SORROW & THE SPIRE have dropped their new single In the City Tonight, out now across digital platforms through Crusader Records, with the music video available to view on YouTube.
The follow up to their previous stunning singleMy Misery Calling, In the City Tonight is another compositional success, reflecting Sorrow & The Spire’s penchant for heartfelt and undeniable song-craft. The yearning of its introspective lyric, about trying to find light in our darkest places, is expressed in emotional verses that give way to an undeniably anthemic guitar-driven chorus that feels both personal and universal.
Yet another rock masterpiece from SORROW & THE SPIRE, In the City Tonight is a big, bombastic tune that revels in the 90s glory day hard rock sound.
SORROW & THE SPIRE’S own Navid has always maintained a love for well-written melodic rock, where big guitar riffs support catchy and even pop-influenced melodies, and immediacy doesn’t have to sacrifice depth. Navid has been the leader of various bands and projects over the years. Although he has never gained notoriety outside of independent and underground music circles, he steadily refined his talents and continued to write and perform for the right reason – the love of the music. Now, with years of experience and the inspiration of amazing rock and metal music dating back to his youth, he has evolved into a solo artist that has something to say.
Sorrow & The Spire is the voice of a singer/songwriter/guitarist who is equally at home with 80s influenced hard rock, the 90s/00s active rock and modern rock that fuses it together with alternative and touches of grunge.
Navid is proud to release his first few singles through Crusader/Golden Robot Records. Produced, engineered and mixed by forty-year industry veteran Steve Brown (Trixter, Tokyo Motor Fist) and featuring good friends and guest rhythm section Chris DeChiara (U.S. Navy Band) and Jeff Teets (MindMaze), these tracks introduce rock fans to Sorrow & The Spire’s big riffs and memorable hooks, that go for the heart with unrelenting energy, and just flat-out rock.
Navid’s melodic sensibilities shine through in his passionate vocals and distinctive guitar style, always putting emotion before technique, and the song before everything.
Despite spending a big part of 2020-2021 locked inside, writing and recording new material, Stockholm based MASS WORSHIP did complete a highly successful tour in support of Polish death metal legends Vader. Meanwhile, MASS WORSHIP are primed and ready to unleash their second full-length assault. Due for release on February 4th, 2022, “Portal Tombs” is a terrifying but electrifying exploration of the gloomy depths of human nature: a monolithic manifestation of the musical force that is MASS WORSHIP. Drawing inspiration from bands such as At The Gates, Mastodon and Meshuggah, MASS WORSHIP could be likened to many bands, but somehow forge their musical identity into something exceptionally distinctive and transcendent, and with enough confidence and conviction to win over even the most orthodox fans of the genre.
Enter the “Portal Tombs” and check out the first track and video HERE
The video was directed and produced by Miles Skarin of Crystal Spotlight and MASS WORSHIP while the song features guest vocals from Mark “Barney” Greenway (Napalm Death). The band comments: “We as humans are approaching a state where we don’t believe in anything, and we can’t seem to envision any alternatives. Our elected leaders are merely there to sustain a seemingly perpetual status quo, and to grab whatever opportunity they can to shift our focus away from what’s important. What happens behind the scenes is a slow and steady collapse of our financial, political, ecological, spiritual and cultural world. We’re all perfectly aware of where we are heading, but we can’t seem to envision any alternative — it’s far too late, and far too terrifying to try to stop what has been started. ‘Portal Tombs’ symbolises that Death is the only true way forward. MASS WORSHIP is an attempt at putting the current state of humanity’s affairs and suppressed emotional state into music and words. We want to capture the fears, the pain, the uncertainty and the total disbelief in the future of mankind. As we spiral towards an abyss of our own making, MASS WORSHIP is the soundtrack that will resonate loudest of all.”
Preorders of “Portal Tombs” will be launched in due time.
Catch one of their crushing live-shows:
07.10.21 (SE) Stockholm – Kafé 44 (w/Victims) 08.10.21 (DK) Copenhagen – Pumpehuset (w/Baest) 09.10.21 (DK) Copenhagen – Pumpehuset (w/Baest) 06.11.21 (SE) Linköping – The Crypt (w/Necrophobic) 29.12.21 (SE) Stockholm – Slaktkyrkan (w/ LIK) 18.03.22 (SE) Stockholm – Close-Up Båten 08.-11.06.22 (SE) Sölvesborg – Sweden Rock 14.-16.07.22 (SE) Gävle – Gefle Metal Festival
Athens-based metal outfit W.E.B. will release their Colosseum full-length on November 19th via Metal Blade Records today unveiling the record’s artwork, track listing, first single, and preorders.
Forged in 2002 out of a “necessity to scream, blast, and create emotions and get on stage to exchange them with an audience,” Greece’s W.E.B. have steadily forged a path to becoming one of the premier European symphonic extreme metal bands expressing darkness and death through adrenaline and poetry. An output that’s both candid and theatrical, W.E.B. is here to move you, provoke you, and invite you on a journey through ravendark and starless nights. With four albums already under their collective belt, 2021’s fifth full-length, Colosseum, is inarguably the band’s greatest and most direct work to date.
“We wanted this album to be as straightforward as we could make it. We wanted it to be aggressive and to the point, and at the same time we have pushed literally everything, higher, faster, louder, harder. It is our most metal album,” states guitarist/vocalist Sakis Prekas. Combining the brutal with the catchy and drenching it in orchestrations that only serve to expand its epic scale, Colosseum is a thrilling, gripping listen with each of its nine tracks playing an important part in the album as a whole, making it clear that W.E.B. stands toe-to-toe with anyone in their genre.
With Colosseum, the band welcomes two new members: drummer Nikitas Mandolas, who joined following the recording of 2017’s Tartarus and whose playing is perfectly suited to the music W.E.B. make, and bassist/vocalist Hel Pyre. “Apart from the great lyrics and the perfect bass performance, she offered her brutal and clean vocals on many parts of the album, leaving her own mark of fire. This is a completely new element for W.E.B. that really gave a unique character to the material.“
With the lineup solidified, writing commenced in early 2019, sending ideas back and forth to one another, subsequently honing each song over many pre-production sessions. “With no references, when we make music, our only thoughts are that we want to make it sound as awesome as we can,” states Sakis. The dramatic orchestrations are of course a large part of that, with Christos Antoniou of Septicflesh handling this aspect of the sound as he has on previous W.E.B. releases. “Metal is the most revolutionary music genre ever to exist; adding to it symphonic orchestra makes the experience even more epic and emotional in a massive way. We want our music to inspire the senses, thus we aspire to make it intense from our perspective.“
Stream W.E.B. stunning first single “Dominus Maleficarum” below:
W.E.B.‘s Colosseum will be available on CD, Fruit Punch-colored LP, and digital formats. Find preordering options at: metalblade.com/web
Colosseum Track Listing: 1. Dark Web 2. Murder of Crows 3. Pentalpha 4. Colosseum 5. Dominus Maleficarum 6. Necrology 7. Ensanguined 8. Exaudi Luciferi 9. December 13th
In titling the record Colosseum, W.E.B. draw comparisons with the past and present, in typically brutal style. “The Colosseum was the famous gigantic arena in Rome to give the people ‘food and spectacle,’ whereas what it truly did was to quench the mob’s thirst for blood and violence and keep their minds away from thinking; kind of an ancient TV-brainwash machine,” notes Sakis. “People nowadays seem to be thirsty for blood more than ever. They seek violence in almost everything. You can see it in social media, in the streets – even a simple fight between kids in a schoolyard attracts the other kids, not to separate but to watch. Humans miss the Colosseum and what it gave to their violent nature, even though they will never admit it. The title Colosseum is the irony of giving them what they secretly desire. Maybe then they will start to understand what they see in their mirror and hopefully it will bother them.“
Colosseum was recorded, mixed, and mastered in Sound Abuse Production Studio in Athens by Psychon and produced by Sakis Prekas. While Sakis admits it was the most difficult record they’ve ever made, it was also the smoothest of all recording sessions, largely due to being so prepared. “It also had to do a lot with the chemistry between us and the way Psychon works with us: keeping the recordings on a strict schedule, and at the same time making us always feel comfortable to express ourselves.“
Still, there were obstacles to overcome when it came to orchestrations and arrangements. “When you enter the rabbit-hole of symphonic orchestra and synths, you are in a chaos of sounds, and new ideas are always born through this. We had to spend hours on sound design and decisions like never before, yet the outcome speaks for itself.“
W.E.B.: Sakis Prekas – guitars, vocals Hel Pyre – bass, vocals Sextus A. Maximus – lead guitars Nikitas Mandolas – drums
Ukrainian WWI experts 1914 continue to reflect the gruesome tales of World War I, its soldiers’ fate, their death, fear and feats to be never forgotten on their sinister new epos, Where Fear and Weapons Meet, out October 22, 2021 via Napalm Records.
After revealing their massive first outburst, “…And a Cross Now Marks His Place”, featuring none other than Paradise Lost icon Nick Holmes, the blackened death/doom metal frontrunners now reveal another scorching new track, entitled “Pillars of Fire (The Battle of Messines)”. The second single depicts The Battle of Messines in 1917 and starts off with an atmospheric introduction, drawing the listener deep into the album’s theme. Just within the blink of an eye, it erupts into a massive blackened death/doom outburst – freezing the blood in every vein.
Hptm. Ditmar Kumarberg comments: “This song describes the terrible events of the Battle of the Messines Ridge that occurred from June 7-14, 1917 in Belgium, one of the most insane episodes of the Great War.
Subjects of the British crown and ANZAC dug a huge tunnels under the German positions, packed them with hundreds of tons of explosives and blew them up. In one second, in just one moment, about 10,000 people died. They were simply torn to pieces. The human brain is always subject to non-trivial approaches to kill each other. The title of the track is a direct reference to the wonderful book by Jan Passingham – ‘Pillars of Fire: The Battle of the Messines Ridge’, also the movie ‘Beneath Hill 60’, and memories of the participants of this event. Some eyewitnesses described the scene as “pillars of fire”, although many also acknowledged this was indescribable.”
1914 break into their third offering with the intro “War In”, summed up by final “War Out”, and immediately build a common thread to the previous records. “War In” is the original of the most famous Serbian song of the Great War period, “Tamo Daleko”. Like World War I, the album begins in Serbia and continues on the first track from the prospective of Gavrilo Princip, who assassinated Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife on June 28, 1914 in Sarajevo and caused the outbreak of World War I.
What happens next is an intense, in-depth analysis of historical events. For example – Battle of Vimy Ridge, shameful pages of the British Empire history in the track “Coward” featuring Sasha Boole (Me And That Man), The Battle of Messines on “Pillars of Fire” or the infantry regiment, the Harlem Hellfighters, on “Don’t Tread On Me”. Authentic forces like ambient sonic war samplings transport these stories even further into the present and make Where Fear and Weapons Meet another heavily intense and deep-reaching output that will grant 1914 even higher appreciation than the five-piece is already credited with.
1914 on the album: “Where Fear and Weapons Meet continues the theme we started on The Blind Leading the Blind – with one major difference: these are the stories about hope where most of our characters are staying alive, becoming heroes, and returning back to their homes. Yes, it is still about fear, death, and senselessness of war, but the hope is the only thing the soldier holds on to. And a good portion of luck as well. Even the album cover reflects this – the man lays wounded, bleeding in the trench, reaching his hand to Death begging for relieve, and Death declines to take him. He deserves to live.
The album starts with the assassination in Sarajevo, leads you through the bloodiest moments of the Great War, and ends up with the monologue on a grave of a young man killed in his first battle. This time we did have even more hard digging into the historical background while making the tracks. We are not singing the songs, we are telling the stories!”
1914’s eleven new tracks of pure historic harshness follow up to the band’s sophomore full-length, The Blind Leading the Blind (2018), and debut, Eschatology of War (2015), both highly acclaimed amongst critics, and create a sophisticated variety of massively brutal blackened death metal accented by dramatic and realistic audio soundscapes and disquieting melodies spiced with the approach of sludge and doom!
Where Fear and Weapons Meet track listing: 1. War In 2. FN .380 ACP#19074 3. Vimy Ridge (In Memory of Filip Konowal) 4. Pillars of Fire (The Battle of Messines) 5. Don’t Tread on Me (Harlem Hellfighters) 6. Coward (feat. Sasha Boole) 7. …And a Cross Now Marks His Place (feat. Nick Holmes) 8. Corps d’autos-canons-mitrailleuses (A.C.M) 9. Mit Gott für König und Vaterland 10. The Green Fields of France 11. War Out
1914 live
Dive headfirst into WWI and experience 1914 live with bands like Konvent, (0), Livløs, Hiraes and Dwaal in 2022!
13.03.22 AT – Vienna / Viper Room 14.03.22 SK – Kosice / Collosseum 15.03.22 HU – Budapest / Blue Hell 18.03.22 IT – Venice / Revolver Music Hall 19.03.22 IT – Rome / Traffic Club 20.03.22 IT – Milan / Legend Club 22.03.22 FR – Toulouse / Le Rex 23.03.22 ES – Bilbao / Azkena 24.03.22 ES – A Coruña / Mardi Gras 25.03.22 PT – Porto / Metalpoint Club 26.03.22 PT – Lisbon / Side B Rocks 27.03.22 ES – Madrid / Wurlitzer 29.03.22 ES – Zaragoza / Sala López 30.03.22 ES – Barcelona / Razzmatazz 3 31.03.22 FR – Lyon / Rock n Eat 01.04.22 CH – Martigny / Sunset Bar 02.04.22 CH – Basel / Sommercasino 03.04.22 AT – Salzburg / Rockhouse Bar 06.04.22 DE – Trier / Mergener Hof 07.04.22 DE – Erfurt / From Hell 08.04.22 DK – Odense / Posten 09.04.22 DK – Copenhagen / Amager Bio 10.04.22 DK – Aalborg / Studenterhuset 12.04.22 SE – Stockholm / Hus 7 13.04.22 SE – Gothenburg / Valand 14.04.22 NO – Oslo / Inferno Metal Festival 15.04.22 DK – Kolding / Godset 16.04.22 DE – Hanover / Béi Chéz Heinz 17.04.22 DE – Munich / Backstage Halle (Dark Easter Metal Meeting) 18.04.22 FR – Colmar / Grillen 19.04.22 FR – Paris / Gibus 20.04.22 DE – Frankfurt / Nachtleben 21.04.22 DE – Bruchsal / Fabrik 22.04.22 DE – Lichtenfels / Ragnarök Festival 23.04.22 DE – Dortmund / Junkyard Tombstone Fest 24.04.22 NL – Eindhoven / Dynamo 28.04.22 UK – Plymouth / Underground 29.04.22 UK – Cardiff / Fuel 30.04.22 UK – Bridgwater / Southwest Heavyfest 01.05.22 UK – Birmingham / The Castle & Falcon 02.05.22 UK – London / Black Heart 03.05.22 UK – Stoke / Underground 04.05.22 UK – Manchester / Satans Hollow 05.05.22 UK – Glasgow / Audio 06.05.22 UK – Nottingham / Ye Old Salutation 07.05.22 UK – Leeds / Boom 11.05.22 BE – Bilzen / South of Heaven 12.05.22 DE – Osnabrück / Bastard Club 13.05.22 DK – Aarhus / Voxhall 14.05.22 NL – Erica / Pitfest 16.05.22 DE – Berlin / Nuke Club 17.05.22 DE – Dresden / Beatpol 18.05.22 DE – Munich / Backstage Club 19.05.22 CZ – Prague / Modra Voice 20.05.22 CZ – Ostrava / Barrak 21.05.22 CZ – Brno / Melodka 22.05.22 PL – Warszawa / Hydrozagadka
[Photo Credit: Holger Fichtner & Patrick Schneiderwind]
After revealing their enormous first single and new album title track, “Not The End Of The Road”, KISSIN’ DYNAMITE set the game ablaze again with their igniting new single, “What Goes Up”!
The German chart-toppers (#7 on the GER album charts) deliver with “What Goes Up” –another explosive banger filled with dangerous guitar attacks and anthemic hooks that will surely amaze any heavy metal fan out there. Together with the new single, KISSIN’ DYNAMITE end the summer on a sizzling high note with their jaw-dropping, top-quality music video recorded in Mallorca!
KISSIN’ DYNAMITE on “What Goes Up”: “’What Goes Up’ is the incarnation of our maxim: Bring Back Stadium Rock! A tasty guitar riff introduces into the song, framed by thundering 2-4 drums. You immediately feel the need to put your leather jacket on, go out with your friends and simply have a good time. The sexy shuffle rhythm leads to a catchy chorus that makes you wanna sing along. Lyrically, the tune is about a protagonist who has reached everything but in the end is still unsatisfied. We wanted to deliver all this in a cinematic broadcast video showing off nearly every thinkable rock cliche, just because we can! So jump into this cozy, long forgotten world of stadium rock ’cause ‘What Goes Up’ must come down!”
Founded in 2007, German heavy metal formation KISSIN’ DYNAMITE have made more than just a name for themselves in the scene: With six studio albums and various chart entries (#7 on the GER album charts with their full-length Ecstasy in 2018), the band established their trademark style – characterized by modern sound, massive anthems and catchy hooks paired with an 80s stadium rock attitude and eccentric look. Now, the five piece is ready to release their Napalm Records debut, Not The End Of The Road, and usher in heavy metal in 2022!
The new studio album was produced, recorded and mixed by vocalist Hannes Braun (Südland Music) himself, who has also worked with bands like Santiano, The Kelly Family and Beyond The Black. Mastering was completed by Grammy Award winning producer Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios, known for his work with bands like Volbeat and many more.
Ande Braun on the new album: “Not The End Of The Road is an album which accurately describes our experiences as a band since Ecstasy 2018. First and foremost, we highlight with songs like ‘Not The End Of The Road’, ‘What Goes Up’, ‘Yoko Ono’ and ‘Only The Dead’: We’re up for it, we’re pulling together and we want to reach the rock Olympus! Titles like ‘Coming Home’, ‘Gone For Good’ and ‘Scars’, on the other hand, deal with real feelings like loneliness, homesickness and sadness, which are also part of life.”
Hannes Braun adds: “With Ecstasy we already didn’t make any compromises and just wanted to compose music that speaks from us. Not The End Of The Road seamlessly picks up exactly here.”
Pre-Order Your Copy of Not The End Of The RoadNOW!
With Not The End Of The Road, KISSIN’ DYNAMITE set another milestone in their successful discography: In guitar-driven power metal fashion, the tune of the intro and title track “Not The End Of The Road” prepares the listener for a thrilling road trip and new anthems straight from the heart of the KISSIN’ DYNAMITE universe. Crusher “What Goes Up” takes its listener into the truly spectacular soundscapes that make stadiums shake and convinces with Aerosmith-like guitar attacks and an anthemic hook. But KISSIN’ DYNAMITE are also not afraid to show their mellower side, as heard on delightfully tranquil tracks like “Good Life” and “Gone For Good” – not only showcasing the almost calm touches pervading the melodies, but also presenting the softer side of Braun’s vocal repertoire. While tracks like “No One Dies A Virgin” and “Yoko Ono” symbolize catchy party hymns, standouts “Coming Home” and “Defeat It” underline their origins of stadium rock without being pigeonholed. “Voodoo Spell” manifests the variety of the band and their different influences – starting with strong dark rock elements, the song becomes an opus that easily competes with the biggest stadium giants. The album’s closer, “Scars”, proves once again that KISSIN’ DYNAMITE can reach the depths and showcase lyrical vulnerability – an impressive ending that screams to be played live.
Not The End Of The Road track listing: 1. Not the End of the Road 2. What Goes Up 3. Only the Dead 4. Good Life 5. Yoko Ono 6. Coming Home 7. All for a Halleluja 8. No One Dies a Virgin 9. Gone for Good 10. Defeat It 11. Voodoo Spell 12. Scars
On Not The End Of The Road, KISSIN’ DYNAMITE continue the cooperation with the Förderverein für krebskranke Kinder Tübingen e.V., a charity organization that supports children with cancer in the rockers’ hometown. The song “Good Life” picks up the topic perfectly. The complete proceeds of the title are to be donated to the association.
The album and the album title thus have a real meaning that touches people on several levels and has the right song ready for every personal life situation.
As TREMONTI prepares to release their 5th studio album Marching In Time on September 24th, the band has revealed a new lyric video for the album’s fourth single, the spine-tingling “Now And Forever”. Its video emerges in visually captivating black and white, providing the perfect backdrop to the song’s gripping lyrics. Driven by the signature sound of guitarist Mark Tremonti as he sings: “My once jaded heart’s been fortified But left on empty,” the song and video are a perfect example of his keen ability to create memorable melodies and thought-provoking lyrics.
The lyric video for “Now And Forever” can be seen HERE!
To commemorate the release of Marching In Time, TREMONTI – comprised of Mark Tremonti (vocals/guitars), Eric Friedman (guitars), Tanner Keegan (bass) and Ryan Bennett (drums) – will be performing their first ever livestream, broadcast via NoCap Shows on release date (September 24th). The livestream will begin at 9PM ET/6PM PT/3am CEST and will be available for the entire week following the premiere. The show setlist will be comprised of songs from the new album as well as fan favorites from the previous four albums.
Tickets for the livestream are currently on sale and available HERE!
Mark Tremonti is no stranger to storytelling. Throughout his years with top-charting bands Alter Bridge and Creed, and most recently his solo band, Mark has never strayed from his love of writing memorable songs. With the upcoming fifth album, Marching In Time, the band looks to continue this trend while exploring their love for heavy music, drawing from current events from the last year to form the basis of each song. While its predecessor, A Dying Machine, was an overall concept album seeped in darker sentiments and story, the vibe of Marching In Time is different – emerging as a charging rock/metal offering that takes the listener on 12 individual journeys. Marching In Time is scheduled for global release on September 24th via Napalm Records and fans that pre-order the album digitally will receive instant downloads of “A World Away”, “Marching In Time”, “If Not For You” and “Now And Forever”.
Marching In Time is now available for pre-order HERE!
From the driving drum beat of opener “A World Away” to the epic closer “Marching In Time,” the new album is a reflective look at the world around us today. TREMONTI’s unmatched musicianship bleeds through the album, showcased on tracks like “Thrown Further,” “In One Piece” and the thought provoking “Would You Kill”. Alternatively, the band displays their softer side on pensive tracks “The Last One Of Us” and “Not Afraid to Lose.” The debut single “If Not For You” shows the evolution of the band’s sound in 2021 and the music video is a frenetic, high-energy performance video that visually compliments the single that is currently impacting radio. The music video can be seen here. The album closer “Marching In Time” clocks in at 7:34 and a recently released music video for the epic can be seen here. The recently released live video version of “A World Away” opens with a musical intro before switching into the driving metal riff that kicks off the upcoming album. The video was recorded live in Orlando, FL and features live vocals and instrumentation that gives fans a taste of what they can expect from any TREMONTI performance. The live video for “A World Away” can be seen here. Marching In Time was produced longtime friend and collaborator Michael “Elvis” Baskette – the producer Mark has worked with exclusively since 2007.
The track listing for Marching In Time is:
A World Away
Now And Forever
If Not For You
Thrown Further
Let That Be Us
The Last One Of Us
In One Piece
Under The Sun
Not Afraid To Lose
Bleak
Would You Kill
Marching In Time
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
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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
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Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 