BRUJERIA ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM ESTO ES BRUJERIA + RELEASE FIRST SINGLE 'MOCHADO'

Mexican death grind band BRUJERIA put the world of cartels and ritualistic murder on wax with a brutal power equivalent to when Compton arrived in pop culture via NWA. On September 15th, the band will unleash their fifth full-length album Esto Es Brujeria onto the world via Nuclear Blast Records.

Today, the band releases the first single from the album entitled, 'Mochado'. Check out the video visualizer for the first taste of the album.

BRUJERIA's Juan Brujo comments, "Para que sientan y sepan el poder Mexicano con raíces antiguas hasta las redes sociales modernas, que se transmite con canciones brutales y rabiosas! ESTO ES BRUJERIA."

English translation: "Feel and know the Mexican power with ancient roots all the way to the modern world of social media, filled with brutal and rabid songs! ESTO ES BRUJERIA"

Stream the new single 'Mochado', here: 
https://brujeria.bfan.link/mochado

Watch the video visualizer for 'Mochado', below.

Pre-order/pre-save Esto Es Brujeria, here: https://brujeria.bfan.link/esto-es-brujeria

Esto Es Brujeria was recorded worldwide at the following studios: Dog Run Studio in Riverside, CA; Total Annihilation Studios in East Los Angeles, CA; Robanna’s in Birmingham, UK; and Audiocustom in Santiago, Chile. Production of the record was handled by the band while engineering was a joint effort between Eddie Casillas, Eddie Rivas, and Miguel Seco. The mixing and mastering of the album was completed by Seba Puente who was also a part of the engineering team. The album artwork was created by Gary Ronaldson. Esto Es Brujeria saw the return of their metal mascot Coco Loco who is emblazoned on the ferocious cover.

Esto Es Brujeria will be available digitally and in the following formats:

• CD Jewelcase

• Orange Cassette (Limited to 550)

• 2LP

  • Orange with Red & Black Splatter (Limited to 3,000)

  • Orange and Red Split Vinyl (EU Limited to 500)

  • BRUJERIA is:
    Juan Brujo, Sangron | Vocals
    Fantasma | Vocals
    Pinche Peach | Vocals 
    La Encabronada | Vocals
    El Criminal | Guitars
    El Embrujado | Guitars
    Hongo | Bass
    El Cynico | Bass
    Hongo Jr. | Drums

HORRENDOUS Bless the Masses with New Single, Decibel Cover

HORRENDOUS are so close to heavy metal divinity that they can practically taste its delicious, rotten nectar. After all, they did just grace the cover of Decibel.

Philly's finest and filthiest death metal band is  wrapping up a rip-roaring tour of the American Southwest in support of their upcoming new album. If 2018's Idol represented the band pushing themselves to the limit, then Ontological Mysterium portrays them at the peak of their powers. Heck, the title track even landed on a Pitchfork playlist.  

"Preterition Hymn" is of a different Satanic verse than the two previous singles. It's still plenty sinister, with hellacious vocals that sound like the band is being burned alive. But it's more of a slow burn. The twin guitars wring out a tortured but deeply melodic riff that drips like sweet, sweet tears.  
  
Here's what the band has to say about their new single: "Preterition Hymn is a lament for the weary and the damned–those who, like in the myth of Tantalus, can glimpse the golden fruits of knowledge and divinity yet are kept perpetually just out of reach by the tides of misfortune and fate. It is a hymn of longing infused with the faintest hope that our misery is merely the cleansing ablution necessary to don the robe of flames, free at last."  

'Ontological Mysterium' will be released on August 18, 2023 by Season of Mist. Pre-save the album HERE.  Pre-order it HERE. 

Horrendous are on the cover of the September issue of Decibel magazine! Order a copy and get an exclusive limited edition The Silver flexi disc.  

"After years of incredible support from Decibel Magazine, we are honored to make it to the cover of their next issue", the band said on Instagram. "Eternal thanks to Albert Mudrian for always believing in our music, Mike Wohlberg for all of his artistic contributions to the band, and Scott Kinkade for capturing us masterfully, and everyone out there who has supported us.

This week, Horrendous are playing the final four shows of their Southwestern Mysterium tour.  

07/17: Atascadero, CA @ Dark Nectar*
07/18: Sacramento, CA @ The Colony* [TICKETS]
07/19: Santa Rosa, CA @ Arlene Francis Center* [TICKETS]
07/20: Oakland, CA @ Thee Stork Club* [TICKETS]

* with special guests PENURY.

“Surprises always come up during writing — spontaneous ideas pull you into new territory and enable the realization of novel possibilities that previously were inaccessible.”

Such are the words from Horrendous drummer Jamie Knox when discussing the creation of the band’s fifth full-length, the highly anticipated 'Ontological Mysterium'. Knox’s quote also encapsulates Horrendous’s approach to extreme metal. Since 2009, the band has capably tapped into the inaccessible by providing a fresh, unconventional take on death metal that harnesses technical brilliance with elaborate, mind-melding melodies, frothy, spewing vocals and labyrinthine song structures. This combination has made each Horrendous long play a clinic in the gratifyingly unorthodox. The trend continues on Ontological Mysterium.

The follow-up to 2018’s Idol was recorded, mixed and mastered at Subterranean Watchtower Studios in Virginia, which doubles as the homestead of guitarist/vocalist Damian Herring. While the band (completed by guitarist/vocalist Matt Knox and bassist Alex Kulick) finished much of the songwriting for Ontological Mysterium in 2019, its recording was delayed by the 2020 global pandemic and various life events. Horrendous eventually finished recording in early 2022 and mastered the album before the start of 2023.

The album upholds Horrendous’s position as one of the underground’s best outside-of-the-box extreme metal bands. Having long abandoned concern whether people would appreciate their “uniqueness,” Horrendous has embraced its role as a band willing to veer far from death metal conventions, intentionally stretching and breaking norms. To wit, the band primarily views its music as filtered through a death metal lens. This may be Horrendous’s defining trait: By not accepting parameters, nothing is off-limits.
 
Lineup: 
Damian Herring - Guitar, Vocals
Matt Knox - Guitar, Vocals
Alex Kulick - Bass
Jamie Knox - Drums

Producer / Sound Engineer / Mixing / Mastering: Damian Herring at Subterranean Watchtower Studio, Arlington, VA, USA

Style: Progressive death metal

Cover art: Brian Smith

Pre-save: :  https://orcd.co/ontologicalmysteriumpresave

Pre-sales: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/HorrendousShop  

For more on HORRENDOUS,
https://www.facebook.com/HorrendousDeathMetal
https://www.instagram.com/horrendous_official/
https://horrendoussom.bandcamp.com/
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/horrendous/496063134
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Na6P4MqOassrZtvT9Z12s

Joe Bonamassa Announces 19-date, East Coast Spring U.S. Tour

As he gears up for the release of his new studio album Blues Deluxe Vol. 2 and a packed run of performances across the U.S. in the coming months, the three-time GRAMMY-nominated guitarist and 26x Billboard chart-topper Joe Bonamassa has announced that he will return to the road in Spring 2024 with a 19-date U.S. Tour, that will bring him up and down the east coast. Kicking off in Louisville, KY on February 19th, Bonamassa’s 2024 Spring Tour will include performances in historic venues like the Count Basie Center For The Arts in Red Bank, NJ on February 23rd and the Saenger Theatre in Pensacola, FL on March 7th, before culminating at the brand-new outdoor concert venue The Sound in Clearwater, FL on March 16th. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit https://jbonamassa.com/tour-dates/
 
A special Fan Presale will begin tomorrow, Tuesday, July 18th at 10am local time, with tickets on sale to the public this Friday, July 21st at 10am local time. To receive the most updated information about tour dates, pre-sale codes and new music sign up for Joe's newsletter at https://joeb.me/JBNewsletter
 
Bonamassa’s spring 2024 performances will conclude with the Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea IX, set for March 18-24, departing from Miami, Florida to Cozumel, Mexico. The festival line-up includes Grace Potter, The Marshall Tucker Band, John Oates, Jimmy Vivino, King King, and a special performance by Black Country Communion, Bonamassa’s supergroup with Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH), Jason Bonham (LED ZEPPELIN) and Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, ALICE COOPER, BILLY IDOL). KTBA at Sea is one of the largest fundraisers for Bonamassa’s Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, aiding in its mission to promote music education by providing grants and resources to schools and musicians in need.

Photo credit: Adam Kennedy

Having just earned a remarkable 26th #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart for his sprawling and extensive live concert film and album Tales Of Time, Bonamassa’s upcoming album Blues Deluxe Vol. 2 finds him returning to his roots and giving new life to the classic tracks that have informed his own artistry. Coming twenty years after the release of his best-selling album Blues Deluxe, which celebrated what the US government had declared “the year of the blues” with a mix of originals and reinterpretations of classic songs, the new album finds the superstar taking stock of how far he and the genre have come with two new originals and eight new covers spanning some of the most important names in the blues – from Bobby “Blue” Bland and Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac to Albert King. Listen to the latest single, a rambunctious rendition of Guitar Slim’s 1953 release, “Well, I Done Got Over It,” and watch the official music video, directed and edited by Rob Bondurant.
 
“If you had told me 20 years ago my career would last long enough to see the 20th anniversary of this little record called ‘Blues Deluxe,’ I’m sure I would have laughed,” Bonamassa reflects. “Blues Deluxe was my last shot after being dropped by two major record labels and my booking agent. It was then that my manager, Roy Weisman, had his first ‘all in’ moment. We would go back into the studio and record. A record that would hopefully define the direction of whatever future career I might have.”
 
Bonamassa’s 2023 summer run will include his debut appearance at Hollywood Bowl on Wednesday, August 9th. The exclusive, one-night-only concert experience alongside an orchestra will be recorded for his next live concert film. Then, the hardest working bluesman in show business will begin his U.S. Fall Tour on October 23rd at The Cannon Center in Memphis, TN, before crisscrossing the country and capping the year at the guitar-shaped Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL on December 2nd.
 
Cited by Guitar World as “arguably the world’s biggest blues guitarist,” Bonamassa is known for taking risks and venturing into uncharted territory throughout his wide-ranging career. His last recent full-length Time Clocks marked his most raw, rocking studio album yet, with American Songwriter sharing, “Bonamassa pushes into fresh territory while staying within a blues-based framework,” and “there is more than enough proof in this sprawling set that Bonamassa doesn’t intend to rest on his laurels or take his star status in the blues-rock genre for granted.”
 
Hailed as “a near spiritual experience” by Classic Rock Magazine and featuring songs from his latest #1 studio album, Time Clocks, Bonamassa’s latest live concert release Tales Of Time, captures a stratospheric performance by the blues-rock titan at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, which found his virtuoso guitar style and unique technique and flair elevating the evening to an almost heavenly high. The project was produced by long-time collaborator and producer Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Journey).  “This live show represents our most progressive and largest production to date, focusing on my most ambitious studio album to date,” commented Bonamassa. “My band was a force of nature on this show, and it truly was a special night.”
 
Bonamassa’s upcoming performance at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on August 6th will mark his first appearance at the venue since the recording of Tales Of Time.
 
Summer 2023 U.S. Tour
August 2 – Vina Robles Amphitheatre – Paso Robles, CA
August 4 – The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – Las Vegas, NV
August 5 – Eccles Theater – Salt Lake City, UT
August 6 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO
August 9 – Hollywood Bowl – Los Angeles, CA^
August 12 – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY**
August 13 – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts – Bethel, NY**
 
**Keeping the Blues Alive presents: Joe Bonamassa & Friends: Styx and Don Felder, formerly of the Eagles
^Joe Bonamassa with Orchestra

Fall 2023 U.S. Tour
October 23 – Memphis, TN – The Cannon Center                                                   
October 25 – Shreveport, LA – Shreveport Municipal Auditorium
October 27 – San Antonio, TX – Majestic Theatre                                          
October 28 – Sugar Land, TX – Smart Financial Centre At Sugar Land
October 29 – Austin, TX – ACL Live
November 1 – Fayetteville, AR – Walton Arts Center                                                  
November 3 – Little Rock, AR – Robinson Performance Hall                               
November 4 – Grand Prairie, TX – Texas Trust CU Theatre
November 5 – Oklahoma City, OK – Civic Center Music Hall
November 8 – Tulsa, OK – Tulsa Theater
November 10 – Kansas City, MO – The Midland Theatre
November 11 – St. Louis, MO – The Fabulous Fox
November 12 – Cedar Rapids, IA – Paramount Theatre
November 14 – Rochester, MN – Mayo Civic Center                                                       
November 15 – Rockford, IL – Coronado Performing Arts Center
November 17 – Fort Wayne, IN – Embassy Theatre
November 18 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre
November 19 – Columbus, OH – Palace Theatre
November 21 – Reading, PA – The Santander Performing Arts Center
November 22 – Providence, RI – Providence Performance Arts Center
November 24 – Springfield, MA – Symphony Hall
November 25 – Baltimore, MD – The Lyric
November 28 – Savannah, GA – Johnny Mercer Theatre
November 30 – Sarasota, FL – Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
December 1 – Estero, FL – Hertz Arena
December 2 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live
 
Spring 2024 U.S. Tour
February 19 - Louisville, KY - The Louisville Palace
February 21 - Youngstown, OH - Covelli Centre
February 23 - Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Center For The Arts
February 24 - Oxon Hill, MD - The Theater at MGM National Harbor
February 25 - Durham, NC - DPAC
February 27 - Columbia, SC - Township Auditorium
February 29 - Virginia Beach, VA - The Sandler Center
March 1 - Roanoke, VA - Berglund Center
March 2 - Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theatre
March 4 - Richmond, VA - Altria Theater
March 5 - Knoxville, TN - Knoxville Civic Auditorium
March 7 - Pensacola, FL - Saenger Theatre
March 8 - Biloxi, MS - Beau Rivage
March 9 - Biloxi, MS - Beau Rivage
March 11 - Huntsville, AL - VBC Mark C. Smith Concert Hall
March 12 - Greenville, SC - Peace Center
March 14 - Macon, GA - Macon City Auditorium
March 15 - Orlando, FL - Dr. Phillips Center
March 16 - Clearwater, FL - The Sound
March 18-24 - Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea IX - Miami, FL to Cozumel, Mexico
 
ABOUT JOE BONAMASSA
Blues-rock superstar Joe Bonamassa is one of the most celebrated performing musicians of today. As a three-time GRAMMY-nominated artist and 13x Blues Music Award Nominee (4 wins), he achieved his 26th No. 1 album on the Billboard Blues Chart with his latest studio album Time Clocks. He’s fresh off the release of Tales Of Time, a sprawling and expansive live concert film and album, shot at the breathtaking Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Only in his mid-40s, Bonamassa has become a living legend with an astounding and expansive multi-genre catalog. He has released more than 40 albums, including studio and live recordings, as well as collaborative albums with his adventurous side projects: Black Country Communion and Rock Candy Funk Party.
 
A prolific writer who is always on the hunt to expand his eclectic musical horizons, Bonamassa has a limitless work ethic whether it’s in a studio, on the road, or working with other artists to spur new music. In recent years, he has produced an immense number of albums for his exciting independent label KTBA Records, and he recently launched Journeyman LLC, a full-service artist management, record label, concert promotion, and marketing company that builds awareness for independent artists worldwide. Recent producing highlights include ‘Crown’ by the blues legend Eric Gales, which was nominated for “Best Contemporary Blues Album” at the 2023 GRAMMY Awards. 
 
Bonamassa has been featured in several publications from Esquire, WSJ and Parade to Rolling Stone and American Songwriter, as well as on the covers of Guitar World, Guitar Player, Vintage Guitar, Guitarist, and Classic Rock Magazine. His non-profit Keeping The Blues Alive foundation provides music education funding to schools and support to artists in need and has positively impacted more than 90k students to date. www.jbonamassa.com

UADA Unveils New Single, "The Dark (Winter)"

New album 'Crepuscule Natura' is due on September 8, 2023 via Eisenwald

+ Headlining North America later this year with support from Cloak and Ghost Bath

Enigmatic black metal masters UADA are now unveiling a brand new single, "The Dark (Winter)." The song is taken from the USBM outfit's upcoming full-length, 'Crepuscule Natura,' which will be released worldwide on September 8, 2023 via Eisenwald. The song can be heard below.

UADA comments, "The forthcoming album, 'Crepuscule Natura,' is an album themed based upon resurrection and a recall to the band's roots while simultaneously expanding its past sphere of growth."

In support of the forthcoming release, UADA will be embarking on an extensive North American headliner, which kicks off on August 30 in Denver, CO. The full itinerary can be found below and tickets are now on sale HERE.

The song will be made available on all streaming services this Friday, July 21 at midnight local time. Pre-save the single HERE.

'Crepuscule Natura' is now available for worldwide pre-sale HERE.

The album follows up UADA's 2020 release, 'Djinn,' which was regarded as "the most important record of the year" by Metal Insider, named one of the Best Albums of 2020 by New Noise Magazine, and regarded as "worthy of our your undivided attention at worst, and complete worship at best" for the Decibel Magazine October 2020 issue cover story.

UADA North American tour (w/ support from Cloak and Ghost Bath):

8/30: Denver, CO @ Roxy Theater

8/31: Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge

9/1: Boise, ID @ Shredder

9/2: Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom

9/3: Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw

9/5: Calgary, AB @ Dickens

9/6: Edmonton, AB @ Starlite Room

9/7: Saskatoon, SK @ Coors Event Center

9/8: Winnipeg, MB @ The Good Will

9/9: Minneapolis, MN @ Studio B at Skyway Theatre

9/10: Milwaukee, WI @ X-Ray

9/11: Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups

9/12: Pittsburgh, PA @ Preserving Underground

9/13: Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace

9/14: Ottawa, ON @ Brass Monkey

9/15: Quebec City, QC @ La Source De La Martiniere

9/16: Montreal, QC @ Petit Campus

9/17: Brooklyn, NY @ Meadows

9/18: Philadelphia, PA @ Milkboy

9/19: Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery

9/20: Raleigh, NC @ The Pour House

9/21: Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade

9/22: New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa

9/23: Houston, TX @ Secret Room

9/25: Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live

9/26: El Paso, TX @ Rockhouse

9/27: Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey

9/28: Phoenix, AZ @ Pub Rock Live

9/29: Las Vegas, NV @ Dive Bar

9/30: San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick

10/1: North Hollywood, CA @ Knitting Factory

GET TICKETS HERE

Ever since the cloaked Pacific Northwest band appeared on the music radar, UADA has always been electrified by both polar worlds. Their echelon was stark and meaningful. Within the stretch of three albums as well as dense and triumphant live shows across the globe, they have not only spiked the map of extreme metal music but their unrelenting touring schedule and unbridled will to push forward into new horizons has also earned them a reception in all the extremes imaginable, be it worship or spite.

Five sonic vessels form the nucleus of 'Crepuscule Natura,' and within it`s 41 minutes, the record easily creates a sonic and aesthetic bridge between the band`s debut, 'Devoid of Light' (2016), and their sophomore effort 'Cult of a Dying Sun' (2018), only to forge onward upon the relentless path set forth with 'Djinn' (2020). Here, a more refined and muscular, yet no less melodic stronghold awaits. On 'Crepuscule Natura,' UADA provides all their memorable hooks, tasteful leads, and riding blasts in their distinct style, balancing their epic surging melodies with powerful spurts of aggression. Just like the band's smoke-heavy shows, the momentum and emphasis of their craft always stays grandiose, mythical, and triumphant – all the while making sure to birth a couple of new fan favorites and soon-to-be staple live songs.

'Crepuscule Natura', once again graced by the artwork of legendary Kris Verwimp and photography by Peter Beste, shows UADA on fire to unleash the marrow of black heavy metal.

Album Credits:

All music by UADA

Mixed and Mastered by Jake Superchi at Obsidian Spells

Album Cover & Moon emblem by Kris Verwimp

Photography by Peter Beste

Layout by Valkenstijn

Released via Eisenwald

Follow/Stream UADA:

BANDCAMP

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

SPOTIFY

APPLE MUSIC

YOUTUBE

WEBSTORE

Digital album released on September 8, 2023

CD formats to be shipped on or around September 15, 2023

Vinyl formats to be shipped on or around November 3, 2023

CYHRA Release Third Single, "IF I"

With only a month left until the release of CYHRA's new album “The Vertigo Trigger,” the Swedes today deliver the album's third single “IF I.” The melodic metallers, based around singer Jake E (ex-AMARANTHE) and guitarists Jesper Strömblad (THE HALO EFFECT/ex-IN FLAMES) and Euge Valovirta (ex-SHINING), offer a track brimming with tuneful heaviness, ear-worm riffs, and a striking chorus. The track especially salutes the Gothenburg metal scene, meaning that “IF I” provides all the elements to make a perfect CYHRA song.

Along with the release of the new single, the Swedes also present an accompanying new visualizer video, which can be witnessed below.

Stream “IF I” here: https://cyhra.bfan.link/ifisg

Vocalist Jake E comments: 
"'IF I' is a song that includes all the influences we all grew up with from the Gothenburg metal scene. Great melodies with a sing along chorus. The video is directed by ourselves with material captured by band and crew during our 9-show tour in Japan this past January."

Drummer Alex Landenburg adds: 
"It’s probably our heaviest track so far and I just can’t get enough of that riff! Pure Gothenburg metal!"

Guitarist Euge Valovirta about the new song: 
”I intentionally wrote the song for one of my YouTube-videos and people really liked it and were asking where they could buy it. I sent it to Jake, and even he loved it instantly. He tweaked the verse and chorus a bit to make it a bit more of a Cyhra tune and it turned out fantastic. It’s kind of an old school Gothenburg style - melodic metal song and the title is a bit of a word play about a certain band that was one of the inspirations for the song. It starts with amazing drum fill by Alex and after that the cows are out from the barn and running wild. Hell yeah!”

Marcus Sunesson adds:
”'IF I' is one of the faster, up-tempo songs on the new album. Cyhra’s way of paying homage to the Gothenburg scene with all the glorious melodies and riffs. A real banger and a fun song to play!"

Jesper Strömblad comments as well:
"This tune is the fastest track we ever wrote. It’s so much fun to play, we can’t wait to share it with you on stage. See you in the pit!"

Pre-order or pre-save the new album “The Vertigo Trigger” here: 
https://cyhra.bfan.link/tvtglp

Recorded in the summer/autumn of 2022, “The Vertigo Trigger” is the band's darkest album to date. The album was entirely self-produced and mixed by guitarist Euge Valovirta, whilst the mastering was handled by long-term producer Jacob Hansen. This new album offers fans the classic CYHRA sound, full of the band's trademarks, but fresh and refined. The Swedes have modernised their song writing meaning that no CYHRA fan will be disappointed, making “The Vertigo Trigger” a more than worthy successor to their first two albums.

And although guitarist Jesper Strömblad isn’t a part of CYHRA's live shows currently, he was deeply involved in the writing and recording process of the album. Therefore, the band can hardly wait for his return as soon as he is ready again.

CYHRA is:
Jake E – lead vocals
Euge Valovirta – lead guitar (and bass)
Alex Landenburg – drums
Marcus Sunesson – guitars
Jesper Strömblad – guitars (and bass)

Follow CYHRA:

https://www.facebook.com/CyHraofficial

https://www.instagram.com/cyhra_official

https://www.youtube.com/cyhraofficial

Caskets Share "Believe" Video — WATCH

NEW ALBUM REFLECTIONS OUT AUGUST 11 VIA SHARPTONE RECORDS

Yorkshire melodic metallers Caskets, who recently announced their new album Reflections for an August 11 release on SharpTone Records, have released the video for the empowering new single "Believe." Watch the video here.

Speaking of the track, frontman Matt Flood says, "'Believe' is a song about realizing and recognizing your own worth. It's about letting go of the toxicity in your life and making that step forward. Believe in yourself and the choices you're making. Even if the path doesn't seem clear right now, they'll get you where you want to be."

There's an art to looking back.

For Caskets, it could have been easy to plough forwards regardless, riding the wave of success from their breakthrough debut Lost Souls (over 80 million streams to date), that opened tours up across the United States and mainland Europe, and secured appearances at landmark festivals Download and Slam Dunk. But having swapped the bedrooms that fostered album number one for countless hours on the road, reflecting on that journey and the decisions that led them down certain paths quickly became unavoidable.

If Lost Souls was primarily driven by Flood's personal experiences, Reflections delivers a wider picture of Caskets as a whole, borne out of the usual interpersonal differences that all bands face at least once in their career. For some it marks the end; but for others, it fosters a collaborative environment that pushes the music well beyond what has come before.

The result reflects each individual member of Caskets, with Flood joined by guitarists Benji Wilson and Craig Robinson, bassist Chris McIntosh, and drummer James Lazenby. The record has more upbeat moments that carry impactful melodies, upping the ante from Lost Souls with considered force, while the powerful ambient moments play out with real finesse.

In a step away from the singular retellings of Lost Souls, the Dan Weller (Bury Tomorrow, Enter Shikari, Holding Absence)-produced Reflections is a series of individual lessons, looking back at a specific moment in one of the band member's lives; a thought, feeling, or events, and how that moment shaped the present.

"Reflections shows how much more we can get out of the band musically if we all put our heads together a bit more," Flood beams, positive about a record that not only showcases Caskets as a full entity but represents the impressive range of influences that have soundtracked the five piece's times on the road and in the studio, helping to rapidly expand their sound. "It's always about the music, that's the whole point of being in a band," he concludes. "If we can fit as much into our sound but it still sounds like us, that's my lifelong goal with Caskets."

Pre-order Reflections here.

Mike Mains + The Branches Share "Talk to Me" — LISTEN

MIKE MAINS & THE BRANCHES recently announced the new album Memory Unfixed, out September 15 via Tooth & Nail. Pre-order it here.

"Memory Unfixed is a collection of musical snapshots from 2019-2021," Mains says. "The world went through a metamorphosis at that time and I fell down into the basement of unfixed memories. Some painful, some colorful, I'm glad to report there was magic down there. I am excited to share."

Today, the artist has shared the new single "Talk to Me." Listen here.

"Tyson Motsenbocker is an inspiration," states Mains. "His song 'Sunday Morning' inspired 'Talk to Me.' I wanted to try my best at writing a song that painted scenes as well as his songs. Even if I strike out, I'm happy to be at the plate taking a swing."

Mike Mains & The Branches have always bottled complex emotions and relatable stories within hummable homegrown anthems. They have organically progressed over the course of Home [2012], Calm Down, Everything Is Fine [2014], and When We Were In Love [2019]. Billboard hailed the "buoyant pop" of the latter, while Atwood Magazine praised its "upbeat, energetic, feel-good pop-rock." Among many standouts, “Briggs” generated north of 4.8 million Spotify streams as "Breathing Underwater" and "Live Forever" each surpassed the 1 million-mark. After trading his native Michigan for Nashville, Mike underwent another era of transformation. Stuck at home mid-Pandemic, he retreated inward and began to understand his past and, ultimately, himself a bit more.
 
"Once COVID hit, I finally had the opportunity to allow some things to start boiling over," he elaborates. "I got serious about therapy, my mental health, and my well-being. I acknowledged wounds that had been on the backburner for my entire life. I've been on my own since I was 16, and I come from a family of physical and mental abuse. By living alone and crashing on couches over the years, I've cobbled together a wonderful surrogate family. Growing up, my dad was like, 'You'll never make it’.' Part of me was pleased to find success, move to Nashville, buy a home, and support myself and my wife off rock 'n' roll. Nevertheless, all of this pain came up. So, these songs are little vignettes and snapshots of not only the relationship between my wife and I but what was happening in the world with George Floyd and America's heartbreaking response."

MIKE MAINS & THE BRANCHES ON TOUR:
HEADLINE:
8/5 — Innovation Festival — Kansas City, MO*
8/11 — Pueblo, CO — Brues Alehouse 
8/13 — Denver, CO — Marquis 
8/24 — Ballroom at Spiderhouse — Austin, TX 

8/25 — Dallas, TX – The Rustic
8/26 — San Antonio, TX – The Rustic
*Festival

WITH KING'S KALEIDOSCOPE:
10/5 — Charlotte NC — Neighborhood Theatre 
10/6 — Atlanta GA — Center Stage 
10/7 — Sanford FL — Tuffy’s Music Box 
10/8 — Tampa FL — Crowbar 
10/10 — Birmingham AL — Zydeco 
10/11 — Greensboro NC — Hangar 1819
10/13 — Washington DC — 9:30 Club
10/14 — New York NY — Gramercy Theatre 
10/16 — Millvale PA — Mr Smalls Theatre 
10/17 — Philadelphia PA —  Ardmore Music Hall 
10/19 — Milwaukee WI — Pabst Theater
10/20 — Des Moines IA — Wooly’s 
10/21 — Covington KY — Madison Theater 
10/22 — Fort Wayne IN — Clyde Theatre 
10/24 — Columbus OH — Skully’s 
10/25 — Cleveland OH — Beachland Ballroom 
10/26 — Detroit MI — St. Andrews Hall 
10/27 — Grand Rapids MI — Elevation 

PSYGNOSIS Shoot For the Cosmos on "Öpik-Oort"

PSYGNOSIS make a distinctly progressive type of extreme metal. Sure, the French band has two guitarists who grind out plenty of crunching, distorted riffs, and their drummer is by no means shy when it comes to hammering out blast beats. But this extreme metal band doesn't have a vocalist. Instead, they've got a cellist.  

Of course, this peculiar configuration didn't align overnight. Psygnosis started in 2009, as a way for  Rémi Vanhove to meld his love for atmospheric extreme metal with touches of electronica. It wasn't until 2015 that the band decided to ditch singing all together in favor of adding Raphaël Verguin, whose swooping cello whisked fans all the way to the ends of the solar system on their last album. 

Now, Psygnosis are setting off once again for a faraway galaxy with 'Mercury', their first album since signing with Season of Mist. And while lead single "Öpik-Oort" shoots past the 10-minute mark, it's not a slow burn by any means. Riffs and cymbals collide like meteors, falling away beneath twinkling synths and strings that swirl with the same gravitational pull as the rings of Saturn.   
   
Watch the video for "Öpik-Oort" Below

'Mercury' is out September 15 on Season of Mist. Pre-order the album HERE. Pre-save the album HERE.

Psygnosis started in 2009, when Rémi Vanhove began to gather all of his musical influences into one entity. The first solo EP, "Phrases", was released in June 2009 and laid the foundation for Psygnosis: atmospheric extreme metal, with hints of electronic music. While he continued to program the drums himself, Rémi then recruited a second guitarist, a bassist and a singer.  

The first Psygnosis album, ‘Anti-Sublime’ was released in January 2012, which built on the sound of the initial EP. The band released another EP in 2013 (‘Sublimation’) followed by their second album in 2014. ‘Human Be[ing]’ showed signs of maturity with tighter songwriting and more complex structures.  

In 2015, Psygnosis underwent an extraordinary change. Not only did they decide to become a purely instrumental band, they also recruited cellist Raphaël Verguin. This peculiar configuration recorded the EP ‘AAliens’, followed by ‘Neptune’, an ambitious, hour-long opus that stretched all the way out to the edges of the Solar System.  

The pandemic gave Psygnosis more time to work on their new album. While more subtle and accomplished, ‘Mercury’ upholds the Vanhove’s original intention: mixing nervous metal riffs, blast beats and atmospheric ambience into a music that’s as intense as it is emotional.     

Line-up
Thomas Crémier (Drums, Sound Engineer) 
Elise Masliah (Guitar) 
Rémi Vanhove (Guitar, Sound Design) 
Raphaël Verguin (Cello)

Cello recorded by Raphaël Verguin
All other instruments recorded by Thomas Crémier at SoundBlast Studios

Produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Thomas Crémier

Cover art designed by Okiko

Pre-save: https://orcd.co/mercurypresave
Pre-order: https://shop.season-of-mist.com/list/psygnosis-mercury

Available formats
CD Digipack
Digital download
2X12" Vinyl Gatefold
2X12" Vinyl Gatefold (Orange transparent)
2X12" Vinyl Gatefold (Yellow transparent)

Links
https://psygnosis.bandcamp.com/
http://www.facebook.com/psygnosismusic
https://www.instagram.com/psygnosis.music/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5saAU9PdyTVAxsx15SIzO3
https://twitter.com/psygnosismusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/PsygnosisMusic

Art of Shock Announce Album "Shine Black Light" + Share "Drag Me to Hell"

Hollywood's ART OF SHOCK — frontman Art Geezar, lead guitarist Nicholas Ertel, bassist Brice Snyder, and drummer Adrian Geezar — have announced their second album Shine Black Light, out September 8 via Century Media. Pre-order it here.

Today, the band has share the video for "Drag Me to Hell." Watch it below.

The clip was lensed by Chilean director Carlos Toro.

"'Drag Me to Hell' is very different from anything we've done in the past both lyrically and sonically," states Art Geezar. "Initially, it was difficult for me to share this song since it reflects my personal journey of survival. It captures a time when I felt powerless and somehow responsible for the violence inflicted upon me. It represents a moment when I couldn't envision a future beyond the endless cycle I was trapped in. However, like many others, I eventually realized that I wasn't alone and discovered the strength within myself to rewrite the ending of my story."

He finishes, "Unfortunately, there are still millions of people trapped in this nightmare. By sharing our journeys and showing solidarity with those who are still suffering, we can inspire them to find their inner strength. We can change the ending of the story. We are survivors."

The album takes a massive step beyond the thrashing intensities already synonymous with the speed-limit-shattering quartet from Dark Angeles. "Shine Black Light is an album that came out of extreme times," says Art. "The lockdown felt like the end of the world for us. Like many other bands at the time, we felt crushed. It was a frustrating time, but we also found some good in it."

When it came time to select a producer, ART OF SHOCK weren't afraid to step outside their own comfort zone. They tapped fellow San Fernando Valley native Taylor Young. Known largely as a band member of boundary-bursting hardcore acts, Twitching Tongues and God's Hate, as well as the man behind the boards for the likes of Drain or Suicide Silence, Taylor was hardly an obvious choice for the band. With that, ART OF SHOCK  2023 is a much more lethal proposition now than the band that made Dark Angeles in 2019. They've grown miles past the band whose story began several years ago in Mexico City. It was there that brothers Art and Adrian grew up, inspired by classic thrash and metal bands that became the fuel for their earliest musical endeavors. Their early ambitions and push to get out of their native country brought them to Los Angeles, where a scrappy lineup of ART OF SHOCK began to make a dent playing in Hollywood.

 ART OF SHOCK (rounded out by lead guitarist Nick Ertel and bassist Brice Snyder) have shared bills over the years with the likes of Trivium, Hirax, and Sacred Reich and the experience only strengthened the band's live presence, but it was on the road where ART OF SHOCK have become a machine. Now, months before the release of Shine Black Light, the band has already completed two high-profile support slots: the rescheduled Sepultura jaunt in late 2022 and a Southwest and Californian run with machete-wielding death squad Brujeria in March 2023.

Wrapped in a sleeve by the legendary metal cover artist, Travis Smith (Opeth, Nevermore), Shine Black Light is full of twists, turns and unexpected moments from ART OF SHOCK.

Shine Black Light is an album born out of chaos and frustration that’s  become the start of a new chapter for ART OF SHOCK. Their fuck-all attitude is finally paying off. "We've become the band that we always dreamed about being,” says Art. “Through successes and disappointments, we’ve never given up or let anything stop us. It wasn't easy but it's been worth it – and it feels like things are just beginning."

ARISING EMPIRE MEDIA ALERT: Of Virtue ,Share New Video— WATCH

Michigan's Of Virtue have released their brand new single "Sober," a cautionary tale on substance abuse taken from their upcoming full-length album Omen, out September 29 via Arising Empire. 

Watch the "Sober" video Below. 

On the new track, the band comments, "'Sober' is a cautionary tale about the effects that addiction can have not only on the user, but friends, family or anyone that is close to them. It is hitting that 'rock bottom' with no where else to go except for finally turning over a new leaf. It can be hard to accept accountability for your actions when it has damaged so many things and make it harder to stop the self destructive behaviour that got you there in the first place."

Delving further into the deep-rooted substance abuse culture, they continue, "The substance abuse has gotten out of control and you start to see the effects it can have on not only yourself, but the ones you care about. People often distance themselves from those who display toxic behaviours and patterns out of self preservation. The song relays that the user understands this but cannot stop themselves from their own impulses and self destructive behaviours, despite the irreparable damage they are doing. Being sober requires accountability, which is only attained by taking responsibility and accepting the truth and consequences of your actions. In the end, we want to believe that if we simply stop using that all of their problems will go away — but at the same time, using seems to be the only thing that can give comfort since there is no one left to turn to."

Omen will be available in limited colored vinyl and CD, along with unique merch options at the Arising Empire online shop, Impericon, and band shop. Pre-order Omen here.

"Three years in the making and feeling as if it's the most significant one in our timeline thus far, this album was by far the most difficult to create in many more ways than one, and one of the most emotional experience for us," the band says. "Hope that it helps you through your time of need, the way it did us."

Of Virtue combinse an eclectic taste for the melodic, catchy, and ethereal with a foundation seeping with  brooding, thick guitars, thanks to guitarists Damon Tate and Mike Valadez, along with a penchant for multi-faceted vocal tonalities shared by vocalists Tyler Ennis and Damon Tate. All of this is brought together by the monstrous rhythm section featuring Ryan Trinh on drums. With this lineup at their disposal, Of Virtue have cemented themselves a diverse and engaging act, drawing influence from all types and styles of music to create something their own. With, Omen, on the way they have even further expanded on what makes them who they are, and by doing so they bring a warning — tread lightly and base today on yesterday or you may not get to tomorrow.
      
   OF VIRTUE ARE:     
Tyler Ennis | Vocals
Damon Tate | Guitar + Vocals
Michael Valadez | Guitar
Ryan Trinh | Drums

The Iron Roses Announce "The Iron Roses" + Share "Screaming for a Change" Video — WATCH🌹

The Iron Roses  — Nathan Gray (They/Them), vocals; Becky Fontaine (She/Her), vocals; Philip "Eugenius" Smith (He/Him), guitar and vocals; Pedro Aida (He/Him), guitar and backing vocals; Michael Espinosa (He/Him), bass and backing vocals; and Steve Cerri(He/Him), drums — are a passionate, unique, and beautiful group of people making music that they hope will change the world. 

Their sound is fueled by the injustices of our current times — their songs are the kind of protest anthems that only a group of seasoned musicians could make. Still angry, still driven, and still screaming, this is a band that will never give up the fight.

The band will drop its self-titled album via Iodine Recordings on October 20. Pre-order it here.

Also, The Iron Roses shared the video for the incendiary first single "Screaming for a Change."

Watch it below

"Kicking off an album meant to both inspire an uprising against old systems and old ideals, 'Screaming for a Change' stands as an anthem for those ready to take their power back," vocalist Nathan Gray states. "We knew this song was the perfect choice to kick off our album and introduce ourselves to the world, as it perfectly sets up what you can expect from The Iron Roses — politically charged, anthemic punk rock with reggae, ska, and, yes, even some post-hardcore and metal influences. This is a song that firmly plants its feet and raises its middle finger in the air. We ain't backing down without a fight."

Regarding the accompanying video, Becky Fontaine continues, "The video is our introduction to the world, not only by its assertion of our social and politically-forward message, but our hearts as a diverse group of humans who don't take themselves too seriously. When we are on stage together, we are having the time of our lives, and we really wanted the video to reflect that joy, and our chemistry together. 'Screaming for a Change' doesn't need to be done in anger; it can be joyful and life-affirming. Simply existing in love and autonomy is a middle finger in the face of those who wish to see us stay down in misery; might as well shine!"
 
            It takes serious talent to write and sing songs that sound angry while the music lifts your spirits. So much of political punk is abrasive and unpleasant. No hooks. No melodies. But other times passionate and irate words sound incongruent with emotionless and insipid music. The Iron Roses manage something rare and commanding with music that lifts the heart coupled powerfully with lyrics that express fury and resentment of the current world. 
 
            Punk as a genre has been so commodified and diluted over the last decades that it seems to be ever-increasingly hard to find bands that resonate this way — that sing and play with such intensity that their authenticity cannot be questioned, that prove that true punk is alive and well and can have you dancing around your kitchen singing along at the top of your voice. 
 
            Yes, we can discuss their pedigree, as well — most notably their frontperson Nathan Gray (of Boysetsfire fame), and their relentless touring and political activism. But none of those things matter if the songs don't connect with the listener. And this collection of songs are going to do just that. From the opening notes of the first song, the cards are on the table. The objective is clear — The Iron Roses are putting to words and music all the thoughts you've had these last few dark years. With the worldwide political climate leaning further and further from the left. With rights for many being limited and destroyed. With no end in sight. We need bands like The Iron Roses giving us a soundtrack to fight. Songs to pour our anger and frustration into when we sing along - just as they did when they wrote and recorded them — and will be doing so from stage when they hit the road hard this autumn. 

The Devil's Trade premiere new album on YouTube

'Vid​é​kek Vannak Idebenn' came at a strange time for Dávid György Makó.  

Makó started The Devil's Trade ten years ago, as a solitary journey between him and his banjo. But once he started working on this album, he began to feel like that phase of his life was ending - though he wasn't quite sure what the next one looked like.  Instead, he found himself in a paralyzed state, floating somewhere between past and present.

Out of that liminal space came 'Vid​é​kek Vannak Idebenn'. At times, the new album harkens back to the stark and doomy meditation on folk music that Makó honed on earlier albums. "Clear Like the Wind" is so stripped-down and quiet that you can hear Makó's right hand sliding up and down his guitar, repeating a simple but haunted melody. 

But 'Vid​é​kek Vannak Idebenn' also marks a turning point, when The Devil's Trade grew into something that looks more like a band. Makó brought in his old friend and former bandmate Gáspár Binder, whose dark and stormy drumming sets off the booming thundercloud of the title track. Makó also leans heavier into electronic textures. Synths shroud "Flashing Through the Lack of Light"like smoke shifting down a mountain.

"This album has given me so much hardship, confirmation, lessons and joy from the first moment I started to work on it, even when it was still a secret," says Makó. "And now it is out to live on its own. I hope you will enjoy it!"    

'Vid​é​kek Vannak Idebenn' is out this Friday, July 14 on Season of Mist. Pre-save the album HERE and pre-order it HERE. 

liminal
/ˈlɪmɪnl/
adjective
TECHNICAL

1. occupying a position at, or on both sides of, a boundary or threshold.

"I was in the liminal space between past and present"
 

It is of no surprise liminal space is a key element in the next phase of The Devil’s Trade’s fourth album, ’Vidékek vannak idebenn’ (a title that loosely translates to ’There Are Landscapes Within’) as Dávid Makó, the man behind the moniker has indeed arrived to a threshold in his career, where the phase starting with his self-released debut ’Those Miles We Walked Alone’ ended after his latest album ’The Call of the Iron Peak’. The concept of liminal space itself is a not necessarily pleasant state of mind where you left behind your old life, but new doors haven’t exactly opened just yet. 

As Makó states ’The process my first three records pieced together ended, that was no path for me to take anymore, but to take a step forward I had to make decisions I wasn’t inspired enough to make.’ – and from this frustrated, sort of paralyzed state of floating, a new incarnation of The Devil’s Trade was born and so was ‘Vidékek vannak idebenn’ along with it.

While still true to his solo artist roots, delivering gut-wrenching melodies of darkness and beauty on his own, Makó needed an expansion to his universe. With the addition of long-time friend and former bandmate Gáspár Binder on drums and a live keyboard player, he finally took the much needed step forward and ‘Vidékek vannak idebenn’ portrays the next sonic phase of The Devil’s Trade.

A soundtrack to the next phase of his life. A soundtrack to souls stuck in liminal space, hungry to adapt to new realities and to grow further, outside the boundaries which so often shackle them.

Style: Dark Doom Folk

Recording studio: Templom, Budapest Hungary
Producer: Makó Dávid
Mix/Master: Szabolcs Szűcs

Recording line-up:
Dávid Makó: vocals, guitars, keyboards, banjo
Gáspár Binder: drums

Line-up:
Dávid Makó: vocals, guitars, banjo
Gáspár Binder: drums
Gábor Tóth: keyboard

Cover artwork: 
Bálint Benkő (Volume Of Voids)

Links:
www.facebook.com/TheDevilsTrade
www.thedevilstrade.bandcamp.com
www.youtube.com/user/mdgytdt
www.instagram.com/thedevilstrade
https://linktr.ee/thedevilstrade

Shop: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/TDTVVI

Formats:
Digital
Digipak
Vinyl in various colours
Merch

Gunship Announce New Album "Unicorn" + Share "Monster In Paradise" Video — WATCH🦄

Synthwave pioneers GUNSHIP — comprised of Dan Haigh, Alex Westaway,and Alex Gingell — invite listeners to celebrate the power of imagination on their new album Unicorn, out September 29. Pre-order it here.

Gunship invites their listeners to celebrate the power of imagination on Unicorn. Named after the international icon of fantasy and imagination, it's emblazoned with the tagline "Imagination Is A Weapon." The trio's trademark, synth-laden atmosphere and transportative soundscapes have continued to evolve to include more rock, industrial, and EDM influences, and allow the listener to revel in an alternative reality on a 14-track electric thrill ride.

Unicorn boasts a diverse array of special guests, who each bring something different to the project. Collaborators include John Carpenter, Gavin Rossdale (Bush), Dave Lombardo (Slayer), Carpenter Brut, Timmy Cappello (Lost Boys, Tina Turner, Ringo Starr), Health, Tyler Bates (John Wick, Guardians of the Galaxy etc), Lights, Power Glove, Charlie Simpson, Britta Philips (Jem), and Milkie Way (Wargasm).

Today, the band share the first song from the much-anticipated third album, cyberpunk track "Monster in Paradise," where they are joined by a host of hard-hitting collaborators including the saxman Tim Cappello, electro-punk artist Milkie Way, film composer and guitarist Tyler Bates and Slayer's legendary drummer Dave Lombardo. Here, Gunship continue to evolve the synthwave genre into exciting new directions.

Stream the track here. Watch the video below.

Priding themselves in being accomplished audio-visual artists, the band also unleash the neon-lit music video for "Monster in Paradise." The visual sees the cinematic worlds of Blade Runner and The Terminator collide amidst a sprawling dystopian metropolis, and stars two of the song's collaborators, Milkie Way and Timmy Cappello. The dreamscape sees darkness converge with laser light in a vision of the not-so-far future, replete with towering skyscrapers, flying vehicles, and shimmering holographic displays which work together to create a vivid backdrop for the adrenaline-fueled cyberpunk rock spectacle.

Perhaps the star of the video, Milkie Way (the fiery frontwoman of Wargasm) pays homage to the indomitable Sarah Connor from The Terminatorfilms. Driving Sarah's classic 1983 Jeep CJ-7 Renegade and providing a Terminator-style voiceover, Milkie initially appears to be giving a performance true to Sarah Connor's character, although perhaps things are not quite as they seem…

...Are the machines recruiting humans with a mind-altering silver liquid?

 "Gunship, Timmy Capello, and Dave Lombardo is truly a match made in heaven and I'm so happy to be included in this beautiful maelstrom of synth-metal perfection," says Milkie Way.

What would it be like to attend a rock show in a dystopian cyberpunk world? Discover and watch the video here. 

Prepare to be transported to a world where darkness collides with neon brilliance.

ABOUT GUNSHIP:
GUNSHIP are Dan Haigh, Alex Westaway, and Alex Gingell. The band’s sound is created with vintage analogue synthesizers and other retro electronic gear from the 1980s. Driven and inspired by nostalgia for a bygone era, Gunship harness this retro approach to birth something fresh and new. Their sound is sonically diverse — blending sweeping fluorescent synth lines with fever pitched and adrenalizing electric bass arpeggios. Dan Haigh from Gunship describes their sound as "a neon-soaked, late night, sonic getaway drive, dripping with luscious analogue synthesizers, cinematic vocals and cyberpunk values, exploding from the front cover of a dusty plastic VHS case which has lain forgotten since 1984." Gunship was formed in 2014 as a new musical venture for Westaway and Haigh, also members of post-hardcore band Fightstar with Charlie Simpson (Busted) and Omar Abidi, going on hiatus in 2010. Unicorn follows their critically acclaimed self-titled debut (Gunship, 2015), and 2018 follow-up Dark All Day.

New proggressive supergroup TEMIC announce debut album

TEMIC are announcing their debut album today. 'Terror Management Theory' is an energetic, heartfelt journey through the human experience. It speaks to our fears, as well as our instinctive drive to persist. But to reach this point, all four members of this prog supergroup had to navigate quite the career path.

Guitarist Eric Gillette first hit it off with Diego Tejeida (keyboards, sound design) while the two played together in the touring band for Mike Portnoy's Shattered Fortress. Simen Sandness drums for Shining and Arkentype, while Fredrik Bergersen Klemp still shows off his range as the singer for Maraton.

When Gillette and Tejedia decided to start a band together while the world was shut down in 2020, their idea wasn't necessarily simple: orchestrate their love for high-energy electronica and killer melodies into a modern prog-metal band. But on their first-ever single, Temic have no problem pulling off that whole concept. 

Clocking in at just shy of six minutes, "Count Your Losses" gives TEMIC plenty of time to show off. The band roll out an arena-ready guitar solo  to go along with scatting drum fills, fretless bass runs and synths built for a rave. And just think - that only covers the bridge!

Add all of that together with Bergersen Klemp's clean, melodic tenor, and you get the perfect introduction to progressive metal's newest sensation.  

""Count Your Losses" depicts the beginning of our journey," says TEMIC. "It's also the very first song that we wrote as a band. We've been anxiously waiting for this moment, and now it's finally here!"

Watch the video for "Count Your Losses" below.

'Terror Management Theory' is out November 17 on Season of Mist. Pre-order the album HERE. Pre-save the album HERE.

Introducing TEMIC—prog’s newest, most ambitious, and most adrenaline-fueled act. TEMIC melds the creative minds of keyboardist and sound designer Diego Tejeida (Devin Townsend, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress, ex-Haken), guitarist Eric Gillette (The Neal Morse Band, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress), drummer Simen Sandnes (SHINING, Arkentype), and vocalist Fredrik Bergersen Klemp (Maraton, 22).

The origins of TEMIC date back to 2017, when Tejeida and Gillette toured the world as band members of Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress. From the very first chords they exchanged, their musical chemistry both on and off stage was undeniable, leading them to discuss the prospect of starting a new band together. Unfortunately, conflicting tour and recording commitments forced them to turn their attention elsewhere for years—that is, until the world came to a standstill in 2020, and Tejeida called Gillette to ask a fateful question:
“Remember how we said we should make music together? Well, how about now?”

Thus, the first demos for what would later become TEMIC’s 2023 debut album, Terror Management Theory, began to emerge. Within a few weeks after that initial phone call, the musical vision of TEMIC had become clear: Let’s create progressive music that is heavily influenced by high-energy electronic music, but arranged and orchestrated for a 5-piece modern prog rock/metal band—where, at last, the pulse can be the focus, and the vocal melody can be king.

Eager to join forces with the very best bandmates, Tejeida and Gillette first summoned the rhythmic power of their friend and drummer Sandnes. With characteristic enthusiasm, Sandnes seized the opportunity, prepared to contribute his percussive prowess as the heartbeat of TEMIC. When it came time to find the singer that would carry TEMIC’s melodies to new heights, Sandnes recommended vocal powerhouse Klemp, whose emotive delivery and unmatched intensity left no doubt that he was destined to be the voice of TEMIC. Finally, to round out the rhythm section of Terror Management Theory, dynamic bassist Jacob Umansky (Intervals) was invited on board as a guest player, gracing the album with an unrivaled groove and a signature low-end sound.

Together, this mammoth lineup is TEMIC, a high-energy, electronic-inspired, modern melodic prog metal band for the next generation.
 
Line-up:
Fredrik Bergersen (Maraton, 22) – Vocals
Eric Gillette (The Neal Morse Band, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress) – Guitars and Backing Vocals
Simen Sandnes (Shining, Arkentype)  – Drums and Percussion
Diego Tejeida (Devin Townsend, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress, ex-Haken) - Keyboards and Sound Design
 
Recording Studio: Drums and vocals recorded at Top Floor Studios (Gothenburg, Sweden)
Producer: Produced by TEMIC. Drums and vocals engineered by Jakob Herrmann Gothenburg, Sweden)
Mix/Mastering: Mixed and mastered by Rich Mouser at The Mouse House (Los Angeles, USA)
 
Guest musicians:
Jacob Umansky (USA) – Bass guitar on the whole album
Mosaic Gospel Choir (Norway) – Mothallah
Garden State Threshold Choir (USA) – Mothallah
 
Cover artwork: Hicham Hamzi

Pre-order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/Temic
Pre-save: https://orcd.co/tmtpresave
 
Formats:
Digital
Digipak
2x 12” Gatefold in various colours
Merch
 
Follow Temic
https://temicband.com
www.facebook.com/TEMICBAND
www.instagram.com/temicband

SVALBARD - announce new album 'The Weight Of The Mask' + single/video 'Faking It'

Svalbard are proud to announce their ardently anticipated new studio album, The Weight Of The Mask, due out on October 6th via Nuclear Blast Records. 

White-hot new single 'Faking It' has also been revealed, accompanied by a video. The track lays bare a poignant, candid account of dealing with depression and coming to the realization that you are "faking it" to just get by. 

Svalbard's intention with their music is to make people feel less alone, and to be there for people in their darkest times. The Weight Of The Mask bravely lays out experiences of mental illness and depression, hoping to help destigmatize these topics. 

Svalbard's Serena Cherry stated,

"If the previous record was about facing your demons, then The Weight of The Mask is about fighting them with everything you've got. You can literally hear the depression transform into aggression in these songs. The Weight of The Mask was admittedly a challenging album to make because we cut so deep this time around, it was a painful but ultimately cathartic process. This album is the sound of two years worth of internal darkness boiling away inside and then finally being unleashed.

"Faking It is a song about feeling deprived of meaningful human connection due to depression acting like a wall that shuts you off from others. It addresses the ways in which those who suffer with depression can feel guilted into putting on a happy mask. The lyrics are a reflection on happiness as a social obligation and how scarily good you can become at deceiving everyone around you into thinking that you're fine when you're not. With 'Faking It', we are both acknowledging the pressure for forced positivity, the fear that people won't like you if you're sad, and also questioning where the root of this intolerance towards depression lies." 

Pre-order The Weight Of The Mask + stream 'Faking It' HERE 
Watch the 'Faking It' video below.

Serena added about the 'Faking It' video,

"This video leans on deliberately obvious binary oppositions to hammer home the message of the song. We have the glossy smiling shots, filmed in the fakest place we could find: The Selfie Factory; mixed with dark, expressive performance footage that represents the internal struggle within." 

Stream the previous single 'Eternal Spirits' here: https://Svalbard.bfan.link/eternal-spirits.ema
Watch the 'Eternal Spirits' video here: https://youtu.be/1Oh30tCl1DQ

The Weight Of The Mask was recorded at The Ranch Production House, UK. The record was produced and mixed by Lewis Johns, with mastering by Grant Berry. Engineering was handled by Lewis Johns, assisted by Matt Janke, with additional editing by Kel Pinchin and Sebastien Sendon.

The beautiful album artwork was created by artist and illustrator Hestor Aspland, with layout by Lee O'Connor.

Serena Cherry stated about the album artwork,

"We have been huge fans of Hester Aspland's Illustration since we saw her stunning artwork carved into a wooden table at our favorite metal bar, The Gryphon. The intricate, floral aspect of her artwork for The Weight of The Mask reflects the sonic beauty within our melodies. Then the bleaker animal skull mask symbolizes the lyrical content. Working with Hester was an absolute dream and we love the art she has created for us."

The Weight Of The Mask  will be available in the following formats

• CD Jewel Case

• LP

  • 1LP Crystal Clear w/Black Marble

  • 1LP Purple w/Black Splatter (band exclusive)

• Digital Album

• Formed in Bristol UK, Svalbard have released three studio albums, three EPs, and several split releases. Their exceptional last studio album, 2020's When I Die, Will I Get Better? was dubbed by Metal Hammer UK as "the most important British metal record of 2020", with both Metal Hammer and Kerrang! lauding the record as a top 10 album of the year. A career milestone, it cemented Svalbard as a powerful and vital component of our global music scene.
  
  Whilst refining their distinctive blend of euphoric black metal, post-rock, and d-beat, Svalbard have incorporated a few more surprising influences along the way. From soft, mournful singing to progressive guitar leads, it showcases a sensitive dynamic that lends impact to their most crushing moments - of which there are undoubtedly many. There’s no poetry, no ambiguity - just direct, raw honesty as the quartet tackles some very uncomfortable subjects head-on. This is heavy in the most evocative sense of the word. The blunt lyrics are equally as important as the music.
  
  Svalbard are:
  Vocals/Guitar - Serena Cherry
  Vocals/Guitar - Liam Phelan
  Drums - Mark Lilley
  Bass - Matt Francis

Jame's Elsewhere Announce "Paradise" EP + Share "Escapist" Video — WATCH

JAMIE'S ELSEWHERE, featuring Of Mice & Men vocalist/bassist Aaron Pauley, have announced their new Paradise EP, out July 19 via SharpTone Records. It's the first new material from the band in nearly a decade. Pre-order the EP here.

Today, the band has shared the new single "Escapist." Watch the video below.

'We're thrilled to announce that we've signed with SharpTone Records, and excited to announce the release our first single 'Escapist' from our new EP Paradise," says Pauley. "This new chapter of the band has been years in the making, and we're so excited to be teaming up with the talented and creative minds at SharpTone Records to bring these songs, and this story, to our fans all around the world — both old fans and new!"

Following nine years of dormancy, Jamie's Elsewhere couldn't simply return with simply songs. Instead, they swing for the fences and speak to multiple senses all at once with the Paradise EP. The California quartet — the aforementioned Pauley [vocals], Matt Scarpelli [guitar], Chance Medeiros [bass], and Mike Spearman [keys] — expand their vision like never before with an arresting narrative set to a soundtrack of emotionally charged heavy music underscored by cinematic electronics, soaring melodies, jarring hardcore, and moments of unpredictable sonic bludgeoning. After carving out a niche and generating tens of millions of streams, the group pull audiences into an all-encompassing and entrancing soundscape.
 
"The concept follows a protagonist through the day-to-day grind," Pauley notes. "He discovers Paradise, which is a metaverse where you can upload your soul. It was a tongue-in-cheek way for us to label a dystopian A.I. The irony is hopping on the internet could never be a real paradise. We went really deep in terms of the story and lyrics."

Following their emergence in 2005, Jamie's Elsewhere quietly attracted a devout audience via a series of EPs and fan-favorite albums, namely Guidebook for Sinners Turned Saints [2008] and They Said a Storm Was Coming [2010]. Along the way, the band toured with everyone from Motionless In White and Memphis May Fire to Ice Nine Kills. Assuming lead vocal and bass duties for Of Mice & Men during 2012, Pauley initially parted ways with Jamie's Elsewhere. 2014 saw the group drop Rebel-Revive highlighted by "Empty Eyes" [feat. Garrett Rapp of The Color Morale] and "The Illusionist" [feat. Tyler Carter of Issues], which amassed over 6.2 million Spotify streams. On the eve of the tenth anniversary of The Said A Storm Was Coming, Spearman caught an Of Mice & Men gig, and conversations about reviving Jamie's Elsewhere began in earnest. Those conversations morphed into writing sessions and the rest, as they say, is history and here we are.

Thy Art Is Murder Share "Keres" Video — WATCH

Australia's extreme metal titans Thy Art Is Murder have released their storming new single, "Keres," the second taste of new music lifted from the band's forthcoming album, Godlike, out September 15 via Human Warfare. Pre-order Godlike here.

Watch the video below.

A stadium-sized death metal anthem, "Keres" has it all: bone crushing verses, colossal stomping choruses, an urgent guitar solo, and frontman CJ McMahon's vocals demolishing all in his wake as he rams that hook straight into your brain.

"Keres" is an absolute standout in the Thy Art Is Murder collection and guitarist Andy Marsh explains why the band can't wait to get it out there.

 "It's not often we have this level of excitement to present a new single to the world," Marsh states. "'Keres' is a metal anthem filled with grinding verses and stomping choruses, stripping down some of the complexity that may have gotten in the way of previous attempts to deliver a song of this magnitude. The Keres was an evil sprite in ancient Greek mythology that would feed on the dead, but could not participate in acts of violence. We think this behavior is as relevant in the arena of news and politics as it was on those ancient battlefields." 

Thy Art Is Murder ascended the ranks of extreme metal's top-tier bands with a meteoric underground rise as explosive as humankind's seemingly inevitable descent into doom and death. With their new album, Godlike, Australia's most harrowingly brutal export since George Miller's Mad Max franchise invites audiences worldwide to join them in a fresh Armageddon. 

The sixth explosive album in the band's arsenal, Godlike cements Thy Art Is Murder as death metal's modern torchbearers. A soundtrack to a divisive post-modern dystopia, Godlike sees Thy Art Is Murder explore new depths and dynamics without sacrificing an ounce of intensity or urgency the band have staked their career on.

Recorded with their longtime producer and mixer, Will Putney, across the album's 10 nihilistic tracks Thy Art are masters of their craft as they deliver sharp stabs, guttural descents and groove with muscular athleticism and confidence. Frontman CJ McMahon gives his strongest performance ever as he belts through lyrics that thematically confront how cycles of violence continue over time and feelings of separation in a hyper-polarized world.

Thy Art Is Murder's thinking-person's blackened death metal has challenged, provoked and inspired audiences around the world. Through relentless hard work, Thy Art have become one of the most successful extreme metal bands Australia has ever produced, making history on their own terms. Backed by an uncompromising discography, the two-time ARIA-Award nominees have smashed chart records in their native country, becoming the first homegrown extreme metal act to debut in the Top 5 with 2017's Dear Desolation.

Their electrifying and incendiary performances have seen the band do countless laps of the globe, becoming tourmates with genre-titans like Cannibal Corpse, Slayer, Kreator, Lamb Of God, Killswitch Engage, and Parkway Drive, alongside playing crucial festivals like Summer Breeze, Download, Graspop, and Wacken.

Join Thy Art Is Murder when they enter Godlike mode this coming September. 

THE LION'S DAUGHTER Shares Unnerving Music Video for New Song via Metal Injection, Reveals New Album Details

St. Louis horror metal outfit The Lion's Daughter will be releasing its brand new full-length, 'Bath House,' on October 13, 2023 as an independent entity. In celebration of this new release, the band has partnered with Metal Injection for the premiere the title track along with a disturbing music video that is certain to shock and excite horror fans everywhere. The video can be found below.

“Saying that this album was influenced by everything-that-I’ve-ever-liked-ever isn’t a very good answer, but it’s an accurate one,” explains frontman Rick Giordano on 'Bath House's' unique sound. “I turned the left side of my brain off completely and let a lifetime of soaking up great art just come to the surface naturally. There are bits of all the things I love in there… from old Metallica to film scores to industrial and whatever else, but I think these things have melded together in a way that is cohesive and not just nonsensical genre-hopping. There are clean vocals and guitar solos, a lot of things that we’ve never tried before. It really feels like you uploaded my entire record collection to a hard drive and had an AI create an album based on that.”

In addition, The Lion's Daughter will be performing live later this year! On October 13, the band will have a special Friday the 13th album release party in its hometown of St. Louis, MO. Then, the band will hit Black Circle Brewing in Indianapolis, IN on 11/11 for another rager! The full itinerary can be found below with more dates TBA!

'Bath House' is now available for pre-sales HERE.

The Lion's Daughter Live Dates (U.S.):

10/13: St. Louis, MO @ Red Flag (Album Release Show)

11/11: Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle Brewing

“What we did see… was something altogether different, and immeasurably more hideous and detestable. It was the utter, objective embodiment of the fantastic novelist’s ‘thing that should not be.’” - H.P. Lovecraft, “At The Mountains of Madness”

Some creations are designed to elicit nightmares, evoking unspeakable terrors that are meant to shock, terrify, and mesmerize the masses. Since the release of its first full-length in 2012, The Lion’s Daughter has consistently put forth music that is just as disturbing as it is enticing, making a name for itself as a dark force among its musical contemporaries. And much like an eldritch horror, the band is constantly shape shifting like a Shoggoth, capable of fitting into many different musical spaces, while at the same time, fitting into no earthly dimensions just as an ancient alien rising up from centuries of arctic slumber with a mission to destroy and conquer.

And much like the Shoggoth, The Lion’s Daughter have defied all gods and masters, releasing its latest opus as an independent entity, breaking away from the corporate confines of a label. ‘Bath House’ is another generically unclassified masterpiece from the St. Louis horror quartet, pulling elements from everything from Faith No More to Godflesh to Samhain, creating a sound that’s way ahead of its time and yet certain to grab the listener by the throat.

“Saying that this album was influenced by everything-that-I’ve-ever-liked-ever isn’t a very good answer, but it’s an accurate one,” explains frontman Rick Giordano on the band’s unique sound. “I turned the left side of my brain off completely and let a lifetime of soaking up great art just come to the surface naturally. There are bits of all the things I love in there… from old Metallica to film scores to industrial and whatever else, but I think these things have melded together in a way that is cohesive and not just nonsensical genre-hopping. There are clean vocals and guitar solos, a lot of things that we’ve never tried before. It really feels like you uploaded my entire record collection to a hard drive and had an AI create an album based on that.”

As the music itself on ‘Bath House’ is a representation of Giordano’s musical palette, the lyrics are perhaps the darkest and most vulnerable of his career. The band strays away from fantasy on this record and instead, gets raw and relatable. “It’s all really ugly shit,” he says of the new album’s themes. “Which, for our band, is not shocking at all. But this time around, it’s all much more personal to me, which makes it a bit difficult and uncomfortable to talk about. I wasn’t in a great place while writing this record. Grief, fear, jealousy, and general devastation can be found all over this thing. That wasn’t my intention exactly, but like the music, I let the lyrics kind of write themselves without letting logic or reason interfere.”

To further illustrate the darkness that dwells within ‘Bath House,’ The Lion’s Daughter commissioned a perverse and unnerving image from UK artist Daniel Peacock for the album cover. The image not only works well in cohesion with the record, but also symbolizes that while ‘Bath House’ still very much carries the band’s signature sound, it still isn’t exactly what fans might expect. Giordano explains, “Our previous two album covers featured masked characters. I wanted to see what happens when you take the mask off. This record isn’t shrouded in mystery the same way the previous couple have been. It’s much more of an in your face kind of attack, and I felt the artwork should represent that. This horrible creature looks dangerous and frightening, but is also clearly in pain and also afraid. It’s the perfect image to represent whatever the fuck ugly thing lives in my head. On this record it is no longer hiding behind a mask… it is loose and it’s right outside your fucking house.”

As the St. Louis horror masters set forth on a new trajectory, the former trio has also added Black Fast guitarist Aaron Akin to the lineup, creating a sound that’s more intense and grand. “Aaron was the guitarist and vocalist of a band called Black Fast. They were hands down the best metal band to come out of St. Louis in decades. Once they disbanded, it was a no-brainer to try and get the guy who fronted my favorite local band to be in my band. Why wouldn’t I? Plus, as anyone who knows Aaron will tell you, he’s an all around great guy,” explains Giordano on how this new union came about.

And as a new union has been formed, former binds have been severed as The Lion’s Daughter is no longer tied to a label, doing this record fully independently for the first time in its career and taking full and total control. “It’s just nice to have 100% control over everything again,” Giordano says of the band’s new freedom. “That was the whole intention when we started this band years ago. We lost sight of that for a while. No disrespect intended towards anyone, but this band has always been pretty anti-music industry and anti-bullshit.”

Despite so many changes, The Lion’s Daughter is still the same band that cult followers have come to worship, but with everything cranked up to 11. With heavier music, a fuller sound, and darker themes, the band is maximizing terror with its monstrous brand of debauchery and unspeakable perversions. Unpleasant dreams…

Recording Lineup:

Rick Giordano - vocals, guitars, bass, synths

Erik Ramsier - drums

Scott Fogelbach - additional vocals on tracks 2, 7, 8

Live Lineup:

Rick Giordano - guitar and vocals

Scott Fogelbach - bass and vocals

Aaron Akin - guitar

Erik Ramsier - drums

Guest Musicians:

Sarah Vie - violin and vocals on tracks 2, 4, 7, 9

Recording Studio:

Encapsulated Studios

Producer // Sound Engineer // Mixing // Mastering:

Gabe Usery

Cover Artist:

Dan Peacock

Photographer:

Chris Bauer

Links:

Bandcamp

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Spotify

Apple Music

PROFANATICA US Tour Starts Tomorrow!

PROFANATICA just ushered in their sixth album with an unholy leviathan of a new single. Tomorrow, they're taking up the cross on their first-ever full-length tour of the U.S. They'll be snaking across the country with Canadian black metal band Panzerfaust, with a headlining set at Heavy Hell IV.    

Tour dates
07/13 Cleveland, OH @ No Class [Tickets]
07/14 Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups [Tickets]
07/15 Chicago, IL @ Reggies [Tickets]
07/16 Minneapolis, MN @ Turf Club [Tickets]
07/18 Omaha, NE @ Reverb Lounge [Tickets]
07/19 Salt Lake City, UT @ Aces High Saloon [Tickets]
07/21 Seattle, WA @ Substation [Tickets]
07/22 Portland, OR @ Bossanova Ballroom [Tickets]
07/24 Sacramento, CA @ Cafe Colonial [Tickets]
07/25 San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge [Tickets]
07/26 San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar [Tickets]
07/27 Los Angeles, CA @ Regent Theater [Tickets]
07/28 Phoenix, AZ @ Pub Rock [Tickets]
07/29 El Paso, TX @ The Dungeon [Tickets]
07/31 Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall [Tickets]
08/01 Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live [Tickets]
08/02 Dallas, TX @ Trees [Tickets]
08/03 St. Louis, MO @ Red Flag [Tickets]
08/04 Nashville, TN @ Hop Springs [Tickets]
08/05 Atlanta, GA @ The Loft [Tickets]
08/06 Raleigh, NC @ Pour House [Tickets]
08/12 Indianapolis, IN @ Heavy Hell IV [Tickets]

'Crux Simplex' is out on September 22, 2023 via Season of Mist. Pre-save the album HERE.  Pre-order it HERE.

PROFANATICA are at the vanguard of the first wave of American black metal. Founded and led by infamous master of black perversion Paul Ledney (drums/vocals), they have purveyed primeval blasphemy for nigh on thirty-three years.

Ledney formed the band from the ashes of the first INCANTATION lineup when he split and took with him all of the members sans John McEntee. That early trio of ex-INCANTATION members reeled off three ground-breaking demos of some of the most extreme and blasphemic metal of its time in rapid succession. The band flyers that permeated the tape-trading circuit were no less shocking and featured the trio bloody and naked and in the throes of what was most certainly a primeval summoning of some kind. In short order, they had inked a deal with the fledgling Osmose Productions for what became one of that labels first releases (Osmose release #5); a legendary split with Colombia's MASACRE.

Something so volatile could only last briefly, and after another brief recording session the band collapsed under the weight of its own extremity. but the recordings made in this two year window went on to see dozens of reissues in the coming decades, in a testament to how formidable and formative they are to the black metal scene worldwide.

After almost fifteen years spent with his equally polarizing solo project HAVOHEJ, Ledney reignited the flames of Profanatica in 2006. Reemerging with a new deal from Hells Headbangers, Ledney and his new band released 'The Enemy of Virtue', a collection of that vaunted early material, and a new full-length, 'Profanatitas de Domonatia'. A triumphant return, 'Profanatitas de Domonatia' picked up right where these Kings of US Black Metal left off, delivering a savage stream of chainsaw guitars and relentless battery upon which they desecrated everything sacred.

This set-in motion another frenetic burst of work for Profanatica. The next decade saw them unleash four new full-length albums of blasphemous perversions, sacrilegious incantations, and furious black metal. In addition, the band issued six mini-albums and EP's, a full DVD of early footage, and began touring internationally in Europe and in Central and South America. For the first time Profanatica were appearing near or at the top of the bill at festivals like MDF, Messe Des Mortes, Hells Headbash, Prague Death Mass (Czech Republic), Chaos Descends (Germany), Black Sun (Spain), Tyrant Fest (France), SWR Fest (Portugal) and many more.

In fall 2018, Profanatica joined forces with Season of Mist and undertook their biggest tour to date supporting WATAIN and ROTTING CHRIST across Europe. And a year later, the trio vomited forth a most vulgar strain of black metal ejaculate with their SoM debut album 'Rotting Incarnation of God'.

The band embarked on an extensive twelve-country European headline tour in the album's wake. Shortly after returning home that winter, the world ground to a halt in 2020. Save a live-streaming concert production for the legendary Rock al Parque in conjunction with BATUSHKA, little was heard from Profanatica.

That is until spring 2023, when Profanatica emerged from their den of iniquity on a European headline tour to promote a new album. 'Crux Simplex' is a ten-track offensive of sin and sacrilege, a nasty affront that bastardizes the first 10 stations of the cross. As per their legacy, Profanatica deals in bestial, first-wave black metal barbarity, and their eighth album unveils ungodly levels of bile and blasphemy.

Recorded at: Dead Lamb Studios

Mastered by: Arthur Rizk

Recording lineup
- Mayhemic Slaughter of the Heavens (drums/vocals)
- Destroyer of Holy Hymen (guitar/bass)

Touring lineup
- Mayhemic Slaughter of the Heavens (drums/vocals)
- Destroyer of Holy Hymen (guitar)
- The True Perversion of the Heavenly Father (bass)

Album artwork: Abomination Hammer

Pre-save: https://orcd.co/cruxsimplexpresave

Pre-order: https://shop.season-of-mist.com/list/profanatica-crux-simplex 

Available formats
Vinyl (Black)
Vinyl (Blue)
CD Digipack
Digital download

Links
http://profanatica.com/
https://www.facebook.com/profanaticausa/
https://profanatica.bandcamp.com/
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/profanatica/303892822
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6OGNyv8Z63eYqmkN17mpwW

For more on Season of Mist, visit our official WEBSITE, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOUTUBE, and TWITTER

THE MOODY BLUES’ JOHN LODGE ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF ALBUM ‘DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED – MY SOJOURN’ TO ACCOMPANY HIS JULY 2023 USA TOUR

The album is to be released on CD as special fan club only release, and will be available at the upcoming shows starting July 18th, and through John’s website https://shop.johnlodge.com for pre-orders, with shipping on August 7th.

 
The album was recorded over the last year, and has grown from John’s current live show as he, and his 10,000 Light Years Band, lovingly recreate this classic album. The album also features a special recording by the late Graeme Edge and performances by Jon Davison of YES. It is being released as part of John’s celebration of the album ‘that changed his life’, and with the hope that it will continue to introduce fans to the original iconic recording. The album’s orchestration is by John’s long-term collaborator, and great friend, Alan Hewitt.
 
“November 2023 will be the 56th anniversary of 'Days of Future Passed’. It’s incredible to look back on this album that changed my life, and that still has so much impact today on so many, and I felt that it deserved celebrating, and so I began rehearsals in 2021/2022 to bring this celebration to life on stage. What was important to me was to make this concert another milestone in the history of ‘Days of Future Passed’, and so I asked Graeme if he would record his poetry, ‘Morning Glory’ and ‘Late Lament’, to include in my concert. Graeme gave me his blessing and said, ‘John, Keep the Moody Blues music alive’. We had a fantastic time putting the show together, with Alan, Duffy, Billy and Jason, and Jon Davison, giving me so much support and helping bring my vision to life. After the final rehearsals for the concert, I realised I should capture this new moment in time, although a reflection of the past, forever, by going into the studio and recording the album, ‘Days of Future Passed – My Sojourn’. I am hoping that this will bring a new generation of listeners to the album, that they then may rediscover the original recording, and the beautiful vocals of Mike Pinder, Justin Hayward, Ray Thomas and myself.  I dedicate this album to Graeme, Justin, Mike and Ray, to Tony Clarke, and to all the fans that are with me on this sojourn, no matter when you joined…”  John Lodge July 2023
 
The CD in Digipak will be available starting July 18th at John’s first show in Rockford, IL, and a vinyl album is due to follow in the Fall.  The album will also be available to stream and download from July 14th. The cover features a poignant photograph of John and his wife, Kirsten, taken by his daughter-in-law, Inga Wilson - for John, this was an image that perfectly encapsulated the idea of past and future and what this album means to him.
 
Go here to stream and download, https://slinky.to/DaysOfFuturePassed

The original album, released in 1967, came about when Decca were exploring stereo and full frequency sound and wanted the band to put the melodies of Dvorak’s New World Symphony to lyrics to make a ‘sampler’ album. The band decided to follow their own path, and the rest is history… but in a reflection of this, John wanted to also explore how modern fidelity will impact the album today.  He is therefore also working on a Dolby Atmos version that will be available for streaming later this year.
 
Joining John on the album is his 10,000 Light Years Band, comprised of long-term collaborator Alan Hewitt (Music Director and Keyboards, plus Orchestration) and Billy Ashbaugh (Drums) from the Moody Blues touring band, together with Duffy King (Guitars) and Jason Charboneau (Cello).  Jon Davison of YES will also be joining him for his special renditions of “Nights in White Satin” and “Tuesday Afternoon” plus the magical voice of Graeme Edgewill be seen and heard via a special video and recording.
 
The tour kicks off on July 18th at the Coronado PAC in Rockford, IL, and then continues through the Mid-West and onto the West of the USA. The show will also feature a first half set of Moody Blues’ classics, including all of John’s hits, “Ride My See-Saw”, “I’m Just a Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band)”, “Isn’t Life Strange”, to name just a few of these classic and time-enduring hits.
 
For tickets and VIP packages - which include a great seat and exclusive merchandise - please visit: https://johnlodge.com/tour.
 

Here are the tour dates for John Lodge's “Performs Days of Future Passed”:

July 18th – Rockford, Illinois at Coronado PAC
July 19th – Milwaukee, Wisconsin at Pabst Theater
July 21st – Detroit, Michigan at Royal Oak Music Theatre
July 23rd – Denver, Colorado at Paramount Theatre
July 25th – Phoenix, Arizona at Celebrity Theatre
July 27th – Tucson, Arizona at Fox Theater
July 28th – Las Vegas, Nevada at Smith Center
July 29th – Thousand Oaks, California at Kavli Theatre
July 31th – Edwardsville, IL at Widley Theatre
Aug 1st –   Edwardsville, IL at Widley Theatre

  
ABOUT JOHN LODGE:
John Lodge is bass guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the iconic Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame 2018 inductees, The Moody Blues. Songwriter of such mega Moody Blues hits from “Ride My See-Saw,” to “I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock and Roll Band),” “Isn’t Life Strange” and many more.  Lodge has been performing and recording with The Moody Blues for more than five decades, selling in excess of 70 million albums, as well as releasing his three solo albums ‘Natural Avenue’, ’10,000 Light Years Ago’ and ‘B Yond’.  Lodge has been voted one of the “10 most influential bass players on the planet,” and has been the recipient of many awards, including ASCAP (American Society of Composers and Publishers), an Ivor Novello Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award from Prog Magazine, to name just a few.
 

For further information about John Lodge:
https://www.johnlodge.com/
https://www.facebook.com/johnlodgemusic/
https://twitter.com/johnlodgemusic
https://www.instagram.com/johnlodgemusic/
https://www.youtube.com/c/johnlodgemusic