German metal band GENERATION STEEL are releasing their new single “Steelers” today and for good reason: they want to introduce their new singer Dirk Meyer to the fans before the next live concerts in Wetzlar and Cologne. Dirk was previously on the mic with Ivory Tower, among others.
GENERATION STEEL stands for heavy metal with an anthemic character, true to the tradition of Teutonic steel metal. The history of GENERATION STEEL is characterized by power and passion and begins in 2019. The former DEAD MAN’S HAND and BULLET TRAIN guitarist Jack The Riffer succeeds again and again in attracting four excellent musicians and thus giving new impulses to Teutonic heavy metal!
Generation Steel live: 10.05.24 DE – Wetzlar | Franzis 24.05.24 DE – Köln | MTC Cologne
Line-Up: Dirk Meyer (Vocals) Jack the Riffer (Guitar) Pascal Lorenz (Lead Guitar) Andreas Drommershausen (Bass) Marc Laukel (Drums)
‘Game Over’ is the lead single off IANN BRENNAN’s debut album, written by the singer himself and performed with his band, recorded and produced by renowned Irish producer Ray Traynor. The quality of this song caught the attention of Hot Press magazine who made it their ‘Hot Press track of the day’.
Iann Brennan is an Irish Indie Rock artist from Dublin, Ireland. Playing guitar from the age of 12 and after spending time in some bands, Iann decided to go solo and one of his first gigs was a support slot to renowned Irish band Aslan. After connecting with Irish producer Ray Traynor, who Iann has worked with ever since, he has gone on to write a collection of anthemic, melodic, catchy, heartfelt songs which are influenced by Iann’s heroes such as Oasis, Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys and Stereophonics. His unique brand of entertainment fuses anthemic melodic songs and driving guitar lines with energetic and witty stage banter that will make you want to sing and get lost in the music.
Iann’s music reached the ears of German label AGR Television Records, where he signed to the label in 2023 and released the album ‘Start As You Mean To Go On‘, which is out now. Featured on Start As You Mean To Go On is original Aslan songwriter/bassist Tony McGuinness, who heard Brennan’s tunes and wanted to be part of the album. He brings his own flair of magical, grooving bass lines to the record. “A pleasure to be part of Iann’s debut album. He just rocks it.”
Damien Dempsey shares of the rising talent: “Within Iann Brennan’s soaring anthemic melodies are lots of wise lines between the cracking hooks. If he’s playing near you, do yourself a favour and try to get to him, he’s the bomb.”
Adding to the list of album credentials, U2’s renowned album designer Steve Averill lended his talents to the album cover, logo and artwork on Brennan’s soon-to-be-released album.
Plans are now being made for a tour during the summer/autumn of 2024. Notable past performances include opening for Damien Dempsey, Aslan, Declan O’Rourke, Mary Coghlan, Hazel O’Connor, Eddi Reader and Lisa Hannigan.
Scotland’s blackened thrash metal titans Hellripper have shared details of their Euro Goat Summer Massacre Tour. With shows in eleven different countries including Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, the tour will also see Hellripper play their biggest Scottish show to date plus several festival appearances.
On 31st May, the band’s 2019 EP ‘Black Arts and Alchemy’ repress will be released on very limited edition orange vinyl LP and CD, with both formats including a previously unreleased bonus track – a cover of Running Wild’s ‘Iron Heads’.
HIGH DESERT QUEEN drop the cinematic lyric video ‘Death Perception’ with guest vocalist Emma Näslund from GAUPA! This is also the final single track to be taken from the forthcoming Texas desert rockers’ second album “Palm Reader”, which is slated for release on May 31 via Magnetic Eye Records. The album pre-sale is available at: http://lnk.spkr.media/high-desert-queen-palmreader
HIGH DESERT QUEEN have previously announced the first set of many planned live dates for 2024. Please see below for all currently confirmed shows!
“It was pretty crazy how ‘Death Perception’ came to life”, vocalist Ryan Garney writes about the new single. “This is one of three tracks that were incarnated during our first night in the studio when we were just jamming trying to get levels. Within a few hours, we had the song written and recorded. Rusty threw in a riff, he actually came up with on the fly during the last time that we were in the studio to record our first album. He had not played it since. After we had all the music recorded and I sat down to write lyrics, I immediately thought about how amazing Emma Näslund from Gaupa would sound on this song. She and I had talked about the possibility of her adding vocals to our record when we crossed paths a few times last year on tour in Europe. We also feel that her vocals are just too strong to be in the background and that she should be the main singer on her track. I enjoyed collaborating with her on melodies and lyrics, and I am extremely happy with the result. She us such an amazing person and vocalist, and I hope to work with her again in the future!”
Thelyric video of the ultra-heavy track ‘Death Perception’ that vocally channels a bit of a Björk vibe courtesy of Emma Näslund is now streaming here:
HIGH DESERT QUEEN‘s sophomore full-length “Palm Reader” is bursting with raw energy and radiates the feeling of 666 diesel horses thundering loud. The album is crammed with cool vibes, ripping leads, and a ton of desert fuzz with a focus on great songs rather than trying to stay confined within a corral of a particular style.
This untamed attitude took its creative high energy source straight from touring. When the band from Texas returned home after six weeks travelling the roads of Europe with the legendary FATSO JETSON and watching them improvising jams every night, they had also taken notes. Although a bit worn from the road, HIGH DESERT QUEEN could hardly wait to start recording. Not focusing overly on how parts were played, allowing themselves imperfections, and ditching the click, the music started to flow like never before. In the very first studio session after the tour, three new songs emerged.
Working within a live framework and mindset, the band from Austin, Texas hit the jackpot and “Palm Reader” bears witness to that claim. In more than one way, HIGH DESERT QUEEN have always been a bit different and much more than ‘another desert rock band’. Formed in Houston, Texas by singer Ryan Garney and guitarist Rusty Miller in 2019, the duo soon recruited drummer Phil Hook (MONTE LUNA) and relocated to Austin in 2020.
With the addition of Rusty’s daughter Morgan on bass, the band hit the ground running. The lone star shone bright when these four got together as desert rock had already endured a long rather dry spell of stagnation and was parched for an injection of fresh sounds.
HIGH DESERT QUEEN had what it takes to kick the scene into gear again. Their vast musical influences ranging from grunge to funk, old school metal to doom and much more provide an ideal foundation for new ideas and a rejuvenating approach to the genre. Their thunderous, fuzz-drenched anthems are delivered with a healthy dose of groove and catchy melodies, and get a massive boost from an emotional intelligence in their music that’s hard to find. The newly-minted sound is linked to the rich heritage of their musical environment, inspiring the style tag ‘Texas desert rock’.
Tracklist
Ancient Aliens
Death Perception
Head Honcho
Palm Reader
Time Waster
Tuesday Night Blues
Solar Rain
HIGH DESERT QUEEN live: 24 MAY 2024 Lafayette, LA (US) Freetown Boom Boom Room 25 MAY 2024 Houston, TX (US) White Oak Music Hall 26 MAY 2024 Arlington, TX (US) Division Brewery 30 MAY 2024 Austin, TX (US) The Far Out Lounge 31 MAY 2024 Bryan, TX (US) The 101 01 JUN 2024 San Antonio, TX (US) The Amp Room 02 JUN 2024 New Braunfels, TX (US) Guadalupe Brewery 13 JUL 2024 Erfurt (DE) Stoned from the Underground Festival 26 JUL 2024 Neuensee (DE) Rock im Wald Festival 21 SEP 2024 Austin, TX (US) Far Out Lounge, RippleFest Texas
Hard work and their obviously burgeoning talent resulted in an fast rise for HIGH DESERT QUEEN, beginning with their first record deal arriving thanks in part to their being hand-picked by ZAKK SABBATH’s Rob Blasko. Their debut full-length “Secrets of the Black Moon” arrived in 2021 and was immediately heaped with praise in the US and Europe, which kicked the doors open to touring and invitations to prestigious festivals both domestic and abroad. In March 2022, the Texans embarked on their first tour in support of SASQUATCH on the US West Coast. Only two months later, HIGH DESERT QUEEN hit the roads of Europe as a headliner in June 2022, with a return to the other side of the Atlantic with FATSO JETSON in 2023. Underlining the fast rise of this live monster, the newcomers were booked for Desertfest London (UK) and Berlin (DE) and the Truckfighters’ Fuzz Festival (SE) among many others.
Answering the exponentially multiplying requests for new material from their steadily growing following, HIGH DESERT QUEEN flanked their live activities with the “Turned to Stone Ch. 8” split release with BLUE HERON, and contributed a track to “Best of Soundgarden Redux”, the latest instalment of the bestselling Magnetic Eye Records Redux series.
With “Palm Reader”, HIGH DESERT QUEEN have made a quantum leap in their evolution as the Texans found the perfect balance between the well-loved legacy of the desert rock genre and carving out their very own path. Fuelled by the power and spirit of live music, this album rocks as hard and honest as can be done.
Line-up: Ryan Garney – vocals Phil Hook – drums Morgan Miller – bass Rusty Miller – guitar
Guest musician Emma Näslund (GAUPA) – vocals on ‘Death Perception’
Recorded by Casey Johns at Yellow Dog Studios, Wimberley, TX (US) Mixed & Mastering by Karl Daniel Lidén at Studio Tri-Lamb, Solna (SE) Cover art & album design by PabloRR (72826)
The hard-rock juggernaut known as MJM has more than enough party favors in their stash to throw one heck of a blowout. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t going to fling open their doors in welcome when a true legend shows up wanting to join in. Just cock an ear toward the room-shaking new remix of MJM’s most recent single, “Live It Up,” now with a killer lead vocal by esteemed metal mouthpiece Tim “Ripper” Owens.
Beloved by headbangers across the globe for his peerless wailing on the Judas Priest albums Jugulator and Demolition—and currently rocking the mic for fellow JP alumnus K.K. Downing in KK’s Priest—Owens has taken the time to lend his immaculate voice to a simply wild reimagining of the track that elevates its gleeful excess to a whole new level. With a throat full of razor blades and an unmistakable devotion to the cause, he hurtles headlong into the song’s admonitions to carpe the hell out of that fabled diem:
Life can change in a New York minute It’s a battle, we’re in it to win it Live it up, flying high, having some fun Live it up, it’s a wild ride, as we circle the sun
This is hedonistic anthemry like they just don’t make anymore—a party number that stomps and struts as if there is still nothing but a good time. The classic, AC/DC-inspired riffing and huge chorus soar on the wings of call-and-response verses that fight valiantly for their own right to party.
To hear Owens tell it, he was more than happy to apply his leather lungs to the remake.
“I loved singing on it, and I love doing things that are a little bit out of the box for me,” he says. His final verdict? “A real fun and good hard-rocking tune!”
Having Owens along for the ride, even temporarily, is a major step in the upward trajectory of MJM guitarist and creative kingpin Michael J. Miller. Formerly the brains and fingers behind the cult metal acts Rapid Tears (whose albums Honestly and Cry for Mercy are now distributed by European label Sonic Age Records) and Adrenalin (heard on Dedicated, released by Germany’s Long Island Records), Miller founded MJM to better convey his keen musical vision. With a lineup that’s rounded out by bassist Zsolt Henczely, drummer Tom Eakin and vocalist Stephany Dudas, the Toronto-based quartet has released four full-length records of its own—three of them that balance lyrically poignant singles with guitar-based instrumentals, and a fourth that’s made up entirely of hard-hitting wordless explorations.
Their most recent collection, MJM IV—a loose concept album about the consequences of space travel—led into the more straightforward mayhem of “Live It Up,” which was produced by Tom Atom at TomAtom Recording Studios in Toronto and is now getting a new lease on life thanks to Owens’ amped-up reworking.
“The lyric concept is ‘life is short,’ Miller explains. “‘Live It Up’ is about having a good time and keeping a positive outlook on the challenges we face. We’re in it to win it!”
And MJM know something about winning, having earned Best Rock Song honors 14 times at the Akademia Music Awards in Hollywood. Over the past five years, they’ve also netted the competition’s Akademia Executive Award, Artist Vision Award, Rising Star Award and (both in 2022) its Outstanding Legacy Award and Rock Artist of the Year award. In 2023, the band was inducted into the Akademia Music Hall of Fame.
With a new album on the way, the success streak—and the party—look like they’ll never stop. Seize the day, and don’t forget to invite the neighbors!
Finnish technical death metal band Omnivortex released a music video for “Harbingers of Cosmic Death”. The track is from the band’s sophomore record called “Circulate” which was released last autumn. The album has gathered critical acclaim both in Finnish and international music media.
“Circulate” marks the debut of the band’s new lineup, now a quartet. Guitarist Severi Saarioja and drummer Aaro Österman have taken on the vocal duties alongside their instruments. Mikko Pylkkö reprises his role as the second guitarist, and Mikael Reinikka has been added to the band after the first album.
Omnivortex is known for their energetic live performances. Last summer, the band showcased their skills at feastivals such as Nummirock, Hellsinki Metal Festival, and the world’s largest metal festival, Wacken Open Air, in Germany. This year, people can witness the band’s live prowess at the following events in Finland:
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 ) 