• About AMR
  • Festivals & Associations
    • 420 Music & Arts Festival (Calgary, AB)
    • Armstrong Metal Fest (Armstrong, BC)
    • Calgary Metalfest
    • Calgary’s YYC Music Awards
    • Days of The Dead Festival (Red Deer, AB)
    • Loud As Hell Metal Fest (Drumheller, AB)
    • Metalocalypstick Fest (Lone Butte, BC) – Mountains, Camping and the Women of Metal!
    • ShrEdmonton Metal Fest & Conference
    • WACKEN METAL BATTLE CANADA
    • WACKEN METAL BATTLE USA
  • Services (Hire Us!)
  • Subscribe To AMR Artist News & Album Promo

Tag: metalrules

0 Become “Mystified” By RivetSkull’s New Lyric Video From New Album “Trail of Souls: Samsara”

  • April 20, 2023
  • by Asher
  • · Music News · RivetSkull

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – April 20, 2023

Become “Mystified” By RivetSkull’s New Lyric Video From New Album “Trail of Souls: Samsara”

New Album Out Now! “Trail of Souls: Samsara”

L-R – Mark X. Plog (Guitar), Chad McMurray (Vocals), Mark Hopkins (Bass), Michael Robson (Drums)

Photo Credit – Niffer Calderwood

Releasing the re-imagined full-length “Trail of Souls: Samsara” in July 2022, Seattle and Los Angeles-based heavy metal four-piece RivetSkull are sharing a new lyric video for the track “Mystified”. The song is about dealing with the fears of stepping out of your comfort zone and considering that sometimes it’s easier to simply take solace by getting high and letting your mind wander to another place. A journey of finding your way out of the dark and into the light.

Watch and listen to “Mystified” via its lyric video premiere on Bravewords HERE.​

In addition to unveiling their new lyric video, RivetSkull recently launched a merch line called “Zero Hate” (https://www.rivetskull.com/zerohate) where proceeds from sales will be donated to a non-profit called Metal for Good, which uses the positive values of rock, metal, and other alternative subcultures to make a positive difference in communities. More info can be found at https://metalforgood.org/about/​

The band comments on Zero Hate Merch.

“We like to make a difference and heavy metal has always been a refuge, RivetSkull is committed to working toward a world of #ZEROHATE. 100% of the profits from RivetSkull’s ZERO HATE merch line will be donated to Metal for Good to help support programs that change lives through the collective power and support of the heavy metal community.”

Rivetskull‘s latest full-length “Trail of Souls: Samsara” is a complete re-recording of their self-published 2020 album “Trail of Souls”. After self-recording and releasing the debut album during the global pandemic, the band revisited their songs with professional production to capture the massive sound that fans have come to expect from their live shows.

The band comments on re-recording and re-releasing the album:

“Our current sound is a petri dish of our combined experiences up until now: the things we’ve listened to, the things we’ve played… Trail of Souls: Samsara is a re-recording of our self-recorded/ self-produced 2020 album Trail of Souls. This time around, we recorded it organically, all together in one room at London Bridge Studio. A really good studio produces a really good sound: it’s either tuned that way professionally or it’s evolved that way through history. You work differently in that type of environment, it elevates the performance…It’s like if a doctor is doing surgery in their living room, they’re not going to perform as well.

“Trail of Souls: Samsara” has an epic, yet nostalgic feel. Lyrically, vocalist Chad McMurray writes from the heart about things people can relate to, nothing is contrived. RivetSkull isn’t trying to write a certain kind of song and they’re not trying to portray a certain image. They’re not trying to be a tough, brutal band. They’re just normal guys who like metal, much like it was in the 70s – 80s. “I don’t know, maybe we need to bring cod pieces back?” jokes McMurray.

Recorded at London Bridge Studio (Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Queensrÿche) and produced by Matt Hyde (Slayer, Deftones, Seether), “Trail of Souls: Samsara” promises much more than a sonic retouch of the original. The reworked collection features new cover artwork and a previously unreleased recording of a cover of Aerosmith’s “King and Queens.”

RivetSkull keeps it classic and is recommended for fans of Judas Priest, Def Leppard, and Armored Saint.

“Trail of Souls: Samsara” was released on July 8, 2022, and is available on all digital platforms at the following link – https://lnk.to/TrailOfSoulsSamsara​

Track Listing:​
1. Crash and Burn (2:49)
2. Forever (5:24)
3. Mystified (3:45)
4. Another Way to Heaven (7:29)
5. Narcissus (5:01)
6. Trail of Souls (4:04)
7. It’s Not Enough (4:02)
8. Kings and Queens (Aerosmith cover) (5:16)
Album Length: 37:54

For more info:​
​http://www.rivetskull.com​
​http://www.facebook.com/rivetskull​
​http://www.twitter.com/rivetskull​
​http://www.instagram.com/rivetskull​

About:
It would be easy to call RivetSkull a traditional heavy metal band, but they’re so much more than that. RivetSkull has taken the very roots of heavy metal and forged it into something new and fresh. Spawned from the same DNA that created the beasts that roamed the dark valleys of Birmingham, the foothills of the Cascades, and the plains of Texas, there’s no denying RivetSkull’s heavy metal heritage. This is hard-hitting music blasted over record store chatter, the buzzing of a tattoo gun, or the revving of a motorcycle engine. But, as any metalhead will tell you, heavy metal is more than just a genre: it’s therapy, it’s community, it’s a style – and it’s a movement. And it’s always evolving.
​
RivetSkull has created a modern sound that’s as unique as each member’s influences, from punk to country, from alternative to funk. Listening to RivetSkull, it’s easy to envision the band’s live show: Chad McMurray’s clean vocals soaring over a sea of bobbing bodies in black band t-shirts, Mark X. Plog’s boundary-defying guitar ascending over raised beers and outstretched metal horns, Michael Robson’s emphatic drums and Mark Hopkins’ booming bass rattling the bones beneath black jeans and denim vests. Like good metal – you’ll feel it in your core as much as you’ll hear it in your ears. All of this is brought to you by a dedicated and hard-working band of brothers. They are RivetSkull and they’re bringing the past into the future.

– 30 –

​
—
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​

– 30 –
​

“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

—
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 Montreal’s CroMagnum Are Now Streaming Aggressively Melodic EP “Born Free”, Album Stream Premiere via Metal-Rules

  • September 16, 2021
  • by Asher
  • · CroMagnum · Music News

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – September 16, 2021

Montreal’s CroMagnum Are Now Streaming Aggressively Melodic EP “Born Free”

Album Stream Premiere via Metal-Rules

New EP “Born Free” Out Sept 17th, 2021 via King Metal Records


CroMagnum Current Line Up: L-R – Maximus Rex: Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards – Gino LaPosta: Bass

“Born Free” is the second EP from CroMagnum, hailing from Montreal, Canada. Leading up to this release they have given us two singles that show two different angles of the band that has only been improving since their last album in 2014.

The five tracks on the EP take the listener on a range of musical journeys, from “End Your Slavery” encouraging you to get out of the doldrums and the despair of the prison you’ve let society put you in; to the true origin story as told in “Waterval Boven”; to the reflection of trust presented in “Congregation” with its fast and furious riffs that open up into an epic chorus. There is something for everyone on this release, as the creativity is endless, as shown in the music videos and the comic book. Maximus Rex explains his process in more detail:

“I come up with the basic structure of a song, usually 2-3 riffs, and then we start building it up and jamming it, making decisions about song structure along the way. Once we have a solid base, we’ll work out finer details like solos and harmonies. During that whole process, I start getting ideas for lyrics and melodies, which usually coalesce right around when the music is done. Any subject can make for good lyrics, so I don’t ever judge a theme, because if it inspires you to write, I think it will at least come off as authentic, no matter what you’re talking about.”

Fans who are left wanting more shouldn’t have to wait too long, CroMagnum was originally going to record a full album, but after a slight bit of turbulence among the ranks, it was decided to focus on fewer songs. The next EP, targeted for 2022, is pretty much completely written and waiting to be recorded.

Power, thunder, blood, sweat and tears, CroMagnum offers nothing less than in your face balls-out metal.

The full EP “Born Free” is out on September 17th, 2021 via the band’s own label King Metal Records and can be heard in full before its official release at the following link on Metal-Rules HERE.

EP pre-order – CroMagnum1.Bandcamp.com

Videos:
Tunguska – https://youtu.be/e3hnTgjnmRQ
Born Free – https://youtu.be/FJVLL-D7LSE

In addition to the band’s upcoming EP, vocalist and guitarist Maximus Rex has written a comic book entitled “Bigg Baby: Tales From The Id” in support of the EP, which is available for order at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/ThisSearchForAUserNameIsInfuriating/

Track Listing:
1. End Your Slavery (0:53)
2. Born Free (4:14)
3. Waterval Boven (3:41)
4. Tunguska (2:31)
5. Congregation (5:26)
EP Length: 16:47

EP Band Line Up:
Maximus Rex: Guitar, vocals & keyboards
Gino LaPosta: Bass
M.A.D.: Drums

Live Band Line Up:
Maximus Rex: Guitar and vocals
Gino LaPosta: Bass
Drums (TBA)

For more info:
CroMagnum.ca
Facebook.com/cromagnum
Instagram.com/CroMagnum_MTL
Twitter.com/CroMagMetal
EPK

About:

Born of the frosty bowels of Montreal, Quebec, Canada comes CroMagnum, heavy metal from a simpler time. Brutal and unforgiving. Thoughtful and visionary. A forced juxtaposition that leads to an intense listening experience.

CroMagnum started when Maximus Rex and the original drummer parted ways with their previous band with an aim to keep it simple, heavy as fuck and stay as a three-piece. Since then, CroMagnum has evolved into its current form as the main duo of Maximus Rex on guitar and vocals, Gino LaPosta on bass.

With two EPs under their belts, 2014’s self-titled initial release and now 2021’s “Born Free”, CroMagnum embodies the human race’s struggle to climb out of the primordial ooze toward its future ascension to godhood. Lyrical content flows from anger, frustration, history, politics, government corruption, legends, and philosophy, complete with soaring melodies and punishing riffs.

Mythology. Tradition. Evolution. The beginning. The end. CroMagnum.

– 30 –

—

ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS

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

Asher Media Relations Tweets

Tweets by AsherMedia

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

Join 2,174 other subscribers

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Bandcamp
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Subscribe Subscribed
    • ashermediarelations.com
    • Join 653 other subscribers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • ashermediarelations.com
    • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar