WOLFHEART & THULCANDRA to Support Fleshgod Apocalypse & Obscura on 2023 North American Tour

WOLFHEART & THULCANDRA

to Support Fleshgod Apocalypse & Obscura

on 2023 North American Tour

Tour Begins February 18 in San Francisco, CA

Tickets On Sale Now!

Napalm Records label mates WOLFHEART and THULCANDRA are thrilled to announce their upcoming direct support of co-headliners Fleshgod Apocalypse and Obscura on their impending winter 2023 North American tour!

The tour kicks off on February 18 in San Francisco, CA and will visit a slew of major cities in both the USA and Canada, coming to an end on March 16 in Los Angeles, CA.

Tickets are on sale now - see below for all tour dates and check local venue listings for tickets and more information!

Tuomas Saukkonen of WOLFHEART says:

"We are absolutely thrilled about the fact that WOLFHEART is finally coming back to North America and the company could not be better supporting the mighty Fleshgod Apocalypse and Obscura with our label mates THULCANDRA. Counting the days already to be on the road with this diamond package."

Steffen Kummerer of THULCANDRA, who will be pulling double duty on this tour with Obscura, adds:

"In February and March, we embark on our first North American tour supporting Fleshgod Apocalypse, Obscura and WOLFHEART. This nationwide tour will be the first shows in the United States and Canada for THULCANDRA. Pick up your tickets and don’t miss out on the tour of the year!“

WOLFHEART & THULCANDRA Supporting Fleshgod Apocalypse & Obscura

North American Tour Dates:

2/18: San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge

2/19: Portland, OR @ Bossanova Ballroom

2/20: Seattle, WA @ El Corazon

2/21: Boise, ID @ The Shredder

2/22: Grand Junction, CO @ Mesa Theater

2/23: Denver, CO @ Oriental Theater

2/24: Lincoln, NE @ The Royal Grove

2/25: Minneapolis, MN @ The Underground

2/26: Joliet, IL @ The Forge

2/27: Detroit, MI @ Small's

2/28: Toronto, ON @ Axis

3/1: Quebec City, QC @ Imperial Bell

3/2: Montreal, QC @ Studio TD

3/3: Worcester, MA @ The Palladium

3/4: New York, NY @ Gramercy Theater

3/5: Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring

3/6: Richmond, VA @ Canal Club

3/7: Greensboro, NC @ Hangar 1819

3/8: Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum

3/10: Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall

3/11: Dallas, TX @ Amplified Live

3/12: Austin, TX @ Come and Take it Live

3/13: El Paso, TX @ Rockhouse Bar & Grill

3/14: Mesa, AZ @ Nile Theater

3/15: San Diego, CA @ Brick by Brick

3/16: Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent

WOLFHEART

Melodic death metal powerhouse WOLFHEART released their latest full-length studio album, 'King of the North', in September 2022. Each song on 'King of the North' is dedicated to a different story of Finnish mythology – underlined by WOLFHEART’s grand, crushing songwriting and production.

“The King”, for instance, tells the tale of the forest god with horns and pianos accompanying heavy guitar riffs and solos, before raising the energy levels once more on the relentless “Cold Flame” featuring Karl Sanders.

“Ancestor” is the album’s most frostbitten anthem, unleashing WOLFHEART’s acclaimed brand of crushing blast beasts and cutting-edge vocal performances alongside guest Jesse Leach of Killswitch Engage.

'King of the North' is a true masterpiece of melodic death metal, crafted with loads of attention to detail and intricate mythology-driven storytelling – showcasing WOLFHEART at never-before-heard artistic levels!

WOLFHEART are:

Tuomas Saukkonen - guitar, vocals

Joonas Kauppinen - drums

Lauri Silvonen - bass, vocals

Vagelis Karzis - guitar, vocals

THULCANDRA

Death/black metal mainstays THULCANDRA released their latest studio album, 'A Dying Wish', to great acclaim in 2021.

Since originating with Obscura mastermind Steffen Kummerer in 2003, the band has become an indispensable protagonist in the European extreme metal-sphere that reaches way back to the magnificent origins of their genres. 'A Dying Wish' was produced at Unisound Studio by Dan Swanö, keeping the black flame of Jon Nödtveidt alive and worthy.

'A Dying Wish' transports the listener right into an icy soundscape of a never ending, severe winter. With 10 blood-freezing tracks delivering clashing guitar riffs, epic downtempo moments driven by atmospheric acoustic guitars and rapid outbursts of dark and raspy screams, THULCANDRA created another record that continues the great legacy of true death metal.

THULCANDRA on 'A Dying Wish' are:

Steffen Kummerer – guitar, vocals

Mariano Delastik – guitar

Christian Kratzer – bass

Alessandro Delastik – drums

Epica Release New Single "The Great Tribulation" ft. Fleshgod Apocalypse from Forthcoming EP 'The Alchemy Project'

With 'The Alchemy Project', out on November 11th through Atomic Fire Records, symphonic metal titans EPICA finish their 20th anniversary year with a bang and will deliver seven new songs that were all created with a unique concept in mind: They invited 13 bands and musicians to co-write and perform the tracks with them and the result is a mind-bending mini-album ranging from melodic hard rock hymns, via progressive melodeath to even the heaviest track you've ever heard from EPICA. 

For this new single, which once again thematically dives into apocalyptic realms, the band teamed up with none less than Italy's symphonic tech-death pioneers FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE - a collaboration that many fans have been waiting for, not only since both bands shared the stage on their North American Tour in 2016.

Mark Jansen explains how the new song came to life: "We know the guys and girl from FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE already for quite a long time and toured together. There’s a lot of mutual respect for each other’s music, so when we approached them to work together on a track, they were right away enthusiastic. I did send them some very basic ideas I had for two songs, so they could pick what they liked the most. They ended up using all the ideas and combining them into one song. That was already very promising. From there on, we organized several sessions where we worked on the song together. The process was very smooth and very inspiring. I think the result is a perfect blend between both bands!"

Get ready for symphonic extravaganza and stream or download "The Great Tribulation" at the link here: https://afr.link/EpicaFleshgodApocalypsePR

EPICA are currently touring North America with SABATON and you can catch them on one of the dates below, as well as in Latin America in November and Europe in early 2023 - tickets and VIP experience are available at www.epica.nl/tour

— NORTH AMERICA TOUR –

with SABATON

13.10.22 | The Fillmore | Minneapolis, MN SOLD OUT!

15.10.22 | Aragon Ballroom | Chicago, IL

17.10.22 | Stage AE | Pittsburgh, PA

18.10.22 | The Fillmore | Philadelphia, PA

21.10.22 | MGM Music Hall | Boston, MA

22.10.22 | Place Bell Arena | Montreal, QC

23.10.22 | Hammerstein Ballroom | New York, NY

Find EPICA Online

epica.nl/home

BENIGHTED Shares New Song "A Personified Evil"

French deathgrind masters BENIGHTED have teamed up with Metal Injection for the premiere of their brand new digital single, "A Personified Evil," which features vocals from FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE's Francesco Paoli! The song, artwork, and accompanying visualizer can be found below.

BENIGHTED vocalist Julien Truchan comments: “NEW BENIGHTED SUMMER HIT! Here we go with "A Personified Evil," our brand new single featuring none but our amazing brother Francesco Paoli from Fleshgod Apocalypse! 2'53 of pure violence available in this lyric video released by our friend Guilherme who did a great job! Tell us what you think about this new piece of insanity and please spread it everywhere you can, not only on the beach! 🤣 Thank you for your support and let's dance!”

"A Personified Evil" can be pre-saved across all digital streaming platforms HERE.

ICYMI: BENIGHTED drummer Kevin Paradis has been named one of Sick Drummer Magazine's Favorite Drummers of 2020!

The band will be hitting the road in Europe with ABORTED in support of their latest album, 'Obscene Repressed,' was released earlier this year and can be streamed, downloaded, and orderedHERE.

Spawned from the darkest crevices of the human psyche comes ‘Obscene Repressed,’ the twisted new offering from French deathgrind giants Benighted. Horror and metal have always had a harmonious marriage, but Benighted take this cultural fusion to the next level, delivering a riveting and demented story unlike anything before. No Stephen King novel nor Wes Craven film could ever compare to the sick horrors buried inside this brutal opus.

“This album tells the story of a psychotic boy with oedipal issues,” explains Benighted mastermind Julien Truchan, who is responsible for the concept behind ‘Obscene Repressed.’ “His mother finds his cleft-palate disgusting sod he hides it from her sight at home. Among the symptoms of his psychosis, he sees himself as deeply deformed, has troubles with boundaries, and finds parallel ways to handle his growing sexual urges. He has a deep hatred for his father because he'd like to take his place by his mother’s side.

“As an act of ‘going back inside mom,’ he surprises her with dinner, cooking a meal with his own lips that he cuts off with his dad’s razor. His mother only realizes what she just ate when he takes off his bandages at the end of the dinner.”

But where does one draw inspiration from when it comes to such an imaginative and unique tale of horror? Offering this chilling glimpse into where he finds his muses for Benighted, Truchan says, “I work full time as a nurse in a psychiatric hospital and most of my inspiration for the lyrics in Benighted comes from my professional experience and the patients I have taken care of.” While he’s known to enjoy some classic horror films and the occasional Stephen King novel, he doesn’t relate any fiction to his writing. “My inspiration doesn’t come from movies I’ve watched, because most of the time, they’re giant clichés about psychiatry and far away from the reality.”

The unnerving story, however, is only a fraction of what defines ‘Obscene Repressed.’ Musically, the album is an unrelenting beast that delivers a panoramic aural assault on the listener. Indeed, Benighted put forth a level of brutality and speed that references some of the genre’s greats like Cannibal Corpse and Aborted, but overall, the record exudes a contemporary feel. There is no doubt that ‘Obscene Repressed’ was born in this millennium, drawing influence from some of the giants who defined metal over the past two decades. This isn’t your typical deathgrind album as it unquestionably lends itself to the shaping of the genre’s new generation. Perhaps this is in part due to the diversity that has existed within Benighted, whose lineup has included members Necrophagist, Abbath, Sabaton, and Aborted, among others. However, it’s also evident that the band were influenced by some of the icons of the early aughts, such as Slipknot, to whom the band pay tribute with a cover of “Get This.”

Featuring this bonus cover wasn’t solely about wearing Benighted’s influences on their sleeves, but also about challenging themselves as musicians. ““We really like challenges!” exclaims Truchan. “When we decide to cover a song, we want it to mean something because their music was important to us and our musical history!” This track was an obscure choice, and a deliberate one at that. “The first Slipknot album came as a great surprise and it was out of the question to cover their ‘hits’ as that's too obvious and easy! Covering a band like Slipknot and giving it the Benighted sound was a very cool experience. At the beginning of the track when Corey is asking for a scream, of course I made a pig squeal! [laughs]”

The diverse vibes behind ‘Obscene Repressed’ is further punctuated with a stellar lineup of guest musicians and vocalists, such as Hatebreed’s Jamey Jasta on “Implore the Negative,” Cytotoxin’s Sebastian Grihm on “The Starving Beast,” and Disbelief’s Karsten Jäger on “Mom, I Love You The Wrong Way.” “Guest vocals are a tradition for the band,” Truchan explains. “On ‘Obscene Repressed,’ we have three amazing vocalists who were chosen considering the style of the track and what their voice could bring in terms of brutality and originality!

“Inviting my brother in arms Grimo from Cytotoxin on the track ‘The Starving Beast’ was obvious as it’s a very ‘martial’ and brutal track that it would create such violence in the super-fast switch of our vocal combinations! And for the record, I refused to tell him the concept of the story before he sent me his vocal parts, because it’s written like slaves were given to the lions in an arena in front of a bloodthirsty crowd, but it’s in fact about the psychotic boy masturbating in front of his dolls and toys and ‘The Starving Beast’ is actually his penis! [laughs] We laughed a lot when I told him the story afterwards!”

He continues, “About Jagger, he already made vocals on our ‘Icon’ album, but when we wrote ‘Mom, I Love You The Wrong Way,’ I surprised myself trying to imitate him on the chorus, so I thought that it had to be him, as he has such a killer and particular voice! The result is amazing!

“And the most surprising guest on the record is of course Jamey Jasta from Hatebreed! I am such a huge fan of Hatebreed! He spoke about Benighted last year on his podcast so I tried to reach him. When I received the mail that he would do it, I was so amazed! The mix of our vocals is so unique in the history of Benighted! ‘Implore The Negative’ has already become a hymn for me and I am very impatient to sing it on stage!”

Benighted have spent the past few years rising from the underground and dominating stages across the world, including appearances at major festivals such as Hellfest, Inferno Fest, and so many more. The band, however, never imagined this level of success upon their formation. Truchan muses, “When we started, it was just a band of friends. We rehearsed for years every Saturday in my dad's garage and had parties in the evening. We just wanted to have fun with friends, but then we decided to tour as much as possible and see what could happen.” The sudden shift in drive paid off. They eventually started touring and performing with their idols, inked a coveted deal with Season of Mist, and have been the subject of much critical acclaim. “22 years later, things have been beyond my craziest dreams,” adds Truchan.

Benighted sees the greater picture when they pen their albums. It isn’t just about the band’s future, but is about connecting with the fans who have aided in the band’s success. ‘Obscene Repressed’ is no different, serving as an anthem for both dedicated Benighted fans as well as the new listeners they will inevitably win over with this offering. “Obscene Repressed’ is a psychological horror movie to watch with the ears and I hope people will experience it this way!” Truchan exclaims. He also adds “that all the tracks really are made for the stage; I can’t wait to tour and see the moshpit start and, of course, hear the fans roar the chorus with me!”

With the release of ‘Obscene Repressed’ in 2020, there’s no question that the band will keep climbing on their upward trajectory as they continue to make waves in the deathgrind community with their unique concepts, vicious precision, and boldness to experiment outside of the genre’s confines. This is an album for a new era. ’Obscene Repressed’ is the future.

Line-up:
Julien Truchan: Vocals
Emmanuel Dalle: Guitars
Fabien Desgardins: Guitars
Pierre Arnoux: Bass
Kévin Paradis: Drums

Recording studio:Kohlekeller Studio (Seeheim-Jugenheim, Germany)
Producer/Mixing:Kristian Bonifer
Mastering:Tom Porcell

Guest musicians:
Sebastian Grihm (CYTOTOXIN) on 'The Starving Beast'
Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED) on 'Implore The Negative'
Karsten Jäger (DISBELIEF) on 'Mom, I Love You The Wrong Way'

Cover art:Grindesign
Sales:https://smarturl.it/ObsceneBenighted

Available formats:
CD
Deluxe digipak including sound fragment of Julien's pig squeal
LP in various colors

For more on BENIGHTED, visit their officialBIG CARTEL, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, WEBSITE, BANDCAMP, and TWITTER.