The symphonic/orchestral metal band DemUnillusions have released a new live rehearsal clip for “Dead Dreams Man”, adding to the growing collection of other high-quality performance videos that have been released on their YouTube channel in recent months, including powerful takes for songs “Freakshow” and “Crazy”.
The band have expressed their excitement about the new video:
We proudly present you “Dead Dreams Man”. A live rehearsal video that show’s what we bring to you!
DemUnillusions
And from the sounds of it, they are pleased to finally share this release with the world, as it appears the sketches for the music in this track were outlined a long time ago. The song has been recorded for their upcoming album “Madness”, but instead of waiting the band has now decided to release the track, with the hopes that it will generate support amongst the metal community, and ultimately help them to make the album a reality. It is a strategy that should hopefully work. As we think you’ll agree after seeing this video, the project clearly deserves to happen. (Links to support the band can be found at the bottom of this article).
Watch the new live rehearsal video for “Dead Dreams Man”:
DemUnillusions Line-up: Ayracsana (vocals) Thomas (vocals, guitars) JK (drums)
Dead Dreams Man (Credits):
Music and lyrics by DemUnillusions. Produced by DemUnillusions. All recorded by DemUnillusions. Cover artwork and logotype design by DemUnillusions. Band photo by Vitaly Alexandriysky. All music arranged, drums, bass and orchestrations by DemUnillusions.
Every now and then we will choose a selection of albums for a mini-review roundup. These can be upcoming albums, albums that have been in our backlog for a while, or albums that simply escaped our attention beforehand and we have just recently discovered. But what each album has in common is that our contributors do not have the time to write up a full comprehensive review. And since we still wanted to share our verdict, we figured that this would be the next best thing! So we hope you enjoy these bite-sized opinions…
Worth – Self-Titled (12.5.2023) Do not let this record slip under your radar like I nearly did. This self-titled sophomore album from the Spanish-founded melo-death metal project “Worth”, was released earlier this year by Wormholedeath, and is an absolute must-listen for anyone who is even slightly partial to other genre-heavyweights such as Dark Tranquillity, Be’lakor, and Insomnium. Singer Cri Jill punches just as hard in the vocals department, quite literally roaring out of the gate with a primal, animalistic growl pronouncing her arrival on opener “Time Won’t Heal”. The rest of the band are no less timid either, with Francesca Missori (bass), Gloria Falgueras (Guitars) and lone male Stevie Marfil (Drums) completing the fierce lineup. There is still a gentle elegance to the music here though, as you might well have expected. And while everything is extremely tight and precisely executed, with machine-like reflexes in many cases, there is also the natural feeling of space and freedom within these tracks. Certainly enough to let your imagination take flight while listening. The quality is also consistent throughout, although “Nova” and “Entwined” are likely to be my personal favourites. It has a decent runtime too, with over an hour of music to satiate your death metal cravings – you definitely won’t go hungry. So in summation, this is an album that is seriously “worth” your attention (sorry I couldn’t help myself).
8 of 10 stars
Raining Nails – Human Deeds (27.10.2023) When it comes to band names, you’d be hard pressed to find one that is more metal sounding than Italy’s “Raining Nails”. Featuring members from Eternal Silence, Fallen Arise, Oracle Sun, and Sound Storm, this supergroup is due to release their debut album “Human Deeds’ on October 27th. And for the most part, the release successfully lives up to the promise of its talented roster. While not a concept album per se, the record does talk about the bad state of the world, which is a theme that has become more and more prevalent amongst artist releases in recent years. And what better hope for a cure than a powerful, no-nonsense heavy metal album, which is exactly what we have here. “Don’t forget how life goes on” reminds vocalist Marika Vanni on the catchy chorus of the initial track “A New Way To Walk On”. The self-professed “Queen of Thorns” is in good voice, which incidentally is another song highlight on the album, and perhaps Vanni’s crowning achievement. But if Marika Vanni is the Queen, then Paradiso’s guitar is most definitely the King. As together they absolutely rule the world. A solid first album, that is best played at high volume, or with a decent pair of noise-cancelling headphones.
7 of 10 stars
Accidental President – Was It Meant To Be This Way? (06.10.2023) I was not sure what to expect when this title popped up in my inbox to review. Even now, after having listened to the debut album “Was It Meant to Be This Way?” by the Australian alt/hard rock band in its entirety, they remain something of an obscurity to me. A musical entity that I still somewhat struggle to define, or neatly pigeon-hole. But this ultimately works to their credit. Despite how the music has been categorised in the accompanying release notes, the opening title track is decidedly more progressive to my ears (and not just because of the socially-conscious subject matter). Flitting between catastrophic news sound-bites and heavy distortion one moment, to a loungey acoustic section and Dahlia Neville’s relaxing vocals the next, if I didn’t know any better I would have thought it was Accidental President’s version of “Apocalypse and Chill”. The next track “Ready Kid?’ matches the brief a little more accurately. Before their theatrical, vaudeville cover of Cher’s “Bang, Bang” veers me off-course again. At a certain point I give up on my misguided attempts at reduction and simply go with the flow. And this turned out to be the best decision. It’s an enjoyable ride, if a little on the wild, unpredictable side.
7.5 of 10 stars
Disillusive Play – Songs for the Non-Existent (05.26.2023) It is quite a rarity to discover a good female-led band with some progressive nuances, so when one does happen to catch my attention it usually makes the occasion all the more special. “Songs for the Non-Existent” by Greek hard rock/heavy metal band Disillusive Play is the album which has achieved this most recently. And while it is by no means perfect, it is certainly a step in the right direction. “Queen of the Night” is an obvious highlight of the album, and serves as the band’s first official single. But tracks like “The Dreamer” and “Parallel Lives” are equally up my alley, and are likely to receive high rotation. The husky vocals of lead singer Antigoni Kalamara are immediately distinctive, and there are plenty of interesting sounds and guitar licks (courtesy of Jim Knikos) to accompany them throughout the album. However, the overall lack of consistency is inevitably my biggest sticking point. Whenever the album falters, it is usually in places where the music is trying to be too much in service of delivering a particular story or message to the listener. If they can solve this imbalance, then I believe that they can come back even stronger with their next release. And I will very much look forward to that day.
German female-fronted death metal relentless force Infernal Devastation has officially inked a deal with Wormholedeath Records for the release of their hotly anticipated debut album, slated to shake the foundations of the metal world in 2024.
The band shares their excitement about this new partnership:
“It’s the first time for all band members that we work together with a label. We see this as a great chance and are really up for sharing our kind of death metal with the world! We are looking forward to our cooperation with Wormholedeath and are excited about what the future will bring!”
To celebrate this groundbreaking collaboration, Infernal Devastation is wasting no time and has dropped the hammer with their debut single and accompanying video, “DEPTHS OF HELL”
“Depths of Hell” is a fiery manifesto of Infernal Devastation’s unyielding spirit. Inspired by the daily grind and the overwhelming stress of modern life, the song resonates with those who have ever felt like prisoners in their own existence. The band’s determination to bring their music to the masses led them to take matters into their own hands, resulting in a raw and powerful recording that captures the essence of their relentless ethos.
You can experience “Depths of Hell” by streaming the single on all major digital platformsHERE
Watch the lyric video for a visual journey into the depths of Infernal Devastation’s sonic inferno:
About Infernal Devastation: Infernal Devastation, hailing from Gütersloh, Germany, was re-formed in 2019 by Mattes (lead guitar), Becker (bass), Krise (bass), and the powerful vocals of Doreen. In 2020, Tobi joined the ranks on drums, solidifying the lineup. United by their longstanding friendships and shared musical vision, the band embarked on their quest to conquer the death metal scene. Despite facing studio cost challenges, they persevered, self-producing their songs, culminating in the release of their debut EP, “Chaos Unchained,” in January 2023. The band’s lineup was further fortified in the summer of 2023 with the addition of Henrik on the second guitar.
Infernal Devastation Line-up: Doreen Lüdtke | Vocals Mattes Lüdtke | Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals Henrik Kalka | Rhythm Guitar Markus Becker | Bass Tobias Kampe | Drums
As the storm of Infernal Devastation rages on, they are forging a path of utter annihilation and redefining the boundaries of death metal. Source: Wormholedeath
After an adventurous festival summer with appearances at the legendary Wacken Open Air and Summer Breeze, amongst others, boisterous thrash metal engine NERVOSA is far away from taking things slow and accelerates even more by smashing their new single, “Elements Of Sin”. “Elements Of Sin” marks the third single cut from the fierce upcoming fifth full-length, Jailbreak, to finally be released this Friday, September 29 via Napalm Records! This raging sonic monster features some of the album’s most insane guitar work and thundering vocals and is accompanied by a fitting official music video that emphasizes the unstoppable energy of this all-female powerhouse.
Finally seeing the light of day, Jailbreak is a decisive start of a new era in the band’s history, as it’s the first NERVOSA album with guitarist and founding member Prika Amaral on vocal duties, and showcases the mighty new lineup completed by the immensely talented and well experienced Michaela Naydenova on drums, Hel Pyre on bass and Helena Kotina on guitars.
Prika Amaral on “Elements of Sin”:
’Elements Of Sin’ was one of the first songs that me and Helena composed together. I remember when the riff from the chorus came at the end of 2021 and the lyrics of the chorus came together. We were so excited with this song that we also composed a few parts of the drums at that time. The process of composing of this album was very fun.
Watch the official music video for “Elements of Sin”
With their previous record, Perpetual Chaos (2.8M plays on Spotify), NERVOSA not only secured their first chart positions (#18 GER Official Album Charts, #6 US Hard Music Albums, #9 US Top New Artist Albums charts), but also performed at some of Europe’s biggest festivals!
Among its various themes, brand new album Jailbreak explores messages of breaking free from everyone and everything holding you back from doing exactly what you want to do. It encourages the listener to be proud of who they are, to trust in themselves and the strength that lies within them. The album’s lyrical themes comment on our society in a direct, critical manner, with messages delivered through intensely fast-twitching, raw soundscapes.
Prika Amaral on Jailbreak:
I’m very happy with the result of how our new album turned out. This time, we were able to take even more risks and do new things. With two guitars the doors open to a whole new world of possibilities, in fact NERVOSA had two guitars in the beginning, but then we decided to go with one guitar for logistical reasons, since it would be easier to move with one less person for tours. Now NERVOSA has a much bigger structure that allowed this addition, and we are really enjoying this moment of the band. The process of writing this record was the most fun and brought the most musicality, enriching the band.
Helena Kotina adds:
I think Jailbreak is NERVOSA‘s most revolutionary record, both musically and lyrically. It was a very challenging process but at the same time very constructive. We were able to take care of every detail until we obtained the best result.
Tracklist: 1. Endless Ambition 2. Suffocare 3. Ungrateful 4. Seed Of Death 5. Jailbreak 6. Sacrifice 7. Behind The Wall 8. Kill Or Die 9. When The Truth Is A Lie (feat. Gary Holt) 10. Superstition Failed (feat. Lena Scissorhands) 11. Gates To The Fall 12. Elements Of Sin 13. Nail The Coffin
Jailbreak will be available in the following formats: 1LP Vinyl PURPLE 1LP Vinyl RED/WHITE MARBLED incl. slipmat (in gatefold) bundled with wristband & printed cotton bag 1MC TRANSPARENT RED, WHITE print CD Digipak + “Jailbreak” Shirt Bundle CD Digipak + “Seed Of Death” Shirt Bundle Digital Album
Experience NERVOSA Live in 2023: 05.10.23 MX – Santiago De Querétaro / Chihuahuas Bar 06.10.23 MX – Mexico City / Hendrix Bar 07.10.23 MX – Torreón / Vertigo 08.10.23 MX – Monterrey / Nandas 78 Bar Barrio Antiguo 11.10.23 MX – Tijuana / Black Box 12.10.23 MX – Guadalajara / Novecientosiete 13.10.23 MX – Chihuahua / Rocktezuma 14.10.23 MX – Juárez / Hysteria bar 15.10.23 MX – Puebla / Beat 803 17.11.23 DE – Weissenhäuser Strand / Metal Hammer Paradise 29.01.23 US – Port of Miami / 70000 TONS OF METAL 2024
NERVOSA is: Prika Amaral – Vocals and guitars Helena Kotina – Guitars Hel Pyre – Bass Michaela Naydenova – Drums
After releasing their second beast of an album, Negative Energy, earlier this year, UK alt-metal outfit VEXED grace their fans with a new highlight, taken from their critically acclaimed offering. Today the band presents a visualizer video for the furious song “Lay down your flowers”. The track features special guest and Alpha Wolf vocalist Lochie Keogh and impresses with extreme vocals and bombarding drums.
As one of the hottest newcomers in alternative metal, VEXED have received great attention with recent Negative Energy and singles like “Anti-Fetish”. Amongst others, the track was aired on BBC’s Radio 1 Rock Show. On top of that, VEXED will bring Negative Energy to six intimate headline shows in the United Kingdom, starting October 10 in Glasgow this fall.
Vexed add:
“This tour is so special to us because it is proof that no matter how dark things may get, there are always better days ahead. We invite you to join us in our healing process, a cathartic and brutal celebration of how hitting rock bottom has saved us.”
Check out the visualizer video for “Lay down your flowers”:
Megan Targett on “Lay down your flowers”:
“‘The boy who cried wolf’ is a story that we are all familiar with. ‘Lay down your flowers’ is based on the vindication of the people who have had to endure living their lives in constant fear and threat of tragedy. Finding the courage to stand up to those who use your emotions and good nature to take advantage, and claiming back your sanity which was so manipulatively taken from you.”
Order the devastatingly heavy Negative Energy HERE
Negative Energy Tracklisting: 1. PTSD 2. Anti-Fetish 3. We don’t talk about it 4. X my <3 (Hope to die) 5. Panic attack 6. Lay down your flowers 7. There’s no place like home 8. Extremist 9. Default 10. Trauma Euphoria 11. It’s not the end 12. DMT 13. Nepotism
Negative Energy is available in the following formats: 1-LP Gatefold Baby Blue – Napalm Records Online Shop + EMP only (ltd. to 300 copies) 1 CD Digisleeve + T-Shirt – Napalm Records Online Shop only 1-LP Gatefold Black 1 CD Digisleeve Digital Album
VEXED UK Headline Tour 2023: 10.10.2023 – Glasgow / Audio (??? ???????) 11.10.2023 – Leeds / The Key Club (??? ???????) 12.10.2023 – Cardiff / Fuel Rock Club (??? ???????) 13.10.2023 – Birmingham / Devils Dog (???? ???) 14.10.2023 – Southampton / Suburbia (??? ???????) 15.10.2023– Cambridge / The Six Six (???? ???)
VEXED is: Megan Targett – Vocals Jay Bacon – Guitar Willem Mason-Geraghty – Drums
In a statement released on the official Burning Witches Facebook page, Courtney Cox, who is a good friend of the band and guitarist of the female tribute band The Iron Maidens, will be stepping in for Larissa Ernst while she is away on maternity leave. Larissa left the following message to her followers:
Dear fans, friends, metalheads, due to my motherhood I will not be regularly playing on stage for some time. I am very thankful, that we found a good solution for the meantime and want to say thank you to my witch-sisters for their flexibility and love, to Courtney for playing the upcoming shows, to our amazing fans, label, supporters and to everybody involved! I am looking forward to seeing you all at future BURNING WITCHES shows, stay metal!!!
In addition to congratulating Larissa, the band also expressed that they are “super thrilled” to be playing with Courtney at their upcoming shows. Courtney seemed to be similarly happy with the appointment, adding:
Where do I even begin.. I have been friends with the mighty WITCHES for a long time now and to be able to lend my guitar to their mighty coven is beyond an honor for me. To Larissa, I hope I make you proud. READY TO FIGHT! Love CC
As well as the upcoming shows, the next single/music video is scheduled for release on March 30th via Napalm Records. Be sure to keep an ear/eye out!
Well 2023 is here! (Is that scary to anyone else? – Ed) And if January is anything to go by then it is already shaping up to be a stellar year for heavy metal releases. Keep reading to see which releases were rotating in our office this month. As will no doubt be a tradition, each of our picks feature at least one Shieldmaiden – that’s the rule! So please don’t send us any mail about why the latest music from your favourite male-dominated band did not make the list. We’re just kidding – we would actually love to hear from you.
1. Beyond the Black ~ (self-titled)
This one is destined for a review on our website (spoiler alert: we like it). The self-titled album from Beyond the Black strikes us as a more confident and mature entry than past releases. The song craftsmanship in particular appears to have levelled up to our ears. But one thing that has not changed – Jennifer Haben is still fantastic!
2. Dark Princess ~ Phoenix
Perhaps the most surprising item on this list – not because of the quality – but simply due to its mere existence. The last time this band released a full-length album was back in 2012 with “The World I’ve Lost”. Fans of the earlier albums should appreciate the return of the original vocalist Olga Trifonova this time around. The band definitely sounds reborn here. A “Phoenix” indeed.
3. Walk in Darkness ~ Leaves Rolling in Time
Our resident author (Darth) really liked this album. We’re going to save some time for ourselves here and simply link you to his review. And no, we don’t think that’s cheating. We are also lucky to have a profile for the Walk in Darkness frontwoman Nicoletta Rosellini on our website – be sure to check it out!
4. Temtris ~ Khaos Divine
You may not be as familiar with this band as the others on the list, but if that’s the case then you certainly owe it to yourself to change that. Hailing from Australia, Temtris are the kind of balls-to-the-wall heavy metal band that only Aussies know how to deliver. Genevieve Rodda has been a maelstrom on vocals throughout her career, and this brand new single from upcoming album “Khaos Divine” is absolutely no exception.
5. Dark Sarah ~ Attack of Orym
Yet another band with the word “dark” in their name this month. It’s not a conspiracy, we promise! Ironically, this album has a lot more light than shade, which allows it to stand out from the rest in this article. Think along the lines of Battle Beast mixed with Amberian Dawn (Heidi Parviainen’s previous band), and you’ll have a fair idea of what to expect from the latest Dark Sarah album. The perfect soundtrack for hosting your next party!
6. Atrocity ~ OKKULT III
Okay, we’ll admit – we might be stretching our own rule a bit with this one. But track 6 on the album features not one but two shieldmaidens in the form of Elina Siirala (Leaves’ Eyes; Angel Nation) and Zoë Marie Federoff (Catalyst Crime; Cradle of Filth) both laying down vocals on “Malicious Sukkubus”. Not to mention the guest appearance of Australian talent Misstiq on keyboards for track “Teufelsmarsch”. Worth checking out for fans of death metal.
Brazilian thrash metal group Nervosa have announced via their Instagram account that vocalist Diva Satanica is no longer with the band. While the band did not identify her replacement, they have apparently been working with a new vocalist for the last two months, and are due to begin recording for a new album this week.
This news follows other recent lineup changes for Nervosa, as it was reported this month that Helena Kotina had joined as an additional guitarist. They also parted ways with their drummer Nanu Villalba in December 2021 (a replacement has yet to be announced).
The full statement from Nervosa:
Since September 2022 Nervosa was informed that Diva would leave the band, and since then she has carried out all activities with great professionalism and respect. The reason for her departure is because she chooses to invest more time in other projects and in her band. Since her decision, we entered into an agreement to comply with the Latin America tour and announce her departure later so that we could plan everything calmly and in time.
We understand and support her decision.
It’s not easy for either party, but life is made of choices and decisions. So don’t judge too harshly, because it’s a very painful moment for both parties.
All our respect to Diva, thank you for all her dedication and contribution. We wish you good luck on your new journey.
Nervosa has been working with a vocalist for the last 2 months, and is also working with a new drummer.
The recordings for the new album start this week, so stay tuned on our social networks because we’re going to post some spoilers.
Thanks to all the fans for their love and support.
Worth – Self-Titled (12.5.2023)
Raining Nails – Human Deeds (27.10.2023)
Accidental President – Was It Meant To Be This Way? (06.10.2023)
Disillusive Play – Songs for the Non-Existent (05.26.2023)
