THE BEST OF 2011

A lot of good stuff came out last year.  There were some amazing records and some really good metal songs that pulverized our faces !  And here are my picks for the top 5.

 

+BEST ALBUMS+

1.  Self-titled – TIMES OF GRACE

2.  The Life and Death 0f Plea – A PLEA FOR PURGING

3.  Celestial Completion –  BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE

4.  Kingdoms – LIFE IN YOUR WAY

5.  Children of Fire – OH, SLEEPER

 

+BEST SONGS+

1.  ”Tithemi” – SLEEPING GIANT (Kingdom Days In An Evil Age)

2.  ”Willing” – TIMES OF GRACE (Self-titled)

3.  ”Music City” - A PLEA FOR PURGING (The Life And Death)

4.  ”Internal Canon” – AUGUST BURNS RED (Leveler)

5.  ”Ascension” – LIFE IN YOUR WAY (Kingdoms)

+BEST VIDEOS+

1.  ”Lifewar” – DEMON HUNTER

2.  ”Magnetic Sky” – BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE

3.  ”Heart of a Child” – A PLEA FOR PURGING

4.  ”Eyes Wide Open” – SLEEPING GIANT

5.  ”Seraphim” – FOR TODAY

+BEST ALBUM COVERS+

1.  Celestial Completion – BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE

2.  The Architects of Guilt - THE FAMINE

3.  Leveler – AUGUST BURNS RED

4.  Dissimulation – HOPE FOR THE DYING

5.  Self-titled – TIMES OF GRACE

BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE…New Artwork

Here is the artwork for Celestial Completion out on March 29th.

THE FAMINE…New Song, New Album, New Video,

THE FAMINE is poised to destroy us all with the release of The Architects Of Guilt on 2/15/11.  They have posted a new track called “Ad Mortem” on their MySpace page HERE.  Seriously, this music will pulverize you.  The only breakdowns you’ll hear are your bones being crushed to powder…

THE BEST OF 2010…A Year In Metal

A lot of good stuff came out this year.  There were some amazing records and some really good metal songs that pulverized our faces this year.  And here are my picks for the top 7.

+BEST ALBUMS+

1.  The Infinite Order – LIVING SACRIFICE

2.  The World Is A Thorn – DEMON HUNTER

3.  Take The World, But Give Me Jesus – ASCEND THE HILL

4.  Breaker – FOR TODAY

5.  Dynasty – AS THEY SLEEP

6.  There Will Be Violence – IMPENDING DOOM

7. Ø (Disambiguation) – UNDEROATH

+BEST SONGS+

1.  ”Rules Of Engagement” – LIVING SACRIFICE (The Infinite Order)

2.  ”Children Of Wrath” – IMPENDING DOOM (There Will Be Violence)

3.  ”Devastator” - FOR TODAY (Breaker)

4.  ”Descending Upon Us” – DEMON HUNTER (The World Is A Thorn)

5.  ”Bring It Down” – THE SHOWDOWN (Blood In The Gears)

6.  ”Collapse” – WAR OF AGES (Eternal)

7.  ”Vultures” – WRENCH IN THE WORKS (Decrease…Increase)

+BEST VIDEOS+

1.  ”In Division” – UNDEROATH Ø (Disambiguation)

2.  ”Overkill Exposure” – LIVING SACRIFICE (The Infinite Order)

3.  ”Shiver” – A PLEA FOR PURGING (The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell)

4.  ”The Machine” – IN THE MIDST OF LIONS (The Heart Of Man)

5.  ”Deathbed Atheist” – NORMA JEAN (Meridional)

6.  ”Parallels” – AS I LAY DYING (The Powerless Rise)

7.  ”Collapse” – WAR OF AGES (Eternal)

+TOP ALBUM COVERS+

1.  The World Is A Thorn – DEMON HUNTER

2.  There Will Be Violence - IMPENDING DOOM

3.  The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell – A PLEA FOR PURGING

4.  Dynasty – AS THEY SLEEP

5.  The Heart Of Man – IN THE MIDST OF LIONS

6.  Meridional – NORMA JEAN

7.  Attack Of The Wolf King – HASTE THE DAY

AS THEY SLEEP…Dynasty

UNDEROATH…Ø (Disambiguation)

TIMES OF GRACE…debut album out Jan 2011

Times Of Grace is a new collaboration between two old friends and colleagues – Adam Dutkiewicz andJesse Leach. Dutkiewicz and Leach are original members of Killswitch Engage, with Leach serving as the band’s vocalist for KsE’s now-classic Roadrunner debut, Alive or Just Breathing, which left its mark on the resurgent, modern American metal scene in 2002. Leach left the band shortly after, but his friendship with Dutkiewicz remained a constant.

Known by friends and fans as Adam D., the beloved guitarist is also one of the most-sought after producers in heavy music, having worked with everyone from Underoath to Unearth. He wrote the music for The Hymn of a Broken Man in his head while recuperating from back surgery, which forced him to sit out aKsE tour. He recruited Leach to sing the songs and a partnership from the past was renewed. The result is a hypercharge yet artfully aggressive album that will entice fans both new and old.

LIVING SACRIFICE…The Infinite Pre-Order

The time has come for you to spend all of your money and order 5 copies of LIVING SACRIFICE brand new cd, The Infinite Order.  Head over to the band’s MySpace page and getcha some!  There are 4 different pre-orders to choose from, so get one of each.

www.myspace.com/livingsacrifice

DEMON HUNTER…new album new members

Greetings.

As many of you may already know, we recently announced some news regarding the future of Demon Hunter at our Huntour shows.

Firstly, we would like to officially announce some lineup changes that we’ve recently undergone and will undergo in the coming months. My brother, Don, whom I started this band with in 2001, has decided to leave the band due to increasing priorities with both his home life (not least of which are his two amazing kids, my niece and nephew), and his constant workload with the design firm that he and I continue to undertake together, Invisible Creature. I’m saddened to see Don leave, as we have shared so many great times together in the band, written some amazing songs together, played in bands together since we were teenagers, and built every aspect of this band from the beginning with a shared vision. However, Don’s decision to move on comes with a deep understanding on my part. As he told me recently, he will continue to be “Demon Hunter’s biggest fan,” as he continues to watch the band progress.

We, as a band, and more specifically I, would like to give Don my most heartfelt “thank you” for everything he has contributed to this band from day one. We are forever grateful for the passion, vision, artistry and talent that you brought this band. You will be missed. We love you, and wish you the very best with every future endeavor.

Additionally, Ethan Luck, who has been with Demon Hunter since The Triptych (2005) has also decided to leave the band as his responsibilities with Relient K (in which he plays drums) continue to escalate. Ethan played a very essential role in recording and performing on both The Triptych and Storm The Gates Of Hell, and his professionalism and friendship are a vital part of what Demon Hunter has become over the last 4 years.

We would like to thank Ethan for all of his hard work, dedication and friendship. His contribution, in both craft and spirit have helped us become who we are as a band. We also wish Ethan all the best with whatever may lie ahead.

Patrick Judge, who filled in for Ethan during the Stronger Than Hell Tour and appears on the Live in Nashville album is now an official member of Demon Hunter. We are very pleased to welcome Patrick into the fold. His skill, devotion and drive have already proven to be instrumental in the continual evolution of the band and we’re excited to see what the future holds with his inclusion.

Last, but not least, we have been busy working on material for our 5th album, which we will be entering the studio to record in October. At this point, I would say about 90% of the music has been written, and probably about 40% of the lyrics/melodies. As cliché as it can be to say, the album is shaping up to be heavier, faster, and more aggressive than previous Demon Hunter material (and there might be a ballad or two in there for good measure). As always, we’re doing our best to maintain the classic DH sound, all while introducing some new and exciting ideas to keep things exciting. I’m extremely proud of what we have so far, and I can’t wait to enter the studio and hear it come to life!

Stay tuned in the coming months for additional news regarding the new album!

Thank you, everyone, for your continued support.

-Ryan Clark & Demon Hunter

*Update: yes, that is our buddy Randy Torres from Project 86 in the picture. Those of you who came to our Huntour mini-festival event know that he helped us out at the shows. Patrick Judge is the only official new member at the moment, however, Randy is helping us out and we’re very grateful to him for his service! Randy rules.

www.myspace.com/demonhunter

LIVING SACRIFICE…Infinite Order Album Art

LIVING SACRIFICE – “The Infinite Order” (1.26.10)