Category: Music News

0 Rockshots Records Signs EMBRYO For New Album “A Vivid Shade on Misery” ft. Drummer George Kollias (Nile)

December 20, 2022
by Asher
· Embryo (Rockshots Records) · Music News

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – December 20, 2022

Rockshots Records Signs EMBRYO For New Album “A Vivid Shade on Misery” ft. Drummer George Kollias (Nile)

Rockshots Records is proud to announce their signing of the Italian melodic death Embryo for the release of their fifth album “A Vivid Shade on Misery” on March 17th, 2023. For the album’s recording, the band recruited international drumming powerhouse George Kollias (Nile).

The fifth full-length follows the band’s 2017’s “A Step Beyond Divinity” (Art Gates Records), 2015’s Self-Titled (logic(il)logic Records) that featured Fleshgod Apocalypse’s drummer Francesco Paoli, 2010’s “No God Slave” and their 2006 debut “Chaotic Age”.

Since the band’s inception, Embryo has toured across Europe with Melechesh, Keep of Kalessin, Tribulation, Nile, Immolation, Ragnarok, Monuments of Misanthropy, and Suffocation along with performing on festivals such as Masters of Rock (CZ), and Total Metal Festival (Italy).

Embryo began writing their 5th offering in 2020 with George Kollias and entered the Domination Studio in July 2021 with producer Simone Mularoni, and engineer Simone Bertozzi.

Monolithic, intense, powerful, technical, and melodic this new album features eight brand new tracks and is another concept album like its predecessor “A Step Beyond Divinity”. The band is inspired by historical Italian figures of the Renaissance era and their tormented lives, their absolute genius, and the gifts they gave to the world. While the previous album “A Step Beyond Divinity” was inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci, this new work is totally inspired by Michelangelo Merisi alias Caravaggio, an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life.

“With “A Vivid Shade on Misery” we want to have listeners dive into our world by giving them brutal and atmospheric music melted together in the way we love to do plus having Kollias drum on this new album, one of the best drummers in the world, is just an absolute honour. Overall, fans will find this album has the “Embryo” matrix, there’s no doubt about that. It will be a more direct record and its songs make up a pattern that takes the listener on a journey through torments and anxieties, but which at the same time gives him pure energy.” adds the band.

From the band’s first album “Chaotic Age” (2006) to today, Embryo‘s music has evolved over the years. On the first record, they were more brutal and messier, now their compositions are much more “thought out” and brilliant. If they had to use one word to describe their compositional evolution they would say “sharp”.

Recommended for fans of Strapping Young Lad, Meshuggah, Fear Factory, Death, and Dimmu Borgir, Embryo will be sharing singles and videos in the coming months in lead up to the record’s release.

To hear their previous releases, please visit Spotify and YouTube.

Current Line-Up:
Roberto Pasolini – Vocals
Eugenio Sambasile – Guitars
Simone Solla – Keyboards
Gabriel Pignatta – Bass
George Kollias – Drums (guest)

Track Listing:
1. Pride – 3:58
2. Highest Fame – 4:19
3. Darkest Lights – 4:01
4. The Seed of Lividity – 4:02
5. MMDC – 5:04
6. Medusa – 4:18
7. Vanitas – 3:59
8. Concrete Visionary – 3:29
Album Length: 33:13

A Vivid Shade On Misery album credits:
The album was recorded in July 2021 @ Domination Studio – San Marino
Technicians: Simone Mularoni, Simone Bertozzi.
Mixed and Mastered by Simone Mularoni.
Drums recorded @ George Kollias Studio

For more info:
https://www.rockshots.eu
http://www.embryo-online.com
https://www.facebook.com/EMBRYO.DeathMetal
https://www.instagram.com/embryo_official
https://www.twitter.com/EMBRYOmetalband

About: After a couple of self-produced works and a first album (“Chaotic Age”) Embryo found its sound and recorded “No God Slave” (2010) with producer Simone Mularoni. The album received very good reviews and led the band to play new gigs in Switzerland, Germany, and Italy and be part of Kung Fu Factory’s Supremacy MMA videogame soundtrack with 2 songs. In 2014 Embryo first recorded a promo at Atomic Stuff Studio with Oscar Burato, then, in May, the band recorded the new self-titled cd at Domination Studio with Simone Mularoni. During the summer they played the main stage at Masters of Rock in the Czech Republic and Total Metal Festival in Italy. In October Embryo signed a deal with logic(il)logic Records for the release of the album and the reissue of “No God Slave” with some bonus tracks. In December the band made a little tour in Eastern Europe. The new album “Embryo” came out on the 10th of February 2015. The album received great reviews worldwide and Embryo started a European tour in May with Melechesh, Keep of Kalessin, and Tribulation. After a great show at MetalFest in the Czech Republic in July, the band joined Nile and Suffocation for the second part of their European tour in September. In 2016 the band has been part of the second leg of the “What Should Not Be Unearthed” Nile tour with Melechesh and Mithridatic. Embryo finished the recordings of the new album in January at Domination Studios again with guru Simone Mularoni. The band played at the 2017 edition of MetalFest in the Czech Republic on Sunday, June 4th, and signed a deal with Art Gates Records for the release of the 4th studio album “A Step Beyond Divinity” which came out on the 27th of October 2017 in Spain and the 24th of November 2017 in the rest of the world. The album has been enthusiastically reviewed entering the 2017 best albums of the year charts in various webzines all over the world. In November 2019 the band joined “The Last Atonement European tour” supporting Immolation, Ragnarok, and Monuments of Misanthropy for all the shows. In December the band released a free download digital EP including the new song Misguided legacy and three live songs taken from a live show of the band. In 2020 the famous drummer George Kollias (Nile) joined Embryo in the writing of the new album. The band entered again Domination Studio in July 2021 to record the brand new fifth album “A Vivid Shade On Misery”, which will be released in early 2023, anticipated by the video of the new song “Darkest Lights”. Stay tuned!

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ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS
Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780 | jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations | Instagram @AsherMedia | Tweet @AsherMedia
(Rockshots Records, Extreme Metal Music, Armstrong MF, Loud As Hell, Metalocalypstick, Decimate MF, Electric Highway Fest, Wacken Metal Battle Canada/USA, Hyperspace MF, Le FestEvil)

0 Multi-Instrumentalist MATT MILLER To Release Remastered Album “Decrepit Shed” February 2023

December 19, 2022
by Asher
· Matt Miller · Music News

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – December 19, 2022

Multi-Instrumentalist MATT MILLER To Release Remastered Album “Decrepit Shed” February 2023

Matt Miller – Photo Credit – Luna Rose Wolf

Akademia-Award-winning producer, engineer, and songwriting shredder Matt Miller released his latest instrumental album “Monument of Velocity” earlier this year, which also took him on the CYBER SHRED TOUR with Rings of Saturn, Extortionist, Distinguisher, and Voraath.

Containing eight tracks full of technical and progressive metal eliciting feelings of suspense, and tension while being fun, melodic, and brutally heavy, “Monument of Velocity” was well received by fans, especially those into bands such as Jeff Loomis, Necrophagist, Dragon Force and Obscura.

As Matt Miller continues creating and writing his next follow-up, he is sharing with fans a remastered version of his first full-length of originals entitled “Decrepit Shed”, which was recorded at the peak of Covid 19 lockdowns and released during February 2021.

Two years almost to the day, on February 3, 2023, via Blood Blast Distribution (powered by Nuclear Blast & Believe Digital), “Decrepit Shed” will be released, freshly remastered by Matt Miller himself.

“The original release of Decrepit Shed was extremely ambitious while still full of nuance and depth. Like standing back and viewing a painting to see the bigger picture I felt that the smallest details which gave Decrepit Shed its foundation were somewhat obscured. The remastered version brings all these small but crucial pieces into focus and takes an already exciting listening experience to another level. The remastered version of Decrepit Shed takes an extremely strong 2-dimensional album and brings it into a 3-dimensional world.” says Miller.

“Decrepit Shred” was originally going to have vocals, but Miller decided to keep it all guitar.

“It was an ambitious undertaking trying to create interesting guitar lines that still had a vocal quality to them. The track Downward and Onward especially has a strong vocal quality in the lead guitar melodies.. I think on some of the tracks the listeners are probably able to hear which songs those were.”

Soaring, crushing, ferocious, emotive, and relentless, are words that strongly describe “Decrepit Shed”. The album has a lot to offer from various metal sub-genres and encompasses the best elements of technical guitar playing while still having well-written songs.

Matt Miller also released another cover album “Only What the Light Allows” earlier this year that features tracks by Children of Bodom, Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Aeon, Sodom, Megadeth, Old Man’s Child, Judas Priest, Testament, Dimmu Borgir, and Slayer. Miller has also unleashed a tech death album with his new project Chasm of Discord. Both releases are currently available through Blood Blast Distribution.

“Decrepit Shed” (remastered) digital pre-save – https://bfan.link/decrepit-shed-remastered

Track Listing:
1. Through the Doorway (1:38)
2. Step into the Light (2:55)
3. Smoldering Ruin (2:33)
4. Skynet Sonata (4:32)
5. Downward and Onward (3:39)
6. Noise Shaping (4:44)
7. Meddling of Wizards (3:07)
8. Tension and Release (4:31)
Album Length: 26:04

Album Credits:
All music written by Matt Miller
Recorded, Mixed, Mastered, and Produced by Matt Miller at The Kill Box 2021 Album art by Hand Rot Art
Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, and Programming by Matt Miller
Remastered 2022 by Matt Miller at the Kill Box

For more info:
https://mattmillerhhakmusi.wixsite.com/mattm
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100052177364686
https://www.instagram.com/mattmiller630

Matt Miller is endorsed by:
Kahler USA
EMG Pickups
GHS Strings
Stevens Cables and Effects Pedals

Booking – Extreme Management Group
Mark Kloeppel – emg.markkloeppel[@]gmail[.]com

About:
Akademia-Award-winning producer, engineer, and songwriter MATT MILLER side-steps these industry achievements to embark on something deeply introspective and personal; a transcendent, reactionary and vile personage embodying soaring progressive melodies and captivating crushing rhythms which engulf the listener in black clouds of desperation and shimmering hope.

Drawing upon the gut-wrenching timed-precision of European death metal stalwarts NECROPHAGIST and SPAWN OF POSSESSION, MATT MILLER progressively blends this approach with deep synthetic and symphonic atmospheres like that of DEVIN TOWNSEND, often arriving at surprisingly emotive and heart-clenching metallic passages like that of RIVERS OF NIHIL.

Calling upon other single-member death metal projects such as PUTRID PILE or INSIDIOUS DECREPANCY, the live performance can best be described as a reclaiming and repainting of the earth by a relentlessly sweeping and deranged berzerker appealing to the vast minions of the extreme music. The combination of elements within MATT MILLER distills the traditions of the international metal realm, the progressive atmospheres of modernity, and reactions to a vile world into a single unrelenting persona of despair and vengeance.

MATT MILLER’s first self-produced instrumental EP came in 2017, drawing on influences from classic metal bands such as MEGADETH and IRON MAIDEN to shredders like YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and PAUL GILBERT, while combining a technical death metal approach to create a maximum intensity music with a frenetic and frantic feel and ferocious atmosphere. Since then, and a few releases into this brief career, MATT MILLER boasts 12,000 consistent monthly listeners on Spotify before hitting the international touring circuit. This was garnered from his 2017 EP, the 2021 self-released ‘Decrepit Shed’ LP, the ‘Reekomposer/Decomposer’ covers double LP, as well as the ‘8E’s’ 1980’s themed covers LP.

In 2022 Matt released the formidable original instrumental LP Monument of Velocity on Blood Blast Distribution. Matt also toured supporting Rings of Saturn on the CYBER SHRED TOUR 2022. 29 shows encompassing the continental United States. Matt has released the cover LP Only What the Light Allows through Blood Blast Distribution as well.

Matt Miller hails from the rain soaked northern Oregon Coast; influenced by the natural foreboding environment. Moving into the present, MATT MILLER has joined up with Extreme Management Group to spread a singularly relentless auditory mind-bend.

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0 Now Streaming! Hardcore Thrash Crossover SPLIT IMAGE Band Doc For Psycho Image Tour w/ Psycho Mantis

December 19, 2022
by Asher
· Music News · Split Image

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – December 19, 2022

Now Streaming! Hardcore Thrash Crossover SPLIT IMAGE Band Doc For Psycho Image Tour w/ Psycho Mantis

This past August and September, California’s Split Image hit the road across six states with friends Psycho Mantis to support their debut album “Torrent of Illusion”. While on the 12-date tour, the bands captured their West Coast experience in a documentary produced by Chris Sia (Low Budget Productions, Split Image) and is now streaming online via director Dylan Baumgartner’s Reelverse Productions YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/LnPXlKPCUCI

Split Image adds:

“During our tour this summer, we invited Reelverse Productions to join Split Image and Psycho Mantis on the road for the Psycho Image Tour. We love touring and bringing our music to fans and seeing them light up the pit. We traveled across the West Coast from California to the Pacific North West and back through stops in Nevada and Arizona. All the places were just so welcoming. We also like to bands Contact (Centralia, WA) and Corpus (Murrieta, CA),”

Dylan Baumgartner of Reelverse Productions also adds:

“Being a part of the Psycho Image Tour was such an amazing experience. I’ve played in bands all my life, but never toured before so when I heard from Chris Sia that his band, Split Image, would be going on tour with Psycho Mantis, I had to jump on the opportunity. I think what small DIY touring bands do is incredibly admirable, they travel for miles, spend hours stuck in a van, unload equipment, set up, play for roughly twenty minutes, hope they made some merch sales, then pack it all back up just to do it all over again the next day. Being able to document the tour, edit together the footage and contribute something special to the local Inland Empire metal/hardcore scene is really exciting for me. I can’t wait for people to see it and I hope it either inspires local bands to hit the road or it just inspires someone to join a band.”

SPLIT IMAGE released their debut album “Torrent of Illusion” this past June. It’s a gritty and powerful crossover experience that packs a punch. Belted out with passion, Split Image’s lyrics stem from the various experiences they’ve endured like the loss of a loved one, grief, and perspectives they’ve had or envisioned as well as spirituality. They combine this with a unique sound that boasts familiarity through thrashy riffs, progressive, technical elements, and a solid nod to old-school hardcore.

“We are all about unity through music and with Torrent of Illusion, we strongly believe that our listeners will truly appreciate the messages of becoming hyper-aware of yourself as an individual as well as being aware of others around us. Take care of yourself and others around you because we are all we have.” adds the band.

With a dash of many genres, Split Image will be of interest to those who like thrash, punk, crust, and hardcore. Fans of Power Trip, Enforced, and Dead Heat should take note.

“Torrent of Illusion” is available on Splitimage.bandcamp.com, Spotify.

For more info:
https://www.facebook.com/SplitImageCA/
https://www.instagram.com/splitimageca/

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ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS
Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
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0 Rockshots Records – Finnish Rockers LEAFLET Streaming Title Track Off New Album “Something Beyond” Out Jan 2023

December 19, 2022
by Asher
· Leaflet (Rockshots Records) · Music News

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – December 19, 2022

Rockshots Records – Finnish Rockers LEAFLET Streaming Title Track Off New Album “Something Beyond” Out Jan 2023

Set to follow up 2017 their debut album “Outta Door” (VR Label Finland) with the sophomore album “Something Beyond” due out January 2023 via Rockshots Records, Finnish rockers LEAFLET is now streaming the title track at the following links:

Digital – https://bfan.link/something-beyond

Visualizer – https://youtu.be/rdO4oqgZ3h0

The band adds about the song:

“Something Beyond was the last song to be written for this album and it also ended up being the title track. It deals with battling your inner demons and therefore is an extremely personal song. When we went recording this song we only had the bare minimum of the song finished with hardly any vocals and lyrics. Luckily it ended up as one of the strongest performances on the album!”

Formed in 2013, LEAFLET is a four-piece hard rock band from Turku, Finland. Their music can be described as metal-infused American-style hard rock and while you might hear echoes of bands like Alter Bridge or Shinedown they have their own unique Nordic flavour. In 2019, LEAFLET released “Johnny Two-Face” as a single through VR Label Finland followed by an ambitious music video shot in both Turku, Finland, and Tokyo, Japan. After a couple of years of silence due to the pandemic, the band is now back with their second album “Something Beyond” to be released by Rockshots Records on January 20, 2023, sounding stronger than ever.

“With this album, we have tried to refine our sound further to something that can be more easily identified as LEAFLET instead of our influences. The album is full of catchy metal-influenced rock tunes that would fit perfectly in the heavy rotation of every rock radio station. The album has a lot of variety within the songs and we got a diverse selection of singles as well. Three very different singles trying to represent the entire album as well as possible. As singles, we got one heavy and hard-hitting tune, one straightforward and super catchy tune, and one fast-paced in-your-face type of tune. You should check out them all to see what you think!” says the band.

Recommended for fans of Alter Bridge, Shinedown, Five Finger Death Punch, Mustach, and Shiraz Lane, album pre-order for “Something Beyond” available at https://bit.ly/LEAFLET_CD

Leaflet has performed on Finnish festivals such as Kuopiorock and Saaristo Open Air along with touring across their home country to support their debut album. They also spent time on the road in the Baltics with Willie & the Goodsouls in 2018 again playing clubs and festivals.

Previous singles:

“Gonna Do It” – Music Video: https://youtu.be/J6RFeUKWttI | Digital: https://bfan.link/gonna-do-it

“Resonate” – Music Video – https://youtu.be/80lxzUV3d8w | Digital – https://bfan.link/resonate-2

Track Listing:
1. Gonna Do It – 4:12
2. Resonate – 3:40
3. Alone Alive – 3:50
4. Earth – 3:54
5. Johnny Two-Face – 4:01
6. Tattoos of Life – 3:43
7. Shades of Black – 2:55
8. Someone Somewhere – 3:51
9. Something Beyond – 4:48
Album Length: 34:59

LEAFLET is:

Jaakko Leaflet – lead vocals & guitar

Antti Kallio – guitar & backing vocals

Fabian Korsström – bass & backing vocals

Pekka Jokela – drums

For more info:
https://www.rockshots.eu
http://www.leafletband.com
http://www.facebook.com/leafletband
Spotify – https://spoti.fi/3qpA2su

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0 MALICE DIVINE Release Biting Extreme Metal Single “Silenced Judgment” Off “Everlasting Ascendancy” Out Jan 2023

December 16, 2022
by Asher
· Malice Divine · Music News

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – December 16, 2022

MALICE DIVINE Release Biting Extreme Metal Single “Silenced Judgment” Off “Everlasting Ascendancy” Out Jan 2023

Malice Divine is the solo project of one Ric Galvez, a Toronto-based musician who has been waiting for his opportunity to form a band to his liking and have full creative control. The result is Malice Divine, an undertaking that allows him to weave extreme black metal together with his interests such as the paranormal, spirituality, and psychology along with lived experiences. This accumulates in the second album “Everlasting Ascendancy”, which contains songs that have been written for a long time and only now see the light of day. One of these is the straightforward and energetic single “Silenced Judgment”, the shortest on the album was mostly written in 2014. Galvez explains further:

““Silenced Judgment” is by far the oldest song on the album. I originally wrote it back in January 2014 for a band I had back then called Oneiromancy. That band split up a few months later, and the song was left unused up until 2021 when I started putting together the second Malice Divine album. It always struck me as a perfect song to open an album with and I am very happy to finally have it as an album opener. Lyrically the song is about proving the people who judged you wrong and putting them in their place. Everyone has been judged at some point in their life, so I am sure that this is a song that many people can relate to and can be inspired by.”

Watch and listen to Silenced Judgement” via a guitar playthrough video at TheCirclePit.

Digital save – https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/malicedivine/silenced-judgement-2

The forthcoming album is a dynamic experience while also being an overall more aggressive record than the first one, especially in the vocal delivery. There are still plenty of melody and classical guitar sections, which is a major part of Malice Divine’s sound. The solos on this album are even more virtuosic than before as well. Lyrically, the full-length explores themes such as the paranormal, revenge, determination, spirituality, and reclamation.

“Everlasting Ascendancy” will be released on January 27, 2023, and is recommended for fans of Dissection, Immortal, Skeletonwitch, and Watain.

Pre-Save the album here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/malicedivine/everlasting-ascendancy-2

Track Listing:
1. Silenced Judgement (4:10)
2. Apparitions Of Conquest (8:22)
3. Usurping The Paragon (6:07)
4. At One With Infinity (6:06)
5. Parasitic Demons (5:39)
6. Reclaimed Strength (5:31)
7. Illusions Of Fragmentation (8:39)
8. Everlasting Ascendancy (8:10)
Album Length: 52:44

Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Malice Divine
• All songs written by: Ric Galvez
• Produced by: Tyler Williams
• Mixed by: Tyler Williams
• Mastered by: Jamie King
• Album Artwork by: Eka Saputra (Psychopart)
• Canadian Content (MAPL)

Album Band Lineup:
Ric Galvez – Vocals/Guitars/Bass
Dylan Gowan – Drums (Session)

For more info: Facebook.com/malicedivineband | Youtube.com/malicedivine | Instagram.com/malicedivineofficial

About: Toronto, Canada’s Malice Divine is a solo project conceived by Ric Galvez, who had always had the dream of being the leader of his own project. He wanted to expand beyond being known as just a lead guitarist, into also being known as a songwriter, vocalist, and frontman. Ric has played in local bands previously and was a contestant on Banger TV’s Shredders of Metal Seasons 1 & 2.

Ric has a major in music from York University, and through Malice Divine he shows off his vocal, guitar, and bass prowess. His lyrics are inspired by psychology, spirituality, as well as personal experiences that involve the overcoming of obstacles and hardships, using the resulting verses as a form of empowerment.

The second offering from Malice Divine, entitled “Everlasting Ascendancy”, will be released in early 2023. Once again it features Ric Galvez on Vocals, Guitars, & Bass, as well as Dylan Gowan (Vesperia, Banger TV) playing session drums. Malice Divine is also currently transitioning from being a solo project into being a band effort, and is set to start performing live in 2023. What people can expect from seeing Malice Divine live is highly aggressive black and death metal-inspired music, with shreddy and virtuosic guitar solos that add a melodic layer that isn’t common in the genre.

Malice Divine’s sophomore album “Everlasting Ascendancy” is set to be released on January 27th, 2023.

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“Malice Divine hop back and forth between coming off like a death metal band doing covers of stuff they’ve recorded as a black metal band and coming off like a black metal band doing covers of stuff they’re recorded as a death metal band.”- Decibel Magazine

“Whether you’re into death metal, progressive metal, or epic metal, this album ticks all of those boxes effortlessly.” – Powerplay Magazine

“What exactly does Malice Divine bring to the table? Judging from “In Time” alone, the project brings a great cornucopia of gripping riffs, virtuosic soloing, constantly dynamic rhythms, harrowing vocals, and a talent for interweaving variant melodies that turn out to be memorable, as well as an ability to make such kaleidoscopic music both cohesive and catchy. The opening sequence of riffs begins to establish the pattern, shifting from sensations that are slow, dismal, and perilous to spidery and feverish, and then to cold and cruelly deranged. But that’s just the start of this dark but exhilarating piece.” – No Clean Singing

“My time with Malice Divine has shown me that Ric Galvez is a talented vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter, and fans of blackened and/or melodic death metal are highly encouraged to check it out. Malice Divine has planted their flag squarely on my radar, and I’m excited to see what Galvez comes up with on the next go-around.” – Angry Metal Guy

“Black Metal, Thrash Metal, Death Metal thrown into an insane blender of savage brutality\m/ \m/” – Heavy New York

“his self-titled debut is a very guitar-centric slab of Black/Death that sounds like a mixture of Dissection’s melodic sensibility with Skeletonwitch’s relentless energy. The playing is as sharp and precise as you’d expect it to be, and some of the leads are really superior…” – The Metal Crypt

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ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS
Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780 | jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations | Instagram @AsherMedia | Tweet @AsherMedia(Rockshots Records, Extreme Metal Music, Armstrong MF, Loud As Hell, Metalocalypstick, Decimate MF, Electric Highway Fest, Wacken Metal Battle Canada/USA, Hyperspace MF, Le FestEvil)

0 Welcome To The “Electric Jungle” From Vancouver Orchestral Metal Ensemble OPUS ARISE (ft. members of Svneatr, Thousand Arrows, Ysgaroth)

December 16, 2022
by Asher
· Music News · Opus Arise

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – December 16, 2022

Welcome To The “Electric Jungle” From Vancouver Orchestral Metal Ensemble OPUS ARISE (ft. members of Svneatr, Thousand Arrows, Ysgaroth)

New Album “The Network” Out Now!

L-R – Derek Ho – Cello (live only), Matthew Logan – Drums, Violin II, Ellen Smith – Viola, Michelle Gao – Violin I, Kyle Hagen, Shawn Hillman – Guitar, Cello, Matthew Hannah – Keyboards

Photo Credit Jade Weekes

Canadian orchestral metal ensemble Opus Arise (ft. members of Svneatr, Thousand Arrows, Ysgaroth) released their sophomore album “The Network” on December 2nd. The cyberpunk concept record brings together classical strings and metal rhythms to create luscious soundscapes to dissonant chaos. To send listeners on a journey into their “Electric Jungle”, they are sharing with fans a new visualizer for the track via its premiere on Metal-Rules HERE.

The band explains the storyline behind the track and the album:

“The plot of this album is a CyberPunk-inspired world. Research involving chord progressions that manipulate space and time. Our main character does research involving the Progressive Frequency Phenomenon. He has never found proof it existed, but his studies involved finding this evidence, as well as aiming to gain control of it. Many years into his research, he comes across the inner skepticism progression, and this is where his journey begins.

The “Electric Jungle” track is about the protagonist learning that character 1 is also from a different space time, and the electric jungle opening progression was the one he used in one of his compositions back in his time. When he played it for the first time after composing it in 1976, a wormhole brought him here as well. He didn’t know what had happened, so he eventually accepted this as his fate and had given up hope of returning. He called it the electric jungle because of the scenery in the place they are in; there is lots of advanced circuitry, electronic billboards, holograms, etc. Now he has faith in the protagonist’s research, it is their only hope of returning to their time space. After finding a network substation and stalking around, they notice several network users with their FOB-type holograms that immediately grant them access. The protagonist’s knowledge of computer science has allowed him to steal the encoded digital lock from the unsuspecting users. All he has to do is turn the electronic data into combinations of frequencies and play it back in front of the substation.”

Vancouver’s Opus Arise‘s newest album, “The Network” teleports listeners into a cyberpunk world filled with neon lights and punctuated with progressive riffs. The eight-track record is just over forty minutes in length, it was produced and mastered by Maor Appelbaum; mixed by Ryan Shepard, and the album artwork was done by Daniel Reyes. The nine players on the album bring forth their skills on guitar, cello, bass, drums, violin, keyboards, viola, and contrabass in a sometimes collaborative effort, which is primarily composed and scored by Matthew Logan and Matthew Hannah. The writing and the recording have been in the works for some time, the drums were recorded in a mansion back in 2018 where the original rehearsal space was, and the same location was used to film the music videos for the singles “Reminiscence”, “Change” and “Inner Skepticism”.

“The Network” has a modern metal influence and different composers from their first album. It is best described as orchestral neo-classical instrumental progressive metal. Fans who enjoy Powerglove, Scale The Summit, and Animals As Leaders should be the first to dive into a futuristic world where one’s existence is questioned.

“The Network” is available at Opusarise.bandcamp.com, Spotify.

Track Listing:
1) Inner Skepticism – 5:50
2) Electric Jungle – 6:02
3) Antimatter – 3:22
4) Digital Soundscape – 4:38
5) Reminiscence – 5:21
6) Change – 5:23
7) Timeshift – 5:21
8) The Unanswered Question – 5:13
Album Length: 41:13

Album Band Lineup:
Shawn Hillman Guitar, Cello on “Digital Soundscape”
James Readman: Guitar
Daniel Carmago: Bass Guitar (Tracks 1-3, 5-7)
Matthew Logan: Drums, Violin II
Matthew Hannah: Keyboards
Michelle Gao: Violin I
Ellen Smith: Viola
Darrell Bennett: Cello
Kyle Hagen: Contrabass, Bass Guitar (Track 8)

For more info:
https://www.facebook.com/opusarise
https://www.instagram.com/opusarise
https://twitter.com/OpusArise

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“An instrumental journey with a lot of charisma… Anyone who likes to think outside the box from time to time and likes instrumental music should definitely give “The Network” a try.” – PowerMetal.de

“… this is great progressive music… the album is strongly recommended if you’re open minded and you like your music to sound like a detailed and complex story. Great stuff!” – Metal Rules

“Sometimes there comes a prog metal act with something new or at least different than most others. And Opus Arise surely fits this description! Their songs are instrumental to begin with. But that’s far from all.” – Melodicnet

“A magnificent album, original, inventive and of great musicality.” – Pierre Davidson – A Progressive Life – CFUZ 92.9 FM – Penticton, BC

““Inner Scepticism,” shimmers through the linement of time and brings about an intricate braid.” – The Median Man

—
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0 ASYLENCE Rip Through Intense Riffs And Melodic Twists In “In Solidarity We Die” Off “Endanger Us All”

December 16, 2022
by Asher
· Asylence · Music News

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – December 15, 2022

ASYLENCE Rip Through Intense Riffs And Melodic Twists In “In Solidarity We Die” Off “Endanger Us All”

New Album “Endanger Us All” Out February 2023

Forged from the melting pot of Detroit’s underground metal scene, Asylence is a well-oiled metal machine built with passion, intent, and ferocity like no other. They are gearing up to release their first full-length “Endanger Us All” next year and to whet the appetite of listeners they are dropping their single “In Solidarity We Die” this month. The track is guitarist Aaron Lumsden’s favorite track and for good reason. The guys really put their heads together on this one—musically this song just rips with a melodic twist on the chorus. The band dogs into the meaning behind it:

“The song to us sounds like it was written by the last person on Earth, writing the final texts about the tragic failing of humankind that brought us to our doom. It’s one of those songs where the message is pretty straightforward, that we are all eventually going to die so why not be good to one another and recognize each of us is the same lost creature on this planet? We are lucky children of this Earth, we are no better than the animals we share the planet with. We need to take care of our home, or we will lose it all.”

The timeline for writing the album was pretty wide with the pandemic hampering some of it, but ultimately it came together in the way it was meant to be. Each of the songs are personal, the riffs are impressive and the band confidently remarks that it is their best effort yet and anyone who likes what they do is going to love it. Listeners are going to recognize their signature sound for sure but they will be pleasantly surprised with some new angles that they decided to take with this one.

When it comes to live performance, fans can expect to bang their heads,, while taking in an onslaught of fast death metal he emphasizes a certain deathly serious vibe to the stage which translates gravely to the crowd; prepare to rock out while contemplating the meaning of existence.

The single “In Solidarity We Die” is recommended for fans of Devildriver, In Flames, and Amon Amarth.

Digital – https://eua.asylence.com/insolidaritywedie

“Endanger Us All” is due out on February 24, 2022.

Previous Singles:

For more info:
https://www.asylence.com
http://www.facebook.com/asylence
http://www.instagram.com/asylence
http://www.twitter.com/asylence
http://www.tiktok.com/@asylence

About: Asylence (uh-sigh-lence): A hybrid of the words Asylum and Silence, when joined together, present a universal idea and timeless message: The constant suffering and failures of mankind. After the dissolution of drummer Alex Aubuchon’s highly active, long-standing thrash band, he began to focus his efforts on recruiting for his new project. He discovered the talent of guitarist Aaron Lumsden, an avid scene supporter who frequented many local and regional shows.

A dedicated relationship quickly formed between the pair, and Asylence was born. Frontman Ryan Lang, having been a mainstay in the Detroit metal scene but group-less at the time, was Asylence’s first choice to handle vocal duties. Ryan accepted, excited at the idea of hitting the stage once again. Shortly after, bassist Richard Olrich joined the group to complete the sound. A new era of heavy metal ensued.

Forged from the melting pot of Detroit’s underground metal scene, Asylence is a well-oiled metal machine built with passion, intent, and ferocity like no other. Since their formation in 2016, Asylence has been on a path of sonic destruction as they crush their audiences with fierce live performances throughout Michigan and surrounding states, opening for national acts such as Archspire, Belphegor, and Sea of Treachery, among others. Taking no prisoners and amassing a loyal, respecting fan base in the Midwest and beyond, behold the rise of Asylence.

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0 Out Now! Rockshots Records – HIGHWAY QUEEN’s New Album “Bitter Soul” + Music Video “Hey”

December 16, 2022
by Asher
· Highway Queen (Rockshots Records) · Music News

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – December 16, 2022

Out Now! Rockshots Records – HIGHWAY QUEEN’s New Album “Bitter Soul” + Music Video “Hey”

Rockshots Records will be releasing Finnish rockers Highway Queen‘s debut full-length “Bitter Soul” is now out as of December 16th via Rockshots Records. For the album’s release day, the band is sharing their latest music video for the record’s opening track “Hey”, a classic 80’s style hard rock song that tells the story about feeling lust for someone, but you are unfortunately stonewalled.

Highway Queen‘s new album “Bitter Soul” is a collection of 80s-influenced rock and metal songs with beautiful melodies, and strong riffs complimented with heavy drums and bass. Songs on “Bitter Soul” are all about scenarios in one’s life. The lyrics tell stories about gnawing the burden of shame, anger, and bitterness. They also talk about the burden that carries through generations. They are about people’s weaknesses too. The stories are also about overcoming these challenges.

“Every song has its own mood so feeling vary throughout the album. There are parts in the album with bluesy vibes to parts that have strong doom or even thrash vibes. It all blends together with a touch of 80’s style. Every song on the record has its own mood.” adds the band.

Highway Queen is a band that plays melodic hard rock with some metal influences. The band was founded at the end of 2019 by vocalist Virpi Kääriäinen, guitarist Teemu, Kääriäinen and drummer Henri Backman. All members have played in cover band projects in the past and decided it was time to start making their own creations.

In 2020, the band self-released four singles on digital platforms. Also in 2020, the band acquired bassist Petri Orava and they recorded more songs to be released. In 2021, the band signed with Finnish record label Inverse Records for releasing three singles and a music video. The songs had a great reception, and the band continued moving forward to start working on their first album. All Highway Queen songs are recorded with Aleksanteri Kuosa, so he was a natural choice to be the producer for the full-length. He has also worked with bands like Waltari and Before The Dawn.

Highway Queen is recommended for fans of melodic hard rock, heavy rock, and NWOTHM.

“Bitter Soul” is available at https://bit.ly/BitterSoulCD

Track Listing:
1. Hey!
2. Get On Your Knees
3. I Lean On You
4. Here I Am
5. I Dim The Lights
6. Bitter Soul
7. In Vain
8. Own Will

Album Credits:
All songs written by
– Virpi Kääriänen, Teemu Kääriäinen & Henri Backman
– Vocals: Virpi Kääriäinen
– Guitars: Teemu Kääriäinen
– Drums: Henri Backman
– Bass tracks played for the album by Jykke Tikka
– Produced, engineered & mixed by Aleksanteri Kuosa
– Cover and photos: Henri Backman
– Mastered by Jukka Yliaho/Masterlab
– Recorded at Inka Studio

For more info:
www.rockshots.eu
www.highwayqueenband.com
www facebook.com/highwayqueenband
www.instagram.com/highwayqueenband

– 30 –

0 Streaming Now! Canada’s THE WRING Release Concise, Humble Progressive Album “Spectra” via WormHoleDeath Records

December 15, 2022
by Asher
· Music News · The Wring

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – December 15, 2022

Streaming Now! Canada’s THE WRING Release Concise, Humble Progressive Album “Spectra”

New Album “Spectra” Out Dec 16th, 2022 via WormHoleDeath Records

The Wring, hailing from Sudbury, Canada is proud to be releasing their third album “Spectra”, which is an assertive mix of different styles including hard rock, jazz, metal, classical, 80’s rock, and 70’s rock. Solo artist Don Dewulf brought the idea to a myriad of professional players to form the full-length and the wide range of influences are apparent on the record with a vivid progressive sound that is tight, concise, and well-executed with interesting melody, rhythm, and lyrical themes. He comments on the album:

“I am very proud of the compositions on this album. Prog music can tend to be grandiose; I wanted this album to be the opposite of that. I like to think that the guitar parts are interesting and somewhat unique and span a very wide range of styles, influences, and execution. The vocals come straight out of the 80s with great melody and delivery, offering a very grounded counterpoint to the, often, odd time and melody structure. There are also keyboards hidden in the mix that offer an almost subliminal base on which everything else is built. The cover has a cool 70’s vibe that is simple but offers a depth of meaning that will be very personal to each observer; a reflection of the musical content within.”

Dewulf is local to Sudbury, Canada, and the project is his vision. In order to see it through, he hired Marco Minnemann – a world-renowned drummer, member of The Aristocrats, and successful solo artist who is one of the best rock/prog drummers in the world. Chandler Mogel – amazing singer with a great 80’s vibe who has performed with a ton of bands and projects. Reggie Hache – a Canadian bass superstar who does his own thing and contributed incredible parts for this album and Isamu McGregor – a session keyboard player with great vision and feel.

“Spectra” was produced by Don Dewulf, mixed by Francis Perron at Radicart Studios, mastered by Yannick St-Amand, and the album artwork was done by Gord Woolley.

The performances are tight and meaningful covering a wide range of approaches, but still cohesive and very accessible for any kind of listener. They are recommended listening for fans of Opeth, Porcupine Tree, and Rush.

Listen to “Spectra” in full via its premiere on MetalInsider HERE.

“Spectra” is due out on December 16, 2022, via WormHoleDeath Records.

Album digital pre-save available at https://orcd.co/spectrapreorder

Music Video – “Stiletto” ft. Marco Minnemann – https://youtu.be/vX__TLpYZGo

Music Video – “From Mars” ft. Marco Minnemann – https://youtu.be/UcN5dV_3ntI

Track Listing:
1. Stiletto 4:40
2. Stones & Bones 4:58
3. The Prince 3.54
4. The Wolf 5:00
5. Tin Man 5:25
6. From Mars 4:43
7. Sins 4:43
8. Fallen 5:05
Album Length: 38:28

Album Recording Line Up:
Don Dewulf – Guitars
Marco Minnemann – Drums
Chandler Mogel – Vocals
Reggie Hache – Bass & Keyboards
Isamu McGregor – Keyboards

For more info:
http://www.thewring.ca
https://www.facebook.com/thewringband
https://www.instagram.com/wringband

– 30 –

“Here’s one for prog dorks. This outfit’s third outing (Spectra) features drums by Marco Minnemann so you know the rhythms are mad. The regulars in the band ain’t slouches either though. This is intricate and melodic prog done well.” – Metal Injection

““Wring² Project Cipher comes with a heavy, classic rock feel, but there’s an epic, questing nature to tunes like Sorceress, Steelier and Dose that pushes The Wring beyond metal norms and into prog territory.” – Prog Magazine

“The extreme professionalism on display throughout this entire album, although a labour of love, is a true master class of musicianship performed by musicians who are truly at the top of their game, making the industry what it is today. The sheer attention to detail is a credit to each and every performer as they tailor their craft neatly and precisely throughout every track, with nothing less than perfect being the order of the day.” – Stargazer Music Magazine

“Overall, the entire album is laden with a rich tapestry of sound and lyrics, well thought out and carefully developed by founder member and visionary Don Dewulf, taking the listener on that perfect journey of thought, and is a credit to its makers gathering no dust in any collection. 10/10” – Stargazer Music Magazine

“Thanks to his renowned session musicians and original compositions, The Wring is a refreshing discovery that offers a personal reading of modern metal. 4/5” – Music Waves

“What sounds at first to be a straight-forward rock album, turns out to be so much more. It’s a tad short, but sometimes less is more. You can hear many influences in these tracks, some of them familiar, but The Wring have stamped their own identity all over it. This should keep you going for the time being but expect more from Don Dewulf with The Wring3 already in the recording stage!” – The Prog Space

“Dewulf’s guitar work shines throughout, at times reminiscent of Alex Lifeson in his prime, such as his powerful solo on ‘Steelier’ which soars above the raging musical maelstrom below. There’s even a funk-infused breakout on ‘Dose’, which is infectious with its driving hook. It’s an absorbing record, one that takes time to soak in, but several plays ensure that it’s burnt deep into the memory. When those end-of-year lists come round, ‘Wring² Project Cipher’ is likely to be pushing for a slot.” – The Razor’s Edge

“The Wring generally succeed at what they’re going for—Dewulf has produced a fun, catchy record. Particularly on the album’s middle section (“Cipher,” “Steelier” and “Dissension”), there’s some great songs with great riffs. If you’re after some new prog, you could do a lot worse than this album, and I found it quite hard to score.” – Angry Metal Guy

0 Canada’s NOMAD Announce Fiery New Single “Burning Alive” Off Debut Album “The Mountain” Out March 2023

December 14, 2022
by Asher
· Music News · Nomad

NEWS RELEASE

December 14, 2022

Canada’s NOMAD Announce Fiery New Single “Burning Alive” Off Debut Album “The Mountain” Out March 2023

Mastered by Christian Donaldson (Cryptopsy)

L-R – Josh MacDonald (Bass), Matt Johnstone (Guitar/Vocals), Bretton Melanson, (Drums/Vocals), Jeff Mabb (Guitar/Vocals)
Photo Credit – Chris Geistlinger

From British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley in Canada, Nomad has been making a name for themselves locally for the last several years, playing at local fests and supporting big-name acts in the extreme metal scene. Now they have their debut album “The Mountain” ready for consumption and their blend of progressive, groovy death metal is sure to impress existing fans and entice new listeners. Their first single “Burning Alive” was the first song they wrote together, pieced together at their very first jam. The lyrics were inspired by the heat of that day, and the careless ignition of forest fires. They added blazing riffs, smokey vocals, and smooth bass lines to round it out, making it an impressive introduction to Nomad. They share their thoughts on the album:

“We’re hoping that it fills the need for a little groove in the metal scene. We’ve spoken to many people in the audience after playing a show that say there are not enough bands like Nomad out there that like to slow it down and catch you with a good hook once in a while. We feel that many emotions and influences can be felt throughout this album and are sure to keep the listeners engaged and entertained with heavy riffs, blasting beats, and dynamic vocals.”

There have been a few lineup changes in Nomad since their inception and each one of those members has left their mark on the band’s music. They’ve always worked collaboratively, one member bringing in the skeleton of a song and it being workshopped until it meets everyone’s standard. This had led to masterful consistency, present in every groovy riff, every chunky chord, and throughout the blasting of drums.

The single “Burning Alive” can be heard via its premiere on Bravewords HERE. 

“The Mountain” will be released on March 3, 2023, and was mixed by drummer Bretton Melanson and mastered by Christian Donaldson (Cryptopsy). It is recommended for fans of Gojira, Lamb of God, and Pantera.

Album pre-order (CD, Digital) – Nomadbc.bandcamp.com

Track Listing:
1. Burning Alive (4:30)
2. Haunted (6:00)
3. Revolution (6:05)
4. Relentless (6:09)
5. A Lonely Wanderer (5:08)
6. Blood Moon (9:40)
7. Rise in the Fall (6:20)
8. Processor (6:56)
9. Choke (8:52)
Album Length: 59:38

Album Credits:
– All songs written and performed by Nomad.
– Additional writing contributions by past members:
Kasey Klassen
Lorne Valliers
Dylan Heska
Justin Kleinsasser
– Mixed by Bretton Melanson
– Mastered by Christian Donaldson
– Album Artwork by: Angela Grimmuza/ Art Of Grimmuza
– MAPL – Canadian Content

Album and Live lineup:
Bretton Melanson: Drums/Vocals
Matt Johnstone: Guitar/Vocals
Jeff Mabb: Guitar/Vocals
Josh MacDonald: Bass

For more info: Facebook.com/nomadmetal | Instagram.com/nomadbandbc

About: Nomad is a dynamic, progressive death metal band from the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada and consists of drummer/vocalist Bretton Melanson; guitarist/vocalist Matt Johnstone; guitarist/vocalist Jeff Mabb; plus bassist Josh MacDonald. Kickstarted by Johnstone who was looking for an outlet, he approached Melanson and since the material felt right and with their previous history playing together, the ball was rolling. Over a few years, there was a lineup flux, with each additional leaving their mark on the material. Ultimately, they then recruited Mabb as a second guitarist and MacDonald on bass, and working collaboratively, they weave their melodic, groovy death metal.

Looking to avoid the violence and gore tropes that are quite prominent in metal music, they tend to tell stories based on fictional characters, historical events, science fiction, and astrophysics. Each member adds their own flair to the songs, imprinting their distinct influences.

When they hit the stage, the audience is greeted by multiple vocalists that deliver a massive wall of layered sound, integrated sound effects, and a well-thought-out visual element. They played Canada’s prominent Armstrong Metalfest in 2016-2019 and performed alongside bands such as Kataklysm, Origin, Soulfly, and Alestorm. They are releasing their debut album “The Mountain” in 2023.

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