Metal music
Alestorm: Tour of the Dead Marauder 2024
Scottish metal band Alestorm has announced the Tour of the Dead Marauder with special guests Elvenking and Glyph. This North American run is in support of the release of their new EP, Voyage of the Dead Marauder, which will be released March 22nd! Tickets are available at alestorm.net.
- 3/19 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
- 3/20 – Grand Rapids, MI – Elevation
- 3/22 – Toronto, ON – The Concert Hall
- 3/23 – Montreal, QC – MTELUS
- 3/24 – New Haven, CT – Toad’s Place
- 3/26 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
- 3/27 – Detroit, MI – The Majestic
- 3/29 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave
- 3/30 – Omaha, NE – The Admiral
- 4/2 – Winnipeg, MB – Park Theatre
- 4/3 – Saskatoon, SK – Coors Event Centre
- 4/5 – Edmonton, AB – Midway Music Hall
- 4/6 – Calgary, AB – The Palace Theater
- 4/8 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore
- 4/9 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory
- 4/10 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
- 4/12 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades
- 4/13 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory
- 4/15 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theater
- 4/16 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
- 4/18 – Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom
- 4/19 – St. Louis, MO – Red Flag
- 4/20 – Indianapolis, IN – Old National Centre
- 4/21 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works
Nothing More Shares Additional North American Spring Dates With Veil of Maya and Sleep Theory
Nothing More will be touring alongside Wage War, Veil of Maya, and Sleep Theory throughout April and May, but the alt-rockers from Texas have announced a few extra dates that Wage War will not be appearing on (and two that Sleep Theory will be missing from, as well). Tickets and VIP packages are available at nothingmore.net!
- 4/25 – San Diego, CA – Observatory Northpark
- 5/11 – Columbus, OH – Kemba Live^
- 5/12 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
- 5/18 – Bloomington, IL – The Castle Theatre^
^ No Sleep Theory
Nita Strauss Announces March 2024 Dates With Diamante and Starbenders
Metal and guitar goddess Nita Strauss will be playing some shows this March with support from Diamante and Starbenders! You can grab your tickets and VIP packages at nitastrauss.com.
- 3/12 – Worcester, MA – Palladium
- 3/13 – Mechanicsburg, PA – Lovedraft’s (w/special guest Anoxia)
- 3/15 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave/Eagles Club
- 3/16 – Minneapolis, MN – Studio B at Skyway Theatre
- 3/17 – Omaha, NE – Waiting Room Lounge
- 3/18 – Des Moines, IA – Wooly’s
- 3/20 – Colorado Springs, CO – Black Sheep
- 3/22 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater
- 3/23 – Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom
- 3/24 – Memphis, TN – Growlers
- 3/26 – Fort Wayne, IN – Piere’s
- 3/28 – Fort Smith, AR – Temple Live
- 3/29 – Cedar Park, TX – Haute Spot
Interview: Faceless Objects
Faceless Objects is a psychedelic/doom/stoner metal project from Austria that came together in 2020. Since then, the band has released ten singles, each with a coinciding video, which will make up their debut album, Confused, when it drops later in the year.
I discovered Faceless Objects last year, and after following them on Facebook (and adding bassist/vocalist Ella Baphomet on my personal profile), I knew I wanted to interview them. So we made it happen!
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MM: Thank you so much for your time! Let’s dive right in with a basic two-part question. How was Faceless Objects formed? And what’s the story behind the band name?
FO: Faceless Objects was formed in 2020 by Ella Baphomet and Mike Seed (on Mike’s birthday, to be exact). We both always wanted to do something new and different but never found the right people to start. We wanted to combine classic doom metal, stoner metal, and psychedelic sounds, and each song should be a journey on its own – accompanied by a video to make the story of the song visible.
The name Faceless Objects is describing how we as artists see other people. It is more about collecting biometric data than actually seeing the whole face like other people do.
From the beginning, it was only two people who ran everything – composing, playing/singing, recording, mixing & mastering, video shooting & cutting, as well as promotion. And it still is. The only exception is for our upcoming live gigs – playing four instruments at the same time is quite impossible – even for Mike. But finding the right people for our music was a bumpy road.
MM: Y’all have both been involved with previous projects?
FO: We both have our experiences with prior bands or projects of different kinds..but like our lyrics in “Reborn” say…“no turning back, the past is gone”…
MM: Are there any particular bands/artists that inspired y’all to go down this path, as far as creating for the doom/stoner/psychedelic subgenres?
FO: We have a lot of influences…different music styles, bands, artists..but can’t say that there is a particular one that made us go this path. Maybe a mixture of different artists and something that just always was inside of us waiting to surface. But if you want some names…Mike loves Pink Floyd and Rage Against The Machine, and Ella’s favourites are Judas Priest and Alice Cooper.
MM: I love Alice Cooper and Pink Floyd! And I can definitely see where the stoner/psychedelic inspiration comes from if y’all are listening to those artists. Lol.
FO: Nice, we like the same music 🙂
MM: We do. Y’all are from Austria, right? Is there a big metal scene there? (My familiarity with music from Austria is limited, but the few artists I have heard are industrial or electronic. Lol.)
FO: Yes, we are all from Austria, though from different areas. Me and Mike founded the project in 2020 and have been looking for musicians who wanted to share our goals and the love for the music.
The metal scene in Austria got a lot bigger than it was once. There are many bands now, mostly in the genres of death/thrash or speed metal. Not so much in the classic heavy metal or melodic metal genres. But there are still more rock bands than metal bands – and it is very difficult to reach people with original music. So there are a lot of cover bands as well.
MM: I saw a recent post about your upcoming album, Confused. Can you tell me a little more about it? What has been the writing and recording process for this album?
FO: Confused tells a story like a book, and each song is a chapter in that book (each song also has a music video on YouTube). We are telling our stories and experiences, but it was always very important to us to leave enough room for the listener to find themselves and their own meaning in our songs. We always have a journey within the song – it starts out in a certain way and then changes into something completely different, and many people told us how cool it is because you don’t really realize it when you listen to it. You just get taken with the story and the music.
Writing and recording was a step by step thing. We thought about what the next chapter would be about, wrote the song, and recorded it. After that, we made the story visible with a music video. So we did this song by song – and the order the songs were released is also the order the songs will appear on the album. The last song on the first album – “Crossing” – is kind of a cliffhanger. The song fades out..and the first song on album no. 2 will fade in at that exact point, making “Crossing” into “Crossing…Over The Bridge,” a song more than 9 minutes long, full of surprises and changes. The album will also include a previously unreleased bonus track called “Void.”
MM: I like the idea of a coinciding video to visually tell the story. I don’t think bands take time with music videos the way they used to, and I’m the generation that was all about videos. I understand it can be costly, so I’m not complaining.
FO: Absolutely true. Many bands don’t have the money for cool videos, others think it’s not worth the effort as no one watches videos anymore because it’s all about streaming music nowadays. But we still believe that a video helps putting the music on another level.
MM: So y’all have planned the way you want to do the release. I assume the album is going to drop this year? Any other plans for 2024?
FO: Our plans for this year are doing some live gigs with the new band and releasing the album in March/April. We are also working on new material – the first song of the second album is done and we’re gonna shoot the video for it soon.
MM: I like the concept of storytelling. Maybe it’s because I write short stories, but I just really enjoy the full experience of music and imagery.
I have a few more questions, kinda just for fun. What would be your dream tour lineup that features Faceless Objects?
FO: Dream lineup… Well, Judas Priest and Rage Against The Machine, lol. But seriously, we are looking forward to meeting cool and interesting new artists and bands..and if you find some you really connect with those would be the ones for a dream lineup.
MM: Are there any bands/artists you guys listen to that you think would surprise people? “Guilty pleasures,” so to speak.
FO: Guilty pleasures… I think to some it might be surprising that Ella likes Glenn Miller a lot and generally 1930/1940s music. Mike’s hidden treasure is Kraan, a former DDR jazz-rock band.
MM: That is one of the more surprising answers I’ve gotten to that question. 30/40s music. Most people throw out a pop or rap artist.
FO: Haha, yep! 30/40s might not be the first guess with a metalhead, but it’s so soothing and the melodies are so beautiful. They also take you on some kind of journey.
MM: I should probably wrap this up, but I’m curious – are you guys self-taught, or have you had any lessons?
FO: Well, Ella and Mike are self-taught. Mike has been playing guitar since he was a little kid and taught himself to play the other instruments over time. As for the rest of the band, Zoka had guitar lessons and also started playing as a young boy, Mexx had coaching and has his own drum school, and Martin is a classically trained pianist.
MM: Is there any message you would like to give your fans, both old and new?
FO: We thank all our fans for their support and love they continue to give us (and some have been with us from the very start). Receiving feedback like “this song really helped me,” “those lyrics just hit my current situation so well,” or just “I love your music and videos, there is so much to find in there.” But we also wanna say..believe in yourself and your dreams. Don’t let anyone decide what you can do or not. You can do what you allow yourself to do.
And thank you, Melia..for this wonderful opportunity to express ourselves and the really good picked questions. It’s been fun and a pleasure, and I hope we’ll do this again sometime!
***
Faceless Objects will be releasing Confused in the spring of this year – and hopefully album #2 will quickly follow. In the meantime, you can immerse yourself in the story via the tracks on Spotify, or the visual side on YouTube. And be sure to follow the band’s socials for news and updates!!!!
Check out Faceless Objects’ most recent single, “Crossing.”
Six Scars’ New EP Grants a Glimpse Into the Dark Side of Life and Love
Six Scars is a one-man metal project hailing from southwest Virginia. Heavily influenced by the many subgenres of rock and metal, Six Scars began his journey by exploring the more melodic and ethereal realms of shoegaze on his debut album, To Wilt and to Bloom. He has played with other subgenres, such as nu metal and alt-rock, in the intervening years, yet now, in 2024, he has returned to his roots.
The Silence and the Withering, the latest EP from Six Scars, was released on February 16, 2024. Driven by introspection, this record offers six hauntingly beautiful songs, written with self-reflection and painted in sounds.
The EP opens with “Another Scar,” a track lamenting wasted time and a life not lived. “Another scar, another excuse to not get off your ass and move/There’s a whole world waiting, but you already died,” the chorus erupts in frustration, and how often is this the case? How many times have we had plans, goals, dreams, that we were too afraid to pursue, and then suddenly, we’re looking back on the years that have passed with regret? “I wanna rewind, I wanna live my life,” our narrator says in conclusion, but that is an impossibility.
The next four songs – “Damaged From the Start,” “Dead Nothing,” “Dionysius,” and “Mausoleum” – are a tableau dedicated to the one thing none of us are immune from: love. Six Scars pendulums from the depths of heartbreak to a seemingly idyllic representation of that endlessly discussed emotion. For instance, in “Damaged From the Start,” he writes, “I owned you, you owned me, this orgasmic catastrophe,” hinting at a mutually toxic relationship.
“Dead Nothing” ventures a step further, diving into the depths of manipulation and torment the narrator experiences – and the resulting desire for vengeance. “You played me like a puppet, dancing to your every whim/But not the tables have turned, and it’s your turn to face this sin.”
We are then taken back to when the love was new, pure, perfect, though there is still an acknowledgment that it was tainted from the start. In “Dionysius,” the narrator fondly reminisces on the past. “My Dionysius, my odyssey…we’d fly away into the ether, never knowing what we were leaving/And the cosmos united for us when we retreated…” However, he soon admits that he lost himself to his lover and their shared addictions, including what could be the most damaging one – each other.
The lovers’ tale ends with “Mausoleum,” and despite the title, it is not as dark as one would assume. “Holding onto each other’s energy to feel the grip of love, a burning desire to become one/Holding onto each other’s energy to feel the grip of love/A burning desire to fill this mausoleum.” In the throes of passion, perhaps our narrator finds himself so happy he could die? Their union is still referred to as “unholy,” the underlying awareness that they are not meant to be ever-present, yet it is easy to overlook when “I’m dreaming, I’m feeling alive for the first time/I’m holding onto you.”
The Silence and the Withering closes with “My Finale,” a song that seems to tie together the opening and the four-part tableau. He mentions wanting there to be “no regrets about the life that I have led,” then says “Leaving ever-after, I’ll see your face again one day.” This could be a reference to any number of people in his life, but I perceived it to be aimed at his lover. Interestingly, his final line is “I, the villain, close the curtain.” Was our narrator truly his own worst enemy?
This EP is an unflinching study of the storyteller, and there are parts that will universally resonate with listeners. We have all wasted time, feared rejection, dragged our heels when we should have been chasing dreams. We have all fallen in love, romantically or otherwise, and been burned for our efforts. And we have all, by necessity, played the villain at some point in our own story.
The Silence and the Withering is available to stream everywhere now!
Links:
A Killer’s Confession Shares March 2024 Dates With Mike’s Dead
Metal band A Killer’s Confession, fronted by ex-Mushroomhead member Waylon Reavis, has announced a spring run with special guest Mike’s Dead. The 19-date tour kicks off in Joliet, Illinois, and draws to its conclusion at the band’s home base, Cleveland, Ohio. Tickets and VIP are available at akcglobalrecords.com!
- 3/6 – Joliet, IL – The Forge
- 3/7 – Minneapolis, MN – Turf Club
- 3/8 – Sioux Falls, SD – Bigs Bar
- 3/10 – Billings, MT – Pub Station (Taproom)
- 3/11 – Great Falls, MT – The Newberry
- 3/14 – Spokane, WA – Big Dipper
- 3/15 – Seattle, WA – Madame Lou’s
- 3/16 – Portland, OR – Dante’s
- 3/18 – Sacramento, CA – Goldfield Trading Post
- 3/20 – Reno, NV – Virginia Street Brewhouse
- 3/21 – Salt Lake City, UT – Leatherheads
- 3/23 – Grand Junction, CO – Mesa Theater*
- 3/24 – Colorado Springs, CO – Black Sheep
- 3/25 – Denver, CO – Moon Room
- 3/27 – Dallas, TX – Sundown at Granada
- 3/28 – Oklahoma City, OK – 89th St.
- 3/29 – Kansas City, MO – Vivo Live
- 3/30 – TBA
- 3/31 – Lakewood, OH – The Winchester
* appearing with Eyes Set to Kill
Skies of Terra Teams Up With Seethe on New Single, “Invincibility Codes”
Post-hardcore/prog rock band Skies of Terra is back with a new single entitled “Invincibility Codes,” which features alternative/trap metal artist Seethe. The track is now available to stream everywhere!
Hard-hitting from start to finish, “Invincibility Codes” is sure to satiate the tastes of even the most discerning heavy music fan. When asked about the story behind the song, vocalist/instrumentalist Euclides Polanco had this to say:
“‘Invincibility Codes’ is about the anxiety-driven feeling of falling. [In this case] ‘falling’ could be used as running out of time, losing sight, close to giving up, and negative contemplations. Phrases like ‘leave the lights on, I’m on my way home’ are calls to the ones the main character is speaking to before deciding…to leave this life. There is a lot of talk about confusion and being driven off the deep end while trying to hide behind a fake smile each day.”
The frustration and hopelessness behind living this way is expressed through music, vocals, and lyrics, all knitted together into a piece that is relatable to anyone who has had to put on a brave front in their day-to-day life. The verses are host to a rapid-fire beat, matched by a driving riff, all topped by Euclides’ clean vocals. “Am I alive? Or barely just breathing?/This isn’t living or existing, behind a malignant smile/And I cannot break free!”
This combination climbs to the bridge and chorus, during which, conversely, the music is more rhythmic while vocalist Justin Townsend unleashes a tidal wave of pent-up rage. “Falling from the sky/Above my head, you are watching me from a vengeful drone/I’m falling fast/The darkness spreads/Leave the lights on, I’m on my way home!”
As the second bridge reaches its close, Euclides announces “Wait, we’re not quite finished yet!” and we are launched into the final breakdown, penned and delivered by Seethe. The story of this collaboration makes it seem as if it were always meant to be.
“Skies of Terra and myself, we’re from the Pittsburgh scene,” explains Seethe. “In 2019, my band signed to a label called Brutal Business Entertainment, but going into 2020 [when Covid happened], the owner wanted to step down. He essentially gave me the label to run. Skies of Terra was one of the first bands that I personally signed.”
“Seethe showed us love very early on,” Euclides recalls. “I had written the demo for ‘Invincibility Codes’ in January 2020. It was originally written for the EP, The Party is Over, but it didn’t fit the narrative and vibe. It just wasn’t ready. Seethe had written a section that sounded pretty sweet, but we left the track alone until fall of 2022. [That’s when] I re-wrote it and sent it to Seethe to work on. He’s the one that ended up creating a big foundation for how things were articulated throughout the album. ‘Invincibility Codes’ has very important motifs that are revisited in other tracks.”
“Clides brought [‘Invincibility Codes’] to me, and he was like, ‘I really want you on this outro’,” Seethe says. “The track was kinda the same as it is now, but a lot of the kinks weren’t worked out. We went back and forth about it, then we shelved it. Out of nowhere, [in 2022], Clides gave me the music and they had me write my breakdown for the end.”
“It was nerve-wracking,” Seethe adds. “They gave me a blank slate at the end to do whatever I wanted. I felt the pressure, because Clides and Justin are both great vocalists, so without knowing what they were gonna do ahead of time, I had to make sure I sent the track out on a high note.”
True to his aim, Seethe does conclude “Invincibility Codes” on a high note. He grants the listener a final eruption of anger, an audible picture of hitting the breaking point. “Push it to the brink/Push, push/I’m coming!/I’m coming home!”
Stream “Invincibility Codes” now, and check out the lyric video below!
Follow Skies of Terra on all their socials so you never miss anything!
Nothing More and Wage War Announce 2024 North American Tour
Nothing More and Wage War are teaming up this spring for a North American tour, and they’re bringing along special guests Veil of Maya and Sleep Theory. You can get tickets and VIP at nothingmore.net and/or wagewarband.com!
- 4/16 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte
- 4/17 – Birmingham, AL – Avondale Brewery
- 4/18 – New Orleans, LA – Fillmore New Orleans
- 4/20 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater*
- 4/22 – Grand Junction, CO – Amphitheater at Las Colonias Park
- 4/24 – Riverside, CA – Riverside Auditorium
- 4/27 – Las Vegas, NV – Sick New World Festival 2024^
- 4/28 – Albuquerque, NM – Revel Entertainment Center
- 4/30 – Kansas City, MO – Arvest Bank Theater
- 5/1 – West Des Moines, IA – Val Air Ballroom
- 5/3 – Green Bay, WI – EPIC Event Center
- 5/4 – East Moline, IL – The Rust Belt
- 5/5 – Omaha, NE – The Rose Theater
- 5/7 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee
- 5/8 – Grand Rapids, MI – GLC Live at 20 Monroe*
- 5/10 – Bethlehem, PA – Wind Creek Event Center*
- 5/14 – Norfolk, VA – The NorVa
- 5/15 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz
- 5/17 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
* No Sleep Theory
^ Festival; Wage War only
New Music Alert: CloZure + Modern Mimes
Two dynamic female-fronted bands have recently released new singles. Hard rockers CloZure shared “The Devil Effect” on February 9th, while alt-rock outfit Modern Mimes served up “Roses in Ruins” one week later, on February 16th.
Formed in Enterprise, Alabama, CloZure boasts a take-no-prisoners approach in their latest track, “The Devil Effect.” This is the band’s first release to feature new frontwoman Elizabeth Nikollaj. A song dealing with the emotional topics of betrayal and overcoming the anger and hatred it inspires, “The Devil Effect” showcases the renewed energy with which CloZure entered 2024. Featuring a stunning vocal performance from Elizabeth and some seriously wicked guitar work, the track understandably broke iTunes top alternative chart twice, as well as iTunes rock top 20, and it ranked at #3 on the iTunes metal charts. It also hit #1 on Amazon’s new alt-rock releases and #2 on the alt-rock best seller list.
Socials:
– YouTube – Facebook – Instagram – Official Site –
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Modern Mimes, who hail from the depths of Florida, are as velveteen and sultry as the summer nights in their homestate, and their latest single, “Roses in Ruins,” is a testament to that. According to the band, the song is about battling your inner demons, in whatever form they may take, and conquering that which poisons your roots. The track is as dark and heavy as its subject matter, and singer Adi Hernandez’s intonations soar to ever-greater heights, goosebump-inducing in their strength and clarity. “Roses in Ruins” is available for streaming on all major platforms. Modern Mimes also recently welcomed drummer Harley Mitchell to the lineup, so stay tuned for a new era in 2024!
Socials:
Mostly Music 