So Halestorm have been creating quite a storm in the last year or so with the release of their uber popular album "The Strange Case Of..."
1. Love Bites (So Do I)
2. Mz. Hyde
3. I Miss the Misery
4. Freak Like Me
5. Beautiful with You
6. In Your Room
7. Break In
8. Rock Show
9. Daughters of Darkness
10. You Call Me a Bitch Like It's a Bad Thing
11. American Boys
12. Here's to Us
So keeping up with the promotion and demand of the band, Halestorm stopped by Jimmy Kimmel's late night show on Tuesday, January 29th to perform a few of their hit songs "Love Bites (So Do I)" and "Freak Like Me". You can check out both videos below:
And don't forget that Halestorm will be on tour in April/May alongside Bullet For My Valentine, Young Guns and Stars In Stereo. Go to the official website for dates and tickets.
So one of my favourite drummers, Mike Portnoy, and his band of Adrenaline Mobsters (haha) have hand picked some of their favourite classic tunes and will be releasing their cover EP "Coverta" on March 12th, 2013. I have covered Adrenaline Mob's work in the past, including the release of their debut LP "Omerta". These guys have mixed feelings among the metal community but between the talented lineup and some great debut singles, I think these guys have done a fair job establishing themselves as a long term band (or at least we hope). Here's what the 8 track EP will be covering:
1. High Wire (Badlands) 2. Stand Up and Shout (Dio) 3. Break on Through (The Doors) 4. Romeo Delight (Van Halen) 5. Barracuda (Heart) 6. Kill the King (Rainbow) 7. The Lemon Song (Led Zeppelin) 8. The Mob Rules (Black Sabbath)
("Undaunted" is taken from Adrenaline Mob's debut album "Omerta")
To add to the EP, Adrenaline Mob will be heading on the road for a full blown North American tour. The tour will consist of two legs this spring. The dates for the first leg (with support from Nothing More) are:
Tue 12 Mar - New Haven CT @ Toads Place
Wed 13 Mar - New York NY @ Marlin @ Webster Hall
Thu 14 Mar - Pittsburgh PA @ Altar Bar
Fri 15 Mar - Allentown PA @ Crocodile Rock
Sat 16 Mar - West Springfield VA @ Empire
Mon 18 Mar - Jacksonville FL @ Brewster’s Roc Bar
Tue 19 Mar - Tampa FL @ Orpheum
Wed 20 Mar - Orlando FL @ The Haven
Fri 22 Mar - Houston TX @ Scout Bar
Sat 23 Mar - San Antonio TX @ Backstage Live
Sun 24 Mar - Dallas TX @ Trees
Tue 26 Mar - Albuquerque NM @ Launch Pad
Wed 27 Mar - Phoenix AZ @ Joe's Grotto
Thu 28 Mar - San Diego CA @ Brick By Brick
Fri 29 Mar - Las Vegas NV @ Cheyenne Saloon
Sat 30 Mar - Los Angeles CA @ Roxy
Mon 01 Apr - Colorado Springs CO @ Black Sheep
Tue 02 Apr - Kansas City KS @ The Voodoo Lounge
Thu 04 Apr - St Louis MO @ Fubar
Fri 05 Apr - Nashville TN @ Exit IN
Sat 06 Apr - Atlanta GA @ Masquerade
Sun 07 Apr - Richmond VA @ Kingdom
More dates to be added on the second leg of the tour. Stay tuned!
("Indifferent" is taken from Adrenaline Mob's debut album "Omerta")
"Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor" is the new album title for ROB ZOMBIE, which is due on April 23rd, 2013 via T-Boy Records/Universal Music Enterprises. T-Boy Records is a new label spearheaded by Zombie's manager Andy Gould.
"It seems to happen every couple of years or every 10 years or every five years or whatever, you have a moment when it all comes together. Not that the other records are bad, but not every record can be like the most inspired event in your life. But for some reason, this one feels like it is. The songwriting, the sound of it, the vibe, the production — it's special."
"It's stylistically sort of a little bit of everything. Fans of my really old stuff will love it because there's a certain aspect of it that's very reminiscent of that. But it also is very looking to the future. It's hard to describe music to somebody if they haven't heard it, but I feel like it's the best of all of the things I've done. I've finally found a perfect match between the old stuff I did and the new stuff. That's the way it sounds to me anyway."
1. Teenage Nosferatu Pussy 2. Dead City Radio And The New Gods Of Supertown 3. Revelation Revolution 4. Theme For The Rat Vendor 5. Gong Gang Gong De Do Gong De Laga Raga 6. Rock And Roll (In A Black Hole) 7. Behold! The Pretty Filthy Creatures 8. White Trash Freaks 9. We're An American Band (*GRAND FUNK RAILROAD cover) 10. Lucifer Rising 11. The Girl Who Loved The Monsters 12. Trade In Your Guns For A Coffin
“Yeah, people love this record! It’s doing really, really well at radio; people enjoy it a lot so we’re excited about it. To me, I think it sounds like old WHITE ZOMBIE; I love old White Zombie. I was such a huge fan. It’s really cool. I’m so happy with this record.” -John 5
In April, horror rock mogul ROB ZOMBIE returns with his fifth solo album, and in his words, “It merges the old days of WHITE ZOMBIE with the future of what I am doing now… this is the perfect combo of both worlds.” Much more than self-serving hyperbole, this is the Devil’s truth! ‘The Girl Who Loved The Monsters’ harkens back to La Sexorcisto, whereas ‘Behold, The Pretty Filthy Creatures’ would be right at home on The Sinister Urge. Throughout the 12 songs, pretty much every aspect of Zombie’s musical career is touched upon; Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor is almost like a Greatest Hits comprised of entirely new material. First single ‘Dead City Radio And The New Gods Of Super Town’ is a fiery, barn-burner of a track highlighting “wasted youth - an angel of odd in her birthday suit.” That being said, the award for worst song title of the year goes to ‘Ging Gang Gong De Do Gong De Laga Raga’. Musically, it’s actually quite a good piece, but that title and chorus – what were you thinking Rob? Then there’s ‘Rock And Roll (In A Black Hole)’, centered around a tedious, electronic syncopated drum beat. All signs lead to dull and dreary, but when this kicks in, it’ll knock you on your ass! ‘Theme For The Rat Vendor’ is an unexpected 62-second instrumental immersed in middle-eastern sounds. Pulling a decapitated rabbit out of the hat, Zombie and cohorts John 5 on guitar, Piggy D on bass, and Ginger Fish on drums rock the shit out of GRAND FUNK RAILROAD’s ‘We’re An American Band’; talk about a job well done! And if there really is a fallen angel in hell, Zombie will play ‘Lucifer Rising’ every night on tour. Bound to be a fan-favourite, this makes you move and groove uncontrollably; it’s damn near irresistible. ‘Trade In Your Guns For A Coffin’ ends this illicit affair with the perfect amount of sex, sleaze and violence. Forget the Pied Piper, it’s time to embrace, cherish and worship those Venomous Rats! -Bravewords(Aaron Small)
On another note, The Golden God Award (presented by Sumerian Records), which is given to one special honoree a year who embodies the spirit of hard rock and metal, will go to the one and only Zombie.
“What can I say? It is a complete honor to receive this award and have my name join the list of such legendary past winners as Alice Cooper and Gene Simmons. Pretty cool deal to be part of the Golden God club.”
You can read more information on the award at AFGM's coverage of the 2013 RGG Awards:
More info as it comes in! In the meantime here's a new music video for the track "Dead City Radio And The Gods of Supertown":
“Yeah, remember back in the day when the only way you could get information was from a magazine; like VAN HALEN or KISS is recording a new album. It wasn’t like everywhere you look, on your phone you can see they’re doing guitar tracks now and you can watch that. It doesn’t make it as special to me. I remember running to the magazine stores to see what was going on and what was new. But now we get to see when someone’s doing backups or something like that. We just went for the way of doing it like, here’s our new record, now we’re going to start promoting it. We started recording it sporadically, all over the place. From last summer to after Halloween, during Christmas, it was done over bits of time, in between tours.” -Zombie
So decided to do my first entry for Commuting Capriccio. So like the usual, I was on my way to work and stumbling through the playlist, deciding what to indulge before the commute was done. Whether it be the vitamin D, the morning cup of tea or just simply in the mood for some good ol' distortion, I ultimately went with Australia's FOR ALL ETERNITY.
Shane Carroll - Vocals | Michael Buckley - Drums/Vocals | Jeremy Mosiejczuk - Guitar | Nicholas Page - Guitar | ??? - Bass
The five piece group from Campbelltown have composed a great debut album for a sub genre (aka metalcore) that seems to be over saturated with anyone that can scream and play a breakdown. Some of you might argue these guys have an equation just like many other bands, but I feel it was the vocals and production values that caught my attention from the start.
Especially when listening to albums as a whole, the first few tracks will make or break me from listening to the rest of the album. With hundreds of albums coming out every year now, it's becoming quite demanding to sit down and listen to so many good albums, so your first few tracks best be catching attention. The album opens up with a good intro ("Born") build up and transitions fluidly into what I like to dub as 'show me what you got' track (aka "Vacant Room"). The dark and ominous vibe of the album continues into "Broken Hands" with a light melody guitar piece and then opening right into some guttural vocals and some precise drumming.
1. Born 2. Vacant Room 3. Broken Hands 4. The Wide Path 5. Solid Ground 6. Renewer 7. Bright Eyes 8. Awake To The Sound 9. Strength 10. All That Awaits 11. Beyond The Gates 12. Victory
FAE have chosen "Solid Ground" as the debut lyric video on Youtube:
Now I am still a fan of the album as a whole but this track kind of got under my skin as I listen to the clean vocals right off the bat. I think that the clean vocal range and delivery is one of the few parts of the album I don't really care for, as this really puts FAE into the same mix as many other metalcore bands. Agreeing with some other reviews of this album I have come across, this is the one part of the album I found to be over produced. Not knocking the drummer Mike Buckley and his vocal range/skills, just something to think about when hitting the studio for a sophomore album.
"Renewer" comes in again with a great guitar lick and creates a great base for melody. The clean vocals kick in once again but somehow I can deal with it a little more as the range or tune of the notes seems to be a tad deeper than previous tracks as the guitars in this track help carry much of the melody in the song, and backed by the guttural screams and drumming again.
"Bright Eyes" is a short but well deserved break in the album. Only 2:13 in length, it's the instrumental piece on the track that kind of gives people a mental break from focusing on lyrics and faster paced drumming, similar to a commercial break on a TV show. That's not to say that it shouldn't be ignored but it meshes in quite well with the follow up track "Awake To The Sound".
I really like the fact that FAE decided to end the album on a hard note with the closing track "Victory" because in the end, this album was a victory and should be treated as such. Well, that's my perspective of it at least. I would have opted for "Beyond The Gates" as the closing piece only because I am a fan of the piano after being pummeled for 11 tracks of everything the metalcore sub genre has to offer. I think this kind of sunk in for me after seeing NIN close their very long set with "Hurt". It was the end of the show and everyone was looking for that comedown of the night. That's how I envision albums, especially with a first go around/new experience.
In conclusion, I won't be giving albums ratings out of 5 or 10 because that's just subject to conflict and what my opinion of the album could be vastly different from your experience with it. I liked it, it gave me that extra step in my stride for the morning and was spun once again after work when I hit the gym. FAE...well done.
So what an assortment of albums we have this week. A few of these I have been listening to over the past few weeks (Cult of Luna, Hatebreed) so as for the heavy side of things, the fans won't be disappointed. Another guilty pleasure is the amazing operatic vocal range of Mr. Andrea Bocelli. With his new album he is sticking to what his voice does best and compiles "a collection of Mediterranean love songs featuring duets with Jennifer Lopez, Nelly Furtado and a virtual duet with Edith Piaf". Other albums such as Mike Patton's Tomahawk and Basshunter will be equally enjoyable to listen to over the next few days.
So as always, I encourage you folks to head down to your local record shop or visit your online retailer to pick up some of these albums. Either way, as long as you're paying into the music industry then you're keeping these acts alive. Cheers!
Tomahawk fans should find Oddfellows appealing and certainly worthy of following up Tomahawk and Mit Gas. However, aside from initial single “Stone Letter” and its vitriolic chorus, most won’t come away humming many of the hooks or melodies, the way one might after listening to a Faith No More album. But then again, Tomahawk was never that kind of band to begin with, instead preferring to reward the patient listener over time. -Consequence of Sound
Recorded at his home in Tuscany, Bocelli serenades us in six languages, his relaxed manner belying an innate artistry as he moves from the classical style into a popular vein with consummate ease. His delivery is such that we hear his core feeling for each language, which colours his special timbre. -BBC
In the end, this is a set for loyal fans since the albums barely even go together stylistically, and while you can't say this early techno fluff is uninspired or flat, Basshunter didn't find his true voice until he allowed much more pop into his life. Still, these two albums are hard to acquire on their own, meaning The Early Bedroom Sessions serves a practical purpose for the Basshunter faithful. -Star Pulse
Their latest record Vertikal takes it to the next level of darkness with a story thread loosely based on Fritz Lang's monumental silent classic Metropolis, which as you probably know is set in a dystopian future society where subterranean workers slave to support a privileged, technologically advanced elite. The futuristic component of the story is supplied by a wide range of electronic instruments and industrial sound design; while the band had dabbled in these elements on their previous albums (including 2008's much heavier Eternal Kingdom), they go all-in this time around, with amazing results. Old-school metal purists won't find a lot of familiar landmarks in Vertikal, but fans of more experimental rock styles (vocalist Klas Rydberg cites Radiohead as one influence) should feel right at home. -Fearnet
The bonus material is strong — especially the songs left off the original album. Of the alternate versions of album tracks, the picks are an early incarnation of Dreams and a new version of I Don’t Want To Know. Less impressive are the jam sessions on the deluxe edition, while the live songs from 1977 don’t add anything.
But the real joys are to be found by listening again to the original, 39-minute album. It’s no wonder Fleetwood Mac were so keen to overcome the tribulations and finish a record with some of the catchiest, most intriguing songs of the Seventies. -Daily Mail
It is true CIRCLE II CIRLCE are back and in their best outfit. The new lineup seems to work perfectly in the studio, so it remains to see how it can do onstage. Hopefully there will an extensive tour because it’s been more than two years since I had seen Zak & Co. live. Jon Oliva is also working on new music so can we hope CIRCLE II CIRLCE on tour with JOP on the US? Just saying... -Metal Kaoz
At a lean 38 minutes, Divinity of Purpose's value is largely a result of its compact, no frills lack of pointless interludes and general effluvia. There's nothing here that couldn't conceivably find its way into one of the band's pit-heavy concerts. The Biohazard-friendly gang shout chorus of "Before the Fight Ends You" was custom designed to get the crowds pumped, and if the band have any built in limitations that would be the only chink in their armor: with each Hatebreed album seemingly written with the self conscious purpose of maintaining a tightly flowing concert experience, this stuff by intent isn't exactly multifaceted.
But it serves exactly the function it was intended for, which is to keep the fists pumping and the spirits high. A ballad would almost seem like a betrayal at this point. At the same time, there's a uniformity of both quality and sound in the band's catalog that thwarts preference, although such uniformity should never be mistaken for coasting. Hatebreed are back, and they're as good – if not perceptibly better – as they've ever been. -Metal Injection
What a great way to end a Monday than with the announcement of the 2013 edition Rockstar Mayhem Festival. The best part is... finally coming back to Canada! Only one date mind you (aka Toronto) but it's right where it needs to be (haha). For all of you keeping track, the Rockstar Mayhem Festival has not made it's way north of the border since 2008 when Toronto's Downsview Park hosted the event with Slipknot headlining.
June
29San Bernardino, CA
30Mountain View, CA
July
02Nampa, ID
03Auburn, WA
05Phoenix, AZ
06Albuquerque, NM
07Englewood, CO 10Toronto, ON
12Burgettstown, PA
13Camden, NJ
14Darien Center, NY
16Mansfield, MA
17Bangor, ME
19Scranton, PA
20Saratoga Springs, NY
21Hartford, CT
23Holmdel, NJ
24Bristow, VA
26Noblesville, IN
27Tinley Park, IL
28Clarkston, MI
30Atlanta, GA
31Tampa, FL
August
02Austin, Tx
03The Woodlands, TX
04Dallas, TX
So are you all eager enough to see the lineup for this year's Rockstar Mayhem?!
"I mean, I like doing things like that 'cause playing shows, I mean a lot of people are like, 'Oh, I like intimate shows, that's fun.' But I don't like intimate shows. The bigger the better. So doing Mayhem Festival's perfect because, you know, it'll be the biggest hard rock tour of the summer for sure, and headlining it is perfect because we have a huge show and we can do everything and there's no limitations and the people that put the concert on are great, so it's just a great setup." -Zombie
So I'm sure that some of you may even be reading these articles off of whatever mobile phone you have, but more specifically that some of you are reading them off your trusty Canadian made BlackBerry. I myself had a BlackBerry when the smart phone movement was really kicking into high gear (I believe I had a BlackBerry Pearl). Well something that caught my attention while sifting through the morning news.
While attempting to recreate the image of BlackBerry, as well as launching their new cell phone/OS dubbed "BlackBerry 10", RIM has acquired some well deserved media attention from some Hollywood elites (essentially to promote it to people who follow these celebrities) and some partners for the new BlackBerry® WorldTM storefront (formally BlackBerry App WorldTM).
Some of the companies involved (so far) are Walt Disney Co's Walt Disney Studios and Sony Corp's Sony Pictures to Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group. RIM's new deal will also include Matador Records, Rough Trade Records and Sony Music Entertainment music that will be initially be available in 18 countries (Canada, USA, UK, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, Australia, India, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore).
Other labels currently in talks will be:
4AD Records, Domino Recording Company, finetunes, [PIAS] Entertainment Group, The Orchard, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, XL Recordings and Zebralution.
"Music and video content is an integral part of a rich mobile experience. People want easy and convenient access to their favorite music, movies and TV shows wherever they are. RIM is committed to working with content providers to bring the best, most up-to-date content to our customers with BlackBerry 10, and to make it easy for them to get what they want." -Frank Boulben (Chief Marketing Officer at Research In Motion)
(RIM's CEO Thorsten Heins)
RIM assured onlookers and shareholders that it's new BlackBerry® World would include extensive catalogs of songs, movies and television shows. Most of the movies offered will be available the same day they are released on DVD, and with next-day availability for many TV series. Initially, the video download and rental sections would be available in the US, UK and Canada from a list of these studios and independents:
20th Century Fox, Entertainment One (eOne), Lionsgate, MGM, National Film Board of Canada, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (US), Starz Digital Media, STUDIOCANAL, The Walt Disney Studios, Universal Pictures (UK), Warner Bros.
Customers will also have access to TV shows from:
ABC Studios, BBC Worldwide, CBC/Radio-Canada, CBS, DHX Media, ITV, National Geographic, NBCUniversal (UK), Nelvana, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (US), Starz Digital Media, Twentieth Century Fox Television, Univision Communications Inc, and Warner Bros.
Been listening to these guys before I was even a twinkle in an eye. My family for years has been embedded into the music that is Depeche Mode. From "A Broken Frame" to "Playing The Angel", from "Violator" to "Sounds of the Universe", these guys have been a staple of not only British pop-synth but a distinct icon in the music industry throughout at 80's and 90's.
Countless bands have covered them and countless bands have tried to be them. However you spin it, DM is a strong today as they were the first time you heard "Everything Counts" or "People are People". See for yourself if you get there chance to. I recently covered an article in particular about DM's song "Enjoy The Silence":
Depeche Mode have announced they will release their [highly anticipated] 13th studio album, entitled "Delta Machine", on March 25th worldwide via Columbia Records (their first release in over four years). DM will release "Delta Machine" in a deluxe edition with four additional new tracks and a 28 page hardcover book (including photos by longtime artistic collaborator Anton Corbijn).
"Writing this album was incredibly daunting as I wanted the sound of this collection to be very modern. I want people to feel good about listening to this record, to get some kind of peace. It's just got something magical about it." -Martin Gore
1. Welcome To My World 2. Angel 3. Heaven 4. Secret To The End 5. My Little Universe 6. Slow 7. Broken 8. The Child Inside 9. Soft Touch/Raw Nerve 10. Should Be Higher 11. Alone 12. Soothe My Soul 13. Goodbye
DISC 2 (DELUXE EDITION - includes hardcover 28-page booklet): 1. Long Time Lie 2. Happens All The Time 3. Always 4. All That's Mine
"With this release we've completely shifted our idea of how to create an album. When we hit a wall where we realise the album is beginning to sound too normal, we'll mess it up and really give it that organic Depeche Mode Sound. Delta Machine is no different, and I can't wait for all of our fans to hear it." -Dave Gahan
The tracklisting for the 'Heaven' CD single is as follows:
'Heaven' CD SINGLE: 1. Heaven 2. All That's Mine (b side bonus track)
'Heaven' CD MAXI: 1. Heaven 2. Heaven (Owlle Remix) 3. Heaven (steps to heaven rmx) 4. Heaven (Blawan Remix) 5. Heaven (Mathew Dear vs Audion Remix)
"Music is still the one thing that ties people together. People can come together from all different religions, walks of life, colours, creeds and enjoy the same song. That's still the most incredible thing to me about performing live." -Dave Gahan
A full North American tour has also been announced so grab the tickets while you can!
05-15 Bucharest, Romania - National Stadium
05-17 Istanbul, Turkey - Kucukciftlik Park
05-19 Belgrade, Serbia - Usce Park
05-21 Budapest, Hungary - Puskas Ferenc Stadium
05-23 Zagreb, Republic of Croatia - Hippodrome
05-25 Bratislava, Slovakia - Inter Stadium
05-28 London, England - O2 Arena
06-01 Munich, Germany - Olympic Stadium
06-03 Stuttgart, Germany - Mercedes-Benz Arena
06-05 Frankfurt, Germany - Commerzbank Arena
06-07 Berne, Switzerland - Stade De Suisse
06-09 Berlin, Germany - Olympic Stadium
06-11 Leipzig, Germany - Red Bull Arena
06-13 Copenhagen, Denmark - Parken
06-15 Paris, France - Stade De France
06-17 Hamburg, Germany - Imtech Arena
06-22 Moscow, Russia - Locomotive Stadium
06-24 St. Petersburg, Russia - SKK Arena
06-27 Borlange, Sweden - Peace & Love Festival
06-29 Kiev, Ukraine - Olympic Stadium
07-03 Dusseldorf, Germany - Esprit Arena
07-07 Werchter, Belgium - Rock Werchter Festival
07-11 Bilbao, Spain - BBK Festival
07-13 Lisbon, Portugal - Optimus Alive Festival
07-16 Nimes, France - Antic Arina
07-18 Milan, Italy - San Siro Stadium
07-20 Rome, Italy - Olympic Stadium
07-23 Prague, Czech Republic - Olympic Stadium
07-25 Warsaw, Poland - National Stadium
07-27 Vilnius, Lithuania - Vingis Park
07-29 Minsk, Belarus - Minsk Arena
08-22 Detroit, NI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
08-24 Chicago, IL - Fort Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
08-27 St. Paul, MN - Minnesota State Fair
09-01 Toronto, Ontario - Molson Canadian Amphitheatre 09-03 Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre
09-06 Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center
09-08 Wantagh, NY - Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
09-10 Washington, DC - Jiffy Lube Live
09-12 Atlanta, GA - Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood
09-14 Tampa, FL - Live Nation Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds
09-15 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - BB&T Center
09-18 Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
09-20 Dallas, TX - Gexa Energy Pavilion
09-22 San Diego, CA - Sleep Train Amphitheatre
09-24 Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Bowl
09-26 Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre
09-28 Los Angeles, CA - STAPLES Center
09-29 Los Angeles, CA - STAPLES Center
10-08 Phoenix, AZ - Desert Sky Pavilion
Well it's about time this 6 piece group came out with a sophomore album. I got hooked on their debut album and listening to it from start to finish almost every time. Sweden's Amaranthe has announced the upcoming release for their new album, "The Nexus", will be in stores end of March. See the following regional release dates below.
March:
18 - Japan | 20 - Sweden | 22 - Finland | 22 - Germany | 25 - UK | 26 - US
Amaranthe is a Swedish/Danish power/melodic death metal band that originates from Sweden and Denmark. Formed by Jake E. and Olof Morck, the project began taking shape when singers Elize Ryd and Andy Solvestrom signed on, as did drummer Morten Lowe. In April 2011 their debut album "Amaranthe" was released to worldwide acclaim, charting high in Sweden and Finland, and was the 84th most played album on Spotify in the whole world, all genres!
In Spring of 2011 they did a full on European tour with Kamelot and Evergrey, and now they set their sights on the world!
"The moment has come to let loose 'The Nexus' on an unsuspecting world! This time we went all the way with our futuristic dream-nightmare — a no-compromise vision steeped in deep contrast between the mechanically ultra-heavy and shimmering serene melody. 'The Nexus' is everything we dreamed about doing with our debut album; we laboured to make this offering as diverse as it is direct and catchy… and remember, no-one can be told what 'The Nexus' is — you have to hear it for yourself!" -Olof Mörck
("Hunger" is taken from their self titled debut album, 2011)
The album artwork was created by Gustavo Sazes.
"The Nexus" track listing:
1. Afterlife 2. Invincible 3. The Nexus 4. Theory Of Everything 5. Stardust 6. Burn With Me 7. Mechanical Illusion 8. Razorblade 9. Future On Hold 10. Electroheart 11. Transhuman 12. Infinity
"We have lived and breathed the same 12 songs from the first album every day for a year now, and to introduce a number of completely fresh tracks will really lift AMARANTHE to the next level!" -Olof Mörck
So far the band has released a music video for their first single, the album title song "The Nexus":
So I have started to get back into the routine of working out on a daily/semi daily basis. This wasn't a result of a new years resolution or anything, just me deciding to get back into shape in light of all the good summer weather, drinking and eating. So been at it for approx 8-9 weeks now and seem to be basing my workout on my playlist.
I tend to be one of those guys that needs to have some form of tunage going on while I try and shed those unwanted love handles. I remember my first few days back to the gym I wasn't feeling the groove or the endorphins, whatever the explanation was. I concluded that I didn't have the "umph" factor to finish my sets, and ultimately came down to my music selection.
The reason I am discussing this is because:
1) I am an avid endorser of staying healthy and eating healthy to the best of your ability.
2) Everyone grooves to a different tune and wanted to get some convo going surrounding what I like to call "gym music".
My first few weeks consisted of some metal, some jazz fusion and some straight up rock n roll. I believe I had groups such as Killswitch Engage, Alexisonfire, TRAM, and some Rage Against The Machine. I think at this point I was getting prepped for my Arm The Homeless (RATM cover band) show in my hometown so that HAD to be on my mind. Others were simply tunes to get the blood pumping. I absolutely love those times when I'm in the gym, finishing a a set and a beast of a track like KSE's "Fixation on The Darkness" comes on. That was the extra energy I needed right there. Something to basically kick the body into overdrive and just finish off strong.
I apologize in advance but EDM is not my cup o tea when at a gym and personally am sick to death of it when I set foot in a Goodlife Fitness, Extreme Fitness or any high intensity gym. I fail to see how EDM at a gym does anything but make people want to take mind experimenting drugs and dance till you drop. This does not do well for me only because I find that BPM of music gets my breathing patterns all messed up and eventually leading to side stitches, but I digress. To each their own.
And thus is what I have been sticking towards with the tunes. I enjoyed my times grooving to some TRAM and some RATM (hahaha word jumble), but I felt those breakdowns a comin' and they seemed to act as my trigger for extra dopamine, creating extra optimism to finish off my routine.
Now here is the next tricky part is choosing the next batch of tunes to add to the daily workouts. I tend to rotate every few weeks and tis about time to do so. Hmmmmm...... decisions, decisions.
Anyone care to divulge their "gym music" or add some recommendations or thoughts then you know the deal. Comment, message, email, etc.
Ah, it's refreshing to see a healthy mix of music this week. From the uber heavy metal men such as Holy Grail or Voivod to the mellow tunes of Billy Joel or New Order. There is a little bit for everyone this week. As you can see from my linked articles, I have been eagerly waiting for a few of these albums to drop (aka Love and Death, Bad Religion, etc.) and personally am looking forward to watching the footage from "12 12 12", which as most of you may know was a benefit concert for victims of Hurricane Sandy. Anyways, enough jabber! Head to you local record shop or online retailer to grab yourself a few of these albums.
Still, this record is hardly slouch material! These guys have great game, amazing players and have produced a tight-as-hell sophomore release in Ride the Void. The record is lyrically less cheesy than the debut, even if it lacks some of the straight up energy that a brand-spankin’-new band always has. And what makes me think that Holy Grail could have staying power is the fact that they can do something that is old school and “nothing new” in a way that doesn't feel anachronistic (check the song “Crosswinds” for a great example of these guys rocking serious tropes with style). Sick players, upwards of good writers and a bright future ahead of them Holy Grail is great, and still has room for improvement. -Angry Metal Guy
If one expects Meshuggah-like ferocity to roar out of these tracks then disappointment is guaranteed. This album is weighted in song-craft, top of the charts calculation, scientifically perfect production values, exquisite musical performance and just enough toughness in most of the breakdowns to qualify as a post-metal alternative hard rock colossus.
A majority of metal bands would amputate a limb, attach a pirate flag to it and wave it around in hopes of making an album of this quality. The rest would pour molten wax in their ears in order to never hear it again. Few metalheads in their Acid Witch gear will admit liking Love and Death, but most will secretly listen the hell out of it on their favorite MP3 implement. -About.com
I guess it depends on who you ask. A rabid member of the tribe will see Hydra as a quiet slice of brilliance. A creeping emotional catharsis layered with dark themes and unsettling ideas. The rest of us, me in particular, will see Hydra as an incredibly boring album that is painful to listen to. Otep is that artist who tries too hard to be “different”. Through juvenile prose and bland Nu-Metal backing music, Otep seems to be screaming “Notice me! Notice me! I’m so very, very different”. Juvenile prose is almost too good for Otep. Lyrically Hydra sounds as if Miss Shamaya stood outside a Hot Topic and recorded any conversation she could between angst ridden teenage girls dressed in all black. -Crave Online
Still, True North manages to navigate the fine line between philosophy and personal politics, a restraint that Bad Religion only rarely nails so evocatively. In spite of its title, “Fuck You” is one of the album’s most eloquent tracks, both musically and lyrically; backed by the band’s signature, nearly symphonic washes of vocal harmony, Graffin packs introspection and a wry irony behind his raised middle finger. Meanwhile the group’s all-star, triple-guitar frontline (founder Brett Gurewitz, Circle Jerks’ Greg Hetson, and Minor Threat’s Brian Baker) weaves a thick tangle of riffs that interlock with a whiplash dynamic. True North’s closest relative in Bad Religion’s catalog is 1992’s Generator—an album that perfectly balances the punk yin and the rock yang that the band has always sought to reconcile. For Bad Religion, that’s always been a perpetual, open-ended process. But on True North, that shotgun marriage not only succeeds, it brings out the most forceful—and the most tuneful—elements of each. -AV Club
Lotus Island is reportedly "40 minutes long and includes 7 instrumental tracks, 3 brand new songs, and a complete remix and remaster of the song 'It Rapes All In It's Path'". Also, Wes hinted that the album can be listened to on it's own or experienced along with the 1973 Alejandro Jodorowsky film The Holy Mountain, as an alternative soundtrack during the first 40 minutes, "before and up to the point where the movie launches into the individual stories of the most powerful people in the world".
The album marks the first time Borland sits behind the mixing desk. -Sputnik Music
That should come as no surprise, though: The formula for each album since 1993’s Republic has been to find one massive, fantastic single and surround it with a bunch of New Order-by-numbers tracks. 'Crystal' redeemed 2001’s Get Ready; 'Krafty' did the same for Waiting For The Sirens’ Call. That savior doesn’t really show up on Lost Sirens, though: 'I’ll Stay With You' is a solid strummer in the vein of 'Regret,' but never comes close to eclipsing it; 'Sugarcane' attempts to break the mold of recent years by getting a little more disco-fied, and it’s fine. Then there’s 'Californian Grass,' the next in a series of New Order songs that end up sunk by general listlessness and terrible lyrics. It’s all just fine, mostly in the unflattering sense of the word: It still sounds like New Order, a band that put out some incredible records in the last 30 years, but that stopped growing and changing in half that time. Treading water keeps you afloat, sure, but it rarely gets you anywhere interesting. -AV Club
The Used, a rock band reigning from Orem, Utah, formed in 2001. Since its inception, the band has released five albums; the latest release, Vulnerable, hit stores in March of 2012 and debuted in the Top 10 in the US first week. Therefore, it came as no surprise when the band decided to REISSUE Vulnerable featuring unreleased tracks that include brand new songs, remixes and acoustic versions of original album tracks. A 2-disc collector s item, Vulnerable (II) will be a must buy for any dedicated fan. -Amazon
Even without the Nirvana reunion, the "12-12-12" concert – organized rather quickly over the past six weeks to aid victims of Hurricane Sandy – would have been one of the most memorable all-star shows in history. It was the first time the Stones and the Who had shared a stage since The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus in 1968, and throwing in Chris Martin, Alicia Keys, a surprise appearance by Michael Stipe along with Springsteen, McCartney Joel, Bon Jovi and Waters ranks it up there with Live Aid, Live 8, the Concert for Bangladesh and very few other gigs in rock history. "This has got to be the biggest collection of old English musicians ever in Madison Square Garden," Mick Jagger quipped. "If it ever rains in London, you've got to come help us." -Rolling Stone
Where She's Got A Way really excels, however, is drawing renewed attention to some unjustly buried gems. "The Night Is Still Young" originated as a single from the 1985 collection Greatest Hits Vols. I and II. While additional "new tracks" from greatest hits compilations can often be forgettable fluff, this one packs emotional power. He seems to be reflecting on middle age in certain lyrics ("I'm young enough to still see the passionate boy that I used to be/ But I'm old enough to say I got a good look at the other side") and pondering how to balance music with love ("Rock and roll music was the only thing I ever gave a damn about/ There was something that was missing but I never used to wonder why"). Joel utilizes the lower ranges of his voice, lending the song an unsettling quality. Its dark moodiness may not fit the traditional "love song" category, but it represents a mature meditation on work life versus personal life. -Blinded By Sound
The grooving, rockin member of Clutch have announced their plans to take over More North America Tour alongside Orange Goblin, Lionize and Kyng as support. They will be touring round the world in suport of their latest album release "Earth Rocker".
Looking to be a good night for beers and head banging. The tour will be in support of Clutch's new record "Earth Rocker" which will be released sometime in March of 2013. Dates are listed below.
April: 1 - Wilma Theatre - Missoula, MT 2 - Knitting Factory - Spokane, WA 3 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC 5 - Flames Central - Calgary, AB 6 - Odeon Events Centre - Saskatoon, SK 7 - Union Hall - Edmonton, AB 9 - The Garrick Centre - Winnipeg, MB 10 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN 11 - Wooly's - Des Moines, IA 12 - House Of Blues - Chicago, IL 13 - The Orbit Room - Grand Rapids, MI 15 - Wescott Theatre - Syracuse, NY 16 - Toad's Place - New Haven, CT 18 - Sound Academy - Toronto, ON 19 - Stage AE - Pittsburgh, PA 20 - Ram's Head Live - Baltimore, MD
* Orange Goblin only
Tickets for all shows up to Anaheim are on sale now Artist Arena Fanclub presale begins Tuesday, January 22nd with general public tickets going on sale on Friday, January 25th and Saturday, January 26th. "Earth Rocker" will be available on March 15th, 2013.
1. Earth Rocker 2. Crucial Velocity 3. Mr. Freedom 4. D.C. Sound Attack! 5. Unto the Breach 6. Gone Cold 7. The Face 8. Book, Saddle, & Go 9. Cyborg Bette 10. Oh, Isabella 11. The Wolf Man Kindly Requests…
