MEMORIAM Release First Album Trailer

Posted by tarjavirmakari on February 3, 2021
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photo © Timm Sonnenschein

Onwards into battle, one more time… In the two years since MEMORIAM released Requiem For Mankind, the band haven’t rested on their laurels. Their fourth studio album, To The End is due for release on March 26 via Reaper Entertainment.

Today, the band presents the first album trailer for this upcoming record. Check it out and get more info about, how Spike did join the band and about the album recordings:

The lyric video of the first digital single “Onwards Into Battle” can be seen here: https://youtu.be/goDKHYj-UFY

Karl Willetts states:
“Onwards into Battle” is the opening track from the new album “To the End”. 
A powerful introduction that sets the tone of the album and gives the listener a taste of what is to come. 
Lyrically the track provides continuity from the previous album  “Requiem for Mankind” and is similar in many ways to the track “Fixed Bayonets”. The lyrics focus on the start of battle “Zero Hour” which is appropriate for the start of the album.
within the theme of “War” the lyrics explore the brutally of trench warfare specifically. 
The war continues. Let battle commence.”

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.

CULTED Share Official Music Video For New Single “Maze”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on February 2, 2021
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
photo by Richard

Blackened industrial doom collective CULTED will be releasing their brand new full-length, ‘Nous,’ on February 26, 2021!The band is now sharing the official music video for the third and final single, “Maze.” The clip, which was created entirely by the band, can be seen at THIS LOCATION.

“‘Maze’ is both a reaction and objection to the extra-ordinary, potentially dangerous, awe-inspiring, fear-inducing beliefs, rites, and objects that are often crowned sacred,” explains CULTED. ‘Maze’ is sound ordained to render the invisible and the tangible, to make manifest the lamentable impurity of the flesh, and to make sublime the infinite distress of the soul.”

‘Nous’ is available for pre-orders HERE.

Track List:
1: Lowest Class [7:47] 
2: Lifers [4:59]
3: One Last Smoke [4:45]
4: Ankle Deep [5:29]
5: Black Bird [5:28]
6: Opiate the Hounds [4:14]
7: Maze [8:07]
8: Crown of Lies [6:40] 
9: The Grid [7:36]
10: Crush My Soul (Godflesh cover) [8:41]
Total: 63:00

THE VINTAGE CARAVAN Announce New Album, Launch Video For ‘Whispers’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on February 2, 2021
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
[photo credit: Hörður Sveinsson]

Icelandic Modern Prog-Rockers THE VINTAGE CARAVAN are pleased to announce the upcoming release of their new full-length album, Monuments, out April 16, 2021 via Napalm Records! The band incorporates a fountain of modern influences mixed with retro reminiscences to create an addictive sound all their own.

After countless high-voltage live performances at festivals such as Roadburn, Wacken and Hellfest, and touring with Opeth, the Icelandic band’s new full-length impressively demonstrates that they have matured both musically and lyrically, accented by bold, nostalgic nuance. Virtuosic ‘70s-inspired guitar ruminations encounter an irrefutable mixture of fresh elements and psychedelic, progressive and blues rock trademarks on Monuments, radiating the soul of some larger-than-life bands of the past as these youngbloods breathe new life into a classic formula.

Cut from Monuments, their first new single, “Whispers”, showcases the band’s musical progression without sacrificing the retro-inspired staples they’ve become renowned for. The accompanying video takes its viewer straight into the hearts and studio of the band, connecting with lucid live-music vibes. Above all, the performance video also highlights the band’s musical passion and provides an intimate glimpse into their sonic work. 

THE VINTAGE CARAVAN on the new single “Whispers”:
“First single is Whispers! It was one of the first things we came up with for the album. We always try to start our albums in a strong and powerful way and it felt fitting as an opener. Hope you like it as much as we do! Enjoy!!”

Watch/listen to the new single “Whispers” HERE: 

On 11 diverse tracks, these fast-rising musicians from Reykjavik truly cast a spell on fans of bewitching, guitar-driven classic and blues rock influences. The album opener, “Whispers”, clearly showcases the band’s musical progression without sacrificing their tried-and-true, retro-inspired sonic trademark. “Crystalized” convinces with light blues influences, encircling the listener in enchanting guitar lines and quickly rising to the full extent of its power while evoking anecdotes of retro nostalgia. “Can’t Get You Out Of My Mind” takes its listener on a blistering ride through pounding drums, intense guitar solos and an undeniably catchy chorus, while tracks like “This One’s For You” represent a stunning blueprint in THE VINTAGE CARAVAN’s musical universe with unconventional, surprisingly calm melodies and Óskar’s gripping, tranquil vocal power. In contrast, bold drumming merges with fast-paced riffs, enveloping an impressive galloping vortex and pronouncing tracks like “Dark Times” and “Said and Done” as top notch rock pieces. The softly plugging, atmospheric sound of album closer “Clarity” symbolizes the crowning culmination of a 60-minute journey through the eternal landscapes of Iceland and the poetic lyricism of the trio.
With their new studio-album, Monuments, and its captivating, stellar arrangements, these rising stars definitely know how to put their very own stamp on the retro rock wave!

Pre-Order the New Album Monuments NOW

THE VINTAGE CARAVAN on the new album:“We are proud to present to you our new album Monuments!! This one has been long in the making and we truly believe this is our best work so far. We went into a legendary Icelandic studio, Hljóðriti, during the stormiest season of last winter and tracked non stop for 22 days, working around the clock to get as much done as possible. Luckily enough we finished tracking just before the pandemic hit.
Having worked with producer Ian Davenport on our previous album Gateways we were comfortable and inspired to take the album to new heights in terms of sound, feel and songwriting. We ended up with quite a diverse set of songs through an interesting and in many ways different process than our usual recording sessions.  It was a great feeling to get to experiment more with our sound in so many different ways. We hope you’ll enjoy the journey through Monuments!”

Tracklisting:
01. Whispers
02. Crystallized
03. Can’t Get You Off My Mind
04. Dark Times
05. This One’s For You
06. Forgotten
07. Sharp Teeth
08. Hell
09. Torn in Two
10. Said & Done
11. Clarity 

TIM SKOLD (Formerly of MARILYN MANSON) Returns To His Namesake Project SKOLD For New Album & Single

Posted by tarjavirmakari on February 2, 2021
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After a brief hiatus that saw him join forces with Psyclon Nine’s Nero Bellum on last year’s critically acclaimed dark electronic project NOT MY GOD, former Marilyn Manson member TIM SKOLD has returned to his primary creative outlet and namesake project, the heavy industrial metal band SKOLD. It seems his time away has only rekindled SKOLD’s fiery passion while simultaneously sparking a desire to shake things up as he takes the project in a bold new direction, crafting a new album, called Dies Irae, that leans heavy into the metal side and showcases his own aggressive guitar playing prowess. The album bleeds pure metal mayhem from the stunning  album opener “Dirty Horizon,” which presages the album’s shift away from digitized electronics to the more organic feel of acoustic drums and overdriven guitars.

But Dies Irae isn’t all riffs and power chords, this SKOLD album still brims with sonically elaborate keyboards that add mood and the kind of haunting atmosphere that fans have come to expect from SKOLD. Lyrically, as the title suggests, the album finds the veteran songwriter contemplating death and final judgement (“dies irae” is a Latin phrase meaning “day of wrath”) on such tracks as “The End Is Near,” “Terrified” (“I’m not afraid of dying, I’m f**king terrified”) and the album’s closing track “Goodbye.” With “Goodbye,” which is released today as the album’s first single, Dies Irae reaches its zenith blending keyboards and guitars perfectly as SKOLD sings “Can you see the light / Do you feel the rigor mortis setting in / Can you feel the end begin / Goodbye” and thus sheds the rotting corpse of his past to fully embrace the bold future ahead.

Stream the single: https://orcd.co/skold_goodbye

Dies Irae features stunning artwork from hugely talented German artist Sebastian Nabel (https://sebastiannabel.com/) showcased beautifully on reverse-board digipak for CD plus a special limited edition vinyl edition with a reverse-board jacket and full-color inner sleeve housing a gorgeous CLEAR vinyl LP!

Pre-order/pre-save the album: https://orcd.co/skold_dies_irae

Track List:

  1. Dirty Horizon
  2. Unspoken
  3. The End Is Near
  4. Terrified
  5. Love Is A Disease
  6. This Is The Way
  7. Silicon Dreams
  8. As Above So Below
  9. Kill Yourself
  10. Goodbye

CANNIBAL CORPSE Reveal Details For New Album ‘Violence Unimagined’, Launch First Single “Inhumane Harvest”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on February 2, 2021
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
Photo credit: Alex Morgan

On April 16th, CANNIBAL CORPSE will release their fifteenth studio album, Violence Unimagined, via Metal Blade Records. For a first preview of the record, the new single “Inhumane Harvest” can be heard at: metalblade.com/cannibalcorpse – where Violence Unimagined is also available for pre-order in various formats.

Comprised of eleven tracks, Violence Unimagined is state of the art death metal played with passion and breathless precision, making for another flawless addition to what is inarguably one of the premier catalogues the genre has thrown up. “It really follows the path we’ve been going down for a few years now,” states bassist and founding member Alex Webster. “I think we approach the writing in a similar way most every time: each of us try to write the heaviest, most memorable songs we can. We want each song to have its own identifiable character. Showing my age, I like to say you can ‘drop the needle’ on any point of one of our albums and quickly tell which song you’re listening to.”

While they continue to do what they do with aplomb, the one substantial change to Cannibal Corpse is the addition of guitarist Erik Rutan to their ranks, joining Webster, founding drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz, guitarist Rob Barrett and vocalist George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher. Known for his roles in Morbid Angel, Ripping Corpse and most notably fronting the mighty Hate Eternal, Rutan has long established himself as one of the most dynamic forces in contemporary death metal. Simultaneously, he has built up a reputation as one of the most in demand producers in metal, having previously produced four Cannibal Corpse albums (in addition to Violence Unimagined), alongside the likes of Goatwhore, Soilent Green and Belphegor. Filling in live on guitar since 2019, in 2020 he became a full member, contributing to the writing process. “I think the most noticeable difference on this record will be the addition of Erik to the band. He wrote three full songs for the record, music and lyrics, and his song writing and guitar playing have added something new, and I think his musical style integrated into ours very well,” Webster enthuses. This is not all that he brings to the band. “He’s a great friend of ours, so on a personal level, he’s been a perfect fit, as we knew he would be. Beyond that, he’s one of the hardest working people I know, in music or otherwise, and he maintains a high energy, positive demeanor in challenging situations where other people might go in a negative direction. This energy and great attitude rubs off on the rest of us as well. That’s really a perfect situation to have when you add someone to a band, or any kind of team: someone who’s great at what they do, and also inspires the people around them.”

Already well known for the level of extreme technicality they bring to every record, on Violence Unimagined, Cannibal Corpse have further upped their game, particularly in Mazurkiewicz’s drumming. “I think we all pushed ourselves a bit technically on this one, with Paul probably pushing the hardest. This album is probably the most drum-intense album we’ve done yet. Part of that could be a result of Erik joining the band. His song writing style often features technically challenging drumming, probably owing to his years of experience in high speed death metal.” And with typically dark and warped lyrical content, Mazurkiewicz came up with the fitting title of the record, “summing up what the band is about in every facet, and taking violence to another level of extremity.”

Violence Unimagined track-listing
1. Murderous Rampage
2. Necrogenic Resurrection
3. Inhumane Harvest
4. Condemnation Contagion
5. Surround, Kill, Devour
6. Ritual Annihilation
7. Follow the Blood
8. Bound and Burned
9. Slowly Sawn
10. Overtorture
11. Cerements of the Flayed

STEVE BROCKMANN: To Release First Single From His Upcoming Project

Posted by Stargazer on February 2, 2021
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German rock/metal opera musician, Steve Brockmann will release a new single from his new project, “BROCKMANN’S GUESTHOUZE” on FEBRUARY 5TH.

“I’ve decided to establish “Brockmann’s Guesthouze” as a home for single songs not slated for any of my current projects (like Vision of Choice) – I can record these when I feel like it, without any pressure, and with absolutely no stylistic boundaries. At the moment, I plan to enlist at least one surprise guest vocalist and/or instrumentalist.” Steve stated, “The first song to be released is called “Close to Me, Farther from You”, written with my long time writing partner, lyricist George Andrade. It was the last song that I wrote in 2020, and so it’s only fitting that it be the first I publish in (a hopefully better) 2021.“

Guests on this song are Napoli based, Italian vocalist Alessandro Granato (SirJoe Project, Stamina), who delivered a rich and energetic performance, and German session guitarist Mike Markwitz, who contributed a blistering guitar solo. “Close to Me, Farther from You” will be available for purchase on Bandcamp.

Steve Brockmann, born in 1965 in Kiel (near Hamburg) Germany, has played an active role in Northern Germany’s music scene since the early 1980s. Being the creative head of various bands, he has played gigs on many stages between Germany’s most popular holiday island Sylt (up in the very North) and the orchards of Lower Saxony. Amongst others, he has played support gigs for such rock legends as Uriah Heep, Moody Marsden Band, and Hawkwind. After having spent some time roaming the North and living out his own rock ’n’ roll movie, Steve has since “retired” from the road to mainly concentrate on composing original music for his various projects in his personal studio.

Steve Brockmann Discography
Solo instrumental albums:
• Don‘t Sing! (2001)
• Expected Errors (2007)
• 3 (2016)
Brockmann/Andrade
• Airs – A Rock Opera (2012)
Vision of Choice
• Mistress of the Gods (2020)
• Second Sight (TBA 2021)
Singles:
• “For Those Who Left, For Those Who Came” (Christmas Eve) (2011)
• “New Horizon” – Vision of Choice (December 16, 2019)