Album Review: BAND OF SPICE – ‘Shadows Remain’

Band of Spice

Shadows Remain

Scarlet Records

Unlike the bloodthirsty beasts and mythical creatures that serve as subject matter for so much of the metal genre, the demons and monsters that occupy the songs on Shadows Remain are all too real. The third album from the namesake project of Kayser and former Spiritual Beggars frontman Christian “Spice” Sjöstrand, Shadows Remain is a harrowing ride that documents the darkest days of the singer/songwriter’s life, a period induced by isolation and the abuse of various substances. It’s a record that wears its soul on its tattered denim sleeve, a brooding bruiser that simultaneously kicks your ass and breaks your heart.

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THE BLACK HAND Premiers New Video “Where Are You Now?” Starring MICHAEL CUDLITZ from THE WALKING DEAD [Video Stream]

“The upstart rockers have a promising future and they are delivering one of the more intense and emotionally raw videos you’ll see this year…”Loudwire

So Cal rockers The Black Hand have just dropped another emotionally charged video for the song “Where Are You Now?” the second to be taken from their debut ‘Self-titled’ album which is out now and available across all platforms. The Rick Gomez directed video features Michael Cudlitz, best known for his role as ‘Abraham’ in the hit television series The Walking Dead. Lead vocalist Chris Hughes describes, “Working on this video was heavy. Everyone involved left it all on the set. As soon as you walked in the room you felt it. Cudlitz is as real as it gets, a true artist who goes all in every time.” Watch the full video below. Continue reading

AVATAR Announces Huge NA & EU Tour And Release First Song Of Upcoming Album ‘Avatar Country’!

Huge news! Not only did Avatar announce their 2018 NA + EU tour they also revealed their album name, song titles and even released 1 track of it. Get right in!

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Ben Flanagan of BLACK MAP On The Location Of A Video Shoot “There Were Just Tubs Of Lube Everywhere.”

Black Map

 

Black Map has been making the rounds this year on the festival circuit. This years Carolina Rebellion was actually one of the bands first festival appearances of the year. We were there to see their dominating performance and the fans there loved them just as much as we did. Again we were able to see them at Chicago Open Air in July and once again they were one of the most dominating bands of the day. The alt metal trio unleashed their first songs in 2014. First, their 4-song EP titled ‘Driver’ was released in February and all 4 songs were included later on that year on their first full length album ‘…And We Explode’. They put off a heavy 90’s rock vibe with huge, blasting riffs and raw emotion all packed into one punch. Last year the band made a large breakthrough with the premiere of a new song “Run Rabbit Run”. This song took the airwaves by storm and told us to get ready for 2017 because Black Map is quickly on their way to the top. ‘In Droves’ dropped across the US on March 10th via eOne Music. The album was produced by Aaron Hellam at Hellman Sound. Consisting of members from the bands Far, The Trophy Fire, and dredg, the band does a solid job combining all of the project’s sounds into one. Continue reading

BLACK STAR RIDERS Announce North American Tour With JUDAS PRIEST & SAXON

U.S./Irish hard rock band BLACK STAR RIDERS have announced yesterday, the band will be joining metal legends Judas Priest and Saxon for a spring North American tour, “Firepower 2018.” The tour will kick off on March 13th in Wilkes Barre, PA and will wrap on May 1st in San Antonio, TX.

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Album Review: NE OBLIVISCARIS – ‘Urn’ [Official Video Streams]

Two and a half years ago in the good wintry month of February, me and my cousin happened to witness one of the best prog extreme metal bands, who were pretty much new to my taste buds. A month before that gig, I started jamming their songs religiously and it instantly struck a chord in my heart. I remember my cousin weeping in all his happiness midway their set when Tim Charles started to move the bow to and fro on his violin strings, thus resulting in the harrowing yet beautiful ‘Painters Of The Tempest(Part I): Wyrmholes‘. I remember asking him “Dude, why the fuck would you cry in a metal concert?”. Yes I know, I was pretty stupid back then and probably didn’t understand the catharsis music leads you to. It actually lead me to some long time contemplation, how could someone be reduced to tears with such heavy and intense sonic atrocity.

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State Of The Art: REPLACIRE [Full Album Stream]


*This is a part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured state*

This month’s state is Massachusetts’!


It’s time once again to shake off those Monday blues with an absolute earth-shaker of a band that are completely redefining the new-wave of technical death metal. Hailing from MA’s capital Boston are technical death metallers Replacire. Already described as “a new breath of life for the death metal genre”, Replacire have been taking the aggressiveness and complexity of modern death metal and infusing it with beautifully intricate progressive elements and technical complexity. Think of a masterminded cosmic mutation that would ensue from the intense atmosphere and progressiveness of Mikael Åkerfeldts Opeth, mixed with Obscuras and Beyond Creations technical virtuosity and death growls, with Katatonias haunting cleans and dynamacism. Whilst this may sound in print like it has been done to death (pun-intended), Replacire stand out from the sea of other technical metal artists and are certainly at the head of the pack. Who ever said that metal was dead clearly has no idea what they’re talking about, with young blood like this keeping death fresh and feeding our bloodthirsty desires, Replacire are redefining an already extensively innovative genre and they are certainly the ones to be keeping an eye on!

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KOBRA AND THE LOTUS Unveil Brand New Lyric Video, “Prevail”!

Prevail I, the latest offering by Canada’s hottest metal export KOBRA AND THE LOTUS, has been successfully released in May 2017 on Napalm Records. A true rock juggernaut full of blistering guitars, pounding rhythms and haunting vocal melodies that is taking the listener on a sonic journey leading them out from the darkness and into the light. Produced by Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, AMARANTHE, EPICA etc.) and mastered by Grammy award winning Ted Jensen, ‘Prevail I‘ has undoubtedly ushered the band to a much deserved elevated hard rock status. Continue reading

DEUCE (Ex-HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD) Releases “Here I Come” Video!

Portland based and Los Angeles bred rapper, producer and singer Deuce has announced that his latest album, ‘Invincible’, will be released via Better Noise Records on December 1st. The masked musician is vying for immortality with 14 new tracks, representing his next natural step from his 2012 debut solo album, ‘Nine Lives’ – which sold 100,000 units, received 33 million views on YouTube, and featured the hit single “America”. ‘Invincible’ can be pre-ordered on iTunes HERE. Continue reading