Grammy-nominated extreme power metal legends DRAGONFORCE have unleashed a standalone single, entitled “Doomsday Party”! The 80s rock influenced track is spiced up with hypnotizing retro video game soundscapes and epic guitar solos in true DRAGONFORCE manner. Formed in 1999, the London, UK based unit is known for their epic compositions, and the world’s fastest band’s signature lies in their masterful and lightning-fast guitar solos and inspiration drawn from a myriad of heavy metal styles and fantasy realms, blending 80s rock influences with infectious sing-along choruses and uplifting melodies.
DRAGONFORCE has hundreds of millions of YouTube video views and nearly two million monthly listeners on Spotify (with over 200 million streams on platinum-selling single “Through the Fire and Flames” alone). DRAGONFORCE’s fast-selling North American tour, which begins next month, will feature a fresh setlist and entirely new stage production! The band is joined by special guests Amaranthe, with additional support from Napalm Records labelmates NanowaR of Steel, as well as Edge of Paradise. Get your tickets now before they’re gone, and stay tuned for more new music!
Herman Li on “Doomsday Party”: “We’re super excited to unveil a brand-new DragonForce song after a wait of over 4 years! It was a tough decision to choose which of our new tracks to release first, but we decided on this one because it showcases a different facet of our music while still retaining the unmistakable DragonForce sound. The filming process for this video was a blast, and we had the opportunity to bring our vision to life in the city of Los Angeles, CA. Our hope is that metal fans from all walks of the genre spectrum will find something to enjoy in it. We can’t wait to play this live during our upcoming tour!”
Experience DRAGONFORCE Live in 2023:
North American Tour 2023 w/ Amaranthe, NanowaR of Steel + Edge of Paradise Oct 20 – Mesa, AZ – Nile Theater* Oct 21 – Albuquerque, NM – Revel* Oct 23 – Austin, TX – Empire Garage Oct 24 – Dallas, TX – The Granada Oct 25 – Houston, TX – House of Blues Oct 27 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues Oct 28 – Ft Lauderdale, FL – Culture Room Oct 30 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade – Heaven Oct 31 – Charlotte, NC – The Underground Nov 01 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage Nov 03 – New York, NY – Palladium Time Square Nov 04 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium Nov 05 – Montreal, QC – MTelus Nov 06 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall Nov 08 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theater Nov 09 – Detroit, MI – The Majestic Nov 10 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues Nov 11 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue Nov 12 – Lawrence, KS – Granada Theater Nov 14 – Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall Nov 15 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot Nov 16 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory Nov 18 – Berkeley, CA – UC Theater Nov 19 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern * no NanowaR of Steel
DRAGONFORCE is: Herman Li – Guitar, Backing Vocals Sam Totman – Guitar, Backing Vocals Marc Hudson – Vocals Alicia Vigil – Bass, Backing Vocals Gee Anzalone – Drums, Backing Vocals
Knoxville, Tennessee’s Whitechapel just released a new music video for the instrumental track “Without You” that leads into the track “Without Us” off the band’s 8th studio album Kin. The video was shot and produced by David Brodsky of MyGoodEye Visuals and can be seen here.
Here’s what guitarist Alex Wade has to say about the video for “Without You/Without Us“:
“We are excited to release our final video from the Kin album cycle for “Without You/Without Us”. We worked with longtime friend David Brodsky and MyGoodEye Visuals on bringing this epic battle to life and feel it is a great way to close this album as we begin work on our 9th album.”
Lyrics to Without Us Come to the surface my son, you’re not breathing so well I couldn’t stand to lose you another time But this is not real, we’re not here Don’t you understand that we’ve already lost one another Please accept reality so I can finally be free
Where will we be in the years to come I know somewhere inside you is me crying out for help But I’m right here with you begging you to see the hell we’ve created I know it’s hard to accept the truth but it’s time to let this all go Let this all go
I’m holding onto your neck It’s taking everything in me to not watch you fade out Into the sound of nothing But this is not real, we’re not here Don’t you understand that we both have to move on together Without you, there’s no me There’s no us, there’s no family
It’s so dark It’s so quiet now Is there anyone out there Anyone I’m alone again, just what I’m used to
I’m here Bow to the ancient god The portal is shut, locked, no way out This is home This isn’t home, it’s hell with a lovely face The mask just hides the truth can controls our fate Take a look around, my friend That part of our life is dead
So tell me, where will we be in the years to come I know somewhere inside you is me crying out for help But I’m right here with you begging you to see the hell we’ve created I know it’s hard to accept the truth but it’s time to let this all go Let this all go
Album artwork by: Jillian Savage
In other news, Whitechapel is set to perform at the Louder Than Life Festival in Kentucky on Saturday, September 23 before heading overseas to tour Europe with Thy Art Is Murder, Fit For An Autopsy, and Spite starting September 29 in the Netherlands and wrapping up on October 28 in Germany. The band will wrap up 2023 with a tour in North America starting in the fall alongside Meshuggah and In Flames then play a hometown Holiday show on December 22 at The Mill & The Mine with Signs of the Swarm, The Guild, and Sidious as support. Tour dates below!
Europe/UK THY ART IS MURDER, WHITECHAPEL, FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY, SPITE, GODLIKE 9-28-23 Tilburg, Netherlands 0 1 3 9-29-23 Stuttgart, Germany LKA 9-20-23 Wiesbaden, Germany Schlachthof 10-01-23 Berlin, Germany Huxleys 10-02-23 Copenhagen, Denmark Amager Bio 10-03-23 Oslo, Norway Rockefeller 10-04-23 Stockholm, Sweden Fryshuset Klubben Arenan 10-05-23 Gothenburg, Sweden Trädgår’n 10-06-23 Hamburg, Germany Edel-Optics-Arena 10-07-23 Leipzig, Germany Felsenkeller 10-08-23 Nürnberg, Germany Löwensaal 10-10-23 Prague, Czech Rep Roxy 10-11-23 Wien, Austria Arena 10-12-23 Budapest, Hungary Barba Negra 10-13-23 München, Germany Tonhalle 10-14-23 Milan, Italy Alcatraz 10-15-23 Pratteln, Switzerland Z7 10-16-23 Lyon, France Transbordeur 10-17-23 Barcelona, Spain Razzmatazz 2 10-18-23 Madrid, Spain La Paqui 10-20-23 Paris, France Elysée Montmartre 10-21-23 Antwerp, Belgium Zappa 10-22-23 London, UK Roundhouse 10-23-23 Manchester, UK Academy 1 10-24-23 Birmingham, UK o2 Institute 10-25-23 Glasgow, UK SWG3 10-26-23 Bristol, UK SWX 10-27-23 Amsterdam, Netherlands Melkweg 10-28-23 Köln, Germany Carlswerk Victoria
North America MESHUGGAH, IN FLAMES, WHITECHAPEL 11-21-23 San Diego, CA SOMA 11-22-23 Wheatland, CA Hard Rock Live Sacramento 11-24-23 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre 11-25-23 Vancouver, BC Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre 11-27-23 Edmonton, AB Midway Music Hall 11-28-23 Calgary, AB Grey Eagle Event Centre 11-30-23 Winnipeg, MB Burton Cummings Theatre 12-01-23 Minneapolis, MN The Fillmore Minneapolis presented by Affinity Plus 12-02-23 Madison, WI The Sylvee 12-03-23 Grand Rapids, MI GLC Live at 20 Monroe 12-05-23 Gary, IN The Hard Rock Live Northern Indiana 12-06-23 Cincinnati, OH The Andrew J Brady Music Center 12-08-23 Huntington, NY The Paramount 12-09-23 Boston, MA MGM Music Hall at Fenway 12-10-23 Montclair, NJ The Wellmont Theater 12-12-23 Wallingford, CT Toyota Oakdale Theater 12-14-23 Bethlehem, PA Wind Creek Event Center 12-15-23 Toronto, ON HISTORY 12-16-23 Laval, QC Place Bell **w/ Meshuggah, In Flames, Voivod
Hometown Holiday Show WHITECHAPEL, SIGNS OF THE SWARM, THE GUILD, SIDIOUS 12-22-23 Knoxville, TN The Mill & The Mine
Get Kin on Digital/Streaming, CD, Double LP, or Special Edition LP HERE.
Whitechapel is: Vocals: Phil Bozeman Lead Guitar: Ben Savage Rhythm Guitar: Alex Wade Guitar: Zach Householder Bass: Gabe Crisp
Power/Progressive Metal band IMMORTAL GUARDIAN has slowly been teasing their forthcoming album since the spring of 2022 releasing new songs digitally alongside some great music videos every few months. Fans of the band have enjoyed the development and creativity of the album’s content and evolvement into a concept and final work. ‘Unite and Conquer’ finally has a release date, Oct. 27th, and preorders launch today.
“We definitely took a new direction with our writing process and overall sound on the new album. We tried some new things Immortal Guardian has never done, but also kept a taste of our classic sound in the process,” explains guitarist/keyboardist Gabriel Guardian. “We were all going through some crazy experiences in our lives while making this album and I think it really reflects in the music. As we did during our ‘Psychosomatic’ album, we were writing these songs in real time as we lived through these major events in the world and in our personal lives.”
‘Unite and Conquer,’ like the hailed and successful 2021 ‘Psychosomatic’ was written and recorded by the band themselves with credit going to Gabriel Guardian and bassist Joshua Lopez, who also mixed the album at his Widowmaker Studios. They enlisted the help of artist/photographer Masiha Fattahi (Threshold) with further design work by Jobert Mello (Sabaton, Primal Fear, Acid Reign), as well as guest vocalists Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear, Gamma Ray) and Vicky Psarakis (The Agonist) to create a stellar new album.
“For generations, humanity has longed for a truth. The right to unite what has been divided. We long to be free from all our differences, genders, colors, nationalities, religions, beliefs, and any other type of separation,” elaborates vocalist Carlos Zema. “This real freedom relies on our minds, in being free from all these fears, repressions, oppressions, and everything else that stops us from being united. In the name of this truth, our voice will echo endlessly – Freedom!”
“Immortal Guardian’s ‘Unite and Conquer,’ lyrically traverses a multifaceted emotional journey, from introspection and self-discovery that passionately calls for unity and change. The poetic verses entwine seamlessly with the captivating melodies, delivering a musical narrative that resonates with the listener on a profound level, leaving an indelible mark on the heart and soul. With a simple message — this is the time to Unite and Conquer.”
Always lyrically insightful and pushing musical boundaries, the latest from IMMORTAL GUARDIAN will please fans of progressive, power, and traditional metal with so much tasty playing and melodies. Evidence is already apparent in the five songs released to date, but there is still another half of the album ready to enjoy.
Pre-order ‘Unite and Conquer’ now on limited-edition vinyl –- the standard retail version (250 copies on insomnia red and black splatter) or the exclusive to band/label variant (100 copies on bone/black mix), as well as CD and Digital. https://lnk.to/immortalguardian
Check out videos for“Roots Run Deep,““Perfect Person”, “Ozona,” “Echoes” and “Southern Rain” which form a basis for their next conceptual piece, and find out why Metal Rules says – “one of the most interesting bands that have emerged in recent years on the international power metal scene.”
Track Listing: 1. Ozona 2. Echoes 3. Roots Run Deep ft. Ralph Scheepers (Primal Fear) 4. Perfect Person 5. Divided we Fall 6. Lost in the Darkness ft. Vicky Psarakis (The Agonist) 7. Southern Rain 8. Unite and Conquer 9. Un Dia A La Vez 10. Rise of the Phoenix
IMMORTAL GUARDIAN – founded by Gabriel Guardian, whose uncanny ability to play guitar and keyboard simultaneously has been showcased on MTV’s “Amazingness” and on his unique dual-instrument covers of classics by the likes of Iron Maiden, Pantera and Guns N’ Roses that have garnered hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube – began building their following through multiple self-released EPs before signing with M-Theory Audio. The band has also performed live alongside some of the biggest names in metal, including Judas Priest, Dragonforce, Kamelot, Symphony X, Sonata Arctica, Slayer, Marty Friedman, Metal Church, Soilwork and Steve Vai, and in countries such as Brazil and Russia, and during high-profile performances at ESPN’s X Games, South By Southwest, Mad With Power Fest and Fun Fun Fun Fest.
More info will be released by Immortal Guardian and M-Theory Audio in the weeks and months to follow, including new tour dates. https://www.facebook.com/igmetal/.
IMMORTAL GUARDIAN is: Gabriel Guardian – guitars/keyboards Carlos Zema – vocals Justin Piedimonte – drums Joshua Lopez – bass
St. Louis horror metal outfit The Lion’s Daughter has teamed up with The Circle Pit to premiere the utterly disturbing new music video for the haunting new single, “End Credits.” The clip, which was created by Jakov Burov and is not for the faint of heart, can be found at THIS LOCATION.
“End Credits” is taken from the band’s upcoming full-length, ‘Bath House,’ which is on October 13, 2023 as an independent entity!
The Lion’s Daughter frontman Rick Giordano comments, “‘End Credits’ is about the horror of grief. It’s a song that I never thought our band would have the guts to pull off, and it’s quickly become my favorite on the album. Jakov Burov’s animation is a perfect visual companion to leave you feeling broken beyond repair.”
In addition, The Lion’s Daughter will be performing live later this year! On October 13, the band will have a special Friday the 13th album release party in its hometown of St. Louis, MO. Then, the band will hit Black Circle Brewing in Indianapolis, IN on 11/11 for another rager! The full itinerary can be found below with more dates TBA!
ICYMI: The Lion’s Daughter recently debuted a “Gremlins” inspired music video for the crushing single, “Maximize Terror,” which can be found HERE.
The artwork for ‘Bath House’ was created by UK artist Daniel Peacock.
‘Bath House’ Tracklist: Bath House (4:10) [WATCH] Maximize Terror (3:24) [WATCH] Your Pets Died on TV (4:19) Liminal Blue (4:11) Rerouted (4:22) 12-31-89 (4:47) Crawler Night (5:12) She Does Not Exist (3:40) End Credits (5:19) [WATCH]
The Lion’s Daughter Live Dates (U.S.): 10/13: St. Louis, MO @ Red Flag (Album Release Show) 11/11: Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle Brewing
“What we did see… was something altogether different, and immeasurably more hideous and detestable. It was the utter, objective embodiment of the fantastic novelist’s ‘thing that should not be.’” – H.P. Lovecraft, “At The Mountains of Madness”
Some creations are designed to elicit nightmares, evoking unspeakable terrors that are meant to shock, terrify, and mesmerize the masses. Since the release of its first full-length in 2012, The Lion’s Daughter has consistently put forth music that is just as disturbing as it is enticing, making a name for itself as a dark force among its musical contemporaries. And much like an eldritch horror, the band is constantly shape shifting like a Shoggoth, capable of fitting into many different musical spaces, while at the same time, fitting into no earthly dimensions just as an ancient alien rising up from centuries of arctic slumber with a mission to destroy and conquer.
And much like the Shoggoth, The Lion’s Daughter have defied all gods and masters, releasing its latest opus as an independent entity, breaking away from the corporate confines of a label. ‘Bath House’ is another generically unclassified masterpiece from the St. Louis horror quartet, pulling elements from everything from Faith No More to Godflesh to Samhain, creating a sound that’s way ahead of its time and yet certain to grab the listener by the throat.
“Saying that this album was influenced by everything-that-I’ve-ever-liked-ever isn’t a very good answer, but it’s an accurate one,” explains frontman Rick Giordano on the band’s unique sound. “I turned the left side of my brain off completely and let a lifetime of soaking up great art just come to the surface naturally. There are bits of all the things I love in there… from old Metallica to film scores to industrial and whatever else, but I think these things have melded together in a way that is cohesive and not just nonsensical genre-hopping. There are clean vocals and guitar solos, a lot of things that we’ve never tried before. It really feels like you uploaded my entire record collection to a hard drive and had an AI create an album based on that.”
As the music itself on ‘Bath House’ is a representation of Giordano’s musical palette, the lyrics are perhaps the darkest and most vulnerable of his career. The band strays away from fantasy on this record and instead, gets raw and relatable. “It’s all really ugly shit,” he says of the new album’s themes. “Which, for our band, is not shocking at all. But this time around, it’s all much more personal to me, which makes it a bit difficult and uncomfortable to talk about. I wasn’t in a great place while writing this record. Grief, fear, jealousy, and general devastation can be found all over this thing. That wasn’t my intention exactly, but like the music, I let the lyrics kind of write themselves without letting logic or reason interfere.”
To further illustrate the darkness that dwells within ‘Bath House,’ The Lion’s Daughter commissioned a perverse and unnerving image from UK artist Daniel Peacock for the album cover. The image not only works well in cohesion with the record, but also symbolizes that while ‘Bath House’ still very much carries the band’s signature sound, it still isn’t exactly what fans might expect. Giordano explains, “Our previous two album covers featured masked characters. I wanted to see what happens when you take the mask off. This record isn’t shrouded in mystery the same way the previous couple have been. It’s much more of an in your face kind of attack, and I felt the artwork should represent that. This horrible creature looks dangerous and frightening, but is also clearly in pain and also afraid. It’s the perfect image to represent whatever the fuck ugly thing lives in my head. On this record it is no longer hiding behind a mask… it is loose and it’s right outside your fucking house.”
As the St. Louis horror masters set forth on a new trajectory, the former trio has also added Black Fast guitarist Aaron Akin to the lineup, creating a sound that’s more intense and grand. “Aaron was the guitarist and vocalist of a band called Black Fast. They were hands down the best metal band to come out of St. Louis in decades. Once they disbanded, it was a no-brainer to try and get the guy who fronted my favorite local band to be in my band. Why wouldn’t I? Plus, as anyone who knows Aaron will tell you, he’s an all around great guy,” explains Giordano on how this new union came about.
And as a new union has been formed, former binds have been severed as The Lion’s Daughter is no longer tied to a label, doing this record fully independently for the first time in its career and taking full and total control. “It’s just nice to have 100% control over everything again,” Giordano says of the band’s new freedom. “That was the whole intention when we started this band years ago. We lost sight of that for a while. No disrespect intended towards anyone, but this band has always been pretty anti-music industry and anti-bullshit.”
Despite so many changes, The Lion’s Daughter is still the same band that cult followers have come to worship, but with everything cranked up to 11. With heavier music, a fuller sound, and darker themes, the band is maximizing terror with its monstrous brand of debauchery and unspeakable perversions. Unpleasant dreams…
Recording Lineup: Rick Giordano – vocals, guitars, bass, synths Erik Ramsier – drums Scott Fogelbach – additional vocals on tracks 2, 7, 8
Live Lineup: Rick Giordano – guitar and vocals Scott Fogelbach – bass and vocals Aaron Akin – guitar Erik Ramsier – drums
Guest Musicians: Sarah Vie – violin and vocals on tracks 2, 4, 7, 9
Recording Studio: Encapsulated Studios
Producer // Sound Engineer // Mixing // Mastering: Gabe Usery
Up-and-coming Danish death metal outfit PLAGUEMACE are gearing up to unleash their debut album, Reptilian Warlords, on November 17, 2023 via Napalm Records! Today, the quintet presents the first taste of what to expect with their ruthlessly groovy first single, “Impenetrable Leather”. The neck-bending old school death metal band was formed in 2020 in the heart of Denmark, and released their six-track EP, Primal Priest, in November 2020.
Throughout their first year of performing live, PLAGUEMACE already racked up 25 concerts, including several headlining gigs and opening slots for bands like Baest, Katla and Crocell, earning themselves a reputation as an explosive live band. In spring 2023, PLAGUEMACE toured the UK in support of their labelmates Nervosa, and conquered stages all over Europe as support for death metal legends Left To Die. Check out the energetic music video for “Impenetrable Leather” below, and stay tuned for more news on PLAGUEMACE’s first full-length!
PLAGUEMACE on “Impenetrable Leather”: “’Impenetrable Leather’ is a short ferocious onslaught, depicting the ruthless brutality of the barbarian war clan. Armed with nothing but skin made of impenetrable leather, these brutes show absolutely no mercy as they mow down the enemy.”
PLAGUEMACE’s thrashy death’n’roll is spiced up with brutal breakdowns and infectious grooves as witnessed on the album opener “Cannibalicious”. The brutal soundscapes on “Rhythmic Demise” impress, before the track fades out into “Warcries from the Crypts”, where trumpet and trombone add to the threatening atmosphere. Catchy title track “Reptilian Warlords” kicks off with metallic soundscapes, with groovy rhythms carrying competent death metal vocals and skillful guitarwork. Closing track “Carnivore” attacks immediately, as low growls are joined by contrasting screams, and bombastic melodies lead the album to its end.
There is no doubt that fans of bands such as Grave, High on Fire, Entombed and Obituary will enjoy the first full-length of one of the most promising bands of the new generation of old school death metal.
PLAGUEMACE on Reptilian Warlords: “Reptilian Warlords is the first in a series of concept albums taking place in our own fictional universe. The story has been torn apart chronologically, and will be put together throughout this, and the following releases. So stay tuned to find out what happens next. The themes of Reptilian Warlords include ANGER, VENGEANCE, DESIRE, WAR and ENRAGING BLOODTHIRST.”
Italian death-thrashers INFECTION CODE are pleased to announce their union with Time To Kill Records for the release of their ninth full-length studio album, “Sulphur”. The album is set to be released on November 17th 2023.
The band is back after one year from their previous effort, “Alea Iacta Est”, with a new sound and a new sonic landscape to explore. “Sulphur” is the first album with the new line-up and the first written by new guitarist Chris, who joined the band in 2021.
Today, INFECTION CODE focuses on manifesting crushing riffs laced with visceral grooves that echo somber melodies. Eschewing all trends, the album takes every disparate element that INFECTION CODE previously employed, such as industrial tones, more prominent death and thrash metal influences, and amplifies them, while juxtaposing each next to each other, with genuinely unpredictable and exciting consequences. The tracklist also includes a cover version of AT THE GATES’ masterpiece, “Blinded By Fear”.
Lyrically, the album is based on some sci-fi and horror novels, and stories used as allegories to introduce personal reflections on the decline of human civilization. The authors are Howard P. Lovecraft, Philip K. Dick, Ben Bova, Ray Bradbury, Dan Simmons and Valerio Evangelisti.
“Sulphur” was recorded, mixed and mastered at The Cat’s Cage Recording Studio by Francesco Salvadeo.
The artwork and the cover have been created by Simone Strige of STRX Art.
Tracklist: 01. Maze Of Death 02. The Colour Out The Space 03. Evil Side Of Mercy 04. Deleted Error 05. Old Viral Order 06. Protoplasm Hope 07. Something Wicked This Way Comes 08. Blinded By Fear 09. Lurking Creepy Love
Spawned in 1999, INFECTION CODE began to weave its own breed of metal based out of Alessandria, northern Italy. The band initially grabbed elements from many industrial and metal bands like Godflesh, Neurosis, Red Harvest, Napalm Death and Melvins, yet their actual musical output never shared a similar sound to the aforementioned artists.
In recent years the band’s sound has started incorporating a rawer and more direct approach, paying tribute to the roots and showing more evident thrash and death metal influences, without however removing the industrial imprint.
Over the past twenty years, the band has toured multiple regions throughout Italy and Europe and kept busy recording. To date, INFECTION CODE have released 8 full-length albums which dragged them out from the depths of the underground and into the forefront of the Italian metal scene.
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
