Norwegian melodic rock queen, Issa, is back with her sixth studio album, Queen Of Broken Hearts, on March 12 via Frontiers Music Srl. Watch a video for the second single, "The Way Out", below. Pre-order/save Queen Of Broken Hearts here.
Explains Issa, "The album's vocals were recorded right here where I live now in beautiful York, England. I really loved using the scenery around us to make the video for 'Angels Calling' too! When recording the album, I found that I enjoyed the more challenging vocal lines where I can use my voice in ways I haven't before, I love playing with vocal sounds and this album had more than enough headroom for that! "Queen Of Broken Hearts" is more symphonic than my previous records and if I can compare it to anything, I think my first album Sign Of Angels would be somewhere near it, except that I have 10 years more knowledge to put into it."
Issa, a truly stunning vocalist, has previously released five albums, all with Frontiers Music Srl and all creatively directed, overseen and nurtured by Serafino Perugino, President and A&R director of Frontiers Records. As with her past releases, the new release is a melodic rock fans dream come true with huge vocals and soaring melodies, but Queen Of Broken Hearts is arguably Issa's most fully realized musical offering yet.
Once again, she was partnered with Alessandro Del Vecchio to work on her new album and - as with the successful Run With the Pack - an all-star team of musicians appears on this new album. Featuring Simone Mularoni (DGM) on guitar, Andrea ToWer Torricini (Vision Divine) on bass, Marco Di Salvia (Hardline) on drums, and Del Vecchio on keys.
Issa’s musical growth over the years has been tremendous to hear and watch and fans will reap the rewards with Queen Of Broken Hearts, quite simply her best album yet. And that’s not just ‘hype’, but the fact of the matter.
Tracklisting:
"Angels Calling"
"The Way Out"
"The Night It Rained Forever"
"I'm Here To Stay"
"Blue"
"Queen Of Broken Hearts"
"Derive"
"Without Love"
"Wait For Love"
"After The Rain"
"Die For A Life With You"
"The Way Out" video:
"Angels Calling" video:
Lineup:
Issa Oversveen - Vocals
Simone Mularoni - Guitars
Andrea Torricini, bass
Alessandro Del Vecchio - Keyboards
Marco Di Salvia – Drums
Svart Records has announced Vertigo, the new album from Jess ANd The Ancient Ones, to be released on May 21. First video for single for "Summer Tripping Man" is out now. Preorder Vertigo in various formats here.
The Savonian occult rock behemoth Jess And The Ancient Ones have emerged with a new album. Their brand of heavy guitar and organ-led swagger has progressed from the twin guitar metal blast of yesteryear to Jess And The Ancient Ones’ very own take on soulful late sixties garage psychedelia.
What began on the previous record, The Horse & Other Weird Tales is taken further and deeper, towards a conclusion on Vertigo. Songwriter and guitarist Thomas Corpse comments, “To me this album sounds like a dark horse – a brother to the previous album. There’s a strange ominous feeling that hovers upon the entire album, maybe it’s the feeling of nostalgia that’s arising from the lyrics.”
Wrapped in a crude tornado-adorned old school sleeve, the album’s eight tracks bubble in a boiling cauldron of vintage pop culture influence and occult-tinged paranoia. Ranging from the softly fiery opening track ‘Burning of The Velvet Fires’ to the almost heavy metal -ish nihilistic banger “Born To Kill”, Vertigo is a spiraling journey of heavy Finnish psych rock at its finest.
The first single cut “Summer Tripping Man” is a heavy hitting prophecy of doom condensed into the classic three minute garage format, and it has already become a steady part of the band’s live set long before it was captured on tape. The single comes accompanied by an animated music video, created by Giuliano Di Girolamo.
Tracklisting:
“Burning Of The Velvet Fires”
“World Paranormal”
“Talking Board”
“Love Zombi”
“Summer Tripping Man”
“What’s On Your Mind”
“Born To Kill”
“Strange Earth Illusion”
On February 26, Denmark's Iotunn will release their new album, Access All Worlds, via Metal Blade Records. For a preview of the record, a video for the new single, "The Tower Of Cosmic Nihility" (by Mathayad) is streaming below.
Iotunn comments: "The widths of this song, its insistent drive and the passion and melancholy of the lyrics made us choose 'Tower' as one of the singles. It will surely become essential for coming shows. In collaboration with video artist Mathayad, we think we have gained new perspectives on the song and put it in a very strong visual context.”
Access All Worlds can be pre-ordered here in the following formats:
- digipak-CD
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- "deep space" marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- "moonscape" marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- red / black dust vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 100 copies)
- "uranus" blue / white marbled vinyl (US exclusive)
Formed in 2015, Iotunn (which is old Norse for "Giant") entered the scene with their acclaimed EP, The Wizard Falls (2016), which was mixed by Flemming Rasmussen (Metallica, Morbid Angel, Blind Guardian, Rainbow) at Sweet Silence Studios. After some line-up changes, the band found their voice and narrator in March 2018: Jón Aldará (Hamferd), plus bassist Eskil Rask (Sunless Dawn) in October 2019. The quintet - completed by Jens Nicolai Gräs (guitars), Jesper Gräs (guitars), Bjørn Wind Andersen (drums) - then began work on their first full-length and Metal Blade Records debut: Access All Worlds.
Mixed and mastered by Fredrik Nordström (In Flames, At the Gates, Dimmu Borgir) at Fredman Studios, Access All Worlds is seven songs driven by creative curiosity and artistic honesty, that also initiate feelings and reflections. An epic, cosmic and contemplative journey of energetic beauty and ferocity, Access All Worlds reflects on human existence, set in a storyline following daring space travelers. The music is grounded in roaring, colorful drumming and crushing bass, while the sonic horizon is painted with a vast spectrum of guitar-driven expression, all overarched by narration through diverse vocals. "We wanted to make an epic, strong and atmospheric yet rocking record both musically and lyrically. Jón came with the idea based on space travelers trying to find answers to the apocalypse, which reflects many of the impressions, feelings and thoughts human life holds that originates from something vast, mysterious, chaotic and breathtakingly spectacular. Everything just went berserk regarding the album theme. Is everything occurring in the lyrics just a dream? Is the album an allegory for any individual's chapters in life? Where does the album actually start and end? Stuff like that. We find that the album can be interpreted in various ways. For us, the album is a truly exciting journey, and we hope it will be for the listener as well, on his or her own terms", says guitarist Jens Nicolai.
Visually, Access All Worlds is completed by Nicole Kantor (design and layout) and Eliran Kantor (artwork), known for their work with Testament, Atheist, Hatebreed, Soulfly, etc.
Access All Worlds tracklisting:
"Voyage Of The Garganey I"
"Access All Worlds"
"Laihem's Golden Pits"
"Waves Below"
"The Tower Of Cosmic Nihility"
"The Weaver System"
"Safe Across The Endless Night"
Matthew Kiichi Heafy, the Japanese-American musician best known as the guitarist and lead vocalist for the Grammy-nominated heavy metal band TRIVIUM, has just released more solo material. This time, he offers his creative take on a popular and enduring sea shanty.
The three-track "Wellerman" bundle is available today on all streaming platforms. Listen to and get it here.
"I didn't pick 'Wellerman' as a cover to do something 'viral,'" Heafy says. "It was one of those songs — when you hear it, 'it sounds like something Matt Heafy would cover.' It was suggested by a close pal who thought exactly that."
The bundle features three versions of the famous whaling song "Soon May The Wellerman Come", which originated in the 1860s in New Zealand, and includes guest vocals by Livia Zita, best known as the wife of Danish heavy metal singer King Diamond. There is a standard version, as well as both a folk and a cappella version.
Track listing:
01. Wellerman (featuring Livia Zita)
02. Wellerman (featuring Livia Zita - folk)
03. Wellerman (featuring Livia Zita - a cappella)
Heafy is also an avid gamer who steadily built his Twitch profile to massive success in the past few years. His Twitch efforts have been featured by Microsoft, TechCrunch, Forbes and beyond. He is also a practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a food connoisseur. Heafy streams daily on his Twitch channel "matthewkheafy," displaying the behind-the-scenes work it takes to stay in shape to play guitars and do vocals. He plays TRIVIUM songs by request and every day is a new show made by the fans, for the fans.
Some of Heafy's notable accomplishments include hosting the first-ever full metal gaming village at Wacken Open Air, competing against Ninja in the Twitch Rivals Summer Skirmish, competing and celebrating the opening of Full Sail's esports arena, creating Shroud's theme song, being Streamlab's top streamer merch seller of all time, being in the top 100 most subscribed to channels on Twitch, leading the charge as the pioneer of music streaming on Twitch (also partnering with Twitch to make the official how-to guides on streaming music on Twitch's help page), and co-founding the Metal & Honey Foundation, which supports the Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for children. 100% of the proceeds directly benefit the music therapy program.
Heafy also recently appeared on "The Drew Barrymore Show", where he surprised a fan and gifted him with a guitar.
TRIVIUM's ninth full-length album, "What The Dead Men Say", is available now via Roadrunner Records.
Melodic doom heavyweights Red Moon Architect have shared a brand new, haunting live performance video for the track "Journey". As much as the band from Kouvola, Finland, would rather love to be on tour but since shows are currently put on hold for obvious reasons, they are now inviting their fans on a trip into their very own world full of deep emotions and atmosphere. Watch the official, new live video clip for "Journey", a heavy yet beautiful melancholic doom anthem, below.
Saku Moilanen comments: "'Journey' is one of my all time favourites that has only been played live for a few times. We’re happy to share this clip from our special stream gig and hope we can play this live for you all soon!"
Red Moon Architect's latest, critically acclaimed album, Emptiness Weighs The Most, was released on October 23rd, 2020 through German label Noble Demon.
Tracklist:
"Hidden"
"Chained"
"Rise"
"Dethrone The Darkness"
"One Shines Brighter"
"Muse"
"Into The Light"
"Reform"
"My Beloved"
Finnish modern melodic metal band Everture is set to release their debut album Emerge on March 19th, 2021 via Inverse Records. The band released their new single, "Closure". Watch the official music video below.
Guitarist Matti Hautakangas comments: "'Closure' is an instant boost to the listeners day. Be it shining or raining, you'd want to hear it from the radio. The upbeat rhythm makes the song perfect for a party or an exercise. Having it's breathers and full blasting parts, 'Closure' is a one a listener can give their one hundred percent! And that is also what the people did who participated in making the music video of 'Closure'. A big thanks!
The lyrics tell an aftermath where so much has been experienced and you need some kind of closure. This makes the song a perfect fit for the closing song of the Emerge album. It's the understanding of things in the end of all that has happened. It's about the fact that from the chaos we undergo, beautiful things are born but nothing will ever be perfect. And eventually all things must end and still you can be okay with that."
Tracklist:
"In Between"
"For Tomorrow"
"Undersky"
"The River Flows"
"Promises"
"Ivory Tower"
"The Unfortunate End"
"White Lies, Black Skies"
"My 52 Shades"
"Closure"
Former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted's official YouTube channel has just shared a video of him and his THE CHOPHOUSE BAND performing a cover version of the Jason Isbell song "Cover Me Up" in March 2019 at the Lighthouse ArtCenter in Tequesta, Florida. Check it out below. Also available are previously released performances of Johnny Cash's "Big River" the blues classic "Cocaine Blues", Tom Waits's "Jockey Full Of Bourbon", Neil Young's "Rockin' In The Free World", "I've Been Everywhere" (originally written by Australian country singer Geoff Mack and later recorded by Johnny Cash) and the John Anderson song "Seminole Wind".
Named after Jason's four recording studio facilities around the U.S. and featuring a fluid roster of players, THE CHOPHOUSE BAND began in 1992 when Newsted founded The Chophouse Records Studio in San Francisco.
THE CHOPHOUSE BAND is led by Newsted, playing acoustic guitars and performing lead vocal, accompanied by close friends/musicians of all walks and styles, sharing some great American songs from familiar and unfamiliar heroes.
Jason told the Palm Beach Florida Weekly about THE CHOPHOUSE BAND: "We all get along great because there's not money involved. They've got their own bands, their own families, their own gigs. We do benefit gigs, six a year, and that's it. I record and write and play songs the whole rest of the time. They could all run circles around me musical theory-wise. They could tell you everything they're playing, and all the relating chords. I surround myself with the bad-asses, and they make me look really good. I'm playing cowboy chords the whole time, and they're doing their fancy shit to make me look good. I just concentrate on singing, and getting across the things I want people to hear."
Asked by Boca magazine how deep his song archive is with THE CHOPHOUSE BAND, Newsted said: "I keep two bibles — heroes, and my songs. I try to stay at about 100 in the bible of heroes — everything from [LED] ZEPPELIN to John Prine to Dolly Parton. My [personal] song bible is probably between 24 and 32, most of them in the last 10 months. The band's favorite band collectively is JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT. I've become friends with [Isbell] over the past couple of years, and taken time to learn 20 of his songs. We always perform at least one in the set, trying to make it my own — kind of the idea with all of them."
Jason left METALLICA back in 2001, but was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, along with Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and the man who replaced him, bassist Robert Trujillo, in 2009.
Seven years ago, Jason shelved NEWSTED, the heavy metal project he operated between 2012 and 2014, saying that it cost him "an awful lot of money — hundreds of thousands of dollars." He added: "I couldn't continue because the business is such a harsh thing now and so different than what I had known."
French-Norwegian symphonic metal institution, Sirenia, will unveil their tenth studio album, Riddles, Ruins & Revelations, this Friday, February 12 via Napalm Records. The 11-track album skilfully portrays the band's multifaceted nature and offers a versatile symphonic metal vortex through splicing heavy sounds with modern influences.
After releasing catchy first single “Addiction No. 1” in late 2020, followed by smashing “We Come To Ruins” shortly after, the four-piece around mastermind, bandleader, multi-instrumentalist, composer, songwriter and producer Morten Veland now offers another surprise and presents the third single, “Voyage Voyage“, a cover of Desireless' 1986 hit. With this bonus track on Riddles, Ruins & Revelations, Sirenia once again successfully combine symphonic soundscapes with electronic vibes, showcasing a whole new facet of their ability while staying true to their roots at the same time. Presented in her mother tongue, the lyrics fit perfectly for France-based singer Emmanuelle Zoldan.
Mastermind Morten Veland on choosing “Voyage Voyage” for the album: "As our new album is influenced by the eighties to some extent, we thought it would be fitting to do a cover version from this era, and include it as a bonus track on the album. 'Voyage Voyage' by the artist Desireless is one of my favourite songs from this decade and it was a very interesting song to cover. In terms of covers, I love to find songs from a completely different genre and then put Sirenia's touch and sound to it. It never made any sense to me to do a cover version of a different rock or metal band, as the versions would end up too similar anyway."
Dive into some ‘80s vibes with “Voyage Voyage”:
On Riddles, Ruins & Revelations, Sirenia remain as true to their album title word-play as they do to their dedication to symphonic soundscapes, drawing the listener into a pounding narrative about the darkest aspects of life. All eleven songs accumulate step by step to an integral sound artwork, where the versatile mezzo soprano voice of singer Emmanuelle Zoldan always shines in high-profile. In addition, there are many enchanting, instrumental surprises lurking on the way that absolutely need to be discovered: With the opening "Addiction No. 1" the formation delivers an immense and catchy tune that will have fans of bands like Beyond The Black and Amaranthe falling in love immediately. "We Come To Ruins" is directed at all the headbangers out there and offers a contrast of harshness. With "Downwards Spiral", Emmanuelle is supported by the remarkable voice of long-time friend Joakim Næss on clean vocals, who has joined the band on previous releases.
Most parts of Riddles, Ruins & Revelations were recorded at Audio Avenue Studios in Stavanger, Norway, and mixed and mastered entirely by Morten Veland himself.
Morten Veland on the album: "Riddles, Ruins & Revelations is Sirenia's tenth studio album. The album is very diverse, as a Sirenia album should be. There's a lot of material that shows the band from a new side, and there is lots of material that is to be expected from the band musically. All in all the album will take the listeners through a journey that will cover both familiar and unexplored musical landscapes. We hope that you will enjoy the journey.”
Riddles, Ruins & Revelations will be available in North America in the following formats:
"Addiction No. 1"
"Towards An Early Grave"
"Into Infinity"
"Passing Seasons"
"We Come To Ruins"
"Downwards Spiral"
"Beneath The Midnight Sun"
"The Timeless Waning"
"December Snow"
"This Curse Of Mine"
"Voyage Voyage"
"We Come To Ruins":
"Addiction No. 1" video:
Sirenia is:
Morten Veland - guitars, bass, vocals, keyboards, programming
Nils Courbaron - lead guitar
Emmanuelle Zoldan - vocals
Michael Brush - drums
PLUSH has released the official music video for its first single, "Hate". The song is very personal for singer/guitarist Moriah Formica. She says: "It's about somebody who broke my heart in a very bad way. I was just so angry and sad, but I couldn't bring myself to actually say 'I hated you' to that person, because the truth is I really, really loved that person, and I just hated that I loved them."
PLUSH is composed of four talented musicians, all under the age of 21, whose accomplishments and talent eclipse their age. This female rock force features Formica, drummer Brooke Colucci, lead guitarist Bella Perron and bassist Ashley Suppa.
Reflecting on the "Hate" video shoot, Moriah says: "It was amazing as a newly formed band to play in a historic theater, especially during a pandemic where we haven't had the opportunity to play a live show yet. We also had the chance to really bond as a band, spending the whole day together."
Moriah skyrocketed to national recognition when she appeared on NBC's "The Voice". Miley Cyrus referred to her as a "rock goddess." Brooke, also known by her moniker Rock Angel, has even earned a nod from John Lennon's official Facebook page, as she built her social media empire. Together, Moriah and Brooke have over 28 million views on their videos across social media platforms in 2020.
Bella is a freshman at Berklee College Of Music and a guitar virtuoso. She adds to the band's ferocious melodies with amazing backing vocals and a no-holds-barred brand of uncompromising leads. Ashley adds an undeniable bass undertow to PLUSH's sound. She has been noticed by Ace Frehley (KISS), who requested her skills on backing vocals for his "Anomaly" solo album.
PLUSH wants to bring back the heart of rock to the mainstream with a new and fresh spin on the sounds you already love. It has been quite awhile since an all-female rock act has hit the mainstream, and PLUSH hopes to inspire young women everywhere to follow their dreams, regardless of whatever challenges may get in the way.
Michigan rockers POP EVIL have debuted the official music video for their latest hit single "Breathe Again". The clip marks the first set of visuals from POP EVIL's sixth full-length album, "Versatile", due out this spring via Entertainment One (eOne). The futuristic and partly animated video, directed by Johan Carlén captures POP EVIL in a new light as they dive into their greatest stylistic shift to date, striking on some of their heaviest moments as a band while still balancing their unflinching groove with cinematic melody.
After surprising their fanbase with the most significant stylistic shift in sound to date with "Work", POP EVIL championed that success into the explosive catharsis found on their new single. More dialed in than ever, Leigh Kakaty flexes his songwriting growth and vocal capabilities across one of the band's most uplifting and soaring choruses to date. Channeling the groove of their latest Top 10 single "Work" and the chugging riffs of its companion track "Let The Chaos Reign", "Breathe Again" marks one of POP EVIL's most diverse and captivating releases to date.
POP EVIL has been a staple at major festivals and in theaters and clubs for over a decade, despite the group's relative youth. As they've ruled the roost with No. 1 Billboard Rock singles like "Trenches", "Deal With The Devil", "Torn To Pieces", "Footsteps" and "Waking Lions", they've taken their inspired message to the people, on tours with modern rock titans and veteran acts alike. The band bunkered down in Los Angeles in the winter of 2019 to put the finishing touches on the LP. POP EVIL also enlisted new creative teams of producers and collaborators to emphasize the band's sound's uniquely varied aspects.
As "Breathe Again", "Let The Chaos Reign" and "Work" might suggest, the contrast and fearless genre-defying cross-cultural pollination have never been more pronounced than on album number six. The pre-production process yielded close to 30 songs, whittled down to the most potent 12 representing everything about POP EVIL.
Collectively, POP EVIL's previous five albums account for over 600 million worldwide streams.
POP EVIL is: Leigh Kakaty (lead vocals), Nick Fuelling (lead guitar), Dave Grahs (rhythm guitar), Matt DiRito (bass) and Hayley Cramer (drums).
Legendary rock musician Ann Wilson has released released the official music video for her latest single, "Tender Heart". The clip, which features American figure skater Gracie Gold, can be seen below.
"'Tender Heart' came out of a personal struggle," says Wilson, "but quickly evolved into a greater, more universal meaning. We as the human race are coming to realize realities we never dreamed we'd have to face — environmentally, culturally, financially, and health-wise. Humanity is coming to terms with uncomfortable, heartbreaking, terrifying truths. This song is for the soul whose heart is blindsided by reality, but is still soft and innocent. I hope people will identify with this song and feel they are not alone."
"Tender Heart" follows last year's release of "The Revolution Starts Now", available now at all DSPs and streaming services; an official video is streaming now via YouTube. Written and originally recorded by Steve Earle, the track — which marked Wilson's first new music in more than two years — was met by universal acclaim from the likes of Rolling Stone, which praised it for "a sense of urgency that arrives like a jolt to the heart." "With thrumming guitar and crashing high hat/kick drum combination, 'The Revolution Starts Now' is propulsive," agreed American Songwriter. "Classic hard rock, it swells on the chorus, then falls away. Her voice is strong, somewhat dusky, retains its power."
"The Revolution Starts Now" — which features original artwork by renowned American street artist and activist Shepard Fairey — is also being offered on limited edition signed seven-inch vinyl, available now for pre-order via AnnWilson.com. The single includes the exclusive B-side "Rooster", originally performed by ALICE IN CHAINS; a live performance from last year's "MoPOP Founders Award Honoring Alice In Chains: A Benefit For The Museum Of Pop Culture" is streaming now at the official Ann Wilson YouTube channel.
Ann Wilson is a true icon, known far and wide as lead singer and songwriter of the groundbreaking rock band HEART. Led by Wilson's extraordinary vocal power, HEART has thrilled audiences for more than four decades, earning sales of more than 35 million and well-deserved induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2013. Wilson's second solo album, 2018's "Immortal", saw her putting her unique stamp on songs made famous by a number of hugely influential artists, including David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Tom Petty, Amy Winehouse, and more. Produced by longtime HEART collaborator Mike Flicker, the album earned widespread critical acclaim, with Associated Press declaring it "an exciting, eye-opening look at largely obscure songs by big-name artists" and Goldmine praising Wilson for "her mighty vocal firepower and a far ranging creative spirit."
FOO FIGHTERS were the featured musical guests on Monday's (February 8) episode of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon". FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl spoke with Jimmy about a variety of topics before the band performed "Waiting On A War" at the end of program. Check out video footage below.
"Waiting On A War" is taken from FOO FIGHTERS' tenth studio album, "Medicine At Midnight", which came out on Friday (February 5) via Roswell Records/RCA Records. The LP is a nine-song, 37-minute effort which was produced by the FOO FIGHTERS and Greg Kurstin.
If "Waiting On A War" seems to have an especially emotional heft to its lyrics, well, that's because it does. Dave Grohl recounts the personal anecdote that inspired the song: "Last fall, as I was driving my daughter to school, she turned to me and asked, 'Daddy, is there going to be a war?' My heart sank as I realized that she was now living under the same dark cloud that I had felt 40 years ago.
"I wrote 'Waiting On A War' that day.
"Every day waiting for the sky to fall. Is there more to this than that? Is there more to this than just waiting on a war? Because I need more. We all do.
"This song was written for my daughter, Harper, who deserves a future, just as every child does."
The first single from the disc, "Shame Shame", was released in November. An accompanying music video for the song was directed by Paola Kudacki and co-stars Grohl and Sofia Boutella. "Shame Shame" renders in stunning black and white an interpretation of a recurring dream that's haunted Grohl since his childhood days.
Grohl told SiriusXM's Alt Nation about the "Medicine At Midnight" musical approach: "It's our 10th album, and it's our 25th anniversary. We're. like, okay, let's look back at all the stuff that we've done before. We've made that loud sort of noisy punk rock fast stuff. We've made the sleepy acoustic kind of gentle acoustic record stuff. We've done the three- or four-minute-long bubblegum rock and roll, pop, single thing before. And it was, like, well, what haven't we done? And we had never really made a groove-oriented sort of party record.
"It's hard to put the words 'dance' or 'funk' or 'disco' in the same sentence as the FOO FIGHTERS; it scares the shit out of me," Dave admitted. "But all of us grew up loving rock and roll records that you could like bounce around to, like THE CARS. Like, oh my God, we love THE CARS. Or David Bowie's 'Let's Dance'. Or POWER STATION. Or THE [ROLLING] STONES' 'Tattoo You' — things like that. We're, like, 'All right. We've never really explored that territory before. Let's do it.
"We're lucky in that everybody in the band has diverse influences and everybody loves different kinds of music, but I honestly think we're capable of doing almost anything," he said. "So if we put our minds to it, we can kind of chameleon and turn into a death metal band, or we could be like THE CARPENTERS. So we just have to come together and make the decision, like, 'All right, which way do we wanna go? Which way are we gonna turn the wheel?' And this time we did it to make this party record."
Former DIO guitarist Rowan Robertson has uploaded a video to his YouTube channel where he shows you how to play the song "Evil On Queen Street" from the band's "Lock Up The Wolves" album. Check out the clip below.
Three years ago, Rowan said that he "would love" to release songs that were written during the sessions for "Lock Up The Wolves" that didn't make the final record.
Robertson, who was 17 years old when he joined Ronnie James Dio, was asked by The Metal Voice if he would be interested in making the unreleased recordings available to the legendary singer's fans.
"There's two songs which were just done on a boombox in rehearsal," he said. "And I just really would like to get permission from management, 'cause I don't wanna get in trouble. I'd love them to be out there, but I think after Ronnie's gone, he's not here to say, 'Don't play anyone that.' You know what I mean?"
In a 2015 interview, Robertson said that he played the two songs in question — which were apparently titled "Hell Wouldn't Take Her" and "The River Between Us" — for Ronnie's widow and manager Wendy Dio and that she thought the quality wasn't "good enough" to release them.
Rowan was also asked by The Metal Voice for his opinion on the recently launched "Dio Returns: The World Tour", which features a hologram of Ronnie James Dio backed by some of his DIO bandmates.
"I think it's great," the guitarist said. "I think it keeps his memory alive, and I don't see any problem with it at all. I think it's great."
In the late 1980s, Robertson heard that Ronnie James Dio was looking for a new guitarist. He sent a tape to the record company Phonogram. After six months of waiting, he got a reply that stated that at that moment they were not interested in him. At the encouragement of his friend and fellow guitarist Sean Manning (HURRICANE), the tenacious Robertson then contacted the DIO fan club who then asked him to send his demo tape to them.
Robertson got a great response from DIO after receiving the demo through the fan-club channels. In late January or early February 1989, Robertson was flown to Los Angeles for an audition with DIO. He was auditioned twice. Immediately after the second audition, he was invited to join the band. The press release for the addition of Robertson to DIO was sent out on July 18, 1989 and the press was invited to meet the newest DIO guitarist on July 20, 1989 at Oliver's Pub in New York City.
The first DIO album Robertson started working on with DIO was "Lock Up The Wolves". These sessions included Jimmy Bain, Vinny Appice and Jens Johansson. The band had already begun writing and recording when Jimmy Bain and Vinny Appice were suddenly excused from the band. They were replaced with Teddy Cook and former AC/DC drummer Simon Wright.
"Lock up the Wolves" was released in 1990, and the band embarked on a tour in support of the album.
Robertson stayed with DIO until Ronnie James Dio rejoined BLACK SABBATH in 1991.
Conan have just unveiled the heavy, massive live version of their most successful song, “Hawk As Weapon”, on streaming platforms (to date, the studio version has amassed more than a million plays). With the fuzz pedal pushed to the limit, the masters of brute waves of sound deliver further proof that they are unsurpassable in intensity. The new single clearly shows what a Conan show is all about.
Heavily distorted and down-tuned sounds turn the legendary fields of the German Freak Valley Festival into madness. The undisputed masters of fantastical, otherworldly, sludgy doom, Conan, will cast a spell on the listener and propel them straight into the crowd, captured in dust.
Watch the live video for “Hawk As Weapon“:
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 on March 12 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 will be 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
Dragonforce guitarist Herman Li has checked in with the following update:
"Shred Talk! I had the pleasure to have one of my favourite metal guitarists, Kiko Loureiro (Megadeth, former Angra) joining me on my Twitch livestream before the pandemic (December 13th, 2019). We hang out and jammed together for 3 hours!"
Melodic death metal outfit, Fires In The Distance, have released a performance video for "Sundial", a track from their debut album, Echoes From Deep November, available via Prosthetic. The video was filmed at Telefunken Elektroakustik in South Windsor, CT. Watch below:
Over the course of six melancholic tracks, Echoes From Deep November charts a perpetual struggle with mental health and the tribulations of living with deep rooted depression. Each track documents peaks and plateaus of inner torment, internal rationalisation and an ongoing struggle to survive. Additionally, personal experiences witnessing pain and struggle in others feeds into the cacophony of anguish and oppression.
Written throughout 2018 and 2019, Echoes From Deep November was recorded with producer Dave Kaminsky (Infera Bruo, Stone Healer), who the band describe as being like a fifth member. Their desire to capture the organic nature of their live sound has paid dividends; each of the six tracks reverberates with energy and emotion. Haunting artwork by Caelen Stokkermans finishes off the pensive package of melodic doom with a macabre flourish.
Tracklisting:
"The Climb"
"Elusive Light"
"The Lock And The Key"
"Reflections In The Ice"
"Chained To The Earth"
"Sundial"
In the late ‘90s, Coney Hatch singer/bassist Andy Curran and former FM guitarist Simon Brierley united in the band Caramel, which was rounded off by drummer Eddie Zeeman and guitarist Virginia Storey. The band were signed by Geffen Records and the self-titled debut produced a top ten radio mini hit in the United States called “Lucy”, which saw the band hitting the road and sharing stages with Creed, Stabbing Westward, Brother Cain and Econoline Crush.
Curran has just uploaded the official video for “Lucy” below. Check out the album on Spotify here.
Infinite & Divine is a new collaboration between two Swedes, musician/songwriter/producer Jan Åkesson and vocalist Tezzi (aka Terese Persson). Their debut album, Silver Lining, will be released on April 9 via Frontiers Music Srl. You can get your first taste of the band via the new single and video, "Infinite & Divine". Watch the video below, and pre-order/save Silver Lining here.
"We are excited to finally get to share this album with you all. It’s been a great creative experience making this album and along the road sharing and learning about each other’s strengths and influences in music, with everything from '80s hard rock to modern metal. The collaboration just felt relaxed and natural from the start and the pieces kind of just fell into place. We’ve had a lot of fun creating this together and we’re not stopping here," say Jan and Tezzi.
In the summer of 2019, Jan and Tezzi met and shortly after that decided to join forces creating what is now their debut Infinite & Divine album, Silver Lining. The combination of Jan’s energetic heavy riffs and the variety in the music with Tezzi’s melodic, yet raw vocals creates a sound not quite like anything else. While the music style is very melodic, there are a few twists and turns that make it unique and appealing.
Jan started out as a songwriter while also appearing as lead guitarist in several bands, before he decided to step back from the live scene to focus on writing and producing songs. He started the band StoneLake, who released seven studio albums, while at the same time writing songs for other artists around the world, all who were performing different styles of music. In 2017, he also released the album Ascension by his solo project Shadow Rain.
At age 17, Tezzi started doing local troubadour gigs, but before that had already started writing her own songs and lyrics, which were soon recorded. Over the years, she appeared in many different musical projects both as a lead singer in metal and progressive rock bands, as well as doing backup vocals for various Swedish artists. In 2013, she also appeared on the second album, Fantasmagoria, from Epysode (featuring Mike Lepond of Symphony X, Simone Mularoni of DGM, and Tom Englund of Evergrey among others) as one of the five lead singers.
Tracklisting:
"I Feel Alive"
"Infinite & Divine"
"Keep On Moving"
"Not Too Late"
"Wasteland"
"Burn No More"
"We Are One"
"Off The End Of The World"
"You And I"
"While You’re Looking For Love"
"Perplexed Perfection"
"Infinite & Divine" video:
Lineup:
Tezzi - Lead vocals and backing vocals
Jan Åkesson - Guitars, bass, keyboards, backing vocals and Programming
Additional Musicians:
Jens Westberg - Drums
- Produced & Mixed by Jan Åkesson
- Mastered by Jacob Hansen
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