DANIEL TOMPKINS has revealed his new single 'Black The Sun' ahead of his debut solo album Castles, due for release on 31st May 2019 via Kscope. 

Listen to 'Black The Sun' here: https://youtu.be/iT7UPs2W4bk

“Black The Sun was the first track to be written for Castles," TOMPKINS explains. "The feeling and vibe of this song inspired the whole record and was really the starting point for the project. The song is essentially my prog rock ballad! The song is about trying to liberate yourself from a delicate relationship, I think the lyrics are quite cathartic in nature and touch on the idea that love is blinding and that lust can consume us whole. The track will no doubt be a favourite among the TesseracT following as it boasts a guitar driven chorus with strong soaring vocals”

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:
https://www.facebook.com/danieltompkinsvocalist
https://www.instagram.com/rockwithdan
https://twitter.com/Rockwithdan
https://www.youtube.com/user/RockWithDan
https://www.youtube.com/user/kscopemusiclondon
http://daniel-tompkins.com
https://www.danieltompkinsvocalist.com
http://kscopemusic.com/dt
 

PHOXJAW have announced their signing to Hassle Records and details of their second EP - A Playground For Sad Adults - which will be released on 5th July.

To coincide with the news, the band have today released the video for single 'Melt, You're A Face Of Wax'. 

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/iqR4Lv2xhoU

The band comment on the song: 

"This song came from more of a prog background as it bounces and plays with a mathy lead line like a floppy puppet with its puppeteer intoxicated. The track's lyrical approach and delivery are more free than on the previous singles. So free that free willy would have made it over the rocks in at least 2 skips on the remote. The lyrics suggest the idea of a distracted nation; one of which is unaware of its power and lack of respect towards the natural world that provides us. Caged little creatures and animals as ornaments with crickets starving in tupperware boxes. 

The band comment on the video:
 
We were lucky enough to have our close friend James Harris, who's responsible for all of the music videos we have released thus far. We take an idea to James and he brings it to life with his magic hands, shiny head and endless smile. We wanted this video to be simple and have a silly edge to it. Imagine a chicken with a sock on its head. Very silly indeed. The choruses tip the hat to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody video. You know the one, with the lovely singer and moustache like our singer Danny."

The signing to Hassle Records (Brutus, Pagan, Press Club) continues the alternative quartet's rise, following the acclaim of their debut EP Goodbye Dinosaur..., tours with Black Peaks and Pagan, and appearances at 2000trees and Camden Rocks festivals.

Hassle Records' company director Wez comments: "We first saw the band play at the excellent 2000trees last year. We were blown away. It’s difficult to carve your own sound but these guys are definitely doing that already after one EP and another imminent. They are hard to pin down musically and it’ll definitely be a strength for them in years to come."

The band comment: "We wanted to be involved with this label for a very long time. We were all fans of the records they’ve put out over the years and Danny’s old band Black Elephant had been trying to get on these guys for a couple of years. Meeting them was also a pleasure, they are a great team who seem to really give a damn about the music they put out. We are gonna have a great adventure with these guys in the coming years. Weeds have sprouted, seasons have passed and the time has come. The time for rock."

The Bristol-based rock outfit made waves in 2018, garnering support from Kerrang!, Metal Hammer and the Radio 1 Rock Show surrounding the release of Goodbye Dinosaur... The success of the debut EP was unsurprising given the reaction to PHOXJAW's first ever release, their double A-side single Spin Club/Victorian Dolls (Pale Wizard Recordings) which sold out quickly. With their follow-up single 'Triceratops' and subsequent EP the band has received praise from a wide range of UK press: Kerrang! ("unhinged and mesmerising"), Metal Hammer ("inhabiting their own, unique musical world"), Rhythm Magazine ("already causing waves") and more.

There are few bands that sound as unique, infectious, or as powerful as PHOXJAW. Although hard to pigeonhole, the band are at times reminiscent of early Biffy Clyro, At The Drive-In and Cave In. The fourpiece owe much to their melodic tenacity and driving, off-kilter riffs and mixed with their ferocious energy onstage and compelling personalities, PHOXJAW are firmly establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with.

PHOXJAW are:

Danny Garland - vocals/bass
Josh Gallop - guitar
Kieran Gallop - drums
Alexander Share - guitar/keys/vocals

Watch the band live:

01.06.2019 - Camden Rocks Fest, London
29.06.2019 - Behave! Festival 2.5, Truro 
11.07.2019 - 2000trees Festival, Cheltenham 
25.08.2019 - Hubfest, Cardiff
31.08.2019 - Burn It Down Festival, Torquay

For more information:
https://www.facebook.com/phoxjawofficial/
https://twitter.com/phoxjaw
https://phoxjaw.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/phoxjaw/

SOLENCE, Sweden's promising new export, have released their single 'Empire Of The Sun' (23rd May 2019). For fans of 30 Seconds To Mars, Issues and Hands Like Houses, SOLENCE offer a hard-hitting spin on Sweden's distinctive rock sound. 'Empire Of The Sun' is truly epic offering from the four-piece, slowly building through its verses into a spine-tingling chorus. 

The lyric video for 'Empire Of The Sun' will be premiering on YouTube at 16:00 BST today (23rd May), check it out here: https://youtu.be/Us8Y9dmHHks

Stream 'Empire Of The Sun' here: https://orcd.co/solenceempire

SOLENCE's previous single 'Heaven', which was released earlier this month, hit 200,000 streams in two weeks and has been championed by Spotify's official New Core playlist, where the band recently featured on the cover and sat at number one on the playlist's tracklisting. 

The quartet spent two years releasing cover songs, including 'Warriors' by Imagine Dragons and Ed Sheeran hit 'Shape Of You', which built their strong fan base and set the foundations for a series of original singles. The momentum built from the single releases saw the band embark on a month-long European tour throughout Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Italy. 

In their short time as a band SOLENCE have hit 20+ million streams across all platforms, with 200,000 monthly listeners on Spotify - having featured on official Spotify playlists (New Core, New Metal Tracks, New Blood, Release Radar, Radio, Discover Weekly) - and 60,000 YouTube subscribers, all the more impressive for a band who have a strong DIY ethic and write, produce, mix and release all of their music independently.  

SOLENCE will release their debut album in late Autumn 2019, with tour plans to follow. More details will be revealed soon. 

For more information:
https://www.facebook.com/SolenceOfficial
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA43Fu3hI9H3FHwoPIwYC7w
https://www.instagram.com/solenceofficial/

Brighton UK progressive trio TOSKA have released new video 'Prayermonger', taken from their highly praised debut album Fire By The Silos which was released 2nd November 2018.

Check out 'Prayermonger' here: https://youtu.be/sFce1pBvSd4

Guitarist Rabea Massaad comments: "'Prayermonger' is the final part of the album story, which is about someone who is cast out of society by the state. This person is trying to convince others to rise against the state so forcefully and psychotically, that by the end of the track they realise they are just as bad as the people that cast them out in the first place. The video is an abstract take on that, but focused more around man, destroying the planet."

Following on from the band's sold-out UK and Europe headline tour at the end of 2019, TOSKA have been announced for a number of festival appearances. Check them out on one of these dates:

16th June: Download Festival, UK
2nd August: RADAR Festival, UK
7th August: Brutal Assault Festival, CZ
15th August: ArcTanGent, UK

Formed in Brighton in 2015 by three musicians who set out to write music without boundaries, TOSKA have been making huge waves in progressive and muso circles since their inception. Together they bring an impressive range of skill, experience and knowledge to create music that’s both intellectually stimulating, but also highly accessible.

Taking influence from a huge span of music including Karnivool, SikTh, Hans Zimmer, Thomas Newmann and Gustav Holst, TOSKA use vast dynamics and obscure chord voicing to convey a very emotional and cinematic tonality. It’s almost impossible to pin a genre tag on them, but words such as prog, metal, post-rock and math-rock could be used to describe their sonic elements.

The members of TOSKA have a strong presence in the music scene in their own right and have amassed huge YouTube followings. Combining their collective fanbases, guitarist Rabea Massaad (192k subscribers), drummer Ben Minal (34K subscribers), drummer Dave Hollingworth (13K subscribers), plus the many fans they’ve picked up on  the road, TOSKA are rapidly becoming the UK’s most talked about instrumental act.

facebook.com/officialtoska
instagram.com/officialtoska
youtube.com/rabeaafro
youtube.com/livelearndrum
youtube.com/davehollingworth

Norwegian progressive metal band RENDEZVOUS POINT share their new single 'Digital Waste' - the third new track taken from the upcoming studio album Universal Chaos which will be released on 24th May 2019.

Listen to "Digital Waste" here: 
https://youtu.be/hz8dUKis_4s

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

RENDEZVOUS POINT comment: "This one came about when I (Petter) originally had written a song with the first riff, but when when I introduced it to the band, we started jamming on the riff and it just spun off in another direction. Baard had some really cool ideas and variations that we played around with, and Nicolay suggested the idea that what if we just kept going with one note in the chorus and just kept it boiling. And it turned out pretty cool. We ended up arranging this song all together on band practice. We also felt pretty stoked about having tons of energy and a rawness to it."

RENDEZVOUS POINT deliver a fierce and hard hitting energy bomb in the realm of progressive metal. With highly educated and skilled musicians, they are able to push the boundaries within the genre, creating a larger than life sounding experience for the listener as well as for themselves. With heavy drums, rumbling bass, raw guitars, large synthesizer sounds and powerful vocals, they explore new areas of the genre, daring to expand upon that which is already there. 

After releasing their critically acclaimed debut album Solar Storm in 2015, they shook the progressive metal scene, shocking the audience and reviewers with their tight, solid and heavy live performance.

RENDEZVOUS POINT are now ready with their second studio album, taking their music to an even higher level. Universal Chaos continues the bands playfulness with advanced rhythms and sonic depth. 

The band are Geirmund Hansen on vocals, Baard Kolstad on drums (Leprous), Petter Hallaråker on guitar, Nicolay Tangen Svennæs on keyboards (Ihsahn, Bernhoft, Emilie Nicolas) and Gunn-Hilde Erstad on bass.

For more information:

Facebook 
Twitter
Long Branch Records

German progressive metal virtuosos UNPROCESSED have announced the release of their new album Artificial Void along with a video for the first single 'Fear'. The second full-length and successor of last year's Covenant is set to be released on August 9th, 2019 as exclusive bundles, limited 2-LP, CD and digital.

Check out 'Fear' here: https://youtu.be/tRpxIpGgffw

Artificial Void is now available for pre-order here:
https://Unprocessed.lnk.to/ArtificialVoid
 
After label debut album Covenant gained worldwide attention with its stunning guitar work and a fresh take on the djent and metalcore genres, UNPROCESSED's new music has been highly anticipated.

'Fear' reveals a hook-laden wall-of-sound approach to the technically sophisticated music, something that is yet to be heard on the big stages around the world.The song also gives a glimpse into one of the most anticipated releases in modern metal 2019, and is definitely a bold statement for the young band.

'Fear' comes with a cinematic music video that is comparable to modern day TV series production in terms of colour and frame composition. It captures the vibe of the track perfectly and shows the band performing in an ecstatic state of mind as part of a mysterious story line.

UNPROCESSED are:

Manuel Gardner Fernandes - Vocals, Guitars
Christoph Schultz - Guitars
Christopher Talosi - Guitars
David Levy - Bass
Leon Pfeifer - Drums

For more information:
https://www.facebook.com/Unprocessedofficial/
http://www.spv.de/portfolio/long-branch-records/

US post-hardcore outfit AS CITIES BURN have released their newest single, 'Hollowed Out', ahead of their fourth LP Scream Through The Walls, coming 7th June on Equal Vision Records / Rude Records.

Premiered via Kerrang!, you can check out 'Hollowed Out' here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht4w2n47Il4

The single is the band's third from their upcoming fourth LP. Scream Through The Walls marks not just the end of a decade-long absence, but the first album featuring the Bonnette brothers collaborating since the band’s seminal 2005 debut, Son, I Loved You At Your Darkest.

Pre-order the album: https://ascitiesburn.lnk.to/scream

'Hollowed Out' highlights the band's knack for intimate and catchy post-hardcore, and follows the band's previous singles: the anthemic '2020 AD' and visceral 'Chains'.

AS CITIES BURN will tour the U.S., supported by All Get Out and Many Rooms.

6/11 - Little Rock, AR - The Rev Room
6/13 - Houston, TX - The Secret Group
6/14 - San Antonio, TX - Jack’s Bar
6/15 - Dallas, TX - Three Links
6/16 - Oklahoma City, OK - 89th Street
6/17 - Lubbock, TX - Jake’s Sports Cafe
6/18 - El Paso, TX - Lowbrow Palace
6/19 - Scottsdale, AZ - Pub Rock
6/20 - Anaheim, CA - Chain Reaction
6/21 - Los Angeles, CA - The Hi Hat
6/22 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
6/23 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst Atrium
6/25 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
6/26 - Sacramento, CA - Holy Diver
6/27 - Bend, OR - Domino Room
6/28 - Portland, OR - Paris Theatre
6/29 - Seattle, WA - Funhouse @ El Corazon
6/30 - Spokane, WA - The Big Dipper
7/2 - Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Music Hall
7/3 - Denver, CO - The Walnut Room
7/5 - Omaha, NE - The Lookout Lounge
7/6 - Des Moines, IA - Lefty’s
7/7 - Minneapolis, MN - Lee’s Liquor Lounge
7/8 - Milwaukee, WI - The X-Ray Arcade
7/9 - Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen
7/10 - Lansing, MI - Mac’s Bar
7/11 - Pontiac, MI - Pike Room @The Crofoot
7/12 - Cincinnati, OH - Legends Bar
7/13 - Louisville, KY - Tiger Room
7/14 - Nashville, TN - The Basement

Emerging from the shadows of eastern Poland back in 2015, black metal band BATUSHKA have established themselves as one of the modern era’s most powerful and evocative bands. Harnessing the fire and fury of arcane black metal and channelling it through the reverberant grandeur of ancient rituals of worship, the band’s debut album Litourgiya stood apart from the extreme metal hordes: a monument to originality, depth and dark mysticism that swiftly cast its spell over the metal underground and beyond. 

The band will release its sophomore album Hospodi through Metal Blade Records on 12th July. The album is available for pre-order here: https://batushka.lnk.to/hospodi

The band have shared the first new track and video for 'Polunoszcznica.” Listen and watch here: https://youtu.be/sccJ35Y223A

Named after an Old Church Slavonic word for “God,” Hospodi enhances all the unique qualities that made the band such an instant phenomenon, while offering an entirely distinct and fresh sensory experience. The album boasts the most ferocious and bewitching songs the band have penned to date — along with a newfound sense of rock swagger.

Fiercely conceived and audaciously executed, Hospodi takes the epoch-shattering essence of BATUSHKA’s debut to a new level of idiosyncratic intensity. From the mesmerising chants of the opening 'Wozglas' to the blazing bombast of 'Dziewiatyj Czas' and the pulsing, dark rock melodrama of 'Wieczernia,' this is an album full of wildly dynamic, divergent moments, wherein the band’s otherworldly, inspirational fervour meets the whip-crack precision of 21st century brutality. Perhaps most importantly, BATUSHKA’s deft conjuring of religion’s synaptic shock ‘n’ awe looms large over every scything riff and bellicose scream. By the time fans reach the overpowering climax of the closing 'Liturgiya', a true Damascene conversion is practically guaranteed.

“The whole album is a concept based on the Liturgy of Death, the prayers for the dead, and Orthodox funeral rites and dirges,” said the band. “It’s all about a ritual that involves the dead and the mourners. We also used a lot of old folk songs and elegies from our homeland. These are sung during the wake, around the casket, in the deceased person’s home. Nowadays only a few older people know them and still sing them accordingly in our region. We decided to cherish that tradition and I’m glad that with our album these songs and rites will survive.”

BATUSHKA will make one very special live appearance in the UK at Download Festival on Saturday 15th June. Worldwide headline tour announcements to follow.

Hospodi will be available in several configurations, listed below.

-Limited edition digibook CD
-Deluxe box set (wooden box, digibook CD, clear/black marbled vinyl, DVD, hard cover book, incense box, candles, pin, guitar pick - limited to 800 copies)
-Deluxe box set (EU Webshop exclusive - wooden box, digibook CD, blood splatter vinyl, DVD, hard cover book, incense box, candles, pin, guitar pick - limited to 200 copies)
-180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
-Amber marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
-Dead gold marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
-Blood-red black marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
-Clear/red/black splatter vinyl (EU Webshop exclusive - limited to 100 copies)
-Gold / black split vinyl (US retail exclusive - 500 copies)
-Cream w/ black splatter vinyl (US webstore exclusive - 500 copies)
-Black w/ gold haze vinyl (US webstore exclusive - 500 copies)

BATUSHKA online:

https://batushkaofficial.com
https://facebook.com/batushkaband
https://twitter.com/batushkaband
https://www.instagram.com/batushkaband/

Norwegian powerpop quartet BEACHHEADS are back with new single 'Death of a Nation'.

First premiered via Stereogum, you can now listen to 'Death of a Nation' on all streaming services.

Stream: https://smarturl.it/BDOAN

An offshoot from renowned metal band Kvelertak, BEACHHEADS received worldwide acclaim with their 2017 self-titled debut, from Kerrang!, Rolling Stone, Stereogum, and more.

Reminiscent at times of Hüsker Dü, Idles and The Marked Men, the single is a political, anti-fascist anthem. In the words of singer and lyricist Børild Haughom the song is “looking askance at the televised war". Despite the serious lyrical content the music is highly addictive and upbeat - a nod to surf rock and modern day post-punk.

The track is taken from the band's forthcoming second LP - more news on this coming soon.

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