Brooklyn, NY-based Medieval Fantasy Doom Metal band Castle Rat (est. October 2019) share a brand new single, ‘Feed The Dream,’ the first in a series of new tracks set to come out in the next few months. ‘Feed The Dream’ was recorded in a 150-year-old abandoned church at a secret location in Philadelphia, PA. The single was produced and engineered by Davis M. Shubs (Grave Bathers) with Thomas Johnsen (Thantophobe). The mixing process was entrusted to the wise and wizardly hands of Rafferty Jennings Swink (Evolfo) in Brooklyn, NY, and mastered by JJ Golden of Golden Mastering in Ventura, CA. As Riley Pinkerton (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) wrote of their newest single: “‘Feed The Dream’ was written in isolation. It’s the longing for the closeness of a creature that does not exist in the physical realm. It’s the act of turning a fantasy over and over in one’s mind until its very existence becomes a lustrous pearl of questions that need not be answered.”

Former Alice Cooper and current Demi Lovato guitarist Nita Strauss has dropped brand new single and accompanying music video, ‘The Wolf You Feed’. The epic, headbanger of a track features huge, chunky, metallic riffs and the insane vocal talent of Alissa White-Gluz. Nita comments: “If you look back at old interviews from the last ten years, any time I was asked about collaborating with a vocalist in the future, Alissa White-Gluz was always the first name out of my mouth. She is truly one of my favorite vocalists and performers in the industry and creating this track together was everything I hoped it would be. I’m very proud to release this track, especially now with everything else that’s going on. This time in history, whether in politics, music, social media, or our personal lives, has been an eye-opening look into the two wolves of a lot of people out there, and maybe this song will be a reminder that we all have the ability to choose how we respond to things.” The lyrics of this song were inspired by The Story Of The Two Wolves, a legend widely attributed to Native American storytellers. An old grandfather was teaching his grandson about life: “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil — he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued: “The other is good — he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you–and inside every other person, too.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf will win?” The grandfather simply replied: “The one you feed.” Alissa adds: “Nita and I finally got to collaborate — something we have both wanted to do for years! ‘The Wolf You Feed’ is a kickass, catchy metal track with a really cool vibe. I kept the ‘two wolves’ analogy as a foundation throughout the song while playing up the dichotomy of the two sides of the tug of war we all have inside us. I recorded my parts in my home studio and it was an absolute pleasure to build this song with Nita. I am honored to be a part of it! Can’t wait to do this again!” [via Blabbermouth]

Hard Rock band Eternal Frequency has released the final chapter of their “Matrix- esque” trilogy titled War. The perfect wrap up to their commanding, hard hitting story about a girl who is struggling to be who she wants to be while battling with what the world wants her to be. Will she become just someone that belongs on an assembly line or will she break free from the inner chains that bind and become who she is destined to be, free and basking in her own originality. The band say: “‘War’ is the wrap up of our epic 3 part trilogy. Starting with ‘Step Up’, then ‘A.I.’, and now this single. The song is about finding yourself in an internal struggle where you can look at yourself in the mirror and you’re still unsure about which side of you is actually pulling the strings.” [via Insane Blog]

Earlier this fall, Cleveland’s Frayle released their excellent second album, Skin & Sorrow, and to kick off November, the occult-doom band will be supporting the LP with shows over in Europe. Ahead of the tour, the group — led by enigmatic singer Gwyn Strang — teamed with Revolver to premiere the new music video for Skin & Sorrow standout ‘All The Things I Was.’ As is their way, it’s a bloody, skin-crawling affair perfect for the Halloween season. “This song is a reminiscence of the things I was and the regrets I had,” Strang tells Revolver. “The video shows how any rebirth or transformation can be painful and often times isn’t pretty or comfortable, but results in a more learned and wise self.” [via Revolver]

In 2020, metalcore outfit Conquer Divide resurfaced after an extended hiatus, and now the quintet have continued their second chapter with an emotional new single, ‘Paralyzed.’ As guitarist Kristen Sturgis explained, the song is about “battling with mental illness and depression — especially during the pandemic — and feeling like you are too mentally paralyzed to move forward.” Specifically, it was inspired by her harrowing experiences on the front lines as a critical care nurse. ‘Paralyzed’ arrived along with a dark, twisted music video that brings to life the inner struggles addressed in the song. “I was in a dark place because, as some people may or may not know, I am a critical care nurse when I am not touring,” Sturgis commented. “I was traveling around the country to all these hot spots to help out with COVID, and I saw dozens of people lose their lives. And I still really have not fully processed it.” She added, “But if you do not disconnect, you can’t do your job effectively. So, it is the kind of depression where you don’t feel anything at all, and you turn your emotions off. There was a point where they had psychologists visiting us on the unit to talk about our feelings. But it was like, ‘I don’t have time for this right now. I need to hang the next bag of x/y/z medication and keep this person alive. Get back to me in a year after this is all over.’ I think a lot of health care workers are also going to have PTSD or depression from what we went through. I hit a bit of writer’s block as a result of my mental state, and this song was a bit cathartic for me.” [via Revolver]

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Symphonic/power metal band Crystal Gates are proud to release their first single ‘My Glorious Fall’, a track taken from the band’s upcoming album Torment & Wonder: The Ways Of The Lonely Ones, which is due for release on July 29 via Wormholedeath worldwide. The band about their first single: “‘My Glorious Fall’ is a journey into the elusive and magical realms of inspiration, deep inside the composer’s state of mind as they reach their ultimate goal: the discovery of a newborn song. It is about loneliness – the central concept of the album – and cherished memories, but it is also about feelings of accomplishment and hopes for the future.”

The Belgian heavy rock trio Brutus has not been heard from since the 2020 standalone track ‘Sand.’ But they’ll soon announce the details of their first album since 2019’s brutally majestic Nest. In the meantime they’re giving us access to lead single ‘Dust’. ‘Dust’ is everything you want from a Brutus song. The rhythm section hits with the frantic, unrelenting bluster of a violent dust storm. The guitar squalls and roars, somehow providing crunch and texture all at once. And Stefanie Mannaerts, the same person bashing those drums with such ungodly force and fury, somehow conjures even more elemental force with the human voice. “I never change/ And you’re still the same/ Always searching for more/ Always digging to the core,” she wails, as if her disgust and her rage are locked in a high-stakes battle for supremacy. A quote from Brutus: “’DUST’ was born out of the frustration of having friends with demands and expectations that were way too high. It’s a song about being at breaking point; pissed off about everything and everyone. ‘DUST’ is honest, direct and unfiltered. It’s a very special and personal song for us, which is why we wanted this to be the first new song for people to hear. [via Stereogum]

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Heriot make metalcore that’s so ear-bleedingly heavy — nuclear-sized bass rumbles, head-bashing drums and skin-searing guitar tones — it’ll send death and black metal purists back to the practice room with their heads hung in shame. Their long-awaited debut EP, Profound Morality, does offer a few stray moments of eerie cleans and ambient swells to temporarily stop the bleeding, but standout ‘Carmine (Fills the Hollow)’ supplies no such respite. Just cruel sonic subordination from start to finish — which is what Heriot do best. [via Revolver]

While Yatra‘s 2020 album dragged tattered black-metal vocals into their churning sludge-stoner jams, no fan could’ve guessed that their next LP would be a full front-flip into straight-up death metal. But that’s what happened, and we’re here for it. ‘Death Cantation’ is faster than anything the Maryland crew have ever penned, with galloping blast-beats and head-crushing groove breaks rumbling beneath deliciously savage OSDM riffage that’s imbued with an ever-so-slight trace of their bluesy origins. The vocals are utterly monstrous. [via Revolver]

The Machinist has had one hell of a time throughout the pandemic, between line-up changes and personal struggles. Now the band is airing out all their anger and frustration in a new single called ‘All Is Not Well’ and is it excellent. Sure it’s pissed, but the writing and the performance of the song really bring that anger to life in a pointed way. “Writing and recording for this album was incredible. I worked with both Ricky Armelino and my fiancé Brian Ginzberg to put together the best possible lyrics, vocal melodies and patterns,” said vocalist Amanda Gjelaj. “Also, I wanted to make sure that what The Machinist believes in, stands for and are against as a band is heard. ‘All is Not Well’ and ‘P.I.G.’, for example, are both completely different songs speaking about different issues with different sounds to them. Throughout the whole album numerous things are brought up from mental health, aliens, losing a loved one and political and global issues. It has variety and a lot of meaning. I really hope it connects with our fans as this is something I personally love to do and I know the rest of The Machinist does as well.” The Machinist’s new album All Is Not Well is out July 8. [via Metal Injection]

Heavy fusion force SUMO CYCO finally returned to the road in North America last week on their current spring tour with rock icons Buckcherry and special guests Blacktop Mojo. The band is now thrilled to announce that after a slew of subsequent headline dates with support from Black Satellite, they will continue on the road with Awake at Last in support of Icon For Hire, joining on June 18 in Lancaster, PA. In celebration of this new tour announcement, SUMO CYCO has just dropped a brand new, high-voltage music video for their deliciously chaotic Initiation track ‘Cyclone.’ Experience the unique, trademark sound of SUMO CYCO alongside a visual showcasing band energetically performing as frontwoman Skye “Sever” Sweetnam finds herself in a stormy predicament. Frontwoman Skye “Sever” Sweetnam says about the ‘Cyclone’ video: “‘Cyclone’ was written about the unpredictable scenarios life can throw at us all. We just have to hang on.” [via Outburn]

The time has come to wield your sword and charge back to the battlefield, as this summer, Finnish heavy metal force BATTLELORE returns with a brand new record. Following their previously released first single ‘Firekeeper’, now the Lappeenranta-based fantasy metal warriors showcase their exceptional songwriting skills and an exceptional band returning to the scene after more than 10 years with brand new track ‘Chambers Of Fire’. Guitarist Jyri Vahvanen reveals: ”‘Chambers Of Fire’ presents the heavier side of our new album The Return Of The Shadow with its pounding riffs and thundering drums, roaring over you like a cave troll! The song is about the great forge inside the fiery tunnels of great Mount Doom, where the One Ring is created and eventually destroyed. Fire and brimstone from the heart of darkness!” [via Rock n Load Mag]

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