STORMKEEP – TALES OF OTHERTIME

Denver’s Stormkeep turned head with their 2020 debut EP, Galdrum and full-length debut Tales Of Othertime cements them as a serious force in melodic black metal. Take early Emperor, Dissection, and Sacramentum, sprinkle in some dungeon crawling synth with power metal sensibilities and out comes Stormkeep.

Stormkeep understand it’s all about the riffs and they balance hard-hitting, melodic guitar work with atmospheric keys and synth work, and they’re not afraid to let the synth do work – especially in the instrumental, “The Citadel”. Vocalist Otheyn Vermithrax shrieks his way to victory, but clean vocals are also interspersed throughout the 43 minute onslaught. Standing at six tracks, the crown jewel is the 11 minute “A Journey Through Storms”, an appropriate title that segues through breathtaking guitar work, a folksy interlude, followed by an epic, smoldering close. The use of acoustics is brilliantly used to add a dismal, brooding atmosphere.

Lyrics revolve around ancient legends and mythical times which falls right in line with that daunting artwork. The songs are their own adventures with three other tracks besides the mammoth “A Journey Through Storms” exceeding 8 minutes. The drumming ferociously attacks with blastbeats while also showing a proficient technicality. The bass could use a bump in the mix, but that’s a small complaint. The main focus are these guys are talented and can construct memorable tunes. While being influenced from those aforementioned black metal legends, they are unique have their own sound. It was a smart move to use the shorter instrumentals (“The Citadel” and “An Ode To Dragons”) as a palate cleanser to build atmosphere and ready the listener for the longer, blistering tracks.

Be sure to pick this one up – you will not be disappointed.

MEAT LOAF - LEGENDARY ROCK SINGER AND ACTOR DEAD AT 74

 

Legendary rock singer and actor, Meat Loaf (real name Marvin Lee Aday), has passed away at the age of 74. The sad news was shared via the official Meat Loaf Facebook page.

The message states: "Our hearts are broken to announce that the incomparable Meat Loaf passed away tonight surrounded by his wife Deborah, daughters Pearl and Amanda and close friends.

"His amazing career spanned 6 decades that saw him sell over 100 Million albums worldwide and star in over 65 movies, including Fight Club, Focus, Rocky Horror Picture Show and Wayne’s World.

"Bat Out of Hell remains one of the top 10 selling albums of all time.

"We know how much he meant to so many of you and we truly appreciate all of the love and support as we move through this time of grief in losing such an inspiring artist and beautiful man.

"We thank you for your understanding of our need for privacy at this time.

"From his heart to your souls… don’t ever stop rocking!"

GHOST POSTPONES JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! APPEARANCE "TO A LATER DATE"

 

Ghost were scheduled to appear as the featured music guest on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night, Thursday, January 20.



An update from A Nameless Ghoul states: "Children of the World! …more specifically those of you who had just started to prep your couches up for tonights’ Jimmy Kimmel Live show. Well, it turned out that we had a bit too much going on in Reno, getting all our shit together for the tour, however - our good friends at Kimmel offered us to come back and play the show at a later date during our now imminent US tour. So - Cool your jets for today but get ready to rock with us over the coming weeks. Are you ready?"

Tracklist:

"Imperium"
"Kaisarion"
"Spillways"
"Call Me Little Sunshine"
"Hunter's Moon"
"Watcher In The Sky"
"Dominion"
"Twenties"
"Darkness At The Heart Of My Love"
"Griftwood"
"Bite Of Passage"

Isso não é uma música, e sim um tapa na cara de toda uma sociedade artificial

 

A canção escrita por Alissa White-Gluz traduz com maestria como é viver nessa sociedade que se preocupa mais com a roupa que você usa, do que com os valores que se tem

The Agonist era a antiga banda de Alissa White-Gluz, hoje no Arch Enemy.

E além de ótima vocalista, ela sempre foi uma exímia escritora, e foi lá que ela escreveu uma das músicas mais pesadas do metal em relação a crítica social, “Business Suits And Combat Boots”.

A canção já começa com a seguinte frase: “O destino te guia ou você pretende modificá-lo?”

Esse prólogo já nos inicia para o que vem a seguir na canção.

“Foda-se sua roupa de grife esfolada

Tons da moda e cabelo de salão

Saltos para ajudar onde a natureza falhou

Dentes e unhas artificiais”

Quando ela diz “grife esfolada”, provavelmente é uma crítica as roupas que usam pele de animal.

E a crítica segue para todas as pessoas que tentam entrar num padrão de beleza, e se tornam artificiais: “O ninho da vespa se expande”

Aqui a analogia pode ser a comparação de uma vespa com uma abelha, que é sua semelhante, e enquanto a abelha tem um papel importante, a vespa acaba por não ser nada mais do que um predador.

E essa comparação serve provavelmente para as pessoas fúteis que a canção se refere.

“O caminho do futuro são os patrocinadores corporativos criando seus filhos”

As corporações podem ser por exemplo, os próprios programas da TV. Um simples personagem de desenho pode influenciar mais a vida de uma criança do que seus próprios pais.

“Falhas físicas são um vazio mental”

Aqui dá a entender que, não generalizando, mas boa parte dos problemas físicos que as pessoas sentem ter, são problemas criados por alguma alienação.

“Então pague seus cirurgiões

É a seus pais que você deveria agradecer”

Agradecer aos pais pode ser também uma alusão a parte mais acima da canção, onde se dá a entender que os pais abdicam da criação de seus filhos, e deixam que as corporações tomem conta de sua criação, criando adultos complexados.

“Vá existindo em uma sociedade distorcida

Onde a juventude é um crime e um desperdício de gastos com lojas de suor”

De fato, os jovens não mais se preocupam com coisas “da sua idade”, mas sim com ostentar ou então com seu status social perante uma sociedade que os julga por coisas que nunca conseguiram construir.

“Agora a KKK encontrou uma nova máscara

Foda-se sua supremacia autoproclamada

Você esconde seu rosto e sua vergonha!”

Alusão as máscaras utilizadas pela Ku Klux Klan (grupo supremacista branco), e com isso eles conseguem fazer a similaridade onde se antigamente esse grupo se escondia atrás de máscaras, as máscaras de hoje são as milhões de alternativas plásticas, fazendo com que você perca sua identidade.

“Identifique o certo e o errado quando todos os fatos são meramente opinião”

O “fato” dito na música, se refere sobre os padrões de beleza, e como tudo é questão de opinião.

Mas parece que ser você mesmo é errado, e você deve seguir sempre a manada.

DEVIN TOWNSEND SHARES SECOND TRAILER FOR UPCOMING INFINITY ALBUM QUARANTINE PROJECT LIVESTREAM

 

Townsend previously iissued the following message:

"We're going live on Saturday, February 5th, 12noon PST / 3pm EST / 8pm GMT / 9pm CET / 7am AEDT (next day). If you can't make it at that time, no fear: we'll record the show and keep it available for another 48hrs.

Tickets go live on Friday, Jan 7th at 15:00 CET and are exclusively available on DevinTownsendShop.com. We've also added a show-exclusive t-shirt and the option to bundle with the ticket for a discounted price.

Note: the t-shirts are pre-orders and ship from the United Kingdom the week prior to the livestream."



Townsend has said he will perform Infinity in the original album sequence, with songs included from the Christeen EP.

PERPETUAL ETUDE - NOW IS THE TIME

 

Melodic Swedes exist in parallel universe as the Joe Lynn Turner era Rainbow, albeit with Mr. Man In Black still willing to lay down some stirring guitar and not completely preoccupied with writing hit American radio singles. Debut offers eight high energy guitar/keyboard hard rockers that once upon a time COULD have been heard over the airwaves (with Japan getting "Ignition" bonus). Founder/guitarist Magnus Mild also plays in NWOTHM act Air Raid. He had Goran Edman (Yngwie/John Norum) sing on "Sail Away".

"I've Got The Power" is a powerful opener, peppered (as is much of the material) with spirited six-string runs. Follow-up "Show Me" is more of a commercial ‘80s number. Still, Mild can't avoid adding his (otherwise unwarranted) two cents, actually more like $0.52 Ozzy/Ultimate Sin influenced flourish. Alternating between heavier and lighter shades, prominent pulsing keyboard notes accent "Straight Through The Heart". Kinda "Street Of Dreams" intensity, until guitar and keys "go off" in the final third.

The most metallic quotient appear, back-to-back, in the form of "Once We Were One" and "Hell Fire Burn". The former kicks off with a patented Blackmore solo run and remains energetic throughout: the Strat work recurrent. The latter is not as immediate, but packs more notes into its shorter (3:07) construct, with speedy duel between synth and guitar. The titular option, smoother than the previous pair, is still a catchy rocker. The guest vocal spot ventures further into pop/AOR territory than its surroundings, thereby rendering Edman's inclusion a waste (to these metal-bashed ears). Proper disc closer "Our Love" is a stylistic outlier, the keys taking over. Lyrics actually say, "Oh baby, our love..." Oh boy!

The aforementioned overseas extra is a 3+ minute instrumental, heavily showcasing guitar (and a bit of the synthesizer).

SUFFOCATION - LIVE IN NORTH AMERICA

 

NUCLEAR BLAST)

Greg Pratt

Rating: 8.5

I generally can't get too excited about live death metal albums, but when the band in question is legendary DM crew Suffocation, what's not to like? Especially when the band's time with lead growler Frank Mullen is done, a fact that I still haven't really come to terms with. So this release celebrates Mullen in all his glory on stage, with recordings taken from his last tour with the band, in 2018.

The production is absolutely spot-on, sounding live but also, well... you ever seen Suffocation live? The band sounds absolutely insane, and that comes through on this recording, which is in some ways more enjoyable than at least some of their studio albums. As for the tracklisting, well, when you only have 13 songs and a long, celebrated career to get through, it's not going to be easy, but the band delivers the goods—hell yeah “Funeral Inception”—as they rip through amazing song after amazing song, as always handling both the blasting and the slower parts with equal amounts of ease, absolutely smothering and crushing you in the process. It leans heavier toward classic material but there are a few nods to the newer records, and it shows how consistent this band is, everything flowing perfectly together.

I remember feeling my heart moving around in my chest in time with the kick drum last time I saw Suffocation, and while this record doesn't actually do that, it brings the painful, glorious memories back. What a great testament to an era. And, Frank, thanks for all the incredible music.