SHAVROCK is a dynamic rock band from Baltimore, captivating audiences with their powerful blend of vocal harmonies, soulful guitar solos, and deeply meaningful lyrics.
Formed by brothers Nick and Akiva Shavrick, and joined by drummer Yoffi Storch, their 12-song debut album, Hope Found Me, will be released digitally August 5, 2025 and on CD through Deko Records September 19th. The album is produced by internationally acclaimed guitarist and former member of Guns N’ Roses, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, who also contributed guest guitar solos on the album.
“Shavrock write beautiful songs,” says Thal. “They’re great storytellers. Picture a foundation of acoustic guitar with Simon and Garfunkel vocals, add a melodic rock band like Daughtry / Creed to the mix, and lots of bluesy-rock Slash-type melodies and solos – that’s Shavrock.”
SHAVROCK truly offers the listener a unique experience and style of original music, along with messages of hope, reflection and positivity.
Connecticut’s self-deprecating noise rock entity INTERCOURSE will unleash their crushing new full-length, How I Fell In Love With The Void, on 12th September via Brutal Panda Records. Pre-order How I Fell In Love With The Void on the Brutal Panda store at: https://www.brutalpandarecords.com/collections/intercourse
Today, the quartet also share the official video for the album’s opening track ‘The Ballad Of Max Wright’, directed by Nathaniel Shannon. Watch below.
INTERCOURSE vocalist Tarek Ahmed comments on ‘The Ballad Of Max Wright’ video:
“I fell into a heavy Alf binge on tubi and ended up googling the cast where I learned Max Wright hated being on the show, mostly due to his being resentful over being a Broadway-calibre thespian who was now most famously known for playing the straight man to a muppet. To me it was prime Intercourse song material. Around this time we also made a shirt with him on it and when I posted it my friend, Nathaniel Shannon, replied to a post of said shirt saying he owns an Alf costume and we should do a video. Fast forward two years later and the song’s written / recorded so I just hit him up and told him to run with whatever he wanted. His treatment was Surviving The Game with Alf which was cool with us. He nailed the vibe 100% and we couldn’t be happier with the video. The dude who plays Max Wright kills it, total immersion!!”
Additionally, INTERCOURSE will tour the US in September alongside Nerver. All dates can be found here: https://linktr.ee/IntercourseCT
“I have no life. I don’t fucking do anything else. I don’t have any hobbies. I don’t play video games. I don’t do fantasy football. I’m just obsessed with making music and writing.”
That’s INTERCOURSE vocalist Tarek Ahmed explaining how the acclaimed Connecticut noise rock band has averaged a release per year since forming in 2013. From their self-titled debut and 2018’s Everything’s Pornography When You’ve Got an Imagination to 2023’s Halo Castration Institute and last year’s Egyptian Democracy EP, INTERCOURSE have kicked against the pricks, power brokers and pissants who make America “great” while tempering their outlook with a self-deprecating look inward.
Which brings us to How I Fell in Love with the Void. Ahmed and his bandmates – guitarist Sean Prior, drummer Caleb Porter and bassist Pete Stroczkowski – spent more time and money on their fourth full-length than any of their previous releases. “Usually we record in a basement home studio, or they’re done super quickly,”Ahmed says. “This time, we figured it was a really good investment to book a full week of studio time and challenge ourselves to write better songs.”
In fact, Ahmed ended up rewriting his lyrics three times. “I f*cking wrote my ass off, and then I do this thing about two months out where I’m like, ‘Everything I wrote sucks, so I’m going to rewrite all the lyrics.’ Then a month before recording, my wife and I decided to split, so I tried to punch up the lyrics and make them funnier by throwing some divorce stuff in there. But I think I made it more depressing.”
Marital bliss aside, the lyrical themes on How I Fell in Love with the Void aren’t dissimilar from those on INTERCOURSE’s 2016 EP, Pissing Into the Abyss, which features a cover illustration of a woman fucking a giant insect while an alien watches. “On the new record, there’s definitely a lot of talking about the void and that emptiness that a lot of us try to fill with food, booze or sex,”Ahmed explains. “Pissing Into the Abyss was about being so comfortable with the void that you’ll just piss there. Unfortunately, I’m super acquainted with it. But once you realize that nothing will ever fill the void, it will no longer rule over you.”
How I Fell in Love with the Void was recorded by Chris Teti (The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die) at Silver Bullet Studios in Harwinton, CT. It was mastered by George Richter (Thy Will Be Done). The photograph on the album cover was shot by Sherilyn Furneaux (Portrayal Of Guilt) and features exotic dancer Clementine.
Ultimately, How I Fell in Love with the Void is about being on the outside looking in. “We’re music for weirdos and freaks,” Ahmed says. “I grew up as the only Egyptian kid in a little white town. I’m an outsider, and we make music for outsiders. Every time we play a faraway place that we haven’t been to before, there’s always one person there that has followed us for years and is there specifically for us. They are always the weirdest person in the room, and I love that. Those are my people.”
How I Fell In Love With The Void Tracklist:
1. The Ballad Of Max Wright 2. Another Song About The Sun 3. Zoloft And Blow 4. Unsuccessfully Attempting To Parse Nightmare From Reality 5. Slightly Less Than A Feeling 6. Cadaver Resume 7. Running A Cemetery Without A License 8. Cryptid Divorce Court 9. I’m Very Tired Please Let Me Die 10. Family Suicide Gun
INTERCOURSE formed in 2013 and have been annoying ever since. With the lofty (or pointless, depending on who you ask) goal of ditching the pretension of noise rock and fusing it with the immediacy of hardcore, they’ve managed a release a year since 2014. 2023’s Halo Castration Institute helped the band reach a new level of notoriety with positive reviews across the board. With the release of a last year’s EP Egyptian Democracy, and now How I Fell In Love With The Void the band is sure to become the high watermark for annoying adults who dress like they’re 17 and simply will not quit.
INTERCOURSE have played sold-out shows with the likes of Chat Pile, Deadguy, The Red Chord and The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die. The quartet have been featured on notable websites Decibel, Lambgoat, New Noise Magazine and were recently featured on The Needle Drop’s top 15 EPs of 2024.
Critically acclaimed American blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Jared James Nichols returns to the UK for a 10-date November/December 2025 Tour. Jared’s special guest is AFRODIZIAC.
Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday July 18th via Bandsintown.
Watch Jared’s official UK tour announcement:
Jared came to prominence in 2015 with his debut album Old Glory & The Wild Revival, followed by Black Magic (2018), which yielded the fan favourite “Honey Forgive Me.” In 2023, he collaborated with Maggie Rose and Joe Bonamassa for revised versions of his song “Threw Me to the Wolves,” followed by the release of album #3, the eponymous Jared James Nichols.
Jared is an official ambassador for Gibson Guitars. Over the years he has released several high-profile signature guitars including 2023’s official Jared James Nichols Epiphone Blues Power signature guitar.
Nichols has racked up millions of streams, critical acclaim, and massive social media numbers. In between show-stopping solo shows, he has jammed onstage with legends Slash, Billy Gibbons, Peter Frampton, Joe Bonamassa, Buddy Guy, and Halestorm.
Expect new music from Jared in August.
Guitar World Magazine says, “If you’ve never witnessed Jared James Nichols onstage, you’re missing out, big time!”
Guitar sensation, AFRODIZIAC is Jared’s special guest on all UK shows. Originally from New York City, he moved to London to kickstart his career and now resides in Berlin.
Drawn to the explosive, high-energy rawness of rock and roll, to the churches of rhythm and blues, AFRODIZIAC has a penchant for provocative grooves and heavy guitars. He recently supported The Darkness and the supergroup Black Country Communion. His new EP, Vanity Affair was released last month.
TKO presents
JARED JAMES NICHOLS NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2025 UK TOUR
SPECIAL GUEST:AFRODIZIAC
TICKETS ON SALE 10AM FRIDAY 18 JULY 2025FROM BANDSINTOWN
Torture Squad, one of the greatest Brazilian metal bands, releases this Friday, July 11th, the music video for the track “Thoth”. This is the seventh promotional video for the acclaimed album ‘Devilish,’ released in September 2023 by the Italian label Time to Kill.
With this release, the band explores the use of Artificial Intelligence for the first time, with the music video created entirely by AI. The images are original, edited by producer and editor Daniel Berrettini of DB Criação & Design, and constructed based on information from the composer of the lyrics, Rene Simionato. The idea is to use AI resources to recreate the Egyptian theme.
Guitarist Rene Simionato comments:
“his song talks about Thoth, who carries all the ancestral wisdom of Ancient Egypt, and who in ancient Greece was known as Hermes Trismegistus. It all became a true mystical journey, bringing the mystery of the Seven Hermetic Laws, which appear in the video in a symbolic and powerful way, and which align directly with the weight of death metal.”
Daniel Berrettini of DB Creative Studio also shared his thoughts on the work:
“Producing the Thoth music video was a fascinating journey to Ancient Egypt with all its cultural and visual richness. Using Artificial Intelligence, I created images of the exuberant pyramids, temples, desert landscapes, art and Egyptian writing. I also used visual effects to create the mystical atmosphere surrounding the god Thoth. An enriching job that I did with great pleasure!”
Torture Squad will soon announce more European tour dates, and recently confirmed their participation in Wacken Open Air, the largest heavy metal festival in the world, which takes place in Germany. The band will perform on July 30th, Wednesday, a fact that makes Torture Squad the only Brazilian band to play four times at the festival. The band performed in 2007, as winners of the Metal Battle, with the ‘Chaos Corporation Tour’, in 2008 with the ‘Hellbound Tour’, 2011 with the ‘Aequilibrium Tour’ and is now leading the ‘Devilish Tour’.
TORTURE SQUAD is seen by extreme music fans as one of the most visceral and powerful metal bands in action today.
With almost three decades of experience, with excellent live performances including at the most important metal festivals in the world, the Brazilian group gathered legions of fans playing throughout the country, Latin America and Europe.
In 2019, while preparing the new album, Torture Squad arrived at one of the biggest music festivals in the world, the Brazilian Rock in Rio, where they performed for an audience of 120,000 people. In a cast full of metal legends like Anthrax, Slayer, Sepultura, Scorpions and Iron Maiden, the show was epic alongside Chuck Billy (Testament) and the Brazilians of Claustrofobia on the Sunset stage, with the set covering songs from their entire career TS and Testament Classics.
After Rock in Rio, came the long-awaited tour of Central America, passing through Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. The highlight was the show at Mexico Metal Fest which Torture Squad was one of the headliners.
In 2020 they released a new single and video called “O Doutrinador”, inspired by a Brazilian comic book character that also became a movie and TV series. The English version of the single and video called “The Awakener” is also available.
In 2021 the band celebrated twenty years since the release of their third album “The Unholy Spell” (2001) playing the entire album in Lives and live shows.
In 2022, the band performed at “La Iglesia” in São Paulo, giving rise to the live album “Torture at La Iglesia En Vivo”, and also the single “The Fallen Ones” with exclusive debut in the American magazine Decibel Magazine. Ending the year doing a show alongside one of the thrash metal legends in the world “Exodus” at the Carioca Club, in São Paulo.
The fantastic MARC AMACHER storms into the Swiss album charts at #1 with ‘Load’, giving us the very first pole position in the history of Hoboville. Thanks to Marc and his team! And of course thanks to all media partners who supported the release of the album from the very beginning and helped to make this dream come true!!!
One name. One legacy. One journey.
Imagine an abandoned railway station in the American Midwest. It’s late evening, the rails glisten damply in the pale light, and somewhere a guitar case rattles in the wind. It is the time of the hobos – those travelling men who roamed the country with nothing but a song on their lips and a dream in their luggage. My great-grandfather was one of them. About 140 years ago, he travelled by train, on foot, taken along by travelling traders, from the south to the north, in search of work – and perhaps also in search of himself.
‘Amacher Load’ is his legacy.
Not as a history record. Not as a reconstruction. But as an honest, raw reflection of a musical journey. This album is saturated with stories that were never written down – stories that seeped into the ground, were whispered around campfires, shouted into the wind from drawbridges. And now, many generations later, a descendant sings – not to imitate, but to carry on.
The sound? Really. Dirty. Full of groove.
The guitar scratches like gravel under your soles. The voice carries sand from a thousand paths. Bass and drums pulsate like a train on the tracks. The blues is not the decor here – it is the language. Soul pops up like an old friend, funk comes along to bring movement into play. But everything flows together – because this is not a museum. It’s alive.
And the ghosts? They are there.
Not in symbols or clichés. But as a reminder that music is always a carrier – for stories, for origins, for what shapes us, even if it is not spoken. The ancestors do not dance in the stage lights, they whisper in the pauses between the notes. In a bending. In a pause. In a breath before a chorus starts.
‘Amacher`s load’ is an album about connection.
About what we take with us – in our blood, in our voices, in our hearts. And about what we pass on when we have the courage to tell our stories.
Marc Amacher is the Swiss blues & rock musician who guarantees the finest entertainment. His impressive live performances and his love of melodious and unique blues have made him famous far beyond the country’s borders. Even at a young age, Marc’s life revolved around the instrument with the 6 strings, his ‘Peaches’ guitar. It was obvious that a musician with so much talent would lead his musical journey in the blues and rock genres. Musical genres that best suit his nature and abilities, but also his passion and authenticity. Marc Amacher’s music is deeply rooted in the traditions of the blues, but he also brings modern elements and his own creative touch to his songs. His style is raw, honest and penetrating, and he knows how to present the essence of the blues, but also of rock in its purest form.
Marc Amacher became known to a wider audience when he took part in ‘The Voice Of Germany’ in 2016. With his performance, he blew his competitors away right up to the final. His charismatic performances as well as the variability in his voice impressed not only the jury and the audience. Pop star and former Take That member Robbie Williams, who coached Marc of in the semi-final, was also impressed.
Since his appearances on ‘The Voice’, Marc Amacher has worked continuously on his music career. He has toured nationally and internationally through clubs, thrilled audiences at festivals and events, and can count on a growing fan base. Amacher is known for his energetic stage shows, in which he thrills his audience with his technically accomplished guitar work and intense expression. A first-class entertainer. It is therefore not surprising that Eric Clapton has also asked Marc to support his shows in Germany and Austria.
Handmade and unadulterated, but by no means outdated: Marc Amacher fascinates with his very own musical diversity, up close and personal. He lives entertainment.
TRACK LISTING “LOAD”
01 – Memphis 02 – Still 03 – Big Black 04 – Bullet 05 – Long Time No See 06 – Home Again 07 – Give It to Me 08 – Grandpa 09 – Shuffle N‘ Boogie 10 – Good Morning Mrs. Molly 11 – On My Way 12 – Mailbox Blues
SWEET once again present fans with two re-releases of rare and sought-after albums on Metalville.
With ‘Sweetlife’ in 2002, SWEET returned to its old form with the line-up of Andy Scott, Steve Grant, Jeff Brown and Bruce Bisland. The album offers eleven outstanding AOR songs. Highlights include ‘Do It All Over Again’, ‘You’re Crazy’ and ‘Leap Of Faith’.
Long out of print and sought after by many fans, the album is finally back in stores on CD and vinyl.
TRACK LISTING (CD) – SWEETLIFE (out on 12 September)
01 Sweetlife 02 Do It All Over Again 03 Everything 04 Leap Of Faith 05 You’re Crazy 06 Never Say Forever 07 Airheads 08 So Far So Good 09 Everybody Wants To 10 Neon Psychedelia 11 Sweetlife Overunderture 12 Do It All Over Again [Again And Again Mix]
LINE UP Andy Scott – all guitars, backing vocals, lead vocals on 4 and 8 Steve Grant – all keyboards, programming and backing vocals Jeff Brown – bass guitar and lead vocals Bruce Bisland – drums und percussion
‘Live At The Marquee’ was recorded at London’s Marquee Club in February 1986, shortly before the legendary venue closed its doors for good. The SWEET line-up at the time consisted of original members Andy Scott (lead guitar) and Mick Tucker (drums) as well as Paul Mario Day (ex-Iron Maiden) as lead singer, bassist Mal McNulty (Slade) and Phil Lanzon (Uriah Heep) on keyboards. At this concert, the band presented a heavier sound without losing the energy and appeal of the classic hits and anthems.
‘Live At The Marquee’ is a rare gem in SWEET’s catalogue and is now being re-released on CD and Vinyl.
TRACK LISTING – LIVE AT THE MARQUEE (out on 10 October) 01 Action 02 Sweet F.A. 03 Love Is Like Oxygen 04 Restless 05 No You Don’t 06 Guitar Segue 07 Someone Else Will 08 Drum Solo 09 Set Me Free 10 Ballroom Blitz 11 Fox On The Run 12 AC/DC (bonus track) 13 Burn On The Flame (bonus track)
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
