Father/son powerhouse, Heavy Water, have released a lyric video for "Tree In The Wind", featured on their debut album, Red Brick City, available via Silver Lining Music. Find the clip below.
Heavy Water’s debut album Red Brick City is the result of a lockdown 2020 project between Saxon’s Biff Byford and his son Seb Byford, ten songs which bring you on an irrepressible raw blues-backed journey through influences and invention, a journey which has you hooked from the first note.
The foundations for Heavy Water’s sound are set in both that incredible father/son chemistry and a lifetime of know-how and experiences. Take the title track - and first single - "Red Brick City": all steam and smoulder wrapped around a riff Soundgarden would’ve been proud of, and then there’s the sun-soaked smile of "Follow This Moment" with harmonies evoking the Beach Boys relayed through Led Zeppelin, a gorgeous ‘70s trip right down to the fade out. Indeed, from the taut, elastic swing of the "Solution" riff to the rich, layered balladic strains of "Tree in the Wind", Red Brick City moves with the class and cadence of a cracking journey uniting vintage rock ‘n’ roll sensibilities with the crackle and excitement of a fresh, youthful perspective.
Seb Byford recorded and engineered Red Brick City at the Big Silver Barn in York, UK, while the drums were recorded by Ben Hammond at Reel Recording Studio in York. Sebproduced the album with Biff, and Jacky Lehmann mastered. Red Brick City sees Sebtake the reins on guitar and vocals, with Biff taking up the bass and vocal mantle. Tom Wittsplays the drums, while Dave Kemp rounds out the Heavy Water line-up on keyboards and saxophone. A rich, lustrous ride through profoundly rewarding rock waters. To cap off this family affair, the packaging photos were taken by Steph Byford.
Red Brick City is available as a CD Digipak, Coloured Vinyl Album, digital formats and special D2C bundles. Order here.
Mötley Crüe / Sixx:A.M. bassist Nikki Sixx will release his new memoir, The First 21: How I Became Nikki Sixx, on October 19 via Hachette Books. Pre-order here.
Earlier today, October 18, Sixx shared the following unboxing video, treatiing fans to an early look at his new book.
Rock-and-roll icon and three-time bestselling author Nikki Sixx tells his origin story: how Frank Feranna became Nikki Sixx, chronicling his fascinating journey from irrepressible Idaho farmboy to the man who formed the revolutionary rock group Mötley Crüe.
About The First 21:
Nikki Sixx is one of the most respected, recognizable, and entrepreneurial icons in the music industry. As the founder of Mötley Crüe, who is now in his twenty-first year of sobriety, Sixx is incredibly passionate about his craft and wonderfully open about his life in rock and roll, and as a person of the world. Born Franklin Carlton Feranna on December 11, 1958, young Frankie was abandoned by his father and partly raised by his mother, a woman who was ahead of her time but deeply troubled. Frankie ended up living with his grandparents, bouncing from farm to farm and state to state. He was an all-American kid—hunting, fishing, chasing girls, and playing football—but underneath it all, there was a burning desire for more, and that more was music. He eventually took a Greyhound bound for Hollywood.
In Los Angeles, Frank lived with his aunt and his uncle—the president of Capitol Records—for a short time. But there was no easy path to the top. He was soon on his own. There were dead-end jobs: dipping circuit boards, clerking at liquor and record stores, selling used light bulbs, and hustling to survive. But at night, Frank honed his craft, joining Sister, a band formed by fellow hard-rock veteran Blackie Lawless, and formed a group of his own: London, the precursor of Mötley Crüe. Turning down an offer to join Randy Rhoads’ band, Frank changed his name to Nikki London, Nikki Nine, and, finally, Nikki Sixx. Like Huck Finn with a stolen guitar, he had a vision: a group that combined punk, glam, and hard rock into the biggest, most theatrical and irresistible package the world had ever seen. With hard work, passion, and some luck, the vision manifested in reality—and this is a profound true story finding identity, of how Frank Feranna became Nikki Sixx. It's also a road map to the ways you can overcome anything, and achieve all of your goals, if only you put your mind to it.
Sixx:A.M. - featuring Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx, vocalist James Michael, and former Guns N' Roses guitarist DJ Ashba - will release the compilation album, Hits, on October 22 via Better Noise Music. Along with some of the band's most popular songs it will feature six previously unreleased tracks.
To celebrate the announcement, Sixx:A.M. has released "Skin" (Rock Mix); the track originally appeared on the band's second studio album, This Is Gonna Hurt. They've also shared the previously unreleased song, "The First 21" - both can be enjoyed below.
Memoria Avenue is a new melodic rock/AOR band from Norway showcasing an artistic union between guitarist Tor Talle and singer Jan Le’Brandt. The band's self-titled debut album will be released on November 5 via Frontiers Music Srl. Today, the band has released a music video for the song, "Nathalia". Watch the video below, and pre-order/save Memoria Avenue here.
Memoria Avenue is yet another newcomer to the AOR scene brought to you by Frontiers Music Srl. Comprised of guitarist Tor Talle, vocalist Jan Le'Brandt, keyboardist Dag Selboskar, bassist Svenn Huneide, and drummer Bjørn Olav Lauvdal, Memoria Avenue create have a sound and style that will particularly appeal to fans of stylish, '80s oriented melodic rock bands (think Journey and newer bands like Perfect Plan and Work of Art) with a hint of that breezy, feel good sound of yesteryear. Listening to these songs will transport you to the feeling of driving by the sea with the windows rolled down without a care in the world. Certainly not a bad feeling in this day and age...
Tor is a skilled and well known musician, best known for the Northern Light project and the band Skyscraper. He has also worked, either writing songs and/or performing with, on records from melodic rock giants such as Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow, Deep Purple), Fergie Frederiksen (ex-Toto), Rob Moratti (ex-Saga), Steve Overland (FM), and the late Tony Mills (TNT, Shy).
Jan Le’Brandt, a relative newcomer to the melodic rock scene, has a voice that is sometimes hoarse and rough, but can also move into a more delicate and sensitive style. Jan masters the whole spectrum to the fullest, with his soulful presence both on stage and in the studio. He has already previously released some material as a solo artist, appeared with the cover band Svigermord, and formerly sang for Big City (also signed to Frontiers recently), but Memoria Avenue is his chance to truly shine.
Keyboard player Dag Selboskar (who also plays in Zelbo, another new signing to Frontiers), has been touring since 1980 with several bands including Da Vinci, Evenrude, Street Legal, and Trine Rein. He started his own band, Zelbo a couple of years ago with Ken Hensley and Wonderworld guitarist Ken Ingwersen.
Bassist Svenn Huneide started touring in his early teens and has released several albums with Norwegian AOR band Stoneflower. He has released solo albums spanning from pop to rock to country and played bass with Norwegian AOR legends Da Vinci.
Bjørn Olav Lauvdal is one of the most experienced heavy rock drummers in Norway and is known as a heavy hitter. He started playing drums at an early age and toured the club circuit in Norway early in his career. He has toured, recorded, and released albums with Street Legal, The Wheel, and Da Vinci. He has also recorded album tracks on releases by Carnivora and Ken’s Dojo, among others. Live, he has also played with Evenrude, Ozzmosis, Dee Snider, etc.
Melodic Rock and AOR fans will have much to enjoy with the self-titled debut from these talented Norwegians.
Tracklisting:
"Stuck"
"Stranded"
"Can't Blame It On The Rain"
"The Air That Breath"
"Waiting Forever"
"Nathalia"
"Sometimes"
"Run With Me"
"If You Fall"
"Someday"
"High As A Kite"
"Picket Fence"
Swedish heavy metal power trio, Nekromant, will release their fourth full-length, Temple Of Haal, via their new label home of Despotz Records this December. The band have released a video for "Behind The Veil Of Eyes", which can be viewed below.
Says the band: "This song is cold as ice but at the same time warming. The lyrics convey a notion of hopelessness but acceptance before an impending doom. Adam delivers the vocals in the verses with great merit. In short, a joyful little tune about darkness and death."
Hailing from the city of Vänersborg and formerly known as Serpent, Nekromant is renowned for delivering an authentic and effortlessly brilliant old-school metal assault. Standing on the shoulders of metal giants such as Black Sabbath and Pentagram, the band is well versed in the art of crushing riffs and powerful melodies, boasting a sound that echoes the might of the past with an eye cast toward the future. From a punishing percussive battery through to the Iommi-esque guitars, Nekromant understands that the riff is king, as demonstrated throughout their superb new long player.
Temple Of Haal is packed with ambitious metal gems such as the epic “Behind The Veil Of Eyes” and the doom-laden “Olórin's Song.” In advance of the record’s release, the band is pleased to unveil first single, “The Woods,” revealing of the track, “This is a classic, unapologetic heavy metal tune. We’re not content with living this modern lifestyle, detached from what really matters. ‘The Woods’ is therefore an aggressive expression of Scandinavian grumpiness.”
Canadian epic symphonic metal band, Operus, have released a music video for their single "Lost", off their latest album, Score Of Nightmares, released through German label Pride & Joy Music during June 2020.
The vision behind the new video is that of a journey through an inner self-created metaphoric world of being lost along with the feeling of self-doubt and the inevitable anxiety of running out of time. The video's purpose is to demonstrate that we all need guidance and that although our time here isn’t infinite, what we do with our "sands of time" is the most important.
The music video was filmed by Joe Lyko of Dark Moon Productions and features Bunny Noire in the role of the "Lost Girl".
Alien Weaponry recently issued their sophomore release, Tangaroa, via Napalm Records. Today, the band share a guitar playthrough for the third single from the album, "Hatupatu". Watch below:
Watch the "Hatupatu" music video below, and order the new album here.
Norwegian extreme metal formation, Gaahls WYRD - fronted by renowned vocalist Gaahl (Gorgoroth, Wardruna, God Seed) - will release their new EP, The Humming Mountain, on November 5 via Season Of Mist. Watch an official streaming video for the opening track "The Seed" below, and pre-order the EP here.
Gaahls WYRD, the eponymous brainchild of one of black metal’s most iconic and enigmatic figures, has returned with a hypnotic new EP. The Humming Mountain follows the band’s debut album, GastiR - Ghosts Invited, and sees the latest evolution of the esoteric dark metal project’s sound.
The five song offering creeps in like a whispering demon, slowly entrancing the listener with its deep, dark gaze before it sinks its teeth in and drags you into the all-consuming abyss.
Long-running blackened death metal unit, Hate, today unleash their new video for "Exiles Of Pantheon". The ferocious track comes by way of the band's Rugia full-length, recently released via Metal Blade Records. The "Exiles Of Pantheon" video was created in collaboration with @9literfilmy film agency.
Comments vocalist/guitarist ATF Sinner, "We're extremely proud to present this picture for one of the most brutal and vicious tracks on Rugia. The song is about an old faith being reborn through an unholy, blood-soaked ritual. There are references to archaic beliefs on the island of Rugia - the last bastion of western Slavic paganism. Making this video was one hell of a challenge, because we were shooting throughout the night in extreme weather conditions. In the end, I think we got a picture that fits perfectly with the music. Watching it, you can almost feel freezing cold rain slashing at your face. I've no doubt our best video thus far."
No one combines death and black metal quite like Poland's Hate. With unflinching viciousness and a sense of atmosphere unique to the band, on Rugia, their twelfth full-length, they push the boundaries of their craft even further.
Hate elected to once again track Rugia at Hertz Recording Studio in Poland, and it was recorded, mixed, and mastered by the Wiesłaski Brothers (Behemoth, Decapitated). Everything was laid down over about two to three weeks, with longtime collaborator Michał Staczkun providing the ambient elements of the band's sound. The only struggle came about at the mixing stage, where the final character of the record emerges. "Here we encountered many problems, contradictory visions, too. The producers had their own idea for the overall sound, which differed from what I had in mind, so we were trying to find a good compromise and it took us a few months." Given how strongly the personality of the record shines through, it is safe to say that the compromise reached was in its best interest, standing as perhaps the best sounding record in the band's long career.
Hate is also celebrating thirty years of activity with Rugia, Sinner affirming he is as driven as ever. "The fire is still burning! I'm proud that I have built a band with such strong energy, that's lasted for a long time in spite of numerous line-up changes and obstacles in our way. We are still here, and we create with ever growing consciousness and dedication. The energy speaks through us. Honestly, I think of the band as something much bigger and more profound than the individual people involved in it over any given period of time. I believe we create a channel for energies that surpass us."
"Rugia"
"The Wolf Queen"
"Exiles Of Pantheon"
"Saturnus"
"Awakening The Gods Within"
"Resurgence"
"Velesian Guard"
"Sun Of Extinction"
"Sacred Dnieper"
Professionally filmed video of METALLICA performing the song "Moth Into Flame" during its September 24 show at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky can be seen below.
As previously reported, METALLICA also played the songs "For Whom The Bell Tolls" and "No Leaf Clover" at Louder Than Life as a contribution to the Global Citizen livestream, a worldwide charity event which was broadcast over 24 hours around the world on Apple Music, Apple TV app, YouTube and Twitter.
During an appearance last Friday (October 1) on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich was asked what it has been like for him and his bandmates to return to the road for their first live shows since late 2019. "Very emotional on every level," he responded. "Obviously, it's invigorating and it's inspiring and it's just great to get back out there.
"I think it was just about two years, maybe a little over two years, since we stepped off stage at 'S&M[2]' in San Francisco. And, obviously, we did the drive-in thing last summer, we did an All Within My Hands virtual event and a couple of TV appearances, but in terms of live shows with live audiences and that real deal, it had been over two years. So I believe that in the six hundred years METALLICA's been going that that's been the longest absence from the live stage we've ever had.
"When we stepped on stage at The Independent in San Francisco about two weeks ago now, [we were] definitely nervous," Lars admitted. "[It was] a little daunting. 'How do we do this again? We hope the muscle memory will come back.' And, obviously, we'd been rehearsing and prepping and staying in shape, but you never know.
"So we had a great show in San Francisco. A week later, we had a great show in Chicago back at the Metro, which is where we played on the 'Kill 'Em All' tour. This was the infamous show where — I think it's in the 'Cliff 'Em All' video, and it's definitely made the rounds — where James [Hetfield, METALLICA frontman] is holding up the 'Kill 'Em All' album that had just been released, I think, within a week or two of when we were playing there. I think it's in 'Metal Militia'; we were doing a breakdown, sing-along thing, and he holds 'Kill 'Em All' up, and somebody in the audience snags it or jumps up and grabs it. So, lots of memories there. And full circle back, I guess, 38 years later. So, [it was] so much fun to be back there.
"That show was crazy fucking hot," Ulrich added. "They were having a September heatwave; I think it was, like, 95 [degrees Fahrenheit] every day in Chicago. And up on stage at the Metro there, which is up on the second floor, it was about 195 degrees; [we were] definitely gasping for air for some of that show. But those two were great. And then, [we went] down to Lousville a couple of days later and playing the Friday and the Sunday of the Louder Than Life festival, two completely different sets — no repeats [of songs], which I'm super proud of. Outside, Friday night, it's 60 degrees, I got a little elbow room up on stage. I have to tell you the muscle memory came back, actually, quicker on those bigger shows than on the smaller ones.
"But I was so happy to be back out there, so grateful to feel the energy of the fans and their patience through all this shitstorm of the last year and a half with COVID, and so happy to reconnect with the fellows and my brothers in the band and play music and share that experience once again with a live audience and being in the moment and just feeling it.
"I would say that all is very well in METALLICA in the fall of '21, but, fuck, I hope for the rest of our career that there's not another two-year absence from the live stage.
"So, it's been definitely a bit of a whirlwind — lots of emotions," Lars said. "But we're happy to be back out there and, like I said, happy to be connecting with everybody again. Obviously, [it's been] a little odd. We really have taken the COVID seriously and put ourselves in a bubble and not seen anybody.
"And you're at a festival like Louder Than Life, and your friends in JUDAS PRIEST are in the dressing room next door, and our friends in GOJIRA and our friends in VOLBEAT and our friends in DISTURBED and all our friends in all the different bands that we've had so many experiences with for decades are all over the place, and we wanna go hang out with them and engage. So it's been a little weird to not be able to do any of that and not do the meet-and-greets and see the fans — the fan-club meet-and-greets and all that signing stuff at the hotel — but we've taken the COVID stuff super seriously. And the flipside of that has been that our touring party, which, I guess, is — I don't know; what are we? 12, 14, 15 [people] — we've been having dinner together every night and we've been going to some movie theaters and hanging out, and it's actually brought the touring party super close. Because we've just been hanging and socializing with each other rather than running off in four different directions like a pack of marbles. So, it's been great. But, man, I'm so happy to be back at it again."
METALLICA will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a pair of hometown shows for its fan club members on December 17 and December 19 at San Francisco's Chase Center.
METALLICA will play two more U.S. festivals this fall in partnership with promoter Danny Wimmer Presents: Aftershock and Welcome To Rockville.
Donnie Vie announces the release of his brand new single and video, "Party TIme." You can stream or purchase the single here, and watch the video below.
"Party Time” is a party anthem that is bursting with fun and creativity from the first note till the last. The "Party Time" song and video both contain Chip Znuff, which has brought the two together for the first time working together in eight years.
Donnie Vie talking about his recently announced box set, The Donnie Vie Collection: "This is a collection of the 5 studio records I've released as a solo artist. And a 6th record worth of new, unreleased songs that are snatched r
The Dead Daisies are continuing to put the proverbial pedal to the metal with the band really energized about the upcoming UK tour, the first since 2018. Adding to the buzz around these dates, is the release of their seventh single, “Saving Grace” (Radio Edit), from their chart-topping album, Holy Ground.
When recording “Saving Grace" this track became an absolute band favourite. It truly brings together the best parts of what defines The Dead Daisies…to rock even harder.
“I’m excited about 'Saving Grace' more than any other track, the band sounds so tight… Getting back to the UK will be a dream for us after such a long break! Come and say hi ... can't wait to rock out with all of you!!” - Doug Aldrich
Tech / melodeath unit, Mother Of All, released its debut album, Age Of The Solipsist, in June via Black Lion Records.
The Danish one-man metal band has just released a playthrough of the song "Autumn". It features none other than Steve Di Giorgio (Sadus, ex-Death, Testament) on bass. The video also includes the drummer and vocalist Martin Haumann (Timechild, ex-Afsky, ex-Myrkur) and the guitar playing of Frederik Jensen. Thematically its about the inescapable decay of our bodies and minds as we turn older. Cathartic, with a pinch of tragedy. The song occupies the space between melodic death metal and progressive metal.
The man behind the project Martin Haumann says: "The playthrough really has some great moments for all instruments. The trio's different playing styles really came together in this song and I think the video shows that really well."
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Delta Empire has shared another collaboration video, tis time featuring members of Protest The Hero and Haken performing the Megadeth classic "Symphony Of Destruction". Dreamn Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess kicks things off.
Intro: Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater)
Bass: Conner Green (Haken)
Guitar: Charlie Griffiths (Haken)
Vocals: Rody Walker (Protest The Hero)
"On the new 30 year anniversary edition of Mr Big’s Lean Into It record, they included play along versions of a couple songs for bass & guitar players," says Billy Sheehan. "Here’s a quick demo they asked me to do — just plugged in direct, but it was fun to revisit this!"
A minus bass version of "Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy", especially made for musicians to jam with, is available below.
Watch Mr. Big bassist Billy Sheehan unboxing the Lean Into It (30th Anniversary) MQA-CD and hear his stories about the classic album. Order your copy at this location.
Mr. Big, comprised of Eric Martin (vocals), Paul Gilbert (guitar), Billy Sheehan (bass), and Pat Torpey (drums), had a #1 single in 12 countries - including The United States, Australia, Canada, Germany and New Zealand - with "To Be With You", which appeared on the 1991 album, Lean Into It.
Check out Mr. Big performing "To Be With You" live in Tokyo, Japan in 1991:
The original video for "To Be With You", which has been viewed over 76 million times on YouTube, can be seen below.
Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon) is back with a new Star One album, titled Revel In Time. The album comes more than 10 years since the previous release and is due out on February 18 via InsideOutMusic.
The album will be available for pre-order on December 17, and it will come as Ltd. 2CD Digipak, Ltd. Deluxe 3CD+Blu-Ray Artbook (incl. a poster of the cover artwork), and as 180g Gatefold 2LP (incl. the album on CD & an LP-Booklet).
CD2 features alternate versions of the same songs as CD1, but with different vocalists. Also available will be a 5.1 mix, a high-res audio version, and an exclusive, hour-long Behind The Scenes video, on the Blu-ray included in the Artbook.
For this Star One release, Arjen has decided to use a different singer for each song, and those singers as well as the instrumentalists are slowly being revealed on Arjen’s Facebook page.
Arjen has checked in with the following teaser:
"Roy Khan (Conception, ex-Kamelot) sings the track 'Lost Children Of The Universe' on CD1 of the new Star One album, Revel In Time. Check out this video to hear a part of the song and don’t miss Roy’s video message at the end. Roy is one of the most requested singers by the listeners, I'm really happy that we were finally able to work together!"
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 "Against The Odds". Check out the official video below.
Taste It will be released on November 26 as digipack CD and digital streaming/download format and as limited 300 copies Whiskey marbled vinyl on February 25, 2022. Preorder here.
Sweet, featuring original guitarist Andy Scott, released their new single, "Everything (2021)" on October 15th. It is now available on all digital platforms.
Andy Scott comments: "During the rehearsals for Sweet’s forthcoming Hellraiser UK Tour in November and December 2021, we were trying out various songs from our back catalogue that could be added to the setlist. As soon as I heard Paul Manzi and Lee Small’s vocals on the song 'Everything', I knew that we needed to get it down and record it as our new single.”
Japanese drum prodigy Yoyoka Soma, who has become a YouTube sensation and attracted the attention of KISS icon Gene Simmons, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl and Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice, celebrated her 12th birthday (October 12th) with
Twelve Foot Ninja mark the release of the Australian band’s long-awaited third album album, Vengeance (Volkanik Music) with the release of a video for the title track. Check it out below.
Guitarist Stevic Mackay summed up the strange beast that is "Vengeance" as follows:
“There are definitely some ‘80s inspired permeations in the genre permutations, but I think we became clearer on the distinction between ‘songs’ and ‘riffs’; there’s a clear harmonic bone-structure carrying all of the songs.”
"Vengeance" features a squall of industrial-grade synthesized guitars intercut by a patter of digital beats and a sinewy, Tokyo-tech cabaret feel. The ominous intro builds the tension to an expected crescendo, only to pull it back which forces you to focus on the lyrics….seemingly a deliberate decision aligned with the band’s much talked about prioritization on wordsmithing of this album.
The 10-song album was released in tandem with a high fantasy novel detailing the story of the Twelve Foot Ninja: The Wyvern and The Wolf, from author Nicholas Snelling. The 1000-page book is based on the original concept by MacKay. Set in a grim and savage world, the novel tells the tale of an orphaned samurai boy called Kiyoshi who is adopted by the ruthless leader of a clan of ninja. Much more than a mere origin’s story, however, the novel is a tour de force in fantasy fiction and world-building. The novel is available
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