Metallica performed the Ride The Lightning classic, "For Whom The Bell Tolls", at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI on March 13, 2019. Watch pro-shot video below:
Metallica's next show is April 15 in Santiago, Chile at Estadio Nacional. The venue has a capacity of 63,000 fans and is completely sold out! To view their complete tour schedule, visit this location.
Metallica has released the fourth capsule of their Billabong LAB collaboration, this time inspired by their legendary album, Master Of Puppets. Shop the full collection here.
My Ruin vocalist Tairrie B. Murphy has checked in with the following update:
"And now....we are proud to present our new video!
"I've always loved this song. Both the version Frank Sinatra recorded in 1969 and the infamous Sid Vicious version from The Great Rock "n" Roll Swindle in 1978. They are equally cool and contemplative for different reasons. I wanted to record it for reasons of my own.
Although I was inspired by both of the male artists who previously recorded it, I wanted to make it mine with a female empowerment vibe. From the spoken word intro to the screams, I love the raw in your face confrontational reality of it's feminine brutality. I think Mick Murphy captured the essence of the original but felt the same way musically as he made it a My Ruin song with his signature Southern metal heavy riffs and unique arrangement.
While band members have come and gone, at the core, My Ruin has always been the two of us. The heart and soul and we continue to remain strong. 'My Way' was the last song Mick and I recorded in Los Angeles before putting our band on our self imposed 'hiatus' and moving to Knoxville, Tennessee in 2017. In the end, it was very cathartic and emotional for both of us. We hope you enjoy the video which I created to accompany it for the debut of our new, old school covers album Rock Love & Red Lipstick, which we released on Valentines Day as a gift to you as we celebrate our 20 year Anniversary!"
Tairrie previously issued the following update:
"Rock Love & Red Lipstick features 16 ruined and remastered songs including two brand new, never before heard covers of the old school hip hop classic 'I Ain't No Joke' by Eric B & Rakim and 'My Way' which was made famous by both Frank Sinatra & Sid Vicious, which we have given a spoken word/brutal scream, heavy metal feminine twist. Those who know us and have followed our band will understand why we have chose to both cover and close the album with 'My Way' because it illustrates our journey perfectly.
Although we are still on a self imposed hiatus with no plans for touring in the near future, we just wanted to touch base and let you know we are thinking of you. We've loved, we've laughed and we've cried. We hope you will continue to support us as we follow our hearts wherever they may take us in 2020. Ride or die."
"My War"
"Trouble"
"Touch Me I'm Sick"
"Have A Drink On Me"
"Tainted Love"
"Mean Street"
"Do You Love Me"
"Turned Out"
"I Ain't No Joke"
"Slide You The Horn"
"Rid Of Me"
"Stoopid"
"War Machine"
"Sex Junkie"
"Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo"
"My Way"
The spirit of this band has always been to create and perform music whole heartedly with all of our attention and passion. After 11 years it seems we are at a cross road where other areas of our personal lives require that care and attention to be focused. So it is with heavy hearts that we are announcing the end of the era that has been Dream on Dreamer.
We will never take for granted the incredibly rare gift that we have been blessed with, the experiences we have gained through music, the connections we have made with people and the community we have been so lucky to create and be apart of. This band has shaped us all personally in such a strong way. For all of this we feel greatly indebted to our fans.
We are so proud of the music we have created. We feel so fortunate to have such a supportive fanbase and hope you can continue to support us as we make this transition in our lives. ❤️ DOD
Legendary SAXON frontman Biff Byford has released the official music video for his new solo single "Me And You". The song is taken from Byford's first solo album "School Of Hard Knocks", which is set for release on February 21 via Silver Lining Music.
"Happy Valentine's Day," says Biff. "I wrote this song for my wife and our 25th anniversary but I think it can be for anybody who's in a relationship. We all have anniversaries and memories. [It's] not my usual style of song but it's always good to throw in a curveball!"
With his roots firmly in the north of England, Biff has earned the right to be considered The Heavy Metal Bard Of The North and his debut album reflects the man and his personality, his loves and his musical versatility.
"School Of Hard Knocks" features Byford on vocals (and a spot of four-string thunder) along with Fredrik Åkesson (OPETH) on guitars, drummer Christian Lundqvist and bass player Gus Macricostas. The album also features guest appearances by Phil Campbell (MOTÖRHEAD), Alex Holzwarth (RHAPSODY OF FIRE and TURILLI/LIONE RHAPSODY), Nick Barker (VOICES), Dave Kemp (WAYWARD SONS) and Nibbs Carter (SAXON). The album was produced by Byford, recorded by Jacky Lehmann at Brighton Electric Studios in Brighton (U.K.) and mixed at Queen Street Studios in Stockholm (Sweden) by Mats Valentin.
"School Of Hard Knocks" fulfils Byford's long-standing wish to explore rock 'n' roll a little more. The album is a personal journey highlighting his life and his passionate interests, from the history of the Middle Ages to growing up in the industrial North. A classic, masterfully constructed old-school British hard rock album, "School Of Hard Knocks" embraces a variety of musical genres and includes the Yorkshire folk classic "Scarborough Fair", famously covered by SIMON & GARFUNKEL. Byford and Fredrik Åkesson's arrangement breathes new life into the legendary song.
Byford recently announced his first-ever solo tour dates. The tour begins in the U.K. in April and continues to Europe in May. The show, in the form of "An Evening With...", will be split into two halves. The first features Biff in conversation with Don Jamieson (American comedian and star of VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show") on all aspects of his life and career. After the break, Biff and his band will play some new songs, covers and, maybe, a SAXON song or two.
Biff says: "It's a show I've wanted to do for a long time and one which I don't think has been done in hard rock before. It'll be something different and a lot of fun."
"Metal Voice", the new video from former ACCEPT singer David Reece, can be seen below. The song is taken from Reece's new full-length album, "Cacophony Of Souls", which is due on March 13 via El Puerto Records. Joining Reece on the effort are ex-U.D.O./SINNER guitarist Andy Susemihl, bassist Malte Frederik Burkert (EXOTOXIS) and drummer Andrea Gianangeli (DRAGONHAMMER, SOULS UNCHAINED).
Track listing:
01. Chasing The Shadows
02. Blood On Our Hands
03. Judgement Day
04. Collective Anaesthesia
05. Cacophony Of Souls
06. Another Life Another Time
07. Metal Voice
08. Over And Over
09. Back In The Days
10. A Perfect World
11. Bleed
12. No Disguise
Reece was recruited by ACCEPT for the "Eat The Heat" album in 1989 following the departure of Udo Dirkschneider. Reece's higher-pitched delivery was in sharp contrast to Udo's distinctive style, and overall, the album was a critical and commercial disappointment. Midway through the "Eat The Heat" tour, differences between the band and Reece had come to a head, leading to the altercation between the singer and bassist Peter Baltes in Chicago. By the end of 1989, ACCEPT had hung it up.
Back in 2017, Reece told Canadian rock journalist Mitch Lafon that he still looks back fondly on the "Eat The Heat" album. "You know what? It's weird, because the bad blood happened at the end of it, and I hated it — I hated everything about it," he said. "I knew it opened a bunch of doors for me, but… I, on a daily basis, get people telling me what that album means to them now. At the beginning, they hated me, but now it's, like, they have this rebirth of how great it is. And I listened to it the other day, and I went, 'That's a pretty dang good album for a first.'"
He continued: "Yeah, I'm proud of it. I mean, that's a… I mean, it's not ACCEPT — okay, let's be honest — but there's some cool stuff on there. And I still get paid royalties for that album. They [re-released] it on vinyl. I get these statements; people buy it from the old crowd and the new crowd. And I'm, like, 'Ooooh…' So it's got legs to this day, and that was '88… 1988, '89. Amazing."
Reece has also played with BONFIRE and BANGALORE CHOIR.
Swedish/Danish metallers AMARANTHE are ready to present a very special Valentine's Day gift: a brand new song featuring former ARCH ENEMY vocalist Angela Gossow. "Do Or Die" displays AMARANTHE's heavier side and is accompanied by a dystopian horror video filmed in Spain, featuring Fardou Keuning's stunning creations.
Gossow comments: "It was thrilling to join AMARANTHE for a more extreme track and shooting a cutting-edge video for it! This is no cozy studio performance, but real ice-cold winds, sewages, cadavers and pouring rain — the reality we live in, the devastating legacy we leave to our future generations. Time to wake up, turn — and bang — some heads! Watch out for these guys and killer lady, they are going to crush you this year with a new album and some heavy touring!!!"
Guitarist Olof Mörck states: "While AMARANTHE's music is often uplifting, energetic and positive, sooner or later everyone needs to deal with the obvious fact that the world is literally crumbling around us — and it is crumbling fast, thanks to the short sighted abuse of our common Mother Earth! We talked to legendary Angela Gossow of ARCH ENEMY fame to do an entire package of a video and a song, outside of any normal album cycle, and let our different perspectives on metal collide in a massive explosion; and it resulted in 'Do Or Die'! Together with Overbeck Media who shot the video, we delivered something really quite special, and Angela brings in a fresh strength to the trademark AMARANTHE sound that is sure to resound all across the metal world! Death and fire!"
Last fall, AMARANTHE announced it had signed a new deal with Nuclear Blast for the release of its sixth studio album, due later this year.
AMARANTHE will embark on a North American headlining tour in the summer/fall of 2020. The 37-date trek will kick-off at the Soundstage in Baltimore on August 20 and will make stops in Chicago, Vancouver and Denver before concluding on October 2 at the Riverfront Live in Cincinnati, Ohio. Support on the trek will come Finnish metallers BATTLE BEAST and the Boston symphonic metal band SEVEN SPIRES.
With its foundations tracing back to 2008, AMARANTHE has released five albums thus far, consistently delivering hauntingly catchy tunes led by their unique three-part vocals. Within their arsenal of hit singles, a myriad tracks have been received very well via press and fans alike; having also gained countless plays on both radio stations around the globe and across streaming services (the group's songs have been streamed more than 100 million times on Spotify). A string of support tours has blazed AMARANTHE's trail in front of huge crowds as well as at their own headline concerts (the group impressively once performed in front of 10,000 fans at Liseberg, Gothenburg). They have kept working incredibly hard over the years, the latest product of which culminated in the form of 2018's "Helix", which achieved them some of their highest chart positions in the band's history.
AMARANTHE is currently on tour in Europe as the support act for Swedish metal giants SABATON alongside Finnish cello metallers APOCALYPTICA.
Dutch melodic metallers DELAIN played a record-release concert for their sixth full-length studio album, "Apocalypse & Chill", last night (Friday, February 14) at Tivoli Vredenburg in Utrecht, The Netherlands.
The band's setlist was as follows:
01. Intro
02. Burning Bridges
03. Creatures
04. The Glory and the Scum
05. Suckerpunch
06. The Hurricane
07. April Rain
08. Masters of Destiny
09. Let's Dance
10. One Second
11. Ghost House Heart (with Elianne Anemaat)
12. Vengeance (with Yannis Papadopoulos)
13. Combustion
14. The Monarch
15. Hands of Gold (with George Oosthoek)
16. Not Enough (with Elianne Anemaat)
17. Don't Let Go
18. The Gathering
19. Fire with Fire
20. Pristine (with George Oosthoek and Elianne Anemaat)
21. We Had Everything
22. We Are the Others
23. The Monarch (Outro)
Fan-filmed video footage can be seen below.
"Apocalypse & Chill" was released on February 7. According to a press release, the disc "explores topics of impending doom and human indifference," making DELAIN's "their boldest, most daring and undeniable offering yet. Brutal riffs, synth-heavy patterns and fully orchestrated compositions accented by vocalist Charlotte Wessels's extraordinary vocal potency will enthrall the listener, while new influences may surprise. The broad soundscape on 'Apocalypse & Chill' ranges from anthemic rock to electronic metal and breaks all stereotypes, without losing the special DELAIN trademarks."
Keyboardist Martijn Westerholt told Metal Insider about the making of "Apocalypse & Chill": "I think a lot of interviewers ask us, 'Do you have a goal or like an aim before you started?' We always say no, but there's also always one exception. We always say, 'We want it more heavy, hard, or loud.' And so we always aim for that part and then let me start with just go, literally go with the flow, so to say. And it really worked out well with this album. What also helped is that our guitar player, Timo [Somers], he normally always arranges what we write. So when we were done writing, we gave it to Timo and he tweaked it and then we recorded it. But this time, he also really contributed some material himself. And that also helped very much in the heaviness. And then there's, of course, how you mix and produce it. And yeah, we've always tried to make that as heavy as possible."
Westerholt also talked about the "Apocalypse & Chill" recording process, saying: "I was kind of thinking that this time it would be better to do everything fragmented. So normally the old-fashioned way of doing it, so to say, is that you write everything first and then you record and mix everything. And this time we kind of wrote a couple songs then recorded and mixed those and then went back and wrote more songs and recorded and mixed those. And an advantage of that is you are way more flexible. You can go back to your song, which is already mixed and tweaked things even, while in the old way of working, when everything is mixed, it's done and there's kind of no return. And that makes things way more flexible. It always makes it more inefficient in the process because you have to build down and build up drums over and over again, and in the studio, and record over and over again instead of in one go, but it also gives you more flexibility, and I think it really benefits the process very much."
Sacramento, California rockers TESLA visited iconic recording studio Abbey Road Studios in London, England in June 2019 for a one-night musical event capturing the band performing songs from their legendary arsenal, including "Love Song" and "What You Give", along with their classic covers of "Signs" and "We Can Work It Out". Additionally, the band performed live for the first time ever its new song "California Love Song", from its latest album "Shock", plus "Tied To The Tracks" and "Forever Loving You". The performance was recorded and filmed in 4K high definition, bringing forth the band's newest live album "Five Man London Jam" as an homage to their critically acclaimed live acoustic album "Five Man Acoustical Jam".
"Five Man London Jam" will be released on March 27 on Blu-ray, 2LP vinyl, CD and digital via Ume. The Blu-ray includes a bonus interview with TESLA reflecting on the 30th anniversary of "Five Man Acoustical Jam" and performing for the first time at the legendary Abbey Road Studios.
The official music video for the electrifying lead single "What You Give" is available below.
Track listing:
01. Cumin' Atcha Live / Truckin'
02. Tied To The Tracks
03. We Can Work It Out
04. Signs
05. What You Give
06. California Summer Song
07. Forever Loving You
08. Miles Away
09. Paradise
10. Call It What You Want
11. Stir It Up
12. Into The Now
13. Love Song
Issued in July 1990, TESLA's stripped down "Five Man Acoustical Jam" was an instant success that coincided with the rise of MTV's unplugged format. The set has since gone platinum in the U.S.
Last year, TESLA singer Jeff Keith told Canada's The Metal Voice about "Five Man London Jam": "It was done at Abbey Road studios [in London, England]. How cool is that? It's been 30 years. We had fun doing it 30 years ago, and we had fun when we were over at Abbey Road studios, where THE BEATLES and a whole lot more other great bands have recorded. And it was awesome. We just did it live [with] a little audience there. Once again, [it was] a live performance. And that's my favorite thing to do — performing live… I like it when it's live, because you don't even realize it. We're just having fun performing songs and they're gonna make a live record of it, and have some extra footage to put in there. We had a great time; we had a fantastic time. It was a blast."
Asked about the setlist for TESLA's performance at Abbey Road, Keith said: "Well, it was requested that we do some stuff to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of 'Five Man Acoustical Jam', so we did five or six songs from that. And then we did some of our new songs, [from] the record that we made with Phil Collen from DEF LEPPARD [2019's 'Shock'], which was fantastic. So we've got some new recordings there — it's new recordings of the 30-years-ago celebration — and we had fun with it. Just like we did 30 years ago, we had fun with it again."
Regarding the original "Five Man Acoustical Jam" recording, Jeff said: "It was just like an accident waiting to happen, and it was a great accident. Not an accident, but… We had been on tour with MÖTLEY CRÜE, and we had to jam an acoustical set that we did for, I think, the Bammies, the Bay Area Music Awards. So we decided, 'Hey, instead of sitting on two nights off in a row, we'll just find a club that'll let us come in and play our songs acoustically and have fun with it,' and that's what we did. And it was feeling so good, the decision was made with Geffen Records, 'Let's just record the whole night.' And we went to a radio station — me, Frank [Hannon] and Tommy [Skeoch] — and we played 'Signs' and the phones were ringing off the hook. I think it's our biggest-selling record to date. But it was all just having fun."
TESLA is continuing to tour in support of "Shock", which was released in March 2019 via UMe. The follow-up to 2014's "Simplicity" was produced and co-written by Collen.
Joel Hoekstra (WHITESNAKE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) and Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) performed an acoustic set of rock classics — including those by WHITESNAKE, BAD COMPANY and LED ZEPPELIN — during this year's Monsters Of Rock cruise, which sailed earlier this month from Fort Lauderdale to Belize. They were accompanied by various musicians, including drummer Mike Vanderhule (Y&T) and bassists Greg Smith (TYKETTO) and Aaron Leigh (Y&T).
Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube user "WILL TRAVEL FOR GIGS"). Note: The video is jumpy because the camera broke.
Hoekstra joined WHITESNAKE in 2014 following the departure of Doug Aldrich.
The Chicago native's résumé includes a long stint in NIGHT RANGER, as well as a gig as the touring guitarist for TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA.
Back in 2015, Hoekstra released the "Dying To Live" album from his side project JOEL HOEKSTRA'S 13.
Last November, Allen "slipped and fell" during rehearsals for the TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA tour. As a result, he missed the "TSO East" portion of the 2019 holiday trek, "Christmas Eve And Other Stories".
Back in July 2017, Allen was involved in a road accident that resulted in the death of his ADRENALINE MOB and TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA bandmate, bass player David Zablidowsky. Russell escaped with minor injuries and returned to the stage with TSO in November of that year.
VAN HALEN singer David Lee Roth played his sixth show as the support act for KISS this past Tuesday night (February 11) at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina. His 11-song set consisted primarily of his old band's biggest hits, plus "Just Like Paradise", which was the lead single from Roth's second solo album, 1988's "Skyscraper", as well as a couple of covers.
David's setlist was as follows:
01. You Really Got Me (The Kinks cover)
02. Beautiful Girls (VAN HALEN song)
03. Unchained (VAN HALEN song)
04. Panama (VAN HALEN song)
05. Jamie's Cryin' (VAN HALEN song)
06. Tobacco Road (John D. Loudermilk cover)
07. Runnin' With The Devil (VAN HALEN song)
08. Just Like Paradise
09. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love (VAN HALEN song)
10. Just A Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody (Louis Prima cover)
11. Jump (VAN HALEN song)
Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube user "Greg Perry").
Roth told Van Halen News Desk that his band is recreating the sound of VAN HALEN's albums and his own solo work, not VAN HALEN's live performances.
"We do not sound like VAN HALEN live," he said. "You have not heard this. VAN HALEN live is lead guitar, bass, drums, sing. Here, we bring it the way a record brings it. To do that requires two or three guitars. We have five people hollerin'. It's a big rock sound. It's not [1985's] 'Just A Gigolo'. It's not brass band. That was a quickie vacation."
Roth's "Rocks Vegas" Las Vegas residency kicked off in early January and is scheduled to play six more dates in March at the House Of Blues. Backing the 65-year-old singer are lead guitarist Al Estrada from the VAN HALEN tribute band ERUPTION, rhythm guitarist Frankie Lindri, bassist Ryan Wheeler, keyboardist Danny Wagner and drummer Mike Mussleman.
This isn't the first time David has set up shop in Sin City. Back in 1995, Roth completed a Las Vegas engagement at Bally's Hotel and Casino and another short run at MGM Grand.
VAN HALEN has been inactive since it completed its U.S. tour in October 2015 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California.
Roth recently launched Ink The Original, a skin-care line specifically made to preserve, protect, and highlight tattoos and keep them from fading.
Former BLACK VEIL BRIDES bassist Ashley Purdy has released the official music video for his new single, "King For A Day". Purdy wrote and produced the song, and also directed the clip, which can be seen below.
Purdy's surprise departure from BLACK VEIL BRIDES came last November. His exit from the group took place not long after he spent time in a psychiatric hospital to undergo intensive grief counseling and therapy from a few recent deaths and tragedies.
Purdy told Sonic Perspectives about the split: "What sucks was the timing of it all. They didn't have anything to do with each other. There are legal aspects of what I can say about the departure.
"Fans of the band are continually coming up to me, asking why did I leave the band. Technically, I didn't leave; I'm just not in the band anymore. I have to talk in those terms right now.
"BLACK VEIL BRIDES is a corporate business, and there are legal rules," he explained. "It's like a divorce, and we are working it all out.
"People can make their own assessments about things, but when you make a record, don't tour for two years, only to make another record, don't tour for two more years, the morale of the band starts to go away. The band is a job, and it's how you pay your bills and put food on the table. When it doesn't happen, you have to start looking for other things to do."
Purdy also offered an update on his emotional and physical well-being, saying: "It just had to take its course, but at least I was strong enough to know I needed to seek help. I was trying to be a tough guy and deal with it on my own until one day I broke. I went to a physician to get some meds after telling him my story, and he was, like, 'No, you need more treatment.' I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital for a week to get medicine, therapy, and grief counseling. At the group sessions, I heard other people's stories and knew I wasn't alone. The oddest thing was a psychic medium who I didn't know, reached out to me through a friend of a friend to give me a message from the people who passed into the afterlife. What the medium told me was very believable, as nobody would have known the level of details they shared. Strangely, hearing that they were okay helped me. This whole thing changed my perspective and I'm living a different way. I'm an open book now. There is nothing I won't say or do or help someone. It's part of life, and I'm accepting of it."
Just one week after his split with BLACK VEIL BRIDES, Purdy was reportedly arrested by Nashville police after being found unresponsive behind the wheel of his vehicle, with the engine running. He was eventually awakened by the officers, who placed him in the rear of their patrol vehicle where he "urinated all over the back seat of the patrol vehicle" on the way to the hospital, and threatened officers when they discovered it, according to Scoop Nashville.
In November, BLACK VEIL BRIDES announced the addition of bassist Lonny Eagleton to the group's ranks. Eagleton previously played with BLACK VEIL BRIDES singer Andy Biersack (a.k.a. Andy Black) on his solo tour.
Purdy recently released another new solo song called "Nowhere".
Fan-Filmed video footage of VIXEN's February 12 performance aboard this year's Monsters Of Rock cruise, which sailed from Fort Lauderdale to Belize, can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube user "WILL TRAVEL FOR GIGS").
In January 2019, VIXEN recruited FEMME FATALE's Lorraine Lewis as its new lead singer following the departure of Janet Gardner.
Lewis had already performed with VIXEN in March 2018 in Durant, Oklahoma while Gardner was recovering from surgery.
Prior to Lewis's addition to VIXEN, Roxy Petrucci (drums), Share Ross (bass) and Brittany Denaro (guitar) vowed to "expand upon the VIXEN legacy while remaining true to our musical roots."
Speaking to the "Music Mania" podcast last summer, Lorraine stated about her addition to VIXEN: "First of all, I'm so honored and excited to be a part of VIXEN. They are a staple in rock and roll and metal and chicks that rock. I'm super honored to be with them and to be even asked to step in was a great honor. I'm hoping that I'm doing a good job and hoping I'm doing the songs justice, et cetera. I am loving being with the girls. I have history with the girls, for sure. I go way back with them. We were all getting record deals around the same time back from the Sunset Strip days. It's just amazing to go full circle, then be able to hang out with these girls 30-plus years later. I feel like it's a big slumber party every time we're together. It's super fun."
Asked whether it was "easy" for her to step in and replace original frontwoman Janet Gardner, Lorraine said: "As far as I know, VIXEN being Share and Roxy at this point, the original members, they never want it to end. They were definitely looking to the future and, 'Okay, what are we going to do if Janet bails? If Janet decides to do something different?' It was kind of a teaser for me, doing the Oklahoma show [in 2018]. I really enjoyed it so much. It was kind of one of those things where it was too weeks in the making. They called me two weeks before they went on the Monsters Of Rock cruise 2018 and said, 'Hey, Janet might not be doing this show. Would you be able to do it with us?' Because she had the aneurysm. I said 'Look, let me look at the material. I definitely want to help you guys out.'"
She continued: "Janet definitely sings a lot higher than I do naturally. Janet has got an angelic voice. I'm a little bit lower vocally and a little bit raspy, and just a little bit different kind of a singer. I was a little nervous, to tell you the truth. I was, like, 'Oh dang. How am I going to take over for Janet Gardner?' I really did my homework. I really spent a lot of time with the songs because I really wanted to do the best job that I could do. I learned them all and did the Oklahoma show, and all in all with no rehearsals or anything, it came off without a hitch. That was the beginning; that kind of set the groundwork for the possibility of working together in the future. I wasn't really thinking that anything more was going to come out of it. I just thought, 'This is just a one-off and that's it.' Then when they contacted me in January and said, 'It looks like Janet might be leaving. What do you think about joining VIXEN?' Number one, I was over-the-moon excited, then nervous as all hell. Because I was, like, again I'm not Janet Gardner. I'm Lorraine. I know how to sing like Lorraine. I definitely do my best to honor the songs and do my best to sound, give the songs Janet's flavor, but it's still Lorraine singing Janet Gardner. That's just the truth. I know that I'm doing the best job that I can. I hope the fans love what I'm doing. Then we're looking to get some new music together so that's a merger of the two camps, basically FEMME FATALE and VIXEN and adding Britt [Denaro, guitar]. We're going to be a whole different machine once that starts as well, still honoring the VIXEN sound."
Gardner, who released her debut self-titled solo album in 2017, broke the news of her exit from the group on January 16, 2019.
Gardner, Petrucci and Ross are considered to be part of VIXEN's classic lineup, along with founding guitarist Jan Kuehnemund, who died of cancer in October 2013.
Gardner contributed lead vocals to VIXEN's most commercially successful studio albums — "Vixen" (1988), "Rev It Up" (1990) and "Tangerine" (1998) — as well as the group's latest release, 2018's live album "Live Fire".
Vocalist Robin McAuley (MCAULEY SCHENKER GROUP), guitarist Reb Beach (WINGER, WHITESNAKE), bassist Jeff Pilson (FOREIGNER, THE END MACHINE, ex-DOKKEN), and drummer Matt Starr (ACE FREHLEY, MR. BIG) have joined forces in BLACK SWAN, a new band project signed to Frontiers Music Srl. Their debut album, "Shake The World", is a delightful romp of powerful hard rock that is not simply the sum of its parts, but a powerful rock and roll machine. It was released on February 14 on CD, LP and digital formats.
The official music video for the third single from "Shake The World", a track called "Make It There", can be seen below. The clip was once again directed by Èric Boadella.
The genesis of BLACK SWAN was sparked by a conversation between Pilson and Frontiers president and head of A&R, Serafino Perugino, who wanted a project that would not only showcase McAuley's vocal prowess, but have a mighty musical backbone to stand skyscraper tall behind him. Thus, the initial seeds were planted and Pilson ran with it from there. "Shake The World" was tracked at Pilson's home studio in Los Angeles and is a showcase of both the musical talents of the instrumental players in the band as well as McAuley's powerful voice. The four members got BLACK SWAN off the ground by exchanging ideas back and forth and then bringing all the songs together. The final result is something fresh, very heavy, but still intensely melodic and it's certainly not DOKKEN, nor WINGER, nor MSG, or some combination thereof, but its own unique animal. As an example, one of the songs was written by Pilson right after seeing the QUEEN movie "Bohemian Rhapsody". "I came home and I sat down at the grand piano and pretty much wrote exactly the chorus that we have, just coming straight [from] the movie. It is a bit QUEEN-like."
Continues Pilson, "It's amazing, incredible music. Wait until you hear everybody's playing and singing. It's beyond — way beyond."
Adds McAuley, "This is really exciting for me to read: BLACK SWAN announces the release of 'Shake The World', the first offering from the band on the Frontiers label.' I've known Jeff for some thirty years and we have a history of performing together on MSG 'Unplugged', in addition to being great friends, musically and socially. When he asked me to do this and collaborate with Reb, I didn't have to think too long with my response. Initially he wasn't going to play bass on this, but Reb and myself soon changed his mind, lol!!! Bringing Matt into the mix was a great decision. His powerful energy and style is unmistakable on this album. Overall, it is a very powerful blend of styles and writing. Reb is truly an amazing guitarist and songwriter. Jeff captured my vocals the way I like to sound. Probably the best vocal sound I've had... ever!!!! Such a great and creative studio experience for me. This is kick-ass, powerful music on an album full of great songs. If you love strong melodies and BIG choruses, BLACK SWAN won't disappoint!! It's time… 'SHAKE THE WORLD'!!!"
Beach says: "When Jeff approached me to do this, I was so excited because I loved writing 'Erase The Slate' with him for DOKKEN. I also played in the band with Jeff for four years, and we worked so well together, writing and live too. He is as good as it gets when it comes to a rock musician, a great songwriter and an absolute joy to work with. I came in with riffs, Jeff arranged them into a song by adding his own parts, and then Robin wrote the lyrics, and knocked it out of the park with the vocals. I am pretty particular about singers, and Robin's voice is so slammin' that I wouldn't want anyone else. Matt came in with his huge drum sound, and we had a great sounding band. Very exciting stuff!!"
American metal quartet, Seven Spires, have released a video for "Bury You", a track from their sophomore album, Emerald Seas, out now via Frontiers Music Srl. Watch the clip below, and order the album here.
Emerald Seas is a theatrical concept album, and is the prequel to the story of their debut full-length, Solveig. The album follows a lone sea captain on their quest for eternal life while being hunted by an ancient beast and struggling with loneliness, sacrifice, alcoholism, and the unexpected weight that comes with achieving one’s goals. Seven Spires’ signature blend of melancholic beauty and emotional brutality on Emerald Seas is the sonic manifestation of the silent emptiness that chills one's insides when staring across bleak, open waters.
The band explains the influences behind the album, “Musically, Emerald Seas is influenced by our usual mix of melodic and extreme metal favorites and Hans Zimmer worship. We immersed ourselves deeply in 19th Century Romantic music and art while writing this record, and I like to think some traits from that era are present as a result. It's highly emotional; sweet and melodic at times, and quite dark and brutal at others, especially when dealing with themes like losing one's fear of death.”
The band, as with their debut, collaborated with Sascha Paeth (Avantasia, Kamelot, Epica, etc), who mixed and mastered the album. Incidentally, Adrienne Cowan was handpicked by Paeth to front his new band, Sascha Paeth’s Masters of Ceremony, and she is also one of the touring vocalists for the hugely popular Avantasia.
“Touring with Avantasia and Sascha Paeth's Masters of Ceremony has mostly influenced my live singing and performance style,” explains Cowan. “It has been an incredibly inspiring experience to be a part of these groups where everyone is a long-standing master of their craft and of their artistic selves.”
Seven Spires will tour extensively behind Emerald Seas. Tours with Insomnium and Omnium Gatherum and Amaranthe and Battle Beast, respectively, have already been announced. Find the band's tour itinerary here.
Seven Spires met while studying at the world renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, so we need not spend much time going on about their musical capabilities, but needless to say, the band’s musicianship is in keeping with the metal tradition of tirelessly working to be the best at your craft. Singer Adrienne Cowan is a true talent, with vocals ranging from the beautiful to the demonic, while her bandmates Jack Kosto (guitar), Peter de Reyna (bass), and Chris Dovas (drums) weave intricate musical tales to accompany the lyrical tales presented here.
Following a successful crowdfunding campaign and self-release of their debut album Solveig, Seven Spires performed extensively in the US and Canada and at festivals such as MetalDays, 70000 Tons Of Metal, and ProgPower USA.
Seven Spires continue Frontiers' tradition of identifying and signing the most promising young talents to ensure that the future of hard rock and metal music is in good hands.
Tracklisting:
"Igne Defendit"
"Ghost Of A Dream"
"No Words Exchanged"
"Every Crest"
"Unmapped Darkness"
"Succumb"
"Drowner Of Worlds"
"Silvery Moon"
"Bury You"
"Fearless"
"With Love From The Other Side"
"The Trouble With Eternal Life"
"Emerald Seas Overture"
"Drowner Of Worlds" video:
"Succumb" video:
Lineup:
Adrienne Cowan - Vocals + Keyboards
Jack Kosto - Guitar
Peter de Reyna - Bass
Chris Dovas - Drums
Sunday, December 16, 2018: The cold fingers of winter have already reached out for the British capital but there is one place in London that is set on fire as Kreator thrill their fans with an extensive live show and take their breath-taking performance once again to another level. The band's new live album, London Apocalypticon - Live At The Roundhouse is out now via Nuclear Blast. Get the release here.
Depending on the format, it is not only the spectacular live show at the legendary Roundhouse that was documented for this release. Included on all formats except the CD will be another breathtaking concert from Chile 2018, as well as the band’s headline show from Masters Of Rock 2017 in the Czech Republic.
To celebrate the release, Kreator have unveiled the live video for "Enemy Of God" recorded from the band's set at Masters Of Rock 2017. Check out the video below.
Mille Petrozza comments: "Hordes! We present you 'Enemy Of God' from Masters of Rock - the third show featured on our live release London Apocalypticon. One of my favourite shows from our 2017 festival season and a staple in Kreator’s setlist! We shall see you in March and April with Lamb Of God and looking forward to continuing the chaos!"
London Apocalyption - Live At The Roundhouse details below.
Tracklisting:
London Apocalypticon:
"The Four Horsemen/Choir Of The Damned"
"Enemy Of God"
"Hail To The Hordes"
"Awakening Of The Gods"
"People Of The Lie"
"Gods Of Violence"
"Satan Is Real"
"Mars Mantra"
"Phantom Antichrist"
"Fallen Brother"
"Flag Of Hate"
"Phobia"
"Hordes Of Chaos"
"The Patriarch"
"Violent Revolution"
"Pleasure To Kill"
"Apocalypticon"
Live In Chile:
"Mars Mantra"
"Phantom Antichrist"
"Hail To The Hordes"
"Army Of Storms"
"Enemy Of God"
"Satan Is Real"
"Civilization Collapse"
"Flag Of Hate"
"Phobia"
"Gods Of Violence"
"Fallen Brother"
"Hordes Of Chaos"
"The Patriarch"
"Violent Revolution"
"Pleasure To Kill"
"Apocalypticon"
Masters Of Rock:
"Choir Of The Damned"
"Hordes Of Chaos"
"Phobia"
"Satan Is Real"
"Gods Of Violence"
"People Of The Lie"
"Total Death"
"Mars Mantra"
"Phantom Antichrist"
"Fallen Brother"
"Army Of Storms"
"Enemy Of God"
"From Flood Into Fire"
"Apocalypticon"
"World War Now"
"Hail To The Hordes"
"Extreme Agression"
"Civilization Collapse"
"The Patriarch"
"Violent Revolution"
"Pleasure To Kill"
"Death Becomes My Light"
"Violent Revolution" live video:
"Satan Is Real" live video:
Kreator will embark on the State Of Unrest tour with Lamb Of God and Power Trip.
Dates:
March
27 - Stockholm, Sweden - Fryshuset Arenan
28 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Forum Black Box
30 - Oulu, Finland - Club Teatria
31 - Helsinki, Finland - Black Box Jäähalli
April
2 - Kraków, Poland - Tauron Arena
3 - Berlin, Germany - Columbiahalle
4 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle
5 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
7 - Zurich, Switzerland - Samsung Hall
8 - Munich, Germany - Zenith
9 - Ludwigsburg, Germany - MHPArena
11 - Hamburg, Germany - Sporthalle
12 - Oslo, Norway - Inferno Metal Festival*
14 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz
15 - Madrid, Spain - La Riviera
17 - Paris, France - L’Olympia
18 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Saarlandhalle
19 - Brussels, Belgium - Ancienne Belgique
21 - Bristol, UK - O2 Academy (Sold Out)
22 - Manchester, UK - Academy
23 - Glasgow, UK - O2 Academy
24 - Birmingham, UK - O2 Academy
25 - London, UK - O2 Academy Brixton
Primordial performed the title track of their 2014 album, Where Greater Men Have Fallen, as the opener of their set at Germany's Wacken Open Air festival in summer 2019. Watch professionally-filmed video below:
14 years after their first European Heathen Crusade and only 2 years after the second Crusade, Primordial and Moonsorrow will invade Europe again, bringing their double co-headliner brand to another six European countries during nine days. As very special guest they will bring the neo-folk one-man act Rome to round up the tour package.
Comments Primordial singer A.A. Nemtheanga: "With great pleasure we can announce a further chapter to the Heathen Crusade Legacy with our brothers from Moonsorrow. Some different cities and different countries we have never brought the Crusaders to! We will be playing a set of songs from the wilderness in our catalogue. Rarely heard and obscure songs that rarely get performed. We also add the neo-folk musical cultural phenomenon of Rome to the bill as something unique and different. See you all again soon."
Dates:
April
18 - Bomal, Belgium - Durbuy Rock Festival
19 - Paris, France - La Machine du Moulin Rouge
20 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
21 - Mannheim, Germany - MS Connexion Complex
22 - Berlin, Germany - Lido
23 - Bremen, Germany - Modernes
24 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Pumpehuset
25 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Valand
26 - Stockholm, Sweden - Slaktyrkan
The newly revealed symphonic metal band, Lost Symphony, has taken the scene by storm with the recent announcement of their massive collaboration with some of the most talented and legendary names in heavy rock and metal including past and present members/contributors from Guns N’ Roses, All That Remains, Starset, Cradle Of Filth, Nevermore, Steel Panther, Trans-Siberian Orchestra among many others. In 2020, the band will release a string of records, with the first album, Chapter I, coming out on March 27 via XOff Records.
Today, the band has unveiled their latest single, “Singularity”, in the form of a music video and on all streaming services. Watch the video below.
On the new single, “Singularity” (feat. Oli Herbert, Bumblefoot and Ethan Brosh), strings give way to a vital, yet vulnerable guitar lead. Sweep-picking precedes a violin counterpoint as Bumblefoot contributes a fretless guitar solo.
“The piano reminded me of Indiana Jones,” says Benny Goodman, the band’s founding multi-instrumentalist and producer. “It felt like the perfect opener. The title references Ray Kurzweil’s theory on the next stage of evolution. We evolve by emerging with intelligent technology. It’s the nexus of technology and biology where social media feeds will be downloaded into our brains.”
Comprised of brothers Benny and Brian Goodman (compositions, arrangement), along with co-conspirators Cory Paza (bass, guitar), Kelly Kereliuk (guitar), Paul Lourenco (drums) and Starset’s Siobhán Cronin (violin, viola), Lost Symphony’s journey began in 2015. After crafting an initial classical demo, Benny chose to find guitar players to bring it to life. Discovering Kelly and Conrad Simon online, he began sending music back and forth collecting incredible solos. The project began taking shape when All That Remains drummer Jason Costa provided drum tracks, which led to bringing the late ATR guitarist Oli Herbert into the fold.
“We basically spent weeks in my basement putting songs together,” recalls Benny. “Oli thoughtfully constructed lead guitar parts for several of our songs and was a key collaborator. We sat and worked on everything note for note from start-to-finish. Oli brought legitimacy to this. He was like our ambassador. When he’d call other guitarists, they’d pick up the phone.”
After years of piecing together the project under the radar, Benny introduces it to the world in 2020, sharing one-song per week for two months accompanied by exclusive recording footage. The first single “This Life Moves Too Fast” [feat. David Ellefson, Jeff Loomis, & Jimi Bell] gallops forward on a hummable riff punctuated by sweeping violin, propulsive bass, and lyrical fretwork. Uniting Loomis, Ellefson, and Bell, it ebbs and flows between moments of scorching soloing and orchestral reprieve.
"Singularity" (feat. Oli Herbert, Bumblefoot & Ethan Brosh)
"Premeditated Destruction" (feat. Brock Richards, Richard Shaw, Jimi Bell & Matt LaPierre)
"This Life Moves Too Fast" (feat. David Ellefson, Jeff Loomis & Jimi Bell)
"I Felt A Funeral In My Brain" (feat. David Ellefson & Joey Concepcion)
"Cotard Delusion" (feat. Oli Herbert & Satchel)
"Catnip High" (feat. Conrad Simon & Matt LaPierre)
"In A World" (feat. Oli Herbert, Matt LaPierre & Conrad Simon)
"Requiem" (feat. Marty Friedman, Oli Herbert, Matt LaPierre & Conrad Simon)
"Lacrimosa" (feat. Oli Herbert & Angel Vivaldi)
Visionary metal outfit, Today Is The Day, have released a video for "Burn In Hell", the new single from the band's impending eleventh studio full-length, No Good To Anyone, which is their first album through new label home BMG. The album is confirmed for release on February 28. The video is available for streaming below.
No Good To Anyone was recorded and mastered by Today Is The Day's Steve Austin at his Austin Enterprises in Orland, Maine, and completed with artwork by Jef Whitehead (Leviathan, Lurker Of Chalice). The album is a crushing display of the band's singular psychedelic-yet-scathing sound and stands as a symbol of overcoming pain and adversity of the most extreme nature. The album was created over several years of Austin's battle with several major surgeries and treatments on a myriad of levels including a vicious battle with Lyme Disease.
"Hard living and hard times collide in our new song, 'Burn In Hell'," states Steve Austin. "This song will knock out your two front teeth and put 'em back in. It's a bareknuckle look at the wild side, but also the very empty and dark side of being away from home and missing the ones you love."
No Good To Anyone will be released on LP, CD, and digital platforms through BMG on February 28. Pre-order here.
Tracklisting:
"No Good To Anyone"
"Attacked By An Angel"
"Son Of Man"
"Burn In Hell"
"You're All Gonna Die"
"Orland"
"Cocobolo"
"Agate"
"Callie"
"OJ Kush"
"Mercy"
"Born In Blood"
"Mexico"
"Rockets And Dreams"
"Burn In Hell" video:
"You're All Gonna Die":
"No Good To Anyone":
Tour dates:
February
26 - Geno's - Portland, ME
27 - Alchemy - Providence, RI
28 - Market Hotel - Brooklyn, NY
29 - Meatlocker - Montclair, NJ
March
1 - Café 611 - Frederick, MD
2 - Howard's Club H - Bowling Green, OH
3 - Northside Yacht Club - Cincinnati, OH
4 - Growler's - Memphis, TN
5 - Ziggy's - Chattanooga, TN
6 - Reggies 42nd Street Tavern - Wilmington, NC
7 - Little Harpeth Brewing - Nashville, TN
8 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA
9 - Poor Boys - New Orleans, LA
11 - Bears - Shreveport, LA
12 - Reptilez - San Antonio, TX
13 - The Lost Well - Austin, TX
14 - Ridglea Room - Fort Worth, TX
15 - Launchpad - Albuquerque, NM
17 - Dive Bar - Las Vegas, NV
19 - Brick By Brick - San Diego, CA
20 - Holy Diver - Los Angeles, CA
21 - Alex's Bar - Long Beach, CA
22 - Oakland Metro Operahouse - Oakland, CA
24 - Funhouse - Seattle, WA
27 - Ernie November - Cheyenne, WY
28 - Zodiac - Colorado Springs, CO
29 - Streets - Denver, CO
30 - Vaudeville Mews - Des Moines, IA
31 - Fubar - St. Louis, MO
April
1 - Live Wire - Chicago, IL
2 - Black Circle Brewing - Indianapolis, IN
3 - Sanctuary - Detroit, MI
4 - Montage Music Hall - Rochester, NY
5 - Jewel - Manchester, NH
with The Obsessed 2/27-3/08
with Child Bite 3/09-4/05
with -16- 3/17-3/23
US progressive metal pioneers and innovators, Psychotic Waltz, return in full original lineup with their fifth studio album and first new music in 23 years. Entitled The God-Shaped Void, the new album and InsideOutMusic debut is available now.
Says the band: "Today is a special day for us, the release of our fifth album, and first record in over two decades. It’s crazy to think that 35 years ago, the five of us started playing together in Aslan, which a few years later we re-named Psychotic Waltz. We can’t thank our fans enough for their enormous patience biding their time until the album was done. But the wait is officially over! The album basically picks up where we left off in 1997, with the added benefit of modern technology and perhaps a more mature songwriting perspective. We would also like to give thanks to Jens Bogren for his great job with the mixing and mastering, and Ulrich Wild for his tracking work. It’s definitely our best-sounding album to date, and we can’t forget the amazing work of our longtime collaborator Travis Smith for the outstanding artwork. Turn it up, and enjoy!”
To further stress today’s street date of the album, the band have launched a video clip directed by Costin Chioreanu / Twight13Media for the song “While The Spiders Spin”, which can be seen below.
Says the band about the single/video: “The third single is ‘While The Spiders Spin’, which was the first song we played live from the new album, back when we did some shows in 2017. The acoustic intro was added later. Costin once again did a great job capturing the mood of the song, which is a commentary on the impersonal nature of modern society and how our phones and devices only seem to isolate rather than unite us.”
The basic tracks for The God-Shaped Void were recorded with engineer Ulrich Wild in the band’s hometown of San Diego, then the rest of the recordings at Studio D in Austria and finally the material was mixed/mastered by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Devin Townsend, Fates Warning) at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden. Artwork, as seen below, was created by longtime visual partner Travis Smith (Katatonia, Riverside, Nevermore).
The album’s bonus-track “Season Of The Swarm” is available on the limited Mediabook CD (which comes with expanded booklet and an exclusive logo patch), on the vinyl edition as well as on the digital versions. A standard jewelcase CD edition is available as well.
The vinyl edition of The God-Shaped Void comes as 2LP on 180gr. vinyl with gatefold packaging and with the entire album on CD as bonus in the following versions:
- vinyl, there are also the following strictly limited coloured editions available:
- Black 2LP + CD: Unlimited
- Lilac 2LP + CD: 200x copies from IOM Webshop
- Transparent Blue 2LP + CD: 200x copies from Nuclear Blast
- Dark Green 2LP + CD: 300x copies from CM Distro
“Devils And Angels”
“Stranded”
“Back To Black”
“All The Bad Men”
“The Fallen”
“While The Spiders Spin”
“Pull The String”
“Demystified”
“Season Of The Swarm” (bonus track)
“Sisters Of The Dawn”
“In The Silence”
“All The Bad Men” video:
“Devils And Angels” lyric video:
Lineup (left to right in photo above):
Dan Rock - guitars & keys
Devon Graves - vocals
Ward Evans - bass
Norman Leggio - drums
Brian McAlpin - guitars
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