Gothenburg Sweden based metal sextet MARIONETTE recently released the music video for the track “Stand In Line”.  The video is the first part in the ‘Rite Of Ascension’ series and was recorded, produced and edited entirely by MARIONETTE.  Watch the video at this link: http://youtu.be/dQNdjbDZzv0

In preparation for the band’s Slay The UK tour next month MARIONETTE will perform a 35-minute set containing select material from their Nerve record at Belly of The Whale Studio in Gothenburg Sweden on Wednesday May 2^nd beginning at 19:00 local time (12:00pm Eastern Time USA).  The entire set will be streamed live and will be followed by a Q&A. The performance and Q&A can be viewed at the link below: (Note: ONLY those interested in participating in the Q&A need to create an account on Justin.tv): http://www.justin.tv/bellyofthewhalestudio

MARIONETTE will hit the road in early May for the “Slay The UK Tour” with support coming from French DJ THE ALGORITHM.  The band will return again to the UK this summer for Bloodstock Open Air; dates are as follows:

May 7 – Joiners, Southampton, UK
May 8 – Central Station, Wrexham, UK
May 10 – Borderline, London, UK
Aug 9 – Bloodstock Open Air, Derbyshire, UK (6pm)

Limited copies of the bands live performance at Belly of the Whale will be printed and made available exclusively on the upcoming UK dates.

Nerve, the follow up to MARIONETTE’s 2009 release Enemies, was recorded at Studio Fredman with producer Fredrik Nordström (IN FLAMES, DIMMU BORGIR, AT THE GATES); mixed by DEAD BY APRIL songwriter Pontus Hjelm at Studio PH in Gothenburg; and mastered by Erik Broheden (RAMMSTEIN, TURBONEGRO, WITHIN TEMPTATION) at Masters of Audio Studio in Stockholm, Sweden.  The album was released digitally by Pivotal Rockordings and limited edition digipak versions of Nerve are available through the bands website and at concerts exclusively.

Links + Tickets:

Official Website: http://www.marionette.se
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/marionettesweden
MARIONETTE YOUTUBE PAGE: http://www.youtube.com/marionettesweden
MARIONETTE TWITTER: http://twitter.com/marionetteswe
Pivotal Alliance: http://www.pivotalalliance.com
UK Press: adam@thenoisecartel.com

Live Stream Embedded:
Watch live video from bellyofthewhalestudio on www.justintv.tv

MARIONETTE To Headline SLAY THE UK TOUR in May, Music Video In The Works

MARIONETTE will return to the UK for a short run of headline shows dubbed “Slay
The UK Tour” with support from The Algorithm. Dates are as follows:

May 7 – Joiners, Southampton, UK
May 8 – Central Station, Wrexham, UK
May 10 – Borderline, London, UK

MARIONETTE is currently on tour supporting DEATHSTARS in Europe. Remaining
dates are as follows:
Mar. 20 – Logo, Hamburg, Germany
Mar. 21 – Postbahnhof, Berlin, Germany
Mar. 22 – Progresja, Warsaw, Poland

Commented bassist and founding member and guitarist Aron Parmerud: “We are about
to wrap up our support dates with DEATHSTARS and we can’t wait to come back to
SLAY THE UK with THE ALGORITHM. Though we were just out with DEAD BY
APRIL in the UK in December it will be great to get back and play a more extended set
that will certainly include a few tracks we’ve never played in the UK before. We are also
working on a new music video which we will be reveal in a few weeks.”

Nerve, the follow up to MARIONETTE’s 2009 release Enemies, was recorded at Studio
Fredman with producer Fredrik Nordström (IN FLAMES, DIMMU BORGIR, AT
THE GATES); mixed by DEAD BY APRIL songwriter Pontus Hjelm at Studio PH
in Gothenburg; and mastered by Erik Broheden (RAMMSTEIN, TURBONEGRO,
WITHIN TEMPTATION) at Masters of Audio Studio in Stockholm, Sweden. The
album was released digitally by Pivotal Rockordings and limited edition digipak versions
of Nerve are available through the bands website and at concerts exclusively. The
album received critical acclaim including 4/5 in Kerrang! Magazine, 7/7 in Powerplay
Magazine, 8/10 in RockSound Magazine, and 5/7 in Metal Hammer (Germany).

Tickets can be purchased at: HTTP://WWW.MARIONETTE.SE

Links:
Official Website: http://www.marionette.se
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/marionettesweden
MARIONETTE YOUTUBE PAGE: http://www.youtube.com/marionettesweden
MARIONETTE TWITTER: http://twitter.com/marionetteswe
Pivotal Alliance: http://www.pivotalalliance.com
UK Press: adam@thenoisecartel.com
THE ALGORITHM: http://soundcloud.com/the-algorithm

After being known as one of the hardest working bands to come out from the Italian metal community, STIGMA decided to call it a day.

“We felt like we couldn’t move forward with that project anymore, we’ve been around for a decade and reached great goals, including multiple European tours, big festival appearances, two albums and one EP released all over the world.” commented frontman Stefano “Vlad” Ghersi. “We wanted to go further, to push ourselves to the limit to give life to another side of us we kept hidden for a long time.”

This is the reason behind the decision to close the Stigma chapter, and open a brand new page, which is called THE DOOMSAYER.

“This band is something totally new, and we all feel this new sound is truly representing ourselves as persons and musicians in a totally different way. We worked one full year on writing and arranging this material, we’re more focused and dedicated than ever and we’re ready to show everyone who we really are.”

THE DOOMSAYER will be tracking its debut release in April at Ridgeway Studio (Bury Tomorrow, The Haarp Machine..), Oxfordshire, and have plans to start touring right after.

“We’re grateful for all the experience we’ve done as Stigma, we met lots of people on the road, learned a lot and we’re going to keep that as a starting point for THE DOOMSAYER, so watch out!”

THE DOOMSAYER just released an introduction video which features a short pre-production clip of their material, you shall check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_GjG_u6u0A

For more information, visit www.wearethedoomsayer.com

Swedish guitarist/vocalist Christian Älvestam (SOLUTION.45, MISERATION, TORCHBEARER, ex-SCAR SYMMETRY) has checked in with the following updated:

“Due to unfortunate scheduling conflicts, the release of the solo EP – Self 2.0 – needs to be pushed back to the Fall. Musically, there is still some material left to be written, while everything is done lyrically. A couple of song-titles set to appear on the EP are
‘Departure Theme,’ ‘En Knippa Ljung’ and ‘The Unforsaken.’”

The EP will be released exclusively in all major web-retail outlets and streaming services via Pivotal Rockordings. Perhaps most well known in the metal community as the singer on SCAR SYMMETRY’s first three albums, and currently front man in SOLUTION.45, Älvestam also garnered fandom in the house music scene through his collaboration on a single MCD with DJ HENRIK B, entitled Now and Forever. The single not only received rave reviews in the electronic music scene, but also was immediately picked up by DJ Tiesto, who played it in regular rotation on his world tour to tens of thousands of people. With additional contributions of his signature vocal style as a guest in the most recent DEMON HUNTER and BLOODBATH releases, Älvestam’s name has become a fixture among hordes of fans.

However, Self 2.0 promises to be something different from what fans expect from the singer/songwriter, as Älvestam explains:

“It’s not exactly a secret that I have a weak spot for more pop-oriented stuff – especially in the vein of the sound of the ´80′s. In fact, I have always been listening to softer music, alongside the heavier stuff, which is probably why my own music so often, unintentionally, tend to end up being a mixture of the two. I simply can’t help myself when it comes to merging the aforesaid styles together, it seems. I’d like to call it unavoidable influence, as a direct result of having been indoctrinated with both, from childhood upwards. With that said, fighting against it is not an easy thing, whether you want to or not;) At the same time, some would call it a mixed blessing I guess. Anyhow, I have wanted to do something a bit different from what I usually do, for a long time now and that is to make an all stripped-down and laidback album, where I use my clean vocals only. You who have followed me since the early days know I’ve made brief digressions, musically, of that sort before, like the “Final State”-trilogy (Unmoored) and “Lethean Tears” (Solution .45), to name a few, so it’s not like “Self 2.0″ is me heading out into completely unexplored territory. I’ve been there before, grubbing in its periphery. Then again, I guess you could see “Self 2.0″ as me going all the way for the first time, if you like!

What can you expect of “Self 2.0″ then, taken as a whole? Well, if you, like me, dig bands/artists such as Michael Cretu (Sandra/Enigma, etc.), Krister Linder (Grace/Dive, etc.), 30 Seconds To Mars, Mute Math, Nephew, Dead Letter Circus, Pendulum, Mew, The Radio Dept. and so on, chance is “Self 2.0″ may strike your fancy!”

Links:
http://www.facebook.com/christian.alvestam
http://www.myspace.com/christianalvestam
http://label.pivotalalliance.com

Gothenburg, Sweden based metallers AGE OF WOE will embark on a 10 day tour through Denmark, Germany and Poland in April.

5/4 Paramount DIY, Roskilde, Denmark
6/4 Ajz, Neubrandenburg, Germany
7/4 Pilon, Toruń, Poland
8/4 Tba, Warsawa, Poland
9/4 Kawiarnia Naukowa, Krakow, Poland
10/4 Liwi, Leipzig, Germany
11/4 Tba, Dresden, Germany
12/4 Gerber 3, Weimar, Germany
13/4 Rote Flora, Hamburg, Germany
14/4 1000Fryd, Aalborg, Denmark

Consisting of members from END OF ALL, MASSMORD, THE PROCESS and NO HAWAII, the band is fueled by the desire to explore new soundscapes in the vast landscapes of punk and metal, leaving the Gothenburg sound in the dust.

AGE OF WOE’s self-made music video for “The Antagonist” is also available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mPnBaZm5qVg

Fan-filmed footage of AGE OF WOE performing the song “We Are Dead” in Gothenburg, Sweden can also be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2P1X8wHUrU

Age of Woe was recorded and mixed at Belly of the Whale Studio in Gothenburg with aCarlos Sepulveda (NO HAWAII, JOE BARESI, PSYCORE) and mastered by Ulf Blomberg of HoboRec (GRACE.WILL.FALL, COUNTERBLAST, MASSMORD.) Pivotal Rockordings has made the debut EP available digitally worldwide while the limited vinyl printings are available through Addiction to War in France, Halvfabrikat Records and HoboRec in Sweden and Nakkeskudd Plater in Norway.

Links:
http://www.ageofwoe.net
http://www.facebook.com/ageofwoe
http://www.myspace.com/ageofwoe
http://ageofwoe.bandcamp.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/ageofwoe

Texas’ NOCICEPTOR and Winnipeg, Canada’s ANNEX THEORY are set to be featured on the upcoming compilation Songs in the Key of D. The compilation is being released by California’s Rogue Records and is sponsored by The League of Extraordinary Djentlemen. Songs in the Key of D is said to showcase tracks from “some of the best Djent metal / Progressive Metal bands on the indie scene today” and will be made available on March 27^th.

NOCICEPTOR’s (features in its ranks THREAT SIGNAL guitarist Travis Montgomery) contribution to the compilation is the track “Pornoholocaust,” which was previously released in June via the band’s debut EP Among Insects, through Pivotal Rockordings. A lyric video for the song has been premiered at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXpJthu_5pc

ANNEX THEORY (featuring in its ranks former QUO VADIS vocalist Trevor Birnie) will debut a brand new song entitled “Process Existence” for the compilation. This track is the first new material for the band since their debut EP Beneath The Skin, also released last June through Pivotal Rockordings and was mixed and mastered by THREAT SIGNAL and NOCICEPTOR guitarist Travis Montogomery

Songs in the Key of D will feature a total of 12 tracks. Other bands so far confirmed for the release are EVER FORTHRIGHT (featuring former PERIPHERY vocalist Chris Baretto), SCARTOGRAPHER, SHATTERED SKIES, ABSENT DISTANCE, and WHEN GIANTS COLLIDE. The full list of participating bands is expected to be released shortly.

http://www.facebook.com/AnnexTheory

http://www.myspace.com/annextheory

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nociceptor/110251162327682

http://www.myspace.com/nociceptor

http://www.pivotalalliance.com

MARIONETTE will hit the road with fellow Swedes DEATHSTARS for a string of dates on the European continent in March. The dates are as follows:

Mar. 09 – La Laiterie, Strasbourg, France
Mar. 10 – Luxor, Cologne, Germany
Mar. 12 – Backstage Halle, Munich, Germany
Mar. 13 – Dürer-Kert, Budapest, Hungary
Mar. 14 – Szene, Vienna, Austria
Mar. 15 – Gala Hala, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Mar. 16 – Rock Planet, Pinarella di Cervia, Italy
Mar. 17 – Z7, Pratteln, Switzerland
Mar. 18 – Rock Hal, Esch-Sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
Mar. 20 – Logo, Hamburg, Germany
Mar. 21 – Postbahnhof, Berlin, Germany
Mar. 22 – Progresja, Warsaw, Poland

Commented bassist and founding member Mikael Medin: “We have a great history with the DEATHSTARS; having toured together in the UK and Scandinavia in 2009. Fans of both bands to this day remember those tours extremely fondly and we look forward to hitting the road again and playing more new material from Nerve.”

Nerve, the follow up to MARIONETTE’s 2009 release Enemies, was recorded at Studio Fredman with producer Fredrik Nordström (IN FLAMES, DIMMU BORGIR, AT THE GATES); mixed by DEAD BY APRIL songwriter Pontus Hjelm at Studio PH in Gothenburg; and mastered by Erik Broheden (RAMMSTEIN, TURBONEGRO, WITHIN TEMPTATION) at Masters of Audio Studio in Stockholm, Sweden. The album was released digitally by Pivotal Rockordings and limited edition digipak versions of Nerve are available through the bands website and at concerts exclusively. The album received critical acclaim including 4/5 in Kerrang! Magazine, 7/7 in Powerplay Magazine, 8/10 in RockSound Magazine, and 5/7 in Metal Hammer (Germany).

Tickets can be purchased at:

http://www.marionette.se

Links:

http://www.marionette.se

http://www.facebook.com/marionettesweden

http://www.youtube.com/marionettesweden

http://twitter.com/marionetteswe

http://label.pivotalalliance.com

http://management.pivotalalliance.com

The lineup for the first installment of Scorched Tundra Festival set to take place December 28th at Sticky Fingers in Gothenburg, Sweden has been announced and as follows:

MARIONETTE
ZOMBIEKRIG
AS YOU DROWN
AGE OF WOE
ELDRIMNER

Scorched Tundra Festival is for the metal community of Gothenburg that has continued to support and churn out incredibly talented bands for over two decades. More information can be found at http://www.facebook.com/ScorchedTundra and tickets are available at http://www.biljettforum.se/musik/12607/scorched-tundra-festival/

The following are Pivotal Rockordings artists performing whose albums have been released digitally in all major web-retail outlets and streaming services on December 5th with the exception of ELDRIMNER, whose release date will be in 2012.

AGE OF WOE is comprised of members from END OF ALL, MASSMORD, THE PROCESS and NO HAWAII, the band is fueled by the desire to explore new soundscapes in the vast landscapes of punk and metal, leaving the Gothenburg sound in the dust.  Age of Woe was recorded and mixed at Belly of the Whale Studio in Gothenburg with Carlos Sepulveda (NO HAWAII, JOE BARESI, PSYCORE) and mastered by Ulf Blomberg of HoboRec (GRACE.WILL.FALL, COUNTERBLAST, MASSMORD.) The leading single “The Antagonist” is available on the band’s brand new website at http://www.ageofwoe.net/

ELDRIMNER was founded in 2006, immediately playing shows regularly with other groups in the Gothenburg black metal scene.  Over the following years, the band’s original black metal sound progressed, taking inspiration from groups as varied as MESHUGGAH and THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN.  In 2009, ELDRIMNER released an EP entitled I mitt jag which was recorded, mixed and mastered with Marko Tervonen (THE CROWN, ANGEL BLAKE) at Studio MT in Trollhätan and was followed up by shows on the West Coast of Sweden, including a critically acclaimed appearance at Metal Town in 2010.  The band’s new material – which features all Swedish lyrics and guest appearances – will be recorded early next year for a Spring 2012 release.

MARIONETTE’s third full-length album Nerve, the follow up to their 2009 release Enemies, was recorded at Studio Fredman with producer Fredrik Nordström (IN FLAMES, DIMMU BORGIR, AT THE GATES), was mixed by DEAD BY APRIL songwriter Pontus Hjelm at Studio PH in Gothenburg and was mastered by Erik Broheden (RAMMSTEIN, TURBONEGRO, WITHIN TEMPTATION) at Masters of Audio Studio in Stockholm, Sweden.  Artwork for the release was handled by Gustavo Sazes of Abstrata Design (ARCH ENEMY, FIREWIND).  The song “Stand In Line” can be streamed at the following URL: http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/news/exclusive-marionette-release-new-track/

MARIONETTE will take part in “The SlaughTour 2011” alongside fellow Swedes DEAD BY APRIL and ONE WITHOUT which kicks off this week:

Dec 8 – O2 Academy 3, Manchester UK
Dec 9 – O2 ABC 2, Glasgow, UK
Dec 10 – The Other Rooms, Newcastle, UK
Dec 11 – HMV Institute, Birmingham, UK
Dec 12 – The Garage, London, UK
Dec 13 – Joiners, Southampton, UK
Dec 14 – Muziekodroom, Hasselt, Belgium
Dec 15 – Backstage Club, Munich, Germany – UPGRADED TO BIGGER HALL
Dec 16 – Underground, Cologne, Germany – SOLD OUT
Dec 17 – Molotow, Hamburg, Germany – SOLD OUT
Dec 18 – Kelder, Amersfoort, Netherlands
Dec 19 – Batschkapp, Frankfurt, Germany
Dec 20 – Magnet Club, Berlin, Germany – UPGRADED TO BIGGER HALL
Dec 21 – Universum, Stuttgart, Germany
Dec 22 – 3Raum/Arena, Vienna, Austria

Links:

http://label.pivotalalliance.com
http://management.pivotalalliance.com
http://www.facebook.com/ScorchedTundra
http://www.facebook.com/ageofwoe
http://www.facebook.com/Eldrimner
http://www.facebook.com/marionettesweden

Gothenburg, Sweden based metallers AGE OF WOE have made “The Antagonist,” the leading single from its debut EP Age of Woe, available on the band’s brand new website at http://www.ageofwoe.net/.  Age of Woe is available digitally in all major web-retail outlets and streaming services as of Monday, December 5th.

AGE OF WOE’s self-made music video for “The Antagonist” is also available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mPnBaZm5qVg

The band commented on the video:

“All the footage for The Antagonist video is taken from YouTube clips uploaded by real people during “The Green Wave Movement” that started with a growing opposition amongst Iranians against President Ahmadinejad. This climaxed during the 2009 “elections” when it looked like the more secular opposition were going to win by landslide. On election day, all telecommunications and power in Tehran went out for 12 hours. On the morning after Ahmadinejad was pronounced the “winner,” he had received up to 104% of the votes in some regions. The Coup d’état was a fact. This is our way to shed light on the freedom struggle that we have forgotten about in the west – remember, do not judge a people by its leaders!”

Consisting of members from END OF ALL, MASSMORD, THE PROCESS and NO HAWAII, the band is fueled by the desire to explore new soundscapes in the vast landscapes of punk and metal, leaving the Gothenburg sound in the dust.

Fan-filmed footage of AGE OF WOE performing the song “We Are Dead” in Gothenburg, Sweden can also be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2P1X8wHUrU

Age of Woe was recorded and mixed at Belly of the Whale Studio in Gothenburg with Carlos Sepulveda (NO HAWAII, JOE BARESI, PSYCORE) and mastered by Ulf Blomberg of HoboRec (GRACE.WILL.FALL, COUNTERBLAST, MASSMORD.) Pivotal Rockordings has made the debut EP available digitally worldwide while the limited vinyl printings are available through Addiction to War in France, Halvfabrikat Records and HoboRec in Sweden and Nakkeskudd Plater in Norway.

Age of Woe Tracklisting:
1.    We Are Dead
2.    The Antagonist
3.    No Remorse

AGE OF WOE is:
Sonny Stark – Vocals (MASSMORD, FUTURE RUINS)
Anders Pålsson – Bass (FREDAG DEN 13:E)
Martin Brzezinski – Guitar (END OF ALL)
Gonzo Incognito- Guitar (NO HAWAII)
Markus Bolechowski Franklin – Drums (THE PROCESS, DEADISTS)

Links:

http://www.ageofwoe.net

http://www.facebook.com/ageofwoe

http://www.myspace.com/ageofwoe

http://ageofwoe.bandcamp.com

http://www.youtube.com/user/ageofwoe

AGE OF WOE’s self-made music video for “The Antagonist” has also been premiered and is available at http://www.lukinzine.se/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1018%3Avideo&catid=35%3Aartiklar&Itemid=62

The band commented on the video:

“All the footage for The Antagonist video is taken from YouTube clips uploaded by real people during “The Green Wave Movement” that started with a growing opposition amongst Iranians against President Ahmadinejad. This climaxed during the 2009 “elections” when it looked like the more secular opposition were going to win by landslide. On election day, all telecommunications and power in Tehran went out for 12 hours. On the morning after Ahmadinejad was pronounced the “winner,” he had received up to 104% of the votes in some regions. The Coup d’état was a fact. This is our way to shed light on the freedom struggle that we have forgotten about in the west – remember, do not judge a people by its leaders!”

Gothenburg, Sweden based metallers AGE OF WOE will release its self-titled debut digitally in all major web-retail outlets and streaming services on December 5^th via Pivotal Rockordings.

Consisting of members from END OF ALL, MASSMORD, THE PROCESS and NO HAWAII, the band is fueled by the desire to explore new soundscapes in the vast landscapes of punk and metal, leaving the Gothenburg sound in the dust.

Fan-filmed footage of AGE OF WOE performing the song “We Are Dead” in Gothenburg, Sweden can also be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2P1X8wHUrU

Age of Woe was recorded and mixed at Belly of the Whale Studio in Gothenburg with Carlos Sepulveda (NO HAWAII, JOE BARESI, PSYCORE) and mastered by Ulf Blomberg of HoboRec (GRACE.WILL.FALL, COUNTERBLAST, MASSMORD.) Pivotal Rockordings is making the debut EP available digitally worldwide while the limited vinyl printings are available through Addiction to War in France, Halvfabrikat Records and HoboRec in Sweden and Nakkeskudd Plater in Norway.

Age of Woe Tracklisting:

1. We Are Dead
2. The Antagonist
3. No Remorse

AGE OF WOE is:

Sonny Stark – Vocals (MASSMORD, FUTURE RUINS)

Anders Pålsson – Bass (FREDAG DEN 13:E)

Martin Brzezinski – Guitar (END OF ALL)

Gonzo Incognito- Guitar (NO HAWAII)

Markus Bolechowski Franklin – Drums (THE PROCESS, DEADISTS)

Links:
http://www.ageofwoe.net
http://www.facebook.com/ageofwoe
http://www.myspace.com/ageofwoe
http://ageofwoe.bandcamp.com