Category: news

Of all metal’s subgenres, doom remains one of the most welcoming to outside influences, often stretching its boundaries past lethargic, downtuned tempos of despair and dread. Spanish duo TodoMal¹ embody that openness completely, drawing from a wide spectrum of styles to shape their unique blend of progressive doom. Formed by multi‑instrumentalists Christopher B. Wildman (Jade (live), ex-Asgaroth) and composer/producer Javier Fernández Milla (ex-Asgaroth), Ultracrepidarian (2021) and With a Greater Good (2023) pushed at the edges of classic doom with a big, cinematic approach rooted in the grandeur of Candlemass and the cosmic blues of Pink Floyd. Graveyards of Joy, their third record, closes the trilogy and marks their first expansion into a five-piece recording and live ensemble, joined by drummer Javier “Bud” Martínez (Jade), guitarist Javier Félez (ex-Teitanblood), and vocalist/keyboardist Cecilia Tallo (ex-Maud the Moth). And their contributions help unlock TodoMal’s most ambitious and articulate record to date.

Graveyards of Joy finds TodoMal pushing their sound into more progressive territories, with their immersive strain of atmospheric doom feeling far more melodic and balanced than their previous work. Juxtaposing processional tones with airy, luminous passages in a way that resists categorization, each song on Graveyards of Joy is incredibly dense yet no less urgent. “Mare Ignis” could have come straight from a Devin Townsend record, elevated by an expressive, gothic shimmer and reverb-drenched textures, while “Misericordiah” offers a moment of pure acoustic beauty before “Unholy” snaps back with brooding gothic rock heaviness and bright, pop-minded sensibility. Tallo’s lush choral backdrops (“Mare Ignis”), coupled with orchestral elements like horns (“Point of Coalescence,” “Mare Ignis”), violins (“Misericordiah”), Hammond-esque synths (“For Mercy”) and piano (“Graveyards of Joy,” “Lucid Nightmare”), create soaring, hook-laden melodies with an ethereal, dreamlike quality that lets the heavily layered arrangements feel deceptively lighter than they are, even in the face of Martinez’s thunderous drums, Felez’s chunky riffing and the record’s saturating production.

TodoMal excel at balancing darkness and light, constantly offsetting heaviness with melody and atmosphere. “Lucid Nightmare” leans into melodic allure without losing heft, pairing resonant guitars with Tallo’s bright piano and choral layers, while “Point of Coalescence” contrasts ominous horns and crushing riffs against airy vocals that keep the song from ever feeling too oppressive. The guitar work on Graveyards of Joy favors big, expressive solos and memorable phrasing, emphasizing emotional lift over technicality and adding another dimension to TodoMal’s cinematic, textured identity. “Deliverance” delivers the record’s most dynamic moment, moving from delicate acoustics into a massive, emotional swell, while “Humanised Gods” distills their approach into a punchy, hook- and synth-laden standout. Across Graveyards of Joy, TodoMal uses melody, orchestration, and texture to let the material surface for air before pulling you back into its darker depths.

Wildman’s vocal performance is one of Graveyards of Joy’s defining highlights, channeling a tone that lands somewhere between Jón Aldará’s (Iotunn, Barren Earth) soaring melodicism and Robert Smith’s (The Cure) emotive, gothic inflection. Instead of leaning into brutality, Wildman avoids growling entirely, opting for an indie-tinged, gothic rock delivery that softens and reshapes TodoMal’s traditional doom foundation. “For Mercy” evidences the full reach of his character, with an untethered vocal line floating above an upbeat acoustic guitar that initially feels awkward but quickly captures my admiration with its off-kilter charm. The track recalls the Violent Femmes in many respects and shows the breadth of the group’s influences. The duo also leans heavily on background harmonies and choral passages to amplify the material’s emotional weight, creating a soundscape that reveals new nuances with each listen. The production reinforces this, feeling enveloping and bright, and the concise runtime—aside from the sprawling “Deliverance” and the similarly lengthy closer—ultimately strengthens the record’s pacing.

Graveyards of Joy pulls all of its many ingredients into a layered, multifaceted whole that grows more rewarding with every listen. TodoMal’s twist on doom may feel occasionally strange, but it’s insanely stylish and unmistakably their own. It’s the kind of take that makes genre labels feel irrelevant because there is no denying this is simply great music. A couple of longer tracks could stand a trim, and a few endings land a bit abruptly, but those small quibbles fade quickly. What stays with you instead is the album’s accessibility, scope, and immensity. TodoMal may mean “all wrong,” yet Graveyards of Joy is anything but.

---

Rating: Great!
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Season of Mist
Websites: todomalband.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/todomalofficial
Releases Worldwide: July 3rd, 2026

The post TodoMal – Graveyards of Joy Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

With three bonus tracks.

The post Misery Index’s “Overthrow” Set For Newly Remastered Vinyl Reissue appeared first on Theprp.com.

Ciara is back with her first new music of 2026. The singer is celebrating 10 years of marriage with her husband, the recently retired NFL quarterback Russell Wilson, by sharing a steamy, sweet R&B tune called “Yes.”

The post Ciara – “Yes” appeared first on Stereogum.

Toy donations for children in need will be fielded at the show.

The post The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza, Filth, Heavy//Hitter, Evergreen Terrace, Etc. Set For ‘Mosh For Tots’ Benefit Show appeared first on Theprp.com.

Recent Relapse Records signees Left To Die will unleash their debut full-length, Initium Mortis, on July 17th. Today, the band shares the album’s third single and opening track, “Legion Of Doom,” which originates back to the original Mantas and Death Death By Metal demos!

Comments Terry Butler (Obituary, ex-Death), “‘Legion Of Doom’ is heavy as hell. One of the best and earliest knuckle-dragging riffs out there. So heavy in fact, that Death brought the main riff back out of retirement for the song ‘Spiritual Healing!’”

Initium Mortis sees the supergroup – including original Death members Terry Butler (Obituary) and Rick Rozz (Massacre) – joining gore metal pioneer Matt Harvey (Exhumed, Gruesome) and Gus Rios (Gruesome) to capture the morbid depths of Death’s early catalog.

Initium Mortis will be released on CD, LP, cassette, and digital formats. Find pre-orders here.

Members of Left To Die comment on the new album: Matt Harvey: “After Gus and I performed Spiritual Healing in its entirety with Terry and James [Murphy], Rick wondered if people might want to hear something similar, but with him joining the three of us to perform Leprosy. Of course, I leapt at the chance to do it, and we quickly threw together a tour which surpassed everyone’s expectations, especially in terms of how much fun we were having playing together. As we continued to tour throughout the US, Europe, Latin America, Australia, and Asia, people kept asking if we were going to record or write anything. After going back and forth on the topic, we felt that (ahem) exhuming some of these old tracks made the most sense for us, after all, we’re not gonna top Leprosy.

“I gleefully combed through the myriad Death/Mantas demos and rehearsals looking for stuff that would make sense for a record, and we ended up going with tunes that we felt would make the most cohesive album, hence why ‘Skill To Kill’ and ‘Back From The Dead’ sadly didn’t make the cut. I look at Initium Mortis as a kind of ‘alternate-universe’ version of the Scream Bloody Gore track list, as so many of these tunes were circling around the many Death lineups and rehearsals from ’83-’87. In fact, Chuck [Schuldiner] and Chris [Reifert] recorded a version of “Legion Of Doom” for SBG that never got completed. In revisiting these songs, it was crystal-clear to me that Rick’s fingerprints are all over the Mantas stuff and tunes like ‘Slaughterhouse,’ so with that connection, the songs where his style really shone through immediately made sense to include on Initium Mortis.”

Terry Butler: “Left To Die went from a thought to doing a full US tour in about three months! Pretty remarkable. We wanted to play the early material for the fans that couldn’t see the first albums in a live setting. There are many young fans at our shows that are hearing the foundation that Death stands on to this day live for the first time! With Matt channeling the best Chuck Schuldiner out there and Gus playing the material perfectly and respectfully we hit the road and haven’t looked back!

“For Initium Mortis, we wanted Death fans who never heard these demo songs to hear them with good production. Most of these early demos were recorded on a boom box, so by the time someone got their demo through tape trading it was almost inaudible! We think these tracks are a good representation of the birth of Mantas/Death. This is ground zero – where it all started: three 15-year-old kids creating death metal history, and even within these choice cuts from the demo days you can hear the evolution of the music.”

Rick Rozz: “First, I would like to thank Gus, Matt, and Terry for making Left To Die happen. It’s been an honor and a pleasure working with them for the past few years and beyond. It’s really cool to be able to hear these tunes from 1984 properly! The old-school Death fans are going to dig this release.”

Gus Rios: “The band started simply because Rick called me and asked if I’d be into it… Which I very promptly replied by referencing bears, shit, and woods. I then called Matt and Terry, and the rest is history. Death’s Leprosy record is my favorite death metal album, let alone Death album. To be given this unbelievable opportunity to play those songs with Rick and Terry across the globe is an honor and a blessing I find hard to put in words. Matt and I are living our 14-year-old selves’ death metal fantasy!

“And now, to make an album with the guys, is flat out surreal. I’m a pretty solid Death fan if I do say so myself, and yet these songs were all new to me. I never really gave the Mantas stuff much of a listen because I’m just not a ‘demo’ production fan. To hear these songs with clean and solid, yet classic analog style production for me is like getting new Death songs… Which rules!”

Featuring tracks like “Archangel,” “Witch Of Hell,” and “Legion Of Doom” expertly executed in the now, Initium Mortis is a must-have for Death fans and collectors alike. Ultimately, Left To Die celebrates a seminal band and the camaraderie of the genre’s most extreme corner of music.

The post LEFT TO DIE Shares “Legion Of Doom” Single From Debut Full-Length “Initium Mortis” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

In February, Twisted Teens unleashed their second album, Blame The Clown. The New Orleans punk duo is already back with the announcement of its followup, Florida Water Blues, whose title track is out today.

The post Twisted Teens Announce New Album <em>Florida Water Blues</em>: Hear The Title Track appeared first on Stereogum.

Kirk and Rob’s latest doodle also honored the Sex Pistols.

The post Metallica Members Covered Black Sabbath Live In London On The First Anniversary Of ‘Back To The Beginning’ appeared first on Theprp.com.

Megadeth's Dave Mustaine named his all-time favorite guitarists during a recent interview and explained what made each of them distinct. Continue reading…

Review & photos by Jordan West

Primus founder/bassist Les Claypool brought out a trio of his musical projects for all to enjoy on a lovely night in Long Beach harbor. The recently opened F&M Bank Amphitheater, right next to the majestic ocean liner Queen Mary, was the scene of an evening of performances that ranged from psychedelic avant-garde, to extreme funk and beyond. Claypool and company offered a bit of a career perspective on a variety of his projects in an almost three-hour performance, which had his fans and the curious grooving along together all evening.

Claypool Gold began with the six-piece Frog Brigade, which featured Claypool on bass along with drummer Paulo Baldi, vibist Mike Dillon, Skerik on saxophone, as well as keyboard player Harry Waters (son of Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters). On guitar and vocals, Sean Ono Lennon (yes, the son of John and Yoko) added an intriguing curiosity to what would be a very interesting, eye-opening set.

The band, with the exception of Claypool and Lennon, were all adorned in bright green chef coats and wore tan military helmets, that added a bit of cohesiveness to the free jazz approach to the music itself. It ranged from the funky “Up On The Roof,” a song, Claypool explained, is about a kid getting stuck on the roof of a house, to the fun “The Rumble Of The Diesel,” which is about a commercial fisherman’s experiences at sea.

A large cartoon frog bearing gold wings was projected on the video screen behind the band, as well as some digital psychedelic animation. Claypool’s Primus mates, guitarist Larry “Lar” LaLonde and new Primus drummer John Hoffman joined the band at various points in the set, which brought Claypool’s storytelling to the forefront, and the Frog Brigade part of the show ended with the ultra-funky “Riddles Are Abound Tonight” a song that was recorded under the bands original name, Sausage.

Without changing sets, The Claypool Lennon Delirium took over and started off the second portion of the show with Lennon taking the vocals for the dreamy, almost mid-60s Beatle pop of “Blood And Rockets” (Movements 1 & 2: “The Saga Of Jack Parsons” and “Too The Moon”), which was written about rocket scientist Jack Parsons and his interest in the occult. Lennon is an accomplished singer and guitarist in his own right, and his high tenor vocals blended well with the instrumental portions. He engaged quite a bit with Claypool onstage, and their familiarity with each other showed in the flow of the songs, as well as the smiles on both their faces, as they performed. “How many times have you been to the Queen Mary?” Claypool asked Lennon at one point. An amused Lennon laughed it off before the two had a brief discussion about DNA, then launched into the bass-heavy rocker “Cliptopia.”

Lennon then introduced the song “WAP (What A Predicament)” from their latest release The Great Parrot-Ox And The Golden Egg Of Empathy. It’s a lovely 60s-70s styled pop song with a lively, thumping beat and Lennon’s sweet vocals. Animator Micah Buzan, who did the artwork on the LP, provided fun animated videos that were shown on the screen behind the band during their set, which ended with an ode to the founders of psychedelic pop Pink Floyd. They finished with a nice cover of the Floyd’s 1967 number “Astronomy Domine” that included all the evening’s musicians. The crowd seemed to be getting in the whole “hippie vibe” of the moment and I noticed quite a few “twirlers” like you would see at a Grateful Dead show, dancing in the aisles and front of the GA pit.

After a brief intermission, a video tribute that featured various musicians including bassist Geddy Lee from Rush, Tool’s Justin Chancellor, and Fishbone’s Norwood Fisher praising Primus and their impact on them. That led into another video intro featuring the popular singer “Puddles Pity Party” singing a version of Danny Elfman’s “Clown Dream” as Primus took the stage. What followed was a 13-song set that encompassed a large portion of Primus’s career, including a few surprises.

Opening with their classic “Those Damn Blue-Collar Tweekers,” a song from 1991 that really got me interested in the trio — Claypool on bass and vocals, LaLonde on guitar and background vocals, and Hoffman on drums — who quickly had their long-time fans bouncing around the venue. “The Ol’Grizz,” a new one about a “Forty-Niner” era prospector fit right into the frantic, slap bass Primus style along with “Over The Falls” that had the hilarious black and white video featuring a submarine builder playing on the video screen as the band rocked.

An always amusing Claypool paused to kid new drummer Hoffman about being nervous about playing “Dirty Drowning Man” in front of long-time former drummer Brian “Brain” Manta who was in attendance. “Hof” said that he would nail it and he did not disappoint, drawing a huge applause as they finished the number. During a breakdown between songs, Claypool chided guitarist “Lar” about the fact that they were playing in front of the Queen Mary that was behind them and to stage left. He referred to it jokingly as the “Queen Larry” drawing smiles all around the venue.

The band even brought out the members of the Frog Brigade for “The Ol’ Diamonback Sturgeon (Fisherman’s Chronicles Pt. 3)” before cranking out a few verses of “Welcome to This World,” then stopping and shifting gears into the crowd favorite “Jerry Was A Race Car Driver.” That song, with its audience participation chant “Dog will HUNT!” part, got the crowd fired up before the band left the stage. They encored with yet another song about fishermen: “John The Fisherman.”

Happily, Primus rocked their adoring fans with their classic “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver” to really set the place off, before inviting all the evening’s musicians onstage for a set-ending cover of the English Beat’s 1980 ska song “Mirror in the Bathroom” that the band made all their own. Skerik’s saxophone riffs and Dillons vibes, combined with the quirky funk of Primus, was the perfect combination to complete an eye-opening evening of musicianship that crossed many borders.

As for the venue itself, located in front of the Queen Mary with the city of Long Beach and its lovely harbor as a backdrop, is a plus. The sound was adequate, the seating was comfortable, and site lines were terrific. Its offsite parking options yielded mixed results from attendees. This was only the second show at this new open-air venue. I’m sure there will be more options and decisions made as the summer concert season moves forward.

Which would explain why he was in the studio earlier this year with Slash and Wes Borland.

The post Danny Elfman Taps Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle, Etc. Members For His Fall Tour Supporting His Upcoming New Rock Album appeared first on Theprp.com.