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• ARMSTRONG METALFEST Adds ABYSMAL DAWN, OLDGUARD To 2024 Lineup w/ THE BROWNING, EYE OF HORUS, ATRÆ BILIS, ARKAIK, BODYBOX and more!

  Jul 3, 2024 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

  Armstrong MetalFest 2024 Spotify playlist Here.

  Western Canada's largest mountain mosh pit Armstrong MetalFest announces that the new headliner for Friday night, July 12th will be Los Angeles death metal masters ABYSMAL DAWN to replace Decrepit Birth who unfortunately retracted from their performance due to a schedule conflict within the line-up. Also joining the AMF lineup, is local Okanagan hard rock / heavy metal band, Kelowna's Oldguard to replace Calgary's Kingsrot.

  This 14th annual gathering of metalheads, Armstrong MetalFest will once again witness a pilgrimage of extreme metal music fans for two days of unforgettable moshing, headbanging, and camping. From iconic headliners to promising newcomers, the 2024 lineup is set to showcase the best of diverse metal genres, ensuring an electrifying experience for all.

  This year's lineup held on July 12th and 13th at the Hassen Arena in Armstrong, BC will be headlined by Kansas City THE BROWNING who will be unleashing their unique eclectic blend of electronicore and deathcore. Also featured on this year's two-day festival, dissonant and atmospheric Vancouver tech death metallers ATRÆ BILIS, and Orlando's two-fisted two steppin' double-wide aural assault squad BODYBOX. Returning to the festival, is the Okanagan's very favourite Black Metallers XUL (Vernon, BC) and Edmonton death metallers EYE OF HORUS along with first-time performances from Vancouver twin brother duo OPAL IN SKY, San Francisco's outside-the-box prog metallers CYBORG OCTOPUS, and the tech death fury of Riverside, CA's ARKAIK among many more (full lineup listed below).

  Festival weekend passes are on sale now at the following link: https://armstrongmetalfest.ca​

  (All tickets provide General Admission and grant access to the festival grounds, camping area, and arena from 9:00 AM on Friday, July 12, 2023, until 12:00 PM on Sunday, July 14, 2022. Free camping is included.)

  "It's one of the premier festivals of its kind in Canada, showcasing the biggest names in local, national, and international heavy metal music." - Vancouver Sun

  AMF 2024 Lineup:

  Abysmal Dawn (Los Angeles, CA)
  The Browning (Kansas City, MO)
  Xul (Vernon, BC)
  Opal In Sky (Vancouver, BC)
  Cyborg Octopus (San Francisco, CA)
  Eye Of Horus (Edmonton, AB)
  Atrae Billis (Vancouver, BC)
  Arkaik (Riverside, CA)
  Bobybox (Orlando, FL)
  Nott (Seattle, WA)
  Dessiderium (Phoenix, AZ)
  Odinfist (Armstrong, BC)
  Misyrion (Vancouver, BC)
  Death Machine (Kelowna, BC)
  Satanic Tea Company (Calgary, AB)
  Ravensun (Nanaimo, BC)
  Crown Of Madness (Vancouver, BC)
  Vaegon (Edmonton, AB)
  Lynx (Calgary, AB)
  Kelevra (Regina, SK)
  Oldguard (Kelowna, BC)
  Gregorious (Kamloops, BC)
  Dendros (Kamloops, BC)
  Thirteen Goats (Vancouver, Bc)
  Anomalist (Prince George, BC
  Burn It All (Kamloops, BC)
  Augur (Kamloops, BC)

  The 2023 edition of Armstrong MetalFest broke attendance records again with its eclectic earth-shaking lineup that featured 28 bands performing on the two-day festival that included headliners LA thrashers WARBRINGER, San Francisco tech-death giants FALLUJAH, festival alumni Spokane, WA's ENTERPRISE EARTH, and Los Angeles' THE ZENITH PASSAGE, along with Denver's H.P. Lovecraft extreme metallers VALE OF PNATH, and Edmonton's Juno award-winning heavy metal champions STRIKER.

  Since 2009 (minus pause years 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid pandemic), West Metal Entertainment and Armstrong Metalfest have not only fostered the talent of hundreds of local bands, but have imported well-known, international acts to the quiet, little Canadian town of Armstrong, British Columbia.

  Each year hundreds of metalheads from Canada and the USA descend into the picturesque Okanagan Valley and under the blistering sun, they spend three days camping, taking in as much metal over two days, participating in wrestling events, scavenger hunts, and catching up with their metal family.

  The festival has seen such renowned headliners as Kataklysm, Cattle Decapitation, Archspire, Nekrogoblikon, Origin, Rivers of Nihil, and Beyond Creation as well as emerging artists from across North America. At the end of the revelry, the festival disappears without a trace, leaving the landscape as pristine as it has always been.

  West Metal Entertainment is a non-profit society that not only puts on the Armstrong Metal Festival every year in Armstrong, B.C., it gives bands opportunities to play at different venues throughout the region including all-ages shows, to encourage musical passion in kids as well as adults.

  For more info:​
  ​Armstrongmetalfest.ca
  ​​Facebook​
  ​Instagram​
  ​Twitter

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• WACKEN METAL BATTLE USA Announces National Winner - CASCADE EFFECT - One Band To Conquer Them All & Play Wacken Open Air

  Jun 25, 2024 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

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  One band to conquer them all! Down to the final five bands from across the country, the national final for Wacken Metal Battle USA was held this past Saturday, June 22nd in San Diego, CA at the Brick by Brick with regional winners Cascade Effect (San Diego), WarTroll (NorCal), Versipul (PNW), Prime Prophecy (East Coast), and Father Wolf (Texas).

  Judged by an industry panel that included Rod Kukla (Silver Lining Music), Craig Goldy (Dio), Derek Engemann (Scour, Phil Anselmo and the Illegals, ex-Cattle Decapitation), and Patrick Stone (Adler's Appetite, Budderside), the band that reigned the stage and proved themselves worthy of gracing the holy land of metal at Wacken Open Air in Germany is crowned 2024 champion, San Diego's Cascade Effect.

  As this year's crowned USA champion, Cascade Effect will now move on to perform as the only independent American band at the International Battle at Wacken Open Air (July 31st – August 3rd), one of the world's most prestigious and largest metal festivals (Attendance of over 80,000 people in Wacken, Germany for over 30 years).​

  Cascade Effect joins the list of previous WMBU national winners, San Diego’s Fadrait (2023 - San Diego) Mythraeum (2022 - San Diego), Monarch (2019 - San Diego), Voices of Ruin (2018 - Anaheim) and Corpse Hoarder (2017 - Philadelphia).

  2024 battles were hosted in the following cities: New York, NY, Clifton, NJ, Philadelphia, PA, Portland, OR, Seattle, WA, Bay Area, CA, Los Angeles, CA, Orange County, CA, Sacramento, CA, San Diego, CA, Austin, TX, Dallas, TX, El Paso, TX, Houston, TX, San Antonio, TX.

  ​

  For the last 5 years of battles (2017-2019, 2022, 2023), Wacken Metal Battle USA has hosted battles across the country to send one independent metal band to perform at the world’s largest metal festival Wacken Open Air in Wacken, Germany. 2019 saw the festival celebrate its 30th anniversary, but due to Covid, the 2020 and 2021 editions were both canceled. As the metal community regains its strength, Wacken Open Air 2024 will be the 33rd edition of the festival and will be held from July 31st – August 3rd. The 2024 event is already sold out with a line-up that includes Scorpions, Amon Amarth, Blind Guardian, In Extremo, Pain, Beast In Black, and many more. Details here.

  Wacken Metal Battle USA is part of an international competition that sees bands from across the country battle each other for the chance to win their spot among 30 other countries’ champions, and represent the USA in an international battle of the bands at the world’s largest outdoor metal festival: Wacken Open Air. The battles have been hosted at the festival for over a decade and give independent bands the opportunity to showcase their talents to an international audience along with the chance to win multiple prizes.

  How it works:​
  ​Participating cities will host qualifying rounds plus a city final organized by a local city concert promoter where one band will move forward to the American national final (date and city to be determined). The winner of the national final will move on to perform at the Wacken Open Air 2024 and compete against the winners of 29 other countries in a final global battle. All bands will be judged during battle rounds by respected local music industry representatives.

  Rules for participation: https://metalbattleusa.com/rules/​

  Links:​
  ​Metal-Battle.com​
  ​MetalBattleUSA.com​
  ​Facebook.com/metalbattleusa​
  ​Twitter.com/MetalBattleUSA​
  ​Instagram.com/metalbattleusa

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• Fantasy Metal WARLOCK A.D. - New Video "The Golden Showers of Prestønia" Off Sophomore Album “Book II: The Valley of Vâgené” Out Sept 2024

  Jun 22, 2024 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  The time has come! ???????????????????????????? ????.????.‘s sophomore album “Book II: The Valley of Vâgené” is set to be released on September 27th, 2024 from Rockshots Records.

  Over two years in the making, this entry into the WarlocK A.D. saga is bigger, thicker, and more powerful than anything they have brought you before! The album is 12 tracks of interwoven musical storytelling implementing the use of motifs, themes, and callbacks. From the sweeping orchestral movements of “The Golden Showers of Prestønia” to the frantic folk metal flavorings of “Rothgar Warsong”, the album combines the sound and styles of various iterations of orchestra-led melodic metal - culminating in what feels like a fully-fledged D&D style epic told through the medium of a Heavy Metal Musical. Recommended for fans of Nanowar of Steel, Angus McSix, and Beast in Black, the quest to The Valley of Vâgené continues with the single “The Golden Showers of Prestønia”.

  "The title is a clear double entendre, the single is a cautionary tale detailing the events that follow Whiteacre's failure to heed the advice of the wise wizard Horatus - do not touch the water! One of the more traditional power metal style tracks on the album, the intensity of the track ebbs and flows as the danger of the forbidden waters becomes more and more apparent - leading to a frantic race against time for Ahriman Cullblade to save the endangered Nomad. This track was actually heavily inspired by the track “Burn” by Deep Purple - which also details the story of a dangerous female presence - something which can be heard especially in the song’s post-solo section. The track also evokes a traditional symphonic metal feel through the use of the duet vocals between Whiteacre and Uriña the Siren (as performed by Dani Bentham of Wailing Banshee)." adds the band.

  ​

  Digital - https://lnk.to/OdJwLm​

  Album pre-order - https://bit.ly/WarlocKAD​

   

  More info: www.Rockshots.eu | https://www.theworldofwarlockad.co.uk

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• Get Lost In The Melody With DREAM HEAVY's “Song In The Dark” Off Upcoming EP + BC Festival Dates

  Jun 18, 2024 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Coming from the frozen North is Canada’s Dream Heavy, a melodic and enchanting world folk metal group that weaves together ethereal vocals, rich harmonies, intricate guitar and violin melodies, and a diverse rhythm section that keeps audiences enraptured from start to finish. As the band is hitting the road for music festivals across British Columbia this summer (listed below), they are announcing their latest single “Song In The Dark”, which comes off their yet-to-be-titled upcoming EP. “Song in the Dark” is a melodic/progressive metal journey with a primitive tribal feel. The song is the story of our species’ evolution from our earliest awareness of the self and our awe at the universe around us to the brilliant, violent, destructive, and arrogant beings we have become. The band comments on the track:

  “Song in the Dark is the newest tune on the EP. This song was truly a band effort with both David and Liam contributing ideas to the arrangement of riffs and melodies. Our Producer/Engineer Jane Aurora at Arrival Sounds was also hugely instrumental in influencing the overall “tone” and feel of the song. With the addition of Mary Ancheta’s phenomenal synthesized strings soundscapes and wicked licks, the song truly came to life!”

  Dream Heavy comes from the ashes of beloved bands like Mamaguroove and Samson's Delilah and credits their unique sound to a plethora of influences from metal, Latin, Celtic, and other world music traditions. Their music, characterized by its intensity and thought-provoking lyrics, has captivated audiences across Canada and beyond, earning them a place on campus radio Top 10 lists.

  Reflecting on the band's long journey, they share that Dream Heavy's sound has evolved from each member’s collective passion for sound, movement, and justice. With this new EP, they aim to create a sonic and lyrical soundscape that demands to be heard in its entirety—a journey of self-discovery and contemplation. “Song In The Dark” is recommended for fans of boundary-pushing music in the veins of Porcupine Tree, Kalandra, and Rodrigo y Gabriela.

  Listen to “Song In The Dark” at the following links:

  Spotify - https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/dreamheavy/song-in-the-dark

  ​

  Show Dates:​
  July 5-6 - Midsummers Music Festival - Smithers, BC
  July 12-13 - Arts on the Fly Festival - Horsefly, BC
  July 18 - Billy Barker Days - Quesnel, BC
  July 19-20 - Discovery Coast Music Festival - Bella Coola, BC
  July 26 -28 - Kispiox Valley Music Festival - Kispiox Valley, BC
  August 16-18 - Robson Valley Music Festival - Dunster, BC
  November 1-2 - Woodstove Music Festival - Cumberland, BC

  More info: Dreamheavy.ca | Facebook.com/dreamheavyproject | Instagram.com/dreamheavyproject

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• CULLED Hit Back With Politically Charged Grind Video “Halo of Flies” Off New EP “Psycles” Out July 2024

  Jun 11, 2024 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  L-R - Curtis Blair - Drums, Chris Chapman - Bass, Shane Hawco - Vocals, Ben Harbak - Guitar

  Photo Credit by Dana Zuk

  Culled, the politically-charged, sludge-encrusted grind band hailing from Edmonton, Canada, is proud to announce the release of their newest single “Halo of Flies”, which is the first look at their upcoming EP “Psycles” coming out on July 26th on Horror Pain Gore Death Productions. The record has been long-awaited since the release of their debut, 2018’s “Thin the Herd, Fail to Learn”. The band comments on the single:

  “We wanted to bring a direct intensity and ferocity for our lead single to show just how different this release will be from our debut. Directly addressing the harms and trauma caused by the patriarchy and our collective roles in it. It goes beyond the history of harm, and oppression of 50% of our society but also addresses the manipulation to propagate the myth that a majority of our society needs to be subservient to our masters who have been gifted privilege by simply being born in the right color, shape and righteous area of the world.”

  The lead track is another quick and intense battering. It showcases how formidable Culled is, in their present state with a lineup change including Chris Chapman on bass and Curtis Blair on drums. With a blend of slow crushing sludge and blistering speed and chaos of grindcore “Halo of Flies” delivers a powerful message urging empathy over apathy in today's unpredictable political and ethical climate. It is recommended for fans of Napalm Death, Nasum, and Pig Destroyer.

  Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3Vmr1PJ​

  Due out on July 26th from Horror Pain Gore Death Productions, “Psycles” is available for album pre-order (CD / Digital/ Bundles) at https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com and (Cassettes/ Vinyl/ Digital) https://www.culled.ca.

  Track Listing:​
  1. Trauma of History (7:22)
  2. Psycles (1:45)
  3. Coercion (3:14)
  4. Halo of Flies (1:54)
  5. Excision (Lost Cause) (6:40)
  EP Length: 20:57

  EP Band Line Up:​
  Ben Harbak – Guitar
  Chris Chapman – Bass
  Curtis Blair – Drums
  Shane Hawco - Vocals

  More info: Culled.ca | Facebook | Instagram.com/culled.ca

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