Here is something for fans of sludge and doom metal. Introducing the American sludge/ doom metal duo Skeleton Screen. The band was formed last year by guitarist and vocalist Mark Johnston. Their debut EP ‘Conditions’ is out now and available from the Bandcamp page.
For more information visit:
https://skeletonscreen.bandcamp.com/releases
British extreme Gothic metal outfit Cradle of Filth are the latest band to jump on the live stream bandwagon. They have recently announced that they will be doing a live stream show next month. The event will take place on the so called “Devil’s Night”, the day before Halloween a.k.a. 30th October 2020 at St. Mary’s Church, Colchester Art Centre, England.
The band have recently been working on their new album, the yet to be titled follow up to ‘Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of Decay’. It remains to be seen whether the live stream show will feature any new songs, but the band have revealed that it will include the first appearance from their new keyboard player and backing vocalist.
The streaming times will be as follows:
22.00 (10.00 pm) GMT
23.00 (11.00pm) CEST
18.00 (6.00 pm) EST
15.00 (3.00 pm) PST
Tickets are on sale now at: https://cradleoffilth.veeps.com/stream/schedule
For more information go to: https://www.facebook.com/cradleoffilth/
Good news for Behemoth fans. The well renowned blackened death metal trio have recently announced that will be playing a worldwide live stream show on 5th September 2020. The event known as ‘In Absentia Dei’ will be filmed and streamed live at a church in a secret location in Poland.
They will be joined by special guests the American black metal band Imperial Triumphant, who will be playing from The Slipper Room Cabaret in Manhattan, New York. The exact time of the event has yet to be disclosed.
For ticket purchases and more information go to: https://www.behemoth.live
https://www.facebook.com/behemoth/
The world wide Covid 19 pandemic is still at large. Some live events are going ahead with restricted access and new safety measures but it will be a long while before large scene shows can resume. 2020 saw the rise of live steams with many artists and organisers getting together on virtual platforms to entertain their audiences.
GlobMetal Promotions have teamed with up Bloody News Metal Magazine to bring you the first ever Bloody News Online Fest. This will be a two day free live stream event taking place on 28/08/2020 and 29/08/2020.
The line-up will include: Belle Morte, Judgement, Arida Vortex, Rusted Nail plus many more. For the full band list check out the poster below:
The event will be streamed online via the Bloody News Metal website.
For more information visit the event page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/335636320939954/
Here is something for fans of doom metal. The Moscow based, Russian atmospheric doom metal artist Yesterday I Lived has just released his latest single ‘Theatre of Sorrow’.
The project was created last year. The new single and his self-titled debut album are available exclusively from his bandcamp page.
For more information visit:
https://yesterday-i-lived.bandcamp.com/
It’s been three years after their last studio effort ‘Two Paths’. Now the Finnish folk metallers are back with a new album called ‘Thalassic’. Here is an official statement from the band regarding the lyrical themes:
“The idea of it started to brew in my mind when I was doing interviews for ‘Two Paths‘ and many journalists asked if it was a theme album, and I noticed that I was answering all the time that because of the way we compose it’s almost impossible to make a theme album. This really started to piss me off and the decision was made: the next album would have a theme. At that time, we already had a few songs almost ready for the next album, and I started to listen to the demos much more from the feeling aspect instead of analyzing them musically. For some reason, all of them took me to a seashore, and the theme was found: something related to sea or water. So I started to read about history, myths and legend around the world that had something to do with the theme, but even though all of the lyrics are obviously inspired by this, I tried my best to keep Ensiferum‘s heroic mentality in them. In the end, there were too many ideas for lyrics, because I didn’t set myself any boundaries – like all stories would have to be Nordic, etc, and one of my favourite songs on the album tells about Andromeda from Greek mythology. I can’t promise that this way of lyric-writing will be the future of Ensiferum, but at least we did this once.”
You see the cover art and track-listing below:
1. Seafarer’s Dream
2. Rum, Women, Victory
3. Andromeda
4. The Defence of the Sampo
5. Run from the Crushing Tide
6. For Sirens
7. One with the Sea
8. Midsummer Magic
9. Cold Northland (Väinämöinen Part III)
10. Merille Lahteva (Bonus Track)
11. I’ll Stay by Your Side (Bonus Track)
‘Thalassic’ will hit the shops in both physical and digital formats on 10th July 2020 via Metal Blade Records.
In the meantime you can check out their new lyric video for ‘Rum, Women, Victory’
For further information visit:
Two years after their country music covers album ‘Outlaws ‘Til The End’ was released, now the American groove metal band DevilDriver are back. They recently announced that their new studio effort will be called ‘Dealing With Demons I’.
Their front-man Dez Farara stated that this will be the first volume of a double album concept focusing on human nature, emotions and personal struggles. Here is an extract of he had to say about it:
“It’s time to lay it all out, on two records. I’m never gonna revisit these subjects again. I’ve been writing about this sort of human nature, disloyalty and dishonesty, love and loss, since the beginning of my career. I am going in a more lyrically woke direction in the future. A lot of people say my music gives them strength. But what they don’t realize is that these topics haunt me. Over the course of these last few years we fled from wildfires, my wife battled cancer and now we are going through a pandemic… so it is what it is… let’s dump it all on the table and purge. I want to go through different topics in the future, so here we are now. I’ve laid it all out on a double record for all of you to hear.”
Check out the cover art and track-listing below:
1. Keep Away From Me
2. Vengeance Is Clear
3. Nest Of Vipers
4. Iona
5. Wishing
6. You Give Me A Reason To Drink (feat. Simon Blade Fafara)
7. Witches
8. Dealing With Demons
9. The Damned Don’t Cry
10. Scars Me Forever
‘Dealing With Demons I’ will hit the shops on 9th October 2020 via Napalm Records.
For now you can check out the lyric video for their new single ‘Keep Away From Me’
For more information visit:
https://www.facebook.com/devildriver/
So we may have to wait a while for the debut album from Alexi Laiho‘s new band Bodom After Midnight but there is some good news for his fans. The former Children of Bodom front-man’s autobiography ‘Alexi Laiho – Chaos, Control & Guitar’ is now available in English.
The book was ghost written by Petri Silas, a music journalist and personal friend of Mr. Laiho. The original version (in Finnish) came out last year.
The international, English edition is available from the following online stores:
Alexi Laiho – Chaos, Control & Guitar (Book in English)
https://www.recordshopx.com/book/laiho_alexi/kitara_kaaos_kontrolli/
For further information go to:
https://fi-fi.facebook.com/AlexiLaihoOfficial
https://www.facebook.com/bodomaftermidnightofficial/
So it’s official… Children of Bodom is no more. The well renowned Finnish melodic death metal group played their last show in Helsinki, Finland in December last year. With their front-man Alexi Laiho loosing the rights to the name, a decision was made for the band to call it a day.
Luckily, there is some good news for their fans. Alexi Laiho has recently formed a new band called Bodom After Midnight. He will be joined by former CoB band-mate guitarist Daniel Freyberg, drummer Waltteri Väyrynen (Paradise Lost) and bassist Mitja Toivonen (Santa Cruz). The band have yet to find a full time keyboard player, but for now the keyboards will be performed by a session musician called Lauri Salomaa.
Bodom After Midnight are scheduled to play their first show at Tuska Open Air Festival on 27th June 2020 with other festival dates to follow this summer including John Smith Rock Festival and Summer Breeze Festival.
For now check out their new Facebook page for more details:
https://www.facebook.com/bodomaftermidnightofficial/#
The Polish death metal group Vader have a long tradition of releasing an EP as a teaser to an upcoming album. So when ‘Thy Messanger’ came out last year I suspected that there was a new Vader album in works. Well, there is… Now the new opus has a name, cover art and a release date. Peter and the gang recently revealed that the follow-up to ‘The Empire’ will be entitled ‘Solitude in Madness’.
You can check out the cover art and track-listing below:
1. Shock and Awe
2. Into Oblivion
3. Despair
4. Incineration of the Gods
5. Sanctification Denied
6. And Satan Wept
7. Emptiness
8. Final Declaration
9. Dancing in the Slaughterhouse
10. Stigma of Divinity
11. Bones
‘Solitude in Madness’ will hit the shops both in physical and digital format on 1st May 2020 via Nuclear Blast Records.
For further details visit:
https://vader-band.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/vader
The Swedish power metal band Prime Creation will be coming to British shores this spring.
Here is the schedule:
April 9th – Bannermans Bar, Edinburgh, Scotland, The UK
April 10th – Alma Inn, Bolton, The UK
April 11th – Sanctuary Burnley, Burnley, The UK
April 12th – The County Music Bar, Chesterfield, The UK
The tour follows the release of the band’s second album ‘Tears of Rage’, which came out last year.
For more information go to:
https://www.facebook.com/primecreationofficial
https://primecreationband.com/
It’s been three years since their last studio album ‘The Immortal Wars’. Now the Canadian symphonic metal band Ex Deo are back with a new single called ‘The Philosopher King’. The song tells the story of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius and it features additional orchestrations by Francesco Ferrini from Fleshgod Apocalypse.
You can check out the cover art below.
‘The Philosopher King’ digital single will be out on 13th March 2020 via Napalm Records. Keep an eye out for the video coming soon.
In the meantime, for more information go to:
https://www.facebook.com/exdeo/
https://exdeo.bandcamp.com/
It’s been five years since their last studio album ‘ Endless Forms Most Beautiful’. Now the the world renowned Finnish symphonic power metal band Nightwish have announced that their new opus will be called ‘Hvman. :II: Natvre.’
Here’s the cover art and track-listing:
Disc 1
1. Music
2. Noise
3. Shoemaker
4. Harvest
5. Pan
6. How’s the Heart?
7. Procession
8. Tribal
9. Endlessness
Disc 2
1. All the Works of Nature Which Adorn the World – Vista
2. All the Works of Nature Which Adorn the World – The Blue
3. All the Works of Nature Which Adorn the World – The Green
4. All the Works of Nature Which Adorn the World – Moors
5. All the Works of Nature Which Adorn the World – Aurorae
6. All the Works of Nature Which Adorn the World – Quiet as the Snow
7. All the Works of Nature Which Adorn the World – Anthropocene (incl. “Hurrian Hymn to Nikkal”)
8. All the Works of Nature Which Adorn the World – Ad Astra
‘Hvman. :II: Natvre.’ will be out worldwide on 10th April 2020 via Nuclear Blast Records.
For more information go to:
http://nightwish.com/en
https://www.facebook.com/nightwish
Good news for My Dying Bride fans. It’s been five years since the British doom metal group’s last studio effort ‘Feel The Misery’. Now the wait will finally be over soon. The band have recently announced that their long-awaited new album will be called ‘The Ghost of Orion’. This is will be My Dying Bride’s first studio release with Nuclear Blast Records.
Here is an official statement from the band:
“A new album for a new era of MY DYING BRIDE with fresh faces and a more accessible style compared to some of their past, highly technical releases. ‘The Ghost of Orion’ features compositions not only of epic proportions but of intimate quality too, from death metal vocals to the pained cries of a vocalist in longing, the L.P. will raise and fall like the beautiful landscape of Yorkshire in which it was recorded. With layer upon layer of guitars both heavy and harmonic, Andrew Craighan has created a rich soundscape that is beautifully epic, enhanced with violins and keys from Shaun MacGowan along with the ominous murmur of cello from acclaimed cellist Jo Quail. And speaking of guest artists, the wondrous voice of Lindy-Fay Hella (WARDRUNA) adds an ethereal beauty to the album. Adding his particular style of drumming this time round is Jeff Singer whose percussion exploits have elevated the bands’ rhythm section to another level aided by the effortlessly stylish Lena Abe on bass guitar. Aaron Stainthorpe delivers a compelling and often disturbing performance with his own particular style of vocals offering sincere eulogies along with the visceral carnage of a soul in pain, with poetic lyrics of a quality not often seen in this genre. This collection of songs is the bands most brilliant yet, honing 30 years of experience into the well crafted offering that is ‘The Ghost of Orion’.”
You can check out the cover art below:
‘The Ghost of Orion’ will be out worldwide on 6th March 2020. There will also be a music video for the first single ‘Our Broken Shore’ coming later this week.
For more details visit:
http://www.mydyingbride.net/
https://www.facebook.com/MyDyingBrideOfficial/
2019 was a great year for going to gigs and an even better one for seeing band I never thought I would have the opportunity to see. Great discoveries and fun bands that I wouldn’t have had the chance to see if I didn’t take a risk and just get to the shows. So I thought to round off the year and to relive some memories. This is not a complete list of everything I went to see, just some really great highlights.
February
Godsmack w/ Like A Storm @ The Ritz, Manchester
Starting of 2019 was a real dream come true. I finally got to see a metal band that I have long admired. It had been over 14 years since the last time, Godsmack had actually toured in the UK. So with the release of their latest album, When Legends Rise they finally made the time to get out to the UK. I got my ticket and got to this show. Yeah, it blew me away. Opening the show was another band that I had always wanted to see, Like A Storm. So overall, this looked like it was going to a gig that was handcrafted for me. Both bands freaking nailed their set! As for me, finally getting to see Godsmack live in concert, was such a treat. Getting to hear some of my favourite songs like, “Voodoo”, “I Stand Alone”, “Awake”, “Cryin’ Like A Bitch” was great and it’s so nice to report that Godsmack is an incredible live band. I had heard mixed things for so long about their live sets but on the night, the band, the crowd and the atmosphere was truly excellent.
March
Skarlett Riot w/ Sister Shotgun and Fahran @ The Flapper Birmingham
What a birthday treat. Getting to see one of my favourite bands with some excellent support acts to boot. It was my first time checking out Sister Shotgun and I have to say that I was really impressed, their mix of glam rock and heavy metal reached me and I ended up picking up their albums after the show. Fahran is always a treat when they play live and by this point, in the night the crowd was building up a little so there was a little bit of an atmosphere. Then you Skarlett Riot… Well, there’s a reason they’re one of my favourite bands. They really bring their A-game to every show. They’re one of those bands that love being on stage and entertaining the fans. With every song, the crowd was singing along with the band and at times the crowd was louder. They continue to be one of my favourite bands and with the announcement that they will be getting around making some new music, you know I’ll be front and centre whenever they return to the stage.
May
Mutant Monster w/ The Innocent Bystanders and The Papashangos @ Jimmy’s, Manchester
This is the result of deciding to go to a gig at the last minute. I heard about this gig on a Monday, bought the ticket on a Wednesday, went to the show on Friday and wrote and uploaded the review on Saturday. This was a crazy experience. Before going to the show I didn’t know any of the bands playing and yet, when I got to the show, I felt right at home in the crowd. The drinks were flowing, the music was loud and the atmosphere felt just right. The opening bands were enough to get the energy flowing in the venue, with the rough sounds of The Innocent Bystanders was a great welcome for punk fans. The Papashangos injected the venue with a lot of life and energy. Then you have Mutant Monster, oh what to say about them? They were excellent. The Japanese punk-rock trio lifted the spirits of the Manchester crowd and got them moving and shouting. They were truly something else, playing right through an hour and forty-five minute set with little to no breaks or even slowing down. I was impressed by the mere stamina of them. Trust me, you’ll want to see all three of these bands if you get the chance.
June
Muse w/ Tom Morello and Pale Waves @ Etihad Stadium, Manchester
So this was the centre-piece of the year. Also the most expensive show of the year, with a £75 price tag. Let me say this right now, it was definitely worth it. This wasn’t just a concert, it was a spectacle. Opening up the show was Manchester-based rockers, Pale Waves. Who were decent though I feel their set was dampened by the rain. That being one of the pitfalls of playing an open-top stadium. However, the night dried up and Rage Against The Machine legend Tom Morello took the stage by storm. His guitar skill is something to be envied. Also, he brought a charity group on stage to sing the anthem “Killing In The Name”. Then you have, Muse, another band that I have always wanted to see, so finally getting to see this show was an amazing experience. They are just such an enigmatic act to watch. Their stage show in itself was amazing with a giant catwalk going to the middle of the crowd, backing musicians and a giant cyborg mutant creature. The set was a great mix of new and old material with the main part of the set dedicated to the latest album Simulation Theory. It was one night that I will never forget.
November
Anneke Van Giersbergen @ Effenaar, Eindhoven
I bought the tickets for this show as soon as it was announced and I made an entire holiday around this concert. For the longest of time Anneke Van Giersbergen has been one of my favourite singers, songwriters and performers. So, flying to the Netherlands for her 25th Anniversary show was a pleasure. Getting to see the great city of Eindhoven was a really nice part of my holiday and then there’s this show. The show was broken down into four parts. The classical part, where Anneke performed with a string orchestra and Within Temptation singer Sharon den Adel came on to play “Somewhere”. That honestly brought a tear to my eye. Then the rock part with Agua de Annique and playing some of her songs from her solo career and The Gathering. Next was the acoustic segment with Danny Cavanagh from Anathema, a beautiful moment of the set. Then ending on the metal set with Vuur. The variety of the show and Anneke’s genuine and soulful performance made this a night for the ages.
December
Tantric w/ Scarcasm and Attic Theory @ Fac251, Manchester
Finally, the show that I had waited for pretty much all my life. My all-time favourite band finally toured the UK and I got to see them play! The openers Scarcasm and Attic Theory rocked the night and set the crowd up well. However, actually seeing Tantric was such an experience. I still can’t believe this happened. Getting to hear the classic hits like “Breakdown” and “Mourning” and mixed with a great set that represented their whole career, for me this was the ultimate experience. The only sad thing is that there wasn’t much of a crowd to speak of. Maybe playing on a Sunday at the start of December in Manchester wasn’t the best time to get people out to a venue. So that was kinda bad, but I didn’t care and I don’t think the band did either. They were just happy to be playing to new people in a different country and I was happy for them. This was their first time in the UK and hopefully not their last!
Mick Birchall
Good news for Helloween fans… The well renowned German power metal band have recently announced that there will be a new tour next year featuring all three Helloween vocalists performing live on stage once again. The ‘United Alive World Tour Part II’ will start in September 2020.
Here are the dates:
26.09.2020 SK 🇸🇰 Zvolen, Ice Stadium
27.09.2020 AT 🇦🇹 Vienna, Gasometer
29.09.2020 CH 🇨🇭 Zurich, Samsung Hall
30.09.2020 IT 🇮🇹 Milano, Lorenzini District
02.10.2020 DE 🇩🇪 Stuttgart, Schleyer-Halle
04.10.2020 UK 🇬🇧 Manchester, Manchester Academy
05.10.2020 UK 🇬🇧 London, Brixton Academy
07.10.2020 FR 🇫🇷 Paris, Olympia
08.10.2020 LU 🇱🇺 Luxemburg, Rockhal
09.10.2020 FR 🇫🇷 Lyon, Le Transbordeur
11.10.2020 ES 🇪🇸 Barcelona, St. Jordi Club
12.10.2020 ES 🇪🇸 Madrid, WiZink Center
15.10.2020 CZ 🇨🇿 Prague, 02 Arena
16.10.2020 DE 🇩🇪 Bochum, Ruhrcongress
17.10.2020 DE 🇩🇪 Hamburg, Sporthalle
19.10.2020 HU 🇭🇺 Budapest, Papp Laszlo Sportarena
20.10.2020 PL 🇵🇱 Katowice, MCK
23.10.2020 RU 🇷🇺 Moskau, Adrenaline – Stadium
25.10.2020 RU 🇷🇺 St. Petersburg, A2
27.10.2020 EE 🇪🇪 Tallin, Noblessneri Valukoda
29.10.2020 FI 🇫🇮 Helsinki, Black Box
31.10.2020 SE 🇸🇪 Gothenburg, Partille Arena
Michael Kiske, Kai Hansen, Andi Debris and the rest of band are currently busy working on a new album, which is expected to see the light of day in late August/early September 2020.
For more details visit:
It’s only been a year since their last effort ‘Satanik Germanik’… Now the American industrial metal duo Hanzel und Gretyl are ready to unleash their latest creation onto the world next month. The new opus will be entitled ‘Hexennacht’ and it is expected to hit the shops on 13th December 2019 via Metropolis Records.
Here is the cover and the track-listing:
1. Hexennacht
2. Draconia Teutonik
3. Nüll
4. Vultures ov Death
5.Wolves + Witches
6. Jägermond
7.Der kaiz3rn8tor
8. Hellmeister
9. Triple Hexxx
10. Cursed Be
11. O Great Hekate
12. Ein kleine Hexennacht Muzik
For more details visit:
It’s been over twenty years, thousands of live shows, world wide tours and ten albums. Now it looks as though this might be the final chapter for Children of Bodom. A few days ago Henkka, Janne and Jaska (three of the band’s founding members), made a shocking announcement that they will be leaving the band before the end of the year. Here is an extract from the official statement:
”It is with heavy hearts that we announce that 2019 will be the last for Children Of Bodom with this line-up.
After almost 25 years with Bodom, thousands of shows & 10 albums it is time for Henkka, Janne and Jaska to step back and change direction within their lives. All three will miss the fans and supporters in every city in every country the band ever played.
The last show of this line-up will be on the 15th of December at Helsinki Ice Hall. Tickets still remain for some of the Finnish shows in December.
Alexi and Daniel will have further announcements about their plans to keep creating new music in the future.
Thanks again for everything – Children Of Bodom”
The band’s front-man, Alexi Laiho has yet to comment on what will happen next. The band’s latest album ‘Hexed’ was released earlier this year via Nuclear Blast Records.
Finnish fans can still catch the band live with the current line-up on the following dates:
5.12.2019 Seinäjoki, Rytmikorjaamo
6.12.2019 Oulu, Teatria
7.12.2019 Tornio, Teatria
10.12.2019 Helsinki, Tavastia (Sold Out)
11.12.2019 Tampere, Pakkahuone
12.12.2019 Turku, Logomo
13.12.2019 Jyväskylä, Lutakko (Sold Out)
14.12.2019 Jyväskylä, Lutakko (Sold Out)
15.12.2019 Helsinki, Black Box
For more information visit:
The American death metal outfit Cannibal Corpse have started their summer onslaught on Europe. They will be playing in Budapest, Hungary tonight (10th June 2019). Here is the rest of the schedule:
10.06.2019 (HU) BUDAPEST / A38
11.06.2019 (RS) NOVI SAD / Novosadski Sajam
12.06.2019 (RO) CLUJ-NAPOCA / Form
13.06.2019 (RO) BUCHAREST / Quantic
14.06.2019 (BG) SOFIA / Mix Tape 5
15.06.2019 (GR) THESSALONIKI / Principal Club Theater
16.06.2019 (GR) ATHENS / Piraeus 117 Academy
18.06.2019 (MK) SKOPJE / MKC
20.06.2019 (HR) ZAGREB / Boogaloo
21.06.2019 (AT) SALZBURG / Rockhouse
22.06.2019 (CH) AARAU / KiFF
23.06.2019 (FR) CLISSON / Hellfest
24.06.2019 (FR) LYON / Ninkasi Kao
25.06.2019 (IT) PARMA / Villa Del Fulcino
27.06.2019 (DE) LINDAU / Club Vaudeville
28.06.2019 (DE) GRAEFENHAINICHEN / Full Force
29.06.2019 (NL) DOKKUM / Dokk’em Open Air
30.06.2019 (DE) ASCHAFFENBURG / Colos-Saal
02.07.2019 (DE) BREMEN / Tivoli
03.07.2019 (DE) KIEL / Pumpe
04.07.2019 (CZ) TRUTNOV / Obscene Extreme
05.07.2019 (DE) STUTTGART / LKA Longhorn
06.07.2019 (FR) LIMOGES / CCM John Lennon
07.07.2019 (ES) BARCELONA / Rock Fest Barcelona
For more information visit:
