Gruesome Records has revealed the first taste of Homo Homini Lupus, the new album from Italian extreme metal band Keres, due out February 23rd. 


"Eradicate The Infected Seed" is the song chosen for their astonishing official video, and the visiting card of what's coming! Keres' music is heavily influenced by bands like Hate, Svart Crown, Behemoth, Vader, and Dark Funeral.







The album was recorded by the band themselves, and mixed and mastered by Stefano Morabito at 16th Cellar Studio (Fleshgod Apocalypse, Hour Of Penance, Decrepit Birth). Cover art by Cristian Giacomuzzi. 





Tracklisting:


"Exist For War"
"Immaculate Incarnation Of Darkness"
"Oblivion"
"Pale Horse Of Extinction"
"Until Everything's Burned"
"Leviathan"
"Eradicate The Infected Seed" 
"Void And Silence"


Pre-orders can be placed now at this location. For further details, visit Keres on Facebook.


(Band photo by Federica Vanzetta)


 

Fast-rising American doom outfit, Frayle, have officially joined forces with Napalm Records, signing a worldwide contract with the premier Austrian rock and metal empire.


Cleveland, Ohio's Frayle crept onto the scene after forming in 2018, helmed by original members Sean Bilovecky (guitars) and Gwyn Strang (vocals). Since then, the band has been lauded by fans and media critics alike, merging the heaviness of occult-driven doom and blackgaze with Strang's distinctively eerie vocal stylings.


Frayle has since expanded into a four piece, welcoming drummer Jon Vinson and bassist Jason Knotek to the fold, allowing the band to fully realize their "lullabies over chaos" musical vision. The band continues to invigorate their already buzzing sway on the scene. Following gloomy performances in Europe and the United States at festivals such as Damnation, Desertfest, Soul Crusher, Gloomnar, Post Fest and Inkcarceration, Frayle vows to enrapture audiences with new music in 2024.




Frayle says about the signing: “We are thrilled to be joining the incredible team at Napalm Records. Napalm has always been the label that artists strive to be a part of and we are honored to bring our unique blend of heavy witch gloom to their impressive roster. We'd also like to take this opportunity to say we are extremely fortunate to be part of the Oracle Management family, and are grateful for them helping us realize our goal of signing to Napalm Records. It was Oracle's existing relationship with Napalm that helped to seal the deal. We can’t wait to see what the future holds."


Sebastian Muench, Senior A&R at Napalm Records, adds: "Frayle have been enchanting their fans with their unique way of interpreting doom metal since 2017. Their artistic vision and past live performances have fascinated us and enticed us to work together as partners on the next step in the band's career. I can guarantee that the new studio album will be simply amazing!"


Stay tuned for more Frayle news coming soon.


Frayle is:


Gwyn Strang: Vocals
Sean Bilovecky: Guitar
Jason Knotek: Bass
Jon Vinson: Drums


(Photo - Damian Eduardos)

Richmond, Virginia metal-punk trio, Bat, has been delivering their own blood-spattered horror since ascending from the underground a decade ago on a dark, leather-winged trajectory. Today the band forged a new partnership and home at Nuclear Blast Records.


Bat's Ryan Waste states, "After working the last 14 years with Nuclear Blast we’ve become family at this point. There was no question in my mind to bring Bat under their wing when the time was right. We’re thrilled to join forces and plan to push it even harder with the support of the label. You can expect more touring worldwide, along with new music and visuals as early as this March. Until then, stay heavy and beware of the Bat!"


Nuclear Blast American Label Manager & A&R Tommy Jones comments, "Heavy metal and horror have been synonymous in our counter-culture since well before Alice Cooper sang about the 'Man Behind the Mask' and Dokken stated they 'Don’t wanna dream no more…' Through decades of this marriage, and with the influence of a snaggletoothed warpig, Bat was spawned. We have such a great relationship with Municipal Waste it made sense to check out Ryan and Nick’s other ripper of a band, Bat. I am excited to open the window at NB and let the Bat fly in! Beware the Bat y'all!"




This spring, Bat is joining forces with their friends in the legendary Exciter to play for all the heavy metal maniacs in Latin America for the first time.


Confirmed dates for the Latin American 2024 tour are:


March
29 - Mexico City, MX - Circo Volador
30 - San Jose, CR - Peppers Club
31 - Bogota, CO - Boro Room


April
1 - Buenos Aires, AR - Arena Sur
4 - Belo Horizonte, BR - Caverna Rock Pub
5 - Brasilia, DF - Toinha
6 - Sao Paolo, BR - Jau Club
8 - Santiago, CL - Teatro Coliseo


Stay tuned for updates on the upcoming music.

Sword-worshipping heavy metal traditionalists Writhen Hilt from Germany are due to deliver their debut EP, Ancient Sword Cult, via Sweden’s Jawbreaker Records on February 23rd.


Blending the rocking sensibilities of the NWOBHM with Sweden’s catchy hooks and the mystical element of bands such as Warlord, Writhen Hilt shall capture you with their entrancing brand of melodic, all-consuming craftsmanship. Sharp guitars gallop atop unbreakable waves of drumming with some truly unique, spellbinding vocals. Their medieval anthems of metallic fury have that USPM sense of triumph coating every moment. The emotive dynamics take some nuanced doomy touches and give a downtrodden sense of despair to the songs. Glory reigns eternal in the more ethereal passages of the opus. This contrasting and skilfully executed mixture will certainly enthral you.


Packed with grandeur, there is that primal fist-pounding drive, acting as a sonic backbone throughout this record; the wailing chants of a battle cry reverberate in the heavy metal splendour. The screaming lead guitars have a captivating quality, which adds some gorgeous soulfulness to the clashing of iron. Thundering bass glows like a fire in a hearth while the steel of mighty riffing and pounding drums keep the songs charging forward. Everything on this record simply screams “epic” from start to finish and it is an adventure you truly must embark upon for yourself.




Ancient Sword Cult artwork and tracklisting:





"Death Undone"
"Mountain View"
"Sorcerer’s Gate"
"To Rival The Sun"
"Aeolia (Unbreakable Bronze)"





Pre-order Ancient Sword Cult on Cassette or CD now at this location.


Writhen Hilt is:


David Kuri – vocals, guitar
Jendrik Seiler – guitar
Steffen Kurth – bass
Lauritz Jilge – drums, vocals


For further details, visit Writhen Hilt on Facebook.


 

Vixen bassist Julia Lage has released a new solo song, "The Ride". It features her husband Richie Kotzen (The Winery Dogs) on guitar, Dug Pinnick (King's X) on guest vocals, and Michael Odabashian on drums. The video, directed by Vicente Cordero, can be seen below.


Julia commented, "I am so happy to be able to share this song with you all. ‘The Ride’ is about how lonely someone’s journey can be, filled with people’s judgment and misconceptions. It also instigates you to follow your path and create your own reality. The lyrics on the bridge sum up that idea… ‘Write the pages you are looking for, Let the words get louder even more.’  I feel blessed to be able to have both Dug Pinnick and Richie Kotzen sharing their incredible talent with me."


"If you purchase the song here you will get the full Master quality, as I wanted to make sure that when you buy it from me you don't get the song all compressed like the other platforms do automatically. Much love to all of you and I hope you enjoy The Ride!"










For further details, visit Julia Lage on Facebook.


 

Former Rainbow / Alcatrazz vocalist Graham Bonnet, who is now working under the moniker Graham Bonnet's Alcatrazz, has checked in with the following update:


"Hey all! Graham here. I have very exciting news that I’m delighted to share with you today. Behind the scenes, Graham Bonnet’s Alcatrazz has been diligently working on material for an upcoming album, and it is with tremendous pride and pleasure that we announce, Jeff Loomis'  Nevermore bandmate on drums, the one and only Van Williams! Van is spectacular; so powerful and dynamic, an absolute machine! Melding my legacy sound with a modern feel is exhilarating. I’m so inspired by this band’s creativity. We are so looking forward to Alcatrazz 2.0 and Jeff, Van and I plan to bring you the ultimate metal experience."


In recent posting on their official Facebook page, Alcatrazz/Jimmy Waldo responded to recent comments by Graham Bonnet and his girlfriend Beth-Ami Heavenstone, reports Marko Syrja for Metal-Rules.com.




In particular, a video in which Beth-Ami (seemingly doing all the talking) claims that Jimmy Waldo and the other members of the current band “never wrote anything” on any past Alcatrazz album and that any credit given was a mere gesture on Graham’s part. The video in question can be viewed below.


The band stated in various posts on their Facebook page (Note: they do not speak for current lead vocalist Doogie White)...


“How can this woman claim to be an expert on “who really wrote what” 40 years ago?


By her own admission in the full-length interview, “She knew nothing about Graham before meeting him” in 2013.”


One such example: “Remember a song called 'Island In The Sun'?”


The main theme of this signature Alcatrazz song (arguably the first successful single the band had via MTV) was written by Jimmy Waldo, the bridge part was written by Yngwie Malmsteen, and the lyric and vocal melody was written by Graham Bonnet, this is an example of how you fairly give credit amongst writers.


We will post (in the FB comments below) the song containing Jimmy’s parts (the entire main melody line) when it was called 'Take Another Ride' as a New England demo (Jimmy and Gary’s previous pre-Alcatrazz band.)


Clearly, 'Island In The Sun' became a better song due to the COLLABORATION of the writers in Alcatrazz (including Graham Bonnet and Yngwie Malmsteen), but excluding someone who wrote a main part of a signature song (by outright saying, “Those guys never wrote anything” based on an ongoing personal/trademark issue) shows the lack of class Graham Bonnet has.”


Read the full report at Metal-Rules.com.





Alcatrazz, as well as Lillian Axe, will be special guests on Girlschool's "Final North America Tour". Confirmed North American dates, with more to be announced, are listed below.





Dates:


March
21 - Houston, TX - Hell's Heroes Festival*
22 - New Orleans, LA - Southport Music Hall
24 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West
25 - Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre
27 - Bensalem, PA - Broken Goblet
28 - Washington, DC - Black Cat
29 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
30 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre


April
2 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall
6 - Detroit, MI - Token Lounge


* Girlschool only


Tickets on sale here.

To celebrate the band's 20th anniversary in 2024, Germany's Feuerschwanz will release the special album, Warriors, with all lyrics in English, on April 19. It features the brand new song "The Unholy Grail", a cover of the Assassin's Creed classic "Valhalla Calling" by Miracle Of Sound, as well as ten of the band's greatest hits in English.


The band around founding member and singer Hauptmann Feuerschwanz, songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist Hodi, as well as Johanna on the violin are welcoming top-class names as guests on Warriors, such as Chris Harms (Lord Of The Lost), Francesco Cavalieri (Wind Rose), Dominum, Orden Ogan and Patty Gurdy.


Feuerschwanz state: “Feuerschwanz are conquering the world! From Miami to the Mediterranean coast of Spain, our journey has taken us to distant lands in the past months and years. There, we encountered many enthusiastic and motivated fans - unfortunately, they don't understand a word of German (of course, that never stopped them from singing along). With our latest release, Warriors, we summon warriors and shieldmaidens from all over the world to be captivated by the blazing force of our music, embarking on a journey to dive into the realm of Feuerschwanz. Join the conquest – Warriors, unite!”







Warriors will be available in the following formats:


- 1CD Jewelcase
- 1LP Gatefold Black Vinyl
- 1LP Gatefold Orange/Rot Marbled Vinyl – Napalm Records Webstore exclusive – strictly limited to 200 worldwide
- Music Cassette Red Transparent – Napalm Records Webstore exclusive – strictly limited to 100 worldwide
- 1CD Jewelcase + A Bottle of Mead (0,35l) Bundle – Napalm Records Webstore exclusive
- 1CD Jewelcase + A Bottle of Mead (0,35l) + Mug (0,5l) Bundle – Napalm Records Webstore exclusive
- Digital Album


Get your copy of Warriors here.





Warriors tracklisting:


"Highlander" (English Version)
"The Unholy Grail" (feat. Dominum, Orden Ogan)
"The Forgotten Commandment"
"Memento Mori" (English Version, feat. Lord of the Lost, Chris Harms)
"Death On The Dragonship"
"Wardwarf" (feat. Francesco Cavalieri of Wind Rose)
"Circlepit Of Hell"
"Song Of Ice And Fire" (feat. Patty Gurdy)
"Purgatory"
"Bastard Of Asgard"
"SGFRD Dragonslayer" (English Version)
"Valhalla Calling"


Founded in 2004, Feuerschwanz have evolved over the years from their roots in comedy medieval folk rock into a band to be taken seriously and are rightly regarded as one of the hottest acts on the scene. After they hit #1 in the Official German Album Charts for the first time with Memento Mori (2021), Germany's hottest band managed to repeat that great success with their latest studio album Fegefeuer (2023). With premium slots at numerous festivals, such as co-headline slots at the legendary Wacken and Summer Breeze Open Airs, as well as abroad, including at Masters Of Rock and on the 70,000 Tons Of Metal cruise in the Caribbean, and an almost completely sold-out headlining tour, Feuerschwanz underlined their outstanding position all the more last year. Many dates of the upcoming big Fegefeuer headline tour in 2024 are already completely sold out.


Fegefeuer Tour 2024:


April
10 - Hamburg, Germany - Große Freiheit 36
11 - Hamburg, Germany - Große Freiheit 36 (Sold Out)
12 - Berlin, Germany - Huxleys
13 - Dresden, Germany - Alter Schlachthof
18 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Garage
19 - Erfurt, Germany - Club Central
20 - Munich, Germany - Backstage (Sold Out)
21 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
26 - Hanover, Germany - Capitol
27 - Osnabrück, Germany - Hyde Park


May
1 - Nuremberg, Germany - Löwensaal
2 - Stuttgart, Germany - LKA Longhorn
3 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
4 - Cologne, Germany - Palladium


November
27 - Eindhoven, Netherlands - Effenaar
28 - Haarlem, Netherlands - Patronaat
29 - Paris, France - Trabendo


December
3 - Milan, Italy - Live Club
6 - Vienna, Austria - Arena
 
Festivals:


May
10 - Rastede, Germany - MPS
11 - Bomal-Sur-Ourthe, Belgium - Durbuy Rock


June
1 - Fulda, Germany - Museumshof
2 - Pilsen, Czech Republic - Metalfest Open Air
14 - Nickelsdorf, Austria - Nove Rock
15 - Interlaken, Switzerland - Greenfield Festival


July
20 - Niedergörsdorf, Germany - Motorcycle Jamboree


August
2 - Wacken, Germany - Wacken Open Air
3 - Bückeburg, Germany - MPS
9 - Kortrijk, Belgium - Alcatraz Festival
16 - Dinkelsbühl, Germany - Summer Breeze
17 - Weil Am Rhein, Germany -  MPS
31 - Halle (Saale), Germany - In Extremo „Weckt Die Toten“ Festival


September
7 - Luhmühlen, Germany - MPS
10-15 - Kiel, Germany - Full Metal Cruise


December
14 - Essen, Germany - Grugahalle – 20 Jahre Feuerschwanz


Feuerschwanz are:


Johanna – violin, hurdy-gurdy
Hauptmann – vocals, guitar
Hodi – flutes, bagpipes, guitars, vocals
Hans – guitar
Jarne – bass
Rollo – drums
Musch Musch – dance & performance
Myu – dance & performance


(Photo - Stefan Heilemann)

Tomi Koivusaari, known as the guitarist for Amorphis, released his solo project Bjørkø's debut album Heartrot in December.


The lineup for Koivusaari's solo album boasts talent, with drummer Waltteri Väyrynen (Opeth, ex-Paradise Lost), bassist Lauri Porra (Stratovarius), and keyboard wizard Janne Lounatvuori (Hidria Spacefolk) forming part of the core ensemble.


Additionally, each sung track on the album features interesting vocalists, ranging from extreme metal legend Jeff Walker (Carcass) to Marko Hietala known from Nightwish, through Mariska.




One of the most memorable guests on the Heartrot album is Ismo Alanko. The legend of Finnish rock has written lyrics and sung on Bjørkø's track ”Värinvaihtaja".


"The working title for the song was already 'Siekkarit' (short for Sielun Veljet) so it was obvious who to invite as a guest vocalist. Initially, as a fan, I hesitated to contact Alanko, but producer Nino Laurenne forced me to. At first, Ismo doubted the success of the project because he had never before written lyrics for a finished song composed by someone else. However, once we got going, both the lyrics and vocal parts came together organically and quickly," Koivusaari recounts.


The video for "Värinvaihtaja", directed by Antti Kuivalainen and Jansku Tanskanen, can be viewed below. Order the album here.





Tracklisting:


"The Heartroot Rots"
"Vaka Loka"
"Whitebone Wind"
"Värinvaihtaja"
"Awakening"
"World As Fire And Hallucination"
"The Trickster"
"Hooks In The Sky"
"Magenta"
"Reverberations"


"Värinvaihtaja" video:





"Whitebone Wind" video:





"The Heartroot Rot" video:





(Photo - Sam Jämsen)

Showbiz411.com's Roger Friedman has confirmed that Richie Sambora will be present when Jon Bon Jovi is honored as the 2024 MusiCares Person Of The Year, on Friday, February 2 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.


Friedman suggests that "since (Sambora) lives in Los Angeles, the theory is he’ll show up and strap on a guitar."


It was announced back in October, that MusiCares had named Jon Bon Jovi as the 2024 MusiCares Person Of The Year. The Grammy-winning frontman and founding member of American rock band Bon Jovi is the honoree of the 33rd annual Person Of The Year benefit gala, which will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Friday, February 2, two nights before the 2024 Grammys.




"I'm truly humbled to be this year's MusiCares honoree,” Jon Bon Jovi said in a statement. “MusiCares' work with music professionals is vitally important in creating much-needed support and wellness programs that cultivate a healthier and more vibrant community for us all. Philanthropic work has been a cornerstone of my life and has always run in tandem to my music career and achievements. Nearly two decades ago when I formed the JBJ Soul Foundation and JBJ Soul Kitchens, I saw firsthand and continue to see today the impact of charitable, community-based work. I know this for sure: Helping one's community is helping one's self."


Last mention of any sort of Bon Jovi reunion popped up last November, when Richie Sambora exclusively told People that “there's talking" taking place.


“There's a documentary that's being done about the band and stuff that I've participated in, and people want to come see us play, and it's going to make everybody happy,” the guitarist said. “I mean, essentially, that's why you do it at this point.”


Sambora continued, “I think that we wrote a lot of songs that changed a lot of people's lives just by letting them have a good time. I know that's what music did to me… kept me company. And I hope that I can reflect that in what I do.”


“So yeah, it definitely could happen,” he added of a reunion. “It's just a question of when everybody's ready to go do it. It will be a big, massive kind of undertaking.


As for timing? “I'm not sure. It's up to peoples, it's got to be right. That's all," Sambora told People.


“It's time to do it, though,” he added. “This is our 40th anniversary, but I feel younger than ever. I'm having a ball.”


Read more at People.com.

Ted Nugent has announced that the Nugent family is proud to Partner with The Wellness Co.


The Wellness Co. can protect you and keep you prepared for everyday medical issues as well as the most important unexpected medical moments you could face. Be prepared for all your medical needs. Head here and get informed.


At the annual World Economic Forum Meeting in Davos, the WEF devoted a panel to discuss “novel efforts” needed to prepare the healthcare systems for the multiple challenges ahead. Among the hosts: who’s-who of Big Pharma.




So how do we protect ourselves from the globalists? Be prepared.


From stockpiling food supplies, to loading up on ammunition, every patriotic American needs to make sure his or her family is prepared. As important as food supplies and ammunition is the need to be stockpiling critical life-saving medications.


Especially given concerns, shared by leading COVID truth tellers, like Dr. Jim Thorp, that another round of pandemic fear-mongering could lead to another round of banning critical medications:


“The government may block access to life-saving drugs in another lockdown in the same way that they restricted access to Ivermectin in the last pandemic. Now more than ever you need to be stockpiling these medications.”


It is clear we need to act, but the question is where can we secure the critical life-saving medications when we can? That’s where The Wellness Company comes in.


You know the Wellness Company: their courageous doctors – like Dr. Peter McCullough and Dr. Jim Thorp – are regularly in the media speaking out against the broken medical establishment.


Dr. Thorp is making clear that now is the time to act: “I’ve strongly recommended “stock piling” critical medications including antibiotics since the turn of the century. This has been an incredible investment as many friends, family and patients have benefited. Now, in the winter of 2024, this recommendation is even more crucial.”


“If you have aspirin in your medicine cabinet, you should have a Medical Emergency Kit in Your house.”


In other news, limited edition, signed Ted Nugent vinyl and CDs are available now at soundcitymusicgroup.com. Get yours, here.

Ravage, the traditional heavy metal rockers from Boston, Massachusetts, will self release a new full-length album, entitled Spider On The World, on April 19. The album will initially be available on limited edition vinyl and streaming platforms worldwide through the band's own Thrash With Power Records label.


Spider On The World is the band's first full-length offering of brand new material since The End Of Tomorrow album, which was released by Metal Blade Records in 2009.


The new record was mixed and mastered by Peter Rutcho who is known for his work with Revocation, Havok, Cellador and Danny Elfman amongst others. It features the band's signature blend of trad metal stylings which weaves together elements of melodic heavy metal, speed metal, power metal and thrash.




Cover and interior artworks for the record were created by the legendary Andreas Marschall, known for his work on classic records by Kreator, Blind Guardian, Sodom, Hammerfall and others.


Singer Al Ravage comments: "It's pretty cool to finally be able to share this with everyone. This record has obviously been a very long time in the making and we've worked hard to make the release as special as possible. We got two great artworks from the master Andreas Marschall and we have included those on a double-sided poster with the vinyl version. Musically, I think this contains our best work and it's easily our best-sounding record. It's throwback metal presented with a crisp, modern production which is the essence of what we've been trying to achieve since we started as kids playing this music back in the mid 90's. If you like your metal classic-style with lots of ripping guitar leads, gripping riffs and in-your-face melodic hooks, check it out."


A new music video for "Ravage In Peace", the second single from the album, can be viewed below.


A ten-track version of the record will be available for paid download and streaming while a special limited collector's edition double color vinyl will feature extended tracks, two additional vinyl-exclusive songs - "World War Four" and "Ravage Part 2: Ravage The Earth", a digital download card, and special extras like a collectible Ravage guitar pick, exclusive bumper sticker, full-color lyric book, double-sided full-color glossy poster and a post card signed by the band.


Pre-order the vinyl and digital download from the band's official site, here.





Tracklisting:


"Manmade Ice Age"
"The Call To Order"
"Sign Of The Spider"
"Ravage In Peace"
"Without A Trace"
"Amazon Burning"
"Corruption Of Blood"
"Spider On The World"
"From The Mouth Of Pain"
"Face Of Infamy"


"Ravage In Peace" video:





"Manmade Ice Age" video:





Ravage lineup:


Al Ravage - Vokills
Eli Firicano - Lead and Rhythm Guitar
Nick Izzo - Lead and Rhythm Guitar
Toni Belchior - Drums
Tommy G - Bass

West coast metal veterans, Metal Church, were scheduled to perform a string of North American tour dates in support of their 13th studio album, Congregation Of Annihilation, this March.


One of scheduled dates was at Toronto's Rockpile on March 29, but the venue's talent buyer, Steve Hoeg, has shared the following message from guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof on behalf of the band:


"Dear Friends (Kurdt here), As some of you may have recently noticed during our live performances, I frequently will disappear to the side of the stage during a set and continue playing while sitting on a chair. This is due to an ongoing back issue that I've needed to deal with for a while now. I kept putting it off and it's finally caught up with me, so I'm going to get this taken care of so I can continue performing live in the future.




"That being said, sadly we will be canceling all upcoming show dates for 2024. I apologize for this but I need to get this taken care of. Check with your local venues for any refunds.


"Thank you for your continued support and I'm looking forward to seeing you in the future! Refunds will be given at point of purchase and sent out by Ticketweb!"

Today, Canadian melodic rock band, Honeymoon Suite, share a new single from their upcoming studio album Alive, out February 12, internationally distributed by Frontiers Music Srl. The track is titled "Find What You're Looking For" and is accompanied by a new music video.


Alive features core band members, including Johnnie Dee (Lead Vocals), Derry Grehan (Guitars/Keyboards/Background Vocals), Dave Betts (Drums), Gary Lalonde (Bass), and Peter Nunn (Keyboards). The album is produced by notable Canadian producer Mike Krompass, whose songwriting and production credits include artists like Meghan Trainor, Steven Tyler, Theory of a Dead Man and Smash Mouth. His expertise combined with the bands celebrated melodic rock, powerful vocals and memorable guitar riffs, is sure to make this a timeless record of unforgettable rock anthems.


Watch the video for "Find What You're Looking For" below:







Honeymoon Suite was originally formed in 1981 by lead vocalist and guitarist Johnnie Dee from Niagara Falls, Ontario. Following the departure of the original lead guitarist, Derry Grehan, also from the Niagara Falls area, joined the band. Johnnie and Derry decided to re-build the band at that point and recruited Dave Betts on drums, Ray Coburn on keys, and Gary Lalonde on bass. They hit the road hard playing 6 six nights a week and writing songs with the hope of scoring a record deal.


In 1983, the band entered a demo of “New Girl Now” to a homegrown contest put on by Toronto rock station Q107. They won that year and this led to a multi album deal with WEA Canada after being signed by Bob Roper.


The band recorded their debut self titled album which was released in July, 1984. The album was an instant success, and with the help of massive airplay, several videos on MTV and MuchMusic, it went on to sell over 300,000 units in Canada alone.


Since their debut release, Honeymoon Suite has released a total of seven studio albums with over 1 million units sold worldwide driven by the success of a string of hit singles such as "New Girl Now", "Burning In Love", "Wave Babies", "Stay In The Light", "Feel It Again" and "What Does It Take", to name a few.


The band has won numerous awards including a Canadian Juno for group of year in 1986, triple platinum sales in Canada with the first 3 albums, and platinum sales for the greatest hits CD The Singles, released in 1989. They also received an award in June, 2015 for 100,000 + performances on Canadian radio for “Burning In Love”, “New Girl Now”, “Wave Babies” and “What Does It Take”.


They have toured extensively in the US, Canada and Europe with acts such as ZZTop, Heart, Billy Idol, Journey, Bryan Adams, Saga, Loverboy, Jethro Tull and .38 Special to name a few.


Honeymoon Suite has also enjoyed many of their songs being placed in film and TV shows such as Miami Vice and Bones, and movie's such as Lethal Weapon and One Crazy Summer.


During the 1990’s, the band went through several lineup changes, but in the early 2000’s, the original lineup of Johnnie, Derry, Gary and Dave was re-formed, along with the addition of keyboard player Peter Nunn, and is still intact to this day.


Fast forward to 2020. Derry & Johnnie, armed with a surplus of new original songs, reached out to fellow Canadian producer/songwriter MIke Krompass based in Nashville, TN. Mike, a long-time fan, was all in to co-write and produce a new Honeymoon Suite album for his new record label. They got to work and before long, they were joined by Dave, Gary and Peter cutting bed tracks for studio album number eight.


The first single, “Tell Me What You Want” was released in October of 2019 along with a groundbreaking new video and response was immediate from fans and radio alike. A second single called “Find What You’re Looking For” was released in June, 2020. The song was an immediate hit on AOR Rock Radio in Canada, charting in the Billboard Top 30, the first time in 19 years for Honeymoon Suite!


The band are excited for their upcoming February release and with no sign of slowing down, Honeymoon Suite plan to continue to create new music and tour year round thanks to a legion of loyal fans.


Pre-order Alive here.





Tracklisting:


"Alive"
"Find What You’re Looking For"
"Done Doin’ Me"
"Not Afraid To Fall"
"Tell Me What You Want"
"Give It All"
"Love Comes"
"Broken"
"Livin’ Out Loud"
"Doesn’t Feel That Way"
"Love Changes Everything" (Bonus Track)


"Alive" video:





"Tell Me What You Want" video:





"Find What You’re Looking For" lyric video:





Honeymoon Suite are:


Johnnie Dee - lead vocals
Derry Greham - guitars / keyboards / backing vocals
Dave Betts - drums
Gary Lalonde - bass
Peter Nunn - keyboards

Prog rock legends Kansas, who are currently on their 50th anniversary “Another Fork in The Road” tour, have shared video from their January 20 concert at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida.


The fan-filmed footage for "Down The Road" and "Carry On Wayward Son" features special guest and former Kansas guitarist, Steve Morse. Additionally, Zak Rizvi is on guitar, filling in for Richard Williams for the night due to illness. Watch the clips below:










“Another Fork in The Road” celebrates 50 years of Kansas' illustrious music history with concerts featuring two full hours of memorable hits, fan favorites and deep cuts rarely performed live. The tour has been hallmarked by energetic and spellbinding performances at some of the foremost theaters and performing arts centers across the United States and into Canada.


Ticket information can be found here.





Tour dates:


January
27 - Melbourne, FL - Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts
28 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Broward Center for the Performing Arts


February
2 - Pensacola, FL - Saenger Theatre
3 - Birmingham, AL - BJCC Concert Hall


March
1 - Richmond, VA - Dominion Energy Center
2 - Tysons, VA - Capital One Hall
8 - Springfield, MO - Gillioz Theatre
9 - St. Joseph, MO - Missouri Theater
22 - Salina, KS - The Stiefel Theatre
23 - Salina, KS - The Stiefel Theatre


April
5 - Toledo, OH - Stranahan Theater
6 - Elkhart, IN - Lerner Theatre
12 - Champaign, IL - Virginia Theatre
13 - Waukegan, IN - Genesee Theatre
19 - Marietta, OH - Peoples Bank Theatre
20 - Newark, OH - Midland Theatre
26 - Morristown, NJ - Mayo Performing Arts Center
27 - Lancaster, PA - American Music Theatre


May
2 - Rochester, NY - Kodak Center*
4 - Toronto, ON - Massey Hall*
10 - Concord, NH - Capitol Center for the Arts
11 - Albany, NY - Palace Theatre
17 - Providence, RI - Providence Performing Arts Center
18 - New Haven, CT - College Street Music Hall

HALESTORM singer Lzzy Hale, guitarist Joe Hottinger and drummer Arejay Hale joined THEE ROCK N' ROLL RESIDENCY on stage last Saturday night (January 13) at Eastside Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee to perform cover versions of JUDAS PRIEST's "Dissident Aggressor" and THE WHO's "Long Live Rock". You can watch fan-filmed video footage of their appearance below.

HALESTORM's cover of "Dissident Aggressor" appeared on the "ReAniMate 2.0: The CoVeRs eP", which arrived in October 2013.

In 2011, HALESTORM released the six-track "ReAniMate: The CoVeRs eP", which saw them take on tracks by SKID ROW, Lady Gaga, TEMPLE OF THE DOG, GUNS N' ROSES, HEART and THE BEATLES. Two years later, the "ReAniMate 2.0: The CoVeRs eP" featured covers of JUDAS PRIEST, DAFT PUNK, AC/DC, Pat Benatar, FLEETWOOD MAC and Marilyn Manson.

Released in January 2017, "ReAniMate 3.0: The CoVeRs eP" saw HALESTORM covering classic songs by WHITESNAKE, Sophie B. Hawkins, JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS, TWENTY ONE PILOTS, SOUNDGARDEN and METALLICA.

In an October 2022 interview with the "Thunder Underground" podcast, Arejay was asked if he and his HALESTORM bandmates were planning to release a follow-up to "ReAniMate 3.0: The CoVeRs eP". He said in part: "Actually, we kind of already have started on it. We tracked two songs in Nashville before this tour started. But I don't think I'm allowed to say what they are. But, yeah, we've got some ideas in mind.

"I always love covering the modern pop songs," he continued. "Like we did Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance'; we did 'Get Lucky' by DAFT PUNK; we did 'Heathens' by TWENTY ONE PILOTS. Those, to me, are the most fun. But also I do love the challenge of trying to replicate the brilliance of the classic METALLICA stuff, the SOUNDGARDEN stuff. So that was the most challenging, 'cause you have such a respect for that era that you don't wanna mess it up. You wanna pay respect to them and you don't wanna change anything.

"So, as far as '4.0' goes, I feel like it will probably be a nice balance of those things — paying tribute to the classics, putting our own little twist on it, but also kind of rocking up pop songs," Arejay added.

In the summer of 2022, HALESTORM shared its covers of Adele's "Hello" and Dolly Parton's "Jolene" via social media.

HEADS UP, FOLKS!!!
And it’s a weekend show!!!
@theerocknrollresidency @eastsidebowl
#alwaysimitatedneverduplicated

Posted by Thee Rock N' Roll Residency on Friday, November 17, 2023

The ultimate keyboard wizard, Rick Wakeman CBE, will be embarking on a tour of the US with a series of solo piano concerts for the last time in 2024. Rick, who has become almost as well-known for his intimate piano shows as his prog rock extravaganzas, has decided that after a career spanning over 50 years, he is calling a halt to lengthy American one-man show tours, in order to concentrate on composing, recording and collaborating with other musicians.


As an exclusive gift for fans, on these shows Rick will be premiering a brand new piece of music: Yessonata, a 30-minute instrumental work featuring YES themes and melodies, woven into sonata form.


Rick first started establishing a reputation as one of rock’s most original and proficient keyboard players in the late Sixties, when he worked with the likes of David Bowie, Cat Stevens, Marc Bolan, Lou Reed, Al Stewart, Elton John and other artists too numerous to mention, as a much-in-demand session player. He stepped out of the recording studio and into the limelight when he first joined the Strawbs and then YES, helping to make the latter the most successful progressive rock band in the world by contributing to seminal albums such as Fragile and Close To The Edge.




But outside of YES, Rick was really able to unleash his creativity with a series of groundbreaking concept albums: The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Journey To The Centre Of The Earth, and The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table, which have been performed in large-scale shows featuring bands, orchestras and choirs.


However, he is equally at home as a solo artist in up close environment of concert halls, performing music on a piano – both his own and tunes that have a special resonance for him - and recounting wickedly funny stories taken from the length of his career. In recent years, he has added a rack of electric keyboards to ring the changes and enable him to enlarge his live solo repertoire.


Now, for the last time in 2024, Rick will be taking to the road in the US with an all-new solo piano and keyboard show, featuring the premiere of a stunning new work. Don’t miss this final opportunity to enjoy an evening of great music and hilarious stories, delivered by one of the truly legendary figures of rock music.


Says Rick: “I always planned to stop touring by my 77th birthday - for those of you who wish to send me a card, it’s May 18th! - but there is so much to fit in before then that I’m having to make plans now and so my final one-man shows will have to cease by that date. I have thoroughly enjoyed performing the various one-man shows, but it’s time to call it a day. I intend to throw in the best of what I have done in the past, plus a few new surprises on the way, and possibly even the odd guest joining me on the odd occasion. The plan is not to perform at the same venue twice throughout this period, so whatever venue you are hopefully thinking of coming to, it will be the last performance there - and I am taking this opportunity of thanking everyone and anyone who has supported me over the last 53 years!”


After this initial string of dates, Rick will be taking the tour to South America in April, but will return to North America for the second leg later in the year.





2024 US Tour (First Leg)


March
19 - Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT
20 - Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ
22 - Paramount Theater, Huntington, NY
23 - Scottish Rite Auditorium, Collingswood, NJ
24 - Tupelo Music Hall, Derry, NH
26 - The Vogel @ Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank, NJ
27 - The Barns, Vienna, VA
28 - The Barns, Vienna, VA
29 - Egg - Hart Theatre, Albany, NY


For tickets and more information, visit RWCC.com.


(Photo - Lee Wilkinson)

In a new interview with Paul Cashmere of Noise11.com, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson spoke about the upcoming tour in support of his new solo album, "The Mandrake Project". Bruce's touring band features longtime co-writer and producer Roy "Z" Ramirez, drummer Dave Moreno, bass player Tanya O'Callaghan and keyboard maestro Mistheria. Asked if he is planning to play "The Mandrake Project" in its entirety on the trek, Bruce said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No. I mean, it's been God knows how many years since I actually went out on the road. I mean, it's [19] years since [my last solo album, 2005's] 'Tyranny Of Souls', Yeah, it's a long time. So, given that, and given the fact that you've got seven albums to pick from now in terms of the setlist, I think it would be cruel and unusual punishment to have people listen to a brand new album start to finish."

He continued: "We're gonna do 'Tears Of The Dragon' [from 1994's 'Balls To Picasso' album], we're gonna do 'Chemical Wedding' [off 1998's 'The Chemical Wedding'], we're gonna do 'Accident Of Birth' [off 1997's 'Accident Of Birth'], and all this, this stuff. I'm gonna limit it, probably, to the things I did with Roy, because that's stuff that we share, with Roy and Dave Moreno, the drummer, and Mistheria did keyboards on all my records. So, you've gotta have a little limit that goes some way. 'Okay, where's our starting point?' And effectively, it's gonna be from 'Balls To Picasso' forward. I'm probably not gonna put any 'Skunkworks' [1996] stuff — not because I hate it, but just because we've got so many other great songs. I'm sure this won't be the last tour that we do together, so we've got we got plenty of opportunity to go and do stuff. There'll probably be three or four off the new record, for sure."

Bruce added: "Roy wasn't on 'Skunkworks'. That was a completely different band, and a completely different feel to everything. But there's some cracking songs on there. And, obviously, Janick [Gers, MAIDEN guitarist] was on 'Tattooed Millionaire'. But, again, I'm not gonna do anything off 'Tattooed Millionaire' — not this tour. I mean, we might dig stuff up for future tours and things like that, but for now I wanna concentrate on the heavy stuff. And I think people will wanna hear stuff off 'The Chemical Wedding' because that was my little bit of a groundbreaking record in the '90s."

"The Mandrake Project" will be released on March 1 via BMG. Bruce and Roy recorded the LP largely at Los Angeles's Doom Room, with Roy Z doubling up as both guitarist and bassist. The recording lineup for "The Mandrake Project" was rounded out by Mistheria and Moreno, both of whom also featured on "Tyranny Of Souls".

Last month, Bruce told Brazil's Omelete about the lyrical concept for "The Mandrake Project": "So 'The Mandrake Project' is, one, is an album. It's the name of the album. The comic is a 12-episode graphic novel, kind of adult. There's lots of stuff in it — there's lots of sex and drugs and violence and all kinds of stuff. But it's basically a story about a guy who is looking for his identity, Dr. Necropolis. He's an orphan, he's a genius, and he hates it, and he hates life, but he's involved in The Mandrake Project. And The Mandrake Project aims to take the human soul at the point of death, capture it, store it and put it back in something else. And the guy that's running the project, Professor Lazarus, he has one vision of what's gonna happen with this technology, and Necropolis has other ideas. And on we go with the story."

Asked how he came up with the idea to mash together music and comics, Bruce said: "Well, I think they do kind of go together. They really do. Music and games, music and comics, comics and games, they're all related."

He continued: "Years ago, IRON MAIDEN, we were doing some cover art, and I said, 'Why don't we do a comic?', like the comics that I used to read when I was a kid… When I suggested doing some covers, comic covers, we did some single artwork for IRON MAIDEN, and I thought, 'You know what? This is kind of cool.' Then later, MAIDEN had a video game called 'Legacy Of The Beast'; we still do. But what came with a video game, somebody produced a series of comics. And I thought they looked fantastic, but they lacked a story. And that got me thinking, what if you had an album that had a story that could be turned into a comic and the two things would work together? As it happened, they've actually grown apart. So, the [original] album, in 2014, was gonna be one comic with the album — that's it. Then, COVID happened, other things happened, seven years went by, and I had a 12-episode graphic novel. And I went, 'I don't wanna restrict the album to being like a script for this.' These two things exist separately, but they inform each other. So you can look at the album and go, 'Oh, yeah, that's kind of related to the comic.' And you look at the comic and go, 'Oh, I see that might be a little bit related to the album,' but they're not dependent on each other. So you can buy the comic or you can buy the album — or both."

On November 30, 2023, Dickinson unveiled the dramatic, action-packed video for "Afterglow Of Ragnarok", the first single to be taken from "The Mandrake Project". In front of a packed audience on the opening day of CCXP23, Brazil's huge Comic-Con event in São Paulo, the IRON MAIDEN frontman premiered the spectacular film and revealed further details about the album and forthcoming comic series in partnership with Z2, including releasing 2,000 CCXP-exclusive versions of the comic to the delight of the international comic community.

"The Mandrake Project" track listing:

01. Afterglow Of Ragnarok (05:45)
02. Many Doors To Hell (04:48)
03. Rain On The Graves (05:05)
04. Resurrection Men (06:24)
05. Fingers In The Wounds (03:39)
06. Eternity Has Failed (06:59)
07. Mistress Of Mercy (05:08)
08. Face In The Mirror (04:08)
09. Shadow Of The Gods (07:02)
10. Sonata (Immortal Beloved) (09:51)

Bruce has previously described lead single "Afterglow Of Ragnarok" as "a heavy song and there's a great big riff driving it… but there's also a real melody in the chorus that displays the light and shade that the rest of the album brings."

Directed by award-winning director Ryan Mackfall, written by Dickinson and acclaimed British writer Tony Lee (whose lengthy credits include "2000AD", DC and Marvel ranging from "Dr. Who" and "Star Trek" to "Spider Man" and "X-Men"),the film unveils Dr. Necropolis, the main protagonist at the heart of "The Mandrake Project". It also sets the scene for the story to come, reflecting the dark narrative contained in the eight-page comic book prequel which features in the seven-inch gatefold vinyl release of the single.

"The Mandrake Project" is not just an album, but a dark, adult story of power, abuse and a struggle for identity, set against the backdrop of scientific and occult genius. Created by Bruce Dickinson, the comic series is scripted by Tony Lee and stunningly illustrated by Staz Johnson for Z2 Comics, released as 12 quarterly issues that will be collected into three annual graphic novels.

Dickinson made his recording debut with IRON MAIDEN on the "Number Of The Beast" album in 1982. He quit the band in 1993 in order to pursue his solo career and was replaced by Blaze Bayley, who had previously been the lead singer of the metal band WOLFSBANE. After releasing two traditional metal albums with former MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith, Dickinson rejoined the band in 1999 along with Smith. Since then, Dickinson has only released one more solo album (the aforementioned "Tyranny Of Souls") but has previously said that his solo career is not over.

Photo credit: John McMurtrie (courtesy of Wilful Publicity)

Century Media Records is proud to announce the signing of Sweden’s modern metal standard bearers, Orbit Culture. Hailing from the small town of Eksjö, Sweden (located between the revered metal cities of Gothenburg and Stockholm), the quartet - guitarist and vocalist Niklas Karlsson, guitarist Richard Hansson, bassist Fredrik Lennartsson and drummer Christopher Wallerstedt - has grown into a global force, melding together, riffs that are equal parts thrash, death metal and industrial with arresting hooks and a layered atmosphere that invites comparison to Gojira, Metallica and Static-X while carving out something that is uniquely their own.


Orbit Culture’s 2023 album, Descent, and its subsequent EP release, The Forgotten, topped many recent year-end lists including Metal Hammer who described the album as: “a formidable entwining of modern metal’s most effective and exciting strands into an impressive milestone.” Exhaustive worldwide touring and a steady stream of crowd-pummeling festival slots across the globe, have set the stage for something much larger. 
 
Orbit Culture comments:: “Century Media is home to some of today's biggest metal bands out there and we couldn't be any happier to be part of their roster. We look forward to bringing you new music in the future and working closely together with Century Media's world class team!”
 
“Watching Orbit Culture's rise to becoming one of the greatest new metal bands in the world and now working with them is inspiring,” states Philipp Schulte, Century Media Vice President and Global Head. “I've personally been a fan since the beginning. They are part of both metal and Century Media's future in a very exciting way.”
 
Before initiating work on their next LP and Century Media debut, Orbit Culture will tour North America with legendary metal acts, Machine Head and Fear Factory, as well as newcomers Gates To Hell on the Slaughter The Martour.  The US and Canadian run will continue the Swedish band’s exhaustive work in the territory, which has included tours with In Flames and Avatar, and won the band a rabid fan-base and high placement on Sirius XM’s Liquid Metal “Devil’s Dozen” year-end chart. At the time of this announcement, the band is #1 on Sirius XM’s Liquid Metal Following the U.S. tour, Orbit Culture will then embark on an extensive tour of Europe, fittingly titled, the Descending Into Madness tour.  
 
“We are beyond excited to be working with Orbit Culture and their team at 5B (Management),” adds Mike Gitter, Century Media Vice President of A&R, North America. “They’ve carved an indelible mark on the worldwide metal scene through vision, determination, and hard work. They’re not merely a band leading the charge for extreme music right now – they’re a band that will lead that charge for many years to come.”


Slaughter The Martøur Nørth America 2024 dates:




January
19 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
21 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
22 - Seattle, WA - Showbox
23 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore
25 - Edmonton, AB - Midway Music Hall
26 - Calgary, AB - Grey Eagle Casino
27 - Saskatoon, SK - Coors Event Centre
28 - Winnipeg, MB - Burton Cumming Theatre
30 - Minneapolis, MN - Skyway Theatre
31 - Chicago, IL - Concord Music Hall


February
1 - Pittsburgh, PA - Roxian Theatre
2 - Northfield, OH - MGM Northfield Park
3 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews
5 - Toronto, ON - History
6 - Montreal, QC - M'Telus
7 - Quebec City, QC - Theatre Capitole
8 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
9 - Bethlehem, PA - Wind Creek Event Center
10 - New York, NY - Palladium Times Square
12 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore Silver Spring
14 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade (Heaven)
15 - Orlando, FL - House Of Blues
17 - Austin, TX - Emo's
18 - San Antonio, TX - Aztec
19 - Houston, TX - House Of Blues
21 - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
22 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
23 - Mesa, AZ - Nile Theater
24 - Los Angeles, CA - The Bellwether