The Safety Fire are a force to be reckoned with. Their brand of
Progressive Metal is both incredibly unique and consistent in itself (I
mean that in the best way possible). The level of talent and forward
thinking here is damn hard to match.
This year they released their sophomore album "Mouth of Swords" (read our review here). In support of this they've released a slew of music videos. Most recently they dropped a live video for the title track "Mouth of Swords". A hodge podge of footage from their 2013 US Fall Tour was assembled to make this happen.
If you haven't listened to The Safety Fire yet,
indulge your ears with the music below.
There's awesome free music aplenty today! Century Media and InsideOut Music just released the "Carnival of Sounds III" sampler. This includes free songs from Queensrÿche, TesseracT, Devin Townsend, The Safety Fire, Intronaut, Dark Tranquillity, Turisas, James LaBrie (Dream Theater), and many more! Click here and take advantage of the offer while you can.
I'll be out of town for the next four days but I didn't want to leave The Circle Pit hanging. So here's something I set up last week to kill all the memory left on your iPod.
THIS IS THE FREE MUSIC MARATHON!
We've helped promote a lot of free music over time. This is the cream of the crop. And it ranges from big bands to the deep underground. Click a link, any link. You may just find a new favorite. No matter what, you'll find free music and tunes available for the price of your choosing. All of these artists deserve support, so don't be afraid to throw some dollars if something really makes you happy.
This is the first lap of four. 25 links a day. Let's go!
We'll officially be back in full operation on Wednesday.
For once... Europe gets one of the best tours! Protest The Hero will be hitting the continent in January with the best support possible - Two European heavyweights, Tesseract and The Safety Fire along with Canada's very own Intervals hitting Europe for the first time! This is probably going to be the best tour of 2014 and it's taking place in January! You better not miss this unbelievable combo and I personally guarantee you're not dreaming... this is really happening!
We're stoked to have some of the UK's finest as our Artist of the Week. The Safety Fire are a force to be reckoned with. Their brand of Progressive Metal is both incredibly unique and consistent in itself (I mean that in the best way possible). The level of talent and forward thinking here is damn hard to match. If you haven't listened yet, indulge your ears with the music at the bottom and you'll hear what I mean.
We had to celebrate this occasion with regard to our followers so we've included a special opportunity. Look below and you'll see the contest / instructions with your chance to win one of three CDs we're giving away with the band. The album is The Safety Fire's latest progsterpiece "Mouth of Swords". Get with it or get lost.
We also had the opportunity to interview one of the band's brilliant guitarists, Derya Nagle. Read up and learn as we get in-depth. Good info for longtime fans and newcomers alike.
*We will contact the winners
*By
participating, you acknowledge that you completely release Facebook of
all responsibility. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed,
administered by, or associated with Facebook.
MT - You doing alright? Heard you had an accident.
DN - I was indeed in an accident, but fortunately, all is well. After a few operations my face and somewhat returned to normal.
MT - Good to hear man. FUCK THE SAFETY FIRE. How did that get started up?
DN - We were playing Download festival last year, and I said if we saw Chris Jericho to ask him to say it. So that was a running theme for that weekend, and we put out this video. Some people seemed to catch on to it, and it has become a standard thing for our fans.
MT - You just dropped a new album "Mouth Of Swords" merely a year after your debut "Grind The Ocean". What was is like transitioning between those records?
DN - We had written and recorded Grind The Ocean about 6 months before we released it, so by the time we got round to writing Mouth of Swords we were all extremely excited to get back into a creative mindset. I think after touring for a year, we had learned more about ourselves as musicians, and I had personally definitely developed as a songwriter and a producer, so all in all I think that turned into a more focused output.
MT - How did the album get it's name?
DN - It was a working title I had for the opening track, and we just felt it encapsulated the vibe of the album. I suppose the name has some representation of love and death and those themes run through the album.
MT - Any favorite songs from the new album?
DN - Really tough question, I'm extremely proud of every track on the album. I would probably say Old Souls, or Beware the Leopard (Jagwar). Getting Tommy to guest on the album was a huge deal for us, and it is still somewhat of a surprise to hear him on the album.
MT - How has the response been?
DN - The response has been amazing so far. I think the real test for us is going out and playing live and seeing the reaction from the crowd directly. Reviews from blogs, magazines and fans have all been really positive.
MT - How can I grow a mustache?
DN - Many months of patience, and self belief. There will be hard times, but the eventual glory will be worth it.
MT - How did The Safety Fire get started up?
DN - We started as a bunch of friends in school...and that was 10 years ago. Somewhere along the lines we decided we were going to be serious about the whole thing, and started to think about what we were doing musically and everything else that goes with that. It's been a long road, but we have had a lot of fun.
MT - How did the band get it's name?
DN - After 6 months of discussing band names, and many long nights at the pub, we eventually came to the name...not exactly sure why, but it was the first name we all agreed upon, so we stuck with it.
MT - How does the band typically go about writing music?
DN - I'm the main songwriter, and I usually start writing by just playing guitar until I start to form some kind of motif. I'll record my ideas then start working on structures and arrangement with harmonies, rhythmic ideas and what not. Eventually I'll have a pretty fully developed demo idea which I'll bring to the band and we'll fine tune things a little before myself and Sean get together to write and record the vocals together.
MT - What would you say are the band's main musical influences?
DN - I think the main influences for us are bands like Deftones, Tool, Kaki King, Soundgarden, Prince, Peter Gabriel, Alice in Chains, Bjork, Between the Buried And Me, Karnivool..the list goes on and on. There are influences from hip hop, fusion, electronic music. It's really hard to write a list which covers everything.
MT - I heard you're going for a cruise soon. How stoked are you for that?
DN - Supremely hyped for that show! I actually met Mike Portnoy the other day and told him when I got the email from him offering the show I said I thought I had accidentally signed up to the Mike Portnoy forums. Suffice to say, it was rather surreal.
MT - That's awesome. What's the craziest thing that's happened to you on tour?
DN - Calvin once ate five sandwiches. That is about as crazy as I can talk about.
MT - Understandable. If you could tour with any bands in the world. What would the line-up be?
DN - Deftones, Mastodon, Karnivool, Us.
MT - What are your plans for the rest of 2013 / early 2014?
DN - We tour the US with BTBAM, The Faceless and The Contortionist in September and October. We will be back in the US for the cruise and will be touring as much as is humanly possible.
MT - What is your favorite alcoholic beverage?
DN - Bourbon and ginger ale.
MT - Do you have any show rituals?
DN - Stretch out. Drink plenty of water. Practice some high kicks and eat a banana.
MT - Here's the fun round... What does Yellowism mean to you?
DN - X-ism Street Fighter Alpha III. Good times.
MT - Anything you want to say to the fans out there?
DN - Thank you. Come say hi, give us a high five. Good time.
For hitherto unknown reasons I was never a fan of The Safety Fire till now. Whether it was Sean McWeeny’s vocals or the overall complexity of the music I was listening to, I did not give the album enough spins and went on to hold a prejudice against the hype the community created behind this record. Gradually, when a few days back the “Mouth of Swords” album was streaming in its entirety, I took my scepticism off the table and decided to give it a listen: Man, did I eat my words that night!
It takes but a moment to acknowledge that pressing play on “Mouth of Swords” is equivalent to landing smack in the middle of a chemical experiment horribly and beautifully gone wrong. Promptly shifting dynamics to and fro, the title track starts the business in regular fashion till the crazy rhythm section takes reins. If anything, Sean McWeeny’s vocals seemed to sync with the music perfectly for me and was enough assurance of an album I was bound to enjoy more and more with each progressive listen. The band does not come out guns blazing at first but there is plenty surprises up their sleeves, like that lead section that rounds off the first track. “Glass Crush” boasts of one of the most fascinating arrangements of all the tracks on the album. The icing on the cake would be Lori Peri’s precise and crisp bass lines, especially the ambient, mellow outro to the track where Peri further shines, with his intuitive playing as the only thing capturing your imagination. Featuring “gang chants” in a Progressive Metal album would sound like an attention grabbing gimmick from most of the other bands out there, but given the tongue-in-cheek nature with which they conduct themselves, The Safety Fire pulls this one off smoothly enough. “Yellowism” features the perfect combination of fast, hard-hitting grooves and laid-back melodic rhythms. The curve on which the band has matured since their debut album is quite gargantuan (if that’s even possible). There is perfect flow between the compositions, which in itself is air-tight enough to cut off any creeping chance of monotony. “Beware the Leopard (Jagwar)” is another juggernaut to watch-out for with its Jekyll and Hyde nature. Featuring Between the Buried and Me’s Tommy Rogers on guest vocals. This time the band waits a good two minutes before hitting you in the face with Rogers’ low throaty gutturals. McWeeny maintains a steady, measured vocal delivery, alternating between high pitched cleans and the occasional shriek.
“Wise Hands” again focuses much more on the softer side of the bands musical endeavours. While I’m much in love with the lyrics and the melodic rhythm segment, I also tip my hat to applaud the amount of restrain the exercised over their aggressive side to carve out a delicate track like this. At this point, attempting a track by track analysis seems a bit futile because the band clearly has more whence the madness originated from, but it seems a bit wrong to proceed without highlighting the dexterity Calvin Smith flaunts behind the kit, best portrayed on the tracks “The Ghosts that Wait for Spring” and “Old Souls”. Complementing the chunky riffing on “The Ghosts…” Smith does a U-Turn identical to the rest of the band-members with the transition from “Wise Hands” to “The Ghosts…” with much élan. Given how most are uncomfortable with the flatness off the snare on the album, I daresay I am satisfied with how it fits the album perfectly like a glove. Smith’s work is half the charm behind the chorus in “Old Souls”. Pulling the curtain down on the nearly flawless album, Dez Nagle binges on some delicious lead-work, including a solo to stop things from sounding too easy.
“Mouth of Swords” takes its own sweet time to build up the feel, to let you grasp the vast array of musical creativity the band packed the record with. The thing with an album like “Mouth of Swords” is it does not go straight for the jugular; every riff, every line, every drum fill percolate in your subconscious till they host a sick orgy in there and burst into your head and occupies it for hours to come, quite the same way as Between the Buried and Me. And speak of the devil, BTBAM’s frontman Tommy Rogers does a guest stint on the track “Beware the Leopard (Jagwar)”, doesn’t he? Word from the now-wiser, if you truly want to critique this album, reserve your judgement and sit with it for a good 5 times straight before you comment.
Definitely featuring in my Top 5 Albums in 2013, “Mouth of Swords” provides just the right kind of fillip that a nascent band releasing its sophomore record needs, although it goes without saying that The Safety Fire knows their business well and their instruments better. Fans of maniacal Math influenced Proggy Metal would be right at home with “Mouth of Swords”.
Another week, three more solid releases to move you out of summer and into fall.
If you have somehow missed all of the news surrounding this release, or even everything about the band Gorguts like ever, then you have quite some catching up to do. Canadian tech-metal band Gorguts is set to release their first album in 12 years. Which means their previous release was released when Nu-metal has was the king of the airwaves. Needless to say, a lot has changed, and technical, progressive, brutal, and atmospheric death metal have all taken off since then. The big question that has loomed over the release of “Colored Sands” is simple: can it stand up to the modern metal scene after 12 years? This question has even simpler answer. Yes, yes, yes and yes.
The Safety Fire has released one of the absolute best prog metal albums of the year with “Mouth of Swords.” I can’t say enough about this album, so I won’t even try. This one is a doozy, and it’s streaming, go listen now. Also, this is an example of the perfect production, mixing, and mastering of a modern metal album. Take notes.
Canadian speed/thrash metal legends Annihilator are back with their newest album “Feast” today. So far so good in the Annihilator camp, “Feast” so far seems to be the band’s most successful album since 2001. Cheers to success. Check this one out.
Ahoy there! Are you a prog head? Yes? Well imagine your festival of dreams... on a boat... at sea. Ohhh yeeeah! Progressive Nation At Sea will be hitting the open water in February of next year! Coined as the "Prog Event of the Millennium", this is one you don't want to miss. Unless if you're poor like me... but even then, you don't want to miss it!
Captain Transatlantic will take charge with First Mate PSMS (Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan, Tony Macalpine, and Derek Shernian) and Second Mate Jon Anderson (ex-Yes). They have the finest crew possible with names such as Devin Townsend, Adrian Belew's Power Trio, Periphery, Animals As Leaders, King's X, Spock's Beard, The Safety Fire, etc.
If this is sounding like a worthy aquatic venture to you, extract further info and ye seafaring grab tickets from the Official Website!
Ohhhh yeeeeah. These riff masters are officially making a return! The
Safety Fire aggressively expanded and crushed minds with the release of
last year's "Grind The Ocean". And apparently they haven't wasted much
time since...
This super talented UK juggernaut will be dropping their second
full-length album "Mouth of Swords" on September 2nd (September 1st in Europe). Not a bad wait at
all... especially considering you don't even have to wait.
The Safety Fire just released their entire album for online streaming! Give it a good several listens down below. Your ears won't regret it.
The Safety Fire just dropped a brand new music video / single in support of their upcoming sophomore album "Mouth Of Swords". Check our album preview here and prepare your ear holes for September 2nd!
The song is great. Definitely not what I was expecting after the consistent, yet incredible single "Red Hatchet". It provides an off-kiltered approach as opposed to the "Grind The Ocean"-esque sound. This band keeps on proving to be the real deal.
The video itself is hilarious. The Safety Fire is an upcoming band with a big league personality. It's recommended you watch down yonder.
The Safety Fire just released a new song from their upcoming album “Mouth Of Swords,” which is to be released around September. “Red Hatchet” nails that unique sound we loved from their “Grind The Ocean” album, while showcasing their evolution as a band. With their intelligent and elite sound The Safety Fire will undoubtedly deliver one the year’s most classy albums. But in the mean time you can download the single FOR FREE! Click right here to enjoy “Red Hatchet". It's also recommended that you re-visit and appreciate 2012’s “Grind The Ocean".
While you're at it, take a look inside The Safety Fire’s studio and see out how The Safety Fire records their amazing vocals! Apparently they are using some of Pink Floyd’s microphones… very, very interesting.
Check this out! Here's some big news for the American fans of proggy face-melting metal. Between The Buried And Me will be on the road across the nation between September and October with very special support from... take a deep breath... The Faceless, The Contortionist and The Safety Fire! Hell yes!
On top of that, Between the Buried And Me will be performing their album “Future Sequence” in it's entirety. Don't miss this incredible opportunity if they're coming near to you. Tickets are now available exclusively at Showstubs.com. Get them while you can!
Ohhhh yeeeeah. These riff masters are officially making a return! The Safety Fire aggressively expanded and crushed minds with the release of last year's "Grind The Ocean". And apparently they haven't wasted much time since...
This super talented UK juggernaut will be dropping their second full-length album "Mouth of Swords" on September 2nd. Not a bad wait at all. More recently, they dropped the single "Red Hatchet" into the ears of listeners world wide. If this song is any indication of what's to come... holy shit. Need I say more?
Other tidbits of goodness have also been released in anticipation of this monster. The official album artwork and tracklisting have been released. Check all of the above, down below.
I mustache you a question, but I'm shaving it for later.
1. Mouth Of Swords
2. Glass Crush
3. Yellowism
4. Beware The Leopard (Jagwar) feat. Tommy Rogers
5. Red Hatchet
6. Wise Hands
7. The Ghosts That Wait For Spring
8. I Am Time, The Destroyer
9. Old Souls
__________________________________________________________________________________
"We are extremely excited to be heading back into the studio to record the follow-up to our debut album, 'Grind The Ocean.' We have done some amazing tours in the last year and have really grown as a band. We are just really hyped about the new material. It has been great to get into this creative headspace. I'll try to avoid all the usual band clichés of saying how this album will be 'heavier and more melodic than the first,' but what I will say is this will be the best album of all time. Ever." - Dez (Speaking with Blabbermouth.net)\
If you haven't heard of this band, we're here to help you. Hailing from London, The Safety Fire have been releasing quality, mind bending music ever since their 2009 EP "Sections" which was followed by last year's colossal record "Grind The Ocean". And as you just read from the guitarists quote above, they are recording their sophomore full-length! This is most definitely an album to look forward to. The Safety Fire have always been full of surprises with their unnatural ability to create fresh, original music and this album should be no exception.
Every member of this band is a musical weapon wielding next level musicianship. The guitar corps is composed of two absolute riff masters, Dez and Joaquin, capable of taking twists and turns that your ears and brain will never expect. The bassist Lori grooves like a boss as the drummer Calvin Smith consistently brings a next level performance. He's a tank behind the kit. Sean sings and matches intensity with a hardcore yell at the forefront.
You can catch all of the above in the first and second videos below detailing the drum, guitar, and bass tracking process. Also included some awesome music videos from "Grind The Ocean". I HIGHLY recommend you give The Safety Fire a good listen. This band is too great to miss.
It's finally here. These are our top 10 albums of 2012. It's been one helluva year for the heavy music community and now it's time to celebrate the cream of the crop. Here are the top 10 albums of
2012, no shits given about whiny elitist opinions. Also check out our
top 10 of 2009, 2010, and 2011.
1 PERIPHERY - PERIPHERY II: THIS TIME IT'S PERSONAL
This wasn't just an album, it was an event. The anticipation was so high for this record you could have cut it with a chainsaw. And when it hit, it hit hard. There's division amongst the metal community, but it's hard to deny the musical excellence without being an elitist (refer to the intro of the segment). "Periphery II: This Time It's Personal" was damn near perfect. Every virtuosic member of this band progressed significantly, making serious contributions to form a masterpiece. Intelligently crafted and executed, every track offers something unique and awe-inspiring. "Periphery II" deserves album of the year. Easy.
From the very first time Sumerian Records announced The HAARP Machine, it was evident they would become a metal juggernaut. But at the time, there was no way of telling just how amazing they would be. "Disclosure" is everything you could hope for and some. Providing a cutting edge Progressive sound and a serious, shred heavy Technical approach along with Mike Semesky's amazing vocal work, Abdullah Al Mu'min and crew created one of the best albums to come out in 2012. This is a masterpiece through and through. This is evinced by tracks like "Pleiadian Keys", "The Escapist Notion", "Disclosure", and "Esoteric Agenda".
3 SKYHARBOR - BLINDING WHITE NOISE: ILLUSION & CHAOS
Coming out of India, Skyharbor made a huge debut. Featuring the flawless voice of Daniel Tompkins (ex-Tesseract) and boasting massive guest spots from Marty Friedmen (ex-Megadeth) among others, they formed a masterpiece. Actually it wouldn't be a stretch to call Skyharbor's debut, "Blinding White Noise", music of the gods with it's ethereal beauty and unique approach of songwriting. Split into two parts, "Illusion" for beauty and "Chaos" for heaviness, this album is so unlike what you've heard before. It's encouraged you give it a listen or seven. You'll thank us after hearing songs like "Dots", "Maeva", "Aurora" and "Celestial".
There's so much to say about this album. The Safety Fire made one of the strongest debuts all year with their full-length, "Grind The Ocean". Years in the making, they have managed to create a stand out masterpiece. Bringing next level creativity and writing some of the best riffs known to man, this UK musical unit is easily one of the most promising bands out there. "Grind The Ocean" covered so much ground both musically and thematically, making for an abundance of classics on this record. "Huge Hammers", "Circassian Beauties", "Floods of Colour", and the rehashed versions of "Sections" and "DMP (FDP)" are just a few greats among many.
Aliens, man.... aliens. Rings of Saturn write some of the sharpest, most technically proficient Death Metal that will ever bless your ears (...or shred them). "Dingir" is absolute brutal chaos from start to finish. This band shreds like no other \m/ Plain and simple. Actually they do it so well we're convinced they aren't human beings. Thus aliencore. Songs like "Objective To Harvest", "Faces Imploding", "Peeling Arteries", and "Hyperforms" should be locked up in Area 51. You can actually stream the ENTIRE album below and see why. This is definitely recommended if you have forty minutes to kill (bad Death Metal pun intended).
6 BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME - THE PARALLAX II: FUTURE SEQUENCE
Between The Buried And Me always seem to expand and improve with every release. Which is saying a lot considering they're practically gods of Progressive Metal already. This is true as ever with their epic full-length "The Parallax II: Future Sequence". The band's sixth studio album is also the second part of the band's interstellar space saga. And it's safe to say it expands upon the concept of the original EP brilliantly. The release is teeming with master level classics. "Astral Body", "Telos", "Goodbye To Everything", and "Extremophile Elite" are just a few examples of the absolute greatness on "The Parallax II". Welcome to hyperspace.
The Contortionist are certainly standing out as one of the premiere bands of the metal underground. They have expanded and grown much since their debut, moving away from their Deathcore roots in favor of a Progressive approach and pure creativity. Not to say there isn't extreme heaviness to be found on "Intrinsic", just twice as much genius. This album is mind-blowing on so many levels (more puns). "Intrinsic" is a high-octane adventure through the inner workings of the human consciousness, providing captivating soundscapes for brains to explore. "A secret dimension of noise" - That lyric pretty much sums it up.
The masters of Math Metal never seem to disappoint. We're actually fairly convinced Meshuggah are robots, void of humanity, designed by the Swedish government to decimate the eardrums of metal listeners worldwide. Listening to Meshuggah is like receiving a heavy brain massage. Listening to "Koloss" is like having your brain massaged by a robotic titan. Expect massive grooves, mechanical technicality, and unparalleled polyrhythms. This is a prime example of Meshuggah doing what they do best. They crank out goods like "Do Not Look Down", "Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion", and "Demiurge" for this colossal experience.
The Faceless came back as strong and creative as ever with their third full-length "Autotheism". This album seemingly took forever to be released, but was well worth the wait when it hit. There were serious line up changes, but The Keene Machine raised the bar with Evan Brewer and Wes Hauch in the mix. In many ways, this is really a side step for the band. "Autotheism" is an unexpected treat to listen to with an increased focus on melody and a theatrical approach. It opens up with singing for christ sake. Who honestly expected that? When all the factors are added up, it makes for a phenomenal listening experience.
Deftones has been in the business of making awesome music for over two decades and they haven't even come close to losing their spark. Their tenth studio album, "Koi No Yokan", is perfect evidence of that. This record delivers in all the ways that matter. It is the complete package from flying through the air with "Swerve City" to the genius, floaty closer "What Happened To You?". All the songs in between are outstanding as well. "Leathers", "Tempest", and "Entombed" just to name a few. This album is just plain amazing. It's recommended you give it a good listen but watch out... you may end up falling in love after listening (get it?).
The Safety Fire are a force to be reckoned with. Their brand of
Progressive Metal is both incredibly unique and consistent in itself (I
mean that in the best way possible). The level of talent and forward
thinking here is damn hard to match.
