The electrifying quartet of Iron Kingdom has a hot new album, The Blood Of Creation, coming out in the winter and in order to get fans as excited about it as they are, are releasing a drum playthrough of their first single, "In The Grip of Nightmares", so folks at home can watch Max Friesen bring the thunder. Along with this they also released a mini-documentary about the making of the album on social media last week.
Iron Kingdom wanted to create music in a style of metal that seemed to have been forgotten when they were kids. Since no one else seemed to be doing it, they decided to play metal the way it used to be played in the 70s and 80s. They combine this classic sound with dark lyrics surrounding a variety of topics including myths, historical events, and fantasy books. The single "In the Grip Of Nightmares" spins off a character in Michael Moorcock's "Elric of Melnibonè" book series. The band explains further: "We started writing this song during the 'On The Hunt' sessions back in 2019, however, the song had a different energy than the rest of the album so we decided it would be best to come back to it at a later date. In late 2020, during the Covid-19 lockdown, we took a second look at what was to become 'In The Grip Of Nightmares'. We rewrote the tune to be what it is today. It tells the tale of the legendary sentient sword 'Stormbringer' and its relationship to Elric. The two are bound together by fate. A fate that twists Chaos and Law, and leaves Elric in the grip of nightmares. Musically, this song is relatively progressive, I'd say it has some Helloween and Fates Warning like feelings. It is quite fast and driving, but also quite melodic with lots of leads and solos."
Drummer Max Friesen also adds about the track: "This song was one of the first we worked on as a group. It was one where I tried to make a good first impression haha. The kicks go for quite the gallop at a middle tempo so It's a bit of an endurance run with full leg motion. I tried to feature both rides in this track and took influence from a cymbal riff by Amanda Osterman from the song "At The Gates" off of the 2013 album 'Gates of Eternity'."
"The Blood Of Creation" is the fifth album from the Vancouver-based band and over the years they have moved from being a hard rock band, then taking a progressive metal dive, going fully classic metal, and ultimately bringing all of those together in the latest. They lean into dark themes, dark topics, dark vibes, and a dark cover, and at the end is just a wall of music. Iron Kingdom is recommended for fans of Iron Maiden, Helloween, and Judas Priest.
"Tides Of Desolation"
"Sheathe The Sword"
"Queen Of The Crystal Throne"
"Hunter And Prey"
"Witching Hour"
"In The Grip Of Nightmares"
"Primordial"
"The Blood Of Creation"
"In The Grip Of Nightmares":
Teaser:
In additional news, Iron Kingdom have announced their album launch show for November 4 in Vancouver, BC, at the Wise Hall. For more info, head here.
Formed in 1968, the original ALICE COOPER band forged a theatrical brand of hard rock that was destined to shock and had never been seen before. Within five years, they would release no fewer than seven studio albums, amongst them their international breakthrough "School's Out" (including the Top 10 hit of the same name) and the U.S. No. 1 "Billion Dollar Babies" (1973).
By 1974, the band had risen to the upper echelon of rock stardom... and then it dissolved.
In October 2015, over 40 years later, record store owner and superfan Chris Penn convinced the original lineup to reunite for a very special performance at Good Records, his record store in Dallas, Texas. Alice Cooper (vocals),Michael Bruce (guitar),Dennis Dunaway (bass) and Neal Smith (drums) were joined on stage by Alice's current guitarist Ryan Roxie (standing in for the late Glen Buxton). A packed audience was expecting to attend Dennis Dunaway's "Snakes! Guillotines! Electric Chairs!" book signing. But they ended up witnessing a full-blown happening.
The legendary reunion show, including all-time classics such as "No More Mr. Nice Guy", "I'm Eighteen" and "School's Out", is now becoming available for the very first time worldwide on September 30.
Luckily, the event was also filmed. The documentary movie "Live From The Astroturf, Alice Cooper" (edited and directed by Steven Gaddis) was very warmly welcomed at film festivals all over the world by music fans as well as rock journalists. The documentary won multiple awards for its coverage of the historic event. The movie is included in the live album's first print CD and vinyl LP editions.
Track listing:
CD:
01. Caught In A Dream (Vinyl Side A)
02. Be My Lover
03. I'm Eighteen
04. Is It My Body
05. No More Mr. Nice Guy
06. Under My Wheels (Vinyl Side B)
07. School's Out
08. Elected
09. Desperado (Intro Bonus Track)
DVD/Blu-ray (running time: over 100 minutes):
Documentary With All Live Performances + Extras:
* Music video for "I'm Eighteen"
* "(Live From The Astroturf)"
* Music video for "Under My Wheels (Live From The Astroturf)"
* Extensive interview with Dennis, Michael and Neal
The "Under My Wheels (Live From The Astroturf)" video can now be seen below.
Cooper pioneered a grandly theatrical brand of hard rock that was designed to shock. Drawing equally from horror movies, vaudeville, and garage rock, the group created a stage show that featured electric chairs, guillotines, fake blood and boa constrictors. He continues to tour regularly, performing shows worldwide with the dark and horror-themed theatrics that he's best known for. With a schedule that includes six months each year on the road, Cooper brings his own brand of rock psycho-drama to fans both old and new, enjoying it as much as the audience does. Known as the architect of shock rock, Cooper (in both the original ALICE COOPER band and as a solo artist) has rattled the cages and undermined the authority of generations of guardians of the status quo, continuing to surprise fans and exude danger at every turn, like a great horror movie, even in an era where CNN can present real-life shocking images. His latest album, "Detroit Stories", is out via earMUSIC.
Slipknot have released their new album, The End, So Far, via Roadrunner Records. Find individual track visualizers and videos below.
Produced By Slipknot and Joe Barresi, The End, So Far is available to order now, with several vinyl variants available at slipknot1.com. The End, So Far includes the band’s 2021 surprise single “The Chapeltown Rag” and follows their widely celebrated 2019 album We Are Not Your Kind, which marked Slipknot’s third consecutive #1 on the Billboard 200. The release made a massive global impact with #1 debuts in the Official Album Charts of twelve countries around the world, including the UK, Australia, Canada and Mexico, with Top 5 debuts in an additional twelve countries including Germany, France and Sweden.
Tracklisting:
“Adderall”
“The Dying Song (Time To Sing)”
“The Chapeltown Rag”
“Yen”
“Hivemind”
“Warranty”
“Medicine For The Dead”
“Acidic”
“Heirloom”
“H377”
“De Sade”
“Finale”
“Adderall”:
“The Dying Song (Time To Sing)” video:
“The Chapeltown Rag” visualizer:
“Yen” video
“Hivemind”:
“Warranty”:
“Medicine For The Dead”:
“Acidic”:
“Heirloom”:
“H377”:
“De Sade”:
“Finale”:
Slipknot's remaining Knotfest Roadshow Fall 2022 dates are listed below.
October
1 - Albuquerque, NM Isleta Amphitheater
2 - Phoenix, AZ - Ak-Chin Pavilion
4 - Salt Lake City, UT - USANA Amphitheatre
6 - Sacramento, CA - Aftershock Festival
7 - Irvine, CA - FivePoint Amphitheater
On September 24th, Machine Head performed at Hovet in Stockholm, Sweden. During the show, Ola Englund, guitarist for The Haunted, joined them on stage for the second last song of the night, "Davidian". Fan-filmed video is available below.
The setlist was as follows:
"Become The Firestorm"
"Imperium"
"Ten Ton Hammer"
"I Am Hell (Sonata in C#)"
"Blood For Blood"
"Darkness Within"
"Now We Die"
"From This Day"
"Davidian" (with Ola Englund)
"Halo"
Machine Head's next show is today, September 30th, in Oberhausen, Germany. To view their full itinerary, visit machinehead1.com.
"I had an excellent Coffee With Ola meetup with Robb Flynn of Machine Head," Englund said recently, sharing a new video. "What a story teller! We talked about the new album, anime, gear, and also he shared a great Dimebag story."
Stockholm, Sweden's Metalite will release their new live EP, Live At Sweden Rock Festival 2022, on October 28 via AFM Records.
The second single from the EP, "Far From The Sanctuary", is available Friday. Pre-save here, watch the official video below, and stay tuned for updates.
Watch a video for the previous single, "We Bring You The Stars", below:
BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich and former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach joined Dave Grohl and some of his FOO FIGHTERS bandmates on stage at last night's (Tuesday, September 27) Taylor Hawkins tribute concert at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, California to perform two classic SABBATH songs: "Paranoid" and "Supernaut". Fan-filmed video can be seen below.
After celebrating Hawkins's memory and music with a special six-hour gig in London earlier this month (September 3),last night's gig saw many of rock, heavy metal and pop music's biggest names unite in honor of Hawkins, who died earlier this year while on tour with the FOO FIGHTERS. Among the musicians who appeared at the Los Angeles event were QUEEN's Brian May and Roger Taylor, MÖTLEY CRÜE's Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee, SOUNDGARDEN's Matt Cameron and Kim Thayil, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' Chad Smith, Wolfgang Van Halen, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's Josh Homme, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's Brad Wilk and RUSH's Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, Miley Cyrus, Pink and Kesha.
The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts ticket and merchandise sales are benefiting charities chosen by the Hawkins family: Music Support and MusiCares.
As one of the most respected and beloved figures in modern music, Taylor's monolithic talent and magnetic personality endeared him to millions of fans, peers, friends and fellow musical legends the world over. Millions mourned his untimely passing on March 25, with passionate and sincere tributes coming from fans as well as musicians Taylor idolized. The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts united several of those artists, the Hawkins family and, of course, his FOO FIGHTERS brothers in celebration of Taylor's memory and his legacy as a global rock icon — his bandmates and his inspirations playing the songs that he fell in love with, and the ones he brought to life.
Hawkins was found dead at the Four Seasons Casa Medina hotel in Bogota.
An official cause of death for Hawkins hasn't yet been released. But on March 26, Colombia's attorney general's office released a preliminary toxicology report, saying that medical examiners found evidence of 10 types of substances in Hawkins's body, including opioids, benzodiazepines, marijuana and antidepressants.
Hawkins joined FOO FIGHTERS in 1997. Prior to that, he played with the Orange County band SYLVIA and was also in the backing band for Sass Jordan. He also toured with Alanis Morissette as her drummer.
Hawkins was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame last year as a member of the FOO FIGHTERS.
Hawkins's most recent work with FOO FIGHTERS included last year's "Medicine At Midnight" album, a collection of BEE GEES covers and FOO FIGHTERS' horror film "Studio 666".
Taylor Hawkins Los Angeles tribute concert setlist:
Violet Grohl and Alain Johannes
01. Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen cover)
Joan Jett with Travis Barker plus FOO FIGHTERS
02. Cherry Bomb (RUNAWAYS cover)
03. Bad Reputation
CHEVY METAL
04. Riff Raff (AC/DC cover)
05. Owner Of A Lonely Heart (Yes cover) (featuring Jon Davison)
06. "Heroes" (David Bowie cover) (featuring Kesha)
07. Range Rover Bitch (Taylor Hawkins cover)
08. It's Over
09. Something About You (LEVEL 42 cover) (featuring Mark King)
10. I Believe In A Thing Called Love (THE DARKNESS cover)
James Gang
11. Walk Away
12. The Bomber: Closet Queen / Bolero / Cast Your Fate to the Wind
13. Funk #49 (featuring Dave Grohl)
Mark Ronson / Andrew Watt / Roger Manning / Dave Grohl
14. Right On Down The Line (Gerry Rafferty cover)
THEM CROOKED VULTURES / Greg Kurstin
15. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (ELTON JOHN cover)
16. Dead End Friends
17. Long Slow Goodbye (QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE cover)
Wolfgang Van Halen / Josh Freese / Justin Hawkins / Dave Grohl
18. Panama (VAN HALEN cover)
19. Hot For Teacher (VAN HALEN cover)
DEF LEPPARD / FOO FIGHTERS
20. Rock Of Ages
21. Photograph (featuring Miley Cyrus)
Nikki Sixx / Tommy Lee / Derek Day / FOO FIGHTERS
22. Live Wire
23. Home Sweet Home
Elliot Easton / FOO FIGHTERS / Josh Homme
24. Shake It Up (THE CARS cover)
25. Just What I Needed
Nancy Wilson / Pink / FOO FIGHTERS / John Theodore
26. Barracuda (HEART cover)
Stewart Copeland / FOO FIGHTERS
27. Next to You (THE POLICE cover)
28. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (THE POLICE cover) (featuring Jon Davison)
Alanis Morissette / Chris Chaney / Chad Smith / FOO FIGHTERS
29. You Oughta Know
Sebastian Bach / Geezer Butler / Lars Ulrich / FOO FIGHTERS
32. 2112 Part I: Overture (featuring Dave Grohl)
33. Working Man (featuring Chad Smith)
34. YYZ (featuring Danny Carey)
Matt Cameron / Kim Thayil / Krist Novoselic / Taylor Momsen / Pat Smear / Dave Grohl
35. The Day I Tried To Live (SOUNDGARDEN cover)
36. Black Hole Sun (SOUNDGARDEN cover)
QUEEN / FOO FIGHTERS
37. We Will Rock You
38. I'm In Love With My Car (featuring Rufus Taylor)
39. Under Pressure (featuring Justin Hawkins)
40. Somebody To Love (featuring Pink)
41. Love Of My Life
FOO FIGHTERS
42. All My Life
43. The Pretender (featuring Pink)
44. Walk (with featuring Barker)
45. Low (with featuring Cameron)
46. This Is A Call (featuring Brad Wilk)
47. The Sky Is a Neighborhood (featuring Pat Wilson)
48. Creep (RADIOHEAD cover, featuring Dave Chapelle)
49. Run (featuring Omar Hakim)
50. Best Of You (featuring Rufus Taylor)
51. My Hero (featuring Shane Hawkins)
52. I'll Stick Around (featuring Shane Hawkins)
53. Everlong (featuring Chad Smith)
Mötley Crüe have released an HD remastered version of the music video for "Dr. Feelgood", the title track of the band's fifth studio album, released in 1989. Watch below:
The band previously released remastered videos for "Home Sweet Home" and "Smoking' In The Boys Room" from 1985's Theatre Of Pain, "Live Wire" from 1981's Too Fast For Love, and "Too Young To Fall In Love" and "Looks That Kill", both from 1983's Shout At The Devil. Watch below:
Following their headlining set at the Bloodstock Open Air festival in August, Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD have now shared a live video for "Omens", the title track of their upcoming album. With their set both crushing and scorching in equal measure, the video footage was captured during that performance and premieres for the first time today.
When the "Omens" single was first released, LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe commented: "I think a lot of the messes human beings find ourselves in could be very easily prevented simply by paying attention to obvious repeating patterns, both in our personal lives and in a broader sociohistorical context. What some call 'omens' are really just manifestations of the fact that there is nothing new under the sun. It's foolish to ignore this, but we all do it."
LAMB OF GOD recently announced "The Making Of: Omens", a short film documenting the recording of their upcoming album. The documentary will premiere with a livestream event on October 6 and be available to watch on-demand throughout the month of October at watch.lamb-of-god.com.
All physical CD and vinyl copies of "Omens" will include a free access code to watch the documentary, and fans who pre-order through shop.lamb-of-god.com will also receive their code via email before October 6. Standalone livestream and video-on-demand tickets will go on-sale September 22.
The documentary will include four full-song performances recorded in the live room at Henson Studios: "Nevermore", "Omens", "Vanishing" and "Gomorrah".
Speaking to the WSOU 89.5 FM radio station about LAMB OF GOD's decision to document the making of "Omens", guitarist Mark Morton said: "It started, really, because we knew the way we were gonna record it — we knew we were gonna be all together [in the studio recording at the same time]. I don't know if the average music listener pays attention to that kind of thing, but it's not really a very common way to make a record these days. To be all playing at the same time and recording every piece of it at the same time and saving parts of each performance, that's the way things used to be done, but very rarely are they done like that. So I think we felt internally it would be cool to document that process, knowing we were gonna be doing it that way. And also there's just a history of behind-the-scenes documentary within LAMB OF GOD, just historically. Back in 2000s, DVD days, we were really open with having cameras around and filming ourselves for better or worse and kind of letting our fans see what it's like every step of the way, really — sometimes to a fault. And I think that access is really early in what kind of helped create such a bond between us and a lot of our fans is because they feel like they know us because they've been given so much access. So it had been some time since we'd done anything like that, but deciding to do so felt pretty natural."
Last month, LAMB OF GOD bassist John Campbell told Germany's EMP that "Omens" is "a fairly dynamic record. There's a few other little surprises and tweaks and things to come in October," he said. "But we recorded it differently this time. We went to Los Angeles and all of us in the same room and same time recording, which gave us some leeway to make changes as things happened and just kind of feel it out in a different way than we've done in the past, which would be everybody kind of going in their corner recording and it gets assembled later. So it was a real team effort on this one, in the recording — all the way through it's been a team effort — and in the recording especially, when we were all in the same room doing that stuff, it was great. I got to spend three and a half weeks working on a record instead of four or five days — working on the recording of the record."
Also in August, Campbell was asked by Knotfest what led to the decision to record "Omens" live in the studio. John responded: "Well, we've been doing this so fucking long, we had to do something different. I believe that was Josh Wilbur's idea to do that. I know he had a great place worked out to do that in. And we had just kind of been doing it the same way over and over and over again, and we were looking to get a little more excitement into it and maybe see if that couldn't produce a different feel on the record."
LAMB OF GOD is supporting the new album with a massive Live Nation-produced U.S. headlining tour featuring special guests KILLSWITCH ENGAGE on all dates. Different legs will also see support from BARONESS, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, SPIRITBOX, ANIMALS AS LEADERS as well as SUICIDE SILENCE and FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY. The tour kicked off September 9 in Brooklyn and will run through October 20.
"Omens" will be the follow-up to LAMB OF GOD's self-titled album, which was released in June 2020 via Epic Records in the U.S. and Nuclear Blast Records in Europe. That LP marked LAMB OF GOD's first recordings with drummer Art Cruz, who joined the band in July 2019 as the replacement for the group's founding drummer, Chris Adler.
RUSH members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson teamed up with three of modern rock's top drummers Dave Grohl (NIRVANA),Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS) and Danny Carey (TOOL),at last night's (Tuesday, September 27) Taylor Hawkins tribute concert at in Los Angeles to perform three classic RUSH tracks.
After an introduction by Jack Black, the RUSH portion of the evening kicked off with "2112 Part I: Overture", the first movement of the 1976 prog-rock epic, with Grohl on drums and THE BIRD AND THE BEE's Greg Kurstin on keyboards. Grohl was then replaced by Smith behind the kit for a rendition of "Working Man". After that, Lee addressed the crowd, saying, "I'd just like to cast back to a moment in time, 2008, when we were contacted by the FOO FIGHTERS to see if we would go down to the Air Canada Centre in Toronto and play Taylor Hawkins favorite song with him onstage. That was the beginning of quite a beautiful friendship. So in honor of that and in honor of our own lost brother, we'd like to bring out Danny Carey to play 'YYZ'."
Lee and Lifeson previously played the same three tracks at the first Hawkins tribute concert on September 3 at London's Wembley Stadium. Grohl and Omar Hakim handled the drums for that performance.
This past April, Lee reflected on Hawkins's passing in an interview with "House Of Strombo", a free-form radio talk program hosted by Canadian television and radio personality George Stroumboulopoulos. Geddy said: "Heartbreaking — just heartbreaking. That really broke my heart, his passing. [He was] so full of file. I remember when he presented the [Rock And Roll] Hall Of Fame award to us in 2013 and we came up on stage, he was literally jumping up and down like a two-year-old — he was jumping up and down, he was so happy — and that was him. He was so full of admiration and rock and roll joy juice. And it just seems wrong that he left us."
Hawkins and FOO FIGHTERS leader Dave Grohl gave the speech for RUSH when the prog-rock legends were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and the FOO FIGHTERS duo then performed "2112" alongside RUSH during the Rock Hall ceremony.
After Stroumboulopoulos asked Lee what Hawkins said to him when he presented him with the Rock Hall award, Geddy said: "He just gave me a big hug. He just sent me an e-mail like a month ago — just checking in. That's what he would do; he would just check in."
When Hawkins's death was first announced in late March, Lee released a statement on social media in which he said: "We are so very shocked and saddened to hear the devastating news of the sudden passing of our musical brother Taylor Hawkins. He was such an incredibly positive source of music, energy and love, and a true artist to his very core…there are simply no words to adequately express just how much he will be missed by all — including Alex, myself and the entire RUSH family. Our hearts, love and sympathy go out to Taylor's family as well the Grohls, and the extended FOOs family…"
In a separate post on his personal Instagram account, Lee reflected on the time he and Lifeson joined the FOO FIGHTERS onstage during a concert in Toronto.
"My heart is truly breaking at the news of Taylor's passing. A sweetheart of a man that radiated good vibes, a love of music, and a total monster on the drums," Lee wrote. "He was so, so happy the night Alex and I came up onstage to play YYZ with him during the FOOs show at the Air Canada Centre on March 23rd, 2008… His excitement was almost impossible for him to contain. Brother, you left us way, way too soon… rest in peace my friend…"
When Peart died in January 2020, Hawkins said in a statement to Rolling Stone: "Neil Peart had the hands of God. End of story."
Rattlesnake Venom Trip has issued their "Dead Empire" video. The song and debut album were recorded by Micah Carli of Hawthorne Heights and mixed by Adam Dutkiewicz of Killswitch Engage.
Kevin Schindel, vocalist and guitarist for RVT shares "Dead Empire is about getting older and seeing that life has passed you by. Pouring all your time and effort into your work and realizing you don’t have anything to show for it at the end. The video is capturing you looking back at yourself with heavy judgment and wishing to change your outcome. If only you could warn yourself somehow."
Based out of Dayton, Ohio, the band formed in September of 2019. Rattlesnake Venom Trip is a heavy rock/metal band with a lot of variety, saluting to classic bands like early Metallica, Black Sabbath, Alice in Chains, to more modern bands like Queens of the Stone Age, Mastodon, and Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats. RVT's collective love of classic rock, heavy metal, and psychedelic music has helped craft a compilation of songs with a wide array of musical dynamics. With each track the band ventures into new territory, creating a unique landscape for listeners to explore.
Although Rattlesnake Venom Trip is a new band, its members are certainly not strangers to the road, the stage, or the recording studio. They each have a long history of playing in bands and releasing music over the years. Featuring members of the metalcore act Twelve Tribes, post metal outfit Mouth of the Architect, and stoner rock band Neon Warship, the band plans on continuing from where their previous projects left off and making their own mark in time. "We cannot wait to see where this new music takes us,” shares RVT.
Dead Empire is coming to streaming services on October 19.
Rattlesnake Venom Trip is:
Kevin Schindel – Vocals and Guitar
Evan Davell – Guitar
Shane Shook – Drums
Matt Tackett – Bass
Miley Cyrus joined members of DEF LEPPARD on stage at last night's (Tuesday, September 27) Taylor Hawkins tribute concert at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, California to perform the band's 1983 hit "Photograph". Sharing the stage with Cyrus, Joe Elliott, Rick Savage and Phil Collen for the "Photograph" rendition were Dave Grohl, WEEZER drummer Pat Wilson and FOO FIGHTERS guitarists Pat Smear and Chris Shiflett, who had also played "Rock Of Ages" with the DEF LEPPARD musicians.
Cyrus previously paid tribute to Hawkins during her performance at the Lollapalooza Brasil festival shortly after his death in late March. In addition to dedicating her set to the late FOO FIGHTERS drummer, Cyrus performed "Angels Like You" with a photograph of him displayed in the background.
After celebrating Hawkins's memory and music with a special six-hour gig in London earlier this month (September 3),last night's gig saw many of rock, heavy metal and pop music's biggest names unite in honor of Hawkins, who died earlier this year while on tour with the FOO FIGHTERS. Among the musicians who appeared at the Los Angeles event were QUEEN's Brian May and Roger Taylor, MÖTLEY CRÜE's Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee, SOUNDGARDEN's Matt Cameron and Kim Thayil, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' Chad Smith, Wolfgang Van Halen, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's Josh Homme, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's Brad Wilk and RUSH's Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich, former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach, Pink and Kesha.
The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts ticket and merchandise sales are benefiting charities chosen by the Hawkins family: Music Support and MusiCares.
As one of the most respected and beloved figures in modern music, Taylor's monolithic talent and magnetic personality endeared him to millions of fans, peers, friends and fellow musical legends the world over. Millions mourned his untimely passing on March 25, with passionate and sincere tributes coming from fans as well as musicians Taylor idolized. The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts united several of those artists, the Hawkins family and, of course, his FOO FIGHTERS brothers in celebration of Taylor's memory and his legacy as a global rock icon — his bandmates and his inspirations playing the songs that he fell in love with, and the ones he brought to life.
Hawkins was found dead at the Four Seasons Casa Medina hotel in Bogota.
An official cause of death for Hawkins hasn't yet been released. But on March 26, Colombia's attorney general's office released a preliminary toxicology report, saying that medical examiners found evidence of 10 types of substances in Hawkins's body, including opioids, benzodiazepines, marijuana and antidepressants.
Hawkins joined FOO FIGHTERS in 1997. Prior to that, he played with the Orange County band SYLVIA and was also in the backing band for Sass Jordan. He also toured with Alanis Morissette as her drummer.
Hawkins was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame last year as a member of the FOO FIGHTERS.
Hawkins's most recent work with FOO FIGHTERS included last year's "Medicine At Midnight" album, a collection of BEE GEES covers and FOO FIGHTERS' horror film "Studio 666".
MÖTLEY CRÜE's Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee played two of the band's classic songs at last night's (Tuesday, September 27) Taylor Hawkins tribute concert at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles.
Sixx and Lee were introduced to the stage by Hawkins's FOO FIGHTERS bandmate Dave Grohl, who told the crowd: "Taylor always told me stories about growing up down in Laguna, the Los Angeles area. And he had more than a few stories about these next artists that are coming up to play with us. Not only did Taylor become friends [with them], but he had a lot of respect for these guys. You can't really play a gig in Los Angeles without having these guys come jam with you. Let's have fucking MÖTLEY CRÜE come up onstage."
Sixx and Lee kicked off their two-song set with "Live Wire", backed by Grohl and other members of the FOO FIGHTERS, along with CLASSLESS ACT's Derek Day handling the vocals. They followed it up with a rendition of "Home Sweet Home".
After celebrating Hawkins's memory and music with a special six-hour gig in London earlier this month (September 3),last night's gig saw many of rock, heavy metal and pop music's biggest names unite in honor of Hawkins, who died earlier this year while on tour with the FOO FIGHTERS. Among the musicians who appeared at the Los Angeles event were QUEEN's Brian May and Roger Taylor, SOUNDGARDEN's Matt Cameron and Kim Thayil, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' Chad Smith, Wolfgang Van Halen, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's Josh Homme, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's Brad Wilk and RUSH's Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich, former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach, Pink, Miley Cyrus and Kesha.
The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts ticket and merchandise sales are benefiting charities chosen by the Hawkins family: Music Support and MusiCares.
As one of the most respected and beloved figures in modern music, Taylor's monolithic talent and magnetic personality endeared him to millions of fans, peers, friends and fellow musical legends the world over. Millions mourned his untimely passing on March 25, with passionate and sincere tributes coming from fans as well as musicians Taylor idolized. The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts united several of those artists, the Hawkins family and, of course, his FOO FIGHTERS brothers in celebration of Taylor's memory and his legacy as a global rock icon — his bandmates and his inspirations playing the songs that he fell in love with, and the ones he brought to life.
Hawkins was found dead at the Four Seasons Casa Medina hotel in Bogota.
An official cause of death for Hawkins hasn't yet been released. But on March 26, Colombia's attorney general's office released a preliminary toxicology report, saying that medical examiners found evidence of 10 types of substances in Hawkins's body, including opioids, benzodiazepines, marijuana and antidepressants.
Hawkins joined FOO FIGHTERS in 1997. Prior to that, he played with the Orange County band SYLVIA and was also in the backing band for Sass Jordan. He also toured with Alanis Morissette as her drummer.
Hawkins was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame last year as a member of the FOO FIGHTERS.
Hawkins's most recent work with FOO FIGHTERS included last year's "Medicine At Midnight" album, a collection of BEE GEES covers and FOO FIGHTERS' horror film "Studio 666".
On October 14, Lorna Shore will unleash their fourth full-length, Pain Remains, via Century Media Records. Today marks the next chapter in the band's epic journey, leading up to the release of new album: "Pain Remains II: After All I've Done, I'll Disappear". Currently streaming on all digital platforms, the age-gated video (directed by David Brodsky // http://www.mgenyc.com) can be viewed below.
The band comments on "The Pain Trilogy": "'The Pain Trilogy' is a three-part tale focusing on the stages of grief and vulnerability and exemplifying it through a love story. The first song, 'Pain Remains I: Dancing like Flames' begins with the main character becoming enamoured by the person within his dreams. He decides to turn to this reality as a sense of purpose despite knowing that the closer he gets to his goal, the further it seems to drift away. This leads to the second song, 'Pain Remains II: After All I've Done, I'll Disappear'. This is the part where the person vanishes and the main character struggles to accept the pain. He as well wishes to disappear and seeks to throw it all away. Lorna Shore supports suicide prevention and support. We encourage all to speak to their issues and spark conversations that help and mend us all. National suicide prevention hotline: 800-273-8255."
Don't miss the final part of the trilogy that will unfold when the album is released on October 14.
Pre-orders for Pain Remains are available in various formats, with the CD Digipak and all initial runs of the Gatefold 2LP coming with a special matte/glossy varnish. Pre-order here.
Tracklisting:
"Welcome Back, O' Sleeping Dreamer"
"Into The Earth"
"Sun//Eater"
"Cursed To Die"
"Soulless Existence"
"Apotheosis"
"Wrath"
"Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames"
"Pain Remains II: After All I've Done, I'll Disappear"
"Pain Remains III: In A Sea Of Fire"
"Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames" video:
"Into The Earth" video:
"Sun//Eater" video:
Lorna Shore has announced The Pain Remains North American headline tour. The band will be joined by Aborted, Ingested, AngelMaker and Ov Sulfur starting on October 21 in Philly and wrapping on November 20 in Montreal. VIP ticket packages will be available to purchase for each show, which will include a ticket to the show, meet and greet with Lorna Shore, an exclusive VIP t-shirt, a souvenir laminate with a lanyard, a signed poster, a tote bag, an enamel pin and early entry.
“We are excited to celebrate the release our new album Pain Remains across the US alongside some of our favorite bands. This tour allows us to put on a performance we feel this record deserves while giving fans an experience to remember,” states Lorna Shore guitarist Adam De Micco.
The Pain Remains Tour:
October
21 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts
22 - New York, NY - The Gramercy Theatre
23 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
24 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage
25 - Charlotte, NC - Neighborhood Theatre
26 - Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl Nashville
27 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade (Heaven)
28 - Tampa, FL - The Orpheum
29 - Orlando, FL - The Abbey
31 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
November
1 - San Antonio, TX - Vibes Event Center
2 - Fort Worth, TX - Ridglea Theater
4 - Mesa, AZ - Nile Theater
5 - Los Angeles, CA - 1720
6 - Roseville, CA - Goldfield Trading Post
8 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
9 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre
11 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
12 - Denver, CO - Summit
13 - Lawrence, KS - The Bottleneck
15 - Chicago, IL - The Bottom Lounge
16 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrew’s Hall
17 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
18 - Mckees Rocks, PA - Roxian Theatre
19 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre
20 - Montreal, QC - L’astral
Canadian singer, songwriter and producer Devin Townsend will release his new album, "Lightwork", on October 28. The music video for the LP's first second single, "Call Of The Void", which was once again created by Devin himself, can be seen below.
Devin comments: "The concept of the song is based around the 'call of the void' as an analogy for intrusive thoughts. I first heard the term describing 'the temptation to hurl yourself over the cliff when your driving a car'… or to 'put your hand in the fire when you know you'll get burned' etc… thoughts that you know are wrong, but you fear that you won't be able to control the impulses to deny it. The point being: often I feel we have a choice, and trying not to lose sight of that was very important to me during recent difficult times.
"In terms of the visuals: All through lockdown, I really fell in love with 'cabview train journeys' that 'Railway Cowgirl' and others were posting on YouTube. Essentially, they are often full, first-person journeys to cold and distant places, far from the chaos of the world, with a sense of constant momentum really calmed me. Maybe being on tour for so many years is what made it a comfort to watch during lockdown, but in any event, I started writing with the videos playing in the background in the studio and so I thought it would be appropriate for this video.
"(Thank you 'Railway Cowgirl' for the permission to use these clips. if while viewing this video you enjoy the footage, please visit her YouTube channel and check out all her wonderful content.)
"In regards to the 'story' of these three videos, the character is now on the train headed to where the Lighthouse is located.
"So there you go… song two. It's about not letting the chaos of the world shake you. Trying to stay calm at our center to try and get through it all."
Assembled from a barrage of material written during the pandemic, "Lightwork" — and its companion album of B-sides and demos, "Nightwork" — represents Devin at this stage of his life, post pandemic, and his reflections on what he (and many of us) all gone through.
For "Lightwork", Devin decided to see what would happen if he included a producer (an experiment he has been excited to attempt for some time) to help guide this selection of material. He chose longtime friend Garth "GGGarth" Richardson to help bring this idea to fruition, and through a difficult (but wonderful) process, the next Devin album have been delivered.
The name "Lightwork" represents the music, as well as the act of creating music, as a kind of "light in the dark" while trying to navigate the seemingly endless challenges that life can often present. When things seem like there's no way out or that a situation becomes seemingly insurmountable, the connection to music, family, and creativity became a light in the dark that ended up in this wonderful album.
Featuring artwork by frequent collaborator Travis Smith, "Lightwork" arrives in several editions including a limited deluxe orange 3LP+2CD+Blu-ray box-set that includes both "Lightwork" and its companion album "Nightwork" on both CD and vinyl, as well as a Blu-ray including 5.1 Surround Sound, album commentary and visuals, art-cards and extensive perfect-bound booklet, all contained in a lift-off lid box. There will also be a Limited 2CD+Blu-ray artbook, limited 2CD digipak, gatefold 180g 2LP+CD, standard CD jewelcase and digital album.
Devin will embark on a European headline tour in early 2023.
New York City electro metal pioneers DOPE will release their seventh studio album, "Blood Money Part Zer0", on February 24, 2023. The official music video for the LP's latest single, "No Respect", can be seen below. The cinematic visual is a punishing piece that is reminiscent of some of the most memorable scenes ever caught on film.
Taking pages from Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" and Eli Roth's "Hostel" series, the video depicts a violent interrogation taking place inside of an old garage, which ultimately ends in a fiery conclusion. The scene unfolds as the band performs the nitro-fueled song and frontman Edsel Dope lyrically proclaims: "You get what you deserve, and in the end you'll burn." The teeth-excising/finger-removing villain is played by Derron Ross — acclaimed Hollywood stuntman and video game visual effects supervisor. Ross has worked on "Deadpool", "Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War", "Apex Legends" and "Bloodshot", to name a few. The visually captivating video was directed by Edsel and co-directed by Matt Zane.
Edsel states: "It's funny. Most people watching the video will assume that Derron is playing the role of a villain, but he's actually playing the hero. The guy that we set on fire was guilty of some deplorable shit. In the end, he got what he deserved."
"Blood Money Part Zer0" is DOPE's first release in seven years and is the follow-up to 2016's "Blood Money Part 1", which debuted at No. 27 on the Billboard 200, selling over 15,000 units in its first week.
DOPE has sold more than a million combined albums and has amassed an audience of nearly two million monthly listeners on Spotify while racking up more than 100 million plays on its cult classic "Die MF Die".
In a move to demonstrate the bands sincere appreciation to their loyal fanbase for more than two decades, DOPE is giving away "Blood Money Part Zer0" for free digitally. Longtime fans, curious listeners and people that enjoy gratis music can sign up to download the album for free on the band's web site. A physical pre-order will also be available on the band's web site for fans that want to purchase the new album in various physical formats.
DOPE recently released an introspective infomercial which doubles as a behind-the-scenes look into the real life of Edsel, his private life, and his many ventures outside of DOPE. A very private person, virtually inactive on social media, Edsel is intentionally secretive about what he does with his time between records and tours. This video serves as a direct message to the fans, inviting them to see behind the curtain of the mysterious man, whose creativity they have supported for years. In the end, the video is ultimately an introduction to "Blood Money Part Zer0" and will feature teaser clips from the music videos for "Believe" and "No Respect", but is also so much more.
DOPE will hit the road in 2023 in support of "Blood Money Part Zer0" as part of the "Rise Of The Machine" tour with STATIC-X and FEAR FACTORY. The 42-date trek kicks off February 25, 2023 in San Francisco, California and wraps up April 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
During his time away from performing with DOPE, Edsel has become a successful creative director, project manager and entrepreneur. As part of a three-year stint with Omnicom's GMR Marketing, Edsel headed up music programs for the NFL, MLB, NASCAR, WWE, UFC and many others while also lending his creative marketing talents to brands such as Indian Motorcycle, Nissan and "American Horror Story", to name a few. Edsel, who now resides in Los Angeles, is a father, has a family and is also the owner operator of the3D/4D capture stage to the stars. Ecco Studios is a company specializes in the technical art of 3D and 4D scanning, which is the foundation for creating the most unbelievably realistic digital humans imaginable. Ecco is skyrocketing at the moment and through this venture, Edsel recently worked with the likes of Paul McCartney, Snoop Dog, Terry Crews, Sylvester Stallone, while also working on titles such as "Spiderman", "Terminator: Dark Fate", "Love Death Robot", as well as several volumes of the EA Madden franchise.
Danish/American rockers VOLBEAT have shared the live video "Shotgun Blue - Official Bootleg Live from San Diego" which was captured at the San Diego show on their recent 26-date "Wait A Minute… Let's Tour". The clip serves as a preview for "Volbeat - Wait A Minute… Let's Tour: Live From San Diego", a full concert stream that will be available for a limited time from Thursday, October 6 at 2 p.m. ET until Sunday, October 9 at midnight ET, on the band's YouTube channel. Capturing one of the band's first shows back on the road in autumn 2021, this intimate performance at San Diego's historic venue The Observatory North Park was filmed shortly before the release of their most recent album, "Servant Of The Mind". The setlist included some of the very first live performances of the hit singles "Shotgun Blues" and "Wait A Minute My Girl". The concert was filmed and edited by the team at Ghost Atomic Pictures ("Shotgun Blues", "Die To Live (Feat. Neil Fallon)", "Leviathan", Let's Boogie: Live From Telia Parken").
VOLBEAT's eighth studio album, "Servant Of The Mind", was released last December via Republic Records.
Revolver called "Servant Of The Mind" "excellent… the darkest and heaviest VOLBEAT offering yet." For the LP, the band, which consists of Michael Poulsen (guitar, vocals),Jon Larsen (drums),Rob Caggiano (guitars) and Kaspar Boye Larsen (bass),took its signature heavy metal, psychobilly and punk 'n' roll sound up a notch while showcasing Poulsen's keen ability for songwriting and storytelling. "Rarely has such a successful band sounded so ravenous," says Kerrang! magazine of the album.
"Servant Of The Mind" was written and recorded during the shutdown and quarantine necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The LP includes the "double barrel" of summer songs the band released in June 2021: "Wait A Minute My Girl" and "Dagen Før" (featuring Stine Bramsen),the former of which became the band's ninth number one single on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
For "Servant Of The Mind", the band took its signature heavy metal, psychobilly and punk 'n' roll sound up a notch while showcasing Poulsen's keen ability for songwriting and storytelling.
"I wrote the whole album in three months," recalled Poulsen, "I was in a good place and mood while at home, and had a captive audience of myself… There are a lot of VOLBEAT signatures in it. If you go back to the first record and compare it to where we are now, you can hear how the band has developed its style, while keeping the signature sound."
Previously released single "Shotgun Blues" is an anthemic track in which Poulsen explores the ghostly events he recently experienced upon moving into a new home. Other songs on the album weave intricate and fascinating tales. "The Sacred Stones" tells the story of "an earthly being who has committed himself to the dark side. He is on a mission, speaking to darker forces and fallen angels." Meanwhile, "The Devil Rages On" looks at the idea of the devil taking human form. Album opener "Temple Of Ekur" returns to the ancient themes explored in past songs such as "The Gates Of Babylon", while the epic album closer "Lasse's Birgita" explores the story of the first witch burnings to occur in Sweden in 1471.
DEF LEPPARD has released the thirteenth in a series of behind-the-scenes episodes from "The Stadium Tour", which kicked off on June 16 in Atlanta, Georgia and concluded on September 9 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Episode 13 takes you backstage with the members of DEF LEPPARD in Seattle, Vancouver and Edmonton.
The veteran British rockers co-headlined "The Stadium Tour" with MÖTLEY CRÜE, with support from POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS.
DEF LEPPARD's set on the tour included some of the band's biggest hits, such as "Pour Some Sugar On Me", "Photograph" and "Rock Of Ages" — as well as songs from the group's latest album, "Diamond Star Halos", among them "Kick" and "Fire It Up".
DEF LEPPARD's long-delayed North American trek was originally planned for 2020 and later moved to 2021 and then to 2022.
"The Stadium Tour" marked the CRÜE's first live dates since wrapping its 2014/2015 farewell tour. CRÜE toured with POISON back in 2011 and DEF LEPPARD teamed up with POISON for a string of road dates in 2017, but this jaunt was the first time all four acts had hit the road together for an extended tour.
In May 2021, DEF LEPPARD drummer Rick Allen told "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that promoters "made the right decision" by postponing "The Stadium Tour" for a second time. "I think the primary focus has gotta be people's health and well-being," he said. "So I understand why they made that decision. I think if we had gone out [in 2021], it may have been a bit more of a patchwork of a tour as opposed to being able to play the whole thing from start to finish. So, it's a bummer, but here we are."
Allen went on to say that he and his DEF LEPPARD bandmates were disappointed that they wouldn't be able to perform live again in the U.S. until 2022. "We're really bummed, 'cause, obviously, we wanted to get out there," he said. "It's been a long time. And I know — our fans are so loyal. It's incredible. The fact that we got the largest vote for the [Rock And Roll] Hall Of Fame — the fan vote. So our fans are just particularly special; I mean, they've always been a rock. So I feel for them. And I feel for us. But I just want people to come out and be safe."
SKID ROW has released the official music video for its latest single, "Time Bomb", taken from the band's upcoming album "The Gang's All Here". The clip was helmed by director Dale "Rage" Resteghini (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, GUNS N' ROSES) whom SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan sought out to realize his artistic vision for the song about humanity's continuing struggles with self-indulgence and monotony.
Rachel said: "Co-directing the video with Dale was a great learning experience. His energy is infectious, and his knowledge is vast. It was something I had never done before and probably wouldn't have if it weren't for [SKID ROW guitarist] Scotti Hill saying, 'You should direct our next video.' It was a lot like writing a song, but the characters are real. It was all about making my vision come to life."
Rage, known for his ability to get extremely visceral performances and coming up with eye catching visuals, collaborated with Rachel while using the film world's latest breakthrough in cinematography, the brand-new Arri Alexa 35 and handcrafted MasterBuilt Classic Lenses helping create the stellar look for "Time Bomb".
Regarding the lyrical inspiration for "Time Bomb", Rachel said: "What would it be like to be in that position? Just be completely going about life, your normal everyday thing, but you're thiiiiis close to just completely losing your shit?"
"The Gang's All Here" will arrive on October 14 via earMUSIC. The group recorded most of the LP in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, STONE SOUR, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE, RUSH and ALICE IN CHAINS, among many others.
"The Gang's All Here" track listing:
01. Hell Or High Water
02. The Gang's All Here
03. Not Dead Yet
04. Time Bomb
05. Resurrected
06. Nowhere Fast
07. When The Lights Come On
08. Tear It Down
09. October's Song
10. World's On Fire
Swedish singer Erik Grönwall joined SKID ROW in January as the replacement for ZP Theart, who had been in the group for more than six years. Theart played his final gig with SKID ROW in February before being officially given the boot.
Grönwall was a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T. with whom he recorded four studio albums — "Address The Nation" (2012),"Tearing Down The Walls" (2014),"Into The Great Unknown" (2017) and "H.E.A.T II" (2020) — before exiting the group in October 2020.
Grönwall was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021. Six months later, he announced that he was cancer free after receiving a bone marrow transplant in August. "Some anonymous wonderful human being somewhere in the world donated his/her blood cells so that I could get a second chance at life," he told Headbangers Lifestyle in January. "Sometimes I can just get tears in my eyes when I think about it. It's so beautiful that one person who is not connected to me in any way wanted to do that for me. He/she doesn't know that the blood cells were for me. It's completely anonymous."
In September 2021, Grönwall released his cover version of "18 And Life" via all streaming platforms.
In 2018, Grönwall debuted in the U.S. for 10 million viewers in NBC's live broadcast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's and Tim Rice's musical "Jesus Christ Superstar". Along with John Legend, Alice Cooper, Sara Bareilles and others, Erik played the key role of Simon Zealotes.
Bolan recently told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about Grönwall's addition to the band: "Just the way he does things and his work ethic is one I've never seen other than the four of us that are already in the band. He just doesn't stop until he gets things absolutely right. Whether it's his version, what he thinks is right, or what we think is right, he works hard — he works hard. And you can see why he had the success he did overseas because he's a really, really hard-working singer that takes care of his instrument and that takes pride in his craft."
Rachel also reflected on SKID ROW's first live performance with Grönwall, saying: "Honestly, dude, from the minute he opened his mouth… His timing is impeccable. We knew it was gonna be cool. And each show has gotten even better, 'cause we're learning each other's rhythm on stage. When I walked away from that show, I said to Erik, I go, 'This was show one. I cannot wait for show one hundred. It's gonna be amazing.'"
Bolan previously talked about how Erik came to join SKID ROW during an appearance on an episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation L.A. Invasion", recorded just hours before SKID ROW's first performance with the Swedish singer. "We toured together. H.E.A.T. was on tour with SKID ROW. What year was that? '18? And we'd hear him every night from the dressing room," he said. "And a couple of times, I was, like, 'Man, listen to this guy sing. He's phenomenal.' And then, I forget who told me, someone that was with us, 'Yeah, he won 'Idol' in Sweden.' And I was, like, 'Man, he's got pipes.' And I was listening. Then I went behind the monitor board a couple of times. And in my head, I'm, like, 'Wow! When SKID ROW has some downtime, I'm gonna get in touch with this dude and start a side project with him.' And obviously, that never happened. But as time went on and we got to the point to where we were with ZP and stuff, Erik was our first… I told Snake, I go, 'We've gotta check this guy out.' And along with Snake and the rest of the guys, and Nick, our producer, Nick Raskulinecz, were, like, 'He's the guy, man. Send him some songs.' So we sent him some songs that we were recording, just with a guide vocal on it, and it came back about 24 hours later, and we were, like, 'All right. He's the guy. Get him on a plane. Let's do this.'"
DISTURBED played its new single, "Unstoppable", live for the first time Saturday night (September 24) at the Riff Fest at Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.
"Unstoppable" will appear on DISTURBED's eighth full-length album, "Divisive", which will arrive on November 18 via Reprise.
About "Divisive", DISTURBED singer David Draiman noted: "Partisan tribal warfare has become a part of our regular existence nowadays. It's one big battle of the cliques. The whole idea of the record is to be a wakeup call for everyone. Our society has become addicted to outrage. Music is the best cure for what ails us though. If only everyone reached out and used it. There's no better environment to forget about all of this shit than live music. We can be together and realize we have more in common than not. Recognize what's happening and let's make a change for the better."
Guitarist Dan Donegan added: "Whatever it takes, we've got to pull it together. We've always tried to take negative topics and spin them in a positive light. From touring around the world, we've seen the power of music as the universal language to bring everyone together from all walks of life. We can still play songs to unite people, and it's a pretty powerful feeling."
"Unstoppable" storms out of the gate on a jackhammer guitar riff, pummeling drums, and the band's signature staccato vocal phrasing in lockstep with a pulsating rhythm. This barrage crashes into a skyscraping stadium-ready refrain, "There's no escape. I am unstoppable." The accompanying lyric video seamlessly translates this frenetic anthem into fiery on-screen action befitting of the track's uncontainable momentum.
Draiman elaborated: "'Unstoppable' is definitely one of the heavier tracks on the record. The groove builds into a bombastic animal. It's truly the fight song."
"We always have a big rock anthem on every album," Donegan commented. "We love to write empowering songs for motivation. We're avid sports fans, and that's definitely part of it. It's an in-your-face track, for sure."
"Divisive" pulls no punches as a precise, pummeling, and powerful hard rock opus. Over the last year, the quartet cut these ten tracks with producer Drew Fulk (MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, LIL PEEP, HIGHLY SUSPECT) in Nashville, Tennessee. After Donegan shared initial ideas with the rest of the group, they locked in like never before with the groove as the backbone. Drummer Mike Wengren bolted down some of the strongest and boldest rhythms of their career punctuated by John Moyer's punchy bass. Together, the musicians collectively conjured the focus and fire of their seminal early output augmented by airtight songcraft and a heightened level of musical chemistry that could only be forged by years of writing and touring together.
As a result, "Divisive" finds DISTURBED at their most dynamic, defiant, and dangerous. Breaking ground, it also notably marks the first time the band included a guest feature on an album, boasting the epic emotionally charged duet "Don't Tell Me" with HEART's Ann Wilson. Meanwhile, the likes of "Bad Man" and "Divisive" rank amongst the band's heaviest material. At the same time, they infuse the likes of "Won't Back Down" with uplifting melodies.
DISTURBED initially set the stage for the record with "Hey You", which came out in July. The song spread like wildfire across airwaves, emerging as their 15th No. 1 single at rock radio. At the same time, it has already gathered 10 million-plus streams and counting, only increasing anticipation for "Divisive".
The DISTURBED members subconsciously rallied around a shared vision for what would become "Divisive". After a period of dormancy in the midst of the global pandemic, the group finally congregated in early 2022. Dealing with the same frustrations for nearly two years, the guys followed a collective muse without question.
"We wanted to get heavy again," exclaimed Dan. "We'll always be melodic, but there's more attitude now. We're showcasing David's animalistic side again. It touches on our early days with modern elements."
David added: "After 25 years, we've begun to anticipate each other's direction. We were all hankering to get back to chunky goodness," he laughed.
In order to do so, the band tapped Fulk as producer. With members based around the country, they chose Nashville to record, cutting ten tracks in spring 2022.
"Once we finally did get in a room together, it felt so good," Dan recalled. "It was nice to get the ball rolling and have that outlet in the studio again. Throughout our lives, music has been our therapy — as it is for most people."
Fittingly, the group kicked off this phase with the opener "Hey You". Powered by menacing electronics, a bone-crushing riff, and undeniable chorus, it marked their 15th No. 1 hit at radio, completing their quickest rise to the top and setting the tone for what was to come.
"It's the quintessential rallying cry," noted David. "It's like, 'Hey you, do you realize what you're doing? Do you see you're your own worst enemy? How are we making mountains out of mole hills everywhere we go and looking for enemies where there are none?' It was the perfect way to start."
Then, there's "Bad Man". Ominous string orchestration echoes around a jagged riff as the verses snake into an incisively infectious chant. Pressing down on the whammy pedal, Dan rips a screeching cinematic guitar lead rife with razor-sharp shredding.
"From a lyrical perspective, says David. "There's no shortage of evil maniacs on the planet who take advantage of their positions of power and have unchecked narcissism and egomania that fuels their decisions though. There was damn sure plenty of inspiration in current world events."
On "Don't Tell Me", DISTURBED joins forces with none other than Wilson for an epic duet. In two decades, it breaks ground as the first-ever guest collaboration on a DISTURBED record. Clean guitar soundtracks the story of a long-term relationship in the middle of its last gasp. David and Ann engage in a call-and-response before locking into a skyscraping harmony as the solo reaches for the heavens.
"It was very personal to me," admitted Dan. "I was going through my divorce, and I wanted to touch on the fact I was in a very long marriage to a wonderful woman. She's a great mother to my kids. We were together for 18 years. Even though the marriage was in a tough spot, it was hard to leg go, because we'd invested so much into each other. I felt like listeners could relate to it."
"In my humble opinion, I think Ann is probably the greatest female rock voice of all time," David stated. "She's untouchable. We had connected on Twitter, and I sent her the song. She agreed to jump on it, and it was humbling to work with her. She was totally pro. Her vocals are mind-blowing. It was a gift. Out of ten tracks, we needed to take at least one left turn," he smiled.
The album reaches its cathartic conclusion with a final knockout blow on "Won't Back Down". As the guitars toss and turn, the chorus assures, "I won't back down from this fight."
They've never backed down though. Instead, DISTURBED has dominated hard rock on its own terms. Thus far, they have notched five consecutive No. 1 debuts on the Billboard 200, occupying rarified air alongside METALLICA — the only other hard rock group to accomplish this feat. Since their influential five-times-platinum debut "The Sickness" in 2000, they have built a bulletproof catalog highlighted by a procession of smashes, including the platinum "Stupify", "Inside The Fire" and "Land Of Confusion", two-times-platinum "Stricken", six-times-platinum "Down With The Sickness" and seven-times-platinum "The Sound Of Silence", to name a few. The latter notably received a Grammy Award nomination in the category of "Best Rock Performance" as the band earned "Best Rock Artist" at the 2017 iHeartRadioMusic Awards.
In the end, DISTURBED still wields the power to unite.
"We have a lot left in us," concluded Dan. "I know for certain I'm not done. We're always going to need an outlet for our personal sanity. I feel inspired every time we do a record. We bring the best out of one another. I'm just excited for what the future holds."
David left off: "When audiences hear the album, I hope the reaction is, 'After the last three years, this is exactly what I wanted to get out the frustration, anger, and addiction to outrage'. There are better ways. I hope you use it as an outlet and a means of exorcising the demons once again."
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