JOE BOUCHARD is best known as a former member of Blue Öyster Cult. The original lineup sold millions of albums for Columbia Records, with such classic songs as “Don’t Fear the Reaper” and the #1 hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart “Burning for You.” Bouchard contributed to songwriting and lead vocals on some of BOC’s greatest songs, such as “Hot Rails to Hell.”
Bouchard releases his first single “My Way Is the Highway” from the forthcoming album American Rocker. The album is due out June 3 through his brother’s (Albert Bouchard) and his imprint Rockheart Records and Deko Entertainment (ADA/Warner Music Group). Bouchard had this to say about it, “The song ‘My Way Is the Highway’ is a dream of tour destinations while cruising down the coast as the sun sinks into the Pacific Ocean. It is powered by the drums of Mickey Curry, and cementing the groove is brother Albert on his iconic cowbell–the original “more-cowbell man”! This song makes you want to put the pedal to the metal while you dance to the rocking music of the 70s.”
Deko Entertainment president, Bruce Pucciarello, states, “The song ‘My Way Is the Highway’ teases my imagination. It conjures up images of times and places that feel like the essence of rock and roll to me.”
The new album American Rocker sees the return of Mickey Curry (Bryan Adams, Hall and Oates, Alice Cooper) on drums, and sees Bouchard taking a look back at the heyday of the 70’s with BÖC on tracks like “In the Golden Age,” and “Rocket to Fame.” Joe Bouchard will be joining his brother Albert Bouchard for select shows in North America and their first ever Bouchard Brothers UK Tour this summer.
UK Tour August 9th: Hard Rock Café (Glasgow) August 10th: Edninburgh (Bannermans) August 11th: Blackpool (Waterloo) August 12th: London (Underworld) w/Angel August 14th: Nuneaton (Queen’s Hall) August 15th: Hull (Wrecking Ball) August 17th: Newcastle (Trillians) w/Angel August 18th: Stoke (Eleven)
Swedish hard-beating rockers HOT BREATH return with the stand alone single “Feeling ’Bout This”. An explosion of lustful garage rock with powerful vocals and thrilling riffs, the single is the first release from the Gothenburg based group since their 2021 debut album ”Rubbery Lips”. “Feeling ’Bout This” hits all streaming platforms on April 29 via The Sign Records. The band comments on the new single:
“The song Feeling ‘Bout This’ is about when you find a person who has the same rhythm and desire as you in life, both in the mind and in bed.“
Listen to “Feeling ’Bout This” through your favorite streaming platform or right here:
Following the release of the new single, Hot Breath will support Hällas and Spiders on their respective European tours. Dates below, including other Hot Breath shows.
Tour dates – Spring & Summer 2022:
Supporting Hällas: 06.05 DE – Hamburg / Logo 07.05 FR – Strasbourg / La Maison Bleue 08.05 FR – Paris / La Maroquinerie 09.05 DE – Hannover / Chez Heinz 10.05 DE – Leipzig / UT Connewitz 11.05 DE – Berlin / Frannz Club 12.05 DE – Munich / Strom 13.05 DE – Stuttgart / Club Zentral 14.05 CZ – Praha / Klub 007 Strahov 15.05 DE – Cologne / Club Volta 16.05 BE – Aarshot / De Klinker 17.05 FR – Lyon / Rock N’Eat 18.05 NL – Tilburg / Little Devil 19.05 DE – Wiesbaden / Kesselhaus 20.05 DE – Nuremberg / Der Cult 22.05 AT – Vienna / Szene 04.06 SE – Blädinge / Muskelrock 17.06 SE – Varberg / Parkmusiken 02.07 SE – Motala / Stadsparken
Supporting Spiders: 07.07 DE – Rostock / M.A.U Club 08.07 DE – Dortmund / Junkyard 09.07 DE – Chemnitz / AJZ 10.07 DE – Burghausen / JUZ 11.07 DE – Munich / Backstage 12.07 DE – Kassel / Goldgrube 13.07 BE – Antwerpen / KAVKA 14.07 NL – Amstelveen / P60 15.07 DE – Stemwede / Life House 16.07 DE – Berlin / Urban Spree 23.07 SE – Höganäs / Garage Bar
Chicago, IL upstarts MOLDER crawled out of the boneyard with renewed vengeance yesterday, announcing their sophomore album Engrossed in Decay – due for release via Prosthetic Records on July 15. Alongside the album announcement, MOLDER premiered the title tracks accompanying visualizer via Invisible Oranges.
Speaking on the album announcement and track premiere Aaren Pantke (vocals / guitar) comments: “We’re absolutely stoked to finally release our first offering via Prosthetic Records. That said, we felt Engrossed In Decay was just as appropriate of a song, if any, to showcase first.
“We chose Engrossed In Decay as the title track of the new record as it totally encompasses our sound, past and present. It has all the elements of MOLDER; doom, death, thrash, and punk. Clocking in at just above 4 minutes, this ripper is chock full of death-obsessed lyrical content, bass breaks, pounding drums, and nasty riffs… what more could ya ask for?”
Conceptually, Engrossed in Decay collects the sonic aesthetics of the in-song samples, death-obsessed lyrics, and colorful mucus and blood themes into a cohesively gross package. This is the type of gift found in medical waste repositories or in the aftermath of a kitchen knife rampage. One look at the cover illustrated by Lucas Korte (Blood Incantation, Tomb Mold), and MOLDER’s sordid intentions are immediately evident. This is blood-curdling, gore-hurling death metal from graves licentiously disturbed.
MOLDER took Engrossed in Decay to Studio Novy, where they hooked up with Cheyenne Brandt (Vanished Cadavers, and Chicago Metal Hell Vol 2) again to engineer and mix. Cianide’s Scott Carroll joined the sessions as steward, ensuring that the death metal performed by MOLDER and captured by Brandt sounded absolutely abhorrent and fetidly fresh. Two weekends were spent at Studio Novy to get Engrossed in Decay firmly out of the ground. The final mix went to Philadelphia-based mastering ace Arthur Rizk (Creeping Death, Temple of Void). The result is an engrossing experience, nasty to the touch yet riveting like a chainsaw battle. Glutinous Remains, Chemically Dissolved, Huff the Stench, and the title track are prime examples of MOLDER’s choicest, meatiest cuts.
The next phase of MOLDER’s depraved death metal domination will commence after Engrossed in Decay is unleashed upon metaldom. Until then, they’ll fester wildly in and around Chicago, with the rest of North America suffering perversely with a full-scale bloodbath later in 2022.
You’ve been warned! MOLDER are coming for you, their stomach-churning, mortifying corpses in full-on attack mode.
‘ADDIO’ is the first single of the wonderful rock opera project OLTRE L’ABISSO, available today on all the best stores in the world, as well as on Wanikiya Record store.
The Project: OLTRE L’ABISSO (Beyond the Abyss) is a prog-rock work composed by Perry Magnani and M° Elisabetta Tagliati, based on Elisabetta’s dreamlike novel published by Pluriversum Edizioni. The plot tells a legend with a deep spiritual implication, set in the magical Italian Apennines. Bethel, a Celtic chieftain, receives a series of mysterious visions that lead her to meet the druid Vessagh. Their mutual acquaintance quickly turns into a transcendental love, allowing them to reach the source of the Supreme Self.
The single “ADDIO” The song “Addio” is found in the closing of the Rock Opera, in the moment in which the druid asks the chieftain to start a new life together, but she renounces for love of her people, creating a devastating separation that will haunt them for a lifetime.
The rock opera is in Italian and played completely live, both in acoustic (with piano or piano and guitar) and electric (with a full rock band) versions. The three characters are characterized by three different vocalities (lyrical, rock and soul), approaching many musical genres (folk, pop, blues, soul, rock, metal, classical, psychedelic, soundtrack) that flow smoothly between them and are summarized by the prog rock sound. The show consists of 25 tracks for the duration of about 2 hours, which can also be performed as a concert or musical reading.
In 2019, the show debuted in stage form in the Rocca di Montefiorino (MO). The novel is published by Pluriversum Edizioni and a sequel called Tears of Eternity will be released in 2022. The elaboration of a new and more avant-garde staging curated by Sara Treviglio is in progress. In 2022 Oltre l’Abisso signed with Wanikiya Record for the publication of the album, be prepared for a beautiful musical journey!
Andrea “Mastro” Mastrigli‘s new album, entitled “Human Progression”, was released on February 18th via Buil2Kill Records. Today it’s time to announce the new videoclip, entitled “Friends” which can be watched below.
Many friends took part as special guests, including: Chris Buck, Trevor Sadist, Paletta from Punkreas, Moira Ranieri, David Quicho and Mark Skw.
The Mastro project is yet another nice surprise that has emerged from the increasingly Italian scene. Stay tuned, more news coming: https://www.facebook.com/MastroOfficialBand
Celebrated Montreal rock’n’roll band THE DAMN TRUTH are pleased to announce they will return to the UK for an 11-date UK tour. The band will also release a new single “Look Innocent” on Friday May 6th.
The band will support Planet Rock’s Rocktober shows at Bristol O2 Academy (Oct 15) and Sheffield O2 Academy (Oct 22), followed dates supporting King King at Northampton Roadmender (Oct 16), Southampton 1865(Oct 20), Liverpool Hangar 34 (Oct 21).
In addition to the above, The Damn Truth will also headline their own concerts including Norwich Waterfront Studio (Oct 18), Chester Live Rooms (Oct 23), Newcastle Cluny (Oct 25), Glasgow Stereo (Oct 26), York Fulford Arms (Oct 27), and London’s BlackHeart (Oct 28).
The band are currently on a two-month April-May tour of Europe. They’ve been touring non-stop since they last toured the UK where they were special guests on King King’s February 2022 UK tour.
The tour announcement dovetails with the band’s latest single Look Innocent, which is taken from their critically acclaimed album “Now or Nowhere” released by Spectra Musique/Sony Music. The album, produced by legendary Grammy Award winning record producer, Bob Rock, is available from www.thedamntruth.com.
The Damn Truth have experienced considerable success at radio airplay in the UK including ten weeks of high rotation for their previous single “This Is Who We Are Now” on Planet Rock and a spot play on BBC Radio 2’s Rock Show with Johnnie Walker. The band have also won on several occasions for Tracks of the Week on Classic Rock’s Louder Sound.
The band have been championed by the British music press with extensive magazine coverage in Classic Rock, Blues Matters, Guitarist, Powerplay, Guitar Techniques, Record Collector, Fireworks, Blues in Britain, Hard Rock Hell, MNPR and R’N’R Magazine.
“We’re looking forward to touring the UK,” says lead singer and guitarist, Lee-la Baum. “Last time we played the UK was earlier this year when we supported King King on their February tour. We had a fantastic time, and we can’t wait to return for more fun and excitement. UK audiences are the best.”
The Damn Truth is comprised of Lee-La Baum (lead vocals, guitar), Tom Shemer (guitar), PY Letellier (bass) and Dave Traina (drums).
“The Damn Truth are a fresh revivalism of the psyche music scene from the mid 60’s,” says Jeff Laufer, editor of the Californian website, Rock Bands of LA. “Critics and fans alike praise their regeneration of the hard rock sound and values.”
“Bob Rock found a spirit within the band that he hadn’t experienced for many years,” continues Jeff. “He saw something special… an artist with burning talent that needed the right direction to break wide open…like lightning in a bottle.”
“The production by the legendary Bob Rock capturing the essence of what the band have without damaging the humanness at its core. The drums thunder, the bass throbs, the guitar alone could wreak havoc to the solar system and the vocals of Lee-La Baum control the storm, a commanding presence over the hurricane.”
– Metal Planet Music
Six tracks on the new album “Now or Nowhere” were produced by legendary Grammy Award winning Bob Rock (Metallica, Aerosmith, Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, The Cult, The Offspring) at Bryan Adams’ recording studio “The Warehouse” in Vancouver.
“Now or Nowhere” chronicles the band as they navigate life, love, and everything else in a world gone seemingly upside down and sideways during the past year they were unable to finish the album with Bob because of COVID-19 restrictions, the band recorded the remaining three songs with help from Juno Award-winning producer Jean Massicotte who mixed “Everything Fades”; and the rest of the mixing was done by Vance Powell (Jack White, Chris Stapleton), Nick DiDia (Bruce Springsteen, Rage Against The Machine), and Mike Plotnikoff (Van Halen, Cranberries).
The Damn Truth have extensively toured Europe and North America and opened tours for Z.Z. Top (and partied with Billy Gibbons in his pyjamas), the Sheepdogs, Styx, and Rival Sons.
They sold out the legendary Whisky a Go-Go in Los Angeles, sold out the Corona Theatre in their hometown of Montreal, and had one of their videos featured on the official Janis Joplin Facebook page. It’s a culmination of a lot of blood, sweat and tears that’s come fruition with “Now or Nowhere”.
Bristol, O2 Academy Saturday 15 October 2022 * Supporting Planet Rock’s Rocktober
Northampton, Roadmender Sunday 16 October 2022 + Supporting King King
Norwich, Waterfront Studio Tuesday 18 October 2022
Southampton, The 1865 Thursday 20 October 2022 + Supporting King King
Liverpool, Hangar 34 Friday 21 October 2022 + Supporting King King
Sheffield, O2 Academy Saturday 22 October 2022 * Supporting Planet Rock’s Rocktober
Chester, Live Rooms Sunday 23 October 2022
Newcastle, Cluny Tuesday 25 October 2022
Glasgow, Stereo Wednesday 26 October 2022
York, Fulford Arms Thursday 27 October 2022
London, The Black Heart Friday 28 October 2022
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 ) 