Photo Credit: Amber Paredes

US rock/metal titans POP EVIL have debuted the video for their single 'Breathe Again', following on from hit singles 'Let The Chaos Reign' and US top 10 charting 'Work'. The video marks the first set of visuals from their sixth full-length, Versatile, that’s expected this summer via Entertainment One (eOne).

Watch the video to 'Breathe Again' here: https://lnk.to/popevilbreatheagain

The futuristic and partly animated video, directed by Johan Carlén, captures POP EVIL in a new light as they dive into their greatest stylistic shift to date, striking on some of their heaviest moments as a band while still balancing their unflinching groove with cinematic melody.

POP EVIL have been a staple at major festivals (including Download Festival UK) and in theatres and clubs for over a decade, despite the group's relative youth. As they've ruled the roost with No. 1 Billboard Rock singles like 'Trenches,' 'Deal with the Devil,' 'Torn to Pieces,' 'Footsteps,' and 'Waking Lions,' they've taken their inspired message to the people, on tours with modern rock titans and veteran acts alike. The band bunkered down in Los Angeles in the winter of 2019 to put the finishing touches on new album, Versatile, due out in 2021 via eOne. The band also enlisted new creative teams of producers and collaborators to emphasize the band's sound's uniquely varied aspects.

As 'Breathe Again,' 'Let The Chaos Reign,' and 'Work' might suggest, the fearless genre-defying cross-cultural pollination have never been more pronounced than on album number six. The pre-production process yielded close to 30 songs, whittled down to the most potent 12 representing everything about POP EVIL. This new effort will be the highly anticipated follow up to their self-titled album that came out two years ago to high critical praise, with outlets like Loudwire saying, "their self-titled effort continues that trend and delivers a solid top-to-bottom listen." Collectively, the band's previous five albums account for over 600 million worldwide streams.

POP EVIL are:
Leigh Kakaty (Lead Vocals)
Nick Fuelling (Lead Guitar)
Dave Grahs (Rhythm Guitar)
Matt DiRito (Bass)
Hayley Cramer (Drums)

For more information:
Website
Facebook
Instagram

German prog outfit THE HIRSCH EFFEKT have announced the release of new EP Gregær, out 26th March via Long Branch Records.

Watch the video to ‘Kollaps (orchestral version)’ here: https://youtu.be/eQbdJirPOQQ

The experimental trio present a completely new perspective of their musical work with the Gregær EP. Together with 17 young classical musicians from Hannover, DE, the band recorded orchestral versions of their songs ‘Natans’, ‘Domstol’ and ‘Kollaps’, as well as the brand-new song ‘Gregær’. All tracks have been newly arranged for this project by composer Anthony Williams. These four recordings come together in the form of the Gregær EP, which will be available as a strictly limited LP version as well as stream and download.

Pre-Order Gregær here: https://smarturl.it/the_gregaer

The EP follows THE HIRSCH EFFEKT's fifth full-length Kollaps (2020), a stunning work that further cemented the trio as one of Germany's most inventive and unique exports.

THE HIRSCH EFFEKT are:

Moritz Schmidt (Drums)
Nils Wittrock (Guitar, Vocals)
Ilja John Lappin (Bass, Vocals)

For more information:
http://www.thehirscheffekt.de/
https://www.facebook.com/thehirscheffekt
https://www.instagram.com/thehirscheffekt
https://www.youtube.com/thehirscheffekt

Track-listing:

1 Natans - orchestral version
2 Domstol - orchestral version
3 Kollaps - orchestral version
4 Gregær - orchestral version

Electronica/metal quartet DRIP FED EMPIRE have released a video for their new single 'The Hole'. Influenced by The Prodigy, Rammstein and Author & Punisher, the band blend industrial, EDM, drum and bass, and hardcore metal to create their energy-fuelled dystopian sound.

Check out the video for 'The Hole' here: https://youtu.be/IqjRFR2glVg

‘The Hole’ was written and recorded completely in isolation; a reaction to the loneliness the COVID-19 outbreak has inflicted on our worlds. It’s a reflection on society’s newfound dependence on digital devices to maintain physical relationships, and a scathing look at the distortions that are happening to these interactions by companies who have interest in manipulating the truth. Above all, the song is an acknowledgment of the trappings of what the government calls ‘The New Normal’.

DRIP FED EMPIRE embody a cyberpunk ethic in their day-to-day lives as well as their music. Lead singer J4 makes a living through body modification, bio hacking bodies with microchips - if you meet him in real life you can tap your phone on the chip implant on his wrist and it will redirect you to the band’s latest music video. Check out the implant video here (WARNING: contains graphic content): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etUkIv8HqvM

DRIP FED EMPIRE pride themselves on their hardworking DIY approach, producing, mixing and mastering their own material, as well as organising and stage managing independent UK tours. Before the pandemic hit, the quartet had built a strong reputation on the live circuit, supporting the likes of Attila, Monuments, Hacktivist and Eskimo Callboy.

For more information:
https://www.facebook.com/DripFedEmpire/
https://www.instagram.com/dripfedempire/
https://twitter.com/dripfedempire/
https://dripfedempire.bandcamp.com/
https://www.youtube.com/c/DripFedEmpire/videos/

Photo Credit: Sebastian Ludvigsen

Acclaimed Norwegian dark rockers DJERV have released a video for their single '(We Don't) Hang No More'. The track follows the duo's comeback single 'Throne', which marked their first new music in almost a decade. 

'Throne' and '(We Don't) Hang No More' are now available as a 7'' vinyl single release.

Premiered on Consequence Of Sound, you can watch the video for '(We Don't) Hang No More' here: https://youtu.be/6To0-DYhbIw

Stream '(We Don't) Hang No More' here: https://orcd.co/wedonthangnomore

Purchase the vinyl here: https://shop.indierecordings.no/collections/djerv

The band comment: "This song is about going different ways, and accepting that despite wanting to be together, that is not always the best choice. Although the theme of the song may be sombre, we wanted a light-hearted approach to the video. So hang in there — even if it’s not together.”

DJERV entered the international heavy music scene in 2011 with a debut record well ahead of its time. Engineered by Daniel Bergstrand (Meshuggah, In Flames) and mixed by Matt Hyde (Deftones, No Doubt) the self-titled album received critical acclaim from Sweden Rock Magazine, Metal Hammer UK, Terrorizer and Rock Tribune. 

Charting at #8 in the official Norwegian charts, DJERV toured heavily, including with Ministry, and performed at Hellfest, Wacken, Eurosonic, and more.

Vocalist Agnete also contributed to Dimmu Borgir's most-streamed song 'Gateways', and the League of Legends song 'Get Jinxed', which now has well over 95,000,000 views on YouTube.

DJERV is:

Agnete Kjølsrud
Erlend Gjerde

For more information:

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM | SPOTIFY | YOUTUBE

The legendary CRO-MAGS have announced their new EP 2020 – the soundtrack to one of the most turbulent years on record – will have its physical release on 9th April via Arising Empire.

2020 will be available as a limited special coloured 3-piece 7’’ vinyl boxset, as well as limited coloured 10’’ vinyl and CD.

Stream, purchase, and save your vinyl/CD copies here: https://Cro-Mags.lnk.to/2020

Watch the ‘2020’ video here: https://youtu.be/k5EXYJS89n8

CRO-MAGS were scheduled to go on tour in support of their previous album In The Beginning in the summer of 2020, booked solid throughout Europe, UK, Japan and South America. All was set to kick-off with a show at Webster Hall (NYC) with Body Count on 15th March - when suddenly the Coronavirus quarantine went into effect, and the year of madness began. In response, CRO-MAGS pivoted, performing one of the very first live stream shows, “The Quarantine Show”, from the historic (and now defunct) SIR Studios in Manhattan's Chelsea neighbourhood.

As Flanagan recounts, “(Drummer) G-Man was stuck in New York for seven months because of the travel ban, so we started writing songs, and as soon as we were able to get into the studio we started tracking.” Recorded at Steve Zing's (Sam Hain, Danzig) newly launched Trick or Treat Studio, they brought back Arthur Rizk who produced In The Beginning.

Rocky George managed to get out of NYC before the lockdown in March and tracked his guitars in Los Angeles. Guitarist Gabby Abularach remained in Guatemala during the travel ban and decided that both personally and professionally he was in need of a change and to move in ‘a different direction.’

Aware of the quarantine and travel ban, CRO-MAGS asked long-time friend Joseph Affe (M.O.D, Maximum Penalty, Harley's War) to play "The Quarantine Show". Joe had just toured Europe and the UK with CRO-MAGS in late 2019 when Rocky couldn't make the trip. Harley had played with Joe on and off since 2003 in different projects and it was a perfect fit, so CRO-MAGS brought Affe on to do the EP. After all the years, playing the entire catalogue and having so recently filled in for both Rocky and Gabby, it was seamless.

The record itself is unintentionally 20 minutes and 20 seconds, and plays as a time-capsule look into the burning dumpster fire of the last year.

CRO-MAGS founder Harley Flanagan explains, “Just by coincidence we recorded 20 minutes and 16 seconds of music, so we simply added a few seconds of real-world chaos. The album cover is meant to look like a calendar - seven squares across, with one picture from 2020 per day. Inside the booklet there are 12 pictures, one for each month of 2020; and the back is a shot of something I have never seen before in my life - a totally empty New York City. Coronavirus, quarantine, empty streets, brutality, burning buildings, violence and destruction: 2020 is a year none of us will ever forget.”

2020 tracklist:
1 - Age Of Quarantine
2 - 2020
3 - Life On Earth
4 - Violence and Destruction
5 - Chaos In The Streets
6 - Cro-Fusion

“Fast punk and thrashy breakdowns” - DECIBEL
“The founding band of hardcore punk” - ROLLING STONE
“Fast-paced, raw, blazing and blistering” - CONSEQUENCE OF SOUND
“This one’s gonna snap a few bones and blacken an eye” - NEW NOISE
“A two-stepping salute to four-chord classic hardcore” - METAL HAMMER
“Heavy grooves, impressive depth and really powerful” - DOWN FOR LIFE
“A hybrid of ‘80s and ‘90s anthemic hardcore full of underlying anger” - BLABBERMOUTH


CRO-MAGS are:
Harley Flanagan | bass/vocals
Gabby Abularach | guitars
Rocky George | guitars
Garry “G-Man” Sullivan | drums
--
More info:
https://www.facebook.com/realcromags
https://twitter.com/realcromags
https://www.instagram.com/realcromags

Returning with their third scathing blast of profane black death metal, Manchester's WODE have joined the 20 Buck Spin roster to release their new album Burn In Many Mirrors on April 2nd. Their most potently wild and predatory work to date, with six new tracks spanning forty minutes of meticulously summoned infernal ferocity, WODE are yet again set to scorch the landscape and drape it in the foul reek of death’s fog.

Check out the lead single 'Vanish Beneath' taken from the new album here:  https://youtu.be/u3r_FY9RfRk

Add to your Spotify playlists here: https://spoti.fi/2O8F10O

WODE comments: "We’re just as excited about the new record now as we were when writing it. And it’s great to be working with a label that we admire in 20 Buck Spin. Burn in Many Mirrors is the best realisation to date of where we’re coming from and marks a new chapter in our saga of chaos."

One may hear the ancient voice of obscure and revered gods reflected through WODE's sulphuric incantations, the raging fire of the most blasphemous legends of the past called upon by the spirit of chaos and death. Shrouded in sepulchral black metal atmosphere and freezing cold melodies Burn In Many Mirrors displays a studied regard for songcraft and motive well beyond mere convention, transforming into a concentrated dark chorus of ruin and abomination.

Featuring cover artwork by Santiago Caruso (Star Gazer), Burn In Many Mirrors was recorded between March and August 2020 by Joe Clayton at NØ Studio, and mastered by Magnus Lindberg (Cult Of Luna).
 
Coming almost four years after the release of their critically acclaimed album Servants of the Countercosmos by the legendary Avantgarde Music, WODE have grown in scope and sound. With the flashes of heavy and death metal glimpsed on previous albums their multifarious third album contains some of the band’s hardest and heaviest material summoning the wild spirit of black metal’s evil-most progenitors whilst fusing it with their special brand of madness that earned the band a devastating reputation on tours which have included Wolves in the Throne Room. 

Now into their second decade of existence in the material plane, WODE's definitive melding of black metal’s ecstatic desecration, death metal's sharply attuned sense of violent purpose and classic anthemic 80s metal instills Burn In Many Mirrors with the elements necessary to sear itself into the fervent heart of the faithful.

Having recently signed to US label20 Buck Spinand after adding guitaristDan Shaw(from side-projectAggressive Perfector),WODEare stronger and more deadly than ever…something Burn in Many Mirrors truly reflects.

Pre-orders coming soon.

For more information:

Facebook||Bandcamp||Instagram ||20 Buck Spin ||20 Buck Spin Bandcamp

WODE are:
M. Czerwoniuk - Vocals, Guitar, Synth & Keys
D. Shaw - Guitar & Backing Vocals
T. Horrocks - Drums, Guitar, Synth & Keys
E. Troup - Bass Guitar

Tracklisting:

1. Lunar Madness
2. Serpent’s Coil
3. Fire In The Hills
4. Sulphuric Glow
5. Vanish Beneath
6. Streams Of Rapture (I, II, III)

Scottish quintet TO KILL ACHILLES have released a video for 'There's No Right Way To Say This...', taken from their sophomore album, Something To Remember Me By, which is out today (5th February 2021) via Arising Empire.

Check out the video for 'There's No Right Way To Say This...' here: https://youtu.be/4TjsAsV4KgQ

Stream/purchase Something To Remember Me By here: https://ToKillAchilles.lnk.to/somethingtoremembermeby

Taking lyrical inspiration from personal life experiences and musical influence from a wide variety of alternative genres has allowed TO KILL ACHILLES to create a piece of art which fully encapsulates the band's message: “We only exist when we exist together”.

The band comment on the album:

“This record is the story of a man who wakes up on his twenty-fifth birthday and the events that happen throughout the course of a year that lead him to take his own life, exactly one year on to the date. Each song represents a month in his life (with the exception of two moments of reflection). In each of the songs we tell a story that a member of the band has been through over the last few years. Every song is real and is a portrayal of how we felt in that moment.

"The message of the record is to highlight that these events can happen, that people can be dealing with things without anyone else being aware. In our lives, we were lucky because we have the support network of our incredible friends and families, but in the case of our character, he does not. The record is a statement which shows that without support, even the strongest of people can be driven to contemplate taking their own lives.

"It’s so important to talk, it’s so important to find the people in life that you can share your lowest moments with, because no one can be expected to go through that alone. Our character deals with alcoholism, a lack of direction or passion in life, the fear of growing older and losing yourself, the isolation felt by following a creative career, the idea that when you die no one will remember you, the onset of anxiety and the shame you feel about trying to tell people you’re not okay. The pressure you put on a partner when you’re not in the right headspace, the fear of showing your emotions as a male incase you’re seen as weak, the fear of death, the moment that suicide enters your mind as an escape and the loss of a parent. A lot of these things will happen in our lifetime and it’s important to know that if they do, there’s people out there who will help you through it.

"Something To Remember Me By is our character's suicide note, explaining why he felt he must walk that path, in a way it’s all of ours too as we all went through these things, we just had the people there to stop it from being our eventuality. The message we try to promote is that these things are normal, these feelings are normal and if you recognise any behaviour we speak of in anyone close to you, then it’s your responsibility to be the first to speak up. A conversation can save a life, don’t let anyone end up the way our character does. In a way this record is also the solution to the problems that we speak about, we poured our emotions into this, and after we’re gone, it’ll still be there, reminding people that we once existed and that we once felt as strongly as we do. It’s just something to leave behind, a memento, a token, or just something to remember me by.”

TO KILL ACHILLES have extensively toured across the UK, the majority of Europe, and Russia with We Came As Romans, Counterparts, While She Sleeps, I Killed The Prom Queen, Betraying The Martyrs and more.

Check out the band's previous singles:

'Luna et Altum' video: https://youtu.be/3rulYt7Nrww
Stream/purchase 'Luna et Altum': https://ToKillAchilles.lnk.to/lunaetaltum

'fourpercent' video: https://youtu.be/nMdWmlSMP3I
Stream/purchase 'fourpercent' here: https://ToKillAchilles.lnk.to/fourpercent

'Oh God, I've Never Felt This Low' video: https://youtu.be/7vhJYZaCN4A
Stream/purchase 'Oh God, I've Never Felt This Low': https://ToKillAchilles.lnk.to/ohgodiveneverfeltthislow

'21:36' video: https://youtu.be/scaX810JXlg
Stream/purchase '21:36' here: https://ToKillAchilles.lnk.to/2136

'Beautiful Mourning' video: https://youtu.be/pcYPk_5e3Ek
Stream/purchase 'Beautiful Mourning': https://ToKillAchilles.lnk.to/beautifulmourning

'Venom' video: https://youtu.be/rt9R10Yzau4
Stream/purchase 'Venom' here: https://ToKillAchilles.lnk.to/venom

TO KILL ACHILLES are:
Tindal | Vocals
Larry | Guitar
Sharpie | Guitar
Tippett | Bass
Baz | Drums

For more information:
https://www.facebook.com/tokillachilles
https://www.instagram.com/tokillachillesband
https://twitter.com/tokillachilles

Something To Remember Me By tracklisting:

01. fourpercent
02. In Vain
03. Luna et Altum
04. Oh God, I've Never Felt This Low
05. Black Marble
06. When You Live With Ghosts, You Don't See The Dead
07. Agnostic
08. On My Mind
09. There's No Right Way To Say This...
10. venom
11. We Only Exist When We Exist Together
12. 21:36
13. Beautiful Mourning
14. Something To Remember Me By

Swedish alternative metal act AVIANA is back with a video for brand new single 'Retaliation', heavier and angrier than ever before.

Check out the video for 'Retaliation' here: https://youtu.be/u-CN26DPNQ4

'Retaliation' is out now via Arising Empire, available to stream/purchase here: https://Aviana.lnk.to/retaliation

Last year many people experienced dark times and suffered great loss. Joel Holmqvist, vocalist of Swedish metalcore act AVIANA, was one of those people. Despite the successful release of their sophomore album Epicenter via Arising Empire in 2019, all his former bandmates declared they were leaving AVIANA in March 2020.

However, Holmqvist quickly realised that he was not done with AVIANA and decided to continue with the project himself. Throughout the pandemic, he has gathered strength to build something new and special - the next chapter of AVIANA.

"I was in a dark place for a long time when my former bandmates decided to leave the band. It was hard! I think this song as a start reflects all those feelings and thoughts that I had to fight during that difficult time," he explains.

AVIANA’s new sound is heavier than ever before and offers a taste of what’s to come, Holmqvist assures. Over the last few days, all evidence of AVIANA’s history was removed from social media, teasing fans with cryptic messages and content. "I'm building this up with the new AVIANA now. There's a new chapter, a new story and a new era coming!" he concludes.

Stream/purchase Epicenter here: https://AVIANA.lnk.to/Epicenter
Stream/purchase the instrumental version of Epicenter here: https://Aviana.lnk.to/EpicenterInstrumental

For more information:
http://www.avianaofficial.com
http://www.facebook.com/avianaswe
http://www.instagram.com/avianaswe

Melodic post-hardcore sextet AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS have released a video their new single 'Grayscale'. The track is the fifth single from their forthcoming debut album, Within Each Lies The Other, set for release on 26th March 2021 via Long Branch Records.

Check out the video for 'Grayscale' here: https://youtu.be/MCxw_1pnx-g

Vocalist Charlie Rolfe comments on the single:

"When everything around you seems grey and dark, it can be hard. But there’s beauty is everything, life in dead flowers, colours in dark hours. No longer seeing life in black and white, wrong or right, learning to see life through a new lens creates a whole new perspective and make it easier to live with whatever issues you have. Embrace it."

'Grayscale' follows the band's previous singles 'Wallow', 'Take Me There', 'Hiding From Myself' and 'Stranger In The Mirror', which have collectively garnered over 1,200,000 streams.

Stream 'Grayscale' and pre-order Within Each Lies The Other here: https://aseverythingunfolds.lnk.to/withineachliestheother

Since the release of their Closure EP in late 2018 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.

The success of Closure caught the attention of the esteemed Long Branch Records, who signed an international deal with the six-piece this year. 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:
Charlie Rolfe - Vocals
Adam Kerr - Guitar
Owen Hill - Guitar
George Hunt - Bass
Jon 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/

Within Each Lies The Other tracklisting:

1. On The Inside
2. Take Me There
3. Wallow
4. Stranger In The Mirror
5. I'm Not The Only One
6. Grayscale
7. Stay
8. Let Me Go
9. Hiding From Myself
10. One Last Time
11. Wither