Happy birthday to former Skid Row frontman and eternal headbanger Sebastian Bach, who turns 56 years young today. What better way to celebrate the Slave To The Grind wailer’s big day than with a trip to the Grindhouse? Blow out the candles and unwrap these presents from some youth gone wild:
Bodysnatcher | Murder8 (ft. Jamey Jasta)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Heavy Floridian quartet Bodysnatcher have released their new track Murder8, featuring the inimitable Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed. Through the haunting, visceral storytelling in the accompanying video, Murder8 serves as an urgent and poignant reminder of the devastating impact of drug overdose. Speaking on the inspiration behind the song, Bodysnatcher drummer Chris Whited commented: “Murder8 is a street name for fentanyl. I lost my older brother in 2022 to fentanyl and then I lost my younger sister just one year later in 2023 to fentanyl as well. Opioids have been prescribed at alarming rates since the early 2000’s and have affected millions of families across the world, especially the United States. If you have lost someone due to overdose, this song goes out to you.”
Darkest Hour | One With The Void
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “D.C. quintet Darkest Hour — Mike Schleibaum (guitar), John Henry (vocals), Aaron Deal (bass), Travis Orbin (drums) and Nico Santora (guitar) — released their 10th album Perpetual | Terminal on Feb. 23. Today they shared the video for One With the Void. “This song, as well as this album, showcases John’s amazing talents like none other,” says Schleibaum. “An emotional leap, One With The Void channels the melodic, dark, and atmospheric side of Darkest Hour. It continues the long tradition of John combining his amazing melodic talents with his introspective lyrical approach. To me, this is a love song; others might see another story, regardless there is no doubt this song expands the musical pallet of this band and brings a balance to this record that makes it perfect.”
The D.O.O.D. | Subterfuge
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Unleashing their latest single Subterfuge in February, Florida’s The Distinguished Order of Disobedience (The D.O.O.D.) are ready to unveil their new video for the track. “This song is about how the government and media will lie to suit their purposes and draw attention from matters that are of actual importance,” the band say. “For the video, we wanted to find a way to embody the idea in a story, so we came up with the idea that we as a band were starting to get too vocal about the corruption inherent in the system and in order to keep his reputation a governor running for president decides to take a hit out on The D.O.O.D. in order to help silence the dissension growing against him.”
King Bastard | The Dawn Of Man
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Long Island’s progressive doom metallers King Bastard unleash the skull-crushing first single and video from their sophomore album From Whence They Came, due June 21. A face-melting 12-minute epic as only King Bastard can deliver, The Dawn of Man channels the trio’s Dantean brand of sci-fi-laden doom metal with more extreme metal elements and their boundary-free songwriting, carried by the scenario of civilizational destruction that is depicted in their new video directed and produced by Brendan McGowen (Lamb of God, Ghost, Mastodon). “The Dawn Of Man describes how language, the essence of humanity, ultimately results in a level of destruction that was impossible to conceive of prior,” the band say. “Through murder and the sixth mass extinction, the human race used the ability to collaborate to destroy themselves and sentence the Earth to death.”
Death Club | Bring Me Home
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Canadian modern metal trio Death Club have released their debut album Betrayal, along with a video for the song Bring Me Home. “This album was intended to empower anyone who has been let down by others, felt abandoned, or has experienced the desire for vengeance,” says Dana Death. “Betrayal — being the concept and name of the album — expresses treachery through each song in its own unique way. Some are less obvious than others, as betrayal isn’t always so obvious. Sonically, we focused on super heavy riffs, effervescent grooves, pure density, and sharp hooks.” Death Club’s sound has been described as catchy, heavy, and groovy, drawing influences from modern heavy metal, deathcore, groove, and traditional rock music. Using drop F as a standard guitar tuning, and traditional song arrangements, it’s not hard for the band to attain the super-heavy sound they are known for, while remaining accessible.”
Never Elected | One Of These Days
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “One of D.C.’s most entertaining and electrifying acts, Never Elected have been writing and releasing thought-provoking material based on socio-political themes over the last few years. Their upcoming re-release of Turbulent on April 19 is a look back at vocalist Sujit Kumar’s life. It has deeply emotionally charged lyrics, grungy riffs, and hard-hitting drums that provide a punchy, catchy, hard rock fun time. Their latest video for One Of These Days gives a taste of what’s to come. The band comment: “The album is a deep reflection of the turbulent times of our vocalist’s life. From the reactions that we have seen out of playing these songs live, they’ve ranged from completely rocking out to people being in tears after. Sometimes a song completely changes direction from the original idea that it was built upon, we listen to the jam, and if it seems like it’s connecting, Sujit usually ends up putting lyrics on it, and we collectively put the finishing touches on it.”
Isaak | The Whale
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In anticipation of Geezer and Isaak‘s upcoming Interstellar Cosmic Blues & The Riffalicious Stoner Dudes split album, they present a new track with The Whale. Buckle up as two of the international stoner rock scene’s favorites have joined forces to produce one of the most rifftastic split albums you will hear this year. Kingston, N.Y.’s masters of the riff Geezer deliver four stompers drenched in the trio’s trademark swagger and hypnotic groove, while Genoa’s Isaak instantly blow all legal volume levels with three fuzz-drenched weapons of sonic destruction, making any listener surrender to their undoubted stoner rock might.”
Metro Society | Underground
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Metro Society is a progressive rock/metal project group from the mind of guitarist and songwriter Chris Mangold. Released this past March, their second album The London Conspiracy Chapter I 1898 — their atmospheric and eerie musical journey into 1800s London — marks the band’s return after a hiatus along with a renewed lineup. Their third single and video arrives with Underground, which the band explain: “This song takes on perhaps the most unique sounds recorded for the album. The tone of the instruments and lyrics are very much reflective of the underground tunnel-like setting of the storyline. Lots of layered dark keyboard work from Mangold and the chime/crunch tones from bassist Ian Ringler’s 12-string bass work.”
Danava | Shoot Straight With A Crooked Gun
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Pacific Northwest’s proto-heavy revelers Danava announce the release of their Live album this June 21 — and present a thunderous first excerpt with Shoot Straight With A Crooked Gun. Capturing the frenzy of their European tours in 2008 and 2023, this new album from the revered proto-heavy merchants is a must-have for fans old and new. Featuring live recordings from Dublin and Prague, the track list is a testament to Danava’s prowess on stage. From the hypnotic rhythms of Spinning Temple Shifting to the raw energy of Let The Good Times Kill, each song is a journey through the band’s dynamic universe.”
