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 first single, “My Way Is the Highway”, from the forthcoming album, American Rocker. The album is due out June 3 through his brother’s (Albert Bouchard) and his imprint Rockheart Records and Deko Entertainment (ADA/Warner Music Group).
Bouchard had this to say about it, “The song ‘My Way Is The Highway’ is a dream of tour destinations while cruising down the coast as the sun sinks into the Pacific Ocean. It is powered by the drums of Mickey Curry, and cementing the groove is brother Albert on his iconic cowbell--the original “more-cowbell man”! This song makes you want to put the pedal to the metal while you dance to the rocking music of the 70s.”
Listen to the song here, and watch a music video below.
Deko Entertainment president, Bruce Pucciarello, states, “The song ‘My Way Is The Highway’ teases my imagination. It conjures up images of times and places that feel like the essence of rock and roll to me.”
The new album 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”
Italian power/progressive metallers, Secret Sphere, have released the new video below, Liveblood - The Studio Session. Stream/download Liveblood - The Studio Session here.
Tracklisting:
"Lifeblood"
"The Scars That You Can't See"
"Alive"
"The End Of An Ego"
"Rain"
"Against All the Odds"
"Legend"
Lineup:
Roberto Messina - Voice
Aldo Lonobile - Guitars
Andrea Buratto - Bass
Gabriele Ciaccia - Keyboards
Marco Lazzarini – Drums
German hard rockers, Fargo, have released a video for "Time", featured on their current studio album, Strangers D'Amour, available via SPV/Steamhammer. Watch the clip below, and order the album here.
Tracklisting:
"Rain Of Champagne"
"Gimme That Bone"
"Closer To The Sun"
"Time"
"Mary Says"
"Law Of The Jungle"
"Homesick"
"Dear Miss Donna Vetter"
"No Reason To Cry"
"Car Expert"
"Why Don’t You"
Germany’s Die Apokalyptischen Reiter, whose name translates as “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse”, brandish a unique style of melodic heaviness, accompanied by one-of-a-kind, intense lyrics. Last week, the band unleashed their new masterpiece Wilde Kinder (=“Wild Children”), which is the official successor to their album Der Rote Reiter (2017).
On Sunday, May 1, the band will celebrate the release of their new album with a special worldwide streaming event, The March For Freedom, which is set to be the ultimate experience of Reitermania’s live-power. Today, the band reveal a live video for their track, "Von Freiheit will ich singen" (= "I want to sing of freedom"), which was taken from The March For Freedom stream and gives fans a first taste of what's to come.
Watch the video below:
The March For Freedom will take place here on Sunday, May 1 at 8 PM, CEST.
The band comments: "The March For Freedom is our very first worldwide digital show. We have been working on a great and epic Reiter-show, that has never been seen before. Elaborately staged and filmed with ten cameras, fans can expect to experience fire, intense emotion, and a huge spectacle. Modern technology gives everyone the opportunity to watch us play as if we were right there in your living room. For the first time ever, we will be playing brand new songs from "Wilde Kinder", while also including several band classics in our setlist. Our show will be available from May 1st to May 8th and participants will be able to watch the show as often as they like for 48 hours. You can get your tickets and exclusive merch here."
“Von Freiheit Will Ich Singen”
“Volle Kraft”
“Alles Iit Gut”
“Wilde Kinder”
“Leinen Los”
“Euer Gott Ist Der Tod”
“Nur Frohen Mutes”
“Blau”
“Der Eisenhans”
“Ich Bin Ein Mensch”
"Leinen Los" video:
"Euer Gott ist der Tod" video:
“Wilde Kinder”:
“Volle Kraft” video:
Die Apokalyptischen Reiter:
Fuchs - Lyrics, vocals, guitars
Ady - guitars, keyboards
Volk-Man - bass
Sir G. - drums, programming, keyboards
Studio Session Guests:
Dr. Pest - keyboards - Wilde Kinder, Der Eisenhans, Alles ist gut
Chris Harms - Spoken Words - Blau
Sabine Scherer - Vocals - Euer Gott ist der Tod
Corvin Bahn - Keyboards – Von Freiheit will ich singen, Euer Gott ist der Tod, Blau
On April 29, Sammy Hagar & The Circle paid tribute to Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who passed away on March 25 at the Four Seasons Casa Medina hotel in Bogota, Colombia while the band was on tour. The band performed Foo Fighters' "My Hero" at the Beale Street Music Fest in in Memphis, Tennessee.
A message from Sammy Hagar states: "When we were asked by the promoter to fill in for the Foo Fighters at the Beale Street Music Festival, my first reaction was 'No fucking way!' We discussed it as a band, and we came up with 'Why not! Let's just go play music and you're at a big ass Circle party for those people, just do what we do!' Then with Dave Grohl's blessings we decided to do a broken down version of one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite bands. It felt appropriate. No rehearsal, After all this is rock 'n' roll and thats what it's all about. Enjoy."
The North American Siege 2022, featuring Arch Enemy and Behemoth, plus special guests Napalm Death and Unto Others, landed at M-Telus in Montreal on April 26th, and at Terminal 5 in New York City on April 28th. Arch Enemy have released the following recap videos:
Remaining tour dates:
May
2 - Chicago, IL - The Riviera Theatre
4 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
7 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
9 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo
10 - Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theatre
11 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
13 - Berkeley, CA - The UC Theatre
15 - Los Angeles, CA - The Hollywood Palladium
On July 29, Arch Enemy will release their 11th studio album, Deceivers, via Century Media Records. For fans that can't wait for the record's release, the band is now offering a new 7", "Sunset Over The Empire" (due out May 20) - with the title track also appearing on Deceivers.
Arch Enemy's founder and chief songwriter Michael Amott comments: "I am thrilled that we are releasing our next single 'Sunset Over The Empire' not only digitally everywhere as usual, but also as a physical 7" vinyl record. I'm a big fan of the vinyl format myself and I think this killer looking 7" will be a nice collector's item as it's a limited run. The B-side is an instrumental we've never released before on a record, and the A-side is one of my fave tracks off our new upcoming album Deceivers!"
Pre-order "Sunset Over The Empire" here, where the 7" is available in the following versions:
- white vinyl (limited to 1000 copies; available via CM Distro Europe)
- transparent orange vinyl (limited to 500 copies; band exclusive)
"Sunset Over The Empire" tracklisting:
"Sunset Over The Empire"
"The Judging Eyes"
A collection of 11 tracks that are ruthlessly catchy and mercilessly violent, Deceivers stands toe-to-toe with the highlights of the band's storied catalogue. Pre-order the album here.
Deceivers tracklisting:
"Handshake With Hell"
"Deceiver, Deceiver"
"In The Eye Of The Storm"
"The Watcher"
"Poisoned Arrow"
"Sunset Over The Empire"
"House Of Mirrors"
"Spreading Black Wings"
"Mourning Star"
"One Last Time"
"Exiled From Earth"
"Handshake With Hell" video:
"Deceiver, Deceiver" video:
"House Of Mirrors" video:
Arch Enemy lineup:
Alissa White-Gluz - Vocals
Michael Amott - Guitars
Jeff Loomis - Guitars
Sharlee D'Angelo - Bass
Daniel Erlandsson - Drums
Texas rock band Blacktop Mojo has released an animated video for "Jealousy/Make Believe". a two track compilation and first installment for the three song concept within their 2021 released, self-titled album.
Created by frontman Matt James and bassist Catt Murtis on the porch of the band’s house in Palestine, TX, with an acoustic guitar, "Jealousy/Make Believe" blossomed in Nashville with the help of producer Philip Mosley. The animated video will be released in two parts, with part two concluding the story with "Darlin I Won’t Tell', which will be released later.
“From our fourth record, ‘Jealousy/Make Believe’ and ‘Darlin I Won’t Tell’ are sort of a concept album within the album. The three songs flow together as a singular narrative and we wanted to create a striking visual to convey the story. We decided to do something cool that we’ve never done before and make a three-song animated video to tell this story of heartbreak, murder, and deception.” - Blacktop Mojo
Catch Blacktop Mojo live, openng for Buckcherry, at the following shows:
May
1 - Bloomington, IL - Castle Theatre
3 - Indianapolis, IN - Hi Fi (The Annex)
4 - Lexington, KY - Manchester Music Hall
6 - St. Charles, IL - Arcada Theatre
7 - Flint, MI - Machine Shop - SOLD OUT
8 - Horseheads, NY - The L
10 - Hermon, ME - Morgan Hill Event Center
11 - Portland, ME - Aura
13 - Rochester, NY - Montage Music Hall
14 - Leesburg, VA - Tally Ho
16 - Murrells Inlet, SC - Suck Bang Blow
17 - Black Mountain, NC - Silverados
18 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre
Northern California death metal outfit Greybush have unveiled an initial look at their upcoming EP. Check out the music video for the record's first single "Roadneck" - a killer track inspired in part by the brutal slayings of Ed Kemper.
The new EP from Greybush, This Is Punishment, will see a May 23rd release, with an album release show set for the same night at Goldfield (Midtown) in Sacramento, CA.
Swedish death thrashers Septekh recently signed a record deal with ViciSolum Productions and have released their brand new video / single "Greetings From The End". The song is taken from the band's forthcoming EP, with the same title. The EP will be released via ViciSolum Productions on May 13th.
With work on the next full length already on the way, Septekh once again turned to a proven side path. The plan this time was to do a quick EP and get a handful of eclectic songs out as a stop-gap and palette cleanser for the next release. The pandemic turned that quick gap into a two year near complete hiatus. But there is always a silver lining. Having found a very good home for this and upcoming releases on ViciSolum Productions, vocalist Ldy Grznls comments about the forthcoming EP as follows:
“'Greetings From The End' feels more solid and derived than ever. A lethal, rascal spirit-energy as well as the rawness and craftsmanship that comes with age. Personally this latest batch of songs became the canvas to observe my own trajectory. Suicide. Immortality. Biography.”
Svart Records announce the signing of Red Rot - the new extreme metal band of Luciano Lorusso George and Davide Tiso (formerly of Ephel Duath).
Today, the Italian-American outfit has announced their debut album, Mal de Vivre, a relentless opus of technical beauty and bludgeoning grace, which will see an August 26 release via Svart. To give fans their first taste of the record, Red Rot will release their new single "Ashes" tomorrow (April 29), but the music video for the track is out today and can be seen below.
Red Rot's debut, Mal de Vivre, is a relentless opus of technical beauty and bludgeoning grace.
Dubbed after a French expression to describe a sense of profound discontentment, the idea of losing the taste for life, Mal de Vivre was written, recorded and mixed between October 2020 and May 2021 as the world was reeling in the throes of a pandemic. Featuring eclectic drummer Ron Bertrand and bass virtuoso Ian Baker to flesh out their powerhouse of cutting-edge extreme metal, Red Rot are an emerging force to be reckoned with.
The seventeen songs in Mal de Vivre are musically intense, raw and passionate, but with a multi-faceted elegance that envisages Red Rot appealing to fans of radical and heavy music right across the spectrum. Engorged with elements of Death Metal, Doom and Thrash: Mal de Vivre sounds like a twisted blend of the roots of early Morbid Angel and Paradise Lost with the experimental discord of Voivod and the hardcore clash and klang of bands like Converge. Lorusso’s lyrics on Mal de Vivre explore themes of mental illness, psychological deviance, rage, gloom and paranoia, all delivered with agonized and emotional conviction.
Davide Tiso further illustrates their themes and origins in his concept for Red Rot by explaining: “When it was time to give a name to the music coming up, I thought about two elements: something sulphuric, malignant in its essence, combined with the idea of rot.
I found out that the Red Rot present in the vegetable tanned leather of old books that remain stored and untouched in humid locations is a result of binding components turning into sulphuric acid. This idea of old knowledge left rotting into itself created sulphuric essence clicked with me. It took quite a long time for me to start playing rotting sounding music: my career started playing sophisticated jazzy sounding metal. Now I feel I added sulfur to my music and Red Rot is the result of it. Apparently the damage caused by Red Rot is irreversible, I like to think that Red Rot’s music could do the same”.
This festering and gangrenous outbreak erupted into Mal de Vivre which was then mixed and mastered by producer extraordinaire Jamie King at Basement Studio in Salem, North Carolina. Mal de Vivre’s resulting mix sounds abrasive but legible and defined, featuring punishing, heartfelt vocals, burly, relentless low-tuned guitars, pummeling drums and a warm, encompassing bass tone that makes Red Rot a primal but distinctly modern beast.
Clocking in at the perfect 38-minute mark, the songs on Red Rot’s Mal de Vivre alternate between one-minute bursts and three-minute nightmares resulting in a fervent but cathartic listening experience.
That Mal de Vivre is such a well developed and conceived debut album should be no surprise to fans of Tiso and Lorusso’s earlier work, but newcomers to Red Rot’s fungal network of dominating putrefaction have oozing spoils to savor once this album drops.
Lybica, a dynamic and instrumental band from South Florida that seamlessly blends flavorful guitar melody with powerful metallic crunch, and which features Killswitch Engage drummer Justin Foley on guitar, have today shared the double single "Palatial" and "Ferment".
Listen here, and watch a video for "Palatial" below..
"These tunes were two early ones that came together when we first started jamming, so it's fitting that they're the first songs we're sharing with everyone," Foley says. "I think they sum up what we're all about, blending loud with soft, heavy with hooks."
Lybica will release their debut album later this year via Metal Blade Records.
In other band news, Lybica will play their first show ever on May 7 at Haven Lounge in Winter Park, Florida, just outside of Orlando. The band has added drummer Chris Lane (A Brilliant Lie), to its lineup as of December 2021. He makes his debut in the "Palatial" video.
Foley continues, "Now that we have Chris [Lane] on drums, it's time to give these songs and more their live debut at Haven Lounge in Winter Park, Florida on May 7. We can't wait!!"
Pattern-Seeking Animals, the California-based progressive rock band featuring Ted Leonard (lead vocals & guitars), Jimmy Keegan (drums & vocals), Dave Meros (bass) and John Boegehold (keyboards), have released their third album, Only Passing Through, via InsideOut Music.
Watch Jimmy Keegan's playthrough for the song "I Can't Stay Here Anymore":
Offering eight songs (and two bonus tracks) that are as varied as they are excellent, Only Passing Through is a work that will deliver on all fronts. From the opener "Everdark Mountain" to the weighty "Much Ado" and the 13-minute epic "Time Has A Way", the album has something to please fans in all quarters. If you ever wondered what Spaghetti Western Cinema would sound like in the world of 2022 prog, have a listen to "Said The Stranger". For some jazzier stylings, lend an ear to "Here With You With Me".
Boegehold is justifiably proud of the album: “Only Passing Through picks up where Prehensile Tales left off but soon takes several stylistic detours as it progresses. Everyone involved made this album a lot of fun to make and we're all looking forward to it finally being heard."
"Everdark Mountain"
"I Can't Stay Here Anymore"
"Time Has A Way"
"Rock Paper Scissors"
"Much Ado"
"Only Passing Through"
"Said The Stranger"
"Here With You With Me"
Bay Area skate punk/thrash/crossover band, Boneless Ones, is back. After a 35 year hiatus the guys said, “Hey-what the fuck!!!”… That’s three-plus decades of sonic dominance and counter-culture benefaction. Now, The Boneless Ones find their contumacious voice again on "Back To The Grind" via their own label, Thunder & Lightning Records.
Troy Takaki says: "Lower Bobs is an amazing DIY skatepark in Oakland. When I first went there I said, 'we have to shoot a video here'. Throw in a new song and some awesome skaters, the video shoots itself. Actually, thank you Adam and Donovan for shooting it. Our first video with an actually director and cameraman."
Watch the "Back To The Grind" video below.
On "Back To The Grind", Troy Takaki states: “The name of the album was Chris’ idea. Max wrote a song about skating with your friends after a long time off. The first lyric to the song is 'I’m back on board with my friends'. We named the song 'Back To The Grind' because it is just better than 'Back On Board'. Well, we are back! After 36 years we are playing again!"
About "Crossing Over the Bridge", Chris Kontos says: “This song is about Crossover. Do you know what that is? This song is owed to the Ruthie’s Inn moment and what the Bay Area created blending punk rock, metal, thrash, Rock ’n Roll."
The Boneless Ones reunite! And what a long time coming... "heavy, punk and trashy." - Craig Locicero (Forbidden, Dress The Dead)
"Kick-ass metal/punk/crossover music." - Chris Kontos (Machine Head)
The Boneless Ones celebrate their much-anticipated return with new album, Back To The Grind. Featuring founding members Max Fox (vocals) and Troy Takaki (bass) with erstwhile drummer Chris Kontos (ex-Attitude Adjustment, ex-Machine Head) and new guitarist Craig Locicero (Dress the Dead, ex-Forbidden), and after 35 years, still - the Bay Area quartet breathe present-day life into the sounds/customs that crucially bridged punk, hardcore, metal, and skateboarding. In fact, it was appearances on pivotal compilations Them Boners Be Poppin’ (Boner) and Skate Rock Volume 3 - Wild Riders of Boards (Thrasher) that set up debut album Skate for the Devil for near-continuous reverence from the day of its release in 1986 to its most recent re-issue via Beer City Records in 2020.
Pre-order the new album, out May 13, here, or here.
Tracklisting:
"Back To The Grind"
"We Ride The Night"
"Bones Of Rock"
"Church Of Violence"
"Blood On The Street"
"Crossing Over The Bridge"
"Tied To A Stake"
"I Wish You Were Beer"
"Good Friends"
"Cops & Robbers"
"Heavy Is The Face"
"In The Cold"
"Faces Of Death"
"Back To The Grind" video:
Formed in Berkeley, California, in 1984. Initially, they weren’t even a musical group—more a cadre of Pro-Am aspiring punks aligned to a single skate-or-die goal. The genesis of the moniker goes back to Fox and cohort Takaki pilfering boneless stickers from grocery store meat departments. They plastered the ‘boneless’ red decals everywhere. Then, still, without a band, they designed a logo. When a skate photo of Fox, Takaki, and ripper Joel Chavez appeared in East Bay fanzine Cometbus, they were mistaken for a real-life band. Naturally, Chavez’s trick—called a “boneless”—combined with youthful guerilla marketing tactics had paid off. The Boneless Ones were officially born. Obligatory lineup changes eventually coalesced into Fox and Takaki bringing in Joe Satriani-educated guitarist Luke Skeels and Fang drummer Tim Stilletto. Not long after, the quartet wrote and recorded Skate for the Devil with Kevin Army. The rest, the adage goes, is history.
Skate for the Devil was constructed with spontaneous spirit, fresh-faced grit, and a middle-finger attitude. Whatever was to come after classics like “Keg Kept a Flowin’,” “Love to Hate,” “Miss Fresno,” and “Skate for the Devil” had to have the same impetus, a similar tongue-in-cheek constitution, and above all, continued adoration for all things skateboarding. Not for nothing but Thrasher Magazine called “Skate for the Devil” one of the greatest skate rock songs of all time. So, high bars had been set. With heavy hearts from the passing of Skeels (R.I.P. October 26, 2020) and good friend Eddie Jennings and palpable nostalgia in their minds, The Boneless Ones reconvened not as a reunion band but as an entity driven to create anew. Indeed, Kontos (originally in the band's ’86 and ’87 configurations) and Locicero provided indispensable firepower and aptitude to the overall songwriting sessions. The Boneless Ones pulled four unreleased tracks (“Tied to a Stake,” “Church of Violence,” “In the Cold,” and “Faces of Death”) from a long-lost ’87 demo while the band minted up-to-date songs in “Back To The Grind,” “We Ride the Night,” “Blood on the Streets,” and “I Wish You Were a Beer,” the follow-up to “Miss Fresno.” Back To The Grind is real, and it surpasses all expectations.
Back To The Grind is an album steeped in Bay Area roots—the vibrant Berkeley scene, Ruthie’s Inn, et al.—but it’s not a retread musically. Yes, old songs have been retooled. Yet, it’s the new songs where The Boneless Ones overwhelmingly shine rebellious, wax dynamic (fast and slow), and hit harder than metal to concrete. The guitar hero antics of Skeel are still imbued in Locicero’s contributions, and the tongue-in-cheek humor of the group’s formative years remains intact. There’s no confusion in direction, however. This is skate rock/cross-over music, as poignant today as it was in the mid-’80s. That’s evident from the old-school gallop of “Church of Violence” and the shout-out grind of “Crossing Over” to the launch-ramp pulse of “Good Friends” and the Vanishing Point-informed “Blood on the Streets.” For a bunch of guys with miles on their backs and stories to tell, Back To The Grind illustrates that it’s never too late to resurrect and persist once more that which matters most.
"We wrote the whole record in the spare bedroom at my house," says drummer Chris Kontos. "I was on electric drums. I kept it caveman. I didn't want a Machine Head or Gojira-level drumming style on this record. The record needed to be played on a steering wheel—like air drums. Craig was really hitting on some Rikk Agnew [Christian Death, Adolescents] moments on this record. He also understood the skate theme that we were going for. The modern [recording] tech going straight into my computer really helped our playbacks. We finally had a quality pre-production from that. We all had our parts down by the time we were ready to go in and record."
The Boneless Ones are, if anything, chroniclers. Musically, that’s tangible throughout Back To The Grind. Lyrically, Fox has lived a life, and all that comes with it. Themes of brotherhood, lost love, reflection, and skateboarding—a scene in which the vocalist remains very active—are woven throughout the lyrical outlay. Indeed, “Back To The Grind” hits on never letting go, while “Bones of Rock” pays homage to rock ‘n’ roll; heartbreak is tackled on “In the Cold," and “Good Friends” honors the unfortunate passing of a friend; “Crossing Over” takes on the tenets of Bay Area cross-over music, and the bands that inspired it. Back To The Grind is a testament to the last 35 years of Fox’s life.
“There’s two different styles I write in,” Fox says. “There’s storytelling songs and songs that tell a story. I wrote a lot of the new songs from the heart—things that have happened in my life. They’re ‘life songs.’ I’ve lived my life, and I have stories to tell. I’m conscious that not every song needs to be a long and drawn-out novella. Some of the songs are playful, fun, and joyful. But there’s a very serious side to us, too. Both sides are important to us, and I think they define what The Boneless Ones were and are now.”
Kevin Army and his trusty 8-track recorder did the job on Skate for the Devil in ’86. The Boneless Ones (and technology) have moved on, however. The group enlisted producer Zack ‘The Wizard’ Ohren (Machine Head, Fallujah) and Oakland-based Sharkbite Studios to properly capture Back To The Grind. The sessions were rigorous yet productive. On the first day, Kontos got through 10 of the 13 songs, while Fox nailed the vocals in two days. The Boneless Ones then brought on Grammy Award-winning mixing engineer Matt Winegar (Fantastic Negrito, Primus) and mastering guru Ed Littman for Ed Littman Mastering to ensure Back To The Grind would boom and grind from loudspeakers at skateparks to streaming playback.
“Zack was good,” says Takaki. “He was there with us from the get-go. You always know where you stand with Zack—he speaks his thoughts. So, he helped us clean up our act. Chris was incredible. His playing is so physical. After the drums, we did bass and rhythm guitar. Now, we record everything individually. I work in movies, so I understand the theory, but this is the first time I recorded the bass by myself. The recording was so much different from the first album. We definitely pulled favors to get the music recorded 1,000 times better than it should’ve been.”
Where The Boneless Ones go from here is determined by fun and feels. That's how they started, and that's how they'll continue on. Certainly, the years of covert marketing via Hollywood movies (Diary of a Wimpy Kid [as Löded Diper], The Bounty Hunter), skate videos (Monster Energy Drink and Thrasher Magazine “Magic Maka Bus” with pro Grant Taylor), and appearances in other mediums have helped The Boneless Ones stay front and center. The tradition carries on with music spots in downhill skater documentary Nick Broms: What’s the Rush? and HBO Max series Dead Boy Detectives. Renowned artist Mark DeVito (Metallica, Motörhead) completes the Bay Area circle with a raging cover piece and a cool new slime-green logo design. The kegs keep flowin’, the party’s never dull, and most importantly, the grinds are always gnarly with The Boneless Ones’s Back To The Grind.
World acclaimed keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Sons of Apollo, Black Country Communion), one of the most significant keyboard players of the modern era, will be releasing the new album Vortex, on July 1 via InsideOutMusic.
Returning alongside Sherinian is legendary drummer Simon Phillips, who once again co-wrote and co-produced the album, as well as Tony ‘The Fretless Monster’ Franklin, on bass.
Today, Derek is pleased to release the title track from the album. Watch the video for "The Vortex" below.
The follow-up to 2020’s The Phoenix, Vortex includes eight tracks built on his signature chameleonic sound that blends rock with elements of funk, prog, and jazz, which he started writing even before The Phoenix was finished.
“Vortex is a continuation of The Phoenix,” Sherinian states. “However, I feel the composition is stronger on the new album, and I would describe it as a modern day 70s style fusion record, but with newer heavier tonality.”
When it came to guitars, Sherinian recruited a who’s who of great players, some of whom he had worked with before - Steve Stevens, Joe Bonamassa, Steve Lukather, Zakk Wylde, Sons Of Apollo bandmate Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal - and a few new allies, in the form of Michael Schenker, Mike Stern and Nuno Bettencourt.
“The choice of guitarist works itself out in the writing,” he explains. “Also, like in the case of Steve Stevens, we co-wrote the song together, so it was natural for him to play on it.”
Of his new collaborators, he says of Bettencourt, who appears on the scratchy “Fire Horse”, “I have always been a fan of his playing, and I am glad that we finally got to record together. He has the Van Halen swing and swagger to his playing that I love. We were both born in 1966, the Chinese year of the Fire Horse.”
According to Sherinian, Schenker’s inclusion was a no-brainer. “Michael Schenker has been one of my heroes for many years. He asked me to play on his Immortal album, and in return, he agreed to play on “Die Kobra”. I wanted to write a great song inspired by my favorite Schenker tracks. Zakk Wylde added some great additional parts to the song, and Tony Franklin and Simon Phillips sound great, as usual.”
The Vortex will be available as:
- Ltd. 180g white LP+CD
- Ltd. CD Digipak
- Digital Album
"The Vortex" feat. Steve Stevens
"Fire Horse" feat. Nuno Bettencourt
"Scorpion"
"Seven Seas" feat. Steve Stevens
"Key Lime Blues" feat. Joe Bonamassa, Steve Lukather
"Die Kobra" feat. Michael Schenker, Zakk Wylde
"Nomad's Land" feat. Mike Stern
"Aurora Australis" feat. Bumblefoot
Brian May has released a brand new video for "Another World", the title track of his second solo album, filmed on location in the Canary Islands and in which Brian returns to the sites where he feels "closest to the heavens". Watch below:
A multi-format, meticulously repackaged deluxe edition of the album has been released in Brian's Gold Series, featuring the remastered original album alongside remixes, rarities and live tracks in the 2CD and box set formats.
The 15-track rarities collection in the new edition of the album, titled Another Disc, also features Brian's live version of “On My Way Up,” as performed in Paris in 1998, and a new guitar version, of which he says: “It's nice to just pick up the guitar and sing it with a guitar, so there's a couple of those versions on there. I particularly like the one of “On My Way Up” because it's very kind of rude. It's just raw, and I've done nothing to it apart from playing.”
In his new Another World 2022 album liner notes, Brian notes how far we have all travelled since the album’s release in 1998, but also that the exploration feels very appropriate at this time. “It seems perhaps that in 2022 we ARE in Another World,” he writes, “but if it’s not quite the world we asked for, perhaps we can still reach that perfect world… in our dreams. JOIN ME !!!”
The North American Siege 2022, featuring Arch Enemy and Behemoth, plus special guests Napalm Death and Unto Others, landed at Toronto's Rebel venue on April 25. Behemoth have shared this recap video:
Remaining tour dates:
April
28 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
29 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore Philadelphia
30 - Worcester, MA - Palladium
May
2 - Chicago, IL - The Riviera Theatre
4 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
7 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
9 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo
10 - Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theatre
11 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
13 - Berkeley, CA - The UC Theatre
15 - Los Angeles, CA - The Hollywood Palladium
Sao Paulo, Brazil-based metal band, Warred, have released their new single, "Controlling My Head", to be featured on the band's upcoming album, The Siren, out May 19. A video for the track can be found below.
"Controlling My Head" portrays the way people behave when facing the impositions made by society, so they can act like they agree with that. The lyrics show "the anguish of these people for trying to show what others want. It can be on their appearance, their ideology, but the important thing is to show others what they don't necessarily like, feel or think, as long as it goes with those impositions", according to singer Pedro Mion.
With a southern rock intro, a heavy - but cadenced pace, and with one of the strongest choruses on the album, "Controlling My Head" brings more examples of different influences of the band's members.
The single was recorded at Dual Noise Studios in Sao Paulo with renowned Brazilian metal producer Rogerio Wecko, and the video was shot at the theater inside the Morumbi Stadium, in Sao Paulo, featuring the actress Fernanda Santos, filmed, directed and edited by Jorge Torres and Raul Jacomini from Riff Filmes.
Warred was founded in 2012 by young band members and long time friends Arthur and Rodrigo. They both shared the same passion for old school metal bands such as Iron Maiden, Metallica, Judas Priest and more. After a few changes in the band formation, since 2020, the band stablished their identity, mixing the old school metal with modern metal influences.
FuZZrd has issued a live video for “Monster Carnival”, which can be seen below. The audio recording is currently available on all streaming platforms. Singer and guitarist Brett Petrusek shares, “It was such a great feeling to release Near Life Experience and play our first handful of shows to close 2021. I've always visualized 2022 as the beginning for us and felt fortunate that we were afforded a really nice head start to craft our sound, our vibe and our content. We're fired up to bring it live in the year ahead as we continue to build on the foundation we've created as a group."
Guitarist Eric Fairchild offers, “It has been thrilling to finally be in a room playing music for people again. To feel that energy, and reignite that fire in all of us. As the 2022 show schedule takes shape, I can't wait to raise the bar and show people what FuZZrd is all about."
The band filmed their performance at the Southern Theater on December 11th 2021, staged the week Near Life Experience was released. As the studio debut hit the street, Petrusek reflected, “I'm so very proud of what we have accomplished this past year. It's gratifying to see and hear the album in its completed form. It's a powerhouse and definitely fits in the category of ‘album I've always wanted to make.’ The chemistry with our producer Jeremy Tappero continued to flourish and we all grew as musicians. I love the songs and sound we've created. It's fresh, and new, and noticeably doesn't chase trends. It stays true to its heavy rock roots. It's so awesome to be a part of FuZZrd coming to life, playing live shows, and sharing our music. The whole of what we have created is truly rewarding. I'm totally grateful to have this group."
Upcoming FuZZrd shows include:
May
20 - Fridley, MN - Route 47 – Lakes Jam Pre-Party
June
23 - Brainerd, MN - Lakes Jam Festival (with Warrant, Tesla)
Former Slik Toxik drummer Neal Busby has shared an official video for the song "Back Alley Rat" from his new project, Toxyk Chyld. Check it out below.
Busby: "Good old school hard rock in the style of L.A. bands from the early '80s. The band features myself, Todd Lefever - formerly of EMI artists Alpha Galates - on guitar, Robb Rocket of Manic Mouth on lead vocals, and my wife Huguette (Twirl) on bass guitar."
Watch for updates via the band's official Facebook page here.
After more than 30 years, Toronto-based Chyld - who were part of the scene that gave us Slik Toxik, Sven Gali, Winter Rose and Slash Puppet - made a comeback in 2019 with a new single, "Burning Alive". The band released a new single, "In The Field of Fire" in March 2021; the official lyric video is available below.
Chyld: "World War One was the first war of the industrial revolution age and it delivered new weapons of mass destruction never seen before. From mechanized killing machines like tanks and planes to poisonous gas, with one of the most deadly and menacing being the flame thrower."
Line-up:
Nick Walsh - lead vocals
Pete Dove - bass
Todd Lefever - guitars
Neal Busby - drums
Chyld recently released an official video for new song "Ride Out". The song features Famous Underground / ex-Slik Toxik frontman Nick Walsh on vocals. Check it out below.
Walsh: "After a hang with my old friend and Slik Toxik band mate Neal Busby, catching up and sharing stories, Neal talked about how he and another old friend of mine, Pete Dove (Slash Puppet), were resurrecting their traditional heavy metal band from the '80s, Chyld. That day and conversation led to what you are about to hear and see. A song that I believe was written in 1983 at the height of that 'new' sound called heavy metal is now primed up for 2020. When I had the opportunity to take part, I couldn't pass up feeling 16 yrs old again."
From that era Chyld was born after guitarist Glen Cunningham met singer Rob Villemaire and joined forces with drummer Neal Busby. After a lengthy search bassist Pete Dove joined the ranks after his departure from another band. Chyld began rehearsals in Toronto with a diligent schedule that produced results very quickly, and with an arsenal of original songs they were ready to take on the Toronto metal club scene centered around the infamous venue, Larry's Hideaway.
In 1986 they recorded three songs, which resulted in the debut 7 inch single "Lite The Nite / Ye Morlok" being released on their own independent label Chyldysh Records. Sadly, it never got the attention it deserved at the time, but later achieved legendary status in the European metal world and sold on eBay for hundreds of dollars. Sadly, Chyld packed it in sometime in 1986 for reasons even the band cannot remember.
In 2012, inspired by the surge of interest in the old 7" single, Chyld reformed and recorded one old song, "Burning Alive". Tragically, it was the last song that singer Rob sang, as he passed away in 2017. His vocals sat in a computer for 7 years until drummer Neal Busby took the reins and decided the song had to be finished and recruited super fret demon Todd Lefever to record the guitars and get the song ready to be released to the world.
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