Australian metal trio GROWTH are to release their debut LP, The Smothering Arms of Mercy, on 4th December, via Australia’s progressive music specialists Wild Thing Records.

In celebration of the news, the band have streamed their first single, 'Something Follows'. Listen to 'Something Follows' & also pre order The Smothering Arms of Mercy here
smarturl.it/growthmercy 

Watch the band’s introduction video with vocalist Luke Frizon here: https://youtu.be/pbM1fLnrYkM   

GROWTH will release a trilogy of albums that explore the very human aspects of connection, trauma, despair, and the fragility of hope.

Even the strongest pillar caves. Even the iron heart shatters. GROWTH's debut release, The Smothering Arms of Mercy, is the first in their narrative trilogy that details in honesty the extremity of recovery from mental illness. Mercy delivers a ferocious depiction of suffering, designed to draw the listener in with the Barnes brothers' paralysing and traumatic vision, suffocating and vulnerable all at once.

Self-recorded, produced and engineered in Australia, with drums engineered by Troy McCosker (Ne Obliviscaris),and mixed & mastered by Fredrik Nordstrom (Opeth) in Gothenburg, Sweden, the landscape presented in Mercy is nightmarish-dense with jarring time signatures, grinding abrasiveness, and wistful post-metal passages, and led by the visceral howling of vocalist Luke Frizon detailing a vivid story of hope and loss drawn directly from lived experience.
 
GROWTH began as a reflective space for brothers Tristan (guitars/bass) and Nelson Barnes (drums) who were united after returning to Australia after a decade apart pursuing music overseas. Tristan returned to come to terms with his personal demons and after receiving a mental health diagnosis that hit with closure and terror all at once, he became a recluse. Isolated and debilitated, he expressed his pain through writing. Meanwhile, vocalist Luke Frizon (ex Jack The Stripper) had withdrawn from life to enter a period of recovery after reaching rock bottom, seeking to reconnect with himself and make meaning of hopelessness, trauma and loss.
 
A chance meeting on a mutual first outing from respective isolation sparked a discussion about the empathetic aspects of music and quickly led to a partnership and GROWTH were formed.

The result is The Smothering Arms Of Mercy, a claustrophobic narrative of total spiritual collapse written while in psychiatric care and thrown over nine suffocating acts.  

Luke Frizon delves deep in to 'Something Follows'' meaning:

"There's a crucial moment in this album I wanted to get across here. Our figure in this has realised they are losing in a pursuit they don't understand-some force seeks to devour them. When in a state of despair, we find ourselves snared by the ideas it brings forward-punitive, brutal, painful. Quietly enraged by that pain, awash in the injustice of it all-the most awful outcome is when we fuse that rage with that suffering. The force lurking around the corner in this case is the end. Now, that's not where you want to be. Something Follows shows us what our figure will be faced with when forced to reach that decision either to collapse, or make one last push to break through."

The Smothering Arms of Mercy will be released on 4th December via Wild Thing Records
Pre orders are available now via
smarturl.it/growthmercy
 
Watch the album trailer here
https://youtu.be/ELn64sx3XOg 
 
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Tracklisting
01. Cigarette Burns (07:53)
02. The Treatment For Melancholy (05:09)
03. Fortress Of Flesh And Bone (07:10)
04. Our Lady Of The Hanging Heart (06:31)
05. Lead Us To Our Glorious Times (05:12)
06. Darkly, It Tightens Its Grip (07:00)
07. Soul Rot (05:28)
08. Something Follows (07:09)
09. Gird Your Loved In Armour While Yet You Wither (11:09)

Swedish symphonic metal quartet TUNGSTEN return with their second album, Tundra (20th November, released via Arising Empire).

Celebrating the news, the band have streamed their new single 'King Of Shadows'. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/IUb9BA9cdoo
Stream here: https://Tungsten.lnk.to/kingofshadows

Pre-order Tundra here: https://Tungsten.lnk.to/tundra

Following the success of their debut LP We Will Rise (September 2019), TUNGSTEN continue their fine vein of form with Tundra – epic, catchy, dark metal.

The band were formed in 2016 by famed ex-HAMMERFALL, MANOWAR, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN’S RISING FORCE drummer Anders Johansson with his sons Karl and Nick Johansson. Soon after Mike Andersson was added as vocalist and the band began recording We Will Rise.

Now on to Tundra, which, in the words of Karl demonstrates that: “The diversity is still definitely there just like on the first album. But this time around to quote my dad’s boss from the 80s ‘MORE IS MORE’!”

The lyrics on Tundra are predominantly about time, and centred on the stories of Volfram, the guardian of time and balance, and the character who adorns the album cover. Volfram travels from a past world, filled with the glory of castles, fairies and knights, to a future desolate city, where he ends up in the middle of an icy tundra, alone.

The recording of Tundra started in late 2019 with drums at Der Bunker followed by bass, guitar, growls and keyboard recordings at Harm Studios. Final vocal recordings were completed in February 2020.

TUNGSTEN enlisted famed keyboard player, and drummer Anders’ brother, Jens Johansson (Rainbow, Stratovarius) to record a solo on the track ‘Here Comes the Fall’. This marks the first time where Anders, Jens, Nick, and Karl Johansson have all appeared on a record together.

TUNGSTEN have already been confirmed for Sabaton Open Air 2021.

TUNGSTEN are:
Mike Andersson | Vocals
Karl Johansson | Bass & Screams
Nick Johansson | Guitar
Anders Johansson | Drums

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More info:
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www.facebook.com/tungstenband
www.instagram.com/tungsten_online
https://.twitter.com/onlinetungsten

AUGUST BURNS RED have announced a UK and European co-headline tour with Bury Tomorrow in late 2021.

Support will come from Miss May I and Thornhill, with tickets on sale Friday 18th September, 9am BST.

Full dates:

NOVEMBER 2021

12 - BRIGHTON Chalk
13 - SOUTHAMPTON Guildhall
14 - NEWCASTLE Northumbria University
15 - GLASGOW SWG3
17 - LEEDS Beckett SU
19 - MANCHESTER Ritz
20 - BIRMINGHAM Institute
21 - BRISTOL Academy
22 - NORWICH UEA
24 - LONDON Electric Ballroom
25 - LONDON Electric Ballroom
26 - PARIS Le Cabaret Sauvage
27 - BRUSSELS Ancienne Belgique
28 - EINDHOVEN Effenaar
29 - LUXEMBOURG Rockhal

DECEMBER 2021

01 - PRAGUE Meet Factory
02 - BERLIN Huxleys
03 - HAMBURG Docks
04 - LEIPZIG Felsenkeller
05 - WARSAW Proxima
06 - BRATISLAVA MMC
08 - BUDAPEST Durer Kert
09 - BUDAPEST Durer Kert
10 - NUREMBURG Lowensaal
11 - STUTTGART LLKA Longhorn
12 - LYON Ninkasi Kao
15 - MUNICH Backstage Werk
16 - FRANKFURT Batschkapp
17 - COLOGNE Live Music Hall
18 - MUNSTER Skaters Palace

The news follows AUGUST BURNS RED's triumphant LP Guardians, released 3rd April 2020 via Fearless Records. Debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hard Music Albums chart, the Rock Albums chart, and the Vinyl Albums chart upon release, Guardians also peaked at #13 in the UK Rock & Metal Chart and received rave reviews from Metal Hammer, Kerrang!, and Rock Sound.

Purchase Guardians here: http://found.ee/guardians 

The two-time GRAMMY Award-nominated Pennsylvania quintet have been upholding the artistic pillars of technical proficiency, airtight grooves, and thoughtful lyricism in the hard rock world for 17 years now, and return with their most cohesive and collaborative album to date, receiving plaudits from Metal Hammer, Kerrang!, Rock Sound, BBC Radio 1 and plenty more.

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Dutch rock trio OUR OCEANS have announced the release new album While Time Disappears on 27th November via Long Branch Records, the follow up to their critically acclaimed self-titled 2015 debut.

Watch the video for new single 'Unravel' here: https://youtu.be/hkppqYuaCxY

Stream 'Unravel' here: https://ouroceans.lnk.to/whiletimedisappears

OUR OCEANS were formed by singer & guitarist Tymon Kruidenier (Cynic, Exivious). Joining him on bass and drums are his former Exivious colleagues, Robin Zielhorst (Cynic, Onegodless) and Yuma van Eekelen (Quadvium, Pestilence).

On the album of While Time Disappears, Tymon Kruidenier comments: "Fundamentally, OUR OCEANS is about an honest and personal portrayal of emotions, thoughts and experiences, at least it is for me. As such, While Time Disappears conceptually is very much about the past five years of my life. It tells the story of seemingly being in a good place in life, unexpectedly being broken to your core, getting back up and overcoming. It’s a very dark album, in places, but ultimately, it does have a positive undertone. Musically, this translates into an album that’s much more varied than our debut. There’s not only sadness, melancholy and beauty in this album, there’s also a hefty dose of anger and despair in there."

Tymon comments on the artwork: "From the very beginning, when we were still conceptualising the basics of what would ultimately become While Time Disappears, I had a very strong sense of what the artwork should feel like. I pictured a very dark atmosphere with lots of warm reds, accompanied by an art style that would fuse fine art with illustrations that could almost appear in a children’s book. It took me forever to find an artist who operates in that space. Eventually though, I found a brilliant artist called Patrick Atkins. It turned out he loved our music and was incredibly easy to work with. We gave him our music, the lyrics and the album title, and that’s all he needed to create the incredible artwork you see on the cover and everywhere else in the album."

OUR OCEANS' inventive progressive rock centres on haunting vocal melodies that carry heartfelt cries of longing, anger and despair. Bolstered by lyrical fretless bass lines, vigorous drum beats and captivating guitar riffs, OUR OCEANS lace singer/songwriter influences with modern, progressive rock elements. Mindful musicianship and introspective lyrics are woven into a deeply melancholic, yet uniquely expansive musical universe.

OUR OCEANS are:

Tymon Kruidenier - vocals & guitars
Robin Zielhorst - bass & vocals
Yuma van Eekelen - drums

More info:
https://www.facebook.com/OurOceans
https://www.instagram.com/ouroceansband

Acclaimed Chilean prog rockers AISLES have announced their new singer, Israel Gil, with their new video 'Smile of Tears'.

'Smile of Tears' is a re-recording of the band's 2009 single, and a fantastic introduction to the band's exciting new chapter.

Watch the video, premiered on Prog, here: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ82yUtJbCQ

Stream: https://aislesproject.fanlink.to/Smile2020

After almost two years of searching the Chilean band welcome their new singer with 'Smile of Tears'. The track, from 2009's In Sudden Walks album, displays a strong electronic Depeche Mode-esque influence, but through a very 21st Century lens.

“This song affects me a lot because when we recorded it, social distancing and the pandemic were starting in Chile", says Israel, the band's new vocalist. "The title makes a lot of sense to me, because in these lockdown days, with videocalls and contact through social media, you pretend on camera that you are happy, but you are suffering on the inside”. Germán Vergara, AISLES’ guitarist and producer, points out that they chose this song because “we have rarely played it live and we thought that this was a good opportunity to bring it back and to introduce Israel to our audience”.

“We feel that he has been part of the band for years", continues Germán, "even though we have really shared just a few months. There has been a lot of chemistry, a lot of conversation. We need to work with someone that makes you feel comfortable, because the creative process is too intimate”. Israel adds: “After the audition process, I realized this is the path I want to follow, I want to see how this mechanism works. In this band, there’s a constant search and there are also different opinions, which makes it complex and also extremely motivating”.

AISLES, formed also by Rodrigo Sepúlveda (guitar), Felipe Candia (drums), Juan Pablo Gaete (keyboards, synth) and Daniel Concha (bass), are working on their fifth studio album, which will be released by June, 2021. “Most of the music is already recorded, we only need to record the voice and we hope to start showing new material starting on January”, says Germán. This album leaves behind the sound and visual complexity of Hawaii (2016), keeping the melancholy and instrumental passages that have defined AISLES thoughout their career, adding influences as Porcupine Tree and Animals as Leaders.

A shining example of prog rock's universal reach, the Chilean band, formed more than 15 years ago, have a long and illustrious history. Previously nominated in the Italian Prog Awards, AISLES are the only South American group to be invited to France's Crescendo Festival de Rock Progressif. The band released their fourth studio album Hawaii in 2016, a monumental, immersive, beautiful double-disc journey, reminiscent of Camel, Yes, Rush, Genesis, Marillion and more.

AISLES can lay claim to being South America's most important progressive band of the past two decades. Hawaii was declared a masterpiece and received attention from Prog, NeoProg, iO Pages and many more. An exciting new era awaits.

For more information:
http://aislesproject.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Aislesproject/
https://twitter.com/Aislesproject
https://www.youtube.com/aislesproject

Experimental French vocalist / composer RÏCÏNN (Laure Le Prunenec) has released new single 'Doris', the first from new album, Nereïd, set for release on 23rd October via Blood Music.

Featuring a guest scream from Cattle Decapitation vocalist Travis Ryan, listen to 'Doris' here: https://youtu.be/fVPLNi8j_Gc

Pre-order Nereïd here: http://www.blood-music.com/store

RÏCÏNN commented "Δωρίς, Doris, the Nereids' mother, one of the creatures harmonizing the strings of the Ocean. 

"I needed all this inspiring mythological imagery to express the several movements of the earth's souls, supported by the tribal drums of Sylvain Bouvier, textured by the awesome guitars from Eran Segal, and conducted by the strings of celloist, Raphael Verguin.

"Doris is like the post apocalyptic breathing of the earth,the last cries of the vegetal/animal and human reign, that Travis Ryan expresses so well in this track... I will let you discover how and when!"

Travis Ryan commented "RÏCÏNN's first CD Lian didn't leave my car CD player for at least six months from the day that I got it. There is nothing else like this project so when Laure asked me to take part I jumped at the opportunity! RÏCÏNN embodies some of my favorite elements from music... emotion, heaviness, beauty all done with extreme talent."

In a world of appearances, RÏCÏNN was born from the desire to remain true to her instrument, the voice.

As a child, she cooked remedies, formulas, and prayers to serve them to the world. An expression of 'The Now'. Fire & water, whales & birds, sounds emanating from the mist, blown by the windy shore, spitting the scrambling wreckage of a damaged arch, vestige from an ancient and forgotten civilisation, flooded into the oversights of time.

RÏCÏNN appears as the lonely survivor of a pre-post apocalyptic universe, a new world in which she bereaves the loss of her unknown culture.

Nereïd is a concoction of many cultures, assimilated and included with her own language. The experience of an incarnation in the material world, falling into the living, as the nymphs of Poseidon move the ocean, making choices, harmonising the rhythms of nature.

Known for her work as female vocalist for breakcore outfit Igorrr, experimental gothic funeral metal band Öxxö Xööx, and experimental trip-hop unit Corpo-Mente; RÏCÏNN's beautiful, solo work lies in the realm of funeral opera - with nearly all composition, instrumentation, and imagery created by the artist herself.

The result is a celestial dance, moving into unexpected explosions of terror, each sacred in their own right.

For fans of Diamanda Galás, Chelsea Wolfe, Klaus Nomi and Bjork.

For more information:
https://www.facebook.com/LAPAGERICINN
https://www.instagram.com/oooricinnooo/
https://ricinn.bandcamp.com

Guitar virtuoso ROY ZIV has released video / single 'Currents', taken from his upcoming debut EP Distant Visions, set for release on 25th September.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/EXiZKA_A0Ks

A Berklee alumnus whose career took him down a ghost writing path for EDM and pop artists, Roy has returned to his true passion: the guitar.

Distant Visions is six tracks of instrumental progressive rock with hints of fusion and electronic textures, executed with exuberant flair and maturity. A hugely enjoyable listen, the EP showcases Roy‘s technical prowess, inventive composition and ability to write an infectious hook.

Much like his major influences - Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Paul Gilbert and Yngwie Malmsteen - Roy is a perfectionist in terms of execution and finesse, and he has a unique playing style that oozes personality.

Roy had always wanted to write, record, and release a guitar-led album, but his career took him down the ghost-writing path. However, attending the Generation Axe tour in 2016 was exactly what he needed to get his focus back on the guitar.

Roy explains: “Distant Visions was written throughout different parts of my life with the initial ideas for many of the songs beginning in high school. After I left Berklee, I set my dreams of becoming a guitarist aside and worked as a ghost writer for EDM and pop artists. Although I had some success in this industry/musical genre with remixes garnering millions of streams, I knew that a deeper part of my creativity was unfulfilled—my musical identity always centred around guitar. Attending Steve Vai’s Generation Axe concert was the final inspiration I needed to hold off on ghost writing projects and focus on the instrumental rock ideas that eventually became Distant Visions.”

Since then Roy has become an instructor on JTC Guitar, a rep for digital amp modellers Positive Grid and released several singles which have grown his online profile exponentially.

With the release of Distant Visions, ROY ZIV is set to establish himself as one of the most exciting guitarists in the 2020s.

More info:
https://www.royzivmusic.com
https://www.instagram.com/royzivmusic
https://www.youtube.com/user/RoyZivMusic
https://www.facebook.com/royzivmusic
https://jtcguitar.com/store/artist/roy-ziv

Melodic post-hardcore six-piece AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS have signed an international record deal with LONG BRANCH RECORDS. To celebrate, the band will be releasing their new single 'Hiding From Myself' on 18th September 2020.

'Hiding From Myself' is available to pre-save here: https://orcd.co/aeuhidingfrommyself

Since the release of their Closure EP in late 2018, which has now surpassed 1,000,000 streams, AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS have gone from strength-to-strength, touring heavily across the UK & Europe, including performing alongside the likes of Dream State, ADEPT, Our Hollow, Our Home and more.

Alongside their dedicated fanbase and hard-working ethos, the future is strong for the band, the future is AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS. 

AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS are:
Charlotte Rolfe - Vocals
Adam Kerr - Guitar
Owen Hill - Guitar
George Hunt - Bass
Jonathan Cassidy - Synth
Jamie Gowers - Drums

For more information: 
https://www.facebook.com/AsEverythingUnfolds
https://twitter.com/aeuofficial
https://www.instagram.com/aeuofficial/
https://www.musicglue.com/aseverythingunfolds/

Vicious Swedish metal queen SCARLET recently launched pre-orders for her forthcoming debut album Obey The Queen. Today, the queen presents to the world her third single 'Ugly Fucker', taken from this debut!

"This song goes out to all men on social media taking the liberty to harass women by sending sexual unwanted stuff. This song is a BIG F**K YOU to all these people! It's a fast paced & heavy guitar riff followed by the anthem for every proud woman out there - with a punch to the face for all bad souls."

Watch the music video for 'Ugly Fucker' now; https://youtu.be/DNfd4V4L7X0
Get the song here: https://SCARLET.lnk.to/uglyfucker

Available from the 13th of November 2020 via Arising Empire, you can pre-order SCARLET's debut album Obey The Queen here: https://SCARLET.lnk.to/ObeyTheQueen

Obey The Queen flawlessly exemplifies the complexity and duality of SCARLET's being. Her outer beauty and her inner chaos. Her kindness and her evil. Her forgiveness and her taste for blood. A gorgeous creature that personifies the darkest, ugliest corners of the human mind and is never who you think she is.

“Making this album I had to go deep deep down to the darkest, most painful place inside me. Dig
through memories hidden behind walls of thorns. Unbury years of tormented rage. It almost killed me. Through survival comes greatness. I want this record to inspire people to be themselves. To live free. Obey The Queen is a mark in history. A world domination. It's a new world now.”
 
Every song on the album portrays a time or situation of change in SCARLET's life. She writes mostly alone in her mansion up in the cold north but for some of the songs like ‘#bossbitch’ and ‘Beauty & Beast’ she has teamed up with some of Sweden's most famous song writers in the genre.

ICYM:
Watch the music video for '#bossbitch' here: https://youtu.be/OMExAMLFIQ8
Get the song here: https://SCARLET.lnk.to/bossbitch
Watch the music video for 'Beauty & Beast' here: https://youtu.be/RsqVSCMto0M
Get the song here: https://SCARLET.lnk.to/beautyandbeast

SCARLET is:
Scarlet | Vocals

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More info:
https://SCARLET.lnk.to/spotify
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https://twitter.com/scarlethunts0
https://www.scarlethunts.com