Category: Music News

0 PESTILENCE’s Joost van der Graaf Explores Medieval Dancing Plagues w/ Experimental Prog/Funk Project CHOREOMANIC

December 23, 2021
by Asher
· Choreomanic · Music News

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – December 23, 2021

PESTILENCE’s Joost van der Graaf Explores Medieval Dancing Plagues w/ Experimental Prog/Funk Project CHOREOMANIC

Streaming First Single “Time To Let It Out”

Self-Titled Debut Out February 18, 2022

CHOREOMANIC saw the light when the world came to a halt in spring 2020 due to the Covid pandemic. With canceled tours and no local gigs, musician Joost van der Graaf (Pestilence, Dew-Scented, I CHAOS) started writing music in which different influences from his past came together.

“I had just joined Pestilence and was busy with the material, preparing for a beautiful US tour with Possessed. Then the pandemic struck. Tour canceled everything on hold. I suddenly had a lot of time on my hands with all the other work canceled as well (music school closed, no more local gigs) so I decided to record a punk album to get rid of some of the frustration and anger that had built up inside. What I started writing had little to do with punk though… It was pretty spontaneous from the start and all I knew was that I wanted to create heaviness without any guitars.” says Graaf.

Somewhere halfway through the material, Graaf got the crazy idea to incorporate horns. He had never written music for horns ever before so he started experimenting with that.

“That’s probably the greatest joy when creating music: having no idea what you’re doing! Being pleasantly surprised by the total sound, I decided to stay on this path. It resulted in something I never thought I would ever do, but apparently, I just did…. Why not go all the way then? Honestly? I’m not even sure there ARE any fans for this, but I do know that listeners of Pestilence for instance, or of one of the other death metal bands I was part of, will probably be a bit surprised at least. I like to think that crazy people (like myself) will appreciate this.” adds Graaf.

As soon as the material was ready to record, Graaf reached out to some great musicians friends to help him complete the project. He recruited drummer Koen Herfst (VandenBerg, I CHAOS, Dew-Scented), keyboardist Thijs Ronteltap (Disuse, Epistulum), saxophonist Tommie Freke (Gallow Street), trombonist Jeroen Verberne (Sjef’s Special) along with trumpeter and bugler Gidon Nunes Vaz. Once the full-length was mixed and mastered at Nutsville Noiselab, The Hague, the self-titled debut “CHOREOMANIC” was a fact and ready to take on the world.

The album features twelve bass-orientated tracks experimenting in realms of prog, funk, and everything else on the planet that has musically inspired Graaf over his thirty-plus year career. The full length’s lyrical concept explores Choreomania, an uncontrollable urge to dance, especially in a frenzied, convulsive manner also known as the Medieval Dancing plagues. Graaf explains in further detail:

“In 2019, I became pretty obsessed by the mysterious dancing plagues of the middle-ages. I started reading different studies, learning about the different theories about the cause. It’s still one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in history! One of the theories that made the most sense to me is that people had been suppressed by the ruling class (church, inquisition) for generations. There was collective fear of God and let’s not forget about the black plague! So there was this anxiety relief at a certain point that became infectious and caused convulsions and psychotic dancing, resulting in exhaustion, dehydration, and even death. It spread across Europe and there were large gatherings in towns and villages with frantically dancing people, accompanied by traveling musicians and all kinds of interested parties. These things sometimes became true festivals with people selling food, etc. With today’s reality, the phenomenon seems to have become relevant once again! This project is not only a musical statement, but also a call to action against (cultural) oppression. May everyone move and create in freedom!”

Recommended for fans of Mr. Bungle, Zappa, John Zorn, Infectious Grooves, and Brian Setzer Orchestra, CHOREOMANIC is due out February 18, 2022.

Digital pre-save is available at https://emubands.ffm.to/choreomanic and limited edition CD pre-order at https://choreomanic.bandcamp.com.

CHOREOMANIC‘s debut single “Time To Let It Out” can be heard and viewed via Graaf’s bass playthrough video at https://youtu.be/VZpFI2A9yoU

Track Listing:
1. This Is Not A Drill (3:50)
2. Spun Sugar (2:45)
3. What You Get (3:26)
4. Red Flags (2:26)
5. Choreomanic (2:17)
6. Walk With Urgency (2:33)
7. Off With The Figurehead (2:18)
8. Time To Let It Out (2:08)
9. Calling God (4:28)
10. Take The Money Give It To Me Now (2:31)
11. Story About The Moon (2:46)
12. Away From The Sun (5:52)
Album Length: 37:25

Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: CHOREOMANIC
• All songs written by: Joost van der Graaf
• Produced by: Michiel Eilbracht & Joost van der Graaf
• Mixed by: Michiel Eilbracht
• Mastered by: Michiel Eilbracht
• Album Artwork by: Yvo Sprey

Album Recording Band Line Up:
Thijs Ronteltap – Keys
Jeroen Verberne – Trombone
Tommie Freke – Saxophone
Gidon Nunes Vaz – Trumpet & Bugle
Koen Herfst – Drums
Joost van der Graaf – Bass, Sampling, Voice & Percussion

For more info:
Choreomanic.com
Facebook.com/choreomanic
Instagram.com/choreomanic

About:
Dutch bassist Joost van der Graaf (1973) has been active in music since he was fourteen years old. In the early 90’s he toured Europe for the first time, as a bass player/ vocalist in Creepmime (Mascot Records), to promote the album ‘Chiaroscuro’. After Creepmime he studied music in Amsterdam and became a working musician, performing and teaching.

In the new millennium, Joost co-formed I CHAOS (RITF records, Suburban distr.) The band released two albums: ‘The Human Repellent’ and ‘Masterbleeder’. In this period he was also a stand-in bassist for Sinister, touring Russia.

In 2012, he became a permanent member of GermanThrashers Dew-Scented (Metalblade), releasing three full-lengths with them up to 2018: ‘Icarus’, ‘Insurgent’ & ‘Intermination’. The band toured extensively through Europe but also in Japan, together with renowned bands from the international metal scene (Testament, Exodus, Death Angel, and others).

Joost teaches ‘Bass Skills’ and ‘Band Development’ at The Metal Factory in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Since 2019 he proudly plays with Dutch iconic act Pestilence (Agonia Records) appearing on the album ‘Exitivm’.

In 2020, he started working on his own project CHOREOMANIC, in which different musical influences from his past come together. Obviously one of these influences is metal, but also other styles like funk & prog.

His self-titled debut album CHOREOMANIC will be out on February 18, 2022.

Joost van der Graaf’s Discography:
2022 – Choreomanic – Self-Titled (Self-Release)
2021 – Pestilence – Exitivm (Agonia Records)
2015 – Dew-Scented – Intermination (Metal Blade Records)
2015 – Dew-Scented – Immersed – 7#split EP (Metal Blade Records)
2015 – I Chaos – Masterbleeder (RITF Records/Suburban Distribution)
2013 – Dew-Scented – Insurgent (Metal Blade Records)
2012 – Dew-Scented – Icarus (Metal Blade Records)
2011 – I Chaos – The Human Repellent (RITF Records/Suburban Distribution)
2009 – I Chaos – Self-Titled – EP (Self-Release)
2008 – Cypher – MMVIII – EP (Self-Release)
1995 – Creepmime – Chiaroscuro (Mascot Records)

Endorsed by:
Ibanez , Peavey, Tech 21, DR Strings, Rock n Soul

– 30 –

—

ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS

Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia

0 Rockshots Records – SARTORI Shares Next Single “Devil In Disguise” Off Upcoming Album “Dragon’s Fire”

December 20, 2021
by Asher
· Music News · Sartori

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – December 20, 2021

Rockshots Records – SARTORI Shares Next Single “Devil In Disguise” Off Upcoming Album “Dragon’s Fire”

Debut Album “Dragon’s Fire” Out January 28, 2022

Neo-classical power metal SARTORI will be releasing their debut album “Dragon’s Fire” on January 28, 2022 via Rockshots Records.

Today, the band is sharing their second single “Devil In Disguise” in preview to the forthcoming full length.

Lyric Video – https://youtu.be/Mo6Nxqhh8_U
Spotify – https://spoti.fi/32nRZip

The epic record is nine tracks that are melodic, technical, and progressive. Led by main composer and guitarist Andy Sartori, with vocalist Scott Board, drummer Dino Castano and bassist Rod Viquez, the band sets the mood for something more than just singing over music.

With grandiose instrumentals and heroic vocals, Sartori creates complex, melodic tunes that command attention. They are heavily influenced by classical baroque music, so the band stands as the symphony behind Andy Sartori as the ‘maestro’. What sets these guys apart from other bands is their music composition. Andy Sartori explains further:

“We use a lot of arrangements that you won’t find any other bands doing. Lots of vocals, lots of guitar quartets, duets, and harmony arrangements. My writing is based on positive vibes, positive lyric content, no criticism, no anger, and I write sometimes about spiritual content in the matter of being a better human and about life experiences, personal and in general along with influence from movies and stories I enjoy… sometimes.”

Album Pre-order – https://bit.ly/DragonsFire_CD
Digital pre-save – https://bfan.link/Sartori-Dragon-s-fire

Title track and first single “Dragon’s Fire”:
Visualizer – https://youtu.be/K4JGyxThqTo
Spotify – https://spoti.fi/30FTvMf

Band Line Up:
– Andy A Sartori: Guitars
– Scott Board: Vocals
– Rod Viquez: Bass
– Dino Castano: Drums

Track Listing:
1. Evil Hearts (3:02)
2. One Distant Heart (3:57)
3. From Hell To Heaven (4:10)
4. Little Aria In G Major (Instrumental) (0:37)
5. Devil In Disguise (3:54)
6. Through The Eyes of My Soul (3:48)
7. Castles of Lost Souls (Instrumental) (4:18)
8. Battles In The Distant Lands (3:42)
9. Dragon’s Fire (2:57)
Album Length: 30:30

Album Credits:
– Mixed and engineered by Joe Demaio at Shorefire Recording Studios, Long Branch, NJ
– Drums Recorded and Mixed by Giuseppe Di Giola and Dino Castano at Valentino Recording Studios, Puglia – Italy
– Mastered by Leon Zervos at Studio 301, Sidney – Australia.
– Art Cover by Antonella Troiano.
– All songs composed and written by Andy A. Sartori in cooperation with Dino Castano, Scott Board and Rod Viquez
– Produced by Andy A. Sartori.
– 2007/2021 All Rights Reserved.

Quick Fact:
Leadman, Andy Anderson Sartori was born in Brazil with Italian roots and has lived all over the globe, including London and now the United States. His sound is universal and has recorded music from England to Brazil. Andy Sartori’s music is also very popular in Japan. His biggest influence is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

For more info:
Rockshots.eu
Facebook.com/Sartori-207460432645058/

– 30 –

—

ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS

Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia

0 Canada’s FALL IN AUTUMN’s New Single “This Dark Night” Takes You On A Dark Melancholic Journey

December 20, 2021
by Asher
· Music News

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – December 20, 2021

Canada’s FALL IN AUTUMN’s New Single “This Dark Night” Takes You On A Dark Melancholic Journey
Photo credit: Gina Săndulescu

With the change in seasons, as autumn is eclipsed by winter, something wicked this way comes; the elegantly eerie new project, FALL IN AUTUMN, which pervades your senses as autumn ends and dark nights overtake us.

Led by Jennifer McInnis, who is responsible for all vocals and instrumentation aside from the drums, she takes you on a dark, melancholic journey brimming with ’70s acid rock, ’90s grunge, and a myriad of moods and mysticism that brews from within her.

“This Dark Night” follows the singles “Luna”/“Years Lost”, which launched to an unsuspecting world on Halloween 2020.

Guiding her along the murky path is the multi-talented Iver Sandøy who mixed, mastered and played percussion on “This Dark Night” at his Solslottet Studio in Bergen, Norway. Of course, he is most well-known as the drummer in Enslaved, Ivar Bjørnson and Einar Selvik, Emerhoff and The Melancholy Babies and Oppnedbass.

Only recently returning to her Southern Ontario birthplace, McInnis spent a number of years in Norway deeply entrenched in the music scene and quietly honing her grimness for mass consumption.

“For me, songwriting is alchemy,” McInnis describes, “which can be defined as ‘a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation or combination.’ Inspired by my fascination with mysticism, ‘This Dark Night’ tells a tale of ominous ritual and the unknown.”

“This Dark Night” was recorded at Witch Lair Studio in Southern Ontario.

Listen to “This Dark Night” at https://youtu.be/q3X2-IHTRxM

For more info:
FallInAutumnmusic.com
Facebook.com/fallinautumn
Instagram.com/fallinautumnmusic

– 30 –

—

ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS

Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia

0 Toronto’s PRIMALFROST To Unleash New Album “Lost Elegies” Dec 28th

December 20, 2021
by Asher
· Music News · Primalfrost

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – December 20, 2021

For fans of Wintersun, Wolfheart, Stormlord, Kalmah, Insomnium

Toronto’s PRIMALFROST To Unleash New Album “Lost Elegies” Dec 28th

Primalfrost, the one-man melodic death shredding unit created by Canadian guitarist Dean Paul Arnold (touring guitarist Belphegor, Operus, ex-Vital Remains) announces the release of the first full-length in seven years. Entitled “Lost Elegies”, this third album follows 2014’s “Prosperous Visions” and features eight tracks packing their own punch.

“I aimed for there to be no fillers/empty space on the album whatsoever. I want it to be memorable from start to finish,” adds Arnold

As the sole composer/multi-instrumentalist, Arnold had songs composed solely on guitar pro, as well as written and arranged in an actual recorded pre-production setting. There are songs on “Lost Elegies” that are both years old and completely new, as well as material hashed together from both old/new ideas.

For the album’s recording, Arnold teamed up with Jonathan Lefrancois-Leduc (Blackguard, Ex-Deo) for mixing & mastering as well as Jan Yrlund (Manowar, Tyr, Korpiklaani) for artwork. A powerhouse of melodic metal with blistering riffs, guitar solos, orchestration, & more, this new offering is sure to be enjoyed by many.

“I’m sure it will be received very well, it’s definitely a solid continuation of the band’s sound, but definitely in a matured/refined way. I’ve had plenty of time to really hone and refine every aspect of the sound, and to make sure it has the production quality/performance on my end to meet those requirements. If you’ve heard Primalfrost before it’s quite obvious there’s the influence of bands like Wintersun, Ensiferum, Kalmah, etc. My goal is to take influence from those sounds but add elements of grit, intensity, speed, & heaviness found in the more extreme genre”

“Lost Elegies” is due out December 28, 2021.

Album pre-order is available at https://primalfrost.bandcamp.com.

Primalfrost has three singles currently streaming in support of “Lost Elegies”, which can be hard below.

Stormbearer – Music Video – https://youtu.be/tVGP5mrZ480
Nomad – https://youtu.be/yJxG5FX3bV8
Maelstrom – https://youtu.be/ZnTGSuCYqrg
Spotify – https://spoti.fi/2XuyUZe

Track Listing:
1. Maelstrom (5:11)
2. Bringer of Immensity (4:36)
3. Nomad (3:38)
4. Stormbearer (4:16)
5. Voyage Into Ruin (9:06)
6. Solace Kingdom (5:59)
7. As Embers Wane (1:57)
8. Tenebrous Skies (10:59)
Album Length: 45:47

Album Credits:
Dean Arnold – All Instruments, Vocals, & Orchestration
Recorded by Dean Arnold in Toronto, Canada
Mixed & Mastered by Jonathan Lefrancois-Leduc of Silverwings Studios in Montreal, Canada
Additional Orchestration by Jonathan Lefrancois-Leduc

For more info:
Facebook.com/Primalfrost
Instagram.com/Primalfrostofficial

About:
Primalfrost was formed in 2012 by Canadian musician Dean Paul Arnold when he was 15 years old. Dean is the sole composer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist behind the band since its inception. Primalfrost’s sound combines melodicism/lush symphonic with the grit/power of extreme metal, taking influence from bands like Wintersun, Wolfheart, Stormlord, Septicflesh, & more.

Primarily a guitarist, Dean has performed hundreds of shows in 30+ countries across four continents. Primarily touring with American Death Metal band Vital Remains, and now Toronto’s own Operus, Dean has acquired hard-touring experience in a vast variety of settings. Dean has had dozens of guitar solo appearances on a wide variety of metal albums, including Polish death metal band Hate’s 2017 album “Tremendum” (Napalm Records) and for Colorado’s Buried Realm, alongside players like Teemu Mäntysaari (Wintersun) and Brandon Ellis (Black Dahlia Murder).

– 30 –

“Epic Metal, in the veins of the Folky, the Black, and the Melodic Death, is a sound that is dominated almost entirely by WINTERSUN, who arguably created and dominated a scene all on their own. Up until now, I believed that no other band who attempted this style of music would be able to live up to them, but Canadian Epic Metallers PRIMALFROST do more than that, having created a seamless symphony of melody, heaviness, speed, story-telling, crunch and atmospherics, embellished by perfect mixing.” – 10/10 Metal-Temple (Prosperous Visions Review 2014)

“There seems to be something in Canadian waters that produces high quality one-man projects, especially in the viking/black/folk metal areas…. Brainchild of Dean Arnold, Prosperous Visions is his full-length debut after the EP Chapters of Time two years ago and it has turned out to be a nice slab piece of epic black/power/folk metal… Prosperous Visions is pretty impressive for a 17 year old! And the album is not that easy to pigeonhole, since Arnold manages to layer the songs well and almost constantly shifting tempo without losing focus or flow.” 9/10 – Metal-Observer (Prosperous Visions Review 2014)

“Music wise, the riffs and symphonic orchestrations take on a Scandinavian flavor reminiscent of legendary Bathory and Immortal, as well as touches of Ensiferum. The record’s blackened power/folk metal sound has a frosty, Nordic battle warrior vibe… Fans of this style of metal will be ecstatic over Prosperous Visions. It’s not as top-shelf as the previously-mentioned bands, but for a debut, Primalfrost shows heaps of promise.” – Bravewords (Prosperous Visions Review 2014)

“Prosperous Visions is 55 minutes of prime-time Melodic Black Metal. If you want the epic, fantastical grandeur of Power Metal with the rougher, more aggressive delivery of Black Metal then this is for you. An ambitious album and well worth adding to your collection. May they prosper for many years to come.” – Wonderbox Metal (Prosperous Visions Review 2014)

“there are no parts of the album that can be considered disappointing in any way, as Primalfrost provides plenty of great riffs, brutal moments, and glorious sounds.” Skull Fracturing Metal (Prosperous Visions Review 2014)

—

ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS

Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia

0 Into Eternity Joins 2022 Hyperspace Metal Festival, Performing w/ The Scattering of Ashes Lineup

December 20, 2021
by Asher
· Hyperspace Metal Festival · Into Eternity · Music News

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – December 20, 2021

Into Eternity Joins 2022 Hyperspace Metal Festival, Performing w/ The Scattering of Ashes Lineup

April 15 – 17 – Vancouver, BC, Canada

Hyperspace Metal Festival 2022 Spotify Playlist – https://spoti.fi/3a32Kaj

Hyperspace Metal Festival is pleased to announce that Canadian progressive death titans INTO ETERNITY will be joining the 2022 lineup as headliners for the third night of the festival on April 17th. The band is replacing Striker, who is unable to perform due to a scheduling conflict with their upcoming US tour with Beast In Black and Seven Kingdoms.

In addition to the news of Into Eternity being added to Hyperspace Metal Festival, the band will be giving festival-goers a special treat as they will be performing with their 2006 “The Scattering of Ashes” lineup that sees original members, Tim Roth (clean/death vocals & guitar), Troy Bleich (Planet Eater) (bass & clean/death vocals), Stu Block (ex-Iced Earth) (clean/death vocals) and Jim Austin (drums) reunite along with current guitarist Matt Cuthbertson (Untimely Demise). Into Eternity will be executing tracks from their full-length “The Scattering of Ashes”, an album that has sold over 15,000 copies in the US and peaked at number 45 on Billboard’s Top Independent Albums chart along with giving fans a taste of new extreme music from their forthcoming yet to be titled full-length.

“Our new day 3 headliners are the legendary INTO ETERNITY! We know people have been itching to see them ever since Stu Block announced his return to the band back in August. We can’t wait to have them on the Rickshaw stage this April to join Witherfall, Archon Legion, Paladin, Planeswalker, and many more. This is going to be an unforgettable weekend of melodic metal that if you are a fan of the genre you are not going to want to miss!” adds Hyperspace Metal Festival organizer Joey Hockin.

The third edition of HMF was originally announced for April 2020, but postponed due to the Covid pandemic. Now with the return of live events, festival promoter Journeyman Productions shares the rescheduled 2022 lineup to be held in Vancouver, BC from April 15th – 17th at Funky Winker Beans and the Rickshaw Theatre.

The lineup for Canada’s premier melodic and power metal festival will feature 20 bands, some originally announced for the 2020 production along with a few new additions that will perform over three nights with headliners Into Eternity, Witherfall, and Iron Kingdom (full lineup listed below).

Tickets are on sale at eventbrite.ca
18$ CAD pre-sale for a single-day ticket, $25 CAD for a single-day ticket at the door.
50$ CAD for a 3-day festival pass.
Facebook Event here.

Highlights of the confirmed bands include dark melodic heavy metal juggernauts Witherfall from Los Angeles blazing new trails and weaving new tales in support of their latest 2021 album “Curse of Autumn” (Century Media Records), local Vancouver heavy metal heroes Iron Kingdom, who are HMF alumni and make their second appearance on the festival lineup after headlining the inaugural 2018 event. In addition to those bands, two extremely rare performances will be witnessed for Planeswalker (California/Cyprus), a Magic The Gathering inspired power metal duo featuring members of Helion Prime and Dire Peril along with a reunion set from Victoria, BC’s Archon Legion, which features members of Unleash The Archers.

Over the two years that Hyperspace Metal Festival has been running, bands from all over the world have come to play power, prog, and speed metal on the Canadian West Coast. The festival has presented lineups that have included performances by Crimson Shadows, West of Hell, Judicator, Odinfist, Tanagra, Scythia, Greyhawk, The Order of Chaos, Red Cain, and many more.

Hyperspace Metal Festival 2022 Lineup:

April 15 (Funky Winker Beans)
Iron Kingdom
Silver Talon
Apprentice
Tzimani
Forsaken Rite
Evereal

April 16 (Rickshaw Theatre)
Witherfall
Archon Legion
Ravenous E.H
Planeswalker
Novareign
SYRYN
Ophelia Falling

April 17 (Rickshaw Theatre)
Into Eternity
Helion Prime
Paladin
Gatekeeper
ArkenFire
Lycanthro
Winters Reach

To follow updates for Hyperspace Metal Festival 2022, please visit the following links:
Facebook.com/HyperspaceMetalFestival
Instagram.com/HyperspaceMetalFestival
Festival Press Materials Here.

– 30 –

—

ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS

Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia

0 Rockshots Records – Finland’s AMOTH (ft.Ensiferum’s Pekka Montin) Shares Power Ballad “Traces In The Snow” + New Album “The Hour Of The Wolf” Out Jan 28, 2022

December 17, 2021
by Asher
· Amoth (Rockshots Records) · Music News

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – December 17, 2021

Rockshots Records – Finland’s AMOTH (ft.Ensiferum’s Pekka Montin) Shares Power Ballad “Traces In The Snow”

New Album “The Hour Of The Wolf” Out Jan 28, 2022

Finland’s Amoth featuring Pekka Montin of Ensiferum on vocals are sharing their third single “Traces In The Snow” off their forthcoming album “The Hour Of The Wolf” due out on January 28, 2022.

“The ballad of the album. We are very pleased with how this turned out! I think many people will like this even if they don’t otherwise listen to metal music. Very strong lyrical content. Can’t wait for people to hear this.” adds Amoth guitarist and main songwriter Tomi Ihanamäki.

“Traces In The Snow” can be heard via its lyric video https://youtu.be/AbIwn-cDPlk

Amoth is a melodic progressive heavy metal band from Helsinki, Finland. Their third studio album “The Hour Of The Wolf” is a huge leap forward compared to their previous recordings “Revenge” (2016), “Crossing Over” (2011), “Wounded Faith (EP) (2008).

“This is by far our best album yet! Superior performances from all of the musicians. Much better production and songwriting. It’s not a fast-food album. Some of the songs are quite complex so it takes probably more than one listen to really get into!” comments Amoth guitarist and main songwriter Tomi Ihanamäki.

Amoth’s roots are strongly founded on 80’s heavy metal, but branch out in different directions with elements from progressive rock, thrash, and even jazz brought to the table.

The new album features Pekka Montin of Ensiferum once again as the lead vocalist and for the first time, there are also keyboards on an Amoth recording. Fans can expect insane vocals and virtuoso-like playing from all members of the band. The nine songs are very diverse, taking sudden twists and turns into unexplored territory. Amoth even offers up two Steve Vai / Joe Satriani-style instrumentals on this new full-length with tracks “Wind Serenade Part I” and “Wind Serenade Part II”.

Amoth‘s new album “The Hour of The Wolf” is recommended for fans of Iron Maiden, King Diamond, Testament, Megadeth, Joe Satriani.

CD pre-order – https://bit.ly/TheHourOfTheWolf_CD
Digital pre-save – https://bfan.link/the-hour-of-the-wolf
Music Video – The Man Who Watches The World Burn – https://youtu.be/GXAlEnnzfSM
Lyric Video – It Ain’t Over Yet – https://youtu.be/FQYTtROb8dk

Track Listing:
1. Alice (4:46)
2. The Man Who Watches The World Burn (6:57)
3. Wounded Faith (4:31)
4. Wind Serenade Part I (2:02)
5. Wind Serenade Part II (5:20)
6. We Own The Night (5:34)
7. It Ain’t Over Yet (3:27)
8. Traces In The Snow (6:26)
9. The Hour of The Wolf (7:27)
Album Length: 46:34

For more info:
Rockshots.eu
Amothband.com
Facebook.com/amothband
Instagram.com/amothband

– 30 –

—

ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS

Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia

0 Out Now! Quebec Death DECEREBRATION Delivers First Album In 20+ Years “Follow The Scars”

December 17, 2021
by Asher
· Decerebration · Music News

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – December 17, 2021

Out Now! Quebec Death DECEREBRATION Delivers First Album In 20+ Years “Follow The Scars”

L to R – Nicolas Cantin – Guitar, Olivier Doyon – Drums, Clean vocals, Fudz Hubert – Vocals, Julien Souque – Guitar, Mathieu Faucher – Bass
Photo Credit – Anne-Frédérique Souque

Quebec City’s Decerebration delivers their first album in over 20 years. Entitled “Follow The Scars”, the seven-track (plus intro and outro) of ferocious riffs, melodic guitar harmonies, and beastly growls is now available as of December 17th.

Meant to show fans that Decerebration is back after a two-decade hiatus, they have taken their sound to the next level. Fans can experience the band’s old school death metal roots and at the same time listen to their evolution as musicians. Decerebration explains the record in further detail:

“We are extremely proud of “Follow the Scars”, and we’re thrilled to be able to share it with the world. When we started, we traded cassette tapes through the mail because there was no such thing as the internet around. Being able to reach the whole world now is very exciting to us. Especially since we think the album sounds great compared to anything we ever did before.

When we first started in the early 90s, we were kids that didn’t know what we were doing besides writing what we thought were good death metal songs with typical death metal lyrics. More than 20 years have passed since our last release, and we wanted to show how we have evolved as persons and musicians. We wanted to stay true to our old school death metal roots while adding new elements to our music such as clean vocals. We really like the music we were able to write for the new album. We think old fans and new fans will find something for them in our new songs and we can’t wait for them to hear the album. “Follow the Scars” is also a look into our personal lives over the past twenty years lyrically. The lyrics are not the typical death metal lyrics we used to write. Not because we want to deny our past, but because we wanted to talk about the issues we faced in our lives. Just like the music the lyrics are a product of how we have matured and evolved as human beings and musicians. We wanted the lyrics to reflect that.”

Recommended for fans of Suffocation, Cannibal Corpse, Death, Dying Fetus, and Sepultura, Decerebration made its debut with the 1994 cassette LP “Pure Hatred”, which was soon followed by the 1995 EP “My Inner Impurity” and three years later with 1998’s self-titled full-length. During their 1990s assault on the Quebec death metal scene, they shared the stage with Dying Fetus, Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, Cynic, Incantation, Malevolent Creation, Kataklysm among many more.

Decerebration is also looking forward to getting back to the stage, “Our greatest strength is our live performances, always has been. Our goal is to tear down the venues we play at. Subject the crowd to a relentless onslaught of death metal songs. We deliver fierce energy to the crowd and they give it back to us. Nothing like a circle pit, a mosh pit, seeing people jump up and down in front of you or stage diving.”

Album order is available at Bandcamp (CD, Digital), Spotify, Apple Music.

Song Stream – Infamous Duality – https://youtu.be/zRO_ybQXI2A

Track Listing:
1. Scorched Memories (1:47)
2. Infamous Duality (4:24)
3. A Ghost of Flesh and Blood (4:20)
4. Follow the Scars (4:34)
5. Break the Cycle (4:45)
6. The Factless Prophecy (4:21)
7. The Gift of Anger (4:48)
8. I Despise (5:36)
9. L.T.E.I (2:29)
Album Length: 37:09

For more info:
Facebook.com/Decerebration
Instagram.com/decerebrationband.official

– 30 –

—

ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS

Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia

0 Canadian Thrashers HYPERIA Announce New Album “Silhouettes of Horror” Coming March 2022 + Share Music Video For First Single “Operation Midnight”

December 16, 2021
by Asher
· Hyperia · Music News

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – December 16, 2021

Canadian Thrashers HYPERIA Announce New Album “Silhouettes of Horror” Coming March 2022

Share Music Video For First Single “Operation Midnight”

“Silhouettes of Horror” Due Out March 18, 2022

L-R – David Kupisz – Rhythm Guitar, Colin Ryley – Lead Guitar, Marlee Ryley – Vocals, Scott Degruyter – Bass
Photo Credit – Derek Carr of Visions in Pixels Photography

Canadian thrashers HYPERIA, formerly of Calgary, AB, now residing in Vancouver, BC announce they will be self-releasing their new album “Silhouettes of Horror” this coming March 2022. The full-length follows their 2020’s “Insanitorium” unleashed via Sliptrick Records and their 2019 EP “Fish Creek Frenzy”.

“Silhouettes of Horror” sees guitarist Colin Ryley behind the soundboard producing and mixing the record with mastering done by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland (Children of Bodom, Nightwish, Battle Beast). Album artwork was created by Andrei Bouzikov (Vektor, Municipal Waste, Skeletonwitch, Toxic Holocaust).

“We think that we have polished our sound and pushed ourselves to create what we believe is a newly refined vision. This record has pushed the whole band to their limits, and the songwriting, performance, and the production value is a huge step up. We feel the fans will enjoy this new album even more than our first full-length,” adds Collin Ryley.

Energetic, melodic, fast, psychotic, and dynamic are the elements that make “Silhouettes of Horror” that old and new fans of thrash, NWOBHM, and power metal will appreciate. The band even included a cover hommage of Abba’s “Gimme Gimme Gimme”. For the recording of “Silhouettes of Horror”, Hyperia also recruited good friend and session drummer Gord Alexander (Tessitura, Tides of Kharon, Immunize).

Most of the lyrical themes on “Silhouettes of Horror” revolve around inhumane government experiments, sleep disorders, and night terrors.

Today, in lead up to the release of “Silhouettes of Horror”, Hyperia is sharing their new music video for the first single “Operation Midnight”, a hard-hitting track with melodic vocal lines and sporadic guitar riffs. It’s a catchy and memorable song that portrays what the whole new album is about.

“Operation Midnight was a song that we wanted to be fast, punchy, and hard-hitting the whole way through. It is accompanied by a music video filmed by City Zero Films that was shot a few hours northeast of Vancouver in a secluded foresty area. The song is a good song to set the pace of the album, lyrically and musically. The lyrics focus around nightmarish hallucinations and terrors and seeing black hooded figures at the side of your bed. It has melodic and heavy parts that showcase the diversity of our new album.” the band comments.

Watch and listen to “Operation Midnight” at https://youtu.be/GKo-GVzZ3o8

“Silhouettes of Horror” is due out on March 18, 2022 and is recommended for fans of Exmortus, Arch Enemy, Unleash the Archers, Havok.

Album Pre-order – Hyperiametal.bandcamp.com

Track Listing:
1. Hypnagogia 4:17
2. Intoxication Therapy 4:38
3. Experiment 77 4:28
4. Severed 4:20
5. Prisoner Of The Mind 4:18
6. Terror Serum 4:51
7. Whitecoat 3:31
8. Silhouettes of Horror 3:54
9. Operation Midnight 4:22
10. Pleonexia 6:59
11. Gimme Gimme Gimme (ABBA Cover) 4:29
Album Length 50:13

Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Hyperia
• All songs written by: Colin Ryley, Marlee Ryley, David Kupisz
• Produced by: Colin Ryley
• Mixed by: Colin Ryley
• Mastered by: Mika Jussila
• Album Artwork by: Andrei Bouzikov
• Member of SOCAN
• Canadian Content (MAPL)

Album Recording Band Line Up:
Marlee Ryley – Vocals
Colin Ryley – Lead Guitar
David Kupisz – Rhythm Guitar
Scott Degruyter – Bass
Gord Alexander – Drums

Live Band Line Up:
Marlee Ryley – Vocals
Colin Ryley – Lead Guitar
David Kupisz – Rhythm Guitar
Scott Degruyter – Bass

For more info:
Facebook.com/Hyperiabandofficial
Instagram.com/hyperiametal
EPK

About:
HYPERIA (originally from Calgary, AB now based in Vancouver, BC) is a Melodic Thrash Metal band known for their wailing vocals, shredding guitars, and fast, heavy music. Formed by Colin and Marlee Ryley in September 2018, they found 3 members from the local metal community and hit the ground running. Since the release of their debut EP “FISH CREEK FRENZY” in 2019, HYPERIA has been thrashing venues and taking the Western Canadian metal community by storm.

In April 2019, HYPERIA announced their signing SLIPTRICK RECORDS, who released their debut full-length album “INSANITORIUM” in January 2020. The band celebrated their release to a 300 person sold-out show in their hometown of Calgary, Canada.

Later that year, the band announced the departure of their previous drummer Jordan Maguire, while at the same time revealing the commencement of their second record “SILHOUETTES OF HORROR” with session drummer Gord Alexander (Tessitura, Tides of Kharon, Immunize). The album was completed in June 2021 and is due out in March 2022.

=====

Insanitorium – #18 on Top 20 – February 2020 – Canadian College Radio Loud Charts (source: Earshot)

“Insanitorium will get the blood flow going and cause massive pit eruption when Hyperia tear up the stage and that’s what the best thrash of any kind should achieve. Keeping their eyes on the prize with creative flourishes in a brief two-year window since forming, the future looks very bright for these Canadians as more people flock to the band’s addictive, pounding style” – DEAD RHETORIC

“Unhinged and unconfinable, Hyperia may throw a lot and we mean a lot of ideas at the wall in the hope that they stick but in the end, it’s their scattershot approach and fearless demeanor which makes them so damn appealing!” – WORSHIP METAL’S 2020 “10 THRASH METAL ALBUMS YOU HAD TO HEAR IN JANUARY”

– 30 –

—

ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS

Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia

0 TheCirclePit Track Premiere: Chicago’s BURNED IN EFFIGY Streaming Next Single “Doomsayer” Off Upcoming Album “Rex Mortem” Out Jan 2022

December 16, 2021
by Asher
· Burned In Effigy · Music News

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – December 16, 2021

Chicago’s BURNED IN EFFIGY Streaming Next Single “Doomsayer” Off Upcoming Album “Rex Mortem” Out Jan 2022

Track Premiere via TheCirclePit

L-R – Mark “Smedy” Smedbron (Vocals) | Matt Watkins (Bass) | Eddie Dec (Drums) | Steve Bacakos (Guitar) | Mike Hisson (Guitar)
Photo Credit – Emily Fuschen – Dark Trix Photography

Chicago’s BURNED IN EFFIGY will be unleashing their new album “Rex Mortem” on January 28, 2022 to follow their debut EP “Terrestrial”. Unlike their debut recording, which was all instrumental, this first full-length from the band will see not only new guitarists Mike Hisson and Steve Bacakos on the lineup, but also witness vocalist Mark “Smedy” Smedbron discharge his earworm fury unto the masses. The three new members join co-founding members Eddie Dec (Drums) and Matt Watkins (Bass).

Fans can expect diverse high energy on “Rex Mortem”. The album takes elements from multiple subgenres within metal, mainly melodic death and progressive metal while infusing neoclassical elements into each track. No two tracks sound the same. The quintet skillfully and tastefully changes keys and time signatures throughout, so the feel of the music is constantly shifting, but also smoothly flowing between each section.

“We are psyched to present our debut album, Rex Mortem, a catalog of the first chapter of the band. This has been in the works for a long time and we couldn’t be more pleased with how it has turned out. The songs vary in complexity and intensity and demonstrate our growth as a band since its inception. Listeners will hear influences such as The Black Dahlia Murder and The Human Abstract, combining our love for death metal and progressive/neo-classical metal. The vocals are gritty and tense and the lyrics emphasize this with dark tales inspired by mythology, history, and classic literature. Many of the songs follow the story of a tyrannical king aiming to expand his power and influence, who ends up being brought down by his closest allies. We believe our album has something for all metal fans, regardless of preferred subgenre.” adds the band.

In preview to the release of “Rex Mortem”, Burned In Effigy is revealing their second single “Doomsayer”, which is the opening track that is fast-paced and the perfect technical introduction to the album. The guitar progressions alternate between tight and muted and open and harmonized, building to a crushing pre-chorus and open, melodic chorus. The lyrical themes deal with the world burning while a tyrannical king watches from on high with contempt. Bassist Matt Watkins explains further:

“Doomsayer was a song we wrote not long after our debut EP and really became the core of our sound moving forward. It incorporated more themes from death metal while retaining its balance with melody, allowing for more aggression to come through in the music. The alternation between tight muted riffing and open, harmonized melodies felt natural once we incorporated it into our repertoire. Smedy’s vocals fit right in and the lyrics illustrated the apocalyptic feel of the song and tied into the ongoing lyrical story we told through the rest of the album.”

Listen to “Doomsayer” via its stream premiere on TheCirclePit at https://youtu.be/pnx6WGfFxFA

Album pre-order available at Burnedineffigy.bandcamp.com

Lyric Video – Nightfall – https://youtu.be/gqe2919mDJ4

Spotify

Track Listing:
1. Doomsayer (3:28)
2. Artorias (5:08)
3. Nightfall (3:20)
4. The Empiricist (4:05)
5. Hades (4:26)
6. Atlas (4:23)
7. Treachery (3:25)
8. Vendetta (3:55)
Album Length: 32:12

Album Recording Lineup:
– Mark “Smedy” Smedbron – Vocals
– Matt Watkins – Bass
– Eddie Dec – Drums
– Vito Bellino – Guitar
– Brad Dose – Guitar

Live Band Line Up:
– Mark “Smedy” Smedbron – Vocals
– Matt Watkins – Bass
– Eddie Dec – Drums
– Steve Bacakos – Guitar
– Mike Hisson – Guitar

About:
Burned in Effigy is a neoclassical melodic death metal band from Chicago, IL. Formed in late 2016 by founding members Brad Dose (guitar), Vito Belino (guitar), Eddie Dec (drums), and Matt Watkins (bass). Starting as an instrumental melodic metal band, the four were brought together by their love of complex, melodic, and heavy music and sought to bring more of that to the Chicago extreme music scene.

Burned in Effigy released their debut EP, Terrestrial, in April 2017. The band focused on playing shows after and building an audience through top-notch live performances while opening for prominent bands such as Scale the Summit, Angel Vivaldi, Oh, Sleeper, and Mushroomhead. While supporting this EP, Burned in Effigy worked with a couple of different vocalists and eventually recruited vocalist Mark “Smedy” Smedbron in December 2019 while in the early demo stages for their first full length.

Instrumental recordings for the band’s masterpiece, Rex Mortem, were finished in early 2020. Shortly after, the band parted ways with guitarist Brad Dose. Vocal recording, mixing, and mastering was finished in mid 2021, after which guitarist Vito Bellino left in order to focus on music school. Shortly after, the remaining three members Eddie Dec (drums), Matt Watkins (bass), and Mark “Smedy” Smedbron (vocals) rallied and recruited guitarists Mike Hisson and Steve Bacakos, who naturally fit with and complemented the band’s signature sound.

For more info:
Facebook.com/burnedineffigyofficial
Instagram.com/burnedineffigyil

– 30 –

—

ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS

Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia

0 TheProgSpace Video Premiere: Montreal’s MESSORA Reaches Its Epitome Of Progressive Death Meal With Music Video “Forever as I Beg”

December 16, 2021
by Asher
· Messora · Music News

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – December 16, 2021

Montreal’s MESSORA Reaches Its Epitome Of Progressive Death Meal With Music Video “Forever as I Beg”

Music Video Premiere via TheProgSpace

Photo Credit: Vladim Vilain

Montreal, Canada’s Messora started as a solo recording project with no clear goal back in 2016 and since then, has evolved into a full-fledged live band that is releasing a new single “Forever as I Beg”, a follow up to the 2019 album “The Door”. Listeners familiar with the album will be pleasantly surprised by this new, very long, single, which goes through the whole “album” kind of arc and progression within the single piece of music. You are meant to get the album experience condensed in a nine-minute progressive death metal song. Zach Dean explains the track further:

“It is about being trapped in a self-destructive and self-abusive cycle where your vices control you. The song begins lyrically in the valley of the cycle, where the character is in-between self-destructive bouts and is just dealing with the aftermath of their behavior. As the song progresses the lyrics turn darker and read as if there are two characters, an abuser and a victim, even though there is only one individual. The music darkens to reflect this. Towards the end of the song the lyrics are entirely from the point of view of the “abuser” as the music reaches its dynamic climax.”

Dean continues to explain that “Forever as I Beg” is the fully matured version of the sound Messora was exploring and developing on “The Door” and now that Messora has taken its “progressive death metal” sound to its peak, the band will be exploring different styles in the future. As a very aesthetically driven band, they put a lot of care into creating a unique aesthetic and atmosphere for their live show. It’s all about cool outfits and red lights.

Dark, experimental, and unpredictable, Messora is recommended for fans of Opeth, Gojira, and King Crimson.

The music video “Forever as I Beg” can be viewed via its premiere on TheProgSpace HERE.

The single “Forever as I Beg” is being released on December 17, 2021 and along with it is a cover of Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer” as a bonus download track via Bandcamp and all other digital platforms here.

Track Listing:
Forever as I Beg (8:49)
(bonus download track via Bandcamp) Closer (Nine Inch Nails cover) “b side” (3:43)

For more info:
Facebook.com/MessoraBand
Instagram.com/messoraband
EPK

– 30 –

—

ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS

Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia

Page 204 of 501

Asher Media Relations Tweets

Tweets by AsherMedia

Asher Media Email Subscription

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Email Address:

Join 2,175 other subscribers