L.A.'s Witherfall are celebrating the release of their new album, Curse Of Autumn, with the launch of another cinematic video for an edit of the epic "...And They All Blew Away." The video was directed by Brendan McGowan and produced by Zev Deans. Check it out below.
"So, this is a total edit of this song," the band says. "For those who dare, there is a 15+ minute version on the record that is by far the most progressive thing Witherfall has ever written and features an incredible drum performance by the legendary Marco Minnemann as well as an amazing display of eclectic bass techniques by Anthony Crawford. Going into the songwriting of Curse Of Autumn, we always want to try and outdo ourselves with certain tracks and this goal was to write a song that took the listener on an unparalleled musical journey. This abridged version is set to cinema by UnholyRoman and is shrouded in mystery much like the meaning of the song. For those that dare, the full version can be found via the link in the description."
Curse Of Autumn is released today (March 5th), with the US vinyl available April 2. The album was produced by Jon Schaffer (Iced Earth, Demons & Wizards) for Ravencraft Productions, Joseph Michael (vocals, keyboards, also in Sanctuary) and Jake Dreyer (guitar, also in Iced Earth, Demons & Wizards). For the recording and mix they teamed up with Jim Morris (Savatage, Iced Earth, Kamelot, Death) while Tom Morris took over mastering duties.
The album art is once again another hand painted masterpiece by the legendary Kristian Wåhlin, the fourth painting in the Witherfall series.
Apart from the digital album, the following formats are available, please note that the luxurious Gatefold 2LP is coming with a poster and etching on Side D:
- Ltd. CD Digipak
- Gatefold black 2LP for all accounts
- 200x Gatefold Autumn Amber (transp. orange Vinyl) 2LP via CM Distro Wholesale and Onlineshop
- 200x Gatefold Ghost White (creamy white Vinyl) 2LP via EMP and Nuclear Blast
The US is carrying the following formats:
- CD Digipak
- Gatefold Fall Forest Green (translucent forest green Vinyl) 2LP for all accounts
- 200x Gatefold Tempest Frost (coke bottle clear Vinyl) 2LP via Revolver Magazine
- 200x Gatefold River Orchid Bloom (orchid Vinyl) via the CM US Onlineshop
- 300x Gatefold Last Scar Blood Red (deep blood red Vinyl) 2LP
Tracklisting:
"Deliver Us Into The Arms Of Eternal Silence"
"The Last Scar"
"As I Lie Awake"
"Another Face"
"Tempest"
"Curse Of Autumn"
"The Unyielding Grip Of Each Passing Day"
"The Other Side Of Fear"
"The River"
"… And They All Blew Away"
"Long Time" (Acoustic Version)
"The Other Side Of Fear" video:
“As I Lie Awake” video
"Another Face" lyric video:
Witherfall are:
Joseph Michael - Vocals/Keyboards (also in Sanctuary)
Jake Dreyer - Acoustic and Electric Guitars (also in Iced Earth/Demons And Wizards)
Anthony Crawford - Bass (Chon, Shalmor, Allan Holdsworth, Justin Timberlake, Kirk Whalum)
Marco Minnemann - Drums (The Aristocrats, Joe Satriani, Steven Wilson, Tony Levin, Jordan Rudess, Necrophagist)
Alex Nasla - Live Keyboards
Melodic death metallers Númenor release their new album, Draconian Age, today via Elevate Records. It is available via all digital platforms and on CD. The opening track "Make The Stand" features Blind Guardian frontman Hansi Kürsch, making it his first duet with a black metal singer.
The style of the Númenor is a mix between epic, power and heavy metal of the '80s and '90s, and the Scandinavian black / death metal scene of the '90s. Influences include Iron Maiden, Rhapsody / Luca Turilli, Blind Guardian, Bal-Sagoth, Covenant, Arcturus, the first Dimmu Borgir and Old Man's Child.
A few words on Draconian Age directly from singer Marko:
"We started to record Draconian Age at the end of 2018 and concluded at the end of 2020. Draconian Age is the first album made for Elevate Records and was preceded by a single with 4 tracks. Furthermore, for the second time we used a cover carried out by the artist Dobroslav Bob Zivkovic which was originally published as a front cover and rearceropropertine of the book The Lord of the Rings in 1984. The sound of Draconian Age turned out to be more aggressive than before although at the beginning we thought of proceeding in the direction of the previous albums with the first two written songs and recorded: 'Feanor' and 'Mirror Mirror', but with the rest of the songs we explored some new musical horizons, especially with 'WhereThe Battle Rages On' and 'Twilight Of The Gods'.
Furthermore, every single track of the disc was strongly influenced by the sound of 'Make The Stand', the opening track with Hansi Kürsch of Blind Guardian to the solo voice. However, every song has something special such as 'Hall Of The Mountain King' or 'The Final Days Of Frost', which turned out to be a real black metal track. During some moments of the writing process we were strongly influenced by Norwegian or Swedish black metal bands: Immortal, Emperor, Old Man's Child or even Dissection. From our point of view this was our full-length full-length as we spent a lot of time to every single detail. However, we are convinced that this album will be remembered in a particular way for the participation of Hansi Kürsch as lead vocalist in the opening track make the stand, which surely, given the first results, will become one of the biggest and most important songs of the band."
Check out Draconian Age via digital platforms here.
Tracklist:
"Make The Stand" (feat. Hansi Kürsch)
"Hall Of The Mountain King"
"Fëanor"
"Mirror Mirror (A Robe of Stars)"
"Arkenstone"
"Where The Battle Rages On"
"Twilight Of The Gods"
"The Days Of Final Frost"
"The Last Of Wizards"
"Númenor"
Pop star Kesha has shared a video of her wearing a VOIVOD t-shirt.
The singer, who celebrated her 34th birthday on Monday (March 1), took to her Facebook page the following day to post a six-second clip of her sporting a shirt from the legendary Canadian metal innovators. She wrote in an accompanying message: "Animals I love u thank u so much for all the birthday messages!! I miss u".
Back in 2011, Kesha said that she did not see herself as an average pop star because she loves the rock 'n' roll lifestyle too much.
She said: "I'm not a submissive, perfect pop princess, that's for damned sure. I do think I have a rebellious, metal-loving rock chick inside of me.
"I've always loved rock 'n' roll. It's about subversion. I'm talking to millions of people around the world about having sex freely, getting drunk and partying. It's fun for me to be riding that line of appropriateness."
Shortly before the release of her last studio album, 2020's "High Road", Kesha told Billboard that BEASTIE BOYS' "Licensed To Ill", QUEEN's "Jazz" and Iggy Pop's "Lust For Life" were among the albums that influenced her. "My brain is a wild place," she said.
A little over four years ago, Kesha was photographed rocking a 1988 METALLICA "Damaged Justice" tour t-shirt while leaving a Miami hotel.
In 2011, Kesha made a guest appearance on Alice Cooper's "Welcome 2 My Nightmare" on a song called "What Baby Wants".
"I met [Kesha] at the Grammys," Cooper told Billboard, "and I immediately looked at her and went, 'This girl is not a pop diva. She's a rock singer.' She would much rather be the female Robert Plant than the next Britney Spears."
Animals I love u thank u so much for all the birthday messages!! I miss u ☯️??
German modern metal outfit Venues have released the NSFW video for their new single "Rite Of Passage." The thumping and monumental track is very personal — exploring the relationship with one's father while sonically erupting into a chorus made for arenas.
Venues will release their new album Solace, on August 27 via Arising Empire. The album will be pressed on limited colored vinyl, as well. Pre-order Solace here.
From the depths of their deepest crisis, Venues emerge victoriously, welcoming two new members: clean vocalist Lela and guitarist Valentin. When former vocalist Nyves quit the band mid-tour, following the release of their pivotal debut Aspire (2018), the modern metal crew was shaken to the bone. Despite this situation, the remaining members refused to give up and tirelessly searched for new talent.
Following guitarist Constantin witnessing a performance of Lela at — of all places — a Steel Panther show, the band found their new clean vocalist.
Venues entered the studio with producer Christoph Wieczorek (Annisokay) to record Solace, who coated their massive sound with a metallic alloy of remarkable precision.
"We wanted to be more metal," the band's Robin comments. "There were some pop sensibilities of Aspire that we wanted to replace with rather the opposite." Melody and punch-drunk heaviness, metal and alternative rock, zeitgeist and authenticity, barbed choruses and unleashed creativity: With their soaring sophomore release, Venues fulfill every single promise they made on Aspire.
"2020 showed all of us how much the band is helping us keep our sanity,” Robin muses. "Almost the whole band went through minor or medium crises since the release of our debut. Relationships went sour, things ended and began. In times like these, our second album was the light at the end of the tunnel. Something we all could look forward to. Our music held our heads above water."
It's a leap, going from Aspire to Solace, and it's a logical one. 10 songs. 10 exorcisms of negative energy. 10 lifesavers.
Progressive metal power force Odd Dimension have released a video for the song Escape To Blue Planet, taken from their third album, The Blue Dawn, which will be released on March 26 on Scarlet Records.
This is how the band commented: “‘Escape To Blue Planet’ is a song that well represents the mood, the sounds and the dynamic range we wanted to express with this album, from intimate atmospheres to powerful progressive rhythmic figures. We wanted to literally host the listener in our musical dimension! This new chapter of the story tells about the escape of the two main characters Markus and Eloise from their homeland Axtradel to an unknown planet they see far away from their spaceship in a shining blue, destined to become the homeland of their newborn sons. To do this they leave their mission, and as The Ruler says in the mid part of the song, they will eternally pay the price for this action. We are very excited to release this first official video anticipating this record and we can’t wait for the whole album release on March 26th!”
The Blue Dawn is an intriguing existential sci-fi concept-album in the vein of Rush’s 2112, which is beautifully portrayed by the cover artwork of none other than renowned artist Gustavo Sazes (Angra, DGM, Firewind, James LaBrie).
Tracklisting:
“Mission N°773”
“Landing On Axtradel”
“The Invasion”
“Escape To Blue Planet”
“Solar Wind”
“Life Creators”
“The Blue Dawn”
“Sands Of Yazukia”
“Flags Of Victory”
“The Supreme Being”
Shavo Odadjian (SYSTEM OF A DOWN), Phil Demmel (VIO-LENCE, ex-MACHINE HEAD), Jason Christopher (Corey Taylor, ex-PRONG) and Brandon Pertzborn (HO99O9, Corey Taylor) have joined forces to record a quarantine cover of STONE TEMPLE PILOTS' "Dead & Bloated". Check it out below.
Christopher shared a video of the performance on his Instagram and wrote in an accompanying message: "I hope you enjoy watching this as much as we enjoyed making it.
"I would like to thank the homeys: @jayruston For taking time out of his busy schedule to do this sweet mix, @rarebirdlit for the studio, @dirtyern12 for making this rad video, and @ra_diaz for the company. And my brothers in arms: @phildemmel @shavoodadjian @brandonpertzborn . I love you guys so much and thank you for absolutely crushing this!! I hope we did @stpband justice".
Hired gun Christopher has spent his musical career as an unsung hero, playing an important live role for many influential bands and artists who need a bassist or guitarist.
Jason's a left-handed guitarist who plays a regular guitar upside down and back to front. Not being able to afford a left-handed model in his teenage years, it's testament to his tenacity that he made do, "figuring it out for himself." Not only a gifted musician, Jason has turned his hand to writing about his life and experiences of "making it" in the industry. In 2018, he released the first instalment of his engaging work, "The Rogue To Nowhere", part one of a three-part novella series documenting tales of growing up in Woodstock, New York and moving to Los Angeles, California in search of his musical dream.
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 Raacer X's classic instrumental "Technical Difficulties". Check it out below.
The track is taken from Racer X's Technical Difficulties album, released in 1999. It was written by guitarist Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big) and drummer Scott Travis (Judas Priest).
They previously released a cover of Malmsteen's "Far Beyond The Sun", Dream Theater's "The Dance Of Etrnity", 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)
"Since its release, Holy Ground has been kicking butt from one side of the Planet to the other, thanks to you guys," says The Dead Daisies, in regard to their new studio album - the first to feature vocalist / bassist Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath).
"With 'Chosen And Justified' about to blast off, we thought we'd do something a little different... Beam me up Scotty!"
"Space: the Final Frontier. This is the story of the Starship – Chosen And Justified. Its mission: to explore strange new worlds seeking out new planets for mankind to inhabit. To boldly go where no one has gone before!
Don’t ya just love Star Trek…
The Earth has become uninhabitable, due to man’s stupidity of course, the environment and everything on the planet is pretty much cactus so we must find a way to survive. Determined to save the human race from extinction, the band and its fans blast off from Earth to join a fleet of spacecraft, which is led by the flagship Chosen And Justified. Its mission, to search for a new place to hang out. After years of hibernation, the fleet’s computer awakens everyone when a new world that has an atmosphere fit for humans is discovered. They name the new planet Holy Ground; there is no looking back."
Brazil-based animator Val Andrade has released his latest Iron Maiden cartoon clip featuring "The Man Who Would Be King" from The Final Frontier, originally released 11 years ago in 2010. Check it out below:
A selection of Andrade's previously released Iron Maiden-based cartoons can be seen below:
UK thrashers Solitary have revealed their new video "Catharsis", from the album The Truth Behind The Lies, available now on Metalville Records. Following on from the powerful call-to-arms of "Abominate" and the dark defiance of "I Will Not Tolerate", the cold fury of "Catharsis" shines an unflinching spotlight on the plight of the homeless in modern-day Britain. A feast of uncompromising riffs and irresistible hooks, "Catharsis" is yet another highlight from one of the most consistently excellent thrash metal albums of recent years.
Speaking about the new video, Solitary frontman Rich Sherrington said, "'Catharsis' deals with the debilitating state of anxiety, but the lyrics lent themselves really well to the homeless crisis that we wanted to highlight in the video. It's an issue we feel passionately about, and people need to see 'the truth behind the lies' - who'd have thought the UK government would misquote and distort the figures to mask the actual reality of the situation?"
As well as highlighting the ongoing problem of homelessness in the video for "Catharsis", Solitary have also contributed a track to the charity compilation album Moshin' The Roof On Vol. 2, organized by the UK Thrashers group and featuring the cream of UK thrash. Find out more here.
The Truth Behind The Lies artwork and tracklisting:
"I Will Not Tolerate"
"The Dark...The Resilient"
"Abominate"
"Homage To The Broken"
"The Truth Behind The Lies"
"Catharsis"
"DTR (Dishonour True Reality)"
"Spawn Of Hate"
Vancouver’s Anarcheon have unveiled a new stand-alone single “Bloody Merry”, which is our first look at the dark path the band is currently exploring. Multiple line-up changes over the past few years have put the band into an experimental phase, in which they are pushing their creative boundaries. One of the things that are setting Anarcheon apart is their bassist taking up main songwriter duties, leading to heavily groovy riffs with a focus on the bassy low end.
The new direction that “Bloody Merry” alludes to is also leading towards a new EP, slated for release later this year entitled Scary Tale. Both the single and the EP give off a creepy and groovy vibe, taking the listener through a vampiric journey into the dark side of Anarcheon. They explain further:
“Our single 'Bloody Merry' is about the longing and aching for blood through seduction. Making people succumb to the seduction or be my next meal. Though this is a fairly newer song that we wrote we wanted to release it as a single before our EP came out. The song sets the tone for the EP Scary Tale nicely and prepares you with a little taste of crimson liquor.”
A little spooky, a little melodic, and completely creative, “Bloody Merry” is an excellent starting point for new fans to be enticed by the heavy, horror-themed, passionate metal that Anarcheon flaunts while current fans can enjoy the new, yet familiar direction the band is headed in.
Vampirism, harmonies, and emphasis on the low end are key for Anarcheon, who is recommended for fans of Sepultura, Carcass, and Thy Art Is Murder.
“Bloody Merry” will be available to stream and download as of March 5th on Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music.
"Frôðr" is the opening song of King Of Asgard's fourth full length album Svartrviðr, which will be released as double LP, Digipak CD and download version on May 28, 2021. It is the first of no less than eight epic tracks which honour the first wave(s) of grim and black Nordic metal, while at the same time refining the massive sound of King Of Asgard. Preorder/presave the album here.
"The first single of our forthcoming album Svartrviðr is called 'Frôðr'. It's a typical King Of Asgard tune in classic epic length and with all our traditional ingredients,” remarks bass player and spokesman Jonas Albrektsson. "The song represents our sonic vision of a sacrificial ritual, a glimpse of an ecstatic trance through a one-eyed point of view. The Old Icelandic word 'frôðr' means a 'sage' or a 'wise' a as noun. We give sound to the myth of the threefold death and self-sacrifice through which the god Óðinn finds the runes while hanging from the world-tree, pierced by his own spear. It is a symbolic suicide to gain knowledge and unlock secrets. In order to visualise the sound of 'Frôðr', we recruited Jimmy Johansson from Super Lino Puro Productions, who provided brilliant images to the lyrics of 'Frôðr' that now flicker in front of your eyes. Enjoy!"
METALLICA celebrated the 35th anniversary of its classic third album, "Master Of Puppets", by performing the song "Battery" on last night's (Wednesday, March 3) episode of "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert".
This is not the first time that METALLICA has appeared on a talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert. In May 2017, METALLICA performed the song "Now That We're Dead" on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert". Prior to that, the band sat down for an interview and performed on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report" in September 2013. More recently, METALLICA performed "Enter Sandman" on "A Late Show: Super Bowl Edition", a live special edition of "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert", on February 7.
"Master Of Puppets" was the first album METALLICA recorded after signing a major label deal with Elektra Records.
The set only reached No. 29 on the Billboard album chart but has sold over six million copies in the U.S. since.
It is the last record to feature bassist Cliff Burton, who was killed later that year in a tour bus crash.
Several songs from the album are still staples of METALLICA's live set, including "Battery", "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" and the title track.
Germany’s answer to Swedish old school death metal in the style of Dissection, Necrophobic and Unanimated, Thulcandra, will re-release their three albums - Fallen Angel’s Dominion, Under A Frozen Sun and Ascension Lost - on strictly limited coloured vinyl via Napalm Records on April 23. All three albums have gained classic status within the genre and are currently completely sold out on vinyl.
Thulcandra remark: “The overall feedback to the just announced vinyl re-releases has been overwhelming! The first edition of all three albums totally sold out within three days. Pick up one of the last vinyls in silver, exclusively available through Napalm Records! In the meantime, we worked hard on our upcoming new album and just finished all songwriting duties. More news, updates and hopefully shows coming soon!”
To celebrate the upcoming releases, Thulcandra have debuted the live video for "Night Eternal", recorded in 2010 in their hometown Munich.
Thulcandra on the re-releases: “With sheer endless patience our fans asked constantly for new vinyl editions of our first three albums. While Thulcandra are working in full swing on the new album, Napalm Records granted our wish to re-release Fallen Angel’s Dominion, Under A Frozen Sun and Ascension Lost as limited editions featuring massive gatefold covers. Since 2010, each record has been ornated and adorned with a grand artwork of Kristian - the Necrolod - Wahlin. To savour each album in its full glory, listen to the music, read through all lyrics and discover each and every detail in those ice cold, freezing and lastly inimitable cover artworks.”
Fallen Angel’s Dominion and Under A Frozen Sun will be available in the following format:
- LP Gatefold Vinyl Silver – strictly limited to 200 (Napalm Records Mailorder only)
Ascension Lost will be available in the following format:
- 2 LP Gatefold Vinyl Silver – strictly limited to 200 (Napalm Records Mailorder only)
All three albums will also be available on bronze vinyl, strictly limited to 100 (Thulcandra Store only).
Tracklisting:
"In The Realm Of thousand Deaths"
"Night Eternal"
"Fallen Angel's Dominion"
"Frozen Kingdom"
"Everlasting Fire"
"Spirit Of The Night"
"Legions Of Darkness"
"In Silence We Eternally Sleep"
"The Somberlain"
Tracklisting:
"In Blood And Fire"
"Black Flags Of Hate"
"Ritual Of Sight"
"Under A Frozen Sun"
"Aeon Of Darkness"
"Echoing Voices (A Cold Breeze Of Death)"
"Gates Of Eden"
"Life Demise"
Tracklisting:
"The First Rebellion"
"Throne Of Will"
"Deliverance In Sin And Death"
"Demigod Imprisoned"
Interlude
"Exalted Resistance"
"The Second Fall"
"Sorrow Of The One"
"Ascension Lost"
Outro
"Perishness Around Us" (Bonus Track)
"Frozen Kingdom" (Bonus Track)
"Dreaming" (Bonus Track)
"Immortality" (Bonus Track)
Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess has posted part of his recent Kronos synth stream for Patreon on YouTube along with the following message:
"Join me on my Patreon to listen to this entire stream as well as lessons, behind the scenes and chats. Next month, Mike Portnoy will be my guest on my Patreon live chat here."
Liquid Tension Experiment, the legendary supergroup comprised of Mike Portnoy (Transatlantic, Sons Of Apollo), John Petrucci (Dream Theater), Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), and Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel), return with a new album, LTE3, out March 26 via InsideOutMusic, twenty-two years after the bands’ last studio album.
Today, the band are pleased to share the video for the album’s second single, “Beating The Odds”. You can watch the video, created by Christian Rios, below.
“This was a riff that I brought into the sessions that I thought was interesting because it's in an odd time and phrased in a way that is hard to wrap your head around at first until you understand where the groove is. When I first presented it to the guys, their initial reaction was “how are you feeling that?” When the band enters after the opening riff it probably sounds a little “odd” because the time signature is a bit unclear until the song gets going. If LTE ever had a 'prog pop hit' this would be it!” - John Petrucci
“I remember the look of confusion on ALL our faces when JP started playing that opening riff! It’s was seemingly so straight ahead but with a bizarre rhythmic twist! Took a while to internalize that but then we all loved it! One of the great things about LTE is the fact that we just let ourselves loose and have FUN!” - Jordan Rudess
“‘Beating The Odds’ is the 2nd song we wrote in the LTE3 sessions. I jokingly referred to it as “the feel-good song of the Pandemic” in the studio as it has a very upbeat happy feel to it...but also takes a few cool musical twists & turns ranging from the glorious melodic chorus & end vamp to the dark driving solo sections” - Mike Portnoy
“Starts with an off-step riff, kind of like walking upstairs backward, but at the repeat you get it. Then it opens up into “anthem land”. Later there are unison bass lines where both Jordan and John got flangy sounds that work well with the bass. Mike’s unstoppable energy is evident here, and we’ve got more fantastic J&J solos. At only five and a half minutes we start fading out… a short song by our standards. But we’re just getting warmed up.” - Tony Levin
The new album will be available in the following formats:
• Limited deluxe hot pink 3LP+2CD+Blu-ray Box Set (incl. a poster and 4 artcards, Blu-ray includes a 5.1 surround mix with visuals, and full band interview from the studio)
• Limited 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook
• Limited 2CD Digipak
• Gatefold black 2LP+CD
• Digital album (2CD)
"Hypersonic"
"Beating The Odds"
"Liquid Evolution"
"The Passage Of Time"
"Chris & Kevin’s Amazing Odyssey"
"Rhapsody In Blue"
"Shades Of Hope"
"Key To The Imagination"
Bonus Disc: Includes almost an hour of improvised jams.
“The Passage Of Time” video:
Teaser:
In 1997, Mike Portnoy, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, and Tony Levin, joined forces to create Liquid Tension Experiment. The foursome would release their iconic, self-titled debut album in 1998 and the dazzling follow-up, LTE2 in 1999, creating a dynamic, frantic, and inventive sound all their own. The incredible creativity between the collective would prompt Petrucci and Portnoy to invite Rudess to join Dream Theater, effectively marking the end of this side project. However, since that time, there have been few reunions more in demand. Now, with the world in lockdown and calendars unexpectedly aligned, the inconceivable has finally happened… a new Liquid Tension Experiment album.
Swedish metallers GHOST have released a new music video for the song "Life Eternal". The black-and-white clip, which can be seen below, features footage filmed at the final show of the band's "Prequelle" tour, which concluded exactly a year ago — on March 3, 2020 — at Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City, Mexico.
Last October, GHOST mastermind Tobias Forge told Sweden Rock Magazine that he was planning to enter the studio in January to begin recording GHOST's fifth album. "The actual recording will last around six weeks and then there's two to three weeks of mixing and mastering," he said. "So sometime in March the record should be finished, but it won't be released until after the summer. As it looks now, knock on wood, we will then go on tour. We won't release an album until we know that we are actually going on tour. The album release will coincide with the start of a tour. Of course, we could announce an album release date and then, for some reason, it might not be possible to tour, but that's a whole other matter."
In March 2020, at the aforementioned GHOST concert in Mexico City, the band introduced the new character who will front the act for its next LP phase: Papa Emeritus IV.
Forge performed as a "new" Papa Emeritus on each of the band's first three LPs, with each version of Papa replacing the one that came before it. Papa Emeritus III was retired in favor of Cardinal Copia before the release of 2018's "Prequelle" album.
In October 2019, Forge confirmed to U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine that there would be a new character fronting GHOST by the time the group's next LP sees the light of day.
"Prequelle" debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and features the chart-topping singles "Rats" and "Dance Macabre".
In December 2018, GHOST nabbed two Grammy nominations, "Best Rock Album" for "Prequelle" and "Best Rock Song" for "Rats".
Five years ago, GHOST became the first Swedish rock band ever to win a Grammy — 2016's "Best Metal Performance" for the song "Cirice".
Grammy Award-winning four-piece GRETA VAN FLEET has unveiled a live video for "Heat Above", the latest track from its sophomore LP "The Battle At Garden's Gate", due April 16 via Lava/Republic.
"'Heat Above' is theatrical, eloquent, and exaggerated," explains the group. "This is a dream in the clouds, a moment of peace in the storm. Thematically, we are dead center in the cult of Heaven, surreal, strange, alive and free."
"The Battle At Garden's Gate" reflects heavily on the group's personal and spiritual growth, as well as deepening empathy for the struggles and inequalities others are experiencing.
"We realized that while growing up, we had been shielded by many things," describes drummer Danny Wagner. "As we started to travel a lot, meet new and different people and experience different cultures, our definition of 'normal' changed." Bassist Sam Kiszka adds, "I suppose that everything has changed except what got us here in the first place…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."
"The Battle At Garden's Gate" was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Greg Kurstin (Paul McCartney, FOO FIGHTERS, Adele). "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," explains vocalist Josh Kiszka. "It's reflecting a lot of the world that we've seen, and I think that it's reflecting a lot of personal truth," says guitarist Jake Kiszka.
"Certainly after this, we've grown in so many ways," Josh explains. "This album has taught us a lot, about life in general, about ourselves, about all of us, about the world we live in."
Formed in Frankenmuth, Michigan back in 2012, GRETA VAN FLEET consists of three brothers, vocalist Josh Kiszka, guitarist Jake Kiszka, bassist/keyboardist Sam Kiszka, as well as drummer Danny Wagner. Together they have gone on to sell one million concert tickets across multiple continents, perform on "Saturday Night Live" and "The Tonight Show", top the Billboard U.S. Mainstream Rock and Active Rock charts with their debut single "Highway Tune" in 2017, and win the Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album" in 2019 for their debut full length album, "From The Fires".
Finally, there’s a cvlt worth joining! As it often seems modern rock music has lost its sense of palpable danger and mystique, Finnish occult murder pop innovators Cvlt Ov The Svn mark its return in full force with their grim, addictive first full-length, We Are The Dragon! Slated for release on May 7 via Napalm Records, Cvlt Ov The Svn’s debut embodies a reverberating sense of eeriness, danger and fear, enriched with a pinch of gothic romanticism and pitch-black seduction.
With the unveiling of previously-released goth-boppers like “Twilight”, “The Pit”, “Whore Of Babylon” and “Luna In The Sky Forever”, Cvlt Ov The Svn have already proven how to successfully merge seething heaviness and sweet pop melodies. Now, the mysterious visionary behind the cvlt, who actually started out as a black metal drummer, finally sets free his casket full of morbid horror theatrics. Inspired by movies like The Exorcist and the all devouring darkness itself, he also draws inspiration not only from the heavy rock genre and greats like Type O Negative and Turbonegro, but the nostalgic influences of mainstream artists like Roxette as well.
Today, Cvlt Ov The Svn have shared the new single “My Venom”, a track that will send shivers down your spine! First evoking an eerie horror atmosphere in the verse, the mystical vocal performance of the project’s mysterious frontman leads into a sweet and seductive refrain shortly after. Join the cvlt and watch the brand new clip below:
The anonymous band mastermind states: "‘My Venom’ represents the issues within my soul. I think it's important to go and face your fears, or they will rule you. The video has a dark mood, which is what I always want present in my work. I don’t do the videos with a big crew as I want my own vibe in them. I’m sort of a dictator in that sense. Spread the word!"
Cvlt Ov The Svn’s sound feels dangerously unsettling, lacing its churning heaviness with pop melodies that travel right through your ears to your central nervous system. Conceptually conveying a variety of extreme emotions, each of the album’s twelve tracks cut through the noise of society like a razorblade, leaving a long-lasting impression on the listener that’ll have them clamoring for more!
“When I wrote these songs, I wanted to push people’s boundaries,” he adds. In addition to the macabre thrills of their music, there’s the character he takes on stage, twisting the dagger of perception even further like your favorite horror flick and making for a combined experience that cuts deep and close to the bone.
The creative cvlt leader continues: “It’s easier to tell those grim stories through another identity, another character. Black cloaks just go with it, obviously. I’m a big fan of suspense and this kind of content is all about the surprises. I find it is an intriguing realm to explore. Whatever lies ahead, Cvlt Ov The Svn will adapt and thrive.”
Tracklisting:
"We Are The Dragon"
"My Venom"
"Don’t Be Tender Love Me Cruel"
"Hellbound"
"Dancing With The Devil"
"Twilight"
"I’m Gonna Find Out"
"Luna In The Sky Forever"
"The Murderer"
"Whore Of Babylon"
"The Pit"
"Another Infinity"
Cvlt Ov The Svn’s We Are The Dragon will be out on May 7 through Napalm Records and available as CD and Digital formats. The album pre-sale just went up at this location.
LACUNA COIL singer Cristina Scabbia has explained the band's decision to take part in an initiative dubbed "L'Ultimo Concerto?" (Last Concert) to highlight the increasingly uncertain future of music venues. Instead of delivering live performances as part of a scheduled free virtual stream on Saturday, February 27, each of around 130 Italian artists was filmed taking the stage at a different venue and then standing there in silence as a way of commemorating the one-year mark since the first Italian venues closed.
Earlier today (Sunday, February 28), LACUNA COIL's social media was updated with a video message from Cristina, in which she said: "I know that a lot of you guys have been connecting to the web site ultimoconcerto.it expecting a live concert that never happened. What you saw was a video of us entering the venue Alcatraz in Milano and standing still on the stage, looking at an empty club. What we did was taking part in an Italian strike, and I'm here explaining it in English because a lot of you guys probably couldn't read what was written on the web site and couldn't figure out that this event was already really strange from the beginning, because more than 120 Italian bands playing from different clubs at the same time was already something very unusual — let alone the fact that we never really promoted it, we never really talked about it, we never reposted some of your posts, and if you think about [LACUNA COIL's September 2020] 'Live From The Apocalypse' [virtual concert], we always did that.
"Of course, we couldn't say anything, because the purpose was to make noise," she continued. "So I absolutely understand your frustration, I absolutely understand your anger, and believe me, all of us [in] LACUNA COIL wanted to be on that stage to play a real concert for you. What you have to understand, though, [is] it is not easy to organize a concert, and there are costs behind [it] that you cannot imagine. So the point of the Italian strike that happened yesterday was to bring attention to the fact that clubs have been closed for a year because of the pandemic, and we don't know when they are gonna be reopening again. So I want to thank you guys, because even with your angry messages, even with your disappointment, you helped us to scream even louder.
"Some of you guys wrote, it is useless to 'attack' or 'use the fans,' which is something that we never did intentionally. Well, think about the fact that the band is followed by a lot of journalists as well, so your angry comments are even more helping the music scene, because people will see this and will see that music without live clubs is missing a huge part.
"So I'm here to thank you guys and to tell you that we're really hurt by some of the comments, but we know that this will be worth it," Scabbia added. "So we want to thank you.
"[We'll] hopefully see you in a real club, in a real show very, very soon. And thank you for the understanding. We] love you guys."
Organized by KeepOn Live, Arci, Assomusica and Live DMA, the "L'Ultimo Concerto?" campaign was announced last month when the venues shared images on social media of their year of foundation and the year 2021 with a question mark, suggesting that their closures due to the coronavirus pandemic could be permanent.
Between March and June 2020, the Italian government imposed a national lockdown by restricting people's movements to contain the pandemic. Thus, museums and cinemas closed and all cultural events were either canceled or rescheduled.
Around 300,000 people working in theaters, music venues, cinemas and cultural spaces in Italy have been rendered jobless since they shut their doors due to the coronavirus crisis.
Earlier on Saturday, Italy announced it was tightening restrictions in five of the country's 20 regions in an effort curb the spread of the coronavirus.
There have been more than 2.9 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 97,500 deaths in Italy since the pandemic began. It is the second-highest death toll in Europe after Britain and the seventh-highest in the world.
‼️ Important message from us ‼️
Please watch.
Thank you
L'Ultimo Concerto Alcatraz - Milano
Posted by Lacuna Coil on Sunday, February 28, 2021
Carolinas based heavy rock band The L.A. Maybe - fronted by lead singer Alvi Robinson, made famous when he was nearly selected to front AC/DC in 2016 - have released the official music video for their second single, "Sucker Punch".
"Sucker Punch" appears on The L.A. Maybe's upcoming, freshman album, Dirty Damn Tricks, due out March 26th.
"For our second single, we wanted to showcase a slightly different side of the band. 'Sucker Punch' is a high-energy rocker that comes together when you combine a huge rock anthem chorus with a relentless driving groove, sprinkle in some Southern Carolina heat, and bring it all into the 21st Century. This track is an anthem for those who fly the flag of the New Wave of American Rock. It’s about always being told no, but never accepting defeat. But most of all, it’s a call to arms for rock n’ roll fans everywhere to stand up, get loud, and to never let the music die without a hell of a fight." - The L.A. Maybe
The L.A. Maybe is a six-piece rock n' roll band hailing from the southern heat of the Carolinas. If you’re a fan of Guns N' Roses, The Black Crowes, or Van Halen… you will feel right at home adding LAM to your record collection.
Lead vocalist Alvi Robinson (who was one of only four singers to audition to replace Brian Johnson in AC/DC in 2016) lays down gritty, passionate vocals while the rest of the band back him up with slithering riffs, huge catchy hooks, and ripping guitar solos.
LAM firmly plants its feet at the very forefront of the New Wave of Classic Rock movement and you’re sure to have at least one of their choruses stuck in your head at any given moment.
Drawing influence from nearly every style of music, The L.A. Maybe put on an electrifying live show and stand for everything you love about rock music, old and new.
Check out "Mr. Danger", the first single and video from Dirty Damn Tricks.
"'Mr. Danger' is our ode to living fast and loose. As our debut single, it serves as a call to arms for rock n’ roll fans everywhere to stand up, get loud, and to never let the genre die without a hell of a fight." - The L.A. Maybe
For further details, visit The L.A. Maybe on Facebook.
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