quête:metal blade

The combination of big riffs, driving rhythms, thick yet lithe bass lines and rich vocal melodies has made for some of the greatest music of all time, and in the hands of Kings Of Mercia this recipe is intoxicating. Best known as the founding guitarist for Fates Warning, Jim Matheos is incapable of stifling his creativity. In early 2021, he started working on the songs that would become Kings Of Mercia’s self-titled debut album, bringing his distinct style yet doing something a little different. Churning out songs, Matheos’ next concern was to find the musicians who would help him realize the material, and his first priority was a vocalist. Enter FM vocalist Steve Overland. The combination of Matheos’ riffs and Overland’s vocals makes for perfect bedfellows. Behind the kit for the record is the legendary Simon Phillips (ex-Toto, Derek Sherinian), one of Matheos’ favorite drummers. Rounding out the group is bassist Joey Vera - Matheos’ Fates Warning bandmate - who brings his trademark style and professionalism to the table. With these players involved it was an easy, stress-free process throughout, making music for the love of it, and coming up with something that sounds familiar yet new, expanding the repertoire of all involved. This means songs like the half-acoustic ballad, half-swaggering “Too Far Gone” or the beautiful “Everyday Angels”, and the soaring “Wrecking Ball”, which opens the record on a high note, all brought to life in dynamic style. The hardest part of the whole process was coming up with a name for the band. It made sense to self-title the record due to it being the band’s debut, and given how much life there is in the songs it would not be surprising if it did not become the first of many, the combination of those involved creating something special, and with Matheos’ permanent creative hunger you may well be hearing a lot more from Kings Of Mercia.

Boston-based progressive death metal outfit Revocation return from the Lovecraftian outer limits on new album, Netherheaven. Four years in the making, the Billboard-charting trio—featuring Dave Davidson (vocals/guitars), Ash Pearson (drums), and Brett Bamberger (bass)--meticulously explore the allegorical and literal aspects of Hell as they dig deeper into the darker, more diabolical side of death metal. In short, where the previous album, The Outer Ones (2018), jettison Revocation into the horrific maw of the cosmos, Netherheaven bores deftly through the nine rings of Hell to directly confront Lucifer and his multitudinous faces. The album's stunning Renaissance-style Paolo Girardi (Firespawn, Power Trip) cover art says it all. Revocation will release Netherheaven on September 9th. Indeed, as the adventurous triumvirate enter their 16th year, they show zero signs of slowing down or softening up. If death metal was looking for an Album of the Year, it's got a top contender in Netherheaven.

Boston-based progressive death metal outfit Revocation return from the Lovecraftian outer limits on new album, Netherheaven. Four years in the making, the Billboard-charting trio—featuring Dave Davidson (vocals/guitars), Ash Pearson (drums), and Brett Bamberger (bass)--meticulously explore the allegorical and literal aspects of Hell as they dig deeper into the darker, more diabolical side of death metal. In short, where the previous album, The Outer Ones (2018), jettison Revocation into the horrific maw of the cosmos, Netherheaven bores deftly through the nine rings of Hell to directly confront Lucifer and his multitudinous faces. The album's stunning Renaissance-style Paolo Girardi (Firespawn, Power Trip) cover art says it all. Revocation will release Netherheaven on September 9th. Indeed, as the adventurous triumvirate enter their 16th year, they show zero signs of slowing down or softening up. If death metal was looking for an Album of the Year, it's got a top contender in Netherheaven.

Metal Blade Records freut sich, die offizielle Wiederveröffentlichung der Debüt-EP von IF THESE TREES COULD TALK aus Akron, OH, bekannt zu geben. Die erste Veröffentlichung dieser instrumentalen Post-Rock-Band wurde 2006 in den NE Meadow Studios in Bath, OH aufgenommen und ursprünglich von der Band unabhängig am 27. September 2006 veröffentlicht.

A-Z, die neue Band der Fates Warning Ikonen Ray Alder und Mark Zonder, hat kürzlich die zweite Single aus ihrem anstehenden Debütalbum veröffentlicht: "Trial By Fire". Die Band kommentiert die neue Single wie Folgt: "We always felt that 'Trial by Fire' was going to be a big song for us. Classic arena rock style song, big intro, great groove, memorable chorus, and a classic vocal-oriented ending. All of the elements that made the 70?s and 80?s the greatest era for rock."

Als eine der beliebtesten Metal-Bands der Welt stecken sich AMON AMARTH sehr hohe Ziele, wenn sie ins Studio gehen. "The Great Heathen Army" wurde mit dem legendären Studioguru Andy Sneap an den Reglern aufgenommen und stellt für die Band einen kühnen Sprung nach vorne dar, da ihr unverwechselbarer Sound erneut eine sehr gekonnte Weiterentwicklung erfährt, sowohl textlich als auch musikalisch. Vom treibenden "Find A Way Or Make One" und dem kämpferischen "Get In The Ring" bis hin zu der sich heraufbeschwörenden Wut in "Saxons & Vikings" und dem epischen Urschrei in Form des Titeltracks, fasst "The Great Heathen Army" die Essenz dieser legendären Band zusammen und lässt dabei trotzdem noch Raum für neue Ideen.

In celebration of the band's self titled 10th anniversary, and new for 2022, WHITECHAPEL "Whitechapel" available for the first time on "marbled" Vinyl. Originally released in 2012, "Whitechapel" has sold upwards of 60,000 units in the U.S., but has offer very limited pressings on LP. Grab these while you can and see WHITECHAPEL ON TOUR in June / July throughout North America

For Fan Of: Journey, Rainbow, Kansas, Fates Warning, Armored Saint, Van Halen, Scorpions, Arch/Matheos, Warlord, Jethro Tull When Mark Zonder, famed former Fates Warning and Warlord drummer, started working on material in early 2020 he had a very clear vision for the band he wanted to put together. “I wanted to have a very accessible band that would appeal to the masses and would lead to the ability to tour larger venues. I knew from myself and the others that I would recruit, it would have some sophisticated music parts but the big hook was the main priority.” The result was A-Z, reuniting him with Fates Warning vocalist Ray Alder, Warlord/Steve Vai/Ring of Fire bassist Philip Bynoe, guitarist Joop Wolters and keyboardist Vivien Lalu, the combination of these players stirring up a very specific kind of magic that could not be replicated. The goal was always the same: shorter songs and getting right to the chorus, no twelve-minute songs, and everyone found it easy working to this remit. With everything else coming together nicely, finding the right singer was the hardest aspect of the whole process.

Australia’s Nicolas Cage Fighter are coming out swinging. Combining ruthless hardcore, late 90s metal and death metal influences, the band deftly weave a sound that is as burly as it is brutal, pummeling all those that get in their way. Formed in Ballarat, Victoria in 2011, the band have worked slowly and steadily to build their profile, dropping singles and EPs and sharing stages with the likes of Attila, Thy Art Is Murder, Thick As Blood and Deez Nuts, building a devoted fan base. With The Bones That Grew From Pain now primed to be unleashed they are hoping for the opportunity to tour it internationally, bringing their merciless performances to stages around the world and engaging with the new army of fans that are sure to connect with their no-bullshit stance and killer material.

Canada’s WAKE have never been a band interested in repeating themselves, this abundantly apparent from their discography, having evolved with every release. 2020’s Devouring Ruin made this more clear than ever, hammering the point home with the Confluence EP in the same year, and now they return with Thought Form Descent, their most dynamic, diverse and emotional release to date. “I’d describe the record as a place to reconsider what ‘extreme’ means. The words ‘brutal’, ‘crushing’, ‘devastating’ are overused adjectives for extreme music. We wanted to force people to confront the idea that ‘brutal’ or ‘extreme’ ideas aren’t just blastbeats or angular tritones, or, more importantly, ‘brutal’ elements alongside pointedly passive elements can create their own experience that can channel both and neither.” The result is eight nuanced tracks that run the gamut from relentlessly heavy to exquisitely beautiful, often simultaneously, and instantly grab hold of the listener, demanding their full attention. However, at the same time, they are lushly textured and densely layered, and offer more with every subsequent exposure, unfurling to show hidden depths, and taking WAKE to a whole new level.

Die aus Tempe in Arizona stammende Deathgaze Band KARDASHEV wird ihr atemberaubendes zweites Album "Liminal Rite" am 10. Juni über Metal Blade Records veröffentlichen. Die Mission der Band lässt sich am besten wie folgt beschreiben: "Es ist der Versuch, die schönste, schwerste Musik im Metalspektrum zu erschaffen, die sich mit Themen wie Liebe, Verlust und Altruismus beschäftigt." Die Band veröffentlichte 2015 ihr Debütalbum "Peripety" und hat sich seitdem auf kurze Konzeptalben konzentriert, zuletzt 2021 das mitreißende "The Baring Of Shadows". Sie gehen selten mit vorgefassten Meinungen oder Plänen an die Entstehung eines Albums heran, sondern arbeiten so lange, bis sich das, was sie sich im Allgemeinen vorstellen, manifestiert. Das Ergebnis ist das diesjährige Album "Liminal Rite", das elf mitreißende, ergreifende und musikalisch grandiose Stücke enthält. Das Album beginnt mit dem wunderschönen "The Approaching Of Atonement", bevor es in das dicht geschichtete, wogende "Silvered Shadows" übergeht. Ein Hauch von Tragik liegt über einem Großteil des Albums und fordert bei jeder musikalischen Wendung eine emotionale Reaktion. "Liminal Rite" ist lyrisch tiefgründig und komplex und konzentriert sich vor allem auf die Stimmung. Gitarrist Nico Mirolla beschreibt die Songs treffend als musikalisch ähnlich wie Freeform-Jazz oder eine progressive Platte, denn: "Die Geschichte steht im Mittelpunkt. Es findet eine wichtige Erzählung statt, die durch die absichtlich dafür entworfenen Klangstrukturen und -qualitäten unterstützt wird."

Am 6. August 2021 feierte die dreifach Grammy-nominierten Hardrock-Schwergewichte und Platin-verkaufende Band Killswitch Engage ein Streaming-Event, das die Fans im Sturm eroberte. Die Veranstaltung fand im The Palladium in Worcester in Massachusetts statt, dem Heimatstaat der Band, in dem im Laufe der Bandgeschichte viele ikonische KsE-Shows stattfanden. Die Setlist besteht aus dem 2019er Album Atonement und dem 2000 erschienenen, selbstbetitelten Debütalbum - mit einigen lustigen und unerwarteten Überraschungen auf dem Weg! Dieses besondere Ereignis wurde von David Brodsky und Allison Woest für MyGoodEye inszeniert. Diese fesselnde Performance wird am 3. Juni erstmals digital, auf 2 LP und 2 CD/BR über Metal Blade erhältlich sein.

Am 6. August 2021 feierte die dreifach Grammy-nominierten Hardrock-Schwergewichte und Platin-verkaufende Band Killswitch Engage ein Streaming-Event, das die Fans im Sturm eroberte. Die Veranstaltung fand im The Palladium in Worcester in Massachusetts statt, dem Heimatstaat der Band, in dem im Laufe der Bandgeschichte viele ikonische KsE-Shows stattfanden. Die Setlist besteht aus dem 2019er Album Atonement und dem 2000 erschienenen, selbstbetitelten Debütalbum - mit einigen lustigen und unerwarteten Überraschungen auf dem Weg! Dieses besondere Ereignis wurde von David Brodsky und Allison Woest für MyGoodEye inszeniert. Diese fesselnde Performance wird am 3. Juni erstmals digital, auf 2 LP und 2 CD/BR über Metal Blade erhältlich sein.

The Codex Necro is the first studio album by British extreme metal band and Metal Blade Records recording artist Anaal Nathrakh. It was originally released on 22 November 2001, and is now available again as 2021 Vinyl pressings and CD.

2022 Catalog Vinyl Re-Pressings, mastered for VINYL by DAVE OTERO (Khemmis, Cephalic Carnage, Cattle Decapitation, Allegaeon and more). HUMANURE is the fourth full length release from Metal Blade Records' CATTLE DECAPITATION. The album features guests performances by Gabe Serbian, Justin Pearson and Robert Bray of The Locust. Many view HUMANURE as the turning point in CATTLE DECAPITATION's development from underground vegan and animals rights activists to grind / death metal hierarchy. HUMANURE undoubtedly set the tone for Cattle's subsequent rise, situating the band in 2022 as one of the top in the field.

2022 Catalog Vinyl Re-Pressings, mastered for VINYL by DAVE OTERO (Khemmis, Cephalic Carnage, Cattle Decapitation, Allegaeon and more). The Harvest Floor is the sixth full-length studio album by Metal Blade Records' death-grind heroes Cattle Decapitation. Released on January 20, 2009, the album was recorded and mixed at Sharkbite studios in Oakland, California, with engineering and production handled by Billy Anderson (Melvins, Mr, Bungle, Fu Manchu, Clutch, Neurosis and more). Features guest performances from members of Exhumed, Dystopia, Swans and more). The Harvest Floor was first album from Cattle Decapitation to debut on a Billboard charts (Heatseekers @ #16). Every Cattle Capitation record since, has appeared on Billboard.

2022 Catalog Vinyl Re-Pressings, mastered for VINYL by DAVE OTERO (Khemmis, Cephalic Carnage, Cattle Decapitation, Allegaeon and more). The third full length release from Cattle Decapitation, and the band's 2002 debut release. Looking back 20 years, To Serve Man was a massive priority release for Metal Blade. Exclaim! (magazine) wrote that the band "has entered the upper realm of gore-grinders," with To Serve Man. The album has gone on to sell almost 20,000 albums in the US alone and upwards of 40,000 worldwide. To Serve Man set the stage for Cattle Decapitation to become one of the most successful and respected bands in the genre.

2022 Catalog Vinyl Re-Pressings, mastered for VINYL by DAVE OTERO (Khemmis, Cephalic Carnage, Cattle Decapitation, Allegaeon and more). K.B.K. sees Cattle Decapitation out doing themselves with more diversity, rage and antagonism than prior releases. Definitely a turning point for the band musically and logical first progression to what the band is now; Unabashed, unique grind.