Defeated Sanity have released a bass playthrough video for “Amputationsdrang”, featured on their new album, Chronicles Of Lunacy, available via Season Of Mist. Order / save your copy here, and watch the new clip below:
Defeated Sanity have pushed the boundaries of extreme metal for 30 odd years. The band execute jazz-infused chaos with mind-bending precision, while also slamming together so many memorable breakdowns that they cracked the Billboard charts. Their upcoming seventh album still hits from every odd angle, but on Chronicles Of Lunacy, these technical maniacs return to sheer brutality.
“The last few DS albums leaned heavily on the proggier side of our sound,” says the band’s drummer and founding member Lille Gruber. “We still like to experiment, but on our new album, we wanted to get back to the raw slamming that our fans love about Psalms Of The Moribund or Chapters Of Repugnance.”
To dig back into the brutal mindset that long-time fans have come to crave, in January 2024, Defeated Sanity returned to Thousand Cave Studios. The underground New York City hotspot was also the excavation site for The Sanguinary Impetus, which dumped a fresh layer of dirt on the more “polished” production of Passages Into Deformity. Except this time around, the band encouraged producer Colin Marston to really get his hands dirty.
Tracklisting:
“Amputationsdrang” “The Odour Of Sanctity” “Accelerating The Rot” “Temporal Disintegration” “Extrinsically Enraged” “A Patriarchy Perverse” “Condemned To Vascular Famine” “Heredity Violated”
New York Post is reporting that two stars from the movie “School Of Rock” have tied the knot more than two decades after meeting on the beloved 2003 film.
Angelo Massagli and Caitlin Hale were just 10 years old when they first crossed paths at the audition for “School Of Rock,” which follows Jack Black as a destitute, never-was rock and roller who builds a rock band from a class of elementary school kids.
Hale played precocious pig-tailed back-up singer Marta, or “Blondie” as Black’s character referred to her. Massagli took the part of Frankie, a k a the “Tough Guy,” one of the band’s security detail.
Massagli was left awestruck after seeing Hale’s audition, as he told the New York Times.
The young actress wowed producers with a show-stopping rendition of “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” from “Gypsy,” switching up the lyrics to be about the movie’s director, five-time Oscar nominee Richard Linklater.
“I was like, ‘wow, that girl’s really, really, really something else,’” Massagli said.
When spontaneously asked to sing a song at the audition in New York City, a nervous Massagli sang the only tune he knew by heart: “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne.
After booking the gig, the pair met again one year later when filming began in New York. According to Hale, all of the young actors playing the peewee rock and rollers became fast friends, bonding during actual school time on set and trips to Benihana. Their moms grew close too, and Black reportedly joined the kids for lunch and played games between takes.
Hale and Massagli said that neither had a crush on the other during filming.
6x Grammy Award-nominated musician/songwriter/producer, Steven Wilson, has announced the release of what may well be the most audacious work of his already visionary career. The Overview arrives via Fiction Records in a wide range of formats – including digital, CD, LP, Blu-ray, D2C exclusive boxset, D2C exclusive red vinyl LP (with poster), and retail exclusive mint color LP – on Friday, March 14.
Pre-order here, and watch a 30-second album teaser below.
Written, produced, and mixed by Wilson at his home studio between December 2023 and August 2024, The Overview sees the world-renowned artist once again expanding the parameters of progressive music, a genre he has long helped redefine through both his groundbreaking solo career and landmark work with Porcupine Tree. The 42-minute collection is comprised of just two epic tracks, “Objects Outlive Us” and “The Overview,” each made up of distinctive musical sections that flow from one to the next, playing out as unique and continuous pieces. Once again, Wilson’s resolutely expansive music incorporates everything from glistening electronics to post-rock and beyond, pushing forward the singular sound and vision that has long defined his wildly ambitious body of work for more than three decades.
“The Overview is a 42-minute long journey based on the reported ‘overview effect,’” says Steven Wilson, “whereby astronauts seeing the Earth from space undergo a transformative cognitive shift, most often experiencing an overwhelming appreciation and perception of beauty, and an increased sense of connection to other people and the Earth as a whole. However, not all experiences are positive; some see the Earth truly for what it is, insignificant and lost in the vastness of space, and the human race as a troubled species. As a reflection of that, the album presents images and stories of life on Earth, both good and bad.”
Although initially conceived as a solo recording, The Overview sees Wilson backed by frequent collaborators Craig Blundell (drums), Adam Holzman (keyboards), and Randy McStine (guitars), alongside lyrics from XTC’s Andy Partridge that help form the story that drives “Objects Outlive Us.” Consistent with Wilson’s illustrious reputation, The Overview will be presented as a true audiophile experience, with spatial/Atmos audio versions available both physically and digitally; vinyl editions of The Overview have been specifically mastered at half-speed at London’s Abbey Road by 3x Grammy Award-nominated engineer Miles Showell (The Beatles, ABBA, The Police).
Wilson will mark the arrival of The Overview with a wide-ranging EU/UK headline tour – his first solo tour in more than five years. Highlights include four shows at the historic London Palladium in London, England (May 12-13, 19-20) and a three-night stand at Paris, France’s famed Salle Playel. North and South American headline dates will be unveiled soon. For updates and ticket information, please visit stevenwilsonhq.com/tour-dates.
In addition, The Overview will be accompanied by a full-length film directed by Wilson’s longtime visual collaborator Miles Skarin. Both the film and the album will be officially unveiled with a world premiere event and exclusive Q&A session taking place on Tuesday, February 25 on Britain’s largest cinema screen, London’s BFI IMAX. Tickets for the premiere event go on sale to BMI members on Friday, January 10 at 12 PM; all remaining tickets will then be available to the general public at 4 PM.
The Overview tracklisting:
“Objects Outlive Us” (23.17)
“No Monkey’s Paw” “The Buddha Of The Modern Age” “Objects: Meanwhile” * “The Cicerones” “Ark” “Cosmic Sons Of Toil” “No Ghost On The Moor” “Heat Death Of The Universe”
Italian progressive death metal legends, Sadist, announce their tenth studio album, Something To Pierce, set for release on March 7 via Agonia Records. Pre-order here, pre-save here.
The song “No Feast For Flies” is the first single to be released off the album. It’s being premiered in the form of a lyric video, which can be found below.
Following the well-acclaimed Firescorched, released in 2022, the new album Something To Pierce promises to be even more aggressive, both musically and lyrically. The band’s tenth instalment is a bold amalgamation of technique, aggression and experimentation; in short, “a further step towards the definition of a unique music style, which you can’t help but love…or hate,” comments founding member & mastermind, Tommy Talamanca. “Like it or not, nobody sounds like Sadist!”
Something To Pierce was record, mixed and mastered by Tommy Talamanca at Nadir Music Studios in Genoa, Italy. The cover artwork was created by Andreas Christanetoff of Armaada Art (Aborted).
Sadist started out in the early nineties, having emerged from Genoa in Italy. The band went ahead of its time, with an adventurous take on the then-developing progressive death metal sub-genre. Its presence was firmly established through an unmistakable style, detectable since the debut instalment Above The Light (1993). After a five year hiatus (2000-2005), Sadist returned to its proven sonic formula of jazz-infected epic prog-death, fraught with Middle-Eastern influences.
Along its path, Sadist kicked off concerts for Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Slayer and Motorhead, and gained exposure at high-profile fests (Wacken Open Air, Gods Of Metal, Hellfest). In 2023 alone, the band shared the stage with Samael, Pantera, Dark Tranquility and Sepultura, and continued to play festivals and one-off dates throughtout 2024, amidst putting final touches on new album, Something To Pierce. Among the group’s last live appeacnces are Prog Power Europe and Corpsorate Death Fest.
Tracklisting:
“Something To Pierce” “Deprived” “No Feast For Flies” “Kill Devour Dissect” “The Sun God” “Dume Kike” “One Shot Closer” “The Best Part Is The Brain” “Nove Strade” “Respirium” (instrumental) “Latex Hood” (CD bonus track) “The Unsmiling Windows” (CD bonus track)
“No Fest For Flies” lyric video:
Lineup:
Trevor – lead vocals Davide Piccolo – bass Giorgio Piva – drums Tommy Talamanca – guitars & keyboards Gloria Rossi – guest female vocals
Gibson TV has released a new episode of Riff Lords, along with the following message:
“Horns up! Make your New Year’s resolution to shred a reality with Gibson TV. Start your year strong with this new episode of Riff Lords featuring Eric Peterson of Testament breaking down 30 years of epic riffs. Learn from the master himself and make 2025 the year you level up your playing.
“Eric Peterson has been a thrash metal mainstay since co-founding Testament in 1983 and has influenced countless guitarists with his killer (and intricate) riffs, guitar techniques, and unique approach to chord phrasing, rhythm, and lead guitar. Grab your axe and hit play on this episode of Riff Lords to join Eric as he shows you how to play some of the most iconic Testament tracks that helped shape the metal scene.
“In this episode of Riff Lords, watch and learn how Eric Peterson creates his thrash metal sound, his picking and riff writing techniques, plus some backstory on how he wrote these parts. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at his process while learning to play Testament classics like ‘Over the Wall’ from The Legacy and ‘The Preacher’ from The New Order. Eric also breaks down some of Testament’s heaviest songs, including ‘D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)’ from The Gathering and ‘Rise Up’ from Dark Roots of Earth.
“For acoustic fans, Eric plays stripped-down versions of ‘The Ballad’ from Practice What You Preach, plus more classic Testament guitar lessons that show you the correct way to play each riff, slowed down so you can follow along easily.
“Find out how he gets his riff tones and the techniques that have kept Testament at the top of the heavy metal heap for decades. These Testament guitar lessons from Eric Peterson are must-see for any Testament fan and thrash metal enthusiast.”
Catch Testament live at the following shows:
May 9 – Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival 2025 – Columbus, OH 18 – Welcome To Rockville 2025 – Daytona Beach, FL
June 18 – The Tivoli – Brisbane, Australia 20 – Metro Theatre – Sydney, Australia 21 – Northcote Theatre – Northcote, Australia 22 – The Gov – Hindmarsh, Australia 24 – Metropolis – Fremantle, Australia
Swedish supergroup Ginevra – comprised of vocalist Kristian Fyhr (Seventh Crystal), guitarist Magnus Karlsson (The Ferrymen, Primal Fear), bassist Jimmy Jay (H.E.A.T.), and drummer Magnus Ulfstedt (ex-Eclipse, Nordic Union) – are thrilled to announce the release of their new studio album, Beyond Tomorrow, out March 28 via Frontiers Music Srl.
The band also share the new single and accompanying video, “Moonlight”, available now. Watch the clip below.
Lead singer Kristian Fyhr comments on the new single, by saying that, “it tells a story about fighting inner demons— losing yourself to something uncontrollably while pretending it will all go away.”
Talking about the record, Fyhr adds: “The whole album covers a higher cause without being biblical or political. We are all meant to bring the best of what we have into daily situations and life. We have approximately eighty years to leave a mark here on Earth, so we better make it count.”
Beyond Tomorrow is Ginevra’s sophomore album, which comes less than three years after the exciting debut album We Belong To The Stars.
The group came to be after Kristian Fyhr sent Serafino Perugino, the label’s President, some songs he had written for consideration to be used on future Frontiers’ label projects. One particular song, “My Rock N’ Roll” jumped out at Perugino and he asked Fyhr if he would be interested in fronting a new band that would craft an entire album in a musical direction illustrated in that song, which was substantially different from Fyhr’s main band Seventh Crystal.
The final results brought Ginevra’s sound under the same big umbrella of excellent Nordic melodic hard rock like H.E.A.T, Eclipse, Crowne, without necessarily sounding like those bands. Ginevra is hooky and melodic, but mostly heavier and more guitar/riff oriented than traditional melodic rock.
Perugino thought that Magnus Karlsson, who contributed to the songwriting for the album as well, seemed the perfect fit to play guitar for Ginevra and when approached about participating, he was keen on the idea.
With a powerful vocalist like Fyhr and a monster guitarist like Magnus Karlsson, whose resume speaks for itself, a top notch rhythm section needed to join the fold. Jona Tee, musician and producer for New Horizon, Crowne, and Temple Balls, recommended his H.E.A.T. bandmate Jimmy Jay for the bass position and he was the perfect fit.
For the drum stool, Magnus Ulfstedt, who has played with Eclipse, Nordic Union, and Jimi Jamison, was asked to join the band and complete this excellent Swedish foursome.
The pairing of Fhyr’s vocal and songwriting talents with Karlsson’s stunning guitar playing and songwriting has birthed something truly special and melodic hard rock fans can look forward to yet another gem from the ever fruitful Swedish hard rock scene.
Once again Fyhr took the lead in the songwriting department and worked on songs which are hooky and melodic but also fast, heavy, and driven by powerful hard rock groove (and some power metal gusto). His reach is enormous, his diversity is wide and he just fires on all cylinders on this album.
Magnus Karlsson also collaborated on the songwriting and his playing needs to description or introduction. It is not a case that he is considered one of the top musicians in his area of expertise.
The final result is another superb Melodic Metal album akin to other excellent Nordic melodic hard rock like Pretty Maids or Crowne, and the like, but without necessarily sounding like those bands.
“Moonlight” “Lightning Roses” “True North” “Let Freedom Ring” “Echoes Of The Lonely” “Beat The Devil” “Samurai” “Arms Of Oblivion” “Wild Ones” “Higher” “Enemy Of Your Destiny”
“Let Freedom Ring” lyric video:
Lineup:
Kristian Fyhr – Vocals, Backing Vocals, Keyboards Magnus Karlsson – Guitar, Keyboard Magnus Ulfstead – Drums Jimmy Press Johansson – Bass
tAKiDA, one of Sweden’s most successful rock bands, is back, unveiling their electrifying new single “The Game” – a future radio hit infused with gritty guitar riffs, soaring melodies and powerful vocals leading the way.
Ever since their start in 1999 and breaking onto the scene with their first album, tAKiDA has become one of Sweden’s top-notch exports, ruling the Swedish rock scene with six platinum singles (one of them 4x platinum), three platinum albums and no less than five #1 albums. But tAKiDA are also making waves beyond the borders of their home country. Their most recent studio album, The agony flame (2024), marks their most successful entry onto the German album charts (#8) yet, while the album’s first single, “The loneliest hour”, hit #1 on the German Rock Airplay Charts.
Following their previous successes, tAKiDA continues to push boundaries and solidify their acclaim. With “The Game”, tAKiDA kicks off the new year and dives deep into themes of passion, inner conflict, and unfiltered emotion, perfectly showcased through its evocative lyrics and explosive sound. In Summer 2025, tAKiDA will bring their matchless stage performance to several German cities, starting on July 18 in Regensburg. Get your tickets now and explore “The Game” – now available on all streaming services worldwide.
tAKiDA on “The Game”: ”It’s about a man and his true love from the past. All he wants is to get clean from his sex addiction and just focus on the two of them, but it’s too strong. There’re too many temptations out there and ultimately, he’ll be ending up alone.”
Check out the lyric video for “The Game” below:
tAKiDA are:
Robert Pettersson – Vocals Tomas Wallin – Choirs, Guitars Mattias Larsson – Guitars Chris Rehn – Bass, Keyboards, Guitars, Programming and Arrangements Kristoffer Söderström – Drums
Speaking with Guitar World, British guitarist Sophie Lloyd revealed how Pibnk Floyd legend, David Gilmour, played an important role in shifting her perspective on what makes an exceptional guitarist
Lloyd: “I was never really that into Pink Floyd growing up. I knew ‘Another Brick In The Wall’ and stuff, but I never really delved into them until I decided I wanted to do a shred version of ‘Comfortably Numb’ on my YouTube channel. Before studying his playing, I was doing a lot of like, ‘Look at all the notes I can play, look how fast I can play!’ and there wasn’t that much feel behind my music, I think. That was a really pivotal point in my playing where I kind of switched from wanting to play all the notes and show everyone what I can do to like, ‘No, I want to serve the song.’ I want to create an emotion and a feeling and a story. That really came from him. Now I try to allow breathing space like he does, and create a sense of emotion.”
Guitar World’s full interview with Sophie Lloyd will be published later this month.
Get tickets for Sophie Lloyd’s January 16 show at Whisky A Go Go in Los Angeles, California, here.
Sophie’s debut album, Imposter Syndrome, is available via her own Autumn Records. The album is available as a digipack CD, Black Gatefold Vinyl and Limited Edition Gatefold Purple Splatter Vinyl. Orders can be placed here.
Tracklisting:
“Do Or Die” (feat. Nathan James) “Pressure” (feat. Brandon Saller) “Imposter Syndrome” (feat. Lzzy Hale) “Let It Hurt” (feat. Chris Robertson) “Runaway” (feat. Michael Starr) “Fall Of Man” (feat. Matthew K. Heafy) “Lost” (feat. Cole Rolland) “Hanging On” (feat. Lauren Babic) “Avalanche” (feat. Trevor McNevan) “Won’t You Come” (feat. Marisa Rodriguez) “Judge And Jury” (feat. Tyler Connolly)
“Won’t You Come” video:
“Judge And Jury” video:
“Runaway” featuring Michael Starr of Steel Panther:
“Lost” featuring Cole Rolland:
“Hanging On” featuring Lauren Babic:
“Fall Of Man” featuring Matthew K. Heafy of Trivium:
Former Fear Factory vocalist, Burton C. Bell, performed at The Regent in Los Angeles, CA as the support act for God Forbid on December 13th. Fan-filmed video of his show can be viewed below.
Bell released his single, “Technical Exorcism”, in August 2024. Stream the song here, and watch the official music video below.
Credits:
Music Produced, Written and Arranged by Burton C. Bell Additional Arrangement: Henrik Linde Vocal Resonation: Burton C. Bell Reverberating Guitars: Henrik Linde Resounding Bass Guitar: Henrik Linde Seminal Pulsing Drums: “Big” Paul Ferguson Kinetic Storm Guitars: Norman Westberg Ancillary Reflection Guitar: Stewart Cararas Subliminal Keys: Burton C Bell Lyrics: Burton C. Bell Mixed by: Stewart Cararas Mastered by Joe Bozzi at Bernie Grundman Mastering
Live Band:
Vocals: Burton C. Bell Stage Left Guitarist: Henrik Linde Bassist: Tony Baumeister Drummer: Ryan “Junior” Kittlitz Stage Right Guitarist: Stewart Cararas FOH Sound Engineer: David Gibney
Video Production Credits:
Executive Producer: Burton C. Bell Produced by Don Pancho Films @donpanchofilms Directed/edited by Jessie Sanchez @jessiesanchezbass Cameras by Michael Cerda @mpcvisuals and Jessie Sanchez
The voice that defined futuristic anxiety, existential desperation, and steadfast resistance returns. Extreme music pioneer, multimedia talent, and iconoclastic provocateur, Burton C. Bell, resurrects his legacy and forward-thinking destiny, remade in a career-spanning incarnation as a singular solo artist.
His work continually explores themes of dystopian angst, identity, technology gone wrong, and resilience. “Anti-Droid”, Burton C. Bell’s debut solo single, recently arrived with a potent message. “I severed the machine that no longer served me,” he screams in the moody, synth-heavy, sci-fi metal missive. It’s a defiant statement delivered with a confident bombast. Burton C. Bell is back on the offensive.
Watch the music video below, and stream the track here.
There aren’t many people in the metal scene like Mimi Barks right now. The genre-meshing nu gen star powers her propulsive ‘doom trap’ racket with abrasive, no-holds-barred live shows and provocative music videos, all of which have marked her out as one of the most engaging, fast-rising artists in the alternate music scene right now. We caught up with the Berlin-based songwriter to talk classic gigs, weird award show attire and the perils of having a rather unique fashion sense.
So we hear you ran off to Berlin after your UK tour ended?
“Sometimes it’s good to take a little break from London. All of us were pretty sick after the tour but, honestly, it was incredible. Having Raven [Gray, who recently collaborated with Mimi on the single Wormgirl] come over from America was such a beautiful experience. My entire team is very wholesome, so there was an incredible energy throughout the whole tour.”
The tour looked like a riot! What’s the craziest show you’ve ever played?
“Well, if we’re talking location, one of my first gigs ever was in a bunker in Berlin. It was this abandoned bunker that was squatted in by punks. It had no windows because they’d all been smashed. That was pretty intense. I could talk about another gig where crazy shit went down… but I can’t go into much detail. I’ll just say that someone interfered with my vision and allegedly got punched in the face for it.”
What do you reckon has been your worst show?
“When you play support for bands with a different kind of audience, sometimes the crowd just… stand there. They just look shocked! Honestly, it’s pretty funny. But that’s usually the moment when, after the show, I go to the merch stand and they’re all like, ‘That was incredible!’ And all I can think is, ‘Why did you stand still for the ENTIRE set then?!’”
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You’re covered in blood and latex like something from a horror movie and they’re just gawping at you…
“Exactly. But I have never had a really bad experience. When I perform I go into a kind of‘ flow-state’, so I don’t always really register the crowd. My first ever show was in front of two people, and I wouldn’t say that was a bad show. Afterwards, they said my energy was like I was playing in front of 10,000 people. That’s my one rule: just concentrate on yourself, be in the moment.”
Are you quite a spiritual person, in that sense?
“I started feeling more spiritual about three and a half years ago. I don’t know what it was exactly – my mind suddenly just shifted. I started meditating and having these insane experiences. Up until that point, I was just walking around being angry.”
Does it ever shock people, your mindfulness?
“Yeah, some people definitely only see the surface-level anger and screaming. But my fans understand me. My music isn’t just anger – it’s healing, it’s self-reflection. Each track is a process, you’re constantly learning and studying yourself.”
What’s another thing people might not know about you?
“Well, I used to work in bakeries and coffee shops. But I always made sure they would let me wear whatever the hell I wanted. So sometimes I used to serve coffee in full-on fetish outfits. Once I was serving espresso in an open-cup bra.”
Probably had to be quite careful with the boiling water, I assume.
“Yep. But, honestly, my boss at the time was a back-up singer for PJ Harvey, so she got it. And it was in central London, so the customers were super-fucking-rich and too posh to comment. I looked out of place, but I just did my thing.”
When would you say you’ve been the most inappropriately dressed?
“Oh, most of the time. Even the other day, I went to an award show with my tits out, just wearing chains. But they were proper chains that I found at a hardware store and made into an outfit. I expected it to be heavy, but at a certain point my body just gave up. But Lordi thought I looked cool, so that makes up for it.”
Can things get too uncomfortable?
“My fashion often isn’t practical. When I did special effects for the Banshee video, I had these fake long fingers and I couldn’t do anything – I couldn’t even piss. I was also wearing white contacts, which made everything blurry. But we shot some scenes on the beach at night, and when the tide came up, we couldn’t go back the way we came from. I had to climb over fences and shit to get back to the car, basically blind with these long prosthetic fingers. But at least I looked sick.”
This Is Doom Trapis out now
Mimi Barks gives us five great young bands everyone needs to know about | Metal Hammer – YouTube
