Photo Credit: Andy Ford

One of the UK's most exciting new talents - the alt-metal outfit VEXED - will release their hotly-anticipated new record Negative Energy on 23rd June via Napalm Records.

Crushing new single 'X My Heart (Hope To Die)' is the second harbinger of Negative Energy; watch the haunting music video here: https://youtu.be/fxMBSXSOhJU

Stream 'X My Heart (Hope To Die)' here: https://lnk.to/VEXED-NegativeEnergy
Pre-order the album here: https://lnk.to/VEXED-NegativeEnergy/napalmrecords

'X my <3 (Hope to die)' deals with the eternal question of what happens after death, and the idea that it should be okay to never get this answer. Vocalist Megan Targett’s vicious growls kick right in after the lurking intro, and together with heavy drum patterns and electronic-sounding guitars, her multifaceted vocals create a captivating, restless soundscape.     

The band comment: "“’X my <3 (hope to die)’ was the catalyst for Negative Energy. After months of writers block and feeling like giving up, this song opened the floodgates for inspiration and creativity. Inspired by the victims of religious extremists, cults or abuse of power, this song is about how one person shouldn’t be able to dictate other people’s lives based on their own personal opinions.” 

This follows previous single 'Anti-Fetish', watch the video here: https://youtu.be/BrVx05brvIk

Negative Energy is the pinnacle of VEXED's musicianship, with gripping, profound and brave lyricism. Instead of opting for the forced positivity many of their contemporaries demonstrate, the Hertfordshire trio channel every ounce of their Negative Energy into these 13 tracks - recharging themselves for an uphill battle.

The band comment: "We are so proud to present to you our second album. Since our first release, we have each endured traumatic experiences, surrounded by death, betrayal, pain and grief. In order to find any strength, we first had to accept that we weren’t okay, then take our trauma and face it head on, sharing our vulnerability, fears and weaknesses. Instead of forcing ourselves to try and be positive we put all our negative energy into the album in order to begin our own repair and to overcome."

VEXED are:

Megan Targett - Vocals
Jay Bacon - Guitar
Willem Mason-Geraghty - Drums

VEXED online:
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Website
Napalm Records

VEXED formed in 2019, consisting of vocalist Megan Targett, guitarist Jay Bacon, drummer Willem Mason-Geraghty and bassist Al Harper. The band quickly made a name for themselves across the UK metal scene with their hard-hitting sound and dynamic live performances.

Turning heads with their debut singles - including the fearsome 'Elite' featuring Thy Art Is Murder’s CJ McMahon - VEXED quickly created a palpable underground buzz. In 2020, they signed with the independent label Napalm Records, and released their debut full-length album, Culling Culture in May the following year.

Culling Culture features ten tracks that showcase VEXED's signature sound, which combines punishing breakdowns, technical guitar riffs, and Megan Targett's fierce vocals. The album's lyrics explore themes of societal issues such as mental health and social justice and have been praised for their honesty and relatability.
 
The album was a commercial success and received widespread critical acclaim. VEXED's live shows have also garnered a reputation for being intense and energetic, with the band earning support slots with notable acts such as Spiritbox and In Flames, among others.
 
Now VEXED look to their second album, to be released 23rd June via Napalm Records. A punishing listen, from haunting intro track 'PTSD', which sets the stage of dread ahead of the carnage to come, all the way through 'Lay down your flowers' featuring Alpha Wolf vocalist Lochie Keogh and intense finale 'Nepotism'.

Like the best bands, VEXED on Negative Energy blends fury with emotion. 'Default' displays lead singer Megan Targett's high-soaring clean vocals juxtaposed against her menacing deep growls, while the album's most emotional offering, 'It's Not The End', serves as a magnificent dedication to a loved one passing away, truly manifesting their legacy.

A stunning, devastating musical conduit - Negative Energy ventilates VEXED's pain-stricken burdens and breathes life into their fresh approach, delivered with a thunderous vengeance.

Track listing:

1. PTSD
2. Anti-Fetish
3. We don't talk about it
4. X my <3 (Hope to die)
5. Panic attack
6. Lay down your flowers
7. There's no place like home
8. Extremist
9. Default
10. Trauma Euphoria
11. It's not the end
12. DMT
13. Nepotism

Photo Credit: Scott Kinkade

Progressive death metal entity Horrendous have unveiled details of their new album Ontological Mysterium and are treating us with the release of the first single and title track. The new album will be released worldwide on the 18th August 2023 via Season of Mist.

Watch the visualier for 'Ontological Mysterium' here: https://youtu.be/Dz8tHOwWHnk

The album contains everything you'd expect from Horrendous: technical proficiency and full of complex compositions with elements of progressive and melodic destruction.

Horrendous comment: "The album is our loveletter to the bombastic spirit of heavy metal music from the 80s and early 90s. Ontological Mysterium is an allegorical tale of creation, the formation of organic life, and the inadvertently and ironically destructive fate of unbound growth and uncontrollable reproduction. It represents the wild voracity of youth and inevitable transition into the gradual decay of aging in its various forms, fulfilling the unbroken circle of a biological existence."

Horrendous worked with renowned comic book artist and writer Daniel Warren Johnson, who has worked on titles for Imag and Marvel comics, to draw a poster to celebrate the album. The poster comes with the limited Vinyl Frankenstein edition and is available on the Season Of Mist e-shop.

Pre-order Ontological Mysterium HERE and pre-save HERE.

The cover artwork for Ontological Mysterium (designed by Brian Smith), tracklist and other details about the album can be found below.

“Surprises always come up during writing — spontaneous ideas pull you into new territory and enable the realization of novel possibilities that previously were inaccessible.”

Such are the words from Horrendous drummer Jamie Knox when discussing the creation of the band’s fifth full-length, the highly anticipated Ontological Mysterium. Knox’s quote also encapsulates Horrendous’s approach to extreme metal. Since 2009, the band has capably tapped into the inaccessible by providing a fresh, unconventional take on death metal that harnesses technical brilliance with elaborate, mind-melding melodies, frothy, spewing vocals and labyrinthine song structures. This combination has made each Horrendous long play a clinic in the gratifyingly unorthodox. The trend continues on Ontological Mysterium.

Horrendous are:
Matthew Knox - guitars / backing vocals
Jamie Knox - drums
Damian Herring - guitars / vocals
Alex Kulick - bass

Horrendous online:
Website || Facebook || Instagram 

Track-list:
 

1. The Blaze (02:00)
2. Chrysopoeia (The Archaeology of Dawn) (07:16)
3. Neon Leviathan (03:30)
4. Aurora Neoterica (01:56)
5. Preterition Hymn (03:58)
6. Cult of Shaad’oah (05:24)
7. Exeg(en)esis, (03:38)
8. Ontological Mysterium (04:44)
9. The Death Knell Ringeth (05:20)
Total run time: 37:44

Photo Credit: Natalie Huyen

Californian rock quintet Hail The Sun have announced the upcoming release of their new album Divine Inner Tension, set to land on 11th August via Rude Records (UK/EU) and Equal Vision Records (NA). The explosive first single 'Chunker' is out now.

Watch the video for 'Chunker': https://youtu.be/YLexasbqt6A

Stream 'Chunker': https://hts.lnk.to/chunker

Pre-order/pre-save Divine Inner Tension: https://hts.lnk.to/divine

Helmed by notable producer Kris Crummett, Divine Inner Tension finds the veteran rock band questioning what it means to be here and to be alive, on both a micro level - where the importance of our existence is profound and paramount - and on a macro one - where our time on this planet is nothing but irrelevant and insignificant.

Across its 12 stirring songs, the album embarks on a journey that takes the listener back and forth between those two extremes, as it tries to reconcile that paradox of living intentionally but relinquishing control by taking your hands off the wheel and letting the universe guide you.

On the new single 'Chunker', the band comment: “What we give out is what we get back. The confidence we have in our abilities to overcome and thrive is endless. Admittedly, doubt can fuel this confidence from non-believers, as trust is intimidating. It is threatening. And this can feel good. However, when spite lingers around, it only poisons the person harbouring it, and we have been those people several times. Letting it go aligns with the initial cause of putting out what we want back, to begin with. Thus we grow.”

One of the main epiphanies California's Hail The Sun had when making this new album was understanding that inspiration didn’t have to come from a place of despair, and letting go of the idea that an artist needs to be tortured in order to create. Instead, the band looked beyond the viscerally emotional to the more spiritual and even enlisted the help of Ice Nine Kills’ Joe Occhiuti, who is also involved with vocalist Donovan Melero’s Kill Iconic Records, on a number of tracks. 

On the album, Melero admits: “This is the first album we’ve written that didn’t come exclusively from a place of suffering or pain. Sadness, heartbreak and nihilism all inspire, but during the pandemic, there was a big shift, and this is more about retelling the story - retelling stories about everyday perceptions. Everything comes from within, so I thought that maybe I don’t have to suffer to feel inspired.”

Hail The Sun are:
Donovan Melero: Vocals
Aric Garcia: Guitar 
Shane Gann: Guitar
John Stirrat: Bass
Allen Casillas: Drums

Find the band online:
www.facebook.com/hailthesun
www.instagram.com/hailthesun

Track list:

1. Tunnel Vision Alibi
2. Mind Rider
3. Chunker
4. 60-Minute Session Blocks
5. Maladapted
6. The Story Writes Itself
7. (In My Dream)
8. I Saw You Hanging
9. Tithe
10. Feeble Words
11. Little Song
12. Under the Floor

Modern heavy symphonic metal leaders, KAMELOT, recently released their most introspective, uplifting, vital release to date - their first full-length in five years, The Awakening, via Napalm Records. The album, which debuted at #2 on the US Current Hard Music Albums chart and #27 on the Current Album Sales chart, connected with fans and critics alike - touted by many as the best late-era KAMELOT release to date.

Today, the band are thrilled to reveal an exciting new live music video for the new fan-favourite anthem 'New Babylon', featuring none other than the enchanting Melissa Bonny (Ad Infinitum, The Dark Side Of The Moon). The new video features high quality live footage from the band's recent European tour, adding an electrifying touch to the track's already massive sound.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/D1ZiD9Bh_og

KAMELOT founder and guitarist Thomas Youngblood states: "Melissa Bonny joined us on this new album and massive tour, and she has been amazing to say the least. We are really excited to have her in this new video and also on the upcoming tour in North America!"

Purchase The Awakening here: https://lnk.to/Kamelot_TheAwakening/napalmrecords

This new video arrives on the heels of KAMELOT's recent announcement of their 2023 "Awaken The World" North American headline tour, featuring special guests Battle Beast and additional support from labelmates Xandria. The tour kicks off in Silver Spring, MD on 17th August, visiting several major cities in the US and Canada before coming to an end on 9th September in Orlando, FL. The band will also perform at Sweden Rock Festival on 8th June.

New album The Awakening enters the KAMELOT legacy as their most massive and diverse offering yet - mixing symphonic, gothic, melodic, progressive and power metal styles while yielding some of the heaviest tracks in the band's history. Having reigned supreme with the release of internationally top-charting melodic metal pinnacles such as The Fourth Legacy (1999), The Black Halo (2005), Silverthorn (2012), Haven (2015, #1 US Hard Rock Albums), and most recently 2018’s acclaimed The Shadow Theory (#2 US Hard Music Albums), KAMELOT’s intense brand of ultramodern gothic and symphonic theatricality is amplified further and with more emotionality than ever on The Awakening.

Showcasing the incomparable, stage-seasoned vocal acrobatics of Tommy Karevik and increasingly airtight, renowned technical teamwork of guitarist Thomas Youngblood, drummer Alex Landenburg, keyboardist Oliver Palotai and bassist Sean Tibbetts, KAMELOT’s score-like 13th studio album is accented by guest contributions from the likes of Melissa Bonny (Ad Infinitum) and renowned instrumentalists like violinist Florian Janoske and cellist Tina Guo. 

The Awakening features crystal clear modern production helmed by the band and longtime producer Sascha Paeth, plus mixing and mastering by Jacob Hansen of Hansen Studios.

10/10 "Masterpiece!"
- Metal-Temple
 
“The Awakening is KAMELOT's best album in almost 20 years...”
- The Prog Mind (US), 9/10
 
"The Awakening is KAMELOT performing at the top of their game."
- New Noise Magazine (US)
 
"The Awakening is probably the hottest candidate for the (melodic) metal album of the year."
- Rock It! (DE) – 10/10

The Awakening will be available in the following formats:

-Digital Album
-CD Digipak
-CD Digipak + Shirt Bundle - Napalm Records exclusive
-2-LP Gatefold Vinyl Black
-2-LP Gatefold Vinyl in Splatter Red + Black - Napalm Records exclusive (European webstore), limited to 500
-2-LP Gatefold in Marbled White + Black - Napalm Records exclusive (North American webstore), limited to 300
-48p Earbook with 7'' Vinyl Single - Napalm Records exclusive, limited to 500
-Wooden Boxset with Envelope Opener, Flag, Patch and Band Postcard - Napalm Records exclusive, limited to 1000
-Music Cassette - Napalm Records exclusive, limited to 100

KAMELOT are:
Tommy Karevik - Vocals
Thomas Youngblood - Guitars
Oliver Palotai - Keyboards
Sean Tibbetts - Bass
Alex Landenburg - Drums

KAMELOT online:
WEBSITE || FACEBOOK || INSTAGRAM || NAPALM RECORDS

Rising rock trio Florence Black return with their powerful new single 'START AGAIN'. The track precedes the band's appearances at some of Europe’s biggest festivals including Hellfest, Resurrection and Sweden Rock Festival.

Check out the video for 'START AGAIN' here: https://youtu.be/9rXnWxF1GVk

Stream/purchase 'START AGAIN' here: https://songwhip.com/florence-black/start-again

Last week Florence Black announced a single release show, set to take place on 3rd June at The Patriot in Newport, which impressively sold-out in hours. The band then announced a second show at The Patriot, which has also sold out.

Lead vocalist/guitarist Tristan Thomas comments on 'START AGAIN': 

"The song is written about the emotion of starting again, being stripped back to your very bones and building again from the ground up, trying to retain the good whilst also admitting you’re letting go of both the good and bad from what’s come before. The artwork represents ambiguity as to whether the hand (still showing slithers of human skin underneath) is the person helping you to start again, or is a metaphor for being the one to help yourself."

Florence Black [Planet Rock, Best New Band 2022] are award-winning guitarist Tristan Thomas (lead singer/guitar), Jordan Evans (bass/backing vocals) and Perry Davies (drums/backing vocals) from Merthyr Tydfil, in the rock/metal goldmine of the South Wales valleys.

Back in 2021, the band's standalone single 'BIRD ON A CHAIN' reached number 1 in the iTunes Rock chart. Their anticipated and critically acclaimed debut album WEIGHT OF THE WORLD followed in September, peaking at number 6 in the Official UK Rock & Metal Album Chart, Official UK Physical Album Sales Chart (#25), Official UK Independent Breakers Chart (#3) and Official UK Album Downloads Chart (#33). Singles from the album achieved their own successes: 'CAN YOU FEEL IT?' and fan-favourite 'SUN AND MOON' both became ‘Track of the Week’ in Classic Rock Magazine and both placed highly in the iTunes download chart on release. 'SUN AND MOON' was also added to Planet Rock Radio’s A-list and was highly praised by Kerrang! Magazine.

Florence Black kicked off 2022 with tours alongside Kris Barras Band and Ugly Kid Joe, followed by a tour as special guests on Steel Panther's Res:Erections tour. In a year peppered with festival appearances across Europe and the UK, they embarked on their biggest performances yet, with two sold-out stadium shows to 90,000 fans in Frankfurt, opening for German giants Bohse Onkelz. Florence Black were immediately invited back out to join Bohse Onkelz on their completely sold-out arena run of Germany in August and September. The band rounded off their busiest, most successful live year to date with their own largely sold-out WEIGHT OF THE WORLD headline run in October.

In 2023, Florence Black will appear at some of Europe’s biggest festivals including Hellfest, Resurrection and Sweden Rock Festival. This year will also see the release of their second studio album, working once again with producer Romesh Dodangoda.

For more information:
https://www.florenceblack.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/florenceblackUK/
https://twitter.com/florenceblackUK/
https://www.instagram.com/florenceblackuk/

Legendary Florida death metal icons Obituary have announced their Barely Alive UK & IE summer headline tour dates.  The run of shows throughout August and September follow on from a summer spent appearing at festivals across the EU.

Tickets go on sale Monday, 22nd May @ 10am BST at https://obituary.cc/events.html 

Obituary comment: “It has been way too long since we’ve had the opportunity to invade the UK & Ireland properly and we could NOT be any more excited about this announcement. Finally a tour that brings us to so many cool towns and cities across the UK that allows us to get up close & personal with our fans and a true “grass roots” run! Hang on to your ass..this is going to be epic!!”

Obituary continue to tour in support of their new album Dying of Everything out now on LP/CD/CS/Digital. Order & listen at https://orcd.co/obituary-dyingofeverything. 

Obituary recently released a new spatial audio version of their newest 2023 critically acclaimed album, Dying of Everything. The album, available as a new Dolby Atmos mix, is streaming everywhere that supports spatial audio and compatible devices including Apple Music, Tidal & Amazon Music.

In a new step forward for unforgiving death metal, Dying of Everything's spatial audio mix allows for more immersion, providing an advanced surround sound experience

Watch the videos for previous singles:

'The Wrong Time': https://youtu.be/AoKRsHSPfw4
'My Will To Live': https://youtu.be/nlkE2X79HVg
'Dying of Everything' https://youtu.be/H-4r3ZjRhts

Obituary Tour Dates:

Summer EU Festivals

03/08 Velenje, SO - Metal Days
06/08 Rasnov, RO- Rockstadt Extreme
10/08 Schlotheim, DE - Party San Open Air
11/08 Jaromir, CZ - Brutal Assault
12/08 Kortrijk, BE- Alcatraz Open Air
17/08 Dinkelsbühl, DE - Summer Breeze
20/08 Eindhoven, NL- Dynamo

  
Barely Alive In The UK + Ireland Headline Tour 2023

22/08 Brighton, UK - Concorde 2
23/08 Portsmouth, UK - Wedgewood Rooms
24/08 Nottingham, UK  - Rescue Rooms
25/08 Bristol, UK - Thekla
26/08 Birmingham, UK - The Asylum
28/08 Colchester, UK - Arts Centre
29/08 Norwich, UK - Epic Studios
30/08 Leeds, UK - Stylus
31/08 Glasgow, UK - The Garage
01/09 Newcastle, UK - New Castle University Students’ Union
03/09 Belfast, UK - Limelight 2
04/09 Dublin, IE - The Academy
05/09 Limerick, IE - Dolan's Warehouse
07/09 Liverpool, UK - 02 Academy2
08/09 Oxford, UK - 02 Academy
09/09 Sheffield, UK - 02 Academy2
10/09 Manchester, UK - Club Academy
11/09 Stoke-on-Trent, UK - The Sugarmill 
 

Obituary are:
John Tardy - Vocals
Donald Tardy - Drums
Trevor Peres - Rhythm Guitar
Terry Butler - Bass Guitar
Ken Andrews - Lead Guitar

For more information:
OBITUARY Website
OBITUARY on Facebook
OBITUARY on Instagram
OBITUARY on Twitter
OBITUARY on Bandcamp
OBITUARY YouTube Channel

Track listing:

1.    Barely Alive
2.    The Wrong Time
3.    Without a Conscience
4.    War
5.    Dying of Everything
6.    My Will To Live
7.    By the Dawn
8.    Weaponize the Hate
9.    Torn Apart
10.    Be Warned

Danish extreme metal quintet, The Arcane Order, have released their relentless new single 'Children of Erebos', the final glimpse of their upcoming fourth album Distortions From Cosmogony, to be released 9th June via Black Lion Records.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/Xocj5bUhnu0

And stream the single here: https://orcd.co/children-of-erebos-single

Guitarist Flemming C. Lund comments: "For this song we really wanted to create a relentless banger! It's definitely one of the fastest songs we ever made, and Bastian is grinding his brains out behind the drum kit! The song is quite death metal inspired, mixed with some more ferocious black metal riffing and vocals."

Lead singer Kim Song Sternkorpf comments: "'Children of Erebos' is a parable over the concept of divine or malignant intervention like cautionary tales told to kids to make the abide by the rules of their parents.

"It serves as an interpretation of the saying “if you give the devil a little finger he takes the whole hand”. I wanted to use older deities than the typical Judeo-Christian mythology since hierarchies play a big part in the Greek Mythos.

"The older the deities are, the more scary and mysterious they seem. The insignificance of man faced with cosmic forces is an embedded fear in our nature. To put a name to the fear helped man through the ages - though this particular fear is very much alive today either through the forces of nature or perhaps artificial intelligence? All things with indescribable force surmounting our comprehension. The fear of the unknown."

Distortions From Cosmogony is an album for which the word 'epic' does little justice. Its singular style combines the extreme, the grandiose, technical and melodic while telling the story of mankind’s eternal existential conflict between autonomy and submission.

Distortions From Cosmogony will be released on 2-LP, CD and physical formats can be pre-ordered HERE while digital formats can be pre-saved HERE.

Kim and Bastian join long-time members Flemming C Lund (guitars) and Kasper Kirkegaard (Hatesphere, rhythm guitar).

Founded by Flemming in the 00s, with the aim of delivering epic, melodic extreme metal, The Arcane Order swiftly signed with Metal Blade, who released their first two albums The Machinery of Oblivion (2006) and In the Wake of Collisions (2008).

After a hiatus, the band then released Cult of None (2015), before another break while all band members worked on their other projects. Despite this, along the way, The Arcane Order have played a string of high-profile shows, marking themselves as one of Denmark’s most exciting underground metal acts.

In their time, the band have played alongside Carcass, Suffocation, and Testament; and they draw inspiration from French tech-death legends Scarve, Decapitated, Strapping Young Lad, and Ihsahn, among many others.

As the previous three, the new album was recorded by Jacob Hansen (Aborted, Arch Enemy, Volbeat, Katatonia, etc), with Jacob Bredahl (Lifesick, Eyes, Livløs, etc) recording vocals.

The result: a 54-minute long virtuosic display of The Arcane Order’s unique fusion of death, black, tech, classic and melodic metal. In the same manner, the subject matter of The Arcane Order demands a will to be challenged.

Distortions from Cosmogony revolves around eternal existential struggle, between autonomy and submission. This is a subject close to vocalist Kim Song Sternkopf’s heart – he grew up in an oppressive religious sect; subsequent loss of faith has led to a deep fascination with what leads us as humans drawn to hierarchies, vs our deep desire for independence and the existence of free will.

The Arcane Order are:

Kim Song Sternkopf: Vocals
Flemming C. Lund: Guitar
Kasper Kierkegaard: Guitar
Anders Frodo S. Mikkelsen: Bass
Bastian Thusgaard: Drums

The Arcane Order online:
http://www.thearcaneorder.net
https://www.facebook.com/thearcaneorder
https://www.instagram.com/thearcaneorderofficial/

Black Lion Records online:
www.blacklion.nu
https://www.facebook.com/blacklionrecordsswe
https://www.instagram.com/blacklionrecordsswe/

Track list:

1. Distortions From Cosmogony
2. Cry Of Olympus
3. A Blinding Trust In Chosen Kings
4. Starvations for Elysium
5. Favors For Significance
6. The First Deceiver
7. Empedocles' Dream
8. Ideals Of Wretched Kingdoms
9. Children Of Erebos
10. Wings of Duality

Photo Credit: Steve Dutton

UK thrashers Evile return with their new album The Unknown, set for 14th July 2023 via Napalm Records, and have released a video for the title-track.

Watch 'The Unknown' here: https://youtu.be/4i0mVlszDuQ

Since their formation in 2002, British thrash masters Evile have been turning heads and taking names, delivering pure thrash offerings blended with an uncompromising metal assault. Not only have the band played a notable role as the thrash metal resurgence movement of the mid-to-late 2000s, but as Kerrang! praised, they have "carried the genre's whole 'revival' on their shoulders." This summer, following their latest, critically acclaimed album, Hell Unleashed (2021), 14th July 2023 sees the four-piece strike again.

This time, Evile prove that they are more than just a thrash band, churning out slower tempos with a heavier approach. In addition, melodic vocals meet serious, in-depth lyrical topics – ranging from depression, overcoming loss and recurring nightmares, self-esteem and image, to more personal themes like living with dementia, struggling through the music industry and even the concerns of becoming a new parent. 

"We're really excited to start revealing the next page in the Evile chapter", says frontman OL Drake on the new album. "We've taken a completely different approach on this album and I looked inward for inspiration; I've opened myself up like I never thought I would. We've always been at 500mph, like on the previous album (Hell Unleashed) and this time around we felt we wanted to try the polar opposite - some slower-than-we've-ever-done tempos with more melodic vocal hooks, and give Adam [Smith, guitar] some freedom on the leads/writing. I've been working on my vocals since diving in the deep end in 2021, and we've worked hard for two years on this, so I'm excited for everyone to hear the fruits of our labour. We're really proud of what we've all accomplished with this album. This is the one I hope can catapult us to more ears and places we haven't been before to play for people who are constantly asking us to play in their area."

On the single, he continues "First up is the title track, 'The Unknown.' I wrote the basic lyrical content and concept back in 2017 when I was out of the band. The song deals with my fears and anxieties of becoming a father for the first time and all the doubts and worries that come with the responsibilities it brings."

On The Unknown, Evile are more profound, personal and deep, while also proving heavier, stronger and more raucous than ever. Songs such as 'The Unknown' showcase the band's haunting elements and the stirring, "new" side of Evile, balancing a dark, melodic and almost mesmerising vibe with colossal, heavy riffage and thundering drums. While Evile still stays true to their explosive trademarks and roots, they leave nothing but a hammering new world of sound, building up to a stomping thrash manifesto. The Unknown unchains the rampant songwriting talent of these British thrash metal frontrunners, proving that thrash does not always have to be fast-paced. It can also be in-your-face with outstanding musical skill, without fear of showing a still unknown facet of lyrical depth and an enthralling, versatile, brave modern metal sound.

The Unknown was recorded by Tim Vincent at Longwave Studios, Cardiff UK, and was produced, mixed and mastered by Chris Clancy at the same Longwave Studios. 

The Unknown will be available in the following formats:
- 1CD Digipak             
- 1-LP Gatefold Black Vinyl                 
- Digipak + Shirt                      
- 1-LP Gatefold Crystal Clear             
- 1-LP Gatefold Solid Red (UK only)
- Digital Album

Evile have also announced a headline UK tour, dates are as follows:

Oct 13: The Arch, Brighton
Oct 14: Arts Centre, Colchester 
Nov 11: The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
Nov 10: The Bread Shed, Manchester 
Nov 11: Devils Dog, Birmingham
Nov 17: La Belle Angele, Edinburgh 
Nov 18: Corporation, Sheffield
Nov 12: The Hairy Dog, Derby
Nov 12: The Bunkhouse, Swansea
Nov 12: Suburbia, Southampton
Nov 12: New Cross Inn, London

Evile are:
OL Drake – Vocals & Lead Guitar
Adam Smith – Guitar
Ben Carter – Drums
Joel Graham – Bass    

For More Info Visit:
https://evilecult.com
https://twitter.com/evile
https://www.facebook.com/evileuk
https://www.instagram.com/evileofficial
https://label.napalmrecords.com/evile

The Unknown track listing:

1. The Unknown
2. The Mask We Wear
3. Monolith
4. When Mortal Coils Shed
5. Sleepless Eyes
6. Out of Sight
7. At Mirror's Speech
8. Reap What You Sow
9. Beginning of the End
10. Balance of Time

Holding Absence have announced their eagerly anticipated third album, The Noble Art Of Self Destruction. Serving as the third and final entry in a trilogy that began with 2019's Holding Absence, The Noble Art Of Self Destruction will be released on 25th August via SharpTone Records.

To coincide with the announcement, the band have released a beautifully stylised video for the album's second single 'False Dawn'.

Check out the video for 'False Dawn' here: https://youtu.be/twvjzSlqobE

Stream 'False Dawn' here: https://bfan.link/false-dawn

In the wake of the album announcement, the band comment: "Today, we are pleased to announce the third Holding Absence album, The Noble Art of Self-Destruction, will be released on August 25th 2023! After an insanely busy and fulfilling album cycle for our second record, last October we spent a month in Jukasa Studios Canada, to record more new music. This record - the third in a trilogy - is by far our most conceptually rich and expansive body of work to date. We feel like these songs are almost a love letter to everything Holding Absence, and can't wait to show everybody just how much space we have managed to cover, and how hard we were able to push ourselves with these songs."

Purchase and pre-save The Noble Art Of Self Destruction here: https://bfan.link/the-noble-art-of-self-destruction

On new single 'False Dawn' the band comment: "We are ecstatic to be dropping our brand new single 'False Dawn' today. This is definitely a personal favourite for all of us on the record! A somewhat defeatist song about denouncing expectations, and coming to grips with failure - this song is a quintessential Holding Absence song, with it's up-tempo energy and downtrodden introspection. We hope you enjoy!"

The Noble Art Of Self Destruction was recorded at Canada’s Jukasa Studios with producer Dan Weller (Enter Shikari, Bury Tomorrow).

Holding Absence recently released a video for the album's first single 'A Crooked Melody'. Watch it here: https://youtu.be/4guUJmAnld4

Holding Absence have just returned from an extensive North American tour as main support to The Plot In You, alongside Thornhill and Banks Arcade. The band are also booked for main stage performances at both Slam Dunk Festival and 2000trees Festival this year. 

Dates: 

May 27: Hatfield Slam Dunk Festival South
May 28: Leeds Slam Dunk Festival North
Jul 05-08: Cheltenham 2000trees Festival

Tickets for all dates are available here: https://www.holdingabsence.com

Holding Absence are:
Lucas Woodland - Vocals 
Scott Carey - Guitar
Benjamin Elliott - Bass
Ashley Green - Drums

For more information: 
http://holdingabsence.com
http://facebook.com/HoldingAbsence
http://twitter.com/HoldingAbsence
http://instagram.com/HoldingAbsence

http://sharptonerecords.co