Fads come and go, trends rise and fall, societies flourish and collapse, but metal remains eternal and indestructible. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that the riffs and beats and songs and videos just keep on comin’. And I keep on postin’ them. Here’s the latest blast of blistering, blazing brutality. Let’s hit it and quit it:
Judas Priest | Crown Of Horns
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Metal icons Judas Priest unleash another exhilarating new single entitled Crown Of Horns. This will be the third single from their highly anticipated studio album Invincible Shield, due March 8. The band’s last two singles — Panic Attack and Trial By Fire — have streamed over 10 million times. Over the past 50 years, Judas Priest have sold more than 50 million albums worldwide and headlined the world’s biggest stages. With their evolving music and live performances also came a powerful unique identity, a look which has both defined the group and influenced future generations of metal bands the world over. With each year the Judas Priest legend continues to grow; 2022 saw them inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame and complete a sold-out rescheduled world tour in support of their 50th anniversary. As they roll into 2024, Judas Priest continue to retain their crown as one of the biggest and best British bands in the world.”
Hashtronaut | Rip Wizard
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Red-eyed at the crossroads of thunderous stoner sludge and towering doom, Denver stoner-doom metallers Hashtronaut are ready to daze and inebriate the riff-obsessed masses on this planet and beyond! No Return is a resiny slab in the grand tradition of weed-fiend odysseys from Sleep, Weedeater and Bongzilla, an intoxicating and pummeling journey through time and space infused with a lungful of potent hook-doom. Their debut album No Return will be released on March 22.”
Black Daggers | Best I’ve Got
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “After making their debut in October with their first full-length Phantasmagoria, Red Deer’s Black Daggers reveal the video for the record’s opening track Best I’ve Got. Singer-guitarist Valentine Vandal explains: “The song is about feeling like you’ve given everything you can, and nothing is ever good enough. It was a cathartic song to write, and I feel like many people could relate to that. The video itself is based on a car chase between the devil and the main character of our concept album.” A concept record about a Faustian bargain gone awry, Phantasmagoria sees its protagonist making a deal with the Devil that quickly goes wrong. The album is as much about struggling with vices as it is dealing with depression and addiction.”
Ingested | Paragon Of Purity
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “U.K. death metal juggernauts Ingested will unleash their new album The Tide Of Death And Fractured Dreams, on April 5. Since the release of their fifth album, 2020’s Where Only God May Tread, the Manchester band have been on a creative tear that has produced almost a full record every year — even through the pandemic — but has resulted in the kind of musical growth that only comes from constantly practising, playing and writing. The band’s latest albu is not only as innovative and brutal as their last disc — the bleak firestorm Ashes Lie Still — it showcases a band willing to expand their creativity without sacrificing the ferocity that made them one of the most impressively destructive, technical death metal bands on the scene. The Tide Of Death And Fractured Dreams is proof that once Ingested sniffs out a trail of musical blood, they ravenously follow it until they’ve uncovered a festering feast.”
Fall Of Earth | The Dead And The Soon To Be
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Running on the strong momentum of their sophomore album From The Ashes — released during April 2023, followed by multiple cross-Canada tours and a performance at the Loud As Hell festival — Edmonton’s Fall Of Earth unveil their latest video for The Dead and The Soon To Be. “Ever since its conception, this has been one of our favourite tracks and a live staple for us,” they say. “We were thrilled to have had the opportunity to capture the essence of this track by working with videographer Derek Kovacevic. As the song is about life being short and unfortunate with most people throwing it away before it’s too late, the comedic approach to this video was appreciated by all of us as we all need to enjoy the little things in life.”
The Plot In You | Closure
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Plot In You kick off 2024 with the release of their insanely catchy yet deeply poignant track Closure and the official video. Closure can be found on the band’s newly announced EP Vol. 2, due May 3. The band share: “Closure is about the intricacies of loss and separation. Hoping the best for a loved one but being unable to continue on with their presence in your life.”
Striker | Give It All
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Remember the glory days of the ’80s — and the world’s most jacked and shirtless saxophone player Tim Cappello (Tina Turner, the 1987 vampire film The Lost Boys)? Well, the shred masters in Striker have resurrected the nostalgic sound of those iconic years with their saxophone mashup track Give It All, beautifully wrapped up in a retro-fitting video. “Give it All is a song written for the soundtrack of an 80s action movie that doesn’t exist,” they say. “It’s for the kid risking it all to win the big game, or the down-and-out cop that’s gotta push it to the limit to survive.” The track comes from their upcoming album Ultrapower, produced with Josh Schroeder (Lorna Shore, Tallah) and due out Feb. 2. The seventh full-length from Striker follows their Juno-winning Play to Win (2018).”
Confined To Oblivion | Les Étoiles Filantes
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Montreal’s Confined To Oblivion emerged in early 2015, drawing inspiration from melodic death and extreme metal. Thus far, they have released two EPs and a full-length to great reception. Now they step in a different direction to pay homage to Karl Tremblay — a highly influential songwriter in 21st-century Quebec — with their rendition of the classic Les Étoiles Filantes. It’s a wildly fun cover, even for those who don’t speak French. The band comments: “For this song, we wanted to emphasize the catchy melody of the original by Les Cowboys Fringants. Starting with a tribute to the song, taking liberties by adding a modern breakdown, and concluding with an epic build-up. We tried to bring an epic and heavy version of a classic Quebec song. The same singalong choruses but we added a renewed energy that’s perfect for a metal Saint Jean Baptiste party.”
Tigers On Opium | Paradise Lost
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Portland heavy rockers Tigers On Opium present Paradise Lost, the second preview of their debut LP Psychodrama, due March 1s. About “Paradise Lost”, the band say: “Temptation’s a bitch. Everyone struggles with it, whatever your vice is, there’s no escaping this human experience. Sex, drugs, alcohol, money, power, deceit… There are an endless amount of options to feed the hunger of temptation. This song is about an ancient story told by many religions, the fall of man and the birth of original sin.” Critics have compared Tigers On Opium to heavy hitters such as Queens Of The Stone Age, Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats, Electric Wizard, Torche, Alice in Chains and Refused — and just like these bands, they share a hunger for the exploration of new ideas, while simultaneously staying rooted in what makes all this music timeless: The riff! The result is a dark and dirty psychedelic fuzz that leaves the typical genre conventions in an insalubrious haze.”
Stages Of Decomposition | Carve Out The Eyes
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Stages of Decomposition are a putrid and filthy death metal band that crawled out of the underbelly of L.A. in 2009. Their fifth and latest release Raptures of Psychopathy will be upon us soon, delivering extreme brutality and raw primitive energy. The single Carve Out The Eyes offers a glimpse inside the mind of murderer Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker. The band add: “The idea behind Carve Out The Eyes is pure brutality. This song is about Richard Ramirez who lived and committed his crimes in the L.A. area in the utmost brutal ways. We wrote this song to capture pure energy and aggression where when it’s performed live you can feel the overwhelming power that Ramirez had over his victims. The lyrics, music, and energy truly make this a menacing song.” Fans of extreme music can brace themselves for an unparalleled auditory and visual experience as Stages Of Decomposition continue to push the boundaries of L.A. death grind.”
