German slamming death metallers Necrotted have unveiled their politically charged, dark new track 'Reich der Gier', along with a powerful music video.

Watch the video to 'Reich der Gier' here: https://youtu.be/3rNW9fJAJ_U

An experimental mix of brutal death metal with elements of black metal, 'Reich der Gier' is grindingly heavy with a threatening atmosphere; a perfect platform for the song's message, which is sung in both English and German.

The band comment: "With 'Reich Der Gier' we want to present another experimental single, in which we pushed our musical limits further, using elements of intensive black metal combined with merciless brutality of death metal, to create a very unique, vicious experience.

"This threatening atmosphere supports the message - sung in both English and German - about the immanent system of striving for money, power, and more recently data, as well as the boundless greed of mankind."

'Reich Der Gier' was recorded by Jeff Uhlmann of Defocus and mixed and mastered by Björn Frommberger of Acranius, with the music video produced by Sio Motion.

Fast, brutal, slamming, with a distinct message in their music: Necrotted from southern Germany are a bearer of hope for modern death metal.

Founded in 2008, the band from Abtsgmünd (Baden-Wuerttemberg) boast four full-length albums Anchors Apart (2012), Utopia 2.0 (2014), Worldwide Warfare (2017) and Operation: Mental Castration (2021), as well as two EPs Kingdom Of Hades (2010) and Die For Something Worthwhile (2019). The quintet have also earned a reputation as a ferocious live act, with extensive international touring alongside I Declare War, Hackneyed, Cytotoxin, Acranius, Osiah, Parasite Inc, and supported many big names including Hatebreed, Kataklysm, Heaven Shall Burn, Dying Fetus and Obituary.

Sweeping melodic guitar riffs combined with blaring blastbeats and stomping slam are the foundation of Necrotted's intense sound. This supports they deeply guttural and high-pitched peircing vocals, that deliver the band's deep conceptional lyrics.

2023 promises to be a huge year for Necrotted, stay tuned for more news.

Necrotted are:
Fabian Fink - vocals
Markus Braun - drums
Philipp Fink - guitar
Johannes Wolf - guitar
Koray Saglam - bass

Necrotted online:
Facebook || Twitter || Instagram || Spotify || YouTube

New Puerto Rican progressive guitarist Jan Rivera has released his new video, 'Can't Fight Who You Are', with an all-star prog line-up of Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), Marco Minnemann (Steven Wilson, The Aristocrats), and Mohini Dey (Jordan Rudess, AR Rahman).

The new video is taken from Jan's spellbinding debut album, Existential Paranoia, out now.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/ryBCqxXwgr0

Order Existential Paranoia here: https://janrivera.bandcamp.com/album/existential-paranoia

Jan's debut album Existential Paranoia is a superlative first offering from this new artist, accompanied by a host of musical stars. Alongside Marco Minnemann, Mohini Dey, and Jordan Rudess, the album also includes appearances from Gary Husband (John Mclaughlin, Allan Holdsworth), Nili Brosh (Danny Elfman), and Chad Wackerman (Frank Zappa) among others. Notably, Existential Paranoia includes the first instance of drumming legends Chad Wackerman and Marco Minnemann appearing on the same track - the album closer, 'The Grey Sticky Note'.

Jan Rivera comments: “Existential Paranoia is a play on words. It’s simply a reflection of the times. The high amount of noise in the world almost makes it feel like for many, paranoia is a direct result of existing...

"Using the word existential also makes reference to the fact that the space created the last few years has propelled introspection and sort of given fuel to the existential crisis. This is why many people have not returned to their previous jobs. They had a view into “the world that could be” and decided to pursue it."

Jordan Rudess comments: “I get asked to do a lot of projects. I have to say that many of them are really good, but it's not very often that you find a unique compositional voice. When I first heard Jan Rivera's music, I was freaking out!”

Elements of Allan Holdsworth, Dream Theater, The Aristocrats, and Scott Henderson abound throughout Existential Paranoia, displaying a musical sensitivity and rhythmic guile which marks out this new voice as one to watch. Much like his esteemed predecessor John McLaughlin, Jan displays a strong Indian Classical musical influence, including tabla master Zakir Hussain. For example, compositionally, Jan's musical counting is based upon Konnakol, an Indian rhythmic method of counting metre.

Well-regarded as a music educator, Jan is a graduate of the revered Musicians Institute's Guitar Institute of Technology in Los Angeles, where he studied under Alex Machacek, Greg Howe, and Scott Henderson, among others. His 2014 textbook 'Advanced Rhythmic Concepts for Guitar' was a bestseller, and received rave reviews globally. Jan is an on-set consultant and curriculum designer for Fender Guitars and has taught and performed with Guitar Workshop Plus, which commonly features guitarists such as Tosin Abasi, Paul Gilbert, and Andy McKee, among others.

On the album art, Jan comments: "The "world that could be" is visible in the album’s artwork. You can see that the colors outside of the door are monotone, while inside the door everything is full of color. This represents “what could be”.

"The surreal elements you see within the city represent the dreams and creative parts that capture our imaginations and propel us to seek something more, something meaningful. This is something that I deeply identify with, as it also mirrors my own struggles with finding my voice as a musician.”

For more information:

https://www.youtube.com/c/JanRivera
https://janrivera.bandcamp.com

Tracklisting:

1: Fractional Lineage
Mohini Dey (bass), Marco Minnemann (drums)

2: Existential Paranoia
Jordan Rudess (keys), Mohini Dey, Marco Minnemann, Juan Antonio (guitar)

3: Homenaje
Mohini Dey, Marco Minnemann

4: Can’t Fight Who You Are
Jordan Rudess, Mohini Dey, Marco Minneman

5: Things That Don’t Fit
Mohini Dey, Marco Minnemann

6: My Friend The [Synic]
Chris Clark (keys), Jimmy Johnson (bass), Marco Minnemann

7: Morse Code For Hope
Gary Husband (keys), Jimmy Johnson, Marco Minnemann

8: The Encounter
Nili Brosh (guitar), Eli Marcus (bass), Marco Minnemann

9: Not Here, Not There; Not Anywhere
Eli Marcus, Marco Minnemann

10: The Grey Sticky Note
Chris Clark, Mohini Dey, Marco Minnemann, Chad Wackerman (drums), Mark Hartsuch (saxophone)

Photo Credit: Declan Blackall

Australian progressive solo artist, Plini, has announced an extensive US headline tour in 2023, with support from Sungazer and Jakub Zytecki, following on from his previously announced Australia and UK/EU tour dates. Plini has also unveiled a stunning live video for the track 'PAN'.

Captured at the Factory Theatre (Sydney) & 170 Russell (Melbourne), watch 'PAN' live here: https://youtu.be/8a2kxRP0-Io

Plini comments: "After a couple of years away from touring, it's been so much fun getting back into the swing of things and seeing how these new tracks will pan out (pun maybe intended) live. Can't wait to see what they evolve into over all the tours we have coming up next year!"

Joining Plini on the US and UK/EU dates will be the innovative guitar soundscapist Jakub Zytecki. Watch the video to his latest track 'Heart' here: https://youtu.be/uV5jpBH8TXU

Catch Plini with Jakub Zytecki and Sungazer in the US on the following dates:

Fri 28 April Brick By Brick San Diego, CA
Sat 29 April The Independent San Francisco, CA
Mon 1 May Star Theater Portland, OR
Tue 2 May Rickshaw Theatre Vancouver, BC
Wed 3 May The Croc Showroom Seattle, WA
Fri 5 May Soundwell Salt Lake City, UT
Sat 6 May Gothic Theatre Denver, CO
Mon 8 May Fine Line Minneapolis, MN
Tue 9 May Bottom Lounge Chicago, IL
Wed 10 May The Shelter Detroit, MI
Thu 11 May The Opera House Toronto, ON
Fri 12 May Club Soda Montreal, QC
Sat 13 May Paradise Rock Club Boston, MA
Sun 14 May Gramercy Theatre New York, NY
Tue 16 May Mr. Small's Theatre Pittsburgh, PA
Wed 17 May Union Stage Washington, DC
Thu 18 May The Broadberry Richmond, VA
Fri 19 May The Underground Charlotte, NC
Sat 20 May The Abbey Orlando, FL
Sun 21 May The Masquerade - Hell Atlanta, GA
Tue 23 May Echo Lounge & Music Hall Dallas, TX
Wed 24 May Mohawk Austin, TX
Fri 26 May Crescent Ballroom Phoenix, AZ
Sat 27 May Teragram Ballroom Los Angeles, CA


Previously announced dates:

Australia / New Zealand with Protest the Hero + I Built The Sky

Sat 28 Jan Metro Theatre Sydney Australia
Sun 29 Jan Newcastle Hotel Newcastle Australia
Wed 1 Feb The Basement Canberra Australia
Thu 2 Feb Princess Theatre Brisbane Australia
Fri 3 Feb 170 Russell Melbourne Australia
Sat 4 Feb The Gov Adelaide Australia
Sun 5 Feb Magnet House Perth Australia
Thu 9 Feb San Fran* Wellington New Zealand
Fri 10 Feb Tuning Fork* Auckland New Zealand
(Plini only*)

UK / EU with Jakub Zytecki + Owane/Jack Gardiner

Fri 3 March - Doornroosje KZ Nijmegen Netherlands
Sat 4 March - 013 KZ Tilburg Netherlands
Sun 5 March - Melkweg OZ Amsterdam Netherlands
Mon 6 March - Rockhal Esch-sur-alzette Luxembourg
Tue 7 March - Gebäude 9 Cologne Germany
Wed 8 March - Logo Hamburg Germany
Thu 9 March - Lido Berlin Germany
Fri 10 March - Rock Café Prague Czech Republic
Sat 11 March - Proxima Warsaw Poland
Sun 12 March - Kamienna12 Krakow Poland
Mon 13 March - A38 Budapest Hungary
Tue 14 March - Flex Vienna Austria
Thu 16 March - Feierwerk Hansa 39 Munich Germany
Fri 17 March - New Age Treviso Italy
Sat 18 March - Legend Club Milan Italy
Sun 19 March - KiFF Aarau Switzerland
Wed 22 March - Stage Live Bilbao Spain
Thu 23 March - Hard Club Porto Portugal
Fri 24 March - LAV Lisbon Portugal
Sat 25 March - Nazca Madrid Spain
Sun 26 March - Garaje Beat Club Murcia Spain
Mon 27 March - La Nau Barcelona Spain
Tue 28 March - Connexion Live Toulouse France
Wed 29 March - CCO Lyon France
Thu 30 March - Le Ferrailleur Nantes France
Fri 31 March - Maroquinerie Paris France
Sat 1 April - Electric Ballroom London UK
Sun 2 April - Fleece Bristol UK
Tue 4 April - Saint Lukes Glasgow UK
Wed 5 April - Club Academy Manchester UK

New music from both Plini and Jakub Zytecki is planned for 2023, more news soon.

Plini online:
https://www.facebook.com/Plini
https://www.instagram.com/plini/
https://www.youtube.com/plinimusic
https://twitter.com/plinirh

Jakub Zytecki online:
https://www.instagram.com/jakub_zytecki/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100044442650010
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzBWsG3ETQWMHW1zV_C0Z1g

More information on PLINI:

PLINI composes, plays guitar, records, produces and manages his unique brand of instrumental progressive rock all from a bedroom studio.

His critically-acclaimed debut album Handmade Cities was voted #5 in Guitar World Magazine’s “20 best guitar albums of the decade,” and hailed by Steve Vai as “one of the finest, forward thinking, melodic, rhythmically and harmonically deep, evolution of rock/metal instrumental guitar records I have ever heard.” Routinely mentioned in “best guitarist” lists, PLINI was named #4 in the “Top 10 best prog guitarists in the world today” by Music Radar in early 2020. PLINI also made Prog mag (UK)'s top 100 musicians of all time list.

Over the last few years, PLINI has toured the world supporting bands like Animals As Leaders, Periphery, Tesseract and Intervals, as well as playing festivals and headlining his own tours all over North America, Europe, Australia, Asia and India. In 2018, PLINI was the first instrumental act ever to play the legendary Download Festival in the UK.

PLINI was a special guest instructor at “Vai Academy” in 2019, alongside Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Devin Townsend, and despite being entirely self-taught, he has been invited to give masterclasses at some of the most prestigious contemporary music colleges in the world, including Berklee College of Music, Musician’s Institute (USA), BIMM (UK), and JMC Academy (Australia).

PLINI has a signature guitar with Strandberg Guitars, signature guitar amp software with Neural DSP, and endorsement deals with Yahama Music, Dunlop, D’Addario and Fractal Audio.

Photo Credit: Jonathan Vahid

Metallic hardcore/grindcore group Escuela Grind will support Napalm Death on their forthcoming UK/EU tour.

UK dates are as follows:

Mar 07: Bristol O2 Academy
Mar 08: Manchester Club Academy
Mar 09: Glasgow Classic Grand
Mar 11: Birmingham Institute
Mar 12: London Electric Ballroom

The news follows the release of Escuela Grind's barnstorming new album Memory Theater, released September 2022 via the band's new label home of MNRK Heavy.

Watch the video for latest single 'Forced Collective Introspection' here: https://youtu.be/9bNU938oYtw

Order Memory Theater now here: https://escuelagrind.ffm.to/memorytheater

Produced by Converge guitarist/ God City producer Kurt Ballou, Escuela Grind's Memory Theater features nine tracks of sharp, scorching underground music that rage and rip in equal measure. Escuela Grind excel at stitching together a new metallic hardcore monster, borne from the rotten corpses of grind and power violence and littered with gleefully unhinged blasts of percussive bombast and chaos.

The music might be terrifying, but the overwhelming spirit behind Escuela Grind is a message of empowerment. As it destroys musical boundaries, the quartet attack the idea of “gatekeeping” with equal ferocity. Any time Katerina Economou (vocals), Jesse Fuentes (drums), Kris Morash (guitar), and Tom Sifuentes (bass, touring) convene, an aural apocalypse will ensue.

Memory Theater, Escuela Grind's sophomore album, is seven minutes shorter than Slayer’s Reign in Blood, but with a few songs running past the three-minute mark, it’s downright epic by grindcore norms. Delivering on the promise of several split records, a handful of EPs (including GGRRIINNDDCCOORREE and PPOOWWEERRVVIIOOLLEENNCCEE, both released in 2020), and the full-length, Indoctrination, the nine songs on Memory Theater offer a near-psychedelic trip to the genre’s soul. The album title references a specific historical concept, constructing a “space” from one’s internal ideas, knowledge, and perception. An architect by trade, Economou explores philosophy, politics, and experiential experimentation, building a kind of structure amidst the band's musical cacophony.

Escuela Grind, who performed as one of the featured acts at the 2022 Psycho Las Vegas festival, are currently in the midst of a U.S. headlining tour. The 23-city Forced Collective Introspection" tour launched on September 3 in Salem, MA and includes performances at New England's RPM Fest, Illinois' Full Terror Assault Open Air, and Cleveland's Hacked Up for BBQ death fest.

For more information on Escuela Grind:
Facebook || Website || Twitter || Instagram || MNRK Heavy

Track listing:

1. Endowed With Windows
2. My Heart, My Hands
3. Cliffhanger
4. Strange Creature
5. Faulty Blueprints
6. All Is Forgiven
7. Forced Collective Introspection
8. The Feed
9. Memory Theater

About MNRK Music Group

MNRK Music Group is one of the largest independent music companies in the world, with recording, music publishing, and management divisions operating in every major music market. MNRK is committed to discovering and guiding top music creators and artists and works with some of the greatest musical talent including The Lumineers and Pitbull, the music publishing catalog of Chuck Berry, plus premier music companies Dualtone Music Group and Last Gang. The company’s music department services Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning producers. Its catalog across divisions consists of 54,000 music tracks, including multiple GRAMMY winners and platinum-selling hits.To learn more visit mnrk.com.

zebrahead have released a video for their latest single 'Licking on a Knife for Fun'. The track is the second taste of their upcoming EP II, due for release on 3rd February 2023.

Check out the video for 'Licking on a Knife for Fun' here: https://youtu.be/VFSKHaKKfSo

Stream/purchase 'Licking on a Knife for Fun' here: https://lnk.to/LickingAKnife

Bassist Ben Osmundson comments on the creation of the video:

"We gave our drummer Ed and his kid Connor $268 to make a music video for 'Licking on a Knife for Fun'. This is what happened. They did all the stunts themselves. You will be as amazed.. as we are!"

Drummer Ed Udhus adds:

"Connor and I had a blast making this video. Our main actor (Sven) was kind of a pain in the a** but, he has a good heart. Hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it!"

With a renewed fire, zebrahead have been playing shows across the globe and fitting studio sessions in between, as they prepare to roll out new music throughout 2023. From an epic, productive studio session came a series of EPs: III, II and I. Monthly song and video releases will culminate with the band's II EP in February 2023, the follow-up to zebrahead's III EP which was released in 2021. Their I EP is expected to drop in late autumn 2023.

Since their incarnation, zebrahead have sold over 2.5 million albums and currently have over one million monthly listeners on Spotify. They have survived label changes, earned a Grammy nomination, and toured across the globe.

zebrahead have announced USA and European headline shows in January and February 2023, followed by festival appearances including Slam Dunk Festival and When We Were Young Festival. Head to the band's website for full tour dates: https://zebrahead.com/tour-dates/

zebrahead are:
Adrian Estrella - vocals/guitar
Ali Tabatabaee - vocals
Dan Palmer - guitars
Ben Osmundson - bass
Ed Udhus - drums

zebrahead online:
http://www.zebrahead.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Zebrahead
https://twitter.com/zebrahead
https://www.instagram.com/zebraheadofficial/
https://www.youtube.com/zebraheadofficial

Photo Credit: Matteo Vdiva Fabbiani for VD Pictures

POWERWOLF have announced the release of new album Interludium, set for release on 7th April via Napalm Records.

POWERWOLF are undoubtedly one of the most celebrated and successful heavy metal bands of the last decade. Multiple #1 album chart entries, gold and platinum records, huge sold out arena shows, as well as headline slots at the biggest festivals have paved their way. In less than 20 years of band history, POWERWOLF have made it to the very highest league of heavy metal.

Just in time for the highest Christian holiday, Easter 2023, another highlight of the band's discography, Interludium, will be released on 7th April, 2023. The new release features six new studio tracks, including the single 'Sainted By The Storm' which was already celebrated on the band's exhilarating Wolfsnächte 2022 headline tour, as well as one of the most intense tracks in the band's history, 'My Will Be Done'. Interludium also features gems and rarities from the band's history such as 'Midnight Madonna' or 'Living On A Nightmare'.

Pre-order Interludium here: https://lnk.to/PW-Interludium

Watch the video to recent single 'My Will Be Done' here: https://youtu.be/1H-gjv5UoNs

Interludium comes in several editions, most of them containing another exciting surprise: the bonus album Communio Lupatum II, where eleven befriended bands including Eisbrecher, Electric Callboy, Korpiklaani and Rage cover some of the biggest hits from POWERWOLF’s career. More limited versions also contain the second bonus album Interludium Orchestrale, containing eight orchestral versions of the album tracks.

One day before the release of Interludium, POWERWOLF will celebrate Easter with their devotees at Palladium in Cologne. The album release show will be one of the biggest concerts in the history of the band, and a once in a lifetime experience for each POWERWOLF fan.

Tuesday 29th November will see POWERWOLF headline a sold-out show in London at the prestigious Roundhouse venue, proving the band are one of the most powerful forces in metal today.

Interludium will be available in various formats:

● 3 LP Vinyl Transparent / Black in Cardboard Box (1-LP Gatefold + 2 x Bonus Album in Slipcase) with Slipmat – strictly limited to 300 worldwide (Napalm Records Shop exclusive)
● 3 LP Vinyl Marbled Green / White / Black in Cardboard Box (1-LP Gatefold + 2 x Bonus Album in Slipcase) with Slipmat – strictly limited to 300 worldwide (Powerwolf Shop exclusive)
● 3 LP Vinyl Marbled Black / Red in Cardboard Box (1-LP Gatefold + 2 x Bonus Album in Slipcase) with Slipmat – strictly limited to 400 worldwide (EMP exclusive)
● 3 CD Earbook with 96 pages booklet – strictly limited to 1500 worldwide
● 2 CD Mediabook with 48 pages booklet, incl Communio Lupatum II bundled with ticket for Un Holy Metal Mass in Cologne
● 2 CD Mediabook with 48 pages booklet, incl Communio Lupatum II with Aluminium Chalice (Capacity: 0,6l, Height: 20cm, Weight: 750g) – strictly limited to 500 worldwide (Napalm Records Shop exclusive)
● 2 CD Mediabook with 48 pages booklet, incl Communio Lupatum II
● 1 CD Jewel Case
● 1 LP Gatefold with poster
● 2 Music Cassette – strictly limited to 300 worldwide
● Digital Deluxe Album
● Digital Album

Tracklisting:

CD 1 - Interludium
1. Wolves Of War
2. Sainted by the Storm
3. No Prayer At Midnight
4. My Will Be Done
5. Altars On Fire
6. Wolfborn
7. Stronger Than The Sacrament
8. Living On A Nightmare
9. Midnight Madonna
10. Bête du Gévaudan

CD 2 - Communio Lupatum II
1. Werewolves Of Armenia (by Wind Rose)
2. Reverent Of Rats (by Mystic Prophecy)
3. Dancing With The Dead (by Annisokay)
4. Call Of The Wild (by Rage)
5. Venom Of Venus (by Ad Infinitum)
6. Sudenmorsian (Where The Wild Wolves Have Gone) (by Korpiklaani)
7. Stossgebet (by Eisbrecher)
8. Fire & Forgive (by Electric Callboy)
9. Armata Strigoi (by Warkings)
10. We Are The Wild (by Lord Of The Lost)
11. Night Of The Werewolves (by Unleash The Archers)

CD 3 - Interludium Orchestrale
1. Wolves Of War (orchestral version)
2. Sainted by the Storm (orchestral version)
3. No Prayer At Midnight (orchestral version)
4. My Will Be Done (orchestral version)
5. Altars On Fire (orchestral version)
6. Wolfborn (orchestral version)
7. Midnight Madonna (orchestral version)
8. Bête du Gévaudan (orchestral version)

ABOUT POWERWOLF:

The story of POWERWOLF, beginning in 2004, reads like a true fairytale, but is the result of the most hard-working and entertaining live band on the heavy metal planet. POWERWOLF has not only received plenty of Gold and Platinum awards to date, but numerous releases have entered the official German album charts at the top position of #1. With Blessed & Possessed (2015), POWERWOLF achieved Gold status (in the Czech Republic) for the first time, while its predecessor, Preachers Of The Night (2013), hit the official German album charts at #1, and the incredible DVD, The Metal Mass (2016), came in at #1 of the German DVD-Charts. POWERWOLF's holy mass in the name of heavy metal is unstoppable – their latest magnum opus, The Sacrament of Sin (2018), again entered the album charts at #1. The accompanying, almost completely sold out Wolfsnächte headline tour – in which POWERWOLF headlined large venues with their phenomenal stage performances – became a single major triumph, as well as the numerous summer festival shows in which crowds were thrilled and completely captivated by the Wolves and their unique, (un)holy metal mass. With the new studio album, Call Of The Wild, and the Wolfsnächte 2021 tour charging through the largest halls in Europe, 2021 will again be a year completely under the sign of the wolf pack.

POWERWOLF are:
Attila Dorn – vocals
Falk Maria Schlegel – organ
Charles Greywolf – guitar
Matthew Greywolf – guitar
Roel van Helden – drums

More Info:
HOMEPAGE
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
NAPALM RECORDS

Photo Credit: Andrew Basso

Melbourne's prog-metal outfit Circles' storm continues with the release their huge new EP The Stories We Are Afraid Of | Vol. 1, released today, 25th November via Wild Thing Records.

The trio have also released their focus track from the EP, 'Reckoning', which you can stream here: https://youtu.be/r8hoffDfwyc

Purchase The Stories We Are Afraid Of | Vol. 1: https://ffm.to/circlesthestoriesweareafraidofvol1

The Stories We Are Afraid Of | Vol. 1 is the first instalment of an epic two-part EP, following Circles' sophomore record, The Last One, which garnered international recognition and domestic success in Australia (#4 TheMusic’s Album of the Year 2018, #3 AIR Independent Albums). The progressive giants continue to lead the path of the international djent movement with their upcoming release, furthering the incorporation of shimmering, wavering pads, belting breakdowns and propelling percussion.

The next instalment of The Stories We Are Afraid Of continues on where the previous singles left off, by portraying themes of self-reflection and desperation to make a resolution; to fight your struggles and take the first steps to reacclimate to the life you once lived.

Frontman Ben Rechter states:

"The overarching theme of Vol.1 is one of a loss of identity and purpose, and trying to recapture a sense of wonder and passion for life that was once a core part of you. Musically, we went into these writing sessions with a focus on being more direct than on previous albums, steering away from crowding songs with heaps of different riffs for the sake of having more riffs that we personally like in there."

Concluding their successful Australian ‘Sleepwalking’ Tour (Destroy All Lines and Wild Thing Presents) in early September, Circles have already reignited their loyal Australian fanbase and left their international community cut and craving. Prior touring history across Australia and Europe with TesseracT, Periphery, Opeth, Fear Factory, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Twelve Foot Ninja cement the veteran's place as one of Australia’s quintessential prog/alt-metal mainstays.

Order The Stories We Are Afraid Of | Vol. 1 now via Wild Thing Music Store, which has now launched European and North American webstores (in addition to the original Australia-based webstore), providing customers in those regions with a more convenient and streamlined experience.

For more information:
Website || Facebook || Twitter || Instagram

Tracklisting:
1. Wonder
2. Bliss
3. Sleepwalking
4. Echo
5. Dig
6. Reckoning

The ever-mercurial, boundary-pushing UK rock quartet Sugar Horse have released a new live in-studio performance of their huge track, 'Waterloo Teeth'.

Taken from the new collaborative EP of the same name, you can view 'Waterloo Teeth' here: https://youtu.be/YD0JsiNqwsM

Waterloo Teeth is out now via Small Pond, and features members of Heriot, Conjurer, IDLES, Biffy Clyro, and many more.

Purchase: https://sugarhorse.bandcamp.com/album/waterloo-teeth

The band comment: "'Waterloo Teeth' is a song about the relentless churn of age. We all get old, some of us faster than others. To be totally melodramatic, turning 30 and having kids makes a person really dwell on age and how it rolls forward with a relentless crawl. It's a cliche to say you don't notice the churn until it's too late, but that is one of life's cringe-inducing truism. So go forth, listen to us blasting this far too loud for such a cramped practice room and cringe away at our predictability."

Full tracklisting:

1. Disco Loadout (ft. Debbie Gough, Heriot, vocals; Damien Sayell, Mclusky, vocals; Matt Loveridge, MXLX, cello)
2. Waterloo Teeth (ft. Dave Larkin, Black Peaks, bass; Will Gardner, Black Peaks, saxophone; Paul Tierney, Lonely Tourist, vocals)
3. Gutted (ft. Kate Davies, Pupil Slicer, vocals; Dan Nightingale, Conjurer, vocals/guitar; Brady Deeprose, Conjurer, vocals/guitar; Conor Marshall, Conjurer, vocals/guitar; Nuala Honan, vocals)
4. Super Army Soldiers (ft. Adam Devonshire, IDLES, bass; Mike Vennart, Oceansize/Biffy Clyro/Vennart, guitar; Connie Matthews, Wych Elm, vocals)

Waterloo Teeth is true demonstration of Sugar Horse's refusal to conform or sit still. A community-building, genre-hopping release, the EP sees Sugar Horse letting the good times roll. Recorded during the Christmas break at Small Pond studios, sleeping among the amps, the four-track record is the Bristol group's excuse to work with some of the coolest musicians on the planet.

Sugar Horse's most out-there music yet, Waterloo Teeth turns ideas on their head. Opening track and first single 'Disco Loadout' is anti-Sugar Horse - a band previously known for long, melodic songs, this song instead is as short and atonal as possible. In contrast track three, 'Gutted' is the everything everywhere at once song, from Shellac-style noise, to Sleep-esque doom, to Cocteau Twins melody and back.

It is apt that Waterloo Teeth is a celebration of the limitations of art. Humans are compelled to create, creation drowns out the madness arounds us as keeps us alive. Where there is release, there is constraint; where there is constraint, there is creativity. It is this circle of life that Sugar Horse thrive in - Waterloo Teeth is a beguiling and irresistible invitation to join the circle.

It's not for nothing that Sugar Horse have become known as a nonconformist band. Their previous EPs Druj and Drugs were acclaimed amalgams of doom, hardcore, stoner and punk, continued by acclaimed debut LP The Live Long After. A band who were due to tour with Black Peaks before the inevitable Covid disruption, and who have toured with Vennart and played ArcTanGent, Sugar Horse have received praise from Upset Magazine, Metal Hammer, Revolver and Kerrang!, among others.

Forming in 2015 as a trio in a flat in Bristol, Sugar Horse fully came into being in 2019 with the addition of Jake Healy on baritone guitar and keyboards. Seeking to break away from emerging trends in their scene, the band's emphasis on simplicity and down-tempo heft belies an impressive sense of self-awareness and maturity. In their own words: "I think the best art is formed when it's creators enforce rigid rules on themselves. Mondrian had geometry, Mark E Smith had his hatred for cigarette taxation and we have a complete disregard for urgency."

Sugar Horse are:

Ashley Tubb (Vocals/Guitar)
Jake Healy (Baritone Guitar, Keyboards)
Chris Howarth (Bass)
Martin Savage (Drums)

For more information:
https://www.facebook.com/sugarhorseruinedmybirthday
https://www.instagram.com/sugarhorse.are.awful
https://twitter.com/sugarhorse666

Tracklisting:

1. Disco Loadout (ft. Debbie Gough, Heriot, vocals; Damien Sayell, Mclusky, vocals; Matt Loveridge, MXLX, cello)
2. Waterloo Teeth (ft. Dave Larkin, Black Peaks, bass; Will Gardner, Black Peaks, saxophone; Paul Tierney, Lonely Tourist, vocals)
3. Gutted (ft. Kate Davies, Pupil Slicer, vocals; Dan Nightingale, Conjurer, vocals/guitar; Brady Deeprose, Conjurer, vocals/guitar; Conor Marshall, Conjurer, vocals/guitar; Nuala Honan, vocals)
4. Super Army Soldiers (ft. Adam Devonshire, IDLES, bass; Mike Vennart, Oceansize/Biffy Clyro/Vennart, guitar; Connie Matthews, Wych Elm, vocals)

Photo Credit: Ekaterina Gorbacheva

Virtuosic metal guitarist Morgan Reid releases his debut album, Terran, today; the Canadian shredder has also shared a new single and video for the title track 'Terran'. As a gesture of appreciation towards his fans, Reid is also giving away an Ibanez RG 7-string guitar to anyone who shares the music video for 'Terran' using the hashtag #ibanezgiveaway.

Order 'Terran' here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/morganreid/terran

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/DV64EUnl3Dk

Morgan comments: "A portal is opening to an alternate version of earth: Terran. A glimpse into this world, colliding with our own, allows us to see our faults, shortcomings and the inner-darkness. We struggle to hold on to our humanity as the darkness fights to overtake us. This clash of worlds may however serve as a glimmer of hope for change! The constant battle, switching back and forth between imminent destruction and a better future... Where will it end? This new single, 'Terran', holds the torch of the album name, and boldly demonstrates Morgan's musical vision. It's both melodic and heavy, technical and epic, and is performed with a dynamic fervor suitable for otherworldly travel. This album brings an onslaught of new instrumental guitar driven metal - coming your way!"

'Terran' is the title track from Reid's long-awaited debut album, which is released today. The album features the previously released singles 'A Formless Icon', 'Grand Champ', 'Djinn & Juice' and 'Goliath Online'. The project is supported by Initiative Musik gGmbH with project funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media (Germany).

Born in Toronto, Canada, Morgan is well-known for his fierce technical shredding, slamming riffs, bombastic windmills and his expressive, melodic lead lines.

Known as guitarist for melodic tech-death outfit Bloodshot Dawn, Morgan has been at the pinnacle of the guitar world for a good number of years already. Now a JTC, Ibanez and Elixir Strings artist, Morgan has made it to the top of many a guitar competition in the early 2010's including Guitar Idol, JTC solo competition and Per Nilsson's Guitar Messenger competition.

Morgan joined Bloodshot Dawn in 2015 following the departure of their previous lead guitarist to join Scar Symmetry. His first ever gig with the band was a sweaty one, the aptly named Incineration Fest in London, which preceded Morgan's first tour of Japan with the band.

He has since toured with the likes of Decapitated, Virvum, Fleshgod Apocalyse, and across Canada, Japan and Europe. He has also performed at Hellfest, Bloodstock, Hammerfest and Metaldays, among other big-name festivals.

Beside music, Morgan is also a professional dancer and choreographer. Having moved to Europe at the age of 18 to study dance, and the past 15 years of working in that field have been integral to Morgan's development as a composer and songwriter. An avid yoga enthusiast and martial artist, a metalhead who has developed his own unique, dynamic style of guitar driven music through his eclectic background.

For more:
https://www.instagram.com/morganreidguitar
https://www.facebook.com/Morganreidguitar
https://morganreidguitar.com

TRACKLISTING:
1. March On
2. Goliath Online
3. Djinn & Juice
4. Terran
5. A Formless Icon
6. Chimerism
7. Grand Champ (feat. Friedrich Thiele)
8. Obsidian (interlude)
9. Bending Light
10. Intrinsic Code
11. Sirsasana
12. CRISP