New music! New tour dates! New festivals!

Here is some important news that probably isn’t hitting a lot of radars. To be honest, this is all new to me as well, and translations are a bit sketchy. Lady Fast 2016 is an arts and music event held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It’s a female-centric free event full of workshops, art exhibits, zines, and live bands. The Indonesian music scene is an interesting mish-mash of metal, punk, and hardcore culture, fueled by an angry youth movement and a repressive, religious government. Here is a trailer for a documentary on women in that scene.

According to several reports, this small event was broken up by both religious fanatics and the police. Kolektif Betina, a supportive and empowering community of and for women, organized Lady Fast and spoke of the events that transpired. The BBC also covered what happened (apologies for the Google Translate errors). Kolektif Betina is still actively posting via social media, so it appears that things have settled down and returned to some sort of normalcy, but it brings to light the serious problems that women and youth still experience in certain countries.

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Martin Henriksson, founding guitarist for Dark Tranquillity has called it quits. The band made a statement via Facebook a few days ago. 26 years is an incredible run. The band will have some time to find a replacement before their Fall US tour with Swallow The Sun, Enforcer, and Starkill.

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Gorguts have released an “outtake” from their upcoming EP Pleiadas’ Dust (out May 13^th via Season of Mist) called “Beseiged.” Luc Lemay explained the song to Terrorizer.com. It’s a heavy one, that’s for sure. Prepare thy necks and butts.

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Psycho Las Vegas is shaping up to be one of the best US festivals this year.  A lineup that already includes Blue Oyster Cult, Sleep, Pentagram, Candlemass, Baroness, High On Fire, Converge, Zombi and a bunch more has gotten even better. Alice Cooper, Electric Wizard, and Drive Like Jehu have been announced as headliners for the August 26-28 fest at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Get ready to tune in, turn on, and drop dead.

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Katatonia have unveiled their first track from their upcoming new album The Fall of Hearts entitled “Old Heart Falls,” The song is accompanied by a lyric video that is actually interesting to watch. The album will be released on May 20^th via Peaceville Records. Recommended if you like: Having feelings, expressing feelings, and remembering feelings.

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Kayo Dot have announced that they will be releasing a new album entitled “Plastic House on Base of Sky” on June 24th via The Flenser. More info on the album can be found here. Check out the artwork and track listing:

1. Amalia’s Theme
2. All The Pain in All the Wide World
3. Magnetism
4. Rings of Earth
5. Brittle Urchin

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Obscene Extreme fest, taking place July 13-17 in the Czech Republic, has announced its lineup. The stench of death and denim and leather will be high as bands like Cattle Decapitation, Brujeria, Insect Warfare, Rotten Sound, Sodom, Toxic Holocaust, and Vader take the stage. Also, bands like Pothead and Serrabulho which may or may not be fever dream creations.

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Horror master and synth aficionado John Carpenter has released a music video for his song Distant Dream. The song appears on his upcoming album Lost Themes II. If that wasn’t enough to get your VHS tapes whirring, Carpenter has announced all his tour dates for 2016.

05/27 Greece, Athens – Piraeus Academy
05/28 Greece, Athens – Piraeus Academy
05/30 Denmark, Copenhagen – Koncerthuset – Koncertsalen
06/02 Spain, Barcelona – Primavera Sound
06/14 US, Seattle – Paramount
06/15 US, Portland – Arlene Schnitzer
06/17 US, Oakland – Fox Theatre
06/18 US, Los Angeles – Orpheum
06/19 US, Phoenix – Mesa Center for the Arts
06/21 US, Denver – Gothic Theatre
06/23 US, Austin – Moody Theatre @ ACL LIVE
06/24 US, Dallas – Majestic Theater
07/03 Iceland, Ásbrú ATP – Iceland
07/06 Switzerland, Neuchâtel – International Film Festival
07/08 US, New York – Playstation Theatre
07/09 US, Philadelphia – Keswick Theatre
07/10 US, Pittsburgh – Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
07/12 US, Washington DC – Lincoln Theatre
07/15 US, Detroit – The Masonic Temple
07/16 US, Chicago – Thalia Hall
07/18 US, Milwaukee – Pabst Theatre
08/26 Italy, Turin – Today’s Festival
08/28 Italy, Rome – Auditorium Parco Della Musica / Santa Cecilia Hall
10/28 UK, Manchester – Albert Hall
10/29 UK, Manchester – Albert Hall
10/31 UK, London – Troxy

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Dysrythmia are currently touring Europe with Gorguts, Psycroptic, and Nero Di Marte. They’re performing new songs on the tour, one of which you can watch below. That’s good! The band also had a bunch of windows on their tour bus broken and had to miss a show to get it fixed. That’s bad! But it doesn’t look like anything was stolen and they’re back on the road. That’s good!

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Mirrors of Psychic Warfare (Scott Kelly & Sanford Parker) have released a new song entitled “Oracles Hex.” Their self-titled album comes out on April 22^nd via Neurot Recordings. It’s certainly different.

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Shining (SWE) will be making their first live appearance in the United States at the Anti-Cosmic  Music Festival in Providence, RI on July 23^rd. Also joining the band for their first US appearances are Make a Change…Kill Yourself and Angantyr.  The fest goes from July 22-24 at the Fete Ballroom. I’ve got my Babymetal shirt already picked out.

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Swedish melo-death metallers In Mourning have released their new song “Below Rise To The Above.” The song appears on their upcoming album Afterglow out May 20^th via Agonia Records.

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Finally, Wormed have released a new music video. No video breakdown needed. Enjoy!