but incorporated the groove of a more metal oriented vibe that Paulo brought in with his SEPULTURA influence.
So, how should South American heavy music sound like nowadays? The answer is easy – just listen to “Camino De Brujos”, an album which explores both new and old musical textures. The power of thrash metal meets the eeriness of sludge and the melancholic feel of classic rock.
“The album title ‘Camino de Brujos’ can be roughly translated as ‘Trail of Witches’. Do you remember the little story about letting your subconscious make artistic choices? Well this is one of the best examples, ‘Camino de Brujos’ is the main line sang on top of a nasty slow riff, the song is filled with tribal ritual percussion, typical from south America’s black magic practices. The phrase didn’t only end up being the only lyrics sang on the song but it also gave the name and identity to the album”, explains Alejandro Londono Montoya.
“Camino De Brujos” will be released as vinyl, CD, cassette, and digital. Pre-order you copy now HERE Pre-save the album HERE
“Camino De Brujos” track listing reads as follows:
1. The World and Its Lies 2. Time Is Up 3. Signs 4. The Land 5. Proxy War 6. 19 Horas 7. Zombies 8. De Maracay 9. The Smell of Death 10. Camino de Brujos
“Camino De Brujos” was recorded by Juan M. De Ferrari Montoya & Alonso Milano Mendoza at AJM Sound Studios, Amsterdam (NL) and at Reborn Studios, Artesa de Segre (SP). Alejandro Londono Montoya took care of the mixing and the mastering at AJM Sound Studios in Amsterdam. The artwork was made by Damian Michaels.
From The Vaults is proud to announce the signing of epic doom/heavy metal band ALTAR OF OBLIVION. The Aarhus six-piece, who successfully released three full-length albums and four EPs since their inception in 2006, has been one of the most convincing acts in the traditional doom/heavy metal Danish scene and is now ready for a new chapter in their careers. The first Altar Of Oblivion battle under the From The Vaults banner will be a mini-album to be released this year.
“We just signed a record deal with Danish label From the Vaults, which will put out a five-track EP named “Burning Memories” in the summer of 2023, followed by our fourth full-length album “Proselytes of the Apocalypse“”, the band states. “Both sonic endeavors were recorded prior to the pandemic, and we can’t wait to have them unleashed upon old fans as well as new“.
Altar of Oblivion is an epic doom / heavy metal band from Aalborg, Denmark highly in the vein of the 80s style. Since their formation in the year 2006 (from the ashes of Summoning Sickness), they have released three full-length albums and four EPs, all very well regarded in the most traditional epic heavy/doom metal genre.
Now, in 2023, the sextet is preparing a brand new mini-album to be released this year.
Altar Of Oblivion is: Mik Mentor – vocals Martin Meyer Sparvath – guitar Jeppe Campradt – guitar C. Nørgaard – bass Danny Woe – drums Jannick Nielsen – keyboards
Following the success of their debut album “Unohdan sinut” (2021), Finnish black metal punks QWÄLEN will be releasing their second album, “Syvä Hiljaisuus”, on March 10th 2023 via Time To Kill Records.
After dropping the first single “Maailma Täyttyy Kuolleista” and the second single “Kaksi Hautaa”, today the band is premiering the track “Tähdet Tippuvat” at Black Metal Daily. Stream it HERE.
01. Sairaus (Intro) 02. Kutsu Minua Saatanaksi 03. Kuolleiden Kukkien Keolla 04. Syvä Hiljaisuus 05. Tähdet Tippuvat 06. Lopulta Kaikesta Joutuu Luopumaan 07. Kaksi Hautaa 08. Maailma Täyttyy Kuolleista
QWÄLEN became what it is in 2017. The band members share a passion for playing music in its various raw manifestations and their band backgrounds include Kürøishi, Nistikko, Dumathoin and Akma among many others. Punk background bleeds into the music connecting QWÄLEN’s interpretation of black metal into how the genre started decades ago. Simplicity, rawness, speed and honesty. These values were present in the beginning and the same values still hold true. Punk background especially shows live as the chaotic energy of hardcore punk clashes with the ritualistic nature of black metal.
Lyrical themes in the first album focused on self-portrayal, dealing with loss, building anew along with finding alternatives in abandonment, misanthropy and Satan. The second album ponders the sheep-like nature of humanity, the inevitability of destruction, the acceptance of being faulted and surrendering to a greater force.
The second album was recorded at Waiting Room recording studio in Tampere with Mikael Neves who has worked with the likes of Death Toll 80k and Tryer. Mikael also handled mixing duties. Mastering was done by Will Killingsworth at Dead Air Studios. The new album reflects QWÄLEN’s vision and world more clearly than ever. Like a dirty knife. Painful and infectious.
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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
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Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 