KILLSWITCH ENGAGE are the headline act taking over the House of Blues in Las Vegas, NV in celebration of Metal Blade Records 40th Anniversary with support coming from Fit for an Autopsy and Visigoth. The show is set to take place on Wednesday, October 5 and marks the 3rd and final concert commemorating Metal Blade Records momentous anniversary.
Tickets will be on sale Friday, July 22 at 10am local time HERE and Live Nation’s Presale will be available to fans Wednesday, Jul 20 at 10am PT thru Thursday July 21 at10pm PT.
“We are super happy to be celebrating our 40th year with our friends in Killswitch Engage, Fit For an Autopsy and Visigoth! I hope you can all come celebrate with us!!!” comments Brian Slagel
“I can’t imagine where music or my journey as a musician would be with out Metal Blade Records,” adds Killswitch Engage vocalist Jesse Leach. “I can speak for the band when I say we are stoked and absolutely honored to be apart of the 40th anniversary celebration! Killer line up and a legendary milestone for Metal music around the world! Massive respect and love to Brian Slagel for all he has done for music and for Killswitch!“
In other news: On September 17th a separate Metal Blade Records 40th Anniversary show will take place at The Space in Las Vegas featuring the legendary Sacred Reich, an integral part of the thrash movement still churning out classics on Metal Blade. Tickets available here: thespacelv.com/event/sacred-reich/
There are still some tickets available for fans to tour the Metal Blade Records Museum, which is not yet open to the public, located in Las Vegas, NV. The museum will be open for one day, Wednesday July 20, from 12pm to 5pm. Guests will be able to take a self-guided tour of the heavy metal museum though, Metal Blade Records‘ founder himself, Brian Slagel, will treat guests arriving at 12nooon to a guided tour. Tickets available HERE.
Fans not in the Las Vegas area can still get a glimpse inside of the museum by checking out the videos at the links below. Part 3 of the Museum Tour series is set to go live later this summer.
Decade specific t-shirts designed in honor of this major anniversary, playlists, and other special anniversary releases are available here: metalblade.com/40thanniversary
Florida/Georgia – based rockers VOODOO MOONSHINE – a “bluesy groove rock band” – are back with a new single and video from their latest album, ‘Bottom of the Barrel.’ The song, “Give It to Me,” came about when Jeff Losawyer (the founding member, songwriter and lead guitarist of Voodoo Moonshine) was traveling from Oklahoma to Memphis, TN to write and record for the album that became ‘Bottom of the Barrel.’ Losawyer was sitting in his hotel room with his dog Daisy eating Taco Bell, and the thought of one-night stands came to mind and became the song’s lyrical inspiration.
“We were in search of a location to shoot the video,” recalls Losawyer about the song’s video clip. “We were having a hard time finding the perfect spot. We were looking for an old abandoned building or warehouse. We were about a week out when The Barn in Sanford was referred to us. Our first thought was ‘A country bar to shoot a rock video?!’ We checked out the photo’s online, and we thought it would be a pretty neat place to do a shoot. When we got to Florida, the day before the shoot we went to check out the location and that’s when everything started to fall into place. Who would have thought you could actually line dance to our rock song, ‘Give It to Me’?”
The video for the song (which the guitarist describes as “a more radio friendly danceable song, and pop rock compared to the others”) can be viewed here:
Voodoo Moonshine was formed in Memphis, TN in 2003 by Losawyer. The debut album, ‘Decade of Decay,’ was released in March 2005, and was well received throughout Europe. A tour was booked, including shows in England, Ireland, and Scotland. Due to the album’s success they were voted “Number One Band” seven times in England, and six times in Japan. In mid 2005, Voodoo Moonshine was introduced in Dublin, Ireland and quickly became one of the top three requested bands there.
Their debut received rave reviews in many music publications including R.I.P. Magazine. 2006 saw the band’s popularity continue to rise, and rock radio around the world stood up and took notice. Voodoo Moonshine could be heard in Portugal, Greece, Canada and of course, at home in America. Many times during the year, the band’s songs charted ahead of some of rock’s so-called heavy hitters, like Bon Jovi, Skid Row, Guns N Roses and the Scorpions. The album ‘Decade of Decay’ continued to do extremely well deep into 2007, more than two full years after its release. As the year wound down, the band took some much needed, and well deserved, time off. This eventually led to Losawyer working on a solo album. Jeff continued to write music during this time, and never gave up his passion to play.
Fast forward, and suddenly 12 years had passed. Interestingly enough, he heard Pedro Espada singing in a YouTube video and really liked what he heard. He took a chance and reached out to Pedro to see if he would be interested in singing some of his songs. Initially he didn’t receive a very warm response. As a matter of fact, he was mostly ignored, but he knew he had found the right man for the job, so he was persistent. His persistence paid off and Jeff was invited to Daytona Beach Bike Week 2018 to jam with Pedro and his bandmates of Rockit Fly. Needless to say, things went well with Pedro, former Nova Rex member Eddie Cruise and Hector Acevedo, merging together to bring back Voodoo Moonshine.
And it turns out Voodoo Moonshine already have plans to support their new single/video. “Future plans…shows, shows and shows. Fans can expect a set of big energy versatile songs that everyone should like. Working on songs for the next album already and continued growth of the band and fan base.”
Voodoo Moonshine are:
Pedro Espada – vocals Jeff Losawyer – guitar Hector Acevedo – bass Eddie Cruise – drums
Formed in January 2014 in Santo Andre / SP (Brazil), BLACKNING are known for their energetic and powerful blend of furious thrash metal. Mixing hardcore, heavy and death metal in their music, BLACKNING have created their very own identity, ranging from heavy choruses to fast and catchy riffs. Today the quartet has released a new music video for the track “Lies That Blind”, a song that deals with the Internet blasting out Fake News day after day. “Fake news that tries to make people stand by politic’s sides and their bullshit. We give a big “FUCK YOU” to that kind of politricks!” says the band.
The video is a collaboration with the group “CAV” (CENTRO AUDIOVISUAL), an organization supported by the local municipality.
So far in its history, BLACKNING has released two studio albums and an EP in Brazil and Europe, and has completed multiple successful national tours. With their first release, “Order of Chaos”, the band conquered 34th place in the best album releases of 2014, which included rock and metal bands from all over the continent and was organized by the webzine Headbangers Latino America.
Liverpool rock act HONEY MOTEL have released their new single ‘Cartoons’ on all digital platforms via Bread and Butter Records.
‘Cartoons’ talks about the machine of life. That psychological cog that we all become a part of at some point in our lives. A cog that chews us up and spits us out. A cog that’s always turning and turning, day by day, week by week, month by month. ‘Cartoons’ resembles the effort to avoid that machine – to keep ahold of the youth, the fearlessness, the curiosity, the innocence that some lose as they grow older, but all seem to harness in their younger years.
To “keep yourself alive” is to embody that youthful spirit until your time is up, until the curtain draws and the book is closed. To “keep yourself alive” is to not die before death has come, to not fade into the everlasting white noise of existence. To “keep yourself alive” is to dance your way out of this place…whilst smiling of course.
“Cartoons to me is about freeing yourself from the bullshit of life. To stop worrying about things that don’t matter and to just do what makes you happy”– Sam Meredith
The “uncut gems” of Liverpool, Honey Motel.
Matt, Sam, Paul and Jack hit the ground running in 2020, ploughing passion, pace and power into a whole new take on an indie genre. Their debut release ‘Weekends’, then ‘Madeline’ was followed with ‘Morning Affairs’ all hitting the playlists of some of the UK’S top radio stations and shows.
Hailing from a city that has musical history running through its veins isn’t a burden for Honey Motel, it is embraced and embodied in the band’s DNA.
As one of the ones-to-watch in 2021, the four-piece dabble in upbeat indie-pop bangers that are creative, intricate and booming with potential. With their pumped-up energy and fast-paced tunes, it’s seen the band become one of the most promising quartets in the United Kingdom for a long time.
The wait is almost over – NILE mastermind and multi-instrumentalist KARL SANDERS will finally unleash the impending third chapter of his haunting Eastern-ambient Saurian solo project, Saurian Apocalypse, this Friday, July 22, 2022 via Napalm Records.
After revealing the album’s cinematic first and second singles, “The Sun Has Set on the Age of Man” and “Skull Fuck Ritual (Skull Breach Edition)”, KARL SANDERS provides a final twisted taste of Saurian Apocalypse with the release of its entrancing third single, “The Evil Inherent in us All”. The track emerges as an energetic jam with exotic instrumentation, modernized acoustic grooves and urgent tribal vocals. This standout departure from the Saurian blueprint yet again features a thematic axe contribution by guitar virtuoso Rusty Cooley, who also appeared on the album’s first single, as well as percussion by original Nile drummer Pete Hammoura.
Witness the track for the first time today alongside a transfixing animated music video.
KARL SANDERS says about “The Evil Inherent in us All”: “I am really happy with how this song turned out. ‘The Evil Inherent in us All’ was a lot of fun to write and record. The song was inspired by an infamous night in Cairo when Egyptian Metal Artist, Impresario, and underground legend Nader Sadek took Derek Roddy, Mahmud Gecekesu and me to a performance of authentic North African Exorcism Music. The unbelievable, highly advanced and intuitive ensemble musicianship we witnessed that night was unforgettable and really opened my eyes and ears to an entire wealth of new music. In keeping with that profoundly moving communal spirit of subtle yet intense shared musical frenzy among the performers, The Evil Inherent has two close friends of mine contributing some serious musical voodoo to the track. Original Nile drummer and lifelong friend Pete Hammoura conjures all manner of wickedly grooving percussion, and our metal brother Rusty Cooley lays down some truly unique acoustic guitar exorcisms.”
Saurian Apocalypse arrives 13 years after the release of its predecessor, 2009’s Saurian Exorcisms, and nearly 20 after 2004’s equally lauded Saurian Meditation. The musical and lyrical themes on the album detail the vexing fictional journey of Dr. Eduardo Lucciani, one of very few survivors of mankind’s self-destruction, who descends into madness after discovering the violent horrors occurring at the hands of the Saurian Masters.
Emphasized by unique instruments like the baglama saz (Turkish lute), Ancient Egyptian Anubis Sistrum, Dumbek (Middle Eastern goblet drum), glissentar and gongs, the album’s score weaves cinematic auras and deep grooves, accented by the tribal percussive stylings of original NILE drummer Pete Hammoura and returning Saurian vocalist Mike Breazeale. A wealth of musical growth and refinement, both in Sanders’ guitar technique and compositional development, is strikingly evident. Eons more than just an album of interludes or ambient scores, Saurian Apocalypse is a shining advancement in the Saurian series, and the most dynamic, detailed KARL SANDERS solo release yet.
Whispering atop the ominous sands of opener “The Sun Has Set on the Age of Man” are resonant flutes and forewarning percussion, and immediately, the album’s impactful production and crystal clarity is apparent. Produced by Sanders with mixing and mastering by Simone Mularoni at Domination Studio, the most subtle details of instrumentation shine. “The Disembodied Yet Slither Among Us” peaks between soulful acoustic guitar renderings and droning tones, ushering in “Skull Fuck Ritual (Skull Breach Edition)” as its marching drums make way for Middle Eastern-inspired leads, bridging the journey to 6+ minute desolating trek “Nada Zaag”. Fans will hear an alluring Oud (Middle Eastern lute) solo by Mustafa Stefan Dill and rare acoustic jazz drums by current NILE percussion goliath George Kollias on “An Altered Saurian Theta State”, before the seductive auditory excursion “Nihil Emplexus” and its iridescent strums and ominous chants signal the beginning of the end. Sitar-like sounds immediately ensnare the listener on “Divergence: The Long Awaited Third Primordial Ascension” before hopeful lutes make way for heart wrenching electric shred. Far-Eastern stylings creep in on “Mask of Immutable Self Delusion”, a tranquil moment of atmospheric bliss, before the album closes with the 10 minute epic “No Creature More Deserving of Cataclysmic Annihilation” – featuring the deft skills of jazz guitarist Matthew Kay and the panicked, incensed narration of Jonathan “ADD” Garofoli as Dr. Eduardo Lucciani himself.
Saurian Apocalypse track listing: 1. The Sun Has Set on the Age of Man 2. The Disembodied Yet Slither Among Us 3. The Evil Inherent in us All 4. Skull Fuck Ritual (Skull Breach Edition) 5. Nada Zaag 6. An Altered Saurian Theta State 7. Nihil Emplexus 8. Divergence: The Long Awaited Third Primordial Ascension 9. Mask of Immutable Self Delusion 10. No Creature More Deserving of Cataclysmic Annihilation
In addition to the upcoming release of Saurian Apocalypse, KARL SANDERS and Napalm Records are proud to re-release 2004’s Saurian Meditation and 2009’s Saurian Exorcisms on vinyl for the very first time – out on the same day, July 22, 2022. Saurian Meditation will be available in both 4-Panel CD Digipak and Transparent Orange 2-LP Gatefold Vinyl formats, while Saurian Exorcisms will be available in both 4-Panel CD Digipak and 1-LP White Gatefold Vinyl formats. Act now while copies last!
Pre-Order Saurian Meditation (2004) and Saurian Exorcisms (2009) HERE
New York legendary THE RODS return to live touring for the first time since 2017 with a series of upcoming live dates, The band are also working on a new studio album to be released 2023.
The bands entire catalog was remastered and re-issued in 2022 complete with bonus tracks and extensive liner notes via two labels: Rock Candy and High Roller Records.
Now back as a three piece the band’s line-up is:
David “Rock” Feinstein – Vocals/Guitar Carl Canedy – Drums Freddy Villano – Bass
Drummer Carl Canedy has the following to say about the new line-up, new music and upcoming shows:
The Rods have never been simply a studio band, we made our “bones” by touring extensively…playing live and connecting with our fans is what has always driven the band.
Covid put a bit of a halt on that but we are now back playing live and loving it!
In the interim we didn’t waste any time and wrote our new album which we are now in the process of finalizing the recording…based on the reaction of the audiences we have played for it’s evident that all the energy coming off stage is being returned to us by the fans. We have always been a power trio and the word “power” has never been more evident with The Rods music new or old…
Still kicking it hard and loving it!
Upcoming dates include:
August 6th Sharkey’s, Syracuse, NY September 3rd Rock N Rumble Music Festival, Moose And Goose, Ontario Canada September 17th Blues on the Bridge Binghamton, NY
More shows to be announced soon.
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Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ASA unveil the long-overdue release of "Collective Failure" + first music video for title-track! Check it out and stay tuned for more news! Click image to watch the video
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