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

The Bucketlist With THE NORTHMEN

In this series we pose the age old questions to a wide array of music lovers. As fans of music most of us keep a mental list of active bands we want to see live that we haven’t yet seen. The Bucketlist brings to you those lists of your favorite artists and why those bands mean so much to them*

Originally formed in Watertown, New York, The NorthmeN have a sound that is equal parts epic, grandiose heavy metal and catchy, hard rock groove. For my ears, The NorthmeN are kind of what you might get if you threw Iron Maiden and Load-era Metallica into a blender with a dash of Scorpions guitar harmonies – a refreshing treat indeed. Check out their music video for “Forevermore” that not only features a killer track, but some interesting behind-the-scenes footage of the band as well. Continue reading

PhD in Heavy Metal Music: Australian University

The University of Newcastle, Australia, has always been an attractive place for young Aussies to study. With the announcement that it would offer a PhD program in heavy metal, it became cooler than ever. This is one of the best universities in the country, which consistently ranks among the top 10. To get such recognition for heavy metal music is awesome, but expected as well.

The problem with this genre is that it rarely gains recognition among scholars. People want to learn more about it. There are many passionate musicians who would love to study heavy metal from an academic point of view. But so far, they haven’t had such a chance.

The PhD program at the University of Newcastle will be supported by a scholarship, and it will be available for two domestic and one international candidate.

This is a highly challenging program. The candidates have to be ready to approach heavy metal music with a studious and serious attitude. They will have to write a research proposal and an actual PhD dissertation. But hey; at least the topic will be fun and they will be required to listen to music while writing.

About the Program

Professor Simon Springer is the person in charge of the program, which will be conducted under the direction of the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies. This Centre is committed to research on complex political, cultural, social, economic, and environmental policies and relations that transform regions and cities.

The scholarship program is not specifically focused on heavy metal music. It’s open to those who want to study the “Geographies of Homelessness, Veganism, Unschooling, or Heavy Metal Music.” We’ll have to admit: all these niches sound cool, but who could resist studying heavy metal at university?
The deadline for applications is 15 August 2019. You better hurry up! The successful scholars will start their studies between 01 January 2020 and 31 August 2020.

Two domestic students will receive an annual living allowance of $27,596. The scholarship for one international student will also cover the cost of tuition fees (that’s not necessary for domestic Aussie students, since the Research Training Program covers their tuition).

The course will be mostly focused on the geography of heavy metal. As a global music phenomenon, the genre and its subgenres represent unique subcultures and unique scenes. Australia, despite its distance from the geographical heart of the culture, has deep connections with the countries it originated from.

The researchers who gain this scholarship will focus on exploring the relationship between Australian heavy metal and colonialism, the lyrical themes in Aussie metal bands, the cultural diversity within the heavy metal scene, gender issues, and many other concepts that turn the genre into something worthy of academic research.

How Do You Qualify?

This is the hard part. You need at least a BA Honours degree to apply for the program. The candidates with an MA degree in Geography or a related field will have a priority during the selection process. The related fields include Political Science, Media Studies, International Studies, Sociology, etc. To apply for the program, you need to send your CV and a research proposal to Professor Simon Springer’s email.

Since the application deadline is coming close, you might consider the option to ask for proposal writing help. Giving up is not an option when the opportunity is so attractive. If you collaborate with a professional writer, researcher or editor, you might have that proposal done on time. It’s just a preliminary project that would set the track of your PhD dissertation.

Are You Interested?

Heavy metal music doesn’t get too much recognition in the stiff world of academic studies. They are focused on classical music and modern sounds that appeal to the general masses. We’re finally seeing a reputable university offering a great program that would advance the research and knowledge in this field. This PhD program will help us understand the origins of metal music, and the way the Australian subculture is influenced by colonialism and other factors.

If you’re ready to approach the genre with such a studious mindset, you might be the perfect candidate for the program. It’s a scholarship offer, so the least you could do is try.

BIO: Connie Elser is a writer, researcher, and editor for her own blogs. She maintains several online projects on music, culture, and film. Connie is committed to getting more people involved in the world of music, and she chose blogging as a way to achieve that goal.

KORN & ALICE IN CHAINS Twist Them Bones in Nashville [Review & Photo Gallery]

Korn

The freak was unleashed and the man was let out of his box when genre defining heavyweights Korn and Alice In Chains brought their co-headlining tour to Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN Friday night, with openers Underoath and Ho99o9 setting the tone early. The sixth stop of a 30 date US tour spanning mid-July to early September, Nashville once again proved a worthy host to all things metal as throngs of black t-shirt clad revelers funneled through the arena doors in fervent anticipation of coming undone. Continue reading

AMON AMARTH Unveil 2019 North American Tour With ARCH ENEMY, AT THE GATES & GRAND MAGUS

What a killer announcement this is! It looks like more of a Swedish invasion of North America, and it couldn’t have got any better when AMON AMARTH is at the helm of this viking ship. In this total viking onslaught, AMON AMARTH is joined by fellow Swedish big shots ARCH ENEMYAT THE GATES and heavy metallers GRAND MAGUS. This fall, starting from September 26th to October 26th, the Swedish hell raisers will devastate America and Canada in a month long affair.

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Chicago Open Air Spotlight: ALIEN WEAPONRY

*Every Tuesday from now until Chicago Open Air gets here we will be releasing an article about a band playing the festival to get you familiar with them.*

Today’s artist is Alien Weaponry.

On Sunday, May 19th, the young New Zealand thrashtastic trio in Alien Weaponry brings their immense sound to SeatGeek Stadium for Chicago Open Air. Brothers Henry and Lewis de Jong formed the band back in 2010 before they were even teenagers. The third member is Ethan Trembath. The trio bases a lot of their lyrics off of their Māori ancestry, which all three of them have. Most of their songs are also performed in the native language, te reo Māori. The band really took off last year and saw international success with the release of their debut album, ‘Tū’ via Napalm Records.

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BARONESS Reveal ‘Gold & Grey’ Release Date And New Album Details

baronessAmerican heavy metal band, Baroness, have just announced they will release their highly-anticipated fifth full-length album ‘Gold & Grey’ on June 14th, 2019 via Abraxan Hymns. In anticipation for the new LP, the band just dropped a music video for the song “Borderlines,” which you can check out below. Continue reading

ALL THAT REMAINS & ATTILA Crush The Apollo In Belvidere [Review and Photo Gallery]

All That Remains

About a month and a half ago, one of the more off the wall tours I’ve seen this year was announced. All That Remains, Attila, Escape The Fate, and Sleep Signals announced a huge tour with 30 dates spanning across the United States. Each band brings something unique to the table for this tour. Sleep Signals brings their signature hard rock sound with strong hooks. Escape The Fate brings an intense mix of slamming post-hardcore, hard rock riffs, and a heavy alternation between screaming and clean vocals. Attila brings their well polished deathcore sound that launches crowds into a frenzy. It feels like a party the entire time these guys hit the stage. To close the show, All That Remains brings an eclectic blend of sounds as they have progressed over the years. They have those famous, shredding riffs from songs like “Six” and “Two Weeks” to calm, powerful ballads like “What If I Was Nothing”. As you can see, the bill is varied but still has something that connects each band at the same time. The tour gives you your fill of all areas of hard rock and makes for an explosive night of music. We were lucky enough to cover this show at The Apollo Theatre A.C. in Belvidere, IL on March 10, 2019. You check out our review of each band along with photos from each performance below.

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The Bucketlist With ROARING TRUTH

*In this series we pose the age old questions to a wide array of music lovers. As fans of music most of us keep a mental list of active bands we want to see live that we haven’t yet seen. The Bucketlist brings to you those lists of your favorite artists and why those bands mean so much to them*

Since their inception in 2015, Dallas, Texas hard rock/heavy metal band Roaring Truth has set out to bring a positive energy to the scene with a sound that pays homage to the classic heavy metal greats. Their singles “Homesick” and “Do as I Say” have received much local acclaim and airplay around the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and the band has just released their newest self-titled EP via DSN Music, available via online and mobile stores. Guitarist Marty Hill takes the time to answer our Bucketlist question: Continue reading

VENENO Release “Motörheadbanger” Honoring Lemmy Kilmister! [Song Stream]

 

Today would have marked the 73rd Birthday of Motorhead founder and metal legend Lemmy Kilmister. In his honor the Brazilian rock n rollers Veneno have released a song in tribute of the late great Lemmy. From the very get go they were inspired by Motorhead and their mission statement is something that all bands should take notice of. It states: “We have two choices: to raise up our horns to the young bands of our generation, or say goodbye to our legends, while letting go of their legacy! Which road are we going to take? We will RAISE UP OUR HORNS – of course!!! And spread it everywhere to inspire children and young people to do the same!” Continue reading