THE HALO EFFECT, the new project featuring five former members of the Swedish metal band IN FLAMES — Jesper Strömblad (guitar),Daniel Svensson (drums),Peter Iwers (bass),Niclas Engelin (guitar) and Mikael Stanne (vocals) — made its live debut earlier today (Saturday, June 11) at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.
THE HALO EFFECT will release its debut album, "Days Of The Lost", on August 12 via Nuclear Blast.
In a new interview with Australia's "Scars And Guitars" podcast, Peter and Daniel were asked if they would agree that "Days Of The Lost" is, in some ways, a "spiritual successor" to "Reroute To Remain", IN FLAMES' sixth album, which came out in 2022. Peter said: "Ooh, interesting. I haven't really thought about it. When you make music, like we do, you tend not to overthink stuff — you just go in and you write music and kind of know that what comes out will sound a certain way because of the style that we are playing and how we are playing and performing our music. So I haven't really thought about it, but maybe — maybe. It was definitely nothing intentional. We just went in. We had a bunch of ideas and we came out with a bunch of songs that happen to sound a certain way. But none of us really overthought it and it was never meant to 'it's gonna sound like this' or 'it's gonna sound like that.' We just [went], 'Let's write this music and see what happens.' And because of, like I said, how we're playing, it will sound a certain way."
Added Daniel: "A lot of people like to analyze music, and, of course, it sounds Gothenburg metal-ish because we all are from that genre and we are some of the people that kind of created it. So, of course, it will sound Gothenburg metal-ish, IN FLAMES-ish. And then which era, I don't know. And as Peter said, we don't really think about how it should sound. This is how we sound today, and with our legacy this is inevitable, that we sound as we do."
Continued Peter: "Obviously, people like to do a lot of comparing between us… It's a difficult topic to discuss because none of us have — even though we've all been in IN FLAMES at some point, none of us have really thought about this as what you're saying. But then a lot of people that we speak to say it. So it's a little hard to take in, as we've been very thorough in just writing music. But I'd say it's a little flattering to hear it."
Svensson, who joined IN FLAMES in 1998, announced in 2015 that he was leaving the group to focus on his family life.
A member of IN FLAMES since 1997, Iwers issued a statement in November 2016 saying that he was exiting the band "to pursue other endeavors."
A founding member of IN FLAMES, Strömblad quit the band in February 2010 in order to continue receiving treatment for his alcohol addiction.
Engelin has been sitting out IN FLAMES' tour dates for the past three years but has never officially confirmed his departure from the band. Engelin's replacement for IN FLAMES' live shows since then has been former MEGADETH and current ACT OF DEFIANCE guitarist Chris Broderick.
Stanne recently told the "Heavy Hops" podcast about THE HALO EFFECT's musical direction: "Niclas started writing a few songs, just based on what he has and what he kind of digs. And I immediately felt, like, 'Oh, this is super cool. We're on to something here.' It's super heavy, it's melodic — it's all those things that we kind of grew up trying to do. Then Jesper got involved and he started changing a little bit of that or adding stuff to it. And we were, like, 'Okay, this is awesome.' It doesn't feel new at all, it doesn't feel super different, but at the same time, why should we? Let's focus on the things that we know best and try to kind of recapture that feeling that we had when we were kids, when we wanted to play together and that kind of playful atmosphere. Because the longer you play together with your main band or what have you, you try to constantly reinvent yourself, and so much energy goes into trying to be different from what you have done before. Whereas starting something new like this with a very familiar genre of music meant that you could be very free about it. It doesn't have to be anything in particular, it doesn't have to conform to any rules — it just needs to fucking kick ass and feel good."
Shortly after leaving IN FLAMES, Iwers joined CYHRA, the band featuring vocalist Jake E (ex-AMARANTHE) and Strömblad. He announced his departure from that band in May 2018.
THE HALO EFFECT's first-ever tour will be as the support act for Swedish death metal giants AMON AMARTH and U.S. metallers MACHINE HEAD on 31 dates throughout Europe in the summer and fall of 2022.
IN FLAMES debuted a brand new song, "State Of Slow Decay", during its concert on Friday (June 10) at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.
This past March, IN FLAMES guitarist Björn Gelotte confirmed that the band's upcoming album was once again recorded with Grammy-nominated producer Howard Benson and Howard's longtime engineer Mike Plotnikoff.
Gelotte discussed the progress of the recording sessions for IN FLAMES' fourteenth studio album while taking part in an online video chat on "The Metal Tour Of The Year" Instagram.
"We just recorded [our new album], actually," Björn said. "We came home three days before we came [to Germany to start rehearsing for the U.K. tour]. We worked [in Los Angeles] with Howard Benson and his team. It's really, really good, and it suits us perfectly. The weather — January in Sweden is not very fun, and January in L.A., it's amazing."
Asked if Benson has his own recording studio in California, Gelotte said: "He's got a couple [of studios], actually. It's like a house where he has a few rooms, which is the studio. And that's where we do all guitars, bass and drums and all that stuff. But he's doing all the vocals at his house; he's got his own studio set up there. So [IN FLAMES singer] Anders [Fridén records his vocal tracks] there, and I'm in the house with Mike Plotnikoff, working on riffs and stuff. Yeah, it's awesome. This is the third record we [have done] with them, and it just works out really, really good for us."
IN FLAMES' follow-up to 2019's "I, The Mask" is due later in the year. The upcoming album will mark the band's recording debut with American drummer Tanner Wayne, best known for his work with UNDERMINDED, SCARY KIDS SCARING KIDS and CHIODOS. Wayne joined IN FLAMES following the departure of Joe Rickard, who played on "I, The Mask" and 2016's "Battles".
Tanner made his live debut with IN FLAMES in July 2018 in Brno, Czech Republic.
Longtime IN FLAMES drummer Daniel Svensson announced in 2015 that he was leaving the band to focus on his family life.
IN FLAMES' current lineup features American bassist Bryce Paul, who has been playing most of the shows with the group since longtime bassist Peter Iwers's November 2016 exit.
Three years ago, IN FLAMES guitarist Niclas Engelin stopped touring with the band to focus on "personal matters." Filling in for him since then has been former MEGADETH and current ACT OF DEFIANCE guitarist Chris Broderick.
In August 2020, IN FLAMES released a special 20th-anniversary edition of its seminal, critically acclaimed album "Clayman". "Clayman 20th Anniversary Edition" came entirely remastered by Ted Jensen (PANTERA, DEFTONES, GOJIRA) and featured all-new artwork in a 16-page booklet, a brand-new instrumental medley plus four re-recorded versions of fan favorites such as "Only For The Weak" and "Pinball Map".
Former HANOI ROCKS singer Michael Monroe and his guitarist Steve Conte joined Alice Cooper on stage last night (Monday, June 6) at K.B. Hallen in Copenhagen, Denmark to perform the Cooper classic "School's Out". Fan-filmed video of their appearance can be seen below.
In a 2005 interview with Hollyweird Glamour, Monroe stated about Cooper: "Well, Alice Cooper could do no wrong in my eyes...I especially dig the '70s band period. 'Love It To Death', 'Killer', 'Billion Dollar Babies' and 'Welcome To My Nightmare' are definitely some of the greatest rock and roll albums of all time. I think 'The Eyes Of Alice Cooper' is excellent. Some of his best work yet. He’s gotten back that cool rock 'n' roll sound from the early days that I love so much while still sounding fresh and new. I received a copy of the 'Dirty Diamonds' and it sounds cool too, although time hasn't allowed me to really sink my teeth in it yet."
In 2011, Monroe spoke to 2Fast2Die about how he was inspired by Cooper's music in his childhood years. "When the Alice Cooper 'Love It To Death' album arrived in our home, I saw the coolest-looking band ever with a killer attitude, who had some fantastic songs with great lyrics," he said. "They were like a street gang and the singer had such a cool and husky, wasted-sounding voice. He was the guy who parents would love to hate and were disturbed and threatened by. He was skinny and 'sick' looking, wearing eye make-up and even had a girl's name — the total opposite of the regular macho, kinda 'manly' man that most guys would aspire to be. He immediately became my hero and a huge inspiration. To this day, I've never stopped loving the way that album sounds and how Alice and the band come across in the music. It really brought something special and essential to rock 'n' roll, which I'm truly thankful for.
"God bless Alice Cooper — the rock world wouldn't be nearly as cool without him and his band, and 'Love It To Death'," he added. "Not to mention all the other fantastic records that followed in years to come."
Monroe will release his new album, "I Live Too Fast To Die Young", on June 10 via Silver Lining Music.
Even though HANOI ROCKS was formed in Finland, their trashy, hedonistic, decadent hard rock/pop-metal boogie influenced many Los Angeles acts, including GUNS N' ROSES and MÖTLEY CRÜE.
HANOI ROCKS originally broke on to the hard rock scene in the first half of the 1980s, becoming one of the first Finnish bands to make an international impact. HANOI ROCKS's career was subsequently derailed after the 1984 death of drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley, who was killed in a car accident caused by MÖTLEY CRÜE's Vince Neil. Internal tensions and the commercial disappointment that was 1985's "Rock & Roll Divorce" led to Monroe leaving the band that year, thus putting an early end to HANOI ROCKS.
Fan-filmed video of JUDAS PRIEST's June 8 concert at Helsinki Ice Hall (Helsingin Jäähalli) in Helsinki, Finland 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. A Touch Of Evil
09. Rocka Rolla
10. Victim Of Changes
11. Desert Plains
12. Blood Red Skies
13. The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown) (FLEETWOOD MAC cover)
14. Diamonds & Rust (Joan Baez cover)
15. Painkiller
Encore:
16. The Hellion / Electric Eye
17. Hell Bent For Leather
18. Breaking The Law
19. Living After Midnight
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, Rob Halford and his bandmates ditched their traditional leather-and-studs look in favor of a more stripped-down appearance.
Last month, 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.
British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN played a headlining concert last night (Tuesday, June 7) at Groupama Aréna in Budapest, Hungary. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.
As has been the case on all the shows of the 2022 leg of MAIDEN's "Legacy Of The Beast" world tour so far, the band opened the set with "Senjutsu", the title track of its latest studio album, and followed it up with two more songs from the same LP, "Stratego" and "The Writing On The Wall".
Other tracks aired during MAIDEN's performance included "Revelations", "Blood Brothers", "Sign Of The Cross", "Flight Of Icarus", "Fear Of The Dark", "Hallowed Be Thy Name", "The Number Of The Beast" and "Iron Maiden".
MAIDEN also played two encores, consisting of "The Trooper", "The Clansman", "Run To The Hills" and the closing track of the night, "Aces High".
The full setlist was as follows:
01. Senjutsu
02. Stratego
03. The Writing On The Wall
04. Revelations
05. Blood Brothers
06. Sign Of The Cross
07. Flight Of Icarus
08. Fear Of The Dark
09. Hallowed Be Thy Name
10. The Number Of The Beast
11. Iron Maiden
Encore:
12. The Trooper
13. The Clansman
14. Run To The Hills
Encore 2:
15. Aces High
Prior to the "Legacy Of The Beast" kick-off concert on May 22 in Zagreb, Croatia, IRON MAIDEN hadn't performed live in two and a half years — since the completion of its South American tour in October 2019.
Earlier this year, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson confirmed that the band is planning to stage a tour where it will perform its new album, "Senjutsu", in its entirety. The 63-year-old singer told the "Talk Is Jericho" podcast: "The plan we've got — it's not really a secret; I think everybody else has chatted about it — we will, I hope, we've talked about doing the entire ['Senjutsu'] album start to finish, but not this time around. And we all appreciate that that is something that really diehard fans will probably love and other people will go, 'Hmmm, I'm not gonna go see that.' So the answer is you play smaller venues so that they sell out with just your diehard fans. 'Cause it's a musical thing to do — it's a musical thing."
Dickinson went on to clarify that the 2022 leg of MAIDEN's "Legacy Of The Beast" tour, which is scheduled to hit North America in September and October, will once again focus primarily on a decades-spanning setlist of fan favorites.
"The 'Legacy Of The Beast' tour, people have all paid their money to see the 'Legacy Of The Beast' show, with Spitfires and flamethrowers and Icarus and everything that goes with," he said. "So they're gonna get all that. But the first three tracks are probably gonna be the first three tracks on the ['Senjutsu'] album. 'The Writing On The Wall' they already know, so everybody should know the first three tracks. And I just think [the] 'Senjutsu' [title track] is just such a great opening song — so dramatic. And then once you've done that — and we'll have a stage set to go with it — once you've done that, you're back to the kind of 'Legacy' world at that point. But I think 'The Writing On The Wall' is gonna be a great song — I mean, a crowd singalong song. You can imagine that. It'll be fantastic."
Addressing the fact that MAIDEN infuriated some fans by forcing them to sit through the band's then-new, 75-minute "A Matter Of Life And Death" album on tour in 2006, denying the crowd the greatest hits they'd come for, Bruce said: "Nobody has to buy a ticket. If you don't wanna go [see us play an entire new album live], you don't buy a ticket. It's gonna be plain as the nose on your face. This is gonna be what they're gonna do. So given that, don't complain that they did what they said they were gonna do."
Clocking in at a hefty 82 minutes, "Senjutsu" came out in September. It marks MAIDEN's second consecutive double album behind 2015's "The Book Of Souls" which is the longest MAIDEN album, with a running time of 92 minutes.
IRON MAIDEN's first album in six years, "Senjutsu" was recorded in 2019 in Paris with longstanding producer Kevin Shirley and co-produced by bassist Steve Harris. It features three tracks whose running time exceeds 10 minutes each.
For "Senjutsu" — loosely translated as "tactics and strategy" — the band once again enlisted the services of Mark Wilkinson to create the spectacular Samurai-themed cover artwork, based on an idea by Harris.
"Senjutsu" bowed at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, charting higher than even the band's early classics like "Powerslave" and "The Number Of The Beast". Nearly 90 percent of the LP's 64,000 equivalent album units earned came from pure album sales. The critically acclaimed double album debuted one place higher than 2015's "The Book Of Souls" and 2010's "The Final Frontier", which both peaked at No. 4.
"Senjutsu" was MAIDEN's 13th album to top in the Top 40 in the U.S.
According to Billboard, "Senjutsu" logged the second-largest week of 2021 for a hard rock album in both equivalent album units earned and in traditional album sales.
"Senjutsu" topped the charts in several European countries upon its release, including in Belgium, Finland, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland.
Urferd, the Nordic folk solo project of Daniel Beckman, has released a new music video for the track "Gryning". The song is off of Urferd's debut album, Resan, which was released on April 15, 2022 via Black Lodge Records. Fans can check out the video for "Gryning", which was produced by Andrea Mantelli below.
A concept waiting years to emerge, Urferd officially saw the light of day in late 2020. The first album, Resan, is a musical odyssey in both a literal and figurative sense. The album takes the listener on a journey through dark and olden nordic forests; where strife and hardships follow in our steps, yet where the beauty and vastness of the solemn nordic landscape persists and permeates.
From the album opening’s depiction of a serene morning’s dawn, to the closing track’s respite of a hearth at nightfall, Resan traverses a multitude of captivating musical landscapes and themes throughout its eight songs.
Urferd signifies the beginning of a new and additional musical chapter for its founder and sole member, Daniel Beckman, and brings a refreshing new perspective to the genre, challenging the boundaries of dark atmospheric folk music.
The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame's Music Masters series brought an unforgettable blend of music, storytelling and magical moments together. Each year between 1996 and 2016, the Museum partnered with Case Western Reserve University to create this celebration of artists who changed the sound of American culture.
Music Masters explored the legacy of a pioneering rock and roll artist through exhibits, lectures, films and artist interviews, culminating with a tribute concert. Drawing together artists, experts, fans and friends, these events provided new perspectives on the most beloved and influential musicians of the past century.
In the video below, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss perform the folk classic, "In The Pines", at the 2004 Music Masters honoring Lead Belly.
Plant and Krauss recently announced a new string of US dates in support of their album, Raise The Roof. The new leg launches on August 15 in San Diego, CA, and concludes on September 4 in Austin, TX. Dates below.
August
15 - San Diego, CA - The Rady Shell @ Jacobs Park
17 - Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Bowl
18 - Los Angeles, CA - The Greek Theatre
20 - Stateline, NV - Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey’s
21 - Berkeley, CA - The Greek Theatre
23 - Napa, CA - Oxbow Riverstage
25 - Bend, OR - Hayden Homes Amphitheater
27 - Troutdale, OR - Edgefield Amphitheater
28 - Redmond, WA - Marymoor Park
30 - Salt Lake City, UT - Sandy Amp
September
1 - Denver, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
3 - Grand Prairie, TX - Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie
4 - Austin, TX - Moody Amphitheater
Canadian rock outfit, Monster Truck, explode back onto the scene with their new song and music video for “Golden Woman” via BMG. Stream/share here, and watch the official music video for “Golden Woman” below.
"Golden Woman” is a fast paced, unrelenting, rock n roll jam and marks the first release off their highly anticipated forthcoming album and follows the band's recent global signing with BMG.
“The idea for “Golden Woman” came one afternoon as I was fiddling around on a kid’s guitar my father had bought my son. He got it at some garage sale and thought it perfect for little hands. I ended up picking it up, putting the strap over my head, and walking around with it all afternoon playing the main riff, and slowly crafting an arrangement. Jer and I then fine-tuned the song, and voila! Inspiration comes from anywhere and everywhere,” said Jon Harvey, bassist, and lead singer of Monster Truck. “The lyrics were born of my own personal experience with my partner, Simara. She saved me during a very rough time, and I am forever grateful for her, and the mystical revelations that only love can bring. Her hair colour is naturally blonde, so the title of the song is, like all Monster Truck songs, very literal.”
Since the release of their debut self-titled EP in 2010, Monster Truck, composed of bassist and lead singer Jon Harvey, guitarist Jeremy Widerman, keyboardist Brandon Bliss, and former drummer Steve Kiely, have become known as one of Canada’s hardest-working rock and roll bands, a reputation they've cemented by touring relentlessly and consistently upping their game over time.
In 2011, the Canadian rockers released The Brown EP, featuring tracks that soon became staples on Canadian rock radio and set the stage for their debut full-length album Furiosity. After its release, Furiosity rose to success, reaching #13 on the Canadian charts and leading to a JUNO Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year, and a nomination for JUNO Rock Album Of The Year.
Touring in support of Furiosity, the band played high-profile gigs such as UK’s Download Festival, landing supporting slots on the European tours of bands like Vista Chino, embarking on their first headlining tour of the continent, and heading across North America with the likes of Slash and Alice In Chains.
The band continued to deliver new music in 2016 with the release of Sittin’ Heavy and hit the road again with over 150 shows over the next 18 months on their own and in arenas supporting Nickelback, Billy Talent, and Deep Purple on their final European tour. They later released True Rockers in 2018, which further cemented their reputation as a hard-rocking band respected by their peers and progenitors.
Monster Truck’s profile has grown substantially in North America, landing headlining slots at Rock on the Range and Shiprocked in the US, and securing song placements for tracks "Sweet Mountain River", "Seven Seas Blues", and "Old Train", which appeared in Ubisoft’s game, Rocksmith 2014, EA Sports’ NHL 13 and the hit TV series, Orphan Black. Additionally, "Righteous Smoke" was featured on EA’s NHL 17, and "The Enforcer" became the goal song for The Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League.
Over time, Monster Truck has remained true to their core sound while continuously building on that foundation and stretching out, lyrically and sonically. Their ability to do so successfully and satisfyingly has only deepened the impact of their records and grown their audience globally as they gear up to release more music later this year and announce extensive touring plans.
Whitesnake continues to revisit its multi-platinum career as it remixes some of its biggest hits for a 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 CD/Blu-ray in Europe, and fans are invited to order the collection by going here.
The band have released this remastered video for "Love Ain't No Stranger":
In another clip, David Coverdale looks back on "Love Ain't No Stranger":
In the clip below, Coverdale unboxes his CD/Blu-ray:
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!!!”
- Digital now available worldwide
- CD out now in Europe
- 2LP out now in Europe
- CD/Blu-ray out now in Europe and July 15 in North America
- CD & 2LP out on June 17 in North America
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”
Jeff Beck found a kindred spirit in Johnny Depp when the two met in 2016. They bonded quickly over cars and guitars and spent most of their time together trying to make each other laugh. At the same time, Beck's appreciation grew for Depp's serious songwriting skills and his ear for music. That talent and their chemistry convinced Beck they should make an album together.
Depp agreed and they started in 2019. Over the next three years, they recorded a mix of Depp originals along with a wide range of covers that touches on everything from Celtic and Motown, to the BEACH BOYS and KILLING JOKE. In 2020, during the pandemic, they previewed their collaboration with their well-timed cover of John Lennon's "Isolation".
The duo's 13-track album, dubbed "18", will arrive on July 15. Beck explains the album title: "When Johnny and I started playing together, it really ignited our youthful spirit and creativity. We would joke about how we felt 18 again, so that just became the album title too."
"18" will be available on CD and digitally, with a 180-gram black vinyl version coming on September 30. The cover features an illustration of Beck and Depp as 18-year-olds that was drawn and designed by Beck's wife Sandra. All formats are available for pre-save/pre-add.
Leading up to the release of "18", Beck has launched a European tour, with Depp as special guest, which will conclude on July 25 at L'Olympia in Paris.
For the last 12 years, Depp has recorded and toured with the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, a band he started with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry. The supergroup has released two studio albums that include guest appearances by some of rocks biggest names: Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl and Joe Walsh. The list also includes Beck, who played guitar on "Welcome To Bushwackers", a song on "Rise", the VAMPIRES' second album, which came out in 2019.
Soon after, Depp asked Beck to play lead on a tune he'd written, the album's first single "This Is A Song For Miss Hedy Lamarr", an homage to the actress/inventor. Beck says it was the catalyst for the collaboration and is one of his favorite songs on the new album. "I was blown away by it," he says. "That song is one of the reasons I asked him to make an album with me." The track is available today digitally, along with an accompanying music video. Watch it below.
Of Beck, Depp adds, "It's an extraordinary honor to play and write music with Jeff, one of the true greats and someone I am now privileged enough to call my brother."
In the studio, Beck says he and Depp challenged each other to leave their comfort zones with the songs they chose to cover. "I haven't had another creative partner like him for ages," Beck says. "He was a major force on this record. I just hope people will take him seriously as a musician because it's a hard thing for some people to accept that Johnny Depp can sing rock and roll."
Depp justifies Beck's faith on the new album by showing off his incredible emotional range on songs like THE VELVET UNDERGROUND's "Venus In Furs", THE EVERLY BROTHERS' ballad "Let It Be Me" and Marvin Gaye's soul classic "What's Going On". On the instrumentals, Beck demonstrates why he's universally revered as a guitar god with stunning versions of Davy Spillane's "Midnight Walker" and two songs from the BEACH BOYS' masterpiece "Pet Sounds" — "Caroline, No" and "Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)".
"18" track listing
01. Midnight Walker (Davy Spillane cover)
02. Death And Resurrection Show (KILLING JOKE cover)
03. Time (Dennis Wilson cover)
04. Sad Motherfuckin' Parade (Johnny Depp original)
05. Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) (BEACH BOYS cover)
06. This Is A Song For Miss Hedy Lamarr (Johnny Depp original)
07. Caroline, No (BEACH BOYS cover)
08. Ooo Baby Baby (THE MIRACLES cover)
09. What's Going On (Marvin Gaye cover)
10. Venus In Furs (THE VELVET UNDERGROUND cover)
11. Let It Be Me (THE EVERLY BROTHERS cover)
12. Stars (Janis Ian cover)
13. Isolation (John Lennon cover)*
Blackment was founded 2014 in Hyvinkää, Finland and they are ready to release their debut album, Plains Of Oblivion, on September 9th via Inverse Records. The band has unveiled the new single / video, "Clouds".
Guitarist Saalas Ruokangas: "'Clouds' represents the lighter side from the upcoming album, and it also has some rock vibes to it. I remember listening to a lot of Happoradio back when I made this song. Some of the listeners might find elements and influences from the artist. Regardless, this song doesn’t lack of Blackment’s unique guitar riffs, catchy melodies, and darker elements.
At first it was inspired by events of a fantasy novel series and the characters’ storm of emotions, but the director of the video saw it with a lot deeper, personal meaning. That was actually a very positive surprise, so the listeners might make their own interpretations of the lyrics as well."
Check out Blackment's previously release single, "Maw Of The Dead", below.
Blackment is:
Sami Vuorenheimo - vocals
Saalas Ruokangas – guitar
Allan Välimaa - guitar
Väinö Huhtanen – bass
Sebastian Nyandoto – keyboards
Akseli Aalto – drums
Finnish post-hardcore ‘violent pop’ outfit, Blind Channel, have released a new single, “Don’t Fix Me”, off their forthcoming album Lifestyles Of The Sick & Dangerous, out July 8 via Century Media Records.
“Don’t Fix Me” is a huge rock anthem, where mighty riffs and pummelling drums meet synths, captivating harmonies and a frenzied rap from vocalist Niko Moilanen. The music video captures the band on the road during their recent tours across the US and Europe. Purchase and stream the track here, and watch the video below.
“‘Don’t Fix Me’ continues the theme of brokeness, featured on the upcoming album. However, this time we decided to be empowering and uplifting and wrote something people wanna scream while having the craziest time of their lives. This song is the soundtrack for the wildest parties and the cure for the day-after’s hangover,” states Blind Channel about the new track.
"Don’t Fix Me” is the latest song to be released from the band’s upcoming fourth album, Lifestyles Of The Sick & Dangerous. Artwork and tracklisting below.
Tracklisting:
“Opinions”
“Dark Side”
“Don’t Fix Me”
“Bad Idea”
“Alive Or Only Burning”
“Balboa”
“National Heroes”
“We Are No Saints”
“Autopsy”
“Glory For The Greedy”
“Thank You For The Pain”
ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell has released the official music video for the song "Had To Know". The Jim Louvau-directed clip was filmed during Jerry's recent North American tour in support of his latest solo album, "Brighten", and is a compilation of memorable moments from many nights on the road.
Cantrell kicked off the "Brighten" tour on March 24 at the Palace Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Jerry's band for the trek consisted of Tyler Bates (guitar),Greg Puciato (backing vocals),Gil Sharone (drums),George Adrian (bass),Michael Rozon (pedal steel) and Jason Achilles (keyboards). The set includes songs from Cantrell's latest solo album, "Brighten", along with favorite hits from Jerry's catalog.
"Brighten" came out last October. The LP has received praise from critics, including Kerrang!, which called it a "vivid, contemporary self-portrait of one of the most distinctive voices in hard rock. A long-overdue show of individual brilliance." Classic Rock proclaimed it "his best yet. The work of a songwriter who is happy within his life, it spans a broad arc of styles." The Sun commented: "A rich, organic album... 'Brighten' is brilliant."
"Brighten" is Jerry's first project without ALICE IN CHAINS in 19 years. Co-produced with film composer Tyler Bates and Paul Fig (longtime engineer),the LP got its beginnings just before the pandemic hit. They welcomed a dynamic cast of supporting players, including Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES) on select bass tracks, Puciato contributing to backing vocals and drummers Sharone and Abe Laboriel, Jr. (Paul McCartney). Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) handled the mixing of "Brighten".
Jerry's new effort marks his first full-length release since "Degradation Trip", the epic solo album he made in 2002 with future METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo and FAITH NO MORE drummer Mike Bordin.
Jerry's career outside of ALICE IN CHAINS has consisted of two previous solo albums and contributions to major film soundtracks. Cantrell's first solo album, "Boggy Depot", was released in 1998, followed by his second album, the aforementioned "Degradation Trip". In addition to his solo artist work, Jerry has released music on soundtracks for several films, including "Spider-Man", "The Cable Guy", "John Wick 2", "Last Action Hero" and "The Punisher".
ALICE IN CHAINS regrouped in 2006 with William DuVall joining the band, and released its third LP with DuVall in the lineup, "Rainier Fog", in August 2018.
Creatures Fest 2022 took place Memorial Day Weekend (May 27 - 29) in Nashville, Tennessee at the Sonesta Nashville Airport Hotel. Former KISS guitarist, Bruce Kulick, has shared the video below, in which he and his band are joined by his wife, Lisa Jane Kulick, at the Creatures Fest Pool Party for a performance of the KISS song, "Rock Bottom". Watch below:
On May 29, Bruce and his band - Todd Kerns, Zach Throne and Brent Fitz - performed the Revenge album in its entirety as well as other KISS classics. Check out the footage below.
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE has shared a short clip of the band rehearsing for its upcoming U.S. tour. A 34-second snippet of Zack De La Rocha, Tom Morello, Brad Wilk and Tim Commerford playing "War Within A Breath" this past Tuesday (June 7) at their Southern California studio can be streamed below.
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's comeback tour, which will mark the reunited rap-metal quartet's first live shows in over a decade, will kick off July 9 in East Troy, Wisconsin, and continue through mid-August. The massive trek will feature support from RUN THE JEWELS.
This past January, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE postponed the start date of the U.S. leg of its "Public Service Announcement" tour to this summer. The North American leg of the trek was originally slated to begin in March 2020 before it was rescheduled several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 19 RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE shows that were supposed to take place between March 31 and May 23 will now take place in early 2023.
The upcoming tour will mark the first time RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE has hit the road together since 2011.
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE last played together at L.A. Rising and has resisted calls for a reunion, with vocalist De La Rocha previously believed to be the lone holdout. Guitarist Morello and his fellow RAGE bandmates Commerford (bass) and Wilk (drums) have since teamed up with PUBLIC ENEMY's Chuck D. and CYPRESS HILL's B-Real in the similarly styled PROPHETS OF RAGE.
DREAM THEATER's Mike Mangini has shared a 12-minute "tour recap." In a message accompanying the YouTube release of the video, the 59-year-old drummer wrote: "This video is a combination promo for my June 11 Zoom Class, as well as a glimpse into what it feels like to decompress after a two-month-long DREAM THEATER Tour Leg. There are a lot of live clips in this video. The sound is raw from the cameras, so certain cymbals are much louder than others."
Two months ago, DREAM THEATER won its first-ever Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 64th annual Grammy Awards, which was held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. DREAM THEATER was nominated for "The Alien", a track from its 2021 album "A View From The Top Of The World". DREAM THEATER's previous Grammy nominations were for the song "On The Backs Of Angels", from 2011's "A Dramatic Turn Of Events" album, and the single "The Enemy Inside" from 2013's "Dream Theater".
"A View From The Top Of The World" was described in a press released as "DREAM THEATER at its musical finest, expanding on the sound they helped create while maintaining the elements that have garnered them devoted fans around the globe." The seven-song album also marked the second studio album with InsideOut Music/Sony Music. The artwork was created by longtime cover collaborator Hugh Syme (RUSH, IRON MAIDEN, STONE SOUR). "A View From The Top Of The World" was produced by guitarist John Petrucci, engineered and additional production by James "Jimmy T" Meslin and mixed/mastered by Andy Sneap.
Launching June 16 in Atlanta, The Stadium Tour - featuring Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, with Poison and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - will hit select cities in the US and Canada where each band will bring their electrifying stage shows while promising to perform their stadium sized anthems.
Poison have released the short video below, stating: "Just a little sneak peek at Poison Stadium Tour rehearsals!"
Confirmed dates for The Stadium Tour are listed below.
June
16 - SunTrust Park - Atlanta, GA
18 - Hard Rock Stadium - Miami Gardens, FL
19 - Camping World Stadium - Orlando, FL
22 - Nationals Park - Washington, DC
24 - Citi Field - Flushing, NY
25 - Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
28 - Bank of America Stadium - Charlotte, NC
30 - Nissan Stadium - Nashville, TN
July
2 - EverBank Field - Jacksonville, FL
5 - Busch Stadium - St Louis, MO
8 - Wrigley Field - Chicago, IL
10 - Comerica Park - Detroit, MI
12 - Hersheypark Stadium - Hershey, PA
14 - FirstEnergy Stadium - Cleveland, OH
15 - Great American Ballpark - Cincinnati, OH
17 - American Family Field - Milwaukee, WI
19 - Kauffman Stadium - Kansas City, MO
21 - Coors Field - Denver, CO
August
5 - Fenway Park - Boston, MA
6 - Fenway Park - Boston, MA
8 - Rogers Centre - Toronto, ON
10 - The Stadium Tour - Orchard Park, NY
12 - PNC Park - Pittsburgh, PA
14 - US Bank Stadium - Minneapolis, MN
16 - Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN
19 - Minute Made Park - Houston, TX
21 - Alamodome - San Antonio, TX
22 - Globe Life Park in Arlington - Arlington, TX
25 - State Farm Stadium - Phoenix, AZ
27 - SoFi Stadium - Inglewood, CA
28 - Petco Park - San Diego, CA
31 - T-Mobile Park - Seattle, WA
September
2 - BC Place - Vancouver, BC
4 - Commonwealth Stadium - Edmonton, AB
7 - Oracle Park - San Francisco, CA
9 - Allegiant Stadium - Las Vegas, NV
It’s been an exhilarating 40 year ride for Voivod, the Jonquière, Quebec quartet that has, over the years, defied the odds, faced tragedy head on and also seen the band rise above many of the contemporaries to a point where the band’s intricate progressively fuelled heavy metal sound also brings with it honours and awards. The 2018 Voivod album, The Wake, won the band a Juno Award for Heavy Metal Album Of The Year, while the previous year, Away had picked up the Visionary Award at that year’s Progressive Music Awards in London.
It might all seem a far cry from four music-obsessed youngsters who began living out their music fantasies in their garages and the basement of one of their father’s work places back in the early 1980’s. But there was always something that set Voivod apart from their peers. They may have been as enthralled with the ever-evolving sounds of heavy metal, hardcore and punk rock that were distilling in the early 80’s, but Voivod also brought with them a love of progressive rock and science fiction that has been as much of an influence on their music. If heavy metal was the sound of the outsider in those early 80’s days, then prog rock was an even more unlikely bedfellow. Prog was about as uncool as you could get. But nobody told Voivod. And it’s that willingness to blend such seemingly disparate sounds that has always set the band apart. Prog metal as a concept was largely unheard of when Voivod released their debut album War And Pain in 1984.
The music contained in this set proves that Voivod were very much pioneers of the sound, as their own music became more refined and experimental. You can hear the development of the band’s sound over the three albums contained here (Rrröööaarrr, Killing Technology & Dimension Hatröss). In the five year span from 1984’s War And Pain debut to 1989’s Nothingface, Voivod forged a defiant progressive metal sound that they would expand upon with later albums and ensure that they are one of the most exhilarating metal bands in existence today.
Forgotten In Space is a deluxe celebration of Voivod’s Noise Records discography and is the definitive collection of their recorded work plus rare and previously unreleased material. Order here, and watch a video for the previously unreleased "Psychic Vacuum" (Dimension Hatröss Demo 1987), below.
Set contains:
- Rrröööaarrr (Remastered on red & black splatter vinyl)
- Killing Technology (Remastered on green & purple swirl vinyl)
- Dimension Hatröss (Remastered on grey & red swirl vinyl)
- No Speed Limit Live ‘86 (First time on vinyl, green & black splatter)
- Dimension Hatröss - The Demos (First time on vinyl, blue & white splatter)
- Cosmic Drama, 40-Page Book (40-page book containing new sleeve note interviews with Michel ‘Away’ Langevin telling the story of the early years of Voivod. Contains rare and previously unseen photos)
- Chaosmongers DVD (Mini documentary of interviews, live performances, behind the scenes & promotional videos from 1985 to 1989. Also includes previously unreleased video concert, live in Chicago ’88 and audio concert from World War III festival 1985)
- Korgüll The Exterminator USB (Contains all the tracks from the expanded studio albums plus the live & demo albums)
Forgotten In Space will also be available as a 5xCD and DVD clamshell box set containing all the studio albums, bonus rare demo and live albums, the DVD containing the mini documentary and previously unreleased live concerts and a 20 page booklet.
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