Jimmy Page made a surprise appearance at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony Friday night (November 3) to honor his "hero" Link Wray.
The 79-year-old LED ZEPPELIN legend initially appeared on screen with a pre-recorded message during a video chronicling Wray's pioneering career. In the message, Page recalled hearing Wray's classic instrumental "Rumble" for the first time when he was a teenager and thinking, "What is this? In those days, there were many guitar instrumentals, but as a 14-year-old kid who could barely play the guitar, it really had an effect on me," he said. "The vigor and the strength and the power in it. And you know something else — it was fearless. It was just phenomenal. The essence of cool."
Page then appeared on stage in person at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, along with his iconic Gibson double-neck guitar, and played "Rumble" as a tribute to the late American guitarist and songwriter, who was being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. This marked Page's first performance in eight years.
Prior to last night's Rock Hall appearance, Page's last public onstage performance took place in November 2015 when he joined an all-star lineup of musicians — including members of ALICE IN CHAINS, SOUNDGARDEN, CHEAP TRICK and GUNS N' ROSES —at a benefit show at Seattle's Experience Music Project Museum to perform the ZEPPELIN classic "Rock And Roll".
The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame class of 2023 also includes RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, Kate Bush, Willie Nelson, Missy Elliott, Sheryl Crow, George Michael, DJ Kool Herc and THE SPINNERS.
Back in 2014, Page said that he wanted to hit the road, but told England's The Week that he's still hadn't secured the band to take on tour. "I know people want to hear me play," he said. "I want to hear me play, too… I'm really starting to get myself enthused and limbered up for putting something together… That for me is exactly how things should be. I want to surprise people."
Page is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time, and one of the most important record producers and songwriters in rock history. Page first picked up a guitar aged 12 and performed with Neil Christian and THE CRUSADERS as soon as he left school. He honed his craft as a session musician in London and, by the mid-sixties, was one of the most sought-after guitarists in Britain. He was a member of THE YARDBIRDS from 1966 to 1968 and then, in late 1968, founded LED ZEPPELIN, one of rock's most successful and enduring bands, who have sold more than 300 million records to date.
Following LED ZEPPELIN, in the 1980s Page went on to produce a film soundtrack, "Death Wish II", toured with Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck on the fundraising "A.R.M.S." tour, formed bands THE FIRM and COVERDALE PAGE, and released a solo album, "Outrider". From 1994 until 1998, Page reunited with LED ZEPPELIN bandmate Robert Plant on two albums and two tours as PAGE AND PLANT. Since then, Page has collaborated on a wide range of projects, including performing with Sean Coombes, THE BLACK CROWES and at the closing ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics with Leona Lewis. Jimmy Page has been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame twice, once as a member of THE YARDBIRDS (1992) and once as a member of LED ZEPPELIN (1995). In 2005, Page received an OBE from the Queen, then also received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Surrey (2008); in 2012 he received America's highest award for the arts, the Kennedy Center Honors, from President Barack Obama at the White House and an Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College, Boston (2014). More recently, Page produced and remastered LED ZEPPELIN's nine studio albums with companion discs, rereleased in 2014 and 2015, and in 2019, the Metropolitan Museum of Art's remarkable "Play It Loud" exhibition featured some of his most iconic guitars.
King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his wife, Toyah Willcox, are back with a fresh helping of Sunday Lunch, this time performing The Black Keys hit, "Lonely Boy", from 2011. They have also included outtakes from the performance.
Toyah recently revealed in an interview with eonmusic that a movie of the Sunday Lunch series is in the planning. The phenomenon, which sees Toyah and partner Robert Fripp cover songs from across the rock spectrum, started life during the lockdown, and has grown into a "phenomenon", according to the singer.
Toyah made the revelation while speaking to sonmusic's Eamon O'Neill ahead of her performance at Rewind South in Henley-on-Thames in August.
Speaking about how Sunday Lunch has taken off; Toyah said; "Well, the Sunday lunch phenomenon, which is a worldwide phenomenon, it's basically, we picked up on classic rock, and our treatment of rock is; if you can teach Mozart and Beethoven in schools, then why can't you teach classic rock? Because that's what it is now; rock from Led Zeppelin, rock from Black Sabbath; it's classic, it's never going to go away. And it's something that I think, kids would really love learning about. That's not that we're going on the road and being educational, but our show kind of goes on a journey with artists we know, artists who visit us in our homes."
Going on to reveal that a movie about Sunday Lunch is on the way, Toyah said; "We have a documentary crew following us, and we have quite a big production company scripting an idea at the moment. Obviously we won't be in it. It's for actors to play, but that's all in the back kind of pool of what do you call pre-production. All of that's going on."
Asked when the movie might see the light of day, she was however, less committal; "I mean, movies take years, you know, for the even scripts to be accepted, so who knows what will happen?"
Germany's Electric Callboy, who recently wrapped up a sold out North American tour, have shared an official live video for "Fuckboi" featuring Conquer Divide vocalist Kiarely Castillo.
"This is a $0 production. We decided spontaneously to record the show in Denver, so we equipped our crew with iPhones and action cams, and we think they did a damn good job."
Electric Callboy's Tekkno (Tour Edition) is available to order in the following formats:
- Ltd. 180g. ultra clear-red splattered Vinyl (limited to 1.000 copies / band exclusive)
- Ltd. 180g. yellow-black marbled Vinyl (limited to 500 copies / band exclusive and CM Distro)
- Ltd. 180g transp. light blue-lilac marbled Vinyl (available at all outlets)
- Standard CD Jewelcase
Clear the pit…One of the year’s most anticipated metal records has arrived. New England’s acclaimed purveyors of death Fuming Mouth have released their long-awaited full-length, Last Day Of Sun, today via Nuclear Blast Records. An album that almost never was, Last Day of Sun is a work of perseverance, survival and resurrection with seething fury that knows no bounds.
Overcoming cancer in 2022, vocalist/guitarist Mark Whelan and crew rebounded with Last Day Of Sun, setting a new pace for death metal in the process. Featuring the raw, brutal tracks “The Silence Beyond Life” and “I’ll Find You,” the record unravels with cataclysmic riffs and dire, ferocious vocals that take fans on a tumultuous journey through the arduous process of suffering and healing.
Today, Fuming Mouth has revealed a new lyric video for their track “Kill The Disease,” a raging song about Whelan’s battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
Whelan comments on the song:
“This is the one true song that has to deal with my cancer diagnosis from the album. If you have any disease in your life stand up and fight back against it.”
Whelan says of the new record: “What started as a fictional concept album became incredibly real. I was facing certain death, but as I kept writing the album it’s theme became clear. You could die tomorrow. Seize the day.”
"Out Of Time"
"Respect And Blasphemy"
"The Silence Beyond Life"
"The Sign Of Pain"
"Leaving Euphoria"
"I’ll Find You"
"Disgusterlude"
"Kill The Disease"
"Last Day Of Sun"
"R.I.P. (Rest In Piss)"
"Burial Practices"
"Postfigurement"
"The Silence Beyond Life" video:
A fiery, resurrected rage barrels its way out of hell’s erupting chasms with blistering fury; Fuming Mouth has returned. Lead singer, guitarist, and founder Mark Whelan emerges triumphant after a life-threatening battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, rekindling the inferno of their music with Fuming Mouth's second full-length album, Last Day Of Sun.
What initially began as a full-on, fictional concept album underwent a profound transformation into a concept-reality hybrid, largely influenced by Whelan's harrowing conflict with his health and anear brush with death. Just three weeks away from recording the album, Whelan was struck with a devastating cancer diagnosis. While bravely fighting the illness, he rewrote melodies, drum sections, and lyrics, infusing the music with his personal journey of struggle and hope.
The recording sessions began in October 2022, with Grammy Award winning Kurt Ballou of Converge at his studio, God City, inSalem, Massachusetts. Ballou reached out to Whelan after his battle with cancer and encouraged him to get back to their previously scheduled recording session.Working closely with Ballou in both engineering and production, the band found a wonderful and collaborative experience, as Ballou invested himself wholeheartedly in shaping their sound and vision. Salem itself also helped shape the album, as the Halloween Season had begun. Droves of tourists and residents mixing with people in costume made the streets of Salem seem like Last Day Of Sun had come to life. The city where the Witch Trials took place presented the perfect setting for the album to be recorded.
At the genesis of this record, there was no other artist that could have captured the album's essence better than Mariusz Lewandowski, with whom the band had already established a creative relationship through his work on the cover art of The Grand Descent. Tragically, Mariusz passed away while working on the album artwork, presenting the band with an immense obstacle to overcome. In tribute to his spirit and legacy, they joined forces with the talented artist Stefan Todorovic who crafted an evocative album cover depicting a Faustian city crumbling amidst the gray and sandy storms of the apocalypse. A colossal monster blocks the sun and hovers above the city as it burns, smoky buildings topple to the ground; all a visual representation of the chaos and darkness that permeates the album.
Fuming Mouth stands resilient, a testament to the indomitable human spirit. Amidst the carnage and depression lies a flicker of hope - a beacon of light that emanates from within. But as the last rays of the sun cast their shadow, the question remains. Will the people in Last Day Of Sun survive? Will their worst inhibitions play out, will they rip each other to shreds, will they give up? Will everything they’ve built have been for not? Will they find a way to overcome, or will their panic lead to failure?
Fuming Mouth is:
Mark Whelan - Guitar, Vocals
Andrew Budwey - Guitar
Pat Merson - Bass
James Davis - Drums
Cave, the original band found by former Metal Church vocalist Ronny Munroe, has released a music video for “Hero”. Their new album, One, will be released March 1, 2024.
The band states: "Finding that inner strength to push forward through the rough times, to work hard and be the best that you can be in this life… and when you do that, you figure out the formula, then you are a Hero for sure and you’ll know that you can get through anything that comes at you … long live the hero, may he live forevermore …"
Cave is:
Ronny Munroe - Vocals
Chris Lorey - Guitars
Roberto Palacios - Bass
Chris Schwinn - Drums
Australian extremists The Amenta have revealed a video for their hymn to Satan – "Sono L'Antichristo".
"Sono L'Antichristo" is a reworking of the Diamanda Galas composition. While the original version bewitches with brooding ambient and shocking noise, The Amenta build a cold, devastating extreme metal armor around obscure and hysterical chants - including blasting drums courtesy of David Haley (Psycroptic).
The Amenta's keyboard player Timothy Pope narrates: "Diamanda Galas is an artist who should need no introduction. Her voice is incomparable to any other and her work is sui generis. 'Sono L'Antichristo' was originally on her incredible Plague Mass album which was the first album of hers I had heard. Not long after hearing this album, Erik and I found out that Diamanda Galas was playing in Sydney at the Opera House. We jumped in the car, desperate to see a live performance of this wild and soul-scouring work, but by the time we got there the show had started and the doors were locked. On the way to the bar to drown our sorrows, we passed the merch store which proudly displayed Galas' book The Shit Of God (later I found this to be a line from 'Sono L'Antichristo') and we knew we had missed a life-changing performance."
"Later, at the bar, we would watch scores of well-dressed, well-to-do people, streaming from the exits at intermission, never to return. She had driven them out. On top of her more 'avant-garde' work, Diamanda Galas is one of the greatest interpreters of classic song and it is in this spirit that she is, in some ways, the patron saint of the whole Plague Of Locus release. Our version of the song, and the film clip we now release, can be seen as not only a tribute to an artist who has greatly inspired us over the years, but also a glimpse into what we imagined was happening behind those closed Opera House doors. The fever dreams of two disappointed metalheads."
Plague Of Locus is available now via Debemur Morti Productions. Vinyl orders can be placed at this location. Save your digital copy here.
The artwork for Plague Of Locus was created by Metastazis (Paradise Lost, Ulver), who also provided art for both of The Amenta's 2021 releases, Revelator and Solipschism.
Mixed by the band's very own Erik Miehs, and mastered by Maor Applebaum (Faith No More, Abbath), the EP builds on the claustrophobic heft of Revelator, resulting in a phenomenal sound that is heavy and crushing, yet natural and organic.
To enter the atmosphere of the new EP, The Amenta unveils an eerie and obscure video clip for their self-composed title track.
The Amenta covers "Angry Chair" by Alice In Chains:
The Amenta covers "Asteroid" By Killing Joke:
Plague Of Locus is filled with violent and hysterical extreme metal arrangements, intelligently combined with groovy elements, dramatic hooks, infectious vocals, and noisy soundscapes – the perfect soundtrack to all nightmares!
Composer and keyboard player Timothy Pope narrates about the new EP's genesis: "Listening to Plague Of Locus immediately triggers a nostalgic shiver. To me, it has some of the same cold bite as our material from the 2008 n0n album. Of course, it takes that initial familiarity and twists it beyond recognition with wailing theremin and an open, epic mid-section with an inspired vocal from Cain but the seeds of something nostalgic remained. To complement the song, we decided to surround it with covers of songs that have inspired us, particularly our 2021 album, Revelator. In fact, two of these tracks were recorded during the Revelator sessions."
Reveling in the moment The Amenta embark on a long overdue Australian headline tour, including a performance at Adelaide's biggest and best metal festival, Froth & Fury. The Plague Of Locus 2023 Tour will see The Amenta's first headline shows in over ten years. Known for uncompromising, suffocating and overpowering performances, this boundary-pushing horde are keen to bring their full assault to all shows. The Amenta is thrilled to be joined by blackened sludge miscreants LO! on select dates.
November
16 - Sydney, The Crowbar
17 - Melbourne, Stay Gold
18 - Adelaide, Froth & Fury Festival *
December
1 - Brisbane, Soapbox
2 - Perth, Amplifier *
Back in September, Van Halen singer, David Lee Roth, released another of his wonderfully weird videos, soundtracked by Metallica's mega-hit, "Enter Sandman". Today, Roth releases "Metal Fu Part 2". Watch both clips below:
New York’s Streetlight Circus have released a new single and video from the band’s album, Super Fine Sugar. The song, “Drive It Like I Stole It,” features a guest appearance by Berton Averre, guitarist of The Knack.
“Drive It Like I Stole It” was written by the band’s singer/bassist David Shaw and has become a staple of the band’s live set since Super Fine Sugar was released in late 2022. The rousing chorus, the melodic sensibility, and the crafty musicianship of Shaw, as well as guitarists George Giannoulis and Alex Rude and drummer Erik Fehrenbach, combine to pack a mighty hard rock/power pop punch.
Berton Averre, friend to the band and renowned by rock aficionados for his blistering solo on The Knack’s multi-platinum hit “My Sharona,” lends his talents to “Drive It Like I Stole It” with two electrifying solos. He is also prominently featured in the new music video.
Filmed in Hollywood, California and Leesburg, Virginia, the new video shows Streetlight Circus at their best, rocking the stages of the Whisky a GoGo and the Tally Ho Theater respectively. Much of the live footage was fan-filmed.
Super Fine Sugar is available for purchase on CD as well as download on all major streaming platforms. For more information, head here.
Tracklisting:
"Super Fine Sugar"
"Drive It Like I Stole It"
"Cherry Cola"
"Ex Machina"
"Pay My Rent"
"Dirty Earth"
"Take Me To The River"
"This Means War"
"Trouble"
"Clown Parade"
"Zero At The Bone"
"Rattle The Cage"
Hellcats, the all female heavy metal pioneers from Slovenia, present a video for the new single, "Black Thunder". The second single from the band's upcoming album, Black Thunder, was released on October 13, and was presented live for the first time at London's iconic 100 Club on Oxford Street, on October 28. Hellcats shared the stage with Blondie drummer Clem Burke and packed the club which witnessed a great rock venue.
The song was written by sisters Sasha Zagorc (bass) and Sonja Zagorc (drums) and was recorded with the producer Dejan Radicevic, a well-known and recognized Slovenian producer, who said: “It was a pleasure to work with Hellcats. The girls are real rockers from head to toe, which you can also hear. Metal sound suits them perfectly and with the new members came new talent and this can surprise you in the future! “
Together with the new composition, they are presenting a video which was directed by Perica Rai.
Download the single here, and watch the video below:
Hellcats were one of the first all-female metal bands in Europe and they are still the only all-female band in Slovenia. They released an EP (Hellcats) in 2010 and two full-length albums in 2013 (Divja Pot) and 2014 (Warrior Princess). The band has a new power, Sara Simeunovic on vocals and Mia Marinic on guitar, and by the words of listeners from the last English tour, where they performed on eminent stages such as the O2 Academy in Islington, they are the strongest line-up until now. Until now Hellcats toured Germany, Italy, Austria, Russia, and Croatia. Right after the England tour, they have been invited to Finland.
They are active, ready to express their energy on stage, and show people that they are unstoppable with their work. As they say in Black Thunder – Never give up!
Winterhorde, the progressive extreme metal group hailing from Northern Israel, has announced the release of its fourth studio album, Neptunian, on December 8 via Noble Demon. In preparation for this monumental release, the band has unveiled the first single "The Spirit of Freedom", which showcases the band's unique blend of enchanting tenderness and brutal intensity. The track is accompanied by a brand new video, which you can watch below.
Winterhorde bassist and founder, Alexander Latman, comments on "The Spirit Of Freedom": "This song deals with the unbreakable spirit of simple people, who are ready to die for keeping their land free. We wanted to show this spirit, not only in the warrior himself but also in his family members who are filled with pride of their fallen loved one. The simple people are those who sacrifice their lives for unnecessary wars waged by rich people’s games. They die, but never give up their freedom and identity. The conflict of life versus freedom at any cost".
"Amphibia"
"Neptunian (As Trident Strikes The Ice)"
"Angels In Disguise" (Feat. Kobi Farhi of Orphaned Land)
"The Spirit Of Freedom"
"Alone In The Ocean"
"The Garden"
"Ascension"
"A Harvester Of Stars" (Feat. Davidavi Dolev of Subterranean Masquerade)
"With Bare Hands Against The Storm"
"The Greatest Plague Of Earth" (Vinyl bonus track)
"The Spirit Of Freedom" video:
Since their formation in 2002, Winterhorde has been on a relentless journey of musical evolution, constantly pushing the boundaries of their craft. Their unwavering dedication to becoming something greater with each chord they play and record has earned them a well-deserved reputation as one of the most articulate and innovative acts in today's extreme metal. Following the success of their third studio album, Maestro (2016), Winterhorde took a six-year hiatus to regroup and recharge. Now, filled with a new lineup and an abundance of creative energy, the band is ready to embark on their next musical odyssey with Neptunian.
To give fans a taste of what's to come, Winterhorde released the off-album digital single, "The Greatest Plague of Earth," in June 2022. The overwhelming response to this release caught the attention of powerhouse label Noble Demon, leading to a record deal and the forthcoming release of Neptunian in December 2023. The album was expertly mixed and mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano (Ghost, Paradise Lost, Insomnium, Moonspell), ensuring a powerful and immersive listening experience.
Winterhorde are:
Zed Destructive - Harsh vocals
Yoni "Oblivion" Oren - Clean vocals
Moshe Benofel - Electric and acoustic guitars
Omer "Noir" Naveh - Electric and acoustic guitars
Oleg "Olgerd" Rubanov - Keyboards
Alexander "Celestial" Latman - Bass
Alex Zaitsev - Drums
Brace yourselves, for the unrelenting onslaught of Foetal Juice, is back and more gruesome than ever with their ninth album, Grotesque. This death metal powerhouse, known for devastating riffs and lyrical content that draws inspiration from the darkest corners of humanity, their songs are a visceral commentary on the idiocy and cruelty of mankind, targeting those who deserve a sonic reckoning. “Ghoul Amongst The Mouldering Dead” is the latest single, exclusively premiered by BraveWords, and the one they enjoy playing the most.
They comment on the musical direction and lyrical content of the track:
“Our guitarist has worked on the running riffs quite a lot to make them sound complex enough without turning it too melodic. For the middle section, we wanted to make it really heavy for the headbangers at shows. Something for everyone in the crowd to enjoy, even the miserable cunt at the back with their arms crossed. Lyrically this is a lot more serious than the others. It’s about the soldiers in the First World War who were stuck in no man's land having to eat the flesh of the dead to survive.”
According to the band, this is the song that represents them the best on this album. It draws in sections from all of their influences from old death metal, grind, black metal to gore-laden groove and ferocious stabs.
Foetal Juice has grown to become a death metal juggernaut known for its unrelenting brutality and uncompromising sound. With a career spanning multiple albums and splits, they've carved a niche for themselves in the extreme metal scene. Grotesque promises to be their most savage and unrelenting work to date, a relentless onslaught of sound that will leave listeners in awe. It is recommended for fans of Napalm Death, Terrorizer, and Cannibal Corpse.
Grotesque is due out on November 17th, 2023 via Gore House Productions and is available for album pre-order (Cassette / CD / Digital) and pre-save at this location.
Tracklisting:
"Human Beach Master"
"Mountain Of Gore"
"Legion Of The Grotesque"
"Ghoul Amongst The Mouldering Dead"
"Two Bongs Don’t Make A Right"
"Cunt Of The Litter"
"Cemetery Leachate"
"The Walking Groin"
"Torn Apart"
"F. K. E. O."
"Gruesome"
Northern Irish rock outfit, Therapy? reveal their mind-melting AI generated video for "Woe", which is taken from their new album Hard Cold Fire, out now on Marshall Records.
As a growing fan favourite, "Woe: is a bleak towering mass of prog-tinged riflery adorned with arguably, some of the band's most anthemic melodies to date.
“After over three decades as a band and numerous promo videos it’s intriguing to find our gnarly vessels represented in AI,” jests vocalist and guitarist Andy Cairns. “The song itself is looking at finding a way out of misery and looking ahead. Focusing on things you can change and using bad experiences as a springboard to make the right moves.”
Speaking on the track’s initial inception, Andy reveals; “The riff was written by Neil on a keyboard and then interpreted on a guitar with a POG Pedal for its unique sound. The middle eight is classic Therapy? melancholic euphoria while the chorus seeks anthemic joy from struggle.”
As Therapy?’s fourth decade finally gets underway in earnest, their 16th album Hard Cold Fire, written and pre-produced during an unprecedented time for music, is hefty, compact, and accessible, a distillation of everything that has made them what they are - hewn from County Antrim basalt, still possessed of their stoicism, but casting a renewed focus on catharsis and healing.
Working once more with renowned producer Chris Sheldon (Feeder, Biffy Clyro, Foo Fighters), a consistent good-luck charm for Therapy? dating back to 1994’s breakout album Troublegum, the band decamped to the newly opened Marshall Studios in Milton Keynes toward the end of 2021, working furiously to put the album down in its final form.
Hard Cold Fire tracklisting:
"They Shoot The Terrible Master"
"Woe"
"Joy"
"Bewildered Herd"
"Two Wounded Animals"
"To Disappear"
"Mongrel"
"Poundland Of Hope And Glory"
"Ugly"
"Days Kollaps"
Be sure to catch the band’s explosive live show at one of the following dates:
December
1 - Portsmouth, UK – Wedgewood Rooms
2 - Sheffield, UK – O2 Academy 2
3 - Northampton, UK – Roadmender
7 - Bristol, UK – The Fleece
8 - Manchester, UK – Academy 2
9 - Sunderland, UK – Pop Recs
10 - Glasgow, UK – King Tut’s
14 - London, UK – Electric Ballroom
15 - Bradford, UK – Nightrain
16 - Birmingham, UK – O2 Institute2
17 - Cardiff, UK – Globe
ATREYU has released the official music video for "Forevermore". The song is taken from the final installment of the band's three-part EP series, "A Torch In The Dark", which is being made available today (Friday, November 3),leading into "The Beautiful Dark Of Life" album, out on December 8 via Spinefarm.
"Forevermore" is the EP's love song. The lyrics feature five bandmembers channeling their individual emotions, coalescing into one unified voice.
"I hear very specific lyrics now and can remember exactly who or what I was thinking of when that came out," explains bassist Marc "Porter" McKnight, while frontman frontman Brandon Saller labels the track "the most vulnerable, tender moment this band has ever had."
"A Torch In The Dark" EP continues the journey set by "The Hope Of A Spark" EP and "The Moment You Find Your Flame" EP, leading into "The Beautiful Dark Of Life", which is a culmination of all three representing pieces of a puzzle, collectively amounting to something far greater.
This EP is about self-discovery, finding your purpose and confidence, and your future again. A victory through the shadows and conquering the darkness — for now.
"Many people remember these moments and experiences that shaped who they are in very formative years," Saller says. "But for me, that period of my life is one big void. There are things about me as a person and things I do to this day that I don't like, but I don't understand why."
"We draw strength from each other and give each other the space and support to be the best, most creative person we can be," guitarist Dan Jacobs explains. "And together, right now, that makes us the best band we've ever been."
"Everything that we have put out to this point has built up to this moment," concludes Jacobs. "Something special is happening with ATREYU right now. We can feel the creativity and collaboration when the five of us get in the studio. We can feel the confidence we all give each other when we stand on stage together. And we can see it in the audience when they're losing their minds. They're having as good a time as we are ourselves."
"A Torch In the Dark" track listing:
01. (i)
02. Death Or Glory
03. Evermore
04. Come Down
In an interview with Rock 100.5 The KATT's Cameron Buchholtz conducted at this past September's Rocklahoma festival in Pryor, Oklahoma, Saller spoke about ATREYU's decision to shift their focus away from releasing albums to putting out a series of EPs.Saller said: "The whole project as a whole kind of tells sort of the same story in repeat. And we just wanted a way to kind of just be able to shine a light on the songs a little bit more individually. I feel like a lot of times you put out albums these days and you get three or four songs that get any sort of attention. The rest of them just go by the wayside, which sucks when you're creating art and putting everything you have into art."
He continued: "Each EP goes through the cycles of life, the seasons of life, if you will, to tell one big story at the end. So it's kind of a way that we can get a little bit more in depth with a kind of a story and also a way that we can have our audience really be able to focus on smaller portions of songs at a time."
Asked if he and his bandmates are seeing that sort of engagement and fans following the story, Brandon said: "Absolutely. I feel like, you just see it, just when [you look at] the [streaming] numbers, you see each song kind of getting a little bit more of a limelight and having a little bit more of kind of a day in the sun. So that feels nice for us."
Saller previously talked about ATREYU's decision to release a series of EPs this past July in an interview with the "Brutally Delicious" podcast. At the time, he said: "I care less and less about the traditional kind of methods of things and more about, how do we actually get people to have the opportunity to digest all of the art? … You put out an album, put out 12 songs on an album and four of 'em get a light shined on them and are in the tens of millions of streams and have all this attention and then the other eight are in the hundreds of thousands, if that — maybe they hit a million. They're in the dark and you spent all this time on these songs.
"We're not a band that has historically put out records with a bunch of filler; it's hard to get songs past us," he explained. "So, for us, it's, like, 'Oh, well, man, it just didn't have opportunity to get shown.'
"I'm all about alternative methods of release," Saller added. "I think that physical release really only lies in vinyl and cool, like, collectors' kind of stuff these days. I don't care about CDs. I couldn't play a CD if I wanted to. I don't have a CD [player] in my car. I don't have a CD player in my computer. But as far as just releasing things, I just wanna release things that make it more accessible and easy to actually consume and digest them. And I think that that potentially is in singles and EPs. I don't know everything or anything. So we'll see how it goes."
ATREYU and MEMPHIS MAY FIRE recently joined forces for the "We Want Your Misery" tour, with CATCH YOUR BREATH and ANOTHER DAY DAWNS as support. ATREYU also joined GODSMACK for select dates before embarking on a run of Canadian shows with IRON MAIDEN, starting on September 28.
The new THUNDERMOTHER lineup has released its first single, "I Left My License In The Future". Helmed again by Danish producer Søren Andersen (PRETTY MAIDS, D-A-D, Glenn Hughes, Mike Tramp),the track sees founding THUNDERMOTHER guitarist Filippa Nässil joined by singer Linnéa Vikström (THERION, AT THE MOVIES),bassist Majsan Lindberg and drummer Joan Massing (HONEY CREEK).
THUNDERMOTHER says about "I Left My License In The Future": "With this first single from the new lineup, we would like to give the fans a hard hitting no-brainer track aimed at the one in the passenger seat without a driver's license. An anthem for those of us who never gets to be the designated driver and a love letter to the ones in the driver's seat. Cheers and let's party!"
The new THUNDERMOTHER lineup made its live debut on April 20 by playing a "secret" show at Pub Anchor in Stockholm, Sweden. The latest THUNDERMOTHER incarnation played its first "official" concert on April 22 at Ski & Rock in Sälen, Sweden. They then kicked off a series of European shows as the support act for the SCORPIONS.
This past February, it was announced that singer Guernica Mancini, drummer Emlee Johansson and bassist Mona Lindgren were exiting THUNDERMOTHER and were forming a new band together. At the same time, Nässilrevealed that she would continue with a new THUNDERMOTHER lineup.
In a recent interview with Bloodstream TV, Filippa opened up about the latest THUNDERMOTHER lineup changes, saying: "Well, we were together seven years — and that is Guernica, the singer, and Emlee, the drummer. And it [was] amazing; we did so much together. But in the end, we couldn't communicate. 'Cause you travel and you live together all the time. Not even when you say 'hi' to each other. I cannot live a rock and roll lifestyle like this. So I tried to solve it for a long time — like, 'This doesn't work. We have to communicate and be respectful,' and whatever. And it didn't work out. One person didn't come to the meeting, so we had to move forward. Because this is a business as well, and a rock and roll band, and it's supposed to be fun and good and loving also, because we need to support each other. And when that's not the case… Well, I fired [Guernica] — that's the first time I'm saying that now, actually — because she didn't come to the meetings I set up to mediate. We need to talk and be able to work together. Because it's more and more business, and then you can't work and then you can't do your shows. Because it's e-mails and everything — it's a lot of stuff."
Nässil continued: "So friendship — okay, I can buy that; you don't have to be friends. But I think it's much better now anyway. And I'm very happy with… 'Cause I took the old singer… Not the old singer, but a singer that I really loved and admired for a long time called Linnéa Vikström. I actually asked her for the job in THUNDERMOTHER seven years ago, but she wasn't available. She had too much to do, 'cause she sang with THERION, a big metal band, around the world. And [she has] a lot of experience, but we're also good friends. So it's been hard for her to sort of take over something, but it's been fantastic. And everyone says it's really good."
In recent months, Mancini, who joined THUNDERMOTHER in 2017, gave several interviews in which she described her time with the group as "six tough years" and "a very bumpy ride". She also said that Filippa decided to fire her from the band without consulting the other members of THUNDERMOTHER, a move which they perceived as "very disrespectful towards them, being that they believed that we were a democracy and that we had a say in these things," according to Guernica.
In March, Mancini, Johansson and Lindgren announced that their new band would be called THE GEMS. They have since signed a worldwide deal with Napalm Records and have issued two singles, "Like A Phoenix" and "Send Me To The Wolves".
THE GEMS made their live debut on March 22 at Pustervik in Gothenburg, Sweden as the support act for THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA.
THE GEMS' live performances include material from THUNDERMOTHER's last two albums, 2020's "Heat Wave" and 2022's "Black And Gold", both of which featured songwriting contributions from Guernica and Emlee.
THUNDERMOTHER will kick off a Central European tour with LANSDOWNE on November 24 at Munich, Germany's Backstage club. A Swedish tour will follow in early 2024.
SPIRITBOX has released a new EP, "The Fear Of Fear", via Rise Records/Pale Chord. In celebration of the EP's arrival, the band has initiated a three-part video premiere event, featuring the official music videos for the three brand new tracks on the effort. The event begins now with the release of the music video for "Ultraviolet". Later today (Friday, November 3),the band will premiere the music video for "Angel Eyes" and on Saturday, November 4 at 12 p.m. PT, the official music video for "Too Close / Too Late" will make its online debut.
"The Fear Of Fear" builds on the momentum from SPIRITBOX's massively successful 2021 debut album "Eternal Blue", which topped charts and dominated critics' year-end lists. The six-track EP features previously released singles "The Void", "Jaded" and "Cellar Door".
"The Fear Of Fear" track listing:
01. Cellar Door
02. Jaded
03. Too Close / Too Late
04. Angel Eyes
05. The Void
06. Ultraviolet
SPIRITBOX has been touring extensively this year, having played in Europe and North America, including the band's first-ever U.S. headline tour which completely sold out.
SPIRITBOX recently completed a U.K. headline run followed by multiple major summer festival shows, and recently wrapped up an extensive run across the U.S. with SHINEDOWN and PAPA ROACH.
SPIRITBOX followed the release of "Eternal Blue" with the three-song "Rotoscope" EP, in 2022. The title track came accompanied by an official music video shot by Max Moore, which has run up over 3.6 million YouTube views. The EP has clocked up 28.5 million streams.
To date, SPIRITBOX have accumulated over 436 million career streams across platforms and 76.4 million YouTube views. They were also nominated for two Juno Awards last year for "Breakthrough Group Of The Year" and "Metal/Hard Music Album of The Year".
In a recent interview with Kerrang! magazine, SPIRITBOX singer Courtney LaPlante stated about her band's constant musical experimentation: "I feel like our sub-genre of metal is so obsessed with the idea that any song you hear from a band is a mission statement, as in, 'This is now what this band sounds like.' Maybe it's like this in every genre and I just don't see it as much, but when Doja Cat puts a song out, and she's singing, [the fans] don't go, 'She's never going to rap again!' We always have to tell people that when you hear a song, that doesn't mean it was created in a linear vacuum, where a band made a song and then they put out only that song. You might hear a song that was written two years after the next song you hear. You don't know when they came into existence.
"The messaging is always funny there, and I feel like bands never message that right either," she continued. "Every time they put out boring music, they're like, 'Oh, we've matured.' I'm like, 'No, I'm not mature or grown up, I just wrote a song that's more radio friendly. I also wrote an ass-beater song — you just haven't heard it yet!'"
Courtney also left the door open for SPIRITBOX to make any number of moves in the future.
"I don't feel like we've been around long enough to disappoint anyone," she said. "We are just getting started, and we're still figuring out what we are, and I don't even know if I want to find out. I don't care about genre, I just know we like making heavy music with low-tuned guitars. But I'm like, 'Take me or leave me, this is what we sound like.' I feel like a lot of bands are having fun with that too."
SPIRITBOX founding member and guitarist Mike Stringer told WOUB about the band's decision to go back to an older sound a little bit on "The Fear Of Fear": "Well, me and Courtney, I remember specifically last winter, we were discussing it, and we love all the other stuff we've put out, but we just have very fond memories of starting everything, when we could just be very loose with the creativity and just being able to make whatever we enjoy, and be able to put it down and not really have to think too much about it. I think naturally our style goes to that darker melodic style. So it was almost like we had a discussion where we were, like, 'Well, what if we approach things like that in 2023? What would that sound like and what would that look like and what would the concept be?' So when we first started, we threw a bunch of actual EVP [electronic voice phenomena] sounds on the EP and made a really, in my opinion, a very dark, kind of bleak sounding record. And we hadn't done that for a while."
Less than two months after releasing their celebrated debut album Rivers Of Heresy, Empire State Bastard returned with a new single “Tired, Naw?, available now on all streaming platforms, here. An official music video for the song can be found below.
“Tired, Naw?” sees Empire State Bastard updating the track “Tired, Aye?”, which originally appeared on Rivers Of Heresy, as a duet between frontman Simon Neil and drummer Dave Lombardo. On “Tired, Naw?” Mike Vennart joins the party with his no-holds-barred guitar taking the song to new heights. Listen below:
Simon Neil and Mike Vennart first envisioned the idea of Empire State Bastard during downtime on tour with Biffy Clyro, goading each other to find the most visceral and vitriolic music they could uncover. It took years for the idea to be fully put into practice, with Mike crafting instrumentals inspired by Siege, Slayer, Sleep and The Locust before Simon added equally feral vocals a world apart from what he was previously known for. The band was completed by the ultra-consistent bassist Naomi Macleod and all-time drumming great Dave Lombardo.
Up next, Empire State Bastard will kick of their UK & European headline tour in Paris, France tonight, November 2. The run will see them visit France, Netherlands, Germany & several parts of the UK across ten dates. For tickets and more information on Empire State Bastard’s upcoming live dates, head here.
Rivers Of Heresy is available to order / save here.
Tracklisting:
"Harvest"
"Blusher"
"Moi?"
"Tired, Aye?"
"Sons And Daughters"
"Stutter"
"Palms Of Hands"
"Dusty"
"Sold!"
"The Looming"
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