Single Slam: Tobias Sammet’s Avantasia, Nvmeral, Blessed Hellride, IOTA, Kassogtha, Papa Shango, Rosen Bridge, Hong Faux, Silent Knight, Circles, Trashed, Snowy White, Wizard Knife and Arch Enemy!

Today’s single slam features Tobias Sammet’s Avantasia, Nvmeral, Blessed Hellride, IOTA, Kassogtha, Papa Shango, Rosen Bridge, Hong Faux, Silent Knight, Circles, Trashed, Snowy White, Wizard Knife and Arch Enemy. You can read our thoughts about the latest singles from these bands below.

Tobias Sammet’s Avantasia – The Moonflower Society

Tobias Sammet’s Avantasia invites you to a journey into a magical world. Today the band kicks off pre-orders for their upcoming album with a brand new single and music video for ‘The Moonflower Society’, with a guest feature from Magnum’s lead singer Bob Catley.

The ninth Avantasia studio album ‘A Paranormal Evening with the Moonflower Society’ is due out on 21st October 2022 via Nuclear Blast.

Tobias Sammet comments on ‘The Moonflower Society’:

A moonflower is a creature of the night that blossoms when the world is asleep. For me, it stands on one hand for the weird characters I populate my songs with, and on the other hand for the weird characters I surround myself with in AVANTASIA. Just let yourself fall into a wonderful, mysterious journey.

If there is one thing that can be guaranteed with Tobias Sammet’s Avantasia, it is that we’re going to get something reliably lavish and grand sounding. Guess what? The Moonflower Society is lavish and grand. An energetic and atmospheric track that feels fantastical, as is often the case for Tobias Sammet’s Avantasia. Yet, it’s not just a repeat of what we’ve got before. Case in point, the exceptional guest feature of Bob Catley who really enhances this one. If the album produces more tracks as good as this, Tobias Sammet’s Avantasia is in with a good shout for being one of the albums of the year.

Nvmeral – Parry

Nvmeral are a progressive post hardcore outfit from the Oxfordshire area and have recently released their debut single ‘Parry’.

Take a moment to let this track sink in. The detail, the ideas, the imagination, and the talent in this band to produce something so impressive. Where progressive atmosphere meets post-hardcore intensity, the resulting explosion of noise is both heavy and melodic. A little eccentric, very electrifying and surprisingly addictive. A track that gets better and better, the more you listen and unpick the detail. Check it out here.

Blessed Hellride – Hellfire Club

Trier’s heaviest band is back – Blessed Hellride will release their third album ‘Hellfire Club’ in August 2022. The band has now released the title track from this upcoming album.

Describing the song, guitarist “Jack Stoned” says:

The song Hellfire Club is based on the story of the Hellfire Club founded in 1719 in London around Benjamin Franklin. It was about the practice of religious rites and sexual debauchery. In the song, these escapades of the mostly aristocratic “upper class” were artistically interpreted and further embellished. The lyrics describe the idea of an elite secret club under the streets of London.

Meaty percussion, a mean guitar sound and growling vocals, Blessed Hellride bring forth a heavy metal banger oozing sinister vibes. The subject matter gives it a sexy and sleazy feel, but this is undoubtably all about head-banging. Something that Blessed Hellride nail and keep consistent throughout this pacey number. Check it out here.

IOTA – Take It

Bristol-based rock five-piece IOTA have released their brand-new single, ‘Take It’ today. Take It was recorded at Bristol’s Humm Studios with Ben Johnson (Skindred, Chaouche) and Idles’ Lee Kiernan, mixed by Tom Hennessy, and mastered by Pete Maher (Pixies, Jack White, The Rolling Stones).

Speaking about the single, the band reveal:

Take It was inspired by the fight with yourself in a multitude of circumstances, work, relationships, socially and mentally. The continuum of holding yourself back and having this other side to yourself that is constantly telling you, “you aren’t good enough, you won’t make anything of yourself”. The persistent reminder of how well everyone else is doing, social media controlling us and having a huge effect on us mentally. Constantly taking that push back and battling with your own mind as if it is a whole other person inside of you. We wrote the song during and before lockdown with Lee Kiernan who helped us build on the track instrumentally and melodically.

Two things stand out about this track and both are notable. The first is the distortion that gives this rock banger some real edge. The second is the anthemic quality that urges you to get up and move. Especially when IOTA explode into that chorus. There’s an alternative fix to the track overall, something that makes it feel more melodramatic than it actually is. A surprising amount of detail layered in a track that doesn’t reach 3 minutes in length.

Kassogtha – Venom

Swiss progressive death metal quintet Kassogtha have revealed their new beast of a track, ‘Venom’. ‘Venom’ invites you to enter the second chapter of Kassogtha’s forthcoming concept album rEvolve, a chapter that will take you into the darkest parts of its journey.

Of ‘Venom’, Stephany comments:

“’Venom’ is about helplessness and self-hatred, when nothing is controllable anymore, when we’ve decided to surrender to the poison controlling all our behaviours. The song tells of wanting to abandon ourselves to another reality, to forget the present, letting the destructive forces in our life settle in, deliberately. All this while realising that it’s wrong, and hating ourselves for letting it happen.

Heavy on the sinister vibes, a sense of barely contained intensity, the start of this track can’t prepare you for the explosion of progressive metal that follows. If you enjoy the likes of Gojira, you will certainly find yourself excited by this. Kassogtha are a volatile bunch but have the instrumental smarts to deliver something fascinating, eccentric and undeniably savage sounding. Check it out here.

Papa Shango – Check Your Phone

You know when you’ve been Shango’d! The exuberant circus rock act that is Papa Shango have released their new single ‘Check Your Phone. A taste of their new album, ‘Risk Assessment’, released on the 30th of September 2022.

Silly, in that classic British way, yet inherently likeable and fun. Papa Shango are a mad bunch, and this track is a great example of how they combine absurdity and catchiness. Poking fun at the trials and tribulations of modern dating, this is a track that puts a smile on the face.

Rosen Bridge – Watchers

UK Metal outfit Rosen Bridge make their return with a punishing new offering titled ‘Watchers’. The track is a reimagining of biblical tales from the Book of Enoch, with a focus on themes of anti-corruption. The Welsh originated 5-peice have teamed up with vocalist Jot Maxi of the formidable Hacktivist for this track.

A metalcore heavyweight track given a modern, scathing and intense touch thanks to the guest vocals of Jot Maxi. The contrast of vocal styles, most notable when the clean singing arrives, sounds awesome. Though, the appeal of this track isn’t just vocal based. Rosen Bridge deliver a thick guitar tone, move at an intense speed and smash the senses apart with their innate heavy sound. Check it out here.

Hong Faux – Drop the Reigns

Swedish hard rock act Hong Faux recently signed to Golden Robot Records and have now released their latest single ‘Drop the Reins’ which is available now on all digital platforms.

‘Drop the Reins’ is a heavy riff-based classic Hong Faux track written exclusively as a homage to Miles Davis and rock ‘n’ roll.

A rock ‘n’ roll homage for sure, even if you can’t identify the tributes to Miles Davis, few won’t be able to connect to the groovy, straight-forward rock energy of this anthem. It’s no slur upon Hong Faux to suggest that this is a simple sounding rock ‘n’ roll hit. In fact that’s exactly what it is supposed to be and that makes for a ton of ‘let yourself go’ fun. Rock’s not dead, there are bands like Hong Faux flying the flag. Check it out here.

Circles – Sleepwalking

Melbourne prog/alt metal giants Circles have released a pulsating new single ‘Sleepwalking’, streaming now via Wild Thing Records.

On the inspiration behind ‘Sleepwalking’, frontman Rechter explains:

Essentially, it’s a song of fear and regret, of feeling like so much time has been wasted while you’ve unconsciously gone through the motions to arrive at your current situation. But you’re struggling to push yourself into the unfamiliar territory that holds the potential to provide you with what you’re searching for. It’s so easy to live and die in a comfort zone, even when all you want is out of it.

A banging combination of groove, melody and unmitigated heaviness, Circles are back and back with a beast of a track. Something that is a bit simpler when compared to the progressive oddities the band is known for but is incontrovertibly exciting and interesting. It’s rare that the bass gets talked about over every other instrument but goodness, is it being wielded like a weapon here. A straight-up alt metal banger. Check it out here.

Trashed – Memories

Bristol-based emo punk-rockers Trashed are back with a brand-new single called Memories. The third single taken from their debut full-length album Happy in Hindsight due later this year.

Memories, recorded with Neil D. Kennedy (Creeper, Boston Manor, Milk Teeth), is a breakup song about a snapped heart being pulled apart by naivety.

Speaking about the single, the band state:

Memories came together very quickly. It’s about trying too hard to let go of someone while your brain clings tighter and tighter to them. Of course, written during a dose of heartbreak Jimmy was going through, it’s relatable and sincere… and will probably stick in your head like heartache does.

Harking back to the classic emo-punk vibes of early-mid noughties with emotive vibes to make you pensive and reflective. While also having bouncy rhythm and a sing-along chorus. The heartbreak theme is heavily present and works to give this a more relatable feel. It’s that which stops it feeling cheesy. The overall result is catchy hit that feels like a time capsule of a specific period more than anything else.

Silent Knight – Full Force

Australian metal powerhouse Silent Knight have announced their third full-length album ‘Full Force’ is due for release on Friday, September 23rd. They have also dropped the first single from that album, the title track.

A blistering and explosive head-banger, Silent Knight being the fire and the flames with this hyperactive blast of heavy metal. An ode to the classics, the vocals are Iron Maiden-esque but the instrumentation has a robust speed and thrash infusion that gives it a much harder and heavier sound. A track to go wild too. Check it out here.

Snowy White – Driving on the 44

Snowy White drops ‘Driving on the 44’, the title track from his new album out on 22nd July via Soulfood.

An interesting take and twist on the classic blues, light rock sound. In that it draws from a more British style, yet it pays tribute to the classic style too. The mellow vocals fit the soft pace and relaxed guitar tones nicely. Yet it’s the occasional more robust moment that really makes this feel so much more energised. Don’t forget to throw in a solid chorus too. Check it out here.

Wizard Knife – Wizard Knife Fight (At a Bar)

Out now, ‘Wizard Knife Fight (At a Bar)’ is the second single taken from the upcoming debut EP releasing on the 26th of August 2022. Wizard Tattoo is an Indianapolis based rock band by multi-instrumentalist Bram the Bard. The new self-titled debut concept EP tells the story of a man who starts hearing a dark voice shortly after getting a tattoo. Throughout the four tracks, listen to his musical journey of delusion. Is he really becoming a wizard or is he just going mad?

Bram the Bard comments:

‘Wizard Knife Fight’ was one of the first song titles I jotted down when putting this project together. The name just seemed kind of absurd and fit the overall theme that I wanted for the EP. Musically, the main riff was hugely inspired by ZZ Top. When I think of bar music, I think of them, and that’s what I was after for this song. In terms of narrative, believes he’s a wizard and goes out into the world to test his newly found power.

Dirty, groove and doom with all manner of fuzz and distortion sticking to the riffs like glue. Wizard Knife Fight (At a Bar) is an unconventional piece of music that hooks you in through the sheer groove of the instrumentation. The vocals, deep and dark, dropped in around a radio broadcast about the events taking place in this song. It’s a very imaginative track that culminates in something quite filthy sounding. Check it out here.

Arch Enemy – Eye of the Storm

On August 12th, extreme metal masters Arch Enemy will unleash their 11th studio album, Deceivers, via Century Media Records. For a preview of the record, the new single, “In The Eye Of The Storm”, can be streamed worldwide now.

Arch Enemy’s founder and chief songwriter Michael Amott comments:

‘In The Eye Of The Storm’ is a song that was built around a hypnotizing riff and a groove that’s just screaming out to be played live! Shooting the video in Berlin, Germany with, for us, new director Mirko Witzki was a super cool experience, and the result is nothing less than astonishing!

This new album is shaping up to be Arch Enemy’s magnum opus, everything heard so far has seen the band step up their game and this new track is no different. A blend of melodic riffing that has dark weight, absolutely killer vocals and a drum beat that compels the head to bang along. The cherry on top? A kick-ass guitar solo. This is an addictive and layered track from Arch Enemy.