Streamed on New Music Night and voted on by Rocked viewers, this is a playlist of songs allgiven the highest percentage of positive votes through May of 2022. Each song was played to a live audience and voted on with a thumbs up or thumbs down by each viewer on Twitch.
You can listen to new music live and join the discussion every Sunday at 7PM EST on Twitch. Click here to follow and for go-live notifications. http://twitch.tv/rockednet
Best New Music May 2022
Featuring (in order of time added to the list): My Chemical Romance – “The Foundations Of Decay” Nothing More – “Tired Of Winning” Alexisonfire – “Sans Soleil” Billy Howerdel – “Free And Weightless” Bleeding Through – “Rage” ONI, Iggy Pop, Randy Blythe – “Secrets” Rammstein – “Angst” Native Sons – “Drama” Lions At The Gate ft. Jinjer – “Find My Way” Misery Index – “Complete COntrol” Gloryhammer – “Fly Away” Alestorm – “P.A.R.T.Y.” Soulfly – “Superstition” I.o. Underground – “Wall” Valleyheart – “Your Favorite Jacket” Kreator ft. Sofia Portanet – “Midnight Sun” Beast In Black – “Broken Survivors” Illenium ft. Spiritbox – “Shivering” Eyes Wide Open – “Cross My Heart” The HU – “This Is Mongol” Kailee Morgue – “Loser” Sunsleeper – “Currents” Bayside – “Strangest Faces” Billyhowerdel – “Selfish Hearts” Floor Jansen – “Storm” Starbenders – “If You Need It” Everything Everything – “Jennifer Kaleido – “Run” Ovtlier – “Blame The Dead” Saor – “Beyond The Wall” ONI – “Heart To Stone” Frayle – “Treacle & Revenge” Mark Tremonti – “My Way”
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Bullet For My Valentine will release a deluxe version of their current, self-titled album on August 5 via Spinefarm/Search and Destroy.This extended release features four brand new tracks, plus “Stitches,” a song previously only available as a Japanese exclusive. Watch the video here.
The vinyl arrives on November 11, featuring five additional tracks.
The band’s self-titled album — their seventh — finds them at their most visceral. Pre-order the deluxe here.
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE [DELUXE EDITION] TRACK LISTING: “Parasite” “Knives” “My Reverie” “No Happy Ever After” “Can’t Escape The Waves” “Bastards” “Rainbow Veins” “Shatter” “Paralysed” “Death By a Thousand Cuts ” “Omen” “Stitches” “No More Tears” “Step Out From the Inside” “This Means War”
Some bands have great frontmen who know how to represent a group well. Other bands don’t have that luxury. This video looks at 10 Bands Tarnished By Their Singer.
Jared Joseph Leto is an American actor, musician and singer for 30 Seconds To Mars.
W. Axl Rose is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer known for Guns N’ Roses.
Timothy Peter Lambesis an American extreme metal musician and producer, best known as the founding member and lead vocalist of American metalcore band As I Lay Dying.
Jesse Thomas Lacey is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who is best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the American alternative rock band Brand New.
Scott Stapp is an American singer and songwriter. Stapp is best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Creed.
Travis Shane Meeks is an American musician and the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter for acoustic rock band Days of the New.
Wesley Reid Scantlin is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and only constant member of rock band Puddle of Mudd.
Thomas Cummings, better known under the stage name Tommy Vext, is an American heavy metal singer and songwriter known as the former lead vocalist of Bad Wolves, Divine Heresy, and Westfield Massacre.
2022 has been an electrifying year for the music industry, with bands returning to the road and unleashing some much needed energy on the stage. Nothing More is just such a band. Honestly, if you know anything about the band’s explosive live performances, you’d agree that it’s hard to imagine NoMo staying still for very long – much less two whole years. Their return to New Jersey was justifiably celebrated.
Despite being on a country wide co-headlining tour with Asking Alexandria and supporting acts Atreyu and Eva Under Fire, Nothing More had the headliner spot all to itself this past Friday night in Montclair, NJ. Asking Alexandria’s frontman Danny Worsnop regretfully developed laryngitis and had to cancel their performance. The night was not cut off too early, however, as both Eva Under Fire and Atreyu had the chance to lengthen their sets and add a song or two to their setlist. Check out below for photos of both outstanding sets.
Touring ahead of their highly anticipated fourth studio album, Nothing More rightfully kicked it right into high gear with newly released “Turn It Up Like (Stand in the Fire),” a dizzying high-octane track that set the tone for the remainder of the night. Right from the start, the crowd was ecstatic and frantic, riled by a wall of sound that hit head-on with no sign of letting up. Following up with “Let ’em Burn” and the explosive “Christ Copyright,” Nothing More delivered a pretty well balanced set list that reflected their blazing energy, while catering to older fans and new. Crowd favorites like “Jenny” and “Go To War” brought out the palpable thrill of being there in the moment once again after two years, while heartfelt ballads “I’ll Be Ok” and “Fadein/Fadeout” offered a balancing moment of calm in the midst of the storm.
From my first ever introduction to the band at an NYC venue all the way back in 2015, to the numerous performances in between, all the way up to here – NoMo has never once disappointed. With their smoldering intensity, sweeping chords, unpredictable drums and emotive lyrics, Nothing More is a fascinating band that doesn’t care about checking off genre boxes, instead focusing on cranking out some truly awesome music.
The tour has a couple more weeks to go before wrapping up in Houston, TX on June 19th. Be sure to catch Nothing More live, and stay tuned for info on the upcoming fourth studio album!
Check out some photos from the show below:
Nothing More Photos:
Atreyu Photos:
Eva Under Fire Photos:
All photos taken by Ana Santos in Montclair, NJ on May 27, 2022
Nothing More Setlist: 01. Turn It Up Like (Stand in the Fire) 02. Let ’em Burn 03. Christ Copyright 04. Do You Really Want It? 05. Tunnels 06. Jenny 07. Don’t Stop 08. Go To War 09. I’ll Be OK 10. Tired of Winning 11. Fadein/Fadeout 12. Ocean Floor 13. This Is The Time (Ballast)
Remaining Tour Dates: May 29 – Reading, PA – Theatre at Santander Arena May 31 – Cincinnati, OH – The Andrew J Brady Music Center June 1 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works June 3 – Chicago, IL – The Riviera June 4 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room @ Old National Centre June 5 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theater June 7 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit June 8 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee June 9 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant June 12 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium June 13 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex June 15 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues June 16 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren June 19 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
Following their last ballad-esque release “All I Need”, Ovtlier is back with “Blame The Dead”– bringing a previously unheard aggression and heaviness to the table. While Ovtlier has always maintained a powerful musical presence, be it through songwriting and lyricism or instrumentation, “Blame The Dead” encourages unification amid unprecedented polarization; the track incorporates the best Ovtlier has to offer from a musical standpoint while extending a meaningful, lyrical plea to listeners.
Founder and vocalist of Ovtlier, Joey Arena, weighs in on his choice to share such a compelling message through his robust lyrics: “We as humans are tribal to a fault. Whether it’s a desire to never feel alone or to be a part of something, we connect and identify ourselves with what accepts us and our ideas- often without entertaining opposites nor an open mind. Politics have become such an identity for most that their thinking is no longer their own. The mainstream media has been proven time and time again as an unreliable and non-transparent source and yet, so many still choose to buy into it. It’s become cult-like and any opposing views, even with the best intentions, are immediately shunned due to narratives. So many will not accept others, mostly because they can’t accept themselves. Live and let live on all fronts! Disconnect yourself from the machine and hold political figures and the media accountable for their lies and deceit; educate one another with undeniable truths, with patience and love”.
Arena closes his “Blame The Dead” mission statement with a simple but imperative call to action: “While we’re existing in times brimming with division, “Blame The Dead” is a plea for awakening and unity.”
“Blame The Dead” is now available on all streaming platforms with an accompanying music video to follow.
Honing in on a modern sound while consistently setting themselves apart from the mainstream, Ovtlier (pronounced “Outlier”) has prided themselves in creating exemplary rock and metal music backed by a rapidly growing fan-base. Led by enigmatic frontman Joey Arena, Ovtlier has earned more than 3 million views of fan-curated content on YouTube and over 3 million streams on Spotify, in addition to capturing the hearts of over 60K followers online. All of this combined with the band’s ability to sell out shows and engage their audience, Ovtlier has achieved features in major media outlets such as Revolver, Loudwire, Alternative Press, Decibel and ABC News. Continually hitting the Billboard charts, Ovtlier has been able to spread their sound nationwide through constant spins on FM radio and months of regular rotation on SiriusXM Octane- launching them into the forefront of their genre.
Ovtlier capitalizes on their songwriting formula to develop a hybrid-like sound, drawing influences from a myriad of rock and metal sub-genre’s to help attract a wide variety of listeners. The band unveils their freedom to create musically through their latest releases; the fiery, high speed “Bulletproof” resides on one end of the Ovtlier spectrum, whereas “All I Need” takes the audience in the opposite, more moderately paced and ballad-esque direction. Regardless, what remains apparent through the band’s entire discography is Arena’s meaningful lyrics, musical prowess and his drive to bring Ovtlier straight to the top.
A tier list breaking down the Blink-182 discography from Cheshire Cat/Buddha to Nine. This stream was recorded live and then edited down to what you see here. Thanks again to everyone who voted!
Blink-182 is an American rock band formed in Poway, California, in 1992. Their current lineup consists of guitarist/vocalist Matt Skiba, bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus, and drummer Travis Barker. Though their sound has diversified throughout their career, their musical style blends catchy pop melodies with fast-paced punk rock. Their lyrics center on relationships, adolescent frustration, and maturity—or lack thereof. The group emerged from a suburban, Southern California skate-punk scene and gained notoriety for high-energy live shows and irreverent humor.
Enema of the State is the third studio album by American rock band Blink-182, released on June 1, 1999, by MCA Records.
The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back!) is a live album by American rock band Blink-182. It was released on November 7, 2000 by MCA Records.
Take Off Your Pants and Jacket is the fourth studio album by American rock band Blink-182, released on June 12, 2001, by MCA Records.
The untitled fifth studio album by the American rock band Blink-182, referred to on digital streaming services as Blink-182, was released on November 18, 2003, by Geffen Records.
Neighborhoods is the sixth studio album by American rock band Blink-182, released September 27, 2011 through DGC Records and Interscope.
California is the seventh studio album by American rock band Blink-182, released on July 1, 2016 through BMG as the band’s only album on the label.
Nine is the eighth studio album by American rock band Blink-182, released on September 20, 2019, through Columbia Records.
Progressive metalcore project ONI, have today unleashed a brand new track, ‘Heart To Stone’, taken from their forthcoming studio album, ‘Loathing Light.’ The collection is set to land on June 17th, via Ironshore Records. ‘Heart To Stone’ is accompanied by a vampiric official video which you can watch below.
ONI‘s creative force, Jake Oni tells us,
“Heart To Stone shows a different side of me and is a song that really set me in a new direction for what ONI could be. I love being able to straddle the line of heavy and clean vocals. This is one I can’t wait to sing live.”
Last month, ONI revealed another album track, ‘Secrets’, featuring guest vocals from punk icon Iggy Pop and Lamb of God frontman, Randy Blythe. The track picked up numerous spins at rock radio across the globe, including the prestigious BBC Radio 1 Rock Show with Daniel P. Carter. ‘Secrets’, plus the previously released ‘The Lie’ and ‘War Ender‘ featuring NYC trap metal outfit, City Morgue all feature on the band’s forthcoming second album, which you can pre-order/pre-save here.
With ‘Loathing Light’, ONI have delivered a body of work that boasts an even bigger sound than their debut. The collection arrives with conviction, passion and depth, swaying wildly back and forth between vast, uplifting anthems and dark, raw confessions. It will go down as a mission statement for the young band, created by singer/lyricist Jake Oni, together with his closest allies, producer Josh Wilbur (Megadeth, Avenged Sevenfold, Gojira) and Lamb Of God guitarist, Mark Morton.
The result is 10 tracks spanning an emotional gamut, from all-out brutality to introspective desperation. Songs like ‘Against My Sins’ and ‘Heart To Stone’ wouldn’t sound totally out of place in a playlist alongside Of Mice & Men or Linkin Park. Yet the bludgeoning technicality – which earned ONI fans while touring with technical heavyweights Gojira – remains, making ‘Loathing Light’ a diverse and definitive album.
Jake and Mark had previously collaborated on Morton’s debut solo album, ‘Anesthetic’, with Jake executive producing and co-writing the collection’s #6 Active Rock radio hit, ‘Cross Off’ with Morton, Wilbur and the late Chester Bennington.
Jake continues, “Music is such a gift. If you can make music, and people respond to it? I’ve learned not to take that for granted. Count your blessings because the opportunity to make music is such a great one. We should always be grateful. Because it’s the coolest job anyone could do.”
‘Loathing Light’ tracklisting:
The Lie Against My Sins Secrets feat. Randy Blythe & Iggy Pop Awaken War Ender feat. City Morgue Heart To Stone Battery Tomb Sequence Static Gasoline Golden
In modern times, the demonic ONI figure of Japanese Folklore transformed into a personification of protection, often adorning rooftops or leading festive parades to ward off evil. In this same spirit, the crushing aggressive music of ONI, the band, acts as an empowering weapon. ONI casts out the cruel demons of self-hatred, addiction, and whatever destructive obstacles one might face.
The band Metal Injection described as “key figures in paving the way for a new wave of progressive metalcore,” is led by frontman Jake Oni, who summons cathartic anthems from personal pain. In 2014, Jake first conceived of ONI as “the band I never got to see,” recruiting different players with technical skills to make music that shook the foundations of the scene. Comparisons to genre heavyweights like Meshuggah, Between The Buried And Me, and Protest The Hero came swiftly.
ONI releasedIronshore on Metal Blade Records in 2016, heralded by No Clean Singing as “maybe the most impressive debut I’ve heard this year.” Songs like ‘The Only Cure,’ ‘Barn Burner,’ and ‘Eternal Recurrence’ whipped audiences into a frenzy as ONI traveled the globe. The band shared club and festival stages with Gojira, Turnstile, Code Orange, and Rob Zombie, among others.
ONI’s 2019 single ‘Alone’ racked up over 1.3M spins on Spotify alone.
KALEIDO unleash their combustible and catchy signature blend of hard rock, pop punk and alternative music with a biting new single “Run” due this Friday, May 27 across digital platforms. The 2xDetroit Music Award-winning band have revealed a horror-movie inspired music video for the track which was premiered yesterday (5/25) via Metal Injection who described it as “catchy-as-hell” and lauded its “pretty huge” chorus. Watch the “Run” music video, directed by Tom Flynn (Lamb of God, All That Remains, Body Count), now via YouTube or streaming below. Pre-save/add “Run” on your preferred streaming platform here: https://lnk.to/KaleidoRun. To go along with the video’s haunting theme, KALEIDO shared a list of their “Top 10 Favorite Songs From Horror Movies” which can be found below.
“Every step of the process, from beginning to end, in creating the song and music video has been exhilarating,” shares unabashed frontwoman Christina Chriss. “From the moment we began writing ‘Run,’ riding high off the energy from just completing three months on the road touring, we knew there was something special and captivating about the song. We’re huge fans of all things horror and spooky, so we were in our element making the music video and it allowed us to bring our love of that world to life.”
KALEIDO—Chriss (vocals), Joey Fava (drums), Cody Morales (bass) and Drew Johnston (guitar)–will perform “Run” for the first time to hometown audiences this weekend with two shows: Friday, May 27 at Diesel Concert Theatre in Chesterfield, MI and Saturday, May 28 at The Music Factory in Battle Creek, MI. The band were last seen touring in fall and winter of last year as direct support for Sebastian Bach, who handpicked them after discovering them via YouTube. Previously the band has shared the stage with acts ranging from Aerosmith, Slash and Kid Rock to Butcher Babies, Halestorm, Twenty One Pilots and Rob Zombie in addition to appearances at Kiss Kruise Shiprocked!, SUMMERFEST and more.
KALEIDO shared a deluxe edition of their critically acclaimed breakthrough album EXPERIENCE in 2020 which debuted at #11 on Soundscan s “Top New Artists Albums” chart and earned the band various TV placements including promo spots for the MLB team, Pittsburgh Pirates. Its hit single “Die Tryin’” peaked at #22 on Billboard’s “Rock Indicator” charts and reeled in over 200k streams.
KALEIDO’s “Top 10 Favorite Songs from Horror Movies”
“We all know the most famous horror themes of all time (Halloween, Jaws, The Exorcist, etc.) so we wanted to dig a little deeper and pick 10 of our favorite songs from horror movies. As huge horror fans, these songs stand out and have influenced us in our lives and in our music. While creating the music video for our new single ‘Run,’ many of these horror films served as inspiration for our own concept. We’ve grown up with most of these classic films and they’re not only nostalgic, but they also hold a special place in our dark, creepy little hearts.”
10. From Autumn to Ashes – “The After Dinner Payback” (Freddy vs Jason)“This was one of the songs that turned us on to heavy music early on, and hearing it paired with the battle between two of the most iconic horror movie slashers of all time is super epic.”
9. Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Free Bird” (The Devil’s Rejects)“Already one of the most well-known songs of all time, hearing it play during that final scene in The Devil’s Rejects brought it to a whole new level. Now every time we hear the song, we imagine that ending of the movie.”
8. Ramones – “Pet Semetery” (Pet Sematary)“We love that the Ramones wrote the title track for the 1989 Steven King film adaptation of Pet Cemetery. This was one of the first scary movies we watched as kids, and it gave us nightmares!”
7. Huey Lewis And The News – “Hip To Be Square” (American Psycho)“Patrick Bateman’s dialogue critiquing Huey Lewis, followed up by the brutal murder while the song plays, is easily one of the most horrifying yet hilarious horror movie scenes of all time.”
6. Luniz – “I Got 5 On It” (Us)“The eerie synth line starting the song pairs perfectly with Jordan Peele’s story in ‘Us,’ and it’s really cool how he brings the song back in throughout the movie.”
5. Dokken – “Dream Warriors” (Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors)“Another written-for-film song, Dream Warriors, is a classic 80’s hair metal banger. The title track, ‘Dream Warriors’ is also one of our favorite sequels in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The music video featuring Dokken flipping the script and haunting Freddy is pretty awesome as well.”
4. Dream Widow – “Lacrimus dei Erbium” (Studio 666)“Studio 666 is one of our favorite new horror films and features one of our favorite bands, the Foo Fighters. Watching ‘evil’ Dave Grohl rip through the doomy guitar riff in the film was killer! We watched this movie not long before shooting our music video and it was really inspiring. RIP to the late, great, Taylor Hawkins.”
3. Blue Oyster Cult – “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” (Halloween [1978])“Easily one of the greatest horror movie scores ever, John Carpenter’s Halloween is our most beloved horror film of all time. ‘The Reaper’ really sticks out, as it’s one of the only songs by a band in the entire movie.”
2. KISS – “God of Thunder” (Rob Zombie’s Halloween)“As big fans of KISS, it was cool to hear this song playing in young Michael Myers’s room in Rob Zombie’s reimagining of Halloween. We grew up loving KISS, so it was pretty funny to see our favorite horror icon as a fan as well.”
1. Gerard McMahon – “Cry Little Sister” (The Lost Boys)“The Lost Boys was a huge inspiration for us while creating our music video for ‘Run.’ We wanted to give a nod and pay homage to one of our favorite movies. The song ‘Cry Little Sister’ is synonymous with The Lost Boys, it’s a pairing of two classics and so universally loved.”
UK-rock band Neck Deep is back and better than ever with their newest track “STFU“, their first new music in two years – following 2020’s All Distortions Are Intentional – and their first self-released music in a decade since the band’s original demos. With heavy guitar riffs and driving drum fills, the new single feels like a callback to the band’s early days, whilst still pushing them in a new and exciting direction.Recorded with Andrew Wade, who last worked with the band on 2015’s, Life’s Not Out To Get You, the band describes the thumping pop-punk song as “somewhat of a return to our roots, and a return to what we do best.” With singer, Ben Barlow, adding, “As the world was falling apart at the time, and only seems to have worsened recently, it felt right to satirize the decline of society in typical punk fashion. Looking at the world through a screen and being lured into the impending sense of doom that’s overcome us all.”
The band’s ability to find humor in challenging times, came in handy when their planned video shoot for the song with director, Max Moore, hung in the balance. What should have been a three-hourflight to Louisville ended up as “three cancelled flights, eight hours in an airport, a $5000 taxi, a magical stray dog with a taste for gas station hot dogs and a twelve hour drive,” Barlow explains. “Don’t ever say we haven’t busted our asses for this! And don’t tell me I look tired in the video!” he laughs.
Neck Deep is returning to the United States after their successful fall 2021 tour. The band will be supporting Blackbear at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, CO, on March 31 alongside State Champs and MOD SUN. Neck Deep will also be co-headlining Sad Summer Fest this summer, starting in Sacramento, CA, on July 8 and making stops throughout the country before ending in Milwaukee, WI, on August 6. Neck Deep is also slated to perform at When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas, NV, on October 22, 23, and 29. More information and tickets for all shows can be found at www.neckdeepuk.com/live
Neck Deep leapt from side project to full-time band in 2012. Across four albums, the band struck a chord with a burgeoning audience, quickly heralded as leaders of a resurgence in hook-heavy punk, with an immediate accessibility and fun attitude combined with genuine concern for issues like loneliness, depression, and anxiety. The instant relatability of the band’s songs and overall approachable attitude endeared them to a new and incredibly passionate generation, with devotion to rival the biggest titans of melodic rock.
Over the last decade, they’ve gatecrashed the charts, both at home and internationally, sold hundreds of thousands of records and concert tickets, graced magazine covers all over the world and toured with some of the biggest names in the business in the process. As the band enter their second decade as a band, you’d continue to be foolish betting against the boys from Wrexham.
Upcoming Neck Deep tour dates: May 31 – MORRISON, CO, US – Red Rocks Amphitheatre + July 8 – SACRAMENTO, CA – Heart Health Park ^ July 9 – ANAHEIM, CA – City National Grove Of Anaheim ^ July 12 – DALLAS, TX – Gilley’s ^ July 13 – HOUSTON, TX – White Oak Music Hall – Lawn ^ July 15 – ORLANDO, FL – Orlando Amphitheatre ^ July 16 – ATLANTA, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy ^ July 19 – PITTSBURGH, PA – Stage Ae Outdoors ^ July 20 – PITTSBURGH, MI – The Crofoot Festival Grounds ^ July 22 – NEW YORK, NY – The Rooftop at Pier 17 ^ July 23 – WORCESTER, MA – Palladium ^ July 24 – BALTIMORE, MD – Pier Six Pavilion ^ July 26 – COLUMBUS, OH – Kemba Live Outdoor ^ July 27 – NEWPORT, KY – Promowest Pavilion ^ July 29 – ASBURY PARK, NJ – Stone Pony Summer Stage ^ July 30 – PHILADELPHIA, PA – Mann Centre ^ August 2 – CLEVELAND, OH – Jacobs Pavilion ^ August 3 – LEWISTON, NY – Artpark ^ August 5 – MILWAUKEE, WI – The Rave/Eagles Club ^ October 22 – LAS VEGAS, NV – Las Vegas Festival Ground * October 23 – LAS VEGAS, NV – Las Vegas Festival Ground * October 29 – LAS VEGAS, NV – Las Vegas Festival Ground *
+ with blackbear ^ Sad Summer Festival * When We Were Young Festival
Caledonian metal pioneer SAOR is now premiering the official music video for the brand new song, “Beyond the Wall,” which is taken from its upcoming fifth full-length album, ‘Origins!’ The song and video, which was created by Guilherme Henriques, can be found at THIS LOCATION.
SAOR mastermind Andy Marshall comments: “‘Beyond the Wall’ refers to the Antonine Wall which ran across the central belt of Scotland to keep the Caledonians/Picts at bay. The song is about their freedom, as they were not under Roman rule and the beauty and mystery of the lands beyond the wall.”
‘Origins’ is due on June 24 via Season of Mist, making it SAOR‘s debut to the label! Inspired by the myths and tales of the Scottish highlands, ‘Origins’ takes the listener deep into the ancient heartlands while delivering SAOR‘s signature hybrid of atmospheric black metal and folk.
Pre-orders for ‘Origins’ are live in the shop HERE. Pre-save the record across all streaming services HERE.
Tracklist: 1. Call of the Carnyx (06:58) 2. Fallen (05:04) 3. The Ancient Ones (07:54) 4. Aurora (08:24) 5. Beyond the Wall (06:13) [WATCH] 6. Origins (06:44) [WATCH] Total: 0:41:17
SAOR means free, without obligations, unconstrained. All of these characteristics are intrinsic to the music of SAOR, the musical entity spearheaded by sole member Andy Marshall. As a lone wanderer proudly shouting the tales and myths of his people, his culture and his region from the tops of misty Caledonian mountains for the wind to carry, Andy has carved a solitary, yet strikingly inspiring path with SAOR ever since Roots, his first album laid deep… roots, indeed!, way back in 2013.
A decade about to be completed which is now about to witness the release of a fifth full-length, a decade in which Andy and SAOR have almost single-handedly made us all feel a little bit like Scots at heart, regardless of our own individual origins, such is the passionate and almost visual way that this musician delivers his profoundly atmospheric hybrid of black and folk metal, peculiarly described as Caledonian metal. “I used to play in some local bands, but I never really liked writing music with other people,” Andy recalls of his initial, formative times as a musician, beginnings that already hinted at the future road that would be taken. “There were too many opinions and arguments about the direction of the music. I have always preferred writing music alone.” As such, his musical and conceptual vision could be developed steadily, undiluted and unrestrained. Free, without obligations, unconstrained. “I was really into black metal and folk metal at the time I wrote Roots,” the Scot reveals, somewhat unsurprisingly. The components for his musical edifice are clear – it’s in the personality of their seamless mix, and in the Scottish fog that surrounds it, that the unique magic lies.
“There were plenty of Scandinavian bands singing about their history, culture, roots… but there were no Scottish bands. I thought this was kind of weird because we have such an interesting history, and quite gloomy and epic landscapes, much like the Scandinavians. Since I grew up around traditional Scottish music and was a huge fan of film soundtracks, I used those influences and tried to merge them with atmospheric black metal, folk metal and other sounds. It was quite a natural fit for me. I live very close to mountains, beautiful forests and lochs, and I spend a lot of time on the Isle of Skye, so you can guess where my inspiration comes from. I’ve also been interested in Scottish history from a young age. I’m no expert, but I take inspiration from reading about the past and always feel connected to it.”
Established as a singular voice and presence in the metal and folk underground with Roots (“it might sound corny, but it’s the ‘roots’ of SAOR and the Caledonian metal sound,” Andy jokes. “You can hear some of the typically Scottish melodies on it that would become more prominent in future albums.”), Andy Marshall forged on, and follow-up Aura appeared less than a year later. Though it contains some of the most appreciated hymns in his entire discography, the Scottish musician, ever a perfectionist, has mixed feelings about it. “I was never a huge fan of the production and performances on this one,” he shrugs. “It felt rushed. Funnily enough, it became one of the most popular and well received SAOR albums. People seem to love the somewhat ‘muddied production’ because it gives the album character. We still play songs from this live and they go down really well. ‘Pillars of the Earth’ is one of my favourite SAOR songs.” With apologies to Andy, we do side with the masses on this one – and would even throw the hallowed name of Bathory as an example of how “muddied production” and “character” are two concepts that can indeed go hand in hand, treading a fine but clear line throughout the history of metal.
Perhaps avoiding another rushed effort, Guardians took two years to appear as the third chapter in the ongoing saga that is the SAOR discography. Definitely leaning even more to the side of folk, it’s a work of rare emotional depth within the genres it touches, even if our man is, once more, rather unfazed and focused on the technical aspects of the recording. “I think it’s a natural progression from Aura, but with a slightly improved sound. It focuses more on my folk/Celtic influences. Some would say the folk metal element is more prominent due to the amount of bagpipes, tin whistles and other folk instrumentation used on this album,” he muses. However, not even his author can deny the power of this album’s highest moments. “’Hearth’ is one of the most popular SAOR songs and ‘Tears of a Nation’ always goes down well in a live setting.” Sound considerations aside, it was clear by then, circa 2016, that SAOR was a living, breathing entity, evolving and exploring. Like that recurring metaphor of the lone wanderer that seems so perfect we cannot let go of it. Free, without obligations, unconstrained.
The period between albums ever-lengthening, as if each step into the world of SAOR requires a bigger period of reflection and maturing to take the next one, Forgotten Paths would only appear in 2019. A worthy wait, however, as the evolutionary step was by far the boldest, bravely defying imaginary style constraints and showcasing an atypical and engaging approach to the overall “folk” super-genre. “My most open and accessible album,” Andy admits without hesitation. “There’s definitely a hint of post-metal creeping in on this one and a little less black metal. Neige from Alcest provided guest vocals on the title-track, which was an honour. This is around the time I started using the term Caledonian metal to describe my sound. I think it sums up my music and the themes perfectly.”
As live appearances were beginning to be much more frequent and SAOR a constantly demanded name on more notable events, the world decided to throw us all a pandemic curveball, which halted the victorious march of Andy and his stage cohorts for a while. However, you wouldn’t expect a period of isolation to ever hold back a musician and a project that are, by definition, and even by many of the feelings by them evoked, isolated, would you? And it most certainly did not. “From 2019-early 2020 we had a pretty hectic time touring and playing festivals, so I actually really liked the first few months of lockdown. I got a chance to relax,” Andy says. “But when the government decided to stop us from travelling, even leaving our local area, it was horrible.” Also, the end of 2020 brought an unexpected gift of recognition, as SAOR won the “Best Metal” Category at the Scottish Alternative Music Awards (SAMAs). Humble as ever, Andy thanked the band’s manager Joe, his stage comrades and Season of Mist, and added that “it’s been a tough year, so this award means a lot.”
Even better than recognition and accolades, from these difficult times, the new album, Origins, appeared. And for their first album in three years, and their premiere for Season of Mist, we wouldn’t expect anything other than… the unexpected. A counter reaction of sorts to the more meandering and even “accessible” direction of the previous records, perhaps inspired by its main theme of the Picts (a group of peoples who lived in what is now northern and eastern Scotland during Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages) and their fierce battles, Origins comes across as a more raging, black metal-infused effort, copiously evocative in its imagery and even melancholic in places, but decisively strong and abrasive at the same time. “This album is a lot more guitar driven,” Andy confirms.
“During the pandemic I listened to a lot of classic heavy metal and I think you’ll hear the influences on the dual lead guitars and solos. I also wanted this to be my heaviest album with emphasis on the riffs. My harsh vocals have changed from deep growls to more of a black metal style. Since the subject of the album is the Picts, I wanted a pagan theme throughout, and so that aspect is a lot more prominent than in the previous albums. I also used instruments such as the Carnyx and tribal drumming to convey that feeling.” One of the strongest songs on offer, the opener in fact, “Call of the Carnyx”, is in fact about the Carnyx itself, the ancient Celtic war horn, and it conveys like never before the feeling that it must have been to hear its resounding bellow, calling the Pictish warriors to battle. A moving homage to the legacy of the Picts, Origins guides us through their gods, their fallen heroes who died protecting their families and land, and what still remains of their identity in the Scottish people of today.
As much as we have food for thought, assured and guaranteed entertainment and inspiration for the months to come as we listen to and explore Origins and its themes, its creator is naturally already moving on. Andy doesn’t need much to create the worlds SAOR albums inhabit, and his most powerful tool is always with him. “I don’t need to be in one particular place to write or be inspired,” he explains. “I do have my own little office/studio in my home where I write music and lyrics, but it’s nothing special. My imagination is the most powerful tool for SAOR.” Not only do we vehemently agree, we would even say that imagination is the most powerful tool, always, for everyone. The one untamed weapon we all possess and can use at all times. Free. Without obligations. Unconstrained.
