Today marks the release of "Hangtime", the latest single from the heavy psychedelic rock trio Mooch, off their upcoming album Visions. Accompanying the launch of this powerful track is a live performance video that captures the raw energy and immense talent of the band.
"Hangtime" is a dynamic exploration of uncertainty and future anxieties, characterized by Mooch’s signature fusion of down-tuned desert rock, '90s grunge, and '70s psychedelia. The song starts with a gritty, compelling riff that evolves into a full-blown auditory experience filled with deep, resonant vocals and the complex interplay of guitar and drums that fans have come to expect from Mooch.
The live performance video, filmed during one of the band’s captivating live sessions, showcases the chemistry and intensity of Mooch’s onstage presence. Recorded under the atmospheric blend of psychedelic lighting and enveloping sound, the video offers a glimpse into what fans can anticipate during the upcoming "Visions Tour 2024."
Mooch describes "Hangtime" as, "a song written about the feeling of being up in the air, uncertain and worried about the direction of the future. However, even coming from a grey, doom-ridden perspective, one has the potential to touchdown and make an impact." This release not only teases the depth and diversity of the forthcoming album Visions but also highlights the band’s growth and continued innovation in their music.
With the release of "Hangtime," Mooch continues to solidify their position in the modern rock scene, promising more immersive experiences with the full release of Visions on May 3, 2024.
With roots in both Montreal and Yellowknife, Mooch has established themselves as a formidable force in the rock scene, known for their electrifying performances and a unique sound that seamlessly blends the raw edge of rock with captivating melodies and thunderous rhythms.
Don't miss your chance to catch Mooch live in action – a band that continues to redefine the boundaries of rock music with every performance. Canadian tour dates are as follows:
May
10 - Ottawa, ON - Café Dekcuf
11 - Montreal, QC - The Purple Room (Joint album release show with The Hazytones)
17 - Toronto, ON - Bovine Sex Club
18 - Hamilton, ON - Doors Taco Joint and Metal Bar
19 - Barrie, ON - The Poolhaus
24 - Fredericton, NB - Broken Record Bar & Music Room
25 - Moncton, NB - Xeroz
26 - Sydney, NS - St. Patricks
27 - Halifax, NS - Rad Storm
"Shelter In Place", the new video from Baltimore, Maryland-based transapocalyptic galaxy rock duo, Darsombra, can viewed below The track can found on the band’s entrancing psychedelic masterpiece, Dumesday Book.
The video arrives as the band traverses the Atlantic Ocean once again to begin their latest tour across Europe and the UK.
"Shelter In Place" is an ominous, majestic introduction to the album's uncertain journey of the deep range of human emotions characteristic during plague times. The track is quaking, vast, and full of portent; the video, filmed and edited by Everton, gives the tsunami of precarious fear a doleful, baleful visage. Welcome to the trip.
SEVENDUST guitarist Clint Lowery will release an instrumental EP, "Don't Say It", on May 24.
The official music video for the EP's first single, "Dizzy Moments", produced by Chuck Brueckmann, can be seen below.
When Clint first announced that he was working on an instrumental EP back in January, he wrote on his social media: "For awhile now I've been very interested in film scoring, sound design and programming. Instead of focusing on another typical release I thought it'd be cool to write and release a few of these rough pieces I've been cutting my teeth on. Most of it is very moody, dark and cinematic, but still somewhat in traditional song format. It has been very fulfilling to work on not to mention refreshing creatively. I can experiment with sounds, textures and arrangements I enjoy.
"I got the inspiration while listening to NIN 'Ghosts' release and thought it would be a good exercise to just write and record something everyday or at least every other day just to flush things out, learn more about the process.
"I like to announce these things to stay accountable and I always work better under a deadline pressure, even if its one I put on myself. I plan to mix and master this myself (something I’ve never done). So please be open minded and take it for what it is…sharing musical ideas, the process where I'm currently sitting and where I want to go.
"I'm excited to tread on some new ground. Very humbling yet gratifying journey so far."
The 52-year-old Lowery, who lives in St. Louis, Missouri with his wife Tara and their two children, released a solo EP, titled "Ghostwriter", in February 2023 via Dark Blanket Records. The five-track effort was the follow-up to his debut solo album, "God Bless The Renegades", which came out in January 2020 via Rise Records.
In addition to SEVENDUST, Lowery has been a member of, written, recorded, or performed with CALL ME NO ONE, DARK NEW DAY, KORN, RED, Tommy Lee's METHODS OF MAYHEM, SNOT, 10 YEARS and DIGITAL SUMMER, among others.
Photo credit: Chuck Brueckmann
Well the time has come to release this into the wild. My first instrumental EP. Due out May 24th. Preorder for...
After playing two warm-up shows at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California over the weekend, IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson officially kicked off his first solo tour in more than 20 years on Monday, April 15 at The Observatory in Santa Ana, California.
As was the case with the two Whisky A Go Go shows, Dickinson was joined at The Observatory by 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.
Dickinson's setlist for the Santa Ana concert 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 (live debut)
15. Book Of Thel
16. The Tower
Prior to Friday night's (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.
In a recent interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show, Bruce spoke about the stripped-down nature of tour in support of his latest solo album, "The Mandrake Project". He said: "Well, we're doing a mix of festivals and headline shows so far in Europe up till July 21, about 40 shows. Luckily, I think most of the headline shows are almost sold out or sold out now. So we're gonna be sold out in most places in Europe. About two-and-a-half-thousand seaters — the average is probably about two and a half thousand, so they're cool-sized venues.
"For me, the whole essence of this is letting the music do the talking, let the music do the storytelling," he explained. "And so I'm not planning on having monsters or pyro or any of that stuff. There will be a screen, and, of course, we'll have a lot of stuff to put on it because we've got a great director and he'll be able to give us some content. But even then, I'm not going to have a show that's choreographed to like a time code or a click track or something else like that. This is gonna be a show where the music and the musicians take the story to people. So, I'm not thinking 2002, I'm not thinking 1982. I'm thinking 1972."
Last month, Bruce told Paul Anthony of Planet Rock about Roy's absence from the touring band: "[It] is disappointing, but there you are. He had a lot of stuff going on at home. And, basically, there's stuff he could be doing in the studio. We are in the middle of doing Dolby Atmos mixes for all of my back catalog, and that requires quite a lot of stuff, 'cause we're not just remixing; we are also — what's the expression? — reimagining some of the albums. So some of the albums that should have been, frankly, a bit heavier, like 'Balls To Picasso', we can stick some new stuff on, and there's some stuff that didn't get mixed on to the album that was recorded that we can take a view on as well. So there's quite a lot of exciting stuff going on there, so there's gonna be lots for him to get on with whilst we're touring."
He continued: "But we've got two fantastic guitar players, Philip Näslund from Sweden and Chris Declercq, who actually is already on the record, because he played the solo on 'Rain On The Graves'. So he's based in L.A. He's a Swiss guy, but he lives in L.A., [is] based in L. A. And Philipwas based in L.A. but now lives back in Sweden. So it's gonna be an incredible band. I jammed with both guitar players. And I was, like, 'You know, I'm just gonna take both of them.' Obviously, there's a lot of twin guitar parts on the record. And there's also quite a bit of keyboards on the record and lots of stuff. So there'll be no idle hands on stage. But it'll sound magnificent. I've already jammed with Tanya and Chris and Philip and Dave Moreno when I was out in L.A., just to give it a quick once around the houses with some of the tunes, and it was so exciting. It really was."
Asked how many of the songs from "The Mandrake Project" will be performed live on the upcoming tour, Bruce said: "Well, I wanna make sure that people come to the show and just go away going, 'Well, that was great, cracking. You can't expect people… I mean, it's not like the Sermon On The Mount, where you turn up and it's, like, 'And you're gonna have this, whether you like it or not. So I'm gonna play certainly four tracks off the new record, and we'll just see how it goes. It's not a situation like a MAIDEN situation where, because we have a big show, because we have everything coordinated with the lights and monsters and pyro and everything, once we get out there, the show is pretty much set in stone, what we're gonna play. Well, this one, we can swap it around a little bit. I mean, if we start doing rehearsals and we go, 'Wow, this feels great. Why don't we chop in another song?' I wasn't gonna play anything off 'Skunkworks'. Now I'm not so sure, 'cause it turns out that both guitarists and the drummer are mad, keen fans of that album. So I'd just done an Atmos mix of 'Skunkworks' with the blessing of [the LP's original producer] Jack Endino, and it sounds brilliant. And I was in there with, with Chris and he's, like, 'Oh, can you play that track?' I went, 'How'd you know that track?' He goes, 'I love this album.' 'Wow.' So, there'll be a lot of stuff. There'll be stuff off 'The Chemical Wedding', obviously, gotta play 'Tears Of The Dragon' and so on and so forth, there'll be stuff off 'Accident Of Birth'. So it's gonna be a smorgasbord of the best-of, 'cause it's been 19, 20 years since I've toured live [as a solo artist]. So lots of people have either never seen me live or the ones that have seen me live have forgotten how bad it was, and have bought tickets. [Laughs]"
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.
On Monday, April 15, which is Tax Day in the United States for most Americans, PRONG has shared a video for the band's version of the RUSH classic "Working Man (Regular Version)". The track appears as a shorter version on PRONG's latest album, "State Of Emergency", which was released last October via Steamhammer/SPV.
PRONG mainman Tommy Victor commented: "RUSH had the big riffs and that’s something PRONG always wants as well. Especially in the song 'Working Man' with that all-time classic opening riff. We have a new lyric video for the regular version of 'Working Man'. It's a bit industrial and trippy at the same time. Check it out!"
Produced by the skillful hands of legendary producer Steve Evetts (SEPULTURA, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN),, "State Of Emergency" surprises on the post-punk track "Disconnected" and then grooves on the title track. Originally released as a standalone single in early 2023, "Breaking Point" takes no prisoners with honest lyrics and cutting attitude, while hard-hitting "The Descent" is a lightning quick, classic ripper.
Victor told Decibel magazine about the decision to cover RUSH: "The thing is, when I was a kid, I didn't play guitar, so I was a bass player in bands when I was in high school and shit. So, of course, Geddy Lee was the guy. He was one of the top dudes, right? I saw RUSH so many times. There was no way of not having them influence you. It was impossible because they were so popular. They weren't on the big scale, but guys that were playing in garage bands, we were doing [LED] ZEPPELIN covers and BAD COMPANY and then RUSH songs, and that's the way it was back in the day. And 'Working Man' was the standard one. I know it's not with Neil [Peart], but the riff is so easy and it's so basic that it's a killer track. I mean, I love the lyric and everything. So that's one of the reasons why that one stood out to me. The lyrics fit into the whole 'State Of Emergency' [theme] too. It fit in for some reason, so I really wanted to do it."
Regarding why he chose to write all of "State Of Emergency" himself, Tommy told New Noise Magazine: "Honestly, anything collaborative is because of necessity, [being] pressed for time. I hate to go back and criticize records I've done recently, where I've warmly praised them, but yeah, I had to do [a couple of things on previous records] in order to get it done that I didn't really want to do. I sound like the biggest snob in the world, but in general, I'm very critical of other guitar players' riffs and ideas. Very few times I'm impressed."
IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson played the second intimate concert at legendary Los Angeles club Whisky A Go Go last night (Saturday, April 13) as a warm-up for his upcoming solo tour. Performing under the banner of THE HOUSE BAND FROM HELL, Dickinson played a 15-song set with his 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.
Among the tracks Bruce played last night were "The Book Of Thel" and "The Tower", taken from Dickinson's 1998 album "The Chemical Wedding"; and " Starchildren", which originally appeared on 1997's "Accident Of Birth". He also performed four songs from his latest solo album, this year's "The Mandrake Project": "Afterglow Of Ragnarok", "Many Doors To Hell", "Resurrection Men" and "Rain On The Graves". There were also the classic Dickinson solo cuts "Tears Of The Dragon" and "Accident Of Birth", as well as a cover version of THE EDGAR ALLEN WINTER GROUP's "Frankenstein".
Setlist:
01. Accident Of Birth
02. Abduction
03. Starchildren (first live performance since 1997)
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. Book Of Thel (first live performance since 1999)
15. The Tower (tour debut)
Prior to Friday night's (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.
Bruce and his band will play another concert at the Whisky A Go Go tonight (Saturday, April 13). Tickets to both shows went on sale Friday morning, only available for purchase at the Whisky box office. The lucky fans who lined up early got a special treat and were greeted by Dickinson in the box office selling tickets and meeting fans.
Commented Dickinson: "As we were holed up in our North Hollywood rehearsal studio preparing for the tour, we thought that since rehearsals were going so well maybe we should have a little fun and do something last-minute here in L.A. Putting tickets for sale at an actual box office should remind people what it used to be like back when I started gigging!"
He added: "We're raring to go and I'm just so excited to unleash this band on the world at the iconic Whisky A Go Go."
In a video message announcing the first Whisky gig, Bruce said: "Hello, a quick update. Oh my God, here we are in rehearsals with the House Band Of Hell, which is actually what is gonna be at the Whisky A Go Go in Los Angeles on Friday. Secret show, not secret anymore. 10 o'clock Friday morning, tickets go on sale. And when you turn up at the box office, you never know who you might meet. But anyway, never mind. So we're gonna be there.
"We are just absolutely stoked for this show," he continued. "I mean, we were ready a week ago. I've been trying to calm them down. Honestly, it's like having a lot of strange horny animals. [I have to] throw buckets of cold water over them. 'Boys, stop' — and girls. All equally. We are just ready to get it on. So ready for this tour."
In a recent interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show, Bruce spoke about the stripped-down nature of the upcoming tour in support of "The Mandrake Project". He said: "Well, we're doing a mix of festivals and headline shows so far in Europe up till July 21, about 40 shows. Luckily, I think most of the headline shows are almost sold out or sold out now. So we're gonna be sold out in most places in Europe. About two-and-a-half-thousand seaters — the average is probably about two and a half thousand, so they're cool-sized venues.
"For me, the whole essence of this is letting the music do the talking, let the music do the storytelling," he explained. "And so I'm not planning on having monsters or pyro or any of that stuff. There will be a screen, and, of course, we'll have a lot of stuff to put on it because we've got a great director and he'll be able to give us some content. But even then, I'm not going to have a show that's choreographed to like a time code or a click track or something else like that. This is gonna be a show where the music and the musicians take the story to people. So, I'm not thinking 2002, I'm not thinking 1982. I'm thinking 1972."
Last month, Bruce told Paul Anthony of Planet Rock about Roy's absence from the touring band: "[It] is disappointing, but there you are. He had a lot of stuff going on at home. And, basically, there's stuff he could be doing in the studio. We are in the middle of doing Dolby Atmos mixes for all of my back catalog, and that requires quite a lot of stuff, 'cause we're not just remixing; we are also — what's the expression? — reimagining some of the albums. So some of the albums that should have been, frankly, a bit heavier, like 'Balls To Picasso', we can stick some new stuff on, and there's some stuff that didn't get mixed on to the album that was recorded that we can take a view on as well. So there's quite a lot of exciting stuff going on there, so there's gonna be lots for him to get on with whilst we're touring."
He continued: "But we've got two fantastic guitar players, Philip Näslund from Sweden and Chris Declercq, who actually is already on the record, because he played the solo on 'Rain On The Graves'. So he's based in L.A. He's a Swiss guy, but he lives in L.A., [is] based in L. A. And Philipwas based in L.A. but now lives back in Sweden. So it's gonna be an incredible band. I jammed with both guitar players. And I was, like, 'You know, I'm just gonna take both of them.' Obviously, there's a lot of twin guitar parts on the record. And there's also quite a bit of keyboards on the record and lots of stuff. So there'll be no idle hands on stage. But it'll sound magnificent. I've already jammed with Tanya and Chris and Philip and Dave Moreno when I was out in L.A., just to give it a quick once around the houses with some of the tunes, and it was so exciting. It really was."
Asked how many of the songs from "The Mandrake Project" will be performed live on the upcoming tour, Bruce said: "Well, I wanna make sure that people come to the show and just go away going, 'Well, that was great, cracking. You can't expect people… I mean, it's not like the Sermon On The Mount, where you turn up and it's, like, 'And you're gonna have this, whether you like it or not. So I'm gonna play certainly four tracks off the new record, and we'll just see how it goes. It's not a situation like a MAIDEN situation where, because we have a big show, because we have everything coordinated with the lights and monsters and pyro and everything, once we get out there, the show is pretty much set in stone, what we're gonna play. Well, this one, we can swap it around a little bit. I mean, if we start doing rehearsals and we go, 'Wow, this feels great. Why don't we chop in another song?' I wasn't gonna play anything off 'Skunkworks'. Now I'm not so sure, 'cause it turns out that both guitarists and the drummer are mad, keen fans of that album. So I'd just done an Atmos mix of 'Skunkworks' with the blessing of [the LP's original producer] Jack Endino, and it sounds brilliant. And I was in there with, with Chris and he's, like, 'Oh, can you play that track?' I went, 'How'd you know that track?' He goes, 'I love this album.' 'Wow.' So, there'll be a lot of stuff. There'll be stuff off 'The Chemical Wedding', obviously, gotta play 'Tears Of The Dragon' and so on and so forth, there'll be stuff off 'Accident Of Birth'. So it's gonna be a smorgasbord of the best-of, 'cause it's been 19, 20 years since I've toured live [as a solo artist]. So lots of people have either never seen me live or the ones that have seen me live have forgotten how bad it was, and have bought tickets. [Laughs]"
The third chance to see the six-piece live will be at The Observatory in Orange County, California on Monday, April 15.
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.
Night # 2...
HOUSE BAND OF HELL!!!
Bruce Dickinson, Dave Moreno, Chris Declercq, Tanya O Callaghan, Mistheria and Philip Naund...READY TO ROCK!!!
🤘🎶🥁🎸🤘
Former Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has shared his weekly cover, this time taking on Queen guitarist Brian May's "Too Much Love Will Kill You"
"Too Much Love Will Kill You" was written by Brian May, Frank Musker and Elizabeth Lamers. The song reflected the breakdown of May's first marriage and attraction to his future wife, Anita Dobson. It was first recorded by Queen around 1988 or before, and was intended to be on the band's 1989 album, The Miracle, but did not make the cut due to legal disputes following the band's decision that all songs on the album would be written by the group as opposed to individuals. After Queen frontman Freddie Mercury's death in 1991, May arranged a solo version, which he performed at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992, and subsequently included on his solo album Back to the Light that same year.
Unleashing their fifth studio release vir fortis, a heavy metal-infused history lesson covering Napoleon and Vlad The Impaler, Toronto, Canada’s AxMinister are sharing their latest video with the use of AI to tell a visual story about their track "Vlad The Impaler... Son of The Dragon". The track studies the rich history associated with the infamous despot, as well as the myth pervading hence.
Historically accurate, vir fortis is a journey to a different time. There are two songs about Vlad and an impressive 17-minute saga about Napoleon.
AxMinister explains further:
“‘Vlad The Impaler…Son Of The Dragon’ studies the rich history associated with the infamous despot, as well as the myth pervading hence. ‘The Age Of Napoleon…The Rise’, which was in the works for five years, sets the stage for the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte; this exciting study of the world that gave birth to the future Emperor, leaves us as he becomes a captain of artillery, in the French revolutionary army.”
vir fortis was produced, mixed, and mastered at Monolithic Productions by Tyler Williams and the EP cover artwork is an oil painting by drummer Bas von Bismark who also writes a majority of the lyrics. Bassist/vocalist Nicholas Klaus writes most of the music, with guitarist Steve Macleod contributing key song elements wherever needed. The songs are then arranged by the band collectively.
Heavy metal fans, especially those with an interest in history and battle, will not be disappointed with this record. It is recommended for fans of Megadeth, Manowar, and Judas Priest.
Former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson made his live debut with New Jersey thrashers OVERKILL on Thursday, April 11 at C3 Stage in Guadalajara, Mexico.
OVERKILL's setlist was as follows:
01. Scorched
02. Bring Me The Night
03. Electric Rattlesnake
04. Hello From The Gutter
05. Wicked Place
06. Coma
07. Horrorscope
08. Long Time Dyin'
09. The Surgeon
10. Mean, Green, Killing Machine
11. Ironbound
12. Elimination
Encore:
13. Hammerhead
14. Rotten To The Core
15. Fuck You (THE SUBHUMANS cover)
Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.
In a recent interview with Metal & Rock Zone, Ellefson spoke about the announcement that he was recruited by OVERKILL to play bass for the band on their "Scorching Latin America 2024" tour. The former MEGADETH member is filling in for original OVERKILL bassist D.D. Verni, who is unable to make the shows as he is recovering from shoulder surgery.
Regarding how he ended up being asked to fill in for Verni, Ellefson said: "I got approached before the end of the year. It was just brought to my attention that D.D. was going to go through this surgery. They didn't know if he was gonna be better or not. So I was kind of put on alert that, 'Hey, we may need some help.' And we grew up together, OVERKILL and MEGADETH. I remember the 'Peace Sells' tour, OVERKILL was our direct support. So we've been good friends, all of us. And I always said, look, if there were gonna be two more added to the 'Big Four' [of 1980s thrash metal], it would be EXODUS in California and OVERKILL on the East Coast. So, to me, these are brothers in arms. So, when they hit me a few weeks ago about it, I said, 'Sure. Count me in if you need me to do it.'"
OVERKILL's 10-date "Scorching Latin America 2024" tour will include additional stops in Costa Rica, Chile and Peru before closing on April 28 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
When Ellefson's addition to OVERKILL's touring lineup was first announced, OVERKILL singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth said in a statement: "South, Central America and Mexico, with D.D. on the mend from surgery and the opportunity in front of us, where to go but back to the roots of THRASH! Please welcome Mr. David Ellefson to the OVERKILL, touring ranks this April 2024! 'David, can you help?' The answer: 'Yes, let's go!' We can't wait to see you guys! Horns up!"
Verni commented: "Bummed to not be able to thrash it up with our Latin America fans, but gotta get this wing workin!!....but who better than one of the great original thrash bass players, and old friend, David Ellefson to fill in."
Ellefson said: "It's an honor to fill in for my friend, the mighty D.D. Verni, as he takes time to heal up right now. OVERKILL always brings the fury and I'm looking forward to scorching Latin America with them!"
Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH nearly three years ago. MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine ended up hiring TESTAMENT's Steve DiGiorgio to re-record Ellefson's bass parts on MEGADETH's latest album, "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!"
In May 2022, MEGADETH announced bass player James LoMenzo as a permanent member of the band. LoMenzo was MEGADETH's bass player in the mid-2000s and initially stepped back in as a touring member for "The Metal Tour Of The Year".
Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.
Thank you, Guadalajara Mexico, it was so great to make my debut performance with Overkill with all of your beautiful...
US heavy metal band Out Of Darkness has released a new video for the self-titled song, taken from the album Out of Darkness out from February 23.
The title-track is a pure concentration of compositional skill. After a classic heavy start, the feeling changes with a splendid arpeggio, before exploding in bursts of well-constructed guitar solos. Eric Barrios' voice stands out above all, skilled in giving warmth and melody to the song.
The new album Out Of Darkness demonstrates the evolution of the quartet, showcasing a wide variety of styles and dynamics within the metal realm. The lyrical content can at times be personal and dark, though the overall message of the band is intended to be positive and uplifting. The intended audience would range from lovers of classic US progressive/power metal to fans of modern metal. The band has put their influences and growth thoroughly on display in their second release.
Out Of Darkness was formed in 2020 by Brent E. Smedley (former Iced Earth drummer and percussionist) and Eric Barrios, vocals and guitar. They released the debut EP Seize The Day that same year to much critical acclaim and began to grow their following. Playing live shows first in their home state of Florida, then followed up by doing 3 tours up the East Coast as far as New Jersey and even reaching as far West as Las Vegas.
The song "Think Again" reached #23 on The Billboard Rock Indicator chart, #8 on the Foundations Rock Chart Top 10 Greatest Gainers and received substantial airplay on many FM radio stations throughout the United States. The band received over 100,000 views for the "I Surrender" video and has over 16,000 followers on Facebook. This epic metal masterpiece seeks to redefine their sound and broaden the spectrum of true heavy metal.
This album features powerfully crafted songs with crushing riffs, catchy vocal melodies, thought provoking lyrics, and powerful rhythms that take the listener on an audio journey through dynamic and colorful musical soundscapes. It is Out of Darkness's intention to become a legendary metal band like no other.
Out Of Darkness was produced by Stan Martell and Bill Staley. Mixed and mastered by Stan Martell at Martell AVP. Artwork and band photos by Bill Staley. Band logo by David Parrish.
Order the album via the band’s official website, here.
“Terraform” video:
“Via Dolorosa” video:
Out Of Darkness is:
Brent Smedley - Drums
Eric Barrios - Vocals, Guitar
Bill Staley - Guitar
Dan Callahan - Bass
HALL AFLAME, the rock band led by METAL CHURCH founding guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, will release its sophomore album, "Amplifire", on May 3 via Rat Pak Records. The official music video for the LP's first single, "The Same Gutter", can be seen below.
Originally formed in 1989, HALL AFLAME garnered commercial success with its debut LP, "Guaranteed Forever", which was well received by fans and industry peers alike and quickly found themselves opening for ZZ TOP on their 1991 "Recycler" tour for a number of dates. As with many bands from that era, facing a decline in interest for AOR rock due to the onslaught of the "grunge" scene, the band went on a lengthy hiatus and reunited again in late 2023 to begin working on a handful of songs.
"Amplifire" offers 12 new studio tracks and reunites Kurdt with original bassist Brian Smith, along with drummer Bill Raymond and frontman Scott Nutter.
Vanderhoof comments: "This album came about as a project to document all the songs that we had written for the second album that never came to be. We revisited the songs and realized they had to be recorded properly. Then it blossomed into something much better than we had even hoped! So that led us into reforming the band instead of just having it be a project."
Smith adds: "I think anyone that is a fan of 'Guaranteed Forever' will see this record as a new and improved 'Part II' of HALL AFLAME. Great songs, great production and we had a ton of fun putting this together!"
Nutter says: "A good hard rock album should lift you, make you want to sing along and rock out! That's what this album does for me!"
From the driving album opener "Helltown" to the powerhouse outro track "Keeping Them All Away", HALL AFLAME shines with its signature brand of rock and roll. Tracks like "Ripcord", "In The Same Gutter", "It Ain't Enough" and "Gunnin'" are filled with memorable hooks and melodies, while songs like "Pullin Me Apart" and "1974" showcase their unique, classic rock songwriting abilities. With influences that range from BAD COMPANY to THIN LIZZY, "Amplifire" is best described as the perfect blend of classic rock with a modern-day edge.
Track listing:
01. Helltown
02. Ripcord
03. 1974
04. This Ain't Love
05. The Same Gutter
06. It Ain't Enough
07. Gunnin'
08. Pullin' Me Apart
09. Long Way Down
10. Keeping Them All Away
11. Cowboy (bonus track) (CD and digital)
12. Paradise On Ice (bonus track) (CD and digital)
4K video of JUDAS PRIEST's entire April 8 concert Le Zénith in Paris, France 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".
As he has done a number of other times over the course of the last six years, guitarist Glenn Tipton appeared with PRIEST for the encore, performing "Metal Gods" and "Living After Midnight".
Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's 10 years ago — after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier — but announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of JUDAS PRIEST's "Firepower" album. He was replaced by "Firepower" and "Invincible Shield" album producer Andy Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.
Featured songs in video below:
* Panic Attack 00:00
* You've Got Another Thing Comin' 06:47
* Rapid Fire 12:54
* Breaking The Law 17:02
* Lightning Strike 19:30
* Love Bites 23:03
* Devil's Child 28:00
* Saints In Hell 33:02
* Crown Of Horns 38:43
* Turbo Lover 44:53
* Invincible Shield 52:54
* Victim Of Changes 59:17
* The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown) 1:10:58
* Painkiller 01:15:56
* The Hellion 01:22:44
* Electric Eye 01:23:24
* Hell Bent For Leather 01:27:12
* Metal Gods (with Glenn Tipton) 01:31:39
* Living After Midnight (with Glenn Tipton) 01:35:48
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.
King Zebra have today released their new album, Between The Shadows. The band hailing from the picturesque city of Zurich, Switzerland, emerges as the new face of rock in a harmonious fusion of youthful exuberance and veteran wisdom.
Order the album here, and check out a visualizer for the song, "Love Lies", below:
King Zebra burst into the music scene with their 2019 EP, a sonic voyage marked by the standout track "Firewalker," amassing over 2 million streams and firmly establishing the band in the hearts of rock enthusiasts globally. Their presence soared as they graced renowned festivals like Rock the Ring and Rock of Ages, sharing stages with iconic acts such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Uriah Heep, and Rose Tattoo.
In 2020, King Zebra embarked on a transformative journey to Crehate Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden, to craft their sophomore album, Survivors, under the skilled guidance of producer Oscar Nilsson. The collaboration with ex-Thundermother singer Guernica Mancini on "Wall Of Confusion" elevated their sound, resonating with fans and critics alike. The album found a home with Golden Robot Records, paving the way for extensive touring throughout Europe, sharing stages with notable acts like Crash Diet.
Now, signed to Frontiers Records, King Zebra deliver their next sonic masterpiece, Between The Shadows, meticulously produced once again by Oscar Nilsson. This is a musical journey three years in the making.
Between The Shadows showcases the culmination of dedication, passion, and attention to detail that defines King Zebra's distinctive sound, characterized by former China vocalist Eric St. Michaels. As the band fills their schedule with live dates, the world eagerly anticipates the release of this new chapter in King Zebra's musical legacy.
Tracklisting:
"Starlight"
"Children Of The Night"
"Wicked"
"Dina"
"Love Lies"
"Cyanide"
"With You Forever"
"Love Me Tonight"
"Out In The Wild"
"Restless Revolution"
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