Dave Lombardo, one of the most influential, innovative and prolific drummers of modern music, has shared "Inner Sanctum", the third single from his debut solo album, "Rites Of Percussion", which will arrive on May 5 via Ipecac Recordings. An accompanying Displaced/Replaced-created video for the track can be seen below.
Over the two previously released songs, "Journey Of The Host" and "Separation From The Sacred", Lombardo has further demonstrated why he's considered one of the pre-eminent drummers of the modern era. Revolver noted of the forthcoming collection: "It features a massive range of instruments: a large concert bass drum, a timpani, a grand piano, and an array of shakers, maracas, Chinese and symphonic gongs, Native American drums, congas, timbales, bongos, batás, wood blocks, djembes, ibos, darbukas, octobans, cajóns and cymbals." Consequence said, describing "Separation From The Sacred": "Here he strips down to a minimal tribal beat, mostly foregoing cymbals for the pitter-patter of the skins and intricate rim work with his sticks" and The Stranger speaking about the lead track, "Journey Of The Host", said the single "flaunts Lombardo's underutilized funk chops and showcases his power and dexterity."
Lombardo is one of the busiest musicians working right now. Never one to rest on his laurels, the drumming pioneer recently released new albums with DEAD CROSS and VENAMORIS, performed with his other new band, EMPIRE STATE BASTARD (also featuring members of BIFFY CLYRO),and will soon hit the road with MR. BUNGLE, followed by dates with the resurrected punk icons MISFITS.
The 13-track collection is the result of a 40-year career that saw Lombardo rise to prominence as a co-founder of SLAYER, earn two Grammy Awards, and expand his repertoire across genres. The Cuban-born Lombardo's resume includes outings with the acrobatic, Mike Patton-led FANTÔMAS, the critically revered John Zorn, experimental hip-hop artist DJ Spooky and the aforementioned MISFITS.
"[Mike] Patton originally gave me the idea as far back as 1998," explains Lombardo. "He introduced me to Tito Puente's 'Top Percussion' album. I was already familiar with Tito and was a bit shocked that Patton was so musically diverse, and that he surrounded himself with musicians of the same mindset. That inspired me. I have had ideas that I've recorded on cassette over the years, but Patton kept insisting that I had to do a 'drum album.' So, the idea behind the album is years in the making. I just had to find the right time — for me — to do it."
"When the pandemic hit, I thought, 'Well, I can't tour now,'" he says. "I immediately started working on the record. It was one of the greatest experiences I've ever had. I had my studio, all my drums. Nothing was in storage for once! My home became a place where I could be free and creative. On the one hand, the touring part of my livelihood had been taken away, but on the other, I finally had the time to educate myself on different software and recording techniques. It was a very educational and gratifying experience."
The recording process of the film score-like album had a simple mantra: drums had to be drums. Mixed in early 2022 by Lombardo's son, David A. Lombardo, the self-produced release features a large concert bass drum, a timpani, a grand piano, and a flock of shakers, maracas, Chinese and symphonic gongs, Native American drums, congas, timbales, bongos, batás, wood blocks, djembes, ibos, darbukas, octobans, cajóns, and cymbals.
"Rites Of Percussion" track listing:
01. Initiatory Madness
02. Separation From The Sacred
03. Inner Sanctum
04. Journey Of The Host
05. Maunder In Liminality
06. Despojo
07. Interfearium
08. Blood Let
09. Warpath
10. Guerrero
11. Vicissitude
12. Omiero
13. Animismo
Album pre-orders, which include CD, digital, and three vinyl variants: standard cigar smoke, indie retail exclusive blood sacrifice, and Ipecac-exclusive purple haze, are available now.
Dave Lombardo was born in Havana, Cuba, relocating to Los Angeles when he was a mere two years old. He began playing drums as a teenager, and co-founded SLAYER (and created the band's logo) in 1981. Rolling Stone, in their list of the "100 Greatest Drummers Of All Time," dubbed him the "Cuban speed demon, " Modern Drummer proclaimed him "The King," and Drummerworld gave him the title of "The Godfather of double bass." Lombardo's eye-popping resume includes over 100 studio albums/recordings and includes both recorded and live stints with GRIP INC., FANTÔMAS, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, DEAD CROSS, MR. BUNGLE, MISFITS, DJ Spooky, John Zorn, TESTAMENT, and most recently creating the soulful duo VENAMORIS, with his wife Paula.
Lombardo was effectively fired from SLAYER after sitting out the group's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other bandmembers. He was later replaced by Paul Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001.
Shortly after his dismissal, Lombardo said that he discovered that 90 percent of SLAYER's tour income was being deducted as expenses, including fees to management, costing the band millions and leaving them with about 10 percent to split four ways. While he and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya hired auditors to figure out what had happened, Lombardo said he was never allowed to see any of the information obtained.
SLAYER played its last-ever show in November 2019 at The Forum in Los Angeles.
Toque have released the official video for their new track "Something For The Pain”. The original song was written by four Canadian rockers: Todd Kerns, Cory Churko, Brent Fitz, and Shane Gaalaas. The song is currently available on all digital music streaming sites.
“It’s important that we make sure everyone hear this new song, we are very proud of it, it was a great collaboration of us as musicians… we want to share that,” says Brent Fitz, bassist for Toque.
The official "Something For The Pain" t-shirt is available now at this location.
Fans can expect more original music to come this year, as well watch for shows this Fall / Winter when Toque will once again tour through the frozen tundra of Canada and the US.
BRRR! There's a chill in the air and it's courtesy of ice cold death metal crew, Frozen Soul.
The band - vocalist Chad Green; guitarists Michael Munday and Chris Bonner; bassist Samantha Mobley; and drummer Matt Dennard - is back with frigid force and will unleash its new album Glacial Domination on May 19 via Century Media. The album was produced by Trivium vocalist/guitarist Matthew K. Heafy and co-produced by Daniel Schmuck. Pre-order it here.
Today, the band has shared the video for the title track. It features a cameo from Heafy, as well as a past vs. future battle that ends with someone's arm being ripped off!
"'Glacial Domination' was co-written by the band and Matt Heafy of Trivium," Frozen Soul share. "We had a lot of fun exploring new things like catchier choruses, more leads, and solos. It's an avalanche of riffs leaning in traditional Frozen Soul but adding some new flavor. At the end of the day, we wanted to write a catchy and fun death metal song! It's paired with another video by Brendan McGowen that features Matt and a fight between a stranded, time-traveling space man and a literal caveman — what's not to love about that?!"
Find the video below.
Tracklisting:
"Invisible Tormentor"
"Arsenal Of War"
"Death And Glory"
"Morbid Effigy"
"Annihilation"
"Glacial Domination"
"Frozen Soul"
"Assimilator"
"Best Served Cold"
"Abominable"
"Atomic Winter"
"Glacial Domination" video:
"Arsenal Of War" video:
"Morbid Effigy" video:
Frozen Soul live:
April
14 - Philadelphia, PA - Decibel Metal & Beer Fest
15 - Pittsburgh, PA - Roxian Theatre
16 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
18 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom
19 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall
20 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Intersection
21 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre
22 - Montreal, QG - MTelus (With Despised Icon)
23 - Boston, MA - Paradise
25 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage
26 - Cincinnati, OH - Bogart's
27 - Nashville, TN - Eastside Bowl
28 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
29 - Orlando, FL - The Beacham
30 - Tampa, FL - The Ritz
May
1 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
3 - Austin, TX - Mohawk
4 - San Antonio, TX - Vibes Event Center
5 - Ft. Worth, TX - Ridglea Theater
6 - Lawrence, KS - Granada Theater
7 - Denver, CO - Summit Music Hall
8 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
10 - Mesa, AZ - The Nile
11 - Los Angeles, CA - Belasco Theater
12 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
13 - Berkeley, CA - UC Theatre
14 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
16 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
18 - Seattle, WA - Neptune Theatre
19 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
20 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre
22 - Edmonton, AB - Union Hall
23 - Calgary, AB - Palace Theatre
25 - Winnipeg, MB - Park Theatre
26 - Minneapolis, MN - Skyway Theater
In any serious conversation about death metal, the name Vomitory has to come up. Following their inception in 1989, between 1996 and 2011 they dropped eight of the most blistering albums the genre has spewed up, the quartet parting ways in 2013. However, the band's retirement turned out to be short lived, returning to stages in 2019 to celebrate the band's 30th anniversary, and now they drop their first new full-length in twelve years, the monstrous All Heads Are Gonna Roll.
For a first preview of the album, a video for the title track, directed by Marcus Svensson, can be viewed below.
Boasting the classic Vomitory sound with a few new twists and turns, it is everything their faithful could have hoped for, the band having taken their time before committing to it rather than rushing in. "We weren't feeling any pressure, it was rather about making a decision whether we should continue as a band, i.e. release new material, or simply put the band back in the grave again," explains drummer Tobias Gustafsson. "We wrote a few songs first just for the fun of it, to see if we still 'had it', before we made the final decision to continue and make a new full-length album."
All Heads Are Gonna Roll is best described as "fast, grinding, D-beat, fist-in-your-face death metal", it features fresh aspects that are uncommon to Vomitory records. "One thing in particular we did was to try to build distinct choruses in the songs, which is something we didn't put too much effort into earlier," explains drummer Tobias Gustafsson. "We have also spent a lot more time working with the backing vocal arrangements, which we certainly think paid off very well. It brings something new to our sound. We have also tried to write more straightforward riffs, like we did in the early 2000s."
The instruments for the record were tracked in the band's rehearsal space, on a mobile studio setup engineered by Mats Lindström, and was self-produced. This allowed them to work at their own pace in the hours that worked for them, rather than having this dictated to them as would be the case if they had rented a studio. "Although we had a lot of flexibility to choose our working hours, it was still crucial to keep the recording schedule as strict as possible, because it was so easy to say 'let's do it tomorrow instead'." For vocals, they went to Leon Music Studios and engineer Rikard Löfgren, which was where they recorded their last three albums. They brought in good friend Christian Fredriksson (Vulkan) to play some guitar solos, but otherwise it is entirely their own work. With vivid horror movie-inspired artwork - with a hint of anti-religion thrown in for good measure - All Heads Are Gonna Roll really is the whole package for death metal fans, and a stunning return to form after so many years between releases.
All Heads Are Gonna Roll, out May 26 via Metal Blade, can be pre-ordered here in the following formats:
- Digipak-CD
- 180g black vinyl
- dim gray marbled vinyl (limited to 700 copies)
- crimson red marbled vinyl (limited to 500 copies)
- clear w/ red & white splatter vinyl (limited to 300 copies)
- silver w/ black splatter vinyl (limited to 300 copies)
- red w/ purple splatter vinyl (limited to 300 copies) Sound Pollution exclusive
Cover art by Giannis Nakos.
All Heads Are Gonna Roll tracklisting:
"All Heads Are Gonna Roll"
"Decrowned"
"Ode To The Meat Saw"
"The Deepest Tomb"
"Piece By Stinking Piece"
"Raped, Strangled, Sodomized, Dead"
"Dead Man Stalking"
"Disciples Of The Damned"
"Dead World"
"Beg For Death"
"All Heads Are Gonna Roll" video:
Vomitory lineup:
Erik Rundqvist - vocals/bass
Urban Gustafsson - guitar
Peter Östlund - lead guitar
Tobias Gustafsson - drums
Norwegian rockers KVELERTAK will release their new album, "Endling", on September 8 via Rise Records/Petroleum Records.
The official music video for the LP's first single, "Krøterveg Te Helvete", can be seen below.
"'Krøterveg Te Helvete' is a celebration of the intolerable levels of hardships of being in a popular rock band in 2023," says KVELERTAK.
Thematically, "Endling" continues on the path of 2020's critically acclaimed "Splid" — which received press accolades from Stereogum, MetalSucks, Kerrang!, Revolver, Invisible Oranges, BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Guitar World, and more — by delving further into local lore and legend, though guitarist Vidar Landa summed it up best. "On 'Endling', we tell the stories of the extinct and dying men and women of Norway. Old and new myths, culture, and rituals come to life — the folklore that doesn't fit a TV series concept. Vikings and trolls are for television. This is the real deal."
"As the sun fell, at the time when oxen are unyoked, following the trail cut by the footsteps of Rasmus Vardal, the marauders of rock came riding again, screaming Kielland is dead, long live Kielland!," exclaims the band.
The follow-up to 2016's "Nattesferd", "Splid" marked KVELERTAK's first release since the departure of longtime frontman Erlend Hjelvik and addition of Ivar Nikolaisen.
Landa told Ireland's Overdrive that the singer switch "was seamless in a way. We knew that Erlend wanted to quit and do other stuff," he said. "We were lucky that we had that close connection with Ivar. He's been part of KVELERTAK for a long time and has sung on a few tracks for us in the past, doing backing vocals. We've toured together in the past also so he was really the only one that we were thinking of to replace him when Erlend was first talking about leaving. Luckily, Ivar wanted to do it and it's all just fit really well, thankfully. It would have been much harder to go through the audition process and undergo that process of looking for a new vocalist. We were very lucky for the way it all happened."
Nikolaisen made his live debut with KVELERTAK in July 2018 at the Fjellparkfestivalen in Flekkefjord, Norway.
Fen are now unleashing the fierce video clip “Scouring Ignorance”, the first single-track taken from the East Anglian's forthcoming album Monuments To Absence, which is scheduled for release on July 7, 2023. Preorders available here.
"We originally wanted to pen a piece from a perspective of strength and self-actualization, addressing the idea of literally scouring ignorance from the world through determination and drive", mastermind Frank "The Watcher" Allain writes. "We swiftly became aware of the futility of such a notion and instead, 'Scouring Ignorance' confronts ignorance itself as an almost tangible force – an infectious, quasi-elemental power that sweeps across our reality. Enlightenment, reason, empathy, and rationality are scoured from thought by the corrosive nature of ignorance itself, willingly embraced by the hapless herds that infest this world. This is a more realistic way to address the manifestations of ignorance swirling around us, reflected in the feverish gaze of foaming-mouthed demagogues and lapped up by the multitudes of the witless. Accompanied by one of our most intense compositions to date and placing the piece as the opener of the album we feel is a defiant and determined statement."
The colour of any Fen album always provides a dead giveaway to its conceptual and musical direction. The cover artwork of the East Anglian's seventh full-length Monuments To Absence features an abundance of the colour red for the first time in the band's history.
Psychologically red is an energetic colour often associated with anger or warnings. And indeed, Fen describe Monuments To Absence as an expression of anger, hopelessness and despair – anger at the desperate futility of a human species hell-bent on self-destruction, cosseted in a shroud of wilful ignorance with all of the resulting hopelessness and despair that this entails.
The themes of anger and despair are also reflected in the musical direction of Monuments To Absence, which is audibly harsher and blacker compared to its predecessor The Dead Light (2019). Yet Fen have not merely shifted the balance back from the 'post-' to the black metal part of their music. The English trio views Monuments To Absence as a crystalline fusion of all of the elements that constitute their sound delivered with power, focus, and intent.
That Monuments To Absence is undoubtedly Fen's most extreme recording to date does not mean, the band has abandoned their atmospheric glory with spatial clean sections, heaving doom, and full-blown riffs, augmenting this furious expression of despairing rage.
Tracklisting:
“Scouring Ignorance”
“Monuments To Absence”
“Thrall”
“To Silence And Abyss We Reach”
“Truth Is Futility”
“Eschaton’s Gift”
“Wracked”
“All Is Lost”
Following their recent announcement of joining Nuclear Blast Records, Southern Californian melodic death mongers, Exmortus, have revealed plans to release their sixth studio album, Necrophony, on August 25.
Available for pre-order now, the record four years in the making finds the shredders at a new creative peak, re-born in the isolation of the pandemic and wielding a master craft of metallic savagery.
Commenting on the impending record, guitarist/vocalist Conan says: "Necrophony was an album title idea for as long as I can remember. This Symphony of the Dead couldn't be realized for a collection of songs until now. Finally, we have our darkest and most classically inspired work yet, with artwork by the great Toha Mashudi to match perfectly. We returned to Sharkbite Studios to have the mighty wizard that is Zack Ohren aid us again in forging our metal, and resulted in the finest steel we're all proud to wield on the battlefield."
Today, the band has released the new single "Mind Of Metal," which can be streamed here. Watch the music video for "Mind Of Metal" below.
Conan says of the song: "'Mind Of Metal' is a great compliment to our previous single 'Oathbreaker,' in that it has contrasting rhythms and structure, but shares lyrical inspiration by Tolkien. It's a tribute to the wizard Saruman and other like characters in the legendarium, for their will to power and domination by crafty and industrial means. This song features groove, fast licks, and some of our favorite riffs ever written. Can't wait to perform it live!"
Necrophony tracklisting:
"Masquerade"
"Mask Of Red Death"
"Oathbreaker"
"Mind Of Metal"
"Storm Of Strings"
"Test Of Time"
"Darkest Of Knights"
"Prophecy"
"Children Of The Night"
"Beyond The Grave"
"Overture"
"Necrophony"
"Moonchild"
"Mind Of Metal" video:
"Oathbreaker" lyric video:
Exmortus will take their shred show on a West Coast tour this month with Paladin and Graveshadow, starting tonight in Santa Cruz, CA. Tickets are on sale now.
Tour dates:
April
12 - Santa Cruz, CA - Blue Lagoon
13 - Eugene, OR - John Henry's
14 - Spokane, WA - The Big Dipper
15 - Vancouver, BC - Hyperspace Festival
17 - Eureka, CA - Savage henry Comedy Club
18 - Sacramento, CA - Old Ironsides
19 - Anaheim, CA - Chain Reaction
(Photo - Hugo Juarez; Juarez Photography, Heavy Defender)
Grammy Award-nominated Sevendust are back with the announcement of their 14th studio album, Truth Killer, slated for worldwide release via the band’s new label, Napalm Records.
Truth Killer is the follow-up to the band’s 2020 release, Blood & Stone, that saw the band gain newfound notoriety with their cover of Soundgarden’s “The Day I Tried To Live”. Truth Killer showcases that the original and current lineup - comprised of Lajon Witherspoon, Clint Lowery, John Connolly, Vince Hornsby and Morgan Rose - sound as relevant today as they did on their 1997 self-titled debut. Producer, friend and collaborator Michael “Elvis” Baskette returns to produce Truth Killer which is now available for pre-order in multiple configurations.
From the introspective opening of “I Might Let The Devil Win” to the classic Sevendust sound of “Fence”, the twelve songs on Truth Killer demonstrate the diverse style that has won the band a legion of loyal fans. “Truth Killer”, “Everything” and “Holy Water” combine elements of the classic Sevendust sound with modern updates, pointing their lyrical lens at the world today.
The first song released is the album closer “Fence”, out now and accompanied by a claymation music video directed and animated by Ollie Jones. The video tells the story of a chemical leak during a Sevendust show that causes the band to turn in to zombies - but Sevendust will live forever. Watch below.
Truth Killer will be available in the following formats:
- 1CD 6p. Digisleeve
- 1LP Gatefold Vinyl Black
- 1LP Gatefold Vinyl Mint - North American retail Only
- 1LP Gatefold Vinyl *Die Hard* Marbled Blue/White/Black (Slipmat, Record Butler) - Napalm Mail Order Only, limited to 300
- 1LP Gatefold Vinyl Glow In The Dark - Band Mail Order Only, limited to 500
- 1LP Gatefold Vinyl Curacao Transparent - Band Mail Order Only, limited to 500
- 1LP Gatefold Vinyl Gold - Band Mail Order Only, limited to 500
- 1LP Gatefold Vinyl Orange Transparent - Band Mail Order Only, limited to 500
- Music Cassette Neon Yellow Transparent - Napalm Mail Order Only
- 1CD 6p. Digisleeve + Shirt "Truth Killer" Bundle - Napalm Mail Order Only
- Digital Album
"I Might Let The Devil Win"
"Truth Killer"
"Won’t Stop The Bleeding"
"Everything"
"No Revolution"
"Sick Mouth"
"Holy Water"
"Leave Hell Behind"
"Superficial Drug"
"Messenger"
"Love And Hate"
"Fence"
"Fence" video:
Having a reputation as being one of the best live bands and recently making headlines as the band you “don’t ever, ever, ever want to go on after,” Sevendust will be heading out on tour next month opening for longtime friends Alter Bridge. The band has also been confirmed for the WJRR Earthday Birthday 2023 (April 22), WDHA’s Rock The Rock Fest (April 28) and Sick New World 2023 (May 13). As a band who loves to bring the music to their fans live, more dates will be announced in the future and 2023 /2024 will be busy years for Sevendust.
More information on all upcoming tour dates and ticket and VIP info can be found here.
On June 2, Omnium Gatherum will release their new Slasher EP via Century Media Records.
Today, the band has shared its thoroughly metallic cover of the classic '80s dance pop anthem "Maniac" from the Flashdance film.
Watch the video, produced by Coldstore Productions, below.
Vocalist Jukka Pelkonen comments, "This classic pop song is shapeshifting into the Omnium Gatherum style of modern melodic death metal blast. Here is something to dance and headbang to in summertime!"
Guitarist and clean vocalist Markus Vanhala adds, "I heard it from the start with this classic '80s banger — that it had all the usual OG elements there. Our band just had to play this and turn this into an OG song! Get your upcoming summer spiced with this one and it's gonna be a good one!"
The band has also offered fans the opportunity to possibly choose a new track that they might cover. Fans can select a song from a list, as well as a mood and style that this new cover song could have. It will eventually be released in one of their future formats. Take advantage of this fantastic chance by pre-saving the Slasher EP here and pre-ordering Slasher here. The EP is available in the following formats:
- Ltd. CD digipak
- Black vinyl
- Digital EP
Mixed by Jens Bogren and mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios, Slasher is modern melodic death metal of the highest caliber. This 4-track EP includes a cover version of the 80s classic "Maniac", plus the first studio recordings with new guitarist, Nick Cordle. After 25+ years, Omnium Gatherum proves once again that they're still leading the pack!
Jukka Pelkonen - Vocals
Markus Vanhala - Guitars and Clean Vocals
Nick Cordle - Guitar
Aapo Koivisto - Keyboards
Mikko Kivistö - Bass and Clean Vocals
Atte Pesonen - Drums
UK-based melodic metal band The Raven Age, which features Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris's son George Harris, will release their new album, Blood Omen, on July 7 via Music For Nations / Sony.
A music video for the new single, "Serpents Tongue", can be viewed below.
Lead singer Matt “MJ” James muses "'Serpents Tongue', right from the off felt like a very special track for us. It’s that perfect balance between melodic and heaviness. There are so many different styles going on, but they all work and complement each other as a whole. When I first heard that lyrical hook that starts off the chorus, I knew we were onto a winner! It gets stuck in your head.”
Lead guitarist George Harris adds "'Serpents Tongue' is one of our favorites from the album and we knew it’d be a single straight away. Conceptually, the song is about deceit and lies, how you can only truly trust yourself and the loneliness that comes with that.”
The video finds the band performing the song in a ghoulish mansion to soundtrack a demonic dinner party hosted by the Raven King.
James reminisces: “The video had to compliment the track and give it the right representation. We knew we had to go even further creatively than we had done previously (which was difficult). I had this whacky concept of an Adams family-style dinner party, a meeting of the weird and wonderful but unsure if we’d be able to pull it off… luckily with a great team around us in Music For Nations and the support and tools from Dark fable media we feel we’ve brought the vision to life and created something pretty special that does the song justice.”
Blood Omen is the follow-up to the band's 2019 studio album, Conspiracy, which achieved over 35 million streams and a Top 30 Billboard Radio single "Fleur De Lis".
"Changing Of The Guard"
"Parasite"
"Serpents Tongue"
"Essence Of Time"
"Nostradamus"
"Forgive & Forget"
"The Journey"
"War In Heaven"
"Tears Of Stone"
"Parasite" video:
This summer, The Raven Age will be touring arenas across Europe and the UK with Iron Maiden. They will also be performing at Germany’s Rock am Ring, Belgium’s Graspop Metal Meeting, Return Of The Gods Festival in Italy, Sweden Rock, and Metal Days in Slovenia.
Pride Of Lions, the revered melodic rock band featuring legendary songwriter and The Ides Of March member Jim Peterik, together with powerhouse vocalist Toby Hitchcock, are back with their seventh studio album, Dream Higher, out on June 16.
Once again, Peterik shows why he is a world class songwriter and musician on this new batch of stunning melodic rockers. And his partner in crime in Pride Of Lions, the talented Toby Hitchcock is in as fine a vocal form as he has ever been, belting out these songs with the authority and finesse that only he can.
The first single from the album, "Blind To Reason", is out today. Watch a video for the track below, and pre-order/save Dream Higher here.
Jim Peterik has never lost his verve for melodic rock, a style of music he inarguably helped forge. Pride Of Lions showcases everything that you should love about the genre: powerful vocals, thanks to Toby Hitchcock, and unforgettable melodies.
Since the start of Pride of Lions, Jim Peterik wanted to take listeners back to the glory of his best, most successful songs. His name is rightfully in the pantheon of great songwriters in melodic rock due to his love for melody and driving rock. His phenomenal rise to the top was borne on the back of amazing songs he co-wrote like “Eye Of The Tiger” from the film Rocky III ( an indelible classic), “The Search Is Over”, “High On You”, and “I Can’t Hold Back”. Further hits from films followed like “Burning Heart” from Rocky IV and Jim co-wrote the theme song of the seminal animation classic Heavy Metal with Sammy Hagar. A long lasting and fruitful relationship started in 1980 between Jim and the southern-rock group .38 Special, where he co-wrote their platinum hits “Hold On Loosely”, “Caught Up In You”, “Wild-Eyed Southern Boys”, “Fantasy Girl”, and “Rockin’ Into The Night”. Jim has also written with the beloved Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Dream Higher tracklisting:
"Blind To Reason"
"Dream Higher"
"My Destiny"
"Find Somebody To Love"
"Another Life"
"Renegade Heart"
"Driving And Dreaming"
"Through It All"
"Everything To Live For"
"Generational"
"Blind To Reason" video:
Lineup:
Jim Peterik- Lead & Background Vocals, Keyboards, Guitar
Toby Hitchcock - Lead & Background Vocals
Ed Breckenfeld - Drums & Percussion
Mike Aquino - Lead & Power Guitar
Bob Lizik - Bass
Christian Cullen - Keyboards & Orchestration
Metal Justice Tokyo has shared video of Slipknot's entire April 1st and April 2nd Knotfest Japan 2023 shows, which took place at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Tokyo, Japan.
The setlist was as follows for both shows:
"Disasterpiece"
"Wait and Bleed"
"All Out Life"
"Sulfur"
"Before I Forget"
"The Dying Song (Time to Sing)"
"Dead Memories"
"Unsainted"
"The Heretic Anthem"
"Psychosocial"
"Duality"
"Custer"
"Spit It Out"
Encore:
"People = Shit"
"Surfacing"
Day 1
Day 2
At the beginning of February, Slipknot shared "Bone Church", a surprise standalone single available on all streaming platforms. The new song arrived with a M. Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan directed video piece titled "Yen – Director’s Cut (Bone Church)", which finds the multidisciplinary artist and founding member refreshing footage from the band’s "Yen" music video.
Says Clown about the new track, “On the road, we have a “jam room” set up backstage at every show, where we play, practice, warm up and sometimes try out new ideas. Bone Church started life in a jam room on the .5: The Gray Chapter tour. We’ve been bringing it closer and closer to life ever since, and finally, here it is. This one is for the fans - a further vision deeper into Slipknot’s history, which is still being written. Enjoy.”
Watch the video for "Yen - Director's Cut (Bone Church)" below:
California traditional heavy metal masters Haunt have premiered the music video for their second single, "Chimera". The band's upcoming ninth album, Golden Arm, is due out May 5th via Iron Grip Records and Church Recordings.
"'Chimera' is all about using your imagination," says frontman Trevor William Church. "In music, we must always keep our imagination running wild."
Recorded by Church and produced, mixed and mastered by Darren Trentacoste, Golden Arm is a new beginning for the leather-clad metallers.
Founded in 2017 as the solo project of Church, Haunt has quickly become the face of the new wave of traditional heavy metal. Since the band's kickstart six years ago, the heavy metal titans have released eight studio albums and multiple extended plays, including two splits, while also touring with bands like Satan, Unto Others, Night Demon, and others.
Golden Arm releases May 5th on digital, vinyl and compact disc via Iron Grip Records and on cassette via Church Recordings.Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.
Tracklisting:
"Hit And Run"
"Golden Arm"
"Piece By Piece"
"Chimera"
"Fight The Good Fight"
"Save Yourself"
"Vacant Spaces"
"The Horses Mouth"
Florida crossover thrashers Intoxicated have released a video for their cover of the Angry Samoans’ song, "Gas Chamber", featuring Obituary guitarist Ken Andrews.
Intoxicated vocalist / guitarist Erik Payne commented: “Growing up with an older brother and skate ramp in the backyard was a musical and cultural gift in my case. I was exposed to a ton of great punk and metal at an early age and Angry Samoans were always a stand out for me. Listening back to 'Gas Chamber' recently, I just started playing along with heavy distortion; it sounded so pissed! I called my long time friend and guitarist of Obituary, Ken Andrews, to come over and fuck around with some recording. Ken has always been like a fifth member of Intoxicated and has contributed in some way on the majority of our albums / earlier EPs. We also played together as part of the Andrew W.K. touring band with Obituary drummer DT, so our history / friendship runs deep.”
“Once we laid down a few tracks, the real excitement began! We started doing this just to have fun, but it quickly began to take shape and sounded awesome! Within 48 hours and a few phone calls, drums, vocals and bass were added. I sent the tracks to Ryan at Candor Studios (Foo Fighters, Melvins, Whores) in Tampa to mix, and then to our label Seeing Red Records. Everyone was excited and the label was like fuck it, shoot a video! Ken, being the trooper he is, came out to shoot the night before Obituary left for Europe and we got it done!”
“We all love Angry Samoans and this is us paying our respects! They're actually out on tour right now so go see them!”
Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has shared his weekly solo cover song and video, this time performing the John Parr hit "St. Elmo's Fire", taken from the 1986 soundtrack for the movie of the same name.
Check out some of Johansson's previous covers below.
Hard-hitting and melodic; pissed off and groovy; energetic and catchy: upon first listen, it is clear that Sicksense is all of these things. The band - comprised of vocalists Killer V (Vicky Psarakis) and Rob The Ripper (Robby J. Fonts), guitarist Breakdown Bran (Bran Panic), drummer The True Cody Taylor (Cody Taylor) and bassist Spot-On Sam/SOS (Samuel Bedard) – released their debut 5-song EP, Kings Today, on April 22, 2022.
Sicksense has released the new single, "Fools Tomorrow", featuring Fozzy guitarist Billy Grey. Check out the official video below.
The band recently checked in with the following update:
"Sicksense is ecstatic to announce we are playing our first shows ever, and they'll be happening in our hometown of Montreal! Two back-to-back headline dates in June at Turbo Haüs. Come celebrate our Double EP Release shows with us! We hope to see you there. Get pre-sale tickets & VIP Upgrades here."
Having both performed a range of styles in numerous heavy bands, Killer V and Rob The Ripper (who are married) wanted to return to a genre that’s close to their hearts, but also make music that is specifically written for two vocalists. Written with dual vocal interplay from a male / female perspective, their performance reflects a personal and fun side of them as people, but also tackles social and societal issues in the world today. Backed by guitarist Breakdown Bran (Bran Panic), drummer The Trve Cody Taylor (Cody Taylor) and bassist Spot-On Sam/SOS (Samuel Bedard), Sicksense would be born out of the band’s desire to share their upbeat and fun message with the world. Sicksense chooses musical inspiration from various bands and those influences shine through in their debut EP, Kings Today.
Sicksense is:
Killer V – Vocals/Keys
Rob The Ripper – Vocals
Breakdown Bran – Guitars
Spot-On Sam/SOS – Bass
The Trve Cody Taylor – Drums
Bringing together East Coast attitude with West Coast swagger, Trip The Wire is a high-energy hard rock band from one of rock music’s meccas: Seattle, Washington. The group is set to release their self-titled debut on June 16th, 2023.
Today, Trip The Wire has shared the first taste of their new album with the single / video "Hurricane".
Born and raised in the Bronx, Trip The Wire’s frontwoman Eve Clarke joined forces with lifetime Washingtonian axe-man Dave Farrell in 2020. Soon after, Eve's bandmate from another project, bass player Johnny Massey, joined the fold. Drummer Rico Ybarra rounded out the lineup just prior to the band’s first show at Tony V’s in Everett, Washington.
Trip The Wire’s upcoming self-titled debut offering, in all aspects, is a true blue heavy metal opus. The musical vibe is that of classic to traditional heavy metal with the catchiness and infectiousness of the occasional pop influence. Vocally, Clarke can sit right up on the throne with any of the great metal vocalists of the day. Musically, the same goes for the rest of the band, whose cohesion and tight execution make for an album that is both relentless and well-paced.
Thematically, the album traverses a continent’s worth of territory. Album opener “In The Crossfire” is your battle anthem for 2023, while “Hurricane” is a hot, steamy endeavor about not being able to get enough of your lover. The accompanying video for “Hurricane” also sees Clarke’s video production debut. “Shine On” showcases the band’s softer, more emotional side, while “Step Nine” takes to task the harsh realities of coping with behaviors that stem from addiction.
Trip The Wire wants you to “take a leap and put it all on the line. Go for it, live life to the fullest.” Recorded and mixed by Sean Walker at Uberbeatz Studios in Lynnwood, WA and mastered by Maor Appelbaum at Maor Appelbaum Mastering in Los Angeles, CA, their debut is sure to fire you up to do just that!
Tracklisting:
"In The Crossfire"
"Anti Love"
"Hurricane"
"Zombie Child"
"Shine On"
"The Fire"
"Maybe Next Time"
"Outta My Hands"
"Never Enough"
"Step Nine"
METALLICA kicked off a four-night residency on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Monday night (April 10) by sitting down for a chat with host Jimmy Kimmel and performing "Lux Æterna", the lead single from the band's upcoming album, "72 Seasons". During the interview portion of their appearance on the ABC program, Kirk Hammett, Robert Trujillo, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich talked about being on our show all week, young people being into their music, "Master Of Puppets" exploding after "Stranger Things", their kids being musicians, their cover song competition for high school and college marching bands, going on tour and doing two nights in each city, pressing their own vinal records, and the first albums that each of them ever bought. You can watch video below.
"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" has the distinction of being the longest-running late night program still on the air.
Last Friday, when METALLICA first announced its "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" residency, the band wrote on social media: "In a first for the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show, it's 'Metallica Week,' as we will be the musical guest each night, beginning on Monday, April 10, through Thursday, April 13. We'll be playing live for all four shows, and you'll also catch us on the couch, chatting with Jimmy one night. Keep your eyes peeled for other sightings during the broadcast, as we really don't know what else Jimmy will get us involved in!"
METALLICA previously appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in 2021 when they read one-star reviews of their classic Black Album on the show. More recently, Kimmel hosted METALLICA's "All Within My Hands" benefit concert and auction in December.
"72 Seasons" will be released April 14 via METALLICA's own Blackened Recordings. Produced by Greg Fidelman with Hetfield and Ulrich, and clocking in at over 77 minutes, the 12-track "72 Seasons" is METALLICA's first full-length collection of new material since 2016's "Hardwired…To Self-Destruct". The album will be released in formats, including 2LP 140g black vinyl and limited-edition variants, CD and digital.
METALLICA and Trafalgar Releasing will hold a worldwide "72 Seasons" listening party. For one night only on Thursday, April 13, "72 Seasons" will be played in full in surround sound, exclusively for cinema audiences worldwide — with every one of the new songs featuring its own music video and exclusive commentary from the band.
The "72 Seasons" global premiere sees METALLICA and Trafalgar joining forces once more, having previously worked together on the October 2019 worldwide cinematic release of "S&M²", which documented METALLICA and San Francisco Symphony reuniting to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their original "S&M" (Symphony & Metallica) concerts and releases.
In the seven years since the arrival of "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", METALLICA has reissued some of its classic albums, released a second live album with the San Francisco Symphony, commissioned a covers album featuring the likes of GHOST, VOLBEAT, WEEZER, Corey Taylor and THE HU, and landed on the Billboard songs chart with "Master Of Puppets" after a prominent placement in the hit Netflix show "Stranger Things".
Montreal, Canada's Vvon Dogma I burst onto the scene with their debut EP, Communion, back in 2017, which received critical acclaim for its innovative sound and intricate instrumentation provided by nine-string bassist Chaoth, known for his playing in Unexpect.
Now, Vvon Dogma I is releasing another album, The Kvlt Of Glitch, poised to take things to the next level, pushing the boundaries of experimental rock and challenging listeners with their unconventional approach to music.
The first single to be dropped is “One Eye”, on which Chaoth shares his thoughts: “It is the first single even though it doesn't necessarily represent the whole album. Sometimes you have to go with something different. It sounds more playful and not as serious than the rest of this dark-ass album and I guess the video shows that a little bit. I got to collaborate with my old friend Pierre-Olivier Forest for the video. Really just an excuse to reconnect with an old friend.”
Musically, Chaoth comes from a world where you have to dare to do something different, and The Kvlt Of Glitch is exactly that. It will wrench the listener out of his or her comfort zone and send them into another dimension of deep synths and extraordinary riffs.
The writing process for Vvon Dogma I is mostly taken upon by Chaoth right now, but he is looking to have way more collaboration on the following releases. ''It starts with the music and then I apply lines from my lyric book'', but Chaoth says that sometimes the music forces you to change the words so that everything flows phonetically. It's like a sonic Tetris where everything needs to fall into place and feel right.
“One Eye” is recommended for open-minded fans who enjoy avant-garde sounds and who already enjoy Sleep Token, Unprocessed, and Meshuggah. Watch the music video for “One Eye” below.
The Kvlt Of Glitch was produced by Chaoth along with Blaise Borboën-Léonard, Chris Donaldson (Cryptopsy), and Dave Evangelista, and is due out May 5. Pre-order here.
Tracklisting:
"The Void"
"Tabula Rasa"
"Triangles and Crosses"
"Day of The Dead"
"One Eye"
"Hivemind"
"Lithium Blue"
"2 + 2 = 5" (Radiohead cover)
"Hurt"
"The Great Maze"
Mentalist and former Blind Guardian drummer, Thomen Stauch, has released a drum playthrough video for Gotthard's "I Wonder", lifted from that band's 2005 release, Lipservice. Watch below:
A selection of Thomen's previous drum cover videos are available below:
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