Bristol's MODESTY BLAISE fuel holiday spirit on 'I'll Be Home For Xmas'

"Clever they are Modesty Blaise – they know just what to borrow, and just what to create. Most importantly – they know just how to blend and what a cocktail they create here on this album, from track to track, from strength to strength" ~ The Spill Magazine

"Modesty Blaise makes for cheeky pop perfection... Fantabulous dance-pop, Modesty Blaise will remind you that Brits are the king of wit and groovy retro-laced musical wanderings, not far from the mark set by Pulp back in the 90s" ~ Big Takeover Magazine

“A sublime sugar lump... captures what is great about charming English pop. Part C86 part 67 psych pop, a beautifully written slice of nostalgia" ~ Monolith Cocktail

"This will lure you in... This is the new Pulp - but with steller retro flair that, both sound and fashion-wise, runs deeper than Jarvis Cocker's own wardrobe" ~ Amplify Music Magazine

Bristol-based Avant indie pop outfit Modesty Blaise are ending 2021 in a blaze of Christmas delight with their new single 'I'll Be Home For Xmas', out now. They present their festival message in a buoyant poptastic festive video, produced by Dorothy Collins with support from cinematographer M.M. Van Dyke, and filmed at various locations and Factory Studios in Bristol.

Modesty Blaise have always wanted to make a Xmas record. Steeped in the traditions of the Spector/Wizzard school of huge productions, recording started in July 2021 at the height of summer, as all good Xmas records should. Many instruments and sessions later, this single came to fruition in late October as days grew shorter. Now it’s ready for you. Are you bringing the snow?

This release follows up ‘The Modesty Blaise’ LP (February 2021), their third release via German label From Lo-Fi to Disco! and first long-player in 20 years, having released their head-turning 'Melancholia' LP in 2001.

Modesty Blaise mastermind and vocalist Jonny Collins is joined here by David W. Brown (bass), Gregory Jones (guitars), Mark Bradley (drums), Alastair Jenkins (guitars) and Roger Huckle (violin).

"We’re not just making a tune for 2021, this is a conscious decision to make a timeless tune. All great Xmas records are timeless, from Wizzard to The Wombles, we play them every year. They do not age; they invoke Proustian memories of festive seasons past. We want to be part of your Xmas - so we’re coming home," says Jonny Collins.

"I always thought that nothing says Xmas quite like 2 drum kits, a massive tune and a baritone sax. We think this is the best Xmas record that you’ll have heard this side of the millennium, we’ve tried to make something timeless and we hope you agree. We want to be part of your festive season this year and in years to come."

Modesty Blaise have been around since 1993 in various guises. In that year, they recorded their debut single 'Christina Terrace' with Edwyn Collins at the helm, garnering them immediate success with a live appearance on ITV and inclusion among many end-of-year top music rankings. This acclaim however was not enough to quell the kind of internecine warfare that Modesty Blaise have become famous for. Line-up changes and deteriorating personal circumstances delved into an all-too-familiar spiral and it would be years until a full reformation.

Oher Modesty Blaise career highlights include supporting Robbie Williams at London's O2 Arena, inclusion in a Rough Trade compilation, an ITV company documentary on Jonny Collins, and a BBC Radio session involving seventeen people.

'I'll Be Home For Xmas' is available digitally via German label From Lo-Fi to Disco!with distribution by Broken Silence and can be found everywhere, including Spotify and Apple Music. 'The Modesty Blaise' LP can also be obtained on Bandcamp, with physical albums available from Rough Trade in the UK, hhv in Germany, Disk Union in Japan and directly from the label.

CREDITS
Written and produced by Jonny Collins
Recorded at Barton Regis Studio, Bristol, and Kenning Town Studio, Oxfordshire.
Mixed at The White House, Weston-super-Mare
Mastered by Martin Nichols at The White House
Cover artwork by Gregory Jones
Cinematography and photos by M M Van Dyke
Produced by Dorothy Collins
Released by From Lo-Fi To Disco!
Label code LC 29806, Catalogue Number lo-fi 024, ISRC DERB72100009
distributed by Broken Silence

Keep up with Modesty Blaise
Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud | YouTube | Spotify | Amazon | Apple Music

VONAMOR shares alt-wave goodness on 'Take Your Heart' single, unveils new video

VONAMOR is music and movement. VONAMOR is real and virtual.
VONAMOR is the end and the beginning. VONAMOR is from love, of love, for love.

"A captivating avant-garde new-wave track... charmingly ensures via an 80s call-and-response style throwback; with an ensnaring melody, that playfully entreats a surrender to the rhythm of the music" ~ Post-Punk.com

"Captivating... like a slow-drip of anxiety and shady mystic atmosphere that gradually builds in intensity, culminating in a fever-filled chilling chorus and a haunting wave of chanting" ~ Amplify Music Magazine

"Chilling and fiery, leaving an imprint on your brain that will have you singing lines from the song even afterwards. Stellar offering" ~ Big Takeover Magazine

"A dark delicious slice of darkwave excellence, starting from cold deadpan chill and gradually building with fired-up intensity in the same way as the best of Siouxsie and The Banshees" ~ Skylight Webzine

VONAMOR presents 'Take Your Heart', the lead track from their debut 'VONAMOR' album. Produced by Lucio Leoni, this 8-track collection will be released in February 2022 via Time To Kill Records (TTK).

This is a quick-paced track, recalling the best dark pop of the '80s, with a tandem of male and female voices, confronting each other without reaching a mutual understanding, the addictive rhythm all the while inciting dance and movement.

On 'Take Your Heart', the incongruities of language are a humorous counterpart to an imperfect world, made up of discord, virtual realities, and fatal detachment from spontaneity and lightness. The first female voice is answered by the addressed male voice, although he ultimately answers from “the undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveller returns”.

A game of Dionysian invocations, of accusations and misunderstandings - all of it held together by a deep love that overcomes death. 'Take Your Heart' is an invocation to life, to love, to irony, to spontaneity in line with the poetry of VONAMOR’s music.

The video for 'Take Your Heart', directed and edited by Fabio Santomauro, is ironic and lively. On the one hand, it is an exhortation to the spontaneity and naivety typical of childhood, making you want to dance, to indulge in free and unconsciously autoironic movements. On the other hand, it shows the perils of detachment from reality, incomprehension and detrimental consequences of a literal reading of each other's words.

VONAMOR is made up of sisters Giulia Bottaro (voice, bass, metal flute) and Francesca Bottaro (drum station, sequencer, sax, clarinet) and vocalist Luca Guidobaldi, with Francesco Bassoli (guitars and loops) and Martino Cappelli (guitars, mandolin, bouzouki, oud, loops) joining the trio for live performances.

Theirs is a story of unexpected timbres, resonating at the very intersection between darkwave and electro music. The band's roots date back to 2016 Rome, when their focus was to communicate images, authoring various scores for short films. This morphed into the trio as we know it today with its contemporary taste and allure, literary echoes, imperious art-pop and enigmatic aesthetics.

“VONAMOR is an escape plan, our treasure island, a thick and savage jungle that gives you the chance to let your prayers and whispers reverberate like a church. We used the music in this album to walk paths that we hadn’t known before, to connect Rome to Paris to Berlin to Beijing, to mix techno music with folk, to let our voices and bodies mingle and dance to an incredibly weird yet familiar beat, and finally to search for a boom of love and light into the dark of our everyday’s life: yes, VONAMOR is a boom!" says Luca Guidobaldi.

In the past year, the band has released two singles, which are also featured on this album - 'Never Betray Us' and 'Fast-Forward Girl', accompanied by a clip directed by Diana Arbib and cinematography by Alessandro Rosa and featuring the dance performance 'Moto Perpetuo' by Anna Basti.

“Through our darkwave music and words, we search for the question, the ambiguity, the multiform influence of a variety of demons. We feel the urgency of questioning ourselves, our fellow human beings and the reality around us," says Giulia Bottaro.

Francesca Bottaro adds, "With VONAMOR, we turned such a feeling into a sound of female and male voices, wrapping bass-lines and electronic beats, woodwind instruments chasing and caressing you, till we make you dance and move and love with us.”

'Take Your Heart' is now available across online stores and streaming platforms, including Apple Music, Tidal, Deezer, Spotify and elsewhere. The full-length album will be released, both digitally and on CD, in February 2022. It can be pre-ordered directly from Time To Kill Records.
CREDITS
Music and lyrics written and performed by VONAMOR ©℗ 2020
Giulia Bottaro (vocals, bass, metal flute)
Francesca Bottaro (drum station, sequencer, saxophone, clarinet, synth)
Luca Guidobaldi (vocals)
Francesco Bassoli (LP - guitars and loops)
Martino Cappelli (live performances - guitars, mandolin, bouzouki, oud, loops).
Edited by VONAMOR
Recorded in Rome at Monkey Studio & L'Albero Recording Studio by Lucio Leoni & Luca D’Aversa
Artistic production, sound engineering and mixing by Lucio Leoni - Lapidarie Incisioni
Mastering by Elephant Mastering
Art direction and design by Francesca Bottaro
Photography by Marco Stramaglia
Label and physical distribution: Time to Kill (TTK) Records
Digital distribution: Believe Intl
Artistic production by Lucio Leoni. Digital distribution by Believe International
Label and physical distribution by Time to Kill (TTK) Records
Video direction, editing: Fabio Santomauro
Featuring VONAMOR, Agatha and Adriano

Keep up with VONAMOR
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Soundcloud | Apple Music | Tidal | Deezer | Spotify

YE BANISHED PRIVATEERS Set Sail for Christmas with New Video “Ring The Bells”

Following the release of their Christmas album, A Pirate Stole My Christmas, your favorite shanty pirates YE BANISHED PRIVATEERS offer another surprise from their treasury in the form of a music video for “Ring The Bells”! With this captivating single and album opener of A Pirate Stole My Christmas, the boisterous pack once more reveal a frostbitten visual, sending their fans and listeners off into a pirate-y jolly Christmas season!

YE BANISHED PRIVATEERS about the music video for “Ring The Bells”:

"’Ring The Bells’ is our final single release from A Pirate Stole my Christmas. For this video production, we were running desperately low on funds and could not afford to hire proper lighting for shooting outdoors in the Swedish mountains. Luckily our manager at Napalm Records had some connections with a budget production company called Raiffeisen Adult Entertainment. This particular company specializes in close intimate lighting and special effects and were said to be experts at making wood look good on camera. In the end it didn't turn out quite the way we expected, but the statistic shows that the average viewer only watches the first 25 seconds of a video, so we think we are good."

Watch the Music Video for “Ring The Bells” below.

YE BANISHED PRIVATEERS deck the hulls with 11 swashbuckling Christmas shanties!

´Tis the jolliest of seasons! Swedish sea dogs YE BANISHED PRIVATEERS have come a’rowing through rough seas and salty winds to steal Christmas in the most swashbuckling of ways. Wrapped in the swag of pirate folk rock, the newly interpreted, grim covers of beloved Christmas classics on A Pirate Stole My Christmas draw the listener into a dark underworld of blood and bones! YE BANISHED PRIVATEERS put their shanty and pirate folk-infused spin on Christmas tunes like “Twelve Days Of Christmas” and the captivating album opener “Ring The Bells”. The well-known classic “Oh Christmas Tree” gets a new coat of paint when YE BANISHED PRIVATEERS re-word it to “O Cannonball” - most definitely making Christmas Eve a special occasion for the most beautiful time of the year.

YE BANISHED PRIVATEERS add:

“If given enough time, every artist will eventually lose their last ounce of self-respect, and release a Christmas album. YE BANISHED PRIVATEERS are no strangers to self-loathing commercial stunts, and with our new album - A Pirate Stole my Christmas, we aim to officially join the ranks of Christmas legends such as Maria Carey and Bing Crosby. Our album is compiled of 11 classic carols defiled into an unrecognizable pulp of rum-drenched atonal pirate madness. If you didn't hate Christmas before, this is certain to change your mind!”

Get your copy NOW!

A Pirate Stole My Christmas will be available in the following formats:

CD Sleevepack

1LP Gatefold Brick Red

1LP Gatefold Brick Red + Signed Postcard

Digital Album

YE BANISHED PRIVATEERS are:

Nobility - cembalo, pump organ, miniature piano and almond presents

Quinton Taljenblock - viola pomposa, fiddle, mandoline, hurdy gurdy and main chopper of the sloppy bells

Mr Bellows - squeezebox, crankbox and boxed presents

Eva the Navigator - violin, vocals and salt cured leg of lamb

Freebird af Wærmaland - violin, viola, vocals and wassailing

Monkey Boy - glühwein keg drum, naughty vocals and mixed floggables

Ina "Battery" Molin - glockenspiel, eggnog and pompous percussion

Wan Chou Zhong - obnoxious string drum, huge oriental fruit thing with strings and spices for the season

Silent Jim - mandolino, mandolino basso, cinnamon mead-drenched rambling and forced half merry singing

Magda Malvina Märlprim - blood-stained lute guitar, cherry vocals and prettifying with poisonous plants

Scurvy Ben - cajón, spicy percussions and lingering aimlessly whilst vocalizing various throat sounds

Meat Stick Nick - small bass, big bass, long tube bass and pickled herring

Quartermaster Blackpowder Pyte - peculiar proclamations, choir boy caroling and unorderly drunken revelry

Old Red - them thick, them thin and them tinsel strings

Landmark - percussion, marching drum and figgy pudding

Filthylocks - fipple pipes and mince pie

Shameless Will - vocals, vanity, profanity, coin snatching, coat turning and Abbot of Unreason

Bojtikken - heaven sent vocals, timbrell, loud cymbals and snow angels

CELESTE - Unveil New Music Video For 'De Tes Yeux Bleus Perlés'

On January 28th, French avant-garde black metallers CELESTE will unleash their new long-player "Assassine(s)", produced by Chris Edrich (GOJIRA, TESSERACT, THE OCEAN, LEPROUS).

With their unique mix of black metal, sludge and post-hardcore, and over 500 shows played since their inception in 2005, CELESTE has cemented their status as one of France's most important underground acts and now unveil a new single off their upcoming album soon to be released via their new label Nuclear Blast.

Through punishing palm mute riffing, CELESTE explores modern metal sonorities. Mixing raw brutality with a unique sense of melancholia, the French cross new boundaries on "De Tes Yeux Bleus Perlés".

More metal and filthier, the quartet surprises with an immense downtuned breakdown that sucks you right down into their abyss. Watch the haunting new music video, directed by Grégory Hoeppfner, below.

"Assassine(s)" is now available for pre-order via this link and in the below-mentioned formats:
https://celeste.bfan.link/assassine-s
 

• Digipak CD with a satin coated finish

• LP in gatefold with satin coated finish in the following colors:

  • Black

  • Transparent Vinyl with Black Yolk and Gold Splatter

  • Split Black/Transparent Vinyl with White Splatter

  • Transparent Vinyl with Gold Yolk and Black Splatter

• Stream or download

In case you missed the first single off "Assassine(s)", check it out here:
 "Des Torrents De Coups": https://youtu.be/WmRIfUw1ymo
Having played more than 500 shows around the world, including appearances at several prestigious extreme music festivals, theaters, and venues (Hellfest, Roskilde, Copenhell, SummerBreeze, Brutal Assault, Roadburn, Psycho Las Vegas...), with one EP and five albums under their belt, CELESTE has succeeded in creating their own musical atmosphere and are today considered to be one of the most important bands of the "French Avant-Garde Black-Metal" scene.

CELESTE is:
Johan Girardeau | Vocals & Bass
Guillaume Rieth | Guitar
Antoine Royer | Drums
Sébastien Ducotte | Guitar

POWERWOLF - Live Event extended until January 2, 2022

Last Friday, POWERWOLF launched a stream with real event character that reaches dimensions that have never been seen before. While other bands compensate the circumstance of not being able to perform in front of an audience within the given circumstances with filmed live performances, the wolves take several gigantic steps further!

The band is taking their fans on a journey into the depths of POWERWOLF's world with a fantastic setlist performed in a stage setting that is an epic highlight on its own with its visuals, size, equipment and production. In months of hard and detailed work, a story was created – told in several chapters based on POWERWOLF’smusic and opulent film scenes, which are smoothly integrated into the show. All show effects, actors and locations go hand in hand with each other and bring the medium of live music to an unprecedented level. From battles with clergy to stories of nuns and monks to burning angels – cinematic images are delivered that immediately capture the viewer while literally abducting them.

Who thought to have already seen everything in live music is loudly and visually proved wrong. POWERWOLF deliver the new benchmark for music streaming events!

Due to the high demand this even goes into extension. Until January 2, 2022, you can still access this masterpiece, and who wants to get an idea in advance, can watch the video for “Fire And Forgive”

On www.powerwolfstream.com you can find all further info, the trailers, as well as tickets for THE MONUMENTAL MASS - A CINEMATC METAL EVENT. This show is a true must-see for every metal fan!

HERE you can find pictures of THE MONUMENTAL MASS – A CINEMATIC EVENT for download:

POWERWOLF are:

Attila Dorn – vocals

Falk Maria Schlegel – organ

Charles Greywolf – guitar

Matthew Greywolf – guitar

Roel van Helden – drums

AMARANTHE – Unveil Music Video For E-Sports Championship Anthem "PvP"

After recently delivering the official anthem for the Swedish team at the international e-sports world championship. AMARANTHE now follows up with level two and unveils a music video for their latest single "PvP". Directed by none less than Poland's Grupa13, who previously worked with the band on "Archangel" or "BOOM!1", the video is a colorful and uplifting way to end another blunt year of the pandemic.

Check out the clip for the modern metal dancefloor filler here, and make sure to keep your eyes open for further surprises from the Swedes in the upcoming weeks.

Stream or download the song: https://amaranthe.bfan.link/pvp

AMARANTHE have spent the last decade establishing themselves as a formidable, positive and fervently melodic force for metallic good. From their explosive self-titled debut in 2011 to the more sophisticated, streamlined likes of 2014’s Massive Addictive and its immaculate follow-up Maximalism (2016), AMARANTHE has masterfully blurred the lines between melodic metal, crushing brutality, cinematic sweep, and futuristic sparkle. Led by the endlessly ingenious songwriting of guitarist Olof Mörck and powerhouse vocalist Elize Ryd, their rise to prominence has been a joy to behold.

Widely acclaimed as a dazzling live act, the Swedes reached a new peak of creativity on 2018’s hugely successful Helix: an album that pushed the band’s vision to new heights, breadths, and depths, while showcasing the brilliance of Elize and her co-vocalists, Henrik Englund Wilhelmsson and recent recruit Nils Molin.

Not just a glorious return but a wholesale upgrade for their exuberant sound, Manifest is simply the most daring, dynamic, and unforgettable album that AMARANTHE have released to date. The perfect antidote to the nagging anxieties plaguing us all in these troubled times, it’s a technicolor celebration of metal’s ageless power, blazing with all of life’s colors and chaos, but delivered with utmost artistry and skill.

AMARANTHE is:
Elize Ryd | vocals
Olof Mörck | guitars, keyboards
Henrik "GG6" Englund Wilhelmsson | vocals
Johan Andreassen | bass
Morten Løwe Sørensen | drums
Nils Molin | vocals

Order "Manifest" here: http://nblast.de/Amaranthe-Manifest

Thrash Metal Legends DESTRUCTION Announce New Album “Diabolical” + Reveal Title Track

Diabolical out April 8, 2022 via Napalm Records

German thrash metal veterans DESTRUCTION celebrate their 40th anniversary by setting the world ablaze with a new, hard-hitting grenade in the form of their new album, Diabolical, out April 8, 2022 via Napalm Records!

As one of the most legendary German thrash metal bands in existence, DESTRUCTIONgrace the wall of fame alongside giants like Kreator, Sodom and Tankard. On their 15th studio record, DESTRUCTION brings out heavy artillery full of honest and uncompromising thrash metal, catapulting you straight into the seventh heaven of metallic bliss and causing a massacre of razor-sharp sound no fan of the genre should miss! The title track "Diabolical"shows no mercy, showing us a glimpse of what DESTRUCTION have in store for their upcoming album Diabolical!

DESTRUCTION singer/bassist SCHMIER about the video:

“I love the title track of the new record, it represents the album, pure old school and in your face Thrash Metal! We wanted a video that shows our trademarks, so the MAD BUTCHER had to be there! It is only his second appearance in a DESTRUCTION video ever but his most remarkable one so far for sure!”

Watch the new music video for “Diabolical” below.

Delivering the most brutal thrash metal for over 40 years!

After the charging start of opener "Under The Spell", DESTRUCTION shows no mercy on title track "Diabolical", with raging drums, bloodthirsty riffs and hellish vocals that sink deep down into your bones. "No Faith In Humanity" relentlessly rages on with non-stop headbanging action, while DESTRUCTION continues to smash eardrums on "Hope Dies Last" - providing unbeatable brutality with unstoppable speed, destructive verses and screeching voices. "Tormented Soul", on the other hand, is loaded with proper heavy metal and explosive drums. The grand finale of the 47-minute parade of devastation is provided by cover track "City Baby Attacked By Rats", originally by GBH, guaranteeing whiplash by combining rough hardcore punk with brute thrash metal.

DESTRUCTION riffkiller FURIA about the new record:

“Diabolical is an album of extremes, everything is more brutal and more technical but at the same time more melodic and to the point. It's a pure and devastating DESTRUCTION album with no gimmicks, full of power and adrenaline. I'm excited for what the future is bringing and can't wait to play the new songs live!”

Diabolical will be available in various formats in different territories, including a digital album and CD (bundled with a t-shirt + an exclusive “Mad Butcher”-bust), 1LP gatefold editions in black, crystal clear, marbled yellow/red and silver!

Pre-Order Diabolical HERE:

DESTRUCTION are:

Schmier - Bass, Vocals

Martin Furia – Guitars

Randy Black – Drums

Damir Eskić – Guitars

STRIGOI Signs to Season of Mist

Season of Mist is proud to announce the signing of STRIGOI! Risen from the ashes of VALLENFYRE and PARADISE LOST, mastermind Greg Mackintoshand co-conspirator Chris Casket return with a second doom/death-laden album called 'Viscera.' The new offering will be released via Season of Mist in the summer of 2022!

STRIGOI comments on the signing: "We are very pleased to announce that STRIGOI have signed a deal with Season of Mist records to release our second studio album: 'Viscera.' Season Of Mist has come to represent all shades of musical darkness, and with such an eclectic roster and impressive history we feel this union affords us the best and most suitable platform to launch STRIGOI'S second offering of cold terror."

For a glimpse of what's to come, check out STRIGOI's debut album 'Abandon All Faith' HERE

Genre: Blackened Death Doom

When PARADISE LOST guitarist Greg Mackintosh put to rest his VALLENFYRE side project in 2018, he closed a difficult, but ultimately cathartic period in his life. Created as a tribute to his father John, who passed away in 2009, VALLENFYRE originally served as a sounding board for Greg’s grief, but then delved into his nihilistic take on the world. VALLENFYRE’s brief existence was intentional — the band always knew they could go no further than the three studio albums that bore their name.

A mere few days after VALLENFYRE played its last live show in September 2018, Mackintosh announced the formation of a brand-new band with VALLENFYRE bassist Chris Casket (Ex. Extreme Noise Terror), STRIGOI. The English twosome released their debut album Abandon All Faith on 22nd November 2019 which was met by widespread critical acclaim and support. From this success, the band began preproduction to take the project live, recruiting to the line-up drummer Guido Zima (Ex Implore / The Secret) and live guitarist Sam Kelly-Wallace (Ex VALLENFYRE) to begin spreading their foreboding gospel throughout the European festival circuit.

Unfortunately, due to the global pandemic that hit Spring 2020 STRIGOI were unable to perform live as planned, and realising this situation was going to be a long-term constraint Greg and Chris decided to begin writing for a second album. This 18-month process culminated in STRIGOI signing to Season Of Mist records, then heading to Orgone Studios UK to track 14 brand new songs under the watchful eye of award winning producer Jamie Gomez Arellano.

The bands line up, now set with the addition of guitarist Ben Ash (Satyricon / Ex. Carcass) completed the recording of the album 'Viscera' in October 2021, subsequently mixed by Kurt Ballou at GodCity Studios and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege Studios. 'Viscera' represents the further evolution of STRIGOI as a band, a concept fully realised as a statement of terror, malaise, and ultimately a record representing what Greg and Chris wanted to achieve from the band’s inception.

Full Discography:
"Abandon All Faith" (2019)
"Viscera" (2022)

Lineup:
Greg Mackintosh - Vocals (Studio guitar)
Chris Casket – Bass
Guido Zima – Drums
Ben Ash – Guitar
Sam Kelly Wallace - Guitar (Live)

Band picture credit: Hal Sinden @ Eulogy Media Ltd.

Links: 
www.strigoi.co.uk
www.facebook.com/strigoibandofficial
www.instagram.com/strigoi_official
www.twitter.com/OfficialStrigoi
www.youtube.com/channel/UCTUjPPERTRxYCMOYDbzMSAA

Black/Death Metal Veterans THULCANDRA Release Official Music Video for Album Title Track “A Dying Wish”

Order the New Album, A Dying Wish, HERE!

Vinyl Version out now!

Death/black metal veterans THULCANDRA have frozen this autumn with the release of their bone-chilling full-length, A Dying Wish. After smashing the staggering opener, “Funeral Pyre”, ruthless “Nocturnal Heresy” and relentless “Scarred Grandeur” the black/death metal four-piece clashes in with another cold as ice music video for the title track, “A Dying Wish”.

The album's grand finale comes with heavy guitars, epic mid-tempo moments, rapid outbursts and discreetly used acoustic guitars that create a versatile sound that honors the roots of death metal as it was defined by bands like Unanimated, Dissection and Dismember.

Steffen Kummerer on “A Dying Wish“:

“The title track of our brand new album 'A Dying Wish' sees the first cinematic video production of Thulcandra. We traveled abroad and worked with the renowned Grupa13 (Behemoth, Arch Enemy, Kreator) to come up with a storyline that underlines the vibe and pace of the eight minute long effort.”

Watch the official music video for “A Dying Wish” below.

The massive new full-length A Dying Wish once again carries the burning torch of the glorious death metal era! Since their foundation by Obscura mastermind Steffen Kummerer in 2003, THULCANDRA became an indispensable protagonist in the European extreme metal-sphere that reaches way back to the magnificent origins of their genre.

A Dying Wish guarantees instant frostbite just as the first glance at the thrilling icy-blue cover artwork promises. After the listener is buried under the opener’s avalanche, THULCANDRA spans a dark arc between acoustic interludes and harsh blackened death metal parts. The quiet interlude “In Bleak Misery” marches into “A Shining Abyss”, that guides its listeners like a torch through the night. Dramatic riffing and the screeching growls of Steffen Kummerer create dark and dense walls of sound as up-tempo tracks like “The Slivering Silver” and “Devouring Darkness” offer strong leads, driving riffs and engaging drums that let the storm rage on without mercy. The final, title track “A Dying Wish” provides a great finale that covers everyone and everything under a massive layer of cold, leaving the world behind in nothing but ice and snow.

THULCANDRA on the album:

“We return with an album full of eerie cold melodies, ice-cold vibes and an over the top production by Swedish legend Dan Swanö at Unisound Studios! Within the first album in 5 years we celebrate the essence of pure black & death metal, adorned with more twin guitars, blast beats and filthy arrangements than ever. We celebrate the release of A Dying Wishwith excessive shows and embark on a European tour to perform for all our loyal fans and supporters in the upcoming months.”

Get your copy of A Dying Wish NOW!

A Dying Wish will be available in the following formats:

1 CD Jewelcase (RePress)

1 CD Digipak + Bonustrack

1 LP Gatefold Black

1 LP Gatefold Blue + 7 inch + Slipmat

1 CD Digipak + Bonustracks + Plecs

1 LP Gatefold Gold

Digital Full Length Album

Digital Full Length Deluxe Album

Dive into the sonic universe of THULCANDRA and listen to all singles

from A Dying Wish:

“Scarred Grandeur”

“Nocturnal Heresy”

"Funeral Pyre"

THULCANDRA are on A Dying Wish:

Steffen Kummerer- guitar, vocals

Mariano Delastik – guitar

Christian Kratzer – bass

Alessandro Delastik – drums

GLASSING Drop New Live Video for "Doppler"

Last month saw the release of GLASSING's third studio album, 'Twin Dream'. Today, the band has partnered with Heavy Blog Is Heavy for the exclusive premiere of their live video for the song "Doppler" from the record. Fans can check out the new video, which was directed by Jonny Underwood and filmed at the band's album release show in Austin, TX at Hotel Vegas, below.

Speaking on the live video for "Doppler", the band shares: "There was a lot of premeditation and meticulousness for most of the tracks on 'Twin Dream'. For what it's worth, 'Doppler' was not one of them. It was our intention that it should be crude and unpolished.

They go on to add, "It seemed fitting that 'Doppler's' makeshift structure gave rise to the lyrical content being about the remorselessness of death. Maybe untimely, maybe undeserved, it cannot be changed and is primal in nature. The repeated line 'like a jewel in a bed of fog' alludes to our period of usefulness being smothered behind a veil of expiration."

STREAM/BUY 'Twin Dream' HERE

In addition to their new live video, Glassing/Street Sects member Shaun Ringsmut has a new track out under the moniker Luvencie, which features Dustin Coffman of Glassing on vocals. The new song, titled “Body Debt”, is about evading personal responsibility by means of bodily harm. The themes are rooted in substance abuse, as well as the transferred addictions that come with sobriety. It broods on topics of shame and death. Listen to "Body Debt" here: https://youtu.be/EDGn2wlP4bM

About GLASSING:

ATX based Glassing is a three-piece, genre-blending amalgamation of heavy music saturated sonorously in dejection. Notable elements of Post Rock, Shoegaze, Doom, and American Black Metal, Glassing have been making music that walks the line between all 4 genres seemingly all at once. Fronted by Cory Brim on guitars, Dustin Coffman on bass and vocals, and Jason Camacho on drums, each individual has a mastery of control over each genre, brandishing an outward love and appreciation for all of them simultaneously. This type of coalescence has prompted an estrangement towards traditional fans of metal excluding them from the genre for some almost entirely. Flaunting an unapologetic stance towards moving their style forward in any way they can, Glassing simply creates what they wish to hear for themselves. Using each division as a medium of creativity with no restrictions to genre traditionalism or gatekeeping. Since their conception in 2015 they have come out with one self-titled EP, the two LPs "Light And Death" and "Spotted Horse" and are anticipating the release of their third full-length record aptly named "Twin Dream". Since the recording of “Twin Dream”, the band has brought synth and midi noise master Shaun Ringsmuth of Street Sects on board for live show performances and future compositions.

Glassing Is:

Cory Brim - Guitars

Dustin Coffman - Bass / Vocals

Jason Camacho - Drums

Shaun Ringsmuth - Synths / Noise

INSANITY ALERT Shares New Music Video for "Shredator"

Crossover party thrashers INSANITY ALERT are now releasing a brand new music video for the song "Shredator!" The single was previously released as a celebration of the Shredator Skateboard line, which the band developed together with Koloss Skateboard. The Shredator Skateboards are now back in stock and available HERE.

Watch the official "Shredator" video below.

INSANITY ALERT comments: "The world is a shitty place right now, full of misery, diseases, fascists, hipsters and longboarders. But there is hope. The savior of justice and reason is about to come. So bow down to the promising super hero of our time. Beware of THE SHREDATOR - coming to you in a brand new music video and new skateboards!"

Bonded by a beer drinkin' and hellraisin' pact of thrash and skate, the band pitched the idea of a skater version of the great 80s Schwarzenegger movie "The Predator" to Koloss Skateboards and the rest is history. The Shredator skate deck was designed by artist James Callahan, a.k.a Barf Comics, who also created the album artwork for INSANITY ALERT's 'Moshburger.' The skateboard is available at Black Heaven Shop along with a limited edition white flexi vinyl and other INSANITY ALERT merchandise. You can find it HERE.

INSANITY ALERT has previously released a live video from their set at Hellfest 2019, where the band performed on the main stage in support of Slayer and Lamb of God. "A Skullcrushin' Good Time" can be seen HERE.

Thrash outfit INSANITY ALERT are the kind of people who know what to bring to a party: a big dose of humour with a dash of darkness, party tunes, and a six pack. It’s these ingredients that make up the basis of the band’s third full length record, ‘666-pack’.

The world of INSANITY ALERT is a dark yet happy place. Fast, aggressive music, crazy lyrics about alcohol, rage, weed, ignorance and hate, all drenched in an 80’s hot sauce but played with a 2019 attitude. The band emerged from the Austrian city of Innsbruck in 2011, with only one intent: deliver crushing, crossover party thrash.

A tongue-in-cheek concept backed up by strong musical prowess worked out extremely well as 'First Diagnosis' proved in 2012. This demo was welcomed with open arms and the first impression of the public quickly confirmed by 'Second Opinion', which came out the year after. In 2014, debut album, 'Insanity Alert' delighted critics and fans alike and was reissued four years later by Season of Mist. The wild Tyrolians, always eager to please, next served a juicy 'Moshburger' (2016).

With ‘666-pack’ the band proves once more to be an unstoppable force. Whether it is dropping a to-the-point, crossover track such as “The Body Of The Christ is The Parasite” or INSANITY ALERT-esque interpretations of classics like “Saturday Grind Fever”, the groove will have you headbanging in no time with a smirk on your face. Having confirmed their first festivals for 2019 and riding the wave of the thrash metal revival, INSANITY ALERT can’t wait to return to the stage and share (a) 666-pack with you!

Style: Crossover Party Thrash

Line-up
The Dave of Death – Guitar
Don Melanzani – Drums
Heavy Kevy – Vocals
Marcy Brownnose – Bass

Recording line-up:
The Dave of Death – Guitar, Bass
Don Melanzani - Drums
Heavy Kevy – Vocals

Cover artwork:Mark Riddick

Recording studio:Nautilus Sounds Studio (Dornbirn, Austria)

Producer / sound engineer:Toni ‘Meloni’ Loitsch

Mixing studio and engineer:Toni ‘Meloni’ Loitsch

Mastering studio and engineer:Mammoth Sound Mastering, Dan Randall (USA)

Available formats
CD
Vinyl in different colours

Sales:https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/InsanityAlert666


For more onINSANITY ALERT, visit their officialFACEBOOK,TWITTER, andINSTAGRAMpages.

OCEANHOARSE Cover 'the perfect song'!

In honor of the 40th anniversary of iconic thrash metallers ANTHRAX, Finland's OCEANHOARSEhave released a cover version of the band's classic "Only". Coming along as a lyric video and in the unmistakable & groove-laden style of OCEANHOARSE, this version should not only please die-hard fans.

The band comments:

"James Hetfield once called Only 'a perfect song'. Well, we wholeheartedly agree! As huge fans of the John Bush-era Anthrax, we wanted to record our version of this 90’s classic, to celebrate Anthrax’s 40th anniversary. We stayed pretty loyal to the original, but did Hoarse-fy it just a bit to make it our own. Enjoy!"

OCEANHOARSE released their critically acclaimed debut studio album Dead Reckoning on August 20th via Noble Demon. Featuring 13 tracks packed with crushing riffs, vocal harmonies and high voltage arrangements, Dead Reckoning shows a band willing to explore things in their very own style, instead of sticking to any kind of average formula. The album is available HERE.

Furthermore, to end this year with a bang, OCEANHOARSE invite you to join HOARSEFEST 2021, a festival currated by the band and taking place on December 26th in Helsinki. More information can be found at THIS LOCATION.

Also, the band will be back on tour with Swedish progressive metal masters SOEN in September 2022. Stay tuned for more details coming soon!

For Oceanhoarse online:

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Spotify

Find NOBLE DEMON online:

Official Website

Facebook

BandCamp

Twitter

YouTube

TikTok

Spotify

THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION OF THE GREATEST GUITARISTS EVER ASSEMBLED IN ONE PLACE IS OUT NOW

THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION OF THE GREATEST GUITARISTS EVER ASSEMBLED IN ONE PLACE IS OUT NOW. CARMINE APPICE AND DEKO ENTERTAINMENT CELEBRATE THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF GUITAR ZEUS WITH A COMPREHENSIVE BOX SET COLLECTION.

The Guitar Zeus 25th Anniversary Box Set is a massive collection of 4 LP's, 3 CD's and Full Color Booklet with never before seen photos and interviews conducted by Martin Popoff. 35 tracks in all featuring Slash, Brian May, Ted Nugent, Yngwie Malmsteem, Neal Schon, Richie Sambora, Zakk Wylde and many, many more. With 2 never released tracks featuring Tommy Thayer of KISS and the first non guitar solo driven track with keyboardist Derek Sherinian (ex Dream Theater). This is the ultimate collection for any guitar enthusiast, there is nowhere else you can find this many guitar greats on one release!

“Not only do I urge everyone to go out and get yourself a copy of the 25th anniversary of Carmine Appice's Guitar Zeus album and when you do, I also urge you to do your homework and do some research on the history of Guitar Zeus….all 35 tracks on this release are really something special, you don't want to skip through a single track because then you'll really be missing out.
KNAC 5.0 out 5.0

“What really makes the record come alive is the massive lineup of guest guitarists that join Appice on it. Each of these players really fit the moniker of “Guitar Zeus” in their own way, making this line up of guests a genius assortment. The tracks hit the listener like a bolt of Zeus’s lightning, with distinct grooves that only Appice and each of his guests could deliver.”
MusicPlayers.com

Carmine states, “I consider Guitar Zeus one of the best projects, if not the BEST project I’ve done both as far as songs, with some of the best production and playing of my career. I love the new tunes. I hope you enjoy this 25th year celebration of some of the greatest rock guitarist ever put together. KEEP ROCKIN”.

Carmine has just released a brand new lyric video for the track “Mystified” featuring Tommy Thayer of KISS.

“Mystified” (featuring Tommy Thayer of KISS): https://bit.ly/3oacQwM

Deko Entertainment has teamed up with Goldmine Magazine to create a one of a kind Guitar Zeus 25th Anniversary Limited Edition bundle that includes not only the Box Set but a special Guitar Zeus necklace, Autographed picture from Carmine and a pair of his signature drum sticks. This is limited to only 100 so head over to the Goldmine Magazine store and check it out.

GZ25 Bundle: https://bit.ly/3J983W1

As drummer for Vanilla Fudge, Carmine Appice set the grooves for the groundbreaking band‘s 1967 psychedelic debut. Post-Fudge, Bogert and Appice formed Cactus (seen as an influence on King‘s X and Van Halen). Post-Cactus, the rhythm section found Grammy-winning Guitar Hero Jeff Beck to form the first supergroup: Beck, Bogert & Appice (BBA). One of the premier showmen in rock, Appice became known worldwide for his astonishing live performances, in addition to becoming a highly sought-after session drummer, recording with countless artists throughout his career. In ‘76, he joined the Rod Stewart Band, touring, recording and writing two of Stewart‘s biggest hits, “Do Ya Think I‘m Sexy” and “Young Turks”. He would go on to form King Kobra, tour with Ozzy Osbourne and Blue Murder with John Sykes (Whitesnake) and Tony Franklin (The Firm).

Visit the Carmine Appice store here: https://bit.ly/3GGnJyK

Box Set Includes:

• 4LP’s (includes new tracks featuring Tommy Thayer (KISS) and Derek Sherinian (ex-Dream Theater)

• 3CD’s (includes bonus guitar play along)

• 8 Page Color Booklet written by Martin Popoff (with new interviews and never before seen photos)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT:
www.dekoentertainment.com

NYC producer / dream pop artist Charlie Nieland presents 'Divisions'

"This collection of his solo offerings – his second as a solo artist – spectacularly unearthing our worldly connection through his profound, thoughtful and grounding music" - The Spill Magazine

"Pressing drum strikes create a restless atmosphere that’s reinforced by brightly winding guitar lines, and Nieland’s heartfelt vocals as he sings socio-politically steeped lyrics” ~ Big Takeover Magazine

"Brings to mind R.E.M. with both music and vocals right in line with the kind of music they put out in their first ten years... Nieland carries it with strength, his voice like a beacon of truth" ~ Amplify Music Magazine

"Thoughtful and socially-conscious... Neiland brings a message of hope and a vision for a better future" ~ Rebel Noise

"Nieland approaches such subjects with a musical deftness and sonic poise which may at first belie the poignancy of the message he is sending... he balances shards of guitar noise, beguiling electronica and his imploring vocals" ~ Dancing About Architecture

NYC-based producer indie music veteran Charlie Nieland presents his new ‘Divisions’ LP and his latest video for ‘The Land of Accidents’. Directed by NYC-based multi-faceted artist Hypnodoll, this expansive, visceral music video is inspired by our beautiful earth.

Nieland’s musical backstory is extensive, having written and produced material with such notable artists as Debbie Harry, Rufus Wainwright, Dead Leaf Echo, Blondie and Scissor Sisters. He scored the feature film 'The Safety of Objects'(starring Glenn Close), the pilot episode of 'The L Word' on Showtime and the VH-1documentary 'NY77: The Coolest Year in Hell'. Charlie was awarded a Gold record (UK) for his production work on Blondie's 'Greatest Hits Sight & Sound'and achieved a Top 10 Billboard Dance Chart Position with Debbie Harry's single 'Two Times Blue', which he co-wrote and produced.

"As the pandemic took hold, so did my plan to produce ‘Divisions’ and I began a listening expedition through my inspirations, from The Beatles to Yes, Cocteau Twins to Interpol, Peter Gabriel to Blur, U2 and The Flaming Lips. I wanted these tracks to be mini-epics, where you hear something new every time you listen. I started recording in my apartment this summer and reached out to drummer Brian Geltner and cellist Patricia Santos, who recorded their parts at home and shared them with me,” explains Charlie Nieland.

“As restrictions lifted, I started a marathon tracking process at my studio that included violinist Heather Cole, both Susan Hwang from my band Lusterlit and Billy Loose from Her Vanished Grace on drums and Susan on backup vocals. I called into service all my instruments, from lap steel, to 6 and 12 string electric and acoustic guitars; fretless, fretted and 8 string basses; analog synths, virtual mellotrons, TR-808s and more. This whirlwind journey is heard here in the obsessive and passionate, surreal and visceral, dream-like progressive rock and dream pop of Divisions"

Nieland also played power dream pop with the band Her Vanished Grace for over 20 years before establishing himself as a solo artist with a mix of nuanced songwriting and sonic exploration. He is currently half of the literature-inspired songwriting and performing duo Lusterlit with Susan Hwang.

Nieland elaborates on 'The Land Of Accidents': "This is a dark anthem to not-belonging, inspired by a passage in the novel ‘White Teeth’ by Zadie Smith: a dialogue between the thirst for acceptance and freedom. The suffering we feel in our estrangement can just as easily be liberation. “Nothing happens the way you expected". It was written as part of the international performance series, Bushwick Book Club,” says Charlie Nieland.

The 'Divisions' LP is out now, available digitally everywhere, including Spotify, Apple Music and directly from the artist via Bandcamp.

CREDITS
Charlie Nieland: Electric Guitars, Bass, Glockenspiel, Vocals
Brian Geltner: Drums, Samples
Written by Charlie Nieland
Recorded: July-Nov 2020 at home and at Saturation Point Studios (Brooklyn NY)
Produced, Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Charlie Nieland
Cover photo and video by Hypnodoll

Keep up with Charlie Nieland
Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Twitter | Soundcloud | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music

NYC-based alt-rock postpunk outfit Black Rose Burning present 'The Wheel' album

"A compelling blend of ominous Goth atmospheres, dark, but dynamic dancefloor anthems, New Wave ’80s tunefulness, and electronics-embedded tech tracks, all draped with the silky, reflective, and longing vocals of George Grant" ~ Big Takeover Magazine

"Leaning towards Ultravox and Colourbox on the new wave spectrum, they sometimes also produce vibes channelled from Phantasmagoria-era The Damned and Butterfly on a Wheel-era The Mission. Perhaps the closest assessment would be The Veldt and modern day post-punk quartet ACTORS, only with the unique vocal timbre of A.R.Kane's Alex Ayuli" ~ Amplify Music Mag

"The elements of post-punk such as the jangly guitars and the keyboards and yet there seems to so much more going on... Space might be the final frontier but Black Rose Burning are already stellar" ~ Onyx Music Reviews

NYC-based alternative rock outfit Black Rose Burning has released 'The Wheel', their second full-length album, following the band's debut album 'The Year of the Scorpion', released in 2020.

Running at about 50 minutes, this collection of 12 galactic offerings was inspired by love lost, love won and outer space. This sophomore album takes the band's sound to a completely new level in terms of songwriting and composition.

With a healthy set of post-punk gothic rock earworms, it should come as no surprise that this album would involve Jason Corbett of ACTORS at his Jacknife Sound Studio in Vancouver.

Black Rose Burning was formed in 2018 by instrumentalist, producer and engineer George Grant, whose soulful vocal delivery, instantly recognizable voice, unique grooves and solid instrumentation are standout features of this music.

Spanning the realms of multiple genres, Grant's influences are also multi-generational while maintaining an overall succinct flow and feel. Roughly 40 years of songwriting across many styles has helped George embellish on clever hooks, drive and the gothic-pop sensibilities of The Cult's early years.

"This release was a labor of love after the success of my first record. I was working through and adjusting to the post covid landscape and took solace in having the time to make another proper record," says George Grant.

"Over the past four years or so, quite a few relationships that I valued were destroyed in an instant - over politics or just basic unacceptable differences. Then came Covid and I lost a few more for reasons beyond their control. There was a lot of anger in my first record. This one is more melancholic than angry. I write about outer space a lot. On both records. I find it inspirational. It’s vastness. It’s the place I’d most like to go. Maybe the place I’d most like to escape to might be a better definition."

'The Wheel' was recorded in George’s own studio, PV Recording Company, which has over the years hosted such artists as Emelio Zeff China (Peter Murphy), Knox Chandler (Siouxsie And The Banshees), Chibi (The Birthday Party Massacre), Nellie McKay, Julia Marcel, Paul Bakija (Reagan Youth), Ego Likeness and Voltaire (with whom Grant also played bass for 10 years).

Grant has also assembled for live performances, including guitarist Frank Morin (World Inferno Friendship Society) and drummer Luis Infantas (Monster Zero).

Available on CD and digitally across the internet, including Spotify and Apple Music. It can also be ordered directly from the band via Bandcamp.

CREDITS
Recorded and Mixed by George Grant at PVRCo in Putnam Valley, NY and The Wolf’s Den Manhattan
Mastered By Jason Corbett (ACTORS) at Jacknife Sound Vancouver
Cover Art by Eshmoon DM Design
Live photography by Robert Braunfeld

Keep up with Black Rose Burning
Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud | YouTube| Spotify | Apple Music

MAGNUM Release New Single "No Steppin' Stones" - New Album 'The Monster Roars' Out January 14th!

MAGNUM Release New Single "No Steppin' Stones"

New Album 'The Monster Roars' Out January 14, 2022

European Tour Starts March 2022

British rock icons MAGNUM have released a new single and lyric video for the song "No Steppin' Stones", which is taken from the band's upcoming studio album 'The Monster Roars'. You can watch the lyric video at the link found below.

"The Monster Roars" will be released on January 14th, 2022 through SPV/Steamhammer in the following configurations:

=> CD DigiPak

=> Limited Box Set

=> 2LP Gatefold, 140 g, red vinyl, printed inner sleeves

=> Download / Streaming

Pre-Order Link: https://smarturl.it/MagnumTheMonster

=> Exclusive CD/LP Bundle with a shirt only at the Steamhammer shop

Pre-Order Link: https://shop.steamhammer.de/artists/magnum/store

=> 2LP Gatefold exclusive coloured edition only at the Napalm shop

Pre-Order Link: https://napalmrecords.com/english/magnum

=> Exclusive 2LP Gatefold exclusive coloured edition only for the UK

Pre-Order Link: https://www.plastichead.com/item.aspx?catno=244105

‘THE MONSTER ROARS’ features twelve new songs in total, with a few little surprises thrown in! On top of the regular disc, Magnum are releasing a limited box set with three extra bonus tracks, including a new version of ‘Days Of No Trust’, the opener of the 1988 album classic ‘Wings Of Heaven’, a new remastered version of ‘Sweets For My Sweet’, the very first single of their career from 1975, and a previously unreleased track from the same era. And from March 2022, the band will finally be returning to Europe for a major tour .

Åskväder Release Music Video for New Single "Claptrap" - Sophomore Album 'Fenix' Coming March 2022!

Swedish rockers Åskväder have returned with the electrifying track "Claptrap". A thunderstorm of energetic, '90s inspired garage rock, bluesy guitar licks, and standout choruses. The single is the second one leading up to Åskväder’s sophomore album 'Fenix', which is set for release in Spring 2022 via The Sign Records.

Martin Gut from the band comments:

"The concept of this specific song was to start it right away with the chorus. Our very wise mentor and the tycoon of our record label Kaj Sivervik once told us that this concept is the way to reach the top. Ironically the lyrics of the song are describing someone who really wants to be a rock star and unfortunately fails big time. The 1000-dollar question remains, will we succeed?"

Stream "Claptrap" Here!

About Åskväder:

Electrifying Swedish rockers Åskväder make thunder and lightning through music. Well-balanced seasoning to the sound of the 90s Scandinavian rock scene mixed up with smoking hot riffs drenched in bluesy licks and catchy refrains. Adding thundering drum and bass groove with a topping consisting of elaborate vocal harmonies Åskväder is Swedish and can be translated into 'Thunderstorm'. That says it all. No fuss, just straight Rock N Roll.

Hailing from the west coast of Sweden, Åskväder released their debut EP ”Quick Fixes” in 2018. In 2020 the band joined forces with The Sign Records for the release of their debut, self-titled studio album. In 2022 Åskväder returned with their second full-length effort, ”Fenix”. The new album takes the Åskväder sound heard on the debut album to a new level. Mixed by Kalle Lilja & Per Stålberg (Welfare Sounds), which truly put an intense vibe to the album.

Åskväder was formed in 2018 and consists today of Kammo Olayvar with his lightning speed bass grooves, August Waernelius on drumrolls, Albin Sörensson on lead vocals, and Martin Gut bending guitar strings and singing harmonies. Look out for the band's sophomore album, 'Fenix', which will be released via The Sign Records in March 2022.

Connect with Åskväder:

https://www.facebook.com/askvaderband

https://www.instagram.com/askvaderband/

https://askvader.bandcamp.com/

Parody Metallers NANOWAR OF STEEL Reveal New Lyric Video for “Il Signore degli Anelli dello Stadio”!

Parody Metallers NANOWAR OF STEEL Blend Lord Of The Rings Lore with Football on ”Il Signore degli Anelli dello Stadio”

Latest Album, Italian Folk Metal, Out Now

Get Your Copy NOW

Have you ever wanted to watch Lord Of The Rings characters play football? Chaotic Italian bunch NANOWAR OF STEEL have made it happen! On their single “Il Signore degli Anelli dello Stadio”, the parody metallers combine their love for the classic J. R. R. Tolkien fantasy with the world’s favorite team sport!

NANOWAR OF STEEL on the song:

"’Il Signore degli Anelli dello Stadio’ (‘The Lord of the Stadium Rings’) is the first epic-football-metal song ever released (at least by NANOWAR OF STEEL). What would happen if all of a sudden, all the creatures of the Lord Of The Rings had their own football team? And more importantly, which songs would their supporters sing? NANOWAR OF STEEL has got the answer for you!”

Watch the animated lyric video for “Il Signore degli Anelli dello Stadio” below.

Parody metal powerhouse NANOWAR OF STEEL turns to the musical roots of their homeland, bringing heavy new life to traditional Italian music on their new album Italian Folk Metal! Filled with references to Italian folklore, NANOWAR OF STEEL puts its own comedic metal twist on the various traditional sounds of their beautiful country. Each song on Italian Folk Metal is performed in a distinct style of Italian folk music: Napoli-based sounds of musica neomelodica clash with melodic guitar sweeps on “Scugnizzi of the Land of Fires” and speedy accordions (prominently known from northern Italy‘s mazurka) are layered with dizzying guitar solos on “La Mazurka del Vecchio che Guarda i Cantieri“. Mixed with the band’s eclectic, comprehensive brand of catchy, comedy-infused metal, Italian Folk Metal is a truly multi-faceted listening experience and a deep dive into the roots of Italy’s folklore!

Pre-Order Italian Folk Metal HERE:

In the process of recording the new album in Rome and Milan during the summer of 2020, NANOWAR OF STEEL took the Italian-focused theme as an opportunity to gather Italy’s crème de la creme of musicianship: the album features Francesco Paoli from FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE on “L’assedio di Porto Cervo”, Alessandro Conti of LUCA TURILLI’S RHAPSODY and TRICK OR TREAT fame on “La Mazurka del Vecchio che guarda i Cantieri”and FROZEN CROWN’s Jade on “Rosario”, among others. Italian Folk Metal showcases NANOWAR OF STEEL’s musical versatility at its best!

Italian Folk Metal is available in the following formats:

1-LP Gatefold SPLIT RED/WHITE/GREEN (limited to 200 copies worldwide)

1-LP Gatefold BLACK

1-CD Digipak (CD + T-Shirt Bundle)

1-CD Digipak

Digital Album

NANOWAR OF STEEL are:

Gatto Panceri 666 - Bass

Potowotominimak – Vocals

Mr. Baffo – Vocals

Abdul – Guitar

Uinona Raider – Drums

ALBERT BOUCHARD, FOUNDING MEMBER OF BLUE ÖYSTER CULT RELEASES VINLY EDITION OF IMAGINOS II – BOMBS OVER G

ALBERT BOUCHARD, FOUNDING MEMBER OF BLUE ÖYSTER CULT RELEASES VINLY EDITION OF ‘IMAGINOS II – BOMBS OVER GERMANY (MINUS ZERO AND COUNTING)’, WITH SPECIAL BUNDLE ITEMS AND COLOR VARIATIONS.

Albert Bouchard is best known as a founding member of Blue Öyster Cult, along with his brother and bassist Joe Bouchard. The original line-up sold millions of albums for Columbia Records, with such classic songs as “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” and the #1 hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart “Burning For You”, with both contributing to songwriting, and lead vocals on some of their greatest songs, such as “Cites on Flame with Rock and Roll” and “Hot Rails To Hell”.
Albert Bouchard is back with “Imaginos 2 – Bombs Over Germany (minus zero and counting)”, continuing the Trilogy of Imaginos, a concept album about an alien conspiracy that is brought to fruition during the late 19th and early 20th century through the actions of Imaginos, an agent of evil. The album weaves scripts and poems by the late Sandy Pearlman. Due to overwhelming demand, Rockheart Records/Deko Entertainment is now releasing a limited-edition vinyl release that will come as a double LP gatefold, including an extended version of “Independence Day”, plus the bonus instrumental mix of, “When War Comes”. It will be available as a standard LP release slated for release on June 3rd, 2022 as well as 3 Limited Bundles that are available for pre-order now.

There will 200 copies each of the two color variations (White/Black Ice and Red/Black Ice), both which include the brand new “Welcome to Plutonia” postcard and other exclusive items. With an additional 100 of the Ruby Red version sold exclusively through Goldmine Magazine.

View Black and White version: https://tinyurl.com/3nukzu6x

View Red and White version: https://tinyurl.com/2rkkdtvw

View Goldmine Magazine exclusive: https://tinyurl.com/cdeswpjx

View video for OD’d On Life Itself here: https://tinyurl.com/5x7m2r6d

Visit the Albert Bouchard store via: https://bit.ly/AlbertBouchard

Vinly Products Include:
- One Double LP Album of Albert Bouchards - Imaginos II
- One Imaginos II Guitar Pick
- One Imaginos II Poster (Autographed)
- One Imaginos Face Mask
- One Imaginos Postcard

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT:
www.albertbouchard.net
www.dekoentertainment.com

SHAPE OF DESPAIR Premieres New Song, "Dissolution"

Finnish funeral doom icons SHAPE OF DESPAIR will be releasing their brand new full-length, 'Return to the Void,' on February 25, 2022 via Season of Mist! The band is now sharing the brand new single, "Dissolution," which can be heard below.

'Return to the Void' is available for pre-orders HERE. Pre-save the album across your favorite streaming platform HERE.

Finnish funeral doom icons SHAPE OF DESPAIR return from the wintry Nordic gloom on their new album, Return to the Void. Between the success of the majestically downtrodden Monotony Fields (2015) and today, the members of SHAPE OF DESPAIR have been composing (glacially) and otherwise ensconced writing/performing with their other projects like FINNTROLL, IMPALED NAZARENE, THROES OF DAWN, and COUNTING HOURS. The Finns have never been or found the need to be prolific, however. The race into the cold darkness is a contemplatively unhurried task. Return to the Void is musically and thematically that same journey, one of perpetual solitude and aching hopelessness, driven straight into the heart of frigid twilight. As ever, this is cheerless music for sunless days.

“Not long after Monotony Fields, I started composing for Return to the Void,” says guitarist/founding member Jarno Salomaa. “At first, the title song sounded too primitive. I thought I would make a solo album out of it, but after a while, the song reminded me of older RAVEN material. Naturally and eventually, it started to feel like a SHAPE OF DESPAIR song."

 SHAPE OF DESPAIR was formed out of the ashes of RAVEN in Helsinki in 1998. Actually, the transformation into the present-day moniker wasn’t as violent as it sounds. A simple name change—initiated by Salomaa—coincided with the Finns' developing predilection for protracted if icy metal. SHAPE OF DESPAIR’s grand debut, Shades of… (2000), was proof that the fledgling sextet's stately doom was already ascendant. From there, the Helsinkians morphed in membership but continued their funereal march into legend with Angels of Distress (2001) and Illusion’s Play (2004) before hibernating for almost a decade. While Return to the Void is the natural follow-up to Monotony Fields and represents over six years of songwriting development, the main narrative (and indeed the timely return of drummer Samu Ruotsalainen) is rooted in the past.

 “Return to the Void isn’t the follow-up to Monotony Fields in the traditional sense,” Salomaa says. “As stated, the songwriting goes way back to the first music we put together for RAVEN. I will say my approach has changed after all these years of making music. I found new and different ways to shape the arrangements and my compositions. What matters most, I think, is that it still has the SHAPE OF DESPAIR atmosphere.”

 Return to the Void is no doubt SHAPE OF DESPAIR. From the void-gaze of “Dissolution” and gelid beauty of “Reflection in Slow Time” to the collapsing cathedral in “Forfeit” and the void-fall that is the stunning title track, the Finns have outdone themselves, overcoming the heights of previous lighthouse tracks “Woundheir,” “Angels of Distress," and "Sleep Mirrored" with surprising ease. Funeral doom is often narrow in scope, but Return to the Void defiantly opposes that with its massively scaled and forlornly inspired valleys and angelic (powered by Natalie Koskinen’s empyrean vocals) peaks. Coupled with Henri Koivula’s caliginous lyrics, SHAPE OF DESPAIR provides a masterclass display of a genre expansive and filmic.

 “Return to the Void is a title we thought would best describe the album,” says Koivula. “It is a return for us in many ways. We were heading [musically] towards early SHAPE OF DESPAIR. Plus, Samu’s back in the band. Overall, my lyrics have a red line through them—a sense of solitude and depression. The state where you find that everything has lost its meaning. There is no past or future, only this one moment drifting near the firmament.”

 The Return to the Void project started in 2020 and continued through May 2021. Production duties were wrested from the previous producer Max Kostermaa and in-sourced to the band directly. Ruotsalainen, Salomaa, Koivula, and Miika Niemelä engineered, respectively, at Beat Domination Studios, D-Studios, and Doom Cave Studios. The group also looked inside their ranks for mixing, handing the job off to [drummer] Ruotsalainen (FINNTROLL, METSATÖLL). The mastering was given to award-winning ace Svante Forsbäck (VOLBEAT, RAMMSTEIN) at Chartmakers West in Espoo. If the previous SHAPE OF DESPAIR productions were huge, Return to the Void is unfathomably massive. One listen to “Solitary Downfall” and the album’s crushing egress "The Inner Desolation," and it’s readily apparent that SHAPE OF DESPAIRhave crafted a temple of sound to ruminate the cruelty of existence.

 “We recorded the album on our own, which allowed us the freedom to record whenever and however long we wanted,” says Salomaa. ”Everything was done in late winter, with the mixing taking place between February and March of 2021. We had a couple of weekends to mix with Samu, but most of it was done without us. The mastering was then finalized in May 2021. [The sound is] mainly raw but still heavy. The main focus was to keep our sound world intact. I think this album sounds the most accurate we’ve ever wanted our albums to sound.”

 SHAPE OF DESPAIR’s next steps are to release Return to the Void via Season of Mist. The striking cover art via long-time design partner and silent member Mariusz Krystew (David Galas, Thor’s Hammer) is yet again a reminder that the Finns are as visually engaging as they are compositionally and lyrically. That they mixed old and new for Return to the Void is proof that there’s purpose and meaning to Salomaa’s ill-lit aesthetic. Once the album is released and protocols pending, Shape of Despair hope to hit the road where they’ll pontificate their wintry despondency from the stage to audiences near and far.

Style: Funeral Doom Metal

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/shapeofdespairofficial
https://www.instagram.com/shape_of_despair
https://twitter.com/shapeofdespair
https://shapeofdespair.bandcamp.com/

Recording line-up:
Henri Koivula - vocals
Natalie Koskinen - vocals
Jarno Salomaa - guitars and keyboards
Tomi Ullgrén - guitars
Sami Uusitalo - bass
Samu Ruotsalainen - drums

Recording studio: Beat Domination Studio, D-Studio and Doom Cave

Producer / sound engineer: Produced by Shape of Despair

Engineered by Samu Ruotsalainen, Miika Niemelä, Jarno Salomaa and Henri Koivula

Mixing studio and engineer: Beat Domination Studio / Samu Ruotsalainen

Mastering studio / engineer: Chartmakers West / Svante Forsbäck

Biography: Chris Dick

Cover art: Mariusz Krystew

Booking: curse.life.booking@gmail.com

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

Available formats: CD digipak, vinyl black and coloured