 Portugal's purveyors of groovy alternative metal band Vëlla have just shared the video for their 5th single “Despair”. The single is taken from their long-awaited debut album “Coma”, which was released via Raising Legends Records on the 9th March 2020. "Despair", the 5th official single from “Coma”, can be heard here: https://youtu.be/ss9C4HhuJeQ The album was recorded at Raising Legends Studios in Lisbon and was produced, mixed and mastered by Caesar Craveiro. The album features renowned musicians from within the Portuguese metal scene, guesting on these tracks:
Guitarist Oz Vilesov states that: "This record is a special record for everyone involved. Despite the pandemic, we did not throw in the towel and despite being our debut album we have received fantastic reactions from all over the world." Vocalist Pedro Lopes admits that the band: “Expects, after the end of this pandemic, extremely great things for us, since the reactions about our debut album, are being spectacular, and we are sure that with all the hard work we are doing this will allow us to step on some big stages in a near future". From "Coma" you can expect a dynamic, powerful metal monument, built with powerful riffs, melancholic facades, and melodic grandeur. Vëlla are:
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 Dutch extreme metal outfit Autarkh are now releasing the first track, 'Turbulence' from the upcoming debut 'Form in Motion'. The new album will be released on March 12, 2021 and pre-orders are now live HERE. Listen to 'Turbulence' via the official Season of Mist YouTube channel HERE. The link may be freely spread throughout your channels. Founder Michel Nienhuis comments:- ‘Turbulence’ is a song about an ongoing realization and understanding of internal conflict. Change is necessary and inevitable but seems unattainable and out of range. ‘Turbulence’ is the first full blown song of the album and is quite representative of the Autarkh sound – up-tempo blasts versus downtempo grooves, locking harmonies versus chaotic dissonance and ethereal layers versus dark growls. This visualizer is the result of a first experiment of our producer and sound designer Joris Bonis with his analogue oscilloscopes from the 1970’s, that generate images based on audio. We invite you to join in on this new chapter of our musical evolution.
Autarkh have previously revealed the album cover for 'Form in Motion', and can be viewed together with the album details above. From the fertile grounds of Tilburg rises new contemporary metal outfit Autarkh, a group of musical extremists dedicated to pushing the boundaries of the auditory senses. Autarkh is the brainchild of Michel Nienhuis, founding member and composer/guitarist of Dodecahedron. Dodecahedron released 2 albums on the French record label Season Of Mist in 2012 and 2017 and has played at Inferno festival (NO), Reykjavík Metalfest (IS) Brutal Assault (CZ), Roadburn Festival (NL) and Eurosonic (NL) amongst others. Death and illness was closing in on Dodecahedron, triggering a conceptual transformation that was necessary to effectuate Nienhuis’ artistic development. In the fall of 2019 Nienhuis teamed up with producer Joris Bonis (Dodecahedron, Ulsect), guitarist David Luiten and electronic composer / producer Tijnn Verbruggen, a set of musicians with backgrounds ranging from metal to techno. Autarkh’s first full length album ‘Form In Motion’ will be released the 12th of March 2021 through Season of Mist records. Autarkh takes a unique position in the world of extreme metal. Synthetic, IDM-style beats and glitch effects - reminiscent of those produced by artists such as Aphex Twin and Autechre - are perfectly balanced with overwhelming riffs and vocals that range from dark growls and exasperating screams to semi-clean harmonies. Together with fluttering blast beats, dense bass lines and eerie soundscapes these elements produce an intense and crystal clear tunnel of sound where the energy of contrasting emotions is constantly felt. ‘Form In Motion’ feels like an evolution in both sound and lyrical content from the two albums Nienhuis released with Dodecahedron. Musically, because of the radical approach the band takes with their rhythm section; lyrically because the album is more about a personal experience of human nature and the nature of the universe. The album takes us from unravelling storms and destructive chaos to transformation, liberation and fundamental shifts in understanding in order to align with the divine. That progression is also present in a linear sense – the intrusive uneasiness the album starts with gives way to a sense of epic victory towards the end. Give yourself the opportunity to dive into this radical exploration of sonic and spiritual ideas and allow yourself to get inspired by what Autarkh has to offer. Recording line-up: Michel Nienhuis: vocals, guitars, bass, programming David Luiten: vocals, guitars Tijnn Verbruggen: synthesis, beat design Joris Bonis: synthesis, sound design www.autarkh.com www.facebook.com/autarkh www.instagram.com/autarkhband  Polish pagan alchemists Varmia – who pay tribute to their Baltic roots by combining black metal with traditional instruments such as the goat horn and the tagelharpa – will release their third album (and M-Theory Audio debut), “Bal Lada,” on March 12th. The artwork, which was designed by percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Piotr, can be viewed below. The album can be pre-ordered on CD and limited-edition 2LP coloured vinyl at www.smarturl.com/varmia. Band founder Lasota speaks of the new release: “The album title 'Bal Lada' is a wordplay. It's most obvious in Polish, but should translate well in other languages as well. It means both 'ballad' and 'Lada's ball'. The term 'ballad' could refer to a literary form, but is also understood as a sad song. 'Lada' or 'Lado' is an ancient deity associated with both Baltic and Slavic cult heritage. She and/or he was most likely responsible for harmony, fertility and well-being. The title represents our take on the medieval dance of death concept and its depiction in the danse macabre allegory - the 'bal' of life forces, circle of cycles, primal lusts, desires and thus deprivations and metamorphoses of flesh and spirit. This is a ritual dance in the oldest forest on one hand, but it's also a whole universe's life and death cycle on the other. The lyrics are mainly in Polish, but with some elements of ancient Prussian language. The cover art and graphic design is made by our band member Piotr, who plays all the ethnic instruments on the album. Follow the Moon and walk into the silent woods of Warmia.” Varmia recorded their previous albums – 2017's “Z Mar Twych” and 2018's “W Ciele Nie” – in culturally significant remote locations throughout their native Poland. “Bal Lada” continues that practice, as the 10 tracks of ominous and atmospheric pagan black metal contained within were tracked in a makeshift studio set up by the band in an old 19th-century manor in Northern Poland, where they performed while playing together as a live unit with no sound editing. A video documenting the album's recording can be seen at this location: https://youtu.be/o9DnynINIo8.  Varmia recently unveiled a taste of the sounds to be found on “Bal Lada” with the premiere of the music video for the first single from the record, “Bielmo”. The visually stunning tribute to the band's home region can be viewed at https://youtu.be/ujzPY7NmeXQ. Additional previews of “Bal Lada” will be unveiled in the coming weeks. Varmia was formed in 2016 by vocalist / guitarist / composer Lasota with a mission of fusing black metal with musical influences that pay tribute to the ancient Baltic tribes of the historical Warmia region of northern Poland. Vocally, harsh growls shroud the band's music and native Polish lyrics in a visceral aura, the only breaks occurring when using the traditional, ancient technique of “whitevoice” clean singing as utilized during ancient East-Central European rituals, rites of passage and festivals. Meanwhile, the power of the band's metal influences are enhanced on “Bal Lada” by traditional ethnic instrumentation of the Baltic Rites via sounds of tagelharpa, goat horn, wood tuba and krivula. The result is a compelling mix of dark metallic sounds that channel the spirit of early Enslaved, Satyricon and Wolves in the Throne Room and folk elements that drive acts such as Wardruna. Varmia is: Lasota - guitars, vocals Alle - bass, backing vocals Svarrge - drums Piotr - percussion, tagelharpa, goat horn, wood tuba, krivula, backing vocals www.facebook.com/varmiaband https://varmiaband.bandcamp.com French melodic death metallers Sound Of Memories stream new album 'The Sand Within' via YouTube13/1/2021  A few days after the official release of their brand new album 'The Sand Within', French melodic death metallers Sound Of Memories have shared the whole record for free streaming through the RareMetalAlbums YouTube Channel. The Sand Within' is available right now physically on CD & digitally through Bandcamp and all legal platforms (Apple Music, Deezer, Spotify...) with the help of the Domino Media Group.  Sound of Memories is a band from the Parisian suburbs created in 2010. Their style can be described as a mix of heavy / thrash metal riffs with an old-school melodic death metal foundation. After a few years experimenting and carving out their musical style and the arrival of Nacim on drums, the band found its own musical identity, with the recurrent theme of humanism in general, and in particular human’s evolution, philosophy and perception of the world through the ages. In 2013, the band welcomed their new member Flo as their frontman, before going to record their first EP 'Living Circles' at the ZOE-H studio. In the wake of this project, the band joined the promotion and touring association Army of One, and performed at a number of French metal shows (such as the PHYC Fest, the Eragny’s Covent Garden, La Boule Noire and more...). Then in 2015, Julien Delsol (Deep in Hate, 91 All Stars...) lead the production of the band’s first album, a much darker, complex and ambitious opus than their previous effort. In November 2015, the band released their first LP 'To Deliverance' through FinisterianDeadEnd / Season of Mist / Code7, and a number of subsequent gigs allowed the band to make their music and energy known. Right now, Sound of Memories is ready to promote their new album: 'The Sand Within'. For fans of Arch Enemy, In Flames, Children Of Bodom... Buy the 'The Sand Within' on CD/Digital Belgian symphonic metallers InHuman (ex-Anwynn) release official video for 'The Chosen Cancer'13/1/2021  Belgian symphonic metallers InHuman are unleashing the official lyric video for 'The Chosen Cancer', taken from their upcoming self-titled album to be released on February 26th 2021. Watch the stunning new lyric video by the hands of Aimed & Framed here: https://youtu.be/9SuP7RO1tjs. InHuman comments: "Our worship and contempt are down to the choices we make. The vision that lies beneath, the filter we apply. All that blooms eventually dies just the same. So stand up and fashion your own demise. Choose wisely." The new album was recorded & mixed at Nomad Studio by Julien Huyssen while the vocals were recorded at the Vamacara Studio in France. The album also features magnificent orchestral contributions by the Gens university choir. Virtual Orchestrations were made by the hands of Eerik Maurage. A pounding, symphonic bulldozer of humanity - that is InHuman. Double-bass drums crushing like a hammer, massive cinematic orchestrations and catchy choruses in an uncompromising production of violence. Proving once and for all symphonic metal does not have to be gentle, nor sweet. InHuman is:
 Spanish modern melodic death metallers SynlakrosS have just released a new single called "The Last Day Of Eris", a song included in their new album "0K4M1" which will be released internationally very soon. The title of this new album is formed by the acronym 0M4K1, whose pronunciation in English is Zero Em Four Kei One. "The Last Day Of Eris" is the third song on the album and talks about the last day of the planet Eris. It’s a suicide mission to which 0K4M1 has been assigned to try to save the planet from destruction... but the mission failed and 0K4M1 felt the pain, the suffering, the destruction and the deaths as if they were his own. The video has been created by Patricia Pons, vocalist of the band, and the music by Facundo Novo at Novo Studios. About this new album the band published on the networks: “The album is a message sent by creature 0K4M1, and you are the one who receives this message to millions of light years away. Like a message in a bottle. At the end of the listening, you should choose if you want to keep it a secret, or if you want to share it with others. And who is 0K4M1? 0K4M1 is a creature created by humans from a synthetic embryo and alien DNA. Created to be a lethal weapon, the new antichrist. Before dying, he decides to record his vital experience and share it with everyone who receives this message. Because maybe your experience can alleviate the existential pain and suffering of the listener." They have also released new merchandising thinking about winter and the people who are isolated or quarantined at home, including items such as blankets in their store. They also have advanced some elements of the pre-sale of the album. If you like their work, don’t hesitate to support them by buying their merch here: https://store23164244.ecwid.com/ SynlakrosS is characterized by its thematic albums based on Melodic Death Metal to which they add various inspirations, developing a very personal style, both in the musical base, and in the diversity of voices that Patricia interprets. Highly recommended, they have played with bands like Jinjer, The Agonist and Primal Fear, and have played in venues and festivals in Spain, Portugal, England and Wales. More information:
Cuban black metallers Mephisto sign with Wormholedeath Records & unveil 'Pentafixion' artwork11/1/2021  Cuban black metal pioneers, Mephisto, are about to release their newest album Pentafixion via Wormholedeath Records. Mephisto have been active since 1997 and left their mark on the Cuban metal scene with their unique sound and style. The band will unleash their first single soon. Mephisto states about signing with Wormholedeath Records:- "On behalf of all members of Mephisto we wish to announce that we have been offered a contract with the long established and well respected Italian label WormHoleDeath Records.It is our pleasure to announce that after some discussion, Mephisto have accepted the offer and now enthusiastically join the label. We can’t wait to start working with the team at WormHoleDeath after following their label and their artists for many years. To now be considered part of this family is a long awaited dream come true. We are excited to be bringing our style of Cuban Black Metal to the world thanks to the relationships WormHoleDeath has with its partners including Warner / Chappell Music Holland BV and The Orchard Inc. (Sony Music Ent). We look forward to our first release with Worm Hole Death which is our full length album “Pentafixion”, an album that we have been working on for the best part of 2 years. Who knows, maybe the back catalogue will be released sometime on WHD too! We’d like to officially thank Carlo from WHD for being so passionate about securing us to the label. The work and dedication shown by him is incredible! From finding us in Subtle Death Magazine, to reaching out to its editor (Omar Vega) to contact us, to the late night calls to our management (in Australia), all the way through to walking us through the deal. We couldn’t be happier knowing that our music and our career are in great hands with WHD. So what can you expect from us now? Well just because you can see the mountain doesn’t mean the climb has finished. Now the hard work begins to reward our fans for their patience waiting on our new album and to show WHD that the new kids on the block came to kick heads and take names." Look out world…. Mephisto, the pioneers of Black Metal in Cuba have just been unleashed on the world and it’s all thanks to WormHoleDeath Records!
Mephisto are:
The band Mephisto was founded in September 1997 in the city of Holguín, Cuba. Mephisto was the first Cuban metal group to combine a multitude of organic and orchestral sounds to emerge as the pioneers of the Black Metal genre in Cuba. Building on their unique sound, the band continued to push contemporary boundaries by appearing on stage in full make-up and costumes, another pioneering first, which caused a great movement within the national scene. With momentum building, 2018/2019 saw Mephisto welcome international representation with a view of developing a larger global following. Immediately Mephisto rebranded their image, logo and on stage style whilst simultaneously moving towards a more digital platform to facilitate the advancements in technology being felt throughout the music industry. With a grittier live performance harkening back to a more traditional hard edged Mephisto appearance, old fans and new ones alike, resonate with the Pioneers of Cuban Black Metal. Accepting invitations to appear at "The Beast in the Undercity”, Pinar del Rio, Bayamo Musicfest and Romerias de Mayo festivals, Mephisto quickly expanded these shows to encompass the entire nation; kicking off their “Haciendo Metal Cuba” tour in mid March 2019. Completing the run of dates in early May 2019, Mephisto once again returned to the studio to continue the development of their highly anticipated 2020 album “Pentafixion”. The band’s first single from this album titled “Pentafixion” was completed with filming for the complementing video clip also undertaken. The video was shot on location in Havana by renowned Producer and Film Maker Victor Vinuesa (Vitiko) and demonstrates perfectly Mephisto’s professionalism, dedication and passion to their craft. Following up on this single, Mephisto under took it’s first tour of Nicaragua in late 2019 selling out venues and building a new fan base in the heart of Managua. A national tour of Cuba is now slated for mid 2021 before returning to Nicaragua for a run of dates later in 2021.  Linkin Park continue the Hybrid Theory 20th Anniversary Celebration with the release of One Step Closer (100 gecs Reanimation). One Step Closer was the lead single from the band’s debut album, Hybrid Theory. One Step Closer (100 gecs Reanimation) available HERE via Warner Records. The band recruited the critically adored, groundbreaking pioneers to re-envision, reimagine, and reanimate this generational anthem as they see fit. The results bridge the gap between eras of musical revolution as 100 gecs—Dylan Brady and Laura Les—cook up an otherworldly interpretation of One Step Closer, which preserves the signature intensity of the original as it pushes into new territory altogether with gecs adding their own vocals in addition to production. As kindred spirits, Linkin Park set a precedent for genre-bending in 2000, and 100 gecs pick up this mantle and run with it in 2021. “Part of the spirit of Reanimation was to take the Hybrid Theory songs that people knew so well, and let innovative artists flip them in ways nobody expected. I think 100 gecs did exactly that.” said Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park. 100 gecs also created the official visualiser, which debuts with the reanimation’s arrival. Check it out HERE. Additional remakes from other disruptors are in the works and could very well materialise soon. Stay tuned for more, as the next era of Linkin Park dawns now. Linkin Park capped off 2020 with the triumphant unveiling of the Hybrid Theory: 20th Anniversary Edition. The album roared back onto the charts, surging to #3 on the Billboard Top Album Sales Chart 20 years since its initial release. It marked the record’s highest position on the respective chart since 2002. 100 gecs is the groundbreaking pop duo of Dylan Brady and Laura Les, who planted their flag on the proverbial pop culture moon with their 2019 debut album 1000 gecs. The innovative project captured the hearts of fans and critics alike with The New York Times calling it, “Some of the savviest pop music of the year,” and Interview Magazine suggesting that it is, “A blueprint for what pop music might sound like in the year 2050.” In just a few months the band went from playing their first concert from inside the video game Minecraft to selling out shows across the country, proving that their rabid fanbase doesn't only exist in the far corners of the internet. After their world tour was postponed in the summer of 2020, Brady and Les returned with 1000 gecs and The Tree of Clues, a rework of the original album featuring collaborations from the likes of A. G. Cook, Fall Out Boy, Charlie XCX, Rico Nasty, as well as crowd sourced contributions by fans. The transformative release was described by NME as a “brain-melting, genre-crushing vision of pop’s future.”  Italian progressive / power metal band Souls Of Diotima will release their fourth studio album, titled “Janas”, on January 29th 2021 via Diotima Records / Rockshots Records. The quartet are proud to unleash their lyric video for the title track ‘Janas’.
Commenting on the new single the founder member, lyricist and drummer Giorgio Pinna says: “Along with ‘The Black Mask’, this song best represents the essence of the entire album. It tells the story of the Janas, fictional fairy creatures found around our island, who are depicted on the album cover. They lived inside small caves carved into the rock and only came out on full moon nights. They are portrayed as small, winged fairies, with a beautiful, delicate appearance. They are also described by Grazia Deledda, a Sardinian writer and Nobel prize winner in literature, as ‘largely evil little creatures’, because despite their deceptive appearance, they were not angelic in the slightest. They were enchantresses who bewitched with their beauty, with the power to decide the fate of human beings, often choosing an unfortunate destiny. According to many stories, the Janas kidnapped humans, especially males, to suck their blood. They also stole from their victims and kept their treasures hidden inside their caves”.
“Janas” was recorded, mixed and mastered by Oscar Nilsson at Crehate Studios in Mölndal (Sweden). The album “Janas” is a concept, the second chapter of a journey that began with the previous album, “The Sorceress Reveals - Atlantis”. “Janas” tells the stories and legends of band’s land, Sardinia. Their island is full of wonderful mythological tales and characters, of esoteric stories that are often macabre, but which portray a truly fascinating historical and cultural journey. Giorgio Pinna admits that: “We have a shared interest in the history and culture of the peoples of the sea, of the Mediterranean, and we are one of them. Much of Western history is rooted in the tales of the peoples of the sea, skilled conquerors who crossed the seas to conquer new lands or to defend their own. But there is more. Within Sardinia there are places that often remain undiscovered. Far from the more accessible touristic locations, these places are steeped in stories both true and fictitious, which we were often told during our childhood, and which probably formed the basis of our personality and the way we see the world. In brief, ‘Janas’ talks about these stories, about us, and about the Earth we have been walking on since we were born."
Souls Of Diotima is a band with a unique style, featuring recognizable elements of traditional, progressive and symphonic metal, as well as unconventional elements, woven together musically in a powerfully expressive new way. Their style recalls Mediterranean atmospheres and traditions, and you can call it "Mediterranean Metal”. Souls Of Diotima are: Claudia Barsi - Lead Vocals Giorgio Pinna - Drums Antonio Doro - Bass, Scream Vocals Fabio "The Black Mask" Puddu - Guitars https://soulsofdiotima.net/ https://www.facebook.com/soulsofdiotima https://www.instagram.com/soulsofdiotimaofficial/ https://youtube.com/c/SoulsofDiotimaofficialchannel https://twitter.com/SOULSOFDIOTIMA open.spotify.com/artist/0kSbvqCS7Tsfpr63apg175?si=-BEWAB48T6qnNc4A_xl4kg  After opening shows to bands like Accept (Ger), Doro (Ger), Enforcer (Swe), Satan (UK), Pentagram (Chi) and sharing the stage with numerous local and international bands in countries like Peru, Ecuador and Brazil, Fátima Natthammer (ex - Mandragora), decided to form her own project at the beginning of 2018, under the name of Natthammer and orientate towards a hard rock / heavy metal style. The first self-titled album was produced by Fátima Natthammer, who worked with the musician César Gonzáles Salaverry (Mauser). It was recorded at LCR Studio, Peru with the participation of Cesar on guitars, chorus and session musicians were aso invited on bass and drum duties. This album came out on May 25, 2019 as an independent release. On May 20th 2020 their latest music video "Lonely Heart" was released: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw4QSXAIjwU On October 18th 2020, three songs from the album were used for their appearance at the 3rd edition of the Heresy Fest online in Argentina, check it below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmIUKEec22k Fatima is working on some new singles. So if you like what she is doing with Natthammer, keep an eye on her movements.
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July 2020
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