"The song 'Poison' stresses the helpless feelings of a collapsing relationship between two people that were seemingly perfect for one another. Thematically, it also highlights the miscommunications and low points that lead to the situation. All good things must come to an end."
“Jeannie”can be streamed/downloaded at
https://thenomadic.fanlink.to/jeannie
Follow Rob @thenomadicband
Follow The Nomadic on Spotify
Subscribe to The Nomadic on YouTube
"Jeannie was my grandmother, she was the youngest daughter in her family in Wagga Wagga, country Australia, growing up in the early 20th century! Australia was a very different country then, still growing and developing, and finding its feet as a nation. Conditions were not easy and everyone in the family had to contribute to the family. Jeannie was a very strong and stoic woman who served in the Medical Women’s Service in the Pacific during the Second World War. For 4 years she was apart from her fiancé Guy, who during that time was a POW. So she had no idea as to his whereabouts and how he was doing. I think a lot about their strength and example today, and how resilient and strong they were" says Rob Gaylard.
He continues, "She was a wonderful nurse, and a loving and caring grandmother, a friend who supported the community and family through good times and bad. She was always there with a kind and wise word, and sometimes an extraordinary sense of the future. She taught us to appreciate the beauty in nature, a starry sky or a robin in the garden and was always encouraging and inspiring. She loved music and was a fan of Elvis, Pavarotti, The Beatles and The Nomadic!!"
Australian guitarist and singer/songwriter Robert Gaylard brings a unique perspective and vision when it comes to creating music. His inspiration and passion for starting The Nomadic began early on as a child after traveling to many countries like Myanmar (formerly Burma), Singapore and the Solomon Islands. His “nomadic” lifestyle continued on into his adulthood when he began to work for the United Nations in various countries such as: Kenya, Somalia, the Sudan, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Israel and Palestine. His travels eventually brought him to New York in September of 2012 and motivated him to pursue his songwriting by establishing an indie rock band.
In the year 2019, Rob took a one year leave of absence from the UN to follow his musical passion and focus specifically on songwriting and live performance. The Nomadic released its debut single “Drifting” in September of 2019, "Waiting" was released in April of 2020 and "Beyond Blue" in June. "Manhattan View" was released on June 29th. The band is set to release a series of singles including: "Skaterpark," “Grand Mistakes” "My Mind is Racing" and “Under a Georgia Sky.” The full album "Beyond Blue" will be released in mid-year. Influenced by artists like Oasis, Radiohead, The Verve, Bruce Springsteen, Phosphorescent, The War on Drugs, Arizona and The 1975, The Nomadic produces a sound genre like no other as alternative rock meets blues with hints of Americana and pop.
Having been originally influenced by numerous cultures and ways of life, The Nomadic promotes and advocates for issues of social action and innovation, human rights, support for minorities, as well as doing the next right thing, including the idea that it is never too late, including for people to follow their dreams and passions.
The Nomadic - Manhattan View - Official Video: https://youtu.be/kn1xnqTeGPY
The Nomadic - Beyond Blue - Official Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBFALjHTdgg&feature=youtu.be
The Nomadic - Waiting - Official Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxKwSEBXgxM
The Nomadic - Drifting - Official Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5YoUlC4Wyk
For More Information Please Visit:
FROM NEW ALBUM
SONGS OF DEATH AND RESURRECTION
DUE OUT MARCH 5TH VIA SOLID STATE RECORDS
Photo credit: Jeremiah Scott
PREORDER: Songs of Death and Resurrection
DEMON HUNTER debuted the first single, a reworked version of “I Will Fail You,” from their forthcoming album, Songs of Death and Resurrection, a mostly acoustic and stripped-down release due March 5, 2021, via Solid State Records.
Songs of Death and Resurrection features 11 new “Resurrected” versions of classic DEMON HUNTER songs from across their ten studio albums, including fan favorites such as “I Am a Stone,” “I Will Fail You,” “Carry Me Down,” and “The Heart of a Graveyard,” plus a brand new composition, “Praise the Void”. Marking an entirely new approach for DEMON HUNTER, Songs of Death and Resurrection finds the band using lush string arrangements, haunting piano, and layered vocal harmonies. “I Will Fail You (Resurrected)” is available to stream here alongside the previously released track “Dead Flowers (Resurrected),” and the album is available for preorder here.
Ryan Clark (vocals) had this to say about “I Will Fail You (Resurrected)”:
The original album version of “I Will Fail You” is one of our doomiest ballads. At the time, I found myself immersed in the bleak heaviness of bands like Omnium Gatherum, Swallow The Sun, and Katatonia. I’m naturally drawn to that place where heavy and sad collide.
Reimagined for Songs of Death and Resurrection, the song takes on a haunting vibe, replacing heavy chugs with hypnotic repetition of the lead guitar. There’s a trance-like cadence to it, which feels just as appropriate as the original crunch.
This version of the song also features the amazing talents of longtime Demon Hunter collaborator, Chris Carmichael. Chris has arranged and performed the strings for many DH songs, such as “Sixteen,” “Driving Nails,” “I Am a Stone,” and “Slight the Odds.” I’ve never had to give Chris direction, and I’ve never asked him to change anything beyond his first attempt. He just gets it... and makes us sound like a million dollars every time he touches a track.
Songs of Death and Resurrection features founding vocalist/songwriter Ryan Clark, lead guitarist Patrick Judge, bassist Jonathan Dunn, drummer Yogi Watts, and guitarist Jeremiah Scott, who produced and mixed the effort in Atlanta, Georgia, and Nashville, Tennessee. Scott also produced the band’s War(2019), Peace (2019), Outlive (2017), and Extremist (2014) records. To announce the album, DEMON HUNTER performed the album in its entirety for fans in an exclusive live stream performance this past November, which reached #14 on Billboard’s Rising Livestream Artists chart.
Italian progressive metalcore quintet PROSPECTIVE share their new single "Liar" along with a music video. The digital 2-track single also features an instrumental version of "Liar" and is available now as stream and download.
Drummer Flavio Cacciari about "Liar":
“Liar is one of those songs that made us say "holy sh*t this is good". I remember composing it at 4am in the morning with my body requesting some sleep but it was such a moment of inspiration that I couldn't stop.” He adds “It all started with that synth thing at the beginning of the track, all the rest came naturally.” Lyric wise frontman and vocalist Pietro Serratore says “the song is about a person that is not good for you, completely toxic. We're all about that concept of letting go people that are not suited for your life, just let them go.”
Listen to "Liar" here:
https://prospective.lnk.to/liar
"Liar" is taken from Prospective's latest album 'All We Have' which you can check out here: https://Prospective.lnk.to/AllWeHave
Every new release requires dedication and countless hours of writing, and that's what Prospective, progressive Metalcore Band from Bologna (Italy) embodies. The band's latest full-length album "All We Have" (Long Branch Records) is manic and emotionally stunning. The Italian quintet - Pietro Serratore [Vocals], Luca Zini [Lead Guitar, Vocals], Davide Ruggeri [Guitar], Giuseppe Colli [Bass] and Flavio Cacciari [Drummer] - reaches deep into their personalities to convey all feelings.
With a writing process on the edge of chaos and chance, with months of hectic work and countless nights shaping their new sound to find the perfect combination of guitar sounds. The songs are straightforward, hard and without regret, with rough guitar sounds, violent riffs, gnarly breakdowns, catchy choirs and unexpected melodies. All this has become possible thanks to the excellent work of mixer Buster Odeholm and mastering engineer Ermin Hamidovic.
The loss of someone, anger at the people around you, the constant issue of pollution and war, are some of the main issues that listeners will encounter while listening to the record. A complicated mixture of anger and love, with lyrics that talk about the feeling of being betrayed and the death of someone you love. The ongoing theme of war, either in yourself or on the battlefield, is something the band has explored in a meaningful way.
PROSPECTIVE Lineup:
Pietro Serratore - Vocals
Luca Zini - Guitar & Vocals
Davide Ruggeri - Guitar
Giuseppe Colli - Bass
Flavio Cacciari - Drums
For More Info, Please Visit:
Official Website: https://prospectiveband.bigcartel.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prospectiveband
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prospectiveband/
LISTEN HERE
NEW LYRIC VIDEO PREMIERING TODAY
British rockers Thunder have released the brand new single ‘Going To Sin City’, the second taste of their upcoming 13th studio album ‘All The Right Noises’ out March 12th 2021 on BMG.
The defiantly strutting track is a rare look back for the band, who perhaps only now are processing the whirlwind of their late 80’s and early 90’s adventures.
On the song, guitarist and songwriter Luke Morley says:
‘It's based on the first time Danny [Thunder vocalist Danny Bowes] and I went to LA in the late-80s.
We were used to the music scene around Soho, and thought we were cool. In LA I felt like I was the bloke who’d come to fix the plumbing. Before bands like Guns N’ Roses rock’n’roll was pretty much denim and leather in Britain. Danny and I were determined to bring all that colour and sex and fun to the new band we were forming, which became Thunder.’
The album is a return to the full-throttle sound of Thunder that has seen them create a hugely successful 30+ year career at the forefront of British rock.
‘All The Right Noises’ is an intense confection of illicit charms that reasserts their authority as the number one band in the land. Recorded in the months leading up to the first Covid-19 lockdown, it was originally due for release in September 2020. Strange to reflect then on how much of the new material appears to address the challenging new world we now inhabit.
On the album, Luke says “ All the songs were written and recorded pre-Covid. But it is interesting how if you look at some of the tracks through the prism of Covid they still make a lot of sense.”
‘All The Right Noises’ follows on from 2019’s stripped back and reimagined album, ‘Please Remain Seated’ which continued their consecutive Top 10 UK Album Chart run since their ecstatically received comeback six years ago.
It is another chapter in the band’s incredibly successful history that has seen them create a succession of some of the most highly-regarded rock albums of the past 30 years. The key to their renown: brilliantly conceived top-drawer material including all-time classics like ‘Dirty Love’, and ‘Low Life In High Places’, described by the late great Radio One Rock Show presenter Tommy Vance as “the greatest ever single released by a rock band”.
With their most recent success, Thunder have proven themselves as vital now as when they emerged with their debut album in 1990 ‘Backstreet Symphony’, and their hit follow-up in 1992 ‘Laughing On Judgement Day’, which was only kept off the top spot by Kylie Minogue.
Watch the Teaser for NANOWAR OF STEEL’s New Stylistic Direction
taly’s finest, NANOWAR OF STEEL – famous for their beloved metal parodies and cheeky hit songs such as “Valhallelujah” and “Uranus” – have turned to their fans and supporters on social media today in a new, heartfelt and honest statement about the band’s current situation. After gathering millions of clicks on YouTube and Spotify, as well as just recently re-releasing their popular 2018 album Stairway To Valhalla, the band will be undergoing a major stylistic shift and a new musical direction.
NANOWAR OF STEEL states:
“We're getting close to the 40 years old threshold and after so many years in the music industry we have to face the fact that - despite the growth we experienced in the last years and an important record deal with Napalm Records - metal and heavy music in general cannot give us the kind of financial sustainability our lives require at this stage.
If you follow us on social media, you should already be aware of the fact that we have announced a radical change of direction our music will take. We can now state that this change means our new style will be considerably lighter and oriented towards a broader audience.
We're sorry to put this in these terms - which might sound way too cold and materialistic - but we want to make things clear before our fans and all those who, in the last years, supported us for what we were, a parody METAL band.
(…)
With our new music, new projects and new energy we are aiming at climbing the charts, going to Sanremo, join the Eurovision and - first and foremost - conquer the hearts of those who do not know the band we’re mocking when we sing ‘By sunlight we ride, ten thousand side by side’.”
Read the full statement from NANOWAR OF STEEL HERE.
NANOWAR OF STEEL are:
Gatto Panceri 666 - Bass
Potowotominimak – Vocals
Mr. Baffo – Vocals
Abdul – Guitar
Uinona Raider – Drums
Danish dynamites GHOST IRIS have released their brand new single "paper tiger", along with an accompanying music video. It's the band's first single off their new album, coming Spring 2021.
Ghost Iris about the new single "paper tiger":
"Life is a rollercoaster. A rollercoaster where the hunters become the hunted and the weak become the strong. In the end, no one cares and our world will dwindle, for time sheds no tear. It's a song that centers around nihilism, misanthropy and the inevitable end. Paper tigers are plenty, but the real tigers are few. Who are you?"
Stream 'paper tiger' here: https://GhostIris.lnk.to/papertiger
echnically enhanced and melodic guitars, fast-driven, yet groovy drums, and an extraordinarily wide vocal range: from diverse angry growls to striking clean vocals encapsulates the band's signature sound. With the aim to provide listeners with an experience that is as catchy and varied as it is hard-hitting, GHOST IRIS manages to explore diverse moods and atmospheres.
Having toured with the likes of After The Burial, Dream Theater, and Soen, GHOST IRISrecently hit the road in Germany with Ukrainian beasts JINJER on the band's 'social distancing' mini-tour; making them one of the first and only bands to cross borders during Covid-19.
Ghost Iris recently announced a new tour as special guests for post-hardcore legends in making: SKYWALKER. The tour was originally planned for 2020 but was postponed due to the ongoing pandemic.
Lineup:
Jesper Vicencio Gün - Vocals
Nicklas Grønlund Thomsen - Guitar
Daniel Leszkowicz - Guitar
Sebastian Linnet - Drums
For More Info Visit:
Onwards into battle, one more time... In the two years since MEMORIAM released Requiem For Mankind, the band haven't rested on their laurels. Their fourth studio album, To The End is due for release on March 26 via Reaper Entertainment.
Marking the beginning of a second trilogy of albums, To The End serves as something of a prologue to the first three MEMORIAM albums. Working backwards and narrating the life story of the leader whose demise was depicted in the first trilogy, the lyrics on the album may play out in a fictional realm, but they incorporate inspiration from real life. A central theme of war is coloured with political fulminations and everyday experiences that combine to create a cohesive and enthralling chronicle.
The four-piece returned to producer, Russ Russell, for the recording of To The End. For the first time, the band demoed the songs and entered the studio with a new level of preparedness. Coupled with their close relationship with Russell, this created an environment that allowed for greater experimentation, as demonstrated by the diverse array of textures and sounds present on the nine tracks on the album.
From the earliest days of the band, they had their eye on the art Dan Seagrave (Benediction, Dismember, Hypocrisy, Suffocation etc) as an accompaniment to their music. Having created the artwork for the first three MEMORIAM albums, he has also created the cover for To The End.
The band comment:
"We are really chuffed to be collaborating with Dan, his vision and interpretation of ideas are totally unique and its fantastic to be involved in the creative process with him - seeing the ideas that we have transformed into stunning images that we are proud to have as artwork for our albums. His style is second to none, so much so that using any other artist at this point would seem like a compromise; his attention to detail is incredible. To The End is the first album of this trilogy and features the events that led up to the scenes depicted on our first album, For the Fallen. The art shows the king leading his troops into the last battle in which he was killed. It looks bloody killer."
Seagrave elaborates:
"In this moment we’re capturing the dawn of the onslaught of the city; visible from the industrial outskirts, as the forces descend with a pincer movement into the valley, spreading destruction towards their goal. The king character to me at this stage has become something of a creature - beyond human. There is an elemental shift in its DNA and a detachment of its ordinary senses. Held together by earthly materials, I feel its presence brings with it a surrealistic sickness that affects the immediate environment and those who tread within its boundaries.
"My aesthetic look of this was to combine the retro military tech of the early 20th century with the memory of renaissance times art. For example, tanks that have bas relief sculpture, and inventions such as the flying wingsuit - a metallic armoured vehicle contraption worn by the foreground figure. There's less of a literal darkness in the depiction. Here there seems to be a permeating flow of dust particles, like a concocting mist of specular ice and grey concrete. The dawn of a bright day reacting with it, both illuminating and deadly."
The first digital single, "Onwards into Battle" will be released on January 22; it can be pre-saved here.
MEMORIAM is:
Karl Willetts - vocals (ex-BOLT THROWER)
Frank Healy - bass (ex-BENEDICTION)
Spike T Smith - drums (Sacrilege, Conflict, Killing Joke, The Damned)
Scott Fairfax - guitars (AS THE WORLD DIES, ex-BENEDICTION live)
New York/New Jersey metal formation TOMBS will be performing their very first virtual concert on February 5 @ 3:00 P.M. EST via Bandcamp, making the band the first metal artist to premiere a live stream through the platform. The band will be present for a live meet and greet and will be selling some exlcusive merchandise items! Tickets and the performance will be made available HERE. Stay tuned for additional information!
TOMBS is currently supporting their latest full-length, 'Under Sullen Skies,' which was released in November of 2020. The record has been named one of the best metal releases of 2020 by Metal Insider, Decibel Magazine, The Pit, Riff Magazine, Chicago Music Guide's Global Music Podcast, and others while drummer Justin Spaeth has been dubbed one of the best drummers of 2020 by Sick Drummer Magazine.
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.
'Under Sullen Skies' can be streamed, downloaded, and ordered 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
Shop: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/tombs-skies
For more on TOMBS, visit their official FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and BANDCAMP.
PROG ROCK GROUP FEATURING MEMBERS OF YES, SOUND OF CONTACT
SELF-TITLED DEBUT OUT FEBRUARY 12TH ON FRONTIERS MUSIC SRL
Frontiers Music Srl is excited to announce the release of ARC OF LIFE's self-titled debut album on February 12, 2021. Arc Of Life is a new progressive rock supergroup featuring three members of the current YES line-up, vocalist/guitarist Jon Davison, bassist/vocalist Billy Sherwood, and additional drummer Jay Schellen, one of the most interesting talents in the “new” progressive rock scene in the US, Dave Kerzner (Sound of Contact) on keyboards, and Jimmy Haun (also featured on YES albums in the past) on guitar.
Today the band releases the song "Just in Sight."
Watch the video for "You Make it Real" HERE: https://youtu.be/_84UCEDeEkc
Pre-order/save "Arc Of Life" HERE: https://orcd.co/arcoflife
The concept behind Arc of Life is, in keeping with the progressive rock philosophy, to craft creative, challenging, and ear-pleasing music that pushes boundaries.
Arc Of Life is a true garden of delight for progressive rock fans and the band is looking forward to performing live. “Once the world gets over the COVID hump, Arc Of Life will be planning as much touring as we can fit in between YES and our other projects. Quite honestly, we’re all chomping at the bit to be out performing again!” concludes Jon Davison.
Line-up:
Billy Sherwood - Bass and vocals
Jon Davison - Vocals
Jay Schellen - Drums
Jimmy Haun - Guitars
Dave Kerzner - Keyboards
Dutch extreme metal outfit AUTARKH will release their debut full-length, 'Form in Motion' on March 12, 2021! The album artwork, tracklist, and details can be found below. In conjunction with this announcement, the band is now sharing the chaotic first single, "Turbulence."
To misquote Allen Ginsburg "the circle DODECAHDRON is broken. But with death comes rebirth." AUTARKH takes a radical approach to their musical assault, consuming the listener with dizzying maelstroms of chaos. ‘Form In Motion’ embodies the word “extreme,” putting forth an intrusive battery of blistering guitars, pummeling drums, spastic math metal salvos and cacophonous electronics that culminates in one of the most robust and daring debut records metal has seen yet.
AUTARKH founder Michel Nienhuis comments: "‘Turbulence’ is a song about an ongoing realization and understanding of internal conflict. Change is necessary and inevitable but seems unattainable and out of range. ‘Turbulence’ is the first full blown song of the album and is quite representative of the AUTARKH sound – up-tempo blasts versus downtempo grooves, locking harmonies versus chaotic dissonance and ethereal layers versus dark growls. This visualizer is the result of a first experiment of our producer and sound designer Joris Bonis with his analog oscilloscopes from the 1970’s, that generate images based on audio. We invite you to join in on this new chapter of our musical evolution."
Pre-orders are now live HERE.
From the fertile grounds of Tilburg (NL) rises new contemporary metal outfit AUTARKH, a group of musical extremists dedicated to pushing the boundaries of the auditory senses. Autarkh is the brainchild of Michel Nienhuis, founding member and composer/guitarist of DODECAHEDRON. Dodecahedron released 2 albums on the French record label Season Of Mist in 2012 and 2017 and has played at Inferno festival (NO), Reykjavík Metalfest (IS) Brutal Assault (CZ), Roadburn Festival (NL) and Eurosonic (NL) amongst others.
Death and illness was closing in on Dodecahedron, triggering a conceptual transformation that was necessary to effectuate Nienhuis’ artistic development. In the fall of 2019 Nienhuis teamed up with producer Joris Bonis (Dodecahedron, Ulsect), guitarist David Luiten and electronic composer / producer Tijnn Verbruggen, a set of musicians with backgrounds ranging from metal to techno. Autarkh’s first full length album ‘Form In Motion’ will be released the 12th of March 2021 through Season of Mist records.
AUTARKH takes a unique position in the world of extreme metal. Synthetic, IDM-style beats and glitch effects - reminiscent of those produced by artists such as Aphex Twin and Autechre - are perfectly balanced with overwhelming riffs and vocals that range from dark growls and exasperating screams to semi-clean harmonies. Together with fluttering blast beats, dense bass lines and eerie soundscapes these elements produce an intense and crystal clear tunnel of sound where the energy of contrasting emotions is constantly felt.
‘Form In Motion’ feels like an evolution in both sound and lyrical content from the two albums Nienhuis released with Dodecahedron. Musically, because of the radical approach the band takes with their rhythm section; lyrically because the album is more about a personal experience of human nature and the nature of the universe. The album takes us from unraveling storms and destructive chaos to transformation, liberation and fundamental shifts in understanding in order to align with the divine. That progression is also present in a linear sense – the intrusive uneasiness the album starts with gives way to a sense of epic victory towards the end.
Give yourself the opportunity to dive into this radical exploration of sonic and spiritual ideas and allow yourself to get inspired by what AUTARKH has to offer.
Genre: Contemporary Extreme Metal
Recording line-up:
Michel Nienhuis: vocals, guitars, bass, programming
David Luiten: vocals, guitars
Tijnn Verbruggen: synthesis, beat design
Joris Bonis: synthesis, sound design
Music and lyrics: Michel Nienhuis
Production: Joris Bonis & Michel Nienhuis
Mix:
Turbulence, Cyclic Terror, Introspectrum, Lost To Sight, Clouded Aura and Alignment: David Luiten
Impasse: Tijnn Verbruggen
Primitive Constructs, Metacognition and Zeit ist nur eine Illusion: Michel Nienhuis
Master: Joris Bonis
Artwork: Manuel Tinnemans / Comaworx
Design & Layout: Arno Frericks & Reinier Bonis
www.autarkh.com
www.facebook.com/autarkh
www.instagram.com/autarkhband
Pre-orders: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/AutarkhShop
Formats:
CD Digipak
LP in various colours
Digital
For more information on AUTARKH, please visit the band's official WEBSITE, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM.
First Single & Official Video, “Glow From The Edge”, Out Now
Sophomore Album, Ruins, Reissued on Vinyl for the First Time – Coming March 12
Pre-Order HERE
Emerging from the Finnish coastal town of Kotka, melodic death/doom metal strikers MARIANAS REST will unleash their third studio album, Fata Morgana, on March 12, 2021 via Napalm Records. In anticipation, they have just unveiled the first single from the album, entitled “Glow From The Edge”, along with a moving official video.
The Finns – featuring Jaakko Mäntymaa on vocals and Omnium Gatherum’s Aapo Koivisto on keys – showcase a true virtuosity of heavy riffs, hypnotizing soundscapes and impetuous tempo-changes on their new work of art. Fata Morgana combines intense melodic death metal spiced with significant doom elements and breathes an overall melancholic theme with every note, which the first output, “Glow From The Edge”, is proof of. Atmospheric guitar tones set the stage for this gloomy melodic death and doom metal offering. Spoken words permeate the listener’s brain, soon erupting in harsh and intense growling while the dreamlike backing vocals of guest musician Lindsay Matheson/Schoolcraft are carried along with sophisticated melodies.
Vocalist Jaakko Mäntymaa on the first single, “Glow From The Edge”:
"Glow has a dreamy, mystic aura to it. I think it represents the evolution of the band and therefore it was an easy choice to be the first song released”.
MARIANAS REST deliver the colossal next chapter in their introspective melodic death/doom parable!
Fata Morgana marks the final chapter of a trilogy that began when MARIANAS REST released their first full-length, 2016’s Horror Vacui, followed by the critically acclaimed full-length Ruins (2019). The series encompasses themes of isolation, eventual mental collapse and emergence from that woeful state, respectively – however, the band invites fans to experience the concept from their own perspectives.
The upcoming eight-song epos delivers atmospheric melodies that are as endless and fascinating as the overwhelming beauty of Finnish nature, which tracks like the expressive “The Weight” or authentic “Pointless Tale” are evidence of. Topped by guest appearances of Timo Virkkala, who shares his awesome cello magic, and the bewitching backing vocals of Lindsay Matheson/Schoolcraft (ex-Cradle Of Filth), MARIANAS REST take their creative output to the next level and make Fata Morgana a must-have for fans of bands like INSOMNIUM and MY DYING BRIDE.
MARIANAS REST on Fata Morgana:
"Fata Morgana is a voyage into isolation. A passage to a place where minds get distorted by the cold."
Pre-Order your copy of Fata Morgana NOW!
This melodic melancholy is produced by Teemu Aalto (Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum) and MARIANAS REST, recorded and mixed by Teemu Aalto at Teemu Aalto Music Productions and mastered by Svante Forsbäck at Chartmakers, who received a Grammy nomination with Candlemass feat. Tony Iommi for Best Metal Performance.
A somber manifest of heavy riffs and grieving melodies
As a special bonus, MARIANAS REST will release a limited edition reissue of their aforementioned second studio album, Ruins, on vinyl for the first time ever on March 12, 2021 via Napalm Records. Unleashed back in April 2019, the Finns’ full-length tells the story of how a mind slowly crumbles, about introversion, putting up mental walls and eventually disappearing inside your own head.
Pre-Order Ruins HERE:
MARIANAS REST are:
Jaakko Mäntymaa – vocals
Aapo Koivisto – keys
Nico Mänttäri – guitar
Harri Sunila – guitar
Niko Lindman – bass
Nico Heininen – drums
On the heels of the release of their next album, Dissona releases their version of “Pure Imagination,” the rendition made famous by Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Chosen by a loyal Patreon subscriber, Dissona takes the brightness and whimsy that made the original such an indelible classic and shades it under the storm clouds of the world’s current state. Orchestration has been pared back and darkened to allow the purity and message of the vocals to act as the herald and banner-man, leading the listener through the fray and out the other side.
“The difficulty of 2020 was well-known and continues to wreak havoc. We hope our ‘Pure Imagination’ may be a light for you in times of need.”
Dissona is currently mixing their upcoming album with an anticipated 2021 release date. It is their most ambitious work to date. If you would like to become a subscriber on Dissona’s Patreon, please visit: https://www.patreon.com/dissona
Prior to the holiday season, horror-occult-goth metal/rock fusers BLOODY HAMMERS unleashed two grisly, metallic new tracks to the masses' delight - the macabre punk earworm “A Night To Dismember” and swinging, gritty anthem "Hands Of The Ripper". Now, the Transylvania County, North Carolina-based husband and wife duo have released a third single and video on the eve of the release of their new horror punk-inspired full-length album, Songs Of Unspeakable Terror!
Conjuring images of retro sci-fi horror, the video for the sultry, doom metal-inspired track, entitled "Not Of This Earth", compliments the words of the song's extra-terrestrial crooner. Hungry for blood to revitalize his dying planet – he’s not of this earth!
Frontman/multi-instrumentalist Anders Manga says about the track:
"Devallia and I knocked out this video a couple weeks ago in our little cabin basement. The current health crisis has kept us home but the green screen can take us (crudely) anywhere and BEYOND! Lyrically, this song is a straight tribute to Roger Corman's 1957 drive-in sci-fi/horror classic. As much as I think we're inspired by Hammer Films and classic European gothic horror, really, Corrman is just as important and certainly an American treasure."
At the start of 2020, Anders Manga was about to head out on tour for his darkwave side-project when COVID-19 hit. Soon locked in their house under local stay-at-home orders, Manga and his bride and bandmate, Devallia, spent time jamming in their basement and revisiting some of their classic punk favorites. Holed up and barred from the uncertainty of the world, BLOODY HAMMERS conjured 11 new raw-power tracks inspired by that sound, and now they’re unearthed… from the grave!
While Songs of Unspeakable Terror doesn’t stray too dangerously far from the sound listeners have grown to infectiously adore, the full-length explores yet uncharted territory: retro-ized horror punk in all its gritty glory. This beastly record shouldn’t be confused as an all new direction for the band – these songs are a temporary foray into the unknown while still remaining true to the BLOODY HAMMERS sonic trademark.
Kicking off with first single and album opener “A Night To Dismember”, the album careens the listener down a dark, winding auditory road of melodic punk (in a jet-black classic car, of course). Trudging, metallic terrors like “Hands Of The Ripper” and “Witchfinder General” ensnare the listener, while seductive, unrelentingly heavy tracks such as “Not Of This Earth” will have them screaming for more, and head-bobbers like “The Ones Who Own The Dark” prove this offering isn’t short on melody. Laced with spine-tingling vocal lines, bathed in an occult cocktail of granular guitars and accented by a peppering of vintage Mellotron, each track on Songs Of Unspeakable Terror is a bonafide horror punk pillar.
Anders Manga says about the album:
“When the pandemic hit and I realized I’d be stuck at home for a while, I started thinking I needed to dig into a music project. I was oddly inspired by the unknown, and fear that this plague was gonna wipe us all out. I needed a creative escape. We’d just released the BLOODY HAMMERS album, ‘The Summoning’ a few months earlier, so I didn’t think about doing another Hammers album at all. When COVID was really hitting NYC hard, that got me thinking about my favorite bands from that whole NY/NJ area… Misfits, Wendy O. Williams, Ramones, Dead Boys, The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, Twisted Sister and such. That’s where I found inspiration to do a horror punk-ish record.”
Fans of BLOODY HAMMERS and heavy music fans new to the band alike will enjoy this unique offering, available in digital, CD jewelcase and multiple vinyl variations!
Songs Of Unspeakable Terror will be available in the following formats:
- CD Jewelcase
- LP Gatefold Black
- LP Gatefold Red/Black Split-Splatter (limited to 100, European Napalm Mailorder Only)
- Deluxe Vinyl Edition: LP Gatefold Red + 2 Patches - (limited to 100, North American Napalm Mailorder Only)
- Digital Album
BLOODY HAMMERS is (on Songs Of Unspeakable Terror):
Anders Manga: Vocals, Guitar, Mellotron, Drums
Devallia: Bass
New Album, Songs Of Unspeakable Terror, out this Friday via Napalm Records
Pre-Order HERE
John and Aimee Oates have partnered with FeedingAmerica.org, nugs.net and Drive Entertainment Group to create and produce: “OATES SONG FEST 7908”
An all-star collection of like-minded artists have answered the call to participate in a virtual streaming broadcast on March 20, 2021. The show will be streamed free of charge on multiple internet platforms and will include a donation component for viewers to support FeedingAmerica (www.feedingamerica.org) whose mission is to support food banks across the country.
Some of the artists who have committed to performing are: Bob Weir, Daryl Hall, Dave Grohl, Sammy Hagar, Jim James, Keb Mo, Shawn Colvin, Michael Franti, Big Kenny, Malina Moye, Jim Lauderdale and of course, the host John Oates.
To bring this virtual performance to life, John Oates invited and has captured as his co-host the MVP of Social Distancing and internet sensation Saxsquatch, who also happens to be the number one streaming musician in the U.S.
Says Oates, “This will be an entertaining and innovative way for the music community to share their songwriting creativity in an effort help feed Americas’ hungry families in need.”
“OATES SONG FEST 7908” was inspired by a live show produced by Oates in 2010 that took place at the Historic Wheeler Opera House in Aspen Colorado. “7908” is the altitude of Aspen Colorado and John and Aimee wanted to honor the shows roots. Added Oates: “Due to the Covid 19 Pandemic when it became clear that live shows would not be possible, Aimee and I pivoted to the idea of creating a virtual version for charity and ‘Oates Song Fest 7908’ was born.’”
Streaming for the show will be hosted by NugsTV
More about John Oates Here
ROBERT BERRY’S NEW 3.2 ALBUM
"THIRD IMPRESSION" DUE FEBRUARY 12, 2021
3.2 (Robert Berry) will release "Third Impression" on February 12th, but today has released a new single and video for 'A Bond Of Union’.
Pre-order/save "Third Impression" HERE: https://orcd.co/thirdimpression
"Third Impression," the follow up to 3.2's debut album, "The Rules Have Changed," is a fine match for its predecessor. It mixes epic songs, such as album opener “Top Of The World” and closing song “Never”, the latter co-written by Robert with Emerson, with more melodic and AOR moments.
Look out for “Third Impression” on February 12, 2021.
Legendary Swedish black metal formation MÖRK GRYNING will be hosting a two-hour radio special via Gimme Metal on Friday, January 22 @ 3:00 P.M. EST! This will be a rare opportunity for fans to interact with the band as they will be present in the chatroom for the duration of the show! Moreover, there will be a very special merch giveaway for some lucky winners. To tune in, sign up for FREE at THIS LOCATION.
The band is supporting their recently released and long-awaited opus, 'Hinsides Vrede,' which was named one of the best albums of 2020 via Metal Insider, Chicago Music Guide's "Global Music Podcast," The Terminus Podcast, Teeth of the Divine, and others!
The album can be streamed, downloaded, and purchased HERE.
Moreover, MÖRK GRYNING has reissued four of their previous full-length albums in vinyl and digipak formats, including their seminal debut record. The following records are now available HERE.
'Tusen år har gått…' (1995)
'Return Fire' (1997)
'Maelstrom Chaos' (2001)
'Pieces Of Primal Expressionism (2003)
After fifteen years of slumber, Swedish black metal cult MÖRK GRYNING have awakened to unleash their fury upon the masses with their deadly new album Hinsides Vrede. Translating into “otherworldly wrath” or “wrath of the world beyond,” Hinsides Vrederepresents the impending doom of a world coming undone at its seams. The quintet temper their deathly assault with their signature melodic edge, and with recall the halcyon days of Swedish extremity. The comeback of MÖRK GRYNING is complete, and Hinsides Vrede opens up a deadly new chapter in their evolving legacy.
Founded in 1993 in Stockholm, MÖRK GRYNING were among the incipient purveyors of the melodic black and death metal scene. In May 1995, founding members Goth Gorgon and Draakh Khimera entered the Unisound Studios to record their now legendary debut album Tusen År Har Gått, produced by legend Dan Swanö (OPETH , DARK FUNERAL, DISSECTION , etc.) The haunting and melodic offering quickly gained attention among the cult of the underground, solidying their place among black metal’s clandestine elite.
The arrival of guitarist Avathar in 1999 further defined the band’s sound, adding further dimension with icy solos. The three-piece later traveled to famous Grieghallen Studios in Bergen, Norway to finish their third full-length, Maelstrom Chaos, which produced by Pytten (MAYHEM, BURZUM, EMPEROR).
In early 2003, MÖRK GRYNING entered the Dug Out Studio (MESHUGGAH, DEVIN TOWNSEND, IN FLAMES, DARK FUNERAL) with producers David Bergstrand and Örjan Örnkloo. Never shy to reinvent themselves, the aptly titled Pieces of Primal Expressionismreshaped the band entirely. The record put forth a daring grandiosity of dissonant harmony that had previously been unexplored in MÖRK GRYNING’s prior efforts.
By the time of the release of the band’s self-titled full-length in 2005, MÖRK GRYNINGseemingly disbanded for good. Fans likely did not expect a second act after the band’s grand finale, however, the flames of chaos were reignited in 2017 when the band performed a rare and long-overdue anniversary set at Party San Open Air. Following appearances across Europe on the festival circuit, founding members Goth Gorgon, Draakh Kimera and Avatar reunited for real and MÖRK GRYNING signed a new deal with Season of Mist.
With Hinsides Vrede, MÖRK GRYNING have rediscovered the synergy they had while writing their legendary debut record and have returned to their foundations. Yet, by striving to reinvent themselves with every record, the long-awaited comeback of the band is by no means a reiteration of a glorious musical past, but is still certain to appease both old and new fans alike.
Pre-sales: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/mork-gryning-vrede
Genre: Melodic black metal
Photographer: Peter Wendin
Recording studio: Wing Studios, Sverker Widgren
Producer / sound engineer, mixing and mastering: Wing Studios, Sverker Widgren
Line-up:
Draakh Kimera – Lead Vocals, Guitar, Drums
Goth Gorgon – Bass, Guitar, Backing Vocals
Avathar – Lead Guitar
Recording line-up:
Draakh Kimera: Lead & Backing Vocals, Guitars, Drums, Keyboards
Goth Gorgon: Bass, Lead Guitar, Backing vocals, Lead vocals on “Black Spirit”, Keyboards
Avathar: Lead Guitar
C-G: Drums on “Fältherren” & “Black Spirit”
Aeon: Backing Vocals, Piano on “For Those Departed” & “On The Elysian Fields”
Guest musicians:
Laura Ute: Vocals on “Black Spirit”
Live members:
C-G – Drums
Aeon – Keyboards
For more on MÖRK GRYNING, visit the band's official FACEBOOK, BANDCAMP, and INSTAGRAM.
The glamrocker of JOHN DIVA & The Rockets Of Love will stream a release party for the new album "American Amadeus" this Friday.
.Besides live music you can also expect exclusive interviews, a lot of alcohol and the evening will be hosted by "Dog Eat Dan" (Dog Eat Dog).
The party will be streamed exclusively and for free at 08.00 pm CET on GetNext:
The new album "American Amadeus" will be released on January 15th, 2021 through SPV/Steamhammer as CD digipak, 2LP gatefold edition (with 3 bonus tracks), download and stream: https://JohnDiva.lnk.to/AmericanAmadeus
Check out these videos from the new album:
"Bling Bling Marilyn: https://youtu.be/m-_taZCiTO0
"Drip Drip Baby": https://youtu.be/LELRlVEHE0U
"American Amadeus": https://youtu.be/Spdnke5I-wQ
Australia's premiere synth-prog outfit have played to their strengths and have covered the Australian modern classic "This Boy's in Love," originally by Electronic duo The Presets. Fusing together Voyager's signature epic electro progressive power prog metal with a huge pop song, the VSets version is sure to be a hit!
The band comments on the cover: "The Presets song is one of those songs that I heard and thought 'I wish I'd written this.' At the time it came out it was so fresh in Australia, and so bizarre that it became so popular because it's really very much Euro Style Dark Synthie EBM. Given that a lot of Voyager songs start out as electronic ideas, this semi-obscure modern Australian classic was a no brainer to cover. We hope you enjoy!"
Moreover, Guitarist Scott Kay recently taught fans how to play a riff from the band's song "Colours" in the latest installment of Guitar World's "Sick Riffs" series! In addition to the play-through, Kay also includes the tablature. Watch and learn at THIS LOCATION.
The song is taken from the band's 2019 release, 'Colours in the Sun,' which can be downloaded and streamed HERE.
'Colours in the Sun' was recently the winner of The Independent Music Award in the Rock/Hard Rock Album category. The record was released in November of 2019 and landed a coveted #1 placement on the Australian Independent Albums chart! 'Colours in the Sun' also debuted at #7 on Independent Label Albums as well as #27 on Official iTunes Australia.
Moreover, the band has reissued 2017's 'Ghost Mile' as a digipak version, which contains three bonus tracks which were recorded during the VOYAGER show at ProgPower in 2017. It can be ordered HERE.
ICYMI: Earlier this year, VOYAGER's music video for "Runaway" was exclusively premiered via 'Eurovision - Australia Decides!' Following an application via the Song Portal, the band finally received recognition for submitting a track and were paid tribute on the live television broadcast that aired on Saturday, February 8 on the Gold Coast. The video is now available worldwide and can be seen at THIS LOCATION.
Since their 1999 formation, whatever genre norms, boundaries and regulations thrust upon Perth, Australia’s Voyager have been smashed. They embrace, if not brandish pop; employ a keytar on stage, and, bring forward a positive, if not uplifting feeling to their music, running head-first into the endless parade of heavy bands who see the world in a different light. It’s perhaps why the title of their seventh full-length and first for Season of Mist, Colours in the Sun, is apropos: Voyager simply prefers to see the bright side of things.
“Observations of the malaises of the modern world and the baffling obsession with purity and difference all make me think,” says frontman and founding member Danny Estrin. “We’ve never had it better and we’ve never had it more colorful. To me that’s progress, it’s adaptation, it’s evolution and it’s astounding.”
The follow-up to 2017’s Ghost Mile, Colours in the Sun finds Voyager enmeshed in rich, melodic, song-first tapestries, led by Estrin’s smooth, capable clean vocal delivery. Estrin is self-aware of his vocals, calling them “unique and ‘80s.” But whatever tag Estrin affixes to his voice, they are the propellent throughout Colours in the Sun, serving up a steady diet of soaring, emotive choruses, where melody is paramount and along the way, even getting some help from another distinctive belter, Leprous’s Einar Solberg on “Entropy.”
“Einar and I became good friends on our tours through Europe and Australia,” notes Estrin. “I couldn’t help but ask him to guest on the album. He is a fantastic musician and vocalist. I sent him a reference track which he swiftly ignored and laid his own tracks down. The result is stunning!”
The kaleidoscope of sounds that comprise the album’s ten cuts is the result of Voyager’s far-reaching influences, many of which go beyond the traditional realms of metal and rock. Estrin calls it “catchy at the top, proggy at the bottom, as if Dream Theater and Depeche Mode had a baby.” It’s almost as if the term “progressive” is too limiting for Voyager, particularly when the guitar tandem of Simone Dow and Scott Kay merge for complex rhythms while doing battle against Estrin’s vaudeville-like keyboards (!) on “Reconnected.”
The “proggy at the bottom” notice is served by way of the rhythm section of bassist Alex Canion and drummer Ashley Doodkorte, who stretch their musical tentacles across busy, active cuts such as “Saccharine Dream” and the syncopated “Water Over the Bridge.” “I think we found our ‘voice’ on V (2014) and have been building on that ever since,” says Estrin. “The synthwave prog sound is really something that has naturally developed and has been refined even more on the new album. Every record is progress — that’s what progressive music is all about!”
According to Estrin, the Colours in the Sun album title encompasses a “vibrant multitude of people coming together under the hot Australian sun to create a beautiful and colorful soundscape.” It’s capped off by artwork courtesy of Doodkorte, who made the piece out of photographs near his house in Perth. A closer inspection reveals there are seven suns on the cover, one for each Voyager album, topped off by an updated version of the band’s logo comprised of five strokes, one for each member. No doubt a fitting visual summation of a band whose progress can be the described in the most literal and figurative of terms.
“It’s been a slow steady growth over the years,” concludes Estrin. “Other bands come and go after a year of fame. I really feel like we’ve built up an incredible fanbase, especially over the last decade, and the deal with Season of Mist seemed the logical step to take it to the next level together.”
Style: Electro Progressive Metal
Line-up
Danny Estrin - Vocals
Simone Dow - Guitars
Alex Canion - Bass
Scott Kay - Guitars
Ash Doodkorte - Drums
Recording studio:
Sumo Studios - Drums
Templeman Audio - Guitars and Bass
Producer / sound engineer:
Aidan Barton - Vocal Producer
Mixing studio and engineer:
Matthew Templeman
Fraser Cringle (assistant engineer)
Mastering studio and engineer:
Simon Struthers
Guest musicians:
Einar Solberg from LEPROUS on ‘Entropy’.
Cover artwork artist:
Ashley Doodkorte
Bio:
David E. Gehlke
Shop: https://smarturl.it/Voyagerinthesun
Download/stream: https://som.lnk.to/Voyagerinthesun
Available formats:
CD Digipak
LP in various colours
For more on VOYAGER, visit the band's official FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, YOUTUBE, WEBSITE, and BANDCAMP.
Electro-Ambient Producer & Singer Has Storied Career
Including Co-Founding World Music Duo Vas &
Folk/Trance Group Niyaz,
Plus Collaborations And Shared Stages With
Serj Tankian, Peter Murphy & The Crystal Method
Upcoming Album Will Be A Collaboration With
The Legendary John Fryer, To Be Released In 2021
During COP International’s 30th Anniversary Year
COP International Records is pleased to announce the signing of accomplished sonic architect Azam Ali to its growing roster of artists. Coming off her 2019 solo album Phantoms, which Billboard hails as “ripe with dreamy sounds and melancholic lyrics, bridg[ing] the gap between organic and electronic with grooves that gently ground the songs,” Los Angeles-based Ali is currently working on her debut for COP International alongside the legendary John Fryer for a fully collaborative album that will also feature Fryer’s musicianship. Fryer—whose production credits include Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails and Love & Rockets—also acts as COP International’s A&R agent and signed Ali in late 2020.
Azam Ali has an incredibly diverse career as a singer and producer, first forming the best selling world music duo Vas in 1996 and co-founding the Canadian-American electro-folk group Niyaz in 2004, which went on to be nominated for two JUNO Award Nominations. The latter group was a forebearer of contemporary Middle Eastern music combining acoustic sounds and modern electronica with medieval Sufi poetry and traditional folk from her native Iran. The music’s incredible power captivated fans the world over, leading to critical acclaim from NPR and BBC, global tours and showcases in major film and television productions including “True Blood,” “Missing,” “Nip Tuck,” “Bones” and “Crossing Over.”
Her incredible and sweeping vocal range has also led to Ali being sought out for collaborations in the studio and on stage with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Peter Murphy (Bauhaus), The Crystal Method, Pat Mastellato and Trey Gunn of King Crimson, Dredg, Chris Vrenna (formerly of Nine Inch Nails), Ben Watkins of Juno Reactor, Buckethead and more. As well, Ali has worked with a range of composers such as Harry Gregson- Williams, Mychael Danna, Graeme Revell and Ramin Djawadi and has appeared in scores for “Thor- The Dark World,” “Matrix- Revolutions,” “300” and “John Carter,” among others.
While much of her career has focused on Indian, Persian and Eastern European singing techniques, Phantoms was the first album with fully English lyrics, expanding Ali’s fan base even more and further establishing her as one of the best singers in the industry today.
Of her signing to COP International Records, Azam Ali says, “2020 was a year of loss for so many globally, however there were also some precious gains. One of them for me has been producing music with the legendary John Fryer, whose productions have been a part of my life for decades. It is beyond a dream come true to be creating a body of work with him. And what better home for this music than COP International. From my first conversation with founder Christian Petke, I knew I wanted to collaborate with him for the release of this music into the world. I cannot wait to share what we are creating with everyone."
John Fryer adds, “Working with the legendary siren Azam Ali is like a dream come true, she is one of the best vocalists in this universe and beyond. It's one of those special moments that you hope will last forever.”
Expanding further, COP International founder Christian Petke sees the signing of Azam Ali to the roster as a prime example of how the industrial-leaning label looks to expand into new sonic territory in 2021, which happens to be the label’s 30th anniversary: “When John Fryer and I started to talk in earnest about the future of COP International we pretty much immediately opened up the format. We want a label that has roots, but is broad enough to bridge the gaps between genres. It is an audacious endeavor, because the bar is high when you look at Mute or 4AD as a role model. And of course we have our secret weapon with John Fryer. Every band that he produces has a unique character. They sound like the best version of themselves. But there is also an undeniable quality in the production that connects them across the label,” he says, adding, “Signing Azam Ali makes perfect sense if you look through this open lens. She transcends the term vocalist—her voice seduces, nurtures, and captivates you like one of the siren’s of Homer’s Tales. John sent me a track of theirs and I was immediately hooked. The more I dug into her back catalog the more I was impressed. Some voices have that special magical quality and Azam can carry you away on a wave of sorrow, desire and wistfulness. Pairing Azam and John is a match made in heaven. Her ethereal voice meets the fuzzy edges of John's deconstructed, distorted soundscapes. Music is a bit like alchemy—you take elements and transmute them into something far more valuable, and Azam and John are turning lead into gold.”
More announcements and releases from Azam Ali/John Fryer and COP International will be forthcoming in 2021.
Find Azam Ali Online
Website: https://azamalimusic.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/azam.ali.music/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azamaliofficial/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/azamaliofficial
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/3delara
