The Metal Breakdown- Metal news, Album Reviews, Band Interviews, and other metal related think-pieces.
Tourniquet drummer Ted Kirkpatrick teams up with several notable names to pay tribute to Black Sabbath as they get ready to embark on their final tour “The End”.
NEURONIA just released a new single “Under the Same Sky”.
‘Under the Same Sky’ is the third full-length recording by Warsaw’s Neuronia, on which the band continues on the path chosen on their latest release so far – the four-track ‘Insanity Relapse’ EP. Eclecticism and mixing genres has been the band’s specialty for years, and the new album showcases their skills, containing power ballads, classic heavy & thrash metal riffs and influences from melodic death metal bands.
‘Under the Same Sky’ will be released on December 14th.
Here’s a single off the album.
Check them out on FACEBOOK
For other releases by Neuronia check out their BANDCAMP PAGE
-Badger \m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com
Portuguese prog-death metallers Destroyers Of All will release their first full-length Bleak Fragments on March 18th, through the newly founded Mosher Records.
Recorded at Golden Jack Studios Coimbra, the follow up to critically acclaimed EP Into the Fire (2013) features ten songs packed with mad riffs, virtuoso lead work, intricate dynamics that will catch you off-guard and a dark vocal delivery that ties together this complex gem. On working with producer Joao Dourado, the band stated “he knows us better that anyone else, and mainly, he knows our sound and how we want to mould it, and that makes it all easier to work with.”
Regarding the album concept, vocalist Joao Mateus says “the main focus is the real world, it is what inspires us. Each song has it’s own identity, it’s own history and concept. They may not have a direct link or sequence, but they only make sense when coming together on our record.” The band reached out to indonesian artist Silencer8 (As I Lay Dying, Kylesa, Caliban, Suicide Silence) for the album cover. “It was awesome to see he was extremely interested in working with us.”, the band reveals. “So we passed on the themes our music gravites around and some pre-productions of ‘Bleak Fragments’” – the result is an impressive piece of art, as intricate as the music itself.
Destroyers Of All will promote the new album with live gigs starting in 2016, and the band has the intention to expand their touring schedule beyond the national borders. Bleak Fragments will have worldwide distribution and will also be available through the usual digital marketplaces and streaming platforms. Pre-orders will be available soon through the Mosher website.
Check them out on FACEBOOK
Also take a moment and check out the Mosher Records Facebook Page
-Badger \m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com
I had the chance to catch up with Scott from Sevenday Curse, as well as their newest member Steph Robinson who brings a wealth of experience, and drive to the band with her keyboard talents.
So I am here with Scott from Sevenday curse.
Badger- The last time I saw you guys it was September 3rd in providence Rhode island at Dusk, where you guys opened up for Revocation. So what have you guys been doing since then, a lot of writing perhaps?
Well most of the new stuff has already been written. We have been doing a lot of refining. working on getting new songs recorded and kind of just working on the extra stuff that gets added on to the songs like lyrics, keyboards guitars. for the most part the song structures have been written and done for at least a month now.
Badger- From the last time I talked to you guys you were working on an EP, how is that been coming along?
So we’re still kind of unsure how we’re going to release this. at first we were talking about an EP, and then we kinda of naturally writing more songs, we got to the point where we felt we had enough for a full length you know. So that’s still up in the air but we are leaning towards it being a full length. its very likely that its going to be entirely self produced, because that gives us the most freedom to do it the way we want. Also because we have also been doing writing as we record them so nowadays with being able to own your own Pro tools rig it makes life a lot easier and gives you flexibility to do that.
Badger- So I had seen on Facebook a few weeks back that you guys were looking to include one of the songs from After the Storm on the new release. Have you guys come to a conclusion on which song will be with the new stuff?
We did,
Badger- Ahh and which one will you be doing?
That’s going to be a surprise, were going to play that one close to the chest. Its going to be fun, we feel like we picked the song that is a fan favorite, but also represents the sound of our newer stuff. that kind of direction we are going in now.
Badger- The last time we talked you were looking for a keyboardist, have you been able to lock down another member to the band.
So yeah that’s the big announcement, we after a long search we feel as though we have found the right person. her name is Steph Robinson, she has played in a lot of bands. she is a really experienced musician.who comes with amazing credentials, she is extremely talented and she can also sing. We are really excited to bring her into the fold, and start playing with her live soon as well. Its a perfect time to bring her in, because there is still plenty of room to have her bring in her own ideas, and influence to how these new songs are going to sound. We haven’t gotten to the stage where we have been able to figure out all the keyboards yet, but its a perfect time, because we can hand her what we have so far and let her take the reigns on the orchestration and piano.
Badger- So I see you guys are starting to book a few more shows, are there any big shows you are excited about coming up?
Hothfest would be the biggest/ best one, its in January, on the 9th. its also very likely going to be the first show we play with live with Steph.
I also heard that they just moved to a larger venue because of all the bands that are on the bill. they ended up moving it to Maximum Capacity in Chicopee, Mass.
After talking with Scott I got the chance to talk to Steph about her joining Sevenday Curse.
Badger- I understand you have (to the best of my knowledge) toured with two bands across North America. tell me a little about your background and how you got into playing the keyboard for metal?
Until two years ago when I switched over to tattooing full-time (I co-own a tattoo shop now in Webster, MA), I was a self-employed, full-time working musician. I’m classically trained, hold a Ph.D. in music composition, and have played keyboards since I was a child. I’m also a vocalist, and have an operatic background. I’ve done pretty much any type of musical gig you can imagine – that’s what a working musician has to do to keep food on the table! In addition, I have a background with music production, and spent a number of years working as a recording engineer; I still do quite a bit of freelance work in this respect. I’ve been a metalhead my entire life – I grew up obsessed with Dio, Judas Priest, Ozzy, Sabbath and all the classics. However, I never really thought about PLAYING metal until about 9 or 10 years ago, when I was in my late 20s and had gotten a “good job” as a community college professor. I was unhappy with my job and bored with classical music culture in general, and it was like a switch just flipped and I said to myself, “This is not my life. Let’s finally do this.” Many of my classical music friends thought I was having an early midlife crisis when I suddenly decided I was done playing church organ and switched over to playing in a few metal “tribute bands.” (Tribute bands are huge in Southern California, where I was living at the time.) I decidedly had the working musician mentality at first – a gig had to pay reasonably well for me to be able to consider it, and hence why I ended up in a Dio tribute, along with other acts. Through those gigs, I started meeting people more involved with the underground SoCal metal scene, made some connections, and shortly one thing led to another with me starting to work with original bands.
One band I’ve toured with is Helsott, a pagan metal band from Southern California. I met them when they opened for one of the tribute bands I was fronting, back in San Diego. When I moved to Massachusetts in 2011, they asked me to produce some orchestral arrangements and sing operatic style vocals for their first EP. I ended up doing the arrangements for that, the first full-length, and did the Paganfest America tour with them in 2013 playing keys and singing live as part of the band. While today I really can’t tour as much as they need to, I still do session work for them and remain heavily involved with the band
Badger-How did you and Sevenday Curse come together?
Scott and I connected through a mutual friend, Chris Farmerie – he books the Metal Thursday series at Ralph’s in Worcester. Chris is a very close friend, and we recently played together in an Enslaved tribute for the Halloween Covers Weekend at Ralph’s. We were spending a lot of time together commuting to Boston for rehearsals, and one day he said that he had a friend who was looking for a keyboard player for a band. I said I was interested, since I haven’t played much with any New England bands and I was looking to jump back in after a bit of a layoff (I had to take a break from metal due to two other projects the past two years – one was the production in Europe of a musical that I wrote, and the other was an attempted transcontinental run for charity).
I did a Skype session with Scott last summer and we hit it off; I met the other guys a couple of months ago and we all felt like it was a good connection. So, now, I’m learning the live set and working hard on recording material for the new album. It’s been a blast so far.
Badger-Were you familiar with Sevenday Curse before joining the band? Maybe heard them before or saw them?
No, honestly, I hadn’t known their music beforehand. I hate admitting that publicly! The reasons? One, I lived in Southern California for fifteen years, and only moved here in 2011 – the scene out west is very different than it is here in New England, so I’m definitely more familiar with Los Angeles and San Diego bands. Two, during the time when After the Storm was released, I was working on my Ph.D., and I wasn’t doing much other than working four jobs while trying to go to school full-time, so I wasn’t hitting shows or anything…that was a really crazy time, so I’ve got a few years of a hole in my metal knowledge that coincides with when the band was active back then. I’m glad I know their music now!
Badger- Do you have a plan on when we will be able to see you perform live with Sevenday Curse for the first time?
I believe the plan is to have my first show with them at Hothfest in January. I’m looking forward to it!
Badger- How does it feel to be a part of a band that for many believe (including myself) were one of the band’s who created a unique sound/ sub genre of metal?
It’s an honor – I feel extremely fortunate to be involved. So far, the guys have welcomed me both as a band member and collaborator, and that has been very much appreciated! It feels great to be in a creative space with production on the new album…I think it’s going to be epic.
So there you have it, Sevenday is not only working on a full length now, but they have a killer classically trained keyboardist to add some more dimension to their music. Badgers Metal Breakdown is really hoping they do Revelations as that is our favorite track from After The Storm.
I am very pumped to see them play live with Steph in January at Hothfest-2016
Make sure to check like the Sevenday Curse Facebook Page
You can also follow them on TWITTER
Get your digital copy of their last full length AFTER THE STORM
You can also check out Witch Doctor Tattoo Studio for some of Steph’s visual art.
-Badger \m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com
Photo credit to Stellavor Images ( Copyright 2013)
http://dystopia.megadeth.com/threat
Megadeth just released the next single “The Threat is Real”
-Badger \m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com
MATUBES working on new release Bulgarian black metallers MATUBES are working on a new release. The band released their debut EP “The Return Of Black Metal” in September 2015.
The band comments:
“Walking empty fields… MATUBES embarks on a Journey to what will be known as the next Work to be unleashed to this world. For they, who consider the Messenger more important than the Message, shall meet their Maker sooner. Right after, with the coming Waxing Crescent on Friday the 13th, we shut the Gates to the House of Truth again as only the resounding echoes should be felt…”
LINKS
check out their website
head on over to their Bandcamp page
-Badger \m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com
Eritherium
Polar-11/05/2015
Written and performed by Eritherium:
Joshua Chisenga
Alexander Di Pietro
Gianni Galota
Eritherium have recently released their sophmore L.P. currently out on Bandcamp for fans of blackened, progressive death metal.
Here’s a track up on youtube:
Full album is streaming and ready for digital download or ordering a four panel digicase with artwork by Casey Stone-Pirrie
Head on over to their Facebook Page
and if you like what you here from this song head on over to stream and order “Polar” on BANDCAMP \m/
-Badger \m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com
September 14th:
Metal lost a great drummer this week
Martin ” Kiddie” Kearns (March 7, 1977 – September 14, 2015) was a drummer playing death metal and known for his style while playing for the band Bolthrower
Kearns joined Bolt Thrower when Andrew Whale left in 1994
Kearns died unexpectedly at the age of 38 on September 14, 2015
September 15th:
Metal Allegiance released a video for the song The Gift Of Pain
check it out
Cattle Decapitation kicked off a huge North American tour
CATTLE DECAPITATION – The North American Extinction Tour 2015
w/ King Parrot, Black Crown Initiate, Dark Sermon:
9/15/2015 Boardwalk – Sacramento, CA
9/16/2015 Analog – Portland, OR
9/17/2015 El Corazon – Seattle, WA
9/18/2015 Rickshaw Theater – Vancouver, BC
9/19/2015 Level – Kelowna, BC
9/20/2015 Nite Owl – Calgary, AB
9/21/2015 Starlite – Edmonton, AB
9/22/2015 Exchange – Regina, SK
9/23/2015 The Zoo – Winnipeg, MB
9/24/2015 Q & Z Center – Ringle, WI
9/25/2015 Reggie’s – Chicago, IL
9/26/2015 Mac’s – Lansing, MI
9/27/2015 Hard Luck – Toronto, ON
9/28/2015 Mavericks – Ottawa, ON
9/29/2015 L’Anti – Quebec City, QC
10/01/2015 Club Metronome – Burlington, VT
10/02/2015 Basement Transmissions – Erie, PA
10/03/2015 Broadway Joe’s – Buffalo, NY
10/04/2015 Cafe 611 – Frederick, MD
10/05/2015 Brighton Music Hall – Allston, MA
10/07/2015 Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
End Tour
w/ Cannibal Corpse, Soreption:
10/08/2015 Underbelly – Jacksonville, FL
10/09/2015 Motorco – Durham, NC
10/10/2015 Ziggy’s – Winston-Salem, NC
10/12/2015 The Broadberry – Richmond, VA
10/13/2015 Reverb – Reading, PA
10/14/2015 The Emporium – The Emporium – Long Island, NY
10/15/2015 The Met – Pawtucket, RI
10/16/2015 The Chance Theater – Poughkeepsie, NY
10/17/2015 The Lost Horizon – Syracuse, NY
10/19/2015 VClub Live – Huntington, WV
10/20/2015 The Warehouse – Clarksville, TN
10/21/2015 New Daisy Theatre – Memphis, TN
10/23/2015 Tricky Falls – El Paso, TX
10/24/2015 Club XS – Tucson, AZ
10/25/2015 KnotFest – San Bernardino, CA
10/27/2015 Top Deck – Farmington, NM
10/28/2015 The Black Sheep – Colorado Springs, CO
10/29/2015 The Waiting Room – Omaha, NE
10/30/2015 Durty Nellies – Palatine, IL
10/31/2015 Big Shots – Valparaiso, IN
11/01/2015 The Pyramid Scheme – Grand Rapids, MI
11/02/2015 Ace Of Cups – Columbus, OH *
11/03/2015 Altar Bar – Pittsburgh, PA
11/04/2015 Expo Five – Louisville, KY
11/05/2015 Zydeco – Birmingham, AL
11/06/2015 Vinyl Music Hall – Pensacola, FL
11/07/2015 Venue 578 – Orlando, FL
End Tour
11/08/2015 Orpheum – Tampa, FL *
w/ Abiotic:
11/09/2015 The Atlantic – Gainesville, FL
11/10/2015 Side Bar – Tallahassee, FL
11/11/2015 The Levee – Longview, TX
11/12/2015 Dirty Dog – Austin, TX
11/13/2015 Rail Club – Fort Worth, TX
11/14/2015 Launchpad – Albuquerque, NM
11/15/2015 Club Red – Tempe, AZ * CATTLE headlining date with Hate Eternal
* CATTLE DECAPITATION headlining date
Epica cancelled all remaining North American tour dates due to a family emergency.
Broken Hope released some live concert footage to promote their upcoming DVD
September 16th:
A promotional video flooded the internet about a great Horror/ Metal style documentary. while it was officially published on youtube September 6th, it went viral on the 16th and could be seen on every major metal new outlet.
here’s the promo video
September 17th:
Children Of Bodom premier a lyric video for the song ” I Hurt”
Killswitch Engages’ s Jesse Leach posts on instagram the ills of being a vocalist on the road with this post;
“Well now that is over with and I am sighing for relief, here is one of the issues. This is my throat (top) and vocal folds (bottom…yes it looks like something else, we all see it). I have had a bit of blood come out of my mouth on the last tour, that freaked me out. Also as of yesterday I felt physically off and my throat was feeling irritated. I looked in the mirror with a light and saw the white splotches and kind of freaked. Mind you I am aware white splotches usually mean an infection, but I can not help thinking the worse when it comes to my voice (as it is super important to my life)! So it contributed to an already mentally and physically off day yesterday! Turns out is is strep throat with some swollen folds. Im on the appropriate medications and will only have a one day set back for recording! Very thankful for my doctor who is the man! #DrScottKessler this guy has been my doctor for over a decade and has saved me many times from potential damage and sickness! Feeling a great deal better knowing what’s going on! I’m not sorry for sharing these gross photos ha ha! Peace everyone, keep on the grind! #kserecordingsessions #VocalFolds #Throat #Gross #VocalVagina #ISaidIt #SickMan #IKeepsItReal”
September 18th:
New Black Dahlia Murder ” Abysmal” album is released today and the band premiers the video for ” Receipt”
Some of the metal that is released today:
Atreyu – Long Live (Spinefarm)
The Black Dahlia Murder – Abysmal (Metal Blade)
Blessthefall – To Those Left Behind (Fearless)
Broken Hope – Live Disease at Brutal Assault DVD (Century Media)
Christian Mistress – To Your Death (Relapse)
Deep Purple – From the Setting Sun…(In Wacken) (earMusic)
Deep Purple – …To The Rising Sun (In Tokyo) (earMusic)
Harlott – Proliferation (Metal Blade)
Metal Allegiance – Metal Allegiance (Nuclear Blast)
Operation Mindcrime – The Key (Frontiers
Scale The Summit – V (Prosthetic)
Serial Butcher – Brute Force Lobotomy (Unique Leader)
Tesseract – Polaris (eOne)
Windhand – Grief’s Infernal Flower (Relapse)
-Badger \m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com
The Metal Breakdown 