Highly regarded blackened hardcore band CALLIGRAM have announced their debut LP and signing to Basick Records. Askesis - set to be released on November 24 - is a viciously dark and atmospheric ride through bleakened lands of sonic destruction, a sound that has already seen the band championed by Metal Hammer, Terrorizer, and more.

To celebrate the news, the band streamed new video 'Scourge' via Metal Hammer. Watch it here now: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYCkVecMGFc

Askesis is certainly a record that’s suitably deserving of such a grandiose introduction. Led by the Italian Matteo Rizzardo’s tortured shrieking vocals, Calligram are a band not for the faint of heart. However, like all good musicians, Calligram know when to hold back as much as push forward. 

The London-based band are true testament to modern music’s global outlook: Italian, Brazilian, and French nationals creating an album of impressive heft. For fans of Impaled Nazarene, Belphegor, Behemoth, and more Askesis is not an album worth missing out on.

Forming in 2011, Calligram's first release as Calligram was 2016's Demimonde, mastered by Alan Douches (The Dillinger Escape Plan, Every Time I Die, Darkest Hour). Calligram quickly caught the attention of Metal Hammer, Terrorizer, Punktastic & Kerrang! Radio's Alex Baker, amongst others, supporting Downfall of Gaia, Wolfbrigade, and toured around the UK and Europe.

Askesis was recorded in February 2017 at the Ranch Production House with Lewis Johns (Rolo Tomassi, Svalbard, Employed To Serve) & mastered by Audiosiege's Brad Boatright (Trap Them, Mutoid Man, NAILS).

Catch the band live:

Friday 3rd November at The Red Lion, Bristol w/ LINK & Regret
Saturday 4th November at Fuel Cafe Bar, Manchester
Wednesday 15th November at the Cowley Club, Brighton w/ Vorvan & Yards
Thursday 16th November at the Dev, London w/ Vorvan
Friday 17th November at the Dugout, Margate (No Vorvan) 
Saturday 18th November at Embers, Carlisle w/ Vorvan
Sunday 19th November at The Meatlocker, Leeds w/ Vorvan
Saturday 25th November at TBC, London w/ Survivor Gargles Fest
24th-25th March 2018 at Temple of Boom, Leeds w/ Dreadfest

For more information:

https://www.facebook.com/calligrammusic/
https://twitter.com/calligrammusic
https://www.instagram.com/calligrammusic/

https://www.facebook.com/basickrecords

UK emo band SAD BLOOD have released their final ever single, a fittingly anthemic ode called 'Little Love Letters'. The band are to play their final show tomorrow (19.10.17) at Birthdays, Dalston, London, with support from brand new garage punk band Pretty Pistol, as well as Guillotine, and Gender Roles.

First premiered via Punktastic, watch 'Little Love Letters' here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Tif2ipb9GQ

In their short history Sad Blood have played with Can't Swim, The Early November, Wallflower and many more. Headed by George Phillips (who with Daniel Goldberg - drums, is in Fresh), the band recorded their debut EP in 2015 and in 2016 the critically acclaimed Legion of Gloom.

The track is the band's last hurrah but expect exciting news of future developments very shortly.

For more information:
https://www.facebook.com/sadbloodband/
http://twitter.com/sadbloodband
https://sadblood.bandcamp.com/

Revered as one of the groups that pioneered modern aggressive technical death metal, Americans THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DEAD are streaming their new video for single 'Hate The Living'.

Watch 'Hate The Living' here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKz4GhTyn-4

Directed by veteran video director Michael Compitello, this is the first music video TTEOTD has released from their new LP. “We are stoked to have teamed up with our good friends at MyGoodEye for the video of our first single," says guitarist Justin Longshore. "We really think the video captures the energy and vibe that you would expect from a TTEOTD live show. All footage was taken from our recent northeast trek in support of the new record. Horns up!”

The video coincides with the release of the band's triumphant  new LP, Disomus, out today (13th October, SPV/Long Branch Records).

Disomus is the long anticipated follow up to their last LP, Skepsis, released in 2010. Disomus marks the second consecutive album with vocalist Danny Rodriguez and drummer Michael Ranne (a first in the group's impressive history) together with longtime bassist Jake Ososkie and founding guitarist and songwriting engine Justin Longshore. Disomus also doubles as the studio introduction of new guitarist Steven Funderburk (also of Wretched) and the return of original vocalist Anthony Gunnells and his successor, Nate Johnson, via strong guest appearances, bringing Through The Eyes Of The Dead full circle.

"Disomus" is the medical term describing an abnormal fetus with two bodies but one head. The album's subject matter includes the tale of a man buried alive by a cult ("Obitual"), a dark magician's creation of a malignant entity via sacrificial killing ("Haruspex"), underworld spirits doomed to roam the earth ("Dismal"), the Styx River of Greek myth ("Vortices in the Stygian Maelstrom"), the themes of the Alien/Prometheus film franchise ("Teras," alternately named for an abnormal fetus with two heads and one body), and the real life tragedy and horror discovered by Rodriguez, a Chicago police officer, when called upon to check on the well being of an elderly person who lived alone ("Till Solace, She'll Haunt").

"Hate the Living" is not only the name of the first track on Through The Eyes Of The Dead's first album in seven years, but part of a battle cry of sorts that has adorned the band's t-shirts for years. The second half of the phrase is "Love the Dead." Like the best of death metal's past, present, and future, Through The Eyes Of The Dead is the kind of band that makes living with death worth loving.

CKY have debuted their brand new video 'Head for a Breakdown' taken from their new album The Phoenix.

Check it out here: https://youtu.be/jzy65cBiJRU

Directed by The Costa Sisters, this is the third music video taken from The Phoenix. The video was shot in and around London, UK, during the band's near sell-out run earlier this year. 

“We were lucky enough to get a day off to explore one of the best cities on earth with our friends," says the band. "The extremely talented Costa sisters, Elena & Sofia, were behind the camera. We decided to crash the Queen's Garden Party and film our video in front of the gates of Buckingham Palace.

"This was all impromptu footage mixed with the absolutely mental crowds at our sold-out nights in London. This is our tribute and thank-you to the die-hard Bloody Alliance and all the new fans and friends we made in the UK this time around. Can’t wait to see you again soon. Cheers!” 

CKY released The Phoenix on June 16, 2017 via eOne Music. The new LP is the first release since the band put out Carver City in 2009. The album was engineered and mixed at Rancho De La Luna, the highly regarded recording studio in Joshua Tree, CA.

For more information:
https://www.facebook.com/ckyalliance
http://twitter.com/ckymusic
http://instagram.com/ckymusic

Complexity Fest returns for its third year, announcing its expansion to two days, on 23rd and 24th of February 2018. The Dutch festival, focused on the complex, experimental, progressive and adventurous side of heavy music, will take place again at Patronaat venue in Haarlem, The Netherlands.
 
The first acts for 2018 have now been announced: UK tech-metal legends SikTh, deathcore titans Carnifex, psychedelic supergroup John Frum (The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Faceless, John Zorn) on their European debut, noise-rockers Three Trapped Tigers, hardcore savages God Mother, and native post-death metal band Ulsect, featuring members of Textures and Dodecahedron.

Tickets: http://bit.ly/2xI2cWF

The announcement follows a highly successful second year for Complexity in 2017, which led to Kerrang Magazine stating:

"They've really upped their game, with a line-up of rising stars and heavyweights that go way beyond your average run-of-the-mill Meshuggah worship."
 
In 2018 Complexity will consist of a Friday evening (18:00-02:00) and full Saturday (12:00-04:00). First phase weekend tickets are now on sale for € 25 (excl. fees) - a held price from 2017. Separate day tickets will be available later.

Info and tickets: www.patronaat.nl

Held in the three-hall venue of Patronaat in the beautiful city of Haarlem (only 20km from Amsterdam), COMPLEXITY FEST looks set to continue making its mark on the European progressive metal live scene.
 
Friday 23 and Saturday 24 February, 2018
Patronaat
Zijlsingel 2, Haarlem
The Netherlands

Blackened tech-metal project ECHOPRAXIA has announced a Halloween inspired EP Pumpkin Palace, set for release on 31 October.

Check out the trailer here: https://youtu.be/uEJJW-yltXY

Check out the video to 'Fukuro' released earlier this year: https://youtu.be/s4GfLAC8XpM

ECHOPRAXIA’s second EP is five instrumental cinematic tracks inspired by composer Danny Elfman’s 'Halloween‘ theme as well as his score for 'The Nightmare Before Christmas‘. Influences also include the jazz innovator Django Reinhardt, the rhythmically aberrant Vildhjarta, the blackened darkness of Dimmu Borgir and J.S. Bach, a cornerstone of western melody.

The resulting combination of these influences is a haunting, abrasive, intricately melodic and dynamically heavy listen, with a cheeky touch of humour.

ECHOPRAXIA is the brainchild of Nashville TN guitarist Austin Woodward. By day Austin engineers, tracks and composes music for videogames, so it’s no surprise that he’s created an incredibly complex, atmospheric and highly accessible work which gets even more enjoyable with every listen.

Pumpkin Palace needs to be the Halloween soundtrack for every metal fan.

Pre-order Pumpkin Palace here: https://echopraxia.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/echopraxiaband
https://www.instagram.com/echopraxiaband
https://twitter.com/Echopraxiaband 

BIG DUMB FACE, the side project from Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland, has announced its return with new album Where Is Duke Lion? He's Dead..., set for release on 31 October via Edison Sound.

The announcement coincides with the launch of new single 'He Rides The Skies', check it out here:

Where Is Duke Lion? He's Dead... is BDF's first full-length release since Duke Lion Fights The Terror!! (2001), and tells the story of the powers of evil triumphing, killing our hero. WIDL?HD once again features Wes' brother Scott Borland. 

This is Wes Borland's first release since his 2016 solo record Crystal Machete.

Pre-order WIDL?HD here: http://radi.al/BigDumbFace

AKERCOCKE have released a video for their latest single 'One Chapter Ends For Another To Begin', taken from their recently released album Renaissance In Extremis. 

Directed by Khaled Lowe, the video's dark surrealism sees the central character at the ultimate point of personal despair; but despite his plans to end it all he realises that it is not his time, that there is still hope. It’s a skilful, visually-told story about coming back from an emotional and psychological brink. 

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/vYALyfC3tv0

Akercocke's UK tour in support of the new album begins this week, where the band will be joined by Hecate Enthroned. 
 
Tour dates:

13/10/2017 - Glasgow, Audio
14/10/2017 - Sheffield, Corporation
15/10/2017 - Milton Keynes, The Crauford Arms
20/10/2017 - Belfast, Voodoo
21/10/2017 - Dublin, Voodoo lounge
22/10/2017 - Nuneaton, Queens Hall
27/10/2017 - Manchester, Rebellion
28/10/2017 - London, Underworld
29/10/2017 - Colchester, The Arts Centre

Ticket details here: www.facebook.com/akercockeofficial

Mixed by legendary studio guru Neil Kernon [Nile, Deicide, Thin Lizzy, Yes] & mastered in NYC by Alan Douches [Death, Misfits, CroMags] at West West Side Music, Renaissance In Extremis is nothing short of a new dawn for these most eccentric of extremists.

A comprehensive reinvention and expansion of the band’s multifarious sound, Renaissance In Extremis delivers euphoric force and mind-boggling weirdness. There are scything thrash and death metal riffs in abundance, warped but elegant melodies and clouds of ugly dissonance; moments of unsettling calm and quiet. Renaissance In Extremis is a bold, bullish and belligerent statement of creative intent: metal’s dark spirit reborn in an explosion of bright ideas and inspirational fury.
 
Renaissance In Extremis tracklisting: 

1. Disappear
2. Unbound by Sin
3. Insentience
4. First to Leave the Funeral
5. Familiar Ghosts
6. A Final Glance Back Before Departing
7. One Chapter Closing For Another To Begin
8. Inner Sanctum
9. A Particularly Cold Sept
 
Renaissance In Extremis is available to purchase here: http://smarturl.it/RENAISSANCE_EXTREMIS  
 
Akercocke are:
Jason Mendonça – vocals / guitar
Paul Scanlan - guitar
David Gray - drums
Nathanael Underwood – bass
Sam Loynes - Keyboards
 
For more information:
https://www.facebook.com/akercockeofficial/
https://twitter.com/akercockeband
https://www.instagram.com/akercockeband/

Acclaimed progressive doom-mongers King Goat are excited to announce the reissue of both their lauded debut LP Conduit with their eponymous debut EP via Aural Music on December 08.

Pre-order the Conduit bonus re-issue here: 

CD: http://www.auralwebstore.com/shop/index.php?id_product=932&controller=product&id_lang=1

DLP: http://www.auralwebstore.com/shop/index.php?id_product=933&controller=product&id_lang=1

Watch the video for 'Conduit' here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHBrg2flF8A

The album is set to be released on black and blue double vinyl format, with a new cover.

The news comes ahead of the band's highly anticipated second LP which is scheduled to arrive in early 2018. The band state: "Our latest recordings are further exploring the progressive elements of doom. We've pushed against our dynamic boundaries, experimented with open tunings, more complex time signatures and vocal textures. We’re eager to bring these works to the stage." 

This news continues King Goat's steady rise as one of the most highly-regarded bands in British doom. Debut LP Conduit was critically acclaimed worldwide, including support from Metal Hammer, Kerrang!, Terrorizer, Angry Metal Guy (Album Of The Year) and many more. 

The band have previously played at Bloodstock Open Air, Mammothfest, Doom Over London, HRH Doom vs Stoner; and alongside Enslaved, Grand Magus, Solstafir and others.

Live dates:

25th November: King Goat's own Riffmass event, The Green Door Store, Brighton: https://www.facebook.com/events/219077765165942/

For more information:
http://www.kinggoat.com/
https://www.facebook.com/kinggoatbri/