Drake Milligan to Kick Off 2024 With New Music and More Milestones

Stoney Creek recording artist DRAKE MILLIGAN is keeping his boot on the gas as the new year begins, following a chart-topping breakout with plans for a brand new EP. 

Set for release on February 16, the pure-country hitmaker’s Jukebox Songs EP marks another bold chapter of high-energy twang. Produced by fellow Texan and traditionally-minded star, Trent Willmon, the EP will once again highlight Milligan’s smooth, booming baritone vocal, towering over four fresh tracks full of instant-classic intensity and diverse country soul...including an unforgettable heartbreak anthem. Pre-order/pre-add/pre-save HERE.

“Jukebox Songs is exactly what it sounds like," says Milligan. "My goal for this EP was to write and find songs that feel classic and memorable - the kinda tunes would fit right in on some old Rock-Ola in the corner of a smoke-filled bar on the outskirts of nowhere Texas. It’s a continuation of the old-meets-new Country sound I’ve always gone for, and this time with my friend Trent Willmon at the reins as producer, I’m very excited to keep this honky tonk train rollin.’” 


Penned by Bobby Pinson, Matt Rogers & Ben Stennis, “Don’t Leave Me Loving You” is a timeless, classic-country style ballad, aching and built on a still-tender emotional wound. The track places Milligan’s standout Texas baritone before a delicate, rootsy arrangement. Listen now below.

Meanwhile, Milligan will also soon return to his primetime-TV roots. He’s set to compete on NBC’s upcoming America’s Got Talent spin-off show, Fantasy League, and will also hit the road alongside Cody Johnson to open 10 dates on his 2024 U.S. arena tour. 

Both build on a streak of early success, stemming from Milligan’s America’s Got Talent emergence and his breakout album debut, DALLAS/FORT WORTH. 

Named “One of the Best Country Albums of 2022” by Billboard, Saving Country Music and Whiskey Riff, the project dominated iTunes upon its release, hitting #1 on both the iTunes All-Genre and Country Albums Charts, while simultaneously holding positions #1, #2, #3 and #5 on iTunes Country Video Chart and spawning back-to-back #1s on the iTunes Country Songs Chart.

Milligan went on to be named an “Artist to Watch” by CMT, Pandora and Music Mayhem, while DALLAS/FORT WORTH also landed in the Top 10 of Billboard’s Country Albums Sales Chart, leading to his new chapter.

Earlier this year, the singer-songwriter returned to America’s Got Talent to debut his current single, “I Got A Problem,” and appeared on both The Kelly Clarkson Show and the Canadian Country Music Association Awards – where he opened the show with performance of his duet with The Reklaws "Honky Tonkin' About" (a 2023 #1 on Canadian Country Radio).

Other 2023 highlights include Milligan’s nomination for Breakthrough Male Video of the Year at the CMT Music Awards, his main stage debut at Stagecoach and a standout performance at Nashville’s CMA Music Festival.

Milligan likewise made his Grand Ole Opry debut in late 2022 and has already become an Opry regular, while earning critical acclaim from USA Today, Billboard, People, Taste of Country, Parade, American Songwriter,Country Now, Saving Country Music, Country Swag and Hollywood Life, to name a few.

Milligan recently made his debut headlining date at Billy Bob’s Texas, thrilling a hometown crowd of nearly 4,000 fans (twice) and adding his hands to the famous “Wall of Fame.” He was then asked to return to headline the venue’s massive 2023 New Year’s Eve concert, capping another big year.

View a complete list of Drake Milligan’s tour dates here.

About Drake Milligan:

Drake Milligan burst onto the national music stage entering the Billboard Emerging Artists Chart at #5 after dominating iTunes with his debut album, Dallas/Fort Worth, charting back-to-back #1 hits on the iTunes Country Songs Chart, #1 on iTunes All-Genre Chart and reclaimed the #1 spot on iTunes Country Albums Chart, all while simultaneously holding positions #1, #2, #3 and #5 on iTunes Country Video Chart. In the UK, Milligan’s debut album spent 11 consecutive weeks in the Top 20 of the Official Country Artists Albums Chart. A student of classic Country music with the swagger of early Rock ‘n’ Roll, the Fort Worth, Texas native is an electrifying entertainer who cites George Strait and Elvis Presley – the King of Country and the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll – as musical heroes, and his unique twist of traditional Country has been embraced by fans, peers and the media alike. Milligan has performed on The Kelly Clarkson Show, The Grand Ole Opry, Stagecoach and CMA Music Festival, and earned high praise from People, BBC, USA Today, Parade, American Songwriter, CMT.com, Billboard, ET, Access Hollywood, Cosmopolitan, Cowgirl Magazine and Taste of Country. Following his Dallas/Fort Worth debut – named “One of the Best Country Albums of 2022” by Billboard and others – Milligan uncorked a Canadian Country Radio #1 in 2023 (“Honky Tonkin’ About” with The Reklaws), garnered 5 million views in just a few months with “Cowgirl For Christmas,” and headlined the massive New Year’s Eve celebration at the famed “World’s Largest Honky Tonk,” Billy Bob’s Texas, where he had also delivered two sold-out homecoming shows in the previous year. Looking ahead, the Stoney Creek Records phenom has dropped “Don’t Leave Me Loving You” – a timeless heartbreak ballad with a modern edge – and is set to release his new EP, Jukebox Songs, on February 16. The acclaimed “Artist to Watch” (CMT, Pandora, etc.) will also return to his primetime TV roots for the America’s Got Talent spin-off show, Fantasy League, and hits the road alongside Cody Johnson on his 2024 U.S. arena tour.


KEEP UP WITH DRAKE MILLIGAN
WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TIKTOK | YOUTUBE | X

Art-Punk Kraut-Rock duo CIRCOLO VIZIOSO presents 'Choppy' single, previewing debut album

"From Sonic Youth, The Black Angels to Fugazi and Nirvana, this is a band who wears their inspirations on their sleeves, blending these in a fascinating way. Raw and visceral, Circolo Vizioso makes for a highly recommended listen, presenting groundbreaking music with a signature sound" ~ The Spill Magazine


Kraut-inspired punk rock duo Circolo Vizioso presents 'Choppy', a high-octane song spawned from of a bout of depression brought on by a failed love story. This is the first taste of their debut album 'Verrueckt' (out March 1), following their 5-track 'Isolation' EP (2020). Here they offer a potent taste of their unique brand of high-intensity, lyric-driven punk, created mainly with electric violin, guitar and drums.

Hailing from Berlin, Circolo Vizioso is made up of Tony Scafidi (guitar, bass, drum, hi-hat, vocals) and Paul Geigerzaehler (violin, snare drum, vocals). The band plays abrasive, groovy punk music that is influenced, on the one hand, by the sound of 1990s New York, Chicago and Washington embodied in such bands as Fugazi, Blonde Redhead and Sonic Youth, and by the sound of early 80's and 90's Eastern German and Eastern European punk bands like Dezerter, Sandow and Schleimkeim on the other.

"I'd had a severe break up and the song went out as a sort of persistent beat, prolonging an apex point that hardly makes it out of the main riff, opening up only at the very yet repeating it self only faster," says Tony Scafidi.

"Metaphorically, it's kind of like when a couple try to sort things out and get back together, but then fail due to continued use of old commuication tools for a completely new situation they can no longer manage. At the time, I was also listening to The Black Angels a lot and having sleeping problems. There's a weird cocktail here."

Formed in March 2020 on a balcony in Friedrichshain, Berlin during the first Covid-19 lock-down, Circolo Vizioso was born as an attempt to keep art and music alive and to provide support to their neighbours during a time when no concerts were happening and no cinemas, museums or galleries were open.

In spirit, Circolo Vizioso is a last ditch effort to resist the isolation and the lack of social and human contact, as well as the hunger for music and art during this unusual time.

About the upcoming 'Verrueckt" album, Paul Geigerzaehler explains, "We wanted an album that could express anger, frustration and disaffection against an unfair world and all the discomfort entwined with that and we wanted to do it with direct and bare lyrics, abrasive violin lines, fat distorted guitar solos, and big fuzzy riffs. Yet we wanted people to dance to all this batshit crazy world in a sort of self-exorcising dance, where one can head to bed with the feeling that they have at least sweat their daily demons out for the night."

As of January 5, 'Choppy' will be available everywhere digitally, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp. The full 'Verrueckt' album, which will be released on March 1, is already available for pre-order directly from the artist via Bandcamp.

CREDITS
Music and Lyrics by Paul Geigerzaehler and Tony Scafidi
Tony Scafidi - guitar, bass, drum, hi-hat, vocals
Paul Geigerzaehler - violin, snare drum, vocals
Audrey Quillons - backing vocals on 'Walls' and 'Verruecht'
Produced by Paul Geigerzaehler and Tony Scafidi
Sound Engineer - Smail Shock Production at B Studio in Berlin
Mixed and Mastered by Sacha Tilotta in Catania, Italy

LUCIFER - Release Video For New Single 'Maculate Heart'

Heavy rock megalith LUCIFER are kicking off the new year in style with a brand new single called 'Maculate Heart', which is yet another preview to be released before their magnificent new album, Lucifer V, drops on January 26th, 2024.
 

Consisting of nine unholy hymns, LUCIFER's fifth offering can easily be regarded as their magnum opus and sees the band channeling all their strengths known from previous records into one monumental mass of electrifying heavy rock and roll.


Infectious and hook-heavy stunner 'Maculate Heart' might be the most accessible song LUCIFER have ever recorded and it's being released today as a slightly trimmed radio edit for your listening pleasure. Bring it on!

In case you missed the announcement of LUCIFER's upcoming Satanic Panic European tour with Angel Witch, Attic, The Night Eternal and Crank, please scroll down to the bottom for all dates and more infos.

PRE-ORDER / PRE-SAVE LUCIFER V:
https://lucifer.bfan.link/lucifer-v

LISTEN TO 'MACULATE HEART - RADIO EDIT'':
https://lucifer.bfan.link/maculate-heart

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR 'MACULATE HEART - RADIO EDIT' below.

THINGS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED RELATED TO LUCIFER V:

'Slow Dance in A Crypt' Official Music Video:
https://youtu.be/9tR8nGUfvC0

'At The Mortuary (Halloween Edit)' Official Music Video: 
https://youtu.be/jkvQILyvro0

'A Coffin Has No Silver Lining (The Sistine Version)' Promo Music Video:
https://youtu.be/-EZkgyp9D18

ABOUT LUCIFER


Since its inception in 2014 In Berlin, the highly prolific band led by charismatic singer Johanna Platow Andersson has released four electrifying albums on Rise Above (LUCIFER I) and Century Media Records (LUCIFER II-IV), as well as and numerous stand-alone singles infused with 1970s hard rock, proto heavy metal, doom and occult rock, with a nod to their main influences such as Black Sabbath, Pentagram & Blue Öyster Cult. They have played over 200 shows in the Europe, Japan, North & South America, including festivals such as KISS Kruise, Psycho Las Vegas, Hellfest, Wacken and many more, most recently supporting the band GHOST on their European tour in spring 2023. Two of their shows have been recorded and broadcasted by prestigious German national TV program Rockpalast.

LUCIFER, now located in Stockholm, have been nominated twice for a Swedish Grammy in the category 'Best Hardrock/Metal Album' as well as the Swedish Radio Award P3 and several GAFFA nominations. Amongst others, they have graced the cover of the leading US metal magazine, Decibel, before their first album was released.

The group has concluded recording their fifth studio album, LUCIFER V, the first one to be released by their new label, Nuclear Blast Records, due out on January 26th 2024. Although LUCIFER is known to notoriously deliver critically acclaimed albums, supreme songwriting and quality recordings, LUCIFER V is rumored to be their best album yet. Combining elements of all their previous albums into one monumental mass of electrifying heavy rock and roll. Eerie landscapes shaped by soaring guitar riffs, the thunderous pounding of bass and drums from some sort of groovy inferno, haunted melodies to weep into your drink to, the screeching tires of a 1971 Cadillac hearse, the humorous morbidity and tragic wit of Johanna’s lyrics. If death had a best friend, it would be LUCIFER and they would hang out together at the local cemetery, shooting the shit. In November 2023, LUCIFER embarked on a full North American co-Headline tour with occult rock legends, Coven.  Catch LUCIFER live in February 2024 when LUCIFER brings The Satanic Panic Tour to Europe together with Angel Witch and guests Attic and The Night Eternal.

LUCIFER is:

Johanna Platow Andersson (vocals)
Nicke Andersson Platow (drums)
Linus Björklund (guitar)
Martin Nordin (guitar)
Harald Göthblad (bass)

Worship LUCIFER:
www.lucifer.church

The Requiem Share "Kill The Lights"

DEBUT ALBUM A CURE TO POISON THE WORLD ARRIVES FEBRUARY 16 VIA FEARLESS RECORDS
 

South Florida alt rock band THE REQUIEM — Damien [vocals], Felipe [lead guitar], and Salem [bass] — will release their debut album A Cure to Poison the World on February 16 via Fearless Records. Pre-order it here.

Today, the band has shared the lyric video for "Kill The Lights."

Watch it below.

Here, they show off their alt-rock chops and capture the essence of post-hardcore tension and release. Push and pull riffing and emotive vocals carry the track forward. It's a deceptively simple song that packs a lot of palpable emotion into just a few minutes. 


"'Kill The Lights' is about the feeling of resentment and disgust some of us get at a young age towards our environment, people, and difficult situations we've been inadvertently brought up on," the band says.

Regarding the album as a whole, the band sees it as a catalyst with which to directly connect with fans. "I want people to actually be able to relate to the music and identify," Damien says. "It's the same way I felt my favorite artists spoke for me." Felipe shares the sentiment, saying, "Our goal is to be our most pure form These songs thematically reference growing up, the struggles of becoming an adult, and lessons we've learned."

ABOUT THE REQUIEM:
No matter how sunny it may be in Broward County, a different energy exists beneath the surface. Each generation it seeps out, either in the area's shock rock luminaries during the nineties or a bevy of post-Soundcloud rap stars in the twenty-tens. That brings us to The Requiem. The Broward County, FL trio—Damien [vocals], Felipe [lead guitar], and Salem [bass]—piece together elements of alternative, rock, emo, and even eighties into an uncompromising and undeniable vision of what music can be without boundaries. After piling up over 1 million streams independently and stirring up buzz, the group captivate on a series of 2023 singles and more to come.
 
"We want to represent our generation in the best way possible," exclaims Damien. "Rock music has lost the sloppiness and the vulgarity it used to have. When you're young, you need to embrace that attitude and danger. We want to bring all of that back to alternative music."
 
The band embarked on this mission back in 2020. Damien teamed up with Salem and Felipe. Together, they nodded to influences as diverse as The Used, AFI, Pierce The Veil, and Finch as well as Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe, and Genesis. They gained traction with the independent single "Corpse Party," reeling in 371K Spotify streams and counting.

VITRIOL Reveals Play-Through Video for Furious New Song, "Shame and Its Afterbirth"

PRE-ORDER

Death metal battalion VITRIOL is now unleashing its third new single, "Shame and Its Afterbirth," along with a dual guitar and bass play-through clip! The track is taken from the band's upcoming sophomore full-length, 'Suffer & Become,' which is due on January 26, 2024 via Century Media Records! The furious new song and video can be found below.

VITRIOL guitarist and vocalist Kyle Rasmussen comments, "'Shame' begins the story of 'Suffer & Become' with a celebration of our nature. It speaks to how modernity estranges one from the voiceless voice within them, and on the consequences of ignoring the call of their instincts. It also happens to be my favorite song (musically) that I've ever written. I set out to carve deep valleys and build tall mountains when writing this album, and I believe this song to be the best example of that achievement."

Pre-orders are now live for 'Suffer & Become' HERE. The album will be available digitally as well as in Standard CD Jewelcase, Ltd. Deep Blood Red LP (All ex-US Retail), Orange Crush LP (All US Retail), and Red / Yellow / Black Transp. Splatter LP (Band Exclusive).

For Portland, Oregon's VITRIOL, nothing comes easy. Nothing. The title of their second Century Media album, 'Suffer & Become,' says it all. "The title really sums it up," says guitarist and vocalist Kyle Rasmussen. "I pushed things to a point while making this album where it almost became untenable. Things that were supposed to be done in weeks took months. It wasn't easy, but I think it was suffering well spent."

At the core of 'Suffer & Become' lies a profound sense of extremity and unease. This very essence defines Vitriol as the vanguard in death metal's evolutionary path—a sonic landscape characterized by its profound darkness, density, and the infusion of nanotechnological precision interwoven with intense, seething emotions. Not easy listening in the slightest. Since forming in 2013, Rasmussen and longtime co-conspirator, bassist, and co-vocalist Adam Roethlisberger have worked with a single-minded vision: to push the genre to its breaking point and invent a new uncompromising paradigm in the process. VITRIOL is a masterclass in pain – and that's just their jumping-off point.

Recounting VITRIOL's initial journey into the outer fringes of extremity, Rasmussen is characteristically thoughtful. "I was starving for something that didn't pull any punches," says Kyle of VITRIOL's caustic mission statement, which detonated into the realm of extreme metal with 2013's 'Antichrist' demo. "Death metal was important to me because it speaks to an aggression, a frustration that I had when I was younger. It wasn't just a sonic connection but an emotional connection, which made music almost a means to an end. What I saw happening in extreme metal at the time was almost a removal of emotion in favor of musicality, that fire, that piss and vinegar spirit. Basically, I wanted something that wanted me dead."

With 2017's 'Pain Will Define Their Death' EP, VITRIOL took its spot as one of the underground's most uncompromising exponents, leading them to join forces with Century Media. The resultant album, 2019's "To Bathe from the Throat of Cowardice," was nothing short of a crucial next step for the band and the genre itself. Decibel Magazine said, "Vitriol leave no doubt they are one of the best the genre has to offer, with shades of Nile, Hate Eternal, and Anaal Nathrakh frequently peeking through." Hitting the road that year, at first in Europe with Nile and then in the US with Cattle Decapitation and Atheist, and then Vader before the onset of Covid, VITRIOL was quick to establish themselves as much of an uncompromising force onstage as they are on record.

"Doing 'Black Seeds of Vengeance' alongside Karl Sanders [of Nile] onstage in Europe on our very first tour was nothing short of a 'pinch me' moment," Kyle recounts from VITRIOL's early touring days. "More recently, we were touring with Morbid Angel, and Steve Tucker, who is my favorite Morbid Angel vocalist, came out of his dressing room in a VITRIOL t-shirt and exclaimed that we were one of his favorite new bands! That blew my mind as a fan, first and foremost – a total 'Holy Fuck!' moment." 

'Suffer & Become' is nothing short of a benchmark for VITRIOL (rounded out by guitarist Daniel Martinez and Matt Kilner). It's as dense and blackened as anything to erupt from Rasmussen's vision of sonic disorder. From the onset of the opening track, "Shame and Its Afterbirth," there's a new sense of openness, grandeur, and occasional beauty in VITRIOL's aural arsenal. "I wanted to have an album that had a stark duality to it," says Kyle. "Very high highs and very low lows. We're very familiar with the lows but not so much with the triumphant highs. I wanted the album to have more of a sense of optimism to it, both lyrically and musically. I wanted the album to convey a sense of optimism that probably gets lost in the black maelstrom that is the first album." 

Produced by Rasmussen and mixed by Dave Otero (Archspire, Cattle Decapitation), 'Suffer &

Become' isn't merely the sound of VITRIOL upping the ante in death metal's musical arms race; it is also the sound of salvation for its driving force. "Living in the world of that first album was very difficult for me," says Rasmussen. "It's not a nice place. It was very intentionally imbalanced in the same way a horror film is imbalanced. I wanted a healthier world for me to live in, and I believe I achieved that."

Not that the writing and recording of 'Suffer & Become' was anything short of soul-rending. Rasmussen labored over the creation of the album in the studio, on tour in hotel rooms, to the point of painstaking obsessiveness. Kyle is straightforward about the grueling record-making process and its personal impact. "The record feels a bit like a Jungian Dante's Inferno," he states. "Plumbing the circles of my personal, psychological, and spiritual hell and then purposely refocusing it so it's not the unhinged, dark catharsis of the first album. This record is a lot more vulnerable."

Songs like "Weaponized Loss" or "The Flowers of Sadism" are what Kyle describes as a "dark baptism" in comparison to the absolute darkness of "To Bathe…". The sound of VITRIOL remains as joyless and dark as ever, but with a glimmer of hope. VITRIOL has taken its trauma-put-to-sound approach to the next level and discovered a new sense of beauty in the blackness. 'Suffer & Become' is death metal with a bloody, beating heart.

Line-Up:

Kyle Rasmussen - Guitars and Vocals

Adam Roethlisberger - Bass and Vocals

Matt Kilner - Drums

Daniel Martinez - Guitars

Producer // Mixing // Mastering:

Dave Otero

Album artwork:

Dylan Humphries

Photo Credit:

Peter Beste

Bio:

Mike Gitter

Physical Formats:

Standard CD Jewelcase

Ltd. Deep Blood Red LP (All ex-US Retail)

Orange Crush LP (All US Retail)

Red / Yellow / Black Transp. Splatter LP (Band Exclusive) 

Photo by Peter Beste

KILL THE THRILL Release Harrowing Video for New Single

KILL THE THRILL are blessed with an elusive vision. Over the past 30 years, the French duo have been dreaming up an abrasive-but-hypnotic blend of industrial rock, post-punk and dark wave. The videos for the first two singles off their upcoming fifth album, Autophagie, immersed audiences in a cinematic fever dream that would give David Lynch nightmares.


Today, Kill The Thrill are releasing another hypnotic video for their roaring, electro-charged new single.

Watch the video for "A la dérive" below.

The video was masterfully crafted by Guillaume Mariotti at Mystère Public.

We open on a train, suspended against a mottled sky. As the song rumbles to life, a series of seemingly disconnected footage fills the screen, overlapping like the inkblotter of a Rorschach test: a flaming wheelbarrow, storms at sea, refugees wandering through the desert, a mirage that slowly fades into ash.    

In English, "A la dérive" loosely translates to a vague sense of wandering, of not knowing where to go after being severed from one's roots.

"They come back from afar / With nothing", sings Chris Dick. His voice is raw with bitterness, straining each note to a breaking point. "Floating body and soul".

But "A la dérive" is carried by a wave of crushing momentum. The drums pound out a relentlessly off-kilter beat, tumbling end over end like a tireless machine. Beneath a soar of strings, the sawing riffs give off more shock than an entire electric grid. Even the interlude of lap-steel guitar leaves behind the same shimmer as a fallen star.

Here's what Dick and bassist Marylin Tognolli have to say about their new single:

"With A La Dérive, Kill The Thrill plunges into the inhumanity of survival and uprooting. The narrative force of the track sticks to our retinas with a sense of urgency."


Autophagiecomes out January 26, 2024 on Season of Mist.

Pre-order:https://shop.season-of-mist.com/list/kill-the-thrill-autophagie
Pre-save:https://orcd.co/kttautophagiepresave

Photo by Pierre Gondard

KILL THE THRILL was formed in 1989 and is composed of Nicolas Dick on vocals, guitar and lap-steel, Marylin Tognolli on bass for its founding members. Stemming from the French noisy wave of the early 90's, their music is often described as dark, abrasive and hypnotic, full of epic moments, with a dense and rich sound mixing elements of industrial rock, post-punk, dark new wave and experimental metal.

Forging an atmosphere as dreamy as chaotic, with multiple layers and atmospheres, sometimes ambient, sometimes more hostile. Kill the Thrill interlaces orchestrated soundscapes, enriched with innumerable layers and arrangements, playing amongst the rifts to create a unique and personal work, so far from everything and so close to everyone.

The group released its first album in 1993 entitled DIG, followed by an EP: PIT (on the labels Noise Product CH and Semetary), and at that time had three musicians, already working with samples and playing with blocks of sound.

In 1996, the trio became a duo with a second album entitled LOW (Noise Product CH), recorded, mixed and produced by Nicolas Dick. The artist ErikM intervened on the interludes with sound tracks which frame each title of the group. The album is hailed by the press as a perfect balance between melody and distortion.

Over the years, tracks have appeared on a large number of compilations: La Famille (Noise Product Belgium), Serial Killer Vol 1 (Roadrunner), Brutale Generation (Semetary / WMD), Ah Quelle Belle journée (Amanita records), A Wild State Of Noise And Disorder (Pandemonium), 5 Years Of Fury (Noise Product CH), Tribute To Godflesh (Nihilistic H. Rec.), Fear Drop 14 : "Coal Fire" The Cure masterpiece Pornography, Dark 80's (Atropine Records) etc.

Frederic De Benedetti joined the band on guitar and it's again as a trio that the album 203 BARRIERS was released by Season Of Mist in 2001, the album again entirely recorded and produced by Nicolas Dick. With this new opus Kill the Thrill’s music has evolved towards a daring, disturbing and more extreme sound. With international promotion and distribution, signing with the label Season Of Mist allowed an opportunity of further development for the band.

Kill the Thrill has shared stages all over Europe with other artists such as Godflesh, Killing Joke, Zeni Geva, Isis, Young Gods, Treponem Pal, Einstürzende Neubauten, La Muerte, Neurosis, Jesu, Jim Rose Circus, Grötus, Dillinger, Escape Plan, Dälek, etc.

The album TELLURIQUE released in 2005 (Season Of Mist, recorded and produced by Nicolas) combines a cold and clinical industrial/metal sound with a new wave sensibility, bathed in a heavily melancholic atmosphere, but leaning more in the direction of noisy, distorted shoegazing mists than the fires of metal. The album is described by the press as an organic journey in which you must immerse yourself to feel its harshness and beauty.

This exacerbated trio asserts itself as a true entity in symbiosis, with an unfiltered and no holds barred take on music and sound.

Anger has no origin, and when the events from which it arises, physical bodies and soundwaves, can no longer contain patience and intelligibility, the sounds become the violence.

But with Kill the Thrill, violence is always suggested more than frontally expressed, it remains hemmed in and contained.

In 2015 the band reissued its first under the title 1989 (Atypeek Records), a digital-only album intended as a nod to KILL THE THRILL’s origins.
During a few years of silence put to good use on the personal and musical projects of the members of the group, Kill the Thrill took the time to polish their new album, AUTOPHAGIE. 

With ‘Autophagie,’ KILL THE THRILL once again immerses the listener into a realm of abrasive hypnotic artistry. A cacophony of turbulent, noisy soundscapes meander throughout the album, with Nicolas's mesmerizing vocal lines hauntingly delivered at a frenzied pace. This turbulent journey is anchored by subtle yet resolute rhythmic percussion that serve as a guiding force, allowing the listener to traverse this tumultuous auditory landscape with a sense of purpose, even as the surrounding elements cascade over the senses.

The band has released a limited number of albums in its career so far, but is resistant to all erosion, the secret of its longevity residing in the timelessness of the music.

An atypical band whose music is enough to itself ; a discrete band for imposing music ; a group which reveals next to nothing but pursues its sonic quest, outside of common standards. A living ambiguity: cold and hot, the calm and the storm.

"A long flow of orgasmic lava, a wave of shimmering noises that carries away everything in its path. One immerses oneself entirely in its bewitching atmospheres. We leave for a long descent on a carpet of guitars, their richness is inside, under this heap of notes and noises, under this black and disturbing mass. It's up to you to understand what you can during a journey that is sublime".

To Kill the Shiver reaches for the ineffable.

Line-up
Nicolas Dick - Lead vocals, guitar, lap steel, sample
Marylin Tognolli - Bass Guitar
François Rossi - Drums

Recording Studio            
Le Puits Sonore

Sound, Mixing & Mastering Engineer
Nicolas Dick

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

Pre-order: https://shop.season-of-mist.com/list/kill-the-thrill-autophagie

Available Formats:
Digital Download
CD Digipak
2x12" Vinyl Gatefold - Black
2x12" Coloured Vinyl Gatefold - Clear Transparent
2x12" Coloured Vinyl Gatefold - Green
2x12" Coloured Vinyl Gatefold - Clear Transparent w/ Black & White Splatter

Links:
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/kill-the-thrill/73438869
Bandcamp: https://killthethrill.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/killthethrill/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/killthethrill_band/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KillThe_Thrill
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KillTheThrill-band

Meteor Shower Welcomes Darkspace Reissues

> Quadrantids ACTIVE.
> Meteor shower visible from Earth.
> Triumvirate reach out to the inhabitants of Earth.
     > Wroth
     > Yhs
     > Zharaal

Tonight, some lucky earthlings will be able to see the Quadrantid meteor shower. Against a blackened sky, this shower can produce more than 100 meteors, if only for a brief moment. 

To commemorate this cosmic occurrence, Darkspace have reissued their entire catalogue through Season of Mist. Hear how the mysterious Swiss band have pioneered cosmic, ambient, black metal over the course of their six releases. 

Now available on CD and vinyl with new artwork
Dark Space -I
Dark Space I
Dark Space II
Dark Space III
Dark Space III I

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

The next Darkspace transmission, Dark Space -II, comes out February 16th, 2024.

Hear a sneak peek of "Dark -2.-2":

DARKSPACE was founded by Wroth, Zorgh and Zhaaral in 1999 in Berne (Switzerland).

In two decades, four albums and an EP were released: Dark Space -I to Dark Space III I. The band rarely appeared live.

In 2019 Zorgh quit while the band was awarded the Music Prize of the Canton of Berne for the creation of their soundscapes and their atmospheric performances.

In 2022 Yhs joined Wroth and Zhaaral to complete the three again.

Line-up
Wroth - Guitars, Vocals
Yhs - Guitars, Vocals
Zhaaral - Bass, Vocals

Pre-order Dark Space -II: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/DarkSpace-II
Pre-save: https://orcd.co/dark-2-2

Links:
Official Website: https://www.darkcyberspace.com/
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/darkspace/329478213
Bandcamp: https://darkspace.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dark.space87/?fref=ts
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4sww0FgGlUX3NCrrJleszz

Available Formats:
Digital Download
CD Digisleeve
12" Vinyl Gatefold - Black

JOEL ELLIS Releases 'The Real Heavy Bones Volume 1' Captured Live in Los Angeles in 1991, Digitally Reproduced in 2023

The Real Heavy Bones Volume 1

Captured Live in Los Angeles 1991/ Digitally Reproduced in 2023

https://www.joelellismusic.com/real-heavy-bones

The store is officially open for real time CD buys and downloads , Merch / Tshirts and Pre-Orders for the Limited Edition Autographed Vinyl package

We’re kicking off 2024 with the ass kicking new release of The Real Heavy Bones Vol One on Friday January 12th!

PRE-ORDER the CD with lyric booklet and GET a FREE TSHIRT and FREE song download while supplies last, this pre-order special offer will end on 1/11/2024

Joel Ellis grew up in the Rock & Roll capital of the world, Cleveland, Ohio during the greatest era in Rock history. Rising up from the mean streets and smokey bar scene of the 1970s classic Rock era in the rust belt and within months after landing in Hollywood, he quickly became a major label artist thanks to Atlantic Recordsfounder, Ahmet Ertigun's impeccable eye for talent. At the time, Joel was fronting his hometown band Merri Hoaxx. However, he would also lend his vox to Warner Brother's Rough Cutt who even opened for the legendary Ronnie James Dio!

He then formed Cats In Boots in Hollywood, CA, in 1987 when Guitarist Takashi "Jam" Ohashi and bassist Yasuhiro "Butch" Hatae, came from Tokyo to LA and met lead vocalist Joel Ellis and drummer Randy Meers. After seeing Joel and Randy perform live, Takashi and Yasuhiro convinced the pair to jam. The boys quickly found their groove and laid down studio tracks for the self-produced Demonstration East Meets West. Immediately after the final LP was pressed the self-managed band embarked on a 60 date high-energy rock tour in Japan as their shows oversold and the record went to #1 on the inde charts with an impressive 50,000 units monthly through Japanese fan magazines in the Japan Rock underground. After getting the dizzying phone call from Joel in Tokyo, Frank Zappa responded “Joel, we should all have such problems, enjoy all that’;s coming to you, don’t sign anything, and I’ll have you a deal before your plane touches a US runway”, and that is exactly the story for the band as they were signed to EMI and the classic Kicked and Klawedalbum was released. After receiving great reviews, charting singles, radio and MTV airplay, the band enjoyed gold status and returned to Japan with yet another #1 spot and a Billboard Top 3 record of the year behind 1) Prince’s Batman Soundtrack and 2) The Rolling Stones Steel Wheels and one spot above their label mate Richard Marx.

In 1990 lead vocalist Joel Ellis of Cats in Boots, formed Heavy Bones, which is a more musically versatile and dynamic band with songwriting reminiscent of classic 70’s bands. In his quest to fulfill a new deal offer from Warner Bros with a new band, Joel found guitarist Gary Hoey living a block away in Hollywood, and rang up his good friend Franki Banali (Quiet Riot) and later bassist Rex Tennyson would charm the guys in audition to complete the lineup. Released on the specialized Warner Bros. label Reprise Records in 1991, Heavy Bones is a vibe, it gets down into your bones. To the group, Bones is a Rock musical metaphor of the soul, and the album does much more than get into your soul, it affixes itself to in your mind. The songs have a special dreaminess about them, in the midst of heavy grinding hard hitting grooves and there's always a sweeping melodic change, a catchy chorus, or an amazing riff right around the corner that will grab your attention and keep you wanting more, and after all these years more Heavy Bones is finally here in this 3 part series and limited re-issue beginning with Volume One of The Real Heavy Bones.

After Heavy Bones, Joel evolved from a creative cleansing, enlightening, and energizing experience with Bobby Womack and The Stones to write, produce, and record his innovative sessions for Ellis Island solo effort together with Cats guitarist Takashi “Jam” Ohashi and a talented LA blues guitarist named Jimmy Zollo and noting the major influence of Bobby Womack and Keith Richards while he swapped session nights with Bobby during his “Resurrection” studio Lp sessions.

The Ellis Island sessions were recorded in the early day’s Hollywood apartment basement studio of Jimi Hendrix’s and later the studio host for Frank Zappa’s Hot Rats Lp, and also included several new players: Phil Chen on bass (Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart), Larry Abberman on drums (Stevie Ray & Vaughn Bros), Spider Middowman on baritone sax (Goddamn Liars, Tom Waits), George Shelby on tenor and piccolo sax (Anita Baker, Sting), Hassim Jeffries on 6 string fretless bass, Michael Lord piano, engineered by Barry Saunders (Moody Blues). From this 24hr -7-day experience 7 songs were created. This was picked up by Shelly Yakus and A&M Records and mixed at A&M Studios in Hollywood. This project destined for success on A&M Records was upended by a series of black swans beginning with his father’s cancer, the ’94 LA earthquake, fatherhood, and the industry flood of Rap music only now to be yet another of the resurrected Joel Ellis Master’s Series in production in 2024. Teaming up with world renowned Russian artist Uldus Bahktiozina for their “Collaboration For Peace through the power of Art”, ( joelEllisMusic.com/collaboration-for-peace) Ellis Island will not only be available in 2025 on a very limited remixed vinyl release of its own, but will also be featured in the collaboration as a museum exhibit music video and select global theater sound and vision production.

In 2013, Joel teamed up with his son, Joey Angel (age 16 on guitars), to produce the Ellis&Angel sessions, in what began as a professional studio recording learning experience for Joey but becoming an Ep worthy of SONY Music Nashville interest and immediate fan favorite on KJ97 San Antonio’s Sunday night listener show after catching the attention of the Clearwater VP of programming and Nashville producer George Tutko (Rod Stewart, Merri Hoaxx).

Joel states “E&A was a magical production where everything came out right, fell into the groove, and you didn’t want to go back to change a thing.” Ellis and Angel is impressively backed by engineer Dave Jenkins (Roy Thomas Baker, Alan Parsons), John “JT” Thomas piano-B3 (Bruce Hornsby, Tracy Chapman), Don Peak guitar ((Ray Charles, Motown, Phil Specter), Chris Mostert sax (The Eagles, Joe Walsh), Dave Chamberlin bass (Albert Lee), Lisa Haley fiddle (Grammy -Blue Fiddle), Richie Onori drums (DIO, Slash, The Sweet), and members of Bonnie Raitt’s band. Ellis and Angel have a unique blend of Rock n Roll, bluesy countrified Classic Rock feel and a true gutsy melodic sound with Joel’s smooth but trademark edgy vocals and Joey’s old-soul glassy to grinding mature guitar work, their music transcends genres and generations.

Joel has returned to the city of his Rock and Roll roots, Cleveland Ohio, now as the solo artist Joel Ellis and producing partner of .5bd Music Productions to embark on the next chapter of his musical and artistic journey. Joel Ellis Music or JEM, will encompass unheard treasures from the past as well as new material and unique collaborations. Fans can expect the new multi-volume Real Heavy Bones and the WMG Heavy Bones ’92 debut remastered and specially packaged reissue in 2024 in addition to the full catalog of unreleased and past releases of Cats In Boots, Merri Hoaxx, and solo efforts of the Joel Ellis Masters Series, subscribe and follow one of Rock’s most talented artists at JoelEllisMusic.com.

The Real Heavy Bones Volume One is available January 12, 2024

For More Information Please Visit:

Official Website

Facebook

Instagram

Spotify

Cats in Boots Instagram

Peace Through the Power of Art

VIPASSI Release Visualizer for New Single

VIPASSI have been carefully unlocking a mystery. The Australian quartet's new album, Lightless, explores all sorts of twisted phenomena, from the hooded ritual of "Phainesthai" to the distorted maze of "Labyrinthine Hex".   

Today, these instrumental seekers are turning their all-seeing eye toward the future on new single, "Morningstar".

Watch the chilling visualizer below.

Lightless comes out January 26.

Pre-order: https://shop.season-of-mist.com/list/vipassi-lightless

"Morningstar" gazes into an uncertain vision of the future. The song is blown open from the inside-out by a fretless low end that's warped and bottomless as a wormhole. 

"A terrifying glimpse of the world beyond, visions of the future and its potential". That's how drummer Dan Presland describes his band's new single.

The breakdown is heavy, with blast beats that whirl by like asteroids. But on "Morningstar", Vipassi reach somewhere beyond the celestial. The way the  dissonant riff floats through an eerie synthetic glint will have you seeing more than just stars.  

"'Morningstar' is the true beginning of the spark that propels us through the album's journey toward its haunting finale", the band says.

As a purely instrumental band, Vipassi are blessed with a telepathic chemistry. No wonder they spin epic stories without uttering a single word.

In Buddhist tradition, VIPASSI is the twenty-second of the twenty-eight Buddhas. Etymologically, the name has its roots in clear vision – a being of extreme contemplation. The band of the same name is a world-spnning instrumental extreme metal band from the lands of Australia, France and the UK.

With members of acts such as Ne Obliviscaris, Black Lava, Hadal Maw & Virvum, their work on the 2017 debut album ‘Sunyata’, which has a loose signification of Emptiness or Void, set the grounds for a technically impressive and fully instrumental exploration of sonic textures in what can best be described as – a divine experience reaching the depths of the human soul.

Originally made as a project between Daniel Presland (Drums) and Ben Boyle (Guitars) as far back as 2007 to explore new concepts and sounds not currently engaged by their projects at the time, the band has since then grown and expanded to an international connection of like-minded musicians and virtuosos with Arran McSporran (Fretless Bass) and Benjamin Baret (Guitars).


Further exploring their labyrinthine textures and layers of sounds, the band Vipassi is back with their sophomore album ‘Lightless’. The album shifts from the realm of the void towards a clash of light and dark – and sees the band expanding into even more technical and experimental realms, pushing the limits of their own ideas and abilities to heights unimagined when the band began all those years ago.

Lineup
Daniel Presland - Drums
Ben Boyle - Guitars & Synths
Arran McSporran - Fretless Bass
Benjamin Baret - Guitar Solos

Recording
Bushido Studios, Melbourne, Australia with additional recording in Gandia, Spain & Bordeaux, France.

Production
Sound Engineer - Troy Mccosker
Mixing & Mastering Engineer - Mark Lewis

Cover Art
Xenoyr - https://www.xenoyr.com/

Bio
Sébastien Gamez

Pre-order: https://shop.season-of-mist.com/list/vipassi-lightless

Available formats:
CD Digipak
Digital Download
12" Vinyl Gatefold - Black
12" Coloured Vinyl Gatefold - Black & White Splatters

Links
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/vipassi/1082297817
Bandcamp: https://vipassi.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vipassiband
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vipassiband/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7GWniL0LcVnR9Ptiaa5J1

Photo by Joe Ritson

Brian ‘Head’ Welch Launches New Record Label; XOVR Records.

Brian 'Head' Welch, renowned for his work with Korn and Love and Death, and his longtime personal manager, David W. Williams, have today announced brand new record label venture - XOVR Records (pronounced Crossover Records). The new label launches with the announcement of the long-awaited tenth album from Spoken, XOVR’s inaugural signing featuring Welch’s Love and Death guitarist and bandmate, JR Bareis. Titled 'Reflection', the record is set to release on March 15th, 2024. A limited number of special pre-order bundles are available now HERE, featuring new merch, autographed collectibles and more. 

To help usher in this new era, Spoken have also released brand new single, album title-track “Reflection” - stream HERE and watch the official music video below. Speaking on the themes of the album and it’s title track, the band share

“Remembering our past should shape us, but never define us, especially if the past brings disappointment, heartache, or pain. Instead, we embrace the lessons learned, and move forward believing our future is alive” 

Speaking on the announcement of his new label venture and Spoken’s new release, Brian ‘Head’ Welch shares 

"It is a complete pleasure to work together with my long time friend and solo manager David Williams to start XOVR. I am equally excited to work on our first release with Spoken, featuring our brother JR from Love and Death. Led by our bro Matt Baird, Spoken has been one of the hardest working bands in rock 'n’ roll; they have an incredible reputation for grinding it out because they love what they do so much. I can't wait for everyone to hear Spoken's latest release, it is truly an epic album! Follow us to keep up to date about future projects we'll be releasing through XOVR, including the band Dose of Adolescence, coming in 2024!"

Reflection' marks a significant milestone for Spoken, coming seven years after their last album. With an intriguing blend of melody, aggression, thought-provoking lyrics, dynamic guitar riffs, and meticulously crafted drums, the album is poised to be a favourite among fans and a catalyst for garnering a new wave of followers. 'Reflection' is not just an album; it's an exploration of the journey of life, a testament to resilience and the power of moving forward with hope.

Spoken are

Matt Baird

J.R. Bareis

Dylan Levernoch 

Jared Wisner

Banks Arcade Announce New EP "Death 2" + Share NSFW "More Want" Video

Alongside the newly-released single and video, "More Want," the Melbourne band has also announced the upcoming release of a brand new EP, with DEATH 2 due out on Friday, February 2 via UNFD.

Following on from previous singles "Worship The Internet" and "Change," both also set to feature on DEATH 2, "More Want" is a corrosive neon eruption, with metalcore, industrial, and modern elements pummeling around an electronic, rave-ready bridge.

Watch the video below.

Speaking on their caustic new single, the band shares, "'More Want' was written in a time where we were dealing with a lot of darkness and felt like  losing a grip on sanity. The song was written in a frenzy and highlights chaotic self talk and someone who is on the edge of breaking. Every aspect of the song was made to highlight a volatile state of mind being aggressive and disconcerting."

Recently flexing their nuanced creative muscles, with the glossy darkness of "Change" and hip hop-soaked heaviness with "Worship The Internet," DEATH 2 doesn't simply build on the previously-established Banks Arcade trademark sound; rather, it catapults the band's heady blend of hard rock, electronic and metal into an entirely new sonic stratosphere, with six tracks lying in wait to dazzle in 2024.

"DEATH 2 expresses the darkest side of Banks Arcade," the band reveals of the forthcoming new EP. "It’s the heaviest this band will ever venture and it explores the most chaotic elements from the different genres we enjoy. With each song exploring death and disorder in a different way, it paints a visceral picture that is symbolic of change and the shedding of the bands previous self."

Banks Arcade bring passion and potent execution to their myriad of influences and creative ideas. Formed over a shared love of music with a razor-sharp avant-garde aesthetic, Banks Arcade have teetered on modernity, their gaze ever-fixed just beyond the horizon via their flourishing sonic wiles. From their 2018 debut EP Endnote to its 2020 follow up Fever Dreams, the group's head-turning singles like "Sick" and "Drown" have gone on to amass over a million individal streams, while their explosive single "Chosen" was chosen by Ubisoft as the official theme song of the Rainbow Six Siege Oceanic Nationals in 2022.

Releasing their full-length Future Lovers in 2022, an LP initially devised as a concept album that evolved into a vessel of personal self-discovery, Banks Arcade cemented their future-facing trademark style while also turning heads courtesy of their emphatic soundscapes, searing metal and hip-hop additions.

Any Given Day Share Video For "Come Whatever May"

The Schillo Brothers, renowned for their work with Electric Callboy, directed the video, bringing their signature cinematic flair to the project. The video is a thrilling homage to the Wild West, featuring a high-octane saloon brawl that perfectly complements the band's sound.

The new album Limitless arrives January 26 via Arising Empire. Pre-order it here.

True to its name, Limiteless explores themes of boundless potential and unbridled creativity. The album promises to be a killer addition to their discography.

The band states, "Our new album Limiteless is infused with a new vibe of positivity and energy that we've honestly never felt before, like we shook things up but still stayed true to ourselves. This album really represents a leap into uncharted waters, ditching [the] formulaic for a sound that is fresh and unbound. It reflects the boundless spirit and heart we've put into every melody and lyric. 'Limiteless' is the perfect word for this new adventure – it's what you'll feel in every track and every line we've poured our hearts into for this album. We can't wait for you to hear it."

ABOUT ANY GIVEN DAY:
Although hailing from Germany, ANY GIVEN DAY are living The American Dream. Founded in 2012, they ignited interest in 2014 with their debut, My Longest Way Home (Official German album charts: #28). Then, they boldly proved they were more than just an internet phenomenon with 2016's Everlasting (Official German album charts: #14). ANY GIVEN DAY look back on countless tours and shows with the likes of CALIBAN, BURY TOMORROW, TRIVIUM, or SUICIDE SILENCE on stages of every size. On Overpower (Official German album charts: #19), ANY GIVEN DAY perfected their blend of unruly brutality, melodies, and catchiness. Stream and purchase Overpower here.
 
ANY GIVEN DAY ARE:
Dennis Diehl — Vocals
Andy Posdziech — Guitar
Dennis Ter Schmitten — Guitar
Michael Golinski — Bass
Leon Stiller — Drums

PHOTO CREDIT: Paula Schumacher

Borknagar Announce New Album "Fall" + Share Visualizer For "Summits"

Norway's pioneers of avant-garde and progressive Black Metal BORKNAGARare proud to announce their upcoming monumental twelfth studio album entitled Fall, which will be released worldwide on February 23 via longtime record label partners Century Media Records. Pre-order it here.

Today, the album's first single and opening track "Summits" is being launched. Listen and check out the visualizer clip, created by Wanderley Perna/W Designer, below.

Fall includes eight majestic tracks across 54 epic minutes of playing time, once again brilliantly mixed by Jens Bogren/ Fascination Street Studios (Opeth, Amon Amarth, Kreator) and featuring stunning album cover artwork by Eliran Kantor (Testament, My Dying Bride, Sodom), which can be viewed above.

BORKNAGAR founder and mastermind Øystein G. Brun comments about Fall as follows, "We are extremely proud to present you all with our twelfth album entitled Fall, another chapter of our musical journey. In many ways, Fall represents a continuation of True North, but as always, we are pushing further and afar to seek even broader and more challenging horizons. Musically, we are loyal to our musical legacy, but we have most certainly walked through fire and ice to reach our highest peak yet. Although Fall represents a wide array of musical and lyrical ideas, the fundamental theme behind the album is based on the fascination and appreciation of the very outskirts of life. Those places, and those beings, in the vast periphery of our own existence that very few live to see or even learn to know about- but still are profoundly essential for our existence. With Fall, we seek to portray and cherish all that holds up and pushes boundaries — against the great fall."

Øystein G. Brun added the following words about the track, "From the day you are born, nature will do everything in its power to get you back into the ground. The lonesome struggle of being you or the mighty struggle of all life, will eventually tear you down from the inside — or from the outside. But for the short glimpse of time we endure, we all seek the ultimate heights of our very own existence. Our first single 'Summits,' from the upcoming album Fall, scopes in on this everlasting drama of life — where the drama unfolds — at the very outskirts of life."

Fall is the follow up to 2019's widely acclaimed True North studio album and will be available as limited first-pressing Digipak CD, Gatefold 2-LP on 180gr vinyl, and as Digital Album with the following track listing.

The vinyl edition of Fall will be available in the following variants:
*Gatefold black 2LP
*Ltd. Gatefold neon orange 2LP (300x copies, available from cmdistro.de + various other retailers)
*Ltd. Gatefold transp. bottle green 2LP (300x copies, available from EMP & Nuclear Blast)

Fall into BORKNAGAR, share the grand struggle against the wild in all of us...

BORKNAGAR ARE:
(From left to right in photo above by Jørn Veberg)
ICS Vortex — Bass, Vocals + Choirs
Lars A. Nedland — Keys, Vocals, + Choirs
Øystein G. Brun — Guitars 
Bjørn Dugstad Rønnow — Drums and Percussion
Jostein Thomassen — Guitars

Ponte Del Diavolo Announce Debut Album

Prepare to be ensnared in the haunting embrace of PONTE DEL DIAVOLO. The Italian band weave together a unique blend of doom and black metal, with a touch of old school essence and a modern, avant-garde twist that will plunge you into a sonic abyss.

Today, the dark collective are unveiling the first single off their upcoming debut album, Fire Blades From The Tomb. Led by Erba Del Diavolo's dark-wave induced vocals, “Demone” is whipped along by devilish mysticism. 

"He lives hidden inside the chest
like a disembodied God
awakened by desire
it will be the most sublime union."

Watch the mischievous video for "Demone", which unravels into a gripping story of crime, power and occult mysteries below.

Fire Blades From The Tomb is out February 16, 2024.

Pre-order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/PonteFireBlades
Pre-save: https://orcd.co/firebladesfromthetombpresave

Prepare to cross over into the Italian dark arts with Ponte Del Diavolo. "Demone" boils with a blackened bass line that provides a massive platform for the band's massive rhythmic guitars and raw, dynamic drumming. Heck, you could mistake Erba del Diavolo for Siouxsie Soux, the way she cooly flips between frantic talk-singing and bleak, seductive croons. 

PONTE DEL DIAVOLO bridges the gap between two separate worlds.

The Italian band proposes a Doom / Black metal sound with old-school roots, adding a modern and outside the box background. The female voice - with strong dark wave influences - is the lyric corpus of this strongly esoteric project. The solid presence of two bassists creates the massive foundation for the rhythmic guitar, everything marked by a raw and dynamic drumming.

Mystery of Mystery / Secret Live Session marked the quintet’s debut EP. It was recorded live and without editing at Dracma Studio with the producer L’Ossario in their home base of Turin in March 2020. "I" was released on the web by Iopan Records. It was soon followed by their second single, "The Wickedest Woman In the World".

At the end of 2021, Ponte Del Diavolo recorded their second EP, Sancta Menstruis at Deepest Sea Studio in Turin with Danilo Battocchio. The first single,  "The Unborn", arrived in February 2022.

The band's third EP, Ave Scintilla!, was also recorded in Turin. This time around, they reconvened at Dracma Studio with L'Ossario.

Now that they've signed with Season of Mist, Ponte Del Diavolo are ready to release their debut album. Fire Blades From the Tomb  forges classic, cultish doom metal with modern bents of post-punk. Lead single and opening track “Demone” is whipped along by a boiled black bass line and dark-wave induced vocals.

Prepare to cross over into the Italian dark arts.

Line-up
Elena Camusso (as Erba Del Diavolo) - Vocals
Alessio Caruso (as Krhura) - Bass
Andrea l'Abbate (as Kratom) - Bass
Stefano Franchina (as Segale Cornuta) - Drums
Rocco Scuzzarella (as Nerium) - Guitars

Guest Musicians
Andrea l'Abbate - Synth on 'Covenant'.
Lucynine - Theremin on 'Covenant'.
Vittorio Sabelli - Clarinet on 'Covenant', 'Red as the sex of She who lives in death' & 'Nocturnal veil'.
Davide Straccione - Vocals on 'The weeping song'.

Recording Studio
Deepest Sea Studio

Producer & Sound Engineer
Danilo Battocchio

Mixing & Mastering Studio / Engineer
Lunatech Sounds / Dimitris Douvras

Cover Art
Laura Nardelli

Pre-save: https://orcd.co/firebladesfromthetombpresave​​​​

Pre-order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/PonteFireBlades

Links:
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/ponte-del-diavolo/1639072320
Bandcamp: https://pontedeldiavolo666.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PontedelDiavolo/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pontedeldiavoloband/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4mAfr0B2wgIFbVBUAv9btD
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@pontedeldiavolo3847

Management & Booking Contact:
pontedeldiavoloofficial@gmail.com
Enrico Giannone: enrico@kickagency.com

Available Formats:
Digital Download
Deluxe CD Digipak
12" Vinyl Gatefold - Black
12" Coloured Vinyl Gatefold - Gold & Black Marbled

Photo by © Cristina Ferrero

DORO - RELEASES VIDEO FOR DIGITAL SINGLE ´TRUE METAL MANIACS´

It has been an exciting year for DORO. The metal queen has been celebrating her 40-years anniversary with two big and unforgettable shows, as headliner at WACKEN OPEN AIR and in the sold out Mitsubishi Electric Halle in her former hometown of Düsseldorf.

And the new album Conqueress – Forever Strong and Proud has been released and hit the German charts on position 5.

Today, DORO wants to thank all her fans with the digital release of ´True Metal Maniacs´, an exceptional song that tells about the deep connection with her fans. It comes along with a very special video with live footage from WACKEN OPEN AIR, the MONSTERS OF ROCK festival in Brazil and her anniversary show in Düsseldorf.

DORO comments: "'True Metal Maniacs' is a very special anthem for my fans. The song expresses the strong unity and shared love of music and tells of a deep bond. 'True Metal Maniacs' brings back fond memories and at the same time makes me look forward to a great metal year 2024!"

Check out the video for ´True Metal Maniacs´ below.

Listen to ´True Metal Maniacs´ on all platforms:
https://doro.bfan.link/true-metal-maniacs

´True Metal Maniacs´ is one of the five bonus tracks from the recently released album Conqueress – Forever Strong and Proud, so far only been released on the physical products, and is included in the digital EP Conqueress – Extended, which will be released on March 1st.

You can pre-save the digital EP Conqueress - Extended here:
https://doro.bfan.link/conqueress-extended

Follow DORO on social media:
www.doro.us
 www.doromusic.com
www.instagram.com/dorometalqueen
www.facebook.com/DoroPeschOfficial
www.patreon.com/doropesch
www.tiktok.com/@doropeschofficial
www.twitter.com/DoroOfficial

BEYOND THE BLACK - RELEASE NEW PIANO VERSION OF 'WIDE AWAKE'

After the release of their very successful self-titled album Beyond The Black, which was released in January 2023 the band now shares the brand new piano version of the song 'Wide Awake'. The piano version of 'Wide Awake' is the perfect song to start the pre-Christmas time and gets you in the right mood. Their highly-anticipated Dancing In The Dark tour starts in April 2024.

Jennifer Haben comments: 
"The piano version of 'Wide Awake' is something very special, because the song's creation process began with piano and vocals. I love that this pure, almost naked version, as it originally was, can now be heard by everyone. The song couldn't feel more personal to me."

Stream 'Wide Awake' here: https://beyondtheblack.bfan.link/wide-awake
Order the album Beyond the Black here: https://beyondtheblack.bfan.link/beyond-the-black

About BEYOND THE BLACK:
German Symphonic Metal ascending stars BEYOND THE BLACK can already look back across a stratospherically successful career, despite their youthful years. Upon release, their 2015 debut album hit like a bomb in their home country. Songs Of Love And Death besieged the German Top 15 for weeks, which led to the band being awarded the Metal Hammer Award for “Best Debut” in 2015. Its successor Lost In Forever (2016) entered the German charts at #4 and paved the way for a huge tour throughout Germany and across countries like the UK, Russia, and Japan. Since the band’s live debut in 2014, they have played some of the world’s biggest Metal festivals like Wacken Open Air (several times) and have toured as support to heavyweights such as AEROSMITH, KORN, SCORPIONS, SAXON and WITHIN TEMPTATION. During the campaign for their third record Heart Of the Hurricane (2018), BEYOND THE BLACK landed their first-ever European headline tour, which took them across 10 countries, with most dates selling out.

Before they’d even finished the Heart Of the Hurricane touring cycle, BEYOND THE BLACK had already gone back to the studio to write and record album number four. The result was Horizons, released in June 2020, which entered the German album charts at #3 (CH #6, AT #16, BE #53) marking the band’s most successful album release to date.

Now, two years later, BEYOND THE BLACK are back to launch a new chapter. Following the release of recently highly acclaimed tracks 'Reincarnation', 'Is There Anybody Out There', 'Winter Is Coming' and 'Dancing In The Dark', the band released their new, fifth studio album – the self-titled Beyond the Black on January 13th, 2023!

Photo Credit: Heilemania

Ghost Atlas (Feat. Jesse Cash of ERRA) Share Double Single "Seeker (Stretch The Night)" + "In The House Of Leaves"

NEW ALBUM DUST OF THE HUMAN SHAPE ARRIVES JANUARY 26 VIA UNFD

Ghost Atlas, the melodic alt-rock side project from Jesse Cash of ERRA, have released the double A-Side: "Seeker (Stretch The Night)" and "In The House Of Leaves."

"'Seeker (Stretch the Night)' is arranged in a way that is less conventional structurally, and more of foundation to tell a story," Cash shares. "It started with the opening chord progression having been originally written on guitar in DADGAD open tuning. I was playing around with the idea of transferring the chords to piano and liked the idea of having the song just be those chords for the entire duration. I felt that the chord progression was interesting enough and having it continue altering slightly for several bars left a lot of room for vocal variation to prevent the flow from becoming stagnant. I liked that my only means of keeping a sense of dynamic throughout was to rely upon the production layering and fluctuating intensity in the vocals. The song is constantly weaving in and out of tension and release until the end when it finally opens up into a full band performance."

Watch the video for "Seeker (Stretch The Night)"

Ghost Atlas is an intensely personal project. Every conceptual part of the music, lyrics, and visuals is an intentional outpouring of Jesse’s mind. The twelve tracks across Dust Of The Human Shape illustrate the internal world of Jesse's fervor and ideology, while allowing the listener to find their own connective interpretation. The album is a culmination of art and tense human emotions, fuelled by a spectrum of life experiences.

It arrives January 26 via UNFD. Pre-order it here.

PHOTO CREDIT: Bryan Kirk

KORPIKLAANI - Announce New Album "Rankarumpu" + Extensive 2024 Touring Schedule Including North America, The UK And Mainland Europe

Finnish folk metal superstars KORPIKLAANI have announced the name and release date of their upcoming new studio album, Rankarumpu, which is due to be released on April 5th, 2024. In addition, KORPIKLAANI have revealed their massive touring plans for 2024, starting with an extensive UK tour with Alestorm and Heidevolk in February and March, two album release shows in Mexico on April 5th and 6th, followed by a North Amercan tour with Visions Of Atlantis & Illumishade (feat. members of Eluveitie) in April and May, a good number of big European Summer festivals and a European tour towards the end of the year. Scroll down for all confirmed dates.

KORPIKLAANI's twelfth studio album, Rankarumpu, is once again full of tasty folk metal and its different flavors, but it also offers new spices. Perhaps the ancient gods of joyful music have decided to bless their own sons with some new miraculous extracts?
 
"Whenever I start writing something new, the material always finds its own path without any forcing - that stuff just comes from somewhere deep inside me, completely naturally", states Jonne Järvelä.
 
"Anyway, when I started to come up with the material for Rankarumpu, I set myself a goal. A couple of previous records, especially Kulkija (2018), were a bit slower as a whole, so this time I wanted to benefit from a bit faster tempos - a bit like the old Korpiklaani."
 
This is exactly what Rankarumpu is all about. Of course, KORPIKLAANI sometimes slows down and gets seriously emotional, but for the most part Rankarumpu - as a whole, probably the band's catchiest album to date - rushes forward at a faster pace.

One of the most wonderful features of Rankarumpu is related to the folk instruments. Although KORPIKLAANI has done one or maybe even a couple of unforgettable things in the realm of folk metal, this time new permanent member Olli Vänskä's violin and Sami Perttula's accordion may surprise even die-hard fans.
 
Rankarumpu, like the two previous records, was executed with recording / mixing engineer and producer Janne Saksa. It seems that the collaboration between the band and Saksa has reached a whole new level with Rankarumpu.

RANKARUMPU NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2024
w/ Visions Of Atlantis & Illumishade

08.04.    US    Reading  -   Reverb
09.04.    US    New York City  -  Gramercy Theatre
10.04.    US    Boston  -  Brighton Music Hall
11.04.    CA    Montreal  -  La Tulipe
12.04.    CA    Ottawa  -  Brass Monkey
13.04.    CA    Toronto  -  Phoenix Concert Theatre 
14.04.    US    Pontiac  -  The Crofoot
15.04.    US    Milwaukee   - Turner Hall
17.04.    US    Minneapolis  -  Skyway Theatre
18.04.    CA    Winnipeg  -  Park Theatre
19.04.    CA    Regina  -  The Exchange
20.04.    CA    Edmonton  -  Starlite Room
21.04.    CA    Calgary  -  Dickens 
23.04.    CA    Vancouver  -  Rickshaw Theatre
24.04.    US    Seattle  -  El Corazon
25.04.    US    Portland  -  BossaNova Ballroom
26.04.    US    San Francisco  -  DNA Lounge
27.04.    US    Los Angeles  -  1720
28.04.    US    San Diego  -  Brick By Brick
29.04.    US    Phoenix   - The Nile
01.05.    US    Denver  -  Gothic Theatre
02.05.    US    Lincoln  -  The Bourbon Theater
03.05.    US    Joliet  -  The Forge
04.05.    US    Pittsburgh  -  Mr Smalls Theatre
05.05.    US    Baltimore  -  Baltimore Soundstage

TICKETS: https://linktr.ee/rankarumpu_america_2024

KORPIKLAANI ONLINE:
https://linktr.ee/korpiklaani

VLTIMAS Announce New Album

VLTIMAS have been legends since the dawn of metal. Rune Eriksen took hold of axe-wielding duties for the second coming of Mayhem. Flo Mounier has been drumming for Cryptopsy since their earliest exhumations of the Canadian underground. And who could forget David Vincent, the larger-than-life vocalist for Morbid Angel.        

Having already made history, some metalheads may have stroked their beard and wondered if there could possibly be any new realms for this band to conquer. After all, their debut was voted Album of the Year by Zero Tolerance Magazine and BangerTV.  But on their new album, VLTIMAS ascend to truly epic heights.

EPIC comes out March 15, 2024. 

Watch the video for lead single "Miserere" below.

Pre-order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/VLTIMASEPIC

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

VLTIMAS have been making grand declarations of war for more than 30 years, but "Miserere" isn't just another offering at the altar of madness. "I spread my misery, biblically evolved", Vincent sings in a  baritone that's so monstrous it could summon an army of the dead. The drums speed ahead mercilessly, mowing down all onlookers under a barrage of surgical blast beats, as riffs hail from all directions with enough firepower to shatter bulletproof glass. 


"The world throws us all trials and tribulations constantly," says VLTIMAS. "We use this angst as a weapon in our art to score the apocalypse".

Extreme metal powerhouse VLTIMAS (pronounced 'uhl-tuh-mas') assault metaldom once more with their highly-anticipated sophomore album, EPIC, through Season of Mist. Featuring Norwegian guitarist Rune "Blasphemer" Eriksen (ex-Mayhem, Aura Noir), American vocalist David Vincent (ex-Morbid Angel), and Canadian drummer Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy), the multinational quintet, rounded out by Dutch bassist Ype TVS (ex-Dodecahedron) and Portuguese guitarist João Duarte (Corpus Christii), continue to venture down their path. Moored by strength and integrity, VLTIMAS fortified their signature with wicked invention, as applauded by Decibel Magazine, BangerTV, Louder, and many others, on their debut, Something Wicked Marches In (2019). Singles "Miserere," "Scorcher," and "Invictus" showcase a band of musicians at the top of their game, united in their pursuit of oneness.

"We wrote every bit of EPIC together at my ranch in Dime Box, Texas," offers Vincent. "The writing sessions were as organic as they could be. There were times when, at the end of the night, Rune would take his guitar and play something ridiculous. Flo would play something even more ridiculous on top of it. I'd say to the guys, 'I need to capture this.' So, the magic [of VLTIMAS] is being in the same room together, discussing, playing, and recording music and everything else we're doing together. We have unbelievable camaraderie."
 

While the members of VLTIMAS are not atavists, their preferred creative methods are time-tested and battle-hardened. Technology has its place, but the group thrive when they're together, not separated by the world. Eriksen, renowned as a riff innovator, is more effective when he's got a highly capable sideman like Vincent or Mounier, whose drumming in Cryptopsy and his celebrated instructional Extreme Metal Drumming 101 DVD has proven to be a no-limits player, by his side. Whether it's the moody, angular attack of "Miserere," the wicked groove of "Mephisto Manifesto," or the dark fury of "Nature's Fangs," the chemistry and enterprise of VLTIMAS is undeniable.

"The main goal [of VLTIMAS] is to be real," Eriksen reveals. "To channel the very moment, to let true inspiration out. I don't believe I ever set myself a goal on what an album should or needs to sound like before I or we write it because that means I have to compromise during the process. For EPIC, we focused on more direct songs, trimming the fat, as opposed to Something Wicked Marches In, which had a progressive and 'playful' flair."

VLTIMAS was a profane concept—a constellation of riffs against a modest frame—when formed by Eriksen in 2015. After departing Mayhem in 2008 and putting his gothic doom outfit Ava Inferi to rest in 2013, the Norwegian's fingers still itched with infernal fury. VLTIMAS was his vent, and when Mounier and Vincent joined, he finally had the cadre of professionals to make it a reality. Together, they devised complementary schemes and themes rooted in rightness. In a world gone mad, VLTIMAS had a vision. On Something Wicked Marches In, they commanded attention with metaphors about the apocalypse, the ancient goddess Lilith, and truth. Lyrically, EPIC spears into the very nucleus of strength through Vincent's brio of double entendre and clever wordsmithing. The songs are designed to be heard, read, and interpreted—there are no shortcuts.

"Everything we're doing and messaging is about strength and honor," says Vincent. "These are the fundamentals that I incorporate into my life, which I believe in. I want to share with others, hoping they'll incorporate strength and honor into their lives. I wouldn't say I like spelling lyrics out. I use a lot of double meanings on purpose because I want to inspire the listener to think. I'm not a short attention span guy, and I don't appreciate it. EPIC is holistic and meant to be experienced that way."


EPIC was recorded by producer Jaime Gomez Arellano (Paradise Lost, Grave Miasma) with engineer Jonathan Mazzeo (First Fragment, Sickening) at Arda Recorders in Porto, Portugal. VLTIMAS tracked the album throughout May 2023. Arellano also handled the mix and master. Like everything the band does, the main goal was to be honest. The maxim of no sample replacement or re-amping—EPIC was captured on outboard gear—was adhered to and enjoyed by the team. The result is a sonic expression that sounds like nothing else. From the crushing title track to the epic musicality of closer "Spoils of War," EPIC is an absolute beast.


"Stress, long walks, too much alcohol, yet very focused once in the recording mode," Eriksen says of the sessions. "We booked a month, but somehow, that flew by instantly. We worked up until the very end. I even added a few solos at my local Soundscape Studio in Almada, Portugal. Art unfolds, and once you think you are done, there's always another idea popping up."


VLTIMAS brought Italian artist Daniele Valeriani (Mayhem, Unanimated) to visualize EPIC. The aesthetic, as illuminated by music and message, was iconic boldness. The three-eagle head crest with three different crowns, accompanied by transfigured symbols of the Passion and the "impossible triangle," projects effortlessly. In EPIC, the group will dominate. There's no escape from "Miserere," "Mephisto Manifesto," "Scorcher," and "Invictus." Together, they thrust, by resolve and inventiveness, VLTIMAS into the uppermost echelons of extreme metal.


"[EPIC is] old meets contemporary, a symbiosis of all the great things we love about extreme metal," offers Eriksen. "All combined into one album."


"I want to be as emotional and honest [with VLTIMAS]," Vincent adds. "I want to tell stories; I want to have the themes that appeal to me; I want to have some messaging that someone can take away, in this case, strength. EPIC is strength."


Lineup
David Vincent - Vocals
Rune Blasphemer Eriksen - Guitars
Flo Mounier - Drums
Ype TVS - Bass
João Duarte - Guitars

Recording studio
ARDA Recorders

Producer
Jamie Gomez Arellano

Sound engineer
Jonathan Mazzeo

Mixing and mastering engineer
Jaime Gomez Arellano

Mixing and mastering studio 
Arda Recorders, Orgone Studio

Cover art
Daniele Valeriani

Additional artwork and layout
Adrien Bousson

Biography
Chris Dick

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

Pre-order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/VLTIMASEPIC


Links:
Apple Music:https://music.apple.com/us/artist/vltimas/1445457453
Bandcamp:https://vltimas.bandcamp.com/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/vltimas/
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/vltimas/
Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/0kz64zyv2xtkdhboztpdwa
Twitter:https://www.twitter.com/vltimas?lang=en

Available Formats:
Digital Download
CD Digipak
12" Vinyl Gatefold - Black
12" Coloured Vinyl Gatefold - Skull Gold
12" Coloured Vinyl Gatefold - Dracula
12" Picture Vinyl

PEYTON PARRISH Releases New Single "Fallen Angel" on Spotify ; Album 'Soul' Due Out January 6, 2024!

Pre-Order SOUL

Apple Music

Explore music from Peyton Parrish on Spotify

Singer Peyton Parrish captivated audiences once again with his release, "Fallen Angel," that debuted on December 15, 2024, across all major music platforms. This latest single is a remarkable preview from his eagerly awaited album, SOUL, which has skyrocketed to the #3 position for pre-orders globally across all genres. The full album is slated for release on January 6th, featuring the chart-topping sensation "Poetry Glass" as its lead single. Peyton is set to embark on an overseas tour beginning February 2nd in London.

WATCH “Fallen Angel” below.

Renowned for his unique blend of throaty Viking-inspired metal and post-grunge rock, Peyton Parrish has not only made a mark through original compositions but also gained widespread recognition for his inventive cover renditions. His viral rendition of the Assassin's Creed Valhalla video game song, "My Mother Told Me," which was included in the TV show Vikings.

In 2021 he hit viral Viking fame with "Battle Cries", "Valhalla Calling", "Ragnarok", "Hail to Victory", "War", "We are Vikings", "Skol", "Fall Into Me", "Drengr of Ragnarok' and "For Honor". In August of 2021 he received his first Billboard #1with his cover of Mulan’s "I'll Make a Man Out of You”.

In March of 2022 he received his second Billboard #1 with his cover of Hercules “Go the Distance.”

He has continued to explore a mix of heavy metal, and Viking traditions on his 2022's album Rise of Vikingr dropping number #1 on the iTunes charts with viral hits “Dane”, "Dragur", and “My Mother Told Me” metal version.

In 2023 his rock inspired Disney cover album The Most Magical Album on Earthgave Peyton Parrish his first Billboard #1 album. Later that same year his Viking album Skalds of Metal gave us such viral hits as “Master of War” and “God of War”.

For More Information Please Visit:

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