THEN COMES SILENCE presents 'Stay Strange' feat. VISION VIDEO's DUSTY GANNON. Now touring USA in support of new 'Trickery' album

April 30, 2024

Then Comes Silence are everything a band should be - good tunes, good playing and singing, and good looking. Their songs are ear-worms, once heard difficult to forget, as catchy as gonorrhea but far better for your health" ~ Wayne Hussey

”I can see them being huge” ~ Dani Filth (Cradle of Filth)

"Capturing the alluring intersection of 1980s Post-Punk, New Wave and College Rock in one fell swoop, this music feels organic and fresh, with ample drive, clever songwriting and a killer melody, along with crisp production" ~ The Spill Magazine

"Truly love it" ~ She Past Away

"Hellacopters of Gothic Rock" ~ Jyrki 69 (The 69 Eyes)

"The only band that have been voted in as album of the month three times!" ( 'Blood' in 2017 / 'Machine' in 2020 / 'Hunger' in 2022) ~ Sonic Seducer Magazine

Swedish post-punk outfit Then Comes Silence presents 'Stay Strange', their latest slice of dark goodness, which sees frontman / vocalist Alex Svenson joined by guest vocalist Dusty Gannon of Vision Video, with whom the band is currently touring North America.

With its memorable chorus chant "Stay strange and pure at heart", the vocals are grounded firmly on an energetic backbeat by drummer Jonas Fransson, rhythmic guitar lines by Hugo Zombie and Svenson's own solid basslines.

“‘Stay Strange!’ is the call that Dusty Gannon of Vision Video shouts after every show,” explains TCS frontman Alex Svenson. “When we returned home from our last tour with them, I began working on the song and made it a tribute to the post-punk/goth scene. It was also a natural choice to invite Dusty to sing the chorus.”

Lifted from their seventh album ‘Trickery’, released earlier this month via Metropolis Records, here are 13 lush cavernous tracks. Apart from Gannon, this recording also features guest appearances by Gözde Duzer of Aux Animaux, Emma Nylén(Emmon) and Jörgen Wall of Whale, Thåström.

Recorded by Jörgen Wall (Jay-Jay Johanson, The Hellacopters) over three days at Stockholm's Kapsylen Studio and mixed by Tom van Heesch (Rammstein, Apocalyptica, Backyard Babies), this album was mastered by Svante Forsbäck / Chartmakers (Rammstein, Amaranthe, Ville Valo, The Rasmus, Apocalyptica). Ahead of the album's release, Then Comes Silence released the singles 'Like a Hammer' and ‘Ride or Die’.

This album celebrates friendship, unity and the feeling of belonging to a group, a tribe. Being a part of what most people would call the goth and post-punk community is, according to the band, a great privilege. After being on the road and meeting people from the music scene for so many years, the band have experienced a caring and welcoming community. Old and young. Some with a similar background and some just for the love of the music and the culture that comes with the lifestyle.

Following up their 2022 album 'Hunger', released via Nexilis Records / Schubert Music (Europe) and Metropolis Records (North America), 'Trickery' captures the heart and essence of alternative rock, along with electronic elements, but it is also a salute to punk music, to which Then Comes Silence traces their roots.

Formed in Stockholm in 2012, Then Comes Silence is made up of frontman Alex Svenson, drummer Jonas Fransson and guitarist Hugo Zombie (Los Carniceros del Norte) with Svenson originally inspired by frequent touring with A Place To Bury Strangers and an attraction to horror and the occult.

After debuting with their eponymous album in 2012, Then Comes Silence put out two more albums before releasing 'Blood' via Nuclear Blast in 2016. Their subsequent 'Machine' album was jointly released via Oblivion / SPV and Metropolis Records in 2020.

Then Comes Silence has toured and played live with The Fields of the Nephilim, The Chameleons, A Place To Bury Strangers, The Bellwether Syndicate and Vision Video, as well as performing at Wave Gotik Treffen, M'era Luna, Amphi Festival, Castle Party and W-Festival.

The 'Trickery' album is out now, available on vinyl, CD and digitally everywhere, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp. Then Comes Silence is currently touring North America, joined by Vision Video, Aurelio Voltaire and Tears For The Dying.

CREDITS
Alex Svenson - vocals, bass, synthesizer
Jonas Fransson - drums
Hugo Zombie - guitar
Dusty Gannon (Vision Video) - vocals on 'Stay Strange'
Emma Nylén (Emmon) - vocals on 'Tears and Cries', back vocals on 'Ghost House'
Gözde Duzer (Aux Animaux)- theremin on 'Stay Strange', 'Never Change'
Jörgen Wall (Whale, Thåström) - toms on 'Blind Eye'
Music & Lyrics by Alex Svenson
Published by HaHa Musikförlag
Produced by Alex Svenson
Recorded by Jörgen Wall
Mixed by Tom van Heesch
Mastered by Svante Forsbäck / Chartmakers
'Like a Hammer' video directed by Johnny Nattsjö & D.K. Griftegaard
'Ride or Die' video directed by Gözde Duzer & Then Comes Silence
From 'Trickery' album, released via Metropolis Records
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

TOUR DATES
April 20 – Parsippany, NJ @ Dark Force Fest
April 21 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Cattivo *
April 23 – Rochester, NY @ Photo City Music Hall *
April 24 – Brattleboro, VT @ Stone Church *
April 25 – Boston, MA @ Sonia *
April 26 – Lewiston, ME @ L/A Arts *
April 27 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB **
April 28 – Toronto , ON @ Velvet Underground **
April 30 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom *
May I – Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme *
May 2 – Chicago IL @ Subterranean **
May 3 – St. Louis. MO @ The Crack Fox **
May 4 – Dubuque, LA @ Fox Den Motel *
May 5- Milwaukee, WI @ The Vivarium *
May 6 – Minneapolis, MN @ Green Room *
May 7 – Kansas City, MO @ Recordbar *
May 8 – Louisville, KY @ Art Sanctuary *
May 9 – Detroit, MI @ Smalls ***
May 10 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery ***
May 11 – Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom ***
May 12 – TBA ***

* with Vision Video
** with Vision Video + Aurelio Voltaire
*** with Vision Video + Aurelio Voltaire + Tears For The Dying

Keep up with Then Comes Silence
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Texas' 9-VOLT VELVET present 'Hey, Candy’, previewing 7” vinyl single and debut 'Nude Beaches' album

April 30, 2024

"A glam-bam-thankyou-ma’am wall of roiling guitar, bass, keyboards and drums. It’s a 70’s stack heeled tour de force dressed in space-age fabrics and driving a rocket propelled Ford Transit into space... this is a jet pack so strap it on and brace yourself for launch" ~ Joyzine

Dallas-based indie dreamgaze outfit 9-Volt Velvet presents their new single 'Hey, Candy', a raucous foreshadowing of their debut album 'Nude Beaches', soon to be released on CD via Brighton, UK-based label Shore Dive Records. What can be said about the first single - oh yes, finding your first love attraction is exciting.

Out May 10, this 13-track collection blends washed-out fuzzy and feedback-laden guitars, driving bass, pounding drum beats and ghosty vocals. Taking their bring of 'rockgazedreamgloom' even further, they will also release a limited edition of twenty 7" lathe-cut vinyl via Cryptic Carousel at the same time, featuring 'Riptide' as the Side-A track and 'Hey Candy' on Side B.

Nestled in the fine territory between post-punk and shoegaze with a surf vibe, 9-Volt Velvet is made up of Mark Cross (lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion), Donnie Robertson (drums, percussion, keyboards) and Kevin Robinson (guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals).

Hailing from Muscle Shoals, AL and Dallas respectively, Mark and Donnie met through an ad in a local newspaper, hit it off instantly and formed a band, eventually being joined by Kevin soon after they began performing. Involving past members of of Viva Voce and The Northern Lights, they bring together several decades of experience playing shows with the likes of Starflyer 59, Spoon, The Dandy Warhols, Jimmy Eat World, Sunny Day Real Estate, Kill Hannah, Luxury, Lugsole, The Features, Bleach, Fold Zandura, 764-HERO and Morella’s Forest.

'Nude Beaches' is the culmination of 9-Volt Velvet's musical journey, showcasing their evolution as artists and the unique sounds they have curated together. Inspired by their natural chemistry and a like-minded approach to music-making, in June 2023, they embarked on an intense 3-week studio session in Dallas, crafting an album that explores the themes of freedom and self-expression.

From the introspective lyrics to the intricate musical arrangements, every aspect of 'Nude Beaches' reflects the band's commitment to pushing boundaries and taking risks. This is a sonic journey that invites listeners to embrace their own individuality and revel in the joy of truly being themselves.

Influenced by such artists as The Cure, Sonic Youth, Swervedriver, The Jesus & Mary Chain, DIIV and The Velvet Underground, 9-Volt Velvet emerged as a recording artist in January 22 with their debut 'Cathedrals' EP, followed by the 'Mirrors' EP in July of that year.

The 'Riptide / Hey, Candy' 7" vinyl edition is out on May 10. The CD for the debut 'Nude Beaches' album will also be available via Shore Dive Records. It can already be found digitally from fine music platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify, and Bandcamp.

CREDITS
Written and performed by 9-Volt Velvet
Mark Cross - lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion
Donnie Robertson - drums, percussion, keyboards
Kevin Robinson - guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals
Recorded at Starlight Studios (Dallas) by Donnie Robertson & Jeff Ross
Produced, mixed & mastered by Donnie Robertson
CD released via Shore Dive Records
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

Scotty McCreery Tops the Chart with "Cab in a Solo" from 'Rise and Fall' Set for 5/10

April 29, 2024

Triple Tigers recording artist Scotty McCreery earns his sixth No. 1 hit on the Mediabase Country Chart with “Cab in a Solo,” the lead single from his forthcoming fifth studio album Rise and Fall, arriving May 10. Listen to “Cab in a Solo” HERE. Pre-order/pre-save Rise and Fall HERE.

“I have loved this song from the moment Brent, Frank and I started writing it,” said McCreery. “It may be all about heartbreak but it’s so fun to sing. I’m thrilled to see it reach No. 1. Thanks to the fans for supporting it and country radio for playing it!”

Written by McCreery with Brent Anderson and Frank Rogers, “Cab in a Solo” was most added at Country radio upon its debut, with Billboard praising, “McCreery has been on a hot streak of well-crafted, notably performed songs,” upon the track’s release, noting he “continues to slake music listeners’ affinity for ‘90s country, thanks to a neo-traditional sound connected to vivid lyricism.” This is McCreery’s fastest rising song to reach No. 1.

McCreery was in Napa, California last week participating in “Live in the Vineyard Goes Country.” While in the area, he also gave an intimate performance at Silver Oak Winery where attendees drank a 1998 Silver Oak cabernet sauvignon from solo cups, just as McCreery sang in “Cab in a Solo.”

The newest member of the legendary Grand Ole Opry returned to the stage where he won hearts across the nation over 13 years ago, performing “Cab in a Solo” on “American Idol” last night, available now to stream on Hulu. Watch his performance below.

McCreery is also set to return to “The Kelly Clarkson Show” this Wednesday, May 1 with a special performance from the Grand Ole Opry stage. Check local listings for time.

McCreery will return to the Grand Ole Opry stage on May 11, just one day after he releases his new album Rise and Fall. The first 400 ticketholders who also purchase the album onsite in the Opry Shop that evening will gain access to an exclusive album release celebration and acoustic performance with Scotty directly following the show in the Opry House’s Studio A. For Opry tickets and information, visit Opry.com.

Rise and Fall will feature 13 tracks that find him exploring not only heartbreak but rowdy nights, nostalgia, faith, newfound joy, fatherhood and enduring love, resulting in a project full of insightful storytelling, including the latest and final song to be delivered before the album is released, “Lonely.” The album was produced by McCreery’s longtime production team of Frank Rogers, Derek Wells and Aaron Eshuis.

McCreery co-wrote 12 of the 13 songs on the album, which will be released digitally as well as on CD and vinyl. In addition, Amazon will release a limited edition, forest green vinyl version of the album. Pre-order autographed vinyl and CDs of Rise and Fall HERE.

“I know every artist says it, but this is truly my favorite album I’ve made so far,” shares McCreery. “I wanted to create an album that reflected the music I grew up on and wasn’t chasing trends. So, I brought several of my songwriting buddies to the mountains of North Carolina to sit down and write a full-on country album that told a story, start to finish, and spoke to my soul. We’ve been performing most of the album live on the road and the response from the audiences has been overwhelming. I can’t wait for everyone to hear Rise and Fall when it comes out May 10th.”

The North Carolina native knows all too well there’s a rhythm to life and a cycle of ups and downs. And right now, he’s on the upswing.

Now 30 years old and a seasoned country music veteran selling out concerts across the globe with six No. 1 hits under his belt, McCreery is also a dedicated husband and father, welcoming a son named Avery in 2022, whose impact on the singer is highlighted in several songs on the album. Recently, he even celebrated the milestone of all milestones for a guy who grew up on Randy Travis, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and Ronnie Milsap; he was invited by his musical hero Garth Brooks to become the newest member of the iconic Grand Ole Opry. McCreery was just welcomed into the Opry family on April 20 by two more of his heroes, Josh Turner and Randy Travis.

But folks like McCreery know it means more when you’ve seen the other side. For him, each highlight has come in contrast to a challenge – things like the loss of his first record deal and the year of naysaying uncertainty that followed before he built himself up again, brick by brick. As a result, Rise and Fall comes from an artist who knows to appreciate the ride – no matter where it leads.

“I feel like we’re on the rise now, but I’ve fallen pretty low as well,” McCreery admits. “I learned from every little part of that, and it helped me to know who I was as a person – let alone an artist. The rises and the falls helped craft these songs. They made this album what it is.”

In addition to his No. 1 single “Cab in a Solo” and Friday’s release of “Lonely,” McCreery has also delivered “Red Letter Blueprint,” “Slow Dance,” “Can’t Pass the Bar” and “Love Like This.”

Silver Oak Proprietor/Chairman & CEO David R. Duncan and Scotty McCreery toasting to the No. 1 success of McCreery’s “Cab in a Solo” with a 1998 Silver Oak cabernet sauvignon in a solo cup at the Silver Oak Winery in Napa Valley. | Photo Credit: Evan Roscoe

Tickets for upcoming tour dates are on sale now at ScottyMcCreery.com.

About Scotty McCreery
Scotty McCreery has been a household name for nearly half his life, ever since making history in 2011 as both the first country artist and the youngest male artist of any genre to debut his first studio album, the Platinum-certified Clear as Day, at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. With his forthcoming album Rise and Fall set for release May 10, featuring his sixth No. 1 single “Cab in a Solo” and 12 additional tracks, McCreery explores classic themes of heartbreak, rowdy nights, nostalgia, faith, newfound joy, fatherhood, and enduring love, and through it all, felt comfortable being himself, resulting in a project full of electrified twang, rich baritone vocals and insightful storytelling. The 30-year-old has sold more than 4 million albums and achieved 6 No.1 hits: the recent “Cab in a Solo,” the RIAA Platinum-certified “Damn Strait,” the RIAA Gold certified “You Time,” the RIAA Gold certified “In Between,” the RIAA Platinum certified “This is It,” and the RIAA Triple Platinum certified ‘Five More Minutes.” The North Carolina native has earned one Triple Platinum, five Platinum and four Gold singles; one Platinum and two Gold albums; won the 10th season of “American Idol” in 2011 at age 17; was named the ACM New Artist of the Year in 2011; won two CMT Music Awards, the first for Breakthrough Video of the Year (“The Trouble with Girls”) in 2012, and the second for Digital-First Performance of the Year (“It Matters to Her” from “CMT Stages”) in 2024; and BMI Awards for writing One of the Top 50 Country Songs of the Year five times (in 2015 for “See You Tonight,” in 2018 for “Five More Minutes,” in 2019 for “This is It,” in 2021 for “In Between,” and in 2022 for “You Time”). He was awarded Pandora Billionaire status in 2021 in recognition of his music achieving more than one billion streams on Pandora. His song “Five More Minutes” inspired two popular holiday movies which aired on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Network: “Five More Minutes” in 2021 and “Five More Minutes: Moments Like These” in 2022. He released his first book Go Big or Go Home: The Journey Toward the Dream in 2016. His most recent album is Same Truck: The Deluxe Album. This fall McCreery was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame and last year was invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry by Garth Brooks. McCreery was just welcomed into the Opry family on April 20 by his heroes, Josh Turner and Randy Travis. The singer/songwriter married his high school sweetheart Gabi in 2018, and the couple had their first son Avery in October 2022. For more information, visit ScottyMcCreery.com.

Koe Wetzel Sets '9 Lives' for July 19 Release; Introduces 9 Personas

April 29, 2024

For almost a decade, Koe Wetzel’s name has carried a certain mystique among his dedicated following, a reputation built as a powerful and unpredictable live performer, a genre-disrupter blending country with rock, hip-hop and grunge, and a notorious party animal. Now, he's ready to prove that there’s more to his story with forthcoming album 9 Lives set for release via Columbia Records on July 19 across all digital platforms and physically on Standard Black Cat Black Vinyl, D2C Exclusive Translucent Blue Colored Vinyl and Limited Edition D2C Exclusive Pyro Colored Vinyl. Pre-order / pre-save HERE.

Produced predominantly by Gabe Simon (Noah Kahan’s Stick Season) alongside a lineup of trusted collaborators like Josh Serrato, Carrie K and Sam Harris (X Ambassadors), 9 Lives showcases Wetzel’s versatility as a songwriter and his prowess as an interpreter of songs.

Ranging from emotional ballads like “Sweet Dreams” and “Hatchet” to easygoing country singalongs such as “Casamigos” and his take on Keith Gattis’s “Reconsider,” plus songs like “Leigh” that reveal a deep vulnerability beneath their humorous surface, the album features an array of tracks as diverse as the man behind them.

“I want fans to know that there's a different side of me, not just the sex, drugs, and rock & roll Koe that they may have heard about online,” Wetzel says. “I've grown up a little bit. I’m no longer the 20-year-old kid that's partying down and getting thrown in jail all the time. 9 Lives reveals a vulnerable side that people may not be used to hearing.”

Both out now as an early preview of the album, lead single “Damn Near Normal” sees Wetzel reflecting on his life's choices with candor and humor, while the title track “9 Lives (Black Cat)” arrives with an ominous piano intro an explodes into a chest-thumping declaration of defiance.

Wetzel offered fans a further preview of the album’s multi-faceted narrative with a special trailer released earlier today, introducing nine unique Koe Wetzels as the man praised by Billboard for “music that’s unvarnished and unfiltered” showcased his comedic acting skills. Watch below.

The live-phenom also plans to take his new music global this year with his recently announced Damn Near Normal World Tour. Wetzel will also perform prominent sets at several festivals this year, including Rock the Country, Hangout, Country Jam, Country Thunder Wisconsin, WE Fest, Watershed and more, plus a hometown stadium show as he joins Morgan Wallen’s One Night At A Time World Tour in Arlington, Texas this July.

For more information on all things Koe Wetzel and to purchase tickets to upcoming shows, visit KoeWetzelMusic.comand follow on Instagram and Facebook @KoeWetzelMusic, TikTok @Koe_Wetzel and Twitter/X @KoeWetzel.

Damn Near Normal World Tour Dates:
July 27             The Woodlands, Texas  ||  Cynthia Woods Pavilion
Aug. 7              Missoula, Mont.  ||  Big Sky Brewing Company Amphitheater
Aug. 8              Nampa, Idaho  ||  Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater
Aug. 9              Sandy, Utah  ||  Sandy Amphitheater
Aug. 10            Las Vegas, Nev.  ||  The Theater at Virgin Hotel Hotels Las Vegas
Aug. 15            Minneapolis, Minn.  ||  The Armory
Aug. 16            Council Bluffs, Iowa  ||  Stir Cove (Harrah’s Casino)
Aug. 21            Cleveland, Ohio  ||  Jacobs Pavilion
Aug. 22            Columbus, Ohio  ||  KEMBA Live! Outdoor
Aug. 23            Pittsburgh, Pa.  ||  Stage AE
Aug. 24            Washington, D.C.  ||  The Anthem
Aug. 28            Boston, Mass.  ||  Roadrunner
Aug. 29            Uncasville, Conn.  ||  Mohegan Sun Arena
Aug. 30            Atlantic City, N.J.  ||  Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena
Aug. 31            Reading, Pa.  ||  Santander Arena
Sept. 4              Charleston, W.V.  ||  Charleston Coliseum
Sept. 5              Roanoke, Va.  ||  Berglund Center
Sept. 6              Columbia, S.C.  ||  Colonial Life Arena
Sept. 7              Cary, N.C.  ||  Koka Booth Amphitheatre
Sept. 12            Kansas City, Kan.  ||  Azura Amphitheater
Sept. 13            Camdenton, Mo.  ||  Ozarks Amphitheater
Sept. 18            St. Louis, Mo.  ||  Chaifetz Arena
Sept. 20            Huntsville, Ala.  ||  The Orion Amphitheater
Sept. 21            Macon, Ga.  ||  Atrium Health Amphitheater
Sept. 25            Alexandria, La.  ||  Rapides Parish Coliseum
Sept. 26            Tuscaloosa, Ala.  ||  Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater
Sept. 27            Nashville, Tenn.  ||  Ascend Amphitheater
Sept. 28            Little Rock, Ark.  ||  First Security Amphitheater
Oct. 3               Pikeville, Ky.  ||  Appalachian Wireless Arena
Oct. 4               Indianapolis, Ind.  ||  Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park
Oct. 5               Evansville, Ind.  ||  Ford Center
Oct. 10             Abilene, Texas  ||  Expo Center of Taylor County
Oct. 11             Lubbock, Texas  ||  Cooks Garage
Oct. 13             Morrison, Colo.  ||  Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Oct. 26             Manchester, U.K.  ||  Academy 3
Oct. 27             London, U.K.  ||  The Garage
Oct. 30             Glasgow, U.K.  ||  Oran Mor
Oct. 31             Birmingham, U.K.  ||  Academy 2
Nov. 1              Leeds, U.K.  ||  Brudenell Social Club
Nov.3               Amsterdam, Netherlands  ||  Melkweg (Oude Zaal)
Nov. 5              Hamburg, Germany  ||  Bahnhof Pauli
Nov. 6              Berlin, Germany  ||  Frannz Club
Nov. 7              Cologne, Germany  ||  Club Volta
Nov. 10            Stockholm, Sweden  ||  Nalen
Nov. 11 Oslo, Norway  ||  Rockefeller Music Hall
Nov. 13            Copenhagen, Denmark  ||  Lille Vega

Additional Shows:
May 10             Daytona Beach, Fla.  ||  Welcome to Rockville
May 11             Roma, Ga.  ||  Rock The Country
May 18             Gulf Shores, Ala.  ||  Hangout Music Festival
June 21             Grand Junction, Colo.  ||  Country Jam
June 29             Poplar Bluff, Mo.  ||  Rock The Country
July 18             Twin Lakes, Wis.  ||  Country Thunder Wisconsin
July 26             Arlington, Texas  ||  AT&T Stadium (with Morgan Wallen)
July 31             Davenport, Iowa  ||  Mississippi Valley Fair
Aug. 1              Detroit Lakes, Minn.  ||  WE Fest
Aug. 3              Sweet Home, Ore.  ||  Oregon Jamboree Music Festival
Aug. 4              George, Wash.  ||  Watershed Festival
Aug. 17            Wichita, Kan.  ||  Bulls, Bands and Barrels
Sept. 14            Prior, Okla.  ||  Born & Raised
Sept. 19            Louisville, Ky.  ||  Bourbon & Beyond

About Koe Wetzel
Koe Wetzel never met a genre wall he couldn’t tear down: The Texas singer-songwriter has earned a rabid audience for his songs that mix country, rock, hip-hop, and even Nineties grunge. His 2016 album Noise Complaint endeared him to fans with its no- holds-barred lyrics about drunken nights, broken hearts and stints in jail, and included the Gold-certified hits “Love” (feat. Parker McCollum), “Something to Talk About” and the infamous “February 28, 2016.” Wetzel’s 2020 major label debut, Sellout, only furthered his legend with the Platinum-certified “Drunk Driving” plus the Gold-certified “Good Die Young” and “Kuntry & Wistern.” The 2022 follow-up, Hell Paso, hit No. 3 on Billboard’s Country Albums and spawned hits on both the country and rock charts, including the Gold-certified “Creeps” and “Cabo.” To date, Wetzel has 2.6 billion total streams and has created a genuine experience with his live concerts, which he describes as “total chaos.” In 2023 alone, he sold more than 275,000 tickets, and appeared for a third time on POLLSTAR’s Top Worldwide Tours. Wetzel will open for Morgan Wallen on the superstar’s One Night at a Time Stadium Tour this July and play prominent sets at festivals like Country Thunder and Watershed this summer, while also headlining his own Damn Near Normal World Tour. His new album, 9 Lives (Columbia), is set for release July 19.

GAEREA Release Explosive New Standalone Single

April 29, 2024

In a world where music often treads familiar territories, cathartic black metal visionaries GAEREA challenge the paradigms and invite listeners into an enigmatic journey with their latest standalone single, "World Ablaze".

Now available today, March 29th on all streaming platforms and on YouTube, "World Ablaze" is a narrative bursting with the desire for freedom, the beauty of hope, and the vividness of life's untamed wonders.

"'World Ablaze' tells the story of a man who has lived all his life inside a cage, knowing that one day, he'd be set free to experience the world with its true colors. Unfortunately, he also knows that day will be his last hours alive."

Through vivid imagery and piercing, emotive lyrics, the song explores a dance between life and death, hope and despair - capturing the essence of human longing for liberation and the fleeting beauty of existence.

Accompanied by a visually striking music video created by Grupa 13 (PL), the release of "World Ablaze" is a significant artistic statement. The video amplifies the song's narrative, turning it into an immersive visual echo of the themes that the track explores with such fervor.

As GAEREA continues to widen the black metal sphere to new grounds, their unique brand of cathartic black metal has garnered international acclaim, propelling them to new heights with each release. With "World Ablaze", the collective not only solidifies their reputation as purveyors of dark and intricate artistry but also invites listeners to reflect on the notions of freedom, the allure of the unknown, and the inevitable dance with destiny.

To embrace the world of GAEREA and dive into the abyss of "World Ablaze", follow them on their journey across social platforms and streaming services. The fire of their artistry burns brighter than ever, illuminating the shadows and setting the music world ablaze.

"In the heart of darkness, where silence meets the flame, GAEREA transcends, and 'World Ablaze' emerges as a beacon of longing and liberation."

WE ARE GAEREA

Following the release of "World Ablaze", GAEREA invites fans and followers to experience their electrifying performances live on the much-anticipated CRYPT OF ANCESTRAL KNOWLEDGE 2024 European Tour, where they'll be playing the new single live. Alongside giants such as Wolves in the Throne Room and Mortiferum, the tour marks a new era for GAEREA as they bring their cathartic black metal to various corners of Europe. From the depths of the Dark Troll Fest in Bornstedt to the historic waves of the Wave Gothic Festival in Leipzig, this tour is a pilgrimage through the realms of darkness, liberation, and transcendent music.

Tickets are available now for what promises to be a monumental tour for GAEREA and their fans. Be part of the journey that sets the world ablaze with the collective's unparalleled energy and monumental performances across Europe.

Tour tickets here:https://www.gaerea.com/

VIP upgradesfor the tour are also available, offering an exclusive meet & greet withGAEREAas well as much more, which you can see here:

https://www.gaerea.com/product-page/gaerea-eu-tour-vip-upgrade

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. Today, Gaerea is bracing everyone for their next era. "World Ablaze" is a Newborn Anthem.

With the release of the new song, GAEREA is emerging from the underground scene, ascending towards a permanently lasting position at the head of the table.

An emotional gateway to a dark black metal scene, a guide to salvation, pain, despair and letting go. Moving up, into the blackness that is above.GAEREAis the answer, the only answer.

Recording Studio
Demigod Studios at Redbox Studios

Production Credits
Produced by GAEREA
Recorded by Miguel Tereso at Redbox Studios
Mixed and Mastered by Miguel Tereso at Demigod Studios

Biography
Gaerea

Stream & Order:https://orcd.co/gaereaworldablaze

Links/Follow Artist:
Official Website:https://www.gaerea.com/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/gaerea
Instagram:https://instagram.com/gaerea_
TikTok:https://tiktok.com/@gaereaofficial
Discord:https://discord.gg/CSyqFQZ6
YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdQOfL4E3Z_SpHLL52tOIpQ
Twitter:https://x.com/gaerea_official

Booking & Management Contact:
US Booking -nickstorch@artistgrp.com
EU Booking -alexander@doomstarbookings.com
Latin America Booking -rubenbarroscabrera@gmail.com

Available Formats:
Digital Download

Brantley Gilbert Extends Off The Rails Tour Through the Fall

April 28, 2024

Multi-Platinum country rocker Brantley Gilbert extends his Off The Rails Tour into the fall, announcing 15+ additional dates where he will be joined by special guests Adam Calhoun and Demun Jones. Pre-sales begin Tuesday, April 30 at 10am local time and general on sale will begin next Friday, May 3 at 10am local time. To purchase tickets and for additional information, visit BrantleyGilbert.com.

Since embarking on the Off The Rails Tour last month, Gilbert has delivered an unforgettable experience at each stop, packing as many songs as possible into the setlist and incorporating elevated production elements with pyrotechnics and CO2 cannons.

“We’ve had such an amazing time on the Off The Rails Tour, we couldn’t help but decide to keep the party rollin’,” shares Gilbert. “This is my favorite show that we’ve put together, thanks to a talented lineup both in the band and behind the scenes. It’s been incredible seeing BG Nation match that energy every single night, and it only makes us more excited to get to the next city.”

Over the last two years, Gilbert has been writing and recording for his seventh studio album and recently delivered a preview with the revelry inducing anthem “Off The Rails” via The Valory Music Co. Listen to “Off The Rails” HERE.

The Georgia native will appear on CMT Hot 20 this Saturday and Sunday at 9am ET/8am CT. Chatting with host Cody Alan at his recent tour stop in Clarksville, Tenn., Gilbert will discuss his forthcoming album and give fans a peek at what they should expect on this run of shows.

Brantley Gilbert’s Off The Rails Tour Dates
New dates in bold, tickets on sale Friday May 3
* Festival Date

April 26 // Scheels Arena // Fargo, ND
April 27 // Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center // Mankato, MN
May 4 // Firekeepers Casino // Battle Creek, MI
May 9 // River Spirit Casino Resort – The Cove // Tulsa, OK
May 10 // Riverwind Casino // Norman, OK
May 11 // Billy Bob’s Texas // Fort Worth, TX
May 16 // Yaamava’ Resort & Casino // Highland, CA
May 17 // KNCI Country in the Park // Sacramento, CA*
May 18 // Rio Vista Outdoor Amphitheater at Harrah’s Laughlin // Laughlin, NV
May 31 // Summer Stage at Tags // Big Flats, NY
June 1 // Finger Lakes Country Music Festival // Palmyra, NY*
June 2 // Cape Cod Melody Tent // Hyannis, MA
June 8 // Rock the Country // Reddick, FL*
June 14 // KIZN Country Stomp // Nampa, ID*
June 15 // Shoshone Bannock Casino Hotel // Fort Hall, ID
June 22 // Rock the Country // Mobile, AL*
June 28 // Buckeye Motorcycle & Music Rally // Columbus, OH*
June 29 // After Hours Concert Series at the SERVPRO Pavilion // Doswell, VA
June 30 // Elmwood Park Amphitheater // Roanoke, VA
July 11 // Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park // Des Moines, IA
July 12 // Delaware County Fair // Manchester, IA*
July 13 // Morgan County Fair // Jacksonville, IL*
July 18 // Bayfront Festival Park // Duluth, MN
July 19 // Harrah’s Stir Cove // Council Bluffs, IA
July 20 // Dam Jam Music Festival // Goddard, KS*
July 22 // Elkhart County 4-H Fair // Goshen, IN*
July 24 // Delaware State Fair // Harrington, DE*
July 26 // Rock the Country // Anderson, SC*
July 27 // Carowinds Summer Festival Series // Charlotte, NC
Aug. 3 // Nugget Event Center // Sparks, NV
Aug. 30 // Fraze Pavilion // Kettering, OH
Aug. 31 // Walworth County Fair // Elkhorn, WI*
Sept. 1 // Canfield Fair // Canfield, OH*
Sept. 19 // Mountain Health Network Arena // Huntington, WV
Sept. 20 // Santander Arena // Reading, PA
Sept. 21 // DCU Center // Worcester, MA
Sept. 26 // LJVM Coliseum // Winston-Salem, NC
Sept. 27 // The Corbin Arena // Corbin, KY
Sept. 28 // Florence Center // Florence, SC
Oct. 3 // Knoxville Civic Coliseum // Knoxville, TN
Oct. 4 // First National Bank Arena // Jonesboro, AR
Oct. 5 // Ozarks Amphitheater // Camdenton, MO
Oct. 10 // Raising Cane’s River Center Arena // Baton Rouge, LA
Oct. 11 // Cadence Bank Arena // Tupelo, MS
Oct. 17 // Enmarket Arena // Savannah, GA
Oct. 18 // McKenzie Arena // Chattanooga, TN
Oct. 19 // Atrium Health Amphitheater // Macon, GA

About Brantley Gilbert
With a grassroots following millions strong, multi-Platinum country rocker Brantley Gilbert has mined a rich vein of conflict between the party and the pew on all his albums, with his music being adopted as the soundtrack to both Saturday night and Sunday morning by audiences around the world. Instead of toiling in limbo, unable to enjoy good times for fear of Judgment Day, Gilbert fully lives––rowdy friend, man of faith, devoted husband, smitten father––just as he is. Following his sixth studio album So Help Me God, Gilbert readies a forthcoming project, giving BG Nation the first taste with “Off The Rails,” a revelry inducing anthem that embodies the kind of high energy live show the Georgia native will bring to the Off The Rails Tour this year. Along with the new track, he’ll perform songs across his discography, which includes back-to-back Platinum albums and seven No. 1 hits: RIAA 7x Platinum-certified “Bottoms Up,” 2x Platinum “Country Must Be Country Wide,” 2x Platinum “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do,” 2x Platinum “One Hell of An Amen,” Platinum-certified collaboration with Lindsay Ell “What Happens In A Small Town,” and two chart-toppers as a songwriter with CMA Song of the Year nominee “Dirt Road Anthem” and “My Kinda Party.” For additional information, visit BrantleyGilbert.com or follow him on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter/X @BrantleyGilbert and Facebook.com/BrantleyGilbertMusic.

My Epic Sign to Tooth & Nail + Announce "Loriella" Album + Share "Northstar" Video

April 28, 2024

Tooth & Nail Records is pleased to add My Epic to its global roster. The band — Aaron Stone [guitar, vocals], Tanner Morita [guitar], and Nate Washburn[guitar, bass] — was formerly signed to Facedown Records. They've shifted and grown, and their sound accounts for lots of lived experience.

The band will release its label debut (and fourth album overall) Loriella on June 28. Pre-order it here.

"Loriella is a record about progression, joy, and the confidence that can only grow after the loss of innocence," the band states. "It's the soundtrack to a hard-won optimism that comes from a commitment to living with 'open hearts and calloused hands.' Massive in dynamic, with intention in every detail, we've never worked harder and can't wait to share these songs."

The time to share these songs has arrived, as the band has dropped the video for the expansive, room-filling, and darkly atmospheric first single "Northstar." Watch it below.

"We don't keep the peace, we make it,'" the band says, referencing a key lyric in the track. "'Northstar' is a future forward production of a classic My Epic formula: Powerful melodic hooks, interspersed with moody dynamic shifts, all culminating in a massive ending. It's a song about how making peace with the past is the most powerful way forward."

ABOUT MY EPIC:
My Epic tune into this moment of reawakening on their fourth full-length offering and Tooth & Nail Records debut Loriella. Balancing waves of warm distorted fuzz with lush melodies and cinematic production, the group make the kind of music that rouses the senses and might just encourage you to open your eyes, mind, and heart a little wider.

"The record is about having lived long enough to lose your innocence and still being able to find joy, hope, peace, and faith," explains Aaron. "I can be a critical person, but there's a difference between being critical and cynical. I understand why people end up choosing cynicism, because sometimes it can seem like the best way to make sense of all the data in the world–but I think cynicism is death. It's part of my aim to fight cynicism at every turn. The album is about discovery and re-engaging life with purpose on new terms of your own."

Throughout the past two decades, the band have quietly, yet consistently engaged a devout fanbase with a simultaneously anthemic and intricate approach to alternative rock. They've progressed across the likes of I Am Undone [2008], Yet [2010], and Behold [2013]. The latter notably catapulted onto the Billboard Heatseekers Albums Chart. Generating millions of streams, their catalog expanded with fan favorite EPs such as Viscera [2016], Ultraviolet [2018], and Violence [2019]—which HM Magazine hailed as "a blend of indie-alternative enchantments." Meanwhile, Cory Brandan of Norma Jean lent his voice to "White Noises.” During 2020, the band signed to Tooth & Nail, turning the page on another chapter as they set their sights on their first full-length since 2013. In between, life happened as band members became dads and moved around personally and professionally.

For the first time, Nate assumed the role of primary producer, and Loriella materialized over the course of two years in three different studios. Along the way, they nodded to early inspirations such as The Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, and Third Eye Blind.

Black Veil Brides Sign With Spinefarm, Announce "Bleeders" EP + Share Video

April 28, 2024

BLACK VEIL BRIDES kick off a new season of redemption and revenge with "Bleeders," a cinematic music video, battle cry, and tour conceived by band leader Andy Biersack. The "Bleeders" single and enchanting music video (directed by Jensen Noen) coincide with a forthcoming EP of the same name.

Watch the video below.

The Bleeders EP is both a soundtrack and a signpost of everything BVB past, present, and future. The band's inaugural release in a new partnership with Spinefarm boasts the title track, a loving rendition of Sweeney Todd’s "My Friends," and a faithful cover of U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday."

The Bleeders Tour transforms the band's theatrical and allegorical tales of vengeance into real-world philanthropy, incorporating a virtual blood drive with the American Red Cross. "As Bleeders, it's our mission to effect positive change. Help us to help others in this time of need," reads a statement from the band, comprised of Biersack, Jake Pitts, Jinxx, Christian "C.C." Coma, and Lonny Eagleton.

One pint of blood can save as many as three lives. As of April 22, fans have pledged 1577 pints.

Before the birth of the BVB Army, the thousands of lyric tattoos, and the gold and platinum records that followed, Black Veil Brides was simply a dark vision dreamt up by an only child in Ohio.

He already loved Batman and KISS. Then, the striking visage of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, on the cover of his dad's dusty CD (released a dozen years before he was born) kicked open the door for Biersack. Sweeney Todd cleared the way for The Phantom of the Opera, Misfits, and all that followed, culminating in the birth of Andy Black and the ascension of Black Veil Brides.

The group's cinematic scope and unwavering commitment to self-expression strikes a familiar chord with their fellow "bleeders" who seek refuge (and revenge) in the power of the dark and imagination.

There are over 160 million views of "Knives and Pens," an early demo committed to music video before Andy (who moved to Hollywood at 18 and lived in his car) met his band of brothers. The RIAA-certified platinum single "In the End," itself close to 170 million views, proved the group whose merch dominated Hot Topic before they’d even made their debut album was built to last. In 2021, "Scarlet Cross" became their highest-charting, Top 10 single. "Fallen Angels" went gold in 2023.

They combine a unique identity with an unquenchable creative thirst. They're an object of devotion for those who sing their anthems in unison, a diverse BVB Army who never surrenders. Bleeders offers a taste of what will become Black Veil Brides' most visceral, cinematic, and unrelenting era yet.

Black Veil Brides and their audience slash away at the darkness together, bleeders one and all.

BLACK VEIL BRIDES ON TOUR:
WITH DARK DIVINE, CREEPER + GHOSTKID:
4/25 — San Francisco, CA — Fillmore
4/27 — Las Vegas, NV — Sick New World*
4/28 — Salt Lake City, UT — The Depot
4/29 — Denver, CO — Ogden Theater
4/30 — Kansas City, MO — The Truman
5/2 — Minneapolis, MN — Fillmore
5/3 — Chicago, IL — Concord Music Hall
5/4 — Green Bay, WI — Epic
5/5 — Detroit, MI — Royal Oak Theater
5/7 — Albany, NY — Empire Live
5/8 — Boston, MA — House of Blues Boston
5/9 — Richmond, VA — The National
5/10 — Raleigh, NC — The Ritz
5/12 — Daytona Beach, FL — Welcome to Rockville*
5/13 — Atlanta, GA — Buckhead Theater
5/15 — New York, NY — Palladium Times Square
5/16 — Philadelphia, PA — Fillmore
5/17 — Columbus, OH — Sonic Temple*
5/18 — Nashville, TN — Marathon Music Works
5/20 — San Antonio, TX — The Aztec Theatre
5/21 — Houston, TX — RISE
5/22 — Dallas, TX — The Factory
5/24 — Tempe, AZ — The Marquee
5/25 — Los Angeles, CA — The Belasco
*Festival Date

ABOUT SPINEFARM:
Spinefarm represents some of the biggest and most important rock acts in the world. Founded in Finland in 1990, the label established itself as an independent powerhouse for successful European metal acts from Nightwish to Children Of Bodom. Acquired by UMG in 2002, Spinefarm Music Group is now home to a host of artists that reach millions of fans across the globe and showcases the very best in rock, punk and metal. From massive metal names such as Bullet For My Valentine (with over 3 billion streams to their name) to alt-rock legends Killing Joke and genre-benders Sleep Token, Spinefarm's artists are — and always have been —true leaders in their chosen field. The roster also includes renowned names like Atreyu, Airbourne, Saint Asonia, and While She Sleeps, as well as fast-rising young artists like Dayseeker, Dead Poet Society, Kid Kapichi, BRKN LOVE, and Creeper. Spinefarm, now flanked by associated SMG labels Candlelight (Emperor, Ihsahn, Urne) and Snakefarm (Marty Stuart, Austin Meade, The White Buffalo), has grown from its independent origins into a true global rock powerhouse.

Extortionist Release New Single + Music Video "When It All Goes Dark" via Unique Leader Records

April 27, 2024

Extortionist have today released their latest single "When It All Goes Dark" and the official video (via Unique Leader Records). The track can be found on the band's upcoming new album 'Devoid of Love & Light' set for release on Friday, May 17. Speaking about the inspiration behind today's release, the band shared:

“'When It All Goes Dark' is the conclusion of the upcoming full-length “Devoid of Love & Light”.

The track is a middle finger pointed towards crooked practices, cliques, and individuals within the music industry and a metaphorical presentation of enduring & navigating a “hive-mind” mentality."

Prior to today, Extortionist dropped the album title track "Devoid of Love & Light" along with the visual accompaniment. Stream "When It All Goes Dark" here and watch the music video below.

Band names go a long way in helping paint a figurative picture in the listener's mind of what to expect before one ever hits “play.” When it comes to Extortionist, you think crime—you think gritty, raw, merciless and unsavory and maybe, just maybe, a little sprinkling of suaveness. When it comes to the Pacific Northwest’s resident moshslingers, those premonitions from their name are exactly what you get. As a band who have proven themselves exemplary at styles of heavy music ranging from downtempo deathcore to grunge-tinted metal, Extortionist are more than just a jack-of-all-trades; they’re masters. Utilizing bold, roaring guitars overtop crushing, steamrolling percussion and vocals that run the gamut from guttural to grating, pitched singing and topped off with—you guessed it—a now-infamous dodgeball-smack snare, Extortionist have proven that not only are they incredible at what they do, they’re a band that the heavy scene just can’t go without.

Emerging from the relatively understated pastures and prairies of Coeur d’Alene in early 2013, to say Extortionist have been on a journey since their inception would be an understatement. With "The Black Sheep" instantly earning them notoriety with its combination of feral grooves and eviscerating breakdowns, Extortionist proved themselves early on as prodigal masters of all things punishingly heavy. As the band grew and gained more experience on the road in light of the success of their debut EP, their style and dynamic grew as well. After nearly four years of touring and writing, Extortionist would unleash 'The Decline' in 2017, a band that saw their breed of brutalizing deathcore hybridized with riff-heavy metalcore and more introspective lyrics that tackled suicidal ideation and substance abuse. 'The Decline' was met with immense critical praise and continued to open up larger opportunities for the Northwestern act, ultimately earning them multiple co-headlining tours from coast to coast, and a spot on Stay Sick Records, alongside other up-and-coming heavyweights like SPITE and Bodysnatcher. Barely a year and a half after their signing, the band announced their sophomore full-length release, 'Sever the Cord', which saw them experimenting with the inclusion of grunge and alternative influences, adding even more depth and grit to their dynamic. Their sophomore album earned them not only critical acclaim, but nationwide tours alongside The Browning, Betraying the Martyrs, Lorna Shore and First Blood. 'Sever the Cord' was followed shortly thereafter by an eponymous EP which saw them diving deeper into a more exploratory realm of metalcore, colliding ferocious riffs into moments of warm, nostalgic melody. While their self-titled release was widely heralded as the band’s strongest work to date, was declared their Swan Song, as in the weeks that followed towards the back-end of Summer 2019, Extortionist announced their dissolution.

That isn’t the end of Extortionist’s story, however. As 2019 gave way into 2020 and the chaotic months that followed, the heavy music community felt the band’s absence all too strongly. In the early months of 2021, Extortionist announced their return with a series of shows in Spokane, Washington alongside AVOID and Seconds Ago as well as a new single, “Once More in Torment”. Once more highlighting the seamless blend of raunchy aggression and groove-heavy catchiness that only Extortionist can provide, the band’s comeback track is a strong reminder of just how missed they were throughout their nearly two-year absence. Frontman and founding member Benjamin Hoagland states “This is the best place we’ve ever been in as a band...Extortionist lives, and we’re here to stay.” Indeed, with a full-length record in the works and a ferocious return to live performance already underway, it would seem that Exortionist’s relative break was only a brief moment with which to collect themselves before reasserting their dominance over the contemporary metalcore scene. - Connor Welsh

See the band across North America on the Angels & Villains Tour with Born of Osiris, Attila, Traitors, and Not Enough Space. For ticket information, please click here.

The Angels & Villains Tour USA 2024:

4/25 - Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl

4/26 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse

4/27 - Tampa, FL @ The Ritz

4/29 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Varsity Theater

5/01 - Corpus Christi, TX @ House of Rock

5/03 - Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th St. Collective

5/04 - Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live

5/05 - San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger

5/07 - Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theater

5/08 - Mesa, AZ @ Nile Theater

5/09 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues

5/10 - Pomona, CA @ The Glass House

5/11 - Los Angeles, CA @ 1720

5/12 - San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom

5/14 - Portland, OR @ Bossanova Ballroom

5/15 - Seattle, WA @ The Showbox

5/17 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot

5/18 - Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre

5/20 - St. Lous, MO @ Red Flag

5/21 - Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre

5/22 - Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater

5/23 - Davenport, IA @ Capitol Theater

5/24 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave II

5/25 - Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge

5/26 - Pontiac, MI @ Crofoot Ballroom

GRAMERCY ARMS releases sophisticated & endearing fourth album 'The Making Of The Making Of' via Magic Door Records

April 27, 2024

"A fabulous and fresh slice of positivity, wrapped up in a finely-tuned package of upbeat and harmonious pop-rock that will leave you wanting more and checking local concert listings to see if the band is heading your way. Impeccably performed; superbly arranged and produced" ~ The Spill Magazine

"Perfectly straddles popularity and poise, chart potential and also satisfies more discerning tastes... Gramercy Arms is that rare thing. It is a band that makes great albums AND writes killer singles" ~ Big Takeover Magazine

"Wistful, bittersweet and soaring power pop... With echoes of the likes of Teenage Fanclub and Dinosaur Junior, as well as the classicism of 80s indie-pop, it’s yearning and hooky in all the right places, a gleaming melodic pick me up" ~ God is in the TV Zine

Bringing a little light into our lives, NYC-based collective Gramercy Arms has released their fourth album 'The Making Of The Making Of' via Montclair, NJ-based Magic Door Record Label. With nine tracks on offer, this album presents a varied smorgasbord of superb radio-friendly indie pop-rock gems and more intimate acoustic offerings. The band also present a new video for 'Never Say Anything (Magic Door Session)'.

A loose treasure-trove of musicians and artists, masterminded by Dave Derby (The Dambuilders, Lloyd Cole) and producer Ray Ketchem (Guided by Voices, Luna, Elk City), Gramercy Arms is inspired by the artistic heyday of ‘70s and ‘80s New York, creating addictive indie pop with exquisite hook-laden melodies and lyrics that will have you floating back in time and remembering your favorite mistake.

With many of the songs recorded during the same sessions for the band’s 2023 'Deleted Scenes' album, 'The Making Of …' is decidedly more of a band album with a looser and more raucous approach featuring live in-studio performances and an even wider array of contributors.

Produced, recorded and mixed by Ray Ketchem at Magic Door Recording in Montclair, NJ, it was mastered by Ketchem and award-winning engineer Greg Calbi (John Lennon, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Talking Heads, Patti Smith, Tom Petty).

Earlier, Gramercy Arms released 'Never Say Anything', a gorgeously performed paean to paranoid times featuring Lysa Opfer (Aeon Station) and Mark Lizotte (Diesel), and 'After the After Party', a rueful power pop gem about chances missed and taken, featuring longtime collaborators Kevin March (Guided by Voices, The Dambuilders, Shudder to Think), Hilken Mancini (Fuzzy, the Monsieurs), Rainy Orteca (Joan As Police Woman, Dead Air) and Mike Errico.

Both albums are loaded with talent, involving Doug Gillard (Guided by Voices, Nada Surf, Cobra Verde, Death of Samantha), Sean Eden (Luna), Phoebe Summersquash (Small Factory), Renée LoBue (Elk City, Flowers of America), Kendall Meade (Mascott), Verena Wiesendanger (Semi Gloss), Claudia Chopek (Bright Eyes, The Little River Band, Echo of the Ghost), John Leon (Roky Erickson, Royal Arctic Institute), Rafa Maciejak (Lloyd Cole and the Negatives, Ivy), Jules Verdone, Richard Alwyn-Fisher (King Canutes, The Winter Drinks), Steve Hurley (Gigolo Aunts), Carl Baggaley (Elk City, Royal Arctic Institute), Peter Hess (Phillip Glass Ensemble, Slavic Soul Party) and Gary Burton (Dovedale). 'Deleted Scenes' also involves the legendary Lloyd Cole.

"I initially thought about doing a double album and then decided against it. To me 'Deleted Scenes' and 'The Making Of The Making Of' are companion pieces and part of a larger work. I think of them as two sides of a double album and may release them as a double vinyl album in the future. To me, there is an understated, almost dark horse element to “The Making Of …” that gives it a special charm. In many ways 'Deleted Scenes' was more of the ‘obvious’ A-tracks, whereas 'The Making Of …' is just more fun. Songs like 'Lux', 'Susan' and 'The Long Game' capture that for me. The fact that the album has 4 different drummers with different feels and approaches has a lot to do with that because it still hangs together," says Dave Derby.

"Even though these songs came from the same sessions, this album was much more of a band record whereas “Deleted Scenes” was more about me and Kevin March building the tracks up together. Many of these songs were live full-band takes. I think that approach shows up in the final versions."

'The Making Of the Making Of' album is out now, available from fine music platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp. Their record release party takes place on April 26 at Berlin NYC with support from The Gershwin Brothers and the Hilken Mancini Band.

CREDITS
Written by Dave Derby (Passive Aggressive Music BMI)
Recorded at the Magic Door Studio, Montclair, NJ
Engineered, Mixed and Produced by Ray Ketchem
Mastered by Greg Calbi and Ray Ketchem
'After The After Party' video by Max Skaff
'Never Say Anything' video by Debora Francis
Dave Derby photos by Debora Francis

Manchester’s THE SPEED OF SOUND celebrates 35th anniversary by releasing ‘A Cornucopia: Minerva’ album & video for ‘The Great Acceleration’

April 27, 2024

"Buzzing fuzz guitar lines emerge from a delicate acoustic introduction to intersect with the crashing chords and the ‘bulbous pulsing’ rhythm section" ~ Record Collector Magazine

"Raw and edgy sound with guiding and invigorating sense of melody" ~ The Spill Magazine

“Unmistakeable sound a winning formula” ~ The Big Takeover

“A triumph of industry, imagination and talent, coolly novel and damned addictive” ~ Louder Than War

‘Unique and other worldly” ~ Vive Le Rock

“A form of Art-Pop that is wry, incisive, yet a deeply listenable examination of post industrial culture” ~ Rock At Night

"A riotous maelstrom of musical mayhem” ~ The Manc Review

Manchester indie rock psychonauts The Speed Of Sound presents their new album 'A Cornucopia: Minerva', their second album issued via Big Stir Records, along with the video for 'The Great Acceleration' - the second single from the album, following up 'West Wind'.

Hailing from Manchester, The Speed Of Sound is made up of father and son John Armstrong (guitars and vocals) and Henry Armstrong (keyboards), Ann-Marie Crowley (vocals and guitar), Kevin Roache (bass guitar) and John Broadhurst(drums).

Full of ambition, energy, and eccentric melodic brilliance, this is the first record of the three-album set 'A Cornucopia: Minerva, Victory, Bounty' from these future-retro-modernist garage-psych stalwarts. While these albums will see digital editions over the next year, the Vinyl and CD versions are 3-disc sets carrying the umbrella title 'A Cornucopia'. Released as deluxe editions, each set includes two full-length bonus albums 'Victory' and 'Bounty'. But it all begins with 'Minerva'.

With 'A Cornucopia: Minerva' coinciding with the band’s 35th anniversary, The Speed Of Sound returns triumphant, defiant and redemptive, following up their 2021 critically acclaimed album 'Museum Of Tomorrow'. Named for the goddess associated with wisdom, the arts and strategic warfare, this album explores themes of resistance to mainstream cultural dominance, championing individual identity and artistic creativity whilst being a vigorous musical celebration of subcultural existence in the face of predominantly bland pop culture.

'Minerva' presents 14 fresh and variegated tracks, each one a burst of differently-hued radio friendly sonic technicolor. These new pieces range from the recklessly fast Bo Diddley rhythm successfully merged with a Wagnerian horn section of lead single 'West Wind' to the haunting and spacious ballad critiquing Economic Theory that is 'Trickledown' to the stripped back mediaeval folk-tinged starkness of 'The Harvest' to the stratospheric vastness of 'The Great Acceleration'.

The album passes seamlessly through the acoustic guitar-driven groove of 'SS-100-X',the spacious iridescence of 'Eight Fourteen Monday', the lively ascendence of 'The Party Sniper', the glowing radioactivity metaphor of 'Half Life' to the bright uplifting dementia and identity-loss focused 'Mind Palace'. While the bouncing vibe of 'Bodysnatchers' reminds us to stay awake and not slip into the drabness of normalcy, the crunching melodic punch of 'Clickbait' zings into the typewriter introduction of 'Yet Another Tuesday', onwards to the punkifed rhythm and blues of 'So Faux' and the closing acoustic riot of 'Question Time'.

With their inbuilt eclectic and genre-defying style, The Speed Of Sound expand from their base-camp foundation of multiple 1960s, punk and new wave influences, encompassing wide dynamic and stylistic variation, crossing borders and pushing boundaries at every opportunity while retaining continuity. The music bursts with experimentation whilst retaining hooks and melodic sensibility, plus the sharp barbed wit, lyrical depth and all-pervading sense of joy that form the irrepressible, uplifting hallmarks of this band.

Throughout their 35-year history, The Speed Of Sound have continuously produced music laced with optimism and lyrical bite, tapping the DIY ethos of punk and the restless lust for experimentation of psychedelia. Formed in 1989 with a pre-history dating back to the day Andy Warhol died in 1987, their music has always been idiosyncratic, counter-intuitive and perpetually looking for something new.

As of April 26, 'Minerva' is available in both formats from Big Stir Records via Bandcamp. Even better - dive into the jam-packed triple LP and CD editions of 'A Cornucopia'.

CREDITS
All songs written by John Armstrong
John Armstrong - guitars and vocals
Ann-Marie Crowley - vocals and guitars
Kevin Roache - bass guitar
John Broadhurst - drums
Henry Armstrong - keyboards
Bob Dinn - trumpet and flugelhorn
Chris Guest - harmonium, vibraphone, organ, shakers, tambourine
Alex Armstrong - typewriter on 'Yet Another Tuesday'
Voices on 'Mind Palace' by Janet Stacey Dando, Henry Armstrong, Nick Frater, Jason Edge (courtesy of The Electric Stars), John Broadhurst, Mark Britton (courtesy of Amoeba Teen), Janet Armstrong, Louise Turner, Peter Watts & Ruth Rogers (courtesy of Spygenius) and Kevin Roache, plus Ivy Frater (heartbeat)
Recorded, Mixed and Mastered at Vibratone Sound Studio in Manchester by Chris Guest, Adam Crossley and The Speed Of Sound.
Main sleeve image: Purple Spaceman © Lina Landers 2022
Artist photographs by Shay Rowan
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

Keep up with The Speed of Sound
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Keep up with Big Stir Records
Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Mixcloud | YouTube

Keep up with Shameless Promotion PR
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HORRENDOUS Announce Tour with Tomb Mold

April 25, 2024

Metalheads everywhere are still having a hard time deciding whether to crown Ontological Mysterium or The Enduring Spirit as the best album of 2023. They don't have to choose any longer, because Horrendousare going on tour with Tomb Mold.

Let your chariots ride this summer with two of this generation's most celebrated death metal bands. The tour starts in Tomb Mold's native cavern of Toronto before blazing into Horrendous' hometown of Philadelphia. From there, these kindred spirits will crush their way down the East Coast before spinning heads during a final transcendent performance in Brooklyn, New York.

"Ever since an all-too-brief weekend stint of live shows in 2018 with the masterminds behind Tomb Mold, we've dreamed of uniting forces for something greater", Horrendous says. "Six years later, the time has finally arrived! Join us in our pilgrimage across Canada, the Midwest, the South and the East Coast as we tour in celebration of Ontological Mysterium and The Enduring Spirit. You don't want to miss what will surely become a historic moment for genre-defying, boundary-pushing, thought-provoking death metal".

Tickets go on sale this Friday, April 26 at 10 am local time.

Get your tickets at this link: https://www.season-of-mist.com/news/horrendous-2024-04-24/

Tomb Mold and Horrendous Enraptured By Fate's Tangled Thread Tour

July 4 - Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace
July 5 - Montreal, QC @ Les FouFounes Electriques
July 6 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East / Downstairs
July 7 - Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
July 9 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups
July 10 - Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary
July 11 - Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle
July 12 - Chicago, IL @ Reggies
July 13 - St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
July 14 - Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar
July 16 - Austin, TX @ The Lost Well
July 17 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
July 18 - New Orleans, LA @ Siberia
July 19 - Atlanta, GA @ Boggs Social & Supply
July 20 - Orlando, FL @ Will's Pub
July 21 - Miami, FL @ Gramps
July 23 - Greenville, SC @ New Radio Room
July 24 - Raleigh, NC @ Chapel of Bones
July 25 - Richmond, VA @ The Canal Club
July 26 - Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
July 27 - Brooklyn, NY @ Monarch

Ontological Mysterium is a labyrinth. The deeper in you go, the more this album twists and churns, luring you toward some monstrous final battle. The riffs on the title track slice like the blades of an Apache helicopter, while the battle cry that opens "Cult of Shaad'oah" will make you feel like you're about to carve up a volcano full of giant, flaming snake warriors.

"Somehow these guys can take Iron Maiden, mesh it with '90s prog-influenced death metal masters like Atheist, dispense with traditional metal song structures and create something that you've never heard before", writes Metal Injection.

Lambgoat says "Ontological Mysterium is a pholosophical treat cloistered within some of the most ravenously delectable death metal you could subject yourself to this year, perhaps ever".

Stream: https://orcd.co/ontologicalmysteriumpresave

Order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/HorrendousShop

More praise for Ontological Mysterium

"Another triumph of intelligent, sumptuous progressive death, cementing themselves as one of the most important death metal bands of the past decade" - Angry Metal Guy

"Horrendous have made one of the best death metal albums, not only this year but in recent memory...a modern death metal classic" - Metal Sucks

"Rather than rely on the tropes of death metal they use them as tools to drive the point home, allowing melodies room to breathe" - Ghost Cult

"If you're a fan of this era of metal, there is no better time than now to tune in" - No Echo

"By far their brashest play yet" - Pitchfork

"Their music is extremely accessible, crossing through several genres whilst having a melodic and catchy vibe. Perhaps it feels so accessible because whenever I myself listen to Horrendous, it just feels like they’re having so much fun.". - New Noise

“Surprises always come up during writing — spontaneous ideas pull you into new territory and enable the realization of novel possibilities that previously were inaccessible.”

Such are the words from Horrendous drummer Jamie Knox when discussing the creation of the band’s fifth full-length, the highly anticipated 'Ontological Mysterium'. Knox’s quote also encapsulates Horrendous’s approach to extreme metal. Since 2009, the band has capably tapped into the inaccessible by providing a fresh, unconventional take on death metal that harnesses technical brilliance with elaborate, mind-melding melodies, frothy, spewing vocals and labyrinthine song structures. This combination has made each Horrendous long play a clinic in the gratifyingly unorthodox. The trend continues on Ontological Mysterium.

The follow-up to 2018’s Idol was recorded, mixed and mastered at Subterranean Watchtower Studios in Virginia, which doubles as the homestead of guitarist/vocalist Damian Herring. While the band (completed by guitarist/vocalist Matt Knox and bassist Alex Kulick) finished much of the songwriting for Ontological Mysterium in 2019, its recording was delayed by the 2020 global pandemic and various life events. Horrendous eventually finished recording in early 2022 and mastered the album before the start of 2023.

The album upholds Horrendous’s position as one of the underground’s best outside-of-the-box extreme metal bands. Having long abandoned concern whether people would appreciate their “uniqueness,” Horrendous has embraced its role as a band willing to veer far from death metal conventions, intentionally stretching and breaking norms. To wit, the band primarily views its music as filtered through a death metal lens. This may be Horrendous’s defining trait: By not accepting parameters, nothing is off-limits.

Lineup:
Damian Herring - Guitar, Vocals
Matt Knox - Guitar, Vocals
Alex Kulick - Bass
Jamie Knox - Drums

Producer / Sound Engineer / Mixing / Mastering: Damian Herring at Subterranean Watchtower Studio, Arlington, VA, USA

Style: Progressive death metal

Cover art: Brian Smith

Stream: : https://orcd.co/ontologicalmysteriumpresave

Order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/HorrendousShop

Followe Horrendous
https://www.facebook.com/HorrendousDeathMetal
https://www.instagram.com/horrendous_official/
https://horrendoussom.bandcamp.com/
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/horrendous/496063134
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Na6P4MqOassrZtvT9Z12s

HAMMERFALL ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM, 'AVENGE THE FALLEN,' FOR AUGUST

April 25, 2024

Today, HAMMERFALL proudly announce their 13th studio album Avenge The Fallen, which will be released on August 9th via Nuclear Blast Records.

That’s right, less than a year after taking the final bow of the “United Forces” tour, the quintet of guitarist Oscar Dronjak, singer Joacim Cans, bass player Fredrik Larsson, guitarist Pontus Norgen, and drummer David Wallin are back with ten brand new solid pieces of classic heavy metal.

“This is our 13th album”, Joacim Cans says with pride. “How do you still stay relevant after 13 albums? It’s very much like the opening line to the song ´Avenge The Fallen´: “What is the worst, be the one who died, or be the one who survived.”

Think about it, because it is a tough question”.

He continues, “Do we want to be a band who releases new music just for the sole reason of getting out on the road again or do we want to keep pushing and challenging ourselves? In times where people have less and less attention span, we still think in the form of full length albums. A few good songs don’t make a strong album. A strong album comes from an album full a great songs and that’s what we’re delivering with Avenge The Fallen.”

To give a taste of what awaits the fans, the band unleashes the first single and video ´Hail To The King´. A song that was born on the road....

“I began working on ´Hail To The King´ while on tour in the US with Helloween”, Oscar Dronjak recalls. “By the end of the tour, I was getting close to wrapping the song up, so straight after the Los Angeles gig I headed to the bus where I worked like a mad man to get the last pieces together. That turned out to be the show where one of my favourite wrestlers, Chris Jericho, came to visit. It was also the show where Fredrik met his idol Frank Bello from Anthrax and Joacim met Jay Ruston, producer for Armored Saints, Avatar, Anthrax, Corey Taylor and more and whom after this meeting agreed to produce the vocals for ´Avenge The Fallen´! I missed all that, but I at least got a great song out of it, haha!”

Stream ´Hail To The King´: https://hammerfall.bfan.link/HTTK.ema

Pre-order / Pre-save the album: https://hammerfall.bfan.link/avenge-the-fallen.ema

Avenge The Fallen comes in following formats:

- CD Jewel Case
- CD Digipack w/signed poster
- 1 LP Gatefold Gold Vinyl
- 1 LP Gatefold Purple Vinyl
- 1LP Gatefold, Splatter Vinyl (Sweden Rock Exclusive)

Catch HAMMERFALL live in 2024:

19.04. MX Mexico City – Sala Urbana

20.04. CO Bogota – Auditorio Mayor Cun

23.04. CL Santiago - Teleton

25.04. BA Brasilia – Toinha

27.04. BA Sao Paulo – Summer Breeze

30.04. USA Harrisburg – Midtown Arts Center

01.05. USA Montclair – The Wellmont Theater

02.05. USA Albany – Empire Underground

03.05. USA Columbus – The Bluestone

04.05. USA St. Louis – Delmar Hall

06.05. USA Fort Worth - Tannahill's Tavern & Music Hall

07.05. USA San Antonio – Vibes Event Center

09.05. USA Albuquerque – El Rey Theater

10.05. USA Tuscon - Encore

11.05. USA Anaheim - City National Grove of Anaheim

12.05. USA Las Vegas – House of Blues

14.05. USA Denver - Summit

16.05 USA St. Paul – Myth Live

17.05. USA Milwaukee – Milwaukee Metal Fest

18.05. USA Cleveland – House of Blues

19.05. USA Flint – The Machine Shop

20.05. USA Mc Kees Rocks – Roxian Theatre

21.05. USA Richmond – The National

23.05. USA Cincinnati - Bogart´s

24.05. USA Atlanta – The Masquerade (Heaven)

25.05. USA St Peterburg – Jannus Live

05.-08.06. SE Norje – Sweden Rock Festival

06.06. NO Trondheim – Trondheim Rocks

14.06. ES Zamora - Z-fest

20.06. DK Copenhagen - Copenhell

27.06. SL Snina - Rock Pod Kamenon

03.-06.07. DE Ballenstedt – Rock Hartz

12.07. BG Midalidare Estate, Chirpan - Midalidare Rock

10.08. FI Helsinki – Hellsinki Metal Fest

04.10. DE Hamburg – Barclays Arena

05.10. NL Amsterdam – AFAS Live

Line-up:
Joacim Cans - vocals
Oscar Dronjak - guitar
Fredrik Larsson - bass
Pontus Norgen - guitar
David Wallin – drums

HOMEPAGE: LINK
FACEBOOK: LINK
INSTAGRAM: LINK
TWITTER: N/A

Portland-based collective Federale announce new album, preview the lead track 'Heaven Forgive Me'

April 25, 2024

“Equal parts Ennio Morricone, Lee Hazelwood, and Nick Cave with a touch of Chris Isaak’s less romantic side… few if any artists are brave and/or creative enough to channel this ghostly, often ominous vibe into moving, sensual and stirring music” ~ American Songwriter

"Their most immersive and varied album to date, Collin Hegna and his merry band of music-makers take us on a fantastic journey... and on ‘Heaven Forgive Me’, Hegna channels the post-punk vibes of such bands as The Church, Pink Turns Blue and The Mission to our delight" ~ The Spill Magazine

Portland-based outfit Federale have announced they will release their new 'Reverb & Seduction' album via Jealous Butcher Records in summer. Ahead of this, these legendary songcrafters present the lead track 'Heaven Forgive Me', which features Alex Maas of The Black Angels on backing vocals.

Their sixth studio album, 'Reverb & Seduction' marks the band’s twentieth anniversary. The band’s most immersive and varied album to date, with do-it-all frontman Collin Hegna at the height of his powers, this is a tour-de-force road trip from psych rock to country duets, never straying too far from the spaghetti western roots that inspired the band many blood-moons ago.

Over the past two decades, Federale has carved out a unique niche within the indie music landscape, blending their signature spaghetti-Western instrumental sound with increasing doses of moody vocal arrangements in the spirit of Lee Hazlewood and late-period Leonard Cohen. Through it all, songwriter and lead singer Collin Hegna – who also spent the last 20 years as a dues-paying member of The Brian Jonestown Massacre – maintains a strictly retro vibe. Federale's records have always sounded period-correct for an alternate-universe 1971, where rock and roll never caught on.

"Each Federale release has sought to embrace influences ever farther afield from the band’s original concept as an ode to Spaghetti Western film music. But one aesthetic constant (as far as non-instrumental songs go) has been the dark, narrative driven folk ballad," says Collin Hegna.

"The goal with 'Heaven Forgive Me' was to bridge the gap between the yarn casting style of Lee Hazlewood and the bleak New Wave anthems of Depeche Mode. Contrastingly, the arrangement of the song leans heavily on the aesthetics of 70’s Italian horror soundtracks, such as Goblin and Fabio Frizzi."

Comprised of 10 tracks, 'Reverb & Seduction' was recorded at Revolver Studios in Portland and engineered by Collin Hegna, Matt Thomson and Andrew Joslyn, who boasts five 5 Grammy Award winning albums. Mixed by Jeff Stuart Saltzman (The Black Keys, The High Violets), Matt Thomson and Collin Hegna, this album was mastered by Adam Gonsalves at Telegraph Mastering.

These new musical homages are complemented by a new lineup of well-known Portland rock-scene vets, including talents from The Shivas, Roselit Bone, Dandy Warhols, Rogue Wave and Delines. Going forward, Federale expects to fully embrace the role of a working, touring band, starting with a West Coast tour timed to coincide with the new record's July release. A European tour will follow in late fall 2024.

As of April 24, 'Heaven Forgive Me' is available everywhere digitally, including Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal and Bandcamp. The full 'Reverb & Seduction' album, which can be pre-ordered now, will be released on July 12 via Jealous Butcher Records, available on CD and vinyl wherever fine records are sold.

SINGLE CREDITS
Written, arranged and produced by Collin Hegna
Mixed by Matt Thomson & Collin Hegna
Mastered by Adam Gonsalves at Telegraph Mastering
Recording Engineering - Collin Hegna, Matt Thomson, Andrew Joslyn
Recorded at Revolver Studios in Portland, OR
Pat Spurgeon - drums
Jared Molyneux - guitar
Alex Maas - additional vocals
Collin Hegna - all other Instruments, percussion & vocals
Released by Jealous Butcher Records
Management: Andy Ross @ Exit Strategy Productions
Publicity: Shauna McLarnon @ Shameless Promotion PR

Born of Osiris Release New Single + Music Video "Elevate" via Sumerian Records

April 25, 2024

Born of Osiris have released their latest banger "Elevate" and the accompanying official music video (via Sumerian Records). Prior to today, the band has shared "Torchbearer" and most recently, "A Mind Short Circuiting" which have amassed over 1.1 million streams on Spotify and 273k views on YouTube. Speaking on today's release, Born of Osiris shared:

"'Elevate' embodies the essence of our roots. The combination of ethereal melodies with down-tuned guitars has helped

inspire lyrics that evoke darker emotions."

Stream "Elevate" here and watch the official music video below.

Fans can see the band tearing up the stage on the Angels & Villains Tour co-headlining with Attila and with Traitors, Extortionist, and Not Enough Space as support. For ticket information, please click here.

The Angels & Villains Tour USA 2024:

4/24 - Charlotte, NC @ The Underground

4/25 - Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl

4/26 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse

4/27 - Tampa, FL @ The Ritz

4/29 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Varsity Theater

5/01 - Corpus Christi, TX @ House of Rock

5/03 - Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th St. Collective

5/04 - Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live

5/05 - San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger

5/07 - Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theater

5/08 - Mesa, AZ @ Nile Theater

5/09 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues

5/10 - Pomona, CA @ The Glass House

5/11 - Los Angeles, CA @ 1720

5/12 - San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom

5/14 - Portland, OR @ Bossanova Ballroom

5/15 - Seattle, WA @ The Showbox

5/17 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot

5/18 - Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre

5/20 - St. Louis, MO @ Red Flag

5/21 - Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre

5/22 - Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater

5/23 - Davenport, IA @ Capitol Theater

5/24 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave II

5/25 - Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge

5/26 - Pontiac, MI @ Crofoot Ballroom

Alleviate Share Video For New Track "Gravity" Featuring Nik Nocturnal —

April 25, 2024

Following the phenomenal success of their previous singles, which cumulatively amassed over 2.1 million plays on Spotify, ALLEVIATE return with their latest single "Gravity," featuring the debut vocal performance of metal sensation Nik Nocturnal.

Watch the video below.

Stream the track here.

This track drags listeners through a gut-wrenching journey of despair and darkness with its hard-hitting lyrics and intense delivery. "Gravity" grips you with its portrayal of crushing burden and isolation—a bold statement on mental struggles, cementing its place as a standout piece in Alleviate's repertoire and a significant leap for Nik Nocturnal in his artistic evolution.

Upon dropping "Die For Me," high-profile internet reactors like Nik Nocturnal and Too Lit Mafia were all about Alleviate's powerful and catchy sound, as the group combines technical riffs, heavy breakdowns, and catchy hooks that get stuck in your head for hours at a time. Formed in 2020 with the launch of the aforementioned "Die For Me," the band combines the best of technical metalcore, deathcore, djent, and post-hardcore in one powerful and beautiful style.

ALLEVIATE ARE:
Timo — Clean Vocals (Our Mirage)
Marius — Shouts (Breakdowns at Tiffany's)
Ramon — Guitar (The Evolutionist)
Marc — Guitar (We Are Perspectives)
Yunus — Drums (Time, The Valuator)

Sonic Universe (Feat. Corey Glover of Living Colour) Drop "It Is What It Is" Video

April 25, 2024

Corey Glover and Sonic Universe will drop their debut album It Is What It Is on May 10. Pre-order it here.

The band combines the forces of the Grammy Award-winning lead singer of Living Colour and Adrenaline Mob guitarist and founding member Mike Orlando.

Today, they share the video for the album's title track "It Is What It Is."

Watch it below.

Complemented by the rhythm section of bassist Booker King and drummer Taykwuan Jackson, Glover and Orlando soar over what the singer called "a tight, tight, tight groove."

Glover continues, "The whole idea is that in order to make something new, you have to destroy the old. We do everything we can to change things, but the only way that you can change things is to believe."

"Right now / Right here/ Is all that it is / We lie / We try / It's all we can give."

"It Is What It Is" is Glover and Sonic Universe giving their all to make a break with the past and create something new and honest.

"The band is killing it on this," Glover concludes. "It's a real gut-punch kind of sound."

Bodysnatcher Announce Digital Release Of New EP 'Vile Conduct' Out September 3 via MNRK Heavy

April 24, 2024

Bodysnatcher fans, rejoice! Today, the heavy Floridian quartet has announced the eagerly anticipated upcoming digital release of their new EP 'Vile Conduct', out Friday, September 3 via MNRK Heavy. In celebration of the news, the band has released their latest single "Severed" and the accompanying official music video. When asked about the inspiration behind today's drop, Bodysnatcher vocalist Kyle Medina commented:

“The track "Severed" is about coming to terms with the sour feelings of resentment, hatred, anger, or betrayal, and completely and utterly letting go. Becoming fed up and accepting of these feelings is when you can finally let go and no longer even care for their existence, which is the best revenge.”

The band previously unleashed "Murder8" featuring Hatebreed's Jamey Jasta and announced an early vinyl-only release of 'Vile Conduct' for Record Store Day this past weekend at participating locations (linked here for more info). Pre-save 'Vile Conduct' here, and watch the music video for "Severed" below.

The band are wrapping up the final dates of the Dedication To Flesh co-headlining run across the EU with SPITE, Boundaries, and Mouth For War. North American fans will then have their chance to see the band on The Common Enemies co-headlining tour also alongside SPITE, with Thrown, Mouth For War, PSYCHO-FRAME, and CELL kicking off on May 9. For ticket information please click here, and be sure to stay tuned for more Bodysnatcher news coming soon.

The Common Enemies Tour 2024 North American Dates:

May 09 – Daytona Beach, FL @ Welcome to Rockville

May 10 – Destin, FL @ Club LA

May 11 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade

May 12 – Nashville, TN @ Eastside Bowl

May 14 – Charleston, SC @ Music Farm

May 15 – Charlotte, NC @ The Underground

May 16 – Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage

May 17 – New Kensington, PA @ Preserving Hardcore

May 18 – Columbus, OH @ Sonic Temple Festival

May 19 – Harrisburg, PA @ Midtown Arts Center

May 20 – New York City, NY @ Irving Plaza

May 21 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer

May 22 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club

May 24 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Elevation

May 25 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues

May 26 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater

May 28 – Des Moines, IA @ Wooly’s

May 29 – St Louis, MO @ Red Flag

May 30 – Lawrence, KS @ The Granada

May 31 – Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall

Jun 01 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex

Jun 03 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre

Jun 04 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile

Jun 06 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades

Jun 07 – Pomona, CA @ The Glasshouse

Jun 08 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues

Jun 09 – Mesa, AZ @ The Nile Theater

Jun 11 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues

Jun 12 – San Antonio, TX @ Vibes Event Center

Jun 13 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall

Jun 14 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Beer City Music Hall

Jun 15 – Little Rock, AR @ The Hall

Jun 16 – New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues

Drawing their name from the infamous Plainfield Ghoul, Ed Gein, Bodysnatcher know a thing or two about darkness, brutality and aggression. Since their 2014 inception in Melbourne, Florida, Bodysnatcher have been bringing nothing but the finest in furious, extreme music. Combining crushing breakdowns with eerie ambience, scathing riffs and grisly grooves, the band have become synonymous with “heavy,” invoking violence in every city they happen to visit, spawning mosh pits that leave nothing but craters in their wake.

With each release, Bodysnatcher have added depth to their dynamic, proving they are an ever-growing and changing act with the singular purpose of absolutely obliterating the listener. In 2015, mere months after their formation, the act exploded into the worldwide underground with the release of their debut EP, Abandonment. Considered one of the “Rushmore” releases of the American Downtempo wave, Abandonment took Bodysnatcher around the country, delivering breakdowns and broken bones to venues from Southern Florida to California. The band’s debut full length that followed, Death of Me (Stay Sick Records), saw the band mature from their modest downtempo roots into something more diverse and devastating, incorporating a blend of contemporary metal and hardcore elements to create something that saw Bodysnatcher start to blur conventional genre lines. Death of Me would skyrocket the band’s notoriety even higher, including a headlining west coast tour with Extortionist (Unique Leader Records) in support. Almost immediately after the release of Death of Me, Bodysnatcher underwent a significant lineup change, bringing aboard Chris Whited (King Conquer, 1776 Recordings) as percussionist and producer alongside Kyle Carter (Beacons) and Kyle Shope (Float Face Down) on guitar and bass respectively. With all three of them working alongside the titanic range and unmistakable vitriol of frontman Kyle Medina as songwriters, a deluxe re-release of their debut LP featuring five all-new songs followed not long after the line-up was cemented. Those songs segued Bodysnatcher into a new sound and style that would not full materialize until their two follow up releases, This Heavy Void (2020) and Bleed-Abide (2022). These records together would not only see the band signing with premier heavy music label MNRK Heavy, but would also highlight the band’s unique ability to blend harrowingly personal tales of love and loss with blistering aggression. Between This Heavy Void’s “Twelve/Seventeen” and Bleed-Abide’s “Smashed Perception,” the band seemed to encompass the alpha and omega of all things eviscerating—emotionally or, well, literally.

Since Bleed-Abide, Bodysnatcher have continued their tireless grind, touring across the country with the likes of AngelMaker, Hatebreed, Dying Fetus, Emmure, We Came as Romans and more—and spending plenty of time inoculating overseas lands with their unique concoction of crushing brutality as well. 2024 witnesses the band depart for not one, but two colossal ventures with former label mates SPITE—across both Europe and the continental United States.

From their earnest beginnings as one of the United States’ premiere exporters of bludgeoning, beefy breakdowns to now one of the country’s most renowned heavy music exports, Bodysnatcher are a peerless example of hard work, dedication and—of course—devastating heaviness. - Connor Welsh

Insanity Alert Honor Queen with New Single

April 24, 2024

Some metalheads are sticklers for the rules, but no cow is too sacred for Insanity Alert. On their new EP, the Austrian pranksters tear through a four-pack of familiar classics. But while the first single from Moshemian Thrashody yanked the chain of a saxy pop icon, the title track crashes classic rock's night at the opera with a whole clown car full of crossover thrash hijinks.

Watch the hi(gh)larious video for "Moshemian Thrashody" below.

Moshemian Thrashody comes out May 17 on Season of Mist.

Pre-order:https://shop.season-of-mist.com/list/insanity-alert-moshemian-thrashody

Pre-save: https://orcd.co/moshemianthrashodypresave

For Insanity Alert, spoofing "Bohemian Rhapsody" is like bagging a white whale. Scan to any classic rock station and you'll be hard-pressed to find another song that combines balladry bombast, vocal theatrics and arena rock fist pumps with the fatalism of a French novel.

"We think of 'Moshemian Thrashody' as a tribute to the greatness of the original", says Heavy Kevy, the band's moshpit maestro. "Mixing a song that's as over-the-top as 'Bohemian Rhapsody' with our blend of speed, fun and brutal weirdness just feels right".

If you're coming for Queen, then you best not miss. After all, who hasn't suffered some tone-deaf soul doing the Fandango during bar karaoke? Of course, Insanity Alert check all the necessary boxes. Maybe those leather pants are a pinch tight, but the Wayne's World cosplay is a fitting homage.

But the band hit all the right notes, too. The riffs thrash. The D-beats chug. As if by some especially potent magic mushroom, Galileo is transformed into Ronnie James Dio. Heck, the guys even manage to keep a straight face long enough for the squeaky-clean a cappella parts.

"So you think I'm a stoner that never complies?", Heavy Kevy spits as if shooting a snot rocket. Now, that's not far from the truth. But everybody knows that thrashers do it better. Amidst double bass flurries that pop like fireworks, Dave of Death launches into a climactic guitar solo with the reckless abandon of doing a keg stand in the mosh pit.

On "Moshemian Thrashody", Insanity Alert go anywhere the weed blows.

The video for "Moshemian Thrashody" was produced, filmed and edited by Max "Mugs" Raggl in Innsbruck, Austria ( www.mugs.at ).

The concept was created by Insanity Alert.

"Maddening and powerful thrash from guys who understand the sound and culture" - Metal Injection

"Experts in crafting immense and blistering fun" - Distorted Sound

"Heavy, fast, old-school and right in your face" - Grimm Gent

"They make quite a noise...combining retro thrash with their own boozy brand of skateboarding-crossover thrash which hits at such a speed that by the time you've slapped the disc on you're already getting back off your arse to play it again" - Metal Forces

[Movie trailer voice] In a world that’s plagued by war, natural disasters and TikTok dance challenges, one band are hell-bent on partying like there’s no tomorrow. Sure, the hangovers might hit a little harder now that they’re four albums in. But on Moshemian Thrashody, Insanity Alert are still nothing but a good time.

Ski parties visit Austria for its powdered slopes, but when Insanity Alert banded together from around Innsbruck in 2011, these adrenaline junkies had a different, more dangerous type of shredding in mind. Their destructive appetite for ‘80s crossover thrash is only rivaled by an unquenchable thirst for ice-cold beer.

While under the influence of older party monsters like Suicidal Tendencies and Municipal Waste, Insanity Alert roll their riffs with the same strand of humor as labelmates Cannabis Corpse. Their songs parody everyone from perennial punching bags like David Guetta and Milli Vanilli to sacred cows Iron Maiden.

“We think of our renditions as tributes to the greatness of the original songs”, the band says. “Mixing their greatness with our blend of speed, fun, brutality and weirdness just feels right.

On the strength of their demo tape alone, Insanity Alert sent skate punks and metalheads running into the pit. First Diagnosis was quickly confirmed by follow-up EP Second Opinion. Critics properly diagnosed their self-titled full-length as a much-needed dose of derangement, but the band has upped their prescription of snot-nosed speed and grinding d-beats with each release.

Moshburger was served up in 2016 while Insanity Alert were on tour with Hatebreed, Madball, Terror and Power Trip. They then shared a 666-Pack with festivalgoers at Wacken Open Air. With names like Slapmaster Puke and The Inphiltrator, this band will go to comically absurd lengths just to jump into the circle pit with their fans -- so long as there’s a full fridge and good bud(s) waiting backstage. When Insanity Alert played the main stage at Hellfest in 2019, Dave of the Death could barely feel his fretting hand after taking one heck of a stage dive the night before.

Moshemian Thrashody keeps the festivities going with new parodies of familiar classics like Guns N’ Roses and Iron Maiden. One might surprise you, though. Lead single “Beerless Fiesta” gives the crossover thrash treatment to (checks notes) George Michael? Insanity Alert aren’t going into mosh retirement anytime soon, though. The title track sees Queen’s theatrics and raises it with a clown car full of hijinks, including a Hauwitzer guitar solo that pops off like a bottle of champagne. Don Melanzani chugs down blast beats as the band joins in an acapella gang chant about “letting it snow” with Santa Claus that’s rowdier than a German beer hall.

“These are some killer tunes that we threw in our drunken 420 blender”, says Heavy Kevy. “Moshemian Thrashody rides the thin line between familiar and super awkward – like seeing your old grandpa in the mosh pit or masturbating for the first time with your other hand”.

After almost 15 years of bringing crossover thrash to party animals everywhere, Insanity Alert will still go anywhere the weed blows.

Line-up
Heavy Kevy - Vocals
Don Melanzani - Drums
The Inphiltrator - Guitar
The Dave of Death - Guitar
Slapmaster Puke: Bass

Guest appearances
"Welcome to the Moshpit" - Hauwitzer (guitar solo)

Recording Studio
Subsound Station (Telfs, Austria)

Producer
Matthias Mayr

Mixing
Andy Reinhardt

Mastering
Andy Reinhardt

Cover art
James Callahan / Barf Comics

Pre-order: https://shop.season-of-mist.com/list/insanity-alert-moshemian-thrashody
Pre-save: https://orcd.co/moshemianthrashodypresave

Links
https://www.facebook.com/insanityalert
https://www.instagram.com/insanityalert/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw79GR8zx8EsZ13DIwhye5g

Available formats
Digital Download
CD
10" Vinyl - Black
10" Vinyl - Colored (Translucent Turquoise)

In Hearts Wake Announce New Album "Incarnation" + Share "Hollow Bone" Video

April 24, 2024

Today, Australian metalcore icons In Hearts Wake manifest a brand new chapter, announcing their sixth studio album, Incarnation, which will be released on July 12 via UNFD. Pre-order it here.

The news follows the recent bittersweet announcement of long-time bassist and vocalist Kyle Erich's departure.

Vocalist Jake Taylor shares, "INCARNATION is the shadow counterpart and sequel to the band's debut album DIVINATION, with each song inspired by the meaning and ideals of a particular Major Arcana Tarot card. There are 22 Major Arcana Tarot cards in every deck and 11 tracks on each record, bringing the vision to completion 12 years later."

He continues, "But much like a coin with two sides, cards flipped upside down deliver the reversed meaning. Polarized in every way, INCARNATION explores the dark underbelly to mirror and stand diametrically opposite to DIVINATION."

In Hearts Wake have also dropped an official Incarnation website that fans can visit throughout the album rollout for access to behind the scenes, sneak peaks at new music, exclusive info, and Incarnation announcements. For more info, visit here.

The anticipated follow up to 2020's Kaliyuga, which debuted at #3 on the ARIA Album Charts, Incarnation is equally a powerful yet poignant step forward for the Byron Bay-hailing group, heralded today by the release of the fiery new single "Hollow Bone (plɹoʍ ǝɥʇ)." Listen here. Watch the video below.

Balancing spitfire guitars and searing textures, "Hollow Bone" is a gripping ride that ricochets with polish and heaving dexterity, while also ultimately soldering the In Hearts Wake transformative spirit as vocalist Jake Taylor bellows "This cage is not my home."

"Going through a death-of-sorts with Kyle having left the band, 'Hollow Bone' became our reclamation anthem for the band to live on," In Hearts Wake share. "Since high school we’ve given everything and we weren’t about to give up. Not yet…"

They continue, "Picking up the microphone as a group together for the first time we delivered a melodic chorus. We used actual bones as percussive instruments – symbolic of death's transformation. This track acting as our stake in the ground. What would you die for?!"

Hailing from Byron Bay and now one of the leading acts in the Australian heavy scene, In Hearts Wake first roared into view via their 2012 debut album Divination; a tarot-inspired release, praised for its memorable breakdowns, melodic hooks, taut execution, and a sea of features. Remaining a fan-favorite to this day, Divination also set the stage for a horde of headline shows, international tours, appearances at Soundwave Festival, UNIFY Gathering, Groovin The Moo, and beyond for In Hearts Wake.

Having released five hard-hitting albums, including 2014's Earthwalker, 2015's Skydancer, 2017's Ark and 2020's Kaliyuga, In Hearts Wake also fuse themes of social and environmental justice into their palpitating brand of metalcore, with millions of streams and a dedicated fanbase across the globe flourishing alongside the band's environmental endeavors, with the latter witnessed most recently via the 2022 feature-length documentary Green Is The New Black.

Boasting an ARIA Award-nominated soundtrack, Green Is The New Black focused on the making of Kaliyuga and In Hearts Wake's successful efforts to carbon offset the entire recording process. Critically-acclaimed, the film also explored the music industry's relationship to the environment, generating an important conversation and viable solutions for the creative arts against the odds of the pandemic years.

Recently appearing at UNIFY Off The Record in 2023 and wowing audiences across Australia with their Decade Of Divination tour last year, In Hearts Wake now turn their gaze to a brand new album in 2024, and are also set to celebrate and farewell their journey to date with long-time bassist and vocalist Kyle Erich this September with a special Australian headline run that spans Newcastle, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth.

In conjunction with announcing Erich's departure, In Hearts Wake also recently released a new single "Farewell," with the track fittingly bringing to a close the monumental chapter for Erich and In Hearts Wake.