Welcome to the end of yet another Hump Day. You have temporarily vanquished the evil demigods of Sisypihean drudgery once again. Congrats. Why not mark the occasion by cracking a cold one and cranking up the latest batch of high-voltage, high-volume, high-calibre highlights? You have nothing to lose but your boredom:
Luna Sol | Evil (Is On The Rise)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “High mountain stoner-rock trio Luna Sol (fronted by Hermano guitarist David Angstrom) present the second track taken from their upcoming new album Vita Mors, due Sept. 20. Evil (Is On The Rise) delves into themes of unease, darkness and despair, as well as a longing for liberation and renewal from the negativity that can overwhelm us. Drawing inspiration from the blues, frontman and guitarist David Angstrom skillfully tells this folklore with a sense of slyness, accompanied by a heavy beat that captivates listeners. The music video showcases the band’s admiration and appreciation for Mexican culture and its celebration of life.”
Manuel Barbará | Dead Hand
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “East Coast metal guitarist and composer Manuel Barbará announced his upcoming EP Whisper In A Storm, due out Sept. 13. The EP blends the aggression and technical mastery of heavy metal with the formal and harmonic concepts learned from the great composers of the 19th and 20th centuries. The first single is Dead Hand, which features Jody Miller, a renowned violinist in the video game music scene. Barbará adds: “The first song that came together for this project, Dead Hand is six minutes of unapologetic Monuments worship featuring an incredible violin solo and some creepy textures that I couldn’t have done better myself (I told Jody to play weird stuff, and boy did it work out)” The song also features a big heavy riff that keeps returning with slightly different feels and that Barbará says gives him an image of a big snake that you definitely don’t want to get in the way of. That riff gives way to all kinds of spacey ambiance and twisty strangeness, ending with a riff that he explains is one of the heaviest and weirdest things he’s ever written.”
Gigantum | Necron99
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Gigantum, the innovative hard-rock band from L.A., continue to experiment with the genre norms as they release the second single from their upcoming self-titled debut, due Sept. 6. Following the single Monkey King last month, this new track delves deeper into the band’s eclectic influences and creative synergy, offering fans another taste of what’s to come. Vocalist/bassist Mia X comments: “A lot of the songs are about conversations that we have at practice. Necron99 came about when Mark told us about this movie he was really into and wanted us to check out called, Wizards. After watching it, I went down a rabbit hole to learn more and when he started playing the riff that is now Necron99, I started thinking about the importance of what the movie was portraying.”
The Aphelion | The Seed Of Doubt
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Aphelion, Ottawa’s top progressive metal band, just released their new single The Seed of Doubt. It is the fourth single from their upcoming concept album Nascence, which tells the story of a man’s descent into madness in response to the mundanity and repetitiveness of the world. “Musically, this song takes influence from the ’70s prog rock era,” they say. “It features guest appearances by Brian Asselin on saxophone and Eric Littlewood on trumpet. At this point in the story, the protagonist meets the love of his life, and while their new love is beautiful and for a time he is fulfilled and happy, eventually the relationship sours as he becomes afraid of her hurting him, and grows distrustful and controlling.”
Darkness Is My Canvas | Day Zero
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Finnish prog outfit Darkness Is My Canvas will release their debut album The End Of Times in October. Day Zero, the latest single from the album, reveals a new side of the band. While it retains all the familiar elements of their previous tracks, the band has pushed their melodic creativity to the limit. This song is the seventh chapter (and seventh track) of the album, portraying the moment when a path ends and a decision must be made to begin on a new one. “I wouldn’t call it a concept album because this universe has been around since our last EP. We’ve been telling stories from these same characters’ perspectives in previous releases,” says Pete Erkintalo, responsible for the story and lyrics of Darkness Is My Canvas. “I think Day Zero is a beautiful and nuanced song, allowing listeners to feel it from their own perspectives.”
Never Elected | Hate Breeds Hate
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Never Elected, a deadly grunge-rock group from D.C., recently re-released their album Turbulence. Now they have the single Hate Breeds Hate, which shows off their proactive politically charged lyrics and rock riffs. Altan Aydin shares: “Somewhere between hard rock from the late 80s and the early ’90s grunge era, our music delves into the turbulent times of our vocalist’s life. The reactions from our live performances range from pure exhilaration to deep emotional resonance, a testament to the raw honesty embedded within our songs.” Formed by Sujit Kumar and Aydin, both fueled by a shared passion for grunge and rock ’n’ roll, Never Elected have evolved into a powerhouse ensemble with Dr. T‘s melodic bass riffs and Wesley Meyer’s driving drums.”
