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Hammerfall Announce World Dominion for 2020

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Hammerfall have just declared their World Dominion – a tour, that is, to follow the release of their latest album Dominion, set to be released on August 16th via Napalm Records. The tour will run January 30th-February 20th 2020 throughout Europe, but not before the band plays a few special U.S. headlining shows in September, followed by a North American run alongside Sabaton in October and November. During World Dominion, the band will be accompanied by special guests Battle Beast and support Serious Black. Frontman Joacim Cans says of the run, “’Good is not good enough, it has to be great’ also applies on the upcoming European tour. Not only are we bringing one of the most promising new metal bands, Battle Beast, as special guest, we also have support from Serious Black. We are also upgrading the venues in many cities, and will play arenas, where we will present the biggest and most badass tour production ever. Can’t wait to meet all the awesome HammerFall fans all over Europe. If you can attend only one show next year, this is the one to choose!”

For a taste of Hammerfall’s live show, check out their recently released live video for the track “One Against The World” right here. Keep up with the band via: https://www.hammerfall.net/

Slayer Reveal Part 2 of Mysterious Teaser Trailer Series

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Slayer suddenly released an unexpected and mysterious teaser trailer a few weeks ago, one which turned out to be a signal of the coming announcement of The Final Campaign, the wrap-up of their Final World Tour set for the fall. This week, the band has released another similarly mysterious trailer, simply entitled “Coming Fall 2019 – Part 2”, and featuring Jessica Pimentel, from Orange Is The New Black, and Danny Trejo, who was featured in the last trailer as well. No official announcement on the meaning of the teaser has been revealed yet, but you can check it out and speculate below:

 Keep an eye on: https://www.slayer.net/ for the latest.

Concert Review: Dio Returns at The Paramount

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Dio Returns
(Left to right: Bjorn Englen, Scott Warren, “Dio” (hologram), Craig Goldy, Simon Wright during the Dio Returns show at The Paramount)

Dio Returns! But not quite in the way you might expect. If you’re in the loop with the metal world, the fact that Ronnie James Dio has been touring in hologram form is probably not news to you. In fact, the projection made its on stage debut at the Wacken Open Air festival in 2016 – but the touring officially took off in Europe in 2018, with 2019 marking the official U.S. debut of Eyellusion’s unique creation. There have been many reactions to the news since it took to the road – some negative, some positive – but no matter what, this concept has people talking worldwide. 

To say I’m a fan of Dio would be an understatement, since the music of Ronnie James Dio, from Rainbow and Black Sabbath, to his namesake band, comprises and represents so much of the classic heavy metal world for me, in all of the spirit and energy infused into a quintessential sound and image. Even so, I never had the opportunity to see the late great icon while he still graced us all with his powerful presence in this world, making the chance to experience and take in some element of his legacy in real life all the more appealing. I was excited but with reservations at first – while I wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea of the Dio hologram when I first heard of it, I did have a few hesitations and curiosities, just wondering what watching a simulated smoke-and-mirrors image of a musician I admire so highly would even feel like. The moment Craig Goldy (guitar), Bjorn Englen (bass), Simon Wright (drums), and Scott Warren (keys) took up their respective instruments, the stage lit up, and “Dio” appeared in his own place center stage at The Paramount in Huntington, NY on June 9th, 2019, my questions were answered. 

Following a dynamic opening show from Love/Hate (who opened for Dio on an arena tour in their early years!), “King of Rock And Roll” opened the Dio Returns set, showcasing the hologram in its full glory right off the bat, with the accompanying talents of the live band that not only shares the same members as Dio Disciples, but consists mostly of musicians who personally shared the stage with the real Dio in his time. Although I’ve unfortunately never seen Dio in person, and all that I know of him has come from video/audio recordings and photographs, I could still recognize that his mannerisms and stage movements were pinpointed to a tee with this hologram, with an energy and vibrancy that could even be deceiving at certain moments, looking at it from just the right angle. The show’s setlist managed just the right balance between projected images and real-life performers, as Tim “Ripper” Owens and Oni Logan each joined the band, replacing “Dio” intermittently for a good portion of the songs in the set, and rounding out the full lineup of Dio Disciples in the process. “Dio” was mostly present to sing the biggest and most well-known hits from his discography, with go-to tracks like “Holy Diver”, “The Last In Line”, “Man On The Silver Mountain”, “Heaven and Hell”, and “Rainbow In The Dark”. Meanwhile, Tim and Oni sprinkled in other well-loved tracks by covering “Don’t Talk To Strangers”, “Egypt (The Chains Are On)”, “The Mob Rules”, “Children of the Sea”, and more, including a Rainbow medley in the form of “Catch The Rainbow” and “Stargazer”. 

Tim “Ripper” Owens

I did appreciate that, while playing with methods of on-stage interactions with “Dio”, the band didn’t try to act entirely as though it wasn’t a hologram at all – at times, it felt like there was a degree of acknowledgement of its illusion (or should I say, Eyellusion?), not to mention the fact that “Dio”’s manner of entering and exiting the stage was not by walking on and off, but materializing out of thin air like an apparition – nonetheless, they had clever approaches to showing dimension and bringing the image to life. The use of platforms added to that sense of dimension and perspective, putting the band on the same visual plane and level on stage when “Dio” performed, yet providing the freedom of movement for Craig and Bjorn to step down off those platforms whenever Tim and/or Oni came out on stage, putting them on the same “real-life” plane with the singers, as opposed to up in the hologram space with “Dio”. A simple concept based solely on where the performers stand (literally), but perfectly effective. 

Oni Logan

The lines of reality especially blurred during a strong performance of “We Rock”, then the encore of “Neon Knights”, when the entire band including both Tim and Oni, plus their special guest David Feinstein, all joined “Dio” on stage. David Feinstein may have a long ongoing run in The Rods, but he has his fair share of history playing in bands with his cousin – that would be Ronnie James Dio, of course. Amidst Feinstein’s early musical career is a bout with Ronnie Dio and the Prophets, a band which would later become Elf (a frequent opening act for Deep Purple in the mid-70’s), before this band eventually dissolved as it gradually transformed into the early makings of Rainbow, and David went on to form The Rods. Feinstein’s early music career is inherently tied in with that of Ronnie James Dio’s, not to mention the personal relation and all, making his appearance at this show all the more meaningful. In that moment, all of the live band members’ energy bounced off one another, and when combined with their interactions with “Dio”, he truly felt real and alive in that very moment, making for quite an emotional experience and close to the show. 

David Feinstein joins the band as Tim “Ripper” Owens and Oni Logan sing with “Dio”

For those who knew him or saw him live, this stage portrayal of Dio will bring back memories – a sense of nostalgia for when the real man himself was alive and performing around the world. For others, like myself, it gives a taste of what it might have been like, and brings the music to life in a new way. Even if you’re among those with a distaste for the idea of a witnessing a hologram musician performing on stage, I would absolutely recommend giving this Dio Returns tour a chance – not only does it offer a memorable theatrical show to take in, but it brings back a touch of the magic of Dio to the world in a unique way. All the appeal of a live concert experience is still there, with the living breathing band members’ energy present for the audience to bounce off of, and to celebrate the life of Ronnie James Dio together with those who were close to him. With his music and image still shining brightly like a Rainbow In The Dark, Dio Returns shows that in one form or another, Ronnie James Dio’s incomparable voice still “sails on”, to “sing a song and carry on”, and keep his legacy alive.


[All concert photos ©Metal Magnitude 2019. Please do not copy or use without permission.]

To learn more about the Dio hologram, visit: http://eyellusionlive.com, or the official Eyellusion Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Sons of Apollo Announce New Live Record

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Sons of Apollo, the supergroup-esque project featuring a lineup of Mike Portnoy, Derek Sherinian, Billy Sheehan, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, and Jeff Scott Soto, are on their way to a follow-up to the debut full-length Psychotic Symphony, with their sophomore studio record planned for early 2020. In the meantime, the band plans to hold over their fans with a live release this summer, a recording of a one-off live symphonic performance in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, featuring the band alongside a full orchestra and choir in Live With The Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony. Here’s what Mike Portnoy has to say about the record: “I’ve released several dozen live albums through the years with about a dozen different bands, but I have to say that this live release from Sons of Apollo may indeed be the most special one of them all!! Everything was aligned that evening: an absolutely beautiful Roman amphitheatre and a perfectly gorgeous summer evening, one set of SOA material and one set of specially chosen cover songs, and to top it all off being joined by a symphony orchestra and choir…it was a magical evening for everybody in attendance and now we can share it with the rest of the world immortalized in this incredible live package”. The new record will be out on August 30th –  https://www.sonsofapollo.com/ has all the details. 

Death Angel Unveils Music Video To Coincide With “Humanicide” Album Release

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Death Angel just wrapped up a North American tour alongside Overkill, and are now headed to Europe for a summer-long run, but falling right in between is their brand-new record release this past weekend, Humanicide on Nuclear Blast Records. In celebration of the release, the band has also unveiled a music video for the track “I Came For Blood”, which you can check out right here. For more of the latest on Death Angel, head to: https://www.facebook.com/deathangel/

Destruction Releases First Single Off Seventeenth Studio Album

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Destruction is getting ready to unleash the 17th chapter in their lengthy German Thrash discography this summer, with Born To Perish set to be out on August 9th via Nuclear Blast Records. The first single off the record has just been revealed this week in visualizer video form – check out “Born To Perish” via the Nuclear Blast official YouTube Channel right here. Frontman Schmier says of the track, and of the band’s latest additions to their lineup: “The title track was the first song we wrote for the new record and it definitely shows the strength that DESTRUCTION has in 2019. It immediately set the bar high for the rest of the album. It features everything that we stand for: speed, picking, variety and punch. Randy came up with some very cool drum patterns and Damir offered up a really crunchy solo part, so both new members are heavily involved here!” Schmier, of course, refers to drummer Randy Black and guitarist Damir Eskic, the most recent additions to the long-running band.

Head to: https://www.facebook.com/destruction for more on Destruction and the upcoming record.

2018 Wacken Metal Battle Winners Motanka Release New Music Video

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Motanka is just about to unveil their brand of “Mystic Metal” via their self-titled debut this week, set for a June 7th release. The 2018 Wacken Metal Battle winners from Ukraine have also revealed a new live music video this week in anticipation of the release, for the track “Fire Burns”, which you can check out right here. Here’s what the band has to say about their Ukrainian Folk-inspired debut record: “For the album we recorded ancient instruments: dulcimer, ocarina and throat singing, combined with modern technologies, new instruments and analog sound. This album is like our child, it grew, it learned and became stronger and stronger. Every piece of the album is saturated with the mystical nature of Ukraine. We wrote most of the songs in our hometown Lutsk – the mystical center of Ukraine. The power of the region remained and still is the same for ages. We have prepared the album for many years and are very excited to finally present it via Napalm Records”. Motanka is available for preorder via Napalm Records here and via iTunes here.

For more on the band, head to: https://www.facebook.com/motankaband/

Striker Releases New Music Video While “On The Run” on the Summer of Shred Tour

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Photo Credit: Dana Zuk

Canadian Metallers Striker have just released a new music video for a track off their latest record, 2018’s Play To Win, “On The Run”, which you can check out right here. Here’s what the band has to say about the video: “As an independent band we are constantly pushing ourselves to be better and go further. “On The Run” is about just that; always moving forward with everything in your life. With this video we took on some new challenges with our director Lindsay Robinson in programming our own light show, and making all of the visual effects ourselves with very minimal computer graphics. We love how it turned out and we are excited to share it. Shred!”

Play To Win was released last October via Striker’s very own imprint, Record Breaking Records, and the band is still on the road in support of the album with their Summer of Shred, including a run alongside Steel Panther in June, a series of headlining dates in early July, then a run with Holy Grail and Bewitcher to finish off the rest of the month and kick off August. For all the details, check out: http://www.striker-metal.com/

Interview: Efreeti

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Efreeti is a Norwegian group of Extreme Metallers fronted by founding vocalist/guitarist Kristian Wangberg, and the band released the third chapter in their discography this spring with the latest record, Man of Sand. I had the chance to conduct a quick Q&A via email with Kristian, who was kind enough to take the time to give some insight into the band and record:


“Man of Sand” marks the third full-length from Efreeti – what elements of the band’s sound and style do you feel you’ve kept consistent, and in what senses has it changed or evolved, since “Chapter One”? 

I think the music is pretty similar to what we used to make, although there is definitely an evolution going on. The feel of the songs are pretty similar, at least to me its pretty easy to hear that its Efreeti. The earliest stuff was pretty riff based, but the music is moving towards being theme, or melody based.

All of your records so far have been independent releases, tell us what that looks like for you in terms of recording and producing them?

It just means that we need to pay for everything ourselves and keep anything we make. I would be happy to catch a deal when we first started, but now, I think its better to stay independent.

In terms of recording, most of the music over the records are done in my living room, and drums are done in pro studios, except chapter one which is programmed.

I’d like to ask about the “Man of Sand” album art. It looks like something I’ll take the liberty of assuming is an Efreet emerging from a bottle, and there’s an overall sense of ancient themes right down to having a song titled “100BC”, how does it all tie in to the music/lyrical content for this album?

Yes, that is indeed the Efreet! Many of our songs are fictional stories based on this mythology. We take one event that happened, and we sprinkle a little demon dust on it. We have quite a few songs describing fictional events in the Kandahar region of Afghanistan, and the Saffarid Dynasty. I don’t know much of actual events there, but some basic knowledge.

I notice a similarity between the artwork on your previous albums and this one, have you always had the same artist?

All art for Efreeti has been done by Mckinley Illustration.

You’re often referred to as Extreme Metal, so would you define Efreeti as not quite fitting the mold of “Black Metal” or “Death Metal”, etc., but having elements of multiple genres?

I think you answered it yourself. There are lots of different styles involved. I think extreme metal is a nice broad term that loosely defines us as heavier than the Beatles.

Talk to me about the Efreet and what it meant to you in naming the band originally. 

In the beginning, we went through a few names until one stuck. Efreet came up because we were all fans of Heroes of Might and Magic, and the lore behind it turned out to be really cool. So I still use the name and lore today, but the songs are not really strictly about demons anymore.

Many Metalheads tend to think of Norway practically as a source for Black Metal at this point, with many successful bands of the genre coming from there – do you feel a connection to that side of the metal scene, or more like you’re doing your own thing that’s a bit different? 

I personally don’t have strong connections with any of the metal scenes here, so totally doing my own thing! I do respect many local guys here, but its not like I try to sound like anyone. Most my music buddies are people I meet online!

Tell me about the story behind the video “Its Inner Pain” – both the meaning of it, and a little behind-the-scenes on shooting it. You’ve said you brought back a character from a previous album, and I wonder what made you tie that character into this song in particular?

The video vaguely describes what I imagine in my head when I hear the song. Its mother earth setting free a demon out of pity, and later getting tricked into death. The song itself is about meeting a demon, and the emotional and physical scar it will leave on you.

The video shoot was 3 cold days of our actress walking bare-feet in the forest!

It was a very simple production, but I think the result turned out alright! I will probably continue to tie in mother of all as long as I write music. Its a great way to describe a well meaning person, a fierce warrior, an abused victim etc. It makes as much sense as any other character.

What can we expect next from Efreeti?

We are currently planning a few live-shows, but nothing official yet. Later this year, I hope to release some more music, and hopefully some fun stuff while you wait! Thanks for this interview!


Man of Sand is available now via the Efreeti Bandcamp Page and iTunes (affiliate link). Keep up with the band here.

San Diego’s Monarch Declared Wacken Metal Battle USA Champions

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The 2019 Wacken Metal Battle USA recently took place at The Viper Room in Los Angeles, as the annual nationwide competition decided which band will represent the U.S. in the next stages of the battle – facing off against 29 other countries to see who will win the chance to take the stage at Wacken Open Air this year. Out of the selection of finalists – consisting of unsigned bands Dissentience, Monarch, Nahaya, Toxic Ruin, and Violence System – San Diego Thrash Metallers Monarch were the band chosen to represent the U.S. this year, and the international battle (featuring every metal band in the worldwide competition from over 29 countries aiming for the coveted win) is set for July 31st-August 2nd.

Here’s what the band has to say about their win in the competition:

“Without a doubt, this has been a journey for the Monarch camp and everyone involved. We are beyond thrilled to have won Wacken Metal Battle USA in 2019 to represent the United States of America! We have put 15 years of our blood, sweat, and tears into this band to make it what it is today. And we know that every band up until this moment have done the same. We would like to thank the fans for always being there and believing in what we do. We wouldn’t be here without the fans. To Eric Dow to have taken it upon himself to even have this opportunity, to begin with, and to the Brick by Brick, Viper Room, Andrew Bansal of Metal Assault for helping make this a reality for us and Jon Asher of Asher Media Relations for all his help with all the battles. We can’t imagine how hard it was for the judges to make a decision every time one of these epic battles went down and to them, we have much respect. Best believe that Monarch will be bringing the fire and metal from the United States to Wacken to show them what the USA metal scene has got. And we will be going as hard as we can to show the metal heads attending that we want to win this one! We are forever humbled to have gotten this far and now it’s time to strategize our victory in Germany.
Big Thanks to everyone involved that put together such an amazing year of metal! – Monarch”

For more on the competition, check out: https://www.metal-battle.com/about/ and to find all the details on Wacken, head to: https://www.wacken.com/

Life of Agony Announces World Tour with Special Guest Doyle

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Life of Agony have just announced a world tour coming up this fall, one to go along with the release of their brand-new concept album that’s on the way, The Sound of Scars. The Sylvia Massy/Joey Z. co-produced record is a follow-up to the concept of 1993’s River Runs Red, continuing on the story off the band’s debut. Not too long ago, the band debuted a track off The Sound of Scars during their show in support of Overkill at Playstation Theater in NYC – you can check out that livestreamed footage of “Empty Hole” right here.

Bassist Alan Robert says of the upcoming record, “There is something incredible happening around this ‘Sound Of Scars’ record and we can absolutely all feel it. To get out there and start playing these new songs for everyone is gonna be a blast… and to do it with our dear friend and musical hero, Doyle of the Misfits fame, is definitely going to be a tour to remember. We’re already plotting some cool collaborations on stage! I’m packing my many, many Misfits shirts! (laughs)”

Life of Agony will kick things off on October 22nd in the UK with special guests Doyle – further dates, including the release date of The Sound of Scars on Napalm Records, will be announced soon. Head to: https://www.facebook.com/lifeofagonyfamiglia/ for more. 

Opeth Announce 13th Studio Album

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Opeth In Cauda Venenum

Opeth has just revealed the upcoming release of the 13th chapter in their discography, with In Cauda Venenum set to be out on Moderbolaget/Nuclear Blast Records this fall. In Cauda Venenum will be available in both Swedish and English language versions, and further details on the record, including the release date, will be announced soon. In the meantime, the band has plenty of dates lined up worldwide, including a festival appearance in the U.S. at Psycho Las Vegas this August. Check out: https://www.facebook.com/Opeth/ for all the details. 

Thy Art Is Murder Debut Guitar Playthrough of “Human Target”

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(Photo Credit Jake Owens)

Thy Art Is Murder’s upcoming fifth studio record is set for a July 26th release via Nuclear Blast Entertainment, and the Australian Extreme Metallers have teamed up with Gear Gods to reveal a look at the first single and title track, “Human Target”, in guitar playthrough form, which you can check out right hereHuman Target is available for preorder now via the Thy Art Is Murder website, and via iTunes here (affiliate link).

Thy Art Is Murder has just wrapped up a North American run alongside Architects. Keep an eye out for the latest on the band via: https://www.thyartismurder.net/.

 

Jinjer In Studio Recording New Album

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Jinjer
Photo Credit: Veronika Gusieva

Jinjer are currently in studio with a brand-new album in the works, as the yet-to-be-titled follow-up to the recent EP Micro is being recorded in Kaska Studio in Kiev with returning Producer Max Morton (who also worked on the band’s debut King of Everything, as well as their most recent Micro, available via iTunes here: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/album/micro-ep/1442400403?mt=1&app=music&at=1000lt4Y (affiliate link).

The band says of the upcoming album, “No rest for the wicked! Together with our long time friend and producer Max Morton, we are pleased to announce that we’ve entered Kaska Studio in Kiev to begin recording our third full album, to be released later this year. Trust us, it’s gonna blow your heads off”. Further details on the record will be revealed in the near future, but in the meantime, Jinjer has plenty lined up with a North American headline tour set to kick off this September, with support from The Browning. Keep up with the latest via: https://www.facebook.com/JinjerOfficial

Fleshgod Apocalypse Reveals Music Video Off New Album Veleno

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"Veleno" - Fleshgod Apocalypse

Fleshgod Apocalypse has just unveiled their highly-anticipated follow up to 2016’s King, with their latest release, Veleno. In celebration of the release, the band has revealed a brand-new visualizer music video for the track “Worship and Forget”, which you can check out right here. Frontman Francesco Paoli says of the record, “The time has finally come. I lost count of the number of times I wrote and deleted this statement, since it’s almost impossible to find the right words to describe the feeling or explain how much this new album means to us. The fifth release, apparently, is crucial for every band and for us, considering what we’ve been through in the last couple of years, it is even more… it’s a new beginning, a new era. I’ll just say that Veleno embodies this spirit, being the best portrayal of this renewed strength within the band. So, let’s cut the chatter and let the music speak!”. For more on the record, head to: https://www.facebook.com/fleshgodapocalypse