There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who know that the late, great Budgie bassist Burke Shelley would have celebrated his 74th birthday today, and those who don’t. If you’re in the second group, well, welcome to the first group. Now go listen to Crash Course In Brain Surgery or Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman ASAP. But first, fly through these new heavyweight gems:
Ivy Gardens | Goon
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Born on a quiet street named Ivy Gardens Crescent, Ivy Gardens emerged from humble beginnings with an unwavering passion for creating music that resonates with raw energy and volume. Originally formed under a different name, the band, hailing from Niagara, underwent a transformative journey. In 2020, fueled by their collective experiences as young musicians, Ivy Gardens took root and blossomed into a force to be reckoned with. With an EP already under their belts, they are gearing up to release their new album Goon on April 19. Ahead of this release, they are premiering the title track, which they comment on: “Goon is a song that was written with the intention of being both rhythmically intricate, but ultimately danceable. Where the verses are filled with screaming lyrics from the point of view of a struggling addict, the chorus takes a more melodic approach, as the person in question experiences the ecstasy that comes with getting their fix. This song is filled with sonic surprises, and we hope it serves as a sweet release for all those goons out there.”
Dopethrone | Shlaghammer
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Montréal sludge-metal heroes Dopethrone unleash an NSFW new video taken from their anticipated sixth album Broke Sabbath, out May 24. Whenever the world thinks Dopethrone has finally disappeared, be sure that Canada’s filthiest heavy trio are rustling up something evil in the dark corners of their twisted minds… A devastatingly evil slab of metal filth and schizophrenic aggression, Broke Sabbath provides maximum levels of grim and fuzz through seven highly noxious tracks recorded by the trio’s long-time collaborator Jean-Baptiste Joubeaud and coated with copious amounts of asphyxiating sonic density thanks to mastering from Brad Boatright.”
Horseburner | The Gift
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “West Virginia progressive sludge stalwarts Horseburner drop their new album Voice of Storms on June 21, with the roaring first single The Gift streaming now. Blasting out loud and surgical riffs, driving grooves and fire-driven vocal harmonies, The Gift is a massive-sounding heavy rock rager that perfectly encapsulates the foursome’s knack for uncompromisingly technical yet strikingly melodic anthems. Horseburner blasted onto the scene in 2009 amid comparisons to Mastodon and Baroness, with an iteration of high-energy sludge metal informed by their Appalachian industrial background and elevated conceptual themes. From the impact of galloping full-length Dead Seeds, Barren Soil to their growth into a tremendous live force to the watershed leap of 2019’s acclaimed The Thief, Horseburner have not only endured, they have progressed.”
Nate Silva | Come Down
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Canadian guitarist and singer-songwriter Nate Silva is set to ignite the local music scene once again with the release of his latest video for the single Come Down, off his debut solo album The Chase, due May 3. Known for his versatile guitar work and captivating vocals, Silva’s solo endeavour promises to captivate listeners with an arrangement of styles and influences. “There’s dance-rock and ’90s post-grunge vibes throughout this tune, with a catchy chorus and a Tom Morello-inspired guitar solo halfway through,” Silva says of The Chase. “This song is about navigating a relationship that’s about to break and trying your best to make it work despite everything working against you.”
Omnivide | A Tale Of Fire
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “On their debut album A Tale of Fire, Moncton’s Ominivide blend their favourite elements from progressive metal, technical death, and symphonic/power metal to present very heavy/dark riffs, along with very grandiose/more epic orchestral instruments, as well as lighter/cleaner sections with clean vocals. Today, they showcase the shred with their latest guitar-playthrough for the album’s title track. “This song… begins with a choir and orchestral intro that slowly builds into developing melodies in a manner similar to classical music,” they say. “The intro makes the listener anticipate the arrival of the rest of the band, and when the full band does kick in, there is a sense that the song is going to metaphorically explode. There are a lot of old classical music techniques like counterpoint and dual melodies that make this song very tech-death until it slows down in the middle to make it more thrash sounding. The goal was to write more melodies with the keyboards and orchestral instruments to have the song be less guitar-oriented compared to the other songs on the album even though the guitar definitely has a lot going on.”
Dendera | Mask Of Lies
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “U.K. band Dendera have been on a steady rise while playing sell-out shows and festivals across Europe and in their home country along with supporting bands such as Sepultura, Queensrÿche, Saxon, Death Angel, Gloryhammer, Skindred, Rhapsody of Fire and many more. In the wake of the pandemic and personal tragedy, Dendera fought the odds to record their stunning third album Mask Of Lies. Mixed by Alessio Garavello plus featuring a guest solo from Russ Parrish (a.k.a. Satchel of Steel Panther), the album showcases Dendera’s relentless vision to move forward, using the traumas of the past to write a powerful record that explores personal themes, grittier undertones that showcases their signature strong vocals and multi-layered songwriting approach. “This album has been far too long coming from us, and we cannot wait to get it out,” they say. “We really want our fans to hear how much we have grown and give them a treat. The time we have taken to do this has all been to make sure we get it right, and we think the end product reflects that.”
Chunked | Inhaling The Infestation
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Heavy and simple is one way to describe Chunked’s specific blend of death metal. It is also raw, violent and full of skin-crawling themes. They have already released their debut album Inhaling the Infestation digitally, and will have a physical release on May 3. Right now they are releasing the lyric video for the title track, which they describe thusly: “Inhaling The Infestation is a power ballad about a swarm of insects slowly taking over a human body, very painfully and meticulously. It is a well-structured and catchy track that will make your knuckles sink towards the ground and start grinding across the floor.”
