FIT FOR A KING LANÇA VERSÃO ACÚSTICA DE “BREAKING THE MIRROR”

 

Após a estreia no mês passado da versão “cinematográfica” de sua música “When Everything Means Nothing”, vem uma versão acústica recém-estreada da faixa “Breaking The Mirror”. Essa faixa aparece no álbum de 2020 da banda, “The Path”.

EXTINCTION A.D. LANÇA NOVO EP E ESTREIA O VIDEOCLIPE DE “COLLUSION”; CONFIRA

 

O novo EP do Extinction A.D., “Chaos, Collusion, Carnage & Propaganda”, foi lançado oficialmente e com ele um videoclipe para uma de suas faixas incluídas, “Collusion”. Você pode dar uma olhada abaixo.


Quanto às próximas atividades ao vivo da banda, eles foram agendados para abrir a turnê de celebração do álbum “Slaughter In The Vatican”, do Exhorder, junto com Take Offense e Plague Years.

“Chaos, Collusion, Carnage & Propaganda” track listing:



01. Chaos
02. Collusion
03. Carnage
04. Propaganda

Judas Priest lança site interativo no formato história em quadrinhos; confira O site ‘Guide To Heavy Metal’ conta a trajetória

 

O site ‘Guide To Heavy Metal’ conta a trajetória da banda em capítulos de HQ passando por suas cinco décadas de carreira

Como parte da celebração de seu aniversário de 50 anos, o Judas Priest inaugurou um site interativo chamado Guide To Heavy Metal, feito no formato de uma história em quadrinhos.

A experiência leva os fãs em uma tour completa pela história do Judas Priest dividida em capítulos que são contados como uma verdadeira HQ embaladas pela discografia da banda tocando ao fundo. As sessões em preto e branco se abrem para a modernidade em determinado momento com uma série de tutoriais de guitarra oferecidos por Richie Faulkner, que substituiu o guitarrista K.K. Downing em 2011. Visite o site clicando aqui.

Recentemente, K.K. Downing relembrou o legado do Judas Priest listando as seis músicas mais importantes da história da banda, incluindo o sucesso “Breaking The Law” e uma escolha inusitada ao mencionar “Turbo Lover”. Atualmente o guitarrista se diz “feliz” com sua nova banda, KK’s Priest, que recentemente lançou seu álbum de estreia, Sermons Of The Sinner.

GOJIRA, KNOCKED LOOSE AND ALIEN WEAPONRY: UNBRIDLED ENERGY ASSAULTS ORLANDO’S HARD ROCK LIVE

With Gojira back on the demanding tour circuit, all seems well in the world - or perhaps all seems whale. The seasoned heavy metal act has approached 2021 with “Fortitude,” overcoming more than a year of difficulty in the music industry to release their seventh studio album in two decades. This most recent LP came five years after the achievement of 2016’s “Magma,” and it proved that Gojira is still at the very top of their technical game. “Fortitude” placed the band on charts across the world, including the No. 12 spot on the Billboard Artist 100 in mid-May. The promise of a sweeping U.S. tour in the fall was a natural follow-up to such spectacular success.

Lyrics long entrenched with fervent environmentalism - to which “Fortitude” is no exception - Gojira have had their imagery long associated with majestic beasts of the sea. So, it only seems natural that their comeback tour was as mammoth as the blue whale: it was set to span almost two months, most of the country, and see support from thrash metallers Alien Weaponry and hardcore act Knocked Loose. And as October draws to a close and remaining dates dwindle, Gojira and Co. prepare for the tour’s final hurrah.

First on stage were New Zealanders Alien Weaponry, one of the latest acts to take the metal world by storm with their unique brand of thrash metal. Their set was a rare treat for most fans: the three-piece performs many of their songs in New Zealand’s native language, Te Reo Maori, with themes including the strife faced by the nation’s indigenous people. Headed by brothers Henry and Lewis de Jong, the group performed their short set with fantastic chemistry, and a readily apparent passion for their craft. Percussion resounded in a hearty balance that truly accentuated their sonic style and made up for any heartfelt connection the crowd may have been lacking at first. But by the end of their set, there was little question they had gained a newfound appreciation from all in attendance, and certainly a new handful of fans.

Much of their set was performed beneath muted hues, from oceanic blues to deep crimson, split only by bright beams of white. It was an effective yet captivating approach to highlight their performances on hit songs “Tangaroa” and “Kai tangata.” Given that each instrumentalist pulls double-duty on stage - with Lewis de Jong on lead vocals and the others providing backing vocals - their ability to occupy the stage with motion was somewhat limited. But those limitations didn’t stunt their performance in the slightest: what they lacked in size they made up for in precision, particularly the deep groove from bassist Tūranga Morgan-Edmonds. The most disappointing part of the set was how short it was, and the band was able to play their most recent hits and not much more. Their energy and charisma made up for what they lost in time, and they were able to fully commit their audience to a unique sonic premise with nothing more than sheer musicianship and abilities as performers.

Next up were Knocked Loose, and they roared onto stage with their caustic and abrasive brand of hardcore, not an ounce of hesitation holding them back. From the very first note they had made it more than clear that their one objective for the night was to play loud, play heavy, and enthrall the crowd with breakdowns. There were times where it felt as though the venue would tear open under the fury of Bryan Garris’ shrieks and their inhuman pitch. The group headbanged in perfect sync through brutal breakdowns, like the standouts “Guided By The Moon” and “Deadringer.”

The crowd was absolutely rabid by their closing song “Counting Worms,” the entire venue filled with non-stop motion from their hypnotic influence. They soaked up bright lights, explosive suns in shades of yellow and gold, setting guitarist Isaac Hale aflame as he leaned out towards the audience. Each instrumentalist was fully engaged with the crowd, making eye contact as they shredded their way through even the most demanding songs. “Mistakes Like Fractures” was just one example of their seemingly effortless confidence, every motion as spontaneous as it was sure, certain to elicit joy from the gathered crowd. Lots of interaction and charisma made each note of heaviness all the more enjoyable.

Gojira were more than eager to tease with an initial bout of mystery between sets, knowing full well that the buzzing crowd was primed and ecstatic after two thrilling openers. The headliners began their set behind a translucent curtain, onto which a countdown from 120 had been projected. After the seconds ticked away beneath a sea of screams the silhouettes emerged, enigmatic and sometimes formless as they moved to their places. It was tantalizing, seeing these shapes above the stage larger-than-life, painted in black against shifting lights. For a band so driven by technical focus, this amorphous beginning to a full set was finally ignited when the curtain fell in a single heartbeat to reveal the band in full.

All eyes on the stage and concert goers still reeling from the initial theatrics, Gojira launched headfirst into “Backbone.” Drawing from the earlier albums of their discography, this song was shortly followed by the infamous “Flying Whales.” If there were any song of the night to pick as a highlight, this would be it. The audience flew into blind ecstasy at this familiar hymn, their frenzied cheering matched only by the sharp execution of lead guitarist Christian Andreu. Often directly at the front of the stage, his technical skills were on full display as he dove deep into the demands of “Amazonia.” It was this focused musicianship that led to such an electric response, exchanging raw charisma and skill in equal measure. Attendees were also treated to the visual feast of lights and painstaking production brought along for the ride, all perfectly harmonized to the prepared performance.

The ninety-minute set drew primarily from “Fortitude,” but built the setlist with familiar favorites at the front end and the encore. While newer singles like “Amazonia” have already built up an impressive reputation, there was nothing quite so stirring as longtime favorite “L'enfant sauvage” played just before the lights fell. Newer material rode the high of more familiar melodies to fully commit the audience to Gojira’s vision. Sparing use of additional audio allowed the live renditions to stay true to classics, and complemented the longtime performers with seamless fluidity. Striking strobes and a flawless vocal performance from Duplantier truly let this headliner bring an ocean of awe and inspiration down on all in attendance. Relentless until the very final notes of “Vacuity,” Gojira was a near perfect display of technical death metal in all its glory.

EXISTENTIA - CALCULATING FAILURE(RELEASE)

 

Always nice to see a young death metal band start smart by releasing a four-song EP, this Philadelphia group releasing a couple of singles earlier this year then this impressive and solid piece of DM.



And it's refreshing, opener “Planned Obsolescence” starting things off very strong, the band adept at brutal death, grinding death, and a mid-tempo slog through Obituary's swamps. The production is spot-on for this sort of sound, and although I always want things to be a bit less clinical, you get the feeling these guys want perfection, and they want you to hear how every note and hit is exactly where it should be. So, fine, I'll buy it, just like I'll buy the title track's amazing grinding during big open riffs, “Artifice Hallucination”'s killer drum performance and breakneck groove, and “Fulminate”'s brutal death technicality.

Very impressive debut here, the musicianship is top-notch, the recording is great, the songs just diverse enough, man, the cover art is even cool. Existentia could easily extend this to a 10-song full-length and keep it interesting, no small feat for a band plying the brutal death trade in 2021.

MARY’S BLOOD – MARY’S BLOOD

 

Japan metal force Mary’s Blood return with their seventh full-length and follow-up to 2020’s covers album Re>Animator. Releasing a steady stream of music since their formation in 2009; they haven’t been afraid to divert from their power/speed metal sound. Their new self-titled effort again sprinkles in different influences and it yields mixed results that makes for a haphazard listen.

A symphonic intro (“Daybreak”) pushes into “Without A Crown” and the first noticeable difference is the downtuned guitars from Saki that feels like metalcore but Eye’s expressive vocals and Saki’s lightning soloing hit the mark and drive home a comfortable feeling. “Joker” dives into experimentation with sound effects and if it wasn’t for the bright vocals, someone might think it’s a Rob Zombie tune. “Umbrella” is a light ballad draped with symphonics and would fit snuggly in an anime, while “Let Me Out” is pure pop dressed as power metal with a repeating line of the title that does indeed stick in your head. “Hunger” is a curious tune with key effects supplanted by fast guitar work and melodic soloing. A strange tune and takes a few listens to get used to.

These diverse tracks are interspersed with the metal assaults. The ladies bring out the guns on “Blow Up Your Fire” that combines German power metal with thrash and “Be Myself” shines with a great chorus and guitar work by Saki. They hit their stride with the driving J-rock force of “Ignite” and the bass work of Rio and Mari’s fast and groovy drumming stand out as highlights. “Mad Lady” is pure speed metal with Eye’s vocals taken to a chaotic level as she strains herself with a memorable performance and “Starlight” finishes the album off with a catchy vocal hook at the beginning and Maki brings is with flourishing guitars and memorable leads that ends the proceedings on a high note.

A weird album to sift through, but nonetheless a solid entry to the Mary’s Blood discography. If new to the band – start with 2015’s Bloody Palace and go from there.

BRAINSTORM - WALL OF SKULLS

 

The pandemic threw a bit of a monkey wrench into the Germans' clockwork release schedule: basically every two years, a new studio effort. Luckily, the Midnight Ghost predecessor was the strongest Brainstorm platter in more than a decade (back to Liquid Monster, if you ask me) and while they couldn't completely capitalize on the good fortune, in terms of live appearances, the time off proved to be a two-pronged victory. One, it gave them "extra" time to write a worthy follow-up and people got to enjoy Midnight Ghost "longer" than they might have, normally, which seems to have earned the 30 year old outfit a new respect, at home, as well as on the global stage. About time!

Following the "Chamber 13" intro, "Where Ravens Fly" is a strong calling card (perhaps why it was an early video/single), announcing that Brainstorm mean business. A couple of local guests stars should see more eyes/ears focused in their direction. Teutonic mainstay Peavy Wagner (Rage) adds his gruff vocal counterpoint to the initial pre-release single/video "Escape The Silence" and Orden Ogan frontman Seeb Levermann contributes to one of the heavy hitters: "Turn Off The Light", as they recorded at his studio. Is there a better surname for a music producer, given all the knobs on the mixing desk? Seemingly lifting a slice off Judas Priest's Painkiller, said tune is a ripper and offers a short vocal duet between Andy B Franck and Seeb. Back-to-back beat down!

Throughout their discography, the band's bread & butter has been the clickety-clack mid-tempo traditional / power metal riff, with Franck's impressive vocals over top. There's plenty of the high caliber trademark Brainstorm herein, but Wall Of Skulls ups the ante, courtesy of the guitar tandem of Todde Ihlenfeld and Milan Loncaric, via a heavier/more brutal soundscape on the aforementioned, as well as "Stigmatized (Shadows Fall)", frenetic begun and constant drum bashing "My Dystopia" and galloping "Cold Embrace" (a bonus on the Limited Edition, which features a 13 song, live Blu-Ray from their streamed gig, earlier this year, where "Escape The Silence" was debuted). That's not to imply it's all speed, all the time. It's not and "Glory Disappears" is the heartfelt sing-along that goes down so well on the European festival circuit, even ending a cappella.



Longtime fans will certainly put Skulls at/near the top of the Best of 2021 lists. More importantly, those that previously overlooked (how?) the band, or felt they needed more crunch, should re-investigate ASAP.