OLD WHISKEY FUNERAL - OLD WHISKEY FUNERAL

Coming from the booze-soaked and swampy shores of Lake Michigan, Old Whiskey Funeral is certainly an apt moniker for this newer act out of Chicago.  Combining aspects of black, death, groove, and doom metal like a distillery blends malts and ingredients, Old Whiskey Funeral have brought forth a self-titled debut EP that should garner them a nice following in the weeks and months to come.

Satisfying and strong, Old Whiskey Funeral is an EP that hangs its hat heavily on robust riffage and estimable rhythms, all plentifully bestrewn with the bloodcurdling howls, screams, and growls of vocalist Devin Vansickle.  Although these same vocals can seem a bit harsh or high-pitched at times, Vansickle is a more than capable blackened doom n’ death crooner, and his tones of terror set the mood well on this five-track achievement.

Some of my favorites from the Old Whiskey Funeral EP include the catchy and well-written “Stoned, Drunk, and Ready to Die”; the groovy graveyard anthem known as “Morgue Whore”; and the indomitable dark and doom of “The World Shines Less Bright Today”.  As a whole, this entire album is well-produced and fun to listen to, especially on a dark and rainy day while enjoying a hot cup of coffee (and if you’d like to make it an Irish Coffee to further enhance the experience, I’m sure the dudes in Old Whiskey Funeral would fully agree with your decision).

Old Whiskey Funeral is currently available on Spotify and Bandcamp, so go enjoy this excellent EP right now! \m/

FFO:  Darkthrone, Mayhem, Saint Vitus, Pallbearer

Genre:  Blackened Doom/Death

Album Lineup:  Devin Vansickle (vocals), Joel Leonard (guitars), Jacek Leja (bass)

Old Whiskey Funeral Track Listing:

1. “No Lives Matter” (4:40)
2. “Stoned, Drunk, and Ready to Die” (5:50)
3. “Morgue Whore” (3:36)
4. “The World Shines Less Bright Today” (5:11)
5. “SerpentLord” (1:29)

Release Date:  May 1, 2017

Label:  Asylum Inc. Records

Old Whiskey Funeral Bandcamp Link: https://oldwhiskeyfuneral.bandcamp.com/releases

Old Whiskey Funeral Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/OldWhiskeyFuneral/

Written by Geoff Teach for Bloodrock Media on May 8, 2017
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DEFY THE TIDE - SOTERIA

Defy The Tide released their third EP, titled Soteria, on April 7, 2017. This melodic heavy metal band was formed in 2014 with band members hailing from Pittsburgh and the surrounding Ohio Valley area.

If you’re a fan of bands like Evanescence and Stone Sour, you’ll want to check out Defy The Tide. While this EP is only four songs long (or short, depending on how much you enjoy it - which I did), you’ll recognize the band’s talent from the opening track, “Traced In Flames”. Carly Rose shows off her vocal range and is supported by electrifying guitar and bass riffs, and layered over steadily banging drums. “Catalyst” greets you with harder drums booming, and even more fancy guitar and bass work - the band truly shows off their instrumental talents in this track. “Primrose Path” commences with slow riffs and softer vocals, complimented by some heavier drums added into the mix.

Defy The Tide is a band that contains five highly talented individuals who come together to create a sound that is beautifully metal, while maintaining a softness that will appeal to those that like the lighter side of the genre. Soteria will please both hard and soft metal lovers - from the beautifully feminine sounds produced by Carly Rose, to the bass and guitar expertise, to the drumwork. If you’re looking for a band to check out, give Defy The Tide a try and purchase Soteria. You will definitely appreciate the skill that went into this album, so sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Tracklist

1. Traced In Flames
2. Catalyst
3. Primrose Path
4. A Spectre In Silence

Lineup

Carly Rose - Vocals

Jesse Scott - Guitar

Matthew Friede - Guitar

Greg Fristick - Bass

Luke Tenley - Drums

Check out Defy The Tide here:

https://www.defythetide.com/

http://www.facebook.com/DefyTheTide

http://twitter.com/DefytheTide

http://www.instagram.com/defythetide

Written by Har-Lena Quinn for Bloodrock Media on May 8, 2017

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ATREXIAL - SOUVERAIN

The powerful Spanish black metal band, Atrexial, is set to release their debut album, Souverain, on May 30, 2017 via Godz Ov War Productions.  Souverain is packed full of harsh riffs, cut throat vocals, and thunderous, yet precise drumming; presenting black metal fans with something fresh, gritty, and explosive to blast as loud as possible all summer long.

Souverain checks all of the boxes of what is expected of a black metal album; simple and to the point. Atrexial did not attempt to reinvent the wheel with Souverain, nor did they arbitrarily add glitter to make it pretty.  What they, effectively and marvelously, did was freshen up a well established genre, with some killer tracks that keep the listener engrossed and audibly intrigued.  Tracks like like “Trinity” and “The Hideous Veil of Innocence” fine tune the balance of heavy chugging riffs with roaring harmonics, while still showing off some flare with a hefty helping of doom. The album’s title track, “Souverain”, is a magnificent example of Atrexial combining all of their ferocious qualities in one swift, unrelenting strike. The breakdown alone would make what's left of even the most rotten corpse’s arm hair stand at attention.

There is no doubt that fans of raw, gritty black metal, that boasts excellent production quality, will enjoy Souverain. Atrexial will remind fans of the ferocity of metal legends Cradle of Filth, Emperor, and even Lamb of God; all while maintaining a crisp edge, like a freshly sharpened axe that's ready to strike. It's incredibly rare and refreshing for a debut album to sound this savage, yet smooth. Atrexial will come across to fans as an impressive, well oiled machine and it will blow their minds when they find out that this is their first rodeo.  Bottom line, ladies and gentlemen, Souverain is a massively explosive first outing, which displays a tremendous amount of promise. The exceptional musical prowess of Atrexial is staggering, to the point that is almost unfathomable that Souverian is the beginning of their journey. Souverian is quite possibly the best black metal album of 2017 regardless of what comes out over the next 7 months.  Make sure to jump aboard this ship sooner, rather than later, so you're not left in all of its wake.

Tracklist

1. Enthronement
2. The Hideous Veil of Innocence
3. Under the Scourge of Lamashtu
4. Catharsis Through Torment
5. Unmerciful Imperial Majesty
6. Illuminatur
7. The Ominous Silence
8. Ascension
9. Shadows of the Nephilim Throne
10. Trinity
11. Souverain
12. Eternal
    

Lineup
Naga S. Maelström - Guitars, Bass, Synths, Songwriting & Backing Vocals
Louen - Main vocals, Guitars & Lyrics
Labelua - Drums

Follow Atrexial here:

https://www.facebook.com/Atrexial/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1GPIszttSk (full album)

https://atrexial.bandcamp.com/releases

Written by Ken Kaizer for Bloodrock Media on May 5, 2017

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KYLE MORRISON - PIANOMETAL

Kyle Morrison is releasing his album Pianometal on May 26, 2017. It is available now for pre-order on BandCamp, with the pre-order you get three tracks right away. This Atlanta based musician will blow your mind away with his vision and what he’s created on this album. It is truly a work of art.

Opening up with a track true to the album’s name, “Centrifuge” combines crashing drums, electric riffs, and introduces beautiful piano melodies into a metal medley. The piano is considered a classical instrument, right? It isn’t very often that you hear it used into metal, but this album will take this classical instrument and shed new light on how it can enhance heavy metal. “Hymn Of Blasphemy” will creates an atmosphere, so beyond comprehension, it will feel as though you have a mini-orchestra playing in your livingroom, for your own entertainment. “Mammoth” offers a true metal feel, the first track on the album that introduces deep, growling vocals, typically heard in heavy metal. The heavier vocals are complimented by softer, more feminine ones and a combination of piano, drums, and bass all of which are simply amazing and quite a bit heavier, so headbanging is sure to ensue. “Eye Of The Storm” is a bit of a softer track, but still heavily influenced by all things metal. It is much less headbangy (yeah, I just made that word up) and more groove, so you will move but whiplash is less likely to occur. “Seasons” showcases the piano a bit more, and confirms the newly found concept that the piano is as metal as an electric guitar, bass, drums, and growling - or anything that makes metal what it is for that matter.

Remember how I mentioned that you can pre-order Pianometal on BandCamp and have immediate access to three tracks? Go do that, now. Thank me later.

Pianometal rocks in a way that words can't even do it any justice - it is something that just needs to be experienced to understand. The collaborations and talent contained in this one album is truly mind boggling. Each and every song is dynamic and diverse - you don’t know what to expect next and the mystery is brilliant and no less than amazing. Pianometal is primarily instrumental, but it doesn't need lyrics or vocals; the dominance of the instruments, the beats, and melodies created by Morrison, they are so completely beautiful and wonderfully metal, that vocals would detract from its artistic brilliance. We salute you, Kyle Morrison, and every artist that contributed to Pianometal - it was truly a pleasure to listen to.

Tracklist

1. Centrifuge (feat. Dirk Verbeuren and Brian Canzella)
2. Hymn of Blasphemy (feat. Francesco Ferrini)
3. The Cosmos I - Martian Dusk (feat. Dirk Verbeuren and Paul Jacovino)
4. Mammoth (feat. Sean Z, Adrienne Cowan, and Sergio Pacheco)
5. Ocean Black (feat. Elias Holmlid)
6. The Cosmos II - Orion’s Curse (feat. Andrew Stephens)
7. Eye Of The Storm (feat. Justin Rogers)
8. The Cosmos III - Interstellar Survival
9. Seasons (feat. Chet Powell)
10. The Road To Eternity (feat. Dirk Verbeuren, Justin Rogers, and Jonathan Mullins)
11. Mammoth (Instrumental) - Bonus Track
12. The Road To Eternity (Orchestral) - Bonus Track

Check out Kyle Morrison here:

https://www.facebook.com/kylemorrisonrocks/

http://www.kylemorrisonrocks.com/

Written by Har-Lena Quinn for Bloodrock Media on May 7, 2017

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NEW FOUND GLORY - MAKES ME SICK

New Found Glory has been on the scene for twenty years. They’ve just released their new album titled Makes Me Sick courtesy of Hopeless Records. Diehard fans have waited three years for a new release from the band.

The first track, if you’ve been a fan, will greet you with the recognizable vocals of Jordan Pundik. You’ll definitely get vibes of the old New Found Glory pop-punk familiarity from the opening track. With this album, you’ll find that the band has graduated to a softer pop-punk feel - but this is not a bad thing. They’ve matured within the genre to still bring what you’ve become used to from them. “Party On Apocalypse” is a perfect example of this maturation - they’re still presenting a sound that fans can count on, but showing their control of their instruments and vocal talents. That isn’t to say they aren’t incorporating a harder feel at times in their tracks. If you were more a fan of their harder sounding songs, “Happy Being Miserable” will please you from the start - crashing drums, heavy riffs, and a song about someone who kind of sucks - you can’t really get more pop-punk than that, right? “Barbed Wire” immediately opens with electric riffs and powerful vocals, incorporating softer drums in the background until the chorus kicks in. The beats in this song are going to make you move.

So, New Found Glory fans, don’t purchase this album and expect exactly the same sound we’re used to. This album presents a maturation of the genre we’ve grown to love - and that isn’t a bad thing. While this album may not sound like the classic pop-punk we’ve grown up with in every track, it is an album that’s a more adult version of the genre - proving that a genre can evolve over time and stay relevant while still weaving classic stylings into it. You won’t be disappointed with what the band has grown into - at least, I know I wasn’t disappointed with this sound.

Tracklist

1. Your Jokes Aren’t Funny
2. Party On Apocalypse
3. Call Me Anti-Social
4. Happy Being Miserable
5. The Sound Of Two Voices
6. Blurred Vision
7. Say It Don’t Spray It
8. Barbed Wire
9. Short And Sweet
10. The Cheapest Thrill

Lineup

Jordan Pundik - Lead Vocals

Chad Gilbert - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals, Rhythm Guitar

Ian Grushka - Bass Guitar

Cyrus Bolooki - Drums, Percussion

Check out New Found Glory here:

https://www.newfoundglory.com/

http://www.facebook.com/newfoundglory

https://www.instagram.com/newfoundglory/

https://twitter.com/newfoundglory

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1TAp7wegA0AoGJ5kJmHbPw

Written by Har-Lena Quinn for Bloodrock Media

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