Kingsmen release new music video for ‘Trial By Fire’
KINGSMEN have released a new music video! The new music video, for the track Trial By Fire, is the brand new single from the Rhode Island-based metalcore band and is their first…
Read more » Bomber release new music video for ‘Fever Eyes’
BOMBER have released a new music video! The new music video, for the track Fever Eyes, is taken from the Swedish hard rock band’s upcoming debut album, Nocturnal Creatures, which is scheduled to…
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Watch QUEENSRŸCHE Perform In Austin During North American Tour With JUDAS PRIEST
Fan-filmed video of QUEENSRŸCHE’s March 20 concert at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park in Cedar Park, Texas can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube channel DeadMike.com).
QUEENSRŸCHE’s North American tour as the support act for JUDAS PRIEST kicked off on March 4 at Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, Illinois and will conclude on April 13 at FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
QUEENSRŸCHE was originally set to support SCORPIONS on their rescheduled “Sin City Nights” Las Vegas residency in March-April 2022 but pulled out of the dates in order to take part in the JUDAS PRIEST tour. SCORPIONS have since tapped SKID ROW as the new opening act for the Vegas residency.
Last November, QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre discussed the band’s tour with PRIEST in an interview with Canada’s The Metal Voice. Regarding QUEENSRŸCHE’s decision to withdraw from SCORPIONS’ Vegas residency and do the PRIEST tour, Todd said: “The SCORPIONS, we really like them as people. We’re friends with them and we’ve gotten to tour with them several times. It’s one of those things where it’s, like, ‘Gosh, what do you do?’ People that aren’t in the business don’t understand how things work sometimes.
“I think it’s great for [QUEENSRŸCHE] to go out with [JUDAS PRIEST]; the optics are great. And we’re very honored to have gotten that.”
Last October, QUEENSRŸCHE’s Michael Wilton confirmed that returning guitarist Mike Stone will contribute guitar solos to the band’s next studio album.
Since last May, Stone has been handling second-guitar duties in QUEENSRŸCHE, which announced in July that longtime guitarist Parker Lundgren was exiting the group to focus on “other business ventures.”
Stone originally joined QUEENSRŸCHE for the 2003 album “Tribe” and stayed with the band for six years before leaving the group.
For the past five years, Casey Grillo has been filling in for QUEENSRŸCHE’s original drummer Scott Rockenfield, who stepped away from the band’s touring activities in early 2017 to spend time with his young son.
In early October, Rockenfield filed a lawsuit against the band’s fellow original members Wilton and Eddie Jackson (bass), alleging, among other things, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful discharge.
QUEENSRŸCHE spent the last two months recording its new album for a tentative late 2022 release.
Read more » SEVENDUST's LAJON WITHERSPOON Has 13 Songs Ready For His Upcoming Solo Album
In a recent interview with Midwest Beatdown, SEVENDUST frontman Lajon Witherspoon spoke about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for his long-in-the-works debut solo album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I’m still working on it. I was just recently in Nashville. I got to write some music with my buddy Jimmie Allen, which is a country artist. Yeah, man, I’m just taking my time on that. I’ll be doing some more stuff on that once I get off [the road with SEVENDUST]. Actually, I’ll be going back to Tennessee in April and finishing up some work. There’s some interest in it. And I’m excited. I’ve probably got 13 songs now. And it’s good.”
Earlier this month, Lajon told the 96.7 KCAL-FM radio program “Wired In The Empire” that he expects his full-length solo debut to arrive “probably this year.”
Most of the early sessions for Witherspoon’s solo LP were overseen by RA’s Daniel “Sahaj” Ticotin.
In January 2021, Lajon released a solo single, a cover of British singer Jacob Banks’s 2017 song “Chainsmoking”.
In September 2020, Lajon told Talking Metal that working on his solo LP has been fun. “I’ve not had any pressure,” he said. “It hasn’t been something that, ‘Oh, I have to do this.’ This is something I’ve done on my own.
“I’ve been working with a very close friend of mine, Sahaj, [who] is the lead singer from the band RA, which I think a lot of people out there would know,” he continued. “[He’s] an incredible friend and artist, and we write well together.”
Asked about the musical direction of his solo material, Lajon said: “You can be on the avenue and hang out with my solo stuff. It’s rock. It’s a little bit of heavy, but I think it lends more towards a bluesy, soulful, more radio friendly… I’m not saying SEVENDUST isn’t radio friendly, but I think this is more of a radio friendly… I don’t know. It’s a lot, a lot, a lot of melody. It’s cool.”
Witherspoon released the standalone solo single “Love Song” in 2017.
SEVENDUST’s 13th studio album, “Blood & Stone”, was released in October 2020 via Rise Records. The follow-up to 2018’s “All I See Is War” was once again tracked at Studio Barbarosa in Gotha, Florida with producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette, who has previously worked with ALTER BRIDGE and SLASH, among others.
Read more » CALEB SHOMO Says Half Of Next BEARTOOTH Album Is 'Done': 'It's Going To Be A Wild Ride'
BEARTOOTH singer Caleb Shomo spoke to WSOU 89.5 FM radio station about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band’s next studio album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Half of the record is done. I went out to L.A. — over the last month, I spent about three weeks there in total — and I’ve just been writing and working and coming up with kind of the new sound for this record. And it’s just been happening really, really fast. And it’s my favorite stuff I’ve ever written. I know a lot of people say that about their new stuff that’s not out yet, but truly for me, it just couldn’t describe more about where I’m at in my life, and I think the sound reflects that.”
Caleb elaborated on the musical direction of the new BEARTOOTH material, saying: “I’m trying to kind of push myself in a lot of ways, try new things that I’ve never tried before, try and show off different parts of my voice that I haven’t used before. Yeah, it’s going to be a wild ride.”
As for a possible release date for the next BEARTOOTH LP, Shomo said: “We’re hoping we have some stuff sooner than later that people can start to get their heads around. I am really working hard on what’s going on, and it is going to rule and I’m really excited to share it with the world. Obviously, we’ve still got some stuff to do with [2021’s] ‘Below’ — with the whole pandemic stuff, we’ve got some ground to make up when it comes to touring and getting that out to everybody — but it doesn’t mean people can’t be ready for some new stuff at some point.”
BEARTOOTH has just released the deluxe edition of its critically acclaimed 2021 album “Below”. “Below Deluxe” is expanded to include 32 tracks. For this edition, BEARTOOTH added two new bonus tracks, “Fighting Back” and “Permanently Sealed”, as well as a refreshed version of current radio single “Skin (Alternate Universe Version)”, which mixes acoustics and electrics. It also includes the full, 17-track live recordings from the “Live From The Journey Below” livestream, recorded at the historic Clyde Theatre in Fort Wayne, Indiana in July 2021. An exclusive 52-track “Special Video Edition” Apple eMix bundle includes all the official videos plus the videos from “Live From The Journey Below”.
Read more » Aerosmith announce 2022 Las Vegas residency dates
The shows – which would be the rock institution’s first since February 2020 – will run from mid-June through mid-December
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Neural DSP Releases the Tone King Imperial MKII Suite
An official plugin collaboration modeling Tone King’s vintage-flavored amp. The 20w tube combo amp is at the core of this plugin, featuring Rhythm and Lead channels, as well as built-in Spring Reverb and bias-modulated Tremolo. In addition, you’ll find a selection of stomp-boxes commonly found in Neural’s plugin suites, including a MIDI-assignable wah pedal, two overdrives, and a compressor.“Balancing iconic vintage characteristics and innovation is a paradox very few can reconcile. Tone King is one of the most remarkable examples of this in the world of tube amplifiers. It is packed with gorgeous clean and crunch tones reminiscent of the most iconic era. However, it also comprises unique features like its built-in reactive attenuator – all of which we’ve painstakingly modeled to replicate every sonic nuance,” says Neural CEO Douglas Castro.Chorus and Stereo Delay have been modeled to provide the warm Bucket Brigade (BBD) sound, and the Reverb covers a wide range, from subtle ambience to almost infinite soundscapes.Tone King Imperial MKII Plugin | Authentic vintage tones in a modern packageNeural DSP’s Tone King Imperial MK II is available now with a 14-day free trial. Visit https://neuraldsp.com/products/tone-king-imperial-mkii.
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RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS Tease 'Not The One' Single
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS will release another new single, “Not The One”, on Friday, March 25. The song is taken from the band’s upcoming album, “Unlimited Love”, which will arrive on April 1 via Warner.
A short snippet of “Not The One” is available below.
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS’s first new LP with guitarist John Frusciante since 2006’s “Stadium Arcadium” was once again produced by Rick Rubin who previously worked on “Blood Sugar Sex Magik” (1991), “Californication” (1999), “By The Way” (2002) and the aforementioned “Stadium Arcadium”.
The band stated about the new record: “Our only goal is to get lost in the music. We (John, Anthony, Chad and Flea) spent thousands of hours, collectively and individually, honing our craft and showing up for one another, to make the best album we could. Our antennae attuned to the divine cosmos, we were just so damn grateful for the opportunity to be in a room together, and, once again, try to get better. Days, weeks and months spent listening to each other, composing, jamming freely, and arranging the fruit of those jams with great care and purpose. The sounds, rhythms, vibrations, words and melodies had us enrapt.
“We yearn to shine a light in the world, to uplift, connect, and bring people together. Each of the songs on our new album ‘Unlimited Love’ is a facet of us, reflecting our view of the universe. This is our life’s mission. We work, focus, and prepare, so that when the biggest wave comes, we are ready to ride it. The ocean has gifted us a mighty wave and this record is the ride that is the sum of our lives. Thank you for listening, we hope you enjoy it.”
Frusciante said: “When we started writing material, we began by playing old songs by people like Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson, THE KINKS, THE NEW YORK DOLLS, Richard Barrett and others. Ever so gradually, we started bringing in new ideas, and turning jams into songs, and after a couple of months the new stuff was all we were playing. The feeling of effortless fun we had when we were playing songs by other people, stayed with us the whole time we were writing. For me, this record represents our love for, and faith in each other.”
On lead track “Black Summer”, ethereal guitar underlines introspective lyrics as the rhythm unlocks a hypnotic drum groove highlighted by evocative bass. It quietly inhales only to exhale with a massive refrain, “It’s been a long time since I made a new friend, waiting on another black summer to end,” before a guitar solo echoes to the heavens and back. For the music video, the group teamed up with acclaimed director Deborah Chow (Disney+’s “The Mandalorian”, “Obi-Wan Kenobi”). The result continues a tradition of captivating cinematic visuals — with a twist.
The interplay between the band borders on intergalactic once again — yet elevated to another stratosphere altogether. “Unlimited Love” represents the united spirit of four individual souls still fearlessly exploring the future of their eternal friendship and musical congregation.
“Here Ever After” follows a staccato bassline down a rhythmic wormhole as the hook promises, “She’s the kinda girl that make you wanna go faster now.” And whether it be wrangling wild horns and boisterous bass on “Aquatic Mouth Dance” or the poetic dreamscape of confessional ballad “Not The One”, the album twists and turns with gleeful unpredictability. On “Poster Child”, a funky riff spiked with wah pedal magic wobbles in tandem with the delivery as a blissful chorus takes hold. “The Great Apes” charges forward towards a primal clarion call. For nearly six minutes, “It’s Only Natural” slips in and out of hypnotic harmonies and magnetic grooves. The slinky funk of “She’s A Lover” bleeds into a chantable gang vocal and dancefloor-ready refrain, while “These Are The Ways” sees a soft melody give way to guitar and vocal catharsis.
“Whatchu Thinkin'” leans on head-nodding percussion as the vocals flutter with the tempo only for guitar to ignite the chorus. An analog synth choir colors the intro of “Bastards Of Light” while a heavenly crescendo elevates “White Braids & Pillow Chair” beyond the clouds. Hitting the highways, “One Way Traffic” revs up funk at an intersection of airy bass and drums. “Veronica” trades the band’s sunny Los Angeles for the South Side of Chicago and a near-cinematic story about the title character. Then, there’s “Let ‘Em Cry” where trumpet punctuates the momentum before peaking on an emotionally charged guitar solo. “The Heavy Wing” takes flight on a climactic burst of distortion and vocal conjurations. The ride culminates on “Tangelo”. Threaded together with delicate guitar and emotionally charged vocals, this otherworldly lullaby leaves off on a vibrant, vulnerable, and vital final note as it slips into the arms of feedback.
“Unlimited Love” track listing:
01. Black Summer
02. Here Ever After
03. Aquatic Mouth Dance
04. Not The One
05. Poster Child
06. The Great Apes
07. It’s Only Natural
08. She’s A Lover
09. These Are The Ways
10. Whatchu Thinkin’
11. Bastards Of Light
12. White Braids & Pillow Chair
13. One Way Traffic
14. Veronica
15. Let ‘Em Cry
16. The Heavy Wing
17. Tangelo
Last fall, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith told Rolling Stone that the four members of the band were “getting along great”, and were “really listening to each other in a new way”.
“All of our records are just real good snapshots of where we’re at that time,” he said. “You can’t really go, ‘Oh, gee, I hope it’s as good as…’ Then you’re starting to have preconceived notions about what you want to write.
“Look, John hasn’t been in our group in 10 years. That’s a long time. So of course it’s going to sound different, but it’s going to sound like the four of us because we do have this special chemistry together. It sounds like RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, but it’s different and new, and to me that’s great.
“We really like it and we’re proud of it and it has to start there. If other people like it, great. If people compare it to this or [say] it doesn’t sound like that, we have no control over that. But yeah, we’re all really happy with the record.”
Regarding the return of Frusciante, Smith said: “He is so dedicated. He’s so into it. He’s working so hard. We’re all working hard, but he’s in there with all the overdubs and the magic that he brings.”
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS will embark on a world tour this summer. The North American leg will kick off in Denver, Colorado on July 23 at Empower Field at Mile High. It will conclude in Arlington, Texas on September 18 at Globe Life Field.
Frusciante originally joined RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS following the death of founding guitarist Hillel Slovak in 1988. This lineup recorded two highly successful albums that brought the group mainstream popularity: “Mother’s Milk” and “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”. Sadly, Frusciante fell into a deep heroin addiction that caused him to leave the band while touring to support “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”. Frusciante rejoined CHILI PEPPERS six years later, playing on 1999 album “Californication”, 2002’s “By The Way” and 2006’s “Stadium Arcadium” before quitting the band again in September 2009.
In October 2020, Frusciante told the Australian digital radio station Double J that playing with his RHCP bandmates Anthony Kiedis, Flea and Smith once again was like “returning to family. I’m extremely comfortable with those people. It was as if no time had gone by at all when we started playing, pretty much, with a couple of minor exceptions, like how Chad and I gradually got our communication together in a new way. Basically, we’re all just as comfortable with each other as we ever were, and it just felt like that right off the bat.”
Photo credit: Sandy Kim
Not the One is coming on Friday!!! Yeeeeeeeeh mutha pic.twitter.com/T6P73BW9AJ
— Flea (@flea333) March 23, 2022
Jungle Rot announce new album ‘A Call To Arms’
JUNGLE ROT have announced a new album! Titled A Call To Arms, the upcoming album from the veteran American death metal band is the follow-up to 2018’s self-titled effort and is scheduled…
Read more » TARJA TURUNEN Has Been 'Super Productive' During The Pandemic
Former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen spoke to Brazil’s Wikimetal about how she has spent her downtime during the coronavirus pandemic. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “It was a shock for me in the beginning. When all this happened, it was very hard to understand where you were at. And I didn’t even touch my grand piano that is just here next to me; I’m in my working room now. And there were months and months, I just walked past the instrument; I didn’t even touch it. It was a hard hit — really hard to understand that I’m not able to work any longer; my work is not permitted; I cannot [work]. So when that wheel stopped, it was my first time ever to be without performing — in 25 years or so. I’ve been a performer all my life, and so that all was gone. So it is very hard to come out of that bubble and start being productive and inspired. But I did that.’
She continued: “I fought against the universe in the beginning, and then I said, ‘Do not, because you cannot. You’re just one individual. You are who you are. Find the happiness inside of you, and find the happiness around you, what you have at the moment.’ I have my beautiful family, my beautiful daughter that I haven’t been able to be the mother that she really has needed in many times when I’m on the road. I am here now. Use that time. So it was really, really important to realize that, hey, I can be happy and I can get inspired. Not necessarily the pandemic itself made me inspired, but then I saw the light that there are good things in life. And I started taking care of myself. And I’ve been super productive — written a lot of new songs. You have to keep on going.”
Last year, Turunen released her first book, “Singing In My Blood”, via Rocket 88. Written and compiled over the first year of lockdown, Tarja searched through scores of photos and memories to create a big, deluxe book about her life in music. There are contributions from friends and colleagues who’ve played a part in her music on stage, in the studio and at home, alongside lots of previously unseen intimate photos from childhood to the present day.
The 44-year-old Finnish-born singer, who currently lives in Spain (after previously residing in both Finland and Argentina), was fired from NIGHTWISH at the end of the band’s 2005 tour by being presented with an open letter which was published on the NIGHTWISH web site at the same time. In the letter, the other members of NIGHTWISH wrote: “To you, unfortunately, business, money, and things that have nothing to do with emotions have become much more important.”
NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen later called the decision to part ways with Turunen “the most difficult thing I ever had to do.” For her part, Tarja said the way she was kicked out of the group proved that her former bandmates were not her friends. “Maybe one day I’ll forgive, but I will never forget,” she said.
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