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The online symphonic metal collective Valcata will release a new standalone single Tower on February 12th, 2021. Pre-save the song on Spotify here: https://show.co/iN8Pcpg

The composer of the project Oha Cade is originally from Clonakilty, Ireland, but is now based in Brooklyn, New York. He has this to say regarding Tower,

“Tower is, like our debut in 2019, a remote online production. Several musicians who featured on the 2019 album have returned, but we’re also introducing new guests. Vocal-wise, on the returning side we have the incredible talents of Hadi Kiani (Gereh, The Frame, Deaton LeMay Project) and Angel Wolf-Black (Goditha, Alexandra Zerner, Vivaldi Metal Project), who reprise their roles as Hessabi and Hypatia. Our new guest is Joshua Morse from the band The Doubted, who appears as the new character Morbus, and delivers Valcata’s first ever harsh vocals.

Drummer Jonas Schütz (Sacrosanct, Sapiency, Eraserhead, Diësis, Condemned to Dream, First Encounter, Oceanrise) returns again to grace us with his hammer-hearted rhythms. Then we have three new maestros — João Miguel (Enblood, Tokyo Wanderer) on guitars, Chris Kollias (SL Theory, Serenity Broken, Persona Non Grata) on bass, and Nathaniel Wolkstein (Just Nathaniel, Gravity the Architect, Imagine the Moon) on strings — all of whom elevated this music with their creativity and unique contributions.

Last but certainly not least, this track was mixed and mastered by the legendary producer Jacob Hansen, who has brought to life the music of many bands that influenced us such as Volbeat, Amaranthe, Fleshgod Apocalypse, and Delain.

The artwork was done by Joshua McQuary (McMonster), who creates stunning watercolors. His style perfectly captures the song’s atmosphere.

Since our debut in October 2019, I’ve been feverishly working on new music. While my ultimate goal is to create another full-length album, some things just can’t wait. When you hear this song and the lyrical themes, you’ll see why.”

A teaser video is scheduled for next Friday, February 5th. Mailing list subscribers will receive the video in their inbox a couple days early.

Follow Valcata here: valcata.com/links

Below are the full credits:

MIXING AND MASTERING
Jacob Hansen (Pyramaze, Volbeat, Amaranthe, Delain)

VOCALISTS
Hadi Kiani (Gereh, The Frame, Deaton LeMay Project) — as Hessabi
Angel Wolf-Black (Goditha, Alexandra Zerner, Vivaldi Metal Project) — as Hypatia
Joshua Morse (The Doubted) — as Morbus

GUITARS
João Miguel (Enblood, Tokyo Wanderer)

BASS
Chris Kollias (SL Theory, Serenity Broken, Persona Non Grata)

DRUMS
Jonas Schütz (Sacrosanct, Sapiency, Eraserhead, Diësis, Condemned to Dream, First Encounter, Oceanrise)

STRINGS
Nathaniel Wolkstein (Just Nathaniel, Gravity the Architect, Imagine the Moon)

SYNTHS
Oha Cade

ARTWORK
Joshua McQuary (McMonster)

The online symphonic metal collective Valcata will release a new standalone single Tower on February 12th, 2021. Pre-save the song on Spotify here: https://show.co/iN8Pcpg

The composer of the project Oha Cade is originally from Clonakilty, Ireland, but is now based in Brooklyn, New York. He has this to say regarding Tower,

“Tower is, like our debut in 2019, a remote online production. Several musicians who featured on the 2019 album have returned, but we’re also introducing new guests. Vocal-wise, on the returning side we have the incredible talents of Hadi Kiani (Gereh, The Frame, Deaton LeMay Project) and Angel Wolf-Black (Goditha, Alexandra Zerner, Vivaldi Metal Project), who reprise their roles as Hessabi and Hypatia. Our new guest is Joshua Morse from the band The Doubted, who appears as the new character Morbus, and delivers Valcata’s first ever harsh vocals.

Drummer Jonas Schütz (Sacrosanct, Sapiency, Eraserhead, Diësis, Condemned to Dream, First Encounter, Oceanrise) returns again to grace us with his hammer-hearted rhythms. Then we have three new maestros — João Miguel (Enblood, Tokyo Wanderer) on guitars, Chris Kollias (SL Theory, Serenity Broken, Persona Non Grata) on bass, and Nathaniel Wolkstein (Just Nathaniel, Gravity the Architect, Imagine the Moon) on strings — all of whom elevated this music with their creativity and unique contributions.

Last but certainly not least, this track was mixed and mastered by the legendary producer Jacob Hansen, who has brought to life the music of many bands that influenced us such as Volbeat, Amaranthe, Fleshgod Apocalypse, and Delain.

The artwork was done by Joshua McQuary (McMonster), who creates stunning watercolors. His style perfectly captures the song’s atmosphere.

Since our debut in October 2019, I’ve been feverishly working on new music. While my ultimate goal is to create another full-length album, some things just can’t wait. When you hear this song and the lyrical themes, you’ll see why.”

A teaser video is scheduled for next Friday, February 5th. Mailing list subscribers will receive the video in their inbox a couple days early.

Follow Valcata here: valcata.com/links

Below are the full credits:

MIXING AND MASTERING
Jacob Hansen (Pyramaze, Volbeat, Amaranthe, Delain)

VOCALISTS
Hadi Kiani (Gereh, The Frame, Deaton LeMay Project) — as Hessabi
Angel Wolf-Black (Goditha, Alexandra Zerner, Vivaldi Metal Project) — as Hypatia
Joshua Morse (The Doubted) — as Morbus

GUITARS
João Miguel (Enblood, Tokyo Wanderer)

BASS
Chris Kollias (SL Theory, Serenity Broken, Persona Non Grata)

DRUMS
Jonas Schütz (Sacrosanct, Sapiency, Eraserhead, Diësis, Condemned to Dream, First Encounter, Oceanrise)

STRINGS
Nathaniel Wolkstein (Just Nathaniel, Gravity the Architect, Imagine the Moon)

SYNTHS
Oha Cade

ARTWORK
Joshua McQuary (McMonster)

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Another heavily underrated local act, this Melbourne band has been around for quite some time, and this is their second full-length album.

Forgotten Ancestors finds them progressing strongly from their debut, 2017’s Pathways (which itself was excellent), winding out and really exploring their sound, and producing a highly cohesive work of bluesy-arse art that will appeal strongly to anyone who likes anything from Black Sabbath to Kyuss to Helm to Celtic Frost. And just about everything in between.

This album is seven tracks, although 40-odd minutes’ worth, of pure ballsy stomp, with riffs aplenty, slamming drums, a chunky, chugging, uber-tight rhythm section, wah-drenched lead breaks and powerful, soulful vocals soaring over the top. There is not a single weak track among the seven on offer, although they certainly saved the best til last: penultimate track Down to the Stars is the record’s best cut. Its sense of down-tempo but dynamic raunch is just enthralling. Then Backchat closes proceedings in epic, grandiose and sometimes eerie and atmospheric style.

And arguably the best thing about it all is that there is a real sense of boogie to their sound. You can move and groove to it while you slam your fist to the sky and spill beer all over yourself while you stagger around the pit in a happy drunken frenzy.

To tip it all off, the production is real, raw, powerful and highly listenable all at once. You can hear every instrument with great clarity as well as all the sweat, blood and tears that have obviously gone into this album’s creation. Much kudos to everyone involved in this record’s engineering, recording, mixing and mastering.

If you dig your rock ‘n’ roll with balls of steel and an old-school aesthetic, then Forgotten Ancestors is your bag.

Band: El Colosso
Album: Forgotten Ancestors
Year: 2020
Genre: Heavy stoner/blues rock
Label: Independent
Origin: Australia

The post El Colosso – Forgotten Ancestors first appeared on Metal Obsession.

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A little background on Markus Saastomoinen: he is a Melbourne-based singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and currently frontman for extremely promising progressive heavy rock outfit Cirrus Crown. This is his debut solo record.

And it’s an interesting ride, with a broad musical palette and good depth of songwriting. Opening with the short, evocative voice and piano piece A Strange Silence, the album proper kicks off in a style you might imagine, coming from a member of an Australian prog rock act, with its longest and most progressive track, Puzzle Piece.

However, if you thought it was going to be another heavily Cog and Karnivool-influenced Aussie prog album, think again. Saastomoinen takes a sharp turn to the left on Clones. Here we get the first taste of something that pervades much of the rest of the album, a strong 60s influence on the songwriting. In fact, Clones sounds like something George Harrison might have done in his post-Beatles career. Lullaby reminds one of The Beatles’ Oh Darling. I can hear The Beatles, The Hollies, The Beach Boys and the like in the melodies and the songcraft in pretty much everything except for the aforementioned Puzzle Piece and the stomping Truth, Lies & in Between. He even brings some very 50s and 60s gospel-esque a-capella to the table on Bring Him Home, which closes proceedings in ear-pleasing and unexpected style.  

The fact that he brought the great man, former Southern Sons guitarist and founding member Peter ‘Reggie’ Bowman, in on production, songwriting and musical inspiration duties only added further aural lustre to this sweet-sounding project.

Puzzle Pieces is a great name for this record, it’s quite an enigmatic puzzle that pieces together to make one rather cohesive and listenable whole. This record is well worth a moment of your time to check out.

Band: Markus Saastomoinen
Album: Puzzle Pieces
Year: 2020
Genre: 60s influenced prog rock
Label: Independent
Origin: Australia

The post Markus Saastamoinen – Puzzle Pieces first appeared on Metal Obsession.

Mt. Joy, a new band from Los Angeles by way of Philly, is firmly based in rock but infuses their riffs with some seriously groovy soul.

Mt. Joy, a new band from Los Angeles by way of Philly, is firmly based in rock but infuses their riffs with some seriously groovy soul.