Theocracy
Formed: 2002
From:
Athens,
GA,
United States
Last Known Status: Active
Latest Theocracy News
Below is our complete Theocracy news coverage, including columns and articles pertaining to the band. Some articles listed may be indirectly related, such as side projects of the band members, etc.
Displaying records 1 - 20 of 60 1 2 3 Last
Theocracy To Release New Album In October
Last week, US progressive power metal quintet Theocracy announced their signing to Atomic Fire Records, and the new partners aren't wasting any time in revealing details of the group's highly-anticipated forthcoming studio album right away. As brilliantly showcased by its stain-glass-window-like artwork by Steven Howard, the offering has been given the name "Mosaic." The ten new hymns were recorded, produced, and mixed by Theocracy's own Matt Smith at Theocracized Studios and Full Moon Studios in Athens, GA and rounded off by skillful mastering engineers Emily Lazar and Chris Allgood at The Lodge, NY. »Mosaic« will be supplied in various formats (see below!) to their loyal followers worldwide on October 13, 2023 via Atomic Fire Records, and can be pre-ordered now.
Seven years after the release of their previous album, 2016's "Ghost Ship," Theocracy are also excited to unveil their first new song today. Clocking in around 4:30 minutes, infectiously melodic track "Return To Dust" is a more than worthy musical ambassador of the band's return. A supporting performance music video which was produced by Industrialism Films can be viewed below.
Frontman Matt Smith explains: "'Return To Dust' is a prototypical mid-tempo anthem with a classic, massive Theocracy chorus. Not really progressive or anything, but infectious with a great riff and energy. The lyrics deal with the inevitability of death, and the choice of who or what we're living for in the short time we get on this earth. The whole album runs the stylistic gamut you've come to expect from Theocracy, from the progressive to the thrashy to the pensive to the majestic. So while 'Return To Dust' doesn't represent the entire experience of 'Mosaic,' consider it a nice appetizer for the full meal. Enjoy." More...
Theocracy Signs With Atomic Fire Records
Atomic Fire Records is massively proud to join forces with Athens, Georgia based progressive power metal five-piece Theocracy. Formed in 2002 to spread their majestic metal in the likes of Stratovarious, Sonata Arctica and Symphony-X, Theocracy released four critically acclaimed studio albums, building a loyal fanbase as well. Now teaming up with Atomic Fire Records, the band consisting of Matt Smith (lead/backing vocals), Ernie Topran (drums), Jared Oldham (bass/backing vocals), Jonathan Hinds (guitars/backing vocals) and Taylor Washington (guitars/backing vocals) are more than ready to take Theocracy to the next level.
Vocalist Matt Smith comments: "We are thrilled to be members of the Atomic Fire Records family. From our first meeting, it was obvious that they've loved and supported our music for many years, long before there was a possibility we might work together. This personal touch was very important to us, and combined with their impressive roster featuring some of our favourite bands, we are so excited to work together for this new album release and beyond!"
Atomic Fire Records A&R Markus Wosgien enthuses, "We're more than happy to welcome Theocracy to the Atomic Fire Records family! With their latest album 'Ghost Ship,' the band created a milestone in power/progressive metal history and I remember very well that I had the CD on endless rotation in my car for several years - and it keeps blowing me away. It's just one of those records which you'd pick for a trip to a lonely island, it's an album that recalls why one has become a metalhead: Because such tunes make addicted, one needs to sing along to them, and they fulfill our hearts. With their upcoming new album, Theocracy have taken it all another step further and have reached a new level, without repeating themselves but with adding more diversity to their sound. The world stands in awe of an album full of hymns, beauty and pure magic once again."
For more than 20 years, Matt Smith has been pouring his life blood into Theocracy, creating a legacy and back catalogue that grants him a safe space to breathe and develop his vision.
"It's my life's work," says Smith. "All I wanted to do since I was a kid was writing songs, so Theocracy existed in my mind for many years before the first album. It's the vehicle that has taken me all around the world and allowed me to exceed my wildest dreams by getting my songs out, and I am so thankful."
Theocracy's fifth studio album will see the light of the day later this year.
Theocracy To Headline Mad With Power Fest
Villains and heroes alike will once again come together on August 10, 2019 to enjoy a buffet of power metal, arcade games and other nerdy delights at the third Mad With Power Festival in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. This one-day fest boasts seven kickass bands playing a variety of power metal and an exclusive appearance from Phillip Ahn, M.D. the actor who played Shang Tsung on Mortal Kombat II.
Headbanging isn’t the only thing to do at the fest, attendees can enjoy tons of free pinball and arcade games; try to beat your friend’s high score or destroy them with a head splitting fatality! Concert goers can expect other entertainment that includes metal opera battles, a heavy metal video game themed museum, and perusing the nerdy goods sold by vendors all whilst sipping the official Bos Meadery “Mad With Power” mead. You can buy tickets for the event here
Bands performing at this event include:
Theocracy
Lords Of The Tridet
Judicator
Helion Prime
Novareign
Widow
Fiakra More...
Theocracy Announces New Drummer
Georgia-based melodic metal band Theocracy is thrilled to welcome Ernie Topran (ex-Halcyon Way) to the band as the permanent drummer. Ernie has been drumming for more than 20 years, and has been active in the Atlanta music scene since 2006. During that time he has performed with many different bands, and he has been Theocracy’s touring drummer for the last couple years.
"I was happy to help Theocracy when they needed a touring drummer for some Scandinavian and German festivals,” says Topran. “I've known the guys for years, and my previous band Halcyon Way shared the stage with them many times. We had great times both on and off the stage, so when I was asked to join the band permanently, I accepted without hesitation. I look forward to many years of making music with such a great group of guys!"
Theocracy founder Matt Smith adds, “Ernie has proven himself to be a total professional and completely dependable, which is what we were looking for. In addition to his incredible drumming skills, he also happens to be the most kindhearted, genuine and fun guy you could ever hope to meet. We couldn’t be happier to have him on board.”
Theocracy just returned from a successful European tour supporting their new album "Ghost Ship," which debuted at #17 on the Billboard Hard Rock charts in the U.S. More...
Theocracy Takes You On The "Ghost Ship"
Athens, Georgia based melodic metal band Theocracy just released a music video for the title track from the highly anticipated new album "Ghost Ship." The album will be released on October 28th in Europe and North America through Ulterium Records.
"Ghost Ship" will be available on CD, 2LP and digital. The 2LP edition is strictly limited to 1001 copies worldwide. 750 copies comes with black vinyl discs and 251 copies comes with white vinyl discs.
With "Ghost Ship," Theocracy perfects the lively and fully-realized sound of "As the World Bleeds," delivering 10 muscular and streamlined tracks that never lose focus and combine for one memorable journey.
The album track list is:
1. Paper Tiger
2. Ghost Ship
3. The Wonder Of It All
4. Wishing Well
5. Around the World and Back
6. Stir the Embers
7. A Call To Arms
8. Currency In A Bankrupt World
9. Castaway
10. Easter
Check out the video here: More...
Theocracy Issues "Wishing Well" Lyric Video
Athens, Georgia based melodic metal band Theocracy just released a lyric video for the track "Wishing Well" from the highly anticipated new album "Ghost Ship." Check it out in the player below. The album will be released on October 28th in Europe and North America through Ulterium Records.
"Ghost Ship" will be available on CD, 2LP and digital. The 2LP edition is strictly limited to 1001 copies worldwide. 750 copies comes with black vinyl discs and 251 copies comes with white vinyl discs.
With "Ghost Ship," Theocracy perfects the lively and fully-realized sound of "As the World Bleeds," delivering 10 muscular and streamlined tracks that never lose focus and combine for one memorable journey. You like mid-tempo singalong anthems? Try the “Ghost Ship” title track. Thrashy rhythms and intensity? “The Wonder of It All” should be to your liking. Emotional ballads with huge melodic hooks? Go “Around the World and Back.” Or if you prefer epic, progressive tracks that do all these things and more, 10-minute album closer “Easter” is sure to be a favorite. Each song on "Ghost Ship" stands alone and has a unique signature, but every moment sounds unmistakably like Theocracy. More...
Theocracy Posts "Ghost Ship" Trailer
Today you can check out the brand new "Ghost Ship" album teaser from Theocracy below. New album "Ghost Ship" will be released on October 28th, 2016 and features the following track listing:
1. Paper Tiger
2. Ghost Ship
3. The Wonder Of It All
4. Wishing Well
5. Around the World and Back
6. Stir the Embers
7. A Call To Arms
8. Currency In A Bankrupt World
9. Castaway
10. Easter
Theocracy Announces European Tour Dates
Athens, Georgia-based melodic metal band Theocracy will return to Europe in November for the "Ghost Ship European Tour. Within Silence will provide support for all shows.
See the list of confirmed shows below:
Fri 4/11 - Hall of Fame - Wetzikon, Switzerland
Sat 5/11 - Kreatief - Neckarsulm, Germany
Sun 6/11 - Exit-US - Prague, Czech Republic
Tue 8/11 - Collosseum - Kosice, Slovakia
Thu 10/11 - Melodka - Brno, Czech Republic
Fri 11/11 - DGH Niederaula - Niederjossa/Hessen, Germany
Sat 12/11 - Brainstorm Festival - Apeldoorn, Netherlands
The new Theocracy album "Ghost Ship" will be released on October 28th in Europe and North America through Ulterium Records. The album was detailed over at this location. More...
Theocracy To Release The "Ghost Ship" This Fall
Athens, Georgia-based melodic metal band Theocracy will release the new album "Ghost Ship" on October 28th in Europe and North America through Ulterium Records. Information on different editions and formats will be announced soon.
With "Ghost Ship," Theocracy perfects the lively and fully-realized sound of "As the World Bleeds," delivering 10 muscular and streamlined tracks that never lose focus and combine for one memorable journey. You like mid-tempo singalong anthems? Try the “Ghost Ship” title track. Thrashy rhythms and intensity? “The Wonder of It All” should be to your liking. Emotional ballads with huge melodic hooks? Go “Around the World and Back.” Or if you prefer epic, progressive tracks that do all these things and more, 10-minute album closer “Easter” is sure to be a favorite. Each song on "Ghost Ship" stands alone and has a unique signature, but every moment sounds unmistakably like Theocracy. More...
Theocracy Posts New Album Sampler
U.S. power metal band Theocracy has been busy working on a new album to follow 2011's "As The World Bleeds," and a teaser trailer can now be found below. The group comments:
"Unfortunately there was no time to record a new Christmas song this year, but we thought you might like a sneak peek at some songs from the new album instead. Merry Christmas, and enjoy!"
Theocracy Posts Drum Footage
Athens, Georgia-based melodic metal band Theocracy is happy to announce that original drummer Shawn Benson will record the drums on the group's upcoming fourth album.
Benson played drums on 2011's "As the World Bleeds" and 2008's "Mirror of Souls," as well as the 2013 re-release of Theocracy's self-titled debut album.
The band is in the early stages of recording, and is excited to showcase Benson's unique style on the upcoming release, which will be Theocracy's third through Swedish label Ulterium Records. Below you can see studio footage of Benson playing one of the new songs. More...
Theocracy Issues Recording Update
Theocracy is currently working on the follow-up to the band's previous self-titled album, and now the band has issued the following brief recording update:
"Hope you had a great weekend! We did. Matt finished recording vocals for the title track for the new album, and it's sounding killer! Can't wait for you to hear it. Another week of hard work on the way. Have a great day, and look for more updates soon!" More...
Theocracy Posts New Christmas Song
Melodic metal band Theocracy just released a new holiday song, which can be heard below, and the band also comments:
"Merry Christmas 2014 from Theocracy! We wanted to do another traditional Christmas song for you this year, and we decided to do something a bit different by doing a (mostly) acoustic version.
"We hope you enjoy it, and we wish you and your families nothing but the best this holiday season. Thanks for another great year of support, and look for a new album from us in 2015!" More...
Report
Vangough, Theocracy, Pain of Salvation Make Mayhem
The first date for the Pain of Salvation/Vangough North American tour (sponsored by MetalUnderground.com) doubled as ProgPower USA’s unofficial “Midweek Mayhem” show on September 10th in Atlanta, Georgia at The Loft music venue. Power metal band Theocracy joined for a set in-between the two bands to balance out the power- and progressive-metal for the evening with a powerful galloping energy. In the style of the three bands combined, here is a lyrical retelling of the experience of that show by writer Frank Serafine. More...
ProgPower USA Midweek Mayhem Contest Announced
Before the main festivities of the annual ProgPower USA festival in Atlanta, the tradition has been to hold a "Midweek Mayhem" show as well as an additional Thursday "Kick-off" show to unofficially extend the festival weekend two days. In keeping with tradition, the September 10th show happens to be the start of the MetalUnderground.com-sponsored Pain of Salvation tour, with backup from the upstart progressive band Vangough and righteous power metal band Theocracy.
With the show being over 80% sold out, the show's organizer, Milton Mendonca, issued an update and a special contest for Midweek Mayhem 2015, the text of which follows. More...
Theocracy Recruits New Drummer
After splitting with the band's drummer earlier this year, Theocracy has now checked in with this announcement about recruiting a new member:
"Georgia-based melodic metal band Theocracy is excited to announce the addition of drummer Patrick Nickell to the lineup.
"Patrick is originally from Nashville, TN, and brings 13 years of drumming experience to the band. His power and progressive metal background is a perfect fit for Theocracy, and the band is thrilled to see where this new musical union leads them.
"Theocracy first met Patrick several years ago when he was a member of Nashvilles Oblivion Myth, and when the time came to begin searching for a new drummer, he was one of the first candidates they auditioned. It was immediately apparent to everyone that he was the perfect fit, both musically and personally. He has the skills to faithfully excecute all of the older material, while bringing his own brand of power, finesse and flair.
"To offer the fans a small glimpse of what he can do, the band recorded a live in-studio performance of the As the World Bleeds track 'Nailed,' which can be seen below. Theocracy's first live performance with Patrick will be a private show for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in late August, followed by Midweek Mayhem at the prestigious ProgPower USA festival in Atlanta, GA, September 10." More...
Theocracy Splits With Drummer
Georgia-based melodic metal band Theocracy regrets to announce the departure of longtime drummer Shawn Benson, who will be pursuing other interests. The band comments:
"Continued work conflicts and scheduling issues simply made it impossible to move forward, so both parties amicably agreed that it was time for a change to be made. There are no hard feelings on either side, and the band wishes Shawn nothing but the best in the future."
“To be honest, I’m pretty devastated about this, as I expected to be playing with Shawn for as long as we kept going,” says vocalist Matt Smith. “But he is moving into a different phase of his life and could no longer give the commitment it takes to be in a band, so ultimately this is the only solution for all parties involved. I’d like to personally thank Shawn for helping to bring three albums from my imagination to reality, and his contributions can never be overstated. He will always be a part of the Theocracy family.”
In the interest of moving forward, Theocracy is beginning to look for candidates to fill the position. Interested parties can contact the band at theocracydrummersearch@gmail.com. Theocracy is currently working on new material to follow the "As the World Bleeds" album. More...
All-Star Project Aegis Release Song For Charity
Ulterium Records is proud to announce the release of "Collide & Spark", an all-star charity track for sale with 100% of the income going to The Bridge Bunch, an organization dedicated to serving the homeless population of Nashville, TN, in the United States.
The song, which is almost seven minutes in length, is being released under the banner Project Aegis, and was composed by Theocracy vocalist and songwriter Matt Smith. It features vocals by Nils K. Rue (Pagan's Mind), Henrik Båth (Darkwater), Elin Redin (End of September) and Smith, as well as a guitar solo by Markus Sigfridsson (Darkwater/Harmony).
The artwork was created by Felipe Machado Franco (Blind Guardian/Rhapsody of Fire) and designed by Markus Sigfridsson.
The song is available via digital retailers like iTunes and Amazon. Check out a preview clip here: More...
Theocracy Drummer To Miss Tour
Theocracy has posted the following message online about drummer Shawn Benson missing the band's upcoming tour dates:
"Only one week until our third European tour! Unfortunately Shawn won't be able to join us on this tour due to scheduling conflicts, but we're excited to announce that the talented Joshua Street will be joining us behind the drums.
"Joshua played with us at our last two shows and did a fantastic job, so it was only natural for us to ask him to fill in for the tour, and fortunately for us he was happy to step up to the challenge--thanks Josh!
"We are all so excited to see many familiar and new faces over the next few weeks, and we're honored to come back and play for you all...see you soon!!" More...
ProgPower USA XV Mid-Week Mayhem Show Revealed
The annual ProgPower USA festival announced the mid-week mayhem lineup for Wednesday, September 10, 2014. The lineup will feature Pain of Salvation (playing a regular set as opposed to the special set during the main festival comprising of "Remedy Lane" in its entirety), along with Atlanta's Theocracy and Oklahoma's Vangough. Ticket information will be announced soon.
The festival previously announced the kick-off show for Thursday, September 11th: Pagan's Mind (playing the debut LP "Celestial Entrance" in its entirety for the first time ever), Italian power/progressive act DGM and Indiana's Draekon. Tickets for the kick-off show will go on sale on November 1st.
The main festival, which is held from September 12-13, 2014, will feature:
Friday (September 12, 2014)
Thought Chamber (replaces Disperse)
Orden Ogan
Leprous
Overkill
Seventh Wonder (playing "Mercy Falls" in its entirety)
Stratovarius (Headliner)
Saturday (September 13, 2014)
Withem
Divided Multitude
Voodoo Circle
MasterPlan
Pain of Salvation (playing "Remedy Lane" in its entirety)
Jon Oliva's Pain (playing "Streets" in it's entirety) (Headliner)
Tickets for the main festival - as of this morning - are 70% sold after the first 24 hours, so head over to this location fast. More...