Well, gawddam! Looks like we finally made it to the end of another Friday. Let’s celebrate by cracking a cold one and cranking the volume on a new batch of high-velocity hijinks from some heavyweight customers. Welcome to your weekend:
Striker | Live To Fight Another Day
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Every day is a new day! And Striker have a new video. Live To Fight Another Day is off the shredmasters’ new album Ultrapower, produced with Josh Schroeder (Lorna Shore) released this past February. The band explains the track: “Originally this was just a regular Striker song. Tim had the idea that we should just try turning it into a synth-wave track. It fits like a glove. We’ve always been into synthwave but never had the guts to do it ourselves. Until now! This is our first attempt at it and we are stoked about how it turned out. This one is another track about keeping it together and taking on life one day at a time.”
Infrared | Concuss
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Infrared are true Canadian thrash metal, and initially started in 1986. After a hiatus, they re-emerged in 2016 and have put out a handful of albums since. Their latest is the full-length Manifestation, due on Sept. 6. Ahead of this, they are releasing their second single Concuss. They share their thoughts: “This is a song that was a forced collaboration right from the start of the songwriting process. While Kirk had these great grooving riffs to build the song, the chorus pops with an all-out chant and in-your-face riff that makes you want to hit stuff which was brought to the table by Armin. As usual, Mike and Al ensure the rhythm section is exactly what is needed to get fists pumping.” They go on to explain that Concuss is a straight-up anthem song about retaliating against those who stand in your way, but also a tip of the hat to all those crazy metalheads that hop in the pit and destroy.”
Massive Scar Era | School Girls بنات المدرسة (ft. Chaney Crabb)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Massive Scar Era, the visionary Egyptian/Canadian metal project led by Cherine Amr, release their new single School Girls | بنات المدرسة. This track, featuring the dynamic vocals of Chaney Crabb from Entheos, is the lead single from their upcoming EP Assyad, set to drop in October. With School Girls, Massive Scar Era break genre boundaries again, blending progressive rock, post-grunge, Egyptian music, and metal into a captivating sound that resonates deeply with fans worldwide. Amr comments: “School Girls represents a dialogue between the Mu’allima (teacher) spirit, brought to life by Chaney’s voice, and the outside world. The chorus is adapted from the traditional Zar song Banat el Madrassa, reflecting a significant era in Egyptian society and feminism. It highlights the pursuit of higher education by middle and upper-class women in the 1950s, symbolizing their aspirations and empowerment. The Mu’allima serves as both a guide within the female Zar realm and a social archetype.”
Insurrection | The Gathering
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Insurrection, the heavy-hitting death metal band from Gatineau, release the video for the single The Gathering, the first glimpse of their upcoming album Obsolescence, due out Sept, 13. Known for their intense and energetic performances, Insurrection bring their unique blend of groovy death metal and thrash energy to this powerful new track. The band comment: “The first time we played this song, we knew we had to play it live in front of people. In fact, we felt so strongly about that, that we started opening our set with this song. It has a massive, heavy beginning, and gradually builds up to a fast, double-bass crescendo, only to drop again to a pummeling conclusion. Lyrically, the song is very dark, and has a ritualistic style to it, although the words themselves are actually telling a story of acceptance.”
Theigns & Thralls | The Harrowing
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Theigns and Thralls, known for their distinctive blend of folk-metal and classic rock, drop the new video visualizer for The Harrowing. This track is part of their forthcoming album The Keep & The Spire, which showcases the band’s evolution with a heavier and darker tone, devoid of acoustic tracks. Historically, The Harrowing takes place at the end of the Viking era when, in the winter of 1069, William The Conqueror ruthlessly put down a rebellion in the North of England. The brainchild of Skyclad vocalist and songwriter Kevin Ridley, Theigns & Thralls features Cruachan and Waylander band members. The Keep & The Spire is the second album from the band, but it is the first album to be recorded as a band — though there are a few guest musicians on it. The title is taken from the song Theigns & Thralls and refers to the keep and the spire being considered as the twin towers of control (the state and religion).”
Spirit Mother | Emerald
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “U.S. heavygaze and dark rock merchants Spirit Mother premiere their tantalizing new single Emerald. Their sophomore album Trails comes out on Sept. 13. About the song, bassist and vocalist Armand Lance says: “A bastardized folk narrative about a man with the brain of an infant who lives beside a graveyard in an isolated forest and safeguards the graves within. Where time both flies and remains stagnate in strained equilibrium. The serene town and surrounding nature draws you in and unknowingly grips you — until one day the steward of the cemetery reverently lays your bones to rest. Spoiler: It’s a real place, we’ve been there, and might still be there. Emerald is our take on psychedelia-informed rock ’n’ roll directly colliding with protometal and folklore narrative. Written first as a poem with no music. The music is added to accompany and deliver the poem. It’s comes off cryptic but is actually very literal. A testament to the location that Emerald both references and was written.”
Freya | Blood Thirst
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Freya, a veteran hardcore/metal band from Syracuse, drop their new single Blood Thirst. This powerful track showcases the band’s unique blend of hardcore intensity and thrash metal fury that they have been perfecting for over two decades. The single is a straightforward banger. Drummer Ethan D. Henry comments: “I’m not vegan or anything but I was just thinking of this concept of some trophy hunters entering the forest killing and taking what they wanted and leaving the corpses of their victims to rot. I imagined a grizzly bear being fed up finding rotten deer, turkey, and whatever else on his daily trek. Full of rage, he is forced to fight back and chase the men out of the forest.”
