Dublin electro pop artist CIRCUIT3 releases retro-futuristic 'Technology For The Youth' LP

July 16, 2022

"Truly retro-futuristic... youthful sound that lifts your spirits" ~ The Record Stache

"Uplifting electro pop with Pet Shop Boys-esque Fairlight drums, poppy vocal samples and a joyful lead vocal" ~ Altvenger

"Classic synth with fabulous textures, voicing and rhythmic effects" ~ Electricity Club

"Very well balanced.. an album that can make your speakers pop" ~ Synthpoplover

"Stunning blend of analogue synth ear candy and 5 minutes into-the-future lyrics in a style not seen since the 1978-1982 era of electronic pop" ~ AnalogueTrash

Dublin future-retro electronic artist Circuit3 (the electronic pop alias of Peter Fitzpatrick) presents his third album 'Technology For The Youth' LP. Released via Manchester's AnalogueTrash label, this album was mastered by Richard Dowling, known for his work with Paul McCartney, Kylie Minogue, Motorhead, David Bowie, Foo Fighters, New Order and Sparks.

Named after the Soviet science & technology magazine, the album arrives like a fragment of an abandoned space station, virtually destroyed upon re-entering Earth’s atmosphere. Evoking different times and ambitions – the space race, moon shots, heroic achievements in the name of science, and unlikely Cold War collaborations in the USA and USSR - this album oscillates softly between hope and the limitless possibilities that fired up the imagination of young Fitzpatrick as he watched Apollo launches on his family’s TV set.

“As a kid, I'd been fascinated by things like Apollo 13,” remembers Fitzpatrick. "I was the kid who built the Airfix model of Saturn V. I was the kid with a pop-up book about Skylab. I wanted to be an astronaut when I grew up, and I had no fear whatsoever about going into space. At that time, everything seemed to be so futuristic, and for a lot of my childhood I genuinely imagined that I’d be like Martin Landau’s character John Koenig in ‘Space 1999’."

Like the previous two Circuit3 albums – 'siliconchipsuperstar' LP (2016) and 'The Price Of Nothing & The Value Of Everything' (2019), which received praised by Martyn Ware (The Human League, Heaven17) – we find Fitzpatrick building crisp electronic pop songs from the enviable array of analogue synthesisers assembled in his home studio. Focusing squarely on that period before digital synthesis, much like how the lyrics on this new LP were informed by those space exploration endeavours occurring before the first Space Shuttle left Cape Canaveral.

Fitzpatrick began working on 'Technology For The Youth' in 2018-19 against a backdrop of extreme political upheaval. A lurch rightward in politics seemed to prompt a sudden disbelief in the science that had dominated Fitzpatrick’s boyhood thoughts, just at the point that the first manned mission to the Moon was reaching its 50th anniversary. Fitzpatrick suddenly found himself revisiting those youthful interests via an internet rabbit hole that revealed the less well-known aspects of the space race – the many successes that Russia had that didn’t quite break through the Cold War’s reinforced media blockade; the story of Ed Dwight, intended to be the first African-American in space but who never got to leave Earth; the litany of conspiracy theories involving lost Cosmonauts whose fate was covered up by the Russian government.

These stories provided the lyrical themes for the stirring pop tracks that 'Technology For The Youth' is built from. Dwight’s ordeal became the basis for ‘Spacewalking’and its rumination on the inexplicability of racism, set to an 808 pattern that evokes the idea of gingerly walking out into space; the abandoned Cosmonaut crews drifting endlessly into deep space became the eerie ‘Transmissions’; ‘Blinded By The Sun’ deals with the Trump-era denial of science; ‘In The End (We Become Closer)’ offers hope by using news reports of the 1975 joint US-Russian Apollo-Soyuz mission to remind us of how we lost our way in space; 'Overview Effect' is named after the psychological effect that astronauts experience when observing the Earth from far above its atmosphere. "It seems to me that if everybody experienced that, they’d probably start listening to Extinction Rebellion a little more,” says Fitzpatrick.

If a fascination with space provided the emotional narrative arc for Technology For The Youth, it also informed the sonic structures that his lyrics float over. The pieces are fragile and minimal, built from layers so sparse that you can almost see the stars between them, each one edged with reflective, metallic textures like the exterior surface of an orbiting rocket.

“I really stripped these songs down a lot more than on my previous two albums. When I lived in New York in the early 1990s, I did sound design and composition for a living. I didn’t have much money and I didn’t have much equipment, so I knew how to work minimally. That experience was really useful while I was making this album: every sound has to do its job. If it's not doing anything, you take it out,” says Fitzpatrick.

For Fitzpatrick this was the album he always hoped he would make and one that he has poured his entire heart and soul into. Retro-futuristic but undeniably human, 'Technology For The Youth' is electronic pop constructed from the brave ambitions of forward-thinking scientists and politicians, and the remembered hopes, dreams and fascinations of a young Dublin boy.

In the lead-up to the album, Circuit3 released the 'Overview Effect' EP, featuring remixes by KeX/1 (Lloyd Price of The Frixion) and AnalogueTrash label-mates Vieon, and 'Future Radio', co-produced by Wolfgang Flür (Kraftwerk)collaborator iEuropean (Sean Barron) and co-written with Brian McCloskey. It also features a remix by Ricardo Autobahn (AKA John Matthews), best known as one half of Spray and UK chart toppers The Cuban Boys. Circuit3 also recently featured on Rodney Cromwell 'Opus Three' EP.

As of July 15, 'Technology For The Youth' will be released across online platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp. The album is also available on vinyl (with 5 different colour options).

ALBUM CREDITS
All music written and recorded by Peter Fitzpatrick
All lyrics written by Peter Fitzpatrick except ''Future Radio', written by Brian McCloskey
All songs recorded and produced in Ireland by Peter Fitzpatrick
'Future Radio' co-produced by Sean Barron (ex-Kraftwerk collaborator iEuropean)
Mastered by Richard Dowling (WAV Mastering)
Backing Vocals on 'Overview Effect' by Alessia Turcato
Artist bio by Mat Smith (Electronic Sound)

Wade Bowen Releases Vince Gill Duet “A Guitar, A Singer And A Song;” New Album ‘Somewhere Between The Secret And The Truth’ Out August 12

July 15, 2022

A renowned singer-songwriter in his own right, Wade Bowen teams up with the incomparable Vince Gill for his latest release, “A Guitar, A Singer and A Song,” available everywhere now. The release follows lead single “Everything Has Your Memory” as a further preview of the Waco, Texas native’s forthcoming album Somewhere Between The Secret And The Truth, scheduled for release on August 12 via Thirty Tigers and available for pre-order HERE.

Embracing the theme of every songwriter’s quest for an enduring legacy, Bowen notes that the closing verse sung by Gill offers the crux of the ballad’s concept; “The whole point of doing what we do is to not be forgotten, to try to leave a mark on the world with a guitar and with your songs and with your voice. We don’t think about it until we get a couple decades into our career: ‘Have I done enough that people will remember me?’”

So I’ll write you a thousand songs
And I’ll play you a thousand shows
It’ll feel like a thousand years
Some will remember me and some won’t
But I know why I do what I do
And I’m in ‘til the day that I’m gone
And I pray when they speak my name that I live on
In a guitar, a singer and a song

“I love that this song got written because it seemed for a second there that it was not meant to be,” adds Bowen of the writing process with his GRAMMY Award-winning co-writer Lori McKenna, who also features as a duet partner on another track on the album. “When I brought the idea to Lori, of course she’s the kind of person that was just like, ‘oh yeah, I see what you’re talking about there.’ I’m so thankful for her friendship that helped turned this idea into the right lyrics.”

“Wade is a great artist and this is a great singer, singing a great song,” adds Gill. “That never goes out of style. I'm grateful to be a part of it.”

Fans of Bowen’s heartfelt lyrics and star-studded collaborations can look forward to the August 12 release of all 12 songs on Somewhere Between The Secret And The Truth and can catch Bowen performing these new songs as well as his extensive catalog of hits two decades in the making at shows across the country this summer.

For more information and to purchase tickets to upcoming tour dates, visit WadeBowen.com and follow on Facebook@TheWadeBowen and Twitter / Instagram @WadeBowen.

Somewhere Between The Secret And The Truth Track List
Produced by Wade Bowen; Songwriters in Parentheses
Lyrics + Liner Notes Available HERE
Track x Track Available HERE

Everything Has Your Memory (Wade Bowen, Eric Paslay, Heather Morgan)
Burnin’ Both Ends of the Bar (Wade Bowen, Randy Montana)
Honky Tonk Roll (Wade Bowen, Randy Montana)
The Secret To This Town (Wade Bowen, Heather Morgan)
If You Don’t Miss Me (Wade Bowen, Ray Fulcher)
A Beautiful World featuring Lori McKenna (Wade Bowen, Lori McKenna)
She’s Driving Me Crazy (Wade Bowen, Eric Paslay, Heather Morgan)
Knowing Me Like I Do (Wade Bowen, Clint Ingersoll)
It’s Gonna Hurt (Wade Bowen, Drew Kennedy)
Say Goodbye (Wade Bowen, Eric Paslay, Heather Morgan)
A Guitar, A Singer and A Song featuring Vince Gill (Wade Bowen, Lori McKenna)
Somewhere Between The Secret and The Truth (Wade Bowen, Lori McKenna)

About Wade Bowen
Twenty years and some 4,000 shows into his career, the name Wade Bowen has become synonymous with authentic Country music – and for good reason. An artistic descendant of American icons like Guy Clark, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Robert Earl Keen and more, Bowen is a contemporary link in a Texan chain of roots-rock poets stretching back more than 50 years – yet his ambition never ended at the state line.

Seen as one of the genre’s finest and most genuine modern voices, Bowen’s approach stays rooted in tradition, but also stands on the creative cutting edge. His focus remains on writing unique songs with a literary quality and shifting his sonic territory to match his life, as evidenced by uplifting lead single “Everything Has Your Memory” and new release “A Guitar, A Singer and A Song” (featuring Vince Gill) off his forthcoming album, Somewhere Between The Secret And The Truth, set for release August 12 via Thirty Tigers.

Wielding a knack for direct, poetic songwriting that never panders, Bowen matches his gravel-road growl to an organic sound spanning the whole of Texas and beyond, tapping both country and rock influences. A dozen albums have shown his sonic diversity – including six studio sets, two live collections, a gospel album and an ongoing series of buddy-country hits with fellow Texan Randy Rogers. Along the way, he’s scored hits and accolades based on quality, not quantity, and continues to perform around 200 nationwide shows each year – including multiple appearances on the venerated Grand Ole Opry stage.

Walker Hayes Releases Highly Anticipated New Single "Y'all Life" + Official Music Video

July 15, 2022

Following a breakthrough year that saw the Monument Records recording artist earn a GRAMMY nomination, six Billboard Music Award nominations, five ACM Award nominations, a CMT Award nomination, and a No. 1 at Country Radio, Walker Hayes leans into the real-life inspiration of his family and friends for his new release, the highly anticipated new single “Y’all Life.”

“Y’all Life” is a quintessential song about the easy-going, loosened-up way of life in the South. True to Hayes’ signature songwriting style, which Billboard praises as “personal, soul-bearing storylines; rolling rhymes; and Macklemore-like cadence,” he sings:

“LIVIN’ THAT Y’ALL LIFE Y’ALL / ROLLING IN THE SOUTH / WHERE IT’S ALL FOOTBALL AND JESUS”

Hailing from Mobile, Alabama, Hayes shares what “Y’all Life” means to him…and he doesn’t just sing it, he lives it.

“’Y’all Life’ is meant to celebrate life and livin’ in the moment, even if that means things are a little messy… that just means you’re busy livin’,” explains Hayes. “Take me and my family for instance. We’re normal people. We have a garage on the front of our house, we live down the street from a strip mall. Sometimes I leave the lawn mower in the yard; the blow-up Christmas yard ornaments stayed up way too long this year; there are bikes all over the driveway. We even got a letter in the mail about our weeds the other day. We’re out here living life the best we can and it’s chaotic, but it’s ours and we’re doing it with the people we love, and I feel like a lot of people can relate to that imagery in this song.”

Written by Hayes, with Pete Good and Josh Jenkins, as well as original Country Grammar writers Cornell Haynes Jr. (Nelly) and Jason Epperson, and produced by Hayes with “Fancy Like” collaborator Joe Thibodeau, and multi-GRAMMY Award winner Shane McAnally, “Y’all Life,” continues Hayes’ tradition of releasing songs that reflect his personal experiences. “I’ve found the more I show people the ‘real,’ the more relatable it seems to be, so here’s to more stories about how y’all are livin’, too!”

As the single heads to Country radio today (impacting Aug. 1), the official music video for “Y’all Life” makes its debut. Shot in Chapel Hill, Tennessee, directors Mason Allen and Nicki Fletcher called on the town to help create the perfect Friday night football setting. With the high school football team, cheerleaders, and marching band all showing up game ready, along with hundreds of fans from the town participating in the stands, the video depicts a familiar scene of small-town love that so many Americans know so well.

This fall, Hayes embarks on his headlining arena tour, Glad You’re Here, named after the book he co-wrote with best friend Craig Allen Cooper. The book tells the story of the beloved Hayes track “Craig” and details Hayes’ journey to finding Christ. Tickets are available at WalkerHayes.com.

The Glad You’re Here Tour:
9/29 – 1st Summit Arena, Johnstown, PA
9/30 – Visions Veterans Memorial Arena, Binghamton, NY
10/1 – Mountain Health Arena, Huntington, WV
10/7 – Santander Arena, Reading, PA
10/8 – DCU Center, Worcester, MA
10/13 – Dow Event Center Arena, Saginaw, MI
10/14 – Corbin Arena, Corbin, KY
10/15 – Covelli Centre, Youngstown, OH
10/21 – Alliant Energy Powerhouse, Cedar Rapids, IA
10/22 – Danny Sanford Premiere Center, Sioux Falls, SD
11/5 – Mechanics Bank Arena, Bakersfield, CA
11/7 – The Greek, Los Angeles, CA
11/10 – Spokane Arena, Spokane, WA
11/11 – Theater of the Clouds, Portland, OR
11/12 – Angel Of the Winds Arena, Everett, WA

About Walker Hayes
Monument Records recording artist Walker Hayes is a singer/songwriter originally from Mobile, Alabama. Last year, his smash hit “Fancy Like” topped every country music sales and streaming chart, spent more than six months at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart, hit the top 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Songs, hit No. 1 at country radio, and gave Hayes his first GRAMMY Award nomination as an artist for Best Country Song. The song was also featured in a nationwide Applebee’s commercial. That track, as well as follow up single “AA,” and new song “Y’all Life ,” have made Hayes one of the top selling and streamed artists in country music.

Hayes has performed his music, including the Double-Platinum RIAA certified hit “You Broke Up With Me,” to national audiences on Good Morning America, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and TODAY, and he was profiled for CBS Sunday Morning. This fall, he sets out on his headlining arena tour, the Glad You’re Here tour, which is the same title as the book he released with his best friend, Craig Allen Cooper, detailing his journey to finding Christ.

Viking Metal Legends EINHERJER Release Live Version of “Far Far North” + Artwork Video

July 15, 2022

Viking Metal Legends EINHERJER Release Live Version of “Far Far North” + Artwork Video

Upcoming Live Album, Norse And Dangerous (Live... From The Land Of Legends), out August 5, 2022 via Napalm Records

Pre Order NOW!

Norse metal legends EINHERJER have released a second single, the live version of “Far Far North”, cut from their upcoming live album, Norse And Dangerous (Live... From The Land Of Legends), out August 5, 2022 via Napalm Records. The album is available in vinyl (strictly limited to 300 copies) and digital formats!

Norse And Dangerous (Live... From The Land Of Legends) not only includes songs from North Star (2021), but beautifully sums up EINHERJER’s discography. “Far Far North” was originally released in 1997, and in its dark, gritty live form, shines in a new light – digging deep down into nearly 30 years of band history. Featuring powerful vocals, heavy guitar riffs and remarkable solos, the single only hints at what more the new live album has to offer.

Norse And Dangerous (Live... From The Land Of Legends) was recorded in the band’s hometown of Haugesund in February of last year at their North Star album release shows, and follows the release of said full length, which was acclaimed both by fans and media alike (Spark 5/5 [CZ], Deaf Forever 8/10 [DE], Hardline 8.5/10 [DE], Metal Hammer 8/10 [UK]).

Watch the official video for the live version of “Far Far North”

Viking Metal pioneers EINHERJER unleash incredible live power!

World-renowned Norsemen EINHERJER have returned to unleash their fantastic, grim sound once more! Founded in 1993, the metal veterans have spent nearly 30 years making their mark on the Viking metal genre with eight studio albums and two EPs. This year, the band even reached another benchmark, earning a nomination for a Spellemann Award – the most important music prize in their home country of Norway!

Norse And Dangerous (Live... From The Land Of Legends) sets off with great opener “West Coast Groove” from their most recent studio album, North Star. Next, “The Spirit Of A Thousand Years” showcases EINHERJER’s technical songwriting sophistication with the finest guitar solos, while “The Blood & The Iron” offers bursting, intense energy and “Kill The Flame” lures with its characteristic riffage. But the band doesn’t stop with more recent songs! After visiting several other favorites, the band soon returns to days of yore with tracks like “Dragons Of The North” and “Ballad Of The Swords” from their 1996 debut full-length Dragons Of The North, before closing with turn-of-the-century banger “Ironbound” and classic tune “Far Far North”. The live contrast between their formative hits and more recent orchestrations clearly proves that the band has remained true to themselves throughout the decades, continually delivering an authentic sound.

EINHERJER on the live album Norse And Dangerous (Live... From The Land Of Legends):

"With no gigs in a year and new blood in our ranks, we recorded the two hometown release shows just to get an idea of what we sounded like live in 2021. It only took one listen to realize that our fans would appreciate this as much as we did. EINHERJER live is an energetic experience. We want to let everyone hear that, so here's our first live album, recorded live on our home turf in front of many familiar faces. The document of a great evening!"

Pre-Order “Norse And Dangerous (Live... From The Land Of Legends)” NOW:

Norse And Dangerous (Live... From The Land Of Legends) will be available in the following formats:

- 2LP Gatefold Marbled Crystal Clear Sky Blue VInyl & Poster (strictly limited to 300 copies)

- Digital Full Length Live Album

EINHERJER is:

Gerhard Storesund - Drums, Keyboards

Frode Glesnes - Vocals, Guitar & Bass

Ole Sønstabø - Lead Guitars

Tom Enge - Guitars, Backing Vocals

Echos New Album 'Affirmations' Out Now

July 15, 2022

Industrial tinged, alt pop duo, ECHOS have released heir third full-length album, 'Affirmations' today via Seeking Blue Records. Find the album on your platform of choice HERE and watch the album trailer below.

Speaking on the release of the album, songwriter and vocalist Lexi Norton shares

"Making affirmations felt like holding a mirror up to all of the darkest parts of myself and learning how to shine a new light on them through the eyes of my younger self.

I am so excited for this body of work to finally belong to all of you and I hope it helps heal you in whatever ways feel most aligned to you at this moment in time. My greatest wish with my music is to provide a space where we can talk about hard things and move through them together. You’re not alone, you matter. Thank you for being here x"

ECHOS have released 4 singles from 'Affirmations' - "Shiver", "King Of Disappointment", "New Eyes" and "Sick" which have clocked up over 1 million Spotify streams and 1.5 million YouTube views combined since their release.

ABOUT ECHOS

ECHOS has matured from their early roots as electronic dance music darlings, to creating emotionally commanding, and cinematically vivid alternative-pop with eminence.

Having worked with established curator MrSuicideSheep and his label Seeking Blue for the last 5+ years – ECHOS has seen the fortune of millions of streams, impressions, and eyes on their music.Their breakout track "Saints" has had over 1.6 million views on YouTube and 32.7 million streams on Spotify alone.

Finding importance in the physical, ECHOS has not only seen huge gains digitally, but they have also supported large-room sold out tours with electronic acts like Grammy Award winning DJ/Producer Illenium, with whom they collaborated on massive track "Afterlife" which has over 14 million YouTube views and 20.5 million Spotify streams alone and have performed on the festival stages of Electric Forest, Snowglobe and more as well as a US tour with Alternative metallers I See Stars.

With their upcoming album, 'Affirmations' shifting to a deeper emotional focus, ECHOS lyricist, co-songwriter and vocalist, Lexi Norton has used these tracks as an outlet to document the battlefield of her battles with mental health and as an outlet to process the thoughts and feelings that don’t quite make sense.

ECHOS have nearly 750,000 monthly Spotify listeners and have over 500 million cross-platform streams to date, across their catalog.

Bristol duo REE-VO to debut ‘All Welcome On Planet Ree-Vo’ LP with 10" vinyl involving The Bug, Object Object, NØISE & Dälek

July 15, 2022

"Rapper T.Relly and producer Andy Sspaceland's gripping debut plays stylistic hopscotch in Bristol's low-end dance history. Peppered with old-school film lifts, their electro-hop wriggles and writhes" ~ MOJO

"Their music is uncompromising, fired-up, rough around the edges and equally flies in the face of the powers that be and vile elements of modern-day society... their use of rap, electronica and rhythm wind together seamlessly, demonstrating a deep textural palette that also draws on club / house, dub and EBM" ~ Amplify Music Magazine

Groundbreaking electro-dub duo Ree-Vo have announced that, on July 29th, they'll release their debut album ‘All Welcome on Planet Ree-Vo’ - 10 tracks that punch with a mix of red-eyed paranoia and playful future funk - along with a limited edition 10" vinyl featuring collaborations involving NØISE, Object Object, Dälek and iconic industrial dancehall artist The Bug. with his remix of 'Protein'.

Ree-Vo is Bristol's Andy Spaceland (AKA Andy Jenks) and T. Relly. Recorded, produced and mixed by Andy at Bristol's Christchurch Studios, known as the home of 'Mezzanine'-era Massive Attack, this album was tweaked and fine-tuned during the summer of 2020.

This project really could only have formed in one city, steeped as it is in Bristol’s decades of less conventional hip hop and bass music. Heavily shaped by the local scene and artists synonymous with hip-hop and reggae’s cultural social commentary, such as the Bug and Flowdan, Nas, Kojey Radical, Rob Smith, Massive Attack, Big Cat Burns and Mantronix.

"Our sound has the life blood of sound-system bass culture carried through veins of hiphop and rave. I describe it like that BCuz it’s a live and living thing not just a sound, though essentially it is Bristol Dirt. Both me and Andy, as individuals, have very different sounds but as a duo, the sound for me is totally of one, which is Rare throughout collaborations. The sound just fits. It’s edgy, consciously upbeat and fun yet seriousness throughout - such as life," says T. Relly.

"This release has been a long time coming. Me and Andy met through a mutual friend and instantly became friends, when that shit happens the universe has already decided on something great happening. With that we never gave up on Ree-Vo throughout multiple frustrations, let downs and genre life getting in the way."

In spring of 2022, Ree-Vo released a limited 7" of the 'Spacebox' EP with stunning original artwork by Shepard Fairey (OBEY), featuring remixes by Batbirds (the duo of Joe Cassidy AKA Butterfly Child and Aaron Miller) and NØISE (the musical collective of Joe Cassidy, Shepard Fairey, Merritt Lear and John Goff). Earlier, Ree-Vo also released 'Combat' and a powerhouse remix of this track by iconic UK electronic music producer Surgeon (Tresor Records).

In April, the duo released the juggernaut ‘Groove With It’, growling out polemic against the relentless cacophony,, which T. Relly describes as “what I see in the struggle and ongoing battle, but also the resilience, humour, originality of people living in the system of seemingly two sides”. They've also unleashed the remix-based compilation 'Dial R for Ree-Vo'.

T. Relly is Bristol hip-hop royalty – known in the community variously for his links to all of the city’s major club nights, his passion and support for the most disadvantaged (through his work with the youth and prison leavers), through to compering stages at St Paul’s Carnival and his seminal 2018 album with DJ Rogue ‘Let Them Know’. He collaborates with many crews including Innalife and Killer Crab Men.

After leaving art school (where Brian Eno was his examiner), Andy Spaceland got involved in bass music upon moving to Bristol, first with Static Sound System and a collaborative 12” with Rudy Tambala (AR Kane) as Sugarboat Vs Sufi, before his band Alpha signed to Massive Attack’s Melankolic label, whilst also becoming their tour DJ. His CV of collaborations range from Smith and Mighty and Horace Andy to Elizabeth Fraser and Madonna, having released music on Dj Die’s label Gutterfunk as White Bully. Andy is also part of 5 Billion in Diamonds with LA producer Butch Vig (Nirvana, Garbage) and is working on new material with Mark Stewart (The Pop Group), as well as Adrian Sherwood.

On July 29th, the album will be released on gatefold vinyl, CD and digitally via Dell’Orso Records and Southern Record Distributors (SRD). Upon purchasing the album, folks will also receive the orange vinyl 10" (in limited quantity) featuring four remixes and collaborations involving The Bug, Object Object, NØISE and Dälek. Pre-orders are now available via Resident Music and Norman Records.

CREDITS
Recorded, produced and mixed by Andy Spaceland at Christchurch Studios, Bristol
Written by T. Relly and Andy Spaceland (AKA Andy Jenks)
Lyrics by and vocals by T. Relly
Music by Andy Spaceland
Cover artwork by Bobby Klang
Released by Dell’Orso Records - EDDA52LP/CD
Distributed by SRD

AMON AMARTH Announce Great Heathen Tour With Carcass, Obituary and Cattle Decapitation

July 14, 2022

Amon Amarth

Announce Death Metal Raid of The Year With

THE GREAT HEATHEN TOUR

With Special Guests Carcass, Obituary & Cattle Decapitation

Tickets On-Sale Friday, July 15th At 10am Local

www.amonamarth.com

Tour In Support Of Band's New Album

'THE GREAT HEATHEN ARMY'

Out August 5th, 2022 Via Metal Blade Records

Pre-Order HERE

Speaking on today’s announcement, Amon Amarth share:

“North America, the Great Heathen Army is coming for you this Fall! We have been away for a long time and now we return to raid with the death metal event of the year! We will be sacking cities across the continent with our good friends Carcass, Obituary and Cattle Decapitation. We intend to bring a big show and give you a night that you won’t easily forget. Miss this at your own peril…”

Jeff Walker of Carcass adds:

“Carcass is looking forward to its first proper US Tour for…six years??? Can It really be that long??? We can’t think of a stronger tour or killer line up for us to be part of..….it’s gonna be a RAGER!”

Obituary add:

“We couldn’t be more excited to be a part of this tour! When we got word that our good friends Amon Amarth asked for Obituary to join them here in North America, there was no hesitation, just an immediate yes! We are honored to share the stage and some cold beers with them again along with our longtime friends Carcass and San Diego brothers Cattle Decapitation! If this lineup doesn’t get you excited, check your pulse cause you may be dead!”

And Cattle Decapitation add

“We are thrilled to get back out on the road in the US and especially with such a stacked lineup! It’s going to be a killer run and an honor to perform every night alongside these legends.”

Batten down the hatches and prepare for battle as the undisputed kings of Viking heavy metal, Amon Amarth, have announced they will be setting sail for US shores this Fall for what is set to be the death metal raid of the year. The Great Heathen Tour, produced by Live Nation, will pillage its way across North America this coming November/December, razing 27 cities to the ground in its wake. The tour concludes with a special show at the Kia Forum, Los Angeles where Amon Amarth will bring their full European production and become the first death metal band to headline the famous venue. No Sleep Til………..Los Angeles!!

Joining Amon Amarth on their epic quest will be Carcass, Obituary and Cattle Decapitation making this *the* must-see tour for fans of death metal. Tickets go on general sale on Friday, July 15th, 2022 at 10am local from www.amonamarth.com

Citi is the official card of The Great Heathen Tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets Tuesday, July 12 at 11:00 AM ET until Thursday, July 14 at 10:00 PM local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com.

Amon Amarth

THE GREAT HEATHEN TOUR

US HEADLINE RUN W/ CARCASS, OBITUARY AND CATTLE DECAPITATION

Friday, November 11 - Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl *

Saturday, November 12 - Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theater

Monday, November 14 - San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theater

Tuesday, November 15 - Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Center

Wednesday, November 16 - Dallas, TX @ Southside Ballroom

Friday, November 18 - Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle

Saturday, November 19 - Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live

Sunday, November 20 - Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore

Tuesday, November 22 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore

Wednesday, November 23 - Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway

Friday, November 25 - Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore

Saturday, November 26 - Chicago, IL @ The Aragon Ballroom

Sunday, November 27 - Cincinnati, OH @ The Andrew J Brady Music Center

Wednesday, November 30 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE**

Thursday, Dec 01 - New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom

Friday, Dec 02 - Toronto, ON @ History

Saturday, Dec 03 - Laval, QC @ Place Bell

Monday, Dec 05 - Madison, WI @ The Sylvee

Tuesday, Dec 06 - Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore

Wednesday, Dec 07- Kansas City, MO @ Uptown

Friday, Dec 09 - Denver, CO @ The Fillmore

Saturday, Dec 10 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex

Monday, Dec 12 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox SODO

Tuesday, Dec 13 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater

Thursday, Dec 15 - Wheatland, CA @ Hard Rock Live

Friday, Dec 16 - San Diego, CA @ SOMA

Saturday, Dec 17 - Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum

*No Carcass

**Non-Live Nation date

Armed with their 12th and arguably finest album to date, Amon Amarth are poised to return to full action with a bloody, broadsword-wielding vengeance. The release of the new album 'The Great Heathen Army ' will kick-start another relentless global campaign, commencing with a co-headlining tour of Europe alongside Machine Head and fellow countrymen The Halo Effect before they set sail across the Atlantic with their sights firmly set on North American shores. Still ruthlessly devoted to the ways of the warrior, Amon Amarth have Odin’s wind in their sails like never before.

Set for release on Friday, August 5th, 2022 via Metal Blade Records, the 9-track aural assault that is “The Great Heathen Army” is available for pre-order now HERE. The band have released two singles thus far - “Get In The Ring”, which is is the official entrance music for AEW pro-wrestling star Erick Redbeard who also stars in the music video and “The Great Heathen Army” which was released last week and came accompanied by an incredible Stranger Things inspired music video shot in Latvia by Pavel Trebukhin.

Album Pre-orders are available now from www.metalblade.com/amonamarth/ and feature a host of exclusive vinyl variants and must-have merch items for any self-respecting AMON AMARTH fan.

About Amon Amarth

From pole to pole and sea to sea, Amon Amarth are undisputed kings of Viking heavy metal. Formed in Tumba, Sweden, in 1992, they have forged an extraordinary legacy over three decades of thunderous, anthemic metal, all rich in the magical imagery of Viking history, folklore and culture.

From their underground smash debut 'Once Sent From The Golden Hall' (1998) onwards, Amon Amarth have been an unstoppable creative force. With a unique and unmistakable sound that combines the best of several epic strains of metal, the quintet have become renowned for their ageless anthems and explosive, theatrical live shows. Albums like 2008’s widely acclaimed 'Twilight Of The Thunder God ' and 2016’s conceptual triumph 'Jomsviking', the Swedes have been consistent standard bearers for heavy metal as a life-affirming and communal experience, armed with a seemingly endless stream of instant classic songs.

Now reaping the rewards of all those years of hard work, Amon Amarth are now regarded as one of the metal world’s most vital and imperious live acts. From headlining festivals across Europe to claiming a place on Slayer’s final tour of the US in 2019, they have honored the adventurous ethos of their Viking forebears by taking their music anywhere and everywhere.

Unfortunately, as the world ground to a halt early in 2020, Amon Amarth were in the midst of a wildly successful world tour in support of their most recent album, ‘Berserker’. Disappointed but unbowed, the band decided instead to forge a new creative path, resulting in their most crushing and heroic full-length album to date, "The Great Heathen Army".

One of the best-loved metal bands in the world, Amon Amarth are firmly dedicated to aiming high when they hit the studio. Recorded with esteemed studio guru Andy Sneap at the controls, 'The Great Heathen Army' represents another bold leap forward for the band, as their trademark sound undergoes yet another skilful, evolutionary overhaul, both lyrically and musically. From the noisily rabble-rousing "Find A Way Or Make One" and the pummelling, pugilistic "Get In The Ring", to the evocative fury of "Saxons & Vikings " and the cinematic squall of the title track, 'The Great Heathen Army' encapsulates the essence of this legendary band, while still allowing acres of space for new ideas.

FIND AMON AMARTH ONLINE:

www.AmonAmarth.com

Slick London rocker Grace Solero presents adrenaline-filled 'Metamorphosis' album

July 14, 2022

"Bitter-sweet Jeff Buckley-esque" ~ Time Out London

"Raw, intense, evocative" ~ Noddy Holder (SLADE)

"Simplistic allure, rhythmically succulent and vocally brazen" ~ Powerplay Magazine

"Top-notch performance, passion, talent and energy... distinguished style and stage presence that demands your attention... seriously bad-ass songwriting and song-structures" ~ Amplify Music Magazine

London-based alt-rock / metal artist Grace Solero presents the new album 'Metamorphosis', a power-packed labour of love that is raw, grungy, dreamy and atmospheric all at the same time.

High energy and highly dynamic, Solero is a one-of-a-kind artist. With a mercurial voice of astounding range and a powerful stage presence. Conveying deep emotions with alternating darkness and light, her songwriting shies away from the ordinary.

Mixed by Chris Brown (Radiohead, Muse, Ride, INXS, Gary Moore, The Waterboys) and, this 9-track offering was mastered by Andy 'Hippy' Baldwin (The Who, Interpol, Oasis, Blur, UB40, Stormzy) at London's Metropolis Studio.

Recorded and engineered by Jon Clayton (The Monochrome Set, Vic Godard And Subway Sect) at One Cat Studio in London, the band members themselves arranged and produced this collection. Solero is accompanied by Californian lead guitarist / vocalist Dan Beaulaurier, Swedish bassist Bjorn Zetterlund and Welsh multi-instrumentalist Dave Guy on drums and percussion.

Not long ago, the band previewed the title track 'Metamorphosis' on the trail of super-charged melodic singles 'Orange Sky', 'Awake' and 'Lucid Dream', the latter of which has recently gained support via BBC 6 Music.

"The album Metamorphosis represents a turning point, the need to break free from things that kept us stuck in the past. It’s a deep journey through the transformative power of love leading to emotional freedom. Each song’s emotion feeds the next song and creates a beautiful soundscape. From yearning to change, from unhealthy passion to mystical love, from emotional apocalypse to taking risks, from melancholy to healing and being reborn," says Grace Solero.

Earlier albums ‘New Moon’ (2009), ‘Hundred Years Apart’ (2013) and 'Awake’(2018) garnered support from BBC Radio 6, XFM, BBC London, and magazines such as Classic Rock, Guitar Techniques, Powerplay Magazine, Sonic Shocks, and Sonic Cathedral.

Solero's performances are highly dynamic and energetic, both sonically and visually. They've performed everywhere from intimate clubs to large stages in Europe, USA and Canada, supporting the likes of Motorhead's Phil Campbell, Alan Merrill (famed songwriter of the Joan Jett hit ‘I Love Rock ’n’ Roll’) , Bernie Torme and Arthur Brown.

Sonically the band's guitar-based sound is complemented by the addition of less conventional instruments, such as the cello, Hammond B3 organ, psaltery and even singing bowls.

Grace is currently collaborating on The Twilight Zone, a new project with Dan Beaulaurier and legendary pedal steel player BJ Cole (Elton John, Cat Stevens, Bjork, R.E.M). She also co-writes and performs with The Vibrators’ Knox and Mariangela Demurtas (Tristania), and has performed alongside Slade’s Noddy Holder, co-starring at London’s Union Chapel in a musical production of Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’.

As of July 15, the ‘Metamorphosis’ LP will be available on CD from the artist's store or digitally via Bandcamp, Spotify and Apple Music. The album release show will take place on July 13 at The Dublin Castle in Camden, London. Tickets can be ordered at https://bit.ly/3aa5RAH

CREDITS
Recorded & engineered by Jonathan Clayton at One Cat Studio, London
Arranged & produced by the Grace Solero band
Mixed by Chris Brown
Mastered by Andy Baldwin (Hippy) at Metropolis, London
Grace Solero - vocals, guitar, psaltery
Dan Beaulaurier - guitar, backing vocals
Bjorn Zetterlund - bass, singing bowl
Dave Guy - drums, percussion, glockenspiel
Jonathan Clayton - cello, Hammond B3 organ
All lyrics written by Grace Solero
‘Orange Sky’ and ‘Ocean Star’ written by Grace Solero
‘Lucid Dream’, ‘Metamorphosis’, ‘Love and Addiction’, ‘Shaman’ written by Grace Solero, Dan Beaulaurier, Bjorn Zetterlund, Dave Guy
‘Awake’
‘Time Waits For No One’ written by Grace Solero and Dan Beaulaurier
‘Till You Return’ written by Grace Solero and Dave Guy
Copyright © Wohone Records. Published by ℗ Grace Solero

Keep up with Grace Solero
Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Twitter | Soundcloud | YouTube| Spotify | Apple Music |

Austin-based Americana-rock duo THE CAUGHTERY present debut TIM PALMER-produced debut EP

July 14, 2022

"Power and passion.... Stunning and impressive – A sublime unforgettable creation" ~ The Spill Magazine

"It's been a long time since I heard a new song that felt this big, this wide-screen, this epically cinematic... the discernment and grit of the rock world, the accessibility and earwormery of the pop world, and edging ever so slightly into more progressive realms" ~ Big Takeover Magazine

"Impeccably arranged and produced... a perfectly-balanced and finely-sculpted nest of sonic intensity" ~ Amplify Music Magazine

"Towering classic rock pyrotechnics... a sky-scraping juggernaut propelled by muscled Eddie Van Halen-like guitar riffage, a mighty jackhammer inflamed with Lisa Tingle‘s passionate and soulful vocals" ~ Turn Up The Volume

Austin-based rock duo The Caughtery presents their debut Self-Titled EP, released on July 15. Mixed by the legendary Tim Palmer (Robert Plant, Ozzy Osbourne, Tin Machine, The Mission, HIM, U2, Pearl Jam), who jointly produced it together with David Gayler, this EP was recorded by Lee Jackson at Studio71West near Austin. Tim Palmer also contributes guitar on this debut single.

The Caughtery is long-time Austin music veterans Lisa Tingle and David Gayler, whose debut effort is a powerful contemporary rock offering, influenced by musical threads running from the 60s through 00s, presents a series of “musical paintings”, expressing the pressure and fragility of the human state over the last two years.

This EP features contributions by Ricky Phillips (of Styx and previously with Coverdale/Page, Bad English, The Babys, Angel), bassist Brian Lippman and drummer Tom Brechtlein, who has performed with Chick Corea, Kenny Loggins, Eric Johnson, Robben Ford, Al DiMeola, Jean-Luc Ponty and Rickie Lee Jones.

“After two years of being sequestered, we are finally able to release our 5-song EP to the world. With a common thread throughout the EP and the support from our fellow musicians, each song has its own musical place and we hope you enjoy listening to them,” says David Gayler.

Ahead of their new Americana-rock focus track '99MPH', the duo teased two powerhouse singles - 'Fragile' and 'The Uninvited'.

“The song 99MPH is about how you can control love just about as well as you can control the weather… YOU CAN’T! And how the one you fall in love with can affect you in a multitude of unexpected ways… Often times you are like a ship tossed about on the ocean, in a hurricane,” says Lisa Tingle.

Two musical soul-searchers originally hailing from opposite coasts, Tingle and Gayler both grew up in musical families. Lisa and David's shared diverse musical loves (rock, indie, fusion, jazz, blues and R&B) sparked a genuine connection, their mutual addiction for creating unique music ultimately moving their storytelling note by note.

The duo originated in 2020, when David called Lisa to record a song that fit her vibe. What started out as a one-off collaboration ultimately turned into a full EP of material under the name The Caughtery. On this debut EP, Lisa’s lyrics explore such themes as relationships, new and old, the passing of friends and the state of our world today.

Described as a mix of Robert Plant, Janis Joplin and Aretha Franklin, Tingle has received multiple honors at the Austin Music Awards (Female Vocalist of the Year, Band of the Year, Best Song, Musician of the Year, Album of the Year0. She's also toured and performed with many legends, including Etta James, Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Double Trouble, Eric Johnson, Stephen Bruton, Monte Montgomery and Marcia Ball.

Launching her music career in LA, gigging and working in publishing to record songs submitted to the likes of Tina Turner and Dolly Parton, she formed the band Black Pearl upon moving to Texas, signing with Capitol Records. She again worked in publishing, singing for TV and radio, films and songwriters, and landing placements on such shows as 'Beverly Hills 90210' and 'Melrose Place'. She contributed to several soundtracks with Ray Benson, including Jean-Claude Van Damme’s 'Universal Soldier', followed by work on 'Miss Congeniality' and 'Spy Kids 3'. She's released six solo albums to wide acclaim and ample international airplay, including on BBC Radio.

David Gayler is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, songwriter and studio owner based in Spicewood, Texas. Having moved here from New York in the mid-80s, Gayler has been in various bands over the years, opening for such notable artists as The Romantics, Charlie Sexton and Jerry Jeff Walker, and was also a member of the Party Band during MTVs journey down to Texas in the late 1980s

As of June 17, 'The Uninvited' single is available everywhere digitally, including such platforms as Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon. The full self-titled EP will be released on July 15.

The Caughtery

The Caughtery EP

Produced by legendary producer Tim Palmer

15 July 2022

View Promo

Austin-based Americana-rock duo THE CAUGHTERY present debut TIM PALMER-produced debut EP

FOR FANS OF: Sheryl Crow, Heart, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, Paramore, Grace Potter, Halestorm, The Pretty Reckless, Dorothy, Collective Soul
FOCUS TRACKS: Fragile, The Uninvited (radio edit), Dog, 99MPH
FCC clean except 'The Uninvited', but the radio edit is clean
Gramophone photos by Dave Chudnov, Other photos by Stan Martin

FOR SHARING
'The Caughtery' EP order https://bit.ly/3yEPi8l
'99MPH' https://youtu.be/w8M0PumU83A
'The Uninvited' video https://youtu.be/dm1RRil3NBk
'Fragile' video https://youtu.be/XquJQFONQ1Y
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Qql92W8Q6tGeGiujCU0K9
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09V3C9HTW
Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/thecaughtery

FOR REVIEW & AIRPLAY
EP preview stream https://www.thecaughtery.com/media
Online press kit https://haulix.promo/ddq
Download via Google Drive https://bit.ly/3sDfuy4

"Power and passion.... Stunning and impressive – A sublime unforgettable creation" ~ The Spill Magazine

"It's been a long time since I heard a new song that felt this big, this wide-screen, this epically cinematic... the discernment and grit of the rock world, the accessibility and earwormery of the pop world, and edging ever so slightly into more progressive realms" ~ Big Takeover Magazine

"Impeccably arranged and produced... a perfectly-balanced and finely-sculpted nest of sonic intensity" ~ Amplify Music Magazine

"Towering classic rock pyrotechnics... a sky-scraping juggernaut propelled by muscled Eddie Van Halen-like guitar riffage, a mighty jackhammer inflamed with Lisa Tingle‘s passionate and soulful vocals" ~ Turn Up The Volume

Austin-based rock duo The Caughtery presents their debut Self-Titled EP, released on July 15. Mixed by the legendary Tim Palmer (Robert Plant, Ozzy Osbourne, Tin Machine, The Mission, HIM, U2, Pearl Jam), who jointly produced it together with David Gayler, this EP was recorded by Lee Jackson at Studio71West near Austin. Tim Palmer also contributes guitar on this debut single.

The Caughtery is long-time Austin music veterans Lisa Tingle and David Gayler, whose debut effort is a powerful contemporary rock offering, influenced by musical threads running from the 60s through 00s, presents a series of “musical paintings”, expressing the pressure and fragility of the human state over the last two years.

This EP features contributions by Ricky Phillips (of Styx and previously with Coverdale/Page, Bad English, The Babys, Angel), bassist Brian Lippman and drummer Tom Brechtlein, who has performed with Chick Corea, Kenny Loggins, Eric Johnson, Robben Ford, Al DiMeola, Jean-Luc Ponty and Rickie Lee Jones.

“After two years of being sequestered, we are finally able to release our 5-song EP to the world. With a common thread throughout the EP and the support from our fellow musicians, each song has its own musical place and we hope you enjoy listening to them,” says David Gayler.

Ahead of their new Americana-rock focus track '99MPH', the duo teased two powerhouse singles - 'Fragile' and 'The Uninvited'.

“The song 99MPH is about how you can control love just about as well as you can control the weather… YOU CAN’T! And how the one you fall in love with can affect you in a multitude of unexpected ways… Often times you are like a ship tossed about on the ocean, in a hurricane,” says Lisa Tingle.

Two musical soul-searchers originally hailing from opposite coasts, Tingle and Gayler both grew up in musical families. Lisa and David's shared diverse musical loves (rock, indie, fusion, jazz, blues and R&B) sparked a genuine connection, their mutual addiction for creating unique music ultimately moving their storytelling note by note.

The duo originated in 2020, when David called Lisa to record a song that fit her vibe. What started out as a one-off collaboration ultimately turned into a full EP of material under the name The Caughtery. On this debut EP, Lisa’s lyrics explore such themes as relationships, new and old, the passing of friends and the state of our world today.

Described as a mix of Robert Plant, Janis Joplin and Aretha Franklin, Tingle has received multiple honors at the Austin Music Awards (Female Vocalist of the Year, Band of the Year, Best Song, Musician of the Year, Album of the Year0. She's also toured and performed with many legends, including Etta James, Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Double Trouble, Eric Johnson, Stephen Bruton, Monte Montgomery and Marcia Ball.

Launching her music career in LA, gigging and working in publishing to record songs submitted to the likes of Tina Turner and Dolly Parton, she formed the band Black Pearl upon moving to Texas, signing with Capitol Records. She again worked in publishing, singing for TV and radio, films and songwriters, and landing placements on such shows as 'Beverly Hills 90210' and 'Melrose Place'. She contributed to several soundtracks with Ray Benson, including Jean-Claude Van Damme’s 'Universal Soldier', followed by work on 'Miss Congeniality' and 'Spy Kids 3'. She's released six solo albums to wide acclaim and ample international airplay, including on BBC Radio.

David Gayler is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, songwriter and studio owner based in Spicewood, Texas. Having moved here from New York in the mid-80s, Gayler has been in various bands over the years, opening for such notable artists as The Romantics, Charlie Sexton and Jerry Jeff Walker, and was also a member of the Party Band during MTVs journey down to Texas in the late 1980s

As of June 17, 'The Uninvited' single is available everywhere digitally, including such platforms as Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon. The full self-titled EP will be released on July 15.

TRACK LIST
01. 99 MPH
02. Lockey Came to Play
03. Fragile
04. Dog
05: The Uninvited

SINGLE CREDITS
Written by David Gayler and Lisa Tingle
Produced by David Gayler and Tim Palmer
Recorded at Studio71West near Austin, Texas
Recording Engineer: David Gayler
Mixed by Tim Palmer
Mastered by James Bacon
Lisa Tingle - Vocals
David Gayler - Guitars, Backing Vocals
Ricky Phillips - Bass Guitar
Tom Brechtlein - Drums
Cover artwork by McKenna Applewhite

Keep up with The Caughtery
Website | Facebook | The Caughtery Twitter | Lisa Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify | Amazon Music | Press contact

Keep up with Tim Palmer
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter |

CONAN Shares Crushing New Single “Righteous Alliance” + Video from Upcoming Album "Evidence of Immortality"!

July 14, 2022

England’s Doom Metal Masters CONAN

Share New Single “Righteous Alliance” + Music Video from Upcoming Album, Evidence of Immortality

New Album out August 19, 2022 via Napalm Records

Pre-Order HERE!

Following their much acclaimed 2018 full-length, Existential Void Guardian, and their Live at Freak Valley record released just last year, England’s doom metal masters CONANstrike back again! The trio’s fifth studio album, entitled Evidence of Immortality, drops August 19, 2022 via Napalm Records.

As first album singles showcase, CONAN’s upcoming magnum opus will overrun you like a steamroller. The British kings of brutally heavy slowness push their down-tuned axes and cranked pedals to the limit, crushing ears and minds when huge, rumbling chords and malevolent riffs muscle their way in over lances of infinite distortion and drums that pummel and thunder like the hands of a god against the gates of hell.

Following their previously released first album single “Levitation Hoax”, today the band has unleashed a brand new, colossal track and music video! “Righteous Alliance”emphasizes that CONAN are the masters of their craft, while Jon Davis spits his lyrics over the uber-synchronized power chord changes and tempo shifts of the unholy trio of bass, drums and guitar.

“‘Righteous Alliance‘ is another track that we have been playing live,“ guitarist and singer Jon Davis comments. “It is all about war, and the hopelessness of it. However, a hero is coming and just as death is imminent, an unflinching savior enters the fray and the day is saved, for now.

We were keen to include some fan footage from over the years, thankfully they came through so thanks to everyone for being a part of it.”

Evidence of Immortality was produced by Chris Fielding and mastered by James Plotkin. The album also sees former band member Dave Perry perform on the track “Grief Sequence”. The album’s artwork was provided by the skilled hand and mind of Tony Roberts, architect of the CONAN visual style since day one and their debut release, Horseback Battle Hammer. Bow down and hail CONAN, as their sound will live forever on the battlefield of doom. Their new album will be the ultimate Evidence of Immortality!

“Evidence of Immortality was written between December 2019 and late 2021. As such, it has absorbed a lot of the emotions that were flowing through our lives then,” Davis explains. “The lyrics were written on the eve of the war in Ukraine so, naturally, they deal with subjects such as victory and defeat, loss and hope, pain and determination, fear and hatred. Movies such as Conquest, Lord of The Rings, Fire and Ice, Krull, Beast Master and Clash of The Titans once again provided inspiration for the themes of the songs, as we maintain our determination to not write about real-world events. You want to escape? Throw this record on, turn the lights off and turn it up until your fucking ears bleed.”

Slated for a release on August 19, 2022 through Napalm Records, Evidence of Immortality will be available in the following formats:

- Digisleeve

- 2LP Gatefold BLACK (ltd 300)

- 2LP Gatefold MARBLED CLEAR/BLACK (ltd 300)

- 2LP Gatefold GLOW IN THE DARK (Band exclusive)

- Cassette Tape Edition

- Digital

Pre-order your copy HERE!

CONAN is:

Jon Davis – Guitar, Vocals

Chris Fielding – Bass

Johnny King – Drums

For More Info Visit:

TOMBS Premieres New Song, Announces Gimme Radio Listening Party

July 14, 2022

New York/New Jersey metal collective TOMBS is now sharing "Murder Legendre," ft. Dwid Hellion of INTEGRITY. The song can be heard below.

"Murder Legendre" is the final single from TOMBS' upcoming 'Ex-Oblivion' digital EP. All songs will be available via Bandcamp, YouTube, and across all streaming services while a vinyl counterpart will be announced at a later date.

In conjunction with the EP release, TOMBS will be hosting a very special listening session via Gimme Radio THIS Friday, July 15 @ 3:00 P.M. EDT // 21:00 CEST. The band will be spinning the new EP as well as a specially curated playlist from mainman Mike Hill. The event will last for two hours and members of the band will be present in the live chat to connect with fans. It's FREE to sign up and listen! Download the Gimme Metal app or sign up at GimmeMetal.com.

About Gimme Metal:

Gimme Metal is the ultimate new music service for the true music fan, and the only online music service designed with the idea of community at its core. Fans can connect directly with their favorite artists by listening to their music (for free) and supporting them through tipping, joining the monthly vinyl subscription, and merchandise sales. Gimme is a community of over 350k fans from around the world where artists and tastemakers choose the music, and everyone is welcome to chat and socialize while they're listening. Musicians and fans can use Gimme's unique tools to connect and curate a music channel, while the entire fanbase chats and reacts in real time, building a new kind of community around music curation. We are home to DJs like Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, Jeff Becerra from Possessed, Blasko, Brian Posehn, Johan Hegg from Amon Amarth, Will Carroll from Death Angel, numerous writers, metal scholars, labels like Nuclear Blast, Decibel Magazine, and festivals like Wacken. Our founders are all music executives with extensive experience at digital music services like Beats, Apple Music, Google Play, & Napster. Learn more at www.gimmemetal.com, or download the free Gimme Metal app.

'Ex-Oblivion' can be streamed or downloaded HERE.

The EP follows up TOMBS' 2020 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.

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.”

TOMBS Line-up:
Mike Hill – guitars, vocals, electronics, synth
Todd Stern – guitars
Drew Murphy – bass, vocals
Justin Spaeth – drums, guitars, electronics, synth

Recording Lineup:
Mike Hill – guitar, vocals
Justin Spaeth – Drums
Drew Murphy – Bass, vocals

Guest Musicians:
Dwid Hellion (INTEGRITY) - modified piano & noise on "Murder Legendre"
Dan Higgins (HAMMERFIGHT, ENGINEHEAD)– lead guitar on "Killed by Death"

Album Credits:
"Ex Oblivion"
Recorded by Justin Spaeth at the Tombs Metal Compound, Keyport, NJ May, 2021
Mixed by Bobby Torres at Frightbox Studio, Clifton, NJ, June, 2021

"Killed by Death" + "Commit Suicide"
Recorded and mixed by Justin Spaeth at the Tombs Metal Compound, Keyport, NJ June 2021

"Sombre Ruins Nothing Remains"
Original stems recorded by Bobby Torres at Frightbox Studios, Clifton, NJ March – May 2020
RKGD audio remix recorded and mixed by Alap Momin at Uptown Mixers, Harlem, NY November, 2020

"Murder Legendre"
Recorded by Dwid Hellion and Mike Hill at remote locations over the course of 2020 – 2021

Cover Art: Mike Goncalves

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

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

Shop: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/tombs-skies

For more on TOMBS, visit their official FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and BANDCAMP.

For more on SEASON OF MIST artists, visit our official WEBSITE, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOUTUBE, and TWITTER.

HEILUNG Shares New Single, "Asja," Announces Venue Sellouts + Low Ticket Warnings🌱

July 14, 2022

Enigmatic ritual music collective HEILUNG will be releasing its highly-anticipated third full-length, 'Drif,' on August 19, 2022 via Season of Mist! The band is now unveiling the second single from the offering, "Asja," which can be heard below.

In addition, HEILUNG will be bringing their live ceremony to North America next month and tickets are selling fast! Atlanta, Asheville, Seattle, San Francisco, and Phoenix have sold out entirely while tickets are running lowfor Worcester and Portland. Additionally, due to high demand, the New York venue has been upgraded to The King’s Theatre in Brooklyn, NY. Tickets purchased for the original location will be honored. Don’t sleep on this and get your tickets now at THIS LOCATION.

The band is currently touring the European festival circuit. All upcoming live dates are below!

Pre-sales are now live for 'Drif!' Pre-order your copy HERE.

'Drif' can be pre-saved across digital streaming services HERE.

Following the enormous success of HEILUNG's sold out appearance at the historic Red Rocks venue in Denver, CO in October 2021, the enigmatic world music collective will be returning to North America later this year! The first ceremony will take place on the evening of August 26 in Atlanta, GA and the final curtain will draw on October 1 in Dallas, TX. Tickets are on sale HERE. The full run of dates can be found below. For each ticket purchased, a tree will be planted.

HEILUNG's ritual is neither a performance nor a concert; it is a fully immersive ceremony that connects its listeners with the elements of nature through music, dance, and mysticism. For a glimpse of what to expect at an evening with HEILUNG, watch 'LIFA,' which was recorded live at Castlefest 2017, HERE.

HEILUNG will be supporting their 2019 release, 'Futha,' which debuted at #3 on the Billboard Heatseeker charts and #4 on the Billboard World Music Charts, placing on a total of seven Billboard charts within the first week of its release.

HEILUNG North America 2022:
08/26/22: Atlanta, GA @ Cobb Energy Center [TICKETS]
08/28/22: Asheville, NC @ Thomas Wolfe Auditorium [TICKETS]
08/30/22: Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE [TICKETS]
09/01/22: Toronto, ON @ Meridian Hall [TICKETS]
09/03/22: Montréal, QC @ MTELUS [TICKETS]
09/06/22: New York, NY @ The King's Theatre [TICKETS] **New Venue**
09/08/22: Worcester, MA @ The Palladium [TICKETS]
09/10/22: Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple Theatre [TICKETS]
09/13/22: Chicago, IL @ Radius [TICKETS]
09/15/22: St. Paul, MN @ Myth Live [TICKETS]
09/20/22: Seattle, OR @ The Paramount Theatre [TICKETS]
09/22/22: Portland, OR @ Keller Auditorium [TICKETS]
09/24/22: San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield [TICKETS]
09/27/22: Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre [TICKETS]
09/29/22: Phoenix, AZ @ Orpheum Theatre [TICKETS]
10/01/22: Dallas, TX @ The Factory in Deep Ellum [TICKETS]

Since its inception in 2015, the enigmatic ritual collective HEILUNG has been paving melodic paths to the past with their unique and mystifying sound. Evading all conventional genre tags and the confines of any specific labels, the group aptly self-describes their sound as “amplified history,” emphasizing their ability to connect modern society with the rudiments of humanity’s beginnings through music. HEILUNG once again journeys back in time with its new chapter, ‘Drif;’ however, unlike previous offerings that centered around prehistoric northern Europe, album number three will explore other great rudimentary civilizations outside of Europe.

“All the songs on ‘Drif’ have their own stories,” adds HEILUNG throat singer and one of the band’s three composers, Kai Uwe Faust. Each has its place and sense of belonging, with inspiration not only from Northern Europe, but from the ancient great civilizations,” explains the band. “We took the ancient surrounding advanced civilizations in account, because our ancestral Nordic civilizations did not just pop up, exist and disappear in isolation. Already in the Bronze Age, we found silk on German land that was imported already from the far, far East 3000 years ago. From the Viking age, we found beads that were brought there from present-day Syria high up in the Northern mountains.

“Centrally important concepts, still in extensive use today, like the number Zero and all the mathematical universes deriving from it, the use of iron and the general concept of settling all originate from traditional high civilizations outside the north and still fundamentally changing our ancestor's world.

“With singing these primordial songs we want to give tribute to these cultures, reconnect to the beginnings and remember that we all, from East to West, from past to present, are connected through the exchange of ideas and inspiring each other.”

Meaning “gathering,” ‘Drif’ serves as more than merely a gateway that bridges history with modern day society, but is also a statement of the strength in unity and togetherness, which will come as no surprise to those who have experienced HEILUNG’s live ritual, in which every ceremony starts with a reminder that “we are all brothers.” “‘Drif’ means ‘gathering,’' explains HEILUNG. “A throng of people, a horde, a crowd, a pack. In symbiosis with the album title, ‘Drif’ consists of a flock, a collection, a gathering, a collage of songs, that much like little flames were seeking towards each other, to join, to bond, to create, and be greater together.”

While HEILUNG features authentic and archaic instrumentation that ranges from rattles and ritual bells to human bones and throat singing, their captivating brand of music is far from primitive. Producer and founding member Christopher Juul implements subtle electronic elements that elevates the musical atmosphere and provides a more in-depth and layered soundscape.

“This album has very clearly dictated its own path. Our attempts to tame it were repeatedly fruitless, and once we came to this realization, the creative flow surged forward with immense force. So much so that sometimes it felt like the songs wrote themselves,” the band adds.

HEILUNG’s success has been unprecedented, achieving milestones in its few short years of existence that many do not see in a lifetime. The collective already had rapidly been growing a buzz upon the self-release of their first full-length, ‘Ofnir,’ in 2015, but their dizzying upward trajectory really took off from the moment they set foot on the stage at Castlefest in 2017 for the now-legendary debut of their live ritual. Luckily for those who were not fortunate enough to bare witness to this magical event, the full ceremony was captured on film, having since been viewed by tens of millions of fans across the globe.

As HEILUNG trekked across Europe and brought their mystifying experience to new audiences, talk of this new band and their stunning ceremony made way to Season of Mist label owner Michael Berberian, who quickly offered the band a record contract after seeing their undeniable musical impact for himself.

By 2019, HEILUNG launched their second full-length record, ‘Futha,’ which contrasted the masculine and battle-heavy themes of their debut with a feminine counterpart that celebrated fertility and female energy. Upon the first week of the record’s release, it graced the Billboard charts with coveted numbers, debuting at #3 on the Heatseekers Charts and #4 on the Billboard World Music Chart, placing on a total of seven Billboard charts while meeting critical-acclaim from the press on a global scale.

Having already made its way around Europe, HEILUNG announced its first ever North American tour for the start of 2020, which sold out entirely within 72 hours of ticket on-sale. The band later returned to the United States and performed their live ritual for a sold out audience of 10,000 people at the historic Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver, CO (USA), further solidifying their early legacy status.

By this time, the band’s music started to appear in places outside the confines of music venues, videos, and vinyl. From hit television series like ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Vikings’ to video game giants like ‘Conqueror's Blade VII: "Wolves of Ragnarök’ and ‘Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II’ to the blockbuster Robert Eggers film ‘The Northman,’ HEILUNG’s music has risen far above the underground and has transcended into a greater world. Even a global pandemic couldn’t slow down HEILUNG’s success; it only strengthened them and gave them the gift of time to complete work on album number three, ‘Drif.’

According to Greek philosopher Pythagoras, three is a divine number, signifying harmony, wisdom, and understanding. He also believed it to be the number of time – past, present, future; birth, life, death; beginning, middle, end. Purposefully or not, ‘Drif’ embodies this philosophy, putting forth a divine work of art that ties together the beginning of civilization with the modern world today. Make no mistake, HEILUNG still does not represent any modern political or religious ideology, but rather delivers a humbling reminder of where we came from. “Remember, we are all brothers. All people, beasts, tree and stone and wind, we all descend from the one great being that was always there, before people lived and named it, before the first seed sprouted.”

Line-up:
Kai Uwe Faust
Christopher Juul
Maria Franz

Recording studio: Lava Studios Copenhagen
Producer / sound engineer: Christopher Juul
Mix/Master: Lava Studios Copenhagen, Christopher Juul

Guest musicians:
- Annicke Shireen, Emilie Lorentzen, Mira Ceti, on track: 1, 2, 3 and 8
- Jacob Hee Lund and Nicolas Schipper on track: 1, 2, 3 and 7
- Ruben Terlouw, Pan Bartkowiak, Marijn Sies, Gwydion Zomer, Isabella Streich, Martin Skou, Samiye van Rossum, Nadia Kalamieiets, Edward Boyter, Nina Cornelia Schilp, Mitchell Bosch, Gwydion Zomer and Katalin Papp on track: 2, 4 and 5
- Vilja Christine Agger, Ea Christine Agger and Michael Berberian on track: 3

www.facebook.com/amplifiedhistory
www.instagram.com/amplifiedhistory

Style: Amplified History / Neofolk

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

Shop SoM: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/Heilung
Shop Heilung: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/heilung-tvm-shop

Dance Gavin Dance; Official Music Video For "Die Another Day"; New Album 'Jackpot Juicer' Out July 29th Via Rise Record

July 14, 2022

Chart topping post-hardcore outfit, Dance Gavin Dance, have today dropped the official music video for "Die Another Day", the third new single from their upcoming new album, 'Jackpot Juicer' (out July 29th via Rise Records). The brand new video completes the triumvirate of videos that make up "The Rat King Triology', along with previously released videos for "Synergy" fest Rob Damiani of Don Broco and "Pop Off". Watch the video below. Find the track on streaming platforms HERE .

Dance Gavin Dance announced the release of their brand new album, 'Jackpot Juicer', back in April. The two previous singles, “Synergy” feat. Rob Damiani of Don Broco and “Pop Off”, have clocked up 9.8 million streams and 3 million YouTube views since release. 'Jackpot Juicer' follows Dance Gavin Dance's enormously successful 2020 release, ‘Afterburner,’ which topped charts and debuted at #14 on the Billboard Top 200 with a digital only release. 'Jackpot Juicer' will be released on July 29th via Rise Records. Pre-Order bundles were launched the same day and saw a sell-out of 7 different vinyl variants already. Remaining pre-orders are available now HERE.

Dance Gavin Dance will be heading out on the road later this month for the 'Evening With Friends Tour'. The special outing will also provide fans with a unique Dance Gavin Dance line-up. Guitarist Andrew Wells will be taking center stage to take over clean singing duties, Marc Okubo of Veil of Maya will be stepping in to cover Andrew’s guitar duties and the band will be joined by former Dance Gavin Dance frontman and frontman of Royal Coda, Kurt Travis, for select songs. The 21- date trek starts on July 26th with a very special, intimate show at infamous Sunset Strip venue, The Whisky A Go-Go in Los Angeles which was previously announced and sold out in less than 3 minutes (a portion of the proceeds from this show will go towards Musicares) and will wrap on August 24th in San Francisco at The Fillmore. Full Routing below:

Tue. 07/26/22 West Hollywood, CA - The Whisky A Go-Go *

Wed. 07/27/22 San Diego, CA - House of Blues

Thu. 07/28/22 Anaheim, CA - House of Blues

Fri. 07/29/22 Mesa, AZ - The Nile Theater

Sun. 07/31/22 Austin, TX - Emo's

Mon. 08/01/22 Dallas, TX - House of Blues

Tue. 08/02/22 Houston, TX - House of Blues

Thu. 08/04/22 Orlando, FL - House of Blues - Orlando

Fri. 08/05/22 Fort Lauderdale, FL - Revolution Live

Sat. 08/06/22 St Petersburg, FL - Jannus Live

Mon. 08/08/22 Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage

Tue. 08/09/22 Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore Charlotte

Thu. 08/11/22 Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts

Sat. 08/13/22 Boston, MA - Big Night Live

Sun. 08/14/22 New York, NY - Irving Plaza

Tue. 08/16/22 Detroit, MI - St. Andrew’s Hall

Wed. 08/17/22 Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre

Fri. 08/19/22 St. Louis, MO - The Pageant

Sat. 08/20/22 Chicago, IL - House of Blues - Chicago

Mon. 08/22/22 Denver, CO - Summit Music Hall

Wed. 08/24/22 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore San Francisco

* Non-Live Nation Date

About Dance Gavin Dance

Rejecting tired formulas at every step, Dance Gavin Dance merge progressive rock and post-hardcore with thick groove, brilliantly combining experimental music with hooks and a warped sense of humor. The group has amassed over 1.4 billion global streams, and 1.2 million album equivalent units sold across their catalog in the US alone. With hundreds of thousands of rabid fans engaged with Dance Gavin Dance on socials and their very own festival event, Swanfest, which sold out its inaugural edition in 2019 and is slated to see a triumphant return in 2022 in the band's hometown of Sacramento this April, it all amounts to a full force band facing a mainstream that has overlooked them for too long.

Dance Gavin Dance released their ninth studio album, Afterburner, in April of 2020. Since its release, the album has clocked up 135 million streams and topped a multitude of charts on two separate occasions, once with it’s digital release hitting #14 on the Billboard Top 200 and #1 across the Current Albums, Alternative, Billboard Top Albums, Digital, Current Digital Albums, Rock, Heavy Rock and Current Independent Albums charts and again when the physical version was released several months later due to the pandemic, when it hit #1 across Vinyl, Internet, Alternative, Rock, Hard Music, Independent Current Albums, #3 Top Current and Billboard Top Albums and #47 on the Billboard 200 charts. This past Christmas, the band surprised fans with a special holiday gift by dropping ‘Afterburner (Instrumental)’ on streaming platforms. It was previously only available via a Target exclusive double disc CD.

The Afterburner 2021 US Tour, although being one of the first coast-to-coast indoor tours to hit the road post-pandemic, was successfully completed and saw Dance Gavin Dance sell a whopping 78,500 tickets across 33 shows making it the band's biggest tour to date.

As the undeniable statistics keep mounting up, the fact becomes more and more clear that Dance Gavin Dance are becoming one of this generation's most popular and enduring forces from the world of heavy music. As Pollstar put it in their recent featureon the huge success of the tour - "Sacramento, Calif.-based Dance Gavin Dance is not just any band."

Find Dance Gavin Dance Online

dancegavindanceband.com

NYC-based cinematic indie-folk artist JESSIE KILGUSS presents 'Great White Shark'

July 13, 2022

NYC cinematic folk-rock artist Jessie Kilguss previews 'Great White Shark' from new album

"Kilguss artfully pulls us into her wistful nostalgia with a bit of twang and a strummy, well arranged instrumental accompaniment" ~ Guitar World

“Stellar, pure, inspired and inspiring… her voice is as clear as her vision and every element of her music is perfectly placed. While performed with impeccable precision” ~ The Spill Magazine

"Finely-wrought, deep, dark valentine... well-crafted” ~ American Songwriter

“Artfully beautiful, full of radiant harmonics, stylish rhythms, and Jessie Kilguss’ enchantress-like tones. Imaginative and numinous" ~ Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"She uses her songs to probe possibilities that lie just below the surface, allowing them to resonate in ways that allow for greater interest and intrigue" ~ Goldmine Magazine

"Fluid and poised... Her flawless lyrical and melodic aesthetic relays uncompromising emotion in a light and flowing style" ~ The Aquarian

Four years since her latest studio album 'The Fastness', cinematic folk-rock artist Jessie Kilguss returns with her new album 'What Do Whales Dream About at Night?' Inspired by storytelling and emotion, she presents a dose her trademarkmagical realism in the record's lead single 'Great White Shark'.

Produced by Adam Lasus (Yo La Tengo, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Helium)along with Kilguss and her band members, Lasus also engineered the recordings, which were mixed and mastered by Charlie Nieland (Debbie Harry, Rufus Wainwright, Blondie).

On this album, Jessie Kilguss is joined by Brian Griffin (Patti Smith, Brandi Carlisle, Lana Del Rey), Whynot Jansveld (The Wallflowers, Butch Walker, Sara Bareilles), LA-based award-winning composer and producer Naren Rauch, and Nathan Schram (Bjork, David Crosby, David Byrne, The Attacca Quartet), with whom Kilguss runs Musicambia, a nonprofit that brings music programs inside prisons.

"In 2018, I was helping teach a 3-day songwriting workshop at a correctional facility for girls (aged 11-14) in upstate NY with the nonprofit Musicambia. We were writing a collective song, going around the circle and everyone was adding a line. I had just read in the news that a man had been eaten by a shark and I thought it would make everybody laugh so I added my line “a Great White Shark ate a man off Cape Cod”. Even though it’s horrendous, it was so far out of left field that everyone did laugh. I got home and decided to turn my line into a song," explains Jessie Kilguss.

"For help, I turned to 'Technicians of the Sacred', an amazing anthology of ancient poetry from around the world, which I came to through Nick Cave’s newsletter 'The Red Hand Files', having recommended it as inspiration for songwriters. There’s an incredible poem in there that’s actually a spell to create gangrene of the nose. It inspired the repetitive nature of the lyrics of this song. Even though the subject matter is truly awful, it’s meant to have a light touch. It’s meant to be funny… Even though I have irrational shark fears when at the beach, I think that sharks get a bad rap. There’s this guy on Instagram (the Malibu Artist), who takes drone footage of Great White Sharks off the coast of Malibu. They’re always out there and they often come very close to people but it’s very very rare that they attack."

Kilguss is a former actress, whose acting highlights include the film adaptation of Arthur Miller’s 'The Crucible', starring Daniel Day Lewis and Winona Ryder, and the UK production of 'As You Like It', directed by Royal Shakespeare Company founder Sir Peter Hall.

She made the switch to songwriting after working with her musical hero Marianne Faithfull in the London and Sydney productions of 'The Black Rider', a musical written by Tom Waits and William Burroughs, which was directed by Robert Wilson and also featured Mary Margaret O'Hara. In addition to writing and performing her own music, Kilguss also sings with Gramercy Arms, Jim Andralis and the Syntonics and Benjamin Cartel, having previously performed at the Sundance Film Festival and with Freddie Stevenson, supporting The Waterboysduring their European tour.

On July 27, 'Great White Shark' will be available across digital platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music. The full album 'What Do Whales Dream About at Night?' will be released on September 23. That same evening (starting at 8:30), Kilguss celebrate her album with a release show at Rockwood 3 in New York.

CREDITS
All songs written by Jessie Kilguss
Recorded at Studio Red in LA in 2021
Produced by Adam Lasus, Brian Griffin, Naren Rauch, Whynot Jansveld & Jessie Kilguss
Engineered by Adam Lasus at Studio Red in North Hollywood
Mixed & mastered by Charlie Nieland
Jessie Kilguss - vocals and harmonium
Brian Griffin- drums, percussion, piano strings & backing vocals
Whynot Jansveld - bass, keys & backing vocals
Naren Rauch- guitars, keys, piano strings and backing vocals
Nathan Schram – strings
Artist photography by Shervin Lainez

LIVE SHOWS
Aug. 23 - Pete’s Candy Store with Gary Burton and the Highland Shatners
Sept. 23 - Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 3 - Album release show

Keep up with Jessie Kilguss
Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music

MOTHS Drop Visualizer For Title Track "Space Force"

July 13, 2022

MOTHS Release Visualizer For Title Track "Space Force"

Debut LP Out August 12th - PRE-ORDER

MOTHS are proud to unveil the second single from their upcoming debut album. The Puerto Rican stoner/prog adventurers have released a visualizer for the LP's title track, "Space Force"! Fans can view the track visualizer below.

Speaking about the upcoming LP, the band shares:

“Space Force marks an evolutionary step in our music and everything we’ve created as a band up to this point. This album represents maturity both lyrically and musically, and with it, an esoteric journey for those who want to encounter challenging music. The title track 'Space Force' represents our most experimental and prog side, though there are still a lot of heavy, catchy riffs. This is probably the song that best captures the essence of the band."

'Space Force' is set for release on August 12th, 2022.

PRE-ORDER HERE

About MOTHS

Every band wants to strike a pristine balance between evoking their influences, embracing their originality, and earning their place within the genre(s) they inhabit. That’s often easier said than done, especially when it comes to styles that have developed so quickly and broadly over the past few decades. As stoner/progressive metal quintet MOTHS proves, however, it can certainly be done. Fusing charming familiarity with captivating freshness, their prior two releases—2018’s self-titled EP and 2020’s split with Philadelphia rockers The Stone Eye—demonstrated an exceptional ability and willingness to saturate shades of their musical forebearers with plenty of wide-ranging and idiosyncratic personality.

As remarkable as both of those collections were, though, they’re mere appetizers compared to what MOTHS have crafted with their debut LP, Space Force. A “complete audio-visual experience”—as bassist Weslie Negrón puts it—the record sees the group composing their most mature, expansive, and rewarding material to date. Packed with quirkily intricate yet welcoming instrumentation, as well as highly varied and compelling songwriting and vocal approaches, Space Force is a thrilling statement of purpose and validity from one of stoner/progressive metal’s greatest up-and-coming acts.

Of course, MOTHS are also motivated by their culture, and alongside standout acts like Avandra, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, Errant Society, and Parallel Dimension, they rank as one of the best Puerto Rican stoner/progressive metal groups. “It’s part of our DNA to put some Puerto Rican influences into our music. For example, the closing section of ‘Awake’ taps into Latin jazz,” Negrón reveals. In addition, he, Miranda, and González studied Popular Music at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico (and Rodríguez has the same major), so MOTHS are well versed in the “odd time signatures” present in Salsa, Bomba, and Plena (among other styles).

Naturally, that broad musical palette helped make Moths, and Moths/The Stone Eye Split incredibly illustrative. Plus, their distinctive sound and fortitude led to Moths getting spotlighted on Bandcamp Daily in 2018, as well as its second track—" Adhara & Ray”—being featured in Adult Swim’s “Stimulus Swim” playlist in 2020. As such, there’s already considerable hype for what Space Force will bring to the table, and luckily, it’s guaranteed to exceed all expectations.

From its gentle and cosmic guitar prelude (“Space Cowboy Ballad”) and fusion of ‘70s heavy metal and progressive death metal (“Broken Slumber”) to its hybrid of experimental space rock and jazz rock (“There’s No Place Like Space”), Space Force is an extremely diverse, engrossing, and poised voyage. Coupled with its equally mind-bending artwork, the LP surely finds MOTHS at the most imaginative and skillful stage of their career.

MOTHS Lineup:

Damaris Rodríguez – Vocals

Daniel Figueroa – Drums

Jonathan Miranda – Lead Guitar

Omar González – Rhythm Guitar

Weslie Negrón – Bass

CARNIFEX - RELEASE MUSIC VIDEO FOR "LIE TO MY FACE" FEAT. ADAM WARREN OF OCEANO

July 13, 2022

Earlier this week, the undisputed masters of blackened deathcore, CARNIFEX, announced their "Dead In My Arms" 15-year anniversary tour, with SPITE and OCEANO. What better way to celebrate the announcement and anniversary than to release the re-recorded version for the track "Lie To My Face" featuring Adam Warren of OCEANO!

Watch the video for "Lie To My Face", below.
Listen to "Lie To My Face", here: https://bfan.link/Carnifex-LieToMyFace2022

Scott Ian Lewis comments, “We couldn’t be happier to be celebrating 15 years of Dead In My Arms with a special version of LTMF featuring our good friend Adam Warren of OCEANO. This new version is a thank you to the best fans in the world for keeping us alive all these years. Enjoy the song, see you on the DIMA 15-year anniversary tour!”

The song release (and below tour announcement) comes alongside a merch collection celebrating 15 years of the debut LP Dead In My Arms, exhuming old designs and breathing new life into concepts from that era.

Every $20 spent on the CARNIFEX Indie Merchstore will earn one entry into a contest to win one of three prizes consisting of JBL Audio gear and credit for Indie Merch. A free entry can be earned by signing up for the band's email list. More info can be found at carnifexmetal.com.

On September 23rd, CARNIFEX will kick off their 32-date US tour with SPITE and OCEANO. The trek will make stops in Denver, Cleveland, and Richmond before concluding at The Glasshouse in Pomona, California on October 26th. Opening the tour is LEFT TO SUFFER, and CROWN MAGENTAR.

Tickets for the tour go on sale this Friday, July 15th at 10 AM local time at carnifexmetal.com.

Confirmed dates for CARNFIEX'S "Dead In My Arms" 15 Year Anniversary Tour with SPITE, OCEANO, LEFT TO SUFFER, and CROWN MAGENTAR are:
09/23/2022 Strummers - Fresno, CA
09/24/2022 The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA
09/25/2022 Cornerstone - Berkeley. CA
09/26/2022 Cargo - Reno, NV
09/28/2022 Complex - Salt Lake City, UT
09/29/2022 Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO
09/30/2022 Black Sheep - Colorado Springs, CO
10/01/2022 Royal Grove - Lincoln, NE
10/02/2022 Wildwood Saloon - Iowa City, IA
10/04/2022 The Forge - Joliet, IL
10/05/2022 The Rave - Milwaukee, WI
10/06/2022 The Intersection - Grand Rapids, MI
10/07/2022 Pierre's - Fort Wayne, IN
10/08/2022 Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland, OH
10/10/2022 The Rec Room - Buffalo, NY
10/11/2022 The Lost Horizon - Syracuse, NY
10/12/2022 Jewel Nightclub - Manchester, NH
10/13/2022The Palladium - Worcester, MA
10/14/2022 Anchor Rock Club - Atlantic City, NJ
10/15/2022 Arties - Frenchtown, NJ
10/16/2022 The National - Richmond, VA
10/18/2022 Blind Tiger - Greensboro, NC
10/19/2022 The Concourse - Knoxville, TN
10/20/2022 Riverfront Live - Cincinnati, OH
10/21/2022 Pop's - Sauget, IL
10/22/2022 Whiskey Nights - Oklahoma City, OK
10/23/2022 Templelive - Wichita, KS
10/25/2022 Southside Music Hall - Dallas, TX
10/26/2022 Come & Take It Live - Austin, TX
10/27/2022 Rockhouse Bar & Grill - El Paso, TX
10/28/2022 Encore - Tucson, AZ
10/29/2022 The Glasshouse - Pomona, CA

Order your copy of Graveside Confessions, here:
www.nuclearblast.com/carnifex-gravesideconfessions

FRONTIERS MUSIC SRL TO RELEASE ULTIMA GRACE'S DEBUT ALBUM

July 13, 2022

FRONTIERS MUSIC SRL TO RELEASE ULTIMA GRACE'S DEBUT ALBUM

SELF-TITLED DEBUT OUT SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

FIRST OFFICIAL RELEASE OF THE ALBUM OUTSIDE OF JAPAN

'GETTING ON WITH LIFE' SINGLE OUT NOW

Ultima Grace is a new metal project formed by keyboardist Yuhki (Galneryus, Alhambra) featuring lead vocals by none other than Anette Olzon (The Dark Element, ex-Nightwish). Their self-titled debut album was released on March 16th in Japan, but Frontiers Music Srl is now releasing it in the rest of the world on September 9th. The single 'Getting On With Life' is now available everywhere.

Pre-order/save "Ultima Grace" on CD & Digital HERE: https://orcd.co/ultimagrace

Ultima Grace’s debut album features 11 songs, all sung by Swedish vocalist Anette Olzon, who is well-known and respected in the metal community for her five years fronting symphonic metal legends Nightwish and current project The Dark Element, where she has joined forces with ex-Sonata Arctica and current Insomnium guitarist Jani Liimatainen. She also recently released a new solo album and is preparing to release her second duets record with Russell Allen (Symphony X) under the moniker Allen/Olzon.

In addition to Olzon, Ultima Grace also features guitarist Toshihiro Kajihara (Alhambra), drummer Hideki (Mahatma, Alhambra), and bassist Atsushi Hasegawa (Gerard).

LINE-UP:

Yuhki: Keyboards, Hammond Organ

Anette Olzon: Vocals

Toshihiro Kajihara: Guitar

Atsushi Hasegawa: Bass

Hideki Harasawa: Drums

Social Media:

https://www.facebook.com/YUHKI.OFFICIAL

https://www.instagram.com/ultimagrace/

https://twitter.com/ultimagrace

CINNAMON BABE Drops Music Video for Impactful New Single "Rock 'N' Roll Is Black"

July 13, 2022

CINNAMON BABE Releases Music Video for

"Rock 'N' Roll Is Black"

Viral Hit with 700k+ Views on TikTok This Week

LISTEN TO "Rock 'N' Roll Is Black" HERE!

CINNAMON BABE is back with the third single off their upcoming debut album. The nu-metal solo project of actress, model, and social media hustler Stormi Maya, Cinnamon Babe released "Rock 'N' Roll Is Black" on Friday - and now fans can check out the music video for the track below.

Already addressing issues like mental health on the song "Pure O" and sexual power dynamics with "Messiah", "Rock 'N' Roll Is Black" touches on one of the most 'saying the quiet part out loud' topics in entertainment culture - the typecasting of where black people do and do not feel embraced. From the fetishizing of black culture to the concept of what activities do and don't fit with the black experience, the song points back to Rock n' Roll's roots to explain why no explanation should be needed.

Perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise that both the topic and song are already being met with such an emphatic and contrasting range of opinions. A brief TikTok clip of the music video was posted on Monday by Maya and has already amassed over 700k views and more than nine thousand comments.

Commenting on the story behind "Rock 'N' Roll Is Black", Maya shares:

“As POC/Black people in this space, I feel we have to constantly prove our position - we have to explain that we are not "whitewashed" nor traitors to our culture. Many times in our own community, we are seen as outcasts if we listen to anything outside of Hip-Hop and R&B. We are outcasts in our own communities if we dress punk, wear dark makeup and black nail polish, listen to metal or watch anime. Anything not stereotypically black makes us seem like "weirdos" or "outcasts''.

As an ALT POC, not only do we face discrimination in our community, but the majority in those spaces (white people) also gatekeep us or test our validity. Alt POC feel like they belong nowhere sometimes. The funny thing is Black people are gatekept out of the very genre they created - ROCK.

I made the song "ROCK 'N' ROLL IS BLACK" in response to all the people who seem to have forgotten the founders of this genre of music - AFRICAN AMERICANS like Ike Turner, Bo Diddley, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Little Richard, and Chuck Berry. And before you say, 'Ok black people may have made Rock N Roll, but metal is white blah blah - I credit the invention of metal to Jimi Hendrix and Blues.

The point I am making is that, as a black woman, rock music is my culture just as much as hip-hop is. Rock is for me, and I am tired of people telling me I do not belong in this space because of my skin color. This song isn't saying that only black folks can make rock; it's not saying anything hateful towards anyone. It's expressing that this is Black culture, we belong in this space too, and we are the true voices of the unheard and oppressed, so if anyone needs to express themselves the most, it's us.

I was an ALT black kid in middle school - listening to MCR and shopping at Hot Topic. I wore cat ears to school and loved Paramore, but by the time I hit high school, I started to hide my true interest in anime and heavy rock because I was bullied so badly. I was called a freak and no one liked me. I was in Black/Hispanic neighborhoods and it wasn't accepted or cool. I want to help open the door for POC alt kids to be themselves and know this is for them too.”

CINNAMON BABE is an LA-based nu-metal outfit led by model, actress, and outright hustler Stormi Maya. The Bronx native, who grew up on bands like The Cranberries and would later find inspiration from the rebellious voice of acts like Rage Against The Machine and Linkin Park, has come a long way to make this dream a reality. As a black woman, an ally of BIPOC and the LGBTQ+ community, and most of all, a survivor, Cinnamon Babe is Maya's vehicle to tell her truth.

Stormi has dealt with struggles and stereotypes her entire life. As a young girl, she survived domestic abuse, homelessness, the foster system, and mental health issues. To the world that knows her as a successful model and upcoming actress, those stories remain a mystery. But Cinnamon Babe is an entirely different venture for the tireless worker who built a better life on the other side of her tumultuous past - it's an honest expression of the demons and inner strength that came from it.

Cinnamon Babe Online:

https://www.instagram.com/cinnamonbabemusic

https://www.youtube.com/c/CinnamonBabe

WITHERED Announces Summer U.S. Tour + Festival Appearances

July 13, 2022

Tortured blackened death metal outfit WITHERED will be embarking on a summer tour in several U.S. cities this August! The run will kick off on August 5 in Spartanburg, SC and will conclude on August 14 in Nashville, TN.

During this run, the band will be performing at Medium Well in Hell fest in Raleigh, NC on August 6 and also at the Heavy Hell III festival at Black Circle Brewing in Indianapolis, IN on August 13. Later in the year, the band will also be appearing at Snowblind Festival in their hometown of Atlanta, GA on November 12! The full run of dates can be found below!

In addition, WITHERED will be performing their only headlining hometown show of the year on September 12 at The Earl in Atlanta, GA!

WITHERED will be touring in support of 2020's full-length, 'Verloren.'

'Verloren' can be streamed, downloaded, and ordered HERE.

WITHERED Live U.S. Dates:
08/05: Spartanburg, SC @ Ground Zero (w/ BATHE)
08/06: Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theater (Medium Well in Hell Festival)
08/07: Asheville, NC @ Static Age Records (w/ UROCYON)
08/11: Lexington, KY @ Green Lantern
08/13: Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle Brewing (Heavy Hell III Fest)
08/14: Nashville, TN @ DRKMTTR Collective
09/12: Atlanta, GA @ The Earl (w/ IMMORTAL BIRD)
11/12: Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade (Snowblind Festival)

WITHERED recently released signature distortion pedal! Guitarist Mike Thompson teamed up with Michael Klein Audio Design out of Kansas City, MO to build a signature distortion pedal named “Husk,” which is designed for all the tone stackers out there.

Thompson also designed the cosmetics himself, combining a vintage military feel with an ethereal/mystic graphics to capture the “moods” of the pedal.

Husk Features:

Selectable “then” (NOS Japanese 1S1588) and “now” clipping diodes to choose between saturation used on older Withered albums and newer albums.
The bottom row of knobs are a circuit inspired by the classic MIJ DS-1 with high quality/low tolerance components - precision metal film resistors, WIMA caps, MLCC caps, and Nichicon Fine Gold capacitors supporting a Toshiba TA7136P Opamp.
The top row is Thompson’s collection of “do my bidding” controls: a clean blend to pepper in some clarity without losing gain, an output boost to keep the dirty tone louder than “pedal off” tone no matter how much you scoop the mids, and a no-fucks-given low pass filter to tame the nastiness however you like.
2 different colored “on” LED’s for a “military control panel” look and max visibility on stage.
From its inception, WITHERED has been an outlier, a perplexing charge of extremity which the metal scene has never been able to put its finger on.

“We want to compound new elements into every album,” posits guitarist/vocalist Mike Thompson, “and we’re definitely a band for metal nerds. Our audience seems to be the old-schoolers who are absorbed by this stuff every day and jaded folks of a certain age. Industry types and peers tend to get it, but that’s about it.”

Thompson’s self deprecating assessment of his creative output might be part gentlemanly humility talking or a harshly realistic take on WITHERED’s cult status, or somewhere in between, but with an impressive body of work fanned out over the course of 18 years and five albums which have weathered as many trends, the Atlanta quartet continues to confound and refuses to compromise. New album, Verloren is the band’s most daring and iconoclastic work yet, one that spits in the eye of complacency and exists as a contrarian masterstroke.

Originally formed by Thompson and ex-guitarist/vocalist Chris Freeman in 2003 following a spell in local grind institution Social Infestation (alongside Mastodon’s Troy Sanders), WITHERED’s initial goal was to re-write black, doom and death metal modes and mores. To that end, the band has achieved that goal as their sound and aesthetic refuses to clearly state which subgenre they call home. Over the course of its history, WITHERED has generated more questions than answers about who they are and what they do. They’ve toured with the varied likes of Mastodon, High on Fire, Dismember, Grave, Vital Remains, Possessed, Watain, Mayhem, 1349, Krallice, Skeletonwitch and Danzig. Their live show provides an air of never-know-what-you’re-gonna-get mystery. See them on one occasion and it’s a DIY kick in the gut with stripped down, rehearsal room bareness appropriately complementing the lunacy. The next time they get in the van they’ll do so accompanied by rigged up columns of light cloaking the stage in bloody reds and searing whites. And with Verloren, the band’s forthcoming fifth album, Thompson and his band mates – drummer Beau Brandon, bassist Rafay Nabeel and fellow guitarist/vocalist Dan Caycedo – continue to nudge both thematic and sonic goalposts by providing relatable food for thought while retaining the adversarial fire that has powered the engine since the start.

“There’s a philosophical introspective approach to the subject matter that informs our writing style. We’re trying to create an atmosphere that complements the themes and that’s something we’re trying to circle back around to on Verloren.”

WITHERED’s first album, 2005’s Memento Mori, generally speaking, tackled the subject of mortality and the grieving process that follows significant loss, trauma and tragedy. Album number two, 2008’s Folie Circulaire was, as Thompson describes, “more existentialist, nihilistic and Nietzsche-ian” while 2010’s Dualities was an exploration of Jungian psychology and the shadow self. As alluded to in the title, 2016’s Grief Relic started into the U-turn back towards the exploration of the role and impact of grief as the men of WITHERED themselves entered that stage of life in which older family members, friends and childhood heroes were passing away, expectedly and otherwise. Five years on, Verloren rounds out the turn with a sinister sound and an area of study more akin to a deep therapy/counseling session instead of the usual gore and lore that often emboldens extreme music.

“Rafay wanted to use the theme of ‘missing’,” explains Thompson, “which was broad and abstract, so I dialed it down to be more about this outlook I’ve developed over the years about how each of us have a ‘Love Well.’ Every bit of love you get from your parents, your upbringing and your learning how to receive and experience love in relationships and through experiences contributes to the well. Your traumas counterbalance that and take away from it, especially when foundational core elements take a hit, like the untimely loss of a parent. That’s one of life’s unique puzzle pieces and when that piece is removed it’s never going to be replaced.

“We’re equipped with a certain capacity – our wells are filled to a certain level – and when you start getting smacked with traumas, whatever you have in that well - your defense mechanisms - can get worn down pretty quickly, especially for someone who has never really known love because of a broken home, difficult relationships or whatever. Each one of us in WITHERED carry unique traumas that we’ve focused this new record on. For me, most of my significant losses are from older wounds that I’ve dealt with through WITHERED from the very beginning, but with this being the first album with Dan and Rafay, it’s like a new exercise for them to really focus on the things they’ve been carrying around.”

Verloren translates to “missing” from German and relates not just to the friends, family and pieces of the member’s lives and hearts that have, and will go, missing as the time ticks on unfettered, but also, in the face of the global pandemic, just how much the activity of being in a band has been missed by everyone who took the write/record/tour cycle for granted. Verloren demonstrates a topical uniqueness; one that discusses the stuff everyone from the steeliest of black metal cape wearers to the gore-obsessed death metal crushers and everyone playing in a band or not has had to - or will have to - confront at some point. By leveling the elitist playing field so often found in extreme metal underground attitudes, Verloren offers a more holistic experience, elevating WITHERED by being unafraid to discuss topics that fly in the face of what most would connect to the sounds they make.

“About two years before I started WITHERED,” Thompson recalls, “I went through a series of traumas where I was forced to take stock of and define my foundational ‘puzzle pieces’ that could be taken away and what the trauma and grief is going to look like when I lose close family and/or friends I truly care about. Ironically, one I didn’t face until recently was WITHERED. No one ever thought that not being able to play shows or tour because of a pandemic was even feasible. I processed the idea of losing WITHERED and playing music and touring and everything else around the time of Grief Relic when two guys quit the band and I lost a lot of steam and inspiration. Luckily, Beau was there to kick my ass and shake me out of it. When it comes to this album, there was an initial suffering of anxiety because of the uncertainty in the world and the fear of losing this album because we put a lot into it, are super proud of it and it is the best WITHERED album yet. It’s important for my inspiration and motivation to go forward. It takes so much effort for us to create a record, the thought of it for it to all be for naught or potentially be wasted just destroys me.

“Surprisingly, we haven’t had a lot of push back on these themes, though I would love to take on that conflict!” he laughs. “For most people, metal is purely aesthetic, a grandstanding ‘f-you!’ to society and an adolescent rebellion kind of thing. But at the same time, we do get positive feedback from the people who have looked a bit deeper and done some research. We just want to be honest. We used to make the joke when we go out on tour, especially in the early days when deathcore was all the rage and we’d be on these weird package bills, that ‘Hey, we’re WITHERED and we’re here to bum you out.’ We’re not a party band or a shock band so you don’t get the fun aspect from us when going to a show. I’ve always been frustrated that we’ve never been able to communicate our super-realism and the different perspectives of life. If I want to sing about how much gratitude I have for my mother in a roundabout way, then whatever, we’ll do it!”

As WITHERED enters its third decade, they’ve drawn a more insular and conclusive line in the sand. The band has forged further forward with the process of eschewing typicality, including not utilizing any of the usual producer suspects to help sculpt Verloren. Instead, they flew the flag of independence by again going down the route of self-production with Thompson himself taking the bull by its horns.

“We get a little bit more deliberate every time around and starting with Grief Relic we decided not to hire anyone to help produce and filter it through a particular lens. We started self-producing and I kind of took the reins on that last time and more so this time and also when it came to selecting who was going to engineer [Raheen Amlani at Orange Peel Recordings], then mix [Greg Wilkinson at Earhammer Studios] and master it [Jarrett Pritchard]. The trick is to find someone who loves Times of Grace as much as they love Clandestine and His Hero is Gone, Napalm Death and all the way out to later Enslaved and can balance all those things. If it’s truly honest and truly communicating the intention of a song, then it’ll be powerful, heavy and generate emotion.”

Verloren also revisits WITHERED’s traditional methodological step of sitting down and looking at the present state of metal before consciously lashing out against what’s taking up most of the broader public’s attention.

“We’re constantly looking for something new to do. We love genre bending and putting D-beats next to funereal riffs next to black metal blasts and heavy doom riffs and figuring out how to make it all work and make sense with whatever vibe we’re trying to nail down. For this one, I wanted to lean back into the funereal doom world. I got burnt out when doom – especially southern doom, being a southern band - was the word of the day around the time of our first two records. We basically ran in the other direction and got away from doing any full-on doom parts for a while. I wanted to come back around to that, so we went back to bigger stuff like My Dying Bride for the couple of eight minute epics on the album [album opener “By Tooth in Tongue” and closer “From Ashen Shores”]. Also, for the first time in my life and against my better judgment, I decided to write clean vocals and I’m singing on two songs. They’re kind of buried in the mix a little bit because I’m still self-conscious about them, but they were the only things that made sense for the parts we wrote. I tried to fight it, but nothing extreme was accomplishing the goal. On top of that, we go the other way where three of the songs have some super crusty and grind elements. Part of why I asked Dan to join the band was because I knew he would get the sludgy, crusty side of things and help me cultivate that better in WITHERED. On the album, ‘The Predation,’ ‘Dissolve’ and ‘Casting in Wait’ are his. Those would be the twists on this album because we’re always trying to write what we think is missing and what we want to hear in heavy music after sitting down and looking at the landscape of what’s out there.”

And despite being deliberate oppositional in the subject matter they choose to explore and express, how much of their hearts and souls they choose to strip bare for fickle crowds and grind against whatever current musical grain the rest are cruising along, the determination, seriousness and importance of WITHERED in each member’s lives hasn’t ebbed. In fact, it’s only been magnified with time and circumstance. Having been forced into a year off from normal band life has made it clear how vital WITHERED is for everything from creative expression, social networking, wanderlust, overall personal sanity and moving forward.

“Personally, I’m very, very fortunate with regards to my family and others being supportive and taking what I do seriously. Looking back, I could be really selfish and headstrong about music. My family got so used to it that they would volunteer to schedule dinners and family events around rehearsals and practice because they were able to glean how important this was to me and how seriously I took it. Even moving out into the real world with the professional realm of things and the jobs that we have had in order to keep this going, I’d say it’s taken more seriously now than ever. We’re constantly challenging ourselves to progress and carve our own path. WITHERED is a permanent part of my life, it’s what I expect to be there. I’ve built so much on it and I’ve somehow been able to weave it into my life to where it’s a defining part of me as well. This isn’t rock star fantasy camp, although the other weekend I was bored, missing travelling and sitting around so I took the band van out and just drove out for three hours, turned around and came home!”

Links:
https://withered.bandcamp.com/merch
https://www.facebook.com/witheredmetal
https://twitter.com/WITHEREDMETAL
https://www.instagram.com/witheredmetal/

Line-up
Beau Brandon – Drums
Dan Caycedo – Vocals, Guitars
Rafay Nabeel – Bass Guitar
Mike Thompson – Vocals, Guitar

Guest Musicians:
Ethan McCarthy (Primitive Man) on “Passing through…” which is a noise track done under his “Many Blessings” nomenclature using field recordings Mike Thompson made at a family funeral.

Recording Studio: Orange Peel Recordings in Kennesaw, GA (USA)
Producer: Mike Thompson
Recording Engineer: Raheem Amlani
Mixing studio and engineer: Greg Wilkinson @ Earhammer Studios in Oakland, CA (USA)
Mastering studio and engineer: Jarett Pritchard

Cover art: Paul Romano

Biography: Kevin Stewart-Panko

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

Available formats
CD Digipak
Vinyl in various colours
Digital

TOBIAS SAMMET'S AVANTASIA - Release New Single "The Moonflower Society" + Pre-Order Start For A Paranormal Even

July 13, 2022

Tobias Sammet’s AVANTASIA invites you to a journey into a magical world.

Pre-order for the ninth AVANTASIA studio album A Paranormal Evening with the Moonflower Society starts today, the release of the album will be on October 21st, 2022 via Nuclear Blast.

You can order the album now: https://avantasia.bfan.link/APEWTMS

With the start of the pre-order on July 13th, 2022 the single, including the video "The Moonflower Society" feat. Bob Catley, will be published.

Watch an enchanting journey through a moonlit night below.

'The Moonflower Society' is a song full of magic, fascinating the listeners with the artistry combined with metal, classic rock, and any other ingredient required to be AVANTASIA. A song, living through the lifeblood Tobias Sammet puts in his works.
Tobias Sammet about 'The Moonflower Society':
“A moonflower is a creature of the night that blossoms when the world is asleep. For me, it stands on one hand for the weird characters I populate my songs with, and on the other hand for the weird characters, I surround myself with in AVANTASIA. Just let yourself fall into a wonderful, mysterious journey“.

A Paranormal Evening with the Moonflower Society is presenting eleven magical and powerful songs featuring numerous prestigious guest stars. An adventure that captivates the audience with freshness, briskness, sophistication, and enchantment.
The album was produced by Tobias Sammet with AVANTASIA guitar player Sascha Paeth.
The fantastic artwork of the cover was done by Swedish illustrator Alexander Jansson.

Available formats:

Jewelcase CD
CD-Digibook
Earbook (ltd. to 5000 copies)
2 Picture- LP (ltd. to 2000 copies)
Vinyl Box (Mailorder Edition, ltd. to 1800 copies)
2 LP
- Black Vinyl
- Moonstone Vinyl (ltd. to 3500 copies)
- Fluorescent Green Vinyl (ltd. to 500 copies)
- Baltic Blue/Ocean Green Cloudy Vinyl (ltd. to 300 copies)
- Inca Gold Vinyl (US only, ltd. to 700 copies)
- Marine Blue Vinyl (Band exclusive, ltd. to 300 copies)
- Cardinal Red/Graphite Splatter Vinyl (Band exclusive, ltd. to 500 copies)
- Fluorescent Orange Vinyl (EMP exclusive, ltd. to 300 copies)
- Silver Vinyl (FNAC exclusive, ltd. to 300 copies)
- ABOUT AVANTASIA:
  AVANTASIA, the all-star rock outlet led by EDGUY singer, songwriter, and producer Tobias Sammet, released album number eight Moonglow on February 1, 2019 via Nuclear Blast Records, which hit number one on the album charts in Germany and charted in 17 countries in Europe, Asia, and the Americas before AVANTASIA embarked on a ten-month world tour of Europe, Russia, Asia, Australia, North and South America.
  
  Since its beginnings in 1999, the past AVANTASIA releases have featured international stars such as Alice Cooper, Klaus Meine and Rudolf Schenker (SCORPIONS), Sharon Den Adel (Within Temptation), Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer (KISS), Eric Martin (MR BIG), SAXON's Biff Byford, ex-TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider and many more