PRINCE DADDY & THE HYENA announce their highly-anticipated new album Cosmic Thrill Seekers, out 28th June 2019. The first single 'Lauren' is streaming now. 

Watch the video for 'Lauren' here: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5ikdSN0V3s&feature=youtu.be 

Pre-order Cosmic Thrill Seekers here:
 http://www.bsmrocks.com/bands/prince-daddy-the-hyena/shop

Cosmic Thrill Seekers, the new record from Albany punk rock band PRINCE DADDY & THE HYENA, is many things. It is an odyssey of epic, The Monitor-esque proportions, a great, galloping sonic roadtrip across space and time and Albany, boomeranging around a horn of punk, pop, indie, garage rock, and orchestral, Queen-style arrangements and theatrics; it is an exploration of the fall-out after an acid trip, manic self-destruction, bottoming-out and recovering, and then slipping again; it is a candid, acute documentation of front person Kory Gregory’s cyclical mental health states as told through three acts and 14 songs/chapters; it is an existential presentation of eternal return theory, a victory via surrender to impermanence; and perhaps most of all, it is about Dorothy Gale and The Wizard Of Oz.

“Dorothy was the OG cosmic thrill seeker,” Gregory says. “Dorothy kind of encompasses everything I was trying to get at.”

There are three acts in Cosmic Thrill Seekers, each exploring a stage in Gregory’s mental health. “I remember watching the Wizard of Oz one time, and noticing some weird kind of parallels between the cyclical nature of my mental health and that movie,” he says. “My mental health rotates and jumps from one stage to the next, and then repeats itself.” The closing moments of Cosmic Thrill Seekers reflect this, as the outro to the last track, “The Wacky Misadventures of the Passenger,” morphs into the first muted notes of opener “I Lost My Life.”

Kory wrote the entirety of Cosmic Thrill Seekers alone over the course of the last four years. Not even his bandmates knew what was coming; while recording this past winter at PonderRosa Studios with producer-on-the-rise Nick “Scoops” Daradaris, Gregory would even ask them to leave the room while doing vocal takes. Their trust throughout the entire process, and of course the finished product, are tributes to the sort of friendship and community that surround Prince Daddy.

The process and finished product are tributes to the sort of friendship and community supports that define Prince Daddy. Gregory’s bandmates are his best friends, and they encouraged him to pursue the record he needed to make. “It’s very, very, very much a selfish record,” he says. “It wasn’t just the record I wanted to write, but this is for me, this is to help me, and hopefully to look back on when I’m in the more destructive phases of the cycle and realize that it’s not permanent, and that I’ve confronted it before. I’ve put some math to it.”

Cosmic Thrill Seekers is a constant replaying of this cycle, equal parts joyous and challenging; it’s a punk rock, mental health-oriented declaration of, ‘time is a flat circle.’ “The record title is very ambitious and big and grand, but as the first and last song kind of display, the message of the story is almost like, ‘There’s no place like home,’ even though Cosmic Thrill Seekers is the direct opposite of that,” Gregory says. “But it takes a journey to realize that, as it did for me, and as it did for Dorothy.”

To summarize in Gregory’s words: 
“This has the potential to get semi-dark, if you’re down with that.”

For more information:
https://www.facebook.com/princedaddyandthehyena/
https://princedaddyandthehyena.bandcamp.com/

DANIEL TOMPKINS has released his new single and video 'Limitless', taken from his debut solo album Castles which is due for release on 31st May 2019 via Kscope. 

Check out 'Limitless' here: https://youtu.be/a8VytMwqYw0

The song, he explains “explores the theme of loneliness and desperation. In our romantic relationships we can all make mistakes at some point or another, often we’re able to navigate difficult times but sometimes we can cause irreparable damage. Limitless is experienced through the eyes of a person having lost such a relationship, aimlessly wandering and constantly reaching dead ends. Sometimes it’s better to simply reset, move on and start again without the baggage of the past. That being said, the outcome of the decisions we make will shape the people we become and while memories fade, they’re never truly erased.”

Tompkins travelled to the US to shoot the 'Limitless' video with directors Steven Cleavland & Kyle Kadow, having worked with them previously on ZETA and TesseracT projects.

"It's so gratifying to have pushed myself as far as I did to create this video, not just in travelling overseas or because of how difficult it was to shoot for hours on end each day, but because I actually had to act out a narrative and if it wasn't for the team surrounding me, I would not have been able to pull this off," he comments. "The whole idea behind the video surrounds a theme of loneliness and desperation and some scenes, like the ones shot at Plymouth Church, were very moving. Acting is not my forte but I wanted to challenge myself. Kyle and Steven shot and directed the video so well that the end product ties together perfectly in what I view as one of my highest achievements so far.”

Castles will be released on CD, LP (180g black vinyl) and digital (pre-orders receive 'Saved' feat. Acle Kahney as an instant download). Pre-orders are available here: https://danieltompkins.lnk.to/CastlesPR

Castles was written & engineered by TOMPKINS alongside US producer Eddie Head (Haji's Kitchen) and recorded at both the UK’s Celestial Sound Studio (Vocals) & The Color And The Sound Studios(Music) in the US, with mastering by Acle Kahney at 4D Sounds; together they created the dynamic realisation of TOMPKINS' expansive ability and taste: pulsating synths, beautiful keyboard lines, powerful electric guitars, heavy crash cymbals, and both skittering and forceful beats. The space created by the production allows TOMPKINS' voice to switch skilfully from tender and introspective to soaring emotion in a blend of pop-rock-electronic sounds that engages his eclectic audience. The result is a masterclass in tension and release. 

This 13 track album features six alternative versions, including special guests Acle Kahney (TesseracT), Grammy-nominated Randy Slaugh (Periphery, Architects, Devin Townsend), Paul Ortiz (Zeta, Chimpspanner) and producer Dmitry Stepanov. The stunning artwork was created by Ani Artworks.

A diverse vocalist, TOMPKINS has established himself as a highly respected artist with a dedicated worldwide fanbase garnered from his work with the global progressive metal sensations TesseracT and Skyharbor, the experimental pop oriented White Moth Black Butterfly, which recently included a collaboration with percussive guitarist Jon Gomm, and the rise of his more accessible solo material.

In creating Castles TOMPKINS found the freedom to truly express his originality and artistry, he explains “I have directed and produced every aspect of the project. It's been an extremely liberating project to have full control and essentially redesign my image and approach to music creation. This feels like a new start as an artist and the most excited I have personally been so far throughout my career.”

For more information:
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http://daniel-tompkins.com
https://www.danieltompkinsvocalist.com
http://kscopemusic.com/dt

Electronic pop-metal band NOT ENOUGH have announced their first single. 'TO L-VE' is the title track from their debut EP coming 3rd May 2019.

Check out the lyric video for the brand new single 'TO L-VE' here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzqCaqR8otk&feature=youtu.be

Pre-order / stream here: https://faminedrecords.lnk.to/tol-ve

TO L-VE is NOT ENOUGH's personal take on relationships and how they affect our lives, the journey of battling a darker inner-self.

Guitarist / vocalist Artur Poplawski explains '“TO L-VE is a story about battles with our inner demons, which happen to affect people we care about. Inner demons that finally take over us, make us unable to love and to care. When they’re strong enough, we eventually lose our beloved ones, no matter how much help and patience we receive from their side. The battles repeat to finally make our emotional life a 'tomb'".

Combining melodic vocals with heavy guitars and dark electronica, NOT ENOUGH are a unique new quintet from Cracow, Poland. NOT ENOUGH take influence from many bands including Alazka, Being As An Ocean, Slaves and Bring Me The Horizon, which come together to create a sound that draws comparisons ranging from BMTH to Pvris.

The TO L-VE EP was recorded and mixed by Gabor Toth (Ghostship Recordings) who has previously worked with the likes of Sails of Serenity and Drown My Day. The majority of the music was recorded in home studios, but the band took a trip to Gabor’s studio in Budapest to record vocals, where they focused on developing their unique blend of clean vocals and screamo.

NOT ENOUGH plan to release a number of videos in anticipation of the EP release and will be announcing European tour dates soon.

NOT ENOUGH are:

Sergey Stovba - Vocals
Artur Poplawski - Guitar, Vocals
Aleksander Klewaczew - Guitar
Mateusz Więch - Bass
Szymon Grodski - Drums

https://www.facebook.com/notenoughsounds/ 
https://www.instagram.com/notenoughsounds/
https://twitter.com/notenoughsounds
http://faminedrecords.com

British progressive metal band VALIS ABLAZE have announced their new album Render along with an official music video for the first single 'Proxy'. The second full-length and successor of last years Boundless is set to be released on 19th July 2019 as limited LP, CD and digital.

Watch 'Proxy' here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pghAhmc1Ud4&feature=youtu.be

Render is available for pre-order here: https://ValisAblaze.lnk.to/Render

Having quickly risen through the ranks, VALIS ABLAZE released their first EP Insularity in 2017 which saw them added to many bills in the prog-metal world, including supports with Tesseract, Sikth and a set at UK Tech Fest. Not only did they pick up a legion of fans along the way, progressive minded label Long Branch saw the huge potential and snapped them up for their debut album.

Although wearing their influences clearly on their sleeves, VALIS ABLAZE provide an intriguing alternative to the progressive metal norm; swells of creative ingenuity shine throughout, as well as thought out details and subtle complexities that will keep the listener returning again and again.

Two years of playing the EP and the album on the road around Europe with bands such as Monuments, The Contortionist, Dead Letter Circus and Vola has only further inspired the band. They have since worked hard on their follow up to Spring 2018's Boundless, with their Sophomore album, Render. 

Render, mixed and mastered by James Wisner (Paramore, Underoath, Hands Like Houses), seeks to push past the obstacles that listeners may find with a concept album and aims to find a favourite song for everyone.

For more information:
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https://www.facebook.com/valisablaze

Norwegian progressive metal band RENDEZVOUS POINT share the title track of their new album Universal Chaos along with an official music video. It's the second single taken from the upcoming studio album which will be released 24th May 2019.

Premiered yesterday via Prog magazine, watch the new video here: https://youtu.be/8nrd7Bv99Tg

Universal Chaos is available for pre-order here: https://rendezvouspoint.lnk.to/universalchaos

RENDEZVOUS POINT comment on the making the video for 'Universal Chaos': "Our plan was to shoot both Apollo and Universal Chaos the same weekend. The reason we wanted Universal Chaos as a single was that it was a huge contrast to Apollo, and we wanted to showcase the diversity in our sound with the two singles. 

"We ended up using the same factory location for both music videos. Universal Chaos was meant to be a pure playthrough video of the band playing, as well as the individual members. Since the factory was so large, we managed to find cool locations for all the different instrument shoots. The band scene ended up looking pretty cool as well, standing in the huge room, looking outward. Luckily it also snowed a little from the outside and in, so it ended up looking pretty epic with the band scene. But our fingers were freezing pretty bad when we did the shots. But it was definitely worth it, knowing how cool it would look."

For more information:

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Progressive sludge metal unit LORD DYING have premiered their new album Mysterium Tremendum, which is out today via Entertainment One (eOne).

Premiered yesterday via Kerrang, check it out here: https://youtu.be/-SxzKLXKE2g

Mysterium Tremendum, the band’s first full-length in four years, was captured at Los Angeles’ West Valley Recording Studios in August of 2018 with producer Mike Plotnikoff (Fear Factory, In Flames), mastered by Howie Weinberg (Slayer, Nirvana, Pantera, Red Hot Chili Peppers), and boasts the striking planetary landscape-inspired cover art of Steve R. Dodd. A monolithic, riff-heavy concept album delivering eleven weighty tracks that survey the many facets of dying and what may or may not exist in the afterlife, Mysterium Tremendum is emotionally nourishing both musically and lyrically.

Writes Kerrang! of the output: “Up until now, Portland, Oregon’s LORD DYING have been a metal band, dealing in art of teeth-gnashing, rage-filled, sludgy thrash. But their third album has turned their entire sound on its head: It’s a layered, intricate, downright beautiful progressive-rock opus… a concept record they said was intended to be written about life, but after the sudden, unexpected death of guitarist Chris Evans’ sister and a cancer diagnosis for both of vocalist/guitarist Erik Olson’s parents, ultimately ended up being written about death.”

LORD DYING's Mysterium Tremendum is out now on CD, double LP, and digital formats. For options go to smarturl.it/LordDyingMT.

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BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, led by American guitar icon Zakk Wylde, have released another new music video their song 'Bored To Tears' from their upcoming album due out this spring. Once again directed by long-time director and collaborator Justin Reich, this is the second music video we’ve seen from the rejuvenated version of Sonic Brew - 20th Anniversary Blend 5.99 - 5.19 due out 17th May.

Check out 'Bored To Tears' here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2KW0y2AFcU

Lollipops, dinosaurs, and dancing turtles. None of those things have ever been in a BLACK LABEL SOCIETY music video until now, and the band are not stopping there. Zakk comments, “With the NEW BLACK LABEL SUPAH-EXCITING TECHNICOLOR DREAM COAT HIGH CALORIE BURNING video for 'BORED TO TEARS,' I told BLACK LABEL DIRECTOR O’ DOOM & DELIGHT, FATHER JUSTIN REICH, that I wanted to do an 'EXCITING' and 'TOUGH' looking video in the movie genre style of CLINT EASTWOOD & CHARLES BRONSON.”

Zakk continues, “After seeing the video, apparently FATHER JUSTIN REICH doesn’t know who these LEGENDARY FILM ICONS are or has them confused with two other actors named CLINT EASTWOOD & CHARLES BRONSON. Every time I watch this video I’m more confused than I was during the previous viewing.“

'Bored To Tears' follows the band's 'Spoke In The Wheel' music video which was released last month. Check out 'Spoke In The Wheel' here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3GQkZa6kXA

'Bored To Tears' and 'Spoke In The Wheel' are available as an iTunes instant gratification tracks, meaning fans who pre-order the album on iTunes will receive both singles as instant downloads. 'Spoke In The Wheel' and 'Bored To Tears' are also available on all streaming services.

Pre-order bundles including t-shirts, posters, vinyl, and even a turntable, all available here: http://smarturl.it/sonicbrewbls

Thanks to a new arrangement with record label Entertainment One (eOne), BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's back catalogue is now all in one place, uniting the band’s earlier work with their more recent output. The “re-blended” version of their classic debut is resurrected bigger than ever without sacrificing its familiar kick. Plus, there are two bonus cuts: a full band/piano version of 'Spoke in the Wheel' and an acoustic take on 'Black Pearl'.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY have also announced their "20 Years of Sonic Brewtality Tour", a brand-new batch of 2019 North American tour dates in conjunction with the new release. The band will play two shows in each market - the first night will feature Sonic Brew played in its entirety, while the second night will see the band play a set of greatest hits. Support will come from Conan and The Atomic Bitchwax. BLACK LABEL SOCIETY will also participate in U.S festivals Sonic Temple, Epicenter, and Welcome to Rockville on this run.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY are:

Zakk Wylde – Vocals/Guitar / John DeServio – Bass / Dario Lorina – Guitar / Jeff Fabb – Drums

Los Angeles quintet VOLUMES are primed to set heavy music ablaze in 2019 with their Coming Clean EP, along with an upcoming fourth full-length for Fearless Records.

Stream the Coming Clean EP here - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsBWlr67U5NsCXKWec7xKD0VblNDdBBmz
 
Following a successful headline tour and run alongside Born of Osiris, VOLUMES devoted nearly eight months to piecing together their next musical chapter. They recorded throughout Southern California, working out of Butter Studios in Venice, West Alley Recording Studios, and Farias Productions. Self-producing and keeping everything "in-house and organic," they enlisted Kyle Black [Pierce the Veil, New Found Glory] and Max Schad [Veil of Maya] for an additional perspective.

Ultimately, Coming Clean represents a moment of clarity both personally and artistically. "Some of us have struggled with depression or drug issues," admits Soudani. "We've battled those demons personally and together and found a nice stability and substance. At the same time, we're coming clean with ourselves. We're men now. Life is more precious. The music reflects this honest idea of opening up."

VOLUMES introduce this era with the bludgeoning banger 'NO LOVE' [feat. Fronzilla] and it's the band's heaviest declaration yet with an uncanny assist by the Attila frontman and longtime friend. "It speaks on the idea of how we've come from the bottom and the dirt, but we’ve been here a long time, so you're going to have to show some respect," Soudani states. "We know where we stand. We're asserting our identity. We've found ourselves and know what we're doing."

Elsewhere, 'ALIVE' slips between the cracks of caustic guitars and punishing growls into a soaring clean refrain, "Am I alive?" Then, there's 'Until the End'. Evocative of what Soudani calls "the original Volumes sound," it illuminates the dynamic range of their attack, seesawing back and forth from a visceral vocal volley into a harmonic reprieve.

"Coming Clean is an emotional moment for us," Soudani says. "I hope you feel something when you hear it and gain some perspective. This is VOLUMES. Coming Clean hints at where we're headed in the future."

Volumes are:

Myke Terry - vocals
Gus Farias - vocals
Diego Farias - guitar
Raad Soudani - bass
Nick Usich - drums

Sales Links

All retailers – http://found.ee/volumesccall
iTunes – http://found.ee/volumescc  
Apple Music – https://found.ee/comingcleanam
Spotify – https://found.ee/comingcleansp
Amazon Music – https://found.ee/comingcleanamz
Google Play – https://found.ee/comingcleangp

DARKTHRONE have released their new single 'The Hardship of the Scots'. The track is taken from the band's new album Old Star, which is due for release on 31st May 2019 via Peaceville. 

Listen to 'The Hardship of the Scots' here: https://youtu.be/i6h4b-Jm8iU

Gylve ‘Fenriz’ Nagell introduces the track:

“There really isn’t just ONE song that can represent this album,'The Hardship of the Scots' was my song and although we also wanted one of Ted's songs to preview the album Ted took one for the team and we chose my song! His songs are somewhat faster with more black metal in them but still has slow thrash and doom, my song here seems to start with an INVASION OF YOUR PRIVACY RATT-ERA riff or perhaps one from The Ultimate Sin by Ozzy Osbourne but when I had bicycled my guitar from the Bombshelter and sat down on the porch to strum it, the fact is that (as far as I remember) this entire 'The Hardship of the Scots' track was done in an hour and I remember texting Ted about it.

Ted had just been around to collect loads of vinyl I was giving to him. Anyway, so as usual I didn't have an elaborate scheme as to what the riffs where coming from, but like last album’s preview song I can tell you what it sounds like to me. This doesn't mean I was inspired by what it sounds like, ok? So riff number two has both normal doom and some evil death/black notes in the second part. Then there's the break to make the song more linear (old 80s underground trick I used on the last album and this album) and then a riff emerges which I guess I would like to sound like that awesome break riff in an Infernö track called 'Thrash Metal Dogs Of Hell'. 1:50 out in that track is one of my fave slow thrash metal riffs EVER and it kind of reminds me of first Exodus too. But my riff kinda went even slower and may remind more of a Celtic Frost tempo. I think it's a splendid break and riff anyway and suddenly while I was playing my guitar, I came up with this final riff part which is not as primitive as we are used to but rather sounds like some more epic 20-year-old Enslaved or something. Anyway, that's what it sounds like to me NOW but when I was making it, I was just jamming my guitar on the porch after having bicycled it home. SNAKES!!”

The legendary Norwegian longstanding partnership of Fenriz and Ted “Nocturno Culto” Skjellum, return with Old Star, their first studio album since 2016’s hugely popular Arctic Thunder. With a mastery and endless dedication to the art of the riff, they cut through six new epic tracks, taking in the best of the old school of heavy and extreme metal plus a large dose of doom-laden riffing, and channelling it through the grime of the underground.

Fenriz enthuses:

"Old Star – again we are here with THE RIFFS! A while after our previous Arctic Thunder album it became apparent that we would continue in that same style, BLACK OLD HEAVY METAL with slow thrash, classic doom and slow death metal. 
 
As many have focused on the 70s sound over the last 20 years, the mix on our new album has ended up being more 80s than ever. The songs are more metal than ever! Ted's songs have a lot of black metal in them, faster and slower but also doomier parts and recurring parts. My songs are more linear written, it’s an ancient 80s underground trick, with breaks, all slow heavy or slow thrash, classic doom or slow death."
 
He continues, "All in all it is our most 80s album so far and our most metal one to date with drum sound typical for the 80s USA/German market and damned lyrics, which are all written by me. We feel that Old Star is the big brother of Arctic Thunder. More solid and with even better riffs."
 
Old Star was recorded at the band’s Necrohell 2 Studios, with engineering and production duties carried out by vocalist/guitarist Nocturno Culto, complemented with a perfectly organic mix courtesy of Sanford Parker (Voivod) at Hypercube Studios, & mastered once more by Jack Control at Enormous Door. The stellar cover artistry comes courtesy of Chadwick St John, titled 'The Shepherd of the Deep'.
 
Over the course of 30 years, Norway’s DARKTHRONE has become a staple of the global black metal genre, forging a legacy as one of the most renowned and influential bands in its illustrious and often infamous history. In the formative years following their 1987 inception, DARKTHRONE initially started with a strong concoction of thrash and then death/doom metal experimentation, with broader musical influences spanning from the 60s to the 80s, before the debut album Soulside Journey was unleashed in 1991. Never ones to follow convention or stand still even then, the band soon embraced a much darker, more primitive form of expression with the now iconic second album A Blaze in the Northern Sky, and the rest became history.

Old Star will be released in various formats, each including handwritten lyrics in the booklet or inset. Pre-order the album here: https://darkthrone.lnk.to/OldStarPR

For more information:
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