In this week's episode of their ongoing Sunday Lunch series, King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his wife, Toyah Willcox, perform the Mötley Crüe classic "Girls, Girls, Girls". Watch below:
On a recent episode of Rob Squad And The Creators featuring Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox is available for streaming below. During the episode with Rob Squad’s Jay + Amber Robinson, Fripp and Willcox react along with the hosts to their live rendition of Metallica's "Enter Sandman".
On playing with her husband, Toyah comments: "I also love seeing my husband on stage. It's such a joy because normally we're on different continents. To be on stage together, it's an absolute joy!"
On Fripp’s connection to Metallica, Fripp added: “To link this song with (King Crimson's) "Frame by Frame," which we went through a little while ago (NOTE: reference to an earlier episode of Rob Squad and the Creators). I read an interview where Kirk Hammett of Metallica said how much he enjoyed the double guitar parts of Adrian (Belew) and Robert on the Discipline album and "Frame by Frame."
On who he listens to and who influenced him, Fripp says: "Well, Hendrix, Clapton, Beck, McLaughlin, Page, and Chuck Berry. In the early days, Scotty Moore, Elvis's player, Little Richard. The sheer power of that man was astonishing."
British guitar sensation, Sophie Lloyd (Machine Gun Kelly), recently announced her first official live show, on October 17 at The Camden Assembly in London.
Sophie has since issued the following update: "Guys 😭 We sold out in under 5 minutes!!! 🤯 Thank you so so so much!!!!! I was not expecting that much demand!! We have now upgraded to Camden's The Underworld! So don't miss out! Grab your tickets while you can!"
The pro-shot clip below features German folk rock champions Saltatio Mortis performing at Wacken Open Air 2023. Check out "Loki", "My Mother Told Me" (featuring Peyton Parrish), "Mittelalter" and "Gardyloo".
In 2021, Germany's electro-core "porno metal" allstars Electric Callboy - then known as Eskimo Callboy - collaborated with Saltatio Mortis for a "Hypa Hypa" cover version from the MMXX – Hypa Hypa Edition EP. The band took the chance to completely reinterpret their party hit with Saltatio Mortis, who put it into medieval garb with massive bagpipe power.
Electric Callboy vocalist Kevin Ratajczak commented: "Our friends from Saltatio Mortis did a great job and brought our song 'Hypa Hypa' into their world. Absolute energy, total fun, especially on bagpipes!"
Future alternative metal greats, Defences, have released their new single, "Gold In The Dark", and a new music video to accompany it.
If the latest single, "The Curse", was where Defences struck a blueprint for how they wanted to proceed, "Gold In The Dark" is where they solidified it. Serving as a direct continuation of the story told in its predecessor, "Gold In The Dark" recounts the first steps in self-acceptance and how being at peace with your inner darkness first requires you to embrace it and shine a light into the parts of you that you choose to hide.
Singer Cherry Duesbury comments: "I started reading, researching and practising the concept of shadow work during the lockdown years. I realized there were parts of myself I was actively ignoring and pushing down, and it was contributing to why I was feeling so stunted, and unhappy in myself and who I was in various ways. Coming across this concept and reading about the psychology behind it - which I've always been fascinated by and studied in school for a while - was really eye-opening and inspiring for me. These are some of my favourite lyrics I've ever written! And the ideas in this song sparked so much inspiration for this era of our band and the themes we explored, lyrically, musically and visually."
Stream "Gold In The Dark" here, and watch the video below.
Defences has completed numerous UK tours with multiple sell-out headline shows, not to mention numerous festival appearances including Download, Takedown, Turbulence, and Burn It Down. These shows, combined with the online community cultivated in their #TheHeart fan page, ensure that the band remains connected with their constantly growing fanbase as they move into their upcoming release.
Defences comments on the new video: "This is one of our favourite video shoots to date! We found an amazing derelict school out in Hereford where they run ghost tours. Once we got there and realized just how beautiful the building was, we decided it would be better to shoot each member in a different room rather than all bunch up in a room. This resulted in a huge amount of negative space in all of these shots, with huge rooms stretching behind as we’re performing, ending up with this amazing eerie vibe. It felt a little bit like being in The Shining or The Haunting of Hill House!
"We also wanted to tie the newly established 'Shadow Cherry' to this location, so we showed her room from where she influences the world, resulting in the puppet strings effect seen in the video. This was great, but a lot of hard work to achieve! We had 2 meter-long metal poles with the other end of the ropes attached to them, so just know that any time you see one of us on screen with these ropes around us, all of the other members are just off-camera sweating buckets trying to keep them up!"
Defences are:
Cherry Duesbury - Vocals
William Young - Keys, Vocals
Calum Wilmot - Guitar
Owen Hughes-Holland - Bass
Kyle Parke – Drums
Hard-hitting progressive metal band, The Aphelion, from Ottawa, Canada proudly announces the release of their upcoming album Nascence coming out on August 9, 2024, and have two music videos already out for the debut singles “Deserter” and “Flight”. The album is one half a pair, an enrapturing concept album that tells the story of a man’s descent into madness and his own mind in response to the mundanity and repetitiveness of the world around him. They dive into the singles:
“‘Deserter’ was the obvious choice for a lead single; it’s a great cross-section of what the rest of the album has in store and a barnstormer of a tune from the first second to the last. The live reception to this song has always been big so we tried to capture that energy on the record. ‘Flight’ is by far the heaviest piece of music we’ve ever released, and one of our favourite live songs as well.”
The album finale “Deserter” is a culmination of all of the sounds across this album, and features indulgent non-linear songwriting tied together with catchy choruses. The song pushes each member to their limit at one point or another across its runtime and features complex polymeters and incredibly fast passages. “Flight” is by far the heaviest song on the album, an homage to thrash metal and prog death giants such as Gojira. It moves at a near break-neck pace across its nearly seven-minute track time across blistering solos, thrashy riffs, and pummeling breakdowns.
Since their formation in 2015, The Aphelion has built a reputation for their innovative sound, dramatic flair, and emotional depth. Their music is complex, with unexpected shifts in genre to create contrast and bring levity. The singles are available on YouTube and recommended for fans of Haken, Leprous, and Opeth.
Japanese rockers Crossfaith have shared another track from their upcoming album AЯK, which arrives on June 26 via UNFD and Warner Music Japan, and marks the band's first record in six years. Today, they have shared the video for "Warriors (Feat. MAH from SiM)."
"This track features MAH from SiM, who has been a friend of Crossfaith for 15 years," the band says. "Although Crossfaith and MAH share different direction of music, they are like warriors who have been fighting together in the same era of music scene. Although we have been in the music scene for a long time, the fire in our eyes can never be extinguished."
It is a welcome return for the band — after adjusting the global pandemic and a band hiatus, as well a membership change — and serves as quite a milestone. The album's title AЯK is a message of saying goodbye to the past and hello to a new beginning, and their fresh sound and perspective is reflected in the new material.
Additionally, the band recently announced Daiki Koide as its new guitarist.
Tracklisting:
"The Final Call"
"ZERO"
"My Own Salvation"
"God Speed" (Feat. WARGASM)
"Warriors" (Feat. MAH from SiM)
"HEADSHOT!"
"DV;MM¥SY5T3M"
"L.A.M.N" (Feat. Bobby Wolfgang)
"Night Waves"
"Afterglow"
"Canopus"
"Warriors (feat. MAH from SiM)" lyric video:
"Godspeed feat. Wargasm)":
Crossfaith previously shared the visualizer for the brand new single "L.A.M.N" (Feat. Bobby Wolfgang). Watch below. Fans can also check out the video for "ZERO".
Modern metalcore project, Oni have unveiled a brand new single, “Control.” The track comes accompanied with an official music video created by Ben Watanabe (555 Comic). Stream here.
The video is the initial episode of an animated series, written by Oni frontman and visionary, Jake Oni that explores the struggle with oneself. As the main character (Jake) struggles with his demons (Oni), the story of Jake's battle unfolds. As the episodes/music videos roll out in the coming months, we will see the dystopian world and character development playout as Jake's journey continues. Stylistically, traditional anime components are woven together with Oni’s evolving sound. The colour palette and aesthetics are inspired by the muted tones of Afro Samurai.
Of the new song, Jake Oni reveals,
"This song is definitely some of my best work yet. Josh Gilbert wrote the song with me, and I tracked vocals at my studio in Cayman with Joe McQueen. 'Control' has a different vibe than anything I’ve written before in terms of range of vocals. The song tells a story that’s brought to life in the music video by Ben Watanabe and his team at 555 comic. It was a huge privilege to work with Ben on this project."
Stay tuned for the next instalment in the series very soon.
Oni's 3rd full-length album, The Silver Line arrived last year to solid critical acclaim and featured the crushing singles “Aura” (feat. Howard Jones & Josh Gilbert), “Silence In A Room Of Lies” (feat. Jared Dines), “Underneath My Skin” (feat. Kellin Quinn) and “Silhouette.” Produced, mixed and mastered by Spiritbox bassist Josh Gilbert and Joe McQueen (As I Lay Dying, Light The Torch, Bad Wolves), 'The Silver Line' pushed the metalcore genre forward into the light of mainstream accessibility with enormous hooks fused with colossal riffs and catchy melodies.
Sammy Hagar has shared classic video of Van Halen performing “There’s Only Way To Rock” from Japan 1989.
Hagar says in the video caption: “Can't wait to do this solo with Satriani!”
Sammy Hagar will be joined by rock heavyweights and longtime bandmates Michael Anthony (bass, backing vocals), Jason Bonham (drums) and Joe Satriani (guitar) on The Best Of All Worlds 2024 Tour.
Produced by Live Nation and featuring special guests Loverboy, the 28-date The Best Of All Worlds tour will commence on July 13 in West Palm Beach, FL and will conclude on August 31 in St. Louis, MO. For tickets and more details, go to RedRocker.com.
The tour follows on the heels of the chart-topping success of The Collection II, the box set released in October 2023, featuring newly remastered versions of the four consecutive #1 albums released during the Hagar era of Van Halen: 5150 (1986), OU812 (1988), For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991), and Balance (1995). A reminder to fans of the arsenal of hits, many which haven’t been played live since the band’s 2004 reunion tour. Collectively, Anthony, Satriani and Bonham have played together in nearly every phase of Hagar’s career including Van Halen, Chickenfoot and The Circle, so fans can expect a setlist which draws from some of the biggest rock anthems of the last 4-decades, including, "Finish What Ya Started", "5150", "Your Love is Driving Me Crazy", "Best of Both Worlds", "Poundcake", "Sexy Little Thing", "One Way To Rock", "Right Now", "Good Enough", "Eagles Fly" and more. They’ve also enlisted legendary Australian musician, Rai Thistlethwayte on keyboard and backing vocals. The tour represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this band of brothers deliver one of the most legendary hits-packed live shows of their career.
“It’s crazy to think that it’ll be 20 years since Mikey and I played these songs with Van Halen on the 04’ Best of Both Worlds Tour,” said Hagar. “With Joe on board, we can take a deeper dive into those years. We’re going to touch on some hits from my entire career but seeing fans old and new really embrace the new collection set off something in Mikey and I. We were at my Birthday Bash in Cabo for my 76th and looked at each other and high fived, like ‘let’s do it.’ We pulled out a couple of them and it was an instant lovefest with the fans from our first riffs. The music we created is going to outlive us all. They deserve to be heard so it's time we go out and serve the fans that music, while we still can."
Tour dates:
July
13 - West Palm Beach, FL - iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
14 - Tampa, FL - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
16 - Alpharetta, GA - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
19 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion
20 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live
22 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Broadview Stage at SPAC
24 - Bridgeport, CT - Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater
26 - Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center
27 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
29 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center
31 - Toronto, ON - Budweiser Stage
August
2 - Clarkston, MI - Pine Knob Music Theatre
3 - Tinley Park, IL - Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
9 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena
11 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
13 - Spokane, WA - Airway Heights, WA BECU Live at Northern Quest
14 - Ridgefield, WA - RV Inn Style Resort Amphitheater
16 - Wheatland, CA - Toyota Amphitheatre
17 - Concord, CA - Toyota Pavilion at Concord
19 - Los Angeles, CA - Kia Forum
20 - Phoenix, AZ - Talking Stick Resorts Amphitheatre
22 - Dallas, TX - Dos Equis Pavilion
23 - Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
25 - Rogers, AR - Walmart AMP
27 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
28 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena
30 - Noblesville, IN - Ruoff Music Center
31 - St. Louis, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Out today, Cactus have released their album, Temple Of Blues - Influences & Friends, on CD and double vinyl album via Cleopatra Records. BraveWords is premiering the new music video for the track, "One Way...Or Another" that features both dUg Pinnick and Ted Nugent. Watch the clip below.
Ted Nugent on "One Way...Or Another": "I was raised and inspired by the American rock founding fathers Chuck Berry, Bo Diddly, Little Richard, James Brown and allthings Motown soul music. Vanilla Fudge epitomized the combination of all that fiery music. When my Motor City music monsters Jim McCarty and Rusty Day teamed up with the most powerful rhythm section of Tim Bogart and Carmine Appice to form Cactus, I thought my musical world would surely spin off its axis! The raw Detroit energy of Rusty and Jim with the definitive thrust of Tim and Carmines richter scale groove made every band in the world practice harder! Cactus were a serious force to reckon with."
dUg Pinnick On "One Way...Or Another": “It was 1971, Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, Deep Purple and Yes were my go to bands, and one day I went to visit a musician friend who played me 'Long Tall Sally' by Cactus! From the beginning Jim’s guitar intro I was hooked! The riff was so heavy, and when Rusty sang the first verse my mind was blown. A Little Richard cover!!!!..the reason I play rock music was because of Little Richard! So I listened to the whole album. Great song writing, Carmine’s brutal drumming, TIM’s bass and Jim’s guitar playing, So inspirational they were! Rusty had a special knack for writing amazing down to earth lyrics! I loved his voice! I learned to sing and play every song and I never looked back. These albums still stand the test of time!! Cactus is one of my ALLTIME favorite bands. This is why I said “Yes” to playing on this record."
Featured along with the current Cactus band is a who’s who of blues and rock icons: Guitarists Joe Bonamassa, Ted Nugent, Pat Travers, Warren Haynes, Vernon Reid, Steve Stevens, Johnny A (The Yardbirds), Ty Tabor (King’s X) and bassists Billy Sheehan (Mr Big), Dug Pinnick (King’s X) Tony Franklin (The Firm, Blue Murder), Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol), Rudy Sarzo(Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne), Kenny Aaronson (ex- Joan Jet and The Yardbirds), as well as members of Government Mule, Vixen, Rainbow, Zebra, and Whitesnake. Vocalist Dee Snider of Twisted Sister appears on the band’s remake of the Howlin’ Wolf classic “Evil,” and Appice’s bandmate in Vanilla Fudge Mark Stein turns in a powerful vocal on Little Richard’s “Long Tall Sally.” A second version of “Guiltless Glider,” appears as a bonus track with former Judas Priest vocalist, Ripper Owens. Another of Appice’s musical partners, Fernando Perdomo, also appears on the new record.
The new album merges the members of Cactus with a super ensemble of featured artists, all of whom have called the group among their biggest influences. Once heralded by critics as America’s answer to Led Zeppelin, Cactus recorded four hard rockin’ albums for Atco Records before Appice and bassist Tim Bogert left to form their own supergroup: Beck, Bogert & Appice.
In addition to Appice on drums on all tracks, original Cactus guitarist Jim McCarty also appears on Temple Of Blues. Current band members vocalist/guitarist and harmonica player Jim Stapley and bassist Jim Caputo also appear on many of the tracks. Appice announced today a new member to the band’s lineup: guitarist Artie Dillon will handle guitar duties for live tours and plays on one track for the new album. Founding member Jim McCarty currently contributes as a writing and recording member of Cactus on occasion but no longer does live tours.
Order the album on CD and vinyl here. Order the digital edition here.
Tracklisting:
"Parchman Farm" feat. Joe Bonamassa & Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big / David Lee Roth)
"Bro. Bill" feat. Randy Jackson (Zebra), Randy Pratt (Cactus) & Bob Daisley (Ozzy Osbourne)
"Guiltless Glider" feat. Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (Guns N' Roses) & Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne)
"Evil" feat. Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) & Dug Pinnick (King's X)
"One Way...Or Another" feat. Dug Pinnick (King's X) & Ted Nugent
"Alaska" feat. Johnny A. & Tony Franklin (The Firm)
"No Need To Worry" feat. Warren Haynes (Gov't Mule) & Jorgen Carlsson (Gov't Mule)
"Oleo" feat. Steve Stevens (Billy Idol) & Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big / David Lee Roth)
"Big Mama Boogie" feat. Pat Travers & James Caputo (Cactus)
"You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover"
"Rock N' Roll Children" feat. Britt Lightning (Vixen), Vernon Reid (Living Colour) & Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot)
"Let Me Swim" feat. Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake) & Marco Mendoza (Blue Murder)
"Restrictions" feat. Ty Tabor (King's X) & Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne)
"Long Tall Sally" feat. Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge) & Fernando Perdomo
Bonus track:
"Guiltless Glider" feat. Tim "Ripper" Owens (Judas Priest)
"Parchman Farm":
"Evil" video:
- Produced by Carmine Appice
- Co-Produced by Pat Regan-Jim Stapley
- Mix Engineer - Pat Regan
- Mixdown by Pat Regan with Carmine Appice.
- Carmine's drums recorded at “Realistic Rock Studios” Florida. Engineered by Carmine Appice
Upcoming Cactus tour dates:
June
7 - Orlando, FL - Orlando Live! (with Foghat)
8 - Boca Raton, FL - Funky Biscuit
9 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall (with Pat Travers & Foghat)
27 - Lima, NY - Fanatics
28 - New York City, NY - Iridium
August
10 - Westland, MI - Token Lounge
The current lineup of Cactus came together in 2021. Lead vocalist Jim Stapley comes from England and had worked with ex-Faces/Who drummer Kenny Jones in the Jones Gang and Humble Pie. “Nearly five decades after I formed this band, the time had come to re-invent Cactus once again,” says Appice, who also still drums for Vanilla Fudge, The Appice Brothers Drum Wars, and a hybrid tribute to former band leader, Rod Stewart. Adds Appice: “The music remains the same and Cactus is still a ‘hot and sweaty’ band. The level, quality and consistence of the band’s musicianship is as strong as ever.”
Cactus has had a long and turbulent history. Formed in 1970 from the ashes of Vanilla Fudge by Carmine Appice and Tim Bogert, the initial lineup also featured McCarty (from Mitch Ryder and The Buddy Miles Express) and Amboy Dukes vocalist Rusty Day. While Cactus saw success from the start and soon built a loyal fan base, by early 1973 the band had collapsed mainly due to lack of real support from its label and the fact that Jeff Beck was now ready play with Carmine and Tim in BBA.
The band reformed in 2006, three decades after the tragic death of Rusty Day with Randy Pratt on harp (who also appears on this album) and Jimmy Kunes vocals. When the late Tim Bogert was forced into retirement due to complications after a serious motorcycle accident, Pete Bremy joined on bass before Caputo replaced him in 2020. Now, with a powerful new lineup Cactus and an album the marries the band with some of the biggest names in rock and blues, embarks on a new and exciting musical journey to the Temple Of Blues.
Alt-rock veterans SMILE EMPTY SOUL have unveiled their latest single, "Savior", accompanied by an impactful music video. The track is a preview of their upcoming EP, "Swan Song", which is scheduled for release at the end of the year through TLG|ZOID / Virgin Music Group.
"Savior" addresses the challenging state of contemporary society, explained the band's frontman Sean Danielsen. "I feel like people have grown cold to each other and selfishness has stepped up as the primary mentality." The song's poignant lyrics and gripping melody are a testament to the band's signature sound and their ability to tackle relevant themes through their music.
SMILE EMPTY SOUL is a hard rock band that originated in Los Angeles, California in the late 1990's and has stayed true to their brand of "no-bullshit", "real-as-it-gets" hard rock to this day. The band signed a major label record deal in 2003 to release their self-titled debut album in May of that year. They realized huge success at alternative radio, rock radio, and the music video channels that have since fallen by the wayside or turned into reality show networks.
After three very successful singles/videos and a gold record from the debut release, the band ran into trouble with their record company (which was in the midst of turmoil at the top levels) and found themselves working extra hard in the trenches, and signed to indie labels or no label at all from then on.
This would become SMILE EMPTY SOUL's destiny, as they have gone on to release many more albums and EPs on various labels, as well as their own company Smile Empty Music Inc. The band released their ninth full length record, "Black Pilled", on October 12, 2021 completely on their own.
SMILE EMPTY SOUL has become known for its constant touring and never wavering honest sound/lyrics. They've never changed for anybody, and turned down many opportunities to "sell out" because it's not who they are.
With a new album, and just as much drive as they had starting out 20 years ago, this band looks to continue to build on the legacy they've created as one of the hardest working, and most underrated bands in rock and roll.
The band has recently partnered with TLG|ZOID / Virgin Music Group to release new music. Denny Sanders (The Label Group) and Sean Danielsen previously partnered on the successful release of "Consciousness". Issued in 2009, the record has become second only to the band's debut in popularity.
DarWin featuring Simon Phillips, Mohini Dey, Greg Howe, and Matt Bissonette, have released their new album, Five Steps On The Sun. A video for the title track can be viewed below:
DarWin is an ongoing musical exploration driven by Simon Phillips and DarWin (DW). The music seeks to elevate the power of crafted songs, and the collection of songs into an album experience. Groove, energy, melody and harmony are all simultaneously prioritized. The songs should feel both original but somehow familiar.
The duo has collaborated with Matt Bissonette since 2015 as a song writing trio, fusing the diverse interests and experiences of the group. Matt’s vocals provide a soothing sonic resonance over novel rhythmic landscapes.
Follow-up to the critically acclaimed epic albums Origin Of Species and Frozen War, DarWin and Simon Phillips expand on their trademark sound - adding new levels of depth and melody.
The new album features a stellar lineup of musicians - Indian bassist Mohini Dey joins the band bringing her fiery playing, and Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater) and Greg Howe return to the project.
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"
BABYMETAL and ELECTRIC CALLBOY, two of the most acclaimed bands right now, have released a performance video for their new song collaboration that will make you dance and sing: "Ratatata". This song masterfully fuses the signature styles of both bands, seamlessly blending their worlds and pushing the music to exhilarating new limits. The clip was filmed on May 25 at BABYMETAL's first edition of the band's very own festival, "Fox_Fest", which featured appearances by ELECTRIC CALLBOY and POLYPHIA.
BABYMETAL commented on the new collaboration: "Unbeatable! Let's 'Fu Fu' together with 'Ratatata'."
ELECTRIC CALLBOY added: "Working with BABYMETAL was so much fun. We joined our creative forces and, in the end, we brought together the best of both worlds. We love 'Ratatata'!"
Always pushing boundaries and testing the limits of metal music, BABYMETAL are no strangers to collaborations, with recent partnerships including BRING ME THE HORIZON, Tom Morello and Lil Uzi Vert.
While basking in the success of their latest album "Tekkno", ELECTRIC CALLBOY is also making waves on the live circuit. The band just wrapped a successful run of dates in North America, and now they're poised to appear at some of the biggest festivals around the world this summer.
Eaarlier this week, BABYMETAL announced a fall 2024 headline tour across North America, with support from SCENE QUEEN on select dates. Produced by Live Nation, the 15-date trek will kick off on Tuesday, November 5 in Orlando, Florida at the Hard Rock Orlando, with additional stops in Charlotte, Madison, New York, Oklahoma City and more before wrapping up on Tuesday, December 3 in Anaheim, California at the House Of Blues.
In April 2023, BABYMETAL announced the addition of a new third member, Momoko Okazaki, who goes by the name of Momometal.
Okazaki had been a member of BABYMETAL's trio of backup dancers (along with Kano Fujihira and Riho Sayashi),known as "Avengers", since 2019, following the departure of one of BABYMETAL's original members, Yuimetal, in October 2018.
Momoko's addition to BABYMETAL was announced during the band's show at the Pia Arena MM in Okazaki, Japan.
Momoko was once a member of SAKURA GAKUIN and participated in South Korean reality TV show "Girls Planet 999" as a contestant. However, the singer left the series after the show's first elimination round.
In 2018, BABYMETAL announced the departure of Yuimetal, who was formerly one of the members of the Japanese group's core trio. She exited the band, explaining in a statement that she would go on to pursue a solo career as Mizuno Yu.
BABYMETAL was formed in 2010. Their mission was to unify the world through heavy metal by creating a fusion of heavy metal and the Japanese pop genre. Their music contains a stunning mix of electronic pop, a pinch of alternative and industrial rock, and is leveled up by fast-driven heavy metal. Their live shows are ground-breaking and epic visual as well as sound performances. BABYMETAL continued to travel the path of metal with the international release of their three albums, telling the story of the mighty Fox God and his brave metal warriors.
A book about the first ten years of BABYMETAL, "Bessatsu Kadokawa Souryoku Tokushuu", was released in Japan in October 2020. It contains a long interview with Su-metal and Moametal as well as never-before-heard stories from band producer Kobametal from BABYMETAL's decade-long history, photos taken from live shows, a discussion between Demon Kakka and Kobametal, and much more.
BABYMETAL's latest concept album "The Other One", was released in March 2023.
Last summer/fall, BABYMETAL embarked on a co-headline tour with DETHKLOK, the on-screen heavy metal band and stars of Adult Swim's "Metalocalypse".
Norwegian band, Shining, have released a live video for "The Madness And The Damage Done", featuring Emperor legend, Ihsahn.
The track is taken from the Blackjazz Live At The Heavy Water Plant concert film and CD. Watch the video below, and get your signed copy of this exclusive limited edition release, here.
Tracklisting:
Intro
"The Madness And The Damage Done"
"Fisheye"
"Exit Sun"
"HEALTER SKELTER"
"The Madness And The Damage Done (Part 2)"
"Blackjazz Deathtrance"
"Omen"
"21st Century Schizoid Man"
"The Madness And The Damage Done" (feat. Ihsahn)
"RMGDN" outro
Montreal, QC’s World On Alert has announced the release of their progressive and thrashy self-titled debut EP, alongside the premiere of the music video for their powerful new single “Insecurities” via BraveWords! This highly anticipated project features a unique blend of personal introspection and diverse musical influences, crafted by Gino LaPosta with the collaboration of several talented guest musicians.
LaPosta comments on the single:
“‘Insecurities’ was a track I had going on for a long time. I had almost every riff on this track written almost six years ago. I just never found any place to really put it. Musically, it has a darker tone. Also, progressive, with a thrashier ending. Lyrically, this is about my struggles with shyness which stopped me from completing many life experiences. But then breaking out of that shyness to finally be who I am.”
The single dives deep into LaPosta's personal battles with introversion and self-assertion, themes also explored in “Alone With My Thoughts”. Justyn Vynn's evocative vocals and guitar work bring an added layer of intensity to the track. The accompanying music video visually captures the raw emotion and transformative journey detailed in the song.
During the pandemic, when live performances were halted, Gino LaPosta took the opportunity to focus on creating music in his studio. This EP is a testament to his ability to draw from personal experiences and collaborate with a network of talented friends and family. This debut offering is recommended for fans of Dream Theater, Rush, and Tool.
Due out on June 28, the EP is available for preorder on Bandcamp.
Tracklisting:
“Freedom In Disguise” feat. Max Rex (CroMagnum), Nick Amalfi, Alex Walsh
“Insecurities” feat. Justyn Vynn (Orchad), Alex Walsh
“They Came From The Pleiades” feat. Costa Skoulikas (Mutank), Alex Walsh
“Alone With My Thoughts” feat. Justyn Vynn (Orchad), Alex Walsh
“The War Inside” feat. John Vincelli (Void Within), Costa Skoulikas (Mutank), Armen Apekian (Ashes Of Eden), Alex Walsh
Sweden's Portrait returns with their sixth album, The Host, their first ever concept album, set for release on June 21 via Metal Blade Records. In advance of its official unveiling, today the band reveals the latest single, "From The Urn".
Founding guitarist Christian Lindell describes the new offering as "an occult tale of sword and sorcery, accompanied by some of the most passionate heavy metal ever recorded. The story takes place in seventeenth century Sweden and revolves around an unnamed protagonist who, because of his experiences with the injustice and hypocrisy of this world, decides to seek truth and strength through its 'Adversary.'"
On the musical side, Portrait's co-founding drummer Anders Persson adds that the album "is a versatile entity, showing all sides of what has become our own style of heavy metal, identity, and sense of melody, yet with some new areas explored in several directions. There are songs that are our fastest and most 'extreme' so far along with songs of an almost semi ballad feeling. It blends perfectly together musically and fits the dramaturgy of the story."
Elaborates Lindell on the band's latest single, "'From The Urn' is a song in which the main character of the story realizes that he has stronger connections with the realm of the dead than with any person still alive. A lot of stuff going on in this one musically, showcasing a bit of our progressive side, but still filled with hooks that shall leave incurable wounds."
The story of The Host takes place in the Swedish Empire during the Era Of Great Power, an era of constant war. The church played a central role in Swedish society in those days and the task of choosing the men that would be sent out to war was given to the priests. All men above the age of fifteen were summoned to the church hill once a year, where the priest then decided who would be the "lucky" ones (the rule of guidance being that every tenth man was to be picked).
It was preached that the reason for war was all sins committed by common man, and to be part of the army during those times was to be considered something sacred. Biblical passages were often quoted as references in order to legitimize the conquering of enemy territory, and in order to establish a "fear of god" within the army, religious services were held in the military camps twice a day and anyone not attending would be punished.
But there are also court documents from this era showing that some soldiers stood accused of having made pacts with the Devil with the intent of receiving strength and protection in war, as well as luck and prosperity, in exchange for one's own blood and other offerings. A central part of this process was the sacrament of the Eucharist. Once consecrated by the priest, the bread of communion becomes the Host or body of Jesus Christ, elevated to something beyond its mere forms and imbued with magical powers.
There were different methods to employ the Host for sorcerous ends. One of the most common ways was to simply conduct one's magical rites after having partaken of the sacrament in church, as it was believed that one's own magical abilities were at their strongest by then. Another approach was to steal it from church and give it as an offering to the Devil or other spirits summoned for the work at hand.
The Host serves as Portrait's first album to feature guitarist Karl Gustafsson as part of the band's lineup and was recorded in JFK Studio in Sweden. Mixing and production tasks were handled by singer Per Lengstedt at his own Perilous Productions Studio while mastering was handled by Bart Gabriel.
The record will be released on CD and digital formats as well as vinyl in the following color variants:
- Multicolored Splatter - Ltd. 200
- White Black Marbled - Ltd. 300
- 180-gram Black
- Burgundy Red Marbled
"Hoc Est Corpus Meum" (Intro)
"The Blood Covenant"
"The Sacrament"
"Oneiric Visions"
"One Last Kiss"
"Treachery"
"Sound The Horn"
"Dweller Of The Threshold"
"Die In My Heart"
"Voice Of The Outsider"
"From The Urn"
"The Men Of Renown"
"Sword Of Reason (The Steel Of Revenge)"
"The Passions Of Sophia"
Swedish genre-blending power rockers Dampf will release their second album, No Angels Alive, on August 23 via Silver Lining Music.
Led by singer/songwriter A-TRON (Martin Erikson aka E-Type) and keyboardist/songwriter Beak, No Angels Alive is an all-in ten-song storytelling experience blending expansive yet tightly bound stylistic ingredients incorporating hard rock, thrash, melodic power metal, and electronic edges. Recorded at Yard Street Studios (Solna, Sweden) and produced by Jona Tee, be gloriously warned: Dampf’s second studio offering, No Angels Alive, is not - and never was - conceived to be for the faint of heart. Forged from deep personal fires within Erikson and Beak in 2021, Dampf is about sheer, bombastic, and brutal power fused with melodic journeys into spaces and places which most would fear to tread.
"In Dampf, we can dwell on all kind of stories: the dark, the weird, the eeriness... the rotten parts of the forest and nature or strange gods or weird people or small people living underneath the moss," explains Erikson. "We developed this band so that we can allow ourselves to go to all these places you’re not meant to. It’s so liberating to have a band where you can say, ‘yeah, let’s do this,’ and not be remotely concerned about whether it ‘fits’ or not."
Completed by vocalist Bhéara aka Olivia Thörn, drummer Haderajja aka David Wallin (HammerFall), bassist Bahari aka Pontus Egberg (King Diamond, The Poodles), guitarists Skaeggyxa aka Love Magnusson (Dynazty) and Sha-Zam’s aka Sam Söderlindh, and growler Arkoūda aka Björn Åkesson, Dampf engages in a theatrical journey through the timeless historical corridors of human darkness and their opus, No Angels Alive, plays like a grand collective performance piece, with an innate sense of beautiful, catchy melody finding ample room and context alongside the overall brutality of Dampf.
"Masquerade," the first single from the album, is released today. With its catchy melodic sensibilities, the track balances how in one specific historical story – and today’s society – illusion can be deadly.
Erikson elaborates, "The song explores the dark spirit and soul of Jacob Johan Anckarström, a disgruntled Swedish military officer whose anger and dissatisfaction with Swedish King Gustav III led him to attempt regicide at a Masquerade Ball before assassinating him at the Royal Stockholm Opera on March 16th, 1792. This happened 300 years ago, but the ‘evil eyes’ are still plotting in modern times: today’s ‘Masquerade’ is about keeping people in the dark, giving them bread, water, flour, and keeping them happy with what they see on the surface, which of course only allows darkness to flourish out of sight and in the shadows."
Dampf will gleefully stretch your sensibilities and boundaries, with Erikson, Beak, and the rest of the band reveling in the opportunity to do so. "We can go that dark, that black... We can go anywhere with this. I can just go in my own head and open up those doors that had been locked for so many years. There are no rules for Dampf, and that gives us all a whole lot to enjoy which is so very important. I don’t need people to say they love it; if they tell us they find it very different and very unique, that’s so much better."
Scary yet colorful, heavy yet catchy, listen to No Angels Alive with a genreless mind and an open heart; the rewards of this immense and unique album will be plentiful.
No Angels Alive will be released on CD digipak, 12” Gold And Black Splatter vinyl, digital formats, and special D2C products and bundles. Preorder here.
Tracklisting:
“No Angels Alive”
“Masquerade”
“Ghost”
“Might As Well Have Died”
“Heart Of Darkness”
“War With The World”
“Hellfire”
“Away”
“Mists Of Avalon (Don’t Wake Me Up)”
“Dark Side Of My Moon”
“Masquerade” video:
Dampf:
Martin Erikson [A-TRON] – vocals
Olivia Thörn [Bhéara] – vocals
Beak – keys
David Wallin [Haderajja] – drums
Pontus Egberg [Bahari] – bass
Sam Söderlindh [Sha-Zam’s] – guitar
Love Magnusson [Skaeggyxa] – guitar
Björn Åkesson [Arkoūda] – growls
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