Houston, Texas based melodic hard rockers LOVE AND WAR have signed with the Netherlands NO DUST RECORDS (NDR) and Upstate New York ANIMATED INSANITY RECORDS (AIR).
Both labels will be distributing the re-issue of Love and War’s 2012 debut cd “Up The Annie” and their 2020 sophomore cd “Edge of the World” in Europe and North America as a dual 2 in 1 cd release.
Love and War has provided the following comment:
“All of us in Love and War are excited and proud to announce our upcoming distribution venture. Though we have hoped for something like this to happen finally, we believe our hard work and perseverance has helped create this opportunity. Much respect to Animated Insanity Records and No Dust Records in believing in us and being willing to spread our music to the North America and European rock community. Thanks Joe and Henk in believing in our music and for this opportunity.”
NDR and AIR have provided the following comment:
“No Dust Records and Animated Insanity Records are very pleased to team up once again. We are very happy with the signing of Love And War, an amazing band from Houston, Texas, USA and we look forward to helping them get their music distributed to fans worldwide.”
Love and War recently announced the addition of former Houston, Texas prog-metal band Z-LOT-Z guitarist/producer Gregg Gill to the band guitar lineup.
Italian rock blues explorers HANGARVAIN have revealed a wrap of amazing news, which are coming back with a new single called ‘The Sinner’ on April 22nd with the precious cooperation behind the mix desk of the well known US-based producer Fabrizio Grossi.
Also, the band will come back on the road soon with a bunch of shows, including headliner sets in selected Italian cities, festival appearances and an incredible run in Dec in support of the legendary MOLLY HATCHET.
All shows as follows, more to come! 29.04 | Skulls Club | San Marino 30.04 | Blah Blah | Turin (IT) 21.05 | FESTIVAL TBA | NAPLES (IT) 23.07 | Hills of Rock | Plovdiv (BUL) 01.12 | Kubana Live Club | Siegburg (DE) * 02.12 | Downtown Blues Club | Hamburg (DE) * 03.12 | Modernes | Bremen (DE) * 04.12 | TBA | Dortmund (DE) * 06.12 | Zik-Zak | Ittre (BE) * 07.12 | Spectrum | Augsburg (DE) * 08.12 | Musiktheater Rex | Bensheim (DE) * 09.12 |Druso | Bergamo (IT) * 10.12 | Kreuz Obermarchtal | Obermarchtal (DE) * 11.12 | Theaterstubchen | Kassel (DE) * 13.12 | Viper Room |Vienna (AT) * 14.12 |Z7 | Pratteln (CH) * 15.12 | Backstage | Munich (GE) *
Pitch Black Records is thrilled to announce that Brazil’s legendary Doom Metal act THE CROSS has joined its roster! The band’s second full-length, “Act II: Walls of the Forgotten”, is scheduled to be released on May 27.
THE CROSS is recognized as the first doom metal band in Brazil, founded in Salvador – Bahia by Eduardo “Slayer” Mota in 1990 with the band’s sound and style inspired by bands such as Black Sabbath, Candlemass, and Trouble.
In 1992 the band released its first rehearsal tape to be followed by the first demo in 1993 (“The Fall”) and yet another demo (“Peregrination”) in 1994. THE CROSS went on hiatus for nearly 20 years, then returned in 2015 with “Flames Through Priests” EP, while the debut album finally arrived in 2017 (“The Cross”). The album was actually rated as one of the top 10 records of the decade by Whiplash.
Following a series of EPs, a live album, a single, a split (with 3 other bands), and some line-up changes, 2021 found the band recording its second album. In the band’s own words: “Our album describes the new age of The Cross. We feel like we’ve finally reached our perfect line-up, and this album shows it by itself. “Act II” is an album written in the middle of the pandemic, with every member working separately, and when we finally managed to be together, everything simply clicked. The album deals with a variety of mythological and historical themes, Lovecraft-inspired themes and also inner suffering.”
“Act II: Walls of the Forgotten” features a number of notable guests, all of whom vastly contributing to the overall result: Albert Bell (FORSAKEN, NOMAD SON), Leo Stivala (FORSAKEN), Achraf Loudiy (AETERNAM) and, last but certainly not least, Aaron Stainthorpe (MY DYING BRIDE).
“Act II: Walls of the Forgotten” will be available on CD, streaming, and digital download formats. Stream a brand-new track now and get more details and pre-order information at https://www.pitchblackrecords.com where a short teaser is also available.
Track listing: 1. Behind the Stone Gate (9:43) 2. Walls of the Forgotten (10:52) 3. Beyond the Eyes of Seth (12:02) 4. Sonnenstein Castle (9:33) 5. Umbral (6:30) 6. Ouroboros (9:39)
Garage Rock duo, THE DODIES, went into the studio in August 2021 to record their second album Floating in Limbo in Ireland, co-produced by Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal. The album is set to be released on April 20, 2022. The first single off the album, “No Silver Lining”, was featured on Spotify’s All New Rock playlist, and was followed by a humorous TikTok-themed music video.
“Having experienced the work dynamics with Bumblefoot before with our first record, making Floating in Limbo together was a natural step. The pandemic forced us to be creative and meet halfway between the states and Israel, in the Irish countryside, which turned out to be perfect. We were able to free our minds, with the right amount of studio time that allowed us to push our two-piece sound to new territories, but also kept us focused. We never sounded more live and bigger, yet so intimate and honest” says Ran Aronson.
The Dodies – “No Silver Lining” video can be seen below:
THE DODIES are a young garage rock duo from the southern desert of Israel. Yoni Avittan fronts the band as lead vocalist and guitarist, as Ran Aronson sings backing vocals while simultaneously playing bass lines on keyboard with one hand and playing the entire drum kit with the other.
In February 2020, THE DODIES premiered their whimsical video for single “Boiling Point” from their debut album It’s One Hell of a Ride. The album was produced by THE DODIES and co-producer Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal (Sons Of Apollo / ex-Guns N’ Roses).
In July 2020, THE DODIES released their imaginative video for single “Alien” . Its animation was made independently by the band, featuring Yoni’s original drawings that were specifically made to envision the song’s energy.
THE DODIES songs jump head-first into depression, alienation and rage, contrasted by hooky riffs and catchy melodies. They’re a band that puts high importance on artistic integrity and uncompromising authenticity, always giving their full spirit in the studio and on stage.
“I was called in to co-produce a demo they were recording at a studio in Texas, end of 2018. I was blown away – great songwriters, performers, and lots of personality. Yoni (guitars/vocals) is a poetic uncompromising artist. Ran (drums/keys/backing vocals) plays the entire kit with his right arm while simultaneously playing bass on a synth with his left hand, and singing backing vocals, and does it effortlessly. Together they’re a sight to be seen” says Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal.
Thal adds, “They put very high importance on integrity, everything being authentic in expressing who they are, I respect that a lot. My role was to make that happen. For the first album It’s One Hell of a Ride, I flew out to them to record the full album. For this new album Floating in Limbo, we spent two weeks recording at Wildwater Studios in Donegal Ireland. We do it with no click track, no re-amping, no drum triggers, no auto-tune – just the two of them playing together, capturing the spirit and the real sound in just a first or second take. We worked as a team the following months mixing, tweaking, obsessing over details until it was ready. I can truly say, I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt so much heart and had so much fun producing a band, I want to see these guys go on to have a great future, and am grateful to be here at the start of it all.”
Brazilian melodic death metal band VENOMOUS is back and shares the new single, the version of the Rolling Stones classic “Paint it Black”. The track features Mayara Puertas, lead singer of Torture Squad, and this is a tribute to a classic that turns 56 years old in 2022.
“Paint It Black” was recorded in 1966 by the English Rolling Stones, and as the year went by, it gained versions by several artists – from rock to rap and R&B. The song, a songwriting partnership by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, is a timeless song with Indian, Middle Eastern and Eastern European influences that features lyrics about grief and loss.
Venomous presents a versatile sound, uniting classic and modern metal with Brazilian regional rhythms, where the songs bring fast riffs and grooves cadenced with a lot of weight and aggression, revisiting the band’s roots and bringing new characteristics. The band is back with a new lineup and excited about the release of “Paint it Black” and the resumption of their activities and shows in Brazil.
Launched to the world in mid-2018, the band Venomous shows itself as a new force in Brazilian metal, having performed more than 80 shows in 10 countries, taking the stage alongside the bands Vader, Claustrofobia, Woslom, Richie Ramone, Tim Ripper Owens and Max and Iggor Cavalera. The range of styles and aspects that the band distinguishes, makes the performance on stage original and dynamic, and creating an interaction with the audience in an aggressive, but still, natural way. Venomous has in its discography the debut album entitled “Defiant”, which was very well accepted by the specialized critics, being among the best Brazilian albums of 2018. In 2019 they release the “Black Embrace”, marking a new phase of the band, showing its evolution musical and yielding great shows in Europe.
To promote the latest EP, the band released the single “Unity”, as a music video in December 2020. Completing the EP, the re-recordings of the songs Trinity (2018) and Duality (2019), and the song “Eerie Land” are presented. premiered exclusively at Metal Hammer Portugal. ‘Tribus’ premiered exclusively in Decibel Magazine and received great reviews from the international press.
Finnish metal pioneers NATIONAL NAPALM SYNDICATE are releasing their new album “The New Hell”, coming out April 22nd via Iron Shield Records. Furthermore, the band has unleashed a lyric video for ‘Poison Crown’, watch it below.
National Napalm Syndicate is back with a vengeance. This time the band create the own sound much more brutal and direct – a hell of sound! Deep from the vault of influences, the results are earth shattering. Be prepared!
Tracklist:
Overture 7734
We Are In Hell
Depression
Naulapää
Final Scene
God Plutonium
Monster
Poison Crown
Werewolf
Supercharged
ACG-137
Venomous Encounters
Reprise 7734
The band was formed 1986 in Pudasjärvi, northern Finland. The first self-titled album came out on EMI label 1989. The band is regarded as a pioneer in Finnish metal. National Napalm Syndicate, unique combination of thrash metal, traditional Metal and pure Finnish insanity.
LINE-UP: Vesa “Epe” Mänty – vocals Jukka Kyrö – lead guitars Harri “Hapa” Lampinen – guitars Niko Karppinen – bass Ville Hanhisuanto – 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 ) 