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The votes are in, have been counted, vetted and verified. So without further ado, we present the winners of the 2021 Global Metal Apocalypse (GMA) awards. All categories except "Release Of The Year" came with an 'other' option. See you in December 2022 Release Of The Year IRON MAIDEN - SENJUTSU  Global Metal Release Of The Year SOULMASTER (NICARAGUA) WARRIOR OF LIGHT  Breakthrough African Band CATHARSIS (EGYPT)  Breakthrough Asian Band OVERLORD (BANGLADESH)  Breakthrough European Band GHOSTS OF ATLANTIS (ENGLAND)  Breakthrough North & Central American Band FLESHTORTURE (NICARAGUA)  Breakthrough Oceanian Band ABYSMIA (HAWAII)  Breakthrough South American Band ALTARS OF REBELLION (COLOMBIA)  Breakthrough UK Band BEYOND EXTINCTION (ESSEX) & GHOSTS OF ATLANTIS (ESSEX / SUFFOLK)  Breakthrough International Band BLIND CHANNEL (FINLAND)  Music Video Of The Year Cradle Of Filth - Necromantic Fantasies 
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 Premiere thrash outfit Sylosis have released a video for their brand new single 'Immovable Stone'. Another prime example of the quartet's uniquely exhilarating take on modern metal, 'Immovable Stone' is the band's first release since the furious 'Worship Decay' last December. Sylosis founder Josh Middleton comments:- "Immovable Stone is the second song released from a recording session we did last year which includes Worship Decay (released December 2020) and one other song which will remain unreleased due to it accidentally being wiped from existence on a broken hard drive. Another slightly different sounding song to anything on Cycle of Suffering. A nice way to tie off 2021 and keep things moving forwards ahead of a new Sylosis record in 2022."
The band's latest record, 'Cycle Of Suffering', was released back in February 2020 via Nuclear Blast Records, following a three year hiatus, and showcased the band at their most versatile and compelling. The album was heralded by fans and critics alike, and saw the band headline a sold out show at London's Islington Assembly Hall prior to the ceasing of live events.
Sylosis are:
 After shaking the world in its foundation with the announcement of their 13th manifesto, "Existence Is Futile", that will see the light of the day on October 22nd, Cradle Of Filth gather again to bring their next sacrifice to the devilish forces of Dark Metal: Today, the band reveals the second single of their new album to come – “Necromantic Fantasies.” Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/PiV5XupV-TI Directed by Vicente Cordero, this video was shot back-to-back with his previous work for the band, the horribly apocalyptic “Crawling King Chaos,” though both are remarkably contrasting. Dani Filth had this to say of the latest video to enter the CRADLE catalogue: “This is a very different video from its predecessor, sporting more of a narrative amid leaning back toward a dark Victorian gothic vibe, showcasing the second of many unique tracks on this, our 13th album. It’s very cinematic, much like ‘Crawling King Chaos,’ but walking a much more 'dark faerytale' path. The director Vicente has done such an amazing job bringing the storyline together with the band and the incredible sets. It looks gorgeous. And the song is pretty good too!” Pre-order Existence Is Futile here: https://bfan.link/existence-is-futile.ema
Pieced together in isolation, at Grindstone Studios in Suffolk with studio guru Scott Atkins (Devilment / Benediction / Vader), the band's latest chef-d'oeuvre is a pitch-black, perverse and at times absurdly brutal and extreme masterpiece following a truly nihilistic concept: Dani Filth explains: “The album is about existentialism, existential dread and fear of the unknown. The concept wasn’t created by the pandemic. We’d written it long before that began and it is really but the tip of the mountain as far as the way the world is headed, you know? I guess the title, ‘Existence Is Futile,’ does sound a little morbid. But again, it’s more about recognising that truth and saying that everything is permitted because nothing really matters, which mimics the occultist Aleister Crowley’s maxim. We all know we’re going to die, so we might as well indulge life while we possess it. The final track on the album – 'Us, Dark, Invincible' – really drives that point home. Also, the artwork for this record was created by the Latvian visionary Arthur Berzinsh, who also dressed the last two albums, and that reeks of the exceedingly beautiful yet apocalyptic too.” Diehard fans will be thrilled to learn that horror icon Doug 'Pinhead' Bradley makes a welcome return to the CRADLE fold, lending his dulcet tones to the band's most politically astute song to date, the epic “Suffer Our Dominion” as well as the album bonus track “Sisters Of The Mist,” which is the conclusion to the “Her Ghost In The Fog” trilogy that started over 20 years ago on the infamous and classic Midian. CRADLE OF FILTH, 2021 A.D., are:
Follow or subscribe for further FILTHy propaganda:  Hertfordshire-based alternative metal band Defences release their brutal and confrontational new single ‘IN THE BLACK’. The track is taken from their new album ‘In The Balance’ which is set for release on 15th October 2021. Fans can pre-order / pre-save the album HERE. Defences latest offering sees the band looking inwards, tackling loss and grief head-on. Vocalist Cherry Duesbury comments: "In The Black dives into the darker side of loss and the effects it can have on us. Unexpectedly losing important people can feel like the end of your world, or like a part of or all of you has been taken with them. This song explores the thoughts and feelings that can come while grieving. Even when at our lowest points, there is something that drives us forward, wakes us up every day and keeps us breathing... There's still sunlight, even behind the darkest of clouds." ‘In The Balance’ arrives as a snapshot of primary lyricist and vocalist Cherry Duesbury’s experiences over the last few years; glancing over the inevitable difficulties of a global pandemic as well as several pivotal cultural events. "We wrote this because we need to" exclaims Cherry. ‘In The Balance’ is the result of Defences looking for hope in the stark realities of life, facing them head-on to find positivity. “A lot of the lyrics are based on internal struggles,” notes co-vocalist William Alex Young. It’s a snapshot in time, looking at humanity in both its glory and its struggles. “It’s incredibly honest”, Cherry adds. “It’s the most honest I have ever been in terms of lyrics.” There’s a universality to this honesty with the band's recent single ‘False Gods.’ Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, Cherry used her personal reaction to comment on all humanity. Hope bubbles under the surface of ‘In The Balance’ and underpins Defences’ attitude as a band. The songs emerge as a celebration of how humans deal with things that happen in their lives, how they understand and acknowledge those experiences, and what ultimately can be learned from them. And they do so with a powerful energy that perfectly blends the dual vocals with down-tuned instrumentation. Joining several strong contemporaries, it continues their evolution from any norms in alternative metal. The guitars are heavier, the screams louder, but there’s still space for the melody to drive it forward. The album revels on both its energy and passion, yet lands on genuine positivity. Cherry looks back at the hourglass, the heart, and the scales of justice emblazoned on the album's artwork commenting “It’s a time capsule of this moment in our lives, in any life. It’s about the experiences, the difficulties, the struggles that we all go through, and the eventual hope that we find.” Defences are:
 With Bloodstock 2021 well under way, the festival is thrilled to already be looking ahead and announcing a swathe of bands for the 2022 event, which is set to take place on 11th-14th August 2022 at Catton Park, Derbyshire. Headlining one of the days (tbd) on the Ronnie James Dio main stage will be mighty groove metal overlords, Lamb Of God! Frontman Randy Blythe tells the festival that:- “It’s been way too long since we’ve rocked the festivals of Merry Olde - what better way to announce our return than a headliner slot at Bloodstock? Until then, pack your wellies and stay safe, England - Lamb of God (and Roger Brilliant) will see you Summer 2022!” In the meantime, remind yourself of their awesomeness with this video of 'Walk With Me In Hell' from their 2013 debut Bloodstock headline set. Saturday's main stage headliner will be the previously announced, King Diamond-fronted, heavy metal icons Mercyful Fate, who roll over a year after global issues prevented their appearance at this year’s festival. The band states:- “Mercyful Fate comes to Bloodstock…this will be a dangerous meeting you don’t want to miss. This time we are going to bring the Devil himself.” Also landing main stage slots across the weekend are Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals playing their Pantera set, Dimmu Borgir, Testament, Exodus, Black Dahlia Murder, Gwar (in a UK festival exclusive), Bury Tomorrow, Sacred Reich, Life Of Agony, Butcher Babies, Vio-lence and Bloodywood. Over on the Sophie Lancaster stage, headlining Thursday night are The Night Flight Orchestra and closing out Sunday night will be Static-X, in their only UK show of 2022. Also landing a slot across the weekend are Heathen. Early bird weekend camping tickets are available at the on-site box office across the duration of the 2021 event, then will go on sale online at 9am Monday 16th August, priced at £135 (+ bkg fee) from the ticket store, as well as Serpents Lair VIP tickets, child tickets, and camper van passes (which always sell out very quickly, so don’t snooze if you’re after one). The remaining main stage headliner is yet to be revealed. Stay tuned for more band announcements soon and check out the first 2022 trailer here Bloodstock will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 11th-14th August 2022. For more info, click to www.bloodstock.uk.com.  Parlophone Records is thrilled to announce the release of Iron Maiden’s 17th studio album Senjutsu, their first in six years, on September 3rd. It was recorded in Paris with long-standing producer Kevin Shirley and co-produced by Steve Harris. It was preceded on Thursday 15th July by an already highly acclaimed animated video for the first single ‘The Writing On The Wall’ made by BlinkInk based on a concept by Bruce Dickinson with two former Pixar Executives. It followed a month-long teaser campaign & global ‘treasure hunt’ for clues about the track title and concept. For Senjutsu - loosely translated as ‘tactics & strategy’ - the band once again enlisted the services of Mark Wilkinson to create the spectacular Samurai themed cover artwork, based on an idea by Steve Harris. With a running time of a little under 82 minutes, Senjutsu, like their previous record The Book Of Souls, will be a double CD/Triple vinyl album. Steve says:- “We chose to record at Guillaume Tell Studio in France again as the place has such a relaxed vibe. The setup there is perfect for our needs; the building used to be a cinema and has a really high ceiling so there’s a great acoustic sound. We recorded this album in the same way we did The Book Of Souls in that we’d write a song, rehearse it and then put it down together straight away while it was all fresh in our minds. There’s some very complex songs on this album which took a lot of hard work to get them exactly as we wanted them to sound, so the process was at times very challenging, but Kevin is great at capturing the essence of the band and I think it was worth the effort! I’m very proud of the result and can’t wait for fans to hear it.” Lead singer Bruce Dickinson continues:- “We’re all really excited about this album. We recorded it back in early 2019 during a break in the Legacy tour so we could maximize our touring yet still have a long set up period before release to prepare great album art and something special as a video. Of course the pandemic delayed things more - so much for the best laid plans – or should that be ‘strategies’!? The songs are very varied, and some of them are quite long. There’s also one or two songs which sound pretty different to our usual style, and I think Maiden fans will be surprised - in a good way, I hope!”
Senjutsu will be released on the following formats and available to pre-order from Wednesday July 21st:
www.ironmaiden.com  Iron Maiden have revealed their brand-new track, 'The Writing On The Wall', with an eagerly anticipated global YouTube video premiere. The song was written by Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith & lead singer Bruce Dickinson, produced by Kevin Shirley and co-produced by Maiden bassist and founder-member Steve Harris. WATCH IT HERE Bruce Dickinson initially had a concept for the video which came to fruition in collaboration with two Award-winning former Pixar executives and long-standing Maiden fans Mark Andrews & Andrew Gordon. The pair have over 50 years of animation industry experience between them at the very top-level including work on The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Brave, Monsters Inc & Finding Nemo. With partners lining up to get involved with the project they chose BlinkInk, a London based animation studio celebrated for their work with a variety of global brands from Adidas to Coca-Cola and a number of high-profile music videos. In BlinkInk director Nicos Livesey, another long-time Maiden fan & kindred spirit, they found a man who shared the collective vision for the track – resulting in the final film which features the very first glimpse of a stunning new incarnation of Eddie in spectacular 3D form. Bruce comments:- “I had a pretty clear idea of the concept to accompany the song and when I met Mark and Andrew, on Zoom, it quickly became clear we were all very much on the same wavelength, and this was reinforced with the addition of Nicos and his young BlinkInk team. Our weekly team Zoom meetings were then usually both highly creative and a lot of fun! I’m very proud of the way the video turned out, it’s more like a mini-film really. I knew it was going to work out as soon as Mark brought my treatment to life with his incredible storyboards - I thought we could make something very special together. I think we did and hope our fans will agree. In fact it’s pretty much created by Maiden fans!!” Director, Nicos Livesey takes up the story:- “We quickly found the expertise we wanted, and people were literally throwing themselves at me to work on a Maiden video – we had more than 60 people in 13 countries from Brazil to France, & Romania to the USA to add something to the clip and I’d say their love, passion and understanding of the band shines through every frame. They were a dream team for the producers and myself to manage.” The intricate & painstaking process of the making of the video can be read about in more detail here. You can hear the song and watch the video here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhBnW7bZHEE www.ironmaiden.com  The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, founded in memory of the late heavy metal icon, will join forces with virtual event producers Rolling Live Studios to celebrate Ronnie’s birthday on Saturday, July 10th. The global fundraising event will bring together celebrities and fans all over the world to honor Dio’s undeniable impact both on and off the stage. The front man for Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and DIO - Ronnie lost his battle with gastric cancer in 2010. Hosted on rollinglivestudios.com beginning at 10:00 PM BST, the event will feature special guest performances, interviews and birthday messages from artists including:-
Also participating will be members of the DIO band--Simon Wright, Oni Logan, Scott Warren, Bjorn Englen and Rowan Robertson, who will also appear with fellow cast-mate Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt) from the Las Vegas production “Raiding the Rock Vault.” Radio and television personalities Eddie Trunk and Matt Pinfield will be on hand during the broadcast conducting interviews with artists as well as with DIO producer Wyn Davis and Ronnie’s widow and long-time manager Wendy Dio. The STAND UP AND SHOUT FOR RONNIE JAMES DIO’S BIRTHDAY virtual event will feature brand new performances and stories from Ronnie’s friends and fans, as well as exclusive archival footage from Dio’s life and long-spanning career, and never-before-seen footage from Dio Cancer Fund events held in Los Angeles since 2011 when the organization began. Through musical performances and storytelling, a wide array of guests will celebrate the life of a man who deeply influenced their lives through his artistry and larger-than-life presence. Throughout his career, Ronnie James Dio was a passionate supporter and contributor to charitable work and numerous animal charities. He was an artist who was not only well respected for his talent, but also admired and loved by his peers and fans worldwide, some of which included renowned celebrities, musicians, and prominent individuals from all walks of life. Tickets go on sale today (June 9) at https://rollinglivestudios.com/dio with General Admission tickets priced at $20 (Early Bird general admission tickets at just $15 are available through June 16). In addition to tickets to view the show, Rolling Live Studios will offer special merchandise packages and virtual VIP experiences for fans to take part in this unusual worldwide event. Included among the value-added items is a specially designed event tee-shirt, baseball cap and laminate plus “grab bags” of vintage DIO and Dio Cancer Fund event merchandise. Ticket packages that include access to a Pre-Show Virtual Meet & Greet and a Post-Show Virtual VIP Party are also available. Additionally, a limited number of copies of RAINBOW IN THE DARK: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY, written by Ronnie James Dio (with Wendy Dio and Mick Wall) and signed by Wendy Dio, will be made available prior to its publication and availability to the public on July 27. The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund (www.diocancerfund.org), dedicated to cancer prevention, research and education, has raised over $2 million in its history. The organization’s last in-person event was its 10th Anniversary Gala held at the Avalon in Hollywood in February, 2020. Its annual RIDE FOR RONNIE Motorcycle Ride and Concert and BOWL FOR RONNIE Celebrity Bowling Tournament have been suspended as the result of the Covid-19 pandemic. STAND UP AND SHOUT FOR RONNIE JAMES DIO’S BIRTHDAY is the latest in a lineup of stellar events produced by Rolling Live Studios. In January, the studio worked alongside Mike Garson to bring together an extraordinary slate of vocalists to perform with David Bowie’s band alumni for “A Bowie Celebration: Just for One Day” streaming concert event. The following month, YUNGBLUD’s stunning performance of “Life on Mars?” from the event played after millions of viewers watched NASA’s Perseverance rover successfully touch down on Mars. The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable fund formed in honour of the legendary Ronnie James Dio, who lost his life to stomach cancer on May 16, 2010. Cancer is a deadly disease that robs families of loved ones, and the Dio Cancer Fund is dedicated to support cancer prevention research, raise awareness and educate the public with the focus that early detection and prevention saves lives. Monies raised have been committed to the cancer research work of the T. J. Martell Foundation for Cancer, AIDS and Leukemia Research, the gastric cancer research unit of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where Ronnie was treated for gastric cancer during the last six months of his life, and other cancer research projects. Since 2016, the Dio Cancer Fund has also committed funds to support the research of Dr. David Wong and his team at the UCLA School of Dentistry in developing a simple, non-invasive saliva test for the early detection of cancer, which is in keeping with the Fund’s mission of cancer prevention, research and education. To purchase tickets and VIP and merchandise packages for the Ronnie James Dio Virtual Birthday Celebration, visit https://rollinglivestudios.com/dio Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund:
Follow Rolling Live Studios www.RollingLiveStudios.com FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE English grime metallers Hacktivist unveil video for new single "Hyperdialect" (ft. Aaron Matts)10/6/2021  UK grime-metal quintet Hacktivist have released a video for their crushing new single "Hyperdialect" , the title track from their eagerly anticipated new album, due for release on June 18th via UNFD. The single features a guest appearance from Aaron Matts, vocalist of ten56. and former vocalist of Betraying The Martyrs. Check out the video for “Hyperdialect” here: https://youtu.be/MazRtaAM2g4 Co-vocalist Jot Maxi comments: "This single is about trying to describe our signature sound and how we use it. If our band was a comic book hero, then 'Hyperdialect' would be their weapon or superpower! It's our method of attack, our way of putting our governments and mainstream media's in the cross-hairs. But rather than brute force we use 'Hyperdialect' to strike back. Technically you could say that all Hacktivist music is 'Hyperdialect'. That's one of the reasons we also chose it as an album title, this song then stands as an auto-logical explanation of itself as a theory." Aaron Matts adds: "Being a part of Hacktivist's hard-hitting movement was a task that I took huge pleasure in; when the band briefed me on the track and its meaning, we were still in a pool of uncertainty in the process of ironing out what Brexit would mean to us all. As a British musician living overseas, this was the perfect opportunity for me to focus my frustration and upcoming hardships concerning the situation, and I'm incredibly proud of the result and to be a part of Hacktivist's legendary legacy." Hyperdialect is available to pre-order here: https://unfd.lnk.to/hyperdialect
Hacktivist will perform a special one-off headline show to celebrate the release of Hyperdialect. on July 29th 2021 at London's Signature Brew. The show will feature support from rising artist Kid Bookie who features on the band's single “Armoured Core.” Tickets are on sale here: www.hacktivist.uk.com/shows. Check out “Armoured Core” featuring Kid Bookie here: https://youtu.be/kuN7AbgZzao Hacktivist will also bring Hyperdialect to life on festival stages later this year, having been confirmed to appear at Bloodstock and Slam Dunk Festival. Question everything. Consider your sources. Be wary of ulterior motives, insidious media narratives and even your own unconscious bias. Trust sparingly and try to make smart, informed choices. As the world slides further into ruin at the behest of old, rich white men ruling with catastrophic, zero-sum thinking, it’s more important than ever to be vigilant and fight back against the forces that be who seem hell-bent on creating a dystopian future for us all. Luckily, Hacktivist are back to help cut through the noise and bullshit, tooled-up and ready to attack with renewed vigour and reinforced ranks; with Jot Maxi and J. Hurley now sharing the vocal and lyrical load, drummer Rich Hawking and bassist Josh Gurner bringing the beats and rhythms, and guitarist and production don James Hewitt fleshing out the group’s genre-fluid muscle. Hewitt played a very active role in Hacktivist's writing and recording process, bringing a new and compelling dynamic to the table. In 2016, when Hacktivist initially set sights on their enemies with debut album Outside The Box, the world wasn’t fully equipped to heed their warnings and pay attention to its timely rallying cries. They return into a very different one, however – a world that’s sadly now all-too-finely-attuned to the horrors they first forecasted four years ago. In the wake of a global pandemic that has sharpened collective senses and exposed the systematic flaws across society, these should be times primed and ready for the truth-bombs that Hacktivist are about to drop. But recent hardships only amplify the band’s messages – these dispatches from the edge were written way before a virus brought humanity to its knees. If all of that sounds grim and miserable, fear not, because Hacktivist aren’t here for unhelpful told-you-so's or sensationalist scaremongering. What use would holding a mirror up to all of this ugliness be if there weren’t some lessons to learned from the reflection, or at least to offer even the faintest glimmers of hope? "It’s becoming clear that we are on the brink of some type of revolution," says Jot Maxi, with no small dose of conviction or optimism. "Hacktivist are here to bring truth and positivity – the silver lining of a society clouded in poisonous fear. Hacktivist also represents a voice that isn’t afraid of saying what needs to be said. We’re already living in the future. We have the choice to either be shaped by it or to stand up and shape it ourselves. Which path will you take?” It was with those battle lines clearly drawn and ambitions duly set that Hacktivist entered into the creation of Hyperdialect. Starting almost two years ago and developing on the acerbic sonic filth introduced by 2019 singles “Reprogram” and “Dogs Of War,” the five-piece felt fired up by their new working dynamic and the collective process involved, with each member actively encouraged to contribute ideas until the best outcome was reached. Unusually, for such a group of bloody-minded insurrectionists, this democratic approach worked wonders – a testament to how much they were all on the same page on these 12 tracks. Aside from guest spots from rapper Kid Bookie on the monstrous “Armoured Core” and Betraying The Martyrs’ Aaron Matts lending his vocal talents to the title-track, this was all Hacktivist: no filter, no frills, and no holding back. For More Info on Hacktivist:
 British Lion, the ‘up close and personal’ side project band of Iron Maiden bassist & founder Steve Harris, have released a brand new video, ‘Land Of The Perfect People’. Watch here. Taken from their 2020 album The Burning, the song’s lyrics were written by vocalist Richard Taylor who comments, “It's about abandonment and issues from being brought up in a children's home." Although a summer European tour in support of The Burning couldn’t go ahead last year as planned, British Lion have now been confirmed for the 2022 UK Download Festival and are very much hoping to also reschedule some other European club and festival dates. All updates will be posted on www.britishlionuk.com |
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