I must be having some big fun, ’cause time is definitely winging it like a pig on a Lear jet this week. Maybe it’s just my dementia finally kicking in — and about damn time, I say — but last I checked it was Monday morning. Then Voom!, here we are at the end of another hump day. Congrats, I guess? Before I turn around and find it’s Friday night, let’s clear the decks with a visit to the Grindhouse. It’s worth every second of your time. Sooo-weeee!!
Allegaeon | Iridescent
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Colorado melodic tech outfit Allegaeon unleash their new standalone single Iridescent, accompanied by an absolutely unhinged video. The band recently finished their seventh album with longtime producer Dave Otero (Flatline Audio). The scathing new tune serves as a precursor. Says vocalist Ezra Haynes, “Originally recorded during the same session as our last single Inhumation, we wanted to release Iridescent to give our fans a little love before we full send our next album cycle. This standalone single was cut from the very cloth of Allegaeon’s Elements Of The Infinite era. Perfect timing too, as we’re about to head out on the North American leg of the Cancer Culture Tour with Decapitated, Speticflesh and Kataklysm this April. It will be very cool to see how the newer material is received. Here we are, just about 10 years from when we released the song 1.618. We still get asked to this very day about our wheel of subgenres, or, ‘Where’s the crab?’ I’m really looking forward to the next 10-plus years of glizzies.”
Paradox Rift | Grave-Snuggler
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Having been recognized in their local scene with the Best Metal Band award from the Cleveland Music Awards in 2022 and nominated again in 2023, melodic death quartet Paradox Rift have their sights set on their next offering of brutal, technical, and intentional, style-bending metal. Aiming to melt people’s faces, they are gearing up to unleash their first full-length Ensnared, due in May. Combining their experimental death/math style with heavy grooves and progressive twists, the band keep listeners reeling for what comes next, and with this forthcoming record, fans will find not just one spectrum or one specific style of metal. “This is a versatile sonic beast that will transport its listeners to a completely different dimension,” they say. “We feel that this album best conveys the evolution and maturity of our musical style. and hope that it will go above and beyond the fans’ expectations.”
Saltpig | Satan’s War
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Saltpig — the occult-driven duo of Mitch Davis (Damon Albarn, Mark Lanegan) and Fabio Alessandrini (Annihilator) — premiere their blood-laden Satan’s War video. The song is taken from their debut album Saltpig, due on May 31. 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. Alessandrini is on drums and Davis handles vocals, guitar and all of the other layers of noise that can be heard on the record. 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.”
Greystone Canyon | Raging Waters
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Australian rock sensation Greystone Canyon released their second album Iron & Oak a few weeks ago. Known for their unique blend of tone, feel, and honest rock, the band offer an even more captivating musical journey on their sophomore set. For those who haven’t had a chance to check it out yet, they’re sharing the video for Raging Waters, a song that shows a different side of the band. They explain: “It’s kind of a Lynyrd Skynyrd-meets-Aerosmith track… starting with some slide and 12-string guitar and has a real classic rock feel. The song is about sitting up late at night and having conversations with those who have passed on. A kind of spiritual seance that connects us with those beyond this mortal coil. We have some guests on this track and sing some backing vocals, piano, violin, and viola.”
Orthodox | The Other Side Of The Nail
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Orthodox, Nashville’s metallic hardcore luminaries, have unleashed their latest single The Other Side Of The Nail, a track that encapsulates the band’s raw energy and unyielding spirit. Following the acclaimed success of their album Learning to Dissolve, Orthodox continue to push the boundaries of the hardcore genre, melding intricate guitar work with the visceral intensity for which they’ve become renowned. Adam Easterling, Orthodox’s formidable frontman, shared insights into the band’s latest offering: “We’ve been sitting on this song since we finished recording Learning to Dissolve back in 2021. Leaving it off the tracklist was a hard decision to make, but we feel this song packs its own punch without having an album around it. It’s only fitting that this is finally releasing just four days before we head back to Randy in New Jersey to start tracking the next LP.”
Eregion | Earendil Star
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Heavy power metal band Eregion are set to captivate fans again with the release of their new single Earendil Star. This track offers a powerful blend of distinctive power metal tones, coupled with the band’s signature epic flair, promising a gripping musical journey. As a precursor to their upcoming albumNon Omnis Moriar, slated for release May 24, Earendil Star is a rather fast song that talks about Earendil navigating space after his ship gained the power to fly. The sound of this song is epic, melodic, powerful, direct, and battle-starved where lyrics are inspired by history (especially the one of the Vikings) and by fantasy (nonetheless by the writings of Tolkien). For fans of Ensiferum, Blind Guardian, Judas Priest, Crimson Glory and Manowar.”
Lÿnx | Claws Out
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Lÿnx, Calgary’s eclectic and unyielding hard rock / hair metal outfit, are a collective of dreamers who found solace and purpose through the power of music. Formed during the pandemic, each member brought with a shared dream and a burning desire to break free from the chains of mundane existence. Their third album Claws Out is due in May, and it’s chock full of rock ’n’ roll anthems that will get you moving. The next single is the title track: “With this one, we wanted to hit hard and fast,” the band say. “So one thing led to another and well… Werewolf! In honesty, we wanted this one to have a different theme than other songs and it went through about three different versions before we decided to get Ja6ur to write some bloodthirsty werewolf shit and it just worked out.”
Dvne | Abode Of The Perfect Soul
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Scottish progressive post-metal alchemists Dvne unveil their monolithic new single, Abode Of The Perfect Soul. The track comes off of the band’s forthcoming new full-length, Voidkind, due April 19. Voidkind succeeds in finding new modes of expression for the five-piece. The songs are more pointed, direct, and memorable, yet the soundscapes retain the radiant, evolving, and hypnotic flow, the effect achieved with fewer layers of sonic ornamentation, consciously urging closer to Dvne’s incendiary live sound. And despite the addition of a full-time keyboardist, the band’s guitarist, vocalist and cofounder Victor Vicart has no doubt about the album’s defining feature: “We wanted very distinct left and right guitars, and punchier drums and bass, which would transcribe better live. And the synths needed to be clearer; it’s very easy to put five guitars on each side, loads of different vocals and keys, but then you end up watching a band with an album you really like, and the songs sound nothing like the record. That’s what we wanted to avoid. As soon as the song starts, we want people to immediately recognize the riff.”
Lie Heavy | Drag The World
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “U.S. heavy rock and metal supergroup Lie Heavy present their third single Drag The World. Their debut album Burn To The Moon arrives on April 19. The well-pedigreed North Carolinian outfit comprised of vocalist Karl Agell (Legions of Doom, Corrosion of Conformity), guitarist Graham Fry (Confessor), drummer Jeff “JD” Dennis (Hank Sinatra & The Backsliders) and bassist TR Gwynne self-issued their 12-song debut in the summer of 2023.”
TX2 | Vendetta (ft. Johnny 3 Tears)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “TX2 is out for revenge.The viral hitmaker is here to shake things up with another wild single that will keep fans on their toes. Vendetta, his heaviest song to date, is a testament to his rock n’ roll roots and a f*ck you to anyone who has questioned his spot in the hard rock scene. With one of his long-time icons from Hollywood Undead on the track, it’s a song that’s particularly special to TX2. The song arrives amidst his massive nationwide tour with labelmate Noahfinnce. TX2 shares: “I was able to team up with Johnny 3 Tears from one of my favorite bands growing up — Hollywood Undead — for one of the hardest rock songs I think I could possibly make. We wrote this song after a viral wave of internet hate came from seemingly nowhere, and it put a fire under me to make an undeniable song that I couldn’t have made any other day.”
