Comments Off on LEGACY AT HEART Sheds Light On Mental Health With New Video “Razors”
After releasing the highly anticipated and the incredibly successful “Hollow & Alive“. Alternative rock formation LEGACY AT HEART now debuts “Razors“ – the fourth single off the band’s latest full-length album ‘Faces‘! Creating a distinguishable mixture of moderately paced memorable guitar riffs, heavy low end music profile and dark, brooding, yet anthemic and beautifully made vocal melodies, overflowing with genuine emotions “Razors“establishes a textural and tonal eminent dark sound with a mesmerizing emotional depth, which is tastefully outlined, emphasized and complemented by the menacing gloom atmosphere of the accompanying visual representation, perfectly complementing the concept behind the presented product – the significant importance that the topic of mental health has in our society nowadays.
“Razors“ truly represents and showcases LEGACY AT HEART‘s notable and rare ability to provide an unique sense of easily identifiable ambience, which perfectly summarizes the quartet’s astonishing potential to generate naturally comprehensible and catchy compositions, which only magnify the effect produced by the astounding artistic value present in every single aspect of LEGACY AT HEART‘s activity.
Comments Off on PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS and KING PARROT US Tour Rescheduled for This Fall [Official Trailer]
Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals and Housecorelabelmates, KingParrot are set to head out on a US tour this fall. The ChoosingMentalIllnessUSTour was originally scheduled for spring but has been officially postponed following Anselmo’s recent back surgery. Anselmo commented of the decision: Continue reading →
Comments Off on POETIC DESCENT Releases New Track Completing Online EP!
From Dayton, Ohio hail an newbie alternative metal band featuring former members of MAYFLY (Voluminous Records), and POETIC DESCENT have been already compared to genre defining bands like Finch, Story of the Year, Further Seems Forever, Chevelle, Incubus, Dead Poetic, Project 86, Every Time I Die, Blindside, Beartooth and Norma Jean. Thus, giving an idea to the regular heavy music fan that POETIC DESCENT is not just any regular band, they are indeed something special. And special bands require to do special stuff to treat their special fans.
Comments Off on WALLS OF JERICHO Embark On First East Coast Tour In 9 years!
For the first time in 9 years Detroit legends WALLS OF JERICHO have started off an East Coast tour seemingly out of the blue! The tour begins in Amityville, NJ on June 6th and ends in Toronto, Ontario on June 13th. This tour is to support their latest record ‘No One Can Save You From Yourself ‘off of Napalm Records. Sharing the headlining spot with FIRST BLOOD, LEFT BEHIND and SANCTION are along for the ride.
Comments Off on Review : YOB – ‘Our Raw Heart’ [Track Stream]
Yob, the Oregon doom trio will be following 2014’s ‘Clearing The Path To Ascend‘ with the new album ‘Our Raw Heart‘ which is scheduled to be released June 8th via ‘Relapse‘. This is an album that looked as though it might never come when singer/guitar player Mike Scheidt faced incredible odds following a life-threatening medical emergency . Thankfully, Mike has recovered because ‘Our Raw Heart‘ is a beautiful and emotional piece of music that is a modern Metal masterpiece!
Comments Off on Album Review: THE HUMAN PROJECT – ‘Clarion Call’ [Album Stream]
There will always be heart in music. There will always be power in music. There will always be thought in music. Combine them together and you get The Human Project. The group are a melodic, but technical, punk band from Leeds in the UK. Their debut album ‘Origins’ was issued in 2013, and the long awaited follow-up ‘Clarion Call’ will be released in 2018, accompanied by touring across the UK, Europe, and Japan.
The band paint on a political canvas and nail their colors to the mast with songs about the cutting of public services in the UK and the vote to leave the European Union (Brexit), both of which they argue against.
The band released the very catchy “That One Percent” in advance of the album. Expaining what it means, vocalist/guitarist Luke Yates comments, “the everyday, on-the-ground results of the austerity regime are this kind of bland injustice, laughably obvious in the way it is targeted, and, in the way it is backed up and spread by people with vested interests in the media, but unfortunately inescapable for most ordinary people.”
‘Clarion Call’ took over five years to write and was eventually brought to life by producer Andy Hawkins.
To nail my colors to the mast, this album is a monster of epic proportions and is likely to be in my top ten of the year. In true Frankenstein tradition, it is built on sounds and thoughts taken from many genres, but has been pieced together with real care and attention. Where the record differs from Mary Shelley’s creation is that the monster did not know why it had been created. Here, The Human Project know why they created the album and the vision they have is second to none.
The album’s box of secrets is wrenched open with the thoughtful lament of “Desperate Times.” There is soft piano and clean guitar, as the fabulous vocals kick in. The singing is a key(sic) to the record and raises it above any other release in the pop punk genre. I am afraid I don’t know who sings what, as all the members take vocal duties, but all do brilliantly. It is like fusing progressive rock harmonies to fast ascending punk riffing. The whole collection reeks of class (ironically, given the band’s championing of equality).
My ears were drawn to “That One Percent,” which spits out the band’s disdain for the Conservative political party’s behaviour in the UK with their policy of austerity in terms of public spending being cut. It is a tune that lives long in the memory and, once inside your brain, keeps looping as a mega ear worm – you have been warned!
“Knocked For Six” smacks your sensibilities with aural overload. The high register vocals absolutely make this song. It has a sound that is arrestingly unique and familiar at the same time. The guitar tone is also a pleasure to hear; fuzzbox in 4K for sure.
Although the ball of wax moves at a million miles an hour, there are some moments of quieter reflection, like on “Carrion,” allowing listeners to breathe before the technical beauty of “What We Always Do” comes striding onto the playlist and the adrenaline surge runs us to the end of the collection.
Suffice to say, I love this album so much that I would marry it, if I could. Human in name, gods in musical terms. The best album I have heard for a long time.
‘Clarion Call’ will be released on CD, Digital and Vinyl on Friday 6th July 2018 and is available for pre-order now here: www.thehumanproject.bigcartel.com.
Comments Off on Review: Double-Barrel Vasectomy – ”Callus’!
Double-Barrel Vasectomy is one of the many projects from the one and only Anthony Leasgang, we have written about him multiple times now but I have to say this project is something different and most definitely slamming. The project had been alive for some time now and finally Anthony (with the help of Eli Vincent and Rich Fahringer) had decided to fire up the old engine and start racing. So put your seat belt on because we are about to kick off!
Comments Off on REVOCATION Unveils North American Headlining Tour W/ EXHUMED, RIVERS OF NIHIL & YAUTJA
2018 for Boston, MA extreme death metal quartet REVOCATION is just getting better every day and so is for the fans. A few days ago the band announced that they will be releasing their follow up to 2016’s album and it is titled, ‘The Outer Ones‘. The upcoming offering will be made public on the September 28th via Metal Blade Records. To get the party already started the band will embark itself on a month long tour of North America starting this September 17th and run through October 20th. The support bands are equally ruthless. EXHUMED, RIVERS OF NIHIL and YAUTJA will be supporting REVOCATION on what happens to be their first North American headlining tour in several years. See confirmed dates below.
Comments Off on Ep. 156 Morgan Lander (Kittie) – Talk Toomey: The Metal Nexus Podcast
Oh man, what an episode. The podcast has truly gone global on this one. Morgan Lander of Kittie calls in to the podcast. We talk about their new documentary “Origins/Evolutions”. Morgan and I discuss the history of Kittie and what were we all thinking with our fashion choices! Morgan also sets me straight on the Canadian delicacy, the back bacon sandwich. This was a fun trip down memory lane.
First up on the episode is my chat with Matt Karpe, author of Nu Metal: Resurgence. Matt is also the host of the Head For The Barricade podcast. Matt and I discuss the history of Nu Metal and his latest book.
Music on the episode from Kittie, Mudvayne and Skindred.
Comments Off on Morgan Lander (KITTIE) On Performing With Former/Current Members “It Was One Of The Highlights Of My Life.”
It’s been twenty years since Morgan Lander helped start the Canadian metal band Kittie (with sister Mercedes and original bandmates Fallon Bowman and Tanya Candler) in London, Ontario. They brought one of the heaviest and most fierce acts we had seen to date, and this is for all bands not just girl bands. There was a thing or two the guys could have learned from the harsh anguish they brought to their music, and I’m sure plenty of their male counterparts took notes and learned from Kittie’s quick rise to stardom in the metal world. Their debut album ‘Spit’ was what got everything started in 2000. The album still to this day is highly regarded as one of the best metal albums of that era. ‘Spit’ was was certified gold by the RIAA and sold at least 600,000 copies in the United States. Keep in mind when ‘Spit’ was recorded the members of the band were only 15-18 years of age. Kittie went on to release their sophomore record ‘Oracle’ in 2001. It was also in 2001 that guitarist and backing vocalist Fallon Bowman left the band. Her infamous growls on the song “Brackish” instantly made her a fan favorite. They followed ‘Oracle’ with the release of ‘Until the End’ in 2004.
Kittie incorporated nu-metal influences as well as incorporating speed, groove and death metal vibes. The combined chemistry of Mercedes and her sister Morgan gave the band this flare that wasn’t seen or heard with other bands. Kittie went on to release ‘Funeral for Yesterday’ (2007), ‘In the Black’ (2009) and ‘I’ve Failed You’ (2011). One of the saddest things the band had to deal with more recently was the death of bassist Trish Doan who passed away in 2017. Vocalist Morgan stated after Trish’s passing “She with her boundless energy, 10,000 ideas and a fiery, vibrant light that could never be extinguished, even now.” In the time spent in the band Trish added an amazing creative element to the Kittie and we were all saddened by her passing. Though ‘I’ve Failed You’ was the bands last release as of now in 2011, they started filming a documentary about the band in 2014 that would include all the past and present members of the band as part of a 20 year anniversary for the band. On August 30, 2017, the band announced the reunion of the original lineup for a one night only concert. They performed on October 27, 2017 in their hometown of Ontario. The show also coincided with the launch of the documentary. Whoever was in the crowd that night witnessed something that most of us would give anything to see. Kittie not only formed in the late 90’s but they molded the whole metal scene and they worked hard to get to their rightful place at the top.
Talk Toomey: The Metal Nexus Podcast host Joshua Toomey welcomes Kittie vocalist Morgan Lander on this week’s episode of the podcast. Morgan talks about everything that is currently going on with Kittie and the recent documentary showing their history titled ‘Origins’. Toomey and Morgan also talk about forming the band and sometimes coming down to just looking for anyone that played an instrument. Morgan even talks about touring in the earlier days with much heavier bands like Nile and it made them need to go out with a chip on their shoulder. Morgan also talks about trying to get all the former and current members of the band together and playing a couple shows maybe in L.A. and New York and do something similar to what they did on ‘Origins’ documentary. You can hear the entire interview below.
