Steve Vai kicked off his Inviolate World Tour with a European leg of appearances beginning in Glasgow, Scotland on June 4th. He’ll be on the road into mid-July, staging performances in the UK, Ireland, France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain.
Fan-filmed video from the kick-off show in Glasgow is available below. The setlist on the night was as follows:
Set 1
"Avalancha"
"Giant Balls of Gold"
"Little Pretty"
"Tender Surrender"
"Lights Are On"
"Candlepower"
- Dave Solo -
"Building the Church"
Set 2
"Greenish Blues"
"Bad Horsie"
"I'm Becoming"
"Sandman Cloud Mist"
"Dyin’ Day"
Play Video"
- Drum Solo -
"Zeus in Chains"
"Liberty"
"For the Love of God"
Encore:
"Fire Garden Suite IV - Taurus Bulba"
For tickets and a variety of EVO Experience VIP bundles available visit vai.com. Vai will be joined by his long-tenured ensemble members Dave Weiner (guitar / keys), Philip Bynoe (bass), and Jeremy Colson (drums).
Vai shares, “It’s amazing to realize that after three years of not performing our show on a stage, that it’s now on the horizon, and will start to unfold in Europe this summer. I can feel the road now and the enthusiastic audiences that we will be will be connecting with."
Tour dates:
June
7 - London, UK - Palladium
9 - Bristol, UK - o2 Academy
10 - Dublin, Ireland - Academy
11 - Belfast, UK - The Limelight
13 - Paris, France - Le Trianon
14 - Strasbourg, France - La Laiterie
16 - Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller
17 - Bergen, Norway - USF Verftet
18 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Pustervik
19 - Stockholm, Sweden - Fållan
20 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Amager Bio
22 - Lille, France - Splendid
23 - Clisson, France - Hellfest
24 - Bordeaux-Cenon, France - Rocher de Palmer
25 - Nimes, France - Paloma
26 - Lyon, France - Transbordeur
28 - Nuremberg, Germany - Hirsch
29 - Linz, Austria - Posthof
July
1 - Udine, Italy - Castello
2 - Macerata, Italy - Sferisterio
3 - Bari, Italy - Teatro Petruzzelli
4 - Firenze, Italy - Ultravox Arena
5 - Gardone Riviera, Italy - Anfiteatro del Vittoriale
6 - Zurich, Switzerland - Komplex
8 - Berlin, Germany - Columbia Theatre
9 - Weert, Netherlands - Bospop Festival
10 - Antwerp, Belgium - OLT Rivierenhof
12 - Toulouse, France - Le Bikini
14 - Sancti Petri, Spain - Concert Music Festival
16 - Valencia, Spain - Jardin de Viveros
17 - Vigo, Spain - Auditorio Mar do Vigo
19 - Barcelona, Spain - Teatro Tivoli
Vai recently released his new studio album, Inviolate, via Favored Nations / Mascot Label Group. The LP will follow on March 18.
Inviolate is a nine-song opus that pushes the boundaries of instrumental guitar music. The body of work presents his most focused, streamlined and perhaps invigorating music in years. “It’s very ‘Vai,’ whatever that means,” he says, and then laughs. “Someone else might be better than me at explaining what that is. But it’s just very honest music. Because a lot of my records, they're long and there's a lot of concepts and playing around with stories. This one has none of that. This is nine pretty dense all-instrumental compositions that I wanted to capture and record so I could get out there and play them live for people.”
In essence, it all comes down to finding your own voice, and then having the courage and conviction to follow your musical and creative instincts wherever they may take you – something Vai has never been shy about in his playing. “One of the great things about the guitar is you don't need to be a virtuoso to express your creative vision,” he says. “I mean, Bob Dylan plays the guitar perfectly well for his expression. So does John McLaughlin. You just need to decide how much technique you want or need to get there. For myself, I came out of the chute wanting and needing it all. When it comes to my music, I don’t feel like I have to prove anything or conform to anything. I just love to think up creative ideas, and then use whatever skill I have to manifest them.”
“An inviolate inspiration is one that comes to you completely pure,” Vai explains. “It appears almost in its completeness, and there’s a recognition of it as being right for you – perfectly right for you. There’s no excuses in it. There's no fantasy in it. There's just a recognition of ‘yes.’ And then you capture that in a way that’s authentic to your unique creativity. Hopefully, that’s what I’ve done with this record.”
Inviolate can be ordered in various formats, here.
Tracklisting:
"Teeth Of The Hydra"
"Zeus In Chains"
"Little Pretty"
"Candle Power"
"Apollo In Color"
"Avalancha"
"Greenish Blues"
"Knappsack"
"Sandman Cloud Mist"
Torn Between Two Worlds, featuring former Angtoria bandmates Sarah Jezebel Deva and Chris Rehn, have released a new EP, entitled As If We Never Existed. It is now available via Bandcamp here.
Check out the official video for new single "The Woman That Never Was" below.
The tracklist is as follows:
"The Beauty Of Deception"
"Transparent"
"The Woman That Never Was"
"All Eyes On Me"
"Hello"
Melodic power metal masters, Dragonland, return with their new single, "The Power Of The Nightstar". Get the song on all digital platforms here, and watch a video below.
More than ten years without a new studio album could be reason enough for a band to fall into oblivion, unless of course they left a lasting impression on their fans before their hiatus. In case of Swedish act Dragonland, who have inspired their extensive following repeatedly since the release of their debut The Battle Of The Ivory Plains (2001), the anticipation of new material has continued to grow from year to year since their 2011 release Under The Grey Banner. Now, Dragonland returns to the heavy music scene, with their brand new, colossal single, "The Power Of The Nightstar".
The song impressively illustrates why Dragonland still belongs to one of the most energetic and passionate bands of their genre, unleashing epic, fast-paced power metal with gripping melodies. "The Power Of The Nightstar" was recorded, mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen at renowned Hansen Studios, and sees the band continue as the lineup consisting of keyboardist Elias Holmlid, bassist Anders Hammer, vocalist Jonas Heidgert and guitarists Olof Mörck and Jesse Lindskog, complemented by drummer Johan Nunez (Firewind, ex-Nightrage), who joined Dragonland in 2014.
“We’re thrilled to finally unveil a small part of our forthcoming album," the band reveals. "This explosive track is a centerpiece of the story line and presents a turning point for our protagonists whose new found hope is expressed in the uplifting chorus."
Human Scum, today is the day! The New Dark Ages has finally been unleashed on the public. The album is available digitally today. It will be released on CD July 15 and vinyl and cassette on September 16 via the band’s own Pit Records. Order and stream the album here.
In celebration of the album’s release, GWAR has released a video for their big-time, sell-out, soon-to-be hit radio single, “Ratcatcher". Watch the clip below.
Lead singer Blóthar sez: “What better way to celebrate the end of human existence than a little reminder of your dark and violent past from the disease-ridden middle ages! 'Ratcatcher' is the true story of the mysterious Pied Piper of Hamelin. HA! It was GWAR all along! This tune, and every single song on this album is red hot molten lead poured directly into your ears! GWAR is eternal!”
"The New Dark Ages" chronicles GWAR's adventures in the Duoverse, where the band rediscovers old powers such as Blóthar’s terrifying Berserker Mode, and encounter new allies, such as the murderous maven known as The Cutter. Along the way, they battle the living monuments of a lost cause and armies of undead soldiers who Rise Again to fight a New Civil War.
The New Dark Ages tracklisting:
"New Dark Age
"Blood Libel
"Berserker Mode
"Mother Fucking Liar
"Unto The Breach
"Completely Fucked
"The Cutter
"Rise Again
"The Beast Will Eat Itself
"The Venom Of The Platypus
"Ratcatcher
"Bored To Death
Death Whistle Suite:
"Temple Ascent"
"Starving Gods"
"Deus Ex Monstrum"
"Berserker Mode" visualizer:
"Mother Fucking Liar" visualizer:
For all of you thirsty fans, GWAR has heard your call and have now partnered up with Devils Backbone to create a true intergalactic elixir of the gods. Behold, Blood Geyser, an intergalactic Blood Orange IPA from GWAR and Devils Backbone. Designed to save the planet from being sucked dry by Bohabs, this delicious swill is brewed to the specific gravity of blood, using hops, blood orange and pure “Berserker Rage.”
Singer Blóthar says, “This is a delicious and heady brew! Grab a tankard of this fine and fruity ale, get loose and kick up your feet and watch the world die, GWAR style!”
GWAR are out now on “The Black Death Rager World Tour'', which hits Washington, DC on Friday, June 10 at the 9:30 Club. Before the show, GWAR will host a limited number of humans at what will be a uniquely infamous GWAR-B-Q event. Food will include Pulled Pork, Smoked Chicken Thighs, BBQ Spare Ribs, BBQ Beans, Collard Greens, Cornbread Biscuits and “Blood Geyser” BBQ Sauce. Be one of the first lucky freaks to tickle their tastebuds with “Blood Geyser” Blood Orange IPA. Get your tickets here.
Texas death unit I Am will release their Eternal Steel full-length September 9 via MNRK Heavy, today unveiling the record’s artwork, tracklisting, and first single.
Brandishing a unique blend of furious thrash and death metal like a weapon of mass destruction, I Am is purely no-nonsense in their patented “Texas Death” assault.
Across three full-length slabs of bludgeoning intensity and snarling rage, I Am puts a Southern stamp and revitalized swagger into deathcore, a subgenre rarely as raw, energized, and diverse as this band. In the spirit of fellow Southern icons Pantera and newer Texan heroes Power Trip, I AM channels discontent and anger into empowering anthems, as likely to inspire a grueling workout as to incite the pit. Reminiscent of the combination of death metal heaviness and thrash metal speed found in the early catalog of Sepultura, I Am mines the heaviness of Morbid Angel and the dexterity of the Big 4 to create something groundbreaking of their own. Vocalist Andrew Hileman -- who started the band in 2011 -- guitarists Tom Reyes and Chris Burgess, bassist Erik Rodriguez, and drummer Ian Scott deliver their Texas Death in clubs, theaters, and festivals, with bands like The Acacia Strain and Kublai Khan.
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Randy Leboeuf (Kublai Khan, Sentinels, The Acacia Strain), Eternal Steel, the quintet’s debut for MNRK Heavy, combines the onslaught of the band’s well-received Hard 2 Kill (2018) with the primal bite of Life Through Torment (2017) into a singular statement of intent.
“We took what we did well on Hard 2 Kill to new extremes on Eternal Steel,” notes Reyes. “It’s faster than the last album, it’s heavier than the last album, and it expands on every other aspect of our sound. ‘Heavy’ doesn’t always have to mean ‘slow.’ Frequently for us, the faster parts are equally as heavy.”
In advance of the release of Eternal Steel, today I Am unveils a video for the record’s first single, “The Iron Gate”.
Comments Hileman, “When searching for solace and protection, I tend to find it’s often met with opposite hostility. The process of growth only occurs when forced into these uncomfortable situations. ‘The Iron Gate’ is that place of cruelty that I find so beautiful for the soul. Beware and enter if you dare.”
Eternal Steel will be released on CD, LP, cassette, and digitally. Preorder at iam-eternalsteel.com.
Tracklisting:
“The Primal Wave”
“Surrender To The Blade”
“The Iron Gate”
“Eternal Steel”
“Vicious Instinct”
“Infernal Panther”
“Queen Incarnate”
“Heaven On Earth”
“Price Of Pain”
“Eye Candy”
“Manic Cure”
Celebrate 20 years of Epica with reissues of the first three albums (including unreleased bonus tracks), plus Live At Paradiso and We Will Take You With Us. Head to epicamerch.com to preorder The Phantom Agony, Consign To Oblivion, The Score and the unreleased/rare live albums on a variety of (limited!) formats. It's all out September 2 via Nuclear Blast.
Live At Paradiso is the 2006 Amsterdam show that is mythical among Epicans, as it's never been officially released. Now, the holy grail is available as a part of We Still Take You With Us, which bundles it together with their (long sold-out) first major TV performance/DVD release, We Will Take You With Us, as well as their first three albums: The Phantom Agony, Consign To Oblivion and The Score.
Pre-order it on an 11-disc vinyl box set, Earbook with 36-pages and 8 discs or 8-CD box clamshell. Live At Paradiso and We Will Take You With Us will also be available to download or stream, while Live At Paradiso will be released on 2-CD+Blu-ray, too.
Check out the video for "Sensorium" (Live At Paradiso):
UK rockers, Wayward Sons, have released a video for "Can't Take It Anymore" featured on the upcoming Score Settled EP, out on June 17. Watch the clip below.
The EP features three new, unreleased songs that were recorded during the sessions for Even Up The Score, as well as three tracks that were previously only released on a physical format, and a live studio version of a track previously released as a studio bonus track in Japan. See tracklisting below for more details.
Physical pre-orders are available now, exclusively from the band's webstore here, and Frontiers Music Srl's EU webstore here. Digital pre-orders and a new music video will be released on June 3.
Fronted by vocalist/guitarist Toby Jepson, who is joined by Nic Wastell (bass), Phil Martini (drums), and Sam Wood (guitar), Wayward Sons deal in energetic rock 'n roll coupled with thoughtful, insightful lyrics.Passionate, honest music made by passionate honest musicians who have come together to create rock music that reflects their heroes from the ‘70s and ‘80s, while also touching on the present – modernity through homage, if you will.
The return of former Little Angels singer Toby Jepson to the UK rock scene with Wayward Sons was a welcome event in the British hard rock music scene when it transpired some six years ago. After the overwhelming success of Little Angels, including a number one album, millions of records sold, massive sell out shows and numerous hit singles, Toby had been busy in the prior years in movie work as well as performing with Fastway, Gun, and Dio’s Disciples and producing albums for numerous bands (Saxon, Fastway, The Virginmarys, Toseland, and more). His heart, however, was always in writing and performing and so the concept of Wayward Sons was born – a new band, built for playing live. A new direction with Toby’s songs taking center stage was introduced on the debut album Ghosts Of Yet To Come. The album was greeted with outstanding critical acclaim and earned Wayward Sons the title of "Best New Band" at the Planet Rock awards 2018. More and increasing success followed with the release of the sophomore album, The Truth Ain’t What It Used to Be and their third opus, Even Up The Score.
In support of their release, the band as played an outstanding number of shows in and outside the UK, either as a supporting act for Saxon, Inglorious, Steel Panther, Living Color and UFO or at such festivals as Download and Ramblin Man Fair and of course their own runs of headlining dates.
Score Settled EP tracklisting:
"Beaten To The Punch"
"Can’t Take It Anymore"
"Real Go-Getta"
"Standby Heart" (previously available on vinyl only, "Don't Wanna Go" 12" Picture Disc)
"Radio Denial" (previously available on vinyl only, "Don't Wanna Go" 12" Picture Disc)
"Totally Screwed" (previously available on vinyl only, "Totally Screwed" 7" Flex-Disc)
"Backslide" (Live In the Studio) (live version of Japan Bonus Track for "Ghosts Of Yet To Come")
"Can’t Take It Anymore" video:
LIneup:
Toby Jepson - Vocals, Guitars
Sam Wood - Guitars
Nic Wastell - Bass
Philip Martini - Drums and Percussion
Tech-death masters, Origin, have released their new album, Chaosmos. The long-standing outfit celebrates not only a return to Nuclear Blast (World excluding Europe) and Agonia Records (Europe), but also rings in their 25th year on Chaosmos.
Paul Ryan comments, "Origin is super excited about releasing our latest album Chaosmos to our friends and fans worldwide! We've been on the road for a month now and would like to say thanks to everyone for all the support and positive feedback on each of the singles we've already released! We can't wait for everyone to experience the album as a whole - enjoy Chaosmos!"
Check out a new track video for "Cullscape":
Origin re-tapped Kansas City-based studio guru Rob Rebeck to engineer, produce and mix Chaosmos. The production team holed up in GFM Recording Studios in Blue Springs, Missouri, and Chapter 2 Recording in Lenexa, Kansas, over 14 days. Robeck worked the mix over four days, while Colin Maarten at Menegroth, The Thousand Caves in Queens, New York, mastered Chaosmos in two. The cover artwork was created by Santiago Jaramillo, Triple Seis Design.
On August 6, 2021, three-time Grammy-nominated hard rock heavyweights and platinum-selling band, Killswitch Engage, unleashed a streaming event that took fans by storm. The event took place at The Palladium in Worcester in the band's native Massachusetts, which has been the site of many iconic KsE shows throughout the band's history. The performance setlist consists of 2019's Atonement in full, along with their 2000-released, self-titled debut album in full - with some fun and unexpected surprises along the way. This special event was directed by David Brodsky and Allison Woest for MyGoodEye.
Today, the band has shared the video for "As Sure As The Sun Will Rise". Watch below.
"This was an uplifting song for me as soon as I heard the demo," says singer Jesse Leach. "It's about spiritual redemption and hope amidst this troubled world. It's a call to arms for those who seek a just and righteous path in this life. The message is fight through the darkness and perils to overcome the war of spirit and flesh."
This compelling performance will be available for the first time digitally, on 2LP, and 2CD/Blu-ray on June 3 via Metal Blade. Pre-order it here and here.
Tracklisting:
"Unleashed"
"The Signal Fire"
"Us Against The World"
"The Crownless King"
"I Am Broken Too"
"As Sure As The Sun Will Rise"
"Know Your Enemy"
"Take Control"
"Ravenous"
"I Can't Be The Only One"
"Bite The Hand That Feeds"
"Temple From The Within"
"Vide Infra"
"Irreversal"
"Rusted Embrace"
"Prelude"
"Soilborn"
"Numb Sickened Eyes"
"In The Unblind"
"Just Barely Breathing"
Joe Bouchard is best known as a former member of Blue Öyster Cult. The original lineup sold millions of albums for Columbia Records, with such classic songs as “Don’t Fear The Reaper” and the #1 hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, “Burning for You". Bouchard contributed to songwriting and lead vocals on some of BOC’s greatest songs, such as “Hot Rails To Hell”.
Today, Bouchard releases his new album, American Rocker, via his brother’s (Albert Bouchard) and his imprint Rockheart Records and Deko Entertainment (ADA/Warner Music Group). Watch a lyric video for the song "Deadly Kisses" below:
American Rocker sees the return of Mickey Curry (Bryan Adams, Hall and Oates, Alice Cooper) on drums, and sees Bouchard taking a look back at the heyday of the 70’s with BÖC on tracks like “In the Golden Age”, and “Rocket To Fame”.
Pick up the new album American Rocker and other Joe Bouchard merch here.
Tracklisting:
“My Way Is The Highway”
“In The Golden Age”
“Deadly Kisses”
“Love Out Of Thin Air”
“Off Season Hotel”
“Hounds Of Hell”
“Conspiracy”
“Rocket To Fame”
“The Devil's In The Details”
“Katherine”
“Hey There Suzi Dear”
Billy Howerdel, offering a final preview of his forthcoming solo album, What Normal Was (June 10, Alchemy Recordings/Rise Records/BMG), has released the track “The Same Again”. Watch a visualizer below:
What Normal Was album pre-orders and pre-saves, which include an array of limited-edition vinyl variants, and other physical formats, are available here.
What Normal Was tracklisting:
"Selfish Heart"
"Free And Weightless"
"Ani"
"Beautiful Mistake"
"The Same Again"
"Poison Flowers"
"Follower"
"Bring Honor Back Home"
"EXP"
"Stars"
“Selfish Hearts” visualizer:
“Beautiful Mistake” visualizer:
"Poison Flowers" video:
"Free And Weightless" visualizer:
For tickets and ticket info for Howerdel's upcoming tour, including VIP packages, please visit billyhowerdel.com.
Tour dates:
June
11 - Ventura, CA - Ventura Music Hall
12 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre *
14 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up
15 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent
16 - Roseville, CA - Goldfield Trading Post
18 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
19 - Seattle, WA - Neumos
21 - Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Music Hall
22 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre
24 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Café
25 - Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest
26 - St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall
28 - Chicago, IL - Cabaret Metro
29 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
July
1 - Rochester Hills, MI - Meadow Brook Amphitheatre *
2 - Toronto, ON - Axis Club
3 - Montreal, QC - Café Campus
5 - Allston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
6 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre
8 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of the Living Arts
9 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage
10 - Charlotte, NC - The Underground
12 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
14 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
15 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall – Inside Downstairs
16 - Dallas, TX - The Echo Lounge & Music Hall
17 - Austin, TX - Emos
20 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom
* with Puscifer
New Jersey-born and Los Angeles-based vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer Billy Howerdel has quietly asserted himself as an alternative music auteur whose knack for massive hooks believes a keen emotional understanding and sonic acuity. Devoting his life to music after witnessing Pink Floyd live, he acted as something of a behind-the-scenes journeyman, working as an in-demand touring and studio tech for the likes of David Bowie, Guns N’ Roses, and Nine Inch Nails.
Striking up a friendship with Maynard James Keenan when Tool opened for Fishbone (for whom Billy served as a tech), he occupied a room in a North Hollywood cottage with Maynard. Billy founded A Perfect Circle with Maynard in 1999. The group’s seminal full-length debut, Mer de Noms, went platinum and made history as the “highest Billboard Top 200 bow for a rock band’s debut.” They followed it with the platinum Thirteenth Step [2003] and gold Emotive [2004]. The group made their return with 2018’s Eat The Elephant, marking their fourth consecutive Top 5 debut on the Top 200.
In between, Billy’s music has also appeared in video games and on the big screen. During 2008, he made his first solo statement under the moniker Ashes Divide with Keep Telling Myself It’s Alright. In the next decade, the album quietly pervaded as a cult favorite with millions of streams and the odd sold out “reunion” show. On his 2022 proper full-length solo debut, What Normal Was [Alchemy Recordings/Rise Records/BMG], he inhabits a space that’s reverent of his past, present, and future all at once. After all of these years, songs, and shows, Billy is ready to introduce himself.
British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN were the headliners Saturday night (June 4) at the Rockfest in Hyvinkää, Finland. Fan-filmed video of the concert 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.
QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT kicked off the open-air Platinum Jubilee concert outside Buckingham Palace in London on Saturday (June 4),performing a medley of classic songs, including "We Will Rock You", "Don't Stop Me Now" and "We Are The Champions". Diana Ross, Sir Rod Stewart and DURAN DURAN were among the other big names at the event.
The Platinum Party at the Palace is part of the Platinum Jubilee weekend, which celebrates the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ascension to the throne. The national bank holiday began on Thursday and will conclude on Sunday.
Lambert, along with QUEEN legends Brian May and Roger Taylor, were interviewed by Express just before last night's spectacular show. Brian, who previously performed atop Buckingham Palace 20 years ago during a concert marking the Queen's Golden Jubilee, said: "It’s wonderful to be back. We have some new presentation ideas, so it's going to be very interesting… And we have some songs which everyone knows and they have a special relevance tonight because it's about the Queen and how amazing she has been and how we all want her to carry on."
Adam talked about playing for such a special occasion and his role in the band.
"It's wild," he said. "We're on tour right now so we're ready to go, we're very warm and it always feels great to be a guest of Brian and Roger on the stages around the world. And now to be a guest of the United Kingdom for the Jubilee, it's a huge honor.
"What I've learned about the Queen [is] what an impressive lady, what a graceful and powerful presence in this country. I'm thrilled...
"As I was on stage [rehearsing earlier], I turned around I realized I was in the gate of the palace and thought this is definitely the most surreal thing I have done in a while."
Closing the two-and-half-hour show was legend Ross with her first U.K. live performance in fifteen years.
Hosts Kirsty Young and Roman Kemp led live coverage of the Platinum Party at the Palace which was broadcast live across the BBC. 22,000 people attended the event, including 10,000 tickets allocated in a public ballot and over 7,500 tickets for key workers, members of the Armed Forces, volunteers, and charities.
The unique Platinum Party stage design consisted of three stages, linked by walkways, which created a 360-degree experience in front of Buckingham Palace and The Queen Victoria Memorial. Linking the stages together into one overall design were 70 columns representing Her Majesty's 70-year reign that can be illuminated to provide a full formation of lights and beams. For the first time, two of the three stages sat immediately in front of Buckingham Palace, framing the iconic home of the Queen.
METALLICA headlined the BottleRock Napa Valley music festival on May 27 at the Napa Valley Expo in Northern California. Fan-filmed video of the band's performance of the song Hardwired can be seen below.
The setlist was as follows:
01. Hardwired
02. The Memory Remains
03. Wherever I May Roam
04. Seek & Destroy
05. Fuel
06. One
07. Sad But True
08. Whiskey In The Jar
09. The Unforgiven
10. For Whom The Bell Tolls
11. Creeping Death
12. Fade To Black
13. Master Of Puppets
Encore:
14. Battery
15. Nothing Else Matters
16. Enter Sandman
METALLICA recently completed a six-date South American tour, which kicked off on April 27 in Santiago, Chile.
METALLICA played its first concert of 2022 on February 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show, which was reportedly attended by 60,000 fans, featured support from GRETA VAN FLEET and ICE NINE KILLS.
The Las Vegas show took place more than two months after METALLICA's two 40th-anniversary concerts at Chase Center in San Francisco, California which featured different setlists. They were part of METALLICA's "San Francisco Takeover", a four-day citywide celebration of the band's 40th anniversary that also included a film festival, photo exhibit and curated lineup of smaller venue shows featuring other acts.
In February, METALLICA announced it will perform only two summer stadium shows in 2022: Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, New York on August 11, and PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on August 14. Both shows will feature special guests GRETA VAN FLEET and ICE NINE KILLS.
METALLICA previously played at Highmark Stadium on July 25, 1992, and Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium on July 26, 1992.
Formed in 1981 by drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield, METALLICA has become one of the most influential and successful rock bands in history, having sold nearly 120 million albums worldwide and generating more than 15 billion streams while playing to millions of fans on all seven continents. The band's several multi-platinum albums include "Kill 'Em All", "Ride The Lightning", "Master Of Puppets", "… And Justice For All", "Metallica" (commonly referred to as The Black Album),"Load", "Reload", "St. Anger", "Death Magnetic" and "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", released in November 2016 and charting at No. 1 in 32 countries.
METALLICA's awards and accolades include nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, multiple MTV Video Music Awards, and its 2009 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. In June of 2018, the band was awarded one of the most prestigious musical honors in the world: Sweden's Polar Music Prize.
METALLICA has a number of European dates scheduled for June and July.
BRITISH LION, the side project of IRON MAIDEN bassist and founder Steve Harris, performed yesterday (June 3) at the Rockfest in Hyvinkää, Finland. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.
The three-day Rockfest festival is being headlined by NIGHTWISH (Thursday, June 2),SCORPIONS (June 3) and IRON MAIDEN (Saturday, June 4).
Last fall, BRITISH LION completed a U.K. headlining tour with support from AIRFORCE.
In October, BRITISH LION withdrew from a U.K. tour with THE DARKNESS, citing "completely unacceptable" tour "protocols."
BRITISH LION's second album, "The Burning", came out in January 2020 in digipack CD, double gatefold vinyl and digital download formats via Explorer1 Music (E1). The LP was recorded, engineered and mixed at Barnyard Studios by Tony Newton and produced by Steve Harris.
BRITISH LION's first U.S. tour took place in January and February 2020.
BRITISH LION comprises singer Richard Taylor, guitarists David Hawkins and Grahame Leslie, Harris on bass and keyboards, and drummer Simon Dawson.
Asked by the Tampa Bay Times what the itch is that BRITISH LION scratches that he doesn't get in his job with MAIDEN, Harris said: "I suppose playing small clubs and being close and personal with the audience. I love playing big places as well. I enjoy them all, and I'm very lucky that I can do them all. But also, it's clubs that I never played with MAIDEN, even in Europe. There's a famous club called the Milky Way in Amsterdam, which I managed to play with BRITISH LION, but I never did that with MAIDEN. There's places now that I'm going to be playing on this [U.S.] tour that I've never played before. So it's all new ground. It's a challenge. It's nice. I like a challenge."
The Lucid, featuring vocalist Vinnie Dombroski (Sponge), bassist David Ellefson (ex Megadeth), guitarist Drew Fortier, and drummer Mike Heller, have released a music video for "Maskronaut", a track from their debut self-titled album, released back in October via SpoilerHead Records. The video was directed by Michael Sarna.
In conjunction with the video release, the band are also aiming to help raise awareness for testicular cancer after their guitarist, Drew Fortier, had been diagnosed with the disease last month. He is currently recovering from surgery and waiting to hear results back from pathology as well as next steps.
The Lucid along with Brynn Arens (Flipp) have set up a Gofundme page to help Fortier with medical costs during this time. Please donate here.
Fortier states, "You truly never know with these things. I wanted to make this public to help raise awareness with this type of cancer because it literally came on out of nowhere. I'm thankful for all the support and I want to give a big thank you to Dr. Masterson and his team at Indiana University for being true rock stars in their field."
Ellefson adds, "We always felt 'Maskronaut' was a special song, even more so with the video. In light of recent circumstances with Drew's health, we agreed this was the right time to release something uplifting and positive heading into the summer."
"Maskronaut" was produced by Michael Sarna & David Ellefson, and apart from the band, stars Kyle & Ashleigh Abbott along with Alyson Montez.
The album, produced by Mike Heller and mixed and mastered by Lasse Lammert, is out now streaming on all platforms. Physical copies can be purchased here. Signed vinyl copies will be shipped out next month due to a shipping error with the signed inserts.
Tracklisting:
"Maggot Wind"
"Deaths Of Despair"
"Spoiler Head"
"Hair"
"Maskronaut"
"Damned"
"Breech Boy"
"Pigs And Sons"
"Parade Of Spit"
Influential Danish metallers MERCYFUL FATE played their first concert in 23 years earlier tonight (Thursday, June 2) at the Expo Plaza in Hannover, Germany as the support act for VOLBEAT. The band's seven-song set included a brand new track, "The Jackal Of Salzburg", which is expected to appear on MERCYFUL FATE's upcoming studio album, tentatively due in 2023 via Metal Blade.
Joining frontman King Diamond in MERCYFUL FATE's current lineup are Hank Shermann on guitar, Bjarne T. Holm on drums, Mike Wead on guitar and Joey Vera on bass.
The setlist was as follows:
01. The Oath
02. The Jackal Of Salzburg (new song; live debut)
03. A Corpse Without Soul
04. Curse Of The Pharaohs
05. Evil
06. A Dangerous Meeting
Encore:
07. Satan's Fall
In 2019, it was announced that Vera would be replacing original MERCYFUL FATE bassist Timi Hansen for the band's summer 2020 European festival appearances due to Hansen's cancer diagnosis. Hansen passed away in November 2019 and MERCYFUL FATE's 2020 summer festival appearances were initially rescheduled for 2021 before being moved back to 2022.
In a Twitch livestream from a few days ago from the MERCYFUL FATE rehearsals, which took place in Glostrup, Denmark, King revealed that he and his bandmates were planning to debut a brand new song at the 2022 shows. "We're trying," he said. "We're still working on a song. I wrote the final lyrics the day of our departure [for rehearsals], I would say, and that's a couple of days ago. So the others have not heard me sing the song at all. We played a few riffs from it yesterday. I didn't sing to it at that time. But it's coming [along] here. The next couple of days we're gonna see where it leads us."
Regarding the musical and lyrical content of the new MERCYFUL FATE song, King said: "It's quite a monster, I would say. It's almost nine minutes long. So it's not just a quick little [tune]. We hope we can play it. We're gonna do everything in our power to play it. It's not recorded yet. So whatever version we might play for you could change before it actually is fully recorded. Some drums have been recorded — that's what I can say. But we will do our damnedest to play it. We put it early in the set even. But that's something to look forward to, definitely. And now we've gotta make it sound correct, 'cause the early demo versions have lots of stuff on that create a certain mood in the whole thing, which we can't do [when we perform it]. The live version will be different. I can't do the backing vocals, naturally, that is intended for the song. But that's also a challenge, to do a version that works live, of course, [with the] vocal lines. It's gonna be fun. It's gonna be heavy. The subject is very heavy too. We are back in 1675 till 1690. That's a piece of history that we are describing — a nasty piece of history," he added, possibly referring to the Salzburg Witch Trials.
Back in October 2020, Vera told Dead Rhetoric about how he landed the MERCYFUL FATE gig: "I've been friends with King for some time. ARMORED SAINT did a tour with King back in 1988-89; we have been friends and labelmates forever. And so, he came to see me when I was on tour with FATES WARNING supporting QUEENSRŸCHE in Dallas where he lives. He came to see the show. [Metal Blade Records owner] Brian Slagel was in town. King pulled me aside backstage and told me the story of Timi going through chemotherapy and had a summer tour booked and wasn't sure he was going to be well enough to do it. If he wasn't, would I consider stepping in and helping out. Of course, I was flabbergasted and honored, yeah. I didn't have anything else going on — it was supposed to happen this summer. To honor Timi and help them out, thank you for asking me. In the back of my mind, I was thinking Timi would pull through, he would get enough energy to make it. I was sadly mistaken and it was devastating."
Two years ago, Shermann confirmed that he was working on the first new music from MERCYFUL FATE in more than two decades. At the time, he said about the writing process: "First of all, King is living in Texas, in the States. I'm living here north of Copenhagen, in Denmark. The drummer [Bjarne T. Holm] is also here, so I work with him in the rehearsal room shaping the new songs. The other guitar player [Mike Wead] is in Stockholm, Sweden, and our new bass player [Joey Vera] is in Los Angeles. So everything is [being done via] Dropbox or e-mails."
He continued: "I think there's about six or seven [tracks that are] about to be ready. The first song has been sent to King after it's been mixed and all the guys played on the song. So I sent the files to Joey in Los Angeles; he did the bass. And then I sent the same files to Mike in Stockholm; he did his solos. And now King has the first song, evaluating for the vocals to be added. And then we will rearrange certain parts to be twice as long and stuff like that."
MERCYFUL FATE's last studio album, "9", was released in 1999.
MERCYFUL FATE will be remembered for its unquestionable mark on the history of metal with its innovative sound, complex arrangements, memorable melody, and its influence on bands that later took the genre to new heights.
In 1998, METALLICA paid tribute to MERCYFUL FATE by recording a medley of classic MERCYFUL FATE songs on the album "Garage Inc." Titled "Mercyful Fate", the medley included parts from "Satan's Fall", "Curse of the Pharaohs", "A Corpse Without Soul", "Into the Coven" and "Evil".
Lars Ulrich of METALLICA (a fellow Dane) played drums on a new version of MERCYFUL FATE's "Return of the Vampire" on the "In the Shadows" album, which came out in 1993.
Deraps have released the official video for "Veins Of My Heart", the third single from their self-titled debut album, which will be released on June 17th via Metalville Records. The video for the track, which will also be released as a digital single this Friday, June 3rd, can be seen below.
"This song came from a true story which Josh (Gallagher - drummer) wrote a big poem about," reveals vocalist / guitarist Jacob Deraps. "He sent me the poem so I could use it for lyrics and it turned out, as I was reading it with my guitar in my hands, all the guitar and vocal ideas came pouring out of me, I came up with the intro / chorus, the verses, then the bridge, etc... It all fell into place so quickly and naturally, it was like lightning in a bottle. With the type of song that this was gonna be, it had to have maximum production and sound like something that came out of the '80s. It has everything that I love about the '80s, big guitar riffs, big vocals, a catchy chorus with huge harmonies and a massive instrumental solo section. It was all just meant to be like this."
Deraps cover art and tracklisting:
"Invasion"
"Sex, Drugs & Rock N' Roll"
"My Side Of Town"
"Live Fast Die Slow"
"Veins Of My Heart"
"Élizabeth"
"Make Ya Groove"
"Wild To The Woman"
"On My Mind"
"F*ck Off"
"Ballroom Blitz"
Just released... Kansas legend Robby Steinhardt’s video for “Not in Kansas Anymore”, from the album of the same name. Produced by Michael Franklin, the album was released on Solar Music just after the unexpected passing of Steinhardt.
You know him as the legendary violinist, vocalist and frontman for the band Kansas, recording nine albums which reached gold, platinum and double platinum status, and is now making another mark on the world with his first and only solo album.
The new album, Not In Kansas Anymore is a powerful, well thought-out offering of prog rock magic. Timely songs with incredible arrangements and virtuoso performances. Robby’s vocals and signature electric violin come through on this continuous work labeled a “Prog Opera”.
In his only interview for the project, he spoke with Bill Shafer of PBS. Steinhardt was asked what the meaning behind the title Not In Kansas Anymore was. Steinhardt responded, “It’s no slight against the band, no never! My time with Kansas defined a big part of my life, of which I am very proud of. Ever since The Wizard of OZ, those words have become an American axiom for moving forward, you can never go back etc.” Robby laughed, “I guess it has a special meaning when it is fixed to me.”
The album, produced by Michael Thomas Franklin, is his latest production since the highly acclaimed Jon Anderson 1000 Hands Chapter One. Franklin used a similar approach using a large cast of renown musicians to lend their talents. Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, Steve Morse of Deep Purple/Dixie Dregs, Billy Cobham of Mahavishnu Orchestra, Bobby Kimball of Toto, Chuck Leavell of The Rolling Stones, Liberty Devitto (Drummer on Billy Joel’s hits), Jim Gentry, Pat Travers, Billy Ashbaugh (Moody Blues/Pat Benatar), Lisa Fischer (longtime vocalist for The Rolling Stones), 1000 Hands members Michael Franklin, Tommy Calton, Tim Franklin, Jocelyn Hsu, Rayford Griffin and Benoit Lajeunesse and many others including Orchestra and Choir.
The songs provide powerful lyrics, hard to forget choruses, combined with crafty playing. All this combined with Franklin’s lavish and complicated arrangements makes listening to Not In Kansas Anymore a wonderful hour well spent. The stunning album artwork created by Tom Lupo of Magnificent Pictures and subliminal song quotes from the Wizard of OZ, are another added feature to this complex Prog Opera. Currently four videos are in the works.
Steinhardt was in a reborn state of mind in the months prior to finishing the record. He and wife Cindy were looking forward to a new chapter in their lives. He had started rehearsals and was preparing to hit the road in August when he became ill in May. Robby’s musical vision, voice and violin lives on with his first and only solo album, Not In Kansas Anymore! Release was delayed due to Steinhardt’s passing July 17, 2021.
Order Not In Kansas Anymore on digital download, CD and LP with free digital download can be ordered here, and/or here.
Courtesy of ARTE Concert, the clip below features Norwegian black metal legends Emperor playing at Alcatraz Festival 2021, which took place in Kortrijk, Belgium in August.
The setlist was as follows:
"In the Wordless Chamber"
"Thus Spake the Nightspirit"
"The Loss and Curse of Reverence"
"The Acclamation of Bonds"
"With Strength I Burn"
"Curse You All Men!"
"The Majesty of the Nightsky"
"I Am the Black Wizards"
"Inno a Satana"
"Ye Entrancemperium"
Black City Records, in collaboration with Norwegian black metal legends Emperor and Candlelight Records, are the very first store worldwide to offer the latest 140g Abbey Road half-speed masters on coloured vinyl of the following titles:
• Emperor EP
• In The Nightside Eclipse
• Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk
• IX Equilibrium
• Prometheus - Discipline Of Fire & Demise
All versions are in limited quantity and available both instore and online. Buy them here now.
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