MIDNIGHT VICE, the NWOTHM band from the Southeastern US metal capital of Tampa, Florida, is proud to announce their recent signing with RPM ROAR, a division of Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM). They also look forward to releasing their self-titled EP in the near future. Known for their homage to the 1980s metal legends, the band mixes crushing riffs, soaring vocals, and blazing guitar solos, creating a sound both familiar and fresh. Their style is marked by denim and leather, and a “take no prisoners” attitude.
“We are so humbly honored to be welcomed into the Reigning Phoenix family. The success and feedback of our debut was far beyond expected, but joining forces with a record label that is dedicated to amplifying a new era of heavy metal has undoubtedly been our biggest achievement thus far. We want to extend our gratitude to our friends, our family, and everyone at Reigning Phoenix who believed we could do this. We are so eternally grateful to be a part of something that is redefining the metal industry as we know it. Working alongside RPM will allow us to deliver a whole new era of Midnight Vice, providing us the resources that we need to make our next release even better than the last. We look forward to our long and fruitful partnership with RPM. Heavy metal never dies, and Reigning Phoenix is the living proof,” comments vocalist Tyler Gray.
MIDNIGHT VICE draws heavy influence from bands like IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST, SAVATAGE,CRIMSON GLORY, and many more. They bring a traditional yet energetic approach to their music, igniting the spirit within die-hard metal heads. “Heavy Metal is an undying force that inspires and empowers. It’s a power cage that no true fan will ever escape. Midnight Vice embodies that, and we stay true to the spirit of what our predecessor’s created,” states the singer.
RPM ROAR will release MIDNIGHT VICE‘s debut EP, including additional material in physical format, later this year. Stay tuned for more news.
MIDNIGHT VICE – Live: July 26th at Conduit (Orlando FL) with Anvil August 6th at Conduit (Orlando FL) with Haunt and Savage Master December 31st at the Whisky A Go Go (Los Angeles CA) with L.A Guns
Winding their way through and illuminating the belly of the underground Paris music scene over the last few years have been three natives to the city, Storm Orchestra. Today, they have revealed their euphoric new single, “Bright Soul”, and the news that they have signed to Mascot Records. You can watch the video HERE .
Their metallic alt-rock sets them apart from their contemporaries—a shimmering grandiose vision blended with marauding contemporary rock. The aggressive glammy guitar snaps and bites as it spirals around a thunderous, hard-rocking rhythm section that pulsates with an aura of glamour and charisma but also an overriding heaviness.
It’s music built for stadiums but made to connect with people. It blends the infectiousness of Nothing But Thieves, the captivating driving force of Royal Blood, and the melodic ambition of Muse.
The new song “Bright Soul” was mixed by Grammy-winning Adrian Bushby (Muse, Foo Fighters) and produced by Bertrand Poncet from Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! The song evokes human beings’ perpetual inner struggle. “Each of us has a dark side, crystallizing our fears, wounds, and traumas that can extinguish our inner flame at any moment,” they explain.
Singer Maxime Goudard’s talismanic wail confides, “I cannot hide it anymore, It’s pulsing in my veins, Calm my inner war, Without further delay, Escape from this vicious doubt, I battle for a way out… Where’s my bright soul? It’s always away, It’s leaving a terrifying hole,” over the rousing noise that lets the words run free.
The leitmotif is this inner question: “Where’s my bright soul?” Goudard opens up about his fear of letting his dark side take over the person he wants to be. His fierce determination to fight for the best in himself is symbolized by the powerful riff that opens and closes the track.
Music has the power to unite and rejoice in the moment, creating moments of real beauty. Having known each other since childhood, Maxime Goudard (vocals, guitar), Adrien Richard (bass) and Loïc Fouquet (drums) are bound together by the struggles and triumphs that have taken them to this moment, “First and foremost, we stand for packing people in a room and make them have the best time altogether with loud music. We also have social concerns, and we stand for equality, environment and the voices of the people,” says the band.
They explored these themes on their debut album, ‘What A Time To Be Alive,’ which last year caught the attention of Mascot Records—home to Black Stone Cherry, P.O.D., Calva Louise, Oxymorrons, Conquer Divide, 10 Years, VOLA and Defects.
As a then-unsigned band, they picked up an impressive combined 4M streams, ending the year in a triumphant fashion as the “Artist to Watch in 2024” by Spotify France and celebrities in the Top of the Rock: Best of 2023 and Deezer’s 2023 Rock playlists.
They’re seizing a moment, and all of this is driven by their high-intensity moshpit-inducing live shows. They’ve captured lightning in a bottle and are selling out clubs across France. It’s live where they truly get to express themselves, “It’s really emotional to play to a full house of people—our fans, friends and family, celebrating our music! The party goes on all night.”
As their profile has been building, they’ve begun infiltrating festival stages and have not held back in taking them by storm. “Last Summer, we played our biggest show to date, a festival in front of 10,000 people who probably didn’t know us at first. We had to get them to realize what Storm Orchestra is about, and before long, they were all singing along to our songs. It was challenging and intense, but we connected with a lot of new fans.”
They say about their live shows, “We always come to a show with the biggest smile and a crazy load of energy. We want people to get energized, to let off steam, and leave wanting more. We are always exhausted right after the set; if not, it means something went wrong!”
Talking about signing to Mascot Records they add, “Signing to Mascot is the biggest opportunity in Storm Orchestra’s career. Making music professionally has been a dream and a goal for many years. In the last few months, Mascot has been an incredible supportive force to help us make new music and reach new goals.”
Light and dark, euphoria and heaviness, glamour and aggression – Storm Orchestra are here to be your new favourite band.
American heavy rock band CARBELLION have announced their 1st ever “Petrol and Pints” UK tour during June 21-30, 2024. Carbellion will be touring in support of their latest album Weapons of Choice released digitally worldwide via Eclipse Records and on vinyl worldwide via QUMRAN Records.
Carbellion lead vocalist Cameron Kellenberger comments: “We are really stoked to make our trip across the pond and visit the UK for the first time. The tour dates take us from the bottom of England all the way up into Scotland and we can’t wait to bring our brand of American heavy rock live to our UK fans and friends. There’s tour specific merch, new material not recorded yet in the live set full of classics from our whole catalog, and some rowdy good times to be had by everyone. We are calling it the “Petrol and Pints” tour and it will not disappoint.”
See below for dates, venues, and get tickets at this location.
June 21 @ Loverocks Festival – Dorset, England, UK June 22 @ Bear’s Bar – Bournemouth, England, UK June 23 @ Cart & Horses (w/ Violet Blend) – London, England, UK June 26 @ Trillians – Newcastle, England, UK June 27 @ Bannermans – Edinburgh, Scotland, UK June 28 @ Wildfire Festival – Wanlockhead, Scotland, UK June 29 @ Grumpys – Stoke-on-Trent, England, UK June 30 @ The Carlisle – Hastings, England, UK
Weapons of Choice is the band’s third full-length album pulls from nearly twenty years of experience and lessons learned by fire to deliver the group’s most compelling release to date. The ten-song collection brings together the band’s strongest and most cohesive material, though its inception was rather unusual. Lyrically, the album finds Carbellion working to engage its audience. “I want to make people think,” Kellenberger states. “We’ve never been great at writing straightforward songs. Translating the thoughts and ideas in my head is a complicated process, but an exciting one. These songs are definitely fun and we write them with the intention of making people have a good time, especially with the live show, but this record more than any other also aims to make people think. Don’t take everything at face value. Nothing in this life is black and white. The truth is almost always somewhere in the middle.” “We started the record before COVID,” says Kellenberger. “The pandemic made us stop temporarily, but we found a way to work together digitally during that time. That allowed us to write the record, which we took to the studio as material was finished, so some songs were recorded two years before others, but it was a constant creation process”. Carbellion is taking stock of its place in the rock ecosystem. After nearly two decades and half a dozen releases, the Wisconsin bad boys feel they are just now hitting their stride.
THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER will release their tenth studio album, Servitude, on September 27th via Metal Blade Records, today unveiling the record’s first single and pre-orders.
“Before the tragedy, no one ever thought this band was going to exist without Trevor.”
That’s THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER‘s co-founder Brian Eschbach telling it like it is. With the tragic passing of the band’s frontman and co-founder Trevor Strnad in 2022, Eschbach, bassist Max Lavelle, drummer Alan Cassidy, and producer/guitarist Brandon Ellis were faced with a decision: Close the door on one of the most beloved death metal bands of the last twenty years, or carry on in their fallen brother’s charismatic spirit?
“Everyone that’s in the band now is someone that Trevor and I searched for,” Eschbach says. “We spent so much time on the road together that everyone understands the mission statement. We don’t really need to talk about it. We just need to make great music and try to make people happy playing it.”
After a period of profound grief and deep soul-searching, Eschbach moved from guitar to vocals, setting aside his lifelong identity as a live guitarist for the survival of the band. Former THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER member Ryan Knight returned to the fold to take Eschbach’s place on guitar. The new lineup made their debut in TBDM‘s hometown of Detroit in late October 2022 for a tribute show for Strnad.
Fast forward to right about now: THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER‘s new album is the one that many would have thought impossible. Servitude marks Eschbach’s recorded debut as THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER‘s lead vocalist and lyricist – and their first with Knight on guitar since 2015’s Abysmal.
“I just had to lean into it hard,” Eschbach says of approaching Servitude in a completely new role. “Honestly, writing the lyrics for this album was easier for me than writing the music for the three songs that I wrote music for. I’d pick a subject, research it, and just kinda dive in. Even though it’s not something I’d really ever done before, there was a natural flow to it once I started.”
You can hear the thrilling results on “Aftermath,” the ripping lead single, which envisions a post-apocalyptic cannibal scenario. “We wanted that one to be heard first because it’s one of the faster songs on the album, if not the fastest,” Eschbach says. “We wanted that very aggressive BLACK DAHLIA melodic death metal feel coming right at you. Lyrically, it’s about a meteor that fucks up the whole planet, but there’s still people living. Kind of like The Walking Dead, but with no zombies-so you get right to how people deal with it. And by the end, they’re eating each other.”
Watch THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER‘s video for “Aftermath,” created by My Good Eye: Music Visuals:
The members of THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER know that some will be skeptical of an album without Trevor’s inimitable presence. But many fans have already embraced the band’s decision to move forward.
“More than pressures or expectations from the fanbase, I feel their trust and support,” Ellis says. “We’ve always done what we do for them, and they’ve appreciated our consistency over the years. The global outcry following Trevor’s passing has shown us how important the band’s music has been to so many people, and how important it is that we continue in his honor. Under all that weight, I think we all knew what needed to be done.”
“We put in everything we had, and this is the album that felt right to make,” he adds. “I’m proud of it and proud of the five of us. You can never please everybody, but I know that this music will be a healing and positive force for those who embrace it!“
The guitars, bass and vocals for Servitude were recorded at Ellis’ home studio in New Jersey. The drums were recorded by Mark Lewis in Nashville, Tennessee where the album was also mixed. Servitude was mastered by Ted Jensen.
THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER Live: 6/14/2024 Z! Live Rock Fest – Zamora, ES 6/16/2024 Download Donington – Park, UK 6/17/2024 Limelight – Belfast, UK 6/18/2024 Opium – Dublin, IE 6/20/2024 Arch Club – Athens, GR 6/21/2024 Block 33 – Thessaloniki, GR 6/23/2024 Graspop – Dessel, BE 6/24/2024 Hirsch – Nuremberg, DE w/ Suffocation 6/25/2024 The Black Lab – Lille, FR w/ Suffocation 6/26/2024 Im Wizemann – Stuttgart, DE w/ Shadow Of Intent 6/27/2024 Mergener – Hof Trier, DE 6/28/2024 Club Vaudeville – Lindau, DE w/ Suffocation 6/29/2024 Jera On Air – Ysselsteyn, NL 6/30/2024 Hellfest – Clisson, FR 7/31/2024 Rockstadt Extreme Fest – Brasov, RO 8/02/2024 Dortmund Deathfest – Dortmund, DE 8/03/2024 Wacken Open Air – Wacken, DE 8/04/2024 Full Rewind – Roitzschjora, DE 8/06/2024 Lifestyle Café – Cham, DE 8/07/2024 Brutal Assault – Jaromer, CZ 8/08/2024 Party San Open Air – Schlotheim, DE 8/09/2024 Szene – Wien, AT 8/10/2024 Menza Pri Koritu – Ljubljana, SI 8/11/2024 Slaughter Club – Milano, IT 8/13/2024 Rockhouse – Salzburg, AT 8/14/2024 Kiff – Aarau, CH 8/15/2024 Summer Breeze – Dinkelsbuhl, DE 8/16/2024 Reload Festival – Sulingen, DE 8/17/2024 Chinasstraat – Gent, BE w/ Decapitated 8/18/2024 Motocultor – Carhaix, FR
THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER: Brian Eschbach – lead vocals Max Lavelle – bass Alan Cassidy – drums Brandon Ellis – lead guitar, backing vocals Ryan Knight – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Alternative rock quintet HIGHER POWER have revealed a new single titled ‘Stillpoint‘, that sees them tap into their hardcore roots with a bruising feature from NEVER ENDING GAME. The new single lands just in time for the bands appearance at Outbreak Festival this month.
Vocalist Jimmy Wizard comments: “Old school HP rocker for the mosh pit freaks, Mikey from Never Ending Game making the middle 8 harder than I could ever make it sound, keep on rocking in the free world
Following the breakout success of their eighth studio album and Napalm Records debut, 2020’s A Wonderful Life, Cleveland, OH, USA based masked metal masters MUSHROOMHEAD return with 2024’s cinematic Call The Devil– laying waste to any preconceived notions of where the band is headed in their third decade of reign.
Returning after a 12 year hiatus, longtime guitarist Dave “Gravy” Felton – who performed on several of the band’s biggest albums and is credited as a primary songwriter on classic anthems like “Along The Way”, “Sun Doesn’t Rise” and “The Dream Is Over” – contributes his trademark skills to two Call The Devilalbum tracks. The album once again features production by band mastermind/drummer Steve “Skinny” Felton, as well as the return of Matt Wallace (Faith No More, 3 Doors Down) on mixing, also recognized for his work on MUSHROOMHEAD’s iconic album XIII. The album is also the band’s first to feature mastering from Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Epica, Arch Enemy).
Alongside today’s announcement, MUSHROOMHEAD have revealed the album’s hard-hitting first single, “Fall In Line”, with an unnerving music video offering a first-person look at the band’s new masks, featuring design elements and sculpting by Jordan Patton and guitarist Joe Gall. The track pummels with electro-industrial injections and spine-tingling keys, boasting a twisting vocal attack balancing both brutal and melodic sounds from vocalists Scott Beck and Jackie LaPonza.
MUSHROOMHEAD mastermind Steve “Skinny” Felton says about “Fall In Line”: “One of my favorite things about the ‘Fall In Line’ video is the use of the color red. It’s a powerful and emotional color palette. ‘Fall In Line’ was actually the last song we recorded for the LP. It came together really fast. Upbeat, aggressive and fun.”
Resulting in debuts at #2 on the US Current Hard Music Albums chart and #8 on the Current Rock Albums chart, and with the unveiling of the band’s first woman vocalist, Jackie LaPonza, MUSHROOMHEAD introduced a whole new slew of accessible, hard-hitting anthems on the “artistic breakthrough” (Loudwire), A Wonderful Life, and have only aimed to expand on it with their ninth auditory onslaught.
Bursting with ominous intensity, album opener “Eye To Eye” launches with warning sirens and a grooving riff provided by Gravy, proving the band wastes zero time with filler on Call The Devil. Eclectic tracks like the emotive, surprisingly jazzy anthem “Emptiness”, dramatic carnival creeper “UIOP (A Final Reprieve)” and haunting “Hallelucination” showcase the more experimental side of MUSHROOMHEAD, while heavy burners such as the gripping “Prepackaged”, charging and melodic “Hideous” and aggressive drum-forward “Torn In Two” cement the band’s lauded metal renown. Featuring guitar work and writing from Gravy, the winding, dark “We Don’t Care” proves to be a future live favorite with its chanting chorus and earworm hook as vocalists Steve Rauckhorst and Jackie LaPonza split leadership duties. Call The Devil brings the cinematic, signature style of musical mastermind and bassist/keyboardist Ryan “Dr. F” Farrell to the forefront, exploring piano-driven balladic auras and compelling with eerily Vaudevillian three-part vocal achievements on songs like “Decomposition”, “Grand Gesture” and “Shame In A Basket”, eventually veering into welcomed bizarre territory with album closer “Doom Goose”.
Steve “Skinny” Felton says about the album title: “We played around with a few different album titles, and apparently ‘Shout at the Devil’ was already taken… so we figured we’d just try calling.”
30 years into their groundbreaking history, MUSHROOMHEAD show no signs of slowing down, proving innovative without losing sight of their trademark sound and imagery. Call The Devil boasts everything from bangers to ballads, providing a strong variety that every heavy music fan will have on repeat!
Call The Devil track listing: 1. Eye To Eye 2. Fall In Line 3. Emptiness 4. We Don’t Care 5. UIOP (A Final Reprieve) 6. Prepackaged 7. Decomposition 8. Grand Gesture 9. Hallelucination 10. Hideous 11. Torn In Two 12. Shame In A Basket 13. Doom Goose
MUSHROOMHEAD recently announced a slew of tour dates. See below for all currently booked performances!
INKcarceration Festival 2024 19.07.24 OH – Mansfield / Ohio State Reformatory
EU/UK 2024 Tour w/ Dymytry* & Silenzer**: 09.08.24 DE – Bochum / Rockpalast Bochum * 10.08.24 FI – Kotka / Dark River Festival 11.08.24 UK – Southampton / EngineRooms * / ** 12.08.24 UK – Birmingham / O2 Institute2 * / ** 13.08.24 UK – London / O2 Academy Islington * / ** 14.08.24 NL – Haarlem / Patronaat * / ** 15.08.24 DK – Sullingen / Reload Festival 16.08.24 CZ – Moravsky Krumlov / Rock Castle 17.08.24 PL – Warsaw / Proxima * 18.08.24 PL – Kraków / Klub Kwadrat * 19.08.24 DE – Berlin / Cassiopeia *
USA 2024 Tour w/ Upon a Burning Body, There Is No Us und Mind Incision: 04.10.24 NY – Buffalo / Rec Room 05.10.24 NH – Hampton Beach / Wally’s 06.10.24 MA – Worcester / Palladium Upstairs 08.10.24 VA – Leesburg / Tally Ho 09.10.24 NJ – Sayreville / Starland Ballroom 10.10.24 PA – Lititz / Mickey’s Black Box 12.10.24 PA – Pittsburg / Preserving Underground 13.10.24 OH – Cincinnati / Bogarts 15.10.24 MI – Grand Rapids / The Intersection 16.10.24 IL – Belvidere / Apollo Theater 18.10.24 WI – Green Bay / Epic Events Center 19.10.24 IL – Joliet / The Forge 20.10.24 WI – Milwaukee / The Rave 22.10.24 IL – Moline / The Rust Belt 23.10.24 IL – Bloomington / Castle Theater 24.10.24 OH – Columbus / The King of Clubs* 25.10.24 MI – Flint / Machine Shop 26.10.24 OH – Cleveland / Agora Theater* * without Upon A Burning Body
MUSHROOMHEAD is: Steve Rauckhorst – Vocals Scott Beck – Vocals Jackie LaPonza – Vocals Dave Felton – Guitar Joe Gall – Guitar Ryan Farrell – Guitar, Bass, Keys Aydin Kerr – Drums, Percussion Robert Godsey – Drums, Percussion Steve Felton – Drums, Percussion, Keys, Vocals
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 ) 