Search Results: metal

• SYMBIOTIC GROWTH Unleashes New Lyric Video "Lost in Fractured Reveries" From New Album "Beyond The Sleepless Aether"

  May 15, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Canadian progressive blackened death unit Symbiotic Growth has unleashed their latest lyric video, "Lost in Fractured Reveries," in support of their sophomore album "Beyond The Sleepless Aether," released digitally on March 28th, 2025, and available on limited edition CD from Bolverk Collective.

  Similar to the band's predecessor, their 2020 self-titled full-length, "Beyond The Sleepless Aether," is once again based in fiction and is lyrically conceptual, but dives more into thoughts and emotions of everyday life, and sometimes those thoughts are hard to deal with. It's progressive, experimental, foreboding, and emotional; every song has its own identity and place within the album's story, taking its protagonist through the multiverse, placing him in places like dark wooded forests, wide open desert landscapes, and the unending cosmos.

  The band comments on the track "Lost In Fractured Reveries":

  "The song is about the last stop through the protagonist's journey on the proggiest song on the album. He finds himself floating within the cosmos, seeing all of time and every universe being woven together like a web, contemplating his entire existence, whether he ever even mattered in any time or in any universe. The jumping time signatures and tempo changes lend a hand to the uncertainty that feels within the song."

  Watch and listen to the lyric video at https://youtu.be/mrfCcx7U4Fk

  [embed]https://youtu.be/mrfCcx7U4Fk[/embed]

  Mixed and mastered by Tom MacLean (Twelve Tone Studio, Haken, Athemon, Brutta), "Beyond The Sleepless Aether" features seven paryalzing sounds of technical metal created by the Sudbury, ON recording line up of Aaron Barriault (Vocals, Guitar, Bass), Devin McQueen (Vocals, Guitar), and Dan Favot (Drums)(ex-Wolven Ancestry, ex-Fractal Generator).

  "I think the fans who have heard our previous album may be a bit surprised; the sound of this album is a bit different; it's a little bit more experimental in its way. Either way, we hope that fans enjoy what we've created. I feel like the listener may have feelings of uneasiness and wonder. An odd combination, but I feel like it's fitting," adds Aaron Barriault – Vocals, Guitar, Bass.

  "Beyond The Sleepless Aether" is recommended for fans of Ne Oblivisacaris, Der Weg Einer Freiheit, Cor Scorpii, and Gojira.

  The album can be heard on the following digital platforms:

  YouTube (Album Stream) - https://youtu.be/CSOzIaRlo6E​

  Spotify - https://spoti.fi/42m1Mlp​

  Bandcamp - https://symbioticgrowth.bandcamp.com​

  CD Order is available at https://www.bolverkcollective.com/symbioticgrowth​

  Track Listing:​
  1. Of Painted Skies and Dancing Lights - 7:03
  2. Spires Of The Boundless Sunset – 7:28
  3. The Architect Of Annihilation – 10:57
  4. The Sleepless Void – 9:52
  5. Arid Trials and Barren Sands – 7:35
  6. Lost in Fractured Reveries – 8:44
  7. Trading Thoughts For Sleep – 10:02
  Album Length: 1:01:43

  Album Credits:​
  Mixed and Mastered By Tom Maclean of Twelve Tone Studio
  Album Art by Erskine Designs

  Album Band Line Up​
  Aaron Barriault – Vocals, Guitar, Bass
  Devin McQueen – Vocals, Guitar
  Dan Favot – Drums

  Live Band Line Up​
  Aaron Barriault - Vocals, Guitar
  Dan Favot - Drums

  For more info: Facebook.com/SymbioticGrowth | Instagram.com/symbioticgrowth

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• MARBLE GHOSTS Signs with Self Made Records L.L.C. / Earache Digital Distro For New EP "The Greatest Divide" Out May 23rd

  May 14, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  L-R - Adam Hansen (Guitar), Dylan Gunnell (Vocals), Paulo Ferraz (Bass), Jer Renaud (Drums)

  Photographer Credit - Lisa Thompson (Dark Moon Productions)

  Ottawa, Canada's Marble Ghosts announces they have signed with Self-Made Records L.L.C. with digital distro from Earache Records for the release of their sophomore EP "The Greatest Divide" out on May 23, 2025.

  "We are extremely excited to have signed with Self Made Records LLC. Even though we've only been working with the label for a short time, we have seen how closely the label works with bands and how invested they are in our success," adds the band.

  The band is a boundary-pushing ensemble known for its distinctive blend of metal, grunge, and punk influences. Emerging in 2023 onto the Canadian music scene with a distinctive sound and a fierce commitment to challenging societal norms, Marble Ghosts is a band with a message.

  Their forthcoming second EP, "The Greatest Divide," is inspired by our reality, from the ultra-rich and the shrinking middle class to widening gaps in political and religious ideologies that are beginning to challenge and even erode fundamental human rights. Similar to their first EP, these next five songs in their catalog highlight their diverse influences and styles and seek to lift the marginalized through powerful messaging.

  With this release, the band asks, “Are you ready to cross the greatest divide?” It is the type of divide that has splintered friendships and even families, where viewpoints differ so greatly, that we can see one another as enemies- traitors. While this seems bleak, some of the stories told through the lyrics are inspired by people who have crossed the greatest divide. But this wasn’t without hardship, as it was often the threat of losing their loved ones, their mental health, and even their own identity that forced the change.

  To date, the socially conscious quartet has shared two singles from the five-track EP "Distance Between" and "Eat The Rich", which is accompanied by a music video that can be viewed below.

  ​

  "Eat The Rich", the song, is a statement of today's political climate shifting to serve the wealthy or the "1%". The video is a message from Marble Ghosts to the rest of us. It paints the picture of two massively divergent groups- the people who are struggling to hold on, the ones staying in broken, abusive relationships to avoid being homeless, and increasingly out-of-touch billionaires who could effect real, meaningful change with their bank accounts. Instead, the ultra-wealthy constantly seek more and more ways to enrich themselves.

  Vocalist Dylan Gunnell explains further:

  "This song 'Eat The Rich' is about the ultra-wealthy, and the great divide is clear with every billion added to their coffers while the people that enrich them through a broken system continue to suffer. While the chorus is metaphorical, the band also envisioned an alternate reality in writing the lyrics: our planet has been devastated by a zombie plague. The ultra-rich are waiting for a shuttle to carry them to Mars, but it malfunctions, and they are trapped. The undead descend on them, and they are torn to pieces by the horde, the horde that once worked for them, that kept capitalism strong, the people that made them rich. In that reality, their fair share will be paid with a pound of their flesh."

  Musically, "Eat the Rich" has a droning bass that mixes with soft yet acidic vocals in the verses. The long-held scream in the chorus gives way to harmony that grows increasingly layered as the song evolves, creating the perfect contrast. The dirty guitar solo blends into mocking laughter and then powers into a final chorus with three-part harmonies.

  Their music is recommended for fans of Breaking Benjamin, Shinedown, Saint Asonia, and Three Days Grace.

  Marble Ghosts' sophomore EP "The Greatest Divide" will be released on May 23, 2025.

  Digital pre-save (all platforms) https://earache.lnk.to/TheGreatestDivide​

  Bandcamp pre-order - https://marbleghosts.bandcamp.com/​

  Show Dates:​
  May 22 - Ottawa - NXT Level Festival - The Brass Monkey w/ Crimson Ash, Love and Mayhem, Tucana - info​

  Album Artwork by:​
  Marble Ghosts font: Crossfade Productions
  EP cover art: Edith Fluet

  Track Listing:​
  1. Distance Between (3:38)
  2. Eat the Rich (4:16)
  3. Trafficked (The Devil Inside) (4:19)
  4. Gloom (4:24)
  5. Osmium (4:48)
  EP Length: 21:26
  ​
  ​Band Line Up (EP)​
  Dylan Gunnell - Lead Vocals and Lyrics
  Adam Hansen - Guitar
  Paul R. Champagne - Bass
  Jer Renaud - Drums
  ​
  ​Band Line Up (Live)​
  Dylan Gunnell - Lead Vocals
  Adam Hansen - Guitar and Backing Vocals
  Paulo Ferraz - Bass
  Jer Renaud - Drums

  More info: Facebook.com/marbleghosts | Instagram.com/marbleghostsofficial

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• Chris Adler (Lamb of God) Joins Forces with TONIC BREED For Explosive New Single "Anew"

  May 13, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Tonic Breed, the metal project led by Norwegian musician Patrik K. Svendsen, is gearing up to release "Anew" on June 19th, 2025, a crushing new single featuring none other than legendary drummer Chris Adler (Lamb of God, Megadeth).

  “I was quite curious when I got an email — and some riffs — from Patrik,” says Adler. “Clearly he’s done some cool shit and I was flattered to be on his radar… I researched it for a minute and agreed.”

  Patrik originally sent over a rough demo of the song, a storm of riffs strung together with placeholder drums and a suggested structure. “Chris was actually on board right away,” Patrik explains. “We worked together on a new structure for the song, and Chris took the lead on shaping it into something far more unique and effective than my original draft.”

  “His riffs are fucking sick,” Adler continues. “We did have to take a minute to both feel good about what this would be — meaning I beat up his song like a fucking Rocky movie — but I knew it had the parts and strength.”

  The final version of "Anew" is a precision-crafted, high-energy track that fuses Patrik’s Norwegian riff work with Adler’s unmistakable rhythmic drive. “To me, this is the most Lamb of God-style drumming I’ve heard from Chris since he was in Lamb of God,” Patrik says. “I’m sure some metal guitarists would kill to hear Chris Adler’s drumming behind their riffs — I’ve been lucky enough to experience that firsthand.”

  By the end of the collaboration, Adler described the finished product as “sounding like an action movie that’s fun to watch,” a nod to the song’s explosive dynamics and cinematic flow.

  “It’s been a privilege to work with Patrik,” Adler says. “Humbling. You’ll know what I mean when you hear it.”

  The track was mixed and mastered by acclaimed producer Machine, who also handled Lamb of God’s Ashes of the Wake and Sacrament. “The sound is brilliant,” says Patrik. “Machine absolutely nailed it.”

  "Anew" will drop June 19th, 2025 as a stand-alone single and is also set to appear on the next full-length Tonic Breed album. The new release continues the project's series of high-profile collaborations, which already include Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth), Michael Gilbert (Flotsam and Jetsam), and Björn Strid (Soilwork).

  Until "Anew" is released, check out Tonic Breed's latest collaboration with Flotsam and Jetsam guitarist Michael Gilbert for a guest solo on the new single "The Die Is Cast".

  Straight to the point. No fluff, no filler, "The Die Is Cast" is pure, hard-hitting thrash from start to finish, with a touch of melody woven in. The song is about a powerful war machine that lies broken and abandoned, surrounded by the wreckage of others like it. Its silence feels heavy, as if it's aware of the destruction it once brought and the emptiness that followed.

  "The Die Is Cast" was performed, written, and produced by Patrik K. Svendsen with mixing by Adrian Bjerketvedt in Sarpsborg, Norway, and mastered by Steve Kitch.

  Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/album/2AM7LfoyoTUL0VlZLYpXyE​

  Video - https://youtu.be/mAC4_K0Sqko​

  For more info:​
  ​https://tonicbreed.com​
  ​https://facebook.com/tonicbreed​
  ​https://instagram.com/tonicbreed

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• FEN's Doug Harrison' Releases Solo Project SLUG COMPARISON's Third Album "A Battle to the End Fought on the Edge of a Knife"

  May 9, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Doug Harrison (Slug Comparison) - Photo Credit: Bailey Ennig

  Canadian vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Doug Harrison, known for his progressive rock outfit FEN, is excited to share his solo project SLUG COMPARISON's third album, "A Battle to the End Fought on the Edge of a Knife," out now, as of May 9th, 2025.

  Recorded over the same period as Fen's Dear Mouse (Sept 2024). Both recordings had been a long time coming, and then by chance, they converged to completion at the same time.

  "It became a bit of a competition to see which one would be mastered first. In the end, it was pretty much a tie, because I had a couple of recalls for the Slug Comparison master, but I wanted to put out Dear Mouse first, because it had been so bloody long in the making, and we were desperate to wash our hands of it," adds Harrison.

  Slug Comparison's previous records were built on the layering of electric and acoustic guitars, and earnest, melodic vocals. This latest 11-song album has abandoned the acoustics and is more riff-heavy to lean into his early influence of grunge.

  Harrison comments:

  "For past albums, it was tricky keeping the momentum going with half the songs being acoustic and light and the other half being heavy-ish. This time around, electric guitars carry the listener from beginning to end. A straight-up rock album. That was the goal. And lyrically, it follows in the tradition of songs like AC/DC’s “It’s a Long Way to the Top,” the difference being that Slug Comparison hasn’t left the house yet. A Battle to the End Fought on the Edge of a Knife is a grief statement about the abandonment of rockstar dreams. It’s also a collection of yearnings, regrets, and celebrations along the way."

  "A Battle to the End Fought on the Edge of a Knife" was written by Harrison along with vocals, guitar, bass, and programming. He is joined by drummer Flavio Cirillo (Art of Dying, Puddle of Mudd), along with a collaboration on the song “Wish to Adapt” with Matt McCallum. Mixing was done by Ben Kaplan (Biffy Clyro, Bend Sinister, Ninjaspy, Mother Mother, Corb Lund) and mastering by Brock McFarlane at CPS Mastering (Mother Mother, Corb Lund).

  Harrison does assure fans that future releases will continue to explore the moody, acoustic-based territories that defined his earlier work. After this album, fans can expect a new EP from Slug Comparison in 2026. Recommended for fans of Mother Mother, The Killers, and Porcupine Tree, "A Battle to the End Fought on the Edge of a Knife" is available at the following links:

  Spotify - https://spoti.fi/452Fk2t​

  Bandcamp - https://slugcomparison.bandcamp.com/album/a-battle-to-the-end-fought-on-the-edge-of-a-knife

  ​

  Track Listing:​
  1. Wish to Adapt (3:46)
  2. March through the Forest (3:54)
  3. Game of Repression (3:57)
  4. Undead Plots (4:06)
  5. Outta the Jam (4:51)
  6. A Battle to the End Fought on the Edge of a Knife (4:13)
  7. Too Much Love (5:04)
  8. Metal Roots Came Twisting (6:45)
  9. Played for a Centipede (2:36)
  10. Of Being Apart (5:19)
  11. Hamsters in a Tub (3:02)
  Album Length: 47:33

  More info: Slugcomparison.com | Instagram.com/slugcomparison | Facebook.com/slugcomparison

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• LIMINAL SPIRIT's One-Track Concept Album "Pathways" Charts A Journey Between Spiritual Dimensions

  May 9, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Liminal Spirit, the musical project of multi-instrumentalist Jerry Hauppa, announces the release of “Pathways”, a single-track concept album designed as an immersive journey through spiritual thresholds and interdimensional spaces. Following the 2024 self-titled EP, “Pathways” expands on Liminal Spirit's signature sound: a rich fusion of doom metal with cinematic atmosphere. Hauppa comments:

  “I view this as a full-length release despite its 14-minute duration, because due to the nature of its composition of non-repeating passages, it requires multiple listens to fully cement itself within the listener. The first pass will express the story and characters, and repeated listens will bring both to life through digesting the melodies and composition as a whole.”

  Where the debut embraced ritualistic abstraction, “Pathways” introduces a more frenzied, intricate musical approach that perfectly complements its narrative structure. It tells the story of five figures trapped in a maze, chronicling their emotional processing and planned escape. The composition unfolds like a film score, with no repeating parts until the finale. Musical themes develop and mutate to reflect character growth, with distinct tonal shifts accompanying each character's voice in the narrative.

  This thoughtful composition rewards repeat listening, revealing new layers with each experience. The album's structure mirrors its lyrical themes, all concerning transcendence beyond the physical form and transitions between spiritual planes. “Pathways” represents the second chapter in an ongoing exploration of spiritual passage. A third release, currently in development, promises to continue this cinematic journey through liminal spaces. Liminal Spirit is recommended for fans of Jesu, Swans, and Skepticism.

  Listen to “Pathways” at the following links:

  Bandcamp - https://liminalspirit.bandcamp.com/​

  Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3YBgClT

  ​

  Credits:​
  All songs written and performed, produced, recorded, and mixed by Liminal Spirit
  Mastered by Jeff Wojtysiak at Spiral Sound Mastering
  Album lineup - Jerry Hauppa-guitars, vocals, bass, drum programming, synthesizer

  More Info:​
  ​https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575618106702​
  ​https://www.instagram.com/liminal_spirit_mke

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