Why end the week with a whimper when you can go out with a bang? Welcome back to The Grindhouse. Enjoy the view. If you can handle it:
As I May | The Last Breath
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Scared of clowns or abandoned houses in the middle of the woods? Well… Finland’s As I May are back with a killer video for their new single The Last Breath that will give you that much-needed horror fix. Combining modern low riffs with a little taste of deathcore plus synths that bring horror sweeps and atmosphere, As I May’s horrorcore sound delivers a catchy singalong chorus to this chaos. Singer-guitarist Lasse Hiltunen adds: “This video was new territory for us. We shot in 3D and green screens. We thought that we could get that same atmosphere from the video that is in the song with lyrics such as ‘burn down the house.’ Basically, the main idea came from that phrase and we needed a reason to burn a house, and have some murderous clowns. Let’s try those in there too. This video came out much more scarier than we thought.”
Folkrim | Suoherran Hovi
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Folkrim, emerging from the dark solitude of Finland’s Western coast, have evolved from a one-man project to a fully formed folk-infused death metal band. Comprising drummer Eetu Ritakorpi, guitarists Iiro Sarman and Otto Hyvärinen, bassist Viktor Suominen and frontman Erno Helander, Folkrim are ready to spread fear with their new full-length album Embers. The band’s sound has shifted towards less drinking songs and more towards melodic death and thrash. “What would a Folkrim version of a dingy swamp sound like?” they ask. “The answer comes in the form of Suoherran Hovi, the second single to be released from our forthcoming album Embers… The riffs are fat, chuggy, and groovy against a straight pounding of the drums. Dirty, almost jazzlike instrumentation and arrangement lays a twisted layer into the soup. And finally, a sprinkling of growls in the harsh Finnish language is set on top and the witch’s brew is complete.”
Post Death Soundtrack | Lowdown Animal
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Following the release of 2019’s experimental industrial opus It Will Come Out of Nowhere, Canadian duo Post Death Soundtrack have returned in vicious form. Abandoning their former sound, they’ve gone full-on towards an extremely heavy and raw ‘doom grunge’ sound with elements of punk and thrash. Their new single Lowdown Animal, the second from their upcoming album, is uncensored, uncompromising and as threatening as a pack of hyenas. Lowdown Animal is a relentless charge, capturing the outsider mentality of someone who faces abandonment and depression. Channeling the full-force likes of the heaviest material from bands like Nirvana and Motörhead, Post Death Soundtrack are in sleek and absolutely ruthless form on this new single. “This song is vicious and it’s for anyone out there who has been abandoned, abused, bullied,” they say. “Everyone deserves dignity, and if we don’t get it, we’ll sneak up, surround the mighty lion and take it.”
The Watchers | They Have No God
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Bay Area heavy metal wielders The Watchers are set to release their sophomore album Nyctophilia on May 3. Today they present their fist-raising new anthem They Have No God. “This is a very ambiguous song,” frontman Tim Narducci says. “It can be interpreted in a few different ways. It was mainly written about cures to mankind being held hostage for greed by our government and big pharma. Be it anything that puts the mighty dollar over the value of a life… Take your pick. Our lives all have a price tag attached to them in some way shape or form.”
Mike’s Dead | War
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Mike’s Dead is tearing into a new chapter with a vengeance. The metal hitmaker has been grabbing attention with each consecutive single he releases, and his latest is his most unignorable work yet. War is a reflection of the volatile and endless fight that the singer experiences in his psyche. The track is a followup to Mike’s highly-successful debut EP Rebirth, released in 2023. The song serves as a relatable anthem for anyone who has ever battled mental health issues. “War is about the mental battles that take place in my mind and wanting to push myself through greater and greater challenges,” Mike says. “Screaming ‘I want war, give me more’ was a call out for harder battles, more challenges, and to become the best version of myself I can be. I believe this song will resonate deeply for those who struggle with mental health and want to overcome their struggles to see a brighter future.”
Bayside | Miracle
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Esteemed punk act Bayside have unveiled their latest single Miracle, a powerful anthem that sets the stage for their forthcoming album, There Are Worse Things Than Being Alive, out on April 5. The Worse Things Than Being Alive Tour kicks off April 3 in Pittsburgh and features support from Finch, Armor For Sleep and Winona Fighter. “We’re so excited to be touring with a couple of real pioneers in this genre,” Bayside say. “It’s been close to 20 years since we played a show with either band. So excited to finally run it back.”
Capstan | Empire
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Florida five-piece Capstan recently announced their new album The Mosaic, out May 24. Capstan go big with Empire, the album’s latest preview. The larger-than-life song cycles through a grip of moods in the space of four minutes. Layered vocals, gnarly guitar works, breakdowns, and atmospheric keyboards and electronic flourishes are sprinkled throughout the track. It’s a sonic adventure that shows off the band’s willingness to experiment and try new things at once! “Empire is an introspective piece,” says guitarist Joe Mabry. “The lyrics confess guilt regarding privilege, its cost, and mass complicity in atrocities committed in the name of western imperialism. Recognizing the global scope of violence, poverty, and inequality, and acknowledging that the system is decidedly and irreparably broken is imperative to the possibility of progress.”
Whom Gods Destroy | The Decision
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, just released their debut album Insanium. To celebrate, they also launched a lyric video created by Wayne Joyner for the track The Decision. “This song is filled with duality,” Thal says. “Djenty math metal riffs with contrasting slow clean chord movements, vocal and guitar lines answering each other, and lyrics about struggling with a life-and-death decision, with song sections that score differing points of view… hope vs defeat, euphoria vs despair, internally battling it out.”
