A.D.2020 released a new video on Sunday August 1, 2021, for their cover of the song “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” by the band WAR. The track is from their forthcoming album Lockdown Diaries which is being released today, August 10th.
The video features the members of A.D.2020 playing the track in the studio and their home studios. The track is fresh and fun with each member taking a swing at lead vocals as well.
Recorded on two continents during the pandemic A.D.2020 is a collective studio project featuring in order of appearance in the video.
“We discussed doing a remake of this song early in the conversations that lead to the A.D.2020 project. I think the video is great because it shows us all during the lockdown playing and having fun and there are also some moments of humor and fantasy.It’s also a bit of a mantra we all live by “ Why Can’t We (All Just) Be Friends? “ the world would be a better place if we could all be friends. Our version of the song is the only song I can think of that has 6 lead vocal parts which also makes it a really unique cover. We hope the guys in WAR like the cover of their great song” says Todd Thanhauser.
The video features the following musicians:
Mark McNelley -Lead Vocals Melvin Brannon Jr. – Bass Guitar, Upright Bass, Harmonica, Vocals Todd Thanhauser- Drums, Vocals Dan Reed, Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal- Lead Guitar, Vocals Greg Smith- Bass Guitar, Vocals
As the time ticks down to the October 1 release of HIMMELLEGEME‘s sophomore full-length “Variola Vera”, Karisma Records have released another single and accompanying video from the album to whet the appetite of the band’s growing fan-base.
The track chosen glories in the title of “Blowing Raspberries” about which the band have this to say:
“Blowing Raspberries” was also one of the earlier tracks written for this release. Aleksander brought the band a short demo, sort of as a joke. It wasn’t like anything he’d written before, but we quickly realized it had the potential to be a banger. Lyrically the subject is written as a space cop drama set in the future. Both lyrically and musically there are some hints pointing to a certain decade – or time period – so, put your down on and shake your bones loose!
“Blowing Raspberries” can be downloaded or streamed from a number of services at this location.
Whilst the video can be seen below.
Recorded from late spring through to the late fall of 2020 at Bergen’s Broen Studio, “Variola Vera” is the follow-up to HIMMELLEGEME’s critically acclaimed debut “Myth of Earth”, an album that brought the band to the attention of prog audiences world-wide.
Produced by Anders Bjelland (ELECTRIC EYE / HYPERTEXT) who also mixed and mastered the album, “Variola Vera” is, according to the band, “not quite a concept album” as they recently explained:
The overall themes of the album are the impact we humans have on planet earth, and the destruction we leave in our wake wherever we go. Not only in regards to the planet itself, but also to the people inhabiting it. It’s not a concept album per se – the lyrics are fictional with roots in reality, but based on newer and older events seen from different viewpoints.
Influenced by both Blues and Atmospheric Prog Rock, HIMMELLEGEME’s lineup of Aleksander Vormestrand (vocals, guitar), Hein Alexander Olson (lead guitar, slide, drums), Lauritz Isaksen (keys), Erik Alfredsen (bass, backing vocals, misc. instruments), Leiv Martin Green (drums, backing vocals), use heavy-hitting riffs, chilling melodies and melancholic lyrics, to create a dark, otherworldly, and timeless sound.
With cover art by Samantha Muljat, the track list for “Variola Vera” is as follows:
Shaping Mirrors Like Smoke
Heart Listening
Blowing Raspberries
Brother
Let the Mother Burn
Caligula
Agafia
Variola Vera
Set for release in CD, Digital, and Limited Edition LP Formats, “Variola Vera” is now available to pre-order from:
Icelandic ambient rockers of KONTINUUM are now releasing their brand new track ‘Hjartavél’. The new single can be found on the official Season of Mist YouTube channel below.
The band comments: “‘Hjartavél’ marks the first movement of a new cycle. Just like any artist knows, we needed to pump blood back into our creative hearts after the pandemic. Drawing inspiration from the works of Einar Jónson, we set off with our dear friend and audio engineer, Jón Dal, to create something new, something different. We built our hjartavél.”
KONTINUUM previously released a stunning new video for the track ‘Two Moons’, which is taken from the band’s 2018 album ‘No Need to Reason’. The video can be viewed HERE.
The cover art of ‘No Need to Reason’ was created by Saga Sig.
Track-list 1. Shivers (4:20) 2. Lifelust (5:58) 3. Warm Blood (2:29) 4. Neuron (5:08) 5. No Need to Reason (4:14) 6. Low Road (5:02) 7. Erotica (3:43) 8. Stargaze (5:19) 9. Two Moons (5:44) 10. Black Feather (5:05) Total playing time: 47:02
After weeks of anticipation, German post-black metal outfit AGRYPNIE have released their 6th full-length album, “Metamorphosis,” with AOP Records. Stream it now at the link below.
Long before the well-known Avant-garde Black Metal institution Nocte Obducta parted ways, Torsten had originated AGRYPNIE – which was meant to be a solo project and refuge for his song ideas at first.
After the break up of Nocte Obducta and a split release with the German Death Metal outfit Fated, AGRYPNIE proved to have grown from a solo project to a serious band with their first full-length album “F51.4”. The album was released at the end of 2006 and managed to attract a considerable amount of listeners with its unique cold atmosphere.
After finishing the recordings for “F51.4”, Torsten started writing songs for the album’s successor “Exit”. With a fully functional line up including a real drummer, “Exit” sounded a lot more organic than the debut where Torsten had used a drum machine.
With “16[485]”, the first album with an excessive playing time of more than one hour, AGRYPNIE managed to emphasize its special status.
After the forerunner “Asche EP,” AGRYPNIE again create their very own world and even step further. The magnum opus “Aetas Cineris” restages AGRYPNIE as a mature institution in the fields of modern black metal creating a remarkable sound: both aggressive and exceptionally ambitious at the same time.
The album “Grenzgænger” can be offhand entitled as their magnum opus. With a playing time of overall more than one hour AGRYPNIE have created a multifaceted cosmos of sound which drags the listener more and more towards the abyss. Enraged furiousness abruptly turns into disenchanting hopelessness and all boundaries of time and space seem to blur with every step you take towards infinity.
Now in 2021 and signed to AOP Records, AGRYPNIE is ready to release the new album “Metamorphosis” and taking a step forward.
With the new drummer Flo (Theotoxin) and guests vocals from Schammasch, Negator, Thormesis and The Cold Room the band delivered their most ambitious and most varied album.
Instrumental proggers ADDIKTIO release their new single and music video titled “Genetic Circus” today! The trio’s new release is a powerful, 7-minute ride, with a symphonic complexity. As the band states: “Genetic Circus is our favorite on the record! A progressive symphony with catchy hooks, complex rhythms and constantly evolving passages. The song narrates both hope and dystopia, like the genetic circus we all live in”.
“Genetic Circus” is the second single off Addiktio’s upcoming record, TBR this Fall via Indie Recordings.
Addiktio deliver progressive, blistering sound, by mixing the elements of rock, jazz, and metal, into a unique sonic experience. The talented trio members are all active as session musicians for several Norwegian acts, where the most known internationally are Shining and Ina Wroldsen, and the most known nationally are Gabrielle, Darling West, Marit Larsen, Odd Nordstoga, Ida Maria, Lido ++.
Their debut album “Verraton” saw the light of day in 2018 and was met with raving reviews from the Norwegian press. “[…] these are top-level musicians making it impossible to give anything but a high score” was the review from Musikknyheter, while the newspaper Fædrelandsvennen wrote that “Norway has a new power-trio, creating a mighty mix from rock, jazz, and metal”.
Just recently, Italian bass master and composer ALBERTO RIGONI (solo, BAD AS, NATURAL BORN MACHINE, Bassists Alliance Project, Vivaldi Metal Project etc.) announced his new project and EP, ‘Metal Addicted‘, coming out August 15th, containing covers of Pantera, Megadeth, Slayer, Metallica and Anthrax.
Today Alberto releases the second official video for MEGADETH‘s “Symphony Of Destruction“, watch it below.
Besides Alberto, ‘Metal Addicted’ EP features female singer Ira Green (Winner of THE VOICE as Rock singer in 2015), legendary drummer Marco Minnemann (The Aristocrats), guitarists Tommy Massara (Extrema), Loida Liuzzi (soloist) and Albert Marshall (soloist, session man).
Drums recorded at Lakeshore Studios (LA, USA) and mixed by Simone Mularoni at Domination Studio (Italy) Tracks mixed and mastered by Alberto Rigoni Tommy Massara photo by Luca Passerotti
Born in 1981, Alberto Rigoni is an Italian bass player and composer, internationally known for his career as a solo artist and as a member of the metal band BAD As, The Italians, Natural Born Machines Lady & THE BASS, co-producer of the Vivaldi Metal Project and member of progressive rock band TwinSpirits (no more active).
Between 2008 and 2020 Alberto has released worldwide 9 solo album (Something Different, Rebirth, Three Wise Monkeys, Overloaded, BASSORAMA, Duality, EvoRevolution, Prog Injection, Odd Times), spanning from progressive rock metal to fusion. His albums also featured legendary musicians such as Kevin Moore (ex Dream Theater), Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree, King Crimson), Marco Minnemann (the Aristocrats), Göran Edman (ex Yngwie Malmsteen), Michael Manring and many others. Alberto has been featured on the cover of magazines such as Bass Magazine (Japan), Bass Musician Magazine (USA), Bajos Y Bajistas (Spain), Basistas (Poland), TOP BASS (Poland). Moreover, in March 2015 the prestigious Bass Guitar Magazine (UK) released Alberto’s CD anthology called “Into THE BASS.”
Alberto has also recorded for several international artists such as Italian pop singer Alexia and he is also playing bass for Canadian rock singer and songwriter Kim Bingham (ex-Nelly Furtado) and The Italians, sharing stages with artists such as Alan Parson, Suzanne Vega, Jørn Lande, Paul Gilbert, Vinnie Moore and others.
In 2016 founded a new metal band called BADASS (now called BAD As) which released three albums (More Pain More Gain, Midnight Curse and Crucified Society.
On December 15th 2017, Rigoni together with bassist Jeff Hughell (Six Feet Under) released a new studio project called Bassists Alliance. The first album “Crush” featured top notch bassists such as Michael Manring, Adam Nitti, Steve di Giorgio, Colin Edwin, Mark Mitchell, Scott Reeder, Dmitry Lisenko, Brandino BassMaster, Ryan Martini, Leonid Maksimov, Tony Grey.
In 2019 founded a new AOR band called “Natural Born Machine” featuring famous Pink Cream 69 singer David Readman. Their debut album “Human” was released on February 19th 2021 by Pride and Joy Music.
Currently he is also collaborating with famous producer Hiro Furuya (Elton John, Eric Clapton, etc.) as session bassist.
His tenth album “For The Love of Bass” feat. all star bassists such as Nathan East, Lee Sklar, Michael Manring, Doug Wimbish and many others will be released on April 2nd 2021.
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 ) 