3 years have passed since the release of "Gravity Works". We have been through unique experiences and colossal changes during this time, not only as musicians but as human beings as well; this is our vision of those experiences.
"Of Dimensions & Theories" stands on a thin line between sci-fi and an impending doomed reality.
The year is 2061 and humanity is ready to become a planetary force with a complete scientific and technological mastery boosted by the invaluable data transmitted from cosmonaut Fritz on her way into a black hole, but the final piece of the puzzle lies hidden in deep space.
Rushed by the constant threat of nuclear war, disease and the imminent collapse of the environment (known as the Sixth Glare) humans have set the ultimate expedition; four earthling cosmonauts prepare to be the first ones in deep space exploration.
Their mission: to reach and explore the "point one" location in order to collect the missing data required to avoid this crisis and finally leap into inter-planetary conquest.
The Album is divided into two "Dimensions" and two "Theories", best represented on the vinyl edition. The 12" holds the two sides of this story while the 7" introduces different points of view from the general public about the current situation on the planet.
Recorded, mixed and mastered by KB in Testa Estudio.
León, Gto. México. January 3rd - 5th 2020. The album was released March 27, 2020.
Cover artwork by Asep Yasin Abdulah
Make sure to check out the very special vinyl version which includes a 12”, 7” as well as booklet. The 12” inch will be blue, green, and white mix to represent earth and the 7” black and cream to represent the moon. The booklet includes transcripts from the record as well as images that go with the album.
Today's tune "In Search of M Theory" is taken from "Of Dimensions & Theories", enjoy!
Monday, new week, time to present this week "Record Of The Week".
London's ELEPHANT TREE has slowly but steadily taken new ground since its start in 2013. Mainly through hard work and well-executed album releases. Marrying the sonic density of doom à la PALLBEARER with the vivid psychedelia of contemporaries such as ELDER. , 2020 and beyond is somewhat of a coming of age moment for ELEPHANT TREE as they move from a band in their infancy to magisterial mongers of their world within and outside of genre confines.
In "Habits" they follow the same ground as they have laid out on previous releases where the focus is on lazy and glorious harmonies with heavy syrup-thick riffs, compact sludgy grooves in a midway pace that are floating out in majestic psychedelic landscapes. This is all tied together with sublime harmonic vocals that possess a charming hedonism to their timbre, which is sure to win over the lush in all of us. Some of "Habits" delights would be the single tunes "Sails" and "Bird" that with huge catchy choruses and big music harmonies hit you right in the stomach. The powerful and dramatic "Wasted" is just marvelous, epic stunning riffage in "Faceless", the catchy and groovy "Exit The Soul", the amazing folkish guitar piece "The Fall Chorus" and the beautiful and dark closer "Broken Nails". This is their most expansive and well-crafted album so far. I just want to play it over and over again. If there’s any justice, 2020 will be the year ELEPHANT TREE bloom out of best kept underground secret into a household name.
"Habits" was released on April 24, 2020 via Holy Roar Records.
Sum: "Habits" is a stoner doom masterpiece.
ELEPHANT TREE is:
Jack Townley - Guitar/Vocal
Peter Holland - Bass/Vocal
Sam Hart - Drums
Riley MacIntyre - Producer/Extra Instrumentation
John Slattery - Synth/Guitar
Nathan Hickey - Guitar/Hariboo
Emloin Stevie - Fixer
"fly
rising
die
trying"
Is the chorus from today's tune "Bird", enjoy this beauty.
"See You In Black" is a bit of a forgotten rock splash taken from the thirteenth studio album "Heaven Forbid" by the
American hard rock band BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, released in 1998. It was the band's first studio album with new material in a decade (not counting the 1992 soundtrack to Bad Channels). American science fiction and horror writer John Shirley wrote lyrics to most of the songs on the album. While he his primarily known as an author for his cyberpunk stories, many of the lyrics on this album revolve around early science fiction and mystery motifs. The album's working title was 'Ezekiel's Wheel,' after the Biblical story that some take to reference an early visitation by UFOs.
The album's live song "In Thee" was originally featured on Mirrors. "Still Burnin'" is a sequel to the song "Burnin' for You" that appeared on Fire of Unknown Origin.
The inspiration for the alternative cover is Morgan Fairchild. This image also appears on the reverse of the insert and was originally intended to be the front piece as indicated by advertisements from the period.
The album was re-released on April 17, 2020 by Frontiers.
Alternative Cover for the album.
Today's tune with BLUE ÖYSTER CULT performing "See You In Black" @ The Illinois State Fair Grandstand on 08-17-12, enjoy!
"Desperado" is the second installment in SOILWORK's "Feverish" trilogy. It will end up next Saturday.
Commented the band: "Desperado", just like "Feverish", is a song about how a single emotion can overtake your entire being, and consume you like an almost sentient force. Desperado is about what lies behind and beyond, the places you normally avoid. But they will always be there. "Desperado" is shock rock and metal mayhem for those of us who long for a way out."
The song was written and composed by David Andersson. The song was recorded at SolnaSound Recordings, Stockholm with Simon Johansson and The Panic Room, Skövde with Thomas Plec Johansson. Violin recorded by Rachel Hall. "Desperado" was produced by SOILWORK and Thomas Plec Johansson and also mixed and mastered by Thomas Plec Johansson. René U Valdes produced and directed the music video.
The band earlier about that concept: "So, while the background and and motives are a bit sketchy, and the band seems reluctant to reveal too many details, SOILWORK will be releasing »The Feverish Trinity« over the next five months, a trilogy of songs with accompanying videos that, according to SOILWORK, will ”celebrate the Babylonian Death Goddesses that once made the world a more Feverish and exciting place”.
Enjoy "Desperado" and the follow-up tune next Saturday.
Friday, time to boost things up with some metal and the Austin rockers WAR CLOUD.
The classic heavy metal torchbearers embracing their recognizable dual guitar harmonies, proto-metal licks, hard-charging rhythms, adding heavy surges of British and Southern metal to inspire the fire. Electrifying audiences for 6 years, WAR CLOUD takes no prisoners with their own style of high energy heavy metal.
Today's tune "Give'r" is taken from the band's thunderous live album "Earhammer Sessions", it was released on May 22nd on Ripple Music. These recordings capture the evolution of the band blasting through the setlist they performed every night on their most recent European tour with a raw, honest, take-no-prisoners vibe. The clip of today's tune is Recorded in an old barn an hour outside Cologne, Germany. Some footage was also shot at Moto Guzzi Motoraduno in Lecco, Italy and Officine Sonore, in Vercelli, Italy, enjoy!
The Belo Horizonte Doom / Stoner Metal band PESTA have released their first video from the last album “Faith Bathed In Blood“,
they used two completely different tracks from the album, the smooth trip of "Blood Mists" and heavy and raw "Moloch’s Children" in a single video.
PESTA's home to some of the most important Brazilian heavy music bands, such as SARCÓFAGO and SEPULTURA. The band was formed in 2014 and its sound was forged from the influences of bands such as PENTAGRAM, CATHEDRAL, SLEEP, TROUBLE and, mainly BLACK SABBATH. PESTA's sound transitions between traditional doom metal, stoner rock, and seventies hard rock.
PESTA is:
Thiago Cruz (vocals)
Anderson Vaca (bass; backing vocals)
Daniel Rocha (guitar)
Marcos Resende (guitar)
Flávio Freitas (drums)
Today's double tune "Blood Mists" / "Moloch’s Children", taken from the album "Faith Bathed In Blood", enjoy!
Stemming from the Scottish Highlands and the forests of Southern Sweden. SLEEPWULF are the new wizards on the block of early doom rock. Hard-hitting 70’s rock with a hint of doom aside, follows the same path as KADAVAR and early PENTAGRAM, with this concept you just can’t go wrong or what do you say?
The self-titled album can be fetched from via Cursed Tongue Records and Kozmik Artifactz.
SLEEPWULF are:
Owen Robertson,
Sebastian Ihme,
Viktor Sjöström,
Carl Lindberg
Today's tune "Wizard Slayer", taken from the self-titled album, enjoy!
The blazing desert metal pioneers MYRATH at their absolute best suit a birthday child better than ever.
Thetania is turning one year older today and a tune from one of her favorite is selected as today's tune.
This Tunisian metal band was formed in 2001 and has been Thetania's favorite since the first album.
During Sweden Rock Festival 2019, MYRATH was asked to perform a second time to replace the band BEHEMOTH on the main stage. According to the band's Instagram account, many festivals wrote to the band after the performances at Sweden Rock to book MYRATH for festivals in 2020 and 2021, including Wacken Open Air 2019, which is widely considered the largest heavy-metal festival the world.
Today's tune "Born To Survive", is taken from the 2019 album "Shehili". This tune is for you my love, happy birthday! Here is a Live clip including the intro "Asl", filmed live @Bucharest 28 feb 2020.
Monday, a new week and it's time for "Record Of The Week".
Today we look over our shoulder and see the new Norweigan four-piece rockband KRYPTOGRAF that has released their self-titled debut. A band that hails from Bergen Norway and plays rock music that has past it's "before" date long ago. They are heavily influenced by bands like BLACK SABBATH, PENTAGRAM, and even the more modern Scandinavian bands like WITCHCRAFT, HELLACOPTERS, and MOTORPSYCHO. A mix of this creates the sound and style of KRYPTOGRAF.
The self-titled album has a great playtime of thirty-eight minutes, divided into eight tunes. The album opens up with the first single "The Veil" a cool guitar play until the band joins the club and the tune kick on. The vocal is pretty clear and pleasant, partly reminds me of Nicke Andersson (HELLACOPTERS, IMPERIAL STATE ELECTRIC). The melody is catchy with a great riffing and a sing-along chorus, it's really getting your feet tapping along. "Omen" has a more old school doomish approach where both SABBATH and PENTAGRAM floating in the creation. "Seven" is a jammy piece that climbs over the nine minutes mark. "Crimson Horizon" is the second single that opens up with an intro of electronic vibrations until burst out into full bloom, to a catchy and very melodic rocker, a great swing that sticks like glue in the forehead. A bluesy solo adds some spice to the heavy riffage. "Sleeper" is a half paced thingie and "Ocean" is an acoustic strummer with an atmospheric feel and duel vocals. "New Colossus" opens up for heavy riffage in a half paced speed, feels a bit mossy but still it works. The album closes up with "Infinite", an instrumental shorty. The album is a pleasant piece of music where the old souls in KRYPTOGRAF will hex you with their collective vocals, destructive riffs, and inventive songwriting will give you a great musical summer.
Sum: A great Colossus for the summer, aim for the "Crimson Horizon" with KRYPTOGRAF.
KRYPTOGRAF Is:
Vegard Strand - Guitar / Vocals
Odd Erlend Mikkelsen - Guitar / Vocals
Eirik Arntsen - Drums / Vocals
Eivind Standal Moen - Bass
Today's tune "Crimson Horizon", the second single from the self-titled debut, enjoy!
"Honky Tonk Women" is a 1969 hit song by THE ROLLING STONES. It was a single-only release, available from 4 July 1969.
The song was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards while on holiday in Brazil from late December 1968 to early January 1969, inspired by Brazilian "caipiras" (inhabitants of rural, remote areas of parts of Brazil) at the ranch where Jagger and Richards were staying in Matão, São Paulo. Two versions of the song were recorded by the band: the familiar hit which appeared on the 45 single and their collection of late 1960s singles, "Through The Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2)"; and a honky-tonk version entitled "Country Honk" with slightly different lyrics, which appeared on "Let It Bleed" (1969).
Thematically, a "honky tonk woman" refers to a dancing girl in a western bar who may work as a prostitute; the setting for the narrative in the first verse of the rock-and-roll version is Memphis, Tennessee: "I met a gin soaked bar-room queen in Memphis", while "Country Honk" sets the first verse in Jackson, Mississippi: "I'm sittin' in a bar, tipplin' a jar in Jackson".
The band initially recorded the track called "Country Honk," in London in early March 1969. Brian Jones was present during these sessions and may have played on the first handful of takes and demos. It was his last recording session with the band. The song was transformed into the familiar electric, riff-based hit single "Honky Tonk Women" sometime in the spring of 1969, prior to Mick Taylor's joining the group. In an interview in the magazine Crawdaddy!, Richards credits Taylor for influencing the track: "... the song was originally written as a real Hank Williams/Jimmie Rodgers/1930s country song. And it got turned around to this other thing by Mick Taylor, who got into a completely different feel, throwing it off the wall another way." However, in 1979 Taylor recalled it this way: "I definitely added something to Honky Tonk Women, but it was more or less complete by the time I arrived and did my overdubs."
"Honky Tonk Women" is distinctive as it opens not with a guitar riff, but with a beat played on a cowbell. THE ROLLING STONES producer Jimmy Miller played the cowbell for the recording.
The concert rendition of "Honky Tonk Women" on "Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!" (1970) differs significantly from the studio hit, with a markedly dissimilar guitar introduction and the first appearance on vinyl of an entirely different second verse. During the North American leg of the 1989 "Steel Wheels" tour, a pair of 60-foot tall inflatable "Honky Tonk" women were cued to appear and bob to the music just before the first chorus. There was an animated live visual for this song when it was performed in concert around 2002 and 2003. It featured a topless woman riding on the Rolling Stones tongue who was seen in the beginning of the concert.
Lead guitarist Brian Jones was a founding member of the group and was considered their leader in their early years. Unfortunately, drug abuse made him pretty much worthless by 1969, and when THE STONES finished recording "Honky Tonk Women" on June 8, 1969, they drove to his house and fired him. The single was released July 3, 1969, the same day Jones was found dead in his swimming pool.
Mick Taylor had taken over for Brian Jones on lead guitar, and this was his first appearance on a Stones recording. Taylor claims he came up with the famous guitar riff, even though Richards plays it.
The single was given away to all the fans who helped clean up after THE STONES free concert in Hyde Park on July 5, 1969. This was the first concert Mick Taylor played with the band. A life-size cutout of Brian Jones, who died three days earlier, was kept on stage and the show was dedicated to him.
Enjoy today's Sunday classic with THE ROLLING STONES performing "Honky Tonk Women" Live at Hyde Park in 1969.
Swedish visionary metallers SOILWORK have released a video collection trilogy called "The Feverish Trilogy".
The first tune in the trilogy is "Feverish", next one will be published next Saturday and the 3:rd the week after.
The tune "Feverish" is the first one in "The Feverish Trilogy", a trilogy of songs with accompanying videos that, according to SOILWORK, would 'celebrate the Babylonian Death Goddesses that once made the world a more feverish and exiting place'.
Commented the band: "We have all been feverish. We have all sometimes given in to the temperature rising inside of us, being ridden by a ghost that made us do things we didn’t want to do, but it somehow felt good afterwards, like a purging of the mortal organism that confines us.
"Some people say that our bodies were originally designed to have a higher temperature. That when humanity first evolved our bodies were constantly feverish, the warmth subduing our control mechanisms and the neurotic, nervous behavior we seem to be so prone to these days. And that might be one of the reasons we were able to proliferate and conquer the world. and subdue its natural inhabitants. Perhaps it's time to let go again, to unleash the fire still burning within us, biding its time and still hoping to one day be able to take over."
Enjoy "Feverish" and the follow-up tune next Saturday.
The Greek black metal band ROTTING CHRIST released a tune titled “Fire And Flame”. The track was recorded for the book, "The Metal Chapters: Volume One".
Greek book "The Metal Chapters: Volume One" features ten stories written through songs by some of the biggest Greek metal bands on the planet. Readers have the opportunity not only to read the story inspired by the authors of each song but to read the lyrics of the tracks and listen to the CD that accompanies the book. One of the bands chosen for the project was ROTTING CHRIST, and they are now streaming their contribution to the book online. Enjoy "Fire And Flame" below!
"Fire And Flame," sounds ritualistic and melodic, a great tune indeed.
"A Forest" is a song by the English rock band THE CURE. Co-produced by Mike Hedges and the band's Robert Smith, it was released as a single from the band's second album "Seventeen Seconds" on 8 April 1980. It was their debut entry on the UK Singles Chart, reaching number 31. The accompanying music video was first shown on BBC's Top of the Pops program on 24 April 1980.
Recorded and mixed over seven days, along with the rest of the songs from the album, "A Forest" is representative of THE CURE's early-1980s gothic rock phase. The song has featured on the band's setlists for many years. Several versions have appeared on concert albums, and it was remixed and released as a single from Mixed Up in 1990.
Serval cover versions have been made over the years and I notice that the tune has been here before, last time it was with James Leg, read about it here: https://tuneoftheday.blogspot.com/2018/04/james-leg-forest.html. Today's version is a bit harder than his 😁
The Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH have made a version, a video for their cover of "A Forest" by THE CURE. The song also features Niklas Kvarforth, singer of Swedish black metal band SHINING. The song is taken off of BEHEMOTH’s new EP also titled “A Forest”. The EP was released May 29 via BEHEMOTH's own label New Aeon Musick. BEHEMOTH released "I Loved You At Your Darkest" in 2018. Check out the video below.
Enjoy today's cover of THE CURE "A Forest" with BEHEMOTH and Niklas Kvarforth
With their two records "Back To Times Of Splendor" (2004) and "Gloria" (2006), DISILLUSION from Leipzig, Germany, pushed the boundaries of melodic death and progressive metal so far as to redefine the genres themselves in terms of both emotional depth and stylistic scope. After successful concerts with a refurbished line-up in 2015 and the single "Alea" in 2016, their first new recording in a decade, mastermind Andy Schmidt and co. deliver the logical successor to "Back To Times Of Splendor" in the shape of "The Liberation", an expression of clearance in the literal sense of its title
and testament to human development.
As (Blabbermouth) stated:" "one of the best-kept secrets to come from the metal underground".
"The Liberation" is the result of the Herculean creative task to which Andy Schmidt applied himself; spending countless hours of songwriting and recording. It comes 13 years after "Gloria" but stands with its genuinely enthusiastic, passionate, and driven prog metal as the logical stylistic and lyrical successor to "Back To Times Of Splendor" – but with 15 years of additional life experience on the part of its creator. As an expression of clearance in the literal sense of its title, it is a testament to human development. An interplay of fierce metal with moments of both pure euphoria and introspection, the songs take you on the proverbial roller coaster of emotions that you’ve missed – perhaps since OPETH's "Watershed".
DISILLUSION in 2019 resembles the storm you feel brewing over an epic such as "Wintertide", the straight-in-your-face stunner "The Great Unknown" see it below, or the unexpectedly catchy and hookline-laden "Time To Let Go", which - quite naturally - turned out to be exactly what fans have been craving for so long.
"The Liberation" was mastered by Jens Bogren (IN FLAMES) and is available as Digipak CD, gatefold 2LP, as well as 60-page 2CD book edition (hardcover, 18x18cm) with expanded artwork and audio commentary from Andy Schmidt.
Andy Schmidt (Vox, guitars)
Sebastian Hupfer (guitars)
Ben Haugg (guitars)
Robby Kranz (bass)
Martin Schulz (drums)
Today's tune "The Great Unknown" is taken from the bands latest release "The Liberation", enjoy!
After years of total silence, Norwegian prog/avantgarde metal act GREEN CARNATION returned to the international metal scene in 2016 for the 15th anniversary of their cult classic "Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness". After a successful comeback year with festival appearances and special shows both in Europe and North America, the Norwegians have released their first record in 14 years. We had their tune "Sweet Leaf" here on Tune Of The Day four years ago, read about it here: https://tuneoftheday.blogspot.com/2016/10/green-carnation-sweet-leaf.html
The new album "Leaves Of Yesteryear" is as much a retrospect on the band’s career as it is a nod to the future. The progressive metal act pays homage to their own past and to their heroes with the re-recording of their classic song "My Dark Reflections Of Life And Death" and an excellent cover of BLACK SABBATH’s "Solitude". With new songs like "Leaves Of Yesteryear", "Hounds" and "Sentinel", the future looks bright, check out the title tune below. The album is produced by Endre Kirkesola (ABBATH, IN VAIN, and SOLEFALD). Mastered in Maor Appelbaum studio (FAITH NO MORE, SABATON, YES, MAYHEM).
The Black 12" double vinyl (33rpm) with etching on D-side in a deluxe gatefold sleeve with matt lamination. First pressing 400 copies worldwide, get it before it's sold out.
Kjetil Nordhus (vocals)
Tchort (guitars)
Stein Roger Sordal (bass)
Bjørn Harstad (guitars)
Kenneth Silden (keys)
Jonathan Alejandro Perez (drums)
Today's tune is the title track out of the new album "Leaves Of Yesteryear". Released May 8th, 2020, enjoy!
Lauded California-based progressive metallers PSYCHOTIC WALTZ are back! Not only that but they return—after officially reforming in 2010—with all five members from the group’s first three albums, "A Social Grace" (1990), "Into The Everflow" (1992), and "Mosquito" (1994). That’s right. Appearing on new album "The God-Shaped Void" and stepping in as if they never left are: Dan Rock (guitars/keyboards), Brian McAlpin (guitars/keyboards), Ward Evans (bass), Norm Leggio (drums), and Devon Graves (vocals/flute/keyboard), originally known to fans as Buddy Lackey.
PSYCHOTIC WALTZ got its start in El Cajon (a suburb of San Diego) in 1986. Previously known as ASLAN, the band that would become America’s foremost progressive metal outfit—alongside FATES WARNING and WATCHTOWER. Now, 23 years later, the high school friends have found each other again under the majesty and mystery of PSYCHOTIC WALTZ.
"The God-Shaped Void" is a delightful album where the band continues to dive into darker atmospherics. Eleven tunes that clocks in at just under an hour. The lyrical and melody works continue to captivate and impress. From the opening dramatic, six-minute sprawl "Devils And Angels" where we hear that they still possess the magic in creativity. Powerful harmony with excellent riffage and a magical vocal opens the door to a delightful journey in The God-Shaped Void. That they are true to their prog metal roots while also imparting insightful songwriting tact on tunes like "Stranded", "All The Bad Men", and "Demystified", which features Graves on guitar and flute. A few other great tunes are the doomy "Sisters Of The Dawn", and the hook-laden "In The Silence" and the tempestuous groovy "Back To Black". The excellent beautiful piece "While The Spiders Spin" that gives us marvelous riffage and delicate vocals, see it below. The album a well-made craft where they stick to what they do best and deliver us a delightful piece of are that will get plenty of spins, an album that should be taken as whole to be fully appreciated. If you are into progressive rock then this is something for you, at least check it up and be impressed.
Sum: Majestic return and an impressive release.
"The God-Shaped Void" was released on Feb 14th, 2020 on InsideOutMusic
Devon Graves / Vocals
Brian McAlpin / Guitar
Dan Rock / Guitar & Keyboards
Ward Evans / Bass
Norman Leggio / Drums
Today's tune "While The Spiders Spin", taken from the Record Of The Week "The God-Shaped Void", enjoy!
"Forever darkness, forever hell". A snippet from today's dark classic.
"Satan Divine" is a song by Swedish black metal band LORD BELIAL, it was released on the band's debut album "Kiss The Goat" through No Fashion Records in 1995. In April 2014, Greek label Floga Records reissued "Kiss The Goat" for the first time on LP. This edition is limited to 250 copies black vinyl and 250 copies dark purple with black splatter vinyl; Both colors have slightly revised cover artwork — in the originally intended dark purple rather than the production error pink on the No Fashion pressing — and the new Lord Belial band logo. Floga Records would again reissue it as part of a limited 6LP Lord Belial boxset which was released in September 2014.
LORD BELIAL was formed in the winter of 1992. They are among the pioneers of Swedish black metal. Their music could be described as melodic black metal, but they are incorporating Swedish death metal influences. LORD BELIAL is one of a few Swedish black metal bands who have stood against the winds of change since the early '90s.
Their successful releases have proved their position as one of the leaders in their genre. In January 2009, they stopped all their activities. The main reason for this is the hearing problem (tinnitus) that has grown into a quite big problem for their drummer Micke Backelin the last years. The other members in the band were not forced to put an end to the band but instead, they mutually agreed that finding another drummer was not a solution for the future. Anyhow, if Micke’s hearing will be at least a little bit recovered and the motivation would be back then the band said that they would be glad to continue where they ended, something to look forward to.
