FALSE WITNESS: In The Company Of Snakes Album Review +Album Stream/”Out Of Ruin” Video Stream

Northern Utah, a world full of natures wonderful splendor. Pristine lakes, looming snow blanketed mountains, and jutting rock formations, but also home to False Witness. False Witness is an absolute Heavy Metal barrage. Groovy, and melodic, with chuggy head bang inducing riffage, diverse vocals and emotionally charged lyrics displayed neat and tight by 4 members, 3 of which apparently throw their vocals in the ring. With a home base in Logan, Utah the members of this cunning machine are Mckae Nielsen – guitar/vocals, Tyler Thurston – guitar/ vocals, Connor Werling – drums/ vocals, Ryan Hall – bass. The way False Witness employs a slew of different styles vocally and musically is truly a work of musical master craftsmanship that had me hooked from beginning to end, quite a few times… In fact, I found myself personally lost in the album so many times that it’s taken me a number of weeks to get this review written, let’s hope the guys can forgive my lack of due diligence and trade it for the heartwarming knowledge that I became so enraptured by this absolute monstrosity of an album that I just couldn’t stop beating my fists on my desk or banging my head long enough to write a coherent thought. Now that I’ve made associations and glossed up your eye balls, let’s jump into my thoughts on False Witness “In The Company Of Snakes”. Be sure to check out the music video for ‘Out Of Ruin‘ or the album in its entirety with the links provided afterwards!

In The Company Of Snakes” starts with one of the strongest album openers I’ve had the pleasure of hearing in recent years, a groovy yet aggressive ode to some poor soul who apparently needs to be reminded that pissing off a talented artist isn’t the greatest idea, because now everyone knows what a callous jackass you are through some harsh words and stabs at some pretty specific character flaws, but at the same time it’s catchy so now strangers are singing about you and I think that’s one of life’s greatest joys. ‘Out Of Ruin‘ starts with an obligatory “oh!” and swinging into instantaneous head swinger of a riff False Witness wastes no time at all letting the listener know they’re in for one hell of a ride as the assaulting first verse transcends into the chorus with the surprisingly, and expertly executed angelic vocals of McKae Nielsen. The second verse is full of that same emotion and agressive demeanor as the last but falls into a neat little segment of “chugs and doodles” as I like to call them (you know exactly what I mean) into an epic solo that captures the entire emotion and narrative of the track. The instrumental segments of this track are extremely well written, and as stated before, the track is brimming with raw emotion and accentuated with skilled musicianship, and triple vocals throughout its entirety. Let’s be honest with ourselves, vocalists playing guitar is always great. Guitarists also adding their vocals to the mix makes things even better, but when you take all of that and add a drummer to the mix things get really good in the best way possible. ‘Out Of Ruin‘ also sports it’s very own music video that you can find a little bit later on when you make it to the end of this review.

Eating Dirt‘ hits me in such a way I find it hard to put it into words. I would go as far to say this is probably my personal favorite track on the album. I cant get over how it just has a feel so reminiscent of the music I listened to in my high school days back in the early 2000’s. I definitely would not say its like any band or song in particular, but more that its just like so many of the great bands from back then rolled into one, almost like if they had a time machine and went back to that era of music they would fit absolutely seamlessly. Not overly complex, or fast, but not dull or meandering, but a nice mid tempo jam with a little fast picking, some power chords, deep chest shaking vocals, and well placed transitions that just keep your head bouncing involuntarily until you travel into deeper waters, but as you should know traveling to the deeper regions doesn’t come without its troubles. ‘Black Masts‘ is powerful and deep on multiple levels. Starting with some double bass and cymbal crashes into an aggressive first verse the complimenting vocals of drummer Conner Werling through the verses and McKae Nielsen’s gutturals in the chorus mixed with melodic guitars, cannoning drums and metaphoric lyrical content give this track immense depth in both sound and content.

Charging in with an immense stature and slow daunting drive is the albums title track ‘In The Company Of Snakes‘. The power of groove keeps plugging away through this album and I just cant get enough. Once again I find myself with my eyes closed and my head down soaking in every ounce of music that I can while the verse and chorus keep me marching along with droning and drawn riffs like a looming army of the damned on the road to conquering the world of the living. I find this track to be a perfect example of how deadly simplicity can be. Simple doesn’t mean bad, they’ve successfully figured out how to grab your interest and keep it there by employing undeniably powerful tones and raw anger, its like a beast of its own, beckoning you to come closer so it can eat you alive through intimidation alone. Demise is already implied and all you’re going to do by running is prolong the suffering. ‘Vulturous‘ and ‘Truth Dies With A Severed Tongue‘ both keep that same cruel cunning going as with the rest of the album. Unrelenting barrages of heavy riffs, blazing drum segments and trembling bass set effective backdrops for the consistently earth shaking vocals and literarily delicious lyrical prowess I have come to expect from False Witness thus far. The surprising dashes of clean vocals and technical guitar ability blended with moments of ambient dissonance in ‘Beneath The Skin‘ left me a little dumbstruck and in wonder of what other little surprises the rest of the album would have in store.

State Of Decay‘ brings the groove back, or did the groove ever even go away? The answer is simple, it didn’t ever leave, I just figured you would grow weary of me sounding like a teenager from the 1960’s. Easy to digest, never a dull moment, and even a few brief tempo changes make this another absolute banger of track that leads into the most drastic change in feel I’ve experienced on this journey. “Cosmic Maw” starts with a cleanish guitar tone and angry vocals before evolving into an almost cinematic affair. An accenting choir, and spoken word dictation compliment an orchestral composition in the background to create an atmospheric and imaginative wonderland as we descend into the closing track ‘Glass Eyes (Forever in Formaldehyde)‘. Again employing dramatic orchestral composition and a begrudging, zombie like drone this track uses powerful guitars and drums with an epic background complimenting emotional vocals once again placing the listener in an entirely new world. At some point throughout the album I found myself almost unable to explain the experience in any other terms than how the music made me feel, the album just keeps evolving, becoming simple, but more complex. The more I listened the more connected I became, the music became more than just music but an extension of my consciousness itself, unable to separate my own inner monologue from what was being projected into my ears. This album will go on the list as one of the best albums I’ve had the pleasure of listening to, and I hope you take the time to give it a listen. False Witness In The Company Of Snakes” is out now, head over to their Facebook page below and buy the album, head on over to YouTube and check out the official video for ‘Out Of Ruin‘ with the link provided, or find it wherever you stream music!

https://youtu.be/MZ8do–dxMg

https://linktr.ee/falsewitnessofficial?fbclid=IwAR2A1bU5aT5wQLV6ZL_vgmgqqJQTkpIRDpovVUM5yZ4AyJ1z-OwhZNS_1R8

ZEROKING Takes On The Varying Lifestyles Of A Rockstar In “Looks Like Hell” [Video Stream]

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Few things in life go together better than Jäger, blunts, and blow up dolls, am I right? Well, Zeroking’s latest music video for “Looks Like Hell” shows that these Southern metallers definitely know how to party (and even cook a mean breakfast). As the first single off their upcoming album ‘The Empire of Sin,’ “Looks Like Hell” is chock full of groove, sleazy riffs, and a catchy chorus in the vein of bands like Black Label Society and Down.
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State of the Art: Iowa’s BLEEDCHAIN [Track Stream]

Barking vocals, chugging bass and anger. Waterloo, Iowa natives, Bleedchain find balance between new school death metal, old school groove and partying. Keeping the band on tempo, Joe Bartruff on the drums. Scott Carey holds down the low end on bass and vocals. Guitar duo consists of Mike Tucker and Michael Tucker and Lucus Johnston fronts the band.

The band has been around for a little over a decade and have released one demo and two full lengths: 2010’s “Rise of the Goddess” and “Martyrs Throne” from 2016. Bleedchain are hard hitting, fast paced and unforgiving. Experimenting with layered vocals and excessive shredding on top of some NOLA influences, check out the songs, “Viliscas Axe” and “Pile Hammer” Influences from Pantera and DevilDriver are present. Anyone seeking chugging riffs and chugging beer, Bleedchain is the here.

Bleedchain are often playing local gigs in Iowa which can be found on their Facebook page. Listen to their music on ReverbNation.

CHROMATIC POINT Pushes The Boundary Of Prog With New Music Video, “Clockwork”!

Macedonia? Anyone? Betcha didn’t know any bands from the land of the great Alexander from Macedon! Alright let me do the honours of shedding some light on you in introducing one of the most creative and intriguing bands from Europe. Headbangers! introducing the ever so vibrant, and one of my all time favourites, ethno progressive(yeah, this too!) band CHROMATIC POINT, from the Balkan land of Macedonia(FYROM). “Chromatic” as they sound both musically and visually, the band incorporates every sense of the word and just goes on to show the frantic and seemingly chaotic nature of it’s sonic virtuosity. Just like the rapidly changing “flight of the bumblebee”. See what I did there? Yup, that was your daily dose of classical music puns!

All right let’s stop beating around the bush and get to the point. So, this Balkan progressive powerhouse has just unleashed their brand new music video, “Clockwork” today, which the band says has been taken off their “next studio material“. Let’s get dissecting the new chops!

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An Interview With Indian Thrashers CARNAGE INC.

Even after three decades of what spawned as thrash metal in the suburbs of Bay Area, by sweaty, long haired dudes with an unforgiving punk attitude, it is overwhelming that thrash metal has survived every obstacle in its way. Likewise, the seismic waves of thrash metal have ever since traveled far and beyond continents. Similarly, from the hustle and bustle of the city that never sleeps, emerges a thrash squad who are adamant on not putting their foot off the throttle. CARNAGE INC. from Mumbai, India are taking forward the baton of Bay Area thrash metal and spreading the “carnage”!

CARNAGE INC. came into existence back in 2011. Hailing from the city of Mumbai, they are adding a new flavour and aggression to what we all dearly call thrash metal. Having shared the same passion for METALLICA, front man Varun and ex-drummer Olav thought, why not materialize this passion into something even bigger. And thus CARNAGE INC. saw the light of the day. Into their sixth year of existence, the band has released an EP, titled, ‘Fury Incarnate‘ through Indian label Transcending Obscurity last year’s summer. The debut EP has received a lot of deserved attention and has put them on the board of country’s rising bands. Fast riffing, lightning speed drumming, groove that will knock your heads off and rashy, pissed off vocals are what CARNAGE INC. offers to the listener for an aural assault.

We recently had a chat with the boys and this is what went down. Take a look below for the interview. Oh and while you’re at it, since Christmas is coming soon, remember to add THIS to your festive melodies!

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TRIVIUM Release New Album ‘The Sin And The Sentence’ Details & New Single ‘The Heart From Your Hate’

On the last day of July TRIVIUM released their all new music video from the upcoming album ‘The Sin And The Sentence‘, which you can watch it HERE! Now TRIVIUM has officially released all the details regarding the same, the new album will be out on October 20th via Roadrunner Records and is already available for pre-orders from today onwards. They have also released their second single from the same upcoming album, titled ‘The Heart From Your Hate‘ and it sounds amazing. Check below for the video stream!

Recorded with producer Josh Wilbur (LAMB OF GOD, GOJIRA) at Santa Ana, California’s Hybrid Studios, ‘The Sin And The Sentence finds TRIVIUM – Matt Heafy (lead vocals, lead guitar), Corey Beaulieu (guitar, vocals), Paolo Gregoletto (bass) and Alex Bent (drums) –returning with their first new music since their celebrated 2015 LP, ‘Silence In The Snow.  The new LP also features the band’s first recordings with new drummer Bent who joined the band last year.

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GOJIRA Announce U.S. Headline Tour With Special Guests TORCHE & CODE ORANGE

French groove rockers GOJIRA seem to love the U.S. and aren’t leaving anytime soon. Already on a hike with METALLICA‘s WorldWired Tour, the band have recently released another leg of tour dates. But this time, they are on the driving seat as they set to embark on a headlining U.S. Tour with support from sunny Florida act TORCHE and CODE ORANGE, American hardcore unit from Pennsylvania. The tour is all set to take off on a high note on October 2nd at the House of Blues in Cleveland, OH before putting the brakes on in Sacramento, CA on 21st October. Artist presale tickets for the new headline dates will be available today at 2:00 PM local time, followed by a Spotify pre-sale on Wednesday, August 9th at 10:00 AM eastern time and finally a venue / promoter pre-sale which begins Thursday, August 10th at 10:00 AM local time. Tickets for all dates will go on Friday August 11th at 10:00 AM local time. For more info regarding the same, visit HERE!

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TRIVIUM & ARCH ENEMY Announce Co-Headlining North American Fall Tour

TRIVIUM and ARCH ENEMY are excited to announce plans for a co-headlining tour across North America later this Fall. Featuring support from English metalcore outfit WHILE SHE SLEEPS and New Jersey deathcore act FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY, the tour will kick off on October 27 in Orlando, FL and make its way across the U.S. and Canada before finishing on December 6 in Houston, TX.

TRIVIUM stated, “We’ve been joining forces with Arch Enemy for over a decade now.  From Ozzfest 2005, through arenas across the U.K., Europe, and Australia on The Black Crusade.  This next chapter is going to be one for the ages:  Trivium, Arch Enemy, While She Sleeps, and Fit for an Autopsy!!  DO NOT MISS THIS!!”

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TRIVIUM Share New Music Video For “The Sin And The Sentence”

TRIVIUM has returned with a new track titled, ‘The Sin And The Sentence‘ the first new music from the group since their celebrated 2015 LP, ‘Silence In The Snow‘.  TRIVIUM will return with a new album this fall, with more details to be announced in the coming weeks. Matt Heafy and co’s new single sounds heavy, furiously fast and the usual groovy that the band carries along with it as a trademark. 

In the meantime, the Orlando, Florida-based band will spend this August lighting up Europe, starting tomorrow which includes appearances at such hard rock and metal festivals as Germany’s Wacken Open Air, Austria’s Jolly Roger Festival, Poland’s Woodstock Festival and more along with headline dates featuring support from Obituary and Bury Tomorrow (See attached itinerary). For complete tour information and tickets, please refer below.

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DEVILDRIVER Announces US Tour With 36 CRAZYFISTS, CANE HILL, UNCURED & TETRARCH

Time to rejoice if you’re a groove metal fan. Southern groove metallers from Santa Barbara, California, DEVILDRIVER will embark on a headlining tour this August and September featuring special guests 36 CRAZYFISTS, CANE HILL, UNCURED and TETRARCH. The month long tour starts from August 18th in San Jose, CA and wraps up on September 22nd in Lubbock, TX. This one surely looks like a mad tour. If I lived in the US, I wouldn’t miss this cool chance to go see them. So, make it a point to go see them, I mean who doesn’t love groove metal, come on!

I am proud to announce the next DevilDriver headlining through the United States.  We are bringing our great friends 36 CrazyFists who we haven’t toured with in years as well as Cane Hill, Uncured and Tetrarch! – Come out to a show and GET IN THE PIT!  See ya there!” says DEVILDRIVER frontman Dez Fafara about the upcoming tour.

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