Toronto rocker Danko Jones has checked in with a new lockdown video:
"Check out this quarantine jam I did with Mikey And His Uke. It's a cover of the Dead Kennedys song 'Police Truck' featuring Darrin Pfeiffer, Eric Melvin from NOFX, Mikey And His Uke, and Norwood Fisher from Fishbone. An honour to sing one of my favourite DK songs with these gentlemen. Miachel Crusty put this video together."
Danko Jones recently released an official lyric video for their new single, "Flaunt It". Check it out below. "Flaunt It" is taken from their forthcoming album, Power Trio, which is due to be released on August 27. It was produced by Eric Ratz.
Danko: "I’m gonna be real here, it FUCKING RULES. I’m very proud we made this album and HOW we made this album."
Tracklist:
"I Want Out"
"Good Lookin'"
"Saturday"
"Ship Of Lies"
"Raise Some Hell"
"Blue Jean Denim Jumpsuit"
"Get To You"
"Dangerous Kiss"
"Let’s Rock Together"
"Flaunt It"
"Start The Show" (feat. Phil Campbell)
Famous Underground / Creeping Beauty guitarist Darren Michael Boyd released the official video for his solo single "Night Of The Neurotoxins" on May 9th. Check it out below along with a previously released behind-the-scenes clip.
"Night Of The Neurotoxins" is taken from Boyd's latest instrumental album, Wonders Of The Invisible World, released in late 2020. It is available on streaming platforms and via Bandcamp.
Tracklist:
"Wonders of the Invisible World"
"Earth Pads"
"Night of the Neurotoxins"
"Making a Homunculus"
"Disciplinary Measures"
"Ghost Notes"
"Ice Storm"
"Slithering"
"Arachnochakra"
"The Law of Three"
Sweden's Horndal has premiered a new music video for "Rossen". Taken from their recently released sophomore album, Lake Drinker, the animated video was put together by Kalle Haglund (Bruto Studio). "Rossen"'s stark warning against big tech and tale of industrial decline is captured with unnerving and captivating aplomb through the high octane visual, as a solitary figure metaphorically embodies Lake Drinker's real life tragedy.
Lake Drinker is the heavy soundtrack to a true horror story about a small industrial town in Sweden being brutally murdered, left to rust away, and then fooled into believing in the false hope of prosperity, promised by big American tech. The follow up to 2019’s Remains, Lake Drinker is a cautionary tale about making a deal with the devil. But this story of urban decay is not a fairytale or fantasy, it’s rooted in the real lives of the citizens of Horndal, retold by a band whose own lives are umbilically linked to the town itself.
Recorded in the iconic Studio Gröndahl in Stockholm, Sweden with producer Karl Daniel Lidén (Bloodbath, Katatonia, Crippled Black Phoenix) taking care of recording, mixing and mastering, Lake Drinker is a worthy follow up to their debut. The songs are captured in a raw, organic form, making the album come alive as it weaves its tale, incorporating elements of sludge, death metal and furious punk attitude. The album features some guest contributions courtesy of Pelle Jacobsson from Sweden’s National Radio Symphony Orchestra (classical percussion), Christer Falk and Daniel Johansson (horn arrangements), Johan Jansson of Interment and Dreadful Fate (guest vocals), and last but by no means least the voices of Horndal’s own protesters.
This is a story about the town of Horndal, but there are many others just like it out there. Here’s to all rusty hometowns out there. Drink up.
Lake Drinker tracklisting:
"Rossen"
"Horndal's Blodbad"
"The Uprising"
"The Black Wheel"
"Kalhygget"
"Ruhr"
"Growing Graves"
"Home"
"Thor Bear"
"Town Burner"
"Ormön"
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit many hard, not to say the least the musicians in Sweden. The rock band Velvet Insane wants to make a difference and has started the project Save The Noize together with some of Scandinavia's greatest rock musicians. All proceeds from the project goes to help musicians in need.
Save The Noize is a charity project started by the glam rock band Velvet Insane and Rasmus Harnesk Wiklund (Hårdrock - För Fan!-Podcast, Veritas). The project is in benefit of the Musikerförbundet’s crisis foundation and involves some of the biggest Nordic artists within the genre of rock & hard rock, coming together to record a song where all the income goes to the previously named foundation.
The idea was born during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has stricken hard against everybody, not to say the least against musicians in Sweden and around the world.
Save The Noize is a modern and socially relevant hard rock song. A big refrain, catchy melody, and power, is the focus to give the feeling of musicians and culture creators in Sweden as well as around the world, coming together for a common cause. To support and help each other.
Save The Noize is performed by:
Velvet Insane
Jesper Binzer (D-A-D)
Ryan Roxie (Alice Cooper, Solo, Roxie 77, Casablanca)
Guernica Mancini & Majsan Lindberg (Thundermother)
Pontus Norgren (Hammerfall)
Åge Sten Nilsen (Wig Wam, Solo, Ammunition)
Peo Thyrén (Noice, Easy Action, Sha-boom)
Martin Sweet (Crashdiet, Sweet Creature)
Tony Harnell (Solo, Starbreaker, Lovekillers, Westworld, TNT)
Nina Söderquist (Solo, Heartwind)
Georg Härnsten Egg (Dynazty, Joe Lynn Turner)
Marcus Berggren
Jimmy Strimell (Ex. Dead By April)
Love Magnusson (Dynazty, Joe Lynn Turner)
Matti Alfonzetti (Skintrade)
Scarlet
Eric “Cat Casino” Bäckman (Deathstars)
Olof Wikstrand (Enforcer)
Danny Rexon (Crazy Lixx)
Dag “Hell” Hofer (Bullet)
Jens Westin (Corroded)
Trond Holter (Wig Wam, Jorn)
Wildness
Rasmus Harnesk Wiklund & Jens Werner (Veritas)
Mikael Blanc (Degreed)
Guitar legend Steve Vai has released the video below, featuring the Passion And Warfare album track, "For The Love Of God", processed and upscaled in 2021 from the original version by Mike Mesker.
Earlier this month, Via checked in with the following update:
"Hey folks, Steve here. We are working on a huge coffee table book showcasing 100 of my best-known guitars. It's going to be an up-close look at each instrument through beautiful detailed photography. As we were deciding which guitars to include, it got me thinking about some of the guitars that I've parted with over the years. Some I've sold or auctioned for charity, and others have gone missing.
Check out our list below: We'd love to include some of these guitars in the book. If you're now the owner of any of these guitars (or know who is), please reach out to us at: missingvaiguitars@gmail.com."
1. Little Annie Fanny Guitar
Vai: "Serial Number 01447 One of the most recognizable guitars from the “Eat ‘Em and Smile” days, the guitar is so named because it is covered with art from Little Annie Fanny comic strips. It was used mostly as a backup guitar on tour, and appears in many photos and posters from 1986. The guitar’s front & middle pickups were removed, and it features an early handle grip pre-dating the Jem. Its 22-fret maple fingerboard is scalloped, and it features a Floyd Rose tremolo. This guitar was sold by Rockstar Guitars. This guitar was one of 4 of the original Jem prototypes I assembled before I was working with Ibanez."
2. Jackson Soloist "Ike Turner"
Vai: "Serial #: J0334 This pink Jackson was used extensively on the Alcatrazz Disturbing The Peace tour, and re-appeared during the Eat ’Em And Smile Tour. It has also appeared in a few magazines and ads – namely a DiMarzio pickups ad with Billy Sheehan. It was once outfitted with a plastic wrist-rest, and had the words IKE TURNER written on the front of the pickguard in white lettering. Later the rest and pickguard were removed, the screw holes filled, and the guitar was repainted a lighter shade of pearlescent pink. A crack in the nut/back of headstock has been repaired – hence the extra set of screws in the back of the neck. This guitar was sold in the 2000’s by Rockstar Guitars. I also used this guitar on the recordings of 'Ladies Night in Buffalo' on David Lee Roth’s Eat 'Em and Smile record."
3. Zng Zng Guitar
Vai: "No Serial Number. This custom guitar made by my longtime buddy Joe Despagni, was used on the David Lee Roth Eat 'Em And Smile Tour – and can be seen in many photos from that tour. I auctioned this guitar on Ebay circa 2003/2004."
4. Lightning Bolt Guitar
Vai: "No Serial Number. Another Despagni custom, this was used on the David Lee Roth 1986 tour and can be seen in many photos from those days. In 2002 this guitar was auctioned for charity, and was purchased by Alex Lo of Illinois. Alex, we'd love to hear from you."
5. Swiss Cheese guitar
Vai: "The Swiss Cheese Guitar was made for me by my old friend Joe Despagni, and I used in the 'Yankee Rose video'. This guitar was slated to be taken on that tour but it was one of the ones that got stolen from our Pasadena rehearsal pad, Perkins Palace. I have never seen the guitar since, but maybe someone out there still has it.
6. "Stucco Blue"
Vai: "No Serial Number Built from various parts circa 1984/1985, this guitar was my first custom-made guitar and featured customized electronics and three humbucking pickups, which could be split to single coils if preferred. It was used on Flex-Able, and onstage during the Alcatrazz Disturbing The Peace tour in 1985. I have no idea what happened to this guitar, but would love to find it."
7. "Pumpkin"
Vai: "Unfortunately I loaned this guitar to someone and they pawned it, and then disappeared. This was a custom shop Jem where we were trying out different swirl colors. The guitar has the Custom Shop logo on the back of the headstock with Mace Bailey's name (Ibanez Master Builder). The headstock says 'Steve Vai' where it would normally have the 'Jem' logo. It does not have a Lion's Claw routing under the trem, but a standard routing. The Orange and Black pickups have the orange flaking off. In 1996, someone found it in a pawn shop and around 1998/1999 traded it for Peavy EVH Wolfgang. And then the trail went cold."
8. Floral Jem with a Roland GK-2A Synth controller
Vai: "Neck plate Serial #: 262339; Back of Headstock serial #: F0055388. This is a standard Jem 77 FP fitted with a Roland GK-2A Synth controller. The synth pickup sits between the bridge and humbucker pickup, and a small cable runs over the tremolo to the small controller module positioned to the right of the tone knob (and affixed with velcro). This guitar was part of my Harmony Hut arsenal, and was used on the Real Illusions album, but has since vanished."
If you're now the owner of any of these guitars (or know who is), please reach out to Steve Vai at missingvaiguitars@gmail.com.
Endseeker recently released their new album, Mount Carcass, via Metal Blade Records. A guitar playthrough video for the track "Cult" can be seen below:
Having become one of the premier German death metal bands - and rapidly rising the ranks of the genre as a whole - Endseeker storm back into the fray with Mount Carcass. Building on the groundwork laid down on 2017's Flesh Hammer Prophecy and having the difficult task of besting 2019's stunning The Harvest, they have returned with a streamlined, powerful collection that further raises the bar.
Like both of its predecessors, Mount Carcass was recorded, produced, mixed, and mastered by Eike Freese at Chameleon Studios in Hamburg, Germany. Going into the record, Endseeker knew they wanted something rawer and more organic than The Harvest, and while COVID was causing global havoc, the band embraced the time they would have otherwise spent touring, using it to rehearse and discuss what they wanted the record to be. From this process they knew they wanted the songs to be quite straightforward and even have something of a "punkish / crust feel, so to speak. The songs are pretty reduced to the core with all the ballast removed. Every part and every riff has a meaning and isn't just there for no other reason than extending the song. The album is also very melodic. There are a bunch of very strong guitar hooks and vocal compositions that really stick in your ears for days. It's way simpler and probably more easy to listen to compared to 'The Harvest' or 'Flesh Hammer Prophecy', but at the same time, it has a very spontaneous and lively attitude with a big chunk of personality."
To keep the genre sounding fresh in 2021, they focused on the production, having just a touch of the old school vibe to remain rooted, and they did not limit themselves too hard to the Swedish death metal style of songwriting they previously embraced, but also let other influences into their songs.
"You can hear all kinds of stuff that is inspired by bands like Morbid Angel, Bolt Thrower, Slayer, Dissection, Gorefest, etc. We listen to so many different bands, and somehow, a bit from all of this keeps adding to our music."
German hard rock band, Fargo, have released "Gimme That Bone", their new single and video from their new studio album, Strangers D'Amour. The video features two special guests: former Fargo guitar player Hanno Grossmann and Torsten Lüderwaldt on keyboards, well known for his work for the band Fair Warning.
Bass player Peter Knorn says: “Compared to our comeback album Constellation, Strangers D'Amour sounds even more mature and rounded, with our typically driving beats and lots of melodious chorus parts, but also with a few little surprises thrown in, 'Gimme That Bone' has guitar player Peter Ladwig play a Hammond organ and Fender Rhodes, as well as his guitar."
Find the video below.
Strangers D'Amour will be released through SPV/Steamhammer on June 25 as CD digipak, LP in black vinyl and digital. There will also be an exclusive CD/LP bundle with a T-Shirt only available at the Steamhammer shop. Order here.
Tracklisting:
"Rain Of Champagne"
"Gimme That Bone"
"Closer To The Sun"
"Time"
"Mary Says"
"Law Of The Jungle"
"Homesick"
"Dear Miss Donna Vetter"
"No Reason To Cry"
"Car Expert"
"Why Don’t You"
Video of FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares playing the band's first new song in over five years, "Disruptor", can be seen below. The track will appear on the band's upcoming album, "Aggression Continuum", due on June 18 via Nuclear Blast Records.
The "Disruptor" video — created by Finland's Riivata Visuals — is also available, along with the "Aggression Continuum" cover art, designed by LIGHT THE TORCH guitarist Francesco Artusato.
Cazares previously commented: "This record is one of my proudest achievements and I'm really excited for it to finally be released. There were a lot of personal struggles, sacrifices, and legal issues involved with this record which almost didn't see the light of day, but through passion, determination, lots of hard work and not giving up the fight, it’s finally ready for the world to hear. I felt that I needed to prove myself once again as I always try and make each record better than the last. Listen, and understand! This album is pissed! It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear and it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are hooked. You must fight to survive in the 'Aggression Continuum'."
"Aggression Continuum" features guitarist, songwriter and co-founder Dino Cazares; drummer Mike Heller; and former vocalist, lyricist, and co-founder Burton C. Bell. It was produced and engineered by Damien Rainaud (DRAGONFORCE, ONCE HUMAN), with keyboards by Igor Khoroshev (ex-YES), and programming on two songs from longtime collaborator Rhys Fulber (FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY). "Aggression Continuum" was mixed by A-list rock and metal producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, TRIVIUM), who also mixed FEAR FACTORY's previous album, 2015's "Genexus".
"Aggression Continuum" track listing:
01. Recode
02. Disruptor
03. Aggression Continuum
04. Purity
05. Fuel Injected Suicide Machine
06. Collapse
07. Manufactured Hope
08. Cognitive Dissonance
09. Monolith
10. End Of Line
Last September, Bell issued a statement officially announcing his departure from FEAR FACTORY, saying that he "cannot align" himself with someone whom he does not trust or respect.
Bell's exit from FEAR FACTORY came more than two weeks after Cazares launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist him with the production costs associated with the release of FEAR FACTORY's long-awaited new LP.
Bell later told Kerrang! magazine that his split with FEAR FACTORY was a long time coming. "It's been on my mind for a while," he said. "These lawsuits [over the rights to the FEAR FACTORY name] just drained me. The egos. The greed. Not just from bandmembers, but from the attorneys involved. I just lost my love for it.
"With FEAR FACTORY, it's just constantly been, like, 'What?!' You can only take so much. I felt like 30 years was a good run. Those albums I've done with FEAR FACTORY will always be out there. I'll always be part of that. I just felt like it was time to move forward."
Pressed about whether there is any chance of a reconciliation with FEAR FACTORY down the line, Burton said: "I'm done. I haven't spoken to Dino in three years. I haven't spoken to Raymond [Herrera, drums] and Christian [Olde Wolbers, bass] in longer than that, and I have no intention to. I'm just moving forward with my life."
In October, Dino issued a statement in which he said that the door for Burton to come back to FEAR FACTORY wouldn't "stay open forever." The guitarist also revealed that Burton "lost his legal rights" to the FEAR FACTORY name "after a long court battle" with Herrera and Olde Wolbers. "I had the opportunity to do something right, and I felt that obtaining the name in full was the right thing to do for the both of us, so after nearly four years we can continue as FEAR FACTORY, to make more records and to tour," he said. "That is why it is sad to hear that he decided to quit and, in my opinion, for whatever issues he has it seems like it could've been worked out."
In explaining his reasons for starting a fundraising campaign, Cazares said that all donations would go toward covering newly incurred production costs involved with the making of the new FEAR FACTORY LP, including re-recording the drums, guitars, bass and keyboards, as well as production by Damien Rainaud and Cazares, and mixing and mastering by Andy Sneap. Burton's original lead vocals, which were recorded in full in 2017, remain on the new version of the album.
FEAR FACTORY's fundraising campaign marked the first public activity from the band since it completed a 2016 U.S. headlining tour on which it performed its classic second album, "Demanufacture", in its entirety.
Bell's ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS project released its second full-length album, "Apocrypha", last October via Dissonance Productions.
ILL NIÑO has released a video for the new track "All Or Nothing", featuring a guest appearance by P.O.D. vocalist Sonny Sandoval, from the group's forthcoming album, "IllMortals".
"Like P.O.D., ILL NIÑO have always incorporated their culture, roots and heritage into their music and sound, which have set them apart in this metal scene for over two decades," Sandoval says. "It was my honor and privilege to have contributed to this record. After knowing them for 20 years now, I don't know why we didn't do this sooner."
Adds ILL NIÑO vocalist Marcos Leal: "'All Or Nothing' was written as a challenge to myself. I knew the moment I joined ILL NIÑO I would face negativity, scrutiny and possibly ridicule. It caused me to question myself, and even question if I was good enough to embrace this opportunity. I challenged myself as I'm challenging all of you, what would you do if the opportunity of a lifetime was within your grasp? I chose to go 'all or nothing.' I wanna thank one of my heroes, Sonny Sandoval of P.O.D. for lending his freshness to this track and being a constant inspiration."
The "All Or Nothing" single will be available via digital music providers on May 14.
Last December, ILL NIÑO debuted a new track, "Máscara", featuring a guest performance from AJ Channer of FIRE FROM THE GODS.
"IllMortals" is slated for release this fall via Break Silence Music (BSM), which is distributed through ONE-RPM.
Last December, ILL NIÑO released the official music video for its previous single, "Máscara".
ILL NIÑO's current lineup features founding member Dave Chavarri and longtime bassist Laz Pina alongside recent recruits, Leal (SHATTERED SUN), lead guitarist Jes DeHoyos (SONS OF TEXAS) and rhythm guitarist Sal Dominguez (UPON A BURNING BODY).
"IllMortals" will feature additional guest appearances by Benji Webbe (SKINDRED) and Max Georgiev (FALLING IN REVERSE).
ILL NIÑO's new LP will mark the band's first release since the departure of vocalist Cristian Machado, lead guitarist Ahrue "Luster" Ilustre and rhythm guitarist Diego Verduzco. Machado, Ilustre and Verduzco, along with Chavarri and Pina, announced in March 2020 that they had "reached a mutual, amicable and binding agreement" that will allow Chavarri and Pina to continue with ILL NIÑO while Machado, Verduzco and Ilustre will move on with new projects. According to a joint statement release by the five musicians, "No party has admitted fault and there has been no court judgment on the merits. The parties entered into a confidential settlement agreement."
During a November 2020 Facebook Live chat with The New York Hardcore Chronicles, Chavarri stated about ILL NIÑO's recent lineup changes: "When all this went down, Laz and I had taken the high road and been classy about it and not really spoken out. We think it's weak to go out there and badmouth somebody and spread half-truths and play the victim and try to get attention. That's not what we wanna do. We wanna keep it positive. The band is doing better than ever."
Regarding ILL NIÑO's new members, Dave said: "We were very fortunate to get the best guys in the band. We've got Marcos Leal, who also sings for a band called SHATTERED SUN. A great kid, man. Fucking hungry as fuck to get shit done. But very, very on top of his game. He's a fucking star from beginning to end. But the best part of it all is that he's such an easy guy to work with. He's so into the music, and he's so passionate about the business, and that's half the fucking battle. When you lose your passion… I can't work with people that aren't passionate about what they do anymore, and that was one of the biggest reasons for the lineup change. We've got Jes DeHoyos on lead guitar, who also plays in another band called SONS OF TEXAS, and Sal Dominguez, who used to be in UPON A BURNING BODY. We had the pleasure of hanging out with him on Mayhem festival when we toured with those guys, and it was fucking hilarious. We had a lot of fun with those guys. We love UPON A BURNING BODY — a great fucking band. And we revamped the lineup, man. This is the new lineup."
He continued: "The one thing about this lineup is that we're here to elevate each other. We're not here to put each other down or point fingers. This band elevates each other. Every single member in this band is so important to the puzzle right now, because we all feed off each other. We all speak on a daily basis. I talk to every bandmember practically every single day, and that's something that was missing — the disconnection that I had with the last lineup. It was a disconnection that actually started about seven years ago, and it just got progressively worse.
"Listen, sometimes you have to go through shit like that to be able to step into a positive light and into a better situation," Chavarri added. "And that's the way life is, right? It throws you some fucking fucked up shit along the way so you can come out and blast it off with what you've got going on now."
Machado recently confirmed that he is working with Ilustre and Verduzco on a new project. The as-yet-unnamed group has already completed an album's worth of material for a tentative late 2021 release.
THE POLYPHONIC SPREE has just released a music video for its performance of "The Spirit Of Radio" by RUSH, the 1980 hit song by the legendary Canadian rock band. The song is featured on "Afflatus", THE POLYPHONIC SPREE's new album of cover songs, which came out on April 16. Now, fans can watch THE POLYPHONIC SPREE perform the song live, captured during the 12-hour session for "Afflatus", just before the world shutdown in March 2020.
"We knew it was probably going to be the last time we saw each other for a long time," reminisces frontman Tim DeLaughter, "and the next day, everything started to close."
Like THE POLYPHONIC SPREE's cover of "She's A Rainbow" by THE ROLLING STONES, the band's history with "The Spirit Of Radio" goes all the way back to the 1980s. "I covered it with my high school band, REGENCY, so for nostalgic reasons, we thought it would be fun to try it with THE SPREE," says DeLaughter.
THE POLYPHONIC SPREE's first full-length album since 2014's "Psychphonic", "Afflatus" was recorded live in one evening at the band's home studio, just before the 2020 lockdown, and features covers of INXS, Barry Manilow, THE ROLLING STONES, ABBA, and more.
Having just celebrated its 20th anniversary as a band, THE POLYPHONIC SPREE is currently at work on a new full-length album of original material, slated for release this fall.
Featuring a range of material from a diverse group of artists that all hold a special significance to the band, the track list includes songs like "She's A Rainbow" — a staple of THE POLYPHONIC SPREE's live set for years — as well as songs that fans have never heard before, like "Could It Be Magic" by Barry Manilow, which holds a special significance to DeLaughter.
"A lot of the music I'm attracted to, melodically speaking, can be traced back to my younger years," he explains. "I was running my dad's business on the weekends as a kid, and there was this cassette of Barry Manilow songs that I played over and over. I loved the grandiose, high-reaching production for essentially a pop song."
"It was inevitable that THE SPREE would end up doing this," adds DeLaughter. "We were asked to play a covers show at The Kessler Theater in Dallas and were ready to go, but with the shutdowns starting to happen around the country, we made the last-minute call not to perform. We had all been together for weeks rehearsing, so we decided to get the band together at our home studio and record the entire show live in one take, just to capture it. We knew it was probably going to be the last time we saw each other for a long time, and the next day, everything started to close."
The album opens with "Don't Change" by INXS, which the band first performed on their 2010 tour of Australia.
"We wanted to pay homage to one of their country's great artists,” DeLaughter adds, "but it's also just an awesome song. I love its forward moving, almost gliding feel."
THE POLYPHONIC SPREE's upcoming, full-length album will be their first release of original material since 2013's "Yes, It's True".
"Afflatus" track listing:
01. Don't Change (INXS)
02. You Put My Love Out The Door (DANIEL JOHNSTON)
RESURRECTION KINGS, the project featuring Craig Goldy (guitar), Chas West (vocals) and Vinny Appice (drums), will release its sophomore album, "Skygazer", on July 16 via Frontiers Music Srl. The follow-up to 2015's self-titled debut picks up where that LP left off, offering a magnificent set of songs with big, heavy riffs coupled with loads of catchy hooks and melodies.
Today, the band has released the first taste of music from the album, a single and video for the title track.
Goldy says: "Once again, with the talent pool in which we have access to create, we all brought our 'A' game to the writing and recording of this album. With the freedom to utilize the music that we all were influenced by that started our musical endeavours to begin with, hopefully we expanded upon them in a way in which to inspire another generation of listeners to start a similar journey."
Goldy is truly on fire here, hitting every note with passion and feel. West shows off his massive pipes, delivering an exquisite hard rock performance. Appice is, as always, rock solid behind the kit. Fans who loved the '80s hard rock/metal vibe coupled with touches of '70s legends of the band's debut, will have much to celebrate with "Skygazer".
Of the first single, the title track, Goldy says: "'It started out with a drum groove sent to me by Vinny. His unequaled playing style automatically inspired the music and then Alessandro [Del Vecchio, Frontiers Music Srl's in-house producer] wrote most of the melody lines and lyrics. Besides the music, I wrote the melody and lyrics for two pre-choruses that sum up the song's meaning. It is a metaphor for the lengths to which our nations' leaders will go to acquire, keep, or grab more power for their own ambitions. That leaves us in their wake asking what measures are needed to defend ourselves. All of this comes at what price though?"
The idea for RESURRECTION KINGS sprang from a set of demos Goldy recorded with West, a vocalist with an unbelievable set of pipes, who has worked over the years with Jason Bonham, FOREIGNER, TRIBE OF GYPSIES, and his own band, WEST BOUND. From there, Frontiers president and head of A&R Serafino Perugino became involved and prompted Goldy to put together a lineup which also included Appice. Produced and co-written by Del Vecchio, the resulting self-titled debut album was an impressive example of classic hard rock with contemporary production and edge, mixing a vibe of WHITESNAKE's "1987" with DIO's "Dream Evil" and adding a touch of classic LED ZEPPELIN and RAINBOW. An extremely fun, rockin' record where the musicians were able to stretch their wings and really go for it in their performances.
Track listing:
01. Skygazer
02. World's On Fire
03. Tears
04. Fight Against Our Pride
05. Angry Demons
06. Savior Of Souls
07. Don't Blame Our Love
08. Is This The End
09. Troubled Soul
10. Set Me On Fire
11. Calling All Angels
Recording lineup:
Chas West - Vocals
Craig Goldy - Guitars, keyboards, bass
Vinny Appice - Drums
Alessandro Del Vecchio - production, bass and keyboards
Grammy-winning band GRETA VAN FLEET has released the official live music video for its song "Built By Nations". The clip was created and directed by Rob Sinclair at Sinclair/Wilkinson. The track is taken from the group's sophomore studio album, "The Battle At Garden's Gate", which came out on April 16 via Lava/Republic Records.
A bold evolution from the band's 2018 full-length debut "Anthem Of The Peaceful Army", "The Battle At Garden's Gate" came together primarily on the road or while in the studio after the runaway success of 2017's "Highway Tune" led to the band packing up, leaving home, and eagerly soaking up new experiences on an extended road trip around the world.
Over the past three years, GRETA VAN FLEET — vocalist Josh Kiszka, guitarist Jake Kiszka, bassist Sam Kiszka, and drummer Danny Wagner — played to hundreds of thousands of people across North America, Europe, Japan, Australia, South America and New Zealand. While driving to gigs, the first-time world travelers passed many unfamiliar sights, from the favelas in Sao Paulo to the Gold Coast of Australia and everywhere in between, meeting and enjoying conversations with fans and other musicians that opened up new worlds to them. To cap off the change-filled era, the quartet moved from Michigan to Nashville, immersing themselves in Music City's rich history. The melding of all these experiences opened their eyes to amazing new worlds of culture, history, philosophy and spirituality — and ushered in an entirely new way of looking at life and the approach to their music.
Accordingly, GRETA VAN FLEET poured everything they experienced into these new songs - the music reflects their spiritual and intellectual growth, increased awareness of the inequalities plaguing the modern world, and deep empathy for what other people are going through.
"We realized that while growing up, we had been shielded by many things, and we were unaware of a lot of things," says Wagner. "And then we were thrown out into this huge world, and it was a bit of a culture shock at first. But as we started to travel a lot, meet new and different people and experience different cultures, our definition of 'normal' changed."
"I suppose that everything has changed except what got us here in the first place," adds Sam Kiszka. "Everything — our perception of the world, perception of life itself, what it means to be an artist, what it means to be part of a beautiful, gorgeous society. We've gained a larger understanding of why we're all here."
In general, the album's arrangements are spacious and leisurely, giving the music pleasing dynamics, as the band touches on all manners of rock 'n' roll. "The Battle At Garden's Gate" is cinematic, capturing the breathtaking energy of an exciting fight scene or the smoldering passion of a brooding, heroic protagonist saving the day. The new music also illustrates that the members of GRETA VAN FLEET are paving the way for a new generation of musicians — ones that use rock 'n' roll's foundational elements to build an entirely new sonic blueprint.
Sonically, "The Battle At Garden's Gate" also feels bracingly modern, an embodiment of genre-blended musical freedom. Recorded in Los Angeles with Greg Kurstin (FOO FIGHTERS, PAUL MCCARTNEY), the album is ambitious and expansive, marked by epic journeys such as the second single, "Age Of Machine", and the Top 5 rock hit "My Way, Soon", which boasts a towering chorus hook and rip-it-up-and-start-again lyrics.
Josh explains: "It's very dynamic, lyrically speaking. And that's the human experience. It's much more than pain or fear; it's also beauty. People need people, and love is important." Lyrically, "The Battle At Garden's Gate" muses about the influence of technology on modern life; the role conflict plays in the global sphere; the deceptive fulfillment of tangible riches; and philosophical questions about life, love and power.
"There was a lot of self-evolution happening during the writing of this album that was prompted by experiences I had, experiences we all had, so a lot of contemplation occurred," Josh says, while Jake adds, "It's reflecting a lot of the world that we've seen, and I think that it's reflecting a lot of personal truth. What Josh does very well with the lyrics is telling ancient tales with a contemporary application."
For Josh, working with Kurstin provided the confidence he needed to push his songwriting into these vivid dimensions. "I'm always a little bit hesitant about my abilities as an artist; I think a lot of artists feel that way," he says. "But Greg hovering over me while I'm on the piano, taking an interest in what I was doing — that was really important for me."
That added confidence is obvious. Josh sounds commanding on each song, stretching his already-acrobatic voice to newer heights, while the instrumentalists fearlessly push themselves into new territory. Easy going organ and acoustic folk-rock riffs drive one song, while another ends in a torrent of guitar noise that rivals Neil Young's onstage guitar freakouts with CRAZY HORSE. "For all of us, the performances — and the aspects of them that are captured — preserve where we're at musically in time right now," Jake says.
The future is unwritten, and the sky's the limit for these curious travelers and truth-seekers. Josh says, "certainly after this, we've grown in so many ways. This album has taught us a lot, about life in general, about ourselves, about all of us, about the world we live in."
Frontiers Music Srl will release the fourth album from TIMO TOLKKI'S AVALON, "The Enigma Birth", on June 18. Again featuring a slew of talented guest vocalists, the album sees the Finnish guitar maestro's skills on display once again. Today, the second single from the album, "The Fire And The Sinner", featuring Jake E (ex-AMARANTHE, CYRHA) and Brittney Slayes (UNLEASH THE ARCHERS), has been released. Watch the video below.
Over the past year, Timo started working on songs and once again connected with Aldo Lonobile (SECRET SPHERE, ARCHON ANGEL, SWEET OBLIVION) to craft music for a new album. The new record, "The Enigma Birth", as with previous AVALON albums, features an absolutely awesome cast of vocalists, including James LaBrie (DREAM THEATER), Jake E (ex-AMARANTHE, CYRHA), Marina La Torraca (PHANTOM ELITE, EXIT EDEN), Brittney Slayes (UNLEASH THE ARCHERS), Raphael Mendes (ICON OF SIN), Fabio Lione (RHAPSODY, ANGRA, ETERNAL IDOL), Caterina Nix (CHAOS MAGIC) and YouTube vocal star Pellek.
With Lonobile overseeing the production, the main work on "The Enigma Birth" was completed in the winter of 2020. The resulting album is once again everything that you could expect from one of the true masters of the art. You have Tolkki's trademark fast songs with super catchy hooks, outstanding mid-tempo songs, and a couple of great power ballads thrown in the mix for a wonderfully balanced album.
The concept of the AVALON metal opera series was born in the second half of 2012 when the Finnish composer, producer and guitarist Timo Tolkki, one of the true figureheads of the modern power metal genre, decided to move forward with his career post-STRATOVARIUS. He wanted to work on a project which would allow him to express his musical creativity within the classic metal genre, while also pushing boundaries.
The debut album, "The Land Of New Hope", was released in May 2013 and entered the national album charts in seven European countries, including a Top 10 entry in Tolkki's home country, Finland. The album featured performances by numerous internationally acclaimed singers and musicians such as Michael Kiske (HELLOWEEN), Elize Ryd (AMARANTHE), Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X), Sharon Den Adel (WITHIN TEMPTATION), Tony Kakko (SONATA ARCTICA), Alex Holzwarth (RHAPSODY), Jens Johansson (STRATOVARIUS, RAINBOW), and Derek Sherinian (SONS OF APOLLO, ex-DREAM THEATER).
Tolkki soon started the work on a sophomore release, "Angels Of The Apocalypse", which came out approximately one year after the debut. In the second chapter, he reunited the legendary STRATOVARIUS "Dreamspace" lineup, with an amazing vocal cast appearing including Floor Jansen (NIGHTWISH), Simone Simons (EPICA), Fabio Lione (ETERNAL IDOL, RHAPSODY, ANGRA), David DeFeis (VIRGIN STEELE), Zak Stevens (ARCHON ANGEL, SAVATAGE), Elize Ryd (AMARANTHE) and Caterina Nix (CHAOS MAGIC).
Timo spent some time away after the release of the second album, so for the third album, after consultation with Frontiers, it was mutually decided to call in producer Aldo Lonobile to oversee the recording. The newly refreshed TIMO TOLKKI'S AVALON release that followed, "Return To Eden", was a resounding success. It once again featured the trademark sound and melodies from Tolkki in that perfect power metal style. The amazing vocal cast appearing this time includes renowned Dutch singer Anneke Van Giersbergen (ex-THE GATHERING), Zak Stevens (ex-SAVATAGE), Todd Michael Hall (RIOT V), Mariangela Demurtas (TRISTANIA, ARDOURS) and Eduard Hovinga (ex-ELEGY).
STYX drummer Todd Sucherman's playthrough video of the title track of the band's upcoming album, "Crash Of The Crown", can be seen below.
Due on June 18 via the band's label, Alpha Dog 2T/UMe, "Crash Of The Crown" was written pre-pandemic and recorded during the trying times of the pandemic.
The "Crash Of The Crown" song breaks some brave new world ground for STYX, which consists of James "JY" Young (lead vocals, guitars), Tommy Shaw (lead vocals, guitars), Chuck Panozzo (bass, vocals), Todd Sucherman (drums, percussion), Lawrence Gowan (lead vocals, keyboards) and Ricky Phillips (bass, guitar, vocals. Actually, it's the first cut in the band's storied canon to feature three lead vocalists, seeing how it has Young unleashed at the starting gate, Shaw heading up the heroic stacked-vocal middle section, and Gowan leading the vocal charge for the final verse.
"I'm always looking for the one different thing we can do and still have it be STYX," the ever-ebullient Gowan notes, "and that's the song I'm most proud of. The beauty of it is that it's the culmination of all our talents crammed together into one song, 'Abbey Road'-style. I also got to use some gear I never thought I'd have the chance to play on a STYX record like Tommy's Hammond B3 organ, my Minimoog, and my Mellotron."
Efforts to record "Crash Of The Crown" began in earnest at Shaw's home studio in Nashville during the fall of 2019, with Gowan — STYX's criminally minded showman extraordinaire and keyboardist/vocalist since 1999 — in the room together with Shaw and the album's producer, Will Evankovich, as he conjured up the album's first song to be recorded, with cosmetic flourishes that reign over the insistent, yearning call for togetherness, "Common Ground". But the global pandemic that inevitably transformed the way we all wound up living in 2020 changed the course for how many of the band's home-and-away recording sessions ultimately had to set socially distanced sail. Safety precautions took precedent for all involved STYX bandmembers and production compatriots with much diligent quarantining and testing required before any one of them could travel to Shaw's tranquility homebase to spread the uniquely ingrained STYX stardust that's been duly sprinkled across the album's cosmically chosen 15 tracks.
Of all those who made the trek to Nashville, original STYX bassist Chuck Panozzo — who, along with his late twin brother, drummer John Panozzo, formed the initial nucleus of STYX when they began jamming together in their basement on the south side of Chicago in 1961 — is hands down the most effusive about the experience.
"I'm constantly amazed at how Tommy's songwriting continues to connect with the social consciousness that spans across generations," marvels Chuck, who plays on "Our Wonderful Lives" and "Lost At Sea". Lawrence's all-too-brief aquatic fever dream. "Both he and Will have been able to tap into the core elements of the human condition, which is something that's not going to change that much in 50 years — or even 500 years. That's why STYX remains relevant after all this time, because we're part of the human condition."
Whether it's the heady rush of the groundwork-laying opening track "The Fight of Our Lives", the wistfully observational treatise of "Reveries", the cautionary extended hand of comfort and redemption that frames "Hold Back The Darkness", the undeniable uplift of "Our Wonderful Lives" (a beautiful sentiment further embellished by a most welcome, first-ever appearance by a banjo on a STYX album!), or the elegiac clarion call for shared grace in "To Those", "Crash Of The Crown" is music that is both concurrently of its time and truly timeless all at once. Although the official release date for this landmark album may be time-stamped as 2021, the omnisciently observational content of "Crash Of The Crown" readily brings to mind an amalgamation of historical events that occurred in 1066, 1455, 1775, 1861, 1941, and even 2001 without citing any of them by name — Winston Churchill's prescient wartime observations that permeate the pervasive pleas of "Save Us From Ourselves" notwithstanding. In essence, "Crash Of The Crown" is a modern-day sonic chronograph of the endless regenerative cycle of the rise and fall — and rise again — of our shared human experience.
"We've never been a protest band. We're more like a gospel caravan trying to send out positive messages wherever we go," observes Shaw, who joined STYX in December 1975 as a guitarist/vocalist and instantly became one of the band's most important songwriters. "In order to share those positive messages, you have to look at what the problems are first to figure out all the ways you can help make sure everything's going to be alright. That's a very important part of how we do what we do."
Though "Crash Of The Crown" takes a hard look at some inherently dark subjects, the prevalent light at the end of the tunnel eventually becomes each song's focal point — a persistent fervor to keep moving forward and achieve the greater good.
STYX's holy mission for cutting "Crash Of The Crown" was crystal-clear to its co-creator from the get-go. "Absolutely no obstacles were going to get in the way of how we approached creating this album," Shaw concludes about the herculean recording efforts of his fellow "Crash Of The Crown" makers. "And everything came out exactly the way we wanted to hear it."
"Crash Of The Crown" is the follow-up to STYX's 16th studio album, "The Mission" (their first in 14 years at the time, which critics called "a masterpiece") which was released June 16, 2017 on the band's label, Alpha Dog 2T/UMe. The highly anticipated two-disc reissue of "The Mission" was released on July 27, 2018 via Alpha Dog 2T/UMe, which includes a CD of the original album, as well as a Blu-ray of the album mixed in 5.1 surround sound accompanied by stunning visualizations for each of the album's 14 songs based on the album artwork. It originally debuted on various Billboard charts, including: #6 Top Rock Albums, #11 Physical Albums, #11 Vinyl Albums, #13 Current Albums, #14 Billboard Top Albums, #16 Retail, #17 Mass Merch/Non-Traditional, #29 Digital Albums, and #45 Billboard 200 (includes catalog and streaming).
Additionally, for Record Store Day on Saturday, June 12, STYX will release "The Same Stardust" EP on blue 180-gram 12-inch vinyl only, which will feature two brand-new songs on side one ("The Same Stardust" and "Age Of Entropia"), as well as five live performances on side two of some of STYX's classic hits previously heard during their "Styx Fix" livestreams that have been keeping fans company during the pandemic on their official YouTube page, including "Mr. Roboto", "Man In The Wilderness", "Miss America", "Radio Silence" and "Renegade".
In touring news, STYX and COLLECTIVE SOUL are rested, healthy, and ready to hit the road for their first-ever multiple city tour together. STYX had previously announced their return to Las Vegas with a three-night sold-out engagement at The Venetian Theatre inside The Venetian Resort Las Vegas on September 24, 25, and 26, which will include an exclusive set list and brand-new stage production. Tickets for various cities, as well as exclusive VIP packages from each band, are available now at StyxWorld.com and CollectiveSoul.com.
On May 21, Vulture will release their new album, Dealin' Death, via Metal Blade Records. The band have released this new video, "Deadliest Riffs Of Dealin' Death"
When it comes to contemporary thrash, there are few bands that can stand toe-to-toe with Germany's Vulture. Establishing their status with 2016's Victim To The Blade EP and 2017's The Guillotine, then cementing their reputation with 2019's Ghastly Waves And Battered Graves, they now return with the mighty Dealin' Death, one of the most ruthless records the genre has seen.
"Take all our key elements - fierce riffing, halftone-shifts, aggressive vocals, huge toms, changing dynamics, horror-synths and classical twin guitar harmonies and cast it in a mould, then you have 'Dealin' Death'," says guitarist Stefan Castevet. "The result sounds a little 'back to the EP-ish' to my ears, yet it contains new approaches that we've never included in our sound so far, like choirs with harmonies."
When it was time for the band to head into the studio, the recording process was handled by two separate collaborators: the album recorded at Monkey Moon Studios in Dortmund by Alexander Stöcker, the guitarist of Stallion, while the production was once more handled by Marco Brinkmann at Hellforge Studio.
"This cooperation turned out great!" enthuses vocalist Leo Steeler. "Alex's way of recording and the whole studio atmosphere was pretty motivating and inspiring for all of us. Marco, on the other hand, knows exactly how we should sound and already became literally the sixth member of the band."
Working twelve-hour days for ten days straight was pretty grueling, their daily schedule "get up, track, sleep", but the effort paid off. "I think 'Dealin' Death' is the best we've ever sounded. The mix itself is absolutely flawless to my ears," says Castevet. "It's way more direct and less reverb-soaked than its predecessor. It was very important for us this time, to take advice from Marco and make all key elements audible for the listener. The vocals sound piercing, the bass is present, delivering warmth throughout the whole mix, and the guitars have the best sound we've ever had, and the same goes for drums. It's very natural and dynamic, but straight to the point."
And now with everything done, the band are eager to get it out there. "We can't wait to get feedback for it, hopefully people will admire it as much as we do! Once the pandemic is over, we also can't wait to play shows and even tour again."
Dealin' Death can be pre-ordered here in the following formats:
- jewelcase-CD
- ltd. digipak-CD (incl. sticker)
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- slate grey marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- blood red / black marbled deluxe edition vinyl w/ flag, tape, and sticker (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- leaf green marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- black w/ red splash vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- dark teal marbled vinyl (US exclusive)
Dealin' Death tracklisting:
"Danger Is Imminent"
"Malicious Souls"
"Count Your Blessings"
"Gorgon"
"Star-Crossed City"
"Flee The Phantom"
"Below The Mausoleum"
"Dealin' Death"
"Multitudes Of Terror"
"The Court Of Caligula"
"Star-Crossed City" video:
"Malicious Souls" video:
Vulture lineup:
L. Steeler - Vocals
S. Castevet - Guitars
M. Outlaw - Guitars
A. Axetinctör - Bass
G. Deceiver - Drums
On June 25, Fractal Universe will release their new album, The Impassable Horizon, via Metal Blade Records. A drum playthrough video for the single "A Clockwork Expectation" can be seen below:
With 2019's Rhizomes Of Insanity, France's Fractal Universe created one of the most musically, lyrically, and emotionally complex and compelling progressive metal works of the twenty-first century. The band toured the record hard, joining heavyweights Obscura in February/March of 2020, making for one of the last tours in the world pre-pandemic, and in doing so, sated their faithful while winning legions of new followers. With its successor, The Impassable Horizon, they have gone even deeper, effortlessly following the trajectory they set themselves on to create an album that is riveting from start to finish.
"We wanted to keep developing our musical personality and the natural sound we managed to get on Rhizomes," says drummer Clément Denys. "It's a very versatile and complex album. Musically speaking, you will find catchy songs which are really direct, progressive and mysterious ballads with epic saxophone solos, and technical songs with intricate riffing."
Elaborates vocalist/guitarist/saxophonist Vince Wilquin, "despite the record being even more diverse, dynamic and including more clean vocals than its predecessor, the overall atmosphere is also slightly darker and more melancholic."
And with the introduction of Wilquin's newly honed saxophone skills to their live set, alongside working with Gojira's Christian Andreu on their stage scenery and production, once the band return to the road they are sure to be an unmissable act.
With the first riffs and ideas for The Impassable Horizon emerging in November 2018, before Rhizomes was even released, composition for the whole record took about a year, with the last six months before entering the studio in May of 2020 dedicated to vocal preproduction/arrangements and finalizing the guitar and saxophone solos. Drums were recorded at the band's own professional recording studio - Boundless Production Studio - in Florange, France, while the other instruments were tracked in their personal home studios. It was overseen by producer Flavien Morel, who has been working with Fractal Universe since the beginning and really understands the band's vision.
"The sessions were good," says Denys. "We were not in a rush. This was the first record we entirely tracked in our own studios, so we were for example able to spend two complete days on sound-checking the drums, which was really comfortable."
The most demanding aspect of tracking was the vocals, which took as long to record as all of the other instrumentation combined. "Flavien really encouraged me to bring the vocal production to the next level: there are chorus sections where there are about thirty tracks of backing vocals, with every line quad-tracked, to make it sound really massive and 'chorus-y'."
With mixing being Wilquin's favorite part of the realization process, the point at which the record really starts to come alive, he was happy to work closely with Morel, and the finished product is everything they wanted it to be. "It feels like the natural evolution of our band sound, keeping our distinctive trademarks and incorporating new sounds and ideas," says Wilquin, and adds Denys, "we hope the new album will reach new fans and please our current ones, which have been amazingly supportive even during the pandemic, and that it will bring the band to the next level."
The Impassable Horizon can be pre-ordered here on CD, vinyl, as well as digitally. Fans can also visit Fractal Universe's official store for additional vinyl and more.
The Impassable Horizon tracklisting:
"Autopoiesis"
"A Clockwork Expectation"
"Interfering Spherical Scenes"
"Symmetrical Masquerade"
"Falls Of The Earth"
"Withering Snowdrops"
"Black Sails Of Melancholia"
"A Cosmological Arch"
"Epitaph"
"Godless Machinists"
"Flashes Of Potentialities" (Unplugged)
Walking Papers (frontman Jefferson Angell and keyboard player/longtime collaborator Benjamin Anderson) release their latest video, for “Creation Reproduction And Death” from their third album, The Light Below, It was directed by The Boredom Killing Business with Cory Ingram, Konstantin Komarov and Bob Wayne.
The song is now available for streaming and download here, and the video can be seen below.
As singer Jefferson Angell explains, “I wrote ’Creation Reproduction and Death’ while contemplating how much time we have left, how we’ll spend it and who will we spend it with? It’s a question we can only answer for ourselves compounded by the pressure that we may not know if we made the right decision until there is no time left to do anything about it. After making three epic videos, we wanted to cut loose and have a good time. We hope people will enjoy watching the video as much as we had fun making it!”
Australian progressive metal band Teramaze, fronted by guitarist and band founder Dean Wells, along side Chris Zoupa, Andrew Cameron and Nick Ross, have released a video for the title track of their new album, Sorella Minore, out on May 11 via the band’s own label Wells Music. Watch below.
"'Sorella Minore' is the 2nd instalment of the Her Halo saga and it continues the tumultuous story of 2 sisters," the band explain. "Soon after her older sister's death in a suspicious accident, the younger sister is kidnapped and locked away from the outside world. Held captive, in a desolate castle tower, her only company is the man who will decide her fate, The Tyrant. He tells her she will soon be forcibly betrothed to him by the foul beast he calls "father". Her only hope is to convince The Tyrant to not be swayed by his father’s riches and power, to defy his demonic will and help her escape."
At 26-minutes in length, the song 'Sorella Minore' was a lengthy process for the band to compose, record, mix and arrange. The whole album features four main vocalists, all hailing from Australia - including Dean Wells, Nathan Peachey, Silvio Massaro (Vanishing Point) and Jennifer Borg (Divine Ascension). Each vocalist added their own depth and unique flavours to each character in this instalment of the Her Halo story.
With the release of his sophomore solo album, The Ides Of March, just days away, Myles Kennedy performed the album opener, "Get Along", as part of a recent Planet Rock acoustic session. Check it out below:
Watch "In Stride" from the session:
Kennedy showcased the musical diversity of The Ides Of March (out May 14 via Napalm Records) with the unveiling of the pensive ballad, “Love Rain Down”. The song displays the softer side of the upcoming album.
The genesis of the track has been around for years and is reminiscent of what fans and critics were drawn to on his debut solo album Year Of The Tiger. The acoustic introduction builds until the band - drummer Zia Uddin and bassist/manager Tim Tournier - joins in on the second verse and rides out the rest of the track. Lyrically, Myles delivers a plea born out of the longing for answers and solace from all of the dark possibilities of the day as he sings “Let your love rain down. Let it wash away the sorrows I’ve found.”
Watch the lyric visualizer for "Love Rain Down":
The Ides Of March will be available in the following formats:
- Digital Album
- 1 CD Jewel Case
- 1 CD Digipack (Napalm mailorder, limited to 500 worldwide)
- 2 LP Gatefold Black Vinyl
- 2 LP Gatefold Grey Vinyl (RoW only)
- 2 LP Gatefold Bottle Green Transparent Vinyl (Napalm mailorder, limited to 400 worldwide)
- Die Hard Limited Edition: 2 LP Gatefold Clear Splatter Mint/Violet/White Vinyl + Aluminium Print (Napalm mailorder, limited to 300 worldwide)
- Limited Deluxe Box: Glow In The Dark Vinyl + Cover Artprint + 7” Glow In The Dark "A Thousand Words” Vinyl Demo Single + Pendant + Slipmat (Napalm mailorder, limited to 700 worldwide)
"Get Along"
"A Thousand Words"
"In Stride"
"The Ides Of March"
"Wake Me When It’s Over"
"Love Rain Down"
"Tell It Like It Is"
"Moonshot"
"Wanderlust Begins"
"Sifting Through The Fire"
"Worried Mind"
"Get Along" video:
“The Ides Of March” video:
"In Stride" video:
Myles will be hitting the road to promote his new album on a socially distanced tour. Dates below.
June
23 - Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theater (Headline Show)
24 - Lincoln, Ne - Bourbon Theatre (Headline Show)
26 - Hoffman Estates, IL - Now Arena *
27 - Oshkosh, WI - Ford Festival Park *
* with Halestorm, Blackstone Cherry, Ayron Jones, From Ashes To New, Eva Under Fire
Acapella metal masters, Van Canto, return with their energetic and unique Rakkatakka-power and are set to release their eighth inimitable offering, To The Power Of Eight, on June 4 via Napalm Records.
The band are well-known for their catchy tunes and sophisticated interpretations of various scene classics and follow their path with record number eight as well, as the album triumphs with four red-hot cover versions and eight own, rousing band anthems. Today, those thundering voices unleash their very own and remarkable take on hammering “Raise Your Horns” by Swedish Vikings Amon Amarth.
Van Canto took the well-known favorite and turned it into their own unique version, featuring band trademarks without losing sight of the actual core of the track. Horns up!
Van Canto on the song: “'Raise Your Horns' is a very special cover for us. For the first time Van Canto tackled a song where the lead vocals are consistently in the lowest growl register. Thanks to the constellation of having three lead singers, Hagen could spread out in the lead, while Inga can set high, almost orchestral accents and Sly leads the choir together with Jan. For the first time in a while it's also a song where a "real" riff sets the direction, so that the Rakkatakka and bass singers are extremely busy as well. A great composition by Amon Amarth, that we gladly pay homage to.”
Watch the official video for “Raise Your Horns”:
To The Power Of Eight marks another milestone in the band's impressive career and presents Van Canto as a coherent entity stronger than ever! Starting out with their first full-length, A Storm To Come (2006), the unstoppable force set the stage for their very own genre and never failed in surprising their fans and beyond through the time being, while showcasing that metal can be heavy as hell without any riffage. With their previous full length, Trust in Rust (2018), the German rarity reworked its lineup, consisting of seven members since then. For To The Power Of Eight, the unit once again joined forces with Philip Dennis “Sly” Schunke, who had been the lead singer on their first six studio records. Sly joins lead vocalists Inga Scharf and Hagen Hirschmann on all twelve flawless tracks as third vocalist and special guest. It’s clear that this peerless piece of music was written with three voices in mind: To The Power Of Eight embodies a special sense of common bond and presents Van Canto in undeniable peak form.
Van Canto on the new album: “Being able to present an album after 15 years of band history, where three lead singers share the microphone hand in hand, makes us incredibly proud. Due to the pandemic situation we had a lot of time to work on To The Power Of Eight and put all our heart and soul into the compositions, the arrangements and the production. Originally we planned to have Sly as guest vocalist for one song – but it turned out to be twelve in total in the end. If someone would ask for one record to present Van Canto the most suitable way, we would choose To The Power Of Eight.”
From their own original speed driven tracks, like flaring “Dead By The Night”, raise-your-fist animated “Heads Up High” or mid-tempo, heart-warming “Turn Back Time”, to anthemic heavy metal covers such as Amon Amarth’s “Raise Your Horns”, Iron Maiden’s “Run To The Hills” or AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck”, Van Canto always manages to easily serve their own unique take with every output. On the one hand, To The Power Of Eight reflects a well experienced collective that has gathered several top 50 entries on the German album charts and played numerous shows around the globe and festivals like 70k Tons Of Metal, Wacken and Masters of Rock. But at the same time, it presents these energetic visionaries of acapella metal, who are far from resting on what they’ve achieved so far.
To The Power Of Eight will be available in the following formats:
"To The Power Of Eight"
"Dead By The Night"
"Faith Focus Finish"
"Falling Down"
"Heads Up High"
"Raise Your Horns"
"Turn Back Time"
"Run To The Hills"
"Hardrock Padlock"
"Thunderstruck"
"From The End"
"I Want It All"
“Falling Down” video:
Van Canto is:
Hagen Hirschmann - Lead Vocals
Inga Scharf - Lead Vocals
Ross Thompson - Higher Rakkatakka Vocals
Stefan Schmidt - Lower Rakkatakka Vocals
Jan Moritz - Pad und Backing Vocals
Ingo Sterzinger - Bass and Backing Vocals
Bastian Emig - Drums and Backing Vocals
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