Swedish/Norwegian melodic power metal band SAINTDEAMON has announced to return with a brand new studio album, entitled “League Of The Serpent”, about three and a half years after their quasi-“comeback” album “Ghost”.
Known for their high-quality sound and an individual touch (which is often hard to find in the power metal genre), also “League Of The Serpent” clearly shows the great quality of vocal wonder Jan-Thore Grefstad, guitarist Toya Johansson, bass player Nobby Noberg (ex-Dionysus) and new drummer Alfred Fridhagen (Gaia Epicus). Tracks such as the upbeat first single “At Break Of Dawn” showcase the typical SAINT DEAMON compositions, in addition the band skillfully incorporates progressive nuances and makes “League Of The Serpent” an album that will be most likely one of the genre highlights in 2023! Due out April 21, 2023 as Digipak CD and limited (500 units) colored vinyl edition via AFM Records, the album pre-sale is now available at THIS LOCATION!
Watch the brand new lyric video for first single, the album opening track “At Break Of Dawn”, now streaming HERE:
“At break of dawn is the 4th song about Captain Saint Deamon and his crew. This time while they were out pirating“, the band reveals. “A rival or enemy if you will – came to the captains home island to rob and destroy the captains town and the captain goes for revenge.
The fights are happening while the town is on fire. In the end our captain takes back what was his.”
International extreme metal collective NIGHTMARER has announced the release of the band’s highly anticipated sophomore full-length record, entitled ‘Deformity Adrift’, which will see the light of day on May 5th via Vendetta Records and Total Dissonance Worship.
Clandestinely conceived by (former) members of Gigan, WFAHM and The Ocean in 2014, NIGHTMARER set out to derive only the most extreme elements of their previous musical endeavors and take them to a much more miserable and punishing level. Seemingly out of nowhere, NIGHTMARER hit the extreme Metal underground with their first EP ‘Chasm’ in early 2016. The furious whirlwind of low end dissonance and pulverizing heaviness immediately took the scene by storm and paved the path to a record contract with Season of Mist. The band’s following full length debut ‘Cacophony of Terror’ (2018) and their appearance on the 2019 edition of the Devastation on the Nation Tour, earned the band a strong, die-hard following, while the addition of guitarist Keith Merrow (Merrow, Conquering Dystopia) in the same year, only further cemented their reputation as a band to watch closely. In early 2020, NIGHTMARER parted ways with Season of Mist to go independent and start their own label Total Dissonance Worship. Under that banner, the band released the single ‘Primordial Grit’ and 2021 EP ‘Monolith of Corrosion’ to critical acclaim from fans and press alike, while also finishing up their brand new full length record.
‘Deformity Adrift’ is NIGHTMARER‘s most diverse work to date, venturing far beyond the conventions of the already unconventional genre of Dissonant Death Metal, without sacrificing even an ounce of viciousness. Strong undercurrents of Industrial and Doom Metal can be found throughout this 32 min behemoth of a record, which ends with an oppressive wall of sound that will leave you bruised and battered.
In support of the upcoming album, NIGHTMARER have unleashed the first single ‘Throe of Illicit Withdrawal’. Listen to the track via your favorite streaming platform or right here:
NIGHTMARER on ‘Throe of Illicit Withdrawal’:
“This song is about having to give yourself up entirely, in order to function as a cog in a machine that exploits every last bit of your body, mind and soul. It’s a constant battle between oppressive tension and the promise of a release that never comes. The result is a misery so deep, any attempt at disassociating from it is futile. Drawing from Death-, Black- and even Industrial Metal-influences, ‘Throe of Illicit Withdrawal’ not only embodies that lyrically, but sonically as well.”
Tracklist reads as follows:
Brutalist Imperator
Baptismal Tomb
Throe of Illicit Withdrawal
Tooms
Suffering Beyond Death
Taufbefehl
Hammer of Desolation
Endstadium
Obliterated Shrine
‘Deformity Adrift’ was mixed and mastered by Raphaël Bovey at MyRoom Studio. Cover art by Jeanne Comateuse. The album will be released on vinyl, CD, cassette tape, digital and streaming formats by Total Dissonance Worship (US) and Vendetta Records (EU).
‘Deformity Adrift’ is now available for pre-order at THIS LOCATION
Line-up of the recording: John Collett – Vocals Simon Hawemann – Guitars Keith Merrow – Guitars Brendan Sloan – Bass Paul Seidel – Drums
Finnish dark metallers KUOLEMAN GALLERIA will release their fourth full length album “Pedon Synty” on March 24th 2023. Now they have released second single and music video to a track “Häpeäpaalu” (The Pillory).
“Häpeäpaalu (The Pillory) is a cathartic growth story which forces old memories to the surface and turns the next page in your life. The song grows as it moves forward and there’s freedom to be found in the end. The Pillory breaks down…” band’s vocalist Kimmo Jankkari tells.
Kuoleman Galleria celebrates the album release by playing “Deep Waters & Dark Skies Tour” in Finland with legendary Finnish dark metal band Mustan Kuun Lapset and Swedish Wormwood.
March 30. Lutakko, Jyväskylä March 31. Olympia, Tampere April 1. On the Rocks, Helsinki
Dutch Metal Legends MARTYR have released a video for the song ‘Raise Your Horns Unite!’, taken from the band’s 2022 full length album “Planet Metalhead”, which will be reissued on February 24th via ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records, on 180gram transparent green vinyl, limited to 300 copies worldwide!
During the years that MARTYR was alive and kicking in the 80s metal scene (1982‐1987) the band released two albums and appeared on some compilations that are considered cult in the international metal scene today. Martyr’s style has always been unique in the Heavy Metal scenery, a delight for those who love strong melodies, speedy riffs and a high level of technicality.
The band disappeared to return in the zeros where the flame started burning again and the band have continued to play live ever since 2006. First reunion shows by multiple request on the bigger true heavy metal festivals, later on starting to write new music, new releases and touring all over Europe and Japan in clubs as support act or headliner and on numerous festivals.
Planet Metalhead is the new achievement of MARTYR in which the band has made a conscious choice to return to the pure heavy metal for which the band is so known. With the 80s vibe, twin guitars, pounding drums and bass and the fantastic vocals, the band shines on this10 song album. Also due to a strong production by drummer Rick Valcon, this is one hell of a metal record and everything around this album radiates heavy metal, from music to song titles and from album title to artwork.
The process of writing the album started long before Covid (in fact after the release of “You Are Next” in 2016 the first ideas came to live) but was fulfilled, recorded mixed and mastered during that Covid period from March 2020 to September 2021. During the recording process the band discovered an alternative way of working in comparison with all previous album. All songs were completely finished including the mixing and mastering process before starting recording the next one. All instruments were recorded in different places: home, rehearsal studio, RA Recording studio, “De Meister” café Geleen and all recorded tracks brought together by Rick Valcon to the song. As it was totally clear the songs were pure Heavy Metal it was decided that everything around Planet Metalhead should breathe Heavy Metal too. The lyrics, the song titles, the artwork, the album title.
There should be no doubt about it if fans or buyers pick up the album that they know what to expect: A musical planet of Pure Fucking Heavy Metal where we all are one and where we all like to be! So Raise Your Horns, Unite! And Welcome to Planet Metalhead.
MARTYR are: Rop van Haren – Vocals Rick Bouwman – Guitars Geoffrey Maas – Guitars Vinnie Wassink – Bass, Backing Vocals Rick Valcon – Drums, Backing vocals
Russian atmospheric/pagan black metallers DRAKON have released their debut album “Пробуждение” (eng. Awakening).
DRAKON was born in 2017 as collaboration between Veleyar (guitar, music) and Terror (vocals, bass). At the beginning of activity they released debut album “First” (“I“) and when line-up split, leader of the project released instrumental EP “The Last Battle of Angels”. In the same 2017, project has been suspended.
In the fall of 2021 Veleyar resurrected DRAKON and started working on second studio album titled “Пробуждение” (eng. Awakening). Line-up was filled in by professional session musicians.
The album is thematically dedicated to the Spiritual Revival of Man and Russian Motherland, through the prism of worship of the Forces of Nature.
Music was mixed and mastered by Tore Stjerna who cooperated with such bands like …and Oceans, Watain, Tribulation, Funeral Mist and Mayhem. Cover artwork was done by Alexander Tartsus (Balfor, KZOHH, Sinister). Album was released 28th October 2022 as digital and on CD via Soundage Productions.
Stream the album at Spotify or Bandcamp or via Youtube, below.
Tracklist:
Closedness of Forest Darkness
In the Gloomy Feuding
Lunar Path
In the Murk of Night
Above All
Ode to North
Embrace of Death
Line-up:
Veleyar – songwriting, guitar Vadim Basov – bass Vyacheslav Popov – drums Demether Grail – vocal and lyrics (for songs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) Pavel Sochev – guest solo guitar in song “Ode to North” Alexandr Mrakov (1985-2022) – lyrics (for 1, 2)
PIL & BUE are set to release their upcoming third album “Special Agents” on April 24th, via Indie Recordings. The album is dedicated to the “everyday heroes” of our society. Pre-save the album at https://orcd.co/specialagentspb
Furthermore the band has announced their European Spring tour 2023, joining Long Distance Calling on their EU tour on these following dates:
15.02 London – UK – Boston Music Room 16.02 Tilburg – NL – Hall of Fame 17.02 Trier, DE – Mergener Hof 18.02 Paris, FR – Backstage By The Mill 19.02 Aarau, CH – Kiff 14.03 Frankfurt, DE – Batschkapp 15.03 Cologne, DE – Kantine 16.03 Bielefeld, DE – Forum 17.03 Hanover DE – Musikzentrum 18.03 Hamburg, DE – Gruenspan 19.03 Berlin, DE -Festsaal Kreuzberg 21.03 Leipzig, DE – UT Connewitz 22.03 Munich, DE – Backstage
After massive praise from fans and the media for their previous albums “Forget the past, Let’s Worry About the Future” (2016) and “The World is a Rabbit Hole” (2021) and sold out concerts all over Norway in 2022, “Special Agents” is perhaps their most anticipated album to date.
To record this album Pil & Bue went back into Cederberg Studios in Kristiansand, Norway where they also recorded “The World is a Rabbit Hole” and created this emotional and sonic rollercoaster of an album that is a tribute to all the everyday heroes out there.
Pil & Bue comments: We want to acknowledge people that include and take care of people around them. It is a very philosophizing album, that to a certain degree comment on how we all seek detachment to become who we really are. All humans want to feel freedom and happiness, if so, just for a little while. We need more kindness and justice in the world. And those themes will never leave our lyrics.
Co-producer and mixerChrister André Cederberg comments; “This album has it all! Raw energy, pure music joy, anger, sorrow, humor and hope. It is heavy, punk, dynamic,beautiful, melancholic, and experimental! What more can you ask for?”
ABOUT PIL & BUE With one of the best vocalists from Norway, Petter Carlsen, on vocals and guitar, and Gøran Johansen slaying the drums, they are an explosion of hard rock.
With subtle, but pronounced references to artists like Placebo, Deftones, Sigur Rós, Anathema and Mars Volta, Pil & Bue delivers “Hard, gloomy & joyful music…” (Metal Hammer NO) based on topics like memories, childhood aspirations, use of imagination, video games, and the intriguing online rabbit holes.
The band´s raw and melodic music quickly struck a note with Hollywood director Tommy Wirkola who included the Pil & Bue single “You Win Again” in his now cult-status movie “Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival January 2014.
Also, their single “Fire” from their second album “Forget the Past, Let’s Worry About The Future” is featured on the end credits of Hollywood/Netflix blockbuster “What Happened To Monday” (2017).
Pil & Bue released their acclaimed third album The World is a Rabbit Hole in September 2021, an album which got rave reviews: 6/6 Scream Magazine (NO), 5/5 Metal´art (FR), 5/6 Norway Rock Magazine, 5 Altaposten, 7/10 Metalhammer UK og 11/15 from http://www.betreutesproggen.de.
Chief Shock Video
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
Ads
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 ) 