free album: Lucid Nightmare (U.K.)

NEWS:

Lucid Nightmare (U.K.)

Lucid Nightmare

release date: March 17th, 2016

label: independent

This is a nine-track album that lasts a bit over 46 minutes. It's a free/name-your-price recording. The band's music would probably best be described as modern thrash with black metal-influenced vocals. The band (Northern Ireland) also utilizes some melodic guitar solos to spice up the thick, rhythmic riffing and drumming. The bass guitar is very audible, as a result, the band comes across as upfront, strong thrash. It doesn't take long to figure out that they are serious and that they put effort into making a solid recording, one of which they can be proud. It doesn't sound like a garage demo or a rehearsal, either. It's gratifying to hear a previously unheard band and see how serious they are about their craft. They don't have a record company to back them up and this is their debut, according to Metal Archives, but I'm glad that they take themselves seriously. The world may not know them yet, but if you give this recording a listen, and if you like the idea of modern thrash, this band should be a cool surprise. Plus, the price is right! There you go, you just ran out of reasons not to listen to the album.

OFFICIAL: Thrash, black and death metal influenced riffery with a hard driving and melodic undercurrent. Lucid Nightmare's self titled and self produced full-length chronicles their progression from carefully treading to treading on everything. The band thrive on the opportunity to play live and at present are preparing to return to the stage with their new drummer. This new chapter in the band's story coincides with the completion of the self titled and self produced full-length. The recording, facilitated and engineered by the bands own Brendan Finn chronicles Lucid Nightmare from the beginning to how they stand today. The nine tracks are reflective of the bands progression and the members individual styles can be heard breaking through any cracks in the always there, all out metal assault.

Lucid Nightmare rose from the remains of now long defunct County Armagh Metal Act Soulstripper. Longstanding member Brendan Finn led those last in the Soulstripper door, Paul McConnell and Barry Smyth, in raiding the riff banks and almost immediately working on material for a new band. The three guitarists brought their own riffs to the table and with Brendan now taking care of the low end bass duties, the bands signature style was quickly established. Soulstripper's vocalist Moore survived the fallout and rejoined the lads on drums with the lineup being completed by Darren Mallon, a harsh vocal and an old friend. Thus commenced the band's life, waxing and waning through the busy periods and the lulls offered by a changeable music scene. All the while continuing to expand their set list and nesting deeper in their signature sound.

Return visits in far ends of the country and close relationships with friends and promoters helped build confidence in delivering a live show but still remaining relatively unknown outside of these circles. Mainstays of the Fermanagh metal scene Henchman promotions, Co.Armagh band Astralnaut, Polish Metal promotions and Keady man Gerry Martin Connolly being particularly encouraging to the band. With progression comes change and after jumping into the recording process arrived a bumpy 'yay or nay' period in 2015 after which drummer Moore decided to 'up sticks' and left the camp. The band were quickly connected with a potential new recruit by a member of local metal allies Waylander and have since returned to practice and rehearsal for live shows in 2016 with drummer Liam Murphy. This new chapter in the band's story coincides with the completion of the self titled and self produced full-length. The recording, facilitated and engineered by the bands own Brendan Finn chronicles Lucid Nightmare from the beginning to how they stand today. The nine tracks are reflective of the bands progression and the members individual styles can be heard breaking through any cracks in the always there, all out metal assault.

www.lucidnightmare1.bandcamp.com/releases

www.facebook.com/lucidnightmareband

Dark Forest - The Undying Flame

Recently this publication reported about the new Dark Forest album. Now you can hear a new track below! Below you will also find the news about the album. Supporters of traditional melodic heavy metal will not want to miss out on this new music!

NEWS:

Dark Forest

Beyond the Veil

Cruz Del Sur Music

Release: 26 August 2016

The musicians from Dark Forest, traditional heavy/power metal from the U.K., have set their sights on making quality albums each time around. The next chapter in their history will soon be ready for the public to hear. Their style emphasizes both guitar melodies and vocal melodies, and that is all now taken to a bigger level on an album that lasts more than 70 minutes. This publication can testify that the album concentrates on songs. A word of caution: when an album is this long, some people worry that it is an experimental work or an album with a bunch slow songs or just one with boring tracks. Luckily, Dark Forest came here to rock. Now, of course, this band is not the fastest nor heaviest band nor do they pretend to be. It is melodic, traditional heavy metal for singing along, and that's what this new album is. In other words, it is another step in the journey of the band, not a departure from its established style.

OFFICIAL:England’s finest HM band returns with its best album ever! 70 minutes of grandiose Folk/Medieval-inspired metal! Beyond the Veil represents Dark Forest’s peak of creativity, the zenith of a process begun in 2009 with the release of their self-titled debut album. If their last album The Awakening was a sort of “rite of passage”, then Beyond the Veil is the one of their maturity. The band seems to have found the perfect balance between the classic twin-guitars heavy metal and the elements of folklore, tradition and medieval melodies that have always permeated its sound, making the final production shine as never before. The tie between Dark Forest and the lore of their land is authentic and it’s expressed with a mature and poetic lyrical content. A big credit in this process must be given to Josh Winard (ex Wytch Hazel) whose performance sounds dramatically solid. Not a single second of this glorious album is a filler as Dark Forest have really gave it their all. They have created a winning team with long time artistic producer Ajeet Gill and acclaimed artist Duncan Storr (Skyclad, Rage, Elixir) who enthusiastically got on board with his passionate and amazing work. Beyond the Veil compact disc edition comes with 16-page booklet including more original artwork from Duncan Storr, while the vinyl is released in a luxurious gatefold edition including an A2 poster.

BAND:

Josh Winnard: Vocals

Christian Horton: Guitar

Patrick Jenkins: Guitar

Paul Thompson: Bass

Adam Sidaway: Drums

TRACK LIST:

1.On the Edge of Twilight

2.Where The Arrow Falls

3.Autumn’s Crown

4.Blackthorn

5.Lunantishee

6.The Wild Hunt

7.Earthbound

8.The Undying Flame

9.Mên-An-Tol

10.Beyond the Veil

11.Ellylldan

12.The Lore of The Land

OFFICIAL: Dark Forest was forged in the Black Country, England by guitarist Christian Horton. For over a decade they have been delivering their uniquely rousing, defiant heavy metal to the world. With the release of their self-made EPs in 2007, the band quickly gained the attention and support of the heavy metal underground, both in England and abroad, and then went from strength to strength, gigging across Europe and the UK and releasing their self titled debut album in 2009. The cult EP Defender was released the same year followed by their second album, Dawn of Infinity, in 2011. By this point Dark Forest had succeeded in mastering their own instantly recognisable sound, heavily incorporating traditional twin guitar work, interlaced with subtle medieval and folk melodies. After battling through a series of line up changes Dark Forest then released The Awakening, the band’s third full length album, in 2014. This album was recorded in 444hz, rather than the standard 440hz, the decision being made after studying Solfeggio frequencies and has remained the band’s preferred tuning ever since. 2015 will see Dark Forest once again begin the process of forging new music directly inspired by the nature and mythology of their land and continue to deliver their passionate live performances to fans from around the world.

www.facebook.com/Darkforestuk/

Dark Forest - The Undying Flame

Inquisition new track!; shows reminder

The Seattle black metal duo Inquisition has a new track available now. This is now the third track available!

For those that have missed it, below is the recent news about the band and its activities, including shows this week. Be sure to check it.

Inquisition - Vortex From the Celestial Flying Throne of Storms (Official Premiere)

There are some interesting Inquisition activities taking place here in the state of Washington. First, the black metal duo has a new album that is coming up on August 26, 2016 and it will be called Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith. In recent years the band’s profile has been on the rise due to the positive reception to the albums Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm (2011) and Obscure Verses for the Multiverse (2013). Second, in anticipation of the new work, the band has made available at least two tracks:

"Power From The Center Of The Cosmic Black Spiral" and "Wings of Anu." The songs also have been posted at various publications, including this one. Third, this week there are some shows coming in this area:

July 28 Inquisition, UADA, Hissing, Sacrament ov Impurity, guests at Wild Buffalo, Bellingham, WA

July 29 Inquisition, UADA, Necrosomnium, Sacrament ov Impurity, Guests at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA

July 30 Inquisition + guests at Panic Room, Portland, OR

If you are new to Inquisition, here’s a bit of official information.

OFFICIAL: The band Inquisition was formed in 1988 in Cali, Colombia by Dagon. The band started as a thrash metal act, and in 1994 evolved into raw black metal.

In 1996, Dagon left Colombia and moved back to the United States to continue Inquisition and search for a new drummer. That same year Dagon met Incubus, who joined the band on drums and the creation of their debut full length album began. This line-up has remained stable for more than fifteen years and is now seen as the classic Inquisition line-up.

INQUISITION style of black metal involves slow, deep and dark riffing combined with sudden tempo changes to faster sections based around blast beats and high-speed riffing; at times adding melodic solos. The classic Inquisition sound incorporates a combination of early era thrash metal-influenced riffing with darker and more chaotic black metal, primarily involving fast, tremolo picked minor-key guitar riffs, thus creating the trademark "Inquisition sound".

www.facebook.com/inquisition.official

www.inquisitionbm.bandcamp.com

Grace Disgraced

Grace Disgraced (Russia) is old-school progressive extreme metal, the type that focuses on making songs that are a bit more memorable, not just dizzying technical prowess. The music still takes a few listens to absorb, but it’s a bit ear friendly from the beginning on account of the bits of melody to be found. The vocals are growled all the way throughout, the guitar tone is heavy, but clear and smooth, as is the overall sound. The band’s latest recording is called Lasting Afterdeaths (2016) and it’s available in its entirety at the link below. Here is some official information about the band.

OFFICIAL: The band was founded in 2004 in Moscow by its permanent female vocalist Polina “Grace Dis” Berezko. In 2005 Aleksandr Klaptsov (guitar) joined the band – and now he is the band’s main composer . The first gig took place in famous R-club in May 2005. Although the style couldn’t be identified as death metal, the fiery mix of heavy, black and thrash drew public attention and there followed a set of gigs in Moscow, Tula, Taganrog, Rostov-on-Don. Grace Disgraced recorded their first demo “Natural Death” in winter 2005-2006. Then some years of constant line-up changes followed.

In 2009 the band was ready to record their EP “Materialized Expectation” on NAVAHOHUT studio. The EP was brought out on MOREHATE Prod. within a 4-way split. In 2010 Yury Korotovskikh (ex-“Rest in Pain”, “Fatal Band”, “Drauggard”) joined the band as a bass-player and Andrey Ischenko (ex-“Hieronymus Bosch”, ex-“Scrambled Defuncts”, ex-“Mortem”) – as a drummer. These members contributed to the recording of Grace Disgraced first full-length album “Enthrallment Traced”. The album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Arkady Navaho in 2010 – 2011. Meanwhile there were again some personnel rearrangements which took place – Andrey Andreev (ex-"Scream in Darkness", ex-"Formalin") became GD’s bass-player instead of Yury Korotovskikh. Andrey’s playing perfectly fits in the musical concept of the band. After the first album “Enthrallment Traced” publication in 2012 the band went touring in Ukraine with 2 Italian bands “Homicide Hagridden” and “Black Propoganda”. It is worth saying that the debut LP was warmly accepted in Europe, and a great number of positive reviews from abroad is a telling argument.

In the beginning of 2013 the Russian tour followed, then a row of shows in Moscow and other cities. At the same time the band worked on their second LP, which was recorded on NAVAHOHUT studio again. Promo-track from this album “She Smells Death” has become a real hit on “Russian Death Metal” CD-compilation, and Grace Disgraced played as a headliner at the compilation’s presentation in Krasnodar in January 2014. In March 2014 a new drummer Vladimir Lyashkov (ex-“Beheaded Zombie”, ex-“Nabaath”, “Decay of Reality”) joined the band. The band’s second full-length album “The Primal Cause: Womanumental” was released in April 2015, followed by its presentation in Moscow and a European tour. The album was also released on Razed Soul Prod. in the USA. The 2015 line-up is marked with the returning of legendary Andrey Ischenko and the fretless bass of Pavel Semin. This year has been devoted to the work on the third full-length album “Lasting Afterdeaths”, which is already recorded and will be released soon.

www.gracedisgraced.bandcamp.com/album/lasting-afterdeaths

www.facebook.com/gracedisgraced/

www.twitter.com/gracebeneath

Oxygen Destroyer (Seattle)

It seems like Oxygen Destroyer is making the rounds in the Seattle region. Their name has been showing up in several places and in the process people are becoming more acquainted with the sound of raw brutal thrash. They have two demos that are free/name-your-price. Apparently, they have an unhealthy obsession with Godzilla, which is normal because I have heard that you, too, are devoted to Godzilla glorification. In addition to playing vicious and ugly black thrashing music, they are very fluent in English and they have the qualifications to show it. For instance, one of their songs is called “Subsumed Within the Bowels of the Perennial Monstrosity.” I had to whip out my dusty old dictionary to figure what the title might possibly mean. I’m pretty sure it means that they do not like hipsters and in Seattle there are lot of hipsters, a lot, so Oxygen Destroyer has a big mission in life. Hey, guys, can I please join your I-hate-hipsters club?! We can express our hatred of hipsters together and play a bunch of Nifelheim records. What do you say?

www.oxygendestroyer1.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/Oxygen-Destroyer-325474194296570

Unmerciful

All over the world there are bands seeking to play the fastest music possible and there is no shortage of entities jumping into the worldwide competition to see who will survive. Many bands are forgotten. This technical brutal death metal from Topeka, Kansas, U.S. was probably in some people’s minds all finished and long gone. The previous album Unmercifully Beaten is from 2006, but they have returned with recorded output to show their wares to the hungry masses yearning to travel the soundwaves of inhumanly frenzied music. The new album is called Ravenous Impulse and is devoted exclusively to the art of making music that takes it to the end of the line. What is there beyond Unmerciful? Nobody knows because human beings so far have not been able to play much faster than this style. The band features current and former members of the big dog of Topeka, Kansas technical brutality: Origin.

This publication has recently reported about Unmerciful’s return to action, but now you don’t have to read about it, listen to the complete recording with your own ears. Just understand that you have to be mentally ready for this. You either keep up or the warp speed will leave you behind lost in space.

OFFICIAL: UNMERCIFUL - which unites the extreme metal ingenuity of bassist Jeremy Turner (ex-Origin), guitarists Justin Payne and Clint Appelhanz (ex-Origin), drummer John Lonstreth (Dim Mak, Origin, ex-Gorguts etc.), and vocalist Kris Bolton (D.F.W.B.) - unleashes the sonic brutality of their Ravenous Impulse full-length via Unique Leader Records. Captured at Appelhanz's own Waveworks Studio with drums recorded at Chapman Studios (Origin, Tech N9NE) with longtime producer and friend, Robert Rebeck, Ravenous Impulse raises the proverbial bar of inexorable, unsparing, belligerent, and plainly vicious death metal.

Founded in 2001, UNMERCIFUL released its debut, Unmercifully Beaten, in 2006. With intensive tour runs from 2006 through 2009 with the likes of Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus, Necrophagist, Decrepit Birth, Cryptopsy, and more, the band went through various personnel changes before deciding to disband in 2009. What started out as just a reunion show in 2012, quickly returned the band to working status. With consistent live shows and numerous metal fest appearances, the band released a self-titled demo in 2014 as a first step in the process to completing its first full-length release in nearly a decade. After the abrupt departure of drummer James King, John Longstreth was enlisted to record drums for Ravenous Impulse.

(guitarist Clinton delivering the goods.)

www.uniqueleaderrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ravenous-impulse

www.facebook.com/Unmerciful-347016405378181/

Dracena

Dracena is an extreme metal band from Sweden. They have quite a history and a handful of recordings, the last of which was released in 2014: Ravenous Bloodlust. Earlier this year the band announced that they have eight new songs ready to go, although more information about when the recording takes place is not available yet. The band rolls with the spirit of 80s extreme metal, and even though they generally sound like earlier, 80s black metal, their style nowadays would be considered a bit less restricted, at the intersection of death, thrash and black metal, and occult heavy metal, it’s all in there, and it’s futile to pin it down to a strict subgenre sound. Perhaps this is why the band says that they are “pure metal,” in recognition of the heritage. Anyway, it’s better if you listen for yourself and come in traction with it yourself. Below is some official information about the band.

OFFICIAL: Dracena was formed in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1994 by MiA, according to The Encyclopedia of Swedish Hard Rock and Heavy Metal, volume II, Sweden’s heaviest all-girl band.

In April of 1997 the first demo was recorded and released as a limited edition of 100 copies on cassette with 3 own tracks and a cover of Venom’s In league with Satan. In 1998 drummer Karin left the band and MiA (guitar/vocals), Emma (guitar) and Åsa (bass) continued on and entered Andy La Rocque’s studio Los Angered Recordings to record the second demo in April of 1999 with the help of session drummer Terror (Necrocurse, Runemagick, Deathwitch, Swordmaster and Sacramentum). Entitled Demonic Women and released as a 3-track CDr and later also from Bloodstone Entertainement (SWE) as a limited edition 2-track 7” red vinyl.

In late 2000 Mojjo (Engel, Runemagick, Deathwitch, Lord Belial) joined Dracena to handle the drums and in September of 2001 the third demo was recorded in Terrordome, released as a CDr with 3 tracks and entitled Labyrinth of Darkness. In late 2002 the band members decided to go separate ways and Dracena was left with MiA as the only active member.

The debut full-length album was recorded in 2004 using Hellbound Studios/Brutaliator Studios. Infernal Damnation, containing 8 tracks, was independently released as a CD in 2006-06-06. A cover of W.A.S.P’s Animal (**** like a Beast) was also recorded during this session for the W.A.S.P tribute album to be released by Codiac Records (DEN) in May of 2006, Rock Shock Hellions – A tribute to W.A.S.P.

2013 the new mini-CD Ravenous Bloodlust was recorded during the summer in Andy La Rocque’s Sonic Train Studios. This 4-track mini-CD will also be released independently. After the recording of Ravenous Bloodlust Dracena has a complete line up for live shows and the upcoming full-length album which is planned to be recorded in summer 2014.

2013 Line up:

MiA - vocals and guitars

Piet the J. - guitars

K. - bass

F. - drums

discography:

Ravenous Bloodlust 2014

Infernal Damnation 2006

Labyrinth of Darkness (2001)

Demonic Women (1999)

Demo ´97 (1997)

www.facebook.com/Dracena.SE/

www.dracena.se

NEW** METAL BULLETIN #97

Check out the new issue of Metal Bulletin Zine, number 97. Read it online, free download.

Interment (Sweden) Maze of Terror (Peru) Beyond Your Ritual (Madagascar) Scarblade (Greece/Sweden)Iron Fire (Denmark) Dark Forest (U.K.) Urobilinemia (Japan) Paganizer (Sweden) plus: The Foreshadowing (Italy), Warfather (U.S.), Heathen Beast (India), Guttural Corpora Cavernosa (Taiwan), Tyfon's Doom (Finland), Defiatory (Sweden), Sarcófago (Brazil)

www.fuglymaniacs.com

Overthrust

Overthrust is “old school death metal” from Botswana. Their most recent recording is from 2015 and it is called Desecrated Deeds to Decease. Find out more about them through this official information from their Facebook page and check out the music below.

By the way, this coming Saturday the band will be playing in Germany! See their Facebook page for more information.

OFFICIAL: Overthrust is an old school death metal band, originating from the capital city of Kalahari desert-Ghanzi-Botswana, with the most over thrusting, underground and aggressive beats, lyrics and harsh growling vocals of death metal. The theme of Overthrust songs is about dirty deeds, reality of life and death. We criticize people claiming/pretending and faking to be Angels and by doing so judging people who are not believers.

The band was formed in October, 2008 and became active in January, 2010 by Tshomarelo Mosaka aka Vulture Thrust, Shalton Monnawadikgang aka Spencer Thrust, Gakeitse Botlhalentwa aka Suicide Torment and former member Balatedi Folai aka Bist Thunder. Overthrust is an old school death metal band based in Ghanzi-Botswana. The band realesed its single track "Freedom in the dark" at StuxDaemon Studio in April 2011.The band started as 3 piece band but as time goes on the band added new members to make it a full piece...Lepololang Malepa aka Godfather joined Overthrust in June, 2011 as a rhythm guitarist, Tshepho Kaisara aka Dawg Thrust in 2013 as a guitarist and bassist, so the lead vocalist Tshomarelo Mosaka aka Vulture Thrust concentrated on the vocals. The theme of Overthrust songs is about dirty deeds, reality of life and death. We criticize people claiming/pretending and faking to be Angels and by doing so judging people who are not believers. The long awaited new full album (Desecrated Deeds To Decease) will be released in April 2014.

www.facebook.com/Overthrust-Deathmetal-band-111341558893743/

www.soundcloud.com/overthrustmetal

Abske Fides (Brazil)

This is funeral death doom for those times when you got the blues and you want something to drag you deeper into misery. You got the blues and this band is not going to make you feel better.

This band is Napalm Death’s worst nightmare come true.

Even Candlemass’ mastermind Leif Edling would like to give these Brazilians a call: “Howdy, partner. Leif from Candlemass here. Don’t you think y’all taking this whole doom thang a bit too far now, c’mon? Doom is cool and slow is nice and I get that, man, but you guys trippin. Y’all make my band sound happy like The Beatles or something. I got nothing against your music or nothing, but your band is making my band look too happy and cheery, man. I don’t know what to do about it, so I guess, I’m gonna sit back and drink a few cold ones. Maybe that will make me understand your funeral doom a bit better. Alright, alright, talk you at the next rodeo.”

Seriously, do not even think of coming close this music unless you are a certified doom fanatic. I mean, fanatic! Casual listeners are not wanted and they will be turned away at the door.

Apparently, I am not the only one who has been shocked by this band’s approach to doom. Here are a few things that some reviews at Metal Archives have said:

I know doom metal scene is usually neglected, even by metal fans, but what can you expect when you turn on a doom metal album? Well, if you're trying something fast, happy, head-banging, shaking-ground, fist-in-the-face, then you're reading the review of the wrong band...

On the other hand, if you find it interesting when music explores all what is negative, adding drops of sorrow, solitude, sadness, misanthropy, grief, delusion, hopelessly (check the name of the second song) and the likes, then you'll get it right if you listen to this EP.

From the beggining 'til the end, you'll be trapped into a excessively slow catch, mixed with desolated riffs, in the veins of Worship's "last vinyl before doomsday" and Evoken's "Quietus" (only to mention some).

Another reviewer said:

Imagine the doomiest, most morose music you have ever heard. Take that, and multiply it by ten, and that’s what you’ll find on Abske Fides “…Apart of the World”. The album is split into 3 songs, however, it should be taken in as a whole. The album opens with the mostly ambient track “Post Morttum”, which also has a bit of an orchestral vibe too. Next you have “Hopeless Drowned in Silence” which has a bit more of a death metal vibe, but also has an undeniable drone metal element, as does most of this album. And closing the album is the ‘opus’ (if you will) of the album “Creep of the Last Human”, which comes in at a stunning 12 minutes, and is this thing slooooooooowwwwwww. However this is the best song of the album, but that is not a big distinction as the album as a whole is pretty damn good.

discography:

Illness Demo 2004

...Apart of the World EP 2006

Disenlightment EP 2009

Abske Fides full-length 2012

Disenlightment / ...Apart from the World compilation 2014

Terra Vazia single 2016

O Sol Fulmina a Terra full-length 2016

www.abskefides.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/abskefidesofficial

interview: Iron Kingdom (Canada)

Iron Kingdom is a band on the rise. They now have three studio albums, all fine, fine works of classic-style traditional heavy metal, and in my opinion, a sound that can win over supporters of neo-New Wave of British Heavy Metal and also the audiences into the pioneers of the genre. Iron Kingdom is doing many things right, and not the least of which is their attitude. I was looking forward to seeing the band live here in the state of Washington. It was at the end of their most recent Canadian/U.S. tour that I caught the show and I was very impressed with everything. They rocked live and did a great job with the songs. Their most recent album is called Ride for Glory and I have heard it a ridiculous number of times this year, and if you get the chance, make sure to see them live. They give it their all and put on a great show. Come witness the Iron Kingdom!

Hi, there! Iron Kingdom seems to be having a pretty active year. The band has done a tour of the U.S. and has played shows in Brazil. Do you find that the opportunities for Iron Kingdom are growing? Did you also play shows in Canada this summer already? Is your life pretty much consumed with band activities: writing, rehearsing, recording, social media, finances, promoters, so on and so forth?

Leighton: This year certainly has been busy! We played 37 shows in the US and Eastern Canada before heading down to Brazil to play 7 amazing shows to unbelievably passionate people. This year we decided to really step it up and get out on the road to new territories and spend more time on the road. We have a couple more tours coming up before the end of the year, including Western Canada and a short return to the US. The band has definitely kept us going, we are preparing to shoot a video for the song ‘The Samurai’ at VENUE in Vancouver on Aug 11, as well as writing when we can.

Iron Kingdom is from Surrey, Canada. How is life in Surrey for your band? Is Surrey a small town? By the way, who is answering this interview? Who are the current members of the band? Is Surrey an exotic and wild place to live?!

L: For the most part Surrey is a typical Canadian city, large in land mass if not in population. The band is based out of Surrey, but the members live scattered about the Lower Mainland. My name is Leighton Holmes and I play bass, we have Chris Osterman on lead guitar/ vocals, Kenny Kroecher on guitar, and Joey Paul bashing on the drums. As far as Surrey being wild, that totally depends on what area you are in!

How did you arrive at your traditional heavy metal? For instance, how did Chris Osterman discover that he could sing this way? Did he discover that he could sing at church when he was younger or did he use to sing in the shower or some other way? When you heard your first demo or whatnot, were you surprised at the sound of vintage heavy metal that you were making?

L: We have always wanted to play this kind of metal, since the very beginning of the band. When I first met Chris he was listening to a lot of Deep Purple, Metallica, ACDC and Black Sabbath so I showed him Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Power Metal bands like Hammerfall and Blind Guardian. It was a mutual love for the classics that really gave the band a foundation. We are finally doing things now that were just a dream to us back when we were teenagers. Funnily enough Chris resisted singing for a long time and it took a long and fruitless search for singers for him to finally come to grips with stepping up to the mic.

Is there one person that writes the songs or do you have several people that write songs? In your opinion, what is best for you band: one person writing or several working together?

L: Traditionally the way it has worked out is Chris writes most of the music and I write the majority of the lyrics, but we have always been open to any one who has an idea. It doesn’t matter which of us comes up with it, only that it’s good. Once the main riffs are written and established we jam out the rest and everyone has a chance to come up with their own part. So however the song comes about it remains a collaborative effort in the band. I think collaboration is important because it allows the songs to breathe more when everyone is free to put their mark on it.

I have been listening to your album: Ride for Glory. Where can people hear the album? What can you tell us about where you recorded it and what the listener can expect?

L: Ride for Glory is available straight from the band on our website, as well as the usual iTunes and Amazon and the like. We recorded with our long time engineer Andy Boldt in a cool little house-turned-studio. It was a great experience and we had a really fun time! The vocals were actually done at home in our jam space and I would say they turned out really well. When we did the vocals, it was just Chris and myself in the room and because we were doing it at home, we were really able to make sure we were completely happy with things and could experiment with different ideas. Ride for Glory is based on stories of warriors from around the world and we have tried to reflect that in the music. We want people to listen to our songs and walk away with a new respect for some historical figures, maybe find out about a couple new ones.

Now, what about your previous recordings: Curse of the Voodoo Queen and Gates of Eternity. Where did you record those albums? How has your knowledge changed and grown as you continue making albums, in comparison with your first and second one?

L: Each new album is a learning experience in itself, so yes, I would say our knowledge has grown especially since our first one. It seems so long ago that we recorded Curse of the Voodoo Queen and we grew a lot even in the short time between it and Gates of Eternity. The three recordings we have done have given us new ideas for how to record our next one and every one after. Each album is an opportunity to try new techniques and new ideas, some work out and some don’t, but each one enables us to grow and learn.

Iron Kingdom started with Chris and his sister Amanda. She is no longer in the band, however. How has Chris dealt with continuing the band without Amanda on drums, someone who is your own flesh and blood, and who shared the vision of the music from the start? Was it strange at first without Amanda, to look behind the kit and not see her there?!

L: It was about 10 years ago that Chris, Amanda and I started jamming together, in fact Amanda was the first drummer I ever jammed with. In the ten years I have known both of them I have come to regard them as family. Amanda was like a sister to me and it was hard to see her leave. I can’t speak for Chris, but I know it was a little strange to get used to at first. It was a completely amicable split though with no hurt feelings on either end. We all understand the reasons and completely support her decision. This life is not for everyone and I completely respect her desire to walk a more stable path. Change is necessary to grow and while we will miss Amanda behind the kit we also look forward to the future and what it will bring for both Amanda and us!

Can you name two or three specific things that people who like your music can do to give some real support to your band?

L: Come out to see us when we are in your town. It’s the best way to guarantee we will come back to your town and make it to the next town with gas money.

Buy our CDs/shirts, buying our merch puts money in our gas tank and gives us money to stage further tours, make music videos and basically do everything we need to in order to keep growing.

Also tell your friends, without an audience to play to we are just 4 guys playing to ourselves on a stage. We love touring and seeing crowds get bigger when we come back through a town. Word of mouth is the best type of promotion.

Do you plan to tour or to play more shows in 2016 and 2017? How is everyone’s health at this point? Touring can take a toll on the body: not sleeping properly and dealing with junk food and things like that.

L: We have many tour plans in 2016 and 17 and we will be touring for years to come! I personally love being out on the road. It’s true that it can take a toll on your body, but it is also an amazing experience living like a bum and travelling around from place to place meeting new people. I feel like I was born to do this, the tour life style suits me perfectly and we try to eat relatively healthy, buying sandwich materials and living off those.

We know that making money as a musician takes a long time and is difficult. How are the finances of the band? Touring and recording albums can put a band in a hole. Yet, here we are in 2016 and Iron Kingdom is alive and kicking, so what is going right for the band? What are some things that the band needs to do in order to get out of debt?

L: Touring is extremely important this day and age, being one of the most effective ways of raising funds and erasing debt. It is very true that recording albums can be very expensive and the physical sale of records won’t do much to put a dent in the debt, except when people purchase our music from us personally at a show. With the music industry as it is we can’t rely on sales from traditional store sales and have to go out and make contact with our audiences. The internet has made it very easy to spread our message across the globe, but it also means we are competing with every one else trying to use it for the same purpose. By touring we are able to meet our fans in person and play shows to impress and gain new fans. Over the course of our time on the road we have met and made many diehard fans that I believe will be with us for the life of the band and I feel that is the most important thing. Without fans, without the support of diehard fans, continuing to make music wouldn’t be possible. I believe that is what’s going right for us, it’s that we have something that connects with so many people. People who identify with what we are doing and feel at least in some way connected to the band. Being a musician can be difficult, but we must never lose sight of what matters, using music to bring people together!

What type of lyrics is important to your band and what type of lyrics do you think work well with your music? So far, in your music, what type of lyrics have you had? Are you happy with those lyrics? Do you have any thoughts about changing directions on that area?

L: Lyrics are important because they give context to what we are trying to convey through music, and as so the style or type of lyrics have to change to accommodate what we are trying to put across in the song. Our subject matter differs greatly throughout our work and as we continue to grow and write more music it will continue to diversify. Being one of the principal lyricists, I feel happy with the direction they have taken so far and feel that as we take on different themes and stories the lyrical direction will change accordingly.

Do you think that your music and lyrics should have a message or a certain content related to society or religion or politics or spiritual views? Why or why not? Do your personal beliefs about the world/life/politics/religion affect your lyrics?

L: So far I don’t think I’ve let my personal beliefs affect the lyrics I’ve written too much and tend to stay away from blatant social commentary in our music. Not that I oppose people writing about those kinds of things. I believe that all forms of art need room for social commentary, but that doesn’t mean everyone has to do it all the time. I’m sure if you really read between the lines on a number of our songs you would get a feel for what I believe but for the most part I try to put myself in the headspace of whoever’s perspective the song is being told from. I want my lyrics to tell a story and to inform you of the beliefs of the subject of that story not my own personal view of it. I wouldn’t rule out songs in the future that take on more of a definitive on issues but that’s not what we are about currently. We just want to tell you stories.

You play traditional heavy metal, with the sound of classic and vintage style of songwriting. To achieve your particular sound, do you use any interesting musical equipment, like vintage equipment or the latest technology or something else? What are you favorite guitars and its accompanying equipment?

L: Myself and Chris and Kenny all use Marshall amplifiers. I have two Fender P-Basses, one that I’ve used on every recording and another mostly used for back up. The unfortunate thing about playing left handed is almost no one has a bass I can play if something goes wrong. Chris has a bunch of guitars, both Fender and Gibson, though mostly uses the Fenders these days. Kenny plays a Gibson Les Paul Gold Top that he’s had pretty much the whole time he’s been with us. Joey plays Sonor drums and has almost the same kit as Amanda had but in red instead of blue. We like to tell him his drum set got him the gig. We’re joking of course. Mostly.

Have you found recording people who know how to record live, real drums for an album? Is what we hear on the album the real drums that your drummer played or is it sound replacement technology or programmed drums or something else?

L: Every drum beat you hear on one of our records is the real deal. We hate the sound of programmed drums and refuse to replace a real drummer with a machine. Our engineer Andy Boldt has been with us for years and is great for finding ways to give us the sounds we want. Experimenting with different tricks and techniques to get us bombastic tones for the albums. On each album we tried recording the drums in slightly different ways and in different environments. C.O.T.V.Q drums were recorded in The Factory in downtown Vancouver, which is quite the historic studio, having hosted the likes of Aerosmith, Metallica, ACDC and many more. It was a great experience and turned out amazing but we went with a bigger room to capture the drums for our second album. For G.O.E. the drums were done at the Studio Downe Under in Abbotsford, which had a massive room so we could get the huge sound we wanted. The drums for our latest album were done at the same place we did the guitars and bass. It was a smaller room but we were still able to tease a big sound out of the kit and I have been very happy with the drum tone on all three releases. So to answer your question, never will you hear a fake drum sound on an Iron Kingdom release.

What other news do you have?

L: We will be filming a music video in Vancouver on August 11 at VENUE, as well as hitting the road the next day to tour through BC and Alberta. We would love to see some of our US fans join us for the video shoot. We will be playing an extended set and filming it for a possible future release. Also coming up in October we will be returning to Washington, Oregon and Utah States for a number of shows, details will be revealed soon.

All details on tours and everything else related to us can be found on at: www.facebook.com/ironkingdom

www.iron-kingdom.com

THE END

Valhalla

Valhalla is death metal from Brazil. The band’s sound emphasizes to-the-point pounding heaviness for the death metal can’t-get-enoughers crowds. Evil Fills Me is their most recent recording and it accomplishes the mission of uncompromising death metal and you can find the complete recording at the link below. Who they are and what they are all about is explained in the following official information about the band.

OFFICIAL: Led by the former lead singer and founder Andrea Tavares, the Valhalla band began its long and intense journey in mid-1989/1990. Initially there was an unassuming proposal to join friends to a band of death aggressive and heavy metal. The initial step was taken when the sisters Andrea and Adriana mounted at the end of 1988 a band called Phobia. No register sound material and without presenting live, the Phobia is extinguished with the departure of guitarist Adriana. However, the musical taste and the same ideology joined Andrea and her other sister, Alessandra Tavares (guitar), the contract to start the activities of Valhalla, composing music and performing shows.

In early 1992 the band officially register their work with the recording of the first demo-tape, this recording brings back sister Adriana Tavares (guitar) training. In order to progress musically, the band released in 1994 by the now defunct label Sub Way, the LP titled "... In The Darkness of Limb". This record gave greater recognition in the specialized media and the public's respect. However, changing components paralyzed the activities of Valhalla for some time, with the return occurred in 1999, with new compositions and performing some shows. In 2000 occurs a casualty training, when Andrea (lead singer and founder) left the band, leaving because of the guitarists sisters to continue the work started.

Recruiting new components, guitarists can keep active in Valhalla and with the intention to disclose the songs with the new lineup, the band recorded the MCD "For The Might Of Chaos ... For The Force Inside", containing four tracks. This MCD gave several performances alongside renowned bands the world scene, as well as rave reviews in zines, websites and magazines. As a result, the band signed a contract with Hellion Records, releasing in 2001, the main work of its history, the CD Petrean Self, distributed in more than 28 countries. New invitations to national shows and abroad have been received by the band, but the instability in the formation prevented the Valhalla galgasse international paths.

Among the many problems in consolidating the training, find a drummer who was willing to take seriously Valhalla was undoubtedly the greatest. However, in mid-2004/2005, Ariadne enters the band to occupy the post until today. Valhalla then becomes exclusively formed by women, which has never exactly the intention, but a consequence of personal affinities.

Even with the temporary absence of guitarist and founder Alessandra, the Valhalla recorded in 2009, three songs that make up the MCD Innerstorm, with the objective of making the formation of the time and also show that the initial idea prevailed: to death metal.

The lack of commitment to work, with friends or with the proposal made people enter and leave the band, some contributed by adding something musically or building friendships. However, currently the Valhalla follows on his journey and, oblivious to fads, the band remains convinced in its proposal. The adversities caused the band to reorganize with Alessandra return on bass, who also takes the guitar recording. In turn, Ariadne has to take also the vocal.

The Valhalla is now a trio:

Adriana Tavares - guitar;

Ariadne Souza - drums and vocals;

Alessandra Tavares - guitar and bass.

discography:

* Valhalla - Demo-tape / 1992;

* "... In the darkness of limb - LP / 1994;

* "For The Might Of Chaos ... For The Force Inside - MCD / 2001;

* Self Petrean - CD / 2002;

* Innerstorm - MCD / 2009;

* Evil fills me - MCD / 2014 and re-released in digipack format in 2016 (with 3 bonus tracks and DVD).

Valhalla - Evil Fills Me (FULL EP/MCD)

www.facebook.com/Valhalla-Female-Death-Metal-194092070603675/

shows this week!: Sacrament ov Impurity (Mount Vernon, WA)

July 28 Inquisition, UADA, Hissing, Sacrament ov Impurity, guests at Wild Buffalo, Bellingham, WA

July 29 Inquisition, UADA, Necrosomnium, Sacrament ov Impurity, Guests at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA

As mentioned in the previous article on Inquisition, this week Sacrament ov Impurity has a show in Bellingham and one in Seattle. The Mount Vernon raw black metal duo’s latest recording is called All the Colors of the Dark, released in 2015. Said work is a continuation of the aesthetics that they have been building on for years: necro black metal for wretched souls. In an interview with this publication from months ago, the band said that they are working a new recording and it looks like it will be ready in the next couple of months because they are now in the process of mixing it: The Purest of Sins is the name of the new work.

Those that are new to the band will find the following official information useful. The information is not totally up to date, but it gives a good overview of the band:

OFFICIAL: Sacrament Ov Impurity came to be in the year 2007 by Samhain (drums) and The Butcher (guitar) after their former band, Ozzmotiarr came to an end. They were joined by XephilaX on bass and vocals and began writing and rehearsing their new material.

2008 – 2009. The first year as a band was spent perfecting their sound and playing many shows in Washington state, down to Portland, Oregon and getting their name known. People came to witness their live shows and did not leave disappointed. Their fan base grew... In the winter of 2009 they began work on their debut album, A World Beheld By Damnation.

2010 – 2011. With mixing and mastering of their album done, A World Beheld By Damnation was released in April of 2010 and was very well received by fans and critics alike. With their debut album released, they began writing new songs and playing bigger shows, sharing the stage with bands such as Mayhem, Hate and Impaler to name a few. In November of 2011 they began planning their first tour to take place early 2012, an eight day venture that would take them down the West coast to Los Angeles and back. All was falling into place, or so it seemed...

2012. As the tour dates neared, and everything seemed to be proceeding as planned, XephilaX informed the band that he would be quitting. So with two months to go before the tour was set to kick off, Samhain and The Butcher were left without a bassist or vocalist. They had a choice to make, cancel the tour, or make some major changes. They chose the latter... They scrapped all their old songs and within a few weeks had written a full set of new material to take on the road. They acquired the vocal talents of Naphula to fill in and they were ready to hit the road. The tour went better than they could have hoped, and in August of 2012 they played two shows with Hellgoat and Teratism in Portland, Oregon and San Francisco, California and were very well received. Things had finally turned around and were heading in the right direction again, or so they thought... In late 2012 Naphula unexpectedly quit the band. At this point, Samhain and The Butcher decided to carry on as a two piece with The Butcher taking on full vocal duties, and in December of 2012 they began work on a new album, Anguishing In Obscurity...

2013. With the new lineup solidified and Anguishing In Obscurity finally finished, they began planning a two week August tour in support of the album...

discography:

Live Sacrifice live album 2008

Umbilical Parricide / Sacrament ov Impurity split 2010

A World Beheld by Damnation full-length 2010

Blood Mass in Ballard video 2011

Live Demo 2012 demo 2012

Anguishing in Obscurity full-length 2013

All the Colors of the Dark full-length 2015

www.sacramentovimpurity.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/SacramentOvImpurity/

Inquisition (WA state): shows coming up this week!

There are some interesting Inquisition activities taking place here in the state of Washington. First, the black metal duo has a new album that is coming up on August 26, 2016 and it will be called Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith. In recent years the band’s profile has been on the rise due to the positive reception to the albums Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm (2011) and Obscure Verses for the Multiverse (2013). Second, in anticipation of the new work, the band has made available at least two tracks:

"Power From The Center Of The Cosmic Black Spiral" and "Wings of Anu." The songs also have been posted at various publications, including this one. Third, this week there are some shows coming in this area:

July 28 Inquisition, UADA, Hissing, Sacrament ov Impurity, guests at Wild Buffalo, Bellingham, WA

July 29 Inquisition, UADA, Necrosomnium, Sacrament ov Impurity, Guests at Studio Seven, Seattle, WA

July 30 Inquisition + guests at Panic Room, Portland, OR

If you are new to Inquisition, here’s a bit of official information.

OFFICIAL: The band Inquisition was formed in 1988 in Cali, Colombia by Dagon. The band started as a thrash metal act, and in 1994 evolved into raw black metal.

In 1996, Dagon left Colombia and moved back to the United States to continue Inquisition and search for a new drummer. That same year Dagon met Incubus, who joined the band on drums and the creation of their debut full length album began. This line-up has remained stable for more than fifteen years and is now seen as the classic Inquisition line-up.

INQUISITION style of black metal involves slow, deep and dark riffing combined with sudden tempo changes to faster sections based around blast beats and high-speed riffing; at times adding melodic solos. The classic Inquisition sound incorporates a combination of early era thrash metal-influenced riffing with darker and more chaotic black metal, primarily involving fast, tremolo picked minor-key guitar riffs, thus creating the trademark "Inquisition sound".

www.facebook.com/inquisition.official

www.inquisitionbm.bandcamp.com

Witherscape (review by Matt Spall)

Artist: Witherscape

Album Title: The Northern Sanctuary

Label: Century Media Records

Date Of Release: 22 July 2016

Despite loving melodic death metal, I have to admit that there are very few bands within the genre that write music that stays lodged in my head for hours and hours after the music has stopped spinning. Early In Flames, mid-era Dark Tranquillity and recent Omnium Gatherum are a few of these artists but, to that list, you can now add the name Witherscape. Sophomore release ‘The Northern Sanctuary’ is one of those records that I find myself humming and whistling with great gusto long after I have reluctantly pressed the ‘stop’ button. Mind you, that’s hardly surprising, not when I offer a bit of context around this particular band.

You see, Witherscape is the latest band that the hugely talented multi-instrumentalist Dan Swanö has put his name to. The chances are that if you are a fan of extreme or underground metal, this name will already be familiar to you. The drummer, keyboardist and vocalist has been around the scene for a while now, involved in the likes of Edge Of Sanity, Bloodbath and Nightingale .On top of this, Swanö has also assisted in some form or another with a frighteningly impressive list of artists, including Katatonia, Ghost and Incision. And that’s without mentioning the amazing solo album ‘Moontower’ or his impressive resume as a producer (Unisound). The guy’s talents literally know no bounds.

With Witherscape, Swanö has teamed up with fellow multi-instrumentalist Ragnar Widerberg (Shadowquest) who offers his skills with the guitar and bass on this record. And, rather unsurprisingly, the results are nothing short of marvellous.

However, to refer to Witherscape as purely a melodic death metal is a little misleading and slightly disingenuous as well. Theirs is a hybrid of styles that borrows from 90s death metal, melodic rock, AOR, progressive rock as well as classic metal and even an occasional touch of thrash for good measure. Blend into the mix a fair amount of atmospherics courtesy of Swano’s bold keyboard style and it’s fair to say that my mouth begins to water at the prospect.

After a short, eerie intro that segues into a slow and menacing section, ‘Wake Of Infinity’ suddenly burst into life in furious fashion. Led by some great riffs a pleasing tempo and some gruff vocals to die for, this is extreme metal nectar with an unashamed feel of yesteryear. Swanö really is blessed with a fabulously gritty and rumbling gruff delivery, the kind of sound that all of us wannabe growlers wish we could create. But then, as the track develops, out of nowhere comes a melody to raise the hairs on your neck dominated by a commanding and melodious clean croon. That’s not all because there’s time for an atmospheric and contemplative section that borders on ambient minimalism before the heaviness is reintroduced. The class of both Swanö and Widerberg is stamped all over this track and it sets the album in motion in superb fashion.

‘In The Eyes Of Idols’ follows and it’s a no-nonsense, adrenaline-fuelled romp of a track with strong extreme metal-meets-hard rock overtones to it. Once again, Swanö blends his growls with his rich cleaner delivery whilst Widerberg offers more super riffing to get my head nodding forcefully, as well as injecting some tasty and soulful lead guitar work. The chorus has more hooks than a fishing trawler and the synths come to the fore much more.

This high quality continues throughout the remaining seven tracks with no filler material whatsoever. ‘Rapture Ballet’ for example, reminds me a little of the early material from the much-loved and much-missed Sentenced in terms of the melodies, the guitar tones and the vocal delivery.

That said, what follows is arguably even better. ‘The Examiner’ is an absolute beast of a track that sees Swanö utilise his clean vocals almost exclusively to devastating effect. This track is a ballad of sorts that enters on a delicate piano melody and is soon joined by Swanö’s passionate voice that sends shivers down my spine. The introduction of Widerberg’s acoustic guitars is a lovely touch that adds an added layer of textured sophistication whereas later in the song, the riff is fantastic and highly memorable. There’s even a demonstrable progressive feel to the piece as it gathers together an interesting collection of ideas, delivering it in a smooth and unfussy manner. But again, the high point of the composition comes courtesy of the chorus which I simply can’t get out of my head as much as I try.

‘Marionette’ follows and is perhaps my favourite track on the album currently. Again it begins in quiet fashion accompanied by some delightfully soft and sensitive vocals. And then the chorus hits. I love the juxtaposition within it between some of Swanö’s most brutal vocals and an insanely catchy melody, which borders on AOR and that’s drenched in almost romantic-sounding synths. The entire song is utterly magnificent and completely addictive.

The other big highlight on ‘The Northern Sanctuary’ is the near 14-minute title track. It is here where Widerberg and Swanö really unfurl their songwriting wings. A direct response to none-too-kind social media comments and apparently inspired by some of the epic tracks from Helloween and Queensryche, it is frightening how quickly the track runs its course. Incorporating more strong melodies with a more adventurous all-round structure, it is the most progressive that Witherscape have ever sounded. And yet, once again, it sounds homogenous and smooth.

Ushered in via sounds akin to a baby’s lullaby and then followed by some creepy synth sounds, the song flirts with a myriad of different styles and textures in very clever fashion. Passages of quiet introspection are bulldozed out of the way by frenetic and savage-sounding guitar riffs whilst flamboyant lead guitar and keyboard work segues into powerful melodic sections complete with more soothing clean vocals. Drama drips from every pore whilst there’s an almost childlike joy that permeates the composition as if the duo are revelling in the removal of the shackles and the subsequent controlled excess that surrounds them. 14 minutes long it may be, but blink and you miss it. Or so it feels anyway.

The album closes via a short but satisfying piano instrumental by the name of ‘Vil I Frid’. And, although I’d have loved more, this feels like the perfect ending to a fantastic record. ‘The Northern Sactuary’ contains a little bit of everything that I like in my metal these days. Yes it’s heavy but if you take the time to take a close listen to the music of Witherscape, you’ll hear so much more. ‘The Northern Sanctuary’ is a beautiful album that blends the extremity of death metal with so many wonderfully engaging sounds and textures. Oh and I guarantee you’ll be humming several of these tracks for weeks on end. You have been warned.

The Score Of Much Metal: 9.2

More Matt Spall reviews are found here: www.manofmuchmetal.wordpress.com

Friday night: Excuse All the Blood metal music show

Right now, Friday night, 11pm to 1am Pacific Time (Seattle), listen to Excuse All the Blood metal music, out of Olympia, Washington state, U.S.

www.kaosradio.org

www.twitter.com/EATBRadio?lang=en

CRIMSON SHADOWS - "A Gathering of Kings" Live At Toronto

This is a live video of "A Gathering of Kings" by Crimson Shadows (Canada) from their guest appearances at the Wacken Metal Battle Canada Finals in Toronto.

OFFICIAL: In the frozen reaches of Canada, where the mountains meet the sea; a band of young men locked in steadfast tenacity have assembled to live out their worldly dreams. The dawn of 2014 has seen Crimson Shadows borne to international praise and repute by their unwavering delivery of boundary-crushing and genre-defying modern death and power metal.

‘Combining the fiercest elements of power and death metal with crushing guttural vocals, three-part vocal harmonies, seraphic guitar-work, formidable bass and miles of breakneck drumming; Crimson Shadows have unveiled a new breed of extreme metal both ironclad and spellbinding, leaving Crimson Shadows sights set for the stratosphere!’

Having appeared at the world stage of Wacken Open Air in Germany mid-2013, the band triumphantly laid claim to the title of International Wacken Battle Champions. After touring their native Canada coast to coast, Crimson Shadows are ready to take the world by the throat and deliver their brand of heroic metal that only the ice-clad lands of Canada can forge!

Here's what reviews of the band have said in the past, from Metal Archives.

*

*

In the end, “Kings Among Men” is an album that is going to make waves in the metal scene. There are a lot of interesting extreme metal hybrids out there today, but none more potent than Crimson Shadows. The band delivers absolutely everything one could want in a metal release: crushing riffs, spectacular melodic leads, and a mix of both insanely brutal vocals and cleaner singing. These elements are all bundled together in one epic package of glory-filled metal. “Kings Among Men” is among the most essential records of 2014, so you don’t want to put off hearing this album!

*

*

When it comes to their latest offering, it's certainly some stirring, blood-burning stuff indeed. If one took a cup of 90s-era Blind Guardian and added two spoonfuls of older Children of Bodom you'll get a metallic cocktail worth its weight in speedy harmonies. The power metal-side of things is more noticeable by way of the general flow and inherent majestic melodies. Leaning more on guitar work as opposed to an overtly symphonic approach (said approach is still there, used mainly as padding behind the riffs and leads), the songwriting is more straightforward, thrashy and impactful, relying on only a few different paths to follow as opposed to stretching itself too thin by incorporating too many layers and arrangement schemes. Such a scenario isn't a bad thing in itself, only when utilized incorrectly, and CS's more truncated method really works well for them. They aren't spinning epic yarns in the woods at night, after all; these are potent and energetic war chants and hymns that demand the listeners grab their swords and follow their charge into a battle you are sure to win, by the gods! Again sirs and madams, stirring stuff indeed...

*

*

Crimson Shadows is a relatively new and interesting band from the Canadian metal scene, with 2014's "Kings Among Men" marking their first release on Napalm Records. And what an offering it is; blending the brutality of melodic death metal with the catchy choral lines and shred guitar solos of power metal that are very reminiscent of DragonForce in particular. It can't be overstated how well they execute this combination; writing infectiously catchy songs about battle and glory that rival the finest contemporaries within the genre.

Crimson Shadows plays a style of power-infused melodic death metal made popular by bands like Children of Bodom and Kalmah in the late 90s-early 00s. Recently, the genre has been experiencing a considerable revival; with several groups derived from the extreme power metal movement coming into form in various scenes around the world. Crimson Shadows is one of these bands; effectively breathing life into a style that was left for dead a decade ago. After a brief opening track, the band hits the ground running with "Rise to Power" which immediately sets a fast and heavy tone that defines what the album is all about; blistering melodic aggression that does not relent.

*

*

CRIMSON SHADOWS - Live At Toronto | Napalm Records

www.facebook.com/CrimsonShadowsBand/

NEWS: GHOUL: The Masked Malefactors Of Creepsylvania Premiere "Shred The Dead;" Tour With Carcass Underway + Dungeon Bastards Release Day Draws Near

The horror thrash of Ghoul is going to hit the ground running. Listen below.

OFFICIAL: Today, the masked malefactors of Creepsylvania GHOUL are pleased to contaminate the airwaves with a premiere of "Shred The Dead" from their forthcoming Dungeon Bastards opus. In "Shred The Dead," vocalist Baron Samedi's commands to retrieve the Omicron Bomb fall on deaf ears, as GHOUL retreats deeper into the Catacombs muttering half-hearted assurances; that is, until Samedi unleashes an army of revivified corpses to persuade them otherwise.

Elaborates guitarist Digestor,"'Shred The Dead' is a song about undead fiends, eldritch, mysterious skateboard tricks, and the efficacy of the prevent defense. If Mr. Mustaine is reading this, I'm sure our lawyers can work something out. You seem like a reasonable man."

GHOUL is currently mucking up stages with blood and dread nationwide supporting Carcass and Crowbar on a seventeen-city US tour. The One Foot In The Grave Tour 2016 will come to a close August 8th. Additional support is being provided by Night Demon. Following their run with Carcass, GHOUL will infect four more cities on a smattering of headlining shows. See all confirmed dates below.

GHOUL w/ Carcass, Crowbar, Night Demon:

7/22/2016 Ace Of Spades - Sacramento, CA

7/23/2016 The Observatory - Santa Ana, CA

7/24/2016 The Roxy Theatre - West Hollywood, CA

7/25/2016 Club Red - Mesa, AZ

7/26/2016 Tricky Falls - El Paso, TX

7/27/2016 Sunshine Theater - Albuquerque, NM

7/29/2016 New Daisy Theatre - Memphis, TN

7/30/2016 Mercury Ballroom - Louisville, KY

7/31/2016 Park Street Saloon - Columbus, OH

8/01/2016 Baltimore Soundstage - Baltimore MD

8/02/2016 The Broadberry - Richmond, VA

8/03/2016 Underground Arts - Philadelphia, PA

8/04/2016 Gramercy Theatre - New York, NY

8/05/2016 Toad's Place - New Haven, CT

End Tour

8/06/2016 Harmony House - Webster, NY *

8/07/2016 Reggies - Chicago, IL *

8/08/2016 Rock Room - Kansas City, MO*

8/13/2016 Metro - Oakland, CA *

*GHOUL Headlining Shows

www.facebook.com/GhoulunaticsAsylum

NEWS: FAITHSEDGE - 'Faith And Chris' official video

NEWS:

FAITHSEDGE

Restoration

Scarlet Records

Release: 24 June 2016

Check out melodic metal band Faithsedge's new video and learn more about the band below.

OFFICIAL: Faithsedge is returning with ‘Restoration’, their third and most melodic release to date. Fronted by mastermind singer / songwriter Giancarlo Floridia, the band returns with a stellar line-up featuring Stryper bass player Tim Gaines, Ace Frehley / Mr .Big drummer Matt Starr and former Dokken guitarist Alex De Rosso. Both Keys and production have been handled by mega producer Alessandro Del Vecchio (Hardline/ Revolution Saints).

The approach is very melodic with an old school feel: 80's style hooks, big drums, slamming bass, epic keys and big production. At the same time the album keeps a current up to date feel with lyric content of today’s world mixed with a competitive metal feel. Giancarlo's songwriting approach mixed with each members experience and skills takes the album to new heights .

With different supergroups that come and go, Faithsedge is more than just that, the band members worked together as a tight team and the result and chemistry show in the end result . The album will be released on Scarlet Records in Europe and North America and on Spiritual Beast in Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

OFFICIAL: Faithsedge was started in 2011 in Southern California by singer / songwriter Giancarlo Floridia. Giancarlo has worked with multi platinum artist / producers as Juan Croucier (Ratt), Mike Talanca (David Bowie/Foreigner), Fabrizio Grossi (Steve Vai /Alice Cooper) and now has released back to back Faithsedge albums with praise among the melodic rock /metal fanbase. Giancarlo has been featured in multiple online interviews around the world and magazines promoting the past few years for the Faithsedge debut (2011) and follow up to that “The Answer of Insanity” (2014). With the return of the band, Giancarlo has recruited some serious hard rock powerhouses to take his vision of melodic rock / metal music to the next level with Faithsedge – Restoration.

Taking over production and full time keyboards on the new album is Alessandro Del Vecchio who has become one of the hottest producers in the hard rock genre not only in Europe but also worldwide. Alessandro is also the mastermind of producing, writing and playing keyboards for Hardline, Revolution Saints, Rated X (Joe Lynn Turner) and songwriting for other artist. The new album is presented with Alessandro’s production as an up to date feel but still keeping the large booming arena rock sound of the past. The results can be heard on the new album.

Returning on lead guitar is former Dokken guitarist Alex De Rosso who has toured the world with Dokken sharing the stage and touring with The Scorpions, Whitesnake, Ratt, and many others. Alex De Rosso also has multiple studio works recording guitars for artist like Joseph Williams (Toto), Kelly Hansen (Foreigner) and Pamela Moore also known as Sister Mary from Queensryche’s opus concept album Operation: Mindcrime. Alex continues to write and perform in Italy and also does production and songwriting at his studio “The Cube”.

New to the Faithsedge line up is Stryper bass player Tim Gaines. Tim has multiple gold and platinum credits under his belt and the success of Stryper continuing for over 30 years. The Stryper fan base is strong as ever, releasing recent Billboard charting albums as “No More Hell To Pay” and the newly released “Fallen”. Tim’s punch and arena rock style fits in perfectly to the Faithsedge style as can be heard on the record. Tim has played bass live for artists such as Richard Marx, Bryan Duncan’s Nehosoul and his own band with Stryper guitarist Oz Fox called Sin Dizzy.

Also new to the Faithsedge lineup is drummer Matt Starr. Matt has done numerous tours and recordings for KISS guitar legend Ace Frehley and performed on Ace Frehley’s billboard charting at # 9 album “Space Invader” album which Matt also contributed to the vocal work alongside his drumming skills. Matt plays with the melodic rock giants Mr.Big which he has toured the world with over the past few years. He also plays with his band Burning Rain with former Whitesnake guitarist Doug Aldrich. Matt’s thunderous drumming aligned with Tim Gaines bass playing is taking the Faithsedge sound to the next level.

Faithsedge – Restoration keeps an old school melodic approach mixed with a hard edge that can also be competitive with today’s market of metal bands. The band also plans on doing a follow up album within the next few years to keep the name and sound going strong.

FAITHSEDGE - 'Faith And Chris' official video

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