Australian modern prog metallers Ironstone unveil music video for new single "Mr.Struggle"30/10/2021 
Ironstone have released their new single ‘Mr. Struggle’, the first since releasing their debut EP ‘Prophecy’ last year. The video had its world premiere yesterday at metal.de. Navigating through difficult emotions, ‘Mr. Struggle’ is the story of a man who cannot cope with a manipulative relationship. Unequipped to deal with the psychological abuse, he pleads for relief before eventually coming unravelled. The lyrics touch upon the idea that when it comes to emotional games, it’s not always a level playing field. This paints the picture of someone who struggles with more intense emotions and especially needs a degree of allowance and understanding. Mr. Struggle is definitely a step in a more progressive direction for the band. With ambient sections and melodic vocals through to breakdowns, heavy percussive guitars, technical drumming and extreme vocals, the band uses everything at their disposal to evoke drama and tell a compelling story of pain and vulnerability. The release is accompanied by a music video, shot over a long period in between COVID lockdowns. It shows Mr. Struggle desperately trying to hide the situation in front of friends, versus the reality of what’s going on behind closed doors. In the end he breaks, and the story takes a very dark turn. "It’s definitely our most ambitious video project yet, and the first time we’ve ventured away from just performance footage. We really wanted to tell a story with this video" says the band. Mr. Struggle was mixed by Chris Themelco and mastered by Acle Kahney (TesseracT) Ironstone are:
Ironstone is a progressive metal band from Bendigo, Australia. Influenced by a range of modern metal genres, their music features a blend of clean and distorted vocals, djent-driven riffs and breakdowns, atmospheric layers, and technical rhythm. The result is a contemporary metal sound that is sophisticated, melodic, and hard-hitting. https://www.facebook.com/ironstone.official
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 [photo credit: Eric Rossell] Napalm Records is proud to announce the signing of the outstanding progressive / melodic death metal band Persefone. Hailing out of Andorra, the five-piece outfit is known for the creation of rich soundscapes and technically precise work that sets new standards in modern extreme progressive metal. Founded in 2001, Persefone has released five studio albums, each one showcasing the band’s myriad of musical principles: high technicality, distinct melodies, plenty of head-turning riffs and musical acrobatics. The band has toured worldwide with notable acts like Obituary and Leprous, and has hit the stages of important festivals such as Wacken Open Air, Metal Days, Brutal Assault, ProgPower and 70,000 Tons of Metal. For their previous albums, the band collaborated with producers such as Jens Bogren (At The Gates, Haken, The Ocean), Logan Mader (Gojira, Periphery, Once Human) and Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Amaranthe, Epica). Recently, Persefone finished recording their sixth studio album, which will be released in early 2022. The album is mixed by David Castillo, who has worked with genre greats like Leprous, Soen and Opeth, and mastered by Tony Lindgren (Enslaved, Ihsahn, Sepultura). Persefone comment on the signing:- "We are excited to announce that we have signed a worldwide deal with the renowned label Napalm Records. Since we started working on the new album, we knew we wanted to bring this whole experience that is Persefone to a new level. Teaming up with Napalm Records will allow us to reach a new stage we couldn’t get to otherwise and we can't wait to show you all what we’ve been working on these last few years. Stay tuned for more announcements about our new album and tours coming up! The amount of hours and resources we have put into this release is way beyond any other album we have ever conceived. We have put the question mark on every little detail - from the writing process to the very last production element. Also, the commitment David has shown during this whole process definitely shows in the final sound of the album as it sounds huge, powerful and very organic. For us, every new album means a new challenge to surpass and this particular one has been no exception. For the first time ever we couldn’t be happier with the result. Much love.” Sebastian Muench, A&R at Napalm Records adds:- "Persefone's album ‘Aathma’ is unquestionably one of most creative and inspiring progressive metal albums of the last decade! Having eagerly listened to some of the new songs, fans can expect another masterpiece! I am looking forward to working with Persefone and the Welkin Entertainment Management around Tim and Rahul. Welcome to the Napalm family!" The album’s release is planned for early 2022. Stay tuned for more news! Persefone is:
Persefone online:  American progressive metal band DemiAura have released their debut album, entitled "The Ascendant", via Pavement Entertainment. "The Ascendant" features ten songs that were mixed and mastered by Brad Cox at Black Paw Studios in Lawrenceville, GA. Stream DemiAura’s "The Ascendant" on digital platforms everywhere here: https://orcd.co/theascendant  Vocalist Chelsea Wrathchild says:- “The Ascendant has a lot of musical depth and complexity, as well as definitive moments of tension inside the songs that make you wonder what’s just beyond the horizon. The uncertainty propels you forward, yet there is some solace and solitude waiting for you on the other side. This is exactly how we felt creating the album - the ethereal cover art was unintentionally representative of how we were able to pull this project together against the odds, pass through that veil, and ‘ascend’ to the next phase of the band. We hope listeners will immerse themselves in the experience and keep an open mind about this modern perspective of progressive metal.” Check out DemiAura’s latest music video “Between Two Fires” ( BETWEEN TWO FIRES ), a song from The Ascendant which premiered in late June. The music video was directed by Steve D. Dorssom. “Between Two Fires” features stunning cinematic visuals from Arizona that pairs well with the atmospheric metal. DemiAura is the latest incarnation of the ongoing progressive rock fusion project first conceptualized by drummer Keith Heaney. Along with veteran guitarist Bobby Chavez and keyboardist Jonathan Gabriel, Jr., the trio had sought a vocalist for years without a proper fit. In 2017, they auditioned and welcomed vocalist Chelsea Wrathchild to complete the spectrum - a unique origin story of fate meeting opportunity.
French prog metallers Moonshine Oversight sign with Wormholedeath and announce "The Frame" album12/7/2021  French Progressive metal combo Moonshine Oversight have signed a deal with Wormholedeath for the release of their concept album "The Frame". "The Frame" will be out on 05 11 2021 on all digital platforms worldwide. CD release TBA. Band statement: "Moonshine Oversight are very proud to be part of the WormHoleDeath artists. We hope that our collaboration will lead to great things. We would like to thank the label for their trust." Band statement about the album: "The Frame" is a concept album about a protagonist living in a dystopian system where certain values have been hijacked creating a world where ultra-competition, ultra-individualism and over-consumption are virtues. To not want to be part of it or to fail, is to be part of the "misfits". Each song describes the dogmas of this System through the eyes of the protagonist who progressively questions its workings and its "virtues", until his exclusion from the System for his contrary thoughts. The album ends with an injunction from the protagonist to change the System and to join him in this change."
Hailing from Toulon, Moonshine Oversight is an alternative rock / progressive metal band founded in late 2014. Connected to the rock / metal scene, the band stands out for its progressive approach, borrowing the energy of rock, the power of metal, and even the delicacy of folk, creating powerful, introspective, and personal music. The band released their first demo EP in mid-2016, including a preliminary version of four songs from their upcoming debut album as well, and began playing numerous concerts in France. In 2017, the band began recording their debut album at CoxInHell Recording Studio in Saint-Aygulf( France) with producer Anthony Belguise. The tracks were mixed by Sebastien Gros and the album mastered by François Fanelli at Sonics-Mastering Studio (Marseille, France). "Vanishing Lines", the band's debut LP, was released on December 8, 2017. This first effort was well received by the music press and the band started a French tour in April 2018. In 2019, WormHoleDeath, an independent label specializing in metal music, discovered the band and offered to join them. This is how the band started to compose our second album. At the beginning of 2020, the drummer Julien Sorel left the band for personal reasons and was quickly replaced by François Mayer, a drummer with a solid experience. At the end of 2020, the band finished the composition and during the month of February 2021, they recorded it in Italy in Pistoia at The Grid Europe studio directed and produced by Jonathan Mazzeo. The band is ready to share its music with the support of the label WormHoleDeath and to introduce the album with a video clip with the song "Ghosts", the first single from their second album: "The Frame".  Indian metal trio Midhaven’s new album, Of the Lotus & the Thunderbolt, a rich concept album based on the theory of time, is available now. “Not clockwork time, but universal, cyclical time,” the band says. “We've grown up with a belief system that has repeatedly told us that things that have happened will happen yet again, and again, and again. Time is seen as a continuum, and there are more universes than just this one. These are subjects we’ve debated and discussed from time immemorial. From the ancients, right down to us, this is how time is experienced where we come from. So naturally, when we started discussing lyrical concepts, time is something that all subjects were ultimately pointing toward. We were acting from an awareness that in this grand circuit of the cosmos, the self is constantly recreated in every moment. It’s not just about time, it’s also about a very personal experience of that time, through the aeons as life itself. It ultimately boils down to how time chisels to perfection the one universal soul that finds itself echoed in every living being. For reasons not entirely known to us, it felt as though time channelled itself through us for the creation of this album. We were merely conduits in this process.” Keeping in line with the concept of time, the first video from Of the Lotus & the Thunderbolt, “Primal Song,” premiered with Rolling Stone India on the Summer Solstice. Watch “Primal Song” at https://youtu.be/gfFr2TMmn6s. The three-piece Mumbai-based band fuses traditional metal with progressive and modern rock to create earth shattering, heavy music with soaring guitars, operatic vocals, guttural growls and war track ready drums, polished off by deeply fascinating lyrical concepts. The melancholic and anguished tracks “Codeman” and “Para Brahman” focus on the existential search for “the reason why,” while the screams and cries of the past echo through “Primal Song” with its rage-induced lyrics and grimy vocals, conjuring images of man’s animalistic need to maraud and destroy. “Zhitro” and “Mahakaal” are the heavyweights of the album, ushering in Indian elements of dark, experimental sounds that are at once groundbreaking and heavy. Riddled with references to the ancient past, “Mahakaal” is the running theme of the album - consuming the world we exist in.- and an homage to Shiva, the Hindu god known as the Destroyer. Of the Lotus & the Thunderbolt was recorded in 2019 and readied for release by mid-2020, but Covid-19 – and particularly India’s staggering second wave of infection – caused the band to delay its release. “Covid-19 and its wreck-fest on planet Earth put a huge stop sign right in front of the music industry’s gate,” says the band. “We held off on release until things got better but a second lockdown prevented any place for release or tours in our country. We curated a 2021 release, and even though vaccinating a country as big as India is a daunting task, we just couldn’t wait on it any longer. ‘Of The Lotus & The Thunderbolt’ is a universal, yet personal experience that is being conveyed in the form of heavy metal. The world hasn’t had enough metal from this side of the planet.
Of the Lotus & the Thunderbolt’s artwork, brought to life by prolific indie artist Gaurav Basu (aka Acid Toad), reflects the theme of the album, presenting a gorgeous visual representation of the album’s concept. The record was mixed and mastered by ARIA nominated and internationally renowned Australian producer Forrester Savell (Animals As Leaders, Make Them Suffer, Karnivool), who adds a touch of polish and refinement while not straying far from the raw, analogue recording process.
Formed in 2012, Midhaven grew quickly with the launch of their first release, the 2013 EP Tales From The Tide. The trio soon became one of the first major signings of an Indian metal band to a worldwide record label, Universal Music Group (UMG), which release Midhaven’s debut full-length, Spellbound, in 2014. Like Of the Lotus & the Thunderbolt, Spellbound was also a concept album and featured re-recorded tracks from Tales From The Tide. Midhaven has been nominated for the VH1 Sound Nation awards in the category of Best Metal Act, performed live on VH1’s Indian Music Diaries, and was nominated for Radio City’s Best Metal Live Act in 2015. MIDHAVEN is:
MIDHAVEN online:  French Progressive Metal / Alternative Rock band Sunbeam Overdrive are delighted to share an acoustic live version of "Fainted Core", originally released as an advanced track on their first EP, which is still available through their Bandcamp page: https://sunbeamoverdrive.bandcamp.com You can watch the video at this location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAKjock_58M&ab_channel=SUNBEAMOVERDRIVE By working on final mastering touches, the band is now taking the final steps to release their first album, hopefully coming later this year. Expect alternative and progressive metal with 90's overtones!  Saudi Arabia's Aana.n7n is a melodic progressive metal quintet that is passionate about three things: writing stories, making music, and creating visual art. They are only one of a few bands from their country doing heavy music in Arabic vocals. The band says that:- "There isn’t a lot of music in our genre that converses with the listener using vernacular language and we truly wanted to showcase this in our stories, music, and visuals. We genuinely think it’ll be received positively by most local listeners and worldwide, be it they’re into the type of music we make or not. This album is unique in the way it is presented and we feel like it could set a standard for other acts to follow." Today, the band presents their fourth single "Sonnaa Al Dayaa" (translated to English 'Those Who Corrupt'), to follow their three previously released tracks "Youm Bedon Shams", "Al-Awwal" and "Esh Sawet". All will be featured on the band's yet to be titled debut album to be released later this year from Saudi Arabian based label Wall of Sound Records. Listen to "Sonnaa Al Dayaa" at the following links:
The planned debut full length will be a concept record that will tell one story about how social media affect us along with the people around us. Each track will be a chapter / themes covering topics such as the double life of a social media influencer, the effects of social media on self-esteem, cyber-bullying, etc. The band is aiming to take the listener through an engaging journey of ups and downs. They want people to be keener to the experience of listening to one coherent narrative of music, and they hope they manage to achieve that with this album. "The themes of the songs affect the sound textures we choose, this is best exemplified in songs like Youm Bedon Shams (Galactic and dark), Al Awwal (anxious and competitive), and the yet-to-be-released Al Rakhees (dirty and deceiving)." All the songs on the full length are meant to be viewed with accompanying artwork on Instagram and YouTube for the full audio and visual experience. It will also be sung entirely in Arabic and be an album that is percussive, heavy on the bass, with synth providing a melodic and dark background to it, along with Middle Eastern melodies. Post-Covid, Aana.n7n is very much looking forward to hitting the stage and incorporating their visual art with their live performances. Previous singles - Music Videos:
For more info:
Vietnamese progressive metalcore quintet Windrunner premiere music video for new single 'Cyan'11/4/2021  Vietnamese progressive metalcore act Windrunner have just released their brand-new single 'Cyan', via Famined Records. The official music video is premiering through Dreambound on YouTube. Listen to 'Cyan' on various music streaming platforms: https://sym.ffm.to/cyan The powerful fusion of melodic and intricate djenty riffs with skilful vocal choruses are showcased in the ferocious metallic storm that is Windrunner's sound, most especially notable in this new single 'Cyan'. The track opens with the band's distinct groovy and heavy instrumentation and builds up tension by harnessing brutal screams paired with lush cleans. The action packed and visually stimulating music video follows the story of an animated hero crew, parallel to a futuristic video game/anime, to accompany the energy and intensity 'Cyan' brings. Windrunner is a Hanoi progressive metalcore band formed in 2015 with 5 members, signed to American label Famined Records. Windrunner has gained success in the area with their unique sounds combining metalcore with Vietnamese traditional instruments, i.e., Dan Tranh (Vietnamese Zither/Harp), and Sao Truc (Bamboo Flute). In 6 years, Windrunner has released 1 full-length albums, 2 EPs, and 1 latest single released in November, 2019. Since then, Windrunner has actively toured various places in Asia, such as South Korea, Taiwan, China, Singapore, Thailand, and has shared the stage with world leading metal bands, such as As I Lay Dying, Emmure, After The Burial, Attila, Secrets, Benighted, Hiss From The Moat, etc. Windrunner’s full-length album “MAI”, released in November, 2018, reached 1 million streams on Spotify, ranked high on many iTunes’ 2018 charts: 16th in American metal, 7th in Australian metal, 2nd in UK metal, 1st in Vietnamese rock. EP “SEN”, released in August, 2019, reached more than 1 million streams on Spotify, standing in top 100 in iTunes’ metal chart during its first month. https://www.facebook.com/pg/WINDRUNNERBAND/  Russian progressive metalcore band Next Door To Heaven's new EP "Inside" is now out as of Thursday, March 25th. The self-released EP is the follow up to the band's 2020 single "Dance With Me" and the 2019 second album "V Ways To Accept" released on Sliptrick Records. "Inside" features five djenty melodic prog tracks along with special guest vocals from Lord Nelson (ex-Stuck Mojo) on the record's closing song "Flare Up". The band's discography has always been known for flirting with djent metalcore influences and this new release is no different, except this time guitarist Evgenii “Gene” Mazunov took the helm on the band's sound with the use of a 9-string Ibanez along with bass, arrangement, and composition duties. Also joining as a guest for the recording is well-known Russian drummer Pavel Lokhnin (God Eat God, Dominia, Perimeter). Vocalist and lyricist Daria Mazunova comments: "We put our souls into the music we create, always. It’s not about making music for something in return, not about making it for fun. It’s about emotions transformed into music. I would say for 'Inside', we entered into more metalcore territory though it doesn’t mean there aren't prog components or experimentation done. Conceptually, the general idea of the EP is a fight between a human and a machine and a master/obeying inside one person. If you look at the cover art you will see a heart combined with a car engine in the moment of ignition." "Inside" is available at the following links:
EP Recording Band Line Up:
Live Band Line Up:
Canadian prog death / thrash mob Cathartic Demise release lyric video for "Blade In The Dark"13/3/2021  Progressive Death / Thrash Metal quartet Cathartic Demise have released a lyric video for the song "Blade In The Dark," the second single from forthcoming album In Absence. Check out the video at the following location: youtu.be/aze66JZqHjs Cathartic Demise will release full-length album In Absence on April 9. Pre-order at: catharticdemise.bandcamp.com/album/in-absence In comparison to the band's self-titled EP, In Absence still consists of the Melo / Prog / Death Thrash Metal elements, but with a more "mature" approach. The overall musicianship within the band improved, as well as the overall songwriting capabilities. In Absence features the same aggression as the self-titled EP, but brings an intense atmosphere with extreme tempos, and brisk riffs. This release heavily carries on the epic melodic sections heard previously, and even going further with more complex song structuring and longer tracks. Aside from the aggressive side of things, hints of experimentation can be heard, showing slower sections, and clean parts as well.
Album Art by Ioannis Vassilopoulas Recorded and mixed by Jonah Kay at HM Studio, Waterloo ON Mastered by Jamie King Line-up: Bennett Smith - Vocals/Guitars Aaron Tanner - Bass Taylor Wroblewski - Lead Guitars Angus Pike - Drums The thought of Cathartic Demise came into fruition on October 8, 2017, after high school friends Angus Pike (drums) and Bennett Smith (guitar/vocals) jammed for the first time, and immediately decided to form a group. Bennett had demos previously prepared, (two of the EP songs) and the week after Aaron Tanner would join the line up, following a few weeks with Taylor Wroblewski (guitar) quickly completing the quartet. The four rehearsed immensely over a eight-month period landing their first show September 16, 2018. In December of 2018, the band entered into HM Studio, to record the self titled three-track EP Cathartic Demise, released April 26, 2019. For the rest of the year, the band played around Ontario, and in January 2020, Cathartic Demise would begin the recording sessions of In Absence. facebook.com/catharticdemise instagram.com/catharticdemise catharticdemise.bandcamp.com |
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