ARJEN LUCASSEN’s SUPERSONIC REVOLUTION Release Video for New Track ‘Rise Of The Starman’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on March 23, 2023
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Photo credit: Lori Linstruth

ARJEN LUCASSEN’s SUPERSONIC REVOLUTION will release their spectacular debut album “Golden Age of Music” on 19 May via Music Theories Recording/Mascot Label Group.

Today the band has revealed a video for a new track ‘Rise Of The Starman’ taken from the album.

Arjen Lucassen on “Rise Of The Starman”:
 
“My guess is that a lot of people will think this lyric is about David Bowie. But they would only be partly right… it is actually about his fictional character Ziggy Stardust. Ziggy was an alien character that Bowie created back in the early 70s with his album ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars’. I have to admit that I never really understood the deeper meaning behind this concept album, but I did my best to give it my own spin here! Alien creatures land on Earth with a mission to set the children free. The aliens only have 5 years to do this, but they fail hopelessly. Ziggy dies on stage. But… Bowie lived on, and how!”

Watch the video for “Rise Of The Starman” here:

You think you know Arjen Lucassen? Towering Dutch prog rock polymath? The man behind the super successful prog rock conceptualists Ayreon? Not to mention his prog metal of Star One and Guilt Machine? Enormous overarching concept albums about space and time, packed to the hilt with special guests that read like a who’s who of modern day progressive rock? Arjen Lucassen? Well, think again…
 
Supersonic Revolution, the band behind ‘Golden Age Of Music’, are simply five men: Arjen on bass, long-standing keyboard player Joost van den Broek, guitarist Timo Somers, drummer Koen Herfst and singer Jaycee. Five men rocking out and having one hell of a time doing it.
 
The whole project grew from a request to provide a track for a cover CD for the German music magazine Eclipsed. “They asked if I had any cover versions lying around,” he recalls. “I said, ‘No but I’ll happily record one for you.’ So, they gave me a list of bands and I saw a ZZ Top song ‘I Heard It On The X’ that I really like. I said I could record it for them, but then they told me it had to be ready in one week…”
 
“I was like ‘Oh my god!’. I contacted my favourite musicians in Holland via WhatsApp and literally within 30 minutes I had assembled five people. A band basically. From there the seed was sown in Lucassen’s mind. ‘I want to form a band. And I want to simply have fun!’.

“I’m a perfectionist as you know, so I’m always sending musicians their parts back and asking them to change stuff,” he acknowledges. “But this was all brilliant. We were having fun, calling and WhatsApping all the time, and within a week we had a complete product.” He continues, “Also I wanted to have an up-beat, positive project.”
 
“I was like, let’s form a band and let’s write songs in the style of the 70s, and have the lyrics be a celebration of all the memorable things from that time, because those were my formative years,” he enthuses. “But I didn’t want it to sound like the 70s because that’s already been done, and I can’t do it any better than ‘Stargazer’ or ‘Kashmir’.”
 
“The guys are all younger than me – around 30 – so they weren’t even alive yet in the 70s. So, it was a great way for me to make 70s music with lots of Hammond and blistering guitars, but to update it to this time.”
 
The end result is 11 tracks of high energy, progressively inclined heavy rock that swings with the kind of groove Deep Purple rocked with in the early to mid-1970s. “This album is not a typical prog album. It’s not Yes or Genesis. But it’s not a metal album either. There’s a track called ‘Burn it Down’,” Lucassen notes, “it’s totally based on ‘Smoke On The Water’ but written from the perspective of the ‘stupid with a flare gun’ mentioned in the original lyrics.
 
The album also features covers of some legendary songs given the Arjen Lucassen treatment as bonus tracks: T-Rex’s ‘Children of the Revolution,’ ZZ Top’s ‘Heard It On The X,’ Earth Wind and Fire’s ‘Fantasy’ and Roger Glover’s ‘Love Is All.’
 
That, ladies and gentlemen, is the real Arjen Lucassen. Job done. Having fun.

Track list
01 SR Prelude
02 The Glamattack
03 Golden Age Of Music
04 The Rise Of The Starman
05 Burn It Down
06 Odyssey
07 They Took Us By Storm
08 Golden Boy
09 Holy Holy Ground
10 Fight Of The Century
11 Came To Mock, Stayed To Rock
12 Children Of The Revolution (Bonus Track)
13 Heard It On The X (Bonus Track)
14 Fantasy (Bonus Track)
15 Love Is All (Bonus Track)

Arjen Lucassen’s Supersonic Revolution Online
facebook.com/ArjenLucassenOfficial – twitter.com/arjenlucassen – youtube.com/user/ArjenALucassen – instagram.com/ayreon_official

MAHOGANY RUSH’s Frank Marino to Launch Guitar Pedal Line & Says Health Getting Slightly Better

Posted by tarjavirmakari on March 23, 2023
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Iconic Guitarist Frank Marino of Mahogany Rush was interviewed on Canada’s The Metal Voice on March 22, 2023 where he gave a quick health update, talked about his upcoming line of guitar pedals and spoke about the legacy of his music. Watch the video interview below.

When asked about his current health situation and his new line of guitar  pedals
“I’m hanging in there, just waiting for things to get better. The only thing I stopped was touring. it’s hard to play sometimes, that’s true but I haven’t stopped that. Coming back is a weird word , I was gone from touring and I’m still gone from touring, at this point. But I’m still thinking of music, I’m still who I am it’s just the illness makes it really hard for me to particularly to tour. If (the illness) subsides and it has been subsiding slowly and maybe we can think about doing something (touring). But in the meantime I wanted to stay somewhat connected and I figured the best way was, I thought about my pedals and I thought about how over the years some many people had asked me how do you get that sound and I would tell them I built my own stuff. So I started thinking maybe I should take these designs and rebrand them. rebuilt them and let people have a chance to use them. I’m actually going to put out a line of guitar pedals, my own. Cause I build them. Their each going to have a name. There are three different pedals that I’m using. They will be named after my songs. I am doing them all myself , handcrafted, I did not team up with a company. I have one helper a kid name Ryan. I am putting them together myself and I am going to sign them. They are very boutique. The designs are all my own. Very pro. The thing that I am waiting for trademark on the names, so I can’t actually put them on the web yet, we should ready in the next two or three weeks.”

In June 30 2021, Frank Marino announced his retirement from touring after developing an “unexpected and debilitating” medical condition.
he posted

“With sorrow I am forced to announce my immediate retirement from touring, and possibly all things related to continuing my career, due to an unexpected and debilitating medical condition which makes it impossible for me to tour.

“I want to thank all the people who supported me all of the last half-century.

“I know that many were looking forward to seeing us play this fall and I was looking forward to getting out again and doing more shows, but it now appears that in the absence of a miraculous recovery, my Concert DVD (Live at the Agora) will constitute the last show I will ever have played.

“I ask any that are believers to include me in their prayers.”

ATREYU Release ‘Watch Me Burn’ Single + Video, Announce “The Hope of a Spark” EP, Out April 14th

Posted by tarjavirmakari on March 23, 2023
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ATREYU have released “Watch Me Burn” single alongside the video and announces the new EP,  The Hope Of A Spark, due April 14.

The single, “Watch Me Burn” is the EP’s phoenix rising from life’s trial-by-fire, a call to arms to let renewed hope emerge from smoldering embers and ash. “To me, it’s a song about being cleansed by fire,” said bassist Marc ‘Porter’ McKnight. “Whatever it is that’s bringing you down and holding you back, burn it down. Use it, learn from it, move on, and grow. That thing does not deserve you and you don’t deserve it.”

“It’s very relatable to all of us individually, but it’s also incredibly pertinent to the journey of this band,” adds frontman Brandon Saller, who leads the track’s anthemic, hooky chorus with a defiant cry of: Even when flames grow higher/I’ll be fighting till I’m dead.

WATCH ON YOUTUBE + STREAM ON DSPs

The 4 track EP embodies everything that ATREYU has come to be, to mean, to represent, marking the beginning of the next chapter in the band’s story, with assorted pieces of an expansive puzzle still taking shape, form, and focus.

Produced by long-time collaborator John Feldmann, the new music explores reflection and rumination on the pressures, pleasures, and pains of modern life with each track representing a snapshot of deeply personal lived and shared experiences.

“The overarching concept is essentially about the seasons of life,” Saller explains. “Everyone goes through the same things, the ups, and downs of life. The emphasis really is the importance of at least respecting those, and finding the positives and the lessons from even your lowest moments.”

The already released single and opening track, “Drowning,” was written as a collective effort from each band member who poured their own experiences, be it familial health problems that guitarist Dan Jacobs was shouldering to Saller’s first encounters with feelings of anxiety, or McKnight’s long-running fight with depression. The second track, “God Devil,” laments a loss of identity, self, and faith, a desperate cry for help from a higher power, when our greatest power is one we need to find within, following, “Capital F,” which was inspired by Saller’s observations of the human plight he saw in his local community.

“We draw strength from each other and give each other the space and support to be the best, most creative person we can be,” Jacobs explains. “And together, right now, that makes us the best band we’ve ever been.”

Atreyu will kick off The Hope of a Spark headlining tour on April 27 in Sacramento at Ace of Spades with a one-off date supporting Kayzo on May 6 in Los Angeles and concluding on May 21 in Denver at the Gothic Theatre. All dates are with special guests Point North, Within Destruction, and LYLVC, unless otherwise noted. Tickets are available for purchase here.

U.S. Tour Dates:

04/27/23 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
04/28/23 – Reno, NV @ Virginia Street Brewhouse
04/29/23 – Bend, OR @ Midtown Ballroom
04/30/23 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox
05/02/23 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
05/03/23 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
05/05/23 – Phoenix, AZ @ Van Buren
05/06/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Kia Forum *
05/07/23 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
05/08/23 – Tucson, AZ @ Encore
05/10/23 – San Antonio, TX @ Vibes Event Center
05/11/23 – Corpus Christi, TX @ Brewster Street Ice House
05/12/23 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
05/13/23 – Dallas, TX @ The Echo Lounge & Music Hall
05/15/23 – Joliet, IL @ The Forge
05/16/23 – Belvedere, IL @ The Apollo
05/18/23 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
05/19/23 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater
05/20/23 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Sunshine Studios Live **
05/21/23 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre **

*supporting Kayzo
**without Point North

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE Announce U.S. Dates + Festival Appearances

Posted by tarjavirmakari on March 23, 2023
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BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE will return to U.S. stages for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a welcome return to American venues!

The band will also make appearances at key spring festivals, including Sonic Temple and Welcome to Rockville. From Ashes to New will appear on select dates.

“We’re excited to announce that we will finally be making our way back over the the USA this May for some festival and headline show performances,” the band exclaims. “It has been far too long but we’re stoked to be coming back. See you in the pit!”

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE ON TOUR:
WITH FROM ASHES TO NEW:

5/18 — Daytona Beach, FL — Welcome to Rockville*
5/19 — Charlotte, NC — The Fillmore Charlotte**
5/21 — Raleigh, NC — The Ritz
5/22 — Baltimore, MD — Rams Head Live
5/24 — Milwaukee, WI — Eagles Ballroom**
5/25 — Columbus, OH — Sonic Temple Festival*
5/28 — Detroit, MI — The Fillmore Detroit
*Festival Date
**No From Ashes to New

BMFV’s self-titled album — their seventh — is out now.

SAINT ASONIA Share ‘Devastate’ Video, Currently on Tour with SKILLET + THEORY OF A DEADMAN

Posted by tarjavirmakari on March 23, 2023
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Hard rock juggernaut SAINT ASONIA have released the music video for their single “Devastate.” Watch the video below.

The song is featured on the band’s new album, Introvert/Extrovert, which was released last December. The full-length also features previous singles “Above It All” and “Blinding Lights.”

Commenting on the new video, lead singer Adam Gontier shares, “We’re excited to share the new official video for ‘Devastate!’ Once again working with director Justin Reich, we had a blast doing this one. Hope you all enjoy it! 🤘🏻”

Talking about the meaning behind the track, Gontier adds, “It’s a song I wrote about those people in our lives that always seem to leave a trail of destruction behind them. I feel like we’ve all got, or had, someone in our lives that was just evil. Not caring about anything but themselves, and turning everything they touch into darkness. ‘Devastate’ is about that.”

SAINT ASONIA, comprised of heavy hitters Gontier (former Three Days Grace front man) and Mike Mushok (Staind guitarist/founding member), have been making plenty of noise of late! In addition to the stellar release of Introvert/Extrovert, the band is currently on tour in the US supporting Theory of a Deadman and Skillet.

Following the U.S. trek, Saint Asonia will play a series of headline shows in Canada, along with a support gig in the band’s hometown with Theory of a Deadman. In anticipation of these dates, Gontier says, “We are really stoked to be coming back home to Canada for a few shows! We’re working up a killer set for the headline shows, and supporting Theory in our hometown of Peterborough is going to be awesome! Let’d goooo CA!!!”

SAINT ASONIA ON TOUR:
WITH SKILLET + THEORY OF A DEADMAN:

3/17 — Kansas City, MO — Midland Theatre
3/18 — Omaha, NE — Baxter Arena
3/19 — Denver, CO — Mission Ballroom
3/22 — Phoenix, AZ — First Arizona Federal
3/24 — Reno, NV — Grand Sierra Resort
3/25 — Wheatland, CA — Hard Rock Live
3/26 — Los Angeles, CA — Wiltern

CANADA HEADLINE DATES:

4/26 — Waterloo, ON — Maxwell’s Concerts & Events
4/27 — London, ON — Rum Runners Music Hall
4/28 — Peterborough, ON — Peterborough Memorial Centre*
4/29 — Ottawa, ON — Club SAW (SOLD OUT)
5/11 — Toronto, ON — Lee’s Palace
5/12 — Ottawa, ON — Brass Monkey
5/13 — Montreal, QC — Le Studio TD
5/14 — Quebec City, QC — Imperial Bell

*Supporting Theory of a Deadman

SEA OF FLAME Release New Single ‘Loper’, New EP ‘Bristlecone’ Out on April 7th

Posted by tarjavirmakari on March 23, 2023
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Bristlecone is the first EP release on Iron Head Records for Denver’s riff rock band, SEA OF FLAME. The five track EP showcases hooky, groovy guitar work coupled with complex, ever moving rhythms. Lyrically, the EP reflects on the isolation of the modern world and the power of breaking that isolation by banding together to accomplish more than can be done as individuals.

Stream and buy ‘Loper’ single at https://orcd.co/sea-of-flame-loper
 
“We chose Bristlecone to be the title of the EP very intentionally. Those trees live thousands of years. Over that time they twist and turn into something gnarled but beautiful and tenacious. In a lot of ways that is emblematic of the journey of this band,” says bassist Ben.

BRISTLECONE tracklisting:
1. Pins and Needles
2. Loper
3. Lorena Hobbit
4. Rat Feast
5. Bristlecone 

Pre-order/add/save Bristlecone HERE

ABOUT SEA OF FLAME
Sea of Flame is a slow burn that grows to an inferno. Over ten years of honing their craft in Denver’s underground rock and metal scene, the quartet of Ben, Heavy, Jim, and Miles have a reputation for powerful shows that bring the heat.
“It’s always about playing live,” co-founder and drummer Jim Cook says. “We didn’t start this to be a studio band. We want to go up on stage and give the audience something they haven’t seen.”
Formed in 2012 by Jim and Heavy, Sea of Flame has evolved over the years. Sometimes they were a three piece, sometimes a four piece band. For a year they were an instrumental outfit. With the additions of Ben on bass and Miles on vocals and guitar, the band stepped up to the next level. Along the way, two EPs were produced – their self-titled debut and 2018’s Ballast.
“We needed time to shape our sound,” Heavy says. “We are at a point here, ten years into the band, where we have really found what makes Sea of Flame different from other bands. It’s a special combo of what each of us brings to the table.”
“We strive to have lyrics and vocal melodies that bring everyone in.  A lot of heavy bands express only one emotion.  That can be cool, but we want to do more,” reflects Miles.
With the release of Bristlecone, Sea of Flame has joined forces with Iron Head Records and Golden Robot Records. This partnership allows the band to move beyond the limit of what they can do alone.
After ten years, Sea of Flame is stronger than ever and looking to burn.