Archive for March, 2023

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MIKE TRAMP “Songs Of White Lion” Studio Album Releases On April 14th via Frontiers Music s.r.l.

Posted in classic rock, classic rock bands, Hard Rock, hard rock bands, Heavy Metal, Music, music news, news with tags , , , , , , , , , on March 31, 2023 by Metal Odyssey

Respected vocalist and guitarist Mike Tramp has announced the upcoming release of “The Songs Of White Lion,” via Frontiers Music Srl on April14, 2023. As the title implies, the album sees Tramp re-imagining select cuts from his former band White Lion‘s catalog. Additionally, Tramp will be embarking on a ‘Songs of White Lion’ U.S. tour in May 2023. Dates can be seen below and on Tramp’s website. https://miketramp.dk/

“For me, the period of 1983-1991 was a once in a lifetime experience. Everything I did back then was for the first time, and even though it was beyond exciting and adventurous, when it came to an end, it was more than just the end of a band, it was also the end of a very specific time in my life that I had lived and been part of. Over the next 20 years, I would revisit that time in my life in small parts, but never felt 100% comfortable with it. I simply could not force myself to recreate what I once was,” says Tramp.

“Now, here I am again, the year is 2023 and I have recorded an album of the ‘big’ White Lion songs as close to the originals as possible, but exploring small new parts that today I feel should be that way. I am not 26 anymore, I don’t sing like I am 26, and I wouldn’t be doing justice to the songs or myself if I tried to sing like I am 26. Today, I sing the songs that I wrote with Vito Bratta over 40 years ago exactly the way I am today. This is the only way I can embrace them and feel at home and be honest to myself and the songs,” he concludes.

Tramp first came to prominence in the music world with White Lion, who formed in 1983. After signing to Atlantic Records, the band enjoyed great success with the release of their second album, “Pride” in 1987, which included the hits ‘Wait’ and ‘When the Children Cry’. The band’s third album, “Big Game” (1991) and fourth album, “Mane Attraction” (1992) continued the band’s winning streak, but ultimately White Lion disbanded in 1992.

After White Lion, Tramp formed the hard rock band Freak Of Nature, who had a decidedly darker and harder vibe than White Lion. Freak Of Nature would release three studio albums before disbanding in 1996.

In 1998, Tramp initially started his solo career. His debut solo album, “Capricorn” came out in 1998 and in 2002, his second solo album, “Recovering The Wasted Years” was released. Tramp would then take a break from his solo career from 2004-2008 to tour and record under the name Mike Tramp’s White Lion and eventually under the name White Lion, releasing the album “Return Of The Pride” in 2008.

Since 2009, Tramp has been writing and recording as a solo artist releasing nine studio albums, including his most recent, 2022’s “For Første Gang”. He has also been a consistent presence on the road, both as an acoustic solo artist and with a backing band, with no plans of slowing down anytime soon.

Produced by: Soren Andersen & Mike Tramp

Keep an eye out for news about the release of “The Songs Of White Lion” and upcoming tour dates by following Tramp’s social media at the links below.

Line-Up:
Mike Tramp – Vocals
Marcus Nand – Guitars
Claus Langeskov – Bass
Alan Tschicaja – Drums
Sebastian Groset – Keyboard
Christoffer Stjerne – Harmonies

“Songs Of White Lion” tracklisting:

Lady Of The Valley
Little Fighter
Broken Heart
Love Don’t Come Easy
Hungry
Cry For Freedom
Going Home Tonight
Wait
All The Fallen Men
Living On The Edge
Tell Me
When The Children Cry

Time: 0.55.56

https://www.instagram.com/miketrampofficial

Source: Frontiers

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LORDI – Cinematic “Dead Again Jayne” Video Unveiled; Screem Writers Guild Out TODAY On Atomic Fire Records

Posted in Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Metal, metal bands, metal music, Music, music news, music videos, news with tags , , , , , , , , , on March 31, 2023 by Metal Odyssey

Photo by Eero Kokko

Clear the manège, let the ultimate LORDI show begin! Screem Writers Guild, the new beast of an album by the beloved Finnish hard rock monster squad, is out TODAY on Atomic Fire Records!

In celebration of the release, the group has launched a cinematic music video for the record’s opening track “Dead Again Jayne,” once again scripted, directed, and edited by Mr. Lordi himself. Dealing with a patched-up lady who suddenly isn’t that dead anymore, the song is dominated by a morbid, Frankenstein-ish atmosphere.

Watch LORDI’s “Dead Again Jayne” video at THIS LOCATION.

View LORDI’s previously released video for “Lucyfer Prime Evil” HERE and “Thing In The Cage” HERE.

Screem Writers Guild was produced by Mr. Lordi with Mana and Janne Halmkrona as executive producers. Ilkka Herkman took care of mixing and Pauli Saastamoinen mastered the record. The artwork was also designed by Mr. Lordi himself who has made a name as director for the band’s vision since the early ’90s. The record’s title — a “LORDIfied” play on words — is a reference to the “Screen Writers Guild,” an association of Hollywood screenplay writers (1920s to 1950s), yet there is no doubt that LORDI‘s musical version is much louder and fiercer. “The record itself isn’t a real concept album, but it obviously plays with the overall cinematic theme,” says Mr. Lordi.

Screem Writers Guild is available in the following formats:

Limited Collector’s Box Set – Includes alternative cover artwork, CD-digipak, 2xLP in gatefold, exclusive Live At Masters Of Rock DVD featuring five live songs, five band member portrait art prints plus LORDI notebook.

The box set will be available in three color variants:
– Red/Black Splatter vinyl @ Atomic Fire Records Mailorder
– Green Marbled vinyl @ EMP
– Purple/Black Marbled vinyl @ Atomic Fire Records US Mailorder, Nuclear Blast, and Levykauppa Äx

Other configurations:
– CD-digipak
– 2xLP gatefold (Transparent/Blue Marbled)
– 2xLP gatefold (Red/Black Splatter; only available in Europe)
– 2xLP gatefold (Green Marbled; only available @ EMP)
– 2xLP gatefold (Purple/Black Marbled; only available @ Atomic Fire Records US Mailorder, Nuclear Blast, and Levykauppa Äx)
– digital

Order Screem Writers Guild in the physical format of your choice, stream it, or get it digitally now at THIS LOCATION.

Tonight, LORDI will kick off another touring cycle at Aria Complex (San Gwann, MT) where they’ll premiere their new musical play on stage for the first time. The performance serves as a warm-up for Mr. Lordi and his crew as it will be followed by a massive European arena tour alongside Sabaton and Babymetal in April/May as well as select summer festival gigs and a few Austrian shows in the Fall. See all confirmed dates below.

LORDI:
3/31/2023 Rock ‘N Malta @ Aria Complex – San Gwann, MT
w/ Sabaton, Babymetal:
4/14/2023 First Direct Arena – Leeds, UK
4/15/2023 OVO Arena Wembley – London, UK
4/16/2023 Motorpoint Arena – Cardiff, UK
4/18/2023 OVO Hydro – Glasgow, UK
4/21/2023 Zénith (La Villette) – Paris, FR Sold Out
4/22/2023 Festhalle – Frankfurt, DE
4/24/2023 Barclays Arena – Hamburg, DR
4/25/2023 Rockhal – Esch-sur-Alzette, LU
4/28/2023 Avicii Arena – Stockholm, SE
4/29/2023 Spektrum – Oslo, NO Sold Out
4/30/2023 Royal Arena – Copenhagen, DK
5/01/2023 3-Majówka – Wroclaw,PL *LORDI only
5/02/2023 ZAG Arena – Hanover, DE
5/03/2023 Ziggo Dome – Amsterdam, NL
5/05/2023 Mercedes-Benz Arena – Berlin, DE
5/06/2023 Quarterback Immobilien Arena – Leipzig, DE
5/07/2023 Stadthalle – Vienna, AT
5/09/2023 Atlas Arena – Łódź, PL
5/10/2023 Ostravar Aréna – Ostrava, CZ
5/12/2023 Lanxess Arena – Cologne, DE
5/13/2023 Sportpaleis – Antwerp, BE
5/15/2023 Olympiahalle – Munich, DE
5/18/2023 Saku Suurhall – Tallinn, EE
5/19/2023 Helsingin Jäähalli – Helsinki, FI
5/20/2023 Kuopio-halli – Kuopio, FI
End Tour
6/08/2023 Rockfest – Hyvinkää, FI
6/16/2023 Tuhdimmat Tahdit – Tampere, FI *New*
6/25/2023 Rock Imperium Festival – Cartagena, ES
7/29/2023 Rock Of Ages – Rottenburg-Seebronn, DE New
10/14/2023 Wildstyle & Tattoo @ Stadthalle – Kapfenberg, AT
10/21/2023 Wildstyle & Tattoo @ Tabakfabrik – Linz, AT
10/28/2023 Wildstyle & Tattoo @ Messezentrum

Founded in 1992 by singer, songwriter, and designer Mr. Lordi, LORDI are one of the major Finnish rock/heavy metal acts of our time. Originally rooted in Rovaniemi (Northern Lapland, Finland), the band achieved their international breakthrough after winning the Eurovision Song Contest with their hit song “Hard Rock Hallelujah” in 2006.

Since then, the unconventional troop has rocked their way into the spotlight of Europe with charm, unforgettable tunes, and elaborate monster costumes, and have become an integral part of the lineups of globally recognized festivals such as Wacken Open Air (DE) and Masters of Rock (CZ) among others.

LORDI:
Mr. Lordi – vocals
Kone – guitars
Hiisi – bass
Hella – keyboard
Mana – drums

Source: EARSPLIT PR

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KISS – Four Dates Added To The End Of The Road Tour!

Posted in classic rock, classic rock bands, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Music, music news, news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on March 30, 2023 by Metal Odyssey

KISS – Detroit, Michigan – Nashville, Tennessee – St. Louis, Missouri and Ft. Worth, Texas have been added for October 2023! Check out the dates and complete tour schedule below!

KISS Army and VIP Package presale begins April 3rd at 10am local time.

4/12/23 Manaus, Brazil
4/15/23 Bogota, Colombia
4/18/23 Brasília, Brazil
4/20/23 Belo Horizonte
4/22/23 São Paulo, Brazil
4/25/23 Florianópolis, Brazil
4/28/23 Buenos Aires, Argentina
4/30/23 Santiago, Chile
5/4/23 San Salvador, El Salvador
5/27/23 Columbus, OH
6/3/23 Plymouth, UK
6/5/23 Birmingham, UK
6/6/23 Newcastle, UK
6/10/23 Prague, Czech Republic
6/12/23 Amsterdam, Netherlands
6/13/23 Belgium, Brussels
6/15/23 Clisson, France
6/17/23 Munich, Germany
6/19/23 Kraków, Poland
6/21/23 Dresden, Germany
6/22/23 Berlin, Germany
6/25/23 Cartagena, Spain
6/27/23 Lyon, France
6/29/22 Tuscany, Italy
7/1/23 Manheim, Germany
7/2/23 Cologne, Germany
7/7/23 Manchester, UK
7/8/23 Glasgow, UK
7/5/23 London, UK
7/12/23 Rättvik, Sweden
7/13/23 Rättvik, Sweden
7/15/23 Tonsberg, Norway
10/20/23 Detroit, MI (JUST ADDED)
10/23/23 Nashville, TN (JUST ADDED)
10/25/23 St. Louis, MO (JUST ADDED)
10/27/23 Ft. Worth, TX (JUST ADDED)
10/29/23 Austin, TX
11/1/23 Palm Desert, CA
11/3/23 Los Angeles, CA
11/6/23 Seattle, WA
11/8/23 Vancouver, BC
11/10/23 Edmonton, AB
11/12/23 Calgary, AB
11/13/23 Saskatoon, SK
11/15/23 Winnipeg, MB
11/18/23 Montreal, QC
11/19/23 Quebec, QC
11/21/23 Kanata, ON
11/22/23 Toronto, ON
11/24/23 Knoxville, TN
11/25/23 Indianapolis, IN
11/27/23 Rosemont, IL
11/29/23 Baltimore, MD
12/1/23 New York, NY
12/2/23 New York, NY

Source: KISS Online

LONG LIVE KISS.

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L.A. GUNS – New Studio Album “Black Diamonds” Releases On July 14th, via Frontiers Music s.r.l.

Posted in classic rock, Hard Rock, hard rock bands, Heavy Metal, Music, music news, news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on March 30, 2023 by Metal Odyssey

L.A. Guns have announced the upcoming release of their latest studio album, “Black Diamonds”. Produced by founding member and guitarist Tracii Guns, “Black Diamonds” is a tour-de-force of rock ‘n roll that fans have come to expect from the long-running hard rockers.

Written and recorded over the course of 2022, “Black Diamonds” sees Tracii Guns, Phil Lewis, and company continuing on the same successful and inspiring sonic journey that they’ve been taking on their most recent albums, “Checkered Past”, “The Devil You Know”, and “The Missing Peace”.

The band doesn’t shy away from flexing their hard rock influences as they always have, but also incorporates more introspective acoustic tracks reflective of their classic rock influences from the ’70s. This makes for a potent and highly listenable cocktail of an album in “Black Diamonds”. Since their self-titled debut in 1988 to their widely praised recent suite of “comeback” albums, L.A. GUNS, led by Tracii Guns and Phil Lewis, have always delivered solid rock ‘n roll to their fans. Since core members Tracii and Phil reunited under the banner of L.A. Guns in 2017, a rekindling of the band’s creative energy has been continuing unabated over the course of, now, four studio albums.

Black Diamonds” shows no signs of this renaissance slowing down… L.A. Guns never looked like the pretty poster boys that so many of their peers did, but more the band that you would be terrified to bump into in an alley as they would likely be carrying switchblades and ready for a fight.

But despite having many songs to back up that image, the band could also write powerful ballads (see the smash hit, “The Ballad Of Jayne” for Exhibit A of this argument) that showed there were some serious songwriting chops in the band.

The story of how we got from the band’s powerful early years to a fourth new studio album in the relatively short time that Guns and Lewis have reunited has already been well documented, so no need to rehash it. What’s important to know and understand is that the driving force of all those classic L.A. Guns songs was Tracii and Phil. Feeling inspired and excited like they did when they first started out, but with many years of wisdom and experience under their belts, and most importantly, a renewed and stronger creative and personal relationship, Guns, Lewis, and L.A. Guns as a whole are at a creative peak.

“Black Diamonds” – Track Listing:

You Betray
Wrong About You
Diamonds
Babylon
Shame
Shattered Glass
Gonna Lose
Got It Wrong
Lowlife
Crying
Like A Drug

Time: 0.41.14

Line-Up:
Phil Lewis – Vocals
Tracii Guns – Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Mellotron

Ace Von Johnson – Electric Guitars
Johnny Martin – Bass, Electric Guitars
Shawn Duncan – Drums (live)
Adam Hamilton – Drums (studio) & Strings

Source: Frontiers Music s.r.l.

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Montreal Prepares For Thrash Attack! Piranha Pit Fest Announces Lineup Presented by Loudtrax

Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal bands, Metal, metal bands, metal festivals, metal music, Music, music news, news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 29, 2023 by Metal Odyssey

w/ RAZOR, WHIPLASH, SKULL FIST, WARSENAL, DROWNING IN BLOOD

This coming May 12th, Montreal, QC will be host to this city’s first-ever Piranha Pit Fest presented by Loudtrax, the one-stop online shop for everything swag from the biggest names in Loud Music.

Piranha Pit Fest will feature headliners RAZOR, the Canadian thrash legends who have been recognized as one of the country’s pioneers of the metal genre. RAZOR released their ninth studio album Cycle of Contempt this past September, making it their first album in 25 years. RAZOR will also be supported by another legendary thrash band, New Jersey’s WHIPLASH, one of the first American East Coast thrash metal bands of the 1980s to inspire many who followed in their footsteps. Also joining the lineup is the 2023 Juno nominated (Metal/Hard Music Album Of The Year) and international tour de force, Toronto’s high-flying heavy metal shredders SKULL FIST along with local Montreal moshers Warsenal and Drowning In Blood.

Piranha Pit Fest will be held at Piranha Bar 680 Sainte-Catherine St W, one of the city’s metal strongholds for extreme music events.

Tickets for Piranha Pit Fest are available online at https://www.ticketscene.ca/events/44020/​

Physical tickets are available at Piranha Bar, Rock Longueuil (1700 ch. Chambly, Longueuil, QC)

Event Details and Set Times:
LoudTrax présente/presents
Doors Open: 6:00PM | Show Starts: 6:45PM | Ages 18+

Drowning In Blood:
6:45pm – 7:15pm
Warsenal:
7:30pm – 8:00pm
Skull Fist:
8:20pm – 9:05pm
Whiplash:
9:25pm – 10:25pm
Razor:
10:45pm – 12:00am

Sponsored by:
Rock Longueuil Inc.
Loud Trax
Asher Media Relations
Absolute Underground Magazine
Belle Gueule

Source: Asher Media Relations

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The Electric Highway Festival (Calgary, AB) Announces Dates For 2024 Lineup – April 4 -6; Opens Band Submissions and Special One-Day Ultra Early Bird Special

Posted in Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Metal, metal bands, metal music, Music, music festivals, music news, news with tags , , , , , , , , , on March 29, 2023 by Metal Odyssey

EHF 2023 Lineup Spotify Playlist – https://spoti.fi/3ZKB9Tm

Calgary’s The Electric Highway Festival has wrapped up for 2023 and it was a resounding success according to festival organizers. The event took place from March 23, 24, and 25, 2023 at Dickens, with 3 days of music from Canadian bands trekking from across Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba along with American headliners, Los Angeles’ Sasquatch.

The 2024 edition of The Electric Highway will take place April 4, 5, and 6, 2024 once again at Dickens in Calgary. Band submissions for the event open on April 1 and run until June 30, 2023. Bands can fill out the form on the website.

Fans of The Electric Highway will also have the opportunity to buy very limited Ultra Early Bird Passes for the 2024 festival starting at noon MST on April 1, 2023. Only 20 passes for $60 each will be available in the Festival Store.

About: Buckle up for The Electric Highway Festival! The 2023 edition of the festival focused on Desert Rock and Metal, Doom, Sludge, and Heavy Psych and had expanded to include some punk and hardcore bands as well.

The festival featured Californian headliners Sasquatch, one of the festival’s past favorites, laying down their brand of fuzzy, kick-ass Desert Rock & Heavy Psych with direct support from Vancouver’s La Chinga who returned for their 4th appearance on Saturday night. Black Mastiff returned to headline Friday night with Calgary’s Gone Cosmic and HypnoPilot headlined the Thursday show with support from Citizen Rage. These are just a few of the wicked bands that played at The Electric Highway.

The Electric Highway is a fully immersive festival experience and offers much more than just music. The festival also featured an art & vendor exposition during all three days at Dickens, March 23 – 25, 2023.

Check www.TheElectricHighway.ca for more festival information. We look forward to bringing this festival to you, and can’t wait to see everyone in 2024!

The Electric Highway 2023 Official Nightly Lineups:

Thursday, March 23:
HypnoPilot (Lethbridge, AB) – Daily Headliner
Citizen Rage (Calgary, AB)
Musing (Calgary, AB)
No More Moments (Siksika, AB)
Father Moon (Calgary, AB)
Destroy My Brains (Lloydminster, AB).

Friday, March 24:
Black Mastiff (Edmonton, AB/Vancouver, BC) – Daily Headliner
Gone Cosmic (Calgary, AB)
Set & Stoned (Crossfield, AB)
Hombre (Calgary, AB)
Empress (Vancouver, BC)
Molten Lava (Vancouver, BC)
Space Queen (Vancouver, BC) Owls & Eagles (Calgary, AB)

Saturday, March 25:
Sasquatch (Los Angeles, CA) – Festival Headliner
La Chinga (Vancouver, BC)
Buffalo Bud Buster (Calgary, AB)
Brown Dwarf (Red Deer, AB)
The Astral Prophets (Calgary, AB)
Iron Tusk (Siksika, AB)
The Sleeping Legion (Winnipeg, MB)
Tebby & the Heavy (Edmonton, AB)
Garuda (Cranbrook, BC).

Source: Asher Media Relations

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WINTERSTORM – Releases Music Video For Epic, New Album Single “Future Times”

Posted in Heavy Metal, Metal, metal bands, metal music, Music, music news, music videos, news, Power Metal with tags , , , , , , , , , on March 29, 2023 by Metal Odyssey

New Album, “Everfrost”, Out This Summer On AFM Records!

July 14, 2023 will see power metal act WINTERSTORM release their upcoming, fifth studio album entitled “Everfrost”. It’s their first offering since 2016, and their debut with powerhouse label AFM Records.

“Winter” stands for nordic viking and folk metal, the “Storm” for fast-paced power metal, combined with epic and orchestral metal facettes, WINTERSTORM shines in a new splendor as first single releases prove. Following the previously shared, first album appetizer “To The End Of All Known”, now, the five-piece has released a music video for “Future Times”! The comments:

“Future Times is about focusing on the changeable future instead of wasting time on the unchangeable past. Whether it’s the small things everyday or big ones like the destruction of our planet — it’s always worth getting the focus right.”

The new WINTERSTORM clip for “Future Times” is now streaming HERE

It’s the melodic grandeur, that clearly marks the foreground of WINTERSTORM, reflected in heavily catchy choruses and colossal, polyphonic vocals. Striking elements of different metal styles merge with each other and get a completely new impression, that WINTERSTORM’s forthcoming record may be their most versatile and powerful album to date; one that does not have to hide behind proved genre colleagues such as Blind Guardian or Rhapsody Of Fire.

“Everfrost” will be available as CD Digipak, limited clear blue Vinyl and Boxset on July 14, 2023 through AFM Records, the pre-sale is now online at THIS LOCATION!

“Everfrost” track listing:

  1. Origin
  2. To The End Of All Known
  3. The Phoenix Died (Remember)
  4. Circle Of Greed
  5. Future Times
  6. Everfrost
  7. Final Journey
  8. Fate Of The Atlanteans
  9. Crusade
  10. Overcome The Fear
  11. Silence

Source: AFM Records

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IMMORTAL GUARDIAN – New Single “Roots Run Deep” Includes Guest Vocals From Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear)

Posted in Heavy Metal, Metal, metal bands, metal music, Music, music news, music videos, news with tags , , , , , , , , on March 28, 2023 by Metal Odyssey

Photo Credit – Arturo Pina

5th new song and music video released from the Power/Progressive Metal band’s upcoming new album

Hotly anticipated Power/Progressive Metal band IMMORTAL GUARDIAN continue building the anticipation for their next opus, sporadically issuing new material as it completes as we head towards a late summer release of the band’s next full album. Today, the group unveils “Roots Run Deep” along with a corresponding music video. To heighten the experience the group has enlisted the services of famed vocalist Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear, ex-Gamma Ray) who guests alongside IMMORTAL GUARDIAN singer Carlos Zema.

Recording independently and remotely the quartet is assembling the follow-up to 2021’s successful ‘Psychosomatic’ track-by-track and sharing the material as it completes, along with visually captivating music videos, that again the self-contained group produces themselves. Check out “Roots Run Deep” on all streaming/download services, or watch the clip at: https://youtu.be/j7CLsJ50glo

“This Super Metal style song brings together the powerful vocals of Mr. Scheepers with Immortal Guardian’s signature sound to create an epic and inspiring anthem,” explains Carlos. “’Roots Run Deep’ takes us on a journey back to a time when we were all united before our differences and conflicts divided us. It reminds us that we all share a common history and that as a society we must learn to survive the separations and unite to conquer. With a message of hope, unity, and perseverance, ‘Roots Run Deep’ encourages us to make the world a better place. So let us embrace our shared history and let this song inspire us to make a positive change in the world. Thank you for watching this powerful and inspiring video.”

“‘Roots Run Deep’ is about the levels of today’s division. Black and white, religion vs religion, left vs right, rich and poor, war and peace, etc.,” further explains guitarist/keyboardist Gabriel Guardian. “The world is so divided right now and what we want more than ever is unity. This song is about putting our differences aside and remembering that we are all humans just trying to survive. We all just want a happy life, and that would be more likely to happen if we all just agreed to disagree and respect each other and celebrate the things that make us all so different and unique.”

Heavy topics are not unfamiliar to Immortal Guardian whose previous album focused on the Covid pandemic, likely the first full album to be thematically linked to the disease and its effect on the globe and its people. In the past year, Immortal Guardian has revealed four other brand new songs including “Perfect Person,” “Ozona,” “Echoes” and “Southern Rain” forming a basis for their next conceptual piece, ‘Unite and Conquer.’ The band will continue to share new material as the creative process proceeds to build up to a new full-length album planned for late summer 2023. Watch for pre-orders soon for CDs and limited-color vinyl variants.

More info will be released by Immortal Guardian and M-Theory Audio in the weeks and months to follow. https://www.facebook.com/igmetal/.

IMMORTAL GUARDIAN:
Gabriel Guardian – guitars/keyboards
Carlos Zema – vocals
Justin Piedimonte – drums
Joshua Lopez – bass

Source: Asher Media Relations

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AMONG THESE ASHES – Reveal “The Enemy In I” Artwork – Cover Savatage’s “Sirens” In New Video!

Posted in Heavy Metal, Metal, metal bands, metal music, Music, music news, music videos, news, Power Metal with tags , , , , , , , , , , on March 28, 2023 by Metal Odyssey

Detroit (MI) – Melodic Power Thrashers AMONG THESE ASHES have revealed the artwork for forthcoming single “The Enemy In I.” Jayson Cessna of Prosthetic Records artists, Astralborne, is responsible for the visual stunner!

“The Enemy In I” will be released on April 21, packaged with b-side track “Sirens,” a cover of the Savatagegem. A lyric video for “Sirens” is available now at youtu.be/WQe52VAHb5Y!

Regarding “Sirens,” the band had this to say: “Among These Ashes pays homage to one of the best bands to ever do it, Savatage, with a cover of the band’s classic song, Sirens. This cover is deliberately made with ATA sonic trademarks, rather than being a carbon copy of the original. Thank you Savatage for being a continuous source of inspiration.

The band released the following statement concerning the forthcoming single package:

“A year after releasing our debut album, Dominion Enthroned, we return with our newest track, The Enemy in I. This track lyrically chronicles the woes of self-destruction. We worship at the altar of those who paved this musical path for us, and in that spirit, we’ve included a cover of a Savatageclassic, Sirens, as a B-side track to this release. Both tracks display our signature attributes with pummeling aggression contrasted by thematic melodies and harmony. We cannot wait to bring these cacophonous offerings to the ravenous metal hordes.”

In other news, the band recently released a lyric video for a reworked version of “A Veil of Black,” a track from Dominion Enthroned, at youtu.be/Dt8CsNn7QdQ.

The new version of “A Veil of Black” features Brooke Rousseau of Lady Luna and the Devil on vocals with AMONG THESE ASHES lead vocalist, JP Abboud. The video was created by Ross Morgan. The song is included as a bonus track on Alone Records’ CD reissue of Dominion Enthroned, which is available to purchase at this location.

Dominion Enthroned, which was released in early 2022, is available to stream in its entirety at the following locations:

amongtheseashes.bandcamp.com/album/dominion-enthroned

open.spotify.com/album/0J0gVCIQeLofMnK76NJQTt

Track Listing:

  1. The Enemy in I (Single)
  2. Sirens (Savatage Cover)

BIO: Among These Ashes is a melodic power/thrash metal band hailing from Detroit, MI. The central focus of this band is creating stellar, highly-memorable metal songs. The band’s sound is crushingly heavy and punctuated by cerebral arrangements, thought-provoking lyrics, and dynamic shifts in tempo and aggression. The band’s debut musical offering, Dominion Enthroned, is a conceptual tour de force inspired by modern societal parallels and struggles.

Source: ClawHammer PR

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Denmark’s Prog-Power Metal Act PYRAMAZE Reveals Album Details & Music Video For New Single “Fortress”

Posted in Heavy Metal, Metal, metal bands, metal music, Music, music news, music videos, news, Power Metal with tags , , , , , , , , , on March 28, 2023 by Metal Odyssey

Following the much acclaimed, 2020-album Epitaph, Danish prog-and power metal masters PYRAMAZE have announced the release of their forthcoming full-length record, entitled Bloodlines. The album will be out on June 23, 2023 via AFM Records

After PYRAMAZE previously shared a first song, “Broken Arrow”, today, they are premiering a music video for new single “Fortress”! The band comments:

“Fortress” has Pyramaze incorporating some of their traditional elements and melding it with a modern cinematic atmosphere. With hard hitting staccato strings, soaring and powerful vocals, driving rhythm guitars and drums, and moving and melodic keyboard passages, “Fortress” should please fans of both older and newer Pyramaze.”

Watch the new PYRAMAZE clip, now streaming HERE

PYRAMAZE are an exceptional phenomenon in the international, heavy music scene: Their sound brings along numerous traditional melodic and progressive metal trademarks, but gets an immensely high recognition value by their unique feeling for great melodies. The band is known for their technical finesse and unique arrangements, often melodic and atmospheric, and frequently including complex guitar riffs and solos supported by synthetic sounds.

In recent years, PYRAMAZE has played on many stages in Europe and North America, demonstrating their energetic live performance and impressive musical skills. They have built a loyal fan base and is considered by many metal fans as one of the most innovative and talented bands of their generation.

Bloodlines was recorded, mixed and mastered by PYRAMAZE guitarist and renowned producer Jacob Hansen. Set to be released on June 23, 2023 through AFM Records, the album pre-sale is now available at THIS LOCATION!

SINGLES/ VIDEOS
PYRAMAZE – Fortress (2023) watch HERE
PYRAMAZE – Broken Arrow (2023) watch HERE

Bloodlines Track Listing:

  1. Bloodlines
  2. Taking What’s Mine
  3. Fortress
  4. Broken Arrow
  5. Even If You’re Gone
  6. Alliance
  7. The Midnight Sun
  8. Stop the Bleeding
  9. The Mystery
  10. Wolves of the Sea

Source: AFM Records

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Cro-Mags And Ringworm Concert Photo Gallery And Review – From Madison Live! In Covington, Kentucky, March 17, 2023

Posted in concerts, hardcore, hardcore bands, hardcore metal, Heavy Metal, Metal, metal bands, metal music, Music, music news, news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 27, 2023 by Metal Odyssey

Photo Credit: Stone/Metal Odyssey – above: Harley Flanagan/Cro-Mags

I went with my buddy Troy to see Cro-Mags and Ringworm, down in Covington Kentucky, at Madison Live!, on March 17, 2023. Both of these bands have been on my bucket list for many years. Suffice to say I had an amazing time seeing and hearing these bands, up close!

The line-up for Cro-Mags has changed over the years; however, the legendary band founder Harley Flanagan has once again proved to his fans he is still at his very best in performing live. With a mixed crowd of both younger and older fans, the Hardcore stage diving and insane pit of yesteryear was non-existent; save for a pit that was more congenial than over aggressive.

Photo Credit: Stone/Metal Odyssey

Two or three scuffles broke out in the crowd and Harley Flanagan was very quick to diffuse the scuffles. Harley made it clear his lack of tolerance for fighting. Harley also let his feelings be known for unity, brotherhood and being grateful for your loved ones. I couldn’t agree more. There were parents that took their little kids to this show. As for the music, I couldn’t stop moving; with my cane and screwed up knees. We’ve all gotten older and Harley doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone. He’s forever immortalized in Metal and Hardcore history.

Photo Credit: Stone/Metal Odyssey
Photo credit: Stone/Metal Odyssey – above: Human Furnace of Ringworm

Cleveland Ohio’s Ringworm didn’t hold back nothing. They blazed and thundered through their set of songs like killer hornets. Human Furnace led his band like the Metal titan he is, vocally menacing. Opening for Cro-Mags, Ringworm set the Metal vibe on course. I always have more energy in the first half of any concert; thus I went into the pit with my cane and enjoyed every second of it. My fellow Metal brethren joined me in the pit, to cheer me on and make certain I didn’t fall down. It was more a nostalgic ceremony of yesteryear than anything else. I was so grateful to the brother/sisterhood that graciously joined me in celebration. My knees hurt so bad out there and the love and support I received from that Metal gathering brought me close to tears. I’ll never forget that night. God Bless them all and both bands. – Stone

Photo Credit: Stone/Metal Ofyssey
Human Furnace and me!

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Original MISFITS Announce Limited Run Of 2023 Shows – Florida, New Jersey & Arizona

Posted in concerts, Heavy Metal, horror, horror punk, Metal, Music, music news, news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on March 26, 2023 by Metal Odyssey

OFFICIAL MISFITS RECORDS NEWSLETTER: March 26, 2023

The Original Misfits, one of the most influential, genre-defining bands to emerge from North America, have announced a limited run of shows for 2023 kicking off on June 24th in Tampa at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre with Megadeth, hitting the band’s home turf of NJ at the Prudential Center in Newark on July 8th with fellow New Jersey natives The Gaslight Anthem, followed by a performance at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre on July 15th in Phoenix with AFI. All three dates will also have support from FEAR.

Scroll down for more, including ticket links for each show.

The tour will give fans the rare opportunity to see the horror punk pioneers in their fiendish glory, live on stage as well as mark the first time the reunited ORIGINAL MISFITS have visited the states of Florida and Arizona, featuring the classic line-up of Original Singer/Songwriter GLENN DANZIG and Original Bassist JERRY ONLY with longtime guitarist DOYLE Wolfgang von Frankenstein.

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO GET TIX NOW… WHILE YOU STILL CAN!

Saturday, June 24, 2023, Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre Click Here to Get Tickets Now!

Saturday, July 8, 2023, Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center Click Here to Get Tickets Now!

Saturday, July 15, 2023, Phoeniz, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre Click Here to Get Tickets Now!

LONG LIVE MISFITS.

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Swiss Hard ‘n’ Heavy Rockers SHAKRA Reveal Album Details And Share New Single “Tell Her That I’m Sorry”

Posted in Hard Rock, hard rock bands, Heavy Metal, Music, music news, news with tags , , , , , , on March 26, 2023 by Metal Odyssey

New Album, “Invincible”, Coming June 9, 2023!

Swiss hard rock act SHAKRA has finally revealed more details about their upcoming, new album. Invincible will be released this summer, on June 9, 2023 via AFM Records! The album pre-sale is now available at THIS LOCATION!

“You are invincible — You can achieve anything, not if you believe in it, but if you know it…and that makes you invincible!” That’s the core message of the band’s forthcoming offering. And after previously-released, first album singles “The Way It Is” or the album title track, SHAKRA proves why they are not only invincible but belong to one of the most enthralling, powerful acts the hard and heavy rock scene has to offer!

In the new single “Tell Her That I’m Sorry”, SHAKRA explore the emotional rollercoaster ride of a failed relationship and reflect on missed opportunities and unrequited love. Mark’s powerful guitar sound and haunting voice perfectly capture heartache and the burden of responsibility. “The song is not only a call for reconciliation, but also a powerful testimony to the universal experience of love and loss.” The band comments. “«Tell Her That I’m Sorry» is a must for all fans of straight rock and for anyone who wants to experience the depths of the human heart and the power of music.“

Listen, stream and get SHAKRA’s new song HERE

Invincible Track Listing:

  1. The Way It Is
  2. The Matrix Unfolds
  3. Invincible
  4. Devil Left Hell
  5. On the Wild Side
  6. Old Irish Song
  7. Tell Her That I’m Sorry
  8. As I Lay Down to Sleep
  9. House of Rock
  10. Walls of Hate
  11. Between the Lines
  12. As Long As I’m Alive

Source: AFM Records

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Finnish Rock Band JUDITH ALICE Releases “Resolute” EP And Music Video!

Posted in Hard Rock, Music, music news, music videos, news with tags , , , , , , , , on March 25, 2023 by Metal Odyssey

Promo picture by Aaro Tuisku

Finnish rock band Judith Alice released a new EP Resolute via Finnish record label Secret Entertainment.

LISTEN Resolute EP: https://push.fm/fl/judith-alice-resolute

Also a new music video ‘Person That I Hate’ is done which is available here: https://youtu.be/FfpqWtNVQZ0

Guitarist June Stacy comments: 
“Writing and recording the EP was a little bit troublesome and slow because of the covid. We recorded the demos and then the EP versions of the songs little by little when ever we could. Then over a year ago when it was already mixed and mastered Izzy (our guitar player) decided to pursue other things in life and quit the band. We didn’t wanna release anything or shoot music videos before we found someone to replace him. So it took another half a year to find Vasco. But finally here it is: ’Resolute’. The EP that updates the sound of Judith Alice for 2023! Enjoy”

BIOGRAPHY:
Judith Alice was formed in Helsinki, Finland by old friends June Stacy and Stan Ford (Skeeter Hazy) in 2016. The nowadays five piece band has been creating a reputation as a wild live performer and a party maker since. The first single, “I Only Go Out When It’s Dark” was released in 2017. The second single “Drug Festival” was released in December 2018 and as a third single they recorded a cover for an old danish hit “I WIll Stay”, it was released January 2020. Yeah, the one Hurriganes made famous in Finland back in the day. Recordings of the first album began in 2017, and after all the setbacks and struggle it was finally released on August 13th 2020. When the world closed because of the pandemic, Judith Alice used the time to write and record new music! 2023 starts with a brand new single/video ”Tonite’s Alright (feat. Diison)” followed by an EP called ”Resolute”!


EP Picture by Aaro Tuisku, EP cover by Jussi Aaltonen

Judith Alice – Resolute (EP 2023) – Track list:

  1. Tonite’s Alright (feat. Diison)
  2. Person That I Hate
  3. Watch Out!
  4. Blind Leadin’ The Blind
  5. Close To The Sun
Single picture by Jukka Aaltonen, cover by Jussi Aaltonen

Tonite’s Alright (feat. Diison) (single 2023)

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BIG RED FIRE TRUCK – Release New Single “Trouble In Paradise”

Posted in classic rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Music, music news, news with tags , , , , , , on March 24, 2023 by Metal Odyssey

BIG RED FIRE TRUCK have released their new single “Trouble in Paradise”. The title track from their upcoming EP, the new song kicks off with high-energy guitar riffs, driving rhythms and dynamic drums. It’s a modern take on a classic hard rock sound filled with vocal harmonies and it packs a punch with heavy momentum.

Stream “Trouble In Paradise” Here: https://ffm.to/brfttroubleinparadise

Australian hard rock outfit BIG RED FIRE TRUCK are gearing up to unleash their new EP Trouble in Paradise on August 4th, 2023. This guitar driven release is a collection of high-spirited, magnetic tracks showcasing classic rock and metal styles through a contemporary sound.

Digby comments: “We’re making this music because there’s not enough of this style in the mainstream and I miss bands like VAN HALEN, BON JOVI & AEROSMITH releasing new music. I wanted to write upbeat and melodic heavy rock music to listen to. We want to keep that alive while ripping off your car speakers.”

Track Listing:

  1. Neon Sunsets
  2. Trouble In Paradise
  3. Love Bite
  4. Psychotropic Thunder
  5. Miami Skies
  6. Hot Summer Nights

About BIG RED FIRE TRUCK:
BIG RED FIRE TRUCK began in 2016 as a project by Digby to write some fun heavy metal and hard rock songs and fulfil his need to hear new music in the style of his beloved bands. Taking inspiration from the likes of VAN HALEN, RECKLESS LOVE, THE DARKNESS, AEROSMITH, SUM 41, and CRAZY LIXX, the quartet pay homage to previous generations of hard rock while delivering their own distinctive character.

BIG RED FIRE TRUCK Are:
Digby (Guitar and Lead Vocals)
Ben Frank (Guitar)
Pete Grant (Drums and Vocals)
Nick Frazier (Bass)

Bandcamp: https://bigredfiretruck.bandcamp.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brftband

Source: C Squared Music

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METAL CHURCH – New Studio Album “Congregation of Annihilation” Releases On May 26th!

Posted in Heavy Metal, Metal, metal bands, metal music, Music, music news, news with tags , , , , , , , , , on March 23, 2023 by Metal Odyssey

From Rat Pak Records:

West coast metal veterans Metal Church will release their 13thstudio album, Congregation of Annihilation, on May 26th via Rat Pak Records (America) and Reaper Entertainment (Europe). The new album marks the first release since the tragic death of legendary front man Mike Howe who passed in July of 2021. It also marks the first album with new vocalist Marc Lopes (Ross the Boss / Let Us Prey) who came on board in the summer of 2022 and features the current lineup of founding guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, guitarist Rick Van Zandt, bassist Steve Unger and drummer Stet Howland. The new songs are a return to the band’s musical roots harkening back to the vibes of the self-titled first album and The Dark.

Of the album Kurdt Vanderhoof comments: “This new album is starting a new chapter in the Metal Church legacy. I really love this album. It’s a fresh approach for us in one way, but also a return to the very beginnings of Metal Church as part of the New American Thrash Metal movement. This record contains some of the most aggressive songs we have recorded. I hope the fans will like it as much as we do.”

Marc Lopes comments, “I am beyond honored to be part of carrying on this legacy into a new era of Metal Church. Working with Kurdt and a band that was a huge influence of mine growing up was a surreal experience to say the least. For me there was no point in trying to imitate what was already done to perfection. So, with respect to the past, we moved forward to a new chapter and here we are!”

Congregation of Annihilation features nine all new tracks from Metal Church and continues to build upon their iconic sound the band established over three decades ago. From the first guitar riff of album opener “Another Judgement Day” through the driving outro of album closer “Salvation,” it is clear Metal Church is back and better than ever. “Pick A God and Prey”, “Children of the Lie”, “Congregation of Annihilation” and “These Violent Thrills” showcase the sonically charged songwriting that made the early Metal Church albums such fan favorites.

Haunting musical opuses “Me the Nothing” and “Making Monsters” each puts the musicianship that Metal Church was known for on full display in 2023. Infused with intelligent lyrical content, thundering guitar riffs, and Marc’s aggressive soaring vocals, Congregation of Annihilation furthers the bands sonic evolution up to the next level and is guaranteed to enthrall metal music fans around the world.

Track List:

(01) Another Judgement Day
(02) Congregation of Annihilation
(03) Pick A God and Prey
(04) Children of the Lie
(05) Me the Nothing
(06) Making Monsters
(07) Say a Prayer with 7 Bullets
(08) These Violent Thrills
(09) All That We Destroy
(10) My Favorite Sin (bonus track)
(11) Salvation (bonus track)

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VIO-LENCE – Bay Area Thrash Icons Confirm 2023 Tour Lineup; Band To Play Hell’s Heroes Pre-Party Show This Thursday And More!

Posted in Heavy Metal, Metal, metal bands, metal music, Music, music news, news with tags , , , , , , , on March 22, 2023 by Metal Odyssey

VIO-LENCE 2023 tour lineup; Photo by Stephanie Cabral

VIO-LENCE is gearing up for a series of live shows in 2023 that will include the band’s new touring lineup. That lineup features Sean Killian on vocals, Christian Olde Wolbers on bass, Miles Dimitri Baker (Interloper) on guitar, Ira Black on guitar, and Adrian Aguilar (Exmortus) on drums.

While Phil Demmel remains a member of the band, his personal and professional schedule will limit his touring with VIO-LENCE to select festival appearances.

VIO-LENCE kicks things off on March 23rd in Houston, Texas where the band will be playing Hell’s Heroes Pre-Party at the White Oak Music Hall followed by a performance at the highly anticipated Milwaukee Metal Fest on May 26th. The band will head to Europe for an appearance at Motocultor Festival in Carhaix, France on August 18th followed by a series of performances on the Headbangers Boat going from Miami, Florida to Nassau, Bahamas October 31st through November 4th. Stay tuned for more dates and festivals to be announced soon.

VIO-LENCE:
3/23/2023 Hell’s Heroes Pre-Party Show – Houston, TX
5/26/2023 Milwaukee Metal Fest – Milwaukee, WI
8/18/2023 Motocultor Festival – Carhaix, FR
10/31/2023 – 11/04/2023 Headbangers Boat – Miami, FL/Nassau, BS

Formed in 1985, Oakland thrashers VIO-LENCE helped define and refine what came to be known as the Bay Area sound, dropping three seminal albums before splitting in 1993. Leaving behind a heady legacy, they briefly reformed a handful of times in the intervening years before becoming a full-time band once more in 2019. After playing a string of successful shows, the quintet delivered Let The World Burn in 2022, a five-song EP showcasing their first new material in twenty-nine years. Delivering on the classic VIO-LENCE sound, Let The World Burn was tracked in Trident Studios in Pacheco, California by Juan Urteaga (Machine Head, Exodus), mixed by Tue Madsen (Dark Tranquillity, Heaven Shall Burn), and mastered by Ted Jensen (Alice In Chains, Death Angel).

Source: EARSPLIT PR

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NARCOTIC WASTELAND Announces Performances at Denver DeathFest, Loud As Hell And more!

Posted in Death Metal, Heavy Metal, Metal, metal bands, metal music, Music, music news, music videos, news with tags , , , , , , , , , on March 21, 2023 by Metal Odyssey

Photo Credit – Andrea Roberts

South Carolina’s Narcotic Wasteland founded by guitarist Dallas Toler-Wade announces it will be performing at this year’s Denver DeathFest on April 20th along with Loud As Hell Festival in Canada in August among many others slated for this summer. (dates listed below).

“We are very excited about 2023! We have upcoming shows and new music on the way! We are ready to play some metal!” adds Toler-Wade.

2023 is going to be an exciting year for Narcotic Wasteland, not only is the band hitting the road they are also in the works of releasing their third yet to be titled album via Mega Force Records. So far they have unleashed three singles “Morality and the Wasp”, “The Best Times Have Passed” and “Victims of the Algorithm” to give fans a taste of their forthcoming mosh pit of terror. For their third full-length, the band worked once again with engineer, and producer Erik Schultek who produced the band’s self-titled debut album. The band’s 2023 album will be the follow-up to their sophomore full-length 2017’s “Delirium Tremens”.

Inspired mostly by thrash metal and classic heavy metal, Narcotic Wasteland is becoming more thrash and speed and less death metal and getting better at writing material that is meaningful and powerful. They are recommended for fans of Vader, Death, The Crown, Autopsy, Pestilence, and Nile.

Show Dates:
April 20 – The King Room – Denver, CO – Denver DeathFest
June 22 – Rubber Gloves – Denton, TX
June 23 – The Concert North – Houston, TX
June 24 – The Rail Club – Forth Worth, TX
June 25 – Boozerz Rock Club – Corpus Christi, TX
Aug 5 – Dinosaur Stampede Grounds – Drumheller, AB – Loud As Hell Festival
Aug 12 – Zymurgy Brewing – Menomonie, WI – Zymurderfest

Singles:

Morality and the Wasp – https://youtu.be/fXThLKTP-xI​

The Best Times Have Passed – https://youtu.be/U6kB087hGyY​

Victims of The Algorithm – https://youtu.be/KEGN0iGR1Uo​

Digital – https://orcd.co/nwvota

https://www.narcoticwasteland.com

Source: Asher Media Relations

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STATIC X “Rise Of The Machine Tour” Concert Review By Tanis Enos – Featuring FEAR FACTORY, MUSHROOMHEAD, DOPE And SOCIETY 1 At The Underground, Charlotte North Carolina

Posted in concert reviews, concerts, Heavy Metal, industrial metal, industrial metal bands, metal bands, metal music, Music, music news, news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 20, 2023 by Metal Odyssey

The Rise of the Machine Tour drew in a sold out crowd on March 16, at The Underground in Charlotte North Carolina. The show consisted of headliner Static X and supporting acts Society 1, Dope, Mushroomhead, and Fear Factory. Fans were lining up outside as early as 10am to secure a spot as close to the action as possible.

With an explosion of sound, Society 1 opened the show, immediately getting the crowd riled up and ready for the rest of the night. Lead singer Matt Zane, also known as Lord Zane, brings a creative mix of both clean low vocals and different levels of aggressive growls and screams. His performance style is extremely active and he is always looking to shock the crowd. Zane is backed by an equally intense band consisting of Erik Kluiber on guitar, Jimmy Minj on bass and Dagon TheDestroyer on drums. Loud, proud and in your face is the best way to describe all of Society 1.

In an almost seamless transition, Dope took the stage next. Lead singer Edsel Dope came out vocals blazing holding nothing back the entire show. The uncaged punk rage known as Acey Slade made an explosive impact but not on his normal low end, instead Slade wielded the axe all night. The foundation was set by the sturdy rhythm section made up of Daniel Fox on bass and Chris Warner on drums. All together the band produced a sound performance that any existing Dope fan would love and any new fan would remember for a long time.

Mushroomhead came out with a literal bang. Instantly fans in the front row were hit with water bouncing of the huge barrel-like drums on both sides. Water wasn’t the only thing flying off the stage. Singer Scott Beck jumped into the arms of rowdy fans and crowd surfed as chaos continued on stage. Mushroomhead excelled the most at adding the heaviest Nu Metal sound to an overall Industrial tour.

Fear Factory was next and by then the crowd was out of their minds. Still continuing the Industrial metal theme, Fear Factory added a touch of thrash metal at the hands of guitarist Dino Cazares, that set them apart from the rest of the bands. Tony Campos played double duty owning the bass for Fear Factory and later coming back with the same intensity and drive on the bass for Static X. Milo Silvestro commanded the stage with authority on vocals. Mike Heller kept the beat up on drums.

Finally it was time for Static X. Before the band even took the stage, fans were screaming at a level that could easily be compared to that of teenage girls at a boy band concert. After a thrilling rendition of Sweet Caroline sang at full volume by the crowd the lights went dark and one single light could be seen coming from the stage. The light was held by a strange creature, which Campos, later referred to as the Xbox Logo and others call Shovel Man, who can also be found in the music videos for both “Push It” and “I’m With Stupid”. Campos returned to the stage next followed by drummer Ken Jay and guitarist Koichi Fukuda.

Lights flashed to the thunderous sound of their music as lead singer Xer0 joined them on stage. Xer0 debuted a new look at the beginning of the tour that combined his primary look with that of a robot. The iconic tall spiky hair that original lead singer Wayne Static was known for is honored in a wiry cyborg like do. As anyone would be, some fans were skeptical about a new lead singer and how it would affect the Static X sound. However, as the show progressed it was clear that not only did Xer0 have the look but he brought the grit and sound that Static fans love. At this time, the band has no plans to reveal the identity of the new lead singer and as fans fell under Xer0’s robotic trance, it was apparent that it did not matter to them who was under the mask. Unfortunately, due to the size restrictions of the venue the band was unable to put on the full production they had planned for the tour.

Nonetheless, the fans soaked up every single bit of their performance singing just as loud as Xer0. Static X still had a few tricks up their sleeve for this small venue. During “Cold” the lights turned to shades of blue as a blizzard of snow covered the band, adding to the already deep and powerful vibe of the song. The energy shifted immediately as “I’m With Stupid” began to play. Everybody’s favorite Shovel Man returned to the stage and along with him came monstrous sized balloons. Overall, Static X did an incredible job stimulating the crowd both visually and audibly and left the crowd wanting more.

– Tanis Enos

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HEXICON – Release New Single And Video “Emerald Queen”

Posted in Heavy Metal, Metal, metal bands, metal music, Music, music news, music videos, news with tags , , , , , , , , on March 19, 2023 by Metal Odyssey

Heavy trio HEXICON have unleashed the fierce new single “Emerald Queen”. The song rattles the Earth with devastating riffs and psychedelic imagery. The music video is a homage to 80’s monster anime taped on VHS, animated by the band’s own Young Heller.

Austin Cox, HEXICON’s guitarist shares:

“‘Emerald Queen’ came about when I got my first eight string guitar in 2022. I never played one previously. The intro riff was basically the first riff I ever played on an eight string. Simultaneously, I had a goal to write a shorter, heavier track compared to our material from Leave It All Behind (HEXICON’s debut album). I brought the demo to Andrew and Young and once they added their elements ‘Emerald Queen’ quickly came to life. We’re very excited about the evolution of our sound with this track.”

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/-WXNP6lnvEM

About HEXICON:
HEXICON formed in 2018 in Pasadena / Los Angeles, California, seeing vocalist Young Heller joined the instrumental duo of brothers Andrew and Austin Cox of the band ANDRAUS. Their songs veer dynamically from heavy doom to intense thrash with understated interludes and shifting rhythms. “Emerald Queen” is the outfit’s first offering since 2022 saw the release of their debut full-length Leave It All Behind.

HEXICON is:
Andrew Cox (drums)
Young Heller (vocals)
Austin Cox (guitar)

Bandcamp https://hexiconmetal.bandcamp.com/

Source: C Squared Music

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