Calgary’s own prog-power band RED CAIN have released a new single and music video for Blight. Inspired by the Wheel of Time universe, the track is reminiscent of Tesseract, Ihsahn, and Insomnium. Watch below and listen HERE!
The band comments: “The concept for Blight came out of a question – what is the ideal state in the evolution of organic life? Influenced by authors like Stanislaw Lem and Adrian Tchaikovsky, this has long been a theme in science fiction and is becoming relevant in the modern era. The Blight also plays a key role within the Wheel of Time universe, and the concept sets the stage for a musical exploration from our end where another evolution to our sound likewise takes root.”
Blight is defined as an organic contagion that damages, destroys, or corrupts. In the Wheel of Time universe, where the Dark One touches the world, uncontrolled and aberrant growth sprouts and covers the land, home to malign flora and monstrous fauna. With this track, we moved the needle firmly into the progressive part of our prog-power style, delivering an atmospheric, chilling, and dynamic performance meant to mimic the unstoppable advancement of the Blight over the land. Is the Blight a disease or a majestic triumph of organic life without limits?
At the end of last year, the band released Fisher King, which gets its name from the Arthurian Legend, telling the story of a wounded king unable to act as the protector of his lands, spending time fishing in a pond, leading to them falling into ruin. Paying homage to The Wheel of Time, the single received support from premier media outlets such as Bravewords, The Tinnitist, Power Metal, Grande Rock, Metal Heads Forever and the music video premiered via Metal Rules.
Born out of the vast prairies and snowy peaks of Alberta, Canada, RED CAIN is a modern progressive metal project with Eastern European roots. With intricate songwriting, powerful vocals, eerie soundscapes and strong electronic-backed groove, Red Cain champion a fluid, dynamic, and unique style centered around telling dark, conceptual Faustian sagas and constructing those into an unforgettable live experience. They self-released their debut self-titled EP (2016) to excellent reviews, and followed this up with two award-winning full-length albums, Kindred: Act I (2019), and AFA-funded Kindred: Act II (2021) working with Sliptrick Records globally to have over 3500+ physical copies sold, as well as over 200,000 digital streams to date.
The band has hit #1 on the Canadian National Loud Charts on multiple occasions and is a 1x winner, 3x nominee for the Metal Recording of the Year at the YYC Music Awards. Music videos for ZERO and Juliet have won 17 awards at international music festivals (Berlin Short Film Festival, Venice Shorts, Hollywood Art & Movie Awards + more). The band has a strong history of collaboration, with a highlight being their work with Juno Award-winning vocalist Kobra Paige of heavy metal band Kobra and the Lotus, on the track Wing of the Crow. With a significant upward trend of fan interest for this release, and 100,000 + digital streams, Red Cain has sights set firmly on another ambitious and conceptually exciting project.
Pushing progressive death metal in ever more imaginative directions, ENTHEOS continue to stand apart from the pack. Incorporating elements drawn from myriad genres – including death metal, groove, grunge, electronica, slam, gothic rock, jazz, prog and more – they have evolved with every release, and now they return with the follow up to 2017’s landmark Dark Future, the diverse and exhilarating Time Will Take Us All. It arrives March 3 via Metal Blade Records. Pre-order it here: metalblade.com/entheos
Today, the band has shared the video for “I Am the Void.” Watch it here:
“We’re incredibly proud to announce our new album Time Will Take Us All,” the band states. “The album’s concept is one of growth and self-reflection that focuses on the true human commonality – that our time on Earth is fleeting and what we choose to do with that knowledge is up to each of us as individuals. This is beautifully reflected in Eliran Kantor’s surreal cover art.“
The band furthers, “We’re excited to share a new single ‘I Am the Void.’ This song begins the second half of the album and represents the weight of feeling as though you cannot escape your own fears and anxieties. The video was shot by the incredible David Brodsky, Allison Woest and their team at My Good Eye Visuals.“
TIME WILL TAKE US ALL TRACK LISTING: 01. Absolute Zero 02. In Purgatory 03. The Interior Wilderness 04. Oblivion 05. I Am the Void 06. Darkest Day 07. Clarity in Waves 08. The Sinking Sun 09. Time Will Take Us All
“We knew when we started writing that we really wanted to make something darker and heavier that was still uniquely Entheos, and we knew that we wanted to make a record that really came from our hearts and captured where we want to take this band,” explains vocalist Chaney Crabb.
“The new album also has a strong ‘trippy’ vibe, not in a generic sense but meaning when you are done listening to it you feel like you’ve gone on a journey,” adds multi-instrumentalist Navene Koperweis. “I’ve always loved albums that gave me that feeling. I can’t say we set out to have the experience, it just sort of happened and that’s something I’m proud of.“
Having stripped down to a two-piece in 2020, this has helped to streamline the band and allow the core members to make the music they want to with no compromise, which is clearly to their betterment. Koperweis – who takes the role of drummer in the band’s live lineup – has long written most of the guitar parts, so it was not a radically different writing process, but allowed him the freedom of complete control. “I tell people this album is more of everything that we do, except this time it’s deeper in all directions,” says Koperweis. “We’re no longer dipping our toe in the pool on certain aspects, when we decide to go somewhere, we fucking go there.“
Relying less on synths and electronic production than on previous releases, a lot of the more atmospheric elements are contributed by guitar, and there is even an acoustic guitar for the first time on an Entheos record. Crabb has also pushed herself harder than ever before, interested in consistently practicing to find new pitches and timbres in her voice, and she has most certainly extended the range of her screaming. Using pitched screaming to add melodic lines in many places, this is also the first Entheos record on which she has sung.
When it came to penning the lyrics, Crabb knew that she was going to write about her own “experience as a human” and approach the album based on the lingering awareness many people have, that there is so much world out there and there are so many different experiences to have – but there is so little time. However, this idea really hit home in August 2021 when she got into an accident on her electric scooter on the day she started tracking vocals.
“I do not remember how I fell, but when I woke up I was really badly hurt. Gravel was embedded in my lower lip and had severed the inside of my chin from my face, my upper lip was completely split open to the point that my teeth were visible, my nasal septum bone was split in two and my nose was completely bent to one side – I ended up with 100 stitches in my face and was unable to do vocals for three months. I lost all abilities to move my nose and lips for those months, and to this day I still haven’t regained complete control.“
Because of this accident she found herself in a strange place mentally, juggling between feeling truly happy and grateful for every second that she was alive and got to spend with the people who she loved, but also feeling completely depressed, because of all of the uncertainty surrounding her injuries. She shares, “The album took form as a journey from the depths of depression into gratitude, but ultimately as an examination of our time and how precious it is.“
With Koperweis handling production duties and Mark Lewis (Whitechapel, The Black Dahlia Murder) mixing the record, all of the drums were tracked by Zack Ohren at Castle Ultimate, and Koperweis tracked guitars and vocals. They also recruited former member Evan Brewer to supply the bass. Though committed to their status as a two-piece, the band does have a live lineup with Brian James (ex-Fallujah) and Robert Brown (ex-Slaughter to Prevail) providing guitar, maintaining their reputation for being a killer live band. Having delivered the best record of their career they are also in a very good place mentally, but they do not get ahead of themselves.
Brighton-based rock band, Bad Luck Friday release Rebel With A Cause, the third single from their eponymous debut album, on Wednesday 18th January 2023. Released by Wilde Fire Records, the single is available to stream HERE.
“Rebel With A Cause is Bad Luck Friday’s unambiguous statement about Britain’s current political climate,” says the band’s guitarist Steve Brook. “Channelling Rage Against the Machine, the track’s opening riff serves as a rallying call to the disaffected, the downtrodden and jaded alike: get off your rear and get to the front! It’s big, bold and demands to be heard.”
The Rebel With A Cause music video is available to watch, below.
The band’s eponymous debut album is available on CD and limited edition coloured vinyl from www.badluckfriday.com.
Don’t be fooled by the harmonica. Bad Luck Friday is not your typical blues rock band. Will Wilde has a reputation in the blues world as a pioneer of the rock harp, but with Bad Luck Friday, he’s taken the music well beyond its traditional blues roots.
The band formed during the ashes of the pandemic when live music ground to a halt. Frustrated but still determined and highly creative, Wilde teamed up with guitarist, Steve Brook, and together they journeyed inward and developed their original style before bringing in Alan Taylor and Jack Turnbull to complete the line-up. Their fusion of bluesy classic rock and aggressive, contemporary hard rock encompasses anthemic choruses, catchy riffs, searing vocals, and Wilde’s blistering harmonica solos.
ALBUM TRACK LISTING
1. BAD LUCK FRIDAY (3:26) 2. 666 AT THE CROSSROADS (3:16) 3. BANSHEE (3:19) 4. DUST & BONES (4:03) 5. JEALOUS WOMAN (3:36) 6. TAKE THE BEST OF ME (4:18) 7. MISTRESS (4:08) 8. LOW DOWN DIRTY (4:27) 9. BONNIE TO MY CLYDE (3:05) 10. REBEL WITH A CAUSE (4:01)
All songs: Music written by Will Wilde and Steve Brook, lyrics by Will Wilde and Sara Starbuck
BAD LUCK FRIDAY SUPPORT JARED JAMES NICHOLS AT THE BLACK HEART, LONDON ON WEDNESDAY 22 FEBRUARY 2023 – TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE
Werewolves Of London is the long-awaited reissue of the 1998 concert release from British hard rock institution UFO. The show features the reunited classic line-up of the group with guitar extraordinaire Michael Schenker returning to the fold along with founding members Phil Mogg and bassist Pete Way as well as longtime rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Paul Raymond. Joining them for this release is drummer Simon Wright (AC/DC, Dio). Still basking in the glory of their highly regarded 14th album, Walk On Water, the group rocketed around the globe for an extended epic world tour.
Now this fantastic concert album is being remastered and re-released on both physical and digital formats. Hear the group rip through several highlights from Walk On Water (“Pushed To The Limit,” “A Self Made Man”) as well as their best-loved works, the unstoppable juggernauts “Doctor Doctor,” “Lights Out,” “Rock Bottom” and more! By way of previewing the release, the group’s killer version of “Only You Can Rock Me” is being released as a single, which will be followed by the full album on CD and audiophile quality 180 GRAM BLACK vinyl on February 17. Additional vinyl colors – RED, YELLOW, BLUE & PURPLE – will be released a few weeks later on March 24th. Order yours now!
With 2023 less than three weeks old, acclaimed rockers ALTER BRIDGE are back with a new single and music video to launch the new year! The song “Holiday” has been a fan favorite since it was made public with the release of Pawns & Kingslast October, and is currently one of the most added songs at radio worldwide.
The “Holiday” video marks the return of longtime video collaborator Dan Sturgess of Sturge Media – known for capturing the band’s iconic performance with the Parallax Orchestra on Alter Bridge: Live At The Royal Albert Hall. The song is currently impacting US radio and the video for “Holiday” can be seen below!
Pawns & Kings – the band’s seventh studio album – was released worldwide on October 14 via Napalm Records. From the opening riffs of “This Is War” to the title track album closer “Pawns & Kings,”ALTER BRIDGE returns with an album of intense tracks that were born after the cycle for their last album was cut short by the global pandemic. Songs like “Dead Among The Living,” “Holiday” and “Last Man Standing” showcase the signature songwriting the band is known for. The album offers numerous epic adventures, with three songs clocking in over six minutes each. The opus “Fable Of The Silent Son” clocks in at 8:29 and is the longest recorded song in the band’s catalog – a distinction held by “Blackbird” until now. Mark Tremonti steps out of his backing vocal role to take the lead on “Stay,” an introspective ballad that is sure to become a fan favorite live. The band have released lyric videos for the title track “Pawns & Kings”, the now fan-favorite “Sin After Sin” and album opener “This Is War”. These songs all found their way into the band’s set list during their European tour.
Known for its signature dual-guitar attack backed by a driving rhythm section, the album’s debut single “Silver Tongue” shot up the charts around the globe and is currently still in the Top 25 in Canada. Its animated music video was created and directed by Ollie Jones of Better Feeling Films (Myles Kennedy, Prodigy, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets) and has garnered over 1.4 million views and counting. Pawns & Kingsfound its way on numerous 2022 year-end lists around the world, and was produced by longtime collaborator Michael “Elvis” Baskette.
The track listing for Pawns & Kings is: 1) This Is War 2) Dead Among The Living 3) Silver Tongue 4) Sin After Sin 5) Stay 6) Holiday 7) Fable Of The Silent Son 8) Season Of Promise 9) Last Man Standing 10) Pawns & Kings
ALTER BRIDGE’sPawns & Kings is now available for streaming via all digital service providers and for order in various physical configurations HERE.
ALTER BRIDGE will continue to tour extensively in support of Pawns & Kings. The band wrapped a tour of Europe last month that had the band making 25 stops over the course of six weeks. The tour will continue throughout North America this year – their first in the market in almost three years.
Mammoth WVH will join them as direct support on the entire tour, with rockers Red playing on the first leg of the tour and newcomers Pistols At Dawn playing on the second leg. Tickets for all shows are now available and more information on tickets and VIP experiences can be found at https://alterbridge.com/pages/tour.
ALTER BRIDGE have steadily climbed to the forefront of hard rock worldwide. They’ve exceeded all expectations and benchmarks with over a billion streams, millions of units sold, glowing critical acclaim, real estate on the covers of Classic Rock Magazine and Guitar World, and storied sets at Royal Albert Hall, the O2 Arena and Download Festival. On this journey, 2004’s debut LP One Day Remains bowed in the Top 5 of the Billboard Top 200 and went gold. In 2007, Blackbird’s title track took flight on the wings of the “Greatest Guitar Solo of All Time,” as voted in Guitarist Magazine, while countless fans etched its lyrics and logo onto their bodies. That album also recently went gold in the United Kingdom. Critical plaudits surrounded the 2013 opus Fortress with “5-out-of-5 stars” from KERRANG! and Total Guitar, as well as Eddie Trunk’s declaration of, “A Top 10 album of the last 10 years.” 2016’s The Last Hero saw them return to the Top 10 on the Top 200. Maintaining this momentum, Walk The Sky made impressions around the globe when it reached #1 on the US Billboard Top Albums, Top 200 Alternative Albums, Top 200 Hard Rock Albums and Top 200 Rock Albums charts, as well as #1 on Canada’s Top Hard Music Albums chart. The album also hit #1 on the Swiss Album charts, landed in the Top 5 on the Canada, UK, Germany, Austria, Scotland and Switzerland charts and closed out the year on Loudwire’s “The 50 Best Rock Albums of 2019.”
These musicians have unassumingly done all of this with a quiet dedication to writing meaningful songs and performing unforgettable shows (and they’ve delivered both with almost alarming consistency). Still, the influential quartet—Myles Kennedy [vocals, guitar], Mark Tremonti [guitar, vocals], Brian Marshall [bass], and Scott Phillips [drums]—ascend to yet another level on 2022’s Pawns & Kings [Napalm Records]. It is the culmination of almost two decades together soaked in blood, sweat, tears, and the triumph earned through never giving up. It represents the bandmates’ dedication to one another and their collective devotion to a devout fanbase.
Ukrainian psychedelic rock trio STONED JESUS will release its new album, ‘Father Light,’ on March 3, 2023 via Season of Mist, making it the band’s debut to the label! The band is now sharing a music video for its brand new song, “Thoughts and Prayers.” The song and video can be found at THIS LOCATION while album art and other details can be found below!
Lead vocalist and guitarist Igor Sydorenko comments: “I wrote these songs mostly in 2019, we worked on them through 2020, recorded them in 2021 and were ready to release them in 2022…and finally the first batch of them is coming out as ‘Father Light’ in 2023! So this is neither our ‘pandemic’ nor our ‘war’ record, this is something I was really obsessed about many months ago – climate change, media numbness, corporations’ impact, social divisions…
“But revisiting these issues years later shows that they’re still important and this is still something that resonates with us – and hopefully will resonate with many other people, too. Musically, I think this is our most diverse and mature record to date, but there’s a good dose of old school Stoned Jesus there too!
“Anyway, enjoy this one and fingers crossed for 2024′ release of ‘Mother Dark’ – the moodier, more personal, more experimental sister album to ‘Father Light.'”
For those who might be unfamiliar with STONED JESUS, the band is well-known for their explosive single, “I Am The Mountain,” which reached a whopping 15 million views on YouTube! The iconic clip can be found HERE.
Pre-orders for ‘Father Light’ are now live and can be found HERE. Pre-save ‘Father Light’ on your favorite streaming service HERE.
The artwork for “Father Light” was created by Anton Pcholkin.
Tracklist “Father Light” 1. Father Light 03:35 2. Season of the Witch 11:34 3. Thought and Prayers 06:22 [WATCH HERE] 4. Porcelain 08:09 [WATCH HERE] 5. CON 04:10 [WATCH HERE] 6. Get What You Deserve 09:08 Total: 43:00
STONED JESUS recently announced their appearance on the mighty Hellfest of 2023! More information on tours/festival for 2023 will be announced on a later stage.
Ukrainian prog-stoner trio STONED JESUS held their first rehearsal since the Russian invasion in the middle of July 2022. It was a moment the band dubbed as “surreal” and justifiably so — the regular ritual of band practice was made impossible by the war. The members of STONED JESUS — Igor Sydorenko (vocals/guitar), Sergii Sliusar (bass) and Dmytro Zinchenko (drums) — captured the moment for their social media channels. A broad smile of defiance and satisfaction can be seen on their faces. Regardless of the senseless havoc and destruction reaped upon their homeland, STONED JESUS would play on. It was the resumption of a music career temporarily thwarted but not defeated by evil.
Since 2009, STONED JESUS has served as one of Ukraine’s leading forces in heavy rock. Sydorenko, a veteran of the Ukrainian music scene, formed the band after stumbling upon some heavy and angry riffs that would become the song “Occult.” He fed off his Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin influences and was soon turned onto Electric Wizard and Sleep, two bands who mastered the art of bold, lurching heaviness, thus creating a sonic template to abide by.
The band was initially dubbed “STONED JESUS from the Outer Space” but shortened to the much crisper Stoned Jesus. The name was trimmed down out of necessity — Sydorenko wanted to legitimize the band immediately. “I realized that this may cause some problems,” he told the Psychedelic Baby webzine in 2010. “Some people wouldn’t take our music seriously, then. I don’t mind jokes and having fun, but music is always the most serious thing for me.”
Two demos ensued before STONED JESUS’s debut LP, 2010’s First Communion. Recorded in two hours, First Communion was a promising offering that dove headlong into the world of heavy stoner rock, with three songs going over the ten-minute mark for hypnotic effect. The album eventually saw a proper reissue in 2020, introducing it to a new group of fans. Seven Thunders Roar followed in 2012 and included “I’m the Mountain,” a 16-minute epic jam that has since become a live staple. The album also introduced a bevy of acoustic guitar and softer vocal approaches from Sydorenko.
The Harvest came next in 2015, deftly transitioning Stoned Jesus from sludge into new terrain, including alternative and progressive rock. This is a credit to Sydorenko’s evolving songwriting style and desire to never allow STONED JESUS to repeat itself. “It works brilliantly for the likes of Motörhead or AC/DC, but we’re not that legendary yet,” he told Outlaws of the Sun webzine in 2015. “So, let’s experiment, shall we? Let’s play with the genres, the sound, the song structures, the melodies, the timings — yes, my favorite trick!”
Pilgrim came next in 2018, which until now, has been the band’s career-defining moment. Stoned Jesus’s original plans were to record its follow-up in 2020. That, of course, was sidelined by the pandemic. The band then entered Spivaki Records in Kharkiv in July 2021 to record nine songs at 75 minutes. Two-thirds of the material was mixed and mastered before the invasion, leaving the final run-time of six songs at 43 minutes.
The result is Father Light, the band’s first for Season of Mist. The album catches Stoned Jesus in full bloom. The foundational elements of STONED JESUS’s sound remain (fuzzed-out rock, driving bass lines and maximum groove) and are once again augmented by the combination of Sydorenko’s gentle clean vocals and hook-laden chorus choices, along with an array of ornamental guitar melodies. And, in true STONED JESUS fashion, the journey is often the reward: The cuts on Father Light expand and shift — all the while, the band’s trademark heaviness serves as the guide.
STONED JESUS subsequently resumed live activity in July 2022 with European festival dates and runs with countrymen (and labelmates) Somali Yacht Club and then VOVK. The shows provided the band the opportunity to air two of the songs that would end up on Father Light: “Con” and “Porcelain.” Moreover, the dates were an outlet for the band to connect with waiting audiences who supported their music and cause of raising money to help those impacted by the war.
The idea that music is the ultimate escape has never rung truer in light of what happened to Ukraine in 2022. The prospect of brighter days lies ahead, making the Father Light album title even more appropriate.
As 2022 drew to a close, the members of STONED JESUS posted their final message for the year, epitomizing their resilience and optimism:
All the missiles in the world can’t destroy freedom. Nothing will stop truth.
Line-up: Lead-Vocals and Guitar: Igor Sydorenko Bass and backing vocals: Sergii Sliusar Drums and backing vocals: Dmytro Zinchenko
Recording studio – Spivaki Records, Ukraine Producer / sound engineer – Artem Altunin and Dmytro Zinchenko Mastering: Metropolis Studio, London, UK – Andy “Hippy” Baldwin
Recording line-up – Igor Sydorenko (Arlekin, Voida, Krobak, Snakerider) – lead and backing vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, organ on track 3 – Dmytro Zinchenko (Doomed City, Orkectr Che, Sekunda Kota, Smeyushiysa Tigr, Small Depo) – drums and percussion, backing vocals – Sergii Sliusar – bass, backing vocals
Bio: David E. Gehlke
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