Tragedy - one of New York City’s most famous tribute bands and the undisputed inventors of “disco metal” - recently announced their new, upcoming full-length album, I Am Woman, out March 3 via Napalm Records. Flipping the script on sleaze rock tropes, I Am Woman pays tribute to the most powerful force in the band's lives, celebrating womanhood in all forms on 14 newly-reinvented disco and soft rock anthems.
Today, following their latest cover of legendary track "Venus", the band showcases their heavy metal take on The Pointer Sisters' classic anthem, "I'm So Excited". Follow the band in the Cara Maria O'Shea-directed music video to their Halftime Show performance at the Big Bank SuperDuper Dome - you won't be able to contain yourself as you rock out to a metallized version of this iconic track with half-timed grooves, squealing solos and energetic vocals.
Frontman Mo'Royce Peterson says about "I'm So Excited": "Anita Pointer sadly passed away very recently, and this is our tribute to her and her sisters' impact on music, as well as, of course, their everlasting and unbridled enthusiasm for 'pleasures in the night' on this track. The song is about the building, burning anticipation of impending carnal satisfaction. The heart races, hormones surge - gratification is imminent! In the video, the "excited" band members pack themselves into the family minivan, then play the Halftime Show at the Big Bank SuperDuper Dome - an event viewed live by over 700 Billion people worldwide!"
Having introduced their raucous trademark stage show to audiences in the USA, the UK, Germany, France, Switzerland and beyond, and releasing several albums of metalized disco, soft rock and pop covers before even tasting their first viral hit, Tragedy proved early on that they were never just your everyday satirical cover band. These six warriors of wacky fully embody the soul of the original and reimagine it from the top down, infusing the tracks with an undeniably infectious energy that can be felt both on stage or on wax.
And while their 80s hair metal image would imply that plenty of misbehavior is to be seen on the surface, one only need witness Tragedy live a single time to understand that the band’s true overarching message is one of carefree joy, humanity, acceptance and the simple pursuit of a damn good time.
On I Am Woman, Tragedy turn the energy up to 11 with recharged dancehall favorites like “Le Freak”, “Respect” (featuring soul powerhouse Marcy Harriell) and “I’m So Excited”, and double down on the drama with heavy, recomposed covers of belt-worthy classics “Memory” (featuring legendary drag performer, singer and guitarist Mrs. Smith), “Goldfinger” and “Roar”. Tracks like “I Will Survive” evoke the spirit of Queen with choral harmonies and blazing solos, while unabashed anthems like “She Bop” and “Venus” fully convince with authentic 80s hair metal flavor. Power metal reigns on the band’s opus-like version of “Flashdance… What A Feeling” and the theatrical Maiden-meets-Meatloaf-esque “Lay All Your Love On Me”. I Am Woman is bolstered by a retro production aura that allows the intricacy of each rearrangement decision to shine, as blistering guitar work, classic drumlines and dynamic vocal performances cascade throughout each track. With I Am Woman, Tragedy truly embody the spirit of metal classics while providing a fresh take on some of the world’s most timeless classics of empowerment, independence and self-love - important messages that resonate now more than ever.
"Le Freak"
"I Will Survive"
"She Bop"
"Memory"
"Lay All Your Love On Me"
"Venus"
"Goldfinger"
"Respect"
"Flashdance... What A Feeling"
"I’m So Excited"
"Here You Come Again"
"All I Wanna Do"
"I Am Woman"
"Roar"
"Venus" video:
Tragedy is set to tour the world in 2023! First, the band will provide support to Steel Panther and Crobot on their newly announced US tour, beginning February 24 in Las Vegas, NV. Tickets for the US tour go on sale this Friday, December 9 at 10 AM, local time. About a week later, Tragedy will kick off a co-headline European tour with fellow comedy metal icons and labelmates Nanowar Of Steel, beginning April 18 in Southampton, UK. Tickets for the UK & European tour are on sale now. See below for all tour dates and check local venue listings for more information.
Lineup:
Disco Mountain Man - vocals, keys
Mo'Royce Peterson - vocals, guitar
Andy Gibbous Waning - bass, vocals
Gibbon Ass Freehly - guitar, vocals, horns
The Infernal Demigibb - drums
The Lord Gibbeth - drums
Frontiers Music Srl announces the signing of Demons Down, a new band featuring two talented up-and-coming musicians, vocalist James Robledo (Sinner's Blood) and guitarist Francesco Savino (False Memories), along with hard rock scene veterans - guitarist Jimi Bell (House Of Lords, Autograph), drummer Ken Mary (ex-House Of Lords, Alice Cooper, Fifth Angel, etc.), and bassist Chuck Wright (ex-Quiet Riot, House Of Lords, etc.).
Their debut album, I Stand, slated for release on March 10, sees this gathering of young performers and established skill players delivering a quintessential classic hard rock album.
A single and video for the title track is out today. Watch the music video below, and pre-order/save I Stand here.
Demons Down traffic in a hard rock sound that references the late '80s/early '90s movement where massive hooks, huge melodies, and lush keyboards were the order of the day. But this is no simple exercise in paying tribute to yesteryear as the music rocks hard to compliment the vocal talents of Robledo (who has, sonically, been compared to the likes of Jorn Lande and Russell Allen). Fans of early House Of Lords material and their sonic peers from that time period as well as Robledo's debut solo album, 'Wanted Man', will have much to enjoy here.
James Robledo is a Chilean vocalist who comes from a family of musicians with prominent places in the history of Chilean music, with both national and international success. In his youth, he began his foray into metal and rock, but in 2016, James took part in the popular TV show The Voice Chile 2, where his participation generated a stir thanks to his outstanding vocal performances. Since then, he has become a more active member of the larger hard rock/metal community and, with Frontiers, he has released one solo album, Wanted Man and an album, The Mirror Star, with Chilean metal band Sinner's Blood, who are also currently preparing their second album for release.
Francesco Savino is an Italian guitarist and songwriter who founded the up-and-coming gothic metal band False Memories in 2015. That band's latest release, The Last Night Of Fall (2021), was met with praise from both fans and metal media alike. The band also released a covers EP, Echoes Of A Reflection and a live EP, Live Until The Twilight since the release of their last studio album. With his songwriting partner Rossella Moscatello (who is the lead vocalist for False Memories), Franceso has also been contributing songs to Frontiers and is working on the next False Memories album.
Jimi Bell is an established hard rock guitarist who is currently a member of both House Of Lords and Autograph, and, of course, Demons Down. Bell, a Connecticut native, was inducted into the New England Music Hall in 2020. In addition to his work with various bands over the years, he has done a wealth of studio work for sports outlets like ESPN, WWE, Impact Wrestling, and NASCAR. Bell is an official endorser of Roberts Guitar, Viper Guitars, Charvel Guitars, PVX Guitar, Funk Guitars, Ovation Guitars, GHS Strings, Rocktron, Randall, Marshall Amps (Europe), and KickAss Cables. He is also the inventor of the Shredneck.
Chuck Wright is best known as a long-time member of multi-platinum rockers Quiet Riot playing bass and singing on Metal Health which was the first "metal" album to go to #1 on the Billboard charts, selling over 10 million copies. Wright was also a founding member of House Of Lords and Giuffria and has worked alongside such rock music luminaries as Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, Pat Travers, and members of Guns 'N Roses and KISS, just to name a few.
Drummer Ken Mary’s lengthy career in music has seen him play in a wide variety of genres that showcased his wide ranging skills at the instrument. In addition to being a drummer, Ken is also an engineer, writer, vocalist, and award winning producer. He has sold a combined 5 million (plus) albums globally over the entirety of his body of work. His drumming can be heard on albums from Alice Cooper, Jordan Rudess, Northern Light Orchestra, Kip Winger, House of Lords, The Beach Boys, Impelliterri, Don Dokken, Fifth Angel, Bonfire, and many more, and of course, very soon, Demons Down.
I Stand tracklisting:
"I Stand"
"Disappear"
"Down In A Hole"
"On My Way To You"
"Where Will Our Tears Fall?"
"Book Of Love"
"Stranded In The Middle Of Nowhere"
"Follow Me"
"To The Edge Of The World"
"Search Over The Horizon"
"Only The Brave"
"I Stand" video:
Demons Down are:
James Robledo - Vocals
Jimi Bell - Guitars
Francesco Savino - Guitars
Chuck Wright - Bass
Ken Mary - Drums
Additional Musicians:
Alessandro Del Vecchio - Keyboards, Guitars, Backing Vocals
- Produced by: Alessandro Del Vecchio
- Executive Producer/A&R: Serafino Perugino
Belgium's Cobra The Impaler have released a video for "Spirit Of Lyssa", featured on debut album, Colossal Gods, released last year via Listenable. Watch below.
While Colossal Gods was mostly made and finalized in the band's home country and mastered by Jens Bogren in Sweden, the drums were recorded at Northwood Sound Studios in Los Angeles displaying the stunning work of drummer extraordinaire Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth).
Taking strong cues from the New Wave of American Heavy Metal, Cobra The Impaler forges together larger-than-life grooves and spirited guitar leads with enchanting clean vocal harmonies and razor-sharp screams. Effortlessly flowing from breakneck riffs to tasteful melodic breaks, the band makes strong use of stylistic elements from groove, thrash, and classic heavy metal. Colossal Gods is an exercise in empowerment as well as a show of subtle restraint, proving themselves as masters of melody as well as destruction.
The band comments: "In what can be considered a sequel, or mirror image, to the dark ritual magic seen in the video for 'Mountains', 'Spirit Of Lyssa' this time tells the story of another mortal being, cleansing herself in preparation to be reborn, at peace with herself and her fate. Rather than being consumed with pain and torment, she is at peace, headstrong and determined for a new start, in a new world."
Colossal Gods tracklisting:
"Colossal Gods"
"Blood Eye"
"Tempest Rising"
"Spirit Of Lyssa"
"Scorched Earth"
"Spawn Of The Forgotten"
"Demigods"
"Mountains"
"Spirit Of Lyssa" video:
"Mountains" video:
Lineup:
Guitars: Thijs De Cloedt
Drums: Dirk Verbeuren
Bass / Vocals: Michele De Feudis
Vocals: Manuel Remmerie
Guitars: James Falck
SEVENDUST co-founder, guitarist and vocalist Clint Lowery will release a new solo EP, titled "Ghostwriter", on February 17 via Dark Blanket Records. The five-track effort will be the follow-up to his debut solo album, "God Bless The Renegades", which came out in January 2020 via Rise Records.
Clint produced and engineered "Ghostwriter", which was mixed by Richard Wicander of FIRE FROM THE GODS. SEVENDUST drummer Morgan Rose laid down the drums during the sessions.
The official JT Ibanez-directed music video for the "Ghostwriter" opening track "Devil Leather" can be seen below.
"Ghostwriter" track listing:
01. Devil Leather
02. In This Together
03. I Mean This
04. Invited
05. What Should I Live For?
Regarding his decision to record an EP this time around, Lowery said back in August: "I have debated on doing a full length but considering the fact that [SEVENDUST] downtime will not be as long as I originally planned, I think the better play is to do [an] EP to release sooner than later.
"It's been nearly 3 years since I recorded 'God Bless The Renegades' and really want to try some new directions as a writer.
"I do these releases as a labor of love and because it's an opportunity to explore some new ground."
On December 7, Clint offered an update on the EP sessions, writing on his social media: "Around a week or so go I completed recording an EP of 5 songs. Most of which was recorded in my basement and a make shift vocal booth.
"This is the first time I've attempted to track most everything myself and was an amazing experience and challenge to say the least.
"I haven't released any music since early 2020 and want to start releasing songs regularly. I'm at a place where I feel like it doesn't make sense to just sit on ideas. I cherish the process of writing and have written over 100 ideas over last few years. Our new [SEVENDUST] record will also be dropping in 2023 which is another reason I wanted to release something sooner than later.
"I'm excited about the songs for this EP and proud that I was able to do it mainly myself.
"After this I plan on releasing another EP in the fall. Also concentrating on writing for other artist, collaborating with writers and supporting the new [SEVENDUST]."
Lowery recorded "God Bless The Renegades" with producer and co-writer Michael "Elvis" Baskette (SLASH, ALTER BRIDGE) at Studio Barbarosa in Florida. The drums on the disc were laid down by former VAN HALEN bassist and current MAMMOTH WVH frontman Wolfgang Van Halen.
In addition to SEVENDUST, Lowery has been a member of, written, recorded, or performed with CALL ME NO ONE, DARK NEW DAY, KORN, RED, Tommy Lee's METHODS OF MAYHEM, SNOT, 10 YEARS and DIGITAL SUMMER, among others.
Former Elegy vocalist Ian Parry has checked in with the following update:
"Hope it's not too late to wish you all a Happy New Year. Another wish has come true to make a video for 'Innocent Minds'. A combination of gothic rock, melodic metal to symphonic progressive rock, and with the incredible support of Italian guitarist Luca Sellitto, here's the video. I hope you like it. Now I wish that some of your dreams come true in 2023."
"Innocent Minds" is taken from Ian Parry's fourth solo album, Visions. A combination of gothic rock, melodic metal to symphonic progressive rock, Visions was first released in 2006 in Europe via Escape music UK and in Mexico via Scarecrow records, then later released in Brazil via Dynamo records in 2007. During a promo trip to Toronto, Visions received much acclaim. Back in Europe, the journalists obviously appreciated the diverse style of songs Ian recorded for Visions being more modern, more commercial rock and symphonic metal, included performances from Casey Grillo (Kamelot), Ivar de Graaf (former Within Temptation) and Vanden Plas guitarist Stephan Lill, and gave the album the best reviews Ian has received during his career.
"Innocent Minds"
"Anything So Easily"
"Fools Don't Cry"
"Angels"
"(For) Another Day"
"Fallin'"
"Smiley People"
"Slip Away"
"Lovin' a Stranger"
"No Mans Land"
"Visions"
"How Far Will You Go" (Bonus Track)
Dutch death metal institution Bodyfarm has unveiled their new video, "The Swamp". Directed and edited by Sebastiaan Spijker for Multi Media Music Video Production, the clip is the third to be revealed from the band's fifth album, Ultimate Abomination, set for international release on February 24th via Edged Circle Productions.
Lyrically, Ultimate Abomination focuses on psychological warfare. “Views from a violent and devastating psychological sight from the dark depths of our minds and human behavior,” expounds founding guitarist Bram Hilhorst. “You can parallel it to ‘wars in the battlefield of life itself.’ The songs are all stories in themselves, but all relate to this subject.” Thus, the title Ultimate Abomination is an apt summary of all the lyrics written by de Boer for the album.
Part and parcel with Bodyfarm's stellar songwriting across Ultimate Abomination is the album’s absolutely crushing production: very “live” and full-blooded, but polished just enough to exude maximum professionalism. Recording-wise, the drums for Ultimate Abomination were recorded by J.B. van der Wal at Soundlodge Studios, and the other instruments and vocals by the band at Studio Hilhorst. Mixing and mastering was done by Project Zero studios Belgium.
“We listen to different kinds of music in our genre, and this is also recognizable in the new songs,” Hilhorst continues. “The diversity of tempos and atmosphere is quite big. Old-school death ‘n’ roll to blackened death riffing, it’s all there, and we think the combination of it makes a unique sound.”
Cover by Daemorph Art:
Tracklisting:
"Torment"
"Symbolical Warfare"
"The Wicked Red"
"Blasting Tyranny"
"The Swamp"
"Carving Repentance"
"Empire Of Iniquity"
"Soul Damnation"
"Sacrilege Of The Fallen"
"Charlatan Messiah"
Finnish heavy metallers Oceanhoarse are gearing up for the release of the band's sophomore full-length record, entitled Heads Will Roll, which will be coming out on February 17th via Noble Demon. In support of the new album, the band has released a video for the new single "Brick". Check it out below.
Guitarist Ben Varon comments.
"'Brick' is what it sounds like to lose your sanity. This is the musical equivalent to a high-speed chase, or a 2-minute 45-second long nightmare. The main riff actually started as this crazy C-part of another song, but then we thought, 'Why not just build a whole song around this fucked up riff?!' I can definitely hear the influence of late 80’s Megadeth here. Helmets on boys and girls!"
Boundary pushing instrumental trio, Animals As Leaders, have released an official video for "Red Miso", taken from their latest album, Parrhesia. It was released in March 2022.
Animals As Leaders have regretfully postponed their European Parrhesia headline dates, including 4 UK shows, due to take place this month.
The band shared the following statement on their social media, "To our fans in Europe & the UK. We are very sorry, but we will be postponing the January Parrhesia tour. We would like to apologise to everyone who has purchased tickets to see the tour and for the short notice of this news. We will be announcing the rescheduled dates in the coming weeks. All tickets purchased will still be valid for new dates."
An announcement with details of the rescheduled dates will be made in due course. All tickets will remain valid for the rearranged shows.
ICE NINE KILLS has released a music video for the title track of its latest album, "The Silver Scream 2: Welcome To Horrorwood". The clip heralds the latest installment in the gore-soaked slasher franchise that began in 2018 with the announcement of the band's album "The Silver Scream". The censored version of the "Welcome To Horrorwood" music video premiered on the enormously popular horror YouTube channel Dead Meat and can be viewed below.
Speaking on the latest display of psychotically gratuitous gore and violence, ICE NINE KILLS frontman and creative visionary Spencer Charnas simply shares: "Keep children and the elderly far away from this video."
"Welcome To Horrorwood" is featured on ICE NINE KILLS' phenomenally successful album "The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood". Released in October 2021, the LP scored ICE NINE KILLS their first Top 20 position (No. 18) on the Billboard 200, topped the Digital and Current Hard Music charts, hit Top 5 on the Current Rock, Independent, Current Albums, and Album Sales charts and has clocked up 137 million cross-platform streams to date and 13 million YouTube views for singles "Hip To Be Scared", "Assault & Batteries", "Rainy Day", "Funeral Derangements", "Take Your Pick" and "The Shower Scene".
ICE NINE KILLS will tour extensively throughout 2023.The band will support METALLICA on the recently announced "M72" world tour as well as hitting Europe for a headline tour.
Decadent, devious, and fiercely insane, ICE NINE KILLS celebrate pop culture's darkest edges, mining a cinephile library's worth of iconic horror on 2018's "The Silver Scream" which spawned Top 10 Mainstream Rock single "A Grave Mistake" and Top 20 hit "Savages". The creative marriage made in hell of music and fiction began in earnest with the Top 5 Hard Rock album "Every Trick In The Book", which brought the previous three records' themes to new levels and which the band have completely perfected on "The Silver Scream 2: Welcome To Horrorwood".
Since the release of "The Silver Scream 2: Welcome To Horrorwood", ICE NINE KILLS have seen phenomenal growth. Throughout 2022 they toured the U.S. extensively on three legs of "The Trinity Of Terror", their hugely successful, mostly sold-out triple co-headline tour with MOTIONLESS IN WHITE and BLACK VEIL BRIDES, supported METALLICA at serveral U.S. stadium shows, toured the U.S. with SLIPKNOT and launched the inaugural edition of their horror convention, "The Silver Scream Con".
The band's synergy of music and lifestyle draws favorable comparisons to SLIPKNOT and ROB ZOMBIE. Visionary trailblazers and multimedia raconteurs, ICE NINE KILLS built a thrilling world for a growing legion of devoted true believers, with theatrical shows, high-concept videos, and inventive band-to-fan communion. Their wildly creative output has seen them become recent recipients of the prestigious Clio Award for Music Marketing for their "Merry Axe-mas" mobile game and their live streaming event from October 2020, "The Silver Stream" be nominated for five awards at last year's Horror Hound Film Festival Awards in the categories of "Judges Choice", "Best Sound", "Best Supporting Performance", "Best Cinematography" and "Best Feature". With over 1.75 million monthly listeners on Spotify, 717 million career streams to date and over 204 million views on YouTube, the band are firmly cemented as one of modern metal's most vicious forces.
ICE NINE KILLS is:
Spencer Charnas - Vocals
Dan Sugarman - Guitar
Ricky Armellino - Guitar
Joe Occhiuti - Bass
Patrick Galante - Drums
Dimmu Borgir performed their track "Dimmu Borgir", from the band's 2010 album Abrahadabra, during their show at Bloodstock Open Air 2022. Professionally-filmed footage can be viewed below:
Dimmu Borgir drummer, Dariusz "Daray" Brzozowski, recently shared a drumcam video of the band's song, "Gateways", performed at Tons Of Rock 2022 in Oslo, Norway. Check it out below:
British heavy metal legends, Saxon, have unveiled the first single, “The Faith Healer”, from the upcoming More Inspirations, set for release on March 24 via Silver Lining Music.
Following the release of Inspirations in 2021, More Inspirations is the second ‘deep dish’ serving of the influences which have fed the mighty Saxon’s immensely successful 40+ year career. The first single is an astonishing take on The Sensational Alex Harvey Band’s “The Faith Healer”.
Frontman Biff Byford comments “We used to see The Sensational Alex Harvey band play this back in the day, they started the set with it, such a fantastic song and fantastic band… big influence!”
Listen to/watch “The Faith Healer”, the “making of” video directed by Jay Shredder, below.
Whether getting feral with The Animal’s “We’ve Gotta Get Out Of This Place”, letting loose a high-octane take on Alice Cooper’s “From The Inside”, or laying down a ferocious tribute to KISS’ “Detroit Rock City”, More Inspirations is a joyous trip into the sounds which galvanized the Barnsley boys and continue to get spun on home stereos and tour buses.
Produced by vocalist/co-founder Biff Byford, with Seb Byford helping record the music alongside mixing engineer Jacky Lehmann, More Inspirations also includes enthusiastic takes on Alice Cooper, Rainbow, ZZ Top and Cream, as well as a thunderous “Razamanaz” by Nazareth, a tasty take on The Who’s “Substitute”, and a thick groove take on Uriah Heep’s “Gypsy”. Whether this is your first dance with such classic songs, or you’ve come to see where Saxon were born, More Inspirations delivers the goods and then some.
Saxon’s More Inspirations will be available on 12” Black Vinyl, CD Digipak, digital formats and special D2C bundles; to pre-order head here.
Tracklisting:
"We’ve Gotta Get Out of This Place"
"The Faith Healer"
"From the Inside"
"Chevrolet"
"Substitute"
"Gypsy"
"Man On the Silver Mountain"
"Detroit Rock City"
"Razamanaz"
"Tales of Brave Ulysses"
- Produced by Biff Byford
- Recorded by Seb Byford and Jacky Lehmann
- Mixed and Mastered by Jacky Lehmann, www.audiosound.de
- Mastered for vinyl at Abbey Studios, London
Following the success of the Seize the World Tour 2022, Saxon will be back on the road in March 2023 for a string of European dates, with special guest’s German metal titans Rage.
Saxon lineup:
Biff Byford - Vocals
Paul Quinn - Guitar
Nigel Glockler - Drums
Doug Scarratt - Guitar
Nibbs Carter - Bass
HIM mastermind Ville Valo (VV) has released the official music video for the title track of his debut solo album, "Neon Noir". The LP was made available today (Friday, January 13) via Heartagram Records, distributed by UMG/Spinefarm.
Last April, Valo released the first single from "Neon Noir", a song called "Loveletting", which marked his first new music in over two years, following the release of the three-track "Gothica Fennica Vol. 1" EP, also released under the VV banner, in March 2020.
Like "Neon Noir", "Gothica Fennica Vol. 1" bore a strong musical resemblance to HIM and featured the tracks "Salute The Sanguine", "Run Away From The Sun" and "Saturnine Saturnalia".
Regarding the lyrical inspiration for "Neon Noir", Ville told Kerrang! magazine: "I wouldn't call it 'suicidal', but most of the stuff was written during the pandemic, and there weren't many rays of sun hitting me. Everybody was in the mental gutter. Times were tough. This album was the kind of like the lifebuoy for me. It gave me a reason to wake up every morning and work on something else and try to shut the world outside. When I was working on the music, maybe it was selfish to a certain extent, but also it was a matter of survival."
He added: "It seems that mankind needs a bit of a breather from all this shit, myself included. So I tried to put all that frustration onto paper. And if it's love and darkness, and all sorts of things like that, that's probably because it's my vocabulary. Hopefully, the words have been rearranged in a fresh order this time around. But me trying to do something completely different, just because, that doesn't make any sense to me at all."
"Neon Noir" track listing:
01. Echolocate Your Love
02. Run Away From The Sun
03. Neon Noir
04. Loveletting
05. The Foreverlost
06. Baby Lacrimarium
07. Salute The Sanguine
08. In Trenodia
09. Heartful Of Ghosts
10. Saturnine Saturnalia
11. Zener Solitaire
12. Vertigo Eyes
Back in April 2022, Ville told Metal Hammer that "Loveletting" was one of the more mellow songs on "Neon Noir". Ville said: "I've always been shit with picking singles — I'm always wrong, so I let the label choose that and everybody was smiling when they heard it the first time, so they suggested it. I'm hoping the next one will be a lot more rock 'n' roll, harder hitting."
Regarding the musical direction of "Neon Noir", Ville told Metal Hammer: "The new stuff definitely does sound like HIM. But I did write most of the songs, so… I'm to blame for that. It's a continuous journey from HIM for me. A lot of people when they move on to solo projects want to distance themselves from the past, burn bridges and start their solo career. It's different for me. VV is me building a bridge between HIM and the future. That's what 'Neon Noir' is."
Ville spoke to Spotify about why it has taken him so long to complete "Neon Noir". "Since the pandemic hit, I started working on the album," he explained. "I actually learned how to record — I learned how to record drums and bass and guitar because I wasn't able to get any musicians; I had to do it solo — literally solo. So I'm really sorry but it did take me two and a half years to get the album done. 'Loveletting' is the first single. It's kind of what I normally do — it's a loud love song; it's a very sad and melancholy wistful one, but sort of maybe light at the end of the tunnel which is hopefully not the oncoming train.
"So there's not much new under the sun of VV, but I love it. [Laughs]"
VV's headline tour dates will take place this year across Europe and North America. Naturally starting in Helsinki, Finland, the 2023 extensive run reaches the U.K. in March before heading to America come April.
HIM completed a farewell tour in 2017, closing the final chapter on the band's 26-year career. At the time, Ville explained to Kerrang! magazine why the band decided to call it a day. "We were tired of the same shit," he said. "When you've done it for a long time, at some point it doesn't taste good anymore. We started working on some stuff, it didn't sound good enough, and we didn't get the teenage buzz you're supposed get."
Formed in 1991 by Valo, guitarist Mikko "Linde" Lindström and bassist Mikko "Migé" Paananen, HIM offered the world a new take on the metal genre, which became known as "love metal" (also the title of their fourth album).
HIM in 2015 parted ways with its longtime drummer, Mika Kristian Karppinen (a.k.a. Gas Lipstick),and replaced him with Jukka "Kosmo" Kröger (formerly of HERRA YLPPÖ & IHMISET).
Four years ago, Valo teamed up with guitar legend Esa Pulliainen to record an album based on songs by the late, legendary Finnish singer Rauli "Badding" Somerjoki. The self-titled album by VILLE VALO & AGENTS was released in February 2019 and was followed by a short tour.
DIEHUMANE, the new "avant garde alt-metal" band featuring Rick Hunolt (EXODUS) on guitar, Garret West on lead vocals, Sal Abruscato (TYPE O NEGATIVE, LIFE OF AGONY) on drums, Joshua Vargas on rhythm guitar, bass, piano, programming and Greg Hilligiest Jr. on keyboards, samples, additional guitar, will release its debut album, "The Grotesque", on May 5 in partnership with producer Ulrich Wild's label WURMgroup and The Oracle Management, the management company of COAL CHAMBER and DEVILDRIVER frontman Dez Fafara. The LP was produced and mixed by Wild.
"The Grotesque" track listing:
01. The Executively Dysfunctional
02. King Of Nothing (The Bruiser)
03. Standing At The Edge Of Forever
04. Shell Shock
05. The Death Knell
06. Epitaph
07. Oblivion
08. The Vanishing
09. Ghosts
10. Aphasia
11. Nevermind
12. Crossroads
13. The Descent
14. The Devil Sings
15. Sparrows
16. Skeletons
17. Stardust Blues
The first single, "Oblivion", can be streamed below.
Vargas states: "'Oblivion' is our take on a song that's been written a thousand times; self-loathing, the lack of will to push forward, and isolation. It was one of the first songs written for this project at the end of 2020 and was the track that got the party started. This is the quintessential DIEHUMANE song; weird, moody, abstract, and heavy."
West adds: "What started as a simple hobby file sharing project between friends culminates in the moment we have all been waiting for. Finally, we can answer the question on what we sound like. The track is such a broad scope of our abilities and it was the obvious first choice to put on display as a single."
Hilligiest says: "After years of hard work and impatiently waiting, I am thrilled to finally release some music. I honestly can't wait to see what the response to this is. What we have been listening to for roughly two years in its various stages, the world can finally hear."
Hunolt states: "After a lot of hurdles and preparation, we are finally ready to release. I have been blessed to be given an opportunity to play with a bunch of very talented guys and cannot wait for the world to experience a fresh twist on the metal genre."
Abruscato comments: "The first moment I heard the rough track of 'Oblivion', I was hooked. I knew I was going to create some killer drums for this song. I'm very excited for it to be coming out. I'd like to thank Oracle Management, WURMgroup and all the fans around the world that are going to enjoy this track."
DIEHUMANE was founded in Galveston, Texas at the end of 2020 by Vargas and Hilligiest as a way to deal with the loss and isolation of that year. From there it snowballed into something massive, with West, Hunolt and Abruscato all joining the fold.
DIEHUMANE is a band that swims about as far away from the other fish as it gets. It combines elements of doom metal, jazz, industrial, blues and prog. Imagine if CELTIC FROST got into a car crash with A PERFECT CIRCLE, NINE INCH NAILS and TYPE O NEGATIVE while listening to PINK FLOYD on the radio. DIEHUMANE is heavily rooted in mood and atmosphere, from the brooding to the cathartic, from the hopeless to hopeful. Love them or hate them, it's a musical ride that you can only get from them.
Wild said: "I'm incredibly excited and honored to be part of DIEHUMANE's debut album. I'm always interested in artists who create their own genre-defying brand of music, and DIEHUMANE did just that with 'The Grotesque'. Their music is incredibly dynamic, and goes from hauntingly beautiful to absolute destruction with everything in between. A true musical journey."
Fafara added: "When I heard the record for the first time, I immediately restarted it for the second time. This is one of the most unique musical offerings in metal at this point — completely its own sound, lush and unforgiving in artistry. There will be big things on the horizon once the public gets attached to this band! Oracle is proud to represent DIEHUMANE."
Said Hunolt: "To be honest, being in a band wasn't even on my mind at the time a dear friend called me and said, 'Hey, I know these guys looking for a guitar player.' He sent me some raw tracks, and I listened for about a month before I replied, and it was the music that I was looking for. It gave me the ability to express myself musically and, even more important, was radically different than anything I have ever played. Music needs 'different' in order to evolve. [There's] so much talent in this band, and I can't wait for you to experience DIEHUMANE."
Added Abruscato: "I am looking forward to the release of this very different and unique album I had the pleasure writing/performing the drum tracks for. It's different from what I have done in the past and it's been fantastic to be a part of it with everyone in the band, Ulrich Wild/WURMgroup and The Oracle Management. I feel folks will be blown away."
Stated West: "I grew up listening to Sal and Rick. Then Dez took us into his flock with The Oracle and Ulrich (a powerhouse responsible for many of my favorite records) made it his mission to make us sound pristine. What we have here is something special. I just hope people find it as special as we do."
Said Hilligiest: "I want to thank Ulrich and Dez both for taking interest in us and helping us get it out there. I'm just happy to finally get it out to people's ears. We've been hearing this album in many different forms for two years now, it's time to let everybody else in the world hear it as it is meant to be heard. I hope you all like it as much as we do."
Commented Vargas: "Typically the formation of a project and subsequent creation of an album marks the beginning of something, whereas this one starts with the end, and actually ends with the beginning of something. All of these songs began as a way of dealing with complete and total isolation in 2020 and the loss of what life was before that year, and ends marking the beginning of something awesome, and the album sounds like exactly that. Recording began in a dingy townhome in Galveston, Texas and ended in fucking Hollywood. The musical journey we all took on this album is something I wouldn't trade for world. Big thanks to Ulrich Wild (WURMgroup) and Dez Fafara (The Oracle Management) for going on this crazy journey with us. I'm so happy with this album that I don't even care if anyone hates it."
Hunolt — the other half of the famed EXODUS "H-Team" who is on every studio recording from 1985 through 2004 and co-wrote some of the band's best-known songs such as "A Lesson In Violence" and "Deliver Us To Evil" — left EXODUS after the band's highly acclaimed 2004 reunion album, "Tempo Of The Damned". Following his departure, Hunolt was replaced by HEATHEN guitarist Lee Altus.
Rick discussed his exit from EXODUS during a November 2021 appearance on "Put Up Your Dukes", the podcast hosted by ex-EXODUS singer Rob Dukes. He said: "During the recording of 'Tempo', Gary [Holt, EXODUS guitarist] had just gotten clean a little while prior to that, and I was still using. But I've gotta say, Gary Holt — my hat's off to the man for… He never sweated me. Not once did Gary say, 'Dude, you're a piece of shit. I'm gonna fire you from the band if you don't get your shit together.' He never said nothing. He let it take its course, you know what I mean?
"I was a mess," Rick continued. "We all were, but everybody got better, and I didn't. I fell down the rabbit hole even worse, I think, because I was just so depressed. I couldn't stop. I don't know what was up… To the point where I was gonna lose my position in the band I'd been in for over 20 years — my best friends, my life. Yeah, it was dark as fuck.
"One day, after spending my life, giving everything that I had and the whole world to EXODUS, one day I woke up and I wasn't in EXODUS anymore," Hunolt added. "And that morning was, like… Dude, I can't even describe the emotions that I [was feeling]. I woke up and I wasn't in EXODUS anymore, dude. It damn near took me out, bro."
Rick revealed that he went through a particularly difficult period after splitting with EXODUS. "I had to reinvent myself at 40-plus years old, [with] two little kids," he said. "I ended up moving out of Oakland. I had to get the fuck out of there, 'cause we were living at the studio; it was bad. And then we moved in with my wife's mom and I got a job at the [discount chain] Dollar Tree and I ended up working there for, like, two or three years. I mean, I can go on and on and on. But long story short, I met a guy who knew who I was and offered me a job on his ranch. And the rest is history. He taught me how to live my life and make money."
Hunolt makes a guest appearance on EXODUS's new studio album, "Persona Non Grata", which was released in November 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records.
The official music video for the song "Let Me Be" from VENAMORIS, the project featuring legendary extreme metal drummer Dave Lombardo (SLAYER, FANTÔMAS, TESTAMENT, MR. BUNGLE, MISFITS, DEAD CROSS) and his wife Paula, can be seen below.
"Let Me Be" is taken from VENAMORIS's debut album, "Drown In Emotion", which will be released on February 10. The LP was recorded and produced at Ritmo Studio by Dave Lombardo. Drum overdubs were recorded at Studio 606. It was mixed at Ritmo Studio by David A. Lombardo and mastered by John Golden at Golden Mastering.
"Drown In Emotion" features guest appearances by Tyler Bates (JERRY CANTRELL, MARILYN MANSON),Roberto "Ra" Díaz (KORN, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES),Jack Gibson (EXODUS),George Pajon (BLACK EYED PEAS, CAIRO KNIFE FIGHT) and Tim Stewart (LADY GAGA, DAMNAGE).
Track listing:
01. Let Me Be
02. We Fall
03. This Is Me
04. Crimson Tears
05. Misguided
06. Drowning Emotion
07. I Love It
08. In My Silence
09. It's Gone
10. Tell Me How You Know
11. Oceans
12. So Good
Founded in 2021 by what can only be called, astral influence, VENAMORIS was launched a result of some persistent persuasion on Dave's part. The 57-year-old musician, who is in charge of drums and production on the record, explains: "Several months after meeting Paula in 2010, she hesitantly shared with me her past decade-long career as the lead backup singer for Wayne Newton. She later played me some of the demos she recorded throughout the years, and I was floored by her sonically soothing, rich tone and natural, instinctive ability to harmonize. I was determined to persuade her to return to her creative self. It's been a deeply gratifying journey witnessing this music come to life."
Canadian-born singer/songwriter Paula Lombardo, who performs vocals and piano for this project, bursts with vulnerability and intimacy, addressing a broad scope of emotion: anger, healing, pain, hope. It's evident that VENAMORIS was founded out of love, passion, communication, respect, and trust. One person thriving in music encouraged the other, who had abandoned music to find their way back. It is the result of many late nights with too much wine, and even more truth laid bare: an aural couple's journaling generously shared with the world.
Last month, Dave collaborated with his wife on a "love song" called "The Gift". On December 19, the Cuban-born musician shared an Andy Wallis-created video for the track via his YouTube channel, and he wrote in an accompanying message: "A romantic love song for the holiday season, written by my wife and I."
"The Gift" was written and recorded by Paula and Dave Lombardo and was mastered by John Golden of Golden Mastering.
During a recent question-and-answer session with the readers of U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, Lombardo was asked if he would have joined SLAYER guitarist Kerry King's new band had he been approached about it. He responded: "I knew that was coming. I am, right now, working on too many other projects and I wouldn't be able to accept. New DEAD CROSS, MR. BUNGLE… the pandemic put a lot of stuff on hold, so we need to play some catch-up there. Besides that, he's got Paul Bostaph [playing with him], and I don't think he would have the need to ask me."
Lombardo was also asked if he would play with SLAYER again if the band reunited and wanted him to be part of the lineup. He said: "I don't think that's ever going to happen. But, yeah, I'd listen to whatever it is they had to say. That's it. You can't go any further than that."
Lombardo, who has spent most of the recent years between crossover pioneers SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, horror-punk icons MISFITS, hardcore supergroup DEAD CROSS and MR. BUNGLE, was effectively fired from SLAYER after sitting out the group's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other bandmembers. He was later replaced by 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.
Swedish rockers, Creye, will release their new album, III: Weightless, on February 17. Watch a video for the new single "Air" below, and pre-orders/save III: Weightless here.
As with their last album, II, this new album sees the band’s songwriting and playing jumping by leaps and bounds to put them at the forefront of the Swedish melodic rock scene. With an album and live EP as well as multiple gigs under their belt, this lineup of Creye has truly gelled and that cohesiveness shines through on III: Weightless. Fans of the band's previous work certainly won't be disappointed and will also be thankful that the band has managed to evolve while staying familiar.
After releasing the Straight To The Top EP in early 2017, Creye signed a multi-album deal with Frontiers and released their self-titled debut album in October 2018. After announcing that August Rauer would be the new frontman for the band in late 2018, Creye toured in Sweden and Europe in 2019, including appearing at Melodicrock Fest, Frontiers Rock Sweden, and the Rockingham Festival. Creye regrouped in the studio in late 2019 to start working on the follow-up album to their self-titled debut. The plan was to refine and improve their songs and approach. The band’s strong determination to achieve this goal shone through on what would become their second album, II.
With III: Weightless, Creye's evolution as a premiere band in the Swedish melodic rock scene continues unabated.
III: Weightless tracklisting:
"Glorious"
"Air"
"One Step Away"
"The Game"
"Spreading Fire"
"Weightless"
"How Far"
"In The Shadows"
"Stay"
"Dangerous"
"Pieces"
"Air" video:
"Spreading Fire" video:
- Produced by: Jacob Gustafsson
Lineup:
August Rauer - Lead Vocals
Andreas Gullstrand - Lead Guitar
Fredrik Joakimsson - Rhythm Guitar
Joel Selsfors - Keyboards
Gustaf Örsta - Bass
Arvid Filipsson - Drums
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