UK Folk Horror outfit FORLORN explore the element of Earth with their new single ‘Creatress’, which is out now on all platforms. ‘Creatress’ heralds a new dawn for the band after they closed their ‘Sæl’ cycle on a high note in 2023. The track is a marriage of symphonic black metal, bone-rattling low guitars, neck-snapping groove, and ambient soundscapes that further blurs the lines of genre. Centred around the element of Earth and inspired by the ancient norse deity Moder, ‘Creatress’ draws parallels between humanity’s relationship with Mother Earth and women in modern society. Female empowerment has been a core theme that has developed across Forlorn’s offerings; ‘Creatress’ honours the ancient matriarch, a societal archetype often disregarded as worthless, particularly in modern day society. Speaking of ‘Creatress’, vocalist Megan Elliott comments: “This new offering marks the beginning of a new, experimental and visceral journey for Forlorn. ‘Creatress’ delivers an empowering and important message not only about the importance of respecting the Earth but also advocating for a greater presence for Women within the music industry.”
Sci-Fi alt-metallers SICK N’ BEAUTIFUL are excited to announce the release of their new single and video, ‘DEATH POLICE’, out now via Frontiers Music. ‘DEATH POLICE’ is one of their heaviest track to date, accordingly to bass player Big Daddy Ray. “The idea behind the song was to imagine an afterlife where there is no heaven or hell, just another dystopian plane of existence – he says. “Where an authoritarian entity rules over the souls of the departed.” “The video is even crazier than our typical fare,” emphasizes singer Herma. “We wanted to create something that was glamorous yet horrifying at the same time. This one is definitely going to be a banger to play live!”
Rising alt/rock powerhouse LYELL has teamed up with Detroit rockers Eva Under Fire and rapper Hyro The Hero for new single ‘Lighthouse’, available to stream now via VERSION III. Instead of a pretty, sweet lullaby luring you in, the track, produced by Kevin Hissink (grandson) and Zach Jones (MOTHICA, Nova Twins), is rock’s version of a Siren Song. “Eva Under Fire has always been someone I’ve looked up to as a woman in rock and we finally connected when she happened to come into one of my TikTok Lives. We chatted about doing a song together and I thought this was the perfect one. Between her and Hyro the Hero’s genre-bending energy, it took the song to another dimension” shares LYELL on the track and her collaborators.
If you needed some riff-related whiplash today, you should give Red Handed Denial‘s new single ‘Parasite’ a spin. Sure it’s a lot of parts in one song, but damn if Red Handed Denial doesn’t make it flow smooth as hell the whole time. “It’s about a person you can’t get rid of who feeds off your energy,” said Red Handed Denial vocalist Lauren Babic. “Truthfully, these are my feelings about social media. If I could, I’d throw my phone into the ocean, because it truly sucks the life out of me. My connections to friends and family have suffered because of social media. ‘Parasite’ embodies my anger of wanting to watch it die.” Red Handed Denial will release their new record A Journey Through Virtual Dystopia on May 24. [via Metal Injection]
The first single from the new line-up of Finnish-Ecuadorean melodic heavy metal band BLACK SUN is here. ‘Slay the Queen’ is a track that combines all the elements of BLACK SUN‘s sound featuring crunchy guitars, catchy hooks, and impressive vocals from the matchless talents of vocalist, Netta Laurenne. Laurenne is backed by founding members Nicolas Estrada (drums), Christopher Grünberg (guitar), and Santiago Salem (bass) as well as the band’s producer-turned-friend, Thunderstone guitarist Nino Laurenne whose production credits include Amorphis, Lost Society, The Rasmus. As a result, Ecuador and Finland are now bonded and represented by a band that is one of a kind. BLACK SUN is writing a new chapter, a rebirth as a band. About the track, Netta shares: “’Slay the Queen‘ is a story about time ruling over people’s lives and the wish to stop its reign. In our society, we are forced to obey this chosen, structured perception of time that doesn’t allow us the freedom so often needed to live a life truest to ourselves.” [via SLR Magazine]
We are seeing a rise in bands taking a stand against and calling out the outdated standards (and snakes) within the music industry. First came Redhook with their infectious jam ‘SAY‘, then Belle Haven had a crack with ‘Grimace‘ and just last week ex-Fear Factory frontman Burton C. Bell fired shots with his solo single ‘ANTI-DROID‘; Now it’s Vilify’s time to shine as they set their sights on users who over-promise and under-deliver in this thumping new offering. “Split Tongue’ is about those slithery, slippery little snakes that are only out for themselves,” explains the band. “The tracks draws from the disdain we have all felt from believing in and taking chances on people in the industry only to have it returned to us like a kick in the teeth. The music industry is already hard enough and once you sprinkle in some rats it becomes a full blown blood bath.” As Amy Mcintosh spits venom into the mic, you can’t help but feel the anger seeping through the speakers. An ominous two-step beat invokes utter chaos as guitarist Deni Hourihan and bassist Lizi Mcintosh go toe-to-toe while drummer Kieran Jackson keeps the fills flowing until that tasty breakdown takes us to climax. [via Wall Of Sound AU]
Progressive metalcore outfit Reliqa have announced the details of their new album, Secrets Of The Future, which is set to be released on May 31 via Nuclear Blast Records for all territories outside of Australia, where it will be released via Greyscale Records. Alongside the announcement, the band have revealed the video for their brand new single ‘Killstar (The Cold World)’. Vocalist Monique Pym comments: “We’re so pleased with the feedback we received for Terminal, especially because it fuelled our excitement in knowing that Killstar was coming next. It really flips the switch – we’ve gone from an airy, introspective debut track to this spiteful, sharp-tongued groove that has some more worldly and politically driven themes behind it. We think these two sides of us are the perfect taste test for Secrets of the Future, not because the whole album sounds like this, but because it shows we’re not afraid to take risks. Can’t wait for you to hear it in May!” [via Ghost Cult Mag]
Almost 20 long years since the release of their latest studio album Heathen Machine, UK heavy metal act BALANCE OF POWER returns with a new band line-up and brand new studio offering. Fresh From The Abyss will be released on April 19 via Massacre Records. Founding members Tony Ritchie (bass) and Lionel Hicks (drums) are joined the band’s new lead vocalist Hazel Jade as well as guitarists Chris Young and Adam Wardle, who have since taken over the reins from guitarists Chris Masimore and Stoney Wagner, with whom the band worked on and recorded the upcoming album Fresh From The Abyss. Following previously-released album tracks such as ‘Never Be Here Again’ and ‘Abyss’, BALANCE OF POWER present their new single ‘One More Time Around The Sun’. Tony comments: “The song is about wanting to spend another year and then another and another with the person you love. I don’t usually write about specific people, but this song was inspired by my love for my wife Diki and never wanting it to end. Hazel changed the melody of the line “Take me one more time around the sun” which added such a great hook to the chorus. Lionel was responsible for the double time sections which lifted the song onto another level for the solos.” [via Grimm Gent]
Melbourne-based heavy outfit The Last Martyr have unleashed their glitchy alt-metal track ‘Antidote’. The message is simple: When the world makes you sick, love is the Antidote, even if you don’t want to admit it. The track was written on a writing retreat last year where the group and their producer Chris Lalic (Windwaker) locked themselves in a house for a week to focus purely on composing the band’s next chapter. “We wanted to see what would come out of a week of purely focusing on music and the band without any other distractions,” the band said. “We rented an AirBnb in the Mornington Peninsula and all had writing stations set up around the house. I think that really allowed all of us to feel safe and present enough to dig into our creativity more than ever before. I’ve always struggled to open up and let love in but amongst the world’s chaos of the last few years, I’ve realised that love is really the only anchor we have, and something we all deserve. I wrote the line, “You are the antidote” first and the rest of the track was written around it.” [via Heavy Mag]
