Metal Riot

Queensrÿche have many great eras and albums, the best of which is a hotly debated topic amongst rock fans. I love almost everything they have ever done (especially Empire, Condition Human, Tribe and Rage For Order being my personal faves – don’t yell at me Mindcrime fanatics, haha). It is flat out dumb not to respect them and consider them a very important legacy band. Tate and La Torre are both vocal giants  who have led the always skilled line ups and there is always something to offer. Anyway, the band still kicks ass and The Verdict was another killer release last year on Century Media.

“Inner Unrest” is their new video from that album, a song tackling PTSD. “‘Inner Unrest’ is an abstract characterization loosely based on the struggles dealing with PTSD. The internal and external battles one must fight daily,” states Queensryche frontman Todd LaTorre about the track. 

See the band live with John 5 and Eve To Adam in 2020!

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)