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Live Concert Report: Steve Von Till

I’ve never driven five hours (each way) to church before. Maybe that’s not saying much since I haven’t been to church in well over 26 years. This wasn’t really church, but on a Sunday in early August 2022 I did somewhat feel like I was at church, the best one I’ve ever experienced. The spirit was strong, and I had goosebumps on multiple songs. Mississippi Studios in Portland, Oregon was set up like a church with rows of seats (instead of standing room only like I’ve encountered at other shows at this venue).

Helen Money began the evening with several instrumentals on her cello. I first heard of her, I think, about a dozen years ago when I really got into Russian Circle’s brilliant album Geneva, for which she laid down all of the cello work. I’ve listened to her solo work since then, but this was my first time seeing her live.

Like Steve Von Till’s solo work, some may be questioning why this is on Metal Underground since by most definitions this isn’t metal. In the sense that metal is a thick, heavy, and monumental sound Helen Money (and Von Till’s solo work) certainly qualifies. If metal requires guitars then no for Helen and no for some of Steve’s songs. However, most metalheads recognize that many bands that appear at metal festivals don’t meet the guitar definition of metal. Think of bands like Wardruna, Jo Quail, Heilung, Corvus Corax, etc. I think both Von Till’s solo work and Helen Money (even when she isn’t backing Russian Circles, Anthrax, or Neurosis) is a nice change of pace at a metal festival or on a metal dominated play list.

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed her set. She played her cello with a variety of techniques and was quite heavy (for not being metal 😉) at times.

I’ve seen Neurosis many times before, but this was a Neurosis-free evening featuring only Steve’s solo work of music, along with some poetry recitation. In some ways, it couldn’t have been more different from a Neurosis show. Neurosis doesn’t really interact with the audience. There are no “Hello, Chicago”s or “Scream for me Long Beach”s at a Neurosis gig. Songs aren’t announced and the crowd isn’t thanked. This evening was far more interactive and included Steve talking to the audience before or after several songs.

Speaking of the crowd, some of the PNW’s finest musicians were in the audience, including Mike Scheidt of YOB.

Steve has Helen Money, Dave French, and Sanford Parker supporting him live. The setlist was mostly from his solo albums, No Wilderness Deep Enough and A Life Unto Itself.

The sound was excellent. I was very familiar with the songs, listening to little else in the week or two prior. Steve’s solo work ages well. In fact, for anyone that doesn’t “get it” on a first listening, I would strongly suggest waiting to form an opinion until the music has had time to germinate a bit in the brain—maybe on the fifth or sixth listen. After having experienced it live, I have to say that it has taken on a whole new, even-better flavor in my head.

How to describe the music? You can certainly hear some of Neurosis’s calmer moments in Steve’s solo work. His voice is rich, deep, and thick. A bit of a psychedelic vibe weaves itself through some songs. You can listen for free for yourself through the links above.

Better yet, catch one of the remaining seven shows on the tour:
August 9 in Oakland, California
August 10 in San Jose
August 11 in Los Angeles
August 12 in San Diego
August 13 in Tucson, Arizona
August 14 in Salt Lake City, Utah (consider it church 😉)
August 15 in Boise, Idaho

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Sigh Unveils "Satsui" Music Video

Following the announcement of "Shiki," their new studio album, on 26th August through Peaceville, the cult Japanese black metal legends Sigh have released a video for the track "Satsui."

Sigh mainman Mirai Kawashima explains the track "The album ‘Shiki’ is mostly about my personal fear of getting old and my fear of death, but some of the songs are a bit off topic and ‘Satsui’ is one of them. ‘Satsui’ means ‘Intent to Kill’ and it is my personal view on the death penalty. You often hear people say ‘The criminal penalty is not meant to be for revenge’ or ‘we all live in a country governed by law’, but I do not think things are that simple; but of course everybody has the right to have their own opinions though. I guess the song is one of the most straightforward ones on the album."

He goes on to explain the full album version of the song – "Satsui - Geshi No Ato" - "On the other hand, ‘Geshi no Ato’ is a completely different song. I composed that as an outro to ‘Satsui’, and the lyrical concept followed. The title means ‘After Summer Solstice'’, which is a metaphor saying that your heyday is gone. I played all the guitars on this and Mike Heller banged chairs, pieces of wood, boxes, water bottles, etc to create the beat!"

The full version of the song, "Satsui - Geshi No Ato" will be released as a digital single on all streaming platforms on Thursday 10th August.

Sigh’s forthcoming opus, "Shiki," is dark & eclectic blackened heavy metal, shrouded in traditional eastern influences, and marks the latest chapter in the Sigh legacy, which includes some of the band’s heaviest and darkest material for some years; a fine hybrid of at times primitive black metal akin to early influences such as Celtic Frost amid more epic melodic heavy metal riffing and solos. It will take you on a journey through the strange and the psychedelic, incorporating a whole eclectic mix of genre styles & experimentation throughout their career. Highlighting that Sigh has remained a vital creative force in the avantgarde field whilst maintaining their old school roots.

The word "Shiki" itself has various meanings in Japanese such as four seasons, time to die, conducting an orchestra, ceremony, motivation, colour. The two primary themes for the album are "four seasons" and "time to die". The concept and artwork is based around a traditional Japanese poem, and on ‘Shiki’ Mirai explores how at this stage of life he himself is going through Autumn, with Winter coming soon, and so empathises with the contrasting sentimental feelings from watching cherry blossoms (a symbol of spring) in full bloom. More...

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Delain Introduces New Vocalist

The wait is finally over! Delain, the brainchild of keyboardist, founder and main songwriter Martijn Westerholt, returns with full power, presenting themselves with a new lineup featuring the terrific Diana Leah as their next singer! Her powerful, heart-wrenching voice fits perfectly with the band's style and adds a new strength to their sound. Rejoining the fold and bolstering the band’s continuity are original guitarist Ronald Landa and original drummer Sander Zoer, while new members Diana and bassist Ludovico Cioffi continue the evolution of the band’s sound. The multi-million streaming leading Symphonic Metal outfit sets off into their next era, creating the perfect symbiosis of tested strengths and new influences.

The band's new single, "The Quest And The Curse," implements this in an impressive manner. Trademark bombastic riffs, lush orchestrations, elements from film music, metal, pop, electronic, and much more mark an amalgamation of the old and new, and build the next chapter of the band's history.

As Martijn Westerholt states:
"The future of Delain looks bright!" More...

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Headline News

Razor To Release First Album In 25 Years

Canadian thrash metal legends, Razor, return with "Cycle Of Contempt," their first new full-length album in 25 years! "Cycle Of Contempt" is a direct, cutthroat record that pulls no punches and takes no prisoners. Watch Razor’s lyric video for the new song, "Flames Of Hatred," below.

"We are so psyched to finally offer this recording to our awesome and patient fanbase! It was our pleasure to make this for you and we sincerely hope you feel it was worth the wait. Play it loud my friends!" - Dave Carlo, Razor guitarist

Anyone that cut their metal teeth with The Big Four, and then dug a little deeper into the indie scene, should receive a major endorphin rush when they discover that speed and thrash masters Razor are about to release their first studio offering in 25 years, entitled "Cycle Of Contempt."

From the catchy, concise riffs and insistent beats of album opener "Flames Of Hatred" to the double-barreled assault, muted power chord chugging and combative gang vocal of album closer "King Shit," "Cycle Of Contempt" is a trenchant reminder of a time when clubs around the world were packed with long-haired bands that played as fast as they could to mosh pits that spun and tumbled like clothes in a short-circuiting dryer. More...

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Vizzerdrixx Premiere New Song & Lyric Video

Maryland, USA and Tallinn, Estonia-based international deathcore band Vizzerdrixx premiere a new song entitled “Brand New God”, taken from their upcoming self-titled debut EP, which will be out in stores this fall.

Check out now "Brand New God" streaming via YouTube and Spotify for you below.

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Crypt Crawler Premiere New Music Video

Death Metal outfit Crypt Crawler premiere a new music video for “Force Fed to the Dead”, the third track off their sophomore album 'Future Usurper'. The clip is featuring live video footage recorded in the band's hometown Perth, Western Australia.

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Wraith Premiere New Song "Endless Black"

Australian deathcore crew Wraith premiere a new song entitled “Endless Black”, taken from their upcoming debut album "The Hive", which will be out in stores on August 12th, 2022.

Check out now "Endless Black" streaming via YouTube for you below.

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Intoxicated Premiere New Music Video

Orlando, Florida-based death/thrash metal outfit Intoxicated premiere a new music video for “Watch You Burn”, taken from their new album of the same name, which was released on June 24, 2022 via Bandcamp.

Check out now "Watch You Burn" streaming via YouTube for you below.

Explains guitarist/vocalist Erik Payne: More...

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I Am Premiere New Music Video

Texan deathcore outfit I Am premiere a new music video for their latest single “Surrender to the Blade”, taken from their upcoming new album "Eternal Steel". MNRK Heavy will release the band’s new record on September 09th, 2022.

Check out now "Surrender to the Blade" streaming via YouTube for you now below.

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Inhuman Depravity Premiere New Single

Turkish death metal quartet Inhuman Depravity premiere a new song entitled “Beyond Rhythm Zero”, taken from their forthcoming second album "The Experimendead". The record is set for release on September 9th, 2022 by Gruesome Records, in jewel-case CD and digital formats.

Check out now "Beyond Rhythm Zero" streaming via YouTube for you below.

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Nekrotisk Premiere New Music Video

Minnesota-based blackened death metal band Nekrotisk premiere a new music video for “Sulfur and Ash”, taken from their debut EP "Apraxia I: Mors Certa", which is available on CD at Bandcamp.

Check out now "Sulfur and Ash" streaming via YouTube for you below.

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