KISS co-founder and frontman, best-selling author and Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer Paul Stanley will release the debut album from his SOUL STATION project on March 19 (postponed from previously announced March 5) via Universal Music Enterprises. A collection of nine classic soul covers and five original tracks, "Now And Then" will feature the band's acclaimed version of THE FIVE STAIRSTEPS' "O-o-h Child" as well as SOUL STATION's take on THE SPINNERS' "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love".
The official music video for the third single from the album, "I, Oh I", can be seen below. Written, arranged and orchestrated by Stanley, "I, Oh I" is the first original song to be released from "Now And Then".
Stanley has spent the last few years developing this project close to his heart. SOUL STATION is a band gathering some of today's leading musicians to pay tribute to the greatest artists and songs from the R&B and soul catalog to keep this vital music current. While a surprise to many, Stanley's early pivotal roots in this music has quietly turned this passion into a celebrated touring and recording band. Stanley's 15-piece ensemble group has toured the U.S. and Japan, and recently recorded an album of nine classic soul songs and five new original songs.
Speaking about the new music, Stanley said: "Between us doing some great SOUL STATION shows and starting the album, I started to think that neither the band or the music we love should depend only on the past so I started writing with the goal of seamlessly taking songs into the present. From what a lot of people I respect have told me, that mission was accomplished."
When Stanley conceived SOUL STATION, the group excelled in the live venue setting, playing smaller, intimate clubs — a setting where Paul Stanley would reflect on those classic hits that were his early inspiration, playing the songs with a reverence and respect for how he and the band believe they should be performed and heard.
"Long before I ever heard the great British bands, I grew up listening to Philly Soul, Motown and so much more," he said. "I was lucky to see Otis Redding and Solomon Burke among others. That music and its storytelling gave me strength and hope even in some tough days. The great classics of that era are magical medicine for most and I felt myself drawn back to that era for some sorcery I think we could all use."
Stanley's bandmembers include Rafael "Hoffa" Moreira (guitar and backing vocals), Sean Hurley (bass), Alex Alessandroni (musical director, keyboards), Ely Rise (keyboards), Eric Singer (drums and backing vocals), RayYslas (percussion), Gavyn Rhone (backing vocals), Crystal Starr (backing vocals) and Laurhan Beato (backing vocals) and Jon Pappenbrook (lead trumpet).
The band is augmented by three string players and two horn players of the same stature enabling SOUL STATION's wall of sound to be firmly rooted in the past while staking claim to both the present and future.
"Now And Then" track listing:
01. Could It Be I'm Falling In Love
02. I Do
03. I, Oh I
04. Ooo Baby Baby
05. O-o-h Child
06. Save Me (From You)
07. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)
08. Whenever You're Ready (I'm Here)
09. The Tracks Of My Tears
10. Let's Stay Together
11. La-La – Means I Love You
12. Lorelei
13. You Are Everything
14. Baby I Need Your Loving
Speaking about how the idea for SOUL STATION came about, Paul told Scott Lipps: "I was really lucky, because, before I ever saw [LED] ZEPPELIN or any of the British bands that I grew to love, or the blues bands that I saw, I saw Otis Redding as a kid, I saw Solomon Burke and THE TEMPTATIONS. So that really is the core of what I do. It's not all that I do, but it's in there, and it always has been. SMOKEY [ROBINSON] AND THE MIRACLES; early Stevie Wonder; Philly soul; Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, all the things that they produced — Thom Bell. So you have THE DELFONICS, STYLISTICS, BLUE MAGIC, THE TEMPS, FOUR TOPS, and on and on. So, for me, that music, unfortunately, has been relegated to becoming samples in somebody's rap songs. Those songs deserve so much more, not only respect, but to be listened to, because when we play those songs live, everybody's faces light up, because they're just great, great songs.
"SOUL STATION is 15 people, and everybody's played with everyone from Smokey to Stevie Wonder to Natalie Cole to TEMPTATIONS, Whitney Houston, and on and on and on," Stanley continued. "And it really is like a family. We hang out at my house and have a great time. But what really bonded us together was this love of that music and wanting to recreate it accurately, respectfully. Even some of those bands, when they wound up playing live, did these uptempo, kind of soulless versions of their own songs. And we're playing those songs the way they're supposed to be, and it's glorious.
"Look, I started doing it selfishly, 'cause I love that music, and to have it surrounding me, and to get to sing those songs, is crazy. And then to also write some new tunes that really marry so well to the old tunes is like writing another page.
"Will it surprise some people? Yeah," Paul added. "But, honestly, I'm not… Somebody said, 'Oh, you're reinventing yourself.' I'm not the champion of blues rock or hard rock or metal or this. I did 'Phantom Of The Opera'. I'm a singer, and I choose to sing whatever I choose to sing at any given time. So, really, honestly, it's as natural for me to sing Philly soul as it is to sing rock. It's just I haven't done it publicly."
Last May, Stanley released a cover version of Smokey Robinson's classic song "Ooo Baby Baby", recorded by SOUL STATION. In a statement accompanying the clip, Stanley said: "These are challenging times. Long before I ever heard the great British bands, I grew up listening to Philly Soul, Motown and so much more. I was lucky to see Otis Redding and Solomon Burke among others. That music and its storytelling gave me strength and hope even in some tough days. The great classics of that era are magical medicine for most and I felt myself drawn back to that era for some sorcery I think we could all use."
He added: "While it's hard to connect physically, some of SOUL STATION decided to reach out and make a virtual and emotional connection on a great Motown and Smokey Robinson classic, Ooo Baby Baby."
In 2019, Stanley told the Real Radio 104.1 radio station that he wanted to wait for the right time to release the SOUL STATION LP. "It really deserves full attention and my full commitment," he explained. "So until we can do great live performances — the band is amazing live — and until we can promote it the way we should, it's just going to simmer."
Asked if he gets any hate from KISS fans for making an album that is stylistically far removed from the music his main band is best known for producing, Stanley said: "I'm sure there are some people who'd rather me doing a KISS album or something like that, but when you sign on with me, you understand that we're both in this together, and sometimes I have to do what I need to do. And that's part of the joy and the reward for me. So I would rather do a great SOUL STATION album right now than tamper with KISS or the KISS legacy and do something that I'm really not feeling at the moment."
In the nine-minute video below, ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante breaks down the song "Gung-Ho" from the band's classic second studio album, 1985's "Spreading The Disease". The clip was originally produced for Modern Drummer magazine.
Produced by ANTHRAX with Carl Canedy, the 44-minute "Spreading The Disease" marked the first ANTHRAX album to feature singer Joey Belladonna and bassist Frank Bello (joining drummer Benante and guitarists Dan Spitz and Scott Ian), and set into motion the core elements that would become the essence of ANTHRAX. In addition, the album also introduced the ANTHRAX writing partnership of Benante and Ian (that eventually evolved into Benante, Ian and Bello).
For Bello, "Spreading The Disease" was his full-on album recording baptism. Only 18 at the time, he hadn't yet fully realized his own style of playing, but over the course of the sessions, he developed it. "You can hear all of my influences on every song, Steve Harris, Geddy Lee, Geezer Butler, all of them." Bello said. He remembered that "Spreading The Disease" didn't quite come of age until later on, but it was definitely "simmering." "What we were doing was so fresh, so different — we had heavy songs with these great, melodic vocals — and eventually, people caught on and loved what we were doing. I think every song on 'Spreading The Disease' still stands up today," he said.
"Spreading The Disease" represented a turning point in rock. It came during a time when the landscape was transitioning from the "hair band scene" to a new composite of metal, punk and hardcore — thrash metal. The album was compelling and utterly fresh to the 1985 music fan with its speedy rhythms, savage riffs, blistering solos, punishing drum work and a killer melodic performance by Belladonna. Unlike the thrash bands sprouting up on the west coast that focused on speed, ANTHRAX's focus was on catchiness, hooks, and a hot and sweaty, New York mosh sensibility. And it wasn't just the music that was morphing, it was a whole new culture that was being birthed. And ANTHRAX, along with METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH, was right at its nucleus.
"Spreading The Disease" contains several ANTHRAX standouts: "A.I.R.", with its great riffs and abundance of melody, "Madhouse", a testament to the band's top-notch song-writing skills that showcased their grasp of melody, and "Armed And Dangerous", a soulful ballad with its singalong chorus and spine-tingling performance by Belladonna. "Aftershock" is probably the album's punkiest song with its blistering guitar solo, and the closer, "Gung-Ho", with its out-and-out speed-kills blitzkrieg, is a superb piece of thrash metal.
"We didn't know what we were doing, but we totally knew what we were doing," said Ian. "I know that doesn't make sense, but it's where we were at, a bunch of 21-year-old kids making our major label debut on a shoestring budget with nothing but a dream and a bunch of songs that we thought killed. We were right and our dream came true. Thank you to all the fans that put this record and ANTHRAX on the map way back when and still support us today."
The 30th-anniversary edition of "Spreading The Disease" was made available in November 2015 via Universal.
The official music video for the song "Picture Yourself" Danish vocalist Ronnie Atkins can be seen below. The track is taken from his new solo album, "One Shot", which is being released today (Friday, March 12) via Frontiers Music Srl.
"To be honest, I initially had no intention to do a solo album to begin with, but for various reasons, and in particularly my own personal health situation, I finally decided to have a crack at it," says Atkins.
"Around Easter 2020, and only some six weeks after I was told that everything seemingly looked very positive for my health, I was, unfortunately, diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and told it was incurable, which was devastating news for me. Needless to say, that was a total game changer and I went into kind of a panic situation for a while. But when the dust had settled, I realized there were two ways to approach the situation. I could sit down, accept the facts, and feel pity for myself or I could pull myself up, set some goals, pursue my dreams, and carry on living. And with fantastic backup from my family and true friends, I went for the latter."
With the global pandemic shutting down touring for the foreseeable future, Atkins knew a tour promoting the latest PRETTY MAIDS album, "Undress Your Madness" (2019), was not going to be in the cards anytime soon. Suddenly, the timing for working on a new solo album seemed to have presented itself.
"Well, I couldn't change the way things were, by any means," he says. "The whole world was on a lockdown and the future prospects of concerts were very uncertain and still is to this day. Basically, that meant that if I was gonna carry out the idea of a solo album, it had to be now since I don't necessarily have all the time in the world. I had all these ideas recorded on my iPhone that I felt were too good to never see the light of day and I was writing a lot at the time to help ease my frustrations."
Ronnie's next step was to hook up with good friend and PRETTY MAIDS bandmate and producer Chris Laney to begin the work of putting these ideas together into songs. Chris is overseeing production, Jacob Hansen will mix, and musicians/singers appearing on the album include, in addition to Laney, Allan Sørensen, Morten Sandager, Pontus Egberg, Pontus Norgren, Kee Marcello, Olliver Hartmann, John Berg, Anders Ringman, Linnea Vikström Egg and Björn Strid.
"Not being able to handle the recordings myself since I'm old school and a complete idiot when it comes to IT, Pro Tools, etc. I hooked up with my PRETTY MAIDS friend and firesoul Chris Laney, who literally cheered me up and convinced me to go ahead with it," Ronnie says. "So, I decided to get moving and literally recorded my ideas on either piano or guitar and with a mellotron click to keep the beat and the accompanying vocal. Then I would send these along to Chris, who did the instrumentation in Stockholm and would then send back demos to me. Then I recorded the vocals first, which is totally the opposite of what you'd normally do, but based on the uncertainty of my health situation, I wanted to get them down. After that we did the basic tracks, drums, guitars, keys, backing vocals, etc. Odd way of doing it, for me at least, but it worked. And so, this procedure slowly moved on during the summer and finally turned into an album of 12 new songs."
"I wouldn't have been able to carry out this project without the enthusiasm of Chris, who has been my constant partner in this project from day one," Atkins adds. "On top of that, I had the pleasure of working with a variety of great musicians/singers such as Pontus Norgren, Kee Marcello, Olliver Hartmann, Pontus Egberg, Linnea Vickström Egg, Björn Strid, and at last, but not at least, my PRETTY MAIDS relatives Allan Sørensen and Morten Sandager.
"Musically and lyrically, this album has been a different process for me, considering everything going on. Musically, it could have gone in various directions. It's always a question of what you want it to be. A good song is a good song, so it's really a matter of how it is packaged. But I decided to make it appeal to the fans, the supporters who've been following me for almost 40 years, so this is basically a melodic rock album with a heavy twist. Lyrically, it also has a different approach. I found it hard to write about sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll, etc. due to the situation I'm wrapped up in, so I guess it turned out a bit more personal and maybe melancholic at times. But it reflects my thoughts at the given time these lyrics were written."
"One Shot" track listing:
01. Real
02. Scorpio
03. One Shot
04. Subjugated
05. Frequency Of Love
06. Before The Rise Of An Empire
07. Miles Away
08. Picture Yourself
09. I Prophesize
10. One By One
11. When Dreams Are Not Enough
Lineup:
Ronnie Atkins: Lead and backing vocals
Chris Laney: Rhythm guitars, keyboards and backing vocals
Allan Sørensen: Drums
Morten Sandager: Keyboards
Pontus Egberg: Bass
Acoustic guitars: Anders Ringman
Lead guitars/solos: Pontus Norgren, Kee Marcello, Olliver Hartmann, John Berg, Chris Laney
Additional backing vocals: Chris Laney, Linnea Vikström Egg, Olliver Hartmann, Björn Strid
Produced by: Chris Laney
Mixed by Jacob Hansen
The 56-year-old Atkins was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2019 and underwent at least 33 radiation and four chemotherapy treatments in the fall of that year before being declared cancer-free. In October 2020, he announced that his cancer had returned.
A 16-minute documentary that takes fans behind the scenes of the recording of SAXON's upcoming covers album, "Inspirations", can be seen below. Due on March 19 via Silver Lining Music, the 11-track effort contains some of the superb classic rock songs that influenced singer Biff Byford and the rest of the band.
"Inspirations" was recorded at Brockfield Hall, near York in the U.K., which was built in 1804 and holds the largest collection of paintings by Yorkshire's impressionist artists — the Staithes Group. For Byford, recording "Inspirations" all together within such a rich historical environment was a major ingredient of the project. "The warmth and feel of 'Inspirations' had so much to do with being together in this magnificent place and doing it 'old-school' style," Byford explained. "This is how many bands back in the day —including some of the ones covered here — made such great albums, so it just felt really good to be able to do this somewhere like Brockfield Hall."
From the super-charged melodic romp of THE BEATLES' "Paperback Writer" to their freeway mad take on Jimi Hendrix's "Stone Free", SAXON show their love and appreciation with a series of faithful, raw and ready tributes. Maintaining a firm eye on the old-school way using Marshall cabs, Marshall amps, real drums and produced by Byford with Jacky Lehmann recording and mixing, SAXON approach the likes of MOTÖRHEAD's "Bomber" (with added whistle!), AC/DC's "Problem Child", BLACK SABBATH's "Evil Woman" and a raucous DEEP PURPLE's "Speed King" with refreshingly warm, unfiltered, "vintage"-sounding renditions.
"We wanted to do an album based on our influences, the songs and bands that inspired us to write what we did and still do," continued Byford, "and it was also interesting to see what my voice could do as I haven't sung many of these songs before."
Byford does, indeed, take on some new vocal challenges, which he duly smashes on the likes of THIN LIZZY's "The Rocker". The net result is that whether cranking up a heavyweight take on LED ZEPPELIN's "Immigrant Song" or throwing down AC/DC's "Problem Child", SAXON does a supreme job of entertaining both themselves and their audience throughout Inspirations.
"We didn't want to change any of the songs too much, just play them more like SAXON," concluded Byford, "and we also think it's very important to have — and share with the fans — some fun in these dark times."
You want even more proof of the validity behind that statement? Wrap your ears around their sparkling take on TOTO's "Hold The Line" and consider SAXON's "Inspirations" a mission accomplished.
"Inspirations" will be made available on vinyl, CD, digital formats and limited-edition D2C products.
Former TNT singer Tony Harnell has released his cover version of the JUDAS PRIEST classic "Before The Dawn". The official lyric video for the track is available below.
In a message accompanying the YouTube release of the song, Harnell wrote: "There's really no way to put into words the impact that @robhalfordlegacy and @judaspriest had on me and my decision to make music my life, but I'll try.
"It all started when my junior high school buddy Ed Gotti gave me my first PRIEST album 'Stained Class' in 1978 when I was just 15 years old. It blew my head apart. I listened to it every day, several times a day, it was my sonic bible that year. Of course I immediately went to the record shop and found 'Sin After Sin', 'Sad Wings' and 'Rocka Rolla'. I fell pretty hard for 'Sad Wings' as well. And I was the first in line to buy 'Hell Bent For Leather' when it came out later that same year and for me, it was the THE most bad ass album I'd ever heard or seen! That cover! I literally played the 8 track to death in my first car when I was just 16.
"What always struck me about Rob was his versatility. All the colors and textures in his voice, the use of various tones from beautiful to brutal and his ability to convey so many emotions in one single phrase. And of course his superhuman range and pure voiced stratospheric notes.
"I surfed nearly every morning and listened to these albums to and from the beach singing full blast and honing my craft, but I didn't know this at the time. I was literally training my voice without even thinking that's what I was doing. I was just in a musical trance. Next to surfing it was all I cared about and all I thought about and JUDAS PRIEST was driving my obsession.
"On the midst of all this heavy music there was this beautiful song 'Before The Dawn'. I just loved singing along to it so much. I performed it in my storyteller set on tour in Norway in September 2019 and it went over so well I figured at some point I'd record it. So here it is. With absolutely beautiful guitars from my brother @haape and a wonderful mix by my friend @rwikmark".
Last month, Harnell, who has been in and out of TNT several times throughout the group's four-decade existence, told That Metal Interview that there is a chance he will make another studio album with TNT at some point in the future. "I think there is hope for that," he said. "And Ronni [Le Tekrø, guitar] and I have always also wanted to do music together outside of that, so I think both things are possible. It just depends on… Right now, we're trying to make some early, very tentative plans, but it's very hard with COVID going on at the moment."
Harnell's most recent split with TNT took place in October 2017, less than a year and a half after he rejoined the group. He later described his relationship with TNT in an "Unphiltered" interview as "a very long marriage. I'm here [in New York], they're there [in Norway] — they're across the pond really far away. It's a very difficult situation to be in without having a very unified business organization, and no matter what I did, I could not get the thing unified. We were just on two totally separate not only continents physically, but mentally, psychologically, we were on two different continents as well."
New York metal outfit SILVERTOMB has released the official music video for its latest single, titled "So True". The track is the fourth single taken from the band's debut album, "Edge Of Existence", which came out in November 2019 via Long Branch Records/SPV.
SILVERTOMB is the latest musical endeavor of guitarist-vocalist Kenny Hickey (TYPE O NEGATIVE, SEVENTH VOID), drummer Johnny Kelly (TYPE O NEGATIVE, DANZIG), bassist Hank Hell (SEVENTH VOID, INHUMAN), New York City hardcore veteran Joseph James (AGNOSTIC FRONT, INHUMAN) on guitar and Aaron Joos (AWAKEN THE SHADOW, EMPYREON) on keyboards, guitar, and backing vocals.
SILVERTOMB combines the musical styles of bands such as PINK FLOYD and BLACK SABBATH with a bone-crushing, mind-blowing sonic experience.
Hickey comments on "So True": "This song was written in desperation and from the gut at a time when I was at one of the lowest points in my alcohol abuse. It's a basic purging of every trauma, insecurity, and anxiety that led up to that point in my life. So for the 'So True' video, we tried to capture how a negative self-image and a lust for power can be turned outward and onto society to become a destructive force."
"Edge Of Existence" explores Hickey's personal struggles with addiction, love, suicide, and the death of TYPE O NEGATIVE singer and frontman Peter Steele in 2010 and the band's subsequent split.
Kelly told Antihero about SILVERTOMB's sound: "There's elements of what we were doing with SEVENTH VOID. It seems like it's a continuation from that, but the songs and the song structures really took a life of its own. It's more layered and textured — not to the extent that we would do in TYPE O NEGATIVE, but it has a little bit of that flavor to it. It doesn't sound like TYPE O, but, obviously, you have two guys from TYPE O NEGATIVE in the band. It's going to have resemblance. It's still a more rock-oriented approach than the slow-paced, doomy aspect that TYPE O had. Now that we've added a keyboard player, there's a lot more layers and textures to it than what SEVENTH VOID was."
Progressive, technical death metal collective ALLUVIAL has sign with Nuclear Blast Records. The band's sophomore album, "Sarcoma", will be released on May 28. The official music video for the record's first singe, "Ulysses", can be seen below.
Commenting on ALLUVIAL's signing to the label, guitarist Wes Hauch says: "Monte Conner (legendary A&R man at Nuclear Blast) is responsible for most of the metal that I was reared on, and I'm honored that ALLUVIAL has found a home with Nuclear Blast. Their tenure and pedigree is inimitable, their enthusiasm and belief in the band is inspiring to us."
Vocalist Kevin Muller adds: "The diversity in the music, and the power in our message is what makes ALLUVIAL a perfect home for me. Nuclear Blast is known for its roster full of authentic bands that have power and conviction in their art. We are proud to be among them."
Conner says: "Wes's music has all the elements that I have always looked for in songs — killer arrangements, melody, hooks and powerful vocals. When you add in his guitar playing, it just takes it all to another level — not just his solos but his tasty rhythm guitar work as well. Top-notch stuff here! I am happy to have Wes, Kevin and ALLUVIAL as part of the Nuclear Blast family."
What began as an instrumental collaboration has grown into a full-frontal aural assault with a lineup consisting of vocalist Kevin Muller (ex-SUFFOCATION, THE MERCILESS CONCEPT), guitarist Wes Hauch (ex-THE FACELESS, BLACK CROWN INITIATE), bassist Tim Walker (ENTHEOS) and drummer Matt Paulazzo (AEGAEON). On ALLUVIAL's follow-up to 2017's "The Deep Longing For Annihilation", the band plunges into a whirlwind of neck-snapping polyrhythmic riffs, a barrage of double bass and a dynamic avalanche of screams.
"Sarcoma is a type of cancer that grows from connective tissue in the body," says Hauch. "At the end of working on everything, Kevin pinpointed that each song on the record was about the different perils that happen at the hand of one man to another. These perils live in our connections to one another, so 'Sarcoma' became an apt title."
As Hauch began writing the record, he took notice of Muller due to his time in SUFFOCATION. After hearing his vocals on a demo, everything simply clicked, and Kevin joined the band. Fast brothers, it fulfilled a long-term goal. "'The Deep Longing For Annihilation' was supposed to have vocals, but I couldn't find the right guy," he adds. "Some people possess a rare inability to doubt themselves. Kevin can marry that into performances. The day I heard his vocals over the 'Sarcoma' demos was a special one. We've become brothers."
After writing and producing demos at home, ALLUVIAL cut guitars, bass, and vocals with engineer John Douglass (MR. BUNGLE, AMON AMARTH) in Atlanta. The opener "Ulysses" begins with warm guitar echoes before building towards an ominous crescendo. It quickly crumbles under the weight of a thrash riff and brain-rattling growl.
"I was always in trouble in my small hometown," Hauch says. "After going to a county jail, I joined the military and took orders as an equipment operator bound for the U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalions. The enlisted side of the military are all misfits of one kind or another. Because of this, it's really a continuation of high school. The military continued raising us, for better or worse. In 2005, I deployed to Iraq and convoyed throughout Baghdad for seven months. If you were in Iraq from 03 to 08, it was generally pretty bad. Because of that, I wouldn't call my experience in Iraq 'unique,' it was just a hot time over there. If you convoyed, you were gonna get shot at, and you were gonna deal with IEDs. If you were in a camp, you were gonna get mortared. If you were infantry and you were kicking down doors, god bless you, you were gonna have it the worst out of anyone. 'Ulysses' is a glossary of my hindsight on that experience."
CRO-MAGS have released new music video for "Life On Earth", taken from the band's latest EP "2020", available worldwide digitally.
On April 9, "Life On Earth" will be released as a limited special colored three-piece seven-inch vinyl box as well as on limited colored 10-inch vinyl and CD.
The record itself is unintentionally 20 minutes and 20 seconds, and plays out more like a time-capsule look into the dumpster fire known as the year 2020.
CRO-MAGS founder Harley Flanagan explains: "Just by coincidence we recorded 20 minutes and 16 seconds of music, so we simply added a few seconds of real-world chaos.
"The album cover is meant to look like a calendar — seven squares across, with one picture from 2020 per day. Inside the booklet there are 12 pictures, one for each month of 2020; and the back is a shot of something I have never seen before in my life — a totally empty New York City.
"Coronavirus, quarantine, empty streets, brutality, burning buildings, violence and destruction: 2020 is a year none of us will ever forget."
"2020" track listing:
01. Age Of Quarantine
02. 2020
03. Life On Earth
04. Violence and Destruction
05. Chaos In The Streets
06. Cro-Fusion
CRO-MAGS feature Flanagan pulling double duty with bass and lead vocals, guitarists Gabby Abularach, Rocky George (SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, FISHBONE), and drummer Garry "G-Man" Sullivan.
The history of the CRO-MAGS is integral to the history of hardcore, its evolution from punk and the development of alternative music genres such as hardcore, cross-over, thrash metal, post punk and grunge, to name a few. Numerous iconic bands from METALLICA to GREEN DAY, and individuals such as Dave Grohl have credited CRO-MAGS with having had a primal influence on their development.
Born out of the violence and depravity of the Lower East Side of New York in the late '70s and early '80s, the CRO-MAGS was the brainchild of a very young Flanagan (at the time 14 years old) when still playing with THE STIMULATORS. By 1982/83 he wrote and recorded the very first CRO-MAGS demos consisting of four songs that would become the blueprint for the seminal 1986 "Age Of Quarrel". He wrote all of the music, played each instrument and sang. Before long, he connected with Parris Mayhew and the two started writing music and auditioning band members.
In 2019, Flanagan reached a settlement with singer John Joseph and drummer Mackie Jayson regarding ownership of the CRO-MAGS name. Flanagan is now performing under the name CRO-MAGS while Joseph and Jayson are performing as CRO-MAGS "JM".
Japan's Unlucky Morpheus recently released a cover album entitled Loud Playing Workshop, which features covers of instrumenals from Steve Vai, Dream Theater, Michael Schenker, Yngwie Malmsteen and more. They have released an official video for their take on the Steve Vai classic "For The Love Of God". Check it out below.
The track is taken from Vai's critically acclaimed 1990 album, Passion And Warfare.
They previously released a cover of Malmsteen's "Far Beyond The Sun", Dream Theater's "The Dance Of Eternity", and violinist Jill's performance of "Eruption" in tribute to Eddie Van Halen.
Tracklist:
"Far Beyond The Sun" (Yngwie Malmsteen)
"The Dance of Eternity" (Dream Theater)
"Into the Arena" (Michael Schenker)
"Hundreds Of Thousands" (Tony MacAlpine)
"Scarified" (Racer X)
"Eruption" (Eddie Van Halen)
"For the Love of God" (Steve Vai)
"Technical Difficulties" (Racer X)
"17th Century Chicken Pickin'" (Chris Impellitteri)
Progressive death / thrash metal quartet Cathartic Demise have released a lyric video for the song "Blade In The Dark", the second single from their forthcoming album In Absence.
Cathartic Demise will release their full-length album, In Absence, on April 9. Pre-order now at this location.
In comparison to the band's self-titled EP, In Absence still consists of the melo/prog/death thrash metal elements, but with a more "mature" approach. The overall musicianship within the band improved, as well as the overall songwriting capabilities. In Absence features the same aggression as the self-titled EP, but brings an intense atmosphere with extreme tempos, and brisk riffs. This release heavily carries on the epic melodic sections heard previously, and even going further with more complex song structuring and longer tracks. Aside from the aggressive side of things, hints of experimentation can be heard, showing slower sections, and clean parts as well.
In Absence was recorded and mixed by Jonah Kay at HM Studio in Waterloo, ON. The album was mastered by Jamie King, and features artwork by Ioannis Vassilopoulas.
Tracklisting:
"With Lust"
"For Power"
"Blade In The Dark"
"Silence Within"
"Pale Imitations"
"Disparity"
"In Absence"
"Waves"
"Desire"
From Adelaide, Australia - Echoes In Eternity has issued their debut single and video “Death To Self” from their upcoming release, Time Is Distance, through Idiglig Digital Records.
Featuring Lee Gardiner (Double Dragon, Entanglement) on vocals, and Aidan Cibich (Apophis, Revile) on guitars, Echoes In Eternity create an epic, cinematic soundscape, intertwining between melodic death metal, blistering lead guitar, and soaring vocal choruses. Echoes In Eternity will be debuting their material live later this year, with full band members to be announced.
Swedish boogie rockers Transport League have released the single "Criminal Energy", the first to be taken from the band's upcoming album Kaiserschnitt, which will be issued by Mighty Music in the Summer. "Criminal Energy" is also available as a fantastic music video, which can be seen below.
Singer / guitarist Tony Jelencovich comments about the song: "'Criminal Energy' deals with powers within a human entity. The undisputed, unchained strength of abilities that guides the way to a better life and understanding which will and should be untamed."
"Criminal Energy" can be streamed and download at this location.
The pandemic struck Transport League hard, just like it did the whole music business and live scene. At the end of April 2020 the Swedes decided to wrap up songwriting sessions and drag themselves into the studio.
They entered Grand Recordings and El Bastardo Studio in their hometown, Gothenburg. The engineering was handled by Dan Johansson (Mary Beats Jane, Generous Maria) and Henrik Danhage (Evergrey). Transport League did the production themselves but with advisory from both Dan J and Henrik D. Mixing was done by Svein Jensen (Grand Recordings), mastering by Philip Granquist.
The 11 tracks breathe a lot of live-take energy and with some moody breakdown tracks as well. Guest appearances by Sal Abruscato (Type O Negative, A Pale Horse Named Death) on the track "March, Kiss, Die" and by Christian Sture (Heal) on "Kaiserschnitt", fit like a glove. The album is signature Transport League - groovy, energetic, catchy rock ’n’ roll.
Finnish melodic metal stalwarts, Arion, have released a video for "I Love To Be Your Enemy", featured on the band's new album, Vultures Die Alone, out April 9 via AFM Records. Watch the clip below.
Beautifully balanced, meticulously honed, and streamlined to modern metal perfection, Arion’s third album is an extremely addictive album.
From the fierce opening riffs of “Out of My Life” to the ending salvo of “I Don’t Fear You”, you’ll get gently pummeled to sweet oblivion with a flurry of catchy melodies. You will be breezily battered by a barrage of nimble riffs while Lassi Vääränen’s vocal delivery throws a jab after another until your ears ring with happiness. Guitarist Iivo Kaipainen‘s frenetic fretwork dances like a butterfly and stings like a bee while you can’t but marvel the overall musical aptitude of Arttu Vauhkonen (keys), Georgi Velinov (bass), and Topias Kupiainen (drums). Finally, the two guest appearances – by Battle Beast’s metal goddess Noora Louhimo in the album’s leading single “Bloodline”, and Finland’s newest modern pop metal sensation Cyan Kicks in “In the Name of Love” – are the combo of uppercuts that will have you on the ropes and eventually drops you down for the count that is the soothingly beautiful coda “Until Eternity Ends”.
This triumph was achieved with the assistance of seasoned cornermen. Vultures Die Alone was produced with Matias Kupiainen (Stratovarius) at the helm and expertly mixed by Adam "Nolly" Getgood (Periphery).
"Out Of My Life"
"Break My Chains"
"Bloodline" (Feat. Noora Louhimo)
"I'm Here To Save You"
"In The Name Of Love" (Feat. Cyan Kicks)
"A Vulture Dies Alone"
"I Love To Be Your Enemy"
"Where The Ocean Greets The Sky"
"I Don't Fear You"
"Until Eternity Ends"
Red Wolf's debut album, Sessions Vol. 1, was released in October 2020. They have released an official video for the song "Hypocrite". Check it out below.
It all started in Spring 2020, during the COVID – 19 lockdown, when Euge Valovirta (Cyhra) had received compliments and questions about the songs he had used on his YouTube channel’s videos which were just 1-2 minute clips of cool riffs basically written for a particular video about a certain amp, effect pedal, etc.
Around the same time Adde Larsson, with whom Euge had played several Cyhra shows since he had filled in for Alex Landenburg, called Euge that he really likes Euge’s solo album, Easy Does It, and if he ever plans to record another he’d like to be the drummer on that.
Since all of their main band’s tours were cancelled, they had plenty of time so they decided that Euge will complete the aforementioned clips into full songs at his home studio in Helsinki, Finland and Adde will then record drums on them in his hometown Gothenburg, Sweden. When the demos of the songs were finished Euge decided that the songs require vocals and someone to finish the writing process with him and the first guy he thought who’d be perfect for the job was Samy Elbanna (Lost Society) and Samy replied immediately, without hearing a single song, that he is in.
Around the same time, Euge thought that he wants his old bandmate from Suburban Tribe Janne Joutsenniemi (Stone, Suburban Tribe) to play bass on the songs and Janne also replied immediately that he is in. Janne also growls on the album which he hasn’t done since Stone’s last album Emotional Playground (1991).
After the drums were done Euge, Samy and Janne recorded their parts at their home studios and by early July the recordings were finished, without the guys meeting once during this time, and the mixing started at IYP studios in Gothenburg, Sweden by Matthias Törngren.
Euge Valovirta: “All of this happened very naturally & effortlessly and this has been probably the easiest album writing & recording process that I’ve ever been a part of and I’m really happy how everything turned out. 'Crossing The Line' was the first song we completed and it set the direction for the rest of the album. It’s working title was 'JCM800' ‘cos it was written for my YouTube channels’ – video about my all time favourite amp; Marshall JCM800 2203 which I used on the album, naturally."
Samy Elbanna: "As a person who always has enjoyed creating and doing as much as possible, this was an absolute dream to be a part of! This has been without a doubt one of the funniest and most organic projects I’ve ever had the honor to participate! Great songs and a great group of guys, what could be better?!"
Janne Joutsenniemi: "I haven’t played or sung for a while so this was a nice change for me to rock out with the guys, even from a distance since everybody played their parts on their own for obvious reasons. I haven’t even met or talked with Adde but it was really fun to play the bass on top of his drums and my playing fitted naturally to his playing. I can hear hear the fresh and enthusiastic touch in everyone’s playing and everything was done in the spur of moment since we had no time or need to analyze and rehearse things any further. It was straight forward full speed ahead, trusting your own intuition and that’s what music is all about."
Adde Larsson: "Having been working together with Euge as a stand in drummer for Alex Landenburg in Cyhra for about 2 years and with a bunch of shows and tours under the belt together, me and Euge have really hit it off and he has become a very good and dear friend of mine. When this opportunity rose to do this project together there was absolutely nothing that would stop me in my tracks to take the change and join! To also be playing with Samy and Janne in the same band was a massive extra privilege and a surprise to say, especially knowing what they have achieved in their individual careers! It makes me very humble and excited to be a part of this machine and it’s just simply awesome and honouring to be a part of this all."
Tracklist:
"Crossing The Line"
"The Road"
"The Point Of No Return"
"Running In Circles"
"The Devil Inside Of Me"
"Hypocrite"
"Watch It Burn"
"Coming For You"
"Face Of God"
"I Am The Night"
Brazilian metallers, Angra, have released a live video for the Temple Of Shadows album track, "Spread Your Fire", from the band's Ømni World Tour. Watch below:
Check out the previously released live videos for "Always More", "Magic Mirror", "Caveman", "War Horns", "The Bottom Of My Soul", "Insania", "Travelers Of Time", and "Light Of Transcedence" below:
Scorpions have uploaded pro-shot video of a '70s medley live from Brooklyn in 2015 as part of their Return To Forever Tour. It features the Scorpions songs "Top Of The Bill", "Steamrock Fever", "Speedy's Coming" and "Catch Your Train".
Scorpions have announced that their Sin City Nights Vegas Residency dates, scheduled for May 8 - 30, 2021 at Zappos Theater, have been rescheduled to March 26 - April 16, 2022 with special guests Queensrÿche.
"We can’t wait to be reunited with all of you then," says the band.
Fans who have purchased tickets to an affected performance will have their tickets automatically transferred to a new date with the exact same seats, including VIP packages where applicable. If you are unable to attend that date, please visit your original point of purchase for a refund. Those interested in purchasing tickets for the new dates can do so at ticketmaster.com/scorpionsvegas.
Conan are not only releasing their third live album, Live At Freak Valley, today - they’ve also unleashed the fierce sludge crusher “Battle In The Swamp”. This live version pushes violently on the brake pedal - you can literally hear your feet stuck in the marsh. This relentlessly heavy, constantly charging amalgamation of intensity rages from the first to the last second.
Says the band: "“‘Battle In The Swamp’ is one of our earliest songs, appearing on the first demo tape we recorded back in 2007. It is simple and to the point, and always starts a pit. Enjoy.”
Watch the video for the live version of "Battle In The Swamp" below:
Three years after the release of the ferocious caveman battle doom masterpiece Existential Void Guardian, Conan waves the flag of Pain again and releases Live At Freak Valley via Napalm Records. After their 2013 live album, recorded at Roadburn festival, and the self-released Live At Bannermans, their third live album could not be recorded at a better place than Freak Valley Festival.
Live At Freak Valley is available in the following formats:
- 2 LP Gatefold Vinyl White / Black Marble (Napalm Records mailorder only) - strictly limited to 200
- 2 LP Gatefold Vinyl Grey
- 1 CD Jewelcase
- Digital album
Undertow, the debut album from A Rising Force, the band featuring Mark Westlund (vocals, guitar), Brian Lorenson (bass, vocals), Lane Allen (drums, vocals), and Leni DiMancari (guitars, vocals), is set for release on May 7 via HighVolMusic. A video for the first single, "Love And War", can be found below.
The album was written in the fall of 2019 through the summer of 2020 and recorded in in the fall of 2020. Undertow features 10 tracks including a cover of the Warrant hit, "Uncle Tom's Cabin".
A Rising Force is also part of the 'Rock Across America Tour' featuring Ron Keel Band and Every Mother's Nightmare. "Like everyone else we are hopeful that we can get out and play some dates to support the new album, we will see. We are excited about the new album and possibilities," says Leni DiMancari.
Virginia-based crossover maniacs, Enforced, have released their new album, Kill Grid. In time for the release they are also unleashing a band new video clip for the menacing “UXO”.
Enforced are keeping an important tradition of thrash and punk/hardcore alive though: While their brutal tunes are going to wreck your neck there is more to the band than just entertainment: “This song is lyrically self explanatory”, says singer Knox Colby. “It’s about the cluster bombing of Laos during the Vietnam War. The main focus of the lyrics are about the cultural impact that the unexploded ordnance (abbreviated UXO) has had over the last 50 years. Over 20,000 people have died accidentally from stepping on these bombs that are the size of a softball and scattered over the entire country, which is predominantly covered in dense jungle (last I checked, 35% of the country is still contaminated with UXO). It’s an issue the United States has only recently owned up to, but the government won’t apologize for; it’s shameful.”
Guitarist Will Wagstaff on the music: “ When this song was written I was listening to 2 specific songs on repeat. ‘Dying’ by Obituary and ‘Corporal Jigsore Quandary’ by Carcass. Both tracks are just so driving with the double bass and grooviness and I wanted to try to write something somewhat in that vein.”
Kill Grid came together over a two-year period while Enforced were marauding halls and dive bars across the East Coast and Canada. Indeed, inspiration came from different directions, but playing live with bands like Sacred Reich, Red Death, Iron Reagan, All Out War, and Integrity shaped what was to come out of the Richmonders. While it was the previous output that attracted the attention of Century Media, it’s Kill Grid, that’s going to put Enforced on top-lists of circle pit lunatics around the globe. To track their sophomore full-length, Enforced enlisted long-time friend and studio maven Bob Quirk (Iron Reagan) to engineer, as well as Philadelphia-based studio whiz Arthur Rizk (Power Trip, Cavalera Conspiracy, Pissed Jeans, Eternal Champion, Ghostemane, Code Orange) to mix and master.
BODY COUNT was honored with a Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards, which is being held tonight (Sunday, March 14) at an undisclosed building in Los Angeles. BODY COUNT was nominated for "Bum-Rush", a track from its 2020 album "Carnivore".
The nominees in the "Best Metal Performance" category were as follows:
* BODY COUNT - "Bum-Rush"
* CODE ORANGE - "Underneath"
* IN THIS MOMENT - "The In-Between"
* POPPY - "Bloodmoney"
* POWER TRIP - "Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe) - Live"
Last December, BODY COUNT frontman Ice-T told Consequence Of Sound about being nominated for a Grammy: "Well, I think my first reaction was more insane when we got nominated for the album before this ['Bloodlust'], when we got nominated for 'Black Hoodie'. I thought it was a joke. I couldn't believe it. Now, for us to get a nomination on our next album after that, I was, like, 'Really?!' I guess somebody over there at the Grammys really enjoys what I'm doing. So, it's a very exciting moment. We lost last time. I think just to be nominated, it sounds corny, with all the thousands and thousands of records that come out every year, is a great accomplishment and we'll take that. Of course, we want to win but it's mind-blowing."
As with other award shows held during the pandemic, there will be no audience for the Grammys this year.
The majority of the awards are being handed out in a non-televised event, the Premiere Ceremony, this afternoon. The televised portion of the Grammys will begin on CBS at 5:00 p.m. PT/8:00 p.m. ET.
Artists will perform at audience-free venues across the United States, including Los Angeles's Troubadour and Hotel Café, New York City's Apollo and Nashville's Station Inn.
The awards are selected by The Recording Academy's voting membership which is made up of music artists, producers, songwriters, and engineers all across the country.
Last year, TOOL was honored with a Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards, which was held on January 26, 2020 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. TOOL was nominated for "7empest", a track from its 2019 album "Fear Inoculum".
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