Hot on the heels of last year’s critically acclaimed debut EP, Madness Comes, Swedish death metal assembly, GRAND CADAVER, return with a brand-new single and update on their debut album.
Featuring guitarists Stefan Lagergren (The Grifted/ex. Treblinka/Expulsion) and Alex Stjernfeldt (Novarupta/Let Them Hang), drummer Daniel Liljekvist (Disrupted/ex. Katatonia), Pagandom bassist Christian Jansson, and vocals from Dark Tranquillity’s Mikael Stanne, the band draws together some of the finest musicians the Swedish metal scene has to offer.
“I heard two songs from an early demo, and I just knew I had to work with them,” explains Majestic Mountain Records’ Marco Berg. “I was blown away! Grand Cadaver honours old-school death metal but put their own spin on it and the production is some of the heaviest I have heard in years.”
New single ‘Reign Through Fire’ is a sprawling death metal dirge driven deftly around the historic circuitry of Marshall stacks and HM-2s. Where traditional thrash metal meets Stockholm Death Metal, consuming doom and progressive rock along the way, Grand Cadaver was established to celebrate the legacy of extreme music, while seizing the moment to hang out, drink beers and share riffs and great music with friends and close allies.
The band will officially release their debut album, Into the Maw of Death, on 29th October via Majestic Mountain Records but you can stream their scorching new single ‘Reign Through Fire’ now – https://bit.ly/2TTx0zX
Guitarist and singer-songwriter, TROY REDFERN, dubbed as Britain’s “King of slide guitar,” releases Sanctify his new single and music video on Friday August 6th; the same day as has his new album The Fire Cosmic.
Watch the psychedelic video, directed by Charlie Smith of Mind Art Visual HERE.
Sanctify is the third single taken from The Fire Cosmic. It follows hot on the heels of his previous single Ghosts which was playlisted on Planet Rock with spot plays on many other radio stations.
Written on a beat up 1929 National Triolian Resonator, Sanctify is described by Troy as a “heavy blues-billy boogie stomp.”
Sanctify epitomises everything that Troy Redfern does best – honest heavy-weight blues – John Lee Hooker riffs on steroids, thunderous bass by Dave Marks and the ‘foot to the floor’ drums of Darby Todd.
Sanctify is available to stream and download HERE. Order the The Fire Cosmic album HERE.
The new album, The Fire Cosmic, follows five unprecedented albums that Troy released in 2020. It was recorded at the legendary Rockfield Studios in North Wales, the same studio where Queen recorded all their early albums including Sheer Heart Attack (1974) followed by A Night At The Opera (1975).
For the new album, Troy enlisted one of the best rhythm sections in the UK, including the legendary Darby Todd on drums (The Darkness, Paul Gilbert), and bass guitarist Dave Marks (Hans Zimmer). Guitarist Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal (Guns ‘N Roses, Asia, Sons of Apollo), plays guitar on the song On Fire.
Troy describes the contributors on the album as “the ultimate dream team” on what is arguably the British guitarist’s most distinctive and powerful release to date.
“I chose Rockfield Studios because so much of the music I grew up listening to was recorded at this legendary studio (Queen, Black Sabbath),” says Troy. “The studio has a timeless reputation for all the iconic, classic albums that have been produced there.”
“It was important for me to capture the raw energy of three guys playing live in the same place, at the same time. That’s something that you just can’t get if you’re sending files from different locations, it doesn’t have the same vibe or feel if you do it that way.”
As soon as we arrived at Rockfield, everyone, including Darby and Dave who’ve recorded all over the world, were excited to be there,” continues Troy. “It’s that kind of place. It has that effect on every musician who records there. Even before we started recording, the energy and vibe was there, which definitely set the tone for the entire album.”
Troy cut his teeth and refined his style over the last few years, playing festival main stages and blazing a trail across Europe, Scandinavia, and Russia. He’s also become a well-known draw on the UK Blues Rock festival circuit, playing alongside rock luminaries including Robert Plant.
The forthcoming studio album is a culmination everything Troy has learnt so far on his musical journey, and, more importantly, brings into sharp focus a much tighter song-writing and more visceral, muscular production style.
For production duties, Troy enlisted the Brighton- based producer Paul ‘Win’ Winstanley, best known for his epic rock production style, and whom Troy met and had worked with previously on the 2019 RHR album, Hotel Toledo. Troy and Win bonded immediately, and shared the same musical aesthetic, no nonsense work ethic and dry sense of humour.
Rockfield’s vintage mics, mixing desk, and analogue outboard gear gave Win options to capture the dynamic performances on the album. “It was like being a kid in a candy store,” says Win.
“It was important for the album to sound massive,” says Troy. “It was a much bigger sound than anything that I’ve released before. As soon as we heard the first takes in the control, we were blown away. We knew that we captured something special. It sounded fantastic.”
MUSICIANS
TROY REDFERN – VOCALS, GUITARS RON ‘BUMBLEFOOT’ THAL – GUITARS (TRACK 5) DARBY TODD – DRUMS DAVE MARKS – BASS, PIANO, KEYS, PERCUSSION RECORDED & MIXED AT ROCKFIELD STUDIOS BY PAUL ‘WIN’ WINSTANLEY ASSISTANT ENGINEER – JOE JONES MASTERED BY FRANK ARKWRIGHT AT ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS
Cardiff, The Globe – Thursday 16 September 2021 Sittingbourne, The Bourne Music Club – Friday 17 September 2021 Chester, Live Rooms – Saturday 18 September 2021 Leeds, Brudenell Social Club – Sunday 19 September 2021 Newcastle, The Cluny – Monday 20 September 2021 Manchester, Night & Day – Tuesday 21 September 2021 Nottingham, The Bodega – Wednesday 22 September 2021 London, The 100 Club – Thursday 23 September 2021 Edinburgh, Voodoo Rooms – Friday 24 September 2021 Aberdeen, Cafe Drummond – Saturday 25 September 2021 Hartlepool, South Durham Steel Works Club – Sunday 26 September 2021
Palladium, Bideford – Friday 4 March 2022 Old Bakery, Truro – Saturday 5 March 2022 Phoenix, Exeter – Sunday 6 March 2022 The Musician, Leicester – Wednesday 9 March 2022 The Flowerpot, Derby – Thursday 10 March 2022 The Bullingdon, Oxford – Friday 11 March 2022 Philharmonic, Liverpool – Saturday 12 March 2022 Continental, Preston – Wednesday 16 March 2022 Bodega, Nottingham – Thursday 17 March 2022 Hug & Pint, Glasgow – Friday 18 March 2022 The Cluny, Newcastle – Saturday 19 March 2022 Elsewhere, Margate – Wednesday 23 March 2022 Junction, Cambridge – Thursday 24 March 2022 The 100 Club, London – Friday 25 March 2022 Thekla, Bristol – Saturday 26 March 2022 Guildhall, Gloucester – Wednesday 30 March 2022 The Greystones, Sheffield – Thursday 31 March 2022 Town Hall, Selby – Friday 1 April 2022 The Tivoli, Buckley – Saturday 2 April 2022 The Star, Guildford – Wednesday 6 April 2022 The Robin, Bilston – Thursday 7 April 2022 Arts Centre, Bridgwater – Friday 8 April 2022 Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon – Saturday 9 April 2022 Nightrain, Bradford – Thursday 21 April 2022 The Tivoli, Wimborne – Friday 22 April 2022 Ropetackle, Brighton – Saturday 23 April 2022
Hamburg- based sludge metal act, HIGH FIGHTER, has announced the release of their first live album. Soon after their second album, the critically acclaimed Champain in 2019, the band was forced to stop promoting the record live due to obvious reasons, when they got invited by German TV and iconic live format WDR Rockpalast to be part of a special Offstage– series. High Fighter Live at WDR Rockpalast will be released on November 26, 2021, available as a strictly limited Vinyl edition and as Digital formats, through Italy’s powerhouse label Argonauta Records.
Filmed in August 2020 at an industrial, breathtaking setting of the Landschaftspark Duisburg- Nord, Germany, HIGH FIGHTER’s only show since the beginning of the pandemic; under strict Covid- rules and without a crowd, was aired on TV and is available to stream online here. The live album was recorded by Dominik Schenke with a pre- mix by Christoph Scheidel at 79 Sound Studio, while Jan Oberg (Earth Ship / Grin) added the final mix and mastering at Hidden Planet Studio in Berlin.
With their vibrant blend of sludge metal, doom and stoner blues- core, HIGH FIGHTER‘s Live at WDR Rockpalast will feature a heavy set and collection of songs taken from the band’s first 3 records: The rough and raw, 2014- debut EP The Goat Ritual, their first full- length album Scars & Crosses (2016, Svart Records), and the latest, fast- paced and brutal sludge juggernaut Champain, released in 2019 on Argonauta Records. HIGH FIGHTER have just shared a teaser, check it out here:
“It was obvious both for High Fighter and me to give a prosecution to the stellar album Champain, which received so much great feedback across the board,“ says Gero Lucisano, owner of Argonauta Records. “We spoke of various options we had on the table, if it was appropriate to be again on the market with any special release before any new album. It was totally crazy, that a worldwide pandemic completely disoriented the whole market at all levels. Thankfully, a very fine chance has been proposed us when checking the killer set the band played at WDR Rockpalast. An impressive show full of energy, impressive executions followed by top recordings. And we are now proud to officially announce this beast!”
“This show was special yet kind of surreal for us,” HIGH FIGHTERvocalist Mona Miluski adds. “We never played such a location before — and especially no show like in such dark times and under circumstances like these. The production and whole WDR team was a top- notch professional, and we just felt lucky to finally play live at least for the moment and that session. We’re still stoked for the opportunity WDR TV gave an underground band like us to be a part of this concert series. But most important and special for us, it’s been the last show we have played with our former guitarist and dear friend, Shi, who decided to leave the band a few months later. This album is kind of dedicated to him and us as a five- piece band, from now on you won’t get to see High Fighter in this line- up again. We will continue as the four of us, and we are heavily working on many new songs and sound for our third album, but meanwhile, we hope you enjoy this little live affair!“
High Fighter Live at WDR Rockpalast Tracklist:
Side A:
Darkest Days
When We Suffer
Dead Gift
Black Waters
Side B:
A Silver Heart
Down To The Sky
Before I Disappear
Shine Equal Dark
Slated for a release on November 26, 2021 with Argonauta Records, the pre- sale of this limited live LP will follow soon.
Toulouse- based doom metal act INDIGO RAVEN has revealed the first details about their upcoming debut album. Looking for Transcendence will be released on October 22, 2021 via Italy’s powerhouse Argonauta Records.
Formed in 2019 by creative duo Julie Docteur and Benoît Sangoï, and following their critically acclaimed 2020- debut EP, INDIGO RAVEN welcomed a third band member to round up their line-up, bassist Jean Green (also in MOURIR). The trio’s sound emerges from the Peaceville Three’s influence with a modern sludge approach. A simple but not unsophisticated instrumental foundation of the band, coloured by a shamanic sound and these occult, haunting vocals, make Looking for Transcendence a captivating yet heavy as hell debut, that will most likely see INDIGO RAVEN stand out as one of Europe’s underground best and up- and coming bands. But give ear, after INDIGO RAVEN just recently shared a first song, the thrilling cover version of MAZZY STAR’s ‘Into Dust’ (Listen HERE!), today they released a brand new single taken from their first full- length! Listen to the monolithic magnum opus, ‘The White Knight Syndrome’, here:
“After receiving more than stimulating feedbacks for our first EP and the arrival of our third raven, Jean, we were pushed to go deeper. Doing so, we’re very happy to introduce our first album: “Looking for Transcendence”.” Vocalist and visual creative behind the band, Julie, comments.
“We imprinted it with a form of dull & poetic rage, assumed vulnerability and eager for some serious split-screen. The music stays refined but got more powerful and heavy, leaving space for the vocals to emotionally chant strong lyrics. We hope it will inspire you to inner journeys.”
Fans of bands alike Windhand and beyond should watch out for INDIGO RAVEN’s debut, slated for a release on October 22, 2021 through Argonauta Records. The album pre-sale is now available at THIS LOCATION!
Norwegian instrumental trio NAVIAN are back with their hypnotizing new single “Temple”! If you enjoy powerful riffing entwined into sonic catchiness and melodic landscapes, “Temple” will be your sacred auditory space! The single is now available on all streaming platforms – listen to it here: https://orcd.co/temple.
“Temple” is the second single off their upcoming debut album, which will be released via Indie Recordings.
As the band states: “’Temple’ was one of the first tracks created during the song-writing process and has gone through a plethora of changes before ending up as it did. We wanted to test out different kinds of tonal language and different kinds of time signatures to achieve a totally different feel from the rest of the tracks. With all the experimenting it was important for us to achieve a “cut the bullshit” feel with strong melodies. On top of that we wanted it to work great live being a track full of energy! This track was inspired by both “Haken” and “Rabea Massaad” in regards to both writing and their sound”.
Norwegian prog trio Navian are inspired by bands like Plini, Intervals, and Polyphia. Navian build their music on technical melodies, interesting rhythms, big soundscapes, and groovy hooks! RockNews (CH) described Navian’s music as ‘special and challenging in so many ways’, while ManofMuchMetal (US) writes that their debut EP “skips along with a freshness and a bounce that is entirely infectious…”.
The guys met while taking a bachelor’s degree in contemporary music and were all working as session musicians. It is safe to say that the trio have an above average interest in music theory and history, production, instruments, and gear. Navian started out as a musical playground, a place where the members could challenge themselves and write the music they most wanted to play. “Practicing on something really hard, something that feels like we’re never going to master, and to spend numerous hours to finally achieve it. That feeling of pure joy is indescribable. It’s something we all love. It could perhaps be compared to sports, and how the sense of achievement hits you when you make the most crucial score of the game.”
The band came together in just one month. It all started with the bass player attending a concert with Polyphia and instantly thinking that he had to start a band like this. From there, the line-up was set, but they didn’t really get things going before their first festival booking, giving them one month to finish tracks for a full set. The intense work turned to great success, leading the band to continue the work for a full length.
Right before the first lock down in the home country Norway, they played at the Norwegian show case festival by:Larm, where the audience “sang” along to the track “Multiplayer”.
There is a desert which is very old, very dry, and very dangerous. Few have ever dared to cross it, and fewer have returned. Some say that it is a desert between places, others say that it is a desert between worlds. Those who have crossed it and returned swear that the desert is another world in itself – an astral bridge, which swallows all but the most well-prepared travelers.
ENSLAVED are such seasoned voyagers. In their last venture, they descended into Utgard, deep in the dark beneath their native Norway. Now, they are preparing to set off again, not down this time, but out. They intend to cross the desert, into it and perhaps beyond it.
Travelling by sonic pathways,Caravan To The Outer Worlds will set off October 1st, inviting the listener to explore the esoteric spaces which call out from just beyond the dunes.
A new cycle has emerged and Enslaved find themselves on a bridge between the archaic and the unmapped. Caravans To The Outer Worlds EP is a tale of departure, of leaving behind a barren and desolate world, travelling boldly into the future.
Ivar Bjørnson stated, “This is the story that wanted to be told, and this is music that demanded to be heard. Who are we to question that? After Utgard, the path ahead cleared itself – and we followed; past, present and future melted together in an EP that marks one giant leap for us. Into…”
Enslaved’s new 4-track EP Caravans To The Outer Worlds will be released on October 1st via Nuclear Blast.
Watch the video for EP title track Caravans To The Outer Worlds here:
Caravans To The Outer Worlds EP contains neck breaking riffage that points backwards to the raw beginnings of Enslaved – the title track marking an explosive lift-off with melodic breakaways and proggy slingshots onto new orbits, while the ominous Ruun II: The Epitaph takes a sombre dive into the murky and mysterious ocean of stars beyond the known. These two main pieces are framed by two intermezzos: Intermezzo I: Lönnlig. Gudlig. and Intermezzo II: The Navigator; wrapping up the main stories with respectively what came before and what is to come…
Caravans To The Outer Worlds EP tracklisting: 1. Caravans to the Outer Worlds 2. Intermezzo I: Lonnlig. Gudlig. 3. Ruun II – The Epitaph 4. Intermezzo II: The Navigator
ENSLAVED – UTGARD EUROPEAN TOUR 2022 w/ Intronaut, Obsidian Kingdom, Crown 13/02 – DE Berlin, Hole44 14/02 – NL Utrecht, De Helling 16/02 – UK Birmingham, 02 Institute 17/02 – UK Glasgow, Classic Grand 18/02 – UK Leeds, Brudenell Social Club 19/02 – UK London, 229 21/02 – FR Paris, La Machine 22/02 – FR Toulouse, Le Metronum *new city 23/02 – ES Madrid, Caracol 24/02 – ES Barcelona, Boveda 25/02 – FR Lyon, CCO Villeurbanne 26/02 – CH, Aarau, KiFF 28/02 – DE Munich, Backstage Halle 01/03 – DE Stuttgart, Wizemann 02/03 – DE Cologne, Luxor 03/03 – DE Frankfurt, Das Bett 04/03 – DE Hamburg, Uebel & Gefährlich 05/03 – DE Leipzig, Hellraiser
Tickets forEnslaved’s upcoming 2022 tour dates are on sale now from: http://enslaved.no/
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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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