http://sickanddestroy.info/2018/05/16/interview-widows-peak/
Archive For
0 Sick and Destroy – Interview w/ Widow’s Peak
0 Eternal Terror – BORNBROKEN The Years Of Harsh Truths And Little Lies
0 Pest Webzine – Interview with Infrared
0 Heavy New York – Xael- The Last Arbiter Review
The Last Arbiter by Xael and I have to say, that this is easily one of my personal favorites of 2018. This Album was an adventure through all different territories. This album can be a soundtrack for Star Wars AND a soundtrack for Lord of the Rings. It can be in a Zelda game or a Halo game. This album was able to bring in many different elements that one would think would never go together and brought them together so well. To bring in Symphonic elements, Sci-Fi elements, folk elements and so much more. Each song was an adventure and all came together to make listening to this album a terrific experience. Thank you for sending this over. Looking forward to hearing more.
0 EPK – Hatred Reigns – Realm: I – AFFLICTION (EP) (2018)
Hatred Reigns – Realm: I – AFFLICTION (EP) (2018)
For fans of Cryptopsy, Suffocation, Morbid Angel, Death
Release Date: May 25, 2018
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: DistroKid
Publicist – Jon Asher – ashermedia(@)gmail.com
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EP Title: Realm: I – Affliction
Release Date: May 25, 2018
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: DistroKid
Track Listing:
1. In Anguish (4:29)
2. Pain Leads To Nothingness (3:57)
3. Planes Divide (4:13)
EP Length: 12:40
EP Credits:
• All songs performed by: Hatred Reigns
• All songs written by: Hatred Reigns
• Produced by: Joe “Moon” Lyko & Hatred Reigns
• Mixed by: Dark Moon Productions
• Mastered by: Dark Moon Productions
• Album Artwork by: Nathan Lee – http://www.ArtofNathanlee.com
• Canadian Content (MAPL)
Album / Live Band Line Up:
Brandon Mayhew – Vocalist
Jeff Calder – Guitarist
Adam Semler – Guitarist & Vocalist
Kyle Hnatyshin – Bassist
Eric Cooper Lefebvre – Drums
Discography:
2018 – Realm: I – Affliction (EP)
Shared Stage with:
Ne Obliviscaris, Allegaeon, The Agonist, Vesperia, Killswitch Engage vocalists DJ tour, The Flaying, Entity, Insurrection, A Scar For the Wicked, Misshapen, Bookakee
L-R = Jeff Calder – Guitar, Adam Semler – Guitars & Vocals, Eric Cooper Lefebvre – Drums, Kyle Hnatyshin – Bass, Brandon Mayhew – Vocals
Photo Credit: Gilles Landreville
SHORT BIO
Hailing from the Ottawa/Gatineau Capital Region of Ontario, the five members of Hatred Reigns compose original brutal music and have been taking the local scene by storm. Fusing both old school death metal and new school tech elements, each song they create is unique and full of beastly hammered drums, brutal aggressive guitars, sonic booming bass, and demonic vocals appealing to a diverse audience.
Looking to develop a new project with big ambitious goals to create a concept album Hatred Reigns was founded in 2015 by Jeff Calder, (guitarist,and conceptual artist). They performed their inaugural performance in 2017 to a sold out crowd and thus very high standards were established and word spread to promoters in other cities of their performance.
Their debut album “Realm: I – Affliction” is due out May 25, 2018.
LONG BIO
Hailing from the Ottawa/Gatineau Capital Region of Ontario, the five members of Hatred Reigns compose original brutal music and have been taking the local scene by storm. Fusing both old school death metal and new school tech elements, each song they create is unique and full of beastly hammered drums, brutal aggressive guitars, sonic booming bass, and demonic vocals appealing to a diverse audience.
Looking to develop a new project with big ambitious goals to create a concept album Hatred Reigns was founded in 2015 by Jeff Calder, (guitarist,and conceptual artist). They performed their inaugural performance in 2017 to a sold out crowd and thus very high standards were established and word spread to promoters in other cities of their performance.
Jeff explains the decision on the bands name:
“Hatred Reigns is self interpretive and encompasses the state of the world be it politics, human challenges, and over all Good vs Evil states that everyone can relate to. Determining a band name is a challenging thing to come to and as it happened I was listening to an album by the band Hate and was examining the artwork for Slayer’s Reign In Blood and it clicked.”
In the future months, they will begin recording their next release, with a goal of releasing a 13 song concept album recanting the travels of a damned soul to purgatory where their fate will be determined as they face numerous challenges. They will release their debut EP “Realm: I – Affliction” ion May 25, 2018 with 3 random songs in preview to their planned full length to be unleashed at yet to be determined date.
Hatred Reigns is:
Brandon Mayhew – Vocalist
Jeff Calder – Guitarist
Adam Semler – Guitarist & Vocalist
Kyle Hnatyshin – Bassist
Eric Cooper Lefebvre – Drums
0 Extreme Sci-Fi Metal XAEL Premiere Music Video “Srai (The Demon of Erring)” via ToiletOvHell; Debut Album “The Last Arbiter” Out May 18th On Test Your Metal Records

(contact info below)
NEWS RELEASE
Montreal, QC – May 16, 2018
TestYourMetalOfficial.com | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

For fans of Septicflesh, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Wardruna, Behemoth, Black Crown Initiate
Sci-Fi Metal XAEL Premiere Music Video “”Srai (The Demon of Erring)” via ToiletOvHell
Debut Album “The Last Arbiter” Out May 18th On Test Your Metal Records

L-R – Xolotl – Bass / Back Vocals, Tuurm – Lead Guitar / Back Vocals, Nassaru – Lead Vocalist / Guitar / Studio Drummer, Sorgiem – Lead Guitar – Photo Credit: Shannon Wells
Set to unleash their debut album “The Last Arbiter” on Test Your Metal Records on May 18th, 2018, North Carolina sci-fi extreme metallers XAEL have a new music video story to share with fans for their track “Srai (The Demon of Erring)” premiered on Toilet Ov Hell at the following link: http://www.toiletovhell.com/premiere-xael-chained-to-the-demon-of-erring/
Nassaru (lead vocalist, guitarist, studio drummer) explains the video’s story:
“Srai is poetically seen as a demon, but is a captured ancient entity that has a dismal past with the protagonist being that there is lore that predates this album’s story line. In an attempt to kill the main character, it was captured and bound by technology using a quantum field. It hungers to kill the wayfarer, but being immortal makes that difficult as one can presume. But there is a problem with the wayfarer’s immortality as he suffers from an odd illness poetically called “soul sickness”, where he loses consciousness and it is during this episode that his immortality is suppressed. Srai seizes this moment to sit upon the wayfarer’s chest to steal his last breath. In this song you can see the relationship with “sleep paralysis” and how it ties into the lore.”
Combining elements of extreme metal with orchestrations and folk music to create soundscapes for the imagination, XAEL‘s sci-fi inspired music focuses on the endeavors of its members in a science fantasy epic. From the wastelands of war torn planets to the pits where the fallen gods dwell, XAEL paints an odd and fantastic world musically and visually. The band was founded by Nassaru of Rapheumets Well as well as Sorgiem “Daniel Presnell,” Tuurm “Alex Rush”, and Xolotl “Fernando Ortega and is joined by musical artist is Rei Haycraft, Firran “Joshua Morse” and Zabrûz “Chris Hathcock.”
Nassaru comments:
“Xael started out as a personal project that evolved into a unity of like-minded musicians. The music derives inspiration from extreme metal, folk and tribal music, as well as 80’s synth and sci-fi textured scores. We are very excited to for people to see the handwork and detailed time we put into this album given the limited resources we had. Xael “The Last Arbiter” is not just a musical regurgitation but a unique experience that follows an intrinsic story. Our characters, emotions, and trials of life are woven throughout the album as we aim to bring a very diverse and immersive album to our growing fan base.”
“The Last Arbiter” Album summary:
The sky ghost, the wayfarer, the shadow of time, the exile; he is called by many names yet for the Immortal, he is cursed to traverse the cosmos aimlessly, searching for an unattainable purpose. Chained to him is a beast, a demon from antiquity who the immortal keeps as a reminder of his past.
Upon the corridors of the Tymeer capitol the immortal presents his seemingly profound doctrine called the “Compendium of Ethical Symbiosis” which outlines a harmonious way of governing and regulating the various civilizations under the ruling regime through casting down warmonger ideologies and laws which degrade the value of its species.
Though momentarily entertained, the ruling counsel of Tymeer dismisses the wisdom of the wayfarer. Passing through the city gates tired and morally degraded, the immortal along with his insidiously chained demon wanders into the wastelands of Tymeer. It is here that his journey begins.
Album pre-order available on XAEL‘s official website here and TYM’s Bandcamp here.
Album Trailer – https://youtu.be/eHw9zZVlPL0
Music Video – Apathy of The Immortal – https://youtu.be/Y6MB9RFKhjg
Music Video – The Last Arbiter – https://youtu.be/pDiWtgZiLiE

Track Listing:
1. The Last Arbiter (5:15)
2. Srai “The Demon of Erring” (6:05)
3. The Wayfarer of Tymeer (5:31)
4. Watchers of Xan (1:52)
6. Apathy of The Immortal (5:00)
6. I Am Pestilence (5:44)
7. In The Hollows of Pathos (6:13)
8. Secrets of The Third Tribe (4:48)
9. Harvesting The Elders Genome 7:33)
Album Length: 48:04
For more info:
– 30 –
—
Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780 | ashermedia@gmail.com
Facebook | @AsherMedia | Hire Us
0 Decibel Mag Premiere BornBroken’s New Album “The Years of Harsh Truths and Little Lies”

(contact info below)
NEWS RELEASE
Montreal, QC – May 16, 2018
For fans of Lamb of God, Sepultura, Ektomorf

(L-R) Samuel Santiago (Drums), Mike Decker (Lead/Rhythm Guitar, Vocals), Pepe Poliquin (Vocals), Red Voizard (Bass), Simon Savard (Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals) – Photo Credit: Eric Sanchez
Following up their well-received 2013 debut album ‘The Healing Powers of Hate’, Montreal’s BornBroken return in 2018 with a 40 minute freight-train on “The Years of Harsh Truths and Little Lies”. Aggressive music for critical masses, BornBroken are a band that thrives on fury at the injustices of the world we are living in and now is the right time for their righteous rage that feeds their creative furnace. Their new album features a refreshed line up that includes vocalist Pepe Peloquin (Endast), drummer Samuel Santiago (Gorod, First Fragment) along with bassist Red Voizard to join founding members and guitarists Mike Decker and Simon Sivard. The ten track assault is heavier and angrier plus even includes special guest vocals from Slaves On Dope’s Jason Rockman on “Fight”.
Teaming up with Decibel Magazine, BORNBROKEN are premiering the album’s full stream at the following link: https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2018/05/16/full-album-stream-bornbroken-the-years-of-harsh-truths-and-little-lies/
Guitarist Mike Decker comments:
“This CD has been a long time coming and needed to get out to the public instead of sitting on our hard drives. We are very pleased so far with the early positive response from the listeners of our 2 videos/singles “The Years of Harsh Truths and Little Lies” & “Listen”.
It is only obvious our music and the metal scene will only grow stronger and more aggressive as the world we live in deteriorates around us, so we must spread our voice and make it known we will be heard and no longer take what is happening sitting down. We do not want the scraps left behind; we all deserve a piece of the pie cooling in the window! Let’s make the world great again…”
BornBroken’s sophomore album “The Years of Hard Truths And Little Lies” is due out May 18th, 2018 and available for pre-order on Bandcamp and iTunes.
Music Video – “The Years of Hard Truths And Little Lies” – https://youtu.be/1IHgg5hpc9U
Lyric Video – “Listen” – https://youtu.be/uzpJ5KsuSgQ

Track Listing:
1. Empty Souls (3:14)
2. The Years of Harsh Truths and Little Lies (4:21)
3. Torn (3:37)
4. The Only One (4:09)
5. Whitewashed (4:12)
6. No Stranger To Failure (4:56)
7. Fight (featuring Jason Rockman) (3:39)
8. Live or Die (3:07)
9. Father Death (4:39)
10. Listen (4:46)
Album Length: 40:45
Album and Live Line Up:
Samuel Santiago (Drums)
Mike Decker (Lead/Rhythm Guitar, Vocals)
Pepe Poliquin (Vocals)
Red Voizard (Bass)
Simon Savard (Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals)
For more info:
http://www.facebook.com/bornbroken
http://www.twitter.com/bornbroken
EPK – https://wp.me/pciNW-by1
(Bio written by Steve Earles)
– 30 –
“Although they hail from the famously pleasant country of Canada, BornBroken, might be the heaviest and angriest thing we’ve heard from their parts in a long time. With no shortage of punishing riffs, brutal drumming, and vicious vocals that spit lyrics to change the world, BornBroken’s sophomore album ,The Years of Hard Truths And Little Lies, is worth pre-ordering before it’s due out May 18th.” – Metal Injection
“Un groupe énergique qui livre la marchandise! Alors quand on m’a proposé de faire la critique de leur nouvel album, je vous laisse deviner quel fut mon engouement à découvrir ce nouvel opus! Une douce brutalité bien musicale comme je les aime. Un album avec une âme, et qui en profite pour prendre possession de la nôtre au passage durant ces trop courtes 40 minutes!…Ma note, un SOLIDE 9 sur 10 largement mérité!” – Metal Universe
“The Years of Harsh Truths and Little Lies est un autre chef-œuvre musical que BornBroken nous as pondu. Cinq années d’attente, mais croyez-moi, l’attente en vallait la peine. La voix de Pepe Poliquin est à son meilleur et ultra efficace. Un duo du guitariste hors pair qui nous offre toutes sortes d’émotions qui passent par la brutalité de la mélodie et de plusieurs autres nuances. Une batterie qui nous offre un rythme essoufflant et sans concessions. Une basse très présente et qui se ressent à plusieurs endroits sur l’album. Dix chansons fortement bien exécutées et bien composées. Une production en béton armé, et un son d’enfer. Une production signée Chris Donaldson (Cryptopsy) et Marco Frechette. Le tout enregistré au studio The Grid à Montréal. The Years of Harsh Truths and Little Lies est définitivement l’album qui va projeter BornBroken à un autre niveau sur l’échiquier du métal mondial. ” – Quebec Metal
“BornBroken may be the best metal band you probably haven’t heard of. Those who love hard, heavy, angry metal are in for a treat and may find a new favorite in BornBroken.″ – TheFrontRowReport
“These extreme metallers have done an amazing job of combining death and thrash…” – Yell Magazine
“Working off catchy as fuck, breakdown inflected riffs BornBroken mercilessly pound the listener to pulp. There is absolutely no doubt people leave a BornBroken show with injuries.” – Hellbound
“Marching to the sounds of brutal bass, slamming percussion, high-speed guitar solos and violently powerful vocals, the broken shall rise.” – LouderThanHell
“Many of the hooks and riffs are excellent, they absolutely destroy my speakers, and the bedroom mosh commences.” – MetalStorm
“BornBroken have resurrected the intense metallic sounds of bands the likes of A Life Once Lost, Hatebreed, Nora, and Arise And Ruin that once dominated the North American metal scene. It’s wonderful to hear a band like BornBroken bringing back what some might consider the peak sound of modern metal.” – PureGrainAudio.com
“Pour percer le domaine du groove métal, tu dois avoir de bons… grooves! Et Bornbroken t’en sert dans bouche à grands coups de louche, toutes très pleines ! Groupe émergeant de la scène québécoise, cette troupe de Montréalais replace les pièces de certains puzzles laissées au sol par des groupes comme Pantera,Lamb of God et Hatebreed car en plus d’être métal et groové, on sent une petite corde bien tendue vers le hardcore métallisée…Si je m’entrainais au gym, question d’augmenter le volume de façon exponentielle de mon chest et de mes bras, c’est sur du Bornbroken que je le ferais!” – MusikUniverse
“Musically, BornBroken are a more solid, and extremely heavy, lot. Simon Savard and Mike Decker’s surging, Dimebag Darrell-inspired grooves hit like haymakers throughout, aided by the sort of dry, ultra-punchy production Terry Date used to achieve such brutal majesty with Pantera, Unearth, Deftones and on White Zombie’s Astro Creep: 2000. The sound here is huge – especially for a self-released effort – clear and quite pummeling.” – Metal-Rules
“BornBroken deserves broad attention. They’ve already made a very big impression in their native Montreal, both for their live performances as well as their music in general. I honestly don’t know that much about the Montreal metal scene, but I do know that it is getting bigger and more competitive. For these guys to emerge as a local favorite suggests something of their overall quality. Give this one a spin.” SeaofTranquility
“Ça me manquait d’entendre du bon groove métal et cette formation de Montréal excelle dans ce domaine. Imagine un mélange de Pantera et Lamb Of God avec une voix hardcore à la Hatebreed et ça te donne une bonne idée du style que propose BornBroken.” – Boulevard Brutal
—
Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780 | ashermedia@gmail.com
Facebook | @AsherMedia | Hire Us
0 Metal Universe – BornBroken – Album: The Years of Harsh Truths and Little Lies (2018)
0 Romanian / Swedish Power Metal Trio CROSSING ETERNITY To Release Debut Album “The Rising World” via Rockshots Records

(contact info below)
NEWS RELEASE
Montreal, QC – May 15, 2018
Romanian / Swedish Power Metal Trio CROSSING ETERNITY To Release Debut Album “The Rising World” via Rockshots Records

Brand new Romanian/Swedish symphonic power metallers CROSSING ETERNITY are gearing up to release their debut album “The Rising World” to the world June 15, 2018 via Rockshots Records.
Music Video – Crossing Eternity
“The Rising World” blends elements of modern metal with psychedelic soundscapes alluding to the innocence of the 70s’ rock music. The album contains thirteen epic songs, widely varied in composition and arrangement. The lyrics are a natural extension of this musical experience and they are tales of a spiritual journey. At times they talk about the invisible side of the world, other times they speak of fairy tale magic characters. Human nature and the causal dynamic of human interactions are also among the approached topics.
In regards to recording of the album, singer Berti Barbera says:
“Recording this album was the most challenging vocal experience of my life. It brought back the times me and Manu were playing in a rock band, with all the jokes and high energy. The serious effort made me use a lot of techniques and ways of expression I thought I lost or never use again. This is a great achievement and definitely our best work together in a time I stopped believing in magic. There is something cosmos related in this, it must be. I can’t wait to be on stage with these guys.”
Manu Savu (Guitar/ Bass/ Keyboards) also reflects on the album:
“I wrote the music for this album as an introspective journey, like a confession, a deep soul search, a backward connection, a connection with the almost unseen world of metaphors and symbols, an essential part of our existence. It’s an act of honesty, a musical statement about what we can and cannot see, a story between the tangible and the magical world.”
The adventure of CROSSING ETERNITY started in the summer of 2017, when guitarist/composer Manu Savu entered the studio with a head full of great song ideas alongside fellow Romanian Berti Barbera, the band’s singer and Swedish Uffe Tillman taking on drum duties. Although the band is brand new, the three passionate, experienced musicians bring 25-30 years of experience across all genres with them. This mix of experience and wide variety of musical influences allows them to create a sound they describe as big, organic, personal, vibrant and honest.
Enjoying the privilege of sharing the stage with big names like Uriah Heep, Ten Years After, Scorpions, Larry Coryell, Blood, Sweat and Tears, the band’s main priority is to expand their boundaries and play worldwide, finding opportunities to make their music known and appreciated in as many countries as possible.
Album pre-order available at the following link: http://bit.ly/Risingworld_PREORDER

Track Listing:
1 – Crossing Eternity (4:22)
2 – Ghost Of A Storm (4:30)
3 – Sand In The Sky (4:35)
4 – High Above The Crown (4:28)
5 – Kingdome Come (4:05)
6 – Embrace Your Voices (3:56)
7 – Journey To The End Of Dreams (4:33)
8 – Winter Poem (4:42)
9 – Haunted (5:17)
10 – Dreams Fall (4:56)
11 – Angles Cry, Rainbows Hide (4:30)
12 – Spirit Of The Forest (3:49)
13 – War Of Gods (4:50)
Album Length: 1:00:49
CROSSING ETERNITY is:
Berti Barbera – Lead Vocal/percussion instruments,
Manu Savu – Guitar/ Bass/ Keyboards
Uffe Tillman – Drums / Percussion
For more info:
www.Rockshots.eu
http://crossing-eternity.com
https://www.facebook.com/CrossingEternity
https://twitter.com/CrossingEternit
EPK – https://wp.me/pciNW-c0t
– 30 –
—
Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780 | ashermedia@gmail.com
Facebook | @AsherMedia | Hire Us
0 EPK – Crossing Eternity – The Rising World (2018) (Rockshots Records)
Crossing Eternity – The Rising World (2018) (Rockshots Records)
Release Date: June 15, 2018
Label: Rockshots Records
Label Links: Rocskhots.eu | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube
Band Links: Crossing-Eternity.com | Facebook | Twitter
1 – Crossing Eternity (4:22)
2 – Ghost Of A Storm (4:30)
3 – Sand In The Sky (4:35)
4 – High Above The Crown (4:28)
5 – Kingdome Come (4:05)
6 – Embrace Your Voices (3:56)
7 – Journey To The End Of Dreams (4:33)
8 – Winter Poem (4:42)
9 – Haunted (5:17)
10 – Dreams Fall (4:56)
11 – Angles Cry, Rainbows Hide (4:30)
12 – Spirit Of The Forest (3:49)
13 – War Of Gods (4:50)
Album Length: 1:00:49
SHORT BIO
Crossing Eternity is a new Romanian/Swedish symphonic power metal/rock band founded by guitarist and composer Manu Savu. Entering the studio in the summer of 2017 with a head full of great song ideas he recruited fellow Romanian Berti Barbera, as the band’s singer and Swedish Uffe Tillman for drum duties. Although the band is brand new, the three passionate, experienced musicians bring 25-30 years of experience across all genres with them. This mix of experience and wide variety of musical influences allows them to create a sound they describe as big, organic, personal, vibrant and honest.
Enjoying the privilege of sharing the stage with big names like Uriah Heep, Ten Years After, Scorpions, Larry Coryell, Blood, Sweat and Tears the band’s main priority is to expand their boundaries and play worldwide, finding opportunities to make their music known and appreciated in as many countries as possible.
Their debut album “Rising World” is set for release on June 15, 2018 via Rockshots Records.
Album Pre-Order here.
LONG BIO
Crossing Eternity is a new Romanian/Swedish symphonic power metal/rock band founded by guitarist and composer Manu Savu. Entering the studio in the summer of 2017 with a head full of great song ideas he recruited fellow Romanian Berti Barbera, as the band’s singer and Swedish Uffe Tillman for drum duties. Although the band is brand new, the three passionate, experienced musicians bring 25-30 years of experience across all genres with them. In regards to the band’s name choice, they quote: “We thought of something transcendental, something to describe the thoughts and intentions of our musical journey. We are giving the best we have, we see beyond words, we are crossing eternity. It’s like leaving something lasting to posterity.”
Their sound is old school with a resistance to overproduction defined on their debut album; Manu explains further: “Composing the music for this album was like an inner journey for me, almost like a sort of a confession, a deep search of the soul, back and forth, a connection with the mostly unseen, sensitive world’s symbols and metaphors, an essential part from our original existence. This album is a continuous act of honesty, a musical statement between what we can see and what we can’t, a story bordering our touchable and magical worlds.
“It was beyond any mercantile approach and my vision was beautifully supported by my bandmates. We tried to dial down our virtuosity spurts to obtain a more direct and sincere approach”
Enjoying the privilege of sharing the stage with big names like Uriah Heep, Ten Years After, Scorpions, Larry Coryell, Blood, Sweat and Tears the band’s main priority is to expand their boundaries and play worldwide, finding opportunities to make their music known and appreciated in as many countries as possible. With their debut album “Rising World” being released on June 15, 2018 via Rockshots Records, the trio is ready to take their place in metal history.
Album Pre-Order here.
CROSSING ETERNITY are:
Berti Barbera – Lead Vocal/percussion instruments,
Manu Savu – Guitar/ Bass/ Keyboards
Uffe Tillman – Drums / Percussion






