“The only thing I knew was that I wanted to go on making music and fulfil my vision of the songs I had”, says Kai Hansen about forming GAMMA RAY after leaving Helloween in 1988 – a vision that paid off.
For over 30 years and with a total of eleven studio albums, the Hamburg-based power metal band built around bandleader Kai Hansen has influenced and shaped the genre. The expressiveness of their music is also reflected in their energetic live shows, which was impressively captured on their long player “30 Years Live Anniversary” (2021).
With “Blast From The Past”, the German power metal icons GAMMA RAY return to their beginnings and revisit their first 10 years. The album with Kai Hansen on vocals is a cross-section of their studio albums released between 1990 and 1999.
“We said [to our fans]: ‘Choose three songs from each album’”, remembers Kai Hansen and the results formed “Blast From The Past”, originally released in 2000 and long out of print.
All songs have been remastered by producer Eike Freese for this reissue edition and it includes extensive linernotes by UK journalist Dave Everley (Kerrang!, Louder, Prog, Metal Hammer, amongst others). Based on an interview conducted with Kai Hansen, they provide an insight into the making of the album and the band’s history over the first 10 years.
Today, “Blast From The Past” with its iconic album cover by Derek Riggs (Iron Maiden) is finally available again. Along with the Limited 3CD Digipak Edition (including the rare “Skeletons & Majesties” mini-album as a bonus), the album is released digitally and for the first time ever on Vinyl LP.
In 20 powerful songs GAMMA RAY‘s Kai Hansen (lead vocals, guitar), Dirk Schlächter (bass), Henjo Richter (guitar) and Daniel Zimmermann (drums) underscore once again their status as one of the most important power metal bands of the last three decades.
Against all odds and fighting off whatever the world hurls at them, Sheffield rock legends BLACK SPIDERS just will not die. Their forthcoming and fourth album, ‘Can’t Die, Won’t Die’, is a triumphant howl right into the face of adversity and features 42 minutes of back-street trouble, produced by regular studio compadre, Matt Elliss, set for worldwide release via Spinefarm May 12th, the band’s first campaign with the label.
Today, the band are setting loose a brand-new and utterly monstrous track from the album, with new single “Alright, Alright, Alright”. A three-and-a-half-minute rock stomper, it delves deep into the psyche of frontman Pete Spiby and takes a peek into what goes on inside his head when he’s fast asleep.
“I’ve had a few weird dreams that I actually remember, but only a few make it into song lyrics. ‘Alright, Alright, Alright’ is one of them, which was centred around Matthew McConaughey having an arm wrestle with the Devil, within some sort of crazy 80’s movie,” he says.
Since re-assembling Avengers-style (though probably more Suicide Squad!) in 2020, BLACK SPIDERS have continued to make a loud and compelling case for heavy guitar music from the sin city streets, with three chords and the truth – reveling in the glories of the genre, its sacred lore, with a top-shelf collection of riffs, a sly dash of humour, plus an iconic logo that sits alongside the best.
Noted for their unswerving dedication to the music, the middle finger (or two) and the rousing rock ‘n’ roll slogan (“EAT THUNDER, SHIT LIGHTNING!”), the SPIDERS are the perfect low-slung machine to raise a glass or clench a tattooed fist to, and ‘Can’t Die, Won’t Die’ – 12 new tracks including ‘Destroyer’ and ‘It Is What It Is’, all measured pace and power, and ‘Driving My Rooster’, a race towards the cliff edge – is sure to add more burnt tread to their tires.
BLACK SPIDERS have also confirmed that they will play a special album launch show via Record Junkee in Sheffield on May 19th.
The performance is free to those who pre-order the album from HERE
In support of their studio albums (the most recent of which hit the No. 7 spot on the UK Independent Albums chart), plus a fistful of EPs, BLACK SPIDERS have toured with a variety of rock’s most riff-hungry sons, the likes of Volbeat, Danzig, Airbourne and Monster Magnet, and appeared at all of the UK’s leading festivals, including Download, Sonisphere and Bloodstock.
Their plan is to spend much of 2023 out on the road, and it’s a strategy that is for once, going to plan.
Catch BLACK SPIDERS live at the following dates on their September tour. The Hot Damn! to support on all dates.
Fri 15 Sep – The Forum, Tunbridge Wells Sat 16 Sep – New Cross Inn, London Sun 17 Sep – Moonshine, Portsmouth Mon 18 Sep – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham Tue 19 Sep – The Warehouse, Leeds Thu 21 Sep – Live Rooms, Chester Fri 22 Sep – The Garage (Attic), Glasgow Sat 23 Sep – Anarchy Brewery, Newcastle Sun 24 Sep – The Patriot, Crumlin Mon 25 Sep – The Junction, Plymouth
BLACK SPIDERS are also confirmed to play the following festivals with more to be added:
Sunday May 28th – Call of the Wild festival Sunday 23rd July – Maid in Stone festival Saturday 29th July – Rock & Blues Custom show Sunday 13th August – Firestorm festival Saturday 2nd December – Winter Rocks
English alternative rock quartet HAUNT THE WOODS have released their stunningly evocative new single ‘Fever Dream’.
Haunt the Woods’ Jonathan Stafford (vocals/guitar) comments: “‘Fever Dream’ is a glorious fanfare, juxtaposing the struggle to find oneself in the modern, failing world, against the glorious awe and wonder of the vast limitless universe. Recorded at Middle Farm Studios in 2021, the song reflects the struggles of the time and the glimpse of hope and light at the end of the tunnel.”
With elements as disparate as Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, The Mars Volta, Queen and beyond, Haunt the Woods are a curiously unique band.
In the deepest reaches of the English countryside there is a sublime sound emanating from the landscape, and its name is Haunt the Woods. Timely and yet oddly timeless, this surprisingly youthful quartet span musical decades and worlds.
It won’t be long before you hear plenty more from these musical mavericks, and with good reason. Formed in the hinterlands between Plymouth, Devon, and Cornwall, Haunt the Woods deftly interweave alt rock, folk, prog and pop with an epic level of pomp and poetic elegance that suggests a far longer tenure than their young years suggest. There are tips of the hat to Queen and Muse, Jeff Buckley and Radiohead, and a sprinkled-in tinge of Beatles-loving pop sensibility and Manchester Orchestra-esque poignancy: Haunt the Woods have that rare ability to conjure legacy while creating a bold sound that is newly their own.
With two warmly received EPs and a debut album, Opaque (2020) which was released in 2020, the stage has been set for their overdue introduction to the world, which begins with their stunning new single ‘Fever Dream’. Cinematic in scope, operatic in texture – it’s a fitting illustration of the band’s prowess and talent.
Watch Haunt the Woods live: May 11: Brighton The Great Escape Jun 03: Scorrier The Great Estate Jul 05: Cheltenham 2000trees Jul 21: Dartmoor Tunes in the Sands Jul 22: Whiddon Down Chagstock Jul 23: Bude, Leopollooza
ATREYU have released the official music video for “God/Devil” taken from their The Hope of a Spark EP out now – stream now.
The single, laments a loss of identity, self, and faith, a desperate cry for help from a higher power when the greatest power is already within. “‘God/Devil’ represents the intense feeling of hopelessness that leaves us as humans feeling so helpless and scared that we reach for anything that will help us alleviate the pain/sadness we are going through,” said Atreyu. “When life shows its saddest, darkest side we desperately reach for anything we can grasp to help us and ‘God/Devil’ is the audible version of that.”
The 4-tracks embody everything that the band has come to be, to mean, to represent, marking the beginning of the next chapter in the band’s story, with assorted pieces of an expansive puzzle still taking shape, form, and focus.
The opening track of the EP, “Drowning,” was written as a collective effort from each band member who poured their own experiences, be it familial health problems that guitarist Dan Jacobs was shouldering to Saller’s first encounters with feelings of anxiety or bassist, Porter’s McKnight’s long-running fight with depression, following, “Capital F,” which was inspired by Saller’s observations of the human plight and “Watch Me Burn” which is EP’s phoenix rising from life’s trial-by-fire.
Produced by long-time collaborator John Feldmann, the new music explores reflection and rumination on modern life’s pressures, pleasures, and pains, with each track representing a snapshot of deeply personal, lived, and shared experiences.
“The overarching concept is essentially about the seasons of life,” frontman, Brandon Saller explains. “Everyone goes through the same things, the ups and downs of life. The emphasis really is the importance of at least respecting those, and finding the positives and the lessons from even your lowest moments.”
“These songs are the culmination of our entire artistic endeavors,” McKnight attests. “It’s everything we’ve learned as humans, everything we’ve ingested as musicians, and everything we’ve experienced in this lifetime. It is ATREYU unleashed.”
“Everything that we have put out to this point has built to this moment,” adds, Jacobs. “Something special is happening with ATREYU right now. We can feel the creativity and collaboration when the five of us get in the studio. We can feel the confidence we all give each other when we stand onstage together. And we can see it in the audience when they’re losing their minds. They’re having as good a time as we are ourselves.”
“It feels like the world has been catching up with the diversity of influences and sounds that we’ve been putting into ATREYU for some time now,” Saller says. “There are no limitations, no barriers.”
Atreyu will kick off The Hope of a Spark headlining tour on April 27 in Sacramento at Ace of Spades with a one-off date supporting Kayzo on May 6 in Los Angeles. The tour will conclude on May 21 in Denver at the Gothic Theatre. Unless otherwise noted, all dates are with special guests Point North, Within Destruction, and LYLVC. The band will head to the UK and Europe in November. Tickets are available for purchase here.
U.S. Tour Dates:
04/27/23 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades 04/28/23 – Reno, NV @ Virginia Street Brewhouse 04/29/23 – Bend, OR @ Midtown Ballroom 04/30/23 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox 05/02/23 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory 05/03/23 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex 05/05/23 – Phoenix, AZ @ Van Buren 05/06/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Kia Forum * 05/07/23 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues 05/08/23 – Tucson, AZ @ Encore 05/10/23 – San Antonio, TX @ Vibes Event Center 05/11/23 – Corpus Christi, TX @ Brewster Street Ice House 05/12/23 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live 05/13/23 – Dallas, TX @ The Echo Lounge & Music Hall 05/15/23 – Joliet, IL @ The Forge 05/16/23 – Belvedere, IL @ The Apollo 05/18/23 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom 05/19/23 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater 05/20/23 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Sunshine Studios Live ** 05/21/23 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre ** *= supporting Kayzo **= without Point North
ATREYU ushered in a new movement in heavy music. Their music seamlessly intertwines with formative experiences for a diverse legion of dedicated listeners, many of whom started their own bands. They’ve broken into the Top 10 in the Billboard 200 more than once; two of their albums, The Curse and Lead Sails Paper Anchor, are certified gold with 2 million albums sold worldwide and an encompassing 600 million streams. Their most recent album, Baptize has clocked 65 million streams alongside a Top 10 at rock radio hit with “Warrior” featuring Travis Barker.
Where once the band was heralded as the early innovators of the nascent metalcore scene, their place in heavy music’s diverse and boundary-breaking scene has never felt more relevant, with inspirations of pop-punk, hardcore, thrash, ‘80s rock, and more melding into a unique and varied sound that has never felt more relevant than in today’s increasingly genreless world.
With a 20-year career and eight acclaimed albums in the rear-view mirror, ATREYU in 2023 is focused only on the present and the future, and a mission to continue shaping and defining the rock and metal scene, just as they have always done since their emergence from Huntington Beach in Southern California.
Frontman Brandon Saller, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist Porter McKnight and drummer Kyle Rosa are one of the most respected names and potent forces in heavy music, and their live show is one of the most heralded on the touring circuit.
German death-doom metallers VOIDHAVEN will be releasing their new album, “Lithic”, on June 9th 2023 via Ardua Music.
In 2016 a five-person expedition from Hamburg, who had set out towards the unknown, established a base on newfound ground. The crew – consisting of seasoned veterans also hired on vessels like Ophis, Fvneral Fvkk or Remembrance – claimed the place as their own, named it VOIDHAVEN and used it as origin for the distribution of their artistic cargo.
The exported wares combine various components to spread an atmosphere of oppressive, yet harboring gloom. Lyrically, they incorporate skeptical world watching, critical reflection of social relations, addressing inner struggles and spinning haunting tales. Musically, they blend a foundation of Melancholic Doom Metal with elements from Death Metal.
The first goods in form of the “Voidhaven”-EP were shipped in collaboration with Solitude Productions in 2018. Overcoming a line-up change on the drums, an unplanned break due to a pandemic and personal circumstances dispiriting the crew, they hired fleet admiral Jens Ballaschke to produce new wares in October 2022. Assorted in the “Lithic”-album, the resulting luxuries will be distributed in company with Ardua Music, beginning in June 2023.
So shoulder your bale and embark on a journey to find relief in the VOIDHAVEN!
For fans of My Dying Bride, Swallow The Sun, Hamferd, Saturnus, Officium Triste.
Tracklist:
01. Resting on Tombs 02. Sermon of Scorn 03. To Walk Among Ghosts 04. The Everblazing Picture 05. The Desolate Throne 06. Something Cruel Within
Line-up:
Simon – vocals, guitars Phil – guitars Marcos – keys Jakob – bass Norman – drums
DESTRÖYER 666 are announcing the vinyl re-issue of their 1994 legendary work ‘Six Songs With The Devil’. The album is being re-released via Season of Mist on June 23, 2023 in various vinyl colours.
How legendary was the release of ‘Six Songs With The Devil’ you ask? Here are some famous words from KK himself on the album:
“Howd it all start? Tiring of being in Bestai Warlust I set out to record some songs I’d been messing with for a while. Me and Vulcano on drums rehearsed for a coupla months and hit the studio. It was an instant mega success and sold out the original press of 120 copies in lightning speed.. Perhaps in less than 6 months. But dont take my word for it. Listen to what others at the time had to say. Joe Satriani once commented in Guitar Wank Mag that it was “the best god damned black thrash demo Ive ever heard and if I wasnt already a highly successful and wealthy guitar dork I’d join Destroyer in a second. If hed have me” Yngwie Malmsteen said in Fretboard Tosser Magazine, that ” KK has redefined what it means to make death-thrash metal demo tapes, the mans a God damned genius and if I wasnt already a mega rock God making big bucks writing unlistenable music I’d join his outfit immediately. If hed have me” And Lita Ford famously told Girls Stuff Magazine ” Hes a nuclear powered sex alien and me and my pal Joan Jett would both do him in an instant. At the same time”. “I think Doros also interested” she added. “
The album can be listened to in it’s entirety HERE. All other previous releases of DESTRÖYER666 can be found HERE
Cover art: Alex Kemp
Tracklist: 1. Hail To Destruction (01:45) 2. An Endless Stream Of Bombers (02:45) 3. Long Live Death (02:38) 4. Song For A Devil’s Son (04:01) 5. Destroyer (02:04) 6. Like Bloody Rabid Wolves Unleashed From Chains (03:26) 7. Outro: Onwards To Arktogaa (01:52) Total 18:31
DESTRÖYER 666 continue to do what they are best at: kicking ass and hammering out heavy metal that is slamming straight into the face. No compromise, no sell out, no bullshit!
DESTRÖYER 666 don’t do whiny nostalgia but simply stick to their old school roots, which are reaching straight down into the golden age of metal while allowing themselves to sound fresh and remain relevant. The band originally started out as a solo project of BESTIAL WARLUST guitarist KK in Australia in 1994. As early as with debut album ‘Unchain the Wolves’ (1997), fast-tracked towards international acclaim. The even stronger second full-length, ‘Phoenix Rising’ (2000) had the Australians relocating to Europe to be able to satisfy the soaring demand for touring and festival shows. After a round of line-up changes, third full length ‘Cold Steel… For an Iron Age’ (2002) cemented the band’s excellent reputation. After a hiatus caused among other issues by disenchantment with the business, DESTRÖYER 666 returned with ‘Defiance’ in 2009 and followed up on this success with the rough and gritty ‘Wildfire’ (2016) seven years later that saw them touring and performing at all the relevant metal festivals worldwide on a regular basis again. The Australians filled the gap between the latest albums with the hard-hitting EP, ‘Call of the Wild’ (2018) that comes with a distinct taste of an unrepentantly classic flavour.
The outlaws from down under deliver another pummelling and relentless lesson in aggression with full length number 6(66). ‘Never Surrender’ is a furious assault of black thrash, chainsaw riffs, and warlike drums, offering no moment of reprisal as it rages on for 40 unyielding minutes.
With this offering, DESTRÖYER 666 takes no prisoners!
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
