Legendary Norwegian outfit TROLLFEST is back, ready to deliver their energizing and K.A.O.S-infused sound to the masses! TROLLFEST are set to release their new dual-themed EP, Happy Heroes (out March 19, 2021 via Napalm Records), proving themselves as masters of K.A.O.S and madness more than ever before (with a wee sense of humor to boot).
As a first glimpse of what can be expected, the Norwegian Balkan Metal outfit have released their cover of Bobby McFerrin’s universally loved hit song “Don’t Worry Be Happy”. TROLLFEST give the classic tune a unique twist, making for a truly insane and chaotic reimagining unlike you’ve ever heard before! Along with the single, TROLLFEST have released a music video in which the band literally goes mental – providing only a taste of what’s to come on Happy Heroes!
Watch the Music Video for “Don’t Worry Be Happy”HERE:
Four vivid songs on Happy Heroes deliver a vast variety of spectacular musical romps, made evident by the catchy original title track “Happy Heroes”, wherein TROLLFEST tells the story of evil, self-righteous troll superheroes whom you should probably not call if you’re in need of help. The EP then presents three re-energized cover songs – Balkan and folk metal re-imaginings of the world-famous “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, quite possibly the cheeriest song known to man, the newly released “Don’t Worry Be Happy”, by Bobby McFerrin, as well as the Aqua hit “Cartoon Heroes”.
Each revitalized track keeps its original catchiness and will have you humming in K.A.O.S!
On 9th April 2021 British metal artist BLAZE BAYLEY releases his 11th studio recording, moving forward from the success of his ‘Infinite Entanglement’ trilogy released in consecutive years 2016-2018.
The 10 brand new songs, co-written with guitarist Christopher Appleton, draw influences from Blaze’s experience as singer with British metal goliaths Iron Maiden (1994-1999), plus his extensive solo career which started with his legendary ‘Silicon Messiah’ album in year 2000.
The new album, entitled ‘War Within Me’, is not a concept album but does include a positive thread throughout. In Blaze’s own words… “This is an album that I want to put on and feel very positive about. Whatever song you choose there’s some good feeling about it. As fans of metal music we tend to be damaged, strange and different in some way and this album is (as I say in my live intro to the song ‘Futureal’) about taking your future in your own hand. It’s one of the things that really connects with people at my live shows.”
‘War Within Me’ was recorded during 2020 with work split between Blaze’s studio at home in the West Midlands and Christopher Appleton’s studio in Greater Manchester. The now very consistent line-up, chosen from British metal band Absolva, played on the album – Christopher Appleton (guitar, backing vocals), Martin McNee (drums), Karl Schramm (bass). Blaze and Appleton shared the work mixing and producing, whilst Ade Emsley (Iron Maiden, Tank, British Lion, Voodoo Six) handled the mastering. The striking and detailed artwork is provided by Akirant Illustration (Iron Maiden, Star Wars).
In terms of touring, like so many other artists, Blaze (normally relentless on the live circuit) has recently been restricted by the pandemic but did manage a tour of Brazil in January 2020, before a heroic sold-out performance at Burr Fest (The Dome, London) in March 2020 in honour of former-Iron Maiden drummer the late Clive Burr. If travel restrictions permit and if safe, it is hoped to fulfil a number of festival bookings during Summer 2021, followed by an extensive UK tour towards the end of the year, returning to Europe in 2022.
Current festival shows booked for 2021… 22nd May UK Lincoln Call of the Wild 6th June Bulgaria Dulovo Enigma Rocks 19th June Germany Daun Der Detze 8th July Denmark Fredericia Metal Magic 9th July Germany Neukirchen-Vluyn Dong Open Air 14th July Germany Balingen Bang Your Head 30th July UK Walsall Rock the Beacon 28th August UK Newark Stone Dead
‘War Within Me’ is to be released on CD, Vinyl and digital platforms.
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 Endis due for release on March 26 via Reaper Entertainment.
Today, the band presents the first digital single “Onwards Into Battle”. The song is available on every major streaming platform now.
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.”
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.
Canadian tech death masters ARCHSPIRE are now embarking on an exciting new endeavor and have launched their very own online cooking series, “Good Morning Handsome!” Hosted by vocalist Oliver Rae Aleron and produced by guitarist Dean Lamb, the guys are now taking their technical skills to the kitchen to bring you the most unconventional and spicy cooking show that would have Julia Child rolling in her grave… and we mean that in a good way! You can watch the premiere episode, “Friends with Bennies,” at THIS LOCATION.
For more episodes, which will be rolling out in February, be sure to subscribe HERE.
“We are really stoked to announce the launch of our new cooking channel ‘Good Morning Handsome,'” comments the band. “Although barking fast and noodling lots are our actual jobs, we wanted to make a show about cooking that’s the opposite of horse shit like Gordon Dickhead Ramsey. We believe cooking should be fun and want to encourage everyone to learn about food in a non stressful or demeaning format. So subscribe to our channel and check out our pilot episode and hopefully learn a bit about how easy cooking actually is.”
Moreover, the band has recently completed the recording for the full-length follow up to 2017’s JUNO-Award Nominated ‘Relentless Mutation!’ The offering was once again recorded by Dave Otero and will be unleashed onto the masses in 2021. Stay tuned for more!
The band also previously announced new European tour dates for November/December 2021. The band will be blasting through 12 cities at 350 bpm and a full list of confirmed shows can be viewed below. Tickets are on sale HERE.
The band will be supporting ‘Relentless Mutation!’ Listen/stream/download HERE.
ARCHSPIRE European Tour Dates 2021: 11/12/2021 Matrix, Bochum (DE) 11/13/2021 Backstage Halle, Munich (DE) 11/14/2021 Slaughter Club, Milan (IT) 11/15/2021 KiFF, Aarau (CH) 11/16/2021 Die Stadtmitte, Karlsruhe (DE) 11/17/2021 Viper Room, Vienna (AT) 11/18/2021 Dürer Kert, Budapest (HU) 11/19/2021 Puschkin, Dresden (DE) 11/20/2021 Nova Chmelnice, Prague (CZ) 11/21/2021 U Bazyla Poznan (PL) 11/22/2021 Béi Chéz Heinz Hannover (DE) 11/23/2021 Hole44 Berlin (DE) 11/24/2021 Stengade Copenhagen (DK) 11/25/2021 Logo Hamburg (DE) 11/26/2021 De Klinker Club Aarschot (BE) 11/27/2021 O2 Academy Islington London (UK) 11/28/2021 Mama Roux’s Birmingham (UK) 11/29/2021 Cathouse Glasgow (UK) 11/30/2021 Thekla Bristol (UK) 12/01/2021 Rebellion Manchester (UK) 12/02/2021 The Loft Southampton (UK) 12/03/2021 Gibus Paris (FR) 12/04/2021 Doornroosje Nijmegen (NL)
STEVE LUKATHER and The Players Club / Mascot Label Group present the title track “I Found The Sun Again,” from Luke’s upcoming new studio album out February 26.The accompanying video presents Luke and his girlfriend Amber, whom is the inspiration for the song. In reference to “I Found The Sun Again,” Luke offers, “This was the first solo record I have done in many years. I felt free to try a do it old school, like we used to do it – live in the studio. I am very proud of it, and the players I used really brought their very best.” Luke, and Toto singer Joseph Williams will both release solo albums simultaneously on February 26, 2021. Both artists made significant contributions to the other’s album.
While the first reveal from Williams’ album titled Denizen Tenant was “Never Saw You Coming,” which can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/FTJ5KHcnWiM. He then followed with “Liberty Man,” which can be enjoyed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOAJb5i3i8M. Williams has produced and directed all of these visual works outside of “Serpent Soul.”
Toto recently staged a global livestream event and have begun to announce plans for global tour dates in 2021 and they will play shows in Scandinavia in August 2021:
10 Sofiero, Helsingborg, Sweden 12 Tinghallen, Viborg, Denmark 14 Forum, Copenhagen, Denmark 15 Partille Arena, Gothenburg, Sweden
Tracklisting Along For The Ride Serpent Soul The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys Journey Through Welcome To The Club I Found The Sun Again Run To Me Bridge Of Sighs
FUATH, the atmospheric black metal offshoot of SAOR’s Andy Marshall, will be releasing its upcoming full-length ‘II,’ on March 19 via Season of Mist Underground Activists. The album artwork, tracklist, and details, can be found below. In addition, FUATH has shared the official music video for “Prophecies,” the first single from the upcoming opus. Watch the video at THIS LOCATION.
Tracklist 1. Prophecies (09:28) 2. The Pyre (06:51) 3. Into the Forest of Shadows (06:23) 4. Essence (09:26) 5. Endless Winter (09:23) Total: 0:41:31
Translated as “hatred” in Gaelic, FUATH is the atmospheric black metal offshoot of SAOR’s Andy Marshall. Taking inspiration from arguably black metal’s most fertile and explosive period — the early to mid-1990s — the music channels the unrelenting tenor and iciness of forebears BURZUM, DARKTHRONE and MAYHEM.
Originally slated as a one-off project after the release of 2016’s I, Marshall has decided to turn FUATH into a serious project. Early 2021 will see the release of the band’s second album, II, via Season of Mist’s Underground Activists sub-label.
Marshall’s Scottish roots seemingly belie a Scandinavian black metal influence. While SAOR leans heavily on Scottish themes and melodies that he has classified as “Caledonian” metal, FUATH is a through-and-through purveyor of the black arts, firmly heralding a time when there was mystery and intrigue within extreme metal. BURZUM and DARKTHRONE were Marshall’s initial black metal discoveries and DRUDKH and WINDIR provided balance due to their unyielding ability to convey atmosphere. It adds up to an array of influences dedicated solely to recapturing black metal’s storied spirit and atmosphere.
The rugged landscapes, harsh climates and foreboding darkness make winter the perfect backdrop to ’90s black metal. There is perhaps no climate greater celebrated within a subgenre of metal — winter and black metal are permanently entwined. Therefore, it is no surprise that it is the favored season of many battle-tested black metaller — including Marshall, who has always been attracted to darkness in nature as well as pagan mysticism. He cites his ritual of walking through the forest in the frost and snow as “spiritual,” and the primary source of inspiration for FUATH’s new studio album.
Written during the winter of 2019 and then recorded in August and September 2020 at Fortriu Studios in Scotland, ‘II’ features Marshall handling vocals and all instrumentation except for drums, which were performed by Carlos Vivas in Spain. Whereas ‘I’ dutifully remained within the boundaries of conventional black metal, ‘II’ finds the songs going further into the frozen plains with elaborate doses of melody, ominous riffing and hypnotic blast-beat sections. ‘II’ marks a huge progression for Fuath from ‘I’. When writing the debut album, Marshall was treading FUATH as a side-project and didn’t have a formalized idea of how he wanted it to sound. In contrast, ‘II’ is an improvement across the board with better-crafted songs, sharper black metal vocals from Marshall and enhanced production values.
In contrast to SAOR’s lyrics about Scottish heritage and history, Marshall has decided to keep FUATH’s lyrics behind a veil of secrecy and will not be released along with the album. It’s another throwback to black metal of the 1990s when its core constituents were dark and evasive in both presentation and their lyrics. However, song titles such as “The Pyre,” “Into the Forest of Shadows” and “Endless Winter” do, at least, give a glimpse into Marshall’s headspace — they leave plenty to the imagination, especially in the context of the cold and wintry landscape depicted on the album’s cover art.
After the release of ‘I’ in 2016, Marshall often stated in interviews that FUATH would be a “one-off” project with no chance for future recordings. But, the never-ending desire to travel into the dark the wilderness of black metal’s most chaotic — and beloved — period was too much to resist. FUATH is now a serious band and has shed its side-project status, ensuring that Marshall will be venturing back into the heart of winter for future releases.
Recording studio: Fortriu Studios Producer / sound engineer: Andy Marshall Mixing: The Amplogia Studio, Vitold Buznaev Mastering: Turan Studio, Tim Turan
Recording line-up: all songs composed and performed by Andy Marshall Session drums by Carlos Vivas
FUATH live: 05/30/21 – Metal East (Nove Kolo), Ukraine 07/25/21 – Metal Over Russia, Russia
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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
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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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