The Ides Of March have got nothing on the Ides Of May, baby. Not when you’ve got a slate of rip-roaring rockers like these as the soundtrack, anyway. Grab your calendar and hold on for dear life:
Thirteen Goats | A Wolf In Shepherd’s Clothing
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Vancouver’s Thirteen Goats have, with their upcoming album Capricorn Rising, crafted a death metal rock opera that follows the journey of their mascot, Shepherd: A goat-skull wearing Antichrist leading an army of 12 demon goats to liberate the Earth from humanity’s wars and greed. They introduce this album to the world with the first single, A Wolf In Shepherd’s Clothing. The band explain: “A Wolf In Shepherd’s Clothing wasn’t originally going to be a single, but as we were finishing it in the studio, we changed our minds. It felt like we were able to take a lot of the more aggressive elements of our sound and put them together in a surprisingly accessible way — it has these angry riffs and big, heavy grooves, but they’re anchored by a catchy chorus with a dynamic vocal hook.”
Thunder Horse | Monolith
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Texas heavy and doom metal juggernauts Thunder Horse will release their album Dead Alive in Texas on July 5. Stream the first track with the thunderous video for Monolith. The powerhouse San Antonio rockers, renowned for their electrifying performances, are set to reignite a cherished tradition with Dead Alive in Texas. Evoking the spirit of rock’s golden era, Thunder Horse channel the energy and raw power of live performances into a captivating nine-track record. Recorded live in their home state, the album captures the essence of the band’s exhilarating live shows, bringing fans closer to the heart of the music than ever before.”
Siege Perilous | Sons Of The Verdant
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Denver power metal outfit Siege Perilous have once again ignited the flames of epic storytelling with their newest single Sons Of The Verdant, which comes from their second EP Creation’s Call, slated for an August release. Influenced by LARP, historical events, and fantasy literature, the single is sure to grab the attention of listeners across the metal spectrum. The band say: “This song has an interesting combination of dark and triumphant. The story is a fantasy version of a story we see repeated throughout history, that of native resistance to colonizing oppressors. One of the cool things about fantasy is the ability to take these universal themes and be able to apply them without having to point at one group of people and borrow their story, especially since there are so many instances of it from antiquity to modern day.”
Quiescent Mantia | Shake The Cage + Fight
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Quiescent Mantis, the dynamic metal band hailing from the depths of Tennessee, announce the release of their second album Here Comes the Swarm. It was produced by Yanic Bercier (Quo Vadis, Gone In April) at WaveTransform Recording Studio and is due out on July 19. They have two videos out for the tracks Shake the Cage and Fight. They comment: “Shake the Cage is about civilization finally pushing back and realizing that people on top are using status and fame as a platform to tell us how to act and what we do with our own lives. Civilization is fed up and is starting to point all in one direction and coming together to get answers on why they are shaking the cage. Fight is really based on the battle scenes from Starship Troopers, a battle between bugs and humans.”
Dune | Reject
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Thrash metal aficionados, brace yourselves for the thunderous single, and lyric video Reject from Saudi Arabia’s Dune, which comes from their debut EP Years Of Chains, slated for release on May 31. Clocking in at 05:06, this track is a masterclass in aggressive thrash metal fused with djent, nu-metal, oriental, and groove influences. This EP has been a long time in the making and Dune share a bit on the process behind the single: “Reject was redone multiple times and the song structure had drastic multiple changes, the demo of the song sounded nothing like the final result as we kept removing and adding parts till we felt the song became tight and made sense. It is a groovy song with a dark story.”
Gnarwhal | The War / Nothing More
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “From the far reaches of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife‘s award-winning Gnarwhal bring forth their doomy stoner sludge rock sound to the masses with their forthcoming EP Altered States due May 24. After unveiling singles Tides and the EP’s title track over the last few weeks, the quartet offer their latest peek at the release with The War / Nothing More, two songs that the band wrote at completely different times and stitched together. Guitarist Benji Straker comments: “I wrote The War shortly after we finished recording our first album. At that same time, I was writing music for my Hughes project EP so lyrically and thematically it fit right in line with that. Once I finished it, I actually released it as an acoustic solo version on the EP, Here I Am. The Nothing More demo was written shortly after and musically it was inspired by my classic post-hardcore/punk influences. I think Refused would be the main driver of the rhythm on this track.”
Mutant Blast | Acid Rain
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Mutant Blast are gearing up to release the new album Soulsteeler in September. It promises a fresh blend of death ’n’ roll, thrash and heavy metal, showcasing Mutant Blast’s evolution since their formation in 2020. With influences ranging from classic metal to ’90s extreme crunching, the band have crafted a distinctive and powerful sound that sets them apart in the metal scene. Acid Rain, the second preview single from the album, is a very catchy and forward-rolling song with great melodic riffs delivering a high-energy experience with nods to action, movie references, and current world events. Here resonates a strong image reminiscent of Annihilator’s old production.”
Duel | Chaos Reigns
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Austin heavy metallers Duel premiere their brand new single Chaos Reigns, taken from their forthcoming fifth album Breakfast With Death, due July 5. About the song, the band say: “Chaos Reigns is an apocalyptic crusher about the war between man and the sea. A heavy metal funeral march for the countless souls lost in the deep.” Heavier and more menacing than their previous efforts, Breakfast With Death features nine rowdy and beer-soaked stompers capturing the foursome’s sizzling live performances. With a renewed rhythm section, Duel blast harder into heavy metal territory with their explosive shredding and impassioned vocals, even catching the listener off-guard with some feverish stampedes along the way. This is Duel at their fiercest, and hell it’s a party.”
