Genre: Heavy Metal / Hard Rock
Territory: World (excl. France)
Line-up
Christian « Zouille » Augustin: Vocals
Bruno Ramos: Guitars
Olivier Spitzer: Guitar
Sébastien « Shag » Bonnet: Bass
Clément Rouxel: Drums
Links:
www.facebook.com/SortilegeWithZouille
https://twitter.com/Sortilge3
https://www.instagram.com/sortilege_band/
http://sortilege.website/
Shop: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/Sortilege
Born from a chance encounter in a stairwell, “The Thing That Wrecks You,” available everywhere now, brings reigning CCMA Entertainer of the Year Tenille Townes and GRAMMY Award winner Bryan Adams together on a vocal performance that matches the energy of the song’s lyrics, describing the moment love careens headfirst towards heartbreak. Listen below.
“I was recording a song for a Hallmark Movie in Vancouver last summer and found myself completely enamored by the recording space we were in,” remembers Townes. “Later in the day, I found out that it was Bryan Adams’ Warehouse Studio, and I actually ran into Bryan himself on the staircase on my way out. We talked for just a few minutes, and I was so happy to meet him because his path as a fellow Canadian has been incredibly inspiring to me, with a collection of songs that have impacted the world in such a huge way.
“Later that night, I thought about ‘The Thing That Wrecks You,’ a song I’d written a while before with Kate York and Daniel Tashian, and how the spirit of that song made me think about his voice,” she continues. “I decided to go out on a limb and sent him the song along with a letter asking if he might be up for singing on it with me. Fast forward to now, where not only have I gotten to sing with a hero of mine, but I have also found a mentor and friend through this whole adventure. This song is evidence to me that putting a wild thought out in the atmosphere and believing in it is a powerful thing.”
Just shy of four minutes, the driving track produced by Townes and her band’s guitarist, Jaxon Hargrove, was recorded with her touring band joining her in-studio as well as with Adams adding his own guitar prowess to the song alongside his vocals. Trading opening lines, the pair come together for a stirring duet on the chorus:
The song offers a preview at new music from Townes, whose most recent project, Masquerades, was released in April 2022 via Columbia Nashville/Sony Music Nashville in partnership with RCA Records. Fans can also catch her on the road this summer, including at major festivals such as Cavendish Beach Music Festival, Faster Horses Festival, Watershed Festival and more.
For more information, visit TenilleTownes.com and follow on social media @TenilleTownes.
About Tenille Townes
Award-winning singer, songwriter and musician Tenille Townes released her latest project Masquerades April 22 via Columbia Nashville/Sony Music Nashville in partnership with RCA Records. A meditation on duality, self-reflection, and embracing flaws, Masquerades follows her acclaimed debut album The Lemonade Stand, which was named Country Album of the Year at the 50th JUNO Awards. Townes is a 15-time Canadian Country Music Award Winner (CCMA) and is the reigning CCMA Entertainer of the Year. The two-time ACM Award-winner is also the first female artist in Mediabase Canada history to achieve two No. 1 singles (Music Canada Gold-certified “Jersey on The Wall (I’m Just Asking),” Music Canada Platinum-certified and RIAA Gold-certified “Somebody’s Daughter”). Following standout support runs with Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Brothers Osborne, George Strait and Reba, Townes is headlining shows across the globe in Australia, Canada, The United Kingdom, Ireland, The Netherlands, Germany and the US. Her international touring efforts earned her a nomination for CMA’s international achievement award. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Townes has been featured by NPR, Variety, Refinery29, Billboard, Rolling Stone, NBC’s “TODAY,” BBC and more. Additionally, she has raised over $2.5 million for Big Hearts For Big Kids, a non-profit she started when she was 12 years old to benefit a youth shelter in her hometown, which has grown to support organizations such as Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee, S.A.F.E. Animal Haven, and the Manna House.
Void metal outfit OMEGA INFINITY, the project of Xenoyr (NE OBLIVISCARIS) and Tentakel P. (TODTGELICHTER), is now inviting fans to enter the void and submerge themselves into the fathomless depths of its new album, 'The Anticurrent,' ahead of its release! The record is due tomorrow, February 24, and can be streamed in its entirety below.
OMEGA INFINITY comments: "The time is here – 'The Anticurrent' is upon you all! Listen to it in its full glory, from the beginning to the end. Enjoy in darkness, with a good wine (or whatever your poison is) and embrace The Void that was channeled through us. This chapter is closed for us and now to be presented to you, dear disciple of The Void. But Omega Infinity will be back!"
ICYMI: The band previously revealed a mind-boggling 360° VR music video for the first single, "Iron Age," which can be found HERE.
"The Anticurrent" is due on February 24 and can be pre-saved HERE pre-ordered HERE.
OMEGA INFINITY: The story of the endless cycle of birth and death told on a cosmic scale, being viewed from The Void that permeates the whole existence.
The debut album “Solar Spectre” (released in 2020 by Season Of Mist) created a dark and disturbing soundtrack for a journey through our own solar system, combining furious Black Metal of the 90‘s, harsh electronic and menacing ambient sounds with ancient growls and screams and gathered overwhelmingly positive press and fan response when it was first unleashed upon earth.
Not content with only one small statement and following their greater vision for The Void, Tentakel P. (TODTGELICHTER) and Xen (NE OBLIVISCARIS/ ANTIQVA) had already finished their sophomore album at that time, with only the pandemic preventing the vocal recordings and thus an earlier release.
“The Anticurrent” unleashed a very different view of The Void unto the listener. Rather than the blackness of space, the second album explores Time: From the Big Bang and the chaotic birth of the universe, the album’s focus moves through the rise and fall of human civilisation, while zooming back out to a cosmic scale to witness the inevitable end of the universe in the menacing finale.
No OMEGA INFINITY album would be complete without cover versions (SEAR BLISS and EMPEROR) and the addition of friends as guests to the ensemble: Heralding The End together with the band are (in order of appearance) Adrienne Cowan (SEVEN SPIRES/ AVANTASIA), Lindsay Schoolcraft (ANTIQVA/ ex-CRADLE OF FILTH), Andras Nagy (SEAR BLISS) and Marta J. Braun (TODTGELICHTER/ VYRE).
If you ever wanted to know how a myriad of Black Holes devouring themselves in a time distortion sound – look no further than OMEGA INFINITY’s sophomore album “The Anticurrent”!
Style: Void/ Black metal
Cover art: Adrien Bousson
Line-up:
Xenoyr
Tentakel P.
Recording line-up:
Xenoyr (NE OBLIVISCARIS, ANTIQVA, SPIINE): Vocals
Tentakel P (TODTGELICHTER, ENMERKAR a.m.m.) : Everything else
Guest musicians:
Adrienne Cowan (SEVEN SPIRES) – Clean vocals and screams on „Iron Age“
Lindsay Schoolcraft (ANTIQVA, ex-CRADLE OF FILTH a.m.m.)– speech and screams on „Death Rays“
András Nagy (SEAR BLISS) – screams on „Voices From The End Of Time“ and „Night Journey“
Marta J. Braun (TODTGELICHTER, VYRE) – clean vocals and screams on „Ye Entranceemperium“
Recording studio: Deep Void Studio
Producer / Mixing engineer: Tentakel P. (Deep Void Studio)
Vocal Engineering For Xen By Xenoyr And Tentakel P. (Deep Void Studio)
Vocal Recordings By Adrienne Cowan herself
Adrienne Cowan Appears Courtesy Of Frontiers Music
Vocal Recordings For Lindsay Schoolcraft By Tyler Williams (Monolithic Prod.)
Vocal Recordings For András Nagy By Viktor Scheer (Intercellar Studio)
Vocal Recordings For Marta J. Braun By Tentakel P. (Deep Void Studio)
All Other Recordings, Engineering And Mix By Tentakel P. (Deep Void Studio)
Mastering studio and engineer: Markus Stock At Klangschmiede Studio E. Mellrichstadt
Biography: Omega Infinity
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/thedeepdarkvoid
https://www.instagram.com/omegainfinity666/
https://omegainfinity.bandcamp.com/
Pre-sales: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/Omega-Infinity-TA
Pre-save: https://orcd.co/oi-anticurrent
Available Formats:
CD digipak
Digital
12” vinyl in various colours
Merchandise
IN FLAMES' FOREGONE CONQUERS THE INTERNATIONAL CHARTS
NEW ALBUM IS NO. 1 IN SWEDEN, GERMANY, AUSTRIA, + SWITZERLAND — LISTEN
The Jesterhead is rising again.
IN FLAMES, the modern metal visionaries, can celebrate another major career milestone. The band's latest studio album, Foregone, has achieved phenomenal success on the international charts. The band scored a stunning No. 1 result in their home country Sweden, easily surpassing their competitors. The record also conquered the No. 1 spot in several other European countries, landing them the top position in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, proving their ongoing international success and the sheer devotion of their fans.
"We want to thank all the Jesterheads worldwide for the continued support especially on our new album Foregone!," states IN FLAMES. "Can't wait to bring these songs live around the world! See you all very soon…"
Foregone is the band's 14th studio album. It's an unequivocal masterpiece from a band whose artistry and influence on modern metal is undeniable. It also saw the band featured on the cover of Revolver.
Foregone combines the greatest aggressive, metallic, and melodic strengths of IN FLAMES' landmark catalog records with the seasoned song writing of their contemporary era.
A sense of pride, accomplishment, and continued vitality are evident every time the band takes to the stage and is evident all over Foregone. The album itself represents IN FLAMES past, present, and future.
Get the album here.
ABOUT IN FLAMES:
IN FLAMES are one of the biggest metal bands in the world — never shying away from pushing their artistic boundaries, crafting music that's as catchy as it is crushing. Formed in 1990, the band is considered one of the forefathers of melodic death metal and the purveyors of the "Gothenburg sound." With 13 studio albums under their belt, countless successful tours around the globe playing with the likes of Black Sabbath, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Judas Priest and Slayer — with millions of records sold and a massive fanbase worldwide — IN FLAMES have proven to be an unstoppable force. From their 1994 debut Lunar Strain onwards, the band's intricate twin guitar attack, melodic vocals, and superb arrangements have given them a signature sound that has evolved throughout the years.
IN FLAMES ARE:
Anders Fridén | Vocals
Björn Gelotte | Guitar/Vocals
Chris Broderick | Guitar
Tanner Wayne | Drums
Bryce Paul | Bass
Emerging U.K. post punk outfit NAUT will be releasing a brand new full length, 'Hunt,' on February 24, 2022 via Season of Mist, making it the band's debut to the label! The band is now streaming the album in its entirety ahead of Friday's release! Listen below.
NAUT comments: "It is with pleasure that we share our debut album with you today, in full! 'Hunt' is something very dear to us, a statement of intent in terms of what NAUT is and the starting point of what we hope will continue to be an interesting foray into the nightside of us as a band and individuals. We thank Season of Mist for their continued support and for allowing us creative freedom. Thank you to everyone who has streamed the singles, watched the videos and taken time out to contact us or comment on them. We hope the rest of the songs on this album fill you with the magic that we have breathed into them - may you shed your skin and dance amongst the ruins! Hopefully see you on the road."
Pre-orders for 'Hunt' are now live HERE and the album can be pre-saved on streaming services HERE.
NAUT are a four piece drum machine rock band from Bristol, whose shared love of classic rock and metal, alongside reverence for the post-punk pioneers of the late 70s and early 80s makes itself known from the start. Triumphant synths and scything guitars entwine with danceable beats, while driving bass-lines, moving to pounding drums, create a dynamic and shifting rhythm section. The tracks pulse with a raw post-punk energy but always remain danceable and (perhaps most dangerously) catchy. The lyrics touch on mental paralysis, impending doom and divided peoples, and with the path our world is currently on they have become more relevant than ever.
Starting out as an evening sharing riffs in a flat in Bristol, the first tracks for NAUT had their genesis in 2016. Those first riffs, written by Gavin (vocals) & Jack (guitars) grew to become something much more compelling and after that initial moment, the idea of a band was born. Gathering musicians from Bristol’s small but active post-punk scene and armed with rough recordings, NAUTstarted working on the tracks as a full band in June 2017.
It all rapidly fell into place. NAUT's first show was in September 2017 followed by two shows supporting Grave Pleasures before the year was out, and they entered the studio the following November. Raise the Lights - their debut EP was recorded at RS Studios in Bristol by Jamie Elton (Moss, Amulet, Spite) and was mastered by Orgone Studios (Ulver, Grave Pleasures, Ghost). The final mastered tracks were ready in March 2018 and plans were put in motion for a June release of a debut EP that made people take notice. The intention was to break out into the world and NAUT did just that, with coverage in Kerrang! Magazine as well as a host of smaller blogs, publications and radio.
2018 saw more live shows with Abysmal Grief and David Eugene Edwards & Alexander Hacke as well as a sell out show in Bristol, and the start of some new material.
Not content to sit still, NAUT were soon ready to enter the studio again with new tracks written at the end of 2018, initially planned as a double A single, but growing into a 3 track EP. The song writing was rooted firmly in the foundations laid by Raise the Lights, but also broke new ground. With a solo in the title track Semele provided by Henrik Palm (Henrik Palm, ex-In Solitude, ex-Ghost) and the same winning combination of recording with Jamie Elton and Orgone Studios taking care of mastering duties the tracks were finished by April 2019.
The 'Semele' EP was released in November 2019 and was well-received. Featured in multiple high profile websites such as Louder, Vive le Rock, Distorted Sound and more, the EP helped establish NAUT on the scene as a band to watch.
Alongside this, NAUT played several more shows, including supporting post-punk legends Pink Turns Blue and playing the warmup show for Incineration Festival in London alongside Idle Hands.
'Threads' and 'Hand in Hand' were recorded in late 2019, building on the spirit of experimentation in the 'Semele' EP whilst calling on elements from Raise the Lights, creating a tantalising mix of the two. The songs were once again recorded by Jamie Elton with mastering handled by Orgone Studios.
During this time NAUT remained an active presence in the UK live scene, sharing the stage with bands as diverse as their fan base, from Discharge to Orange Goblin.
The end of 2019 also saw a change in NAUT’s format, with the departure of their drummer. NAUT had started life as a drum machine project before the addition of Kenny Selway for the debut EP, and after a string of changes, the obvious choice was to return to that format. This opened up new avenues for musical exploration, on and off stage.
With the spectre of a global pandemic looming large, in March 2020 NAUTplayed their last live appearance of that year in a sold out St Pancras Church in London with King Dude.
With that the world of live music went silent.
However NAUT remained active below the surface, 'Threads' and 'Hand in Hand' were released as a double A side 7” in June 2020. With this release NAUT further gained the attention of fans from across the spectrum of dark music. Word spread further around the scene adding fans to the ever growing following, with Hand in Hand featured in Kerrang! Magazine’s Kerrang! Rock Chart and a number of other high profile goth and post-punk playlists and the music video, creatively produced under the restrictions of a strict lockdown, garnering a strong reception.
Not content with releasing these new songs, work on a debut album was also underway. Over the long months of restrictions and lockdowns NAUT crafted the demos for their debut album, making the most of the dormant state of the music world, something special was being fashioned. The turmoil of 2020 also opened other opportunities and NAUT struck a partnership with Doomstar booking agency, ready for whenever the venues open.
Now NAUT are excited to have signed with Seasons of Mist for the release of their debut album. The label has come to represent all shades of musical darkness and feels like a strong pairing for NAUT, as although the band are less extreme in their musical approach, dark music in all its facets underlies all that they do.
NAUT can't wait to share this upcoming slab of infectious and pulsing drum machine rock with you all.
Lineup:
Gavin Laubscher: Vocals, drum programming
Jack Welch: Guitar
Andi Effe: Bass
Laura Taylor: Synths/keys
Recording studio: Shattered Spire Studios & New Cut Studios Bristol
Mastering Studio and engineer: Alex Balzama - Swift Mastering
Mixing Studio: Jamie Elton
Producer/sound engineer: Jamie Elton & Gavin Laubscher
Guest musicians:
Stig Miller (Amebix) - spoken word on 'Unity of Opposites'
Sofie Lee Johansson (Night Viper) - additional vocals on 'Damocles'
Cover artwork Artist: Gavin Laubscher & Jack Welch
Band picture: Paul Critchley
Links:
www.facebook.com/NAUTUK
www.instagram.com/nautuk
www.nautuk.bandcamp.com
www.youtube.com/channel/UCIGxNAUNsmSZ01FiVS1R33w
Booking contact: zoltan@doomstarbookings.com
Pre-save: https://orcd.co/naut-hunt
Shop: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/Naut
Stream "Dystopia"
https://ffm.to/preachernv-dystopia
Metalcore band Preacher released their new single "Dystopia" to all major platforms via Daeth Records/TLG/INgrooves. The single is from their forthcoming EP, Blur.
Preacher drops a second brand new single titled “Dystopia” that is both radio-worthy AND all screaming??! Yes, you heard that correctly. The boys are back at it again bringing you your very own soundtrack to the apocalypse. With blazing guitar leads, scream-driven vocals, and a beat that really brings the party, this one is sure to release the wild side within.
Preacher is a metalcore band from Reno, Nevada. In a short 5 years, 3 EPs and 5 singles later, they have managed to tour from coast to coast all on their own. The largest show of these tours included their festival debut at Blue Ridge Rock Fest 2022, one of the largest rock festivals in the United States. Preacher has never been afraid to dive into new genres and explore every avenue of what they can achieve. Their entire discography thus far including their 2022 EP Dream State was entirely self-produced, which showcases exactly why they are a force to be reckoned with in the metalcore genre.
Preacher has shared the stage with:
• A Skylit Drive • Attack Attack! • As I Lay Dying • Attila • Bleeding Through • Chelsea Grin • Comeback Kid • Counterparts • Darkest Hour • He Is Legend • Kingdom Of Giants • Kublai Khan TX • Norma Jean • Slaughter to Prevail • Suicide Silence • Texas In July • The Acacia Strain • The Black Dahlia Murder • Stick To Your Guns • And More…
Preacher Tour Dates:
2/24 Crockett, CA @ Toot's Tavern
2/25 Tahoe, CA @ Whiskey Dicks
3/11 Nevada City, CA @ Ribald Brewing
3/31 Corona, CA @ Rockfellas
4/1 Scottsdale, AZ @ Pub Rock Live
4/7 San Diego, CA @ The Pourhouse
4/8 Lodi, CA @ Wildwood Skatepark
4/9 Reno, NV @ Alturas Bar
Preacher are:
Nathaniel Garrison - Vocals
Stan Neill - Guitar/Vocals/Bass
Christopher Yancey - Guitar
Alan Terry - Drums
For More Information Please Visit:
BAND ANNOUNCE NEW VINYL COLLABORATION WITH CRAIG REYNOLDS' THE DOWNBEAT
The trilogy is complete — and now at last fans can witness Void Of Vision's overarching vision for their CHRONICLES saga.
Following the previous release of three EPs — CHRONICLES I: LUST, CHRONICLES II: HEAVEN and CHRONICLES III: UNDERWORLD— the Melbourne metalcore mavericks are today unveiling the release of CHRONICLES in full on streaming services, along with announcing an exciting vinyl collaboration with Craig Reynolds' The Downbeat.
Listen to CHRONICLES here.
"I was lucky enough to have the spare time on our UK run to stop by Craig's and talk some absolute nonsense on the podcast," shares frontman Jack Bergin of the brand new Void Of Vision vinyl collab. "We're so happy to finally unveil this insane vinyl variant and reveal the unreal beast that is CHRONIC(les) to the world, the perfect way to see out our CHRONICLES era. We're stoked you can all finally experience the full release on streaming services in its intended order and hear it live in full at out intimate upcoming show in Melbourne on February 25.
Watch the video for the podcast here.
From the heaving four tracks pulsing on LUST, to the towering soundscapes of HEAVEN and the futuristic, industrial flavours of UNDERWORLD, CHRONICLES as a whole entity traverses the past, present, and scintillating future of the relentlessly inventive Void Of Vision sonic DNA.
With 2023 marking an extremely busy year for the band, including a run of UK shows alongside Holding Absence already under their belts, Void Of Vision are also locked and loaded for an intimate live show in their hometown on February 25, playing CHRONICLES in full, before embarking on a national run in March supporting Polaris for their 10-year anniversary tour, and appearances at the first-ever Knotfest Australia also in March alongside Slipknot, Parkway Drive, Megadeth and more.
Striking, inventive, and insatiably balancing beauty alongside sonic carnage, it's entirely fitting that Void Of Vision are completing their CHRONICLES chapter in such memorable fashion before embarking into a new and exciting creative chapter as the year unfolds — strap in and experience the CHRONICLES journey in its intended and long-awaited full form.
VOID OF VISION ARE:
Jack Bergin — Vocals
James McKendrick — Vocals, Guitar
Mitch Fairlie — Guitar
George Pfaendner — Drums
Four weeks after the release of their latest opus At the Heart of Wintervale, and the successful completion of a European tour just a few days ago, Swedish symphonic power metallers TWILIGHT FORCE now release their new single 'Skyknights of Aldaria (Orchestral Version)'. The song, which appears as the first bonus track on the new album, is an instrumental version of an album track. It also features adjusted balancing and arranging, with a new mix tailored specifically for the orchestral version, giving the song a completely new and unique flair. An epic extension, which slots perfectly into the anthems of the Twilight Kingdoms!
Listen to the new single 'Skyknights of Aldaria (Orchestral Version)' here:
https://twilightforce.bfan.link/skyknights-aldaria.a01
TWILIGHT FORCE comments:
"Greetings traveler! TWILIGHT FORCE has now returned to our abodes after a successful and magically glorious tour! Over the course of more than three weeks, we journeyed far and wide, and experienced triumphant battles in a plethora of kingdoms around the mortal plane! But new adventures already await! We are very happy to announce that we are now releasing the orchestral version of ‘Skyknights of Aldaria’ upon the digital realm, which will give you a great opportunity to enjoy more details and intricacies in the orchestral arrangements. There are numerous instrumental elements lurking in the periphery of the symphonic soundscapes, and we hope that you will find new and exciting surprises therein.
So come, and join the mythic eagle riders on their quest to defeat a nefarious sorcerer. Let us soar through the skies and end the night of a thousand days together!"
Purchase At the Heart of Wintervale on various formats and stream the album here:
https://twilightforce.bfan.link/at-the-heart-of-wintervale.a01
About:
TWILIGHT FORCE is a Swedish symphonic power metal band known for their highly fantastical lyrics and LARP-style outfits which the band performs onstage in. The band's main lyrical themes are based on the lore of a fictional world known as The Twilight Kingdoms, created by keyboardist Blackwald. The band has released three albums to date. Their latest, Dawn of the Dragonstar was released in 2019. During the past few years, Twilight Force have been busy forging their newest opus, At the Heart of Wintervalewhich will be released by Nuclear Blast Records on January 20th, 2023.
TWILIGHT FORCE is:
Allyon | lead and backing vocals
Lynd | lead and rhythm guitars
Born | bass
Blackwald | keyboards and narration
De'Azsh | drums
Aerendir | rhythm and acoustic guitars
Order At the Heart of Wintervale here:
https://twilightforce.bfan.link/at-the-heart-of-wintervale.a01
Progressive doom rock new-comers THE ABBEY, ft. Natalie Koskinen (SHAPE OF DESPAIR), Jesse Heikkinen (HENGET, ITERUM NATA, etc), Vesa Ranta (SENTENCED, THE MAN-EATING TREE), and Janne Markus (THE MAN-EATING TREE), are now streaming their debut full-length, 'Word of Sin,' ahead of its release! The record can be heard in its entirety below.
The CD and digital formats for 'Word of Sin' will be released together tomorrow, February 17, 2023! The vinyl counterpart will be released on July 7 and pre-sales will be revealed at a later date.
Pre-order 'Word of Sin' on CD + digital HERE.
Pre-save 'Word of Sin' on streaming services HERE.
Aleister Crowley’s Abbey of Thelema was located in Sicily, Italy, and functioned as ground zero for many of the occultist’s most complex and groundbreaking hedonistic pursuits. Here, Crowley codified his ritual practices and took his concept of “Magick” to new, unforeseen levels. He rebranded the temple as “Collegium ad Spiritum Sanctum,” translating to “A college towards the Holy Spirit.” But the Abbey of Thelema was not without its controversy: A young disciple died in 1922 after contracting typhoid fever from the drinking water. And a year later, Crowley was evicted by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini’s regime, yet the mystery and intrigue behind the Abbey of Thelema remain.
It was only appropriate, then, that Jesse Heikkinen, a veteran of the Finnish music scene and a solo artist under the Iterum Nata banner, branded his newest musical pursuit as The Abbey. Drawing lyrical inspiration from esoteric organizations, their beliefs and his own practices, Heikkinen and co-lead vocalist Natalie Koskinen (Shape of Despair) weaved ritualistic tales from the darkest corners of themselves to pair with music that is a provocative, alluring kaleidoscope of dark, heavy rock. The result is the mystical Word of Sin, The Abbey’s nine-song debut long-player.
The Abbey tale began when Heikkinen generated the sudden urge to try his hand at singing in a doom metal band after laying down guest vocals for fellow countrymen Fuzzifer. His idea was to form a doom metal band with “big vocals” — a project for fun’s sake that would thrive off writing from the heart and improvisation. Those plans involved former Sentenced and The Man-Eating Tree drummer Vesa Ranta — the first name that came to Heikkinen’s mind for the project.
Ranta, now a professional photographer and filmmaker, provided the steady backbone behind Sentenced’s groundbreaking career that was brought to its conclusion in 2005. According to Heikkinen, Ranta plays “like a battalion of marching giants,” a not-so-subtle nod to the drummer’s mastery of the quarter-note. Ranta quickly took to Heikkinen’s early demos and suggested they add a female singer. Enter Koskinen. Koskinen knew Ranta from a video shoot where she was serving as a makeup artist. Reluctant to try a new band considering her Shape of Despair and career obligations, Koskinen listened to Heikkinen’s first demo and decided to give the project a go. Janne Markus (guitar, also of The Man-Eating Tree) and Henri Arvola (bass) were soon tapped to complete the band’s lineup.
Word of Sin was recorded between April and November 2021 in several locations across Finland. Drums, bass and Markus’s guitars were tracked at Kratio Studio in Oulu by Kyösti Rautio. Rautio also served as co-producer and mixed the album, becoming the unofficial sixth member of The Abbey. Heikkinen, who recorded most of his vocals and guitars in his stepdaughter’s room, surrounded by My Little Ponies, Disney figurines and a pile of esoteric literature, is careful to point out that The Abbey fails to drop into any neat, little subgenre.
“The album was made purely for self-expressive reasons,” he says. “My music is the channel where I can be as true and authentic as possible. It is also a somewhat safe way to explore and express the dark side of myself and the collective consciousness. Word of Sin may seem like a tremendously dark piece as a rock album, but it’s pretty lightweight for a doom metal album! The material proved so strong that it was obvious that it wasn’t going to be another side project. I think using the means of improvisation made the music sound more like its creator instead of it being forced to be this or that — and that seemed to work really well for us!”
Regardless of where Word of Sin falls between the vast channels of doom and heavy rock, the vocal interplay between Heikkinen and Koskinen is undeniable. Each has songs where they take the lead, but their harmonies and trade-offs carry songs like “Rat King” and “Desert Temple” to the fore, creating a restless, captivating atmosphere resembling vintage rock from the 1970s. And, for his first go at singing lead in a band, Heikkinen proves to be quite the capable vocalist, carrying a smooth, almost airy delivery on “Crystallion” and “Widow’s Will.”
“I didn’t think of it that much — my vocals all came naturally,” he says. “I still think I’m more of a guitarist than a vocalist, really. During the writing and recording, I listened to King Crimson’s Red quite a lot, so I’m sure I got some influences from John Wetton’s singing on that album. The vocal harmonies were heavily inspired by bands like E.L.O, Queen and Yes.”
Heikkinen and Koskinen didn’t know each other before the formation of The Abbey. Heikkinen met Koskinen for the first time when she tracked vocals at his home studio, but their partnership generated immediate results. “Nowadays, I usually record my vocals at home, but in this case, as I had yet to meet Jesse in person, I wanted to record my parts at his place,” says Koskinen. “It’s very important to see what kind of energy is between the musicians I’m going to work with in the long run. It turns out that we are a perfect match musically. Later on, I traveled to Oulu to meet the rest of the guys [Janne and Henri] and I must say that we had a very strong bond from the beginning. Sometimes things just happen even when you don’t plan them.”
“The right lines for each were found really easily,” adds Heikkinen. “There already were dozens of vocal tracks in some of my demos, but every time Natalie found her place in the song, she added something new into it.”
The creative process behind Word of Sin proved so fruitful that the members of The Abbey are already thinking about a follow-up. It’s a testament to the material’s inherent strength and the immediate bond between all five musicians.
“The Abbey will most definitely be an active and serious project for me - I do hope it will turn out fun as well,” wraps Heikkinen. And closes Koskinen: “I do have a feeling this band will make a long trip together.”
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/abbeyceremonial
https://www.instagram.com/theabbeyceremonial/
https://theabbey.bandcamp.com
Lineup:
Jesse Heikkinen – Guitar, keyboard, percussions, vocals
Natalie Koskinen – Vocals
Janne Markus – Guitar
Vesa Ranta – Drums
Henri Arvola – Bass
Cover Art: Alexander Reisfar
Bio: David E. Gehlke
Booking contact & management:
erin@aflyingfox.com (Erin Lynch)
https://aflyingfox.com
Pre-order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/TheAbbeyWOS
Pre-save: https://orcd.co/theabbeysin
New Track Marks the Georgia Native’s First Single with
UMG Nashville/Mercury Records
Dover Prepares International Debut at C2C: Country to Country Festival +
Joins Chase Rice on the Way Down Yonder Tour
Photo Credit: Jason Myers |
On the heels of being named a Pandora 2023 Artist to Watch, an Amazon Music 2023 Breakthrough Artist to Watch: Country Class and a member of CMT’s LISTEN UP 2023 Class, MusicRow-dubbed “master country talent” Dalton Dover releases his highly anticipated first single “Giving Up On That” via UMG Nashville/Mercury Records.
“It feels incredible to finally be able to share ‘Giving Up On That’ with the world,” says Dover. “I performed it during my Grand Ole Opry debut, and for it to be my first official single with Mercury Records makes this song even more special to me.
“I hope everyone can relate to it, as we’ve all had those relationships where we regret not bringing our best selves to the table until it’s too late, and I hope it finds the folks that need to hear it most,” he explains.
Written by Dover with Adam Craig and Josh Pierce, “Giving Up On That” showcases the Georgia native’s sharp vocals as he pleads with a long-gone lover, recounting his previous screw-ups and outlining the steps he’s taken to prove his loyalty and his desire to try again.
Next month, Dover prepares to make his international debut at C2C: Country to Country Festival’s CMA Songwriters Series before joining Chase Rice on the Way Down Yonder Tour in April. Dover honed his captivating live show last year with two performances at CMA Fest, opening for Luke Comb’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium show in Atlanta, Ga. and joining Priscilla Block’s Welcome To The Block Party Tour.
After being named a Spotify 2022 Artist to Watch, he released “Hear About A Girl,” earning praise from Billboardnoting, “Dover’s voice is both intimate and commanding on this track,” while MusicRow asserts it confirms “we’re in the presence of a master country talent when this man sings…Make him a star. Now.” He followed the song with “Damn Good Life,” with The Boot sharing, “Dover is savoring every moment in his uplifting new single,” while Country Now observes, “Between the optimistic narrative that Dover delivers through his crisp vocals and the carefree tune highlighted by the impressive guitar strum, nothing but a good time can be had when this song comes through the speakers.”
In addition to a deal with UMG Nashville, Dover has signed with Sony Music Publishing in partnership with Droptine Music Publishing along with United Talent Agency.
Dalton Dover Upcoming Tour Dates
March 9 C2C Country to Country – London 2023 London, England
April 6 Touch of Texas Binghamton, N.Y.
April 7 Parx Casino Bensalem, Pa.
April 8 The NorVa Norfolk, Va.
April 13 Empire Live Albany, N.Y.
April 14 House of Blues Boston, Mass.
April 15 Starland Ballroom Sayreville, N.J.
June 22 Rams Head Live Baltimore, Md.
June 23 Mulcahy’s Wantagh, N.Y.
June 24 Kegs Canalside Jordan, N.Y.
About Dalton Dover
Lauded by MusicRow as a “master country talent,” Dalton Dover’s first single “Giving Up On That” via UMG Nashville/Mercury Records is available everywhere now. Named a Pandora 2023 Artist to Watch, an Amazon Music 2023 Breakthrough Artist to Watch: Country Class and a member of CMT’s LISTEN UP 2023 Class, he will make his international debut in March at C2C: Country to Country Festival’s CMA Songwriters Series before joining Chase Rice on the Way Down Yonder Tour in April. Dover first started singing at church as a kid, winning his fifth-grade school talent show performing Justin Bieber’s “Baby.” In that moment Dover’s love of performing was born. By the age of 16 he had picked up a guitar and started teaching himself to play, yet it was his grandfather who turned him on to country music and artists such as Keith Whitley, Rhett Akins, Joe Diffie and Steve Wariner. Performances at local bars soon followed along with sharing covers of some of his favorite songs on TikTok. It was there he caught the ear of producer Matt McV and A&R veteran and founder of Droptine, Jim Catino, who quickly signed Dover. His debut track “You Got a Small Town,” produced by McV, quickly garnered critical acclaim from Billboard, MusicRow, Country Now and Wide Open Country. With his debut and his follow-up “Baby I Am” earning notable playlisting, Dover was named a Spotify Hot Country 2022 Artist to Watch along with a spotlight as Billboard’s February Country Rookie of the Month and a nod for MusicRow’s 2022 Discovery Artist of the Year. After opening for Luke Comb’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium show in Atlanta, Ga., Dover set out on a seven-date run of his own headlining shows, performing across multiple locations of Blake Shelton’s Ole Red, followed by Priscilla Block’s Welcome To The Block Party and his debut at the Grand Ole Opry. For more information, visit DaltonDoverOfficial.com or follow along on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook.
Blackened death doom outfit STRIGOI, the brainchild of Greg Mackintosh (PARADISE LOST, VALLENFYRE) and Chris Casket (VALLENFYRE), have teamed up with Decibel Magazine for the exclusive release of their brand new song, "The Construct of Misery," via the Decibel flexi series! Decibel Magazine is now offering an exclusive stream of the new single, which can be heard below
The exclusive flexi issue of Decibel Magazine can be found HERE.
The band is supporting their brand new sophomore album, 'Viscera,' which was released in September 2022 via Season of Mist. The record can be streamed, downloaded, and ordered HERE.
Unsettling: it’s a word which can be used to describe a good swathe of the music which has come from the mind of Greg Mackintosh over the years, but in the context of Strigoi, it feels particularly apt.
Formed immediately after previous side project Vallenfyre had run its course, Strigoi found Greg and Vallenfyre bassist Chris Casket reconfiguring the aesthetics of that band. Their 2019 debut, Abandon All Faith, was a notable transition, taking the crust punk, death metal and grind influences which had defined Vallenfyre and deriving from those an extreme music amalgam which was altogether more...well, unsettling.
But if Abandon All Faith was a record where the memory of Vallenfyre exerted an inevitable, but important, influence, then second album Viscera is where Strigoi define and express themselves on their own terms.
“It’s the second album and we’re pushing those limits,” says Chris Casket. “The longer songs are longer; the shorter songs are shorter. It’s fully realising the concept. When we did the first album, there were certain expectations as we were coming from Vallenfyre. I felt that it was a really good transition from one to the other. But I feel that with this record, it’s more of a fully fleshed out concept. It’s pushing the light and shade further out.”
“The first album was us giving it its own identity separate from Vallenfyre, even though it’s kind of an obvious continuation, in a way,” adds Greg. “But with Viscera, it’s a combination of pushing the envelope a little bit, making it a bit less raw. Because, we had done that to the Nth degree with Vallenfyre. I’d also say there’s a bit of sound design in there, too, to make it very creepy and, yes, unsettling, sound wise.”
With Covid thwarting Strigoi’s plans to do shows to promote Abandon All Faith, Greg and Chris used the down-time to work on what would eventually become Viscera.
“We have a strange way of working,” says Chris. “I will send words, prose, whatever it may be to Greg. He likes that process, because he reads what I’ve written and it inspires the music he comes up with. I’ve never worked that way before. But that and the added time we had, the space away from things, is what I think has made Viscera what it is.”
Greg adds, “If it’s a song where Chris’ lyrics sound angry, I’ll do a song that’s more, I guess, grounded in the essence of early grindcore. Something that expresses that mood. But if it’s something more sombre or unnerving, then I’ll start with a bit of sound design and work towards riffs. I’ve always thought of music in terms of visuals, and that might come from the lyrics. The last song on the album, ‘Iron Lung’, for example: I actually said to Chris that I had an idea for a song where it feels that you can’t breathe, that it feels like you’ve got a weight on your chest. And the result is probably the toughest going song on the record to get through. But I think it does get that across.”
Viscera, then, clearly defines the Strigoi sound and vision – as Chris says, it’s a “mix tape of misery” and points at ways in which the band may develop in the years ahead.
“I get bored easily,” Greg laughs. “I’ve got a very short attention span. I love doom metal, I love funeral doom, crust punk, grindcore...all these things. But usually after two songs of each I’m thinking, ‘Right, what’s next?’ And that’s my problem, but it does determine what this band and this music is like.”
“There’s not much light on this record at all. If there’s any, it’s there just to emphasise how dark the shade is, really. And what I loved about early death metal, which is when I got into it, is that everything had its own feel back then. That was at the back of my mind the whole time when making Viscera – that I wanted to give it its own feel. But the listeners are going to have to decide whether that was successful or not.”
www.facebook.com/strigoibandofficial
www.instagram.com/strigoi_official
Recording Studio: Oregon Studios
Producer/Sound engineer: Jamie Gomez and Strigoi
Mixing studio/engineer: Kurt Ballou - Godcity Studios
Mastering studio/engineer: Brad Boatright – Audiosiege
Recording line-up:
Greg Mackintosh: Vocals and Guitar
Chris Casket: Bass
Guido Zima: Drums
Ben Ash: Guitar
Cover artwork: Brian Sheehan - Legerdemain Art
Pre-sales: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/StrigoiViscera
Pre-save: https://orcd.co/strigoiviscera
Formats:
CD Digipak
Digital
12” Gatefold (Black)
12” Gatefold (Snowy White / limited to 500)
7” + 12” Gatefold (Dracula / limited to 300)
Julian Calv was a music major recently graduated from Moravian University in Bethlehem, PA. He now resides in the art community of Woodstock, VT. Julian can occasionally be seen on Church Street in Burlington, VT, busking much in the way Moondog, aka the Viking of Sixth Avenue, had done in NYC during the 50’s and 60’s.
As a musician, Moondog was the total package. His strong rhythmic and contrapuntal pieces later influenced composers of minimal music such as Steve Reich and Philip Glass. He invented musical instruments, in particular the Trimba.
After studying the avant-garde composer’s music--and even building his own one-of-a- kind Trimba--Calv is now creating his own percussion based compositions in a style reminiscent of the late composer’s. With his first release, “Route 4,” Julian states, “ ‘Route 4’ is an ambient percussion composition, which combines the soundscape of US Route 4 in Vermont, and hypnotic drumming.” Deko President, Bruce Pucciarello, continues, “Julian is an explorer of music and this, his first offering, is a transformational collection of percussive storytelling, performed on a handcrafted instrument.”
Listen to “Route 4” here: https://ada.lnk.to/Route4
This musical piece was initially recorded at Deko’s 2Trax Studios, then finished en plein air in Vermont to capture the sounds of Route 4. “Route 4” and follow up piece “Thorn and Routes,” which is due out on March 3, will be part of a Limited Edition 7”-vinyl release coming in the spring. If you are in Burlington, VT, be sure to catch Calv as he makes regular appearances on Sundays near Church Street. If you can’t, be sure to follow him on his socials to catch some of his performances.
You can pre-order the Limited Edition (only 250 printed) 7” single and limited bundles here: https://bit.ly/JulianCalv
For more information, visit
www.instagram.com/julian.trimba/
www.dekoentertainment.com
Deko Entertainment–Art Has Value
Showcasing the rich baritone celebrated by Billboard as “one of the most distinctive voices of country’s modern era,” Diamond-certified star Darius Rucker offers a powerful take on Rihanna’s Oscar-nominated “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” theme song, “Lift Me Up,” with his version of the anthemic ballad available everywhere now. Listen HERE.
Written by Rihanna together with filmmaker Ryan Coogler, composer Ludwig Göransson and Nigerian singer Tems as a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, who starred in the original “Black Panther,” the song plays over the end credits of the film, which is where Rucker first fell in love with its message.
“I’ve been a huge fan of comics since I was a kid, and I love all of the Marvel movies, so I couldn’t wait to see ‘Wakanda Forever’ when it came out a few months ago,” explains Rucker. “I was so moved by this song playing at the end of the movie and I felt inspired to try my hand at singing it. I hope y’all love this version we created as much as I do.”
The release comes as Rucker puts the finishing touches on his forthcoming album, Carolyn’s Boy, and follows the news earlier this week that his Riverfront Revival Music Festival will return to Charleston this fall for its second year, with lineups for the October 7-8 event to be announced soon. Early access tickets are available now via RiverfrontRevival.com.
For more information, visit www.dariusrucker.com and follow on social media @DariusRucker.
About Darius Rucker
Rucker first achieved multi-Platinum status in the music industry as lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the GRAMMY Award-winning band Hootie & the Blowfish, who have sold more than 25 million albums worldwide including their Double Diamond-certified (21x Platinum) debut Cracked Rear View, which remains among the top 10 best-selling studio albums of all time. Since releasing his first Country album in 2008, Rucker has earned a whole new legion of fans with four No. 1 albums on the Billboard Country chart, including RIAA Platinum-certified Learn to Live and True Believers,plus 10 No. 1 singles at Country radio and 11 Gold, Platinum or multi-Platinum certified hits. Rucker was inducted as a Grand Ole Opry member in 2012 and in 2014 he won his third career GRAMMY Award for Best Solo Country Performance with his Diamond-certified (11x Platinum) version of “Wagon Wheel,” one of the top five best-selling Country songs of all time. He co-hosted the 54th annual CMA Awards in 2020 and topped the charts at Country radio once again with “Beers And Sunshine” in 2021. New songs “Same Beer Different Problem” and “Ol’ Church Hymn” (featuring Chapel Hart) are available everywhere now as Rucker puts the finishing touches on a forthcoming album.
As a lifelong philanthropist, Rucker co-chaired the capital campaign that generated $150 million to help build the new MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital in his hometown of Charleston, S.C. and has raised over $3 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through his annual Darius & Friends benefit concert and golf tournament. Rucker has also advocated for over 200 charitable causes supporting public education and junior golf programs in South Carolina through the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation and serves as a National Chair for the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, Tenn. In addition, Rucker is an avid sports fan, with his NFL x Darius Rucker Collection by Fanaticsapparel line available at NFLshop.com, and he is part of the Music City Baseball investment group working to bring an MLB team to Tennessee in addition to serving as a partner at the MGC Sports & Entertainment agency.
STONE BROKEN RELEASE DIGITAL DELUXE EXPANDED EDITION OF LATEST STUDIO ALBUM REVELATION TODAY, FEBRUARY 10
Stone Broken decided to make everything bigger and bolder for studio album three, Revelation, which was released via Spinefarm in April of last year.
Now, this Midlands quartet has opted to go bigger still!
Today, February 10, the band is releasing an expanded digital version of Revelation, complete with revised cover artwork plus seven extra tracks. These new additions — a combination of covers, acoustic versions and live in the studio recordings — take the overall number of songs to 18. Get it here.
The band has also just dropped the video for "Stronger." Watch it below.
"This is the sound of one of the UK's brighter prospects looking to the wider world and dreaming big" is how Classic Rock described the original version of Revelation, produced by Dan Weller (Enter Shikari, Bury Tomorrow) and mixed by Clint Murphy (The Hunna, Enter Shikari). The extra recordings, meanwhile, were worked on by the musicians themselves — the addition of the Miley Cyrus cover reflecting the breadth of their collective musical taste.
"We are pleased to bring the Revelation experience to a whole new level with the digital release of the expanded version," says frontman Rich Moss. "We spent a lot of time crafting the album, but also created alternative 're-imagined' versions of some of the songs, which we are just as proud of. We also got to show our appreciation of other artists with our interpretations of their work, one of which is a cover of 'Crawling' by Linkin Park; that band had a massive impact on me growing up, so it seemed right to pay tribute to Chester [Bennington]. We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed creating it."
Portuguese death doom duo OAK is now streaming their devastating new full-length, 'Disintegrate,' in its entirety ahead of tomorrow's release! The offering can be found below.
Watch the band's music videos for "Disintegrate I" and "Disintegrate II!"
Oak comments, "You had already explored the two craters left by the Giant's feet with the excerpts from 'Disintegrate' that we revealed earlier. Now, you stand before him and you will be crushed by tons of his flesh that will fall on you and soon become dust. The time has finally come."
Pre-sales for 'Disintegrate are now live HERE while the album can be pre-saved on streaming services HERE.
With the birth of their first full-length album ‘Lone’ in 2019, atmospheric death doom duo OAK emerged from Portugal with a slow and steady force, like roots breaking concrete. After four years of slumber, the band has awakened like the old gods, ready to release utter suffering and devastation onto the masses with its sophomore effort, ‘Disintegrate.’ For nearly 45 unforgiving minutes, this mournful maelstrom drags the listener asunder, while tormented growls and agonizing riffs echo deep despair within the atmospheric abyss.
OAK’s path was forged by two kindred musicians; the mysterious pair recognized that they were an unstoppable force together when it came to creating painful, emotionally driven music. “We always wanted it to be a duo because of how fluid our jams have always been and this freedom we get when writing for OAK is really one thing that drives us,” explains the band.
The writing process took place under the cover of darkness, setting an intimate mood for the record’s creation. The pair worked with a totally clean slate, writing everything organically in their sessions together rather than coming with prepared compositions or ideas. As project took shape and began to come into its own identity, it yielded OAK’s agonizing and ferocious sound. “We can have clean guitars, clean vocals, distortion, deep grunts, whispers, slow beats, blast beats, ghost notes and all this glues together nicely,” says OAK of the project’s many textures and layers.
Thematically, ‘Disintegrate’ tells the epic tale of a Titanic Giant who seeks to be unburdened from carrying the weight of the world, demonstrating that even the strongest have a threshold for just how much pain and heaviness they can endure.
However, the story doesn’t end here as this is only the first chapter of the Giant’s tale. “We are continuing our jam sessions and writing more and more. We will grow further with each release in the attempt of making our sound almost visible/cinematic. We need to tell the story of this giant's burden and liberation through our music and lyrics. We feel like there is much more to be told.“
Lineup:
Guilherme Henriques - Vocals/Guitars
Pedro Soares - Drums
Recording line-up
Guilherme Henriques - Vocals/Guitars
Pedro Soares - Drums
Lucas Ferrand - Bass
Recording studio: Stone Sound Studio
Producer/Mixing engineer: Ricardo Oliveira
Mastering studio and engineer: Stone Sound Stydio by Ricardo Oliveira
Cover Artwork:Belial Necro Arts
Photo credit: Catarina Rocha
Pre-sales:https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/Oak-Dis
Pre-save:https://orcd.co/oak-disintergrate
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/OAKDOOM
https://www.instagram.com/oak_officialbandpage/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp_xtwetsv2ZTMow2kmfEOQ
https://oakdoom.bandcamp.com/
American indie rock trio Quiz Show has announced that, in March, they will release their eponymous debut album, which sees two alt-rock / hardcore music legends return to the mic with new electrifying output after quarter of a century on hiatus. Ahead of this album, which will be released via Montclair, NJ-based Magic Door Record Label, the band are previewing the tracks 'Dime A Dozen' and 'What If?'.
Today the trio is made up of Chris Matthews (founding member of legendary DC alternative rock band Shudder To Think) and his powerful rhythm section, bassist Jesse Krakow and drummer Joe Billy. But Quiz Show is not just any band - it's a continuation. After picking up his guitar and again writing songs, Matthews formed Quiz Show with former Shudder To Think drummer Kevin March (Guided By Voices, The Dambuilders).
The 'Quiz Show' LP brings together the singles the band recorded with award-winning producer Ray Ketchem (Guided By Voices, Luna, Versus, Elk City, Gramercy Arms) between 2017 and 2020 at his Magic Door Recording Studio in Montclair, NJ. Ketchem also re-mastered these tracks for this release. Interesting fact: through this process, Matthews discovered that he enjoys singing as much as playing guitar.
When Matthews and March learned that they both lived in Montclair, they joined bassist Frank Gibbons and headed to Ray Ketchem's studio. In 2021, Quiz Show added another Shudder To Think member when Jesse Krakow replaced Gibbons. While drummer Joe Billy also relieved March of drumming duties, March's contribution features throughout this album.
With Ketchem on board, Quiz Show released a string of singles - songs of protest, friendship and frustration - to a growing number of listeners. Tapping the energy of punk rock with its loud guitars and driving rhythms, the vocals strive to capture the emotional fervour of punky garage rock. Pushing boundaries with rhythms, arrangements, chord structures and vocals that expand from straight-ahead power to music, they weave together different influences, including classic rock, prog and alternative, to create complex and beautiful in unexpected ways.
"This is our first album! Quiz Show has been making music since 2017 and put out most of the songs on this release as singles between 2017 and 2020. We are releasing them now after remixing and remastering all of the songs to freshen them up and so they can document the origin story of Quiz Show in a single package. This release also brings these songs under the amazing umbrella of the Magic Door record label," says Chris Matthews.
"Quiz Show songs come together when ideas voiced through the guitars are set to rhythms constructed on the bass and drums. Lyrics come after the melodies, which themselves often emerge while Chris is driving around. These songs were created in the in-between spaces of complicated lives. We cherish this work and the feelings it describes."
'Dime A Dozen' and 'What If?' are now available via Bandcamp, where the full 'Quiz Show' LP (out on March 17), is already available for pre-order. As of February 14, the 'Sound of Kissing' single will also be released across digital providers, including Apple Music and Spotify.
CREDITS
Written by Chris Matthews, Kevin March and Frank Gibbons
Chris Matthews - guitar, vocals
Kevin March - drums, vocals
Frank Gibbons - bass
Recorded, mixed & mastered by Ray Ketchem at Magic Door Recording (Montclair, NJ)
Cover art - 'Moving Day' by Renee LoBue
Cover design by Ray Ketchem
Keep up with Quiz Show
Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Soundcloud | YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify | Press contact
Keep up with Magic Door Label
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud | YouTube | Press contact
Keep up with Shameless Promotion PR
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | Instagram | LinkedIn | Email
Solo black metal project BIZARREKULT is now streaming its upcoming sophomore full-length, 'Den Tapte Krigen' via Black Metal Promotion in its entirety! Meaning "The Lost War," the record will be released via Season of Misttomorrow, January 27, 2023, making it BIZARREKULT's debut to the label! Listen to the full record ahead of its release below.
BIZARREKULT mastermind Roman V. comments: "The time has come; the second Bizarrekult album is out and I welcome you on this journey into reflections, perspectives and findings on the ultimate quest for identity. The journey that started many years ago and is not over yet. Are we able to learn from our past and accept what we are and what others are? Are we able to improve?"
'Den Tapte Krigen' can be pre-ordered HERE and the album can be pre-saved on all digital streaming services HERE
Since the genre’s inception, black metal has been ruled by lone wolves. Individuals who blur the lines between “masterminds” and “madmen,” creating in solitude and willful confinement. From first and second wave purveyors such as BATHORY and BURZUM to this century’s revivalists like SAOR and PANOPTICON, these anomic souls have made incomparable contributions to the dark arts. And in 2022, BIZARREKULT paves a new yet familiar path, establishing itself as one of the cult visionaries of this decade.
Before finding his way to music, multi-instrumentalist Roman V was first a poet. Since childhood, Roman found an outlet in writing and by 2006, he created BIZARREKULT as an auditory accompaniment to his verbal expressions. “BIZARREKULT since the beginning was a quest of identity and philosophical search for answers on the questions that bother the mind at night and day,” explains Roman.
Despite the project’s inception 16 years ago, BIZARREKULT’s music did not make its debut until the release of ‘Vi Overlevde’ in 2021. As he started feeling challenged by the declining state of the world, Roman pursued a new path and decided to go straight to the environment that incubated and birthed the genre that he loves. As he relocated from Siberia to his current home of Norway, his new surroundings had its intended purpose and greatly impacted his musical journey. “After some initial recordings the project was set aside in order to deal with increasing mass challenges from the surrounding world. And then it ended up getting a spark a decade later in a different environment, nature, language and culture. So distant, but so close. Norway has become my second home and the last few years that led to revitalization of BIZARREKULT were spent on reflecting on myself, meaning, purpose and reuniting with the things that were important – art and creativity.”
Meaning “We Survived,” ‘Vi Overlevde’ was a very intimate, vulnerable, and personal offering. Roman describes the record as “a testament to survival through personal crisis” and notes that it is “filled with reflections on childhood, family and societal relations.” The musician took care to ensure that the record delivered a comprehensive package, aligning the music, artwork, and lyrics with exact precision.
As the world was collectively reckoning with the turmoil of year two of a global pandemic, the album’s message gave many hope. Fans started to emerge, reacting to the record with their own artistic interpretations as a way to pay tribute. The album also won the hearts of the media, appearing on a handful of “album of the year” lists, including scoring a third place position from Sweden’s biggest newspaper, Aftonbladet.
Now, BIZARREKULT is ready to enter a new chapter, forging a new union with Season of Mist and completing the work on its sophomore full-length, ‘Den Tapte Krigen.’ Meaning “The Lost War,” ‘Den Tapte Krigen’ thematically picks up the thread from where ‘Vi Overlevde" left off, but sees a musical evolution as BIZARREKULT continues to find and establish its identity. “The main message of ‘Den Tapte Krigen’ is about a constant war inside our lives, war with ourselves, our closest ones, our societies,” says Roman. “It’s a war in which we can lose everything, including our personality, faith, honour and dignity. However, similar to ‘Vi Overlevde’ that ends on a rather positive note, ‘Den Tapte Krigen’ contains a message of hope and reconnection, of necessity to make a peace with yourself, accept what you are, your identity, and share forgiveness and love. This is the only way out of the vicious circle.”
Line up:
Roman V.: music, lyrics, vocals
Studio line up:
Roman V.: vocals
Ignat P.: guitar, bass
Alexander P.: drums
Dina: vocals
Mixing + Mastering: Miguel Tereso - Demigod Recordings
Artwork: Ivan Gladkikh
Photo credit:
Chantik Photography
Links:
www.instagram.com/bizarrekvlt
www.facebook.com/bizarrekult
www.bizarrekult.bandcamp.com
www.vk.com/club3949218
Shop: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/Bizarrekult-DTK
Pre-save: https://orcd.co/bizarrekult-krigen
Symphonic black metal formation ...AND OCEANS is now streaming its brand new full-length album, 'As in Gardens, so in Tombs,' ahead of its release! The album is due this Friday, January 27, 2023 via Season of Mist. Listen to the record in its entirety below.
...AND OCEANS vocalist Mathias Lillmåns comments on the stream: "Today …And Oceans will take you on journey through a kaleidoscope of means to the one and the same end. As above, so below. As in heavens, so on Earth. As in Gardens, so in Tombs."
The album can be pre-ordered HERE and pre-saved HERE.
It’s rare for a band to commandingly return with their best effort to date, but Finland’s ...And Oceans are here to prove that 2020’s Cosmic World Mother was the sound of creative floodgates bursting through into a new body of water, an ocean if you will. Well, that was their pinnacle up until their new album, As In Gardens, So In Tombs, is let out into the world. Everything that ...And Oceans’ first full-length in 18 years did well – blistering symphonic black metal, heady themes that dealt with the connection between philosophy and psychics, and ...And Oceans’ trademark adventurous songwriting - As In Gardens, So In Tombs manages to eclipse and recontextualize. It’s the sound of a band seizing every ounce of momentum and upping the ante in every way. While ...And Oceans has never written the same album twice, in many ways, their latest sounds like an opportunity for the Finnish group to pick up and improve upon what they started. Symphonic black metal is never this fun, free, and fantastic.
Lead single “Cloud Heads” is a great introduction into the magic and serves as a statement of intent. Swirling melodies, blastbeats that sound like the rumbles after The Big Bang, and ethereal symphonic touches result in a song that’s equally fierce and pleasant to take in. A kinder, gentler (but not gentle) version of ...And Oceans.
“’Cloud Heads’ is certainly one of my favorites!” vocalist Mathias Lillmåns shares. “It was sort of an icebreaker song. It was one of the first songs we wrote straight after Cosmic World Mother was finished, and the first lyrics I wrote for the album. It was the song that paved way (or broke the ice) for the rest of the album.”
Part of the reason the band even needed to “break the ice” with this record is the pace at which their last was written, as guitarist Timo Kontio acknowledges:
“Well for me starting to do Cosmic World Mother was more nerve wrecking and even in doubt whether we should make new music or not. In the end it was quite an easy project to do, to our relief. So when we started to make this album, it was more relaxed and more or less go with the flow mentality. We had the first ‘difficult comeback album’ done, and everything came quite easily! It was really refreshing to make this kind of music after so long.”
“I was only supposed to produce guitars for Cosmic World Mother,” Lillmåns adds, “but a month before the recordings were supposed to start, my phone suddenly rang. I could sense that this phone call was going to be important when I saw it was Timo calling. I was asked to join the band and also to write lyrics for the whole thing. Immediately when I saw the first version of the [album] cover, I got this vision of what the concept of the album would be, and I wrote most of the album in sort of a frenzy with the next few weeks.”
“It’s strange with the new album,” he continues, “because I have always been forced to use tight deadlines for myself when writing music or lyrics. It seems I need the pressure to create something I’m happy with. Also, for some reason I get most done when traveling, I used to take trains to nowhere just write sometimes back in the day! This time there were no pressure, no traveling, and I was not on the edge of a burn out, and it went smoother than ever before! The lyrics just kept on coming, not as fast and not in such a trancelike frenzy as the last album, but good stuff on a steady basis.”
So while Cosmic World Mother was the sort of ravishing fever dream of an album that poured out of ...And Oceans in fits and starts, As In Gardens, So In Tombs was the result of the band taking the time to sweat the small stuff. The result can be found everywhere – melodies are brighter, the orchestral elements feel more essential, and Lillmåns’ vocals have swallowed a mushroom (in a garden or tomb?) as done a Mario-like levelling up. Even in the way the album sounds, As In Gardens, So In Tombs sounds warmer, the kind of record meant to be played while walking alone in nature. That sense of measured purpose was very intentional as Lillmåns notes:
“[The record] definitely feels grander and more melodic. I think stepping up the production also was something that helped in this sense! Having Juho Räihä at SoundSpiral Audio taking a bigger role in the recording and having it sent over to Tore Stjerna at NBS Production definitely made it sound more massive and took a load off our shoulders to focus on the music itself!”
Who could’ve guessed that leaving the musicians to focus on the music would have good results?
As noted earlier, musically and thematically, everything about Cosmic World Mother was rapidly birthed from its creators. The themes of that record weighed heavily on the band and carried over into this record. Cosmic World Mother was about how energy is eternal and how only changes form. This record doubles down on that notion by focusing on how humanity's energies toward enlightenment are often the same path, even if we have different languages, religions, customs, etc. I have this vision of us all playing different levels of a video game but ending up at the same ending. Energy is the most efficient recycler in the universe. So where and how did Lillmåns find inspiration to write the lyrics for this album? Did he end up walking gardens and pacing graveyards?
“I went back to gardens, moved away from the city into the nature. I always felt like I needed to be in a dark place to create lyrics that came from the heart, ‘when the body suffers, the mind flowers,’ kind of state. This time I was at ease, and it was surprisingly efficient. I usually don’t want to spoil too much and having people to think for themselves, but yes, I had the time to sit down and read during the pandemic and came to some conclusions (as in nature, so in books). I think it’s a very calming thought, that whatever happens, whenever it happens, makes no difference. We have always and always will be a part of the circle of eternal energy; we have always existed and will always exist in some form. A notion that became ever so clear when reading up on different religions, worldviews, customs, and philosophies.”
Recording Studio:
Drums & Bass at D-studio
Guitars & Vocals at SoundSpiral Audio
Keyboards & electronics at Ryijy’s cave.
Producer/Sound engineer: Juho Räihä
Mix/Master: Necromorbus Studio / Tore Stjerna
Line-up:
Timo Kontio - Guitar
Mathias Lillmåns - Vocals
Teemu Saari - Guitar
Pyry Hanski - Bass
Kauko Kuusisalo - Drums
Antti Simonen - Keyboards
Cover artwork: Adrien Bousson
Bio: Nick Senior
Pictures: M.Laakso
Pre-sales: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/AndOceansShop
Pre-save: https://orcd.co/andoceans-gardens
Formats:
CD Digipak
CD Clamshellbox
2x 12” Gatefold (Black)
2x 12” Gatefold (Crystal clear, red & blue marbled / limited to 600)
2x 12” Gatefold (Gold & black marbled / limited to 300)
Cassette
Finnish newcomers HORIZON IGNITED wrapped up an incredible 6-week European tour last autumn, where they supported HYPOCRISY alongside SEPTICFLESH and THE AGONIST, picking up new fans in droves along the way.
Today, the band are pleased to release a new single "Carry Me", which has only previously been included on the vinyl version of their latest album Towards The Dying Lands (released in July 2022).
Listen to ´Carry Me´ on all platforms: https://horizonignited.bfan.link/carryme.ema
Listen to Towards The Dying Lands on all platforms: https://bfan.link/HorizonIgnitedTTDLSingle.ema
The band comments on the song:
"When we released our second album Towards The Dying Lands, there was one song that was included only as a vinyl exclusive. It's a brilliant track with a huge bridge and we decided to play it live during our first-ever European tour with Hypocrisy. We quickly noticed that it works in a live setting as well and since then we have all fallen deeply in love with the track, so it brings me much joy to announce the digital release of 'Carry Me'!
We hope that this track pleases our fans as much as it pleases us and we can't wait to play it live again."
HORIZON IGNITED is:
Okko Solanterä | Vocals
Johannes Mäkinen | Guitar
Vili Vottonen | Guitar
Miska Ek | Keyboards
Jukka Haarala | Bass
Jiri Vanhatalo | Drums
WATCH LIVESTREAMED VISUALIZERS
UK METALLERS OCEANS ATE ALASKA RELEASE INSTRUMENTAL VERSION OF DISPARITY
Birmingham, UK metal quintet OCEANS ATE ALASKA — James Harrison[vocals], Chris Turner [drums], James "Jibs" Kennedy [guitar], Adam Zytkiewicz [guitar], and Mike Stanton [bass] — have released an instrumental version of their latest album Disparity, out now via Fearless Records. The instrumental edition is available here.
"For Oceans, the instrumental release was always done out of pure demand," the band explains. "We put a tremendous effort into making the composition as dynamically rich as possible, no aspect of the instrumentation goes without a lot of time, care, and patience put in. When you apply this work ethic, it kinda makes sense that listeners want to hear a version without vocals; that's not to say they don't belong to the music, but the human voice tends to capture our ears before everything else so it's a cool experience to be able to listen to everything that surrounds it.
"With Disparity, our youthful sporadic compositional tendencies have been tempered, but only to give space to our lo-fi progressions, big room energy and fundamental song structure. We are very excited about this instrumental release as it will be a new experience for everyone!"
The band is also doing a 24-hour livestream of all of the visualizers for the instrumental versions. Tune in here.
ABOUT OAA + DISPARITY:
Oceans Ate Alaska have carefully and quietly progressed to this point. Following their 2015 debut Lost Isles, they presented Hikari in 2017. The song "Hansha" amassed over 12 million Spotify streams as the album surpassed 40 million total streams. Upon arrival, New Noise Magazine raved, "Optimistic, empowering, and mesmerizing, Oceans Ate Alaska’s bold sophomore album is a true progressive metalcore triumph." Along the way, they toured with the likes of Wage War, The Plot In You, We Came As Romans, Like Moths to Flames, and more. Throughout 2021, they assembled what would become Disparity. Inspired by a mutual love for the likes of Bonobo and Alina Baraz, collaborator Clem Cherry enhanced the production with airy beat-craft and immersive sonic accents. At the same time, they absorbed the unease of the world, infusing a post-apocalyptic thematic undercurrent. In the end, Oceans Ate Alaska encode an important message inside of Disparity. "For us, it's about uplifting listeners," Harrison says. "We want them to feel empowered to realize they can be the change they want. It's still what we're doing. It's been a long time since we put out an album, but we're here." Indeed it has been a minute since the last OAA album but it was entirely worth the wait.
