Highly regarded blackened hardcore band CALLIGRAM have announced a spring headline tour following the release of their acclaimed LP Askesis (November 24, Basick Records).

Dates:
25.03 Dreadfest, Leeds, UK
28.03 The Underworld, London, UK (supporting Birds In A Row and Coilguns)
31.03 DIY Cafe Lille, France
01.04 Koerspeerd Bruge, Belgium
02.04 TBC
03.04 MCP Apache Music, Fontaine L-Eveque, Belgium
04.04 DB's Utrecht, Netherlands
05.04 Music City, Antwerp, Belgium

Askesis 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, Noisey, Terrorizer, and more.

Purchase Askesis: http://music.basickrecords.com/album/askesis

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 under their current moniker 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).

“Glacial post rock collapsing into icy black metal blasts. It’s epic and stirring stuff. Absolutely crushing. ”

— Daniel P Carter, BBC Radio1 Rock Show

The pairing of Black Metal and Shoegaze was always going to have its naysayers; fortunately, the triumphant and crushing sonic result has been the catalyst for some incredible bands – just like Danish-powerhouse Møl. 

Møl are set to release their unyieldingly stunning and cathartic debut album Jord via Holy Roar Records on 13th April. Taking the shimmering tropes of Slowdive and seamlessly blending them with a sharp strain of Black Metal to create an exceptional collision of beauty and wretchedness - this instantly deems them as one of the best in their genre.

To celebrate the forthcoming release of their debut album Jord, Møl have announced a UK tour supporting Svalbard (24.05.18 - 25.05.18) and Helpless and Monolithian (26.05.18 - 27.05.18).

The band comments: "It is Møl's first tour in England! We´re super excited to see how the UK will greet us five Danes and our gentle and punishing tunes! It's a scary thing - but with such great company as Svalbard, Helpless & Monolithian - plus ending the whole ordeal with a kickass show at Creeping Death Fest in the city of Brighton, I know we're in for a quick but nonetheless memorable ride." 

Jord will be released by Holy Roar Records in the UK/EU and Deathwish Inc in the USA on April 13th. UK/EU pre-orders are available here. USA pre-orders are available here. 

Find Out More:
Facebook || Instagram || Bandcamp || Holy Roar Records

Birmingham progressive metalcore quintet OCEANS ATE ALASKA return to the UK for a summer headline tour with Shields and Kingdom of Giants in support.

The band are touring in support of their new album Hikari and the dates follow an extensive European run throughout April and May.

Catch the band on one of the following dates:

JUNE

21 London Boston Music Room, UK
22 York Pile Up Festival, UK
23 Glasgow Garage Attic, UK
24 Sheffield Mulberry, UK
25 Newcastle Think Tank, UK
26 Birmingham Mama Roux, UK
27 Manchester Rebellion, UK
28 Bristol The Exchange, UK
29 Plymouth Underground, UK
30 Southampton The Joiners, UK  

JULY
01 Hop Festival Northamptonshire, UK

Check out the band's recent video 'Hansha' here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmQQDvCRZw0
 

Buy Hikari here: 

Digital: http://smarturl.it/oaahikari 

Physical: http://smarturl.it/hikaribundles

Hikari translates to 'light' in English and represents the band's current mindset, illuminating major strides in the group's sonic vocabulary. Following a lyrical and musical theme rooted in Samurai mythology, the 11-track album blends traditional Japanese instruments with Oceans Ate Alaska's dynamic flare.
 
"We have a huge amount of respect for Japanese culture, especially their music," says drummer Chris Turner. "These unique and beautiful instruments have inspired us to create something brand new, and we are beyond proud of the end result!"
 

2017 saw the band tour the US with Born Of Osiris and label mates Volumes, headline the UK Tech-Fest tour,  as well as making appearances at Slam Dunk Festival and the Fearless Invasion showcase in London.

The band will continue to tour Hikari throughout 2018, first hitting Europe with Our Hollow, Our Home in support, and then returning to the UK with Shields and Kingdom of Giants.

Shields will will release new album Life In Exile via Long Branch Records, more information here

For more information:

http://oceansatealaska.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/oceansatealaska
https://twitter.com/oceansatealaska

TESSERACT have announced a European headline tour in support of their new album Sonder, out on 20th April 2018 via Kscope. They will be joined by Between The Buried And Me and Plini. 

Vocalist Daniel Tompkins comments: 

"To have such a strong support bill with us means the Sonder European Tour could be the event of 2018 for many progressive rock fans! We’re bringing an exciting new production, which properly represents TesseracT in a live environment. Joining us are our friends in Between The Buried And Me – it’s been a long time since we last toured with them and it will definitely be worth the wait. To cap it all off we’re also bringing along the mighty Plini – this will be our second tour of 2018 with him, he’s an amazing musician and gives the tour a great dynamism!"

Dates: 
  
09/11/18 - DE, Cologne, Live Music Hall
10/11/18 - NL, Nijmegen, Doornroosje
11/11/18 - BE, Vosselaar, Biebob
12/11/18 - FR, Paris, Le Trabendo
13/11/18 - DE, Aschaffenburg, Colos-Saal
14/11/18 - DE, Hamburg, Gruenspan
15/11/18 - DK, Copenhagen, Pumpehuset
16/11/18 - NO, Oslo, Parkteatret
17/11/18 - SE, Stockholm, Kägelbanan
19/11/18 - DE, Berlin, Lido
20/11/18 - DE, Stuttgart, Im Wizemann
21/11/18 - AT, Vienna, Flex
22/11/18 - DE, Munich, Backstage
23/11/18 - CH, Aarau, Kiff
24/11/18 - IT, Parma, Campus Industry
25/11/18  - LU, Esch, Rockhal
 
Tickets are on sale 9th March at 9am GMT / 10am CET here: http://tesseractband.co.uk/

The band will also return to North America in April for a headline tour, supported by Plini and Astronoid. Dates and tickets can be found here: http://tesseractband.co.uk/

Festival appearances: 

08/06/18 – UK, Donington, Download Festival (headlining the Dogtooth Stage)
22-24/06/18 – BE, Dessel, Graspop Festival
22-24/06/18 – FR, Clisson, Hellfest
28-30/06/18 – ES, Madrid, Caja Magica, Download Festival

Check out TESSERACT's latest single 'Luminary' here: https://youtu.be/jJKsmaGtrjo

Sonder adds significant firepower to the band's arsenal, blending the harsh abrasiveness of One (2011) and progressive ethereal elements of Altered State (2013) with the accessibility of Polaris (2015). The album was recorded in the UK at 4D Sounds, Celestial Sounds and Project Studios, engineered by the band and Aiden O’Brien with mastering by Acle Kahney, and cover artwork designed by Amos Williams.

Sonder is available to pre-order in various formats, with digital pre-orders receiving 'Luminary' as an instant download: http://smarturl.it/TESSERACT_SONDER
 
TESSERACT are:
Acle Kahney - Guitar
James Monteith - Guitar
Jay Postones - Drums
Daniel Tompkins - Vocals
Amos Williams – Bass
 
For more information: 
https://www.facebook.com/tesseractband
https://www.instagram.com/TesseractBand
https://twitter.com/tesseractband
https://www.youtube.com/user/Tesseractproject
http://tesseractband.co.uk
http://www.kscopemusic.com/artists/tesseract

French progressive metal quintet THE DALI THUNDERING CONCEPT have announced a run of dates supporting Jinjer in Germany. South African post-rockers Ohgod are also on the bill.

Check them out on one of the following dates:

15.05. BERLIN (DE) Musik & Frieden
16.05. BOCHUM (DE) Rockpalast
17.05. KÖLN (DE) Jungle Club
18.05. FRANKFURT (DE) Nachtleben

They will be touring in support of their dystopian concept album Savages, out 13 April via Apathia Records.

The band have also unveiled new single 'Ink', featuring guest vocals from Adam Warren (Oceano). Check it out here: https://youtu.be/5P65Gik9HUk

Savages is a dark projection of the future of humanity, should it not take drastic action to alter its course. What are the consequences of the global warming, the rise of right-wing populism and the politics of nostalgia, the growing rich-poor divide? According to THE DALI THUNDERING CONCEPT the future is very bleak.

Low-tuned riffs, crushing grooves and painfully abrasive vocals deliver this message with huge effect and urgency, however there is a glimmer of hope, illustrated by hints of electronica and even jazz. It’s an album of anger, suffering, despair and conflict, with many twists and turns; an impressive achievement for a band so young in their career.

Pre-order here:
http://apathia.link/tdtc
https://thedalithunderingconcept.bandcamp.com/album/savages 

Facebook: 
https://www.facebook.com/thedalithunderingconcept

Conjurer are streaming Mire ahead of its official release on March 09 via Holy Roar Records.

First premiered via The Independent, you can now listen to one of the most anticipated debut LPs of this year here: https://soundcloud.com/holyroarrecords/sets/conjurer-mire/s-6Mxhb

Embed code here.

Pre-order the record here: http://www.holyroarrecords.com/products/search?q=conjurer

Championed by Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, BBC R1, The Independent, Upset, That's Not Metal and across Europe, Conjurer are fast becoming the most talked-about young metal band from the UK.

A stunning listen, combining Opeth at their heaviest and most dynamic, Mastodon at their earliest, and Gojira at their most venomous, Mire is a step up from a band who were already impressing.
 
Equal turns bleak, dark, stark, and beautiful, Mire is an album which makes true the cliché “a journey of a listen”. From the apocalyptic opener ‘Choke’ to the haunting soundscapes within the eponymous track, this LP is as impressive in its power as in its multi-layered dynamism.
 
Led by the dual vocal/guitar attack of Dan Nightingale and Brady Deeprose, Conjurer are fast on the rise, having just completed a four-date headline tour (selling out the London show), and booked for UK Tech-Fest and 2000Trees Festival. Prior tours with Weedeater, OHHMS, shows with Employed To Serve, Venom Prison, Oathbreaker, and festival appearances at Bloodstock Open Air, Damnation Fest, UK Tech Fest, Doom Over London and more besides place Conjurer in rarefied but highly deserved company.
 
For more information:

http://www.facebook.com/conjureruk
http://www.twitter.com/conjureruk
http://www.instagram.com/conjureruk

http://www.holyroarrecords.com/

Exciting new piano-prog/rock trio Exploring Birdsong are eager to reveal their video for new single 'The Downpour', to be released Friday March 09.

Premiered exclusively via Prog, you can now watch 'The Downpour' here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kZ4cNKIPfE

In the band's own words: 

“'The Downpour' has been described as our 'Great Gig In The Sky'. It's part of a much larger – and nerdier – concept, and is at the emotional climax of that particular story, but when removed from that context (more of that to come later) it focuses on loss."

“A lot of the lyrics are open for interpretation and can be subjective to the listener, but the idea we wanted to put across was pure emotional turmoil."

“It's one of the songs we're most proud of, which is pretty mad considering the whole thing was more or less written in a night.”

From Liverpool, Exploring Birdsong are a unique proposition: Matt Harrison on drums, Jonny Knighton bass/second keys, and completed by Lynsey Ward's piano and stunning vocals. Pop sensibilities and soulfully gorgeous singing meet progressive compositions, reminiscent of Iamthemorning, Steven Wilson, Kate Bush and more.

Although new - 'The Downpour' being the band's second single - Exploring Birdsong have already supported Anneke van Giersbergen's VUUR amongst others.

Watch the band supporting Godsticks at London's Camden Assembly on May 05.

For more information:
https://www.facebook.com/ExploringBirdsong/
https://www.twitter.com/ExBirdsong
https://www.instagram.com/exploringbirdsong/

New guitarless punk rock trio LAZYBONES are excited to release their new single/video for 'Crazy'.

Premiered via Upset, you can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/YmJAhfDWuuo

Embed code: <iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YmJAhfDWuuo" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Listen: https://goo.gl/sa77rQ

The trio are fast becoming known for their unique setup: Candi Underwood (Vocals & Organ), Joe Tighe (Bass) and Sam Barnes (Drums), who formed in Brighton in late 2017. With one fuzzy bass guitar, amplified organ and drums, THE raw, alt-rock trio create a trashy, unapologetic, to-the-point British sound - reminiscent of Marmozets, Milk Teeth and Queens of the Stone Age.

In the band's own words: 

“Crazy’ is about a friend’s ex who was a bit of a psycho – controlling, attention-seeking – you know the type. This song is a shout out to everyone who has dealt with people like that,” the band explain.

“With the riff we wanted the anti-riff, a really annoying riff that never leaves your head, and a super catchy chorus.

“Recording the track was awesome. This time we upgraded from recording in a shed / rehearsal room to a unit in a farm, recording with our good friend Ben Hampson (Noel Gallagher, Bloc Party, Tigercub, Blood Red Shoes). It was a bit warmer (only just!) but meant we could spend some time really capturing our live sound on the track.

“The video is all animation and was created by hand by our mate Joey Pearson (of Smokin’ Bones Club). We all grew up as kids with our favourite cartoons and we wanted to bring some of that influence into the video. Like the psychedelic nightmares or drug trips from Beavis and Butthead or King of the Hill mixed with more modern cartoons such as Rick and Morty.”

Catch the band at:
March 12th - Brighton, The Prince Albert
March 15th - London, The Victoria

German tech-metallers UNPROCESSED will release new album Covenant on 13 April via Long Branch Records, and have unveiled new single 'Haven'.

This follows UNPROCESSED being announced for UK-Tech-Metal-Fest 2018 on 5 - 9 July 2018, and the band will be touring the UK around the festival, dates to be announced soon.

UNPROCESSED are a progressive metal band hailing from Wiesbaden, Germany.

Founded in 2014, UNPROCESSED have shared the stage with Monuments, Betraying the Martyrs, Being as an Ocean, Napoleon and As they Burn, completed a full EU tour and played numerous shows in and around Germany, promoting their first releases In Concretion (2014) and Perception (2016).

UNPROCESSED's sound features insanely fast palm-muted, chugged guitar riffs and shredding solos that meet soundscapes from another dimension, guttural vocals that are contrasted by lucid and melodic clean singing. A sharp bass tone and groovy, yet detail-oriented drum-lines form a massive rhythm section and complete the bands overall sound. This mixture shows that this young band is ready to conquer the scene.