Toronto's Scarlet Sins, who called it quits in 2009 after several years together and only one album (released in 2008), performed two reunion shows in late 2019, on October 19th and November 2nd in Ottawa and Toronto respectively. Video of the band performing "Let Go" at the Toronto show is available below.
Previously released footage of "Own Truth", "Reborn" and Scarlet Sins' cover of Depeche Mode's "Strangelove" from the same show is available below.
Scarlet Sins have re-released their debut album via Bandcamp with the following message:
"Time to be reborn... our album is available on BandCamp. Stream or download."
It is available for streaming and for purchase below.
The tracklist is as follows:
"Let Go"
"Drown"
"Above Ground"
"Own Truth"
"With You"
"Reborn"
"Strangelove"
"Are You Worth It"
"Backstabber"
"Broken"
"Fire Inside"
"Entre"
"No Arguments"
Watch the band's official Facebook page for updates here.
The clip below is Jason McNamara's collaboration cover of Queen's "We Are The Champions" and “Thank You" to all of the people around the world who are trying to put an end to COVID-19. It features the following artists:
Singers (in order of appearance):
Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy)
Jen Majura (Evanescence)
Paulie Z
Miljenko Matijevic (Steelheart)
Alex Skolnick (Testament) - backing vocals
Arejay Hale (Halestorm) - backing vocals
Musicians:
Guitar: Brian May of Queen
Lead Guitar: Alex Skolnick
Drums 1st verse & 1st chorus: Virgil Donati
Drums 2nd verse to the end: Marco Minnemann
Bass 1st verse & 1st chorus: James Lomenzo
Bass solo in the middle & 2nd verse: Tony Franklin
Bass last double chorus: Stu Hamm
Piano: Ed Roth:
Guitar: Dave Amato
Madre Sun, an English band formed by Brazilians, has announced their debut EP The Speed Of Light.
Recorded live in five days in Cambridge, UK, The Speed Of Light EP is a preview of what we can expect from Madre Sun's debut album. The band is formed by brothers Eduardo and Matt Cavina, drummer Flipi Stipp and guitarist Tyson Schenker.
“The tracks were written very freely in all aspects, with all the members of the band,” says Eduardo about the creative process behind the EP. “The songs were born with Matt creating a lyric and riff base, Flipi arranged the beats and rhythms with me on the bass, and Tyson with solos and guitar arrangements, offering the songs even more personality.”
Tyson, Michael Schenker’s son, from UFO and Scorpions, familiar with the guitar from an early age, speaks about the arrangements: “I decided to improvise all the guitar solos instead of entering the studio with parts already written. This was a process that I had never done before in my previous bands and it added a little more excitement to see in which direction it would take us.” In recording, he used a 50 watt Marshall Vintage Modern amplifier and a Gibson Flying V.
Also according to Tyson, the harmony between the brothers Matt and Eduardo was captured perfectly in the recording, finished by Flipi's powerful drums, who recorded the tracks in two takes at most. The EP's first single, "Trick Up The Sleeve" will be released next Friday, May 22nd.
The cover artwork for The Speed Of Light EP, designed by Wildner Lima, can be seen below.
Metal phenoms Tetrarch have revealed the first single and video, “I’m Not Right”, from their upcoming sophomore album, Unstable, scheduled for a fall release.
“I’m Not Right” is available today via all digital platforms. Watch the video below.
In addition to being the first single, “I’m Not Right” was the first song the band wrote for Unstable. “The intro riff for it came very naturally to us and kicked off the writing process,” says guitarist Diamond Rowe. “It was heavy and pissed off sounding, which was super cool and really set the tone for the songs that followed.”
Lyrically, “I’m Not Right” describes a moment when a person looks in the mirror and does not like what is looking back. Instead of dwelling on negativity, “I’m Not Right” is about seeking the drive to change a person’s situation and become the best version of oneself.
“We are a band that believes in embracing flaws and being who you are,” says Rowe. “But sometimes there’s a journey to get to that point, and that’s what this song really encompasses. It is normal to feel a bit off sometimes, and it’s okay to talk about it. Sometimes you just don't like something about yourself but how you go about changing that is what’s really important."
The video for “I’m Not Right” similarly follows the story of a teenage girl who is bullied by classmates, intermingled with energetic Tetrarch performance footage.
“We take a lot of pride in our performance and the energy that we put off live, so we knew we wanted there to be a performance aspect, but we also wanted to tell a bit of a story,” Rowe says. “Director Scott Hansen is always really cool to work with and open to any ideas that we may have, so that the video can match our vision. We're pretty stoked with how it came out.”
Produced by Dave Otero (Cattle Decapitation, Allegeon, Khemmis) and Tetrarch, Unstable amplifies the band’s tried-and-true blend of intense heavy riffage and driving drums with the dark vibes and haunting choruses of hooky modern hard rock. Teetrarch’s influences are evident but never replicated, as they stay true to their own unique sound that will appeal to any heavy music fan.
Tetrarch burst onto the scene in 2017 with the release of their full-length album, Freak, produced by Dave Otero. The album immediately reached strong positions on several iTunes charts – debuting within the Top 200 chart, at #3 on the metal charts and #17 on the rock charts. Their lead single, “Freak,” also garnered huge response from Sirius/XM’s Octane, and hit Top 50 on the Active Rock charts. The band toured incessantly following the release of the album, including headlining gigs, slots on major tours and appearances at some of North America’s largest music festivals.
MOTÖRHEAD has released a new video for the band's classic song "(We Are) The Road Crew". The track is a tribute to many laborers, technicians and go-fors who work behind the scenes for touring show business acts.
In a message announcing the video's release, MOTÖRHEAD said: "The road crew are the backbone of any successful live event, and to Lemmy and MOTÖRHEAD they were more than just workers or employees, they were family. Lemmy loved them so much that he wrote a classic song dedicated to them, an anthem: '(We Are) The Road Crew'.
"It pains us to see our family hurting, so we would like to honor, respect and show our solidarity to those that make what we all enjoy possible with this brand new '...Road Crew' video by Robert John.
"We would also like to challenge our friends and colleagues to join us by posting photos and videos of their beloved road warriors. Let's give them some social media spotlight, love and gratitude! We wanna see yours!
"For those that would like to chip in, we encourage you to go to Live Nation's road crew assistance program Crew Nation and give what you can, any little bit helps. And all streaming proceeds from our '(We Are) The Road Crew' video tribute will be donated to the fund.
"This movement has no genre, it has no labels, it has no limitations. Remember… #WeAreTheRoadCrew"
MOTÖRHEAD mainman Lemmy died in December 2015 at the age of 70 shortly after learning he had been diagnosed with cancer.
He had dealt with several health issues over the last few years of his life, including heart trouble, forcing him to cut back on his famous smoking habits.
MOTÖRHEAD had to cancel a number of shows in 2015 because of Lemmy's poor health, although the band did manage to complete one final European tour a couple of weeks before his death.
Richie Faulkner (JUDAS PRIEST), Mike Inez (ALICE IN CHAINS), Lzzy Hale (HALESTORM), Phil Demmel (VIO-LENCE, ex-MACHINE HEAD) and Dave McClain (SACRED REICH, ex-MACHINE HEAD) recently joined forces to to record a cover version of THIN LIZZY's "Bad Reputation". The accompanying video was shot in quarantine, with each musician separated in his or her home, and can be seen below.
In a statement accompanying the YouTube release of "Bad Reputation", Demmel said: "After [my wife] Marta and I had so much fun doing 'No Excuses', I invited my buds Dave McClain (Sacred Reich/Machine Head), Richie Faulkner (Judas Preist), Mike Inez (Alice in Chains, Ozzy, BLS, pretty much every band) and resident Bad-Ass Lzzy Hale to jam on one of my favorite tunes by one of my favorite bands Mixed by Paul Fig, Vid edit by Todd Shuss."
"Bad Reputation" was the title track of THIN LIZZY's eighth studio album, released in 1977. Although it was not released as a single, the song became a live staple. American all-girl heavy metal band PHANTOM BLUE covered "Bad Reputation" on its 1993 sophomore album "Built To Perform". 24-7 SPYZ also covered the song on its 2006 album "Face The Day". FOO FIGHTERS covered "Bad Reputation" and released it on their covers album, 2011's "Medium Rare".
Devin Townsend is set to release "Empath - The Ultimate Edition" on June 5, and today a brand new video for the track "Sprite" has been launched. This video is part of some of the brand new visuals that make up the accompaniment to Devin's stunning 5.1 mix that is contained on this new version of "Empath", and was created by Crystal Spotlight. Watch it now below.
This comprehensive version of 2019's acclaimed album contains the original record and bonus disc across 2 CDs, plus 2 Blu-ray discs. The first Blu-ray contains the 5.1 Surround Sound mix by Devin, with visuals for the full record, plus a stereo visualiser. The second Blu-ray contains a raft of bonus material, including "Acoustically Inclined - Live in Leeds", a recording from his April 2019 acoustic tour where he performed tracks including "Love?", "Deadhead", "Thing Beyond Things" and more. It also features the full "Empath" documentary, a "Genesis 5.1 Mixing Lesson", a full album commentary and more. The four discs sit inside a beautiful art-book that contains new liner notes and images from the making of the album.
Devin comments of the new 5.1 surround sound mix: "On a technical level, I guess I have always been dissatisfied with the basic 'stereo' format in which the type of music I make gets presented in. Whether its headphones, computer speakers, stereos (or basically anything currently), I have had to figure out ways to get the work to function through TWO speakers. I hear things in a particularly orchestrated way, and with the amount of information that typically gets recorded per song, the result has been the dubious 'wall of sound' that I keep ending up with. But my intention has never been to make an oppressive experience, but rather something that is immersive and vast. Making it work in two speakers just simply doesn't quite work for the vision. Although I've managed to get the point across, (to varying degrees), things always have to compromise to make it all fit. Making the drums speak at the same time as orchestra, cymbals, guitars, choirs, synths etc.…all with my voice on top, ends up with every conceivable frequency fighting for breathing space between those two speakers. Therefore, I asked the powers that be in my business world, to tolerate one more 'kick at the can' when it came to 'Empath'. I wanted to attempt a surround mix and follow the original vision of it being an immersive, multimedia experience for people in the ways I could best achieve at this stage. And although it's still pretty 'dense', with four more sources for the sound to come from, I feel its significantly closer to the original vision here."
Devin has been hosting live concerts in his home studio this month, each one raising money for healthcare workers around the world. The second, which took place on April 25, sold 3420 tickets, raising over £65,000 ($81,000) for the NHS in the U.K. For each show, Devin has put together an impressive four-camera rig, controlled using nothing more than an Xbox controller. The previous show in aid of Vancouver's General Hospital sold close to 2000 tickets, and raised nearly $50,000. The third was in support of North Shore University Hospital in New York. In total he has raised around $186,000 in support of these charities. Each show saw the people who donated the most receive generous prizes from Fishman, Toontrack, Dunlop, Planet Waves & D'Addario, KSR, Line 6, Darkglass, Fractal, Mooer & Omerch.
Townsend released "Empath" in March 2019 and embarked on the "Empath - European Tour Vol. 1" last November.
Since disbanding the DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT, Devin has been tracking down players of excellence to form a new live band, the initial incarnation of which he presented via a video message in September.
"Empath" saw Devin incorporating all the styles that make up his current interests in one place.
METALLICA has posted another video as part of its new concert series, "#MetallicaMondays", where the band is streaming a complete live show for fans on the group's YouTube channel and on Facebook every week. The latest concert to be shared was recorded on August 12, 1983 at the Metro in Chicago, Illinois. The concert footage produced and directed by Tom Hilbe of This Town Productions in West Hollywood, California.
The band said in a statement, "While we're all doing our part and staying home, we find ourselves missing live music, so how about we dive back into a few of our favorite shows at a socially responsible distance?"
METALLICA has been largely out of the public eye since last fall when the band canceled an Australian tour and announced that frontman James Hetfield was returning to rehab for the first time since 2002 to battle his addictions.
Hetfield made his first major public appearance since entering rehab on January 30, when an exhibit featuring 10 of his classic custom cars opened at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
In March, METALLICA announced that its South American tour, which was originally planned for April, has been postponed until December. In addition, the band's appearances at four Danny Wimmer Presents-produced festivals in May and September have been canceled: Epicenter in Charlotte, Welcome To Rockville in Daytona, Sonic Temple in Columbus and Louder Than Life in Louisville.
Guitarist Kirk Hammett told The Pulse Of Radio not long ago that METALLICA has to be in better than average shape to play its music live. "There's a physicality to our music that we cannot ignore, so we just kind of have to keep ourselves in a certain sort of physical sort of state where that we can't let ourselves get to a point where we can't play these songs," he said. "That's just not allowed. When we write this music, we have to make sure that we can play it and play it when we need to play it."
NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen has shared a "studio video" for her recently released Dutch-language song called "De Beelden Blijven". An English version of the track, which was recorded for the documentary "Kinderen In Oorlog: 75 Jaar Later" in cooperation with War Child, will be made available at a later date.
War Child is an organization that provides education and psychological care for children in conflict zones across the world.
Jansen spoke about her contribution to the track during a live video chat with fans on Friday (May 15). She said: "That was a huge honor, and I cannot start to tell you how amazing I thought it was to see all the reactions. I think now it's 25 languages the lyrics got translated in. It's fantastic to see everybody worldwide so engaged and so touched by the song.
"War, unfortunately, is a worldwide phenomenon, but it's music that does the wordless talking sometimes," she continued. "And even though it's cool to see it in your own language, I think one of the first reactions that I saw was that a lot of people felt it before they actually knew what it really meant. And to know the words, of course, if amplifies the actual meaning, but it was wonderful to see the initial reactions. It came in so strong. That was the intention, of course."
Jansen went on to say that she is "very grateful" to have been asked to sing on the song. She added: "It's War Child doing all the helping, and trying to help, in this case, children to cope with the effects of war and make sure that, or try at least to make it so that it's not a sentence for life mentally, which is quite a challenge that I can only imagine."
Jansen made her live debut as the frontwoman of NIGHTWISH on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington following the abrupt departure of the band's lead singer of five years, Anette Olzon.
Jansen officially joined NIGHTWISH in 2013 and made her recording debut with the group on 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" album.
NIGHTWISH's ninth studio album, "Human. :II: Nature." , was released on April 10 via Nuclear Blast. The long-awaited follow-up to 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" is a double album containing nine tracks on the main CD and one long track, divided into eight chapters on CD 2.
SOUNDGARDEN drummer Matt Cameron has teamed up with THE PRETTY RECKLESS singer Taylor Momsen to record a cover version of SOUNDGARDEN's "Halfway There" as a tribute to Chris Cornell, who died three years ago. The accompanying video, shot in quarantine, features Cameron on guitar and Momsen on vocals. The song originally appeared on SOUNDGARDEN's 2012 comeback album "King Animal", which marked the band's first collection of new tunes since 1996's "Down On The Upside".
THE PRETTY RECKLESS opened for SOUNDGARDEN in Detroit on May 17, 2017, a couple of hours before Cornell apparently committed suicide by hanging. He was 52 years old.
Momsen is a longtime fan of SOUNDGARDEN, having previously said that the Cornell-fronted outfit was the band for which she most wanted to open for.
Shortly after Cornell's death was made public, Momsen wrote in an Instagram post that her "heart is broken. Still in a state of shock," she added. "I have no words right now except my heart pours out to his beautiful family and friends."
THE PRETTY RECKLESS also posted a tribute to Cornell on the band's Twitter, writing: "Our deepest sympathies to family and new friends we just had the privilege to join for an all-too-brief moment. Our hearts are with you."
Two days after the Detroit concert, THE PRETTY RECKLESS was due to play at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey but postponed the show as a result of Cornell's passing.
In January 2019, Momsen appeared with the three surviving members of SOUNDGARDEN at the "I Am The Highway: A Tribute To Chris Cornell" show in Los Angeles.
EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee reunited with famed violinist Lindsey Stirling to record a special quarantine version of the new EVANESCENCE single "Wasted On You" as part of Lindsey's "String Sessions" series. A video of the performance, including a short interview, can be seen below.
Amy tweeted on Friday: "It was so good reuniting with @LindseyStirling on her #StringSessions series! Cant wait for you to see what we did with #WastedOnYou."
Added Lindsey: "I'm so lucky to have been able to go on tour with one of my idols, and now she's my next guest on #StringSessions! @Amy Lee and I perform @Evanescence's new song 'Wasted On You'."
Stirling previously guested on the EVANESCENCE song "Hi-Lo", which was included on the band's "Synthesis" album, a reimagining of some of EVANESCENCE's best-loved tracks — as well as a couple of new ones — recorded with a full orchestra and electronics.
EVANESCENCE and Stirling teamed up for co-headlining 2018 summer amphitheater tour across North America. Both artists' shows were accompanied by a full orchestra.
Lindsey told the Arizona Republic in a 2018 interview: " I loved EVANESCENCE [in high school]. And I still do. To this day, I have so much respect for Amy Lee. And getting to watch her perform every night, she's such an incredible powerhouse. I feel like I have a lot to learn from her and what she's done."
"My playthrough video (of "Thirteen Autumns And A Widow") from last week was met with cries of 'More!'," reveals Cradle Of Filth bassist Daniel Firth. "So I've gone and done another, this time a song that literally no-one asked for, but which really gives me the rage - 'Desire In Violent Overture' (from Cruelty And The Beast - Re-Mistressed)."
"Despite being an absolute rager, this is actually one of the more straightforward songs to play from the album - maybe a good place to start if anyone's considering using my videos as a learning tool. You might prefer to play sixteenth notes during the blast beats, and that's fine, but I personally find eighths provide a thicker tone and underpin the song a bit more solidly."
"I'm playing a Schecter Hellraiser Extreme-5, modded with Fishman Fluence Bass Soapbar pickups and strung with Newtone Strings. This is going straight into the Darkglass B7K Ultra plugin from Neural DSP."
Cradle Of Filth released Cruelty And The Beast on May 5, 1998 (with Robin Graves on bass). The band issued a Re-Mistressed version of the album on November 1, 2019.
Dani Filth comments: “Released around the same time as we were arrested at the Vatican, Cruelty And The Beast had been a painstaking labour of love, a year of intense writing amid ever growing popularity and distraction. The album’s concept of the Hungarian blood countess Elizabeth Bathory - both historically astute and fictionally correct - was to become a dangerous obsession of mine and one that saw many a first light of dawn working on the lyrics, hellbent on making the story worthy of her legend.”
Released on CD, transparent red vinyl and digitally, this elevated version of Cruelty And The Beast features new artwork from band illuminator Stuart Williamson, exclusive linear notes from Dani Filth and Cvlt Black Metal writer and documentarian, Dayal Patterson as well as a bonus track cover of Iron Maiden’s "Hallowed Be Thy Name".
Dayal adds: “Cruelty And The Beast has long been considered a milestone album in Cradle Of Filth's career, a combination of atmospheric storytelling and visceral, and surprisingly vicious, songs. This 21st anniversary edition has bolstered those songs with an added weight, improving the sound considerably with a warmer and punchier mix, making it a must hear for long-time fans and newcomers alike.”
Dani concludes, “Cruelty And The Beast remains a phenomenally important album in the band’s back catalogue and one that I am exceptionally proud of, as I am exceptionally proud of this Re-Mistressed version, 21 years on from the original release. I hope the listener - sitting there by the flame-lit hearth with his/her walnut pipe on the go - thoroughly enjoys this Cradle classic, so vividly brought back to life for the fickle world today.”
On March 4, 2020, KISS brought their End Of The Road World Tour to The Staples Center in Los Angeles, California with special guest David Lee Roth opening the show.
The following behind the scenes video has just surfaced:
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, KISS has suspended all touring activities. However, they are selling personal face masks with 100% of the profit generated being donated to the Global Relief Fund For Live Music Crews - Live Nation Entertainment. #CrewNation
The KISS face masks, pictured below, are double-layered lightweight polyester and breathable. Note they are designed for everyday use, not medical grade. Features elastic loops to hold in place. Reusable and machine washable. Order yours now at this location.
Greg Puciato, the enigmatic singer known for his diverse list of projects, from the incendiary THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN to the brutalist electro-pop outfit THE BLACK QUEEN and the unabashedly thrashy KILLER BE KILLED, will release his debut solo album, "Child Soldier: Creator Of God", this summer via Federal Prisoner.
The Los Angeles-based singer premiered the single "Fire For Water" last night on BBC Radio 1's "Rock Show With Daniel P. Carter" and followed with the debut of a video for the three-minute track this morning. The video was edited and directed by Puciato and fine artist Jesse Draxler, Puciato's Federal Prisoner co-founder. Puciato played all of the instruments on the song with the exception of drums, which were done by Chris Pennie (the last original material the pair worked on together was THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN's 2004 "Miss Machine"), who also contributed additional programming.
"I started writing in May or so of 2019, for what I thought would be the next BLACK QUEEN album, except that's not at all what came out. So, just like with everything else that's been born from necessity, it felt like the right time to create a home for anything that I do that didn't fit neatly under any other existing roof. The misfits needed a place to go," explains Puciato about releasing his first solo album. "This particular song came out really quickly. I guess it's me reclaiming and owning the abrasive part of me. This whole album is, in a way, a very extreme statement of ownership."
"Fire For Water" was produced by Nick Rowe (VAMPIRE WEEKEND, HAIM) and mixed by Steve Evetts (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, THE CURE). Additional album details will be made available soon.
Professionally filmed video footage of BLACK EARTH — the project featuring former and current members of ARCH ENEMY — performing the song "The Immortal" on May 23, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan can be seen below.
Last year, BLACK EARTH released "Path Of The Immortal", a collection of remastered tracks from ARCH ENEMY's first three albums. The disc, which was made available exclusively in Japan in March 2019, includes two brand new songs, "Burn On The Flame" and "Life Infernal", which were recorded at the end of 2018 at Sweden's Studio Fredman with producer Fredrik Nordström.
Speaking to Japan's "Masa Ito's Rock TV" in February, ARCH ENEMY guitarist and main songwriter Michael Amott explained how the new music came about. "Together with Trooper Entertainment, we've put together a compilation of our favorite tracks from the first, second and third album that featured these guys — with Johan [Liiva on vocals] and Chris [Amott on guitar] and everything," he said. "And we've put together a compilation album of that '90s material. It's been remastered here in Japan, and it sounds incredible. It really brought the old tracks… it gave them a new life. And then we actually recorded two new songs in Sweden."
He continued: "It's quite complicated getting everybody together to do that. But we wrote these two new songs. I wrote one with Chris, and then I wrote one myself. They're called 'Burn On The Flame' and 'Life Infernal' — two brand new tracks that are kind of in the style of what we used to do, I think. And they turned out really amazing too. We actually went back to Fredrik Nordström's studio, Fredman, where we made the first three records. So we worked with the original producer. And he mixed it, and it sounds really powerful — very cool."
According to Michael, the BLACK EARTH recording sessions turned out to be a "very, very strange" experience, "because we just picked it up where we left off. After about an hour or so, we were doing the same kind of jokes and the same kind of chemistry," he explained. "And the sounds as well. I was thinking maybe it was gonna sound very different. Also because of us — we all progress and change over the years, and develop. And also Fredrik, of course. He had a new studio now, with some different equipment. But actually, he just managed to get that old-school sound. And it was a lot of fun. Kind of a little bit nostalgia."
ARCH ENEMY recorded three albums with Liiva: "Black Earth" (1996), "Stigmata" (1998) and "Burning Bridges" (1999).
Liiva was replaced by German singer Angela Gossow as ARCH ENEMY's lead vocalist in 2000. Gossow exited the band in 2013 and was succeeded by former THE AGONIST frontwoman Alissa White-Gluz, while remaining as the group's manager.
Christopher Amott first left ARCH ENEMY in 2005, only to return to the group two years later. His second, and apparently final, departure came in March 2012.
BLACK EARTH completed its first Japanese tour in May 2016 and returned to Japan in May 2019 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of "Burning Bridges".
"When we did the tour in 2016, the reaction was incredible — we had so many sold-out shows, and [we got] very, very strong feedback and a lot of love from the Japanese audience," Michael told "Masa Ito's Rock TV". "So that was really an incredible time for us and a wonderful experience — one of the highlights of my career, I think. So we decided to come back and do it again three years later."
Texas hard rock quartet Kingdom Collapse has released a new track, “Uprise,” a song that perfectly captures the group’s ability to blend catchy radio hooks with their high-energy delivery.
“We're excited to release the new single at this time with everything going on in the world,” says vocalist Jonathan Norris. “With what we’ve all endured globally with the recent pandemic, this is an anthem assuring the fact that we will not only recover but we will rise even stronger.”
Norris wrote “Uprise” with acclaimed songwriter Ted Bruner, who has penned such radio rock hits as “Porn Star Dancing” (My Darkest Days), “Fallen Angel” (Three Days Grace) and others. Not only was he involved in writing the song, but Norris produced the song all on his own. “It’s not every day you have a front man who writes AND produces the songs from start to finish,” notes manager Aaron Smith. “That’s a big part of the magic that gives Kingdom Collapse their identity.”
Kingdom Collapse‘s sound - melodic, heavy riff-based rock – has garnered millions of streams of band’s music catalog across multiple music platforms. The band ended 2019 with their infectious single “Payback,” which got spins on Sirius/XM’s Octane and landed national press coverage.
2020 continues to be a huge year for Kingdom Collapse. With Jonathan Norris on vocals, Robert Flores on guitar, Blake Suarez on bass, and David Sanchez on drums, Kingdom Collapse plans to bring the “Uprise” to the masses this summer.
Check out Thomas Zwijsen classical/acoustic fingerstyle solo guitar cover of Iron Maiden's instrumental classic “Transylvania” below
Perfect timing as Iron Maiden Trooper Beer continues to roll out their Sun And Steel lager, double fermented with authentic Japanese saké yeast. Check out Thomas Zwijsen classical/acoustic fingerstyle solo guitar cover of the Piece Of Mind classic “Sun And Steel” below. For guitar lesson and tabs at this location.
Watch Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson unveil Sun And Steel in the video below. Sun And Steel has now arrived at LCBO stores in Canada and online here.
Nanowar Of Steel are well known for perfectly fitting songwriting for every occasion, so it appears more than obvious that their new single “Sneeztem Of A Yawn” is just the right song to accompany every metal fan through these difficult times - with a little dose of humor of course.
The full power of metal riffs blasts from the very first minute while the intense lyrics of the insanely catchy chorus turn the song into an epic masterpiece that will never ever leave your head again. It doesn’t need many words, as coughing and sneezing makes “Sneeztem Of A Yawn” another hypnotizing hit anthem created by Nanowar Of Steel.
Nanowar Of Steel on “Sneeztem Of A Yawn”: “This video embodies the essence of the COVID19-induced lockdown, both in its visual and lyrical aspects. While our mental conditions were deteriorating - as if they were not critical enough already - due to the restrictive isolation measures, we chose to escape and find a way out through music. We could not just sit down, sever our ties with the outside world and wait for electronic appliances to become our best friends. We had to react and express our pain through art.
“This time, for the first time, we chose to keep our lyrics devoid of jokes and puns, and tried to deliver a text that conveys to our listener the feelings of hollowness, boredom, sickness and uneasiness we've been enduring universal manner, with words that everyone can understand and identify with. This required an exceptional poetic effort from our side, which we hope our listeners can appreciate and understand. Warning: this video contains disturbing images of our alienating daily routine.”
Dark metal sensation Lord Of The Lost returns with their newest offering in their classic ensemble album series: Swan Songs III, the long-awaited successor to Swan Songs II, will be released via Napalm Records on August 7, 2020.
Deeply emotional storytelling melding with beautiful harmonies and Chris Harms’ palpitation-inducing deep vocals make Swan Songs III absolutely exceptional. The first single, “A One Ton Heart”, presents itself as a powerful ballad that makes the listener dive away with heavenly piano parts, underlined by delicate acoustic guitars and soft drum rhythms that take the listener onto a musical journey. Watch the absolutely outstanding and surprisingly historical video – featuring hand saws, classical string instruments and the beauty of violence – below:
Lord Of The Lost on the new single and video: “Since the founding of Lord Of The Lost, we have been wanting to shoot a video like this one. Unfortunately, none of our songs have ever fit to such a video. That hasn’t really changed with ‘A One Ton Heart’, but we didn’t want to wait any longer. So the video - in its non-existent statement - and our absurd looks have absolutely nothing to do with the song. Fortunately, the song didn’t care about that at all. And we have fulfilled another dream.”
The standard version of Swan Songs III consists of new songs, all recorded with The Lord Of The Lost-Ensemble, and brand new versions of a hand-picked selection of Lord Of The Lost classics, including the standout 18-minute-long song “Letters To Home”.
For all dark metal connoisseurs, Swan Songs III comes with a high quality deluxe box, including the instrumental Swan Symphonies III-versions of all songs and previously unreleased demo versions of eight new songs. As a special bonus, there is a full live set, recorded at their 10th anniversary show in 2019 in their hometown of Hamburg. More than five hours of Lord Of The Lost in all facets on seven CDs.
Swan Songs III will be available in multiple formats, including a high-class Earbook, a box set and a 2LP Gatefold Vinyl. The album is a gift to all music fans and marks the next highlight in Lord Of The Lost's musical career. Preorders available here.
Lord Of The Lost on the album: "The Swan Songs project started as a musical infidelity, continued in a beloved carry-on and became like a second musical DNA. Meanwhile, we feel at home in our second musical facet, as well as in our classifying Lord Of The Lost sound / shell. Swan Songs III has a musical depth that even surprises ourselves with a certain distance to its finishing. It is by no means the last part of a trilogy, but so far our personal highlight of Lord Of The Lost’s classical-career.”
Swan Songs III CD1 tracklisting:
“A Splintered Mind”
“A One Ton Heart”
“Dying On The Moon” (feat. Joy Frost)
“Zunya”
“Unfeel”
“Deathless”
“Agape”
“Hurt Again”
“Amber”
“We Were Young” (feat. Heaven Can Wait Choir)
“4’33””
“Dying On The Moon” (Joyless Version)
“We Were Young” (feat. Heaven Can Wait Choir - ZDF Version)
Swan Songs III CD2 tracklisting:
“Loreley” (Swan Songs III Version)
“Morgana” (Swan Songs III Version)
“Black Halo” (Swan Songs III Version)
“Cut Me Out” (Swan Songs III Version)
“In Silence” (Swan Songs III Version)
“Seven Days of Anavrin” (Swan Songs III Version)
“My Heart Is Black” (Swan Songs III Version)
“Letters To Home” (Swan Songs III Version)
Swan Symphonies III CD1 tracklisting:
“A Splintered Mind” (Swan Symphonies III Version)
“A One Ton Heart” (Swan Symphonies III Version)
“Dying On The Moon” (Swan Symphonies III Version)
“Zunya” (Swan Symphonies III Version)
“Unfeel” (Swan Symphonies III Version)
“Deathless” (Swan Symphonies III Version)
“Agape” (Swan Symphonies III Version)
“Hurt Again” (Swan Symphonies III Version)
“Amber” (Swan Symphonies III Version)
“We Were Young” (Swan Symphonies III Version)
Swan Symphonies III CD2 tracklisting:
“Loreley (Swan Symphonies III Version)
“Morgana” (Swan Symphonies III Version)
“Black Halo” (Swan Symphonies III Version)
“Cut Me Out” (Swan Symphonies III Version)
“In Silence” (Swan Symphonies III Version)
“Seven Days of Anavrin” (Swan Symphonies III Version)
“My Heart Is Black” (Swan Symphonies III Version)
“Letters To Home” (Swan Symphonies III Version)
Swan Songs Demos tracklisting:
“A Splintered Mind” (Demo)
“A One Ton Heart” (Demo)
“Dying On The Moon” (Demo)
“Zunya” (Demo)
“Unfeel” (Demo)
“Hurt Again” (Demo)
“Amber” (Demo)
“We Were Young” (Demo)
Opus X CD1 tracklisting:
“Lament For The Condemned” (Live In Hamburg 2019)
“Morgana” (Live In Hamburg 2019)
“Prison” (Live In Hamburg 2019)
“Sex On Legs” (Live In Hamburg 2019)
“I.D.G.A.F.” (Live In Hamburg 2019)
“Die Tomorrow” (Live In Hamburg 2019)
“Black Lolita” (Live In Hamburg 2019)
“Dry The Rain” (Live In Hamburg 2019)
“One Day Everything Will Be Okay” (Live In Hamburg 2019)
“Credo” (Live In Hamburg 2019)
Opus X CD2 tracklisting:
“Raining Stars” (Live In Hamburg 2019)
“Full Metal Whore” (Live In Hamburg 2019)
“Loreley” (Live In Hamburg 2019)
“Voodoo Doll” (Live In Hamburg 2019)
“Forevermore” (Live In Hamburg 2019)
“Blood For Blood” (Live In Hamburg 2019)
“Six Feet Underground” (Live In Hamburg 2019)
“La Bomba” (Live In Hamburg 2019)
“Trisma” (Live In Hamburg 2019)
“Drag Me To Hell” (Live In Hamburg 2019)
The Lord Of The Lost Ensemble 2020:
Chris Harms: Vocals, Violoncello, Semi Acoustic Guitar
π: Acoustic Guitar
Bengt Jaeschke: Acoustic Guitar
Class Grenayde: Acoustic Bass
Gared Dirge: Grand Piano
Corvin Bahn: Organ, Harpsichord, Celeste
Maline Zickow: 1st Violin
Felicitas Fischbein: 2nd Violin
Ida Luzie Phlipp: Viola
Miriam Göbel: Violoncello
Julia C. Pfänder: Contrabass
Niklas Kahl: Percussions
Daniel Möhrke: Percussions
Henrik Petschull: Percussions
Smackbound is the new hard rock/metal band from the robust and acclaimed Finnish music scene, who will release their debut album, 20/20, via Frontiers Music Srl. Due on June 12; hard rock and metal fans can expect powerful, driving songs, impeccable musicianship, and stunning vocals from this exciting new band.
New video "Drive It Like You Stole It" is available below. Pre-order/save the album here.
On what to expect from their debut album, singer Netta Laurenne says, ”It is a versatile album with music for all moods. The songs are melodic and have a great drive. We are trying to clear out the clutter from our hearts and heads and hope that the same process will happen to everyone listening to the album. It is all about energy in this world and we are trying to keep that energy alive and moving so that it would reach the listener and have a true impact and a connection with them. More on the musical side, everyone invested their own talent to the album. Teemu played great riffs and solos, Rolf banged the drums like no tomorrow and Vili and Tuomas played some pretty awesome stuff as well. I poured my heart into the lyrics and tried to sing the songs with grace."
Continuing on about the making of "The Game" music video, Laurenne says, ”I had this vision for years about using clay and making these human statues. I once saw a picture with a person with clay on their face and basically took the idea from there. It never really fit anywhere before this song though. Once I had sung the song and was listening to it, I realized that this is where the idea was meant to be used. It is honest, brutal, ugly, and beautiful at the same time. It shows us, in a way, without any status or ego. And in this song, that is very important because it is a song about every human beings' longing to be loved. It tells about the hide and seek, fear of getting hurt, and the bravery of trusting love. There is also a side to the story which probably all of us have experienced: the letdown, the heartbreak. Opening up to someone only to be brutally broken. Love can be like a Trojan horse, but can we really ever afford not to let it in? The video was shot in Helsinki by director Owe Lingvall and basically we were just laughing our asses off rubbing clay on each other. It was also kind of humbling for us to be half-naked with one another, back to back, listening to this song about vulnerability. I hope we managed to make something good."
Smackbound's story started back in 2015 when singer and actress Netta Laurenne founded the group. You may have heard her before on guest spots with Amorphis, Lordi, Black Sun, and Elvenking. She is a classically trained singer who has also studied pop/jazz and folk singing. And yes, she is also an actress. Guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari was the first to join the line-up and soon followed Rolf Pilve on drums, Vili Itäpelto on keyboards and Tuomas Yli-Jaskari on bass. Collectively, they have experience in well respected metal bands like Wintersun, Stratovarius, The Dark Element, and Tracedawn. The band immediately started writing their own songs, but to get their live chemistry flowing, founded a cover band Run For Cover, to be able to play gigs right away and turn Smackbound into a well-oiled live machine.
The band launched with a string of successful singles and videos including the debut “Drive It Like You Stole It,” the energetic “Wall of Silence,” and "Run”. All the singles will be included on the band’s debut, 20/20.
The album was recorded at Sonic Pump Studios, produced by Tuomas Yli-Jaskari mixed and mastered by Jesse Vainio (Sunrise Avenue, Apocalyptica, Poets Of The Fall).
Tracklisting:
"Wall Of Silence"
"Drive It Like You Stole It"
"Close To Sober"
"Run"
"The Game"
"Those Who Burn"
"Hey Motherfuckers"
"Troublemaker"
"Date With The Devil"
"Wind And Water"
"Drive It Like You Stole It" video:
"The Game" video:
Lineup:
Netta Laurenne - Vocals
Teemu Mäntysaari - Guitars
Rolf Pilve - Drums
Vili Itäpelto - Keyboards
Tuomas Yli-Jaskari - Bass
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