STEVE VAI Announces Planned European Appearances on Inviolate World Tour

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 23, 2023
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STEVE VAI has announced a return to Europe for planned appearances in March through May. The second leg of European dates on the Inviolate World Tour will begin in Lisbon, Portugal on March 24. The itinerary will bring Vai through Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Hungary, Croatia, Slovakia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Romania, Czech Republic, Poland, N. Macedonia, Latvia, and Estonia prior to wrapping on May 7 in Helsinki, Finland. For tickets and a variety of EVO Experience VIP bundles available visit https://www.vai.com. 

Steve Vai shares, “Our previous fall tour of North America was outstanding. Myself and the band are as oiled up and ready as ever. I’m excited to finally bring the Hydra guitar to Europe as I missed doing that on the last EU run. The response from Inviolate was tremendously positive and it showed in the press, the attendances and the energy in the audience and we are so much looking forward to this EU tour.”
 
This past year, Steve Vai released a new studio album titled Inviolate. In support of the release, he staged successful tours of North America and Europe. This year, plans will take the guitarist, composer, and songwriters to most continents across the world as he continues to stage events on the Inviolate World Tour. 

Favored Nations / Mascot Label Group presented the official music video for “Teeth Of The Hydra,” which has now been viewed over 5.4 million times. To screen the performance video, click here: https://youtu.be/46qjDJ0lLdE . Later this month, he’ll release Vai/Gash on January 27, an album he’s held in the archive for more than three decades. He shares, “Vai/Gash was written and recorded in somewhat of a stream of consciousness in 1991 within perhaps a 2-week period as an answer to my desire to have a particular kind of music to listen to when I was riding my Harley Davison Motorcycle with my friends. One of those friends was John “Gash” Sombrotto, who is the powerful singer on this record. It’s reminiscent of a certain type of rock music I enjoyed as a teenager in the 1970’s. These recordings sat on the shelf for over 30 years and are being released now in 2023.” Three songs have been shared thus far: “She Saved My Life Tonight” (https://youtu.be/9PY28ih-Sbg), “In The Wind,” (https://youtu.be/AkbnEj2yDw0) and “Busted” (https://youtu.be/O2U5pSbFSIg).

SERMON Announce New Album “Of Golden Verse”; Reveal Visualizer for Lead Single ‘Golden’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 23, 2023
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Photographer credit: Jack Snell

Four years on from their debut album, London, UK melodic doom band SERMON have today announced their return and shared details of their upcoming sophomore full length, Of Golden Verse. Alongside the album announcement, SERMON have also shared the lead single, Golden, via Bandcamp with an accompanying visualizer.

Of Golden Verse is due for release via Prosthetic Records on March 31.

Stream Golden via Bandcamp
Golden is now available on all streaming platforms.
Pre-order Of Golden Verse here.

Speaking on the lead single and album announcement, SERMON‘s Him comments: “Golden is as close to a political song as I think SERMON will ever get to. A song that tells the tale about a reign, weighing down on those under it, until they are bound by it. It’s an important song to the record semantically and musically. It’s a pulsating build, that ascends to a ferocious musical climax.

“Golden is the almost-title-track on of Of Golden Verse, an album themed on abuses of power; from an individual, cultural, religious and political level, with each song a fragment of that. It’s been a long time coming and we can’t wait for the world to listen.”

A beacon of iridescent musical light amid the torpid fog of modern life, SERMON blazed brightly but briefly when they released their debut album back in 2019. Led by the shadowy figurehead known only as Him, they blurred boundaries with the aptly titled Birth Of The Marvellous – which earned widespread acclaim and the effusive support of listeners around the world. But then, after a single live show at Prog In Park in Poland, there was only silence.

In the years between then and now, the world has become a darker, nastier place. Summoned from their slumbers for a second time, Him and his collaborators are back with an album that accurately encapsulates the mood of the moment. Recorded at Grindstone Studios under the legendary supervision of producer Scott Atkins, Of Golden Verse was entirely written by Him, but the new songs reached their final, immaculate state through a team effort.

Him comments: “James is the other side of this. I’ll give him the demo of a whole album and the drums will be written, and he likes me to do that, but when we get in the studio, he makes his suggestions and it often becomes this whole other thing. It wouldn’t sound remotely the same with another drummer. Meanwhile, Scott is the George Martin of the piece. So really SERMON is a trio. I give them something that’s fairly well formed, it’s almost there, and they add into it because they’re far more skilled than I am.”

The resulting 10 tracks that make up Of Golden Verse are musically intense, dynamic – and often a startlingly heavy trawl down corridors of corruption and stairways of compromise. First single Golden is a stunning entry point to SERMON‘s reconfigured world; dense with melody and melancholy, it showcases the band’s expanded sonic vision, with lyrics that detail a slow, steady chipping away at the human spirit. There’s no question: Sermon has returned in 2023 with an imperious flourish.

Of Golden Verse tracklist:
1. The Great Marsh
2. Royal
3. Light the Witch
4. In Black
5. The Distance
6. Senescence
7. Wake the Silent
8. Golden
9. Centre
10. Departure

GYRDLEAH Unleash Lyric Video for ‘Vvitch’; New Album Out March 31st

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 23, 2023
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Conceptualized by sole member ‘Flagrum’ from Birmingham, England, GYRDLEAH has been festering away in the darkness awaiting to emerge from the abyss of obscurity since the first EP, “Passage Into The Night” released in 2017. Navigating through the recent years of death and plague Gyrdleah‘s path has led to the upcoming debut full-length album “Spellbinder”. A journey of self-revelation, undying will, an homage to nature, and a celebration of the dark arts.

Recorded at Foel Studio by Chris Fielding of Conan (responsible for recording bands such as Winterfylleth, Electric Wizard, Primordial, Conan, Dyscarnate, Cerebral Bore, Latitudes, Witchsorrow, Mourning Beloveth, The Wounded Kings plus many more), Gyrdleah has managed to create its own unique sound that shows the true grandeur of its musical capabilities. Many will be left in shock and awe once they have heard this superb blackened metal album. 

“Spellbinder” will be coming out on March 31 via Black Lion Records and is now available for pre-order at THIS LOCATION

Tracklist reads as follows:

  1. Stab The Lamb
  2. Gyfu
  3. Gathered For The Murder
  4. Approaching Gyrdleah
  5. Speak Of The Devil
  6. Spellbinder
  7. VVitch
  8. Six Hundred Threescore And Six
  9. Outro

Gyrdleah is:

Flagrum: Guitars, Bass & Vocals
Alex Micklewright: Session Drums

Listen to the first single “VVitch” here:

TEN’s New Album “Something Wicked This Way Comes” Out Now

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 23, 2023
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UK hard rock stalwarts TEN are happy to announce that their brand new studio album “Something Wicked This Way Comes”, is officially out! You can listen to their latest singles “Look For The Rose” and “The Tidal Wave”, below! And you can order the album HERE: https://orcd.co/tenwicked

TEN used the downtime during the worldwide pandemic to work on not one, but two new albums. The first album to be released, “Here Be Monsters”, landed on February 18, 2022 via Frontiers Music Srl. And now, the label is pleased to announce the second album of the two, “Something Wicked This Way Comes” on January 20, 2023.

Following the success of the recent string of albums, from “Albion” to “Illuminati”, Hughes was joined once again by guitarists Dann Rosingana and Steve Grocott along with bass player Steve McKenna, keyboard maestro Darrel Treece-Birch and drummer Markus Kullman (Sinner, Glenn Hughes, Voodoo Circle) for the recording of “Something Wicked This Way Comes”. TEN continues to raise the musical bar higher for themselves, a goal they push on every release. Stunning guitar work, rich keyboards, excellent bass and drum interplay along with Hughes’ rich vocals are the order of the day here, as they were on this album’s immediate predecessor, “Here Be Monsters”.

“Something Wicked This Way Comes” was produced by Gary Hughes and mixed and mastered by Dennis Ward. TEN’s longstanding professional association with Dennis has been ongoing since he mixed their 2011 album, “Stormwarning” and has always guaranteed albums with stunning sound and production.

Fans should note that there are no ties between “Something Wicked This Way Comes” and “Here Be Monsters” or anything of this nature. The band simply crafted two high quality releases and decided to put them out separately, in a fashion not too dissimilar to what happened with their amazing first two records which were recorded one after the other in a very short period of time.

British hard rockers TEN have an outstanding history of releases in their storied and revered catalog. Starting out as a sort of solo project built around singer and songwriter Gary Hughes, TEN found their audience playing a hard rock sound influenced by such giants as UFO, Thin Lizzy, Magnum, Giant, and Whitesnake in a time when playing this particular sound was considered commericial suicide. The band’s early records such as “The Name Of The Rose”, “The Robe”, “Spellbound“, and “Babylon” established the band as mainstays in the melodic hard rock genre, which has continued throughout their now 26 year career over the course of 15 studio albums.

“Something This Wicked Way Comes” Tracklisting:
1. Look For The Rose
2. Brave New Lie
3. The Tidal Wave
4. Parabellum
5. Something Wicked This Way Comes
6. The Fire And The Rain
7. New Found Hope
8. The Only Way Out
9. When The Darkness Comes
10. The Greatest Show On Earth

Line-Up:
Gary Hughes – Vocals, Guitar, Backing Vocals
Dann Rosingana – Guitars
Steve Grocott – Guitars
Darrel Treece-Birch – Keyboards
Steve McKenna – Bass
Markus Kullman – Drums

Additional Musicians:
Scott Hughes – Backing Vocals
Karen Fell – Backing Vocals

More inforation at:

THE SCARLET OPERA Unleash New Single ‘Big City Thing’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 23, 2023
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Maintaining unprecedented momentum as the red-hot rising band to watch, THE SCARLET OPERA unveil a brand new single entitled “Big City Thing” today via SB Projects/Republic Records. Listen to “Big City Thing” HERE.

On the track, the band said: “From rural Pennsylvania to the flamboyant streets of Los Angeles, this record is a playful reflection of the many years we’ve spent on the pursuit of happiness.”

Watch the lyric video for “Big City Thing” below.

The Scarlet Opera lives up to the title of “Big City Thing.” Recently, they’ve sold out major shows on both coasts, packing the historic Troubadour in West Hollywood (not once but twice after popular demand!) and filling New York’s Bowery Ballroom to the brim. Plus, they ignited the stage at the Fuck Cancer Hero’s Gala, which impressively raised $1.4 million for research and accessible healthcare. Just last week, they opened for indie legends Phoenix at the Majestic Ventura Theater.
 
“Big City Thing” lands in the wake of their debut single “The Place To Be.” In addition to gaining traction at DSPs, they have earned enthusiastic acclaim from the likes of LA Weekly and Pass the Aux. The latter hailed the Troubadour gig on September 13th as “quite simply the show of the year.” Check out the band’s captivating performance of “The Place To Be” live at the Troubadour HERE.

Get ready for a whole lot more from The Scarlet Opera in 2023.
 
The Scarlet Opera:
Inspired by the Scarlet Lettering of the misunderstood and misrepresented – the music, the shows, the glamour are all devoted to the outcasts – to the sexually liberated – to those who don’t come from wealth – to those who are divine.

The Scarlet Opera represents passion, lust, fury and beauty.
Fine art for the promiscuous.
Fine art for the bold.
Fine art for all.

About The Scarlet Opera:
Fusing the grandeur of the theatre with the raw energy of rock and roll, The Scarlet Opera – a five piece band hailing from Los Angeles – offers an escape into the throes of love, lust, glamour, and passion. Formed as ‘Perta’ in 2016 and reborn in 2022, The Scarlet Opera is led by lyricist and frontman Luka Bazulka, whose authentic narrative and vocal prowess are matched only by the musical talents of band members Colin Kenrick [keyboard], Daniel Zuker [bass], Justin Siegal [drums], and Chance Taylor [guitar]. The band’s origins are tied to one fateful night when Colin, upon witnessing Luka perform an inspiring solo vocal set, enlisted long time friends and seasoned musicians Daniel, Chance, and Justin to provide a new dimension to what was already brimming with potential. Word of packed venues and a captivating live show soon drew the attention of SB Projects and Republic Records, who turned to hit songwriter and producer David Stewart [BTS, Jonas Brothers] to collaborate, inspire, and further ignite an already growing fire. With the recent release of their debut single “The Place To Be” and now “Big City Thing,” The Scarlet Opera are poised to make their mark.

More information at: TikTok // Instagram // YouTube

SKINFLINT Return with New Album “Hate Spell”, Announce US Tour with SOULFLY

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 22, 2023
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L-R: Cosmos Modisaemang, Giuseppe Sbrana, Kebonye Nkoloso – Photo by IK Laurent

African metallists SKINFLINT return on Friday, February 17, 2023 with their sixth release overall, ‘Hate Spell,’ which will be immediately supported by almost a month’s worth of live dates in the US – when the trio tours with Soulfly. Comprised of guitarist/vocalist Giuseppe Sbrana, bassist Kebonye Nkoloso, and drummer Cosmos Modisaemang, Skinflint’s latest album will be issued via Into Records, and retains the raw sound and inspiration from African Mythology that has come to define Skinflint. And to kick things off is the just-issued video for the standout track, “Sasabonsam,” which can be viewed below.

“We wanted to stay as honest and true as possible to the source material,” explains Sbrana about the new album. ‘We are not fans of overproduced records. The rawness and grittiness, the imperfections of the human touch, gives a lot of personality to a recording. Above all we trusted the process, and allowed ourselves to be in the moment, it’s more about heart and character than perfection. I think we can be proud of this work.’

“This album to me is aggressive but also therapeutic in the sense that it blows away tension, and I hope to inspire others too,” adds Modisaemang. “As for me, metal has been a way to release aggression and tension in a non-violent way.” And Nkoloso also shares his thoughts, “This album carries the signature sound of Skinflint inspired by African methodology. Can’t forget the sleepless nights of music writing and studio rehearsals during the peak of the pandemic. I don’t get tired of listening to the songs and I bet our fans are gonna have a blast too! ROCK ON!”

From start to finish, the album is simply ferocious, including such standouts as “Sasabonsam” (“In the song it’s a story about a figure that replicates your deepest fantasies in your mind, but her true form is a bat like creature with giant wings and a snake tail”), “Blood Dripping from Torso to Toes” (“About a serial killer”), “Bloody Quills” (“The hole a porcupine digs is said to be a portal to the spirit world in many African myths”), “Eloko” (“Dwarf-like evil spirits who rise from graves”), and “Juju King” (“Madness and more madness!”).

And much of these hard-hitting, headbanging tracks will soon be performed live on stage in the US, when the trio supports Soulfly on the road. Sbrana: “We can feel the fire in our veins, the band is hungry and ready to kick some ass. See you on stage!” Nkoloso: “It’s really gonna be hard to select the setlist for our show because all songs are extremely lethal.” Modisaemang: “I am very excited for the tour, ready to get back on the road, ready to get back Infront of the fans and ready to play some absolute HEAVY METAL.”

‘Hate Spell’ Track list:

  1. Intro
  2. Bloody Quills
  3. Sasabonsam
  4. Hate Spell
  5. Blood Dripping From Torso to Toes
  6. Shape Shifter
  7. Mankind Creation
  8. Eloko
  9. Witch Haunting
  10. Spirit Board
  11. Conquest
  12. Juju King

Skinflint/Soulfly Tour Dates:

FRI 2/17 Teaneck, NJ @ Debonair Music Hall
SAT 2/18 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
SUN 2/19 Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom
MON 2/20 Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
TUE 2/21 Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
THU 2/23 Syracuse, NY @ The Lost Horizon
FRI 2/24 Buffalo, NY @ Rec Room
SAT 2/25 Mechanicsburg, PA @ Lovedrafts
SUN 2/26 Pittsburgh, PA @ Crafthouse
TUE 2/28 Columbus, OH @ Skully’s Music Diner
WED 3/1 Flint, MI @ The Machine Shop
THU 3/2 Battle Creek, MI @ The Music Factory
FRI 3/3 Joliet, IL @ The Forge
SAT 3/4 Belvidere, IL @ The Apollo Theatre
SUN 3/5 St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club