Heavy Water hit the bricks, Artillery get all up in your head, Fargo roll the bones, Midnite City keep it dark — but there’s plenty of lighter fare to come in your Weekend Roundup. All aboard:
41 | Heavy Water | Red Brick City
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Slathered in classic rock ‘n’ soul, soaked in gritty, hard-baked riffs, and topped off with rich, raunchy vocals Heavy Water’s debut album Red Brick City — the lockdown 2020 project by Saxon’s Biff Byford and his son Seb Byford — brings you on an irrepressible raw blues-backed journey through influences and invention. The foundations for Heavy Water’s sound are set in their incredible father/son chemistry and a lifetime of know-how and experiences. Take the title track (and first single) Red Brick City: All steam and smoulder wrapped around a riff Soundgarden would’ve been proud of. Red Brick City moves with the class and cadence of a cracking journey, uniting vintage rock sensibilities with the crackle and excitement of a fresh, youthful perspective. Accodrding to Seb and Biff, “We decided to do something together in these dark times and the family came together to help get this album off the ground.”
42 | Artillery | In Your Mind
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Artillery just released their latest album X, along with a video for the album track In Your Mind. In the mid-1980s, Denmark’s Artillery established themselves as being at the cutting edge of the thrash movement. Nearly 40 years later, they continue to destroy. Returning with their 10th full-length, they prove that they have not missed a step, delivering a record that’s ruthlessly heavy, catchy and pure molten metal. “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.”
43 | Fargo | Gimme That Bone
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “German hard rock band Fargo release Gimme That Bone, their new single and video from the album Strangers D’Amour. The video features two special guests: Ex-Fargo guitarist Hanno Grossmann and keyboardist Torsten Lüderwaldt, known for his work with Fair Warning. Bass player Peter Knorn says: “Compared to our comeback album Constellation, Strangers D’Amour sounds even more mature and rounded, with our typically driving beats and lots of melodious chorus parts, but also with a few little surprises thrown in.”
44 | Midnite City | They Only Come Out At Night
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Midnite City released their single and video They Only Come Out At Night. The band’s upcoming album Itch You Can’t Scratch is set for release later this month. Since bursting out onto the scene with a vengeance in 2017, Midnite City have taken on the world and hustled themselves to the top of the pile to be crowned the true kings of hair metal. Following on from the release of their sophomore album There Goes The Neighbourhood in late 2018, the band have gone from strength to strength and proven to be one hell of a force to be reckoned with in the live arena.”
45 | Herman Frank | Teutonic Order
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Herman Frank, best known as the guitarist of bands such as Accept and Victory, has premiered a new song and video from his upcoming, fifth solo album Two For A Lie, which will be out on May 21. Frank has been an integral part of the German metal scene since the early ’80s. His solo project launched in 2009, and the Hanoverian has consistently delivered uncompromising heavy metal. Frank and his comrades-in-arms are causing storms of enthusiasm in both the press and the fans. And there is no question that his new album Two For A Lie will seamlessly follow on from this.”
46 | Yngwie Malmsteen | Wolves At The Door
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The name Yngwie Malmsteen has always stood for uncompromising excellence. In a career that now spans more than 40 years, he has proven himself to be one of the greats. With a catalog of 21 solo studio albums, Malmsteen’s artistry has always incorporated a healthy dose of virtuosity, but his talent goes well beyond a comprehensive control of the guitar. One aspect of his approach has always shone through, and that is an abidingly deep respect for the music he plays. This has never been more focused and informed than on his new album Parabellum, out July 23.”
47 | Inhuman Condition | Euphoriphobia
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Florida’s new death/thrash band Inhuman Condition have released their single Euphoriphobia along with a video. The band, consisting of Terry Butler on bass, Jeramie Kling on vocals and drums, and Taylor Nordberg on guitar, will release their debut album Rat°God on June 4. Kling said: “Euphoriphobia is a collection of thoughts that are channeled into one bullet. This bullet is then loaded into a chamber of a large weapon. That large weapon is then aimed and ready. What comes next is up to you.”
48 | Killing Addiction | Condemned To Nothingness
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Legendary Florida death metal band Killing Addiction just released a lyric video for the track Condemned to Nothingness, the second preview of their sophomore album Mind of a New God, which will be released on June 1.”
49 | Lung Knots | A Thicket Of Abrasions And Open Wounds
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Blackened industrial noise creator Lung Knots has just shared a video for A Thicket Of Abrasions And Open Wounds, a song from his album Golden Dirges, Molten Larynges, due out on May 28.”
50 | Cerebral Rot | Bowels Of Decrepitude
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ascending from the odious decay of their first LP, Cerebral Rot pass from animal to human contagion with a new more purulent virus on Excretion Of Mortality. A return of such festering decrepitude and anatomical canker as befits the true adherents of vile and sick underground death metal. Soaked in the swamp of radioactive sewage, Cerebral Rot’s tumor-like growth on Excretion Of Mortality bludgeons with a hammering heaviness that few can manage or survive. A methodical focus on attaining maximum barbarism through every aspect of the production, from the meaty, dripping guitars to the immense rhythm section and Schwab’s nuclear travesty vocals, to the deceptively straightforward bludgeoning of the songs, exposes a scalpel-like cutting precision to this seemingly base display of horrid malevolence.”
51 | March In Arms | 1914
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “South Dakota’s military-themed power metal aces March In Arms will launch their new album Pulse Of The Daring on July 1, and just released their single 1914. Formed in 2012 andn based in Sioux Falls, S.D., MIA also includes Scott McGuire (bass,) formerly of The Spill Canvas, Sheldon Swan (guitar) and Phil Mueller (drums). With influences that include American classics like Metallica, Slayer, Pantera and Megadeth fused with European power metal undertones, the result is very riff driven with epic chorus lines, soaring melodies, and lyrical themes centering on war and the personal stories of combatants.”
52 | Starless | Circle Of Reason
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Cincinnati synth-infused metalcore band Starless released their new aggressive single Circle Of Reason and its video. The track combines thematic lyrical content, powerful vocals, and musical heaviness mixed with fervent melody, while the video adds a harsh aesthetic. Says keyboardist Dylan Roberts: “Circle of Reason depicts a struggle against those whose mindset is unmalleable, who refuse to see things from the point of view of any others. The lyrics explore how the delusions of grandeur that can accompany such a sense of self-righteousness in one’s convictions can be dangerous and destructive and of how cyclical they can be in reinforcing themselves.”
53 | Bara Hari | Ugly On The Inside
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Dark pop songstress Bara Hari announces the release of her new EP Dark New Day, out May 21. Hari started writing Dark New Day in April of 2020 under less than desirable circumstances and humble beginnings. Armed with only a computer and a midi controller shoved in the corner of her kitchen, she was determined to get out what she was feeling. Dark New Day deals with sexual assault, and its aftermath. Dealing with the loss of friendship, and wanting to watch the world burn. The connecting thread was the deep disappointment felt towards humanity.”
54 | Binny | Feedback
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Binny is a bedroom-pop artist born and bred in Maryland. His latest single Feedback is an electrifying modern pop/hyperpop tune bursting with energy. Working with producer Zhone, the track has pounding fat synths and a trap-inspired, tight beat bringing in a mix of powerful sentiments and dynamics. As well as having impeccable range and vocal control, Binny’s rapping elevates the track to a whole different level and sees him experimenting with new sounds and techniques to his previous releases.”
55 | Tuvaband | Fully Mature Things
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Norway’s Tuvaband shares the tender shoegaze single Fully Mature Things, taken from her new album Growing Pains & Pleasures album, due May 21. Fully Mature Things has a stormy kind of quality to it, with the guitars thundering in its air, and the song’s rhythm rushing and crashing like a rolling wave.”This song is about letting go,” says Tuva. “It’s about accepting changes and letting go of the past to make space for the new, as a result of realising that fully mature things rot. The song covers everything from old and ingrained patterns of behaviour and thoughts, both on a personal level and in a society’s social structure. This song might actually be my favourite song on the album. It definitely has my favourite drums; I think they’re funny and weird. When I programmed the drums, I tried to make a normal drum fill, but didn’t have much experience. In the end, the drummer, Kenneth Ishak, copied my “failed” attempt at doing the fills because it somehow sounded new and fresh, like something I hadn’t heard before.”
56 | Felix Cartal | Only One (ft. Karen Harding)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Platinum producer Felix Cartal has announced the release of his upcoming album Expensive Sounds For Nice People on June 25. Ahead of the album release, the producer teamed up with pop icon Karen Harding on the single Only One. Cartal tells us about the creation of the single: “I wrote this one with Karen, Chelsea and Nick during a spontaneous session in L.A. I feel like I have two modes when I make music: Mode 1 would be something with an emotional heaviness and Mode 2 would be a response to just break away and make something that’s more of an uplifting escape. It was the summer, and I definitely was in Mode 2.”
57 | ISQ | Run To You (Slovo Remix)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Alt-jazz band ISQ are releasing the remix by South London collective Slovo (founded by Dave Randall, the former lead guitarist of Faithless) for their single Run To You. It comes from their album Requiem For the Faithful 2.0: The Remixes. Randall says: “The album version of Run To You is short and playful, but I could hear a bittersweet quality in Irene’s voice and lyric that intrigued me – that feeling of longing the Brazilians might call ‘saudade’. That was my starting point. The ‘muso’ in me also thought it would be fun to take a phrase in 7/8 and mix it with a dance groove. Hopefully, I’ve highlighted the ‘saudade’.”
58 | Mary Jennings | Matriarch
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Mothers — especially those that are making it through the pandemic with any sanity — are queens. Nashville singer-songwriter Mary Jennings is no exception. In her latest single Matriarch, she pays tribute to the enormous strength that is passed through generations between mothers and daughters. This is a song of the struggle and strength that binds women everywhere together. She says, “I share these emotions with others because I know so many have felt the same things. If I can create melodies and deliver words that express their feelings, I’ve done my job.” With an enormous singing voice that transcends her small frame, an extraordinary rock sound full of robust piano hooks, and a one-of-a-kind storytelling ability drawn from a remarkable and emotional history, Mary has carved out her own unique niche in the industry by doing things her way.”
59 | Joris Delacroix | Early Hours (ft. Run Rivers)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Renowned house music producer and DJ Joris Delacroix has released his latest single Early Hours, featuring London singer Run Rivers. A seamless transition of light basslines and glistening tones, Early Hours is an escapist’s dream, highlighting the magic of the early morning. Delacroix inspires the listener to drive straight towards the endless possibilities of sunrise, where a joyful day of freedom and adventure awaits. Delacroix tells us: “This track is made in collaboration with London-based singer Chris James aka Run Rivers. We met last year, when I made a remix of a Tinlicker’s track he was performing on, and we decided to try something new together.”
60 | Era C | 0-60 mph
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Downtempo electronic duo Era C have released their latest single 0-60 mph, taken from their upcoming album Deliria, out on May 28. Singer Sofia Insua was born in Guatemala and is based in Berlin, along with Mirza Ramic, who was born in Bosnia & Herzegovina and lived most of his adult life in Boston. Insua says: “I wrote the lyrics for 0-60 mph during my first visit to Berlin as a tourist. I remember Mirza and I went to a random cafe because he needed some fast internet. It got me thinking about how fast cars and lovers both have the ability to go from nothing to everything. I wanted to capture how easy it is to fall; going from stillness to violent speed. Say, on a road trip, driving through endless highways with no speed limit — you look sideways to catch your lover on the wheel, taking you both there.”
