US heavy metal powerhouse, Kingdom Of Tyrants, has just released a new video clip for their eponymous song.
The band stated: "The song 'Kingdom Of Tyrants' represents the historic influence of world powers and the conflict and strife amongst warring nations. The music was written by Mike Mooney and the lyrics by Kevin Curran. The video was produced by friend and long-time collaborator Rudy Childs, along with video artist Julius Johnson, with creative input by Kevin Curran, Stuart Dowie and Mike Munro.
"We are proud to continue fuelling the creative machine that is Kingdom Of Tyrants, and look forward to summer and fall performances in 2024. It is a privilege to be part of a group of musician-friends that share common goals, aspirations, and a passion for true metal."
Kingdom Of Tyrants is a true metal collaboration between members of two Boston-based veteran metal bands, Meliah Rage and Steel Assassin: Stuart Dowie, Mike Munro, Kevin Curran and Mike Mooney, with bass guitarist Dave Liolios.
Songwriting for the project commenced in 2022 and the debut album. Architects Of Power, was released in April 2023 via Metal On Metal Records.
LIVING COLOUR vocalist Corey Glover and ADRENALINE MOB guitarist Mike Orlando have launched a new project called SONIC UNIVERSE. The group, whose lineup is completed by bassist Booker King and drummer Taykwuan Jackson, will release its debut album, "It Is What It Is", on May 10 via earMUSIC. The 10-song effort was produced, engineered, and mixed by Orlando at his Sonic Stomp Studios.
The official music video for the LP's third single, the "It Is What It Is" title track, can be seen below.
Complemented by the rhythm section of King and Jackson, Glover and Orlando soar over what the singer called "a tight, tight, tight groove."
Glover continued: "The whole idea is that in order to make something new, you have to destroy the old. We do everything we can to change things, but the only way that you can change things is to believe."
"Right now / Right here/ Is all that it is / We lie / We try / It's all we can give."
"It Is What It Is" is Glover and SONIC UNIVERSE giving their all to make a break with the past and create something new and honest.
"The band is killing it on this," Glover concluded. "It's a real gut-punch kind of sound."
"It Is What It Is" track listing:
01. I Am
02. It Is What It Is
03. Turn A Blind Eye
04. My Desire
05. Whisper To A Scream
06. Higher
07. Life
08. Come What May
09. I Want It All
10. Beautiful Disunity
When the collaboration between Glover and Orlando was first announced in 2019, Orlando described the project's musical direction in an interview with "Talking Metal" as "just straight-up rock. It's heavy rock. Of course, it's just one hundred percent chock-full of Corey Glover and my guitar styles. [It's] bluesy [and] funky. There's a little RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE in there. There's a little bit of soul in there. All the stuff that I love kind of just melded into one melting pot. It's just a conglomeration of styles all melded into one. There's no one particular thing that it screams. It's just heavy, hard rock kick in you know what. [Laughs]"
Describing the upcoming album as "one of the best things I have ever done," Mike said that Corey "is not only the coolest cat going, but he is one of the greatest singers on this earth. It's such an amazing experience to play with Corey and to be doing an album with him."
He added: "It's everything you would imagine from Corey, and I add my element to it, which is different than I've ever done. It's not ADRENALINE MOB, it's not SONIC STOMP — this is something really cool and different for me, so it's even that much more special for me."
Orlando and Glover played their first show together in September 2019 at the Iridium in New York City.
Back in 2016, Mike was injured in an ADRENALINE MOB road accident that resulted in the death of the band's bassist, David Zablidowsky.
At the time of the accident, ADRENALINE MOB was touring in support of its third studio album, "We The People", which was released in June 2017 via Century Media.
4K fan-filmed video of Bruce Dickinson's April 20 concert at Pepsi Center WTC in Mexico City, Mexico can be seen below.
The setlist for the show was as follows:
01. Accident Of Birth
02. Abduction
03. Laughing In The Hiding Bush
04. Afterglow Of Ragnarok
05. Chemical Wedding
06. Many Doors To Hell
07. Tears Of The Dragon
08. Resurrection Men
09. Rain On The Graves
10. Frankenstein (THE EDGAR WINTER GROUP cover)
11. Gods Of War
12. The Alchemist
13. Darkside Of Aquarius
Encore:
14. Navigate The Seas Of The Sun
15. Book Of Thel
16. The Tower
After playing two warm-up shows at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California, Dickinson officially kicked off his first solo tour in more than 20 years on Monday, April 15 at The Observatory in Santa Ana, California.
Joining the IRON MAIDEN singer on the trek is his current backing band, featuring Dave Moreno (drums),Mistheria (keyboards) and Tanya O'Callaghan (bass),alongside the group's latest additions, Swedish guitarist, songwriter and multi-platinum-credited producer Philip Näslund and Swiss session and touring guitarist Chris Declercq (who played on Dickinson's "Rain On The Graves" single). Bruce's longtime guitarist and collaborator Roy "Z" Ramirez is not part of the touring lineup.
Prior to the April 12 Whisky A Go Go show, Bruce last performed with his solo band on in August 2002 at the legendary Wacken Open Air festival in Germany.
During an appearance on the April 16 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Bruce was asked if there are plans for him to stage a full U.S. tour in support of his recently released solo album "The Mandrake Project". He responded: "I brought the [booking] agents and the promoters, and everybody came down and saw the Whisky show [in West Hollywood, California over the weekend], and now they know what they've got to deal with in terms of doing a U.S. tour. So, we're looking at it, we're planning it.
"I absolutely wanna do a full U.S. tour with 'The Mandrake Project'," he added. "I obviously can't do one for the rest of this year [due to commitments in other parts of the world and MAIDEN's upcoming touring activities], but there's '25 and there's numerous opportunities that will crop up. So the answer to that is yes, of course, we wanna come and do the U.S."
Roy played guitar on Dickinson's 1994 album "Balls To Picasso" and went on to produce, co-write and perform multiple instruments on Bruce's subsequent three solo albums, "Accident At Birth" (1997),"The Chemical Wedding" (1998) and "Tyranny Of Souls" (2005).
O'Callaghan is an Irish musician who joined WHITESNAKE in 2021 and toured with the David Coverdale-fronted outfit the following year. She also hit the road with Dickinson last year as part of a performance of Jon Lord's "Concerto For Group And Orchestra" on nearly a dozen dates in Europe and South America.
Californian drummer Moreno previously played on "Tyranny Of Souls" and has worked with BODY COUNT, Jizzy Pearl, Dizzy Reed and Steve Stevens, among others.
Italian keyboard wizard Mistheria has collaborated with an array of artists live and in the studio, including Rob Rock, Mike Portnoy, Jeff Scott Soto and Joel Hoekstra.
"The Mandrake Project" arrived on March 1 via BMG.
Bruce and Roy recorded "The Mandrake Project" largely at Los Angeles's Doom Room, with Roy doubling up as both guitarist and bassist. The recording lineup for "The Mandrake Project" was rounded out by Mistheria and Moreno, both of whom also featured on Bruce's last solo studio album, "Tyranny Of Souls", in 2005.
Dickinson made his recording debut with IRON MAIDEN on the "Number Of The Beast" album in 1982. He quit the band in 1993 in order to pursue his solo career and was replaced by Blaze Bayley, who had previously been the lead singer of the metal band WOLFSBANE. After releasing two traditional metal albums with former MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith, Dickinson rejoined the band in 1999 along with Smith.
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EMPIRE STATE BASTARD, the extreme metal band founded by Simon Neil (BIFFY CLYRO) and Mike Vennart (BIFFY CLYRO live guitarist and solo artist, ex-OCEANSIZE),has shared "The Silver Cord Sessions" EP. Available today on all streaming platforms, the live EP emerges as EMPIRE STATE BASTARD has just been nominated for two Heavy Music Awards: "Best Breakthrough Album" and "Best Album Artwork", both for their acclaimed debut, "Rivers Of Heresy".
Recorded at Silver Cord Studios in New York, owned by GOJIRA's Joseph Duplantier, who produced the session, the EP sees EMPIRE STATE BASTARD detonating a triple blast of incendiary tracks — "Harvest", "Moi?" and "Stutter" — from "Rivers Of Heresy". The accompanying live studio footage shows the band's frenetic intensity instigated by founding members Neil and Vennart, cemented by bassist Naomi Macleod (BITCH FALCON) and drumming legend Dave Lombardo (SLAYER, TESTAMENT, MR. BUNGLE).
Since debuting early in 2023, EMPIRE STATE BASTARD has hit festivals including Download, Glastonbury and Hellfest as well as completing a U.K. headline tour that included a London show at Electric Brixton. Next comes the SLEEP TOKEN North American tour, interspersed with the Sonic Temple festival, before they play a London show as guests to THE ARMED and then select European festival dates.
"Rivers Of Heresy" arrived in September 2023 via Roadrunner.
In addition to its digital release, "Rivers Of Heresy" was made available on the following limited-edition physical formats: CD with an exclusive 24-page fanzine; poison green vinyl and red / black marble vinyl; and cassette. The deluxe vinyl bundle adds a seven-inch single featuring "Harvest" and a non-album B-side to either album vinyl.
The concept for EMPIRE STATE BASTARD emerged when Neil and Vennart would spend downtime on tour sitting at the back of their bus sharing the heaviest, most avant-garde and confrontational music they could find. Now, a decade on from its conception, the project is finally coming to fruition, with Vennart writing the songs and recording all the guitars, and Neil focusing on vocals and lyrics.
The two have emerged with a collection of songs which adventurously probes slamming hardcore in the vein of SIEGE; the frenetic, visceral thrash of SLAYER; the claustrophobic sludge of MELVINS; the freeform vocal dexterity of Mike Patton; and the gargantuan stoner riffs of SLEEP. It's a band that's rooted in the tradition of metal's forefathers but informed by more recent waves of leftfield aggression.
During an appearance on "The Jasta Show", Lombardo spoke about his involvement with EMPIRE STATE BASTARD. Dave said: "Simon Neil and Mike Vennart [are] from a very popular band in the U.K. called BIFFY CLYRO. [A lot of people in the U.S.] don't know who BIFFY CLYRO is, but they're massive in the U.K. They headline Download and Glastonbury [festivals]; they headline Download the next day after IRON MAIDEN. So there guys are massive. But Simon Neil, the vocalist for that band, and Mike Vennart have a love and an affinity for hardcore music. And for the past 10 years they've been talking about this. And they hit me up during the pandemic and took a shot in the dark and said, 'Well, why not? Let's ask him. He might not wanna do it.' But they asked. At first, I fell in love with the music. I was, like, 'Wow. This is pretty fucking cool.' Odd time changes. It's a little thrashy. It has a little bit of grindcore in it. It's hard to describe. It's its own entity and it has a personality of its own. So to give it a description is really difficult. But it is in the hard music vein. And when I heard the music, I was blown away. And I agreed. And they sent me the files [for the album]. And I recorded the drums in my home studio, and I sent it back. And they were pleased."
Simon told Kerrang! magazine that he has been "needing to make a record like this for a long time. This is where I'm almost trying to be provocative," he explained. "I said to Mike that I don't want to sing any melodies — although there are a few melodies on the record, which is me following the service of the song — but my intention was no melody at all. Just fucking mayhem. We wanted people to feel that they'd almost struggle to get to the end of the first song. Thankfully, it became something more sophisticated than that, more musical, but at this point I needed to do this project. I haven't sat down with my guitar and written a song for BIFFY in a long time, and I think post-pandemic I've struggled a little bit with inspiration. This will help me [going forward], I think."
Vennart told Buzz magazine about Lombardo's drumming approach on "Rivers Of Heresy": "The songs are so complicated, there isn't much margin for improvisation. Dave gets to get his rocks off during [near-seven-minute album track] 'The Looming'; he has an indeterminable amount of time in the middle of that to go as fucking crazy as possible. In fact, when we were doing the record, I kept having to say to him, 'No, you can really open it up on that part. Go crazy. This is your moment. Just fucking go for it.' Any drummer likes being given that permission — and Dave has the chance to open up on certain corners of the music, but myself and Naomi absolutely do not. Every single pick has to be identical.
"I think, to a large extent, the guitar and the bass is the anchor in the band, so Dave can keep the backbeat — but fucking go as wild as possible, because nobody goes wild like Dave Lombardo. He's got such swing, such personality to his playing, that you want to hear him fucking go crazy. But that's the thrill of him, that there's so much power and eloquence in his musical vocabulary. You just want to hear him talk all the time."
Lombardo, who has spent most of the recent years between crossover pioneers SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, horror-punk icons MISFITS, hardcore supergroup DEAD CROSS and MR. BUNGLE, was effectively fired from SLAYER after sitting out the group's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other bandmembers. He was later replaced by Paul Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001.
Lombardo rejoined TESTAMENT in 2022 but stopped touring with that band a few months later.
Video of JUDAS PRIEST's Richie Faulkner performing the ELEGANT WEAPONS song "Horns For A Halo" live for EMGtv can be seen below.
ELEGANT WEAPONS features Faulkner on guitar and Ronnie Romero (RAINBOW, MSG) on vocals, alongside Dave Rimmer (URIAH HEEP) on bass and Christopher Williams (ACCEPT) on drums.
ELEGANT WEAPONS' debut album, "Horns For A Halo", was released on May 26, 2023 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was recorded with bassist Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN) and drummer Scott Travis (JUDAS PRIEST) and was helmed by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with JUDAS PRIEST, ACCEPT, EXODUS and MEGADETH, among many others.
In a recent interview with Jorge Botas of Portugal's Metal Global, Faulkner spoke about a possible second album from ELEGANT WEAPONS. He said: "We've already started. We've recorded drums for the second record. We got together in March, I think, of [2023]; I think it was March — I'm not sure. We got together in the studio and played together to record the drums, get the drums recorded. So it's been started."
Asked if the second ELEGANT WEAPONS LP will arrive in 2024 or 2025, Richie said: "I don't know. Maybe [in 2024]. Back in the day, bands used to release a record every year, sometimes two in a year. I know we don't do things under the same cycle anymore. But the ideas are there for the songs. We all were together, and we thought why not get at least the drums going. We got the drums and we got the guitars, and stuff like that, so why not start the process?
"It was important for me, really, when I started the band… It was a band that it wasn't just a one-record type thing," Faulkner explained. "It was a band that plays live and records — hopefully — multiple records and grows and evolves together moving into the future. So the next record is just a part of that sort of process, really."
Richie went on to say that he plans on focusing on ELEGANT WEAPONS full-time once PRIEST has officially called it a day.
"PRIEST music is gonna be around a lot longer than we are," he said. "It's legendary music. They're genre-defining musicians and it's a genre-defining band. It will be around for a long time. But none of us gets out of this alive. That's just the reality of it. So if one day that call comes in and that's the last tour or the last album, whatever it is… I mean, I joined the band on what was the farewell tour. Luckily it wasn't, and we're still here 12 years later. [It's] fantastic. But at the time, I think I would have been silly not to consider what I was gonna do after the band, because of the circumstances of the tour. It was a farewell tour — it was [supposed to be] the last tour — so what am I gonna do after? So it's always been in the back of my mind. And this is a band that seems natural to me to continue with if that call ever came in."
ELEGANT WEAPONS played a number of shows in Europe in June and July 2023, including performances with PANTERA, festival appearances and headlining gigs.
ELEGANT WEAPONS made its first two festival appearances on June 16, 2023 at Hellfest in Clisson, France and on June 18, 2023 at Graspop Metal Meeting in Dessel, Belgium.
Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has shared the official music video for his new song called "(Hold On) To The Dream". The track is taken from his upcoming solo album, "Child Within The Man", due on May 10 via Reigning Phoenix Music. The clip was directed by Jim Louvau and Tony Aguilera and can be seen below.
"If someone asked me to play the heaviest song I have ever recorded in my 35-year career, I would play them '(Hold On) To The Dream'," Sebastian says. "This song is an homage to two of my favorite things: classic metal of the '70s and also yacht rock as well! Hence the new term yacht metal!
"I have never heard a song quite like '(Hold On)To The Dream' where the crushing verse combined with the luxurious chest-hair harmonies of the chorus. I have tried to incorporate every tone of my voice into this song. For those of you keeping score, I can tell you that my voice hits some of the highest notes of my career in '(Hold On) To The Dream'!
"HOLD ON TO YOUR SEATS!!! CAUTION: this is a MONSTER JAM!"
"An album more than 10 years in the making," according to Bach, "Child Within The Man" was recorded in Orlando, Florida; produced and mixed by Michael "Elvis" Baskette; engineered by Jef Moll, assistant engineered by Josh Saldate and mastered by Robert Ludwig of Gateway Mastering. Bach wrote or co-wrote all the album's 11 tracks and sang all lead and backing vocals.
"Child Within The Man" features guest appearances from John 5 (MÖTLEY CRÜE, ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON),Steve Stevens (BILLY IDOL) and Orianthi (ALICE COOPER, MICHAEL JACKSON) — who all co-wrote their respective tracks with Bach — and two tracks co-written with ALTER BRIDGE's Myles Kennedy ("What Do I Got to Lose?" and "To Live Again"). Devin Bronson (guitars),Todd Kerns (bass) and Jeremy Colson (drums) round out the players on the album. The album will be available on jewelcase CD, cassette, and double LP in a variety of colour options.
"I have been putting out records since the year 1989," Sebastian says. "Thank YOU for 35 years of Bach N' Roll…all leading up to 'Child Within The Man'! If you like the records I have put out in the past, I can GUARANTEE that you will enjoy the new album. THIS is the kind of Rock N' Roll that keeps you young ! Can't wait for you all to crank up 'Child Within The Man' — a magical elixir to the Fountain of Youth! Gone Wild! Forever! It's all one big song! TURN IT UP!"
In an interview with "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie, Sebastian spoke about the inspiration for the "Child Within The Man" title. He said: "Well, my wife calls me man-child. That's kind of been a theme for me my whole career. I bring a youthful energy to the stage when I get up there. People are smiling and excited and hooting and hollering. But the line 'child within the man' is a line of one of the songs on the record. And I scream it like bloody murder. And it kept haunting me. "
Sebastian also talked about the "Child Within The Man" artwork, which holds special meaning since it was designed by Bach's father, noted visual artist David Bierk.
"I have a lot of my dad's artwork," Bach said. "He's no longer alive. And we all, all of his kids, we got a lot of his art when he passed away. And I unrolled a roll of paintings that I knew had the SKID ROW 'Subhuman Race' painting in it, and I wanna take care of it and make sure it's preserved. But in that roll was this painting that I remember my dad doing of me when I was 10 in a field next to this beat-up old Cadillac car in the field and then behind the car, it's Jesus ascending into heaven, and I'm running next to the car. It looks like an album cover. And then he also did a painting of me from Circus magazine, the first centerfold of me on stage at Giants Stadium. He did a gigantic painting of that, like 12 feet high. And so the cover is gonna be me running as a child into me on stage as a man, and it's child within the man. And it just reminds me of the '70s, like child in time, and it just reminds me of a good '70s album cover. And the fact that I can bring back a painting from the year 1978 and make it into artwork in 2023, 2024, that's really mind-blowing to me."
"Child Within The Man" track listing is as follows:
01. Everybody Bleeds
02. Freedom (featuring John 5)
03. (Hold On) To The Dream
04. What Do I Got To Lose?
05. Hard Darkness
06. Future Of Youth (featuring Orianthi)
07. Vendetta
08. F.U. (featuring Steve Stevens)
09. Crucify Me
10. About To Break
11. To Live Again
The album's first single, "What Do I Got To Lose?", was co-written by Sebastian, Kennedy and Baskette, the latter of whom also served as the track's producer.
In advance of the album's release, Bach will hit the road in 2024 for an international tour with dates in Latin and North America. The "What Do I Got To Lose?" tour is a mix of solo gigs and festival appearances that kicks off with an international run of performances in Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile before North American shows in the U.S. and Mexico. The stateside tour gets underway May 10 in Jefferson, Louisiana before wrapping June 29 in San Diego, California.
Bach performed "What Do I Got To Lose?" live for the first time during his February 24 concert at Palace Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Bach released the official music video for "What Do I Got To Lose?" in December. The clip was directed by Jim Louvau and Tony Aguilera. For the video, which shows Bach cruising through the desert in a convertible and performing with a full band, Sebastian was joined by his former SKID ROW bandmate, drummer Rob Affuso. The clip also features an appearance by actor and comedian Craig Gass and Sebastian's wife Suzanne, who plays a scantily clad car wash attendant.
Bach hasn't released a full-length disc since "Give 'Em Hell", which came out in March 2014. Like its predecessor, 2011's "Kicking & Screaming", the disc was released through Frontiers Music Srl, the Italian label which specializes in what's commonly called AOR, a term that once signified a popular radio format ("album-oriented rock") but nowadays applies to acts whose airplay is marginal.
Front-row fan-filmed video of JUDAS PRIEST's entire April 21 concert at Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania during the 2024 "Invincible Shield" U.S. tour can be seen below.
PRIEST's 18-song setlist included three songs from the band's latest album, "Invincible Shield": the title track, "Panic Attack" and "Crown Of Horns".
The band's setlist was as follows:
01. Panic Attack
02. You've Got Another Thing Comin'
03. Rapid Fire
04. Breaking The Law
05. Lightning Strike
06. Love Bites
07. Devil's Child
08. Saints In Hell
09. Crown Of Horns
10. Sinner
11. Turbo Lover
12. Invincible Shield
13. Victim Of Changes
14. The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown) (FLEETWOOD MAC cover)
15. Painkiller
Encore:
16. The Hellion / Electric Eye
17. Hell Bent For Leather
18. Living After Midnight
JUDAS PRIEST kicked off the U.S. leg of the "Invincible Shield" world tour on April 18 at Toyota Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, Connecticut.
In a recent appearance on The Break Down With Nath & Johnny podcast, JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill was asked who in the band has the final say when it comes to picking a setlist for the PRIEST live shows. He responded: "Well, it is probably Rob [Halford, PRIEST singer], really. But then again, we've got a whole spectrum now. You've got the younger element with Richie [Faulkner, PRIEST guitarist]. He's the same age as my eldest son. And then comes Scott [Travis, PRIEST drummer] and you've got Glenn [Tipton, PRIEST guitarist], of course. He can't do it anymore [due to his battle with Parkinson's disease]. [But] he's still sharp as a pin between his ears. Then Andy [Sneap, PRIEST touring guitarist] and Rob and myself. So you've got a full spectrum there of ages. So everybody has their own favorites and their own types of JUDAS PRIEST song. We all sort of [go], 'Yeah, like that. No, don't like that one.' And then we'll go. If someone's adamant that they really don't wanna do something, well, you don't wanna do something, and vice versa — if someone really wants to do a particular track, you do it. Like I say, you've got the ring-fence tracks there that you've gotta do — the 'Breaking The Law's and the 'Living After Midnight's and things like that, that you have to do. It's what brings people to the shows, basically. And then you've got your other sort of classic PRIEST songs, which is a little bit easier because you can swap and change those between — do a month maybe using one song, change it to another one of a similar kind. And then try to get some new stuff in there — three, maybe four maximum is about as much as you can get at any one time. I'm sure there'll be more than that, that we'll go through. And just swap and change as we go."
Asked if there are any songs that he can think of straight off the top of his head, in the PRIEST back catalog that he really loves to play live but never has, Ian said: "Ah, there's one that we have played live that we haven't played for a while and that's 'Dissident Aggressor'. I still say that's probably my all-time favorite song. It's just so raw — it's just pure rock, really. It's one of those songs that, even in the studio, I can remember it being — it's two guitars, bass, drums and vocals. And I think there might be one extra guitar on there through the lead break. Other than that, it's totally raw. It's exactly as it would be on stage. And I love that song, apart from it being a great song. And there's always other things. We've never really done 'Before The Dawn' — from the other point of view, the other end of the spectrum, if there's a quiet part in [the show]. These days people tend to prefer the more upbeat stuff rather than the quieter pieces. But that would be cool to do as well. It's only about two and a half, three minutes long anyway, so it wouldn't take much time. But there's loads in there — there's loads of them. 'Sinner' we haven't done, so it'd be great to do that again. We haven't done that for a while. But we'll see."
In a separate interview with Metal Pilgrim, Halford spoke about the setlist for the European leg of PRIEST's tour with SAXON and URIAH HEEP. He said: "We've had this conversation before as far as trying to put the setlist together. And after 19 studio albums, it's, like, 'Oh my God. Where do we go?' If we didn't play 'Breaking The Law', there'd be a riot. If we didn't play 'Painkiller', there'd be a riot. There are certain songs that you are indebted to your fans to play, because they're part of the fabric of who you are as a band. Without naming names, there are certain bands where you know you wanna hear that song when you go to a show. So there's a portion of the setlist that already writes itself. Having said that, yeah, we are gonna go quite deep, and we found some songs from previous albums that we're gonna work with and we're gonna bring out. So there'll probably be at least two or three deep cuts on this setlist."
Rob continued: "At any given moment, we've got 60 to 70 songs we can play — at any given moment. And then we're gonna add more into the mix. It's fun to see the texts and the e-mails flying through: 'Well, I'll give you this one if you give me that one.' 'Cause you've gotta find a balance. When a band plays on stage, every single bandmember has to agree on the set list. There's no place for, 'Oh, dude, I've gotta play this one.' There's no place for that. You've all gotta be believing in that particular song as you go through the show. And it's gonna be fantastic. And this is gonna be a really eventful tour as we're about to kick off in Europe, with our friends SAXON and URIAH HEEP."
Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Original guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Faulkner.
"Invincible Shield" entered the U.K. chart at No. 2, just behind Ariana Grande's "Eternal Sunshine".
Prior to "Invincible Shield"'s arrival, PRIEST's highest U.K. chart achievement was with 1980's "British Steel", which reached No. 4.
PRIEST's 2018 album "Firepower" entered the chart at No. 5.
"Invincible Shield" is JUDAS PRIEST's fifth Top 10 album, after the aforementioned "British Steel" and "Firepower", as well as 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" (No. 6) and the 1979 live album "Unleashed In The East" (No. 10).
"Invincible Shield" landed at No. 1 in Germany, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, as well as No. 5 in France, No. 8 in Italy and No. 16 in Australia.
Finnish metal masters, Battle Beast, are happy to release their new live single, "Master Of Illusion" (Live in Helsinki 2023), including the live video.
After releasing their latest studio album, Circus Of Doom, in 2022, Battle Beast have proved what a force they are live and thus underpinned the success of the album even further. This version of "Master Of Illusion" was recorded on January 27, 2023 at their sold-out headline show in front of over 3,000 people at the Helsinki Ice Hall, and clearly shows why the band is captivating more and more people.
Vocalist Noora Louhimo: ”We are beyond excited to share with you this live single, celebrating Circus of Doom and our fans around the world. Our tour this year is the last chance to witness this spectacle live before we close this chapter and move on to the next. Hope to see you all on the road!”
Stream the single on all platforms here, and watch the video below:
After completing a very successful tour through Europe in the beginning of the year, Battle Beast have just announced new dates in Europe for September-October 2024 together with supports Serenity and Brymir.
The band are now heading to South America for some shows, and in May the band sets off for their first headline tour ever thorugh USA and Canada together with label mates Blackbriar.
North American dates:
May
9 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
10 - Ottawa, ON - The Brass Monkey
11 - Toronto, ON - Opera House
12 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
14 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
15 - Minneapolis, MN - The Varsity Theater
16 - Lawrence, KS - Grenada Theater
17 - Denver, CO - The Gothic Theatre
18 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
20 - Seattle, WA The Neptune Theater
21 - Vancouver, BC - The Rickshaw
22 - Portland, OR - Revolution Hall
24 - Roseville, CA - Goldfield Trading Post
25 - Santa Ana, CA - The Observatory
26 - Phoenix, AZ - The Nile Theater
28 - Dallas, TX - Echo
30 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
31 - Charlotte, NC - The Underground
June
1 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Sound Stage
2 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
European dates:
September
20 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle
21 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7 Konzertfabrik
22 - Obertraubling, Germany - Airport-Eventhall
23 - Berlin, Germany - Hole 44
24 - Harleem, Netherlands - Patronaat
25 - Antwerp, Belgium - Zappa Club
27 - Southampton, UK - The 1865
28 - London, UK - Electric Brixton
29 - Birmingham, UK - XOYO
30 - Glasgow, UK - Garage
October
1 - Manchester, UK - Academy 2
3 - Bristol, UK - Marble Factory
4 - Uden, Netherlands - De Pul
5 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Garage
6 - Hannover, Germany - Capitol
Lÿnx - Calgary, Alberta’s ferocious force in hard rock / hair metal, is gearing up to drench crowds with their new album, slated for release on May 9, 2024.
Emerging from the ashes of the pandemic in 2020, Lÿnx is fueled by a shared love for the iconic sounds of '80s rock. The forthcoming album, Claws Out, is a sonic journey that encapsulates the band's dedication to the glory days of rock, blending it seamlessly with the contemporary polish and gritty authenticity of their modern influences. The first look at what’s to come is the sultry video / single “Shake It Up”, which they comment on:
“Every band needs that one fast-paced shake your ass kind of song, something to get the ladies moving and the men groovin’. 'Shake It Up' has all the feels from the catchy riffs to the furious guitar solo. Strong bass to keep the beat, banging drums you’ll feel in your chest, and a screeching vocal tune that may just have you coming back for more!”
Lÿnx’s first two records, Long Live Rock N Roll (2020) and S/T (2020) were six-track EPs, however this time they're going all the way with a full ten-song album.
Tracklisting:
"Hell In High Heels"
"Rock Machine"
"Claws Out"
"Can’t Get Enough"
"Shake It Up" (Remastered)
"Band Of Brothers"
"Nothing But Love"
"Hard As Life"
"Pull The Trigger"
"Lights Out"
Canada’s Unleash The Archers recently announced the upcoming release of their sixth studio album, Phantoma, out May 10 via Napalm Records.
Following the album's first two singles "Green & Glass" and “Ghosts In The Mist”, today, the Vancouver based five-piece has revealed their soaring third single, “Seeking Vengeance”, along with a new music video. Beginning with a fast paced guitar lead and modernized power metal attacks, the song entrances with a powerful chorus and intricate dual solo.
On the new concept album, listeners join protagonist Phantoma, a Phase 4 / Network Tier 0 unit - model A, on an inspiring yet harrowing journey as she discovers the brutal truths behind the manufactured sheen of social media posturing on a dystopian, near-future planet earth. With the band’s one-of-a-kind blend of power metal, traditional heavy metal, modern prog and pop sensibilities, Phantoma spins a web of sharp musicality, high sci-fi concept and important social commentary.
Brittney Slayes of Unleash The Archers says about “Seeking Vengeance”: "This is the moment in the story when Phantoma comes to terms with what she must do and who she must become in order to do it. We worked really hard to make sure the music reflects the energy of the moment, and I think the video does a great job of portraying the inner struggle as well. This was filmed and edited by the boys at RuneGate Studio and they focused on using lighting and different lenses to create a dynamic visual experience. The song is the darkest moment of the album but it is juxtaposed with an uplifting chorus melody that was actually inspired by classic Disney 'hero anthems'. This one was a unanimous single choice for us and we can't wait to play it live for you all at our upcoming shows! Hope you enjoy."
Intertwining reality with imagination, Unleash The Archers were inspired to utilize elements of AI during the creation of Phantoma, in keeping with its innovative theme. Frontwoman and lyricist Brittney Slayes conjured the album's concept in 2021; before the swarm of pressing commentary surrounding AI began to reach an all-time high.
The band weaved electronic and synthwave elements throughout the album’s 10 colossal anthems, which - in line with its theme - prove much darker and heavier in comparison to the bright positivity of Abyss. Album opener “Human Era” sets the tone with imagery of a bleak, windswept futurescape that crescendos headlong into the breakneck pace of power metal bastion “Ph4/NT0mA” - a masterwork of dueling guitar solos and vocal acrobatics. Trad-metal influenced “Buried In Code” lights the way with pummeling rhythms before the album’s path turns dark on heavy metal hardened “The Collective”, with Brittney Slayes’ warm tones inviting the listener to ‘join or stand aside’! Hair-raising first single “Green & Glass” unveils the truth before the upbeat 80s flavored “Gods In Decay” and the extraordinary balladic anthem “Give It Up Or Give It All” showcase the varied song writing prowess of Unleash The Archers’ modern era. A trifecta of concept closers begins with the moody “Ghosts In The Mist”, leading into the soaring yet menacing “Seeking Vengeance” before closing with the bittersweet tale of “Blood Empress”.
Mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen, and with lead guitarist Andrew Kingsley at the helm as both principal songwriter and producer, Phantoma is an exciting advancement in Unleash The Archers’ songwriting and storytelling mastery, and a giant leap forward in their towering musical trajectory.
Phantoma will be available in the following formats:
- Earbook Edition with 2CD (2 Bonus Tracks and instrumental version of the album), 7" Single (2 bonus tracks on Black vinyl), 60 pp booklet (Napalm Mail Order only - limited to 1000)
- -2LP Gatefold in Phantoma Cristallo Multicolored Splatter (Napalm Mail Order only - limited to 300) - NEW!
- 2LP Gatefold in Marbled Orange Red with 24 page vinyl booklet and artprint (Napalm Mail Order only - limited to 300) - SOLD OUT!
- 2LP Gatefold in Glow In the Dark (Napalm Mail Order only - limited to 300)
- 2LP Gatefold in Splatter Aquamarine Orange (Napalm International Mail Order only - limited to 300)
- 2LP Gatefold in Transparent Lime Green (Napalm North American Mail Order only - limited to 300)
- 2LP Gatefold in Silver (North American indie retail only - limited to 700)
- 2LP Gatefold in Black
- Cassette Tape Edition in Fluorescent Green with White Print (Napalm Mail Order only - limited to 200)
- Jewel Case CD Edition
- Digital Album
"Human Era"
"Ph4/NT0mA"
"Buried In Code"
"The Collective"
"Green & Glass"
"Gods In Decay"
"Give It Up Or Give It All"
"Ghosts In The Mist"
"Seeking Vengeance"
"Blood Empress"
“Ghosts In The Mist” video:
"Green & Glass" video:
Unleash The Archers will tour across the globe in 2024, with dates already announced in North America, Europe, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. See below for all currently booked tour dates.
European Festivals:
July
5 - Ballenstedt, Germany - Rock Harz
6 - Knislinge, Sweden - Time To Rock
12 - Visovice, Czech Republic - Masters Of Rock
19 - Laukaa, Finland - John Smith Fest
21 - Baile Figa, RO @ Celtic Transylvania
August
2 - Wacken, Germany - Wacken Open Air
9 - Villena, Spain - Leyendas Del Rock
10 - Walton-On-Trent, UK - Bloodstock
Supporting Powerwolf in North America:
August
29 - Los Angeles, CA - The Hollywood Palladium
31 - Denver, CO - The Ogden Theatre
September
3 - Chicago, IL - The Riviera Theatre
4 - Cleveland, OH - The Agora Theatre
5 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore
7 - Tampa, FL - Jannus Landing
8 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
9 - Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore
12 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore
13 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
14 - New York City, NY - Brooklyn Paramount
15 - Laval, QC - Place Bell
Unleash The Archers lineup:
Brittney Slayes - Vocals
Scott Buchanan - Drums
Grant Truesdell - Guitar, Vocals
Andrew Kingsley - Guitar, Vocals
Nick Miller - Bass
Using royalties from their first ever-single, Savage Lands recently protected 60,000 square feet of Costa Rican rainforest from getting chopped down. But on their new single, "Black Rock Heart", these angry metalheads are warning us that if we don't listen up, the world as we know it might not be around much longer.
Watch the video for "Black Rock Heart" featuring Kai Uwe Faust from Heilung and Chloé Trujillo below.
Just listening to "Black Rock Heart" helps support Savage Lands. 100% of the song's royalties fund the musician-run non-profit's preservation efforts in Costa Rica. Donations can also be made here.
Savage Land's first single was a fitting tribute to the endangered howler monkey. But even though it's still plenty heavy, "Black Rock Heart" aims at more spiritual concerns. The video begins with an ominous warning: the spirits of nature are reaching out to us... Of course, who else could represent these magical beings but visionary artist Chloé Trujillo and Heilung's chief of ceremonies Kai Uwe Faust.
Channeling the protective powers of an Obsidian stone, Chloé sends Kai to warn of the doomsday scenario that's unfolding right before our eyes. Don't mistake the derelict buildings or rusted heavy metal machinery that dot this deserted landscape for the work of AI. Savage Lands shot this video on location in Salton Sea, which is the site of the biggest environmental disaster in California history.
"That we tried to create an ocean just shows our own ignorance" says guitarist Sylvain Demercastel, who co-founded Savage Lands alongside Megadeth drummer Dirk Verbeuren. "The Salton Sea is a very symbolic area. It was the perfect place for us to shoot this video. Sadly, there's hardly a tree in sight."
Kai bangs on his hand drum. Still, even when he's screaming in the band's face, the message falls on deaf ears. Black Bomb A's Sebastian Poun strains his voice into a bat-like shriek before exploding on a room full of TVs, computers and other man-made creations that are supposed to make us happy.
"We wanted this song to reflect our mounting frustration with the way the real estate heat wave is destroying Costa Rica's ecosystem", says Sylvain. "Black Rock Heart" does sound angrier and more aggressive than what we've previously heard from Savage Lands. Sylvain shoots off a guitar solo that howls away like a flare gun, but the riff is a wicked stroke of downpicking that's only sharpened by the low end's blackened groove. "It's got a bit more black 'n' roll to it, which plays into the title."
But "Black Rock Heart" isn't all doom and gloom. Just as Chloé's clean singing cuts through those venomous shrieks like a salve, the song ends with a positive sign. The black arrow that falls from the sky is a final message for us to act on the benefit of our planet, before it's too late.
"That's the reason why we started Savage Lands", says Sylvain. "It's up to us to do something."
Kai and his fellow Heilung warriors are continuing to support Savage Lands on their 2024 tour dates. The Nordic collective are donating $1 for every ticket sold to the non-profit's ongoing forest preservation efforts in Costa Rica.
"The question is: 'Do you like to breath'?", Kai asks. "Do you like trees. Then you really should follow Savage Lands."
Savage Lands are planting their eco-friendly flag at Hellfest! They'll play the main stage on Friday, June 28, with help from some very special guests.
Stop by the Savage Lands booth to learn more about the green zones, nature sanctuaries and other preservation projects that they're building in Costa Rica. Make a donation and receive the chance to win a one-of-a-kind guitar.
"Soul Offering", the second single from the forthcoming Vale Of Pnath album, Between The Worlds Of Life And Death, is out now on all major digital platforms. The official video can be be seen below.
Vale Of Pnath will release their new album, Between The Worlds Of Life And Death, on CD, vinyl, and digital formats on May 24th via Willowtip Records.
The band released the following statement concerning the new album:
"It’s been five years since our last release, Accursed. The EP really was a new avenue for the band as we leaned further toward a more blackened approach stylistically. Having more of a tech death background, this EP was a way to lead our fans into the next era. Between The Worlds Of Life And Death is an album that really is just a continuation of what we started with Accursed. It captures the band's core sound, but also brings a newer and bold take on this brand of metal. We want this to be the most approachable album we have made for metal fans. We want people to put this on and be sucked in immediately, yet keep coming back for more.”
Between The Worlds Of Life And Death artwork and tracklisting:
"The Forgotten Path" (Intro)
"Silent Prayer"
"Soul Offering"
"Shadow"
"Uncertain Tomorrow"
"Beneath Ashen Skies"
"No Return, No Regret"
"Echoes Of The Past" (Interlude)
"Burning Light"
Vale Of Pnath will hit the road in May with co-headliners Abigail Williams, and special guests Summoning The Lich for a U.S. tour. Confirmed dates are as listed:
May
2 - Lawrence, KS - The Bottleneck
3 - St Louis, MO - Red Flag
4 - Milwaukee, WI - X-Ray Arcade
5 - Chicago, IL - Reggies Music Joint
7 - Cleveland , OH - No Class
8 - Nashville ,TN - The End
9 - Spartanburg, SC - Ground Zero
10 - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
11 - Birmingham, AL - LCY
13 - Austin, TX - Come And Take It Live
14 - Houston, TX - Secret Group
15 - Fort Worth, TX - Haltom Theater
17 - Colorado Springs, CO - The Black Sheep *
18 - Denver, CO - The Marquis Theater *
20 - Phoenix, AZ - The Underground *
21 - Las Vegas, NV - The Usual Place *
22 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick *
23 - San Luis Obispo, CA - Humdinger Brewing *
24 - Anaheim, CA - Chain Reaction *
25 - San Fransisco, CA - Neck Of The Woods *
26 - Sacramento, CA - Harlow’s *
* Dates with Summoning The Lich
(Tour poster design: Zac Shiffer. Band photo credit: Michelle Nisbit)
The Crosscut Films YouTube Channel has shared superscaled to 4K live videos of Van Halen's "5150" and "Finish What Ya Started". Check them out below.
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
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