Metal Mix Tape Volume 4
Let there be metal! Have a look to see who made Metal Mix Tape Volume Four:
Ontario-based metalcore heavyweights Counterparts are gearing up for the release of their upcoming full-length, A Eulogy For Those Still Here, due out October 7 from Pure Noise Records. The record finds Counterparts tapping into a deep sense of dread that pushes their visceral sound to even greater extremes. It’s an album that revolves around uncertainty but results in the group’s most definitive statement to date.
Counterparts have also recently shared the album’s third single, Bound To The Burn, blast of crushingly heavy guitars and unrelenting drums that also highlights the band’s ability to melody into all of the aggression. The track follows Unwavering Vow and Whispers of Your Death, and continues to tease an even more ominous Counterparts than ever before.
Vocalist Brendan Murphy spoke candidly about the new song, saying: “Bound To The Burn is about my personal frustrations that come with playing music for a living. I’m sure it goes without saying, but I do love being a part of Counterparts, though sometimes it can feel like Counterparts/I are easily replaceable in the world of heavy music. This song is a metaphor for how I’ve let the pressure of churning out new music and constantly being on the road ‘kill’ me in a sense. But here I am, still ‘bound to the burn’ because when I DO consider the other options I have for a career, I end up drawing a blank and I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do. I want to be here, but I don’t… I’m learning to balance the two.”
IN FLAMES represent the best of metal — past, present, and future. As New Wave of Swedish Death Metal architects and innovative purveyors of groove and melody, the band’s artistry and influence is undeniable. The band shares news fans have been eagerly awaiting.
In Flames’ fourteenth studio album, Foregone, arrives via Nuclear Blast on February 10, 2023.
Frontman Anders Fridén states, “Going into the Foregone sessions, we wanted to make a record that was heavily guitar-driven, and that had a strong foundation between the bass and drums. We still approached our songwriting the same way, as we always have, as a juxtaposition between melody and aggression. That’s the DNA of our music. From the lyrical end of things, there was no shortage of inspiration to draw from, especially the concept of time.”
He continues, “Humanity as a whole was forced to slow down and take breather. In that break, many of us spent time evaluating and reprioritizing. Time is a constant, but what do we do with it and how we perceive it varies. Especially now looking at where the world seems to be headed faster than ever before.”
Fridén finishes, “It’s crazy that after everything we are still here and on our fourteenth album. I feel that we’ve found a great balance between the past, the present and the future with Forgone. This is a new era of In Flames!”
The band has also shared the visualizer for Foregone Pt. 1.
Connecticut metalcore innovators CURRENTS have shared the video for the new song The Death We Seek.
“‘The Death We Seek’ is about the weight of our choices and our responsibility for their outcomes,” singer Brian Wille offers. “The video follows two individuals attempting to stop a looming apocalypse, only to be sabotaged by forces beyond their control or understanding. This song was written shortly after the completion and release of [2020 full-length] The Way It Ends, and felt like the perfect way to build on and continue the story behind the music and reintroduce ourselves to the world.”
The day has come for extreme metal pioneers VENOM INC. to finally unleash their new album, There’s Only Black, in its devastating entirety! Their sophomore album is a no-holds-barred assault on bigoted hypocrisy and conformism in today’s society, as well as a demonstration of musical superiority delivered by some of the genre’s true originators.
In celebration, VENOM INC. have released a video for the title track There’s Only Black, which can be watched below.
Almost 40 years after their inception, the revitalized 1989 – 1992 Venom line-up of guitarist Jeff “Mantas” Dunn and vocalist/bassist Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan and the new addition of drummer Jeramie “Warmachine” Kling have returned with one hell of a follow-up to their acclaimed debut, Avé, and show no signs of slowing down.
SKID ROW have released Time Bomb, the third single and video from the band’s forthcoming Nick Raskulinecz produced album The Gang’s All Here, available everywhere October 14!
The video for Time Bomb, currently in post-production and set for release on September 28, was helmed by acclaimed director Dale ‘Rage’ Resteghini (Five Finger Death Punch, Guns N Roses) who Rachel Bolan sought out to realize his artistic vision for the song about humanity’s continuing struggles with self-indulgence and monotony. Rage, known for his ability to get extremely visceral performances and coming up with eye catching visuals, collaborated with Rachel while using the film world’s latest breakthrough in cinematography, the brand-new Arri Alexa 35 and handcrafted MasterBuilt Classic Lenses helping create the stellar look for Time Bomb.
“What would it be like to be in that position?”, Rachel asks. “Just be completely going about life, your normal everyday thing, but you’re thiiiiis close to just completely losing your shit?”.
“Co-directing the video with Dale was a great learning experience. His energy is infectious, and his knowledge is vast. It was something I had never done before and probably wouldn’t have if it weren’t for Scotti Hill saying, ‘You should direct our next video.’ It was a lot like writing a song, but the characters are real. It was all about making my vision come to life.” – Rachel Bolan
L.S. Dunes: guitarist Frank Iero (My Chemical Romance), guitarist Travis Stever (Coheed & Cambria), vocalist Anthony Green (Circa Survive), bassist Tim Payne (Thursday), and drummer Tucker Rule (Thursday) have shared 2022, the blistering and dramatic new track off their upcoming debut album, Past Lives, due November 11 via Fantasy Records.
Anthony Green on 2022: “I wrote 2022 when I was struggling to communicate the pain that I was in during the pandemic. I survived an overdose the previous year and was feeling like I would never be free of the obsession to get high, or just get out of my own skin and that I was only going to continue to hurt everyone I loved. It was a cop-out and easier for me to write a song rather than get honest and real with the people in my life–cry for help in a way. If there’s a positive take away, it’s that it’s never a burden to the people you love to share your feelings no matter how dark or painful it might be.”
Multi-platinum Grammy-nominated hard rock band GODSMACK have released the first glimpse of their forthcoming eighth studio album with their new single Surrender via BMG.
The track marks the first release from the band in four years, following their globally acclaimed & gold-certified 2018 album, When Legends Rise, which earned the band a #1 spot across US Hard Rock, Rock, and Alternative album charts.
“‘Surrender’ is a very cut and dry song,” says vocalist and guitarist Sully Erna. “It’s simply about the exhaustion we can all feel in relationships at times from the redundancy of fighting with each other. At a certain point in our lives, we submit to putting aside who’s right or wrong, we just want it to STOP! So we wave the white flag.”
Pierce the Veil — guitarist/vocalist Vic Fuentes, guitarist Tony Perry, and bassist Jaime Precadio — have shared the video for their explosive comeback single, Pass the Nirvana.
The song was a juggernaut from the start — landing play listing at Rock This, Rock Hard, Rock Rotation, All New Rock, Rock Out, New Noise, Volume Máxim, Breaking Rock, Rock Arena, and more. It also netted over 6 million streams in the month since release.
Pierce the Veil have truly served up a new track full of fuzzy guitars, massive melodic hooks, and PTV’s distinct emotional heart. Pass the Nirvana is quite the riff fest and it marks Pierce the Veil’s first new music since 2016. It was worth the wait — and then some. It is destined to become a fan favourite that the PTV faithful will scream the lyrics to at their live shows.
“Pass the Nirvana is about the many horrible traumas that the youth of America have endured over the past few years,” said frontman Fuentes previously about the song’s powerful, relatable, and topical subject matter. “COVID, no proms, no graduations, an insurrection, school shootings. The list goes on. Their lives have been tossed around like clothes in a dryer, as the tensions within our country have infiltrated our own homes, friends, and families. To me, the song represents a euphoric detachment from all of that anxiety and stress and about finding some form of peace or nirvana.”
Melbourne rockers Thornhill have had a huge year with no plans on slowing down anytime soon.
Their epic sophomore full-length record Heroine stormed up the charts debuting at #3 on the ARIA Album Chart. Not only that, it debuted at #1 on the Australian album chart and has had more than 8.5 million streams to date. Critics and fans have been praising the record across the globe.
In July, they played their biggest Australian headline shows to date slapping sold out signs on most dates along the way.The band have just returned home from their North American tour with ERRA and Alpha Wolf which also saw them play their first US headline shows on the east coast.
While currently on the road with The Butterfly Effect and Caligula’s Horse, Thornhill have shared a live video for The Hellfire Club, taken from their recent US headline show in West Palm Beach, FL.
Adelaide extreme metal outfit Freedom of Fear share the title track from their upcoming sophomore album Carpathia, released Oct 21 via EVP Recordings. The new single is a gothic-inspired death metal masterpiece incorporating synth, choirs and world class shred guitar. Carpathia features German tech-death legend Hannes Grossmann (Necrophagist, Obscura) on drums, with the mix supplied by V. Santura (Triptykon, Dark Fortress). Freedom of Fear have also announced an Australian tour in support of the new album.
“Lyrically it focuses on a vampire cult who perform an ancient ritual to obscure the sun, achieving eternal night and domination over humanity. The spoken word sections are largely influenced by Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula” – guitarist Matt Walters
Shot and edited by Colin Jeffs of Ten of Swords Media, the Carpathia video, which premiered yesterday on the KNOTFEST website, is largely inspired by the Gothic / vampiric nature of the song’s lyrics and atmosphere. Filmed in Victorian-era ruins in the Adelaide Hills, it features the band in special effects makeup and vocalist Jade Monserrat as Mina Harker.
Thrashing NZ alternative metal quintet, Crooked Royals return with one last single, Counterfeit from debut album Quarter Life Daydream, out via 3DOT Recordings on Friday October 21.
Recorded and mixed by Zorran Mendonsa (Coridian) and mastered by George Lever (Sleep Token, Loathe, Thornhill), Counterfeit commands listeners attention with an undeniably ferocious energy. Premiering via Heavy Consequence yesterday, the website commends the juxtaposition between Christian Cartsensen on clean vocals and Lee Mackley with gutturals: “It works splendidly on ‘Counterfeit,’ evoking hints of Linkin Park, albeit with a more metalcore edge.”
The back and forth between vocalists mirror the lyrical theme about the duality of perception on what is real and fake within our own personalities. The band explains, “The song is an argument with yourself about why we do things, observing other people’s motives, and how both sides of the coin make you feel and act. Which in eventuality should make you see you’re just as much a part of the problem as anyone else is, and all these perceptions should mean nothing.”
Fit For A King will drop their new album The Hell We Create on October 28 via Solid State Records. The band has shared the video for Times Like This, with the song featuring The Ghost Inside’s Jonathan Vigil.
“Times Like This is about how as a society, we have accepted misinformation as a part of life, and in some cases, even embraced it,” says singer Ryan Kirby. “Those in power keep us at each other’s throats using these tactics, and when we rise above the noise, we can finally give the throne back to the many — not the few.”
Formed in leafy Surrey in the late ‘80s, THRESHOLD truly blossomed in the following decade, swiftly establishing themselves as the UK’s leading progressive metal standard bearers. From 1993’s Wounded Land debut onwards, the enduring creative core of guitarist Karl Groom and keyboard maestro Richard West constructed a unique new strain of heavy, progressive music, combining incisive melodies, thought-provoking lyrics and intricate but thunderous arrangements.
The band recently announced their highly anticipated 12th studio album Dividing Lines, which will be released on November 18th via Nuclear Blast Records. We get yet another taste of the record with a lyric video for its energetic third single Complex.
Guitarist Karl Groom comments:
“Complex was the 2nd song written for Dividing Lines and I love the energy that Johanne injected into the song, particularly on the pre-choruses. The idea for the solo came about by accident when I left a parallel pitch-shift on the lead sound whilst making the demo. We can’t wait to release the album and have the chance to tour again.”
Following the release of their highly acclaimed new album The God Machine and a successful club tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of their ground-breaking masterpiece Somewhere Far Beyond, German metal legends BLIND GUARDIAN have another ace up their sleeve: The band releases an artistic new video for the song Life Beyond The Spheres.
Playing with stunning visual effects and a retro-futuristic setting, the music video for Life Beyond The Spheres, taken from The God Machine is a remarkable eyecatcher that you can discover
Guitarist André Olbrich states about the song:
“I’m a big supporter of innovation, to bring the whole music genre forward to something else. Maybe even find a new something that wasn’t there before, I think with ‘Life Beyond the Spheres,’ I knew I wanted to go somewhere in the soundtrack direction. At that time, I was playing cyberpunk, so my inspiration was a little bit cyberpunkish. I tried to bring in a metal soundtrack in a cyberpunk direction, more spacey than we ever did before. Hansi grabbed that feeling and I think now we have a song we never did before, not even close to that kind of genre. I like that, that is a very innovative song, I’m proud of this too.”
Singer Hansi Kürsch adds:
“‘Life Beyond the Spheres’ leads us to spaces unknown and places where no man has gone before. It certainly delivers music that is not from this world. There is always hope. This is what the song means to me.”
Watch and listen to Ditch from LAMB OF GOD’s 9th album, Omens. The new single and full album Omens, from the GRAMMY-nominated metal masters, is available everywhere for download and streaming as well as on CD, Vinyl and Cassette.
Also available now, LAMB OF GOD The Making Of: Omens, a short film documenting the recording of their Omens album, which premiered on October 6. The documentary is available to watch on-demand throughout the month of October.
“In February 2022, we entered Henson Studios in Los Angeles, CA to begin recording our 9th studio album, what would become Omens. We recorded this record the old-fashioned way… with five of us, in a room together, playing music. We filmed the entire process.” – Lamb of God
Metalcore legends We Came As Romans have released their long-awaited new album Darkbloom via Sharptone Records. In celebration of the release, the band also has shared the visualizer for the track One More Day. Speaking on the news, guitarist Joshua Moore shares:
“We’re so excited to finally be able to share Darkbloom with the world. After what felt like an eternity, we get to share these songs with all those who supported us through the hardest time of our lives. We wrote this record about our grieving process after we lost Kyle four years ago – all the emotions we felt, and how we found a way to move forward. This entire record is dedicated to Kyle – he’ll always be a part of our band. We hope you love these songs as much as we do.”
Relentlessly spinning, the wheel of the year is turning towards darker days, the world is preparing for cold and deprivation. Long forgotten spirits arise from fog, heralding the Exile Of The Gods. Swiss metal legends ELUVEITIE release their new single, capturing the desperate, doomy mood of a world that the Gods abandoned long ago.
“What have we done? Our hands stained with their blood”, singer Fabienne Erni chants, supported by heavy riffs and soaring melodies.
Founding member Chrigel Glanzmann comments:
“We are very excited to share our new single ‘Exile Of The Gods’ with you – after ‘Aidus’ the ‘second page’ in Eluveitie’s next chapter. Our current path leads us way back in time. And back to the present! Our new song cycle is all based on a very old mythic text – the hermetic lament. Although it didn’t originate from Celtic culture, we know today that its words were taken on, assimilated, and taught by the Celtic druids henceforth. In the interpretatio celtae it’s teachings were ascribed to the tricephalic Celtic god Lugus.
This ancient text contains some kind of a prophecy which holds some very serious and important words for us modern people of today – even if we assume that it’s not talking about our era (which personally I believe it does, though).
Among many other things that the lament of Lugus foretells: ‘…of thy faith nothing will remain but an empty tale, which thine own children in time to come will not believe; nothing will be left but graven words, and only the stones will tell of thy piety. For the gods – which once deigned to sojourn upon earth – will return from earth to Antumnos. The gods will depart from mankind, a grievous thing! The world will be left desolate, bereft of the presence of its deities.’
And this is, what our new single is dealing with!
However, that ancient text spells out clearly that we’re not simply talking about some mythological, religious or spiritual matters here. For it also talks very clearly about the development of mankind’s relationship with mother earth in that context and points out very concrete actions of ours (today) and their consequences in and for nature, and thus ultimately for us. And so, we are excited to share our brand-new song with you all! And we hope you like it as much as we do and that maybe you even can find some inspiration in it! Enjoy!”
With over 100+ million streams and a tremendously successful album released just a year ago, symphonic metal titans THERION have not been idle and continue their epic Leviathan trilogy with striking new single Marijin Min Nar.
Christofer comments:
“When we did the song writing for the Leviathan trilogy, it was basically me and Thomas Vikström that wrote everything. Nalle came up with one song and Christian Vidal came up with one too. But what they lacked in quantity, they made up with quality, as they both delivered a song that we thought was a good choice for a single.
Singles are usually the most commercial songs on an album, as the purpose of a single is not just to tease the fans, but also to throw out a hook to the general public and see if you catch some new listeners. ”Marijin Min Nar” is different in that regard, as it is not one of the more commercial songs. But instead it is a ”regular” song that both ourselves, people at Nuclear Blast and people we know who heard the album all found to be one of the most likeable songs on the album. So we thought we’d have a go with this one as a single.”
Ohio quartet The Plot In You — Landon Tewers (vocals), Josh Childress (guitar), Ethan Yoder (bass), and Michael Cooper (drums) — have shared the visualizer for FEEL NOTHING (RESET).
With this track, The Plot In You have delivered an absolutely gorgeous and cinematic rendition of the fan favorite track FEEL NOTHING from their 2018-released album DISPOSE. Through additional sonic elements, such as dark strings and bold percussion, the band took a fresh and invigorating approach to the already-loved original. This orchestral version of the track was mixed Zakk Cervini.
The original version of FEEL NOTHING is a digital success story that still streams over 2 million times per week and has been streamed a staggering 870 million times globally. FEEL NOTHING is now certified GOLD in Australia and has gone on to achieve Gold RIAA certification. The track has truly enjoyed a beyond viral moment on TikTok and has continued to perform over time.
Ultimately, this epic and orchestral version of FEEL NOTHING is celebration of the success of the song — giving the fans a new look and listen.
“FEEL NOTHING (RESET) came to life when the right elements were aligned to make an alternate version that could really stand up to the original,” the band shares. “This version is EPIC. And that was our goal. We are excited to see our fans continue to tell their stories with this track. Being a part of their story is something we love as a band.”
3x Grammy® nominee Gojira have shared a new single – Our Time Is Now – which is available now on all streaming platforms. Originally announced as part of EA Sports’ NHL 23 soundtrack, Our Time Is Now is a call to action in our most dire hour.
Gojira’s Joe Duplantier elaborated on the intentions of the new single: “This song goes out to all the fighters out there sparking a light in a dark world,” urging “show that you are part of a change!” Duplantier continued “If you care about something meaningful to you and your community. If you are standing for a cause, if you show compassion and solidarity for the ones whose rights are taken away, if you’re in a war defending your inherent rights or fighting against deforestation, if you’re standing for animal rights, human rights, you are the lightning bolt, the spark that will shape our world. Your time is now! Our time is now!” In solidarity with the women of the Iranian uprising, Duplantier added, “Rest In Peace young Masha Amini. She was killed in Teheran for not wearing her hijab ‘properly’ by the ‘morality police’ and Rest In Peace all victims of brutalities during the protests that followed her death. We support the women of Iran in their fight, for taking a stand against oppression!”
Gearing up for another era, multi-platinum rock band Disturbed will release their eighth full-length album, Divisive, on November 18, 2022 via Reprise Records. Bulldozing the way for the record, the group have unleashed an unpredictable and undeniable new single entitled Unstoppable.
Draiman elaborated, “‘Unstoppable’ is definitely one of the heavier tracks on the record. The groove builds into a bombastic animal. It’s truly the fight song.”
“We always have a big rock anthem on every album,” Donegan commented. “We love to write empowering songs for motivation. We’re avid sports fans, and that’s definitely part of it. It’s an in-your-face track, for sure.”
After finding sonic heaven on earth via their EP CHRONICLES II: HEAVEN earlier this year, Melbourne’s Void Of Vision unforgettably spiral headfirst into the the abyss with a brand new single HELL HELL HELL out now.
Stepping fearlessly beyond their previous works into more caustic and clear-cut new territory, HELL HELL HELL is a ferocious extension of the quartet’s trademark metal; part industrial, part futuristic, and 100% monumental from start to finish.
“HELL HELL HELL is a brand new world of Void Of Vision that has definitely been hinted at or given a nod in previous work,” shares Void Of Vision vocalist Jack Bergin, “But this is where we truly get to showcase our own raw and explicit take on it. It’s been so insanely fulfilling to create, feeling so foreign yet strangely just as much at home within our discography alongside all our other works”.
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