Just five months after the release of its self-titled instrumental debut, Portuguese post atmospheric black metal project A Forest of Dreams is back with its sophomore album "Sacrum Terram", now with Irae's mastermind Vulturius on vocal duties... More

Just five months after the release of its self-titled instrumental debut, Portuguese post atmospheric black metal project A Forest of Dreams is back with its sophomore album "Sacrum Terram", now with Irae's mastermind Vulturius on vocal duties and lyrical concept, and Paulo Bucho (Cavemaster / Projekt NÖIR) providing drums on the track "Eterno Lamento". Founded by Mário Rodrigues (DS13), the whole concept behind A Forest of Dreams revolves around misanthropy and the forest and mystic of Sintra. No samples were used on this record, with all ambient sounds being captured live in the mountains of Sintra at dawn. Musically speaking, you can find influences from Blut Aus Nord and Numenorean, with the most notable reference being the crossing of several melodic lines as a way of expression."Sacrum Terram" was recorded at Fatsound.productions studio between May and June 2020.Artwork and full tracklisting as follows:01 Sonho…dentro de um sonho02 Iniciático chamamento03 Realidade invertida04 Pétalas de Sangue05 Na pedra verde sentei…e esperei06 A minha hora07 Eterno Lamento08 Denso manto cor de prataLinks:https://aforestofdreams.bandcamp.com/album/sacrum-terram https://www.facebook.com/AFODABM Less

A very special and very limited set of the books about the debut Iron Maiden album is available. A leather cover page, golden wax seal, special 40th anniversary embroidered patch and many more goodies are waiting for you in this short-term... More

A very special and very limited set of the books about the debut Iron Maiden album is available. A leather cover page, golden wax seal, special 40th anniversary embroidered patch and many more goodies are waiting for you in this short-term offer. The famous author of books about Iron Maiden, Stjepan Juras, offers a spectacular set of three books about the first Iron Maiden album, as part of its 40th anniversary celebration. The previous release, ‘The Number of the Beast’, was sold out in a few days, so hurry and pre-order the ‘Phantom of the Opera’ set here: www.maidencroatia.com/anniversary Here is what the author says about this set of books: ‘On April 14th 2020, we celebrated 40 years since the release of Iron Maiden’s first album. To mark this occasion, I am announcing an exclusive set of three books, the final set of the trilogy that began with the black leather edition of ‘The Number of the Beast’ and continued with the red leather edition of ‘Killers’. The ‘Iron Maiden’ book will be bound in brown leather with gold leaf print and a wax seal to close out the ‘early days’ trilogy in a spectacular way. ‘The Phantom of the Opera Package’ (brown leather edition of this book, ‘Running Free’ edition of same book with a custom cover page and ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ book from the famous ‘Iron Maiden and classic literature’ series will be a fantastic addition to any serious Iron Maiden collection. An additional gift is an old school ‘40th Anniversary’ sew-on patch. This book will be released in October 2020.’ Also, for all the ‘Killers’ album fans, 18 luxury ‘Killer Deal’ sets left and will be sold out quick. You can see the details here: www.maidencroatia.com/killerdeal  ABOUT SPECIAL ‘PHANTOM OF THE OPERA’ BOOK AS A PART OF ABOVE MENTIONED SET: Beyond any doubt, ‘Phantom of the Opera’ is a literary masterpiece to leave you breathless. The story, first published long ago in 1909, is one that becomes more relevant and fresher with every passing year. Whether through Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s equally famous musical or popular songs with the same name or theme, people will continue to venerate Gaston Leroux’s work. Many actors, musicians, painters, sculptors, directors, authors and poets have paid homage to this masterpiece through films, music, sculptures, theatrical productions and TV series, and in many other ways, and Iron Maiden weren’t the exception, nor could they be. Not only is their management company named ‘Phantom Management’, this Iron Maiden song was critical for their career as a whole, and in this book, you’ll find out why I make this claim. Less

Canada’s Sadistic Embodiment is releasing a new album “Blood Spell” and to get you ready for the sonic onslaught, they have the single “Catherine's Braid” available now.YouTube (Lyric Video)Sadistic Embodiment has released 3 EPs so far, and are... More

Canada’s Sadistic Embodiment is releasing a new album “Blood Spell” and to get you ready for the sonic onslaught, they have the single “Catherine's Braid” available now.YouTube (Lyric Video)Sadistic Embodiment has released 3 EPs so far, and are pleased to add this new full length to their discography. They share what listeners can expect from the album: “'Blood Spell' will pique our fans interest. They will tell that we have grown in depth and complexity while maintaining simple and heavy death metal passages. This album will get fans pumped with new catchy choruses intermixed with powerful and epic melodies. The newest material exhibits a darker soundscape than our previous releases.” “Catherine’s Braid” was chosen as the first single for a reason. The chorus will convince listeners to pound their fists and chant. The intro and choruses feature the wretched growls of Calvin (Org666) Fehr of Dead Jesus. Watch the video and take in the imagery of an individual experiencing their slow and brutal sentence, being broken on the wheel! Simple, heavy, and catchy, each of the nine songs have a distinct feel given the variation in vocal and instrumental styles throughout the album. Each song stands out and yet they are all uniquely Sadistic Embodiment. This will please old school death metallers and the new school with the variety of punch-in-your-face hooks, melodic passages, and absolutely brutal anthemic choruses. Like a pungent black onion, “Blood Spell” has many layers of groovy, mid-tempo riffs, choruses alongside pain, anguish, and rage; the instrumental and vocal nuances meticulously build into each song. “Blood Spell” is the album fans of both old school death metal and newer will appreciate. Especially fans of Gojira, Bloodbath, and Kataklysm. The album will be released on September 18, 2020 on all major digital platforms along with being available for pre-order (CD) from CDN Records here. Track Listing:1. Stranger (4:41)2. Gallows Hill (5:33)3. Catherine’s Braid (6:03)4. Phantom Tormentor (4:41)5. Nebulae (Call of the Void) (2:48)6. Suicide Ceremony (3:09)7. Global Enema (4:06)8. Flesh Deposition (5:37)9. Cerebral Termination (5:26)Album Length: 42:08 Sadistic Embodiment is:Bryan James Newbury (Drums)Jason Cullen (Rhythm Guitar)Curtis Vieville (Bass)Wally Fischer (Lead Guitar) For more info:CDNRecords.comFacebook.com/sedeathmetalInstagram.com/sadisticembodimentofficial EPKAbout: The sadistic death metal quartet was originally conceived in Edmonton, Alberta. Although all Edmonton born half of the group now resides in Calgary, travelling frequently to join the others in crafting extreme musical works. Each member brings their own distinct flair to the music, live theatrics, and social media content. Drummer Bryan Newbury (also known from Into Eternity, Untimely Demise) formed the project in the fall of 2017 by inviting Curtis Vieville and Helge Lipphardt to jam simple and catchy death metal. A couple of months later, Jason Cullen joined the group and then Nate Mandrusiak joined shortly thereafter, forming the five-piece that produced their Self-Titled (March 30th, 2018) and Blodørn (September 8th, 2018) EPs. Curtis Vieville left to travel for the summer of 2018, leaving the band to record bass and vocals for the Blodørn release on his behalf. During the late fall of 2018, the group parted ways with Helge Lipphardt and brought on Curtis’ old bandmate Wally Fischer. Continuing their relentless musical onslaught the group wrote and released the EP Beloved Imprisonment on January 31st, 2019, showcasing their evolved sound. But the work was far from over and after a few gigs, the group began work constructing their first full-length album. During that period the band parted ways with their singer Nate in early 2020, and from thereafter the group became a three-pronged vocal assault team. Completing their work in the spring of 2020, the milestone album “Blood Spell” was finally realized. As if sensing the impending debut, CDN Records approached the band with a record deal just as the final touches were being completed. And thus Sadistic Embodiment joined the CDN Records family. Each release from Sadistic Embodiment grows in depth and complexity while maintaining simple and heavy death metal passages. They pride themselves on having catchy choruses intermixed with powerful and epic melodies. The newest material exhibits dark soundscapes with a lot of variation in song type and feel. Listen closely and you will find evil and pain lurking in the mix “Blood Spell” is due out September 18, 2020 via CDN Records. Less

On October 23rd, Armored Saint will release their eighth full-length, Punching The Sky, via Metal Blade Records. For a first preview of the album, a video for the new single, "End of the Attention Span" (directed by Robert Graves //... More

On October 23rd, Armored Saint will release their eighth full-length, Punching The Sky, via Metal Blade Records. For a first preview of the album, a video for the new single, "End of the Attention Span" (directed by Robert Graves // ashadowbeyond.com), can be viewed at: metalblade.com/armoredsaintBassist Joey Vera comments: "We've teamed up with video director Robert Graves for our first single, 'End of the Attention Span'. Robert got the lyrical content right away and together we delved into society's ongoing fascination with electronic devices and the insidious disconnect it creates. The irony is that most of us feel connected together through our phone and computer screens, but the reality is that we have created a wedge between ourselves. Our human interactions have been infected with an intense need for information. We're always 'looking' for more. The end result is a very damaged attention span."Pre-order Punching The Sky now at metalblade.com/armoredsaint in the following formats:- digipak-CD- ltd. digibook-CD/DVD (incl. 3 bonus tracks)- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)- clear purple / white marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies)- dark violet marbled vinyl w/ 7" & patch (Kings Road exclusive - limited to 300 copies)- signal orange marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)- white w/ purple & red splatter vinyl (EMP exclusive - limited to 200 copies)- purple / red melt vinyl (Kings Road exclusive - limited to 100 copies)- deep purple marbled vinyl (US exclusive)- lavender marbled vinyl w/ 7" & patch (US exclusive) Leaders and stalwarts of the American heavy metal scene since the early 80s, Armored Saint's Punching The Sky sees them returning hard. A diverse, attitude-drenched collection, it's everything the band's faithful have come to expect from them while pushing their signature sound forward. "The goal is to write really good music. I know I'm stating the obvious here but that's about the size of our agenda," says bassist Joey Vera. "We've been able to shed a lot of expectations that sometimes plague a band like ours that has been around a long time, and we've recently moved into a comfort zone with just being ourselves. We have this kind of freedom now that we didn't really have early in our career, and we can take some chances and make the kind of music that we want to hear. This record is a reflection of where we are at, right now." Exploding to life with the crunchy, rousing "Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants" and not letting up until the closing ruthless riff of "Never You Fret", the record is possessed of an urgency and vigor which very much places it in the right now, but could only be the work of Vera, guitarists Phil Sandoval and Jeff Duncan, drummer Gonzo Sandoval and vocalist John Bush. "When you're a band that began four decades ago, you really have to push yourself harder than ever when it comes to making a new record," states Bush. "The last thing you ever want is for it to appear as though you were going through the motions or that you're just putting a product out to do some touring. The records are immortal. They'll be here long after us. Every one needs to count in its own individual way."With Vera acting as producer, he recruited the same engineering team that worked on Win Hands Down with drums recorded by Josh Newell at El Dorado Studios in Burbank, CA, guitars tracked by Bill Metoyer at Skullseven studios in North Hollywood, CA, and vocals, bass and additional recordings by the bassist at his studio. "I like working with people that I trust and have a good personal rapport with. That same reason is why I hired Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Amon Amarth, Stonesour) to mix the record. It's important to be able to work with people who understand what the end goal is." The process of realizing the album was a lot of hard work, Vera admitting he took on too many of the tasks himself, but he states that overall it was a good experience and everyone brought their A-game to the table and the right attitude for getting things done. "At the end of the mixing stage, I always have a hard time walking away from the project we've been working on for so long. It's hard to let it go. The end result is good though. Everyone played and sang their asses off and it shows." The record also features a few guest musicians further expanding its sonic palette, the whole thing kicking off with the sound of Uilleann Pipes, Vera finding player Patrick D'Arcy in LA and recruiting him to the cause. Guns 'N' Roses keyboardist Dizzy Reed also contributes, Vera giving both him and D'Arcy some general directions and letting them loose, both of them delivering strong performances. The band's own Gonzo Sandoval plays an American Indian flute on "Never You Fret" - a first for Armored Saint and their drummer. Also Jacob Ayala, the son of a childhood friend who is a drum major in high school, added some marching snare on one of the tracks, which really stands out.With the band's place in the metal scene firmly reestablished with Punching The Sky, they are staring down their four decade anniversary, which Vera reflects on. "Part of me feels like I can't believe we've been doing this for that long. It's kind of incredible. So I feel pretty damn lucky really, that we've been able to have the support from fans and our record company for all these years. Without this support, we really couldn't do any of this. So this is the big part of what has kept us going, and when I stop and look around, I am humbled that we've had this opportunity to make music and tour for such a long time. That's what our initial goal was back when we were just 18 years old."Punching The Sky track-listing1. Standing on the Shoulders of Giants2. End of the Attention Span3. Bubble4. My Jurisdiction5. Do Wrong to None6. Lone Wolf7. Missile to Gun8. Fly in the Ointment9. Bark, No Bite10. Unfair11. Never You FretArmored Saint online:http://armoredsaint.comhttps://www.facebook.com/thearmoredsainthttps://twitter.com/thearmoredsainthttps://www.instagram.com/thearmoredsaint Less