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ALTERNATIVE PRESS MUSIC AWARDS Announce ANDY BIERSACK as Host

February 16, 2017 darkartconspiracy Leave a comment

“The GRAMMYs of Alternative Music” – TIME Magazine

CLEVELAND, OH – The Journeys Alternative Press Music Awards, Fueled by Monster Energy Drink are thrilled to present this year’s host – none other than inimitable Black Veil Brides frontman, alt-pop artist and raconteur extraordinaire Andy Biersack – more recently recognized by his solo moniker Andy Black!

Since bursting onto the national scene in 2010 as the striking frontman of rock superstars Black Veil Brides, Biersack has rapidly risen to greatness-not only topping the music charts, but weaving his way into the hearts of fanatical followers worldwide. After reaching next-gen hard rock icon status with the release of four chart topping full-length albums, various other releases and singles with Black Veil Brides, Biersack ventured out on his own – starting his alt-pop solo project under the name Andy Black. His latest solo release, The Shadow Side, debuted on the charts worldwide. Cinematic in scope, ambitious in concept, yet down-to-earth in execution, The Shadow Side is as decidedly personal for Biersack as his work in Black Veil Brides is outspoken, taking a further step outward with its intimate confessional vibe and galvanizing populism.

Biersack states, “I am so honored to be hosting this year’s fourth annual APMAs. I’ve attended every APMAs, and I’ve been fortunate to have a favorite moment every year. As host, I want to make people feel happy and create favorite moments for them, too. I want them to be stoked, whether they are attending the event or watching it from their homes.”

Alternative Press CEO Mike Shea adds, “Andy is one of the most dynamic and engaging musicians I think I’ve ever met. Besides being an amazing frontman on the rock stage, he’s also one of the funniest off-stage. Over the past year, he’s been bringing his comedic side to fans while touring with his Andy Black project, and when we heard that he was interested in hosting the APMAs, we thought that there could be some real magic here in the making. Even before we got down into the details he had already dissected other hosts’ successes and failures on other award shows and came to us with an entire analysis of what he could bring to the APMAs. We are really excited about his enthusiasm and dedication to the show and we know that music fans worldwide are going to be happily surprised to see the results!”

Last summer, after another successful year of extraordinary performances, exciting surprises, interactive onsite activities and an action-packed, star-studded red carpet, the Journeys Alternative Press Music Awards, Fueled by Monster Energy Drink further solidified itself as the biggest, most popular celebration of alternative music on the planet. In December, the APMAs announced that this year’s event would return to Alternative Press‘ home city of Cleveland, Ohio on July 17! The APMAs promises even more of what fans have come to expect from the show- huge stars and incredible performances – presented on a scale worthy of the most exciting genres in music.

Details regarding the 2017 APMAs venue, tickets and VIP packages, nominees, honorees, attending/performing artists, red carpet appearances, surrounding events and more will be announced soon via www.altpress.com/apmas.

Watch the Official Andy Biersack Hosting Announcement Video here:

#darkartconspiracy #metal #news

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HYBORIAN Brings Heavy, Retro Grooves with New Album “Hyborian: Volume I”

February 16, 2017 darkartconspiracy Leave a comment

Kansas City Metal Outfit HYBORIAN Brings Heavy, Retro Grooves with New Album “Hyborian: Volume I”, out March 17

Having been through so many phases and transformations throughout the years, it seems that often, heavy metal music can seem over-complicated – too complex, showy or pretentious. Alternatively, it can be too simple, regurgitated or repetitive. It’s easy to forget that putting out an accessible, quality heavy metal recording shouldn’t be difficult. Something inspired but direct, razor sharp but heavy. Truly exceptional music shouldn’t have to be too conceptually and musically convoluted or dumbed-down to push you face-first into that tingling, meditative journey that it should provide.

With replicated, simulated and easily-absorbed tracks dominating the airwaves and often showy, overly conceptualized prog-dilutions ruling the underground, it seems the ability to achieve any sort of balance of the two in metal is primarily lost. Enter Kansas City metal hybrid HYBORIAN, who illustrate a perfect equilibrium of rich concept and straightforward songwriting with their debut album, Hyborian: Volume I. The album drops on March 17, 2017 via Kansas City-based label The Company, and is available for pre-order now via www.thecompanykc.com. iTunes pre-orders will go live on March 3, with their first single, “Maelstrom”, as an instant grat track.

Volume I track listing:

1) As Above, So Below

2) Maelstrom

3) Blood for Blood

4) Dead Lies Dreaming

5) Ajna

6) Dross

As many parts stoner rock as it is retro-inspired and deliciously groovy, HYBORIAN‘s Hyborian: Volume I takes the listener on a ride that emits wall-shaking-levels of heaviness and lyrical fantasy, remaining engaging for any metal listener. Immense riffage, barrelling verses and piercing leads combine to create a sound that invites the listener to sit back and become fully-absorbed, when it isn’t summoning involuntary elbow-throwing. Lyrically, the album’s storytelling style is inspired by Robert E. Howard’s Conan stories, but based on an interstellar, extra-dimensional cloaked being called The Traveller. Hyborian: Volume I tells his legends from the time before written language.

Lead vocalist Martin Bush discusses the roots of HYBORIAN‘s lyrical inspiration, “I grew up reading pretty much anything I could get my hands on, which included me raiding my dad’s book collection. He had a ton of classic sci-fi and fantasy, from Asimov and Heinlan to Howard and Cooper. Because of that, this writing style comes very naturally to me.”

He further explains, “Basically The Traveller is a being that exists outside of humanity’s understanding of space and time. He is the source of all life in the universe, but is not omnipresent. He wanders the cosmos, visiting and recording times of great strife or hardship, great suffering or great triumph. We are his chosen mouthpiece on Earth, so we relate those stories, whether from far in the past or far in the future. For instance, “Maelstrom” is the story of a mountaintop battle between a being who has just achieved a higher consciousness in the midst of a scuffle with a sentient storm. In order to defeat the creature in the storm, he expends his newfound powers and gives up his life.

We are also pretty into cryptography, so there are several hidden messages on the album from The Traveller if the listener is clever enough to find them.”

When a band says they built their sound from the ground up, they normally don’t mean it literally. Once again, HYBORIAN prove individuality in this department, as Hyborian: Volume I was recorded at the band’s own studio that they built themselves and eventually began also using as a rehearsal space. The album was then mixed by Justin Mantooth at Westend Studios (Radkey, Family, Godmaker) and mastered by Nick Zampiello at New Alliance East (The Red Chord, Torche, Trap Them).

Bush says that recording on the band’s own terms, in their own space, really helped them achieve their best product: “We decided to build our own space to record simply because it cost us about what it would have cost to track at a decent studio, but now we have a home base to make record after record after record. The art of crafting an album as opposed to a group of songs is somewhat lost, or at least relegated to the realms of people with incredibly deep pockets, so being able to really play around and do all the extra stuff that makes an album an album was really important to us.”

Since forming in 2015, HYBORIAN has performed as support for the likes of Iron Reagan, Power Trip, Mothership, Acid King, Mutoid Man, Tweak Bird, Vektor, Whores and many others. The band will once again give fans a chance to witness their live assault this March during their Midwestern U.S. tour. The run will feature varying support acts in each city. See below for all confirmed tour dates:

HYBORIAN Tour Dates:

3/16 Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room w/ Iron Reagan, Power Trip

3/17 Kansas City, MO @ Private Location Release Party w/ Keef Mountain, Expo 70, Orphans of Doom, Inner Altar (reply with inquiries)

3/18 Omaha, NE @ O’Leavers w/ Dirty Talker

3/19 Lincoln, NE @ Duffy’s Tavern w/ High Ruler, Sweats

3/20 Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews

3/21 Iowa City, IA @ Gabes

3/22 Chicago, IL @ Township w/ Guerilla

3/23 Madison, WI @ The Frequency

3/24 Minneapolis, MN @ Hexagon Bar w/ Lungs

3/25 St. Louis, MO @ Fubar w/ Bastard

#darkartconspiracy #metal #news #hyborean

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Nighon to release second album in May, first single out now!

February 15, 2017 darkartconspiracy Leave a comment

Nighon’s second album ‘The Somme’ was recorded in the spring and summer of 2016. The drums were recorded at Soundspiral Audio, with Juho Räihä. The rest was recorded at Nighon’s home studio. Mathias Lillmåns (Finntroll, Magenta Harvest, Chthonian, etc.) has co-produced the album with Nighon. He is also featured on the song “I Fear For Tomorrow”. The album was mixed and mastered by Fredrik Nordström and Henrik Udd at Studio Fredman, Gothenburg Sweden.

The album is a concept album with stories from World War I, World War II and the similarities between those and the crises we see today in our world. The sound is much more extreme than previous Nighon compositions, widening the contrasts even more than before. The album is supposed to be heard in it’s entirety non-stop. The single “The Greatest of Catastrophes” is a blend of the outbreak of World War I and the Ukraine crisis. The video was filmed during the winter 2016 by Kasper Dalkarl, David Viklund and Stephanie Blomqvist.

The Somme is released May 5th 2017 by Inverse Records.

The brand new music video “The Greatest Of Catastrophes” is available here: https://youtu.be/6JCvH4g-glQ It is also available on Spotify in this location: https://open.spotify.com/album/1a9VAza4ng6y7vGN7DM8y0

Line-up:
Nico Häggblom – Vocals
Alva Sandström – Vocals
Björn Johansson – Guitar
Michael Mikander – Lead Guitar
Mats Ödahl – Bass
Mika Paananen – Drums

Discography:
The Somme (Album 2017)
The Greatest Of Catastrophes (Single 2017)
Ex Tenebris Lux (Single 2015)
Cor Oblivionis (Album 2014)

Links:
http://www.nighonofficial.com
https://www.facebook.com/nighonmusic

Tweets by nighonofficial

https://www.instagram.com/nighonofficial

https://www.youtube.com/nighonofficial
http://www.nighonofficial.com/propaganda-cast/

#darkartconspiracy #metal #news #inverserecords

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SHADE EMPIRE REVEAL A VIDEO FOR ‘ANTI-LIFE SAVIOUR’

February 15, 2017 darkartconspiracy Leave a comment

SHADE EMPIRE REVEAL A VIDEO FOR ‘ANTI-LIFE SAVIOUR’ THE FIRST SINGLE FROM THEIR FORTHCOMING ALBUM

NEW ALBUM TO BE RELEASED THIS SPRING VIA CANDLELIGHT/ SPINEFARM RECORDS

SHADE EMPIRE have revealed a brand new video for ‘Anti-Life Saviour’ ‘Anti-Life Saviour’ is the first track to be heard from the bands soon to be released fifth studio album.

Since forming in 1999, Shade Empire are revered for their unspeakably brutal guitar patterns and ingenious arrangements, creating a sound unique and closely related to symphonic black metal.

Further album details will be revealed in due course.

#darkartconspiracy #metal #news

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Hellbound Hearts have released a video clip for their new song ‘The light we cannot see’

February 15, 2017 darkartconspiracy Leave a comment

Hellbound Hearts have released a video clip for their new song ‘The light we cannot see’, taken from their forthcoming debut album ‘Film Noir’ (out 7th April)

Hellbound Hearts lead vocalist and guitarist Danny Lambert talks about the songs on ‘Film Noir’:

Suffering the Radio

“The last great period of British music is a fading memory, replaced with an acceptance and almost macabre celebration of staggering mediocrity, formulaic unit shifters and false celebrity. But there are some who will not accept that all hope is lost. We are the vampires scrambling for the blood….”

Online zine ‘One Metal’ describes Hellbound Hearts as, “the kind of music that should be played with high octane and fervent amounts of passion.” With the emergence of their debut album, ‘Film Noir’, the Yorkshire alternative rock trio have solidified the promise shown on previous eps in a fashion that simply shouldn’t be ignored if you’re a rock fan.

Produced by Matt Ellis at Axis Studios (Black Spiders, Terrorvision), ‘Film Noir’ is a commanding collection of songs that range from feel-good melodies to dark, sinister hooks, whilst all the time packing in stand out singalong choruses and heavy grooves.

Be prepared to go dark… ‘Film Noir’ is released 7th April 2017.

‘FILM NOIR’ Tracklist

1. Suffering The Radio

2. Broken Hearted

3. Poor Disguises

4. The Light We Cannot See

5. Still We Wait

6. Blood

7. Wake Up

8. We Are All Alone

9. Fortunes

10. Silent Horror Movie

#darkartconspiracy #metal #news

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GraViL return with new single ‘Decommissioned’ / Sophomore album ‘No More Forgiveness’

February 15, 2017 darkartconspiracy Leave a comment

The new GraViL album ‘No More Forgiveness’ is released 5th May 2017.

“Mammoth grooves from a technically advanced future” Metal Hammer

“GraViL showcase confidence with fantastic, blistering songs” Terrorizer

“Brutalising Tech Metal Wizardry” Kerrang!

With fire and no fear on their side, 2017 sees GraViL rise from the big smoke with the release of their new album ‘No More Forgiveness’ on 5th May.

Before the album drops, the band pulls no punches with the introduction of lead track ‘Decommissioned’.

Frontman Grant Stacey isn’t holding back with GraViL’s return to form, he said, “There is a massive sub-context of loss within the new album, with 2016 notably being a brutal year, however ‘No More Forgiveness’ pulls in a lot of strength from negativity that all too often engulfs our society and ways of life. It’s time to make a stand and do what’s right… and this is us, doing things right.”

GraViL’s new single ‘Decommissioned’ isn’t shy in coming forward, as Stacey notes, “It deals with betrayal on a huge scale. One of my favourite songs from the album, it’s really punchy and therapeutic, in a twisted kinda’ way!”