UNLEASH THE ARCHERS is a Canadian female fronted power metal band from Victoria,
BC, currently signed with Napalm Records. The band plays a fusion of traditional
heavy metal with power metal and melodic death metal.
UNLEASH THE ARCHERS was formed in late 2007 by vocalist Brittney Hayes (a.k.a.
Brittney Slayes) and drummer Scott Buchanan with former member Brayden
Dyczkowski on guitar, whom Scott had played with previously in an independent
death metal project.
Brittney Slayes – vocals
Andrew Kingsley – guitars, vocals, synthesizer, production
Grant Truesdell – guitars, vocals
Scott Buchanan – drums
Today's pick is from the fifth studio album "Abyss", released on 21 August 2020
via Napalm Records. It is a concept album that continues the story introduced in
their previous studio effort, "Apex". It is their first album released after the
departure of bassist Nikko Whitworth and, since he's yet to be officially
replaced, it also marks their first album recorded as a quartet.
The band originally planned to release "Apex" and "Abyss" as a double album, but
they were running out of time and decided to release "Apex" alone in 2017.
During the first half of 2019, they disconnected from everything related to
"Apex" and searched for new influences. By the other half, they wrote the rest
of the songs, which would eventually form "Abyss", and the album was recorded in
January 2020 in Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark. In an interview, vocalist
Brittney Slayes expressed relief that they were able to do the recordings before
the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.
Today's tune "Soulbound" taken from the fifth studio album "Abyss", enjoy!
Calgary-based hard rock metal quintet KOBRA AND THE LOTUS have returned with their new studio album "Evolution", which was released at September 20th on Napalm Records.
The new LP sees the band imbued with a new fire that comes through by way of undeniable hooks, soaring guitar riffs, marching drum beats, and the soulful, bombastic vocal delivery of lead singer Kobra Paige.
"Evolution" wad produced by Michael "Elvis" Baskette )ALTER BRIDGE, LINKIN PARK, SLASH, SEVENDUST).
KOBRA AND THE LOTUS consist of:
Kobra Paige – vocals, piano,
Jasio Kulakowski – lead/rhythm guitar,
Ronny Gutierrez – lead/rhythm guitar,
Brad Kennedy – bass guitar,
Marcus Lee – drums
Today's tune "Burn" is the first single from "Evolution". A hummable riff snaps into a visceral verse as the frontwoman directly declares, "I really hate you, yes I do".
“It’s about all of the reasons you hold yourself back,” she explains. “You literally need to burn all of those feelings, stories, excuses, and obstacles keeping you from being your own authentic self. It’s super personal. It’s a product of growing and arriving as a person. I’m realizing who I am. It’s symbolic of the rebirth,” says Kobra. Enjoy!
Classic Heavy Metal is something that suits perfectly a Friday evening like this. The Brooklyn, New York quintet TOWER have crafted a highly proficient tune that brings us back in time when the classic heavy-metal heroes like JUDAS PRIEST, DIO and W.A.S.P. was high on the charts. With classic and intricate guitar work and the mesmerizing singer Sarabeth Linden's positively high range roars, black leather, chains and long curly hair is the way to run to keep up you interested.
TOWER was formed in the concrete jungle of New York City, TOWER produces a sound that some attempt but few can pull off. Featuring members Sarabeth Linden (lead vocals), James Danzo (guitar), Zak Penley (guitar), and Philippe Arman (bass, backup vocals).
Sarabeth Linden about the tune:
"Our single "Run for My Life" is an extremely personal song for me," reveals Linden. "It's about letting go of a relationship that no longer fits your needs and releasing the chains that once held you there".
Today's tune "Run For My Life" is taken from the upcoming EP "Tomorrow And Yesterday", the release is set at 10/18/19, enjoy!
WILLOW CHILD establish a powerful symbiosis of vivid arrangements and intense lyrics. The quintet based around Nuremberg plays warm blues rock fueled by impelling hard rock riffs and psychedelic instrumental outbursts. Floating guitar licks, thrilling organ grooves and occult vibes are joined together by a rich songwriting. WILLOW CHILDs debut album "Paradise & Nadir“ opens the door to a mystic cosmos!
The big influenses are LED ZEPPELIN, DEEP PURPLE, THE DOORS among others. The album Recorded at: BigSnuff Studio, Berlin / Richard Behrens / January 2018. Mastered by: Nene Baratto. Cover artwork: Harley and J (front & back), Edison Wormhole (inside).
Members:
Eva Kohl - Vocals, Guitar
Flo Ryan Kiss - Guitar
Jonas Hartmann - Organ
Javier Zulauf - Bass
David Kohl - Drums
Today's tune "Starry Road", taken from the album "Paradise & Nadir", Release: 11th May 2018. Enjoy!
DELAIN is a Dutch symphonic metal band formed in 2002 by former WITHIN TEMPTATION keyboardist Martijn Westerholt, and Charlotte Wessels. The name of the band comes from the Kingdom of Delain in Stephen King's novel, The Eyes of the Dragon.
The band announced a new EP titled "Hunter's Moon" on December 13, 2018. The EP will be released on February 22, 2019. It is the first album to feature Joey de Boer on drums.
"Hunter's Moon consists of four new tunes, a live album and a live Blue-Ray disc.
The band’s guitarists step to the forefront in composing two tracks exclusive to this release in "This Silence Is Mine" (Timo Somers) and "Art Kills" (Merel Bechtold). The live portion of the release will take you on a cinematic journey to the Danse Macabre Tour in Utrecht’s Tivoli Vredenburg. The majority of the live album features the deep tones of NIGHTWISH’s Marco Hietala and includes the hits like "Nothing Left", "Your Body Is A Battleground" and "Control The Storm".
The first single and today's tune "Master of Destiny", of the EP was released on January 11, 2019
JINJER is a Ukrainian female fronted band which plays a mixture of progressive metalcore and groove metal, with some inlays of funk, reggae and jazz, though on their second LP the band shifted a bit to death metal of the European school.
JINJER was formed in 2010 when Tatiana Shmailyuk joined the guys as a vocalist. In 2013, the band were acknowledged as the best metal band of the year in Ukraine.
JINJER have been working frantically on a mind-blowing soundscape only they can do justice for and one that shatters all comparisons. Their third album "King of Everything" catapulted this Ukrainian juggernaut into the collective consciousness of the Metal universe and their new EP "Micro" undoubtedly cements itself as another milestone in the history of JINJER. The first single ‘Ape‘ is nothing short of a groove-laden kick in the guts wake up call, full of flickering sonic fury and melodic flashes, while the Micro EP in itself is an emotionally charged trip ranging from caressing to traumatizing and loaded with world-class grooves that can only leave you wanting more.
JINJER consists of:
Tatiana Shmailyuk - vocals
Roman Ibramkhalilov - guitars
Eugene Kostyuk - bass
Vladislav Ulasevish - drums
JINJER is out touring atm with AMORPHIS and SOILWORK.
Today's tune "Perennial" taken from the brand new EP “Micro”, released via Napalm Records on January 11th 2019, enjoy.
The Doom/Stoner Duo FRAYLE was formed in Cleveland in 2017 by Sean Bilovecky and Gwyn Strang.
FRAYLEs “lullabies over chaos” approach to songwriting and their strive to balance the heaviest of riffs, complex layering, tone stacking, syncopated rhythms, with unexpected vocal progressions of Gwyn’s haunting vocal melodies.
Gwyn tells stories of heartbreak, anger, hypocrisy, and resolution, asking the audience for empathy, and in turn inspiring vulnerability.
Drawing inspiration from bands like SLEEP, PORTISHEAD, BEASTWARS, BLONDE REDHEAD, KYUSS, MASSIVE ATTACK, DOWN, CHELSEA WOLFE, and many more, FRAYLE exists at the intersection of doom and dream pop.
They released their "White Witch" on April 1st, 2018, the opens drop tuned and eerie and continues to draw the listener in with heavy slow riffs, light spooky vocals, and doleful lyrics.
Work has already begun on a new full-length album with release pending this summer. Frayle promises to further explore the relationship between crushing riffs and ethereal fragility.
In the mean time for the full-length we pick thier latest tune "Witches", released September 3, 2018 the tune is written by New Zealand sludge metal band BEASTWARS, taken from the album "The Death of All Things" (2016), enjoy today's cover.
The Portland doom metal band WITCH MOUNTAIN released their 5th and self-titled album earlier this year.
Formed in 1997, WITCH MOUNTAIN recorded a demo, released their first full-length album, and toured both nationally and locally. After a 2002 tour with ETERNAL ELYSIUM, the band slowed activity while Rob and Dave attended to their respective families and their other band Iommi Stubbs, and Nate worked on other musical collaborations and his booking agency, Nanotear. The 2016 single and today's tune “Burn You Down” was a good hint of how the new record should sound like and finally, in 2018, the fifth self-titled album got released.
WITCH MOUNTAIN still maintains total artistic control. The band is self-managed, self-booked, and owns its entire back catalog.
WITCH MOUNTAIN are:
Rob Wrong (Guitar)
Nathan Carson (Percussion)
Kayla Dixon (Vocals)
Justin Brown (Bass)
Witch Mountain perform "Burn You Down" live at Ceremony Of Sludge VI at The High Water Mark, Portland, Oregon on March 11, 2017.
Kraut-fueled Heavy Flute Rock is not the daily thing that plays on the radio these days, but you will get it here.
WUCAN is a rock band from Dresden, Germany. The band were formed in 2011 and have released an EP and two studio albums to date. Francis Tobolsky (flute, rhythm guitar, vocals), Tim George (lead guitar) and Patrik Dröge (bass guitar) and Leo Vaessen (drummer).
In December 2011, singer Francis Tobolsky posted an advertisement in a student magazine with the headline 'Blues Brothers Wanted', with the intention of forming a band. Guitarist Tim George and drummer 'Pätz' joined Tobolsky for rehearsals throughout 2012 and the band's first line-up was complete when Patrik Dröge joined on bass in November the same year.
Throughout 2013, WUCAN started songwriting, recording and playing their first gigs as a band. They had also released demos and singles on YouTube.
In July 2014, Pätz left the band shortly after the recording of the debut EP Vikarma. His replacement was a new drummer 'Ollie', who remained with the band for six months before leaving and was replaced by a further drummer 'Marc'.
In February 2015, the band started preparing for their first studio album. A month later they were the main support act for SIENA ROOT during their tour of mainland Europe. Marc only lasted two months in the band before being replaced with Leo Vaessen who was brought in for recordings for the debut album "Sow The Wind".
Their second studio album, "Reap The Storm", was released in September 29, 2017.
WUCANs music can be described as heavy 70s influenced folk rock with hints of stoner and doom. Fans and critics often compare the band's sound to JETHRO TULL, because of the continuous use of flute, and BLACK SABBATH. WUCAN fit into the 'retro rock' subgenre along with fellow German bands KADAVAR and ZODIAC, with the former previously using WUCAN as main support on a number of occasions.
Today's tune "The Rat Catcher" is taken from the album "Reap The Storm", enjoy!
The British garage rock band BLACK MOTH are back with their third album entitled "Anatomical Venus", a ten-track sensual album in the psychedelic garage rock vibe, seasoned with stoner rock and sludge. First reference could be a lighter version of KYLESA.
The band consists of vocalist Harriet Hyde, guitarists Jim Swainston & Federica Gialanze, bassist Dave Vachon and drummer Dom McCready.
"Anatomical Venus" is a catchy and powerful album with Sabbath infused riffs and a vocalist that sings like a queen. Right from the start with the tune "Istra", that starts with a softer guitar approach before the tune really kicks in and the riffage hits the wall. "Moonbow" have a great melodic and complex path with catchy chorus, "Sisters Of The Stone" speeds up a notch but keeps it tasty and offers you some great guitar riffing and heavy drumming. The is an anthem for wronged women, vocalist Harriet Hyde tells Metal Hammer. "Referencing influences as diverse as Tarantino’s Death Proof to the maenads of Ancient Greece, this is a call to arms to our sisters and brothers who are fighting the good fight for equality, embracing the divine feminine, and cultivating a sacred inner strength."
The flirt with the grunge area in "Buried Hoards" to the more doomy sound in "Severed Grace". "A Lovers Hate" is a real happy rocker with fun and thoughtful hooks. "Severed Grace" a beautiful guitar riffing intro to a superb tune. "Screen Queen" is an another great doomy piece of music. "Tourmaline" a half paced beauty with a great rocking melody and excellent singing. The hoarse and easy blatant album closer "Pig Man" summarizing the album well and it makes you hit the repeat button. It's a very fun and engaging record to play and once again shows the world that woman's still rock the most socks of mens, by an album of all this genere's sound so easy.
"Anatomical Venus" was released March 2 via Candleligh/Spinefarm Records.
Today's tune "Moonbow" taken from today's "Record Of The Week", enjoy!
Since their inception in early 2015, Seattle based doom duo, YEAR OF THE COBRA, has garnered a lot of attention. After being discovered by famed Pacific Northwest blog site Doomed and Stoned in early 2016, they started to amass a solid following. The early rough mixes they released eventually became their debut EP, The Black Sun (2015), co-released by DHU Records (Netherlands), Devil’s Child Records (US), and Heavy Metal Vomit Party (Slovak Republic). Soon after, they signed with heavy weights, STB Records, who would eventually release their debut full length LP worldwide.
YOTC hit the road hard in 2016 with multiple West Coast tours and a full US tour. To promote their nation wide tour, they released a 7” split with tour mates and legendary stoner rock band, Mos Generator. The 7” sold out within days as the two bands toured across the US. With the excitement at full steam, their highly anticipated debut full length, …In The Shadows Below, was featured and streamed live via noisey.vice.com on October 26, 2016 to high acclaim, and was available worldwide on October 28th via STB Records on all formats (Vinyl, Cd, Tape, Digital). Since it’s debut, the album has received rave reviews and is still selling strong.
Today's tune "Persephone" a track featured on "...In the Shadows Below". The Video is Live footage was taken on 11/12/2016 at the Funhouse in Seattle, WA. Filmed and edited by Tyler Wilson and Dead Cowboy Productions. Enjoy!
One of the more interesting one-shot bands from the end of the sixties is the American freak-folk group THE INSECT TRUST. The band took its name from William S. Burroughs' Naked Lunch and featured John Fahey protégé Bill Barth, Greenwich Village folk mainstay guitarist/songwriter Luke Faust and writer/critic/ethnomusicologist Robert Palmer, who played alto sax and clarinet.
The group only stuck together for two albums before dispersing, but THE INSECT TRUST didn't just sound good in the late Sixties: The reissue of their sophomore LP Hoboken Saturday Night earned four stars in a David Fricke-penned 2005 review, adding that bands like THE INSECT TRUST inspired rock critic Greil Marcus to create the phrase "old weird America." Faust was later praised in a passage in Bob Dylan's Chronicles. Palmer passed in 2007, but an anthology of his writing, Blues & Chaos: The Music Writing of Robert Palmer, was released in 2009.
Today's tune "Special Rider Blues" is taken from the bands self-titled 1968 debut on Capitol. The music ranges from surreal folk-rock (à la the HOLY MODAL ROUNDERS and FUGS), to Booker T.-like pop-soul, to flat-out free jazz.
The England’s PURSON released their debut album "The Circle and the Blur Door", already 2013.
The great and very melodic piece of classic rock is the lead single and today's tune "Leaning On A Bear", see it below.
PURSON is led by enigmatic vocalist/guitarist Rosalie Cunningham which creates a magic vibe with her vocals around the trippy and psychedelic sound that the band puts together.
PURSON is:
Rosalie Cunningham – Vocals, Lead Guitar
George Hudson – Guitars
Samuel Shove – Organ, Mellotron, Wurlitzer
Barnaby Maddick – Bass, BVs
Jack Hobbs – Drums
Todays tune "Leaning on a Bear" is the first single from the "The Circle And The Blue Door", to be released 29th April 2013.
The video is directed by Chris Martin and edited by William Cunningham. Rosalie Cunningham states that on the video: “We found this great place in Brixton, South London called Cafe Cairo that looks as though it has been transplanted there from the souk in Marrakesh. It was just perfect for a PURSON video, so we invited some friends along, hung out, and played. Chris Martin shot and edited the video and my brother, William, treated the footage and added the trippy effects”
From Chicago Illinois we find the Rock n' Roll/Doom band MOUNT SALEM, they were formed in the summer of 2012.
Their debut album "Endless" was released 4th Mars 2014 at Metal Blade. Hopefully a follow up will come soon.
MOUNT SALEM is playing an psychedelic doom rock with a droning and spellbound nightmarish feeling. The riffage are influenced by classic bands like BLACK SABBATH and PENTAGRAM.
The band consists of:
Emily Kopplin - vocals & organ
Kyle Morrison - guitar
Mark Hewett - bass
Cody Davidson - drums
Today's tune "Lucid", taken from the album "Endless". The Video is Directed by Dave Skwarczek - http://www.skwarczek.com/
PSYCHEDELIC WITCHCRAFT was born by the hands of the ancients gods of Blues and Doom, living through the imaginary of Occult and Witchcraft, with psychedelic colors and emotions. Inspired by the sounds and the pictures of an almost lost Era.
PSYCHEDELIC WITCHCRAFT was formed in 2015 led by Italian singer Virginia Monti as a the main songwriter. Her vocals has a mesmerising, smokey snarl feeling along with the bluesy and rocky guitarist Jacopo Fallai. The rythm section consist of the bass player Riccardo Giuffrè and the drummer Mirko Buia.
Life, Occult,'70s music and everything that moves our souls and bones.
Today's tune "Rising On The Edge" is taken from the second album "Sound of the Wind", released November 3rd 2017. enjoy!d 2017.
ELECTRIC CITIZEN are based in Cincinnati and signed to California based heavyweight, RidingEasy Records, ELECTRIC CITIZEN has spent the last several years touring the world headlining and opening for acts like KING DIAMOND, PENTAGRAM, THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN, FU MANCHU, BUDOS BAND, CHARLES BRADLEY, JOAN JETT, WOLFMOTHER and playing renowned festivals like Psycho Las Vegas, Psycho California and Desert Fest Belgium.
. 📷 by Steven Levas
After bursting to the American heavy rock forefront with their 2014 debut album, Sateen, Electric Citizen released their second album, Higher Time in 2016; a breakout moment for the band as a whole and for vocalist Laura Dolan. Like its predecessor, Higher Time was recorded at The Diamonds studio in Cincinnati by Brian Olive (The Greenhornes, Dan Auerbach, Dr. John, etc.), and in search of an even more expansive feel, Laura, Ross and Brian traveled to mix alongside Black Keys engineer Collin Dupuis at Easy Eye in Nashville, TN.
ELECTRIC CITIZEN branch out with stage-born assurance across a collection of definitive rock ‘n’ roll. It is a bold, complete sound that sacrifices nothing of the band’s on-stage energy and clearly demonstrates that while their progression has been quick, it’s been hard won the traditional way: They worked their collective ass off. ELECTRIC CITIZEN brazenly refuse to be pigeonholed and craft a style that, like every stage they step onto, is completely their own. Look for them on the road in North America and Europe throughout 2018 and beyond.
Today's tune "Misery Keeper" taken from the bands latest release "Higher Time", enjoy!
On "Where Have You Been" the Dutch steamy rockers DRIVE BY WIRE offer you an intriguing and unique mixture of fuzz-laden heavy rock grooves accompanied by the trippy, hazy vocals of energetic front woman Simone Holsbeek.
A trip through a desolate desert landscape, the swampy river delta, home to the band, '70s hardrock and psychedelia. DRIVE BY WIRE manages to distill these inspirations into a warm organic sound with the urgency of '90s grunge, the contagious riff-driven groove of QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and delicious hypnotic heavy-ness such as BLACK SABBATH.
DRIVE BY WIRE Consist of:
Simone Holsbeek
Alwin Wubben
Jerome Miedendorp de Bie
Marcel Zerb
Today's tune "Where Have You Been" taken from the latest album "Spellbound", please don't just stand there, click on the video or the Spotify link for god sake, enjoy!
Monday, new week, time to introduce "Record Of The Week"
"Planetary Space Child" is the latest album released by the American female fronted hard/alternative rock band RUBY THE HATCHET. A band that abound in both the 70s psychedelic infused occult rock as well as in metal and proto-doom genre.
"Planetary Space Child" is an really fun album to listen to, with it's hazy atmosphere, bold personality and a great sense of variety.
The record starts with the title tune, the spacey "Planetary Space Child", great harmonies and powerful voice by Jillian Taylor makes this tune a real piece of art. The next rocker is "Killer", a tune that goes in the more classical format, catchy and full of sludgy riffs. The following tunes follows the same path. "Pagan Ritual" is a more straightforward rocker with psychedelic occult feeling. With a sneaky bass line opens up the beautiful tune "The Fool". "Symphony Of The Night" is an half pace tune at the start before it burst out to kingdom come. "Gemini" is classical rocker with heavy riffing and a more straightforward approach. The last tune of the record "Lightning Comes Again" is a groovy and powerful piece.
Sum: If you want to have a good time, then you play "Planetary Space Child".
A beautiful blue version is released on Vinyl
Today's tune is the title track from Ruby The Hatchet's new album, out August 25, 2017. Video by: Jordan Vance / 3grit.com
