RESTIVE NATION have released ‘Counterfeit’ the latest single to be taken from their highly-anticipated debut full length LP due for release on Friday, Feb 25th.
Their latest offering – ‘Counterfeit‘ – sees the band deliver an instant ear worm that is vibrating with bombastic energy, pulsing with heartfelt melodies and a gargantuan chorus that will infect your brain almost instantly.
Speaking of the new single, the band comments; “Counterfeit is about people who are sculpted by the culture that forms around them rather than embracing their own identity and thinking their intellect is valued but in reality it’s extremely counter productive. They seem to press the same narrative until it becomes all they talk about and you can’t even listen to their viewpoints anymore. You can barely even hear them. The musical and lyrical themes play off each other in the sense they both struggle with their identity in order to fit into a box. It can show the duality in a person’s actual and performative beliefs.”
‘Counterfeit’ is taken from the band’s’forthcoming debut which is set for independent release on Friday, February 25th. A very special live event to celebrate the launch of the album will be taking place on Thursday, February 24th in Dublins’ Grand Social with tickets on sale now via Eventbrite, priced at €12.
All pre-sale tickets holders will automatically entered into a competition to win passes to see Royal Blood live in Dublin’s 3Arena this coming April. Click here for tickets.
Pre-orders are now live for the a limited batch of vinyl pressings. The first 110 albums comes with a very limited edition 12″x 12″ art print. Order your copy of the album here
In early 2022, on January 14th, Czech psy-core metal act DYMYTRY released their sixth album, entitled Revolt, via AFM Records. It’s their first album in English ever. Following five successful records to date and a platinum award for their latest release Revolter, Dymytry has opted for a step that is unusual for the band in two respects: Revolt, originally recorded exclusively in Czech, is the first international Dymytry album as well as introducing their new, additional singer Alen “A.L.” Ljubic.
“We wanted to show to the world that there is great music in the Czech Republic, too,” bassist Artur “R2R” Mikhaylov comments. “We feel that our first English album is a very strong record, we really put everything into it.“
In support of their critically acclaimed Revolt, today the band unleashed a wicked video clip for the album track “Never Gonna Die”! Says vocalist Alen: “Never Gonna Die“ is the fourth single taken from our international debut album Revolt, a song coming in at full force, with a modern electronic vibe, huge djenty guitars and a catchy hookline that will haunt you forever. We are super excited to present you our new cinematic video, inspired by a true horror classic “The Bride of Frankenstein“. As Jan Murga took care of the band performance shots, I directed the story shots and created the design for the resurrection set. It turned out exactly as I imagined and I can’t wait for everyone to see it. Watch the clip, and enjoy a dark, powerful horror scenario.”
The video for “Never Gonna Die” is now streaming here:
Dymytry‘s new album Revolt practically bursts with a high-voltage energy, strong melodies and powerful rhythms driven by mercilessly modern metal. Featuring its three main songwriters Mikhaylov, Jiri “Dymo” Urban and Jan “Gorgy” Görgel (both guitar) as well as with exciting guest appearances by Joakim Lindbäck Eriksson of Brothers Of Metal and Victor Smolski, the band will continue to work with longtime vocalist Protheus in the Czech Republic and with Alen on the international market.
Revoltwas produced by Kristian “Kohle” Kohlmannslehner & Hans Koch at the Kohlekeller / Babylon Studios, and is available as CD Digipak and an exclusive Boxset via AFM Records. You can purchase your album copy at THIS LOCATION!
Singer Danny Estrin and bassist Alex Canion of Perth’s premier electro power prog sensation VOYAGER are now sharing a joint bass and vocal studio video for the song “Dreamer!” The single has been selected to compete in prestigious song contest, Eurovision – Australia Decides! Watch the play-through, which was filmed by Mike Dann at Hopping Mouse Studios, at THIS LOCATION.
VOYAGER has also recently premiered the official music video for “Dreamer,” which can be seen THIS LOCATION.
For several years, VOYAGER has been petitioning to be selected as one of Australia’s musical representatives in Eurovision – Australia Decides. After being shortlisted in the previous year’s competition, the band has finally been tapped to represent Western Australia, making it the first time that the region has hope of winning the Eurovision title! The band will soon reveal the song that has been selected in the contest!
Earlier this week, VOYAGER also announced their very own signature beer along with a very special contest! ‘𝘿𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙠𝙮’ is a juicy IPA brewed by Bright Tank Brewery and will go on sale on February 23 at THIS LOCATION! The band and brewery have also partnered with Lumber Punk Axe Throwing for a very special contest. With every purchase of ‘𝘿𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙠𝙮,’ fans can grab a chance to join the band for an axe-throwing session courtesy of Lumber Punks Axe Throwing, and then on to Bright Tank to drink beer and do a meet and greet with all members of Voyager! More info can be found HERE.
In 2020, VOYAGER‘s music video for “Runaway” was exclusively premiered via ‘Eurovision – Australia Decides!’ Following an application via the Song Portal, the band finally received recognition for submitting a track and were paid tribute on the live television broadcast that aired on Saturday, February 8 on the Gold Coast. The can be seen at THIS LOCATION.
The song was taken from VOYAGER‘s 2019 release ‘Colours in the Sun,’ which received a wealth of international accolades. Recently, the single “Brightstar” was the first place winner in the Rock / Alternative category of the USA songwriting contest! Last year, ‘Colours in the Sun’ was the winner of The Independent Music Award in the Rock/Hard Rock Album category. The record was released in November of 2019 and landed a coveted #1 placement on the Australian Independent Albums chart! ‘Colours in the Sun’ also debuted at #7 on Independent Label Albums as well as #27 on Official iTunes Australia.
‘Colours in the Sun’ can be downloaded and streamed HERE.
Recently OVER A BARREL, who feature Luca Cocconi (THE MODERN AGE SLAVERY, BROWBEAT) and Imer Bigi (ex-DARK LUNACY) in their ranks, announced the release of their debut album “Self-Inflicted Wounds” due on March 18th 2022.
Today the band unveils the second single ‘Dripping Blood’, accompanied by a guitar playthrough video recorded by the guitar player Luca Cocconi at his Audiocore Studio.
“This is a mid-tempo song featuring Swedish death metal riffs. It’s perfect to headbang hard!”, comments the band.
In the year of the Covid19-pandemic, when the world was forced into a lockdown, two old friends joined their forces into a brand new band. OVER A BARREL are driven by the passion for extreme music. The result is a fast, powerful, raw and brutal album. “Self-Inflicted Wounds”, was recorded, mixed and mastered by Luca Cocconi and Simone Sighinolfi at Audiocore Studio in Parma (Italy).
Careless of the latest trends, this album came out very naturally. “No limits during the composition phase, just focus on what we liked and sounded good. There is some kind of unspoken agreement between us: be 100% into our music and approaching creative sessions with open minds. This is our essence put into very simple words”, comments the band.
The track listing for “Self-Inflicted Wounds” reads as follows: 01. Woland (intro) 02. No Warnings No Signs 03. Over A Barrel 04. Pain Inflicted To Yourself 05. Distrusted Victims 06. Dripping Blood 07. Turning Point 08. Cyberwaste (FEAR FACTORY cover)
Los Angeles’ groundbreaking pioneers of the rap/hardcore hybrid and outspoken sociopolitical activists, DOWNSET, have officially joined forces with the heaviest label in the business Nuclear Blast Records and are currently plotting one of the genres greatest comebacks. To mark the occasion, the band has partnered with the label to reissue the controversial demos that helped ignite a street led movement around the world, “Anger/Ritual” 7″ and “About Ta Blast” 7″, which were initially released 30 years ago.
Commenting on the signing to Nuclear Blast, founding guitarist Rogelio Lozano says:
“Being signed to Nuclear Blast is a big honor for me. It’s a great organization/record label and working with the people there has been nothing but pleasant, professional experience. Nuclear Blast is the #1 heavy metal label in the world with so many great bands and amazing album releases. It gives my band and me the feeling of being a part of something special. We feel right at home, excited and look forward into the re-release of the first two original 7” records as a reissued bundle, as well as our forthcoming 6th album!
Look out for a mix of old school sound and 12 songs featuring the new era of downset in 2022. With our new lineup, Bobby Blood Ponte on drums, Phillip Gonzales on bass, myself on Guitar and OG Rey Oropeza on vocals, we plan on continuing the legacy with future albums to come. WE ARE BACK!!”
Additionally, DOWNSET has revealed a new music video today for the bonus demo track “Breed The Killer,” that features vintage live footage of them performing the song. Watch the video here:
“About Ta Blast” 7″ Tracklisting: 1. About Ta Blast (Demo) 2. Body Cry (Demo) 3. Breed The Killer (Demo)
Monumental progress doesn’t occur overnight. Some of man kind’s most powerful words don’t come from education or privilege, but erupt from the pain and roughness of the streets; they smolder through the cracks in the concrete until eventually grand truths are revealed, and the winds of change slowly emerge. It is with these notions in mind that old school Hardcore Kings DOWNSET began to surface in Los Angeles, California in the early 1980’s.
The genesis of DOWNSET itself was not one of entitlement or handouts, either. Originally formed with a straight edge mentality under the name of SOCIAL JUSTICE, the members of DOWNSET have been fighting against societal injustice for a long time. Founder and vocalist Rey Oropeza began using graffiti as its own language for change in about 1982. “I would hit the streets… and when you hit the streets there’s violence, there’s racial injustice; it’s not just violence in the sense of someone pulling out a gun on someone else, there’s a violence that can happen to anybody, you can be rich, poor, male, female… and these things affect people for the rest of their lives,” he explains. The group eventually released demos and shifted from SOCIAL JUSTICE to DOWNSET. “It has multiple meanings,” explains guitarist and producer Rogelio Lozano (CYPRESS HILL, POWERFLO). “Some people are set up in life, some are down with a set, but it also means to start off underprivileged; to have a life full of disadvantages.” All of these notions and inspirations eventually procured a self-titled studio album that was released in 1994 via Mercury Records.
A musical style that was distinctly hardcore combined with Oropeza’s MC abilities allowed DOWNSET to stand out from other metal acts, while still being able to achieve a variety of tours with some of the most prominent bands of the time. After member rearrangements, and the 1996 release of “Do We Speak A Dead Language,” the band went on to join the original “TATTOO THE EARTH” tour in 2000 with the likes of SLAYER, SEPULTURA, MUDVAYNE and more. This all coincided perfectly with the release of “Check Your People,” and once again the band was on the hustle.
With more member changes and the release of “Universal” a few years later in 2004, followed up by self-released “One Blood” in 2014, the band continued on hiatus. Now seven years later in 2022, DOWNSET have officially returned to the scene and have signed a record deal with the world’s leading metal label: Nuclear Blast Records. The new year will hold colossal announcements as far as new music, touring, and more. The future of society remains to be seen, but the future of DOWNSET has been carved in the stone of the streets for decades.
DOWNSET Lineup: Rey Oropeza | Vocals Rogelio Lozano | Guitar Phillip Gonzales | Bass Bobby Blood | Drums
WICKED lives for rock n’ roll. The kind that lights a fire in your blood and puts that crazy in your eyes! And the proof is certainly within their new album, ‘The Last American Rock Band,’ which will be available in various formats (CD, vinyl and all digital & streaming services) on March 11, 2022. And the same day, the band will be performing an album release party at Photo City Music Hall in Rochester, New York. New merch and music will be available at the show.
Also, a teaser for the upcoming video “Hot Stage Lights” can be viewed:
Band members Danny, Chad Michael, Scotty V and Gunnar make up the rock n’ roll brotherhood that has become known as WICKED, hailing from Rochester, NY. ‘The Last American Rock Band’ is a celebration of the songs, stages, and fans that have made the band who they are over the years and brings a melodic hard rock mix of fan favorites, as well as a couple never heard before tracks, all produced by 6x Grammy-winning producer Ignacio Molino.
The album is the perfect representation of what the band has become known for over the years; a high energy, theatrical hard rock act, built on delivering an over-the-top live show with bombastic songs, and is high energy rock n’ roll built on the classics and inspired by the now.
“Making this album became a drinking game between who’s guitar had to be tuned the most times.” -Scotty V
“It was such a rush to finally get these tracks recorded and released with just the right production, bringing a whole new life to them for our fans.” -Gunnar
“I’m so excited to finally get this music to our fans. We’re living with our hearts on our sleeves and not looking back. This is only the beginning of honest to god, WICKED rock n’ roll!” -Chad Michael
“‘The Last American Rock Band’ is the perfect celebration of the band’s past and an exciting turning point for a new era of WICKED rock n roll to follow!” -Danny
Let’s raise a glass to the past with ‘The Last American Rock Band’. This one’s for the OG fans! Get ready, WICKED has only just begun!
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
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault )