Lithuanian-born Swedish artist Michael Palace shares the new single and accompanying video “Girl Is An Angel”, taken from his upcoming new record Reckless Heart, set for release on July 12, 2024.
The unofficial soundtrack music video for "Girl Is An Angel" was made with clips from the cult classic 1996 movie "Barb Wire" featuring Pamela Anderson. Set in a dystopian future, "Barb Wire" stars Anderson as a nightclub owner and bounty hunter in Steel Harbor. Directed by David Hogan, the film blends noir and cyberpunk elements and is known for its gritty aesthetic and action-packed sequences. Despite mixed initial reviews, it has gained a cult following for its ‘90s charm and iconic style.
Describing the track, Michael commented: "‘Girl Is An Angel’ is a driving AOR rocker powered by a pumping synth bass and a scorching guitar solo! This is my personal favorite from the new album, so I wanted to make something special and made an edit of the movie ‘Barb Wire’ to accompany the song and give you the full soundtrack experience!”
This explosive musical journey of Reckless Heart resurrects the essence of the 1980s, each track pulsating with the potential to score a classic action blockbuster or drive the adrenaline of a training montage.
“It was time to go back to the roots, as they say, and finally make that true '80s AOR album that I’ve dreamt of creating since I started Palace. It's the missing link between 1985 and 2024,” said Michael.
Inspired by genre-defining icons such as Aviator, FM and Dare alongside contemporaries Chez Kane and Crazy Lixx, Michael Palace meticulously rebuilt the Palace sound from the ground up, returning to the true origins and inspiration of the project. Reckless Heart is an essential cornerstone in any AOR and melodic rock aficionado's collection.
Michael Palace embarked on his journey with Frontiers as a songwriter and guitarist for various projects such as First Signal, Cry Of Dawn, Toby Hitchcock and Kryptonite. These successful collaborations paved the way for a deal with Frontiers, enabling Michael to deliver songs aligned with his vision under the name Palace. Reckless Heart marks the fifth release, maintaining a bi-annual album release schedule since 2016. Recently, Michael has produced albums for Kent Hilli and Nevena and done work across diverse genres while taking on various roles such as a songwriter, musician, producer, and engineer.
Embracing a hands-on approach, Michael has written all of the songs, played all instruments, produced, mixed and mastered the new album. Reckless Heart stands as a testament to his ongoing musical evolution, inviting fans of Master Of The Universe, Binary Music, Rock and Roll Radio, and One 4 The Road to plunge into the captivating world of AOR and the iconic soundscape of the 1980s.
Tracklisting:
"Reckless Heart"
"The Widow’s Web"
"Back In Your Arms"
"Girl Is An Angel"
"You Give Me A Reason To Live"
"Back To ‘85"
"For The Love"
"Turn This Car Around"
"Weightless"
"Move Me"
"Stronger By The Day"
CATEGORY 7, the new band featuring former MACHINE HEAD and current KERRY KING guitarist Phil Demmel, ex-ADRENALINE MOB guitarist Mike Orlando, ARMORED SAINT/ex-ANTHRAX singer John Bush, OVERKILL/SHADOWS FALL drummer Jason Bittner and EXODUS bassist Jack Gibson, will release its self-titled debut album on July 26 via Metal Blade Records. The official music video for the LP's third single, "Mousetrap", can be seen below.
Comments Bush: "The music for this one felt like a mysterious caper to me. I drew inspiration from 'The Three Musketeers' where a police tactic was used to apprehend someone who went to the residence of a person who was previously arrested. The whole thing feels like a black-and-white movie with scenes of entrapment, interrogation, and a corrupt warden. Even though it feels like something old, it also feels like it could be applied to what is happening in our modern justice system. Round and round we go."
With veteran musicians from so many legendary bands, it's hard not to think of CATEGORY 7 as a supergroup.
"I think we're pretty super," jokes Demmel, who has also earned mega-metal cred over the decades as a member of VIO-LENCE and has played as a fill-in road guitarist for SLAYER, LAMB OF GOD, OVERKILL and others. "Really, I feel like this is a band, not a side project. And I feel like we have written this incredible piece of music, and we're not done. I'm so proud of the way this came together and the people who were involved. And I think we all feel super positive about this and what else we can do with it going forward."
The songs on the band's self-titled debut speak for themselves. As crushing and confrontational as an armed rebellion, as rhythmically thunderous as a storm of golf ball-sized hail, and as fiercely melodic as infectious riffs and aggressive vocals can be, CATEGORY 7 is a new breed of metal that lives up to the storied histories of its members. They're as heavy as a battleship, yet the songs are meticulously structured, skillfully balancing thrash beats, New Wave Of British Heavy Metal rhythms, punk metal attitude, blistering and ferocious dual guitar work, and scar-inflicting vocals.
"It's all about big verses and big songs, and it has a lot of the elements we've explored in our other bands," explains guitarist and main songwriter Mike Orlando (ADRENALINE MOB, SONIC UNIVERSE, NOTURNALL).
Take the upbeat album opener "In Stitches", which starts with piledriving double-bass drums, a feral thrash passage, and a fiery lead before toning down just enough for the distinctive vocals to stand out.
"It gets heavy, it's thrashy at times, but it opens up in the verses, and then the double-bass drums come in and knock you off your chair, but in a great way," Orlando says.
Bush further elaborates, "I read an article on an unhoused pregnant woman named Stitches who resided in Los Angeles obviously living a very difficult life that was compounded by mental illness and drug abuse. The encampment situation in my beloved city drives me bats. I balance between serious empathy and complete anger. The combination of imagining her life as well as my own internal turmoil led me to an almost humorous insanity state while writing this scathing album opener."
"Land I Used To Love" is slightly slower and more melodic, with guitar chords that complement the harmonized vocals and a searing guitar fill over the chorus that ups the temperature on the molten riffage. Then there's the propulsive, piledriver "Exhausted", which features blazing guitar licks, a punchy riff, and hammering thrash beats that climax with another unforgettable chorus.
The album closes with the explosive eight-minute instrumental, "Etter Stormen", in which Orlando and Demmel engage in a contest of dueling guitar leads over volleys of battering beats and riffs that see-saw between pounding metal and whiplash-inducing thrash.
CATEGORY 7, named after the numerical designation for the most powerful wind storms, came together from a batch of musicians who strived to play music they loved and weren't hearing elsewhere, and wanted to do so with bandmates they enjoyed being with. Orlando and Demmel became friends after taking part in a batch of tributes to the late OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Randy Rhoads. The seeds of CATEGORY 7 were then cemented one night a couple years later when Orlando went to hang out at the Clifton, New Jersey metal club Dingbatz as Demmel was filling in on lead guitar for OVERKILL, which also featured SHADOWS FALL drummer Jason Bittner.
"We were hanging out and tearing it up, and between beers we were like, 'Hey, we need to do something,'" recalls Demmel. "We need to write some new music. We've got three-fifths of a band here. Let's get together and do some songs."
Since OVERKILL was practicing in New Jersey for a couple days before launching a tour, Demmel and Bittner were hanging out in the area. So, the day after the Dingbatz conversation, the guitarist got back in touch with Orlando, and the two decided to get together after the show and jam to see if their playing styles meshed.
"We just started throwing around some riffs, and it was pretty incredible, but different," Orlando says. "We immediately clicked together as writers. And to me, it was such a joy because the bands I have been in have always been just one guitar player. I never had a partner. So, to have a dude I liked, who plays really well, to bounce ideas around with was freaking awesome."
"Mike had this idea of doing stuff that was a little more mainstream than the heavier stuff that I've done. But we didn't want anything to sound contrived," adds Demmel. "So, the first thing we did had all these different parts and crazy tempos and it kind of sounded like RACER X-meets-PANTERA. But we liked it and had fun doing it, so it was a great start."
Adds Bittner: "The funniest part about that was me and Phil were rehearsing for OVERKILL in New Jersey, and I had no idea I was two rooms over from you writing this song. So, after we practiced for five hours you guys worked on a song for another two hours. I couldn't believe that. And I went, 'Okay, next time you guys do something, count me in.'"
As a staple of the Bay Area thrash scene, EXODUS bassist Jack Gibson was the natural choice to expand CATEGORY 7, and he was intrigued by the idea of stepping into a new pair of shoes. "When I first heard the song they did, I really liked that it was heavy and melodic, which is very different than the stuff I play with EXODUS, which is very rhythmic and chromatic."
By far, the greatest challenge for CATEGORY 7 was finding the right singer. Not that the members couldn't agree on who they wanted. They all wanted ARMORED SAINT and ex-ANTHRAX vocalist John Bush; there wasn't even a second option. But getting him to agree to join the band was an exercise in patience and persuasion. When he was invited to join CATEGORY 7, Bush wanted to hear the band's music. But the only song they had recorded was the RACER X-meets-PANTERA-style instrumental, which they feared wasn't going to vibe with Bush's interest or ability. So, they put a couple more demos together, which were far more melodic, and they sent them to Bush, then waited on tenterhooks for him to get back to them.
"I listened to the music they sent me, and I was like, "Wow, this is pretty scathing stuff,'" Bush recalls. "It's awesome, but the question was, what could I do with it vocally that would fit? As Jason said, 'These guys are riff maniacs.' So, I wasn't totally sure right away that I was the right guy for it. But I started tinkering around with it and writing, and, to my satisfaction, everything came out relatively easy."
With Bush onboard, CATEGORY 7 went into overdrive. Now that they had a vocalist locked in, they were able to structure the songs to work with his melodic vocal style. Orlando worked separately and then together, assembling dynamic riffs and rhythms that peaked in complexity and heaviness during the intros, midsections and outros, and settled into a sparser, more melodic pocket for the verses and choruses.
"There was a cognizant effort to give the verses some space and to let John create his vocal melodies for them and the choruses," Demmel says. "Because he's the 'Bush hooks man.'"
CATEGORY 7 quickly realized the best way for Orlando and Demmel to combine their considerable talents as songwriters was for Orlando to write the skeletons for the tunes and have Demmel contribute fills, middle eight sections and leads. For Orlando, writing for the band became far easier once he had a vocalist in mind for his songs.
"When John Bush entered the picture, I knew who I was writing for and that helped me immensely," he says. "I wasn't just writing for the sake of writing; I was writing parts specifically for John Bush to sing. That was great for me not only because gave me a goal to strive for, but because, as a fan of John Bush's vocals for decades in ARMORED SAINT and ANTHRAX, it was exciting to know he was gonna be on these songs."
Even though CATEGORY 7 purposely wrote songs that gave Bush the room he needed to make the material shine, they stopped short of writing together anything that sounded like the bands Bush was best known for. That left Bush filtering through the complex rhythms and sometimes unconventional melodies to find the right spots in which to sing and the tone for those passages. While the work was sometimes challenging, it was equally rewarding and imbued songs like "Land I Used to Love", "Exhausted" and "Through Pink Eyes", with urgency and immediacy.
"Working on these songs opened up a big part of my brain to just be real creative," Bush says. "It all came out sounding very fresh and new. And it was really liberating for me because I was able to open up a whole new door for myself. Because working with these guys was just different than what I've done before because they're different people and the way they write, the way they create, and the way they play is new for me. And that compelled me to gravitate to what they were doing, which created this fresh sound that's unlike anything I've done or heard."
Bush also entered new territory with his lyrics. While he has addressed current events and the downfall of society in the past, with CATEGORY 7 he wrote about the desperation that pervades society and the destructive divide that has evolved and separated people for decades but is now worse than ever. As much as anything, Bush wanted songs like "White Flags & Bayonets", "In Stitches" and "Land I Used To Love" to inspire thought while being open to interpretation.
"I just say it's social commentary, man," Bush says "There's a slew of information there to choose from and it's all in there. Obviously, every single day you could wake up and check out the news and have conversations with people and friends and feel a lot of the way I did when I was writing these songs. So, I just ran with that. But there's a certain ambiguity to some of the lyrics because I don't want to spell out exactly what these songs are about because they could be about a lot of things. And I want people to use their imagination. I want to touch on all these particular topics and scenarios that feel very current without telling people what they need to think."
CATEGORY 7 started working together on March 2023. During the months that followed, Orlando and Demmel wrote on a regular basis, and during the pre-production stage, Bittner recorded drums to the tracks at his home studio. When he sent them back to the guitarists, they would send him the next batch of songs to work on. Not only did Bittner bring on the kind of technical drum skills he has exhibited in SHADOWS FALL and OVERKILL, he went above and beyond, injecting a tumbling, barreling feel into the variegated songs.
"Jason is not only technically incredible, his parts are musical, and his feel is musical," Orlando says. "He's the ideal drummer for this band because he exudes this fire and passion which I love because that's the only way I play guitar."
Bush started recording his vocals after Orlando, Bittner and Gibson laid down all their tracks at Orlando's recording facility, Sonic Stomp Studios, where he produced, engineered, mixed and mastered the album. With the songs in their final form, it was just a matter of fine-tuning a mix here or overdubbing a part there. And Orlando had almost as much fun finishing the album as he did writing it.
"One thing I love to do is to be able to take the guitar player hat off and become the producer and studio guy," he says. "And it was easy with these guys because we all had the same vision, and we were so prepared. But it took a little bit of tinkering because I wanted this album to sound big - not in the sense of overly produced but big in a way that it knocks you out of your shoes and off your feet. And we all wanted the same thing, so there was no conflict whatsoever."
In the end, CATEGORY 7 have created an album that is fresh and familiar. The mixture of NWOBHM, thrash, punk-metal and traditional metal is cohesive and sonically rewarding, establishing an eclectic musical backdrop for Bush's instantly identifiable vocals. At the same time, the diversity of styles creates its own template that's ideal for headbanging, moshing, and voluble sing-alongs.
"I think the sound of this band really comes down to the odd connection that all of us have," Bittner says. "We've known each other for years as friends and peers. And we've all looked up to each other and know that one day we'd have to work together. It's taken almost two decades for that to happen, but lo-and-behold, once it did there was no stopping us."
"Category 7" features art and layout by Carlos Fides at Artside Studio (ANGRA, EVERGREY, KAMELOT). The record will be available on CD and digital formats as well as several vinyl color variants.
"Category 7" track listing:
01. In Stitches
02. Land I Used To Love
03. Apple Of Discord
04. Exhausted
05. Runaway Truck
06. White Flags & Bayonets
07. Mousetrap
08. Waver At The Breaking Point
09. Through Pink Eyes
10. Etter Stormen
Demmel spoke about CATEGORY 7 in an August 2023 interview with former EXHORDER and PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS guitarist Marzi Montazeri. Regarding how the musicians first came together, Demmel said: "I [was] doing a one-off [show], [filling in as the guitar player for] OVERKILL, and this is just right after things are opening up. It's in Jersey, so we go up to Dingbatz, or what's… there's the bar and then there's the venue. So whatever the bar is, we go to the bar. And Orlando comes and meets us, and it's Corey Pierce from GOD FORBID. And so we're there all getting loaded. And at a certain point, it was just, like, 'Man, we got the band right here, man. Why don't we do something? Why don't we write music together?' And we're all, 'Yeah, let's do.' And then the next day, we're kind of hung over, going, 'Hey, man, did we mean it? Did we mean that? Yeah, let's see can happen.' And I came back [to the East Coast]. I forget what I was doing when I came back. And me and Orlando got together and we just got in the room and started throwing riffs at each other and came up with, like, a dozen or so riffs that he took back. And you know Mikey O — he's got his own studio, and he gets behind something. And he's got such a great ear. He's a phenomenal guitar player. And he's got a great ear for music and melody. So he starts putting the shit together. And we're, like, Damn, this is fucking cool.' … And then so we're thinking, it's, like, all right, well, bass player and vocalists. Vocalists, who would you guys want? Let's make our list. Start at the top.' And then bang, bang, bang. All at the top was 'John Bush', 'John Bush', 'John Bush'. We're, like, 'Hmm.' I said I know him from [playing together in] METAL ALLEGIANCE. We broed down a little bit — we talked sports and stuff — so I said, I know him enough to call him up and ask him. So I did. And he was super… We were in the friend zone for a while — you know, non-committal. And it's been bit by bit by bit."
Phil went on to describe the new band's musical direction as "heavier than the early VAN HALEN and the early PANTERA stuff that's on the — you know, the shuffle beat. It's on the upbeat; a lot of it's on the upbeat, not on the down. So it's the head-bobbing type of type of BPMs, you know? So it's different. Nobody's really doing that now."
Orlando was the guitarist/founding member of the hard rock group ADRENALINE MOB. As owner of his own recording studio, Sonic Stomp Studios, he handles everything from engineering, producing, mixing and mastering.
Demmel left MACHINE HEAD at the end of the band's fall 2018 North American tour. He was in MACHINE HEAD for nearly 16 years, during which time he played on five of the group's studio albums: "Through The Ashes Of Empires" (2003),"The Blackening" (2007),"Unto The Locust" (2011),"Bloodstone & Diamonds" (2014) and "Catharsis" (2018).
Widely known as the drummer from American metal band SHADOWS FALL, Bittner has won numerous awards, including Modern Drummer magazine's No. 1 Metal Drummer in 2005 and 2006, No. 1 Up-And-Coming Drummer in 2004 and 2005, and No. 2 Clinician for DRUM! magazine in 2011. In 2014, Bittner hooked up with the thrash metal band FLOTSAM AND JETSAM and has since joined OVERKILL.
Bush continues to record and tour with ARMORED SAINT, which he co-founded in 1982.
John fronted ANTHRAX between 1992 and 2005 but was sidelined when the group reunited with Joey Belladonna for a 20th-anniversary tour. When that collapsed, and relationships disintegrated with next frontman Dan Nelson, Bush returned for a time before Belladonna took the job back in 2010.
In 1996, eight albums into EXODUS's career, Gibson joined the band and has remained with the group ever since. In addition to his work EXODUS, he has fathered a bluegrass brainchild, COFFIN HUNTER, a band that combines Gibson's love for Nashville music and for playing banjo, giving off a vibe of true Americana like a mix of C.W. McCall, Jerry Reed and Sergio Leone.
Norwegian black metal icons Dimmu Borgir performed on the main stage at Tuska Festival in Helsinki, Finland on June 28th. Fan-filmed video of the entire show can be viewed below.
Setlist:
"Raabjørn Speiler Draugheimens Skodde"
"Spellbound (By The Devil)"
"The Insight And The Catharsis"
"Stormblåst"
"The Chosen Legacy"
"Council Of Wolves And Snakes"
"Dimmu Borgir"
"Fear and Wonder"
"Blessings Upon The Throne Of Tyranny"
"Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse"
"Mourning Palace"
German black metal collective Groza has returned, unveiling details of their 3rd album, Nadir that will be released on September 20 with AOP Records. Following two releases, extensive touring in over 20 countries and a worldwide cult fanbase, Groza continues their path as one of the fiercest bands in the dark metal realm.
Conjuring a sound that melds intense atmospheric soundscapes and enraged melodic vocals with blistering blast beats and catastrophic riffs that invoke powerful emotions of anger and sadness, Groza has crafted six songs that defy boundaries and create a new benchmark for modern black metal.
The band has revealed the first of those tracks, "Dysthymian Dreams."
Manual Manic Procedures, the anticipated new full-length from Cleveland death metal behemoths 200 Stab Wounds, is out today on Metal Blade Records.
A superlative sophomore effort that follows their tour de force debut, 2021's Slave To The Scalpel, Manual Manic Procedures is a brutal slab of old-school death metal with a contemporary edge. Not for the faint-hearted, the record may well be the album that puts classic gore-themed ferocity back into the metal community's collective consciousness. The album's artwork - graphically depicting radical surgery on somebody who may or may not be conscious - is an immediate indicator of what this record is all about. No punches pulled, no holds barred, just blood-soaked death metal.
The songs on Manual Manic Procedures are not safe for work - perhaps unsafe most anywhere. But that's it's dark charm in a world where even heavy music can play it too safely. 200 Stab Wounds have crafted Manual Manic Procedures for themselves and like-minded brethren: thrill-seekers, carnage cravers, horror fans, and aficionados of the most extreme metal. Above all, 200 Stab Wounds created a future death metal classic.
In celebration of the record's official release, today the band delivers a video for "Gross Abuse."
Describes vocalist/guitarist Steve Buhl, "'Gross Abuse' is a basic death metal torture song. It's so simple, heavy, and groovy. It's heavy as fuck and just brutal - so we needed lyrics to match that. It's your standard torture-fucking-murder-fucking-death metal song about killing somebody."
200 Stab Wounds will return to the road this August on a North American headlining tour! The Manual Manic Procedures Tour begins August 16 in Houston, Texas and runs through September 10 in Ottawa, Ontario. Support will be provided by Balmora, Upon Stone, and Stabbing.
From there, 200 Stab Wounds will join Nails for ten dates leading up to a performance at this year's edition of the New England Metal And Hardcore Fest in Worcester, Massachusetts, followed by four more shows with Alluvial, Torture, and Killing Pace. Tickets are on sale now! See all confirmed dates below.
200 Stab Wounds with Balmora, Upon Stone, Stabbing:
August
16 - White Oak Music Hall - Houston, TX
17 - Trees - Dallas ,TX
18 - Parish - Austin, TX
20 - The Nile - Phoenix, AZ
22 - 1720 - Los Angeles, CA
23 - Brick By Brick - San Diego, CA
24 - The Cornerstone - Berkeley, CA
26 - Dante's - Portland, OR
27 - Neumos - Seattle, WA
28 - The Pearl - Vancouver, BC
30 - Starlite Room - Edmonton, AB
31 - Commonwealth Room - Calgary, AB
September
2 - The Exchange - Regina, SK
3 - Park Theater - Winnipeg, MB
5 - Turf Club - Minneapolis, MN
6 - X Ray Arcade - Milwaukee, WI
7 - Full Terror Assault - Cave In Rock, IL
10 - Rainbow Bistro - Ottawa, ON
200 Stab Wounds with Nails:
September
11 - Club Soda - Montreal, QC
12 - Axis Nightclub - Toronto, ON
13 - Tangent - Detroit, MI
14 - Avondale Music Hall - Chicago, IL
15 - Off Broadway - St. Louis, MO
16 - Exit/In - Nashville, TN
17 - The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
18 - Hangar 1819 - Greensboro, NC
19 - Baltimore Sound Stage - Baltimore, MD
20 - Brooklyn Monarch - Brooklyn, NY
21 - New England Metal & Hardcore Fest - Worcester, MA
200 Stab Wounds with Alluvial, Torture, Killing Pace:
September
24 - Canal Club - Richmond, VA
25 - New Brookland - Columbia, SC
26 - Eulogy - Asheville, NC
28 - The Roxy - Lakewood, OH
Tracklisting:
“Hands Of Eternity”
“Gross Abuse”
“Manual Manic Procedures”
“Release The Stench”
“Led To The Chamber / Liquified”
“Flesh From Within”
“Defiled Gestation”
“Ride The Flatline”
“Parricide”
Active rock heavyweights Nothing More mark the release of their new album Carnal via Better Noise Music today (June 28) by landing their second-ever #1 single on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay charts with “If It Doesn’t Hurt.” It follows the band’s debut #1 single, 2017’s “Go To War,” which recently became RIAA Gold-Certified and received two Grammy Award nominations (“Best Rock Song” and “Best Rock Performance”).
The 3x Grammy-nominated band—Jonny Hawkins (vocals), Mark Vollelunga (guitar), Daniel Oliver (bass), and Ben Anderson (drums)—have today also shared a compelling and ferocious music video for the album track “STUCK” featuring rapper Sinizter.
Carnal also features two previously released singles: the emotionally charged “Angel Song” (featuring iconic rock vocalist / singer-songwriter David Draiman of the 5x Platinum certified group Disturbed) and the defiant “House On Sand” (featuring I Prevail vocalist Eric Vanlerberghe).
Nothing More recently announced their headlining “Carnal Tour 2024” produced by Live Nation.
The late summer “Carnal” tour will kick off in the US on August 31 in Columbia, MO and stretch to September 24 in Cleveland, OH. It will feature direct support from rock outfit Set It Off along with special guests, alt-metal vanguards/Better Noise Music labelmates From Ashes To New and rock outfit Post Profit.
Tickets available via Nothing More’s website here.
“If the tour we just finished is any indication of what’s to come, this is going to be the best Nothing More tour yet,” says Nothing More frontman Jonny Hawkins. “The Carnal Tour will be a chain reaction of energetic release across the US. We’re bringing out Set It Off, From Ashes To New, and our good friends Post Profit. Don’t miss this one. Your future self will thank you.”
“I had the pleasure of meeting the guys in Nothing More at a show of theirs in Nashville recently, and they are just the kindest guys,” says Set It Off vocalist Cody Carson. “But on top of that, what impresses me is their relentless work ethic and their incredible talent on stage. We hit it off right away, and we are very excited to hit the road with them! The whole tour package is extremely talented and really cares about their live show so these cities are in for a hell of a night!”
“It’s been a long time coming and we’re excited to finally be hitting the road with our labelmates in Nothing More,” states From Ashes To New vocalist Danny Case. “The whole lineup is huge and we’re looking forward to sharing the stage with them and Set It Off as well.”
Dates:
August
31 - Columbia, MO - The Blue Note
September
3 - Little Rock, AR - The Hall #
5 - San Antonio, TX - Boeing Center at Tech Port #
6 - Houston, TX - Bayou Music Center #
7 - Dallas, TX - South Side Ballroom #
9 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle #
10 - Nashville, TN - Marathon Music Works #
13 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues #
14 - Lake Buena Vista, FL - House of Blues #
15 - St. Petersburg, FL - Jannus Live #
17 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel #
19 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore #
20 - Richmond, VA – Virginia Credit Union Live
23 - Buffalo, NY - Buffalo RiverWorks #
24 - Cleveland, OH – Agora Theatre #
# with Set It Off, From Ashes To New and Post Profit
* no Set It Off or From Ashes To New
Recorded with Grammy-nominated producer WZRD BLD (Disturbed, Motionless In White, A Day To Remember) with mixing and mastering by Zakk Cervini (Limp Bizkit, MGK, Bring Me The Horizon), Carnal unites Nothing More’s trademark introspective philosophical lyrics and unapologetically massive anthems with in-your-face rockers designed for an all-encompassing audience.
Order Carnal now via digital download, CD, vinyl, and cassette tape, here.
“Carnal feels like a perfect encapsulation of what Nothing More has always been,” says guitarist Mark Vollelunga. “From progressive introspection to steady-state rock ‘n roll, we felt like we’ve achieved the exact balance wanted for this next installment.”
“It’s a beautiful blend of memorable guitar riffs, illustrious chord progressions and heart wrenching lyrical performances all to the beat of a drum that palpitates with syncopated obsession,” states bassist Daniel Oliver. “There’s truly something for everyone on this record.”
Carnal tracklisting:
"Carnal"
"House On Sand" (feat. Eric V Of I Prevail)
"If It Doesn’t Hurt"
"Angel Song" (Feat. David Draiman)
"Freefall"
"Blame It On The Drugs"
"Head"
"Existential Dread"
"Heart"
"Down The River"
"Give It Time"
"Sight"
"Stuck" (Feat. Sinizter)
"Run For Your Life"
"Sound"
DarWin, ongoing musical exploration featuring Simon Phillips, Mohini Dey, Greg Howe, Derek Sherinian and Matt Bissonette, have released a video for "Hulks & Heroes", a track from their new album, Five Steps On The Sun. Watch the clip below.
Five Steps On The Sun is available on CD and strictly Limited Heavyweight Vinyl including exclusive poster.
Tracklisting:
"Soul Police"
"Inside This Zoo"
"Be That Man"
"One Step On The Sun"
"Five Steps On The Sun"
"The Sun"
"Imitation Suede"
"Seasons Of A Life"
"Hulks & Heroes"
"What Do We Know"
Following the release of their latest song, "Giving It Back", Sons Of Silver are releasing the official video and a heart-to-heart conversation with music historian Matt Pinfield about the song and their upcoming new album, Runaway Emotions.
"I think Sons Of Silver’s music embodies the spirit and enduring elements of classic rock with a thoroughly modern twist and a flair for critical thinking, which is something the world certainly needs more of right now," shared Pinfield.
“Giving It Back” follows the release of their songs "Just Getting Started" and “Tell Me This.” Since the release of the new songs the band’s monthly Spotify listeners have surpassed 140k, and collectively exceeded over 450k streams to date.
Their debut full-length album, Runaway Emotions, out this fall, was self-produced by the band and mixed by renowned producer/engineer Tim Palmer (Robert Plant, David Bowie, U2). Runaway Emotions follows their EP releases, Doomsday Noises in 2020 and Ordinary Sex Appeal in 2022. Sons of Silver have secured three spots on the Billboard Active Rock Chart, and their songs have collectively accumulated over fifteen million views and streams.
In January of 2025, Sons of Silver will embark on a 22-city tour run with Myles Kennedy and Tim Montana. Dates below:
January
17 - Joliet, IL - The Forge
18 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
21 - Flint, MI - The Machine Shop
22 - Toronto, ON - The Concert Hall
25 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre
27 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
28 - Asbury Park, NJ - The Stone Pony
30 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage
31 - Charlotte, NC - Neighborhood Theatre
February
2 - Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl
3 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
5 - Destin, FL - Club LA
7 - San Antonio, TX - Vibes Event Center
8 - Dallas, TX - Echo Lounge & Music Hall
11 - Lawrence, KS - Liberty Hall
12 - Denver, CO - Summit
14 - Mesa, AZ - The Nile Theater
16 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre
18 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
20 - Seattle, WA - The Neptune
21 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
Sons Of Silver comprises vocalist and guitarist Pete Argyropoulos (PeteRG), drummer Marc Slutsky (Splender, Peter Murphy, Tonic), keyboardist and engineer Brina Kabler, guitarist Kevin Haaland (Skillet), and bassist Adam Kury (Candlebox).
Long Beach, California underground rock band CarSex has a supercharged sound that is what the name implies: sleazy, primitive, uncomfortable and just as good as your friends told you it’d be.
They have just released their new single / video “Crooked Canvas”, produced by Steve Evetts (Sepultura, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Butcher Babies). The track is a diatribe about their intense disdain for blind consumerism and uninformed fealty to political parties. It starts out with a spoken word warning that is underlined by a fierce guitar riff that builds alongside a staccato drum beat and then explodes into a supersonic blast that never lets up.
CarSex singer Nigel Burk says, “'Crooked Canvas' is about the metaphorical wool being pulled over people’s eyes and the blind, general consumption of what’s being put forth. Whether it’s politics, religion, what shoes to buy, which pill will make your dick bigger. It’s about consumerism at its finest and my distaste for it.”
Bassist Jeremy Schott adds, “The music video was shot by our pals Brad Walther and Jason Lazo at Big Walrus Productions in Long Beach. We worked with them on our last video for 'Your Generation'. We shot the video on a church set, keeping with the theme of the song being about the public being told how to think and what to consume – and blindly doing so. Steven Burhoe of Plague Productions edited the video.”
CarSex has previously released two EPs: 2019’s CarSex and 2020’s 2020 EP, which featured the singles “Your Generation” and “Lovesick”. A new EP is being finalized and will be released later this summer.
Finnish masters of melancholic brutality, Wolfheart, are gearing up for the release of their forthcoming seventh studio album, Draconian Darkness, which is due out on September 6 via Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM). They recently released the official music video for the first digital single, "Grave", which can be viewed below.
Now, Wolfheart has released drum and guitar playthroughs for "Grave".
Mastermind Tuomas Saukkonen comments, "'Grave' was the first song that was written for the album and became the beacon that was leading the whole production of the album. Push the dark elements even further from the light to give maximum contrast to the melodies and huge choruses. From every album we have clear favourites for live songs and 'Grave' stands on the podium unchallenged!"
Pre-order Draconian Darkness in the physical format of your choice (CD-digipak, coloured vinyl), pre-save it on your favourite DSP or pre-order it digitally now, here.
The opus was recorded at Deep Noise Studios and produced, mixed and mastered by the band's long-time collaborator Saku Moilanen; its artwork was crafted by Nikos Stavridakis (VisionBlack).
Draconian Darkness tracklisting:
"Ancient Cold"
"Evenfall"
"Burning Sky"
"Death Leads The Way"
"Scion Of The Flame"
"Grave"
"Throne Of Bones"
"Trail By Fire"
"The Gale"
Australian deathcore powerhouse and ardent animal rights activists, To The Grave have announced details of their new album. Titled Everyone's A Murderer, the band's third full length album is scheduled for release on August 30th via Unique Leader Records. Pre-save here.
Unleashed alongside the album news is their bludgeoning first single, "Dead Wrong", accompanied by an intense official music video, which can be seen below.
Speaking on the band’s first offering from this next chapter, To The Grave’s incendiary vocalist, Dane Evans shares, "Two solos from the dogs and hard riffs, we knew this had to be a single as soon as we made it. Getting Mike on it was a must after we fell in love with Empty Cages listening to their record on tour in The States and he killed it. The chorus for this one really pulled through and stitched it all together, for a while we didn't know what was going to go there and tried a few things but this was the first attempt at this style on the album and that take made the record."
Everyone's A Murderer promises to be To The Grave's heaviest and most evolved offering yet, both sonically and thematically. The album attacks societal and environmental themes with the relentless intensity the band are known for, giving voice to the voiceless via their unique, signature blend of brutally impactful deathcore.
Providing further insight on the new album, Evans shares: "For this record my aim was to speak through the faceless activists that fight for animals, for those living in vystopia feeling alone and helpless in a world that will fight tooth and nail to defend the animal holocaust. Due to it being illegal to rescue farmed animals from abuse these activists must stay silent about it to avoid having their own freedom taken.
It wasn't an easy task, it's never going to do justice to the horrors animals go through every day by the millions in cold, dark sheds around the world or to those that have witnessed it and are doing everything they can to put an end to it. There's no words, no lyrics and no music that can describe the violence or bring back the lives stolen by human hands so this is for them.
Our idea for this album evolved so much before it started but we knew we wanted something that sounded classic, like it was from a different decade entirely. It had to have all the elements that brought us all towards deathcore all those years ago combined with all the modern touches you'd find in the recent TTG material, all whilst trying to do something new and step outside our comfort zone in the process.
It was cool to work with the new lineup on the gritty details like production, tones and getting the energy of the drums down. Once the album was in a listenable state these guys really gave it all personality and brought everything to the table to shape this new sound.
We're very critical of ourselves as artists and have made music in the past that for whatever reason we haven't loved. With that in mind I think the overall goal with this record was to make something that regardless of what anyone else thought, we were proud of and I'm happy that we all had that shared vision in mind.
We probably had the most fun making this record that we've ever had and it felt liberating to be able to make something that we liked. It felt like starting the band from new again and only having the pressure of wanting to write cool shit.
The singles are tough as f*ck and I think do a good job of representing the blunt force approach on the album leaving a tonne of surprises in the sharps bin for when people pick it up on release day. That should make sense when it drops."
Tracklisting:
"Set Yourself On Fire (In Public)"
"DxE Or Die"
"A Body For A Body" ft. Connor Dickson & Siantelle Johns
"Burn Your Local Butcher"
"Vegan Day Of Violence"
"Gaschamber P.T."
"Made In Aus"
"Eight Four One Six" ft. Sophie Wilcher
"Terrormilitary"
"Dead Wrong" ft. Micheal Kearney
To The Grave also announced today that they will be playing two very special album release shows on Friday, August 30th at Stay Gold in Melbourne with support from No Life (NZ) & Identity Error and Saturday, August 31st at The Lansdowne with support from No Life (NZ) & Facecutter in Sydney.
Following their epic album release shows, To The Grave have a stacked touring schedule starting with a US tour in September and October supporting deathcore legends Oceano. After that, they will join Veil Of Maya, Signs Of The Swarm, and Varials for the Faces Of Death Tour across the UK and Europe in October and November. They will then return to Australia for a series of shows with Lorna Shore and Bodysnatcher in 2025. For further info and tickets, visit ToTheGraveAu.com.
Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Nihilect is set to challenge the boundaries of extreme metal with the release of their debut EP, Tapestry, featuring the lead single "Inviolable Sin". This release is scheduled for August 2, 2024, and will showcase the band's unique blend of technical prowess and lyrical depth, making waves in the technical death metal scene.
Formed in 2024, Nihilect is composed of Josh Padgett (vocals), Yousef Jeddi (guitar, vocals), Barry Johnson (bass), and Matthew Carmichael (drums). Together, they create a sound that is both chaotic and poignant, drawing comparisons to bands like Necrophagist, Revocation, and Veil Of Maya.
Tapestry is a testament to Nihilect's relentless musicality and profound lyricism. The EP delves into themes of corruption, war, trauma, religion, and addiction, offering a powerful and introspective experience for listeners. The lead single, "Inviolable Sin", sets the tone for the EP, highlighting the band's technical skill and emotional intensity.
Nihilect's Tapestry will be released independently and will be available on all major streaming platforms. Pre-orders can be placed here. The artwork and tracklisting are as follows:
"The Sovereign Tongue"
"Heirloom"
"Lucid Terror"
"Surrendered Passages"
"Inviolable Sin"
"Jus Post Mortem"
When it comes to Japanese death metal, there is no shrewder sensei than Defiled. Since they started their training in the world's most vulgar of art forms back in the early '90s, the band have toured everywhere from their native Tokyo to Milwaukee Metal Fest with the likes of Mayhem, Incantation, Morbid Angel and Cannibal Corpse.
Now, after 30 years of destroying the opposition at the highest level, these self-proclaimed samurai of death metal are back with their eighth album. Horror Beyond Horror is the kind of good ol' fashioned ass-kicking that only a true master can deliver.
Horror Beyond Horror comes out September 20th on Season of Mist. Pre-save / pre-order your copy now at this location.
Watch the video for "To See Behind The Wall":
After they first took to the stage in 1995, Defiled needed nearly a decade before finally erupting with wrath on their debut album. But ever since the band's lineup solidified around original member Yusuke Sumita, they haven't stopped to look back and admire their war path. Horror Beyond Horror comes hot on the heels of the album they released just last year.
Anyone who took The Highest Level at face value will be pleasantly surprised to hear that Defiled have only added another grimy coat of blood to their blade. "To See Behind The Wall" is the final boss on Horror Beyond Horror, but the album's first single wastes no time charging into the fray behind a barrage of old-school death metal. Whether they're slicing, dicing or leaping into a furiously fast solo, the riffs take no prisoners.
"The path to your elimination", Shinichiro Hamada cries, digging in amidst a flurry of blast beats, before unleashing an ungodly war cry.
"What is behind the wall?", Defiled ask on their new single. "The truth that has been hidden? Our sanity as human beings? Are we, who are inside the wall, now in a world of deceit and madness?"
Horror Beyond Horror artwork, created by Wes Benscoter, and tracklisting:
"Smoke And Mirrors"
"Horror Beyond Horror"
"Syndicate"
"The Alchemy"
"Demagogue"
"The Terminal Phase"
"Trojan Horse"
"Spectrum Of Fear"
"The Crook And Flail"
"Replicator Dynamics"
"Equinox"
"The Chains"
"Psychopomp"
"To See Behind The Wall"
From the depths of Tokyo's darkest alleys, Defiled have emerged once again, claws sharpened, eyes bloodshot, ready to unleash a fresh dose of unadulterated savagery with their latest full-length studio album, Horror Beyond Horror. Marrying the grotesque with technical prowess, these samurais of sickness are poised to carve another notch into the archives of death metal's sordid history.
Since crawling from the primordial soup of the underground scene in the early '90s, Defiled have forged a path littered with broken souls. Their journey of destruction first sank its teeth into the international jugular with Erupted Wrath, mixed by the masterful Jim Morris in Tampa, Florida. This brutal assault opened gates to a global bloodletting, from leveling stages in South Korea to crushing skulls at the Milwaukee Metalfest, and not even the November to Dismember fest could foresee the carnage they'd bring.
Commandeering the technical tightrope between anarchy and precision, Defiled evolved, much like an aberrant spawn isolated on the Galapagos, grotesque yet ultimately superior. Their subsequent onslaughts — Ugliness Revealed, Divination, and the sheer violence of In Crisis — built a monument to atrocity that ascends to new heights with Horror Beyond Horror.
Taking no prisoners in their three-decades-long campaign of terror, Defiled have become the indestructible behemoth of Asia's death metal scene, powered by the relentless engine of their old school roots and the twisted wreckage of technical thrash and progressive rock innovation.
But enough with the history lesson, you came here for the carnage, didn't you? Horror Beyond Horror is a 14-track massacre, riddled with riffs sharp enough to slit your throat and a rhythmic onslaught that'll pulverize your pathetic bones. Each track, from the visceral "Smoke And Mirrors" to the haunting "To See Behind The Wall", is a calculated strike, precision-engineered to leave no survivors. Let's not forget the eponymous "Horror Beyond Horror", a track that cements Defiled's legacy as harbingers of the apocalypse.
With a sound as raw as exposed nerve endings and as unrefined as a mass grave, Defiled stands defiantly apart from the polished poseurs and shameless sellouts. They don’t peddle in cheap gimmickry or nostalgia; they deal in the currency of pure, unfiltered destruction. As they look out upon the charred landscape of the genre they’ve helped to define, Defiled is not content to rest on their laurels. Horror Beyond Horror sees them, once again, ascending to the blood-soaked throne of death metal sovereignty.
“Arrowhead” is an English version of a classic Finnish song, whose original composer J. Karjalainen is one of Finland's best-known and most respected songwriters.
Ella Tepponen’s powerful voice interprets the song wonderfully, and she also plays the piano parts. Max Lilja, known from the original lineup of Apocalyptica, plays the cello.
Bassist Veli Palevaara says: “I bumped into J. Karjalainen on the street by chance. I praised his gig I had just been to a couple of days before. We talked about music for a while and I told him about the Frontiers deal. He suggested that we should cover one of his songs in English, he will provide the lyrics. Needlees to say, we immediately took up the honorable task. The lyrics can basically be placed anywhere in the world and there is a message we can stand behind. The video for the song was filmed in the magical Raasepori castle, which was built at the end of the 14th century.”
Ginger Evil began as Moonshine Inc. in 2005, in a rehearsal room in Helsinki, Finland. After a couple of years of rehearsal and composing, a fruitless search for a singer meant the songs were put on ice.
Meanwhile, guitarist Tomi Julkunen and bassist Veli Palevaara continued gigging in Finland with The Milestones, including arena shows with Deep Purple and Whitesnake. In the aftermath of their fifth album, those Moonshine Inc. songs from a decade back emerged from hibernation, so the search began again for a vocalist.
The powerful voice of Ella Tepponen was known to Tomi and Veli from many theatre and music projects, and drummer Toni Mustonen was already familiar to everyone. Jamming together found a shared musical passion, and a group creative process soon flourished. Ginger Evil was born.
“From Foo Fighters to Fleetwood Mac," is how the band hears their music, with singer Ella bringing a whole new kind of twist to their rock expression. Everything was coming together. Music producer and film director Richard Stanley, known for his work with The Who heard demos of Ginger Evil and was inspired to write lyrics.
In early 2022 Ginger Evil signed a deal with Deadfall Artist/Band management and a half year later with Frontiers Music Srl. (Def Leppard, Toto, Whitesnake, Journey). For recording the debut album The Way It Burns, Ella brought in Teemu Aalto (Insomnium) as a producer, who also handled the final mixes with final mastering by Grammy-nominated Svante Forsbäck of Chartmakers (Rammstein, Volbeat, Sunrise Avenue, Apocalyptica).
Lineup:
Ella Tepponen - vocals
Tomi Julkunen - guitars
Veli Palevaara - bass
Toni Mustonen - drums
For further details, visit Ginger Evil on Facebook.
Thomas Zwijsen has released an acoustic guitar cover of Dio's "Rainbow In The Dark". The song originates from Dio's 1983 debut studio album, Holy Diver. Watch below:
Zwijsen previously issued an acoustic guitar cover of The Who’s “Behind Blue Eyes”. See below:
Birmingham, England's Becky Baldwin, who was recently announced as Mercyful Fate's new bassist, replacing Joey Vera (Armored Saint) in the band lineup, has released a bass cover of Metallica's "Seek And Destroy".
Says Becky, "I took this short break from Mercyful Fate playthroughs to bring you a cover of one of my favourite bands - Metallica! Earlier this month I took a trip to Copenhagen, Denmark, to watch their no-repeat weekend (and meet up with some of Mercyful Fate out there). It was only my second time seeing them, the first time being 15 years ago! I filmed this cover just before setting off but didn't have the time to edit it. Now it's finally ready!
"This is one of my favourite Metallica songs to play. It's not too flashy, but every riff is as iconic as the last and there's some really fun fills to learn. I remember some of these riffs being in a Metallica bass book I got when I was around 13, and I was so pleased that they actually sounded cool when I played them! Since then I've worked on the more intricate riffs, the details and intensity of the performance. It should have a wah pedal to switch on for parts of the chorus, but I think the chord works nicely if you don't have one. When I dep for the tribute band Metallica Reloaded this is one of my favourites to perform!
"I'm not sure why my phone's camera kept losing focus this time - frustrating equipment! Solutions welcome!"
Baldwin - who toured North America with Mercyful Fate in late 2022 - previously shared bass playthrough videos for "Curse Of The Pharaohs" and "A Corpse Without Soul". Watch below:
MOGGS MOTEL, the new band featuring UFO singer Phil Mogg, has released its first single and video, "Apple Pie". The track is taken from the group's self-titled album, which is due on September 4 via Cleopatra Records in the U.S. and Steamhammer/SPV outside North America.
Mogg said: "'Apple Pie' is the first track off the MOGGS MOTEL extravaganza. It concerns the quest for a piece of the pie, namely 'Apple' because I would like a nice large creamy slice this time around. Also I would get to ride the pony while she's swishing her tail — how sweet is that! I just need that elusive pie. This track was conjured up towards the end of lockdown. This was our first get together as a team, and a very jolly affair it was too — so enjoy the ride and get a bite... not a nibble please."
UFO fans, watch out! Anyone who'd feared over the past two years that Mogg, one of the most influential rock vocalists worldwide, would disappear completely from the scene after the demise of his band, in addition to his health problems, has now thankfully been proved wrong.
After a brief hiatus to catch his creative breath, the 76-year-old British musician with the distinctive voice is ready to present his latest band and release, "Moggs Motel", which he composed together with Tony Newton (bass and keyboards) from the band VOODOO SIX, who had been touring partners with UFO previously, and long-standing associate Neil Carter (guitar, keyboards, vocals). The album was recorded at IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris's studio in Essex, U.K. In the studio, the band was joined by Joe Lazarus (drums) and Tommy Gentry (guitar) to complete the lineup.
The album's twelve timeless songs show that Mogg has lost none of his artistic charisma, uniquely expressive voice and love of unbridled creativity.
Another single, including video, will be released as an appetizer ahead of the album's arrival at the physical and digital stores: "Sunny Side Of Heaven" on August 16.
MOGGS MOTEL lineup:
Phil Mogg - vocals
Tony Newton - bass, keyboards
Neil Carter - guitar, keyboards, vocals
Joe Lazarus - drums
Tommy Gentry - guitar
In a recent interview with Ultimate Classic Rock to promote the 2024 remastered reissue of UFO's 1977 album "Lights Out", Mogg was asked if there was still "more to do" with the band. He responded: "No, no. I think it's come to a conclusion. We did that last U.K. tour in 2019, just before COVID. So that was kind of the end of it, and the time was right."
Mogg suffered a heart attack in August 2022. The musician was rushed to the hospital where he had two stents implanted into his coronary arteries. This is known medically as a coronary angioplasty and aims to re-open the blocked coronary artery by inserting one or more stents. This helps keep the narrowed artery open.
UFO's farewell tour was scheduled to kick off on October 15, 2022 at the De Casino in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium and run through a final show at the Fuzz Club in Athens, Greece on October 29, 2022.
In 2021, UFO announced that it would embark on its final tour featuring a series of exclusive concerts in summer 2022 to bid farewell to its fans in style. UFO was scheduled to play the very last concert of in Athens, where the band performed its first show featuring current guitarist Vinnie Moore in February 2004.
UFO guitarist/keyboard player Paul Raymond died in April 2019. He appeared on more than a dozen of UFO's albums, including "Lights Out" and the live classic "Strangers In The Night".
UFO's most recent lineup included original members Mogg and drummer Andy Parker, as well as Moore, who joined in 2003, and Rob De Luca (bass),a member since 2012.
UFO's latest release was the 2017 covers collection "The Salentino Cuts".
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