The clip below features Nightwish vocalist Floor Jansen covering "Oblivion", originally performed and written by M83 & Susanne Sundfør for the movie Oblivion - released in 2013 - featuring Tom Cruise, Olga Kurylenko and Morgan Freeman.
Jansen: "Covering 'Oblivion' might have been the most fun I have had creating a cover so far. The epic, electronic vibe together with the dreamy vocals of Susanne was a perfect opportunity for me to adapt and perform in my vibe! Hope you enjoy!"
Jansen recently uploaded a new episode of Floor Finds. She posted the following overview for the clip below.
"Mental health, depression and difficult times are topics which are often not touched upon as much as they should. I sat down with Tom Englund from Silent Skies and Evergrey to discuss these heavy topics. Tom has a background in helping people with psychological issues and also got himself through a hard time. Hope you all enjoy this talk and are taking care of yourselves."
Jansen guested on the Evergrey track "In Orbit" for the band's 2016 album, The Storm Within. Check out the official video below.
Stars Unhinged has released the video for their second single "Run", from the forthcoming album Rise. "Run" features special guest Zachary Throne (Corey Taylor, Bruce Kulick Band) on background vocals.
"Run" was produced by drummer Chiko Misomali (Bif Naked) at Rancho Relaxo Studios in Vancouver, BC. It was mixed by Doug Fury (Bif Naked) at Fortissimo Sound, and mastered by Jamie Sitar (D.O.A., Swollen Members, Bif Naked) at Outta Town Sound.
The track was recorded pre-pandemic. Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, bassist Frank Cusenza could not appear in the video, which can be seen below. "Run" is available on all music platforms.
Stars Unhinged is a Canadian modern hard rock band from Vancouver, formed in 2018 by Chiko Misomali (drummer for Bif Naked). What originally began as a song writing project, quickly became a full-fledged recording act with the inclusion of bassist Frank Cusenza, vocalist JB Mason and guitarist Mike Federici.
Though often compared to artists like Stone Sour, Sixx:A.M. and Velvet Revolver, it's each member's wealth of varied musical experience and influence which gives Stars Unhinged its fresh yet familiar rock ‘n’ roll sound.
Stars Unhinged's debut album Rise is scheduled for release in spring 2021. Check out their first single / video, "Fall In Line":
For further details, follow Stars Unhinged on Facebook.
Introducing The Dirty Movies. This fabulous foursome features half of Toque - vocalist Todd Kerns (Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators, The Age Of Electric) and drummer Shane Gaalaas (Yngwie Malmsteen, Michael Schenker) - along with guitarist Toshi Yanagi, and bassist Coray McComic.
In the video below, The Dirty Movies cover "On Fire", which is the final track on Van Halen's self-titled debut album from 1978.
Get your own digital copy of The Dirty Movies' version of "On Fire" now at this location.
American 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 a guitar playthrough video featuring Dallas Dwight and Drizzle Silvera for their debut single, "Mr. Danger".
Directed by Ridge Beck, the official video for "Mr. Danger" from the band's upcoming, debut album, Dirty Damn Tricks, due out March 26th, can be seen below.
"'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
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.
For further details, visit The L.A. Maybe on Facebook.
THE END MACHINE, the new band featuring two members of the classic DOKKEN lineup — George Lynch (guitar) and Jeff Pilson (bass) — along with former LYNCH MOB and current WARRANT singer Robert Mason, will release its sophomore album, "Phase2", on April 9 via Frontiers Music Srl. The official music video for the disc's first single, "Blood And Money", can be seen below.
"Phase2" features drummer Steve Brown, younger brother of former DOKKEN drummer "Wild" Mick Brown, who played on THE END MACHINE's self-titled 2019 debut.
The new LP builds on the great bluesy hard rock music of the debut, but sees THE END MACHINE move more towards more towards a classic '80s hard rock sound and the result is a 2.0 reboot of a killer music machine.
Says Pilson: "On this record, we set out to make the very best songs possible and are more than excited with how it turned out. We also weren't afraid to let elements of the DOKKEN sound come through loud and clear. As a result, not only was it a very organic and collaborative process, but it was a helluva lot of fun as well!!! I feel these are some of the best songs we've ever written and I'm blown away by all the performances. George was on fire throughout, Robert makes it clear he's one of the very best rock vocalists around, and Steve delivered with all the passion and enthusiasm any band could ever desire. All in all, it is a musical statement we can and will stand behind for a very long time!!!"
Adds Lynch: "Jeff, Robert and I had discussions prior to pre-production and writing sessions that we would make a concerted effort to emphasize hooks and accessibility in our writing. We made sure to constantly remind ourselves of the self-induced parameters we'd created for ourselves so as not to get sidetracked and lose focus. I think that that guidance served us well. I'm very proud of what we’ve accomplished with THE END MACHINE 'Phase2'."
State Mason: "I feel that 'Phase2' is a logical progression from our debut record, and I echo Jeff's point that, in the writing process, none of us felt we had to distance ourselves from our past nor our collective roots. That hit making Lynch/Pilson chemistry and song lineage is surely powerful and present, while allowing me freedom to both embrace it and show my own musical and lyrical flavors. This record shows us solidly in each other's musical pockets and grooves, and speaking of, Steve Brown showed up to crush it on drums...and he can sing some mighty background vocals! We hope fans of all of our catalogs will embrace THE END MACHINE and 'Phase2'!"
Originally born from an idea of Frontiers Music Srl president and A&R director Serafino Perugino, who wanted to have the classic lineup of DOKKEN team up with a killer vocalist, THE END MACHINE's self-titled debut impressed mightily upon release. Far from being a simple rehash of the members resumes, THE END MACHINE proved to be a jelled unit who sounded exactly like the seasoned pros they are, while taking their hard rock past and putting a stamp of modern production on things courtesy of Pilson.
For their debut album, THE END MACHINE's sound developed through several initial songwriting sessions between Pilson and Lynch, with Mason later partnering with them. While the lineup may have had fans making assumptions about the sound of the band, things took a different turn. Said Pilson at the time: "The real truth of it is that George and I have this great songwriting partnership that's been going on for 35 years, and we love to work together. Robert really jelled with us too, thus making the process smooth."
Track listing:
01. The Rising
02. Blood And Money
03. We Walk Alone
04. Dark Divide
05. Crack The Sky
06. Prison Or Paradise
07. Plastic Heroes
08. Scars
09. Shine Your Light
10. Devil's Playground
11. Born Of Fire
12. Destiny
"Phase2" recording lineup:
George Lynch - guitar
Jeff Pilson - bass, keyboards and background vocals
Video of KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch's LOVE AND DEATH project performing the song "Down" during its February 12 livestreamed concert can be seen below. The track is taken LOVE AND DEATH's latest album, "Perfectly Preserved", which arrived on the same day via Earache Records.
"Perfectly Preserved" is described in a press release as "a blistering but accessible full-length follow-up, driven by the spiritual resilience inherent in the first record, combined with an even starker depiction of real-life struggle." Anger, broken relationships, lowered self-worth, and the collision of optimistic values with oppressive systems are all on display, from the arresting refrains of "Tragedy", "Death Of Us" and "Affliction" to the bold, conqueror driven anthem of "White Flag".
LOVE AND DEATH harness soaring melodies and crushing riffs, weaponizing them like a supernatural dagger to strike at the blackened heart of disillusionment from both within and without. With an instantly recognizable relatability, for anyone who has felt discarded or without value, the band crafts invigorating anthems filled with earnest pleas for mercy and certainty amidst the chaos of an uncertain world. This is heavy music to vigorously confront depression, heartbreak, and pain.
The band began with similar raw, authentic emotional honesty to what drove Welch to multiplatinum and Grammy Award-winning heights as a co-founder of genre trailblazers KORN. Forged as an outlet for recovery and redemption in a season of change, the creation of LOVE AND DEATH resulted in the powerful and dynamic 2013 debut "Between Here & Lost". The album spoke plainly to the hearts of similarly disenfranchised fans all across the world.
"Perfectly Preserved" marks the introduction of guitarist, bassist and co-songwriter Jasen Rauch as a full-fledged member of the band, as well as second time producer for LOVE AND DEATH (co-produced by Joe Rickard). Jasen, best known as an integral part of chart-topping rockers BREAKING BENJAMIN, produced LOVE AND DEATH's first album in 2013. The duo first met a year or two after the release of Head's solo album, "Save Me From Myself" (2008). As Head experimented with synthesizers, it was Rauch who encouraged him to pick up his guitar and churn out new riffs.
"Jasen and I started writing together. I was trying to do new things, writing music on a keyboard at my house," Welch recalls. "I credit him with the rediscovery of my love for the guitar."
LOVE AND DEATH charge into this new chapter with a definitive lineup, which sees Head and Jasen side by side with the band's original guitarist, JR Bareis, also on vocals and guitar, and powerhouse drummer Isaiah Perez. It was a perfect storm of friendship and creativity, as they all worked on the album in Nashville, Los Angeles, and Chicago, over several years.
Like A PERFECT CIRCLE or STONE SOUR, LOVE AND DEATH isn't a "side project" or replacement for the guys' respective bands. It's an extension and companion, offering each of them a unique outlet to explore different aspects of their creative passions. "There are certain things we can do melodically in LOVE AND DEATH that might not work in KORN," Rauch explains. "For me, there are certain creative risks I can take with the arrangements and production that wouldn't fit with BREAKING BENJAMIN. In this band, we don't worry about how long a song might be, for example."
It's also an opportunity for further collaboration with their friends from other bands. "The Hunter" features Jasen's BREAKING BENJAMIN bandmate (and solo artist) Keith Wallen, who was also a major co-writer on the project. And Longtime comrade Lacey Sturm, formerly of FLYLEAF, sings on a metallic rendition of a surprising pop cover.
As with the "Lo Lamento" single released in 2016, Bareis steps up vocally, sharing frontman duties with Welch, whose own delivery draws on jaw-dropping life experience. From the heights of rock stardom to the depths of addiction, through an exciting resurrection to the daily battle to stay above water, every moment of truth is evident in his brutally honest screams. Bareis, by contrast, delivers anthemic and even haunting melodic vocals.
"Everybody knows my foundation," says Welch, regarding the contrast in lyrical themes between "Perfectly Preserved" and the first LOVE AND DEATH album. "I feel like what our world needs most in this very unique moment in time are real storiesabout overcoming struggle. These are honest songs co-written by our group of friends targeting depression/mental health, challenging relationships, trauma, loneliness, and related issues."
As their fans have learned to expect, LOVE AND DEATH is fearless in its open examination of contradictions and failure, making confessional music with an underlying anchor of purpose and hope. Like the band's very moniker suggests, both "Love" and "Death" are very present in all that they do.
"Eleventeen", the debut solo album from late OZZY OSBOURNE and URIAH HEEP drummer Lee Kerslake, has just received a posthumous release via HNE Recordings, the hard rock and heavy metal arm of Cherry Red Records.
"Eleventeen" is a collection of eight songs, seven of them written or co-written by Lee. Lee offers notes and insights for each track, saying "Take Nothing For Granted" "is based around my wife and then some," evidently with tongue firmly in cheek. Elsewhere, "Where Do We Go From Here", according to Lee, is about how "ot's all too late to realize… where do we go from here? I've had to many argumentative girls in my life!!!" "You May Be By Yourself (But You're Never Alone)" was written "when Bob Daisley gave such a loving look to Squish, his daughter. It moved me all those years ago." According to URIAH HEEP guitarist Mick Box's dedication on the album, "The song 'Port And A Brandy' made me smile as we have shared many of them together over the years." Next up is a heartfelt rendition of Carole King's timeless "You've Got A Friend", which Lee dedicates to "all of my friends past and present who I have loved through music." "Eleventeen" concludes with the instrumental "Mom", which Lee wrote for "all the mums in the world who we should never take for granted."
Standing down from drumming full-time for URIAH HEEP in 2007 due to ill health, Kerslake commenced his debut solo album in 2015 with Jake Libretto, completing the album in 2019. At the time, Lee stated about the effort: "WOW, I have to say now the album is finished, there is a great sense of achievement. It's been a little over three years to record and finish it. It took so long because I could only manage two days a week and sometimes nothing for a period of time as the chemotherapy without my permission kept me away. Never mind, it's done, and I am very proud of the songs."
With a career that goes back to the 1960s, Kerslake's first step into the rock limelight was with THE GODS, recording "Genesis" in 1968 and "To Samuel A Son" in 1969. Joining TOE FAT for their self-titled debut in 1970, via 1970's "Orgasm" by HEAD MACHINE, so far Lee had shared his musical journey with multi-instrumentalist and song writer Ken Hensley. This musical connection and friendship would be further cemented in 1972 when Lee joined Ken in URIAH HEEP for the classic "Demons & Wizards" LP, remaining behind HEEP's drum kit for the best part of 30-plus years. Lee also found time to make cameos drumming for Ken Hensley and David Byron solo records along the way, and most notably as a founder member of Ozzy Osbourne's solo band, drumming on the multi-platinum "Blizzard Of Ozz" in 1980 and "Diary Of A Madman" in 1981. He also appeared with supergroup LIVING LOUD, a band featuring bassist Bob Daisley, guitarist Steve Morse, singer Jimmy Barnes and keyboard player Don Airey.
Lee sadly passed away in September 2020 at the age of 73. Box said of his longtime bandmate: "It fills me with great pride that he achieved this as his last final musical legacy."
"Eleventeen" track listing:
01. Celia Sienna
02. Take Nothing For Granted
03. Where Do We Go From Here
04. You May Be By Yourself (But You're Never Alone)
The music video for the single "Cold Sacrifice" by the late Ken Hensley can be seen below. Taken from his upcoming album "My Book Of Answers", "Cold Sacrifice" is the third track to be released from Hensley's collaboration with Russian fan Vladimir Emelin whose poems have been turned into an album's worth of songs, a series of videos, a concert and an illustrated lyric book (available later this year). "My Book Of Answers" will be released on March 5 as a CD/DVD and vinyl album through Cherry Red Records.
For half a century, Hensley was a major influence in the rock world. An original member of URIAH HEEP, Hensley was keyboard player, guitarist, vocalist and principal song writer with URIAH HEEP for ten years. His subsequent solo career saw Hensley work with leading artists across the globe and he became known as an inspiration for encouraging other talented artists.
"My Book Of Answers" is a wonderful tribute to this rock legend. The album is the intriguing result of a collaboration with one of Hensley's fans, following a chance meeting at an airport, as he turns dreams into a reality. Over a two-year period, the collaboration with Russian fan Vladimir Emelin has seen Hensley turn Emelin's poems into an album's worth of songs, a series of videos, a concert and an illustrated lyric book charting the progress of each piece from Russian poem to English rock song. And all of this has been produced in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.
Hensley was clearly excited when speaking shortly before his death. "It's been fascinating since day one," he said. "It's somewhat miraculous how it all came together and how it's continued to grow and develop, even through the crisis, to where it's at today and where it's going tomorrow."
This unique project came about following Hensley's chance meeting with Emelin at Alicante airport in early 2018, as he explained. "Vladimir has a home up on the Costa Blanca and he's here as often as visas will permit," Hensley said. "I was flying to Moscow, he was on his way home and he saw me at the airport. I guess I'm his idol and he's been a fan since he was a kid. Well, he asked me for an autograph and a picture, which I was happy to give him, and for an e-mail address."
At a meeting in Alicante later in the year, Emelin asked if Hensley could turn a couple of his poems into songs. "I tried a couple of songs, although I didn't know if I could do it because I've never done it before," Hensley recalled. "He loved it and he wanted me to do more and more until we finally ended up with an album's worth of songs.
"I made most of the album under lockdown, coronavirus restrictions, which was easy because it was just file-sharing over the Internet with the musicians, the singers and my engineer and it was relatively easy. What we had to do was make sure we didn't compromise any quality. I popped it over to my manager Steve Weltman and typically, before I know it, he's got the guys at Cherry Red interested in it! The whole thing takes on another dimension."
Emelin also suggested a video and they would, eventually, make a video for each track together with a concert of all of the songs which was filmed, with social distancing, close to Hensley's home in Spain.
"I've never done anything like this before and, to the best of my knowledge, I don't recall anybody else who has," Hensley added. "I'm also developing a lyric book which will be a beautiful piece. Each song features the original Russian lyric, the translation by Vladimir's friend in Siberia and my notated stuff where I changed the words of the poem into a song and created verses, bridges and choruses. The fans can see all the changes I made, and understand why I made them, and then there's the final lyric that appears on the album. Alisia Vaselieva, a wonderful illustrator and friend of Vladimir's, has done an illustration for each song, so five pages for each song and it will be a deluxe hard-back package — a collectors' item.
"To begin with, it was hard to find the time to really concentrate on the project because 2019 was one of the busiest years of my career, but, as it happens, the coronavirus actually solved the problem for me, at the same time as it created terrible problems for so many others. I was forced to stay home and spend all my time on this project with Vladimir, the restrictions of the virus meant I was able to do that.
"I'm really happy with it and I have a huge yardstick to measure it by! It seems as though it was meant to happen."
Track listing:
01. Lost (My Guardian)
02. Right Here, Right Now
03. Cold Sacrifice
04. The Silent Scream
05. Cover Girl
06. Light The Fire (In My Heart)
07. Stand (Chase The Beast Away)
08. The Darkest Hour
09. Suddenly
10. The Darkest Hour (Acoustic)
Hensley was URIAH HEEP's keyboard player and principal songwriter, responsible for such classics as "Lady In Black", "Easy Livin'" and "Look At Yourself", and providing them with much of their musical direction. Leaving the band in 1980 to pursue a solo career, he also collaborated with Florida-based hard rock band BLACKFOOT, L.A. heavy metal band W.A.S.P. and CINDERELLA. "Ken Hensley wrote the rule book for heavy metal keyboards as far as I'm concerned," W.A.S.P.'s frontman Blackie Lawless is quoted as saying.
Following his departure from URIAH HEEP, Hensley lived in America where he met his wife-to-be Monica. Speaking just days before his death, Hensley said: "I lived in America for 20 years after I left URIAH HEEP and I really needed time to rediscover myself, get rid of my drug habit and see if there was anything left of a human being in there after my life had been buried in URIAH HEEP for ten and a half years. It took a long time to get there but I got there in the end. I met Monica and we lived together for a couple of years. I wanted to move back to Europe to be closer to my family."
The Hensleys settled on a farm near Alicante, Spain, and married in 2004. A very spiritual person, Hensley became an inspiration to many and known for encouraging talented artists and enjoyed the love and respect of fans the world over. "It's enduring and I'm happy that most of them are still alive," he said. "I love to meet them when I go out on the road but at the moment that's not possible."
Reflecting on 50-plus years in the music business, he added: "It's been a great career. I can't look through the (URIAH HEEP) box set without having a huge smile on my face! To be celebrating my music 50 years on is quite something. We weren't a hit with the critics but we listened to the people who bought tickets and albums and, unfortunately, the critics ignored them. It just went on and on and on. We pulled together and achieved everything we set out to do. It was a wonderful life and career. My life has been fantastic, but it's not been easy. It was a lot of hard work, but when you do what you love best it doesn't seem like hard work."
Oceanhoarse, the four-piece heavy metal outfit from Helsinki, Finland, has been operating for a couple of years with a relentless self-made attitude releasing a bunch of singles, an EP Voluntary Bends in 2019 and a live album The Damage is Done - LIVE! in 2020. The year 2021 sees the band moving up a gear with the German label Noble Demon. The brand new single "One With The Gun" displays the band’s love for vocal harmonies and crushing riffs accompanied with a strong message.
"’One With The Gun’ is about the twisted power trip some people seem to be on once they get a piece. There are constantly horrific news about the consequences of that 'I Am The Law' attitude happening all over the world way too often. So the statement the song makes is clearly really anti-violent even though the title sounds pretty menacing when you first look at it," bass player Jyri Helko comments and continues:
"We are really thrilled to start working with Noble Demon! The German label is a new player in the game, but the people behind it have a strong background in the industry and they’ve already managed to build quite an impressive roster around the up-and-coming acts like Mercury Circle and the newly activated Dawn Of Solace. We are currently starting the recordings of our first full-length studio album scheduled to be released this fall, so get ready for some Heavy F*cking Metal from Finland!"
The as yet untitled debut studio album is scheduled to be released in August 2021 via Noble Demon. "One With The Gun", the brand new single by Oceanhoarse, is now available on all digital platforms.
Roman Empire-inspired epic death metal band Ex Deo - featuring mastermind Maurizio Iacono of Kataklysm - plans to release their new album, The Thirteen Years Of Nero, this summer. Iacono has checked in with a new update:
"Listening to the first Ex Deo mixes for the new album The Thirteen Years Of Nero. I'm blown away by this record ,you can tell it was spawned from a dark place. J-F Dagenais has created one of his best productions ever, the record gives chills down your spine... this IS one of the most evil , twisted and dark albums to come in quite some time. I'm unearthing the true Antichrist (as he was remembered) Emperor Nero was someone who really walked the earth and tested all limitations, he lives in infamy in today's modern world , it's REAL and I can't wait to share it with you all and if your feelings are senstive about history... too bad."
A previous progress report from Iacono reads: "Ex Deo once again commissions the one and only Seth Siro Anton (Septicflesh, Paradise Lost, Kamelot) to put to life the visionary and artistic cover artwork for the new album, The Thirteen Years Of Nero. Seth, who created the artwork for the now classic album, Caligvla, was the clear choice for this album according to the General of the XIII Legion Maurizio Iacono: 'Like any good strategy for battles, one must chose the right commanders in order to win the war.' The new pinnacle is coming your way soon via the champions of Ancoent Roman Metal, Ex Deo, on Napalm Records!"
After three years since the release of their latest acclaimed full-length, The Immortal Wars, Ex Deo returned in March 2020 with a new single, entitled "The Philosopher King". The track features very special guest Francesco Ferrini of Italian symphonic metallers Fleshgod Apocalypse.
Ferrini provided the stunning orchestral score for the colossal track, which tells the tale of one of Rome’s greatest emperors, Marcus Aurelius - an important historical figure that Maurizio Iacono feels a deep connection with. The track also features pummeling production by Colin Richardson (Slipknot, Machine Head, Bullet For My Valentine) and Chris Clancy (Mutiny Within).
Iacono offers: “It’s been three years since the release of The Immortal Wars - an album that propelled Ex Deo to a new level. This time, we didn’t want to wait another five years to release new material, so we decided to release a standalone new single called, 'The Philosopher King' while we wait for the follow up album to The Immortal Wars. For this track, we asked our brother, the talented Francesco Ferrini, for his contribution on the orchestral score.
"The song is based on the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. It’s a song that strikes a chord with me personally, exploring my life experiences and tribulations. I find myself very close to this man’s philosophical ideals - some I have struggled to understand, some I have adopted. He is the author of the famous book “Meditations” (now you know the influence behind the recent Kataklysm album). Stoicism is something I have been applying more and more to my life in recent years - self-control, discipline. Marcus Aurelius, while commanding the world’s largest army and the most advanced society in ancient times, was perceived as one of the most regarded and prosperous emperors not only economically, but also in military and social triumphs. This is an homage to one of Rome’s greatest, The Philosopher King!”
Francesco Ferrini adds, “When Maurizio suggested to join forces on a brand new Ex Deo release, he had me bought in straight away! This song was incredibly inspiring to work on, being such a powerful combination of drama and epicness. I’m sure everyone will love it as much as we do.”
TOMAHAWK, the band featuring Duane Denison (THE JESUS LIZARD, UNSEMBLE), Trevor Dunn (MR. BUNGLE, FANTÔMAS), Mike Patton (FAITH NO MORE, MR. BUNGLE) and John Stanier (HELMET, BATTLES), will release its first full-length album in eight years, "Tonic Immobility", on March 26 via Ipecac Recordings. The official music video for the disc's second single, "Dog Eat Dog", can be seen below.
"It's a statement about competition, oppression, and unity — served up with a healthy dose of slapstick humor," said Denison of the Eric Livingston-directed clip. Patton added: "Dogs patiently wait, obediently, for humans to snuff each other out… so they can take over the world. Dogs rule!!!!"
Pre-orders for "Tonic Immobility" are live now, with the album available in the following formats: digital, CD digipak, and 180-gram LP in textured gatefold packaging. Vinyl variants include standard black, coke bottle clear (indie retail exclusive — 5,000 available), opaque metallic silver (Ipecac webstore exclusive — 2000 available), and crystal clear (Newbury Comics exclusive — 1,000 available).
"'Tonic Immobility' could just be something in the air we're feeling," said Denison. "It's been a rough year between the pandemic and everything else. A lot of people feel somewhat powerless and stuck as they're not able to make a move without second guessing themselves or worrying about the outcomes. For as much as the record possibly reflects that, it's also an escape from the realities of the world. We're not wallowing in negativity or getting political. For me, rock has always been an alternate reality to everything else. I feel like this is yet another example."
"Tonic Immobility" track listing:
01. SHHH!
02. Valentine Shine
03. Predators and Scavengers
04. Doomsday Fatigue
05. Business Casual
06. Tattoo Zero
07. Fatback
08. Howlie
09. Eureka
10. Sidewinder
11. Recoil
12. Dog Eat Dog
2013's "Oddfellows" was TOMAHAWK's first CD in over six years.
TOMAHAWK was dormant for five years after releasing a trio of albums: "Tomahawk" in 2001, "Mit Gas" in 2003 and "Anonymous" in 2007.
New York City's Broadway theatres have been out of commission for almost a year now. This prolonged pause has not stopped world-renowned opera singer Alyson Cambridge and guitar virtuoso Tony Bruno from creating a new show: "Rock Me Amadeus". After first announcing the upcoming show last fall, they are releasing their newest music video, "Love Hurts Uninvited", as part of a series of videos to build anticipation for the show. Arranged by Tony Bruno, the song is an original mashup that combines '80s rock of NAZARETH's "Love Hurts", '90s angst of Alanis Morissette's "Uninvited" and the classical strings of Tchaikovsky's iconic theme to "Romeo And Juliet". Rock vocalists Dee Snider, Kia Warren and Chloe Lowery co-star in the video, showing off their vocal and acting chops.
The three co-stars portray individuals who are dealing with the complexities of love: loss of it, memories of it, and the hurt and joy that come from it. Each character clings to a token of that love lost — a scarf, a locket or a letter — each a reminder of happier times.
Directed by Matthew Stiller, the video was shot by Tyler Ribble and Pierre Tsigaridis, and edited by Simon K. Wheeldon in a neo-noir film style, in black and white with evocative pops of color, representing the show's classic-meets-modern ambiance. Filmed from both sides of the U.S., the video shows Snider from a downtown L.A. hotel room, while Warren and Lowery are seen on the abandoned streets of New York City and inside Flux Studios.
"Rock Me Amadeus" co-producer Tony Bruno says about their new video: "As in 'Romeo And Juliet', there's always more to love than the attraction. It's complicated, frustrating and painful at times. Some endure and some don't. This mashup was born out of that feeling which we have all experienced at one time or another."
More video teasers and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage will be released via the show's web site, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube every month through the summer to give fans a preview of the exciting experience to come. With the videos, Cambridge and Bruno aim to evoke the excitement of their live show as they move closer to announcing the show's opening dates.
"Rock Me Amadeus" is a new show that combines classics from different centuries. It brings the grandeur of classical music, the opulence of opera and the powerful emotions of classic rock and pop songs into one electrifying concert experience. Internationally acclaimed opera soprano Alyson Cambridge and rock guitar virtuoso/composer Tony Bruno join forces to create and co-produce "Rock Me Amadeus", blending an all-star cast of rock, pop and classical vocalists and instrumentalists with a full rock band, symphony orchestra and choir. The show is currently slated to open in fall 2021 in New York City.
Apocalyptica is streaming a clip of their performance of "Inquisition Symphony" at Pol'and'Rock Festival 2016. CHeck it out below.
It is with great regret, but obvious and necessary compliance, that Apocalyptica has had to postpone their upcoming North American tour a second time to August/September 2021 due to the ongoing restrictions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Please note that all tickets bought will remain valid for the rescheduled dates and tickets remain on sale.
Apocalyptica's performances will be comprised of new songs from most recent full-length Cell-0 as well as from the band's rich catalog. Lacuna Coil, who was scheduled to support on all North American dates, remain confirmed for the California, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Illinois, and Canadian shows. Support on the remainder of the tour is yet to be announced.
To keep the band's fans and everyone else involved with the tour safe at this time, the shows have been postponed to the following dates. Additionally, the Toronto show will now take place at Rebel.
Dates:
August
16 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
17 - Plaza - Orlando, FL
19 - House Of Blues - Houston, TX
21 - Emos - Austin, TX
23 - Sunshine - Albuquerque, NM
24 - Van Buren - Phoenix, AZ
25 - Mayan - Los Angeles, CA (with Lacuna Coil)
26 - The Regency - San Francisco, CA (with Lacuna Coil)
27 - Crystal - Portland, OR (with Lacuna Coil)
28 - Showbox Sodo - Seattle, WA (with Lacuna Coil)
29 - Commodore - Vancouver, BC (with Lacuna Coil)
30 - Commodore - Vancouver, BC (with Lacuna Coil)
September
1 - Midway - Edmonton, AB (with Lacuna Coil)
2 - The Palace - Calgary, AB (with Lacuna Coil)
4 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN (with Lacuna Coil)
5 - House Of Blues - Chicago, IL (with Lacuna Coil)
6 - Rebel - Toronto, ON (with Lacuna Coil)
7 - Mtelus - Montreal, QC (with Lacuna Coil)
8 - Big Night Live - Boston, MA
9 - Webster Theatre - Hartford, CT
11 - Webster Hall - New York, NY
Wacken TV has uploaded pro-shot video of As I Lay Dying performing "Anodyne Sea" and "Confined" at the 2011 edition of the Wacken Open Air. Check it out below.
It was reported in December 2020 that As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesis had been hospitalized after burning 25% of his body in a bonfire accident.
In a statement on Instagram, the singer said, “Keep your head up no matter what! I’m doing the best I can to make a thumps up on my way to surgery (in about 30 minutes).
“I apologize to my friends that I have not had the time to fill in yet on what happened. The entire gas cap fell off when trying to use a little from the trickle tip to get a bonfire started. Gas got all over my clothes and I ended up burning 25% of my body.
“I’ve been in the hospital since Saturday night, and I will be here for a couple more weeks most likely. Today’s surgery is to remove the remaining dead skin that we were unable to scrub off during dressing changes this week. It will be for the best so that we won’t have to scrub so hard during dressing changes, and that is a big relief for me. I am extremely thankful for the Burns center workers who are taking care of me.
“I will try to update on my recovery. It will be a long road, but I will get back to full strength eventually.”
Finnish prog metal band Wheel have announced their new album Resident Human. The follow-up to their 2019 album Moving Backwards will be released on March 26, 2021. Third single, “Fugue,” is streaming below. Preorder Resident Human here.
"Fugue's title was inspired by a form of long-distance space travel in the Dan Simmon's series Hyperion Cantos. In the books, cryogenic fugue allows individuals to enter a form of stasis that enables them to cross vast cosmic distances; the convenience of this suspended state presents major risks however, such as brain damage.
“Over the last year, many of us have been confined to our homes as the pandemic has continued to spread through our societies; alcohol consumption has increased and current data indicates that the mental well-being of many has suffered. Broad trends like these made me think of how despite the risks, many would choose to take a gamble with something as risky as cryogenic fugue, rather than continue to endure the radical changes Covid-19 restrictions have imposed upon all of us. In lieu of the possibility of suspended animation, many of us are choosing to sedate ourselves at home with substances and distract ourselves with the media at our disposal; to weather the storm as best we can and to wait for whatever is to come next.
“The events of the past year are likely to be generation-defining and honestly, I don't think it will only be in a bad way - there is some promising global action to address the detection of future pandemics, hygiene has improved and working from home seems likely to be a possibility for employees in a range of sectors that were previously unwilling to adopt it. Unfortunately, despite this positivity, it is exhausting to read about Covid every day and the constant media bombardment of speculation, fear and hopelessness is taking a toll - I openly admit that it has affected me too.
“Our social separation and the fear of either spreading or contracting Covid, has left many of us feeling isolated and disconnected from each other, but this is an illusion - we all want the same thing; to get back to a point where our lives are not dictated by this virus and however bleak things may look, this, (like everything else), will eventually pass. It is easy to forget we are interconnected and that we stand together; if we can endure this clamour, there is going to be one hell of a party on the other side. For now however, wine and Netflix will have to do." – James
New Orleans band Cane Hill have delivered the gloriously devilish and sanguine video for the new song "God Is the Enemy."
The track completes their Krewe De La Mort song collection. It began with "Power Of The High," which dominated the Devil's Dozen on SiriusXM's Liquid Metal for weeks on end, and "Kill Me”.
"'God Is the Enemy' is an honest comment on contemporary Christians and their skewed views of living Christ-like," says vocalist Elijah Witt. "From the hypocrisy of the church shielding its abusive history (and their present) to the blatant racism, control of women's bodily autonomy using the bible as a scapegoat — it's obvious that the followers of Christ have gone astray. 'GITE' implores you to imagine how the religious world would react if someone claimed to be the son of God again."
Lucifer has announced the release of the ferociously moody classic "Pull Away/So Many Times", paying tribute to the opening track of Dust's second and final album Hard Attack released in 1972.
"Pull Away/So Many Times" is also being released physically as a special vinyl split single in collaboration with their Berlin peers Kadavar. On the flipside of the vinyl, Kadavar takes a bow to one of Britain's most important guitar players, Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac, covering the heavy track "The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown)". The single will be available physically on March 19, 2021 on Lucifer's own label Riding Reaper Records, as well as Kadavar's very own label Robotor Records. The 7" is limited to 1,500 copies and comes in five different colors (black, red, orange, white and blue) along with different bundle package options that are now available for pre-order via the bands web stores. European preorders here and U.S. preorders at this location.
Thrilled about this collaboration and the upcoming release, Lucifer frontwoman Johanna Platow Andersson states, "Both Kadavar and Lucifer have their roots in Berlin and we go back to the founding days of both bands where we shared the same scene. With our combined love for the deep cuts of the ‘60s and ‘70s we decided to cover two of our favorite songs together for a 7" single. We picked Marky Ramone's criminally underrated, glorious first band Dust. It is the first time that I duet together with our guitarist Linus Björklund and we had a blast recording it! Kadavar most relevantly chose to pay homage to the late Peter Green with this classic Fleetwood Mac number. Being a huge Fleetwood Mac fan myself this is the perfect choice to round off this nugget. We are very excited about this single and hope you dig our tributes!"
Lucifer are currently in the studio recording the follow-up to their highly praised 2020 album Lucifer III. Stay tuned for more details on Lucifer IV.
Brazilian metallers, Angra, have released a live video for the Ømni album track, "Always More", from the band's Ømni World Tour. Watch below:
Check out the previously released live videos for "Magic Mirror", "Caveman", "War Horns", "The Bottom Of My Soul", "Insania", "Travelers Of Time", and "Light Of Transcedence" below:
Sacred Oath has released a fourth advance single, “Cthulhu Wakes”, for streaming/download on all digital platforms.
The single and lyric video feature original cover artwork by drummer Kenny “Thundarr” Evans. Watch the clip below:
The band previously issued three singles and videos, “Return of the Dragon”, “Hammer Of An Angry God”, and “Empires Fall” for streaming and download.
Sacred Oath will follow Cthulhu Wakes with the release of one more advance single on March 19. Each single has featured a new and unique cover painted by Evans. Platforms like Spotify and YouTube have also featured each art piece on video and canvas.
Pre-order for both the deluxe CD and double LP editions began on January 29 exclusively on the band’s website. These editions will be limited-edition pressings of 500 copies and LPs will be hand-numbered and signed. The CD will contain a 24-page booklet including all 11 original art pieces, lyrics, and photos. The double LP also contains all of the art and lyrics and is available in both black vinyl and color with splatter.
Digital pre-order will begin on Spotify, Apple, and Amazon Music on March 19 with instant delivery of all five singles. The complete album Return Of The Dragon will release on April 2.
Sacred Oath is best-known for releasing A Crystal Vision in 1988, an album that evolved into a cult-classic of the powerthrash-metal genre. It was followed by six more critically acclaimed studio albums, including fan-favorites World On Fire, Sacred Oath, Darkness Visible, and Ravensong. The single “Counting Zeros” from their eponymous 2009 release was chosen as iTunes “Discovery Download of the Week”, and their first live album Till Death Do Us Part (2008) was listed as a Top Ten Metal Album of the year by Apple Music in its year of release. The band appeared on MTV2 Headbangers Ball in its last televised season with a featured interview.
Tracklisting:
“Cthulhu Wakes”
“Last Ride Of The Wicked Dead”
“Return Of The Dragon”
“At The Gates”
“Empires Fall”
“Hammer Of An Angry God”
“The Next Pharaoh”
“Primeval”
“Into The Drink”
“Root Of All Evil”
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