VOKONIS Stream New Single “Through The Depths”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on May 3, 2021
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Prog-metal trio VOKONIS unleash their brand new single “Through The Depths” (album version) via Metal Underground. Listen to the full 12 minute long version of  “Through The Depths” at this location.

Vokonis will release their fourth studio album ”Odyssey” in spring 2021. More dynamically diverse than ever, the 6 new tracks feature guest musician Per Wiberg (Opeth, Spiritual Beggars, Kamchatka) on Keyboard. Odyssey is Vokonis’ first true prog-record. A record for the new decade.

After the success of Vokonis’ critically acclaimed third album ”Grasping Time” (2019), Vokonis immediately went into recording more material. With the goal set to further expand the prog landscape, Vokonis crafted recordings that are more dynamically diverse and forward-thinking than ever before. The result is ”Odyssey”, the upcoming fourth studio album by Vokonis. Ranging from full-blown doom to melodically blissful passages, the new album features guest musician Per Wiberg (Opeth, Spiritual Beggars, Kamchatka) on Keyboard. 

With tangible prog- influences combined with stand out choruses, the 6 tracks on ”Odyssey” further explores the sound that Vokonis introduced on 2019’s ”Grasping Time”. Jonte’s clean vocal lines are effectively blended with Simon’s aggressive bark, creating tons of depth as the sound shift from dreamy psychedelia to faze-melting sludge heaviness. The new tracks are backed up by the rhythmical patterns provided by the band’s new drummer Peter Ottosson who, since his affiliation in early 2019, has proved to be a spark plug of inspiration for the band. 

”Odyssey” was recorded in Studio Soundport, Sweden, by Mikael Andersson. Mastered by Magnus Lindberg. The artwork for the album and its singles were made by Kyrre Bjurling (Grasping Time, Olde One Ascending Reissue). ”Odyssey” will be released on The Sign Records on May 7, 2021. The album will be available on digital, vinyl, and CD format. Get ready.

ALESTORM Release Live-Video Of Pirate Metal Drinking Anthem “Drink”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on May 3, 2021
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[Photo Credit: Robert Zembrzycki]

The world’s favorite Pirate Metal Drinking Crew, ALESTORM, are taking you on a wild, wet ride across the seven seas with their new live album/DVD/BluRay, Live in Tilburg, out May 28, 2021 via Napalm Records! Today, the wild bunch releases another song off the Live-DVD from their tremendous show in Tilburg, Netherlands!

ALESTORM makes the instructions for Tilburg’s live crowd very clear: „Drink“! This fist-pumping fan-favorite is a heavy metal powerhouse and the bands most successful single of all time. 36 million views on YouTube and 30 million clicks on Spotify make this song standout – and the new version comes with a very authentic live production!

Watch “Drink” from ALESTORM’S Live In Tilburg HERE:

Excellently produced and mixed by the renowned Lasse Lammert, who has already been involved in ALESTORM’s studio albums Curse Of The Crystal Coconut, No Grave But The Sea, Sunset On The Golden Age and many more, Live in Tilburg features an amazing mix of ALESTORM’s most beloved hits like “Drink“, “Mexico”, “Alestorm”, “Hangover”, “The Sunk’n Norwegian” and of course, “Fucked With An Anchor”.

The live album will be available on splatter-colored double-LP with a slipmat and a patch, as well as on mint colored and golden colored vinyl. The special edition of Live in Tilburg comes in a wooden box, along with a CD+DVD, a mediabook and a 7-inch vinyl featuring two new acoustic ALESTORM cover songs! Live in Tilburg’s immersive experience is the true definition of what ALESTORM is all about – an endless fountain of foot-stomping, riff-busting, piratical singalong fun. A must-have for all the filthy landlubbers out there!

Pre-Order Live in Tilburg HERE:

Live in Tilburg Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Keelhauled
3. Alestorm
4. Magnetic North
5. Mexico
6. Over the Seas
7. The Sunk’n Norwegian
8. No Grave But The Sea
9. Nancy the Tavern Wench
10. Rumpelkombo
11. 1741 (The Battle of Cartagena)
12. Drunken Sailor
13. Hangover
14. Pegleg Potion
15. Bar ünd Imbiss
16. Captain Morgan`s Revenge
17. Shipwrecked
18. Drink
19. Wolves of the Sea
20. Fucked with an Anchor

SABATON Announce New Single ‘Defence Of Moscow’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on May 3, 2021
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Paying respects to the Soviet Union forces in WWII and on time for the Russian Victory Day on May 9, the Swedish heavy metal heroes SABATON will release their new single ‘Defence of Moscow‘ on May 7.

The song is a cover from Russian superstar Radio Tapok who has a huge following in Russian speaking countries and who gained popularity by covering rock and metal songs in the Russian language. ‘Defence Of Moscow‘ follows last year’s successful collaboration between SABATON and Radio Tapok on the live version of ‘The Attack Of The Dead Men’
Covering the song in English and giving the song their unique SABATON style, the band is about to release another epic masterpiece that once again highlights an important turning point in European war history.

Presave the song here: https://sabaton.bfan.link/defence-of-moscow

In order to give ‘Defence Of Moscow’ the salute it deserves, SABATON created an extraordinary and strictly limited 7” vinyl in Red with a beautifully etched B-side. This rarity is only available for pre-order between May 7 and May 9, so make sure you place your order before it is too late! Keep an eye on SABATON’s social media channels and website for information on how to purchase the vinyl.

SABATON mastermind and bassist Pär Sundström states: “May 9 is celebrated as V-Day in Russia, the day to commemorate the victory over the Nazis in WW2.
This year we participate in the memory of this event by releasing a song dedicated to the brave men who fought in the battle of Moscow.
This track was originally written in Russian by our friend Radio Tapok. It’s a very strong song and we thought it made sense that Sabaton should give it a try to make a honourable cover of this song.
We love to surprise everyone, and this is a great surprise.”

OPERA DIABOLICUS Sign To Season of Mist

Posted by tarjavirmakari on May 3, 2021
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Season of Mist are proud to announce the signing of epic horror metal act OPERA DIABOLICUS! The horror outfit will be releasing their sophomore full-length entitled “Death on A Pale Horse”, featuring Mats Levén  (CANDLEMASS, THERION, SKYBLOOD etc.), Snowy Shaw (KING DIAMOND, MERCYFUL FATE, THERION, NOTRE DAME etc.), Andy La Rocque (KING DIAMOND) and Michael Denner (KING DIAMOND, MERCYFUL FATE),  later this year.

OPERA DIABOLICUS comments in a communique issued by the guitarist David Grimoire: “We’re thrilled to have joined the legion of Season of Mist. We feel that this is the perfect direction for us and we’re beyond excited to see what the future of this partnership holds.“

To catch a glimpse of what’s to come, check out their previous album “1614” on Spotify HERE.

Established by the two antagonists David Grimore and Adrian de Crow in Gothenburg in the mid-2000s, Swedish entity OPERA DIABOLICUS seeks to scourge the earth with their music, mischief, and schemes. 

Through burning hatred and mutual dislike to one another and with one prior album released under their belt (entitled †1614, released 2012), they’ve now conjured their sophomore offspring with music that could be described as epic horror metal, and thus would greatly appeal to fans of acts like KING DIAMOND, CANDLEMASS, MERCYFUL FATE and so forth. 

With a little help from their friends, whom brilliantly have assisted with their tools of their trade, plus the eminent Jens Bogren’s (OPETH, SEPULTURA, ROTTING CHRIST, DIMMU BORGIR) mixing and mastering skill, the result speaks for itself.  

Line-up:
David Grimoire: guitar, keys
Adrian de Crow: bass

Friends (among others):
Mats Levén (PRINS SVART, CANDLEMASS, THERION and SKYBLOOD etc.): lead vocals
Snowy Shaw (KING DIAMOND, MERCYFUL FATE, THERION etc.): drums and voices
Andy La Rocque (KING DIAMOND): lead guitar
Michael Denner (MERCYFUL FATE, KING DIAMOND, NOTRE DAME etc.): lead guitar

Canadian Punk Rock Legend MURRAY ACTON Of DAYGLO ABORTIONS Releases Debut Solo Album

Posted by tarjavirmakari on May 3, 2021
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Canadian Punk legend Murray “The Cretin” Acton of DAYGLO ABORTIONS releases his debut album – “Covid-19 Nervous Breakdown“. Hence the name, this album is a direct result of when you lock down an artist who has spent his life on the road. Spawned from the boredom and frustration That have plagued the last year, this blatantly honest album delves deep into the mind of a caged artist!

Murray adds: “This could also be called ‘How I Kept Sane Through the Covid-19 Pandemic While Everything I Do, and Everything That Makes Me Who I Am Was Banned’. I was on tour with The Dayglo Abortions in Western Canada when it all began to unfold, and the lockdowns were imposed the morning after our last show in Vancouver. My first thoughts were…”I’ve been doing this for 40 years, barely making a living, but loving it nonetheless. If this goes on for long I might as well pack it in.” So I went home and even got a job, but the music didn’t turn off. This is a selection of songs I wrote while under lockdown in 2020. Since then I started a new dayglo album, and another with my band Stinkhorn, as well as recording and mixing a few bands on the side. I have decided that I can’t stop making music, so I might as well share what I make. I hope you enjoy this collection of weird songs as much as I enjoyed making it. Cheers, released April 27, 2021

All music and lyrics by Murray Acton except for Covid-19 Nervous Breakdown, lyrics by Murray Acton, I obviously stole the song from some English band that’s been around even longer than me. I hope they can get over it. I played all the instruments in these songs and recorded it into the Reaper DAW. I played the drums on my Roland VDrums when I couldn’t find the appropriate beats in a library somewhere, and used a handful of vst synth plugins, as well as the ignite Emissary vst amp simulator for guitar and the ignite SHB for bass. Mixing it was the hardest part. It’s way easier to mix other peoples music.

Track list:
You Might Think This is Funny But it’s Snot
Wash Your Fucking Hands
Klein Toilettenpapier
Face Book Bots
A Cold Goodbye
Obsessive Compulsive Attention Deficit Disorder
Telephone
One Two Three Seven Four
Covid-19 Lockdown Blues
Boredom Has it’s Side Effects
Stop Touching Your Face
Covid-19 Nervous Breakdown

Prog Legends GENTLE GIANT To Re-Release “Free Hand” On June 25th, Remixed By Steven Wilson

Posted by tarjavirmakari on May 3, 2021
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Prog Legends GENTLE GIANT’s “Free Hand”, remixed by Steven Wilson, is now available for Pre-order. The album will be released on 25th June.

“Free Hand” was Gentle Giant’s seventh album originally released in July 1975. This album was the most commercially successful of the band’s career reaching the top 40 albums in Billboard Magazine. It stands as the culmination of the band’s maturity, following the successes of “In A Glass House” & “The Power & The Glory”.

Having toured Europe & North America non-stop in the years prior to this release with artists like Jethro Tull, Yes, Frank Zappa etc, the band had gone from strength to strength. By the time “Free Hand” was released Gentle Giant had become a major headliner in its own right. All the members were multi-instrumentalists. The band was never afraid of surprising an audience with a 4 part recorder ensemble followed by a vibraphone solo, all the while rocking the audience and thoroughly enjoying themselves onstage at the same time.

Gentle Giant’s albums featured many songs with both literary subjects as well as social and personal commentary on life as rock musicians. “Free Hand” has more than most. The album’s title & first track was named “Freehand” because the band had just changed record labels and management and felt unshackled by prior contractual obligations. Putting these issues behind them upon its first release, Gentle Giant embarked on an extensive tour of North America and Europe, plus a short tour of the UK, to promote the album.

The incredible range of Gentle Giant’s music is evident throughout this album. From the intricate vocal fretwork of “On Reflection” and the delicate medieval flavor of “Talybont” the Celtic-tinged rock of “Time To Kill” and the jagged rhythms of “Just The Same” all those diverse elements which made the band so strikingly original are skillfully blended and perfectly executed.

Award winning producer and musician Steven Wilson has added his delicate touch in remixing “Free Hand” in Dolby Atmos & 5.1 surround sound. His tonal range and painstaking attention to sound quality make “Free Hand” sound as fresh today as it did on first release. A fitting tribute to the compositional skills and expertise of five dedicated musicians.

Steven Wilson’s remixed version of “Free Hand” will be released in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 surround sound and accompanied by custom animated visuals for each track on Blu-ray. In addition, the original flat mix, original 1975 quad mix and an instrumental mix will all be included in a digipak CD.

A double vinyl album will also be released with both the original flat mix and the Steven Wilson remixed version. The initial first pressing will include a limited edition transparent red version. Releasing June 25, 2021

Get a first look at the Pre-Order announcement video:

The video for “Just The Same” taken from the “Free Hand” Blu-ray will premiere on YouTube on Sunday, May 2nd at 5pm BST/12pm EST/9am PST.

To pre-order Gentle Giant’s “Free Hand”: https://fanlink.to/GentleGiantFreeHand