After a series of epic, sprawling and headphones-friendly albums, Motorpsycho is back with a short, reasonably pop-formatted and intimate album of mainly acoustically based songs. The band has just recently announced their forthcoming album, entitled Yay!, for a release on June 16, 2023 via Stickman Records and in Scandinavia & UK through Motorpsycho‘s own label Det Nordenfjeldske Grammofonselskab. For once playing the game instead of trying to reinvent it, this 10-song album of tunes is clearly a reaction in some way to too much architecture and too many grand visions, and dials the music down to more comprehensive and digestible sizes than have been the band’s métier lately.
Motorpsycho have always been about the balance between hard and soft, electric and acoustic, big and small, light and shade … and now the time was right for a lighter touch to balance the scales. Yang to the Yin of earlier, more epic works (N.O.X., The Crucible, and Chariot Of The Gods), this is also an album that is relatively easy on the ears, and that actually works really well with a cup of tea at noon.
Yay! was produced by Reine Fiske and Lars Fredrik Swahn (Dungen, Melody’s Echo Chamber, The Amazing et al), and their production work brings a sweet Swedish psych edge to the album, giving it a lysergic tinge and charging what could easily have been a bit too ‘’backporchy” with an electric vibe that lifts it out of the often staid singer/songwriter genre, but still keeping the intimacy intact.
The album pre-sale and a first single release has been announced for May 5, 2023.
While as ever clearly drawing on inspiration from late 60s/early 70s heroes, Yay! is as indebted to earlier iterations of Motorpsycho as anything else, and will be recognizable to fans of vintage Motorpsychodelia as well as a breath of fresh air to newer Psychonauts that only ever heard the heavy progressive side of the band.
Keeping things unpredictable and weird since 1989, there is only one Motorpsycho. Yay!
The second single Vihasta tehty from the upcoming album by Finnish metal band KAKSONEN, exhibits the band’s more aggressive and faster side. Even though slowly reaching middle-age, the aggressiveness and intensity of the band’s early days can still be heard in Kaksonen’s expression. The song itself, turbocharger with thrash and punk influences, wrestles with the mental strain and weight passed from fathers to sons over generations.
Kaksonen was founded 2007 in Äänekoski Finland. On May that year the band played it’s first live show on a local battle of the bands. And as a winner of the contest they recorded their first EP. Main goal from the very beginning was to create really heavy music that would also have a life loving aspect and that would resonate to people from different backgrounds. Next six years Kaksonen played loads of furious shows and released four EPs and one full length album. After that the band split up as the members moved all around the nordic countries. Now after about 10 years the band has activated again and they are releasing the hardest and heaviest album so far!
For four decades, OVERKILL have been the trailblazers in producing some of the most signature moments in the world of metal. Today, the New Jersey Thrash legends bludgeon your ears with their twentieth studio album, entitled Scorched via Nuclear Blast Records.
In celebration of the release, the band offers the music video for the title track. Check out the explosive track that encompasses the 35-year history of burnin’ things. Watch “Scorched” here:
OVERKILL Bobby Blitz comments, “Here we go, let’s call it the triple threat… New Video, New Album. New Tour! Looking forward to seeing you all on the road. Now let’s get this thing rolling!”
Today, the band kick-offtheir“Killfest” European Tour 2023 with HEATHEN: APRIL 2023
14 – Zwolle – Hedon 15 – Osnabrück – Hyde Park 16 – Berlin – Huxleys 17 – München – Backstage 18 – Stuttgart – LKA 19 – Zürich – Komplex 21 – Parma – Campus Industry 22 – Fontaneto – Phenomenon Club 23 – Saarbrücken – Garage 24 – Wiesbaden – Schlachthof 25 – Vorselaar – De Dreef 26 – Paris – Trabendo 28 – Pamplona – Totem 29 – Barcelona – Razzmatazz 2
AUGUST 2023 13 – Alcatraz – Kortrijk BE
Scorched offered a new recording environment as all members were able to record on their own. The mixing of the record was handled by Colin Richardson and Chris Clancy. Johnny Rodd helped with producing vocals, and finally, Maor Appelbaum handled the mastering and adding finishing touches. The band returned to artist Travis Smith to create the album cover art.
OVERKILL are expanding their reach but don’t be fooled, the band will remain the filthy, massive gutter thrashers that we all know and love.
Below is the track listing for Scorched: 1. Scorched 2. Goin’ Home 3. The Surgeon 4. Twist OF The Wick 5. Wicked Place 6. Won’t Be Comin Back 7. Fever 8. Harder They Fall 9. Know Her Name 10. Bag O’ Bones
OVERKILL will be heading overseas this Spring for their “Killfest” European tour supporting the new album. The 14-day trek will kick off on April 13th and feature labelmates and Bay area legends HEATHEN. For the tour, OVERKILL will offer VIP tickets that include the opportunity to hang out with the band and take pictures. Only 20 VIP tickets will be available for each show.
The gentlemen of OVERKILL are: Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth – Vocals D.D. Verni – Bass Dave Linsk – Lead Guitar Derek Tailer – Rhythm Guitar Jason Bittner – Drums
Nuclear Blast is proud to announcethe signing ofmetal legends CAVALERA. Today, the band reveal they re-recorded SEPULTURA‘s first EP Bestial Devastation and first full-length album Morbid Visions.
Max Cavalera comments, “As we get harder year after year, sometimes you’ve got to go back to where it all started! We re-recorded Bestial Devastation and Morbid Visions with the amazing sound of NOW, but with its raw and timeless spirit. The artwork reflects the times we’re living in right now…. Apocalyptic as hell! We also have two new tracks with riffs from those days, remembered by heart.”
Iggor Cavalera states, “I always felt like the recordings of our earlier work didn’t do justice to the way we performed the songs. So, this is a very special moment in our lives that we are very proud to show you real fans our true representation of the amazing records Bestial Devastation & Morbid Visions with an insane visual identity…enjoy and see you all in the pit”
Morbid Visions and Bestial Devastation were re-recorded at The Platinum Underground. The albums were produced by Max Cavalera and Iggor Cavalera while John Aquilino handled the engineering. Arthur Rizk was responsible for the mixing and mastering of both albums. CAVALERA enlisted Eliran Kantor to create the artwork for both albums.
Below is the tracklisting for Morbid Visions: 1. Morbid Visions 2. Mayhem 3. Troops Of Doom 4. War 5. Crucifixion 6. Show Me The Wrath 7. Funeral Rites 8. Empire Of The Damned 9. Burn The Dead
Below is the tracklisting for Bestial Devastation: 1. The Curse 2. Bestial Devastation 3. Antichrist 4. Necromancer 5. Warriors Of Death 6. Sexta Feira 13
SABATON‘s last EP in the Echoes Of The Great War EP trilogy entitled Stories From The Western Front is now officially available on all platforms and features a never-heard-before cover of Motörhead’s well known track, ‘1916’.
In celebration of this final EP, the band has also unleashed a brand new music video for ‘1916’ filmed in Birmingham and at the famous Black Country Living Museum. The music video features an overload of historical characters from the SABATON lore, a headbanging metal army from Birmingham and even a cameo from the living members of Motörhead, Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell.
The Western Front was one of World War I’s main theatres of conflict. It stretched across more than 400 miles through France and Belgium from the Swiss border to the North Sea. It was a deadly place, and to put things into perspective, at least 4 million men died there, although the true figure can never be confirmed.
The Stories From The Western Front EP tells stories of those who fought and fell on the Western Front, a place where the trenches and the ceaseless shelling drove men to insanity. Often those who returned from this treacherous place did so with shell shock and chronic nightmares, PTSD or injuries that changed their lives forever.
“We are excited to release the last EP in the “Echoes Of The Great War” series as well as a new music video, which we had a blast filming in the UK. Our new EP tells the tales that came from the Western Front, a brutal and unforgiving theatre of war. The Battle of Verdun, which was the longest battle of the First World War, the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917 in Flanders, the Battle of the Somme… these are all things we should not forget. And through this EP – in fact, through this whole EP collection – our sole mission has been to immortalise these stories and ensure that these are at the forefront of everyone’s minds,” explains Pär Sundstrom.
“Speaking of the Battle of the Somme, this conflict resulted in a huge loss of human life – around 300,000 fatalities. It was one of the bloodiest and deadliest conflicts of WW1 – and in human history! This is what “1916” was written about and that’s why it was the missing puzzle piece of this EP,” Pär adds.
Meanwhile, Joakim Brodén shares more information of the band’s cover of Motörhead: “We believed that “1916” was the perfect fit for this EP, not only because it’s related to the First World War, but because we just love everything about the song. Lemmy was inspired to write this track after watching a documentary about the Battle of the Somme. The lyrics are emotionally charged and perfectly describe the experiences of all the young soldiers, most of whom were just kids essentially. A lyric that really moves me and hits home is: ‘We were food for the gun, and that’s what you are when you’re soldiers’. I can’t get that out of my head.”
“We think we did this song justice. It’s our tribute to one of the greatest bands in the world and a nod to those who fought in the First World War and made the ultimate sacrifice!” he notes.
With each EP in the Echoes Of The Great War trilogy, SABATON are releasing an exclusive digipak in limited numbers. They often sell out immediately, so if you want one for your collection, be quick!
Track list: 1. 1916 2. Great War 3. Hellfighters 4. The Price Of A Mile 5. Fields Of Verdun 6. Race To The Sea 7. Devil Dogs
About the Echoes Of The Great War EP trilogy The stories of World War I have always fascinated SABATON – two studio albums dedicated to this conflict are the proof. Originating from their all-consuming passion for history and heroism, the band has launched an EP trilogy entitled Echoes Of The Great War featuring new songs specifically about World War I, coupled with topically related catalogue music.
SABATON intend to present this music to their fans in a different way: With this WWI collection, you will be able to familiarise yourself with these incredible war stories, while simultaneously quenching your thirst for metal.
The Tour To End All Tours 2023 presented by Cobra Agency
14.04. UK Leeds – First Direct Arena 15.04 UK London – OVO Arena Wembley 16.04. UK Cardiff – Motorpoint Arena 18.04. UK Glasgow – OVO Hydro 21.04. FR Paris – Zenith 22.04. DE Frankfurt – Festhalle 24.04. DE Hamburg – Barclays Arena 25.04. LU Esch / Alzette – Rockhal 28.04. SE Stockholm – Avicii Arena 29.04. NO Oslo – Spektrum 30.04. DK Copenhagen – Royal Arena 02.05. DE Hannover – ZAG Arena 03.05. NL Amsterdam – Ziggo Dome 05.05. DE Berlin – Mercedes Benz Arena 06.05. DE Leipzig – Quarterback Immobilien Arena 07.05. AT Vienna – Stadthalle 09.05. PL Lodz – Atlas Arena 10.05. CZ Ostrava – Arena Ostrava 12.05. DE Cologne – Lanxess Arena 13.05. BE Antwerp – Sportpaleis 15.05. DE Munich – Olympiahalle 18.05. EE Tallinn – Saku Arena 19.05. FI Helsinki – Ice Hall 20.05. FI Kuopio – Kuopio Hall
SABATON climbed the international charts with their album The War To End All Wars, securing #1 positions in Germany, Austria, Sweden, Poland, Hungary and Finland. Having achieved the top position for the second time in Germany, Sweden and Finland, the album peaked at #1 in Poland, Hungary and Austria for the first time in the band’s career. This and additional outstanding results in other territories have made The War To End All Wars SABATON’S most successful album so far.
Standing unshaken and waving the flag of a new generation of modern metal, alternative and punk, Hungary’s hottest heavy outfit, THE HELLFREAKS, drop their fourth single and title track “PBSS”. Covered in ominous dusk, vocalist Zsuzsa “Shakey Sue“ Radnóti dances in a pit with her memories while her aggressive screams and raspy clean vocals smash every doubt against the walls! Highly-energetic drums evolve as the new track blends nostalgic post-hardcore and punk elements with modern electronic metal and rock. “PBSS” is followed by a relentless and thrilling official music video, showing no weaknesses and moving straight forward to the goal.
THE HELLFREAKS finally drop the veil on their eagerly anticipated new studio record, Pitch Black Sunset, out today via Napalm Records! Founded in 2009, Hungary’s most exciting upstarts emerged with a marvelous discography and their massive psychobilly-punk hit, “Boogie Man”, which has gathered over six million views on YouTube and lines right up with their new release.
THE HELLFREAKS state on “PBSS”: “Today we also reveal the video for the abbreviated title track: “PBSS”, which covers the most meaningful opposites: LIFE AND DEATH. The song is about thanatophobia, the fear of the death of a loved one and the common sense of impending doom. It is a longing for escape from the hardships of life, a plea to the heavens above for inner strength, but at the same a battle cry not to let this fear reign supreme. “PBSS” is about the natural circle of life and mortality, something no one can avoid and all of us have to go through it in the end.”
THE HELLFREAKS on their album release Pitch Black Sunset: “There is no way to express our excitement about the release of our brand new album and Napalm Records debut: PITCH BLACK SUNSET! Not only are we proud to start this new chapter in THE HELLFREAKS history, but it’s also our most introspective long-player to date. It’s a personal walkthrough about the best and worst parts in all of us – the past and the future, peace and chaos, hope and despair and everything in between. This time we pushed the pedal to the metal without mercy, and this record feels like a car ride straight off a cliff into a bottomless canyon. Only this time we survive …”
Kicking off with Radnóti’s trademark sing-along-screams, “Old Tomorrows” raises the pulse with fast-paced punk mixed with groovy metal beats. THE HELLFREAKS stay true to themselves yet never become stagnant or pretentious – as tracks like “Weeping Willow” are driven by more modern metal interpretations and electronic interludes. With its fragile clean vocals and the eerie sounds of the guitar’s strings, the atmosphere of the song changes throughout before taking an unexpected turn into a hard-hitting core-hymn. Like the story of Jekyll and Hyde, the upstarts unveil their angry side on “Hit Me Where It Hurts”, led by electronic rock as distorted, rhythmic guitar lines set the pace with catchy metalcore beats. Followed by the restless track “Chaos”, boisterous thrash lines meet pop-punk-infused metal before closing with a Tom Morello-worthy solo. “Body Bag” offers a total contrast – surfacing like a message in a bottle with its in-your-face, straight forward 2000s skate punk vibe that fans of the genre have always wished for. THE HELLFREAKS showcase the individual musical expertise of its members when chunky riffs merge with strong beats and highly aggressive shouts, while bittersweet vocal lines call out for a feelgood song.
Pitch Black Sunset Tracklisting:
Sunrise
Old Tomorrows
Hit Me Where It Hurts
Chaos
Weeping Willow
Body Bag
Rootless Soul Riot
PBSS
Sunset
With almost a decade of existence, THE HELLFREAKS embrace the influence of modern metal, alternative, post-hardcore and punk to form their unmatched sound. Performing in almost every European country and gaining more awareness via their American tour in 2015, the well-experienced band from Budapest proves with their fifth album, Pitch Black Sunset, that they are more than ready to kickstart their next chapter!
THE HELLFREAKS live in 2023:
Pitch Black Sunset Tour 2023 19.05.23 CZ – Prague / Klub 007 Strahov 20.05.23 GER – Visbek / Visbek Rockt Open Air 2023 21.05.23 GER – Hanover / Béi Chéz Heinz 22.05.23 GER – Hamburg / Logo Hamburg 23.05.23 GER – Berlin / Wild At Heart 24.05.23 GER – Cologne / MTC Cologne
06.07.23 GER – Zwickau / Stoerfaktor Festival 21.10.23 CZ – Ostrava / Alternova Festival 27.10.23 HU – Budapest / Duerer Kert
THE HELLFREAKS are: Zsuzsa “Shakey Sue“ Radnóti – Vocals József “Jozzy“ Takács – Guitar Gabi Domján – Bass Béla Budai – 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
