Norwegian multi-instrumentalist SYLVAINEwill be releasing her fourth studio album, Nova on March 4, 2021! The musician is now releasing the first single, “Nowhere, Still Somewhere,” which is accompanied by a hauntingly beautiful music video. The clip, which was directed by Linnea Syversen, can be found at THIS LOCATION.
SYLVAINE comments on the track and video: “‘Nowhere, Still Somewhere’ was one of the last songs I wrote for Nova and expresses the feeling of losing control, being unable to hold on to things or to move forward, despite how many efforts are made. Being a very personal song, on a very personal record, I knew the video for this song would be an intimate one, making the choice of director key. From the moment I meet Linnea Syversen, I knew she would be the perfect person to create such a special project with. Besides the help of Grayscale, who shot some amazing drone footage for us, and Hogan Mclaughlin, who lent us one of his wonderful garments, this video was created solely by Linnea and I, letting us go into this creative bubble together and spend hour upon hour shooting clips to underlie the emotional quality that ‘Nowhere, Still Somewhere’ holds. The video is fragile and strong all at once, abstract, yet touching and visually showcases the duality that is forever present in my music.”
Video Director Linnea Syversen adds: “To work with Kathrine Shepard/Sylvaine has been very inspiring and exciting. ‘Nowhere, Still Somewhere’ is touching and strong at the same time and I instantly had images popping up into my mind while listening to the song for the first time. We had some real challenging shooting days, some of which were also really cold, but Kathrine was amazingly dedicated and resilient. After this collaboration, I’m left with a lot of good memories and feel so excited to show this one off to the world.”
Posted by Metal Riot on Wednesday, June 9, 2021 at 3:54 PM (PST)
Infernal alchemists NEW SKELETAL FACES will unleash their long-awaited Sextinction seven-inch EP on June 25th.
Transmuting sound into power, the follow up to 2019’s critically-lauded Celestial Disease full-length finds NEW SKELETAL FACES expanding upon their signature sound invoking the darkest, esoteric elements of rock and roll. Featuring deathrock anthem “Banshee Sex Tomb” and the thunderous metal-tinged dirge of “Extinction Of Bodies,” NEW SKELETAL FACES intoxicate the listener once again with an arcane brew of sex, disenchantment, and danger!
Lyrically, both songs are suitably unpleasant. “Banshee Sex Tomb” attacks the listener by questioning innocence and morality. Rejecting both values, the song spirals downward into a romantic embrace of nihilism. “Extinction Of Bodies” is pure Armageddon. The verses clearly express the insignificance of humanity as replaceable species, and hints of a celestial force causing this destruction. Both songs are dire prophecies.
Recorded, mixed, and mastered entirely by the band, NEW SKELETAL FACES’ limited-edition Sextinction EP is pressed on bone colored vinyl and features original cover art by vocalist/guitarist Errol Fritz. Staying true to DIY ethics, the record includes hand numbered and wax stamped obi-strips by the band themselves. Fans of Christian Death, Fields Of The Nephilim, and the dark side of punk-metal (ie Amebix) pay heed.
Catch NEW SKELETAL FACES live July 3rd at Bricks Bar in Maywood, California supporting Only Theatre Of Pain featuring Rikk Agnew and Gitane Demone performing Christian Death’s classic debut. Stay tuned for additional shows to be announced in the weeks to come.
NEW SKELETAL FACES:
7/03/2021 Bricks Bar – Maywood, CA w/ Only Theatre Of Pain
In related news, NEW SKELETAL FACES will be featured in the forthcoming Hemlock: A Night Of Deathrock book. Hemlock is a club located in San Diego, California centered around old school goth, deathrock, and post punk. The book is a culmination of photos, stories, art, merch, posters, bands, and DJs, as well as the community that has supported Club Hemlock throughout the years. An official book release party will be held at The Casbah in San Diego, California on June 19th.
World shattering news for fans of alternative symphonic metallers Delaintoday as we learn the powerhouse and incredibly intuitive and creative group are essentially breaking up, at least as we have known them. While the band will continue on as Martijn’s band, the important components of Charlotte, Timo, Otto and relatively new Joey are out. I am reeling from the news as a fan.
At least with Fear Factory while the loss of Burton is fucking intolerable and the most famed rhythm section have been gone forever you know the highly and admirably driven Dino is still surrounded by guys who have been in the band awhile and are passionate about industrial metal. With Martijn taking the reigns completely here and not only the loss of the one of a kind Charlotte but also especially Timo, Delain is in my mind a completely new band and should just change the name rather than pretend otherwise.
Charlotte has a statement HERE and Martijn HERE, in the interest of fairness. Regardless of my personal opinion, we here at MetalRiot wish all the members the best and thank them for the many memories and amazing songs and smiles that the Delain we have loved in this incarnation brought us. Despite the careful language there is clearly frustration and it doesn’t sound fully amicable.
If you didn’t pick up the recent Apocalypse & Chill please do so and let’s show the band we appreciate what they have given us.
Transcending Records is pleased to issue exclusive North American vinyl pressings of Wildhoney and A Deeper Kind Of Slumber from Stockholm, Sweden metal iconsTIAMAT.
Initially released via Century Media Records in 1994, Wildhoney is TIAMAT‘s fourth studio album. Produced by Waldemar Sorychta, the record marked a strong shift in the style from the band’s early death/doom roots incorporating more progressive rock and psychedelic influences and themes centered around the occult, nature, and LSD. All Music Guide praised the album upon its release, referring to it as, “one of the classics of the genre.” Wrote Decibel in a TIAMAT Hall Of Fame piece on the record, “…nobody was prepared for Wildhoney… Leadoff track ‘Whatever That Hurts,’ ‘Gaia,’ ‘The Ar,’ and ‘Visionaire’ were wondrous examples of TIAMAT‘s flexibility, deft musicianship, and no-holds-barred vision. The term ‘atmospheric’ was used to describe TIAMAT before, but on Wildhoney, the subgenre was firmly created. What really shocked longhairs, however, were the unlikely end points in ‘Do You Dream Of Me?’ and ‘A Pocket Size Sun.’ At no point in death metal’s timeline were songs about girlfriends and bucolic drug use (we think) set to echoplexing guitar gymnastics and lullaby-like songwriting the epitome of cool. Suddenly, they were.”
Transcending’s limited vinyl edition of TIAMAT‘s Wildhoney will be released on March 12th, 2021 and comes available in three color variants: orange with yellow/black splatter (200), orange/yellow marble (200), and standard black (100) on heavyweight 180-gram vinyl in a gatefold sleeve with pull-out poster insert.
TIAMAT‘s fifth full-length, A Deeper Kind Of Slumber, was initially released in 1997 by Century Media Records. Featuring background vocals by Birgit Zacher (Moonspell, Angel Dust, Sentenced) and experimentation with a variety of influences, the album marked the group’s first complete withdrawal from both death metal and conventional heavy metal, following Wildhoney. It was also the first release after their relocation to Germany and was written almost entirely by founder/lead songwriter Johan Edlund. Much of the music contained within reflected on Edlund’s personal relationship with drugs, creative differences within the band as well as an interpersonal relationship. Wrote All Music Guide, “A Deeper Kind Of Slumber moves TIAMAT even farther away from traditional heavy metal, with synthesizers dominating the arrangements and Johan Edlund doing completely away with metal growling in favor of an unearthly croon. Although it’s not very metallic, the music is quite heavy in its own way, creating a numb, sleepy ambience that feels both introverted and resignedly pessimistic…”
Transcending’s limited vinyl edition of A Deeper Kind Of Slumber will be released on March 12th, 2021 and also come available in three color variants: orange with red/black splatter (200), white/red color-in-color (200), and 100 standard black (100) all on heavyweight 180-gram vinyl in a gatefold sleeve with insert. The record will also be released in cassette format limited to 100 copies.
For A Deeper Kind Of Slumber preorders, go to THIS LOCATION.
Smashing Pumpkins released an album that no one really heard much called Monuments To An Elegy but the new song “Floodgate” from Portland’s finest (and pretty much anywhere’s finest right now) gloomy but fun loving stargazers Soft Kill actually feels like one. The beautiful and dirgy song – love that gnarly bass tone – features the basically iconic post-punk powerhouse Tamaryn alongside the band for a triumphant lament that manages to capture most of the overwhelming sadness of this year and still feel strong.
Be sure to check out the video premiere and interview at Post-Punk .com and a truly earth shatteringly rock solid accompanying mini essay from Tamaryn. I was deeply moved by the part that said ,“Loneliness is universal and therefore doesn’t actually exist.”
Both devastating and reassuring, kinda like this song.
Be sure to grab the already essential Dead Kids, R.I.P. City, the newest Soft Kill album – out Nov. 20, 2020.
Elle Noir‘s “The Day I Died” is a mercurial and melodic ballad that weaves a shadowy yet comforting spell upon the listener’s senses.
“The Day I Died” is the metaphor of emotional death. It tells of a world where nothing has value anymore, which is also an inner world given by mental states like depression.
The gothic singer has cited Nightwish, Smashing Pumpkins Adore era and Marilyn Manson as formative steps in the development of her musical awareness, but this song also leans into an even more somber and diaphanous sort of rippling melancholic musing that, while sung beautifully, feels nonetheless like a personal secret or inner monologue that has somehow spilled into the light of day.
“My inner worlds are always autobiographical, my songs are always lived in the first person. Death, mental illness and emotional states of discomfort are central themes in my writing. When I write a lyric I always have an image in mind and try to describe it. My lyrics are little narrated and very visual.” – Elle Noir
Check out the compelling and floaty clip below as you ponder mortality.
Now this is what I am talking about! Love when a band does their own cool take on a cover, especially something that isn’t such an obvious song pick in the first place. Symphonic metal band RAVENLIGHT have offered up a killer and fresh take on Ghost’s Meliora B-side ‘Zenith’, transmuted into the band’s own Irish symphonic metal aesthetic. The results are pretty glorious, I must say.
Singer Rebecca Feeney had the following to say about the track: “Zenith may seem a not so obvious song for a cover, however, we went with Zenith for many reasons. I really enjoyed singing along to it, it really suited my range. Furthermore, we felt that Zenith is a very underrated Ghost song, due to the fact that it is a bonus track on the Vinyl version of Meliora, so it is not as well known as other tracks, giving us a chance to really put our own spin on it.”
Hey Cardinal or Papa or whoever is in charge of the Ghouls these days, grab this band up with an opening slot the next time touring can happen again!
Enchantya are a progressive, gothic metal group from Portugal who have been growing their fan base and making a mark on the world scene. “Mother Hope”, their latest single, is a rallying cry to remember our common humanity and to not abandon our principles or forget the fragility of our shared ecosystems. In other words, this is just the song for 2020 and great to have come out of a genre that people often just associate with death worship. Enchantya is so much more than that.
It was an honor to communicate with their vocalist Rute about her band’s coping skills during Covid-19, her musical background, the metal scene in Portugal and how she is keeping hope alive with the band and fans during this time.
Portuguese melodic metal band Enchantya now release a new single for “Mother Hope”. This is the first new track after their critically acclaimed second studio album On Light And Wrath, which was released in 2019 by Inverse Records. Fans can expect an uplifting yet somewhat sorrowful song with classic heavy metal flourish and serene vocal highlights.
Singer Rute Fevereiro and Keyboard player Pedro Antunes comments: ” “Mother Hope” was inspired by the situation the World currently lives with everything that Covid-19 brought with it. We live in a time when collective consciousness must prevail, as well as hope for a better world. Planet Earth is our home, as well as home to all the different species. This song speaks of the hope that humans will use these times to think both as a whole and in each individual. It is a theme that speaks of hope and that the outcome of this phenomenon now brings more unity between people regardless of race, gender or sexuality, and a better world for everyone. That option is within each of us, and one person can make all the difference.”
Morning to all you little fun loving imps out there. Lot of news today for metal. Plenty of new stuff and re-issues happening right now.
Before we start, Season Of Mist have a new website. Septicflesh, Gargoyl, Molassess (Farida Lemouchi’s new band) and plenty of other stuff to peruse.
Let’s get to the main content.
Ohio-based melodic death metal three piece, ASTRALBORNE have today released their debut album, Eternity’s End via Prosthetic Records. A video for the title track of the album has also been unveiled today, which can be seen below. Eternity’s End is available to purchase here.
Of the album release, the band comment: “The moment we have been waiting for is finally here! For ASTRALBORNE, that moment is over three years in the making, from conception to execution. This is an important album for us, both cathartic and momentous, as all music should be. We want to say ‘thank you’ to everyone for their continued support, as well as to Prosthetic Records for their belief in us and this record. We absolutely cannot wait to share this album with the world and we hope you have as much fun listening to it as we did making it.”
MOONSPELL‘s The Butterfly Effect , a semi-slept on record in their discography, is getting a reissue. Cool to see some of the band’s more experimental releases getting the love lately so more people see the full scope of all they have done over their long midnight ride. I love the green cassette tape option. The band has simply been killing it on the limited reissues and merch lately! A thrill for fans.
Influenced by industrial elements of the Nineties, this full-length release from the Portuguese pioneers captivates with down-tuned guitars, an electronic veil of ghostly synths and the concept of the scientific chaos theory, proclaiming that even the smallest events in life can lead to tremendous consequences.
Photo credit: Alex Krauss
New York avant-garde metal outfit IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT release their first single and music video “Rotted Futures” today. The track is off their upcoming fourth studio album Alphaville, which will be released on July 31st, 2020. Watch the video for “Rotted Futures” below.
“No one knows what the future shall look like. Well, some might know the shape of things to come. Some will bet on it. Perhaps we’re living it. Perhaps it will be quite different. If we had a special looking glass that could reveal millennia of repeated timelines we might observe big dreams for a bright future, built upon systemic shifts that eventually fall. Behold the future,” states IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT about the release.
Alphaville will be available in the following formats and can be pre-ordered HERE.
Gatefold Empire Black 2LP & LP-Booklet & Poster (black Vinyl)
Gatefold Atomic Sunrise 2LP & LP-Booklet & Poster (transp. sun yellow Vinyl)
Gatefold Statue of Verdigris 2LP & LP-Booklet & Poster (mint colored Vinyl)
Ltd. CD Edition
Digital Album
Hey scuzz buckets. I titled this blog entry as ‘Metal VS Punk’ but hopefully y’all know that is some BS for clicks and that here at MR we strongly encourage you to support both. I can’t imagine how much more my life would have sucked without both genres and all the colors in-between.
Today we have one metal and one punk video for you to kickstart Memorial Day Weekend.
Veteran act Paradise Lost always cast a shadowy spell and honor their legacy while refusing to stagnate. So many good releases over the years and Obsidianis going to only add to that (as well as be on many year end lists). “Darker Thoughts” is a gorgeous and epic, brooding video partially shot both before and after Covid-19 hit. Since the 15th of this month it has already gotten over 247,000 views (not too shabby for a band with true extreme roots who never compromise). The record is also charting very well!
Ash Pears from AshTV managed to film bits of the video with Nick before the lockdown but had to piece together the rest of the video using random footage to make things work.
Nick Holmes states: “Musically, this is a song of 2 halves and was originally written as an intro towards the end of the Obsidian writing process. As a result, it’s one of the more spontaneous songs on the album. Lyrically, it’s a song about choosing the wrong path – failing to look before you leap, and dealing with the consequence of dubious decisions.”
For the first time (in a while) we have gone top 40 in the main UK album charts! And Number 1 in the Rock charts! Thanks again to all who supported us by buying and streaming, pour yourselves a large beer on us 😉 pic.twitter.com/c3Bx56RicD
Green Day have covered the Blondie classic “Dreaming” as a gift to all their fans during tough times. The video is fun, the cover is great and faithful to both bands and I am stoked a band that huge is reminding people of the classics. EVERYONE should go read Debbie Harry’s iconic new book Face It about her life. Honestly one of my top five rock books ever up there with Slash and White Line Fever.
Today 4/14/2020 is a huge day in metal for anniversaries. Iron Maiden’s classic debut turns 40 (“Running Free”!) as does the legendary British Steel from Judas Priest (“Metal Gods”, “Breaking The Law” etc.)! Those albums deserve essays all their own but of course I had to shout them out today. I have to take a friend to the dentist shortly amidst the pandemic for emergency surgery, but I have time to at least make this post acknowledging the big milestones today. That said, it is also the anniversary of a more recent and much more tragic event in metal.
Peter Steele fans pretty much mourn the passing of the gloomy, satirical goth metal giant everyday, but today is ten years since he passed away. God, I can’t believe it has been a decade. I have spent so much time with the band’s music over the last 20+ years that it is weird to have someone be absent but still with you in spirit and song.
Billboard has a Johnny Kelly article HERE about the sad anniversary and remembering his friend. Take Steele’s life as an example of the impact you can make charting your own course. Type O Negative’s World Coming Down , arguably their most depressing and melodic album, just got a vinyl re-issue and t-shirt reprint via Roadrunner recently. Order it HERE and crank it on streaming services today, or whichever is your favorite record from the Green Man.
If you want to delve into some richly textural and emotional doom to start your week off with a thrilling metallic plunge, may we suggest Greek masters On Thorns I Lay and their compelling new single “Erynies”? Their newest album Threnos (Pre-order options HERE) is out February 21st from Lifeforce Records. This is an important release from the band and deserves a big push across the world.
Legend and all around great guy Dan Swanö, who was also responsible for the mix and mastering of Threnos, comments: “A part of my wishes it will flop mercilessly, so I can buy all the riffs and release it under my own name…ha, ha!!”
Italian Alt-Metal superstars Lacuna Coil are premiering their new song “Save Me” today with Billboard. Check out the track exclusively HERE. The song is off the band’s forthcoming full-length album Black Anima out October 11th.
“Save Me” is the third and final single to be released off of the upcoming LP, following the previously released tracks and music videos for “Reckless” and “Layers Of Time”. Both music videos were directed by Roberto Saku Cinardi and are part of the same storyline.
Black Anima is the follow up to Lacuna Coil’s Delirium (2016), which debuted on the charts in the US at #16 Current Album Chart and #2 Hard Rock Chart, and on many charts in Europe. The album will be available as Ltd. 2CD Book Edition incl. tarot cards, Standard CD Jewelcase, black LP + CD and digital album (+Bonus Tracks). All formats are available for pre-order HERE.
Posted by longhairedpoet on Friday, May 24, 2019 at 10:45 AM (PST)
Photo Credit: Diana Fernandes
Portuguese metallers Enchantya’s newest album drops today! The album On Light And Wrath is out via Inverse Records.
On Light And Wrath was recorded, mixed and mastered by Fernando Matias (Moonspell, Bizarra Locomotiva, We Are The Damned, Sinistro, etc.). Says singer Rute Fevereiro of the album:
“On Light and Wrath is Enchantya’s musical essay about the two extremes of the human existence and the struggle for balance within and outside the soul. Inspired by the union of opposites Enchantya present this concept in their music, facing darkness in heavy tracks like “Last Moon of March” and “From the Ashes” and diving into the light in moments like “Near Life Experience” and “Downfall to Power”, with the interlude “Alma” making the bridge between two worlds of emotions that are complementary. With the presence of unforgettable guests, a choir and orchestrations, Enchantya promise with “On Light and Wrath” a listening experience that you won’t forget.”
You can check out the music video for “The Beginning” here.
There are some bands more adept at riding the chaos than others in the storied history of underground music. From noise and hardcore pioneers like Steel Pole Bathtub to Man Is The Bastard to synth/indie/post-core bands like Six Finger Satellite to numerous grindcore bands like Fuck The Facts, etc.- some groups just embody the concept of "fuck it/let's really go for it" more than others. NY's Black Mesa sits proudly in that same spirit of frenzy and ferocious inventiveness, as evidenced by their recent compilation of insanely manic live performances. Whatever sub genre they throw in the emotional blender, you are bound to enjoy a deliciously nutritious smoothie of muddy sonic punk purée.
There are some bands more adept at riding the chaos than others in the storied history of underground music. From noise and hardcore pioneers like Steel Pole Bathtub to Man Is The Bastard to synth/indie/post-core bands like Six Finger Satellite to numerous grindcore bands like Fuck The Facts, etc.- some groups just embody the concept of "fuck it/let's really go for it" more than others. NY's Black Mesa sits proudly in that same spirit of frenzy and ferocious inventiveness, as evidenced by their recent compilation of insanely manic live performances. Whatever sub genre they throw in the emotional blender, you are bound to enjoy a deliciously nutritious smoothie of muddy sonic punk purée. 
