A LIGHT DIVIDED Release New Single "RAIN" to all major platforms!

August 12, 2023

A LIGHT DIVIDED released their latest single "RAIN" to all major platforms today, August 11, 2023. The single was produced by Kile Odell (Nita Strauss, Motionless in White, Saul). In support of the single, the band will hit the road this August with Rise Among Rivals.

“The concept of 'Rain' originally came about in 2021 but it never felt quite right. After a series of reworks with longtime producer Kile Odell and Zach Williams, we decided to strip it down and put all the focus on the vocals and the message. For me, that was the most important part. We also liked the idea of hiding these dark, sarcastic lyrics inside an upbeat song. Lyrically, 'Rain' is about the silent suffering of battling a depressive episode while simultaneously seeming okay to to the outside world,” says the band's vocalist Jaycee Clark.

A Light Divided is led by the powerhouse vocals of front woman Jaycee Clark with instrumentation from drummer Adam Smith along with guitarists Doug Weichbrodt and Scott Vallina. Together, they create a unique blend of rock and metal with a pop sensibility.

Through their electrifying live performances, A Light Divided has garnered a devoted following, steadily growing their underground army of fans. Their high-energy shows have earned them coveted spots at major festivals such as Vans Warped Tour, Blue Ridge Rock Fest, and Cadott, WI's Rock Fest. Additionally, they have shared the stage with esteemed national acts like In This Moment, Motionless In White, August Burns Red, Lacuna Coil, Diamante, 10 Years and many more.

In addition to their successful touring endeavors across the country, their most recent single “Inhale/Exhale” impressively climbed to #9 on the billboard top singles chart beating their previous single “Radio Silence” debut at #55.

A Light Divided has also achieved over 2.8 million Spotify streams, won the "Best Rock Video" award at the 2019 Carolina Music Awards for “Scars of You”, and was hailed as a band you need to know by AltPress. Jaycee Clark further showcased her versatility by lending her voice to AEW wrestler Leyla Hirsch's entrance theme, "Legitimate," as seen on TNT.

As they gear up for their next chapter, A Light Divided released their highly anticipated new single, "RAIN," today, August 11th. This track promises to showcase their evolution as musicians and further solidify their place in the music industry.

A Light Divided is:
Vocals - Jaycee Clark
Guitar - Doug Weichbrodt
Guitar - Scott Vallina
Drums - Adam Smith

A Light Divided Tour Dates with Rise Among Rivals

8/10 | RADIO ROOM - Greenville, SC

8/11 | WEST END TRADING CO. - Sanford, FL

8/12 | RESPECTABLE STREET - West Palm Beach, FL

8/13 | CROWBAR - Tampa, FL

8/15 | VINYL - Atlanta, GA

8/16 | DRKMTTR - Nashville, TN

8/17 | HANGAR 1819 - Greensboro, NC

8/18 | SCANDALS - Virginia Beach, VA

8/19 | THE RECHER - Baltimore, MD

For More Information Please Visit:

The Plot In You Share "Forgotten" Video — WATCH

August 12, 2023

Ohio quartet The Plot In You — Landon Tewers [vocals], Josh Childress[guitar], Ethan Yoder [bass], and Michael Cooper [drums] — continue to share new content. Today, the band has dropped the video for "Forgotten." Watch it below.

The song is a gnarly anthem with plate-shifting breakdowns, and finds Tewers spewing angrily cathartic lyrics rom the pit of his stomach.

Last year, the band's 2018-released single "FEEL NOTHING" was officially certified Gold by the RIAA. The song is a digital success story that still streams over 2 million times and has enjoyed an exciting beyond-viral moment on TikTok. The track appears on the band's album DISPOSE.

THE PLOT IN YOU ON TOUR:
8/15 — Louisville, KY — Old Forester's Paristown Hall
8/16 — Nashville, TN — Marathon Music Works
8/22 — Houston, TX — Bayou Music Center
8/23 — Austin, TX — Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater
8/29 — Riverside, CA — Riverside Municipal Auditorium
9/1 — Albuquerque, NM — Revel Entertainment Center
9/29 — Riverside, CA — Riverside Municipal Auditorium

ABOUT THE PLOT IN YOU:
TPIY dropped their fifth album Swan Song in 2021 via Fearless Records. The album is available here. After racking up over 100 million streams and receiving praise from Billboard, Rock Sound, Alternative Press, and more, the band crafted an album that addresses the end of various things and situations in life. It was a way for the members to expunge some negative things from their lives through their art. With this record,The Plot In You stared down years of negativity, soured friendships, disappointment, and mistakes and catalyzed those experiences into hammering distortion, towering melodies, epic production, and unapologetically cathartic lyrics. It's an album that their fans and beyond will intimately and instantly relate to.

TUNE IN: LOCASH’S SURPRISE FOX & FRIENDS PERFORMANCE FRIDAY (8/11)

August 10, 2023

BBR Music Group/Wheelhouse Records’ chart-topping Country duo LOCASH will make a surprise appearance on a national-TV stage tomorrow (8/11), as they head to New York City for FOX & Friends’ All-American Summer Concert Series.

Set to take over FOX Square in the heart of Manhattan, the acclaimed duo of Preston Brust and Chris Lucas will remind viewers all across the U.S.A. why they’ve been dubbed “country music's iconic feel-good duo” by PEOPLE. Fans can register for tickets to the concert here.

On hand to deliver their fan-favorite “Three Favorite Colors,” the pair join a season of the All-American Summer Concert Series which has already featured 3 Doors Down, Colbie Callait, Gary LeVox, Gavin DeGraw, Justin Moore w/ Riley Green, Flo Rida and more.

Full of hand-over-heart pride and featuring LOCASH’s patented harmony blend, “Three Favorite Colors” was released in early 2023 – and follows a pair of big-name collabs in 2022, “Let It Slide” (featuring Blanco Brown and the late Leslie Jordan) and “Beach Boys” (featuring The Beach Boys’ Mike Love and Bruce Johnston).

In June, LOCASH launched their “I Love This Life Podcast,” and earlier this month they inked a new global publishing deal with Edgehill Music Publishing.

On top of a summer full of highlight appearances at the 2023 NHL Awards, the Grand Ole Opry and the Monster Jam World Finals, LOCASH toured the nation as part of Kane Brown’s DRUNK OR DREAMING TOUR, thrilling crowds with hits like their GOLD #1 “One Big Country Song,” PLATINUM breakout “I Love This Life” and GOLD #1 “I Know Somebody.”

Find a full list of LOCASH’s upcoming shows below:

AUG 12 SAT

Russell and Roots @ 7:00pm

Surrey, BC, Canada

TICKETS RSVP

AUG 16 WED

Steele County Fairgrounds Park @ 7:00pm

Owatonna, MN, United States

TICKETS RSVP

AUG 19 SAT

Rendezvous Event Center @ 5:00pm

Michael Ray

Winter Park, CO, United States

TICKETS RSVP

AUG 25 FRI

Lucknow's Music in the Fields 2023 @ 7:00pm

Lucknow, ON, Canada

TICKETS RSVP

AUG 26 SAT

The Univest Performance Center @ 6:00pm

Quakertown, PA, United States

TICKETS RSVP

AUG 27 SUN

Heacook Fest 2023 @ 7:00pm

Den Mar, MD, United States

TICKETS RSVP

AUG 31 THU

Sycuan Casino Resort @ 8:00pm

El Cajon, CA, United States

TICKETS RSVP

SEP 2 SAT

RISE Rooftop @ 9:00pm

Houston, TX, United States

TICKETS RSVP

SEP 7 THU

Live Stream @ 8:00pm CDT

TICKETS NOTIFY ME

SEP 8 FRI

Boots In The Park (Fresno) 2023 @ 7:00pm

Fresno, CA, United States

SOLD OUT RSVP

SEP 9 SAT

Dean C. Jackson Memorial Arena @ 9:00pm

Saint Michaels, AZ, United States

RSVP

SEP 15 FRI

7 Clans First Council Casino Hotel @ 7:00pm

Gary Allan

Newkirk, OK, United States

TICKETS RSVP

SEP 23 SAT

Suwannee River Jam 2023 @ 7:00pm

Live Oak, FL, United States

TICKETS RSVP

SEP 24 SUN

Autotrader EchoPark @ 7:00pm

Fort Worth, TX, United States

TICKETS RSVP

SEP 29 FRI

Coyote Joe's @ 7:00pm

Charter Township Of Shelby, MI, United States

TICKETS RSVP

OCT 14 SAT

Fayetteville Amphitheater @ 7:00pm

Fayetteville, GA, United States

TICKETS RSVP

NOV 12 SUN

Country Bay Music Festival 2023 @ 7:00pm

Key Biscayne, FL, United States

TICKETS RSVP

ABOUT LOCASH:
Named “country music's iconic feel-good duo” by PEOPLE, BBR Music Group/Wheelhouse Records’ LOCASH – Preston Brust and Chris Lucas – is “hitting homers and serving up first-class songs,” as hailed by American Songwriter. With their loud-and-proud anthem “Three Favorite Colors” as their current release, they delivered back-to-back high-profile collaborations with “Let It Slide” (Leslie Jordan, Blanco Brown, LOCASH) and “Beach Boys” (feat. The Beach Boys’ Mike Love and Bruce Johnston). LOCASH’s wild-and-free WOODS & WATER – EP (2021) marked the follow up to BROTHERS (2019), featuring GOLD #1 “One Big Country Song.” Known for PLATINUM breakout “I Love This Life” and their first #1 with GOLD “I Know Somebody,” they’ve earned eight charting singles, two successful albums, and over 815 MILLION global on-demand streams since 2015. Respected entertainers with prominent recognition, they hold a history of nods from the genre’s biggest awards shows including a Vocal Duo of the Year nomination at The 56th Annual CMA Awards. Last launching their extended headlining WOODS & WATER TOUR 2022, LOCASH recently supported Kane Brown’s DRUNK OR DREAMING TOUR.

KEEP UP WITH LOCASH
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

AMARANTHE - ANNOUNCED AS DIRECT SUPPORT FOR DRAGONFORCE'S NORTH AMERICAN TOUR!

August 9, 2023

Swedish six-piece AMARANTHE announced the release of their upcoming album The Catalyst live on stage after their bedazzling performance last week on Wacken’s main stage. The Catalyst will see the light of day on February 23rd, 2024, via Nuclear BlastRecords.

Today, the band announced they will be heading across North America this Fall as direct support for GRAMMY-nominated power metal legends, DRAGONFORCE. The 24-date trek will embark on October 20th in Mesa, Arizona and will make stops in Atlanta, Montreal, and Chicago before concluding in Los Angeles on November 19th! Opening each night will be NANOWAR OF STEEL and EDGE OF PARADISE.

General admission tickets for the tour go on sale this Friday, August 11 at 10 A.M. local time.

Purchase tickets here:https://www.amaranthe.se/tour

AMARANTHE's Olof Mörck comments, “So this has been a LONG time coming, in many ways! A DRAGONFORCE + AMARANTHE tour is a no-brainer since we have been friends forever, and share an affinity for catchy choruses and all-out entertainment on stage! Secondly, it has been WAY too long since we have properly toured North America! We know you guys have been waiting THREE long years since we had to cancel our tour due to the pandemic. But the wait is almost over, and we can very barely contain our excitement for this beast of a tour. See all of you wonderful North American fans this fall!”

DRAGONFORCE's Herman Li states, "We're really looking forward to touring in the US and Canada again. We've prepared a new setlist with some brand-new songs that we'll be releasing before the tour begins. Alongside these, we'll also be playing some older songs that haven't been in our setlist for long time, as well as some classic favorites that are a must. It's shaping up to be a fantastic tour!"
Confirmed dates for AMARANTHE as direct support for DRAGONFORCE on their North American 2023 tour with NANOWAR OF STEEL and EDGE OF PARADISE are:

10.20. U.S. Mesa, AZ - Nile Theater*
10.21. U.S. Albuquerque, NM - Revel*
10.23. U.S. Austin, TX - Empire Garage
10.24. U.S. Dallas, TX - The Granada
10.25. U.S. Houston, TX - House Of Blues
10.27. U.S. Orlando, FL - House Of Blues
10.28. U.S. Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room
10.30. U.S. Atlanta, GA - Masquerade Heaven
10.31. U.S. Charlotte, NC - The Underground
11.01. U.S. Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Sound
11.03. U.S. New York, NY - Palladium Time Square
11.04. U.S. Worcester, MA - The Palladium
11.05. C.A. Montreal, QC - Mtelius
11.06. C.A. Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall
11.08. U.S. Cleveland, OH - Agora Theater
11.09. U.S. Detroit, MI - The Majestic
11.10. U.S. Chicago, IL - House Of Blues
11.11. U.S. Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
11.12. U.S. Lawrence, KS - Granada Theater
11.14. U.S. Denver, CO - Summit Music Hall
11.15. U.S. Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
11.16. U.S. Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
11.18. U.S. Berkeley, CA - UC Theater
11.19. U.S. Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
* - No NANOWAR OF STEEL

Pre-save or pre-order your copy of The Catalyst, here:
https://amaranthe.bfan.link/the-catalyst.a01

The Catalyst will be available digitally and in different physical formats including CD, Vinyl, and a 2CD Special Edition.

The Catalyst is the most conceptually coherent piece of work in AMARANTHE's storied history. Dedicated to notions of transformation and revelation, it delves deeper than any previous album, as Olof Mörck explains.

"We’ve done these things before, but we’ve never been as theatrical as we have this time," Mörck grins. "In fact, we all questioned whether we went too far this time, but I also figured that this band was always this way. Literally, the first seconds of our first video was a big explosion! But yes, The Catalyst is more theatrical than ever. We’ve never really been symphonic or orchestral before, but this time we just thought why not? Because we can! The key to this album is that we let go of the boundaries and decided to do something even more adventurous."

The Catalyst represents the culmination of 15 years of hard work and the breathless pursuit of a wholly original musical vision. Change is inevitable. Victory is assured.

Formed in 2008, AMARANTHE walked their own unique path from the start. With a sound that combined the sharpest, cutting edges of melodic metal, electronic rock, and razor-sharp pop, their impact was immediate and undeniable. Kicking off with their self-titled debut in 2011, the Swedes blazed a trail through the European metal scene and beyond, swiftly establishing themselves as a dazzling one-off, not least due to the unprecedented triple vocal attack that paired clean tones with exquisite melodic sensibilities and feral growls. Over the next few years, the sextet steadily grew in stature, releasing a series of praised studio records that jabbed persistently at the boundaries of modern metal.

Visit AMARANTHE:
www.amaranthe.se
www.facebook.com/amarantheband
www.instagram.com/amarantheofficial
www.twitter.com/amaranthemetal
www.youtube.com/amaranthetv
www.nuclearblast.de/amaranthe

BLEED FROM WITHIN | Release New Single 'The Will to Resist' Taken From 'Shrine Deluxe Edition' Out November 10th

August 9, 2023

Having completed a hugely successful debut American tour earlier this year with August Burns Red and The Devil Wears Prada, Bleed From Within are now currently in the midst of a colossal summer tour, taking in both headline shows, some performances with Heaven Shall Burn and festival appearances at the likes of Brutal Assault (Czech Republic), Summer Breeze (Germany) and Alcatraz (Belgium). This run is due to be topped off by a 13-date tour supporting Trivium across the UK and a visit to the USA for Blue Ridge Rock Fest.

To mark this energetic period of live shows, Bleed From Within have today released a new single titled 'The Will To Resist', taken from their Shrine Deluxe Edition which will be released on November 10th 2023.

Their stunning latest studio album Shrine was released in the summer of 2022, marking the band's most groundbreaking work to date and staking out Bleed From Within's bold intent. The Scottish 5-piece claiming their position as the most exciting prospect in modern metal.

Ali Richardson stated,
"It's been an amazing year for us since the release of Shrine! As the touring schedule started to fill up, we truly began to appreciate the effect the album was having on our career so we put this idea in motion of releasing a Deluxe Edition for our fans. The 3 new songs that can be found here were very nearly a part of the initial release. They're all very different in their composition and many arguments were had whilst settling on our final tracklisting. "The Will To Resist" takes the lead single here as a band favorite. I'm sure its intensity will resonate with our audience. You can visit our website to pre-order your copy of the limited edition vinyl and check out the merchandise we've put together alongside it. Thanks for the support!"

Watch 'The Will To Resist' visualizer below.
Stream 'The Will To Resist' + check out the Shrine Deluxe Edition here: https://bleedfromwithin.bfan.link/the-will-to-resist.ema

Catch them live ,Sep 10 - Virginia, Blue Ridge Rock Fest

Bleed From Within released their stunning studio album Shrine in June 2022. It was the most fiercely anticipated record of their career, and their most groundbreaking work to date.

More from Shrine:
'Temple Of Lunacy' visualizer: https://youtu.be/dB4arT5XN_Y
Flesh And Stone' official music video: https://youtu.be/NF6tw5XQFSM
'Stand Down' official music video: https://youtu.be/kJDMOvGYVqE
'Levitate' official music video: https://youtu.be/BGKS3mW2XPM
'I Am Damnation' official music video: https://youtu.be/swF5fiPdONo

Shrine was recorded at Real World Studios and at Bleed From Within's HQ, UK. The record was self-produced. Mixing was handled by Adam 'Nolly' Getgood and Sebastian Sendon, with engineering handled by Adam 'Nolly' Getgood and Bleed From Within. The Shrine artwork was created by David Provan, with layout by Simon Atkinson.

Bleed From Within have been to hell and back, but they are no strangers to enduring hardship. When a global pandemic threatened to shut down their plans, the Glaswegians collectively raised five middle fingers and pressed on. It’s no surprise that this unstoppable riff machine continues to crush forward at such a frantic pace – there's no putting the breaks on the heaviest band to ever emerge from Scotland.

The band’s reputation as one of the most formidable forces in modern metal has earned them tour slots with Megadeth, Lamb Of God, Testament and Heaven Shall Burn, to name just a few. 2021 saw them dominate the UK live scene; selling out their largest ever headline tour in November, capturing hearts on Bullet For My Valentine’s arena tour, slay a Lamb Of God livestream support slot, alongside (literally) blazing performances atDownload Festival and Bloodstock Festival.

Shrine has taken the most graft to put together of any record in their catalog, challenging their self-perception on both personal and technical levels - the culmination of two years of hard work that embodies their artistic might. Armed with the learnings of evolving their sound over the last decade without ever losing sight of their DIY roots, this is Bleed From Within at their very best. There’s no denying the band’s inevitable next steps are world domination, with Shrine a turning point moment.

Bleed From Within are:
Scott Kennedy - Vocals
Craig Gowans - Guitar
Steven Jones - Guitar
David Provan - Bass
Ali Richardson - Drums

INFERNO FESTIVAL 2024 Reveals Three More Bands

August 9, 2023

“Something strange and magical happens in the town of Oslo, Norway over Easter week. Most of polite society flees to the mountains while a scourge of metal heads pour in from all over the globe to experience the four day extravaganza of extreme metal, hedonism & hepatocyte known as Inferno Festival. Subsequently, the entire city becomes a misanthropic miscreant’s soggy dream come true, and we’ve got the whole place to ourselves!” - Metal Injection

GET FESTIVAL TICKETS

Inferno Metal Festival is proud to announce that announce UK black metal band Winterfylleth, blackened death metal band Vltimas, and Norwegian speed black metal band Phantom Firehave all been added to Inferno Metal Festival 2024. The event will take place from March 28-31, 2024 across several venues in Oslo (NO).

So far, the iconic festival is revealing a mixture of classic bands as well as some vital and exciting new-comers! More will be announced soon!

The current lineup is now as follows:

At The Gates

Borknagar

Sólstafir

Finntroll

Carpathian Forest

Cattle Decapitation

Winterfylleth

Keep of Kalessin

VLTIMAS

Misþyrming

Saor

Konvent

Khold

Crypta

Signs of the Swarm

Extermination Dismemberment

Orm

Phantom Fire

Umbra Conscientia

200 Stab Wounds

Tilintetgjor

Imbalance

Nakkeknaekker

Vomit Forth

Horrifier

Single day tickets and passes are now available HERE.

WINTERFYLLETH

Winterfylleth is a prominent metal band hailing from the United Kingdom, known for their compelling blend of black metal with an atmospheric and folk-inspired touch. At the core of Winterfylleth’s sound is a captivating juxtaposition of ferocious black metal elements and a profound connection to their cultural and historical roots. Winterfylleth’s commitment to their craft extends beyond their music, as they often incorporate visual art and aesthetics into their presentations. Their live performances are known for their intensity and the band’s ability to recreate the atmospheres they evoke on their albums.

VLTIMAS

Vltimas is a formidable metal supergroup that brings together a trio of renowned musicians, each with their own legacy in the extreme metal scene. The band’s lineup comprises David Vincent (former Morbid Angel) on vocals, Rune “Blasphemer” Eriksen (ex-Mayhem) on guitar, and Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy) on drums. This convergence of talent from different corners of the metal world has resulted in a distinctive and powerful sonic offering. Vltimas is a testament to the individual prowess of its members, showcasing a fusion of death and black metal elements that push the boundaries of the genre. Even though Blasphemer is originally from Norway, the band has only played once in his homeland. So it is time to bring Vltimas to Inferno Metal Festival for the very first time!

PHANTOM FIRE

Phantom Fire emerges as a captivating and ferocious force as one of the newer metal bands Norway has to offer. Hailing from Bergen, this band has rapidly carved a niche for themselves with their unique blend of speed metal and black metal. Phantom Fire consists of band members from such bands as Aeternus, Gaahls Wyrd, Gravdal, Malignant Eternal and Kraków. The band has just released their new album “Eminente Lucifer Libertad “ to great acclaim and are ready to take on the world! Phantom Fire is undoubtedly a band to watch as they rise from the metal underground. It is time to bring Phantom Fire to Inferno Metal Festival!

Official festival hotel - Clarion Hotel® The Hub:

In addition, Inferno Metal Festival is now revealing that the Clarion Hotel The Hub is once again the official hotel partner!

The audience, artists, media, and music industry personnel will gather at Clarion The Hub for happenings, partying and a good night sleep.

Moreover, The Inferno Music Conference will take place at the hotel prior to the festival doors opening on Thursday and Friday, for which more info will be revealed soon! Hotel guests will also be treated to an epic and inclusive breakfast buffet that runs until 11:00 A.M. (it's worth waking up early for!) as well as free access to the swimming pool and sauna.

The Hub boasts Oslo’s best location, right in the city centre, next to Oslo Central Station and the

Airport Express Train. It's also only about a five-minute walk from the iconic rock bars and venues in which Inferno Festival will be hosting bands and special events: Rockefeller & John Dee, Salt, Kniven, Vaterland, Brewgata and Rock In, allowing guest to travel freely without the expense of taxis or transit.

The special Inferno discount price is valid from March 24 to April 1, 2024. Extend your

stay and experience Oslo!

These prices will increase starting on February 28, 2024.

For more information can be found via the official Inferno Festival Website or directly via the hotel's website. The ”Inferno” booking code is enabled to get the discounted prices.

Be sure to stay tuned for more bands, special events and excursions, and more information on the Inferno Music Conference!

The iconic Inferno Metal Festival started in 2001 and is the longest running metal festival in

Norway and one of the most important extreme metal festivals in the world. We are very proud

of this position and we will continue fronting Norwegian metal and bringing bands from all over

the world to Norway. Inferno Metal Festival is being held four days at Rockefeller Music Halls’

two stages Rockefeller and John Dee as well as many smaller clubs around Oslo. The festival takes place during Easter in Norway when not a lot of other stuff is happening in Oslo. The festival are usually sold out and more than fifty percent of the audience are from outside of Norway. The ticket sales are from all over the world including China, Australia, Chile, Japan, Taiwan, Canada, USA, Columbia, Argentina and many more.

Links:

Official Inferno Fest Website

Twin Temple Announce Forthcoming New Album 'God Is Dead' Out Friday October 13

August 8, 2023

Twin Temple fans, rejoice! Today, the band has made their triumphant return in announcing their highly-anticipated sophomore album 'God Is Dead', set for release on the wickedest of days, Friday, October 13. In celebration of the unholy announcement, the high priest and priestess of Satanic Doo-Wop has released a new track from the forthcoming full-length, "Burn Your Bible". Speaking about 'God Is Dead', Twin Temple shares:

"Despite relentless death threats and moralizing, our allegiance to Satan and the golden oldies remains unwavering. 'God Is Dead' is our most blasphemous, horny and painstakingly period-correct work to date. Saturated with the blood of babies, and forged in the ashes of burning churches, we spared no one in the making of this album. See you in Hell!"

'God Is Dead' will also be available in "Pink Palace" (baby pink) and "Broken Church Glass" (Coke bottle green) vinyl formats, both available at the link here. Pre-order the album here and stream "Burn Your Bible" here.

After bewitching attendees at this year's San Diego Comic Convention for their signing debut, Twin Temple will soon be enthralling audiences across the US alongside Danzig, Behemoth, and Midnight starting this month. The band will also be making a special guest appearance in direct support of Tiger Army with T.S.O.L. opening at the Hollywood Palladium in late October. Click here for ticket information, and be sure to stay tuned for more Twin Temple news as the band prepares to unleash their latest infernal masterpiece on the world.

Upcoming Tour Dates With Danzig, Behemoth + Midnight

August 25 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Theater at Virgin Hotels

August 26 - Norco, CA @ SilverLakes

August 27 - Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Amphitheatre

August 28 - Albuquerque, NM @ Revel Entertainment Center*

August 31 - Oklahoma City, OK @ The Criterion*

September 1 - Irving, TX @ The Pavilion At Toyota Music Factory

September 2 - San Antonio, TX @ Tech Port Center

September 3 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall

September 6 - Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy

September 8 - Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom*

September 9 - Atlantic City, NJ @ Ovation Hall

September 10 - Reading, PA @ Reverb*

September 11 - Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway

September 13 - Cleveland, OH @ Euclid Masonic Temple

September 14 - Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple Theatre

September 15 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE^

September 16 - Newport, KY @ MegaCorp Pavilion

September 17 - Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom

September 19 - St. Louis, MO @ The Hawthorn^

September 20 - Kansas City, MO @ The Truman^

September 21 - Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore Minneapolis^

September 23 - Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre^

* With Behemoth and Midnight only

^ With Behemoth and Imperial Triumphant only

With Tiger Army + T.S.O.L.

October 27 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium

TAPROOT RELEASE NEW SINGLE “VIP (V\CT\M \ PLAY)” FROM UPCOMING ALBUM SC\SSRS, PLUS DEMOS AND RARITIES COMPILATION ‘BEST OF BESIDES’ TO ALL DIGITAL OUTLETS

August 8, 2023

Michigan Hard Rock favorites TAPROOT have released the album art for their upcoming 7th studio album SC\SSRS, as well as announcing the release date for “Favourite Song”, the first single from the album. Featuring a guest appearance from NONPOINT vocalist Elias Soriano, the track will hit digital outlets on September 1st, with a video to follow. Produced by guitarist/vocalist Stephen Richards at The Loft in Saline, MI, and mixed by Matt LaPlant (Nonpoint, Skindred), SC\SSRS, the first Taproot album fully written and recorded by Richards, will be the band’s first studio release since 2012’s The Episodes (Victory), available Sep 29th at retail and all digital outlets Worldwide via THC: Music/Amplified Distribution.

Taproot has also released audio for SC\SSRS track “No One Else To Blame”, which premiered last week on the band’s “TAPROOT TUESDAY” podcast. "N1E2B" is available on Youtube and the band's facebook, and will be available to stream on Bandcamp 8/9.

No One Else To Blame: https://youtu.be/zNu1Ub_Bido

In April the band released an early mix of VIP (V\CT\M \ PLAY), which was featured on nationally syndicated radio shows including Hard Drive and Full Metal Jackie, giving fans their first taste of what was to come.

VIP on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Az-0btbAXuA

SC\SSRS is available for pre-order now from taprootmerch.com.

The band played their first shows in over 6 years this weekend, with a warmup show at The Crafthouse in Pittsburgh, PA, and a headlining appearance at The Adelphia Summer Concert Series in Marietta, OH with 10 Years, Smile Empty Soul, Adelita’s Way, and Truckstop, marking the first shows with new guitarist Taylor Roberts, and the return of original drummer Jarrod Montague, his first full sets with the band since 2008.

Taproot has also added additional dates to their string of upcoming SC\SSRS album release shows, marking the band’s first live appearances in over six years, and their first tour in over a decade, set to feature special guests September Mourning, Eva Under Fire, Smile Empty Soul, Dead By Wednesday, I Set My Friends on Fire, and Heartsick on select dates. The upcoming shows will also showcase the return of original drummer Jarrod Montague, who will join the band for select upcoming shows (with all other shows featuring longtime drummer Dave Coughlin of Sponge), and new full-time guitarist Taylor Roberts (Riding With Killers).

The band has also announced a headlining appearance August 18th at the 2023 NORTHWOODS ROCK RALLY in Glen Flora, WI, as well as their previously announced “reunion” appearance at Blue Ridge Rock Fest in September.

Sat 8/18 - Northwoods Rock Rally | Glen Flora, WI | w/ Pop Evil, Soil, Smile Empty Soul

Sat 9/2 – Taste of Madison | Madison, WI | WJJO Stage | w/ Nonpoint

Sat 9/9 - Blue Ridge Rock Festival | Alton, VA

Fri 9/29 - The Machine Shop | Flint, MI - SOLD OUT w/ Heartsick | Lift the Medium

Sat 9/30 - The Machine Shop | Flint, MI - SOLD OUT w/ Eva Under Fire | See This Through | Never the Crash

Sun 10/1 - The Machine Shop | Flint, MI - SOLD OUT with Eva Under Fire | Heartsick

Fri 10/6 - Route 20 | Racine, WI - w/ Smile Empty Soul | Heartsick | Finding Ghosts
https://www.ticketweb.com/event/taproot-route-20-tickets/13144878?fbclid=IwAR1A9XiYXGJcYJzQ1XKPL1V0EaMhq1e7uv0QhzRY-QOqYgp0XEfiSwC3x6I

Sat 10/7 - The Forge | Joliet, IL- w/ Smile Empty Soul | Heartsick
https://www.ticketweb.com/event/taproot-the-forge-tickets/13047315

Fri 10/13 - EPIC Event Center | Green Bay, WI- w/ September Mourning | Heartsick
https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/7467383/taproot-green-bay-epic-event-center

Sat 10/14 - The Blue Note | Harrison, OH- w/ September Mourning | Lift the Medium, Xero Hour
https://www.cincyticket.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=6170

Fri 10/20 - The KING of CLUBS | Columbus, OH-w/ September Mourning | XFACTOR1 | Artifax
https://wl.seetickets.us/event/Taproot/538999?afflky=TheKingofClubs

Sat 10/21 - The Winchester Music Tavern | Lakewood, OH- w/ September Mourning | Brothers At Arms
https://bit.ly/TAPROOT_216

Thu 11/2 - The Vault - New Bedford, MA w/ Dead By Wednesday
https://www.ticketweb.com/event/taproot-vault-music-hall-and-pub-tickets/13292728

Fri 11/3 - Wally's | Hampton Beach, NH w/ Eva Under Fire/ Dead by Wednesday
https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/01005E7B0FDABC20

Sat 11/4 - The Gramercy Theatre | NYC, NY- w/ Eva Under Fire / Dead by Wednesday
https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/00005E7BE2474039

Fri 11/17 – Elevation | Grand Rapids, MI
https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/7187497/taproot-grand-rapids-the-intersection-elevation

Sat 11/18 - The Eclectic Room | Angola, IN
https://www.ticketweb.com/event/taproot-album-release-tour-the-eclectic-room-tickets/13087705

Sat 12/9 - 101 WRIF - FM Detroit Presents: District 142 - Wynadotte, MI w/ I Set My Friends On Fire
https://www.ticketweb.com/event/taproot-vs-i-set-my-district-142-tickets/13348388?pl=District142

Limited VIP Experience Upgrades for all shows available at taprootmerch.com | taprootvip.com

TAPROOT also recently released Best of Besides, a 17-track collection of remastered demos and rarities, mastered by Richard Easterling (Tantric, Zen From Mars) that hit stores and digital May 5th.

Taproot formed in 1997 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and went on to sign to Atlantic Records, releasing their Ulrich Wild (Static-X, Pantera, Mindless Self Indulgence) produced debut album GIFT in 2000, followed by extensive touring including appearances on Ozzfest 2000 and 2001, and tours with Deftones, Incubus, Papa Roach, Slipknot, Mudvayne, Disturbed, and Linkin Park.

The bands sophomore release Welcome, their first pairing with legendary producer Toby Wright (Alice in Chains, Metallica, Korn, Primus) which Rolling Stonecalled, “a self-preserving transition from new metal to art metal”, went on to sell over 500,000 copies and spawn the hit Rock singles “Poem”, which peaked at #5 on the Mainstream Rock charts, and “Mine”, helping propel "Welcome" to over 50 million digital streams. The band would continue heavy touring with Alien Ant Farm, Chevelle, joining Disturbed on the Music As A Weapon Tour, and Linkin Park. Vocalist Stephen Richards would also appear on the track “P5hng Me A*wy” on Linkin Park’s 2002 remix album REANIMATION.

2005 saw the release of Blue-Sky Research, also helmed by Wright, the band’s final release for Atlantic, which spawned the hit radio single “Calling”, co-written with FAR vocalist Jonah Matranga, and saw the band collaborate with Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Nick Hexum (311), and Stephen Carpenter (Deftones), with heavy touring again, with the likes of Chevelle, Staind, P.O.D., and Flyleaf.

Taproot released several more full-length studio albums, including 2008’s Our Long Road Home (Velvet Hammer), 2010’s Plead The Fifth (Victory), with the single “Fractured (Everything I Said was True)” reaching the top 20 on the Active Rock Chart, and 2012’s The Episodes, while continuing to tour consistently through 2013, when the band went on an indefinite hiatus, returning only to play a sporadic handful of local Michigan shows, before reforming officially this year.

For More Information Please Visit:

LinkTree

Instagram

Facebook

Officialtaproot.com

Taprootmerch.com

BLACKBRAID + GAEREA Announce Autumn North American Tour

August 7, 2023

Indigenous black metal project Blackbraid and cathartic black metal outfit Gaerea have joined forces for a full North American tour in support of Wolves in the Throne Room. The trek will kick off on September 29 in St. Louis, MO and will then conclude on October 24 in Denver, CO. Tickets are on sale NOW. The full itinerary can be found below!

Blackbraid will be supporting its brand new album, 'Blackbraid II,' which was released independently on July 7, 2023 and met with critical acclaim from The New York Times, Metal Injection, Metal Sucks, Distorted Sound Magazine, Ghost Cult Magazine, and many more! The record is available to stream, download, or order HERE.

Meanwhile, Gaerea returns to support its incendiary 2022 release, 'Mirage,' debuting a brand new, never-before-seen live aesthetic! 'Mirage' was ranked among the best records of last year by Decibel Magazine, A&P Reacts, Ghost Cult Magazine, Sick Drummer, and more! The album is available HERE.

BLACKBRAID + GAEREA (Supporting Wolves in the Throne Room)

Crypt of Ancestral Knowledge North American Tour

09/29: St Louis, MO @ Red Flag [TICKETS]

09/30: Chicago, IL @ Metro [TICKETS]

10/01: St. Paul, MN @ Amsterdam Bar & Hall [TICKETS]

10/03: Detroit, MI @ El Club [TICKETS]

10/04: Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace [TICKETS]

10/05: Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount [TICKETS]

10/06: Boston, MA @ Big Night Live [TICKETS]

10/07: Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom [TICKETS]

10/08: Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Monarch [TICKETS]

10/10: Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts [TICKETS]

10/11: Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage [TICKETS]

10/12: Richmond, VA @ The Canal Club [TICKETS]

10/13: Greensboro, NC @ Hangar 1819 [TICKETS]

10/14: Atlanta, GA @ The Loft [TICKETS]

10/15: Tampa, FL @ Orpheum [TICKETS]

10/17: Dallas, TX @ Echo Lounge & Music Hall [TICKETS]

10/18: Austin, TX @ Come And Take It Live [TICKETS]

10/20: Albuquerque, NM @ Sister [TICKETS]

10/21: Tucson, AZ @ Encore [TICKETS]

10/23: Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall

10/24: Denver, CO @ The Oriental Theater [TICKETS]

Blackbraid Live Dates (US):

08/12: Los Angeles, CA @ 1720 [TICKETS]

Blackbraid is a solo indigenous black metal project from from the depths of the Adirondack wilderness creating music as raw and powerful as the mountains from whence it came…

Blackbraid is an independent artist and is not contracted to or owned by any music label.

Creator of Blackbraid: Sgah’gahsowáh

Follow // Listen:

Bandcamp

Instagram

Official Merch Store

Spotify

Apple Music

YouTube

The beauty of Gaerea lies in the directness and simplicity found within their florid tapestry of extremity and aggression. Whether it is in the less-polished aural dynamite of their self-titled EP, or in the lustrous textures of 'Mirage,' Gaerea is building a mighty edifice of underground metal. With talons dipped in the inky blood of black metal and scraped across the flesh of human suffering, Gaerea is leading a charge into the future of darkness, and all those who find beauty and power in the dark side of existence would do well to take heed.

Follow // Listen:

Bandcamp

Official Website

JELLY ROLL EARNS SECOND CONSECUTIVE #1 AT COUNTRY RADIO WITH “NEED A FAVOR”

August 7, 2023

The Platinum- Certified Smash Off His Record Breaking Country Debut Album Whitsitt Chapel Tops The Aircheck and Billboard Country Charts Following Opening Weekend Of The Backroad Baptism Tour

The Backroad Baptism Tour Continues Its 45-City Run This Week
With Stops In Mansfield, MA, Banger, ME and More

Entertainment phenomenon Jelly Roll earned his second consecutive #1 at Country radio this week with his Platinum-selling single, “Need A Favor.” The chart-topping hit, which also earned multiple weeks on top of the rock airplay charts, is the singer/songwriter’s follow up single to his first #1 at Country radio, “Son of A Sinner.” The milestone comes on the heels of the Backroad Baptism tour launch, which kicked off this week in Southhaven, MS (7.28) before heading to Atlanta, GA (7.29), Orange Beach, AL (7.30), Huntsville, AL (8.1) and Darien Center, NY (8.3). The 43-city headlining arena tour continues tonight in Mansfield, MA before heading to Banger, ME (8.5), Gilford, NH (8.8) and Bridgeport, CT (9.9).

In an interview with Billboard, Jelly Roll shared, “A second #1 at Country radio is something I wouldn’t have even allowed myself to dream about. 'Need A Favor' has absolutely changed my life. It’s been incredible to watch the fan reaction and see what’s happening out there on the road. Thank you to everyone who has continued to believe in this song since the beginning and thank you to Country radio for supporting therapeutic music like 'Need A Favor' since day one. It’s amazing to have your support and I’ve seen first hand the impact the music continues to have with people across the country.”

Written by Jelly (Jason DeFord), Austin Nivarel, Joe Ragosta, and Rob Ragosta, “Need A Favor” is one of 13 tracks on his debut Country album, Whitsitt Chapel. Released in June 2023, Whitsitt Chapel became the largest country debut album in Billboard Consumption chart history- earning the singer/songwriter another milestone after he topped Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart for more than 28 weeks - the longest reign for an artist in the chart’s existence. Jelly co-wrote all 13 tracks on the album, including his breakthrough viral single “Save Me” — a confessional, vulnerable expression of self-doubt — which has earned Platinum certification from the RIAA. Born and raised in Nashville’s Antioch neighborhood, the former addict and drug dealer draws from his personal experiences to tell the story of a man who has been through the ringer and isn’t afraid to share his raw truth. The 3X CMT Award winning artist has had a history-making “breakthrough year” (American Songwriter), selling out the Ryman Auditorium as well as his hometown arena of 18,000+ fans at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, earning two #1s at Country radio and multi-week hits at Rock simultaneously, launching a 44-date arena Background Baptism Tour, and releasing an all-access documentary of his life at home and on the road, Jelly Roll: Save Me (Hulu). Fore more on Jelly Roll, visit www.jellyroll615.com.

REMAINING BACKROAD BAPTISM TOUR DATES:

Fri Aug 04 — Mansfield, MA — Xfinity Center!

Sat Aug 05 — Bangor, ME — Maine Savings Amphitheater!

Tue Aug 08 — Gilford, NH — Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion!

Wed Aug 09 — Bridgeport, CT — Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater*

Fri Aug 11 — Bristow, VA — Jiffy Lube Live>

Sat Aug 12 — Virginia Beach, VA — Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach>

Tue Aug 15 — Burgettstown, PA — The Pavilion at Star Lake<

Thu Aug 17 — Clarkston, MI — Pine Knob Music Theater<

Fri Aug 18 — Milwaukee, WI — American Family Insurance Amphitheater<

Sat Aug 19 — St. Louis, MO — Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre>

Tue Aug 22 — Evansville, IN — Ford Center*

Thu Aug 24 — Rogers, AR — Walmart AMP*

Fri Aug 25 — Omaha, NE — CHI Health Center>

Sat Aug 26 — Kansas City, MO — T-Mobile Center>

Tue Aug 29 — Lubbock, TX — United Supermarket Arena#

Wed Aug 30 — Albuquerque, NM — Isleta Amphitheater#

Fri Sep 01 — Las Vegas, NV — MGM Grand Garden Arena#

Sat Sep 02 — Salt Lake City, UT — USANA Amphitheatre#

Tue Sep 05 —Rapid City, SD — Summit Arena at The Monument*

Wed Sep 06 — Bozeman, MT — Brick Breeden Fieldhouse*

Tue Sep 12 — Bend, OR — Hayden Homes Amphitheater*

Thu Sep 14 — Concord, CA — Concord Pavilion$

Fri Sep 15 — Bakersfield, CA, CA — Mechanics Bank Arena$

Tue Sept 19 — Oklahoma City, OK — Paycom Center>

Thu Sep 21 — Austin, TX — Germania Insurance Amphitheater>

Fri Sep 22 — Houston, TX — The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion^$

Sat Sep 23 — Dallas, TX — Dos Equis Pavilion$

Tue Sep 26 — Tupelo, MS — Cadence Bank Arena*

Thu Sep 28 — Cincinnati, OH — Riverbend Music Center!

Fri Sep 29 — Indianapolis, IN — Ruoff Music Center!

Sat Sep 30 — Cuyahoga Falls, OH — Blossom Music Center!

Tue Oct 03 — Charleston, WV — Charleston Coliseum*

Thu Oct 05 — Wilmington, NC — Live Oak Bank Pavilion*

Fri Oct 06 — Greensboro, NC — Greensboro Coliseum<

Tue Oct 10 — Lexington, KY — Rupp Arena<

Thu Oct 12 — Greenville, SC — Bon Secours Wellness Arena#

Fri Oct 13 — Jacksonville, FL — VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena#

Sat Oct 14 — Tampa, FL — MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre#

*With Support from Struggle Jennings, Caitlynne Curtis, & Josh Adam Meyers

+With Support from Merkules, Struggle Jennings, & Josh Adam Meyers

!With Support from Elle King, Struggle Jennings, & Josh Adam Meyers

>With Support from Ashley McBryde, Struggle Jennings, & Josh Adam Meyers

<With Support from Yelawolf, Struggle Jennings, & Josh Adam Meyers

#With Support from Chase Rice, Struggle Jennings, & Josh Adam Meyers

$With Support from Three 6 Mafia, Struggle Jennings, & Josh Adam Meyers

Additional Live Performances

Fri Sep 08 – Portland, OR – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater – Support for Eric Church

Sat Sep 09 – George, WA – Gorge Amphitheatre – Support for Eric Church

Sun Sep 10 – George, WA – Gorge Amphitheatre – Support for Eric Church

Sat Sep 16 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre – Support for Eric Church

Ashley McBryde Announces THE DEVIL I KNOW TOUR Presented by Ariat

August 7, 2023

GRAMMY Award Winner Sets 30-Date Run + Returns to the U.K. This Winter;
Tickets On Sale This Friday, August 11 at 10 a.m. Local Time

Highly Anticipated Album The Devil I Know Set for Release September 8

Lead Single “Light On In The Kitchen” Top 25 and Climbing

With the release of her highly anticipated album only a month away, Grand Ole Opry member Ashley McBryde announces The Devil I Know Tour Presented by Ariat boasting 30 dates, including a return to the U.K. next January. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, Aug. 11 at 10 a.m. local time. TRYBE presale will begin tomorrow, Aug. 8 at 10 a.m. local time. Pre-add/pre-save The Devil I Know, available Sept. 8 via Warner Music Nashville, HERE.

As a longtime fan of Ariat, McBryde and the brand have partnered officially since 2018. “It has been exciting to watch Ashley’s career grow over the past five years, and we couldn’t be more proud to support her headlining tour,” said Susan Alcala, VP Partnership Marketing at Ariat.

Last week, McBryde released “Cool Little Bars,” a song she wrote with Lainey Wilson and Trick Savage, that pays tribute to the dive bars, holes in the wall and often locals-only establishments that shaped the early days of her career, with American Songwriter calling it a “catchy ditty that features the presence of harmonica to add a nostalgic feel.”

Climbing the charts in the top 25, “Light On In The Kitchen” earned placement on Rolling Stone’s all-genre “Best Songs of 2023 So Far,” praising the lead single as a “gorgeous tribute to the women who helped shape her” with “luminous guitars and McBryde’s tender delivery,” while “Learned To Lie” landed on Rolling Stone’s “Best Country Songs of 2023 So Far” noting, “Ashley McBryde tracks the lineage of an inveterate liar with clinical precision…her sneakily brilliant writing will floor you by song’s end.”

Title track “The Devil I Know” was named as one of Vulture’s “Best Songs of 2023 (So Far),” boasting, “McBryde still hasn’t lost her edge, showing off the country-rock chops that, if this industry were fair, would lead her to play this song in arenas just like fellow mavericks Chris Stapleton and Eric Church,” while album opener “Made For This” is a “guitar-heavy song accented by fast-paced drums has a rock vibe,” observes American Songwriter.

The Devil I Know Tour Dates
(On Sale Friday, Aug. 11 at 10am Local Time)

Oct. 7              Saenger Theatre*                                                        Mobile, AL
Oct. 15            Robinson Center Performance Hall^                          Little Rock, AR
Oct. 20            John T. Floores Country Store*                                  Helotes, TX
Oct. 21            Buffalo Run Casino & Resort – Peoria Showplace    Miami, OK
Oct. 27            Uptown Theater*                                                        Minneapolis, MN
Oct. 28            Crystal Grand Music Theatre*                                   Wisconsin Dells, WI
Nov. 2             Jannus Live~                                                               St. Petersburg, FL
Nov. 3             UGA John Hunt Conference Center~                         Tifton, GA
Nov. 4             Anderson Music Hall~                                               Hiawassee, GA
Nov. 10           Alabama Theatre^                                                      Birmingham, AL
Nov. 11            Orpheum Theatre^                                                      Memphis, TN
Nov. 12           Ellis Theatre                                                               Philadelphia, MS
Nov. 30           Stage AE*                                                                   Pittsburgh, PA
Dec. 1              Danforth Music Hall+                                                Toronto, ON
Dec. 2              The Andrew J Brady Music Center+                          Cincinnati, OH
Dec. 8              Webster Hall+                                                             New York, NY
Dec. 9              Orpheum Theatre+                                                     Boston, MA
Dec. 10            Keswick Theatre+                                                       Glenside, PA
Dec. 14            Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences#                        Charleston, WV
Dec. 15            The Fillmore Charlotte#                                             Charlotte, NC
Dec. 16            Rams Head Live#                                                       Baltimore, MD
Jan. 17             O2 Guildhall=                                                             Southampton, UK
Jan. 19             O2 Academy=                                                             Bristol, UK
Jan. 20             Eventim Apollo=                                                        London, UK
Jan. 21             O2 Institute=                                                               Birmingham, UK
Jan. 23             Albert Hall=                                                                Manchester, UK
Jan. 24             Barrowlands=                                                             Glasgow, UK
Jan. 25             Barrowlands=                                                             Glasgow, UK
Jan. 27             Waterfront Auditorium=                                             Belfast, UK
Jan. 28             3Olympia Theatre=                                                     Dublin, Ireland

Support:
* Kasey Tyndall
^ JD Clayton
~ Zach Top
+ Bella White
# Will Jones
= Corey Kent + Harper O’Neill

Previously Announced 2023 Tour Dates
(On Sale Now)

Aug. 11           Jiffy Lube Live                                                           Bristow, VA
Aug. 12           Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater              Virginia Beach, VA
Aug. 17           Upper Peninsula State Fairgrounds                            Escanaba, MI
Aug. 18           Effingham Performance Center                                  Effingham, IL
Aug. 19           Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre                               Maryland Heights, MO
Aug. 25           CHI Health Center Omaha                                         Omaha, NE
Aug. 26           T-Mobile Center                                                         Kansas City, MO
Aug. 27           Celebrity Theatre                                                        Phoenix, AZ
Sept. 2             Georgia Country Music Festival                                Marietta, GA
Sept. 5             Red Rocks Amphitheatre                                            Morrison, CO
Sept. 14           Washington County Fairgrounds                                Abingdon, VA
Sept. 19           Paycom Center                                                           Oklahoma City, OK
Sept. 21           Germania Insurance Amphitheater                             Austin, TX
Sept. 24           Pilgrimage Festival 2023                                            Franklin, TN
Oct. 6              Variety Playhouse                                                       Atlanta, GA
Oct. 8              Gretna Fest 2023                                                        Gretna, LA
Oct. 13            SHOWdown Lex                                                        Lexington, KY
Oct. 19            Gordy’s Hwy 30 Music Festival 2023                        Fort Worth, TX

About Ashley McBryde
GRAMMY, CMA and ACM award winner Ashley McBryde cut her teeth playing country songs in biker bars – and it shows. The Grand Ole Opry member’s 2018 major label debut Girl Going Nowhere (Warner Music Nashville) charmed The New York Times, NPR, Rolling Stone, Paste, The Washington Post and more, all en route to landing a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album. McBryde closed out 2019 with ACM New Female Artist, CMT Breakout Artist, a New Artist of the Year win at the 53rd Annual CMA Awards and two nominations for the 2020 GRAMMYs for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance for “Girl Goin’ Nowhere.” Her follow-up Never Will was tagged by Rolling Stone as one of the most anticipated of the year alongside NPR, who also ranked her Top 10 RIAA Platinum-Certified single “One Night Standards” as one of the best songs of 2019. The album earned McBryde a 2021 GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album, making Never Will the only album nominated for Country Album of the Year by the ACMs, CMAs and the Recording Academy in the same award season. Her GRAMMY-winning duet with Carly Pearce, “Never Wanted To Be That Girl,” went all the way to No. 1 and earned McBryde and Pearce the ACM and CMA award for Musical Event of the Year. McBryde was also honored with the 2022 CMA International Artist Achievement Award for the most significant creative growth, development and promotion of the country music industry outside of the United States. Her collaborative project Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville featuring Brothers Osborne, Brandy Clark, Pillbox Patti, Caylee Hammack, Aaron Raitiere and Benjy Davis earned McBryde her third consecutive GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album, making her a six-time GRAMMY nominee. Upon its release, Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville garnered applause from The New York Times, NPR, Variety, Vulture, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Billboard andStereogum, among many more. With 11 songs all co-written by the Arkansas native, The Devil I Know is set for release on September 8, featuring chart-climbing lead single “Light On In The Kitchen,” along with the recently released title track, “Learned To Lie,” album opener “Made For This” and “Cool Little Bars.” McBryde is currently on the road this summer and fall and recently announced new shows through the winter with The Devil I Know TourPresented by Ariat. For more information, visit Ashley McBryde.com or follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.

About Ariat
Founded in 1993 as “The New Breed of Boot,” Ariat was the first to integrate athletic footwear technology into boots for equestrian athletes. Today, Ariat develops innovative and award-winning performance footwear and apparel for all types of demanding outdoor and work environments. The company takes its name from Secretariat, the greatest racehorse of all time.

AMON AMARTH Drop New Music Video & 4 Track Digital Single For ‘HEIDRUN’

August 5, 2023

Swedish viking metal marauders, AMON AMARTH continue their domination with a brand new music video for their epic Valhalla feast track “Heidrun” off their chart-topping record “The Great Heathen Army”. Additionally, AMON AMARTH have unleashed a special 4-track digital single of “Heidrun” featuring a newly remixed version of the single plus two live bonus tracks and a “goat remix” version featuring actual goat vocals (full track list below). Watch the official music video for “Heidrun” below and find the digital single on your streaming platform of choice HERE.

Frontman Johan Hegg sheds light on the mythological significance of “Heidrun” -

"Heidrun is an interesting mythological character, it’s a goat that stands on the roof of Valhalla eating the leaf of the big tree Lärad. The milk that she gives is the honey/mead that the warriors in Valhalla drink each night. The lyrics themselves are both about Vikings travelling the world but also metaphorically what it is to be a touring musician."

Following their hugely successful ‘The Great Heathen Tour’ at the end of last year, which saw them become the first death metal band to ever headline the legendary KIA Forum in Los Angeles, AMON AMARTH’s relentless raid continues this week as they invade US shores once again. This time they will join forces with fellow Swedes Ghost for their 25-date ‘Re-Imperatour USA 2023’ run as well as playing two very special headline shows in Omaha, NE on August 10th with Creeping Death and 200 Stab Wounds and Riverside, CA on September 9th with Gatecreeper. Ready your long swords, prepare for battle and grab your tickets and meet and greet packages HERE.

AMON AMARTH have teamed up with SET.Live to give Vikings in attendance at each show the opportunity to win their very own special, limited edition Viking drinking horn on the night of each show. Fans simply need to scan the QR code found scattered throughout each venue near the official tour merch stands and will be entered to win. This also signs fans up for exclusive opportunities that may arise in the future. SET.Live is only available to those in attendance, so get your tickets now.

Amon Amarth + Ghost 2023 U.S. Tour Dates:

Aug. 04 - Auburn, WA - White River Amphitheatre

Aug. 05 - Airway Heights, WA - BECU Live at Northern Quest

Aug. 07 - West Valley City, UT - USANA Amphitheatre

Aug. 08 - Denver, CO - Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre

Aug. 11 - St. Louis, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

Aug. 10 - Omaha, NE, The Admiral*

Aug. 12 - Milwaukee, WI - American Family Insurance Amphitheater

Aug. 14 - Clarkston, MI - Pine Knob Music Theatre

Aug. 15 - Chicago, IL - Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island

Aug. 16 - Cincinnati, OH - PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music Center

Aug. 18 - Syracuse, NY - St. Joseph's Health Amphitheater at Lakeview

Aug. 19 - Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center

Aug. 20 - Bridgeport, CT - Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater

Aug. 22 - Indianapolis, IN - TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park

Aug. 23 - Burgettstown, PA - The Pavilion at Star Lake

Aug. 24 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live

Aug. 25 - Camden, NJ - Freedom Mortgage Pavilion

Aug. 27 - Nashville, TN - Ascend Amphitheater

Aug. 29 - Simpsonville, SC - CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park

Aug. 30 - Jacksonville, FL - Daily's Place

Aug. 31 - Tampa, FL - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre

Sep. 02 - The Woodlands, TX - The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman

Sep. 03 - Austin, TX - Germania Insurance Amphitheater

Sep. 05 - Irving, TX - The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory

Sep. 07 - Albuquerque, NM - Isleta Amphitheater

Sep. 08 - Phoenix, AZ - Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre

Sep.09 - Riverside, CA - Riverside Municipal Auditorium**

*Amon Amarth Headline show with Creeping Death and 200 Stab wounds

**Amon Amarth headline show with Gatecreeper

About Amon Amarth

From pole to pole and sea to sea, Amon Amarth are undisputed kings of Viking heavy metal. Formed in Tumba, Sweden, in 1992, they have forged an extraordinary legacy over three decades of thunderous, anthemic metal, all rich in the magical imagery of Viking history, folklore and culture.

From their underground smash debut 'Once Sent From The Golden Hall' (1998) onwards, Amon Amarth have been an unstoppable creative force. With a unique and unmistakable sound that combines the best of several epic strains of metal, the quintet have become renowned for their ageless anthems and explosive, theatrical live shows. Albums like 2008’s widely acclaimed 'Twilight Of The Thunder God ' and 2016’s conceptual triumph 'Jomsviking', the Swedes have been consistent standard bearers for heavy metal as a life-affirming and communal experience, armed with a seemingly endless stream of instant classic songs.

Now reaping the rewards of all those years of hard work, Amon Amarth are now regarded as one of the metal world’s most vital and imperious live acts. From headlining festivals across Europe to claiming a place on Slayer’s final tour of the US in 2019, they have honored the adventurous ethos of their Viking forebears by taking their music anywhere and everywhere.

Unfortunately, as the world ground to a halt early in 2020, Amon Amarth were in the midst of a wildly successful world tour in support of their most recent album, ‘Berserker’. Disappointed but unbowed, the band decided instead to forge a new creative path, resulting in their most crushing and heroic full-length album to date, "The Great Heathen Army".

One of the best-loved metal bands in the world, Amon Amarth are firmly dedicated to aiming high when they hit the studio. Recorded with esteemed studio guru Andy Sneap at the controls, 'The Great Heathen Army' represents another bold leap forward for the band, as their trademark sound undergoes yet another skilful, evolutionary overhaul, both lyrically and musically. From the noisily rabble-rousing "Find A Way Or Make One" and the pummelling, pugilistic "Get In The Ring", to the evocative fury of "Saxons & Vikings " and the cinematic squall of the title track, 'The Great Heathen Army' encapsulates the essence of this legendary band, while still allowing acres of space for new ideas.

FIND AMON AMARTH ONLINE:

www.AmonAmarth.com

CRYPTOPSY Reveals Vile New Single/Video "Flayed The Swine"

August 5, 2023

Canadian extreme-metal legends CRYPTOPSY have revealed their depraved, merciless new single, “Flayed The Swine,” today! Found on the band’s first full-length album in over a decade, “As Gomorrah Burns,” that’s out September 8th from Nuclear Blast Records, the influential death-dealers’ latest single, “Flayed The Swine,” is an accessible yet face-melting track that takes listeners down a dark and demented path to madness. In true CRYPTOPSY fashion, the track is accompanied by a horrific, blood-soaked video that will only fuel viewers’ nightmares.

Commenting on the new single, vocalist Matt McGachy says:

"‘Flayed the Swine’ is one of the catchiest Cryptopsy songs I have ever written. It is brutal, filled with massive groove sections and extremely vulgar.

Lyrically, it concentrates on a mental breakdown, an utter loss of control. We all have dark intentions, but we rarely act upon them. The protagonist by the end of the track most certainly wishes they hadn't.”

Pre-order “As Gomorrah Burns” and stream “Flayed The Swine”:

https://cryptopsy.bfan.link/flayed-the-swine.ema

CRYPTOPSY’s new track, follows their brutal lead single “In Abeyance.” Watch the video for it here: https://youtu.be/-uQXG3xLgAI

CRYPTOPSY will “Carnival of Death” on tour this summer/fall with special guests ABYSMAL DAWN, HATE and VISCERAL DISGORGE. Tickets are available now at https://www.bandsintown.com/a/2941-cryptopsy.

CRYPTOPSY Tour Dates:

09.07. US. Manchester, NH - Jewel Nightclub

09.08. US. Brooklyn, NY - Meadows

09.09. US. Clifton, NJ - Dingbatz

09.10. US. Pittsburgh, PA - Preserving Underground

09.11. US. Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade (Hell)

09.12. US. Tampa, FL - The Brass Mug

09.14. US. Houston, TX - Scout Bar

09.15. US. Austin, TX - Come And Take It Live

09.16. US. Dallas, TX - TBC

09.17. US. Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad

09.18. US. Las Vegas, NV - Backstage Bar

09.19. US. Mesa, AZ - Nile Underground

09.20. US. San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick

09.21. US. Los Angeles, CA - 1720

09.22. US. San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge

09.23. US. Roseville, CA - Goldfield Trading

09.24. US. Portland, OR - Dante’s

09.25. US. Seattle, WA - El Corazon

09.26. CA. Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theater

09.27. US. Boise, ID - The Shredder

09.29. US. Denver, CO - HQ

09.30. US. Lincoln, NE - Cosmic Eye Live

10.01. US. Joliet, IL - The Forge

10.02. US. Grand Rapids, MI - The Pyramid Scheme

10.03. CA. Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace

10.04. CA. Kingston, ON - Overtime Sports Bar

10.05. CA. Quebec City, QC - La Source De La Martiniere

10.06. CA. Montreal, QC - Foufounes Electriques

About CRYPTOPSY:

Death metal juggernaut Cryptopsy return to pummel our collective senses anew with their new album, “As Gomorrah Burns.” Their first for Nuclear Blast, the Montreal-based quartet—featuring founding member/drummer Flo Mounier, guitarist Christian Donaldson, vocalist Matt McGachy, and bassist Olivier “Oli” Pinard—advance their signature Northern power as they celebrate 30-plus years of extremity. The merciless blasts of “Lascivious Undivine” and “Flayed the Swine” offer Cryptopsy at their most intense and maniacal, while “In Abeyance” and “The Righteous Lost” groove savagely. “As Gomorrah Burns” underscores the animus of fan-favorite “None So Vile” (1996) and the meticulous technicality of “And Then You’ll Beg” (2000) with a strikingly sinister vibe.

Formed in 1992, Cryptopsy has released eight full-lengths—counting As Gomorrah Burns—to date. Out of the gate, the Quebecers set new standards in death metal with their no-compromise attack and next-level musicality. Debut album, “Blasphemy Made Flesh,” shell-shocked all that encountered it, as follow-ups “None So Vile,” “Whisper Supremacy” (1998), and “Once Was Not” (2005) positioned the Canadians as apex predators. Throughout their storied career, the group embarked on high-profile tours, such as the inaugural Death Across America tour in 1998, the Summer Slaughter Tour in 2008, and the Devastation on the Nation tour in 2017. To date, they’ve performed over 1,000 shows across 47 countries. The release of “As Gomorrah Burns” on Nuclear Blast re-positions Cryptopsy for yet another reign of death metal domination.

“As Gomorrah Burns” isn’t merely the follow-up to EPs “The Book of Suffering - Tome I” (2015) and “The Book of Suffering - Tome II” (2018). It’s another beast entirely. Crafted over two years during the pandemic, the initial sessions took place in a cabin in the forests of Quebec. McGachy calls the horror-like backdrop “surreal,” but, as with everything Cryptopsy, the songwriting process was expectedly arduous. Donaldson was the primary motivator behind “As Gomorrah Burns.” The guitarist and producer served as taskmaster and advocate, grinding out of his bandmates in McGachy, Mounier, and Pinard eight slabs of unadulterated barbarity. If Cryptopsy were formidable before As Gomorrah Burns, they’re absolutely monstrous now.

Conceptually, “As Gomorrah Burns” pits the Biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah against the modern-day Internet. McGachy’s idea was to show how it’s both the birthplace of invention and a cesspool of exploitation. The stories are based on real-life incidences—online stalkers, cults, misinformation, isolation, and intimidation—but ornamented deviously to enhance their potency. Cryptopsy commissioned Italian artist Paolo Girardi (Power Trip, Temple of Void) to complement the old-world lyrical themes. If Renaissance masters Hieronymus Bosch and El Greco were thrust into McGachy’s modern mind, the stunning cover of “As Gomorrah Burns” would be the outcome.

As with “The Unspoken King” (2008) and the self-titled (2012), Cryptopsy enlisted their bandmate Donaldson to helm the production, mixing, and mastering of As Gomorrah Burns. Dom Grimard, of Ion Dissonance fame, also came into the production fold. McGachy says the time in the studio took much longer than anticipated, but with Donaldson directing and everyone finally in the same room again post-pandemic, Cryptopsy were able to capture newfound vigor (and velocity) on As Gomorrah Burns. Tracks such as “Godless Deceiver,” “Ill Ender,” and “Praise the Filth” demonstrate Donaldson’s death metal mastery.

Aggressive to a fault yet thoughtful in its entirety, “As Gomorrah Burns”—with songs such as “In Abeyance,” “Flayed the Swine,” and “Lascivious Undivine”—pierces mundanity thoroughly and relentlessly. This is no-quarters death metal, the kind our bellicose world needed and only Cryptopsy could deliver.

“We are back,” says McGachy. “I want our fans to know we’re more than a legacy band. Yes, we have had massive cult favorite albums—like None So Vile—but we are creating modern and relevant extreme music 30 years later. We’re so proud of As Gomorrah Burns, and we can’t wait for you to hear it!”

Follow CRYPTOPSY:

Facebook / Instagram

Ashley McBryde Releases “Cool Little Bars” from Highly Anticipated THE DEVIL I KNOW

August 5, 2023

As GRAMMY award winner Ashley McBryde gears up for the release of The Devil I Know on September 8 via Warner Music Nashville, the Grand Ole Opry member revisits her roots with the release of “Cool Little Bars,” paying tribute to the dives, holes in the wall and often locals-only establishments that shaped the early days of her career. Listen to the song and pre-add/pre-save The Devil I Know HERE.

“As y’all know, I have a huge appreciation for bars that have stood the test of time and have a lot of character,” shares McBryde. “I played them for many, many years, and I’m proud of the education I gained, and I’m proud to be able to give such bars credit for my entertainment style.

“In a time when so many of our staple establishments are being torn down to make room for far less charming, sterile and predictable gathering spaces, I thought we’d better celebrate the ones we have left and the ones we’ve yet to warm a seat in. With the help of Trick Savage and Lainey Wilson, I think we said it pretty good. So, thank you for dart boards, sticky table tops, bathrooms with broken stall doors and bartenders that can mix a drink while whoopin’ an ass. We see you and we need you. God bless cool little bars.”

Written by McBryde with Savage and Wilson, today’s release highlights what makes a place special along with the desire to see them persevere and provide a space for the misplaced:

Climbing the charts in the top 25, “Light On In The Kitchen” earned placement on Rolling Stone’s all-genre “Best Songs of 2023 So Far,” praising the lead single as a “gorgeous tribute to the women who helped shape her” with “luminous guitars and McBryde’s tender delivery,” calling it “a comfortable crash pad for anyone who might take solace in its messages of support.”

The Arkansas native followed with title track “The Devil I Know” featuring “a big Southern-rock chorus with a blast of distorted riffage,” observes Stereogum, and “Learned To Lie,” which landed on Rolling Stone’s “Best Country Songs of 2023 So Far” noting, “When it comes to original sin, the devil lies in the details, especially when you’re a crack storyteller. Ashley McBryde tracks the lineage of an inveterate liar with clinical precision…her sneakily brilliant writing will floor you by song’s end.”

Last month, McBryde released album opener “Made for This,” a “guitar-heavy song accented by fast-paced drums,” shares American Songwriter, “as McBryde sings about a strong desire to chase one’s dreams - and the work ethic to back it up.”

McBryde will perform at the Oregon Jamboree Music Festival 2023 in Sweet Home, Oregon this evening and will be on the road throughout the spring and summer for a slew of headlining and festival shows along with tour dates with Jelly Roll and Dierks Bentley. For additional details and to purchase tickets, visit AshleyMcBryde.com.

Ashley McBryde Upcoming Tour Dates

Aug. 4             Oregon Jamboree Music Festival 2023                      Sweet Home, OR
Aug. 5             Memorial Field                                                           Sandpoint, ID
Aug. 6             Big Valley Jamboree 2023                                         Camrose, Alberta
Aug. 11           Jiffy Lube Live*                                                         Bristow, VA
Aug. 12           Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater*           Virginia Beach, VA
Aug. 17           Upper Peninsula State Fairgrounds                            Escanaba, MI
Aug. 18           Effingham Performance Center                                  Effingham, IL
Aug. 19           Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre*                             Maryland Heights, MO
Aug. 25           CHI Health Center Omaha*                                       Omaha, BE
Aug. 26           T-Mobile Center*                                                       Kansas City, MO
Aug. 27           Celebrity Theatre                                                        Phoenix, AZ
Sept. 2             Georgia Country Music Festival                                Marietta, GA
Sept. 5             Red Rocks Amphitheatre^                                          Morrison, CO
Sept. 14           Washington County Fairgrounds                                Abingdon, VA
Sept. 19           Paycom Center*                                                         Oklahoma City, OK
Sept. 21           Germania Insurance Amphitheater*                           Austin, TX
Sept. 24           Pilgrimage Festival 2023                                            Franklin, TN
Oct. 6              Variety Playhouse                                                       Atlanta, GA
Oct. 19            Gordy’s Hwy 30 Music Festival 2023                       Fort Worth, TX
Oct. 20            John T. Floore’s Country Store                                  Helotes, TX
Nov. 4             Anderson Music Hall                                                  Hiawassee, GA

* Jelly Roll Backroad Baptism Tour 2023
^ Dierks Bentley Gravel & Gold Tour

About Ashley McBryde
GRAMMY, CMA and ACM award winner Ashley McBryde cut her teeth playing country songs in biker bars – and it shows. The Grand Ole Opry member’s 2018 major label debut Girl Going Nowhere (Warner Music Nashville) charmed The New York Times, NPR, Rolling Stone, Paste, The Washington Post and more, all en route to landing a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album. McBryde closed out 2019 with ACM New Female Artist, CMT Breakout Artist, a New Artist of the Year win at the 53rd Annual CMA Awards and two nominations for the 2020 GRAMMYs for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance for “Girl Goin’ Nowhere.” Her follow-up Never Will was tagged by Rolling Stone as one of the most anticipated of the year alongside NPR, who also ranked her Top 10 RIAA Platinum-Certified single “One Night Standards” as one of the best songs of 2019. The album earned McBryde a 2021 GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album, making Never Will the only album nominated for Country Album of the Year by the ACMs, CMAs and the Recording Academy in the same award season. Her GRAMMY-winning duet with Carly Pearce, “Never Wanted To Be That Girl,” went all the way to No. 1 and earned McBryde and Pearce the ACM and CMA award for Musical Event of the Year. McBryde was also honored with the 2022 CMA International Artist Achievement Award for the most significant creative growth, development and promotion of the country music industry outside of the United States. Her collaborative project Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville featuring Brothers Osborne, Brandy Clark, Pillbox Patti, Caylee Hammack, Aaron Raitiere and Benjy Davis earned McBryde her third consecutive GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album, making her a six-time GRAMMY nominee. Upon its release, Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville garnered applause from The New York Times, NPR, Variety, Vulture, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Billboard and Stereogum, among many more. With 11 songs all co-written by the Arkansas native, The Devil I Know is set for release on September 8, featuring chart-climbing lead single “Light On In The Kitchen,” along with the recently released title track, “Learned To Lie,” album opener “Made For This” and “Cool Little Bars.” McBryde is currently on the road with headlining shows and festival stops throughout the summer along with dates on Jelly Roll’s Back Road Baptism Tour 2023 and a night with Dierks Bentley at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado before returning to Middle Tennessee for Pilgrimage Festival in Franklin on September 24. For more information, visit Ashley McBryde.com or follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.

Mike Mains + The Branches Share "If We Run" — LISTEN

August 4, 2023

MIKE MAINS & THE BRANCHES recently announced the new album Memory Unfixed, out September 15 via Tooth & Nail. Pre-order it here.

"Memory Unfixed is a collection of musical snapshots from 2019-2021," Mains says. "The world went through a metamorphosis at that time and I fell down into the basement of unfixed memories. Some painful, some colorful, I'm glad to report there was magic down there. I am excited to share."

Today, fans can listen to the new single "If We Run." Listen here.

"I wrote this song with an incredible writer, producer Geoff Duncan," Mains says. "It is a song written from the mindset of my teenage years when all I wanted to do was fall in love, get in the car and get the hell out of dodge."

Mike Mains & The Branches have always bottled complex emotions and relatable stories within hummable homegrown anthems. They have organically progressed over the course of Home [2012], Calm Down, Everything Is Fine [2014], and When We Were In Love [2019]. Billboard hailed the "buoyant pop" of the latter, while Atwood Magazine praised its "upbeat, energetic, feel-good pop-rock." Among many standouts, “Briggs” generated north of 4.8 million Spotify streams as "Breathing Underwater" and "Live Forever" each surpassed the 1 million-mark. After trading his native Michigan for Nashville, Mike underwent another era of transformation. Stuck at home mid-Pandemic, he retreated inward and began to understand his past and, ultimately, himself a bit more.

"Once COVID hit, I finally had the opportunity to allow some things to start boiling over," he elaborates. "I got serious about therapy, my mental health, and my well-being. I acknowledged wounds that had been on the backburner for my entire life. I've been on my own since I was 16, and I come from a family of physical and mental abuse. By living alone and crashing on couches over the years, I've cobbled together a wonderful surrogate family. Growing up, my dad was like, 'You'll never make it’.' Part of me was pleased to find success, move to Nashville, buy a home, and support myself and my wife off rock 'n' roll. Nevertheless, all of this pain came up. So, these songs are little vignettes and snapshots of not only the relationship between my wife and I but what was happening in the world with George Floyd and America's heartbreaking response."

MIKE MAINS & THE BRANCHES ON TOUR:
HEADLINE:
8/5 — Innovation Festival — Kansas City, MO*
8/11 — Pueblo, CO — Brues Alehouse
8/13 — Denver, CO — Marquis
8/15 — Nashville, TN — School Night at The Electric Jane
8/24 — Ballroom at Spiderhouse — Austin, TX

8/25 — Dallas, TX – The Rustic
8/26 — San Antonio, TX – The Rustic
*Festival

WITH KING'S KALEIDOSCOPE:
10/5 — Charlotte NC — Neighborhood Theatre
10/6 — Atlanta GA — Center Stage
10/7 — Sanford FL — Tuffy’s Music Box
10/8 — Tampa FL — Crowbar
10/10 — Birmingham AL — Zydeco
10/11 — Greensboro NC — Hangar 1819
10/13 — Washington DC — 9:30 Club
10/14 — New York NY — Gramercy Theatre
10/16 — Millvale PA — Mr Smalls Theatre
10/17 — Philadelphia PA — Ardmore Music Hall
10/19 — Milwaukee WI — Pabst Theater
10/20 — Des Moines IA — Wooly’s
10/21 — Covington KY — Madison Theater
10/22 — Fort Wayne IN — Clyde Theatre
10/24 — Columbus OH — Skully’s
10/25 — Cleveland OH — Beachland Ballroom
10/26 — Detroit MI — St. Andrews Hall
10/27 — Grand Rapids MI — Elevation

MIKE MAINS & THE BRANCHES ARE:
Mike Mains — Vocals, Guitar
Shannon Mains — Vocals, Synth, Guitar

CLOAK Add Solo Dates to Tour with Uada and Ghost Bath

August 4, 2023

Summer is winding down, but CLOAK are still burning hot and fast.

Atlanta's most scintillating black metal band set the netherworld on fire earlier this year when they released 'Black Flame Eternal'. The Austin Chroniclecrowned their third album one of the best albums of 2023 leading up to the band's set at Oblivion Access Festival. Visit your local newsstand and prepare to see these dark lords looming large on the latest cover of New Noise.

Other bands are taking notice, too. Cloak are joining Uada and Ghostbath this fall on a slashing, spine-tingling tour of the US.

Today, Cloak are adding five solo shows that will bookend this tour. They'll start by riding ahead through Tennessee, Oklahoma and Kansas, before hitching on with Uada and Ghostbath in Colorado. After they've slaughtered the stage together, Cloak will carry the black flame into the Southwest for two brutally fiery nights in Arizona and Texas.

'Black Flame Eternal' is available on vinyl, CD and as a digital download through the Season of Mist store.

Added Solo Dates
08/27: Memphis, TN @ Growlers [TICKETS]
08/28: Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th Street [TICKETS]
08/29: Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck [TICKETS]
10/02: Tucson, AZ @ The Rock [TICKETS]
10/04: Dallas, TX @ Reno's [TICKETS]

Dates w/ Uada and Ghost Bath
08/30 Denver, CO @ Roxy Theater [TICKETS]
08/31 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge [TICKETS]
09/01 Boise, ID @ Shredder [TICKETS]
09/02 Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom [TICKETS]
09/03 Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw [TICKETS]
09/05 Calgary, AB @ Dickens [TICKETS]
09/06 Edmonton, AM @Starlite Room [TICKETS]
09/07 Saskatoon, SK @ Coors Event Center [TICKETS]
09/08 Winnipeg, MB @ The Good Will [TICKETS]
09/09 Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway Theatre [TICKETS]
09/10 Milwaukee, WI @ X-Ray [TICKETS]
09/11 Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups [TICKETS]
09/12 Pittsburgh, PA @ Preserving Underground [TICKETS]
09/13 Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace [TICKETS]
09/14 Ottawa, ON @ Brass Monkey [TICKETS]
09/15 Quebec City, QC @ La Source De La Martiniere [TICKETS]
09/16 Montreal, QC @ Petit Campus [TICKETS]
09/17 Brooklyn, NY @ Meadows [TICKETS]
09/18 Philadelphia, PA @ Milkboy [TICKETS]
09/19 Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery [TICKETS]
09/20 Raleigh, NC @ The Pour House [TICKETS]
09/21 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade [TICKETS]
09/22 New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa [TICKETS]
09/23 Houston, TX @ Secret Room [TICKETS]
09/25 Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live [TICKETS]
09/26 El Paso, TX @ Rockhouse [TICKETS]
09/27 Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey [TICKETS]
09/28 Phoenix, AZ @ Pub Rock Live [TICKETS]
09/29 Las Vegas, NV @ Dive Bar [TICKETS]
09/30 San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick [TICKETS]
10/01 North Hollywood, CA @ Knitting Factory [TICKETS]

“The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.” - Rudyard Kipling

In an era that is designed to beat down and weaken the individual, Black Flame Eternal is an album that represents strength, empowerment, and total opposition. With mounting pressure to engage in modern societal tribalism, Cloak invokes a spiritual rebellion that exists beyond good and evil with album number three.

“All of our albums are created with a spiritual focus, dealing with how we see life, death, and everything in between. I think the earlier records dealt more with the mysteries that surrounded delving deeper into the world of dark spirituality, whereas the new material has taken what we’ve learned and used it to move forward with force,” says Cloak frontman Scott Taysom of the record’s underlying philosophy. “Black Flame Eternal is a statement of spiritual empowerment in every sense. For the first time we want people to grasp on to this sentiment, instead of keeping it completely personal within our world of Cloak. The themes and the sheer power can be felt much more within the songs that this album contains."

“Our goal is complete spiritual liberation, which is where true power and freedom exists,” he adds. “We’ve reached a point in history where people are forced to pick a side or to join a team, so to speak. Cloak stands in complete opposition to this. We aim to be a giant middle finger in the face of the empty modern world.”

While Cloak might rage against societal conventions, the Atlanta quartet embraces the rebellious and time-tested traditions of heavy metal. Whether it be the conjuring the chaotic spirit of Swedish black metal purveyors Watain and Dissection, summoning the deep, dark and sensual groove of Danzig, or evoking the raw speed and raucous energy of Motörhead, the influence of metal’s founding fathers is deep within Cloak’s DNA. Cloak’s charm, however, does not merely lie within its romanticism of the past, but rather is the way each of these genres has shaped Cloak’s own personal identity. And with Black Flame Eternal, the record sees Cloak continue to strengthen its own unique established sound.

Cloak recognizes the importance of a band’s third record, with Taysom explaining, “These influences will always be important to us, as they are some of the best and most important bands of our time. On the other hand, what is so special about getting to the third record of our career is that inspiration starts to move inwards. We had enough experience and material at this point to really know what we do best and how we can utilize these skills in the best way possible. If you look at some of the most iconic bands, their third albums were massive steps towards greatness. So to us, we feel our third record will be a very important one in our time as a band.”

The Atlantan’s evolution is evident in the fury displayed on Black Flame Eternal,which flawlessly compliments the grandiose melodic atmosphere. “This was a conscious effort. Early on before the album even started, I knew it was going to be a much more aggressive and powerful album. I wanted to take a step away from certain sounds and add a bit of brutality back in. The overall vibe matches who we are much more, so it was only fitting to move towards this sound. It almost feels like we are going back to our roots as people in certain ways,” explains Taysom.

Black Flame Eternal follows up sophomore effort The Burning Dawn, which was released in November 2019, with hell unleashing its fury on the globe just a few short months later. As plans to tour the new album around the world came to a screeching halt, the band did not stagger or falter, and instead used this gift of time to write. When reflecting upon the lost years and its impact, Taysom seemingly embraces the situation with little regrets, “Considering Cloak is a sacred space for us, these exterior things did not have as much of an impact as one might think. But it was impossible to ignore some of what was going on throughout these tumultuous years. It’s bound to affect people’s personal lives and the way the mind works during these interesting times. One thing that it did greatly affect was the fact that we could not promote The Burning Dawn properly after the one U.S. tour we did with 1349. We feel this hurt the record, but there was nothing we could do. We were one of the earliest out of the gate after venues started to open back up, and we’ve been continuing to tour in promotion of that album all the way up until now.”

Cloak utilized every minute of this time to focus on fully realizing its vision for Black Flame Eternal. “The initial stage of the writing process started in January of 2020, and lasted all the way until May 2021. It was the longest spanning album process for us so far, with many long days, nights, and weeks trying to piece the songs together the best we could.” While the record did not come together swiftly or easily, the care and attention put into its creation is evident in its powerful composition.

Making up for lost time, these road warriors have already embarked on several high profile North American tours since the autumn of 2021, commanding audiences in every major city with their chaos magick. Each performance merges the spirit of black metal with the backbone of rock ‘n’ roll as the band consistently delivers a blistering set from start to finish. Taysom describes Cloak’s live approach as “a mixture of ethereal atmosphere and total abrasive chaos. The mixture of these two opposing energies is where Cloak lies; the meeting of high and low. To us, this is where the most interesting moments happen, both emotionally and physically.”

With no borders or boundaries, Cloak is ready to embark on this new chapter as the leader of its own pack. The band bows to no one, forging its own path as one of the governing metal forces of this decade as ‘Black Flame Eternal’ promises to scorch the earth and leave its hallowed mark.

Lineup:
Scott Taysom - vocals/guitar
Max Brigham – guitar
Billy C. Robinson – bass
Sean Bruneau - drums

Links:
http://www.facebook.com/cloakofficial
https://www.instagram.com/cloak_atlanta/
https://cloakatlanta.bandcamp.com/

Recording Studio: The Green House

Mixing: Cameron Webb

Mastering: Audiosiege

Cover Art: Jordan Barlow

Order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/Clk-bfe

Available formats
Digital download
CD Digipak
Vinyl Gatefold (Black)
Vinyl Gatefold (Gold)
Vinyl Gatefold (Black Marble)

GLENN HUGHES TO PERFORM CLASSIC HITS FROM THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF DEEP PURPLE’S LEGENDARY “BURN” ALBUM ON UPCOMING TOUR

August 4, 2023

GLENN HUGHES TO PERFORM CLASSIC HITS FROM THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF
DEEP PURPLE’S LEGENDARY “BURN” ALBUM

CO-HEADLINE U.S. TOUR WITH YNGWIE MALMSTEEN ANNOUNCED

Glenn Hughes, the former bassist, and singer of Deep Purple, known to millions as the ‘Voice of Rock’, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and the front man for rock super group Black Country Communion, is pleased to announce an evening celebrating music from BURN and other classic hits from Deep Purple’s rich back catalog – during a tour that will mostly see him co-headlining with guitar great Yngwie Malmsteen.

Billed as “Glenn Hughes Performs The 50th Anniversary of Deep Purple’s BURN Live”, Hughes will perform classic hits from the legendary album, and the addition of Deep Purple MKIII and MKIV songs.

Glenn’s band will feature Soren Andersen (guitar), Ash Sheehan (drums) and Ed Roth (keyboards).

'It was 50 years ago, in the summer of 1973, that the BURN album by Deep Purple was written at Clearwell castle in Gloucestershire UK,” reminisces Hughes. “It was recorded in October in Montreux, Switzerland.”

Continues Hughes, “We all became one in this centuries old castle in the UK countryside, it felt like Deep were a new band, with David (Coverdale) and I as new members, we couldn’t wait to start working on new song. The atmosphere was electric, in such amazing surroundings.”

“All the songs on Burn were written in the crypt/dungeon, underneath the great hall. We worked on a new song every day, and we were in the flow. Musically we would play, and work out ideas, and David and I would come up with vocal melodies that would later have lyrics. I remember it like it was yesterday.”

“As you could imagine, Ritchie Blackmore was in full prankster mode, Jon had warned me, and he rigged my room one night with a speaker that was hidden, and had ghostly voices delivered to my bedside.”

“The title track was the last song to be written. We came back from the pub, and went down into the crypt, and magic happened.”

Concludes Hughes, “It’s time to celebrate BURN, and I’m really looking forward to seeing you!”

GLENN HUGHES PERFORMS CLASSIC HITS FROM THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF DEEP PURPLE’S LEGENDARY “BURN” ALBUM AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2023 US TOUR WITH YNGWIE MALMSTEEN (unless otherwise noted):

08.16.23 LANDIS THEATER                              VINELAND, NJ*** (GLENN HUGHES ONLY)
08.18.23      STRAND THEATER                             HUDSON FALLS, NY
08.19.23      THE CHANCE                                      POUGHKEEPSIE, NY
08.22.23      THE PALLADIUM TIMES SQUARE    NEW YORK, NEW YORK
08.23.23      THE PARAMOUNT                              HUNTINGTON, NY
08.25.23      THE KING OF CLUBS                         COLUMBUS, OH
08.26.23 ARCADA THEATER                            ST. CHARLES, IL
08.28.23 GRANADA THEATER                         DALLAS, TX***(GLENN HUGHES ONLY)
08.30.23 HOUSE OF BLUES                             NEW ORLEANS, LA
09.01.23 HOUSE OF BLUES                             HOUSTON, TX
09.02.23 TOBIN CENTER                                  SAN ANTONIO, TX
09.04.23 MARQUEE                                           TEMPE, AZ
09.06.23 HOUSE OF BLUES                             SAN DIEGO, CA
09.08.23 SABAN THEATER                               BEVERLY HILLS, CA
09.09.23 PERFORMING ARTS CENTER OXNARD, CA
09.11.23 HOUSE OF BLUES                              ANAHEIM, CA
09.13.23 ORIENTAL THEATER DENVER, CO
09.15.23 EMERALD THEATER                          MT. CLEMENS, MI
09.16.23 BLUE NOTE                                         HARRISON, OH***(GLENN HUGHES ONLY)
09.19.23      THE PALLADIUM                                WORCESTER, MA
09.20.23 JERGELS                                             WARRENDALE, PA***(GLENN HUGHES ONLY)
09.22.23      PARKER PLAYHOUSE                        FT. LAUDERDALE, FL
09.23.23      CAPITOL THEATER                            CLEARWATER, FL

DEEP PURPLE – THE STORY BEHIND “BURN”
Burn is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Deep Purple, written and recorded in 1973, and released in February 1974, the album was the first to feature then-unknown David Coverdale on vocals and Glenn Hughes, from Trapeze, on bass and vocals.

The album was recorded in Montreux, Switzerland, in November 1973, with the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. With the addition of David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes, Purple's hard rock sound became more boogie-oriented, incorporating elements of soul and funk, which would become much more prominent on the follow-up album, Stormbringer.

Burn hit #3 on the UK Albums Chart, #9 on the US Billboard 200, and #1 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Norway.

In 2004 Burn was remastered and released with bonus tracks. Coronarias Redig was recorded during the Burn recording sessions, used only as a B-side for the Might Just Take Your Life single in 1974. It appears as a bonus track (in remixed form) on the anniversary edition re-release. The 2004 remix version of Burn was later used in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock.

In 2005 an unauthorized documentary about the album was produced as part of "The Ultimate Critical Review" series. It featured brand new interview with the original Deep Purple Mk III bassist and vocalist Glenn Hughes.

Lead single Might Just Take Your Life, released 4 March, was Deep Purple's first UK single in two years.

The phenomenal title track started things off at full throttle, actually challenging the seminal Highway Star for the honor of best opener to any Deep Purple album, while showcasing the always impressive drumming of Ian Paice. The fantastic slow-boiling blues of Mistreated's greatness qualifies it for the highest echelons of hard rock achievement, and therefore ranks as an essential item in the discography of any self-respecting music fan.

GLENN HUGHES – BIOGRAPHY

Glenn Hughes is an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the MK 3 line up of Deep Purple. He spent the formative years of his career as the beloved bassist and vocalist of the group and performed on the classic albums Burn (1974), Stormbringer (1974) and Come Taste The Band (1975).

The vocalist/bass guitarist/songwriter is a true original. No other rock musician has carved such a distinctive style blending the finest elements of hard rock, soul and funk. Stevie Wonder once called Hughes his favorite white singer. The first important band Hughes was a member of that achieved notable success was Trapeze.

In 1973, Hughes joined Deep Purple. The trailblazing hard-rock legends had just weathered the departure of vocalist Ian Gillan and bass guitarist Roger Glover, but guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, keyboardist Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice continued with the addition of Hughes and David Coverdale.

Since 1992, Hughes has toured extensively in Europe, Japan, and South America in support of solo albums. He’s recorded four studio albums with the multi-award-winning supergroup Black Country Communion featuring guitarist Joe Bonamassa, keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater) and drummer Jason Bonham, son of the late Led Zeppelin legend John Bonham.

In 2016 he released his critically acclaimed solo album Resonate featuring the rock radio hit “Heavy”, and in 2017 he released Black Country Communion’s fourth studio album “BCCIV” to ecstatic reviews.

In 2019, Glenn joined the Dead Daises as their lead singer and bass guitarist, recorded two albums, Holy Ground (2021) and Radiance (2022) and toured the world.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT:
https://www.glennhughes.com/
https://www.facebook.com/glennhughesonline
https://twitter.com/glenn_hughes
https://www.instagram.com/GlennHughesOnline/

Return to Dust Release "The Black Road" EP & Drop New Video For "Losing Faith"

July 28, 2023

The Los Angeles-based grunge trio, Return to Dust, have today released their debut EP, "The Black Road" via Jim Kaufman Productions. Fans can listen the new release HERE.

The band are celebrating their recent TikTok success and the EP release with a brand new video for their latest single "Losing Faith". Fans can watch the brand new video, directed by Matt Akana, below.

After racking up over 2 million TikTok views within a weekend, see HERE, the band's fan base has skyrocketed. The TIkTok featuring the band's single, "Belly Up" swiftly impacted the band's trajectory - 500K+ streams, 70K Spotify Monthly Listeners, and you can now catch over 70,000 fans across all socials waiting for their next glimpse of Return to Dust.

Speaking on today's single release, co-vocalist Matty Joseph shares:

"Losing Faith is the dance track on the record. Given the obvious doom and gloom we thought the EP needed a pick-me-up sonically. It’s mostly about our ostracism from family as we got older and moved into the mostly lonely young-adulthood life."

Regarding their debut EP release, Matty continues:

"This EP encompasses a hugely dark era for the band; Anywhere from family death, friends turning their backs, and general doom given numerous instances of calamity and doubt. We hope this translates to people as the debut invitation into our world."

Return to Dust, who are heavily inspired by the legendary Alice In Chains, have already cultivated a reputation in the local Los Angeles music scene before the release of their debut EP, "The Black Road" produced by none other than Jim Kaufman (Everclear, Danny Worsnop, Night Riots, Helmet). With their remarkable cinematic approach, the rock trio are on track for an unforgettable year of touring and new music. Be sure to stay tuned for more Return to Dust news coming soon.

WHAT THE PRESS ARE SAYING:

"The band throws a new twist on 90s-sounding riffs bringing the listener back in time. The groovy guitar with dark themes in the lyrics holds over every song on the EP."

Keynote Music Collective

“Black Road” is a killer track. Everything hits hard. The vocals are fierce yet remain melodic. The guitars ring with fire while the monstrous bass line is brazenly defiant. In addition, it was produced by the illustrious Jim Kaufman (Anti-Flag/Helmet). “Black Road” is the perfect vehicle for Return to Dust to showcase their remarkable cinematic approach. This is a band with a stupendous future."

My Amp Music

"Meet Return to Dust, a heavy rock band with songs reminiscent of the grunge era with a modern twist."

Music Scene Media

Return to Dust have taken over listeners' Spotify Release Radar's and Discover Weekly's, all ahead of the release of their debut EP. The band have also been featured on Loudwire's Weekly Wire and Spotify's All New Rock, and independent playlists such as Prelude Press' "Music That Doesn't Suck", CHARM Music Magazine's "New Music Friday", NAS 101's "New Artist Spotlight", Get Rocked's "Best New Music", and more.

Southern California fans also have the chance to see Return to Dust at their upcoming EP Release Show, taking place at the legendary Viper Room on Wednesday, August 2nd.

Support comes from Seattle alt-rock stars Alex Vile, and closing sets from grunge/goth rock quartet Urns & Argyles and Oswald - the Los Angeles based band fronted by Anwar Hadid. Return to Dust will be headlining the night, with an unforgettable set at 8:30PM sharp.

Fans can purchase tickets in advance HERE.

Don't miss your chance to celebrate with the band for their EP Release Show, and finally hear the new songs live!

ABOUT RETURN TO DUST

Los Angeles based alternative/grunge rock trio Return to Dust (Matty Joseph, Graham Stanush, Sebastian Gonzalez) has already scripted a karmic saga that traverses decades, pays homage to the past, and plants its roots firmly in the future. Listening within their sonic universe is like time-traveling to the halcyon days of the '90s grunge era. Their sound, influenced by heavyweights of the time, reverberates with the echoes of Deftones, Alice In Chains, and the soul of Nirvana — but, their brilliance doesn't stop there. The band draws inspiration from a diverse palette, blending in bits from bands like The Cure, Metallica, and Cage The Elephant, molding them into their own unique musical tapestry.

Return to Dust breathes life into a sound that feels both genuine and tailor-made to encapsulate the essence of a bygone era, leaving fans awash in nostalgia. Yet, it's not merely a mimicry of the past; instead, it's a fusion of the old and the new — an alchemy that conjures a sound distinctly their own. At the core are alluring bass lines (Stanush), gritty guitar riffs (Gonzalez, Joseph) and dual lead vocals (Joseph, Stanush) that harmonize and intertwine, weaving an ethereal soundscape that resonates with raw emotion and unyielding energy. It's a moody concoction that pays homage to an iconic era while fearlessly exploring uncharted territories. Return to Dust beckons audiences into their world, where the past and present converge, igniting a fervor that keeps the flames of grunge alive.

Return to Dust found its meteoric rise propelled by a chance encounter with none other than the illustrious producer Jim Kaufman (Helmet, Everclear, Night Riots). Under Kaufman's mentorship, the band's raw talent began to soar. During the darkest days of the pandemic, when the world stood still, Return to Dust seized the opportunity to channel their collective energy into crafting something profound. The result was their debut EP, a mesmerizing creation titled ‘The Black Road.’ It was a labor of love and dedication that not only transcended the barriers of personal growth, but also etched the band's name into the future of rock.

Return to Dust

Matty Joseph - Vocals & Guitar

Graham Stanush - Vocals & Bass

Sebastian Gonzalez - Guitar

SiM Drops New Single + Visualizer "DO THE DANCE" Taken From Forthcoming Album 'PLAYDEAD' Out On September 27 (via UNFD)

July 28, 2023

Genre-blending Japanese metal, punk, and reggae powerhouse SiM has today dropped their new single "DO THE DANCE" alongside the accompanying visualizer. The track is taken from their upcoming new album 'PLAYDEAD', out on September 27 (via UNFD).

Prior to today, SiM released their track "RED" which is also the theme song for the new season of the Netflix anime series 'Kengan Ashura' which has clocked up over 232,000 streams on Spotify alone and counting. Watch the visualizer for "DO THE DANCE" below, stream the track here, and pre-order 'PLAYDEAD' here.

Stateside SiM fans will soon have their chance to see the band hit the stage on the Jackpot Juicer North American Tour (with Dance Gavin Dance, Rain City Drive, and Within Destruction). The quartet will also be performing at Louder Than Life Festival and Swanfest later this fall. Tickets are going fast, so be sure to get yours now at the link here and stay tuned for more SiM news coming soon.

Jackpot Juicer North American Tour Dates

August 24 || Tempe, AZ || The Marquee Theatre (VERY LOW TICKETS)

August 25 || Las Vegas, NV || Brooklyn Bowl (LOW TICKETS)

August 26 || Los Angeles, CA || Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall (LOW TICKETS)

August 29 || Seattle, WA || Showbox SODO (LOW TICKETS)

August 30 || Portland, OR || Roseland Theater (LOW TICKETS)

September 1 || Garden City, ID || Revolution Concert House

September 2 || Salt Lake City, UT || The Union Event Center

September 3 || Denver, CO || Mission Ballroom

September 5 || Austin, TX || ACL Live At The Moody Theater (LOW TICKETS)

September 6 || Oklahoma City, OK || The Criterion

September 8 || Houston, TX || White Oak Music Hall

September 9 || Dallas, TX || The Factory in Deep Ellum

September 10 || Birmingham, AL || Iron City (LOW TICKETS)

September 12 || Fort Lauderdale, FL || Revolution Live at the Backyard (LOW TICKETS)

September 13 || Orlando, FL || Hard Rock Live (LOW TICKETS)

September 15 || Nashville, TN || Wildhorse Saloon (LOW TICKETS)

September 16 || Atlanta, GA || Coca-Cola Roxy

September 18 || Raleigh, NC || The Ritz (LOW TICKETS)

September 19 || Silver Spring, MD || The Fillmore (LOW TICKETS)

September 21 || Chicago, IL || Radius

September 23 || Milwaukee, WI || The Rave II

September 25 || Cleveland, OH || Agora Theatre

September 27 || Boston, MA || MGM Music Hall at Fenway

September 29 || New York, NY || The Rooftop at Pier 17 (LOW TICKETS)

September 30 || Asbury Park, NJ || Stone Pony Summer Stage

SWANFEST 2023

October 1 || Philadelphia, PA || Mann Center (LOW TICKETS)

FALL FESTIVAL DATES

September 22 || Louisville, KY || Louder Than Life

CYNIC Add Dates to 'Focus' Anniversary Tour

July 28, 2023

CYNIC just wrapped up a special co-headlining tour of North America. Paul Masvidal and his band of cosmically gifted players celebrated the 30th anniversary of their debut album with help from their in-state buddies and fellow progressive music icons Atheist. So it's no surprise to hear they put on a stellar show.

Loud Flash applauded Cynic's intricate, headless guitar riffs at Vancouver's Rickshaw Theatre. Meanwhile, at the Teragram Ballroom in LA, Metal Insidercomplimented the ethereal edginess between the clean and growled vocals.And Digital Beat assured that the custom mood lighting and tranquil but expressive playing made the band's set at the Canal Club in Richmond "nothing short of amazing".

But Cynic aren't done commemorating the 30th anniversary of their debut album. The ReFocus/Remembrance tour is headed deep into the American South with five dates across Georgia, Louisiana and Florida, which is where the band first formed back in the late '80s. They'll be playing all of "Focus" and paying tribute to late drummer Sean Reinert and bassist Sean Malone.

Dates
09/01 Miami, FL @ Gramps
09/02 Orlando, FL @ Conduit
09/05 New Orleans, LA @ Southport Hall
09/06 Atlanta, GA @ Prog Power
09/08 Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum

Get tickets HERE.

Attainment

Cynic’s continual state of development has met its share of challenges over the years, hurdles that threatened to dismantle the entity’s forward surge. Yet through hurricanes, breakups, and assorted acrimony both personal and existential, it remains inspired to create.

Their name is synonymous with what it means to be truly progressive in music. Cynic’s top-tier performance acumen and cerebral/spiritual/yogic themes finds them inhabiting a corner of the musical spectrum all their own. Their Venn diagram shows intersections with death metal, prog rock, thrash metal, experimental, new age, jazz fusion, and a myriad of other sonic expressions.

Debut album, Focus (1993), is a certified classic. Although that era ended with transformation into the short-lived Portal, and then a further splinter toward Aeon Spoke, Cynic’s reunion-era has found them embraced in a way that proves how ahead of the times they were in the ‘90s. Through monuments such as the Traced in Air (2008) and Kindly Bent to Free Us (2014) albums, the Carbon-Based Anatomy and Re-Traced EPs, and a surprising rebirth with the “Humanoid” single of 2018, the Cynic legacy remains untarnished. Yet early in the creation cycle for their fourth full-length album, they experienced horrible events that tested the entity’s resolve.

Ascension

The year 2020 will go down in history as a tremendously difficult time for the global human population. For the Cynic family, the struggle was not restricted to a pandemic. It was two utterly senseless losses that threw the band’s immediate concerns into the background: the premature deaths of drummer Sean Reinert in January, at age 48, and bassist Sean Malone in December, at age 50, were shocking and unthinkable.

Reinert, a founding Cynic member since formation in 1988, was highly influential to a multitude of young drummers. His work on 1993’s Focus and Death’s watershed 1991 album, Human, found him sculpting extreme technical metal with a jazz fusion-inspired approach. Now taken for granted, that approach to the instrument and the genre was undoubtedly pioneered in large part by Reinert. Though parting with Cynic in 2015, his imprint on Cynic is inescapable.

The death of Sean Malone dealt another horrible layer of tragedy to Cynic’s 2020. In his many years with the band, Malone’s virtuoso playing meshed intuitively with Reinert’s. Together they formed a nucleus of kinetic, highly capable rhythmic dexterity that fueled Cynic’s celestial aims.

One of these deaths would have seemed unimaginable by itself. Both of them, in the same year, nearly broke surviving member Paul Masvidal. But the seeds of a fourth Cynic full- length existed long before the deaths, and the guitarist, through a haze of grief and disbelief, pushed forward. “I wanted to make this record right after Kindly Bent to Free Us,” says Masvidal. “I was raring to go, hyper-creative, in this total flow state. And then it all imploded.”

Parts of songs were in the gestation process as early as 2014. Masvidal says that Reinert and Malone heard elements of what ended up on the fourth album. Slowly, methodically, and with much careful deliberation, Masvidal eventually completed an album titled Ascension Codes, to honor the memory of his fallen band mates. And while the album honors the lives and contributions of Reinert and Malone, it also pushes Cynic forward for its own sake and through its own will to live. The album, paradoxically, acts as both swan song and rebirth. It is, throughout its 49 minutes, a vivid and highly cosmic journey into the very core of every impulse this band has ever explored.

Offering

As of 2021, the future of Cynic is unclear. Does Ascension Codes mark their final phase of growth? Surely the music finds them laying out a most ambitious trail of spiritual sonic travel, but to call any Cynic album “ambitious” is redundant. They are, by their very nature, an ambitious band. Yet Ascension Codes is a remarkably far-reaching work. Its nine main songs are infused with explosions of color and energy, and throughout these compositions are embedded the “codes”: “Mu-54*,” “A’-va432,” “Ha-144” and so on.

Though clearly an album best listened to in its entirety without distraction, for full impact, there are definitive Cynic songs here that stand strong on their own. “Mythical Serpents” is imbued with propellant adventure, exciting peaks and valleys that tug at the heart while its mathematical sequences challenge the head in a dizzying push/pull dynamic. It’s that quintessential Cynic approach of kaleidoscopic intensity and mannered discipline.

“Diamond Light Body” brings the album to a crashing close – heavy and celestial, with some melodic sequences that feel like new territory for Cynic. An incredibly dense song with inhuman patterns from Lynch, the song’s beautiful urgency and final moments push the album outward into the heavens: “I won't feed the fear / I’ll choose a different timeline / Ascend / All is flux, nothing stands still / Ascend.”

The expanded Cynic collective maintains focus on Masvidal’s vision, each human element adding to the compelling overall result. Truly, if this is to be the final artistic stroke by Cynic, then they have landed in a place of mastery. The stories told by Focus, Traced in Air, and Kindly Bent to Free Us are now completed with Ascension Codes.

Ascension Codes is perhaps the most ethereal sounding Cynic album to date, but also skews heavier than previous album Kindly Bent to Free Us. The expanded lineup is surely responsible for the album’s far-reaching scope.

After Sean Reinert’s exit from Cynic in 2015, Masvidal and Malone recruited drummer Matt Lynch. Found through a tip from Between the Buried and Me’s Dan Briggs, Lynch proved to be a perfect addition to the band. As Masvidal notes, Lynch’s “hybrid modern style is like a fusion of drum and bass electronic music influences combined with modern jazz/prog approaches. Lynch is a true original in that he's a fully realized drummer constructing his parts as carefully as any other compositional element always is on a Cynic record. Every single accent and note coming from him is birthed from a precise and inspired place.” We hear this throughout Ascension Codes, pushing the music along with finesse, adding shape and texture in ways only the most sensitive drummers can do.

But how to replace Sean Malone on bass? Masvidal’s answer: don’t even try. The lines of bass notes heard throughout Ascension Codes are performed on bass synthesizer by keyboardist Dave Mackay. A British pianist, writer, producer and Moog/vintage synth enthusiast, Mackay has toured with everyone from Art Garfunkel to Plini (the latter providing the initial introduction between Mackay and Masvidal). Based in Los Angeles and London, Mackay’s work is sensitive to Malone’s touch, while also adding a throbbing intensity that offers Cynic new low-end possibilities. “He's got a vast jazz harmonic vocabulary,” notes Masvidal, “which is what's needed in the context of Cynic's music, especially for bass lines. I knew that I could never replace Malone. Anyone I would find would be expected to play like him, and that's not fair to another musician. And things were too fresh for me with the loss of Malone, so I had to go somewhere new. With Mackay, I heard his groovy left-hand approach, and how musical he was across the board having played with a variety of musicians and styles. I realized he would bring something fresh to the table, and he provided a space for me to start again with a completely different instrument and forgo any traditional ideas I had about what Cynic bass lines should sound like.

Ultimately Mackay delivered above and beyond, with a real awareness of a bass player's role in a progressive trio context. First, by holding down the harmony and being “in the pocket,” while also creating an independent and dynamic voice within that space. Mackay has a rare combination of skills and the vibe he locked into with Lynch with sounds like a rhythm section from the future. Plus, his Moog synth tone offers a low-end depth that’s never been heard in our recordings.” On December 5, 2019, Dave Mackay shared the stage with Paul Masvidal for a performance of the guitarist’s solo material. On bass that evening was Sean Malone. After the gig, Malone told Masvidal, “We should bring Mackay in for the new record.”

Michael Berberian, president and founder of Season of Mist Records remained close to Masvidal throughout the 2020 losses of his bandmates. Michael states “I have, by now, released close to one thousand albums. None have been more dramatic, none have even been more difficult than this one. I can’t listen to Ascension Codes without goosebumps, a mixed feeling of pride – because it’s a musical milestone, but it also contains a lingering layer of sadness. I hear Paul’s pain on this record. I can feel it, I can touch it. But it’s transcended. ‘Art is to console those who are broken by life,’ said Van Gogh. Here is a demonstration of that.”

Ascension Codes was mixed and co-produced by Warren Riker, who worked with Aeon Spoke, Cynic in the Traced in Air era, and mixed Paul Masvidal’s solo acoustic trilogy. “Riker’s a wizard who gets inside the music and commits. He expands boundaries as a mixer, always finding new ways to push the sonic envelope,” says Masvidal.

Keeping things in the family, Martina Hoffmann’s original painting entitled ‘The Landing’ graces Cynic's new album Ascension Codes with breathtaking scope and presence. The visionary work inspired by Martina's time walking the beaches of Brittany, France after the death of her longtime partner, the artist Robert Venosa (whose artwork adorns all Cynic releases between 1993 and 2018) followed by the loss of her mother, the subject of the piece features the arrival of a great mothership made of light and flesh, not machine but an organic entity that has brought hope and infinite possibilities. Masvidal says of Hoffmann, “Martina’s art has always held a special place in my heart, and I'm deeply grateful for her love and support. When I first contacted Venosa as a teenager, it was Martina who encouraged him to lend his work to the band, because she heard something in our music. She is like the divine mother in this Cynic/ Venosa lineage," Masvidal says. "Her spirit and multidimensional talents are truly a gift to this world. I feel that she is one of the great artistic voices of our age."

The struggle to attain ascension is as important as ascension itself. And after much searching, Cynic have again achieved oneness with the numinous. At a time of possible exit for the entity, Ascension Codes is Cynic reaching a previously-unknown state of enlightenment.

Credits and Lineup:

With Masvidal, Lynch and Mackay at the core, Cynic utilized a variety of other artists to help achieve their vision for Ascension Codes, some of the key players include:

DARK (Roopam Garg) performs as “code worker” on the album, providing harmonic, harp-like guitar textures. DARK also known for his other works with “The Surrealist” is an experimental, ambient artist, pushing the avant-garde guitar envelope using extended techniques and consciousness inspired soundscapes.

Max Phelps contributes “holographic-reptilian-voices” on multiple tracks. Phelps toured with Cynic in the Carbon-Based Anatomy and Kindly Bent to Free Useras, and his own progressive metal band, Exist, have released music on Prosthetic Records. Phelps also took part in Death tribute band, Death to All.

Plini guest solos on “The Winged Ones.” Plini is an an Australian guitarist and composer, producing heart-fueled, progressive instrumental rock. He opened shows for Cynic in Japan, which happened to be their final live performances as a trio with Reinert/Malone.

Additional contributors:

Anrita Melchizedek is a renowned priestess, healer, galactic ambassador, among other pursuits, and provides vocals to the opening and closing code interludes (“Mu-54*” and “Ec-ka72”). Amy Correia and Joshua Leon vocalize light language and phrases on various code interludes. Amy appeared on Traced in Air and 2011’s Carbon-Based Anatomy EP,and plays with Masvidal in the Onward with Love (OwL) project. Michael Devin plays crystal bowls on some of the code interludes. Devin is also a bassist and has played with the Jason Bonham Led Zeppelin Evening, George Lynch, and Whitesnake. Ezekiel Kaplan contributed a vocal harmony to the final track “Diamond Light Body.”

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/CynicPaulMasvidal
https://www.instagram.com/cynic_official
https://cyniconline.bandcamp.com/
https://twitter.com/CynicOnline
https://www.youtube.com/user/cynicdocumentary
https://cynic.travelling-merchant.com
https://www.indiemerch.com/cynic/

Live Lineup:
Paul Masvidal – Vocals and Guitars
Max Phelps (Exist, Death to All) – Guitars and Vocals
Brandon Giffin (The Faceless, The Zenith Passage) – Bass
Matt Lynch (Nova Collective, Intronaut) – Drums & Percussion
Zeke Kaplan - Keyboards

Recording Lineup:
Paul Masvidal – Guitars, Vocals, Lyrics
Dave Mackay - Bass Synthesizer, Keyboards
Matt Lynch - Drumscapes

Guest Musicians:
Guitar Codes ^ Artifacts: Dark
Voice Code Activations: Anrita Melchizedek
Reptilian Collective: Max Phelps
TWO Soloscape: Plini
Crystal Bowl Attunements: Michael Devin
Light Language Teachers: Amy Correia ^ Joshua Leon
DLB MetaTerrestrial: Ezekial Kaplan

Mastering Studio & Engineer: Andrew Mendelson of Georgetown Masters (Nashville, TN, USA)

Mixing: Warren Riker

Production: Paul Masvidal & Warren Riker

Cover Art:
The Landing ^ Triptych ^ Martina Hoffmann

Biography: Jeff Wagner

Shop: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/Cynic