Aspiring US metallers HOLY GRAIL proudly present the first single of their upcoming new album “Ride The Void” (out in Europe via Nuclear Blast on January 18, 2013). The song that perfectly showcases the combo’s unique modern approach to the classical sound of the NWoBHM is entitled “Dark Passenger” and can be enjoyed below in the form of a lyric video:
Download the song for free and check out the terrific HOLY GRAIL songpier smartphone app on the official Nuclear Blast band page!
Nuclear Blast has issued as follows:
Heavy Metal fans have found a new online home to party, poker and rock out. Nuclear Blast, together with kuuluu AG, launches Nuclear Blast Poker a free-to-play social platform. Nuclear Blast Poker is not just an online poker game but also a community platform where Metal freaks interact, show their love for Metal by styling their avatar with cool hardcore items from the shop all whilst listening to the newest music releases from Nuclear Blast label on an integrated Music player. Join the game at: https://apps.facebook.com/ nuclearblastpoker or visit and play as a guest on http://www.nuclearblastpoker.com
Nuclear Blast Poker allows all metalheads to congregate, meet new like-minded people, compete for stellar prizes and live-out their passion for metal fashion. The in-game shop players have the chance to choose items for their poker alter-ego avatar from a huge selection that shows the rest of the world what they’re really made of.
Nuclear Blast Poker is free-to-play and all about giving metal fans the opportunity to meet each other in a new and exciting environment. Players can choose from casual tournaments, challenge friends or simply take a seat directly at a regular sit-down table to win virtual chips, gold and experience points. Furthermore, the user experience is designed with the metal fan in mind with stunning backdrops, hardcore avatars and rockin’ items, and to top it off the Nuclear Blast Player on SoundCloud blaring out the latest tracks of the label.
The game also provides metal fans with the opportunity to compete against some of their biggest idols. Scott Ian of Anthrax and Damian Wilson of Threshold both enjoy playing poker and will surprise fans at the tables and tournaments. Fans will even win exclusive “Meet & Greets” with their heroes.
Threshold’s Damian Wilson states “I love poker and I love music. Putting the two together is like introducing girlfriends. Could be heavenly or may be all out war. See you on the Nuclear Blast Poker tables!”
“I am excited and curious to meet our fans on Nuclear Blast Poker and I can’t wait to see who’s got the skills to beat me on some of the tables”, says Scott Ian (Anthrax).
As a welcome gift, the game is giving fans the chance to take part in a one-off “Registration Lottery” to win a signed artwork on canvas from Nightwish’s latest album and upcoming movie “Imaginaerum”. Together with a 50 € Nuclear Blast mailorder merchandise gift card, one lucky fan is gonna have a grand New Years. Anyone who registers for the game before the end of December will be entered into the prize draw.
Nuclear Blast has issued as follows:
Thrash is not dead – and the youngsters of LOST SOCIETY are living proof of it! Founded in early 2010 by thrash/speed metal enthusiast Samy Elbanna in the Finnish town of Jyväskylä, the front man gathered an ensemble of passionate allies around him to establish a band that soon should become known as the most energetic newcomer combo Scandinavia had seen in years. After numerous gigs around Finland, bringing them great feedback for their extraordinarily strong stage presence, LOST SOCIETY decided to take part in the world-renowned GBOB (Global Battle Of the Bands). After they had won the preliminary decision round in their hometown, they were invited to the finals held in Helsinki, where they prevailed against 13 contesters and eventually came off victorious. The grand finals of GBOB 2012 will take place at “The Scala” in London on the 9th of December with 18 bands from all over the world – and LOST SOCIETY will be one of them!
Given these very promising conditions, Nuclear Blast Records are stoked to announce the signing of LOST SOCIETY! Nuclear Blast A&R Jaap Wagemaker comments:
“Nuclear Blast has a very long history when it comes to signing new bands from Finland and transforming them into household names. Once in a while a new band comes along that is so driven, energetic, powerful, enthusiastic, passionate and professional that you immediately see its potential to make the breakthrough. After we had seen LOST SOCIETY playing at the Global Battle Of the Bands, we knew that this is a combo of that kind! LOST SOCIETY have already recorded their debut album at the famous Sonic Pump Studios together with producer Nino Laurenne. The record is scheduled for a release via Nuclear Blast in spring 2013 and doubtlessly will be a real highlight for all fans of speed and thrash metal. The future belongs to LOST SOCIETY – welcome to the Nuclear family!”
LOST SOCIETY are equally enthralled:
“We are more than happy to announce that we’ve been signed to Nuclear Blast and we’re looking forward a lot to cooperating with the label. Our debut album will be an old-school thrash oriented one that’ll surely leave a lasting impression!”
Click here to watch the band’s performance at the Finnish GBOB finals and convince yourselves of the youngsters’ skills:
Source: Blabbermouth.net
“We Come In Peace”, the new DVD from Swedish industrial metallers PAIN, will be released in Europe on November 16 via Nuclear Blast. The DVD +2CD digibook and the Blu-ray+2CD digibook includes the entire final show of the first leg of PAIN‘s European tour on November 13, 2011 at Debaser Medis in Stockholm and clips from the band’s July 2012 appearance at the Masters Of Rock festival in Vizovice, Czech Republic, as well as “tons of crazy backstage and behind-the-scenes footage.”
A trailer for “We Come In Peace” can be seen below.
PAIN, MOONSPELL, SWALLOW THE SUN and LAKE OF TEARS will join forces for the “Into Darkness Tour 2012” in November.
PAIN‘s seventh album, “You Only Live Twice”, was released in June 2011 via Nuclear Blast Records.
Regarding the album’s cover artwork, Tägtgren previously said, “I really wanted something ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ meets ‘Alice In Wonderland’ kind of feeling but with our mascot, the Painhead in it. And Heile created that after what I wanted. And he did it in his own way. It really has this kinda Tim Burton feel to it. It will be really crazy with a big backdrop. We also gonna do some inflatable stuff with our Painhead. Its gonna be our Eddie, like IRON MAIDEN has it.”
Source: Blabbermouth.net
Southern California traditional metallers HOLY GRAIL have inked a European deal with Nuclear Blast Records.
Commented Nuclear Blast A&R representative Jaap Wagemaker: “Already after we’d listened to their debut EP, ‘Improper Burial’, it became pretty obvious that HOLY GRAIL — offering a modern version of the old-school heavy metal we’ve grown up with — were the most exciting metal band to emerge from the county of L.A. within the last two decades, as renowned American Decibel magazine had put it.
“After Metal Hammer U.K. had nominated the band as ‘best new band’ at the Metal Hammer Awards even before they had even released their debut album, ‘Crisis In Utopia’, we knew we had to keep an eye on them. All over Europe, music magazines loved that record and celebrated it by publishing rave reviews. And ever since, we’ve seen them playing two awesome shows at Wacken Open Air and British Download festival, there was no doubt whatsoever that HOLY GRAIL were bringing the leather and steel to a new generation of metal heads. So watch out for HOLY GRAIL‘s second coming in 2013!!!”
Added the band: “We in the HOLY GRAIL camp are very proud and excited to announce that we have recently become part of the Nuclear Blast family. We feel honoured to join the ranks of metal legends and many of our favourite bands, including ACCEPT (who we’ve covered), BLIND GUARDIAN (who we’ve toured with) and TESTAMENT (who we’d love to tour with)! Fans of HOLY GRAIL can expect all the metallic elements we’ve built our name on taken to the next level on our forthcoming new record, Ride The Void’. Coupled with the unequivocal might of Nuclear Blast, European domination is inevitable for our new album. See ya on the road!”
Due in early 2013, “Ride The Void” will be released in North America via Prosthetic Records. The follow-up to 2010’s “Crisis In Utopia” was recorded with producer Matt Hyde (SLAYER, HATEBREED, CHILDREN OF BODOM) throughout the year, working around national tours with DRAGONFORCE and VALIENT THORR.
The official lyric video for “Dark Passenger”, a brand new song from HOLY GRAIL, can be seen below. The artwork for the single was designed by Sam Turner (3 INCHES OF BLOOD), who also did the art for the band’s 2011 holiday EP “Seasons Bleedings”. The seven-inch edition also includes an unreleased B-side, “Go Down Swinging”, which will not appear on “Ride The Void”.
NUCLEAR BLAST has issued as follows:
Nuclear Blast is proud to announce the signing of US hardcore metal kings, HATEBREED, who have just inked a record deal including all European territories. North America and Canada will be handled by Razor & Tie.
The forthcoming album was co-produced by Hatebreed, Zeuss (SUICIDE SILENCE, ALL THAT REMAINS, SHADOWS FALL) and Josh Wilbur (LAMB OF GOD, AVENGED SEVENFOLD). Wilbur also handled mixing duties on the new record. The new studio album will be supported by extensive global touring that will stretch well into 2014.
Commented singer Jamey Jasta, “We’re really excited to be working with such great people at both Razor & Tie & Nuclear Blast. We’ve made an awesome album and we’re chomping at the bit to get it out and hit the road. Global domination begins now.”
Nuclear Blast A&R Jaap Wagemaker adds: „In the past we had seen HATEBREED play several times live when they were headlining indoor hardcore festivals or when they played one of the many shows at Graspop in Belgium! The band that defined metal / hardcore with their releases „Perseverance“ and „The Rise of Brutality“ will be releasing another milestone in their career by the beginning of 2013!! After seeing HATEBREED turning this years Hellfest upside down infront of 30,000 hardcore and metalfans and doing the same a couple of months later at Bloodstock in the UK it became very clear that HATEBREED and Nuclear Blast would be the perfect match. Something that became even stronger after we had the chance to listen to a couple of new songs! We are very proud to welcome HATEBREED to the evergrowing Nuclear family!! In 2013 their new album will be out and I can tell you that the fans who have been waiting for this for a couple of years now won’t be disappointed!! HATEBREED is back, stronger than ever!!“
The sixth HATEBREED studio record is set to be released in January 2013.
HATEBREED will also hit the road headlining the notorious PERSISTENCE TOUR which marks the first live run for the upcoming album.
PERSISTENCE TOUR 2013
HATEBREED
AGNOSTIC FRONT
H2O
NEAERA
THE ACACIA STRAIN
+ more
10.01. D Berlin – Astra
11.01. B Lint – Eurocam Media Center
12.01. D Oberhausen – Turbinenhalle
13.01. F Paris – Bataclan
14.01. D Saarbrücken – Garage
15.01. D Wiesbaden – Schlachthof
16.01. D Hamburg – Docks
17.01. D Stuttgart – LKA
18.01. D Lichtenfels – Stadthalle
19.01. D Dresden – Even Werk
20.01. NL Tilburg – O13
Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 