When history meets fantasy, when Metal passion meets deepest love for great Classical music, the result is operatic SYMPHONIC POWER METAL at it’s best!
PHOEBUS THE KNIGHT are happy to launch a new serial of EP’s called “Phoebus The Knight CHRONICLES” that will cover side stories and lore of the universe of Phoebus The Knight !
The first of the serial will be called “The Cursed Lord” and it will be out physically and digitally on all streaming platforms on the 21st of June 2023 ! Pre-orders for the physical release are available on the band’s website !
This EP will cover the fight between the knights of Heliopolis against Gilles de Rais that has fallen into the abysses of dark magic, demonology and madness. Will the knights be able to bring peace back to the land of Rais ? Stay tuned for more !
🎨 Sir Frank Dicksee modified by Adrien Djouadou
TRACKS: 01. The Cursed Lord (06:40) 02. The Black Dungeon (05:08) 03. Surrounded By Darkness (06:37) 04. The Tears Of Rowena (06:04) 05. The Tears Of Rowena • Metal Opera Version • Bonus Track (06:04)
PHOEBUS THE KNIGHT was born in the mind of Axel de Montalembert. Passionate of music, heroic-fantasy, esoterism and history, he created the story of Phoebus and his companions, the Knights Of Heliopolis, melting together heroic-fantasy and history.
To translate his great tale into music, he needed a composer that could write for a Metal band and a full orchestra to give to the story the epic breath it needed. That’s how he met Adrien Djouadou, a classically trained opera singer active on established stages and together, they created the whole concept of PHOEBUS THE KNIGHT.
Axel would write the lyrics and naturally, sing them and Adrien would compose the whole music, play the guitar and do the backing vocals. But PHOEBUS THE KNIGHT needed musicians, so they found a great team to play with them on this journey: Noémie Allet on the bass and vocals, Adrien Guingal on the guitar and Guillaume Remih on the drums. Each member of the band would represent a character in the story of Phoebus and his companions.
Naturally, PHOEBUS THE KNIGHT became a Symphonic Metal band with a whole conceptual and visual universe. They value quality in music, production and work invested by involved parties.
PHOEBUS THE KNIGHT finds its roots in bands like Nightwish, Epica, Within Temptation, Powerwolf, Rhapsody Of Fire, Cradle Of Filth …
Since their formation in 2014, Ukrainian blackened death/doom metal visionaries 1914 have told the gruesome tales of World War I, charting this inexorable path through history with their guiding debut album, Eschatology of War (2015). After a digital re-release in April 2021 and due to high demand, the album will now appear in various exciting physical fan editions this year, including 2LP gatefold marbled crystal clear silver & black and 2LP splatter gold & black editions, out August 4, 2023 via Napalm Records.
Along with intense lyrics and a unique visual experience, 1914 takes their listener back into a cruel time of mankind, compelling them to face their own horrible past – never to be forgotten, while reflecting the present at the same time.
Watch the official video for “Frozen in Trenches (Christmas Truce)” HERE
Inspired by the madness of war, Eschatology of War faces various events from the past, such as the Battles of Gallipoli and Verdun, the gas attack at Ypres, the Brusilovsky breakthrough, the Christmas truce and the bombing of London, just to name a few. Eschatology of War starts with the genuine intro “War In”, delivering tunes of an old military march, which was played for men going to war. “Frozen in Trenches (Christmas Truce)” presents a harmonious idyll to the melody of popular Christmas carol “Silent Night”, as the blaze of gunfire breaks in shortly after, while harsh vocals attack to transport nothing but death and decay. The album’s longest song, “Ottoman Rise”, stirs up the atmosphere even more with heavy guitar lines, thunderous black metal drumming and deep screams of despair. 1914’s uncompromising achievement of combining old school death and black metal, spiced with the approach of sludge and doom, can’t be pigeonholed.
Eschatology of War tracklisting: 1. War In 2. Gasmask 3. Frozen in Trenches (Christmas Truce) 4. Verdun 5. Caught in the Crossfire 6. Zeppelin Raids 7. Ottoman Rise 8. Arditi 9. Battlefield 10. War Out 11. Gasmask (Eastern Front Remix By Solar Owl) / Bonus Track 12. Zeppelin Raids (Western front RMX by ✞ λ₴MѺÐ∆I ✞) / Bonus Track
In addition to the reissues, 1914 has released a new Ukraine support “Onto Victory” shirt. The profits of the shirts will go to the band. Due to the current situation in Ukraine and as the band is currently not allowed to leave the country, 1914 had to cancel their All Quiet On The Western Front tour that was scheduled for April/May 2023.
1914 state: “You can help us to win this war. Every sold t-shirt will be converted into a donation. Every donation will be converted into vehicles, helmets, armored plates, medicine and drones for our defenders. Let’s win this horrible war against dictatorship, fascism, tyranny and the cult of personality together!”
1914 is: 9. Westpreußisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 176, Hptm. Ditmar Kumarberg – vocals The 51st Highland Division, 1/9th Bn. 2Lt. Liam Fessen – guitar 307th Infantry Regiment, Capt. Walter Wyhovsky – guitar Le 151e Regiment d’Infanterie, Cne. Armin d’Harcourt – bass K.K. Landwehr-Infanterieregiment Lemberg Nr.19, Obltn. Rostislaw Potoplacht – drums
VANDENBERG and Mascot Records have announced the band’s new studio album will be released globally on August 25. Today, they present a lyric video of the title track “Sin,” which can be screened below.
Adrian Vandenberg shares “Sin. Just a tiny, three letter word but one with a very comprehensive meaning. Everything in between a little white lie and a murder. So, it deserves a powerful, heavy, epic song to do it justice.”
The lead reveal, “House On Fire” can be previewed here: https://youtu.be/k-pekCtZWI8. Adrian Vandenberg shares, “Like every other band or artist we were forced to ‘hold our horses’ when we found ourselves playing our part in one of those Hollywood ‘Outbreak’ style movies these past Covid years. Without having auditioned for a role. You’ll understand we were extremely eager to ‘break out of the stables’ with a loud bang, so we thought it’d be more than appropriate to ‘set the world on fire’ with this new track! House On Fire’!”
Every album paints a picture. Instead of utilizing a brush and canvas, Vandenberg paints with towering vocals, earthquaking rhythms, and the iconic and instantly recognizable fretwork of guitarist and namesake Adrian Vandenberg. Joined by vocalist Mats Levén, drummer Koen Herfst, and bassist Randy van der Elsen, the influential axe-slinger delivers a vibrant, visceral, and vital vision on the group’s fifth full-length offering, SIN, brought to life in broad strokes of anthemic hard rock and airtight metal and produced by Bob Marlette [Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie]
“For me, music is very much like a painting,” affirms Adrian. “You have your ups, downs, lights, and shades. One song might make you want to jump on the table and party your brains out. Another song will inspire you to think. Either way, you’re thrown into a landscape, which my favorite albums still do to me. You could be in your car or at home with your headphones plugged into a soundsystem, and you’re in a different world.”
Exploding out of The Netherlands and onto the global scene with 1982’s self-titled Vandenberg, the Dutch phenomenon notched an international hit in the form of “Burning Heart,” paving the way for seminal releases such as Heading For A Storm [1983] and Alibi [1985]. The band canvased the United States, Europe, and Japan alongside Ozzy Osbourne, Kiss, Rush, Scorpions, Michael Schenker, and many others. Sought out to join Whitesnake, Adrian famously ripped the legendary lead on the 1987 recording of the #1 smash “Here I Go Again,” which adorned the 8x-platinum Whitesnake and ended up touring the world’s largest arenas for a year-and-a-half when the 1987 album went through the roof in terms of sales. He co-wrote the entirety of 1989’s platinum Slip of the Tongue and spent the ensuing tour sharing axe duties with none other than Steve Vai. In addition to playing guitar on and cowriting Restless Heart from David Coverdale & Whitesnake, he performed hundreds of shows as part of the band for some twelve years. Speaking to the breadth of his output, he notably penned and recorded “A Number One” as the theme for his hometown Dutch football team FC Twente. 2013 saw him launch the acclaimed Vandenberg’s MoonKings, releasing MoonKings [2014], MK II [2017], and Rugged and Unplugged [2018].
Vandenberg as a band roared back to life with the comeback LP, 2020. Among many highlights, “Freight Train” gathered 1.6 million Spotify streams, while the record attracted praise. In its wake, Vandenberg welcomed Mats [Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Yngwie Malmsteen] to the fold.
“He’s an amazing singer,” notes Adrian. “I’d heard him online, and we got in touch. It’s funny because his mom brought the first two Vandenberg records back to Scandinavia from England when he was in his early twenties—and he was a fan. He’s a workaholic like me. We picked up after COVID and put the new album together. The spark is definitely there. On top of that, Koen and Randy lay down the most solid concrete, grooving foundation that I could ever wish for. I’d say it’s one notch heavier than 2020,” he smiles.
Recorded in Holland and Los Angeles with Marlette, SIN represents a natural evolution for Vandenberg. Scorching pinch harmonics light up the first single “House On Fire” as the groove underlines a chantable chorus from Mats. “In one way, it’s a party song, because it keeps you tapping your foot,” Adrian exclaims. “Mats added a different darker twist with his lyrics. It also envisions a person who’s frustrated about the things other people have. This person can’t control their anger and sets the place on fire.”
The complete track listing features, “Thunder And Lightning,” “House On Fire,” “Sin,” “Light It Up,” “Walking On Water,” “Burning Skies,” “Hit The Ground Running,” “Baby You’ve Changed,” and “Out Of The Shadows.” Available formats include Green LP, CD and Digital.
Released today is the second video clip from Defenders ANGUISH FORCE‘s “Novum Ordinem Vetus Emblem” album entitled “You must die tonight.” It is a straightforward and uncompromising Thrash Metal piece suitable for the band’s most uncompromising audience and Thrashers in general.
“Novum Ordinem Vetus Emblem” album was recently reissued with the new cover art.
Guitarist and singer songwriter, Ashley Sherlock is pleased to announce, “Dear Elizabeth,” the second single taken from his upcoming debut album “Just A Name.” The single, released Wednesday 17 May, is available to stream from https://orcd.co/alxvor1.
The music video for the single can be viewed below.
“Dear Elizabeth is probably one of our favourite songs off the record,” says Ashley. “It’s a song about realising your mistakes when sometimes it’s too late.”
All roads lead to Manchester. Northern Britain’s cultural powerhouse spits out a great band every ten years. Get ready for Ashley Sherlock’s highly anticipated debut album “Just A Name” released by Ruf Records on Friday 16 June.
On the move, on the make, armed with a beat-up Stelfox electric guitar, a hot knife of a voice and a pocketful of hooks, the acclaimed Mancunian singer-songwriter, and his telepathic blues-rock power trio, have already packed-out iconic venues and pricked up influential ears.
“The band started about four years ago,” reflects Ashley. “That’s when I found the dynamic rhythm section of Charlie Rachael Kay on bass and Danny Rigg on drums.”
Continues Ashley, “I’d just come home from a trip to Nashville and was booked to play an event. I was persuaded by the promoter to get a band together for that one show – and they just stuck around! Now, we’re one hundred per cent a family. I love those guys to bits.”
Ashley is no stranger to the UK live circuit. In the past 12 months’ he’s supported the likes of Kris Barras Band, The Quireboys and Laurence Jones.
Ashley has released two acclaimed EPs with 2019’s self-titled “Ashley Sherlock,” followed by 2021’s “If You’re Listening.” In 2022, he was nominated for UK Blues Federation’s Young Blues Artist of the Year. He’s even had airplay on the New Rock Show on Planet Rock, and beyond.
Louder Than War praised Sherlock by saying, “Ashley’s music will put a big stupid grin on your face,” while Get Ready to Rock professed, “his music will leave you wanting more.”
Now signed to Ruf Records, Ashley’s debut album “Just A Name,” hopes that you won’t forget his. “The writing and sense of melody has grown on this record and it’s an honest representation of our live sound,” says Ashley.
“A lot of these songs are about love gained and lost, personal growth, observations of times in my life,” says Ashley.
Plush studios aren’t their style. Instead, Ashely and his bandmates beat a path to Manchester’s Hallam Mill to record the new album in the dead of winter where they rubbed sparks off each other. “The whole recording process was a real learning experience,” says Ashley.
“We spent four solid days in December in the attic of this old English cotton mill, recording this album mostly live for ten hours a day. It was freezing and we’d huddle around a small heater for warmth between takes. We had a real blast, though, and it brought us all closer, while helping us gain a mutual understanding of the song’s context and how to deliver it best to the listener.”
Blues might be a centuries-old genre, but it doesn’t have to run on autopilot. As you’d hope from a modern songwriter whose influences include Guns N’ Roses, The Cadillac Three, Dire Straits, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jeff Buckley, the songs on “Just A Name” twist and turn with a salute to soul, pop, hard rock and more.
Never taking the easy option of a twelve-bar trudge, every song on the new album makes its own distinct mark. It’s hard to choose your favourite.
Opening track “Trouble” is a sweet and sour rocker, announcing both Ashley’s gravity-defying falsetto and a guitar touch that builds storm cloud riffs towards a fret flaying solo. The raw jangle of “Realise” is edgy and urgent, while “Goodbye To You” embodies stabbed chords and sudden silences invite plenty of drama.
When Ashley slows things down, the music’s just as powerful. He demonstrates this on “I Think She Knows” which is rueful and reflective.
“Our Love” is delicate as angel hair, worthy of comparison to Jeff Buckley’s “Grace.” Rolling with a rhythm that feels like a Wild West covered wagon, “Time” isn’t quite like anything else on the radio. “Empty Street” starts as an intimate moment, the singer-songwriter singing in our ear, before building to a soaring chorus that could rock the mainstream.
“I wrote that song during lockdown at 5am, in my bathroom, of all places,” laughs Ashley. “The acoustics were good! “Empty Street” talks about a conversation with yourself about the good and bad side of a personality and understanding that sometimes in life, it is what it is.”
Opening with a Jeff Beck-worthy shiver of electric guitar, “Dear Elizabeth” is a plea to a lost friend, described by Ashley as “effectively a letter to someone I knew”, and topped with an epic solo.
“Last Call” aches with the embers of a relationship that can’t be salvaged. “That’s about how sometimes, no matter how hard anyone tries, it’s just not meant to be,” says Ashley. “The ‘last call’ is a common phrase in bar and venue slang, meaning time’s up. It’s a metaphor for the failing relationship and it’s time to start anew.”
Ashley Sherlock – remember that name when “Just A Name” is released on June 16th. Today, Manchester, tomorrow the world.
Album Track Listing
1. Trouble (4:47) 2. I Think She Knows (3:45) 3. Realise (2:24) 4. Empty Street (3:10) 5. Time (5:02) 6. Our Love (3:01) 7. Goodbye To You (3:30) 8. Dear Elizabeth (3:53) 9. Something’s Got To Give (2:48) 10. Last Call (3:29) 11. What If I Said To You (2:57) 12. Backstage Wall (3:33)
Production Credits
Ashley Sherlock – Guitars, Lead Vocals Charlie Rachael Kay – Bass, Backing Vocals Danny Rigg – Drums, Backing Vocals
All songs written by Ashley Sherlock, Danny Rigg and Charlie Rachael Kay Produced by Ashley Sherlock, Danny Rigg and Charlie Rachael Kay Engineered by Danny Rigg Mixed by Ashley Sherlock, Danny Rigg and Charlie Rachael Kay Mastered by Pauler Acoustics Executive producer Thomas Ruf Album photography by Charlotte Wellings Album Artwork by Kate Moss
Ashley Sherlock – Biography
Ashley Sherlock Band is a gritty blues rock trio from Manchester, combining catchy vocal melodies and a dynamic rhythm section to create their signature sound. Nominated for Young Blues Artist of the Year, their material presents a modern outlook on the sounds of the deep south with a fantastic vocal range and song writing style.
Having supported international artists such as Kris Barras Band, The Quireboys and Laurence Jones; Ashley Sherlock Band have been featured on Planet Rock as well as other popular radio stations and has performed at numerous festivals appealing to multiple genres.
After two critically acclaimed EP releases, Ashley Sherlock has caught the attention of the internationally recognised Ruf Records and after signing with the label in late 2022 there is eager anticipation for the release of their debut album in June 2023.
Ashley Sherlock will be taking their music to European audiences while featuring on The Blues Caravan Tour as well as headlining tour dates and UK festival bookings throughout 2023.
JOHN MELLENCAMP is gearing up to release his much-anticipated album Orpheus Descending. Today, he shares another taste from the LP with new song “The Eyes Of Portland”—listen/share HERE and watch/share the official lyric video HERE.
Orpheus Descending will now be released June 16 via Republic Records. Pre-order the album HERE.
“The Eyes Of Portland” follows “Hey God.” Listen/share HERE, watch/share the official lyric video HERE.
Orpheus Descending, produced by Mellencamp and recorded at his own Belmont Mall Studio, marks Mellencamp’s twenty fifth studio album. One of his most personal records to date, standout tracks “Hey God” and “The Eyes of Portland” focus on social issues Mellencamp continues to passionately advocate for.
Mellencamp is currently in the midst of his massive Live and In Person 2023 North American tour, with dates running through June 27. The tour has been getting rave reviews, with LA Weekly praising “Mellencamp strode out looking for all the world like a Brando or a Paul Newman or a James Dean—a Misfit who managed to find his place in the world through his music,” while the Dallas Observer describes that the show “made it clear Mellencamp is a true music legend, and from the sound of it, one that will continue to be making music for a long time to come.” A complete list of remaining dates is below, tickets are available for purchase HERE.
He’s currently performing songs from the new LP during his live set. The Chicago Tribune says “Awash in death, ‘Hey God’ functioned as a plea for deliverance from senseless gun violence. Preceded by a story about his encounter with a 20-something homeless woman, the solo acoustic ‘The Eyes of Portland’ took aim at the empty “thoughts and prayers” condolences offered as a solution to major tragedies and dilemmas.”
His critically acclaimed studio LP, Strictly A One-Eyed Jack, was released early last year to praise from The New York Times, NPR Music, Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and more.
Mellencamp also recently released a deluxe edition reissue of his beloved seminal album, Scarecrow, which features a massive collection of bonus tracks, rarities and more never previously shared before. Listen HERE.
Mellencamp is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a recipient of the John Steinbeck Award, ASCAP Foundation’s Champion Award, The Woody Guthrie Award and Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award and more recently, the Founders Award, the top honor assigned by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Mellencamp has continued to focus on another facet of his artistic expression: painting. Last year, he released a self-curated book of his work, John Mellencamp: Paintings and Assemblages, which is out now on Rizzoli New York.
TRACK LIST ORPHEUS DESCENDING 1. Hey God 2. The Eyes Of Portland 3. Land Of The So Called Free 4. The Kindness Of Lovers 5. Amen 6. Orpheus Descending 7. Understated Reverence 8. One More Trick 9. Lightning And Luck 10. Perfect World 11. Backbone
TOUR DATES, remaining shows
May 17—Palace Theatre—Columbus, OH May 19—Peace Center—Greenville, SC May 20—DPAC—Durham, NC May 22—Benedum Center—Pittsburgh, PA May 23—Benedum Center—Pittsburgh, PA May 25—Playhouse Square—Cleveland, OH May 26—Playhouse Square—Cleveland, OH June 2—The Lyric—Baltimore, MD June 3—Kimmel Cultural Center—Philadelphia, PA June 5—Beacon Theatre—New York, NY June 6—Beacon Theatre—New York, NY June 7—Beacon Theatre—New York, NY June 9—Beacon Theatre—New York, NY June 10—Boch Center-Wang Theatre—Boston, MA June 11—Providence Performing Arts Center—Providence, RI June 13—Palace Theatre—Albany, NY June 14—Landmark Theatre—Syracuse, NY June 16—Shea’s Performing Arts Center—Buffalo, NY June 17—Masonic Temple Theatre—Detroit, MI June 19—Massey Hall—Toronto, ON June 21—Devos Performance Hall—Grand Rapids, MI June 23—Morris Performing Arts Center—South Bend, IN June 24—Morris Performing Arts Center—South Bend, IN June 26—The Riverside Theater—Milwaukee, WI June 27—The Riverside Theater—Milwaukee, WI
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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
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