Dutch symphonic metallers Epica belonged performed on the main stage at Wacken Open Air 2022 on Wednesday, August 3rd. Check out pro-shot video of the band performing "Abyss Of Time - Countdown to Singularity", "Cry For The Moon" and "Sancta Terra" courtesy of Wacken TV below.
Epica have released a video for "Sirens - Of Blood And Water" feat. Charlotte Wessels & Myrkur, featured on the band's collaborative mini-album, The Alchemy Project, out today. Watch the video below:
Epica previously stated: "The cat is finally out of the bag: On November 11, we’re releasing seven brand new songs to conclude our 20th Anniversary year! This mini-album, named The Alchemy Project, is a very diverse release, with each track taking on the flavour of the internationally renowned guest musician(s) with whom each was written and recorded.
This resulted in a release that challenges and expands on what Epica is, while maintaining our trademark sound. Beyond the symphonic hymns you’re used to, you’ll also find progressive melodic death moments, saxophone solos, haunting lullabies with a trio of female voices - and even the heaviest death metal track we’ve ever recorded!"
Graced by vivid and witty artwork by graphic wizard, Heilemania, the release can be ordered here as digipak CD, LP, or digitally.
The Alchemy Project tracklisting:
"The Great Tribulation" feat. Fleshgod Apocalypse
"Wake The World" feat. Phil Lanzon & Tommy Karevik
"The Final Lullaby" feat. Shining
"Sirens - Of Blood And Water" feat. Charlotte Wessels & Myrkur
"Death Is Not The End" feat. Björn "Speed" Strid
"Human Devastation" feat. God Dethroned & Sven De Caluwe
"The Miner" feat. Asim Searah (Damnation Plan), Niilo Sevänen (Insomnium) & Roel van Helden (Powerwolf)
King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his wife, Toyah Willcox, were back in the kitchen together this past weekend for another Sunday Lunch. Check out their rendition of Metallica's "Seek And Destroy" from the Kill 'Em All album.
A selection of Robert & Toyah's previous Sunday Lunch videos can be seen below:
Dutch symphonic metallers Epica performed at Audio Club in São Paulo, Brazil on Novembner 19th. Fan-filmed video of the band's entire show can be veiwed below.
The setlist was as follows:
"Abyss of Time – Countdown to Singularity"
"The Essence of Silence"
"Victims of Contingency"
"Illusive Consensus"
"The Final Lullaby"
"Kingdom of Heaven"
"The Skeleton Key"
"In All Conscience"
"Rivers"
"Code of Life"
"Design Your Universe"
"Cry for the Moon"
"Beyond the Matrix"
"Consign to Oblivion"
Epica recently released a video for "Sirens - Of Blood And Water" feat. Charlotte Wessels & Myrkur, featured on the band's collaborative mini-album, The Alchemy Project, out now. Watch the video below:
The Alchemy Project tracklisting:
"The Great Tribulation" feat. Fleshgod Apocalypse
"Wake The World" feat. Phil Lanzon & Tommy Karevik
"The Final Lullaby" feat. Shining
"Sirens - Of Blood And Water" feat. Charlotte Wessels & Myrkur
"Death Is Not The End" feat. Björn "Speed" Strid
"Human Devastation" feat. God Dethroned & Sven De Caluwe
"The Miner" feat. Asim Searah (Damnation Plan), Niilo Sevänen (Insomnium) & Roel van Helden (Powerwolf)
Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has shared his solo symphonic power metal cover of the 1984 Chicago classic "You're The Inspiration". Check it out below.
Johansson: "A song that me I've listened to a lot since I was a kid!
My dear friend Chris challenged me to make an extreme power metal version of this song, and a challenge like that I would never decline - and here's the result."
Johansson previously shared his solo performance of Elton John's 1983 hit "I'm Still Standing".
Drummer Jon Dette (TESTAMENT, SLAYER, ANTHRAX) has uploaded the latest in his "Big Four" drum-cover series: SLAYER's "Killing Fields". The clip, which can be seen below, follows his previously released videos for METALLICA's "Blackened" and ANTHRAX's "A.I.R.".
The 52-year-old Dette played as a full-time member of SLAYER from 1996 to 1997 and as a touring member in 2013.
In a 2013 interview with Metal Rules, Dette revealed that he collaborated with SLAYER guitarist Kerry King on some of the early ideas for what became the band's final studio album, 2015's "Repentless", before he was replaced by a returning Paul Bostaph. "I actually started working with SLAYER after we had gotten back from Australia [in early 2013]," he said. "We started working for demo and music for their new record. And then obviously what happened with Jeff [Hanneman, guitar] passing away, that changed some things. But it was definitely moving in that direction for me to be working with SLAYER [again]. But as I said there are just some things that changed with that once Jeff passed away, and I think, ultimately, they felt more comfortable with Paul Bostaph, just because Paul had been in the band for longer. I think it was not going to be as much of a shock to their fans, because first Dave is gone, and now Jeff is gone, the band, it's now down to two original members. So if Paul makes them feel more comfortable and at home, then more respect to him and I wish them the best with that."
King confirmed that he worked with Dette early on in the songwriting process for "Repentless" before deciding to re-hire Bostaph instead. "We pursued it," Kerry said in a 2015 interview. "We got back from Australia. I did demos with Jon Dette, I did demos with Paul — the same two songs, under the same circumstances; they each had, like, 24 to 36 hours to learn 'em — and just see where it went. And Tom [Araya, SLAYER bassist/vocalist] and Jeff [Hanneman, SLAYER guitarist] both decided Paul, and in hindsight, that was the right choice."
Dette originally joined SLAYER in 1996 when Paul Bostaph left to work on his side project THE TRUTH ABOUT SEAFOOD. Dette performed with SLAYER at the 1996 Ozzfest to promote the band's covers album, "Undisputed Attitude".
Prior to joining SLAYER, Dette appeared on TESTAMENT's "Live At The Fillmore" album, which came out in 1995.
In recent years, Dette had played sporadic shows with ANTHRAX as a temporary replacement for Charlie Benante, who had been undergoing physical therapy in his battle with carpal tunnel syndrome.
Veteran Japanese metallers LOUDNESS have released the official music video for the song "Tengoku No Tobira (Heaven's Door)". The track is taken from the band's latest studio album, "Sunburst", which was released in July outside Japan via earMUSIC. The effort was originally made available in Japan last December.
During a career spanning over 40 years, LOUDNESS built a rich musical foundation with many studio albums, EPs and live albums. With "Sunburst", they've added another milestone to the great catalogue, their 29th studio album, to be precise.
"Sunburst" is the first official double studio album in LOUDNESS's impressive career, making it particularly special as it can be considered a celebration of the band's rich musical history. The 16 songs represent the classic LOUDNESS sound and style, highly acclaimed by fans and critics alike. Written mostly by original member and guitar wizard Akira Takasaki, the majority of songs are sung in Japanese, representing their appreciation of their origin and roots.
"Sunburst" was released as a digital album as well as a 2CD digipak edition with an extensive booklet that includes the English translation of all lyrics.
Disc 1:
01. Rising Sun
02. OEOEO
03. Yamato Damashii
04. Kaso Genjitsu (Virtual Reality)
05. Crazy World
06. Stand Or Fall
07. The Sanzu River
08. Nihon No Kokoro (The Heart Of Japan)
Disc 2:
01. Kagayakeru 80's (Shining 80's)
02. Emerald No Umi (Emerald Ocean)
03. Tengoku No Tobira (Heaven's Door)
04. All Will Be Fine With You
05. Fire In The Sky
06. Hunger For More
07. The Nakigara
08. Wonderland
LOUDNESS has dominated the Japanese heavy metal scene ever since its birth in 1981 with classic albums like "Thunder In The East" (1985) and "Lightning Strikes" (1986). Their last studio album, 2018's "Rise To Glory", was highly acclaimed both by the heavy metal maniacs and the critics.
LOUDNESS's lineup has changed multiple times since 1981, with the current incarnation consisting of three original members — lead singer Minoru Niihara, guitarist Akira Takasaki and bassist Masayoshi Yamashita — along with drummer Masayuki Suzuki, who joined the group in 2009.
Original LOUDNESS drummer Munetaka Higuchi died in 2008 after a year-long battle with liver cancer.
Canadian rockers NICKELBACK played the first of three intimate shows last night (Tuesday, November 15) to celebrate the release of their new album, "Get Rollin'". The gig, which took place at History in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, marked NICKELBACK's first performance in three years.
NICKELBACK's setlist for the Toronto show included the first two singles from "Get Rollin'" — "San Quentin" and "Those Days" — as well as hit songs "Photograph", "Someday" and "Rockstar".
The band will play two more shows this week: November 18 at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey and November 20 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.
NICKELBACK's setlist for Toronto concert:
01. San Quentin (live debut)
02. Savin' Me
03. Photograph
04. Animals
05. Leader Of Men
06. Someday
07. Far Away
08. Figured You Out
09. Rockstar
10. Those Days (live debut)
11. Gotta Be Somebody
12. How You Remind Me
13. Burn It To The Ground
"Get Rollin'" will arrive on November 18 via BMG.
The official music video for "San Quentin" was filmed on August 30 at the Simon Fraser University Convocation Mall in British Columbia. According to CTV News, hundreds of NICKELBACK fans attended the shoot, including one fan who one fan traveled all the way from Edmonton.
"San Quentin" was inspired after frontman Chad Kroeger met a real-life warden from the notorious high security California prison. The song follows the story as he plots his clever escape.
Regarding why it took so long to produce the follow-up to 2017's "Feed The Machine", Chad told the WRAT radio station: "Well, we should have been making a record a lot sooner, with all that time off [due to the coronavirus pandemic]. But it's weird to say this, but for 25 years it feels like someone's been standing behind us with a cattle prod and telling us, 'Hey, the record's gotta be done at this time. We're gonna tour at this time. We're gonna do Australia and then we're gonna go do Europe and then we're gonna come back. We'll go across Canada. We'll hit America.' Just like every other band that has to do this stuff, you wanna get a chance to see your fans all around the world. But with this, we were, like, 'We'll get to it when we get to it.' [Laughs] And yeah, we took our time with it, which was just a wonderful luxury, to be able to sit back and [go], 'No. I'm gonna play this guitar solo 40 more times for another three days and make sure it's just exactly how we want it as opposed to deadline, deadline, deadline."
"Get Rollin'" and "Get Rollin' (Deluxe)" will be available via digital platforms and physical CD format. The deluxe edition includes four bonus tracks — acoustic versions of "High Time", "Just One More", "Does Heaven Even Know You're Missing?" and "Horizon". Standard and exclusive versions of the album will also be released on vinyl in 2023.
Amassing hits for over two decades, NICKELBACK is the 11th best-selling musical act of all time, counting over 50 million units sold and over 4.7 billion career streams to date. The band has released 23 chart-topping singles, with 19 reaching the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. Their undeniable success has resulted in over 26 awards, including Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, MuchMusic Video Awards, People's Choice Awards, JUNO Awards, and more. Among their numerous accolades the band has also achieved 12 consecutive sold-out tours, with nearly 10 million tickets sold worldwide.
Named the "most successful rock back of the decade" by Billboard in 2009, NICKELBACK is one of the most commercially viable and important rock acts of the past two decades. The four-piece, comprised of Chad Kroeger, Mike Kroeger, Ryan Peake and Daniel Adair, is globally celebrated for its career-defining and award-winning hits, including "How You Remind Me", "Photograph", "Far Away" and "Rockstar", which all held top spots on the Billboard 100. Their success includes worldwide sales of more than 50 million units, solidifying their status as one of the top-selling acts of all time and the second best-selling foreign act in the USA in the 2000's decade, behind only THE BEATLES. Their inescapable, irresistible smash "How You Remind Me" was named Billboard's "Top Rock Song Of The Decade". It was the number-one most played song on U.S. radio (any format) in the 2000s decade according to Nielsen Soundscan, with over 1.2 million spins.
Amongst all these accolades, they've also been named Billboard's "Top Rock Group Of The Decade" and received nine Grammy Award nominations, three American Music Awards, a World Music Award, a People's Choice Award, twelve JUNO Awards, seven MuchMusic Video Awards, and have been inducted into Canada's Walk Of Fame (2007). With more than 23 chart-topping singles and fans spanning the globe, NICKELBACK boasts twelve consecutive sold-out world tours, playing to well over 10 million diehard and adoring fans.
Toronto, thank you so much for having us! We’re off to New York!
Descend into the darkening depths with Undrask's immersive new single "The Thing In The Pit". Brutal rhythms, intricate melodies and eerie choral chants manifest a demonic atmosphere that's enhanced with theatrics in the music video.
"We're happy to share a taste of our upcoming album, God Emperor. This track is our protagonist's descent into literal and metaphorical darkness, where 'The Thing In The Pit' resides. One of the more straightforward, driving tracks on the album, and we look forward to sharing the rest!"
Thundering percussion creates a haunting introduction alongside an eerie choir. Metal instrumentation explodes into life with a contrapuntal array of heavy rhythms and sees lightning speed melodies spark into being. Guttural vocals deliver a commanding presence and yield a further burst of aggressive power into the ferocious mix. "The Thing In The Pit", and the upcoming album, delve deeper into the story of the creation of the Longhammer - "Longhammer" is a track featured on the previous LP Battle Through Time. "The Thing In The Pit" showcases Undrask's evolution and provides a thrilling first glimpse of what is to come.
Inverno is a new Italian metal band whose line-up comprises Diego Cavallotti (Lacuna Coil), Danilo Arisi (Avelion), Daniele Salomone (D With Us), Nicola Pedrali (Genus Ordinis Dei) and Simone Orizio (A Hero Named Coward).
"Martyrs" is the fourth single released by Inverno: a song that once again refines the band’s formula with edgy riffs, abundant and vitalizing tempo changes, growling vocals and catchy yet sharp choruses.
The lyrics, music and video further develop the concept of "Hollow", "Lands" and "Roots", the three singles preceding "Martyrs". Inner conflict is still the main theme, as we're often poor arbiters of our own emotions and desires.
Canadian rockers, Headstones, released their new full-length album, Flight Risk, on October 14th via Known Accomplice. Today, the band has issued a video for the opening track from Flight Risk, a song called "Headlight Holds A Deer".
The clip, which can be seen below, was directed by Stuart Campbell, with special thanks given to Rusty Hook Auto Salvage.
Catch Headstones live on the Flight Risk tour. Tickets are available here, with confirmed dates as listed:
November
22 - Thunder Bay, ON - Thunder Bay Community Auditorium
24 - Winnipeg, MB - Burton Cummings Theatre
25 - Regina, SK - Casino Regina
26 - Saskatoon, SK - Coors Event Centre
27 - Red Deer, AB - Bo’s Bar
29 - Calgary, AB - The Palace Theatre
30 - Grande Prairie, AB - Better Than Fred’s
December
1 - Edmonton, AB - Midway
3 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
8 - Waterloo, ON - Maxwell’s
10 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom
14 - London, ON - London Music Hall
15 - Oshawa, ON - Oshawa Music Hall
16 - Ottawa, ON - Bronson Centre
22 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre
Flight Risk is pre-apocalyptic rock and roll at its finest, following up Headstones' 2019 release PeopleSkills, which garnered two Top 10 radio hits with “Leave It All Behind” and “Horses”.
This is one of the most subversive Headstones rock and roll records to date. Flight Risk is the result of years of relentless work ethic and dedication, a testament to the long-standing relationships within the band and their team. The album features a surprise co-write on the track "Ashes", between Hugh Dillon and long-time friend and collaborator Taylor Sheridan; one of the most prolific, premier storytellers of his time, and architect of hit series’ Yellowstone and 1883, Oscar-nominated films Sicario and Hell Or High Water.
Forged from the melting pot of Detroit's underground metal scene, Asylence is a well-oiled metal machine built with passion, intent, and ferocity like no other. At the beginning of next year, they will be releasing their full-length album, Endanger Us All.
A music video for the single, “Soulless”, can be viewed below.
Vocalist Ryan Lang: “This is another oldie but a goodie. One of the heaviest songs we’ve ever written especially early on in the band. This is screaming in an addict's face. This is how hard it is to see a loved one fade away into the depths of addiction. This song is so emotional for me, I’ve lost far too many friends to drugs and addiction, and I’m no stranger to my own struggles myself. I hope that this song can provide someone with comfort that they are not alone and maybe this could help encourage people to wake up and change their lives for the better.”
A fun fact about the single, the ending was actually first written off the cuff live. They screwed up how it was supposed to end and just ran with it and the crowd loved it. They did too, so it was added to the final song. The album Endanger Us All is a combination of Asylence’s oldest and newest material. The older songs have always been a staple in their live sets and they wanted to finally record them right and do them justice. The new songs have been completed since the release of their 2020 EP Eulogy Of Man and they really constructed the bridge from what we were to what they’re becoming.
Asylence started out trying to be as heavy as they could possibly be but now they find themselves exploring more techniques and ideas that they had never previously thought to pursue. They are recommended for fans of Arch Enemy, DevilDriver, and Amon Amarth.
Recently wrapping up their North American tour supporting legendary German speed metallers Accept, Narcotic Wasteland - founded by guitarist Dallas Toler-Wade - is sharing their assaulting new single, “Victims Of The Algorithm”. A music video can be viewed below.
The track is a crushing speed storm of death thrash, with its visceral vocals, and a demolishing blast beat war to annihilate the mosh pit. The song is the first time drummer/ vocalist Joseph Howard collaborated with Wade.
"I had the music done for an untitled track that I already recorded in the studio, but I didn't have lyrics written yet, then Joseph showed me lyrics he wrote called Victims of the Algorithm and after I read them, I knew they were the perfect match for this song. To break it down, Victims of the Algorithm is about a lot of things, but for me, after reading Howard's lyrics, it's mostly about putting down our phones and breaking free from this ridiculous round of existence we have created for ourselves. Disconnecting from the daily neurotypical absurdities and enjoying life in the moment." says Wade.
The music video was created by Kenji Tsunami of Tsunami films. Footage for the video was captured at the Thirsty Axe in Ukiah, CA, and at the band's rehearsal space in San Francisco, CA.
"I think Kenji really captured our live prowess very well!! It has a very gritty punk rock feel to it, and fits the song and its meaning perfectly," adds Wade.
“Victims Of The Algorithm” will be featured on Narcotic Wasteland's forthcoming 2023 album via Megaforce Records (release date to be determined). The single was recorded with engineer, and producer Erik Schultek who is no stranger to the band having recorded drums, engineered and produced their self-titled debut album. The band's 2023 album will be the follow-up to their sophomore full-length 2017’s “Delirium Tremens”.
Inspired mostly by thrash metal and classic heavy metal, Narcotic Wasteland is becoming more thrash and speed and less death metal and getting better at writing material that is meaningful and powerful. They are recommended for fans of Vader, Death, The Crown, Autopsy, Pestilence, and Nile.
Previous singles:
“Morality And The Wasp”
“The Best Times Have Passed”:
Narcotic Wasteland started as a side project Dallas Toler-Wade had been working on the past few years when he was not touring or in the writing/studio with metal heavyweights Nile.
"So I just started writing some songs kind of more in the style of things I was playing before my time in Nile. The more we started working on these demos the more we wanted to complete an album and take it to the stage!!! Our observation of what was going on in parts of the town we grew up in and in other parts of the world fueled a new level of angst for me personally.” - DTW
On Thursday, November 17, SKID ROW performed the song "The Gang's All Here" at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden as part of a special event celebrating 100 years of Swedish ice hockey. During the "Tidernas Hockeygala" event, Swedish ice hockey's great successes was celebrated, classic moments were revisited and the greatest heroes of hockey history were honored. In addition, a specially composed jury consisting of former players/managers as well as journalists selected prestigious awards.
SKID ROW's participation in the event was first announced by the band's Swedish-born singer Erik Grönwall on November 10 via his social media. Erik, who joined the band in January, shared a photo of SKID ROW's current lineup, and he included the following message: "These guys will be flying to Sweden to perform a song at Avicii arena on November 17th to celebrate 100 years of Swedish hockey. @officialskidrow played there with @gunsnroses back in the day and I won Swedish Idol in that same arena. Another full circle. The show will be aired live on @svt".
Grönwall went from auditioning for the competition show "Swedish Idol" back in 2009 by singing a cover of "18 And Life" to being asked to front SKID ROW earlier this year.
Erik, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021, reflected on his journey in a recent interview with 80's Metal Recycle Bin. He said: "I wouldn't call myself a religious man [laughs], but I would call myself… After all of this, I'm way more spiritual. I'm, like, 'Okay, who planned this?' I was on my way to a completely different life [before my diagnosis], but it was kind of like someone just nudged me.
"I was scrolling on Instagram a couple of days ago and I just saw a post, and it was a text saying, 'I'm sorry I had to make you uncomfortable, but I had to make you move. God.' And I was, like, 'Oh, fuck, man.' [Laughs] That's what it feels like.
"I'm not sure if everything happens for a reason, but that's the only way I can explain this — getting leukemia, then ending up in my favorite band," he continued.
"When I was on stage in [Las] Vegas [with SKID ROW in March and April], I was interacting with the audience, and I told them that, 'Do you know how amazing it feels to be here singing the song that started your career?' 'Cause '18 And Life' was the song I auditioned with for the 'Idol' show; that's what got me on 'Idol'. And I told them, 'Do you know how it feels to be here on stage with your favorite band of all time singing the song that started your career?' And someone commented on it, and it was, like, 'Did he just quote the 'Rock Star' movie script?' And I was, like, 'Yeah, I didn't even think about that, but it's that movie," he said, referencing the film in which an average kid from Pittsburgh gets tapped to be the new lead singer for his favorite heavy metal band. "So it's kind of like a movie script.
"It's just incredible," Erik added. "I'm still trying to process it. It feels like I've been in the band for two years. It's been four months. We've done, like, 30 shows in four months. We recorded an album. We started working on a new album. We recorded a music video. Everything has been happening so fast. It's overwhelming in so many ways."
Erik also credited his wife with providing him with the emotional strength and support that he needed through his ordeal.
"I wanna say my wife has been incredible this whole journey, especially during the treatments, 'cause when I was ready to give up, she was, like, 'Hey, you're not giving up now. You've got so many people that love you and need you in their lives.' She was tough," he recalled. "And I needed that. So I was, like, 'Yeah, I know.' And I can mention I also have a two-and-a-half-year-old son at home. So that was really, really tough — coming back from the hospital and seeing him. That was my weak spot. She really helped me a lot, and she's very understanding. And obviously, when you have this kind of lifestyle, you need someone who really understands that lifestyle and supports it. And it's kind of a selfish lifestyle in many ways. But she totally gets it, and she's got my back."
Grönwall, who was a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T. for nearly a decade before exiting the group in October 2020, announced in September 2021 that he was cancer free after receiving a bone marrow transplant one month earlier.
"There's been a lot of tears, and I still get emotional now talking about this," Erik said. "I think I'm done with the crying [laughs] — I think — but somehow I feel grateful that I went through all of this, 'cause it gave me a lot of perspective. I'm 34, and I just feel like I've gotten a lot of perspective on things.
"Being in this business, you see a lot of comments, and you've gotta be tough in many ways," he explained. "And back in the H.E.A.T. days, negative comments could really get to me. Now I'm just, like, 'Dude, I don't care.'
"I'm so happy to wake up every day above ground. It's, like, 'Shit, I get another day? What am I gonna do with this day?'
"I was happy before SKID ROW," Erik added. "I am very happy in SKID ROW. Everything is temporary. I will be happy after SKID ROW. I'm just happy. I've got perspective, and I'm just happy to be alive. And I'm gonna keep singing until this voice can't sing anymore."
Grönwall sang on H.E.A.T.'s last four studio albums — "Address The Nation" (2012),"Tearing Down The Walls" (2014),"Into The Great Unknown" (2017) and "H.E.A.T II" (2020).
In September 2021, Grönwall released his new cover version of "18 And Life" via all streaming platforms.
In 2018, Grönwall debuted in the U.S. for 10 million viewers in NBC's live broadcast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's and Tim Rice's musical "Jesus Christ Superstar". Along with John Legend, Alice Cooper, Sara Bareilles and others, Erik played the key role of Simon Zealotes.
This past January, Grönwall told Headbangers Lifestyle about beating cancer: "Some anonymous wonderful human being somewhere in the world donated his/her blood cells so that I could get a second chance at life. Sometimes I can just get tears in my eyes when I think about it. It's so beautiful that one person who is not connected to me in any way wanted to do that for me. He/she doesn't know that the blood cells were for me. It's completely anonymous."
In late March, SKID ROW released its first single with Grönwall, "The Gang's All Here". The song is the title track of the band's latest album, which arrived on October 14 via earMUSIC.
GODSMACK's music video for the song "Surrender" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Lighting Up The Sky", which will arrive on February 24, 2023 via BMG.
Co-produced by vocalist/guitarist Sully Erna and Andrew "Mudrock" Murdock (AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ALICE COOPER),"Lighting Up The Sky" is a testament to powerful storytelling.
"I like when a record takes you on a journey from front to back. I realized there's a whole story here about one man's journey, the ups, and downs," says Erna. "I believe it's a story everyone will connect to, on a human level, because we've all gone through things in life." The album explores boy-meets-girl, obstacles in relationships, the polarized political climate and the state of the world, betrayal, connection, rebounds, and more. It also gets into the idea of legacy, what we leave behind; fitting for what Erna has noted as GODSMACK's final studio album.
"Lighting Up The Sky" track listing:
01. You And I
02. Red White & Blue
03. Surrender
04. What About Me
05. Truth
06. Hell's Not Dead
07. Soul On Fire
08. Let's Go
09. Best of Times
10. Growing Old
11. Lighting Up The Sky
In a recent interview with Pablo of the Minneapolis, Minnesota radio station 93X, Erna spoke about the fact that "Lighting Up The Sky" will likely be GODSMACK's final collection of original material. He explained: "It's the most important record, I think, we've ever written and recorded.
"I've never been that artist who says, 'Oh, this record is our newest record. It's our best work ever.' You can read any interview you want over my whole career, and you've never heard me say it," he continued. "I've always loved our records [and] I always knew there would be some good singles on it and hoped it did well, but I was never the guy that said, 'This is our best fucking work ever.' And I'm telling you right now this is our best fucking work ever. And it's because it's emotional, man. This is the last record we're ever gonna do. This is the last run around the mill for us. We put every single ounce of energy and emotion into this album. Especially for me, when I wrote a lot of these songs, it was about my life journey. That's really what the sequence of this album becomes about. Not that it was planned that way, but this really kind of mystical thing happened where I felt like the universe wrote this record.
"We went in there with no plan, no ideas — very minimal ideas, just jamming. And, 'what's gonna be the topic? What am I gonna talk about now? How many times can I talk about a broken relationship?' Blah blah blah. And then it just started happening where song after song that was written, as I'm sequencing it and putting it in the order that I would like people to hear it in… We're still old school and we like an album to have a flow from front to back. I love vinyl — I want people to listen to side A and side B. And this one really told a story. And when I started to realize that, I'm, like, Okay. Let me shuffle these around a little bit more.'"
Erna went on to clarify that GODSMACK does not intend to stop playing live shows anytime soon. "I wanna make sure people are clear about what we're saying here," he said. "I'm not saying that the band may be breaking up. What I'm saying is I think this may be the last body of work you get musically from the band. And it's because we're in this place in our lives right now where we've done a lot of work over the last three decades. Without sounding egotistical, which we're not trying to do, we're at 27 Top 10 singles, 11 Number Ones. We could literally do back-to-back nights in an arena and play 15 songs a night and never play the same single twice, let alone the 'B' cuts. And we started thinking, when we were in that thought process, why are we in here grinding all the time and doing this new music when we wanna just also know that we've never stopped in the 25 years we've been touring. We'd like to be able to enjoy our lives, our family, our houses, the things that we've earned over the years that we've sacrificed. So I think the balance for that, the happy medium, is to be able to just go out there now and continue to do live shows and put the greatest-hits show together.
"I don't know what we're gonna do after this record," he explained. "And it doesn't make sense to continue to do music. It really feels complete in a good way, in a positive way. We feel like we've honored our career, our relationships with our fans, and we're always gonna be there for them; we're gonna do shows. But as far as to continue this, after this [album], unless we just decide one day, 'Yeah, one more for the road,' I think this could be it for us with new music."
According to Erna, GODSMACK plans to hit the road after the release of "Lighting Up The Sky" and never stop. "That's forever now. It's forever now," he said. "From the point we start touring, we will always tour. We may take some breaks here and there, but we're now gonna start setting up the greatest-hits show, because we feel like we're able to do that. We can now play the best of the best that the fans have identified as what they've enjoyed the most over the years and why these songs became hit singles."
Sully said that the decision to stop releasing new albums was influenced by the fact that too many people these days don't care about new music from bands who have been around as long as GODSMACK.
"As a music lover and a fan of live shows and bands in general, that when you go see your favorite bands, there's a certain point in their career where you just go, 'I don't really give a shit about a new record anymore. I'm sorry, but I wanna hear 'Dream On' and 'Train Kept A Rollin'' and 'Same Old Song And Dance'. I don't wanna hear any of this new shit. I don't know it and I don't care. But these other songs have lived with me for two, three, four decades,'", he said. "And I just feel like we're getting to that place where… If we get out there and we don't play 'I Stand Alone' or 'Keep Away' or 'Voodoo' or whatever these songs have been for these people over the years, they ream us for it. So we know we're stuck with that. We're always gonna play the hits. But we have so many singles now that it's time, I think, to try to pull as many as we can off this record, add it to that list and then go out there and play the best of the best. And then maybe throw a few surprises every show, whether it's the drum battle or some fun cover."
Erna concluded by saying that "Lighting Up The Sky" does not represent "an ending" but is rather "a new beginning. This is a new beginning of an era — it's the beginning of our sunset years," he explained. "And in our sunset years we wanna create something really special for the fans live where we can take every cool moment that we've ever done in every album cycle — the 'Awake' album had certain things we featured in the live show; the 'Faceless' record had certain things we featured from the live show; and so on — now we can create a montage of all those special things in each tour and just do a 'holy crap' show. That's what I wanna create. We're gonna try to make it big and special and important, filled with all special moments that people have enjoyed over the years. And I think that's gonna be really satisfying to us as well, 'cause it takes a lot of pressure off of us to know now we can just go out and enjoy what we do. Playing music is what we love the most — live. And it gives us more time to connect with the fans, connect with the live show and just enjoy the best part of why we do this for a living."
"Surrender", which arrived in September, marked the first release from GODSMACK in four years, following their globally acclaimed and gold-certified 2018 album "When Legends Rise", which earned the Erna-fronted outfit a No. 1 spot across U.S. Hard Rock, Rock, and Alternative album charts.
In September 2021, GODSMACK's latest album, "When Legends Rise", was certified gold on by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales in excess of half a million copies. In addition, two more of the LP's singles (the title track and "Under Your Scars") were also officially certified gold by the RIAA. The album's first single "Bulletproof" earned a platinum digital single award in September 2020 and was previously certified gold in the U.S.
"When Legends Rise" was the seventh studio album from GODSMACK. Produced by Erik Ron and Erna, it was the band's first release in four years and was recorded at their now-former headquarters (GSHQ) in Derry, New Hampshire. The album went on to garner a multitude of career milestones for the group: four No. 1 rock tracks (an accomplishment that makes GODSMACK one of only four rock acts to achieve this),and a record 11 No. 1 singles in the band's career with the album's fourth single, "Unforgettable". "When Legends Rise" entered the Billboard Top 200 album chart in the top ten (No. 8),with four No. 1 placements on other charts: Top Rock Albums, Top Hard Music Albums, Top Independent Albums and Top Alternative Albums.
††† (CROSSES) — DEFTONES frontman Chino Moreno's project with FAR guitarist Shaun Lopez — will release a new EP, "Permanent.Radiant", on December 9. The official music video for another one of the EP's tracks, "Sensation", directed by Lopez and Lorenzo Diego Carrera, can be seen below.
"Permanent.Radiant" will arrive nine months after ††† (CROSSES) released two new songs, "Initiation" and "Protection", neither one of which will appear on the new EP.
"Permanent.Radiant" track listing:
01. Sensation
02. Vivien
03. Cadavre Exquis
04. Day One
05. Holier
06. Procession
Last December, Lopez confirmed that ††† (CROSSES) had signed a new deal with Warner Records. That same month, ††† (CROSSES) dropped its cover of Q Lazzarus's "Goodbye Horses" as a digital single. The track was previously covered by ††† (CROSSES) back in 2014.
Prior to "Goodbye Horses"' digital arrival, ††† (CROSSES)'s last release was a cover of "The Beginning Of The End" by '90s electropop band CAUSE & EFFECT. Made available in December 2020, it was the first new music from the alternative band since its 2014-released, self-titled record.
Moreno told The Pulse Of Radio how he got involved with the group in the first place, which was started by Lopez and Chuck Doom. "Shaun and Chuck were working together for a while before I came into the picture, and I just so happened to come in one day," he said. "These guys were, you know, writing some stuff and I heard it and I liked it right off the bat, and I sort of weaseled my way [Laughs] into the project. I think their idea was to get a bunch of different singers to, you know, just write different tracks, and... it didn't happen."
††† (CROSSES)'s CD included the songs from the band's two previously released EPs along with five new tracks.
Moreno told Rolling Stone about ††† (CROSSES)' sound: "By listening to the music, you can tell that a lot of the influences come from the new-wave era. That was basically the scene that I came up on. I just happened to wind up in a metal band when I was 15."
Asked about ††† (CROSSES)'s heavy use of the cross in the band's imagery and songtitles, Moreno said: "I think a lot of bands are influenced by religious symbolism and not even necessarily Christianity or Catholicism. Our band definitely doesn't follow any of those. It's more of the aesthetic. The art, the way it works. The initial name of the band was going to be HOLY GHOST. But at the last minute, another band came out with the name, so Shaun suggested CROSSES. It's a very strong symbol. Three crosses is great. It's great to look at, there's three of us in the band."
††† (CROSSES) made its live debut in January 2012 at The Glass House in Pomona, California.
STILLWELL, the band featuring KORN bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, vocalist/guitarist Anthony "Q-Unique" Quiles and P.O.D. drummer Noah "Wuv" Bernardo, has released the official Ahren Anthony-directed music video for its new single, "Welcome To My World". The track is taken from STILLWELL's upcoming fourth album, "Rock The House".
Last month, STILLWELL released the "Rock The House" title track with a music video that paid homage to BEASTIE BOYS. In September, STILLWELL dropped "Can't Stop Now", which marked the band's first new music since the release of STILLWELL's third album, 2020's "Supernatural Miracle". The follow-up to STILLWELL's past albums — "Raise It Up" (2015) and "Dirtbag" (2011) — was described in a press release as "the culmination of years' worth" of the individual members "finding their voice."
Also in September, Fieldy issued a statement saying that STILLWELL "has nothing to do with KORN". On September 6),he wrote on his social media: "Some clarity about STILLWELL. I've been doing STILLWELL for about 16 years, this isn't something new, although to some of you it is, that's cool. Along with my bros Wuv (POD) and Q (ARSONISTS, RADAMUS),we've put out 3 albums, we're about to drop our 4th.
"It has nothing to do with KORN or my status with KORN or anything else. It isn't Heavy music, it's alternative rock.
"We've always wrote STILLWELL music while on tour with KORN or at home. We've actually opened for KORN back in 2011, and to add one more little fact, the 1st STILLWELL video 'Killing Myself to Live' was during a KORN concert (2006),back when David [Silveria, drums] was in KORN, he's in the video, that's how far back STILLWELL goes. Again, it isn't metal or nu metal or heavy music, and that was my way of being respectful to the integrity of KORN, I knew STILLWELL had to be different.
"Thank you to those who have shown love and support and to those that aren't into STILLWELL, there's plenty of heavy bands out there to fulfill your needs.
"Thank you, Fieldy."
Fieldy announced in June 2021 that he would sit out KORN's ongoing tour in order to "heal" after "falling back" on some of his "bad habits." He has since been replaced on the road by SUICIDAL TENDENCIES bassist Roberto "Ra" Díaz.
When Fieldy broke the news of his absence from KORN's summer 2021 trek, he wrote in a social media update: "To all KORN fans worldwide. The past 6 years I've been dealing with some personal issues that at times have caused me to fall back on some of my bad habits and has caused some tension with the people around me. It's been suggested to me to take some time off to heal. I'm going to respect what was asked of me and take that time. Unfortunately you will not see me on stage with my band. I will be working towards getting the bad habits out of my system. In the meantime I will be staying creative to keep my mind & soul in a good place.
"I'm thankful for all of your support, patience & understanding as we all have something that we deal with.
"Jonathan, Munky, Ray and Head, I love you and I don't want to bring any tension or bad vibes to the circle."
A short time later, KORN's official social media shared Fieldy's statement, along with the following message: "We love and support our brother, Fieldy. Health and family always comes first."
During a press conference at this year's Hellfest in Clisson, France, KORN guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer was asked about Fieldy's current status. He said: "[Fieldy] needed a little time at home with his family to kind of regroup. We decided we were gonna make a record during the pandemic and use that time constructively. And once the pandemic was over and we were ready to go back on the road, he wasn't quite ready to do that yet. So the rest of us were anxious to get back in front of our fans and play for everybody."
Earlier in June, KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch told Kerrang! Radio that he had "been in contact" with Fieldy. "I just e-mailed him the other day," he said. "So we're gonna get together and talk to him, see how he's doing, see where his head is at, after this tour. Me and Munk were just talking about it. We love him, we've been in communication with him, and we'll see."
KORN drummer Ray Luzier told Germany's MoreCore that Fieldy is "doing good. He's our brother. We love him. We support him 110 percent," he said. "Bands are like marriages. Sometimes you need to step away a little bit to look at the picture and see what's going on with your individual life, and I think that's where we're all at now with Reggie. He's such a great dude and he's one of my best buds, so we support him in everything he does. No one has a crystal ball — I don't know what's gonna happen in the future — but we definitely miss him out here."
According to Luzier, Díaz is "doing a great job. He's doing a hell of a job. But there's a sound about Fieldy that isKORN," he said. "There's that signature thing that not many bass players can say that. Just that sound — you pop a KORN album on, and you're, like, 'Woah.' That bass, you take that out and it wouldn't sound normal, because Munky and Head [Brian Welch] don't sound normal, and neither does Jon [singer Jonathan Davis]. But that bass, man, it's just leading a lot of those older records."
This past February, Welch told Spotlight Report that Fieldy was "just taking a little time to be with his family. He is a great dad," Welch said. "He has so many kids. He has adult kids, teenagers and young kids. He is just taking time, and we are giving him the time. We want everyone to be healthy and happy.
"I guess we will go and tour this record," Head continued, referencing KORN's recently released album "Requiem". "I don't know a lot more other than that. We love him very much and we hope to communicate with him during the year at some stage, to see where everyone is at."
Welch previously addressed Fieldy's position in KORN during a November 2021 interview with U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine. At the time, he stated: "The best thing to do is stay at home, be with your family, and start processing. He's got to find that healing. I still struggle with it. I had a few slip-ups with my 'bad habits' three to four years ago, so I understand it, but I dealt with it by hitting it head-on and stopping it from becoming a problem. I'm not concerned because I know he's going to be okay."
Davis expressed a more worried outlook on Fieldy's predicament, saying: "I love him; he's my brother. But I watched somebody I care about die and I'm not going to fucking do that again. I refuse to. I will feel guilt for the rest of my fucking life because of that. I tried my hardest but perhaps if I'd been a little bit tougher there'd have been a different outcome. I pray that he can figure it out and get better and come back and be a huge part of this band again."
Despite the fact that he is not joining his KORN bandmates on their current tour, Fieldy did play on "Requiem".
Earlier in November 2021, Shaffer told "Loudwire Nights" host Toni Gonzalez about Fieldy: "Right now he's just taking some time to kinda figure out what makes him happy and figure out his happiness and what he wants to do with his life, I guess is the best way to put it. And make sure his mental health is at its best, because if your mental health isn't good, or you're not clear, you're gonna make bad choices.
"I make an example," he continued. "I had my own challenges through the years, and once you get clarity, your life becomes a lot easier to manage. We're just giving him time to, like, no pressure, just figure out what you want to do because we can still work and we can still go out and tour. But we miss him. We love the guy, and we want him to just be healthy."
Regarding how KORN ended up recruiting Díaz to fill in for Fieldy, Welch told 97.9 GRD: "Well, there's COVID and everything, so when we started talking about it, it was a thing where we wanted to be careful still and whatnot. So we just started brainstorming and hitting up friends and whatnot. We need the slap — we need the slap bass, we need the finger playing, we need someone, 'cause Fieldy is unique — very unique. So it just kind of happened that way, man, where Ra, he was open because SUICIDAL [was] not going out [on tour] until [the following] year. So it just worked out, man. He came down, we jammed. He's a really humble guy, and just very talented. He can play anything — from jazz to slap to anything. He played all the songs with, like, three mistakes out of 10 songs or something — little mistakes. I mean, not even mistakes — it was just, like, 'I thought I heard it that way.' They weren't even mistakes. So we were, like, 'Okay. You got it down.'"
DISTURBED has shared a new, AI-generated music video for "Bad Man", directed by Tristan Holmes. The video was created using Midjourney AI and includes roughly 10,000 frames which took approximately a month of image generation entering prompts and creating frames to link the video together.
"Bad Man" is taken from DISTURBED's eighth full-length album, "Divisive", which is being released today (Friday, November 18) via Reprise. The LP was recorded earlier this year with producer Drew Fulk (MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, LIL PEEP, HIGHLY SUSPECT) in Nashville, Tennessee. The follow-up to 2018's "Evolution" includes the three recently released singles "Hey You", "Unstoppable" and "Divisive".
DISTURBED frontman David Draiman told HardDrive Radio about "Bad Man": "It could be about any number of bad men or actors in the world that are currently wreaking havoc, but this particular song was inspired by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It was happening as we were writing the song, and it seemed very, very appropriate. I feel for the people of Ukraine and everything that they've had to deal with and experience and are continuing to experience. It's horrific to watch the play-by-play of a full-scale war. And it's a shame that it's become just a matter of, like, 'Oh, this is what we do. We check in to see what happened.' As opposed to — I don't know — doing more as a world, other than just throwing tons of money at the situation and contributing to more death and violence. I wish there was more that we could do as a planet to just apply enough pressure in the right places from the right people to make the madman stop."
Over the last year, DISTURBED cut these ten tracks with Fulk. After guitarist Dan Donegan shared initial ideas with the rest of the group, they locked in like never before with the groove as the backbone. Drummer Mike Wengren bolted down some of the strongest and boldest rhythms of their career punctuated by John Moyer's punchy bass. Together, the musicians collectively conjured the focus and fire of their seminal early output augmented by airtight songcraft and a heightened level of musical chemistry that could only be forged by years of writing and touring together.
As a result, "Divisive" finds DISTURBED at their most dynamic, defiant, and dangerous. Breaking ground, it also notably marks the first time the band included a guest feature on an album, boasting the epic emotionally charged duet "Don't Tell Me" with HEART's Ann Wilson. Meanwhile, the likes of "Bad Man" and "Divisive" rank amongst the band's heaviest material. At the same time, they infuse the likes of "Won't Back Down" with uplifting melodies.
"Divisive" track listing:
01. Hey You
02. Bad Man
03. Divisive
04. Unstoppable
05. Love To Hate
06. Feeding The Fire
07. Don't Tell Me (feat. Ann Wilson)
08. Take Back Your Life
09. Part Of Me
10. Won't Back Down
The DISTURBED members subconsciously rallied around a shared vision for what would become "Divisive". After a period of dormancy in the midst of the global pandemic, the group finally congregated in early 2022. Dealing with the same frustrations for nearly two years, the guys followed a collective muse without question.
"We wanted to get heavy again," exclaimed Dan. "We'll always be melodic, but there's more attitude now. We're showcasing David's animalistic side again. It touches on our early days with modern elements."
David added: "After 25 years, we've begun to anticipate each other's direction. We were all hankering to get back to chunky goodness," he laughed.
In order to do so, the band tapped Fulk as producer. With members based around the country, they chose Nashville to record, cutting ten tracks in spring 2022.
"Once we finally did get in a room together, it felt so good," Dan recalled. "It was nice to get the ball rolling and have that outlet in the studio again. Throughout our lives, music has been our therapy — as it is for most people."
Fittingly, the group kicked off this phase with the opener "Hey You". Powered by menacing electronics, a bone-crushing riff, and undeniable chorus, it marked their 15th No. 1 hit at radio, completing their quickest rise to the top and setting the tone for what was to come.
"It's the quintessential rallying cry," noted David. "It's like, 'Hey you, do you realize what you're doing? Do you see you're your own worst enemy? How are we making mountains out of mole hills everywhere we go and looking for enemies where there are none?' It was the perfect way to start."
Then, there's "Bad Man". Ominous string orchestration echoes around a jagged riff as the verses snake into an incisively infectious chant. Pressing down on the whammy pedal, Dan rips a screeching cinematic guitar lead rife with razor-sharp shredding.
"From a lyrical perspective, says David. "There's no shortage of evil maniacs on the planet who take advantage of their positions of power and have unchecked narcissism and egomania that fuels their decisions though. There was damn sure plenty of inspiration in current world events."
On "Don't Tell Me", DISTURBED joins forces with none other than Wilson for an epic duet. In two decades, it breaks ground as the first-ever guest collaboration on a DISTURBED record. Clean guitar soundtracks the story of a long-term relationship in the middle of its last gasp. David and Ann engage in a call-and-response before locking into a skyscraping harmony as the solo reaches for the heavens.
"It was very personal to me," admitted Dan. "I was going through my divorce, and I wanted to touch on the fact I was in a very long marriage to a wonderful woman. She's a great mother to my kids. We were together for 18 years. Even though the marriage was in a tough spot, it was hard to leg go, because we'd invested so much into each other. I felt like listeners could relate to it."
"In my humble opinion, I think Ann is probably the greatest female rock voice of all time," David stated. "She's untouchable. We had connected on Twitter, and I sent her the song. She agreed to jump on it, and it was humbling to work with her. She was totally pro. Her vocals are mind-blowing. It was a gift. Out of ten tracks, we needed to take at least one left turn," he smiled.
The album reaches its cathartic conclusion with a final knockout blow on "Won't Back Down". As the guitars toss and turn, the chorus assures, "I won't back down from this fight."
They've never backed down though. Instead, DISTURBED has dominated hard rock on its own terms. Thus far, they have notched five consecutive No. 1 debuts on the Billboard 200, occupying rarified air alongside METALLICA — the only other hard rock group to accomplish this feat. Since their influential five-times-platinum debut "The Sickness" in 2000, they have built a bulletproof catalog highlighted by a procession of smashes, including the platinum "Stupify", "Inside The Fire" and "Land Of Confusion", two-times-platinum "Stricken", six-times-platinum "Down With The Sickness" and seven-times-platinum "The Sound Of Silence", to name a few. The latter notably received a Grammy Award nomination in the category of "Best Rock Performance" as the band earned "Best Rock Artist" at the 2017 iHeartRadioMusic Awards.
In the end, DISTURBED still wields the power to unite.
"We have a lot left in us," concluded Dan. "I know for certain I'm not done. We're always going to need an outlet for our personal sanity. I feel inspired every time we do a record. We bring the best out of one another. I'm just excited for what the future holds."
David left off: "When audiences hear the album, I hope the reaction is, 'After the last three years, this is exactly what I wanted to get out the frustration, anger, and addiction to outrage'. There are better ways. I hope you use it as an outlet and a means of exorcising the demons once again."
Having refined their broody, mesmerizing vision of gothic/symphonic metal to cinematic levels, with three EPs and a full-length album behind them, Blackbriar continues to set their sails towards the future. The Netherlands-based band are proud to announce their signing to Nuclear Blast Records and are currently working towards their second full-length album, accompanied by long-time collaborator, Joost van den Broek.
Today, the band have released a brand-new song, "Crimson Faces". Stream the track here, and watch a music video below.
Singer, Zora Cock comments on the signing: "Dear fans, we're so excited to have partnered up with Nuclear Blast Records!!! Having been an independent band for many years, we’ve finally found the perfect fit that makes our dreams come to life! Joining forces with this incredible label is a huge step for Blackbriar! We promise you a lot of exciting things are coming, starting with a brand-new single that's OUT NOW! Listen to 'Crimson Faces' on all music platforms, and let us know what you think! ❤ Love, Blackbriar."
Jens Prueter, Head Of A&R Nuclear Blast Europe: “Please warmly welcome Blackbriar to the Nuclear Blast family! It has been a pleasure to meet them at Joost van den Broek’s studio and to get a sneak preview of the exciting things to come. We’re thrilled to work with such a creative team. It’s amazing what the band have already achieved completely DIY, creating a unique world of their own. Expect to be enchanted –this is probably the biggest gift artists can give us.”
Zora Cock continues about the new single: "'Crimson Faces' tells a story of being haunted by ghosts, jealousy, and insecurities, based on the old classic Gothic novel 'Rebecca'. You asked us to make a different kind of music video, one of us performing instead of portraying a story, and we thought 'Crimson Faces' was the perfect song to do this with. We hope we’ve fulfilled your wishes!"
Formed in 2012 by Zora Cock, René Boxem, Bart Winters, and Frank Akkerman, Blackbriar crafted their first single in 2014 with 'Ready to Kill,' but it was 2015’s second single 'Until Eternity' that truly propelled them into the scene. A sweeping track with an equally compelling and beautiful video, it continues to draw many to the band with over 18.1 million views since its debut. Taking advantage of the growing buzz surrounding them, they independently recorded and released their first EP, Fractured Fairytales, as well as acquired a second guitarist in Robin Koezen. This EP laid down an impressive foundation for the band’s ethereal, breath-taking sound, and brought about new opportunities, including tour dates in The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Hungary, and more, where they played alongside Epica, Halestorm, In This Moment, Delain and Mayan. To keep moving ahead with full control of their creative ideals, the band successfully crowdfunded their follow-up EP, We’d Rather Burn, and brought it to life in October 2018. This EP would be the first time the band worked alongside esteemed producer Joost van den Broek, and this fruitful collaboration allowed Blackbriar’s whimsical and enigmatic sound to reach new sonic heights. Released the same day as their self-made video for "I’d Rather Burn," the EP showcased a stronger sense of dreamy atmosphere and brought listeners beautifully grim tales of witches, banshees, and sea sirens. Keyboardist Ruben Wijga (ex-Re-Vamp) began to take on a larger role and began playing shows, having been involved in the songwriting process since Fractured Fairytales.
A busy 2019 followed, and the band released the haunting single "Snow White and Rose Red" in May. A duet with Ulli Perhonen, their take on the Grimm’s fairy tales featured striking cinematic visuals to accompany the spellbinding track. Continuing to dig deeper into fairy tale realms, Blackbriar closed the year with their third EP, Our Mortal Remains. Ever sharpening their intoxicating blend of storytelling and breath-taking musicianship, the EP brought about new live opportunities as well. Small, sold-out tours with Epica in 2019 and 2020, as well as a sold-out opening performance for Delain’s Apocalypse & Chill release show in Utrecht followed, with future plans then put on hold due to COVID-19. Championing their continued independence, which included everything from songwriting, maintaining their web presence, overseeing merch, as well as shooting and producing their own videos and photos, Blackbriar reached out to their ever-growing and loyal fanbase for assistance to make their full-length debut album a reality in 2020.
Fans fervently heeded the call, reaching the ˆ 25,000 goal in under 24 hours, ending with a total of ˆ 70,000. It was an impressive accomplishment for an independent act, which shows their strong internet presence, with over 214,000 YouTube subscribers and 46.1 million channel views, as well as 27.6 million Spotify streams and 150,000 monthly listeners. Entering 2021, the band relinquished a bit of control in signing with Doomstar Bookings to help properly support their first full-length album, The Cause of Shipwreck, which was released in April. It was recorded with renowned producer Joost van den Broek (Epica, Ayreon, Powerwolf) at Sandlane Recording Facilities, and this release showcased the band’s continued evolution into masterfully dark gothic storytelling and theatrical aesthetics. On the live front, the band launched into success with six sold-out Dutch club shows, later extending into more European territories such as Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, France, and the Czech Republic.
Despite a very successful 2021, the band still hungered for more, unleashing their latest single, "Fairy of the Bog" in December. The track is a mixture of folklore, myth, and ancient local history in a more mystical and magical package, showcasing what Blackbriar does best. In April, the band parted ways with founding member and bassist Frank Akkerman, welcoming Siebe Sol Sijpkens from The Netherlands as their new bassist. A happy and energetic performer with a lifetime of global performances, he is a welcome addition to the act as they continue to strive forward. With their vision looking firmly into the future, with a major label behind them, they’ve set their sights on 2023 to conjure their most deadly siren song yet. With accolades behind them, such as being nominated three times for ‘Best Artist’ in EuroSonic/Noorderslag‘s Popgala Noord Awards (2018, 2020, 2022), and continued fan support with current monthly streaming totals on YouTube and Spotify nearing 1 million streams, the world is primed and ready for a spectacular journey ahead. Blackbriar continues to soar, ready to lure you into the sea to be swept away by addictive hooks, cinematic soundscapes, and darkly whimsical storytelling.
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