Iconic folk metal outfit TROLLFEST are back! After releasing their Napalm Records debut EP, Happy Heroes, the kings of Norwegian Balkan metal return with their new single, “Dance Like a Pink Flamingo(Radio Edit)”, delivering an electrifying new track full of K.A.O.S. and over-the-top TROLLFEST madness – in full “pink flamingo” mode! The single will also be their entry for the Melodi Grand Prix, where the winner gets the chance to compete for Norway in the legendary Eurovison Song Contest.
Following millions of cross-platform streams and performances at the likes of Wacken Open Air, 70,000 Tons Of Metal and Summer Breeze, TROLLFEST return with what might just be their zaniest hit yet! On “Dance Like a Pink Flamingo (Radio Edit)”, TROLLFEST jovially invites fans to shake their tail-feathers like there’s no tomorrow, quickly careening into a slamming, energetic jaunt rife with folk instrumentation, pummeling drums and gritty screams aplenty!
TROLLFEST on “Dance Like a Pink Flamingo”: “Greetings to all!!! It is finally time to share the big news we have been hinting at. First, foremost and immediately noteworthy, our new single is out, it is called “Dance like a Pink Flamingo” and you should check it out a couple of times each day until the end of time in our opinion.
Secondly (although this does entail a few firsts for us) we are going to be on TV! Mainly in Norway but it is on the state channel none the less because we are participating in this year’s Melody Grand Prix!! Needless to say we are extremly honored, pleased and excited! We also want to be winners so if you could all vote for us three times each (that is the allowed number) we would be super duper happy! This will be broadcast live on NRK TV on Saturday January 15.
Thirdly, but perhaps most importantly, our new single is from our new album, it is completely finished and more information on that will follow… For now, we would love it if you all help us make everybody dance like a pink flamingo!
And vote to make us winners. We really want to win music!!!”
Listen to “Dance Like a Pink Flamingo” (Radio Edit)NOW
TROLLFEST are currently finishing up their new album, planned for a 2022 release via Napalm Records. Get ready for loads of K.A.O.S.!
DOWNFALL 2012– the three piece Metal / Active Rock / Alternative band from Houston, Texas – is excited to announce we will be joining Lamb Of God, Sevendust, Avatar, and many more of our favorite bands on ShipRocked. That’s right folks! Right in the final chapter, Downfall 2012 was added to the ALL STAR lineup of 2022’s Shiprocked Party Cruise featuring over 30 top notch reputable rock/metal bands from around the world.
This 6-day magic metal excursion kicks off on January 22, 2022 departing from from Galveston, Texas on theCarnival Breeze . Shiprocked will set sail across the Gulf of Mexico, and will venture to Costa Maya, and Cozumel where fans and bands will share a vacation experience like no other. Over 60 concerts, beach parties, activists and excursions will be available for fans (and bands) to experience and enjoy, alongside your standard inclusive cruise experience.
This is a monumental moment for Downfall 2012. We’ve wanted this for a long time! To catch our debut performance on the one and only Shiprocked, visit the Ocean Plaza stage on January 23, at 8:30pm. Don’t miss it, and stay tuned for other events we can weasel our way into!
ABSOLVA get serious with their forthcoming album release ‘Fire in the Sky’ due out on Rocksector Records on 18th February 2022. Songs such as ‘Addiction’ deals with alcohol and drug problems, whilst ‘Historic Year’ is about the all too familiar effects of the global pandemic.
The first music video, the title track, can be viewed now below.
Frontman Christopher Appleton expands… “Absolva is usually known for the positive themes in our lyrics, yet this time we’ve been drawn toward some darker issues. The pandemic was a rough ride for most people and I personally found it difficult to take, with a mix of effects on my life. Like so many people we suffered the pain of losing a very good friend to the virus and then more generally the negative effects on our music industry as a whole were obviously really bad.”
Nevertheless, the bulldog spirit prevails, not least with the positive energy of album closer ‘Refuse to Die’. Christopher continues… “In the end most of us have things to fall back on and Refuse to Die remembers frantic Friday nights in my hometown Manchester and the wildness of gigs played straight from our hearts. We always strive to savour that energy in our music and performances.”
Certainly, there was much evidence of that energy in Absolva’s live performances in the UK during the latter part of 2021, as special guests with Blaze Bayley (Iron Maiden singer 1994-1999). Absolva also double up as Blaze’s backing band.
Guitarist Luke Appleton adds… “I don’t have words to describe just how good it was to actually get out on tour. The tour was not without mis-hap – both our manager and Blaze himself caught the virus part-way through, and we had a crash in the band van on the final weekend of the tour, yet ultimately across the tour we were grateful to only have to cancel one show due to Covid-19. The bulldog spirit shines through!”
‘Fire in the Sky’ bears all the hallmarks of classic British metal that Absolva are known for, plus an even greater level of intensity. Recorded at Rocksector HQ (Manchester, England) during 2021, production is handled by Christopher Appleton building on his experience co-producing Blaze Bayley’s successful ‘War Within Me’ album in 2021, and the album is mastered by Ade Emsley (London, England) who has worked with a host of bands, not least Iron Maiden. The familiar team is completed with a striking cover image, renewing the band’s collaboration with the talented Akirant Illustration (Spain).
Official release date for the album on CD and digital platforms is 18th February 2022. The vinyl version is expected July/August 2022, subject to global pressing delays. All bundles are available to pre-order now. More details at http://www.absolva.com
Track listing… 1 Demon Tormentor 2 Burn Inside 3 Addiction 4 What Does God Know? 5 Stand Your Ground 6 Fire In the Sky 7 Man For All Seasons 8 Gall?glaigh 9 Historic Year 10 Refuse to Die
In terms of live shows the band plays in the UK at Hammerfest (Birmingham) on 12th February, Pentre Fest (N.Wales) on 26th February, plus Rockin’ The Bowl festival (Sheffield) on 11th September. In Europe festival appearances are booked for Metal Magic (Denmark) on 7th July and Mannried Open Air (Switzerland) on 12th August. Around 40 club shows are also booked for Europe across March-May 2022 which are under review with promoters and venues, depending on travel and health restrictions.
THE FREQUENCY CONSPIRACY, the new project by 24-7 Spyz, Seventrain, Shockhead drummer, Joel Maitoza – featuring members of Last in Line, Lynch Mob, Raven, Pat Travers Band, Tyketto and many others – released worldwide their debut album titled “Quarantine Covers” on January 1st, 2022 (New Years Day) through So Cal Records / Alliance Entertainment.
Just recently we sat down with Joel Maitoza to talk about the debut album “Quarantine Covers”.
Why did you decide to name your new project The Frequency Conspiracy?
A number of years ago, I read an article about the frequency conspiracy and it intrigued me (although I’m not really into conspiracy theories in general). In a nutshell, standard instrument tuning is 440 which was standardized in 1953. If you tune the A string to 432, it’s known to have more healing properties, easier to listen to and more in tune with nature. It was suggested that the monopolization of the music industry features this imposed frequency (440) that is ‘herding’ populations into greater aggression, psychosocial agitation, and emotional distress predisposing people to physical illnesses and financial impositions profiting the agents, agencies, and companies engaged in the monopoly.
What inspired you to record an album of cover songs?
When the pandemic hit, bands stopped touring and the world basically shut down. I decided to contact some musicians I’ve always wanted to work with and record an album of cover tunes with a hard rock/metal vibe. The songs are some “hand-picked” favorites of mine that I thought everyone involved could have some fun with and the fans would enjoy hearing.
How did The Frequency Conspiracy project come about?
It all started releasing two videos in 2020 featuring Last in Line/Lynch Mob vocalist Andrew Freeman and it just took off from there. I recorded the drum tracks in the studio by myself without any music. Just a click track and the arrangement in my head. Then I sent the tracks out to the individual musicians I wanted to have perform on the songs. The artists recorded their parts in their own home studios and sent the files back to me. It was really cool to hear how each musician interpreted and performed their parts. The songs just evolved. The creative process was absolutely fascinating and I think we captured some amazing performances on this album.
Why did you want to work with a bunch of different musicians instead of just forming a new band?
I kind of took a chapter from the Steely Dan playbook and didn’t want the same musicians playing on every song. I could distinctly hear each chosen artist performing each song in my head prior to recording the track. It took some time to figure out who would play on what, but I think everyone did a great job working together and making their individual parts fit like a glove.
What was the biggest challenge in making this record?
Individual tracks (sound files) and mixing. It’s much more cohesive when the entire band is all working together in the studio and bouncing ideas off each other. This was a bit more difficult because the individual tracks were recorded in various studios all over the world so the overall mix of each song sounds a little different, even though the engineer and I tried our best to keep everything consistent.
Are you planning on touring at all?
Not at this point. If the album starts to take off, a few of the musicians that played on the album have already agreed to do a short run of dates in the US. Nothing is set in stone yet, but I have been receiving some show offers scheduled for summer 2022. It also depends on the pandemic. We’ll see.
What’s the future of the new project?
I plan on releasing a couple of more videos to promote this album and have a few radio interviews scheduled. I’ve also been working on an album of original material which I hope to release in early 2023, but no release date is scheduled yet. I’m not sure if I’ll record another “covers” album, but I really enjoyed recording this one and had a blast working with everyone involved.
“Quarantine Covers” Tracks listing:
Carry On Wayward Son
Feat. Christophe Godin – Guitars / Jaimie Scott – Bass / Andrew Freeman – Vocals / Joel Maitoza – Drums
Hell Bent for Leather
Feat. John Gallagher – Vocals, Bass / Joshua Jones – Guitars / Joel Maitoza – Drums
Locked Out of Heaven
Feat. Jason (JMR) Richardson – Vocals, Guitars / David Pastorius – Bass / Joel Maitoza – Drums
Words Get in the Way
Feat. Craig Soderberg – Guitars, Vocals, Keys / Jaimie Scott – Bass / Joel Maitoza – Drums
Rock Candy
Feat. Joshua Jones – Guitars / Andrew Freeman – Vocals / Rick Skatore – Bass / Joel Maitoza – Drums
Turning Japanese
Feat. Craig Soderberg – Guitars, Vocals, Keys / Jaimie Scott – Bass / Joel Maitoza – Drums
Shapes of Things
Feat. Jason (JMR) Richardson – Vocals / Joshua Jones – Guitars / Miguelon Rodriguez – Bass / Joel Maitoza – Drums
Sailing
Feat. Craig Soderberg – Guitars, Vocals, Keys / Jaimie Scott – Bass / Joel Maitoza – Drums
Joel explains, “When the pandemic hit, bands stopped touring and the world shut down. I decided to contact some musicians I’ve always wanted to work with and record an album of cover tunes with a hard rock/metal vibe. The songs are some “hand-picked” favorites of mine that I thought everyone involved could have some fun with and the fans would enjoy hearing. It all started releasing two videos in 2020 featuring Last in Line/Lynch Mob vocalist Andrew Freeman and it just took off from there. I recorded the drum tracks in the studio by myself without any music, just a click track and the arrangement in my head. Then I sent the tracks out to the individual musicians I wanted to have perform on the songs. The artists recorded their parts in their own home studios and sent them back to me. It was really cool to hear how each musician interpreted and performed their parts and the songs just evolved. The creative process was absolutely fascinating and I think we captured some amazing performances on this album.”
The album was recorded at Exum Studios by Scott Exum (Stabbing Westward, Unwritten Law), Room 9 Studios by Jerry Whiting, DML Studios by Don Lithgow (RIP) and AJP Studios by Alex Pappas (Finch).
MARIANGELA DEMURTAS, vocalist of acclaimed metal bands Tristania and Ardours, has released a new video for her single “City” . The song is from her upcoming EP Dark Ability which will be released on February 11 2022.
Mari comments: “City” is a place where our dreams grow. Either we love it, or we hate it, and it is always coming with an expectation that sometimes can burn you out…
Mariangela’s journey as a professional singer began in 2007 with TRISTANIA, a pioneer of gothic metal in the world. Since joining TRISTANIA, they have released two albums: Rubicon in 2008 and Darkest White in 2013. MARIANGELA has worked with well-known producers such as Waldemar Sorychta, Sasha Gerstner and Cris Cedeberg. Along with touring across continents and sharing stages with the likes of MOONSPELL, DARK TRANQUILLITY ORPHANED LAND and more.
ARDOURS began in 2016, formed by MARIANGELA together with Kris Laurent, an old friend. They released an album on Frontiers Records in 2019 titled Last Place On Earth and along with their 2020 EP Eu4ia Ep. ARDOURS took to the stage with major names including PARADISE LOST prior to the pandemic bringing a halt to further shows. Now they are waiting with eager anticipation to return to the live scene.
MARIANGELA’s voice is powerful and versatile, complementing a wide range of musical styles. She initially wrote her solo album in 2013 but it remained unreleased, unsure of the musical direction to take. Initially choosing to release her solo work on Patreon, MARIANGELA is preparing to unleash her EP into the wider world and make her solo debut in 2021.
Hardcore punks TORCHBEARER have streamed their new single ‘Never Forgive’, taken from their forthcoming record Solace, due 21st January.
‘Never Forgive’ is a brutal track in its subject matter. Co-written by vocalist Andy and bassist Mo, the song details Mo’s brother’s death following police restraint in February 2021. The fear of living in an oppressive regime, always looking over your shoulder – this is the cold hard truth and day-to-day life for minorities in British society.
Produced by Charlie Wilson (TRC, Counting Days), ‘Never Forgive’ follows the band’s previous singles ‘Dopesick’ and ‘Frostbite’. All are glimpses into Torchbearer‘s relentless ethos and approach – a band whose material tackles racial prejudice, police brutality, corruption, confinement and mental health. Victims are not alone – Torchbearer are heavy, for heavy times.
Over the last 18 months the band have been directly impacted by the issues they confront in their material, leading to a blistering, visceral listen in Solace. Torchbearer have long strived to imbue positivity throughout, but it is undeniable that Solace captures a relentlessly bleak chapter of their lives. The band lost loved ones, dealt with mental health struggles, and – much like the rest of the world – experienced existential and political disillusion.
Dedicating Solace to those who have fallen and those who are grieving, Torchbearer present an album of cathartic release and ferocious comfort.
In their time Torchbearer have toured alongside Mountain Caller, High Hopes, The Amsterdam Red Light District, Yards and From Eden To Exile, and shared stages with Battalions, Rough Hands and more.
Watch the making of ‘Never Forgive’ here:
Tracklisting:
Solace
Frostbite
All Out Warfare
Never Forgive
Dopesick
Psychosis
Mekong Delta Blues
Wolves & Sheep
4 Walls
Hail Mary
Chief Shock Video
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
Ads
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 ) 