25 YEARS OF SABATON - HEROES ALBUM RE-ISSUED ON LIMITED EDITION COLOURED VINYL FEATURING TWO BONUS TRACKS UNAVAILABLE VIA DIGITAL PLATFORMS

25 YEARS OF SABATON - HEROES ALBUM RE-ISSUED ON LIMITED EDITION COLOURED VINYL FEATURING TWO BONUS TRACKS UNAVAILABLE VIA DIGITAL PLATFORMS





Internationally acclaimed heavy metallers, Sabaton, are celebrating their 25-year milestone in the music industry. They have shared the following message:

"We’re celebrating 10 years since our Heroes album came out and to mark this momentous occasion, we’ve launched a strictly limited 10th Anniversary Heroes vinyl in Heroic Green! If you’re a collector, you’re going to want to get your hands on this gem. It's store exclusive and available in very low quantities, so you can’t get it anywhere else! The coolest part? It includes 3 bonus tracks, 2 of which have never been released on digital platforms. Get yours now!

P.S. The limited 10th Anniversary Heroes vinyl is also available in Transparent Violet!"

INTRODUCING: Cherym

CHERYM are more than just your average pop-punk band. They are a band of misfits seeking to explore genres while expressing exactly what is on their minds. Hailing from Derry, they entered the scene determined to make their mark. The spark was lit when founding members Hannah Richardson and Nyree Porter had the incentive to start a band in high school. Vocalist/guitarist Hannah comments, “we did it because we thought: the boys are doing it, so why can’t we?”



Like many bands starting out in the DIY scene, they did so without knowing what to expect. With a basic knowledge of the guitar, Hannah helped build a legacy from the ground up. Moreover, they sang to become the voice they wanted to hear growing up. They didn’t know what kind of music they wanted to put out there, but they knew they wanted to be part of the scene. Fast-forward six years, and their debut album Take It Or Leave It sees the light of day. The band have performed at American and UK festivals, and have recently completed on a UK tour of their own.

CHERYM represent the under-represented. While the representation of female, queer and non-binary musicians is getting better, there is still work to be done. The band wastes no time in claiming their space. They prove this while they, in their own words, are “unapologetically themselves”. Hannah says, “we do not tolerate a single bit of bigotry. We want to find the people who will resonate with our music and find themselves through it too.” Through doing so, the band have crafted a safe space for fans old and new.

When asked to describe their music in three words, “Punk. Rock. Realism”, are the words Hannah chooses. And they are right, their songs do revolve around those things. When talking about their latest album they say, “it has taken us a long time to get to the point where we can say exactly what we want to say. Our album is a wee bit more outspoken and I think it is way more exciting to see how it will resonate with the fans and anyone who has listened to our music before.” Musically, CHERYM is a band for hard-hitting topics that need to be voiced, made more palatable through a rock, pop-punk sound. “We stand for our politics,” Hannah says, meaning the politics of the band and what they have been through. Among such politics are religious trauma, the queer experience and being neurodiverse in a neurotypical world.


There is an endless amount of proof that CHERYM are here to conquer. ‘You can keep your comments, comments, comments off my body’ sings Hannah in Alpha Beta Sigma. The song name-drops Andrew Tate who should know drummer Alannagh Doherty is a trained martial artist with a blue belt – they reveal in a fun fact – should he decide to come for the band.


Undeniably, speaking on a breadth of personal topics is the key to their success. Musically, they are inspired by a range of artists. “We are influenced by the punk scene,” Hannah says. “I like a lot of music from Riot Grrrls because it was the first time I saw women doing loud, shouty music.” They are influenced by bands like BIKINI KILL. Meanwhile, drummer Alannagh draws inspiration from the likes of GREEN DAY, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and METALLICA. “As a drummer, you can’t just sit in the back – you need to put your stamp on things,” Alannagh comments. The amalgamation of bands makes CHERYM who they are today: rockers the world needs to see. And they mean business. They are evolving their sound. Alannagh says, “[Our] EP Hey Tori was like ‘let’s play around with ideas’. But our latest album [Take It Or Leave It] is more serious.”

You may ask: is their live performance as exciting? Well, the answer is yes. An attendee of a CHERYM live show can expect “Lots of energy and loud noise. A whole load of fun…All craic, no crap!” Alannagh says. A memorable show for the drummer was with NOVA TWINS at Glasgow’s King Tuts where the energy was particularly high. “People were bouncing and I was like ‘oh my god, they are gonna go through the floor!’” Evidently, adrenalised fans like those in that crowd live to tell the tale.

CHERYM’s plans for world domination involve new music “a lot sooner than people think, and a couple more surprises that we can’t talk about!” Alannagh hints. Furthermore, the band’s tenacity has earned them a support slot on the Irish leg of the ENTER SHIKARI tour. For a band going against so many odds, there is no stopping them yet.

Take It Or Leave It is out now via Alcopop! Records.

Like CHERYM on Facebook.

SACREDEATH MURDER KILLER SINGLE

After presenting the Ep Guardians of Death “Which was among the best releases of 2023”, Sacredeath releases, through the partnership between Metal invasion, Europe, the single “Murder Killer”. The mixing and mastering was carried out by the production company Necro Music (Rio De Janiero) by the producers Gustavo Fernandes and A-lexx Martins, while the cover illustration was done by A=LEXX Martins. The band Sacredeath returns to its origins with influences from great bands such as Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Saxon, Blind Guardians, Iced Earth. The new single will be released on World Rock Day, July 12th, on all digital platforms. Check out the band's social media.. support the

 underground!!!! 

https://linktr.ee/sacredeath.metal

EMPEROR - PRO-SHOT VIDEO OF ENTIRE HELLFEST 2024 SHOW STREAMING

On June 28th, Emperor performed at Hellfest 2024 in Clisson, France. Pro-shot livestream video of the entire show, courtesy of ARTE Concert, can be viewed below.

Setlist:

"Into the Infinity of Thoughts"
"In the Wordless Chamber"
"Thus Spake the Nightspirit"
"The Loss and Curse of Reverence"
"With Strength I Burn"
"The Burning Shadows of Silence"
"I Am the Black Wizards"
"Inno A Satana"
"Ye Entrancemperium"




Earlier this year, Emperor legend Ihsahn released his new eponymous full-length studio offering via Candlelight Records. Daring to push the realms of creative expressionism even further with his eighth studio offering, Ihsahn's latest release comprises two melodically interlinked versions of the same album: one prog metal, one fully symphonic, both creating a cinematically influenced masterpiece.

Whilst his musical journey has been frequently revelatory, the masterful control of rhythm and movement displayed throughout 'Ihsahn' shows his work as a songwriter and composer at its most focused and self-assured. A gargantuan endeavour and one that Ihsahn professes to be one of the most complex projects he has ever undertaken, is a labyrinthine rabbit-hole of his own design, the scale of ambition immediately apparent. Wholly self-produced and scored over the course of three years, the metal version has been mixed by Jens Bogren, the orchestral version mixed by Joel Dollié and both versions were mastered by Tony Lindgren. Ihsahn freely admits that the process pushed him to his limits. It began, simply, with a piano.

Comments Ihsahn, “On average, I've been releasing a full-length album every second year since I was 16. And, you know, that has given me some opportunity to explore different options, so for my eighth full-length solo record, I thought, ‘okay, how can I do what I do best, but also raise the bar tenfold? At the heart of what I do is black metal, extreme distorted guitars and screaming, but since the earliest Emperor recordings you’ll hear the keyboard parts influenced by classic soundtracks by the likes of Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams, Bernard Herrmann, John Carpenter and so on. So, I approached the writing with the intent to present the material in its full-blown metal expression, but also to arrange the orchestral parts in such a way that they would work independently. Somehow an attempt to write a soundtrack within the structures of the full production, allowing me to explore different, and sometimes contrasting, variations of essentially the same music. In the end I wrote all the music as a piano short-score and arranged it for a typical band ensemble and orchestra, accordingly, making sure everything interlocked.”

It’s that compositional core that allowed Ihsahn to build the two records from the ground up – a Herculean feat for the self-professed, self-taught musician, but it is perhaps that very absence of formal training that allowed him to throw out the rulebook and simply follow his instincts, and the time afforded by the pandemic created the natural gap required to so heavily invest himself in the project. As Ihsahn explains, that self-induced pressure came from a desire to keep his loyal fanbase and himself interested, which is not only the defining feature of his latest record, but it’s also the central characteristic of his entire solo career.

Order the new album here.



Tracklisting:

"Cervus Venator"
"The Promethean Spark"
"Pilgrimage To Oblivion"
"Twice Born"
"A Taste Of The Ambrosia"
"Anima Extraneae"
"Blood Trails To Love"
"Hubris And Blue Devils"
"The Distance Between Us"
"At The Heart Of All Things Broken"
"Sonata Profana"

"The Distance Between Us" video:

WOLFHEART SHARE OFFICIAL GUITAR AND DRUM PLAYTHROUGH VIDEOS FOR NEW "GRAVE" SINGLE

WOLFHEART SHARE OFFICIAL GUITAR AND DRUM PLAYTHROUGH VIDEOS FOR NEW "GRAVE" SINGLE





Finnish masters of melancholic brutality, Wolfheart, are gearing up for the release of their forthcoming seventh studio album, Draconian Darkness, which is due out on September 6 via Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM). They recently released the official music video for the first digital single, "Grave", which can be viewed below.








Mastermind Tuomas Saukkonen comments, "'Grave' was the first song that was written for the album and became the beacon that was leading the whole production of the album. Push the dark elements even further from the light to give maximum contrast to the melodies and huge choruses. From every album we have clear favourites for live songs and 'Grave' stands on the podium unchallenged!"

Pre-order Draconian Darkness in the physical format of your choice (CD-digipak, coloured vinyl), pre-save it on your favourite DSP or pre-order it digitally now, here.

The opus was recorded at Deep Noise Studios and produced, mixed and mastered by the band's long-time collaborator Saku Moilanen; its artwork was crafted by Nikos Stavridakis (VisionBlack).



Draconian Darkness tracklisting:

"Ancient Cold"
"Evenfall"
"Burning Sky"
"Death Leads The Way"
"Scion Of The Flame"
"Grave"
"Throne Of Bones"
"Trail By Fire"
"The Gale"

"Grave" video:



(Photo - Valtteri Hirvonen)

ALBUM REVIEW: Schizophrenia – Cavalera

The name Cavelera is royalty in extreme music circles. The brothers of Max and Iggor have been synonymous with extreme music from their frenetic early years as SEPULTURA, which put Brazil on the map for metal, and through their many subsequent projects over the decades. After rolling back the clocks to give 1985’s Bestial Devastation and 1986’s Morbid Visions a facelift with re-recordings and new artwork to boot under their CAVALERA moniker, now, with momentum on their side, the same job has been applied to SEPULTURA‘s second full-length album: 1987’s Schizophrenia.



1987’s original release marked a turning point for the development of thrash metal as Schizophrenia saw SEPULTURA fuse the frenetic energy of their European thrash counterparts with a death metal bite that would be replicated by bands in their droves in the decades ahead. And despite the vast development of death/thrash, championed by numerous bands from all four corners of the globe, Schizophrenia remains a timeless classic and that is clear as day on this re-recorded effort.


The likes of Escape To The Void wails and divebombs whilst Iggor beats his drumkit to within an inch of its life, the instrumental driven epic Inquisition Symphony benefits massively from the re-recording with extra emphasis added to the bass to make the track hit even harder, and From The Past Comes The Storms has a swagger and snarl that just begs for your head to bang. And it’s not just a simple case of remastering 1987’s classic, the 2024 re-recording features album closer Nightmares Of Delirium, a previously unheard track and the way in which it embeds itself into the record is remarkable, closing Schizophrenia with a thunderous bang.


Re-recordings of beloved classics can be a risky affair as the end product can not only tarnish the chosen record’s legacy but shake the hornet’s nest of a band’s loyal fanbase. Just like last year’s re-recordings, the production job applied to Schizophrenia is incredibly well done, helping the record enhance its thumping metal ferocity, especially with Max‘s vocals that sound immense from start to finish. The likes of To The Wall, with its hefty chugs, or the manically charged Septic Schizo sound absolutely phenomenal here and it showcases that the Cavalera brothers know exactly how to keep legacy fans happy whilst engaging the next generation of extreme metal fans.

At this point, there are not enough superlatives in the universe to describe just how influential the Cavalera brothers have been for extreme music. And with the re-recorded Schizophrenia, not only do the brothers pay homage to a record that helped put SEPULTURA on the map, but they have breathed new life into the record and it still sounds as viciously wicked as it first did 37 years ago.

Rating: 9/10



Schizophrenia is out now via Nuclear Blast Records.

Like CAVALERA on Facebook.

INTRODUCING: Floya

FLOYA are the perfect band to open us all up to the spring and summer sounds. Lush and nostalgic synths, with bouncing rhythms and gorgeous vocals, they’re fast turning heads with their debut album Yume. An album stacked with athematic songs; we caught up with vocalist Phil Bayer about the record, playing live and continuing to explore their sound.



“What’s most important to us when we’re writing a song is, how does it make us feel? We’re trying to not look for anything intentionally, a lot of what we do just happens or it doesn’t, whatever feels right in that particular moment,” Phil explains about the songwriting process. “Speaking from a lyrical perspective, Wonders was the first track that changed my outlook on myself writing songs a lot. It was that massive shift in my mind that happened; I wanted to write about positivity and love while also trying to weave a certain consciousness of passing time in there. What I mean by that is; everyday life makes it hard to recognise that our days are ultimately numbered, so a lot of what we write about is conscious living, taking action now.”

Yume has found an instant audience, with the album feeling coherent and fluid, while each song stands proud in its own right. “We’re trying to control the outcome of what we write as much as possible, but we’re trying not to limit ourselves during these processes, so it’s always a bit of ‘expect the unexpected’,” Phil clarifies about the process of honing the album. “That notion is what keeps things interesting for us. Sometimes you want a song to go into a certain direction only to then see that your monkey brain thought of something entirely different,” he laughs. “Sometimes the results of that can be astounding.”


Avid listeners will note that while this is FLOYA’s debut album, the duo have been working towards the record for a while, dropping singles for several months. While it’s been a long time in the making, it’s allowed the vision of the band to really solidify. “It’s a lot like getting older, with every passing day, you can kind of condense what it is you want a little more. So, I’d say the vision of this project is still very much on par with how it felt to us right at the beginning, we just fleshed it out more as time passes.”

The live shows are another huge draw to FLOYA, with energetic performances that really enhance their music. “We love playing live so much, it’s priceless to feel people’s emotions and our own in these moments. It’s also always interesting to find out how much we change a given song in a live environment, that’s always an adventure,” Phil happily agrees. “We’re very happy about how the album turned out, it’s been a long and, at times, painful process, there’s so much of our personalities in there. We can’t wait to take this to the stage!”

As a band with a lively, bright sound, the synth element is a vital part of bringing in the vibe. However, what makes FLOYA stand apart from a purely synthwave or progressive band is that they can blend and break expectations. “Sometimes it might be nostalgic when we’re talking about analogue synth emulations, but sometimes our synths tend to be fully intentionally digital too,” he laughs. “I think what adds to that nostalgic feeling sometimes is Marv’s playing as its deeply rooted in the 80s and 90s with a modern twist to it.” The pull of old school sounds coupled with a contemporary approach and application has rooted FLOYA as a fresh sound in the music scene. Experimenting with sounds without being constricted means that FLOYA can play around with genre’s without feeling stuck. “What keeps us motivated long term is finding out how far we can take this mixture of rock and electronic music, you know? But I wouldn’t go and limit the possibilities of what FLOYA can sound like, as we want to artistically express ourselves as freely as possible.”

FLOYA’s approach music in the same way they seem to approach life. There’s a huge amount of positivity spun into Yume in the bittersweet moments. By actively choosing optimistic sound to channel life’s issues and conflicts makes for a encouraging soundtrack to life. “Absolutely! We focus a lot on the positive sides of life as it is very easy to find reasons to focus on the things that don’t work in our lives, you know? Focusing on what does work makes every day so much more enjoyable to us as people.”

Yume is out now via Arising Empire.

Like FLOYA on Facebook.