Screw the stupid weather map. Forget the freaking Farmer’s Almanac. March always comes in like a lion here in the Grindhouse. So does every other month, come to think of it. Not that I have time to think about stuff like that. Hell, I barely have time to remind you to crank it up and brace yourself:
Psychic Graveyard | Your Smile Is A Hoax
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Psychic Graveyard, comprised of the minds of groups like Arab On Radar, Chinese Stars, Doomsday Student, Some Girls and All Leather, announced the new LP entitled Wilting (due June 7) and shared the first single Your Smile Is A Hoax. “ ‘This Butthole Surfers bass guitar sounds awesome! Let’s put some synth and bass guitar together.’ That was the main impetus for creating this song — the craving for a fuzzed-out bass guitar,” the band say. “Over the years, we’ve realized that our songs are birthed in pairs. Your Smile Is A Hoax is the sister to another Psychic Graveyard track off this upcoming album called Haunted By Your Bloodline. Both feature the use of two low-register instruments playing off of each other, with a higher synth note popping obnoxiously out of the mix. We feel as though it helps keep the chaos grounded. Those higher swirl elements come from a forgotten field recording of an ambulance passing by Nate’s house in San Diego. Lyrically, it fills in the listener on some of our experiences as an afflicted band in today’s world, traveling all over the place while we’re wounded, but somehow having a blast while we’re out there — bleeding everywhere.”
Lÿnx | Shake It Up
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Lÿnx, Calgary’s ferocious force in hard rock/hair metal, are gearing up to drench crowds with their much-anticipated album on May 9. Emerging from the ashes of the pandemic, Lÿnx quickly established themselves as a powerhouse quartet, fueled by a shared love for the iconic sounds of ’80s rock. The forthcoming album Claws Out is a sonic journey that encapsulates the band’s dedication to the glory days of rock, blending it seamlessly with the contemporary polish and gritty authenticity of their modern influences. The first look at what’s to come is the steamy video single Shake It Up. As they say: “Every band needs that one fast-paced shake-your-ass kind of song, something to get the ladies moving and the men groovin’. Shake It Up has all the feels from the catchy riffs to the furious guitar solo. Strong bass to keep the beat, banging drums you’ll feel in your chest, and a screeching vocal tune that may just have you coming back for more!”
Saltpig | Burn The Witch
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Saltpig — the heavy duo featuring N.Y.C. producer and multi-instrumentalist Mitch Davis (Damon Albarn, U2, Mark Lanegan) and Italian drummer Fabio Alessandrini (ex-Annihilator) — will release their self-titked debut album on May 31. Today they unveil their new video for Burn The Witch. In truth, Saltpig are a bit of a mystery. The band just showed up seemingly out of nowhere, album in hand, with the music loudly speaking for itself. The music that came out of this pairing has elements of doom/stoner/psych/occult metal and others, but they didn’t go into it with anything that specific in mind. They just make the music they want to hear.”
Whom Gods Destroy | Crawl
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Whom Gods Destroy, the formidable new progressive metal group formed by keyboardist Derek Sherinian, guitarist Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal and vocalist Dino Jelusick, along with the potent rhythm section of bassist Yas Nomura and drummer Bruno Valverde, will release their debut album Insanium on March 15. Today, their third single Crawl is being released, along with a video directed by Vicente Cordero and edited by Vojan Koceić, with visual FX and additional editing by Wayne Joyner. “Crawl was the second song Ron, Derek and myself worked on,” Jelusick says. “We had many versions of it. Very progressive and very melodic. Combines all the influences that the band has and just grows into something that’s our very own.”
Nate Silva | Burn!
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Renowned Canadian guitarist and singer-songwriter Nate Silva, former frontman of the prog rock band and Wacken Metal Battle Canada champions The Slyde, has set out on his own with his solo album The Chase scheduled for release in May. He released the single Burn! in November; now there is a video to complement it along with more information on the upcoming album. He shares the details on the hardest track on the record: “This song is an unapologetic ode to the enjoyment of driving your favourite motorized vehicle at exhilarating speeds down a two-lane highway (in my case, a 1991 Mazda Miata). There are a lot of double meanings in the lyrics, using driving a car as a metaphor for pursuing your dreams and living a lifestyle of rock ’n’ roll. Definitely channeling bands like Danko Jones and Foo Fighters on this one.”
Drungi | Alda
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Iceland’s Drungi channel the vast landscapes of their homeland into eerie and powerful metal that will evoke a variety of emotions and cast the listener into folklore accompanied by exciting music. They are releasing their debut album Hamfarir Hugans on April 5 and offer a first look with the single Alda. They add: “Alda was the first official single off our upcoming debut album. Having been in the back of our bassist’s head for numerous years he presented it to the band and something clicked in everyone’s mind. Following the intense feeling of drowning in one’s emotion and the sometimes suicidal feelings one has following a downforce of emotion, the song emphasizes that feeling with a rhythm pushing the oceanic feeling forward.”
Wheel | Empire
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Anglo-Finnish progressive metallers Wheel are pleased to announce the release of their third studio album Charismatic Leaders on May 3. The album was meticulously crafted to meet Wheel’s ever-heightening benchmarks, and recorded with engineers/co-producers Daniel Bergstrand and Fredrik Thordendal (Meshuggah). The end result, mixed by Forrester Savell, has consolidated all the gains of what came before: Singer/guitarist James Lascelles, lead guitarist Jussi Turunen and drummer Santeri Saksala’s third album represents their heaviest and most conscious music to date. To mark the announcement, the band launched the first single Empire, along with a video. Lascelles says: “This is probably the most metal song I have ever written – it is intense as all hell when it kicks in and it keeps finding new ways to punch you in the face all the way to the end! Santeri did an incredible job with the drum track on this one and playing it live is really going to take some work in the rehearsal room.”
Marble Ghosts | False Heroes
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ottawa’s Marble Ghosts just dropped their self-titled debut EP, along with the video for their track False Heroes. The song features a sludgy verse mixed with a towering harmony-laced chorus and a powerful, thundering instrumental ending. Lyrically, False Heroes is aimed at the institutions of old and those who continue to prop them up. Originally titled Marble Ghosts, the name was changed when the band realized that it was the perfect name for the band itself. They add: “In the current culture, where some believe we should return to a golden past, False Heroes counters that with a resounding NO. The song seeks to eviscerate male privilege, divisive hateful religious figures, but most of all, the ghosts of the past, still seen as trailblazers and nation builders.”
Acid Mammoth | Atomic Shaman
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Athens doom metal pillars Acid Mammoth premiere a crushing excerpt taken from their upcoming fourth album Supersonic Megafauna Collision, due April 5. Get ready to be overtaken by a storm of pachyderm-hefty riffs, wooly bass, fierce drumming, and witchy vocals. As singer-guitarist Chris Babalis Jr. says: “The surface burns day and night, and dwellers of the deepest caverns have embraced the pitch-black corridors below as their new dominion. No one dares to venture above; it would only mean certain death by the all-consuming hellfire that came from the skies. The dwellers are secluded in the deep, chanting frenziedly and calling upon the spirits from the otherworld for salvation. This is the dismal world of Atomic Shaman.”
Haunted | Malevolent
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sicilian doom metal foursome Haunted unleash their magnetic new single Malevolent, a preview of their third album Stare At Nothing, due April 19. With the arrival of new members Kim Crowley on guitar and Luca Strano on drums, Haunted have lowered themselves headlong, sinking into the dark cavities of the ground. They relied on the darker shades of heavy rock and the furious poetry of grunge, composing sharp rhythms on evocative metrics. Dark and twisted, the followup to 2018’s critically-lauded Dayburner dives deeper into traditional doom territory with ominous riffs rolling over the listener upon each chord on top of the now-foursome’s sharp and harrowing rhythm section. Cristina Chimirri’s mystical siren-like incantations slowly drag you thousands of feet deep into the abyss, making Stare At Nothing a vibrant pitch-black doom release that should captivate fans of early Windhand and Messa, Saint Vitus.”
