Mexican metal rockers AGORA have announced the upcoming release of their latest single ‘Empire‘ via Golden Robot Records. This enticing and hard hitting track is the first for the band under the powerhouse label and comes in the wake of a tour announcement with Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard.
‘Empire‘ is a track intended to empower the listener with a sense of going forward. It is both epic and powerful – the vocal melodies embrace the guitar riffs, thunderous drums beat with pounding bass and hymn like keyboards, somehow finding the perfect balance throughout.
Agora have also announced that they will be joining Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard for two shows on the Mexican leg of their world tour. Taking the stage with the iconic rockers at Foro Sol in Mexico City on February 18th 2023 and Estadio Banorte in Monterrey on February 21st 2023, this is not one to miss.
When a band starts with a double CD on their debut album, they definitely have big plans for the future! And that’s exactly what THE REVENANTS are doing:
Their first album “Ghosts” will be released on April 21, 2023 as a DOUBLE CD DIGIPACK with 20 brand new songs. If the voice sounds familiar, you will quickly realize that Michelle Darkness (End Of Green) is part of this new band.
The title track was already released digitally and via video a few days ago: OFFICIAL VIDEO : “Ghosts”
Spring 2018. No big intro, no fanfare and no sensational announcment.
The two longtime soulbrothers, italian-rooted guitar wizard Fabiano Arganese and Marc Ayerle, guitarist, producer and live sound engineer for decades, started to jam around in Marcs own klangmanufaktur studios. There was no plan, no concept, nor any rules or genre typical limitations. The guiding light was the music itself, the song was taking control over the path which shall be followed. After the first weekend session, four songs were written and completely recorded. A great glimpse of delight, which led to further deliberations. So Marc decided to ask one of his best and nearest friends, Michelle Darkness, well-known voice of Southern German Gloomsters “End of Green” (Marc is doing their live sound engineering for nearly 20 years now), to try some vocals on those. It was a perfect match. The Songs began to breath and it all started to gain contour. The rest seemed really to be predictable. The songwriting and production went like a breeze. 20 songs were finished and … The Revenants was born!
Tracklist: Disc I: 01 Ghosts 02 Into The Fire 03 Emeraldmine 04 Redemption 05 Leeches & Whores 06 If We Dance 07 Karma Kills 08 Who Knows 09 Disclosures 10 The End Is Black
Disc II: 01 Los Angeles 02 Ain’t No Wine 03 Me And The Sea 04 Mountain 05 Freestreet 06 Roofless 07 Good Men Gone Bad 08 Slippin’ Away 09 Vendetta 10 Worlds Collide
Pittsburgh punk rock iconoclasts ANTI-FLAG will be plenty busy in 2023. The band just kicked off their winter North American touring campaign alongside the legendary Flogging Molly, and today they are dropping a new music video for the song “SHALLOW GRAVES”.
Another heart-wrenching salvo off their new full-length, ‘Lies They Tell Our Children’, the track features guest vocals from burgeoning folk singer/songwriter Tré Burt, and touches on the ugly and inhumane passages of the American story.
The band shares:
“We were really adamant about creating a visual accompaniment for this song. To us, ‘Shallow Graves’ is a perfect encapsulation of the intention and concept of the new album. The evil and vile history of the United States of America, when traced back, creates a clear lineage of how its violent history begets its violent present begets its violent future.
“Drawing the parallels between the slaughtering of native peoples allowing for massive land grabs that lead to the thirst for the enslavement of Africans and the expansion of the slave trade. Moving further west to exploit Chinese migrant workers, Mexican males, and the creation of immoral border and immigration laws that are the framework for the mistreatment of immigrant and refugee communities today. Not to mention its ties to the modern NRA architect Harlon Carter, it’s just a breeding ground of evil.”
On the “Shallow Graves” video, they add: “INDECLINE and Pedro Millás were able to demonstrate and tell this story in a more beautiful and cinematic way than we could have ever hoped. We are grateful for their talent and vision. It’s a bit of a futile task for a 2min long punk song to attempt to summarize the fact that the ground beneath your feet, currently, no matter where you are, is rife with injustice and blood.”
‘LIES THEY TELL OUR CHILDREN’ TRACK LIST: “SOLD EVERYTHING” “MODERN META MEDICINE” (Feat. Jesse Leach of Killswitch Engage) “LAUGH. CRY. SMILE. DIE.” (Feat. Shane Told of Silverstein) “THE FIGHT OF OUR LIVES” (Feat. Tim McIlrath of Rise Against + Brian Baker of Bad Religion) “IMPERIALISM” (Feat. Ashrita Kumar of Pinkshift) “VICTORY OR DEATH (WE GAVE ‘EM HELL)” (Feat. Campino of Die Toten Hosen) “THE HAZARDOUS” “SHALLOW GRAVES” (Feat. Tré Burt) “WORK & STRUGGLE” “NVREVR” (Feat. Stacey Dee of Bad Cop/Bad Cop) “ONLY IN MY HEAD”
ANTI-FLAG – 2023 Tour Dates, remaining shows With FLOGGING MOLLY & SKINNY LISTER
2/5 – Columbia, SC @ The Senate 2/7 – Knoxville, TN @ The Mill & Mine 2/8 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium 2/10 – Chattanooga, TN @ The Signal 2/11 – Louisville, KY @ Old Forester’s Paristown Hall 2/14 – Norfolk, VA – The NorVa 2/15 – Richmond, VA @ The National 2/17 – Rochester, NY @ Main Street Armory 2/18 – Montclair, NJ @ The Wellmont Theater 2/19 – Hanover, MD @ The Hall at Live! Casino & Hotel 2/21 – Charleston, SC @ Charleston Music Hall 2/22 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel 2/24 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Sound Waves at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 2/25 – Bethlehem, PA @ Wind Creek Event Center 2/26 – Huntington, NY @ The Paramount 2/28 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium 3/1 – Syracuse, NY @ Landmark Theatre 3/3 – Madison, WI @ The Sylvee 3/4 – Grand Rapids, MI @ 20 Monroe Live 3/5 – Ft. Wayne, IN @ The Clyde Theatre 3/7 – Fayetteville, AR @ JJ’s Live 3/8 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom 3/10 – Kansas City, MO @ Harrah’s Voodoo Lounge 3/11 – Omaha, NE @ The Admiral 3/12 – Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater 3/14 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre 3/16 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – Chelsea Theatre 3/17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium 3/18 – Riverside, CA @ Riverside Municipal Auditorium 3/19 – Reno, NV @ Grand Sierra Resort
With BOUNCING SOULS
4/7 – Minneapolis, MN @The Varsity Theater 4/10 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s 4/13 – Cleveland, OH @ The Grog Shop 4/14 – Cleveland, OH @ The Grog Shop 4/15 – Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix Concert Theatre
MAY US FESTIVALS
5/21 – Daytona, FL – Welcome to Rockville Festival @ Daytona International Speedway 5/25 – Columbus, OH – Sonic Temple Festival @
2023 EUROPEAN FESTIVALS
June 2 – Rimini, Italy – Slam Dunk Italy June 3-4 – Linz, AT – SBÄM Fest June 8 – Hradec Kralove, CZ – Rock for People Festival June 8-10 – Interlaken, CH – Greenfield Festival June 16 – Scheessel, DE – Hurricane Festival June 17 – Neuhausen ob Eck, DE – Southside Festival June 15-18 announced – Dessel, BE – Graspop June 24 – Münster, DE – Vainstream Rockfest
With BOUNCING SOULS
10/12 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park 10/15 – San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom 10/17 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall 10/18 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile 10/19 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw 10/21 – Edmonton, AB @ Union Hall 10/22 – Calgary, AB @ Palace Theater 12/9 – Charlotte, NC @ The Underground
Los Angeles-born heavy metal icons ALCATRAZZ unleash the ferocious new single, ‘Don’t Get Mad…Get Even (feat. Girlschool)’, taken from the upcoming album, Take No Prisoners, set for release via Silver Lining Music on May 19th, 2023.
The track sees Alcatrazz collaborating with the legendary Girlschool in a full-force, head-banging fist-pumper. “’Don’t Get Mad…Get Even’ is a very Thin Lizzy, AC/DC-ish type of tune” says Jimmy Waldo, Alcatrazz’s keyboardist and founding member, “to make it even better we have our friends Girlschool joining us on the chorus, we recorded this during our last European tour when both bands were together, it turned out fantastic!”
“On a day off during the tour, in a hotel room in France, we were suddenly asked to jump in and sing the chorus on a new Alcatrazz song” adds Girlschool’s drummer Denise Dufort, “Jimmy Waldo had his mobile recording gear on the road, we all got round the microphone, we had fun doing this one, and it’s a really good song, a great hard rock song!”
The video for ‘Don’t Get Mad…Get Even (feat. Girlschool)’ can be watched at this location. (video by Natalia Jonderko Śmiechowicz).
Take No Prisoners Track List:
1. Little Viper
2. Don’t Get Mad…Get Even (feat. Girlschool)
3. Battlelines
4. Strangers
5. Gates of Destiny
6. Alcatrazz
7. Holy Roller (Love’s Temple)
8. Power in Numbers
9. Salute the Colours
10. Bring on the Rawk
Take No Prisoners will be released on CD Digipak, 12” Black Vinyl, Digital Download, Streaming and special D2C bundles. Available to pre-order from February 3rd, 2023: at this location.
Alcatrazz are determined to make up for lost time, roaring forwards at warp factor 10 to deliver Take No Prisoners, their sixth studio album and the third in three years. Comprising of ten cracking, charismatic tracks, with each containing the unique fusion of classic American rock with the full grain hard-rocking attitude of British metal, Take No Prisoners sees Alcatrazz energetically soaring and exploring melodic progression with road-warrior riffs. ‘Little Viper’ rides a scything guitar into a thunderous, Dio-like assault, whilst the band also show their calmer, more expansive side with the epic ‘Strangers’, but when an album finishes at the burn point of ‘Bring On The Rawk’, there can be no question that Alcatrazz’s collective boot is repeatedly kicking serious ass!!!
of Doogie White (vocals), Joe Stump (guitars), Jimmy Waldo (keyboards), Gary Shea (bass) and Larry Paterson (drums), and with Giles Lavery and Waldo producing, Take No Prisoners is a loudly, and proudly classic rock album which draws on the Alcatrazz traditions of technically excellent screaming guitars, thunderous rhythm and the sort of vocals and overall aura that evoke prime Dio and Rainbow. And, of course, a primed and fully-tuned up Alcatrazz, whose career is fast taking on Benjamin Button proportions. The Take No Prisoners tour should be a lot of fun!
On the 40th anniversary of their formation, Alcatrazz will team up with Girlschool for a co-headline UK tour in February 2023. Both bands will bring their electrifying and foot-stomping performances to eight cities across the UK. Kicking off in Buckley and ending in the iconic London venue Underworld, this tour is a must for all metalheads. For tickets to the UK dates please visit: www.alcatrazzofficial.com
ALCATRAZZ + GIRLSCHOOL Co-Headliner UK Dates 2023, remaining shows:
05 Feb – Bannermans, Edinburgh (UK) 07 Feb – Nightrain, Bradford (UK) 08 Feb – Trillians, Newcastle (UK) 09 Feb – Eleven, Stoke (UK) 10 Feb – The Robin 2, Wolverhampton (UK) 11 Feb – Camden Underworld, London (UK)* *rescheduled 2022 show original tickets still valid
Norwegian rock legends RICOCHETS make a highly-anticipated comeback with a brand-new album “Closer to the Light” – the first album in seventeen years – now out.
Fans can expect an album that showcases the band’s signature raw and edgy sound, while also delving into the exploration of big emotions, examining both the light and the darkness, death and hope, and the constant fear of everything that can go wrong.
In 2018, the band from Fredrikstad, Norway reunited and began rehearsing together again, leading to a successful return to festival stages across Norway. This sparked the road back to the studio where they recorded their fourth album.
About the album the band states;
“Earlier, we wrote songs that reflected our lives. We created a myth, a fantasy where we didn’t have a clear beginning or end. We had no plan and didn’t truly understand what we were getting ourselves into. Now, as we gather at the rehearsals, we have no aspirations to become rockstars, but rather a desire to create great music.”
“What truly matters to us now is the joy of creating together, the unity within the band, the ability to generate unexpected ideas and to be challenged by our bandmates. The music itself holds more importance to us than living out the rockstar fantasy.”
The album is a testament to the unity and performances within the band, with a raw sound that is also warm and soft. Fans who have witnessed a Ricochets show can expect to hear the new tracks on stage as the band heads out on a tour in Norway, with most shows already sold out. Catch both new and old Ricochets songs at a show near you this winter:
Confirmed remaining shows 2023: 09.02: Tromsø, Blårock – Extra concert! 10.02: Tromsø, Blårock – Sold out! 12.02: Steinkjær, Vinterfest – Sold out! 17.02: Fredrikstad, Gamlebyen Kulturhus – Sold out! 18.02: Oslo, Parkteatret – Sold out!
ABOUT RICOCHETS Ricochets started their career back in 1998, and quickly became a force to be reckoned with in the Norwegian rock scene. Their debut album Slo-Mo Suicide landed them a nomination to the Norwegian Grammy Awards, as newcomer of the year, and their next album was also nominated the the Norwegian Grammys, in the rock album of the year category.
In 2009 the band split up, and it wasn’t before 2019 the band announced that they were coming back. Ricochets return to festival stages have thrilled the crowds at festivals as Øya, Bukta, Pstereo, Månefestivalen and Tons of Rock since then, and they are now finally announcing that a new album is set to release in 2023.
“Their album trilogy is some of the most timeless and solid rock ever made in Scandinavia, and they will stand as long as people listens to rock.But we must not forget that this first and foremost var a live band.They were so good that it was almost unbelievable” – Egon Holstad
Members: Trond Andreassen – Vocals Knut Øyvind Olsen – Bass Svenn Poppe JR – Piano Fredrik Gretland – Guitars Johan Edvardsson – Drums
Gianni Pontillo (also singer of the German hard rock legend VICTORY) proves his enormous versatility on the first album of his new formation PONTILLO AND THE VINTAGE CREW. “FOR THE LOVE OF BLUES” is his personal declaration of love to a music style that allows him to interpret his songs both punchy but also sometimes very soulful.
The album will be released on April 14. 2023 by German music label EL PUERTO RECORDS.
Singer Gianni Pontillo has left his mark on formations such as Pure Inc., The Order or Souls Revival with his voice and has refined all-star productions such as “Rock Circus” and “This Is Rock” by Das Zelt. Since 2019, the power tube is also on the road as frontman of the German hard rock legend Victory. With PONTILLO & THE VINTAGE CREW, he is now launching a new project with various guest musicians that perfectly showcases his flair for cultivated blues rock and singer/songwriter numbers.
In addition to many Swiss colleagues, the album also features a top international star: Keyboard legend Derek Sherinian, who has made music history as a live or studio musician with bands like Dream Theater, Black Country Communion, Sons of Apollo, Alice Cooper, Billy Idol and Joe Bonamassa.
Tracklist: 01 For The Love of Blues 02 City of Gold 03 Long Time Gone 04 Between The Lines 05 Io Senza Te06 Falling In Love 07 Sing The Blues 08 The Keeper 09 CC Song 10 Sound of Hope
Release Concert: May, 12th 2023 – Atlantis Basel (Event on Facebook)
Chief Shock Video
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 ) 