German rockers Kissin' Dynamite performed on the Harder Stage at the 2022 edition of Germany's Wacken Open Air festival. Professionally-filmed footage of the band performing "You're Not Alone" can be viewed below:
After charting on #2 on the German album charts with their seventh studio album, Not The End Of The Road, in January, Kissin’ Dynamite will finally embark to a German tour to celebrate their new album the way it was meant to be experienced – presented live on stage.
In conjunction with this announcement, the five-piece have released a new single taken from Not The End Of The Road, entitled “Only The Dead” – a smashing hymn luring with the addictive vocal textures of singer Hannes Braun accenting their high-voltage stadium rock sound. The song gets you in the perfect mood for big stages and chanting crowds. With “Only The Dead”, the band picks up where they left off at the #3 spot on the German Rock Radio Airplay Charts, achieved with their previous single “Not The End Of The Road”, which stayed in the top 10 for weeks.
Kissin’ Dynamite on the single: "'Only The Dead can be free from sorrow' is a sarcastic truth: No matter how much you care about your mental health, in the end we're only humans and literally can´t beat off ANY shit that comes our way. So the message to the people is quite simple: Don't take everything so seriously all the time and don't let it get too close to you. Just grin (like skeletons do) and you'll feel better, no matter what is bothering you. Life is too short to be anxious and worried all the time. Start giving a shit!"
January
5 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
6 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
7 - Cologne, Germany - Live Music Hall
Founded in 2007, German heavy metal formation Kissin' Dynamite have made more than just a name for themselves in the scene: With six studio albums and various chart entries, the band established their trademark style - characterized by modern sound, massive anthems and catchy hooks paired with an 80s stadium rock attitude and eccentric look. Now, the five piece is ready to release their Napalm Records debut, Not The End Of The Road, and usher in heavy metal in 2022.
The new studio album was produced, recorded and mixed by vocalist Hannes Braun (Südland Music) himself, who has also worked with bands like Santiano, The Kelly Family and Beyond The Black. Mastering was completed by Grammy Award winning producer Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios, known for his work with bands like Volbeat and many more.
Ande Braun on the new album: "Not The End Of The Road is an album, which accurately describes our experiences as a band since Ecstasy 2018. First and foremost, we highlight with songs like “Not The End Of The Road”, “What Goes Up”, “Yoko Ono” and “Only The Dead”: We're up for it, we're pulling together and we want to reach the rock Olympus! Titles like “Coming Home”, “Gone For Good” and “Scars”, on the other hand, deal with real feelings like loneliness, homesickness and sadness, which are also part of life."
Hannes Braun adds: "With Ecstasy we already didn't make any compromises and just wanted to compose music that speaks from us. Not The End Of The Road seamlessly picks up exactly here."
With Not The End Of The Road, Kissin' Dynamite set another milestone in their successful discography: In guitar-driven power metal fashion, the tune of the intro and title track “Not The End Of The Road” prepares the listener for a thrilling road trip and new anthems straight from the heart of the Kissin' Dynamite universe. Crusher “What Goes Up” takes its listener into the truly spectacular soundscapes that make stadiums shake and convinces with Aerosmith-like guitar attacks and an anthemic hook. But Kissin' Dynamite are also not afraid to show their mellower side, as heard on delightfully tranquil tracks like “Good Life” and “Gone For Good” - not only showcasing the almost calm touches pervading the melodies, but also presenting the softer side of Braun’s vocal repertoire. While tracks like “No One Dies A Virgin” and “Yoko Ono” symbolize catchy party hymns, standouts “Coming Home” and “Defeat It” underline their origins of stadium rock without being pigeonholed. “Voodoo Spell” manifests the variety of the band and their different influences - starting with strong dark rock elements, the song becomes an opus that easily competes with the biggest stadium giants. The album’s closer, “Scars”, proves once again that Kissin' Dynamite can reach the depths and showcase lyrical vulnerability - an impressive ending that screams to be played live.
"Not The End Of The Road"
"What Goes Up"
"Only The Dead"
"Good Life"
"Yoko Ono"
"Coming Home"
"All For A Halleluja"
"No One Dies A Virgin"
"Gone For Good"
"Defeat It"
"Voodoo Spell"
"Scars"
“Coming Home” video:
“Yoko Ono” video:
"Good Life" video:
“What Goes Up” video:
"Not The End Of The Road" video:
Lineup:
Hannes Braun - vocals
Ande Braun - guitar
Jim Müller - guitar
Steffen Haile - bass
Sebastian Berg - drums
ALICE IN CHAINS kicked off its North American tour with BREAKING BENJAMIN and BUSH last night (Wednesday, August 10) at The Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania. It marked ALICE IN CHAINS' first live performance in front of an audience since a September 2019 concert in Seattle.
After the show, ALICE IN CHAINS bassist Mike Inez shared a couple of Instagram photos taken at the gig, and he included the following message: "Awesome first show after 3 years. Felt good to make some noise. Thanks Pittsburgh and all at Star lake Amphitheater tonite."
ALICE IN CHAINS' setlist was as follows:
01. Again
02. Check My Brain
03. Grind
04. Them Bones
05. Dam That River
06. Hollow
07. Angry Chair
08. Man In The Box
09. Rainier Fog
10. No Excuses
11. The One You Know
12. Down In A Hole
13. Your Decision
14. Would?
15. Rooster
Last month, ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell told FaceCulture about the band's musical impact over the course of its three-and-a-half-decade career: "I guess the thing that means the most is I took that trip with my brothers and we all banded together and we found each other somehow and we were supposed to find each other and we have a sound that is unlike anybody else. And that's the whole point — trying to create some sort of a sound that's uniquely yours. And I was able to find that with my family there, with Layne [Staley, vocals] and Mike [Starr, bass] and Sean [Kinney, drums]. And throughout the years of changes and things that life throws at you, we've continued on and continued to navigate all of those changes and continued to grow — up to the last record [2018's 'Rainier Fog']. I think that record's kickass. [Laughs] I think we're still creating at a top level. Inez [bass] and William [DuVall, vocals] coming into the band, it's all good.
"I guess the main thing, probably, is that it still means something to people. We play some of those songs in [my solo] set as well, and it's always exciting and trippy, man, to see people react when you start playing those songs. They're not just yours anymore; they're everybody's. And I don't mean that in just some generic way. They have just as much ownership in it as I do. So it's pretty cool to share those moments."
In an April 2022 interview with Ireland's Overdrive, DuVall was asked about a possible follow-up to ALICE IN CHAINS' "Rainier Fog" album, which came out in August 2018. He said: "Right now we're just coming out of the lockdowns, and we've all been busy doing our own thing. Jerry is out on tour at the moment for his solo album, and I'm doing my thing. We have plans for some live shows in September/October, and I'm sure that will blow off the cobwebs and we'll start looking at some new ideas for the next ALICE IN CHAINS album.
"We had a lot of time imposed on us and I think we're going through this period of catching up on things that we had planned for 2020 [and] 2021, and we're all finally getting to do that now. So, it's kind of like a stopgap and we're just dealing with all of these stockpiled projects that we had planned a few years back. So once we get back up to speed with things and we get these dates underway in late summer, I'm sure it will spark a whole bunch of ideas for the next ALICE IN CHAINS studio album."
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mike Inez (@mike_inez_official)
Fan-filmed video of EXODUS's entire August 6 concert at Razzmatazz in Barcelona, Spain can be seen below.
The band's setlist was as follows:
01. The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)
02. A Lesson In Violence
03. Blood In, Blood Out
04. The Years Of Death And Dying
05. Deathamphetamine
06. Blacklist
07. Piranha
08. Prescribing Horror
09. Bonded By Blood
10. The Toxic Waltz
11. Strike Of The Beast
In June, it was announced that EXODUS guitarist Lee Altus would be unable to join his bandmates on their European tour this summer due to "family concerns." Filling in for him is Brandon Ellis of THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER.
EXODUS singer Steve "Zetro" Souza touched upon Altus's absence from the trek in a video update on his Zetro's Toxic Vault YouTube channel. He said: "Our guitar player Lee Altus won't be making this leg of the tour. It's gonna be Brandon from THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER. He's going to be filling in on guitar. For Lee, there's some family issues that Lee needs to take care of for himself, so he's going to be staying back [home]. He isn't going anywhere. Sometimes these things happen. Family things happen. You can't always put [the band] first."
Souza went on to say that he and his EXODUS bandmates are "looking forward to playing with Brandon."
"We knew that [Brandon] would nail it, and it's kind of been something that has been in the works for a little while so he's actually had time to learn the music and really get into it," the vocalist explained. "So it's gonna be really good.
"We're not gonna cancel. We're gonna keep going. It's gonna be EXODUS.
"For everybody in Europe, you are going to get an awesome EXODUS show," Souza added. "That's all I can say. It's gonna be heavy."
When Altus's absence was first announced on June 22, EXODUS released a statement via social media in which the band said: "EXODUS regretfully announce that Lee Altus will not be joining us on our upcoming European tour. Family concerns dictate he remain close to home and being so far away from home is not possible. EXODUS stand strong with Lee and will destroy in his behalf, and he will rejoin us for the upcoming tours such as the fall leg of 'The Bay Strikes Back'. We stand behind our brother in everything and he will be back! Joining us on this trek is none other than Brandon Ellis of THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER so let’s welcome him like one of the EXODUS family! Brandon is one of the sickest guitarists alive and he is going to kill it for certain! See you soon in Europe and the UK!"
Brandon added: "I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to get on stage with the legendary dudes of EXODUS and crush some open air fests and clubs this July and August. I wish Lee the best and will cover his stage right post with honor and respect!"
EXODUS is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Persona Non Grata", which came out last November via Nuclear Blast Records.
"Persona Non Grata" was recorded at a studio in Lake Almanor, California and was engineered by Steve Lagudi and EXODUS. It was produced by EXODUS and was mixed by Andy Sneap. For the third time in the band's history, they returned to Swedish artist Pär Olofsson to create the album artwork.
"Persona Non Grata" is the follow-up to 2014's "Blood In Blood Out", which was the San Francisco Bay Area thrashers' first release since the departure of the group's lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Steve "Zetro" Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.
In July 2021, EXODUS drummer Tom Hunting underwent a successful total gastrectomy in his battle with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the stomach. He rejoined his bandmates on stage in October at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California.
EXODUS tapped John Tempesta to play drums for the band at Psycho Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada in August and at Full Terror Assault in Cave In Rock, Illinois in September while Hunting was recovering from surgery. Tempesta was a member of EXODUS from 1989 until 1993 and played on the band's albums "Impact Is Imminent" (1990) and "Force Of Habit" (1992).
A GoFundMe campaign to help Hunting with medical expenses had previously raised more than $114,000 — including $5,000 from Tom's former EXODUS bandmate, current METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett, and $1,500 from FOZZY singer and wrestling superstar Chris Jericho.
RUSH legends Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson reunited on stage last night (Wednesday, August 10) to perform the band's classic song "Closer To The Heart".
The reunion took place at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver as part of a celebration marking the 25th anniversary of animated comedy show "South Park". Lee and Lifeson were joined for the performance by their longtime friends PRIMUS, as well as "South Park" show creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
"South Park: The 25th Anniversary Concert" will air Saturday, August 13 on Comedy Central, and a day later on Paramount+.
Stone is a huge fan of RUSH, having told the Ottawa Citizen in 2012, "RUSH was the first band I ever loved."
According to Variety, there have been multiple RUSH references in "South Park" over the years, including in 2011's "Royal Pudding" episode when was RUSH is tapped to perform at a vigil after the princess of Canada was abducted before her wedding. The group is shown on stage playing a mock version of Elton John's "Candle In The Wind", sung as "Flower Breaking Wind", which results in Lifeson and some members of the audience committing suicide. The band also featured "South Park" characters in a video they showed live before they played "Tom Sawyer" during their last few tours. In 1999, Lee and Lifeson teamed up with Parker and Stone to record a rocking version of "O' Canada" for the film "South Park: Bigger, Longer And Uncut".
This past April, Lifeson said that it was "difficult to accept" that he would never play with RUSH again after the completion of the "R40" tour, which commemorated the 40th anniversary of drummer Neil Peart joining the band.
Peart died in January 2020 after a three-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was 67 years old.
Lifeson reflected on RUSH's final tour, which concluded on August 1, 2015 at the Forum in Los Angeles, during a June 2021 appearance on SiriuxXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". Peart indicated at the time that he wanted to retire while he was still able to play well, along with a desire to spend more time at home with his young daughter.
"We were in our early 60s when that tour ended," Alex said. "After the number of dates that we did do, which was about half of what we would normally do, we were all starting to feel the fatigue, as you normally would. And had it been a normal tour, we have gone out for probably another month and then taken a month off, or maybe a couple of months off, and then picked it up for another three or four months.
"I think personally, and I think the same for Ged [RUSH bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee], we were really excited about the show, the presentation of the show, the whole concept of going back through our history," he continued. "I thought we were all playing really, really well, and I probably could have continued to do another 30 shows, and I think Geddy felt the same way. But it was becoming really difficult for Neil to play at that level, and unless he could play a hundred percent at that level, he really didn't wanna do any more shows, and he didn't wanna be that person that should have taken it. And it was hard for him — a three-hour show playing the way he played. It's a miracle that he was even able to play. And he had some issues through that tour — he had an infection on his feet and he could barely walk, never mind playing the bass drum the way he did. And he never complained or anything like that. So, it was time. And in retrospect, it couldn't have been better, because we were playing great, and we finished on such a high note. The fans were so happy — I mean, with the performance. All things were right. That was the great way to ensure our legacy and be remembered for those guys, for being that band that played that way. I honestly would hate to be working now, for example, and not being able to play a song because my fingers are just killing me and not playing as well and making all these mistakes. I made enough mistakes — way too many. So, all in all, it really turned out to be the opportune time for us to end a long career. Not a lot of bands lasted 40 years of that regular touring and many, many, many albums and all of that stuff."
RUSH waited three days to announce Peart's passing, setting off shockwaves and an outpouring of grief from fans and musicians all over the world.
Peart joined RUSH in 1974. He was considered one of the best rock drummers of all time, alongside John Bonham of LED ZEPPELIN; Keith Moon of THE WHO; and Ginger Baker of CREAM. Peart was also RUSH's primary lyricist, drawing inspiration from everything from sci-fi to Ayn Rand.
Finnish five-piece, Sonata Arctica, have released a lyric video for "I Have A Right", featured on the band's upcoming release, Acoustic Adventures - Volume Two. Watch the clip below.
Sonata Arctica need no introduction: besides significantly influencing the power/melodic metal scene, they're a band that's not only famous for consistently delivering studio albums of high quality but also for experimenting and breaking out of their musical comfort zone. Foremost resulting in some aptly called Acoustic Adventures touring cycles, but also in the release of Volume One of their very first acoustic album which saw the light of day in early 2022.
Sonata Arctica recently announce that the continuation and second chapter of the aforementioned record is set to be unleashed on the world on September 30 via Atomic Fire - to complete this special saga and to finally celebrate the kick-off of their next, multiply postponed Acoustic Adventures trip in order to lift up the Corona-shaken Finnish and European mainland minds.
Like the first part, the new offering was recorded and produced by Mikko Tegelman alongside the band at Studio57, Finland while the cover artwork was designed by Janne Pitkänen.
"I Have A Right"
"Black Sheep"
"Half A Marathon Man"
"Broken"
"Letter To Dana"
"FullMoon"
"Shamandalie"
"San Sebastian"
"Gravenimage"
"Flag In The Ground"
"My Land"
"Victoria's Secret"
"I Have A Right" lyric video:
For all Sonata Arctica tour dates, ticket links, and further information, head here.
Sonata Arctica are:
Tony Kakko - vocals & keyboards
Elias Viljanen - guitars
Pasi Kauppinen - bass
Henrik "Henkka" Klingenberg - keyboards
Tommy Portimo - drums
Following the release of their highly successful and critically acclaimed album Hate Über Alles, metal titans Kreator are proud to share a new live video of their 1989 classic, "Betrayer", which was recorded at Bloodstock Festival 2021 and features none other than Dani Filth (Cradle Of Filth) on guest vocals.
The song is featured on the limited 2LP Live At Bloodstock 2021, a monumental live recording of Kreator's breathtaking headline performance at one of the UKs most renowned metal festivals, which is being released today (August 12th).
The vinyl run is limited to 2,000 units world-wide, split into 4 colours.
Tracklist:
Side A
"The Patriarch"
"Violent Revolution"
"Extreme Aggression"
"Phobia"
Side B
"Satan Is Real"
"Hordes Of Chaos"
"Hail To The Hordes"
"666 World Divided"
Side C
"Awakening Of The Gods"
"Enemy Of God"
"Mars Mantra"
"Phantom Antichrist"
"Fallen Brother"
Side D
"Flag Of Hate"
"Betrayer"
"Pleasure To Kill"
"Apocalypticon"
Frontiers Music Srl present the sophomore release from Sweden's Fans Of The Dark, Suburbia, on September 16. These Swedish upstarts are coming off a well-received debut album, which saw them seamlessly melding melodic rock with their '80s hard rock and metal influences. Suburbia sees them further perfecting that most agreeable formula with stunning results.
Listen to the single "Fans Of The Dark" below, and pre-order/save Suburbia here.
Suburbia is a sequel of sorts to the band's self-titled debut, following similar themes, both musically and lyrically and even with the theme of the artwork, while seeing the band continuing to evolve. Drummer Freddie Allen's vision for the band is to do as the great hard rock and metal bands of the '70s and '80s did, which was to constantly work on their craft and release new music with regularity. In keeping with that vision, the band set to work on their second album quickly after the release of their self-titled debut. Suburbia follows more or less exactly one year after said debut, which was released in the fall of 2021.
"It is pretty much a sibling to the first album, with similar themes and ideas, only this time going deeper into the world where most of us grew up, and where we first got in touch with hard rock music, horror films on VHS, 80's teen culture, and all else that shaped us - the suburbs," says Freddie Allen, main songwriter and founder of the band, of Suburbia.
For this new album, Allen and vocalist Alex Falk are once again joined by guitarist Oscar Bromvall and new bassist Rickard Gramfors. The album spans eight tracks (another reference back to those glory days of the '70s and '80s), including two epic songs, "The Pirates Of Maine" and "Restless Soul", around the eight minute mark. Fans of the band's debut will be enthralled with the band's second offering. Melodic hard rock fans looking for genre innovation and a break from 'the norm' will certainly be wise to check out this striking breath of fresh air in the scene.
Suburbia was produced and mixed by multi-talented musician and producer Lars Fredrik Swahn (Dungen, The Amazing) and co-produced by Allen.
Fans of the Dark, is an exciting new band formed in the summer of 2020 by Freddie Allen, drummer and main songwriter, and lead vocalist Alex Falk. The pair went to high school together in Stockholm and after a few years reconnected recently with a vision to create a band which would mix the melodies and approach of classic and melodic rock with elements of the great metal music of the '80s. Their musical output over the course of their first two albums is one of the most exciting things you'll hear emerging from the fruitful melodic rock in Sweden, showcasing a tight, inventive musical approach with outstanding vocals.
Suburbia tracklisting:
"Night Of The Living Dead"
"The Pirates Of Maine"
"Fantasia"
"Sick! Sick Sick!"
"Fright Night"
"Fans Of The Dark"
"The Goblin King"
"Restless Soul"
"Fans Of The Dark":
"Night Of The Living Dead" video:
Lineup:
Alex Falk - vocals
Oscar Bromvall - guitars
Rickard Gramfors - bass
Freddie Allen - drums
Voraath, from North and South Carolina USA, features members from ex-Nile (Brad Parris), Xael (Joshua Ward), Rapheumets Well, Implosive Disgorgence, and Sweet Blood. They are an otherworldly and experimental death metal band that brings together emotional yet brutal music and science fantasy appealing to both metal enthusiasts as well as those who appreciate the lore of the music.
They have their next and third stand-alone single out, entitled “Amon The Judge”, and today they present their next sci-fi lore with the music video for the track.
Drummer and the video's director Joshua Ward explains the track in further detail: "We have been crafting depth to the lore of our music. Every song we write has two meanings. We have the personal meaning and then molded into the lore. We developed this planet in which 80% of the population disappears after the arrival of three extraterrestrial beings which people revere as gods. The story focuses on a group of hunters that are contracted by EOS corporation to retrieve certain artifacts. We are 100 years into the future so a lot has changed and corporations have taken over. While preparing for the next mission, the hunters of Harrow’s Gorge entrusted Edgar, a village elder, to keep the village safe by keeping the retrieved relic hidden. Betraying his oath, Edgar informed the militant Ostromek Corp of the relics' location for status and financial gain. The soldiers of Ostromek Corp ravaged the village, murdering and plundering its resources. The song 'Amon the Judge' follows the hunters' return, their trauma of loss, the brutal reprisal upon the remaining soldiers, and the final judgment of Edgar. This song explored the mental complexity of trauma and under what circumstances do good people commit vicious acts."
Voraath began as a vessel for the quintet to continue touring and writing. They wanted to explore even further integrating science fantasy, soundscapes, and metal. They hope that the first three tracks tantalize audiences and leave them anticipating their debut album, which is currently in the works.
Looking to hit the stage, they promise an onslaught of theatrics, bringing the story of the music to life. Atmospheric and driving, the medley of blast beats, chugging bass, and heavily distorted solos will be both intense and immersive. Voraath is recommended for fans of Septicflesh, Cattle Decapitation, and Fleshgod Apocalypse.
Professionally filmed video of VENOM performing its classic song "Black Metal" on August 5 at this year's Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany can be seen below.
VENOM frontman Conrad "Cronos" Lant recently confirmed that the band is putting the finishing touches on a new studio album. Speaking at last weekend's Wacken Open Air, he said: "We had a bit of a hassle because of the pandemic; we couldn't meet in the studio and all that sort of shit. So that knocked everything all to hell. If that hadn't happened, the album would be out by now. But we're just doing the fine tuning, really, and working on individual shows for now.
"VENOM have never been a big touring type of band," he explained. "We like to just pop up and blow the place to hell."
VENOM formed in 1979 in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the new wave of British heavy metal, VENOM's first two albums — "Welcome To Hell" (1981) and "Black Metal" (1982) — are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general. VENOM's second album proved influential enough that its title was used as the name of the extreme metal sub-genre of black metal. The band classic lineup trio of Cronos, Jeff "Mantas" Dunn and Anthony "Abaddon" Bray recorded two further studio albums, "At War With Satan" (1984) and "Possessed" (1985),and live album "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" (1986). Often cited by bands such as METALLICA, BEHEMOTH, CELTIC FROST and MAYHEM as major influences, they are one of the most revered bands of their generation. VENOM are still fronted by original singer/bassist Cronos and headline festivals all over the globe and continue to release new music.
In a 2018 interview with Consequence Of Sound, Cronos stated about his band's influence on subsequent extreme metal groups: "I really like to think of VENOM as a catalyst rather than inventors. Influence would probably be more like it. I've always been — from being young — a fan of what you'd call 'rock music.' From THE BEATLES to THE [ROLLING] STONES to THE WHO, through [LED] ZEPPELIN and [DEEP] PURPLE and everybody. So, I've always liked the idea of drums, guitar, this, that, and the other. My mum's brother used to play guitar in a country-western band, so I've always been around instruments and music. I've never really gotten into any of the electronic stuff when it came along in the '80s. I didn't really see how that was working for me in any way — I just like a drum kit and a guitar."
He continued: "When people used to ask back in the day, 'How do you describe VENOM?' I would say, 'It's all the best bits of the bands that I love.' So, if JUDAS PRIEST wear leather jackets, then I'm going to wear a leather jacket and a pair of leather pants! And if KISS have three flashpots on the front of the stage, I'm going to have ten! And if Ozzy Osbourne is going to sing about the devil walking down the street, then I'm going to be the devil walking down the street! It was taking all of the great things that I loved, and all the crazy frontmen, like Gene Simmons, Ian Anderson, Rob Halford, and encompassing all of these ideas into a new thing. And then, adding that dash of punk. That's why I always used to wear the big Doc Martens — that was my punk heritage.
"And just putting some aggression back into the music," Cronos added. "I mean, heavy metal has always been 'the devil's music.' They always say the devil has the best tunes, and I was bit frustrated at leaving school and being told that rock music was dead, and it had its day and everybody was finished with it. I had to absolutely disagree. So, when the New Wave of British Heavy Metal started in England — which became IRON MAIDEN, SAXON, SAMSON, and all these bands — I wanted to create something different from that. I appreciated that they were very heavily influenced by the ZEPPELINs, the PURPLEs, and the [BLACK] SABBATHs, and were trying to keep a hold of this '70s vibe. I get all of that, but I wanted something that was kind of a cross between SABBATH and MOTÖRHEAD. Something more aggressive — with a bit of SEX PISTOLS in there, to get nasty."
VENOM's 15th full-length studio album, "Storm The Gates", was released in December 2018 through Spinefarm Records.
VENOM is not to be confused with VENOM INC., the band featuring Mantas alongside ex-VENOM bassist/vocalist Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan.
Saliva are in the Top 30 at radio with their latest single, "Crows". This is the highest charting song from Saliva since 2011. In addition, the band released the official music video for the single. Watch the clip below, and stream/download the song here.
"'Crows' is about being in a relationship with a person so who is unwilling to recognize the shadow side of their personality, which ultimately leads to destruction of their relationships. We wanted to do something different for the music video. As a band we all love The Halloween season, and horror flicks. Given the title and dark subject matter of the song this was the perfect opportunity to incorporate some of that creepiness into a video. The imagery in the video represents the duality that resides within each of us. Like the makeup and colors in the video, we all have light and darkness within. Our darkness, or shadow sides are the repressed ideas, desires, weaknesses, insecurities, and short comings that we all have, but find hard to accept. The man in this video has struggled to come to terms with his own light and dark side and has now recognized he cannot continue to be dragged down by a partner who is unwilling to do the same. Ultimately It is only in recognizing our shadows that we can take away their power over us," says Bobby Amaru, vocalist of the band.''
Saliva will continue to release tracks and ultimately a full album. The new music has a contemporary feel but sticks to the blue collar roots that their fans love.
Professionally-filmed footage of Rotting Christ performing "Grandis Spiritus Diavolos" at the 2022 edition of Germany's Wacken Open Air festival, is available for streaming below.
"Grandis Spiritus Diavolos" is lifted from Rotting Christ's 2013 album, Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy.
Fan-filmed video of JUDAS PRIEST's August 7 performance at Lokerse Feesten in Lokeren, Belgium can be seen below.
The band's setlist was as follows:
01. One Shot At Glory
02. Lightning Strike
03. You've Got Another Thing Comin'
04. Freewheel Burning
05. Turbo Lover
06. Hell Patrol
07. The Sentinel
08. Victim Of Changes
09. The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown) (FLEETWOOD MAC cover)
10. Diamonds & Rust (Joan Baez cover)
11. Painkiller
Encore:
12. The Hellion / Electric Eye
13. Hell Bent For Leather
14. Breaking The Law
15. Living After Midnight
As previously reported, JUDAS PRIEST will celebrate its 50th anniversary again this year with the launch of a new North American tour. Support on the "50 Heavy Metal Years" fall 2022 trek will once again come from QUEENSRŸCHE.
JUDAS PRIEST kicked off its spring/summer 2022 European tour with an intimate concert on May 31 in Berlin, Germany. For the gig, which was held at the 1,600-capacity Huxleys Neue Welt venue, singer Rob Halford and his bandmates ditched their traditional leather-and-studs look in favor of a more stripped-down appearance.
In May, Halford told ABC Audio that PRIEST was in the process of "tracking" follow-up to 2018's "Firepower" album.
"You can never have enough songs when you're making an album," he said. "Songs that you didn't even know you had bits and pieces and fragments of, suddenly they become an incredibly important part of your record."
Regarding the musical direction of the new JUDAS PRIEST material, Rob said: "The music that we're making now is representative of where PRIEST is at this probably sixth decade of our existence when it comes out… It sounds great. I'm really pleased. I'm really, really happy that… we're not dropping the ball. Not that we ever have. But it's good, because there are some elements in there that we've never… kind of discovered before."
More than a year ago, Halford confirmed that PRIEST's next album will see the band reuniting with the "Firepower" production team consisting of Andy Sneap, longtime collaborator Tom Allom and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH).
Bassist Ian Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and guitarist Glenn Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Founding guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Richie Faulkner.
Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease eight years ago after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier. Tipton announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of "Firepower". He was replaced by Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.
This past March, Faulkner told the "Metal From The Inside" podcast about the recording process for the new PRIEST album: "It's been slowed down a lot because of, obviously, the pandemic. We wanted to get together, like we did on 'Firepower', and record it together, but, obviously, the lockdowns and everything like that slowed that process [down]. Some of us live in the U.S., some of us live in the U.K., so getting together proved to be a bit difficult over the last couple of years. Now everything is kind of opening up, it's a bit easier, but now we're on the road, so we've got a touring cycle [to get through]. So, if we can, we might be able to do it in between the touring cycles."
As for when fans can expect to get the next PRIEST album, Faulkner said: "We don't have a release date. It's not finished. We've got the songs, but we've gotta record it. We've got drums down. I don't know if that's even been said yet. So we're gonna try and build it up as we move through this touring cycle. But as Rob always says, it'll be finished when it's finished. At this point in their career, there's no point in rushing anything, especially when we've waited this long through the pandemic to start doing it. It'll be done when it's done. But there will be another PRIEST record. We've got some great songs."
Regarding the musical direction of the new PRIEST material, Richie said: "It's different to 'Firepower', but it's definitely… You can hear where it's coming from. It's not even 'Firepower 2'… It's hard to say anything these days without people getting… If I say it's like a continuation of 'Firepower', people think it's 'Firepower 2'. It's got its own character, it's got its own legs, and we're looking forward to releasing it on to the world when it's done."
In February, Halford was asked by Remy Maxwell of Audacy Check In if he agreed with Faulkner's recent comment that the band's upcoming album will be more musically "progressive" than "Firepower". He responded: "Yeah, the metal is there. But here's the thing: we've tried our best not to replicate anything that we've done. From 'Rocka Rolla' all the way through to 'Firepower', each record has had a distinctive character. And it's tough because fans go, 'We want another 'Painkiller',' 'We want another 'British Steel'.' And [it's, like], 'Dude, we've already done that.'
"Fans know that we're a band that is always full of adventure and trying new stuff," he continued. "And so, yeah, this has got probably some more progressive elements that we've never really delved into before. And that's exciting, because, again, it gives us and our fans another opportunity to see a different side of PRIEST. But it's still metal. There's just more of it. There are more notes than there were before."
That same month, Faulkner told Canada's The Metal Voice about the overall sound of the new PRIEST music: "Whenever you start a record, you never know how it's gonna turn out. So you might start with an idea of what it's gonna be, and as it kind of rolls on, it comes out something different. So you don't quite know. And also it's really hard to sum up your own music, I find, without sounding really pretentious. But I think this one — it's not 'Firepower 2', I don't think. It's its own thing, it's its own animal. If anything, I would say it's a bit more progressive in places, and in places it's got a bit more of that 'Killing Machine' swagger."
Faulkner added: "I know everyone says, 'Oh, is it the next 'Painkiller'?' or 'Is it the next…?' whatever… I don't know if they'd ever done it, but I know we've never done it when I've been in the band; we've never tried to recreate an album. It's always we try to create an album that stands on its own legs. So I think it's definitely a little bit more progressive than 'Firepower' and, as I said, in places it's got a little bit of that 'Killing Machine' angry swagger attitude going on. But again, as I said, we're waiting to see what it turns out like, 'cause it could turn out completely different."
JUDAS PRIEST will receive the Musical Excellence Award at this year's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, which will honor Eminem, Dolly Parton, DURAN DURAN, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon in the Performers category.
The induction ceremony will be held on November 5, 2022 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. It will air at a later date on HBO and stream on HBO Max. There will also be a radio simulcast on SiriusXM's Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Radio channel 310.
According to the Hall Of Fame, the JUDAS PRIEST members that will get inducted include current members Halford, Hill, Tipton and Scott Travis (drums),along with former members Downing, Les Binks (drums) and late drummer Dave Holland.
Loudness frontman Minoru Niihara recently performed with Japanese drum prodigy Yoyoka Soma. Video of Niihara and the band performing the Van Halen classic "Dreams" can be viewed below.
The clip was shot at Takutaku in Kyoto, Japan on July 18th. It features:
Inspired by the trials and tribulation that can only be found in the Kingdom of Lothric, Vancouver’s Nameless King spin trashy, melodic tales about the people and places of Dark Souls 3. Back in March, they released their debut EP Order Of The Black Flame and now a video is ready for the track “Amalgamated Kin”.
The EP is a fast, in-your-face collection of four songs that are dynamic with many tempo changes and contain elements from different subgenres including melodic death metal, thrash metal, and even hints of prog, black, and deathcore. The track tells the story of one of the bosses featured in the game - a horrific beast-like creature, Oceiros, the Consumed King. Musically, it re-enacts the dramatic and frantic fight that ensues with the player - it’s mostly pure melodic death, accented with a very black metal chorus along with a hardcore two-step feel to the solo section.
The band explains the EP in their own words:
"With this EP we really wanted to set the best first impression possible with quality production and songwriting that wouldn’t feel out of place in a playlist with staple bands of the genre. We feel that even though it’s still early in the band’s life, we’ve already managed to carve out a sound that perfectly describes our identity and what we want to get out of creating music. It’s a perfect sum of all our different influences and the direction we want the band to keep going in. The response from people so far has been far beyond what we expected, and we don’t intend to ever stop that momentum.”
So far the reception to Order Of The Black Flame has blown away Nameless King. They have new songs in the works with more of the same style of heavy riffs, along with a bit more focus on melodic and hardcore elements. They are certain that fans of the first EP will love the new material when it comes out.
The EP was produced, mixed, and mastered by Jeff Black and its artwork was done by aleh_z.
Nameless King delivers trashy melodeath with occasional breakdowns that complement the horror themes throughout. They are recommended listening for fans of At The Gates, Mors Principium Est, and The Black Dahlia Murder.
The Iranian metalcore outfit Out Of Nowhere has released their song “Dying Sun” after settling in Istanbul, Turkey. Since the premiere of their last music video, “Blind Crow”, on Knotfest’s website, the band has been going through the hardships every immigrant faces. They captured these hardships in their latest creative endeavor, “Dying Sun”.
Vocalist Amin says:
“‘Dying Sun’ is closely tied to our immigration which was one of the hardest things we’ve ever had to do. We had to leave our homes, families, jobs, and friends to pursue what we’ve worked hard for years because there was no room for progress for us in Iran. When we arrived in Turkey, we had to go through a hard process to achieve a decent standard of living which was one of the hardest times for our band. We intended to release new music sooner, but the immigration process didn’t let us do things on schedule. But thankfully, we managed to move through these issues.’”
Every immigrant will tell you how hard it is to leave everything behind and start a new life. Their new creative effort, ‘Dying Sun’ sees Out Of Nowhere transfer all the raw emotions tied to the journey they’ve been through this past year
Amin continues:
“This song is the chapter in our band’s personal diary about not letting go of our dreams in the face of adversity and working hard for the things we all believe in while also accepting the risks. I hope that Dying Sun will help anyone in a similar situation endure and keep pushing to achieve what they believe in. We chose the name ‘Dying Sun’ because we are all like suns that move closer to their end each day, but we also try to keep shining despite that.”
The Turkish scene is far superior for local artists than Iran because, unlike in Iran, artists in Turkey are permitted to perform live shows and even perform at big festivals without any unnecessary concerns like government intervention. Out Of Nowhere is currently working towards performing local shows in Turkey. Fans should expect several singles and eventually a twelve-song LP in the future.
“Dying Sun” was mixed and mastered by Joonas Vuojolahti at Cold Truth Music Studios. The music video was made by Darken Rush.
Coming off their most recent single/video “Last Drop,” Velvet Chains are sharing more new music from their second as-yet-untitled full-length album (due in October) with the hard-hitting track “Back On The Train,” out digitally August 12. The Las Vegas hard rock outfit collaborated with award-winning director Dean Karr (Ozzy Osbourne, Velvet Revolver) for the song’s hauntingly twisted music video and acclaimed artist Tim LeNoir (Guns N’ Roses, Rolling Stones) for the cover artwork.
“Back On The Train” is sonically inspired by one of the band’s primary influences, Velvet Revolver, and lyrically explores romantic desire, seduction and obsession. The track’s
heavy riffs, melodic guitars, soaring vocals and driving rhythms were captured at Monster Sound and Picture in Vegas with producers Darren Trentacoste and James Boldt and sent for mixing and mastering by Tristan Hardin (The Hideout Studio). It was written by Goldschmidt and the band’s drummer Jason Hope along with multi-platinum songwriter Drew Lawrence (Lindsey Stirling, Christina Perri).
With a refreshed lineup consisting of Nils Goldschmidt (bass), Brazilian brothers Laurent (lead guitar) and Larry (rhythm guitar) Cassiano, drummer Jason Hope and Chilean-bred lead singer Ro Viper, Velvet Chains will bring their new music to audiences at Blue Ridge Rock Fest (Alton, VA) on September 1. They also performed this past July at Rock Fest (Caddott, WI) and opened in June for Todd Kerns (Slash Feat. Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators, The Age of Electric) at Count’s Vamp’d in Vegas. Look for Velvet Chains to support Kerns again at Count’s Vamp’d on Friday, September 16 and catch them in Vegas weekly on Monday’s beginning on August 29 at The Barbershop speakeasy at The Cosmopolitan.
Whitesnake revisit its multi-platinum career as it remixes some of its biggest hits for the new collection that spotlights updated versions of classic tracks like “Still Of The Night,” “Here I Go Again,” and “Is This Love.”
Whitesnake's Greatest Hits is available now on digital and streaming services, on CD, 2LP, and fans are invited to order the collection by going here.
The band have released this remastered video for "Sweet Lady Luck":
In another clip, David Coverdale looks back on "Sweet Lady Luck":
David Coverdale had 16 tracks remixed and remastered for this collection. He explains: “We’ve definitely expanded on the original Greatest Hits, took them all out of the sonic time capsule of the ’80s and ’90s, and brought them up to date, sound-wise … as always, we have the original albums for those who consider them holy relics.”
Keyboardist Derek Sherinian, who also appeared on Whitesnake’s recent Red, White and Blues trilogy, adds Hammond organ to more than half the songs on the collection. His scorching contributions can be heard on the #1 smash “Here I Go Again,” “Fool For Your Loving,” “You’re Gonna Break My Heart Again,” and more. New performances by former Whitesnake guitarist Adrian Vandenberg can also be heard on “The Deeper The Love” and “Judgement Day” from the 1989 album, Slip Of The Tongue.
Along with those new additions, Coverdale also went back to the vault to unearth vintage performances by guitarist John Sykes that didn’t appear on the original recordings, including a solo on “Slide It In” and rhythm guitar on “Give Me All Your Love.”
Whitesnake Greatest Hits focuses extensively on three blockbuster albums the band released during the 1980s: 1984’s Slide It In (2x platinum), 1987’s Whitesnake (8x platinum), and 1989’s Slip Of The Tongue (platinum). But the collection goes deeper with songs like “Sweet Lady Luck,” a b-side on the 12” single for “The Deeper The Love,” and “Forevermore,” the title track from the band’s 2011 album.
Whitesnake have embarked upon a farewell tour with special guest, Europe. Coverdale said: “I pray every day we can all make this happen & once again, share unforgettable evenings together & celebrate the amazing journey we have been on for almost 50 years!!!”
CD/Blu-ray tracklisting:
“Still Of The Night”
“Here I Go Again”
“Is This Love”
“Give Me All Your Love”
“Love Ain’t No Stranger”
“Slide It In”
“Slow An’ Easy”
“Guilty Of Love”
“Fool For Your Loving”
“Judgment Day”
“The Deeper The Love”
“Now You’re Gone”
“You’re Gonna Break My Heart Again”
“Sweet Lady Luck”
“Crying In The Rain”
“Forevermore”
"You're Gonna Break My Heart Again" remastered video:
Miss May I have released the newest single from the upcoming Curse Of Existence album.
Miss May I vocalist Levi Benton shares "This song ‘Free Fall’ is our open invitation to anyone who wants to take that leap they never had the courage to take. When you reach the edge of a journey you have struggled to travel through and you back out before the final step, this is your chance to take that leap off the edge and see where the journey takes you. I know the popular term for this is ‘imposter syndrome’ and for anyone who has felt the relief of pushing through, this song is your anthem."
Curse Of Existence, the seventh studio album from Miss May I, explodes with the life experience of an established band, the uncertainty of mental health struggles, the isolation of the global shutdown, and the perspective gained from the most extensive time away from the road of each man’s adult life.
"Curse Of Existence is exactly what it reads, the curse we have in our existence. This doesn’t mean anything strictly negative, but it covers all existence that is the good and the bad, the highs and the lows, the sorrow and the joy. Everything that comes with life comes with a lesson and a price and that is what we have put into this new album. It tells our lessons over our lives that have shaped us and have brought us to the very bottom of our lowest low and the tallest point to our highest high. We know the reflection we all went through during the world coming to a halt and that experience brought a lot of these sheltered emotions to light!" - Levi Benton
Produced by Will Putney (A Day To Remember, The Amity Affliction, Every Time I Die), Curse Of Existence is the sound of five people prying victory from the jaws of defeat. Unbroken by isolation, fearless in the face of fear, Miss May I wrestle with demons real and imagined all over the album.
"A Smile That Does Not Exist"
"Earth Shaker"
"Bleed Together"
"Into Oblivion"
"Hollow Vessel"
"Free Fall"
"Born Destroyers"
"Unconquered"
"Savior Of Self"
"Bloodshed"
"Earth Shaker" visualizer:
Miss May I are:
Levi Benton - Vocals
B.J. Stead - Lead Guitar
Justin Aufdemkampe - Guitar
Ryan Neff - Bass/Vocals
Jerod Boyd - Drums
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