Over the weekend, Amsterdam witnessed a truly special concert highlight: Epica took the stage as part of their “The Symphonic Synergy” show, offering the audience an extraordinary performance that seamlessly blended symphonic metal with choir and orchestral accompaniment.
The atmosphere throughout the evening was magical. Epica’s unique combination of powerful metal and epic orchestral arrangements gave the night a special depth. Alongside classics like “Sensorium”, “Storm the Sorrow”, and “Unchain Utopia”, one of the most captivating moments was the joint performance by Simone Simons, Charlotte Wessels (Ex-Delain), and Myrkur during “Sirens – Of Blood and Water”, which mesmerized the audience.
Grunge/Alt. Rockers Hello Enemy are back with their explosive new single, “Hit or Miss”, a track loaded with infectious grooves, catchy melodies, and crushing guitars. Stepping away from their usual politically charged and socially conscious themes, Hello Enemy delivers a more visceral, anthemically raunchy track that showcases their dynamic range and evolution as a trio.
“Hit or Miss” marks a new chapter for Hello Enemy, as they lean into their strengths after the loss of Two members within the space of a year. Hello Enemy trade in their commentary on economic disparity and collective consciousness for something more instinctual. “We wanted to tap into something more primal with this song,” says vocalist Skip McNeil, “to explore a different side of our sound without losing the edge that makes us who we are.”
The result is a track that feels both fresh and nostalgic, nodding to the classic grunge era while infusing it with a modern touch. Lyrically, “Hit or Miss” leans into a carnal space, capturing the uncertainty and chaos of life’s risks and rewards. It’s a song built on tension and release, perfectly mirroring the highs and lows of the band’s musical journey.
Co-Produced by Baltimore based Dark Horse Studios CEO Josh Clark and Hello Enemy, “Hit or Miss” is slated for release on all major streaming platforms September 24th.
Praise for ‘Hit or Miss’: Hit or Miss was killer! I love the swagger vocally and that soul! It was hard hitting when everything kicked in and it felt like a late 90’s alt-rock style track which I loved! Really perfect aesthetic and sonic drive on this! Great track! – RagMag
It’s action-packed track with some true heaving energy. Love the ripping guitar work throughout it. – AAABackstage
I really dig the high dose of energy on Hit or Miss. The grungy guitar tones and strong vocal performance carry this track. It’s a solid combination of melody and grit, while delivering effective quiet-loud dynamic shifts between the verses and chorus to keep listeners engaged. It’s reminiscent of the 90s alt-rock scene with a more contemporary flavour. Giovanni Paola – My Music Mixtape
This one is such a hit! A great, really great modern rock n’ roll track with great old-school and alt-rock vibes – Black Parade Music Blog
Hello Enemy are an Adelaide-based melodically-groovy grunge trio – experienced musicians who rekindled their love of songwriting after meeting on bandmix. Originally a 5 Piece with their debut releases, Hello Enemy have whittled down to their current line-up after their humbly released Self titled EP had solid airplay from underground and community radio stations across the world thanks to the tracks ‘The More You Know’ and ‘They Think’.
Hello Enemy deliver a gritty sonic palette tackling themes of economic disparity, collective consciousness, inane lust, war, and the absurdity of reality TV. With their thought-provoking lyrics, and commanding stage presence, they’re fast becoming a name in the underground scene.
Punishment 18 Records will release two reissues in digipak format from the legendary Italian heavy metal band Skanners.
The albums in question are “Dirty Armada” and “Pictures of War”, their debut and second album, originally released in 1986 and 1988, respectively. The reissues are already available in the European market, while the U.S. release is scheduled for next October 4th.
Rising pop/rock artist Sierra Levesque is back with her highly anticipated original single, “AUTHORITY,” now available on all major streaming platforms. This hard-hitting track marks a bold step forward in Levesque’s musical journey, blending her signature guitar riffs, soaring vocals, and an infectious energy that demands to be heard.
“AUTHORITY” is a fast-paced rock anthem that captures Levesque’s powerful and defiant spirit. With its driving beat and assertive lyrics, the song challenges the status quo and embraces self-empowerment. True to form, Levesque played all instruments on the track, once again showcasing her skills as a multi-instrumentalist. The song was mixed, mastered, and co-produced by Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal (Ex Guns N’ Roses, Asia, Sons of Apollo), adding a polished edge to the raw energy that defines the track.
Levesque describes the song as, “a rallying anthem for anyone who’s ever felt underestimated or silenced. I wanted to create something that feels powerful and liberating—something people can turn to when they wish they could stand up to any figure of authority.“
Having already made waves with previous releases, including her fan-favorite track, “U ARE MY DRUG”, Sierra continues to solidify her place in the rock world. “AUTHORITY” is no exception, delivering the high-energy, emotionally charged performance that fans have come to love as a staple song at the end of her live shows.
Recognized by Guitar.com as “Gen Z’s Most Ambitious New Guitarist” and celebrated by icons like Nancy Wilson (Heart) and Desmond Child (Songwriter for Bon Jovi, Joan Jett, Kiss), Sierra Levesque has proven to be a force to be reckoned with. With a growing following and multiple awards under her belt, Sierra has amassed over 80,000 followers across her social media platforms and over 800,000 streams on Spotify.
To promote the release, Sierra will be performing two live shows in Los Angeles, including one at Nivessa Records in Hollywood on September 28th from 5-7 PM, followed by an official single release show at Serj Tankian’s EyeForSound Gallery in Eagle Rock on September 29th from 2-4 PM.
Stay tuned as Sierra Levesque continues to break boundaries and redefine what it means to be a young, independent artist in today’s rock scene.
MOSEY BEAT is a progressive funk rock band bringing high energy dance grooves, mellow waves, and rock and roll to create a new fusion of sound. The power trio was formed in 2012. Their original music has gained momentum in the NEPA area with their unique live show and improvised jams. Consisting of Taylor O’Connor (guitar, vocals), Blair O’Connor (drums, vocals), and Tommy McGourty (bass), the band has a passion for creating original music and composing jams in real time. Drawing inspiration from a wide variety of genres, Mosey Beat shows prowess and is not afraid to break the mold when it comes to their songs. Their ability to captivate an audience and read the energy in the room allows for a new live show every single night.
Now they are set to release their latest EP Breakfast for Champions, and you may ask what is that all about? The band explains, “The title Breakfast for Champions is meant to be a joke on how many of us musicians burn the candle at both ends going from a gig to working the day job with little to no sleep and all while keeping the show a party! The music is a reflection of our experiences and philosophies in life, so it was fitting that our album cover contained elements of our experience including using “The Funhouse” in Bethlehem PA as the backdrop for the photo where Mosey Beat has performed 100+ times since our start in 2012.”
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Based out of the former steel town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Mosey Beat has opened for bands like Spafford, Dogs in a Pile and Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root. Playing at venues like The Funhouse (Bethlehem PA), John & Peters (New Hope PA), The Sherman Theatre (Stroudsburg PA) as well as many local and regional festivals including Musikfest, Karnival of the Arts, Pine Ridge Festival and Funky Fest. Their relentless gig schedule has kept them at a fast pace doing over 400 shows in just over a decade.
THE PROGRESSIVE SOULS COLLECTIVE has released the new single and video ‘High Hopes’, Pink Floyd’s classic with a novel sound design.
The second TPSC single “High Hopes” from the upcoming cover album “Encore Vol. 1: Sonic Tributes” (Metalville Records – October 18th) marks a darker and progressive version of this legendary Pink Floyd classic. Mixed by multiple Grammy Award winning engineer Elliot Scheiner (Toto, Steely Dan, & many more) and mastered by Reuben Cohen (Metallica) this single features Simen Daniel Lindstad Børven (Leprous) on bass, Daniel Petri on drums, Luis Conte (Phil Collins) on percussions and once again Vladimir Lalic provides a highly emotional vocal performance.
With ‘Encore Vol. 1: Sonic Tributes’, TPSC presents another exciting release.
The material consists exclusively of cover songs, all hand-picked and, as expected, located in the extended prog area.
The first recordings began some time after the release of TPSC’s debut album ‘Sonic Birth’, continued through the corona pandemic and were continued during the sessions for the album ‘Sonic Rebirth’. The songs selected were personal favourites of Florian Zepf, creative head, producer and guitarist of the collective. The aim was to pay musical tribute to bands and musicians from Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd and Toto, among others, who had a great influence on Florian.
From a conceptual point of view, ‘Encore Vol. 1: Sonic Tributes’ fits seamlessly into the sequence of previous TPSC albums. ‘Sonic Birth’ and “Sonic Rebirth” are both concept albums with a thematic reference to the interplay between human development and technology. Musically, the ‘Sonic Birth’ and ‘Sonic Rebirth’ motifs can be found in some of the cover songs now presented, so that the creative and musical connection between the TPSC albums is maintained.
As usual with TPSC, the line-up on ‘Encore Vol. 1: Sonic Tributes’ is once again something to be seen and heard
The production of the entire album is very organic and equally powerful. Engineer legend Elliot Scheiner, 8-time Grammy winner and known from his collaboration with legends such as Toto, Steely Dan and Eric Clapton, was responsible for the very soulful mix. Mastering was handled by Reuben Cohen from the Grammy-winning Lurssen Mastering Studio (Metallica, among others).
Due to its extraordinary song selection, ‘Encore Vol. 1: Sonic Tributes’ should take a special place in the hearts of fans of cultivated prog music by storm.
TRACK LISTING
The Old Medley (originally recorded by Genesis)
Teardrop (originally recorded by Massive Attack)
Endless Dream (originally recorded by Yes)
Jake To The Bone (instrumental, originally recorded by Toto)
High Hopes (originally recorded by Pink Floyd)
LINE UP
Vladimir Lalic – Vocals (tracks 1-3, 5) Florian Zepf – Guitars, backing vocals, keyboards Zsolt Kaltenecker – Keyboards (tracks 1, 3) Gerald Peter – Keyboard-solo (track 4) Simen Daniel Lindstad Børven – Bass (tracks 1, 2, 5) Jacob Umansky – Bass on track 3 Jamie Powell – Bass (track 4) Adam Marko – Drums (tracks 1-3) Daniel Petri – Drums (track 5) Alex Landenburg – Drums (track 4) Isaac Alderson – Flutes & pipes (track 3) Maria Grigoryeva – Strings (tracks 3, 5)
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ASA unveil the long-overdue release of "Collective Failure" + first music video for title-track! Check it out and stay tuned for more news! Click image to watch the video
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
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Visionary artist KIMMO KUUSNIEMI's ANCIENT STREAMING ASSEMBLY (ASA) have released “Aurora Nuclearis”, a powerful 12-minute audiovisual experience, dedicated to the Late Keyboardist Esa Kotilainen. - Click image to watch the video
Click image to watch the video
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