American hard rock quartet Throw The Fight have released their new single 'Cover Your Tracks', out now via Long Branch Records.
Stream here: https://throwthefight.ffm.to/cover-your-tracks
Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/ilwd02D2950
Vocalist Kade Katz comments: "'Cover Your Tracks' is a belief that our communities can stand united in the face of control and the ones thought to be in powerful positions, bringing a sense of unity throughout society, to stand up for the rights of humans. It is a call to action, to open your eyes and to question everything."
With over 100 million streams and nearly 700k monthly Spotify listeners, Throw The Fight have developed an impressive fanbase in their time as a group. The new song is the first glimpse of their highly-anticipated new studio album, to be released Summer 2023 via Long Branch Records. The Minneapolis-based group is currently putting the finishing touches on their fifth album with producers Josh Gilbert and Joseph McQueen (As I Lay Dying, Bad Wolves, Light The Torch, Upon a Burning Body).
Live is the avenue in which Throw The Fight truly come to life and they've put countless miles on the road, winning over new fans in a grassroots, tried and true way: one city, one gig, and one venue at a time. The group has embarked on plenty of national touring. They've supported Bullet For My Valentine and Black Veil Brides on the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour and as direct support for All That Remains throughout Canada. They have also logged dates with Avenged Sevenfold, Papa Roach, Nonpoint, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and more, in addition to festivals such as The Vans Warped Tour, Rock Fest and Rock USA.
Throw The Fight will be touring Europe in support of their new material. Tickets available from: throwthefight.com
UK dates as follows (support from Atena and Elwood Stray):
May 15: Manchester Satan's Hollow
May 16: Birmingham Dead Wax
May 17: London O2 Academy2 Islington
Throw The Fight are:
Kade Kastelitz - Vocals
Ryan Baustert - Guitar/Vocals
Kris Weiser - Guitar
Jeff Baustert - Drums
Irish noise-pop sextet THUMPER have released their cover of Natasha Bedingfield classic 'Unwritten', a firm favourite in their live setlist, out now via Reckless Records. The band have also released a B-side alongside the cover, their brand new track 'Circles'.
Check out 'Unwritten' here: https://youtu.be/yqKcOHAvY-c
Check out 'Circles' here: https://youtu.be/feP1SD46Ubw
Stream/purchase the tracks here: https://lnk.fu.ga/thumper_unwritten
In 2019, THUMPER performed a live and very ramshackle version of ‘Unwritten’ by Natasha Bedingfield for BBC Introducing. Calling on the propulsive fuzz of bands like King Gizzard and Parquet Courts, they essentially cooked up their own song, while lead vocalist Oisín Leahy Furlong simply belted whatever lyrics from the tune he could remember over the top.
The song lay dormant in the THUMPER back catalogue until 2022, when the band decided to bring it out of retirement while touring their lauded debut album Delusions of Grandeur across sold-out shows and festivals, including Reading & Leeds, Reeperbahn, Iceland Airwaves, Haldern Pop and United Islands of Prague. Much to the bemusement of the band, their heavily doctored version of 'Unwritten' began to gain traction. Fans began requesting it and their inbox began to fill up with increasingly aggressive requests to release a studio version.
Now in 2023, fresh from Delusions of Grandeur being nominated for the Choice Prize Album of the Year alongside Fontaines D.C., CMAT and Dermot Kennedy, the band make the next logical step in their upward trajectory: dropping an official studio version of the 2004 hit.
Accompanying the release, which comes days before the coveted Choice Prize Awards, is a brand-new, never heard before original THUMPER track ‘Circles’.
This left turn in THUMPER’s catalogue cements them as one of the most exciting and unpredictable acts to emerge from Ireland's booming guitar scene. As Natasha herself once sang;
“I am unwritten. Can’t read my mind, I’m undefined. I’m just beginning. The pens in my hand: Ending unplanned.”
THUMPER have had support from BBC Radio 1, Radio X and Primordial Radio, as well as Kink, KEXP and more. They featured as the face of Spotify's ‘All New Punk’ playlist and gained editorial support from Amazon Music.
Stream/purchase the band's debut album Delusions of Grandeur here: https://orcd.co/j4a8pjo
THUMPER are:
Oisín Leahy Furlong - Vocals, Guitar
Alan Dooley - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Alex Harvey - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Dav Campbell - Bass, Backing Vocals
Stevie D’Arcy - Drums
Benedict Warner-Clayton - Drums
For more information:
Facebook || Website || Twitter || Instagram || Bandcamp || Youtube
Photo Credit: Cornelius Qvist
Danish blackgaze masters MØL have announced a UK / EU headline tour, their first since the release of new album Diorama, out now via Nuclear Blast. Joining them will be UK outfit Countless Skies.
Dates:
May 05: NL Utrecht, De Helling
May 06: DE Bochum, Matrix
May 08: UK London, Underworld
May 09: UK Bristol, The Fleece
May 10: UK Manchester, Rebellion
May 11: UK Glasgow, Garage Attic
May 12: UK Leeds, Key Club
May 13: UK Birmingham, The Flapper
May 16: DE München, Feierwerk
May 17: AT Vienna, Viper Room
May 18: CZ Prague, Rock Café
May 19: PL Poznań, Pod Minogą
May 20: DE Berlin, Badehaus
May 21: DK Copenhagen, Rust
Get tickets here: https://lnk.to/MOL-Europe23
Stream Diorama (Instrumental) here: https://bfan.link/diorama-instrumental
Watch the band's music videos of the latest studio album Diorama here:
'Tvesind' official music video:: https://youtu.be/diHh9lHJdmE
'Vestige' official music video: https://youtu.be/x2vjkHI2CJQ
'Photophobic' official music video: https://youtu.be/ooY2JtQ6NXc
'Serf' official music video: https://youtu.be/T2l2tvw2n7c
Undeniably one of the most exciting and unique groups to set the metal landscape alight in recent years, MØL mix elements of black metal with the contrasting sub-genre of shoegaze. Meandering dreamy soundscapes intertwine with hellspawn vocal rasps and lush melodies to create an exceptional collision of beauty and wretchedness.
Inspired by bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Drop Nineteens, Lantlôs and Alcest, MØL released their self-titled debut EP in 2014. A year later they perfected their sound with their second EP II, produced by Jacob Bredahl and released in 2015. Both EPs were well received and drove them on to do some emphatic live shows which were praised by press. In 2018, MØL made an international breakthrough signing with Holy Roar Records (UK) who released their debut album Jord to worldwide critical acclaim. The record was recorded at Grapehouse Studios and mixed and mastered by Chris Kreutzfeldt. The album was also released as an instrumental version and in 2019, the band re-released their two first EPs, remastered for CD and vinyl.
In November 2021 MØL returned with their second studio album, Diorama, the group’s first for Nuclear Blast Records. Recorded and mixed by Tue Madsen (Gojira, Meshuggah, Heaven Shall Burn), the album once again captivated critics worldwide.
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Scottish alt/pop rock band happydaze have released their brilliant new single 'Faded', out now via Thriller Records.
Stream 'Faded' here: https://orcd.co/happydaze-faded
Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/2X8AZdCbznc
'Faded' was filmed across happydaze's hometown of Edinburgh - a glistening track, contrasting soothing melodies and rock tones.
In the band's own words: "We shot the video for our new single faded at the arts venue Summerhall in Edinburgh. The video features two exhibitions; the hall shots feature ‘the odyssey’ by John Kindness and the amazing colourful room is in the middle of WALLPAPERS (K7 SERIES) by Roger Elliot. We always love the opportunity to shape the visuals of a song, that was spent so much time doing when we first started as a band. Seeing the level up from our older videos to this is dope, we’re super proud and hope you enjoy it."
They continue: "'Faded' is about putting all your cards on the table and reaching a feeling of realizing someone who can bring you out of it, while exploring the uncertainty about the direction you should take."
It's the second release of 2023 from the quartet, following the smash success of previous single 'Cool Blue', premiered on BBC R1, and follows their highly successful 2022, including support tours with Boston Manor and Neck Deep.
Watch the band live:
Mar 2: Liverpool Zanzibar
Mar 3: Sheffield Record Junkie
Mar 4: Newcastle World Headquarters
The story of happydaze began in an abandoned barn, at a battle of the bands contest outside of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was there a 15yr old Luke Bovill (vocals) met Pete Bunting (drums) for the first time. Despite being competitors on the day the two kept in touch, always expressing a desire to one day collaborate and play together. Following the break up of bands and numerous creative relationships dissolving, early 2020 found the pair able to start something new. At this point Luke brought in college friend Rory Gault-Gordon (guitar) and at a later date Pete asked Adam Campbell (guitar) from the Edinburgh scene to join. It was here happydaze was formed.
Shortly after the band came together, the upheaval and uncertainty of the global pandemic placed the world on pause. Despite the clear restrictions the band threw themselves into happydaze with a focus and enthusiasm that was immediately different from any of their previous projects. Luke remembers “Like everyone, we were unsure of how long we would be stuck in the house for, and we quickly realised we had the time to work on what we REALLY wanted happydaze to be. This ended up being months and months of zoom calls to write songs - me in my flat, Pete in the studio, which is fortunately round the corner from his place - going over every detail. 16 hour days in rooms with no windows, building something up from scratch. The band really gave us purpose in such uncertain times, and now that we have opportunities to share it with the world and hear how the songs resonate with people.”
Following the release of a series of singles in ‘21, the band’s debut EP Underground Summer Sound was released early ‘22. With the world opening up happydaze jumped straight into touring, playing their first headline shows in the UK to the fanbase they’d built during the past year. This was swiftly followed by a run opening for Neck Deep that also took them into mainland Europe for the first time, as well as further UK shows in the year with Between You & Me and dates with ROAM. Alongside the band continued to build their audience and pick up media coverage at Rock Sound, Kerrang!, Radio 1 Rock Show as well as Spotify editorial support at New Music Friday, All New Rock, Pop-Punk’s Not Dead and Misfits 2.0.
Shortly after the release of the debut EP, their thoughts returned home, restless with plans for the next phase for the band. “Our studio space in Edinburgh is a renovated old house” - picks up Luke - “We have a sick community of bands around us in separate rooms, you can hear them through the walls and when you’re outside in the car park. We write & rehearse there, we’ve recorded there, shot music videos there. It really is a second home, for all of us.” In addition to their community, further international influences helped enhance the happydaze sound: “We had the privilege and time to have songwriting sessions with so many amazing producers and musicians - Matt Squire (Panic at the Disco, Good Charlotte), Mike Green (Sum 41, All Time Low), Sky Acord (Issues, Twenty One Pilots) - all of which has helped shaped our songwriting. Alongside we all appreciate and love electronic, emo-trap, soundcloud-pop-punk music. This has evolved to adopting elements of drum and bass, garage, lofi beats, anything we enjoy listening to we try to incorporate those vibes into our songs.”
Keep up with the band on: Spotify, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Photo Credit: Matteo Vdiva Fabbiani for VD Pictures
Following the overwhelming success of their sold-out debut concerts in North America, POWERWOLF return with the impressive new studio track 'No Prayer At Midnight'. The new single is one of six brand new studio tracks on the upcoming special album, Interludium, which will be released on Good Friday (7th April) via Napalm Records.
The cinematic official music video impresses with striking imagery, and provides the perfect backdrop for 'No Prayer At Midnight'. In a gloomy, sacral atmosphere, high priest Attila Dorn watches over his flock before sin awakens at midnight.
Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/tmcz6sCFvN4
Pre-order Interludium here: https://lnk.to/PW-Interludium
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'.
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: Luna Perri
UK trio Black Orchid Empire have unveiled their new single 'Glory To The King', taken from their new album Tempus Veritas, set for release on 14th April via Season of Mist.
Watch the lyric video for 'Glory To The King' here: https://youtu.be/bY76U2RyHgk
Pre-order Tempus Veritas here: https://shop.season-of-mist.com/list/black-orchid-empire-tempus-veritas
Stream the single and pre-save the album here: https://orcd.co/tempusveritas
On 'Glory To The King', guitarist / vocalist Paul Visser comments: "We’re super proud of this song - it’s one of the biggest choruses on Tempus Veritas. The middle section also has some of our favourite vocal harmonic moments, with a crazy riff hitting straight after. The lyrical narrative explores the relationship between an early Meso-American emperor Montezuma and the explorer and conquistador Hernán Cortés. The story, told from the point of view of Montezuma, imagines that the new arrival was initially seen as a god - assumed to be the deity Quetzalcoatl. When Cortes cuts himself and is seen bleeding, the mirage is shattered and the Aztec ruler goes to war with the people he now realises are merely men."
Watch the video for previous single 'Deny The Sun' here: https://youtu.be/b1uukX9KALY
On new album Tempus Veritas, he continues: "Interwoven with the fabric of our history as a species are countless opportunities for stories. Little pieces of imagined narrative, set within events we all collectively know as historical, that seek to explore what it means to be human - this is the idea behind Tempus Veritas. Whereas Semaphore looked to the future, this record reinvents the past, wondering what it was like to be inside the mind of a person living through times of consequence. Musically, we continue to seek the boundary between the savagely technical and the undeniably beautiful and attempt to push it as far as possible. We poured our entire creative beings into making this album - we sincerely hope you enjoy it."
Black Orchid Empire create huge, memorable rock music that combines heavy-hitting savagery with intense melodic beauty. Their technical, fearlessly complex grooves and gigantic sing-along choruses have already earned them a widespread fanbase.
A ferociously tight live band, Black Orchid Empire have toured Europe and the UK extensively, supporting Skunk Anansie, HED p.e, INME and Black Map as well as festival slots at Download, Standon Calling and Planet Rockstock. Black Orchid Empire have sealed the bands reputation as a force to be reckoned with.
Having released their debut album Archetype (2016) to universal acclaim, Black Orchid Empire signed with German label Long Branch Records to release the follow up albums Yugen (2018) and Semaphore (2020). Both albums received stellar reviews and over 4,000,000+ combined streams.
Tempus Veritas is a collection of stories that seeks to find compelling imaginary narratives hidden away in what we all think of as history. Behind every milestone or major event in humanity’s long, complex past lies a treasure trove of possibilities for invention - how did Pope Urban VIII feel when confronted by his friend Galileo about the true nature of the sun? What really happened during an almost triumphant but ultimately doomed Everest attempt? What was it like to be a Norse settler amongst the Saxons; did the omens of the ancient gods begin to disappear?
In approaching Tempus Veritas, Black Orchid Empire sought collectively to push themselves both musically and thematically. Their pursuit of heaviness, melody, emotional power and rhythmic complexity has pushed them to create something they‘re immensely proud of. Semaphore was an album of Sci-Fi, this is an album of Hi-Fi. Tempus Veritas.
Black Orchid Empire are:
Paul Visser - Vocals, Guitar
David Ferguson - Bass, Vocals
Billy Freedom - Drums
Black Orchid Empire online:
Website || Facebook || Instagram || Youtube || Tiktok
Track-list:
1. Tempus Veritas (1:24)
2. Hydrogen (3:57)
3. The Raven (3:41)
4. Last Ronin (4:27)
5. Scarlet Haze (3:42)
6. Deny The Sun (3:15)
7. Glory To The King (3:37)
8. Summit (3:07)
9. Weakness (2:49)
10. Vesuvius (3:44)
11. Latimer (3:43)
Total: 37:26
Photo Credit: Toddi Babu
US deathcore heavyweights Bodysnatcher have released a brand new single via MNRK Heavy. 'Dead Rabbit' is a tribute to drummer Chris Whited’s late brother and former bandmate, Adam.
Watch here: https://youtu.be/QiZuTsEqoqk
Stream here: https://bodysnatcher.ffm.to/deadrabbit
Chris Whited comments: "This song was written as a message to my brother Adam who died last April. Adam got me into hardcore and playing music when we were younger. He started and played in our old band King Conquer and was a massive part in the South Florida metal and hardcore scene. Adam was diagnosed with a severe case of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) when he was only sixteen years old. He fought through it for years continuing to tour through the pain, loss of sight, numbness of limbs, and brain lesions until he physically couldn't do it any more.
"Bodysnatcher had planned to have Adam write the lyrics for our next album," continues Whited. "That album was going to be his point of view and struggles through life with MS that most people could never imagine. I wanted him to be able to still have an input in one more album I was part of... but on April 5th, 2022 he passed away. While writing these lyrics, I knew I wanted to also include something he had written in the past. The words that read, ‘You don't know real pain until you feel mine; Losing faith on a bathroom floor,’ are taken from the King Conquer song ‘Turmoil Before Enlightenment’ that he wrote all the lyrics for twelve years ago. Chills ran down my spine remembering those words because when he passed away, he was found exactly like that. ‘Dead Rabbit’ was his nickname most people knew him by so we named this song after him."
The standalone single drops just as Bodysnatcher head out on a massive run of dates across the USA, including a headline tour (support from Angelmaker, Paleface, and Distant), into supporting Lorna Shore on their 14-date run, and then eight more shows with Shadow Of Intent, Brand Of Sacrifice and Boundaries.
Purchase Bodysnatcher's most recent LP Bleed-Abide here: https://www.bleed-abide.com
Watch Bodysnatcher’s previously released videos for 'Wired For Destruction', 'Absolved Of The Strings And Stone', 'E.D.A.', and 'Behind The Crowd' at the band’s official YouTube page HERE.
An epically unashamed demonstration of aggression, Bodysnatcher's music is dark, furious, and threatening. It’s a sound born from the burden of struggle and an unwavering commitment to continued survival against all obstacles.
Bodysnatcher put the 'core' back in deathcore. Bleed-Abide, the Florida band's third album, crackles with rage and power. Unquestionably their darkest offering to date, Bleed-Abide burns with an intensity derived from a further focus on sonic pummeling and truth-telling narratives.
About Bodysnatcher:
Kyle Medina (vocals), Kyle Carter (guitar), Kyle Shope (bass), and Chris Whited (drums) embody the hardcore spirit and cut their teeth in their tight-knit Florida community, home of death metal and pioneering punk, hardcore, and power-violence bands. Bodysnatcher are monikered after the nickname of one of history’s most notorious serial killers, Ed Gein, and represented by a triangular symbol steeped in alchemy and the occult. But Bodysnatcher lyrics owe more to the horrors of domestic strife than the gore of their Florida-based forebearers in Cannibal Corpse.
The inception point came with the purest of intentions. “I was around seventeen,” Medina explains. “We were just going to be a band that was basically a ‘breakdown band’ for my friends to mosh to.” Eventually stabilisng with a line-up that overlapped at various points with beloved groups like King Conquer and Dealey Plaza, Bodysnatcher released a quick succession of albums and EPs, most notably Abandonment (2015), Death Of Me (2017), and the utterly crushing This Heavy Void (2020). Combined with a blistering live show, this led to a deal with the MNRK Heavy label.
Bleed-Abide is the darkest offering yet from Bodysnatcher, burning with an intensity derived from a further focus on sonic pummeling and truth-telling narratives. “Even as a pissed-off teenager, the first songs I wrote were about personal experiences and people who did me wrong,” Medina says. “The musicianship is more mature; there are still a lot of breakdowns but done in a much smarter way. It’s definitely still Bodysnatcher. It’s like Bodysnatcher on steroids.”
All of the guys contribute to the lyrics, resulting in multiple points of view and diverse insights anchored by common themes of catharsis and resistance. 'Absolved Of The Strings And Stone' is a battle cry against the gaslighting and emotional abuse of toxic people. 'Hollow Shell' delves into strained familial dynamics, where some family members live as virtual prisoners to others. 'Wired For Destruction' confronts death anxiety. “It’s about the fear of the unknown, how all of us will move on,” says Medina. “Are we just going to return to dust? Are we just forgotten?” Even amidst the uncertainty and darkness, there’s an underlying positivity to be mined within. 'Value Through Suffering' takes a proactive stance on hardship, a way to rebuild from the wreckage. Too many bands resist genre classification in an aloof effort to distinguish themselves from every other band, inadvertently consigning themselves to talking points that sound like everyone else. Bodysnatcher is, without apology, a deathcore band. There is no compromise in the cards. “Deathcore kicks ass. A lot of bands shy away from labels they don’t deem ‘cool’ enough. But we don’t give a f*ck,” Medina says proudly. “We like what we like, and we play what we play. We all love hardcore and metal, so we’re going to play hardcore, play metal, and play breakdowns. And that’s how the band is going to be, forever.”
Bodysnatcher:
Kyle Medina – vocals
Kyle Carter – guitar
Kyle Shope – bass
Chris Whited – drums
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Photo Credit: Andy Ford
After performing the song live on tour to eager fans, Juno Award-winning rock duo Crown Lands - Cody Bowles (vocals and drums) and Kevin Comeau (guitar, bass, and keys) - release their highly-anticipated single, 'Lady Of The Lake'. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album Fearless, due for release on 31st March via Spinefarm Records/Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company.
Check out the video for 'Lady Of The Lake' here: https://youtu.be/rRrHSvU-n-o
Stream/purchase 'Lady Of The Lake' here: https://crownlands.lnk.to/LOTLPR
'Lady Of The Lake' dives deeper into the saga Crown Lands introduced with their 18-minute opus, 'Starlifter: Fearless Pt. II', released earlier this month. Bowles explains: “Steeped in a myriad of mythology, our song ‘Lady of the Lake’ tells a tale of an ancient battle for control over the realm and a powerful goddess who is called upon to dispel the darkness. This takes place in the same world as Fearless, but long ago.”
Bowles vigilantly sings the lyrics like retracing a legend; "Now she has awoken, Her wrath will shake the world… All will bow before, The power she holds", while the song arrangement builds an energy that allows the listener to fully submerge into the story. "I love the textures we’ve got in this song. I doubled the electric guitar with a 12-string acoustic for most of it. There are lots of Mellotron and Moog Taurus moments in this piece that give it that medieval-meets-outerspace fantastical quality. I’m particularly proud of the Leslie-soaked guitar solo in 15/8," Comeau affirms.
The track is released alongside the accompanying music video, a ritualistic celebration of the story’s first hero who emerges from the water, soaked with power and purpose. “We wanted to invoke the feeling of something grand and mystical with this piece while recontextualizing fragments of our own real-world mythologies. Blurring these lines, we hope you’re taken to another place altogether and a little further into this fun world we’re creating,” Bowles describes.
Crown Lands’ sophomore album Fearless was announced with the release of the album opener, 'Starlifter: Fearless Pt. II', a track Guitar World dubbed as “a jaw-dropping voyage through off-kilter riffs, blockbuster guitar tones and dynamic contrasts that not only parallel the Rush playbook but even go beyond it.”
Fearless follows Crown Lands' self-titled debut (2020). It was recorded in 80A Studio at Universal studio in Toronto with producer David Bottrill (Rush, Muse, Tool, Mastodon) and came together over a six-month period in short, intense bursts between tours. Where the debut record showcased Crown Lands' aptitude for raw blues rock, Fearless embraces more of the band’s earliest passions in prog-rock. The album is an unapologetically rich, ambitious work yet easily accessible, plus fans will notice some previously released tracks, 'Context: Fearless Pt. I' and 'Right Way Back', that act as familiar touchpoints framing in the new soundscape. Rather than clobber its audience with complexity, Fearless creates a world you want to spend time in.
Crown Lands continue to introduce themselves to the rest of the world through their high energy live shows. Last year, they joined Greta Van Fleet on the final leg of their Dreams In Gold world tour in the US. Starting 10th March, they head out with fellow Canadian rock outfit July Talk, playing iconic venues across their home country on The Never Remember Tour, plus some headlining shows.
See tour dates on the poster below, with tickets on sale via the band’s website here: http://www.crownlandsmusic.com/
For more information:
https://www.facebook.com/crownlandsmusic/
https://twitter.com/crownlandsmusic/
https://www.instagram.com/crownlandsmusic/
https://www.tiktok.com/@crownlandsmusic/
About Crown Lands:
Crown Lands are born storytellers. Advocates for the LGBTQ+ and indigenous communities. Counter-culturalists for the 21st century, informed by a cocktail of ancient voices, social injustice, science-fiction, and musical narrators from Rush to Paul Simon, Led Zeppelin to John Butler. Since meeting in 2015 at a band audition, singer/drummer Bowles (a reconnecting Mi’kmaq who identifies as Two Spirit) and guitarist/keyboardist Comeau have cultivated a diverse sonic and lyrical palette. Touchstones range from the mistreatment of Canada’s indigenous population to Buddhist meditation master Chögyam Trungpa, the worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien and Dune author Frank Herbert.
Originally, they got their foot in the door with raw blues rock, on their Juno-nominated, 2020 self-titled LP, working with Grammy-nominated Dave Cobb. This paved the way for an introduction to three of Crown Lands' heroes: Terry Brown, Nick Raskulinecz, and David Bottrill – all prolific producers that worked with them on their breakthrough track 'Context: Fearless Pt. 1', which premiered on Rolling Stone. After a steady stream of new music, the band’s fresh approach and mission-driven catalogue garnered them the 2021 Juno Award for 'Breakthrough Group of the Year'.
Crown Lands ended 2022 with the release of their rendition of The Beatles’ quintessential rally song, 'Come Together'. released in partnership with TSN as part of a campaign for the Canadian Men’s National Team during FIFA WORLD CUP QATAR 2022™. Watch the commercial featuring the track here (track starts at 3:20).
With the latest instalment of tour dates and stacked with new music, Crown Lands are ready to bring elegant, clever, progressive rock to the masses.
UK blackened deathcore group Draconian Reign have shared their new single 'Infernal Requiem' along with a captivating music video. The blistering, symphonic deathcore track shows why they are the latest addition to the Seek & Strike roster. 'Infernal Requiem' is the first taste of the band's upcoming EP, Tragedy Eternal, due for release 5th May.
Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/H3cWQacHJ0U
Stream the song here: https://linktr.ee/draconianreign
Draconian Reign comment: "The new single, 'Infernal Requiem', is a tribute to the elemental power of fire, told from the point of view of a nihilist. They seek to bend fire to their will, knowing eventually all living things must decay. The reason we chose this song as our first single is that it builds upon the sound of our new EP, while introducing more death metal elements."
On their recent label signing, they state: "We are unbelievably excited to sign with Seek & Strike. They are consistently on the cutting edge of modern metal and we're extremely proud to be part of such a diverse and talented roster."
Speaking of their upcoming EP: "We definitely spent more time planning each song as a journey for the listener. There are more orchestral passages, but we are very much a riff-driven band. We take influence from bands such as Dimmu Borgir and The Black Dahlia Murder, but run through the lens of gothic fantasy and all things macabre. If you dig extreme metal, you’re in for a treat here. Enjoy and we’ll be seeing you on tour across the UK later this year!”
Draconian Reign are a symphonic blackened deathcore band from the cold heart of the United Kingdom. Combining punishing breakdowns and harsh vocals with the razor sharp riffage of melodic death metal and theatrics of symphonic black metal, the band's debut EP Necromantic established Draconian Reign as an important new band in the UK deathcore scene. The group appeared at Bloodstock 2022 off the back of their debut EP, and are now looking ahead to the release of their new EP Tragedy Eternal.
The band will be on tour across the UK with Existentialist in May:
May 04: London New Cross Inn
May 05: Nottingham Percy Picklebackers
May 06: Rotherham The Bridge Inn
May 07: Norwich B2, Brickmakers
Draconian Reign are:
James Hibberd - Vocals
James Mackellar-Still - Guitars
Cal Cruse-Morrell - Guitars
Andy Crawford - Bass
Kelsey James - Drums
For more:
https://www.facebook.com/draconianreign
https://www.instagram.com/draconianreign
