Photo: Nick Fancher

'Eye Of The Storm' single / video streaming now

Hard rock group Pop Evil have announced a string of UK and EU tour dates this autumn. The Vortex tour will take the band throughout the UK, as well as stops in France, Belgium, and Germany.

On the upcoming tour, Pop Evil's frontman Leigh Kakaty shares:

"We are beyond excited to bring our Vortex Tour to Europe, with so much new Pop Evil music being created, we can't wait to play it live for all of you! Let's go!"

Tickets go on general sale on Wednesday 10th August at 9am here: www.popevil.com.

The Vortex tour dates below:
UK
01.11.22 - King Tuts, Glasgow
02.11.22 - Rebellion, Manchester
03.11.22 - O2 Institute 2, Birmingham
05.11.22 - Tufnell Park Dome, London
EU
07.11.22 - Trabendo, Paris, France
08.11.22 - Biebob, Vosselaar, Belgium
09.11.22 - Logo, Hamburg, Germany
11.11.22 - Backstage Club, Munich, Germany
12.11.22 - Im Wizemann Club, Stuttgart, Germany
14.11.22 - Luxor, Cologne, Germany
15.11.22 - Nachtleben, Frankfurt, Germany
16.11.22 - Patronaat, Haarlem, Germany

The band recently released their newest single 'Eye of Storm' with an accompanying music video directed by Sam Sharpiro, available to watch here: https://youtu.be/U9jGRtmCsNQ

The rock track is a powerful number that conveys the chaos of a hurricane through dark, electric instrumentals with a pummelling, chaotic metal maelstrom that contains an uplifting message at its centre. The video is an allegory of the song’s meaning and paints a picture of the storm with rapid, flashing lights and rain flooding the scene.

Pop Evil have massive anthems and built a new rock’n’roll institution on a foundation of showmanship, raw relatability, and hard rock hooks, both forward-thinking and timeless from frontman, Leigh Kakaty, lead guitarist Nick Fuelling, rhythm guitarist Dave Grahs, bassist Joey "Chicago" Walser and drummer Hayley Cramer. No matter the headline-grabbing declarations from legendary icons, lamenting the changing of the guard, the slow-burning success of Pop Evil demonstrates the hunger for hard-hitting honest music persisting worldwide.

Their 2011 album, War of Angels debuted at #8 on Billboard Top Rock Albums with three singles landing on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Top 10 including 'Last Man Standing', 'Monster You Made' and 'Boss’s Daughter.' The momentum continued with their 2013 album Onyx, landing them on the Top 40 of the Billboard 200 for the first time, plus it was #9 on the Billboard Independent Albums in America and #25 on the Billboard 200. The album included three #1 Billboard Mainstream Rock singles with 'Trenches' 'Deal with the Devil' and 'Torn to Pieces.' In 2015, the band released their album, UP, which would make its way to #1 on Billboard Independent Albums, with four Top 5 Billboard Singles such as 'Ways to Get High,' 'Take It All,' and 'If Only for Now'. The hit single, 'Footsteps' is still one of the biggest songs to date and returned Pop Evil to Billboard’s #1 spot for four weeks. Their 2018 self-titled album landed three singles on Billboard Mainstream Rock, 'Waking Lions' at #1 with 'Be Legendary' peaking at #2, and 'A Crime to Remember' peaking at #7. Pop Evil just celebrated their 7th career #1 single in late 2021 with 'Survivor' on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart marking a historic milestone. 'Survivor' joins the previous Top 10 single 'Work,' and #1 single 'Breathe Again,' from their album VERSATILE, out now via MNRK Heavy. Over the course of their career, the band has achieved four gold singles with 'Torn to Pieces,' and 'Trenches' from Onyx, 'Footsteps' from UP and, '100 in a 55' from their debut studio album, Lipstick on the Mirror.

Pop Evil online:
www.popevil.com
www.facebook.com/popevil
www.twitter.com/popevil
www.instagram.com/popevil

Photo Credit: Julia Schwender

Debut album LIMBO out 23rd September 2022 via MNRK Music Group

German alt-rock duo Kill Strings have released a video for their new single 'Black Gold'. The track is another taste of the band's upcoming debut album LIMBO, due for release on 23rd September via MNRK Music Group.

Check out the video for 'Black Gold' here: https://youtu.be/9di0xszr7qw

Stream/purchase 'Black Gold' here: https://lnk.to/kill-strings-black-gold

Dipping into their array of influences, 'Black Gold' alternates magnificently between airy grooves in the verses to Kill Strings' epic, signature choruses. Watching the accompanying video, you may assume that the duo were fed the 'Deep Field' footage from the James Webb telescope some time ago: distant galaxies in the firmament, planetary nebulae, and twinkling stars. The sky panorama fits perfectly with the song.

With hard-hitting appearances at Germany's Open Flair Festival, the Oakfield and Hurricane Festival, as well as two successful EPs, Kill Strings have already garnered support from a variety of playlists including 'Rock Rotation', Germany's most popular rock playlist on Spotify.

Now comes the next step, their debut album LIMBO. Produced by Frieder Does (Blackout Problems, Antiheld), LIMBO unfolds in its perfect beauty. Singles 'Let Me Dream' and 'Navigation' hint at what's to come with a blend of alternative rock and epic pop, sometimes cinematically wide, sometimes with intense reduction. 'Orange Lilies' flickers between stirring anthem and intense calm, 'Whatever It Takes' wires dark moods with sky-high melodic arcs, 'Evermore' and 'Black Gold' groove like hell and 'Monster' combines thick beats, casual backings and features a stadium chorus worthy of the repeat button.

Kill Strings have picked up speed and the sky is the limit. Have you reached your destination?

For more information:
https://killstrings.com/
https://www.facebook.com/killstrings/
https://twitter.com/kill_strings/
https://www.instagram.com/killstrings/

Credit: Andy Julia

Another glimpse of new album Drif, to be released 19th August via Season of Mist

Pre-orders available now

Ritual music collective Heilung have unveiled their new single 'Tenet', another glimpse of their upcoming new full-length Drif, to be released 19th August via Season of Mist.

Stream here: https://youtu.be/BOAixAjugUQ

The group comment on the new single:

“Our third single release is a palindrome. All individual musical parts, melodies and instruments (and even at times the lyrics) play the same both forward and backwards. The song is based on the “Sator Square”, the earliest datable two-dimensional palindrome, first found in Herculaneum (Italy), a city buried under the ashes of the erupting Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, at that time part of the flourishing Roman Empire. What is particularly interesting with this palindrome is that not only does it read forwards and backwards but also vertically in both directions.

S A T O R

A R E P O

T E N E T

O P E R A

R O T A S

The unusual melody of the piece is created with a special code system employing numbers, runes and Latin letters taken from the square itself, and deciphered in a complicated system to give birth to Heilung’s first melodic palindrome. Love from Heilung."

The album can now be pre-ordered here and pre-saved here.

Track-list:
1. Asja (5:17)
2. Anoana (4:57)
3. Tenet (13:05)
4. Urbani (2:55)
5. Keltentrauer (8:26)
6. Nesso (7:54)
7. Buslas Bann (5:03)
8. Nikkal (3:04)
9. Marduk (8:34)
Total: 59:15

Watch Heilung on tour:

14 Jan 23 London (UK) O2 Academy Brixton
17 Jan 23 Manchester (UK) Bridgewater Hall
19 Jan 23 Dublin (IE) National Stadium
22 Jan 23 Glasgow (UK) Barrowland

Heilung means "healing" in the German language, and aptly describes the core of the band's sound. The 'amplified history' trio reach back into our collective past to present a truly immersive experience, leaving the listener at ease and in a relaxed state, after a magical musical journey that is at times turbulent.

Heilung reach far back in time to the Northern European Iron Age and Viking period to create the foundations of their sonic experience. The band utilises many means in their songs: from running water via human bones, reconstructed swords and shields up to ancient frame drums as well as bronze rings. It’s difficult to simply categorise a band that uses such a variety of influences, traditions, and instruments to create immersive soundscapes. Hence, the group settled on the description 'amplified history' to best describe their music.

When Heilung self-released Ofnir in 2015, the Danish band could hardly have anticipated the breakthrough success of their debut album. Spectacular live shows, strong critical acclaim, and a massive underground buzz added to the constantly high demand for this full-length led to Heilung’s new label Season of Mist re-issuing Ofnir in several collector's edition formats. Heilung's live album, LIFA (2017) was released in parallel.

The visionary three-piece continued gathering praise with their latest full-length Futha, released in 2019 which debuted at #3 on the Billboard Heatseeker charts and #4 on the Billboard World Music Charts in the United States, placing on a total of seven Billboard charts within the first week of its release. For the single 'Norupo' a music video was filmed at the Neolithic standing stones at Les Menhirs de Monteneuf in France, which can be viewed HERE.

The band’s music has been widely used in pop culture and transcends the traditional genre boundaries in music. Not only did leading television broadcaster HBO use their music in the trailer for the hit series Game of Thrones, Heilung’s sounds can also be heard in series like Vikings and Ragnarök on Netflix, as well as in the trailer for 2022's blockbuster The Northman.

Furthermore, the group has been collaborating with game studios for the soundtrack of several mainstream video games. In 2020, gaming company Ninja Theory and Heilung started to work on the soundtrack for their upcoming game, 'Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II.' The announcement trailer for the new game features Heilung's song 'In Maidjan,' which is taken from their debut album, Ofnir. Watch the trailer HERE.

Later, Heilung was invited to join in another video game collaboration with MY.GAMES and Booming Tech for the new season of the 'Conqueror's Blade' video game, 'VII: "Wolves of Ragnarok." The trailer for the game, featuring the track 'Galgaldr', can be found HERE. Heilung will also see their name being immortalised in one of the new combat map locations, which is now officially called ‘Heilung Fjord,’ and serves as a place for healing.

While the world came to a stop during the pandemic, the three-piece retreated into the studio to write and record the forthcoming album Drif. In classic Heilung fashion, all sounds are hand-crafted organically by the group. To create Drif, Heilung sought for forgotten songs, hand-crafted ancient instruments, and transcribed dead languages to spread messages of love and nature-respect. Drif will be Heilung's most immersive and successful work to date.

In their own words:

“Drif means “gathering”. A throng of people, a horde, a crowd, a pack. In symbiosis with the album title, Drif consists of a flock, a collection, a gathering, a collage of songs, that much like little flames were seeking towards each other, to join, to bond, to create, and be greater together. This album has very clearly dictated its own path. Our attempts to tame it was repeatedly fruitless and once we came to this realisation, the creative flow surged forward with immense force. So much so that sometimes it felt like the songs wrote themselves. All the songs on Drif have their own stories. They have each their place and sense of belonging, with inspiration not only from Northern Europe, but from the ancient great civilisations.”

Heilung are:
Kai Uwe Faust
Christopher Juul
Maria Franz

Recording studio: Lava Studios Copenhagen
Producer / sound engineer: Christopher Juul
Mix/Master: Lava Studios Copenhagen, Christopher Juul

Guest musicians:
- Annicke Shireen, Emilie Lorentzen, Mira Ceti, on track: 1, 2, 3 and 8
- Jacob Hee Lund and Nicolas Schipper on track: 1, 2, 3 and 7
- Ruben Terlouw, Pan Bartkowiak, Marijn Sies, Gwydion Zomer, Isabella Streich, Martin Skou, Samiye van Rossum, Nadia Kalamieiets, Edward Boyter, Nina Cornelia Schilp, Mitchell Bosch, Gwydion Zomer and Katalin Papp on track: 2, 4 and 5
- Vilja Christine Agger, Ea Christine Agger and Michael Berberian on track: 3

Heilung online:
www.facebook.com/amplifiedhistory
www.instagram.com/amplifiedhistory

Pre-save: https://orcd.co/heilung-drif

Shop SoM: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/Heilung
Shop Heilung: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/heilung-tvm-shop

Global doom metal supergroup MMXX have announced their new album Sacred Cargo will be released via Candlelight Records on 11th November. Ahead of this the band have released a new single and video, 'Perdition Mirror', which features guest vocalist Mick Moss (Antimatter).

Check out the video, ‘Perdition Mirror Feat. Mick Moss’: https://youtu.be/uDXqQbIPsRM
Streaming and purchase options here: https://MMXX.lnk.to/SacredCargoPR

Born during the initial lockdown of Rome and New York City, and incubated as the seasons passed, doom metal supergroup MMXX is the sound of global isolation. At the core of MMXX is Andrea Chiodetti (ex-The Foreshadowing) on guitars and keys, Jesse Haff on drums (Daylight Dies and Gökböri) and Egan O’Rourke on bass (Daylight Dies). Together they channelled inspiration for composition after composition to collaborate with a geographically, culturally, and stylistically diverse collection of celebrated vocalists and musicians from around the world.

"Sacred Cargo started during one of the darkest moments of lockdown," explains guitarist Andrea Chiodetti, "it was a creative expression, processing what was happening to the world around us. What makes this project unique is that every piece and its lyrics (provided by each singer), all composed during the height of the pandemic, is able to give voice to a deeply intimate part of all of us. They’re lyrics that belong to every person who lived through and shared that collective experience."

The end result, Sacred Cargo, is a dynamic and diverse sounding release, simultaneously densely heavy whilst retaining elements of etherealness and light, with each guest vocalist layering in their own perspective to culminate in this eclectic compendium of music reflecting an experience sadly understood by all.

Drummer Jesse Haff adds: "It's amazing to me that the grand vision of this album—one in which we had different vocalists from around the world contributing their own lockdown experience—was actually achieved. Andrea and I imagined our ideal end result and just went for it, but underestimated how much coordination would be required by everyone to truly pull it off. I'm amazed that so many talented people connected with the intent behind the project and agreed to participate. I'm deeply grateful for that. We didn't have to describe some foreign science fiction concept—unfortunately it is a directly understood reality experienced by all. I think the idea of directly channeling our unique perspectives into a collective expression resonated with everyone, as an obvious way to mark this era of our lives."

On the new single Jesse continues: "'Perdition Mirror' was one of the last songs written for the album. In fact its working title was "Final." Almost from the first chord the slow fuse is lit towards the tension and momentum that erupts at the end of the song. Because the journey to that point is plodding and calculated, we knew an exceptionally strong vocal performance would make or break the song. Thankfully the deeply talented Mick Moss stepped in and everything perfectly crystalised into place. As a musician, it really feels like luck when all the elements come together to deliver a simple yet powerful song where you wouldn't change a thing."

Guest vocalist Mick Moss adds: "For the lyrics of 'Perdition Mirror', I wanted to reflect on what our role, as a species, has been in the unleashing of the recent pandemic as we outstrip our environment and cut into the wildlife with catastrophic results. Two articles, one in the Boston Globe, another in the New York Times, gave me so much clarity during the writing. To quote David Quammen in the latter article, ''we disrupt ecosystems, and we shake viruses loose from their natural hosts. When that happens, they need a new host. Often, we are it''. Alan Wiesman, in the former, elaborates '' Humankind’s presence on Earth is now so lopsided that growing and grazing our food supply requires nearly half the world’s ice-free land, literally pushing other species off the planet. As we invade their habitats, and poach remaining wildlife for market, their resident viruses and bacteria jump to the handiest species left: us. That’s how nearly 75 percent of new infectious diseases this century originated. As temperatures rise, even more will spawn."

Appearing on forthcoming album Sacred Cargo, guest vocalists include Dan Swanö of Edge of Sanity, Nightingale (Sweden), Yann Ligner of Klone (France), Mick Moss of Antimatter and Sleeping Pulse (UK), Aaron Stainthorpe of My Dying Bride (UK), Mikko Kotamaki of Swallow the Sun (Finland), Carmelo Orlando of Novembre (Italy), Marco Benevento of The Foreshadowing (Italy), Chris Cannella of Autumns End (USA), and Egan O’Rourke of Daylight Dies (USA).

MMXX are:
Andrea Chiodetti - Guitar/Keys
Jesse Haff - Drums
Egan O’Rourke - Bass

MMXX online:
Website || Facebook || Instagram

Candlelight Records online:
Website || Facebook || Twitter || Instagram || Youtube

Sacred Cargo Tracklist

1: This Breath Is Not My Breath Feat. Mikko Kotamäki
2: Perdition Mirror Feat. Mick Moss
3: The New Forgotten Ones Feat. Yann Ligner
4: Faint Flickering Light
5: The Tower Feat. Mick Moss
6: Unavailing Feat. Marco Benevento, Chris Cannella
7: Der Nukleus Feat. Carmelo Orlando
8: SacredCargo Feat. Aaron Stainthorpe
9: Espirare
10: SHadow Haven Feat. Dan Swano

Photo Credit: Quinten Quist

'Ivy' out now via Long Branch Records

German modern heavy quintet Time, The Valuator have released their new single 'Ivy', out now via Long Branch Records.

Check out the visualiser for 'Ivy' here: https://youtu.be/dqpbtXaFjug

Stream 'Ivy' here: https://orcd.co/timethevaluator_ivy

Time, The Valuator comment new single:

"'Ivy' is about compulsive acts, relating to the name giving plant in it's nature: They grow fast and withdraw energy from contiguous surroundings. Compulsive acts are enrooted deeply and entwine major parts of our most inner mental scaffolding, without us taking notice about it in the first place. At some point it might be too late to escape its tight grasps, until we are fully controlled by them. Yet, 'Ivy' is not about giving up control. More so, It's about self-awareness, recognition, resistance and the power of will to ensure one's sanity."

With songs full of emotion, powerful vocals and infectious groove, Time, The Valuator have risen to become one of the most promising new acts in the modern rock sphere. The German quintet impresses not only with their music but also with their message. In the words of guitarist Rene Möllenbeck, "Time, The Valuator strive to create something to be remembered."

Drawing on elements of progressive metal, alternative rock, djent and pop, Time, The Valuator create a unique sound that pushes genre boundaries and touches emotionally. Their 2018 debut album, How Fleeting, How Fragile (Long Branch Records), received international critical acclaim and singles like 'Elusive Reasons', 'When I Meet Death' or 'Vibrant' have since been streamed millions of times.

Time, The Valuator are:

Daniel Moczarski (vocals, songwriting, co-production)
Rene Möllenbeck (guitars, keys, songwriting, co-production)
Cedric Dreyszas (guitars, songwriting)
Ryan Voosen (bass, co-songwriting, co-production)
Yunus Proch (drums, co-songwriting, production)

Catch the band live:
30 Sept - 02 Oct DE, Cologne - Euroblast Festival

Time, The Valuator online:
https://www.instagram.com/timethevaluator
https://www.facebook.com/timethevaluator

Credit: Jan Season

Queen of Broken Dreams due 30th September via SPV Recordings

German dark rock quintet Scarlet Dorn have revealed their latest single/video 'Born to Suffer'. The track is the third single to be released from the band's upcoming third album, Queen of Broken Dreams, due for release 30th September via SPV Recordings.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/uSfFhuRPvBg
Stream the single here: https://scarletdorn.lnk.to/queenofbrokendreams

Scarlet Dorn combine the elegance of darkness with the catchiness of pop. Free of genre boundaries, vocalist Scarlet sings herself directly into the heart of the listener. With industrial sounds, rock ballads and electronic beats, the band takes the listener on a journey through complex human abysses, the world of hope and sorrow, but also directly into the arms of life in all its glory. With her captivating voice, singer Scarlet Dorn exudes a variety of emotions ranging from gentle and tender to menacing and sombre.

The album contains 12 new songs and will be released as a limited LP edition, including red coloured vinyl, CD edition in a digipak, as well as stream and download.

Scarlet Dorn was founded in 2016 by the producers Chris Harms and Benjamin Lawrenz, together with the singer Scarlet Dorn. Not only through the release of the albums Lack Of Light and Blood Red Bouquet, but also through tireless touring with Within Temptation, Joachim Witt, Letzte Instanz, Lord Of The Lost among others, the band have already made a name for themselves in the dark music scene in those six short years.

Watch Scarlet Dorn live (w/ Lord Of The Lost)

06.10.22 DE – Nuremberg / Hirsch
07.10.22 DE – Stuttgart / LKA-Longhorn
08.10.22 DE – Cologne / Essigfabrik
12.10.22 HU – Budapest / Barba Negra
14.10.22 AT – Vienna / Szene
15.10.22 DE – Munich / Backstage
20.10.22 DE – Frankfurt / Batschkapp
21.10.22 DE – Leipzig / Täubchenthal
22.10.22 DE – Hanover / Pavillon
27.10.22 DE – Berlin / Columbia Theater
28.10.22 CZ – Prague / Club Storm
29.10.22 PL – Warsaw / Hydrozagadka
02.11.22 DE – Bochum / Zeche
03.11.22 FR – Paris / Petit Bain
04.11.22 FR – Lyon / CCO
05.11.22 ES – Barcelona / Salamandra
06.11.22 ES – Madrid / Mon
09.11.22 IT – Milan / Legend Club
10.11.22 CH – Pratteln / Z7
11.11.22 DE – Kaiserslautern / Kammgarn
12.11.22 DE – Herford / X

Scarlet Dorn are:
Scarlet Dorn - Vocals
Bengt Jaeschke - Guitars, Backing Vocals
Benjamin Mundigler - Bass, Backing Vocals
Gared Dirge - Piano
Henrik Petschull - Drums

Scarlet Dorn on social media:
https://www.facebook.com/scarletdornofficial
https://www.instagram.com/scarletdorn_official

Queen of Broken Dreams Tracklisting:
1. Falling
2. Born to Suffer
3. Queen of Broken Dreams
4. Your Highness
5. A Light That Blinds the Truth
6. Meteor
7. Unstill Life
8. When You See Me Again
9. Love Wasn't Made For Me
10. What Are We To Do
11. Tonight
12. A Million Miles Away

Black Blood due for release 21st October via Candlelight Records

Video 'Kernos Crown' streaming now

Black metallers Abduction have announced their new album, Black Blood, is set for release on 21st October via Candlelight Records.

The group's first single 'Kernos Crown' is accompanied by a stirring new video, which can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/9JdFxneiVZk

Pre-order the album here: https://Abduction.lnk.to/BlackBloodPR 

Abduction state: "Black Blood is an affirmation of the path that strives towards the balance of chaos and order in an era of disjointed and deliberate distraction. With 'Kernos Crown', the first track on Black Blood, there is an acceptance of all that is malevolent in the struggle for sleep. The necessity of the darkness and the imperative process that overcomes horrors and demons, by exalting and joining them at the altar of wisdom. To face death and no longer be afraid."

Formed in 2016 as a shadowy single-man entity, Abduction have made astonishingly fast progress, carving a fearsome reputation for themselves as a standout act in an increasingly crowded extreme metal scene.

Performing alone in the early years – a rare sight, despite the many one-man bands in the genre ­– Abduction’s central protagonist A|V then expanded the band into a full live outfit, to better create intense, ritualistic and immersive performances, both at underground shows and larger festivals.

The forthcoming release of Black Blood sees Abduction’s most ambitious and rewarding album to date. Recorded ­– like its predecessor, 2019’s All Pain As Penance – by Ian Boult at Stuck on a Name Studios in Nottingham, this nightmarish yet entrancing listen pushes Abduction into new territories without straying from their core sound. From the hypnotically earnest and haunting opener ‘In Exaltation of the Supreme Being’, to the expansive 11-minute epic ‘Plutonian Gate’, with its marked progressive and psychedelic overtones, to the blend of uncompromising, stripped-down black metal and slower, almost post-metal textures of ‘A Psylacybic Death’, it is an intense and dynamic experience.
 
Black Blood draws both from the band’s roots and new inspirations. The fact that members of British black metal bands The Sun’s Journey Through the Night and Revenant Marquis appear is a welcome nod to where Abduction come from, yet the fact that the band are atypical for a UKBM act ­– no rousing odes to England or 90s Scandinavian formulas here ­– is perhaps their most precious attribute. Their distinctive qualities have also earnt them a place on the roster of one of extreme metal’s most famous labels, Candlelight Records, a definite milestone.
 
“Before this album was recorded, I knew I wanted to step things up a few notches in terms of taking this vision to a wider audience,” A|V states. “Candlelight approached me – indirectly, as they didn’t know who I was behind the mask – and offered a deal that more than meets where I want to take this project. Rather than continue to exist in the well-established sphere I’ve grown comfortable in, I decided that now is the time to take a leap into the unknown. Much like the narratives of the songs, there is both trepidation and elation. Time will be the judge…”

Abduction online:
Facebook 

Candlelight Records online:
Website || Facebook || Twitter || Instagram || Youtube 

Tracklisting:

1. Kernos Crown
2. Dismantling The Corpse Of Demeter
3. Plutonian Gate
4. Lightless At The Grand Conjunction
5. A Psylacybic Death
6. In Exaltation Of The Supreme Being

photo - Martin Ruffin

'San Francisco' streaming now via Small Pond Records

UK desert rockers Intechnicolour return with new single 'San Francisco', the first new music heard from the band since their critically acclaimed debut album Big Sleeper. Accompanied by a hilarious horror movie-style video starring Barbie dolls, this is the band's first release on new label Small Pond Records.

Watch the video to 'San Francisco' here: https://youtu.be/gy7qhMe4pFA
Stream here:

On the new single, vocalist / guitarist Tobie Anderson commented: "We couldn’t leave 'Miami Funk' standing on its own, so we decided we needed another ‘Merican city tune…even though only 50% of the band have ever been to San Fran…hell, I’ve barely left Yorkshire! 'San Fran' was written in between Big Sleeper being recorded and us heading out on tour with Black Peaks. It was written purely so we could play a new tune live. It’s so awesome to go out and play loud, sweaty shows, especially with a band like Black Peaks! We had the wonderful Mark Roberts not only record and mix 'San Fran', but he also wrote a considerable amount on the drums for that song!

"Lyrically it’s about how it felt for me when I found out my partner was pregnant. It's about not feeling like a 'proper adult' and being really scared of this next step in life. I was so worried that I was going to fail and I just felt like I needed to address that. I needed to swallow the whole sun before I was ready to become a father. It's about wanting to keep the status quo (not the band)! You've got this huge dump truck full of change heading towards a fragile life and you can see it coming but you can't stop it and you feel like you just want everything to stay the same. But at the same time you're super excited about this amazing life event. So I guess it's also about that duality. Thankfully, now I have a toddler, I feel much more prepared to be a dad...and it only took 2 years for me to get to that point!"

On the video he continues "We love old school horror movies, especially the blood drenched Evil Dead franchise…but we’re poor as f**k, so the only way we could get close to making our own was to do it with Barbies".

Hailing from Brighton, Intechnicolour are a riffy, groovy, rock band with a knack for creating a colourful song or two. Formed in 2015 through a want to play loud music through slightly broken amps, the basis of the band was created.

Comprised of members from the likes of Delta Sleep, LUO and Broker the five-piece are a fully-formed band of technically gifted musicians, cutting loose and playing music that’s about as far removed from their day jobs as it’s possible to get – and they are doing it better than a good portion of their contemporaries. Landing somewhere between the slack desert-groove of Kyuss and Karma to Burn, the band combine deeply satisfying riffs with a dynamic vocal style, which calls to mind the sounds of Baroness, Gojira and Mastodon.

Intechnicolour have previously toured across the UK and Europe with the likes of Physics House Band, Black Peaks, Town Portal, Bitch Falcon as well as Haggard Cat, and are gearing up to hit the road this autumn with dates to be announced very soon.

2022 will see Intechnicolour release their follow up to their hugely successful debut album Big Sleeper (2020, Big Scary Monsters), more news soon.

Intechnicolour online:
https://www.facebook.com/Intechnicolourband/
https://twitter.com/intechnicolour_
https://www.instagram.com/intechnicolour/

Photo Credit: Blair Todd

The Rain Museum album out 9th September via Rude Records/Equal Vision Records

Armor for Sleep have revealed their latest single, 'Whatever, Who Cares', taken from their upcoming album The Rain Museum. The new album comes as the band's first piece of new music in 15 years, due for release 9th September via Rude Records (UK/EU) and Equal Vision Records (ROW).

Watch the music video to 'Whatever, Who Cares' here: https://youtu.be/LtnKESJO5Ok

Stream/purchase 'Whatever, Who Cares' here: https://afs.lnk.to/whatever

Pre-order The Rain Museum here: https://afs.lnk.to/rainmuseum

It’s been almost 20 years since the release of Armor For Sleep’s previous full-length, What To Do When You Are Dead. Now, with latest track 'Whatever, Who Cares', vocalist Ben Jorgensen explains:

“'Whatever, Who Cares' is a song about coming to grips with the fact that certain wounds are inescapably self-inflicted. But instead of this being a song about having the strength to overcome these truths, this song is about the moments where just accepting the absurdity of it all seems like the least painful route to take. The video follows the story of a couple, (the same couple from our 'How Far Apart' music video), being subjected to a strange experiment at the hands of a mysterious organisation. Their relationship is engineered to end in repeated failure, and they find themselves unable to prevail, ultimately choosing poison bottles over fighting to escape the cycle."

On the upcoming album, vocalist Ben Jorgensen states:

"We are very excited to share our new album, The Rain Museum. Back in 2020, at the start of the pandemic and at the start of our collective lockdown, I made it my mission to finish writing a concept album that had been in my mind for many years but was never able to bring to life. The Rain Museum was initially a short story I wrote many years ago about a post-apocalyptic Earth and a mysterious museum in the middle of the desert. Weaving the story into an album was going to be my quarantine project.

"Unfortunately, my marriage of nearly eight years and basically my entire life fell apart as I was beginning the writing process. The one thing I had in my life to divert my attention from what I was going through was the creative process of writing that album. But because I couldn’t ignore what I was going through personally, I wound up writing about myself and what I was going through and putting that into the story of the album and into the world I had been creating for this concept record. In the end, it’s an album about facing some of the most painful parts of being human and how lost we can get. I just hope it will speak to people going through their own dark times, as my favourite art certainly helped me get through mine."

'Whatever, Who Cares' is the second single to be released from The Rain Museum, the band’s upcoming full-length that is 17 years in the making. It’s a concept album built around a post-apocalyptic world where weather no longer exists on planet Earth and people come to a mysterious museum in the middle of the desert to look back on what life used to be like. Originally planned as the follow up to What to Do When You Are Dead, the album had been shelved due to “bad advice” leading the band in another direction. Fast forward to the global pandemic of 2020, and the events of the real world encouraged Jorgensen to revisit the concept. The result is a beautiful and devastating 12 song collection that draws upon the best elements of Armor For Sleep’s catalogue while incorporating elevated song-writing and composition. After a fifteen year absence from the studio, The Rain Museum will undoubtedly prove to be well-worth the wait for old and new fans alike.

Armor For Sleep are:
Ben Jorgensen - vocals / rhythm guitar
PJ DeCicco - lead guitar
Anthony Dilonno - bass
Nash Breen - drums

For more information:
https://www.armorforsleep.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ArmorForSleep
https://www.instagram.com/armorforsleep/
https://twitter.com/armorforsleepnj

The Rain Museum tracklisting:

1. The Rain Museum
2. How Far Apart
3. See You On The Other Side
4. World Burn Down
5. In This Nightmare Together
6. New Rainbows
7. I'm Not Myself
8. Whatever, Who Cares
9. Rather Drown
10. A Teardrop On The Surface Of The Sun
11. Tomorrow Faded Away
12. Spinning Through Time