VA ROCKS have released their new single ‘Hard Times’. The song is available from all major streaming providers and can be listened to here Hard Times (youtube.com).
While the title might give the impression of it being a downer, something bluesy and sad, the song itself is the opposite. “Hard Times” is a melodic upbeat tune with both Ida Vollmer (lead singer/rhythm guitarist) and Cim Dahlle (lead guitarist) on lead vocals. With a catchy refrain and the sing-along friendly backing vocals, it will get you in that free falling road trip spirit. Definitely something for your summer rock n’ roll playlist!
This summer, on July 5, 2024,India’s heavy metal powerhouse KRYPTOS unleashes their furious, new studio offering Decimator via AFM Records. In support of their forthcoming album, the band was gearing up for a series of live dates in Europe as well as their first-ever headlining tour in Australia, which has now been postponed to 2025. Read the devastating news and statement from KRYPTOS here:
“Metalheads and touring bands, watch out! Our guitars, pedalboards, drumkit and other stage equipment was stolen by our Czech tourvan driver in May 2024! He took our gear and sold them to a pawn shop in Prague for next to nothing. Despite his full written confession to the Czech police, and despite us filing numerous reports, there seems to be no action whatsoever. He walks free while we’re stuck in a major financial hole due to the massive costs we had to bear to keep the Electrify Europe tour going, and to cover the loss of our beloved gear. We’re not the kind of band to ask for a handout but we welcome all support! Make sure you head to the AFM Records store and grab a copy of our upcoming studio album DECIMATOR, or head to our Bandcamp and pick up some of the merch we have for sale. We’re battered and bruised but we’re not down for the count. We’ll never give up and heavy metal will never die! We’ll be back on the road soon enough, but until then, play our music loud!”
A lyric video for their new single, the album opening track “Sirens of Steel” (out now on all digital providers via https://kryptos.bfan.link/sirens-of-steel ) is premiering here:
KRYPTOS, formed in 1998 in Bangalore, India, have long been considered one of the spearheads of the Indian heavy metal revolution. With six critically acclaimed albums under their belt, they have supported some of metal’s biggest names, like Iron Maiden, Testament, Kreator, Exodus and many more, earning themselves a reputation as a fiery and exciting live act.
The band released their debut album ‘Spiral Ascent’ in 2004 and ‘The Ark of Gemini’ in 2008 before heading out on their first European tour in 2010, making them the first Indian heavy metal band to do so. After signing with AFM Records in 2012, the band unleashed four more frenetically-acclaimed studio albums, are a welcome live act at Wacken Open Air and played their first, extensive European headline tours, including numerous sold-out shows in Scandinavia and central Europe.
Their high-voltage, seventh album Decimatorcontinues where the band left of with their critically-acclaimed, 2021-album ‘Force Of Danger’, and sees them combine crushing riffs, barbwire vocals and powerful songwriting that grabs the 80s by the throat and drags it kicking and screaming into the modern age. If you’re a fan of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Accept and Kreator, this album will snap your neck in half and have you raging into the night like you’ve never raged before!
As frontman Nolan Lewis recently revealed, “Decimator is without question our finest hour so far. We’ve sharpened our songwriting to a razor point and the album is absolutely exploding with pure heavy metal power and attitude. Once you’ve popped it into your stereo, you’re going to be raising your fist, air-guitaring to the riffs and humming the solos all year long. It’s as perfect a combination of classic 80s metal and caustic thrash sensibilities as you’re ever going to get!”
The new album, “The Antimatter Fantasy” continues and develops the band’s trademark musical style. Numento’s unique sound seamlessly combines the brutality and aggression of extreme metal with catchy ethereal melodies. Numento stands out with the phenomenally diverse vocal styles, ranging from operatic to death metal growls. The new album features finnish traditional instrument, kantele, on half of the tracks. The album was produced and mixed by German producer Chris Herrle, whose hands carefully honed the structures and sounds of the songs to make them as hard-hitting as possible. By working with international professionals, the album takes a great leap forward in the band’s production level.
The album title “The Antimatter Fantasy” refers to a fantasy leading to immense destruction, and to a world of thought in which all suffering inflicted on others is justified. Dictators, cult leaders and other pathological personalities have to believe that they are so important and special that they can do anything, as long as their own power and ego are secured. The theme of the album thus continues to explore the nature of evil begun on “The Vile Entity” (2022), but “The Antimatter Fantasy” also reflects the state of the world today and reflects more deeply on the consequences of evil. The album, however, also has a hopeful note, reminding that it is possible to break free from the grip of evil.
The album’s artwork was again done by the band’s guitarist Aleksi Vehmassalo, and a special mention should be made of the hand-animated music video for the song “Opilion”, which took a whole year to make. The other music videos were made by Kai Lukander (photography, editing) and Aleksi Vehmassalo (script, editing).
Tracklist
Equinox
Opilion
The Solipsist
Gargantua
Singularity
Timetrap
Elevate
The Dark Web
Numento: Atte Asikainen – guitar & backing vocals Katri Hiovain-Asikainen – vocals & kantele Simo Mattila – bass Aleksi Vehmassalo – guitar Mikko Virtanen – drums
The world’s most prominent bass driven instrumental rock act, Australia’s The Omnific, have released their highly anticipated sophomore album, The Law Of Augmenting Returns, an audacious and magnificent triumph – out now worldwide via Wild Thing Records.
The Omnific today also unveiled a playthrough inspired music video for the title track, featuring bass solos from Charles Berthoud and Kai den Hertog.
The Law Of Augmenting Returns encompasses an array of instrumentation never used before on a The Omnific record, such as Bass VI, Fretless Warwick played with an EBow, live brass including Trumpet and Trombone, and even surprise vocals on opener ‘The Omnific ≈ Bass’; a barbershop quartet foreword by genre legend Tim Waurick, and excerpts from Luke Taylor of Australian alt-metalcore upstarts Heartline. The intricate keyboards of Rohan Sharma (I Built The Sky) appear fluently throughout the album; highlighted on tracks ‘The Law Of Augmenting Returns’, ‘Will-O’-The-Wisp’, and ‘Double Malt Ditty’.
Bassist Matt Fack summarises, “The Law Of Augmenting Returns is the culmination of the experience and knowledge learnt and embodied in the 8 years of our existence as a band. With our creative mindset to incorporate new ideas adhered to the core principle of bass, this album paints the story of the band’s past, present, and beyond.”
The title track ‘The Law Of Augmenting Returns’ embraces bass solos from British YouTube sensation Charles Berthoud, and exhilarating Australian newcomer Kai den Hertog. Berthoud’s solo is a mesmerising jazz swing combustion, followed by the completely different approach of den Hertog’s spine-tingling feature. A singable chorus, catchy blues sections, and about as shreddy as the album gets, ‘The Law Of Augmenting Returns’ is the true champion to hold the title track of the record.
Fack comments, “Charles Berthoud’s involvement on the track showcases the highest of ability bass can be played, to Kai den Hertog’s orchestration of a bass solo that is as complex as it is energetic.”
Accompanied by an enthralling playthrough music video directed by Karl Steller (Gravemind), following on from a catalog of stellar album music videos produced to date; by Jamie McVicker & Declan Blackall (Plini) [‘Phat Mackerel’, ‘Base Camp’, ‘Will-O’-The-Wisp’], and Miki Simankevicius (Polaris – D.O.P) [‘Matrices’].
The Law Of Augmenting Returns explores the notion that the more effort you invest in your artistry, the greater the rewards you reap. This powerful trinity of bass and drums pushed their creative boundaries to unprecedented heights; a tremendous body of work transpired, traversing the intense, the emotionally charged, and the humorous, appealing to a wide range of musical palates. The production team of critically acclaimed debut record Escapades (2021) reassembled for the release, including Adam Bentley (mixing, Arch Echo), Ermin Hamidovic (mastering, Periphery), and Josh Saunders (artwork); with the majority of programming handled by the band’s own Matt Fack.
The Omnific will be trailblazing their way through Europe & the UK, heading on their first ever summer festival run, alongside their most extensive array of headline shows in Europe to date. They’ll be making highly anticipated debut appearances at festivals; RADAR (UK), Vagos (PT), Brutal Assault (CZ), Arctangent (UK), and Fekete Zaj (HU). Led by their two other-worldly intertwining bassists, Matt Fack & Toby Peterson-Stewart, and backed by flamboyant drummer Jerome Lematua, The Bass Boys will be bringing a full tank of charisma, showmanship, and unbelievable technical performances from down under.
Tour Dates: 28-Jul – United Kingdom – Manchester – Radar Festival 30-Jul – Germany – Oberhausen – Druckluft 01-Aug – Spain – Barcelona – Razzmatazz 3 02-Aug – Spain – Madrid – Wurlitzer 03-Aug – Portugal – Vagos – Vagos Metal Fest 04-Aug – Spain – Portugalete – Groove 06-Aug – Italy – Milan – Slaughter Club 08-Aug – Slovakia – Bratislava – Pink Whale 09-Aug – Czech Republic – Josefov – Brutal Assault Festival 10-Aug – Poland – Warsaw – Chmury 12-Aug – Germany – Hamburg – Hafenklang 14-Aug – Netherlands – Nijmegen – Merleyn 16-Aug – United Kingdom – Bristol – Arctangent Festival 18-Aug – Hungary – Gyöngyös – Fekete Zaj Festival
The Omnific are a breathtaking progressive instrumental trio, hailing from Melbourne, Australia.
Following the release of three groundbreaking EPs – Sonorous (2016), Kismet (2017), The Minds Eye (2019) – the band attracted interest, and fans from all corners of the globe. Their 2021 debut album Escapades achieved international critical acclaim – landing #3 on the Australian AIR Independent Album Charts, and cementing their status as torchbearers of the next generation of progressive rock and metal. Clay Gober of Polyphia featured on the single ‘Antecedent’, exceeding a combined 1 million plays on YouTube & Spotify. In 2023, the group went from strength to strength; supporting Polyphia in Australia, and Ne Obliviscaris in Europe and North America, capping off with a landmark 46-date world tour in support of single ‘Phat Mackerel’ – including festivals Euroblast (DE), Reeperbahn (DE), and Bigsound (AU). The group kickstarted 2024 with Mongolia’s The HU in Australia, profiling their outrageous musical versatility – which dives through prog, metal, djent, funk, synth-driven soundscapes, and more. The Omnific have also toured with renowned artists such as Between The Buried And Me, Intervals, Galactic Empire, Twelve Foot Ninja, and Cog.
The Law Of Augmenting Returns explores the notion that the more effort you invest in your artistry, the greater the rewards you reap. This powerful trinity of bass and drums pushed their creative boundaries to unprecedented heights; a tremendous body of work transpired, traversing the intense, the emotionally charged, and the humorous, appealing to a wide range of musical palates.
“a bright future for the instrumental outfit” – Metal Hammer (UK) “a veritable masterclass in the art of the bass player” – Prog Magazine (UK) “The Omnific never cease to entice, excite and amaze” – The Music (AU)
Finnish masters of melancholic brutality, WOLFHEART, are gearing up for the release of their forthcoming seventh studio album “Draconian Darkness” which is due out on September 6, 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM). After recently launching pre-orders for the record, the band now also break the silence even further by launching the official music video for the first digital single, ‘Grave.’ Mellow piano tunes introduce the track before it transforms into a hefty banger. Blending vicious riffing with icy atmosphere and impactful melodies: This song lifts WOLFHEART‘s trademark sound to new heights and makes ‘Grave’ nothing but a must for the band’s futureset lists; their current live itinerary can be found below!
Mastermind Tuomas Saukkonen comments, “‘Grave’ was the first song that was written for the album and became the beacon that was leading the whole production of the album. Push the dark elements even further from the light to give maximum contrast to the melodies and huge choruses. From every album we have clear favourites for live songs and ‘Grave’ stands on the podium unchallenged!”
Pre-order “Draconian Darkness” in the physical format of your choice (CD-digipak, coloured vinyl), pre-save it on your favourite DSP or pre-order it digitally to receive ‘Grave’ instantly now, here: https://wolfheart.rpm.link/draconiandarknessPR
Artwork by Nikos Stavridakis / VisionBlack
“Draconian Darkness” – Track Listing:
01. Ancient Cold 02. Evenfall 03. Burning Sky 04. Death Leads The Way 05. Scion Of The Flame 06. Grave 07. Throne Of Bones 08. Trail By Fire 09. The Gale
The opus was recorded at Deep Noise Studios and produced, mixed and mastered by the band’s long-time collaborator Saku Moilanen; its artwork was crafted by Nikos Stavridakis (VisionBlack).
Don’t forget to subscribe to Reigning Phoenix Music on YouTube to stay updated & to listen to ‘Grave’ as well as other new tracks in the “RPM New Releases” playlist on Spotify: https://rpm.link/spotifynewreleasesPR
WOLFHEART live:
09.08.2024 FI Helsinki – Hellsinki Metal Festival 30./31.08.2024 DE Tennenbronn – Metalacker
“Draconian Darkness Over Finland 2024” + supports 06.09.2024 FI Kuopio – Sawohouse Underground *NEW* 07.09.2024 FI Pori – MonoMassive 13.09.2024 FI Tampere – Olympia-kortteli *NEW* 14.09.2024 FI Turku – Utopia-klubi *NEW* 20.09.2024 FI Lahti – Finlandia-klubi *NEW* 21.09.2024 FI Oulu – Kantakrouvi *NEW* 27.09.2024 FI Helsinki – Korjaamo *NEW* 28.09.2024 FI Jyväskylä – Lutakko *NEW* 11.10.2024 FI Vaasa – Kulttuuritalo Fanny *NEW* 12.10.2024 FI Mikkeli – Kulttuuritalo Tempo *NEW*
“Endtime Signals” – European Tour 2024 w/ DARK TRANQUILLITY, MOONSPELL, HIRAES Presented by Metal Hammer, musix, metal.de, powermetal.de, eventim & Decibel Touring 31.10.2024 DE Berlin – Astra 01.11.2024 CZ Prague – MeetFactory 02.11.2024 DE Leipzig – Hellraiser 03.11.2024 DE Cologne – Live Music Hall 05.11.2024 UK London – O2 Academy Islington 06.11.2024 NL Eindhoven – Effenaar 07.11.2024 DE Munich – Backstage 08.11.2024 CH Solothurn – Kulturfabrik Kofmehl 09.11.2024 BE Kortrijk – Hell’s Balls Belgium 10.11.2024 FR Paris – La Machine du Moulin Rouge 11.11.2024 FR Toulouse – Le Bikini 13.11.2024 ES Barcelona – Salamandra 14.11.2024 ES Pamplona – Sala Totem 15.11.2024 ES Madrid – Shôko 16.11.2024 ES Santander – Escenario 18.11.2024 FR Villeurbanne – La Rayonne 19.11.2024 DE Lindau – Club Vaudeville 20.11.2024 HU Budapest – Barba Negra 21.11.2024 AT Vienna – Arena 22.11.2024 DE Karlsruhe – Substage 23.11.2024 DE Weissenhäusser Strand/Ostsee – Metal Hammer Paradise 24.11.2024 DK Copenhagen – Pumpehuset 26.11.2024 NO Oslo – Vulkan Arena 28.11.2024 SE Stockholm – Fryshuset Klubben 29.11.2024 SE Örebro – Club 700 30.11.2024 SE Gothenburg – Filmstudion
Originated by hardworking multi-instrumentalist Tuomas Saukkonen (BEFORE THE DAWN, BLACK SUN AEON etc.), WOLFHEART stand for a unique combination of sinister atmosphere and intense Northern European metal. Their music is based on sheer strength and poetic depth what generated much appreciation for their work within the worldwide metal community. While WOLFHEART‘s art is mainly inspired by their Finnish surrounding, their albums tell eclectic stories connecting nature and human feelings, and with each and every album, they’ve managed to extend their artistic horizon and to give even more utterance to their music.
Out today, Cactus have released their album Temple of Blues – Influences & Friends as a CD and also as double vinyl album via Cleopatra Records. Cactus also released today a new music video for the track One Way…Or Another that features both dUg Pinnick & Ted Nugent in the video.
Digital album: orcd.co/cactus_templeofblues CD and vinyl: cleorecs.com/search?q=cactus+temple+of+blues
Featured along with the current Cactus band is a who’s who of blues and rock icons: Guitarists Joe Bonamassa, Ted Nugent, Pat Travers, Warren Haynes, Vernon Reid, Steve Stevens, Johnny A (The Yardbirds), Ty Tabor (King’s X) and bassists Billy Sheehan (Mr Big), Dug Pinnick (King’s X) Tony Franklin (The Firm, Blue Murder), Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol), Rudy Sarzo(Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne), Kenny Aaronson (ex- Joan Jet and The Yardbirds), as well as members of Government Mule, Vixen, Rainbow, Zebra, and Whitesnake. Vocalist Dee Snider of Twisted Sister appears on the band’s remake of the Howlin’ Wolf classic “Evil,” and Appice’s bandmate in Vanilla Fudge Mark Stein turns in a powerful vocal on Little Richard’s “Long Tall Sally.” A second version of “Guiltless Glider,” appears as a bonus track with former Judas Priest vocalist, Ripper Owens. Another of Appice’s musical partners, Fernando Perdomo, also appears on the new record.
The new album merges the members of Cactus with a super ensemble of featured artists, all of whom have called the group among their biggest influences. Once heralded by critics as America’s answer to Led Zeppelin, Cactus recorded four hard rockin’ albums for Atco Records before Appice and bassist Tim Bogert left to form their own supergroup: Beck, Bogert & Appice.
TED NUGENT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER –
I was raised and inspired by the American rock founding fathers Chuck Berry, Bo Diddly, Little Richard, James Brown and allthings Motown soul music. Vanilla Fudge epitimised the combination of all that fiery music. When my Motor City music monsters Jim McCarty and Rusty Day teamed up with the most powerful rhythm section of Tim Bogart and Carmine Appice to form Cactus, I thought my musical world would surely spin off its axis! The raw Detroit energy of Rusty and Jim with the definitive thrust of Tim and Carmines richter scale groove made every band in the world practice harder! Cactus were a serious force to reckon with.
dUg PINNICK EVIL & ONE WAY OR ANOTHER –
“It was 1971, Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, Deep Purple and Yes were my go to bands, and one day I went to visit a musician friend who played me” Long Tall Sally” by Cactus! From the beginning Jim’s guitar intro I was hooked! The riff was so heavy, and when Rusty sang the first verse my mind was blown. A Little Richard cover!!!!..the reason I play rock music was because of Little Richard! So I listened to the whole album. Great song writing, Carmine’s brutal drumming, TIM’s bass and Jim’s guitar playing, So inspirational they were! Rusty had a special knack for writing amazing down to earth lyrics! I loved his voice! I learned to sing and play every song and I never looked back. These albums still stand the test of time!! Cactus is one of my ALLTIME favorite bands. This is why I said “Yes” to playing on this record…
In addition to Appice on drums on all tracks, original Cactus guitarist Jim McCarty also appears on Temple Of Blues. Current band members vocalist/guitarist and harmonica player Jim Stapley and bassist Jim Caputo also appear on many of the tracks. Appice announced today a new member to the band’s line-up: guitarist Artie Dillon will handle guitar duties for live tours and plays on one track for the new album. Founding member Jim McCarty currently contributes as a writing and recording member of Cactus on occasion but no longer does live tours.
Upcoming Cactus Tour Dates: 6/9/24 – ORLANDO FL – ORLANDO LIVE! WITH FOGHAT 6/27/24 – LIMA NY – FANATICS 6/28/24 – NEW YORK CITY NY – IRIDIUM 8/10/24 – WESTLAND MI – TOKEN LOUNGE
Track listing:
Parchman Farm feat. Joe Bonamassa & Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big / David Lee Roth)
Bro. Bill feat. Randy Jackson (Zebra), Randy Pratt (Cactus) & Bob Daisley (Ozzy Osbourne)
Guiltless Glider feat. Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Guns N’ Roses) & Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne)
One Way…Or Another feat. Dug Pinnick (King’s X) & Ted Nugent
Alaska feat. Johnny A. & Tony Franklin (The Firm)
No Need To Worry feat. Warren Haynes (Gov’t Mule) & Jorgen Carlsson (Gov’t Mule)
Oleo feat. Steve Stevens (Billy Idol) & Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big / David Lee Roth)
Big Mama Boogie feat. Pat Travers & James Caputo (Cactus)
You Can’t Judge A Book By The Cover
Rock N’ Roll Children feat. Britt Lightning (Vixen), Vernon Reid (Living Colour) & Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot)
Let Me Swim feat. Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake) & Marco Mendoza (Blue Murder)
Restrictions feat. Ty Tabor (King’s X) & Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne)
Long Tall Sally feat. Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge) & Fernando Perdomo
BONUS TRACK
Guiltless Glider feat. Tim “Ripper” Owens (Judas Priest)
PRODUCED BY CARMINE APPICE CO- PRODUCED BY PAT REGAN-JIM STAPLEY MIX ENGINEER PAT REGAN MIXDOWN BY PAT REGAN WITH CARMINE APPICE. CARMINES DRUMS RECORDED AT “REALISTIC ROCK STUDIOS” FLORIDA . ENGINEERED BY CARMINE APPICE
About Cactus
The current line-up of Cactus came together in 2021. Lead vocalist Jim Stapley comes from England and had worked with ex-Faces/Who drummer Kenny Jones in the Jones Gang and Humble Pie. “Nearly five decades after I formed this band, the time had come to re-invent Cactus once again,” says Appice, who also still drums for Vanilla Fudge, The Appice Brothers Drum Wars, and a hybrid tribute to former band leader, Rod Stewart. Adds Appice: “The music remains the same and Cactus is still a ‘hot and sweaty’ band. The level, quality and consistence of the band’s musicianship is as strong as ever.” Cactus has had a long and turbulent history. Formed in 1970 from the ashes of Vanilla Fudge by Carmine Appice and Tim Bogert, the initial line up also featured McCarty (from Mitch Ryder and The Buddy Miles Express) and Amboy Dukes vocalist Rusty Day. While Cactus saw success from the start and soon built a loyal fan base, by early 1973 the band had collapsed mainly due to lack of real support from its label and the fact that Jeff Beck was now ready play with Carmine and Tim in BBA.
The band reformed in 2006, three decades after the tragic death of Rusty Day with Randy Pratt on harp (who also appears on this album) and Jimmy Kunes vocals. When the late Tim Bogert was forced into retirement due to complications after a serious motorcycle accident, Pete Bremy joined on bass before Caputo replaced him in 2020. Now, with a powerful new line-up Cactus and an album the marries the band with some of the biggest names in rock and blues, embarks on a new and exciting musical journey to the Temple Of Blues.
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
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 