Fresh off an electrifying performance at the Aftershock festival over the weekend, where singer Spencer Chamberlain performed while still nursing a still-healing broken foot that he sustained during the band's appearance at Riot Fest, UNDERØATH has released the cinematic and thematically arresting video for "ihateit".
"The 'ihateit' video is a glimpse into what it's like to feel alienated, to need something you shouldn't need, to feel trapped and isolated and to feel like you have to keep returning to that place to find solace — it's a vicious cycle," said UNDERØATH's Aaron Gillespie.
The band is gearing up to hit the road on its "Erase Me" tour with DANCE GAVIN DANCE, CROWN THE EMPIRE and THE PLOT IN YOU in tow. The trek marks UNDERØATH's first major market headline tour in support of their new album, "Erase Me" (Fearless Records), which recently debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Top Album Sales chart. The tour finds UNDERØATH returning to many markets they previously sold out on their incredibly successful "Rebirth" tour.
"Erase Me" was written and recorded over the summer of 2017 with producer Matt Squire (PANIC! AT THE DISCO, 3OH!3) and mixed by Ken Andrews (FAILURE, JIMMY EAT WORLD).
THE SMASHING PUMPKINS have released a music video for their current single, "Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)". Directed by Billy Corgan and longtime visual collaborator Linda Strawberry, the clip is a beautifully crafted riff on cult horror movie conventions. The video sees Corgan, James Iha, Jimmy Chamberlin and Jeff Schroeder challenged to spend the night in a haunted house as part of a macabre Halloween promotion hosted by smarmy radio host Jackie Cherry (played by SUGAR RAY's Mark McGrath). Mixing pop culture references with the band's ubiquitous visual flair, the video for "Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)" stands alongside some of THE SMASHING PUMPKINS' most arresting work.
The video release follows the recent announcement of the band's upcoming 30th-anniversary live shows, which kick off November 28 at The Sylvee in Madison, Wisconsin.
The quartet is touring in support of their highly-anticipated new LP, "Shiny And Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun.", which will be released on November 16 on Billy Corgan's own Martha's Music under exclusive license to Napalm Records via a strategic worldwide partnership. Recorded at Shangri La Studios with legendary producer Rick Rubin, the LP is the band's first in over 18 years to feature founding members Corgan, Iha, Chamberlin, with longtime guitarist Jeff Schroeder.
Earlier this summer, the newly reformed lineup shared the first glimpse of their new music with the LP's lead single "Solara". The track's dreamlike music video was directed by Nick Koenig and expands on the theatrics of the band's catalog of iconic music videos. The release of "Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)" came next, along with a lyric video featuring Corgan's handwritten lyrics. In the coming weeks, the quartet is expected to release a music video for the track, directed by Corgan.
ast month, THE SMASHING PUMPKINS wrapped their monumental "Shiny And Oh So Bright Tour", which sold over 300,000 tickets across North America and sold-out arenas, including The Forum, United Center, and Madison Square Garden. Produced by Live Nation, the tour was the band's first in nearly two decades to feature Corgan, Chamberlin and Iha, alongside Schroeder, bassist Jack Bates and keyboardist Katie Cole.
Formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988, THE SMASHING PUMPKINS released their heralded debut album, "Gish", in 1991 and found mainstream success with 1993's four-times-multi-platinum "Siamese Dream" and 1995's 10-times-platinum "Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness".
Norwegian heavy metal/power metal band Guardians Of Time will release of their fifth album, Tearing Up The World, on October 19th via ROAR! Rock Of Angles Records.
The album will be available as Digipack CD + Double Black Vinyl. Tearing Up The World features guest performances from Abbath and Tim ”Ripper” Owens. A music video for "As I Burn" featuring Owens can be seen below.
The vinyl version of the new album includes an exclusive bonus live version of the song “Empire”. The album was mixed and mastered in cooperation with Studio Fredman (Dimmu Borgir, Hammerfall, In Flames, Opeth, Soilwork). The artwork and layout was designed by Carlos Cabrera.
Tracklisting:
Digipack CD:
"Tearing Up The World"
"Raise The Eagle"
"We'll Bring War"
"Burning Of Rome"
"Kingdom Come"
"Valhalla Awaits"
"Brothers Of The North"
"Light Won't Shine"
"As I Burn"
"Drawn In Blood"
"Masters We Were"
2LP Black Vinyl:
Side A:
"Tearing Up The World"
"Raise The Eagle"
"We'll Bring War"
Side B:
"Burning Of Rome"
"Kingdom Come"
"Valhalla Awaits"
Side C:
"Brothers Of The North"
"Light Won't Shine"
"As I Burn"
Side D:
"Drawn In Blood"
"Masters We Were"
"Empire" - Live (Bonus Track)
Guardians Of Time is considered as one of the leading heavy/power metal bands in Norway, with members holding experience from other bands such as Trail Of Tears, Susperia and Harm. Focusing on in-your-face heavy metal and live performances filled with power and energy, the band is always keen on giving their audience what they want; a heavy metal party! In the recent years they have toured Europe six times, supporting bands like Sabaton, Sepultura and Fear Factory. Guardians Of Time have played in Serbia, Spain, Hungary, Croatia, Belarus, Russia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Slovenia and Romania.
Guardians Of Time lineup:
Bernt Fjellestad - Vocals
Paul Olsen - Guitars
Andreas Vågane - Guitars
Willy Aaraas - Drums
Jonkis - Bass
The official music video for "Damned If You Do", the title track of the 12th full-length studio album from West Coast metal veterans METAL CHURCH, can be seen below. The song is quintessential METAL CHURCH and showcases the sound that has garnered the band fans all around the globe, with its driving guitar riffs, punishing drum beat and instantly recognizable vocals.
Singer Mike Howe comments: "I hope the fans enjoy this first video, it really sets the tone for the entire album. We are doing our best to keep metal alive METAL CHURCH style. Damned if we didn't!"
Adds drummer Stet Howland: "From my first listen of the 'Damned If You Do' demo, I was blown away. From Mike's 'hummm' intro to Kurdt's [Vanderhoof] badass guitar riff to the infectious chorus, I was hooked! If I was any more excited people would have to call me 'shit legs'. Hahaha."
"Damned If You Do" will be released on December 7 via Rat Pak Records. The effort will also be available in Europe via Nuclear Blast and Japan via King Records. The latest release is the follow-up to 2016's "XI", which saw the return of Howe.
b>"Damned If You Do" is described in a press release as "a cross between the band’s iconic 'Blessing In Disguise' and 'The Human Factor'. This new offering features ten fully charged, classic-metal-influenced songs that showcase the sound that has garnered the band a solid fanbase for over three decades," the press release adds.
Vanderhoof comments: "I feel this album is a very powerful statement to what METAL CHURCH has always been about. A tough and aggressive old-school metal album while maintaining a level of musicality and melodic sensibilities."
"Damned If You Do" also features Stet Howland (ex-W.A.S.P., LITA FORD), who joined METAL CHURCH as the replacement for longtime drummer Jeff Plate. Soon after hooking up with the group, Stet was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Miraculously, his treatments for the aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma worked and he was able to begin recording the new album.
Speaking of the new album, Stet said: "From the minute we started tracking this new CD, I had the feeling that it was going to be something special. I knew that I was going to do my best to deliver a top drum performance, not only because of the high standard set by past METAL CHURCH drummers, but also because this is my first CD release after being sick. I'm beyond happy with all aspects of this CD — great songs, great performances, great production; just an overall great CD! I love it!"
"Damned If You Do" is something truly unique and special. The songs are powerful, precise, and METAL CHURCH's musical vision is unified. From the haunting opener "Damned If You Do" to the final hard-edged track "The War Electric", this new album is sure to resonate with fans from the band's early years while garnering new ones. Songs like "By The Numbers", "Guillotine" and "The Black Things" are sure to become instant favorites!
Howe comments: "I'm very excited about the new release. It all came together way better than I even imagined. It's a great feeling to work really hard on a musical project pouring your heart into it and hoping it comes out as something you can be proud of in the end. I have been listening to it every day and loving it! I hope our fans do as well!"
"Damned If You Do" is available in various formats and bundle configurations, including a limited blue, black and white vinyl pressing with an alternate track sequence also an Ultimate Fan Bundle that includes a personal "thank you" phone call from Howe.
A PERFECT CIRCLE has released a 2D video for "Eat The Elephant", the title track of its latest album. The clip, which is taken from the Steven Sebring-diretced ("Horses: Patti Smith And Her Band", "Dream Of Life") companion film for the album of the same name, is part of a first of its kind, album-length hologram film viewable via a prism included in the "Eat The Elephant" deluxe box set.
A PERFECT CIRCLE's Grammy Museum performance Wednesday night (October 10) was a rarity for the multi-platinum outfit whose most recent Los Angeles date was a sold-out evening at the Hollywood Bowl. On Wednesday, the band offered the lucky 200 fans and friends in attendance an opportunity to hear songs from "Eat The Elephant" in an intimate setting that highlighted the songs Mojo described as "at once brooding and beautiful." Billy Howerdel and Maynard James Keenan kicked off the evening by joining the audience for a discussion about the 12-song release.
This week, A PERFECT CIRCLE also announced its participation in Record Store Day's "Black Friday" festivities, offering a limited-edition seven-inch single featuring "So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish" with a B-side of the AC/DC cover "Dog Eat Dog".
The "Eat The Elephant" video, Grammy Museum performance and Record Store Day participation kick off what is a busy fall for A PERFECT CIRCLE, which will launch a U.S. tour next week and venture back to Europe in December for a three-week trek.
b>"Eat The Elephant" debuted atop numerous Billboard charts, grabbing the No. 1 spot on the Rock, Independent and Alternative Albums charts, a No. 2 entry on the Top Current Albums chart (for pure album sales) and a No. 3 album debut on the Top 200. This is the band's fourth consecutive Top 5 debut on the Billboard 200.
"Hangover In Hannover", the new video from Swedish rockers ELECTRIC BOYS, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's upcoming album, "The Ghost Ward Diaries", which will be released on November 23 via Mighty Music.
Vocalist/guitarist Conny Bloom comments: "Hannover. Stockholm. Tokyo. L.A. Been there, done that. 'Hangover In Hannover' is a hard rocker that I'm sure most people can relate to but wish they couldn't. To quote Niclas, our drummer: 'It's not being drunk that's great, it's getting drunk.' The aftermath can get you into a very dark place."
Bloom previously stated about the "The Ghost Ward Diaries" songwriting process: "We like guitar riffs, strong hooks and heavy grooves, performed on analog instruments. I guess you'd call it classic rock.
"Lyric-wise, it's a bit darker than before; little diaries from times on the road and the struggle in between.
The album is far from predictable, yet it was the easiest album to record since the reunion. We really had a good team going with producer/engineer David Castillo."
Formed in Stockholm in 1988, ELECTRIC BOYS is a band with roots in '70s groove rock and '60s pop and psychedelia. Their critically acclaimed debut album, "Funk-O-Metal Carpet Ride", was produced by Bob Rock (METALLICA, BON JOVI, THE CULT, MÖTLEY CRÜE) and spawned the Billboard Top 20 single "All Lips 'N' Hips" that got them heavy rotation on MTV.
After extensive touring, ELECTRIC BOYS entered legendary studio Abbey Road to record the follow-up, "Groovus Maximus", which gave the band another Billboard Top 30 single with the song "Mary In The Mystery World". The third album "Freewheelin'" (also recorded in Abbey Road) peaked at No. 16 on the official Swedish album chart before the band called it a day in 1994.
Bloom went solo until he, as well as bassist Andy Christell, joined legendary glamsters HANOI ROCKS in 2005. In 2009, they began the process of reuniting the ELECTRIC BOYS. They released the album "And Them Boys Done Swang" in 2011 and the critically acclaimed fan favorite "Starflight United" in 2014.
In all the years, the band has toured relentlessly opening for the likes of METALLICA, ALICE COOPER, MR. BIG, HARDLINE, VIXEN and THUNDER. In 2017, the band took part in the hugely popular Monsters Of Rock cruise from Florida, it was a triumphant return Stateside.
Earlier in 2018, ELECTRIC BOYS released two singles, "Dishes" and "Suffer".
"The Ghost Ward Diaries" track listing:
01. Hangover In Hannover
02. There She Goes Again
03. You Spark My Heart
04. Love Is A Funny Feeling
05. Gone Gone Gone
06. Swampmotofrog
07. First The Money, Then The Honey
08. Rich Man, Poor Man
09. Knocked Out By Tyson
10. One Of The Fallen Angels
ELECTRIC BOYS is:
Guitarist/vocalist: Conny Bloom
Bassist: Andy Christell
Guitarist: Franco Santunione
Drummers: Niclas Sigevall and Jolle Atlagic (THE QUILL, HANOI ROCKS)
Sigevall and Atlagic share recording and touring duties.
TesseracT released their new studio album, Sonder, back in April via Kscope. A new video for the album track "Juno" can be found below.
Sonder adds significant firepower to the band's arsenal, blending the harsh abrasiveness of One (2011) and progressive ethereal elements of Altered State (2013) with the accessibility of Polaris (2015). Sonder is streamlined, honest, and direct, with all the trademark TesseracT dreamy atmospherics and bending grooves. Sonder was recorded in the UK at 4D Sounds, Celestial Sounds and Project Studios, and engineered by the band and Aiden O'Brien, with mastering by Acle Kahney and cover artwork designed by Amos Williams.
For audiophiles, TesseracT produced a binaural version, available exclusively as part of the 2-CD version. This version is a 360-listening experience designed by Klang: Fabrik for headphones listening.
Bassist Amos Williams explains, "The concept is to push past the restrictions of a stereo headphone mix and create an accurate '3D' space in which positioning outside of the normal Left Right axis can occur. This is something that every artist that uses in ear monitors on stage wishes to recreate; the real and accurate positioning of instruments. We immediately felt that this technology could be applicable to us in the studio. TesseracT loves to bring what it does in the studio to the stage, but this time it's experimenting with bringing a live element to the studio."
Sonder tracklisting:
"Luminary"
"King"
"Orbital"
"Juno"
"Beneath My Skin"
"Mirror Image"
"Smile"
"The Arrow"
Overkill songwriter and bassist D.D. Verni will be releasing his long awaited debut album, Barricade, worldwide through Mighty Music on October 12th. A music video for the album track "Night Of The Swamp King" can be found below.
Pre-order Barricade now on CD, White LP (limited to 500 copies) and digital.
D.D. Verni's first effort has a host of guitar players doing guest spots on the record. Jeff Loomis (Arch Enemy), Angus Clark (Trans Siberian Orchestra), Jeff Waters (Annihilator), Bruce Franklin (Trouble), Mike Romeo (Symphony X), Mike Orlando (Adrenalin Mob), Steve Leonard (Almost Queen), and Andre "Virus" Karkos (Dope) who also contributed the rhythm guitar tracks. Rounding out the group is former Overkill drummer Ron Lipnicki. The record was mixed and mastered by Chris "Zuess" Harris (Rob Zombie, Queensrÿche, Hatebreed).
In addition to 18 Overkill full length releases, Verni has four releases with his side band The Bronx Casket Co. D.D. Verni continues, "So why do a solo record... well I never really stop writing material,and after some time it starts to pile up and take shape and I wonder what it will be. In the past anything that was not Overkill material I would put aside for my other band The Bronx Casket Co, but when I starting pulling these songs together it was clearly not that, and I thought, OK I guess it's a solo record. The material was kinda Metal and kinda rock and kinda punk, so those really are my basic influences.
"In Overkill I take all that background and funnel it into our Thrash sound. But these songs were not Thrash but a combination of the other stuff. I would never really have an interest in doing a record that was thrash sounding outside of Overkill, I just don't think it could be any better. The fun is trying new shit and seeing where it goes for me. I could always do all the instruments myself as I have in the past on projects but thought this could be a good opportunity to try working with some new people. My wife was hearing me thinking out loud and basically said why don't you just call some guys who's work you like and see if they would be interested, and so that's what I did."
Barricade tracklisting:
"Fire Up"
"Miracle Drug"
"Off My Leash"
"(We Are) The Broken Ones"
"Lost In The Underground"
"The Party Of No"
"Night Of The Swamp King"
"We Were Young"
"Slow My Ride"
"Heaven Calling"
BAD WOLVES has released a music video for the track "No Masters". The song is the third single issued from the group's debut album, "Disobey", following the current Top 10 rock track "Hear Me Now" and the chart-topping smash cover of THE CRANBERRIES' "Zombie".
Meanwhile, BAD WOLVES is also crowdfunding a documentary on the group's rapid rise to fame, so far raising just under $15,000 of its $65,000 goal. You can find that campaign over at Indiegogo, along with a video clip that elaborates on the documentary and the effort to raise funds for it.
Vocalist Tommy Vext told The Pulse Of Radio that the members of BAD WOLVES have been around long enough to appreciate their success. "I mean, sometimes it doesn't feel real, you know what I mean, like the label and the management is like, 'Okay, we got this tour,' and we're like, 'Wait, what?'" he said. "You know, we're a baby band, but I think, you know, because we're all veterans and we've kind of been in the industry a long time, it doesn't feel too weird. But it's weird that we're a new band and we're getting these opportunities."
BAD WOLVES released "Zombie" earlier this year as a tribute to Dolores O'Riordan, the late frontwoman for THE CRANBERRIES, who was set to record and reprise her iconic vocals on the track the day she tragically passed away. On June 19, the band presented her kids with a $250,000 check, donating their proceeds from the massively successful and incredibly resonant track.
b>BAD WOLVES is currently overseas with THREE DAYS GRACE on a European tour, but will follow that up by heading back out across North America later this fall with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, BREAKING BENJAMIN and more.
BAD WOLVES is drummer John Boecklin (ex-DEVILDRIVER) and vocalist Tommy Vext (DIVINE HERESY, SNOT), as well as guitarists Doc Coyle (ex-GOD FORBID), Chris Cain (BURY YOUR DEAD), and bassist Kyle Konkiel (ex-IN THIS MOMENT).
Canadian bashers Creeping Beauty, featuring Famous Underground guitarist Darren Michael Boyd, have released an official video for the song "This Time". Check it out below.
Check out the Creeping Beauty official Facebook page here.
Darren Michael Boyd recently released a solo new single / video entitled "This Song Won't Get Played On The Radio" (which it did). Check out the clip below.
Boyd recently released an acoustic country-flavoured solo single "The Only Thing I Hate Is You". It is available for purchase via Bandcamp. Check it out via the audio player below.
The official video for "Hexenhammer", the new single from the Swiss all-girl heavy metal outfit BURNING WITCHES, can be seen below. The song is the title track of the band's second album, which will be released on November 9 via Nuclear Blast Records. The disc was produced at the Little Creek Studio in Switzerland by the same team as its predecessor: V.O. Pulver (PRO-PAIN, DESTRUCTION, NERVOSA, PÄNZER) and DESTRUCTION frontman Schmier, who helped and advised as a close friend of the band.
BURNING WITCHES commented: "The filming of the 'Hexenhammer' video was an exciting new experience for the band.
"Our second video dives into the story of Malleus Maleficarum, written by the discredited Catholic clergyman Heinrich Kramer to [legitimize] his cruel deeds against woman in the 15th century.
The title track stands for the album — it is melodic and heavy and reflects the sound of the band in a perfect way!
We hope you will enjoy the video, which opens up a new authentic chapter for the band!
"We wanna thank the Witchcraft museum in Gränichen/Switzerland and its founder and director Miss Wicca Meier-Spring and her team for the support on this large project. Also we wanna thank the Operahouse of Zurich for the costumes and the props. Ancient recordings and editing by Michael Buzek. Cheers to the whole team for making this amazing venture possible!"
The cover artwork for "Hexenhammer" was created by acclaimed artist Gyula Havancsák from Hungary, who has also created artwork for DESTRUCTION, ANNIHLATOR, GRAVE DIGGER, STRATOVARIUS, TANKARD and many more.
Gyula says: "It is not too easy to make a 'metal' cover when the main character and focus is an attractive woman. It is much easier to create gory images with monsters or devils for me. But I remembered that my first original casette was the WARLOCK 'Triumph And Agony' album, so I felt very motivated to incorporate both of those aspects: some black magic and some beautiful ladies. I got some instructions and a sketch from the band — so I painted the witch and the altar first as a main focus and everybody loved the character and the feeling of the image. When I added the ghost images of the girls, it all aligned into a dark magic artwork with beautiful ladies."
"Hexenhammer" track listing:
01. The Witch Circle
02. Executed
03. Lords Of War
04. Open Your Mind
05. Don't Cry My Tears
06. Maiden Of Steel
07. Dungeon Of Infamy
08. Dead Ender
09. Hexenhammer
10. Possession
11. Maneater
12. Holy Diver
Bonus tracks:
13. Self Sacrifice
14. Don't Cry My Tears (acoustic)
Schmier previously stated about BURNING WITCHES: "Those ladies sound original, fresh and heavy! I love the classical heavy metal influence and the [Rob] Halford-inspired vocals!
He continued: "The BURNING WITCHES will sure get their fans. Their sound, in between classical [JUDAS] PRIEST and U.S. power metal like ICED EARTH, caught my attention right away."
BURNING WITCHES was founded during spring 2015 in Brugg, Switzerland, by guitar player Romana Kalkuhl. It has always been her big dream to perform with a women's heavy metal band on stage.
In 2015, Romana started to look for talented ladies for the new combo. Jeanine Grob (bass), a longtime friend, became the first official member. At a party at a festival, Romana met Seraina Telli (singer) for the first time. It clicked right away between the two girls, on a musical and on a personal level. Seraina brought in many ideas and a lot of experience because of her studies at the Music Academy and her band SURRILIUM. The guitarist and the singer became a great songwriting team right away.
Romana wrote Schmier from DESTRUCTION about her new project, and the ladies brought him onboard as a producer/consultant.
After an intensive search and different auditions, BURNING WITCHES found Lala Frischknecht the perfect drummer for the all-girl metal band.
BURNING WITCHES' latest addition is guitarist Sonia Nusselder, who joined the band in January 2018.
Acclaimed Canadian hard rock trio DANKO JONES has released the official music video for its new single, "We're Crazy". The song marks the first taste of DANKO JONES's forthcoming, as-yet-untitled new album, which will be released in the spring via M-Theory Audio (U.S.), Rise Above (UK), Indica (Canada, Australia, New Zealand) and AFM (rest of the world). The track — which the group has performed live in recent months during appearances at major European festivals such as Summer Breeze and Copenhell — was recorded with Garth Richardson earlier this year. The group is currently tracking additional material with the famed producer at The Farm Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The "We're Crazy" video features live and backstage footage culled from recent performances at Germany's Summer Breeze festival, Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting, Hollywood's legendary Viper Room and more.
"The video for our new single, 'We're Crazy', is a glimpse into the wild and crazy world of touring," DANKO JONES's frontman and namesake said. "It's non-stop, it's rapid-fire and it's never dull."
DANKO JONES — which will tour Europe from November 14 through December 15 — has also confirmed its first tour of 2019, which will see the group headline throughout the Western United States with support from NASHVILLE PUSSY and PRIMA DONNA. Tickets will go on sale Tuesday, September 25.
b>DANKO JONES's latest album, 2017's "Wild Cat", cracked the sales charts in Canada and eight European territories, achieving the group's highest chart positions yet in Germany, France, Belgium and Switzerland. Upon its release, lead single "My Little RNR" became one of the fastest-streaming songs of the band's career and has since become a live staple.
Over the years, DANKO JONES has earned extensive praise for their visceral live shows and attitudinal, libidinous rock. The group's best-known material includes "Had Enough", which earned the group their first gold and platinum singles in Sweden and has racked up more than 13 million Spotify streams; "Gonna Be A Fight Tonight", which WWE used as the official theme song of the 2015 "Royal Rumble"; and "Lovercall", their first of seven singles to crack the U.S. Active Rock Top 40.
DANKO JONES has shared the stage with rock legends such as GUNS N' ROSES, MOTÖRHEAD, OZZY OSBOURNE and THE ROLLING STONES, and the band's namesake frontman contributed guest vocals on VOLBEAT's recent #1 Active Rock hit "Black Rose".
PAPA ROACH has released two songs from its forthcoming, as-yet-untitled 10th studio album, "Renegade Music" and "Who Do You Trust?", plus the official music video for the first single, "Who Do You Trust?" The tracks see PAPA ROACH continuing to push its momentum with bonafide rock anthems and fearsome hooks.
Frontman Jacoby Shaddix explains: "This song is a statement of engagement — in this day and age, who do you trust? The message of the song is to think for yourself and to trust in yourself, and the imagery of the song matches that. It's the sea of information, all of if slightly out of focus — and you're left floating in trying to decide for yourself. Who do you trust?"
Shaddix told Rock Sound about PAPA ROACH's decision to re-team with producers Nicholas "RAS" Furlong and Colin Brittain, who helmed 2017's "Crooked Teeth" album: "We have a rhythm going with these guys. We were supposed to go on tour with OF MICE & MEN at the beginning of the 'Crooked Teeth' record cycle, and Austin [Carlile, then-OF MICE & MEN singer] had gotten really sick. And so the tour was canceled. So we were, like, 'All right. Well, if we're not gonna be out on the road, let's go create.' So we went in and we created five or six songs then. And then we went back in June and July and took another stab at it, and we have 12 songs that are… There's bangers in there. We're gonna go back and do one more track and see if we can beat one of the songs. And we'll have a full-length record ready to go."
Guitarist Jerry Horton told Morgan Richards Interviews that PAPA ROACH's new material sees him and his bandmates "really trying to explore more dynamics and not just be a wall of guitars all the time."
b>Shaddix described the musical direction of the new PAPA ROACH songs to the Lazer 103.3 radio station as "a pretty bold evolution," saying that the tracks that have been laid down so far are "so inspiring and just unique and different and rocking and anthemic and passionate."
PAPA ROACH set out on a mini tour starting today in Richmond, Virginia, hitting ten cities across North and Latin America, before setting out on a December tour to various military bases in Asia. The band will also join SHINEDOWN and ASKING ALEXANDRIA on the 2019 North American leg of the "Attention! Attention!" world tour. Additional international tour dates will be announced soon.
"Viking Death Machine", the new video from GWAR, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's latest album, "The Blood of Gods", which was released in October 2017 via Metal Blade. The disc was produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Ronan Chris "Lord God" Murphy and was made available in standard CD, 2LP colored vinyl and digital formats.
"The Blood of Gods" is nothing less than a sacred text chronicling the rise of humanity against their makers, and the massive battle between GWAR and the forces of all that is uptight and wrong with the world. Along the way, the band challenges the sins of their great mistake, from politics, pollution, and organized religion, to fast food, and factory farming. Humans are shown as what they are; a parasitic disease that must be eradicated before they suck the planet dry.
Of the "Viking Death Machine" video, Blothar has the following to say: "Humans, are you ready to ride the 'Viking Death Machine'? Our latest video is a faithful animated schlockumentary depicting my harrowing, blood-drenched defeat of the Load Warriors and the other denizens of Saturday morning raceway hijinks, including all of my fellow bandmates in GWAR. I am delighted to take my rightful place as the King of Cartoon Violence, and champion of the first annual Suck-It-Up-Butter Cup! Watch the video now! It'll make you shit."
GWAR and HATEBREED will join forces for the "Gore, Core, Metal And More" co-headlining tour this fall. Support will come from MISS MAY I, RINGWORM and AMERICAN SHARKS. These shows begin October 17 in Buffalo, New York and run through October 28 in Peoria, Iowa.
n October 29, GWAR will then kick off a headline run, that sees them stopping in New York City on Halloween and continuing their aural (not oral) devastation of the nation through November 10.
Architects, who recently announced the release of their eighth album, Holy Hell (November 9th, Epitaph Records), have unveiled the second video from the 11-song album: “Royal Beggars”.
Holy Hell marks the band’s first release since the untimely passing of Tom Searle, Architect’s founding guitarist, principal songwriter and twin brother to drummer Dan.
“In those first months after Tom’s death, I didn’t deal with it at all and I felt so unhappy and anxious,” Dan explains. “I’d ignored it and just tried to cope. But I knew that at some point, I had to learn from it.”
“It’s at times like that you ask yourself, ‘What is left?’” adds vocalist Sam Carter. “As a group of friends, we had to find something.”
“Ultimately, there were two choices,” Dan says. “Feel sorry for yourself, and believe the world to be a horrible place and let it defeat you. Or let it inspire us to live the life that Tom would have wanted us to live. I was very worried about people taking away a despondent message from the album. I felt a level of responsibility to provide a light at the end of the tunnel for people who are going through terrible experiences.”
Finding a way forward, the band spent six months from the Fall of 2017 through the spring of this year recording what would become the 11-song album, with Dan and guitar player Josh Middleton handling production. “For me, broadly speaking Holy Hell is about pain: the way we process it, cope with it, and live with it,” Dan offers. “There is value in pain. It’s where we learn, it’s where we grow.”
Album pre-orders, including physical bundles featuring vinyl and various merchandise, as well as digital pre-orders offering instant downloads of “Hereafter” are available via the band’s website.
Holy Hell tracklisting:
"Death Is Not Defeat"
"Hereafter"
"Mortal After All"
"Holy Hell"
"Damnation"
"Royal Beggars"
"Modern Misery"
"Dying To Heal"
"The Seventh Circle"
"Doomsday"
"A Wasted Hymn"
"Royal Beggars" video:
"Hereafter" video:
Architects is:
Sam Carter (vocals)
Adam Christianson (guitar)
Ali Dean (bass)
Josh Middleton (guitar)
Dan Searle (drums)
"Bartzabel", the new video from Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's new album, "I Loved You At Your Darkest", which will be released on October 5 via Nuclear Blast.
Mastermind Nergal comments: "'Bartzabel' is a song that came in the midst of a BEHEMOTH rehearsal... We had no structure, no vision — but piece by piece, it came to be, and we were extremely excited by the result. To us, it's the eye of the 'I Loved You At Your Darkest' storm: sonically calmer and slower than anything else on the record, but definitely one of the darkest!
"Lyrically, we (myself and Krzysztof Azarewicz) were inspired by Aleister Crowley's conjuration of the Spirit of Mars — which the video, by our trusted friends in Grupa 13, depicts beautifully... I may even go as far to say that it's my favorite BEHEMOTH video of all time! I hope you all enjoy it, and we look forward to 'I Loved You At Your Darkest''s launch this Friday!"
While "I Loved You At Your Darkest" certainly seems an unlikely title for a black metal band, its origin might surprise fans even more than the words themselves. "It's a verse from the Bible," Nergal reveals. "It's actually a quote from Jesus Christ himself. For BEHEMOTH to use it as the basis of our record, it's sacrilege to the extreme."
f course, BEHEMOTH is no stranger to blasphemy. Over the course of the last 27 years, they've pushed the boundaries of black metal and heresy alike. While anti-Christian sentiment might seem like stale bread where most metal bands are concerned, for BEHEMOTH such ideas represent a very real threat to their physical freedom. Time and again, the government of their native Poland has charged them with various "crimes" such as tearing up a bible onstage in 2007 and using the Polish coat of arms on a BEHEMOTH t-shirt in 2017. "Obviously, stuff like that can piss you off. But I think it's good to be pissed off," Nergal says with a laugh. "Anger can be a massive driving force, especially when you make extreme music. But politically and socially, Poland is a very disparate country. You can never feel totally safe here. That makes it easier for me to get inspiration. If I lived in Holland or Australia, I don't think I'd be doing what I do now. You can do or be anything you want there. I'm a huge fan of that kind of freedom, but I don't really have it here. Struggling with that on a daily basis makes me who I am, and fuels my passion for this music."
Nergal and his bandmates — Orion (bass) and Inferno (drums) — have channeled that passion into "I Loved You At Your Darkest". A crushing salvo of black metal majesty replete with hellish riffs, thundering drum cannonades and soaring liturgical choirs reminiscent of classic horror cinema, the album is also bejeweled with nimble-fingered rock guitar solos on songs like "God = Dog", "Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica" and "Sabbath Mater".
"I really wanted to redefine ourselves with this record," Nergal explains. "'I Loved You At Your Darkest' is a more dynamic record. It's extreme and radical on one hand, but it's also more rock-oriented than any other BEHEMOTH record."
Nergal doesn't view the heightened rock influence as a conscious creative decision so much as a renewed interest in the historical origins of the music he makes. "We don't give consideration to musical direction, we simply create what naturally comes to us," he says. "But 15 years ago, if you had asked me who I thought was the best band on the planet, I probably would have said MAYHEM or MORBID ANGEL. Today if you asked me, I'd say AC/DC. That should give you a clear indication of why this album is more rock-based. It all comes down to the songwriting."
Lyrically, "I Loved You At Your Darkest" revels in the kind of religious provocation that BEHEMOTH do best. "It's very religion-driven, maybe more than anything we've done before," Nergal offers. "But it's not just cheap goading. I believe this is some deeper metal language. It's art."
Unlike "The Satanist", which was primarily recorded in one studio, "I Loved You At Your Darkest" saw its production spread across Poland and the United States. It was produced by the bandmembers themselves, with drum co-production by Daniel Bergstrand (MESHUGGAH, IN FLAMES), mixing by Matt Hyde (SLAYER, CHILDREN OF BODOM) and mastering by Tom Baker (NINE INCH NAILS, MARILYN MANSON). Which is to say nothing of the 17-piece Polish orchestra arranged by Jan Stoklosa and engineered by Tomasz Budkiewicz. Or as Nergal sums it up: "Pretty much every instrument was recorded in a different studio, and a lot of amazing people were involved."
Swedish melodic metallers AMARANTHE have released the official music video for the song "Countdown". The track is taken from the band's upcoming fifth album "Helix", due out October 19 through Spinefarm Records. The disc was recorded at Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark with producer Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, EPICA, DELAIN). The follow-up to 2016's "Maximalism" marks the band's first release with DYNAZTY's Nils Molin, who officially joined AMARANTHE in July 2017 as the replacement for Jake E.
The "Countdown" video was once again directed by Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES and KAMELOT, among others.
Four albums into its career, AMARANTHE has racked up north of 118 million YouTube views and half a billion song streams, has landed at No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart three times, and possesses a panoply of gold and platinum discs for albums and singles alike. With "Helix", AMARANTHE takes another leap forward in its sonic evolution.
"Helix" proves the band has refined its melodic sensibilities ever further while retaining a cutting-edge metal assault. The band is as massively aggressive as ever and the first single "365" is the perfect example of such — its seductively velvety mix of contemporary pop and modern metal will take up residence in your brain for days.
uitarist Olof Mörck comments: "The 'Helix' album itself is a statement, a declaration and an assertion that we are here to stay, and that the songwriting and musicianship has been honed and maximized to the highest level yet on an AMARANTHE record. The process of composing this album with Elize [Ryd] was as inspiring as it was smooth, and from a composer's and arranger's perspective, a dream collaboration. The time is nigh, the die is cast, and all the stars are right: the 'Helix' will steamroll across the globe, and in its wake, the touring machine that is AMARANTHE will conquer all!"
Vocalist and composer Elize Ryd offered her take, saying: "'Helix' describes the concept of how the past forms us and how life makes us become. No excuses, no regrets. We express the challenges and the uplifting moments in time, and all that in between with the sounds that we love. We want to dedicate this album to all the fighters and friends out there."
"Helix" track listing:
01. The Score
02. 365
03. Inferno
04. Countdown
05. Helix
06. Dream
07. GG6
08. Breakthrough Stardust
09. My Haven
10. Iconic
11. Unified
12. Momentum
Ryd told Radio Q that "Helix" was completed in under five months. "I know we're crazy, but that's what we like," she said. "We like people to be crazy. Just go there, do your shit — do things you wouldn't expect yourself to be able to do. When the [record] label asked, 'Are you guys sure you can have enough time to write a new album?' And we do not like to say 'no,' so we said, 'Of course. Yes.' And we did it."
Added Mörck: "And we figured it was also a good thing for us, to actually push ourselves a little bit. If we sit down to write music — me and Elize together have been writing this whole album — it's never happened even once that we haven't composed something. So when the label asked, I was, at first, like, 'Okay, this could really be pushing it.' So in the back of my head, I was thinking initially that, 'Okay, if this goes south somehow, then maybe we'll have to push [back] the recording — worst-, worst-case scenario.' But it just turned out the other way around. Because it was only two months, and we were constantly in the zone — day and night, every single day, composing all the time — so you never lost the focus of it. And I think it really, really helped the album, because it's a very focused album… So we just took a break from touring for two months to write it. and then another two and a half [months] to record it, and, poof, there was an album. Which is, at least in our opinion, the best album that we've ever composed."
In support of the new album, AMARANTHE will embark on a European tour with POWERWOLF in October and November.
Bon Jovi have released another official live video, shot in Philadelphia, PA on the 2018 This House Is Not For Sale tour. Watch the band perform "Lay Your Hands On Me" below:
More footage from the Philadelphia show can be seen below:
A series of videos recapping the North American tour leg of Bon Jovi's This House Is Not For Sale can be seen below:
Epic metal quintet, Rising, will release their fourth album, Sword And Scythe, on October 26th via Indisciplinarian. Today, the band releases a brand-new music video for the album's first single, "Salted Earth", created by the band's visual mastermind, vocalist Morten Grønnegaard.
"Salted Earth" features guest musicians Anders Hjort Straarup on trombone and renowned Danish rock musician Tim Christensen (Dizzy Mizz Lizzy, Tim Christensen) overseeing the grandiose mellotron parts, and backup vocals from Simon Stenbæk of labelmates Piss Vortex. "Salted Earth" will see its single release on digital platforms tomorrow Friday, September 28th.
"Salted Earth" comes off the forthcoming Rising record Sword And Scythe - a concept album which examines the progression and recession of mankind throughout the movements of history. As the sword and the scythe can be tools for fighting evil oppression and feeding hungry mouths, they are equal symbols of destruction and the greedy exploitation of our planet's resources. Since the dawn of man, the strive for power, wealth and growth has pushed many overambitious civilizations over the brink into the endless oblivion of forgotten history.
Vocalist Morten Grønnegård comments on the song, "The main riff for what became 'Salted Earth' was the first thing we wrote for the new album. We wanted to write a concept album as a poetic comment to the miserable state of affairs, and this song really sets the tone for the whole album. Conceptually, 'Salted Earth' is about the end of the world. To salt the earth is the ancient custom of purifying or consecrating a destroyed city with salt and cursing anyone who dare to rebuild it. It is he cleansing of the old, making space for something new, once the salt has decayed. With our present technology at hand, the question is, if there will be anything to rebuilt for us, once we're done tearing down."
Rising takes an ambitious leap with the band's fourth album Sword And Scythe, a concept album on the history of mankind seen from the perspective of cosmic circularity, where the full potential of the band's musical vision unfolds in a collection of songs of both progressive outlook, melodic mastery and fierce aggression. Sword And Scythe consists of ten songs and two short instrumentals produced by Jacob Bredahl and Rising, while the album's artwork is once again created by singer Morten Grønnegaard.
Sword And Scythe will be released on October 26th on black virgin vinyl 12" LP with a beautifully illustrated gatefold cover, as well as all digital formats via Indisciplinarian.Watch for new singles and more from the album to be released over the coming days.
A revamped version of KINGDOM COME — comprised of guitarists Danny Stag and Rick Steier, bassist Johnny B. Frank, drummer James Kottak, along with singer Keith St. John (formerly of MONTROSE and LYNCH MOB) — is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the release of the band's self-titled debut album by embarking on a U.S. tour. Original singer Lenny Wolf declined to participate in the trek, which kicked off on September 27 at Club Sur Rocks in Seattle, Washington.
Fan-filmed video footage of KINGDOM COME performing the song "Shout It Out" at the Seattle concert can be seen below.
Kottak, who played on KINGDOM COME's first two albums, 1988's "Kingdom Come" and 1989's "In Your Face" before leaving, spoke to "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon" about his decision to resurrect the group. "I've been itching at this," he said. "We tried to launch it back in 2012-13; it just didn't happen because my duties with SCORPIONS took over. And here we are now. We've got the original four — me, myself, Danny Stag on guitar; Johnny B. Frank on bass; Rick Steier on guitar — and then introducing Keith St. John, the vocalist who sang for MONTROSE, LYNCH MOB, etc. And I'm so excited. It's gonna be so awesome."
Regarding Lenny's decision to sit out the tour, James said: "Lenny is just kind of Lenny. To know him is to love him, and I love him and respect his wishes. We've gone back and forth over the last five, six years about this KINGDOM COME reboot, but recently, back in November [or] December, I approached him and I gave him everything on a silver platter, but he said, 'You know what? I just don't wanna do it.' He's just kind of done. He wants to retire. He's got his life. He's up in Hamburg, Germany, and he just doesn't wanna deal with it. And I can understand that and I respect that.
I had this desire to do this for so long, and he knew that — he knew this going into it, that I wanted to do it, and I'm not gonna let anything stop me," he continued. "So I'm taking it out — KINGDOM COME; it's my name — 'cause it was my band too. So we're out there, and Lenny gave us [his] blessing. I really wish he was onboard, [but] he's just not, and it is what it is. And you do what you have to do, and that's it. It's rock and roll, man."
Asked if the new KINGDOM COME will perform only cuts from the self-titled debut or if it will include other material in its set, Kottak said: "We're gonna play the entire first album, but also we're gonna include songs from the second album, and then also what we thought we would do is add in some MONTROSE, because me and Keith were both with MONTROSE. We're gonna add in some… a little bit of this, and maybe a WARRANT song, and maybe this song and that song, and a little bit of everything to keep it interesting. I mean, we're gonna play some LED ZEPPELIN. Are you kidding? GRETA VAN FLEET is killing it. And we wanna include everything, because we don't wanna be a one-dimensional band, like, 'Oh, it's KINGDOM COME, KINGDOM COME. We're playing the first album.' We wanna include everything, we wanna involve everybody and we wanna make it interesting, because, face it or not, people's attention spans have gotten very short. And we want to entertain everyone — in an hour and 15 minutes, we want to provide you with 24, 28 songs. Maybe it's not the complete songs, but you know what you're gonna get? You're gonna get a rock and roll extravaganza, [and] you're gonna get entertainment."
Kottak, who joined the SCORPIONS in 1996 and played with the band for 20 years, went on to say that he hopes KINGDOM COME can continue well beyond the U.S. tour. "For me, this is something I wanted to reboot years ago, but SCORPIONS didn't end," he said, referring to the German group's aborted farewell tour. "What I would like to see happen is we do this to reboot it and we get it up and running at the end of September through October, and then we keep going and going. And I would like to tour on it and I would create some new music, or some new singles — something. But I want it to continue on, because I love rock and roll, and I love KINGDOM COME. And maybe Lenny will contribute some music towards it… I just want things to go forward — I want things to be big. Because if the music isn't there, I'm not there, man."
He continued: "I've been offered so many situations, to play with this one and that one and whatever, and do this and that, whatever, and, honestly, I just don't wanna do it. I wanna do what I wanna do. I've worked my ass off for 35 years, and I wanna do what I wanna do. I wanna be creative and I wanna be involved in what I wanna do. And that's selfish, but…
"I love rock and roll and I like good rock and roll, and KINGDOM COME, to me, is the best of the best. So let's see what happens, man."
Keith St. John also made an appearance on "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon" to address his involvement with the revamped KINGDOM COME. The singer, who has known Kottak for more than two decades, said that he decided to front the project after careful consideration over a year-long period.
"As a vocalist, when you're gonna go out and either sub in or become the new guy in a band that's been seen and is kind of iconic and especially that had a lot of video exposure, it's a big decision for me, as a singer, because the vocalist is hard to miss, and especially for the fans — it's hard to miss that there's a different vocalist when people come out to see a band," he explained. "So I'm really careful about picking and choosing what I'll do. And suffice it to say, living in L.A. and being a guy that most of the, let's say, '80s, hair-band kind of genre knows about, I get called to do this kind of thing. And for me, my basic philosophy, as I've been getting middle-aged, or whatever you wanna call it — a little older — has been, if I can't be me and just do my thing and have it just fit in with the style of the band, then I really have to pass these days.
"The KINGDOM COME thing came about out of the blue, when James and I were talking, probably close to a year ago," he continued. "And I listened to the material and I thought about it, and I was, like, 'Man, this stuff really could be done in a way… I mean, I can sing this my way and it'll still sound authentic, like it's supposed to sound, and I can have a lot of fun with this stuff.' And as also part of my due diligence, I said to myself, 'Well, you guys [have] really gotta make sure that you wanna do this, because, by and large, for me' — I always tell this to bands, and I'm sure everybody else feels the same way — 'if the original guys are alive and you can get together, get together, man. Do it. Because there's only so much time.' But, for whatever reason, this is something that probably has to remain the way it is, as far as Lenny doing his own thing and the band doing its own thing. And that's cool — they spent a lot of time working it out. So I waited until they did their diligence and they were really sure. A bunch of months went by — like a half a year — and we said, 'Are you sure? Are you sure? Okay.' And we said, 'Okay, let's go for it, man. [We've] got a month or more worth of dates in the fall. Let's try it out. Let's start it there, see how it goes.' And we're either gonna have a really big super-win or we're gonna have a whole bunch of angry fans going, 'Thumbs down.' [Laughs]"
This past June, Wolf issued a statement via his official web site in which he said that "the KINGDOM COME ship has reached its final destination, at least during my visit on our planet earth." He added that his decision was "mainly caused by experiences I made throughout the last three years, during which the fun factor disappeared more and more, and our energy and hopes have repeatedly been crushed by people and circumstances beyond our control. Some folks out there may not believe it, but it's NOT all about money," he said. "I realized that chasing something which seems is not meant to be, trying to force things, would never lead to something good. Therefore it's time to let go.
"It's been a fantastic 30-year-long musical ride, for which I can only be VERY grateful," the singer added. "Having gone through good and bad times, in the end it was an exceptional way to explore our planet, having met countless wonderful people around the globe and building up memories that can not be taken away from me, or you.
"I'm not saying that I will never write a song again, or never again enter a stage, but the chapter called 'KINGDOM COME' is now closed. One day I may revisit the music scene with a new band called 'IRON BANANA', but until then, it is what it is.
"I hope the KINGDOM COME songs have given many of you energy, joy and strength, as they did for me," Lenny said. "The KINGDOM COME songs will live on, long after we all have turned to dust, and will hopefully do the same for many generations to come, unless of course, we have blown up our planet before then."
After its early run of success in the '80s, KINGDOM COME released several albums, with Wolf remaining the only constant member of the band. The group's most recent effort was 2013's "Outlier".
Posted by Chad Binford on Friday, September 28, 2018
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