ROCK BAND KANSAS TO LAUNCH TOUR IN CELEBRATION OF 50th ANNIVERSARY

January 23, 2023 – America’s preeminent progressive rock band, KANSAS, will be touring 50 select North American cities to celebrate the band’s 50th Anniversary. KANSAS 50th Anniversary Tour – Another Fork in the Road will showcase music spanning all 50 years of the band’s illustrious history. The tour will showcase two hours of hits, fan favorites, and deep cuts rarely performed live.

KANSAS 50th Anniversary Tour – Another Fork in the Road is scheduled to premiere on June 2, 2023 in Pittsburgh, PA and conclude on January 28, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. 

Tickets and KANSAS VIP Packages for most dates go on sale to the public Friday, January 27, 2023. Ticket information can be found at www.kansasband.com & https://bnds.us/7g0lja.

American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets in select markets before the general public beginning Tuesday, January 24 at 10am local time through Thursday, January 26 at 10pm local time.

KANSAS fan club followers can also purchase tickets before the general public beginning Tuesday, January 24 at 10am local time through Thursday, January 26 at 10pm local time.

In 1973, the “garage band” from Topeka was discovered by Wally Gold, signed by Don Kirshner, and released their debut album in 1974. KANSAS has gone on to compile a catalogue that includes sixteen studio albums and five live albums. KANSAS has produced eight gold albums, three sextuple-Platinum albums (Leftoverture, Point of Know Return, Best of KANSAS), one platinum live album (Two for the Show), one quadruple-Platinum single ‘Carry On Wayward Son,’ and another triple-Platinum single ‘Dust in the Wind.’ Most recently, KANSAS has released two Billboard charting albums with 2016’s The Prelude Implicit and 2020’s The Absence of Presence.

“Our entire career has been a winding journey,” comments KANSAS guitarist and original member Richard Williams. “Whether it’s been the ‘original’ lineup signing with Don Kirshner, years on the bus, touring with Queen, worldwide success peaking with Leftoverture & Point of Know Return, the valleys of the 90’s and ‘dinosaur bands’ losing steam, various lineup changes, to our most recent ‘rebirth’ and success of our latest new music over the last eight years; there have been several forks in the road of that journey. This 50th Anniversary Tour and release will represent that journey and the forks along that road.”

To further celebrate the band’s 50th Anniversary, InsideOutMusic has released Another Fork in the Road – 50 Years of KANSAS. The 3-CD career-spanning collection features carefully selected tracks from across KANSAS’s sizable discography. It also includes a new version of the song ‘Can I Tell You.’ Originally released on their 1974 debut album, the song is updated by the current lineup. Another Fork in the Road – 50 Years of KANSAS is available now. Fans can order it here - https://kansas.lnk.to/AnotherForkInTheRoad-50YearsOfKansas

“I’m incredibly excited about the 50th Anniversary Tour,” adds lead vocalist Ronnie Platt. “I tell people I’m not allowed to create a setlist, because it would be five hours long. There are so many songs I want to perform live. I think fans will be excited not only to hear our hits and fan favorites spanning 50 years of KANSAS, but also some songs that haven’t been performed live in decades.”

KANSAS is currently comprised of original drummer Phil Ehart, bassist/vocalist Billy Greer, vocalist/keyboardist Ronnie Platt, violinist/guitarist David Ragsdale, keyboardist/vocalist Tom Brislin, and original guitarist Richard Williams. With no signs of slowing down, KANSAS continues to perform in front of large and enthusiastic audiences.

KANSAS is set to perform its “KANSAS Classics” set during concert dates in March, April, and May of 2023.

KANSAS 50th ANNIVERSARY TOUR – ANOTHER FORK IN THE ROAD CONFIRMED DATES*:

DATE CITY VENUE
June 2, 2023 Pittsburgh, PA Benedum Center for the Performing Arts
June 3, 2023 Baltimore, MD The Lyric Baltimore
June 9, 2023 Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre
June 10, 2023 Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre
June 16, 2023 Fort Wayne, IN Embassy Theatre
June 17, 2023 Detroit, MI Fisher Theatre
June 29, 2023 Toronto, ON Massey Hall
July 1, 2023 Rochester, NY Kodak Center
July 7, 2023 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theatre
July 8, 2023 Indianapolis, IN Clowes Memorial Hall
July 14, 2023 Minneapolis, MN State Theatre
July 15, 2023 Chicago, IL The Chicago Theatre
July 21, 2023 Wausau, WI The Grand Theater
July 22, 2023 Milwaukee, WI The Riverside Theater
July 27, 2023 Kansas City, MO The Midland Theatre
July 29, 2023 St. Louis, MO The Fabulous Fox Theatre
August 4, 2023 Des Moines, IA Hoyt Sherman Place
August 5, 2023 Omaha, NE Orpheum Theater
August 18, 2023 Knoxville, TN Tennessee Theatre
August 19, 2023 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium
August 25, 2023 Denver, CO The Paramount Theatre
August 26, 2023 Salt Lake City, UT Eccles Theater
September 6, 2023 Vancouver, BC Queen Elizabeth Theatre
September 8, 2023 Seattle, WA The Paramount Theater
September 9, 2023 Portland, OR Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
September 12, 2023 Boise, ID Morrison Center for the Performing Arts
September 14, 2023 San Francisco, CA Golden Gate Theatre
September 16, 2023 Los Angeles, CA The Orpheum Theatre
September 17, 2023 San Diego, CA Balboa Theatre
September 20, 2023 To Be Announced
September 22, 2023 Albuquerque, NM Kiva Auditorium
September 24, 2023 El Paso, TX The Plaza Theatre
October 12, 2023 Worcester, MA The Hanover Theatre
October 13, 2023 Brookville, NY Tilles Center for the Performing Arts
October 20, 2023 San Antonio, TX Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
October 21, 2023 Sugar Land, TX Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
October 26, 2023 Huntsville, AL Von Braun Center – Mark C. Smith Concert Hall
October 27, 2023 Memphis, TN Orpheum Theatre
November 3, 2023 Charlotte, NC Ovens Auditorium
November 4, 2023 Durham, NC Durham Performing Arts Center
December 1, 2023 Savannah, GA Johnny Mercer Theatre
December 2, 2023 Atlanta, GA Fox Theatre
January 12, 2024 Jacksonville, FL Florida Theatre
January 13, 2024 North Charleston, SC North Charleston Performing Arts Center
January 19, 2024 Fort Myers, FL Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall
January 20, 2024 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall
January 27, 2024 Melbourne, FL Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts
January 28, 2024 Fort Lauderdale, FL Broward Center for the Performing Arts

*Two additional dates to be announced 

KANSAS CLASSICS TOUR DATES**:
DATE CITY VENUE
March 11, 2023 Tampa, FL Busch Gardens
March 17, 2023 Shawnee, OK Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center
March 23, 2023 Winterhaven, CA Quechan Casino
March 24, 2023 Pala, CA Pala Casino
March 25, 2023 Queen Creek, AZ The Good Life Festival
April 1, 2023 Lincoln, CA Thunder Valley Casino Resort with Blue Oyster Cult
April 20, 2023 Marion, IL Marion Cultural & Civic Center
April 22, 2023 Forrest City, AR EACC Fine Arts Center
May 19, 2023 Decatur, IL The Devon Lakeshore Amphitheater
May 21, 2023 Louisville, KY Iroquois Amphitheater

** More dates to be announced

For more information on KANSAS and the Another Fork in the Road – 50th Anniversary Tour please visit: 
www.kansasband.com
www.facebook.com/kansasband
www.twitter.com/kansasband
www.instagram.com/kansasband
www.youtube.com/kansas ;

Eric Church Adds Dates to 'The Outsiders Revival Tour' Due to Overwhelming Demand

New Shows Added in Charleston, Toronto, Rogers, Orange Beach, Saratoga Springs, George, Atlanta and Charlotte as Multiple Dates Sell Clean During First Day of Public On Sale

Tickets to New Dates Available January 27 via Ticketmaster.com

Eric Church 2023 Tour Dates
* denotes festival dates
Sold out dates in italics
Newly added dates in bold
 
April 14*   Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / Fort Lauderdale Beach Park                        Tortuga Music Festival
June 16*    Central Point, Ore. / Jackson County Expo                                      Rogue Music Festival
June 17*    Santa Rosa, Calif. / Sonoma County Fairgrounds                            Country Summer Music Festival
June 22     Milwaukee, Wisc. / American Family Insurance Amphitheater        Elle King
June 23     Detroit, Mich. / Pine Knob Music Theatre                                        Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 24     Cleveland, Ohio / Blossom Music Center                                         Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 29     Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium                                        Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 30     Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium                                             Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 1        Virginia Beach, Va. / Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater  Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 6       Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage                                              Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 7        Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage                                                 Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 8        Pittsburgh, Pa. / The Pavilion at Star Lake                                       Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 14      Cincinnati, Ohio / Riverbend Music Center                                     Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 15      St. Louis, Mo. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre                           Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 23*    Minot, N.D. / North Dakota State Fairgrounds                                 North Dakota State Fair
July 27     Rogers, Ark. / Walmart AMP                                                        Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
July 28      Dallas, Texas / Dos Equis Pavilion                                                   Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
July 29      Austin, Texas / Germania Insurance Amphitheater                          Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
Aug. 4       Raleigh, N.C. / Coastal Credit Union Music Park                           Cody Jinks
Aug. 5       Bristow, Va. / Jiffy Lube Live                                                          Cody Jinks
Aug. 11     Indianapolis, Ind. / Ruoff Music Center                                           Cody Jinks
Aug. 12     Chicago, Ill. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre                             Cody Jinks
Aug. 13*   Des Moines, Iowa / Iowa State Fairgrounds                                    Iowa State Fair
Aug. 17     Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater                         Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 18     Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater                                Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 19     Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater                                Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 24     Sarasota Springs, N.Y. / Saratoga Performing Arts Center       Lainey Wilson, The Red Clay Strays
Aug. 25     Holmdel, N.J. / PNC Bank Arts Center                                            Whiskey Myers
Aug. 26     Philadelphia, Pa. / Freedom Mortgage Pavilion                               Whiskey Myers
Sept. 8      Portland, Ore. / RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater                         Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 9       George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre                                               Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 10    George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre                                          Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 15     Albuquerque, N.M. / Isleta Amphitheater                                       Paul Cauthen, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 16     Phoenix, Ariz. / Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre                       Jelly Roll, Paul Cauthen
Sept. 21    Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre                                  Whiskey Myers
Sept. 22     Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre                                       Whiskey Myers
Sept. 23     Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion                                            Whiskey Myers
Sept. 24    Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion                                          Whiskey Myers
Sept. 29     West Palm Beach, Fla. / iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre              Whiskey Myers
Sept. 30     Tampa, Fla. / MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre              Whiskey Myers
Oct. 7*      Bristol, Tenn. / Bristol Motor Speedway                                          Country Thunder Bristol
Oct. 15*    Sacramento, Calif. / Discovery Park                                                GoldenSky Festival

With more than 10 dates selling clean during the first day of public on sales, the man praised by POLLSTAR for “having already long established himself as one of the most successful touring country artists” has responded to the overwhelming demand by adding eight new shows to his eagerly-anticipated The Outsiders Revival Tour spanning the U.S. and Canada this summer.
 
In addition to the originally announced slate of 27 dates, Eric Church will also bring the outdoor experience – his first open-air trek in more than a decade – to newly added dates in Charleston, Toronto, Rogers, Orange Beach, Saratoga Springs, George, Atlanta and Charlotte.
 
Joining “The Chief” across varying dates are Whiskey Myers, Cody Jinks, Jelly Roll, Ashley McBryde, Koe Wetzel, Lainey Wilson, Midland, Parker McCollum, Travis Tritt, Elle King and Paul Cauthen, plus Jackson Dean, Morgan Wade, Muscadine Bloodline, Shane Smith & The Saints, Hailey Whitters, Ray Wylie Hubbard and The Red Clay Strays.
 
“When I approach touring, I’m always inspired by a new experience, a new way to gather, to express ourselves sonically and visually. Whether it’s solo, in the round, double down; being able to bring a different perspective has always brought out our best creatively,” Church shared when initially announcing the tour. “Well, we have never done an outdoor summer tour. Never headlined amphitheaters. Never brought a summer experience to your town that featured artists we want to share the summer with. Until now. See you in the season of sunshine with some fellow outsiders that shine brightest when the sun goes down.”
 
Kicking off June 22, the Live Nation produced tour takes the man celebrated by Forbes for “offering fans a unique experience each night while conjuring up the unpredictability that used to make concerts unforgettable” to 26 cities across the U.S. and Canada. Tickets to all originally announced dates are on sale now, with added dates on sale next Friday, Jan. 27 at 10 a.m. local time (Rogers, Ark. at 9 a.m. local time) via Ticketmaster.com and presale access available to Church Choir members starting Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 10 a.m. local time (Rogers, Ark. at 9 a.m. local time).
 
For more information and to learn how to join the Church Choir, visit EricChurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter @ericchurch and Instagram @ericchurchmusic.

About Eric Church
Eric Church’s most recent critically acclaimed and chart-topping project, his Heart & Soul triple album, is available everywhere now. Featuring the results of a marathon session during which he spent nearly a month writing and recording a song per day while sequestered in rural North Carolina, the trio features his latest Gold-certified No. 1 “Hell of a View” and recent Top 5 hit “Heart On Fire” as well as his latest single, “Doing Life With Me,” climbing the charts at Country radio now.
 
Just as unique as Church’s approach to recording and releasing music is his tenacity on the road. His latest outing, the 55-city The Gather Again Tour, offered fans an in-the-round show and earned the Billboard Music Award for Top Country Tour. Church also performed one-of-a-kind headlining stadium shows at Milwaukee’s American Family Field and Minneapolis’s U.S. Bank Stadium in 2022 and took the field at Tampa Bay’s Raymond James Stadium to perform the National Anthem with R&B star Jazmine Sullivan ahead of Super Bowl LV in 2021. During 2019’s Double Down Tour he played back-to-back nights of two unique shows in each market sans opening act, giving every city’s fans six-plus hours of his iconic music. The tour also featured a massive stop at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, where he broke the venue’s concert attendance record with more than 56,000 fans in attendance and became the first artist to sell out the venue with a solo lineup. 
 
A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner (including the 2020 award for Entertainer of the Year) and 10-time GRAMMY nominee, Church has amassed a passionate fanbase around the globe known as the Church Choir as well as a critically acclaimed catalog of music. His previous project, the Gold-certified Desperate Man, earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album (his third nod in the category). Prior releases include the Platinum-certified Sinners Like Me (“How ’Bout You,” “Guys Like Me”), Carolina (“Smoke a Little Smoke,” “Love Your Love the Most”) and Mr. Misunderstood (“Record Year,” “Round Here Buzz”), the Double-Platinum certified The Outsiders (“Like a Wrecking Ball,” “Talladega”) and the 3x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as 30 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certified singles.

Silent Civilian (Feat. Jonny Santos of Spineshank) Share New Single "De La Muerte"

After the December launch of the ferocious new single "My Addiction," SILENT CIVILIAN have dropped another new single. Watch the lyric video for "De La Muerte" below.

"'De La Muerte' is pretty self-explanatory in my opinion," says Santos. "It's a good ol' fashioned revenge anthem. It was written about an unprovoked betrayal of trust and friendship, and the feelings that manifest after being robbed of that trust. It is essentially a song about what most people experience at some point in life, and the natural human reaction to want to seek vengeance out of hurt and, more importantly, anger. Something everyone can relate to. So yeah, it's a revenge anthem with no apologies plain and simple."

The band features Spineshank singer Jonny Santos, bassist Robbie Young, guitarist/vocalist Matt Bredemeier, and drummer Alex Morgan.

The band is working on its long-await third album The Reckoning, which is tentatively set for a Spring 2023. The album will boast 16 songs and it was  produced, mixed, and mastered by Santos and Kiel Bishoprick in Vancouver, WA, and Portland, OR over the last year. It's also the first album from Santos and Kiel's Black Horse Entertainment production company.

Santos recently appeared on the Life Is Peachy Mixtape Sessions podcast. Listen here.

HEATHEN & ARRIVAL OF AUTUMN ANNOUNCE "EMPIRE OF THE BLIND" NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2023!

Bay Area thrash legends HEATHEN are proud to announce their Spring US tour entitled "Empire Of The Blind" tour. Joining them for the 17-date tour are labelmates and Canadian metal upstarts ARRIVAL OF AUTUMN. The tour kicks off on March 9th in Rhode Island and will travel up and down the east coast making stops in Chicago, Atlanta and Orlando before concluding in Philadelphia on March 26th.

HEATHEN will be touring in support of their latest album Empire of the Blind which was for the most part engineered, produced, mixed, and mastered by Christopher “Zeuss” Harris at Planet Z Studios. Additional details—rhythm guitars, etc.—were put to digital “tape” by Kragen Lum at SubLevel Studio in Little Rock, AR. The album features guest appearances by Gary Holt (EXODUS, SLAYER), Rick Hunolt (ex-EXODUS), and Doug Piercy (ex-HEATHEN). Check out the music video for  "Blood To Be Let" here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKn4bdcdV7E

HEATHEN comments, "We’re stoked to continue the 'Empire of the Blind' tour in the Eastern half of the USA and part of Canada with our labelmates ARRIVAL OF AUTUMN! Get ready for some kick-ass Thrash Metal as we continue to BLEED THE WORLD!”
 
ARRIVAL OF AUTUMN states, "We are pleased to announce our first USA tour since 2019 and couldn’t be more stoked to share the stage with the almighty HEATHEN!"

Tickets for the tour are now on sale!

Confirmed dates for HEATHEN's "Empire Of The Blind"  Tour with ARRIVAL OF AUTUMNare:
3/09/2023  PROVIDENCE, RI - ALCHEMY
3/10/2023  BROOKLYN, NY - THE KINGSLAND
3/11/2023  MONTREAL, QC - PETIT CAMPUS
3/12/2023  TORONTO, ON - SNEAKY DEE’S
3/13/2023  DETROIT, MI - THE SANCTUARY
3/14/2023  CUDAHY, WI - X-RAY
3/15/2023  CHICAGO, IL - REGGIES
3/16/2023  CINCINNATI, OH - LEGENDS  
3/17/2023  KNOXVILLE, TN - THE BRICKYARD
3/18/2023  ATLANTA, GA - BOGGS
3/19/2023  TAMPA, FL - BRASS MUG
3/20/2023  MIAMI, FL - GRAMPS
3/21/2023  ORLANDO, FL - THE HAVEN
3/23/2023  CHARLOTTE, NC - THE MILESTONE
3/24/2023  CHESAPEAKE, VA - RIFFHOUSE
3/25/2023  BALTIMORE, MD - METRO
3/26/2023  PHILADELPHIA, PA - MILKBOY

HEATHEN is:
David White | Vocals
Lee Altus | Guitar
Kragen Lum | Guitar
Jason Mirza | Bass
Jim DeMaria | Drums

ARRIVAL OF AUTUMN online:
Jamison Friesen | Vocals
Brendan Anderson | Guitar
Ryan Sorensen | Lead Guitar
Liam Frith | Bass
Ty Fox | Drums

Ihsahn Announces New "Fascination Street Sessions" EP + Shares "Contorted Monuments"

Norwegian progressive metal pioneer Ihsahn returns with his latest release, the Fascination Street Sessions EP, on March 24 via Candlelight Records.

Ahead of the new EP, Ihsahn has also released the first single "Contorted Monuments." Listen below.

Known as a constantly evolving artist who loves to transcend boundaries, Ihsahn's musical journey has been relentlessly fascinating and frequently revelatory. With his penchant for collaborative projects and fascination with production, this new three-track EP, featuring two new original songs and one cover version, is the direct result of Ihsahn joining forces with URM Academy'sonline educational program for music production, and producer/engineer Jens Bogren (Opeth, Dimmu Borgir, Arch Enemy, Powerwolf) of Fascination Street Studios. 

Comments Ihsahn, "I've been working with Jens and his team for mixing and mastering for over a decade, but this course spans from pre-production to final master, so I wrote some demos and had Jens be involved from the very start."

Joining Ihsahn on this project was his long-time drummer Tobias Ørnes Andersen and keyboardist Øystein Aadland, who spent 10 intense days at Fascination Street Studios recording the songs. Øystein Aadland also adds warm and gentle lead vocals for the track "The Observer," while Jonas Renske of Katatonia recorded guest vocals to the song "Dom Andra," a cover of a track by Swedish band KENT.

Throughout the whole experience, the URM Academy team captured everything on video, with Jens Bogren adding commentary to the production techniques used, with detail on mic placements, preamps, drumhead tunings, sharing his methodology and drilling down into what goes into a recording such as this.

Ihsahn adds, "The idea was to capture high-end recordings of real instruments in great rooms, and we had an amazing setup for drums, guitars, bass, and even a vintage Hammond organ with Leslie, Wurlitzer, Rhodes, etc., recorded through Fender combos and analogue pedals etc."

He continues, "This was an amazing experience, and very educational, as I love everything related to music production. Both the Fascination Street and URM teams were incredible, and I believe everyone involved had a great time, in spite of 14–16 hour workdays. I'm very happy with how everything came together and for those interested in the technical aspects of how it was made, there will be a thorough course coming soon at URM Academy."

ABOUT IHSAHN:
Since 1991, IHSAHN has defied expectations and pushed boundaries. Launching his solo career in 2006 with The Adversary, he has sought to maintain the black metal blueprint that he helped devise with the world-shattering EMPEROR, while mischievously exploring progressive dreamscapes, avant-garde jazz, electronica, darkwave, ear-crushing tech-metal and ambient meditations. Each full-length album has had an element of surprise and delight, where the architect plays out his creative vision by building on an unwavering zeal for the shock and awe that keeps his listeners on their toes.

Project 86 Share Video for New Single "0 > 1" — WATCH // New Album "OMNI Part 1" Out 3/24

PROJECT 86 are back and in a big way. The band will release the double album OMNI in two parts. OMNI Part 1 arrives on March 24. Pre-order it here. OMNI Part 2 will arrive in the fall of this year.

Today, Project 86 have shared the video for "0 > 1." Watch it below.

"'0 > 1' is a nasty, rabid, percussive swath of unsettling alternative metal rhythms, riffage, and growls, one that is sure to be a highlight on the new album," says frontman Andrew Schwab. "The song channels the disturbing rants of a 'fictitious' character named Alexander Ophis, who is the founder of a tech company called OMNI (which is also the name of the forthcoming double album). I imagine Ophis as an amalgam of many of the major elite players in global politics and power at the present; He is one part Elon Musk, one part Klaus Schwab, one part Bill Gates, and yet more sadistic, twisted and corrupted than all of them combined. Nineteen years into the future, in this song, Ophis reveals how his company conquered the world on the back of plague and famine, using technology to silence and manipulate the masses (as well as world governments, the media, and big medicine) into submission."

ABOUT OMNI: 
OMNI is an immersive Sci-fi/horror media experience, one part double album, one part film, one part novel. Though it is a work of fiction, it is rooted in current events, circa 2023. Sonically, it is a wholly unique merger of genres…death metal, gore, rock, electronic, and doom metal.

Part one of the double album serves as the score and basis for the film/novel. Part two serves as a backstory to the emergence of OMNI, specifically its two antagonists/founders.

            The year is 2041. The human species has finally reached the moment where technology is poised to eradicate man’s most ancient adversary: death itself. One big-tech power-an entity called THE OMNI-has emerged to lay claim to dominion over all civilization via three life-altering innovations: 1. THE PULSE: An mRNA genetic implant which has the power to regulate human emotion through algorithms. 2. THE OPTIC: an ocular/neural interface which replaces smart phones. This allows users to see virtual artifacts in their natural field of vision, introducing augmented and virtual reality into the physical world. 3. ORGANIC FISSION: a 100% sustainable energy source of spurious detail, which harvests powerful energy from “organic sources” (which are later revealed to be living humans who are disintegrated at the atomic level). 

The whole of the narrative focuses on the launch event for THE AUGMENT, which is the technology which finally allows man to merge with AI and become immortal. The event takes place at OMNI City (former Ankara, Turkey) at the OMNI Tower, a massive, 3km spire which is humanity’s greatest architectural achievement. The tower “floats” 200 meters above the ground, and is a luxury resort/event venue. It is also lined with LED screen-projectors on every surface of its interior, making it a completely customizable virtual/physical environment.

            OMNI has engineered the singularity, unbeknownst to the public, with the help of "voices" from the other side (Extra-terrestrial entities which are the sources of the tech innovations). OMNI's trust in these entities proves to be disastrous…

            After the announcement of THE AUGMENT, the response at the event is euphoric. But, as the event proceeds, things take a dark turn. Without the fear of the ultimate consequence (death), the true, dark nature of man becomes evident. Violence and anarchy begin to spread like yeast through dough. At the launch party in the OMNI Tower, the massive festival event turns into a violent, murderous riot of disturbing proportions. 

The story culminates with the narrator inviting a malicious "AI" (spirit) into his body, setting off a chain-reaction of unimaginable horror on a massive scale. Ultimately, the tower, and its inhabitants, are doomed, as the singularity does not go as planned, destroying all involved, serving as a warning to humanity for what lies ahead. 
 
"Fiery the angels fell, deep thunder rolled around their shores, burning with the fires of Orc" — Roy Batty/Willam Blake

CODEFENDANTS Drop NSFW Music Video For New Track, "Bad Business" Feat. N8NOFACE

Los Angeles CA - Fat Mike, Sam King and Ceschi Ramos aka the Codefendants, have released the third installment of their cinematic pentalogy today in the shape of the official music video for standalone single "Bad Business" featuring N8NOFACE. The NSFW video directed by Indecline comes with a viewer discretion advisory as the video features some scenes of graphic violence. It might be too real for you. Check out the video below and find the track on streaming platforms HERE.

Speaking on the latest release and the storyline developing across the three music videos to date, Fat Mike comments

"It's like American Me meets The Three Amigos.”

Guest star of both the track and the music video, rising Los Angeles star, N8NOFACE adds

“When Fat Mike reached out for me to collaborate with his new band, Codefendants, it was a no brainer. Really had a blast making this”

Today's release of "Bad Business" comes in the aftermath of the earlier release of the group's first two tracks, "Abscessed” and “Suicide By Pigs”. Watch both videos and get the backstory for “Bad Business” by clicking HERE or clicking on the image below and you’ll be waiting to see what happens next. Since their official release in November 2022, the two videos have clocked up 131,000 YouTube Views and 75,000 Spotify streams. The band has also announced their first tour date in Austin, TX as part of the NOFX Final Tour on April 22 at Carson Creek Ranch.

ABOUT CODEFENDANTS

Sam King from Get Dead’s graffiti crew were giving tattoos and making flash art to raise money to help rapper Ceschi Ramoswhen he was in prison. Months later they met at the Gilman Street Project in Berkeley, California. They bonded, talking about their love of hip-hop and punk rock, over a bottle of Jameson. They didn’t know it yet, but they had just started Codefendants.

They began recording songs two years later in Los Angeles with Fat Mike from NOFX as producer. Soon after Fatty joined the band, they decided to make an album that sounded like nothing else - a completely genre-fluid album - a cross between hip hop, new-wave, flamenco, and the Beatles. And thus a whole new genre - Crime Wave was born. That album will be released via Fat Wreck imprint, Bottles To The Ground, this year (more news on that to come soon).

The group filmed a five- song video series that will probably not be seen on YouTube due to the subject matter, but will be available at thisiscrimewave.com. The short movie, written by Fat Mike and made up of the five music videos, features the legendary rapper DOC, N8NOFACE, 2Mex, and Stacey Dee from Bad Cop / Bad Cop.

All that Fat Mike has to say about the new Codefendants album is,

 ”Get ready for the best aural sex of your life.”

Follow Codefendants Online 

www.thisiscrimewave.com

DON'T BELIEVE IN GHOSTS Release Official Music Video for Single "Always Right"

Alternative rock band Don't Believe in Ghosts released their latest single "Always Right" on Friday January 20th. The new song combines state-of-the-art indie-pop production with a modem alternative rock sound, all surrounded by lyrics about the internal battles and self doubts we all face. Today, the music video for the song released featuring the band performing while everything goes wrong.

Currently, the band is featured on the soundtrack of the new Apple TV+ show WeCrashed starring Anne Hathaway and Jared Leto. Don't Believe in Ghosts is also featured performing on the show's third episode.

Don’t Believe in Ghosts are an alternative indie pop band formed and based in New York City. Led by singer, songwriter, and producer Steven Nathan, the group features Dan DelVecchio on guitar, Alex Goumas on bass, and Ken Yang on drums.

The band signed with Imagen Records/Warner ADA, some achievements include singles at alternative radio stations across the country, 2+ million plays on Retail Radio, charting at #2 on All Access, and song features on many other TV shows, including “Ink Master” and “The U.S. Open”. The band has been featured in American Songwriter, Kings of A&R, and Alternative Press Magazine, who included them in their “40 Artists You Need to Hear” list. They’ve also been on multiple tours, played alongside COIN in the MidWest, and were invited to perform at “The Gathering” Radio Convention in Cleveland in 2021. In 2022 the band scored the soundtrack to the TV show ‘The Heart Of Saint Francis’ which was also directed and edited by lead singer Steven Nathan.

The band will be celebrating the release of their single at the Chelsea Music Hall in NYC on Jan 20th with a special live release party and will be taking the road this spring playing.

“Don’t give energy to the ghosts of your past," says Steven Nathan when describing the meaning behind the bands' name. “Worrying about what other people may think can be draining and debilitating.” Don’t Believe In Ghosts amplifies this theme throughout their music, which is honest, inventive, and meaningful. The result is a catalog of songs that are ambitious, yet relatable.

Vocals, Guitar / Steve Nathan
Guitar / Dan DelVecchio
Bass, Keys / Alex Goumas
Drums / Ken Yang

For More Information Please Visit:

Official Website

Instagram

TikTok

Facebook

YouTube

Gideon Share NSFW "MORE POWER. MORE PAIN." Video — WATCH

ALBUM ARRIVES MARCH 17 VIA EQUAL VISION

Alabama metalcore warriors GIDEON — drummer Jake Smelley, vocalist Daniel McWhorter, guitarist/vocalist Tyler Riley, and bassist Caleb DeRusha — previously announced their new album MORE POWER. MORE PAIN. The album arrives on March 17 via Equal Vision. Pre-order it here.

Today, the band has shared the video for the title track — a crunchy, epic anthem build around a plate-shifting breakdown. Watch it below.

"Becoming accustomed to pain will leave you asking for more, once you see the growth it can bring," the band states. "If you can't turn your pain into power, then you will live your life at the bottom, dwelling in self-pity, depression, and continuing to revisit old versions of yourself. Being self-aware of your pain is a big first step to growing from the past and unlocking your true potential. Pain will always be a part of life. Embrace it, see it for what it truly is, and use it as fuel to build your strength and create the life you were meant to live: Give me more power."

ABOUT GIDEON:
Since forming in 2008 in Tuscaloosa, AL, Gideon had been making a name for themselves by defying convention, creating their own distinct sound and never settling for anything that was just run of the mill or ordinary. Rather, the band kept stretching the boundaries of their sound to great acclaim and to increasing commercial success. 2011's debut album, Costs, established them as powerhouse of the metalcore scene, but that's something the band simultaneously pushed away from it, incorporating elements of melodic hardcore and hardcore punk into the fold of their songs, but always with an underlying sense of positivity and defiance. Impressively prolific, the band released their next two full-lengths, Milestone and Calloused, on Facedown Records in 2012 and 2014 respectively, before signing to Equal Vision Records. 

Their first album for EVR was 2017's Cold, followed by Out Of Control in 2019, a record that deservedly saw the band's profile rising steadily. And then, of course, the pandemic hit. And all that hard work and dedication, and the progress they'd made vanished in an instant. In fact, Gideon were mid-tour on that album cycle when touring came grinding to a halt and forced the band to return home to Alabama, frustrated and disillusioned with a situation that—like most touring bands—thought might mean the end of what they do. Thankfully, it didn't, which brings us to Gideon's sixth full-length studio album. 

Recorded/mixed/mastered by Randy Lebouef at Graphic Nature Audio, MORE POWER. MORE PAIN. is a brutally intense burst of violent noise that both nods to the band's past, musically and thematically, but also establishes itself in its own context.

"We had to walk through fire and break down walls to get to this chapter," says Smelley. "We're done explaining why we are the way we are. This album is for the misunderstood, the dreamers, the broken, the damned, the ones that refuse to fall in line. When everything and everyone tells you to give up, your mind can take you to dark places. We came to realize that there was strength in that. Instead of letting it consume us, we fought like hell."

The band will also embark on tour in Winter 2023. The tour kicks off February 9 in Tampa and runs through March 18 in their Birmingham hometown. For the Fallen Dreams, Orthodox, and Guerrilla Warfare will also appear. Get tickets here.

GIDEON ON TOUR:
WITH FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS, ORTHODOX, + GUERILLA WARFARE:
2/9 — Tampa, FL — Orpheum
2/10 — Orlando, FL — Henao Center
2/11 — Atlanta, GA — Masquerade - Purgatory
2/12 — Greensboro, NC — Hanger 1819
2/14 — Richmond, VA — Canal Club
2/15 — Baltimore, MD — Soundstage
2/15 — Brooklyn, NY — Meadows
2/17 — Frenchtown, NJ — Artie's
2/18 — Long Island, NY— Amityville Music Hall
2/19 — Hartford, CT— Webster Underground
2/21 — Pittsburgh, PA — Crafthouse
2/22 — Pontiac, MI — Pike Room @ Crofoot
2/23 — Indianapolis, IN — Emerson Theater
2/24 — Chicago, IL — WC Social Club
2/25 — Iowa City, IA — Wildwood
2/26 — Lincoln, NE — 1867 Bar
2/28 — Denver, CO — Marquis Theater
3/1 — Salt Lake City, UT — Urban Lounge
3/3 — Tacoma, WA — Real Art
3/4 — Portland, OR — Bossanova Ballroom
3/5 — Sacramento, CA — Goldfield Trading Post Downtown
3/7 — Berkeley, CA — Cornerstone Berkeley
3/9 — Anaheim, CA — Chain Reaction
3/10 — Los Angeles, CA — The Echo
3/11 — Phoenix, AZ — Nile Underground
3/12 — Albuqurque, NM — Launchpad
3/14 — San Antonio, TX — Vibes Underground
3/15 — Fort Worth, TX — Ridglea Room
3/17 — Nashville, TN — Exit/In
3/18 — Birmingham, AL — Zydeco

HORIZON IGNITED Release new single "Carry Me"

Finnish newcomers HORIZON IGNITED wrapped up an incredible 6-week European tour last autumn, where they supported HYPOCRISY alongside SEPTICFLESH and THE AGONIST, picking up new fans in droves along the way. 

Today, the band are pleased to release a new single "Carry Me", which has only previously been included on the vinyl version of their latest album Towards The Dying Lands (released in July 2022).

Listen to ´Carry Me´ on all platforms:  https://horizonignited.bfan.link/carryme.ema 

Listen to Towards The Dying Lands on all platforms: https://bfan.link/HorizonIgnitedTTDLSingle.ema

The band comments on the song:
"When we released our second album Towards The Dying Lands, there was one song that was included only as a vinyl exclusive. It's a brilliant track with a huge bridge and we decided to play it live during our first-ever European tour with Hypocrisy. We quickly noticed that it works in a live setting as well and since then we have all fallen deeply in love with the track, so it brings me much joy to announce the digital release of 'Carry Me'! 
We hope that this track pleases our fans as much as it pleases us and we can't wait to play it live again."

HORIZON IGNITED is:
Okko Solanterä | Vocals
Johannes Mäkinen | Guitar
Vili Vottonen | Guitar
Miska Ek | Keyboards
Jukka Haarala | Bass
Jiri Vanhatalo | Drums

TWILIGHT FORCE - New Album 'At The Heart Of Wintervale' Is Out Now!

Today Swedish symphonic power metallers TWILIGHT FORCE have released their fourth long player, At the Heart of Wintervale. Landing over three years after the band's previous studio album, their latest opus recounts brand-new and exciting stories from the Twilight Kingdoms! Along with the album release, the Swedes have also unveiled a new music video for the album title track "At the Heart of Wintervale", which can be witnessed below.

TWILIGHT FORCE comments:
"Rejoice! The eternal wait is over! At the Heart of Wintervale is finally unleashed upon the mortal plane, and all is well again! This creation is the culmination of our immense efforts to bring you along on a journey through the vast realms of the Twilight Kingdoms, and to explore its rich history of myths and magic through a swift and sparkling musical adventure. So come, and join us once again on a quest to remember - for today is a day of celebration! 
May the Power of the Dragon forever guide you!"

Purchase At the Heart of Wintervale on various formats and stream the album now here:
https://twilightforce.bfan.link/at-the-heart-of-wintervale.a01

At the Heart of Wintervale will consist of 8 captivating tales from far and wide, and will have a running time of approximately 45 minutes. The songs are all stories and legends from the Twilight Kingdoms, gathered over years of meticulous research, and will further explore and delve into the vast and magical world of its realms. 
  
At the Heart of Wintervale will be released on CD, Digibook, and Vinyl. The limited Digibook edition will also include three bonus tracks. The first one is a song that many of TWILIGHT FORCE's loyal knights may somewhat recognize; it is an acoustic blend of some of the older works, featuring an entrancing vocal performance and guitar work by TWILIGHT FORCE's very own wood elf Aerendir. The second and third bonus tracks are orchestral versions of two songs from the album, where fans will have the opportunity to experience a different soundscape, and perhaps discover new exciting elements and intricacies never discerned before.

About:
TWILIGHT FORCE is a Swedish symphonic power metal band known for their highly fantastical lyrics and LARP-style outfits which the band performs onstage in. The band's main lyrical themes are based on the lore of a fictional world known as The Twilight Kingdoms, created by keyboardist Blackwald. The band has released three albums to date. Their latest, Dawn of the Dragonstar was released in 2019. During the past few years, Twilight Force have been busy forging their newest opus, At the Heart of Wintervalewhich will be released by Nuclear Blast Records on January 20th, 2023. 

TWILIGHT FORCE is:
Allyon | lead and backing vocals
Lynd | lead and rhythm guitars
Born | bass
Blackwald | keyboards and narration
De'Azsh | drums
Aerendir | rhythm and acoustic guitars

BRUJERIA - Announce Their "Matando Güeros – 30 Aniversário Tour"!

BRUJERIA are proud to announce their "Matando Güeros – 30 Aniversário Tour". The 19-date Southwest trek will kick off on February 24th in Yuma, Arizona and will make their way across the southwest coast with performances in Houston, Albuquerque, and Bakersfield before concluding in San Diego on March 19th. Joining the band for select dates are TOTAL CHAOS (2/24-3/12) and DWARVES (3/15-3/19) while ART OF SHOCK will be opening the show through the whole tour. Come celebrate the release of their first studio album this spring.

Brujo Comments, "'Matando Gueros... Aun Vive! 1993-2023".

Tickets for the tour are now on sale at: https://www.brujeria.com/tour

Confirmed dates for BRUJERIA's "Matando Güeros – 30 Aniversário Tour" with TOTAL CHAOS, DWARVES, and ART OF SHOCK are:
Feb 24 - Fri - Red Moon Ale House - Yuma, AZ ~
Feb 25 - Sat - The Rock - Tucson, AZ ~
Feb 26 - Sun - Rockhouse - El Paso, TX ~
Feb 28 - Tue - Cold Brew - Laredo, TX ~
Mar 1 - Wed - Warehouse Live Studio - Houston, TX ~
Mar 2 - Thu - The Rock Box - San Antonio, TX ~
Mar 3 - Fri - Tulips - Fort Worth, TX ~
Mar 4 - Sat - Black Cock Brewing - Roswell, NM ~
Mar 5 - Sun - Launchpad - Albuquerque, NM ~
Mar 8 - Wed - Inspired Moments - Farmington, NM ~
Mar 9 - Thu - Yucca North - Flagstaff, AZ ~
Mar 10 - Fri - Backstage Bar - Las Vegas, NV ~
Mar 11 - Sat - Temblor Brewing Company - Bakersfield, CA ~
Mar 12 - Sun - Den Of Sin - Sacramento, CA ~
Mar 15 - Wed - The Ritz - San Jose, CA ^
Mar 16 - Thu - Strummer's - Fresno, CA ^
Mar 17 - Fri - Glass House - Pomona, CA ^
Mar 18 - Sat - Alex's Bar - Long Beach, CA ^
Mar 19 - Sun - Music Box - San Diego, CA ^
~ - TOTAL CHAOS (2/24-3/12)
^ - DWARVES (3/15-3/19)

The band released their COVID-666 digital single via Nuclear Blast Records. Watch the quarantine-themed music video for their title track "COVID-666" which was directed by Juan Brujo,here: https://youtu.be/F3am_oJPqo0 The production and mixing for the single, including the artwork was handled by Juan Brujo.

Download and Stream COVID-666 digital single here: label.nuclearblast.com/brujeria-covid-666

BRUJERIA's most recent studio album, Pocho Aztlan, is the band's first release since Brujerizmo was released in 2000 via Roadrunner. It was recorded over the course of many years and at several studios around the globe. The end result was mixed by Russ Russell (NAPALM DEATH, THE EXPLOITED).

BRUJERIA's legend has proliferated for nearly three decades. When the band first emerged from the sunbaked hellscape of Los Angeles in 1989, the city was on the brink of chaos. Daryl Gates ruled the LAPD with an iron fist, overseeing a legion of blue-suited stormtroopers who cracked brown and black skulls at every opportunity. Rodney King, the ’92 riots, and CA governor Pete “Pito” Wilson’s anti-immigrant Prop 187 were all on the bleak horizon. The Mexican-American agitators of BRUJERIA captured the mood of the city’s minorities with the band’s infamous and widely banned 1993 debut, Matando Güeros(“Killing White People”), quickly becoming the Spanish-language counterparts to early grindcore masters TERRORIZER and NAPALM DEATH. Led by lyricist and mastermind Juan Brujo, BRUJERIA were alternately rumored to be satanic drug lords and members of well-established metal bands. The truth, as always, lay somewhere in between.
 
Fast forward to right about now: Pocho Aztlan is BRUJERIA’s first new album in 16 years. The title translates to “Wasted Promised Land,” a combination of Aztlán, the fabled ancestral home of the Aztecs, and the term pocho, which native Mexicans use to refer—not always kindly—to their counterparts born in the States. Brujo himself is pocho, a man caught between two worlds. Many pochos are not exactly accepted with open arms in Mexico. Meanwhile, they’re too often regarded as second-class citizens in their adopted US home. Brujo has transcended both scenarios through the power of BRUJERIA’s uncompromising grindcore and death metal. His all-Spanish lyrics are as vivid as they are effective: Bona fide tales from the frontlines of the drug war, the racial divide, and the battle for the border. “A lot of BRUJERIA songs are true stories,” Brujo says. “And if they haven’t happened yet, they will happen.”

More on BRUJERIA:
"Plota O Plomo" music video https://youtu.be/mWDZayTVScU
"No Aceptan Imitaciones" lyric video https://youtu.be/J1oUCeg67IQ
"Bruja-" track video https://youtu.be/zf0NoHg1ueI
"Viva Presidente Trump!" visualizer https://youtu.be/dliVvMbWB4o

Caitlyn Smith’s New Album, HIGH & LOW, Due April 14

Last year, Monument Records’ powerhouse vocalist Caitlyn Smith released High, the first half of a record that the critically acclaimed singer/songwriter self-produced. Today, Smith announces the completion of that project, adding six new songs to make her full record, High & Low, due April 14.
 
For Smith, the making of High & Low represented a metamorphosis. Looking back, the award-winning songwriter realized she, as many do in the era of social media, had celebrated the “highs” of life publicly – while navigating the “lows” in private. Instead of showing vulnerability, it was easier to pretend everything was fine. But over the course of writing and producing High & Low, Smith learned to peel back the curtain, embracing all aspects of her life, including the “lows” she once held so close to vest.      
 
“Nobody can have the highs without the lows,” she reflects. “When I decided to produce this album, I knew it was going to be a challenge - and musically it was a beautifully stretching & exciting experience. But it brought me into this unexpected season of life where I started facing all these roadblocks that were holding me back. Fear. Doubt. Denial. And I was really forced to finally bring these issues into the light. I went from hiding behind my songs to being able to say it out loud in the room - and that’s something I’m really proud of.
 
Out today, “Lately” is the first taste of what’s to come from High & Low. The track delves even further into this human experience, detailing the attempt to overcome loss using a series of distractions.
 
“I’d realized that I’d grown into this version of myself that only wanted to show and talk about the highs and became quite dependent on keeping up this façade that I have it all together,” she details. “Real life is gritty, and wild, and never perfect, and it’s given me so much freedom to be able to be more vulnerable not always put on a happy face, and be honest and unafraid of the more difficult feelings.”
 
Written by Smith with Gordie Sampson and Troy Verges, you can listen to “Lately” below.

The additional five new tracks balance 2022’s critically-acclaimed High, celebrated by NPR as “her most fully realized project yet,” with High & Low capturing the full picture of who Smith is as an artist and as a creator – where embracing the yin and yang simply makes you more human.
 
Pre-save High & Low HERE.

In addition to celebrating the release of High last year, the Minnesota native earned her first Academy of Country Music Awards nomination for New Female Artist of the Year. With two upcoming performances set for “Opry at the Ryman” on Jan. 21, Smith plans to announce 2023 shows soon.
 
For more information, visit caitlynsmith.com.
 
About Caitlyn Smith
After winning a Critics Choice Award, earning a nomination for ACM New Female Artist of the Year and writing songs for the likes of Miley Cyrus, Dolly Parton, Meghan Trainor and John Legend, Garth Brooks, Caitlyn Smith has established herself as one of Nashville’s brightest rising stars. Undeniably one of the best vocalists of this generation, Smith’s 2018 Starfire and 2020’s Supernova saw her in the pages of TIME Magazine and The New York Times, and had her named to Rolling Stone’s 10 country artists to know and Paste’s 10 country artists to watch. Smith’s self-produced High, was released in April 2022, with her follow-up effort High & Low due April 14 on Monument Records.

The Lucid and Insane Clown Posse Vocalist Violent J Re-Imagine Faith No More's 'Epic' with 'Sweet Toof'

Eclectic hard rock band The Lucid, which features vocalist Vinnie Dombroski (Sponge), actor/guitarist Drew Fortier, bassist David Ellefson, and drummer/producer Mike Heller have once again joined forces with legendary underground rap icon Violent J (Insane Clown Posse) for a re-imagining of Faith No More's "Epic" titled "Sweet Toof".

"Sweet Toof" is the band's fourth and final single from their upcoming E.P., Saddle Up and Ride, due out digitally January 27th from SpoilerHead Records. CD, Vinyl, and signed copies are available via Limited Edition pre-order bundles that will ship at a later date.

Violent J states,
"Man quit playin'! It's been an absolute honor and a privilege working with The Lucid! Being included among such monster talented and unbelievably cool people has been easily one of the highlights of my career so far. That's the absolute truth. Listen to it! Who the fuck can deny THE BEASTLY results? We KING KONG 'em!"

The Lucid guitarist Drew Fortier states,
"It has been such a fun, creative, and organic journey getting to this point with The Lucid. We are all very proud of what we have created together, especially with it being a completely independent endeavor."

Fortier continues,
"We love the Faith No More guys and their body of work and knew the perfect way to cap off our E.P. was doing a re-imagining of 'Epic' along with Vinnie and Violent J's twisted, and wonderful approach."

From the ferocious vitriolic sonic assault of the title track, "Saddle Up and Ride", to the epic off the wall and out of left field, "Sweet Toof", Saddle Up and Rideshowcases The Lucid feeding into their eccentric tastes spanning across Thrash, Country, Rap, Radio Rock, Metal, and Funk.

Violent J, one half of the legendary rap duo, Insane Clown Posse, is featured on the E.P.'s title track, "Saddle Up and Ride" as well as the album closer "Sweet Toof". Violent J has a solo album titled Bloody Sunday due out in 2023.

Pre-order the Saddle Up and Ride E.P. here:

http://lucidofficial.com/

For all things The Lucid:

https://linktr.ee/TheLucidOfficial

The E.P. features artwork by Alex Sarabia and was produced by Mike Heller and mixed/mastered by Lasse Lammert.

The Lucid began in mid 2020 as an idea between frequent collaborators Drew Fortier and Mike Heller which led to David Ellefson (ex Megadeth) jumping on board on bass along with vocalist Vinnie Dombroski (Sponge) rounding out the lineup resulting in their debut self-titled album which featured 9 heavy hitting and emotionally charged tracks showcasing this eclectic quartet's unique sonic approach. To promote the album, 3 music videos were released, the Fortier directed "Deaths of Despair", "Maskronaut" directed by Michael Sarna, and "Hair" which was directed by Hannah Fierman and has gone on to win multiple awards from various film festivals.

The Lucid Online:

Official Website

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

The Lucid Contact Info:

Press: Shauna O'Donnell - sobandpromos@gmail.com

Radio: Jody Best- Bestbetpromo@yahoo.com

General inquiries - maggotwind@gmail.com

THE METAL HALL OF FAME RELEASE THE METAL HALL OF FAME ALL STARS CD/DVD

January 19, 2023-- The Metal Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization dedicated to enshrining forever, the Iconic Bands, Industry Executives, and Musicians who are responsible for making Rock and Metal Music what it is today. Their contribution to the genre is invaluable, and they keep inspiring Rock and Metal Fans throughout the World, from generation to generation. Now they are teaming up with Deko Entertainment to release the first ever Metal Hall of Fame All Stars CD and bonus DVD.

The Metal Hall of Fame All Stars CD includes appearances by Tim “Ripper” Owens (ex-Judas Priest, Yngwie Malmsteem, Iced Earth), Mike Orlando (Adrenaline Mob), Tony MacAlpine, Bob Daisley (Ozzy Osbourne, Rainbow, Uriah Heep), Derek Sherinian (ex-Dream Theater, Alice Cooper), Chris Impellitteri, Michael Romeo (Symphony X), Bruce Kulick (ex-KISS), Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne), Chris Poland (ex-Megadeth), Geoff Tate (ex-Queensryche), Steve Vai, and Joe Satriani. 

As a bonus you also get the The Metal Hall of Fame DVD which includes the 2021 inductions of Triumph, Stryper, Marty Friedman, former KISS members, Eric Carr and Bruce Kulick, former Iron Maiden singer Blaze Bayley, with inductions by Paul Stanley (KISS), Dee Snyder (Twisted Sister), Charlie Benante (Anthrax), Frank DiMino (Angel), and many others. Also included are the 5th anniversary highlights including past inductions of Metallica, Anthrax, Randy Rhoads, Ronnie James Dio, Bill Ward (Black Sabbath) and much more!

This CD/DVD layout includes a 12-page booklet designed by famed artist Ioannis (Deep Purple, Blue Oyster Cult, Dream Theater, etc…) and comes in two Limited Edition (only 100 of each) Box Sets which includes assorted Metal Hall of Fame postcards, key chain, and t-shirt. Metal Hall of Fame CEO Pat Gesualdo had this to say about it, “"It's a great honor to join with Deko Entertainment to release the Metal Hall of Fame All Stars CD/DVD.," says Pat Gesualdo, Metal Hall of Fame President/CEO. “All the musicians worked hard on this compilation to bring some exciting new hard rock and metal music to the fans!””

The 2023 induction ceremony is being held January 26th at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, CA with the induction of Twisted Sister, Raven, Lou Gramm,  and Chris Impellitteri.  Tickets are 35.00 Advance / 45.00 at the Door.

Pick up the, Metal Hall of Fame All Stars, and special limited bundles via: http://bit.ly/3WtsK4E

For more information, visit
www.dekoentertainment.com
www.metalhalloffame.org
Deko Entertainment–Art Has Value

Ole Red Las Vegas Celebrates Breaking New Ground with Blake Shelton

Opry member Blake Shelton joined Ryman Hospitality Properties yesterday at Caesars Entertainment’s Horseshoe Las Vegas to provide a sneak peek of the upcoming Ole Red Las Vegas location, currently planned for a late 2023 grand opening. The preview event included a moderated Q&A between Shelton and Ryman Hospitality Properties Executive Chairman, Colin Reed, as well as live performances by past contestants from “The Voice,” Wendy Moten and The Swon Brothers.
 
Ole Red Las Vegas has broken ground in front of Caesars Entertainment’s Horseshoe Las Vegas at the Grand Bazaar Shops, on the southeast corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road. At approximately 27,000 square feet with a planned 686 seats, Ole Red Las Vegas is slated to be the brand’s largest location to date and the first in the western United States.
 
“If you are going to do something here, you’ve got to do it big,” shared Shelton. “Every time I’m in Vegas, I want some country music and Ole Red is the remedy for that.”   

(Credit: Denise Truscello)

Additional details of the four-story restaurant, bar and music venue were released to the public at the sneak peek event include:

• First & Second Floors: Visitors can dig into scratch-made dishes in a laid-back dining area and experience concert-caliber country music from their seats. When the sun goes down, the space transforms into a full-blown honky-tonk with dance floors and designated VIP areas for a Vegas-style Ole Red experience.

• Third Floor: Decked out with sophisticated lounge seating, advanced audio and visual technology, and high-end decor, the third floor is a versatile and flexible space, which serves as an overflow area for the restaurant, higher end VIP experiences, and a private event space for groups. Bottle service is available and the third-floor menu includes elevated offerings on top of Ole Red favorites.

• Rooftop: The rooftop offers a casual but swanky restaurant environment during the day and a luxurious rooftop lounge at night. With premium cocktail flights, live music and DJ sets, and an unbeatable view of the Las Vegas strip, this is a highly sought-after space for private events and VIP guests. The rooftop menu includes Ole Red classics during the day and shareable items in the evening.

About Ole Red: 
Ole Red is a lifestyle and entertainment brand inspired by Blake Shelton’s clever, irreverent third-chart hit, “Ol’ Red.” Its bar, restaurant and live music venues showcase hand-selected country music talent alongside concert-quality production and a Shelton-inspired menu for a unique experience that is “served all day and night.” You can currently find Ole Red entertainment venues and products in four cities in the United States: Nashville, Tennessee, home to the brand’s flagship multi-story bar and restaurant on the famed Lower Broadway and a new location at Nashville International Airport; Tishomingo, Oklahoma, Blake’s hometown; Gatlinburg, Tennessee, in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains; and Orlando, Florida’s Icon Park. A sixth location is scheduled to open in Las Vegas, Nevada, in late 2023. Ole Red is owned and operated by Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. as part of its Opry Entertainment division. For additional information about Ole Red, visit us online at OleRed.com.  
 
About Opry Entertainment Group:
Rooted in the unparalleled country music history of the Grand Ole Opry, Opry Entertainment Group produces multi-platform entertainment experiences through its growing portfolio of entertainment venues, including the world-famous Grand Ole Opry, the iconic Ryman Auditorium, ACL Live at the Moody Theater and the Blake Shelton-inspired Ole Red brand. Through concerts, tours, music-inspired restaurants, digital content, and its WSM Radio and Circle Network platforms, Opry Entertainment Group connects millions of music fans to the artists they love through experiences they’ll never forget. Opry Entertainment Group is a subsidiary of Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHP). 

Last in Line (Def Leppard, ex-Black Sabbath, ex-Ozzy) Announce "Jericho" + Share "Ghost Town" Video

LAST IN LINE — frontman Andrew Freeman, bassist Phil Soussan (ex-Ozzy Osbourne), and former Dio comrades-in-arms Vivian Campbell (Def Leppard) and Vinny Appice (ex-Black Sabbath) — and their label earMUSIC announce the release of their third studio album Jericho, out March 31.

Pre-order the album here.

To kick things off, the first track "Ghost Town" was released digitally today. The accompanying music video can be watched below.

"The song for me describes breaking a cycle from different perspectives. On a personal level it could be family, career or life expectations, putting a person in an unwanted or unwelcome space. On a grander scale it addresses government expectations. Non-sensical, unethical ideas and laws that become the norm, while turning a blind eye to larger problems," states Freeman.

Despite the past two years of isolation, this record was produced in the best hard rock tradition with great studio performances of an excellent all-star line-up.

"With Last in Line, just as we did with Dio, we cut the basic tracks live. It's important for us to capture the energy of the syncopation of playing together in real time – much like the energy of a live show. This record represents the best of both worlds: the spirit of an energetic band performance, and the more reflective and nuanced qualities of our individual performances, too," says Campbell.

Last year, Last in Line surprised with a unique version of the Beatles classic "A Day in the Life," which has been released on the Limited 12" Silver Collector's EP with the same name.

In 2023, Last in Line are at the top of their game. On Jericho, Campbell delivers his signature flamboyant guitar playing, Appice and Soussan shake foundations with their unmistakable grooves, and Freeman's vocals are just one of the best of his generation.

The 12 tracks boast big guitar riffs and solos, they're catchy, and full of energy. Appice invites us: "All the musical forces of Last in Line are combined here for a super-powerful new record. Press play and put your seatbelts on!!"

TO THE GRAVE Drop Video For "Cut Off The Head"; New Album "Director's Cuts" Out Feb 24th via Unique Leader Records

Australian extreme metal squad, To The Grave have unveiled their powerful new single / video 'Cut Off The Head', the third taken from their new album, Director’s Cuts, out 24th February, 2023, via Unique Leader Records. Watch the horror-tinged video to 'Cut Off The Head' below and

Pre-order Director’s Cuts HERE.

The band comment: 

"'Cut Off The Head' is our commentary on the current state of heavy music from our perspectives. Too many people use their “fame” to inflict harm on others, from shitty business practices and bullying within the scene through to taking advantage of and assaulting fans. We’re sick of our art and expression being connected to the actions of these people simply by existing in the same genres. They deserve everything they have coming to them.”

At just over 44 minutes in length, 'Director’s Cuts' is an album packed with ambition and conscience. To The Grave have never shied away from channeling the real horrors of animal cruelty and its impact into the violent, emotional intensity of their music. Songs such as ‘Red Dot Sight’, ‘Found Footage’ and ‘Cut Off The Head’ perfectly conjure images of a world gone astray.  

'Director’s Cuts' was recorded by bassist Matt Clarke, with drums recorded live at The Brain Studios in Sydney and mixed and mastered by Lance Prenc at Prenc Audio (Void of Vision, Alpha Wolf, Polaris) in Melbourne with album photography by Animals Uncovered. 

The band comment on the new album: 

"This is the refinement of our combined musical tastes, fuelled by our sadness and anger at the state of the world. We made the music we wanted to make without really considering how it would fit into any little genre boxes, because we knew if we loved it completely then everyone else would too. These songs are hard and heavy without being technical just for the sake of it.”

Watch the video to their first single "Red Dot Sight", a hard-hitting track about anti-vegan public figures and the media perception against vegan activists, here.

Second single 'Axe of Kindness' continues the band's strong vegan message, watch the video here.

Catch To The Grave on tour across the US the March/April on the Unique Legion Tour with Vulvodynia, Viscera, Osiah and Bound In Fear.

ABOUT TO THE GRAVE

One of Australia’s most uncompromising bands, To The Grave return with their heaviest album to date, both sonically and thematically. Since the release of their 2019 debut album 'Global Warning', the caustic five piece have garnered international success, with 2021’s follow-up 'Epilogue', a re-issue of 'Global Warning' with bonus tracks, solidifying their position as “one of the country's heaviest exports.” (Revolver).

To The Grave have steadily built an audience in the underground, accumulating more than 11 million Spotify streams, racking up over 5.4 million YouTube views, all whilst decimating live audiences alongside Parkway Drive, Polaris, Cattle Decapitation, Thy Art Is Murder, Vulvodynia and Alpha Wolf.

Now, following a sold-out national headline tour in 2022 and revitalized by a new lineup, the band are more focused than ever, looking ahead to the release of their second album 'Director’s Cuts' in February.

The eleven tracks lyrically expose a societal and environmental hell on earth whilst pushing the boundaries of accessible extremity, full of barbed hooks, thick with atmosphere and drenched in groove. Razor-sharp guitars played with an exploratory approach - blending everything from whammy pedal squeaks and chiming cleans to death metal chainsaw tones - are entwined with live drums to give a level of dynamism that musically sets this band apart from the extreme metal pack, yet they maintain the weight of the heaviest bands today. Vocalist Dane Evans commands a multifaceted performance, bursting with vocal energy from throat-ripping dissonant screeches to low end gutturals. 

To The Grave are

Dane Evans - Vocals

Jack Simoni - Guitars, Programming

Luke Ringin - Guitars, Vocals

Matt Clarke - Bass, Vocals

Simon O’Malley - Drums, Vocals

Find To The Grave Online

https://linktr.ee/tothegraveau

Oceans Ate Alaska Release Instrumental Version of "Disparity"

WATCH LIVESTREAMED VISUALIZERS

UK METALLERS OCEANS ATE ALASKA RELEASE INSTRUMENTAL VERSION OF DISPARITY 

Birmingham, UK metal quintet OCEANS ATE ALASKA — James Harrison[vocals], Chris Turner [drums], James "Jibs" Kennedy [guitar], Adam Zytkiewicz [guitar], and Mike Stanton [bass] — have released an instrumental version of their latest album Disparity, out now via Fearless Records. The instrumental edition is available here.

"For Oceans, the instrumental release was always done out of pure demand," the band explains. "We put a tremendous effort into making the composition as dynamically rich as possible, no aspect of the instrumentation goes without a lot of time, care, and patience put in. When you apply this work ethic, it kinda makes sense that listeners want to hear a version without vocals; that's not to say they don't belong to the music, but the human voice tends to capture our ears before everything else so it's a cool experience to be able to listen to everything that surrounds it.

"With Disparity, our youthful sporadic compositional tendencies have been tempered, but only to give space to our lo-fi progressions, big room energy and fundamental song structure. We are very excited about this instrumental release as it will be a new experience for everyone!"

The band is also doing a 24-hour livestream of all of the visualizers for the instrumental versions. Tune in here. 

ABOUT OAA + DISPARITY:
Oceans Ate Alaska have carefully and quietly progressed to this point. Following their 2015 debut Lost Isles, they presented Hikari in 2017. The song "Hansha" amassed over 12 million Spotify streams as the album surpassed 40 million total streams. Upon arrival, New Noise Magazine raved, "Optimistic, empowering, and mesmerizing, Oceans Ate Alaska’s bold sophomore album is a true progressive metalcore triumph." Along the way, they toured with the likes of Wage War, The Plot In You, We Came As Romans, Like Moths to Flames, and more. Throughout 2021, they assembled what would become Disparity. Inspired by a mutual love for the likes of Bonobo and Alina Baraz, collaborator Clem Cherry enhanced the production with airy beat-craft and immersive sonic accents. At the same time, they absorbed the unease of the world, infusing a post-apocalyptic thematic undercurrent. In the end, Oceans Ate Alaska encode an important message inside of Disparity. "For us, it's about uplifting listeners," Harrison says. "We want them to feel empowered to realize they can be the change they want. It's still what we're doing. It's been a long time since we put out an album, but we're here." Indeed it has been a minute since the last OAA album but it was entirely worth the wait.

NYC Sludge Rockers THE NETHERLANDS Announce New Album 'Severance' to be Released March 30

As humanity hurtles chaotically, blindly, and seemingly willingly towards what may well be its last act, The Netherlands, NYC’s hulking, intoxicatingly heavy progressive-sludge trio, has returned with an LP which attempts to filter the fury, glimmers of hope, and untenable intensity of life in the anthropocene into a 10 song narrative whirlwind which sounds unlike anything you’ve ever heard. 

'SEVERANCE' is the 9th release from multi-instrumentalist, compulsive creator, and unrepentant volume addict Timo Ellis (Cibo Matto, Spacehog, Yoko Ono) under The Netherlands moniker. 'SEVERANCE' features all the hallmarks of Ellis’ work, including blistering post-shred guitar heroics, primal drumming, and soulful, yet searing caterwauls.

But, as with every Netherlands release, Ellis has inexplicably found a way to ratchet up the intensity, render the dynamic shifts more extreme, and hone his menacing melange of melody and rhythm into a uniquely weaponized form of rock ‘n’ roll that reaches towards high art.

Check out the Video for "Omisha"

While Ellis is perpetually working, he’s not one to work without a grander purpose than loud music for the sake of loud music.

In the man’s own words, “'SEVERANCE' suggests a catastrophic separation, explosively brought about in the last 250 years by techno-industrial civilization and the human supremacist worldview, which separates us from the Earth, from each other, and from ourselves.

"This album is about the urgent need to return to values, traditions, and rituals that restore our connection with the Earth, all of its creatures, and ourselves. It’s about abolishing corporate capitalism, unchecked technological expansion, and halting the unnecessary pillaging of this planet’s creatures and 'resources'...about a path forward that integrates modern foundations of fairness, community, compassion, love, and sovereignty for all people, animals, and Earth systems.”

An admittedly heavy conceptual weight to lift, 'SEVERANCE's exceptionally cinematic arc is aided by Ellis’ stream-of-conscience prose which lends an earnest, exasperated voice to the outrage so many of us feel in our daily lives as we’re blinded by screens and lulled into complacency by various systems of oppression. 

Pre-Order / Save 'SEVERANCE' HERE

An album exploring topics as heavy as the ones 'SEVERANCE' tackles requires sonics to match. For Ellis -- a prolific producer and engineer himself -- the skills and peerless engineering sensibilities of taste making heavy music producer Kurt Ballou (Converge, High On Fire) and the hallowed walls of Ballou’s God City Studio in Salem, Mass, proved the ideal space to capture the record’s massive sounds.

For Ellis, Ballou’s unmatched attention to detail and “comprehensive tuning” of the drum and organic guitar sounds on 'SEVERANCE' proved to be an x-factor in capturing the most monstrous and fully refined Netherlands release to date. The experience of tracking 'SEVERANCE' with Ballou surpassed all of Ellis’ expectations, and reinforced the NETHrock mastermind’s belief that Ballou is “one of the best and most artfully-minded heavy music producers of his generation.”

'SEVERANCE' is another chapter in the book of a band that’s consistently released heavy music on its own terms and with its own undeniable personality. There’s a reason contemporary heavy metal luminaries like Joe Dupontier of Gojira and Bill Kellihar of Mastodon count themselves amongst The Netherland’s biggest fans, and 'SEVERANCE’s 10 tracks prove The Netherland's potency once again.