What could possibly be a better time of the year to dive headfirst into dark and progressive melodic metal? While the shadows of winter are creeping up upon us and the nights get longer it is the perfect time for “Curse Of Autumn”, the upcoming album from L.A.’s finest WITHERFALL that is scheduled for a release in March 2021.
The album art is once again another hand painted masterpiece by the legendary Kristian Wåhlin, the fourth painting in the WITHERFALL series.
Watch a visualizer clip to see the art in its full glory while listening to the first song, “The Last Scar”:
WITHERFALL comments: “This is a nice a happy one… heavily inspired by an evening on tour in the Czech Republic. Quite possibly one of the most aggressive WITHERFALL songs and certainly a test of stamina for instrumentalists and voices. During the recording Our producer Jon Schaffer really put us to the test on getting these final takes. Both WITHERFALL and our team at Century Media felt this song would be the perfect way to introduce our latest offspring ‘Curse of Autumn’. Like any other WITHERFALL record this one is quite the storm. This is but the first gust of wind…”
Norwegian blackened Viking heavy metal solo-band HJELVIK has released a new song and music video for their third single from the upcoming album Welcome to Hel, out on November 20th 2020 via Nuclear Blast. Watch the victorious video saga ‘Glory of Hel’ animated by Adam Avilla of Flesh & Bones in San Francisco, California which includes a guest performance by Matt Pike from the bands High on Fire and Sleep here:
Frontman Erlend Hjelvik comments on the song: “I’m excited to finally unveil Glory of Hel in all its…glory! It’s one of the hardest rocking tracks from Welcome to Hel and is visited by the mythical Matt Pike (High on Fire & Sleep) who lends his killer voice and face melting guitar solo. To top that off, there’s a badass animated music video created by the disgustingly talented Adam Avilla. The video depicts a twisted take on the death of Odin’s son Balder and the ensuing events of Ragnarok with an animation style reminiscent of cult classics like ‘Heavy Metal‘ and ‘Fire and Ice.‘. Thanks to both Matt and Adam for their amazing contributions and I hope people love it!”
HJELVIK‘s first solo album Welcome to Hel, based on Norse mythology and history, includes all the trappings of a lucrative Viking pillage. The album was recorded and mixed at The Hallowed Halls in Portland, Oregon, US by Justin Phelps (Joe Satriani, Poison Idea, Slough Feg) and mastered by Grammy award-winning engineer, Alan Douches (Mastodon, Converge, Baroness). Special guest appearances by Matt Pike (Sleep, High on Fire) on ‘Glory of Hel’ and Mike Scalzi (Slough Feg) on ‘Necromance’ are also included. The legendary Joe Petagno created the Welcome to Hel cover artwork and HJELVIK logo and is responsible for creating the timeless iconic images we all love from bands like Motörhead, Led Zeppelin, Nazareth.
Erlend HJELVIK’s first two singles + music videos from the Welcome to Hel debut album here:
Welcome to Hel tracklist: 1. Father War 2. Thor’s Hammer 3. Helgrinda 4. The Power Ballad of Freyr 5. Glory of Hel 6. 12th Spell 7. Ironwood 8. Kveldulv 9. North Tsar 10. Necromance
HJELVIK is the new solo-band of ex-KVELERTAK frontman, lyricist and co-founder Erlend Hjelvik. After touring worldwide with some of the world’s greatest bands like METALLICA, SLAYER and GHOST and earning four Norwegian Spellemann awards, Erlend parted ways with his bandmates in 2018 and has spent the last two years songwriting and creating HJELVIK‘s first solo album.
Dutch blackened Death Doom Metallers SOULBURN are soon to release their fourth album “NOA’S D’ARK” on November 13th, 2020 via Century Media Records.
Therefore, a new SOULBURN single entitled “Shrines of Apathy” is being released today, which you can check out in a video created by Maurice Swinkels / Younique Film (Legion Of the Damned, Exodus, Kataklysm, etc.) HERE!
SOULBURN’s frontman Twan van Geel commented about “Shrines of Apathy” as follows:
“It is with great honour we hereby present to you our latest video: “Shrines of Apathy”. Recorded and compiled by the notorious Maurice Swinkels (aka Sephiroth – dark horned ruler from the abyss) It was a great joy collaborating with him on this, and are more then pleased with his craftmanship!
“Shrines of Apathy” is the 3rd single we spit out from our upcoming album “NOA’S D’ARK”, which will be happily aborted in the viral magnitude of 2020’s November 13th. This song as well, might just remind you all of the unstilled hunger of our death magnets! The time is NOW, and however you want to fill this in on your behalf, make it count! Mors Vincit Omnia!”
SOULBURN previously released a lyric video for the album’s first single “From Archaeon into Oblivion” HERE and you can also check out another song off the “NOA’S D’ARK” album with “Anarchrist” HERE!
“NOA’S D’ARK” tracklisting (47:32 min.)
The Morgue of Hope (07:17) Noah’s Dark (03:57) Tempter ov the White Light (05:30) Anarchrist (05:57) Shrines of Apathy (04:34) Assailed by Cosmic Lightning (03:18) Triumphant One (02:15) Anointed – Blessed – and Born for Burning (03:47) The Godless I (05:03) From Archaeon into Oblivion (05:46)
You can pre-order for “NOA’S D’ARK” in its various formats HERE!
Canadian progressive sci-fi metal innovators VOIVOD will soon return with a much overdue new live release. Entitled “Lost Machine – Live”, the album was recorded in Québec City during the worldwide touring cycle for the band’s latest studio album “The Wake” and will be released on November 27th, 2020 worldwide via Century Media Records.
A second single for the live-release is being launched today, so make sure to check out “Iconspiracy” HERE!
VOIVOD’s drummer Michel “Away” Langevin comments as follows: “And now, ‘Iconspiracy’, the second single/video from our upcoming release ‘Lost Machine – Live’. Like the video for the first single ‘The Lost Machine’, the footage comes from the Montréal Jazz Fest 2019 and the audio is from the Québec City Summer Fest 2019, where the entire live album was recorded. ‘Iconspiracy’ has become one of our favorite songs to perform on tour since the album ‘The Wake’ came out in 2018. The video direction is by Felipe Belalcazar and my art was animated by Jaan Silmberg. There are a lot more projects in the works. Meanwhile, have fun with this one!”
Previously, the track “The Lost Machine” was debuted as first single/video HERE!
Both clips feature audio recorded in Québec City (07/13/2019), video filmed in Montréal (06/30/2019) and material processed in Morgöth (2020). The videos were directed and produced by Felipe Belalcazar / Mental Pictures.
“Lost Machine – Live” consist of 13 tracks across 74 packed minutes of playing time by one of the best live-acts in this day and age.
“Lost Machine – Live” tracklisting:
Post Society Psychic Vacuum Obsolete Beings The Prow Iconspiracy Into My Hypercube The End Of Dormancy Overreaction Always Moving Fall The Lost Machine Astronomy Domine Voivod
“Lost Machine – Live” can be pre-ordered in its various editions HERE!
Previously this year, VOIVOD have released a 3-track 12” Vinyl and Digital EP entitled “The End Of Dormancy”. The EP is centered around a special “Metal Section” version of the title track “The End Of Dormancy” (Off VOIVOD’s latest, Juno Award winning album “The Wake” from 2018) with added trumpets, saxophone and trombones. Check out a remarkable video-clip for “The End Of Dormancy (Metal Section)” directed by Syl Disjonk and produced by Igor Simonnet HERE!
Also check out the previous videos off VOIVOD’s latest and much acclaimed 14th studio album “The Wake” here:
“The Wake” and “The End Of Dormancy – EP” are still available in various physical editions HERE!
In other news, VOIVOD’s appearance as part of Century Media’s “Isolation Festival” online event has now been made available here to re-watch: https://youtu.be/v92HSqUPJVU?t=12181
Legendary Dutch Death Doom Elite ASPHYX have recently announced their new, 10th full studio album “Necroceros” for worldwide release on January 22nd, 2021 via Century Media Records.
Today, ASPHYX are pleased to reveal the album’s first single “Botox Implosion”, which can be checked out in a video filmed by Maurice Swinkels / Younique Film (Legion Of the Damned, Exodus, Kataklysm, etc.) HERE!
ASPHYX frontman Martin van Drunen checked in about the song and its video as follows: “We actually wanted to film this on Sunset Boulevard LA, where most of the pathetic subjects of this song have their residence, but due to the pandemic it was best not to fly over to the USA. So since it’s a fast shredding and written in the typical humorous death metal gore tradition track, we put a few laughable elements in it. Fortunately good old Turock in Essen was so friendly to let us film there and where we’re usually not that keen on shooting videos, with this one we had quite some fun. Still, it is a helluva brutal tune!”
“Necroceros” was recorded at Tom Meier’s Tom Meier Studio as well as at Paul Baayens’ The Mörserstudio and then finally mixed/mastered by Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann at Greenman Studios. The album once again features front cover artwork by Axel Hermann and contains the following tracklisting:
ASPHYX – “Necroceros”:
The Sole Cure is Death
Molten Black Earth
Mount Skull
Knights Templar Stand
Three Years of Famine
Botox Implosion
In Blazing Oceans
The Nameless Elite
Yield or Die
Necroceros
The pre-order for “Necroceros” in all its various formats starts today HERE!
ASPHYX – Live 2020/2021:
05.12.2020 Speyer (Germany) – Halle 101 Musikkulturzentrum 05.02.2021 Göttingen (Germany) – Junges Theater 06.02.2021 Rostock (Germany) – Mau Club 06.03.2021 Zaragoza (Spain) – C. C. Valdefierro 03.04.2021 Oslo (Norway) – Inferno Metal Festival 07.05.2021 Plozévet (France) – Courts of Chaos Festival 22.05.2021 Vienna (Austria) – Vienna Metal Meeting 12.06.2021 Hauptmannsgrün (Germany) – Chronical Moshers Open Air 29.07.2021 Tolmin (Slovenia) – MetalDays 12.08.2021 Jaromer (Czech Republic) – Brutal Assault 13.08.2021 Schlotheim (Germany) – Party.San Open Air 28.08.2021 Wörrstadt (Germany) – Neuborn Open Air 04.09.2021 Copenhagen (Denmark) – Kill-Town Deathfest 10.09.2021 Hüttikon (Switzerland) – Meh Suff Fest 16.10.2021 London (UK) – Sublime Terror Fest 20.11.2021 Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium) – Mass Deathruction
In uncertain times like these you can rely on ACCEPT to deliver the goods – they will not let anything or anyone get them down, not even a virus.
Metal legends ACCEPT prove this definitively with brand new track “Too Mean To Die”! Released as an advance single today, it is intended both as a gift to fans and to wet the appetite for their full-length masterpiece, their 16th studio album ‘Too Mean To Die’, which will be released on January 15th 2021 via Nuclear Blast.
“Too Mean To Die” is a track full of unrestrained power and pure energy, certain to rip you out of all lethargy and any corona depression, no sooner than the first note hits. The lyric video for the new single can be found here:
ACCEPT mastermind Wolf Hoffmann explains: “We decided to not let ourselves be overly influenced by current events. Fans will get a hard, direct and uncompromising metal album, but of course accompanied with a wink: we are too mean to die! Weeds do not go away! ACCEPT do not let themselves get down!”
That’s exactly how the title track comes across: driving, uncompromising, turned up to twelve! With a feeling of invincibility – “Too Mean To Die”!!
ACCEPT fans had the unique opportunity to reveal the new cover upfront, by streaming the “The Undertaker” on SPOTIFY – due to the great response the contest will continue for “Too Mean To Die“ with a lot of new prices and goodies – check out: http://accepttoomeantodie.com/
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
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! 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
Click image to watch the video
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