The metal world was shocked and saddened earlier this week by the news of the passing of metal guitar legend, Children of Bodom’s ALEXI LAIHO. As one of the most influential guitarists of his generation, the loss of his unquestionable impact is felt around the globe by metal musicians who he inspired.
Members of Immortal Guardian are just a few of those who admired and were impacted by Laiho‘s musical leadership.
In recognition of his monumental career and effect on them as fans and songwriters, Immortal Guardian guitarist Gabriel Guardian, vocalist Carlos Zema and drummer Justin Piedimonte along with friends Mary Zimmer (Helion Prime), Semir Özerkan (Oceans of Slumber), and Rex VanCandy are sharing a tribute video covering Children of Bodom’s track “Downfall”.
Gabriel Guardian comments:
“This is our tribute to one of the greatest metal guitar players who ever lived: Alexi Laiho. This man influenced me in ways no other guitar player ever has. Alexi set the bar for all of us! Him and Santana are my top 2 favorite guitar players of all time. I watched all his live videos/DVDs religiously as a kid and was so influenced by all the legendary music Children of Bodom and Sinergy made to be like them. Those dual guitar/keyboard leads set the vibe/bar for me for many many years learning how to play music. I’m so sad to see the world has one less guitar legend. His music helped me get through some of my darkest days and he inspired me to make metal music from day one.
Big thanks to my friends who collaborated with me to make this tribute happen. We are all Bodom fans and had so much fun making this video. We are all so saddened by the news and we coped with it by doing what we do best, playing music. I hope where ever Alexi is, he can hear our tribute and feel the infinite amounts of love all his fans have for him. Until we meet again… RIP Alexi Laiho (WildChild)”
Eclipse Records is extremely excited to announce the signing of BENTHOS to an exclusive worldwide deal. The band is an experimental progressive metal band that combines ethereal atmospheric song structures with geometrically heavy riffs. Benthos was formed in 2017 by Gabriele Papagni and Enrico Tripodi who were both studying classical guitar at Italy’s largest music university, The Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Music. The band is gearing up to release their debut album II via Eclipse Records on April 23, 2021.
“While the world has been going through the Covid-19 pandemic, a veil of hope brings light to our dreams and it’s called Eclipse Records” says guitarist Gabriele Papagni. “They really welcomed us warmly and I’ve never been so excited as I am today! They are going to release our debut album around the world, and we are hoping to bring many new fans (along with current ones) on an immersive journey over the next several months!” Vocalist Gabriele Landillo adds, “I’m so glad to have signed with Eclipse Records! They have the task of spreading our music around the world and I’m sure, they will do the best!”
The band’s debut full-length album II is scheduled for release on April 23, 2021. Produced by Matteo Magni (Deep As Ocean, Anewrage) at Magnitude Recording Studios, and the album art was designed by Laura Salomoni. The album is a stunning debut by one of Italy’s most imaginative, daring progressive metal bands to hit the scene in recent years. See below for the full list of song titles. Pre-Save or Pre-Order the album at this location.
II track listing 1. Cartesio 2. Back and Forth 3. Talk to me, Dragonfly! 4. Facing the Deep 5. Debris // Essence 6. II 7. Dissolving Flowers
On February 26th, Denmark’s Iotunn will release their new album, Access All Worlds, via Metal Blade Records. For a first preview of the record, a video for the single “Voyage of the Garganey I” can be viewed at: metalblade.com/iotunn – where Access All Worlds can also be pre-ordered in various formats.
Formed in 2015, Iotunn (which is old Norse for “Giant”) entered the scene with their acclaimed EP, The Wizard Falls (2016), which was mixed by Flemming Rasmussen (Metallica, Morbid Angel, Blind Guardian, Rainbow) at Sweet Silence Studios. After some line-up changes, the band found their voice and narrator in March 2018: Jón Aldará (Hamferd), plus bassist Eskil Rask (Sunless Dawn) in October 2019. The quintet – completed by Jens Nicolai Gräs (guitars), Jesper Gräs (guitars), Bjørn Wind Andersen (drums) – then began work on their first full-length and Metal Blade Records debut: Access All Worlds.
Mixed and mastered by Fredrik Nordström (In Flames, At the Gates, Dimmu Borgir) at Fredman Studios, Access All Worlds is seven songs driven by creative curiosity and artistic honesty, that also initiate feelings and reflections. An epic, cosmic and contemplative journey of energetic beauty and ferocity, Access All Worlds reflects on human existence, set in a storyline following daring space travelers. The music is grounded in roaring, colorful drumming and crushing bass, while the sonic horizon is painted with a vast spectrum of guitar-driven expression, all overarched by narration through diverse vocals. “We wanted to make an epic, strong and atmospheric yet rocking record both musically and lyrically. Jón came with the idea based on space travelers trying to find answers to the apocalypse, which reflects many of the impressions, feelings and thoughts human life holds that originates from something vast, mysterious, chaotic and breathtakingly spectacular. Everything just went berserk regarding the album theme. Is everything occurring in the lyrics just a dream? Is the album an allegory for any individual’s chapters in life? Where does the album actually start and end? Stuff like that. We find that the album can be interpreted in various ways. For us, the album is a truly exciting journey, and we hope it will be for the listener as well, on his or her own terms”, says guitarist Jens Nicolai.
Visually, Access All Worlds is completed by Nicole Kantor (design and layout) and Eliran Kantor (artwork), known for their work with Testament, Atheist, Hatebreed, Soulfly, etc.
Access All Worlds track-listing 1. Voyage of the Garganey I 2. Access All Worlds 3. Laihem’s Golden Pits 4. Waves Below 5. The Tower of Cosmic Nihility 6. The Weaver System 7. Safe Across the Endless Night
The past December, ALLEGAEON released a new digital single, Concerto in Dm – featuring the title track and B-side “In Flanders Fields”. Now, the band has launched an acoustic video for “In Flanders Fields” (shot by Matthew Zinke), which can be viewed here:
Greg Burgess (guitars) comments: “In 1915, Canadian poet and military doctor Major John McCrae lost one of his best friends to a German artillery shell, during the second battle of Ypres. Inspired by grief, McCrae began the first draft of ‘In Flanders Fields’. Three years afterwards, the poem had such an impact, people started honoring soldiers by wearing poppies on their lapels. Being from the US, I was unaware of this poem and tradition, until we were on tour in Canada with NeObliviscaris in 2018. After being stranded by an ice storm in Ottawa, I was introduced to this poem and it struck a chord with me – inevitably this piece of the same name followed. As for the video – do we really need another classical video set in a beautiful place, having the performer with eyes closed perform? Probably not. Do we need a video where we have the juxtaposition of a classical guitarist in a beautiful place, while repping tech death? Survey says…why not!”
Additionally, a play-through and documentary for Concerto in Dm can also be viewed at: youtu.be/_EtcIrkG8FA
Concerto in Dm track-listing 1. Concerto in Dm 2. In Flanders Fields
Allegaeon‘s latest album, Apoptosis, was released in 2019 to critical acclaim. Tracked at Flatline Audio in Denver with long-serving producer Dave Otero (Cattle Decapitation, Cephalic Carnage), Apoptosis is Allegaeon‘s fifth full-length, and the first to feature bassist Brandon Michael. “Musically, Brandon brings a huge new dimension,” vocalist Riley McShane enthuses. “He has this wide breadth of music knowledge and stylistic proficiency that he draws from with excellent taste, and this makes a lot of the songs on ‘Apoptosis‘ come to life.” The record also features a guest appearance by classical guitarist Christina Sandsengen, who duets with guitarist Greg Burgess on “Colors of the Currents”. “On this record, I was more open to new ideas that we might not have used in past,” states guitarist Michael Stancel. “Rather than deleting something because ‘it’s not Allegaeon-y enough’, I would take a step back and see if that idea fit the song and decide if it was worth keeping. With that mentality came some of my favorite songs, because I was less worried about if it fit into our old sound.” This statement is borne out across the whole album, which while very much embodying the core Allegaeon sound that has drawn fans in over the course of their impressive career, it pushes into new territory, and does so with unerring confidence. “Thematically, this record is all about contrast, and the music reflects that perfectly,” says McShane. “The vocals are heavier than ever, but there are also more clean sections. The drums are faster than ever but also more dynamic, and the guitar playing is lower and slower than on most previous albums, but also provides long, melodic and beautiful sections throughout.”
Unfortunately, with a heavy heart we have to postpone the release of the new ACCEPT album “Too Mean To Die” from January 15 to January 29, 2021. Due to a COVID-19 related pressing plant closure the finished product has been massively delayed so that the planned release on Jan. 15, 2021 cannot be kept. We are very sorry about this and we hope that all ACCEPT fans are understanding of this very unfortunate situation and continue to support the band. It has been over three years since the last ACCEPT album, so we hope you can wait another two weeks for the new masterpiece.
In order to shorten the waiting time for their fans, the band has decided to release their video for the track ‘Zombie Apocalypse’ together with a digital single on January 15, 2021.
‘Zombie Apocalypse’ is a classic ACCEPT cracker: dynamic and unwavering, turned up to eleven! Relentless and hard, it strikes the same tone as „Too Mean To Die” in the band’s signature style.
The 3rd single will again be accompanied with a wink – this time about one of our most current diseases – and be assured it’s not Corona:
Marc Tornillo quotes: Cell phone zombies – they are everywhere, they can’t put them down, they can’t keep them charged, they can’t look away! It’s a Zombie Apocalypse! Who doesn’t feel caught in this?!”
There will be an official video for the track – here a first sneak peak:
The album is available on CD, Cassette, 2-LP Vinyl in 8 colors plus as ltd. Edition Delux Box Set containing a CD Digipack, special colored 2-LP with a Pop-Out-Snake, cover patch and a signed autograph by the band as well as digital on all platforms. Pre-order/pre-save here: http://nblast.de/Accept-TooMeanToDie
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 new single, “Black Bird.” The clip, which was created entirely by the band, can be seen at THIS LOCATION.
“‘Black Bird’ is about enduring the hardships of existence with a core that’s been forged by fire,” says the band. “Culted sift through the psychological noise of existentialism with a sound that hints at merging the primal essence of two iconic albums, namely, Darkthrone’s ‘Panzerfaust’ and SWANS’ ‘The Great Annihilator.’ Culted, as both individuals and collective, symbolically sacrifice the ego to experience rebirth, and from those ashes arise with ‘Black Bird.'”
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
Cover Art: Ettore Aldo Del Vigo
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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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