Seven long years since their latest studio album, “Ascending Hate“, dark and extreme metal force GRAVEWORM strikes back with a brand new song!
“Dead Words is the first song we did after the release of our latest album“, vocalist Stefano Fiori comments. “Mid-tempo riffing with a new drummer and a new killer sound. This song will definitely be a fix part of our upcoming live set, prepare your neck!”
Watch the new GRAVEWORM lyric video for “Dead Words” here:
Formed in 1997, with nine studio records and countless tours with bands such as Kataklysm, Vader and Destruction to name just a few, GRAVEWORM belongs to one of the most influential acts the dark and extreme metal scene has to offer. “Dead Words” delivers the grinding intensity the Italian band is known and loved for, and already marks an exciting harbinger of a new album to come in the Spring of 2023 on AFM Records!
JUNE 1974 Project, led by Federico Romano, has released a video trailer for their “Please Destroy Me” album, out on 3rd January 2023 by Visionaire Records. Stream the trailer video below.
Tracklist and guests:
“The World Destroyer” feat. Rick Rozz (Death) “Incognito” feat. Steve Smyth (Forbidden/Testament/Nevermore) “Abstract” feat. Danny White (Mordred) “Omero” feat. Tommy Talamanca (Sadist) “Rhapsody” feat. Dave Young (The Devin Townsend Project) “Valhalla” feat. Lust Kilman (God Seed/Gaahls Wyrd) “Mind Assassin’s Eyes” feat. Francesco Montesanti (Antropofagus) “Epitaph” feat. Terrance Hobbs (Suffocation) “Theorema” feat. Bobby Koelble (Death) “Wanderlust” feat. Christian Vidal (Therion) “Stargazer” feat. Patrick Mameli (Pestilence) “The Claw Of The Iron Mask” feat. Richard Shaw (Cradle Of Filth)
KANSAS, America’s legendary progressive rock band, will celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2023. To commemorate this landmark occasion, current label InsideOutMusic are pleased to announce Another Fork In The Road – 50 Years Of Kansas for release on the 9th December 2022 in Europe & 16th December 2022 in North America. A career-spanning collection, it features carefully-selected tracks from across the bands sizable discography, as well as a new version of ‘Can I Tell You’. Originally recorded and released on their 1974 debut, the song is updated by the current line-up. It provides a full-circle perspective on the band’s long and continuing history that has seen them release 16 studio albums and sell in excess of 30 million albums worldwide.
Today you can also now listen to the brand new version of ‘Can I Tell You’ on streaming services. Listen now here:
“The song ‘Can I Tell You’ may not have been our biggest ‘hit,’ but it is one of the most important songs in the career of the band KANSAS.” says original member and guitarist Richard Williams. “‘Can I Tell You’ was the first song on the demo reel we sent to Don Kirshner. Hearing that demo is what led to KANSAS getting a record deal. It felt appropriate, after fifty years, to come full circle and record it with the current lineup.”
Phil Ehart comments: “We are really honored by the commitment that InsideOut Music has put into ‘Another Fork in the Road.’ This is far more than just another greatest hits album. ‘Another Fork in the Road’ is an in-depth representation of the evolving and winding musical journey of the band KANSAS that’s been 50 years in the making.”
Another Fork In The Road – 50 Years Of Kansas arrives as a 3CD Digipak collection, including extensive liner notes by journalist Jeff Wagner, as well as pictures of rarely-seen memorabilia and archive material, all overseen by founding member Phil Ehart. Pre-order now here: https://kansas.lnk.to/AnotherForkInTheRoad-50YearsOfKansas
The full track-listing is below. Please note, due to licensing restrictions there are minor differences between the European & North American release.
Disc 1:
Can I Tell You (new 2022 version)
The Absence of Presence (The Absence of Presence, 2020)
Throwing Mountains (The Absence of Presence, 2020)
Crowded Isolation (The Prelude Implicit, 2016)
Summer (The Prelude Implicit, 2016)
The Voyage of Eight Eighteen (The Prelude Implicit, 2016)
Icarus II (Somewhere to Elsewhere, 2000)
The Coming Dawn (Thanatopsis) (Somewhere to Elsewhere, 2000)
Distant Vision (Somewhere to Elsewhere, 2000)
The Wall (Always Never the Same, 1998)
Dust in the Wind (Always Never the Same, 1998)
Desperate Times (Freaks of Nature, 1995)
Under The Knife (Freaks of Nature, 1995)
North America Version – Disc 2:
Fight Fire With Fire (Drastic Measures, 1983)
End of the Age (Drastic Measures, 1983)
Incident on a Bridge (Drastic Measures, 1983)
Play the Game Tonight (Vinyl Confessions, 1982)
Crossfire (Vinyl Confessions, 1982)
Windows (Vinyl Confessions, 1982)
Hold On (Audio-Visions, 1980)
Loner (Audio-Visions, 1980)
Curtain of Iron (Audio-Visions, 1980)
No One Together (Audio-Visions, 1980)
On The Other Side (Monolith, 1979)
Angels Have Fallen (Monolith, 1979)
How My Soul Cries Out For You (Monolith, 1979)
EU Version Disc 2:
House on Fire (In the Spirit of Things, 1988)
Rainmaker (In the Spirit of Things, 1988)
Silhouettes in Disguise (Power, 1986)
Secret Service (Power, 1986)
Three Pretenders (Power, 1986)
End of the Age (Drastic Measures, 1983)
Incident on a Bridge (Drastic Measures, 1983)
Play the Game Tonight (Vinyl Confessions, 1982)
Crossfire (Vinyl Confessions, 1982)
Windows (Vinyl Confessions, 1982)
Hold On (Audio-Visions, 1980)
Loner (Audio-Visions, 1980)
No One Together (Audio-Visions, 1980)
On The Other Side (Monolith, 1979)
How My Soul Cries Out For You (Monolith, 1979)
Disc 3:
Carry On Wayward Son (Two for the Show, 1978)
Portrait (He Knew) (Point of Know Return, 1977)
Sparks of the Tempest (Point of Know Return, 1977)
Miracles Out of Nowhere (Leftoverture, 1976)
Magnum Opus (Leftoverture, 1976)
Icarus – Borne On Wings of Steel (Masque, 1975)
Child of Innocence (Mas que, 1975)
Down The Road (Song for America, 1975)
Song For America (Song for America, 1975)
The Devil Game (Song for America, 1975)
Death of Mother Nature Suite (Kansas, 1974)
Belexes (Kansas, 1974)
Journey From Mariabronn (Kansas, 1974)
Kansas will celebrate their 50th anniversary with extensive touring in North America in 2023. The band is currently comprised of original drummer Phil Ehart, bassist/vocalist Billy Greer, vocalist/keyboardist Ronnie Platt, violinist/guitarist David Ragsdale, keyboardist/vocalist Tom Brislin, and original guitarist Richard Williams.
With a legendary career spanning five decades, KANSAS has firmly established itself as one of America’s iconic classic rock bands. This “garage band” from Topeka released their debut album in 1974 after being discovered by Wally Gold, who worked for Don Kirshner, and have gone on to sell more than 30 million albums worldwide.
Composing a catalogue that includes sixteen studio albums and five live albums, KANSAS has produced eight gold albums, three sextuple-Platinum albums (Leftoverture, Point of Know Return, Best of KANSAS), one platinum live album (Two for the Show), one quadruple-Platinum single ‘Carry On Wayward Son,’ and another triple-Platinum single ‘Dust in the Wind.’ KANSAS appeared on the Billboard charts for over 200 weeks throughout the ‘70’s and ‘80’s and played to sold-out arenas and stadiums throughout North America, Europe and Japan. ‘Carry On Wayward Son’ continues to be one of the top five most played songs on classic rock radio, and ‘Dust In the Wind’ has been played on the radio more than three million times!
The summer of 2020 marked the release of The Absence of Presence, KANSAS’s sixteenth studio album, which debuted at #10 on Billboard’s Top Current Albums chart. The wide-ranging progressive rock album, released by InsideOut Music, follows-up 2016’s The Prelude Implicit, which debuted at #14 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart.
Following their much-acclaimed debut album, Ban The Light ( released in 2019 on AFM Records ), Swedish hard rock act DEAF RAT has released a video clip for a live version of “Tying You Down – Live At Dalhalla”. In 2020, the band was invited to join heavy metal icons JUDAS PRIEST for this show. Finally after being postponed for two years, the bands got to share the stage at the magnificent and world famous outdoor arena Dalhalla, Sweden, in 2022.
DEAF RAT was born for the stage, and this video perfectly showcases the band’s incredible live energy and high-voltage performance. You can now watch the new clip by DEAF RAT here:
“The stage is the number one place to be for Deaf Rat,” vocalist Frankie Ritch comments. “This is where we get to connect with the audience and really come to life. Anything and everything can and will happen, and no night is like the other. Tying You Down LIVE gives you a taste of what a night with Deaf Rat on stage will be like.”
DEAF RAT hails from Dalarna in Sweden, a small region with long traditions of mining, steel industry, music and a healthy dose of DIY attitude. The broad sound of DEAF RAT is built on a strong foundation of classic 70s, 80s and 90s rock packed with influences of the band members different personal favourites. With their massive guitar riffs and strong melodies, this is the band that fills up the cracks in the ageing concrete between old school and modern hard rock.
The album Ban The Light was released with great reviews from all over the world. Metal Temple recommends “if you are a fan of eccentric and eclectic Hard Rock acts, DEAF RAT must find its place on your watch list for the years to come”, Sonic Perspectives lauded “Deaf Rat puts forth some quality hard rock”, while GBHBL featured the album as “an overly strong rock effort from these Swedish up and comers”!
The stories on the album were inspired by yesterday’s and tomorrow’s evening news where politics and religion are used to justify horrible acts. The album tells the story of people stuck in a world where free will is taken away slowly step by step without anyone noticing. The album was produced by Erik Berglund and is the soundtrack of a dark and grainy dystopia a should-have-been-made movie directed by the Devil with a cast of thoroughly bad men and evil women. Basic tracks were recorded live in the band’s own Ballroom Studios in Falun to capture as much as possible of the band’s on-stage energy. To purchase your copy of this must-have hard and heavy rock record, visit the AFM Records store at THIS LOCATION!
Since the release of Ban The Light, DEAF RAT has released three powerful video singles; Within The Dead Souls, Take Me To Church and the bands own version of MADONNA’s super hit Like A Prayer.
Having released the masterful ‘The Affair of the Poisons’ in 2020 on Peaceville Records, James McBain and his electrifying brand of blackened thrash fast propelled HELLRIPPER to the forefront of the UK metal scene – now get ready for ‘Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags’ – Hellripper’s third studio album, due for release on 17 February.
‘Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags’ establishes a new threshold of excellence and raises the bar further over ‘The Affair of the Poisons’, with an opus standing at the crossroads between the sound that Hellripper has become known for and a whirlwind of different influences up until now yet to be explored, resulting in James McBain’s most personal and diverse work to date. With a greatly expanded scope to the tracks, incorporating more epic and melodic blackened anthems alongside the high-speed metal attack and blistering solos, ‘Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags’ marks a new high point for the band.
Inspired by the landscapes and legends of the Scottish Highlands, McBain explores the darker side of Scottish history & folklore – the title itself taken from a line in the Robert Burns poem, ‘Address to the Deil’ – as well as including references to clan culture (including his own) throughout the album. Setting the scene with the release of their first single (available on all streaming platforms now) and accompanying lyric video, created by Matthew Vickerstaff, for “The Nuckelavee” – McBain comments “I wanted “The Nuckelavee” to be the first track released as it’s not only the album opener, but it is the song that I think best represents the overall sound and vibe of the record. It’s speed metal at its core but with a few twists. Lyrically, “The Nuckelavee” is based on the Orcadian tale of the eponymous creature – a grotesque and skinless horse-like demon that brings plague and death wherever it travels”
The theme is continued with, for example, the track, ‘The Cursed Carrion Crown’, being based on the legend of ‘Sawney Bean’ and the Bean Clan (a spelling variation of “McBain”) and tells the story of a family of cannibals that lived in a cave and committed various gruesome acts.
As always, the writing and recording process was carried out by James McBain himself, with a few guests offering contributions in the form of additional vocals and instrumental parts. With recording taking place between March 2021 and June 2022, the album was also mixed by McBain, and mastered by Damian Herring at Subterranean Watchtower Studios.
Warlocks Grim & Withered Hagswill be released on 17 February on CD, LP, limited edition green coloured vinyl LP via the band store, limited edition gold coloured vinyl LP, cassette and digitally and is available to pre-order here.
Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags tracklisting
The Nuckelavee [05:47]
I, the Deceiver [04:57]
Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags [07:15]
Goat Vomit Nightmare [03:15]
The Cursed Carrion Crown [05:48]
The Hissing Marshes [03:50]
Poison Womb (The Curse of the Witch) [03:42]
Mester Stoor Worm [08:33]
Hellripper will be supporting the release of their new album with live shows & festivals throughout 2023 – so far they have confirmed the following with more to be announced
11 February – The Flying Duck – Glasgow, Scotland (UK) 11 March – Welcome to Hell Fest – Eindhoven, Netherlands (EU) 30 June – Pitfest 2023 – Emmen, Netherlands (EU) 5 July – Obscene Extreme Festival 2023 – Trutnov, Czech Republic (EU 27 July – Goldgrube – Kassel, Germany (EU) 28 – 29 July- Burning Q Festival 2023 – Osterholz-Scharmbeck, Germany (EU) 21 October – Derby Alt Fest 2023 – Derby, England (UK)
Iowa City, IA’s DRYAD have today shared their new single, Pompeii Worm, and an accompanying visualizer. Pompeii Worm is the third and final pre-release track to be taken from DRYAD’s forthcoming debut album, The Abyssal Plain, due out via Prosthetic Records on January 20. The track is an allegorical tale of the alvinella pompejana species of deep sea worms survival methods within it’s hostile climate and that of human persistence.
Speaking on the single, DRYAD comments: “With our third single from The Abyssal Plain, we dive even further into the murky depths of both the ocean and the mind. Pompeii Worm is a sordid tale of extremophile beings surviving, and even thriving, in a place where no life should be able to exist. It’s an incisive allegory of persistence and intention in a dark ocean of hopelessness and melancholy.
“The worm itself survives on the precipice of the hydrothermal vents in the deepest fathoms of the ocean, being constantly boiled alive – yet it has evolved to remain not only unscathed, but nurtured by the torrid waters themselves. An inexplicable sign of life in the vast and hellish gloom – a miraculous creature of the stygian depths, too weird to live and too rare to die.”
DRYAD‘s take on black metal is as abrasive and primeval as you would hope from a band that draws their biggest lyrical influences from the furthest reaches of the ocean floor, far from even the weakest tendrils of sunlight. Their stygian take on the genre is chaotic and suitably lo-fi, but on The Abyssal Plain, the oppressive cacophony is punctuated with synth-heavy interludes heavily inspired by 80s horror movie soundtracks (think John Carpenter and Dario Argento).
The activity of the intricate ecosystems 10,000 feet below the surface of the ocean provides an abundance of material for lyrical horror stories of near-unbelievable monsters and mind-bending geological features, but DRYAD are keen to stress the environmental message woven throughout their music (the band itself is named after the mythological spirit and protector of the forests). Ocean environments are continuously being polluted and exploited for supposed human gain, and the despair and fury this elicits is palpable in the visceral sound of the band.
The real-life horrors that lurk on the deepest parts of the seafloor also serve as a metaphor for the tenebrose depths of depression and psychological struggle, reflecting a place where it is impossible for light to penetrate. And yet, even in those deepest, darkest depths, incredible creatures not only exist, but thrive – some even creating their own light – in seemingly the most inhospitable of environments. So, whilst this album is very much about the depths of the ocean and the alien creatures of the abyssal plains that lie at the bottom of our seemingly mundane Earth, it is also about feeling alone in the darkness and still creating your own light. Being able to manufacture hope in a seemingly hopeless place – both for oneself and for the future of the planet.
The Abyssal Plain was recorded in the band’s home state of Iowa by Luke Tweedy, mixed and produced by Jaxon Vesely, and co-produced by DRYAD’s Claire Nunez, before being mastered by Adam Tucker at Signaturetone. On their debut album, DRYAD have crafted a syntheses of sound – forged from foundations that are part horror story, part rallying cry.
The Abyssal Plain tracklist:
1. Counterillumination 2. Bottomfeeder 3. Brine Pool Abberation 4. Trenches 5. Loki’s Castle 6. Hadal 7. Pompeii Worm 8. Chimera Monstrosa 9. Abyssal Plain 10. Black Smoke 11. Raptures of the Deep 12. Eutrification 13. A Nagging Thought
DRYAD is: Claire Nunez – Vocals, Guitar, Synths Grimmtooth – Vocals, Guitar Joe Milik – Bass Oliver Weilein – 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
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 