ERJA LYYTINEN Announces “Silent Night” Christmas Single And February 2022 UK Tour

Posted by tarjavirmakari on November 10, 2021
Posted in: News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
Photo by Ilkka Valkila

European Blues Award-winning guitarist ERJA LYYTINEN has released her Christmas single Silent Night today, Wednesday November 10th. Order/stream the single at https://ffm.to/12a4xyl.

“Every year we play Silent Night as part of our annual Blue Christmas tour in Finland,” says Erja. “I’ve always wanted to record our version of this timeless festive number. The song has such a beautiful melody. We did our best to capture the atmospheric mood of the song. We didn’t want to overdo anything, but to stay true to the Christmas spirit of the song. Our rendition is like a warm blanket that you wrap around yourself whilst sitting cosy in front of the fire. The song is heartfelt and elegant with a subtle arrangement.”

Silent Night is released during the lead up until Erja’s eagerly anticipated return to the UK for her first tour since 2019.The award-winning Finnish slide guitarist will tour the UK from February 4–12, 2022. Tickets are available via www.erjalyytinen.com/tour.

Erja will perform joint headliner shows with Chantel McGregor at London’s 100 Club (Feb 4), Leeds Brudenell Social Club (Feb 5) Milton Keynes, The Stables (Feb 6), and Bilston’s Robin 2 (Feb 7).

The Finnish artist will play songs from her Lockdown Live 2020 album that was originally released as a CD/DVD package on November 6, 2020. The album captures a historic moment in time, as it was filmed and recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic. The album is available from www.erjalyytinen.com/store/lockdown-live.

Coincidentally, there are parallels between the situation people found themselves in during the pandemic, and Erja’s last studio album Another World (2019). “I recently watched the music video we made for the title track,” says Erja. “It gave me chills seeing the people in the video wearing masks as they tried to survive on their uninhabitable planet.”

During the early stages of the lockdown, artists took their shows to the Internet via live streams. Lyytinen decided that she wanted to give her fans the best and most concert-like experience possible. When the opportunity arose, the versatile Finn headed to Bluesounds Studios in her hometown of Kuopio, Finland on Mother’s Day Eve to record and film the live album/concert performance. The concert was broadcast over the Internet as part of a pay per view event, and now forms the basis of her notable studio-live album Lockdown Live 2020.

Erja Lyytinen was in the middle of one of the busiest times of her career when the pandemic struck. However, despite the challenges she faced, the entrepreneurial artist continued to develop new products and ideas throughout the lockdown period including developing her own brand of tea, of which there are now three types. Subsequently, the artist’s majestic moniker the ‘Blues Queen’ also happens to be the title of her biographical book, which was released in English for the first-time during lockdown. Additionally, the guitar supremo recently unveiled a pair of guitar tuition books for those who would like to follow in her footsteps.

During the last year, Erja Lyytinen and her band performed multiple times on Finnish national TV including a much-revered appearance as part of the country’s Independence Day celebration. The artist has appeared in Guitar Player Magazine (US) where she was chosen as one of the “10 guitarists who are keeping the blues alive and well for a new generation of players”.

Subsequently, with the European borders open once again, during Summer 2021 the celebrated slide guitar player has returned to the international stage and as a result has had a busy festival season. This year Lyytinen performed at shows and festivals in Finland, Belgium, Norway, and France. In the latter stages of this year, Erja will be touring through both Germany and Belgium as well as resuming the annual Blue Christmas tour in her native Finland.

With the high-flying Finn’s self-produced last studio album now firmly in her rear-view mirror, the artist is looking forward to her next chapter. Erja Lyytinen is presently in the studio working on the follow-up to ‘Another World’, with a plan to unveil her new album in the second half of 2022.

LOCKDOWN LIVE 2020 CD & DVD TRACK LISTING

  1. Don’t Let A Good Woman Down
  2. Cherry Overdrive
  3. Black Ocean
  4. Hard As Stone
  5. Torn
  6. Dreamland Blues
  7. Lover’s Novels
  8. Another World
  9. Snake In The Grass
  10. Rocking Chair
  11. Wedding Day
  12. Wildflower

ERJA LYYTINEN FEBRUARY UK TOUR 2022
TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM: http://www.erjalyytinen.com/tour
*Co-headline with Chantel McGregor

*London, 100 Club – Friday 4 February 2022
*Leeds, Brudenell Social Club – Saturday 5 February 2022
*Milton Keynes, The Stables – Sunday 6 February 2022
*Bilston, The Robin 2 – Monday 7 February 2022
*Edinburgh, Bannerman’s – Wednesday 9 February 2022
Kinross, Backstage at the Green – Thursday 10 February 2022
Newcastle, The Cluny – Friday 11 February 2022
Liverpool, Phase One – Saturday 12 February 2022

‘The Real World’ Rocker ANDRE COMEAU Releases New Single + Music Video “Want You To Hurt”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on November 10, 2021
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

Andre Comeau released his new single “Want You To Hurt” to all major platforms along with the official music video.

Andre Comeau follows up his critically acclaimed Wrong Within EP with a brand new album, Clean Break—a straight-no-chaser collection that proves rock is definitely not dead… It just needed a favorite son to return to the fold.

Clean Break buy/stream link: https://songwhip.com/andrecomeau/clean-break

Born in 70’s-era Detroit to a family of touring musicians, Andre grew up steeped in all genres of music. Possessed with an instinctual sense of melody and dynamics, Andre has music in his blood.

Andre’s band Reigndance—which also featured Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age, The Dead Weather) ignited but quickly outgrew the burgeoning Detroit music scene of the early 90’s. Shortly after relocating to New York, Andre was chosen to be a cast member of MTV’s seminal reality show, The Real World. The show was an instant success; Andre and his band were afforded massive exposure. After three records and extensive touring, Reigndance found themselves at a creative crossroads. They dis-banded in 1997.

Andre relocated to Los Angeles in search of fresh stimuli and new musical landscapes. The 2000s found Andre returning to the folk music of his youth with River Rouge. They released a handful of well received albums and became a highlight of the Los Angeles club scene, but disbanded in 2016.

In 2020, Comeau connected with Hard Rock staple EMP LABEL GROUP to release the Wrong Within EP—to positive reviews and substantial national airplay at rock radio.
On Wrong Within, Andre returned to his musical roots, fronting a heavy rock band with veteran session musicians Darren Elpant on drums and Gary Wicks on bass.

With the pandemic related shutdown of bars and clubs dashing any touring to support Wrong Within, Andre and the band immediately returned to the studio to begin working on the follow up album.

In January of 2021, production began on Real World Homecoming New York, bringing the original cast back together for a miniseries on the brand new Paramount Plus streaming network and MTV. The show heavily features Andre’s music and provides a huge new platform where he performs over half a dozen songs including tracks from the forthcoming album, Clean Break.

In March of 2021, the show launched to overwhelmingly positive reviews with massive press. Andre and the cast are currently featured in NY Times, People Magazine, Time Magazine, Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter, naming just a few.

Armed with a successful new TV show and a brand new album to support, Andre and the band are looking forward to hitting the road in 2022.

Toeing the line between classic and cutting edge, Comeau proves that guitar-rock can still be vital, original, and relevant in 2021. Hard, sexy and thought-provoking—Andre Comeau’s music seizes the listener above and below the belt.

SETYØURSAILS Announce New Album “Nightfall”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on November 10, 2021
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
[Photo Credit: Peter Leukhard]

Young, enraged and standing steadfastly against hate – SETYØURSAILS have made a name for themselves by not mincing words in the least while churning out the most brutally catchy anthems around. Now, the band is about to take things to the next level, unleashing their purely addictive second album and Napalm Records debut, Nightfall, on January 21, 2022. Nightfall promises a mixture of searing metal, gut-punching hardcore and heartfelt melodic elements, leaving room for surprises at every turn. On a total of 13 tracks, SETYØURSAILS makes one thing clear above all: they are more than ready to conquer the scene!
 
Today, the newcomers from Cologne, Germany set off with their brand new single, “Ghosts”, featuring Annisokay frontman Rudi Schwarzer. This sonic dagger comes along with a crushing official music video, showcasing that SETYØURSAILS never compromises. Prepare for buzzing guitars, intense breakdowns and powerful, vicious shouts that provide the listener with a colossal taste of what’s to come on Nightfall.

SETYØURSAILS about “Ghosts”:
“We are very proud to finally be able to show what we have worked so hard on. There is so much heart, sweat and honesty in this album that it’s almost scary to let it go. ‘Ghosts’ brings all the elements of the album together in one song, making it the perfect first single release.”

Watch the Official Music Video for “Ghosts” NOW:

SETYØURSAILS perform uncompromising yet melodic post hardcore-influenced metal, convincing both live and on record. The unit has already performed at well-known festivals (Reload Festival, Traffic Jam Open Air) and converted fans alongside genre greats like Bullet for My Valentine, Hatebreed, Jinjer and Walls of Jericho with their unbeatable live energy.  Their first album, Enough (2018), has attracted the attention of noteworthy outlets like FUZE and MoreCore, and now, SETYØURSAILS are proudly heading for round two.
 
Nightfall stands as an impressive return for SETYØURSAILS, who once again prove their musical diversity. A mixture of catchy choruses and intense breakdowns are evident on brutally melodic “Why”, the changing spectrum of “Deadline”, and “Into the Storm”, which starts with a crisp deathcore intro. Among others, “Nightfall” (featuring Andy Doerner of metalcore veterans Caliban) shows the full straightforward range of Jules Mitch’s vocals, which oscillate between concise and clear, intense screams and expressive growling. “Mirror” begins atmospherically before bubbling up to an impressive journey through personal conflicts without losing its undeniably catchy quality. With tracks like “Secrets” and “Forgive Me” the band also presents its softer side. SETYØURSAILS are also full of surprises – together with Mike Perez from No Bragging Rights, they cover “Shallow” (from the film A Star Is Born) by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, and give the ballad their personal touch, once again proving their musical diversity. Nightfall was produced, recorded, mixed & mastered by Annisokay vocalist/guitarist Christoph Wieczorek and songwriter/producer Julian Breucker at Sawdust Recordings. Both have already worked with greats like Beyond The Black, Eisbrecher and Emil Bulls – just to name a few.

SETYØURSAILS about their new album:
“This album is the most honestly written work we could get out of ourselves. It reflects the struggle of dealing with oneself, fear and life itself. It’s dark, it’s loud and it hurts. But most importantly- it’s true.”

Claim your copy of Nightfall NOW!

Nightfall tracklist:
1. Ghosts
2. Nightfall
3. Secrets
4. Why
5. Mirror
6. Into the Storm
7. Anchor
8. Forgive Me
9. Deadline
10. What’s Wrong
11. Reason
12. Fckoff
13. Shallow

DARKWOODS MY BETROTHED Release Lyric Video for Intriguing New Single “Black Fog And Poison Wind”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on November 10, 2021
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
[photo credit: Antti Iivonen]

The wait is almost over! Black/Epic Metal pioneers DARKWOODS MY BETROTHED cloak the world in a veil of damnation with their third single and final harbinger of doom and destruction “Black Fog And Poison Wind“, cut from their striking upcoming album, Angel of Carnage Unleashed, to be revealed this Friday, November 12. The Finnish foursome, now featuring Tuomas Holopainen as a full member of the band and Kai Hahto (both Nightwish) as session drummer, delivers this final teaser alongside an intriguing lyric video.

The record’s final song, “Black Fog And Poison Wind”, offers an appropriate, hard-hitting and thunderous ending to the long-awaited comeback album of the Black Metal horde DARKWOODS MY BETROTHED. The song features mad, high-pitched screams, evil riffing, mind-blowing blastbeats and eerie choirs. After 23 years of silence, the vicious new offering, Angel Of Carnage Unleashed, sets free some of the fastest and most diabolic songs of the band’s history – a sonic monster combining aggression, haunting soundscapes, epic majesty and evil melodies.
 
DARWOODS MY BETROTHED on their new single:
“This is one of our favourite songs from the new album. Lyrically, it tells the story of the so-called “Death March of the Carolinians” where 3000 soldiers of the Swedish army froze to death when withdrawing from Norway across the fells in the winter of 1718. We chose to approach this topic from an anthropomorphic perspective: the storyteller is the poisonous icy wind which – in the service of the Angel of Carnage – mercilessly murdered the soldiers in the snowy mountains. The story is accompanied with a black metal anthem that combines brutal blastbeat-driven passages with slower and melodic eerie parts featuring choirs and female vocals. We feel that the song captures the atmosphere of the lyric perfectly.“

Watch the new lyric video for “Black Fog And Poison Wind” HERE!

Angel of Carnage Unleashed contains eight songs written by the three musicians who founded the band in 1993: Pasi Kankkunen, Jouni Mikkonen and Teemu Kautonen (with substantial creative inputs from the fourth member Tuomas Holopainen). It sets free a unique blend of brutal, fast-driven black metal and epic anthems, in which eerie screams merge with heroic clean vocals, monumental choirs and majestic keyboards along with gory stories of famine, war, plague and the inescapable brutality of Finland’s nature in the era of the Great Northern War (1700-1721). It explores how Finns experienced the many manifestations of the Angel of Carnage, sent by God to punish them for their sins.
 
Guitarist Jouni Mikkonen on Tuomas Holopainen now being a full member of the band:
“Tuomas was featured as a session keyboardist on all previous albums. This time he was fully on board from the moment we decided to make this album and hence it was natural for him to become a full band member. He also made a substantial contribution to the creative process.”

Pre-order your copy of Angel of Carnage Unleashed NOW!

The album opener “Name the Dead” sets off with atmospheric organ tunes but leaves no scope for weakness, as only a few seconds later storming drums, aggressive riffs and raging growls set the stage for everything that is about to come: brutal soundscapes spliced with epic accents! The second track, “In Evil, Sickness and in Grief”, pierces through the core with a poisoning vocal attack and contrasting operatic female background layers, followed by the heavily stomping “You Bitter Source of Sorrow” and “Where We Dwell” with its haunting, all-consuming keyboard passages. “In Thrall to Ironskull’s Heart” showcases the multifaceted character of DARKWOODS MY BETROTHED with an almost balladic start, which evolves into an uptempo, epic journey into the Battle of Napue (1714). The title of the penultimate track “Massacre” conveys the track’s musical direction with precision: expect in-your-face blastbeats and gory lyrics, followed by “Black Fog And Poison Wind”, before Angel of Carnage Unleashed ends with the tunes of a soundtrack-like outro.
 
Bassist Teemu Kautonen on the album:
“The lyrics are based on the work of the renowned Finnish historian Teemu Keskisarja. His research inspired us both to carefully embed all lyrics in the appropriate historical context and to bring forth the human dimension by focusing on stories of individual people and how they experienced this perhaps darkest period of Finnish history.”

Vocalist/guitarist Pasi Kankkunen adds:
“It was very important for us to have the original line-up on the comeback album. We also agreed right at the beginning of the process to share the songwriting in equal proportions – just as we did on the 1996 classic album, Autumn Roars Thunder.”

Angel of Carnage Unleashed track listing:
1. Name the Dead
2. In Evil, Sickness and in Grief
3. Murktide and Midnight Sun
4. You Bitter Source of Sorrow
5. Where We Dwell
6. In Thrall to Ironskull’s Heart
7. Massacre
8. Black Fog and Poison Wind
9. Outro

EARTHLESS Announce New Album “Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons”, to Tour EU/UK in Spring 2022

Posted by tarjavirmakari on November 10, 2021
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

EARTHLESS returns with their new album Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons on January 28 via Nuclear Blast, along with a winter tour kicking off January 27th at Los Angeles’ The Echo. The latest from the San Diego-based psych rock power trio — Isaiah Mitchell (guitar & vocals), Mike Eginton (bass) and Mario Rubalcaba (drums) — was was recorded with Rubalcaba’s childhood friend Ben Moore, who’s worked with everyone from Diamanda Galas and Burt Bacharach to Ceremony and Hot Snakes. Their sixth album is comprised of two monster songs: the 41-minute title track and the 20-minute “Death To The Red Sun.”

Hear a 3-minute teaser of “Death To The Red Sun” here:

Pre-Order The Album Here: https://nblast.de/EarthlessNightParade

Pre-Save The Album Here: https://earthless.bfan.link/night-parade

EARTHLESS
Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons
Release Date: January 28th, 2022

01 – Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons
02 – Death To The Red Sun

Total Run Time: 61:39 minutes

The album and its title were inspired by an ancient Japanese legend in which a horde of demons, ghosts and other terrifying ghouls descend upon sleeping villages at night, once a year. Known as Hyakki Yagyō, or the “Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons,” one version of the tale states that anyone who witnesses this otherworldly procession will die instantly—or be carried off by the creatures of the night. As a result, the villagers hide in their homes, lest they become victims of these supernatural invaders. “My son and I came across the ‘Night Parade of One Hundred Demons’ in a book of traditional Japanese ghost stories,” bassist Mike Eginton explains. “I like the idea of people hiding and being able to hear the madness but not see it. It’s the fear of the unknown.”

Given the record’s inspiration, it should come as no surprise that Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons strikes a more sinister tone than the rest of the band’s catalogue. “It definitely has a darker, almost evil kind of vibe compared to stuff we’ve done in the past,” Rubalcaba says. “There’s more paranoia and noise, and some of Isaiah’s whammy-bar stuff kind of reminds me of these Jeff Hanneman moments in Reign In Blood, where it just seems like everything is going to hell. It’s pretty fun.”

When Eginton wasn’t tracking his bass parts, he worked on the album’s incredible sleeve art. “He really dedicated himself to the project,” Rubalcaba says. “He’d be drawing in the studio with, like, a coal-miner’s lamp on his head while we were doing overdubs. He really knocked it out of the park.” “I basically wanted to draw my interpretation of the folk story,” Eginton explains. “I started researching the different Yōkai—the demons—and really got into it. It was really cool reading about where they came from and what their interactions with humans were. Then I tried to create what I imagined the event might look like. I didn’t get a hundred in there, but I got quite a few.”

Their latest is a return to the epic instrumentals Earthless made their unmistakable name on, whereas 2018’s Black Heaven featured shorter songs and vocals from guitarist Isaiah Mitchell on much of the album—an unprecedented move for the trio. Black Heaven was recorded while Mitchell was living in the Bay Area, which made it difficult for the band to get together and work on the type of long instrumental pieces they’re known for. But, in March 2020 — specifically, the night the pandemic lockdown kicked in — Mitchell moved back to San Diego from the Bay Area. Bad timing, perhaps—or maybe perfect timing.

“With Isaiah here, we were able to get together once or twice a week to work on these jams,” Rubalcaba says. “We got back to our original songwriting process of just playing and building off each other little by little. And we actually had the time to do that, which was creatively inspiring.” Plus, they were all on the same page about not wanting to do another record with vocals. “Black Heaven was outside our comfort zone. I think it was a good record, but it was challenging to write songs in a more traditional verse-chorus-verse format. This one was more enjoyable.”

All told, Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons isn’t just a return to the band’s traditional format—it’s a return to their very beginnings. “This album actually has the very first Earthless riff in it,” Eginton reveals. “We just recorded it 20 years after we wrote it. But we’re really happy with how this record came out. We feel it might be our finest to date.”

EARTHLESS SPRING 2022 EU/UK TOUR
Support: MAIDA VALE

28.04 Manchester, UK @ Gorilla
30.04 London, UK @ Desertfest London
01.05 Bristol, UK @ Thekla
02.05 Dublin, IE @ Whelan’s
03.05 Glasgow, UK @ Stereo
04.05 Birmingham, UK @ Mama Roux’s
05.05 Brighton, UK @ Chalk
06.05 Hasselt, BE @ Nox Tumultum
07.05 Nijmegen, NL @ Sonic Whip Festival
08.05 Cologne, DE @ Volta
09.05 Wiesbaden, DE @ Schlachthof
10.05 Rouen, FR @ Le 106
11.05 Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie
12.05 Lyon, FR @ CCO
13.05 Bordeaux, FR @ Krakatoa
14.05 Madrid, ES @ Kristonfest
15.05 Porto, PT @ Hard Club
17.05 Montpellier, FR @ Victoire 2
18.05 Savona, IT @ Raindogs
19.05 Monthey, CH @ Pont Rouge
20.05 Munich, DE @ Feierwerk
21.05 Berlin, DE @ Bi Nuu *
22.05 Leipzig, DE @ UT Connewitz
*without MAIDA VALE

Tickets on sale: Friday 12 November 2021 at 10am UK time / 11am CET Visit https://www.earthlessofficial.com/tour-dates for ticket links.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE Announce Rescheduled Headline Tour for Winter 2022, August Burns Red + Light the Torch to Rejoin as Support

Posted by tarjavirmakari on November 10, 2021
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

Gold-selling and three-time Grammy-nominated hard rock heavyweights KILLSWITCH ENGAGE have announced their rescheduled headline tour for Winter 2022.

KsE, recognized by Forbes as “one of modern metal’s most cherished acts,” will bring The Atonement Tour back on the road to clubs and theaters across the U.S. and into Canada. The trek kicks off on January 28 in Pittsburgh and runs through March 12 in Philadelphia.

All dates are below. Tickets are onsale here: killswitchengage.com

The Atonement Tour makes its return with the same powerful lineup, which includes Lancaster, Pennsylvania’s August Burns Red as main support and Light the Torch as the opening act. As fans are more than well aware, LTT frontman Howard Jones served as KsE’s singer from 2002 through 2012.

This tour package was originally planned for Spring 2020 but was ultimately postponed two dates into the original run due to the global shutdown that was a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will now include all of the rescheduled dates as well as several new locations across the U.S.

“The long wait is finally over,” says KsE singer Jesse Leach. “We worked very hard to carefully piece this tour back together properly. After the tour was shut down two days in when it started in 2020, we are bringing it back! We are honored and stoked to have August Burns Red and Howard Jones and the boys in Light the Torch along to make this an ‘all killer, no filler’ line up.“

Jones echoes the sentiment, saying, “FINALLY! We get to pick up where we left off on the Atonement tour with KsE and ABR! We couldn’t be more excited to resume with the same lineup, and additional dates have been added so don’t miss this noisy party. Now, stop reading this and get your tickets. GO! This will be a tour to remember and you do not want to miss it!“

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE ON TOUR:
WITH AUGUST BURNS RED + LIGHT THE TORCH:
01/28 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
01/29 – Silver Spring, MD – Fillmore
01/31 – Stroudsburg, PA – Sherman Theater
02/01 – Montreal, QC – M-Telus
02/02 – Toronto, ON – Rebel
02/04 – Wallingford, CT – The Dome
02/05 – Portland, ME – State Theater
02/06 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
02/08 – New York, NY – Terminal 5
02/10 – Raleigh, NC – Ritz
02/11 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
02/12 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues
02/14 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
02/15 – Dallas, TX – SouthSide Ballroom
02/17 – Tempe, AZ – The Marquee
02/18 – Los Angeles, CA – Wiltern
02/19 – Las Vegas, NV – Brooklyn Bowl
02/21 – Ventura, CA – Ventura Theater
02/22 – Riverside, CA – Municipal Auditorium
02/23 – San Francisco, CA – Warfield
02/25 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory
02/26 – Missoula, MT – Wilma Theater
02/27 – Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo
03/01 – Boise, ID – Revolution
03/02 – Salt Lake City, UT – Complex
03/03 – Denver, CO – Fillmore
03/05 – Green Bay, WI – EPIC Event Center
03/06 – Minneapolis, MN – Fillmore
03/07 – Chicago, IL – Radius
03/08 – Columbus, OH – Express Live
03/10 – Detroit, MI – Fillmore
03/11 – Rochester, NY – Main Street Armory
03/12 – Philadelphia, PA – Franklin Music Hall