OCEANS Release New Single “We Are Nøt Okay”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on February 26, 2021
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After revealing the first details about their upcoming digital EP “We Are Nøt Okay”, due to be released on April 30th, OCEANS follow up with the first tunes of their new masterpiece. Today, the band release the title track “WE ARE NØT OKAY” and therefore team up with Andy Dörner (CALIBAN), joining the song as feature guest on the vocals.

Singer Timo Rotten states:
“The title track for ‘WE ARE NØT OKAY’ is about recognizing the fact that it’s actually okay to NOT be okay. We as a society have to overcome the stigma of mental health and admit, that we have a problem. Especially in those challenging times right now, mental health is an important issue that unfortunately is too often swept under the carpet. So if you’re fighting any kind of mental illness we encourage you: reach out to somebody, stop faking smiles and admit that #wearenotokay. Only if we do that, we take a first step towards becoming a more caring and inclusive society. Down in the abyss we are many.”

Andy Dörner adds: 
“The topic of “WE ARE NØT OKAY” fits perfectly into today’s world. Even though the theme is timeless, it seems to me that there are more and more depressed people and lost souls. 
It‘s very important to speak about it and I‘m very happy to be a part of this banger song! Enjoy my friends and don’t hesitate to speak up about your problems and inner demons…There is always a solution!”

Cooperating with The Ocean In Your Mind, A German NPO, the band adds a very serious tone to their newest output by turning “music for the depressed” into active help and encouraging fans to join the cause.

Raphael Funck, Founder of The Ocean In Your Mind e.V. adds:
“We dream of a world, in which people can freely show their vulnerability. We are giving hope a voice and are fighting together against suicide and for mental health.”

The EP “We Are Nøt Okay” will be released on April 30th and contains four different songs dealing with all aspects of mental illness. Each track wil feature a special guest adding his very own style to the new output of Berlin/Vienna based post metal heroes OCEANS.

Exclusive physical bundles of the EP, including a Ltd. CD Digipak + Shirt (ltd. to 200 copies!), are available through: https://oceansofficial.com/store/cds-lps/

VISIONS OF ATLANTIS Announce New European Tour Dates For December 2021

Posted by tarjavirmakari on February 26, 2021
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Photo by Emilie Garcin

VISIONS OF ATLANTIS fans now have a reason to look forward to the end of this year, even as it is only beginning! The band embark on yet another journey to remember and are more than ready to conquer Europe with five new live dates in December 2021 for the second part of their tour! After the current COVID-19 related event bans, these pioneers of symphonic metal will finally continue their everlasting introspective journey and invite you to join the depths of their unique universe!
 
Following the release of their latest chart-breaking highlight, the live Bohemian Symphony Orchestra Prague-backed Album/Blu-Ray/DVD, A Symphonic Journey to Remember, and the more than successful studio album, Wanderers (#17 UK, #30 US, #39 DE), the symphonic metal alliance offers their musical and lyrical journey across the untamed seas along a powerful path towards self-discovery and takes your mind to another sonic dimension once again. They will be accompanied by power metal upstarts VICTORIUS. Don’t miss this unforgettable live experience and dive into astonishing, infinite soundscapes of symphonic metal with VISIONS OF ATLANTIS!

Catch VISIONS OF ATLANTIS live in Europe:

December 2021:
Support: VICTORIUS
08.12.21 – BE – Roeselare / De Verlichte Geest
09.12.21 – BE – Bree / Ragnarock
10.12.21 – DE – Bad Friedrichshall / Lemmy’s
11.12.21 – CH – Wetzikon / Hall Of Fame
12.12.21 – DE – Trier / Mergener Hof

September/October 2021:
w/ YE BANISHED PRIVATEERS & AD INFINITUM
*Support: DRAGONY
09.09.21 AT – Graz / Orpheum
10.09.21 DE – Weinheim / Cafe Central
11.09.21 IT – Milano / Legend Club
12.09.21 DE – Munich / Backstage Club
14.09.21 UK – London / The Underworld
15.09.21 FR – Paris / Backstage By The Mill
16.09.21 DE – Cologne / Helios 37
17.09.21 NL – Enschede / Metropol
18.09.21 DE – Leipzig / Hellraiser
19.09.21 DE – Erfurt / From Hell
21.09.21 NL – Tillburg / 013
22.09.21 NL – Utrecht / De Helling
24.09.21 DE – Hamburg / Headcrash
25.09.21 SE – Gothenburg / Valand
26.09.21 SE – Stockholm / Slaktkyran
29.09.21 DE – Dresden / Club Puschkin
30.09.21 CZ – Prague / Nova Chmelnice
01.10.21 AT – Vienna / Szene*
02.10.21 CZ – Zlin / Masteres of Rock Cafe
03.10.21 SK – Zvolen / DK ZSR

Watch the live video for “Heroes Of The Dawn” HERE:

VISIONS OF ATLANTIS is an Austrian-French-Italian symphonic metal band formed in August 2000 in the beautiful town of Bruck an der Mur. Since the beginning, VISIONS OF ATLANTIS have featured harmonies of male and female vocals, making them extraordinary and distinctive from other bands of the genre.

THE PICTUREBOOKS Release special Collaboration Song + Video With Dennis Lxyzén Rrom REFUSED

Posted by tarjavirmakari on February 26, 2021
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Of course, the current situation stopped all touring actions for THE PICTUREBOOKS, but the restless and hardworking combo let no time pass to be creative and to write new music.

As they already gained a lot of reputation and comfort from their work with Chrissie Hynde from The Pretenders, the two wild animals asked long time friend and musical soul mate Dennis Lyxzén (Refused, The [International] Noise Conspiracy), to collaborate and co-write a special track the band had in their minds for a long time that would fit perfect to Dennis’ unique vocals.

The result is a furious and limitless landmark, which the band moves into unprecedented levels never heard before.

Lean back, relax and get paralyzed to “Here’s to Magic”

Dennis Lxyzén sums it up as follows:

”Collaborations are exciting. Specially in a time where the world seems to be standing still we need to reach out to our friends and create together.
I’ve know the guys in the Picturebooks for a while now. They did one of their first shows opening up for The (International) Noise Conspiracy in Berlin and we’ve been running into each other ever since.

This past summer they hit me up and asked if I wanted to be a part of a new song that they were working on. They were on a roadtrip in Sweden and wanted to come up to Umeå to hang out and create something. They sent me a bunch of demos and Claus (instigator, manager, general bad-ass) suggested one particular track for me. ’I think that number 16 would be perfect for you.’

Sometimes tracks just appear. I don’t even remember writing the words to it or even working to get the ideas where they needed to be. It was that easy. It felt done after I’ve listened to it like 3 times.

The guys came up and we met in my practice space to record and sometimes when things move to easy you get suspicious that there’s something wrong but as soon as we started recording, I knew that my first instinct were correct.
Music and creativity is mostly about hard work and sitting down and spending hours on it, just to get things exactly where you need them to be.

There’s no divine intervention or the magic of the bard; just hard work. But sometimes there’s a flow of words and ideas that’s just there. For the taking. This was one of those time; When the music and the words and melodies and ideas just gelled, instantly.

It’s rare that things do so. I’m very pleased that they asked me to be a part of this.
It’s in indeed some kind of Magic.”

Inspired from this session, the band is currently writing material for their 2019’s follow-up “The Hands Of Time”.

LUCIFER Pay Tribute To Marky Ramones First Band DUST On New Split Single With KADAVAR

Posted by tarjavirmakari on February 26, 2021
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LUCIFER are a busy band, having just recently released the 7″ single “Dirt In The Ground”, they now stuck their heads together with their Berlin peers KADAVAR to collaborate for a special vinyl single.

It features LUCIFER’s take on the ferociously moody classic “Pull Away/So Many Times”, the opening track of DUST’s second album “Hard Attack” released in 1972. This album would also remain the last album of the US band, who are considered one of the earliest Heavy Metal groups.

On the flipside KADAVAR takes a bow to one of Britains most important guitar players, PETER GREEN of FLEETWOOD MAC, to cover the heavy “The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown)” which would be Green’s last ever recorded track with the band.

The single will be physically available on March 19th, 2021 on LUCIFER’s own label RIDING REAPER RECORDS, as well as KADAVAR’s very own label ROBOTOR RECORDS.

The 7” is limited to 1.500 copies and comes in 5 different colors (black, red, orange, white and blue) along with different bundle package options that are now available for pre-order via the bands web stores.

For EU webstore click HERE

For US webstore click HERE

Thrilled about this collaboration and the upcoming release, Johanna comments as follows:

“Both KADAVAR and LUCIFER have their roots in Berlin and we go back to the founding days of both bands where we shared the same scene. With our combined love for the deep cuts of the 60s and 70s we decided to cover two of our favorite songs together for a 7″ single. We picked MARKY RAMONE’s criminally underrated, glorious first band DUST. It is the first time that I duet together with our guitarist LINUS BJÖRKLUND and we had a blast recording it!

KADAVAR most relevantly chose to pay homage to the late PETER GREEN with this classic FLEETWOOD MAC number. Being a huge FLEETWOOD MAC fan myself this is the perfect choice to round off this nugget. We are very excited about this single and hope you dig our tributes!”

An animated graphic video of LUCIFER’s single cover can be enjoyed HERE

“Pull Away/So Many Times” is now also available on all digital platforms LINK

Lucifer are currently in the studio to record their highly praised 2020 follow-up “LUCIFER IV”.

MEMORIAM Release Second Digital Single & Lyric Video ‘Failure to Comply’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on February 26, 2021
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photo © Timm Sonnenschein

Onwards into battle, one more time… In the two years since MEMORIAM released Requiem For Mankindthe band has not been resting on their laurels. Their fourth studio album To The End is ready to be launched on March 26 via Reaper Entertainment.

Today the band presents their second digital single “Failure to Comply”. The song is now available on every major streaming platform!

Karl Willetts states:
“This is one of the first songs that came together for the new album. A song, we got a serious political theme to it, written in the whole time span of the “black lifes matter” demonstrations.
So this song is inspired by these events and it is inspired by a friend of mine, who was involved in one of these demonstrations in the USA. She was there to video the event.
And in the process of this, she managed to get arrested and recieved 80 hours of community service for her work on the demonstration. But she managed it to get very good video footage of the police, warning the crowd and threatening to use chemical weapons to get them off the streets. It was frighting to see these scenes and it inspired me to write the lyrics of the song.
So the lyrics fit very well with the music, which is very hard and hitting. This song is a tribute to all people who was part of the black life matters demonstrations and of course to my friend.”

ICYM:
“Onwards Into Battle” : https://youtu.be/goDKHYj-UFY
Album Trailer #1: https://youtu.be/lfjU9vr8P0E
Album Trailer #2: https://youtu.be/aQ4liX6mrio
Album Trailer #3: https://youtu.be/ZEsT8kv5yZo

You can pre-order “To The End” here: www.reapermusic.de/memoriam-end

Marking the beginning of a second trilogy of albums, To The End serves as something of a prologue to the first three MEMORIAM albums. Working backwards and narrating the life story of the leader whose demise was depicted in the first trilogy, the lyrics on the album may play out in a fictional realm, but they incorporate inspiration from real life. A central theme of war is coloured with political fulminations and everyday experiences that combine to create a cohesive and enthralling chronicle.

The four-piece returned to producer, Russ Russell, for the recording of To The End. For the first time, the band demoed the songs and entered the studio with a new level of preparedness. Coupled with their close relationship with Russell, this created an environment that allowed for greater experimentation, as demonstrated by the diverse array of textures and sounds present on the nine tracks on the album. 

From the earliest days of the band, they had their eye on the art Dan Seagrave (Benediction, Dismember, Hypocrisy, Suffocation etc) as an accompaniment to their music. Having created the artwork for the first three MEMORIAM albums, he has also created the cover for To The End.

KING DIAMOND’s “A Mansion In Darkness” Quarantine Cover Collaboration Features Members Of LET US PREY & More

Posted by tarjavirmakari on February 26, 2021
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Marc Lopes, vocalist for Boston-based melodic power/thrash group LET US PREY, is the voice behind a new all-star quarantine cover of KING DIAMOND‘s classic song, “A Mansion in Darkness”, from his 1987 landmark record, “Abigail”. The cover was born out of a conversation between guitarists Courtney Cox (THE IRON MAIDENS) and OL Drake (EVILE) about collaborating together on a virtual jam session. Cox suggested one of her favorite KING DIAMOND songs for the cover, and from there they reached out to bassist Jack Gibson (EXODUS) and drummer Matt Thompson (KING DIAMOND). The big question mark was who would handle vocals, to which Cox’s reply was “I know a guy.” Lopes was asked to round out the collaboration and stepped up to the daunting task of delivering his take on the King’s demonic growls and masterful falsetto. The final result according to all parties involved was a “a total blast had by all doing this…for the love of METAL!”

The final video joining together all of the parts recorded by individual musicians was edited by Abel Hernandez and mixed/mastered by Par Mahn, and can be viewed below.

The cover of “A Mansion in Darkness” is how Lopes is starting 2021 after a very productive 2020. After starting 2020 with his vocal performance on ROSS THE BOSS’ latest record, “Born of Fire”, Lopes delivered a shining performance on LET US PREY’s first full-length album, “Virtues of the Vicious”, released by M-Theory Audio. The record – described by Ghost Cult as “imagine if Lamb Of God played power metal like Blind Guardian” or Heaviest of Art simply called “a rather glorious dose of heaviness” – seamlessly blended elements of seemingly disparate genres. LET US PREY’s mix of thrash, death, power and progressive metal elements were underpinned with industrial samples and symphonic keyboards, while Lopes matched those effortless shifts with his vocal performance, excelling at thrash/death metal growls, soaring melodic vocals, and searing Halford-esque highs with layered harmonies. “Virtues of the Vicious” also featured guest appearances from a number of notable metal musicians, including Jon Donais (Anthrax, Shadows Fall), “Metal” Mike Chlasciak (Halford, Testament), Jimi Bell (House of Lords, Autograph) and the late Oli Herbert (All That Remains). The music video for “Halo Crown” – featuring Donais’ performance – can be viewed at https://youtu.be/vLDRDDyuGHk.

The current situation involving COVID-19 has prevented LET US PREY from scheduling live shows, but once the time comes, the group will be ready to continue impressing audiences as they did prior to 2020 on stages in and around the northeastern United States alongside the likes of Soilwork, Suffocation, Soulfly, Life of Agony, Metal Church, Battle Beast, Doro and Scar Symmetry, among others.

The lineup for “A Mansion In Darkness”:
Marc Lopes (vocals)
Courtney Cox (guitar)
OL Drake (guitar)
Jack Gibson (bass)
Matt Thompson (drums)

LET US PREY is:
Marc Lopes (vocals)
Jon Morency (guitars)
Jesse Near (guitars)
Darin Moyen (drums)
Justin Brown (bass)