Sludgehammer share massive guitar attack studio performance video

Today's bands give so much - it has become completly unbelieveable in my eyes how massive the level of skill and power is that metal bands provide the listeners with. Nearly all the combos out there perform massively blasting their way with sheer power and finesse using their instruments up to it's limits.

A good example for this is the band Sludgehammer from Toronto, Canada. Set to unleash their debut full length album 'The Fallen Sun' officially on June 10th the band has posted a new music video for their track 'Carrion Eater' in advance of the record release. If you would like to be one of the first to hear the new tracks go to the CD release show on on May 28th at Peterborough, ON - w/ Cryptelisk, Sacrificed Alliance, Anthropophagy - check Facebook for more info. The band will have the brand new record with them for sale on the good old silver discs.

L-R - Chris Szarota - Vocals, Jeff Wilson - Guitars, Tyler Williams - Guitars, Dan Ayers - Bass/Vocals, Fernando Villalobos- Drums
Photo Credit: Hayden John Wolf

The music as for me can be best described as a mixture of the power of Pantera mixed up with a lot of progressive elements and also a slight bit of Testament. The main trademarks of Sludgehammer source of  the dynamic vocal performances from lead vocalist Chris Szarota and bassist Dan Ayers, along with a showcase of mind bending guitar solos, heavy riffs and a blistering drumming fury. If you watch the in-studio footage you can sometimes hardly trust your eyes what these guys are able to perform on their instruments.


The album "The Fallen Sun" was self-produced by the band and mixed by guitarist Tyler Williams and mastered by world renowned producer & engineer Lasse Lammert (Gloryhammer, Alestorm, Teramaze) at LSD Studio in Germany.

Don't forget to stay in touch with the band so you won't miss out on more details of the album release and more annoucements using Facebook, Twitter or Bandcamp.

Abraham Sarache looks at relationsships in a sophisticated way

Sometimes real special stuff arrives to my inbox. This particular one is one of these things that picked my attention. I think it's a good thing to have a look on other music than the one you use to listen to or stuff that falls in between the so often mentioned genre borders.

This track of multi-instrumentalist Abraham Sarache mixes up a lot of acoustic guitars along with hard hitting drumming plus deeply emotional vocals all over it. The pretty amazing thing is that besides the heavyness that comes from the pushing and hard hitting drums there's enough space in the sound for the feelings and that the guitars gladly never get lost so there's always a melody going through the whole track.

Check it out for yourselves and mark your Facebook calenders since Abraham Sarache will play a special release show in support of the album "The Gardener" (from which this track has been taken) at Volta in Amsterdam on June 24th. The show will be recorded for a future live release.
You can purchase the track or the whole record now from iTunes and Spotify. 


"The Gardener" is an alt/progressive rock concept album with the inclusion of folk instruments like ukulele and Venezuelan cuatro. To express the feelings involved, different kinds of voice registers are provided: from a soft, melodious or whispered voice to raspy voice. Various pads and synthesizers are used to give depth and warmth to the songs where an acoustic guitar with a low tuning predominates. A multicultural composition on the instrumental level and a progressive rhythmic base create an exquisite atmosphere of imbalance and peculiarity.

The philosophy behind the album is based on the fact that in any interpersonal relationship, whether it is a friendship or a romantic connection, there is a duality between the one that participates in an active way (The Gardener) and the one that does it in a passive way (The Flower).

“All of us at some point of our lives have a role of a gardener and in other moments we are flowers,” Sarache commented.

“We can all identify ourselves as the Gardener when we talk about a person we were looking after because we liked him or her, we wanted to know more about this person or we just wanted to spend more time with them, no matter what. We simply did everything possible to make things work.

The cover of Abraham Sarache's album "The Gardener", (c) by Abraham Sarache, used with kind permission

“On the other hand, we have been also in situations when someone was interested in us in a special way, but the feeling was not mutual. We still wanted to maintain a relationship because we liked other aspects of that person's character. To this behavior I refer to as the Flower,” he continues.

“The Crush: Eyes of Fire” which opens The Gardener was awarded as the Best Alternative Rock Song by The Akademia Music Awards in May 2015. Sarache released a video single for the song, and he commented: “This is a very special video for me. My first video as a solo artist showing parts of my everyday in Madrid and Margarita Island where concept album The Gardener was conceived and recorded.”

For the upcoming show at Volta in Amsterdam on June 24th, Abraham Sarache will be joined by Dutch alternative/progressive rockers Amikdla. Visit Abraham Sarache's official website here.

Everlit talk about their way in new lyric video

Everlit are a hardrock band from Philadelphia. They released the lryic video for their new single "A Phoenix Will Rise", off of their upcoming EP, due out on June 20th. The band will be playing their EP release show at Bull Shooters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the full band lineup for the show will be announced soon.

The video has a message so they band did choose the preview track for the EP with a certain intention. Ryan Panfil says about the video: "We're excited that A Phoenix Will Rise was the first song we got to share with everyone. It's a story about where we came from but it's also intended for our fans who have or need to overcome things in their own lives."

(c) by Everlit, used with kind permission

To me the video came with a surprise. I wasn't certain about what to expect but keeping in mind that lyric videos can be a strong presentation both in a optical but also a lyrical way this one hooked me up a lot. In fact I did let play the video on repeat once I got the full message of the track and discovered all the fine structures that have been put inside.

The track is very infectious and groovy. It's also a earcatcher since the refrain once it got you won't let you go. But what I love even more is the guitar in the second verse. It gives the track this special kick. Plus there are these changes and different aspects in the vocals that totally got me. Sometimes they are held clear, other sentences are spoken with a special tone and on certain parts you can hear screams that are well placed and fit very well to the lyrics. If you give the full video a run-through (please do so - it's not long. All in all nearly a three minute song.) you'll be rewarded with a message I think everybody should be aware of.

I'll keep a eye on the band that's for sure. If you also want to keep track of the band do so connecting with them through Facebook, Twitter or have a regular look on the band's website.

Info and Cover for upcoming Mob Rules album revealed

German powermetal band Mob Rules, that did recently put out the great album "Radical peace" out in 2009 have now revealed the first details on their upcoming album "Cannibal Nation". The new silver disc will see the light of day on October 19th 2012 and contain the following tracklist:

01. Close My Eyes
02. Lost
03. Tele Box Fool
04. Ice And Fire
05. Soldiers Of Fortune
06. The Sirens
07. Scream For The Sun (May 29th 1953)
08. Cannibal Nation
09. Sunrise

Bonus track on ltd. ed. digipak
Children Of The Flames (Live In Atlanta)

The band has released some short info on the musical direction of each song along with the cover of the album on their website. The info says that that ´Ice & Fire` will be the first single of the album.

Keeping up the fine tradition of setting up a release show for the album the band will continue to do so with "Cannibal Nation" on October 20th  in their hometown Wilhelmshaven, Germany at the Pumpwerk. Tickets have gone on sale by now also online at this location. You can choose between a standard ticket for 16,40 Euro or add some bucks and get a exclusive T-Shirt with the ticket (this ticket will cost 19,70 Euro).
As the info for the release party further reveals that the band will use this event to film material for the upcoming videoclip of the first single. So being there sound like a good idea. :-)

Other shows that have been confirmed are:

2012/11/03	Ganderkese	3. Schützenhof Rocknacht	Facebook-Link
2012/11/10	Köln	Bunker Blast	Kulturbunker Köln