Metal Riot

5RAND

A variety of metal news for you today, cuz it’s the spice of life.

Phew, I was just driving around Woodstock, NY and it is a windy ass day. Tree limbs and actual full trees are down and old ass hippies just don’t know how to drive very well despite their generally all terrain vehicles. Glad to be back in my apartment a town away and decompressing to some rad tunes (though I did spend the morning drive with some Boris and Taylor Swift).

Anyway, let me tell you some cool shite!

Industrial melodic and at times thrashy metal band 5RAND have signed with Time To Kill Records. I wasn’t super familiar with the Italian band and they certainly have some cool groove metal arrangements. It would be interesting to hear the music with a little better production cuz they have some crunchy, fierce parts and everyone is very skilled. Vocalist Julia Elenoir has a powerful roaring voice and even better very well done, smooth/incredible cleans with character. I would definitely go see them live and am into their song “Point of pain” after checking it out.

No news yet on a release date but congrats on the band for singing to their new home. Looking forward to hearing more from them.

Today, WINDHAND unveil their new hypnotic video, “First To Die” directed by Philippe Grenade. “The inspiration for the video started with the lyrics, First you die, to be born,” Grenade explains. “I immediately saw the image of a woman suffocated by the crushing anxiety of a metropolis; drowning in the delirium and being forced through some sort of psychedelic death trip and coming out the other side with a new point of view. A psychic death and rebirth. The video expresses anxiety and transformation while honoring the beauty of Windhand’s music.”

Additionally, WINDHAND returns to Europe next week in support of their new album Eternal Return. The headline tour begins March 7 in Vienna, AT and ends March 24 in Leipzig, DE.

Raleigh, Nc based progressive deathcore group KROSIS have announced a new round of dates supporting their 2018 Unique Leader debut Solem Vatem (“Melting Point” is the jam, fyi). The tour, which runs from April 23 – 29, will cover parts of the East Coast and Midwest and sees the band performing at DEAD Fest and Toledo Deathfest.

Vocalist Mac Smith commented, “I am extremely excited to announce that KROSIS will be trekking across the East Coast and the Midwest from 4/23 – 4/29. This marks a new chapter for the band as this it is my first tour as vocalist. We will also be revealing details on a single that will be on the way very soon, so stay tuned for that! We in KROSIS want to thank everyone so far for the amazing support, as well as the support that has been shown for me personally. We can’t wait to see you all on the road.”

Dates below, yo.

Richmond, VA psychedelic satan loving doom troupe WINDHAND have entered the studio with Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden, High on Fire). If it is half as good as Soma I’ll buy it! There’s a good likelihood that it might be even better though. Windhand have grown a lot in popularity and have probably been working hard to keep themselves there.

The band is recording their highly anticipated third full-length album at Soundhouse Recording in Seattle, WA. The currently untitled album will see a fall release via Relapse Records.

Richmond, Virginia’s Windhand present a clear love of plodding doom in the very best sense on Relapse debut Soma, one of the coolest late in 2013 releases in a year that was killer for all things metal. From out the gate with the rolling, oceanic fuzz of “Orchard” the group chart a course for the dim lights on a dying horizon. That is not to imply the tried and true doom the group slings has scant relevance left, but rather that while they aren’t the most pioneering group, Soma shows Windhand know you can still squeeze a very potent blood brew from the metaphorical philosopher’s stone of the doom genre.

What they are doing they do right, with walls of distortion and the nerve melting, echo drenched coo of vocalist Dorthis Cottrell adding a real sense of mystique to killer tracks like the 13+ minute “Cassock” and the commanding album standout “Woodbine”. “Evergreen” breaks up things nicely with acoustic guitars resting like raindrops across billowing clouds and dreamy vocals. ‘s cool. It kind of reminds me of an Appalachian “Silent Night”. It isn’t as breathtaking as, say, the more experimentally minded and overall more affecting Salt Lake City outfit SubRosa’s accapella “House Carpenter” from their 2011 Profound Lore release No Help For The Mighty Ones, but Windhand are pointed in the right direction. I am totaly digging the shit out of this record and the few online critics who say it fell a bit short come off sounding more like they had lofty expectations of “the next” Black Sabbath Vol. 4 or something, rather than the band being at fault. I am listening to this as a thundersnow storm rages outside but this baby named Soma  is keeping me warm through the cold night.