TESTAMENT’S ERIC PETERSON JOINS FORCES WITH CELTIC GODDESS LEAH

Testament/Dragonlord's Eric Peterson has just entered a new realm, combining brutal death vocals and dramatic singing with Celtic-metal vocalist/composer LEAH on her new track “Dreamland”. The track is cut from LEAH’s new EP “Otherworld”!

“It was a real treat to have Eric's unique vocals on this track,” states LEAH. “My original demo went from having a mellow, Clannad-type feel to now almost dancing on the line of black-metal. I hope this is the first of many collaborations to come!”

“I’ve known LEAH for about 12 years, we’ve been friends since 2001. I jammed with her about eight years ago in Vancouver, and at the time it didn’t work out because I was busy with Testament and Dragonlord, but we stayed in contact,” adds Eric Peterson.

“This time around, LEAH contacted me to play on her new record and I thought she wanted me to play guitar. But when she told me she wanted me to sing, I was honoured because LEAH is the kind of person that will sing right in the middle of a store and sound amazing, she’s that kind of vocalist. She sent me the song and right away I knew exactly what I needed to do. She took my pattern, wrote some lyrics for me, we went into the studio and it was done! It was the easiest thing I’ve ever done. It’s really great to finally be able to work together with LEAH and put out this great track. I can hear this song in a movie! A couple of people I've let hear thought it was the soundtrack to the new Snow White movie! Ha!”

Eric Peterson is currently recording the new Dragonlord record and can reveal that LEAH will be joining him on a track similar to “Dreamland”, and will also be lending her angelic voice for the choir vocals on the record.

 
Links: Testament Facebook // Official Website // iTunes
LEAH Facebook // Official Website // YouTube

NIGHTWISH ANNOUNCE NEW SINGER / NEW INSTRUMENTALIST / LIVE DVD

Here's one for the symphonic metalheads out there. Finland's legendary metal act Nightwish have had trouble holding down a singer over the past several years. First, the operatically trained fan favorite Tarja Turunen was booted from the band in 2005. Then loss struck again as Anette Olzon parted ways with Nightwish mid tour last year.

Now the band is back with not one, but two new members. First off, they've brought on Floor Jansen (ReVamp) as the official lead singer of Nightwish. She has proven herself through playing several shows with the band including a top notch performance at Wacken. Next up is the man Troy Donockley. If you've caught any Nightwish performances in the past year or so, chances are you saw a a guy playing the uilleann pipes quite proficiently. This is that guy. It should be interesting to see how both members affect the Nightwish sound moving into the future.

On top of this, the band will be releasing a live DVD / Blu Ray (including all the new members) from their performance at this year's Wacken Festival. It's been titled "Showtime, Storytime" and will be available November 29th through Nuclear Blast.

You can read statements from the band, Floor, and Troy down below. We've also included the trailer for "Showtime, Storytime" along with songs from the band's past two singers for your listening pleasure.
__________________________________________________________________________________

"Ms. Floor Jansen is a keeper. Also, we will be a six-piece band from now on, as Mr. Troy Donockley (uilleann pipes, low whistles, vocals) will become a full-time member of NIGHTWISH.

Originally we were going to wait until 2014 to make a decision about the future line-up of the band, but the past year has clearly shown us that Floor and Troy are perfect matching pieces to our puzzle, and we are really grateful of the bond that has grown between all of us. We love you guys."

-Tuomas, Marco, Jukka, Emppu

"Words cannot describe what I feel! This union is beyond everything and I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to continue this amazing journey with my new brothers! Once I had a dream…and this is it!!!"

- Floor Jansen

"Imaginaerum World Tour´was a revelation to me and in that time, I became aware of a growing unity and then, finally, a transcendence of all the usual nonsense that affects bands. A beautiful process. And since the idea, the musical dream that is Nightwish has been a part of me since before I was born, I am delighted to officially sail into uncharted waters with my brothers and sister. Wondrous scenes Ahoy!"

- Troy Donockley
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Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes

WOMEN WHO MOSH WEDNESDAY - CRISTINA SCABBIA OF LACUNA COIL

This will be the last Women Who Mosh segment I post for a little while. I took over segment for one of our old writers and frankly don't have the inclination to keep it up right now. It has been fun though and may make a come back through either myself or a future writer who actually has a feminine side.

Onto business...

Active since '94, Lacuna Coil is a Symphonic Metal band hailing from the hollowed land of Italy. They also bring some Gothic and Hard Rock elements into the fold. Over time they've released a series of successful albums, building up one helluva fan base and traveling all over the world in the process. Records such as "Karmacode" and "Comalies" come to mind with a special brand of darkened heaviness with a lady's touch.

They were actually at one of the first metal shows I've ever attended alongside Killswitch Engage, Chimaira, Disturbed, and a long list of other bands. I just remember the colors of the Italian flag cascading through lights across the crowd and this beautiful woman leading the charge with a wonderful, full-bodied voice.

Cristina Scabbia is one of those performers who is as talented as she is beautiful. A deadly combination to be sure. A certain musical intelligence is also quite clear while listening as she implements a number of techniques to match the darkened melodies of Lacuna Coil.

If you have a flair for all things symphonic and haven't had a chance to enjoy this band before, I suggest you tune your ears down below.

Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes

NEW MUSIC TUESDAY - AUGUST 20

One more week of 2013 down, here’s 3 more releases to get you through the next one.

Symphonic death metal pummelers Fleshgod Apocalypse are back with their third full length today. The album, titled “Labyrinth,” is the second with the current band line up and the second album featuring the band’s signature symphonic style. After two or maybe three spins of “Labyrinth” I have to see that I’m definitely underwhelmed. I find the absence of stand-alone and grandiose string intros, outros and bridges, and the absence of amazing melodically beautiful soloing and shred to really take away from the album. But that’s my opinion, and only the first impression. Go stream it yourself and decide, I’ll definitely give “Labyrinth” more of a shot.

Links: Facebook // Merch // Album Stream

Swedish Black Metal band Watain are returning with their 5th album today. These guys take their music, and Black Metal lifestyle very seriously, which to me isn’t a bad thing at all. It’s nice to still see some musicians still deadly serious about the music they make and the message they spread, rather than every band member also acting like a clown when the spotlight is on them. I definitely do appreciate an intelligent, thoughtful and provocative metalhead to a clown. Go read this metalsucks interview with vocalist and mastermind Erik Danielsson here.  Anyways, Watain have a new album, titled “The Wild Hunt,” and it’s out today. Everything sounds promising so far. Check it out.

Links: Facebook // Official Website // Merch

New wave thrashers Diamond Plate are back, after some time and a vocalist/bassist change, with their sophomore effort today. The album will be titled “Pulse” and will be released via Century Media Records. The band claims it was recorded without a click track and done timely, claiming one song took only 3 takes to completely nail. If this is true, that’s impressive and speaks to the competency of the musicians, not only as individuals, but as a group. “Pulse” seems to continue with the bands shift to include Pantera-esque thrash stylings. Some might like that, I don’t. Whatever. I’m still gonna give it a shot, and you should too.

Links: Facebook // Merch // iTunes

-Trisolino

FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE STREAMING NEW ALBUM “LABYRINTH”

NEW FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE IS STREAMING RIGHT NOW ON TERRORIZER! GOOOO!!

The Italian Symphonic Death masters are back with their third full length and the follow up to breakthrough release “Agony.” New album “Labyrinth” continues to utilize the immense orchestrations and dense mix found on “Agony” with an improved mixing and mastering this time around. The guitars are more present on “Labyrinth,” which is a major improvement.

But honestly, overall, I’m a little ways in and I’m not sure what I think. Aesthetically this beats “Agony” but otherwise I’m not sure. Sure the mix and tones are great but what really counts is the songwriting. The band is still pummelling as a pack of angry, demonic mastodon but I have a couple preliminary criticisms. There hasn’t been any epic orchestration intros like the album intro or the intro to “The Violation” off of “Agony,” the bassist's clean vocals have been mostly removed in favor of a true female opera singer and I definitely miss his unique style, and it seems to me like there is less soloing so far. Well I’ll spin it a bit and we’ll see what I think. You should go figure out for yourself though.

-Trisolino

Links: Facebook // Pre-order // Album Stream

FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE "LABYRINTH" ALBUM PREVIEW

The time is almost upon us... Fleshgod Apocalypse will be returning full force next month with the release of their newest album "Labyrinth". Your mind will get lost in the complex maze of pummeling, symphonic Death Metal.

So far they've released a single "Elegy" and an album preview. Witness the awesome down below!

The album is set to release August 16th in Europe, August 19th in the UK, and August 20th in the United States. All of which will be released via the European juggernaut Nuclear Blast Records. Keep your eyes and ears open. Pre-orders are available on Amazon!

Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes

MAYBE THAT'S WHY HUMANS DRINK THE DARKNESS THAT IS COFFEE

Warning: potentially dangerous or even painful Swedish music! Listeners / readers discretion is advised.

Here we go with another incredibly heavy Swedish band with a very long and unusual name. MTWHDTDTISC, who's full name is actually "Maybe That's Why Humans Drink The Darkness That Is Coffee" (wooh...took a few minutes to write this), is a four-piece band hailing from Stockholm who is delivering a huge amount of THALL.

Their music sounds like an experimental mix of Vildhjarta's ambidjent and Sikth's insane mathcore with some small but smart electronic hints. The whole thing is combined with death, black, and symphonic metal influences. Huge stuff, believe me.

Their first release "Window To The World" came out in August 2012, featuring 7 tracks, but we can consider it a full-length album since the songs are all pretty long. For example, "The Sanest Sentence" lasts 12 minutes... almost as long as their band name. Some of the instrumental segments are incredibly insane, creating brilliant sounds that will drag you through the depths of dark and creepy atmospheres.

You can stream "Window To The World" below and grab it on the MTWHDTDTISC Bandcamp. Also brace yourselves for their new EP entitled "Dum" which drops on June 7th! Such a short album name to balance such a long band name hehe... Seriously though, give their stuff a listen or twelve and check out the trailer for their new album! THALL.

- MATTIA

Links: Facebook // Youtube // Bandcamp

FREE MUSIC MONDAY - BEND THE SKY

Bend The Sky is an amazing Symphonic/Progressive metal quartet hailing from Perth, Australia. Their debut album "Origins" is a dreamy instrumental journey that will bring you to the extreme borders of imagination. Their music is mainly based around ambiance and atmosphere perfectly created with synths and beautiful orchestral insets.

The band doesn't stray from heavy, complex guitar sections, but the elements that make "Origins" an exquisite musical experience are the intense and deep sensations they're able to evoke through their musical composition. This is an epic and magical aural adventure that will make your body and mind levitate through space to touch on distant planets through amazing soundscapes. Your mind needs to go through this album and witness the beautiful passages of songs like "Tempest", "Glaciers", "Concinnity", and "A Mindful Wave". So go give it a listen below and don't forget that it's all available for free download on Bandcamp!!

The big news is that they recently uploaded a trailer for their new EP "Observatory", coming out on March 31, 2013. Check it out below the stream. It is looking pretty damn amazing. And to make it even better, the EP will be available for a free download on their Bandcamp as well. Get ready!

- MATTIA

Links: Facebook // Youtube // Bandcamp

WILDERUN "OLDEN TALES & DEATHLY TRAILS" ALBUM REVIEW

Emerging from the Northern reaches of the United States comes an exceptional Symphonic Folk Metal four-piece. Boston's very own Wilderun have been together since 2008, but all things considered they're a brand new band face in the metal scene. The band dropped their debut album "Olden Tales & Deathly Trails" in September of last year (Released independently. Respect.), but they have already achieved a very mature sound through time, purpose and direction.

Their music is conceived with a very professional attitude, bringing large scale production and excellent, skillful delivery on all fronts. Every member executes multiple positions within the bands sound. This includes the use of guitars, bass, drums (all obvious), along with use of the Mandolin, Hammered Dulcimer, Autoharp, etc (all not so obvious). They have a great sense of what they're doing and aren't afraid to experiment with their sound. When you add up all these factors, it makes for a packed, solid listening experience from beginning to end.

"The Cracking Glow" eases into the album with the gentle touch of a sunrise. The bands symphonic approach is apparent right from the start as various instruments make contributions before the guitars / drums really hit. They bring you into a musical land of fantasy, vikings, and adventure. This is a very good indication of what to expect from a good bit of the album. But the band is capable of covering various musical themes. This is apparent early on as the opening of "Suncatcher" takes a side step which powers into one of the strongest tracks off the record. It stands tall amongst other songs such as "Storm Along", "Vaunting Veins", and the 12-minute closer, "The Dying Californian". But it must be said that every track off of "Olden Tales & Deathly Trails" is well worth your while in one way or another.

I have no criticisms in particular about "Olden Tales & Deathly Trails". Objectively, some of you may find it to be the same old folk metal, despite it's twists. But in reality, it is very well delivered and intelligently written music spanning various themes. In many ways, this band really stands apart from the pack as a beast of their own.

To sum up the review, Wilderun did a great job constructing "Olden Tales & Deathly Trails". The album provides a memorable, adventurous listening experience suitable for any viking quest. Listen enough and you might even grow a fork-beard \m/ You can sample two tracks from the record above. And if you enjoy what you're hearing, be sure to stream the rest on the official Wilderun Bandcamp and buy the album if you love it!

Links: Facebook // Twitter // Bandcamp

WOMEN WHO MOSH WEDNESDAY - MIONA GRAORAC OF HEAVEN RAIN

While looking around the vast internet for some more females that mosh harder than some males, I came across a symphonic metal band called Heaven Rain. The band incorporates some power metal into their sound. What's interesting though is the band hails from Banja Luka in Bosnia, a country I never associated with metal music. 

Vocalist Miona Graorac joined the band in 2008, two years after the band's creation. She shatters any genre stereotypes with a voice that is soothing and meshes well with her band's instrumentals. However, Graorac knows when to turn her vocals into a gritty tone that any metal band is knowledgeable with. On "Second Sun" off of their 2012 LP of the same name, the vocalist uses her abilities to make the track memorable and reminiscent of acts such as Nightwish and Within Temptation - also female fronted. 

Some of their songs such as "Vejte Snegovi" have no English whatsoever in the lyrics but the lyrics do not detract from their musical ability. While I would love to know what they're saying, Graorac makes the lyrics sound passionate and delivers the melodic progressive rock style that they excel at. 

Unfortunately, the band's Facebook is pretty quiet with only a little over 1,000 likes and sparse updates from the band. Maybe one day the world will realize the potential of this Bosnian metal act and give them some success. 

Heaven Rain is not currently touring and is still focused on their LP "Second Sun". Hopefully, another LP or EP is in the works for this band.

- Fe

Links: Facebook // Official Website

DIABLO SWING ORCHESTRA IS A MUST LISTEN!

Diablo Swing Orchestra is a phenomenal experimental-metal band. Numbering at 8 members to bring a large and unique variety of instruments (two guitars, bass, drums, synths, a cello, a trombone, and a trumpet!), they put together avant-grade metal through a number of different musical influences ranging from swing, blues, and jazz to various musical traditions from all over the world. They also include electronic, classical, and symphonic metal stylings. And to put the final touch in this weird musical cocktail, they're fronted by a female soprano singer!

They formed back in 2003 and gained popularity thanks to their amazing live performances. They especially spread through several European festivals such as Belgium's Metal Female Voices Fest, Germany's Summer Breeze Open Air Festival, and Czech Republic's Brutal Assault Festival. They even ended up playing Wacken Open Air Festival in summer 2012. All of that being said, they're even more popular in Latin America.

After two albums ("The Butcher's Ballrom" released in 2006, and "Sing Along Songs for the Damned & Delirious" released in 2009), their latest release "Pandora's Pinata" (what a perfect title) came out in May of 2012. It's the definitive crowning achievement of this artistic project. Every single song features an influence from a different music tradition, bringing a unique flavor and perspective to their music. This is a vivid, intense, and sparkling musical experience you just can't miss.

And if you're wondering where is this surprising creativity coming from...well, that's pretty obvious: Sweden! Oh my sweet Sweden, what is the magical source of all your prodigious musical creations?

If you enjoyed what's been done by bands like Twelve Foot Ninja, Thank You Scientist, Ne Obliviscaris or Novallo - you are going to love Diablo Swing Orchestra and their insane music! Last month, a music video for the song "Black Box Messiah" appeared on their YouTube channel. A lyric video for "Vodoo Mon Amour" was also posted last year. Check 'em out below along with some more amazing songs and keep an eye on this amazing orchestra!

Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes