Argentinian singer Santiago Ramonda is pleased to announce the release of his debut album “The Walls Are Crumbling Down”, out on July 18th, 2025, via Frontiers Music Srl.
The first single, “Gone”, is out now, offering a taste of the upcoming record.
Talking about the first single, Santiago Ramonda commented: “I think this song is a deep reflection on the importance of living in the present and taking advantage of the opportunities that come our way. The lyrics are emotional and resonant, and the melody is catchy and memorable. I like how the song invites us not to wait too long to do what we want, and not to let fear or uncertainty hold us back from making decisions and enjoying life. The song has a powerful and relevant message for anyone looking to live more authentically and fully”.
Describing the album, Ramonda added: “This album is a battle cry for all those who love rock and refuse to let it die. With this album, we want to keep the flame of classic hard rock alive and take it to new places. For all those fighting to keep the spirit of rock alive, this album is a message of hope and resilience. And to see my name on that banner is a dream fulfilled, an honor that drives me forward with passion and dedication. I especially want to thank having had the opportunity to work with Alessandro Del Vecchio, a great honor for me that has enriched this project in an invaluable way. We will keep on rocking, and with you, we will take it to the top again!”
Frontiers Music Srl is pleased to present the upcoming debut album from Ramonda, the first solo release by the brilliant Argentinian singer Santiago Ramonda.
Ramonda already caught the attention of the melodic hard rock scene with Stormwarning’s debut album and he’s here again, under the direction of Serafino Perugino, president of Frontiers Records, to prove his immense vocal talent, crafting an album of melodic rock gems!
Santiago started as a guitarist and then became a singer, developing his skill primarily through practice and self-knowledge. Although he has received valuable advice and guidance from some experts, including Iván Sencion, his growth as an artist has been largely self-directed.
In 2020, as a result of a cover of Joe Lynn Turner’s “Prelude/Endlessly” published on his YouTube channel, Santiago began to catch the attention of some players in the global melodic rock scene. Guitarist Stuart Smith (Heaven & Earth), whom the label has a long relationship with, shared Santiago’s YouTube videos with the label.
“The Walls Are Crumbling Down” is a solid album, showcasing songs with big choruses, a wide range of vocal arrangements, Santiago’s tone is the perfect balance between vocal extension and a warm bluesy digression (“Blue Heart Of Stone” is a clear example) and an amazing guitar work by Suraz Sun, guitar player from Girish And The Chronicles.
Songs like “The Walls Are Crumbling Down” and “Don’t Look For Love” are just a mention in between all the great tracks featured in the album!
“The Walls Are Crumbling Down” Tracklist:
1. Under The Moonlight 2. The Walls Are Crumbling Down 3. Don’t Look For Love 4. Fight Fire With Fire 5. Blue Heart Of Stone 6. Without Love 7. High Voltage Hearts 8. Gone 9. Bad Girl 10. The One To Blame 11. World’s Gone Crazy
Line Up: Santiago Ramonda – Vocals Suraz Sun – Guitars Silvia Pistolesi – Bass Alessandro Del Vecchio – Keyboards, additional guitars Nicholas Papapicco – Drums
On May 9th, 2025, the legendary Dark Angel drummer Gene Hoglan —affectionately dubbed “ The Atomic Clock ” for his world-renowned precision—joined The Zach Moonshine Show for an unmissable live interview. Hoglan delivered a candid and wide-ranging conversation that offered fans an intimate look into the past, present, and future of Dark Angel , one of thrash metal’s most iconic bands.Hoglan confirmed that Dark Angel is officially back with a vengeance. Their latest single, “Extinction Level Event,” marks a thunderous return, and a full-length album is confirmed for release by the end of 2025 .
New Music from Dark Angel: Extinction Level Event.
Hoglan confirmed that Dark Angel is officially back with a vengeance. Their latest single, “Extinction Level Event,” marks a thunderous return, and a full-length album is confirmed for release by the end of 2025 .
“We are finally moving forward on getting the new Dark Angel album Extinction Level Event out,” Hoglan said. “It’s coming to everybody really soon — definitely before the end of the fourth quarter of 2025.”
The album will feature unreleased compositions by Jim Durkin , the band’s founding guitarist who sadly passed away in 2023. Hoglan spoke emotionally about the impact of Durkin’s songwriting on the new material.
“Jim took me aside one time and said, ‘Hey man, I’ve got this song that I wrote. If we ever get a chance to record with Dark Angel again, this is my most Dark Angel -esque song,’” Gene shared. “It was so killer, so catchy—so Jim Durkin.”
Slayer Stories, Drum Lessons, and High-Speed Cop Chases
Beyond the music, the interview took a wildly entertaining turn as Hoglan recounted hilarious and jaw-dropping stories from the glory days of thrash metal.
One standout tale involved Slayer and an early studio session:
“I was hanging around with Slayer a lot back in the day,” Gene said. “I even sang on the first Slayer record and gave Dave Lombardo some early double-bass drum tips—back when he was still getting the hang of it.”
And then there’s the now-legendary water pistol incident from Dark Angel ‘s tour in 1989, when their RV was surrounded by a dozen cop cars in Dunsmuir, California:
“The cops thought we were a rolling meth lab because someone saw us waving what they thought were real guns,” Gene laughed. “Turns out, they were toy water pistols we bought in Utah that looked super realistic. The cops were furious—they thought they had the bust of the year. I just wanted to take a nap and ended up face-down on the pavement with rifles aimed at me… But hey, I did get a good 15-minute nap out of it!”
The Legacy of Dark Angel and the Road Ahead
The interview touched on Dark Angel ’s early days at Downey High School, their rise alongside peers like Metallica , and their influence through classic albums like Darkness Descends and Time Does Not Heal . Hoglan also discussed his work with Death , Strapping Young Lad , Dethklok , and Testament , offering fans a look behind the curtain of some of metal’s most groundbreaking bands.
Hoglan also revealed that the new Dark Angel album will feature comic book-style artwork , with panel-based designs visually reflecting the themes and lyrics of the songs — a unique touch that adds to the album’s storytelling.
Don’t miss the full interview with Gene Hoglan on The Zach Moonshine Show , now available on all streaming platforms and podcast services. For fans of thrash metal , Slayer , Testament , Death , or any of Hoglan’s legendary projects — this episode is a must-hear.
Track List:
Battle Of The Bands Winners:
1 – Vyr Muk – Era of Rot – (150,583 votes) 2 – Virya – Seed Of Doubt – (93,244 votes) 3 – Dysphoros – Lifeless – (804 votes)
The Zach Moonshine Intro
4 – The Red Mountain – Your Decay 5 – Frayle – Sacrifant 6 – EYEHATEGOD – Agitation! Propaganda! (LIVE) 7 – EXHORDER – Desecrator (Live) 8 – Testament – Night Of The Witch
DARK ANGEL – Interview featuring EXTINCTION LEVEL EVENT/Act of Contrition/Leave Scars (Live)
9 – Strapping Young Lad – Aftermath/Bring On The Young/Love? 10 – Death – Jealousy/The Philosopher/Zero Tolerance 11 – Gravehuffer – Destroyer (Twisted Sister cover) 12 – Autumn Lies Buried – Told Off Witta Sawed Off Feat. FILTH 13 – Filth – Chin Check 14 – Larcenia Roe – Carolina Crowd Killer (feat. Dustin of Filth) 15 – Behemoth – Sowing.Salt 16 – Arsenic Addiction – Miseria 17 – Blood Desecration – Demonvangelist (Feat Nick Alan) 18 – Stormbreaker – Femme Fatale 19 – King Parrot – Get What Ya Given 20 – Last ii – Cloud Connected – In Flames Cover 21 – Allie Riot – Gimme Some Head (GG Allin)/Cherry Bomb 22 – Post Death Soundtrack – DESERT WIND 23 – Epic Death – Warrior 24 – Desolator – Call Of The Void 25 – KILL ALL THE GENTLEMEN – Come Die With Me 26 – Bangover – Scum of the Earth 27 – Alarum – The Visitor
Stockholm experimentalists Gösta Berlings Saga have unveiled new single ‘Ceremonial’, taken from their highly anticipated 7th studio album, Forever Now, out 6th June via Pelagic Records.
The band comment on the new single: “’Ceremonial’ is the eclectic final track of Forever Now. It’s both lush and propulsive, highly electronic and with an ending that lingers. Eternal Rock. No more, no less. The video, directed by Martin Vogel, is 100% ceremonial VHS worship.”
A masterful collision of intricate songwriting, raw rock spontaneity and their signature disregard for genre limitations, Forever Now rests on no laurels; it’s a driving continuation of a journey that suggests, even after two decades and counting, the band’s best work may still be ahead of them.
On the new album, the band continue: “Super stoked to soon unleash Forever Now upon the world. It’s an album we’ve put our heart, soul and every atom of our beings into. Written, recorded, mixed and produced by ourselves it fills us with great pride that even after 20+ years we still find joy, creativity and new ways to approach music. Forever Now is a journey in search of small fragments of eternity within the present moment – where time dissolves, and music becomes the gateway to the infinite.”
‘Ceremonial’ follows the release of standalone 19-minute single ‘Fragment I‘ – an expansion on Forever Now, which doesn’t actually appear on the album.
Forever Now track list:
1. Full Release 2. Through The Arches 3. Arrangements 4. Forever Now 5. The Sprig and the Birch 6. Fragment II 7. Ascension 8. Dog Years 9. Make of Your Heart a Stone 10. Ceremonial
Gösta Berlings Saga began in 2000 with a creative spark keenly felt between keyboardist David Lundberg and drummer Alexander Skepp. Taking formative inspiration from the ‘60s jazz fusion improvisations of fellow Swedes Hansson & Karlsson, Gösta Berlings Saga broadened their sonic palette with the addition of bassist Gabriel Tapper and guitarist Mathias Danielsson before the release of their debut album Tid Är Ljud in 2006. Danielsson subsequently left the project to be replaced by Einar Baldursson, contributing to the darker and more complex sound of 2009’s Detta Har Hänt, 2011’s Glue Works and 2016’s Sersophane.
The overt manipulation of sound and melody on this trio of early releases helped set Gösta Berlings Saga apart from the rest of the progressive pack, swerving easy cliché and navel gazing nostalgia in favour of a fervently forward-thinking ethos. Undoubtedly influenced by the greats of prog, art-rock, electronica and the avant-garde, Gösta Berlings Saga have remained thrillingly impervious to categorisation.
2017 saw another evolution within the band as Baldursson left to be replaced with Rasmus Booberg whilst percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Jesper Skarin also joined the ranks. Rejuvenated and revitalised, Gösta Berlings Saga’s subsequent albums, ET EX (2018) and Konkret Music (2020), introduced a whole new audience to the band’s idiosyncratic fearless experimentation, breakneck rock ‘n’ roll infused with even more found sound electronics and sonic obscura. Uncompromising and utterly distinct, these albums solidified the band’s belief that staying true to their own artistic vision was always the only way forward.
Forever Now is 10 tracks of hand-crafted chaos that bear all the brilliance of Gösta Berlings Saga’s 25 years of irreverent innovation. Entirely written, recorded, produced and mixed by the band for the very first time, the album sees synthesizers and arpeggiated guitars spiral ever higher, colliding with helter skelter percussion and pulse-racing drums on the way, whilst the band’s innate trust in each other and in their music form the propulsive core of a perpetual energy engine five years in the making.
Although not established as a concept album as such, personal tragedies during the early writing process ultimately left their mark. For a time the band tried to separate their collective creativity from the events of their private lives but, rather than grief and darkness making their presence felt, Gösta Berlings Saga built this album on the pursuit of the eternal – a euphoric glimpse beyond time, where music becomes a bridge between the present and what was and will be, echoing connections that never fade.
Gösta Berlings Saga are: Jesper Skarin – Percussion Gabriel Tapper – Bass David Lundberg – Keys Rasmus Booberg – Guitars Alexander Skepp – Drums
Joe Lynn Turner needs no introduction. Long before he launched his solo career in 1985, his years fronting Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow (Difficult To Cure, Straight Between The Eyes, Bent Out of Shape) established him among the most dynamic vocalists on the metal scene, an accolade that was only amplified by stints with Deep Purple (Slaves and Masters) and Yngwie Malmsteen (Odyssey).
Clearly, Turner knows a great guitarist when he hears one, and Marcus Nand is no exception. Born in Spain and a student of flamenco guitar along with blues and rock, Nand has incorporated his diverse influences on such projects as the Los Angeles-based metal band Freak Of Nature, which featured White Lion singer Mike Tramp, and the world music-influenced rock band Ziroq with famed David Bowie bassist Carmine Rojas!
His first solo album, 2024’s The Traveler, was described by Forgotten-Scroll.net as “a PERFECT album” for anyone enjoying “sweet, harmonious, exceptional rock music.” Foo Fighters keyboardist Rami Jaffee raves, “Marcus knows how to write a song that feels truly rock and at the same time, truly worldly”; Alice In Chains’ Mike Inez continues, “He is a great example of a dedicated musician carrying the torch of his genre well into the future.”
And still “Ride Captain Ride,” the mighty fruit of this devastating partnership, leads both players into a whole new arena. According to the late songwriter Mike Pinera, the song was written “in about 15 minutes [and] we cut it right that day.” It lifted his band Blues Image to international fame and, with close to 25 million Spotify plays to its credit, it remains one of the greatest rock standards of all time.
And one of the greatest Yacht Rock classics as well, which is what makes Turner and Nand’s treatment of the song so fascinating, as it preludes one of Cleopatra Records’ most highly-anticipated albums of the year, Yacht Metal – Yacht Rock Goes Heavier & Louder.
Nand has always loved the number. “I’ve been a big fan of Joe Lynn Turner for years, so getting the chance to play on this track was a real thrill. It was also a lot of fun to revisit ‘Ride Captain Ride’ – such a classic! I wanted to stay true to the spirit of the original while giving it a heavier edge without losing what made it special in the first place.”
Turner continues, “It was 1970 and ‘Ride Captain Ride’ was the big song…it went to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart but was forever engraved in our lives. I played it in my cover band a thousand times.
“It was a real joy to do a new version for Cleopatra…a fun tune with a positive message…hope you enjoy it as much as I still do!”
Because, if you do, you’re going to love Yacht Metal, too. Featuring contributions from Thor, Vinnie Moore, BulletBoys, Cherie Currie, Uriah Heep veteran Mick Box, Megadeth’s Chris Poland, Ross The Boss, Britt Lightning and another Rainbow alumnus Graham Bonnet, Yacht Metal is guaranteed to uproot everything you have ever thought you knew about both the genre and the songs that sail on it. A line-up that also includes “Takin’ It To The Streets,” “Just The Two Of Us” and “You Can Do Magic.”
Well, Turner and Nand have already done some magic here, but just to whet the appetite further, here’s Mike Pinera again, speaking about the super-weird coincidence that has also established ”Ride Captain Ride” in the annals of rock’s most Fortean favorites.
He wrote the song on a Model 73 Rhodes piano, and the song’s opening rhyme riffed on that number… “73 men sailed out from the San Francisco Bay….”
“Now, here is the weird thing that happened. It got released, it was in the Top Ten, #1 in a lot of regional markets, and my manager gets a call from the Pentagon, wanting to know how I, as the writer of those words, knew about the secret spy ship USS Pueblo? My manager goes ‘what are you talking about? I don’t think Mike knows anything about that stuff. Ask him about the latest Gibson guitar and he’ll know, but he doesn’t know anything about secret spy ships.’ Which I didn’t.
“But it turned out that I had written a song that coincided with an incident that had not yet happened; it took place after the song was released; and here’s what made it so freaky. There were seventy-three men on board who sailed out from the San Francisco Bay on this secret spy mission that nobody was supposed to know about, and they got in trouble out there on the ocean, they were captured and taken prisoner. Seventy-three men sailed off into history. As far as I was concerned, those lyrics were free form flow of consciousness stuff, but then you get to the third verse…
“At one of my concerts years later, I met the radio guy from the USS Pueblo who told me something I didn’t know about that third verse, that while they were actually being captured, it was during a massive storm and they couldn’t get the word out that they needed help because the bad weather was blocking the radio transmission.”
But no one heard them callin’, no one came at all ‘Cause they were too busy watchin’ those old raindrops fall As THE storm was blowin’ out on the peaceful sea Seventy-three men sailed off to history
Connecticut’s own self deprecating, noise rock entity INTERCOURSE have signed with Brutal Panda and will release their fourth studio album in autumn 2025.
In celebration of the signing, the band have unveiled their new song ‘Running A Cemetery Without A License’.
Music for Aliens, Made by Mutants. INTERCOURSE formed in 2013 and have been annoying ever since. With the lofty (or pointless, depending on who you ask) goal of ditching the pretension of noise rock and fusing it with the immediacy of hardcore, they’ve managed a release a year since 2014. 2023’s Halo Castration Institute helped the band reach a new level of notoriety with positive reviews across the board. With the release of a last year’s EP Egyptian Democracy,the band is sure to become the high watermark for annoying adults who dress like they’re 17 and simply will not quit.
INTERCOURSE have played sold-out shows with the likes of Chat Pile, Deadguy, The Red Chord and The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die. The quartet have been featured on notable websites Decibel, Lambgoat, New Noise Magazine and were recently featured on The Needle Drop’s top 15 EPs of 2024.
These JUNO Award winners have worn the horned crown as the most vile band in death metal since the mid-’90s. But with the latest single off their upcoming ninth album, Cryptopsy are making blasphemy sound fresh. “Malicious Needs” feeds into a human urge that is so revolting, so shameful, that it couldn’t be shown on YouTube. Still, even the censored version of the new video from An Insatiable Violence uncovers the evil obsessions that lie beneath our digital fantasies.
The concept forAn Insatiable Violence came to Cryptopsy in a dream. A person spends all day building a machine, only for it to torture them through the night. As if that thought wasn’t malicious enough, this person likes being tortured. In fact, they like it so much that, come morning, they wake up feeling rejuvenated, eager to tweak their creation until it runs perfectly in their mind.
“When I woke up, I grabbed my phone and wrote down the words that would become the title of our new album”, says vocalist Matt McGachy. “Because, you know, we all have to have our phones with us all the time”.
While nightmarish, An Insatiable Violence feeds into our all-too-real obsession with social media. “It’s something that I don’t like about myself”, admits McGachy, who’s caught himself spending more and more time online since starting his Vox & Hops podcast. “I’m trying to break the cycle, but on those days where I’m just doom scrolling, I get so depressed”.
“Malicious Needs” is the final frenzied feeding on An Insatiable Violence, so it’s appropriate that the song’s video brings its dark fantasy to a truly crushing conclusion. Things start innocently enough. A bald-faced CEO of the not-at-all-nefarious-sounding “Neural System Corporation” takes pity on one of his cash-strapped underlings. But when this social media engineer gets a little too addicted to his boss’ hidden scheme, their office culture really goes to hell.
“The cold steel / sends shivers down my spine“, McGachy growls in sadistic pleasure. “I yearn for its touch. The malefaction divine“.
Though eerily prescient about our latest brain rotting obsession, An Insatiable Violence is influenced by the many mutations that have spawned Cryptopsy’s Hall of Fame discography. The cover art for their new album was created by the band’s late, great vocalist Martin Lacroix, who would scream in ear-piercing delight at the freshly dug depths of McGachy’s gutturals. “We did at least 140 shows since our last album. While performing None So Vile and Blasphemy Made Flesh, I exclusively did my false chord screams. When we did go into the studio for our new album, Chris would be like, ‘Deeper, you must go deeper!'”
Even the beating heart of Cryptopsy pumps out some unheard tricks of the trade on An Insatiable Violence. “Since our last album, I’ve developed techniques that make it easier for us to go even faster”, says Flo Mounier, who literally wrote the book on extreme metal drumming. “Malicious Needs” is cracked open by blast beats so raw and unnerving that they’re impossible to program. Producer/ architect of the fishhook riff Christian Donaldson and brutal bass technician Oli Pinnard lock into a thick, neck-breaking groove that’s scrambled by haywire hammer-ons and fret slaps. But as the song’s video reveals its stomach-turning twist, the band bust out a new finishing move, slithering to a crawl before soaring like a bat through blackened clouds of smoke.
“‘Malcious Needs’ is the last song that we wrote for An Insatiable Violence andright away, we were all completely enamored with it”, Cryptopsy says. “It has a very weird, mechanical, rhythmic ambiance, which was brought to life by the dystopian horror story that you see in the video”.
Feast your eyes on the new vileness from Cryptopsy.
The video for “Malicious Needs” was directed by Gornoss.
Cast Romain Gonçalves — John (main character) 📸 @romaingoncalves_act Hervé Laget — The CEO 📸 @objectif_foto Andréa Deronzier — Andrea (the secretary) 📸 @andrea_deronzier Aude Ly — Aude (office colleague) 📸 @aude_visuel Renan “Ulcer” Garriguenc — Renan (colleague) 📸 @ulcer.me Paco “RK” Charry — Paco (colleague) 📸 @paco_rk Antonio Santolino — Antonio (colleague)
With the support of Metropole Toulon Provence Méditerranée Jonathan Martin — Development Officer Barbara Occhini — Project Officer Laurence Goniot — Head of Filming Office
Tracklist 1. The Nimis Adoration (4:10) 2. Until There’s Nothing Left (3:59) [WATCH] 3. Dead Eyes Replete (3:57) 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
“Martin did None So Live, but he never really got to do a proper album”, Cryptopsy says about the artwork for their new album. “His art is amazing. The two pieces of his that we used for An Insatiable Violence are incredible. His family was super excited about it, too. We are honored to have him be an even bigger part of Cryptopsy’s lore”.
Cryptopsy are giving their hungry fans overseas an early helping of An Insatiable Violence. They’re currently playing songs off their new album while touring Europe alongside Decapitated, Warbringer and Carnation.
“Europe, get ready!”, Cryptopsy says. “This tour is bringing relentless energy, crushing riffs and unforgettable nights”
Infernal Bloodshed Over Europe 2025 May 13 – Lille, FR @ The Black Lab May 14 – Enschede, NL @ Metropool May 15 – Munich, DE @ Backstage May 16 – Aarau, CH @ KiFF May 17 – Lindau, DE @ Vaudeville May 18 – Vienna, AT @ Szene May 19 – Budapest, HU @ Dürer Kert May 20 Prague, CZ @ Fuchs2 May 21 – Schweinfurt, DE @ Stattbahnhof May 22 – Dresden, DE @ Blauer Salon May 23 – Krakow, PL @ Hype Park May 24 – Warsaw, PL @ Proxima May 26 – Berlin, DE @ Hole44 May 27 – Aarhus, DK @ Voxhall May 28 – Hamburg, DE @ Logo May 29 – Vechta, DE @ Gulfhaus May 30 – Dortmund, DE @ Junkyard May 31 – Sint-Niklaas, BE @ Casino June 1 – Paris, FR @ La Machine June 2 – Esch Sur Alzette, LU @ Kulturfabrik June 3 – Frankfurt, DE @ Das Bett June 4 – Karlsruhe, DE @ Substage June 5 – Milan, IT @ Legend Club June 6 – Bologna, IT @ Locomotiv June 7 – Lyon, FR @ Lions Metal Fest June 8 – Maastricht, NL @ South of Heaven *Decapitated Only
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, 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.
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”
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
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 