Photo by Benedetta Gaiani – The Hurricane Photography
Less than one year after the release of their latest album “All Colors Of Darkness”, Brazilian death metal stalwarts NERVOCHAOS are loaded and ready to hit the trigger with new music. “Son Of Sin” is the first digital single from the São Paulo band and, more significantly, it gets released after an year of intense, heavy touring for Nervochaos. As a result, the new song is harder, heavier, faster and more brutal, foreshowing another fierce record for the Brazilian band in early 2023.
Today NERVOCHAOS team up with Metal Shock Finland, to premiere for Finland, their lyric video ‘Son Of Sin’, enjoy it below.
NervoChaos was born in São Paulo – Brazil in the spring of 1996, with the idea of creating aggressive and chaotic music.
NervoChaos gained cult status in the music scene due to their hard work over the past 26 years, offering a sonic extravaganza in their unique way. The group has ten full-length studio albums out and is constantly touring worldwide to support their releases, doing over 100 concerts per year – from clubs to festivals.
A new NervoChaos album will be released in early 2023.
Lineup: Edu Lane: Drums Luiz ‘Quinho’ Parisi: Guitar Woesley Johann: Guitar Brian Stone: Vocals Pedro Lemes: Bass
German epic heavy metallers CROM have teamed up with Metal Shock Finland, to premiere for Finland, their brand new official video ‘Higher Ground’, set to be released next week as a digital single via From The Vaults.
With a big chorus and a dramatic melody, the song, that is a cover version of Danish artist Rasmussen (with which he represented his country at the Eurovision in 2018), takes you to big open fields, just before the battle, when you can feel the wind in your face and taste the fear of your enemies in it.
Join the premiering here:
There’s no denying… Music has become, even in its more extreme and heavier forms, a “market”. Sales figures are thrown, marketing plans are drawn, social media strategies are put into place. And the “success” outcome is measured by stream counts, quick likes without even listening to the whole album and views countings. Week after week, the machine is grinding more releases and bands, always moving forward, with listeners overwhelmed by the quantity of new music at their disposal.
CROM’s new album was not written and recorded for this “market”. Mastermind Walter “Crom” Grosse has played that game (and won in, for that matter) with Dark Fortress (he served there as bassist and guitarist between 1997 and 2001), but he retreated to his Bathory-inspired musical influences and stood his ground with his project Crom, which slowly turned into a three-man army. “The Era Of Darkness” is the new battlefield of the trio and, once again, it breathes and lives heavy metal in its most epic forms. From big chorus to gigantic, fist-pumping solos and breathtaking guitar leads, the new Crom album is a collection of varied but cohesive heavy/power metal anthems that will get your blood pumping once again for true metal, if you listen to it properly – paying attention to the lyrics, active listening and giving it enough spins, instead of just turning to the next release stream after a few minutes.
Whilst playing with German melodic black metallers Dark Fortress, Walter “Crom” Grosse began working on a solo-project that was worlds apart from the raw aggression normally associated with the genre in which he started. The more the work progressed, the more Grosse realised that he much preferred to forge his own musical path, a path where melody is the defining factor, and, following on from the positive response to his debut EP “The Fallen Beauty”, he decided to focus his attention solely on the band that had become Crom.
Grosse has never made any secret of his admiration and respect for Quorthon. Like many other musicians, he is influenced by the epic melodies of the legendary Bathory, but, unlike many, he has allowed the influence to subtly shade, rather than define, the musical content. Crom has an individuality that can only be described as, well… “CROM”!
Delicate acoustic guitars are counter-pointed by crushing metal riffs. A powerful vocal performance is accompanied by melodies that are in turn poignant or majestic. With his use of choirs, epic arrangements, skilful transitions, and stirring melodies, Grosse is able to conjure up images of mighty warriors and lost loves; epic struggles and tragic personal losses; despair and ultimate salvation.
After three albums (“Vengeance” in 2008, “Of Love And Death” in 2011 and “When Northmen Die” in 2017) Crom started a brand new chapter in its career, signing a new record deal with From The Vaults releasing the new EP “Into The Glory Land” in 2021. A spearhead craved deep in the future, foreshowing the battle that was yet to come…
“The Era Of Darkness” will be released on digital, CD and LP (black vinyl, limited to 300 units) via From The Vaults on January 13th, 2023.
Lineup: Walter “Crom” Grosse: vocals, choirs, lead & acoustic guitars, bass Steve Peyerl: solo guitar Thomas Hagl: drums
TRAGEDY – one of New York City’s most famous tribute bands and the undisputed inventors of “disco metal” – had a glitter-encrusted grip on the entertainment world when they emerged in the early 2010’s. Now, following the 2015 breakout viral music video for their cover of Grease’s “You’re The One That I Want” and 2017’s second viral hit, a cover of “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees, TRAGEDY are back with a brand new twist on I Am Woman, out March 3, 2023 via Napalm Records.
Flipping the script on sleaze rock tropes, with I Am Woman, TRAGEDY pay tribute to the most powerful force in their lives, as allies celebrating womanhood in all forms on 14 newly-recorded, reinvented disco and soft rock anthems of power, freedom, feeling and fun. While their 80s hair metal image would imply that plenty of misbehavior is to be seen on the surface, one only need witness TRAGEDY live a single time to understand that the band’s true overarching message is one of carefree joy, humanity, acceptance and the simple pursuit of a damn good time.
The band kicks things into high gear today with the album’s first single – a swinging glam metal rendition of the legendary anthem “Venus” – alongside a fantastic video featuring appearances by bohemian NYC legends such as Tammy Fae Starlite, Anna Copa Cabanna and Crystal Durant… and tons of bananas!
Frontman Mo’Royce Peterson says about “Venus”:
“Venus. The goddess of beauty, love and gardening – all areas where TRAGEDY shines like no other band. Originally done by Shocking Blue and Bananarama, the song explores how we all have our own personal goddess of beauty and love – someone who excites and inspires us like no other. Our version is chock full of MTV-era references, will get your head bangin’, your hips shakin’, and put a knowing smile on your face.”
Having introduced their raucous trademark stage show to audiences in the USA, the UK, Germany, France, Switzerland and beyond, and releasing several albums of metalized disco, soft rock and pop covers before even tasting their first viral hit, TRAGEDY proved early on that they were never just your everyday satirical cover band. These six warriors of wacky fully embody the soul of the original and reimagine it from the top down, infusing the tracks with an undeniably infectious energy that can be felt both on stage or on wax.
…Shiny costumes, dramatic eye makeup and headbanging hilarity…” – The Village Voice (US)
“Hard riffs, tight white flares, and even tighter octave-scraping harmonies… essential listening” – The Sun (UK)
On I Am Woman, TRAGEDY turn the energy up to 11 with recharged dancehall favorites like “Le Freak”, “Respect” (featuring soul powerhouse Marcy Harriell) and “I’m So Excited”, and double down on the drama with heavy, recomposed covers of belt-worthy classics “Memory” (featuring legendary drag performer, singer and guitarist Mrs. Smith), “Goldfinger” and “Roar”. Tracks like “I Will Survive” evoke the spirit of Queen with choral harmonies and blazing solos, while unabashed anthems like “She Bop” and “Venus” fully convince with authentic 80s hair metal flavor. Power metal reigns on the band’s opus-like version of “Flashdance… What a Feeling” and the theatrical Maiden-meets-Meatloaf-esque “Lay All Your Love on Me”. I Am Woman is bolstered by a retro production aura that allows the intricacy of each rearrangement decision to shine, as blistering guitar work, classic drumlines and dynamic vocal performances cascade throughout each track. With I Am Woman, TRAGEDY truly embody the spirit of metal classics while providing a fresh take on some of the world’s most timeless classics of empowerment, independence and self-love – important messages that resonate now more than ever!
Frontman Mo’Royce Peterson adds:
“On I Am Woman, we find the inner-metal in disco and soft rock classics made famous by women. TRAGEDY’s concept has always been to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, inverting the yin and the yang. Here, we honor, celebrate and explore various themes of womanhood.”
First, the band will provide support to Steel Panther and Crobot on their newly announced US tour, beginning February 24 in Las Vegas, NV. Tickets for the US tour go on sale this Friday, December 9 at 10:00AM local time. About a week later, TRAGEDY will kick off a co-headline European tour with fellow comedy metal icons and labelmates NANOWAR OF STEEL, beginning April 18 in Southampton, UK. Tickets for the UK & European tour are on sale now! See below for all tour dates and check local venue listings for more information.
TRAGEDY: US Tour with Steel Panther and Crobot (as special guest)
02.24.23 – US: Las Vegas, NV – House Of Blues 02.25.23 – US: Anaheim, CA – House Of Blues 02.26.23 – US: Tempe, AZ – The Marquee Theatre 02.28.23 – US: San Antonio, TX – The Aztec Theater 03.01.23 – US: Houston, TX – House Of Blues 03.03.23 – US: Dallas, TX – House Of Blues 03.04.23 – US: Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom 03.06.23 – US: Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works 03.08.23 – US: Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Culture Room 03.10.23 – US: Orlando FL – The Plaza Live 03.11.23 – US: St. Petersburg, FL – Jannus Live 03.12.23 – US: Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theatre 03.14.23 – US: Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live 03.16.23 – US: New York, NY – Irving Plaza 03.17.23 – US: Philadelphia, PA – Keswick Theatre 03.18.23 – US: Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom 03.19.23 – US: Worcester, MA – The Palladium 03.21.23 – US: Detroit, MI – The Fillmore 03.22.23 – US: Columbus, OH – The Bluestone 03.24.23 – US: Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room 03.25.23 – US: Chicago, IL – House Of Blues 03.26.23 – US: Bloomington, IL – The Castle Theatre 03.28.23 – US: Milwaukee, WI – The Eagles Club Stage 03.29.23 – US: Minneapolis, MN – The Fillmore 03.31.23 – US: Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theatre 04.01.23 – US: Denver, CO – The Fillmore 04.02.23 – US: Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot 04.04.23 – US: Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom 04.06.23 – US: West Hollywood, CA – Whisky A Go Go 04.07.23 – US: West Hollywood, CA – Whisky A Go Go 04.08.23 – US: San Diego, CA – House Of Blues
TRAGEDY: European Decimation co-headline tour w/ Nanowar of Steel *TRAGEDY only (w/o Nanowar of Steel)
18.04.23 – UK: Southampton, 1865 * 19.04.23 – UK: Oxford, O2 Academy 2 * 20.04.23 – UK: Hull, The Welly Club 21.04.23 – UK: Carlisle, The Venue 22.04.23 – UK: Glasgow, Cathouse 23.04.23 – UK: Sheffield, O2 Academy 2 24.04.23 – UK: Newcastle, Think Tank 25.04.23 – UK: Liverpool, O2 Academy 2 26.04.23 – UK: Birmingham, IS2 27.04.23 – UK: London, O2 Academy Islington 28.04.23 – UK: Dorset, Teddy Rock Festival 29.04.23 – UK: Bristol, Thekla 30.04.23 – UK: Brighton, Patterns 02.05.23 – FR: Nantes, Ferrailleur 03.05.23 – FR: Paris, Petit Bain 04.05.23 – FR: Toulouse, Connexion Live 05.05.23 – ES: Barcelona, Sala Boveda 06.05.23 – ES: Madrid, Sala Revi Live 07.05.23 – PT: Lisbon, RCA Club 08.05.23 – ES: Murcia, Sala Garage Beat Club 09.05.23 – ES: Valencia, Sala Peter Rock 10.05.23 – ES: Portugalete (Bilbao), Sala Groove 11.05.23 – FR: Lyon, Rock’n Eat
As the wheel of the year turns towards the hostile days of yuletide and the wild hunt picks up the scent of mortals, Swiss metal legends ELUVEITIE once again pour their despair regarding the abandonment of the world through their Gods into fantastic visuals. Today, the band featuring Chrigel Glanzmann and Fabienne Erni release a lyric video for ‘Exile Of The Gods’.
Founding member Chrigel Glanzmann commented earlier on the single: “We are very excited to share our new single ‘Exile Of The Gods’ with you – after ‘Aidus’ the ‘second page’ in Eluveitie’s next chapter. Our current path leads us way back in time. And back to the present! Our new song cycle is all based on a very old mythic text – the hermetic lament. Although it didn’t originate from Celtic culture, we know today that its words were taken on, assimilated, and taught by the Celtic druids henceforth. In the interpretatio celtae its teachings were ascribed to the tricephalic Celtic god Lugus. This ancient text contains some kind of a prophecy which holds some very serious and important words for us modern people of today – even if we assume that it’s not talking about our era (which personally I believe it does, though). Among many other things that the lament of Lugus foretells: ‘…of thy faith nothing will remain but an empty tale, which thine own children in time to come will not believe; nothing will be left but graven words, and only the stones will tell of thy piety. For the gods – which once deigned to sojourn upon earth – will return from earth to Antumnos. The gods will depart from mankind, a grievous thing! The world will be left desolate, bereft of the presence of its deities.’ And this is, what our new single is dealing with! However, that ancient text spells out clearly that we’re not simply talking about some mythological, religious or spiritual matters here. For it also talks very clearly about the development of mankind’s relationship with mother earth in that context and points out very concrete actions of ours (today) and their consequences in and for nature, and thus ultimately for us. And so, we are excited to share our brand-new song with you all! And we hope you like it as much as we do and that maybe you even can find some inspiration in it! Enjoy!”
ELUVEITIE are currently on tour with Finnish metal veterans AMORPHIS and NAILED TO OBSCURITY. Check out the band at one of the below show dates: 09.12. DE Munich – Zenith 10.12. DE Leipzig – Felsenkeller 12.12. HU Budapest – Barba Negra 14.12. DE Wiesbaden – Schlachthof 15.12. LU Esch/Alzette – Rockhal 16.12. DE Oberhausen – Turbinenhalle 17.12. DE Hamburg – Große Freiheit
Incendiary Pittsburgh punk rockers ANTI-FLAG are inching closer to the release of their 13th album Lies They Tell Our Children on January 6 via Spinefarm. Pre-order it here.
For this record, the band recruited several high profile and like-minded artists to feature on the songs.
For “VICTORY OR DEATH (WE GAVE ‘EM HELL),” A-F looked to Campino of Die Toten Hosen.
“From the first play through of the chord progression of ‘Victory or Death,’ we knew where it needed to go lyrically. It sounded like hope. It sounded like empathy. Carrying the stories of freedom fighters who were forgotten, perhaps never known, or far too often had their legacies softened, made out to be less radical and safe for American History books.
“This song stands as homage and a testament to the people who’ve laid the groundwork for progress. Using all within their sometimes limited power to alleviate suffering, challenge the status quo of violence, and demand a reckoning with societal norms that further marginalize and exploit people.
“In spirit with the concept behind Lies They Tell Our Children, we were leaning hard on and embracing our inspirations as a band. Touring with Die Toten Hosen in 2008 was an eye-opening experience. One that has stuck with us through the years. So it only made sense for us to reach out to Campino to see if he had interest in being a part of this track. Not only was he willing to sing the verse we wrote for him, he also penned his own in German. Our hearts and minds were blown away by it.
“This song is one of the most important moments on the album. We’re grateful to share this with the world. To pay our respects to the activists and agitators who lived their lives to leave the world better than they found it.
“March on to our very last breath, it’s victory or death…”
For even further insight into this impactful song, go here.
The Limited Edition Lies They Tell Our Children Olive Green vinyl is available for pre-order here. Lies They Tell Our Children was recorded, produced, and mixed by Jon Lundin.
LIES THEY TELL OUR CHILDREN TRACK LISTING: “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 are currently on tour. All dates are below, including their 2023 dates with Flogging Molly and Skinny Lister. Get tickets here.
ANTI-FLAG ON TOUR:
U.S DATES 2022: 12/9 — Buffalo, NY — Rec Room (With Cancer Bats and Plasmid) 12/10 — Toronto, ON — Danforth Music Hall – ANTIfest (With Cancer Bats, Dilly Dally, Dead Tired, Indian Giver)
ANTI-FLAG ON TOUR 2023:
WITH FLOGGING MOLLY & SKINNY LISTER: 2/2 — Austin, TX — ACL Live at The Moody Theater 2/3 — New Orleans, LA — The Fillmore 2/4 — Huntsville, AL — Mars Music Hall 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 3/19 — Reno, NV — Grand Sierra Resort
2023 ANNOUNCED EURO FESTIVALS: 6/3-4 — Linz, AT — SBÄM Fest 6/15-18 — Dessel, BE — Graspop 6/24 — Münster, DE — Vainstream Rockfest 7/2 — Rimini, IT — Slam Dunk Italy
With Pantera top of mind as their reunion tour begins, fans are sharing their memories of one of the world’s most iconic bands. Dagon Destroyer is no exception. He recalls meeting Dimebag on tour.
Imagine being the biggest rock star in the world and, despite this, waiting in line to meet the members of an obscure industrial metal band. This was Dimebag. Totally humble and unaffected by his fame.
Dagon recalls, “I’ll never forget standing there signing autographs at our merch booth and looking up and seeing Dimebag Darrell waiting in line to meet me as if he were just another fan. I did my best to play it cool but I entered a state of shock. I signaled for him to come to the front of the line, and his body language told me he wanted to wait. He must’ve waited for a good 10 minutes giving the fans a meaningful amount of time with me at the booth. Little did they know they were standing in front of the greatest rock star of all time. I was so worried he would leave but he just stood in line like everyone else.”
Society 1 was on tour with Pissing Razors back in 2003. This was the era when Dimebag and Vinnie Paul were with Damage Plan. Dime and Vinnie were very close friends of Eddy “Razer” Garcia (Drummer of Pissing Razors) and they were there to see the show.
Eddy corroborates the story. “Yeah, that’s just how Dime was. You’d never know how much success he’d achieved because he treated everyone like they mattered to him because they truly did. Dime and Vinnie were at that show because they loved Pissing Razors. Our band played “Domination” for the Pantera Tribute Album which, in a way, really put Pissing Razors on the map. We drank all night with them. I truly miss my brothers, may they rest in peace.”
Society 1 frontman Matt Zane remembers the interaction, “The first thing Dime said to me at the merch booth was ‘Your that band who has the drummer with the big fro! I’ve seen you guys in all the magazines. I’m so happy for your success.’”
Standing at Society 1’s merch booth, Dimebag proceeds to take out his wallet to buy Society 1’s merch. Everyone started gathering around as they realized that their eyes weren’t playing tricks on them. Dime and Vinnie were there present in a cozy metal venue in El Paso.
Dagon continues, “Dimebag told me that my big hair and look reminded him of what he looked like when he was young. He said he absolutely loved my look and was so happy to see all the attention we were getting. I did my best to remain calm. He was my all-time hero. Just before Dime headed to the bar with Eddy and The Razers, I got to tell him that his music shaped my life and that I was so grateful for his work here on this planet. My only regret is that I didn’t get a picture with him. I didn’t sleep after that interaction for two days, and this is not me exaggerating to tell a story. I couldn’t sleep a wink. Now 20 years later, I can still say this is one of the highlights of my life.”
Catch Dagon Destroyer and Society 1 on the Rise Of The Machine tour next year with Static-X and Fear Factory.
Tour Dates: 02/24 @ TBA – Fresno, CA * 02/25 @ The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA 02/27 @ Roseland – Portland, OR 02/28 @ Showbox – Seattle, WA 03/01 @ Rickshaw Theater – Vancouver, B.C. 03/02 @ Knitting Factory – Spokane, WA 03/03 @ Revolution Music Hall – Boise, ID 03/04 @ Virginia Street Brewhouse – Reno, NV 03/05 @ Ace Of Spades – Sacramento, CA 03/07 @ Van Buren – Phoenix, AZ 03/08 @ El Rey Theater – Albuquerque, NM 03/09 @ Diamond Ballroom – Oklahoma City, OK 03/10 @ House of Blues – Dallas, TX 03/11 @ The Aztec Theater – San Antonio, TX 03/12 @ House Of Blues – Houston, TX 03/14 @ Buckhead Theater – Atlanta, GA 03/15 @ Plaza Live – Orlando, FL 03/16 @ Underground – Charlotte, NC 03/17 @ Soundstage – Baltimore, MD 03/18 @ T.L.A. – Philadelphia, PA
*Not Rise Of The Machines
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
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 