Few rock artists were as fearless and uncompromising as the late/great John Lennon. Whether it be standing up for causes he believed in, promoting peace, or penning some of rock’s all-time classic tunes (while taking unexpected musical twists and turns along the way), Lennon has become one of rock’s most unforgettable figures. Tragically, his voice was silenced on December 8, 1980 (shortly after turning 40) – just as he had re-entered the public eye, after a five-year sabbatical.
Assembled by author/journalist Greg Prato, the just-released book, 'John Winston Ono Lennon,' provides interesting/uncommon observations and viewpoints into the brilliance of this truly legendary artist. Comprised of interviews with those who worked alongside him (Bob Gruen, Gary Van Scyoc, Bun E. Carlos), admirers of his music (Kasim Sulton, Frank Black, Rufus Wainwright, Ace Frehley, Mike Portnoy), and Beatle experts ('Recording the Beatles' co-author Brian Kehew, editor/publisher of 'The 910' newsletter Doug Sulpy, Beatlemania member Mitch Weissman, DJ/VJ Matt Pinfield), among many others.
Priced at $15.99 for the paperback and $9.99 for the Kindle version, the book is Prato’s fourth release this year – which included books issued in tribute to other fallen rock legends, including AC/DC’s Bon Scott (‘A Rockin' Rollin' Man: Bon Scott Remembered’), Jimi Hendrix (‘Avatar Of The Electric Guitar: The Genius Of Jimi Hendrix’), and Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham (‘BONZO: 30 Rock Drummers Remember the Legendary John Bonham’).
Greg Prato is a writer and journalist from New York, whose writing has appeared via such outlets as Songfacts, Vintage Guitar Magazine, and Consequence of Sound. He is also the author of several popular books, including ‘Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music,’ ‘The Yacht Rock Book,’ and ‘MTV Ruled the World: The Early Years of Music Video,’ among many others. And you may have even heard him on one of his many radio or TV appearances, which include interviews on ‘The Howard Stern Wrap-Up Show,’ ‘Eddie Trunk Live,’ and ‘Feedback (with Nik Carter and Lori Majewski).’ 'John Winston Ono Lennon' is his 33rd book overall.
EXCERPT:
https://www.songfacts.com/blog/writing/remembering-john-lennon
ORDERING INFO:
Paperback & Kindle – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NWTZGBB
ABYSMAL DAWN Frontman Jams with Members of Megadeth, Testament, and Carcass for Metal Injection Performance
"Living Dead" by Entombed performed by: Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth) Steve DiGiorgio (Testament / Ex-Death) Tom Draper (Carcass) Charles Elliot (Abysmal Dawn) R...
Guitarist/Vocalist Charles Elliott of Los Angeles death metal icons ABYSMAL DAWN performed a cover of ENTOMBED's "Living Dead" with drummer Dirk Verbeuren (MEGADETH), bassist Steve DiGiorgio (TESTAMENT, ex-DEATH), and guitarist Tom Draper (CARCASS)! The performance was a part of the November installment of Metal Injection's Slay at Home Festival, which took place this past Friday, November 20 via the official Metal Injection YouTube, which benefited the Animal Welfare Institute.
Earlier this year, ABYSMAL DAWN was featured on the cover of Issue #52 of New Noise Magazine, which was released in April 2020! Along with an in-depth interview with mainman Charles Elliott, the issue included an exclusive flexi disc of the band's brand new cover of CANDLEMASS' "Bewitched." The song is now available for streaming and download via all digital services at THIS LOCATION.
In addition, drummer James Coppolino of Los Angeles recently teamed up with Sick Drummer magazine to share the drum play-through for the song "The Path of the Totalitarian." The song is taken from the band's 2020 release, 'Phylogenesis.' Watch the video at THIS LOCATION.
The band is supporting their new release, 'Phylogenesis,' which is out NOW and can be ordered and streamed HERE.
American death metal masters Abysmal Dawn are back! After a six-year gap, the Los Angeles-based outfit and Season of Mist hereby present Phylogenesis. Not that Abysmal Dawn have laid low since the release of 2014’s lauded Obsolescence full-length. Far from it. They toured North America four times and hit Europe and South America for the first time. Meanwhile, founding member Charles Elliott opened his studio, Tastemaker Audio, to accelerate Abysmal Dawn's own recording needs, as well to act as a bridge to other bands in need of a knowledgeable and relatable audio technician. But the road to Phylogenesis wasn’t an easy one. Besides work-horsing it throughout the U.S., Canada, Sweden, Germany, the UK, Brazil, Chile, and beyond in support of Obsolescence, Elliott and crew managed through some of the lowest points in Abysmal Dawn’s career. Internal strife, administrative burdens, musical differences, and motivation all had their various ways with the Californians. Yet, from the darkest depths, they prevailed, heralding a new chapter in the group’s storied history. Indeed, Phylogenesis is Abysmal Dawn’s rebirth!
“There was a brief period after doing two months of touring back-to-back in the U.S. and Europe in 2015 that I almost felt like calling it quits,” Abysmal Dawn’s Charles Elliott says. "It was our first time in Europe and I just had a hard time enjoying it. The band had grown, and I was a bit tired of having to handle most of the managerial aspects of what we do. The joy had been ripped from things and people weren't getting along, and some people acted like they didn't want to be there. But we went our separate ways with some of the members and all of a sudden, the band was fun again. They went on to other things and we're probably all happier in the end. Sometimes, I feel it's a miracle this album or band even still exists. I've avoided swearing on our records in the past, but the album's opening line is actually, 'Fuck you all!' Maybe it's primitive by our past lyrical standards but it's genuine and it's the most heartfelt, ‘Fuck you, we’re still here’ I could put on a record. I’m glad we stuck it out because I think this is our proudest moment so far.”
To say Phylogenesis is an extension or continuation of Obsolescence isn’t exactly as straightforward as it should be. On one hand, all the Abysmal Dawn trademarks—technicality, brutality, and melody—remain ingrained in the songwriting fabric. On the other, the band’s fifth full-length is more cohesive, rhythmically sophisticated, and far more adventurous. Elliott calls it “a major evolution.” Certainly, the six years of constant refinement, edge smoothing, and transition adjustments have paid off. What started as jam sessions between Elliott, bassist Eliseo Garcia, and drummer James Coppolino in 2016 eventually turned into one-offs. That there was no time limit to put Phylogenesis together ended up both a blessing and a curse. Total creative freedom at very little expense is a dream scenario, something a band of Abysmal Dawn’s stature took advantage of for their magnum opus. But without a ticking clock and dollars burning, the pressure to focus was far less severe, resulting in delays and feature creep.
“It was basically James, Eliseo and me meeting up at my place, jamming on ideas, seeing what worked and tweaking them from there,” says Elliott. “With the exception of ‘Hedonistic,’ James wrote all his drum parts. Obsolescence was demoed with me programming all the drums since our drummer at the time had moved up north. It was what it was, but it was pretty frustrating at the time. Having someone to bounce ideas off of in real-time, helped in maintaining the joy and momentum of making this album. Once it was time to record bass and leads, Eliseo and Vito [Petroni; guitars] would trickle in when they had ideas. We had no real deadline and seemingly infinite time to do things. Admittedly, I think it was hard for me to focus on the lyrics, not only because of things in my personal life but because I was focused on getting the guys in to complete their parts so I could focus.”
Finish Phylogenesis they did, in fact. Under significant duress, Abysmal Dawn had overcome their roadblocks. The results of the group’s undulating professional and personal schedules aren’t to be trifled with, however. Opening track “Mundane Existence” is a firestorm of labyrinthine yet savage riffs, enraged vocals, and machine-gun drumming. It’s death metal personified, enlightened, and perfected. Elsewhere, tracks such as “The Path of the Totalitarian,” “A Speck in the Fabric of Eternity,” and “Soul-Sick Nation” (feat. Fredrik Folkare of Unleashed, Firespawn, et al.) pose real threats to the status quo. In all three, Elliott’s passion for and dominance of death metal’s tenets are tangible. But there’s more to Abysmal Dawn on Phylogenesis than customary ritual. From the ruthless groove of “Hedonistic” and the staccato stabs of “Coerced Evolution” to the late album gem “The Lament Configuration” and the blistering cover of Death classic “Flattening of Emotion,” the songs are designed to slay in ways we’re just beginning to understand.
“We’re a pretty brutal death metal band, but what I feel like sets us apart is that no matter what we do there’s always some underlying sense of melody and hooks,” Elliott says. “There are lots of bands that are ridiculously brutal. There are lots of bands that are over-the-top technically or are blatantly melodic. We combine all that but we try to write something that sticks with you over time; that you'll keep coming back to, and that works well in the live environment. We love all types of music, whether it's fusion or industrial music, and it shines through here and there. But in the end, though, we're a pure death metal band at heart trying to retain that old-school feel with an updated take for a new generation.”
Conceptually, Phylogenesis deals with the breakdown of social constructs humans have built over time. The album title is defined by the evolution of (or diversification) a species. So, Phylogenesis is an ironic take on Elliott’s observations, particularly how social media has accelerated and exacerbated the de-evolution of humanity’s interactive abilities. The cover art, again by Swedish artist Pär Olofsson, isn’t directly correlated to the lyrical narrative, but it does continue where Obsolescence left off. The Olofsson cover art has envisioned what it’s like on the inside of the Obsolescence tower, and that it’s humans that are being fed back to humans. The cover art continuity is akin to Richard Fleischer’s famed Soylent Green film but ripped through Elliott’s demented death metal lens.
“I think the lyrics deal a lot with things we encounter in our modern society and the effect it has on the individual,” says Elliott. “The dehumanization effect and divisiveness caused by bickering on social media (‘The Path of the Totalitarian’), the decay of legitimate journalism (‘True to the Blind’), struggling to find purpose in the pursuit of happiness (‘Hedonistic’), wishing something was greater than yourself (‘Mundane Existence’), the mental illness epidemic (‘Soul-Sick Nation’), embracing pain over numbness to feel alive (‘The Lament Configuration’), having our consciousnesses uploaded to a grid in order to make life sustainable on Earth (‘Coerced Evolution’), and the common theme throughout the band of wishing life on Earth would just start over (‘A Speck in the Fabric of Eternity’). I had started off wanting it to be a concept record but later scrapped that idea because I didn't like how it was going. In the end though, it just naturally all tied together in some way. Even the Death cover seemed to fit lyrically in hindsight. ‘Coerced Evolution’ is really the only song that in the sci-fi vein this time around. As for Pär, yes, he did the cover art once again. We love working with him and we’ve been creating great covers with him since 2006.”
Abysmal Dawn recorded Phylogenesis over a multi-year timeframe. In fact, Coppolino’s drums were tracked as far back as 2017 with long-time collaborator John Haddad at Trench Studios. The rhythm guitars and vocals, as produced by Mike Bear and Elliott, were also done at Tastemaker Audio the same year. So, some of Phylogenesis goes back, but the parts are no less lethal. Slowly but surely, the group’s newest and greatest materialized, with Elliott finishing the lead guitars, bass, additional vocals, re-amping, and mixing sessions in 2019, again at Tastemaker Audio. Abysmal Dawn then packaged up their fifth for mastering ace Tony Lindgren (Rotting Christ) to handle at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden. Contemporary yet absolutely remorseless, Abysmal Dawn’s Phylogenesis is death metal for a new age.
“We took our time and went to few studios this time around, so it’s a bit of a laundry list,” Elliott says. “John Haddad engineered the drums at Trench Studios. John has been involved with all our records in some form since From Ashes. Mike Bear helped track and produce the vast majority of my vocals and rhythm guitars out of my studio. Mike produced both Leveling the Plane of Existence (2010) and Obsolescence. I tracked and produced all the leads, bass parts, and other odds and ends and mixed the album as well. Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios mastered the record in the end.”
As for Abysmal Dawn’s next steps, the quartet await the release of Phylogenesis. With past support coming from the Village Voice, Decibel, PopMatters, and Pandora, as well as the group's rabidly-devoted fanbase, the future of death metal is in good hands.
Lineup:
Charles Elliott: guitars, vocals
Eliseo Garcia: bass, additional vocals
James Coppolino: drums
Vito Petroni: guitars
Guest Musicians:
Fredrik Folkare [UNLEASHED, FIRESPAWN, etc.] appears on “Soul-Sick Nation”
Album Credits:
Mixed by Charles Elliott at Tastemaker Audio.
Mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios.
Rhythm guitars and vocals tracked and produced by Mike Bear with Charles Elliott at Tastemaker Audio.
Lead guitars, bass, additional vocals and guitar re-amping tracked and produced by Charles Elliott at Tastemaker Audio.
Drums tracked at Trench Studios by John Haddad with Charles Elliott.
Editing by Mike Bear and Charles Elliott.
Cover Art:
Pär Olofsson
Biography:
Chris Dick
Album Formats:
CD
LP in various colours
Cassette
For more on ABYSMAL DAWN, visit their official FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and BANDCAMP.
NIGHTFALL Announces Reissues, Releases New Music Video
Nightfall performing 'As Your God is Failing Once Again' live at the Sierra studios in Athens, Greece. The track is taken from the band's 'Macabre Sunsets' a...
Greek melodic metal masters NIGHTFALL will be releasing their back catalogue on vinyl and CD formats! The band's five most influential albums will be released via Season of Mist in the first two months of 2021. The exact releases are as follows:
January 29, 2021
► 'Parade into Centuries' (1992)
► 'Macabre Sunsets' (1993)
► 'Athenian Echoes' + 'Eons Aura' EP (1995)
February 12, 2021
► 'Lesbian Show' (1997)
► 'Diva Futura' + 'Electronegative' EP (1999)
The reissues are now available for pre-orders HERE. The original albums are already available on all digital platforms. Check out the special 'This is Nightfall' playlist HERE.
Vocalist Efthimis comments on the re-issues: "The glorious decade of the 90s is never outdated. It is the mother of all good music and rebellious styles rooted deep in the heart of the death and black scene. Nightfall have been an active part of this movement, and we are more than excited to have the chance to see these releases coming out again. And some of them, never printed on vinyl before; 'Athenian Echoes,' 'Lesbian Show' and 'Diva Futura.' This is wonderful. As band we decided to keep the original artwork and the original sound to let old fans remember the greatness of those times and the younger ones to taste the real thing. There is nothing better than maintaining originality in a reissue. And these releases do exactly this to the favor of the listener who wants to travel back in times of wonder and pure creativity. It is a cult relic that well preserves the powerful mysticism of the enchanting atmosphere of the 90s’ magic era!"
In celebration, the band has also released a brand new performance video of the track "As Your God is Failing Once Again," which is taken from the album 'Macabre Sunsets.' The video was shot at the Sierra Studio's last summer.
NIGHTFALL will release their brand new album in March 2021. Stay tuned for more info and a new track!
It has been seven long years since the world was last blessed with new music from the melodic blackened death metal stalwarts of NIGHTFALL. While the band has been absent from the scene since the release of 2013’s Cassiopeia, their legacy has not been forgotten. Comprising the holy trinity of Greek metal – along with ROTTING CHRIST and SEPTICFLESH – NIGHTFALL was the first extreme act in the country to sign an international deal, introducing the world to the burgeoning Mediterranean scene in the early 90s. Now, the band is plotting a triumphant return.
During the first decade of NIGHTFALL’s lifespan, the band headlined stages across Europe. Thereafter, went on to dominate international festivals such as Brutal Assault, Sonisphere, and Wacken, the latter of which the band solidified their legacy as the first ever Greek band to earn an envied spot at the renowned festival. The band eventually made the decision to switch to a studio act before they went completely silent. When reflecting upon the sudden disappearance after a steady rise from the underground, vocalist and founding member Efthimis Karadimas explained that it was due to an all too familiar beast – depression. “It's because of depression that kicked in as early as mid-00s. I can write for hours and get into details about stuff gone wrong or mistreated situations, but the basis of all discouragement to move on has been depression and the effort required to get over it.” Despite the dark days, Karadimas did not abandon music entirely, moving on to form THE SLAYERKING, a gothic doom metal band that has released two agonizing full-length records between 2016-2019.
Alas, the abrupt departure of the band was not the final “goodbye” as NIGHTFALL has been reinvigorated with a new lineup and coveted deal with Season of Mist. Karadimas has reunited with original NIGHTFALL guitarist Mike Galiatsos, who helped define the band’s sound during the early years. With the addition of drummer and producer Fotis Benardo (ex-SEPTICFLESH) as well as guitarist Kostas Kyriakopoulos (THE SLAYERKING), the band is finally ready to release the tenth studio album. In addition to the long-awaited new music, Season of Mist will also be re-issuing the band’s original albums that were produced by Holy Records back in the 90s. This is not the only news the band has to share as NIGHTFALL has also vowed to finally perform again. “We are gonna play these live, including stuff never played live before,” says Karadimas.
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Line-up:
Efthimis Karadimas: Bass, vocals
Mike Galiatsos: Guitar
Kostas Kyriakopoulos: Guitar
Fotis Benardo: Drum
Shop: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/NightfallReissues
For more on NIGHTFALL, visit the band's official FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM.
LORD OF THE LOST & Heaven Can Wait Choir Release New Official Video for “We Were Young”!
Get "Swan Songs III" here: https://smarturl.it/SwanSongsIII Filmed between 1980 and 1994 on Super8 End Credits filmed between 1967 and 1980 on Super8 Photogr...
Order Their Latest Classical Ensemble Album Swan Songs III HERE!
Dark Metal sensation LORD OF THE LOST just released a new official video for “We Were Young” featuring Heaven Can Wait Choir, cut from their latest classical ensemble album Swan Songs III.
The heart-wrenching version includes intimate reminiscences from Chris Harms’ childhood and showcases a touching new facet of their bold universe. Told through genuine memories and clearly narrated through the style of a vintage Super8 camera, the audiovisual symbolizes the most personal output to date. The outstanding band proves once again that the greatest inspiration and the best director is life itself.
"With the new video for 'We Were Young' I would like to say thank you to my parents. The video is a reflection of my happy childhood, thanks to them, which paved the way for me to become who I am today. The video shows real Super8 film footage from my birth in 1980 until 1994, when the magnetic tape slowly replaced the celluloid. In the credits of the video you can see the time before my birth, which my parents have captured on film for themselves since 1967. The director of this video was life itself and it shows here an origin story that could not have been more personal". - Chris Harms
The one-off version of "We Were Young", off their latest album, was created in cooperation with the senior choir Heaven Can Wait. The whole story, a lot of background details and many impressive shots can still be seen on the official ZDF Doku HERE and within the heart-wrenching live version HERE!
Swan Songs III, the long-awaited successor to Swan Songs II, was released via Napalm Records on August 7, 2020. The standard version of the album consists of new songs, all recorded with The Lord Of The Lost-Ensemble, and brand new versions of a hand-picked selection of LORD OF THE LOST classics, including the standout 18-minute-long song “Letters To Home”. For all Dark Metal connoisseurs, Swan Songs III comes with a high-quality deluxe box, including instrumental Swan Symphonies III-versions of all songs and previously unreleased demo versions of eight new songs. As a special bonus, there is a full live set, recorded at their 10th anniversary show in 2019 in their hometown Hamburg. All that can be found on seven CDs! Swan Songs III is available in multiple formats, including a high-gloss Earbook, a box set and a 2LP Gatefold Vinyl. The album represents a gift to all music fans and marks another highlight in LORD OF THE LOST's musical career.
Order Swan Songs III TODAY!
Line-up:
The LORD OF THE LOST Ensemble 2020:
Chris Harms: Vocals, Violoncello, Semi Acoustic Guitar
π: Acoustic Guitar
Bengt Jaeschke: Acoustic Guitar
Class Grenayde: Acoustic Bass
Gared Dirge: Grand Piano
Corvin Bahn: Organ, Harpsichord, Celeste
Maline Zickow: 1st Violin
Felicitas Fischbein: 2nd Violin
Ida Luzie Phlipp: Viola
Miriam Göbel: Violoncello
Julia C. Pfänder: Contrabass
Niklas Kahl: Percussions
Daniel Möhrke: Percussions
Henrik Petschull: Percussions
Austin Ingerman (Lead Guitarist for Band New Years Day) Releases New Single + Video for "STAMPEDE"
Official Video for "Diesel Fuel" by Austin Ingerman featuring James Renshaw on drums. Filmed by Eric Ingerman Edited by Austin Ingerman Mixed/Mastered by Chr...
From His Solo Project Featuring James Renshaw on Drums!
"Stampede" can be streamed/Downloaded here:
"Stampede" is the 2nd release from a collection of instrumental songs recorded over the last three years in four different studios around the country. This particular one was recorded at Clearwave Studio in Decatur, Alabama by producer/engineer Jeremy Stephens. It was mixed and mastered by Chris Collier (Whitesnake, Korn, Lynchmob, KXM)".
Austin has toured with bands such as Halestorm, Godsmack, In This Moment, Falling In Reverse, and many more. He has played some of the world's most famous venues and festivals such as the Alexandra Palace in London, and Download Australia.
Austin started playing guitar at age 7 in his hometown of Gainesville, Florida. At 17 he got the opportunity to start playing out professionally in working cover bands. He toured the southeast playing the hottest clubs, festivals, private parties, and arenas for about 6 years before moving out west.
At age 22, he moved to Los Angeles, California to attend the world famous Musicians Institute. After moving to L.A., he was chosen to do a video with BOSS to debut their brand new Katana amplifier line. BOSS also hired him as a demo artist at NAMM 2017, 2018, and 2020. In December of 2017 he graduated from Musicians Institute with an AA in guitar performance, and received the award for "outstanding player of 2017". He is currently recording, and releasing new solo material with the help of drummer James Renshaw and Producer/Engineer Chris Collier.
For More Information Please Visit:
NEW VIDEO ALERT! Orianthi "Sorry"
Subscribe To Our Channel: http://radi.al/SubscribeFrontiers | Warning: This Videos Contains Flashing Lights & Strobe Effects | From the album "O". Buy or Str...
The album is a well-rounded musical portrait, revealing her continued reputation as a torchbearer for the kind of impassioned pop/rock music that initially inspired her to pick up the guitar
-All Music-
Raw yet polished,' with elements of blues, rock, pop and electronic music – and plenty of fiery PRS playing
-Guitar World-
Engaging, intriguing, and so both entertaining and uniquely different
-Danger Dog Music Review-
Orianthi's new album "O" is out now and she has just released a brand new music video for the track 'Sorry’!
Order "O" on CD/LP/Digital and stream the singles HERE: https://orcd.co/orianthi
Autographed bundles available at the label's U.S. and EU stores: http://radi.al/FrontiersMusic
Watch Orianthi Videos:
Keep up with Orianthi:
https://www.facebook.com/Orianthi/
ELVELLON Signs Worldwide Record Deal with Napalm Records
Napalm Records is delighted to welcome a promising and uprising symphonic metal star to its growing roster. Dive into impressive soundscapes and join the thrilling adventure: German firestarters ELVELLON have just inked a worldwide record deal with the premier rock and metal label.
Since ELVELLON came to life in 2010, the four-piece played its way straight into the heart of a steadily growing fan base with a captivating symbiosis of orchestral arrangements, heavy riffs and the striking voice of Nele Messerschmidt on vocal duties. After releasing their self-recorded 5-track EP, Spellbound (2015), and being dubbed as “heroes of tomorrow” by German Metal Hammer magazine, the band presented its critically acclaimed debut album,Until Dawn, three years later in 2018. Sharing the stage with scene leading VISIONS OF ATLANTIS and entering festival grounds like Rock Harz, Metal Hammer Paradise, M'era Luna, Rock Fest Barcelona, Metalfest Open Air and Rage Against Racism Festival, to name just a few, ELVELLON are now up to lift their inimitable output to the next level.
Enter a dreamlike world of cinematic magic, wandering between childish wonders and hard-hearted bitterness! More to be announced soon...
ELVELLON on the signing:
“Since we began our musical journey, it was our dream to sign with a legendary label such as Napalm Records. Now this dream became reality and we can barely put into words what we are feeling at this very moment. We feel honored to find ourselves among so many awesome bands. It's going to be a bright future."
For a vision of what lies ahead, check out the official music video for the bewitching track “Born From Hope”, which has already hit over 1.2 million views on YouTube, cut from the outstanding first full-length, Until Dawn.
ELVELLON is:
Nele Messerschmidt - vocals
Gilbert Gelsdorf - guitars
Maddin Klüners - drums
Pascal Pannen - keyboards
HURTWAVE, FEATURING DAYSEEKER VOCALIST RORY RODRIGUEZ + DRUMMER MIKE KARLE, SHARE NEW SONG "MY FATHER SAID"
Dayseeker vocalist Rory Rodriguez and drummer Mike Karle announced their new project Hurtwave earlier this year. As Hurtwave, the pair traffic in synths and the output is decidedly different than that of their main band.
The band, signed to Spinefarm Records, just shared "My Father Said." Listen here.
"This song touches on what both my father and mother taught me in terms of relationships," Rodriguez explains. "My father, hurt from the divorce from my mother, really never dated or remarried, and taught me to keep a guard over my emotions. My mother, having left my father, taught me to leave a situation before it has the chance to hurt me. Ultimately, it's about a girl I met who made me want to do the opposite of what I learned from my parents. I wanted to stay and I wanted to let my walls down."
Previous Hurtwave sonic transmissions include "Sever," "Fever Dream," and "Bleach."
These tracks will appear on the band's debut EP, Night Therapy I. The EP is being released as seven separate installments through the coming months.
Hurtwave was born when Rodriguez and Karle were drafting demos in GarageBand. These tracks "flourished into some of our proudest work yet," Rodriguez explains. "Blending our real and emotional lyrics into a synthwave setting has created something really special for our listeners."
FROM SORROW TO SERENITY Share New Single & Music Video for "SHADOWS"
Subscribe to our channel here: https://LBR.lnk.to/youtube Subscribe to our LBR Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/spv/lbrnlsu Stream "Shadows" here: https://from...
Scottish metalcore outfit FROM SORROW TO SERENITY have shared their new single, titled "Shadows", along with an accompanying music video.
"With the release of 'Shadows' we're branching out into new and unexplored territory for FSTS, as we look inward and reflect upon ourselves - no longer looking out into the world for inspiration," says guitarist Steven Jones.
Steven adds:
"Shadows is the most 'straight to the point' we've ever been, both musically and lyrically, as we explore our own battles with mental health. The original inspiration for the song was our bassist's struggle with PTSD, though during the writing process it became apparent that we all relate to the song in our own individual ways, and that the words contained cover a much broader spectrum. It's important to us that our music is an honest representation of who we are as people - and 'Shadows' marks the first step further into the minds of our members.
2020 has been a year to remember, or forget for some, where tackling mental health is at the forefront of society, and we take pride in sharing with complete transparency our own, very personal, take on the matter.
It's important to speak your mind about your thoughts and understand yourself as best you can. If you or anyone you know is suffering from depression and/or suicidal thoughts - please reach out to someone. There are links below to people who can help you:
FROM SORROW TO SERENITY Lineup:
Gaz King - Vocals
Steven Jones - Guitar
Andrew Simpson - Bass
Ian Baird - Drums
For More Info Visit:
https://www.facebook.com/FSTSOFFICIAL/
https://www.instagram.com/fromsorrowtoserenity/https://FromSorrowToSerenity.lnk.to/shadows
JINJER Surprises Fans with Entire Melbourne Concert Streaming on YouTube
JINJER - Alive In Melbourne - Official Full Concert | Napalm Records Order ALIVE IN MELBOURNE Music/Merch here: https://smarturl.it/AliveInMelbourne2020 http...
Monumental Live Album, Alive In Melbourne, Out Now!
Tune In HERE
Order Alive In Melbourne HERE
Ukraine's progressive groove metal frontrunners JINJER have finally released their very first official live album, Alive In Melbourne, today via Napalm Records. The album shows JINJER at what they do best: smashing crowds to bits like very few bands can. Recorded on March 5th 2020 on the Australian leg of their highly successful Macro World Tour, the show was one of the last performances for JINJER, as well as the rest if the world due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Alive In Melbourne features 17 of JINJER's heaviest hitting tracks including "I Speak Astronomy", "Noah", "Pit of Consciousness", "Words of Wisdom" and their breakthrough single "Pisces".
As an added bonus and a surprise to their fans, not only can you listen to Alive In Melbourne in its entirety on all streaming platforms but together with Napalm Records, JINJER will also premiere the complete Alive In Melbourne concert video on Youtube FOR FREE! Tune in to the Napalm Records Youtube Channel at 11:00 AM PST/2:00 PM EST TODAY and experience the energy that JINJER deliver live and up close in your own living room.
Alive In Melbourne is not only a live album but a very personal project of JINJER's enigmatic and outspoken bassist Eugene: “When this idea first came about, never could I imagine that it would grow into the project that it has become. First it was supposed to be a single video or maybe 1 or 2 more, then it was meant to be an online concert video for Knotfest.com …. and now, after 6 months of planning, reacting and fighting to get this little piece of heavy metal history out to our fans and friends: Alive In Melbourne is out! From picking the cover artist Gabriel Nicoletti, to writing the very intense and personal band history in the linear notes … this album was not only something that I felt that our fans deserved in these strange times but it also helped me get through some of my own darkest times during the first Covid-19 lockdown. This was a moment in time that none of us will forget anytime soon.”
As one of the hardest working and most innovative bands in the business, JINJER wouldn't be JINJER if they didn't play any of the many aces up their sleeves in a situation and climate as harsh as this. After the announcement of the live album, the band made the impossible a reality and, as the first non-European outfit, set foot on stage again in September, bringing back their intense live shows to their longing fans in Germany and Switzerland - under all necessary precautions.
Alive In Melbourne Tracklist
01. Intro
02. Teacher, Teacher!
03. Sit Stay Roll Over
04. Ape
05. Judgement & Punishment
06. I Speak Astronomy
07. Who Is Gonna Be The One
08. Noah
09. Retrospection
10. Perennial
11. On The Top
12. Pit Of Consciousness
13. Home Back
14. Words Of Wisdom
15. Pisces
16. Captain Clock
17. Outro
JINJER is:
Vocals: Tatiana Shmayluk
Guitar: Roman Ibramkhalilov
Bass: Eugene Abdukhanov
Drums: Vlad Ulasevich
MEXICAN APE-LORD RELEASE CONCEPTUAL SOPHOMORE EFFORT, ‘SURVIVAL CANNIBALISM’
"NO DELIVERANCE" from the album Survival Cannibalism Mexican Ape-Lord - Unable Records 2020 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mexicanapelord Twitter: https:...
Mexican Ape-Lord have just issued their second studio effort, ‘Survival Cannibalism.’ And this is no average/ordinary metal release, as it is also conceptual. “It’s based on a true story of shipwreck and cannibalism,” explains the band’s guitarist, Tony Nichols. “If you listen from beginning to end, you’ll experience a trip from utter darkness to the ultimate thrill of cheating death, but the songs are also designed to stand alone. We’re a rock band first and foremost, and we want every song to pack a lot of punches.”
Formed in 2012 by Nichols (previously of MELIAH RAGE) and singer/bassist Jon Hardy (formerly of THE BAGS), MEXICAN APE-LORD are purveyors of raw and epic mountain metal. Nichols recruited producer Peter Rutcho (Metal Blade, Century Media, etc.) who recommended a monster drummer named Steve Fry (CROTALUS, GRAVEHEART). Lead guitarist Dan Dykes (TRIPHAMMER), who had just produced MELIAH RAGE’s ‘Dead to the World’ record, completed the lineup.
The band’s debut album, The Late Heavy Bombardment, was released in 2014 on Unable Records and made a slew of top ten lists. Brave Words called it “a balls-out metal album” and True Metal Lives declared, “It proudly stands up and gives genre labeling the big middle finger.”
Which leads us to ‘Survival Cannibalism’ – whose storyline turns out to literally “hit home” with Nichols. “We grew up about 60 miles from where this happened, but only learned about it recently. Unlike the well-known Salem witch trials, the cannibalism on Boon Island [a barren rocky island in Maine in 1710] is a grisly but hidden part of our past. We think it deserves a floodlight. The extreme suffering and will to survive combined with raw conflict and rage make it a natural for a metal album.”
Concerning the album’s top tracks, drummer Steve Fry picked “‘So Much Wasted Rope’ was among my favorites because it just sounded like pure trouble. Especially that verse riff… it’s completely up to no good! So when I was coming up with the drum parts, it was all about accentuating that. I just wanted to lay into it with that simple kick/snare combo so it would be powerful while giving the riff the space to do its thing. It's one of those songs where it's actually more about what you DON’T do as a drummer than what you do that makes all the difference.”
“We call it ‘Mountain Metal’,” is how Nichols describes the band’s sound. “Each song is an expedition – raw and epic. The band functions like an expeditionary force. Every member is a specialist who can also provide backup. It’s an efficient and powerful way to make music. We’re looking to create songs that are big and dangerous, and everyone needs to stay focused in order to come out alive.”
Lastly, the group already has other projects on the horizon. “We have two projects in the pipeline; a three song EP that we plan to release in 2021, and a big badass album called ‘Blunt Instrument’ to follow.”
To stream the album, or to purchase merchandise, please visit : https://linktr.ee/mexicanapelord
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
https://www.facebook.com/mexicanapelord/
https://twitter.com/mexicanapelord?lang=hr
Steve Hackett launches video for ‘Andalusian Heart’; first track from new acoustic album
Taken from the album 'Under A Mediterranean Sky'. Order now here: https://stevehackett.lnk.to/UnderAMediterraneanSkyID Follow InsideOutMusic here: https://ww...
Iconic guitarist Steve Hackett, releases his new acoustic album Under A Mediterranean Sky on 22nd January 2021 as a Limited CD Digipak, Gatefold 2LP + CD + LP-booklet and Digital Album via InsideOut Music. Under A Mediterranean Sky is Steve Hackett’s first acoustic solo album since Tribute in 2008 and takes inspiration from Steve’s extensive travels around the Mediterranean with his wife Jo.
Steve comments: “The beauty of Andalusia with its Moorish and Gypsy magic and the strains of distant guitars echoing through its ornate archways has to be experienced at least once in a lifetime. So many of the things that have inspired me about Spain are embodied in this romantic track, featuring Roger King’s orchestral arrangement, Franck Avril on oboe, Christine Townsend on violin and viola, and myself on classical guitar.”
The album is now available to pre-order as Limited CD Digipak, Gatefold 2LP + CD + LP-booklet and Digital Album here: https://stevehackett.lnk.to/UnderAMediterraneanSky
Working closely with long-time musical partner Roger King, Hackett has used his time during 2020’s lockdown to take us on an extraordinary musical journey around the Mediterranean, painting vivid images of stunning landscapes and celebrating the diverse cultures of the region. Famed for his rock roots with Genesis, and through his extensive solo catalogue, Hackett demonstrates the exquisite beauty of the nylon guitar at times venturing into the exotic ethnic and often supported by dazzling orchestral arrangements.
“A lot of acoustic ideas had been forming over the years, and it felt like the perfect time to create this album,” notes Hackett, “a time to contemplate the places we’ve visited around the Mediterranean with the kind of music which evolved from the world of imagination.
“Because we can’t really travel, substantially at the moment, I hope that the album will take people on that journey. Whether you sit down and listen to it or drift off to it with a glass of wine…”
Our journey around the Med begins on the island of Malta, in Mdina – The Walled City. It’s imposing strength is portrayed by Roger King’s dramatic orchestration while Hackett’s guitar weaves through the atmospheric streets describing the creativity, love and strength that held Malta together between all the waves of conflict.
With Hackett’s delicate guitar work, Adriatic Blue paints an enchanting view of stunning scenery as tall cliffs of forested mountains plunge into the deep blue sea along the Croatian coastline. Sirocco is altogether more atmospheric, inspired by the winds playing through the imposing structures of Egypt.
The lively Joie de Vivre expresses the unique sense of joy the French have through their wine, food and folk music, with paintings reflecting family gatherings, spectacular vistas and the vibrant colours of their cities. The art of dreaming is embodied in their sensual love of life.
“At first hand, I’ve marvelled at the mystical whirling Dervishes,” says Hackett. Along with otherworldly beings such as the Djin (Genie) they sprang from Persia’s dreaming past. The Dervish And The Djin captures the extraordinary atmosphere of this most exotic of civilisations with the help of Hackett’s touring band regular - Rob Townsend’s soprano sax, the tar of Malik Mansurov (from Azerbaijan) and Armenian Arsen Petrosyan’s duduk. “Of course, those countries are virtually at war with each other,” Hackett adds, “and there has been something like a thousand casualties (at the time of writing) on both sides. Again, it’s a case of music being able to do things that politicians fail to do - something constructive.”
The Memory of Myth embodies the deep and rich history of Greece and features the violin of Christine Townsend (no relation) while Lorato - ‘love’ in the language of the African Tswana tribe – is a pretty folk tune. Love is the force that heals and links all disparate peoples of the Mediterranean.
Hackett and his wife Jo were enchanted by the little Faun statue in the House of the Faun, Pompeii. “The villas there seemed to come back to life as we walked through those wonderful atriums and gardens,” inspiring Casa del Fauno and featuring the light and airy flute of Hackett’s brother John and Rob Townsend on flute.
The only non-original piece is Domenico Scarlatti’s Sonata. This embodies the Baroque music of Italy, a sensitive interpretation embellished with cross-string trills, a technique introduced to Hackett by the fine classical guitarist, the late Theo Cheng.
Hackett also expresses his admiration for the flamenco guitarists of Andalucía who are celebrated on Andalusian Heart. “One of the flamenco guitarists was showing me the extraordinary things they are able to do,” Hackett explains. “Seeing the gypsies playing and dancing in caves there, you get the feeling that these people are dancing for their lives.”
Our journey comes to an end with The Call Of The Sea, a gentle and peaceful reflection of the vast body of water that unites the many civilisations both ancient and modern.
Under A Mediterranean Sky features Steve Hackett playing nylon, steel string and twelve string guitars, charango and Iraqi oud. Keyboards, programming and orchestral arrangements are by Roger King. Featured musicians are John Hackett and Rob Townsend, flute (Casa del Fauno); Malik Mansurov, tar and Arsen Petrosyan, duduk & Rob Townsend, Sax (The Dervish And The Djin); Christine Townsend, violin (The Memory of Myth and The Call Of The Sea). All tracks were produced by Steve Hackett and Roger King with all tracks recorded and mixed by Roger King at Siren.
“I had a great time doing this album, seeing it take shape, and I’m very pleased with the outcome. I’m very proud of it,” says Hackett. “The nylon guitar has a very individual sound but, within the compass of what the nylon-strung guitar can do, there are a lot of different tones. You can do the full-on attack, the kind of salvo that you expect from the flamenco players but, at the same time, it can also be very gentle, gentle as a harp. It’s shades of black and white. It’s also exciting to play alongside instruments from around the world, as well as a wide range of orchestral sounds.”
About Steve Hackett
Steve Hackett joined Genesis at the beginning of 1971 and gained an international reputation as the guitarist in the band’s classic line-up alongside Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins. Steve’s intricate guitar work was a key element of Genesis’ albums from Nursery Cryme (1971) to Wind And Wuthering (1977) including the classic Selling England By The Pound.
After leaving Genesis at the end of 1977, Steve’s solo career, which now spans more than 30 albums, has demonstrated his extraordinary versatility with both electric and acoustic guitar. Steve is renowned as both an immensely talented and innovative rock musician and a virtuoso classical guitarist and composer and this was recognised in 2010 when he was inducted into the Rock Hall Of Fame. He has also worked alongside Steve Howe of YES in the supergroup GTR.
Steve’s compositions take influences from many genres, including jazz, classical and blues. For his later studio works The Night Siren (2017) and At The Edge Of Light (2019) Steve has explored the influences of world music. Recent tours have seen Steve celebrate his time with Genesis including a spectacular 2018 tour in which Steve realised a long-held ambition to perform the works of Genesis live with his band and an orchestra. He recently released Selling England by the Pound & Spectral Mornings: Live at Hammersmith, a live recording of his hugely successful 2019 tour that saw him celebrating that Genesis classic, as well as the 40th anniversary of one of his most-loved solo albums.
STEVE HACKETT Online:
www.hackettsongs.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Steve-Hackett/123101228589
www.twitter.com/HackettOfficial
http://hackettsongs.com/tour.html
WEAPONS OF ANEW ANNOUNCE SINGLE/VIDEO, “SICK BOY”
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New Jersey-based hard rock quartet WEAPONS OF ANEW are excited to share the news of their sophomore album scheduled for release in the spring of 2021.
The band - which consists of seasoned musicians guitarist Freddy Ordine (ex-Axiom, ex-HavocHate) and vocalist Ray West (ex-Spread Eagle) along with bassist Stefan “Reno” Cutrupi and the newest addition, drummer Chad Szeliga (ex-Breaking Benjamin, ex-Black Label Society) - have revealed its debut single, a cover version of The Chainsmokers’ “Sick Boy.”
The “Sick Boy” single has quickly garnered over 250,000 streams in just under a month.
The track received placement on multiple editorial playlists including Spotify’s New Noise, Rock Hard, Best Of Rock, along with Apple’s Breaking Hard Rock - and the track is inside the top 40 and climbing on active rock radio. A video has been recently released for the track.
And “Sick Boy” can be streamed here: https://sym.ffm.to/sickboy
Ordine: “I'm blown away and beyond grateful that we are even mentioned in the same conversations as Billboard and the playlists that are currently happening. I had been kicking around the idea of doing a cover for a while. But I wanted it to be something out of our normal genre. When I heard the song, the lyrics really connected with me, so I started working on an arrangement and brought the idea up to Ray. I felt we could really make a cool version of it. He loved it and here we are.”
“Sick Boy” was produced by longtime band collaborator Grammy Award-nominated Mike Ferretti (Sevendust, Warren Haynes, Saliva), mixed by multi-platinum Grammy-winner David Bendeth (Papa Roach, Paramore, Bring Me The Horizon) and mastered by A-list mastering engineer Ted Jensen (Evanescence, Korn, Lamb Of God).
“There is a line in the song where it says, ‘How many likes is my life worth,'” shares Ordine. “The reality of that line hit home like few songs have in my life because of the pressure people have on them to be relevant at all costs. It was awesome and cathartic to be able to recreate such an awesome song and I hope it connects with people and makes them think, like it did with me.”
WEAPONS OF ANEW first stormed the rock world in 2017 with their debut offering, The Collison of Love and Hate, which collected numerous accolades on the strength of songs like “Killshot” and “Sundown.” Through the power of their debut and explosive performances on national tours with the like of Alter Bridge, Scott Stapp, and even the heavy metal supergroup Metal Allegiance, WEAPONS OF ANEW have earned a fiercely loyal fanbase around the globe.
“It’s definitely different but it’s still Weapons,” Ordine recently said, about a comparison between The Collison of Love and Hate and their forthcoming release .
“We grew a lot. When we did the first record, we had never done a show. We were in the middle of writing and recording the first record when we went on tour with Alter Bridge, so it was like we had already started to grow during that first record. With this new record, we had just come off tour with Scott Stapp and were leaning more towards the active rock scene. It’s a pure version of us and also a more cohesive, mature version of us. It’s still got the heavy stuff from the first record but there’s definitely a lot more groove and melody which is what I was pushing for in the first record, but we just weren’t there yet.”
As evidenced in their new single and video, WEAPONS OF ANEW have coalesced into a true metallic force.
For more information on WEAPONS OF ANEW, please visit:
VOCALIST JAMES DURBIN ANNOUNCES DEBUT DURBIN ALBUM
Subscribe To Our Channel: http://radi.al/SubscribeFrontiers | From the album THE BEAST AWAKENS. Buy or Stream: https://orcd.co/beastawakens Hailing from the ...
"THE BEAST AWAKENS" DUE FEBRUARY 12, 2021
FIRST SINGLE, 'KINGS BEFORE YOU' FT. CHRIS JERICHO & PHIL DEMMEL OUT NOW
Hailing from the shores of Santa Cruz, CA, USA, modern heavy metal revivalist James Durbin is on the verge of releasing his boldest, heaviest album to date with the announcement of the debut album from DURBIN, “The Beast Awakens”. Coming February 12, 2021 via Frontiers Music Srl, fans can get their first taste of the album with the release of the single 'Kings Before You' featuring Chris Jericho (Fozzy) and Phil Demmel (ex-Machine Head, Vio-lence). Listen to the song on your favorite streaming platform or on YouTube.
Pre-order/save the album HERE: https://orcd.co/beastawakens
James Durbin is finally releasing the album he has always wanted to over the course of his decade long recording career. Combining his love of all things DIO, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest, Durbin set out to craft his own signature strain of fantasy inspired power metal for his debut Durbin album, "The Beast Awakens".
“I’ve found a home for my creativity with Frontiers. They really share my vision for the type of metal I wish to create and we’re all excited to see where it will lead,” says Durbin.
'Kings Before You,' the first single released from Durbin’s forthcoming album, features guest vocals from Fozzy vocalist (and AEW Wrestling star) Chris Jericho and renowned guitar wizard Phil Demmel (BPMD, ex-Machine Head). For each of the solo sections on the remainder of the album tracks, Durbin called upon his own axe wielding brethren to help out. Jon Yadon Jr., Marc Putnam, Dylan Rose, and Nick Gallant all contributed guitar solos for the album. Due to the situation with COVID-19, the album was recorded largely remotely, with only Durbin himself, alongside his producer Ellison, occupying the recording studio. Durbin says, “the fact that the album sounds the way it does, with the way it was recorded, is a testament to the passion of everyone involved. I am very grateful for all the love and care that was given to my songs and I can’t wait to unleash my metal upon the world.”
All the songs included on “The Beast Awakens” were written solely by Durbin himself. “2020 has been such a strange year for all of us. Coincidentally, our shelter in place order happened just as I had begun writing for the album. It really forced me to write by myself and not rely on others to write the riffs for me. And then to write the lyrics and melodies too,” tells Durbin.
Once the songs were written and demoed by Durbin, he brought in the rhythm section of virtuoso drummer Mike Vanderhule (Y&T) and master bassist Barry Sparks (Ted Nugent, Scorpions, Dokken, B’z). With Durbin handling the album’s rhythm guitars, his core lineup was complete.
James Durbin is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Santa Cruz, California. Many associate his name with his appearance on Season 10 of American Idol (2011), where he was unabashedly flying the flag for heavy metal. In fact, on the finale, he appeared with undisputed metal gods Judas Priest for rousing renditions of "Livin' After Midnight" and "Breaking the Law" and also appeared with legendary guitarist Zakk Wylde. This was followed by Durbin’s debut album, 2011’s “Memories Of A Beautiful Disaster” that blended a mix of hard hitting riffs, vulnerable lyrics, and Durbin’s signature scream. James has also worked and performed alongside many incredible musicians including Stevie Wonder, Don Was, Sheryl Crow, Tom Jones, Mick Mars of Mötley Crüe, Bob Babbitt of The Funk Brothers, and Steel Panther, just to name a few.
Durbin’s signature vocal prowess and powerful stage presence have earned him stamps of approval and praise from rock and metal royalty like Steven Tyler, Sammy Hagar, Rob Halford, and more. He has four full length albums to his name, in addition to lending his voice to a handful of various albums.
James Durbin is an artist on the rise and a performer you don't want to miss. Expect his debut record under the name "Durbin" in early 2021. Fans of heavy metal revivalists like Haunt, Eternal Champion, Sumerlands, Enforcer, and the like, as well as hard rock and classic heavy metal fans in general are in for a treat!
Lineup:
James Durbin - Vocals. Rhythm Guitars
Jon Yadon Jr., Marc Putnam, Dylan Rose, & Nick Gallant - Guitars
Barry Sparks - Bass
Mike Vanderhule - Drums
For More Info Visit:
http://www.jamesdurbinofficial.com/
http://facebook.com/DurbinRock
TOMBS Streams New Album 'Under Sullen Skies' in Full
Subscribe to Season Of Mist for new releases : https://som.lnk.to/YouTube Taken from the album 'Under Sullen Skies'. Release Date: November 20, 2020. Order h...
New York/New Jersey metal formation TOMBS is now streaming their new full-length, 'Under Sullen Skies,' in its entirety ahead of tomorrow's release! The pummeling new offering can be heard HERE.
"'Under Sullen Skies' is another step in the new era of the band," comments mainman Mike Hill. "I can't express how stoked I am to be working with the new lineup and the band is truly firing on all cylinders."
In addition, TOMBS previously premiered the official music video for their new song, "The Hunger," which pays homage to cinema's most infamous vampires! The song and video, which was created by Jaclyn Sheer, can be found at THIS LOCATION.
Pre-orders for 'Under Sullen Skies,' which is due on November 20, are available in the Season of Mist shop HERE.
There’s a line from Mike Hill’s audiobook/tour diary of ANODYNE’s 2004 European tour in which the gravel-throated frontman affirms, “I will always outwork you.” In that case, Hill was referring to an incident in Germany early on during a six-week long overseas jaunt with his previous band. In actuality, however, he could have been talking about any instance between when he first picked up a guitar as a teen and the present. Whether it’s his history dating back to previous bands OTIS, ANODYNE, KING GENERATOR or VERSOMA, his ongoing solo work in VASILEK, the more recent SCORPION THRONE project or his thirteen year reign as the driving force and nerve center of post-black metal institution TOMBS, hard work is second nature and nothing will keep the guitarist/vocalist from creative endeavor and expression. And it’s not just music in which his propulsive work ethic has gleaned results: Hill also is the CEO and roast master at Savage Gold Coffee (a labelling nod to TOMBS’ 2014 album of the same name), the host/producer/creator of the Everything Went Black podcast, host and producer of Gimme Radio’s Metal Matters flagship podcast, the creator and co-host of horror podcast Necromaniacs as well as a stalwart in the print and online journalism world covering music and MMA fighting. His is, has been and always will be a life steeped in dedication and with unassailable drive in the cross hairs. And despite the world being put on pause, Hill refuses to curtail his innate determination and ongoing tenacity with the result being TOMBS emerging with the next chapter in its impressive catalog and growing legacy: the band’s fifth full-length, 'Under Sullen Skies'.
“The week VERSOMA broke up in 2007, I started TOMBS,” he says, recalling how, characteristically, the band started before any dust was permitted to settle. “The initial rehearsals ended up being the bulk of material that showed up on the first [self-titled] EP. The intent from the beginning was to get back to playing music I wanted to hear and to not be so concerned with genre or satisfying anyone else’s desires. It was to do music on a personal level and be a reflection of the darkness I’ve felt throughout my life.”
Formed in the gritty corners of pre-gentrified Brooklyn, NY, TOMBS’ early mandate was steeped in the harshness and atonality of black metal but dosed with trace amounts of the varied influences and inspirations ingrained in Hill’s musical muscle memory by previous bands. “The canon of music TOMBS has created has spanned several different genres, but I’ve always had it my intent for there to always be a certain amount of violence and hardness lurking the background.”
Those early years delivered splits and singles, the highly revered 'Winter Hours' debut in 2009 and Decibel’s 2011 Album of the Year, 'Path of Totality'. Never one to sit still, 'Path of Totality' was followed by appreciable and impressive amounts of touring in accordance with the lauding afforded by critics and fans and the braying of foes, which only served as fuel for Hill’s perseverance. Savage Gold came three years later after which a restless Hill began nudging TOMBS’ black metal base into territories populated by gothic and death rock artists like FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM and SISTERS OF MERCY as well as avant-garde purveyors Caspar Brotzmann and Live Skull while never forgetting – or being able to – scrape the grime of NYC from under his fingernails. The addition of a second guitar and live keyboards/samples brought a fuller sound and allowed noise sequences and soundscapes to be brought to the live show. It was around the time of 2016 'All Empires Fall' EP that TOMBS punctuated its iconoclastic spirit and thought process. Despite then-being part of the Relapse Records family, the band struck out with the intent of self-releasing the EP in order to retain as much independence as contractual obligations would allow – retaining the digital and publishing rights while eventually licensing the record back to Relapse. A one album stint in 2017 under the Metal Blade banner birthed 'The Grand Annihilation' into the world where TOMBS took broader and more daring steps into buffering black metal with morose melody, sullen death rock and classic METALLICA chugging. Following a parting from Metal Blade, the band – now completed by drummer Justin Spaeth, guitarist Matt Medeiros and bassist Drew Murphy, who are also 3/4ths of New Jersey death metal crew KALOPSIA - quickly found a home on Season of Mist and issued the 'Monarchy of Shadows' EP literally a week before the world went into Coronavirus lockdown.
“The original strategy assumed we would be on the road for most of 2020,” says Hill with a lamenting laugh. “We had a sick tour with Napalm Death planned right after the EP’s release. We were going to record the new full-length before the tour and have it come out in the fall. There was all kinds of tour talk and plans and 2020 would have been a tour-de-force of TOMBSactivity in the United States and Europe. Obviously, none of that is happening, but we’re still going ahead with the record.”
Of course they are. Throw a hurdle in front of Mike Hill and he’ll never shy at rolling up his sleeves and taking on the challenge. Even with the world in shutdown mode, Hill is still brimming with enthusiasm about the input and work ethic of the current TOMBS lineup and how Spaeth, Mederios and Murphy stepped up to the plate in the creation of 'Under Sullen Skies'.
“Everyone contributes on this record and the door has always been open for others to do so. There has always been this misconception that I’m some sort of tyrant always telling people what to do and play. The fact of the matter is that most of the time I outwork people; that’s just the way I am. No one is ever going to outwork me on any level in any area of my life and I was always coming up with material. Now, I have these maniacs in the band who are equally motivated and there’s a whole new life injected into TOMBS. That’s awesome and I love it. These days we’ll try anything and we actually write stuff and throw it out because it’s not perfect. It’s more like a writing committee, which I really appreciate. It’s not just me writing everything. It’s a big difference from 'The Grand Annihilation' which was basically a solo record.”
'Under Sullen Skies' is this lineup’s second kick at twisting black metal’s DNA around dank emotional corners, psychological turmoil and the urban underbelly all of which is unavoidably coloured and touched by the present-day status of life on this here Earth.
“The album’s title came during all this and the sort of post-apocalyptic world we’re living in,” Hill explains. “It encapsulates an overall feeling of gloom and depression which is pretty much how we’ve been living for most of this year. The title was the last piece to fall into place. I remember standing on the roof of the building I was living in at the time on a grey day and it was raining – actually, it wasn’t even raining; it was a half-assed attempt at rain! – and depressing and I just thought, ‘What a sullen sky’ and it just stuck with me.”
The album starts with “Bone Collector,” a furious blast of melodic black metal that shifts gears towards an anthemic fist-pumping slog through the goth rock-thrash metal VENN DIAGRAM. “Void Constellation” takes as many cues from Peaceville Three gloom and doom as it does the death metal stomp of OBITUARY and INCANTATION. “Descensum” mines the various well-worn parts of Ride the Lightning for influence before blasting the doors open with some startlingly spacious chromatic single-note atonality. As the album progresses, further textures and moods are employed via acoustic instrumentation and keyboards as well as sampled soundscapes all butting heads with furious second wave black metal and sly to nods to death rock heroes SISTERS OF MERCY and FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM, all of the band’s motivations and interests being dropped into the chameleonic pair of tracks closing the album, “Sombre Ruin” and the appropriately titled “Plague Years.”
“‘Barren’ stands out as the song that’s most collaborative,” notes Hill. “Justin wrote the bulk of the riffs on that one, that sort of NWOBHM/SCORPIONS ending part is something I came up with, Matt added a bunch of guitar harmonies over it and Drew’s bass is laid thick underneath. That one is one of the biggest group efforts and one of the strongest songs on the record.
“I explore a lot of the archetypes that are used in folklore on this record, like werewolves and vampires which I’ve always been interested in, and on a song like ‘Secrets of the Black Sun’ I talk about the finite nature of our time on this planet, that nothing is really permanent and being aware of that whether as an individual or as a civilization, which I guess fits in with the pandemic and the changes that are going on. There are all kinds of other people, civilizations and creatures that have come and gone long before us and if you think about it over a long enough time span, everyone’s life expectancy goes down to zero.”
The new album not only sees Hill expanding his creative and collaborative comfort zone by wholly embracing the offerings of his band mates, but he’s also let down the drawbridge to allow folks from beyond the immediate TOMBSfamily to include what he describes as “mad guest spots.”
“There’s Cat Cabral, who does the spoken word piece on ‘Angel of Darkness.’ She’s not a musician per se; she’s more from the occult and witchcraft world. I’ve been friends with her for a really long time and she’s a great resource for esoteric knowledge. She’s also an actress who has done plays and commercials and been in films, so I figured she’d be the perfect person to deliver dialogue in an emotionally deep way, and be good at taking direction. Ray Suhy from SIX FEET UNDER rips the guitar solo in ‘Barren’ and that solo is its own masterpiece, in my opinion. BLACK CROWN INITIATE and former TOMBS live guitarist Andy Thomas contributed a guitar solo in ‘Void Constellation.’ Todd Stern from PSYCROPTIC plays the solo in ‘Mortem.’ Sera Timms from IDES OF GEMINI and BLACK MATH HORSEMAN does guest vocals on ‘Secrets of the Black Sun.’ We’ve got INTEGRITY’s Dwid Hellion singing the chorus on ‘The Hunger’ and BLACK ANVIL’s Paul Delaney also doing a couple of verses on ‘Angel of Darkness.’ So, yeah, there are a bunch of people on there and it’s like a community effort which I enjoy. I like involving people I respect and having them be a part of the whole thing.”
After spending his entire adult life navigating the pitfalls and pratfalls of the industry for expressive and creative opportunity, Hill has amassed an impressive legacy, one that 'Under Sullen Skies' contributes to admirably and irreverently. Like most, the extreme music underground lifer and veteran is probably justified in approaching the future with very muted optimism, but while the world works at screwing its head back on straight, Hill is going to do what he wants to do as well as he possibly can. Uncertainty may reign at the moment, but Hill and TOMBS are still going to do their thing and will be content to please themselves in the process. If anyone else happens to be along for the ride, then welcome aboard.
“'Under Sullen Skies' is a dark and introspective album,” he asserts. “It’s not a happy record that anyone is going to use to get pumped up on a Friday night. We wanted to pull out the stops, go full-on and make a nice body of work. I could care less if anyone likes the band or not because I’ve been through so many ups and downs with this thing that I don’t give a fuck if people enjoy the music. I know I like it, I know the guys in the band like it and we’re just rocking and rolling. This record and the EP came out about as close as I could imagine to what I have in my brain about how this band should sound. The whole trajectory of the band has had each record never quite hitting, but 'Monarchy of Shadows' and 'Under Sullen Skies' have both really come out how I envisioned the songs to be.”
Line-up:
Mike Hill – guitars, vocals, electronics, synth
Matt Medeiros – guitars
Drew Murphy – bass, vocals
Justin Spaeth – drums, guitars, electronics, synth
Guest Musicians:
Cat Cabral – Spoken Word Dialog on “Angel of Darkness”
Paul Delaney (BLACK ANVIL) – additional vocals on “Angel of Darkness”
Dwid Hellion (INTEGRITY) – additional vocals on “The Hunger”
Todd Stern (PSYCROPTIC) – guitar solo on “Mordum”
Ray Suhy (SIX FEET UNDER) – guitar solo on “Barren”
Andy Thomas (BLACK CROWN INITIATE) – guitar solo on “Void Constellation”
Sera Timms (IDES OF GEMINI, BLACK MATH HORSEMAN) – additional vocals on “Secrets of the Black Sun”
Recording and Mixing: Fright Box Studios, Clifton, NJ, USA
Mastering/Producer/Sound Engineer: Bobby Torres
Cover Art: Valnoir
Bio: Kevin Stewart-Panko
Links
https://www.facebook.com/TombsBklyn/
https://www.instagram.com/tombscult/
https://twitter.com/TOMBS666
https://tombscult.bandcamp.com/
EverythingWentBlack.podbean.com
MOONSPELL Shares Upcoming Album Details and Brand New Video
Hermitage out February 26, 2021 via Napalm Records
Pre-Order HERE
"We are nothing, therefore we are everything..."
MOONSPELL is approaching their 30th anniversary as a band more ambitiously and stronger than ever, as the Portuguese dark metal pioneers have finally revealed the hotly anticipated details for their upcoming 13th studio album! Hermitage will be released on February 26, 2021 via Napalm Records.
While the world is struggling in the dark, MOONSPELL’s forthcoming album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano (Paradise Lost, Primordial, Ghost, Sólstafir and many more) at the Orgone Studios in the UK.
Building upon the sensitive facets of Hermitage, one can expect an entertaining and revolutionary, yet epic journey through the darkest days of human existence. Beautifully crafted songs such as “The Greater Good“ show us the modernity of the wolves in 2021, while other tracks embrace the MOONSPELL tradition of writing a dark, gothic metal record like no other band can. The ethereal and melodic sounds of MOONSPELL, while not straying away from their metal roots -- influenced by underground metal bands such as Bathory -- make Hermitage most likely one of the deepest, surprising and most epic albums MOONSPELL has ever written.
Today, the band is sharing the first song taken from Hermitage, the album opening track “The Greater Good”. Lead singer Fernando Ribeiro reveals:
“'The Greater Good' is a sociological concept implying the benefit of the public, of more people than oneself. To do which is better and more correct. Unfortunately, a lot of wrong-doing and pure evil actions were taken on behalf of this principle both by world leaders, and citizens. With a “screenplay” designed by myself, and put together by director Guilherme Henriques (Gaerea, Crippled Black Phoenix, Schammasch) 'The Greater Good' strikes at the deep contrast of our priorities as human beings. The plot evidentiates the daily clash between the problems we could never or never wanted to solve; and our “first world preoccupations”. The cult of the body versus the African famine; the killing of the innocent versus the second amendment; the beauty of monuments against the ugliness of violence.
We are all responsible for the things we see here. For the greater good, for the greatest evil. It’s not a question of race, gender, class or education. It’s a question of conscience. It’s vital we renew our communities’ ties, our humanly behavior. Only we can save us from ourselves.”
Like this first appetizer showcases, with Hermitage, MOONSPELL created a wonderfully intuitive and epic journey, but also a testament to what they’ve always loved the most: Honest, emotional metal that binds us even in the darkest times.
As Fernando tells us more about the upcoming MOONSPELL album:
“We know that we are entering the final years of our career as musicians: the winter of our lifetime. We don’t care about people saying we’re still young at heart, or “leading” wolves in a pack. We are not! But we do care about how those around us feel about us, and this album is all about how we feel, our answers to your questions.
Under these circumstances, we feel our musical stakes are higher than ever. For us, it’s not about likes or algorithms, reach, or opportunity of growth. We only care about the music. Music does come first on this album you will hold in your hands soon enough.”
He continues: “The record is about turning our backs to the conventions of modernity. We are currently convincing ourselves that it’s all about us, that we (humanity) are everything. That the world revolves around us. However, ipsi facto, we are nothing and nothing revolves around us. MOONSPELL's goal, on these last turns around the Sun, are to write the best music we possibly can. To tell you a few stories with our lyrics, to be close to you in these times of distancing. We wish not to tease you or to influence you or to sell you our fish. We want to sit down with you at your table and feast together upon our notes and words. Like if we were close friends, like back in the time where music matters the most. In your bedroom listening to music, without having to post our smart remarks about it, inviting the hate in.
Hermitage is an open-hearted invitation to simplicity. To be humble. To be thankful. To serve you solace. Provide you comfort, entertainment. We sincerely hope this call reaches you. That you kindly accept what we offer. That you take our music with you to the place you must feel as yours. To your secret place, to your hermitage. Blessed be.“
Pre-Order Hermitage HERE
Hermitage will be available in several highly limited and collectible Deluxe and Die-Hard Editions, Mediabook, and Cassette (all of them including the Candlemass cover "Darkness in Paradise") but also in Jewelcase and Digital formats. The Deluxe Box will also include an etched 7’’ Vinyl with another special bonus track, “The Great Leap Forward", as well as much more exciting additional collectible items!
Just recently, MOONSPELL played and streamed a special Halloween live show at the historic theatre, Pax Julia, in Beja, Portugal. By public demand, the band has made the show available again to stream worldwide! Available until December 16, grab your digital ticket and watch MOONSPELL’s breathtaking, high-voltage concert HERE!
Pre-Order NOW here: https://smarturl.it/Hermitage THE GREATER GOOD- LYRIC VIDEO The Greater Good is a sociological concept implying he benefit of the public,...
MINA CAPUTO Releases New Album 'The Mones'
Legendary frontwoman MINA CAPUTO has released her new solo album, titled 'The Mones'. Fans can check out the new record exclusively via Caputo's Bandcamp. After garnering a massive following as the vocalist for the world-renowned rock-alt/metal outfit Life of Agony, Caputo’s honed a reputation for touching listeners to the very depths of their souls with her poetry; her heartrending live performances are well-earned. Within a single show, she is capable of inciting arena-sized mosh pits in addition to breathless silence.
About MINA CAPUTO:
Throughout the last twenty years, Mina Caputo has recorded sixteen diversely influential albums—not including demos, live records or EPs—with an impressive who’s who of industry veterans, including bassist and trumpet player Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), guitarist Craig Ross (Lenny Kravitz, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow), pianist Zac Rae (Fiona Apple, Miley Cyrus, Annie Lennox), producer Martyn Lenoble (Jane’s Addiction, Scott Weiland, Porno for Pyros, Mark Lanegan, The Cult), mixer Greg Fidelman (Rage Against The Machine, Marilyn Manson, Johnny Cash), mixer Mike Shipley(The Cars, Queen, Aerosmith, Joni Mitchell), and most recently, producers Sylvia Massey (Tool, Life of Agony, System of a Down) and Joey Z. for Life of Agony’s 2019 release, “The Sound of Scars.” On the festival circuit, she has shared stages with multitudes of varying genre titans, among them Coldplay, Nine Inch Nails, Björk, David Bowie, Pixies, Velvet Revolver, Bush, Slipknot, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Laura Jane Grace, Modest Mouse, Aphex Twin, Foo Fighters, and more. With distinctive influences ranging from Led Zeppelin and The Doors to Arthur Rimbaud and William S. Burroughs, Mina is unafraid to mine new musical territory, as evidenced by her most recent releases: “A Fondness for Hometown Scars,” “As Much Truth as One Can Bear," ”Love Hard,” and her 2020 release, “The Mones.”
Mina also has frequently co-collaborated with Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist producer Andy Kravitz (Cypress Hill, Billy Joel, Imogen Heap, Julianna Hatfield), whom she met during the Life of Agony “Soul Searching Sun” recording sessions in the late 1990s. Kravitz co-produced and was heavily present on her last three albums, “Love Hard,” “As Much Truth as One Can Bear,” and now “The Mones,” which also features such guests as John (Norwood) Fisher (Fishbone), Rick Boston (Joe Cocker) ,” and longtime frequent collaborator Rob Mastrianni. Kravitz was also involved on her ambient-infused rock fusion duo side project with Ryan Oldcastle as The Neptune Darlings bringing their two releases, “Chestnuts and Fireflies” and “Principium Sequentia.”
Obsessed with hard truths, Caputo remains an intrepid conquistador of her own pain. Orphaned by heroin-addicted parents, Mina was forced to grow up in a dark world of poverty, violence and crime. And while themes of abuse and abandonment may seem familiar to those who follow her work, Caputo innovatively sheds new light on these subjects with every song she creates. As unorthodox as her lyrical content can sometimes be, the most surprising aspect about Mina is her undying romanticism—her unwavering insistence on seeing the silver lining in every cloud. As Caputo herself says, “From my own feelings of displacement, dissatisfaction and yearning, comes a vast sea of compassion.”
MINA CAPUTO Online:
Bandcamp - https://minacaputo.bandcamp.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/officialminacaputo/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/MinaCaputo
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/MinaCaputo/
EMPTINESS Unveils New Album Details, Shares First Single
The brand new Emptiness track 'L'ailleurs' , taken from the band's upcoming new album 'Vide'. Release date: February 12th, 2021.'Vide' (2021) was meant as a ...
"Emptiness is an old man, isolated for too long, bitter, he's changing again."
Belgian dark metal outfit EMPTINESS are now revealing the very first track of their upcoming full length, 'Vide,' which is due on February 12, 2021! The album artwork and track list can be found below. The new offering, 'L'ailleurs,' can be heard at THIS LOCATION.
EMPTINESS comments on the track: "The Thing was born in a world to which It does not seem to belong. No straight lines, logic has no meaning. Life is the natural enemy. With no ill intent, the Thing both feeds, and is fed by death. Beyondness, 'L' ailleurs,' is on its way."
The new album is completely produced by vocalist/bass player Jérémie Bézier, who is trying to create something authentic and avoid all external energies. The tracking mostly happenened during the Belgian lockdown, in his apartment and rooftop 7th floor in Brussels. Pre-orders are now available HERE.
The shape-shifting Belgian quartet EMPTINESS returns with 'Vide,' their first new album in four years. 'Vide' (the French word for empty) sees the band veer away from the mechanical foreboding of 2017's 'Not For Music' into a more introspective and deconstructed direction. It unfolds like a fever dream, with each track falling into hazy rhythmic patterns and featuring haunting vocals that hang in the ether.
Founded in Europe's center of gravity, Brussels (BE), in the year 1998, EMPTINESS embarked on their musical journey with a burning vision to delve deep into darkness and horror. While the band was taking musical inspiration from different extreme styles such as black and death metal, the Belgians approached the music in an open minded manner of continuous experimentation.
Following their inception, EMPTINESS first released the two demos 'Eternal Rising' (2000) and 'Necrorgy' (2002) that received a remarkable welcome in the underground. Yet with each new album, 'Guilty to Exist' (2004), 'Oblivion' (2007), 'Error' (2012), and 'Nothing but the Whole' (2014), the Belgians were also increasingly leaving a mark in mainstream music press.
EMPTINESS scored the devil's luck and won the perfect production set-up to create new sinister soundscapes during the recordings of 'Not For Music' in 2017. After recording in their own Blackout Studio, the Belgians received an invitation to further enhance the production of 'Not for Music' by Jeordie White aka Twiggy Ramirez (MARILYN MANSON, A PERFECT CIRCLE, NINE INCH NAILS). The final mix and mastering was done by Sean Beavan (GUNS N' ROSES, NIN, SLAYER).
'Vide' (2021) was meant as a claustrophobic album, a journey of an infinite mind stuck into a world too small. Questioning the essence of once perceptions, this album invites you to rethink your grasp of reality. To that end, it was important for EMPTINESS to be isolated during its experimentations. Recordings would take place sometimes in confined spaces like apartments or a cabin in the woods, and sometimes on a city roof allowing to contemplate a strange human world from above. Involvement was strictly limited to the band members who took care of all audio production and visuals work. The pandemic and lockdown happened while recording was in progress; a materialization of the imaginary world being created. The album either by coincidence or not, is in tune with our dissonant times.
Line-up
Jérémie Bézier: Bass, Vocals
Olivier Lomer: Guitar, Synths
David Alexandre Parquier: Synth
Jonas Sanders: Drums, Percussions
Style: Misery Pop
Recording Studio & Sound Engineers:
Recorded with a portable recording setup, in an apartment, a cabin in the woods and a rooftop. Drums recorded in Blackout studio (BE).
Producer/Sound engineer: Jérémie Bézier
Mixing & Mastering: Jérémie Bézier
Cover art: Olivier Lomer
Pre-sales: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/EmptinessVide
For more on EMPTINESS, visit the band's official FACEBOOK, WEBSITE, and BANDCAMP.
GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT Unveils New Album Details:
Pre-Order "Ghost Tapes #10" here: https://smarturl.it/GhostTapes10
Ghost Tapes #10 out February 12 via Napalm Records
Pre-Order HERE!
Watch the Music Video for Atmospheric New Single “Burial”
An ethereal post-rock experience to dive into infinite atmospheres
Reigning as one of the most well-known and highly critically acclaimed experimental instrumental groups out there with a respected musical legacy spanning nearly 20 years, Irish four-piece GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT will reach a career benchmark upon the release of their 10th studio album, Ghost Tapes #10 (out February 12, 2021 via Napalm Records).
Along with an artful black and white music video (by Chariot Of Black Moth), the hypnotizing first offering “Burial” captivates with atmospheric yet melancholic, bewitching instrumental lines, and GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT’s full extent of power. The seven-minute piece showcases the band’s unique ability to explore plaintive wistfulness and shuddering riffs, forming a perfect storm whilst also creating intense sonic-spheres that are second to none.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.”
Robert Frost
Pre-Order the new album NOW:
Ghost Tapes #10 is certainly the most ferocious GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT full-length to date – it still retains all the rich musical and emotive elements the band is known for by wheeling around luminance, but offering its harsh and deep reminiscences as well. Works of art like “Burial”, “In Flux” and “Barren Trees”, with additional guitars by Jimmy Scanlan,amongst others are proof of these creations of sound. The album’s closer, the atmospheric“Luminous Waves”, captivates in a trance-like mindset – putting one deeply in touch with their inner self, drifting away to stirring tunes of guest cello virtuoso Jo Quail.
The artwork was illustrated by David Rooney, who has worked with the band in the past, and plays into the sense of the foreboding and uncertain times we live in. Ghost Tapes #10 will be available as a four-page digipack as well as in multiple limited LP options.
Ghost Tapes #10 will be available in North America in the following formats:
- LP Gatefold Vinyl BLACK
- LP Gatefold Vinyl GOLD (limited to 300 copies)
- LP Gatefold Vinyl Deluxe SPLATTER WHITE/GOLD/BLACK + Brush Print Album Cover Metal Plate, Slipmat (strictly limited to 100 copies)
- LP Gatefold Vinyl SPLATTER WHITE/BLACK (limited to 300 copies)
- Four-page CD Digipak
- Digital Album
GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT are:
Torsten Kinsella - Guitar, Piano/Synths
Niels Kinsella - Bass
Lloyd Hanney - Drums
Jamie Dean - Guitar, Piano
Ghost Sighting on Zoom Goes Viral!
Four friends on Zoom try out a prompt from The Beauty of Horror 'Haunt This Journal' and get more than they bargained for.
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Based on The Beauty of Horror 'Haunt This Journal' by Alan Robert (IDW Publishing): https://amzn.to/36r2DDd
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CAST
Julian: Julian Mazzola
Rachel: Carly Consalvo
Brian: Dylan Turczan
Kim: Cecilia Viveiros
Ghouliana: Gabriella Dulla
Screenplay: Alan Robert
SFX & Editing: Josh Petrino
SAN DIEGO, CA (November 17, 2020) – With virtual hangouts becoming the new normal during the pandemic, it was only a matter of time until a spirit from beyond decided to crash a Zoom. See what happens when four friends get more than they bargained for when they experiment with a ghostly prompt from the hit Beauty of Horror ‘Haunt This Journal’.
“I wish I had a book like this when I was growing up,” laughs Beauty of Horror creator (and Life of Agony bassist) Alan Robert. “At a very young age, I became obsessed with everything horror and my friends and I would try to connect with the supernatural through Ouija boards and amateur séances. I took that playful curiosity from my childhood and poured it into every creepy page of The Beauty of Horror ‘Haunt This Journal’. A journal like this can be a very personal experience, or as you can see with the video, it can also be a fun group activity… just be careful who you invite!”
Video Credits
Julian: Julian Mazzola, Rachel: Carly Consalvo, Brian: Dylan Turczan, Kim: Cecilia Viveiros, Ghouliana: Gabriella Dulla. Screenplay: Alan Robert, SFX & Editing: Josh Petrino
The Beauty of Horror: Haunt This Journal
Bloody Disgusting praised the journal as “The must have activity book of the year!”
They say there is nothing more frightening than the blank page... and up until now, they'd
probably be right! Consider this guided journal as a companion to the hit adult coloring
book series The Beauty of Horror, and this time around, bestselling creator Alan Robert
encourages you to color outside the lines. Follow ghastly fan-favorite Ghouliana on a
macabre descent into madness as she prompts and pokes your every move. Abide her
direction... or else she may seek her revenge! The Beauty of Horror: Haunt This Journal
will get you in the spirit to rip up, tear out, and unleash your creativity in ways you've
never dreamed of.
The Beauty of Horror: Haunt This Journal
by Alan Robert
ISBN 978-1-68405-756-6
$14.99 US / $19.99 CAN
224-page, black-and-white square-bound softcover, 5.5″ x 8″
On-Sale Now: https://www.idwpublishing.com/product/the-beauty-of-horror-haunt-this-journal/
For Further Reading
The Beauty of Horror 1: A GOREgeous Coloring Book • B&W • $17.99 US / $23.99 CAN • ISBN 978-1-63140-728-4
The Beauty of Horror 2: Ghouliana's Creepatorium Coloring Book • B&W • $16.99 US / $22.99 CAN • ISBN 978-1-68405-070-3
The Beauty of Horror 3: Haunted Playgrounds Coloring Book • B&W • $16.99 US / $22.99 CAN • ISBN 978-1-68405-308-7
The Beauty of Horror 4: Creature Feature Coloring Book • B&W • $16.99 US / $22.99 CAN • ISBN 978-1-68405-708-5
The Beauty of Horror: Ghosts of Christmas Coloring Book • B&W • $12.99 US / $16.99 CAN • ISBN 978-1-68405-332-2
The Beauty of Horror: Tricks and Treats Halloween Coloring Book • B&W • $12.99 US / $16.99 CAN • ISBN 978-1-68405-603-3
About Alan Robert
Alan Robert is the creator of several critically-acclaimed graphic novels: Wire Hangers, Crawl to Me, Killogy, The Shunned One, and The Beauty of Horror, a bestselling series of horror-themed adult coloring books. Robert is also well known as the bassist/songwriter for the hard rock group Life of Agony for over two decades. A Brooklyn native, Alan’s journey as a comic book creator began at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where he attended on a scholarship and studied cartooning under legendary Thor comic writer/artist Walter Simonson.