Heavy Planet Reveals Artwork For First Ever Compilation

In anticipation of the first ever compilation "Bong Hits From the Astral Basement" from Heavy Planet, we reveal the brilliant album cover artwork. Designed by Helena Harlan, the graphic is sure to stun and mesmerize as you are catapulted into a new realm featuring sixty-one of the finest independent and unsigned Stoner Rock, Doom, Psychedelic and Sludge metal bands from around the world. The compilation will be available starting 01/01/2013 as a FREE download. Mark your calendars. 

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CLUTCH: New Album Artwork Unveiled

Veteran Maryland rock quartet CLUTCH is putting the finishing touches on its ninth studio album, titled "Strange Cousins From the West". Produced by CLUTCH and J. Robbins at Magpie Cage Studios in Baltimore, the effort is the first CLUTCH studio LP to be released on the band's own Weathermaker Music, through RED Distribution. It will be available both digitally and through retail on July 7. The first single and video, "50,000 Unstoppable Watts" will be officially released prior to Memorial Day weekend.

"Strange Cousins From the West" includes the POPPO'S BLUES BAND cover song "Algo Ha Cambiado", which CLUTCH vocalist Neil Fallon sings in Spanish. Poppo was a legendary Argentinian hard rock singer/guitarist throughout the '70s and '80s.

The title "Strange Cousins From the West" was taken from a line in the song "Minotaur".

Although CLUTCH has toured the world extensively over the past two years and released multiple CLUTCH-related projects, "Strange Cousins..." is the band's first original studio work since 2007's "From Beale Street to Oblivion" which featured the hit "Electric Worry".



"Strange Cousins From the West" track listing:

01. Motherless Child
02. Struck Down
03. 50,000 Unstoppable Watts
04. Abraham Lincoln
05. Minotaur
06. The Amazing Kreskin
07. Witchdoctor
08. Let a Poor Man Be
09. Freakonomics
10. Algo Ha Cambiado
11. Sleestak Lightning

CLUTCH is planning a seven-month worldwide headlining tour which takes flight in the U.S. on May 6 with support acts WINO and MAYLENE & THE SONS OF DISASTER, followed by a July U.S. tour with BARONESS as main support. Look for the band to appear on some popular music and art festivals, including Austin City Limits later this fall, U.K.'s mammoth Download festival on June 14 and more to be announced.

THE ATLAS MOTH Unveil New Music, Title, Artwork for New Album

Chicago atmospheric sludge metallers The Atlas Moth have posted a rough demo of a brand-new song from their forthcoming debut album, which is to be entitled, A Glorified Piece Of Blue-Sky. The album will be produced, mixed, and recorded by The Atlas Moth’s bassist, Andrew Ragin, at Phase Recording in Chicago, and post production on the album will be done by Tranquility Bass.

The band have also unveiled the album cover, a Pink Floyd-inspired work of art done by the band’s dear friend Ryan Kasparian, and announced an upcoming show supporting the one and only COALESCE.

As the band stated on their official Myspace page, “It's called A Glorified Piece Of Blue-Sky and we are about 75% done with it right now. We are going into the studio at the end of April to hopefully have this sucka finished up by June 1st. This record is ACTUALLY The Atlas Moth, when we wrote the EP, we weren't a complete band yet. This record, from start to finish, was a collaborative effort between all 5 of us. We've actually been playing a couple of these songs almost as long as we played some of the stuff off of Pray for Tides.

"As of today our EP has been out for about 14 months and, frankly, we are starting to feel bad about not posting something new for all of you to hear. Not to mention that we just got added on the Coalesce show here in Chicago on April 24th and we are feeling down right smitten. Regarding Tranquility Bass: Mike is a close friend of ours and a supporter of our music from the beginning. He understands the vibe we are trying to create on this record. His musical creativity & outside perspective towards making this record a solid entity is really exciting to us and we are looking forward to his contribution to it!”

So, without further ado, here is the title track from our new record in demo form. This is not the album version of the track but since we still aren't giving you anything completely done, I do feel as though you should get a little taste of the album.”



The Atlas Moth were Heavy Planet's "New Band To Burn One To" Sept. 9, 2008. Check it out here.

ISIS' "Wavering Radiant" Track Listing & Cover Art Revealed

ISIS, the Los Angeles by way of Boston quintet, will release their fifth full-length album, Wavering Radiant, on May 5 via Ipecac Recordings.

The album, recorded over the late Summer and Fall of 2008 in Los Angeles, was produced by Joe Barresi (Queens Of The Stone Age, Melvins) and will also see a vinyl release on Apr. 21.

Aaron Turner recently discussed the new album with Billboard, saying "This is a better sonic representation of what the band actually sounds like. In the past I think some of the recordings were a little too clean in their final form. There was something about the energy that seemed to be lacking. It seems to feel more like us than anything else has."

"I feel a sense of completion with this record that I've never felt before,” Aaron Harris adds. “We spent more time creating this record than we have with any other, and I feel in my heart that this record is in many ways our best."



Cover art was once again created by Turner.

The track listing for Wavering Radiant is:

01. Hall Of The Dead
02. Ghost Key
03. Hand Of The Host
04. Wavering Radiant
05. Stone To Wake A Serpent
06. 20 Minutes / 40 Years
07. Threshold of Transformation


ISIS is currently planning extensive worldwide touring behind Wavering Radiant with more details to be announced shortly.

CANDLEMASS: 'Death Magic Doom' Artwork Unveiled

Swedish doom legends CANDLEMASS will release their new album, "Death Magic Doom", on April 3 via Nuclear Blast Records.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. If I Ever Die
02. Hammer Of Doom
03. The Bleeding Baroness
04. Demon Of The Deep
05. House Of 1000 Voices
06. Dead Angel
07. Clouds Of Dementia
08. My Funeral Dreams

Check out the cover artwork below.

KYLESA: New Song, Album Artwork Posted Online

A new KYLESA song, "Said And Done", is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page. The track comes off the Savannah group's forthcoming album, "Static Tensions", whch is scheduled for release on March 17 via Prosthetic Records.

"'Said and Done' was the first song we wrote for 'Static Tensions' and has a little bit of everything that can be heard on the album. We think it is a good introduction," explains guitarist/vocalist Laura Pleasants.

The "Static Tensions" artwork was created by BARONESS' John Dyer Baizley and can be seen below. Guitarist/vocalist Phillip Cope produced the CD, which was recorded at the Jam Room in Columbia, South Carolina. He stated about the group's mindset during the making of the new album, "It was definitely a lot more thought out. We have the hindsight of some of the mistakes we've made in the past, so we were able to avoid making them again on this record. I think we came away from the experience with our best stuff yet."

Added guitarist/vocalist Laura Pleasants: "All of our records sound pretty different, but with the same core vibe or sound, and I think the new record has our core KYLESA sound, but branches out even more to incorporate more of our rock and psychedelic influences."

"Static Tensions" track listing:

01. Scapegoat
02. Insomnia For Months
03. Said and Done
04. Unknown Awareness
05. Running Red
06. Nature's Predators
07. Almost Lost
08. Only One
09. Perception
10. To Walk Alone

Metal Maniacs checked in with Cope while he was in the studio tracking KYLESA's new album for an interview in the February issue. Excerpts follow.

Metal Maniacs: This is the second KYLESA record you've produced thus far. Can you give us some tech-y details about it?

Phillip Cope: It's on Prosthetic and recorded at the Jam Room. I'm credited as the producer but [drummer] Carl [McGinely] and three engineers from the studio helped as well. I just oversaw the whole thing. The Jam Room has got an A and a B studio. We recorded in both at the same time. It was a real massive ordeal. Scott Hull is mastering it right now.

Metal Maniacs: What was it like recording two drummers? It looks like you tracked them at the same time.

Phillip Cope: That's pretty much it. We didn't worry about bleed. It was important for those guys to be able to see and hear each other really well. We didn't use a click track at all. We originally started to record live with all of us, but they decided they could play tighter without us, that we were actually messing them up [laughs]. So they just went for it and played through the whole album together.

Metal Maniacs: How long did it take record the album?

Phillip Cope: We were off and on for a while. I would say we spent about 20 days tracking. We really took our time with this one. Prosthetic has been really cool about it, not forcing us into crunch times with dates. We pretty much had it done, got on tour, had some time to reflect and came back to the studio. I think that helped a lot. Before we'd always get it done, send it off and wish we'd changed something later. This time we tightened up guitar solos or vocal parts that we'd let be sloppier in the past. It's definitely the tightest KYLESA record we've ever done. We're not technical tight, but you know, tight for us.

Metal Maniacs: And how did vocals go?

Phillip Cope: Laura [Pleasants] and I gave each other more space on this one. Before we'd try to sing on top of each other and off of each other. There are songs where both of us sing, but for some it's just Laura and some it's just me, which is the first time we've done that on a record.

Metal Maniacs: You've produced several bands including BARONESS and WITHERED. Do things differ when you produce your own band?

Phillip Cope: I'm a lot busier when working with a band I'm in [laughs]. It's more stressful, but I got a lot of help. I listened to a lot of people's opinions along the way.

The February 2009 issue of Metal Maniacs goes on sale January 27.

For more information, visit www.metalmaniacs.com.

MASTODON: New Song 'Divinations' Available For Streaming

Atlanta-based hard rock behemoths MASTODON premiered a brand new song, "Divinations", from their highly anticipated, long-awaited new studio album, "Crack The Skye", on this week's (January 26/27) installment of BBC Radio 1's "Rock Show". The program, which is hosted by Daniel P. Carter, is now available for streaming at this location (go to 21:30 mark to hear the track).

Fans now have the opportunity to buy the "Divinations" bundle which is comprised of a two-track CD-single ("Divinations", along with an instrumental, non-album version of the track) and an exclusive album art T-shirt unavailable anywhere else. The single will also be available digitally as well from iTunes and all other participating digital retailers. This direct-to-consumer bundle is only available through www.mastodonrocks.com. Supplies will be extremely limited, so don't delay.

"Crack the Skye" track listing:

01. Oblivion
02. Divinations
03. Quintessence
04. The Czar
I. Usurper
II. Escape
III. Martyr
IV. Spiral
05. Ghost of Karelia
06. Crack The Skye
07. The Last Baron

INTRONAUT: 'Prehistoricisms' Track Listing, Cover Art, Release Date Revealed

Southern California's INTRONAUT will release its new album, "Prehistoricisms", on September 16 via Century Media Records. The drums for the CD were tracked at Opera Studios in North Hollywood and guitars and bass were laid down at Castle Oaks Studios in Calabasas. Vocals were completed at Clearlake Audio in North Hollywood, and the whole process was engineered by Josh Newell (JANE'S ADDICTION).

"Prehistoricisms" track listing:

01. Primordial Soup
02. The Literal Black Cloud
03. Cavernous Den Of Shame
04. Prehistoricisms
05. Any Port
06. Sundial
07. Australopithecus
08. The Reptilian Brain
I. Sleep
II. Eat
III. Shit
IV. Fight
V. Fuck

Check out footage of the band in the practice room below.

The group has been critics' darlings, receiving numerous accolades from such major publications as Decibel, Metal Maniacs, Outburn and Revolver, among a slew of others. Decibel even listed "Prehistoricisms" as "One of the most anticipated releases of 2008." In October 2007, INTRONAUT released "The Challenger" EP, but this will be the band’s first set of recordings with new guitarist and longtime friend Dave Timnick, with whom they have only recorded one PINK FLOYD cover ("Arnold Layne") for a Syd Barrett tribute disc up until now.

"Prehistoricisms" cover art:

CLUTCH: 'Full Fathom Five' CD, DVD Artwork Revealed

Maryland rockers CLUTCH have revealed the artwork for their new live DVD/CD, "Full Fathom Five". The set will be issued as a DVD and CD on August 12 via the band's own label, Weathermaker Music. The exact track listing will be announced soon.

CD:



DVD:

BLACK STONE CHERRY: 'Folklore And Superstition' Cover Artwork Revealed

The cover artwork for "Folklore and Superstition", the new album from Kentucky rockers BLACK STONE CHERRY, can be viewed below. The CD is scheduled for release on August 19 via Roadrunner Records.

The band, known for crafting blues-infused Southern rawk that sounds as good on the back porch as it does bellowing from Marshall stacks in a packed venue, named its sophomore effort after a distinct tradition from its native region: folklore, story telling and superstitions. "There is a mystique with folklore and superstition," says drummer John Fred Young. "We're intrigued by and interested in history, roots and heritage, and we incorporate that into the band." Bassist Jon Lawhon concurs, "We are taking the Southern tradition and spreading it out to the rest of the world. They say, 'Write what you know,' so that's what we're doing, writing what we know."

On "Folklore and Superstition", BLACK STONE CHERRY incorporates lyrical tales with upbeat riffing and atypical conventions like turkey calls, making it a record that is pleasing as it is unpredictable. The band recorded the album at Black Bird Studios, which is owned and operated by country artist Martina McBride, in Nashville, Tennessee. The album crackles with a down-home, feel good, rock 'n' roll current and was produced and mixed by veteran rock producer Bob Marlette (OZZY OSBOURNE, SALIVA, SEETHER, SHINEDOWN).

The track listing is as follows:

01. Blind Man
02. Please Come In
03. Reverend Wrinkle
04. Soul Creek
05. Things My Father Said
06. The Bitter End
07. Long Sleeves
08. Peace Is Free
09. Devil's Queen
10. The Key
11. You
12. Sunrise
13. Ghost of Floyd Collins

THE GATES OF SLUMBER: 'The Ice Worm's Lair' Artwork Revealed

Indianapolis, Indiana-based doom metal band THE GATES OF SLUMBER will issue a brand new 12" vinyl EP, "The Ice Worm's Lair", on July 5, 2008. Limited to 500 copies (300 aqua, 150 purple and 50 white), the EP features the track "Ice Worm" from the group's new album "Conqueror", as well as three non-album tracks exclusive to this release. The b-sides include a new original track "Something You Can Never Know" along with covers of the IRON MAIDEN classic "Fight of Icarus" and DIO's "Egypt (The Chains Are On)".

"The Ice Worm's Lair" features brand new cover artwork by Dave Quiggle.

The 12" will be released by the band's own Slumbering Souls imprint in association with Superhero Artist Management And Productions, LLC.

Side A:

01. Ice Worm
02. Something you can Never Know

Side B:

01. Flight of Icarus (IRON MAIDEN Cover)
02. Egypt (The Chains Are on) (DIO Cover)

"Conqueror" was released in North America on May 27 via Profound Lore (I Hate in Europe). The CD was recorded at Volume Studios with producer Sanford Parker, who has previously worked with BIBLE OF THE DEVIL, LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR and NACHMYSTIUM, among others.

THE GATES OF SLUMBER filmed a video for the song "Trapped in the Web" on April 13 with Andy Reale (THROWDOWN, IMPENDING DOOM).

Check out photos from the video shoot at this location.

According to a press release, "Conqueror" is "an adventurous jaunt, with the epic and colossal nature of the songs being more to the point, which in turn makes 'Conqueror' the most tightly knit, focused and structured THE GATES OF SLUMBER offering to date. Produced and recorded by Sanford Parker, hence one can only expect a nice warm and natural sound that opposes all the triggered and digitally processed garbage that's pretty much polluting the scene, everything about 'Conqueror' is mighty. From the memorably constructed melodies, Karl Simon's passionately sung vocals and awesome guitar solos, and the wicked rhythm section provided by bassist Jason McCash and drummer Bob Fouts, 'Conqueror' is pretty much an album that defines everything we here at Profound Lore Records like about metal, and is an album that again, gives us faith that there is such a thing today as true quality metal with class and conviction."

BLACK SABBATH: 'The Rules Of Hell' Box Set Artwork Revealed

"The Rules Of Hell", is a box set featuring all three of BLACK SABBATH's Dio-era studio releases ("Heaven And Hell", "Mob Rules", "Dehumanizer") and its double live collection ("Live Evil") all recently remastered for the first time. The artwork can be viewed at this location.

Heavy metal pioneers BLACK SABBATH were reborn in 1980 when founding members Tony Iommi and Terry "Geezer" Butler added vocalist Ronnie James Dio to the lineup. The band's short but memorable time together added an unforgettable chapter in SABBATH's storied history. Rhino relives the demonic fury conjured by the Dio era with "The Rules Of Hell". The set comes packaged in a deluxe slipcase with extensive liner notes featuring all new interviews with the band. This five-disc boxed set will be available from Rhino on July 22 at all physical outlets, as well as www.rhino.com, for a suggested list price of $54.98. The set will also be available the same day at all digital outlets for a suggested list price of $24.99.

GRAND MAGUS: 'Iron Will' Artwork Revealed

Swedish powerhouse GRAND MAGUS, which features in its ranks current SPIRITUAL BEGGARS frontman Janne Christoffersson, will release its fourth full-length album, "Iron Will", in Europe on June 9 via Rise Above Records. The CD, which was once again recorded in Stockholm, with Oneman acting as engineer and co-producer, will be issued in the U.S. on June 24 through Candlelight.

Track Listing:

01. Like the Oar Strikes the Water
02. Fear Is the Key
03. Höuding
04. Iron Will
05. Silver Into Steel
06. The Shadow Knows
07. Self Deceiver
08. Beyond Good and Evil
09. I Am The North