Legendary metal tribe SOULFLY have announced another tour across Europe and the UK. The Summer run called ‘Superstition Tour 2024‘ kicks off in late July.
27.07. FR VITRY SUR SEINE – LE KILOWATT 28.07. NL BERGEN OP ZOOM – GEBOUW T 29.07. DE HAMBURG – KNUST 30.07. DK COPENHAGEN – PUMPEHUSET 31.07. DE BERLIN – COLUMBIA THEATRE 01.08. PL WARSAW – PROGRESJA 02.08. CZ OSTRAVA – CLUB GARAGE 03.08. DE JENA – F-HAUS 05.08. DE ASCHAFFENBURG – COLOS-SAAL 06.08. NL OSS – GROENE ENGEL 07.08. NL SITTARD – VOLT 08.08. BE LIEGE – REFLEKTOR 11.08. SK ZVOLEN – CULTURE HOUSE 12.08. DE MUNICH – BACKSTAGE 13.08. CH AARAU – KIFF 14.08. IT PINARELLA DI CERVIA – ROCK PLANET 15.08. CH MARTIGNY – SUNSET BAR 21.08. ES BILBAO – SANTANA 27 22.08. PT CAMINHA – VILAR DE MOUROS FESTIVAL 24.08. ES MADRID – MON 25.08. ES GRANADA – EL TREN 27.08. ES BARCELONA – SALAMANDRA 28.08. FR BORDEUAX – IBOAT OPEN AIR 31.08. UK BIRMINGHAM – O2 INSTITUTE 2 01.09. UK BRISTOL – MARBLE FACTORY 02.09. UK SOUTHAMPTON – 1865 03.09. UK LONDON – O2 ISLINGTON ACADEMY 05.09. UK WREXHAM – ROCKIN’ CHAIR 06.09. UK LEEDS – KEY CLUB 07.09. UK-SCT GLASGOW – GARAGE
Indiana’s WRAITH has today shared a new single, Merchant of Death, from their forthcoming album, Fueled By Fear, which is due to be released via Prosthetic Records on June 28. Merchant of Death is the third track to be taken from the blackened thrash / speed metal group’s latest full-length, and arrives ahead of WRAITH‘s upcoming summer North American tour dates in support of Exciter and Midnight this July and August.
Speaking on the single, WRAITH comments: “Clocking in at 2 minutes and 8 seconds, Merchant of Death doesn’t waste any time. This is one of the fastest songs the band has ever written. Both lyrics and music attack with an intensity not yet displayed on our previous albums.”
What started as a one-man band in 2016, WRAITH has evolved into a propulsive beast of a band. Channeling a reverence to classic metal from a bygone era, WRAITH incorporate their distinctively blistering sonic signature to create something urgent and contemporary. The band have previously described their collective mission as follows: a war of aggression on the dour confines of the modern metal scene and total sonic annihilation.
Fueled By Fear captures the raw punk edge of their previous releases; a sound that will already be familiar to converts who have caught the band live in all their full-throttled abrasive glory. The album was self-produced by the band in Griffith, Indiana, with engineering, mixing and mastering handled by CJ Rayson. Each member brings their own influences and stylistic flourishes to the table, combining to create a tightly wound, cohesive collection of scorching tracks that reflect their individual personalities and tastes.
Thematically the album explores a dystopian landscape where the boundaries between fiction and reality are blurred, and global and political tensions form in a powder keg of fraught possibilities. Whilst the tales they weave are rooted in reality and an interest in religion, history and political science, they have given themselves free reign to explore the outer reaches of nightmarish possibilities.
Fueled By Fear tracklist: 1. Asylum 2. Fueled By Fear 3. Horses and Hounds 4. Shame in Suffering 5. Code Red 6. Ice Cold Bitch 7. Warlord 8. Merchant of Death 9. Heathen’s Touch 10. Hell’s Canyon 11. Vulture 12. Shattered Sorrow 13. Truth Decay 14. The Breaking Wheel
Back firmly in the real world, WRAITH have a busy year of live shows planned and every intention of getting heads banging with their mosh-ready brand of snarling heavy metal.
Upcoming WRAITH tour dates: w/ Exciter and Midnight
18 July – The Siren – Morro Bay, CA 19 July – La Santa – Santa Ana, CA 20 July – Brick by Brick – San Diego, CA 21 July – Nile Theater – Phoenix, AZ 22 July – Launchpad – Albuquerque, NM 24 July – The Rock Box – San Antonio, TX 25 July – White Oak Music Hall – Houston, TX 26 July – Come and Take It Live – Austin, TX 27 July – Echo Lounge – Dallas, TX 29 July – Turf Club – Minneapolis, MN 30 July – Reggies – Chicago, IL 31 July – Legends – Cincinnati, OH 01 August – Meadows – Brooklyn, NY 02 August – Middle East – Boston, MA 03 August – Foufounes – Montreal, QC 04 August – Lee’s Place – Toronto, ON
WRAITH is: Chris Petkus – Bass Jason Schultz – Guitar Matt Sokol – Vocals/Guitar Mike Szymendera – Drums & Percussion
Polish heavy rock group Lark have released their new official video for the track Mesmerize Me which is taken from their 2023 (released via Sliptrick Records) album Antarctica.
The group had this to say about the track; “Lark’s new song, Mesmerize Me, is about not giving thoughtlessly into anyone’s manipulations, always having your own opinion, fighting for yourself and your rights. Have a good time!”
Lark – Antarctica What’s for sure is that Antarctica, from Polish heavy rock group Lark, is not a concept album, although its title song refers to the real story about Sir Ernest Shackleton’s expedition, which happened over than 100 years ago. That’s why the album cover includes the short introduction to the story and the basic details of it, to allow the listener to capture the atmosphere of the song and the message …read more
BLOMST is not just a band, but an experience. Their charismatic vocals, intense guitars, and driving rhythms create an atmosphere of pure joy and freedom that immediately captivates the audience. Now, they are ready with a brand new single, gearing up for a new studio album with the track “Smelter”, released yesterday, June 6th.
“Smelter” explores how creativity and art can be transformed into a consumable product. The lyrics, which are both poetic and raw, provide insight into the challenges behind art and success.
Vocalist Ida Dorthea Horpestad says: “Smelter is about how creativity and art are turned into a product that is consumed. Words that are melted into vinyl! It’s easy to envy others’ success or think you understand someone else’s art. But few have any idea of the price that has been paid for it.”
Blomst has been a favorite among both fans and the press since they started in 2010. The band has made a mark with their intense energy and overwhelming stage presence. With several critically acclaimed releases behind them, including the albums “Blomst” (2015), “Blomst IL” (2019), and “Triatlon” (2022), Blomst has established itself as one of Norway’s most beloved and respected bands within their genre.
The highly anticipated new single follows up on their previous successes and brings with it a fresh wave of creativity and intensity.
“Just as balanced as a punch in the face, yet accessible enough to awaken the masses beyond those who have already embraced them entirely.” – Dagsavisen
“All words are melted into one thing All words are melted and they flow into your head From a dream to life, to a thing I give But you just spit it out Sly, recycled, extra salt for those who know”
Blomst is: Ida Dorthea Horpestad Teodor Frømyhr-andersen Stian Fjeld Engen Lasse Febakke Straum
The Metal Voice recently interviewed Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow from Anvil to talk about the bands upcoming studio album ‘One and Only’ which will be released June 28, 2024 via AFM Records.
When asked about the lyrical meaning of the track ‘Fight for your Rights’ off the new album “It was inspired by the death of the President and Vice President of Attic Records. That’s what inspired me to write that. It was cathartic. I was young, I signed a contract that I shouldn’t have signed, so it’s becomes my fault. But at the same time the idea that here I am in my late 60s and I still don’t get paid for the my first my first three albums it’s ridiculously and unfair. In today’s day and age there’s no such thing as contracts like that. This was done in a day and age when they could get contracts forever. The blood will never dry. That’s basically the foundation of the whole thing, you signed a contract for life. That’s what you did and there really wasn’t really a choice. It’s not like there was a whole bunch of labels that were there to sign. It’s what we were given and was our opportunity and we had to take it, plain and simple.”
When asked about the musical direction of the new album “Yeah it’s probably the most we’ve been like the old Anvil than we’ve ever been. If you stop and think about the ‘Metal on Metal’ and the ‘Forged in fire’ albums. this is probably the closest we’ve ever come to it.”
‘One And Only’ track listing: 01 – One And Only 02 – Feed Your Fantasy 03 – Fight For Your Rights 04 – Heartbroken 05 – Gold And Diamonds 06 – Dead Man Shoes 07 – Truth Is Dying 08 – Rocking The World 09 – Run Away 10 – World Of Fools 11 – Condemned Liberty 12 – Blind Rage
‘One And Only’ was produced by Martin ‘Mattes’ Pfeiffer (U.D.O., among others) and Jörg Uken at his Soundlodge studio.
ANVIL are: Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow (Vocals/Guitar) Robb Reiner (Drums) Chris Robertson (Bass/Vocals)
Legendary South African blues rock, country, and Americana singer-songwriter and guitarist, Steve Louw’s highly anticipated third solo album Between Time will be released Friday September 6th.
Released as a 2-CD digipack, double vinyl, and digital, the double album is available to pre-order and pre-save from https://orcd.co/SteveLouwBetweenTime.
“Giants Walk The Land” (co-written and feat. Midnight Oil’s Jim Moginie) is the first single from South African roots rocker Steve Louw’s new album Between Time.
“Two great songwriters and musicians blend inspiration and craft into something mystical,” says producer Kevin Shirley(John Hiatt, the Black Crowes).
Released Friday June 7th, “Giants Walk The Land” is available on all streaming platforms HERE. Watch the official music video for “Giants Walk The Land” on YouTube HERE.
Between Time, arrives decades into a long career, stretching back to the 1990s, when Louw partnered with South African record producer Kevin Shirley while fronting Big Sky, his vehicle to acclaim in his native South Africa.
Louw broke back into the music scene rousingly with his 2021 solo album Headlight Dreams, which Shirley helped push into existence, telling Louw after a decade of silence that it was time for him to make another record. He assembled a crack band, including keyboardist Kevin McKendree (John Hiatt), drummer Greg Morrow(Billy Gibbons), bass player Alison Prestwood (Buddy Miller), guitarists Rob McNelley (Hank Williams Jr), and Doug Lancio(Bob Dylan).
Headlight Dreamsreceived solid reviews and earned him his third South African Music Award nomination. Thunder and Rain followed hot on its heels, a rich and natural album of muscular folk and insistent rock, a blend that Louw has refined throughout his career.
With Between Time, Louw explores those moments that fall outside the strict constructs of time with songs that have past, present, and future, while using imagery that’s both timeless and present. Cut live in the studio with his same band; the music has a transcendent quality, a chemistry that blends craft and inspiration into something mystical.
The stars align on three songs recorded back-to-back on the same day. The heartfelt “Killers”, where ‘Killers with numbers not names, came killing across the plains’, flows into, ‘In the Badlands, sand turned to dust, outsiders stand, steel turned to rust’, on the driving “Giants Walk The Land” (co-written with Midnight Oil’s Jim Moginie), and to a new beginning on “Time to Get On”, ‘As we face to the sun, it’s time to get on’.
Hearing the band discover the inherent passion and tenderness within the songs is part of the pleasure of Between Time. Their chemistry is evident on the low-down shuffle of “Do Me Good” and the country honk of “Alibi”. They swing hard on “Get Real Gone” and ratchet up the tension on “Flowers on The Graves of Doves”, a ringing, roiling number that conjures the mystery of early R.E.M.
You feel the band as much as you hear them, as on “Highway to the Sun”, the eight-minute exit to the 20-song collection. Louw is as much a member of the band as he is its leader. His steady, propulsive guitar playing providing as much of a connective tissue as his unguarded voice.
Collaborative energy is a crucial element of Between Time, extending to guest appearances by Joe Bonamassa, who accentuates the Blues on “Cruel Hand of Fate” with an explosive country-style solo. Added to that is Jim Moginie, whose eclectic guitar sound and creative force evoke the natural world’s power on “Giants Walk The Land”, and Hammond maestro Lachy Doley, who teases out the reassuring comfort lurking within “Streets of Rain”.
Between Time is a record filled with compassion and heart, a defining album for an artist who has consistently delivered great-sounding music over several decades.
Track Listing
CD1 Alibi (4:07) We Had It All (3:37) Beggar Tonight (4:40) Giant’s Walk The Land (4:45) Killers (4:40) StreeJanes Dream #3 (5:24) Do Me Good (4:06) Flowers From The Graves Of Doves (4:07) Don’t Leave A Heart Alone (3:22) Time To Get On (5:38)
CD2 Get Real Gone (3:33) The Way Your Heart Beats (2:05) Take Me For A Ride (3:56) Streets Of Rain (4:07) Cruel Hand Of Fate (5:19) Free To Fly (2:10) You ‘n Me Tonight (3:08) Cold Cold Rails (3:45) Ever Be Undone (4:44) Highway To The Sun (7:59)
Album Credits Produced by Kevin Shirley. Recorded and mixed at Ocean Way Studios, Nashville, TN Tracks 4,14 and 18 mixed at The Cave, Sydney. Engineered by Austin Atwood Mixed by Kevin Shirley Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering, Portland, ME.
Musicians Steve Louw: Acoustic Guitar and Vocals Doug Lancio: Electric Guitar and Mandolin Kevin McKendree: Keyboards Alison Prestwood: Bass Greg Morrow: Drums and Percussion
Additional Musicians Jim Moginie: Electric guitar, keyboards (Track 4) Joe Bonamassa: Lead Electric Guitar (Track 15) Randy Flowers: Electric Guitar (Tracks 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 19, 20) Rob McNelley: Electric Guitar (Tracks 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 13, 15, 16) Lachy Doley: Hammond Organ (Track 14)
Steve Louw – Biography Steve Louw (born 16 September 1955) is a South African musician and singer-songwriter who specialises in album rock, blues rock, country rock and Americana music. He was born in The Hague and has been active as a musician since 1981. He was inducted in the South African Rock Hall of Fame in 2003.
Louw, who was born Stephen Geoffrey Louw, learnt to play the guitar after being inspired by the music of Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, and Neil Young, and formed his first band, Atlantic Rose, while in high school in Cape Town in the late 1960s. While a student at Stellenbosch University in the 1970s he became involved in the local music scene, playing his own songs in various line-ups.
His career as a professional musician began in the early 1980s when he formed the band All Night Radio with fellow former Stellenbosch University students Nico Burger (guitar) and Rob Nagel (bass). The group recorded two albums – The Heart’s the Best Part (1984) with US producer John Rollo, and The Killing Floor (1986), on which Louw began a partnership with producer Kevin Shirley that continues to this day.
Louw then formed the band Big Sky and in 1990 released their debut album, Waiting for the Dawn, again produced by Shirley. The album arrived just as South Africa began moving away from apartheid rule and the group’s music helped soundtrack a decade of positive revolution. The title track is today considered a South African rock classic. Big Sky released another five albums over the next 15 years: Horizon (1995), Going Down with Mr Green (1997), Best of the Decade (1999), Beyond the Blue (2002) and Trancas Canyon (2008); as well as the concert DVD Heart and Soul, filmed at Cape Town’s Little Theatre in 2008.
Louw and Big Sky achieved considerable success in South Africa with sell-out tours and several major radio hits including “Kathleen”, “Mr Green”, “One Cut With A Knife”, “Strange Room” and “Diamonds and Dirt”. In 1996 the band won the FNB South African Music Award for “Best Pop Music Performance” and “Best Rock Album” for the album Horizon.
In 1998 Big Sky opened for US singer-songwriter Rodriguez on his triumphant debut tour of South Africa, with the musicians in the band also backing the US artist. The tour is chronicled in the 2012 Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man.
Louw gained an international profile after he collaborated with Brian May (Queen) and Dave Stewart (the Eurythmics) on the track “Amandla”, recorded for the 46664 Aids awareness project inspired by the work of Nelson Mandela.
In 2021 Louw returned with the album Headlight Dreams, produced by Shirley, and recorded in Nashville with crack studio musicians and featuring a guest appearance by US guitar legend Joe Bonamassa. The album has received critical acclaim and the first single, “Wind in Your Hair”, has become a popular Spotify hit.
Louw released his sophomore solo release Thunder and Rain on November 11, 2022, through BFD. The album was produced by Kevin Shirley and features Joe Bonamassa and Doug Lancio.
On September 6th, Louw will release his third solo album Between Time, produced by Kevin Shirley.
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
