Metal Music News

Iranian Alternative Metallers Tarantist release new single "Ekhtelas"

20/11/2018

Hailing from Tehran, Iran, alternative rockers Tarantist have released a brand new single which is
taken off from the band's upcoming album. Entitled "Ekhtelas", the single is available on all digital music platforms such as Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, etc.

You can listen to "Ekhtelas" at this location: https://open.spotify.com/album/2JEslGM3KMBh03uyb9pQnT

Founded in Iran, Tarantist had to perform secretly-but-loudly, something which has proven to be difficult, but after sparking a following via word of mouth in the underground, the band soon began to garner international recognition. Within just a few years, international media correspondents inspired by their story (including BBC, SKY, CNN, NPR, Metal Hammer and Kerrang) started visiting Tehran to meet and talk with Tarantist. These news reports and articles aided Tarantist in cultivating a worldwide following – motivating the band to relocate to the United States Los Angeles in 2008. However, they quickly found that they weren’t able to fully escape the pressures they faced back home, stemming from “not being Muslim enough”.

Once they arrived in the United States, they experienced opposite – uncomfortable stereotypes and assumptions directed at them simply based on their culture and/or how they looked – all the while never practising religion in the first place. Determined, Tarantist didn’t let this slow them down. After growing some roots in North America, the band was invited to play several festivals like SXSW, CMJ, Canadian Music Week and Intergalactic Fest. Tarantist quickly added to their touring repertoire, performing on the same stages as Metallica, Motörhead, Stone Temple Pilots, Muse, Cheap Trick, Voivod, Sum 41, My Ruin, Ben Harper and many more.

Iran's Connate Exasperation announces debut album "Delusional Primacy"; set for release in July 2018.

2/7/2018

Mesmerizing riffs and brain crushing rhythms, together with a remarkable drum work by George Trakas (known from Mass Infection, Blustery Caveat and Resurgency), hateful and pernicious vocals, magnificent solos and numerous hooks in complex song structures, all bring you an overwhelming Death Metal experience.

Connate Exasperation tends to blend old school Brutal Death Metal with some newer influences to create an exceptional album that can satisfy all Death Metal fans from all over the world. Especially for the fans of Suffocation, Pyaemia, Gorgasm and Deivos. Album includes a special guest appearance by Mister from Trauma (Poland).

1. Egoistic Demise 06:25
2. Obsequious Supremacy 05:07
3. Delusional Primacy (Part 1) 04:10
4. Delusional Primacy (Part 2) 05:07
5. Hollow Mentality (Inst.) 00:36
6. Subsistence of the Bygone 07:02
7. Perdition 04:37
8. Labyrinth of Darkness (Inst.) 01:08

Connate Exasperation was formed in 2009 by Sam, in Tehran, Iran. First work of the band was a self-produced mini album entitled "Crypts of Decay". In that EP, the band was composed of Sam (as composer/guitarist and bassist) and Mohammad (who joined the band as the session vocalist). "Crypts of Decay" was distributed in different parts of the world (USA by Sevared Records and Deathgasm Records, France by Nihilistic Holocaust, Turkey by Extreminal, South Korea by Infernal Kaos, Argentina by Southern Hell,...) and received a very good response, keeping the fans eager for new material.

Unfortunately, Sam had to put his musical activities on hold for a few years, but he did not stop thinking about music. During those years, he continued composing new riffs for Connate Exasperation. Then he joined Tension Prophecy for their tour in Russia. After the tour, he stayed with them, this times as a bassist, and cooperated in composing new songs for Tension Prophecy's album "Asylum of Humanity". After a while, Sam started to gather his old and new ideas to resume his activities in his brainchild, Connate Exasperation. Meanwhile, he appeared in Nex Carnis debut album "Obscure Visions of Dark" as session bassist and also contributed two guitar solos in one of the songs in that album.

Finally, in 2016, Sam prepared himself for recording the first full-length album of Connate Exasperation. He invited the talented and experienced Greek drummer, Geroge Trakas (Mass Infection, Resurgency, Blustery Caveat) and they could come to terms on a good agreement for working on the album. Moreover, Sam decided to take over vocals duties. All recordings were finished in 2017. After an extensive search for labels, Connate Exasperation signed a deal with Sleaszy Rider Records for releasing the album.

New album, entitled "Delusional Primacy" is ready to hit the market and the band is currently doing extensive rehearsals to start touring and live performance abroad. Connate Exasperation tends to blend old school brutality of death metal with some modern influences and complex structures, in a grim and dreary atmosphere. Lyrically, the album deals with subjects like social sickness, human degradation, ignorance and delusion with a tendency towards sarcasm.

www.facebook.com/Connate-Exasperation-456986157678806
www.reverbnation.com/connateexasperation
www.youtube.com/user/connateexasperation

GMA Awards 2017 'Release Of The Year' Part 3/6

29/12/2017

The 'Releases Of The Year' series are albums chosen by myself as the best release from each country / dependency known to have an official release in the year 2017. These are alphabetized in country order so are easy to navigate. Each award has national flag featured alongside the band name, Release Of The Year' and Facebook link (where provided)

"Release Of The Year" from Guyana

Feed The Flames - "Kyk-over-Al"

https://www.facebook.com/FeedTheFlames.F.T.F/

"Release Of The Year" from Honduras

Vendetta - "Un Nuevo Orden"

https://www.facebook.com/vendettahn

"Release Of The Year" from Hong Kong

Shepherds The Weak - "Biformity"

https://www.facebook.com/shepherdstheweak

"Release Of The Year" from Hungary

Nadir - "The Sixth Extinction"

http://www.facebook.com/Nadirhungary

"Release Of The Year" from Iceland

Auðn - "Farvegir Fyrndar"

https://www.facebook.com/audnofficial

"Release Of The Year" from India

Demonic Resurrection - "Dashavatar"

http://www.facebook.com/DemonicResurrection

"Release Of The Year" from Indonesia

Death Horizontal - "Death In A Dream"

https://www.facebook.com/DeathHorizontal/

"Release Of The Year" from Iran

Tarantist - "Not A Crime"

http://www.facebook.com/TarantisT

"Release Of The Year" from Iraq

Cyaxares - "House of the Cosmic Waters"

https://www.facebook.com/CyaxaresOfficial?fref=ts

"Release Of The Year" from Ireland

Na Cruithne - "Gairm an Fhiantais"

https://www.facebook.com/nacruithne/

"Release Of The Year" from Israel

Soul Enema - "Of Clans & Clones & Clowns"

http://www.facebook.com/pages/SOUL-ENEMA/115452471818030

"Release Of The Year" from Italy

Aevum - "Dischronia"

https://www.facebook.com/AevumOpera/

"Release Of The Year" from Japan

Crossfaith - "Freedom"

https://www.facebook.com/crossfaithofficial

"Release Of The Year" from Jordan

Eternal Insomnia - "The Endless River"

https://www.facebook.com/Eternal.Insomnia/

"Release Of The Year" from Kazakhstan

Inside The Flames - "Your Life Worth Nothing"

http://insidetheflames.bandcamp.com/

"Release Of The Year" from Kenya

In Oath - "The Bread of Disposition"

http://www.facebook.com/pages/IN-OATH/335937972959

"Release Of The Year" from South Korea

Formal Apathy - "The Upper Hand"

https://www.facebook.com/formalapathy

"Release Of The Year" from Kyrgyzstan

Shahid - "Откровение"

http://vk.com/shahid_hc

"Release Of The Year" from Laos

Rotkin - "Promo 2017"

https://www.facebook.com/Rotkin-442294702617692/?ref=page_internal

"Release Of The Year" from Latvia

Frailty - "Ways of the Dead"

http://www.facebook.com/FrailtyMetalOfficial

Iran's Mavara releases new album 'Consciousness' in September, 'Time Makers' lyric video posted

24/8/2017

Iran’s first premier progressive rock / metal band Mavara announced to release their new 4th album 'Consciousness' on September, 11th 2017. Mavara have just released a lyric video for the track 'Time Makers', which can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/JErV2chjPtw

The album was recorded by Farhood Ghadiri and James Welch. Mixed by Dean Baltulonis and mastered by Jay Frigoletto. Produced by Farhood Ghadiri and co-produced by Ashkan Hamedi / Sina Khdaeifar.

Mavara is:

Ashkan Hamedi - Vocals, Electric Guitar
Farhood Ghadiri - Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer
Anis Oveisi - Keyboards, Piano
Sina Khodaeifar - Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar
James Welch - Drums

1. Invasion (636 Gregory Calendar)
2. Love For Centuries
3. Childhood
4. Living The Fast Life
5. High On Power
6. Mandatory Hero
7. Time Makers
8. Run Out Of The Maze
9. Illumunation
10. Consciousness

The name Mavara means “beyond everything you think” which speaks to the essence of their music. The band was formed in 2001 by composer/keyboardist Farhood Ghadiri and over the years has had a fluid line-up of members, performing extensively in Tehran and Karaj.

Mavara quickly gained notoriety in Iran, receiving acclaim from the Tehran Industry and Science University as “Best Rock Band at a Live Performance”. Additional honors include an invitation to perform for the internet music festival, “Teheran Avenue” in both 2003 and 2005. Their music is best described in terms of their influences, with a generous helping of Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree and Marillion being the first bands that come to mind. In other words, more on the melodic side of Progressive Rock.

Mavara began recording their first Persian language album, “Ultimate Sound” in 2003 which was released in 2005. Their first English language album, “Forgotten Inside”, was released at a private concert in 2009. Among their first tour stops, was the Crescendo Music Festival in France during the summer of 2010. In 2013, Mavara released their epic third album “Season of Salvation”, on Transit Music Group Records in the USA.

Since arriving in the American soil, the band has been the subject of television programs [NH Chronicle/ABC Television, ‘Stir It Up’ on MCTV, etc], College radio live appearances [Tufts University, etc.] and countless magazine articles, The Hippo, The Union Leader, and most recently were featured in Spotlight Magazine where they graced the cover of the weekly magazine. Mavara was also invited to be one of 8 bands to perform at the prestigious "ProgDay Festival 2013" the longest running progressive rock festival in the world.

www.mavaraband.com
www.facebook.com/mavaraband

Iranian metal band Confess break their silence

24/6/2017

In November of 2015, the Iranian metal duo, Nikan "Siyanor" Khosravi and Arash "Chemical" Ilkhani, were arrested in November of 2015 by the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution and had some serious charges levied against them: blasphemy, advertising against the system, running an illegal and underground band and record label promoting music considered to be Satanic, writing anti-religious lyrics and granting interviews to forbidden foreign radio stations. At the time, we reported the band faced a maximum penalty of six years in prison, or worse, execution. Very little was public about the case at the time.

Today, Metal Injection published an interview with Nikan "Siyanor" Khosravi, offering his first public comments since the arrest.

Nikan offers an update on the trial, discusses how he discovered metal and reveals words of encouragement he's gotten from the likes of Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor, Arch Enemy's Alissa White-Gluz and even Eminem.

Read the entire interview here.

Iranian black / death metallers Zurvan prepare to unleash new album via Satanath Records

17/6/2017

Satanath Records has a knack of discovering great bands from even the most unexpected countries for metal in the world. This time around, they've unearthed a band from Iran, playing a form of black / death metal that leans towards the Scandinavian template but add their own flavour to the mix. Zurvan have created a sublime blend of semi-melodic, Dissection-meets-Bolzer kind of sound which it infuses with riffs that are distinctly Eastern-sounding. They're on their way to forming their own identifiable sound but even as of now, their music is a breath of fresh air and holds immense promise, especially for a band from a place like Iran. Like Azooma, they're likely to leave a mark in the genre.

1.   Gorge of Blood
2.   Convulsion
3.   Kiss of Death
4.   Isolation of Sense
5.   Self-Mutilation
6.   Kafir
7.   Zurvancide
8.   Aggression
9.   Hallucination
10.   Swamp
11.   Filthy Calendar of the Time
12.   Freezing
13.   Massacre

Line up:

Nâghēs - Guitars, Vocals
Tarōmad - Drums

ZURVAN Bandcamp
Satanath Records Official Site
Satanath Records Facebook
ZURVAN Facebook

Groundbreaking Iranian Alt Metallers Tarantist releases new album "Not A Crime"

5/6/2017

Formed in 2000 by a group of young underground metal heads, Tarantist originated in the basement alternative rock and heavy metal scenes in their native Tehran, Iran. Having to perform secretly-but-loudly often proved to be difficult, but after sparking a following via word of mouth in the underground, the band soon began to garner international recognition. Within just a few years, international media correspondents inspired by their story (including BBC, SKY, CNN, NPR, Metal Hammer and Kerrang) started visiting Tehran to meet and talk with Tarantist. These news reports and articles aided Tarantist in cultivating a worldwide following - motivating the band to relocate to the United States Los Angeles in 2008.

Although remaining positive, Tarantist quickly found that they weren't able to fully escape the pressures they faced back home, stemming from "not being Muslim enough". Once they arrived in the United States, they experienced opposite - uncomfortable stereotypes and assumptions directed at them simply based on their culture and/or how they looked - all the while never practising religion in the first place. Determined, Tarantist didn't let this slow them down. After growing some roots in North America, the band was invited to play several festivals like SXSW, CMJ, Canadian Music Week and Intergalactic Fest. Tarantist quickly added to their touring repertoire, performing on the same stages as Metallica, Motörhead, Stone Temple Pilots, Muse, Cheap Trick, Voivod, Sum 41, My Ruin, Ben Harper and many more.

After releasing three full length albums, an EP and several singles, Tarantist is pleased to announce the release of their new full-length album, Not A Crime, out now via iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Spotify and all other digital retailers. You can listen to a track from the album, "Rain, Pour Down", here: https://youtu.be/IZ0C0voT0y4

Similar to what their name suggests (tarantism is defined as a mania characterized by an uncontrollable impulse to dance, popularly attributed to the bite of the tarantula), Tarantist's music is energetic and keeps the listener moving and headbanging, incorporating a true heavy metal sound mixed with exotic, Iranian flavour. The band's lyricism focuses on themes of anti-extremism, anti-corporate system, human rights and support thereof - including women's rights, religious rights, and freedom of expression in the arts.

01 Silence Before Storm (Intro)
02 Hey You
03 Not A Crime
04 Your Dance
05 Disappointment
06 Summer
07 I Become God
08 Reflection
09 Rain, Pour Down
10 Burnt City
11 You Were Not
12 Pills
13 Vay Az To (Drunk Version)
14 Soldiers

Bassist / vocalist Arash says, "Instead of writing and singing in English like we usually do, for Not A Crime, we decided to sing/write in Farsi because we felt we need to pay our dues to the Farsi-speaking community and make history with something like this. The kids of Iran (like everywhere else) are being brainwashed by the propaganda and state media. We feel the new generation needs a fresh and uncensored source of awareness, un-diluted music and content, and original material. With this album, we aim to raise awareness regarding human rights issues/violations, freedom of expression in art and music, as well as educating the society and new generation through the story of our lives and what we've been through as of today. If interested, all of our lyrics are available in English at www.tarantist.com.

Musically, we've incorporated some traditional Persian instruments (Zarb, Santoor), with electric guitars, bass, synths and heavy riffs. Like always, we strive to create combination of new sounds and tones in a groovy way that we ourselves love!"

Tarantist remain constantly active - releasing new music and videos and spreading the word of freedom throughout the international arts community. Stay tuned for more coming from Tarantist in the months to come!

Arash - bass guitar, vocals (producer, music, lyrics)
Arsy - guitars
MadMetal - vocals, lyrics
Aidin - guitars, vocals

www.TarantisT.com (merchandise available here)
www.facebook.com/TarantisT
www.youtube.com/TarantisT
www.Instagram.com/Tarantist
www.youtube.com/TarantistVEVO
www.soundcloud.com/TarantisT

iTunes: TarantisT
Spotify and Pandora: @TarantisT
Twitter: @TarantisT

Iran's The Unknown links up with Amy Lee on "Lithium"

21/3/2017

With great pride Club Inferno presents the single "Lithium", the fruit of the strong work our band The Unknown had with the amazing and talented Amy Lee.

The song is the expression of a strong collaboration that The Unknown, Iranian based band, had with Evanescence singer Amy Lee..

THE UNKNOWN ft. Amy Lee "Lithium" is available here: http://smarturl.it/THEUNKNOWN-LITHIUM

- CLUB INFERNO ENT.: http://www.facebook.com/clubinfernoent
- THE UNKNOWN: http://www.facebook.com/TheUnknownOnline
- Digital order: http://smarturl.it/THEUNKNOWN-LITHIUM

GMA Awards 2016 - Releases of the year (F-J)

9/2/2017

Part 2/5 of releases of the year.

These releases represent national scenes and are not a general 'release of the year' (just to clarify)

Click your flag to see what release this year is considered the best from your national scene - these are picked by the editor.

Iranian death metallers Azooma release new full length via Xtreem Music

6/11/2016

Iranian death metal stalwarts Azooma return with a new album, their debut full length, after shocking everyone with their incredibly well-received EP titled 'A Hymn of the Vicious Monster'. The new album has taken things even further, showcasing superior songwriting and masterful execution. There's a special quality to their semi-technical structuring which remains intriguing even after a few listens. Musically, it's comparable to bands like Opeth (mid-period), Disincarnate, Gorguts, Nile, Ade, Hour of Penance and more, but Azooma strive to develop a sound of their own rather than directly emulating any of their death metal peers. To that extent, they succeed remarkably well. Azooma's death metal doesn't abandon the roots and yet does something progressive and adds its own flavour to it

1. Act 1: Plague of Predator
2. Act 2: Umbra of Mirth
3. Act 3: The Ocular Dominance
4. Act 4: Erosion of Shadows
5. Act 5: Non-Entity of Visions
6. Act 6: Flare of Flames
7. Act 7: Objectivity of Oblivion
8. Act 8: The Eyes - A Tale of Sight and Shadows

Shahin Vaqfipour - Vocals
Ahmad Tokallou - Guitar
Farid Shariat - Bass
Saeed Shariat - Drums

Xtreem Music Bandcamp
Xtreem Music Official Site
Xtreem Music Facebook
Azooma Facebook