No band embodies the spirit of black metal like Mayhem. The Norwegians set the standard for the genre with their canonical 1994 debut, only to return six years later and defy all convention on their daring follow-up. That fall, the band brought their grand declaration to life by seizing the stage at one of Europe’s oldest settlement with Live in Marseille 2000.
Today, Season of Mist is celebrating 25 years of Live in Marseille by announcing a special anniversary edition of the album. Legions of fans can now relive this iconic performance from the true legends of black metal on a new colored vinyl edition that includes an exclusive embroidered patch and poster.
The 25th anniversary edition of Live in Marseille 2000 comes out June 26, 2026 on Season of Mist.
Available formats: Limited-edition 2×12” Colored Vinyl (Red and Black Splatter) with full color poster and embroidered patch
“Live in Marseille was filmed and recorded during the final performance of our European tour in support of Grand Declaration of War in 2000. It marked out first extensive tour since ‘the return…’, and it proved to be an intense yet highly successful journey”, Mayhem guitarist Blasphemer remembers.
“At that time, we were moving toward something distinctly different – what I consider a truly groundbreaking direction, reflective of the shifting landscape of the early 2000s. Whether embraced or challenged, this evolution represented a necessary expansion of our sound, not only for the band but for the genre as a whole.
“As a raw, vile, and chaotic as this recording may be, it stands as a crucial and defining chapter in the band’s history and enduring legacy”.
“Live in Marseille was recorded at the end of a long tour”, remembers Mayhem vocalist Maniac. “It was a band of worn out rebels hitting the stage in Marseille that evening. Somehow, maybe the loneliness of the long distance runners fused that night into a raging fire and pulled out whatever hidden strength and hatred was left in the combined machinery of Mayhem. We pulled off a great gig, the last stand of a long tour manifested in the rage of a hour-headed beast!”
“We were all young. We had no idea what we were doing, but we were gonna do it anyway – from stocking the dry ice in a fridge that was not plugged in to finding the barbed wire, the pig’s head and the military stock machine guns”, Season of Mist founder and manager Michael Berberian says. “I haven’t watched it since. It’s probably good, bad, amateurish, but it’s full of passion and a testimony of where things were in black metal in 2000”.
Tracklist
Intro (Silvester Anfang) (1:57) In the Lies Where upon You Lay (4:41) Fall of Seraphs (5:34) Carnage (4:25) Crystalized Pain in Deconstruction (3:40) Buried by Time and Dust (3:33) Symbols of Bloodswords (4:14) View from Nihil (3:47) Deathcrush (3:28) To Daimonion (3:20) Freezing Moon (6:14) Chainsaw Gutsfuck (4:39) A Time to Die (1:53) Pure Fucking Armageddon (1:49) I Am Thy Labyrinth / From the Dark Past (8:26)
The dynamic rock band Swim the Current is excited to announce the release of their latest single, “Already Dead”, via TLG|ZOID, distributed by Virgin Music Group. This incredible new track was co-produced by George Pond and David Caplinger.
The title of the track has taken on a deeper meaning in the wake of a frightening real-world event involving bassist George Pond.
Pond recently traveled overseas to perform shows in Japan with Mass Punishment, but during the run he suddenly fell ill and suffered a massive heart attack far from home, away from friends and family. Fortunately, the band is relieved to share that George is now making a strong recovery, and is expected to return to the U.S. soon.
In a powerful coincidence, Swim the Current’s new single “Already Dead” arrives as a reminder of how quickly everything can change and how resilience can rise from even the darkest moments.
Alongside the single, Swim the Current also unveiled the lyric video for “Already Dead.”
Bringing together an all-star lineup of rock talents, including vocalist Marcos Leal (formerly of Ill Niño), bassist George Pond (Disciples of Verity), guitarist Greg Antine, drummer Chris Moore (George Lynch, Ultraphonix, Rock of Ages), and lead guitarist Joe Gareri, takes the band’s sound to new heights.
Having played in numerous bands throughout the years, Guitarist Greg Antine came to a point in his career where he wanted to branch out and write songs that had more depth and were inspired by his personal life experiences. Having worked with Bassist George Pond for several years in previous projects including, Disciples Of Verity, Greg expressed his concept for Swim The Current to George in hopes of collaborating with him on this new music venture. The two began to flesh out ideas in George’s home studio and realized quickly that they were on to something special, but still needed something more to see their ideas through to complete their concepts. Greg was introduced to Joe Gareri, Guitar/Keyboards, by George during the Disciples Of Verity debut album recording sessions which Joe is also featured on as a guest artist. The three of them immediately hit it off and worked extremely well together. Greg and George realized that Joe’s cinematic writing style would be a perfect match for their concepts and Joe was then brought in as a full time member. After two songs were completed and demo’d in George’s studio utilizing programmed drums, it was suggested by their friend Allyson Song River Jaynes, that they reach out to her friend, drummer Chris Moore of Ultraphonix, Rock Of Ages, to see if he would be interested in working with the project. Upon hearing the strength of songwriting and musicianship of the band, Chris was all in and signed on as the fourth full time member of STC and now the band, from an instrument’s perspective, was complete.
The final missing piece for STC was a lead vocalist who could capture the sound they envisioned for their music. After working in the studio with a few different vocalists, George ultimately reached out to his friend Marcos Leal, of legendary international touring band Ill Nino. Marcos loved the music of STC as well as having the freedom and creativity of writing lyrics for the project. After recording their first song together with Marcos, “We Are Not The Same”, everyone new that this lineup was something special and Swim The Current was now complete! The release of “We Are Not The Same” took off instantly, and amassed thousands of streams, YouTube views and followers through a total organic DIY social media campaign.
Swim The Current’s sound is influenced and reminiscent of many of their favorite artists including, Deftones, Faith No More, Sevendust, POD, and Stabbing Westward. They continue to write new music and look forward to sharing their future releases with the world!
As recently announced, Italian death-grind veterans UNDERTAKERS will release their new album “Global Dominion” on July 10th, 2026 via Time To Kill Records.
Today, the band unveils the album’s tracklist and cover artwork, with the record set to surprise many thanks to its distinctive identity and uncompromising sonic vision.
Tracklist:
1. Call To Arms (intro) 2. United Front 3. Global Dominion 4. All Out War 5. Plutocracy Era 6. Iron Regime 7. Collapse Protocol 8. Rise of Resistance 9. Just Keep Fighting 10. Bodies’ Supermarket
“Global Dominion” marks the most mature chapter in the band’s history. It is where everything finally locks into place: grindcore violence, hardcore urgency, death metal weight and sharp black metal edges fused into a modern sound that never betrays its old-school DNA. No nostalgia trip, no trend-chasing—just experience, control, and intent.
The record is built on contrast: precision versus chaos, speed versus crushing mid-tempos, modern production versus a raw, uncompromising attitude. Every track serves a purpose, every riff hits with direction. This is a band that knows exactly who it is and has nothing left to prove.
Lyrically and conceptually, the album is both a denunciation and a reflection. “Global Dominion” is the core statement: a ruthless look at power, control, and submission in contemporary society, but also a mirror held up to human nature itself. This is not abstract politics, it’s about systems we live in, benefit from, and are crushed by at the same time.
Tracks like “Rise of the Resistance”, “Collapse Protocol”, and “Iron Regime” define the first impact: rebellion, systemic failure, and enforced order. “Plutocracy Era” sharpens the focus, exposing a world ruled by wealth and influence, while “Just Keep Fighting” stands as a blunt survival mantra. The album closes with “Global Dominion” and “United Front”, tying the narrative together: awareness without illusions, resistance without rhetoric.
This is a heavy record with something to say. Cold, aggressive, and direct. Modern in form, old-school in spirit. No compromises.
The first single and further details about the album will be revealed soon.
Line-up:
Enrico Giannone – Insults Stefano Casanica – Guitar Marco Mastrobuono – bass Giorgio Cifuni – Guitar Alfonso Mocerino – drums
UNDERTAKERS – Hate Since 1991
Formed in late 1991, UNDERTAKERS are among the longest-running and most uncompromising bands of the Italian extreme underground.
Over the decades, they have shared the stage with an insane number of international acts, including Napalm Death, Suffocation, Malevolent Creation, Vader, Cannibal Corpse, Vital Remains, Fuzztones, Sinister, Dog Eat Dog, Krabathor, Disgorge, Pandemia, Ryker’s and many more far too many to list properly.
The band has completed three European tours and appeared multiple times at major festivals such as Brutal Assault and Dynamo Open Air, building a solid reputation as a relentless and unforgiving live act.
Originally rooted in classic death metal, UNDERTAKERS have constantly evolved their sound into a violent and unmistakable mix of grindcore, brutal death metal and hardcore. The result is a raw and aggressive hybrid best described as pure brutal-core.
UNDERTAKERS were personally selected by 99 Posse as representatives of the Italian extreme scene for a BMG-promoted tribute project celebrating ten years of activity of the Neapolitan collective. This collaboration resulted in a grindcore reworking of the iconic track “Ripetutamente”, a crossover experiment that perfectly reflects the band’s anarchic and uncompromising attitude.
Throughout their career, the band has appeared on numerous compilations, released a 7” produced by Kick Promotion, and featured on Rock TV with performances on Database, Sala Prove and Rock TV Tour.
Their discography includes the split “Chaos in Musica” (Massacro Records) and the experimental release “Revision Distortion X-Version” (Nocturnal Music), an electronic reinterpretation of “Vision Distortion Perversion” blending grind, jungle and techno—clear proof that UNDERTAKERS have never played it safe.
In 2020, the band returned with “Dictatorial Democracy”, released on October 30th by Time To Kill Records in three ultra-limited vinyl editions. The album is a brutal summary of the band’s entire career, featuring new and classic tracks alongside two essential covers: “Fascist Pig” (Suicidal Tendencies) and the grind version of “Ripetutamente”.
In 2024, UNDERTAKERS released a split 7” with Plakkaggio, delivering a death metal reinterpretation of the punk classic “Pet Sematary” by the Ramones once again twisting icons into something far more extreme.
Long, long time ago…. The death of Buddy Holly, in a plane crash in February 1959, sent a seismic shock through the then-infant world of rock’n’roll, and one that continues to resonate today. Of all the multitude of musical passings since then, still Holly – just 22 at the time – continues to haunt the musical imagination, as successive generations look back at the magnificent music that he made, and dreamed of all that he might have achieved thereafter.
Short-haired, clean cut and bespectacled, Holly might have been the most “un-rock-ish” looking star of his age. But as a songwriter, singer and performer, he was peerless. February 3 1959 may not have been “the day the music died,” as Don Mclean sang in “American Pie.” But it certainly took a long time to recover from the shock.
Headcat – the dream team gathering of Lemmy, Danny B Harvey and Slim Jim Phantom – certainly aren’t the first act to pay tribute to Holly. From legendary 60s producer Joe Meek (“Tribute to Buddy Holly”) to the off-duty Paul McCartney & Wings (Denny Laine’s Holly Days album), and onto ground breaking covers by everyone from the Rolling Stones to Steeleye Span, Melanie to Cat Power.
Headcat’s tribute, however, might well be the loudest, and most powerful, of them all.
The original sessions took place back in the summer of 1999, and were released in 2006 as part of Headcat’s acclaimed Fool’s Paradise debut album. It was to these original masters that Danny returned while preparing this album, remastering his original mixes, rather than working with the released versions. The result is a fuller, more solid sound than ever before.
Danny relates the genesis of the albums, “When Lemmy, Slim Jim and I first teamed up to record a Headcat album, we knew it would be filled with songs we cherished and had always dreamed of recording.
“Since we had the chance to pick any great artist we loved (like Chuck Berry, The Beatles, Carl Perkins etc), it’s a bit funny that nine out of the thirteen songs we recorded for our first record were Buddy Holly songs. To top it off and add the icing to the cake, we also recorded an instrumental version of “True Love Ways,” making it a cool ten Buddy Holly songs.”
Now, the Holly tracks alone have been isolated, together with three previously unreleased alternate mixes, to create Headcat Plays Buddy Holly, 13 smoking hot slabs of riotous retro rock’n’roll, as performed by three masters of the form.
“At the time I was mixing the album, there were many harmony vocal tracks, all done by Lemmy, that I made multiple mixes of every track with different levels of harmony vocals, from no background vocals to all the harmonies I had recorded. This release includes three bonus mixes I made with no background vocals added, stripped down and bare.”
Buddy Holly
Of course Headcat were perfectly qualified to make a record like this. Lemmy grew up on Holly’s music – he was 11 when “Peggy Sue” gave Buddy and his band, The Crickets, their first UK hit, I October 1957, and their music was forever on the radio thereafter. Slim Jim, of course, was one-third of the Stray Cats, who regularly covered Holly in concert; and Danny B Harvey’s Rockats, too, were firmly grounded in the 50s rockabilly milieu.
Danny continues, “I’m so exited this album is coming out, showing how important Buddy Holly was to Lemmy, Slim Jim and I. We all love Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee and Little Richard, but as Lemmy said in his book White Line Fever, “Buddy Holly never did a bad track, as far as I could hear.” I’m sure that’s why our first album was mainly Buddy Holly songs.”
They don’t go for the obvious numbers, either. “Not Fade Away” might have become a monster hit for the Stones, but it started life as the b-side of Stray Cats’ favorite “Oh Boy.” “Fool’s Paradise,” too, was a b-side, credited to the Crickets alone (although of course Holly sang on it); “Take Your Time” was the flip of “Rave On”; and, while “Peggy Sue Got Married” and “True Love Ways” were major hits, they were released only after Holly died.
Others here, in the (admittedly loathsome) parlance of modern radio, could easily be described as “deep cuts.” but even they have a storied history behind them – “Crying Waiting Hoping” was a late 1970s single by Wreckless Eric; “Take Your Time” and “Tell Me How” were covered by The Hollies; “Learning The Game” was a Lemonheads favorite; “Well… Alright” has been revisited by Blind Faith (featuring Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood) and Santana.
And all are a towering monument to the sheer brilliance of Holly as a songwriter, and testament, too, to the deserved longevity of his music and legend. In Headcat’s hands, it’s easy to see why a skinny kid from Lubbock, Texas, is as much an integral a part of modern culture as he was to the birth of rock’n’roll, a full 70 years ago.
Plays Buddy Holly is released on CD and red./yellow split color vinyl on May 15. A digital EP featuring the alternate mixes of“Fool’s Paradise,” “Peggy Sue Got Married” and “Crying, Waiting, Hoping” is released the same day.
1. Fool’s Paradise 2. Tell Me How 3. Not Fade Away 4. Take Your Time 5. Well…All Right 6. Learning The Game 7. Peggy Sue Got Married 8. Crying, Waiting, Hoping 9. Love’s Made A Fool Of You 10. True Love Ways 11. Fool’s Paradise 12. Peggy Sue Got Married 13. Crying, Waiting, Hoping
Death metal titans DYING FETUS are set to decimate stages this fall on a crushing co-headline tour with Sanguisugabogg. The tour will kick off on September 17th in Philadelphia at Franklin Music Hall and will run through October 24th, wrapping up in Richmond at The National.
Support for the tour comes from a stacked lineup including Crowbar, Left to Suffer, and Deterioration, with Scorching Tomb appearing on select dates.
John Gallagher of DYING FETUS had this to say about the upcoming tour:
“Now this is the kind of bill we’re talking about — Crowbar and Deterioration are legends in their own right, Sanguisugabogg are leading the new breed of extreme metal, and Left to Suffer are one of the hottest up-and-coming heavyweights– We are bringing all of it to 32 cities this fall, and we’re not holding anything back. See you in the pit.”
A variety of pre-sales are available ahead of the general on-sale:
Local/venue pre-sales launch today at 2pm ET (where applicable)
Spotify pre-sale begins Wednesday, April 29th at 2pm ET (password: REIGNSUPREME)
Knotfest.com pre-sale begins Wednesday, April 29th at 2pm ET (password: MAKEITHURT)
All pre-sales run through Thursday, April 30th, at 10pm local time
General on-sale begins Friday, May 1st at 10am local time.
A full list of tour dates is available below.
Co-Headlining with Sanguisugabogg Feat. Support from Crowbar, Left to Suffer, Deterioration +Scorching Tomb on Select Dates
9/17 — Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall 9/18 — Baltimore/DC, MD @ Fillmore Silver Spring 9/19 — Worcester, MA @ The Palladium 9/20 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel 9/21 — Montreal, QC @ Olympia + 9/23 — Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall + 9/25 — Pontiac, MI @ Crofoot Ballroom 9/26 — Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave 9/27 — Chicago, IL @ HOB Chicago 9/28 — Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom 9/29 — Minneapolis, MN @ Fillmore Minneapolis 10/1 — Denver, CO @ Summit 10/2 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Rockwell at The Complex 10/3 — Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory * 10/4 — Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory 10/5 — Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater 10/6 — Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo 10/8 — Berkeley, CA @ UC Theatre 10/9 — Riverside, CA @ Riverside Municipal Auditorium * 10/10 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo 10/12 — Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren 10/13 — Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater 10/15 — Austin, TX @ Emo’s 10/16 — San Antonio, TX @ The Aztec Theatre 10/17 — Houston, TX @ House of Blues 10/18 — Dallas, TX @ The Bomb Factory 10/20 — Tampa, FL @ Jannus Landing 10/21 — Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade 10/22 — Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl 10/23 — Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz 10/24 — Richmond, VA @ The National *
*No Crowbar +w/ Scorching Tomb
Self-reliance and musical integrity are the two principles to which DYING FETUS have always lived by. Formed in 1991, during the height of the death metal explosion, DYING FETUS have matured into one of the premiere extreme death metal/grindcore acts to emerge from the massive global metal underground.
Combining an innovative mix of technical virtuosity and catchy song structures to create the ultimate blend of death metal, hardcore and grind, the band is recognized worldwide as a prime example of songwriting perfection across nine studio albums: ‘Purification Through Violence’ (1996), ‘Killing On Adrenaline’ (1998), ‘Destroy The Opposition’ (2001), ‘Stop At Nothing’ (2003), ‘War Of Attrition’ (2007), ‘Descend Into Depravity’ (2009), ‘Reign Supreme’ (2012)), ‘Wrong One to Fu*k With’ (2017), and their latest album, ‘Make Them Beg for Death’ (2023).
Now over 25+ years into their distinguished career, DYING FETUS cement their legacy and uphold their position as the most dominant force in death metal today.
DYING FETUS are: John Gallagher – Vocals/Guitar Sean Beasley – Bass Trey Williams – Drums
Though longtime masters of the vile art known as death metal, Defiled aren’t relics or custodians for the old-school. Since 1992, the living legends have shared the stage with Morbid Angel, Mayhem, Cannibal Corpse and Incantation, but their upcoming ninth album continues to take the genre in dark but unexpected directions. On Altered State, they deliver a dizzying blast of death metal straight from the future.
“While rooted in death metal’s formative years, the record pushes far beyond genre orthodoxy”, Metal Injection wrote upon the album’s announcement.
Today, Defiled are releasing a music video for the second advanced single from Altered State. With its slippery groove, “Obsession” turns more heads than the occult.
“Altered State is an expansion of our last two albums, The Highest Level and Horror Beyond Horror”, Defiled guitarist and founding member Yusuke Sumita says. “It centers on altered states of human consciousness. Each song explores different forms of extreme psychology or mental manipulation”.
“‘Obsession’ delves into the fascinating story of Jack Parsons”, Sumita continues. “He was a pioneer of rocket fuel technology for NASA but also deeply immersed in the occultism of Aleister Crowley. The dramatic and tragic nature of his explosive demise felt deeply metaphorical to me. It compelled me to weave the intensity of his story into the lyrics of this song. I hope you find it a compelling journey!”
The video for “Obsession” was created by Seaside99works.
After hearing them pound out three albums in four years, metalheads would be forgiven for assuming Defiled had reached the highest level, that there were no horrors left for them to reveal. Altered State quickly quiets any further foolish suspicions. “Obsession” locks into a nasty groove, only for Sumita and fellow axesmith Shinichiro Hamada to shred through a labyrinthine of treacherously technical riffs.
“The music on Altered State is a combination of old-school death metal, technical-thrash riffs and the rhythmic changes of progressive rock”, Sumita says.
Defiled are still guided by the underground spirit, but “Obsession” delves deeper into their psychic perception of our warped reality. Bassist Takachika Nakajima and drummer Keisuke Hamada pound out rhythms that are truly twisted. “Obsessed by a dark vision”, Shinichiro Hamada growls. With one final headbanging twist, he and his bandmates descend into psychological hell. “Let the psychic flame burn”.
Hear “Obsession”, “Portal” and other songs from Altered State during Defiled’s Japanese summer tour, as well as their upcoming shows with Incantation and Brujeria.
Defiled 2026 Altered State Japanese Tour
June 9 – Tokyo @ Holiday with Incantation June 10 – Yokohama @ El Puente June 11 – Fussa @ Chicken Shack June 12 – Tokyo @ Earthdom June 13 – Fukushima @ Sora June 13 – Sendai @ Solfa June 14 – Aizuwakamatsu @ Karando June 14 – Niigata @ Rocka June 15 – Nagano @ Rosebery Cafe June 16 – Kofu @ Bodega June 17 – Iida @ Space Tama June 18 – Nagoya @ Studio 246 June 19 – Osaka @ Hokage June 20 – Okayama @ Dogvult June 20 – Hiroshima @ Agit June 21 – Fukuoka @ Reflex June 21 – Sasebo @ Distortion June 22 – Mabi @ Branch
Defiled 2026 Japanese Dates with Brujeria
September 15 – Tokyo @ Cyclone September 16 – Osaka @ Socore Factory
Artwork by Wes Benscoter
Tracklist 1. Dazed in Blindness (2:59) 2. Altered State (3:05) 3. Obsession (3:04) [WATCH] 4. Portal (3:39) [WATCH] 5. Necro-Force (2:31) 6. The Degradation (3:51) 7. Genocidal Stage (2:27) 8. Metamorphosis of Evil (3:11) 9. The Ultra Death (2:42) 10. Zombified (2:17) 11. Lunatics (3:07) 12. Prophecies (3:29) 13. Demolition (3:25) 14. Apocalyptic End (3:25)
Defiled truly are their own island. While active since 1992, during death metal’s golden era, the Tokyo legends are neither relics nor custodians for the old-school. They do not follow Western traditions. They cannot be reduced to tokens like kimonos or samurai. Like the Japanese salamander, they continue to evolve in isolation, free from passing trends. Founding member and guitarist Yusuke Sumita and his band of warriors remain masters of the form, but their upcoming ninth album bears only a passing resemblance to the genre’s past or present. On Altered State, Defiled unleash a dizzying blast of death metal straight from the future.
“Like many other bands, our musical roots are heavily influenced by early ‘90s death metal and ‘80s thrash and hardcore, however, our interpretation is different and has branched off from the current scene”, Sumita says. “On Altered State, there are many catchy hooks, but tricky progressive rhythms and song structures can be found as well. The album may not be understandable after a few listens, but it taps into a blind spot that many bands have missed”.
Though they’re indifferent to scenes within the larger world of metal, Defiled’s presence has spread far and wide for more than three decades. The band’s 1994 debut EP, Defeat of Sanity, quickly proved prescient after inspiring the name of their future Season of Mist labelmates Defeated Sanity. Their first three full-lengths – Erupted Wrath (1999), Ugliness Revealed (2001) and Divination (2003) – were allmixed by none other than the legend himself, Jim Morris, at Morrisound Studios in Tampa, Florida. Early successset them upon a war path through the Japanese underground and onto the international stage. Defiled ransacked Milwaukee Metal Festival and banged heads with Morbid Angel, Mayhem, Cannibal Corpse and Incantation.
Since signing with Season of Mist in 2003, Defiled have shown no sign of slowing down. Despite enduring some changes between 2011’s In Crisis and 2016’s Towards Inevitable Ruin, the personnel around Sumita is now locked in with Keisuke Hamada pounding on drums, Takachika Nakajima nailing down bass and Shinichiro Hamada handling both guitars and vocals. Starting with Infinite Regress in 2020, this lineup is currently riding a seemingly endless hot streak. After reaching The Highest Level in 2023, they topped themselves once more with 2024’s Horror Beyond Horror.
“Horror Beyond Horror again finds Defiled stuck on the upswing”, Decibel wrote in an 8/10 review. “With their eighth studio album since 1992, the Tokyo death metal longhairs’ third pandemic-era disc completes a four-year hothouse of peak ability, creativity and volatility”.
Metalheads can be forgiven for assuming Defiled had already reached peak shredding, that there were no horrors left for them to reveal. But Altered State quickly quiets any leftover suspicions. Lead single “Portal” opens with a reminder that this band can sharpen even traditional riffs before breaking into a series of tempo shifts that unlock another plane of existence. Though still influenced by sounds that came from the underground, the album delves even deeper into their psychic perception of our warped reality with a twist of inspiration from Stravinsky. Occultists gather around the shapeshifting groove that seizes hold over “Obsession”.
“Both musically and lyrically, Altered State is an expansion of The Highest Level and Horror Beyond Horror”, Sumita says. “The music is a combination of old-school death metal, technical-thrash riffs and the rhythmic changes of progressive rock. The lyrics are based on the dystopian world presented in George Orwell’s science-fiction masterpiece 1984. They express the madness that everyone living in the present currently feels”.
Altered State isn’t afraid to wind through the darkest and most mysterious corners of our collective consciousness. But listen closely to Defiled and all secrets will be revealed. “Receive the power”, the band command on the album’s title track with a chaos that only they can control.
Production credits Recorded at Studio Zot in Tokyo, Japan Producer – Yusuke Sumita Sound Engineers – Shinichiro Hamada and Keisuke Hamada Mixing and Mastering Studio – Studio Nest in Chiba, Japan Mixing and Mastering Engineer – Kenji Kikuchi
Songwriting credits: Music and lyrics by Yusuke Sumita
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
Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 