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Reviews

“Body Void Unleashes Raw Power with ‘Cop Show’ Lyric Video Depicting Police Brutality” Via Prosthetic Records

Photographer credit: Skyler Williams

BODY VOID is:
Willow Ryan (guitar, bass, synths, vocals)
Janys-Iren Faughn (electronics, samples, live bass)
Edward Holgerson (drums)

Emerging like a tempest from the digital depths of New England’s avant-garde soundscape, Body Void, a formidable doom trio hailing from the Bay Area, unveils its masterpiece, “Cop Show.” This captivating composition serves as the second ethereal offering from their forthcoming opus, “Atrocity Machine,” slated for release on the hallowed date of October 13th, courtesy of the venerable Prosthetic Records.

In a brilliant symphony of apocalyptic reverie, “Cop Show” draws inspiration from the sacred annals of the 1987 sci-fi opus, ‘RoboCop.’ This haunting opus artfully dissects the unsettling spectacle wherein police violence, rather than yielding to the clarion call of abolition or reform, has morphed into a grotesque form of entertainment. A confluence of Paul Verhoeven’s surreal dystopian vision and the band’s artistic prowess breathes life into this cataclysmic anthem.

The aural architecture interlaced by Body Void is nothing short of a relentless, sonic juggernaut—an unforgiving gauntlet of auditory gravitas. With each resonating note, they forge a savage tempest of unprecedented proportions. Their signature sludge-laden, droning doom finds new horizons, fueled by the eclectic influences of Killing Joke and Wolf Eyes. This metamorphosis yields a harrowing soundscape akin to a cyberpunk nightmare.

“As Atrocity Machine unfolds, it unveils a remarkable evolution and descent into the darkest abyss of musicianship, crafting oppressive symphonies that defy convention.” The transformation is undeniable. Atrocity Machine stands as the zenith of their artistic journey, a testament to their creative prowess. With each tantalizing glimpse we’ve been granted thus far, it becomes evident that this odyssey promises a roller coaster ride through the chronicles of metal brutality. A cataclysm poised to leave an indelible mark on musical history. Brace yourselves, for Body Void’s “Atrocity Machine” beckons a promising voyage into uncharted musical territory.


BODY VOID has shared a new track, titled Cop Show, alongside an accompanying music video. Cop Show is the second single to be taken from the New England, Bay Area based doom trio’s upcoming fourth album, Atrocity Machine, which is due for release via Prosthetic Records on October 13. The song sees BODY VOID pulling influence from the dystopian sci-fi film Robocop, and serves as a critique on police violence.

WATCH THE LYRIC VIDEO FOR
COP SHOW BELOW
Stream Cop Show via Apple Music | TIDAL | Deezer | Bandcamp and Spotify
Pre-order Atrocity Machinehere.

PREORDER ATROCITY MACHINE HERE:

Speaking on the single, Willow Ryan (guitar, bass, synths, vocals) comments: “Cop Show lyrically might be the most specific on the album. It focuses on the way in which police violence, in place of abolition or even just reform, we’ve turned killings and assaults into a spectacle to be consumed and entertained by. Paul Verhoven’s brand of dystopian absurdity was a big influence on Atrocity Machine as a whole, but especially on this song with Robocop.”

BODY VOID‘s morose view of the world hasn’t lightened any since the release of 2021’s critically acclaimed Bury Me Beneath This Rotting Earth, although Atrocity Machine embraces absurdity on a new level. The subject matter in hand takes stock of the oppressive systems and societal functions that continually degrade the lives of millions as they passively become a cog in the very machine that subjugates them. Police violence is the thematic centre of the unravelling horror on Atrocity Machine, highlighted specifically on the track Cop Show which details the commercialisation of fear and violence being turned into a spectacle.

The grotesque reality of living in a capitalist landscape, with the value of human life decreasing daily provides infinite fuel for anxiety and trauma. The lurid tones of modern day news media are the backdrop to an Akira-inspired encounter with divine violence, Atrocity Machine offers a cosmic view of living under such systems of oppression. Specifically that the status quo can’t last forever; a self-destructive society will indeed eventually destroy itself.

The suffocating nature of oppression seeps into the sound of Atrocity Machine too. Although still a doom band at its core, BODY VOID in 2023 has expanded to incorporate dexterous layers of synths, samples and noise that makes their industrial-sludge sonic emissions an asphyxiating listening experience. The band credit producer Ben Greenberg (Portrayal of Guilt, VR Sex, Soft Kill) with bringing their electronic elements into a cohesive sound that embraces heaviness and claustrophobic chaos in equal measure.

Artwork is thematically on point – inspired by Tetsuo: The Iron Man (a person becoming a machine) – and created by Ethan Lee McCarthy. Marking a shift from their previously black-and-white-only artwork, Atrocity Machine is both visually and sonically drawing a line in the sand, delineating the beginning of a new chapter for BODY VOID.

Atrocity Machine tracklist:
1. Microwave
2. Human Greenhouse
3. Flesh Market
4. Cop Show
5. Divine Violence
6. Atrocity Machine

FOLLOW BODY VOID ONLINE:

FACEBOOK X INSTAGRAM YOUTUBE SPOTIFY BANDCAMP

Categories
Tours

GAEREA Touring the US w/ WITTR this Fall

Photo by Chantik Photography

Nobody knows what the members of GAEREA look like. But the Portugese band have earned lots of recognition for their cathartic black metal since they first emerged out of the pandemic’s limbo.

This summer, Gaerea have been on the hunt across Europe’s biggest stages. They’ve stunned crowds at Bloodstock, Devilstone and Summer Breeze with massive, melodic riffs, towering blast beats and poetic screams.

Now, Gaerea are returning to North America for a tour with three of the most innovative forces in American heavy music. Catch them on tour with Wolves in the Throne Room, Blackbraid and Hoaxed this October during their 20+ shows across the US and Canada.

Gaerea will be supporting their most recent album ‘Mirage’, while also playing songs off ‘Limbo’, which just celebrated its three-year anniversary. Both records can be ordered through our online store HERE.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, August 4 at 10 a.m. local time

Crypt of Ancestral Knowledge Tour Dates
09/29: St Louis, MO @ Red Flag [TICKETS]
09/30: Chicago, IL @ Metro [TICKETS]
10/01: St. Paul, MN @ Amsterdam Bar & Hall [TICKETS]
10/03: Detroit, MI @ El Club [TICKETS]
10/04: Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace [TICKETS]
10/05: Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount [TICKETS]
10/06: Boston, MA @ Big Night Live [TICKETS]
10/07: Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom [TICKETS]
10/08: Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Monarch [TICKETS]
10/10: Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts [TICKETS]
10/11: Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage [TICKETS]
10/12: Richmond, VA @ The Canal Club [TICKETS]
10/13: Greensboro, NC @ Hangar 1819 [TICKETS]
10/14: Atlanta, GA @ The Loft [TICKETS]
10/15: Tampa, FL @ Orpheum [TICKETS]
10/17: Dallas, TX @ Echo Lounge & Music Hall [TICKETS]
10/18: Austin, TX @ Come And Take It Live [TICKETS]
10/20: Albuquerque, NM @ Sister [TICKETS]
10/21: Tucson, AZ @ Encore [TICKETS]
10/23: Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall [TICKETS]
10/24: Denver, CO @ The Oriental Theater [TICKETS]

Mirage’ (2022)

Tracklist:
01. Memoir (08:17)
02. Salve (05:26)
03. Deluge (06:31)
04. Arson (08:54)
05. Ebb (05:32)
06. Mirage (06:38)
07. Mantle (05:17)
08. Laude (06:26)
09. Dormant (Bonus track) (07:46)
Total run time: 58:87

Style: Cathartic Black Metal

Behind black shrouds of obscurity and desolation, GAEREA deliver their odes in cascading maelstroms of aggression and beauty. Emerging from the age of pandemic to whatever awaits humanity next, the Portuguese horde remains on the frontlines of the next generation of extreme metal. With an EP and two albums to their name, GAEREA has rapidly distinguished themselves from the thousands of bands toiling away in the underground. Brewing their cauldron of sound from a recipe of pounding black-metal blast mixed with a touch of harrowed, reflective longing, many devotees of the darkened arts have flocked to their banner. With the emergence of third full-length album Mirage, those numbers are sure to grow.

Underground metal itself is a strange and cyclical beast. Trends come and trends go. But at no point in the genre’s history have we borne witness to what happened to the world in 2020. GAEREA met this challenge by releasing their second album, the aptly titled Limbo, to excellent world reception. In the meantime, they found the total suspension of interactive life as it was previously known to be the perfect breeding ground for further creation and making. As the troupe’s main songwriter elaborates, “I lost two precious years of my life, years that I would rather have spent touring and growing as an artist. But they were crucial for us, these years, because not too many bands stayed relevant and productive. The pandemic gave us the time to make the best release we could. All the promo-shoots, interviews, videos, we all had time to prepare for everything. Mirage was the product of a sudden inspiration. The basic parts were written over about two weeks.”

Such a stunning admission goes to show that art is fickle, and the artist is merely a vessel through which the sweet sorcery we call music may flow. It can mute itself to frustrating silence – or it can explode into being regardless of all consideration. For this band on the rise, it is most certainly the latter. Sizzling with ambition from day one, GAEREA may present one unique face to their audience, masked and enshrouded, but the truth is they have not remained changeless. “We are not the same band who recorded Limbo,” he insists. “We are more eager to take on the world. If the pandemic taught us anything it is that nothing is certain.”

This lack of certainty plays heavily into newest creation Mirage. As its name suggests, the inability to trust what our senses are telling us could be construed as one of the album’s central themes. Rather than constrict their art to mythological references or anti-religious tropes, GAEREA instead plumb the depths of the human experiences of isolation and suffering. “The concept, the subject, of each song is everyone, you, me . . . if people were alone together in Limbo, in Mirage they are truly alone. Nobody is truly real until they are alone.”

If existential dread could be turned into sound, GAEREA have carved their own philosophical path through its stygian tunnels. It isn’t Satan, demons, death, or even suicide that is waiting for us there. “What if people finally reached their goal,” he posits, “to end their suffering, and instead of dying they find themselves in a new reality, lost in a big city they were once a part of – they don’t know if anyone else is still alive. They are alone inside their own world.” This theme of being alone in a world full of familiar scenes, unable to end things and unable to reach anyone else, might well terrify the listener more effectively than any glimpse into the imagined hellscapes of our nightmares. Being isolated in your own world is the real nightmare, and GAEREA strum the chords of this horror with nuance and a miserable grace.

Boasting a superior production that threads the needle between clarity and causticness, GAEREA unwaveringly admit their loyalty to countryman and producer Miguel Tereso of Demigod Recordings. “Miguel is fantastic,” enthuses the band’s primary composer. “He comes from a brutal death metal background. I thought if this guy can pull off a punchy, modern, but still authentic production with a slam / death metal band, I wonder what he can do with a band like GAEREA. He has a vision for a sound, and that is what I really like. He is not a black metal fan, but it’s this very external set of ears and eyes from a guy who really knows his craft, and he brings all of that to our sound.” The fruits of this union are quite evident, as the turbulent moods of the title track are so wonderfully tossed between tension-building moments, and the explosive payoffs which set GAEREA apart from so many who try but come up short.

Tormented leads and building riffs sit atop some seriously explosive drumming, waxing and waning, on “Arson,” a tempest of moods and one of the album’s centrepieces. Emotion, at times sounding triumphant in brilliantly wrought guitar leads, is skewered by vocals that bustle with shattering despair. The dichotomy is magnificent to behold. GAEREA’s composer makes no mistake. “I want to hear the throat on the album, and if we are a vocals-driven band, I don’t want to over-process them during the recording. Striking that balance is one of the beauties for me in this record.”

In a world that increasingly elevates the shallow and the narcissistic, GAEREA pursues an artistic struggle of inward isolation, honest self-examination, and a dogged refusal to bow to the void that awaits. Thus, the persistence of their shadowed visages, draped in the masks which codify their anonymity while also creating a reliable extreme metal brand that fans can appreciate, especially in the live setting. “GAEREA are truly ourselves when we put these masks on, and we transcend into something different, and primitive,” he asserts. “It still makes total sense, and this band would not be a band anymore if we ever dropped the masks.”

As GAEREA prepares the release of Mirage, the world has resumed functioning, and as it lurches onward into its bleak future, one could stipulate that the pressure may be on to continue its rise amid the clamor of this renewal of activity. Does this challenge intimidate GAEREA? “We want to do better, but I don’t feel any pressure because we are in very good hands with the people we work with. We are building a strong team that really cares for us, stage-wise, promotional-wise, website and sales-wise. We are building a very structured confident teams that aims for the same goals we do. What I truly care about is continuing our ever-growing concept of the band GAEREA, and not becoming sterile, and I would not want people to be unaffected by our music. In the end we’re trying to express something within ourselves, and I don’t want it to be too complicated.”

Recording Studio: Demigod Recordings

Producer/Sound engineer: Miguel Tereso

Mix/Master: Miguel Tereso (Demigod Recordings)

Cover artwork: Saros Collective

Bio: Nicolas Franco

Links:
http://www.facebook.com/gaerea
http://www.instagram.com/gaerea
https://gaerea.bandcamp.com/
https://twitter.com/gaerea_official

Categories
Music News

TesseracT Announce New Album “War Of Being” Plus New Video For Title Track

Photography credit: Andy Ford

TESSERACT ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM WAR OF BEING OUT SEPTEMBER 15 VIA KSCOPE

BAND SHARES FIRST SINGLE “WAR OF BEING” WITH EPIC CINEMATIC VIDEO — WATCH

Five years since the release of Sonder, TesseracT have returned with their new album War Of Being, out September 15 via Kscope. The Dream has crash landed and ‘ex’ and ‘el’ awaken to find themselves in “The Strangeland,” facing a foe known simply as “Fear,” the two are separated and so begins the journey of War Of Being

The album opens with the reverie shattering “Natural Disaster,” followed by the pendulum swing of “Legion.” That slingshots us into the herculean title track — the album’s 11-minute centerpiece that undulates with precision and power. When coupled with the beguiling melodies of “The Grey,” or the unshielded honesty of “Burden,” the band delivers its most impassioned release to date — an album to excite and inspire. Acle Kahney, Daniel Tompkins, Amos Williams, JayPostones, and James Monteith truly have crafted a phenomenal set of immersive, absorbing sounds.

WAR OF BEING TRACKLISTING:
“Natural Disaster”
“Echoes”
“The Grey”
“Legion”
“Tender”
“War Of Being”
“Sirens”
“Burden”
“Sacrifice”

Regarding the track, Daniel Tompkins says, “‘War Of Being’ is a fight for acceptance, a battle of existence and a resistance against ego. It’s a struggle for control as we cut through the white noise of reality. It’s the need to know and identify with oneself, to accept and understand what we stand for and who we are. There is an urgent need to ‘Tear the mask away,’ and reveal your true self.”

Leaders not followers, TesseracT exist in a sphere of their own with ambition positively written into the band’s DNA and War Of Being is no different.

War Of Being was recorded at Middle Farm Studios in the United Kingdom with Peter Miles (Architects/Sylosis/Dodie) co-producing with the band alongside Katherine Marsh of Choir Noir (Bring Me The Horizon/Architects/Marillion). Assisting with additional programming and production, the band were joined by Randy Slaugh (Periphery, Architects, Devin Townsend). With additional engineering by Forrester Savell (Karnivool). The artwork, which features characters ‘ex’ and ‘el’ was created in collaboration between AI and human as a means to extend the concept into its presentation.

The album will be available in a variety of formats that include the following:

— Deluxe version — “The Strangeland” – a limited edition collector’s 3 Disc, 68 page Hardback Book Edition containing the War Of Being audio CD/a DVD/a Blu-Ray that features “The Journey of Being” 40-minute documentary on the making of War Of Being, “The Strangeland,” an in-depth view of the characters of War Of Being, the 1- minute feature length video and album in 5.1 Surround — strictly limited to 1,500 copies worldwide.
— CD Digipack with 24-page booklet
— Digital (+ in Dolby Atmos)
— Gatefold 2LP ‘The Scribe” – Black and Gold Corona (TesseracT EU Store exclusive limited to 1000)
— Gatefold 2LP “Fear” – Red and Black Marble (TesseracT US/AUS Store exclusive limited to 1000)
— Gatefold 2LP – Red Vinyl (Revolver.com exclusive limited to 500)
— Gatefold 2LP – Clear Vinyl (Amazon.co.uk + Euro indie stores exclusive limited to 1000)
— Gatefold 2LP – Yellow Vinyl (Kscope Store + EMP Germany Exclusive limited to 500)
— Gatefold 2LP – Black Vinyl
— Blu-Ray (5.1 Surround/”War Of Being” 11-minute feature length video / “The Strangeland” and “The Journey of Being”)
Pre-save + pre-order here.

Alongside the brand new album, the band will be embarking on a worldwide tour that will begin in 2023 running through to 2024 performing shows in throughout the U.S., Europe, the UK, Asia and Australia, with support from Intervals, Unprocessed, Alluvial, and The Callous Daoboys.

Tickets will be on sale Friday, July 14 and are available HERE.

TESSERACT US TOUR DATES:
10/5 — Charlotte, NC — The Underground
10/6 — Charleston, SC — Music Farm
10/7 — Norfolk, VA — Norva
10/8 — Baltimore, MD — Rams Head Live!
10/10 — Chicago, IL — House of Blues
10/11 — Pittsburgh, PA — Roxian Theatre
10/13 — New York, NY — Irving Plaza
10/14 — Boston, MA — Paradise
10/15 — Philadelphia, PA — TLA
10/17 — Montreal, QC — Corona Theatre
10/19 — Toronto, ON — Danforth Music Hall
10/20 — Grand Rapids, MI — Elevation
10/21 — St. Louis, MO — Red Flag
10/23 — Denver, CO — Summit Music Hall
10/24 — Salt Lake City, UT — The Depot
10/26 — Seattle, WA — The Showbox
10/27 — Vancouver, BC — Commodore
10/28 — Spokane, WA — Knitting Factory
10/29 — Portland, OR — Hawthorne Theatre
10/31 — San Francisco, CA — Regency Ballroom
11/1 — Los Angeles, CA — The Regent Theatre
11/3 — San Diego, CA — Observatory North Park
11/4 — Phoenix, AZ — Nile Theater
11/5 — Albuquerque, NM — Revel
11/7 — Dallas, TX — The Granada Theater
11/8 — Austin, TX — Emo’s
11/9 — Houston, TX — Warehouse Live
11/11 — Tampa, FL — The Orpheum
11/12 — Atlanta, GA — Buckhead Theatre
11/13 — Nashville, TN — Brooklyn Bowl

Categories
Trending

The Tragic Decline of Music Literacy

Written By Christy Lee

Why is popular music today mostly electronic with pitch correction? It all sounds the same. What ever happened to true appreciation of talented musicians playing actual instruments and the ability to sing without autotune. Have we as a culture gone fast food with our music?

In the past, dedication, love of music, a lot of
practice time and most importantly talent were how bands became successful. What it takes now is a large social media following and a laptop. Have we lost our ability to discern what good music is?

The hard rock and metal scene in the past decade has seen decline. While there are still bands out there that are popular, there has been a decrease in the number of new bands that are able to break the mainstream barrier.

The younger generation is more in favor of solo acts powered by auto tune, a computer and disinterest in rock and metal bands. Ageism plays a huge role in these arguments because fear of change comes out roaring since people tend to hold onto memories. They tend to forget that the music of their generation also had artists that were lacking and some bands induced a moral panic among the elders. This is part of what fuels parent-child conflict. The concept of morality differentiates between generations.

MTV changing their format into reality shows instead of music videos could be part of the reason. There are plenty of reasons why MTV, the Music Television, stopped playing music videos, such as competition on TV, short-form content, a small audience, lack of new content, and new platforms like YouTube and music apps. For these reasons, MTV had to change its approach to survive.

Lyrics are severely lacking today. Most notably mumble rap artists. Most mainstream rappers nowadays rap about money, sex and drugs. The rap artists from the past were story tellers and could hold notes. The same goes for R&B groups and pop artists. They played instruments, could sing well and wrote more intelligent, thought provoking lyrics.

Part of the problem is radio. Radio is the most listened to medium. The issue with many of the mainstream radio stations are they want to promote the kind of music that’s deemed commercially viable and aesthetically pleasing which leads to quality and lyrical content being overlooked or dismissed.

Politics play a role as well with aesthetic and monetary value over quality and talent. The end result is lukewarm, sterile and hollow music with cultural asphyxiation.

The artists that do their best to assert their authenticity and bring new sound is often pushed aside either because of moral panic or fear of change. This happens even more so these days due to corporatism being allowed to go unchecked if you will. However, there are artists who manage to slip through the cracks to get their sound broadcast through a broader audience.

Certain genres receive more airplay than others because that’s how fashion trends and to a certain extent, identity politics work. Since the politics have changed, so will the dynamic. We will see more low quality content coming from many radio stations these days. It’s gotten to the point where the underground and peripheral stations have become a key source for anyone craving their favorite brand of unedited music. With the internet having come of age this will also play a big role in music distribution.

There is light at the end of the tunnel. I am seeing more and more great original artists putting their work out there. More websites and promoters toiling day and night to get their music into view. Theres a fair amount of music apps dedicated to inundate the masses with tons of bands and artists both underground and a little more well known. I would be remiss if I failed to mention the vast amount of local live shows, concerts, festivals and world tours that have been on the upswing, so in conclusion things may be looking up but ultimately its up to all of us to change the course of events and share and support all of these amazing music artists any way we can to bring back great quality music.

Categories
Music News

Finnish Metallers LAMORI Return With New Single & Video “Valley of Great Dismay”

Darker, heavier, grittier”Valley of Great Dismay”showcases a whole new side of LAMORI’s unique take on gloomy and dark gothic metal.

The song is a great representation of what to expect from the new heavier side of the upcoming album NEON BLOOD FIRE.

”I absolutely love this one”; says guitarist Marcus Pellas. ”It’s different, but in a good and headbanging way. I think it’s one of the best songs from the album”.

The song, which is the second single of the new album, also features an awesome lyric video to support the release.

Prepare yourself for a new era of LAMORI.

Buy/Stream Valley of Great Dismay HERE Download the MP3 HERE

Valley of Great Dismay

(Lyric Video)

https://youtu.be/KMZRwJJaCrE

LAMORI has been developing their own take on the goth rock genre for over 10 years now. Combining gothic rock and metal with electronics and dark wave to produce their own neon-lit flavor. Founded in 2009 on the Aland Islands of Finland, the constellation has stayed unchanged – however, their sound is ever-evolving. NEON BLOOD FIRE, the band’s fourth album to be released by Wormholedeath, will refine the soundscapes heard on the 2020 released NEO NOIR, but also introduce completely new elements to the mix. This album will have some of the heaviest LAMORI songs ever heard!

LAMORI ONLINE

www.lamorimusic.com