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RIVERS OF NIHIL’s Self-Titled Fifth Full-Length Tops Billboard Charts Upon Its First Week of Release

Posted by tarjavirmakari on June 17, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: Rivers Of Nihil. Leave a comment
Photo by Mike Truehart

RIVERS OF NIHIL‘s eponymous fifth full-length, released on May 30th via Metal Blade Records, reaped 2.8 million Spotify streams globally and toppled Billboard charts upon its first week of release earning the #2 position on the Current Hard Music Albums chart, #7 on the Current Rock Albums chart, #7 on the Independent Label Albums chart, and more! See additional chart positions below.

USA – Billboard:
#2 Current Hard Music Albums
#7 Current Rock Albums
#7 Independent Label Albums
#9 Current Digital Albums
#23 Current Album Sales

Canada – Billboard:
#1 Hard Music Albums
#7 Current Digital Albums
#8 Top Current Albums
#23 LP Vinyl Sales

European Chart Entries from release day/week:
#60 Official Top 100 Albums DE weekly
#21 Official Top 100 Albums Downloaded DE weekly
#22 Official Top 100 Albums Midweek DE weekly
#9 iTunes Top 10 Albums AT daily
#33 iTunes Top 100 Albums DE daily
#87 Official Top 100 Albums CH weekly
#12 Official Top 20 Rock/Metal Albums DE weekly
#44 Official Top 75 Albums AT weekly

Australian iTunes Entries from release day:
#1 Metal Chart
#7 Rock Chart
#28 ALL Chart

“It’s not just album marketing speak to say that this genuinely feels like a new era for the band,” wrote Decibel Magazine. Blabbermouth concurred crowning the offering, “one of this year’s most unmissable metal (and prog) records… RIVERS OF NIHIL are beginning to sound unstoppable,” while Metal Injection lauded a record that’s, “sonically sound, emotionally poignant, experimental in the right places.”

The praise didn’t stop here with outlets across the globe chiming in with their take on the band’s self-titled release. “RIVERS OF NIHIL dare to experiment, and it pays off” says Deaf Forever (Germany) who gave the release an 8/10 while Arrow Lords of Metal (Netherlands) gave the album a 9.5/10 stating “This is progressive death metal of the highest level!” FUZE (Germany) said “For several years now, RIVERS OF NIHIL have stood for more than just progressive death metal, and with their self-titled album, they are pushing this development even further. Thus, this work perhaps lays the perfect foundation for what may yet come in the band’s hopefully long career.”

Rivers Of Nihil was created in a very “rock n’ roll” manner. “On 2021’s The Work, I wrote a lot of the record on the piano and then the band filled in the gaps,” explains guitarist Brody Uttley. “On this new record, I wanted to make sure that this stuff would hit hard live with just the four of us before adding in all of the sparkly auxiliary ‘frosting’ on top.”

Rivers Of Nihil also showcases additional musicians, including Patrick Corona on alto saxophone, Stephan Lopez on banjo, McFarland on cello, and a slate of other guest vocalists. Despite the fresh approach on Rivers Of Nihil however, the album still fits neatly into the band’s discography. With Where Owls Know My Name (2018), RIVERS OF NIHIL transcended all labels applied to them, and with its 2021 follow-up, The Work, they forged further into new territory with Metal Injection calling the latter album “the group’s most cohesive, ambitious, meditative, and varied effort, with greater uses of philosophical significance and transcendental respites.”

Rivers Of Nihil is available on CD, LP, and digital formats. Preview and purchase the record at: metalblade.com/riversofnihil

Watch RIVERS OF NIHIL‘s videos for “House Of Light,” “American Death,” and “Water & Time” HERE.

RIVERS OF NIHIL is currently wrapping up a month-long North American headlining tour with support provided by Holy Fawn, Inter Arma, and Glacial Tomb. Tickets and VIP packages are available now at: ron.soundrink.com. See all remaining dates below.

RIVERS OF NIHIL w/ Holy Fawn, Inter Arma, Glacial Tomb [remaining dates]:
6/17/2025 Basement East – Nashville, TN
6/18/2025 Eulogy – Asheville, NC
6/19/2025 The Canal Club – Richmond, VA
6/20/2025 The Meadows – Brooklyn, NY
6/21/2025 Fairmount Theatre – Montreal, QC
6/22/2025 Lees Palace – Toronto, ON

Sixteen years and five albums into the Pennsylvania band’s career, RIVERS OF NIHIL is upping the ante with Rivers Of Nihil. Traditionally, a self-titled record can signal a return to basics and/or a fresh beginning, and in ten powerful songs, it’s clear that both those factors are in play. Founding bassist Adam Biggs became the band’s new lead vocalist/bassist in 2023; the same year marked the appearance of additional guitarist Andy Thomas (ex-Black Crown Initiate), whose vocals also play prominently on Rivers Of Nihil. Producers Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland at Atrium Audio captured the new dynamics across more than fifty minutes of music.

On June 15th, 2023, the band released the single, “The Sub-Orbital Blues,” the first track with Biggs handling lead vocals following the 2022 departure of singer Jake Dieffenbach. It was also the first track to feature Thomas. A second single, “Hellbirds,” dropped on October 19th of that year. On April 29th, 2024, the band released the cut “Criminals” and an accompanying music video. Both “Criminals” and “The Sub-Orbital Blues” appear on Rivers Of Nihil.

RIVERS OF NIHIL:
Adam Biggs – bass guitar, vocals
Andy Thomas – guitar, vocals
Brody Uttley – guitar, piano, keys, programming
Jared Klein – drums, vocals

https://www.facebook.com/riversofnihil
https://x.com/riversofnihil
https://www.instagram.com/riversofnihil
https://www.youtube.com/Riversofnihilpa

SAXON Unleash Video ‘Heavy Metal Thunder (Live at Hellfest)’, “Eagles Over Hellfest” Out Now

Posted by tarjavirmakari on June 17, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: Saxon. Leave a comment
Photo by Ned Wakeman

To mark the new Eagles Over Hellfest release, out now, SAXON unleashed the video for “Heavy Metal Thunder (Live at Hellfest)”. Eagles Over Hellfest is in celebration of the band’s fast approaching “Castles & Eagles” headline shows in September 2025 at the Zénith in Paris, Nantes and Toulouse and features the audio recording of the band’s sensational show from Hellfest 2024.

ORDER AT at THIS LOCATION

Biff Byford, lead singer and founding member comments: “‘Heavy Metal Thunder’ is a classic that always goes down well live. It’s from our new release, Eagles Over Hellfest, which we recorded at the French festival on our Castles & Eagles show last year. It was great to close the evening after Metallica’s set!”

Watch the previously released “Princess Of The Night (Live at Hellfest)” here – video courtesy of Sombrero & Co in collaboration with Hellfest Productions.

Following a string of successful and sold-out shows in Japan and South America, SAXON show no signs of slowing down with a long list of dates across Europe and the UK planned throughout the rest of 2025. For tickets and more information visit: www.saxon747.com

2025 Upcoming Dates:

JUL 2 – Rockharz Festival, Ballenstadt (Germany)
JUL 12 – Area 53 Festival, Leoben (Austria)
JUL 24 – Lokomotivat, Ekilstuna (Sweden)
JUL 25 – Öland Rock Festival, Borgholm (Sweden)
JUL 26 – Garden, Linköping (Sweden)
JUL 27 – Furuvik, Gävle (Sweden)
JUL 29 – Turbinenhalle 2, Oberhausen (Germany)
JUL 30 – Pol’And’Rock Festival, Czaplinek (Poland)
AUG 1 – Wacken Open Air, Wacken (Germany)
AUG 9 – Stallörsparken, Ekenäs (Finland)
AUG 16 – Summer Breeze Festival, Dinkelsbühl (Germany)
AUG 23 – Trutnoff Open Air Festival, Trunoff (Czech Republic)
AUG 29 – Neuborn Open Air, Wörrstadt (Germany)
SEPT 5 – Santana 27, Bilbao (Spain)
SEPT 6 – La Riviera, Madrid (Spain)
SEPT 7 – Razzmatazz, Barcelona (Spain)
SEPT 11 – Zénith, Paris (France)*
SEPT 12 – Zénith, Nantes (France)*
SEPT 13 – Zénith, Toulouse (France)*
NOV 4 – Ulster Hall, Belfast (UK)
NOV 5 – 3Olympia Theatre, Dublin (Ireland)
NOV 7 – O2 Apollo, Manchester (UK)
NOV 8 – Octagon Centre, Sheffield (UK)
NOV 9 – Glasgow Academy (UK)
NOV 11 – O2 City Hall, Newcastle (UK)
NOV 13 – Beacon, Bristol (UK)
NOV 14 – Civic Hall, Wolverhampton (UK)
NOV 15 – Hammersmith Apollo, London (UK)
NOV 16 – Great Hall, Cardiff (UK)
NOV 28 – Metal Hammer Paradise, Lübeck (Germany)
*Castles & Eagles show

Eagles Over Hellfest Track Listing:

  1. Hell, Fire and Damnation (Live at Hellfest)
  2. Motorcycle Man (Live at Hellfest)
  3. Power and the Glory (Live at Hellfest)
  4. Madame Guillotine (Live at Hellfest)
  5. Heavy Metal Thunder (Live at Hellfest)
  6. Dallas 1 PM (Live at Hellfest)
  7. The Eagle Has Landed (Live at Hellfest)
  8. Strong Arm of the Law (Live at Hellfest)
  9. And the Bands Played On (Live at Hellfest)
  10. Denim and Leather (Live at Hellfest)
  11. Wheels of Steel (Live at Hellfest)
  12. 747 (Strangers in the Night) [Live at Hellfest]
  13. Crusader (Live at Hellfest)
  14. Princess of the Night (Live at Hellfest)

SAXON:
BIFF BYFORD – Vocals
NIGEL GLOCKLER – Drums
DOUG SCARRATT – Guitar
BRIAN TATLER – Guitar
NIBBS CARTER – Bass

Follow Saxon on: Facebook – X – Instagram – YouTube – Website

International Power Rock Artist ALEX COLE Sets to Ignite Medimex Festival with Energetic Return to Italy

Posted by tarjavirmakari on June 17, 2025
Posted in: News. Tagged: Alex Cole. Leave a comment

The Italian music scene is getting ready to welcome back ALEX COLE, the acclaimed international Power Rock artist. After captivating audiences across the United States, he’s set to take the stage at the prestigious Medimex Festival. Alex Cole will perform tomorrow, on June 18th as part of the Medimex Showcase 2025 at the Spazioporto in Taranto, promising an unforgettable show.

Alex Cole’s sound is an explosive mix of rock’n’roll, blues, and hard rock, infused with a modern touch that makes it incredibly engaging for a wide, intergenerational audience. His music isn’t just a tribute to rock’s roots; it’s also a powerful contemporary expression, capable of creating a vibrant, high-energy atmosphere.

Card by: Marika Marangella

Alex Cole shares his excitement: “Being chosen to participate in one of Italy’s most important music events, which has become a national benchmark from Puglia, is an immense joy and great honor for me. A heartfelt thank you to the committee that selected me: Gabriele Antonucci, Stefano Senardi, Davide Fabbri. After years of success and experiences in the vibrant US music scene, especially in Los Angeles, alongside rock legends like Ted Nugent, the desire to bring my energy to the Italian audience is immense.”

On stage, Alex Cole (vocals and guitar) will be joined by his Power Trio formation, featuring two exceptional musicians providing an impeccable rhythm section: Arduino Panaro on bass and Enzo Fabrizio on drums.

This return to the Italian stage will be full of energy, promising a dynamic performance packed with songs that will capture everyone’s attention.

More information at www.alexcolerocks.com

DIVNI SAN Unveil Powerful Lyric Video for ‘When The Bells Ring The Knell’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on June 17, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: DIVNI SAN. Leave a comment

Thrash metal force DIVNI SAN continue their ascent with the release of the cinematic lyric video for “When the Bells Ring the Knell”, taken from their album “Dreamlike Tales”, out now via Wormholedeath.

Haunting, atmospheric, and deeply emotional—When the Bells Ring the Knell takes you on a journey through sorrow, reflection, and the search for closure. As the bells toll, unanswered questions linger, and the weight of the past looms large. Will there be redemption, or is it too late? Let the soaring melodies and melancholic atmosphere pull you into a world of regret and revelation.

Stream “Dreamlike Tales”: orcd.co/dreamliketales

Connect with Divni San:
www.instagram.com/divnisan
www.facebook.com/DIVNISAN
www.youtube.com/@divnisan
www.tiktok.com/@divnisan

BLUTGOTT’s New Studio Album “Legions Of Metal” to Be Released on October 10th

Posted by tarjavirmakari on June 17, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: BLUTGOTT. Leave a comment

THE BLUTGOTT METAL UNIVERSE – Dark Fantasy Metal. There is no political or socio-critical message.

DEBAUCHERY – Death Metal Voice
BLOOD GOD – Hard Rock & Heavy Metal Vocals
BALGEROTH – German Lyrics

It’s not a band, it’s a universe. The BLUTGOTT Metal Universe, consisting of Debauchery, Blood God and Balgeroth.

20 Years of Monsters and Metal. Somewhere in between Judas Priest, Slayer, AC/DC, Rammstein and Bolt Thrower. 20 albums with over 40 CDs.

The lyrics are about the own dark fantasy world, the World of Blood Gods. Blood Gods are brutal demonic vampire dragons.

There are miniatures, a tabletop wargame, books and artworks.

Concerts of the various incarnations of the BLUTGOTT Metal Universe have been held throughout Europe, Russia and Asia. The draconic BLUTGOTT monsters were on tour with Doro, Saxon, Dismember, Napalm Death, Destruction and many other legends from the metal scene and played at major festivals such as Wacken, Summer Breeze and Bang Your Head. The albums are regularly in the top 50 of the official German album charts.

The main man behind BLUTGOTT is singer and guitarist, creator of artworks and monsters, author of the World of Blood Gods: Thomas Gurrath. The guy who gave up his job as teacher to become a full time metal artist.

“Legions Of Metal” is coming on 10 October – Three bloody discs of old-school Heavy Metal and Hard Rock. Recorded by Dennis Ward (Unisonic, Krokus, Helloween).

  • CD1: A full mix of Blutgott madness, plus some absolute legends joining the ride: Tim “Ripper” Owens – former singer of Judas Priest, and Michelle Darkness – the voice of End of Green.
  • CD2: Classic Heavy Metal and Hard Rock, like AC/DC getting into a bar brawl with Accept – and everyone wins.
  • CD3: The version with the Debauchery monster voice. Death metal growls that sound like a demon gargling lava.

Available as a 3CD digipack and the main album as a limited edition picture LP.

TRACK LISTING

CD1(MAIN CD)

  1. DEMONSLAYER (FEATURING TIM “RIPPER” OWENS)
  2. BEASTS OF BALGEROTH (FEATURING TIM “RIPPER” OWENS)
  3. NIGHTKING (FEATURING MICHELLE DARKNESS)
  4. BEASTS OF WAR (DEBAUCHERY VERSION)
  5. ANIMAL PROTECTOR (BLOOD GOD VERSION)
  6. BLOODCRAZED BRUTES (BLOOD GOD VERSION)
  7. LEGIONS OF METAL (DEBAUCHERY VERSION)
  8. QUEEN OF PAIN (DEBAUCHERY VERSION)
  9. ROCK’N’ROLL MONSTERS (BLOOD GOD VERSION)
  10. PAINKILLER (JUDAS PRIEST COVER)

CD2 BLOOD GOD VERSION

  1. BEASTS OF WAR (BLOOD GOD VERSION)
  2. ANIMAL PROTECTOR (BLOOD GOD VERSION)
  3. BLOODCRAZED BRUTES (BLOOD GOD VERSION)
  4. BLOOD ROCK (BLOOD GOD VERSION)
  5. QUEEN OF PAIN (BLOOD GOD VERSION)
  6. ROCK’N’ROLL MONSTERS (BLOOD GOD VERSION)
  7. LEGIONS OF METAL (BLOOD GOD VERSION)
  8. HOUNDS OF HELL (BLOOD GOD VERSION)
  9. BLOOD BABE ON OVERDRIVE (BLOOD GOD VERSION)
  10. I’M ON FIRE (BLOOD GOD VERSION)

CD3 DEBAUCHERY VERSION

  1. BEASTS OF WAR (DEBAUCHERY VERSION)
  2. ANIMAL PROTECTOR (DEBAUCHERY VERSION)
  3. BLOODCRAZED BRUTES (DEBAUCHERY VERSION)
  4. BLOOD ROCK (DEBAUCHERY VERSION)
  5. QUEEN OF PAIN (DEBAUCHERY VERSION)
  6. ROCK’N’ROLL MONSTERS (DEBAUCHERY VERSION)
  7. LEGIONS OF METAL (DEBAUCHERY VERSION)
  8. HOUNDS OF HELL (DEBAUCHERY VERSION)
  9. BLOOD BABE ON OVERDRIVE (DEBAUCHERY VERSION)
  10. I’M ON FIRE (DEBAUCHERY VERSION)

ALBUM RELEASE SHOWS:
02.10.2025 Erfurt – From Hell
03.10.2025 Hildesheim – Thav
04.10.2025 Dresden – Puschkin
11.10.2025 Kirchheim Teck – Linde – Heimspiel
24.10.2025 Weiden – Salute Club
25.10.2025 Landshut – Rockokfest

https://www.blutgott.com/
https://www.facebook.com/blutgott666
https://www.instagram.com/blutgott666
https://www.youtube.com/@blutgott666
https://www.tiktok.com/@blutgott666

CRYPTOPSY Release Filthy Bass Playthrough for ‘Until There’s Nothing Left’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on June 17, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: CRYPTOPSY. Leave a comment
Photo by Maciej Pieloch

Just one year after winning a Canadian Grammy, this week, Cryptopsy are officially back with their eerily prescient ninth album. As the most vile band in death metal prepare to tear into An Insatiable Violence, today, their filthy bass player Oli Pinard is releasing a sharp and shiny new playthrough for lead single “Until There’s Nothing Left”.

Armed with his trusty Spector 5-string, the fleet-fingered Pinard slaps, slides and smacks through the brutal groove of this delicious earworm from An Insatiable Violence. Feast your eyes on his deadly fretwork by peeping the playthrough over at Metal Injection, who recently named Cryptopsy their Artist of the Month.

“It’s a tribute to my bass heroes: Steve Harris, Geddy Lee and Steve DiGiorgio”, Pinard says about his playing on “Until There’s Nothing Left”. “I had the idea for the middle part of the song for a long time now. I wrote it during the pandemic without knowing if it would make the cut somewhere. But when I showed my ideas to the guys during one of our writing sessions out on the road, [Christian] Donaldson put his filter on my riffs and made the magic happen!”

The official bass playthrough for “Until There’s Nothing Left” was filmed by Emmanuel Pronovost (@Neokosmos) with assistance from audio engineer Dominic Grimard. 

Oli Pinard uses Spector
Bass, EMG Pickups, Darkglass Electronics, Neural DSP and Ernie Ball strings.  

An Insatiable Violence comes out this Friday, June 20 on Season of Mist.

Pre-order: https://orcd.co/cryptopsyaninsatiableviolence
Pre-save on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/prerelease/68bFcUq3E7rilegbUCwexu

Can’t wait to devour Cryptopsy’s new album? RSVP for this week’s Bandcamp Listening Party and hear all eight brutally technical tracks before it comes out.

An Insatiable Violence Bandcamp Listening Party
Thursday, June 17 @ 1:30 pm ET – RSVP

In the wake of spreading bloodshed all over Europe with Decapitated, Cryptopsy are now fiending to feast on the new cuts from An Insatiable Violence with their ravenous fans across the U.S.

This fall, the band are joining brutal technical death metal pharaohs Nile on a 25-date tour of the East Coast, Midwest and Pacific Northwest. Joining them on this run are The Last Ten Seconds of Life and Cognitive. 

“We are so excited to bring An Insatiable Violence to the United States. It’s a pleasure to tour amongst friends and this lineup is incredibly stacked!”, Cryptopsy says. “Our new album was written for a live setting. The songs are more brutal and grooving so that people can really latch on and bang their heads”. 

Cryptopsy’s setlist for this tour will pull from the band’s latest albums while mixing in revered classics. 

The Underworld Awaits Tour USA 2025 
September 12 – Raleigh, NC @ Chapel of Bones [TICKETS]
September 13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts [TICKETS]
September 14 – Leesburg, VA @ Tally Ho [TICKETS]
September 16 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Monarch [TICKETS]
September 17 – Hampton, NH @ Wally’s [TICKETS]
September 18 – Hartford, CT @ Webster Hall [TICKETS]
September 19 – Lititz, PA @ Mickey’s Black Box [TICKETS]
September 20 – Clifton, NJ @ Dingbatz [TICKETS]
September 21 – Rochester, NY @ Montage Music Hall [TICKETS]
September 22 – Cleveland, OH @ Mercury [TICKETS]
September 24 – Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary [TICKETS]
September 25 – Hobart, IN @ Hobart Art Theatre [TICKETS]
September 26 – Madison, WI @ The Annex [TICKETS]
September 27 – Minneapolis, MN @ Studio B Skyway [TICKETS]
September 28 – Belvidere, IL @ Apollo Theater [TICKETS]
September 29 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Bigs Bar [TICKETS]
October 1 – Billings, MT @ Pub Station [TICKETS]
October 3 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon [TICKETS]
October 4 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory [TICKETS]
October 5 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory [TICKETS]
October 6 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge [TICKETS]
October 7 – Denver, CO @ Oriental Theater [TICKETS]
October 9 – Des Moines, IA @ Wooly’s* [TICKETS]
October 10 – Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s* [TICKETS]
October 11 – Indianapolis, IN @ Hi-Fi Annex* [TICKETS]
*Nile, Cryptopsy and Cognitive only

Tracklist
1. The Nimis Adoration (4:10)
2. Until There’s Nothing Left (3:59) [WATCH]
3. Dead Eyes Replete (3:57) [WATCH]
4. Fools Last Acclaim (3:26)
5. The Art of Emptiness (4:16)
6. Our Great Deception (4:21)
7. Embrace the Nihility (3:50)
8. Malicious Needs (5:52) [WATCH]
Total runtime 32:04

A person spends all day building a machine, only for it to torture them through the night. As if that wasn’t twisted enough, they like it. In fact, they like being tortured so much that, come morning, they wake up rejuvenated, eager to tweak the machine until it runs perfectly in their mind.   

This is the nocturnal vision that inspired Cryptopsy’s ninth full-length nightmare. An Insatiable Violence mirrors our toxic relationship with social media, but while eerily prescient, the album is influenced by the many mutations that have defined the band’s Hall of Fame discography. The album’s lead single bumps and grinds with gruesome bass slaps – and yet, at its core “Until There’s Nothing Left” stakes its claim as their biggest earworm.

Cryptopsy recognize that not every brutal technical death metal band sticks around long enough to win a Canadian Grammy 30 years into their career. The cover for An Insatiable Violence was created by the band’s late, great vocalist Martin Lacroix, who would growl with unholy delight over the freshly fetid depths of Matt McGachy’s false chord scream.

But despite having claimed the crown as the most vile band in death metal on only their second stab in the studio, Cryptopsy are still pushing the limits of extremity on An Insatiable Violence. Even Flo Mounier – who literally wrote the book on extreme metal drumming – has honed new techniques to keep their blasphemy fresh. For its finishing move, album closer “Malicious Needs” slithers to a crawl before ascending like a bat into a blackened cloud of smoke.   

Bow to the new vileness from extreme metal royalty.  

Metalheads who are chomping at the bit for An Insatiable Violence can further their appetite by revisiting Cryptopsy’s hallowed catalogue. Since signing with Season of Mist in 2024, the band have reissued their 1993 demo Ungentle Exhumation, revered debut Blasphemy Made Flesh, the widely-worshiped None So Vile, their triumphant self-titled and The Book of Suffering Tome I + II, which is now available for the first time on one combined LP. 

Order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/CryptopsyReissues

More than 30 years into their storied career, Montreal death metal innovators Cryptopsy return with their ninth studio album, An Insatiable Violence, set for release on June 20, 2025 on Season of Mist.

Revered in extreme metal circles for such groundbreaking classics as 1994’s Blasphemy Made Flesh and the 1996 magnum opus None So Vile, Cryptopsy find yet another gear on An Insatiable Violence, which further solidifies the band’s place in the upper echelon of death metal. Coming out of the pandemic, the band dedicated themselves to staying on top of their game more than ever before, with the intention of consistently putting out a new record every two years. That started with 2023’s acclaimed As Gomorrah Burns, and continues 21 months later with An Insatiable Violence.

“We had to write the majority of An Insatiable Violence while on the Death to All tour, which was something we’d never done before”, vocalist Matt McGachy says. “Flo [Mounier, drums] and Chris [Donaldson, guitar] really put their hats on. It was a feat”.  

“Ever since COVID our focus is clearer, a lot of work gets done faster, and we push each other to get it done.”, Mounier says.  

In addition to featuring some of the fastest passages Cryptopsy has ever recorded – keen listeners will even hear the odd gravity blast from Mounier, a rarity from the virtuoso drummer – the controlled chaos of their signature sound is offset by well-timed passages that ease off the gas pedal enough to allow listeners to come up for some air. That dynamic rage on An Insatiable Violence in turn makes the more aggressive moments hit even harder, which is immediately noticeable on the harrowing “Until There’s Nothing Left” and the chugging closing track “Malicious Needs”. Olivier Pinard anchors “Fools Last Acclaim” with stunning authority (keeping pace with Mounier is an unenviable task) while Donaldson offsets gnarly, atonal riffs with melodic passages throughout the record. “It’s a continuation of As Gomorrah Burns,” McGachy says, “We really wanted to make a groovy record, and we think we’ve done it.”

It seems as though nothing is scarier than real life right now, and An Insatiable Violence is a commentary on today’s society as though filtered through the transgressive, countercultural perspectives of J.G. Ballard and David Cronenberg.  

“It all came to me in a dream in August 2023,” elaborates McGachy. “I woke up, I took my phone, and I wrote down the title of the record. It’s about a person that wakes up every day and fixes a machine. Tinkers with it, tries to make it better all day long, sweating in the sun, and then at night, they strap themself into this machine and the machine tortures them, and they love it. Then they wake up the next day and fix it again to make it more efficient, to keep harnessing it, and then just keep doing it over and over again.  

While fantastically twisted, An Insatiable Violence mirrors our toxic relationship with social media.  “We’re continuously trying to feed this algorithm of the machine while it’s totally tearing us apart socially and psychologically”, McGachy continues. “’The Nimis Adoration’ is about mukbang, these Korean people that eat too much food on the Internet. Piles and piles of food. A poor girl died on a live cam”.  

At the center of the album is the mind-boggling percussion skill of Mounier, arguably the most imposing Canadian drummer not named Peart, who dominates such standout tracks as “Dead Eyes Replete”, “Fools Last Acclaim”, and “Embrace the Nihility”. “I look at Flo as an Olympic athlete,” says McGachy. “I want to push this guy to go a lot faster than Cryptopsy’s previous releases. We have so much more to give, and I wanted just drain it all out of him while he’s still at the top of his game, because he is. He’s crushing.”

“I mix up a lot of a physical activity, like resistance training into the drumming,” Mounier says. “I recently developed new techniques that make it easier to go even faster, so I tried to push that on this album. My focus is now more on dynamics and the touch of the snare, a certain snap of the snare, a rim shot on the snare, the toms, a light touch or a hard touch. Live, I can really let go, you know, give the sound guy a hard time,” he adds with a laugh.

For McGachy, who has always boasted a powerful, guttural death growl, the rigors of touring have enabled him to evolve as a vocalist, and he turns in a revelatory performance on An Insatiable Violence. In addition to ear-scraping screams that rival George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher, McGachy unleashes the deepest, filthiest death growls of his career. “Gomorrah was the first album that I recorded with my full false chord scream, which is something that I’d only just touched on The Book of Suffering: Tome II in little sections,” he says. “We did at least 140 shows since Gomorrah. I exclusively did my false chords during all the songs that we performed on None So Vile and Blasphemy Made Flesh. And then, when we did go into the studio for An Insatiable Violence, Chris would be like, ‘Deeper, you must go deeper!’”

Another fearsome vocalist from Cryptopsy’s lore pops back into the booth on An Insatiable Violence. “When we were recording the vocals for ‘Embrace the Nihility’, Chris had the idea of ending the song with the same vocal pattern as the end of ‘…and Then It Passes’”, McGachy remembers. “We figured if we were going to rip ourselves off, then we may as well get the real thing. We were honored that Mike DiSalvo accepted. We are all huge fans of Cryptopsy’s DiSalvo era. His vocals on this album are an ultra Easter egg for our fans”.       

In addition to the effusive praise As Gomorrah Burns received from within the metal scene, the 2023 album achieved a first for Cryptopsy: earning them their first ever JUNO Award in 2024 for Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year. “We had little-to-no expectations of winning” says McGachy. ”We didn’t even go to the ceremonies because we were on tour in Europe with Atheist. On the day we found out that we won, we had a crazy 18-hour drive from Derby to Germany, plus a ferry ride. But we still partied for 48 hours. Flo bought an expensive bottle of champagne”.  

Cryptopsy recognize that not every death metal band sticks around long enough to win a Canadian Grammy 30 years into their career. The cover art for An Insatiable Violence was created by the late, great vocalist Martin Lacroix.  “The album artwork has got to be one of the most important things to us!”, the band says. “Martin Lacroix was one of our vocalists, one of our great friends and one of the nicest people that anyone could have the privilege to meet. We really wish he was here with us to share this moment. His perfect smile would say it all! Rest in peace brother”.

With Cryptopsy’s latest career renaissance showing no signs of slowing down, the recent accolades are only the beginning. An Insatiable Violence reaches a new peak in a career loaded with them.

Lineup 
Flo Mounier – Drums
Matt McGachy – Vocals
Christian Donaldson – Guitar
Oli Pinard – Bass

Recording, Mixing & Mastering Studio
Christian Donaldson’s Studio

Production, Sound & Mixing Engineer
Christian Donaldson

Guest Musicians
Mike DiSalvo performs vocals on “Embrace the Nihility”

Cover Art
Martin Lacroix

Photography
Maciej Pieloch

Biography
Adrien Begrand

Follow Cryptopsy
Bandcamp: https://cryptopsyofficial.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cryptopsyofficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cryptopsyofficial/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/29PgYwTelpNl6370XLqFtN
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CryptopsyDeathMetal
BandsInTown: https://www.bandsintown.com/a/2941-cryptopsy

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