Finland’s multi-Platinum cello-rockers APOCALYPTICA have issued the following:
The video for our new song “I’ll Get Through It” is finally here! It was so awesome to get to collaborate on this song with our friend and touring singer Franky Perez and legendary bassist Geezer Butler. It was quite a challenge to make this happen but seeing the final result is really amazing! Thanks to William and everyone involved!
Otherwise – we are super stoked to be hitting the road with Lacuna Coil today! Which of these dates will we be seeing you at?
April 07 — Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade April 08 — Orlando, FL @ The Plaza Live April 10 — Houston, TX @ House of Blues April 11 — Dallas, TX @ House of Blues April 12 — Austin, TX @ Emo’s April 14 — Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater April 15 — Phoenix, AZ @ Van Buren April 16 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco April 17 — San Francisco, CA @ The Regency April 18 — Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom April 19 — Seattle, WA @ Showbox Sodo April 20 — Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom April 21 — Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom April 23 — Edmonton, AB @ Midway April 24 — Calgary, AB @ The Palace April 26 — Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue April 27 — Chicago, IL @ House of Blues April 28 — Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s Hall April 29 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Roxian April 30 — Albany, NY @ Empire Live May 01 — Hartford, CT @ Webster Theatre May 02 — New York, NY @ Webster Hall May 03 — Boston, MA @ Big Night Live May 04 — Montreal, QC @ MTELUS May 05 — Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre 4
These dates are selling quick, so be sure to grab some of the last tickets and VIP upgrades still available here: https://Apo.lnk.to/Live
Shredder Rafael Trujillo OBSIDIOUS is now sharing the mind-bending guitar play-through for the band’s recent single, “Under Black Skies!” The clip can be seen at THIS LOCATION.
Trujillo comments, “I’m so happy that I can finally share my new play-through video using Neural DSP’s Archetype: Petrucci guitar plugin. It’s the first song we ever wrote for a drop D tuned six string guitar and I really enjoy playing it.”
“Under Black Skies” is taken from the band’s upcoming debut album, which will be released on October 28, 2022! Pre-orders will be launched soon! Listen to the single at THIS LOCATION.
In April 2020 guitarist Rafael Trujillo, bassist Linus Klausenitzer and drummer Sebastian Lanser decided to move on from their former band OBSCURA to continue their musical path with the completely new band OBSIDIOUS. Free from former boundaries, OBSIDIOUS merge extreme metal with other genres of music into a unique style that people will somehow find familiar, but haven‘t heard yet. Together with their singer Javi Perera they set out to create a musical evolution: With a fresh name, reaching for new fan groups utilizing modern marketing ideas. OBSIDIOUS’ band members have many facets and influences to build upon, using virtuosity & technique to write great songs.
Rafael Trujillo, Linus Klausenitzer and Sebastian Lanser built a strong bond after years of worldwide touring and recording together with OBSCURA. With their last record “Diluvium”, that was primarily composed by the trio, the band celebrated their biggest success to date. Formerly unseen chart positions alongside massive praise by prominent media outlets & magazines document the success of this team. OBSIDIOUS aims to expand the existing fan base that they’ve gained: All (ex-)formations of the Obsidious members were defined through their musical characters.
The four band members that are based in Europe are known for their high musicianship and virtuosity. Their advanced technical level is an essential and unique part of their compositions. Guitarist Rafael Trujillo has a multicultural background and studied music in different countries all around the globe. Linus Klausenitzer is one of the busiest session bassists in the scene and renowned for his 7-string fretless bass sound. Strong drum independence skills and stylistic diversity make Sebastian Lanser one of the most influential drummers of the new generation. The web community shares the Ex-Obscura members’ excitement about singer Javi Perera being celebrated for his diverse and charismatic vocal skills.
OBSIDIOUS‘ music consists of modern riffs, strong decisive energetic melodies, virtuosity and epic unison lines. They love music that’s heavy, catchy, fast, and wild. The brand new album is currently being recorded and will be released via Season of Mist early 2022.
There are few truly unique musical artists, but the music made by Italy’s MASTER BOOT RECORD arguably exists in a category of its own. In continued support of the forthcoming eighth full-length album, PERSONAL COMPUTER, the new single “80386” has been released and the video can be seen now on YouTube below.
Victor Love discusses this new track: “In the new single “80386,” the melody of NWOBHM and the energy of bay area thrash metal are glued together by a demoscene and crack scene soul with added up neo classical influences.“
Helmed solely by technologist/songwriter Victor Love, MASTER BOOT RECORD is, if anything, creatively prolific. The follow-up to Floppy Disk Overdrive (2020), PERSONAL COMPUTER is Love’s latest offering since emerging as an 8-bit ghost from the bulletin board system (BBS) scene in 2016. Now, he’s returned to right-click on devotees with yet another easter egg and symbolism-rich mélange of intensely ornate yet driving digital orchestrations. Just don’t call PERSONAL COMPUTER synthwave, or whatever new-fangled term is being used to describe MASTER BOOT RECORDS masterful video game-like scoring. To put it simply: this is metal done with a synth.
“The main elements include chiptune, demoscene & video game music, thrash/death metal and some black metal as well as classical and symphonic patterns and progressive structures. But everything is programmed and done with synthesizers.” The result, influenced as much by classical baroque music, bay area thrash metal, and Commodore 64 games, is a frenzied mashup of what logic suggests should be disparate sounds, but in the hands of MBR make sense, taking the listener in unexpected and always thrilling directions, smashing through genre walls.
German metal duo and recent Metal Blade Records signees, MANTAR, will unleash their scathing new full-length, Pain Is Forever And This Is The End, on July 15th today unveiling the record’s cover art, track listing, and first single!
View MANTAR‘s “Hang ‘Em Low (So The Rats Can Get ‘Em)” video here:
Founded in 2012 by guitarist/vocalist Hanno Klänhardt and drummer/vocalist Erinc Sakarya, MANTAR stands among the leading forces in extreme metal within the last ten years. Loved by fans and press alike, the band took the world by storm with their truly unique sound, leading them to the Top 10 in the official German album charts with their 2018’s The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze and sold out shows throughout Europe.
While they’ve pushed the limits on every output, Pain Is Forever And This Is The End serves as MANTAR‘s most realized release yet. “I just knew I wanted to write stronger ‘songs’ in relation to ‘songwriting’ and rely less on being an ‘extreme’ metal act that only convinces through a certain sound or general ‘heaviness,’” notes Hanno. “I invested more time on trying to write better songs, interesting structures, and catchy tunes.” The results speak volumes. This is the most diverse and interesting MANTAR album to date, taking things to the proverbial next level.
Much of the influence on Hanno’s songwriting came from the artists the band covered on 2020’s collection Grungetown Hooligans II, which featured their renditions of songs from the likes of L7, Mudhoney, Sonic Youth, and The Jesus Lizard, formative bands from their respective youths. Songs feature more melody as well as a variety of guitar tones. “I tried to tweak the guitar sound more according to each individual song and its mood. We tried to steer away from ‘metal sound’ standards and more in a direction where you can hear different nuances in sound. I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but we never were a part of any scene, therefore we don’t ‘owe’ a certain sound to anyone.” Hanno even sings on occasion “instead of only screaming like a maniac.“
With Hanno prolifically writing riffs at his home in Gainesville, Florida – and throwing away whole albums worth of material – and Erinc working in Germany, the record came together over several months, and proved to be a painstaking process. “Nothing came together easily for this album. Everything sucked and I hated most of the process. I wrote it and we recorded it during a very bad time, and even though Covid had not much of an impact on us of course the general fucked up mood in the world and the industry had an impact on the record. Everything was very tedious, up to a point where I literally questioned everything and we were damn close to quitting the band,” he states plainly. “I thought I just lost ‘it.’ There was no fun anymore and with every song I came up with there was a period at some point where I thought it sucked. Then I had moments where I thought it’s the best we have ever done. It was bipolar in a way. It was rough and it took a serious toll on me and Erinc that I’m still recovering from. Then again I come from the school of ‘no pain no gain,’ which obviously is bullshit and self-destructive but unfortunately that is who I am.“
After recording their instruments on different continents, Hanno and Erinc entered the studio together in Germany to record vocals and backing vocals, respectively, and decided to take a different, more daring route in terms of production: “With the previous albums I was so focused on making the band sound exactly as we would sound live. That is cool and still important but this time I wanted to make an album that is overall entertaining and not just a forty-five-minute ‘live set.’ We’ve proved countless times that we have no problems at all convincing in a live setting, so I had to gather some courage to ‘produce’ a little more, mostly in order to entertain myself as the songwriter and producer.“
In advance of the release of Pain Is Forever And This Is The End, today MANTAR unleashes first single, “Hang ‘Em Low (So The Rats Can Get ‘Em).” Elaborates Hanno on the track, “‘Hang ‘Em Low…’ is one of the catchiest and strongest tunes we ever did. We thought it deserves a cool video that portrays the key Mantar ingredients: stress, hectic and bad vibes plus a whole lot of beautiful sad Florida nature shots… We are an old school band. We can’t help it. Good old fashioned music videos still rule.“
Pain Is Forever And This Is The End will be available on CD, LP, and digital formats. Find preorders at: metalblade.com/mantar
Pain Is Forever And This Is The End Track Listing: 1. Egoisto 2. Hang ‘Em Low (So the Rats Can Get ‘Em) 3. Grim Reaping 4. Orbital Pus 5. Piss Ritual 6. Of Frost and Decay 7. Walking Corpse 8. New Age Pagan 9. Horder 10. Odysseus
RIVERS OF NIHIL unleashed The Work on the world back in September of 2021. In continued celebration of the album, the band are prepared to finally release a mini-doc that offers a look into the creative process and recording of The Work. The short film was directed by Mike Trueheart, who also helmed the band’s music video for “Clean” and instrumental playthroughs for “More?,” and “The Void from Which No Sound Escapes.” Follow the band’s creative process around Reading, PA with producers Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland on YouTube here:
Rivers of Nihil are set to return to the road for a Spring headlining tour with support from Fallujah, Alluvial, and Warforged! The US leg of the Terrestria World Tour begins May 6th in Brooklyn, New York and runs through June 5th in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The journey includes a special show supporting Hypocrisy in Austin, Texas as well as appearances by The Zenith Passage and Burial In The Sky. Tickets are on sale now here: bandsintown.com
Rivers of Nihil w/ Fallujah, Alluvial, Warforged: 05/06 Market Hotel – Brooklyn, NY 05/07 Jewel – Manchester, NH 05/08 Underground Arts – Philadelphia, PA 05/10 Metro Gallery – Baltimore, MD 05/11 Blind Tiger – Greensboro, NC 05/12 The Masquerade (Hell) – Atlanta, GA 05/13 The End – Nashville, TN 05/14 The Haven – Orlando, FL 05/15 The Orpheum – Tampa, FL 05/17 Southport Hall – New Orleans, LA 05/18 Scout Bar – Houston, TX 05/19 Amplified – Dallas, TX 05/20 Come And Take It Live – Austin, TX w/ Hypocrisy 05/21 Rockhouse Bar – El Paso, TX 05/22 Nile Theater – Phoenix, AZ 05/23 Las Vegas, NV – Backstage Bar & Billiards 05/24 Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA w/ The Zenith Passage 05/25 1720 – Los Angeles, CA w/ The Zenith Passage 05/26 Full Circle Brewery – Fresno, CA w/ The Zenith Passage 05/27 Cornerstone – Berkeley, CA w/ The Zenith Passage 05/28 Star Theater – Portland, OR 05/29 El Corazon – Seattle, WA 05/31 Metro Music Hall – Salt Lake City, UT 06/01 Bluebird – Denver, CO w/ Burial In The Sky 06/02 BLVD – Kansas City. MO w/ Burial In The Sky 06/03 Reggies – Chicago, IL w/ Burial In The Sky 06/04 Sanctuary – Detroit, MI w/ Burial In The Sky 06/05 Crafthouse – Pittsburgh, PA w/ Burial In The Sky End Tour 06/10 Capital Ale House – Richmond, VA 06/11 Ships of the Sea Museum – Savannah, GA – Aura Fest 06/12 Radio Room – Greenville, SC
Rivers of Nihil will be touring in support of their newest full-length, The Work, released last Fall on Metal Blade Records. Rivers of Nihil has never fit neatly into a box, but with 2018′s Where Owls Know My Name, they transcended all labels applied to them. Returning in 2021 with The Work, they’ve forged further into new territory, delivering an album that’s as cerebral as it is visceral, and that covers a staggering sonic range, definitively placing them in a category of their own. Inarguably a dense, heavy collection, The Work is far too dynamic to be considered a solely metal record and there is a genuine warmth that shows through, particularly tracks like “Wait” and the gorgeous “Maybe One Day.” Additionally, the band has incorporated far more clean vocals alongside the screaming that tears through many of the record’s heavier tracks. Courtesy of their friend Zach Strouse, saxophone once again adds extra layers of atmosphere to the collection, utilizing baritone, soprano, and alto saxes to great effect.
Swedish historical power metal force CIVIL WAR – founded by former members of Sabaton – returns with 10 new wartime anthems on their new album, Invaders, out via Napalm Records on June 17, 2022. Detailing harrowing stories of sorrow and tales of turbulent triumph from around the globe, as well as human nature itself, the album marks the band’s first with masterful frontman Kelly Sundown Carpenter and formidable shredder Thobbe Englund (ex-Sabaton).
Invaders grips with riveting accounts, ranging from Viking invasions and the greed of powerful nations to legendary Native American battles and magical Arthurian fantasy – all amid a profusion of enthrallingly dynamic vocals, epic soundscapes and impressive, technical instrumentals.
In celebration of this announcement, CIVIL WAR have delivered the first single and title track off of Invaders. The song “Invaders” is a powerful anthem with intense riffs and an epic chorus, telling of the legendary Native American victory at the Battle of the Wabash. With the track, CIVIL WAR gives a first taste of what new and returning listeners can expect from the new album. Stay tuned!
Daniel Mÿhr (keyboards) on the title track: “As a first sign of life in what seems to be ages, we bring out the heavy artillery in the form of the title track from our upcoming album, Invaders. Inspired by the Battle of the Wabash, we tell the story of how the Native Americans fought foreign invaders when they came to claim their sacred lands.”
The album starts off with the captivating “Oblivion”, inviting the listener into an apocalyptic world with its exotic, menacing sound, strong vocals and heavy guitar riffs. Packed with epic symphonic power, Invaders continues with the war anthem “Dead Man’s Glory”, telling a story of Irish resistance – fighting to preserve their way of life against a Viking invasion. The album rages on with the retelling of legendary Native American victory at the Battle of the Wabash on the fast-paced “Invaders” and then settles into the pulsating, atmospheric “Heart of Darkness” before arriving at “Andersonville” – recounting the horrors of Confederate prisoner-of-war camp Andersonville Prison through the letters of a Union soldier to his wife. This song soars as a massive power ballad with heart-rending symphonics, choirs and emotive vocals. “Battle of Life” delivers the grand finale of Invaders as a pummeling, fiery power metal pinnacle, summoning listeners of all walks of life to persevere and call on inner strength in times of trouble. In keeping with the album’s theme, the Western-inspired heavy metal battle cry “Custer’s Last Stand” sees its 10th anniversary re-recording and re-release as a bonus track, entrancing the listener with Carpenter’s passionate vocal delivery, searing guitar harmonics, keyboard fanfares and tribal drums. With Invaders, CIVIL WAR prove they’ve once again etched a position all their own in the annals of modern power and heavy metal while proving their deft storytelling skill and knack for engaging lyricism. Invaders is a must-listen!
Daniel Mÿhr (keyboards) on Invaders: “It took its time, but we’re happy and proud to present our new album Invaders to the world. CIVIL WAR is back in a nice, new uniform, and with Kelly Sundown Carpenter and Thobbe Englund joining the ranks we have finally put together our fourth full-length album. By taking one step in every direction we have taken our sound to even darker places, but also to more positive ones. But one thing remains the same – our roots in Heavy Metal!”
1. Oblivion 2. Dead Man’s Glory 3. Invaders 4. Heart of Darkness 5. Andersonville 6. Carry On 7. Soldiers and Kings 8. Warrior Soul 9. Slaughterhouse 5 10. Battle Of Life 11. Custer’s Last Stand
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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
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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 ) 