MINISTRY Unleash Trippy New DIY Video For Single ‘Believe Me’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 28, 2022
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

Just weeks after MINISTRY’s latest album “Moral Hygiene” was added to many “best of 2021” year-end lists, including Loudwire, Consequence Of Sound, Punk News and XS Rock (where it was ranked the #1 album of the year), Al Jourgensen and co. are sharing the latest taste of the record with the new track ‘Believe Me’ alongside a warped psychedelic video that will have viewers questioning just what to think or feel (a clear nod to the times we are living in now).

The video was a departure from the two previously released professional videos from the album and became a total DIY effort, with each of the band members (also including drummer Roy Mayora, guitarists Cesar Soto and Monte Pittman, bassist Paul D’Amourand keyboardist John Bechdel) gearing up for the upcoming tour at home and purchasing an inexpensive green screen to contribute their parts to the performance footage that was then melded together. MINISTRY hopes to encourage other artists to do the same during these difficult times when budgets are tight and still have fun with the creative process.

“Moral Hygiene” is MINISTRY’s 15th studio album and features some of the project’s strongest and most inspired material to date. It features the creative masterwork of founder and creator Al Jourgensen who spent the pandemic pause ruminating on the new world we as a society have found ourselves in – while pondering just what we are going to do about it.

Stream “Moral Hygiene” here: http://nblast.de/MinistryMoralHygiene

The 10 tracks are a follow-up to 2018’s lauded “AmeriKKKant” and put forthJourgensen’s societal manifesto and plea for civilization to get back to a set of standards that lives up to and embraces our humanity.

Previous singles have included ‘Alert Level’ (sounding the alarm on the state society is in), ‘Good Trouble’ (a rallying cry to fight for human rights in homage to Civil Rights leader John Lewis) and ‘Search And Destroy’ (the unique take on The Stooges classic), the latter of which features guitar virtuoso Billy Morrison (Billy Idol/Royal Machines). Morrison is also heavily featured on a number of songs on the album. The record also includes a collaboration with Jello Biafra (Jourgensen’s cohort in side project LARD) on ‘Sabotage Is Sex’.

“Moral Hygiene”is available now in CD, vinyl and digital download formats at the following links:
Record label store: www.nuclearblast.com/ministry-moralhygiene 
Band store: https://store.ministryband.com/collections/moral-hygiene

MINISTRY will debut new songs from “Moral Hygiene” on the upcoming Industrial Strength Tour, kicking off March 2, alongside celebrating the 30th anniversary of seminal album “The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste”. Special guests THE MELVINS and CORROSION OF CONFORMITY will share the stage nightly as the tour’s special guests. Due to overwhelming demand, MINISTRY added 13 new dates with the tour now running through April 18. The full schedule is below with tickets on sale now.

March 2022
2    Columbus, OH @ Express Live!
4    Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
5    Cincinnati, OH @ Madison Theatre
6    Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage
8    Huntington, NY @ The Paramount
9    Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall
11  New Haven, CT @ College Street Music Hall
12  Montclair, NJ @ The Wellmont Theater
13  Portland, ME @ State Theatre
15  Boston, MA @ House of Blues
16  Buffalo, NY @ Buffalo Riverworks
18  Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
19  Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
20  Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
22  Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
23  Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
24  New Orleans, LA @ Fillmore*
26  Dallas, TX @ Amplified Life
27  Austin, TX @ Emo’s
28  San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theater
29  Houston, TX @ House of Blues
31  Chicago, IL @ Riviera
 
April 2022
1    Cleveland, OH @ The Agora
2    Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
3    Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Hall
5    St Paul, MN @ Palace
6    Kansas City, MO @ Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland
7    Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
9    Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
10  Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
12  Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
13  Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
14  San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
16  San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
18  Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
 
*Indicates a date THE MELVINS are not performing

For tickets and more information, visit www.ministryband.com/tour.

WHITECHAPEL Launch Performance Video for ‘Anticure’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 27, 2022
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
Photo credit: Alex Morgan

To close out 2021, WHITECHAPEL released their eighth studio album, Kin, via Metal Blade Records – which critics are hailing as the band’s “most diverse offering yet” (Metal Injection). Today, the deathcore crew unleashes “Anticure,” the fourth video from Kin. To stream and purchase this acclaimed new record, head to: metalblade.com/whitechapel

At this stage in the game, the name Whitechapel commands respect. Already sitting on one of the most enviable catalogs in contemporary metal, in 2021, they returned with the mighty Kin, which was produced once again by Mark Lewis with David Castillo at Ghostward Studios in Sweden handling the mixing, then Ted Jensen mastering it in Nashville, TN. The resulting album is a dynamic and diverse collection, further advancing the band’s sound into new territory without losing sight of what brought them to this point. Kin has gone on to hit #24 on the Current Albums Chart, peaking at #3 on Hard Music Albums and #6 on the Independent Albums Chart.

With the full-on death metal assault that kicks off both “Lost Boy” and “To The Wolves” as brutal and serrated as extreme metal gets, vocalist Phil Bozeman also explores his wide-ranging singing voice more, while cutting loose with his trademark roar across Kin‘s eleven tracks – which have stunned media worldwide:

“A confident, slick and coherent album, ‘Kin’ is a fine addition to the back-catalogue of one of metal’s most cherished underdogs.” – KERRANG

“Whitechapel continue to invest in their own creative development in a way that clearly differentiates themselves from their contemporaries.” – KNOTFEST

“…a masterclass in suspenseful songwriting…” – NEW NOISE

“…the band’s most multifaceted and mature record yet…” – EVERYTHING IS NOISE

“‘Kin’ is WSOU’s album of the month for its impeccable songwriting, profound and mysterious lyrics, and perfect pacing, showcasing the band proving themselves as masters of their craft” – WSOU

Fans can catch Whitechapel on the road next month with Cannibal Corpse, Revocation, and Shadow Of Intent for an extensive USA tour, kicking off in Atlanta, GA on February 18th.

Whitechapel tour dates
w/ Cannibal Corpse, Revocation, Shadow Of Intent
Feb. 18, 2022 – Center Stage – Atlanta, GA
Feb. 19, 2022 – The Ramkat – Winston-Salem, NC
Feb. 20, 2022 – Baltimore Soundstage – Baltimore, MD
Feb. 21, 2022 – Reverb – Reading, PA
Feb. 22, 2022 – The Roxian – Pittsburgh, PA
Feb. 24, 2022 – Brooklyn Steel – Brooklyn, NY
Feb. 25, 2022 – The Palladium – Worcester, MA
Feb. 26, 2022 – Anthology – Rochester, NY
Feb. 28, 2022 – The Majestic – Detroit, MI
Mar. 1, 2022 – The Vic – Chicago, IL
Mar. 2, 2022 – Skyway Theater – Minneapolis, MN
Mar. 4, 2022 – The Gothic – Denver, CO
Mar. 5, 2022 – Metro Music Hall – Salt Lake City, UT
Mar. 7, 2022 – Showbox – Seattle, WA
Mar. 8, 2022 – Hawthorne – Portland, OR
Mar. 10, 2022 – Ace Of Spades – Sacramento, CA
Mar. 11, 2022 – The UC Theatre – Berkeley, CA
Mar. 12, 2022 – The Observatory – Santa Ana, CA
Mar. 13, 2022 – The Belasco – Los Angeles, CA
Mar. 14, 2022 – The Van Buren – Phoenix, AZ
Mar. 15, 2022 – Sunshine Theater – Albuquerque, NM
Mar. 17, 2022 – Vibes Event Center – San Antonio, TX
Mar. 18, 2022 – White Oak Music Hall – Houston, TX
Mar. 19, 2022 – Amplified Live – Dallas, TX
Mar. 21, 2022 – Red Flag – St. Louis, MO
Mar. 22, 2022 – Mercury Ballroom – Louisville, KY
Mar. 23, 2022 – Iron City – Birmingham, AL
Mar. 25, 2022 – Jannus Live – St. Petersburg, FL
Mar. 26, 2022 – Revolution – Ft. Lauderdale, FL

IMARI TONES Release New Video ‘The Garden’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 27, 2022
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

The Garden is the new official video from Japanese group IMARI TONES, taken from their double album Nabeshima. Here’s what the group has to say about the track and video; “This is a spiritual love song. A love song in heaven and on earth. Some of you might not agree but we believe it is a Christian love song. This song is telling every step of mankind/God relationship storyline. Destiny, hope, sin, rebellion, life, death, love, repentance, forgiveness, and eternity.

All these things happen in a life of man and woman, both in heaven and on earth, going toward eternity. (Ok, it does not have to be between man and woman. It could be in any relationship you can call love.) Even though it does not necessarily sound like a typical Christian song (or a typical love song), we believe it’s a song about salvation. It’s a song about falling in love, falling from heaven, and salvation by grace.

When we made the video for this song, we wondered how we could portrait this complicated love story sung in it. We could use some actor and actress, but we chose to do it with our own band members, to show you the story of this song with personal messages.

You can understand the story in various ways. Why did he have to shoot the gun? What does it mean? Who is this lady in white dress? Yes, we did these things because they were cool and we tried to make things dramatic. But when all things were done, we realized that it was a story about salvation. This lady in white (Marie) is playing a sort of Joan Of Arc role. It symbolizes the salvation by Christ and faith in God. As a result, the band members who were walking like a funeral in the opening part, now they are smiling in the ending part and walking in the light.”

Imari Tones – Nabeshima
Nabeshima is a double album consisting of 24 songs. While people may be amazed at the volume, it certainly takes listeners to a mysterious journey through ancient Japan. Unknown fantasy world where Japanese traditional culture and Christianity meet. The songs are sung both in English and Japanese. 11 songs are sung in English while 11 songs are in Japanese. The other 2 tracks are instrumental. The musical style is very diverse. It has some of the heaviest songs from Imari Tones, as well as some of the most outlandish progressive songs. At the same time it has straightforward pop songs and beautiful ballads. Read more …here

Available now from: Shop Sliptrick | Apple Music | Spotify | & other major stores

Imari Tones are:
Takahiro “Tone” Nakamine – Guitars/Vocals | Marie – Bass | Shinryu – Drums

Band links: Official Website | Facebook | Youtube | Instagram | On Sliptrick

RE-ARMED Celebrate 20 Years with Special EP + New Single & Lyric Video ‘Tomorrow’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 27, 2022
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
Photo: Allan Välimaa

Finland’s melodic death metallers RE-ARMED have released today a new EP celebrating their 20th anniversary, titled “XX”. The EP contains two new songs, one demo song “Morrow” (first demo – released originally 2002) that is fully re-produced, re-recorded, re-armed and renamed as “Tomorrow”, one acoustic version from previous album’s “Beyond the Horizon” track and two special versions from previously released songs “Evolve Cycle” as arcade version and “Ode to Life” as orchestral version – all these versions are released with videos and are available on YouTube. The EP is available on all the major streaming platforms.

The band comments on the special release:
“We wanted to put together a somewhat special release that includes something new, but also echoes from the past. The new and the latest single ‘Tomorrow’ from the release is great example of that. The track was originally released under the name of ‘Morrow’ in 2002 as first demo for the band. It was more than exciting to shake its foundations after all these years and make it much better song. Now you can actually feel and hear its strong emotional charge, that’s been hidden in that shitty demo version, heh.

Of course, it could have been way more easier to pick up some songs from all the previous releases and make just some kind of collection album, but it sounded already in the beginning so damn boring idea. And since coronavirus came and shuffled the pack with our previous album promotion tours etc. – it basically cancelled most of our booked shows at that time. What else we do have than time to make some new music? Staying put and waiting for some virus to disappear would have been pure waste of time. Massive thanks goes to our partners in crime, all these guys and girls who helped us to put this bungle together. We shared our vision to them and asked help here and there, especially this happened with the special track versions – The end result is great and special indeed. Enjoy!”

Watch the lyric video “Tomorrow”:

Listen “Tomorrow” on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3u3enct
Listen the original “Tomorrow” AKA “Morrow”: https://youtu.be/8uJeJ3com1U
Watch the video “Evolve Cycle (Arcade Version)”: https://youtu.be/Ezrcbp0xZ6g
Listen “Ode to Life (Orchestral Version)”: https://youtu.be/Vc8DrkBPPkY

Listen the whole EP on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3AAJRI7
Whole EP on Bandcamp: https://re-armed.bandcamp.com

“Tomorrow” credits:
Music by Jouni Matilainen, Oskari Niekka and Allan Välimaa. Lyrics by Jouni Matilainen. Arrangement by Re-Armed. Orchestral arrangements by Aapo Salo. Synths/piano by Sami Tiittanen and Jouni Matilainen. Lyric video by Joona Jaakkola. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Harri Petjakko at Studio UG, Kerava, Finland. Promo photo and cover art by Allan Välimaa. Original version’s music and lyrics by Jouni Matilainen.

“Evolve Cycle (Arcade Version)” credits:
Music by Mika Oinonen, Juhana Korkka Heinonen and Jussi Venäläinen. Arcade arrangement by Sami Tiittanen. Video’s graphics by Simo Kuosmanen. Video by Allan Välimaa.

“Ode to Life (Orchestral Version)” credits:
Music by Allan Välimaa. Orchestral arrangement by Aapo Salo. Video by Allan Välimaa./

DESASTER Launch Video for ‘Learn to Love the Void’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 27, 2022
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
Photo credit: Diana Mennicke

German Black Thrash unit DESASTER have just released an official video for Learn To Love The Void, the opening track of their latest album Churches Without Saints, the album that was released June 4th last year by Metal Blade Records.

Comments Desaster guitarist Infernal: “Enjoy our new video clip, filmed at one of the rare live concerts in 2021, PartySan Herbstoffensive in Weimar, Germany. It was great to enter the stage again, we hope you can feel the hellfire burning and learn to love the void!“

Stream the album and pick up your copies of Churches Without Saints at: metalblade.com/desaster

Desaster live:
18/03/22 BE – Aalst – Oilsjt Omploft
21/05/22 DE – Gladbeck – Metal Bash
11/06/22 PL – Kluczbork – Black Silesia
21/07/22 DE – Weil am Rhein – Baden In Blut
20/08/22 AT – Kaltenbach – Open Air

Since 1989, Germany’s Desaster have been churning out their unique and unholy blend of extreme metal, and in 2021 they return with perhaps their most powerful album to-date, the towering Churches Without Saints. “It’s a typical Desaster old school black-death-thrash metal album, with a lot of aggression, but also great atmosphere and epic tunes!” enthuses guitarist and founding member Infernal. With a simple remit of making an album full of “neck-breaking songs”, the quartet have once again proven themselves leaders in their chosen genres, giving their faithful and newcomers alike plenty to salivate over.

With a five-year gap elapsing since they dropped last album The Oath Of An Iron Ritual, fans have had to be very patient, but will find the results more than worth the wait. This new effort also features Hont taking over behind the kit from previous drummer Tormentor, bringing a welcome change to the way they work. “He’s a very skilled drummer and can play really anything. Whereas in the past the songwriting was a lot of ‘trial and error’ with testing many rhythms, we nowadays can work much more efficiently. Hont knows what rhythms fit to the riffs immediately. He has studied Desaster’s music in detail and knows what works best, but he is not just copying Tormentor’s style – he brings his own skilled style into the music, and also some new rhythms and figures. That of course brings some fresh wind into the songs.“

The record was tracked in the band’s rehearsal room and was recorded, mixed and mastered by their live mixer Jan “Janosch” Gensheimer. This led to a very relaxed atmosphere throughout the whole process, having rehearsed a lot prior to recording and also doing a full pre-production demo with their own equipment, meaning they could record very fast and without many mistakes. They did however change things up a little, sonically speaking. “It was a big goal for me to change the sound a bit,” says Infernal. “Whereas the last albums had a very harsh sound, where the mid and high frequencies were dominating, I wanted a warmer and smoother sound this time. I always liked the sound of our ‘Tyrants of the Netherworld’ album from 2000 very much, and the new album is an effort to develop this sound with more details and different instruments. On ‘Tyrants’, we had the rough mud of deepest hellish caves, now we present you the black lava which is flowing around the throne of Satan himself!” And having achieved everything they set out to, Churches Without Saints definitively starts a new and exciting chapter in one of extreme metal’s most consistently thrilling bands.

Album artwork by: Marcos Miller

CROSSPLANE Reveal Artwork & Tracklist for New Album “Fastlane”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 27, 2022
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CROSSPLANE, the hellhounds from the Ruhrpott, release the cover artwork and the tracklist of the new album “Fastlane”, which will see the light of day on April 22nd, 2022. Eleven brand new songs, raw and uninhibited. The cover was created by Axel Hermann, who has already worked with bands like In Flames, Edguy or Moonspell.

Immediately after the release, the album will be extensively presented as part of a big tour with J.B.O.

CROSSPLANE was founded in 2009. Since then they have gained a reputation as a very cool live band, which they were also able to show in Wacken, among other places. FASTLANE will be the fourth full-length album by the self-proclaimed hellhounds, who have rock’n’roll in their blood like no other band!

Tracklist:
01 – Can’t Get You Out Of My Head
02 – Make Beer Not War
03 – All Hell Is Breaking Loose
04 – Rock Out
05 – Fastlane
06 – Rock’n’Roll Will Never Die
07 – Search And Destroy
08 – Fields Of Bone
09 – Epidemic
10 – Life Is A Monster
11 – Black Is My Blue Sky

Tourdates:
21.04.2022 Osnabrück, Rosenhof
22-04.2022 Bad Hersfeld, Stadthalle
23.04.2022 Lux-Alzette, Rockhal
29.04.2022 Leipzig, Hellraiser
30.04.2022 Berlin, Huxleys
06.05.2022 Hamburg, Markthalle
07.05.2022 Dresden, Reithalle
13.05.2022 Würzburg, Posthalle
14.05.2022 Stuttgart, LKA
20.05.2022 Oberhausen, Turbinenhalle
21.05.2022 Bremen, Schlachthof
27.05.2022 München, Backstage
28.05.2022 AT-Wien, Arena