Search Results: spotify

• FREYA’s Intoxicating Blend Of Hardcore And Thrash Bubbles Over In “Blood Thirst”

  Aug 23, 2024 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Freya, the veteran hardcore/metal band hailing from Syracuse, USA, is set to drop their newest 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 on the track:

  “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. Like Batman haha. But a pissed-off grizzly bear.”

  Drawing inspiration from the hard-hitting, old-school hardcore vibe of bands like Biohazard, the song opens with a memorable riff that immediately grabs the listener's attention. As the track progresses, Freya seamlessly shifts into a thrash metal assault reminiscent of Slayer, showcasing the band's ability to blend genres with precision and intensity.

  Henry also comments that he wanted this track to crank and hit hard, “it's about capturing that raw energy that makes hardcore and thrash so powerful”. “Blood Thirst” will appeal to both hardcore and metal fans alike, especially those with an interest in Earth Crisis, Terror, and Hatebreed.

  Listen to “Blood Thirst” below.​

  “Blood Thirst” is available for pre-save at https://bfan.link/blood-thirst and will be on all digital platforms as of August 23rd, 2024 via Upstate Records.

  More Info: Upstaterecordsny.com/freya | https://linktr.ee/freyaband315

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• MASSIVE SCAR ERA Collaborates w/ ENTHEOS' Chaney Crabb To Give A Voice To Recent Egyptian History w/ Single “School Girls”; New EP “Assyad” Out Oct 2024

  Aug 23, 2024 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

  ft. guest musicians Simon McKay (The Agonist), Frédérick Filiatrault (Unexpect, Vvon Dogma I), Salem Atallah, Muhammed Abouzeid, Chaney Crabb (Entheos)

  L-R - Cherine Amr | Chaney Crabb

  Massive Scar Era, the visionary Egyptian/Canadian metal project led by Cherine Amr, is thrilled to announce the release of 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 2024. With “School Girls”, Massive Scar Era breaks genre boundaries again, blending progressive rock, post-grunge, Egyptian music, and metal into a captivating sound that resonates deeply with fans worldwide. Amr comments on the unique track:

  “‘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.”

  Amr, the creative force behind Massive Scar Era, has dedicated years to studying Egyptian Zār traditions, weaving this deep cultural understanding into her music. Zār is a cult of possession in which ritual incorporates music and dance. Zar aims to establish a state of reconciliation between the individuals and the possessing spirits (Asyad) that inhabit their bodies and are believed to be the cause of illness.

  For this EP, Amr received invaluable support from the community and cultural consultant, Dr. Kawkab Tawfik, who introduced her to Zar Abou El-Gheit, led by the master Zar musician, Muhammed AbouZeid. Muhammed invited Amr to attend one of their ceremonies held for a patient at his home in the village of Abou El-Gheit, a couple of hours outside Cairo, Egypt. They formed an immediate connection there, and Muhammed was instrumental in deepening Amr's understanding of Zar songs.

  Amr later invited Muhammed and his bandmate Salem to Montreal, where we engaged in daily songwriting workshops. Joining them were metal musicians Simon Mckay (the drummer of The Agonist) and Frédérick Filiatrault (bassist of Vvon Dogma I, Unexpect) for a month-long residency. Amr worked closely with Simon, recording the Zar songs played by Muhammed and Salem on a DR-70 Tascam. Amr would then take these recordings home to develop the songs further, sometimes sending Simon rough versions with unquantized drumlines or even without any drumlines. Simon would then rewrite the drumlines and occasionally assist with the guitar arrangements. The next day, they would reunite in the studio to share and refine their ideas. This process, which they repeated five days a week, was truly collaborative.

  As Massive Scar Era continues to evolve, the release of the single “School Girls” marks a new chapter in the band’s journey, offering fans a glimpse into the rich, progressive musical experience that awaits in “Assyad”, which will be a concept record that blends Egyptian Zār songs with prog rock and metal.

  "I believe this EP will be a journey that and I think it will resonate with those who appreciate concept albums and are drawn to non-mainstream metal music. In the world of Zar, what you are curious about also becomes curious about you. Each song on this EP is inspired by a specific Zar spirit, and I’m eager to see how each listener connects with the EP, as I’m sure everyone will be drawn to different songs in their own unique way." adds Amr.

  This single “School Girls” is a testament to Amr's commitment to exploring and honoring these traditions while pushing the boundaries of modern metal music along with it being a bold statement, blending traditional Zār songs and rhythms with the raw power of metal into a unique and distinctive sound.

  Recommended for fans of Merfolk, Nawather, and Zaeer, listen to “School Girls” ft. Chaney Crabb (Entheos) at the following links:

  Spotify - https://spoti.fi/4716lSP

  ​

  Due on October 25th, 2024, "Assyad" is available for pre-order at https://massivescarera.bandcamp.com/​

  Track Listing:​
  1. Muluk al-Ardiyya | The Kings of the Earth - 4:54
  2. Abdel Salam Lasmar - 3:17
  3. Genie, Lambo - 3:17
  4. Inner Dialogue - 3:33
  5. El-Leil | The Night - 4:24
  6. Pretend - 3:43
  7. School Girls ft. Chaney Crabb (Entheos) - 3:26
  EP Length: 26:38

  More info: Facebook.com/massivescarera | Instagram.com/massivescarera

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• Canada's PRISONER Get Back To Their Heavy Rock Roots In New EP “House Of Cards” And Video “Skies are Blackened”

  Aug 21, 2024 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Prisoner is a high-energy Canadian rock band bringing you hard-hitting riffs and unmistakably tight grooves. They have their new EP “House Of Cards” out now, complemented with a video for their first single “Skies are Blackened”. The EP is a conglomeration of music with multiple elements from varying sub-genres. It bridges the gap between emotion and life experience to truly connect music to the individual. The band comments further:

  “We think the EP will be received quite well from music fans. There is something for everyone in regard to genre and song range. We have songs that we believe did not fit in an LP structure but were all great together in their own way, Thus the House of Cards EP. With anthemic themes, fast riffs, and glassy acoustic guitar, each song offers something different for your casual rock fan to die-hard thrash headbanger.”

  The band's journey began in 2016 under the name "Bad Omen," evolving into "Prisoner" with the release of the song "Prisoner of Time." The name reflects the universal experience of being constrained by various aspects of life. Frontman Murray Emery, who started the band, formed the original lineup in London, Ontario, after attending OIART for audio engineering. Following several lineup changes and a move to Los Angeles, Emery returned to Calgary and solidified the current lineup with guitarist Jeremy Hartmann, bassist Trevor Macdonald, and drummer Karl Pflug.

  Prisoner's dedication to their craft is evident in their unparalleled stage presence and their commitment to engaging with their audience. The band thrives on crowd interaction and creating an electric atmosphere at their shows. Off stage, they value connecting with fans and being part of the rock community. They are recommended for fans of AC/DC, Judas Priest, and Metallica.

  Watch and listen to the music video for “Skies are Blackened” below.

  ​

  “House Of Cards” is now available as of August 21, 2024, on all digital platforms at the following links:

  [embed]https://open.spotify.com/album/7aH1GTnydeVOBPLcRfjW55?si=rZnNGY19QROfSvj14hO3IA[/embed]

  ​Spotify​

  Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/prisoner/1617269145​

  Youtube: https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCma5RX_ENik_slc_nw5HP8A​

  Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/artists/B0019BL0QC/prisoner​

  Track Listing:​
  1. Skies are Blackened (2:42)
  2. On a Sunday (4:26)
  3. House of Cards (The Game Pt.2) (3:38)
  EP Length: 10:46

  EP Band Lineup:
  Murray Emery (Vocals/Guitar)
  Jeremy Hartmann (Guitar)
  Trevor MacDonald(Bass)
  Wes Bartram (Drums)
  Karl Pflug (Drums)

  More info: https://prisonerband.ca

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• STRIKER Unveils Music Video "Live To Fight Another Day" + Shredding North America Tour w/ Seven Kingdoms, Lutharo, Osyron

  Aug 20, 2024 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Every day is a new day! And STRIKER has a new music video "Live To Fight Another Day" to announce their upcoming USA and Canada tour dates with Floridian power metallers SEVEN KINGDOMS, Hamilton, ON's melodic metallers LUTHARO and Calgary, AB's thunderous progressive symphonic metallers OSYRON whom will support select dates.

  Striker will kick off preliminary dates with a performance at ProgPower USA in Atlanta, GA on September 4th followed by Canadian shows with Lutharo in September, and then push things into full gear in November to start the "Shredding North America Tour" in Corpus Christi, TX on November 9th and wrap up the month-long tour in Orlando, FL on December 8th (dates listed below).

  "Live To Fight Another Day" is off the shred master's new album "ULTRAPOWER" produced with Josh Schroeder (Lorna Shore, Tallah, King 810) 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."

  Watch the video for "Live To Fight Another Day" below.

  ​

  "ULTRAPOWER" is the seventh full-length from Striker and follows their Juno Award-winning self-released record "Play to Win" (2018) unleashed on their label Record Breaking Records.

  With the band writing material since 2018, "ULTRAPOWER" is a collection of Striker tinkering and exploring new avenues. From the album's opening track "Circle of Evil", a Malmsteen-esque metal banger about secret societies and the evil dealings behind closed doors to their previously released single "BEST of the BEST of the BEST" serving up some big riffs and hockey arena vocals to "Blood Magic", which might be one of Striker's most progressive songs, taking cues from bands like King Diamond, with its unconventional structure and punctuated guitar solos. From the band delving into their obsession for late 80s AOR and pop rock with "City Calling", an ode to 1987, and bands like Toto and Kenny Loggins with their hook-powered albums. To fans experiencing the band's first attempt at a synth-wave track with "Live To Fight Another Day", this new offering sees Striker making a shredding love letter to the hard-rocking era of guilty pleasures.

  The band comments on the album:

  "Starting with the album cover, we wanted the artwork to represent how we feel as a band right now. We are an engine that is fired up and ready to roll. We’re made of metal and our circuits gleam! The album itself is an amalgamation of 5 years of writing and exploring music. With influences from AOR to Speed Metal, Hardcore to Hair Metal, Steely Dan to Deathcore, you name it, it made its way into the album. In the end with the help of Josh Schroeder’s guiding hand, we melted it all together to present something uniquely Striker. Lyrically we’ve stuck to the Striker tradition of writing montage songs for movies that don’t exist, songs about our spiraling serfdom, and lyrics about the evils that lurk in the shadows."

  "ULTRAPOWER" is available at https://www.striker-metal.com/shop/ (CD, Vinyl, Digital)

  Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3SnIshu​

  

  Tour Dates:​
  Sept 4 - Center Stage - ProgPower USA - Atlanta, GA
  ​
  ​Striker, Lutharo​
  Sept 11 - La Source de la Martinière - Quebec City, QC
  Sept 12 - Piranha Bar - Montreal, QC
  Sept 13 - Overflow Brewing Company - Ottawa, ON
  Sept 14 - Lee's Palace - Toronto, ON
  ​
  ​Shredding North America - Seven Kingdoms, Striker, Lutharo, Osyron ​
  # = w/ Osyron
  Nov 9 – Boozers Rock Bar – Corpus Christi, TX
  Nov 10 – Come And Take It Live – Austin, TX
  Nov 11 – Haltom Theater – Haltom, TX
  Nov 12 – 89th Street – Oklahoma City, OK
  Nov 13 – Launchpad – Albuquerque, NM
  Nov 14 – Vultures – Colorado Springs, CO
  Nov 16 – Last Exit Live – Mesa, AZ
  Nov 17 – Sinwave – Las Vegas, NV
  Nov 18 – Brick by Brick – San Diego, CA
  Nov 19 – Knucklehead – Los Angeles, CA
  Nov 20 – DNA Lounge – San Francisco, CA
  Nov 21 – Hawthorne Theater – Portland, OR
  Nov 22 – El Corazon – Seattle, WA
  Nov 24 – Jackknife – Kelowna, BC
  Nov 25 – Dicken’s – Calgary, AB #
  Nov 26 – The Starlite Room – Edmonton, AB #
  Nov 27 – The Black Cat – Saskatoon, SK #
  Nov 28 – Sidestage – Winnipeg, MB #
  Nov 29 – TBA – St. Paul, MN
  Nov 30 – Reggie’s – Chicago, IL
  Dec 1 – Sanctuary – Detroit, MI
  Dec 3 – Meadows – Brooklyn, NY
  Dec 4 – Metro – Baltimore, MD
  Dec 5 – Hangar 1819 – Greensboro, NC
  Dec 6 – The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
  Dec 7 – The Orpheum – Tampa, FL
  Dec 8 – Conduit – Orlando, FL

  More info: Striker-metal.com

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• Canadian Thrashers TRISKELYON To Unleash Third Album "Shattered Elysium" Sept 2024; Streaming Single "Anarchy Avenue"

  Aug 16, 2024 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Canadian thrash metal Gods Triskelyon have returned, delivering stainless steel fury on their highly anticipated third album, “Shattered Elysium” this coming September 27th from Moribund Records.

  Founded in 2021 by guitarist Geoff Waye of the acclaimed true metal band Category VI, Triskelyon burst onto the scene with a self-titled EP, quickly securing a deal with Moribund Records for their radio chart-topping debut album “Downfall” (2022). In the following year, they demolished expectations with their masterful sophomore release, "Artificial Insanity," which earned rave reviews and dominated the radio charts for six weeks!

  Triskelyon is again back to enthralling the metal world with “Shattered Elysium”. With their lethal third strike, Triskelyon’s band leader Geoff Waye once again drafted some of the finest emissaries of the Canadian metal scene. Enlisting the vocal talents of guests Amanda Kiernan (Into Eternity, The Order of Chaos), Eric Forrest (E-Force, ex-VoiVod), Tiina Teal (Détente), Amanda Jackman (Category VI), Armin Kamal (Infrared), Dale Drew (Sea Dogs), Fíochmhar (Artach), Des Mason and Pete Healey, this album detonates as a pure and true thrash metal masterpiece. The record features a unique style along with refreshing variations of thrashing classics! Traditional, yet intricate, drum duties are exceptionally executed by Raul Marques (Burning Torment), while Dwayne Pike, Keith Jackman (Category VI), Rick White, and Darrin Pope are conscripted on bass.

  ​
  ​“Shattered Elysium” runs the gamut from pure 80’s thrash and speed metal to classic power metal, and traditional heavy metal, and even includes some brutal death-thrash. It attains an impressive new milestone in classic thrash metal, with far-reaching appeal across all heavy metal sub-genres. “Shattered Elysium” truly resurrects the glory days of the 1980s, while maintaining a fresh and modern sound!
  ​
  In keeping with Triskelyon's tradition of closing their albums with an iconic cover, this release delivers a thunderous metal rendition of Duran Duran's mega-hit “Hungry Like the Wolf.”

  Today the band gives incite to the record with the first single "Anarchy Avenue", which can be heard at the links below.

  Geoff Waye adds about the track:

  "For 'Anarchy Avenue,' I was thinking more about issues like urban decay, homelessness, corruption, the rich-poor divide, and how these factors contribute to the destruction and deterioration of some parts of cities. Problems like increased violence, crime, drug use, etc., all become more prevalent in such environments, as you can see in most cities. The vocals on this track are by returning guest Armin Kamal from the band Infrared. As always, he delivers a stellar performance with some guttural parts and plenty of soaring melodic thrash—how can you not love it?"

  ​

  Album pre-order - https://www.moribundcult.com/product/DEAD327.html​

  Track Listing:​
  1. Beyond Shattered Elysium (Intro) (0:56)
  2. Endgame Euphoria (3:52)
  3. Anarchy Avenue (5:00)
  4. Hellbound Hellions (4:52)
  5. Sealed Hypocrisy (4:28)
  6. Under His Eye (5:14)
  7. Eternal Conflict (4:42)
  8. The Battle for Monte Cassino (4:00)
  9. Phantom Serenade (6:04)
  10. Whispers from the Shadows (4:39)
  11. Hungry Like the Wolf (Duran Duran cover) (3:26)
  Album Length: 47:16

  Follow TRISKELYON:
  ​Facebook | B​andcamp​
  ​
  Follow Moribund Records:
  ​Moribund Website | Facebook | Instagram | B​andcamp

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