The new BULLETBOYS lineup, featuring singer Marq Torien, guitarist Ira Black (OF GODS & MONSTERS, LIZZY BORDEN, METAL CHURCH), bassist Brad Lang (Y&T, BURNING RAIN) and drummer Fred Aching (POWERFLO, BILLYBIO), made its live debut yesterday (Saturday, January 15) at RokIsland Fest in Key West, Florida. Photos and video of the performance can be found above and below (courtesy of Jessica Chase).
Torien launched the new version of BULLETBOYS earlier this month after the band's original lineup fell apart following a two-year reunion. Original bassist Lonnie Vencent failed to show up for a scheduled BULLETBOYS performance at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California on December 16, forcing the gig to be canceled. Torien instead delivered an acoustic set with Black. It was later announced by guitarist Mick Sweda and drummer Jimmy D'Anda that they would not be returning to the band.
Last week, Sweda discussed his departure from BULLETBOYS in an interview with Waste Some Time With Jason Green. When asked if he informed Torien about his decision to exit the group after BULLETBOYS' canceled concert at the Whisky A Go Go, Mick said: "I think that [Marq] pretty much expected that that was gonna happen. Who's to say that this wasn't part of a plan, in the beginning, that at the first opportunity he was going to find a way to go back to having his subservient musicians playing. I don't know. It's hard to say. And frankly, it doesn't interest me at all at this point.
"Frankly, I feel a huge sense of relief and a sense of weight lifted off my shoulders every time I leave this band [laughs], because it can be nerve racking and stomach churning," he continued. "And there's no need for it in my life at this point. I've got plenty of other things I could be doing. So that's what I will be doing."
Sweda went on to say that he "always felt like" he "was spending more time doing damage control" than he was enjoying his time as a member of BULLETBOYS.
"It's funny, people are, like, 'Well, dude, just go play music. Why can't you guys just get together and you go out and have fun and play music.' Well, were it so easy," he added.
"The shows were great. We were having a great time. People were responding," he said. "It seemed like there was a potential for an upward trajectory. And as soon as — and these aren't my words; this is somebody who's very close with us and observing it… It's, like, 'When you guys are in a room, everything seems to be great and you're having fun. As soon as everybody gets apart, that's when the voices in people's ears start speaking and the noise starts to have an effect. And, really, that's the way it was — as soon as we finished the gig, that's when everything started to slide downhill."
Sweda previously opened up about his departure from BULLETBOYS in an interview with "This That & The Other With Troy Patrick Farrell" earlier in the month. Speaking about why the reunion of BULLETBOYS' original lineup didn't last more than two years, Sweda said: "You go into these things with what I'd describe as hope but it's kind of qualified hope. You know that there's a shelf life, you know that there's a 'use by' date, or at least 'best use by' date, and you just hope it doesn't come too soon. And for me, frankly, it came too soon. I was really looking forward to the year and all the shows we had booked and looking forward to going out and having a great time this summer. We were thinking that the [aborted] Whisky show [on December 16] would be something that would sort of pull us together after a tough 2021 and something that might sort of create bond that would carry over, and alas, that was not to be. We had a couple of guys that were really important to the functioning of the band, namely the manager and the drummer, that decided that they didn't wanna move on and be a part of it. So, essentially my decision was made for me at that point."
Regarding the personal differences that ultimately caused the reunited BULLETBOYS to fall apart, Mick said: "It's very difficult to explain. I know there's a lot of external noise, I know that there are voices whispering in everybody's ear, and once everybody gets away from that buzz [from playing together], it starts to set in. I'm not gonna speak for anybody else, but you start wondering what's happening. And then you hear something happened and somebody did this or somebody did that or said this, and it all just starts manifesting in this… I suppose it is insecurity, I suppose it is distrust. And for me, I have to be able to trust the guys in my band; I have to be able to know that somebody isn't gonna go behind someone else's back and say something or do something. And that just starts to dissipate, I suppose, with the time away. It's funny — when you get back together, all of that just sort of subsides into the background because there's a bigger goal in mind and a bigger picture; you want to achieve that and you don't wanna let everybody down. So it's easy to overlook that. But there comes a time where it just feels like it's toxic and poisonous, and nobody needs that in their life, especially at our age."
Sweda went on to say that he has had no direct conversations with Torien since he made the decision to leave BULLETBOYS. "I didn't have to speak with Marq," he explained. "The way that played out pretty much spoke volumes for me, and there was nothing else to be said. My understanding is that he's already looking at putting together a group of fellows to go out and do there dates. My big concern is that when people see Jimmy's picture or see my picture out there, I just want them to know that that is not gonna be the case and they're not gonna see the original band. And there's no guarantee that that artwork and those photos won't be out there representing the gigs as such. So as long as everybody knows what ticket they're buying and what to expect, I'm okay with that."
When Sweda first discussed his exit from BULLETBOYS during a January 3 Facebook Live stream, he said: "In the past, I know it's been brought up that anybody who isn't in BULLETBOYS has quit on the fans. And that may or may not be something you'll hear in interviews or whatever. And trust me, it has nothing to do with quitting on fans and everything to do with just not wanting to travel down a path that is fraught with strife and distrust and bitterness and everything else.
"It's really, at this point in our lives, imperative — at least for me; I'll speak for myself here — that I just remove all forms of toxicity," he explained. "And I'm sure all of you understand it just can't be a part of my life anymore. And the fact that we were all original and having some good shows and having a great time playing the shows — there's no doubt about that; I had a wonderful time and I was looking forward to doing it all of 2022 — but once it gets to a point where it's poisonous, you can't have it in your life…
"I'm grateful that everybody understands, and I apologize to you. I was really looking forward to this being a nice run, being a nice year and finding a way to make our way through it. But that is not to be."
The original BULLETBOYS lineup made its live return in December 2019 with a sold-out performance at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.
Aside from one show in 2011, original BULLETBOYS members D'Anda, Sweda, bassist Lonnie Vencent and Torien had not performed together since 1993.
BULLETBOYS formed in 1988 at the very peak of the Los Angeles glam metal movement. As a collection of talented musicians, BULLETBOYS were able to quickly capture the attention of music fans around the world. Unlike other rockers of the day, the BULLETBOYS possessed more hard rock-blues fusion than pure hair metal. Thanks to comparisons to the likes of AEROSMITH and VAN HALEN, talent scouts came running and the band quickly received their first major label contract.
BULLETBOYS' self-titled debut was released in 1988 via Warner Bros. and peaked at number 34 on the Billboard 200. The album spawned two hit singles, a cover of the O'JAYS classic "For The Love Of Money" and "Smooth Up in Ya", both of which charted on the Mainstream Rock chart and saw regular airplay on MTV. BULLETBOYS went on to release two more albums, 1991's "Freakshow" and 1993's "Za-Za", before splitting up.
Marq has yet to give an interview since the latest breakup of BULLETBOYS' original lineup.
Torien and Black have a new project in the works with Jesse Hughes (EAGLES OF DEATH METAL). More details will be announced soon.
Posted by BULLETBOYS on Saturday, January 15, 2022
BULLETBOYS live at RokIsland Fest! ?
Posted by BULLETBOYS on Saturday, January 15, 2022
Swedish progressive rock outfit, Jonas Lindberg & The Other Side, recently announced their signing with InsideOutMusic for the release of the upcoming new album, Miles From Nowhere, due out on February 18.
Today, the group release the second single and video from the album, for the track “Why I’m Here”.
Jonas comments: "This is one of the shorter but catchier songs I've written for this project and another one where I sing lead vocals myself.
A really cool thing about this song is that my brother Joel is guesting on lead guitar. It's a such blast to have him playing with the band on this album!"
Led by multi-instrumentalist and composer Jonas Lindberg, the new album consists of seven songs which spans the full range of the progressive rock landscape - from the soaring ”Summer Queen” (led by Jenny Storm), to the folksy instrumental ”Astral Journey” to the closing title track; a sprawling 25 minute epic which features none other than Roine Stolt Pale Rider (The Flower Kings, Transatlantic) on lead guitar.
Miles From Nowhere is available for pre-order here on CD, Gatefold 2LP+CD & as Digital Album.
Tracklisting:
"Secret Motive Man"
"Little Man"
"Summer Queen"
"Oceans Of Time"
"Astral Journey"
"Why I’m Here"
"Miles From Nowhere"
PT I - Overture
PT II - Don’t Walk Away
PT III - I Don’t Know Where You Are
PT IV - Memories
PT V - Miles From Nowhere
Frontiers Music Srl recently announced the release of Lionville's fifth studio album, So Close To Heaven on February 11. Over the course of their previous four albums, Lionville have come to be held in extremely high regard by fans of melodic rock/AOR and So Close To Heaven further cements the band's standing as one of the premiere acts of the genre.
The new single and lyric video, "True Believer", is out today. Watch the video below, and pre-order/save So Close To Heaven on CD/LP/Digital here.
Two special highlights, among many, on So Close To Heaven include a duet between vocalist Lars Safsund and revered melodic rock singer Robbie LaBlanc on the track "This Time" and the band's cover of Richard Marx's "Arrow Through My Heart". The latter track was written by Richard Marx, Bruce Gaitsch, and Fee Waybill during the sessions of Marx’s hit album Repeat Offender.
Lionville was started in 2010 by Stefano Lionetti, a songwriter, singer and guitarist based in Genova, Italy and his brother Alessandro. Thanks to the incredible songs Stefano had managed to write, he got none other than Lars Säfsund (Work Of Art, Enbound) involved as the lead vocalist, which was a true coup for the band. After two indie releases, in 2017 Lionville signed with Frontiers, who gave the band’s releases larger support, distribution, and thus brought them to a new audience of melodic rock fans. Since signing with Frontiers, Lionville has released two highly praised albums, A World Of Fools and Magic Is Alive, and in the process, has become one of the most well-respected acts dedicated to pure AOR on the label's roster.
So Close To Heaven showcases the band's ongoing winning combination of strong songwriting, stellar musicianship, and of course magnificent lead vocals. A must hear for all AOR/melodic rock fans.
Tracklisting:
"This Time"
"Cross My Heart"
"The World Is On Fire"
"Can't Live Without Your Love"
"True Believer"
"We Are One"
"Only The Brave"
"Angel Without Wings"
"I'll Be Waiting Tonight"
"Arrow Through My Heart"
"So Close To Heaven"
All-Canadian cover band Toque, featuring Todd Kerns and Brent Fitz - both of whom play in Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators - along with Cory Churko (Shania Twain) and Shane Gaalaas (Michael Schneker Group), played the Edmonton Rock Fest in August 2021. The band were joined on stage by the legendary Darby Mills for a memorable version of her classic, "Don't It Make Ya Feel". Professionally filmed video has just surfaced:
"Don't It Make Ya Feel" originally appeared on Turn It Loud, the debut album from Headpins, featuring Darby Mills on lead vocals, released in 1982. By 1983, the album had been certified double platinum in Canada, selling in excess of 200,000 copies. The original video for "Don't It Make Ya Feel" can be seen below.
Florida metal titans Trivium - Matt Heafy (vocals, guitar), Corey Beaulieu (guitar), Paolo Gregoletto (bass), and Alex Bent (drums) held two special livestream performances over two weekends in December 2021, live From The Hangar. They performed their landmark In Waves album in its entirety on December 11th, and a special set from In The Court Of The Dragon and What The Dead Men Say, titled Deadmen & Dragons, on December 18th.
Check out "Like A Sword Over Damocles" from the Deadmen & Dragons set below.
Trivium's tenth album, In The Court Of The Dragon, is out now via Roadrunner Records. The record was produced and mixed by Josh Wilbur and recorded in autumn 2020 at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida. Order In The Court Of The Dragon here.
The album cover is an original oil painting by French artist Mathieu Nozieres (@mathieunozieres on Instagram).
In The Court Of The Dragon tracklisting:
"X"
"In The Court Of The Dragon"
"Like A Sword Over Damocles"
"Feast Of Fire"
"A Crisis Of Revelation"
"The Shadow Of The Abattoir"
"No Way Back Just Through"
"Fall Into Your Hands"
"From Dawn To Decadence"
"The Phalanx"
Paradise Lost drummer Waltteri Väyrynen has filmed a drum playthrough video for the song "Hope Dies Young".
Waltteri uses Pearl Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Wincent Drumsticks, Evans drumheads, Lime Ears, Sennheiser Microphones and Roland Electronics.
"Hope Dies Young" appears on Paradise Lost's 16th studio album, Obsidian, released in 2020 via Nuclear Blast.
In live news, next month Paradise Lost will embark upon a tour of The UK, confirmed dates are as listed:
February
5 - The Warehouse - Leeds, UK - Obsidian performed in its entirety - SOLD OUT
6 - Colchester Arts Centre - Colchester, UK
7 - The Waterfront - Norwich, UK
8 - Concorde 2 - Brighton, UK
9 - The Sugarmill - Stoke-on-Trent, UK
11 - The Garage - Glasgow, Scotland (with Moonspell)
12 - Riverside - Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK (with Moonspell)
13 - KK's Steel Mill - Wolverhampton, UK (with Moonspell)
14 - Rescue Rooms - Nottingham, UK (with Moonspell)
16 - Manchester Academy - Manchester, UK (with Moonspell)
17 - Marble Factory - Bristol, UK (with Moonspell)
18 - Electric Ballroom - Camden, UK (with Moonspell)
earMUSIC has released the latest single from ANNIHILATOR's upcoming "Metal II" album, a cover of VAN HALEN's "Romeo Delight".
"Metal II", which arrives February 18, kicks off this long-term campaign, which will include special configurations, additional bonus material, exclusive and previously unheard new tunes from the band.
"There was something about 'Women And Children First'," muses ANNIHILATOR's Jeff Waters. "It was massively brutal attitude meeting aggression — meets a David Lee Roth-fronted party. You have to remember when this came out. 'Romeo Delight' is the most 'heavy' song from VAN HALEN, in my (and Kerry King's!) opinion. The photos on the cover/back cover of 'Women And Children First' were impactful. It was a green cover and it was a photo of the band posing for a record cover shot and instead of blowing that photo up to the full size of the LP, they cropped it so it was a third the size of the record and everything around it was green. I would stare at the front and back pics for hours! Eddie was like a second father in a way. Millions [of others] probably feel that way too and only fans of his from back then could understand this."
He continues: "His playing, writing, performance, and smile were second to none. EVER. He was a superb writer, lead guitar innovator, genius rhythm player, and was able to build a gear empire. He took chances. Did his own thing. It worked. Millions and more will mourn him as long as the future world likes music. But we also will be celebrating forever, as musicians will continue to hand down the 'EVH-influenced-musical-genes' to future generations!"
"Metal II" has been given an incredible overhaul with the one and only Dave Lombardo (SLAYER) killing the drums and lead vocals "re-invented" by the great Stu Block (INTO ETERNITY, ICED EARTH). The guest list on the album is huge: Willie Adler (LAMB OF GOD), Alexi Laiho (CHILDREN OF BODOM), Steve "Lips" Kudlow (ANVIL), Dan Beehler (EXCITER), Jesper Strömblad (IN FLAMES), Angela Gossow (ARCH ENEMY), Jeff Loomis (ARCH ENEMY, NEVERMORE), Anders Björler (THE HAUNTED, AT THE GATES) and Corey Beaulieu (TRIVIUM).
Waters passed over mixing duties to legendary engineer Mike Fraser (AC/DC, VAN HALEN) and it was remastered by Maor Appelbaum.
When Waters was asked, "Which record would you re-do, if you could and why?," with no hesitation it was "Metal". So, what we have now is a 2021 record that is called "Metal II", appropriately, featuring all the original guest tracks from 2007 with Jeff Waters at the helm.
"One of greatest engineers/mixers on the planet, Mike Fraser, was my first choice to mix this one," Jeff says. "It was a challenge as Mike was not brought in to make a record; he was simply there to mix a big mess of tracks that were recorded in 2006 and 2021 and with over 14 players on it. After this difficult mix, I promised Mike that I would do another record with him, from the ground up."
"Dave was in my favorite band ever (SLAYER)," Waters says, "and continues to evolve and play in many diverse bands, like MISFITS, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, DEAD CROSS, MR. BUNGLE and many other projects. It was an honor to be on the same record as Lombardo. And he uses the 'Reign In Blood' ride cymbal!! Yes! The ACTUAL ride cymbal we hear on that classic record."
Waters reveals that "Stu has been the vocalist that I have (publicly) wanted to be ANNIHILATOR's singer, ever since I heard him in the Canadian band INTO ETERNITY, but I never got the opportunity to get him! He is the next generation of amazing vocalists that is grabbing the microphone from such icons as [Bruce] Dickinson and [Rob] Halford. And our paths SHOULD have crossed a long time ago, but we are here now!
"So I got a hold of them both," Waters continues, "and they both loved the tunes and both said 'FUCK YES'! And I said to Stu, 'You've got three takes', so there's blemishes and warts and fuck-ups everywhere. And I said the same to Dave, 'get it done'. And watching pros do this is mind-blowing because you don't have the best sounds, but you have the best players."
Waters closes, "Although Alexi Laiho's shredding in 'Downright Dominate' and the VAN HALEN song 'Romeo Delight' were recorded a while back, adding Stu and Dave to these songs gave us all the feeling that 'Metal II' is also a fitting tribute to our two fallen guitar heroes. Ed and Alexi, R.I.P."
"Metal II" track listing:
01. Chasing The High (ft. Willie Adler)
02. Downright Dominate (ft. Alexi Laiho)
03. Army Of One (ft. Steve "Lips" Kudlow)
04. Couple Suicide (ft. Danko Jones and Angela Gossow)
05. Heavy Metal Maniac (ft. Dan Beehler and Allan Johnson)
06. Haunted (ft. Jesper Strömblad)
07. Romeo Delight
08. Detonation (ft. Jacob Lynam)
09. Clown Parade (ft. Jeff Loomis)
10. Smothered (ft. Anders Björler)
11. Kicked (ft. Corey Beaulieu)
Canada's ANNIHILATOR is the lifework of Waters. Founded in 1984, the band took the metal scene by storm with its debut 1989 release "Alice In Hell", upped the ante with 1990's "Never, Neverland" and has continued a non-stop career-pattern of releasing records and touring with many of the biggest bands in the metal genre (mostly all outside North America), ever since; cementing ANNIHILATOR as the biggest-selling metal act in Canada's history.
ANNIHILATOR has given the metal world a sound that is one of the clearest, most tasteful mixtures of huge, metal riffs with the idea of the perfect song and some legendary solo shredding as the icing on the cake. Waters and ANNIHILATOR have been a major influence on countless well-known metal acts and musicians around the world. In fact, countless, successful non-metal acts and musicians cite Waters and Co. as an influence in their careers.
Waters is the guitarist, vocalist and writer for ANNIHILATOR as well as a studio owner, producer, engineer and mix and mastering engineer. Waters formed the band with singer John Bates.
Lawrence, KS based heavy outfit Horned Wolf have released their new music video for "Become Like They Are".
Producing a dynamic and diverse sound, Horned Wolf draws inspiration from the likes of In Flames, Kate Bush, Alice In Chains, Lorna Shore, and Black Sabbath.
The quintet share a positive message of inclusivity through their music, Horned Wolf is made up of gay, straight, and non binary members. The new single lands ahead of their upcoming full length album due for release later in 2022. "Become Like They Are" packs a punch with driving rhythms, powerful harsh vocals and soaring cleans. Playing with dynamics, Horned Wolf combines high energy sections, with slower dramatic instrumentation and more intimate, emotional parts . Accompanied by dark, haunting imagery, the new video offers thrilling visual accompaniment to the music. The band's progressive experimentation and style fusion brings an enthralling sound.
Horned Wolf lineup:
Sav MangelsDorf - vocals
Don Bailey - guitar
Justin Mullin - guitar
Dan Hocklander - bass
David Zey - drums
Firewind guitarist Gus G. has shared another playthrough video from his home studio. Check it out below.
Gus: "Firewind's debut album, Between Heaven & Hell, turns 20 years old in 2022. Here's a live playthrough of the track 'Warrior' where I'm trying to remember the licks I played in my early 20s!"
The clip below was shot at UrRock Festival in Sarnen, Switzerland on November 12th, 2021. This was Firewind's first show in two years, as well as the first show with new frontman Herbie Langhans.
Video footage by Dani Gonzalez, Jimmy Tott and Stephanie Roux. Video edit by Gus G.
"New Found Power", the title of Firewind's new single and music video, perfectly describes the current spirit of the Greek power metal masters.
The band’s latest incarnation, since 2019, of course led by former Ozzy Osbourne axeman Gus G. is fronted by singer Herbie Langhans (Avantasia), a powerhouse vocalist par excellence. Langhans‘ addition to the group’s ranks gave a new kind of energy to Firewind and after the release of the band’s latest (self-titled) album in May 2020, now the new single, "New Found Power", continues the Firewind legacy with a heavy, uplifting power metal track of highest quality.
"New Found Power" is also part of the AFM Records label compilation, 25 Years Metal Addiction, which includes 30 rare or previously unreleased tracks and comes as 2CD digipak (out now).
"We recently met in our rehearsal room in Thessaloniki, Greece, to film what we all missed so much: playing together. That’s why the 'New Found Power' music video comes without fancy effects or anything: it’s just the four of us playing this cool new song and embracing it", Gus G. comments. "We really hope to see all our fans on the upcoming 20th anniversary tour. It’s been way too long and we can’t wait to celebrate 20 years of Firewind with a wild ride through our history."
ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell has shared a performance video of the title track of his recently released solo album "Brighten". The clip was directed by Sebastien Paquet and Kevin Garcia and was recorded in November 2021 at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles as part of the "Brighten" record-release event. It is now available to stream and download everywhere you listen to music. Many of the musicians featured on the record performed with Jerry, including Tyler Bates ("300", "John Wick"), Greg Puciato (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN), Gil Sharone (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN), George Adrian, Vincent Jones and Michael Rozon.
"Brighten" 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 has also announced a U.S. tour that will bring him to cities such as New York, LA, Chicago, Boston, Nashville and Vegas, among many other cities.
A couple of years ago, Cantrell played a pair of sold-out solo shows in Los Angeles joined by an eclectic group of musicians and friends, several of whom appear on "Brighten".
"It was fun to play tunes I hadn't performed in years from 'Boggy Depot' and 'Degradation Trip'," Jerry said. "Tyler Bates not only introduced me to a lot of cool players, he also helped me put the band together for the shows, and performed with me."
"Brighten" spawned from those gigs.
"It was like an old-school '70s record where a multitude of musicians played," smiled Cantrell. "So it's not a set band. I got to make music with a bunch of people I never had before, along with friends like Duff, Tyler and Gil who I've worked with previously."
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.
The Haunted guitarist Ola Englund has shared a new video to his YouTube channel, this time featuring himself learning how to play the Pantera classic "Becoming".
Englund: "One of those Pantera songs I never bothered learning. It's time! Brinf out the whammy! Guitar is tuned to standard D but with a tuner set to 425hz. Guitar tone is Archetype Plini and my DIMED Impulse Response."
Englund released his second solo album, Starzinger, earlier this year. Mixed and mastered by Clawfinger’s Jocke Skog, Starzinger follows-up Englund’s debut solo album, Master Of The Universe, released in early 2018 and features Delta Empire on drums along with a number of guest appearances, including guitar virtuoso Jeff Loomis (Arch Enemy, Nevermore).
Check out a playthrough video of "Balegmah" from the album featuring Loomis in action.
Portraying the artwork of Costin Chioreanu (Paradise Lost, At The Gates, Emperor), Starzinger sees Englund merging influences of prog with '80s rock and metal.
Tracklist:
"Stars & Ponies"
"Cringy AF"
"Space Invaders"
"Demon(etized)"
"Bane of Skeletor"
"Bluesy McBluesface"
"Balegmah"
"Sun & The Moon"
"A Bid Farewell"
Stream Starzinger in full below:
"I’m extremely excited to see the release of my second solo album Starzinger, this album being a little bit more metal oriented than my first Master Of The Universe album. It’s a weird feeling because it’s basically just showing the current state of me and where I am in life. Hoping that the people that follow what I do can see the parallels. This one is for you," says Englund about this new effort.
With over 300K subscribers on his tech/music Youtube channel, over the last few years, Ola Englund has also built a strong reputation in the music scene by playing in several bands, most prominently in Feared and The Haunted. Just recently Englund also founded his own guitar company called Solar Guitars, which was meet with great success and currently sponsors artists like Exhorder, The Haunted and At The Gates.
Frontiers Music Srl announce the release of Finnish hard rockers Rust N' Rage's new album, One For The Road. Produced by Jimmy Westerlund (One Desire), One For The Road will be released on March 11.
Today, the band has released a new single and video from the album, "Prisoner". Watch the video below, and pre-order/save One For The Road here.
Through lots of hard work and gigging, Rust N' Rage have been starting to make a name for themselves in their home country of Finland. With energetic live shows and anthemic songwriting, this rock n’ roll-quartet is ready to introduce themselves to the world more than ever before. Be sure to stay tuned for their Jimmy Westerlund produced debut album, which will be chock full of anthemic, hard rocking, melodic tunes.
Coming from a small town in Finland called Pori, Rust N’ Rage is made up of four guys who all live for a similar cause: Rock n’ Roll. While individually practicing a lifestyle of hard rockin’ and playing their hearts out around their small town, it didn’t take long for Vince, Johnny, Jezzie, and Eddy to meet and realize they had a shared musical vision. Their musical influences originate from the '80s, with their idols being such legends as Guns N’ Roses, Judas Priest, Mötley Crüe, Dokken, and the like. Rather than merely be the sum of their influences though, Rust n' Rage concentrates their songwriting on being separate from their influences, while still maintaining those awesome hard rock riffs and high-pitched vocal screams.
In 2020, things started rolling for the band, having found a new manager and a new producer to help them get their musical vision properly recorded. Based on the strength of their newly created/recorded singles, the band caught the interest of Frontiers Music Srl, who have signed them to a worldwide deal. Signing with Frontiers is an opportunity to release their music to a global audience and to show the world what they are made of. Stay tuned for more exciting things to come from these Finnish rockers in 2022.
Tracklisting:
"Prisoner"
"Ghost Town"
"One For The Road"
"The Future Is For The Strong"
"Heartbreaker"
"Hang ‘Em High"
"Ride On"
"I've Had Enough"
"Unbreakable"
"The Throne"
"Moving On"
Not even a year after their third album Unlocked & Reloaded, Sainted Sinners return with their newest collection of songs under the bands own motto The Essence Of Rock N’ Roll. With their new effort, Taste It, the band continues their creative flow, powered by the great chemistry between the five internationally known and experienced musicians.
The diversity that made their previous album Unlocked & Reloaded stand out within the bands own catalogue is now further evolved on Taste It. The band has released the new single "Good Ol’ Company". Check out the official video below.
Tracklisting:
“Against The Odds”
“One Today”
“The Essence Of R’n R”
“Out Of Control”
“Never Back Down”
“Good Ol’ Company”
“Down & Dirty”
“On And On (Chained)”
“Losing My Religion” (R.E.M. cover, CD bonus track)
“Coffee, Whiskey & Rock’n Roll”
“Heart Of Stone”
New York stoner rock veterans Black Water Rising are kicking off the New Year with a new single and music video. The band has released a new video for their latest hard-rocking track, titled "Jokes On You". The music video was directed by Tom Flynn (Lamb Of God, All That Remains).
Speaking about the music video, drummer Mike Meselsohn says: "It was great working with Tom (director) on the video. His vision was for more of a raw stripped-down performance and I believe he really captured the energy and attitude of the song. It's straightforward while still being visually interesting!"
"Jokes On You" is the third single from the band's upcoming studio album, which is set to be released later this year. It also features original guitarist John Fattoruso - who rejoined BWR in late 2019. The new material promises to be more melodic, yet still as riff-heavy as BWR’s previous albums; featuring hooks and catchy choruses to pull you in, all while retaining a musical identity of its own.
Frontiers Music Srl announcesa fourth album, Lightning In A Bottle, from the melodic rock group, Find Me. Vocalist Robbie LaBlanc and drummer/producer Daniel Flores will release their new album on March 11. Today, the band has released the first single and video from the album, "Survive".
Watch the video below, and pre-order/save "Lightning In A Bottle" here
A delightful and massive melodic rock album, Lightning In A Bottle is chock full of mighty anthemic AOR songs featuring Robbie’s soaring vocals backed by amazing performances from Flores and his band. Sonically, this album touches on both the classic melodic rock/AOR style, while also showing influences from the new guard of the genre.
Find Me is an ongoing collaboration between Swedish musician, songwriter, and producer Daniel Flores (The Murder Of My Sweet) and singer Robbie LaBlanc (Blanc Faces, ex-Fury) that was put together by Frontiers President, Serafino Perugino with a vision to unleash another AOR behemoth. Their partnership has yielded three absolute melodic rock gems in a row and "Lightning In A Bottle" will certainly be no exception.
"I really want to thank the band on this album, Jonny Trobro, Michael Palace (guitar), Rolf Staffan Pilotti, and the amazing voice, my friend, Robbie LaBlanc and, of course, our silent, but very vocal and important member, Serafino Perugino, for all the hard work on this release! But there is one person I really want to thank and that is Alessandro Del Vecchio, who is responsible for writing 10 amazing songs on this record. He will be featured heavily on my next work too. Yes, he likes to play!!! And is pretty lucky too! There is still one more BIG, BBBBBBBIG surprise on the album, featuring one of the best songwriters and keyboard players on earth at the moment, but I'll let the press team have that one...," says Daniel Flores.
The aforementioned special guest is Vince DiCola who plays keyboards on a cover of "Far From Over", a song by Frank Stallone from the Staying Alive soundtrack. Vince is actually a co-writer of the original along with Stallone.
Tracklisting:
"Survive"
"Far From Over" (Feat. Vince Di Cola)
"Sail Away"
"Back To You"
"Diana"
"Distant Echoes"
"Remember (It's Me)"
"You And I"
"Under A Bad Sign"
"Give My Heart"
"On The Run"
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