Project 86 will release the first half of its new album, Omni this spring, and in anticipation of its release, debuted another single and video from the forthcoming record.
The band debuted its new single, ‘0>1‘ and its companion video Friday. The song and its video are the second from the band, behind the album’s lead single, ‘Metatropolis.’
The musical arrangement featured in ‘0>1’ is, like its predecessor, some of the heaviest material that Project 86 has ever composed. Right off the bat, it is comparable to works from the likes of the band’s fellow Christian metal bands Demon Hunter and Zao.
Lyrically, the song continues the overall science fiction story presented in Omni. The story is that of a scientist whose company has essentially taken over the world by using technology to overcome plague and even death itself, according to front man Andrew Schwab.
“The song channels the disturbing rants of a ‘fictitious’ character named Alexander Ophis, who is the founder of a tech company called OMNI (which is also the name of the forthcoming double album),” Schwab said. “I imagine Ophis as an amalgam of many of the major elite players in global politics and power at the present; He is one part Elon Musk, one part Klaus Schwab, one part Bill Gates, and yet more sadistic, twisted and corrupted than all of them combined. Nineteen years into the future, in this song, Ophis reveals how his company conquered the world on the back of plague and famine, using technology to silence and manipulate the masses (as well as world governments, the media, and big medicine) into submission.”
More information on Project 86’s new album, single and video is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Veteran Christian Metal band Demon Hunter has a new “hits” collection due out Friday. The 12-song compilation – Songs of Death and Resurrection — is an interesting offering that will mostly to the group’s most devoted audiences. That is due in part to the record’s featured songs, which will be addressed shortly. The arrangements in the featured songs are just as important to note as the songs themselves. They will be discussed a little later. The songs’ production works with the arrangements to complete the record’s presentation. Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the compilation. All things considered, they make the compilation a presentation that while maybe not necessarily unique, is still a presentation that will appeal to most of Demon Hunter’s audiences.
Demon Hunter’s new acoustic hits collection, Songs of Death and Resurrection, is a presentation that will appeal mostly to the band’s most devoted audiences. That is due in part to its featured works. The band’s majority of the band’s 10-song catalog is represented through the course of its 12-song body. To be precise, eight of the band’s records are represented here. The only albums that are not represented through the catalog are its 2019 album War, and its 2017 album Outlive. As an added bonus, audiences also get a new song here in the form of ‘Praise the Void.’ Whether it is actually new per se or just a work that did not make the final cut for one of the band’s albums is unknown. Regardless, it is still an addition that the noted listeners will like.
Adding to the appeal here is that speaking technically, Songs of Death and Resurrection is Demon Hunter’s first actual compilation record. The band has released two dual-album sets in the form of Double Take and Death, A Destination. The problem is that the sets actually only offer audiences a total of three of the band’s 10 albums. Summer of Darkness is featured in each set while The Triptych features in Double Take and the band’s self-titled 2002 is featured in Death, A Destination. So in reality, audiences are still limited through those collections. This set meanwhile, gives listeners a rich overall picture of the band’s catalog as it pulls from almost every one of the band’s records. So while yes, the record is just a compilation, the fact that it pulls from so much of Demon Hunter’s catalog is its own undeniable positive. It is just one of the album’s positives, too. The arrangements themselves make for their own appeal.
The arrangements featured in Songs of Death and Resurrection are important to the compilation’s presentation because of their accessibility. While each arrangement is itself an acoustic take of songs from Demon Hunter’s catalog, the reach from full to acoustic was not far. That is because the songs that the band stripped down were already light (so to speak) to begin with. Each original song was one of the band’s “ballads.” They are much softer and introspective in comparison to the band’s clearly much heavier works. To that end, the change from full song to acoustic did not take much effort. Now keeping that in mind, it would have been easy for the band to just phone it in so to speak. Thankfully it is clear that the band did not completely go that route. The arrangements here mostly stay true to their source material. ‘I Am a Stone’ for instance is laden with strings alongside front man Ryan Clark’s vocals. It is already a soft work. The updated take is soft in its own way, what with Clark’s vocals set against the acoustic guitar and drums. It is still a soft ballad in comparison to the original work. Ironically enough, the acoustic take could actually be argued to be heavier than the original because of the addition of the guitar and drums, even still being a soft ballad.
‘My Throat is an Open Grave,’ by comparison, is softer than its source material, but still heavy even in its softer approach. The original song is best described as a melodic hard rock style composition, complete with vocal harmonies, heavy drums, and equally heavy guitars (at moments). The acoustic take featured here replaces the guitars with much lighter string arrangements and piano. The drums and bass are as heavy as ever, but set alongside the noted strings and piano, and Clark’s mournful vocal delivery, make for quite the contrast. The whole presents itself as a unique take on the song that while softer than the original, is still as heavy as the original in its own way.
Another example of how this record changes the band’s works successfully comes in the form of the acoustic take of ‘Loneliness.’ The chorus segments are equally heavy, though the verses sees the sharp, layered guitars are replaced with string arrangements and another piano line. The sense of melancholy established in the original work through Clark’s vocals permeates the song just as much here as in the original composition. The whole, which runs more than a minute longer than the original, is another strong addition to the record that follows the compilation’s overall stylistic approach, and does so just as well even adapting itself from what is one of Demon Hunter’s heaviest ballads. When it is considered along with the other songs noted here and the rest of the record’s re-workings, the whole shows why the collection’s featured arrangements are just as important as the compilation’s chosen songs. The two items together make for plenty of reason for audiences to take in the record. They are just a portion of what Demon Hunter’s most devoted audiences will appreciate about this recording. Its production rounds out its most important items.
The production that went into Songs of Death and Resurrection is important to address especially because so many of the arrangements follow a similar stylistic approach, as already noted. That approach typically involves the use of strings and Clark’s vocals with the addition of a rich percussion and bass backing. Again, the arrangements each sound different from song to song, but the stylistic approach is relatively the same. That means that the utmost attention had to be paid to each work to ensure that the record did not become redundant. What’s more, those individuals had to make sure that none of the elements within the songs overpowered one another. That includes even the most subtle additions to each arrangement. Those behind the glass are to be commended for their efforts, considering that necessary attention to even the minutest detail. The stylistic approach, and all of its melancholic feel is there, but the songs’ identities come out well in each work. The result is a record whose content sounds almost identical to its source material, just toned down some. When this positive impact of the production is considered along with that of the stylistic approach to the arrangements and the very choice of songs, the whole becomes a presentation that Demon Hunter’s most devoted fans will appreciate.
Demon Hunter’s new acoustic hits compilation is an interesting presentation that will appeal to plenty of the band’s audience base. It will especially appeal to the band’s most devoted audiences. That is proven in part through the record’s featured songs. The songs in question represent nearly every one of the band’s albums. That means that they collectively give audiences a rich representation of the band’s body of work. The arrangements featured in the record’s chosen songs maintain the identity in each work while giving each work a unique sound and overarching stylistic approach. That familiar stylistic approach, together with the unique sound of each arrangement prevents the record from becoming monotonous. The production of the arrangements puts the final touch to the whole. It ensures that each arrangement’s instrumentation is expertly balanced, thus making sure one last time, that the compilation keeps listeners engaged and entertained. Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the record. All things considered, they make Songs of Death and Resurrection a positive first full compilation from Demon Hunter. Songs of Death and Resurrection is scheduled for release Friday through Solid State Records. More information on the compilation is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Demon Hunter has premiered another song from its forthcoming acoustic hits compilation.
The band debuted its acoustic take of its song ‘Loneliness‘ Friday. Its debut comes less than a month after the band debuted the compilation’s lead single, an acoustic take of its song ‘I Will Fail You.’ Both songs are featured in the band’s forthcoming compilation record Songs of Death and Resurrection, which is scheduled for release March 5 through Solid State Records.
Front man Ryan Clark discussed the updated take of ‘Loneliness’ in a prepared statement.
“When we played this song live in 2019—during the acoustic portion of the night—we pushed the limits of how slow we could do it,” he said. “The slower we got, the more bleak it felt, and this only added to the vibe. After all, we were trying to channel a feeling of despair, allowing the song to truly embody its namesake. On the studio version of this ‘Resurrected’ track, you’ll hear my mom sing with me. My mom is my inspiration for singing in the first place, so it was very heartwarming to finally capture our voices together on a Demon Hunter record.”
The track listing for Songs of Death and Resurrection is noted below.
Tracklist: 1. My Throat is an Open Grave (Resurrected) 2. Dead Flowers (Resurrected) 3. The Heart of a Graveyard (Resurrected) 4. Praise the Void (Resurrected) 5. Blood in the Tears (Resurrected) 6. Loneliness (Resurrected) 7. I Will Fail You (Resurrected) 8. I Am a Stone (Resurrected) 9. Deteriorate (Resurrected) 10. Carry Me Down (Resurrected) 11. The Tide Began to Rise (Resurrected) 12. My Heartstrings Come Undone (Resurrected)
More information on Demon Hunter’s forthcoming compilation and livestream is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Demon Hunter kicked off the weekend with some “new” music.
The band debuted a stripped down, acoustic take of its song ‘I Will Fail You‘ Friday. The song is featured in the band’s forthcoming compilation record Songs of Death and Resurrection, which is scheduled for release March 5 through Solid State Records.
The song’s debut comes less than two months after the band held a livestream acoustic performance to promote the new compilation of stripped down takes of its music.
Front man Ryan Clark talked about the stripped down take of ‘I Will Fail You’ during a recent interview.
“The original album version of “I Will Fail You” is one of our doomiest ballads,” he said. “At the time, I found myself immersed in the bleak heaviness of bands like Omnium Gatherum, Swallow The Sun, and Katatonia. I’m naturally drawn to that place where heavy and sad collide.
Reimagined for Songs of Death and Resurrection, the song takes on a haunting vibe, replacing heavy chugs with hypnotic repetition of the lead guitar,” added Clark. There’s a trance-like cadence to it, which feels just as appropriate as the original crunch.”
This version of the song also features the amazing talents of longtime Demon Hunter collaborator, Chris Carmichael,” he continued. “Chris has arranged and performed the strings for many DH songs, such as “Sixteen,” “Driving Nails,” “I Am a Stone,” and “Slight the Odds.” I’ve never had to give Chris direction, and I’ve never asked him to change anything beyond his first attempt. He just gets it… and makes us sound like a million dollars every time he touches a track.
The album’s track listing is noted below.
Tracklist: 1. My Throat is an Open Grave (Resurrected) 2. Dead Flowers (Resurrected) 3. The Heart of a Graveyard (Resurrected) 4. Praise the Void (Resurrected) 5. Blood in the Tears (Resurrected) 6. Loneliness (Resurrected) 7. I Will Fail You (Resurrected) 8. I Am a Stone (Resurrected) 9. Deteriorate (Resurrected) 10. Carry Me Down (Resurrected) 11. The Tide Began to Rise (Resurrected) 12. My Heartstrings Come Undone (Resurrected)
More information on Demon Hunter’s forthcoming compilation and livestream is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Christian Metal band Demon Hunter is resurrecting some of its songs for a new compilation record.
The band is scheduled to release its new record Songs of Death and Resurrection March 5.The 11-song compilation will feature acoustic takes on some of the band’s most well-known songs. The album was produced and mixed in Atlanta, GA and Nashville, TN.
Joanna Ott provided additional vocals and piano for the updated compositions, while Chris Carmichael arranged and performed the string arrangements featured throughout the collection. Front man Ryan Clark’s mother Peggy makes a special guest appearance as she appears alongside her son on ‘Dead Flowers’ and ‘Loneliness.’
Clark addressed the inspiration behind the compilation’s creation in a prepared statement.
“The Demon Hunter ballad has been a defining aspect of our band since our very first album,” the statement reads. “My brother and I knew that if we wanted the freedom to pursue more somber, more melodic moments of creativity, we had to set that precedent from the beginning. What we didn’t realize then was just how important these songs would become to both the band and our fans.”
“The concept of an acoustic record is something we’ve been considering—and encouraged to pursue by fans—for many years,” the statement continues. “After ten studio albums, and a tour cycle that included a full acoustic set, it felt like the right time to actualize this idea. What we didn’t want to do is something we had done before. Though we’ve played many of these songs in acoustic fashion over the years, we’ve never done so with such a level of care and attention. We hope that comes across in these recordings.”
The album’s track listing is noted below.
Tracklist: 1. My Throat is an Open Grave (Resurrected) 2. Dead Flowers (Resurrected) 3. The Heart of a Graveyard (Resurrected) 4. Praise the Void (Resurrected) 5. Blood in the Tears (Resurrected) 6. Loneliness (Resurrected) 7. I Will Fail You (Resurrected) 8. I Am a Stone (Resurrected) 9. Deteriorate (Resurrected) 10. Carry Me Down (Resurrected) 11. The Tide Began to Rise (Resurrected) 12. My Heartstrings Come Undone (Resurrected)
In anticipation of the album’s release, Demon Hunter has scheduled a livestream performance of the album. The performance is scheduled to take place at 8 p.m. ET on Nov. 20 live from Dark Horse Studios in Franklin, TN.. It will remain available to stream for 48 hours after the initial stream.
Tickets, VIP bundles, amd album pre-orders are available here. Along with the standard CD and digital release of Songs of Death and Resurrection, Solidstate Records will release the compilation on a deluxe vinyl box set, and limited, exclusive vinyl. Album pre-orders will include an instant grat download of ‘Dead Flowers (Resurrected).’
More information on Demon Hunter’s forthcoming compilation and livestream is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Courtesy: Renewing Music Studios/TLG Entertainment Company
Christian metalcore band Life Renewed debuted its latest single over the weekend.
The Richmond, VA-based band, which got its start in Raleigh, NC, debuted its single ‘By Faith’ Friday. The song, which is featured in the group’s new forthcoming EP Launching From Ground Zero, debuted Friday through Spotify and the band’s official Youtube channel.
The song’s pummeling musical arrangement, which is founded through its wall of sound style approach, will appeal to fans of other metalcore acts, such as Unearth and fellow Christian metal acts Phineas and Demon Hunter.
Band founder Rob Volkoff discussed the song’s lyrical content in a recent interview.
“This was the first song written in 2014 with the inspiration of roommate and clean vocal feature Nick West,” he said. “This is song number four of a seven-song EP called Launching From Ground Zero. This EP encompasses the concept of a person who has struggled in life and has formed opinions, thoughts and feelings that have affected the person’s life negatively. This song, along with the concept of the whole EP, is a journey of reflecting throughout all of life’s experiences to discover and bring into fruition some of the lessons on how a person can find and truly possess faith – to grow, evolve and become a person with purpose. “By Faith” was the first completed song off the EP and was the foundation of the whole EP and encompasses all the elements of the EP musically & contextually”‘
BoughtXBlood front man Alvin Triplett provided the screams for ‘By Faith.’
More information on Life Renewed is available along with all of the group’s news at:
Demon Hunter premiered another new single from its new album War this week.
The band debuted the song ‘Ash’ at Loudwire’s official website on Thursday. Demon Hunter front man Ryan Clark said of the song, that it is a reminder that things are just things.
“‘Ash’ is a no frills, anthemic onslaught, berating our infatuation with fleeting possessions,” Clark said in the article at Loudwire. “It’s a reminder to myself as much as anyone else. I collect pretty much everything I couldn’t afford as a kid: skateboards, shoes, artwork, antiques…you name it. And I love this stuff. Still, I know I can’t ‘take it with me’ as they say.”
Clark added, “In classic Demon Hunter fashion, we wanted to ensure that War had at least one faster thrash number in the gates of ‘Storm the Gates of Hell,’ ‘Crucifix’ or ‘The World is a Thorn.’ ‘Ash’ is the resident barn burner track for this album. This was the last song that we’d written for the heavier of these two records, and is the only song written by Patrick, Jeremiah and myself.
The debut of ‘Ash’ came only three days after the band debuted the video for another single from War, ‘On My Side.’
More information on ‘On My Side’ and ‘Ash’ is available online along with all of Demon Hunter’s latest news and more at:
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Yes, everyone knows that phrase from AC/DC’s classic song by the same name. As popular as it is, it is more than just a song lyric and title. It is a statement of honor for the acts and audiences who span the rock community. This year, as with every year prior, there are so many bands to honor as the year nears its end, including hard rock and metal bands. In case it hasn’t become clear by now, this article focuses on this critic’s choices for the year’s top new hard rock and metal albums. As with every list before, compiling it was not an easy task. New releases from Project 86, Arch Enemy, Iced Earth, and so many others made this year’s field of new hard rock and metal albums very crowded. That is putting it lightly. Between well-known mainstream acts and their lesser-known independent counterparts, the two sides collectively offered so many impressive new albums.
Topping this critic’s list of the year’s top new hard rock and metal albums is Project 86’s latest album Sheep Among Wolves. The band’s 10th full-length studio recording in 20 years, this record takes all of the best elements of the band’s past — both musically and lyrically — and uses them to craft a work that is just as memorable and engaging as its predecessors. Also on this year’s list from Phil’s Picks are new albums from — as already noted — Iced Earth and Arch Enemy — as well as new offerings from Overkill, Act of Defiance, Prong, Adrenaline Mob, Blacktop Mojo and others. As with every list, this list presents this critic’s Top 10 titles plus five additional titles for a total of 15 records. That being noted, here for you is Phil’s Picks’ 2017 Top 10 New Hard Rock & Metal Albums.
PHIL’S PICKS 2017 TOP 10 NEW HARD ROCK & METAL ALBUMS
Project 86 — Sheep Among Wolves
Prong — Zero Days
Act of Defiance — Old Scars, New Wounds
Overkill — The Grinding Wheel
Iced Earth — Incorruptable
Blacktop Mojo — Burn The Ships
Adrenaline Mob — We The People
Marty Friedman — Wall of Sound
Corroded — Defcon Zero
Dragonforce — Reaching Into Infinity
The Haunted — Strength In Numbers
Doyle — As We Die
Demon Hunter — Outlive
36 Crazyfists — Lanterns
Arch Enemy — Will To Power
That’s all for this list. Again, it was not an easy list to compile. Acts the likes of Eve To Eve to Adam, Marty Friedman, Sepultura, Annihilator, Mastodon and so many others all deserve their own share of credit. With that in mind, it becomes easy to see why no disrespect was meant to any one act or another here. Every noted act released its own impressive album. Only so many spaces were available, sadly.
2018 is already shaping up to be an interesting year in its own right, with new material from Ministry on the way alongside new albums from Judas Priest, Saxon, Machine Head, Corrosion of Conformity, Tool, Clutch and lots more. Stay tuned for all of that in the new year. To keep up with all of the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.
The wait is almost over for Demon Hunter’s next record.
The band announced this week it will release its next full-length studio recording this spring. The record, Outlive, is the band’s eighth studio recording, will be released Friday, March 31 via Solid State Records. It can be pre-ordered online now here.
Along with announcing the record’s release date, the band also unveiled the record’s track listing and cover art this week. The record will be presented with two separate cover designs.
The primary design, pictured above, will be used for the record’s digital and physical release. The second design, pictured below, will be exclusive to the record’s 2-LP vinyl release.
Courtesy: Solid State Records
Along with its physical and digital releases, Demon Hunter will also release Outlive in a limited edition deluxe box set. The box set will feature the album in its entirety. The record will be complimented with two bonus tracks, behind-the-scenes DVD, photo cards, booklet, poster, bandana, ring and more. The whole thing is contained in a drawer-style box with metallic gold detail.
The record’s track listing features 12 songs including its lead single, ‘Cold Winter Sun.’ Audiences can check out the song online now here. Front man Ryan said of the single’s debut early last December that he was happy to be able to share the song with the band’s fans.
“After the longest wait between Demon Hunter albums ever, we are so proud to share the first full song from our new album,” Clark said. It feels amazing to finally unleash a piece of this album to the world. ‘Cold Winter Sun’ is a perfect example of where we’re at today, maintaining an element of classic Demon Hunter but not so much as to be resting on our laurels. It’s always been my desire to pull a healthy amount of inspiration from our past, but to also incorporate enough forward progress to keep things interesting.”
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Demon Hunter is preparing audiences for its next album in a big way.
The veteran Christian metal outfit has debut the lyric video for its next album’s lead single. The song is titled ‘Cold Winter Sun’ and the lyric video can be viewed online now here. It comes from the band’s upcoming album Outlive, which will be released in March 2017.
Front man Ryan Clark was ecstatic about the song’s release, saying it felt great to him to give audiences their first taste of the band’s next record.
“After the longest wait between Demon Hunter albums ever, we are so proud to share the first full song from our new album,” Clark said. It feels amazing to finally unleash a piece of this album to the world. ‘Cold Winter Sun’ is a perfect example of where we’re at today, maintaining an element of classic Demon Hunter but not so much as to be resting on our laurels. It’s always been my desire to pull a healthy amount of inspiration from our past, but to also incorporate enough forward progress to keep things interesting.”
Outlive was produced and engineered by Demon Hunter guitarist Jeremiah Scott (Living Sacrifice, The Showdown) and was assisted by longtime collaborator Aaron Sprinkle (Anberlin, New Found Glory). The album was mixed by Zeuss (Rob Zombie, Hatebreed, Queensryche).
‘Cold Winter Sun’ is available online now via iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Google Play and Apple Music. More information on ‘Cold Winter Sun’ and Outlive online now along with all of Demon Hunter’s latest news and more at:
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