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25 èþí 2024
TOTENGOTT To Unleash New Album In July; "The Architect" Single / Video Available
 Dive into Totengott’s dark and genre-defying sound in Beyond The Veil. A heavy, melodic journey that shatters expectations and redefines extreme metal. It is set for a release on July 12th via Hammerheart Records. Pre-order here.
They have released an official video for new single, "The Architect", which can be viewed below.
Tracklisting:
“Inner Flame”
“Sons Of The Serpent”
“Marrow Of The Soul”
“The Architect”
“Beyond The Veil Part I: Mirrors Of Doom”
“Beyond The Veil Part II: Necromancer”
“The Golden Crest (The Ritual, The Curse, The Path, The Light)
"The Architect" Appearing in the middle of the currently predictable and monochrome metal scene, Totengott is formed by three experienced musicians with the aim to release the darkest songs that they are able to write and to claim the importance of evil and morbidity of compositions above technique and rawness above demonstration. Being a difficult band to be “tagged”, Totengott can be introduced as an Occult Metal trio with Doom/Death Metal influences but without leaving other genres aside such as Thrash, Gothic or Ambient. From a musical and philosophical perspective, the band drinks from sources like the heaviest side of Celtic Frost, the raw and epic side of Bathory, the atonality of Kryzstof Penderecki, the sonic gravity of Conan and the texture experimentation of early Pink Floyd. Beyond The Veil takes the best elements and lessons learnt from their first two albums and push them to the limit, Beyond The Veil is ambitious, dark and heavy.  | 0 |  |
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25 èþí 2024
Melodic Death Metallers THERMALITY Shares New Single "Fire Will Reign"
 "Fire Will Reign" has been unleashed into the world. It’s the second single from Thermality’s upcoming album, The Final Hours. The single captures the essence of melodic death metal and is a testament to the songwriting abilities of this young band. With one foot firmly rooted in the '90s Gothenburg sound and the other stepping into the future, "Fire Will Reign" is the perfect blend of past, present, and future.
Ludvig Sommar of Thermality comments: "The song was written with the idea of combining an old-school sound with some modern elements, making it familiar for both older and younger listeners. The song takes a leap backward into the mid-'90s in terms of the sound while keeping a rather modern approach to a very iconic concept, aiming for a more aggressive song and at the same time keeping it true to what we like and enjoy listening to ourselves."
Hailing from the heart of Sweden, Thermality brings a fresh and innovative approach to the genre, blending nostalgic elements with a contemporary edge.
Since their inception in 2020, Thermality has ascended swiftly, garnering plenty of acclaim for their debut album, Before I Get To Rest, released in February 2023. Building upon this success, in June of 2023 the band unveiled their first EP, Tales From The North, which received widespread praise from fans and critics alike.
With their upcoming album The Final Hours, set to be released August 16, Thermality invites metal enthusiasts worldwide to embark on a journey of old-school aggression and modern innovation. Recorded at the esteemed Studio Fredman and expertly mixed and mastered by Fredrik Nordström, this album represents a pinnacle of the band's creative prowess.
The Final Hours tracklisting:
"MMXXIV"
"Weeping Angels"
"Thorns Of Salem"
"Fire Will Reign"
"Stranger"
"Windigo"
"Clones"
"Forsaken"
"Nightfall"
"The Hunter & The Nightmare"
"The Guardian"
"Divinity Pt.1"
"Divinity Pt.2"
"Stranger" lyric video:
Thermality are:
Hampus Sätterlund - Drums
Ludvig Sommar - Vocals
Noel Hoflund Jonsson - Guitar
Ture Skärfstad Stål - Bass
Walter Hamilton - Guitar
(Photo - Anna Synnerö)
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25 èþí 2024
SICKSENSE / Ex-THE AGONIST Vocalist VICKY PSARAKIS Performs "Abracadavre" From Call Of Duty: Black Ops (Video)
 SickSense / ex-The Agonist vocalist Vicky Psarakis has shared a new video along with the following message:
"Zombies! My cover of 'Abracadavre' is finally out! Big thanks to Kevin Sherwood for writing this incredible song and for also lending me his own instrumental to record over! This is hands down my favorite song... creepy, emotional, and catchy. Just how I like my music!
I put a lot into this cover. I engineered and mixed my own vocals into the track, focusing on all the details I wanted to accentuate. Really proud of how it turned out ' cause I have no idea what I'm doing.
If you're still reading, thank you for being here and supporting me all these years. I have much more cool music coming soon. I promise."
"Abracadavre" was originally performed by Elena Siegman.
Hard-hitting and melodic; pissed off and groovy; energetic and catchy: upon first listen, it is clear that Sicksense is all of these things. The band - comprised of vocalists Killer V (Vicky Psarakis) and Rob The Ripper (Robby J. Fonts), guitarist Breakdown Bran (Bran Panic), drummer The True Cody Taylor (Cody Taylor) and bassist Spot-On Sam/SOS (Samuel Bedard) – have released their new EP, Fools Tomorrow. It is now available here.
Fools Tomorrow tracklisting:
"Feed Them To The Wolves"
"Fools Tomorrow" (ft. Billy Grey)
"Invitation"
"Run And Hide"
"Erase, Rewind"
"Feed Them To The Wolves"
"Fools Tomorow"
Having both performed a range of styles in numerous heavy bands, Killer V and Rob The Ripper (who are married) wanted to return to a genre that’s close to their hearts, but also make music that is specifically written for two vocalists. Written with dual vocal interplay from a male / female perspective, their performance reflects a personal and fun side of them as people, but also tackles social and societal issues in the world today. Backed by guitarist Breakdown Bran (Bran Panic), drummer The Trve Cody Taylor (Cody Taylor) and bassist Spot-On Sam/SOS (Samuel Bedard), Sicksense would be born out of the band’s desire to share their upbeat and fun message with the world. Sicksense chooses musical inspiration from various bands and those influences shine through in their debut EP, Kings Today.
Sicksense is:
Killer V – Vocals/Keys
Rob The Ripper – Vocals
Breakdown Bran – Guitars
Spot-On Sam/SOS – Bass
The Trve Cody Taylor – Drums | 0 | |
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25 èþí 2024
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25 èþí 2024
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25 èþí 2024
MEGADETH - Pro-Shot Video Of Entire Graspop Metal Meeting 2024 Show Streaming
 Megadeth performed at the Graspop Metal Meeting 2024 in Dessel, Belgium on June 20th. Pro-shot video of the .band's entire show can be viewed below.
Setlist:
"The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!"
"Dread and the Fugitive Mind"
"Rattlehead"
"Hangar 18"
"Countdown to Extinction"
"This Was My Life"
"Take No Prisoners" (tour debut)
"Skin O' My Teeth"
"Sweating Bullets"
"Tornado of Souls"
"We'll Be Back"
"Symphony of Destruction"
"Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?"
"Holy Wars... The Punishment Due"
Following successful runs in Latin America (Peru, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and México) and Europe (Sweden, Italy, France, Germany, and more), multi-platinum-selling and Grammy Award-winning rockers, Megadeth, will return to the North America this summer for their 34-date "Destroy All Enemies" trek.
The Live Nation-produced tour, with special guests Mudvayne and All That Remains, kicks off August 2 in Rogers, Arkansas before wrapping in Nashville, Tennessee on September 28. Additional tour stops include Los Angeles (two shows), Las Vegas, Boston, St. Louis and many more (the full itinerary is below). Tickets and additional information for all the dates is available here.
For the live shows, Megadeth founder and frontman Dave Mustaine and his bandmates will perform classic hits from Rust In Peace, Countdown To Extinction, and more from the band’s extensive catalog, along with material from their latest studio album The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! featuring some of Mustaine’s strongest-ever songwriting.
“We are all playing tight, and that has made it possible for me to really focus on solos and singing, we are playing more songs than ever before, and we are closer to each other, onstage AND off,” shares Mustaine. “I'm excited to see Mudvayne, and All That Remains. Join us as we DESTROY ALL ENEMIES."
Megadeth are renowned for their unparalleled energy and mastery on stage. In 2023, the band dominated arenas and festivals, reaffirming its status as one of heavy metal’s most formidable live acts. Megadeth enjoyed sold-out shows and critical acclaim on the latest run of the “Crush The World” Tour captivating audiences and showcasing the latest and greatest hits.
Tour dates:
August
2 - Rogers, AR - Walmart AMP
3 - Houston, TX - 713 Music Hall
5 - Albuquerque, NM - Isleta Amphitheatre
6 - Denver, CO - Ball Arena
8 - Phoenix, AZ - Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
9 - Los Angeles, CA - YouTube Theater
10 - Concord, CA - Toyota Pavilion at Concord
12 - Auburn, WA - White River Amphitheatre
13 - Bend, OR - Hayden Homes Amphitheater
15 – Los Angeles, CA – YouTube Theater
16 - Las Vegas, NV - Bakkt Theatre at Planet Hollywood
17 - Salt Lake City, UT - Maverick Arena*
20 - Irving, TX - The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
21 - Austin, TX - Germania Insurance Amphitheater
23 - Macon, GA - Atrium Health Macon Amphitheater*
24 - West Palm Beach, FL - IThink Financial Amphitheatre
September
3 - Tinley Park, IL - Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
5 - Huntington, WV - Marshall Health Network Arena*
6 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion
7 - Raleigh, NC - Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
9 - Reading, PA - Santander Arena*
10 - Albany, NY - MVP Arena*
11 - Boston, MA - Leader Bank
13 - Bethel, MY - Bethel Woods Center For The Arts
14 - Wantagh, NY - Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
15 - Richmond, VA - Virginia Credit Union Live!*
17 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
18 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE
20 - Noblesville, IN - Ruoff Music Center
21 - Clarkston, MI - Pine Knob Music Theatre
24 - Minneapolis, MN - The Armory
26 - St Louis, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre STL
27 - Southaven, MS - Bankplus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove*
28 - Nashville, TN - Nashville Municipal Auditorium
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25 èþí 2024
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24 èþí 2024
ANDREAS KISSER Says It Would Be 'Great' To Have MAX And IGOR CAVALERA Perform With SEPULTURA At Final Show
 In a new interview with U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser was asked about the possibility of reuniting with original frontman Max Cavalera and drummer Igor "Iggor" Cavalera for a final show to cap off the band's ongoing farewell tour. He responded: "I won't deny that it would be great to have a very last show with their participation, but it has to be great. It has to have people who are there to celebrate and not trying to discuss who was right or wrong on decisions from the past. In the end, we are celebrating now as the SEPULTURA of today. If they want to be a part of it, it would be amazing."
Kisser's comments come less than two weeks after Max was asked by Sakis Fragos, publisher/chief editor of Rock Hard Greece, if he has been approached by SEPULTURA's current lineup to take part in what will eventually be the band's final concert at the end of the farewell tour. He responded: "I have not [been approached]. In fact, I think I saw one thing Andreas, of course said [in an interview], like, 'Why are we gonna ask them [Max and Igor to take part]? They're gonna spoil the party,' which is very typical [laughs] of Andreas to say that.
"I don't know. I think I'm gonna let things happen the way they're gonna happen," he continued. "I'm not gonna force anything, and if there comes a time where we feel that we should make a reunion — okay, fine, as long as we do it the right way. Just like with these re-recordings [of early SEPULTURA albums that Igor and I are doing under the CAVALERA name]. I think we made them the right way — honest, proper, from the heart.
"So right now I'm not thinking about that [a reunion]," Max added. "I know they announced the end of the band. I don't understand this idea. I don't know if they were forced to do it, or if it's a mutual decision of just stop playing 'cause you don't wanna do it anymore. I don't know. I myself cannot live without music. I need to play live. It's like the air I breathe.
"I love what I'm doing right now with Igor, with CAVALERA, and we're gonna continue," he concluded.
SEPULTURA fell apart in 1996 with the exit of Max after the rest of the Brazilian four-piece split with the vocalist/guitarist's wife Gloria as their manager. Max's brother Igor stuck around with the group for another ten years before leaving SEPULTURA and re-teaming with Max in CAVALERA CONSPIRACY.
Max previously discussed the possibility of a classic SEPULTURA lineup reunion in a February 2023 interview with Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of Rock Interview Series. He said: "I'm very, very busy right now with all the projects, 'cause I've got so many — SOULFLY being my main band, but also GO AHEAD AND DIE with my son Igor, and KILLER BE KILLED. And I'm already playing a lot of the old stuff with my brother; that, to me, right there, it fills the void anyway.
"So, yeah, I don't think about that at all," Max said in regard to a SEPULTURA reunion. "At this moment, I don't need to do anything like that. I think at this moment I'm so busy with the stuff that I have in front of me, and the fans love all the stuff that I've been doing anyway. There's no point, really. 'Cause I haven't even thought of that idea in a long time. But I think that my main thing right now is SOULFLY… And I love the fact that SOULFLY just keeps getting stronger and stronger with every record. And I look forward to the time to write the next one. It'll be another challenge and another chance to make something good again."
In the summer of 2022, Igor told the "Mike Nelson Show" about the possibility of him and Max returning to SEPULTURA: "I have to be honest with you, man. The reunion, in my opinion, it's me and my brother — that's the person that I wanna be united with. So, for me, if the other stuff, it doesn't happen, I can't really be too bummed about it. Of course, it would be amazing, but the real reunion for me is just me and my brother being together. That's what makes me happy."
Although SEPULTURA has maintained a diehard fanbase in all parts of the world throughout the band's nearly four-decade history, Max-era albums "Roots" and "Chaos A.D." were by far SEPULTURA's most commercially successful, having both been certified gold in the U.S. for sales in excess of five hundred thousand copies.
Max was asked in a December 2021 interview with "General Population With Marco Lesher" what he thinks of his replacement in SEPULTURA, vocalist Derrick Green. "It doesn't bother me," he insisted. "It is what it is. At the end of the day, the fans know what the band was and what it is now, the difference [between the two]. And I really don't care. I'm not bitter. They do what they do; I do what I do. It's been like that for a long time now. But you can't touch the classics; those records that we did [in the 1980s and 1990s]. It still goes, but it is what it is.
"If you wanna really hear something that sounds close to what it was, you have to come see me and Igor play," he added. "That's the only thing that is gonna be close to what it was, to that time."
Igor and Max have spent much of the decade celebrating the 20th anniversary of SEPULTURA's "Roots" and 30th anniversary of "Beneath The Remains" and "Arise" albums on tour all over the world.
In 2020, SEPULTURA bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. said that he has had "zero" contact with Max, adding that a reunion with the band's original frontman would have to happen "naturally."
Back in 2017, Igor told The Salt Lake Tribune that he and Max "believe SEPULTURA doesn't really make sense nowadays, to do what they're doing." The drummer also downplayed the possibility of a reunion of SEPULTURA's classic lineup, saying: "Unless it's something really solid — and we haven't seen that from their part — of doing something totally professional and coming together, trying to do something like that. At the end of the day, it would be special for the fans, so it's not like a closed door, but at the same time, we have no time to spend energy with this kind of thing. So we just move forward."
Max echoed his brother's sentiments, telling The Salt Lake Tribune that he doesn't even think about his former bandmates much. "For a time — for a long time — there was a war in the press, like, 'He'll talk this, I'll talk that,'" he explained. "I got really tired of it, honestly. I'm not gonna do that anymore. So let them go their way and do their thing, and we're gonna do our thing, and I think that's the best for everybody."
While stopping short of completely ruling out a reunion of SEPULTURA's classic lineup, Max said: "Right now, we don't even need it. It's been so much of that kind of bad vibes through the years that I don't even know how that would even really work out. I think what [Igor and I] are doing is the closest thing to that, and it works great, it works like a charm. It's amazing."
In December 2023, SEPULTURA announced that it would celebrate its 40th anniversary this year by embarking on a "farewell tour" which will cover the entire globe.
SEPULTURA's current lineup comprises Kisser, Green, Pinto Jr. and touring drummer Greyson Nekrutman, who officially replaced SEPULTURA's longtime drummer Eloy Casagrande in February.
This past January, Max was asked by Scott Itter of Dr. Music if he has heard any of the SEPULTURA albums that were recorded following his departure from the group. He responded: "I haven't. It's like… People say if you break up with your wife and she marries somebody else, you don't really go on Facebook and go see what they're doing. [You keep your] distance. I feel kind of like that. So I have no interest. I've got a lot of stuff to keep me busy. It's a fair question, and I'm sure a lot of people wonder about that, but, yeah, I haven't [heard anything]."
Max previously addressed the question of whether he has heard any of the music SEPULTURA recorded after his exit from the group nearly three decades ago in a 2015 interview with Sticks For Stones. At the time, he said: "Fuck no! I don't give a shit about SEPULTURA or what they're doing. I just heard from fans that people don't like their albums, and they're shitty, and the band's just going down and down, and, I don't know… I really can't care, can't care less what they're doing. It don't concern me at all. I've got my things going, and, for me, it's just so sad to see a band that was so important and special in the '90s turn to shit like that so fast. But whatever, that's what they're doing. But I've got my things, I've got my things to do, and I'm proud of what I did with them. We did great records and we did cool stuff, and that's there forever, and I'll leave it at that."
Asked if he would still call his former bandmates in SEPULTURA friends, Max said: "Not really, 'cause there is a lot of animosity and bad vibes in that camp, and a lot of bad things happened between us and them. So, yeah, I wouldn't, man. I really don't care. Like, life goes on. For me, it's, like, I'm more focused on the moment, what I have in front of me and I have a lot in front of me. A lot of projects… So, I've got to move on forward."
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24 èþí 2024
Ex-MEGADETH Guitarist KIKO LOUREIRO Surprises Fans By Singing 'Killing Time' At 'Best Of Blues And Rock' Festival
 Former MEGADETH guitarist Kiko Loureiro surprised fans by performing the band's song "Killing Time" — with Kiko himself handling the lead vocals — during his set on Friday, June 21 at the Best Of Blues And Rock festival in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.
In November, Kiko announced his decision to "extend" his absence from MEGADETH's touring activities, explaining that he didn't want to "hinder any of the band's plans or the hard work of all the incredible people involved in the tour."
Kiko revealed in September that he would sit out the next leg of MEGADETH's "Crush The World" tour in order to stay home with his children back in Finland.
One day after Kiko's announcement that he was "extending" his absence from MEGADETH's touring activities, band leader Dave Mustaine released a statement in which he said that he loves Loureiro and respects and fully supports Kiko's decision. He described Kiko as "a top-notch professional, a maestro" and thanked the guitarist "for his dedication and hard work these past nine years, helping us to achieve a Grammy on 'Dystopia' and the additional awards we have received on this latest record 'The Sick... The Dying...And The Dead'." Mustaine added: "I could not have done this without Kiko Loureiro."
MEGADETH played its first concert with Kiko's replacement, Teemu Mäntysaari on September 6, 2023 at Revel in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The 37-year-old Mäntysaari was born in Tampere, Finland and began playing guitar at the age of 12. In 2004, he joined the band WINTERSUN. He has also been a member of SMACKBOUND since 2015.
Loureiro officially joined MEGADETH in April 2015, about five months after Chris Broderick's exit from the group.
In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Kiko was asked if he has learned anything from playing with Mustaine for more than eight years, Kiko said: "Oh, yes, man. Oh, yes. I don't know if you're asking about guitar stuff, but I think my answer would go more, like… I learned watching him strive to be unstoppable, to be strong, to search for excellence, to demand excellence from everyone, and everyone delivers excellence, delivers their best. Leadership… What else? I don't know… Fight for your case. Fight for your music. Fight for your band. Fight for your fans. Being an artist, being creative [and] combining all those things — being professional and at the same time creative and at the same time having fun while you're doing the stuff. Yeah, a lot of experience in the music business as well — in the music business in general, in the show biz.
"And regarding guitar as well, the thrash metal essence," he continued. "All the rhythms — mainly the rhythms and then the attitude and the force, the vibe, the drive, the intensity. So, all those things while you're playing. Mixing the technical things with a lot of energy — like metal with punk with attitude. I think I'm a way better rhythm player because of just hanging and playing with Dave for all those years — since 2015. Also composing — he composes in a very different way than I do. And I think watching and learning from the way he does as well."
Killing Time
Kiko Loureiro surpreendeu os fãs presentes no festival Best of Blues And Rock hoje no Vivo Rio tocando, e cantando, a música “Killing Time” 🤘🏻🔥
📹 Antonio Andrade
Posted by Megadeth Brasil - Rust In Page on Friday, June 21, 2024
Você já conferiu o line-up do Best of Blues and Rock?
Posted by Rolling Stone Brasil on Tuesday, June 4, 2024
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24 èþí 2024
DAVID VINCENT On Enduring Influence Of MORBID ANGEL's Early Albums: 'It's Humbling'
 In a new interview with Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting, former MORBID ANGEL frontman David Vincent spoke about the recent 30th anniversary of the band's second album, 1991's "Blessed Are The Sick". Asked how it feels to know that the songs on that LP have stood the test of time, David responded: "It's humbling. It really is. I don't think that if you had asked me back then if I would think… I don't think I thought about it at all. And it's humbling. And thanks to the fans for keeping us going. The only reason we do this is for them."
In early 2022, Vincent's current band I AM MORBID celebrated the 30th anniversary of "Blessed Are The Sick" with a European tour.
Vincent left MORBID ANGEL in 2015. He has since been replaced by a returning Steve Tucker, who previously handled bass and vocals on MORBID ANGEL's "Formulas Fatal To The Flesh", "Gateways To Annihilation" and "Heretic" LPs.
Last year, I AM MORBID, which also features former MORBID ANGEL drummer Pedro "Pete" Sandoval (drums),along with guitarists Richie Brown (EXMORTUS, THE ABSENCE, TRIVIUM) and Bill Hudson (NORTHTALE, DORO),completed a 17-date European tour. Presented by The Flaming Arts Agency, the trek celebrated the 30th anniversary of "Covenant", MORBID ANGEL's third full length album, considered to be one of the greatest death metal LPs of all time and a landmark album in the genre.
I AM MORBID played a combination of festivals and club shows during the tour and performed material from "Covenant" as well as tracks from other classic Vincent-era MORBID ANGEL albums "Altars Of Madness", "Blessed Are The Sick" and "Domination".
In October 2022, I AM MORBID parted ways with guitarist Kelly McLauchlin (POSSESSED, DIABOLIC, UNHOLY GHOST) and replaced him with Brown.
Brown made his live debut with I AM MORBID at the Grita Fest in Colombia.
I AM MORBID's spring 2022 European tour marked the first time Sandoval and Vincent played together in 12 years.
Sandoval, who now lives his life as a born-again Christian, was forced to leave MORBID ANGEL in 2010 after undergoing surgery for a prolapsed disc.
In 2019, Vincent released "Something Wicked Marches In", the debut album from his supergroup VLTIMAS, also featuring guitarist Rune Eriksen (formerly of MAYHEM) and CRYPTOPSY drummer Flo Mounier. A follow-up effort, "Epic", arrived in March.
In 2017, Vincent issued his debut country single, "Drinkin' With The Devil".
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24 èþí 2024
New VIXEN Singer ROSA LARICCHIUTA: 'I Am So Excited For The Journey Ahead'
 New VIXEN singer Rosa Laricchiuta says that her first show was with the band was "an amazing experience".
Laricchiuta made her live debut with VIXEN Friday night (June 21) at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California alongside GREAT WHITE, SLAUGHTER and QUIET RIOT. She joined VIXEN as the replacement for Lorraine Lewis who announced her exit from the band in late May.
Earlier today (Saturday, June 22),Rosa released the following statement via social media: "I am so excited for the journey ahead as a part of the VIXEN family. My very first show alongside such incredible musicians was an amazing experience, and I couldn't be happier!
"Thank you all for your heartfelt messages, emails, and overwhelming support. Your attention and pictures mean the world to me. I can't wait to see you at our next show.
"Keep rockin'!"
Laricchiuta is a singer, songwriter, and performer from Montreal, Quebec. After several years cutting her teeth with live shows, she auditioned for the third season (2015) of "La Voix", Quebec's version of the popular TV show "The Voice". Rosa had an instant connection with the legendary francophone rocker Éric Lapointe and chose him as her coach. Rosa showed a solid stage presence, with remarkable intensity and a voice so powerful it sent her straight to the Grand Finale where she shared the stage with DEF LEPPARD, Kelly Clarkson, Jean Leloup and her idol, Melissa Etheridge. She left a lasting impression as she won over millions of viewers who named her the new "it" female rocker of Quebec.
She then released one album in the Quebec market before beginning work on her first English language album in 2016. That album, "Free", was released the following year and at the end of the year, she joined the popular American band TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA for their annual mega tour of the United States.
Laricchiuta's hard rock project BLACK ROSE MAZE released its self-titled debut album in August 2020 via Frontiers Music Srl.
VIXEN has more than a dozen more shows scheduled for the summer and early fall.
During a recent appearance on the Battleline Podcast, VIXEN guitarist Brittany Denaro (a.k.a. Britt Lightning) discussed the decision to part ways with Lewis. Asked what she would say to fans who are concerned that VIXEN bears little resemblance to the band that broke through in the late 1980s, with drummer Roxy Petrucci as the sole remaining member from VIXEN's classic lineup, Britt said: "Yeah, well, I think Roxy is definitely dedicated to maintaining the musical integrity of the classic VIXEN. And she said that. And I think for whatever reason, she feels that this change is gonna be a positive one. And yeah, so this new lineup, our new singer will be debuting with the band, I think it's next week, June 21st. We have a show in Anaheim with QUIET RIOT and SLAUGHTER and GREAT WHITE. So, I'm excited. I trust her. She's been doing this a long time, and she knows what feels right."
Britt continued: "Sometimes things run its course. And, again, I'm not involved in in this decision or at liberty to really speak about who [the new singer] is yet or the reasons in it. But at the end of the day, it doesn't matter, I guess. We're forging forward, we're forging ahead, and there will be new music. And I think it's gonna rock. So I'm very excited."
Asked if she had had a chance to jam with the new singer yet and hang out with Lorraine's replacement in person at that point, Britt said: "Okay. No. [Laughs] However, she has been vetted and I trust that she's the right fit and is our vibe and gets it. And at the end of the day, obviously you have to be talented, but just being a good person and being a cool person, 'cause we spend a lot of time together. I mean, that saying, musicians, we get paid to travel and then we play the gig, but what do we get paid for? The travel. I mean, I've flown to South America for one 30-minute show and then flown right back. So that's a lot of travel time and not a lot of playing. And that's a lot of time that you have to be with each other, and if you're with somebody that just drives you nuts, that's the worst thing ever. And then you can tell on stage too. So you know there's good chemistry when — you can feel it, is what I'm saying, on stage. And I think the audience can always feel it too. So, I know it'll be great though. Roxy also is more familiar with her as a person, and if she greenlighted it, then I know it's gonna be good."
When VIXEN announced Lewis's exit from the band on May 27, the group said in a statement: "First of all we want to extend a special thank you to Lorraine Lewis. We're grateful for her contributions to VIXEN and wish her all the best in her career moving forward. Secondly, thank you to everyone sending suggestions and to those who inquired about singing for us. We're letting you all know that we have our new singer and we're ready to Rev it Up! Wanna know who? Come find out! We'll see you on the road!"
On May 26, Lewis released the following statement via her social media: "VIXEN Tribe and devoted fans: The band has taken a different direction, and as much as I will miss you please know that more Rock & Roll from me is on the way!
"It has been an honor to front the band since that first show in 2019 & I am forever grateful for the opportunity and memories that came with it! I've had the time of my life and have loved rockin' with ALL of you! I can't wait to rock your faces off again soon cuz trust me babes, I'm not going anywhere!! I love you."
In January 2019, VIXEN recruited Lewis as its new lead singer following the departure of Janet Gardner.
Lewis had already performed with VIXEN in March 2018 in Durant, Oklahoma while Gardner was recovering from surgery.
Prior to Lewis's addition to VIXEN, Petrucci, bassist Share Ross and Lightning vowed to "expand upon the VIXEN legacy while remaining true to our musical roots."
Gardner, Petrucci and Ross are considered to be part of VIXEN's classic lineup, along with founding guitarist Jan Kuehnemund, who died of cancer in October 2013.
Gardner contributed lead vocals to VIXEN's most commercially successful studio albums — "Vixen" (1988),"Rev It Up" (1990) and "Tangerine" (1998) — as well as the group's latest full-length release, 2018's live album "Live Fire".
More than two years ago, Ross announced that she was "taking a hiatus" from VIXEN. Her replacement is Julia Lage, formerly of the Latin Grammy-nominated Brazilian rock group BARRA DE SAIA and wife of Richie Kotzen. Lage made her live debut with VIXEN on February 8, 2022 at the pre-Monsters Of Rock cruise concert at Magic City Casino in Miami, Florida.
Last year, VIXEN released a new single called "Red". The official music video for the track, which was written and produced by CINDERELLA drummer Fred Coury, was directed by Drew Johnston and Vicente Cordero and edited by Ryan Conion.
I am so excited for the journey ahead as a part of the Vixen family.
My very first show alongside such incredible...
Posted by Rosa Laricchiuta on Saturday, June 22, 2024
And so it begins ….
Posted by Larry Morand on Friday, June 21, 2024
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24 èþí 2024
Watch: WOLFGANG VAN HALEN Joins MR. BUNGLE For Cover Of VAN HALEN's 'Loss Of Control'
 Wolfgang Van Halen joined MR. BUNGLE on stage earlier today (Saturday, June 22) at the Graspop Metal Meeting in Dessel, Belgium to perform a cover of VAN HALEN's "Loss Of Control".
The Mike Patton-fronted outfit shared video of Wolfgang's appearance and wrote in an accompanying caption: "Had a special guest join us for 'Loss Of Control' today @graspopmetalmeeting. Thanks @wolfvanhalen!" Wolf responded in the comments: "Thanks for having me, dudes!!!!"
Last year, Wolfgang, who played three VAN HALEN classics during the Taylor Hawkins tribute concerts in September 2022, stressed the importance of establishing himself as a musician in his own right rather than trying to to gain recognition by merely playing other artists' music. He told the "Talk Is Jericho" podcast about the experience of playing VAN HALEN songs with FOO FIGHTERS' Dave Grohl and Josh Freese, and THE DARKNESS's Justin Hawkins: "It was wonderful. It was the exception where it was, like, 'This would be the time to do it.' Taylor was such a huge fan and to get my own satisfaction by doing a direct VAN HALEN tribute for Dad, it felt like the right thing to do in that moment. I'm really proud of it."
He added: "I'm happy to be able to prove myself. The important key distinction is that I'm not doing what my dad did, I'm my own person, I'm my own musician… It's why I don't play any VAN HALEN music or have a plan to play VAN HALEN music during my sets.
"Even my dad hated doing covers back in the day. His quote resonates with me all the time when he says, 'I'd rather bomb with my own music than succeed with somebody else's.' And that's exactly how I feel about playing VAN HALEN music. I'd much rather fail on my own than succeed heartlessly by playing 'Panama'."
MR. BUNGLE's current dates once again feature the lineup of Mike Patton, Trevor Dunn, Trey Spruance, Scott Ian and Dave Lombardo.
MR. BUNGLE released "The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny Demo" in 2020, an album that saw the Eureka, California-born band record songs from their 1986 cassette only demo. The collection's release was preceded by seven February 2020 shows (Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York). The newly revamped version of the seminal band sees Trevor Dunn, Mike Patton and Trey Spruance joined by Scott Ian (ANTHRAX, S.O.D.) and Dave Lombardo (DEAD CROSS, ex-SLAYER, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES). Rolling Stone dubbed the album "a feast of ingenious riffs… and pure manic energy," Stereogum said "MR. BUNGLE are reliving their very earliest days and kicking a whole lot of ass in the process," and Decibel declared it "one of the best thrash records of the year."
MR. BUNGLE was formed in an impoverished lumber and fishing town by a trio of curious, volatile teenagers. Trey Spruance, Mike Patton and Trevor Dunn beget the amorphous "band" in 1985 up in Humboldt County, California, sifting through a variety of members until around 1989 when they settled on a lineup that managed to get signed to Warner Bros. Records. No one really knows how this happened and it remains a complete mystery that even the algorithms of the Internet can't decode. Up until 2000, they released three albums ("Mr. Bungle" in 1991, "Disco Volante" in 1995 and "California" in 1999),toured a good portion of the Western hemisphere and avoided any sort of critical acclaim. Some argue that the band subsequently broke up but there is also no proof of this. What is true is that they took 20 years off from performing under said moniker while they pursued various other music that, in contrast, paid the rent.
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24 èþí 2024
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24 èþí 2024
MEGADETH's JAMES LOMENZO Doesn't Get Nervous Before Performing Live: 'Playing The Shows, It's The Way I Breathe'
 In a new interview Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting, MEGADETH bassist James LoMenzo was asked if he still gets nervous before performing at huge festivals like the Belgian annual event. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): " I hate to disappoint you, but no, I don't get [nervous]. I love doing this. You love seeing the shows. I love seeing the shows, right? So playing the shows, it's the way I breathe, you know? So to me, the funny thing is, like, before I go on stage, I look at the stage, I look at the people, get a little excited. That little butterfly comes up, maybe a little nervous, but then right away, it's just like when you see a beautiful pool — it might be cold, but you know you're gonna jump in and for a moment, you're gonna have that moment of, like, 'This is not gonna…' And then you sit in there and you go, 'No, this is great.'"
Asked if he still, after all these years, sometimes misses his family while he is on the road, James said: "Oh, very much so. Yeah. But it's part of — it's the job. I mean, everybody's, like, 'I wanna be a rock star. Wooh,' all that stuff. And I wasn't sure if I wanted to be a rock star, but I know I wanted to be a musician. In order to be a musician, you have to travel, you have to go to where the people wanna see the music and live the music. So it's kind of that weird deal that you make. So that's the downside of it. But the upside of it is seeing all the people in the crowd who see their music come to life. And I have the privilege of bringing that to them."
Last year, LoMenzo spoke to Australia's Wall Of Sound about his return to MEGADETH as a permanent member of the band. LoMenzo was MEGADETH's bass player in the mid-2000s and stepped back in as a touring member for the 2021 leg of "The Metal Tour Of The Year". In May 2022, it was announced that Lomenzo was officially rejoining the MEGADETH family.
LoMenzo joined MEGADETH in 2006 and appeared on two of the group's studio albums, 2007's "United Abominations" and 2009's "Endgame". He was fired from the band in 2010 and replaced with returning original MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson.
LoMenzo told Wall Of Sound: "The new band was mind-boggling to me, when I showed up. 'Cause last I left off, it was Chris Broderick, who's actually playing with IN FLAMES tonight [at Knotfest Australia] — a fantastic guitar player and a lovely fellow — and [drummer] Shawn Drover. And so this iteration just blew my socks off. I didn't know what to think when I was coming back. I knew Dave [Mustaine, MEGADETH leader] would be there, I knew it would sound like MEGADETH, 'cause as long as Dave is singing and playing guitar, it isMEGADETH. But the new guys, I knew they were good, but when I got in the room and Dirk [Verbeuren] just started slamming his drums, I was just blown away. And then when I got to play with [guitarist] Kiko [Loureiro], who's massively deep musically… We spend a lot of time in our little rehearsal place; we always set up a little rehearsal room at all the gigs we play. Him and I will just go and jam, and he'll start showing me Brazilian rhythms that we can move over and play classical motifs and blues — I mean, anything; the sky's the limit."
In November 2022, LoMenzo reflected on his initial departure from MEGADETH in an interview with Ashdown Engineering. He said at the time: "After three or four years in MEGADETH, David Ellefson returned. And I, like you, was pretty excited about that, because I had always been a fan of MEGADETH anyway. I'm one of those crazy guys that's, like, I want it to be the original band. I always want it to be the original band; it's kind of the way I grew up. But in lieu of that, I had to take the charge of the bass spot when he couldn't be there. So when he came back, I was fine with it. I've done two great albums — 'United Abominations' and 'Endgame'; we've done two world tours, been all over the place. And so at that point, I was kind of excited to maybe try something new. And so I went back home. I started a video production company. I started doing these local jams where all my famous friends would come by and jam with me. It was great. And eventually I ended up in [rock legend] John Fogerty's band."
On the topic of how he rejoined MEGADETH, James said: "How do I end up back in MEGADETH? It's like that 'Godfather' movie — 'Just when I thought I got out, they pull me back in again.' No… But anyway… When they needed a bass player — it became apparent — I thought to myself, 'They'll probably call me up.' But I also thought to myself, 'It's been a while since I played that kind of music, so maybe it'll be great. It'll be all right. Maybe not.' Sure enough, the phone rings, and Dave [Mustaine] is, like, 'We've gotta do this 'Metal Tour Of The Year'. James, I know you're the guy who can do it. I would love to have you here. If you would just commit to just doing this tour, that would be great.' And I thought, 'Well, that's kind of weird. He doesn't want me to rejoin the band.' But then I thought about it. He knew I had another band, and he was telling me, 'I don't want you to screw up whatever you've got going.' I was being loyal to John. So we went out on the tour, and gosh, it was just the best time. I was so enamored with the band that he put together and with Kiko and with Dirk that I was blown away. And Dave, gosh, he's just delivering the goods every day. The great thing about Dave is he's been through a lot. He recovered from cancer. He's had problems with his back. Over the years, he's had more things than most professional wrestlers would have, and he shows no sign of it — he just gets up there and plays and just gives it his all. So after that tour, I was sitting there going, 'Man, I think I might like to stay here for a while.' And so, luckily, as luck would have it, not too long after that, Dave calls me up at home and he goes, 'You know, we would love to have you be part of the band officially if you wanna stay.' And I thought, 'That's exactly what I was thinking, man. Let's do it.'
In addition to MEGADETH and Fogerty, LoMenzo has played with Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde and WHITE LION.
LoMenzo played his first show with MEGADETH in nearly 12 years in August 2021 in Austin, Texas. The concert took place three months following Ellefson's dismissal from MEGADETH after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving him were posted on Twitter.
During an appearance on a March 2022 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Mustaine discussed MEGADETH's reunion with LoMenzo, saying: "I'm thrilled. I think he's a really awesome person to have in MEGADETH. He was when we tried it the first time. And for whatever reason that things happen, things happened and we took a little sabbatical from playing [together]. And when things happened as they did, it was obvious to me that I needed to get a super kickass bass player to come in and cut all the tracks and learn 'em in relatively no time, because we were in the studio already, so I needed to get somebody that could really do all that stuff. And I hadn't made up my mind on James yet. So I ended up asking a super, super legendary bass player in the metal community, Steve DiGiorgio. I asked him if he would come in and guest on the [latest MEGADETH] record and help me to finish the record and cut bass parts. So he came out, and that was really wonderful to hear his interpretation of my songs and the stuff that Kiko and Dirk and I, the stuff that we're starting to write together; we're starting to really develop our chemistry."
Mustaine previously talked about LoMenzo's return to MEGADETH in an interview with Revolver in August 2022. He said at the time: "We welcomed James with open arms, and everybody loves him. He's just such a great, great guy. So it wasn't a hard decision at all to make. It was basically calling him, seeing what he was doing. Everybody is really, really happy with him. I haven't really seen that much pushback from the fans. I know that the two people that matter the most, besides me, Dirk and Kiko, love him. It's what I wanted. I wanted to have the four of us playing together and all being comfortable with one another and knowing that there was no weirdness going on or any double dealing or anything like that, because those are the things that always ruin bands. We've had this closeness, the four of us, since James came. They're always together somewhere — always, always. James is down at the bar having a glass of wine with Kiko, or James is in the gym working out with Dirk. They are always doing something wonderful together."
Loureiro left MEGADETH last fall and was replaced by Teemu Mäntysaari, who had previously played with WINTERSUN.
Image courtesy of MEGADETH's YouTube channel
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24 èþí 2024
DOKKEN Postpones European 'Farewell' Tour After DON DOKKEN Fractures Ankle
 DOKKEN has postponed what is being billed as the band's European "farewell" tour due to frontman Don Dokken's ongoing health issues.
Earlier today, DOKKEN released the following statement via social media: "It is with heavy hearts we have to inform you that all scheduled DOKKEN European Summer dates need to be postponed.
"Due to ongoing complications after extensive neck surgery and a recently fractured ankle, Don will not be able to stand for prolonged periods time nor travel overseas at this time.
"Don believes the European fans deserve the best possible farewell. With this in mind, he will do his best to make good in 2025. Thank you for your understanding and continued support."
In a recent interview with Shawn Ratches of Laughingmonkeymusic, Don spoke about the difficulties he has had preserving his voice as he gets older and the issues he has encountered trying to reproduce DOKKEN's classic material in a live setting. He said in part: "I've had a lot of complaints. I see fans, when I go, 'The kiss of…' [in the song 'Kiss Of Death'] and I hit this B flat above A, this super soprano note, and I wouldn't hit it, and you see people go, 'Well, hey, you didn't hit the note.' I'm, like, 'Dude, I've done, like, three thousand concerts. It's like a motor car. It's getting worn out.'"
He continued: "When you're in your twenties, I don't know if we're gonna have another record or another hit or anything — I don't know. So here I am just singing up [in the high register]. I was trying to copy [Rob] Halford [JUDAS PRIEST], or all those bands and Klaus [Meine, SCORPIONS by singing] so high, but you go on the road for a year and a half and do four hundred shows and five albums and then you start — like me, I'm husky today just from talking to everybody. And that's just the way it is. And you get older. I'm 70, man. And some of these fans go… I've had people say, 'Don needs to give it up. He can't hit the high notes.' I'm, like, 'Let's see you hit those high notes 24-year-old. Go ahead. Go for it.'"
Don went on to say there would still be the naysayers even if he sang "perfect like [he] did in '83". He added: "My daughter used to go on our web site and we used to have an open forum. So anybody could say anything they wanted. And a guy called Acorn, who didn't even use his real name, and he made a comment when he goes, 'I went to five DOKKEN shows this summer and Don sucked.' And I went, 'Then why'd you come to five shows?' And my daughter would fire back. And we finally blocked him. And I said, 'Sweetie, you've gotta remember, this guy works at Subway and he makes tuna sandwiches all day, and he has this new thing called the Internet and he can go on and post whatever he wants,' 'cause I wasn't censoring, 'and that's their way of getting attention.' Then you get the people to say, 'Screw you' and 'I agree with you.'"
Don said that he plans to "keep going until it's not fun anymore", and he had a special message to those DOKKEN fans who are disappointed that he can't reproduce his vocal performance from four decades ago.
"If I can't sing the way they remember me, then just don't come to the show," he said. "I've got no problem with that."
Back in April 2022, ex-DOKKEN bassist Jeff Pilson addressed Don's vocal issues in interview with Tulsa Music Stream. He said: "Well, listen, to be fair, not all vocalists keep their range… You don't have a lot of Glenn Hugheses and Ronnie Dios out there in the world, whose voices seem to just never get affected. I can't sing like I could 35 years ago. So you've gotta keep that in mind.
"With that, I hope Don takes care of himself and I hope he can keep singing for as long as possible and I hope he has a little bit of a breakthrough," Jeff continued. "I know he's had a lot of health issues and he's had — it's just a lot of issues — so there's a reason why he's probably had some difficulties. But I wish him the best; I really do. I think he's just got a wonderful voice, and when it's working, it's a unique, magical voice. So I hope he has less problems in the future."
Don previously talked about his vocal issues in a 2020 interview with Antihero Magazine. At the time, he said: "Yes, it's been a problem. We get older, and our voices are not like they were when I was 27 or 30 or 35 or 40. When you get older, your voice is not as high as it used to be, so you lose your high notes. And I know every singer in this business, there's only a few singers that I know that when I see them live, I say, holy shit, they sound just as good as they did when they were 30, and now they're 70. Klaus Meine still sings amazing. He's got an amazing voice. He still sounds the same. So I guess it's a God thing. Maybe God just gives people a gift."
He continued: "You see Glenn Hughes go out and do DEEP PURPLE songs. And Glenn Hughes, he's [72]. He sings amazing. Ronnie James Dio, to almost the end of his life, when he had cancer, he did a concert at Radio City Music Hall [with HEAVEN & HELL] and he was fighting cancer, and he still sounded amazing, just like he did forever. So I guess some people are blessed and some people are not.
"In my world, I have good days and I have bad days, and I don't want to put the blame on anybody," Don added. "But when you're flying on an airplane for five hours in a pressurized cabin, and then you go to a hotel and the air conditioning's on, and it's 100 degrees outside, and then you go in your room and it's 60 degrees, then you get back on a plane, your voice goes out."
After DOKKEN's previous studio album, 2012's "Broken Bones", failed to meet his expectations commercially, Don publicly questioned whether the band should or would make another record. He was also ruthlessly criticized by fans after radiation treatments from a bout with stomach cancer and eventual vocal-cord surgery hurt his performances.
He told the Bradenton Herald that he took a year or so off after "Broken Bones" to regroup and reassess the band's place in the rock marketplace.
"I was getting so bad I had to say, 'Guys, I'm just destroying our brand. I suck,'" Dokken said. "I put on 40 pounds. I couldn't sing. I just didn't look good; I didn't feel good. I just had to get the radiation over with and rehab and come back."
Don underwent neck and spine surgery in November 2019, leaving him unable to play guitar.
DOKKEN released its 13th studio album, "Heaven Comes Down", on October 27, 2023 via Silver Lining Music. The follow-up to "Broken Bones" was produced by Bill Palmer and Don Dokken and was mixed by Kevin Shirley (AEROSMITH, IRON MAIDEN).
“It is with heavy hearts we have to inform you that all scheduled Dokken European Summer dates need to be postponed....
Posted by Dokken on Friday, June 21, 2024 | 0 | |
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24 èþí 2024
See HD Video Of STEEL PANTHER's Performance At 2024 SWEDEN ROCK FESTIVAL
 The Henrik Hansson YouTube channel has uploaded HD video of STEEL PANTHER's June 8 performance at this year's Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden. Check out the clips below.
The California glam metal jokesters recently announced the final batch of headline dates in the U.S. as part of their "On The Prowl" world tour 2024. The band will return to the road in the United States on August 23 in Buffalo, New York and continue through September 14, where it will wrap up in Jacksonville, North Carolina. The 15-date trek will make stops in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire (August 24-25); Portland, Maine (August 30); Baton Rouge, Louisiana (September 8) and Augusta, Georgia (September 14),to name a few. Additional information on all ticket and VIP packages, including meet-and-greets, exclusive merch items, early entry and more for all tour dates can be found at steelpantherrocks.com.
STEEL PANTHER recently had another career first as they have moved their brand into the world of skateboarding. The band has spent the past year designing an official skateboard deck complete with band illustration on the bottom, custom grip tape and fluorescent green wheels. The "Build A Board" bundle sells for $124.99 (trucks and bearings are not included) for the STEEL PANTHER skateboarder in your life and there is a "Wall Hanger" bundle for $74.99 for the non-skateboarder that loves bitchin' artwork.
In a recent interview with The Hook Rocks!, STEEL PANTHER frontman Michael Starr spoke about the challenge of combining raucous comedy with undeniably catchy rock tunes. He said: "That's the thing about our music, is we know we're poking fun and we're cracking jokes. We have to play good to be able to do that. You can't just like not be able to play and just be comedians. You have to be able to play. And then the other part that we think we're good at is making people laugh and have a good time."
Asked about the task of balancing comedic timing with putting on a high-energy rock show, the 58-year-old Starr, whose real name is Ralph Saenz, said: "I think for us, it really is just how we are as people. After doing this for so many years, we do have a set of jokes that we use a lot, but we also have stuff we haven't used in years and it just ends up popping up and we just say it. But a lot of it's really organic. I mean, we play off the crowd and we're able just to interact with them.
"When we were a cover band and doing the same type of show as a cover band, we learned that you still have to have some sort of structure to it," he explained. "You can't just talk the whole time. 'Cause we did that stuff, and people were throwing shit at us, like, 'Play some fucking music, man.' And so we learned, when you're a major touring act, you've gotta have some sort of structure. So, we structured it out and we have holes for improv and we have holes for whatever we wanna do. But at the same time there's curfews, there's people that are relying on you ending at a certain time and starting at a certain time, so it's a little bit different, but at the same time, it's still organic. And I think that's what makes us unique."
On the topic of whether he and his STEEL PANTHER bandmates work out the jokes in advance, Michael said: "We work them out while we're hanging out together, just in general. Even when we're offstage, we're still riffing. I don't know what that is, but we still just do it. We'll just riff the whole time, be different people and just fuck around with each other. And especially if we have people on the bus or we're hosting a backstage party, then we just start performing because we just can't help ourselves."
Formed in 2000, STEEL PANTHER specializes in imitating and exaggerating the less flattering aspects of 1980s hair metal, with unrepentantly crude, non-PC sexual content as a favorite lyrical theme.
The group's music has been described as "VAN HALEN meets MÖTLEY CRÜE meets RATT meets 'Wayne's World', complete with operatic shrieks, misogyny, shredding guitar solos and libidinal overdrive."
Sixteen years ago, STEEL PANTHER changed its name from METAL SKOOL to its current moniker and shifted the focus of its act from '80s metal covers to originals.
STEEL PANTHER's sixth studio album, "On The Prowl", was released in February 2023.
In September 2022, STEEL PANTHER announced the addition of Spyder as the band's new bassist. | +2 | |
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24 èþí 2024
SAVATAGE's 'Japan Live '94' To Be Released On Vinyl For The First Time
 For three years earMUSIC has been paying tribute to heavy metal legends SAVATAGE with the extensive re-release of their entire studio album back catalog on heavyweight, high-quality 12-inch LP. From "Sirens" (1983) to "Poets And Madmen" (2001),all studio albums returned on finest vinyl after having been sought after by fans and collectors for a long time.
In memory of Criss Oliva and to honor his legacy and his unmistakably unique work, SAVATAGE and earMUSIC celebrated the release of "Ghost In The Ruins" for the very first time on vinyl on October 27, 2023.
Now, with the first-time-ever-on-vinyl release of "Japan Live '94" on August 9, 2024, the exciting LP reissue journey comes to an end.
Like sonic snapshots, live albums memorialize and preserve amplified moments in time. For those in attendance, they allow the ability to relive an aural moment, and for the rest of us, it's the ultimate souvenir, a time-stamped milestone that captures an artist/a band as they were. In SAVATAGE's case, "Japan Live '94" captures a crucially important and significant tour for a band that, after experiencing gut-wrenching tragedy and massive personnel changes, was on undeniably shaky ground but stood tall, nonetheless. It was the first stop on a trip that ultimately forge onward to Sarajevo and Siberia — a journey that, 30 years later, has no end in sight.
This double LP release marks the first time in audio form that the show is available in its entirety with all 16 songs in show running order and all newly mastered for vinyl. The album is being reissued on heavyweight black vinyl, packed in a deluxe gatefold packaging with the original cover design, brand new liner notes by Clay Marshall and rare memorabilia.
In a 2023 interview with Sakis Fragos of Greece's Rock Hard, Jon Oliva confirmed that he is working on new music from SAVATAGE.
"This is gonna be the best album I ever made," the SAVATAGE vocalist promised. "Unless I kill myself. All I know is that the SAVA fans are gonna be fucking blown away when they hear this. They're gonna be blown away. I wasn't gonna do the SAVATAGE thing and just do a half-assed album. If I'm doing this album, it's gonna be the best album I've ever done. 'Cause when I go out, I wanna go out on top."
Zak Stevens joined SAVATAGE in 1992 as the replacement for Jon Oliva. Zak sang on four albums with the band — "Edge Of Thorns" (1993),"Handful Of Rain" (1994),"Dead Winter Dead" (1995) and "The Wake Of Magellan" (1997) — before departing in 2000, allowing Jon to return. Both Jon and Zak took part in SAVATAGE's 2015 performance at Wacken Open Air, which marked the band's first, and only so far, appearance on stage since they went on hiatus back in 2002.
SAVATAGE's last album release, "Poets And Madmen", in 2001 was highlighted by Jon's return as lead vocalist, replacing Zak, who left the band citing family reasons, and the departure of guitarist Al Pitrelli, who accepted an offer to join MEGADETH in 2000. Pitrelli did record solos for some songs prior to his departure. Another very limited U.S. tour followed, supported by FATES WARNING in the early shows, and then NEVERMORE for the remainder. Around this time, Jon chose Zak's replacement in the form of Damond Jiniya (DIET OF WORMS). Damond performed Zak's parts on tour, with Jon having an increased vocal role in proceedings.
In addition to his work with SAVATAGE, Oliva is well known for co-creating the classical music-meets-prog rock and pyro act TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA alongside the project's founder Paul O'Neill. Oliva has reportedly remained involved in TSO's activities even after O'Neill's April 2017 death of an accidental drug overdose. | 0 | |
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24 èþí 2024
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24 èþí 2024
UNLEASH THE ARCHERS Return Home From First Ever Australia / New Zealand Tour - "You Blew Our Faces Off Every Night, And Made Us Feel So Welcome"
 Canadian modern power metal icons, Unleash The Archers, kicked off their first ever Australa / New Zealand tour on June 5th in Canberra, Australia. The tour wrapped up on June 14 at Valhalla in Wellington, New Zealand. The band has checked in with the following update:
"We’ve been home for a few days now, and have finally (maybe?) gotten over our jet lag, so we just wanted to take a moment to say a huge thank you to everyone that made our first Aus/NZ tour such a huge success. For starters, Hardline Media, you amazing humans you, we had the absolute best time. We cannot wait to return, and we cannot wait to work with you again when we do. You were kindhearted, hard working, detail oriented and insanely good at herding us around like the cats we are. Thank you so much, from the bottom of our big, dumb hearts.
Second, of course, thanks to the wild bunch that is Firestorm; you guys were perfect every night, and were the best tour mates we could ever ask for. Whenever we hit the road we always strive to do so with rad people, and we can say that with 100% certainty you guys fit the bill. Can’t wait to watch you rock the world; keep it up, keep going.
Next, we want to thank our sound tech, Troy McCosker, for being so. fkn. good. Not only are you a rad human but you also know your shit and not for one second did we ever have to wonder if we were in good hands. You troubleshot our snake issue in seconds on night one, and sorry but from that moment on we were hooked. Hope to work with you again real soon, buddy.
Lastly, of course, massive thank you to all of our amazing Aussie and Kiwi fans. You blew our faces off every night, and made us feel so welcome. We will return and we will do so as quickly as possible, promise. Huge love to you all, can’t wait to hear your beautiful voices again soon. We will see you again!"
On June 6th, Unleash The Archers performed at Manning Bar in Sydney, Australia. Fan-filmed video of the entire show can be viewed below.
Setlist:
"Abyss"
"Through Stars"
"Soulbound"
"Faster Than Light"
"The Matriarch"
"Awakening"
"Green And Glass"
"Ghosts In The Mist"
"Seeking Vengeance"
"Tonight We Ride"
"Apex"
"Carry The Flame"
"Afterlife" | 0 | |
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24 èþí 2024
LZZY HALE: New HALESTORM Music Is 'So Different' From 'Back From The Dead' In An 'Almost Weightier, Heavier Way'
 In a new interview with Decker of the rock station Razor 94.7/104.7 (WZOR),HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale was asked if fans can expect to get a little taste of new music on the band's upcoming tour that kicks off in July. She responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm going to say probably, but I will warn you, we're a little sneaky about that. So, we're not necessarily gonna be, like, 'Hey, here's a new song.' But there are some things that we're really excited about."
Regarding the progress of the writing and recording sessions for the follow-up to 2022's "Back From The Dead", Lzzy said: "We've been in the studio with [producer] Dave Cobb for some time now, and it's been different this time. It's been very sporadic. It isn't like we mapped out, like, eight weeks of time and we're gonna get a record done. We started going to him — first it was three days to test him out and we wrote a song together from scratch. And everyone was, like, 'Wait. What is this?' And then we went back — we went out on tour, we came back, had another session with him for about two weeks, and then we had another one for three weeks. It keeps getting a little more. And so we have one more session fully booked for August after this tour to kind of finish up everything. But it's really exciting."
Elaborating on HALESTORM's working relationship with Cobb, Lzzy said: "The process has been very like A.D.D., which I really love, because all of us are a little touched by [it] [laughs], if anybody has noticed over the years. But it was a great challenge, because this is Dave Cobb. He's worked with RIVAL SONS and AIRBOURNE, but that's like the rock world that he's in. He's made most of his name from Brandi Carlile and Chris Stapleton and Jason Isbell, whom I love, all three of those artists, so much."
Lzzy went on to say that she and her HALESTORM bandmates initially "got a lot of pushback" from their team about the prospect of working with Cobb. She recalled: "We were saying, 'Oh, wouldn't it be cool to do a record with Dave Cobb? Because that would be something that nobody would really expect from us. And I bet you he would come up with some crazy ideas. Don't know the guy, but let's figure it out.' And everybody on our team was, like, 'No, no, he's too busy. That's not you. He's got this stuff going. He's got, like, nine Grammys with Chris Stapleton. That's not your scene.' And so we kept pushing back. We're, like, 'No, no, no. Just ask him. Just ask him. We can handle rejection, but just ask him.' And so finally, our A&R guy at our label is, like, 'Fine, I'll reach out. Whatever. Just stop bugging me.' And so he reached out, and then he called me, like, the next day. He's, like, 'Hey, I heard back from Dave Cobb. And guess what? Not only does he absolutely know who you are, but he's been wanting to make a record with you for, like, seven years. And he has a plan already of how he wants to do it.' And we're, like, 'What? This is sick.' So anyway, we went to go test the waters, and we go into the studio. And look, I write every day. When I die, there's gonna be so much that everyone has to sift through, just gibberish songs, all that. So I always have, like, a bank with me, like, 'Here's riffs, here's songs, here's subject titles, here's poetry.' And he was, like, 'No, no, no. We're not gonna do anything that you already have. Nothing.' I'm, like, 'Uh. What?' And he's, like, 'No, we're just gonna start.' Everyone's sitting in a circle and we're, like, gonna kumbaya. So everyone got an instrument, like, 'All right. So what are we feeling today?' I'm, like, 'Is this a therapy session?' And we ended up — it's crazy, 'cause then we'll like grab on to something 'cause of that pressure of, like, 'Well, I was thinking about this as this is happening.' 'Cool. Let's go there.' And so he has this amazing instincts that are very, like, you can't see it when you're in it. And then, as soon as we start like putting stuff together, we kind of zoom out and, like, 'Oh, wait a minute. This is so wild and awesome and exactly what we do.' So it's very strange. But we're all very free. And then the other thing is that while we're writing it, we're recording it at the same time. So these tracks are, like, us discovering the song for the first time as well as we're performing them. There are some things that we're performing them all at the same time. There's one track in particular that we completely forgot to put the click track on, and we did like three takes like that, and then we're, like, 'Oh, wait. We don't even have a click going.' Arejay [Hale, HALESTORM drummer and Lzzy's brother] said something, like, 'Were we supposed to have like a click track so we all are on time together?' And everyone's, like, 'We didn't even notice it was gone.' And so we did another take with the click. We're, like, 'No, we like that other one better.' So there's stuff like that. A lot of weird surprises. There's a lot of space. And we're really excited because we're not going country or anything like that, or Americana. This is such a new — it's got so much teeth, and it's so different than what we just did with 'Back From The Dead', but in this almost weightier, heavier way. And the lyrics are — I'm tackling subjects I've never tackled before because I'm having the freedom to do so. So I'm very excited."
HALESTORM and I PREVAIL are gearing up to embark on summer 2024 co-headlining tour. Produced by Live Nation, the trek kicks off on July 9 in Raleigh and runs through August 17 in Las Vegas. HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD and FIT FOR A KING will serve as support. The tour is also the catalyst and the creative spark for HALESTORM and I PREVAIL's collaborative track "Can U See Me In The Dark?", which was released earlier in the month.
HALESTORM has partnered with mental health organization Sound Mind Live to engage fans to pledge support that will provide free-to-the-community mental health programming across the country for fans and the broader community.
Having amassed over 2.5 billion streams globally, the Grammy Award-winning band HALESTORM has grown from a childhood dream of siblings Lzzy and Arejay Hale into one of the most celebrated rock bands of the last two decades. Most recently, the band released "Back From The Dead", their fifth full-length studio album which has tallied over 100 million streams worldwide. Rolling Stone called the title track "a biting but cathartic howler about overcoming all obstacles," and that song as well as "The Steeple" marked their fifth and sixth number ones at rock radio, respectively. Associated Press said the album "will definitely be in the running for best hard rock/metal album of the year." Their previous album, "Vicious", earned the band their second Grammy nomination, for "Best Hard Rock Performance" for the song "Uncomfortable", the band's fourth #1 at rock radio, and led Loudwire to name HALESTORM "Rock Artist Of The Decade" in 2019. Fronted by the incomparable Lzzy Hale with drummer Arejay Hale, guitarist Joe Hottinger and bass player Josh Smith, HALESTORM's music has earned multiple platinum and gold certifications from the RIAA, and the band has earned a reputation as a powerful live music force, headlining sold-out shows and topping festival bills around the world, and sharing the stage with icons including HEAVEN & HELL, Alice Cooper, Joan Jett and JUDAS PRIEST. Additionally, Lzzy was named the first female brand ambassador for Gibson and served as host of AXS TV's "A Year In Music". | +1 | |
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24 èþí 2024
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24 èþí 2024
MASS PUNISHMENT Unleash New Single "Blood Dirt"
 Extreme metal force Mass Punishment have unleashed their powerful new single, "Blood Dirt," via Wormholedeath. The track serves as a scathing indictment of the Iraq War, raising questions about its true purpose and the devastating consequences.
"Blood Dirt" was recorded at Trax East and Bullet Proof Studios in New Jersey by producer Eric Rachel. George Pond guided additional post-production work at The Bomb Shelter Studio.
The band stated: "This song touches on the wars in the Middle East. More poignantly, about Operation Iraqi Freedom, and hidden agendas in the underlying reasons for committing the USA to that particular war in the region. A country in peril with the US invading with military might not seen since WWII. Death and destruction lay in the dust trails as the US and coalition forces pushed further into Iraq. 'Blood turns the sand to soil.' Was it for liberating a people from a tyrannical regime? Was it for a taste of revenge from political leaders? Or was it for oil? Listen to the song and make your own determination."
"Blood Dirt" is taken from the band's upcoming album, Proving Grounds, Vol.1., due for release via Wormholedeath. Pick it up here.
Mass Punishment is a 4-piece Metalcore/Extreme Metal band based out of New Jersey music designed to inform as well as hit as hard as the facts and events the songs are written about. Current events on a social, political, environmental, and economic scale. Of government corruption and depopulation with a population facing death by design.
Mass Punishment is:
Erick Laurino - vocals
Christopher Milos - guitars
Kyle Yannon - bass
Brian Donat - drums | 0 | |
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24 èþí 2024
THY WILL BE DONE Release New Single “Encore Abomination”
 The Northeastern dark horse Thy Will Be Done has dropped another new single, "Encore Abomination", marking their second release in four years. Following the recent bone-crushing "Prelude To Apostasy", which garnered widespread acclaim and even faced controversy with its provocative video flagged by YouTube for age restriction.
"Encore Abomination" harnesses the raw power and intensity that Thy Will Be Done has been revered for, blending early '90s groove metal influences with a ferocious slam metal-inspired chorus, the track showcases the band's evolution while staying true to their signature sound that fans have come to cherish.
“We all had some things to tend to in our personal lives and were quiet for a bit. We wanted 'Encore Abomination' to hit like a sledgehammer. It's unapologetically furious, heavy, and has a groove that goes for the jugular," says frontman J.Costa. "After the overwhelming response to 'Prelude To Apostasy', we knew we had to deliver something that would not only satisfy but surpass expectations."
Thy Will Be Done continues to defy conventions with each release, and "Encore Abomination" is set to further solidify their reputation as purveyors of heavy music. With speculation of an upcoming album in the works, anticipation is at an all-time high as the band prepares to unleash their fury to the world once again.
The band will be supporting Dead To Fall in Brooklyn, NY in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of their Villainy & Virtue album and was recently announced as part of the second wave of artists on the 10th annual RPM Fest in Massachusetts along with Misery Index, Prong, Jasta, Bongzilla and others.
(Photo – Jeremy Saffer) | 0 | |
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24 èþí 2024
JOURNEY's JONATHAN CAIN Believes DONALD TRUMP Is Innocent: 'I Think It Was Unfair What Happened'
 JOURNEY keyboardist Jonathan Cain, a devout born-again Christian whose minister wife Paula White-Cain delivered the invocation at Donald Trump's 2017 presidential inauguration, has offered words of support for the former U.S. president after a New York jury found him guilty of 34 criminal charges last month.
Trump was found guilty of falsifying business records in a New York hush money trial. He became the first former United States President to be convicted of felony crimes.
Trump's conviction stemmed from a $130,000 payment his attorney Michael Cohen made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the days before the 2016 election. Prosecutors said the deal was meant to keep voters in the dark about Daniels's allegation that she had sex with Trump years earlier, which he denies.
Asked by U.K.'s Metro if he really thinks that Trump is "an innocent man", the 74-year-old Cain said: "Put it this way, there might have been some misdemeanors. Crimes, as they're calling it. But yes, I do.
"I think it was unfair what happened," he continued. "It was a sad day for the United States but I think he's a fighter. He has a chance. They can't stop him legally. He can run for president from jail."
Cain added: "It will make him a legend."
In the days after the verdict, over half of voters (54%) said that they approved of the 12 jurors' decision to convict Trump. A similar share believed Trump committed a crime. Only 15% of Republican voters nationwide said they wanted Trump to drop his White House bid.
Back in December 2022, JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon blasted Cain as a "hypocrite" after the JOURNEY keyboardist performed the band's 1981 hit song "Don't Stop Believin'" at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago property. Cain played the track with a backup chorus of U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Donald Trump Jr.'s fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle and former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.
In the past, Schon has publicly voiced his opposition to having JOURNEY's music associated with political or religious causes. Back in 2017, he derided Cain on social media after the keyboardist, singer Arnel Pineda and then-bassist Ross Valory were photographed with Trump in the White House.
In a 2017 video interview conducted in the studios of the radio station ONE FM 91.3, Cain could be heard saying: "We're not political; we don't get into politics. We try to stay in our lane, and I just think that's the best answer we can give you."
Two days after the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Paula White-Cain led an impassioned prayer service in an effort to secure Trump's re-election. In a service video widely shared online, the televangelist prayed for "angels" to help the billionaire real estate mogul in the U.S. presidential election while also taking aim at the "demonic confederacies" that were "attempting to steal the election from Trump." She also claimed that angels had "been dispatched from Africa right now" to help Trump achieve victory.
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24 èþí 2024
Sweden's PORTRAIT Streaming New Single "Die In My Heart"
 Sweden's Portrait returns with their sixth album, The Host, their first ever concept album, set for release on June 21 via Metal Blade Records. In advance of its official unveiling, today the band reveals the latest single, "Die In My Heart".
Founding guitarist Christian Lindell describes the new offering as "an occult tale of sword and sorcery, accompanied by some of the most passionate heavy metal ever recorded. The story takes place in seventeenth century Sweden and revolves around an unnamed protagonist who, because of his experiences with the injustice and hypocrisy of this world, decides to seek truth and strength through its 'Adversary.'"
On the musical side, Portrait's co-founding drummer Anders Persson adds that the album "is a versatile entity, showing all sides of what has become our own style of heavy metal, identity, and sense of melody, yet with some new areas explored in several directions. There are songs that are our fastest and most 'extreme' so far along with songs of an almost semi ballad feeling. It blends perfectly together musically and fits the dramaturgy of the story."
The story of The Host takes place in the Swedish Empire during the Era Of Great Power, an era of constant war. The church played a central role in Swedish society in those days and the task of choosing the men that would be sent out to war was given to the priests. All men above the age of fifteen were summoned to the church hill once a year, where the priest then decided who would be the "lucky" ones (the rule of guidance being that every tenth man was to be picked).
It was preached that the reason for war was all sins committed by common man, and to be part of the army during those times was to be considered something sacred. Biblical passages were often quoted as references in order to legitimize the conquering of enemy territory, and in order to establish a "fear of god" within the army, religious services were held in the military camps twice a day and anyone not attending would be punished.
But there are also court documents from this era showing that some soldiers stood accused of having made pacts with the Devil with the intent of receiving strength and protection in war, as well as luck and prosperity, in exchange for one's own blood and other offerings. A central part of this process was the sacrament of the Eucharist. Once consecrated by the priest, the bread of communion becomes the Host or body of Jesus Christ, elevated to something beyond its mere forms and imbued with magical powers.
There were different methods to employ the Host for sorcerous ends. One of the most common ways was to simply conduct one's magical rites after having partaken of the sacrament in church, as it was believed that one's own magical abilities were at their strongest by then. Another approach was to steal it from church and give it as an offering to the Devil or other spirits summoned for the work at hand.
The Host serves as Portrait's first album to feature guitarist Karl Gustafsson as part of the band's lineup and was recorded in JFK Studio in Sweden. Mixing and production tasks were handled by singer Per Lengstedt at his own Perilous Productions Studio while mastering was handled by Bart Gabriel.
The record will be released on CD and digital formats as well as vinyl in the following color variants:
- Multicolored Splatter - Ltd. 200
- White Black Marbled - Ltd. 300
- 180-gram Black
- Burgundy Red Marbled
Pre-order here.
The Host tracklisting:
"Hoc Est Corpus Meum" (Intro)
"The Blood Covenant"
"The Sacrament"
"Oneiric Visions"
"One Last Kiss"
"Treachery"
"Sound The Horn"
"Dweller Of The Threshold"
"Die In My Heart"
"Voice Of The Outsider"
"From The Urn"
"The Men Of Renown"
"Sword Of Reason (The Steel Of Revenge)"
"The Passions Of Sophia"
"Die In My Heart":
"The Blood Covenant" video:
Portrait live:
June
29 - Pitcher - Düsseldorf, Germany
30 - Bambi Galore - Hamburg, Germany
July
7 - Time To Rock Festival - Knislinge, Sweden
31 - Wacken Open Air - Wacken, Germany
September
27 - L' Homme Sauvage Festival - Auzas, France
Portrait lineup:
Per Lengstedt - vocals
Christian Lindell - guitars
Karl Gustafsson - guitars
Fredrik Petersson - bass
Anders Persson - drums
(Photo - Stefan Johansson) | 0 | |
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24 èþí 2024
RENDEZVOUS POINT Release "Presence" Single And Music Video; Dream Chaser Album Out Now
 Today, Norwegian progressive metal masters, Rendezvous Point, release their third full-length album, Dream Chaser, via Long Branch Records.
The 5-piece around Leprous drummer Baard Kolstad, keyboardist Nicolay Tangen Svennæs, singer Geirmund Hansen, guitarist Petter Hallaråker and bass player Gunn-Hilde Erstad continues to push boundaries with more concise songwriting and a wider focus on groove, riffs, melodies, and hooks.
Rendezvous Point invites listeners to join them on their journey to explore the complexities of modern existence and the depths of emotional turmoil. To celebrate the album's release, the band shared a new music video for the song, "Presence". Watch below, and order the album here.
Dream Chaser tracklisting:
"Don’t Look Up"
"Oslo Syndrome"
"Utopia"
"Fireflies"
"Presence"
"Wildflower"
"The Tormented"
"Still Water"
"Presence" video:
"Utopia" lyric video:
"Oslo Syndrome" video:
"Don't Look Up" video:
Rendezvous Point is:
Geirmund Hansen - Vocals
Baard Kolstad - Drums
Nicolay Tangen Svennæs - Keyboards
Petter Hallaråker - Guitar
Gunn-Hilde Erstad - Bass
(Photo - Jonathan Vivaas Kise)
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24 èþí 2024
ERIK GRÖNWALL Performs JOHNNY CASH's "God's Gonna Cut You Down"; Video
 Erik Grönwall (ex-Skid Row) has released the new video below, stating: "'God's Gonna Cut You Down' is an old traditional American folk song, however I was mostly inspired by Johnny Cash's version. Thank you to @REACHSWEDEN for the inspiration and idea to this cover." | 0 | |
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24 èþí 2024
PURE REASON REVOLUTION To Release Coming Up To Consciousness Album In September; "Dig Till You Die" Single And Video Out Now
 Pure Reason Revolution return with their sixth studio album, Coming Up To Consciousness, released on September 6 via InsideOutMusic. Betrayal, deception, fear, grief, mortality, and questions of sanity: heady and primordial themes animate the latest conceptual LP from Pure Reason Revolution.
Jon Courtney comments: “Spawned from the bereavement after my dog was put down, a numb & dry creative spell ensued, but after a meeting with my writer friend Craig Walker (Archive/Power of Dreams) & sharing how the last months had been, he urged me to get this experience down in lyrics & music. Suddenly the album flew out of me/us! In terms of recording process, this album was probably the most enjoyable to make, with the various collaborations firing creativity.”
To mark the announcement, the band have also launched the albums first single and opening track, "Dig Till You Die". You can watch the Thomas Hicks-directed video below.
Coming Up To Consciousness is the third of its post-hiatus renaissance records that began with 2020's Eupnea and continued in 2022's Above Cirrus. Like those two predecessors, the new record is intensely personal. Its eight tracks are all between four and seven minutes long - concise by PRR standards - and they grapple with darkness of various kinds.
Courtney, who lives in Berlin, shared writing duties on several tracks with US-based Greg Jong. The pair formed Pure Reason Revolution together in the early 00s at the University of Westminster, creating breakout hit "The Bright Ambassadors of Morning" as their third year project. They reconnected during the creation of Eupnea and have continued the partnership since then both in the studio and on stage. Legendary session musician Guy Pratt, who has worked with Pink Floyd among myriad iconic acts, provided bass guitar on seven of the eight tracks, resulting in more ambitious bass lines than any of Pure Reason Revolution's previous records. Meanwhile, Ravi Kesavaram, of My Vitriol fame, returns to the drums on this record after touring with the band in 2022.
Another newcomer on this record is vocalist Annicke Shireen, known for her work with Shireen and Heilung, as well as her solo project. Shireen stepped in after original PRR member and fan favourite Chloe Alper was unavailable for recent live shows. With Alper's schedule remaining packed for the foreseeable future, she has been unable to rejoin the lineup. She and Courtney agreed it made more sense for Shireen to sing on the record if she was going to continue appearing in shows. Both Courtney and Jong have nothing but enthusiasm for working with her:
"They're impossible shoes to fill in a lot of ways," Greg Jong says. "But we were just blown away with how good she is. We were really excited by the fact that vocally she does have a similar tone to Chloe, and yet she definitely holds her own.”
The band was equally thrilled to work with multiple members of prog icon The Pineapple Thief; the record was mixed by Bruce Soord, mastered by Steve Kitch, and sees Jon Sykes playing bass on one track. Coming Up To Consciousness is also the third PRR album to feature cover art by Jill Tegan Doherty, who Courtney originally met in Berlin on a German language course.
The album will be available as a Limited CD+DVD Digipak (featuring 5.1 Surround Sound & High Resolution Stereo Mixes), Standard CD Jewelcase, as well as a Gatefold ReVinyl LP (Recycled Vinyl), and digitally in both stereo and Dolby Atmos.
Pre-order here.
Tracklisting:
"Prelude: Coming up to Consciousness"
"Dig Till You Die"
"Interlude 1"
"Betrayal"
"The Gallows"
"Interlude 2"
"Useless Animal"
"Interlude 3"
"Worship"
"Interlude 4"
"Bend the Earth"
"Lifeless Creature"
"Interlude 5"
"As We Disappear"
"Dig Till You Die" video: | 0 | |
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24 èþí 2024
KREATOR Live At Wacken Open Air 2023; Pro-Shot Video Released
 Kreator performed at the 2023 edition of Germany's Wacken Open Air festival, and you can now watch professionally-filmed footage of the band performing the tracks "People Of The Lie", "666 - World Divided", and "Hail To The Hordes".
Watch the full show at Magenta Musik, here.
Kreator recently released their new boxset featuring Enemy Of God / Hordes Of Chaos remastered, including Kreator comics and a Kreator Demon mask.
The set is available via Nuclear Blast Records. Order here, and watch an official lyric video for the band's cover of Bad Religion's "You Are The Government" below.
Enemy Of God was originally released in 2005 via Steamhammer and Hordes Of Chaos in 2009 through Steamhammer.
Box contents:
1x Demon Mask
1x Comic #2
1x Comic #3
2LP Gatefold 4p Booklet (Remaster)
2CD Digipak Remaster + WOA 2005
1LP Gatefold Remaster + Bonus Tracks
2CD Digipak Remaster + Bonus Tracks + Remix Album
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24 èþí 2024
METALLICA's KIRK HAMMETT: 'I Don't Believe We Tour Enough'
 During an appearance on the 45th episode of "The Metallica Report", the podcast offering weekly insider updates on all things METALLICA, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett spoke about what it has been like to return to the road after taking a six-month break with the "M72" world tour. Kirk said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm just happy to be out here and bringing the music to the people, man, like I always am. And I'm happy having the feeling of, like, METALLICA is a working, touring band, 'cause sometimes I miss that feeling, 'cause I don't believe we tour enough. But that's just how it is. So, what I can get out of this, I'm always up for it. It's just, like, 'Yeah, bring it on.' 'Cause this is what it's all about, is playing guitar and writing, recording, going out on tour. It's what it's all about. And I don't feel that there's enough of it in my life right now."
Asked if "M72" feels like a brand new tour after taking a six-month break from the road, Kirk said: "No, it doesn't feel like a whole new thing. Walking out to see the stage yesterday [in Munich, Germany] for the first time in about six months or so, it just felt like a continuation. Everything looks super familiar — familiar stage, familiar monitors, familiar screens, familiar crew, familiar faces, familiar guitars, familiar songs. It's really easy for me to spot right into place."
Regarding his preparation for these shows, Hammett said: "It's our normal thing. I hook up with Rob [METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo] during the day with final arrangements for the duets. And I'll make sure I hop on a Peloton for about 20 minutes or so, 'cause I have knee issues, so that pedaling, I have to make sure my knee is nice and strong. And then once I get to the gig, I usually do my usual yoga thing. And my entire day is filled with sporadic guitar playing here and there."
On the topic of his lifestyle right now in terms of health, Kirk said: "Well, I keep up on my pretty physically active lifestyle anyway. When I'm at home, I am continuously walking or biking, swimming. I can't really run or do any surfing these days 'cause of aforementioned knee issue. But hopefully that's just a transitional thing — I know it is a transitional thing. But going into this tour, I was totally ready for it and in shape, which is pretty remarkable considering that I have a lot of responsibility at home and whatnot. But I managed to get it all together miraculously — miraculously so. And so it was just, like, 'Yeah, we're going on tour. I'm ready.' … I mean, let's face it. I'm a musician. I'm a guitar player. And so it becomes a huge opportunity, 'cause I play my guitar every day — to be able to get paid for it, yeah, of course I'm gonna… 'Cause I'm gonna be playing my guitar anyway. I might as well get paid for it. [Laughs]"
In a 2017 interview with Noisey, Lars Ulrich said that it was METALLICA's enormous commercial success that enabled the band to control how much it tours any given year.
"Over the years, when you're fortunate enough to become successful, when you become successful you can become more financially independent," the METALLICA drummer explained. "And so we've been able to put parameters on how we tour so we can spend more time at home. We have a two-week rule: we don't leave home for more than two weeks at a time, 16 days at the most. We did 180 dates on the last album in two-week increments. It's not the most cost-effective way of touring the world, but we believe you can't put a price on sanity. If you remain somewhat sane, then there's a better chance of finishing all the shows and not jumping off the deep end in despair and misery."
In support of METALLICA's latest album, "72 Seasons", the band has been playing two-night, no-repeat shows in each city— first in Europe , then in North America and now back in Europe — as part of the "M72" tour. Each concert sees METALLICA performing on a massive ring-shaped stage, with the Snake Pit in the center, and four drum sets which are equally spaced out around the circular stage so drummer Lars Ulrich can get closer to the audience at various points in the show.
After Munich and Milan, METALLICA continued touring throughout Europe for the first part of summer, with stops in Spain, Denmark, Norway, France and Poland, among others. Another round of North American dates will begin on August 2 in Foxborough, Massachusetts, with stops in Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle and Edmonton. METALLICA will close out the 2024 touring season with four shows in Mexico City at the end of September.
According to Billboard, METALLICA's production travels in 87 trucks — 45 for the band and its setup, plus two groups of 21 each for the steel stage and towers. There are 130 people in the band's crew, plus 40 steelworkers, local hires and truck drivers.
METALLICA's manager Cliff Burnstein told Billboard that between 80% and 90% of fans at each concert attend both shows.
The "M72" tour launched in late April 2023 in Amsterdam.
Opening acts include FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, ICE NINE KILLS, MAMMOTH WVH, PANTERA, ARCHITECTS, GRETA VAN FLEET and VOLBEAT.
A portion of proceeds from the shows go to METALLICA's All Within My Hands foundation, which seeks to assist and enrich the lives of members of the communities who have supported the band and combat food insecurity; provides disaster relief; and bestows scholarships.
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Totengott
