New album alert! The Agonist are back… faster, harder, and darker than ever. Their new album Orphans is a thesis in evolution: After 5 years, 2 albums and countless international gigs (with the current lineup), the band have gelled into a paragon of extreme music. In this spectacularly dark work of art, The Agonist combine the melodic death you know and love with an array of other elements (including groovy prog metal and metalcore) that will keep you guessing all the way to the end. Each component shines: In addition to Danny Marino’s multilayered guitar parts, expect pulsing bass lines, machine-gun drums, harmonic clean vocals, and even vocalist Vicky Psarakis singing in Greek. This album is sure to please longtime fans as well as pull in new ones.
And speaking of Vicky Psarakis, this week we had the opportunity to speak with her about Orphans, The Agonist’s upcoming tour with Jinjer, and more.
Posted by longhairedpoet on Thursday, August 22, 2019 at 4:19 PM (PST)
Pittsburgh metallers Signs of the Swarm have released their newest lyric video for their track “Tempting Death.” The track features Tom Barber of Chelsea Grin.
The track was released via Slam Worldwide and comes off the band’s forthcoming album Vital Deprivation. The album is due out October 11 via Unique Leader Records. The 10 track album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland (August Burns Red, Rivers of Nihil, The Last Ten Seconds of Life) at Think Loud Studios in York, Pa.
Signs of the Swarm said of the release:
“We are pleased to present our third album via Unique Leader Records, Vital Deprivation. We began writing for the album shortly after TDOE was released. From the beginning we had a sound in mind that was more aggressive and fast paced, but equally as brutal as our previous releases. What makes this album different from our past is that we wrote with pleasing ourselves in mind first and foremost. We’ve covered a lot of ground in just under 40 minutes. Some of the album may be what you expect to hear from us, and hopefully some may not. David Simonich is a powerhouse of a vocalist bringing a whole new range of motion to the band’s spectrum. His lyrical content and cadence bring a more emotional and poetic energy to Signs while retaining the aggression he’s become known for. We’d like to thank Carson Slovak & Grant McFarland for helping us to shape this album into a coherent message from beginning to end. Thank you to our fans who have supported us relentlessly, this is the first of many to come. Please enjoy Vital Deprivation.”
Signs of the Swarm will hit the road this Fall as part of the Disentomb-headlined Bloodletting North America tour alongside Visceral Disgorge, Continuum, Organectomy, and Mental Cruelty.
Check out the video for “Tempting Death” and Signs of the Swarm tour dates here.
Posted by Morgan Ywain Evans on Tuesday, August 20, 2019 at 10:21 AM (PST)
I am a big Killswitch Engage fan and will always have a place for them in my heart of moshing hearts. I have fond memories of seeing the band live with various line-ups from Ozzfest to touring with Disturbed to Jesse’s first show back at NEMHC (that was insane) and more. It is hard to say who is my favorite vocalist for the band as my two favorite records from the band Disarm the Descent and The End of Heartache each feature a different lead singer. I think Jesse has the edge for me lyrically but there is something about Howard’s big melodic voice I always really loved. No shade on Jesse’s singing though, which is also the force propelling many anthems.
Suffice to say, “The Signal Fire” track from the band’s new album bringing Howard and Jesse together for fans again was anticipated! I don’t feel let down. The video is great and shows a lot of love plus the songs high speed intro makes me think the band had a lot of fun touring with Anthrax. I have been jamming the promo for Atonement and am glad now the public can have as much fun with the record as I have. I coulda used a little more of that big melodic Howard voice on this someplace, but overall the song showcases both of them well -if understandably leaning more towards the current (and OG) singer Jesse.
I know y’all are gassed up at Slipknot being #1 right now but can we get KSE to #2?
“This video is a demonstration of solidarity and unity,” says Leach. “This is for the fans and this is our testimony to all who see this video. In these times we live in, I believe this is an important message – not just for us as a band and our fans but for all of humanity. This is a call for compassion and understanding! There is strength in unity.”
Leach continues, “The making of the video was a great experience as well. Just all of us guys hanging out and having fun together. Ian McFarland did a hell of a job capturing the vibe and energy of our performances.”
“It was another silly day at the office,” says Jones. “Good food, lots of wrestling talk, and hanging with the boys is a great way to spend the day and get a little work done. Shout out to Ian McFarland for making everything painless at the shoot. The day was all smiles – with a hint of metal.”
Grammy-nominated and Gold-selling hard rock heavyweights Killswitch Engage have just dropped the new song “I Am Broken Too.” Listen and watch the lyric video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqHJPpXmYuI – which features singer Jesse Leach’s handwritten lyrics.
The song appears on the band’s eighth album, Atonement, out August 16th on Metal Blade Records. The album is available for pre-order here: https://smarturl.it/kse-atonement. Killswitch Engage previously shared the new single “Unleashed.” Watch the visualizer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm-sI1EB8BA
The band is also donating a portion of the proceeds from the song to Hope for the Day (https://www.hftd.org/), a Chicago-based non-profit organization that focuses on suicide prevention by providing outreach and mental health education through the use of music and art. “This song is very near and dear to my heart,” Leach explains. “I wanted the listener to feel the urgency, the heaviness of the topic as well as a possible connection. Many people suffer from mental illness in one form or another. I want nothing more than for people to feel like they are not alone in this struggle. There is always someone there to help, to listen, and to be there for you. Don’t lose hope and don’t let your brokenness consume you. Broken can be fixed, or at the very least, maintained. No one is alone in this fight.”
Regarding the decision to work with Hope for the Day, Leach says, “I personally chose Hope for the Day to be the organization we partner with for this song. I admire their tireless efforts to spread mental awareness and suicide prevention. The phrase and the hashtag #ItsOkNotToBeOk is a simple yet powerful statement. I think it coincides with #IamBrokenToo perfectly! Johnny Boucher and his organization are out spreading the powerful message of connectivity and solidarity in this fight for understanding mental health issues. I’m honored to have them on our team for this song and this movement to continue to raise awareness and keep the conversation going for mental health issues.”
“‘I Am Broken Too’ is a song that truly encompasses what we need to be doing in society, talking about what we have been through,” Boucher says. “We know that by talking about our experiences, we are able to relate and be encouraged to ask for help. Hope for the Day has been working with KsE on breaking the silence around mental health since 2014, and we couldn’t be more excited to continue working with them on raising the visibility of resources in our communities.”
Killswitch Engage will be doing an exclusive in-store performance on August 14th at 5pm PT at Amoeba Music Hollywood. Fans will be able to purchase the album to get guaranteed admission and a limited-edition “Live at Amoeba” poster. All further details about this show are here: https://www.amoeba.com/live-shows/upcoming/detail-4846/
The band will also perform a special intimate show at The Space in Las Vegas on August 13th. Tickets go on sale today at this location: https://www.thespacelv.com/
Killswitch Engage are currently on tour with Clutch (see dates below). Fans attending the dates with Clutch will be able to purchase a limited edition laminate containing a unique code to receive a CD copy of the new album Atonement delivered to their front door on or just prior to the August 16th release date (may not apply for some of the festival dates).
Posted by Morgan Ywain Evans on Wednesday, June 12, 2019 at 6:22 PM (PST)
Boston metalcore group ICE NINE KILLS have achieved a new career highlight by landing their current single “A Grave Mistake” in the Top 10 on Billboard’s Active Mainstream Rock Radio chart. The song, now positioned at #10, is from their fifth full-length album THE SILVER SCREAM, out now via Fearless Records which has surpassed 70,000 albums sold. Listen to “A Grave Mistake” and its music video, which is part of a mini-series mini-series that injects their own narrative into the famous movies they pay homage to below.
ICE NINE KILLS recently performed an acoustic version of the track with special guest Ash Costello (New Years Day) at the sold-out 25th anniversary screening of The Crow--the movie which the song is themed after–in Hollywood, CA hosted by Screamfest Film Festival. They will return for Screamfest’s upcoming screening of Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter with another special acoustic rendition of the album track “Thank God It’s Friday” on Saturday, July 27 at Ahrya Fine Arts By Laemmle in Beverly Hills. Tickets are available here:https://screamfestla.com/2019/event/friday-13th-final-chapter.
Since the album’s release late last year, the band have been extensively touring across North America on their headlining “The Silver Scream” Tour, in addition to recently appearing as direct support for Falling In Reverse alongside New Years Day and From Ashes to New including a sold-out show at The Wiltern in Los Angeles where they were joined on stage by ska legends REEL BIG FISH for the single, “IT Is The End.“
ICE NINE KILLS have announced an additional string of U.S. headlining shows from July 12-25 with support from Toothgrinder and HAWK, followed by a month-long trek across Europe in September. Dates can be found listed below. Tickets and VIP meet & greet upgrades are available now at ink-vip.com.
Recorded with producer Drew Fulk (Bullet For My Valentine), vocalist Spencer Charnas tuned into his obsession with horror and recorded some of the album’s vocals at famous horror locations including the houses used in the original Halloween and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Guest appearances also feature notable names in the horror genre including Sam Kubrick, grandson of Stanley Kubrick, and Chelsea Talmadge (Stranger Things) as well as guests from the band’s punk-flavored past including members of Finch, Fenix TX, Mest, and Less Than Jake.
— The Acacia Strain (@theacaciastrain) May 22, 2019
The Acacia Strain will tour with Kublai Khan, Judiciary, and Chamber this summer for the “Impact Crater Tour 2019.” Dates are listed below and for the fuck of it first I am also throwing in one of their nastiest newer jams “Dark Harvest” cuz you know you wanna crank that shit today.
7/31 Waterford, NY @ Chrome
8/1 Rochester, NY @ Montage Music Hall
8/2 Lakewood, OH @ The Foundry
8/3 Detroit, MI @ The Shelter
8/4 Cudahy, WI @ X-Ray Arcade
8/6 Iowa City, IA @ Blue Moose Tap House
8/7 St. Louis, MO @ Fubar
8/8 Nashville, TN @ The End
8/9 Knoxville, TN @ The Concourse
8/10 Augusta, GA @ The Epicenter
8/11 Charlotte, NC @ Amos’ Southend
8/13 Louisville, KY @ The Tiger Room
8/14 Cincinnati, OH @ Northside Yacht Club
8/15 Pittsburgh, PA @ Rex Theater
8/16 Richmond, VA @ Canal Club
8/18 Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus
Posted by Morgan Ywain Evans on Wednesday, May 15, 2019 at 12:51 PM (PST)
Metalcore mainstays Killswitch Engage and hard rockers Clutch will hit the road this summer for a North American co-headline and festival tour. The John and Mackie version of Cro-Mags (“Cro-Mags JM”) is on this one as well, so it is certainly an energized line-up.
Dates below.
7/11 London, ON @ Rock the Park Festival
7/12 Syracuse, NY @ SI Hall
7/13 Inwood, WV @ Earth Rocker Festival
7/14 Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
7/16 Fort Wayne, IN @ The Clyde
7/18 Sioux City, IA @ Hard Rock & Casin
7/19 Cadott, WI @ Cadott Rock Fest
7/20 OshKosh, WI @ Rock USA Festival 2019
7/22 Tulsa, OK @ The Brady Theater
7/23 St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
7/25 Bethlehem, PA @ Sands Event Center
7/26 Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony Outdoors
7/27 Montreal, QC @ Heavy Montreal
7/28 Bangor, ME @ Impact Festival
7/30 Huntington, NY @ The Paramount
8/1 Columbus, OH @ Express Live
8/2 Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE Outdoors
8/3 Port Chester, NY @ Capital Theater
8/4 Worcester, MA @ Palladium Outdoors
Gloom-core freaky deakies Motionless In White have quite a vast following of similarly minded ghouls who have been waiting for the band to release more stuff from Disguise (available June 7th). Well, the band have a new video out for “Undead Ahead 2: The Tale of the Midnight Ride” which you can check out below!
I gotta say they are getting better at perfecting the heavy to spooky combo-splatter platter and the animation is pretty rad. Plus, the cleans sound a lot more confident. We stan Headless Horseman romantic tragedy-core!
Cave In will always be one of my favorite bands and one who made an undeniable dent on underground history. The band has announced a record called Final Transmission, featuring the last recordings of Caleb Scofield. If this is their final record, it is a fitting and dignified end to the band’s tenure.
It is impossible to hear “All Illusion” and not have some serious feels. Really gorgeous tune and fits seamlessly into their already profound and beloved catalogue. I hope this release serves as a way for the band to feel closer to their legacy than ever and helps to soothe some of the loss whole also comforting fans and giving us great new songs to enjoy for years.
Links to pre-order new album “Final Transmission” available everywhere June 7th, 2019 via @HydraHead
Posted by Morgan Ywain Evans on Friday, February 15, 2019 at 9:36 AM (PST)
The Royal are back with a new video that seems to add a little more nu metal influence to their generally metalcore sound. “Deathwatch” is taken from the album of the same name, out on March 8th, 2019 through Long Branch Records.
Posted by Morgan Ywain Evans on Tuesday, February 5, 2019 at 9:11 AM (PST)
photo by Ryuji Segawa
Alabama hardcore crushers GIDEON have released a 2 song EP called No Love/No One. The EP is just the tip of the iceberg for what’s to come from Gideon, as the band enters the studio to record a full-length due out later in the year. The band will also be making an appearance at Rock USA this summer.
Posted by Morgan Ywain Evans on Thursday, December 27, 2018 at 12:51 PM (PST)
Angus Clark with the late Jill Janus
2018 was an intense year. That’s an understatement. I hope in 2019 we manage, where possible, to be more understanding to one another and foster growth. I am thinking about how much passion people carry for hardcore, metal and the like and I hope we can harness that into continuing to improve and not by gaslighting and targeting journalists who are trying to ask reasonable questions about potential ties to NSBM or sexism or other issues. I can like a band’s music but if they start doing that, it is really a souring experience.
It’s weird being a musician and a writer because your net of considerations is perhaps wider. I am not saying that as a superiority thing or in any way to diminish writers who aren’t also artists. If anything I think being a writer as well as a performer makes me side with journalists more, because they get way too much shit from a lot of bands who ought to know better (which doesn’t mean some writers can’t do better as well, trust me). Still, there are a lot of hateful little troll caves sprinkled through our fair Metal Middle Earth, so to speak. And even a few sewery Mordors. But I digress.
Or do I? Mental health was a big concern this year for myself and others. One of my favorite metallers, Jill from Huntress, was lost way too soon as she struggled with depression. Her fight was not in vain though as she inspired so many and will always be remembered.
Look, we get that some of you just wanna rock or have ‘fun’ or be edge lords. Other people use metal and hardcore as a refuge and to heal from experiencing hate. You aren’t an outsider if you are reinforcing the status quo of patriarchy, transphobia, racism, factory farming, yadda yadda. I was super bummed. for instance, to see Mark Hunter of Chimaira and Chris Barnes of Six Feet Under /Cannibal Corpse fame yucking it up on Twitter the other night making arguably transphobic jokes about educating people to be more inclusive of non binary people. Mark said he felt he was on acid for seeing a video about AFAB people who menstruate but identify as male. Maybe, just maybe he meant that it was weird for him to get used to or wrap his head around as it is outside his cis het experience, but he didn’t call out the supporters in his comments who were saying they should be burned- which thankfully Twitter had the user remove.
Hot take. it is actually good to teach people to be inclusive of different gender identities and make them understand that different people are figuring out themselves at different times in their lives. Barnes made it even worse and wrote “yawn” when confronted about his own shitty follow up joke that sounded like a fifteen year old just heard about Woodstock.
LGBTQAI people have contributed and continue to contribute so much to punk and metal culture. Stop shitting on us with normalizing nasty jokes at our expense. That isn’t ‘extreme’ or cool or ‘metal’. It’s just embarrassing. Read the Non Binary Wiki and get your head out of a bad batch of AC/DC covers and songs about murdering girls and maybe catch up with 2019 where people are facing serious persecution. I am never listening to any of either of your music again, dudes. I hope that was worth losing several decades of support over.
Thanks, y’all who have supported this site and who try to make the scene a better place. “SJWS” are not “the real Nazis”. Please. Let’s do better. Support Black Flags Over Brooklyn in 2019, for starters. And we will take it from there, cool? See you on the other side of the calendar, kids.
Posted by longhairedpoet on Monday, December 10, 2018 at 4:19 PM (PST)
Savannah, Georgia metallers Vatican have signed to 1126 Records, where they’re expecting to put out their debut album spring 2019.
Ahead of that release the band have released the music video for their song “Thirty-One Staples.”
“”Thirty-One Staples’ is about revisiting my childhood home through a lucid dream,” said singer Jonathan Whittle. “Observing my past and witnessing an event which put me in the hospital for two months with 31 staples to the head and having to relearn all motor skills. I came out stronger thanks to the discipline I gained from having built myself back and learning from that experience. Ultimately, it’s about diving back into your mind where the worst moments of your life happened: remembering who you are, what you’ve gone through, and that pain is truly temporary.”
The band will begin recording their new album at Silver Bullet Studios in Burlington, Connecticut with Greg Thomas (END, Misery Signals, Shai Hulud).
Vatican will also be hitting the road with The Acacia Strain later this month.
Check out the video for “Thirty-One Staples” and Vatican tour dates here.
If you were only allowed to pick one black metal album to hear for the rest of 2019, I would strongly suggest you choose False's Portent. A dizzying leap forward from an already very talented and rightfully well regarded act, it does not take long into ten minute opener "A Victual to Our Dead Selves" for the song to grab your undivided attention and never let go. Dedicated to the memory of several friends, the record is professional, passionate, heartbreaking and exhilarating. "Rime On The Song Of Returning" is an exceptionally poetic ode to natural abandon that seems to question our size in the scope of the march of time. The band have never sounded more precise, empowered and fiery, like there is a fortune teller at band practice urging them to claim destiny's heights. If this album holds significance of metal's future it is one that honors the best of the past while boding very well for the genre's horizons.
