Japanese band ALPHOENIX was formed in 2015 and plays a melodic type of death metal. In their music, they combine aggression with sensational melodic guitar parts, clean vocals and growls. Revitalizing the global death metal scene is no small task, but ALPHOENIX is moving towards achieving it. So far, the band from Tokyo has released two studio albums: “Final Crusades” (2015) and “Evil Ways” (2022) and few singles.
Today, the Japanese band released an “old/new” song titled “Future Begins“. The cover artwork was created by Shimpei – the vocalist and guitarist of the band.
Leader of the band comments: “The rare track “Future Begins,” which was only distributed as a demo to a select few, has been reborn through the engineering of Ettore Rigotti (Disarmonia Mundi). The track gains new power thanks to a sound remake by the master metal producer who also worked on Alphoenix’s debut album, “Final Crusades”“.
Progressive rockers FOUR STROKE BARON are thrilled to announce their 2025 tour, hitting key cities across the West Coast and Canada. Known for their electrifying live performances and a sound that fuses elements of rock, metal, and electronic music, FOUR STROKE BARON, with support from their friends in EXIST, promises fans a tour filled with high energy, unforgettable music, and the unique sonic storytelling that has earned them a devoted following worldwide.
Following their recent critically acclaimed release Data Diamond, FOUR STROKE BARON is set to bring fan-favorite tracks and new surprises to the stage. The tour will kick off on February 21 in Portland, OR, and continue across nine cities, ending with a final show on March 2 in Las Vegas, NV.
Speaking on the tour, FOUR STROKE BARON comments: “For the first time since 2021 FSB is coming to ream the US of A. Including a brand new setlist with new tracks from our latest album Data Diamond, and tracks from Classics that we have never played live before. More dates to be announced in 2025 for the rest of the US.”
2024 Tour Dates:
2/21 – Portland, OR – Dante’s
2/22 – Vancouver, BC – The Wise Hall
2/23 – Seattle, WA – Funhouse
2/25 – Sacramento, CA – Harlow’s
2/26 – Reno, NV – Virginia Street Brewhouse
2/27 – Albany, CA – The Ivy Room
2/28 – Costa Mesa, CA – The Wayfarer
3/1 – San Diego, CA – Brick by Brick
3/2 – Las Vegas, NV – Sinwave
After touring internationally and gaining critical acclaim, Four Stroke Baron is eager to reconnect with their U.S. fans. Tickets are on sale now at the band’s official website and each venue.
APOCALYPSE ORCHESTRA are set to release their second album “A Plague upon Thee”, on February 14th 2025, via Despotz Records.
Apocalypse Orchestra is a Swedish metal band that masterfully blends medieval melodies with the crushing power of doom metal, creating an epic and atmospheric soundscape that transports listeners to a distant past.
Formed in Gävle, Sweden 2013, the band is known for fusing traditional folk instruments, such as the hurdy-gurdy, bagpipes, and mandolas, with heavy, distorted guitars and thunderous drums. With their debut album “The End Is Nigh” (2017), Apocalypse Orchestra quickly established themselves as a unique force in the metal scene. The album received critical acclaim for its innovative approach to storytelling, weaving together history, mythology, and existential themes.
The band is now back with their second album called “A Plague upon Thee”.
With their second release, ”A Plague upon Thee”, they unearth new stories from the past, with tales of walled in zealots, religion and science in medieval times, and the ransacking of hell! Apocalypse Orchestra delivers memorable live shows where the band utilizes theatrical performances, sometimes actors and dancers, fire and projected animation, thus enhancing the experience, giving the show a feel of classic storytelling.
1. Virago (SEXTE2401101) 2. Tempest (SEXTE2401102) 3. Glass And Sun (SEXTE2401103) 4. Anchorhold (SEXTE2401104) 5. Sacrament of Avarice (SEXTE2401105) 6. From the Athanor (SEXTE2401106) 7. To Arrive (SEXTE2401107) 8. Saint Yersinia (SEXTE2401108)
Their new album “A Plague upon Thee” will be released February 14th 2025, via Despotz Records.
In 2024 the original guitar hero trio of Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, and Steve Vai returned to stages across the US for a sold-out tour which reunited the three friends on a trek that began with the first G3 tour in 1996.
For those lucky enough to have been at any one of those shows, “Zeus in Chains (G3 Reunion Live)” will bring them back to that moment with every bit of emotion intact.
“It’s always nice to stretch out on new material. I hope you enjoy. But perhaps the most supportive element of this tour was the fans. After so many years of touring, having an audience that is so encouraging and respectful was humbling.” – Steve Vai
“G3 Reunion Live” is much more than “just” a live album. It’s a full album-length set from each artist plus a collaborative supergroup LP. The deluxe edition features a different colored vinyl for each artist, a special splatter LP for the encore jam, and a 64-page photo book, divided into artist and jam chapters, with the full program also on 2 CDs. It is also available in a 2CD digipak with a 16-page photo booklet and, 4 LP gatefold and digital download.
G3 Reunion Live Album Release: January 31st, 2025
Formats:Digital, 2CD Digipack, 4LP (Black) Gatefold, Deluxe Slipcase with 4LPs (Coloured), 64-page coffee table book and 2CDs.
Tracklisting (all formats):
1. Gravitas (Vai) 2. Avalancha (Vai) 3. Little Pretty Intro (Vai) 4. Little Pretty (Vai) 5. Tender Surrender (Vai) 6. Zeus in Chains (Vai) 7. Teeth of the Hydra (Vai) 8. For the Love of God (Vai) 9. Land of 1000 Dances (Johnson) 10. Righteous (Johnson) 11. Trail of Tears (Johnson) 12. On-Ramp Improv (Johnson) 13. Freeway Jam (Johnson) 14. Desert Rose (Johnson) 15. Venus Reprise (Johnson) 16. Raspberry Jam Delta-V (Satriani) 17. Surfing with the Alien (Satriani) 18. Satch Boogie (Satriani) 19. Sahara (Satriani) 20. Nineteen Eighty (Satriani) 21. Big Bad Moon (Satriani) 22. Always with Me, Always with You (Satriani) 23. Sumer Song (Satriani) 24. Introductions 25. Crossroads (Encore Jam) 26. Spanish Castle Magic (Encore Jam) 27. Born to Be Wild (Encore Jam)
About Joe Satriani For over three decades, the guitar virtuoso has travelled the world, playing to sold-out crowds as both a headliner and as founder of the all-star “G3” guitar extravaganza. Satriani’s studio and live recordings have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide to date and of his many solo albums, two have gone platinum and four others went gold, with 15 Grammy nominations between them. He launched his annual “G4 Experience” in 2014 bringing aspiring guitarists together for four days of workshops, mentor sessions and live performances, providing an exclusive learning platform led by him and his accomplished peers. In 2021, he introduced the “Crystal Planet” comic series, a five-part opus interweaving the realms of music and art. The tour documentary “Beyond the Supernova,” directed by ZZ Satriani and currently available for streaming, offers an intimate behind-the-scenes glimpse that intricately chronicles his life, illuminating the profound dedication that fuels his guitar mastery. His side project, Chickenfoot, featuring former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar, former bassist Michael Anthony and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer Chad Smith saw their debut album certified gold and their second studio album debuted at #9. Satriani released his 19th studio album, The Elephants of Mars, in April 2022. In 2024 Satriani embarked on Sammy Hagar’s Best of All Worlds tour.
About Eric Johnson Among Johnson’s many accolades are a Grammy award for “Cliffs of Dover ” (from his Platinum certified album, Ah Via Musicom), ten more Grammy nominations, lifetime induction into the Guitar Player Gallery of Greats and his listing among the “100 Greatest Guitarists of the 20th Century” by Musician. In his hometown of Austin TX, a city full of guitarists, the readers of the Austin Chronicle have voted ERIC JOHNSON the city’s “Best Electric Guitarist” and “Best Acoustic Guitarist” in their yearly poll year after year. They also named him “Electric Guitarist of the Decade” and one of the top five “Musicians of the Decade”. Eric released two new albums in 2022, The Book of Making and Yesterday Meets Today via his new partnership with Blue Élan Records. Eric is currently on the 2024 Experience Hendrix tour through late October.
About Steve Vai Steve Vai is a virtuoso guitarist, composer, and producer, considered by many as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. In over 40 years in the industry, Vai has sold over 15 million records, received three Grammy Awards, and recorded with music legends like Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth, Whitesnake and many more. Vai has also toured extensively and recorded live projects with G3 (collaborating with different touring line-ups including Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, Eric Johnson, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Steve Lukather) and Generation Axe, a supergroup Vai formed with Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt and Tosin Abasi. Vai is the author of Vaideology: Basic Music Theory for Guitar Players (Hal Leonard), his inaugural music theory book designed to help both beginners and veteran guitar players. He toured North America in support of his most recent studio album Inviolate before embarking on the BEAT tour playing the music of 80s King Crimson. For a complete discography and more visit www.vai.com.
Rochester, New York-based trio King Buffalo has released a brand new song called Balrog and has announced some additional tour dates. You can now download BalrogFOR FREE at https://kingbuffalo.bandcamp.com! The track will be available on all the streaming platforms in the coming weeks.
“We’ve been hard at work on our new studio and still have more to do. Even with things not quite complete we wanted to try tracking something to dial in the room.” The band comments.
“What spawned is “Balrog” and we can’t wait for you to hear it! We will be playing it and some other album tracks we’ve never played live on all our remaining tour dates. These will be our last shows in the US for the time being as we are going to finish the studio and continue working on new ideas. See you at the upcoming shows!”
Written and recorded by the band with mixing and engineering by guitarist/vocalist Sean McVay and mastering by Bernie Matthews, the single is the first song recorded at King Buffalo’s new studio. This is the first studio material since the ‘pandemic trilogy,’ following One of 2022’s Best Albums in Regenerator and Two of 2021’s Best Albums in The Burden of Restlessness and Acheron.
All of these albums – like 2018’s Longing to Be the Mountain, 2016’s debut, Orion, and the various EPs and other offerings they’ve made over the last eleven years – made bold declarations about who King Buffalo are as a band. As McVay, bassist/synthesist Dan Reynolds and drummer Scott Donaldson continue to explore the outer reaches of modern psychedelic songcraft, melding progressive rhythms, drifting atmospheres and accompanying surges of electricity, the new song only further establishes them as one of the brightest lights shining in underground rock today.
Balrogwas written by King Buffalo in Rochester, NY at KB Studios in 2024. Produced, engineered and mixed by Sean McVay, and mastered by Bernie Matthews. The artwork was created by Thomas Tubiolo.
Make sure to catch King Buffalo live at the following dates below! Tickets for all shows are available at kingbuffalo.com/tour
2024 – 2025 North America Tour Dates 11/14 Asheville, NC @ Eulogy^ 11/15 Charlottesville, VA @ The Southern^ 11/16 Asbury Park, NJ @ Wonder Bar^ (low tickets) 12/4 Omaha, NE @ Slowdown* 12/6 Colorado Springs, CO @ Black Sheep* 12/7 Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre* (selling fast) 12/8 Santa Fe, NM @ Tumbleroot* 12/10 Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole* 12/11 Las Vegas, NV @ Swan Dive* 12/12 San Diego, CA @ The Casbah* (low tickets) 12/13 Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room* (low tickets) 12/14 Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet’s* (selling fast) 12/17 Fort Worth, TX @ Tulips* (selling fast) 12/18 Oklahoma City, OK @ Resonant Head* 12/19 Kansas City, MO @ Recordbar* 12/20 St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway* 12/28 Buffalo, NY @ Electric City w/ Handsome Jack
JUST ANNOUNCED
1/17 Brooklyn, NY @ TV Eye 1/24 Columbus, OH @ Skully’s 1/25 Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle 1/28 St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club 1/29 Madison, WI @ High Noon 1/30 Milwaukee, WI @ Vivarium 1/31 Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue 2/1 Toledo, OH @ Frankie’s Inner City ^w/ Ben Katzman *w/ Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol
King Buffalo is: Sean McVay – Guitar, Vocals, & Synth Dan Reynolds – Bass & Synth Scott Donaldson – Drums
Rock and metal flagship AVANTASIA has inked a record deal with Napalm Records! Led by vocalist Tobias Sammet, AVANTASIA’s celebrated sound has been perfected throughout more than 25 years of existence, and the band’s success story has so far featured #1 chart entries, gold awards, hundreds of millions of streams, worldwide sold-out arena tours as well as headline shows at all major metal festivals.
Having cemented the band’s standing as a leading force in the metal scene over the years, AVANTASIA is not showing any signs of slowing down. The band has an extensive European arena tour scheduled for spring 2025, promising to deliver fans an immersive experience through their biggest and most epic production ever. Stay tuned for information about AVANTASIA’s Napalm Records debut coming soon and get your tickets for the “Here Be Dragons” tour now!
Tobias Sammet comments: “AVANTASIA is back, and with the biggest show we’ve ever put on during this year’s festival season, we’ve already given you a taste of what’s to come. Fueled by the incredible spirit and energy of our tour, we headed back to the studio to channel that momentum into creating our most powerful album yet: Here Be Dragons.
We’re also thrilled to announce our new partnership with Napalm Records. Their passion, commitment, and deep love for the world of AVANTASIA have been truly inspiring and they’re just as enthusiastic as we are to bring this new chapter to life. I couldn’t be more excited about the future. AVANTASIA is back, bigger and stronger than ever!”
Thomas Caser, Napalm Records Managing Director adds: “Tobias Sammet is one of the most influential and prolific artists this genre has ever produced. With his boundless creativity and unwavering dedication, he has created one of the most spectacular bands in the world with AVANTASIA. We are thrilled to set another milestone in the band’s history together and are ready to push the upcoming AVANTASIA album worldwide at full throttle! Welcome, Tobi!”
Catch AVANTASIA live on tour! 14.03.25 DE – Hamburg / Sporthalle 15.03.25 BE – Brussels / AB Box 16.03.25 FR – Paris / Olympia 18.03.25 LU – Esch-sur-Alzette / Rockhal 20.03.25 DE – Berlin / Columbiahalle 21.03.25 DE – Bamberg / Brose Arena 22.03.25 DE – Bochum / RuhrCongress 24.03.25 UK – London / The Roundhouse 26.03.25 NL – Tilburg / O13 28.03.25 DE – Stuttgart / Schleyerhalle 29.03.25 CZ – Prague / Forum Karlin 01.04.25 HU – Budapest / Barba Negra 02.04.25 AT – Vienna / Gasometer 04.04.25 DE – Munich / Zenith 05.04.25 DE – Frankfurt am Main / Jahrhunderthalle 06.04.25 DE – Cologne / Palladium 08.04.25 IT – Milan / Alcatraz 09.04.25 CH – Zurich / The Hall 11.04.25 ES – Barcelona / Razzmatazz 12.04.25 ES – Madrid / Vistalegre
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
Ads
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 ) 