Metal Riot

Very, very cool news today as we learn that one of the brightest new stars in metal Paladin are releasing a covers EP dedicated to the legends Nevermore this month! Prosthetic is releasing the EP digitally on December 13th, 2019 to end the year on a soaring and intense note.  The cover art for the Anamnesis EP has been created by Travis Smith, a longtime artistic collaborator of both Nevermore and Warrel Dane.

Pre-save the Anamnesis EP at Spotify HERE. 

Of the choice of songs on the EP, PALADIN guitarist/vocalist, Taylor Washington comments:

“River Dragon was an obvious choice since it’s probably their most recognizable song. I wanted to do something from This Godless Endeavor since it’s still my favorite Nevermore album, and Final Product was kind of the default choice since it doesn’t have any super ridiculous hard parts in it. We also wanted to do an older song, one that wasn’t played on a 7 string. The name is a mouthful, but I’ve always been partial to 42147 because it’s filled with great riffs and the subject matter is interesting.”

A chance meeting with Nevermore drummer, Van Williams, gave PALADIN the impetus to pursue the idea of recording the songs, which will be released on 13 December – the anniversary of Dane’s death. The band’s connection to Nevermore goes back several years as Taylor explains:

“I remember picking up This Godless Endeavor from a liquidation sale at a music store back in high school. From the first listen it immediately resonated with me and I knew it would become one of my favorite albums and Nevermore one of my favorite bands. When Prosthetic proposed the idea of doing a Nevermore tribute EP to commemorate Warrel Dane’s death, I honestly hesitated. Jeff Loomis is an absolute monster on guitar and Warrel had one of the most distinct and dynamic voices to grace the metal world. The task of having to do justice to those two and Nevermore as a whole was a daunting one, but I couldn’t say no. I decided to sing the songs the way I would rather than try to sound like Warrel since that would feel disingenuous to me.”

The Old Dead Tree were one of the best metal bands I ever heard in my life. I was particularly obsessed with their 2007 release The Water Fields, which I raved about for Crusher Magazine the year it was released. I can’t believe it has been so long already! I have probably listened to that CD more than any other progressive minded death metal. The Paris, France based act just captivated me with cool riffs, imaginative and passionate songwriting and emotional thrills. Today I am thrilled to announce, absolutely elated to write, that Manuel Munoz and the band are releasing one more record many years since their last.  Honestly this news almost made me tear up today.

‘The End’ which will be released on December 6. This final chapter, containing 5 never released tracks, was already written in 1999, a few days before the tragic loss of drummer Frédéric Guillemot. With this record, the band is closing their career with one last tribute to their long-lost friend. The EP includes a bonus DVD containing an extensive documentary on the band’s career.

In addition to the announcement, THE OLD DEAD TREE has premiered the first single from the record, “The End… Again.”

‘The End’ can be pre-ordered in various formats HERE. Pick up their other CDs while you are at it!

Vocalist/Guitarist Manuel Munoz comments on the track: “We’re proud and happy to share these new songs with you. As you know, beautiful things take time…”

Cynic‘s Traced In Air makes me feel like friggin’ Light Hope from She Ra has appeared in a vision above me and told me the universal deep feels hidden truths of prog metal. It is crazy that it has already been over a decade since the bold album brought the well-heralded band from a fifteen year dormancy and bursting back into the scene with a more melodic yet superbly potent tendencies. Now this week there is an incredible NEW version of the album Traced In Air Remixed for us nerds to lose our collective gushing shit over…and it is a huge blessing! It was an integral birth of a new era for the band and deserves more scrutiny in any form that takes.

Now, a decade later, CYNIC usher forth a renewed edition of that very album. Featuring new tracking by virtuoso bassist Sean Malone and a vibrant new mix by PERIPHERY’s Adam “Nolly” Getgood (ANIMALS AS LEADERS, DEVIN TOWNSEND, HAKEN) plus mastering by Ermin Hamidovic (PERIPHERY, THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT, ANIMALS AS LEADERS, etc.), ‘Traced in Air Remixed’ underscores the record’s importance within the genre. 

GRAB IT SEPT 27th! 

Track List:
01. Nunc Fluens (02:57)
02. The Space For This (05:47)
03. Evolutionary Sleeper (03:36)
04. Integral Birth (03:45)
05. The Unknown Guest (04:09)
06. Adam’s Murmur (03:29)
07. King Of Those Who Know (06:08)
08. Nunc Stans (04:14)

I just learned about an interesting guitar record coming out that is called Symphinity, which came about as creators and twins Benny and Brian Goodman debated the world’s greatest guitarists. The project is billed as “one-part classical composition, one-part guitar virtuosity and one-part cinematic drama” and sounds pretty interesting. It also features some of the rock scene’s favorite stars, from a wide array of acts.

The project is comprised of Benny Goodman (keyboards, guitars), Brian Goodman (keyboards, programming), Kelly Kereliuk (guitar), Cory Paza (bass), Paul Lorenco (drums) and Sioban Cronin (strings). Featured artists on the first album in a planned series include Oli Herbert (All That Remains), Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal (Sons of Apollo, Guns N’ Roses), Jason Costa, Ethan Brosh, Satchel (Steel Panther), Angel Vivaldi, Conrad Simon, and Matthew LaPierre.

The record also features some of the final recorded music of Oli Herbert, who was very excited to be involved. I don’t generally support All That Remains because of some of the singer’s politics and statements but this is a separate Oli thing. He was quoted before his death regarding Symphinity that ,“With All That Remains, I’m doing about 16 bar solos on every song, so I have a very, kind of, modest amount of time to say what I need to say. With this, [Benny]’s like ‘Hey man, I want you to play over like 64 bars,’ Oh, man. So I have to really think differently about my structure and approach. It’s been cool, you know? It’s kind of like more is more, and it lets me really get that side out of me…I’m pleased to be a part of it.”

“It was my honor and privilege to add a small part to this album with so many amazing musicians on it. It made me want to get better. And practice more. But I’m in Steel Panther and well… I have partying to do also.”
—Satchel, Steel Panther

“It’s been a privilege to work with some of the highest-caliber of musicianship on SYMPHINITY. It’s been an even greater pleasure to honor our dearly departed friend and musical wizard Oli Herbert.”
—Angel Vivaldi

Check out “Singularity”, featuring Bumblefoot and Ethan Brosh, below.

It feels corny to call them cult heroes since ‘cult’ is literally in their band name, but Cult Of Luna are exactly that. Expanding boundaries until they have basically charted their own course away from preconceptions and burdensome genre limitations, the band continue their cosmic climb on the noisy new thriller “The Silent Man”. This is one hell of a great way to start my week, I don’t know about you.

A new full length is expected in Fall via Metal Blade, but for now this is a generous new taste of the band’s first non collaborative material since Vertikal 1&2. Some beautiful, world moving big guitar work in here (though the vox sound a little loud in the mix for me for that kind of screaming). Still, that’s the closest to a complaint I have. This is a powerful work that crashes down on you like a massive wave. It is so big in scope you can’t imagine anything else being the title track, but I guess we will see. Loving the semi-spaghetti western 6:20 mark post-rock section as well. Yes! Well done, gents.

Sound architects of the highest magnitude, prog maestros Animals As Leaders have announced the full line up for their upcoming ’10 Year Anniversary Tour’ of the USA. The Contortionist will be main support on all dates and Buke and Gase, Evan Marien & Dana Hawkins and Moon Tooth will join as the opening act, each on select dates (full list of dates and supports below). The 18 date tour will kick off on May 1st in Tickets for the 10 Year Anniversary Tour are on sale now from animalsasleaders.org

Animals As Leaders are also hosting their ‘Camping With Animals’ Music Masters Camp at Full Moon Resort in Big Indian in New York this July (16th-19th). Right near where I grew up! Hit up that fancy newfangled Phoenicia Diner, y’all. Anyway, the camp is an all-inclusive summer vacation masterclass program that offers instrument specific intensive masterclasses – Guitar With Tosin Abasi | Drums With Matt Garstka | Guitar & Production With Javier Reyes as well as sessions such as ‘How to Use Technology for Self-Improvement, Writing and Recording’, exclusive performances from Animals As Leaders, special guests, group writing sessions and open panel discussions. Full information and tickets can be found at campingwithanimals.org

Tour dates BELOW.