Bill Leeb (Front Line Assembly, Delerium) releases debut solo album 'Model Kollapse' + video for 'Muted Obsession' (feat. ACTORS)

September 13, 2024

"A frenzy-filled dose of sonic adrenaline that is infectious and, paradoxically, suitable for the dancefloor... Is dystopian bliss a thing? They could be on to something big here" ~ The Spill Magazine

"You are getting Leeb’s classic vocals and lyrics, and some FLA style programming... some of the specific textures and bits of production feel different than anything in recent memory from the venerable artist" ~ I Die: You Die

"Instantly recognizable... still sounds like something unmistakably new... sinister synthetic soundscape" ~ Rock and Roll Fables

Legendary electronic music maverick Bill Leeb has released his debut solo album 'Model Kollapse' via iconic alternative music label Metropolis Records. Bringing double delight, he also unveils his new video for 'Muted Obsession', which features Shannon Hemmett and Jason Corbett of post-punk outfit ACTORS.

Reflecting the Tim Hill-produced video, Leeb says this song is about “the perception between fantasy and reality. How far would you go in this virtual social world we have created? Are we truly all alone? Who wants to play?”

Based in Vancouver, Bill Leeb is the genius behind highly influential electro-industrial scene mainstays Front Line Assembly and ambient-pop duo Delerium, having gotten his start with Skinny Puppy. He is also a key member of other recording projects, including Noise Unit, Intermix and Cyberaktif.

Four decades on, this album was recorded and produced in Vancouver, Toronto and Los Angeles with assistance from Vancouver/Toronto-based production duo Dream Bulletand long-term FLA/Delerium cohort Rhys Fulber, plus regular mixing engineer Greg Reely.

Earlier, Leeb shared ‘Terror Forms’ feat. Shannon Hemmett, which explores the intricacies of artificial intelligence and the very survival of humanity itself, and 'Demons', a song about the omnipresence of technology and the internal battles we wage due to the malevolence we see around us. This album also involves an appearance by long-term Delerium collaborator Mimi Page.

‘Model Kollapse’ marks Leeb's first solo venture since the mid-80s days of Front Line Assembly, when he used to make recordings in his bedroom, releasing them on limited edition cassette. It reflects the dystopian, nihilistic world we have created in so many different ways, ultimately asking the question "When will the human voice be lost to AI and technology....or will that be what saves us in the end?"

Caustic yet melodic, danceable and very much song-oriented rather than soundscape-driven, 'Model Kollapse' carries traces of hard-edged electronic dance music pioneers such as Front 242, DAF, KMFDM and Skinny Puppy. Remarking that “Metropolis Records is one of the most important for alternative music on the planet, Leeb shares, "This album was made possible by my long-term friendship with label boss Dave Heckman, who continually supported my projects, allowing complete artistic freedom.” Heckman died in 2022.

The term "Model Collapse" refers to an AI phenomenon where trained models, especially those relying on synthetic data or AI-generated data, degrade over time. “As we forge forward on an unprecedented technological scale, it makes me wonder how much longer we can remain in control of various aspects of our lives. Automation has already taken over many industries. With technology running much of the world, will the entire planet eventually be vulnerable to a Model Kollapse? Chaos would surely ensue.”

Since Leeb formed Delerium in 1987, it has received two Juno awards and collaborated with Leigh Nash (Sixpence None the Richer), Lisa Gerrard (Dead Can Dance), Kirsty Hawkshaw (Opus III), Emily Haines (Metric), Jacqui Hunt (Single Gun Theory), Matthew Sweet and Kristy Thirsk (Rose Chronicles). Their hit 'Silence' with Sarah McLachlan reached #1 in numerous countries, its remixes also charting (the Tiësto remix was voted the 12th-greatest dance track of all time via Mixmag).

As of September 13, the ‘Model Kollapse’ album is available on vinyl and CD, as well as digitally. It may be ordered directly from the article via Bandcamp.

CREDITS
Recorded and produced in Vancouver, Toronto, Los Angeles and the Okanagan, British Columbia
Written and produced by Bill Leeb and Dream Bullet
Additional production by Rhys Fulber
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Greg Reely
Featuring contributions by Shannon Hemmett, Jason Corbett & Mimi Page
Videos created by Tim Hill
Album artwork by Allen Jaeger
Released by Metropolis Records
Publicity by Shauna McLarnon for Shameless Promotion PR
Artist photos by Bobby Talamine

Tigerwine Announce "Toil and Spin" Out 10/25 + Share "Wax Magnetic"

September 13, 2024

TIGERWINE will release their new album Toil & Spin on October 25 via Tooth & Nail. Pre-order it here.

Today, they share "Wax Magnetic." The track's '90s inspired, push and pull tension and distorted, chunky riffing will find its way onto your workout playlist.

Listen Below.

'Wax Magnetic' was a last grasp at salvaging a worldview I didn't feel ready to let go of but couldn't hold onto anymore," says Hayden Trobee. "I wanted to keep believing that I had to have some greater purpose or a destination I was headed to, that just being wasn't enough. Waxing magnetic is trying to choose to believe something instead of accepting that being convinced isn’t a choice you can make."

Tigerwine — comprised of the aforementioned Trobee, Steve Lichtenwalter, and Shane Riley — is a post-hardcore band out of Colorado. In 2012, they began crafting their sound and by 2015, they perfected it, earning them a record deal and the opportunity to release their first EP, titled Lull. The next few years were fruitful and furious, with whirlwind tours and a whirlwind full-length release, Die With Your Tongue Out. Two years later, they signed with a new label, Tooth & Nail Records, and released their sophomore album Nothing Is For You in 2020.

Chokecherry Announce Debut EP + Share "Messy Star" Visualizer

September 13, 2024

San Francisco shoe gaze x grunge pop trio chokecherry — comprised of vocalist/guitarist Izzie Clark and bassist/vocalist E. Scarlett Levinson, along with drummer Abri Crocitto — are thrilled to announce the October 25 release of Messy Star, their debut EP for Fearless Records. Pre-save it here.

chokecherry have been steadily building a buzz since meeting on the dating app Hinge. The San Francisco Gate praised chokecherry's "blend of white-hot shoegaze," calling it "the modern sound of the California sun vaporizing the San Francisco fog." Clark and Levinson may not have worked out on the romantic front, but the pair are clearly musical soulmates and it's beautiful thing to witness and hear.

Today, the band shares the visualizer for the title track. Watch it below.

The track marks the final pre-release single from the EP. It's a powerful, cathartic track with an experimental, alt twist and takes influence from some unexpected sources. The accompanying video follows the story of a star that is burning out. It's the band's commentary on the destructive effect that celebrity culture can wreak on artists.

"From the moment we started writing this song, it felt like a journey," the band says. "It began as a heavier shoegaze track, but when we took it into the studio with producer Zach Tuch, he pushed us to experiment with a trip-hop style beat in the verses. This creative choice took the song to a whole new level and gave it such a unique feeling. The format of 'Messy Star' and its departure from our usual method of only using live instruments broadened the feeling of the track and pushed it to a more experimental place. This track is our first incorporation of samples, playing on our shared love for artists like Massive Attack and Radiohead."

Vocally, the song takes inspiration the likes of Mannequin Pussy and Lana Del Rey, with its mix of sultry coos and melodic yelling.

The band continues, "The track still felt like a journey, but instead of simply a long drive now, it felt like crawling out from the underworld into heaven itself. The chorus breaks into an entirely new world than the one the verses occupy. It turns from strange trip hop grunge to a more classic heavy shoegaze track with angelic vocals."

Regarding the video, chokecherry explain, "It touches on themes of feeling seen and scrutinized, wanting things other people have (or even wanting to be someone else), and the desire to break away from stardom and the feeling of being watched and perceived. The 'supernova' lyric is a reference to musicians and stars 'burning out' like we have seen in contemporary celebrity culture."

They say it's better to burn out than fade away, but chokecherry thinks that there's something better than BOTH burning out and fading away. We just have to find out what, exactly, "that" is!

Chokecherry will capture the hearts of rock fans everywhere with songs that boast thick, '70s-inspired bass lines laden with strategically placed howls and hums. Their passionate, hypnotic delivery overflows and fills into every word, allowing vulnerability that listeners can truly attach to. If their Spotify streams —2.8 million global streams and counting — are any indication of how many music fans will dig what chokecherry are putting down, then it's time for 2024 to buckle the F up.

Hillhaven Share Fifth Single "Liar"

September 12, 2024

HILLHAVEN are pleased to share their fifth single "LIAR." It's brutal but built on a note of hope.

Watch the visualizer below.

It follows the buzzy prior singles "Damned to Dream," "The God You Think You Are," "GAPS," and "SYCOPHANTS."

"Musically and lyrically, this song ventures into some darker territory," says singer Chris Kelly. "I think we all tend to try and ignore certain parts of ourselves or of those we love. Stuff that scares us — stuff we're ashamed of. Our strongest instinct is self-preservation and egos don't take kindly to things that might break them. They fight back — hard — but oftentimes that fear or shame finally breaks through and we're suddenly forced to look at ourselves and quite literally FACE that darkness. That's when we're at our lowest. This track was born from the bottom, and from the climb back into the light, where we find our motivation again."

The Hillhaven lineup is comprised of the aforementioned Kelly (Alustrium, ex-Galactic Empire, and who is rumored to play for Babymetal's band) on vocals, as well as From Ashes to New's Maty Madiro on drums; Ricky Armellino on guitars; live From Ashes to New member Jimmy Bennett on guitars; and bassist Jaime GoWell.

There is even more to come from Hillhaven so watch this space...

Powerflo Return! Band Announces New Album "Gorilla Warfare" Out 11/1 + Shares Video For Title Track

September 12, 2024

POWERFLO — vocalist Senen "Sen Dog" Reyes (Cypress Hill), vocalist/guitarist Billy Graziadei (Biohazard), bassist Christian Olde Wolbers (ex-Fear Factory), and drummer Fred Aching — are back.

The hard rock supergroup will release their new album GORILLA WARFARE on November 1 via New Damage Records. Pre-order it here.

Alongside the album announcement, the band is also sharing the video for the title track. Watch it below. The song and video features Ernie C of Body Count.

"We bring it to a new level with Gorilla Warfare," says Graziadei about the album. "The second record always defines a band, I'm proud as hell of this release. Metal, punk, and hardcore all held together by the power flow of SenDog spitting mad verses all over it! The album is the best of Cypress Hill, Biohazard, and Fear Factory, all combined into one massive beating! We even have a bit of BillyBio mixed into the fray."

As for the title track and first single, he continues, "I finished working on the song but felt it needed something else. After working on some ideas, I wasn't feeling it so I called up buddy Ernie C from Body Count to see if he was down for helping me out. He came into the studio, loved the vibe and laid down some pure fire! That became the title track and the first single!"

POWERFLO combine the passionate, chaotic, and authentic urgency of a brand-new band with the unrivaled experience of its trailblazing members. All the members are genre giants who shaped heavy music and hip-hop and continue to innovate in this band. Their collective creative fingerprints are all over subculture, including early mashups of hardcore and rap, metal and industrial, and more.

"Powerflo's mix of agit-rap, thrash metal, and punk attitude is a revelation to those who only know Sen Dog from his Cypress Hill joints," wrote long-running metal tastemaker Revolver. "His vocals are clear and sharp, and he drives the band's full-throttle crunch like a natural-born frontman.
Powerflo are energetic, pissed off, and built to last, with bite and hooks.

The blistering second album, Gorilla Warfare, is a full-circle moment for the guys and the genre.

The groundbreaking Judgment Night soundtrack, released in 1993, was an early building block of the rap-metal mashups to come and featured both Cypress Hill and Biohazard. Sen appeared on Biohazard’s classic third album, State of the World Address (1994). Christian appears on Cypress Hill's Skull & Bones (2000) and Stoned Raiders (2001) and performed as part of their live band many times.

Powerflo's self-titled debut arrived in 2017. Produced and recorded by Billy and mixed by Tue Madsen (Meshuggah, Dark Tranquility, Sick Of It All), the second album came together with even more confidence, ambition, and fearlessness.Gorilla Warfare cements Powerflo as a heavy hitter with a bright future and career, even as it brings its members full circle with a genre they helped pioneer.

As Billy points out, "The three of us are survivors. We've experienced many great times and challenges. Powerflo is so enjoyable because we have a blast doing this band together."

Mörk Gryning Announce New Album ' Fasornas Tid'

September 12, 2024

"Those still piercing yet classy staccato riffs blazing through the northern sky will satisfy even the most jaded fan of classic Swedish black metal" - Louder Sound

"Worth the fifteen year wait" - M etal Insider

A band back on the scene with high-quality work. Welcome back, demons! - This Is Black Metal

Ever since they emerged with one of the genre's most important - and imposing - milestones in 1993, Mörk Gryning have stood as a shining example for the raw and timeless spirit of Swedish black metal. Not even a 15-year hiatus could slow this band's unbridled fury from igniting the underground.

Now that they've returned, Mörk Gryning are more active than ever. Today, the band are announcing their seventh album. Fasornas Tid pays a brutal homage to the scene's raw ferocity and ageless spirit with a dystopian symphony that's driven by an insatiable hunger for self-destruction. Lead single "Tornet" will test even the most battle-tested metalhead's with its blackened passage through psychological hell.

Listen to "Tornet" Below.

Fasornas Tid is out December 13th on Season of Mist.

Pre-save & Pre-order

https://orcd.co/morkgryningfasornastid

"Tornet" storms ahead with unbridled fury. Featuring savage guest vocals from AVSLUT's C, the lead single off Mörk Gryning's new album seethes with the venom of death metal and melodic black metal. Meaning "The Tower" in English, the song symbolizes the ultimate torment, with the band rising to test the very threshold of suffering.

Line-up:
DRAAKH KIMERA – Lead Vocals, Guitar
GOTH GORGON – Bass, Backing vocals, Lead Vocals on “Det Svarta”
S-L – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
C-G – Drums
AEON – Keyboards, Backing Vocals

Recording Studio:
Wing Studios, Stockholm, Sweden

Production Credits:
Produced by Sverker Widgren & Mörk Gryning
Mixed & Mastered at Wing Studios, Stockholm by Sverker Widgren

Guest Musician:
C of AVSLUT on "Tornet" & "An Ancient Ancestor Of The Autumn Moon"

Cover Art:
C-G

Pre-save & Pre-order

https://orcd.co/morkgryningfasornastid

Follow Mörk Gryning:
Bandcamp: https://morkgryning.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morkgryningband/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morkgryning/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/135tanf7FBI7ozrU3RelCX
Apple Music: http://music.apple.com/artist/m%C3%B6rk-gryning/75786010
TIDAL: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/3616372
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/es/artist/62666

GRAND MAGUS - Release Lyric Video For New Single 'The Wheel Of Pain'

September 12, 2024

Today, battle-hardened heavy metal warriors GRAND MAGUS have released 'The Wheel Of Pain', which is the second single from their upcoming 10th studio album, Sunraven.

Sunraven will be released on October 18th through Nuclear Blast Records and conceptually deals with the legendary poem Beowulf, an ancient tale of epic proportions about heroes and monsters, honor and bravery, victory and defeat. In short, themes that have always played an important role in the lyrical concept of GRAND MAGUS.

JB (vocals & guitar) commented:
“The album is about Beowulf and Grendel. In essence, Sunraven is Beowulf, and that’s my own invention. But some of the songs are written about and from the perspective of Beowulf, and some of the songs are written about and from the perspective of Grendel, the monster he faces in Denmark. That kind of steered me and carried me through the lyrical process this time. I’ve never done anything like this before. I’ve always been fascinated by that tale. These myths and legends are about all the basic things that we sing about – life, death, glory, dishonor, love, hate, overcoming difficulties, facing impossible opposition and so on.”

PRE-ORDER/PRE-SAVE THE NEW ALBUM SUNRAVEN:
https://grandmagus.bfan.link/sunraven.ema

LISTEN TO THE SINGLE 'THE WHEEL OF PAIN':
https://grandmagus.bfan.link/the-wheel-of-pain.ema

WATCH THE LYRIC VIDEO FOR 'THE WHEEL OF PAIN' BELOW.

Sunraven is available in the following formats:

Jewelcase CD

Gatefold LP (Solid Gold)
Gatefold LP (Orange & Yellow Sunburst)

Digital Album

ABOUT GRAND MAGUS

Not every band can be 100 percent authentic and true. Not every band has the necessary cojones to summon the spirit of heavy metal. But GRAND MAGUS are not every band. A trio of windswept warriors, driven by the belief in the power of this ageless music that so many of us consider a real-world lifeline, they return in 2024 with glad tidings of heroism and valor.

Over the course of 25 years, the Swedish trio have established themselves as stoic standard bearers for heavy metal in its purest, most triumphant form. From their early years as honorary combatants in the doom scene, GRAND MAGUS have grown in confidence and stature with every passing year. Initially signed to legendary UK imprint Rise Above Records, they released acclaimed albums like 2003’s Monument and 2005’s fiery breakthrough opus Wolf’s Return, and garnered effusive plaudits for live shows that always resounded with the thump of metal’s beating heart.

Later signed to first Roadrunner and then Nuclear Blast Records, GRAND MAGUS have marched on through the decades with their now trademark sign a continual benchmark for red-blooded heaviness. Bulging with fresh anthems, albums like Triumph & Power (2014) and Sword Songs(2016) took the band to new heights, as their status as a thunderous, rabble-rousing live band continued to grow. In 2019, the ninth studio album Wolf God put the seal on a second decade of active service, and GRAND MAGUS set off on tour as 2020 dawned; only to be confronted with a worldwide Covid shutdown that might have even spelled the end for Stockholm’s finest.

When work finally began on the tenth GRAND MAGUS album, JB made tentative steps towards something bigger and better than past achievements. With a final deadline waiting at the end of 2023, he began to piece together some ideas in January, slowly forming the backbone of what would become the new GRAND MAGUS album, Sunraven. After reconvening with bassist Fox and drummer Ludwig Witt in Halmstad, Sweden, the new songs swiftly came to life.

Not just the tenth GRAND MAGUS full-length, but their first bona fide concept album, Sunravenis a full-bore return to the heavy metal might of Wolf God and Sword Songs, but with an underlying story that adds greater depth to the Swedes’ earthy bombast. Made manifest via a gritty but grandiose production courtesy of the band and co-producer Staffan Karlsson, Sunravenwas inspired by the revered Old English epic poem of Beowulf. In true heavy metal style, these nine new songs dive deep into heroic fantasy, but with the same real-world resonances that are scorched into the genre’s calloused skin.

Iodine to Release Onelinedrawing "Scan Anxiety" 7"

September 12, 2024

Jonah Matranga has been making music for over 30 years. A prolific artist, he has become an enduring institution in the scene with a devoted fan base, rich lineage, and varied career that has straddled the line between the underground and mainstream. His work is so far-reaching that it has been lauded far and wide, from Pitchfork to EW, and lots of everything in between!

Matranga has always written from the heart and performed in an intimate way that can't be replicated. This is most apparent in his solo yet collaborative project Onelinedrawing.

Iodine Recordings will release the Onelinedrawing "Scan Anxiety" 7" physically on October 11. It will be available digitally upon pre-save/pre-order, which can be done here. It features the original track "Scan Anxiety" and a cover of Phoebe Bridgers' "Chinese Satellite." As OLD fans know, you can expect the unexpected when it comes to Matranga's covers, as he has offered his take on songs by The Sugarcubes, 7 Seconds, Jawbox, and more over the years.

Watch the "Scan Anxiety" video below.

Overall, Matranga says, "'Scan Anxiety' was written for someone in a desperate situation. I don't know what 'Chinese Satellites' was written about, but it feels similar somehow. If these songs find you feeling overwhelmed and help you through to a more serene place, that's what they were meant to do."

He further explained his MO for pairing these songs on the 7", saying, "I've loved making unique recordings for decades now, and that's how 'Scan Anxiety' started. Some people were putting together a collection of songs for their friend who was going through cancer, and they asked me to be part of it... I just fell in love with the song, and wanted it in the world one way or another. Even though it was written about someone else's story, it became really personal for me. 'Chinese Satellite' started as a unique recording too, it's just a gorgeous tune with a haunting lyric. I'll sing any song like that forever, whether I wrote it or not. I hope that Phoebe, Conor, and Marshall dig it."

TOUR DATES:
10/17 — Holy Frijoles — Baltimore MD
10/18 — Avenue Coffee — Lock Haven PA
10/19 — Bull House — Mechanicsburg PA
10/20 — Leonard House — Southbury CT

Charlotte Sands Teams Up With Sumerian Comics To Drop Cover of AFI Hit, "Miss Murder"

September 12, 2024

Pop-rock artist, Charlotte Sands is the latest addition to the laundry list of diverse talent contributing to the official soundtrack for Sumerian Comics' 'American Psycho' comic book series with the release today of her take on the AFI mega-hit "Miss Murder". Listen to the song HERE and watch the official music video below.

Speaking on her contribution to the soundtrack and tackling a cover of such huge song, Charlotte shares

"I am so grateful to get to be a part of such an incredible project alongside so many artists I love and so many songs that have been such an enormous part of my life. I grew up listening to “Miss Murder” and I’m so humbled to have gotten to create my own version of it and imagine an entirely new world for it to exist in. I enjoyed every single moment of this process and couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to help me bring it all to life."

Nathan Yocum, President of Sumerian Comics, adds:

“We’re beyond excited to have Charlotte Sands reimagine AFI's iconic track ‘Miss Murder’ for our American Psycho comic book series soundtrack. Her signature blend of edgy pop and rock breathes new life into the song, capturing the dark, rebellious essence of both the track and the series in a way that is undeniably powerful.”

The 'American Psycho' comic book series by Sumerian Comics is a bold reimagining of Patrick Bateman’s notorious saga. The five-issue series delves into a dual storyline format; one tracing the chilling exploits of Bateman, and the other introducing a contemporary narrative featuring Charlene Carruthers—a social media-savvy millennial whose descent into violence mirrors the chilling escalation of her predecessor. This innovative take reinterprets the iconic tale with a story written by Michael Calero (Quested), vivid artwork by Piotr Kowalski (The Witcher, Bloodborne, Sex) and striking colors by Brad Simpson (Kong of Skull Island, Stray Dogs, Blade Runner Origins).

Today's release joins previously released tracks from the likes of Royal & The Serpent who tackled Leadbelly classic "Where Did You Sleep Last Night", Carpenter Brut feat. Krystoffer Rygg who released a cover of Billy Idol's "Eyes Without A Face", Ice Nine Kills feat. Reel Big Fish, who gave the Katrina and The Waves smash hit, "Walking On Sunshine" the ska punk treatment, Puscifer, who recorded a brand new, original single, "The Algorithm" for the comic book series, Unlike Pluto who covered Eurythmics "Sweet Dreams",Perturbator, who covered "Dangerous" by Depeche Mode and Ramsey, who covered Leadbelly's "Where Did You Sleep Last Night". Between them, the previously released tracks have racked up over 6.1 million streams with current sales for the comic book series topping 80,000 units.

Fans of the 'American Psycho' franchise can look forward to more from the accompanying soundtrack for the comic book series that perfectly complements the visual frenzy and deepens the narrative's impact, making each issue a multifaceted experience of sight and sound. Head to the Sumerian Comics website for more information and to order your copies of 'American Psycho'.

About Sumerian Comics

Sumerian is an American comic book and graphic novel publisher headed up by Behemoth Comics co-founders Nathan Yocum and Ryan Swanson, alongside Sumerian Records founder and film director Ash Avildsen. Sumerian’s titles are distributed worldwide by Diamond Comic Distributors to the comic market and Simon & Schuster to the book market. Sumerian averages over half a million physical comic books sold yearly.

About Charlotte Sands

Charlotte Sands isn’t afraid to speak or play loud. In November of 2020, she leaked a song called "Dress" that she wrote about Harry Styles wearing a dress on the cover of Vogue. Within hours, the song became an anthem of self-expression for thousands (now, millions) of listeners across the globe.

The electric-blue-haired singer/songwriter’s musical career didn’t start with the overnight success of a viral song. At 18, she stole her mom's car, found a roommate on Craigslist, and left her home in Hopkinton, MA for Nashville, TN, with a plan to take a year off of school before attending Berklee College of Music. She never went back.

In the years leading up to her debut album can we start over?, released early 2024, Sands has been prolific – constantly releasing music, charting at Top 40 Radio in the US as an independent artist for over 15 weeks, nominations for Breakthrough Artist at A2IM’s Libera Awards, taking home an award at London’s Heavy Music Awards, and touring with legendary acts like My Chemical Romance and 5 Seconds Of Summer.

Through it all, Sands remains true to her personal mission of “creating a safe space for all to feel accepted and celebrated for their weirdness and diversity.” And as evident by the overwhelmingly positive comments that flood her social media, her fans take pride in championing her as they recognize how she champions them.

OCEANS OF SLUMBER Premiere New Album

September 12, 2024

"Another album that firmly deserves its place among the pantheon" - Metal Hammer

"Simultaneously the heaviest and most melodic record they have ever made...Oceans of Slumber have given the best possible reply to those that questioned their vision. Where Gods Fear to Speak is a deeply moving and monstrously heavy next chapter in one of modern metal's most fascinating stories" - Blabbermouth (9/10)

"Where Gods Fear to Speak continues their astonishing streak of encapsulating, rich albums that take you to another plane of reality" - Distorted Sound (8/10)

"Serves as yet another reminder as to why they deserve so much more" - No Clean Singing

"It will confront your will. It will expand your mind. It will pull at your heart" - The Prog Mind (9/10)

"The delicate balance of rhythmic bombast and melodies that keep you wanting more is a chemistry that is hard to find but the collective members in Oceans of Slumber have me stunned" - No Echo

"At the end of the day, this still sounds like an Oceans of Slumber record, it's just a record that has a lot more heaviness while still keeping those nuances alive and well. - A&P Reacts

"Another stunning release in a stunning run of albums" - The Razors Edge

"A stellar album, packed with the highest quality doom-drenched progressive metal, and rich in depth and feeling" - Wonder Box Metal

Despite the many accolades that they've received over the past decade, Oceans of Slumber have never rested on their laurels. The Houston heavies have come to redefine the Southern Gothic by casting their tales of hope and despair against an ever-shifting backdrop of progressive metal. While it was produced by their long-time collaborator and GRAMMY nominee Joel Hamilton, the band's sixth album and first for Season of Mist expands their vision to dark, cinematic new heights.

"A vengeful prog metal monster that needs to be heard", Metal Hammer writes in a four-star review.

Where Gods Fear to Speak comes out tomorrow, Friday, September 13, but you can hear all ten monumental songs today by listening to the full album stream on the Season of Mist YouTube channel.

Listen to Where Gods Fear to Speak below.

Where Gods Fear to Speak comes out September 13 on Season of Mist.

Pre-order & Stream

https://orcd.co/oceansofslumberwheregodsfeartospeakalbum

Oceans of Slumber defy any and all conventions. Where Gods Fear to Speak opens with more of the sultry, doom metal headbanging that the band's long-time acolytes have come to expect, but the album's spellbinding title track breaks entirely new ground. Punishing blast beats and a blackened torrent of melodic tremolo picking collide with powerhouse cleans, a skyrocketing guitar solo and synths that swirl like the aura of a mystical planet.

So what are we to call this otherworldly occurrence?

"Dark cinematic metal" says the band's maestro Dobber Beverly. Underground metalheads will always recognize him as the drummer for grindcore legends Insect Warfare, but Dobber is a classically trained pianist who composed every grand note on Where Gods Fear to Speak. "We've taken the raw and heavier direction of our last two albums and elevated it to the scale of a blockbuster IMAX movie".

Staying true to Ocean of Slumber's irreverent musings, Where Gods Fear to Speak takes more inspiration from The Handmaid's Tale, The Dark Tower and Cormac McCarthy than it does Opeth. Each song acts as another gripping plot twist along a narrative arc that's part science fiction, part western gunslinger with a heavy dose of post-apocalyptic romance. Lead single "Poem of Ecstasy" splices together an album's worth of stand-out moments into its own mini-epic, cutting from a moonlight piano sonata to outlaw country, doom-laden power metal and what can only be described as "dystopian grindcore".

"I'll do everything to stay by your side" frontwoman Cammie Beverly belts, her cleans pushing back against the charging blast beats like a force field.

Performing such a radical play on extreme metal requires a talented cast of characters. Dobber's Necrofier bandmate Semir Ozerkan adds heat with harsh backing vocals and warm but bruising bass fills, while co-guitarists Alex Davis and Chris Kritikos roar through Where Gods Fear to Speak like a sandstorm. The album also gets a lift from two special guests. Moonspell's Fernando Ribeiro casts his big bad shadow over the chugging, rumbling "Run From the Light". Amidst a spirited tug of war between distorted tremolo picking and folksy acoustic strumming, "Prayer" is visited by gothic angel Mikael Stanne of Dark Tranquility.

Even with all that talent on display, Oceans of Slumber still cede the spotlight to their leading lady. Cammie has always possessed one of the strongest voices in metal. Even though the album was recorded a cool 8,000 feet above sea level in Bogotá, Colombia, the grueling altitude couldn't stop her bottomless belt from scaling the slippery crush of "The Given Dream". But Where Gods Fear to Speak has her flexing a guttural new muscle.

"I've always wanted to do death growls", Cammie says. "Where Gods Fear to Speak presented the perfect opportunity. Mixing harsh vocals in with my cleans speaks to the internal struggle between pleasure and pain that's at the heart of this album".

To celebrate Where Gods Fear to Speak, Oceans of Slumber are playing an album release show for their hometown fans. They'll be joined at Houston's Scout Bar by their friends in Anova Skyway, Dyer Infernum and Metropolis Burning.

"Crowds really took to the new songs when we were on tour earlier this year with New Years Day and Lacuna Coil", Dobber says. "We're excited to play more songs off the album for the very first time during what'll be our final show of the year".

Where Gods Fear to Speak Record Release Show
Saturday, October 19 - Houston, TX @ Scout Bar [TICKETS]

Later this month, the band are saddling up with their fellow Houston heavies in Necrofier for a fiery performance at Metal Injection Festival.

"We are thrilled to celebrate Metal Injection's 20th anniversary at this year's festival", says Cammie. "We'll be sharing the stage with amazing bands like Jinjer, Converge, God Forbid, 3 Inches of Blood, Hanabie, Cave In, Rivers of Nihil and our good friends in Necrofier. We can't wait to rock out with you and hit the streets of New York City".

Metal Injection Festival
Sunday, September 22 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Monarch & Meadows [TICKETS]

Lineup
Cammie Beverly - vocals
Dobber Beverly- drums, piano
Semir Ozerkan - bass
Alex Davis - guitar
Chris Kritikos - guitar, synth

Recording
Audiovision Studios in Bogotá, Columbia
Assistant engineering at Audiovision by Deyra Castillo and David Dueñas Piña

Production
Produced and engineered by Joel Hamilton
Mixed by Joel Hamilton at Studio G in Brooklyn, New York
Additional engineering by Chris Kritikos
Assistant engineering by Justin Termotto

Artwork
Giannis Nakos - Remedy Art Design

Biography
Dom Lawson

Follow Oceans of Slumber
https://oceansofslumber.com/
https://oceansofslumber.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/oceansofslumber/
https://www.instagram.com/oceansofslumber/?hl=en
https://www.youtube.com/user/oceansofslumber
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2JSza6IRxLr1Ez3wqKd0SY?si=aWrsTRHCSCemMNRQaSk5tw

Pre-order & Stream

https://orcd.co/oceansofslumberwheregodsfeartospeakalbum

Dead Icarus announce debut album 'Zealot'

September 12, 2024

Dead Icarus , the new band of former Atreyu lead vocalist and Gold-selling artist Alex Varkatzas, as well as Gabe Mangold of Enterprise Earth and Brandon Zackey, are thrilled to announce their debut album ZEALOT. It will arrive October 31 via MNRK HEAVY.
Produced and co-written by Mangold, ZEALOT is a precise and pummeling execution of airtight technical riffs, miles of solos, blast beat assault and battery, and screamed, growled, and sung vocals.
Today, the band has shared the video for the latest single "Bearing Burdens and Saving Skin."

The song (spin) kicks off with furious hardcore energy and evolves with guttural death growls and monster, chunky breakdowns.

"I couldn't be more excited and proud to shared our first full length album ZEALOT with the world," Varkatzas says. "To be a 'ZEALOT' means to be fanatical and uncompromisingly devoted to one's beliefs. A lot of emotion and energy went into its crafting. I worked very hard to step up my vocal performance and really committed to holding nothing back and trying new things in order to match the dynamic nature of the songs."

He continues, "We kick things off with 'Bearing Burdens and Saving Skin,' a fast, chaotic, catchy ripper. Lyrically, the song deals with dishonesty and unrelenting revenge. We match it with a dark and wild video by MyGoodEyeVisuals, which was shot in a cemetery inside a haunted house and serves as a precursor to the subsequent videos we have in the works. Be ready, we are just getting started..."
Dead Icarus leans on the uncanny creative union between vocalist Varkatzas, guitarist and producer Gabe Mangold, and drummer Brandon Zackey. The band truly gets its wings from the undying commitment made by its members. The musicians pursue their artistry with a resolute sense of focus, manifesting in the precise execution of airtight technical riffs, virtuosic solos, blast beat assault and battery, and hard-hitting vocals.

Countless fans worldwide initially got to know Varkatzas as co-founder and original frontman for influential Southern California metalcore stalwarts Atreyu. After two decades earmarked by chart-shaking success, a pair of Gold albums and Gold singles, sold-out shows around the globe, and critical renown, he embarked on his next chapter in 2020. Enter Mangold. Celebrated as guitarist for Enterprise Earth, he and Alex instantly clicked and forged a musical partnership, yielding their 2024-released Ad infernum EP. Inciting critical applause, Revolver promised, "Fans of old-school Atreyu will definitely enjoy."

Dead Icarus will also embark on their first tour this September with Enterprise Earth and Nekrogoblikon. All dates are below. More worldwide touring is planned for 2025 and beyond.

We Are PIGS + Souleye Drop "GHOST TOWN" Visualizer

September 9, 2024

eptember 6 will see the release of "Ghost Town," a result of the alt know-how of Esjay Jones and the hip-hop stylings of Souleye, creating an ultra-addictive single that will have heads banging around the world.

WATCH THE VISUALIZER BELOW.

Souleye (husband of seven-time Grammy-winning Canadian singer/songwriter Alanis Morissette) has an impressive resume. Having been referred to as "one of the most inventive hip-hop artists of his generation" by The Source, his passion for the genre can be traced back to his formative years, as an adolescent in New England, who would record episodes of Yo! MTV Raps on his boombox. He began freestyling and writing songs in his mid-teens, and at 20, he was bestowed with the name "Souleye" during a shamanic visualization meditation. Throughout the course of his career, Souleye has been viewed as a genre-bending act, as evidenced by his longevity and his discography, which features a dozen studio albums! Furthermore, he has collaborated with numerous artists, including his wife, Alanis Morissette, and various hip-hop and electronic music artists, such as Sunspot Jonz and Random Rab.

Collaborator and Grammy-featured producer Esjay Jones is perhaps one of the busiest and tenacious women in all of the music industry. Having worked with everyone from Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, Brian "Head" Welch of Korn, and Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction to the late, great Chester Bennington, Jones consistently has her finger on the pulse of what makes a song pop in any genre. Not only does she have a stranglehold on the rock world, but with business partner and Kittie frontwoman, Morgan Lander, Esjay Jones has also stepped into the world of non-alcoholic beverages. Their creation, specifically crafted for heavy music lovers everywhere, KittiePIG, is a non-alcoholic beer that is making waves within the hardrock venues and bars around the country. Promising "All Headbang, No Hangover," there has never (ever) been a better tasting, or more badass can of bubbles to hit the market. For more info on KittiePIG and wholesale purchasing, go here!

Souleye and Esjay will join forces for a second time beyond their massive song collaboration by launching the first-ever SOULEYE FEST on October 26 at Four-Twenty Bank in Palm Springs. The "can't miss" event is complimentary and embraces art, music, and plant- based medicines. So there's something for everyone and is a great way to spend the day. Additionally, Souleye will also release his 13th studio album, Floating In Plasma, that night.

JOHN DOUGLAS marks 20-year anniversary of TRASHCAN SINATRAS 'Weightlifting' with new video. Headline North American tour begins Oct. 1

September 9, 2024

Acclaimed Scottish troubadour John Douglas, presents a live rendition of 'Weightlifting', commemorating the landmark Trashcan Sinatras album released 20 years ago this week. The offering also previews Douglas' forthcoming 'Lost in North America Tour - Part One', an intimate snapshot of the talent, charisma and depth of this celebrated songsmith.

Throughout October, Douglas takes to American stages, showcasing original material and new recordings of fave Trashcan Sinatras' material. Joined for West coast and Midwest dates by Lily Vakili of Vakili Band, he is joined for East Coast dates by award-winning singer-songwriter Lauren Calve. Further, attendees of two special shows will be treated to guest appearances by fellow Trashcan Sinatras Frank Reader and Paul Livingston in Seattle, with Reader also joining Douglas in LA.

"'Weightlifting' was a milestone record in our journey. It took us a long time to make that record due to various hilarious sidetracks, including adventures in Japan with us as a six-piece band, and many many strung out, aimless days and nights in our adopted home of Kilmarnock, Scotland, a mad detour attempting to record in Hartford, USA (skillfully avoiding the nightly gunshots), and even a meeting with the landed gentry in Ayr County Court, where our banishment from the land of honest toil was finally ended," says John Douglas.

"We returned from all those adventures with songs - songs of love, loss, redemption, forgiveness, bravado, friendship, wisdom, peace and tranquility. Songs that we swore ourselves to... and here we are 20 years on and it looks like we somehow built them to last. Somehow, from the chaotic depths, we found ourselves at the top of our game. It’s a miracle of a record."

It's been a fine year for Douglas, including a UK headlining tour, releasing his eponymous debut album via Reveal Records, UK Top-40 charting of Trashcan Sinatras' reissued album 'Cake' (33 years since it debuted), and a new Trashcan Sinatras documentary, produced by award-winning Irish journalist Ken Sweeney, which also features Douglas performing beloved Trashcans' songs.

'Weightlifting' is the second instalment in Douglas' 'Me & Midnight Sessions’, following 'Oranges & Apples'. Earlier, he shared live videos for 'I Just Want To Go Home', 'Lost', 'I'm Not The Fella', 'Always' and 'Leave Me Alone' - all tracks from his debut album, recorded with renowned producer Mark Freegard (New Model Army, Lush, The Breeders, Del Amitri, Marillion).

Douglas shares, "This video was filmed in Ibrox, Glasgow in a flat that was once shared by a young couple, who had come to the end of their time together. On the night of my filming, I had helped one of them move out the final pieces of furniture and accompanied them as they said goodbye to what they used to call home. I returned later, on my own, to the now empty flat... just before midnight... and filmed myself singing what felt like a very appropriate song. A bittersweet night that will hopefully allow a healing to begin and for pain to be left behind. I changed the lyric a little to suit the mood."

John Douglas' debut album is available on CD and digitally via Bandcamp, as well as from fine online platforms. His 'Lost in North America Tour - Part One' kicks off in Los Angeles on October 1.

TOUR DATES
October 1 LOS ANGELES - Hotel Cafe *
(Special guest appearance by Trashcan Sinatras' Frank Reader)
October 2 SAN FRANCISCO - The Lost Church *
October 4 PORTLAND - Mission Theater *
October 5 SEATTLE - Ballard Homestead, Fremont Abbey *
(Special guest appearance by Trashcan Sinatras' Frank Reader & Paul Livingston)
October 7 SALT LAKE CITY - The Beehive *
October 8 DENVER - Mercury Cafe, Jungle Room *
October 10 KANSAS CITY - Knuckleheads *
October 11 MINNEAPOLIS - Icehouse MPLS *
October 12 CHICAGO - GMan Tavern **
October 15 TORONTO - The Monarch **
October 16 CLEVELAND - Beachland Tavern **
October 17 COLUMBUS - Natalie's Grandview **
October 19 BOSTON - City Winery Boston **
October 20 NEW YORK - Cafe Wha? **
October 21 PHILADELPHIA - City Winery Loft **

1349 Premieres Blistering New Single, "Inferior Pathways"

September 9, 2024

True Norwegian black metal horde 1349 will be releasing their eighth full-length, 'The Wolf and the King,' on October 4, 2024 via Season of Mist! The Norwegian horde is now unleashing the latest offering from the record, "Inferior Pathways," which can be heard below.

1349 frontman Ravn comments, "With this single, some might say we have saved the best for last. I say that 'Inferior Pathways' is the perfection of quintessential 1349 executed in the darkest and most sinister way.”

The forthcoming offering was mastered by Jarrett Pritchard and produced and mixed by Prichard & 1349 frontman Ravn at NEW CONSTELLATION R.M.P.

Pre-order for 'The Wolf and the King' are now live HERE.

Recorded at Amper Tone in Oslo, Norway, and New Constellation R.M.P. in Orlando, Florida, The Wolf and the King was produced and mixed by Ravn and Jarrett Pritchard (Eulogy, Pulchra Morte), the band’s long-standing sonic wizard who also worked on their previous two albums. The lyrics were written by the band’s longtime wordsmith, Svartalv, who has been working with 1349 for twenty years.

Jordan Barlow’s elaborate artwork for The Wolf and the King reflects the album’s chronological position in 1349’s discography. “This is our eighth album, and the artwork and lyrics are filled with references to this number of infinity,” Ravn explains. “You can basically go on a quest finding references to the number in the artwork.”

All told, The Wolf and the King is the exalted output of the joint force that is 1349. “We all work together to make the best black metal possible every time we release an album,” Ravn says. “This is our common goal. We’re a band on a mission.”

1349 Lineup:

Archaon - Guitars

Frost - Drums

Ravn - Vocals

Seidemann - Bass

Recording Studio:

Amper Tone (Oslo, Norway) & NEW CONSTELLATION R.M.P. (Orlando, USA)

Production Credits:

Produced by Jarrett Pritchard & Ravn

Mixed by Jarrett Pritchard & Ravn at NEW CONSTELLATION R.M.P.

Mastered by Jarrett Pritchard at NEW CONSTELLATION R.M.P.

Cover Art: Jordan Barlow

Bio: J. Bennett

Pre-Order // Stream: https://orcd.co/1349thewolfandtheking

Links:

Scotty McCreery Releases "Fall of Summer (NC State Version)" Due to Fan Demand

September 7, 2024

When NC State men’s and women’s basketball teams made their historic run to the NCAA Final Four last Spring, Triple Tigers recording artist Scotty McCreery tweaked the lyrics to his current single “Fall of Summer” from his current album Rise & Fall with an update for his beloved Wolfpack singing, “I said come see me at NC State.” The change has remained a popular one at his live show and even taken on a life of its own on social media with fans inserting their own school name in the lyrics. McCreery, who was just announced yesterday as a performer at the 2025 Stagecoach Festival, has heard the call from fans and due to popular demand is releasing “Fall of Summer (NC State Version).” Available today, listen to the updated “Fall of Summer” Below.

Written by McCreery, Frank Rogers and Brent Anderson and produced by Rogers, Derek Wells, and Aaron Eshuis, “Fall of Summer,” is currently climbing the chart at country radio and was most added its first week. Filled with mature nostalgia, and built on one of the album’s most modern, cinematic sounds, the midtempo and reflective standout finds the country crooner’s vocal at a low simmer, as a guy looks back on a season of life that ultimately faded, but also made room for the here and now.

Rise & Fall is McCreery’s most critically acclaimed album to date, with Billboard naming it one of the 50 Best Albums of 2024 (So Far). The album’s first single, “Cab in a Solo,” recently became his sixth #1 hit. Listen to the album Rolling Stone says is “every bit as legit as Jamey Johnson’s That Lonesome Song, Garth Brooks’ In Pieces, or Randy Travis’ Storms of Life,” HERE.

“Across the 13-track collection, McCreery exhibits his continued growth as a vocalist and songwriter,” notes Holler. People echoes the sentiment, writing that the album “brims with a newfound confidence and maturity,” while Country Now calls it “his best record yet,” and American Songwriter declares it a “career album” as Rise & Fall finds him exploring not only heartbreak but rowdy nights, nostalgia, faith, newfound joy, fatherhood and enduring love, resulting in a project full of insightful storytelling. 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 Billboard observes, “Light-hearted fare such as ‘Stuck Behind a Tractor’ and ‘And Countin’’ mesh with heartbreak brushoffs such as ‘Lonely,’ the bluegrass-inflected album-closer ‘Porch’ and the faith-filled ‘Red Letter Blueprint.’” It is available digitally as well as on CD and vinyl. In addition, Amazon is releasing a limited-edition forest green vinyl version of the album. Order autographed vinyl and CDs of Rise & Fall HERE.

McCreery also recently joined Callista Clark on the duet “Gettin’ Old” via Dreamcatcher Artists label (listen HERE). Clark wrote the song with Averie Bielski and Karen Kasowski, while Joey Hyde and Frank Rogers share production credits.

Of the collaboration McCreery shared, “I’ve been a fan of Callista and her talent for some time, especially after having her out on my European tour a few years ago. I loved this song from the first time I heard it and was honored that she asked me to sing it with her.”

The two recently shot a music video for the track, conceived, produced and directed by award-winning film maker Roman White, which will be released soon. A preview of the video can be seen now on both Clark and McCreery’s socials.

Having spent almost half his life in the spotlight making country music, the North Carolina native is in the midst of his headlining Fall of Summer Tour. Named after his current single of the same name, the tour will take the North Carolina native across the U.S. and Canada with stops in Santa Fe, NM; Bakersfield, CA; Stamford, CT; Windsor, Ontario; Kansas City, MO, Las Vegas, NV, and more.

Tickets are on sale now. Purchase at ScottyMcCreery.com.

Fall of Summer Tour Dates:
9/13               Santa Fe, NM                          Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino
9/14               Abilene, TX                            Mulligans Outdoor Bash
9/21               Central Point, OR                   Bi-Mart Amphitheatre at the Expo
9/23               Bakersfield, CA                      Kern County Fair
9/28               Columbia, SC                         Segra Park
9/29               Fort Myers, FL                       Island Hopper Festival
10/4               Nixa, MO                                Aetos Center for the Performing Arts
10/5               Benton, MO                            Benton Speedway
10/17             Bloomington, IL                     Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts
10/18             La Porte, IN                            La Porte Civic Auditorium
10/19             Wisconsin Dells, WI               Crystal Grand Music Theatre
11/2               Las Vegas, NV                      The Sandbar at Redrock Casino Resort & Spa
11/7               New Brunswick, NJ                State Theatre New Jersey
11/8               Stamford, CT                          Palace Theatre
11/9               Hampton Beach, NH             Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
11/15             Cherokee, NC                         Harrah's Cherokee Casino
11/16             Choctaw, MS                          Pearl River Resort
11/21             Windsor, ON                           The Colosseum at Caesar’s Windsor
11/22             Orillia, ON                              Casino Rama Resort - Entertainment Centre
12/6               Kansas City, MO                    Ameristar Kansas City Casino
12/7               Hinton, OK                             Sugar Creek Casino

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 latest album Rise & Fall, featuring his sixth No. 1 single “Cab in a Solo,” current single “Fall of Summer,” 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. Last year McCreery was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. Earlier this year, he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry by Josh Turner and Randy Travis, after being invited late last year by Garth Brooks. 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.

Bryce Leatherwood Announces Debut Single “Hung Up On You”

September 7, 2024

Republic Records / Mercury Nashville recording artist Bryce Leatherwood is arriving at Country radio with his debut single “Hung Up on You” available today on all DSPs. Written by Brandon Lay, Jeff Middleton and Neil Medley, the song will impact Country radio on Monday, Sept. 23. Listen Below.

“The second I heard ‘Hung Up On You,’ I knew it was a song I had to record,” reflects Leatherwood. “It just felt like me, yet it carries the influences of artists I look up to. I can hear a little of Eric Church’s ‘Smoke A Little Smoke’ and some of the rock elements reminiscent of Allman Brothers that I grew up admiring. It felt true to all aspects of my artistry and my role models, and I’m excited for it to be my first single at Country radio.

“Growing up, Country radio is what we listened to at home, so taking this one to the airwaves is a full circle moment for me,” Leatherwood adds. “All I’ve ever wanted to do is make my family and everyone back home proud, and having them hear my voice on the radio is a dream come true.”

Metaphorically comparing the intoxicating effects of love with those of alcohol, Leatherwood delivers an upbeat anthem where the only cure for his swirling thoughts about what comes next is the continued presence of the girl he loves:

“Hung Up On You” is Leatherwood’s latest release as he continues to tease new music to come. Leatherwood was featured in Boot Barn’s 2024 spring campaign Taking Flight, a highlight on up-and-coming country musicians, and was also named a 2024 Artist to Watch by Music Mayhem and Country Now earlier this year.

After graduating college, the Woodstock, Georgia native competed on the NBC hit television show The Voice and was crowned the Season 22 winner and signed a management deal with Morris Higham Management in December 2022. Following his success on The Voice, Leatherwood began pursuing a full-time music career, inking a record deal with Republic Records and Mercury Nashville in October 2023.

Leatherwood concluded his first-ever headlining tour, The Neon Does Tour, and performed at CMA Fest’s Good Molecules Reverb Stage this summer, and will make his Grand Ole Opry debut next Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024.

To follow along with updates and for more information, visit bryceleatherwood.com or follow along on Instagram HERE, Facebook HERE, X HERE or Tik Tok HERE.

Corey Kent Releases Sophomore Album ‘Black Bandana’

September 7, 2024

Sony Music Nashville artist Corey Kent has spent more than 15 years cutting his own path through a tangled wilderness of stumbles and setbacks … and never once come close to waving a white flag. The result…his sophomore album, Black Bandana, named a “Best Album” by NPR’s All Songs Considered with Rolling Stone noting his “charismatic vocals lift every song.” The platinum-selling Kent will kick off his headlining Black Bandana Tour on Sept. 21. Available now, listen to Black Bandana HERE.

Kent also surprised fans today with the release of a music video for his current single, “Now or Never" featuring Lauren Alaina. The Tennessean calls the track a “steel guitar-aided ‘80s-style power ballad” and the video captures that spirit with the duo delivering angst and drama in the clip. Watch the video directed by Wales Toney below.

Title track “Black Bandana” helped set the tone for the album Billboard calls, “music for those whose lives have been seasoned by rocky times." Co-written with Rocky Block, Jordan Dozzi, and Brett Tyler, the slow-burning call to stand your ground pairs tender country-rock reverence with a big-picture mindset, helping tie all of Kent’s struggle, success, and plans for the future together. The album was almost finished when he wrote it, Kent says, but he was happy it “derailed” the project.

“It encapsulates the journey. The reason we’re here is because we didn’t give up, and the whole record is a call to action against all odds,” he explains. “When the going gets tough and everybody quits, you be the one that stays the course and never gives up. I think there’s a lot of people that relate with that.”

Co-writing six of Black Bandana’s 10 songs, what Kent ultimately wanted was to mix themes of integrity, resilience and family with a sonic setting befitting the mission. Finding the midway point between cinematic electric guitars and heart-pounding drums meet a warm, gravel-road rasp, as Kent brings classic rock into the present tense.

Other tracks fuse that “wave of black bandana” call to action with Kent’s let-it-ride mentality. The dark and smoky soul of “Ain’t Gonna to Lie” kicks the album off with a rough-edged ‘70s rock spirit for a tune that on the surface, finds a guy fessing up about the damage to his broken heart. But really, it’s another call to be unapologetically honest, in whatever you stand for.

Tunes like “Damn Good Country Song” beg for a chance to get destroyed by love, matching Kent’s tender growl with a bare minimum of back alley R&B production – just enough to make the torchy track strut. And while previously released “Never Ready” emerges as a fully-realized full-circle ballad, with Kent acknowledging the fleeting nature of our most precious blessings, tracks like current single “Now or Never (feat. Lauren Alaina)” seek to strike while the romantic iron is hot – a seize-the-moment power duet built on orchestral “’80s hair metal ballad vibes.”

“Break Like That” smolders with a singalong promise of fidelity, and while “Rust” tributes a love that will weather the elements, tracks like “Nothing But Neon” and “This Heart” sway with somber classic rock heartache.

A Bixby, Oklahoma native now based in Dallas, the proud husband and father has become a decorated artist on the rise, growing from humble heartland roots into a Platinum certified Number One hit maker with 950 million career streams, and a black bandana on his neck. But today, that Black Bandana is more than an accessory – and not just the title track of his sophomore major-label album, which Music Row calls, “gently but unrelentingly uplifting.” It’s his rally cry.

“It started from riding motorcycles and wanting something over your face so you didn’t swallow a bug,” the singer-songwriter says. “But then it turned into a staple I wear on stage, and then a symbol of the path through my career, and life. Through all the ups and downs, the one constant thing was this relentless hope – this relentless pursuit of believing that if I don’t give up, I can get where I’m going.”

With a self-built story that has seen success and disaster, keeping that belief wasn’t always easy – but it’s been paying off. Rising from the vibrant Red Dirt country scene as the embodiment of authenticity, Kent set his sights on Nashville as a teen, bringing his self-penned catalog of country-rock anthems with him. But after the pandemic coincided with the loss of his first publishing deal, Kent was forced to move to Texas and get a job on a paving crew to pay the bills, yet he stubbornly refused to call music quits. Honky-tonks and dancehalls on both sides of the Red River became his stomping ground, and slowly but surely, the black bandana spirit grew.

Fast forward a few years and the hit single “Wild As Her” proved he was right all along. An untamed tribute to a free-spirited stunner, the track re-invigorated Kent’s career as a now Double-Platinum-certified No. 1 at country radio, and the lead single off his major label album debut, Blacktop. Despite never cracking country radio’s Top 40, Kent’s trust-your-gut second single “Something’s Gonna Kill Me” went Gold (and is now approaching Platinum status), proving his message was connecting. And momentum kept building, with Kent hitting the road alongside Jason Aldean, Ashley McBryde, Parker McCollum and more. Next-big-thing accolades came in from CMT, Opry Next Stage and more, but even as Kent became the most played new artist on country radio for all of 2023, he kept the underdog, who-cares-about-conventional-wisdom mentality. And so did his fans.

For Kent, the point was that his fans have the same independent spirit he does, and he took that lesson into his next chapter. Settled into his ranch in Texas and intent on being fully present as husband and father, while also achieving his dreams, his second album is all about finding balance, keeping clear eyes on what’s important – and waving that Black Bandana for all to see.

“We all face our own demons. We all face our own setbacks, and I hope this record serves as encouragement,” he says. “It would be really easy to lean on the past and go ‘Look at what I’ve done,’ but I’m still excited about the records I’ve yet to create. I’m excited about the shows I haven’t played yet. I’m excited about unlocking new levels of my craft, and writing more songs that people connect with deeply. …I still live for those moments.”

Kent is also connecting with friends on the road in his new podcast “Bus Call.” The podcast finds Kent chatting with everyone from country music star Bailey Zimmerman to 2023 Doak Walker Award winner, OSU Running Back Ollie Gordon. The Texas Troubadour and his guests share laughs, inspirational moments and talk through the ups and downs of both business and personal life. Listen to the first two episodes of season one now and stay tuned for a new episode each month.

The Oklahoma native will be joined by Braxton Keith, Kaitlin Butts, Max McNown, Karley Scott Collins and Lauren Watkins on select dates for his headlining, international Black Bandana Tour, which kick-offs in Paso Robles, California on Sept. 21. The road warrior will trek across both the U.S. and U.K. with stops in New York, Boston, Atlanta, Dublin, London and more into early 2025. Tickets are on sale now. Purchase at coreykentofficial.com.

Black Bandana Tour Dates:
+9/21/24    Paso Robles, CA BarrelHouse Brewing Co. - Brewery and Beer Gardens
9/22/24      Long Beach, CA Boots In The Park
^9/26/24     Reedley, CA The Wakehouse
^9/27/24     Bakersfield, CA          Buck Owens Crystal Palace
9/28/24      Tempe, AZ                   Boots In The Park
<10/3/24    Hays, KS Fox Theatre
10/4/24      Durant, OK                  Choctaw Grand Theater (with Pat Green)
10/5/24      Burkburnett, TX          Friendship Festival
#10/10/24  Little Rock, AR Little Rock Hall
10/11/24    Bellville, TX Austin County Fair
#10/12/24 Terrell, TX                   Silver Saloon
-10/16/24   New York, NY Gramercy Theatre
-10/17/24   Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
-10/18/24   Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun – Wolf Den
-10/19/24   Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
<10/24/24 Cincinnati, OH Bogart’s
<10/25/24 West Lafayette, IN       Neon Cactus
<10/26/24 Rootstown, OH Dusty Armadillo
^11/1/24     Milwaukee, WI The Rave II
#11/8/24    Wichita, KS The Cotillion Ballroom
#11/9/24    Stillwater, OK Tumbleweed Dance Hall
-11/21/24   Atlanta, GA Buckhead Theatre
-11/22/24   Charlotte, NC Coyote Joe’s
-11/23/24   North Myrtle Beach, SC        House of Blues

International Dates
2/1/25        Dublin, IE                    The Academy (Green Room)
2/2/25 Belfast, NI                    The Limelight 1
2/4/25 Glasgow, UK               SWG3 TV Studio
2/7/25        Manchester, UK Manchester Academy 2
2/8/25        Birmingham, UK         O2 Academy 2
2/9/25        Bristol, UK                   The Trinity Centre
2/11/25      London, UK                 Electric Ballroom

^Braxton Keith
< Kaitlin Butts
-Max McNown
+Karley Scott Collins
#Lauren Watkins

For the latest news and information visit,  coreykentofficial.com and follow @coreykent on X, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Klone Share Title Track From Forthcoming Record "The Unseen"

September 4, 2024

French art-rock band Klone have released the title track from their forthcoming full-length album, The Unseen, set for release on November 8 through Berlin's Pelagic Records. Pre-order it here.

A bold new journey through a singular yet contrasting soundscape, The Unseen is an immersive, dreamlike experience that pushes Klone's already sumptuous sound to new, magisterial heights and speaks to the significance of things that at first glance seem to lack it.

"The Unseen" (title track) is out now. Listen below

Emotive and conceptual, Klone have once again broken new sonic ground and built further on their signature expansive sound. Since the release of Le Grand Voyage in 2019, Klone have risen to new heights across the globe, touring in Europe, USA, Australia, and Mexico alongside the likes of Devin Townsend, Leprous, Riverside, Pain of Salvation, Gojira, and blowing away festival crowds at Hellfest 2024, Prog Power USA, Midsummer Prog, and Cruise to the Edge. Coming off the back of their phenomenal 2023 album Meanwhile, The Unseen is a masterpiece of both performance and production that sees Klone wearing their years of experience proudly on their sleeves.

With every member and every instrument pushed to its expressive limit, The Unseen has a might and intensity to it that, whilst sometimes abrasive, simultaneously feels natural, coherent and unified as the band move from motif and melody as one; guided as ever by the unmistakable voice and vision of Yann Ligner.

The album's title track sees Klone deftly balance musical melancholy with uplifting optimism as the five-piece build a lilting, 6/8 groove before dialing up the distortion to euphoric heights whilst Ligner’s words resound with a newly uncovered outpouring of lyrical vulnerability that celebrates the bittersweet beauty of the moment.

With such an inimitable 25 years of music already behind them, it seems apt that The Unseen is also Klone's tenth full-length release. The album serves as a milestone that uses reflections on the past as a means of appreciating the beauty of the present, with the band employing their shared decades of creativity and collaboration to offer enlightening new perspectives on the here and now.

Linger says, "'The Unseen' is a contemplative piece which takes time to fully open up. Musically, we tried to strike a delicate balance between melancholy and optimism and lyrically I tried to reflect the fleeting beauty of a vulnerable nature and, as such, the importance of embracing the present moment; whatever it may bring."

UK avante pop artist NICK HUDSON shares 'Catherine In The Curate's Garden' from new Georgia-inspired album 'Kanda Teenage Honey'

September 4, 2024

“Beautifully written, recorded, produced and arranged... all complimented by vocal that lives up to the same standard. No cheating, no fronting, just honest crafted musicality” ~ Billy Gould (Faith No More)

"Kanda Teenage Honey is shockingly emotional, thoughtfully orchestrated and wonderfully curious lyrically. It is a record for true music lovers" ~ Jamie Stewart (Xiu Xiu)

"A profound, clever and vividly confessional Avant-pop composer, Hudson is always pushing the envelope in his works, his unique musical output forged via musical territory that is hardly explored" ~ The Spill Magazine

"There isn’t really anyone making music like Nick Hudson“ ~ The Quietus

“A unique talent. His song writing and performances are breathtaking. He is long overdue being heard by a wider audience. This solo album is a peak in an already stellar career” ~ Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai)

"Scott Walker channeling Coil” ~ MOJO Magazine

"Genius” - BBC Radio (BBC Introducing)

Brighton experimental artist Nick Hudson presents 'Catherine in the Curate's Garden', the latest audio-visual offering from his album 'Kanda Teenage Honey', an expansive 16-track collection recorded in a former Soviet movie studio in Georgia in the build-up to the country's current unrest, an explosive combination of circumstances that recently earned him coverage in Billboard.

"Originally, 'Catherine In The Curate's Garden' was a folk song, written eight years ago when I was living in an industrial unit on the south coast of England. It never sat comfortably in those rustic garments and while writing 'Kanda Teenage Honey' it made itself known as a simmering, swampy, gothic art rock piece. I asked my friend Stuart Dahlquist of Asva/Sunn O))) and Burning Witch to grace it with his inimitable bass tone and we subjected the drums to some infernal alchemy," says Nick Hudson.

"The lyrics narrate the de-martyring of two saints - Sebastiane and Catherine, who shame and dispose of the curate who has judged and condemned them, before conjoining in sexual and romantic ecstasy in a throng of lupine cheerleaders. Call it biblical speculative fiction if you will, with a queered-up slant. This is echoed in the video wherein we recreated a sequence from Carl Dreyer's vanguard silent film 'The Passion Of Joan Of Arc' (1928) - I actually storyboarded this sequence and we shot it frame for frame in a junkyard in Tbilisi, with my Russian gangster rapper friend Tex2ra (yes, a male) as Joan and a host of Pasolinian non-actors cast for their compelling visages and on-screen energies."

This follows Hudson's most recent videos for 'Unspent Youth' and 'Sky Burial While Alive', featuring a prologue text on dictators, spoken by Alfreda Benge - collaborator and wife of legendary British composer Robert Wyatt. The video was filmed at the Bologna villa used in the Pasolini's film 'Salo' (itself a notorious and damning critique of fascism) and in Tbilisi with a cast of international performers.

Having earlier previewed the singles 'For My Silence' and 'Khevsureti', this album was born of geographical explorations amidst musical territory that is hardly touched on. Mixed by and featuring Toby Driver of Kayo Dot, this album involves such luminaries as Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite, Stuart Dahlquist (Asva, Burning Witch, Sunn O))), Lizzy Carey (Bat For Lashes), Robert Wyatt collaborator Alfreda Benge, Christopher Nell (legendary German performer and collaborator of US theatre visionary Robert Wilson), and soprano prodigy Poppy Efemey.

Recorded with Ilya Lukashev at Leno Studio and Sano Studio in Tbilisi, this album was mastered to analogue tape by Paul Pascoe (Barry Adamson, Beat Hotel, Sleaford Mods) at Church Road Studios in Hove, Hudson collaborates with some incredible Georgian musicians and his friend Seva, a Russian dissident who fled the FSB, having worked for Navalny. Hudson explains, "He contributes a poem narrating his thoughts on exile, through which I've layered field recordings of the recent Tbilisi and Paris protests, where many of us got tear-gassed."

CREDITS
Composed, arranged and produced by Nick Hudson
Engineered by Ilya Lukashev & Nick Hudson at Leno Studio and Sano Studio, Tbilisi
Steinway recorded by Ilya Lukashev & George Gvarjaladze at Leno Studios, Tbilisi
Mixed by Toby Driver
Mastered to analogue tape by Paul Pascoe, Church Road Studios, Hove
Nick Hudson - organ drone, vocals, field recording manipulation
Stuart Dahlquist - bass
Gigi Koberidze - drums
Kianna Blue - Issa G Thang
Ilia lukashev - drum production, engineering, tom alchemy
Toby Driver - mixing
Paul Pascoe - analogue mastering
Video directed, produced, filmed & edited by Nick Hudson at Junkyard, Tbilisi
starring Text2ra, Jamie Khan, Alfred Veta, Ali Gamrov, Sonya, Gary Mallard, William Sitnin, Nick Hudson. Thanks to Polina Tengelin and all at Junkyard.
Album artwork by Nick Hudson and Gary Mallard
Artist photography by @_Carl_Solomon_
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

STARSET Share New Visual Transmission "TOKSIK" (Feat. Puppets) — WATCH

September 4, 2024

Visionary, sci-fi-inspired rock collective STARSET have shared the video for their latest transmission "TOKSIK."

Watch it below. And there's puppets.

The song addresses the toxicity that has become omnipresent in the online space, where so many people spend far too much time these days. The track considers the effects of the virtual world 's toxicity — especially when it spills over into the real world.

STARSET previously announced the second leg of their "IMMERSION: THE FINAL CHAPTER" tour, set for late summer and early fall 2024. The tour is an "Evening With Starset" and kicks off August 31 in the band's native Columbus, Ohio and runs through September 25 in Indianapolis. It also includes an appearance at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville. This trek follows the Spring 2024 leg. The tour was almost 100% sold out across 20 dates. Tickets and VIP are available here.

Known for their groundbreaking and immersive live shows the tour is framed by a dystopian futuristic narrative. These, shows, known as "DEMONSTRATIONS," promise a most-anticipated conclusion to narrative threads that have been woven into their multimedia experiences, through music, videos and live performances.

Earlier this spring, STARSET also shared the official music video for the brand new single "BRAVE NEW WORLD." Watch it here. They followed with "DEGENERATE." Watch it here.

The high demand that defined the Spring 2024 leg, coupled with the ability to experience these brand new songs and forthcoming, additional new material, is certainly reason enough for rock fans across the country to be excited for these upcoming demonstrations.

Lauded by Forbes as having "one of the most firmly established brands of any modern rock band," Columbus, Ohio's STARSET are creating a true multimedia empire with music at its core. Their hits include RIAA Platinum-selling hit "My Demons" (2012) and RIAA Gold-selling single "It Has Begun" (2014), with others soon to follow. With a staggering 5 billion streams and a rapidly growing rabid global fanbase, 2024 sees STARSET poised to rise as one of rock's next superstar acts.

STARSET 2024 TOUR DATES:
9/6 — Detroit, MI — The Fillmore
9/8 — Montreal, QC — MTELUS
9/9 — Toronto, ON — HISTORY
9/10 — Philadelphia, PA — The Fillmore
9/12 — Richmond, VA — The National
9/13 — Silver Spring, MD — The Fillmore
9/14 — Albany, NY — Albany Capital Center
9/15 — Huntington, NY — The Paramount
9/17 — Raleigh, NC — The Ritz
9/20 — St. Paul, MN — Myth Live
9/21 — Omaha, NE — The Astro
9/23 — Madison, WI — The Sylvee
9/24 — St. Louis, MO — The Pageant
9/25 — Indianapolis, IN — Egyptian Room
9/26 — Louisville, KY — Louder Than Life