On 26 May, “Götterspiel: Dunkle Zeiten”, the new album by German RPG melodic death metallers BOSPARANS FALL, will be released. From the concept album, which is set in the universe of the role-playing game “Das Schwarze Auge” and which contains 10 songs of great melodic death/extreme metal, a first song, “Kampf um Norbeneck”, is now available as a lyric video on the MDD YouTube channel!
“Götterspiel: Dunkle Zeiten” will be released as a CD in jewelcase and as a limited DigiPak with alternative artwork in a premium aluminium box, which contains a patch and a puzzle map as well as a game/collector figure of the antagonist Xardas in tabletop scale 28mm. The box and the CD are now available for pre-order from the band and the label. The complete Tracklist of the album you can find below. Be prepared!
Connecticut, US melodic death / doom band FIRES IN THE DISTANCE are today premiering a new single and music video, titled Crumbling Pillars of a Tranquil Mind, via Invisible Oranges. Crumbling Pillars of a Tranquil Mind is the final pre-release track to be taken from their forthcoming sophomore album, Air Not Meant For Us, which is set for release via Prosthetic Records on Friday (April 28).
Speaking on the premiere the band comments: “Crumbling Pillars of a Tranquil Mind is one of the heaviest songs from Air Not Meant For Us. A slow, crushing, and heartfelt dive, detailing the devastating processes of complete mental collapse. The song highlights Randy Slaugh’s (Tesseract, Devin Townsend, Periphery) orchestral contributions and brings forward deeply emotional passages through melancholy and melodic string sections.”
On their second album, FIRES IN THE DISTANCE further expand on their musical foundations of wistful melodicism, crushingly heavy guitar work and intricate atmospherics. Across Air Not Meant For Us’ six tracks, FIRES IN THE DISTANCE tie together intensely personal ruminations on mental health and themes of existentialism in the form of mortality salience, without losing sight of the importance of perseverance.
Teaming up with Salt Lake City producer Randy Slaugh, FIRES IN THE DISTANCE’s chief songwriter Yegor Savonin (composition, guitars, programming, lyrics) sought to reach even greater dynamics within the band’s core sound of melodic death and doom metal. With live orchestration in the form of violas, violins, cellos, as well as piano work, proving to be an incredibly fruitful collaborative process for both band and producer.
Air Not Meant For Us marks the first time the band have recorded with new drummer, Jordan Rippe, who delivers his own wide range of ornate work and feeling to the group’s established sound. Whilst drums for the album were recorded at the historic Power Station New England, the rest of the instruments were tracked at Studio Wormwood in North Carolina with returning producer, Dave Kaminsky, who handled recording and mixing in both studios.
In addition to the collaboration with Randy Slaugh, the album also features a guest appearance from Burial in the Sky guitarist James Tomedi on instrumental track Adrift, Beneath the Listless Waves, who’s deft fretwork adds an additional layer of dynamic sheen.
Kristian Grimaldi’s thunderous vocal delivery compliments the album’s composition strongly and projects the songs to a greater level of formidability. The record is rounded out by Craig Breitsprecher’s complex and serpentine bass work which weave throughout the LP with an imperative sense of cohesion.
Seeking to retain aesthetic continuity, FIRES IN THE DISTANCE once again reached out to Caelan Stokkermans for the album’s art and layout, which masterfully conveys Air Not Meant For Us’ emotional core. With a runtime of 51 minutes across six songs, FIRES IN THE DISTANCE’s sophomore effort is a melodic doom and death metal odyssey in both artistic vision and sound.
Air Not Meant For Us tracklist: 1. Harbingers 2. Wisdom of the Falling Leaves 3. Crumbling Pillars of a Tranquil Mind 4. Adrift, Beneath the Listless Waves 5. Psalm of the Merciless 6. Idiopathic Despair
FIRES IN THE DISTANCE is: Yegor Savonin – composition, guitars, programming, lyrics Craig Breitsprecher – bass, vocals Kristian Grimaldi – guitars, vocals Jordan Rippe – drums
MESSIAHVORE have released their huge new single ‘Hopes Of The Living Dead’, the band’s new album ‘Transverse’ is coming on 2nd June via Iron Head Records.
Get ready for the heavy grooves and head-bobbing riffs of Messiahvore‘s upcoming album, ‘Transverse.’ The Denver metal band draws inspiration from 90s icons like Helmet and Prong, while also incorporating elements of stoner metal, death metal, and even doom at times. The result is a unique sound that is both heavy and diverse.
The journey through ‘Transverse‘ is an intense one, with punishing vocals and stoney harmonies laden with distortion and spacey echoes. The lyrics explore dark themes of introspection, murder, and robots, making for a truly immersive listening experience.
Messiahvore has enhanced their sound with the addition of baritone guitarist Kevin Disney‘s vocal talents, alongside the band’s vocalist Bart McCrorey. This has allowed the band to create an even fuller and more dynamic sound that is sure to impress fans old and new.
The album’s first single, “Hopes of the Living Dead,” is already making waves in the metal community, garnering positive feedback from critics and fans alike. It’s a powerful track that sets the tone for what is sure to be one of the most exciting metal albums of the year.
‘Transverse‘ is set to be released on June 2nd via Iron Head Records, and fans of heavy, dense grooves won’t want to miss it. Get ready to take a journey through the dark and intense world of Messiahvore and come out the other side with a newfound appreciation for their unique sound.
Orange County’s BLEED THE SKY release new single “Soul Collapse” to all major platforms along with the visualizer.
“‘Soul Collapse’ is about being at odds with what you want to do and what you have to do. The persistent voice in your head stemming from the decisions that take you away from where you want to be in life. The natural connections, bonds and comforts we develop on that path become anchors to a life we cherish, but are antithetical to what we really want, but can’t bring ourselves to sacrifice,” says Monte Barnard.
Hailing from the musical breeding grounds of Orange County, CA, metalcore band Bleed the Sky began in 2003 with vocalist Noah Robinson, guitarists Kyle Moorman and Wayne Miller, bassist Casey Kulek, sampler Luke Andersen and drummer Austin D’Amond. Merely two months later and ready to dive into the music scene, the group performed their first show to a sold out crowd in an opening spot for Opeth and their second headlining the world famous Whisky A Go Go.
Early the following year their first EP, Bleed the Sky, was produced by Ben Schigel, known for his work engineering and mixing great music with groups such as Ringworm, Chimaira, and Walls of Jericho. The band sold over 1,000 copies on their own before signing a deal with Nuclear Blast Records in the fall of 2004. Their April of 2005 debut for the label, Paradigm in Entropy (2005), featured a futuristic, industrial, and melody-infused take on nu-metal’s dissonant riffs and aggressive vocals.
The album cemented the band as a forerunner in the New Wave of American Heavy Metal movement of the mid 2000’s and allowed for many opportunities and shows, including a consistent rotation on MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball. Their major success allowed them to tour with the likes of Hatebreed, Soulfly, Napalm Death, Red Chord, Agnostic Front, Disturbed, Diecast, and ILL Nino, only further promoting their albums and musical talent over the years.
Following the release of two well received albums with Nuclear Blast Records, Paradigm in Entropy (2005), and Murder the Dance (2008), they once again aimed to redefine who they are with a new label, Art Is War Records. The releases of This Way Lies Madness (2020) and the single “The Devil Will See You Now” (2020) started to gain the band massive online attention with the single reaching over a million streams on Spotify.
Not letting the pandemic keep them down for long, Bleed the Sky has returned with the same intensity that fans of their previous albums will be familiar with, as well as a new brutality that they are excited to share with the metal community. In 2022, Monte Barnard joined the group as the new frontman and was eager to bring his talent and experience to an already versatile group.
Getting his start in Northern California’s Death Metal scene, Monte Barnard joined Alterbeast in 2014 and continued his work touring and filling in on vocals with such bands as Thy Art Is Murder, The Kennedy Veil, and Fallujah. He still also fronts Emberthrone on Seek & Strike Records, as well as Lesser Animal.
Armed with a new vocalist and the release of a new single, “The Parasite” featuring guest vocalist Mark Hunter from Chimaira, they are set to make a mark once more in the music world and enthrall the masses with vigor.
The group is currently composed of Monte Barnard on Vocals, Kevin Garcia on Guitar, Wayne Miller on Guitar, David Culbert on Bass and Austin D’Amond on Drums.
Norwegian Jazz trio, BUSHMAN’S REVENGE, whose music mixes the energy of Rock with the freedom of Jazz in a way that is exciting and exhilarating, have inked a deal with Is it Jazz? Records for the release of their eleventh full-length album.
Formed in 2003, BUSHMAN’S REVENGE’s lineup of Even Helte Hermansen on Guitar, Rune Nergaard on Bass, and Gard Nilssen on Drums, have had two decades in which to explore different paths and sounds, and, in doing so, they have succeeded in creating a genre all of their own.
With 10 critically acclaimed albums under their belts, and over 300 live appearances throughout the world, BUSHMAN’S REVENGE have earned a fearsome reputation, with Jazzwise commenting that they are “Insanely good! As if Jeff Beck was backed by Elvin Jones“, whilst David Fricke of Rolling Stone said that they were “Like a Marshall amp version of John Coltrane’s “Interstellar Space“
In addition to the new album, this year also marks their 20th anniversary as a band, and having been described as one of the most exciting live bands out there, well known for their explosive energy and telepathic interplay, fans can expect a lot of celebrating on the part of BUSHMAN’S REVENGE in the coming months!
BUSHMAN’S REVENGE’s new album will be titled “All The Better For Seeing You”, and full details regarding its release will be revealed shortly.
More information about BUSHMAN’S REVENGE can be found on Facebook at this location.
A video of BUSHMAN’S REVENGE’s appearance at 2022’s Cologne Jazzweek can be seen below.
Progressive music icon CYNIC will be embarking on an extensive North American co-headlining tour with ATHEIST! The trek will launch on June 10 in Austin, TX and will conclude on July 9 in Greensboro, NC. The full run of dates can be found below and tickets will go on sale Friday, April 28!
CYNIC be celebrating the 30th anniversary of ‘Focus’ by performing the seminal album in its entirety while also paying homage to late members Sean Reinert and Sean Malone.
Later in the year, CYNIC will then perform at the illustrious ProgPower USA festival on September 6 in Atlanta, GA!
The new live lineup will feature Paul Masvidal on vocals and guitars, Max Phelps (Exist, Death to All) on additional guitars and vocals, Brandon Giffin (The Faceless, The Zenith Passage) on bass, Matt Lynch (Nova Collective, Intronaut) on drums & percussion, and Zeke Kaplan on the keyboard! Lynch has been drumming with CYNIC since 2015 & appeared on the band’s latest full-length, ‘Ascension Codes,’ as well as the 2018 single “Humanoid.” Additionally, Phelps, having also appeared on ‘Ascension Codes,’ and Giffin have previously toured with CYNIC during the band’s ‘Carbon Based Anatomy’ and ‘Kindly Bent to Free Us’ tours.
CYNIC founding member Paul Masvidal comments, “Come join us for a night of Cynic/Atheist magic! We’ll be celebrating our lifelong journey together with a night of progressive music and timeless memories. Don’t miss it!”
ATHEIST‘s Kelly Schaefer adds, “This has been something that Paul (Cynic) and I have been talking about in some capacity since we were in our early 20s. It’s surreal to share a 30 year milestone together, and this tour will showcase for us a chance to play songs from our first 3 records as a special trilogy anniversary set, including songs not performed live in decades. Two titans of technical progressive metal coming together for a unicorn of a tour….one you will not want to miss!”
Tour sponsor Simon of Pull the Plug Patches comments, “Pull The Plug Patches have been longtime fans since the early 1990s, and both Atheist and Cynic are two of our absolute favorite bands. It’s an honour to be able to be the presenting sponsor on such a landmark tour for two of the godfathers of Progressive Death Metal. I remember picking up ‘Unquestionable Presence’ right around the time of release, blew me away and is to this day one of my favorite albums. And for Cynic my first introduction was the At Death’s Door II’ sampler that Roadrunner released. I bought Focus the day it came out and again, one of my all time favorite records.”
CYNIC + ATHEIST Pull the Plug Patches Presents the Focus and Presence Tour North American Co-Headliner: 6/10: Austin, TX @ Come and Take it Live 6/11: Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater 6/12: Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad 6/13: Mesa, AZ @ Nile Theater 6/14: San Diego, CA @ Brick by Brick 6/16: Las Vegas, NV @ Backstage Bar 6/17: Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom 6/19: Portland, OR @ Bossanova Ballroom 6/20: Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theater 6/21: Seattle, WA @ El Corazon 6/23: Salt Lake City, UT @ Soundwell 6/24: Denver, CO @ Oriental Theater 6/25: Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck 6/26: Milwaukee WI @ X-Ray Arcade 6/27: Chicago, IL @ Reggies 6/29: Ft. Wayne, IN @ Piere’s 6/30: Detroit, MI @ The Sanctuary 7/01: Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace 7/02: Quebec City, QC @ La Source de la Martinière 7/03: Montreal, QC @ Fairmount Theater 7/05: Boston, MA @ Middle-East Downstairs 7/06: New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge 7/07: Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage 7/08: Richmond, VA @ Canal Club 7/09: Greensboro, NC @ Hangar 1819 9/06: Atlanta, GA @ ProgPower USA [TICKETS]* *festival date, Cynic only
CYNIC‘s latest release Ascension Codes is a remarkably far-reaching work, and if nothing else, a clear indication that they have landed in a place of mastery. The album, paradoxically, acts as both swan song and rebirth.
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
