Goregäng play with a zombie head, Sunbomb find two are better than one, Escapement have a feeding frenzy, Tooth & Claw are very cross with you, Hannes Grossmann goes supernova — and they’re not the only explosive stars in your Midweek Roundup. Things are about to get loud:
22 | Goregäng | Electric Head Part 1 (The Agony)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Florida death metal duo Goregäng have released the second single from their upcoming EP Long Live The Grime. The group have also release a video for the song, a cover of the White Zombie classic Electric Head, Part 1 (The Agony). The duo, comprised of Jeramie Kling and Taylor Nordberg will release Long Live The Grime on April 30. Nordberg said: “I don’t think there was a whole lot of planning went into the cover. Most of our ideas come to life really quick. I think I had a passing idea that it would be cool to cover with this band, then I think I just pumped the music out and surprised Jeramie, then the next day we just had a blast coming up with all the sound effects and noises for the song, and laying down the vocals. We wanted to do a super ’90s style video for the song as well, just something fun, and I think we nailed it. Old horror movies, dancers, aviator sunglasses … classic Zombie!”
23 | Sunbomb | Better End
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sunbomb features the new musical alliance between two steadfast warriors of the U.S. hard rock/metal scene: Tracii Guns (L.A. Guns) and Michael Sweet (Stryper). They have put together an absolute blinder of a heavy metal album, melding influences of classic metal bands such as Black Sabbath and Judas Priest with Tracii’s love of metal subgenres, specifically doom metal. The band’s debut album Evil And Divine is out May 14. Sunbomb have released another video from their album for the song Better End.”
24 | Escapement | Feed
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Escapement is the result of vocalist Johnny Ray (3 Headed Snake) and keyboardist Alex Nasla (Witherfall, Helion Prime) meeting on the famous Metal Cruise and throwing musical ideas off of each other during pandemic boredom. After a few months of reworking the songs and adding creative touches, they are ready to show off their debut single Feed. It is a slow-driving sludgy ballad with haunting vocal melodies, atmospheric keys, technical solos, and huge choruses. Escapement share some details: “It was the first song that Nasla and Ray worked on together. It started out small and took many months because of both of their busy schedules, but eventually it grew.”
https://youtu.be/u51yaSI2_2Y
25 | Tooth and Claw | Your Crucifixion
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Metallic hardcore band Tooth and Claw announced the impending release of their debut full-length Dream of Ascension. The group also shared the scathing lead single Your Crucifixion and the accompanying music video. The band mix pissed-off hardcore with hints of death metal, twisting menacing riffs and plenty of groove before launching into an eerie chorus. Despite the unchecked anger found on the single and throughout the album, they say: “Believe it or not, Your Crucifixion might be the most optimistic, uplifting song on our LP.”
26 | Hannes Grossmann | The Sun Eaters
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “One the most prolific and acclaimed drummers in modern tech-metal, Hannes Grossmann offers the video for his single The Sun Eaters. The new track is off of Hannes’ album To Where The Light Retreats, which will be released on June 1. Hannes states: “It took a lot of work writing, recording and mixing it, but the effort paid off eventually. As a solo artist I aim to create fresh ideas which at the same time carry the spirit of a sound I started with Obscura back in 2009. But the most important thing for me is having fun with it. On this song and also on the rest of the album, I had some help from my very talented Alkaloid bandmates. It’s mind-boggling how Danny Tunker (Alkaloid guitarist) recreated the guitar solo I wrote almost note-by-note without even a sweat.”
27 | Light The Torch | Wilting In The Light
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “L.A. band Light The Torch will release their sophomore album You Will Be the Death of Me on June 25. The band shared the video for the first track Wilting in the Light. “The album was a welcome distraction, and we dumped every emotion we had into YWBTDOM,” says vocalist Howard Jones. “Everything we went through individually and together with this album drew Fran, Ryan, and I together. I couldn’t be more proud of this album knowing I made it with my family.”
28 | The Wring | Cipher
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Don Dewulf is the creative mind behind The Wring, a musical adventure of proggy riffs, angry lyrics, and a heavy dose of melody. He is releasing a second album this year: The Wring² Project Cipher. It boasts the work of several seasoned, professional musicians, making this one of the top albums prog fans are going to want this year. The first look at this album is the single Cipher, the sole instrumental track juxtaposed against the six vocal tracks with lyrical themes full of emotion and aggression. Dewulf explains: “I played this song on a seven-string guitar, so there is a massive low end. I think the parts are short enough and musical enough to hold interest without vocals. I really like the bass and guitar solos here too. A combination homage to YYZ and March of the Fire Ants.”
29 | Hippie Death Cult | Hornet Party
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Portland rockers Hippie Death Cult unveil their new single Hornet Party today. Their new album Circle Of Days will be issued on May 21. “I think it might be the shortest song on the album and it’s a total rager both musically and lyrically,” they say of Hornet Party. “It’s probably the most physically demanding song for each of us to perform on the album, but it’s our way of kind of holding up some sort of artistic mirror to the current climate that we live in. Extreme times call for extreme art.”
30 | Hiraes | Under Fire
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “German melodic death metal unit Hiraes are set to drop their first sonic monster with ultimate strength: Their debut offering Solitary will be released on June 25. Hiraes impressively combine the full force of all four instrumentalists formerly of Dawn of Disease (Lukas Kerk, Oliver Kirchner, Christian Wösten and Mathias Blässe) with the powerful vocals of Britta Görtz to create an exciting new melodic death emergence. Hiraes on the new single: “Under Fire is a monumental melodic death metal neckbreaker that combines a mixture of very different elements of our music: from catchy and melodic-melancholic parts to groovy headbang passages and fast up-tempo drumming — there’s something for everyone here.”
31 | Artillery | Turn Up The Rage
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “On May 7, Artillery will release their 10th full-length X. For a preview, here’s a video for the single Turn up the Rage. In the mid-1980s, Denmark’s Artillery established themselves as being at the cutting edge of the thrash movement, and nearly 40 years later, they continue to destroy. “We wanted to have the typical Artillery trademarks, like the riffs and hook lines in the usual combination together with aggression and melody. We always try to combine melodic thrash metal with elements from the heavy sounds of the ’70s and the ’80s, and this time with new elements in some of the songs,” says guitarist Michael Stützer. “We don’t have to push ourselves hard when we’re writing a record because we love what we’re doing.”
32 | Bólido | MIG Alley
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Chilean metallers Bólido just released the first advance single from their third album Against the World, which will be released on June 15. Formed in 2010 in Santiago, Bólido self-released their debut album We Are Rock in 2014, gaining a solid reputation in their native country thanks to their powerful live performances. In 2017, the band released their second album Heavy Bombers, after which, they began working Against the World.”
33 | Consvmer | Für Eure Tyrannen
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Consvmer tackle the darkest topics of our society in a socio-critical way in their lyrics. Musically, the band deliver a mix of progressive metal, beatdown, and metalcore, liberating themselves from any categorical boundaries. They say: “We are a band that dishes out social criticism and thus create our own kind of music as well as our music videos, artwork, and merchandise. It is very important for us to remain artistically independent in everything we create.” On the first single from the upcoming album Obsession, they add: “Für Eure Tyrannen (For Your Tyrants) is meant to make listeners more aware of the issue of tyranny, which is often practiced by power-mongering autocrats and manipulatively influences their followers. But we also want to convey to listeners in this way that the suffering of oppression, affects not only the victims but also the followers, and that the people who support such tyrants, in particular, are responsible for their own downfall.”
34 | Dimman | Paroxysm
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Finnish modern melodic death metal band Dimman are set to release their debut Songs and Tales of Grievance on July 30. The band’s modern melodeath combines beautiful melodies, heavy compositions and technical musicality into a unique ensemble. In addition to the diverse instrumentation, Dimman’s two vocalists create a distinctive and balanced soundscape. The band just released the first single and video Paroxysm. It showcases all the elements Dimman is made of. Beautiful melodies, heavy riffing and technical musicianship are all married together forming a catchy soundscape. Paroxysm tells the story of human arrogance and the clouding of one’s judgment.”
35 | Scars Of Solitude | No Riddance
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Finnish melodic metal quartet Scars Of Solitude have released No Riddance, the second single from the group’s upcoming EP called If These Walls Could Talk. According to the band’s singer/guitarist Tuomo Laulainen, “No Riddance is a explosively energetic and vitally melodic metal anthem with a catchy chorus of which’s energy and straightforwardness is borrowed from pop-punk. The song used to go with the working title Paramore for a long time. The song’s lyrics were written during the sleepless nights accompanied by arrythmia and anxiety as if it were the exact opposite of the song’s musical side.”
36 | Fiddlehead | Heart To Heart
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Fiddlehead — the punk powerhouse featuring members of Have Heart, Basement and more — recently announced their upcoming sophomore album Between The Richness. Today they return the second single Heart To Heart. Due out May 21, Between The Richness finds Fiddlehead expanding on their dynamic blend of hardcore energy and undeniable melody, and crafting their most immediate set of songs to date. Every song on Between The Richness bursts with grit, massive hooks, and vocalist Pat Flynn’s deeply thoughtful and open-hearted lyrics.”
37+38 | Skeleten | Walking On Your Name (Logic1000 + Rings Around Saturn Remixes)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sydney producer and vocalist Skeleten’s latest single Walking On Your Name has been reimagined and reconstructed by the expert touch of two of Australia’s most forward-thinking producers: Sydney-born Logic1000 and Melbourne electronic experimenter Rings Around Saturn. Logic1000 is the moniker of producer and DJ Samantha Poulter, who lends a chilled dance floor groove to her track. She says: “Such beautiful material to work with, I can only hope I did the track justice.” Rings Around Saturn is one of many production aliases from Rory McPike. “I may have gone overboard with the drum workout but the song was asking for it and at that point it’s not me making the decisions.”
39 | Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys | A Stranger’s Chest
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys have just dropped this animated video for the single A Stranger Chest, taken from upcoming album Transit Tapes (for women who move furniture around), which lands on June 2. Written by Kruger and forged in a tiny 34°C rehearsal space in Berlin, Transit Tapes melts dreamy indie rock with dark folk and returns 12 pensive tracks exploring restlessness and a yearning to feel alive. This project is the first time Kruger has worked with drummer Martin Perret, guitarist Liú Mottes and bassist Andreas Miranda, who form The Lost Boys.”
40+41 | San Holo | Black And White + My Fault
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “San Holo shares the double single Black And White and My Fault — the final cuts to be released from his new album bb u ok?, out May 21. Both tracks represent a highly emotional and personal chapter for Sander in which we see him reflect on the complexities of a previous relationship, resulting in his most sensitive and thoughtful music to date. He said: “My Fault is probably the most personal song I’ve ever written. It’s a song about a chapter in my life, a relationship with the highest highs and lowest lows … I can’t commit and don’t fall in love easily, until one time I did. That relationship was a time of the most intense emotions and memories that shaped a lot of who I am today. For a long time after it ended, I felt guilty about not being able to make it work but as time passed, and perspectives changed, I started to see that things weren’t so black and white.”
42 | Mini Simmons | Push And Pull
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Mini Simmons immediately spark the interest of good old-fashioned rock ’n’ roll nostalgia. Hearing their music is like taking a long drive down the coastline and arriving at a bar in Mexico with a pina colada in hand. The New Zealand natives caught fire in 2019, where they released their debut album to high critical acclaim and catching a whole new generation of listeners across the nation. Mini Simmons return with their single Push and Pull. They have taken inspiration from idolised ’70s acts such as T. Rex, David Bowie and The Kinks for this track, and they have certainly managed to capture the essence and feeling of this generation.”
43 | Girl In Red | You Stupid Bitch
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sample Girl In Red’s debut album If I Could Make It Go Quiet ahead of its release on April 30 with her track You Stupid Bitch. It was inspired by complicated friendship that singer-songwriter-producer Marie Ulven wished could have been something more. She says: “There’s this line from this movie I love, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, that goes ‘We accept the love we think we deserve.’ It’s a very heartbreaking line, but it’s really what I was experiencing in this situation, where I was always there for this person who would get their heart broken, and I would just come running. I would drop everything just to be there for them. That person would never see me as anything else than just a friend, even though I feel like I could’ve made her so happy … The core essence of this track is like, I’m obviously here for you, and I want to be with you, but you keep messing around with other people, and you keep getting broken.”
