UAE based Progressive Death Metallers VOICE OF THE SOUL have released their new album “Catacombs.” The band stated on their official Facebook page:
“Our debut full-length Catacombs is officially available for streaming and purchase digitally on our Bandcamp! We’d like to thank everyone who was involved in making this album what it is, and those who have help the band in any way- the little things always matter. We’re still taking CD pre-orders from the UAE until Tuesday night, and those in Beirut can grab their CDs at our show next Saturday” (http://goo.gl/OQsrRq).
The new album features North American bassist/vocalist Egan O’Rourke (DAYLIGHT DIES) as guest on one of the songs. “Catacombs” has been recorded, mixed and mastered at Haven Studio in Dubai, UAE and produced by Hadi Sarieddine. The artwork was designed by Hamood Hallak of MHD Graphics.
VOICE OF THE SOUL will be performing in Beirut, Lebanon on Saturday 4th October and will be the band’s first show in Lebanon. They will be sharing the stage with the local bands THRASHSTORM and DEATHLAM.
FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERShave released a new video for the track ‘Maeby’, which is the second single to be taken from the bands forthcoming album “Unbreakable Hearts”, due for release on November 3rd via Goremount Records. Kier Kemp, the band’s vocalist and guitarist, was eager to get this video out to fans to see a different side of the band:
“We’re super excited about everyone seeing this video. We’re really trying to refine exactly what Fearless Vampire Killers are and also help to show people that this kind of music doesn’t need to be tacky and outdated. You can sound great, look great and still embrace your your inner ‘Goff’. I think this video has achieved that.”
You can Pre order the album now along with limited addition bundle packages for fans at the bands merch store here.
Fearless Vampire Killers are also heading out soon with American heavyweights, BLACK VEIL BRIDES. The tour commences on October 3rd, as follows:
Fri 03 Oct – Cardiff, University
Sat 04 Oct – London, Brixton Academy
Sun 05 Oct – Southampton, Guildhall
Tue 07 Oct – Birmingham, Academy
Wed 08 Oct – Nottingham, Rock City
Thu 09 Oct – Norwich, UEA
Sat 11 Oct – Exeter, Great Hall
Sun 12 Oct – Manchester, Apollo
Mon 13 Oct – Newcastle, Academy
Wed 15 Oct – Dublin, Olympia
Thu 16 Oct – Glasgow, Barrowland
Fri 17 Oct – Leeds, Academy
The band are available for interviews in person and via phone on the tour, as well as acoustic sessions, so if you’d like some time with them please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Let us not forget that Fearless Vampire Killers have also lined up a HUGE halloween party-performance for Saturday Nov 1st to round off this tour and kick start the release of their record in their extravagant style!
There are not many tickets left to the one-off showdown for ‘Cabaret Of The Damned’ at The Dome in Tufnell Park, London – There will be huge amount’s of spectacular performance’s including magicians, dancers and many other tricks up their vampire-killing sleeve’s, all to be revealed throughout the evening!
Get your tickets now for a Halloween to remember!!
FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS Kier Kemp (Vocals/Guitar) Laurence Beveridge (Vocals) Cyrus Barrone (guitar) Drew Woolnough (bass) Luke Illingworth (drums)
Bay Area Metal Titans MACHINE HEAD have released the brand new single, ‘Now We Die’, check it out here.
‘Now We Die’ comes off the band’s upcoming album “Bloodstone & Diamonds” for which it also serves as the opening track. Along with ‘Now We Die’ the final album version of the advance track ‘Killers & Kings’ is available for download, too. Pre-order the album now on iTunes to get both tracks instantly without having to pay extra: http://geni.us/MachineHeadiTunesBlood
Other streaming and download platforms to follow soon.
The band’s Nuclear Blast debut will be released on November 07 (Europe) and November 10, 2014 (N. America/UK) on several physical and digital formats. Pre-order the CD, limited edition mediabook, box set, vinyl or the exclusive premium MACHINE HEAD guitar edition via this link: http://bit.ly/MACHINE-HEAD-BD-NBE
“Bloodstone & Diamonds” was once again produced by Robb Flynn himself and Juan Urteaga (TESTAMENT, VILE), and like the last 7 out of 8 albums, was masterfully mixed by Colin Richardson (CARCASS, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, SLIPKNOT, BEHEMOTH). Additional tracking, editing, and mixing was done with heavy metal legend Andy Sneap (EXODUS, ARCH ENEMY, MEGADETH) who also launched his career co-mixing Machine Head’s 2nd album “The More Things Change”, and Steve Lagudi.
“I cannot even begin to tell you how proud we are of this album,” comments frontman Robb Flynn. “It’s been a heck of a ride, but man, this album is a milestone for us. You’re going to love it Head Cases.”
“Without getting too philosophical on ya, “Bloodstone & Diamonds” represent two of the hardest materials on earth, it is also a lyric from the opening track of the album ‘Now We Die’. In many cultures the bloodstone has been used as an amulet to protect against evil, and is the symbol of justice. Diamonds and are hardest natural material on earth (which is how we feel about our music), and it also represents the diamond logo I drew 22 years ago (in my wife’s apartment on Dover St. in Oakland) that has become the symbol for the band.”
“Bloodstone & Diamonds” track listing:
1. Now We Die
2. Killers & Kings
3. Ghosts Will Haunt My Bones
4. Night Of Long Knives
5. Sail Into The Black
6. Eyes Of The Dead
7. Beneath The Silt
8. In Comes The Flood
9. Damage Inside
10. Game Over
11. Imaginal Cells (instrumental)
12. Take Me Through The Fire
Italian grindcore metallers CRIPPLE BASTARDS have released their first video clip of the new band line-up with drummer Raphael Saini. Check out the clip from band rehearsals below:
The band are set to play their first show with this line-up tomorrow, Saturday 27th September at Altroquando di Treviso in Zero Branco, Italy. Also on the bill areMANO ARMATA GRIND CONGREGA , PSYCHOTOMYand CORPORATION OF CONSUMPTION. For more information check here.
OZZY OSBOURNE and FIREWIND guitarist GUS G. continues to promote his solo debut “I Am The Fire”, which was released in March via Century Media Records, and has now embarked on a run of acoustic dates together with Mats Levén, the main vocalist on the “I Am The Fire” album, before he heads off to perform shows in North America and then also joins up with the Metal All Stars tour (http://www.metalallstars.com) in South America and Europe for touring throughout the end of the year.
Here is a list of all upcoming dates for GUS G. in 2014:
An Acoustic Evening with GUS G. Feat. Mats Levén – Greece & Bulgaria Tour:
24.09. Drama, Greece @ Cafe Noir
25.09. Sofia, Bulgaria @ Rock It
26.09 Alexandroupoli, Greece @ Notos Stage
27.09 Kavala, Greece @ Mirovolos
28.09 Lamia, Greece @ Bodrum
01.10 Trikala, Greece @ Kentriki Plateia Live Stage
02.10 Kozani, Greece @ Old School Bar
03.10 Ioannina, Greece @ Irida
04.10 Arta, Greece @ Old Post
05.10 Kastoria, Greece @ Blue Note
“I Am The Fire” North America Tour with special guests Lynam:
15.10 Hollywood, CA @ The Whisky A Go Go
17.10 Las Vegas, NV @ Vamped
18.10 Ramona, CA @ Ramona Mainstage
19.10 Tempe, AZ @ Club Red
GUS G. w/ Metal All Stars, featuring members of Megadeth, Anthrax, Dream Theater and more:
22.11 São Paulo, Brazil @ Espaco Das Americas
23.11 Santiago, Chile @ Movistar Arena
28.11 Bochum, Germany @ RuhrCongress
29.11 Leipzig, Germany @ Haus Auensee
30.11 Berlin, Germany @ Huxleys
01.12 Zurich, Switzerland @ X-Tra
03.12 Vienna, Austria @ Arena Wien
04.12 Ljubljana, Slovenia @ Hala Tivoli
05.12 Belgrade, Serbia @ Hala Sportova
06.12 Prague, Czech Republic @ Forum Karlin
07.12 Warsaw, Poland @ Progresja
09.12 Nuremberg, Germany @ Rockfabrik
10.12 Copenhagen, Denmark @ Vega
11.12 Kiel, Germany @ MAX
12.12 Tilburg, Netherlands @ 013
14.12 Paris, France @ Bataclan
16.12 London, UK @ O2 Brixton Academy
Alongside this intense string of touring, a special expanded edition CD + DVD Digipak of the “I Am The Fire” album will be released in Europe on November 3rd, 2014. This limited release will feature 4 bonus tracks and a 62-minutes bonus DVD (Including the album’s 4 official video clips so far, 3 live tracks, 6 guitar tutorials as well as an EPK and Track-By-Track Commentary). Here is a complete tracklisting of the CD:
GUS G. – “I Am The Fire (Expanded Edition)” [62:52] / Tracklisting:
1. My Will Be Done (Feat. Mats Levén) [3:15]
2. Blame It On Me (Feat. Mats Levén) [3:23]
3. I Am The Fire (Feat. Devour The Day) [3:14]
4. Vengeance (Feat. David Ellefson) [4:26]
5. Long Way Down (Feat. Alexia Rodriguez) [3:02]
6. Just Can’t Let Go (Feat. Jacob Bunton) [4:00]
7. Terrified (Feat. Billy Sheehan) [3:14]
8. Eyes Wide Open (Feat. Mats Levén) [4:18]
9. Redemption (Feat. Michael Starr) [4:15]
10. Summer Days (Feat. Jeff Scott Soto) [3:49]
11. Dreamkeeper (Feat. Tom S. Englund) [4:45]
12. End Of The Line (Feat. Mats Levén) [4:59]
Bonus Tracks:
13. Hesitate (Feat. Tara Teresa) [4:09]
14. Without You [4:59]
15. Last Embrace [2:41]
16. Redemption (Feat. Mats Levén) [4:14]
A video trailer for the release can be viewed here:
GUS G. handles all guitar, bass and keyboards on “I Am The Fire” and is joined by a roster of friends and guests that helped bring his vision to fruition: drummers Jeff Friedl (A PERFECT CIRCLE, PUSCIFER, DEVO) and Daniel Erlandsson (ARCH ENEMY), bassists David Ellefson (MEGADETH), Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, DAVID LEE ROTH) and Marty O’Brien (TOMMY LEE, WE ARE THE FALLEN), and vocalists Mats Leven (CANDLEMASS, ex-YNGWIE MALMSTEEN/THERION), Blake Allison (DEVOUR THE DAY), Michael Starr (STEEL PANTHER), Alexia Rodriguez (EYES SET TO KILL), Tom S. Englund (EVERGREY), Jacob Bunton (ADLER) and Jeff Scott Soto (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, ex-JOURNEY). The album showcases a well-balanced mix of active rock, classic hard rock, traditional metal and guitar-driven instrumentals, taking listeners on a diverse journey through GUS G.’s soulful playing.
A few Musician’s Friend interviews with GUS G. have been recently made available to be checked out here:
It may be that dementia is claiming another giant, this time a musical one.
AC/DC co-founder, guitarist and songwriter Malcolm Young, whose retirement from the band was announced on Wednesday, has been moved into full-time care in a nursing home facility in Sydney’s eastern suburbs specialising in dementia, sources connected to the Young family have said, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald.
The home is understood to be Lulworth House in Elizabeth Bay, the same facility that is home to Gough Whitlam and, until his recent death, Neville Wran, who was afflicted with dementia in his last years.
The Young family connection said: “If you were in the room with [Malcolm Young] and walked out, then came back in one minute later, he wouldn’t remember who you are. He has a complete loss of short-term memory. His wife, Linda, has put him in full-time care.”
Both AC/DC‘s record company, Sony, and their label, publisher and home for more than 40 years, Albert Music, were approached for comment.
While the announcement of Young’s retirement from AC/DC, the band he formed and helped turn into the biggest Australian rock act of all time, has been inevitable for some months, it hasn’t lessened the disappointment. Nor the sense of an era ending.
AC/DC have sold more than 200 million albums, feature at or near the top of highest grossing tour lists whenever they play live and were the standard bearers for Australian music years before the likes of INXS, Kylie Minogue or 5 Seconds of Summer.
The sound of pub rock, the defining mainstream sound of Australian music in the 1970s and ’80s, could be said to have emerged from the stages and the studios AC/DC inhabited.
Young, the 61-year-old rhythm guitarist and solid centre of the songs behind his flamboyant, lead guitarist younger brother, Angus, officially resigned his position in AC/DC months after returning to Australia from Europe where he had been living.
The first official word on what was assumed to be a serious and debilitating, but still undisclosed, illness, was in April when it was confirmed that Young would not be participating in the recording of the next AC/DC album, which will be called Rock Or Bust and is due out in late November.
In his place during the recording sessions in a Vancouver studio has been his nephew, Steve.
In an announcement from the band’s management this week, it was revealed that Steve will join Angus Young, frontman Brian Johnson and drummer Phil Rudd on stage when the band embarks on another massive world tour in 2015. For more details check this location.
Malcolm Young, right, with his brother Angus, pictured here in 2000. Photo: Paul White
THE ROCK ALCHEMIST – Italian Rock Band from Turin with a strong sonic identity that blends modern rock with progressive, hard, alternative, and pop elements!
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
OZZY OSBOURNE and FIREWIND guitarist GUS G. continues to promote his solo debut “I Am The Fire”, which was released in March via Century Media Records, and has now embarked on a run of acoustic dates together with Mats Levén, the main vocalist on the “I Am The Fire” album, before he heads off to perform shows in North America and then also joins up with the Metal All Stars tour (
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 