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Tag: Season of Mist

Categories
Music News

Alkaloid Bend the Laws of Death Metal on ‘Numen’

Line-up
Morean – guitars, vocals
Christian Münzner – guitars
Linus Klausenitzer – bass
Hannes Grossmann – drums

Alkaloid are metal’s maddest scientists. The Bavarian band have crafted songs about what lies beneath the Arctic crust, on top of an ongoing, multi-part saga about a galactic civilization that ascends to god-like levels of domination.

‘Numen’ is their most intricate, thought-provoking and batshit insane album yet. Alkaloid are still bonded together by their love of extreme metal. After all, they are a super group that’s assembled from foundational members of Obscura, Dark Fortress, Triptykon and other genre heavyweights. The fiery, finger-tapped solo that squiggles loose halfway through lead single “Clusterfuck” is crushed like an ant between colliding moons. But their new album finds the band playing around with all kinds of experiments. “The Cambrian Explosion” flips death metal on its horned head with seductive flurries of jazz and flamenco, while the title track is a dizzying seven-minute yarn of how a supermassive black hole came to burp up an unheard-of cosmic artifact that gives both the song – and the album – its name.

“We proudly present our third album ‘Numen’, says Alkaloid. “Where ‘The Malkuth Grimoire’ dealt with the rearrangement of existing particles into new forms, and ‘Liquid Anatomy’ with the creation of new particles, this album looks at the universe from the perspective of imaginary deities detached altogether from the cycle of life and death of incarnated organisms. This hypothetical viewpoint is reflected on the scales of both biological and cosmological processes. If one could shape and manipulate life and the cosmos itself, how would one go about it, and what would it mean for everything in that cosmos?

Tracklist

Disc 1
1. Qliphosis (7:48)
2. The Cambrian Explosion (3:58)
3. Clusterfuck (6:00)
4. Shades of Shub-Niggurath (6:11)
5. A Fool’s Desire (8:10)
6. The Fungi From Yuggoth (6:06)

Disc2
1. The Black Siren (Instrumental) (1:39)
2. Numen (Dyson VII) (7:03)
3. Recursion (Dyson VIII) (3:29)
4. The Folding (Dyson IX) (6:54)
5. Alpha Aur (13:23)

Progressive extreme metallers Alkaloid prepare to unfurl their new many-tentacled full-length, Numen via Season of Mist. Featuring members of Triptykon, Obscura, Dark Fortress, and Obsidious, the Germany-based quartet of Morean (vocals, guitars, concepts), Hannes Grossmann (drums), Christian Münzner (guitars), and Linus Klausenitzer (bass) construct upon, expand away from, and journey between previous full-lengths The Malkuth Grimoire (2015) and Liquid Anatomy (2018) on Numen. In every respect, Alkaloid recommence the purposeful warp of various metallic genres they dimensionally blur. Tracks like the video single for “Clusterfuck,” “The Cambrian Explosion,” and “Numen” posit heavy cosmological/Lovecraftian theoretic themes on top of musically-adept songs that are accessible yet undeniably intricate.

“We’ve all been around the block a few times by now as metal musicians,” says songsmith Morean. “The feeling that we’ve outgrown the narrow niche of pure extreme metal was a main motivator to start this band in the first place, ten years ago. The ‘prog’ tag is handy for us because, per definition, it already encompasses a wider range of possible styles and influences we can get away with than any one specific metal genre. This means we could ensure from the beginning that we’ll always be able to write whatever we want, no matter how crazy our ideas become. The heart of this band is always the songwriting, and we all like complex and virtuosic music in all its diverse manifestations. However, we do share a love for death metal as the smallest common denominator in the band, and we wanted to make sure no one thinks that just because we include melodies, clean guitars, and influences from other genres, we’d automatically sacrifice the brutality and relentless esthetic of extreme metal.”

Alkaloid formed in Bavaria in 2013. While the members, starting with Morean, were already ensconced or had partaken in activities with Necrophagist, Dark Fortress, and Obscura, they saw the band as an outlet of limitless expression, a vehicle for traversing miasmal worlds host to ancient squamous things residing in Cyclopean architecture. Indeed, Morean’s lyrical hard sci-fi subjects are as critical to the totality of Alkaloid as the music. Tracks like “Cthulhu” and “Carbon Phrases” (both from The Malkuth Grimoire), as well as video single “Azagthoth” and “Kernel Panic” (both from Liquid Anatomy), found critical acclaim not just with extreme metal enthusiasts the world over, but also the press, with Metal Hammer Germany calling Liquid Anatomy a “work of art” and Metal Injection enthusiastically stating the album was a “phenomenal juggernaut.” New album, Numen, will undoubtedly rise above its predecessors with its ubiquitous, thought-provoking sophistication.

“Every new Alkaloid album builds on the previous ones,” Morean says. “As we have different songwriters, we also have different stories and styles on every album, which develop in parallel and are picked up again on the next album. We didn’t know this yet back when we started out, but three albums in, we see different song cycles being created across albums; apparently, many of the stories we tell don’t want to end but lead us to new chapters that want to be written. Examples are: the sequence of ‘Funeral for a Continent’ from the first album, which asks the question of what’s under the Antarctic ice sheet, leading in a direct line to Cephalopods becoming the next dominant species on the planet on the second album, and turning into a space-faring race in this installment; the growing ‘portrait’ gallery of the Lovecraftian pantheon, where each of his deities is linked to real-world phenomena in cosmology and biology; and of course, the ever-growing Dyson saga that sketches a path how a galactic civilization is born and climbs to god-like levels.”

Numen was written during the pandemic, but it was planned long before the scourge of disease wracked humanity. As a result, the songwriting sessions were predictably not “in the room” but over the Internet after the band members had isolated and worked on their constituent parts. Demos flew back and forth. Then, Tunker left amicably for personal reasons. Alkaloid could’ve folded, but the close-knit group
soldiered on. They intensely relied on the professionalism and dependability of the collective to drive Numen to completion. The complications of the two years it took to sonically inscribe the album into aeonic vastness didn’t fragment the end result. Instead, the process accelerated Alkaloid’s lambent, eldritch explorations. “Clusterfuck,” “The Cambrian Explosion,” “Numen,” and “A Fool’s Desire” expertly bridge the past to the future, where Alkaloid’s originative, daedal storytelling captures (and holds hostage) the imagination.

“‘Clusterfuck’ is a rather moderate track for us,” says Morean. “It’s mid-tempo, not too long, pretty straightforward, has its brutal moments and a catchy chorus, and is the one track where the lyric is more philosophical and less based on imagery. ‘The Cambrian Explosion’ is a nod to tech death, even if we always work hard to escape that niche. Danny conceived it as a less cheerful cousin to ‘Alter Magnitudes,’ another hyper-condensed grenade of excessive shredding; Hannes and I then added elements you’d never find in tech death. ‘Numen’ then shines a light on how the ever-growing Dyson saga continues. Musically, it explores polyrhythms, extended sound design for the guitars, and a unique combination of ingredients that tell a gargantuan story of galactic architecture that needed to be reflected in the many complex layers of the music. ‘A Fool’s Desire’ offers yet another of our personalities, starting as a ballad that becomes an epic rock song before being inevitably ground up in blastbeats towards the end. It’s a perfect example of how Hannes’ songwriting focus these days is happy to sacrifice instrumental virtuosity in favor of an epic character, unashamedly embracing traditional metal without becoming banal in it or denying the other aspects of this band.”

The title, Numen, got its start at the dawning of Alkaloid. It’s a word that Morean fell in love with immediately, and he knew it had a place in his creative endeavors. Whereas The Malkuth Grimoire talked about combining existing elements into new structures, and Liquid Anatomy dealt with the creation of new elements, Numen tries to look at the universe from a kind of meta-perspective from an imaginary god, as if the space that everything happens in was given a voice and a role as observer and shaper of everything that happens. In it, sentient panspermic mycelia are swathed in Lovecraftian nastiness—like Shub-Niggurath and the Fungi from Yuggoth—while the new Dyson chapters interpret the aspiration to reach divinity rather literally, reshaping the entire galaxy by manipulating spacetime itself. Desperate to escape their doom, the Cephalopods from previous songs have returned, too. Numen is dense but not impenetrable. In fact, from the first moments of opener, “Qliphosis,” to the final contemplation of closer “Alpha Aur,” Alkaloid prove to be more charismatic than ever.

“I’m always most interested in the big picture,” Morean says. “Considering the size and depth of our universe, it is preposterous for dumb little ape-descendants like us to really get there, but I prefer to fail spectacularly in the attempt than to not try at all. You have to reach for the stars to reach the branches. I’d also presume that the only division between the physical and the spiritual world is in our knowledge and perception of it since I’m convinced it’s all part of the same world. Where science offers a wealth of objective understanding of the physical world, we’re still in the dark as far as the mind and soul are concerned. As an artist, I take my poetic license to fill in the blank spots at the edges of both domains and connect them in hopefully original and unexpected futuristic analogies. One development in the album concept is that I’m starting to be able to connect all those different story strands (which I started without much consideration for the future on the first album) with each other on this album, so finally, it’s all coming together in the same universe. And I see a plethora of grand new stories to be told in the future.”

Alkaloid technically recorded Numen individually, each member tracking their songs/parts at their respective homes. Getting everyone into Grossmann’s Mordor Sounds (Eternity’s End, Hannes Grossmann) simultaneously was logistically (and sometimes legally) impossible. So, the able-bodied drummer/producer took the pieces of Numen, stitching them together to form a cohesive, tenebrous whole. Grossman then invited Morean between government-mandated lockdowns to track his vocals. Numen was mixed at Mordor Sounds. What ostensibly started in 2021 finally concluded on the eve of 2022, with American mastering cognoscente Alan Douches (Cannibal Corpse, Death) reprising his Liquid
Anatomy role. “Clusterfuck,” “The Cambrian Explosion,” “Numen,” and “The Fungi from Yuggoth” not only sound intense and pyramided but also dynamically awesome.

“How it goes is you wake up, have a coffee, stand before the mike, and scream your guts out for sometimes 8-10 hours in a row until you forget even your name,” says Morean. “Make no mistake, though: we love the absolute concentration of the task at hand, and if we didn’t push ourselves to the absolute limit in everything we do with almost monk-like dedication, we wouldn’t feel we did our job. And we live for this, of course, so I hope we’ll still be doing this when we’re senile in wheelchairs wearing diapers and losing our dentures between takes. No money in the world can buy you the satisfaction of hearing an awesome finished mix of something you worked on for years in the privacy of your own head.”

Alkaloid’s next steps are to release Numen to an eagerly-anticipating world. From there, the Germans aim for traditional tours and unorthodox venues alike. In fact, Alkaloid are already booked to play at a science conference in Germany, as well as the Netherlands Bach Society, which orchestrates a weekend of festivals celebrating the work of Johann Sebastian Bach. The latter might come as a surprise, but not for Morean, whose off-Alkaloid profession is a classical composer for the likes of Netherlands Public Broadcasting (NPO), the Ricciotti Ensemble, the DoelenEnsemble, and others. He won the Paul Jacobs Memorial Award (2002) and was nominated for the Unesco International Rostrum of Composers (2010). Clearly, the backdrop of Alkaloid’s accomplished membership translates to the piquant, transformative qualities of Numen.

The Qliphoth stir!

Recording Studio: Mordor Sounds, Nürnberg, Germany.

Producer: Hannes Grossmann & Alkaloid.

Recording & mixing: Hannes Grossmann

Mastering: Alan Douches at West West Side Music studio in Hudson Valley, NY.

Guest musicians
Adam Wallis, Cydney McQuillan-Grace, John Schaffer, Lauren Gill, Sara Robalo, Shannon Bedford

Additional choir tracks on “The Cambrian Explosion” and “Shades of Shub-Niggurath”

Former Alkaloid guitarist Danny Tunker contributed to “The Cambrian Explosion”

Artwork & photos: Christian Martin Weiss

Biography: Chris Dick

Pre-order: https://shop.season-of-mist.com/list/alkaloid-numen

Pre-save: https://orcd.co/numenpresave

Format
CD Digipak
Coloured Vinyl (Gatefold)

Links
https://alkaloid-band.com/
https://www.facebook.com/alkaloid.metal
https://twitter.com/AlkaloidBand
https://www.youtube.com/c/Alkaloidbandmetal
https://alkaloid-band.bandcamp.com
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4KMQDFaAsPEKcqKzdvkYKc

Categories
Music News

TEMIC Fall Upward on New Single Via Season Of Mist Records

Line-up:
Fredrik Bergersen (Maraton, 22) – Vocals
Eric Gillette (The Neal Morse Band, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress) – Guitars and Backing Vocals
Simen Sandnes (Shining, Arkentype) – Drums and Percussion
Diego Tejeida (Devin Townsend, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress, ex-Haken) – Keyboards and Sound Design

TEMIC formed when the rest of the world was grinding to a halt. Eric Gillette and Diego Tejeida had already toured the world together as members of Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress, but it wasn’t until 2020 that they decided to start a super group with Arkentype drummer Simen Sandnes and Fredrik Klemp, who’s the lead vocalist for Maraton.

Today, TEMIC are releasing another power prog anthem off ‘Terror Management Theory’. Watch the sublime, self-produced video for “Falling Away” over on our YouTube channel HERE.

The video was shot in the Norwegian village of Bortelid earlier this summer and marks the first time all four members of TEMIC got together in person as a band!

‘Terror Management Theory’ comes out November 17. Pre-order the album HERE. Pre-save it HERE.

“Falling Away” is uplifted by the full range of TEMIC’s powers. Gillette alternates between beefy distortion and warped, nimble riffing. Tejeida fires off a white-hot keyboard solo before Simen Sandnes fills the bridge with booming finesse.

“It’s one of our favorite songs on the album,” the band says. “The song embodies all the core elements we envisioned for TEMIC: powerful lyrics and catchy vocal melodies at the forefront, a constant pulse underneath, dynamic and rich instrumentation all around, and electronic-influenced sounds adorning the edges”.

Klemp’s clean, commanding falsetto delivers a hopeful message, too. “The lyrics discuss the natural impermanence of all things from the perspective of someone who contemplates their own mortality and shares this moment of clarity with their descendants,” says TEMIC. “Far from being dark, “Falling Away” invites you to reflect positively on the fact that our time is finite”.

The members of TEMIC have also jammed with Devin Townsend and Neal Morse. Simen Sandnes comes from an equally impressive, albeit slightly different background.

Sandnes played soccer semi-professionally up until he was 16 years old. Once he reached high school though, the Norwegian prodigy spent most of his time drumming at his school’s rehearsal space, where he now teaches part-time.

Since then, he’s drummed for Arkentype, SHINING, the Kingdom Hearts soundtrack and an official world cup song. No wonder he’s endorsed by Zildjian and Mapex.

Watch Sadnes rip through a drum playthrough of TEMIC’s first single “Count Your Losses”.

Cover artwork: Hicham Hamzi

Track list:
1. TMT (2:02)
2. Through the Sands of Time (7:00)
3. Falling Away (4:58) [WATCH VIDEO]
4. Count Your Losses (6:13) [WATCH VIDEO]
5. Skeletons (7:00)
6. Acts of Violence (5:52)
7. Friendly Fire (5:57)
8. Paradigm (6:33)
9. Once More (5:45)
10. Mothallah (7:27)
Total: 58:54

Introducing TEMIC—prog’s newest, most ambitious, and most adrenaline-fueled act. TEMIC melds the creative minds of keyboardist and sound designer Diego Tejeida (Devin Townsend, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress, ex-Haken), guitarist Eric Gillette (The Neal Morse Band, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress), drummer Simen Sandnes (SHINING, Arkentype), and vocalist Fredrik Klemp (Maraton, 22).

The origins of TEMIC date back to 2017, when Tejeida and Gillette toured the world as band members of Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress. From the very first chords they exchanged, their musical chemistry both on and off stage was undeniable, leading them to discuss the prospect of starting a new band together. Unfortunately, conflicting tour and recording commitments forced them to turn their attention elsewhere for years—that is, until the world came to a standstill in 2020, and Tejeida called Gillette to ask a fateful question:
“Remember how we said we should make music together? Well, how about now?”

Thus, the first demos for what would later become TEMIC’s 2023 debut album, Terror Management Theory, began to emerge. Within a few weeks after that initial phone call, the musical vision of TEMIC had become clear: Let’s create progressive music that is heavily influenced by high-energy electronic music, but arranged and orchestrated for a 5-piece modern prog rock/metal band—where, at last, the pulse can be the focus, and the vocal melody can be king.

Eager to join forces with the very best bandmates, Tejeida and Gillette first summoned the rhythmic power of their friend and drummer Sandnes. With characteristic enthusiasm, Sandnes seized the opportunity, prepared to contribute his percussive prowess as the heartbeat of TEMIC. When it came time to find the singer that would carry TEMIC’s melodies to new heights, Sandnes recommended vocal powerhouse Klemp, whose emotive delivery and unmatched intensity left no doubt that he was destined to be the voice of TEMIC. Finally, to round out the rhythm section of Terror Management Theory, dynamic bassist Jacob Umansky (Intervals) was invited on board as a guest player, gracing the album with an unrivaled groove and a signature low-end sound.

Together, this mammoth lineup is TEMIC, a high-energy, electronic-inspired, modern melodic prog metal band for the next generation.

Recording Studio: Drums and vocals recorded at Top Floor Studios (Gothenburg, Sweden)
Producer: Produced by TEMIC. Drums and vocals engineered by Jakob Herrmann Gothenburg, Sweden)
Mix/Mastering: Mixed and mastered by Rich Mouser at The Mouse House (Los Angeles, USA)

Guest musicians:
Jacob Umansky (USA) – Bass guitar on the whole album
Mosaic Gospel Choir (Norway) – Mothallah
Garden State Threshold Choir (USA) – Mothallah

Follow Temic
https://temicband.com
www.facebook.com/TEMICBAND
www.instagram.com/temicband

Categories
Music News

HORRENDOUS Invite You Inside ‘Ontological Mysterium’

Lineup:
Damian Herring – Guitar, Vocals
Matt Knox – Guitar, Vocals
Alex Kulick – Bass
Jamie Knox – Drums

Behold The Glory of ‘Ontological Mysterium’

When Horrendous started working on their fifth album, Philly’s filthiest and finest death metal band wanted to acknowledge the bombast of late ’80s and early ’90s heavy metal, while blazing a path forward into uncharted territory. They were awfully successful, too. With ‘Ontological Mysterium’, these guys made a classic of their own.

‘Ontological Mysterium’ is now streaming in full on our YouTube channel HERE.

Horrendous are also hosting a listening party for their new album on Bandcamp this Wednesday at 9 pm EST. Fans can listen to ‘Ontological Mysterium’ while chatting with members of the band. RSVP for the listening party HERE.

‘Ontological Mysterium’ is a labyrinth. The deeper in you go, the more this album twists and churns, luring you toward some monstrous final battle. The riffs on the title track slice like the blades of an Apache helicopter, while the battle cry that opens “Cult of Shaad’oah” will make you feel like you’re about to carve up a volcano full of giant, flaming snake warriors.

But ‘Ontological Mysterium has other surprises up its robe. “Preterition Hymn” is a lament for the weary that cascades like sweet, sweet tears. And with elastic bass, fluorescent synths, a jazzy ride cymbal and a finger-tapped guitar solo that will bring you to your knees, “Aurora Neoterica” is about as sleek and sexy as death metal gets.

“Somehow these guys can take Iron Maiden, mesh it with ’90s prog-influenced death metal masters like Atheist, dispense with traditional metal song structures and create something that you’ve never heard before,” writes Metal Injection.

Angry Metal Guy says: “Horrendous have knocked out another triumph of intelligent, sumptuous progressive death, cementing themselves as one of the most important death metal bands of the past decade.

Here’s what the band has to say about their new album: “We can’t believe the time has come to unveil ‘Ontological Mysterium’! An indescribable amount of determination, suffering, joy, and love went into this record, from the first seeds of writing in early 2019, through periods of extreme rethinking and revision over the pandemic lockdown, to the adrenaline-fueled, highly experimental, and at times circus-like recording sessions. We feel that this is the most “Horrendous” album yet – the one that best distills who we are and celebrates how far we’ve come on this continuing journey. We hope that you enjoy OM, and that it breathes some wonder into your life during these trying times“.

‘Ontological Mysterium’ will be released on August 18, 2023 by Season of Mist. Pre-save the album HERE. Pre-order it HERE. Let your chariot ride!

Horrendous are on the cover of the September issue of Decibelmagazine. Order a copy and get an exclusive limited edition The Silver flexi disc.

“After years of incredible support from Decibel Magazine, we are honored to make it to the cover of their next issue”, the band says. “Eternal thanks to Albert Mudrian for always believing in our music, Mike Wohlberg for all of his artistic contributions to the band, and Scott Kinkade for capturing us masterfully, and everyone out there who has supported us.”

Tracklist:
1. The Blaze (02:00)
2. Chrysopoeia (The Archaeology of Dawn) (07:16)
3. Neon Leviathan (03:30)
4. Aurora Neoterica (01:56)
4. Preterition Hymn (03:58) [LISTEN]
5. Cult of Shaad’oah (05:24) [WATCH]
6. Exeg(en)esis, (03:38)
7. Ontological Mysterium (04:44) [WATCH]
8. The Death Knell Ringeth (05:20)
Total run time: 37:44

“Surprises always come up during writing — spontaneous ideas pull you into new territory and enable the realization of novel possibilities that previously were inaccessible.”

Such are the words from Horrendous drummer Jamie Knox when discussing the creation of the band’s fifth full-length, the highly anticipated ‘Ontological Mysterium’. Knox’s quote also encapsulates Horrendous’s approach to extreme metal. Since 2009, the band has capably tapped into the inaccessible by providing a fresh, unconventional take on death metal that harnesses technical brilliance with elaborate, mind-melding melodies, frothy, spewing vocals and labyrinthine song structures. This combination has made each Horrendous long play a clinic in the gratifyingly unorthodox. The trend continues on Ontological Mysterium.

The follow-up to 2018’s Idol was recorded, mixed and mastered at Subterranean Watchtower Studios in Virginia, which doubles as the homestead of guitarist/vocalist Damian Herring. While the band (completed by guitarist/vocalist Matt Knox and bassist Alex Kulick) finished much of the songwriting for Ontological Mysterium in 2019, its recording was delayed by the 2020 global pandemic and various life events. Horrendous eventually finished recording in early 2022 and mastered the album before the start of 2023.

The album upholds Horrendous’s position as one of the underground’s best outside-of-the-box extreme metal bands. Having long abandoned concern whether people would appreciate their “uniqueness,” Horrendous has embraced its role as a band willing to veer far from death metal conventions, intentionally stretching and breaking norms. To wit, the band primarily views its music as filtered through a death metal lens. This may be Horrendous’s defining trait: By not accepting parameters, nothing is off-limits.

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

Watch TEMIC’s drum playthrough of “Count Your Losses”

Line-up:
Fredrik Bergersen (Maraton, 22) – Vocals
Eric Gillette (The Neal Morse Band, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress) – Guitars and Backing Vocals
Simen Sandnes (Shining, Arkentype) – Drums and Percussion
Diego Tejeida (Devin Townsend, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress, ex-Haken) – Keyboards and Sound Design

TEMIC are prog rock’s latest and greatest supergroup. These guys have played with Devin Townsend, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress, Neal Morse and Maraton.

Simen Sandnes comes from an equally impressive, albeit slightly different background. It’s true that he took an interest in drums as a kid, but Sandnes played soccer semi-professionally up until he was 16 years old. Once he reached high school though, the Norwegian prodigy spent most of his days locked in at his school’s rehearsal space, where he now teaches part-time. No wonder he’s endorsed by Zildjian and Mapex.

Sandnes is also the drummer for the blackjazz band SHINING, as well as the prog. metal band Arkentype. He’s even played on an official world cup song and the Kingdom Hearts soundtrack.

Watch him rip through a drum playthrough of TEMIC’s power prog anthem “Count Your Losses” over on our YouTube Channel HERE.

“This particular song holds a special significance for me”, says Sandnes. “It was the very first demo that Diego sent my way three years ago. Witnessing the overwhelming reception it has garnered since then has been truly gratifying.

“When I recorded drums for this track, it served as my ‘audition’ for the band. Consequently, I was determined to showcase the full range of my drumming abilities. In doing so, I incorporated intricate rhythms, plenty of ghost-notes, double pedal techniques, and groovy sections layered with poly-rhythms. The drum solo presented an opportunity to elevate the performance even further. In pursuit of excellence, I enlisted the assistance of my dear friend and esteemed drumming virtuoso, Carsten Omholt, to help craft an impressive drum solo. I can assure you that the collaborative process proved to be an immensely enjoyable challenge.

I sincerely hope that you all relish this play-through video as much as I enjoyed creating it. Your support means the world to me, and I am eager to share this musical journey with each and every one of you.”

The song’s drum transcription is available for download on Sandnes’ website.

“Count Your Losses” is the first single off TEMIC’s debut album ‘Terror Management Theory’, which comes out November 17. Pre-order the album HERE. Pre-save it HERE.

Pre-order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/Temic
Pre-save: https://orcd.co/tmtpresave

Cover artwork: Hicham Hamzi

Track list:
1. TMT (2:02)
2. Through the Sands of Time (7:00)
3. Falling Away (4:58)
4. Count Your Losses (6:13) [WATCH VIDEO]
5. Skeletons (7:00)
6. Acts of Violence (5:52)
7. Friendly Fire (5:57)
8. Paradigm (6:33)
9. Once More (5:45)
10. Mothallah (7:27)
Total: 58:54

Style: Prog
For fans of: Dream Theater, Haken, Leprous, Devin Townsend, Tesseract, Periphery

Introducing TEMIC—prog’s newest, most ambitious, and most adrenaline-fueled act. TEMIC melds the creative minds of keyboardist and sound designer Diego Tejeida (Devin Townsend, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress, ex-Haken), guitarist Eric Gillette (The Neal Morse Band, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress), drummer Simen Sandnes (SHINING, Arkentype), and vocalist Fredrik Klemp (Maraton, 22).

The origins of TEMIC date back to 2017, when Tejeida and Gillette toured the world as band members of Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress. From the very first chords they exchanged, their musical chemistry both on and off stage was undeniable, leading them to discuss the prospect of starting a new band together. Unfortunately, conflicting tour and recording commitments forced them to turn their attention elsewhere for years—that is, until the world came to a standstill in 2020, and Tejeida called Gillette to ask a fateful question:
“Remember how we said we should make music together? Well, how about now?”

Thus, the first demos for what would later become TEMIC’s 2023 debut album, Terror Management Theory, began to emerge. Within a few weeks after that initial phone call, the musical vision of TEMIC had become clear: Let’s create progressive music that is heavily influenced by high-energy electronic music, but arranged and orchestrated for a 5-piece modern prog rock/metal band—where, at last, the pulse can be the focus, and the vocal melody can be king.

Eager to join forces with the very best bandmates, Tejeida and Gillette first summoned the rhythmic power of their friend and drummer Sandnes. With characteristic enthusiasm, Sandnes seized the opportunity, prepared to contribute his percussive prowess as the heartbeat of TEMIC. When it came time to find the singer that would carry TEMIC’s melodies to new heights, Sandnes recommended vocal powerhouse Klemp, whose emotive delivery and unmatched intensity left no doubt that he was destined to be the voice of TEMIC. Finally, to round out the rhythm section of Terror Management Theory, dynamic bassist Jacob Umansky (Intervals) was invited on board as a guest player, gracing the album with an unrivaled groove and a signature low-end sound.

Together, this mammoth lineup is TEMIC, a high-energy, electronic-inspired, modern melodic prog metal band for the next generation.

Recording Studio: Drums and vocals recorded at Top Floor Studios (Gothenburg, Sweden)
Producer: Produced by TEMIC. Drums and vocals engineered by Jakob Herrmann Gothenburg, Sweden)
Mix/Mastering: Mixed and mastered by Rich Mouser at The Mouse House (Los Angeles, USA)

Guest musicians:
Jacob Umansky (USA) – Bass guitar on the whole album
Mosaic Gospel Choir (Norway) – Mothallah
Garden State Threshold Choir (USA) – Mothallah

Follow Temic
https://temicband.com
www.facebook.com/TEMICBAND
www.instagram.com/temicband

Categories
Tours

PROFANATICA On US Tour Now!

PROFANATICA Spreading Blasphemy Across U.S.

PROFANATICA just ushered in their sixth album with an unholy leviathan of a new single. Tomorrow, they’re taking up the cross on their first-ever full-length tour of the U.S. They’ll be snaking across the country with Canadian black metal band Panzerfaust, with a headlining set at Heavy Hell IV.

Tour dates
07/13 Cleveland, OH @ No Class [Tickets]
07/14 Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups [Tickets]
07/15 Chicago, IL @ Reggies [Tickets]
07/16 Minneapolis, MN @ Turf Club [Tickets]
07/18 Omaha, NE @ Reverb Lounge [Tickets]
07/19 Salt Lake City, UT @ Aces High Saloon [Tickets]
07/21 Seattle, WA @ Substation [Tickets]
07/22 Portland, OR @ Bossanova Ballroom [Tickets]
07/24 Sacramento, CA @ Cafe Colonial [Tickets]
07/25 San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge [Tickets]
07/26 San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar [Tickets]
07/27 Los Angeles, CA @ Regent Theater [Tickets]
07/28 Phoenix, AZ @ Pub Rock [Tickets]
07/29 El Paso, TX @ The Dungeon [Tickets]
07/31 Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall [Tickets]
08/01 Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live [Tickets]
08/02 Dallas, TX @ Trees [Tickets]
08/03 St. Louis, MO @ Red Flag [Tickets]
08/04 Nashville, TN @ Hop Springs [Tickets]
08/05 Atlanta, GA @ The Loft [Tickets]
08/06 Raleigh, NC @ Pour House [Tickets]
08/12 Indianapolis, IN @ Heavy Hell IV [Tickets]

Crux Simplex’ is out on September 22, 2023 via Season of Mist. Pre-save the album HERE. Pre-order it HERE.

Album artwork: Abomination Hammer

Tracklist:
01. Condemned to Unholy Death (4:38)
02. Take Up the Cross (3:01)
03. The First Fall (3:24)
04. Meeting of a Whore (3:02)
05. Compelled by Romans (4:47)
06. Wipe the Fucking Face of Jesus (2:20)
07. The Second Fall (2:40)
08. Cunts of Jerusalem (3:35)
09. The Third Fall (4:18)
10. Division of Robes (6:51)

Total run-time: 00:36:76

Style: Black Metal
FFO: Sarcofago, Possessed, Necrovore, NME, Poison Idea

PROFANATICA are at the vanguard of the first wave of American black metal. Founded and led by infamous master of black perversion Paul Ledney (drums/vocals), they have purveyed primeval blasphemy for nigh on thirty-three years.

Ledney formed the band from the ashes of the first INCANTATION lineup when he split and took with him all of the members sans John McEntee. That early trio of ex-INCANTATION members reeled off three ground-breaking demos of some of the most extreme and blasphemic metal of its time in rapid succession. The band flyers that permeated the tape-trading circuit were no less shocking and featured the trio bloody and naked and in the throes of what was most certainly a primeval summoning of some kind. In short order, they had inked a deal with the fledgling Osmose Productions for what became one of that labels first releases (Osmose release #5); a legendary split with Colombia’s MASACRE.

Something so volatile could only last briefly, and after another brief recording session the band collapsed under the weight of its own extremity. but the recordings made in this two year window went on to see dozens of reissues in the coming decades, in a testament to how formidable and formative they are to the black metal scene worldwide.

After almost fifteen years spent with his equally polarizing solo project HAVOHEJ, Ledney reignited the flames of Profanatica in 2006. Reemerging with a new deal from Hells Headbangers, Ledney and his new band released ‘The Enemy of Virtue’, a collection of that vaunted early material, and a new full-length, ‘Profanatitas de Domonatia’. A triumphant return, ‘Profanatitas de Domonatia’ picked up right where these Kings of US Black Metal left off, delivering a savage stream of chainsaw guitars and relentless battery upon which they desecrated everything sacred.

This set-in motion another frenetic burst of work for Profanatica. The next decade saw them unleash four new full-length albums of blasphemous perversions, sacrilegious incantations, and furious black metal. In addition, the band issued six mini-albums and EP’s, a full DVD of early footage, and began touring internationally in Europe and in Central and South America. For the first time Profanatica were appearing near or at the top of the bill at festivals like MDF, Messe Des Mortes, Hells Headbash, Prague Death Mass (Czech Republic), Chaos Descends (Germany), Black Sun (Spain), Tyrant Fest (France), SWR Fest (Portugal) and many more.

In fall 2018, Profanatica joined forces with Season of Mist and undertook their biggest tour to date supporting WATAIN and ROTTING CHRIST across Europe. And a year later, the trio vomited forth a most vulgar strain of black metal ejaculate with their SoM debut album ‘Rotting Incarnation of God’.

The band embarked on an extensive twelve-country European headline tour in the album’s wake. Shortly after returning home that winter, the world ground to a halt in 2020. Save a live-streaming concert production for the legendary Rock al Parque in conjunction with BATUSHKA, little was heard from Profanatica.

That is until spring 2023, when Profanatica emerged from their den of iniquity on a European headline tour to promote a new album. ‘Crux Simplex’ is a ten-track offensive of sin and sacrilege, a nasty affront that bastardizes the first 10 stations of the cross. As per their legacy, Profanatica deals in bestial, first-wave black metal barbarity, and their eighth album unveils ungodly levels of bile and blasphemy.

Recorded at: Dead Lamb Studios

Mastered by: Arthur Rizk

Recording lineup
– Mayhemic Slaughter of the Heavens (drums/vocals)
– Destroyer of Holy Hymen (guitar/bass)

Touring lineup
– Mayhemic Slaughter of the Heavens (drums/vocals)
– Destroyer of Holy Hymen (guitar)
– The True Perversion of the Heavenly Father (bass)

Pre-save: https://orcd.co/cruxsimplexpresave

Pre-order: https://shop.season-of-mist.com/list/profanatica-crux-simplex

Available formats
Vinyl (Black)
Vinyl (Blue)
CD Digipack
Digital download

PROFANATICA ONLINE:

Categories
Music News

PSYGNOSIS Shoot For the Cosmos on “Öpik-Oort”

Line-up
Thomas Crémier (Drums, Sound Engineer)
Elise Masliah (Guitar)
Rémi Vanhove (Guitar, Sound Design)
Raphaël Verguin (Cello)

Pre-save: https://orcd.co/mercurypresave
Pre-order: https://shop.season-of-mist.com/list/psygnosis-mercury

Cover art designed by Okiko

Tracklist
1. Öpik-Oort (12:33) [WATCH]
2. Eclipse (10:38)
3. Sunshine (08:57)
4. Caloris Basin (08:43)
5. Uranometria (15:27)
Total 56:18

Style: Atmospheric extreme metal
FFO: Ne Obliviscaris, Opeth, Persefone, Dysrhythmia

Psygnosis started in 2009, when Rémi Vanhove began to gather all of his musical influences into one entity. The first solo EP, “Phrases”, was released in June 2009 and laid the foundation for Psygnosis: atmospheric extreme metal, with hints of electronic music. While he continued to program the drums himself, Rémi then recruited a second guitarist, a bassist and a singer.

The first Psygnosis album, ‘Anti-Sublime’ was released in January 2012, which built on the sound of the initial EP. The band released another EP in 2013 (‘Sublimation’) followed by their second album in 2014. ‘Human Be[ing]’ showed signs of maturity with tighter songwriting and more complex structures.

In 2015, Psygnosis underwent an extraordinary change. Not only did they decide to become a purely instrumental band, they also recruited cellist Raphaël Verguin. This peculiar configuration recorded the EP ‘AAliens’, followed by ‘Neptune’, an ambitious, hour-long opus that stretched all the way out to the edges of the Solar System.

The pandemic gave Psygnosis more time to work on their new album. While more subtle and accomplished, ‘Mercury’ upholds the Vanhove’s original intention: mixing nervous metal riffs, blast beats and atmospheric ambience into a music that’s as intense as it is emotional.

Cello recorded by Raphaël Verguin
All other instruments recorded by Thomas Crémier at SoundBlast Studios

Produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Thomas Crémier

Links:
https://psygnosis.bandcamp.com/
http://www.facebook.com/psygnosismusic
https://www.instagram.com/psygnosis.music/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5saAU9PdyTVAxsx15SIzO3
https://twitter.com/psygnosismusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/PsygnosisMusic

Categories
Music News

New proggressive supergroup TEMIC announce debut album Terror Management Theory

Line-up:
Fredrik Bergersen (Maraton, 22) – Vocals
Eric Gillette (The Neal Morse Band, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress) – Guitars and Backing Vocals
Simen Sandnes (Shining, Arkentype) – Drums and Percussion
Diego Tejeida (Devin Townsend, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress, ex-Haken) – Keyboards and Sound Design

TEMIC are announcing their debut album today. ‘Terror Management Theory’ is an energetic, heartfelt journey through the human experience. It speaks to our fears, as well as our instinctive drive to persist. But to reach this point, all four members of this prog supergroup had to navigate quite the career path.

Guitarist Eric Gillette first hit it off with Diego Tejeida (keyboards, sound design) while the two played together in the touring band for Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress. Simen Sandness drums for Shining and Arkentype, while Fredrik Bergersen Klemp still shows off his range as the singer for Maraton.

When Gillette and Tejedia decided to start a band together while the world was shut down in 2020, their idea wasn’t necessarily simple: orchestrate their love for high-energy electronica and killer melodies into a modern prog-metal band. But on their first-ever single, Temic have no problem pulling off that whole concept.

Clocking in at just shy of six minutes, “Count Your Losses” gives TEMIC plenty of time to show off. The band roll out an arena-ready guitar solo to go along with scatting drum fills, fretless bass runs and synths built for a rave. And just think – that only covers the bridge!

Add all of that together with Bergersen Klemp’s clean, melodic tenor, and you get the perfect introduction to progressive metal’s newest sensation.

“”Count Your Losses” depicts the beginning of our journey,” says TEMIC. “It’s also the very first song that we wrote as a band. We’ve been anxiously waiting for this moment, and now it’s finally here!”

Watch the video for “Count Your Losses” HERE.

‘Terror Management Theory’ is out November 17 on Season of Mist. Pre-order the album HERE. Pre-save the album HERE.

Pre-order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/Temic
Pre-save: https://orcd.co/tmtpresave

Cover artwork: Hicham Hamzi

Track list:
1. TMT (2:02)
2. Through the Sands of Time (7:00)
3. Falling Away (4:58)
4. Count Your Losses (6:13) [WATCH VIDEO]
5. Skeletons (7:00)
6. Acts of Violence (5:52)
7. Friendly Fire (5:57)
8. Paradigm (6:33)
9. Once More (5:45)
10. Mothallah (7:27)
Total: 58:54

Style: Prog-metal
FFO: Dream Theater, Haken, Leprous, Devin Townsend, Tesseract, Periphery

Introducing TEMIC—prog’s newest, most ambitious, and most adrenaline-fueled act. TEMIC melds the creative minds of keyboardist and sound designer Diego Tejeida (Devin Townsend, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress, ex-Haken), guitarist Eric Gillette (The Neal Morse Band, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress), drummer Simen Sandnes (SHINING, Arkentype), and vocalist Fredrik Bergersen Klemp (Maraton, 22).

The origins of TEMIC date back to 2017, when Tejeida and Gillette toured the world as band members of Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress. From the very first chords they exchanged, their musical chemistry both on and off stage was undeniable, leading them to discuss the prospect of starting a new band together. Unfortunately, conflicting tour and recording commitments forced them to turn their attention elsewhere for years—that is, until the world came to a standstill in 2020, and Tejeida called Gillette to ask a fateful question:
“Remember how we said we should make music together? Well, how about now?”

Thus, the first demos for what would later become TEMIC’s 2023 debut album, Terror Management Theory, began to emerge. Within a few weeks after that initial phone call, the musical vision of TEMIC had become clear: Let’s create progressive music that is heavily influenced by high-energy electronic music, but arranged and orchestrated for a 5-piece modern prog rock/metal band—where, at last, the pulse can be the focus, and the vocal melody can be king.

Eager to join forces with the very best bandmates, Tejeida and Gillette first summoned the rhythmic power of their friend and drummer Sandnes. With characteristic enthusiasm, Sandnes seized the opportunity, prepared to contribute his percussive prowess as the heartbeat of TEMIC. When it came time to find the singer that would carry TEMIC’s melodies to new heights, Sandnes recommended vocal powerhouse Klemp, whose emotive delivery and unmatched intensity left no doubt that he was destined to be the voice of TEMIC. Finally, to round out the rhythm section of Terror Management Theory, dynamic bassist Jacob Umansky (Intervals) was invited on board as a guest player, gracing the album with an unrivaled groove and a signature low-end sound.

Together, this mammoth lineup is TEMIC, a high-energy, electronic-inspired, modern melodic prog metal band for the next generation.

Recording Studio: Drums and vocals recorded at Top Floor Studios (Gothenburg, Sweden)
Producer: Produced by TEMIC. Drums and vocals engineered by Jakob Herrmann Gothenburg, Sweden)
Mix/Mastering: Mixed and mastered by Rich Mouser at The Mouse House (Los Angeles, USA)

Guest musicians:
Jacob Umansky (USA) – Bass guitar on the whole album
Mosaic Gospel Choir (Norway) – Mothallah
Garden State Threshold Choir (USA) – Mothallah

TEMIC ONLINE:

Categories
Tours

WORMHOLE Supporting Analepsy on North American Tour

Line-up Julian Kersey: vocals
Sanil Kumar: guitar
Sanjay Kumar: guitar
Bass: Basil Chiasson
Drums: Matt Tillett

WORMHOLE
Slamming North America

Wormhole are emerging from Baltimore’s underground with a new album. ‘Almost Human’ takes the band’s homemade tech slam to the next level. Riffs screech with more eerie, alien dissonance, while the rhythm section barrels and flips like Samus in her morph ball. They’ve also added new vocalist Julian Kersey, who grunts like a cyber demon on lead single “System Erase”.

This summer, Wormhole are treating North America to an early taste of ‘Almost Human’ while supporting Analepsy on a 20+ date tour.

‘Almost Human’ comes out September 22. Pre-save HERE and pre-order HERE.

Tour dates
07/07: Philadelphia, PA @ Milkboy [TICKETS]
07/08: Baltimore, MD @ Metro [TICKETS]
07/09: Charlotte, NC @ Milestone [TICKETS]
07/10: Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Purgatory) [TICKETS]
07/11: Orlando, FL @ Conduit [TICKETS]
07/12: Tampa, FL @ Brass Mug [TICKETS]
07/13: Fort Walton, FL @ Downtown Music Hall [TICKETS]
07/14: Corpus Christi, TX @ Boozer’s [TICKETS]
07/15: Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live [TICKETS]
07/17: Tucson, AZ @ Edge Bar [TICKETS]
07/18: Los Angeles, CA @ 1720 [TICKETS]
07/20: San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick [TICKETS]
07/21: Cupertino, CA @ X-Bar [TICKETS]
07/22: Sacramento, CA @ Old Ironsides [TICKETS]
07/23: Reno, NV @ The Cellar [TICKETS]
07/24: Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall [TICKETS]
07/25: Denver, CO @ Trailside Saloon [TICKETS]
07/26: Lincoln, NE @ 1867 [TICKETS]
07/28: Chicago, IL @ Chicago Domination [TICKETS]
07/29: Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary [TICKETS]
07/30: Rochester, NY @ Montage Music Hall [TICKETS]
07/31: Toronto, ON @ Hard Luck [TICKETS]
08/01: Montreal, QC @ Piranha Bar [TICKETS]
08/02: Quebec City, QC @ L’anti [TICKETS]
08/03: Manchester, NH @ Jewel [TICKETS]
08/04: Boston, MA @ Ralph’s Diner [TICKETS]
08/05: Brooklyn, NY @ The Meadows [TICKETS]

Tracklist:
1. System Erase (3:31)
2. Elysiism (3:06)
3. Spine Shatter High-Velocity Impact (3:47)
4. Data Fortress Orbital Stationary (3:08)
5. Delta Labs (3:12)
6. Almost Human (3:15)
7. Bleeding Teeth Fungus (2:44)
8. The Grand Oscillation (3:14)
Total run-time: 00:25:57

Style: Tech Slam
FFO: Dying Fetus, Defeated Sanity, Ulcerate, Wormed

When you invent your own genre, you can make the rules, and in space, no one can correct your math. If Wormhole’s excellent The Weakest Among Us was 50% tech death and 50% slamming brutal death metal, their Season of Mist debut is a veritable leveling up of the Baltimore-based act’s trademark “tech slam.” It’s the kind of record that can scramble your brain and give your neck a nice chiropractic workout; Almost Human feels like the future of extreme metal, dropped down from either outer space or delivered by Nintendo cartridge (more on that later).

So, what the hell exactly is “tech slam?” Well, the gleefully amorphous and unholy term comes from an ethos that guitarists Sanil “Noni” Kumar and Sanjay Kumar discovered and perfected over (probably) thousands of hours of Metroid and Doom games, as well as, you know, actual musical mastery. Almost Human, out September 22, 2023, is more powerful, more agile, and more confounding for pie-chart-enthusiasts than anything else that came before it. The sequel is always bigger, darker, and in this case, covered in much more pixelated space horror viscera. My Wormholio calculator puts their sound at 91% tech and 89% slam, with an increase in awesome stats somewhere in the 420% range. There’s also a clear emphasis on amplifying their dissonant death influence, the kind of eerie melodies that feel like being stomped on by Samus.

There’s a clear balance to everything on Almost Human: the songs are more adventurous while also being instantly memorable. No two songs sound alike, and that diversity in songcraft (level design?) sees Wormhole pushing and pulling along their tech and slam dials to figure out what’s best for the song; spoiler, it’s always riffs. What also becomes evident after repeated listens is how carefully the Kumar brothers understand a sense of place, humor, and a consistent vibe. This is still the same band that’s known for throwing on Saturday morning cartoons, and Almost Human continues to hammer home that Wormhole the musical entity is deadly serious, but the guys that make tech slam are not stoic creatures. There’s a warmth and sense of joy when chatting with them that only gets brighter when you ask their favorite Metroid game (that’s a question for a live show). So, what is this vibe they are chasing? Sanjay shares:

“The tech slam imagery is based on Metroid lore, Doom lore, and we haven’t written a song about it yet, but Alien as well. Those three things are brutal sci-fi universes, so we’re trying to embody that sound. The slam riffs, you can connect the brutal killing of stuff with the brutal chunky riffs; that’s been a match that’s existed since the nineties. So that’s the slam part, and then the tech part was harder to fit that vibe, so we kind of do it differently. I lean into very dissonance-vibe stuff, like Artificial Brain and Dysrhythmia. I think disso-death and heavy, they aren’t usually paired together, even though they should be.”


“And then as far as chasing the vibe,” Noni adds, “I kind of go about it two ways. With the Metroid soundtrack or universe, that vibe, there’s some dark and gloomy atmosphere, but there’s a lot of pretty imagery as well. We wanted to find a way to match that very pretty, kind of out-there sound cohesively in songs with a very aggressive and guttural approach.”

Like another famous sci-fi horror masterpiece of a different media, Wormhole’s shifting, amorphous style is perfectly suited to blend in and amaze just about any fan of heavy music. That’s The Thing: they can pull off whatever they want, but it’s always boiled down to that tech slam vibe. Do you like tech, melody, breakdowns, atmosphere, or dissonance? Tech slam can fill whatever void you seek.

If previous albums were early generation, lower-resolution visions of tech slam, Almost Human is the 4K reboot, where you can see every pixel of terror and awe. Wormhole are absolutely ready for their closeup. Prepare your worms and your holes, tech slam is here to stay.

Recording studio: Guitars and vocals were recorded at Wormhole HQ. Drums were recorded at AJ Viana Productions.

Producer & engineering: ‘Almost Human’ was produced and engineered by Wormhole and AJ Viana. Bass parts were produced and engineered by Alex Weber.

Mixing: AJ Viana at AJ Viana Productions
Mastering: Alan Douches
Artwork: Adam Burke at Nightjar Illustration
Photos: Eric DeCarlo
Biography: Nick Senior

Pre-order: https://shop.season-of-mist.com/list/wormhole-almost-human

Pre-save: https://orcd.co/almosthumanpresave

WORMHOLE ONLINE:

Categories
Tours

GOATWHORE To Join Eyehategod For US Spring Tour + Band To Appear On Milwaukee Metal Fest And Hell In The Harbor This May

Photo by Stephanie
Cabral

GOATWHORE:
Louis B. Falgoust II – vocals
Sammy Duet – guitars, vocals
Zack Simmons – drums
Robert “TA” Coleman – bass

GOATWHORE, who are currently touring through Europe with Revocation, Alluvial, and Creeping Death, will return to US stages this Spring supporting Eyehategod. The 30 Years Of Take As Needed For Pain run begins April 8th in Atlanta, Georgia and makes its way through nearly two dozen cities, coming to a close on April 29th in Denton, Texas. The following month, GOATWHORE will make an appearance at the return of the Milwaukee Metal Fest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as well as the first annual Hell In The Harbor Fest in Baltimore, Maryland with additional shows to be announced in the weeks to come.

See all confirmed dates below.

GOATWHORE w/ Revocation, Alluvial, Creeping Death [remaining dates]:
2/13/2023 Rebellion – Manchester, GB
2/14/2023 Whelan’s – Dublin, IE
2/15/2023 Asylum – Birmingham, GB
2/16/2023 The Fleece – Bristol, GB
2/17/2023 Zappa – Antwerp, BG
2/18/2023 Kulturzentrum Faust – Hannover, DE
w/ Eyehategod:
4/08/2023 Boggs – Atlanta, GA
4/09/2023 Brass Mug – Tampa, FL
4/10/2023 Trolley Pub – Charleston, SC
4/11/2023 Hangar 1819 – Greensboro, NC
4/12/2023 Riffhouse – Chesapeake, VA
4/13/2023 Monarch – Brooklyn, NY
4/14/2023 Geno’s – Portland, ME
4/16/2023 Middle East – Boston, MA
4/17/2023 Bug Jar – Rochester, NY
4/18/2023 Sanctuary – Detroit, MI
4/19/2023 Mr. Small’s – Pittsburgh, PA
4/20/2023 Ace Of Cups – Columbus, OH
4/22/2023 Black Circle – Indianapolis, IN
4/23/2023 Turf Club – St Paul, MN
4/24/2023 Nightshop – Bloomington, IL
4/25/2023 Wildwood – Iowa City, IA
4/26/2023 Royal Grove – Lincoln, NE
4/27/2023 Red Flag – St. Louis, MO
4/28/2023 Rev Room – Little Rock, AR
4/29/2023 Rubber Gloves – Denton, TX
5/26/2023 Milwaukee Metal Fest @ The Rave – Milwaukee, WI
5/28/2023 Hell In The Harbor Fest @ Soundstage – Baltimore, MD * No Eyehategod

GOATWHORE is touring in support of their Angels Hung From The Arches Of Heavenfull-length, released in October via Metal Blade Records. Undeniably their most accomplished album to date in sound, concept, and execution, the twelve-track offering earned the #9 position on Billboard’s Current Hard Music Albums chart upon its first week of release and stands among the most volatile and plainly dangerous records to come out of 2022.

Angels Hung From The Arches Of Heaven was produced by Jarrett Pritchard (Exhumed, 1349), and tracked primarily at Studio In The Country in Bogalusa, Louisiana under pandemic restrictions. Additionally, the band recruited acclaimed producer Kurt Ballou (Converge, High On Fire, Gatecreeper, Code Orange) to mix the record with final mastering duties handled by Grammy-award winning engineer Ted Jensen (Ghost, Gojira, Cult Of Luna). The record is tied together by the art of longtime collaborator Jordan Barlow whose cryptic use of sigils holds deeper meaning to the record’s totality.

Angels Hung From The Arches Of Heaven is available on CD, digitally, and LP on multiple color variants. Preview and purchase yours today at:metalblade.com/goatwhore.

View the band’s videos for “Born Of Satan’s Flesh” atTHIS LOCATION and the title track at THIS LOCATION.

Angels Hung From The Arches Of Heaven cherry-picks the best bits from various subgenres — the guttural intensity of death metal, the trilling majesty of black metal — and assembles them into songs that feel almost regal in their hateful conviction.”– Spin Magazine’s 10 Best Metal Albums Of 2022

“Angels… consistently rages without ever devolving into the samey sounding banality that plagues so many less adept practitioners. Angels… just gets better the longer it plays.” – Decibel Magazine

“A vicious brew of blackened thrash and death metal is GOATWHORE’s M.O., and ‘Born Of Satan’s Flesh’ hits that multi-genre intersection at blinding speeds. Guitarist Sammy Duet rains down precision riffs while frontman Louis Ben Falgoust II spouts blasphemies through his bellowing snarl. The accompanying performance clip offers a glimpse at what it would be like to witness the brutality live.” – Consequence

“…the band’s most diverse, epic and savage release all at once — an impressive feat for any band this deep into its career.” – Blabbermouth

“Angles Hung From The Arches Of Heaven proves yet again that one of the hardest working bands in metal can continue to impress us with their tried and true brand of blackened extremity.” – Metal Injection

“Twenty-five years into their career, GOATWHORE is here to do what they do best: rip, shred and tear with their signature blend of death, black, thresh and traditional metal, without apology, no quarter given.” – Knotfest

Categories
Music News

Sortilège
Shares New Song,
“Derrière les Portes de Babylone”

Line-up
Christian « Zouille » Augustin: Vocals
Bruno Ramos: Guitars
Olivier Spitzer: Guitar
Sébastien « Shag » Bonnet: Bass
Clément Rouxel: Drums

The French kings of Heavy Metal SORTILÈGE is now releasing the brand new single, “Derrière les Portes de Babylone,” which is taken from the band’s upcoming album, ‘Apocalypso!’ The album will be released via Season of Mist worldwide (excluding France) on March 3! The new single can be streamed at THIS LOCATION.

SORTILÈGE made a comeback in 2021, with a renewed line-up around lead singer Christian « Zouille » Augustin. This album was created with the idea of keeping the band’s DNA while adding contemporary elements along with a powerful and outstanding hypnotic vibe. Long Live Apocalypso!

Pre-orders for the album are now available HERE.

Track-list
1. Poseidon (3:32)
2. Attila (feat. Stéphane Buriez) (4:06)
3. Derrière les portes de Babylone (feat. Myrath) (6:33) [LISTEN]
4. Le sacre du sorcier (5:08)
5. La parade des centaures (feat. Stéphane Buriez) (2:59)
6. Walkyrie (4:20)
7. Encore un jour (4:45)
8. Trahison (3:40)
9. Vampire (4:02)
10. Apocalypso (feat. Kevin Codfert) (7:53)
Total: 46:58

Links:
www.facebook.com/SortilegeWithZouille
https://twitter.com/Sortilge3
https://www.instagram.com/sortilege_band/
http://sortilege.website/

Categories
Music News

Falling In Reverse Drop “Watch the World Burn” Video — WATCH // Tour With Papa Roach Kicks Off This Week

FALLING IN REVERSE DROP “WATCH THE WORLD BURN” VIDEO — WATCH

WINTER 2022 ROCKZILLA TOUR WITH PAPA ROACH KICKS OFF ON FEBRUARY 1

FALLING IN REVERSE are already kicking 2023’s ass with a new single and tour.

Today, the band has shared the video for new track “Watch the World Burn.” Watch it here.

The song is another epic anthem that finds frontman Ronnie Radke laying his lyrical cards up on the table while his vocal style escalates from a rhythmic cadence to an earth-shaking howl.

Falling In Reverse continue to explode by leaps and bounds in this nascent decade. The band’s catalog has clocked over 2.7 billion — yes, billion — streams. The most recent single “Voices In My Head” garnered 95 million streams and was the #1 song of 2022 at SiriusXM’s Octane, while “Zombified” has clocked 120 million and topped the active rock charts. Elsewhere, “Popular Monster” was also, well, a monster, that landed at #1 on the active rock charts, as well. 

Following their wildly successful co-headline Rockzilla Tour this past summer, Falling In Reverse and Papa Roach are back and bigger than ever, bringing fans a thrilling sequel. The second leg of the Rockzilla Tour, featuring special guest Hollywood Undead and opener Escape The Fate, will kick off in Rochester, New York on February 1 and will include stops in 21 cities across the U.S. Go here for more info.

FALLING IN REVERSE ON TOUR:
WITH PAPA ROACH, HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD, + ESCAPE THE FATE:
2/1 — Rochester, NY — Main Street Armory
2/2 — Hamilton, ON — FirstOntario Centre
2/4 — Chicago, IL — Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
2/5 — Lexington, KY — Rupp Arena
2/7 — Huntsville, AL — Von Braun Center Arena
2/8 — Biloxi, MS — Mississippi Coast Coliseum
2/10 — Johnstown, PA — 1st Summit Arena
2/11 — Greensboro, NC — Greensboro Special Events Center
2/13 — Youngstown, OH — Covelli Center
2/14 — Kalamazoo, MI — Wings Event Center
2/16 — Wichita, KS — Hartman Arena
2/18 — Irving, TX — The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
2/19 — Houston, TX — 713 Music Hall
2/21 — Rio Rancho, NM — Rio Rancho Center
2/22 — Colorado Springs, CO — Broadmoor World Arena
2/24 — Missoula, MT — Adams Center
2/27 — Edmonton, AB — Edmonton Convention Centre
2/28 — Calgary, AB — Big Four
3/2 — Abbotsford, BC — Abbotsford Centre
3/3 — Portland, OR — Memorial Coliseum
3/5 — Seattle, WA — Angel of the Winds Arena

ABOUT FALLING IN REVERSE:
Platinum-selling rock band Falling In Reverse, lead by outspoken and charismatic singer Ronnie Radke, have been completely dominating the radio and streaming space in this new decade. The band, which formed back in 2008 and built itself as a mainstay of the Warped Tour scene while gracing many Alternative Press covers, has seen its latest single “Zombified” hit No. 1 Billboard’s Hot Hard Rock Songs Chart. The band has also been generating nearly 50 million total streams per month. Falling In Reverse’s previous chart-topping single “Popular Monster” earned platinum RIAA status. The track is truly a juggernaut and is a watershed moment for the band. “Popular Monster” has been streamed nearly half-a-billion times and has emerged as one of the biggest anthems of the past several years. It enjoyed a multi-week stint at No. 1 on the rock radio charts, landing in the top spot on the Mediabase Active Rock Chart, Billboard’s Hot Hard Rock Chart, and the Nielsen Rock Chart, and marked the first No.1 single of the band’s career. It followed the gold certification of the band’s 2011-released debut album The Drug in Me Is You and a sold-out anniversary tour. During the shutdown that was a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Radke quickly established himself as one of the most popular musicians streaming on the Twitch platform. In Winter 2022, the band returned to the road and embarked on the sold-out “Live From the Unknown” tour, further cementing its status as one of the top live draws in the genre. Falling In Reverse have continued to catch the eye of the press, with their career arc being spotlighted by top-tier, tastemaking publications such as Forbes, Billboard, New York Times, Pitchfork, and beyond.

FALLING IN REVERSE ONLINE: