New Swedish rock trio THE GEMS present their first song ever, the stunning standalone single “Like a Phoenix”! The band consisting of three ex-Thundermother members – vocalist Guernica Mancini, drummer Emlee Johansson and guitarist/bassist Mona Lindgren – rises from the ashes on the powerful official music video, edited by Johansson.
While THE GEMS are currently in the process of finishing production on their debut album, the trio is already performing live internationally. Next Wednesday, June 21, fans will have the chance to catch THE GEMS’ energetic rock’n’roll show for the first time in Germany, when the band headlines at the Kieler Woche!
THE GEMS on “Like a Phoenix”: ”This song is all about getting up when you’ve been pushed down, not letting the negative words of others define you. Rise like a phoenix – the main focus is to empower and give you the motivation to never give up. The video is about the “rebirth” of us as a band and how we, through fire, have become something much stronger and fearless. We felt it was the perfect first single on our new journey as The Gems, and we absolutely love the song!!”
THE GEMS are: Guernica Mancini – Vocals Emlee Johansson – Drums Mona Lindgren – Guitar, Bass
STRIKE MASTER unleash a drum play-through for their their brand new single “Crystallized”. Crystallized is the spearhead of their upcoming 2023 full length album – Tangram Apocalypse, which will be released through singles leading up to the release date. The album will be released September 1st physically and on all major platforms.
Alberto Allende (Strike Master, Repvblika, Ex Vital Remains)
Play-through in a double camera video of the band’s newest song “Crystallized” showing a combination of his all time styles betwen Black Metal blast beats and thrash metal machingunnery, all mixed in a perfect flow to listen to and to watch his technique, one of Mexico’s finnest drummers shows us the way he drives the double bass drum beast!
Crystallized recently premiered via Metal-rules and can be found here.
In addition, Strike Master has also released a Bass play-through of the track performed by Walter Kleinert which can be found on the bands YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/AeTM0WBy8EU
Recorded in Mexico City at Confederate Musick Studio MiX and Mastered by Erick Monzonis at Dark House Audio
The Album will be released through singles starting on June 1st 2023, Final release date and CD sale: September 1st 2023
Strike Master is: KMU – Guitars and Vocals Konspirator – Drums Walter Kleinert – Bass
Tracklist: Crystallized Here Comes the Incubus We die Tonight Lost within Compass Heavy Metal Black to the Future Prototype God Save the Fire
American Rock n Roll band TEN TON MOJO will release their new EP Rebel Heart Gypsy Soul via Curtain Call Records on June 30th. The EP was produced by Max Norman (Ozzy Osbourne, Megadeth).
/ Mojo /; a magical power, charm or spell; a lucky charismatic quality of natural or supernatural origin.
Conjured on the streets, on the stages and in the studios of New York City, emerges Ten Ton Mojo – the new classic rock. This is where bluesy southern soul meets the glory of rock & roll! Ten Ton Mojo is a rock band on the rise! Hailed in the press as “easily the best rock band in New York City” (The Aquarian Weekly), Ten Ton Mojo has been providing live support for Kix, The Supersuckers, Molly Hatchet, Enuff Z’nuff, Saving Abel, John 5, the late Scott Weiland and others.
This band represents the rebirth of real American rock and roll! Hip shaking rhythms and street wise guitars blend to create memorable hard rock anthems. Singer Dave Anthony says, “This band started to embrace our roots and to give back to the fans who’ve been wanting this…and we’re always determined to do it our way”.
Ten Ton Mojo has captivated a strong fan base by creating a musical energy which has yet to be experienced in the 21st century. Headlining gigs everywhere from the Viper Room in Los Angeles to Gramercy Theatre in NYC, have helped to make Ten Ton Mojo a game-changer.
Ten Ton Mojo is the band you’ve been waiting for!
TRACKLISTING: (1) Easy Come Easy Go (2) The Hurt (3) Little Somethin’ (4) Broke Some Hearts in Memphis
Upcoming Shows in 2023 Saturday, July 15th, Gramercy Theatre, New York, NY w/ ANAKA
Friday, July 21st, Artie’s Bar & Grill, Frenchtown, NJ w/ Texas Hippie Coalition Sunday, July 30th, Renegades Saloon, Newfoundland, PA Friday, August 4th, Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ Saturday, August 26th, The Garage at Lucy’s, Pleasantville, NY Friday, September 15th, Quinnz Pinz, Middletown, NY
BAND MEMBERS: Dave Anthony – Lead Vocals, Harmonica Scott Lano – Guitars, Backing Vocals Christian Realmuto – Guitars Paul “Sugar” Kane – Drums, Backing Vocals Kenny Madden – Bass Guitar
Voice Of Baceprot (VOB)’s music is a powerful reflection of the issues close to their hearts. The Indonesian rock trio do not shy away from tackling the difficult topics that weigh on their minds, whether based on personal experiences or events they have experienced, witnessed, or read about. Their music speaks volumes about the world we live in and the struggles we all face.
The band’s latest single, ‘What’s the Holy (Nobel) Today?’, was born from the deep concerns that vocalist/guitarist Marsya, bassist Widi, and drummer Sitti harbour regarding the numerous wars ravaging the world, capturing headlines and tearing apart the lives of countless innocent people.
“In 2017, we started to engage in deeper and more serious discussions with [VOB’s counselling teacher] Abah Erza as he touched upon more significant issues,” Marsya reminisces.
“One of the most gut-wrenching topics that drained us emotionally was the horrors of war. Abah pointed out that the biggest casualties from such wars were always civilians, mostly women and children,”Marsya continues.
“You can read what the single is really about between the lines. We want to express our experience of being trapped in a ‘war’, which involves us being bullied on social media. Some would attack us with such intense fury through negative comments, even though we have never shown aggression towards anyone,”Sitti adds.
‘What’s the Holy (Nobel) Today?’ is mixed by Tue Madsen (Meshuggah, Suicide Silence, etc) and mastered by Howie Weinberg (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, etc).
There are few groups as powerful and potent as Indonesian rock trio Voice of Baceprot (pronounced ‘bah-che-prot’, often abbreviated as VOB).
Forming in Garut, West Java, in 2014 while still at school, the band – Marsya (vocals/guitar), Widi (bass) and Sitti (drums) named their band after the Sundanese word for ‘noisy’: a true representation of their style of music.
The band are already celebrated across the globe for their indomitable attitude and power of representation.
One of the most exciting musical voices from Southeast Asia, VOB began to turn heads with early viral covers of Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Slipknot, and Metallica, garnering attention from local and international media, as well as endorsements and praise from Tom Morello and Flea.
Besides their obvious prodigious musical talent, it was also the unique and contradictory combination of heavy rock and their wearing of the hijab that have caught the eye of many.
The group have overcome many obstacles in their still-young career, not least facing opposition from conservative Muslims in their home country, and stereotyping elsewhere due to their hijab-wearing on stage.
In the words of Marsya: “Wearing a hijab should not be a barrier to the group’s pursuit of its dream of being heavy metal stars… I think gender equality should be supported because I feel I am still exploring my creativity, while at the same time, not diminishing my obligations as a Muslim woman”.
Themes of empowerment, defiance, and celebration run throughout Voice Of Baceprot‘s work, themes heard throughout the debut album Retas.
The anthemic single ‘PMS’, short for perempuan merdeka seutuhnya (“completely independent women”), celebrates women who are breaking stereotypes and boundaries in all forms.
The origin of ‘PMS’ is from VOB’s own background, when the band members still lived in their village in rural Indonesia. A conservative community, there are few career options for women after school – by choosing a career in music, Voice Of Baceprot have been marked by some as an anomaly or rebel in their community. ‘PMS’ is then a solidarity call for all women who face the same problems but march on regardless, to keep doing what they love.
This fearless and fearsome approach has already cemented VOB’s position as a hugely exciting prospect – and noticed by key media players globally, including The New York Times, The Guardian, NME, Metal Hammer, Kerrang!, and many more across USA, Europe, and beyond.
In summer 2022 VOB performed at Wacken Open Air 2022 to over 5,000 fans, have recently announced their debut US tour, and have collectively garnered close to ten million views and streams of their music across all platforms.
Twenty years since the release of his best-selling album ‘Blues Deluxe,’ which celebrated what the US government had declared “the year of the blues” with a mix of originals and reinterpretations of classic songs, superstar Joe Bonamassa is taking stock of how far he and the genre have come with Blues Deluxe Vol. 2, out October 6th via J&R Adventures. Featuring two new originals and eight new covers spanning some of the most important names in the blues – from Bobby “Blue” Bland and Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac to Albert King – Blues Deluxe 2 finds Bonamassa returning to his roots and giving new life to the classic tracks that have informed his own artistry.
“If you had told me 20 years ago my career would last long enough to see the 20th anniversary of this little record called ‘Blues Deluxe,’ I’m sure I would have laughed,” Bonamassa reflects. “Blues Deluxe was my last shot after being dropped by two major record labels and my booking agent. It was then that my manager, Roy Weisman, had his first ‘all in’ moment. We would go back into the studio and record. A record that would hopefully define the direction of whatever future career I might have.”
“On Blues Deluxe Vol. 2, I asked my great friend Josh Smith to produce a record to be a companion to the anniversary edition of the first album, and hopefully demonstrate a bit of how I have progressed over the last 20 years,” Bonamassa adds. “The contrast between a cocky 26-year-old and an established 46-year-old is considerable. Does the fire still burn like it did? Am I still playing hungry? Am I even good enough to pay tribute to my heroes all over again? The answer lies somewhere in this album.”
“When Joe asked me to produce Blues Deluxe Vol. 2, I knew immediately what I wanted to accomplish,” adds Smith. “I wanted the fans to hear the completely natural, relaxed Joe that I hear when we are just goofing around playing guitars. He really was in the moment and feeling completely supported and I know that he really ‘went for it’ on everything.”
To mark the announcement, Bonamassa has released the album’s latest single“Twenty-Four Hour Blues,” a blistering reinterpretation of Bobby “Blue” Bland’s classic track, featured on one of Bonamassa’s favorite albums of all time, Dreamer. The new version features one of Bonamassa’s best-ever vocals and guitar solos. “The outro guitar solo is incredible,” Smith comments. “It happened live on the floor and has some deep lines you’ve probably never heard Joe play before. The band is absolutely smoking, and Calvin Turner did an incredible String and Horn arrangement. Super proud of this one.” Watch the official Music video for “Twenty-Four Hour Blues” NOW
“Part of my approach to these new recordings was that I wanted to see if I had matured musically over the years, and if I had gotten better as a player,” Bonamassa says. “I’m happy to say that I am a much better singer than I was 20 years ago – though I still don’t really consider myself to be a legit ‘singer,’ I can now carry a tune a little better than I could back then.”
The announcement of Blues Deluxe, Vol. 2 follows the release of the album’s lead single “I Want To Shout About It,” originally performed by Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters. Bonamassa’s joyful version features solos from Reese Wynans on organ and Paulie Cerra on sax, as well as some killer adlibs from vocalists Dannielle DeAndrea and Charles Jones as the track winds to a close. “Shout About It is a song originally by the great Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters with Darrel Nullisch on vocals,” Smith adds. “It’s a tough/high song to sing and Joe really pushed himself and nailed it. It’s a real rave up, a party song. Joe has been playing it live lately and the crowds are really digging it!”
Featuring Reese Wynans (keys), Calvin Turner (bass), Lamar Carter (drums), Kirk Fletcher (guitar), and Smith (guitar), additional highlights from Blues Deluxe Vol. 2 include Guitar Slim’s “Well, I Done Got Over It,” Bobby Parker’s “It’s Hard But It’s Fair,” and “Is It Safe To Go Home,” a new track written for Joe by Josh Smith. “I knew I wanted to push him really hard vocally,” Smith adds. “I’d heard him sing things just messing around or when we’d be producing for other artists that I’d never heard him do on record. So the songs were both chosen and written with that in mind. If you listen to the vocals on “Twenty-Four Hour Blues” and “Is It Safe To Go Home,” you’ll hear Joe really going for it.”
Having just earned a remarkable 26th #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart for his sprawling and extensive live concert film and album Tales Of Time, Bonamassa is heading to Europe for three weeks of festival performances, before returning to the US for a string of summer dates. The summer run will include Bonamassa’s debut appearance at Hollywood Bowl on Wednesday, August 9th, with an exclusive, one-night-only concert experience alongside an orchestra, which will be recorded for his next live concert film. Then the hardest working bluesman in show business begins his US Fall Tour on October 23rd at The Cannon Center in Memphis, TN, which will take him from coast-to-coast to end at the guitar-shaped Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL. For more information and to purchase tickets, click HERE.
Cited by Guitar World as “arguably the world’s biggest blues guitarist,” Bonamassa is known for taking risks and venturing into uncharted territory throughout his wide-ranging career. His last recent full-length Time Clocks marked his most raw, rocking studio album yet, with American Songwriter sharing, “Bonamassa pushes into fresh territory while staying within a blues-based framework,” and “there is more than enough proof in this sprawling set that Bonamassa doesn’t intend to rest on his laurels or take his star status in the blues-rock genre for granted.”
Hailed as “a near spiritual experience” by Classic Rock Magazine and featuring songs from his latest #1 studio album, Time Clocks, Bonamassa’s latest live concert release Tales Of Time, captures a stratospheric performance by the blues-rock titan at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, which found his virtuoso guitar style and unique technique and flair elevating the evening to an almost heavenly high. The project was produced by long-time collaborator and producer Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Journey).
“This live show represents our most progressive and largest production to date, focusing on my most ambitious studio album to date,” commented Bonamassa. “My band was a force of nature on this show, and it truly was a special night.” For more information on Tales Of Time, click HERE.
Blues Deluxe Vol. 2 by Joe Bonamassa
1) Twenty-Four Hour Blues (originally performed by Bobby “Blue” Bland) 2) It’s Hard But It’s Fair (originally performed by Bobby Parker) 3) Well, I Done Got Over It (originally performed by Guitar Slim) 4) I Want to Shout About It (originally performed by Ronnie Earle & The Broadcasters) 5) Win-O (originally performed by Pee Wee Crayton) 6) Hope You Realize It (Goodbye Again) *original song written by Joe Bonamassa & Tom Hambridge 7) Lazy Poker Blues (originally performed by Fleetwood Mac) 8) You Sure Drive a Hard Bargain (originally performed by Albert King) 9) The Truth Hurts Feat Kirk Fletcher and Josh Smith (originally performed by Kenny Neal) 10) Is It Safe To Go Home *original song written by Josh Smith
Summer U.S. Tour August 2 – Vina Robles Amphitheatre – Paso Robles, CA August 4 – The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – Las Vegas, NV August 5 – Eccles Theater – Salt Lake City, UT August 6 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO August 9 – Hollywood Bowl – Los Angeles, CA^ August 12 – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY** August 13 – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts – Bethel, NY** September 23 – Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Festival – Los Angeles, CA
**Keeping the Blues Alive presents: Joe Bonamassa & Friends: Styx and Don Felder, formerly of the Eagles ^Joe Bonamassa with Orchestra
Fall U.S. Tour October 23 – Memphis, TN – The Cannon Center October 25 – Shreveport, LA – Shreveport Municipal Auditorium October 27 – San Antonio, TX – Majestic Theatre October 28 – Sugar Land, TX – Smart Financial Centre At Sugar Land October 29 – Austin, TX – ACL Live November 1 – Fayetteville, AR – Walton Arts Center November 3 – Little Rock, AR – Robinson Performance Hall November 4 – Grand Prairie, TX – Texas Trust CU Theatre November 5 – Oklahoma City, OK – Civic Center Music Hall November 8 – Tulsa, OK – Tulsa Theater November 10 – Kansas City, MO – The Midland Theatre November 11 – St. Louis, MO – The Fabulous Fox November 12 – Cedar Rapids, IA – Paramount Theatre November 14 – Rochester, MN – Mayo Civic Center November 15 – Rockford, IL – Coronado Performing Arts Center November 17 – Fort Wayne, IN – Embassy Theatre November 18 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre November 19 – Columbus, OH – Palace Theatre November 21 – Reading, PA – The Santander Performing Arts Center November 22 – Providence, RI – Providence Performance Arts Center November 24 – Springfield, MA – Symphony Hall November 25 – Baltimore, MD – The Lyric November 28 – Savannah, GA – Johnny Mercer Theatre November 30 – Sarasota, FL – Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall December 1 – Estero, FL – Hertz Arena December 2 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live
“Rocking Heels: Live at Metal Church” is the document of a very special concert in the idyllic setting of Wacken Church. It will be released on August 11th, 2023 on earMUSIC and is the first release of the live series “Rocking Heels”.
In front of just 300 fans, this onetime-only event opened the Wacken Open Air Festival in 2016. Tarja presents unique arrangements of rock and heavy metal classics by her favourite artists including “Numb” by Linkin Park, In Flame’s “Alias”, Metallica’s “The Unforgiven”, songs by Joe Satriani and Slipknot as well as a Nightwish song and Tarja originals.
The first single, a cover of Linkin Park’s “Numb”, perfectly reflects the intimate setting of this concert. Tarja’s operatic prowess and hauntingly beautiful vocals add an extra layer of ethereal magic to an already powerful masterpiece. The song explores themes of emotional isolation, frustration, and the struggle to find one’s identity in a world that often feels overwhelming. The lyrics convey a sense of detachment and numbness, reflecting the emotional struggles and inner turmoil of the protagonist.
With its captivating performances of well-known songs paired with Tarja’s iconic voice, this live album is a treasure for fans, as well as a discovery for Tarja-newcomers and all those who missed the chance to attend this exclusive concert. “Rocking Heels: Live at Metal Church” will be released as a Ltd. 2LP Vinyl Edition, CD Digipak in LP-replica design and on Digital.
THE ROCK ALCHEMIST – Italian Rock Band from Turin with a strong sonic identity that blends modern rock with progressive, hard, alternative, and pop elements!
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
