HOOKERS & BLOW, the now legendary project formed by long time Guns N’ Roses keyboardist Dizzy Reed and Quiet Riot guitarist Alex Grossihave announced a handful of March tour dates to celebrate the recent success of their debut covers album released last August via Golden Robot Records.
These shows will be HOOKERS & BLOW‘s first live performances since the release of their highly anticipated covers album. After teasing their fan base for nearly 2 decades the band finally released their self-titled covers album digitally, on CD as well as limited edition Vinyl last August via Golden Robot Records. Since the release, the band has had 2 tracks on the album chart internationally, with the initial pressing of the limited vinyl selling out almost immediately.
In addition, the album was picked as one of 2021’s Top 50 Hard Rock/Metal releases by Audio Ink Radio, with HUSTLER Magazine naming them “the greatest cover band of all time”. Along with Reed and Grossi, HOOKERS & BLOW current lineup includes Johnny Kelly (Danzig, Type O Negative), Mike Duda (W.A.S.P.), and Nadja Reed.
Supporting Hookers & Blow on each date will be DEAD FERVOR.
2022 Dates are as follows: 3/03/22 – HOOKERS & BLOW – The Tiki Bar – Costa Mesa, CA 3/04/22- HOOKERS & BLOW – The Whisky A Go Go – Hollywood, CA 3/05/22 – HOOKERS & BLOW – Fremont Country Club – Las Vegas, NV 3/06/22 – HOOKERS & BLOW – Lake Havasu, AZ 3/11/22 – HOOKERS & BLOW – The Roadhouse – Idaho Falls, ID 3/12/22 – HOOKERS & BLOW – Salt Lake City, UT
WILDSTREET had a huge 2021 and are set to follow suit in 2022. They released their stunning new album WildstreetIII via Golden Robot Records. The band spent most of 2021 on tour in the USA which included Rockfest WI, but they remarkably also toured in Europe performing at Swiss Rock Cruise in Switzerland, France and Belgium.
They are set to release 2 new singles on February 15th: One Tattoo’ and ‘Born to Be (RLK)’. Both tracks were originally released in 2014 under the name RAVE LA KILL and both will be released with accompanying lyric videos.
‘One Tattoo’ is an electronic love song which is slick and modern. On ‘Born To Be (RLK)’ the song structure is identical to the version on Wildstreet III. This version has a more modern and electronic vibe, with all the arena hooks one would expect from WILDSTREET. Both singles were mixed by Kyle Kelso and mastered by Howie Weinberg.
Watch the Wildstreet III album version of ‘Born to Be’ HERE
About Wildstreet: After WILDSTREET reportedly broke up in 2013, Eric Jayk and co-founder Jimmie Marlowe teamed up with New Jersey guitarist/vocalist Felix Skiver & using the pseudonym RAVE LA KILL. The project released two singles in 2014, ‘Born to Be’ & ‘One Tattoo.’‘Born to Be’ was later re-recorded and released as part of Wildstreet III, released in 2021. The album has 1.8 million streams on Spotify. They also released a cover of THE 69 EYES classic ‘Mrs.Sleazy.’ They have been added to editorial playlists by Apple Music and Spotify.
In 2022, WILDSTREET has festival dates confirmed in the USA, Mexico, Colombia, the UK and Europe. They will also begin work on a full-length follow up album III.
The New Jersey-based power trio are preparing to unleash their new offering “Rinky Dink City”/ “Slow Cookin'”. Initially forming over a love of lo-fi aesthetics, early 1980s hardcore, classic psychedelia, B movies, heavy metal, and outsider art, PYREFYRE strive to experiment with each release.
The band comments: On “Rinky Dink City”: “This song is about those little cities all over America. They might still have pay phones or arcade machines. Maybe not. Maybe the apartment won’t shut the heat off. Maybe you can’t find good takeout..”
On “Slow Cookin’: “PYRE FYRE have historically eaten a lot of fast food, but that doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate a good old fashioned home cooked meal.”
Sludgy overdriven guitars drive the energetic rhythms across the tracks. With humorous lyrics and chaotic genre mixing, the new release from the whimsical bunch is jam-packed with intensity and horseplay. Recorded in Morristown, NJ at Heavy Air Studios, “Rinky Dink City”/ “Slow Cookin'” features amazing background vocals by AMBRIOSIA GAINOUS and a guitar solo by Dustin Bartee of ETHEREAL SEA.
Line-up: Mike Montemarano on drums/vocals Dan Kirwan on guitar AndrewStanish on bass
Italian melodic metal masters STRANGER VISION have recently joined Eagles Nest Production management and have entered the studio to record their sophomore album.
The follow-up to the debut“Poetica”, released in March 2021 via the German label Pride & Joy Music, is being recorded at the renowned Domination Studio in San Marino (LABYRINTH, T/L RHAPSODY, MICHAEL ROMEO). Once again the sound will be shaped by producer Simone Mularoni, who will be taking care of mixing and mastering.
No titles or other album details such as guests have been leaked yet, but the record is going to be a concept based on a poem by famous American poet T.S. Eliot.
Watch for more info on the new album release, new tour updates, and more news on other upcoming STRANGER VISION activities to be posted shortly.
Acclaimed King’s X guitarist, songwriter, and co-vocalist Ty Tabor has today announced his latest solo album, Shades, out on March 4th via RatPakRecords. The upcoming 11th solo album features 10 brand new songs with three bonus tracks and is available via CD, vinyl and digital download and follows the successful release of 2018’s Alien Beans.
“When it comes to what I write for solo material, I don’t really think about bands or anything like that. These new songs explore different sides of life and death,” Ty explains. “I was dealing with the recent loss of my dad when some of this was written. There are lighter moments mixed in to keep it from being too focused on loss or sadness. I also resurrected a couple of old ideas that weren’t ready until now. I just write music that makes me happy, and I’ve ended up with an album I really love!”
From the opening chords of “Come Home,” it is clear that Ty Tabor’s trademark guitar tone lays the bedrock for his latest solo release Shades. Ty tackles a wide array of emotions and topics with layered harmonies, hooky pop sensibilities, and the total riffage that remains a crucial ingredient to the King’s X sound. Songs like “What You’re Thinking,” “One Drop of Water,” and “Doesn’t Linger” show Ty’s penchant for crafting tunes with tremendous melodies, while songs like “Shallow,” and “Your Fantasy,” trend heavy and exemplify why Ty is one of the most influential guitarists of the last three decades!
TRACK LISTING:
01 Come Home 02 Shallow 03 Your Fantasy 04 What You’re Thinking 05 Sister Genocide 06 Best Day in a While 07 Insane 08 One Drop of Water 09 Doesn’t Linger 10 Leaves Falling Down 11 Ashes – (Bonus Track) [CD & Digital Download only] 12 Political Nonsense – (Bonus Track) [CD & Digital Download only] 13 Ashes (Acoustic) – (Bonus Track) [CD & Digital Download only]
Connecticut-based hard rock juggernaut KINGSANDLIARS – featuring members of THE DEE SNIDER BAND, JASTA andENTIERRO have released the video for their newest single, “Conquering the Fear.” New Noise Magazine is hosting the exclusive premiere of “Conquering the Fear.” Watch the video now at this location.
Guitarist/vocalist Charlie Bellmore said this about the song, “This is an important song for me, it’s about not giving up when your entire life feels like it’s crumbling around you and fixing it all. It’s dedicated to anyone who’s ever been a victim of sexual assault.”
“Conquering the Fear” comes off the band’s forthcoming new album, Transition Animals, due out January 28 on Salt of the Earth Records.
Compared to previous releases, Transition Animals sees a more streamlined band returning to the spotlight as a three-piece, hell-bent on delivering some heavy as all hell, well-crafted, catchy songs.
The members of KINGS AND LIARS share international notoriety as members of some severely ass-kicking bands… Kingdom Of Sorrow, The Dee Snider Band, Jasta, Entierro, and Toxic Holocaust to name a few. Charlie and Nick Bellmore have also written and recorded material for the upcoming solo album by George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher (Cannibal Corpse).
Dummer NickBellmore is an uber-producer who has been at the helm of many many kick-ass releases. When great artists want to up the heavy, they call these guys.
KINGS AND LIARS will hit the road early this year in support of Transition Animals. They will be joined by ’70’s-style Hendrixian Motör Funk band LORDBISHOP. Dates are as follows:
1/28 – Pompano Beach, FL @ Pipers 1/29 – Orlando, FL @ Shovelhead 1/30 – Spartanburg, SC @ Ground Zero 2/01 – Murfreesboro, NC @ Zakk’s Coffeehouse 2/02 – Chesapeake, VA @ Riff House 2/03 – Baltimore, MD @ Zen West 2/04 – Clifton, NJ @ Dingbatz 2/05 – Hamden, CT @ The Cellar on Treadwell (CD Release Party)
KINGS AND LIARS: Charlie Bellmore: vocals/guitars Nick Bellmore: drums/vocals Christopher Taylor Beaudette (vocals/bass)
Melodic hard rock supergroup OUTOFTHIS WORLD featuring legendary names such as Kee Marcello (Europe), Tommy Heart (Fair Warning), Ken Sandin (Alien), and Darby Todd (Devin Townsend, Gary Moore, The Darkness), have officially unveiled their self-titled debut full-length, out now on Atomic Fire Records!
In celebration of the record’s release, the band is pleased to deliver a video for the hugely epic “In A Million Years.” The track was originally written by Kee Marcello for Europe’s PrisonersInParadise and spent the past thirty years in his drawer. “But with this voice, it was just perfect,” Marcello raves of his vocal force Tommy Heart. “To me, it’s one of the highlights of the album.”
View OUT OF THIS WORLD’s “In A Million Years” video at THIS LOCATION and below:
View the band’s previously released video for “Hanging On” HERE.
Out Of This World is available now on CD, LP, and digital formats. Find ordering options at the Atomic Fire webshop HERE.
It’s no coincidence that Marcello’s latest endeavor bears the name of that legendary multi-platinum Europe album released back in 1988. “When I told people about my new project, someone suggested I call it something like Kee Marcelo’s Europe. But that’s terrible,” he laughs. “I hated it. Tommy suggested to call it OUT OF THIS WORLD, simple as that. Just as the Black Sabbath guys and Dio did with Heaven And Hell.”
The same vibe, the same ear for melody, the same hooks permeate an album that was brought to life with the vigor and passion you wouldn’t exactly expect in a rock star who’s seen it all and done it all in the past forty years. “I’ve always concentrated on music, and my passion for that never changed,” he says. “I’ve never changed style; I’ve never tried to do anything I’m not doing well.”
Out Of This World beams with a freewheeling and overflowing sense of fun, musicianship, and togetherness. It’s an effortless flux that’s just not normally found on a debut. “You have to remember that Darby, Ken, and I go way back,” the legendary axe-man notes of his rhythm section. “We did hundreds of gigs together and are as tight as a thumbscrew. Same thing goes for Tommy and I. We clicked instantly when working together for the first time a couple of years ago. We have this almost brotherly connection. We’re literally reading each other’s minds, man. There was no stumbling block, it was all a self-playing piano.”
It’s the same for vocalist Tommy Heart who’s been around in this game forever as well. “You meet, you play, and sparks begin to fly,” he describes the chemistry between the members. “We don’t even talk that much. We simply let the music speak. We touch our hearts when we play which is something that’s incredibly rare to find. Nobody has to explain himself; everybody is doing just what anybody else would do at that moment.” Heart was instantly hooked when he realized that OUT OF THIS WORLD was more than a one-off thing between bored musicians in lockdown. “I don’t like these temporary projects,” he muses. “This here is the real deal.”
“With OUT OF THIS WORLD, though, it never felt like a project,” says Marcello and he admits: “It felt like a band from day one. This is why the album turned out so well. It has a genuine band feel to it.” At their very first rehearsal session in Marcello’s hometown of Gothenburg, they sketched a couple of songs that would later wind up on their debut, namely “Twilight,” “Lighting Up My Dark,” and “In A Million Years.” “We actually found ourselves right in the middle of our first recording session without even knowing it,” he marvels. “Everything felt so natural and so good that writing the rest of the songs was a walk in the park.”
Graced by additional key wizardry courtesy of Deep Purple’s very own Don Airey and embellished by a Ron Nevison mix (Kiss, Bad Company, Ozzy Osbourne, Meat Loaf, Heart, Chicago, Damn Yankees, etc.) who reunited with Marcello for the first time since producing Europe’s Out Of This World a staggering thirty-three years ago, the songs masterfully transport the bygone era of melody driven, anthemic hard rock into the present. From uptempo rocking first single “Hanging On” via “In A Million Years,” originally written for Europe’s Prisoner In Paradise, to colossal anthem “Lighting Up My Dark,” and prog-rock playground “Staring At The Sun,” OUT OF THIS WORLD solitarily resurrect a genre we thought was lost long ago.
OUT OF THIS WORLD: Tommy Heart – vocals Kee Marcello – guitars, keyboards Ken Sandin – bass Darby Todd – drums
UDO DIRKSCHNEIDER is THE constant among the German metal scene. Originally becoming world-famous as a founding member of Accept, he continues to steadily expand upon his international successes with his U.D.O. and DIRKSCHNEIDER outfits. Remaining true to himself over the years in a way few musicians could, Dirkschneider consistently bucks music industry trends in favor of following his heart and his most personal and extraordinary album to date will be released on April 22nd via Atomic Fire Records.
Titled MyWay, the record contains seventeen cover versions of the very songs that have influenced the musician and singer the most. All kinds of classics from music history are among them – including those that you might not expect from Dirkschneider. Not only does a very personal story lie behind each of the tracks, but also a sometimes-surprising arrangement that, despite the very individual implementation, lives and breathes Udo’s manuscript throughout.
Udo: “Now, when I hear the song, I remember the time when, as a very young Udo, I’d go out to light up the town and lived all the stories that can only be experienced late at night in the clubs,” he recalls. Here, Alex Harvey’s “Faith Healer” allows the artist to feel those days of an era long past. The fact that “Nutbush City Limits” is also on the album reveals a secret rarely told until now, “What hardly anyone knows so far: I was a huge fan of Ike and Tina Turner, and especially Tina’s voice. We always covered this song during Accept rehearsals in the early days. It was one of the mainstays of our Accept rehearsal repertoire for years. Regrettably, there is no recording of it.”
With Wolfsheim’s “Kein Zurück,” Dirkschneider sings in German for the first time in his career, “I immediately felt like the words understood me. It seemed to me that the lyrics were telling the story of my career, of my highs and lows and all the good and bad experiences that life has. There simply is ‘no going back’ for those who choose to live as a musician.”
The cover album also makes one thing clear: Just how many in the music industry have come and gone over the years. Yet, UDO DIRKSCHNEIDER is still here.
GRAMMAVEDETTA has released their new album The Hum Of The Machine in its entirety, as an 8Bit version. Available on their Bandcamp, this is a nice surprise for their fans as they await the release of the full album.
“We recommend listening to this gem in headphones while waiting for the full release, the one made with loud amplifiers, various noises, bang, crash, boom and aaaaaarrrrgghhgghgh, out on May 27th via Mandrone Records.”
The idea was born from Marco’s experiments with the virtual-synth “Super Audio Boy” during the release of the previous EP and it has now become his (and the band’s) tradition to publish the rearranged songs in a version that pays homage to the music of 1980s and ’90s video games.
The artwork was created by Dan as a tribute to the cartridge artwork from Nintendo, Sega and Commodore 64.
Tracklist:
A Chance To Win The Orb (8Bit)
Starlight Portal Show (8Bit)
Robots For War (8Bit)
A Broken Time Machine (8Bit)
The Electric Game (8Bit)
The Future Of The Past (8Bit)
Transmission’s On (8Bit)
The General Magnetic And The Spanish Wormhole (8Bit)
I Feel The Comfort (The Hum Of The Machine) (8Bit)
Vancouver (BC) – Willowtip Records has released “Over Opiated in a Forest of Whispering Speakers”, the new album from Seven Nines and Tens. Stream the album in its entirety at:
OverOpiatedinaForest of Whispering Speakers still features the sounds on which the band made their name (Post Hardcore, Shoegaze, Progressive Rock, and Math Metal), but features some new stylistic touchstones, such as 70’s hard rock, classic rock, and more traditional metal styles. All in all, Over Opiated in a Forest of Whispering Speakers aims to be one of the finest metal albums to be released in 2022 and a career highlight for the band.
OverOpiatedinaForest of Whispering Speakers marks the first time that band founder/songwriter David Cotton wrote lyrics/sang vocals on a Seven Nines and Tens record. The band was never intended to be instrumental and the addition of vocals coupled with the tightest set of songs of their career seems to have elevated the band’s sound to another level. In writing the record the band performed live with a ton of acts including Minus the Bear, Alcest, Pinkish Black, Nothing, Elder, Astronoid, Royal Thunder, and many others. The new album marks the arrival of the Seven Nines and Tens sound.
1) Popular Delusions 2) Throwing Rocks at Mediocrity 3) Midnight Marauders 4) Let’s Enjoy the Aimless Days While We Can 5) Edutainment 6) Fight for your Right to Partial Relevance 7) Sunshine
Danish alternative metal quintet NORÐ is set to release their debut album Machine Blood on March 4th 2022 via Inverse Records. The album is mixed and mastered by the magnificent Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios, Denmark (Volbeat, Amaranthe, Primal Fear, etc). The first single Fear Reigns is released today along with music video.
Fear Reigns (single 2022) Composer: NORÐ lyrics: Niels Thybæk-Hansen
The band comments:“Fear Reigns is a track that means a lot to us. First of all it’s a killer riff and the verse has harmonic vibrations that would remind you of the Twin Peakstheme. The chorus begins with another bad ass groovy riff followed by a more atmospheric part that will speak to anyone who ever liked Deftones. The bridge is an epic melodic part with tight riffin’ and melancholic soundscapes.
The song has been with us for a long time and it still feels fucking awesome to play every time. The crowd also always has a good response to this track.
The lyrics talk about the cracks in the foundation of societies around the world. The ideal of a democracy based on trust is increasingly threatened by more simple means to power such as fear and repression. As the globalization have brought us closer together it has also drawn new battle lines between ideologies. Societies based on ancient traditions and belief collide with capitalistic societies based on the free will of the individual. Cohesiveness is threatened and protectionism becomes stronger.
So some really uplifting themes in that song 🙂 But seriously, we love this song and hope everyone will enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoy playing it.”
Line-up: Vocals: Bjarne Matthiesen Guitar: Niels Thybæk-Hansen Guitar: Thomas Bøgh Jensen Bass: Peter Littau Drums: Rune Kolsbjerg Hansen
April 07, 2022 – Orlando, FL – The Haven April 08, 2022 – Tampa, FL – Orpheum April 09, 2022 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade April 11, 2022 – Dallas, TX – Amplified Live April 12, 2022 – San Antonio, TX – Rock Box April 14, 2022 – Mesa, AZ – Nile Theater April 15, 2022 – Anaheim, CA – The Parish April 16, 2022 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Atrium at Catalyst April 18, 2022 – Portland, OR – Hawthorn Theatre April 19, 2022 – Seattle, WA – Crocodile April 20, 2022 – Vancouver, BC – The Rickshaw April 22, 2022 – Calgary, AB – Dickens April 23, 2022 – Edmonton, AB – The Starlite Room April 25, 2022 – Salt Lake City, UT – Metro April 26, 2022 – Colorado Springs, CO – The Black Sheep April 27, 2022 – Lawrence, KS – Granada Theater April 29, 2022 – Minneapolis, MN – The Fine Line * April 30, 2022 – Joliet, IL – The Forge * May 01, 2022 – Cleveland – Ballroom * May 02, 2022 – Detroit, MI – El Club *
Australian psychedelic rock & roll occultists The Neptune Power Federation will release Le Demon De L’Amour February 18 via Cruz Del Sur Music.
The official video for first single “My Precious One” is available now at: youtu.be/NvhJWU4dVfI
The Neptune Power Federation brings back the love song and rocks as furiously as ever on their fifth studio album, Le Demon De L’Amour!
The Imperial Princess and her crew of Aussie rockers lord over eight love songs that prove few can push the boundaries of rock and metal like The Neptune Power Federation!
Heading into the creation of their fifth studio album, Le Demon De L’Amour, Australian psychedelic rock and roll brigade The Neptune Power Federation couldn’t let go of the fact that love songs had been commandeered, in their words, by “soft rockers, bedwetters and the introvert crowd.” Whereas rock had its glory period during the 1970s and 80s, the art of the love song is now lost within heavier music. Few bands are now willing to venture into such territory — metal and rock have settled comfortably into typical, predictable lyrical tropes that fail to pull at the heartstrings the way they used to. On Le Demon De L’Amour, The Neptune Power Federation reclaims the art of the love song as their own.
Off the heels of their acclaimed 2019 Memoirs of a Rat Queen studio album, the members of The Neptune Power Federation utilized the unexpected downtime afforded from the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic to craft an album that takes more chances than its predecessor. While the band’s trademark rock swagger and prog tendencies still come into play, Le Demonups the voltage and energy. True, there is a multitude of genre-blurring taking place, but the album’s infectious choruses and leaden riffs easily re-imagine metal and rock’s glory eras without blatant thievery.
Of course, all roads to The Neptune Power Federation run through lead vocalist Screamin’ Loz Sutch and her stage persona, “The Imperial Priestess.” Le Demon’s eight cuts find the indomitable frontwoman in top form, belting out tales of love from a female’s perspective, weaving in stories of cult worship, murder and hypnotism. The album’s artwork (created by guitarist Inverted CruciFox) also introduces her new nemesis — The Wizzard Princess.
Recorded at bass player JayTanic Ritual’s The Ped Food Factory in Marrickville, Sydney, with mixing duties provided by Clem Bennett, Le Demon De L’Amourleads The Neptune Power Federation into their tenth anniversary next year. Their journey has taken them from the sweaty clubs of Sydney to a global audience. Now armed with eight love songs sure to melt and captivate the most hardened metal hearts, The Neptune Power Federationboldly goes where few bands dare to go.
Italian bass master and composer ALBERTO RIGONI (solo, BAD AS, NATURAL BORN MACHINE, Bassists Alliance Project, Vivaldi Metal Project etc.) will release on January 15th 2022, his new album “Songs for Souls”, in memory of his Father.
Now Alberto has posted online a stunning performance video for “L’Origin du Monde”, featured by JORDANRUDESS & MARKZONDER and ALBERTORIGONI. Video edit by Mark Barret.
Alberto Rigoni on “L’Origin du Monde”: “Composed by myself and Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater) and featuring Fates Warning drummer Mark Zonder “L’Origin du Monde” is one of the songs of my upcoming album “Songs For Souls” out on January 15th 2022, in memory of my father. Happy Christmas!”
Jordan Rudess adds: “I co-wrote a song with Alberto Rigoni and I think it turned out beautifully. He originally sent me a lovely bass track and I let the inspiration flow and came up with the rest!”
Just recently Alberto Rigoni announced Jordan Rudess, Mark Zonder, Fabrizio Leo, Marco Sfogli, Tommaso Ermolli, Enrico Taddei, Alessandro Bertoni and the legendary guitarist Jennifer Batten, joining the “Songs for Souls” album line-up.
Swiss melodic metal / hard rock outfit CRYSTALBALL are going to release their new studio album “CRYSTERIA” on January 28, 2022 via Massacre Records!
Crystal Ball have released their brand new single “You Lit My Fire” and the accompanying official video that’s available on https://youtu.be/Vz5Rq8u7ii4
The band’s 11th album will be available as a CD Digipak with exclusive bonus tracks, a limited edition box set as well as in digital formats – you can already pre-order it here » https://lnk.to/crysteria
The “CRYSTERIA” box set will include the album’s CD Digipak, a flag, a patch as well as a hand-signed autograph card. A strictly limited vinyl LP edition is planned as well, the release date will be announced soon.
CRYSTAL BALL took its time during the pandemic-related break to write lots of new material, so they could choose from over 30 Songs for the “CRYSTERIA” album.
Ronnie Romero (Rainbow, MSG) joins the band as a guest vocalist on the song “Call Of The Wild”, and CRYSTAL BALL’s longtime friends and label mates JADEDHEART join them for a band duet on the song “Crystal Heart”.
CRYSTAL BALL’s new guitar player Peter Berger also contributed many songs and ideas to this album. He was a very refreshing and motivating input.
“CRYSTERIA” was produced, mixed and mastered by Stefan Kaufmann, who also contributed additional lead guitars to four songs on the album.
Canadian hard rockers SHOTDOWNTWICE will release their upcoming self-titled EP on the 21st of January, 2021.
The new self-titled EP follows their debut Got Up Once.
“After many months of work, and after numerous highs and lows we are beyond thrilled to release our second EP, aptly named Shot Down Twice. We’ve dug real deep this time to create a hard rock EP that we are really proud of. We had a blast working on it and I think that’ll come through and you’ll be able to feel that when you listen to the music. It’s a full ride and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Cheers to all”
Los Angeles, CA –HighStreet has just released their highly anticipated EP, Revival. The EP acts as a beacon of invigorating sound in the hard rock genre. Each song takes listeners on a journey of triumph, pain, love, and self-reflection while treating them to a unique combination of vocals and instrumentation that form a sonic odyssey. Revival’s release closes out the band’s tour of the same name with an epic show at Los Angeles’ historic venue, Molly Malone’s. Revival is now available to download and stream across all platforms.
This EP wastes no time launching listeners into a flurry of emotion and hard-hitting rock that captivates the spirit and entices the ears. Revival consists of the singles, “Swallow Your Pride,” “Bad Blood,” and “Light of Hope” along with a new track, “Rock Bottom Blues.” High Street describes the latter as “an angry breakup song with a touch of optimism in the bridge.” The song doubles as a conduit for vocalist, Noxigen, and guitarist, Erik Findling to demonstrate the breadth of their musicality and undeniable chemistry. Combined with Nic Metaxas’s fluid bass and Brandon Nikales’ adrenaline-fueled drums, the ensemble operates like a well-oiled harmonious rock machine.
With each track on Revival, High Street has showcased their ability to turn vulnerability into strength: “Swallow Your Pride,” dives into the nuances of ego and overcoming troubled times, “Bad Blood,” discusses ending a toxic relationship on a positive note, while “Light of Hope,” serves as a sweet grunge-inspired ballad that offers solace to those who are battling inner demons and striving for peace within. The band continues to grow and develop both as artists and people willing to be open and honest about their trials and triumphs.
The many personalities that form High Street can be felt in every note of their music, and it’s evident that they’re making an impact on listeners everywhere. Their transcendental hard rock has garnered praise from publications like Phoenix Magazine, HEAVY Mag, Jammerzine, V13, Metalheads Forever Magazine, DIVINE,and more. The latter of which called the band a “…tour-de-force in the genre.”
HighStreet got its roots in lead guitarist Erik Findling’s Chicago attic. The young middle-schooler at the time – who first picked up a guitar at the age of four – enlisted his brother, Kurt, to assemble a group with some of their musically-inclined classmates. Their attic rehearsal space looked out onto the corner of High Street, inspiring the band’s name. While still in junior high, High Street’s musical prowess surpassed some of the city’s most seasoned music veterans and allowed them to play at renowned Chicago venues such as The Double Door, Hard Rock Café, Subterranean, among others.
As the band garnered more success, Findling began to compose original music for the group, and soon after, the band collaborated and recorded albums with acclaimed producer Sean O’Keefe, who is best known for his work with Fall Out Boy. Upon moving to Los Angeles, Findling felt inspired to start the band back up again after a hiatus during their college years. The band’s rebirth now includes the sensational vocals of Noxigen, Nic Metaxas on bass, and Brandon Nikales on drums.
Each member of the four-piece outfit brings a fresh new take on the hard rock genre. Using his background in Indian classical music, Noxigen delivers awe-inspiring vocals that fuse perfectly with Nikales’s energetic drumming and Findling’s chill-inducing guitar, and Metaxas’s rhythmic bass.
The first full-length biography of Eddie Van Halen—a searching, affectionate, and in-depth look at the remarkable life of a genuine musical virtuoso who changed the course of rock ’n’ roll.
“The game changing guitar legend gets the biography he deserves…. Diligently researched, perceptive and well-written.” —Classic Rock
Arriving in California as a young boy in the early 1960s, Edward Van Halen and his brother Alex were ripe for the coming musical revolution. The sons of a Dutch, saxophone-playing father, the brothers discovered the Beatles, Cream, and other icons as they bound together as musical partners, forming identities for themselves in their adopted home along the way.
“Affectionate and unflinching portrait of heavy metal’s Mount Everest…. Paul Brannigan goes deep here, his detailed…biography probing Van Halen’s psyche as well as his music.” —MOJO
From the moment their hugely influential 1978 debut landed, Van Halen set a high bar for the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle, creating an entirely new style of post-’60s hard rock and becoming the quintessential rock band of the 1980s. But the high-flying success was fraught with difficulty, as Eddie struggled with alcohol and drug addiction while simultaneously battling David Lee Roth over the musical direction of the band, eventually taking the band in an entirely new direction with Sammy Hagar and scaling new heights, before that iteration of Van Halen disintegrated.
Acclaimed biographer Paul Brannigan tackles the dramatic story with respect and affection for one of rock’s greatest musicians, pairing original interviews with meticulous research to bring the story of Eddie Van Halen completely up-to-date. Unchained: The Eddie Van Halen Story is a remarkable account of determination, genius, and single-minded commitment to the music.
AUTHOR BIO:
Paul Brannigan is a former editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine, and a current contributor to MOJO, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Kerrang! and Louder. He has previous written books on Dave Grohl, Metallica and much-missed Motorhead legend Lemmy. Born and raised in Ireland’s Six Counties, Brannigan lives in North London.
Midwestern US industrial metal outfit BLACK MAGNET has completed work on its second album, Body Prophecy, which is being finalized for release in 2022 via 20 Buck Spin.
While details on Body Prophecy – the follow-up to the band’s well-received 2020-released debut LP, Hallucination Scene – are still shrouded in mystery, the band has issued a warning shot from the crushing album, through an intense official video for the track “Violent Mechanix.” The punishing visual work was directed and edited by Joe Casey, filmed by Beau Sparks, with visual effects by Will Acuña.
BLACK MAGNET architect James Hammontree reveals, “’Violent Mechanix’ was the first new song written after the release of the last album Hallucination Scene. It was an attempt to forge some new ideas for the music and use a beat I had never tried. Lyrically, the song is about the ailments of the body physically responding to the current state of the world, a theme that repeats throughout the album in different contexts. For the video, we built a machine to be fueled by human workers whose mouth-to-mouth contact gives the machine energy until it’s final implosion. This is one of many videos to come to accompany the singles from the upcoming album, Body Prophecy.”
Explore the biomechanical psychosis of BLACK MAGNET’s “Violent Mechanix” video now at THIS LOCATION.
Watch for full details on the Body Prophecy LP to be issued via 20 Buck Spin in the months ahead.
BLACK MAGNET has issued the video in conjunction with a run of Eastern US tour dates which begin this week. The trek runs from December 11th through 20th with shows in Tulsa, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago, and Indianapolis, with support from Trace Amount on the second half of the itinerary. Watch for additional tour dates to be announced alongside the new LP’s details and onward throughout 2022.
BLACK MAGNET Tour Dates: 12/11/2021 Whittier Bar – Tulsa, OK 12/12/2021 The Sinkhole – St. Louis, MO 12/14/2021 Preserving Underground – Pittsburgh, PA 12/15/2021 Saint Vitus Bar – Brooklyn, NY w/ Trace Amount 12/17/2021 Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia, PA w/ Trace Amount 12/18/2021 The Foundry – Cleveland, OH w/ Trace Amount 12/19/2021 Reggies – Chicago, IL w/ Trace Amount 12/20/2021 Black Circle – Indianapolis, IN w/ Trace Amount
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