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"
Australian progressive metal band, Teramaze, fronted by guitarist and band founder Dean Wells, alongside Chris Zoupa, Andrew Cameron and Nick Ross, have released a brand new song, "Ticket To The Next Apocalypse", featuring guest vocalist Jason Wisdom of Death Therapy. Watch the visualizer below:
The band previously released the song "Battle". A video can be found below.
Said Dean Wells: “The song ’Battle’ was written during the extensive lockdowns that happened in Australia in 2021. Our lockdowns were especially harsh and drawn out in Melbourne where we live. The song was birthed from watching all of the protests, and people fighting for their basic human rights and freedoms. This whole event made me realize, more than ever before, the sheer power of the media and its utter manipulation of the public. It's so much greater than I ever thought it could be. ‘Battle’ is an anthem written to give hope and inspire people to stand and fight for what they truly believe in, even against all odds."
Mass Worship has released the music video for their new track “Orcus Mouth”, off their upcoming album Portal Tombs. The video clip accompanying the release is the logical continuation of their previous track release, “Revel In Fear”. The video, which was self-produced by the band in true DIY style, with their live guitarist Niklas Sandin, can be seen below.
"In the midst of chaos, there’s comfort to be found in the cosmic, careless nothingness surrounding us — our daily struggles are of no significance in the great scheme of things," states Mass Worship about “Orcus Mouth”.
The band adds about the music video, "Shot partly in old ruins in Stockholm during a bitterly cold December day, and partly in the middle of the night on an old, abandoned school theatre scene, with the help of our good friend and collaborator Niklas Sandin, we really went all in with our creative endeavours on this one and it ended up being an extremely cathartic experience for all of us!”
Coincidentally, Jonas Stålhammar of At The Gates practices in the same building and came by to put his magic touch on “Orcus Mouth”. The other guest on the track is Jonas Renkse of Katatonia / Bloodbath doing clean vocals. “It’s pretty mind-blowing to have members of such inspirational pioneers on our own album”, states the band.
Portal Tombs artwork and tracklisting:
"Specular Void"
"Portal Tombs"
"Revel In Fear"
"Orcus Mouth"
"Unholy Mass"
"Dunes Of Bone"
"Scorched Earth"
"Empyrean Halls"
"Deliverence"
Pre-order your copy of Portal Tombs now at this location.
MEMPHIS MAY FIRE has released a new single, "The American Dream". The band has shared the performance video for the song, which boasts rapid-fire riffing, potent breakdowns, unpredictable electronic flashes, and melodic nuances.
"We are thrilled to be dropping our sixth new single 'The American Dream'," says singer Matty Mullins. "This song was fueled by the current state of our country, and the desire to fight for resolution rather than fighting our fellow man. We are donating 100 percent of the proceeds from a new t-shirt that will be coming soon to our merch store to The Veterans Project, whose mission is to capture the legacies of veterans of the American military and tell the stories of all Allied countries and their warrior classes, as well."
In 2021, MEMPHIS MAY FIRE released a handful of new songs through its longtime label Rise Records. The band dropped a one-two punch with a pair of explosive songs — "Blood & Water" and "Death Inside". The full-on riff fest "Bleed Me Dry" followed suit. "Blood & Water" became one the fastest-growing hits of the band's career. It was accompanied by a powerful video and cruised onto the SiriusXM Octane airwaves. Revolver called it a "return to form" and noted that the song boasted an "absurdly melodic lead lick that cuts through the chugging breakdowns like a hot knife on butter." Meanwhile, "Death Inside" reminded fans of the band's sonic heft. "Somebody" arrived in the fall and features all the sonic hallmarks fans know and love about MEMPHIS MAY FIRE. The band closed 2021 with the equally explosive "Left For Dead".
All told, these four new tracks have accumulated over 28 million combined streams across platforms. Each song drop has had a philanthropic element and has been accompanied by a piece of charity-driven merch, available at the band's online store.
Swedish high-energy rock and rollers THE HELLACOPTERS will release a new studio album, "Eyes Of Oblivion", on April 1 via Nuclear Blast. It will mark their first full-length collection of new material since 2008's "Head Off". The official music video for the LP's second single, the title track, can be seen below.
THE HELLACOPTERS guitarist/vocalist Nicke Andersson states: "The album has 10 songs, and although it's obviously not easy to be objective at all, I think musically it sums up everything we've touched upon from the start in 1994 up until now. Some of the songs date back as far as 10 years or more, and some were written more recently. It's rock and roll played with high energy, so for lack of a better term, I say high-energy rock and roll. You could say it sounds like THE BEATLES meets JUDAS PRIEST or LYNYRD SKYNYRD meets the RAMONES but the best way to describe this album is that it sounds like THE HELLACOPTERS today."
Last month, THE HELLACOPTERS shared the album's first single, the anthemic album opener "Reap A Hurricane". The track continues the good old HELLACOPTERS tradition of releasing physical seven-inch singles in each album cycle. The seven-inch vinyl of "Reap A Hurricane" will be released on February 4 and it features an exclusive song called "Done Fighting" as a B-side. The seven-inch is available in two different color variants, red and green, which applies to both the vinyl and the respective cover.
THE HELLACOPTERS were formed in 1994 by ENTOMBED drummer Andersson and BACKYARD BABIES guitarist Dregen.
THE HELLACOPTERS' second album, 1997's "Payin' The Dues", was the band's last studio effort to feature Dregen before his departure to focus full-time on BACKYARD BABIES.
In October 2007, THE HELLACOPTERS announced that they would be breaking up after the release of their seventh full-length album, "Head Off", a collection of cover songs. Eight years later, the band reunited, initially for an exclusive performance at the Sweden Rock Festival to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of their debut album, "Supershitty To The Max!"
Robert "Strängen" Dahlqvist, who played guitar for THE HELLACOPTERS for nearly a decade, died in February 2017 at the age of 40.
Dahlqvist was a member of THE HELLACOPTERS from 1999 until the group disbanded in 2008.
THE HELLACOPTERS achieved two gold certifications, won the Swedish Grammy equivalent and a Kerrang! award, and have amassed 100 million streams to date.
Symphonic pirate metallers, Crusade Of Bards, will be sailing high tide on February 18 with the release of their sophomore album, Tales Of The Seven Seas, via Rockshots Records. With an emotional and energetic live-action production for all kinds of audiences from power to folk, from gothic to pagan, the band has been making a name for themselves with touring and festival performances in Germany, Switzerland, France, and their home country of Spain.
Today, in preview to their full-length's release, Crusade Of Bards are unveiling their next single, "Lies & Ashes" feat. Fabio Lione (Angra, Rhapsody Of Fire).
“During the pre-production of this song we felt like we already had some great oppositions between Eleanor’s and Eduardo’s voices. We needed something more powerful and we thought…well, why not try with the most iconic voice of “power”? After a quick message, Fabio was on board and he recorded some amazing vocal tracks that twisted completely the feeling of the song. Having one of our teenage heroes on board is just an overwhelming sensation. This theme is also the fastest and heaviest one of this album and really gives the listener the idea of how wide our musical boundaries are.” adds the band.
Watch the video for "Lies & Ashes" feat. Fabio Lione below.
Crusade Of Bards was formed in 2016 by Paolo Andreotti (keyboards & vocals) and Eleanor Tenebre (vocals) to create music that could mix all their favorite styles and concepts. Initially just a studio project, it soon grew into a full live production that the band describes as witnessing the “Wien-Orchestra directed by Davy Jones”.
“The live-action is definitely one of our biggest assets. Don’t expect the classical symphonic metal act filled with solemnity, blue strobes, and thick smoke. Our piracy side, our Mediterranean background, it all comes out into an energetic, vibrant, and dynamic set. Don’t get me wrong, we are not the typical Hollywoodian stereotyped pirates, and we do get serious when it is necessary…just don’t expect a liturgy.” adds the band.
On this second album, Crusade Of Bards has a mix of history-inspired songs and social themes. Paolo Andreotti (keyboards & vocals) is the lyricist and he loves history and geography so the whole concept of the record revolves around the 7 seas, 2 songs for every sea, and each of them about stories that took place or refer to the area washed by them. As you dig deeper into the lyrics, the structure chosen tends to use the same rhetorical figures of romanticism and neo-realism with a strong connection between the sound of a certain word and its meaning. This leads to inner references that may be appreciated by just reading the lyrics, even without the music.
Tales Of The Seven Seas is the band’s second album inside the “Tales” saga, a broader concept that started with their first album Tales Of Bards & Beasts. It revolves around the figure of the “Bard” and the different tales, songs, and myths that the storyteller would present to the public of the different towns and villages visited. While the first album “Tales of Bards & Beasts” was more about myths and legends, Tales Of The Seven Seas is mainly based on true historical events that have happened in each of them. The concept can be also found in the musical aspects where traditional instruments, scales, or sounds coming from the cultures that live or lived on the shores of the seven mentioned seas are blended into the songs to create the perfect environment for the listener.
The band explains further: “With this album, we want to make a statement, we want the fans to really understand who Crusade Of Bards is both musically and visually. We want them to open their minds, join us on our journeys through space and time, discover new stories and understand that we, as human beings, have changed very little. Our sins, our mistakes, our victories, and our feelings are not new or undiscovered. They are just there, floating on the ocean, waiting for us to collect them”.
Tales Of The Seven Seas is due out on February 18, and is recommended for fans of Epica, Eluveitie, Alestorm.
Tracklisting:
"Anuri"
"The Northwest Passage"
"An Ocean Between Us – Part III – A New World"
"Dunkirk Privateers"
"Vento Aureo"
"Naupaktos"
"Manti" (interlude)
"The Red Charade"
"Hasard"
"Samudr Ka Mandir"
"Lies & Ashes"
"Leap Of Faith"
"The White Witch"
"As Above, So Below" (outro)
Andorra’s extreme progressive metal unit, Persefone, are known for technical precision at its highest levels, and with their newest single, “Katabasis” - out today alongside an astounding new music video created with the support of SDADV - draw dramatic, cinematic soundscapes mixed with electronic influences. The soft, clear vocals of Marc Martins alternate with sharp growls and bleak yet dynamic riffs. This ride ties in with the well-received first single “Merkabah” and leaves you anxiously awaiting Persefone’s upcoming album, metanoia, out on February 4.
Persefone on “Katabasis”: “"Katabasis" stands as the opening track of the new album and marks an important event when it comes to the concept of metanoia, as it led us to the depths of the being. This song displays many of the elements that can be heard throughout the album, and we hope that it welcomes the listener to the journey we want to offer with all this new music.”
Outstanding progressive/melodic death metal outfit Persefone is known for their band of rich soundscapes and technically precise work that sets new standards in modern extreme progressive metal. Founded in 2001, Persefone has released five studio albums, each one showcasing the band’s myriad of musical principles: high technicality, distinct melodies, plenty of head-turning riffs and musical acrobatics. The band has toured worldwide with notable acts like Obituary and Leprous, has hit stages at important festivals such as Wacken Open Air, Metal Days, Brutal Assault, ProgPower and 70,000 Tons of Metal, and is now set to release their new album, metanoia.
metanoia sets off with the opulent opener "Katabasis”, drawing dramatic, cinematic soundscapes mixed with electronic influences. The soft, clear vocals of Miguel Espinosa alternate with sharp growls and pierce through constantly changing riffs. Persefone balances soft passages with intense walls of sound on tracks like "Aware of Being Watched” - in which clean vocals and jazzy sections alternate with intense riffing carried by dense drumming - while solid, rich sound takes on orchestral dimensions on songs such as "Leap of Faith”. Vivid and dynamic instrumentation, tempo and rhythm make up the intense ride "Merkabah”, showcasing the band’s hardest yet most vulnerable sides as screams and blast beats are followed by soft instrumentation - spanning the song’s intensity to its maximum. A special surprise is the 11-minute masterpiece "Consciousness Pt III”, which continues a series of songs from the band’s fourth album Spiritual Migration (2013). The album closes with another opulent set of songs, "Anabasis Part I”, "Anabasis Part II” and "Anabasis Part III”. "Anabasis Part I” starts off with calm, dreamy piano sounds, drifting over to the intense "Anabasis Part II” and leading seamlessly into "Anabasis Part III”, gently closing the album with a cinematic outro.
Persefone about the new album: "metanoia is the next step in our personal pursuit for existential growth through music. This album is a call for a deep change, a call for an inner journey through fear and pain, a call for a leap into a meaningful and rooted place. Making this album has forced us to face many musical and personal hurdles and fears, and the result of that confrontation lives within all the notes and words captured on this new chapter in our journey. May you will find meaning in all this musical chaos.”
metanoia will be available in the following formats:
- Digipack
- 2LP Gatefold Black
- 2LP Gatefold Clear (incl. Slipmat & Logopatch)
- 2LP Gatefold Marbled White & Black
- Digipack & Shirt Bundle
- Digital Full Length Album
"Metanoia" ft. Einar Solberg
"Katabasis"
"Architecture Of The I"
"Leap Of Faith"
"Aware Of Being Watched"
"Merkabah"
"Consciousness Part III"
"Anabasis Part I"
"Anabasis Part II" ft. Steffen Kummerer, Angel Vivaldi und Merethe Soltvedt
"Anabasis Part III"
"Merkabah" video:
Persefone is:
Marc Martins - vocals
Miguel "Moe” Espinosa - keyboards and vocals
Carlos Lozano - guitar
Filipe Baldaia - guitar
Toni Mestre - bass
Sergi " Bobby” Verdeguer - drums
Venom Prison have released a video for "Nemesis", featured on their upcoming album, Erebos, out worldwide on February 4.
“This song is about the urge to hurt the person who has caused you irreparable harm and has changed your life forever. It deals with having been left to fix the damage done to you all by yourself. This specifically relates to experiencing narcissistic abuse and the trauma resulting from it”, says the band.
The video was directed and produced by Thomas Coe-Brooker, and can be viewed below:
Venom Prison has carved an uncompromising space for themselves over the course of two full-length albums, Animus (2016) and Samsara (2019) with 2020’s Primeval reinvigorating the band’s earlier EPs with two newly written tracks added. What began as an explosive collaboration between Russian-born vocalist Larissa Stupar and guitarist Ash Gray (with the lineup rounded out by guitarist Ben Thomas, bassist Mike Jefferies and drummer Joe Bills) has exploded into a force to be reckoned with as vitriolic and outspoken lyrically as they are musically.
“Born From Chaos”
“Judges Of The Underworld”
“Nemesis”
“Comfort Of Complicity”
“Pain Of Oizys”
“Golden Apples Of The Hesperides”
“Castigated In Steel And Concrete”
“Gorgon Sisters”
“Veil Of Night”
“Technologies Of Death”
"Pain Of Oizys" video:
"Judges Of The Underworld":
Lineup:
Larissa Stupar - lead vocals
Ash Gray - guitar
Ben Thomas - guitar
Mike Jefferies - bass
Joe Bills - drums
Silent Skies, the cinematic ambient project of Evergrey’s Tom S. Englund and classically trained pianist and composer Vikram Shankar (Redemption), have just released another new single, “Leaving”, cut from their luminescent upcoming second studio album and label debut, Nectar, out February 4 via Napalm Records.
This infinite, heartfelt full-length enchants with sounds like pure poetry lifting off the page and wrapping around its listener with a gentle glow as it combines the reminiscence of the likes of producers and composers such as Olafur Arnalds, Nils Frahm and Ludovico Einaudi, and bands ranging from Sigur Rós to Anathema. The balance between haunting instrumentals and vocal intensity that complement each other in perfect harmony walks a delicate line where listeners are treated to the best of both worlds.
The intense second single “Leaving” combines gloomy ambient and infectious pop influences, all topped by Englund's outstanding vocal interpretation, that embodies fragility and strength at the same time and creates a setting where the meaning of time and space does not matter any longer. Blended with the sensitive atmosphere of renowned pianist Vikram Shankar, the composition creates a sonic universe in which one only wants to dive deep into and get lost forever.
Silent Skies on “Leaving”: “And now for something rather different: we present our second single from Nectar, the dark and brooding 'Leaving'. Our most intense and powerful song to date is paired with a stunning video by the ever-talented Patric Ullaeus, who helped set our most fiery track yet to an appropriate visual. 'Leaving' is a song about closure, moving on and finding a new peace - we hope that you find this song as satisfying to listen to as we felt making it.”
In 2017, the paths of Swedish progressive band Evergrey's vocalist Tom S. Englund and multi-instrumentalist Vikram Shankar crossed fatefully. Both artists set themselves free from limitations to captivate their listener with Nectar - a soulful ten-track offering, produced by Englund and Shankar themselves and mixed/mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios.
Silent Skies on the new album: “We are tremendously proud to announce our second record, Nectar, will be released on February 4th, 2022. Nectar represents an expansion and an elevation of all things that make us who we are; simultaneously grander and more intimate, more futuristic yet more organic and thoughtful. This record represents who we are, and it means so much to both of us, that we cannot wait for you to experience it.”
With Gothenburg’s Evergrey known as one of the most prolific bands in progressive metal, Englund is by far no stranger to the scene. After partnering with North Carolina, USA-based piano player Vikram Shankar – who had already worked with greats like Anneke van Giersbergen – this fateful encounter, now known as Silent Skies, set its first milestone with the release of their spine-tingling debut Satellites back in 2020. Two years later, this fruitful collaboration returns with Nectar, marking the sequel of something that’s far more than just a side project of Englund’s. Rather, it’s the brainchild of two highly talented individual artists with deep knowledge and many years of experience, whose creativity and spirit culminates in an exceptional form of musical expression. Shankar’s sensitive yet intense piano tunes merge with the poignant vocal interpretation of Tom S. Englund to take the listener on a touching, melancholic ride that wanders through the darkest facets of life, while always leaving a spark of hope to hold on to. This otherworldly sonic collaboration is graced by the outstanding contributions of Leprous' cello player Raphael Weinroth-Browne, who appears on nearly every track of the album to spice up the stirring sound even more.
Silent Skies’ sophomore full-length sets off with the soulful, ethereal “Fallen From Heart”, immediately creating a tapestry of sound to get lost in. Tracks like delicate “Taper” and shimmering “Neverending” are dominated by the yearning vocals of Englund, but never fail to give Shankar’s instrumental virtuosity the well-deserved space to shine bright like the first sunray welcoming the day. Beautifully honest “Let It Hurt” addicts with its remarkable chorus hitting on point, blending cinematic strings and piano with hooky modern vocals. Darker realms lure with heart-breaking “Leaving”, combining gloomy ambient and infectious pop influences, and dramatically accented, heart-beating “Cold”, with its lingering electronic elements that build a tangible, gripping maelstrom of emotions. Instrumental title track “Nectar” closes this new chapter of Silent Skies but leaves its audience with a long-lasting impact and the key to a door that’s worth entering over and over again.
Nectar will be available in the following formats:
- 6p Digisleeve
- 2LP Gatefold Black
- Digital Album
Steve Vai and Favored Nations / Mascot Label Group have released an official visualizer for "Zeus In Chains". The composition is featured on Vai's upcoming studio album titled "Inviolate" which will be released digitally and on CD on January 28. The vinyl will follow on March 18.
Vai states: "The title for this track 'Zeus In Chains' was told to me by the track when I was listening back and asked it… 'What's your name?' This happened during the heavy guitar breakdown with the dissonant high note that happens right before the solo. It sounded like Zeus in chains. Hey, it's art. You can make up anything you want and it's legitimate."
Over the course of a more than 40-year career, Vai has routinely transformed what would appear to be outrageously impossible into something very, very possible… and still also pretty outrageous. From his days as Frank Zappa's "stunt guitar" player to his more recent expansive and exploratory solo work, Vai has continually challenged notions of traditional guitar playing and composition — and on more than one occasion even reimagined the very instrument itself.
Which, he'll admit, is not necessarily his intention. "I don't sit around and say, 'Okay, what can I do now that pushes the boundaries?" Vai explains about his approach to the guitar. "What I do say to myself is, 'Okay, Vai — what are you going to do now that's going to interest you, that's going to fascinate you, and that's different than anything you've done before?" The answer to that question comes in the form of Vai's newest and 10th solo album, "Inviolate", a nine-song opus that (sorry Steve) does indeed push the boundaries of instrumental guitar music — this time out, Vai quite literally invented not just a new guitar, but also a new guitar-playing technique.
At the same time, "Inviolate" 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."
The album's mesmeric opener, "Teeth Of The Hydra", a sinuous, Latin-fusion-tinged composition that Vai wrote and recorded with a one-of-a-kind custom guitar he coined the Hydra. But calling the Hydra a mere guitar is selling it way, way, way short. Built in conjunction with the designers at Hoshino and based on a "steampunk motif" idea of Vai's, the Hydra is a beast of an instrument — a one-bodied, two-headstock-ed, three-neck-ed creature that encompasses, among other things: seven- and 12-string guitars; a four-string bass; sympathetic harp strings; half-fretless necks; single-coil, humbucking, piezo and sustainer pickups; floating and hardtail tremolo bridges; phase splitters; and much, much more. "It's an incredibly-built machine," Vai says. "I told the guys at Hoshino, 'Anything that you think is conventional, don't do that.' This was an opportunity to exercise brutal creativity. And they went beyond."
As did Vai in his performance. Throughout the track he employs the Hydra's full range of tone and timbres to craft a guitar part that sounds, in its expansiveness and expressiveness, positively alive. "The interesting thing about the song and the guitar is that it all came at the same time," Vai says. "It was one of those 'inviolate' inspirations — boom!"
That said, he continues, "I knew that I needed to create something with the Hydra that sounded like a real piece of music. It couldn't be just a novelty. Because if you knew what my hands were doing, and how I'm using my left hand to create phrasings that work when I can't pick a note because my right hand is off somewhere else…my god. But the finished piece had to stand on its own. It couldn't sound like I was just trying to juggle stuff."
Over the course of 2021, several of these compositions were shared publicly. Vai composed and recorded the song "Knappsack", following his shoulder surgery, at a time when his right arm was in a sling (or, as his surgeon, Dr. Knapp, called it, a "knappsack"), and thus was able to use only his left hand when playing the piece. He released a one-handed performance video. He says with a laugh, "pretty soon after I started to see some clips of young kids pulling it off, too. It's really fascinating."
Those kids will likely face a greater challenge attempting to take on another "Inviolate" track, "Candle Power". For this one, Vai not only set up parameters outside of his comfort zone (Strat-style guitar; clean tone; no whammy bar; no pick), but also — why not? — developed an entirely new guitar technique that he calls "joint shifting." The core concept there, he explains, is to enact simultaneous multiple string bends in opposite directions, which "requires bending only the top joint of the finger independently from any other finger." And while he acknowledges that bending multiple strings is not a new concept in and of itself, "I had not seen any of it done in the way I envisioned it," he says.
Like "Knappsack", Vai released "Candle Power" an accompanying performance video earlier in 2021. But he added a little something extra to the version that appears on "Inviolate", with a newly recorded drum track from fellow Zappa alumnus Terry Bozzio (to that end, additional crack players who lent a hand to the record include bassists Bryan Beller, Philip Bynoe and Henrik Linder, keyboardist David Rosenthal and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta).
On "Apollo In Color", Vai's soaring runs on his Ibanez PIA signature guitar (the newly-designed model's first appearance on a Vai studio album are surrounded by filigrees of sound played on all manner of exotic stringed instruments. "I thought, 'Okay, what can I do to color this thing up?'" Vai says. "So, I pulled out all these little acoustic instruments I've collected through the years and I said, 'I'm going to use every one of them somehow.'" These included a cavaquinho, a saz, a sitar, an oud and more. "Some of the instruments, I don't even know their names," Vai admits with a laugh.
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" track listing:
01. Teeth Of The Hydra
02. Zeus In Chains
03. Little Pretty
04. Candle Power
05. Apollo In Color
06. Avalancha
07. Greenish Blues
08. Knappsack
09. Sandman Cloud Mist
Vai will begin an extensive tour of the U.S., with 54 scheduled appearances on January 27 at the House Of Blues in Las Vegas. Vai will be joined by his long-tenured ensemble members Dave Weiner (guitar / keys), Philip Bynoe (bass), and Jeremy Colson (drums). Vai shares: "A performer thrives on performing. It's been my life for the past 49 years, with the exception of the last two years, so we are chomping at the bit to get out there and play for people. A music concert has the ability to dissolve the many challenges we face, and celebrate one of the good things in life, live music."
YouTube registered user Dennis Justus has just uploaded fan-filmed video of JUDAS PRIEST's entire September 9, 2021 concert at Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater in Virginia Beach, Virginia. You can watch the footage below.
The band's setlist was as follows:
01. Battle Hymn/One Shot At Glory
02. Lightning Strike
03. You've Got Another Thing Comin'
04. Freewheel Burning
05. Turbo Lover
06. Hell Patrol
07. The Sentinel
08. A Touch Of Evil
09. Rocka Rolla
10. Victim Of Changes
11. Desert Plains
12. Blood Red Skies
13. Invader
14. Painkiller
Encore:
15. The Hellion/Electric Eye
16. Hell Bent For Leather
17. Breaking The Law
18. Living After Midnight
This past Monday (January 10), JUDAS PRIEST announced that it will perform as a four-piece on its upcoming tour. A few hours later, the band's former touring guitarist Andy Sneap, who co-produced the British heavy metal legends' 2018 album "Firepower", released a statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET in which he said that he wasn't involved in PRIEST's decision to carry on as a quartet and thanked the Rob Halford-fronted outfit for the "mind-blowing" opportunity to share the stage with one of his favorite bands.
Sneap said: "Rob called me last Monday and said they wanted to move on as a four-piece, which I find incredibly disappointing after this amount of time but I respect his decision as they obviously have a vision how they want this to play out.
"This always was a temporary situation, and like I've said before, I'll always help the band any way I can, and that applies going forward also," he continued.
"I've been a huge fan of the band since the early '80s and it was mind-blowing to play onstage with the guys and quite frankly terrifying in the beginning at such short notice.
"We are moving forward with the new album next month and look forward to making a killer follow-up to 'Firepower'," he added.
Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT, began touring with PRIEST four years ago after longtime guitarist Glenn Tipton — who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease eight years ago after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier — announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of "Firepower".
Bassist Ian Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Founding guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Richie Faulkner.
Two and a half years ago, Sneap said that he would continue to play guitar for JUDAS PRIEST "as long as they want me to." During an appearance on the "Talking Bollocks" podcast, Sneap stated: "It'd be great if Glenn was up there doing it. That's the thing that really… it's always in the back of my mind; it really is. But it's just nice that he asked me to do it. As long as they want me to help out, I'll help 'em out. That's kind of the way I'm looking at it, really."
Last June, Halford told Metal Pilgrim that Sneap would likely continue being the second guitarist for PRIEST in a live situation. "Andy is still standing in that spot for Glenn with Glenn's blessing," he said. "It's pretty much a given [that Andy will be going out on tour with us again]. And my gratitude to Andy. It couldn't have happened in a better way, if you wanna try and make something good out of it. It was a really important day when Glenn said, 'I think it's probably best if I step to the side and maybe we should let Andy come in.' That was just a really beautiful act of selflessness. That's Glenn treasuring PRIEST and PRIEST's reputation, particularly in live concert more than anything else. So bless Glenn for that. And as a result, Andy stepped in and did amazing work on the 'Firepower' tour, and we're looking forward to doing the same thing with him on this 50th-anniversary [tour]. And don't discount the fact that Glenn can show up. He plays the guitar differently, but there's no reason why Glenn can't show up and do some work. I mean, I've said to Glenn, 'Just walk out on stage and do that to everybody [flashes devil horns], and the people will just go fucking crazy, 'cause you are loved so much.' But I've got a feeling that Glenn's gonna be making the occasional appearance on this 50th-anniversary [tour]."
In 2019, Hill said that it was up to Sneap to decide if he wanted to carry on playing guitar for JUDAS PRIEST after the completion of the "Firepower" tour. "It is something to be discussed, really," he told "Talking Metal". "I mean, Andy is now, these days, first and foremost a producer. Whether he wants to go back and do that full time or not, it'll be a mutual decision when the time comes. Andy will be more than welcome to stay. He's done a tremendous job over the last year or so, really. He's done a great job stepping in for Glenn. It would have been very difficult if he hadn't been there, on such short notice, because we didn't realize that Glenn couldn't handle the intensity of touring anymore until… We were only about three weeks away from starting the tour [laughs], and Andy stepped in and did a great job. He pulled a real rabbit out of the hat in learning a complete setlist of songs in such a short period of time. He pulled it off anyway. And as time's gone on, obviously, his stage presence, he got more comfortable with that, and he's performing great now. So when the time comes… We'll give it to the end of this run and then see what everybody wants to do. As I say, he'll be more than welcome to carry on with us if that's his plan."
Last November, JUDAS PRIEST announced the rescheduled "50 Heavy Metal Years" North American tour dates for March-April 2022. Support on the trek will come from QUEENSRŸCHE.
Frontiers Music Srl will release Before The Sun Sets, the debut album from City Of Lights, on February 11. A lyric video for the new single, "Heat Of The Night", can be found below.
City Of Lights is a new melodic hard rock collaboration between British newcomer songwriter/guitarist Neil Austin and Greek vocal sensation Manos Fatsis (Odyssey Desperado, Hideaway). They deliver hard-edged melodic anthems driven by crunchy riffs and lush keyboard textures combined with soaring, passion-filled vocal melodies.
City Of Lights was born when Austin, armed with a collection of songs inspired by the classic hard rock sounds of the '80s and the new wave of current AOR bands, began the search for a vocalist who possessed the tone, range and emotion to take the songs to the next level. After hearing Fatsis' work on Odyssey Desperado's Don't Miss The Sunset and Hideaway's self-titled debut, he knew he had found the right man. The two connected via Facebook and together began working on honing the songs to perfection. When the time came to find a rhythm section, Austin reached out to members of his favourite band, brothers Robin (bass) and Mats (drums) Eriksson from modern Swedish melodic rock monsters degreed and after hearing the demos, both agreed to contribute to the album.
Guest guitar soloists Nathan Doyle, Daniel Johansson (degreed), Christoffer Borg (Taste/ex-Art Nation), and Mike Kyriakou join in on the fun and the album also features appearances from Creye's Joel Selfors (piano) and degreed/Paralydium's Mikael Blanc (keyboards).
Mixed and mastered by AOR producer extraordinaire Erik Gavfelin Wiss (Creye, Cruzh, Cap Outrun).
Tracklisting:
"Racing On The Redline"
"Heart's On Fire"
"Emily"
"Heat Of The Night"
"Dying Light"
"Give Me Back My Heart"
"Put Your Heart On The Line"
"Snake Eyes"
"Joanna"
"Midnight Club"
"How To Love"
"Before The Sun Sets"
Knoxville, Tennessee rockers 10 YEARS have released a visualizer for the song "Déjà Vu" from the album "Violent Allies". Guitarist Brian Vodinh states: "'Déjà Vu' is a song about trying to tune out the monotonous stuff we face in our everyday lives, and find inspiration in new ways. This relates to our songwriting process, but also to our personal lives as well. We can get stuck in the repetitive cycle of reading the same news, looking at social media, and hearing a rehashed version of the same stories over and over. Sometimes it feels good to check-out, turn off your brain, and connect to other aspects of life."
The lead single from "Violent Allies", "The Shift", has been streamed over 9.1 million times on Spotify, with 15.9 million collective plays across all platforms. Repertoire from "Violent Allies" has been streamed 15.8 million times on Spotify, while collective streams across all platforms exceeds 28.6 million.
10 YEARS will return to the road this spring with an extensive run of the U.S. that will play 33 markets. BLACK MAP has been confirmed as direct support, with VRSTY opening. Prior to the launch of the trek, 10 YEARS will appear on ShipRocked 2022 from January 22-27. On April 8, the Official Fan Summit will be staged in Las Vegas at 24 Oxford, where the band will perform its "Feeding The Wolves" album in its entirety, featuring the singles "Fix Me" and "Shoot It Out", for the first, and likely only time ever.
Confirmed appearances include:
Mar. 14 - Pittsburgh, PA - Crafthouse
Mar. 15 - Hampton Beach NH - Wally's
Mar. 16 - Portland, ME - Aura
Mar. 18 - Lititz, PA - Mickey's Black Box
Mar. 19 - Asbury Park, NJ - Asbury Lanes
Mar. 21 - Baltimore, MD - Ottabar
Mar. 22 - Knoxville, TN - The Concourse
Mar. 23 - Nashville, TN - Basement East
Mar. 25 - Jacksonville, NC - Limelight
Mar. 26 - Atlanta, GA - The Loft
Mar. 27 - Destin, FL - Club LA
Mar. 29 - Fayetteville AR - George's Majestic
Mar. 30 - Tulsa, OK - Vanguard
Apr. 01 - Dallas, TX - Trees
Apr. 02 - San Antonio, TX - The Rock Box
Apr. 03 - Corpus Christi, TX - Brewster Ice House
Apr. 06 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent
Apr. 08 - Las Vegas, NV - 24 Oxford (Fan Summit)
Apr. 09 - Anaheim, CA - Chain Reaction
Apr. 10 - Sacramento, CA - Goldfield
Apr. 12 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
Apr. 13 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater
Apr. 15 - Missoula, MT - Wilma
Apr. 16 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
Apr. 17 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
Apr. 19 - Denver, CO - Oriental
Apr. 20 - Colorado Springs, CO - Black Sheep
Apr. 22 - Sauget, IL - Pop's
Apr. 23 - Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue
Apr. 24 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
Apr. 26 - Flint, MI - Machine Shop
Apr. 27 - Ft. Wayne, IN - Piere's
Apr. 29 - Harrison, OH - The Blue Note
10 YEARS' latest album, "Violent Allies", was released in September 2020 via Mascot Records. The disc was recorded at West Valley Recording Studios in Woodland Hills, California with Grammy-nominated producer Howard Benson, who previously worked on 10 YEARS' 2010 effort, "Feeding The Wolves".
10 YEARS' major label debut, 2005's "The Autumn Effect", featured the single "Wasteland", which topped Billboard's Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart. The follow-up effort, "Division", was also a success, with the single "Beautiful" cracking the Top 10 on Billboard's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
10 YEARS' 2017 album, "(How To Live) As Ghosts", earned the band a Top 5 mainstream rock hit in the song "Novacaine", while the LP itself also went Top 5 on the Hard Rock album chart.
THE LUCID, the four-piece hard rock band featuring bassist David Ellefson (ex-MEGADETH), vocalist Vinnie Dombroski (SPONGE), guitarist Drew Fortier and drummer Mike Heller (RAVEN, FEAR FACTORY), has released a music video for the song "Deaths Of Despair". The clip, which was directed by Fortier, can be seen below.
In other news, THE LUCID has announced a short U.S. tour in May. The band will play the following shows, with more to be announced:
May 20 - Clifton, NJ - Dingbatz
May 21 - New Bedford, MA - The Vault
May 26 - West Dundee, IL - Rochaus
May 27 - Westland, MI - The Token Lounge
May 28 - Akron, OH - Empire Concert Club
Last month, THE LUCID filmed four new music videos. Three of the tracks are taken from THE LUCID's self-titled debut album, which was released on October 15 via SpoilerHead Records.
Ellefson announced the completion of the videos in a social media post in December. He wrote: "THE LUCID knocked out 4 music videos in L.A. over the weekend. 3 songs from our debut album and one that is a total off the wall cover that will see the light of day in a few months. What a great time it was!"
"The Lucid" was produced by Heller and mixed/mastered by Lasse Lammert.
Ellefson previously stated about the LP: "It's been a real blast making a record with these guys and I must say that it’s refreshing to explore some new musical avenues… to step out a bit from what each of us have done stylistically in our own careers. There was an effortless synergy that came with creating these songs together which is always amazing when working with new people. I'm looking forward to everyone checking it out!"
During a November 2020 appearance on "The Chuck Schute Podcast", Ellefson stated about how he got involved with THE LUCID: "Drew sent me a track and said, 'Hey, can you throw a bass on here?' And I was writing a new ELLEFSON solo record at the time, so my studio ears were on. I was plugged in and ready to go. He sent it over and I was, like, 'Yeah, this is freaking cool, man.' I'd seen Drew play, I know his BANG TANGO history and the other stuff he's done. But this was really cool stuff that spoke to me. And then he called me up and he said, 'Hey, Vinnie is gonna come in and write some vocals and lyrics and lay down some tracks.' And it turned into a thing."
"I love [Vinnie]. I love SPONGE," David continued. "He's such a rock star. He's just a cool guy. And he writes such great lyrics — very trippy lyrics. He's the type of lyricist I'd never worked with before, so it's fun with that. And Drew is a great guitar player. Mike Heller — he's good friends with [MEGADETH drummer] Dirk Verbeuren. And Dirk's, like, 'Mike's awesome.' They're good friends. We all met in L.A. We got the songs together and we all met in L.A. in mid-July. I plugged in and banged out 10 songs in two days. And it was fun. Mike was very good in the studio; he really knows his way around."
As for THE LUCID's musical direction, Ellefson said: "It's cool stuff, and it's very different. It's, obviously, not thrash metal, hence the name LUCID. [The name] kind of feels like what the music sounds like."
Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH last spring after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter. At the time, Ellefson was accused of grooming an underage girl through videos and online messages. David has denied the allegation and has repeatedly said the woman in question had been a willing, consenting adult at the time of their virtual sexual encounter. Ellefson accompanied his denial with an alleged screenshot of a statement from the woman with whom he was supposedly involved at the time. In it, the woman admitted to recording the alleged intimate communications she had with Ellefson and called herself "naïve" for sharing them with a friend without the musician's permission.
David was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.
In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Dave Mustaine, alleging the MEGADETH frontman shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.
David, a Christian who launched the Mega Life Ministries worship group in 2007, studied for a year at Concordia Lutheran Seminary in St. Louis a decade ago.
Hatebreed has released an official live video for their track “Instinctive (Slaugherlust)”, taken from their 2020 album Weight Of The False Self.
The band says, “Thanks to all of our diehards who came out to see us in 2021. We look forward to seeing everyone on the road in 2022.”
Hatebreed rhythm guitarist, Frank Novinec, guested on an episode of Three Sides Of The Coin - the unofficial KISS podcast that celebrates the hottest band in the world, KISS in November.
A message states: "Frank Novinec from Hatebreed is back and this week he offers up his review of KISS Kruise X. Frank also offers his opinion of the Rolling Stone article and what COVID and COVID protocols have meant to him as a touring musician."
Frank also issued an update on what Hatebreed are up to these days. Watch below:
After their debut full-length album, Puritan Masochism, took the entire doom and heavy metal scene by storm upon its release two years ago, March 11 will see Danish blackened death doom outfit Konvent return with a sophomore offering that doubles down on the band’s songwriting talent and brutal, heavy sound.
The sonic evolution of Konvent over the course of just two years is immediately evident on Call Down The Sun, surprising with new elements at every turn. Undoubtedly inspired by recent dark times, the ongoing pandemic and cancellation of live performances, the new album sees the Copenhagen-based band more pissed off, fast-paced and pitch black throughout. Rikke Emilie List’s guttural, sublime growls and fierce screams perfectly integrate with a heavy as hell wall of blackened death and funeral doom metal riffs from guitarist Sara Helena Nørregaard, backed by a thick, profound rhythm section provided by bassist Heidi Withington Brink and drummer Julie Simonsen.
But give ear, as today Konvent has unleashed a first single taken from Call Down The Sun. “Grains” is a ground-shaking, stomping black doom metal epos that will be a must-hear on the band’s upcoming live setlists - showcasing their deep black soul with a hint of post-metal and even progressive elements.
"'Grains' is about realizing the repetition of self-destructive patterns and not knowing how to break out of that cycle. It is the first Konvent song containing Danish lyrics, as we felt like the song called for it," vocalist Rikke comments.
Watch the music video for "Grains" below.
"In our search for a video producer, we found Martin Goltermann and we quickly shared the same vision for the video; atmospheric shots of sand and the sea reflecting the lyrics and a black-haired woman's journey. As we were in a hurry, Julie had to step in and embody the part of the woman. After two days of shooting by the windy coast and in our cold rehearsal space, Martin wanted to go out again with Julie to get a few final shots. However, it had been snowing during the night and he managed to capture these beautiful shots of Julie gliding through the winter landscape. We loved it so much that we scrapped all the other footage."
Recorded and mixed by Lasse Ballade at Ballade Studios, Copenhagen and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege Studio, the new album’s thunderous apocalyptic sound is impossible to escape. Call Down The Sun a refreshing, vibrant record that is not only poised to top 2022 Album Of The Year lists, but reign as one of the best death and blackened doom metal records of modern times.
Call Down The Sun will be available in the following formats:
- 1-CD Digisleeve
- 1-LP Gatefold Vinyl Black
- 1-LP Gatefold Vinyl Marbled Red/Black/White (Napalm Records exclusive, ltd to 500)
- MC (Napalm Records exclusive, ltd to 100)
- Bundle - 1-CD Inside Out Digisleeve + Shirt
- Digital Album
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