Finnish goth rockers LAMORI have been forging their own path for over a decade now, creating their own neon-lit flavor of the genre.
DARK MESSIAH, the latest single from the upcoming album NEON BLOOD FIRE, is a strong and evocative track. It fuses elements of gothic rock and metal, with electronics and dark wave, producing a sound that is both heavy and ethereal. The song delves into the complex themes of desire and longing, and the yearning for something greater than oneself. It conveys the idea of an unquenched thirst for something powerful, intense, grand, and regal. It tells of a blind willingness to embrace danger and darkness. To face one’s own mortality as a final, desperate effort to restore what has been lost.
LAMORI is hailing from the Aland Islands of Finland. Formed in 2009, the lineup has remained unchanged. However, their sound continues to evolve with each release.
NEON BLOOD FIRE, the band’s fourth album to be released by Wormholedeath, will refine the soundscapes heard on the 2020 released NEO NOIR, but also introduce completely new elements to the mix. This album will have some of the heaviest LAMORI songs ever heard!
BAND LINEUP Matias Juselius, vocals Marcus Pellas, guitar Mikael Westerlund, bass Jens Wickholm, keys Emanuel Sanchez, drums
Finnish traditional heavy metal band WISHING WELL have released another single from their upcoming “Sin And Shame” album. “Space Invaders” features a flamboyant intro and eerie Moog-riff plus some melodic instrumental parts. Surprisingly the song does not include Hammond organ, their trademark, at all. Lyrics of the song got inspiration from legendary 80s arcade shooting game, Space Invaders. The song was written by guitar player Anssi Korkiakoski and band’s ex-bass player Rick Becker. The single is out with a promo video, filmed and edited by Jussi Koskinen.
This song is a bit different in many ways but of course it’s the synthesizers that make the difference. I admit that I wasn’t too keen on the idea of leaving Hammond out. However, when I found that cool Moog sound and arranged synth parts I realized that they are perfect for this particular song. They say that variety is the spice of life but whatever the case, I’ll stick to Hammond organ until the day I day, I’m too old to learn too many new tricks”, says Arto Teppo, the nestor of the band. “Plastic toys are not my thing, I’ll leave all those files and menus for younger players. I trust old school hardware and hardwood more than programmed and downloaded sounds. In this matter I have very traditional values”, he continues.
“This song is as old as the hills but with the synths and proper arrangement this became a modern song, at least in our standards. Space Invaders was a great game back in the day and that gave us a cool sci-fi theme that always fits with metal, tongue-in-cheek, of course. The instrumental melody part was written by Rick Becker years ago and I’m happy that we were able to utilize that in this song”, says Anssi Korkiakoski, the guitar player of the band. “There are some new sounds on the new album and in my opinion they upgrade and refresh our overall sound pretty nicely”, he finishes.
”Sin And Shame” album is out on 17 March. The band will play album release gig at On The Rocks Club in Helsinki in 31 March, supporting Finnish hard rock legends Peer Günt.
Wishing Well are: Pepe Tamminen –vocals Arto Teppo – synthesizers Matti Kotkavuori – bass Juha Kivikanto – drums Anssi Korkiakoski – guitars
Pushing progressive death metal in ever more imaginative directions, ENTHEOS continue to stand apart from the pack. Incorporating elements drawn from myriad genres – including death metal, groove, grunge, electronica, slam, gothic rock, jazz, prog and more – they have evolved with every release, and now they return with the follow up to 2017’s landmark Dark Future, the diverse and exhilarating Time Will Take Us All. It arrives March 3 via Metal Blade Records. Pre-order it here: metalblade.com/entheos
Today, the band has shared the video for “Darkest Day.” Watch it here:
“We are excited to release a live video for our latest single ‘Darkest Day,’” the band says. “The video was shot in Knoxville, Tennessee, in December. This was one of the most fun and energetic sets we’ve ever played and the crowd set the perfect tone for the fast-paced ripper that ‘Darkest Day’ is. Our friends Marshall Wieczorek and Michelle Nisbet were able to capture that energy perfectly and we’re so proud of the video we were able to create together.“
TIME WILL TAKE US ALL TRACK LISTING: 01. Absolute Zero 02. In Purgatory 03. The Interior Wilderness 04. Oblivion 05. I Am the Void 06. Darkest Day 07. Clarity in Waves 08. The Sinking Sun 09. Time Will Take Us All
Cover art: Eliran Kantor
Entheos are also touring this spring. All dates are below.
ENTHEOS ON TOUR: WITH WHITECHAPEL: 04/14 – Masquerade – Atlanta, GA 04/15 – The Orpheum – Tampa, FL 04/16 – Revolution – Ft. Lauderdale, FL 04/18 – The Underground – Charlotte, NC 04/19 – The Canal Club – Richmond, VA 04/20 – Baltimore Sound Stage – Baltimore, MD 04/21 – Warsaw – New York, NY 04/22 – The Palladium – Worcester, MA 04/24 – St. Andrews Hall – Detroit, MI 04/25 – The House Of Blues – Chicago, IL 04/27 – Granada Theater – Lawrence, KS 04/28 – Gothic Theater – Denver, CO 04/29 – Metro Music Hall – Salt Lake City, UT 05/01 – Showbox Market – Seattle, WA 05/02 – Hawthorne Theater – Portland, OR 05/04 – Ace Of Spades – Sacramento, CA 05/05 – The Regent – Los Angeles, CA 05/06 – The Observatory – Santa Ana, CA 05/07 – The Nile Theater – Mesa, AZ 05/09 – Mohawk – Austin, TX 05/10 – Amplified Live – Dallas, TX 05/12 – Red Flag – St. Louis, MO 05/13 – Basement East – Nashville, TN
We knew when we started writing that we really wanted to make something darker and heavier that was still uniquely Entheos, and we knew that we wanted to make a record that really came from our hearts and captured where we want to take this band,” explains vocalist Chaney Crabb.
“The new album also has a strong ‘trippy’ vibe, not in a generic sense but meaning when you are done listening to it you feel like you’ve gone on a journey,” adds multi-instrumentalist Navene Koperweis. “I’ve always loved albums that gave me that feeling. I can’t say we set out to have the experience, it just sort of happened and that’s something I’m proud of.“
Having stripped down to a two-piece in 2020, this has helped to streamline the band and allow the core members to make the music they want to with no compromise, which is clearly to their betterment. Koperweis – who takes the role of drummer in the band’s live lineup – has long written most of the guitar parts, so it was not a radically different writing process, but allowed him the freedom of complete control. “I tell people this album is more of everything that we do, except this time it’s deeper in all directions,” says Koperweis. “We’re no longer dipping our toe in the pool on certain aspects, when we decide to go somewhere, we fucking go there.“
Relying less on synths and electronic production than on previous releases, a lot of the more atmospheric elements are contributed by guitar, and there is even an acoustic guitar for the first time on an Entheos record. Crabb has also pushed herself harder than ever before, interested in consistently practicing to find new pitches and timbres in her voice, and she has most certainly extended the range of her screaming. Using pitched screaming to add melodic lines in many places, this is also the first Entheos record on which she has sung.
When it came to penning the lyrics, Crabb knew that she was going to write about her own “experience as a human” and approach the album based on the lingering awareness many people have, that there is so much world out there and there are so many different experiences to have – but there is so little time. However, this idea really hit home in August 2021 when she got into an accident on her electric scooter on the day she started tracking vocals.
“I do not remember how I fell, but when I woke up I was really badly hurt. Gravel was embedded in my lower lip and had severed the inside of my chin from my face, my upper lip was completely split open to the point that my teeth were visible, my nasal septum bone was split in two and my nose was completely bent to one side – I ended up with 100 stitches in my face and was unable to do vocals for three months. I lost all abilities to move my nose and lips for those months, and to this day I still haven’t regained complete control.“
Because of this accident she found herself in a strange place mentally, juggling between feeling truly happy and grateful for every second that she was alive and got to spend with the people who she loved, but also feeling completely depressed, because of all of the uncertainty surrounding her injuries. She shares, “The album took form as a journey from the depths of depression into gratitude, but ultimately as an examination of our time and how precious it is.“
With Koperweis handling production duties and Mark Lewis (Whitechapel, The Black Dahlia Murder) mixing the record, all of the drums were tracked by Zack Ohren at Castle Ultimate, and Koperweis tracked guitars and vocals. They also recruited former member Evan Brewer to supply the bass. Though committed to their status as a two-piece, the band does have a live lineup with Brian James (ex-Fallujah) and Robert Brown (ex-Slaughter to Prevail) providing guitar, maintaining their reputation for being a killer live band. Having delivered the best record of their career they are also in a very good place mentally, but they do not get ahead of themselves.
Metalcore band AFTERGLOW make their debut at FiXT with new metal single “The Pledge” the next track to materialize on the upcoming FiXT: Radium compilation.
Taking listeners on a journey of healing and self-discovery “The Pledge” dives right into heavy guitars overlaid with healing synthesizers. The song’s thought provoking lyrics explore the themes of self-doubt, self-reflection, and the search for inner strength after facing traumatic experiences. “The Pledge” is an anthem for healing, speaking to the human experience, especially the struggles that come with healing and moving on.
“‘The Pledge’ is a song aimed at helping individuals who have experienced personal trauma find the strength and courage to heal and move forward,” explains Afterglow. “The song’s lyrics explore the themes of letting go of the past, finding hope in the present, and setting goals for the future. We wanted to create a contrast between the lyrics, and the upbeat, positive tonality and ambiance of the music.”
Afterglow erupted onto the metalcore scene with their 2020 singles “Ephemeral” and “Black Hole” which were placed on the top of Spotify’s Metal editorial playlists New Core, Got Djent?, TopOf The Core, New Blood, and All New Metal as well as being featured on Sirius XM Octane’s “Test Drive” and Dreambound on YouTube.
The 4-piece from Mexico City are currently writing their debut album, set for release later in the year. Expect more intensity, more darkness, more layers and a different, unique sound, outside of the traditional boundaries of metalcore. With down-tuned grooves, catchy choruses and dreamy atmospheres, Afterglow exists to cheer you up and make you feel connected, and relieved that you are not alone in this journey.
Time for a new single from the Swedish AOR band NIGHTHAWK, led by guitarist Rob Majd (Captain Black Beard, Metalite). After “Running Wild”, it’s now time for “Free Your Mind”, another killer song that foreshows just how good the new Nighthawk album will be.
“A cute uptempo pop’n’roll song which combines the energy that I always want present in Nighthawk with a great melody which had to be included when recording at the world-famous Abbey Road Studios”, Rob comments.
Metal Shock Finland has a pleasure to premiere their new single and official video ”Free Your Mind’, for Finland, enjoy it below.
With him on Abbey Road Studios, Rob had Björn “Speed” Strid (Soilwork, The Night Flight Orchestra & Donna Cannone) on lead vocals, Magnus Ulfstedt (Ginevra) on drums, John Lönnmyr (NFO) on keyboards and Christan Ek (Captain Black Beard) on bass. With this line-up and the magical ambient where Pink Floyd, The Beatles and Oasis once recorded, there was no way Nighthawk would fail on making a superb album.
Nighthawk’s new album, “Prowler, will be released in the Spring.
Lineup: Robert Majd – guitar Björn Strid – vocals Magnus Ulfstedt – drums John Lönnmyr – keyboards Christian Ek – bass/backing vocals
VANDENBERG and Mascot Records / Mascot Label Group have premiered the lead video ‘House On Fire’ from the band’s upcoming new studio album titled SIN.
Adrian Vandenberg shares, “Like every other band or artist we were forced to ‘hold our horses’ when we found ourselves playing our part in one of those Hollywood ‘Outbreak’ style movies these past Covid years. Without having auditioned for a role. You’ll understand we were extremely eager to ‘break out of the stables’ with a loud bang, so we thought it’d be more than appropriate to ‘set the world on fire’ with this new track House On Fire’!”
Every album paints a picture. Instead of utilizing a brush and canvas, Vandenberg paints with towering vocals, earthquaking rhythms, and the iconic and instantly recognizable fretwork of guitarist and namesake Adrian Vandenberg. Joined by vocalist Mats Levén, drummer Koen Herfst, and bassist Randy van der Elsen, the influential axe-slinger delivers a vibrant, visceral, and vital vision on the group’s fifth full-length offering, SIN [Mascot Label Group], brought to life in broad strokes of anthemic hard rock and airtight metal and produced by Bob Marlette [Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie]
“For me, music is very much like a painting,” affirms Adrian. “You have your ups, downs, lights, and shades. One song might make you want to jump on the table and party your brains out. Another song will inspire you to think. Either way, you’re thrown into a landscape, which my favorite albums still do to me. You could be in your car or at home with your headphones plugged into a soundsystem, and you’re in a different world.”
Exploding out of The Netherlands and onto the global scene with 1982’s self-titled Vandenberg, the Dutch phenomenon notched an international hit in the form of “Burning Heart,” paving the way for seminal releases such as Heading For A Storm [1983] and Alibi [1985]. The band canvased the United States, Europe, and Japan alongside Ozzy Osbourne, Kiss, Rush, Scorpions, Michael Schenker, and many others. Sought out to join Whitesnake, Adrian famously ripped the legendary lead on the 1987 recording of the #1 smash “Here I Go Again,” which adorned the 8x-platinum Whitesnake and ended up touring the world’s largest arenas for a year-and-a-half when the 1987 album went through the roof in terms of sales. He co-wrote the entirety of 1989’s platinum Slip of the Tongue and spent the ensuing tour sharing axe duties with none other than Steve Vai. In addition to playing guitar on and cowriting Restless Heart from David Coverdale & Whitesnake, he performed hundreds of shows as part of the band for some twelve years. Speaking to the breadth of his output, he notably penned and recorded “A Number One” as the theme for his hometown Dutch football team FC Twente. 2013 saw him launch the acclaimed Vandenberg’s MoonKings, releasing MoonKings [2014], MK II [2017], and Rugged and Unplugged [2018].
Vandenberg as a band roared back to life with the comeback LP, 2020. Among many highlights, “Freight Train” gathered 1.6 million Spotify streams, while the record attracted praise. Sonic Perspectives enthused, “The end result sounds like the missing link between Whitesnake and Rainbow, and updates the group’s sound to the new generation of hard rock fans.”
In its wake, Vandenberg welcomed Mats [Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Yngwie Malmsteen] to the fold.
“He’s an amazing singer,” notes Adrian. “I’d heard him online, and we got in touch. It’s funny because his mom brought the first two Vandenberg records back to Scandinavia from England when he was in his early twenties—and he was a fan. He’s a workaholic like me. We picked up after COVID and put the new album together. The spark is definitely there. On top of that, Koen and Randy lay down the most solid concrete, grooving foundation that I could ever wish for. I’d say it’s one notch heavier than 2020,” he smiles.
Recorded in Holland and Los Angeles with Marlette, Sin represents a natural evolution for Vandenberg. Scorching pinch harmonics light up the first single “House On Fire” as the groove underlines a chantable chorus from Mats.
“In one way, it’s a party song, because it keeps you tapping your foot,” Adrian exclaims. “Mats added a different darker twist with his lyrics. It also envisions a person who’s frustrated about the things other people have. This person can’t control their anger and sets the place on fire.”
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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
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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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