Remembering Michael Nesmith (1942-2021)

A trailblazer for pop culture, film producer and alt-rock inspiration, the former Monkee was a polymath whose career was guided by his gift for songwriting

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Ty Tabor: “I developed my entire sound and style around one type of guitar pick. If I use a different one, I can’t get the same tone”

The King’s X guitarist discusses modifying Mexican Strats, his latest solo album, Shades, and the guitar pick behind his career-defining tone

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Fender Trapper Bass Distortion review

Why do they call it the Trapper? Who can say, but it has two distortion circuits to give options to those who need some low-end growl and thunder

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TERROR Announces New Album 'Pain Into Power'

Hardcore legends TERROR will release their eighth full-length album, “Pain Into Power”, on May 6 via Pure Noise Records. The LP finds the band reuniting with founding guitarist and current NAILS mastermind Todd Jones who produced the explosive new record. The resulting album is TERROR boiled down to their most primal and viscerally effective form: 20 minutes of unrelenting hardcore fury that never goes out of style.

To mark the announcement, TERROR has shared the album’s pummeling first single, “Can’t Help But Hate”, which features guest vocals from none other than George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher of CANNIBAL CORPSE. Clocking in at a minute and 26 seconds, “Can’t Help But Hate” wastes no time in making it clear that TERROR are as vitriolic as ever. The song flies out of the gate with a crushing riff before launching into a blistering verse and a chorus assisted by Fisher’s guttural roar.

TERROR vocalist Scott Vogel states: “Todd is super intense and focused and analyzes all angles of songs and band situations. Sometimes I think he might know more about TERROR than I do! Watching him create songs is inspiring because he was so invested in this album. And that was what we needed because TERROR has done this so many times.

“This song is a fusion of Jordan and Todd Jones’s riffs. Pushed forward by possibly the fastest drumming TERROR has ever had. Lyrics that everyone can easily relate to while living in a world crashing deeper into insanity day after day. And, of course, the addition of Corpsegrinder’s vocals makes this minute and twenty six second track super unique for TERROR’s eighth LP.”

For two decades, TERROR has been a constant presence in the world of hardcore. The long-running band has toured and released new music relentlessly, managing to keep up an unparalleled level of intensity that’s made them one of the genre’s most respected bands. Now with “Pain Into Power”, the band is drawing a line between their past and present. Where many bands would rest on their well-earned laurels, TERROR pushes forward, and with Jones returning to the fold they’ve created created an extraordinarily aggressive album that’s essential to longtime fans and new listeners alike.

“Power Into Pain” track listing:

01. Pain Into Power
02. Unashamed
03. Boundless Contempt
04. Outside The Lies
05. One Thousand Lies
06. Can’t Let It Go
07. Can’t Help But Hate
08. The Hardest Truth
09. On The Verge of Violence
10. Prepare For The Worst
11. Dead At Birth

TERROR — whose current lineup is made up of vocalist Scott Vogel, drummer Nick Jett, guitarists Martin Stewart and Jordan Posner, and bassist Chris Linkovich — was founded in 2002 by Vogel, Jett, and Jones, with the latter leaving the band a few years later and eventually forming the brutal hardcore-by-way-of-death-metal outfit NAILS. When the world was put on hold at the start of 2020, Vogel reached out to Jones about the idea of working on a project. They began writing songs together again and quickly found their old creative chemistry was more than intact. TERROR and Jones marked the moment with 2021’s “Trapped In A World”, a live-in-the-studio rerecording of songs from the band’s earliest releases, and the experience was so satisfying that the team soon turned their attention to making a brand new TERROR album.

With Jones at the production helm and Matt Hyde engineering/mixing (whose previous work includes TERROR’s landmark album “Keepers Of The Faith”, as well as releases from the DEFTONES, SLAYER, HATEBREED, and more), the band convened at Jett’s Jet To Mars Studio with the goal of making an album that captures the unhinged kinetic energy of TERROR’s earlier work filtered through 20 years of seasoned musicianship.

“Todd’s whole approach to, and vision for, this record was to make it just full-on aggression from the minute it starts to the minute it ends,” Vogel explains. “That goes back to our first EP, ‘Lowest Of The Low’, which Todd was writing on. This album is maybe even more turned-up, even faster, even more abrasive. TERROR post-Todd has stayed the course along that aggressive, hard-hitting, fast, in-your-face hardcore that doesn’t stray from the path too much–but he really wanted this one to be straight insanity that doesn’t let up.”

And it doesn’t. Clocking in at a lean 20 minutes, “Pain Into Power” is TERROR boiled down to their most primal and effective state. The title track and opener offers the perfect introduction, just 53 seconds of crushing hardcore that demonstrates the band’s unparalleled intensity and the undeniable spark in their work with Jones.

“I obviously know TERROR,” says Vogel, “but this album still hit me harder than I expected. When people listen to this album, I hope they think ‘this is TERROR, but this is the TERROR record I was hoping for and needed,’ and it hits them harder than we’ve hit them before.”

The pummeling sound isn’t the only source of fury found on “Pain Into Power”. Whereas in the past Vogel’s lyrics have often pushed through darkness to channel a sense of positivity, the vocalist found that sentiment to be in shorter supply.

“We’ve always walked that line between positivity and negativity,” Vogel says. “
Songs that are pure anger and songs that say ‘the world’s a shitty place but you’ve got the inner strength — and maybe this music and this scene — to help you through it.’ But a lot of these new songs are very angry and dark. I’ve tried my best to stay positive but, with this vibe of unrelenting musical destruction, it was a little bit harder to bring out that positive side.”

But “Pain Into Power” doesn’t lack TERROR’s unstoppable sense of defiance. Amidst all of the personal and societal bleakness addressed on the album, there’s also resilience. “On The Verge of Violence” takes a hard look at the overwhelming issues of addiction, violence, and prejudice that permeate the country, while elsewhere “Outside The Lies” acts as a rejection of the corrupt institutions that exacerbate them; the former offering a chorus as memorable as it is vicious and the latter a 45-second blastbeat-to-breakdown stomper. On “Unashamed”, Vogel reaffirms his lifelong devotion to hardcore and the sense of community and solidarity he found within it. The song fittingly includes guest vocals from YEAR OF THE KNIFE’s Madison Watkins and INITIATE’s Crystal Pak, two of modern hardcore’s most exciting new bands. Another album highlight, “Can’t Help But Hate”, features a guttural appearance from CANNIBAL CORPSE vocalist George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher, making his colossal presence felt amongst the frenzied music. The album’s guest vocalists highlight TERROR’s unique ability to draw a line between different eras and styles of aggressive music. It’s an example of the genuine dedication to both platforming new groups and fostering an appreciation for the greats that has allowed TERROR to connect with longtime fans and new listeners alike for so many years.

“Genuinely loving hardcore and what it’s all about is important,” Vogel says. “It keeps us in touch and wanting to stay involved in the current climate and stay engaged with the younger bands and the vibe they bring to the scene.”

The final guest vocal appearance on “Pain Into Power” comes from Jones himself, who puts his roaring stamp on late album standout “The Hardest Truth”. It’s a full-circle moment that brings the band’s history into lockstep with their relentless drive to move forward.

Where many bands would be content to rest on a well-earned legacy, TERROR have kept pushing themselves while also staying one hundred percent true to who they are, who they’ve always been, and who they’ll always be. Even after 20 years, TERROR’s thirst for riffs, self-expression, and stage dives remains unquenched, or at Vogel succinctly puts it: “I want kids to connect with the lyrics because they know they’re coming from a genuine person, and I want them to get floored by the music so that when they see us play live they can’t help but jump off someone’s head.”

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Fender gives Guitar Center a piece of the ‘80s hair metal action with exclusive Ferrari Red and Neon Green Player Stratocasters

A Ferrari Yellow Player HSS Strat, which was recently unveiled by UK retailer Andertons, is also now available at Guitar Center

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Phish's Trey Anastasio announces first-ever solo acoustic record, Mercy

The Phish guitarist’s first foray into the world of acoustic albums will arrive this Friday (March 11)

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Malina Moye: “Your mindset is the most important thing on tour, starting from the plane ride to get to the bus“

Righteous touring tips from a lifelong warrior of the road

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Raise your lead guitar game with this Jennifer Batten masterclass

The session great shares some stamina-building exercises to improve your phrasing and spice up your solos

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PORCUPINE TREE Announces Summer/Fall 2022 North American Tour Dates

Grammy Award-nominated British rock band PORCUPINE TREE will celebrate its long-overdue return to the global stage with new dates confirmed in North and South America. The legendary group’s first tour since October 2010 in support of its upcoming album “Closure/Continuation” will kick off September 10 at Toronto, Ontario’s Meridian Hall, followed by concerts in Montreal, Quebec; Boston, Massachusetts; New York City; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Washington, D.C.; Chicago, Illinois; Irving, Texas; Denver, Colorado; San Francisco, California and Los Angeles, California; continuing with eagerly awaited October performances in Mexico City, Mexico (October 4) and Santiago, Chile (October 7). The North and South American show dates are presented by Live Nation and Paladin Artists.

Already announced performances in Europe begin October 21 in Berlin, Germany and then culminate at London, U.K.’s world-famous SSE Arena, Wembley on November 11.

General on-sales for PORCUPINE TREE’s “Closure/Continuation” North American dates begin Friday, March 11 at 10 a.m. local time at www.ticketmaster.com. Mexico and Chile general on-sales begin Wednesday, March 16 at 11 a.m. local time at Ticketmaster.com.mx (Mexico) and PuntoTicket.com (Chile). Fans who pre-order the album will have access to a special presale for the newly announced dates in both North and South America beginning Wednesday, March 9 at 10 a.m. through Thursday, March 10.

Tour dates:

Sep. 10 – Toronto, ON – Meridian Hall*
Sep. 12 – Laval, QC – Place Bell*
Sep. 14 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway*
Sep. 16 – New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall*
Sep. 17 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met Philadelphia*
Sep. 18 – Washington, DC – The Anthem*
Sep. 20 – Chicago, IL – Auditorium Theatre*
Sep. 23 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory*
Sep. 25 – Denver, CO – Bellco Theatre*
Sep. 28 – San Francisco, CA – The Masonic*
Sep. 30 – Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre*
Oct. 04 – Mexico City, MX – Pepsi Center^
Oct. 07 – Santiago, CL – Movistar Arena^
Oct. 21 – Berlin, DE – Max Schmelinghalle
Oct. 23 – Vienna, AU – Gasometer
Oct. 24 – Milan, IT – Forum
Oct. 27 – Stockholm, SW – Globe
Oct. 28 – Copenhagen, DK – Falkoner Theatre
Oct. 30 – Katowice, PO – Spodek Hall
Nov. 02 – Paris, FR – Le Zenith
Nov. 04 – Stuttgart, DE – Porsche Arena
Nov. 06 – Oberhausen, DE – KP Arena
Nov. 07 – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggodome
Nov. 09 – Zurich, CH – Halle 622
Nov. 11 – London, UK – SSE Arena, Wembley

* On sale Friday, March 11 at 10 a.m. local time

^ On sale Wednesday, March 16 at 11 a.m. local time

PORCUPINE TREE — Steven Wilson, Richard Barbieri and Gavin Harrison — has just shared “Of The New Day”, the latest track from “Closure/Continuation”, due on Friday, June 24 via Music For Nations/Megaforce Records.

“‘Of the New Day’ is a song of rebirth, emerging from darkness,” says Wilson. “It sounds deceptively simple, a recognizably atypical PORCUPINE TREE ballad. That is until you realize that the length of the bars is constantly changing, flipping between bars of regular 4/4 time to 3/4, to 5/4 to 6/4, 11/4, so that the track never settles into any steady time. It’s what PORCUPINE TREE can sometimes do really well, come up with a basic idea that’s almost intellectual or mathematical, but carry it off in a way that sounds completely natural and accessible. At least I hope there’s no sense of us being clever for the sake of it or putting technique over musicality. That is unless you want to specifically home in on that side of the composition.”

Last November, PORCUPINE TREE returned with its first new music in close to 12 years. “Harridan”, an epic, eight-minute-long reintroduction to PORCUPINE TREE’s truly singular sound, was accompanied by an official lyric video, streaming now via YouTube.

“Closure / Continuation” — which follows 2009’s “The Incident” — will be available on standard CD, standard black vinyl 2×12″ LP, white vinyl 2×12″ LP, transparent blue vinyl 2×12″ LP, and white cassette. In addition, a limited audiophile deluxe LP will also be available, cut at 45rpm on 3×12″ clear vinyl in 12″ slipcase box with two bonus tracks; a limited audiophile deluxe CD in 12″ slipcase box will include the standard CD, a second disc with three bonus tracks and instrumentals, Blu-ray disc with 5.1/Dolby Atmos and HD audio versions of the album, and an exclusive album art book. pre-orders are available now.

“‘Harridan’ and a few of the other new songs have been in play since shortly after the release of ‘The Incident’,” said PORCUPINE TREE. “They initially lived on a hard drive in a slowly growing computer file marked PT2012, later renamed PT2015, PT2018, and so on. There were times when we even forgot they were there, and times when they nagged us to finish them to see where they would take us. Listening to the finished pieces, it was clear that this wasn’t like any of our work outside of the band — the combined DNA of the people behind the music meant these tracks were forming what was undeniably, unmistakably, obviously a PORCUPINE TREE record. You’ll hear all of that DNA flowing right through ‘Harridan’.”

One of the most forward-thinking, genre-defying rock bands of any era, PORCUPINE TREE was founded in 1987 by renowned musician/producer Steven Wilson as an outlet for the experimental recordings he was making outside of his acclaimed post-rock duo NO-MAN. With the addition of keyboard player Richard Barbieri and drummer Gavin Harrison, PORCUPINE TREE soon evolved into a proper band, releasing 10 studio albums between 1992 and 2009. Each new release saw PORCUPINE TREE exploring new musical ideas, their expansive music shifting from pastoral psychedelic rock and ambient electronic soundscapes to experimental pop and propulsive metal. Later releases like 2007’s Grammy Award-nominated “Fear Of A Blank Planet” and 2009’s “The Incident” — the band’s biggest seller thus far, reaching the top 25 in both the U.S. and the U.K. — saw PORCUPINE TREE effortlessly melding distinctive genres to create a groundbreaking musical universe all their own.

As relentlessly creative on stage as they are in the studio, PORCUPINE TREE proved innovative live performers known for sonic innovation and inventive visual productions. In October 2010, the band entered a period of hiatus following a spectacular concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall — their biggest live show to date.

The most collaborative album of their highly lauded career, “Closure / Continuation” doesn’t simply pick up where PORCUPINE TREE left off back in 2010. While the familiar traits of the band’s idiosyncratic sound remain intact, the new album very much places PORCUPINE TREE in the here and now, with greater texture and color than ever before.

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GHOST's TOBIAS FORGE On MIKE PENCE's 'Pursuit Of Power': 'It's One Of The Most Evil Things I've Ever Seen'

GHOST leader Tobias Forge has confirmed to Rolling Stone that the band’s new song “Grift Wood”, from the upcoming album “Impera”, takes aim at Donald Trump-era U.S. vice president Mike Pence who led Christian evangelicals into becoming apologists for what many believe was the most destructive president of modern times, while at the same time preaching righteousness and goodness.

“Let’s just say that it can be about someone like him who is ready to serve his entire life’s work in pursuit of power, and then justify it by claiming some sort of a religious connection,” Forge said. “He’s a great example of someone like that. Every basement he has reached, he miraculously finds a new one. It’s one of the most evil things I’ve ever seen — tricking people into believing that they’re on their side.”

Forge previously revealed the Pence inspiration for “Grift Wood” in a January 2022 interview with Kerrang! magazine. At the time, he said: “That song’s about him and anyone like him who’s willing to soil everything they’ve worked for. They definitely qualify for a front-row ticket to Hell. Which is so ironic, because that’s what they believe in. [People like that] completely demean themselves, and just eat shit out of someone’s ass in order to achieve whatever they’re trying to achieve.

“Again, he stands as a symbol for people of all times, where the end game is wrapped with some sort of religious [thing],” Tobias continued. “He’s known as this sort of Bible thumper, believing that he has strong faith, and he’s just this awful, awful person in any way. He tries to tell the world that he serves God, that he’s part of the good side. Whereas at the end of the day, the only thing he wants is power. But it doesn’t have to necessarily be all about him. It’s about people like him: a lot of politicians, lot of preachers, a lot of clergymen throughout the history of time.”

Back in 2018, Forge stated about GHOST’s religious imagery: “As a very imaginative kid and grown-up, I just have a natural sort of gravity towards history and religion and stories. The same way that I’m interested in ‘Star Wars’, I found The Bible compelling. My mom is and has always been very interested in art, so where she has never really been religious, she is extremely liberal, and there was no censorship at home in terms of culture. There was French films playing on TV with people sort of halfway screwing each other, and there was rock and roll music all the time. There was a lot of grown-up culture in my home. She always used to work in art, and she was always very keen on taking me to church — not for mass, but for art. She was interested in the artifacts. I think it’s from spending a lot of time in cathedrals and churches. In my hometown where I grew up, there’s a very old Catholic church. It has all that sort of lavish Catholic splendor and that sort of flaunting. Every time I’m back in town, I try to go there, because it’s an old church and has a lot of history in there. The walls are literally whispering to you. A lot of that was inspirational for what we do now.”

“Impera” will be released on March 11 via Loma Vista.

GHOST has just completed its U.S. co-headlining tour with VOLBEAT.

Forge performed as a “new” Papa Emeritus on each of GHOST’s first three LPs, with each version of Papa replacing the one that came before it. Papa Emeritus III was retired in favor of Cardinal Copia before the release of 2018’s “Prequelle”.

In March 2020, at final show of GHOST’s “Prequelle” tour in Mexico City, Mexico, the band officially introduced Papa Emeritus IV, the new character who will front the act for its next LP phase.

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