FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH Announce European Tour for 2022

Posted by tarjavirmakari on October 27, 2021
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Photo by Stephen Jensen

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH are pleased to announce their first European tour since early 2020. Kicking off at Nova Rock Festival in Austria in June, the award-winning, multi-platinum selling band will perform throughout the continent bringing their incendiary shows to festivals and arenas in 19 cities in 16 countries. Today’s announcement sees a series of headline shows – shown in BOLD below – added to existing festival dates.

Five Finger Death Punch last sold out shows across Europe in February 2020 with special guests Megadeth and Bad Wolves. The band is fresh off their latest #1 single “Darkness Settles In.” In June, it notably marked the band’s 12th all-time #1 on the U.S. rock radio chart. The track, a fan favorite taken from their latest chart-topping and critically-praised studio album F8(via Better Noise Music), was produced by the band, alongside music super-producer Kevin Churko (Ozzy Osbourne, Disturbed, Slash, etc.).

The single followed in the footsteps of the album’s three previously released smashes,“Inside Out,” “A Little Bit Off,” and “Living The Dream,” all of which reached the #1 spot on the same chart. The band also recently celebrated the Gold certification of “A Little Bit Off” in the U.S. and Sweden. F8 is now available for streaming, download and purchase on picture disc vinyl, red vinyl, heavy weight vinyl and CD HERE.

The band is currently in the studio working on new music for their forthcoming ninth studio album to be released in 2022.

Five Finger Death Punch European Tour Dates 2022 To Date:

Sun 12th June 2022 – Nova Rock, Nickelsdorf, Austria
Tue 14th June – Sparkassenpark, Moenchengladbach, Germany HEADLINE
Wed 15th June – Wuhlheide, Berlin, Germany HEADLINE
Fri 17th June – Hellfest, Clisson, France
Sat 18th June – Graspop, Dessel, Belgium
Mon 20th June – Ahoy, Rotterdam, Holland HEADLINE
Wed 22nd June – Prague Rocks, Prague, Czech Republic
Fri 24th June – Download, Hockenheim Ring, Germany
Sat 25th June – Tons Of Rock, Halden, Norway
Mon 27th June – Goransson Arena, Sandviken, Sweden HEADLINE
Tue 28th June – Royal Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark HEADLINE
Wed 29th June – Frauenfeld Rocks, Frauenfeld, Switzerland
Sat 2nd July – Tasmajdan, Belgrade, Serbia HEADLINE
Tue 5th July – Budapest Arena, Budapest, Hungary HEADLINE
Mon 11th July – Saku Arena, Tallinn, Estonia HEADLINE
Tue 12th July – A2, St. Petersburg, Russia HEADLINE
Fri 8th – 26th July – Parklive Festival, Moscow, Russia
Sat 16th July – U Park Festival, Kiev, Ukraine

More dates to be announced. The band is also pleased to announce thrash legends Megadeth as special guests in Berlin, Moenchengladbach, and Rotterdam, who previously joined 5FDP as special guest on their headlining tour across Europe in early 2020. Further guests for other dates will be announced in the near future.

VIP Packages are available now and general onsale will take place at 10am local time on Friday, October 29, 2021. For tickets and more info please visit: www.fivefingerdeathpunch.com.

DRAGONFORCE Go Full 80s-Glam in New Video ‘Strangers’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on October 26, 2021
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DRAGONFORCE have launched a new video for “Strangers” – a song from 2019’s Extreme Power Metal, and a tribute to everything 80s! Featuring Steve Vai‘s Whitesnake/David Lee Roth-era guitars, the band spared no expense in making this clip authentic, delivering the ultimate glam metal cheese. Filmed before the pandemic with a large-scale production, “Strangers” was directed by Roboshobo, in Los Angeles, CA, and can be seen here:

Guitarist Herman Li comments: “This video takes place in the same ’80s world as our last video (‘Troopers of the Stars’), with the same cast and the same director. When Roboshobo pitched the concept, I was immediately into it. I’m a huge fan of the glam rock-era of music – I love the showmanship, the guitar solos, and the endearing cheesiness. And the players of that time were amazing, like Steve Vai, Warren Di Martini, and Reb Beach; I think sometimes the playing gets lost, and people just remember the crazy outfits. So, this video is a loving tribute to that era – while also being authentic…
Roboshobo told us to get some cool-looking guitars to fit the theme of the video, and the night before the shoot, I was panicking because we still hadn’t found any. So, I texted Steve Vai and told him we were doing a glam rock video. He said, ‘come on over’, and when I got there, he had pulled out THE guitars he used with Whitesnake and David Lee Roth. I remember seeing these guitars in magazines as a kid, so it was incredible to get to use them on set – I almost cried when he handed them to me!
Besides the guitars, I think we all looked really hunky in our costumes, especially our hair! For a minute, I was even considering getting a perm…I know people may think we’re not taking ourselves seriously enough, but I think given the state of the world, sometimes it’s just nice to kick back and have a laugh with your mates. That was definitely the vibe on set – we could barely keep a straight face watching the playback.
We’re also releasing super-limited merch we did in collaboration with the artist, Teenage Stepdad, at: dragonforce.com/shop. It definitely captures the feeling of the era!“

To coincide with this video launch, DragonForce has announced a headlining North American tour for 2022, featuring Battle Beast and Seven Spires as support.

DragonForce adds: “We are so excited to be playing in the USA and Canada again. We’ve spent the last year and a half waiting to get back on the road to finish the ‘Extreme Power Metal World Tour’. We’ve also got some new surprises. DragonForce always says more is more, so expect an even bigger, crazier show!
We’re also thrilled to be bringing some incredible bands with us. Battle Beast gives an amazing performance every time, and Seven Spires is one of the best young bands out there. We can’t wait to see everyone in the crowd and at our VIP!“

See below for all dates! Tickets on-sale Friday, October 29th @ 10am local time. Extremely limited pre-show VIP upgrades are available at: dragonforce.com

DragonForce North American tour dates
w/ Battle Beast, Seven Spires
Mar. 7, 2022 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory *
Mar. 8, 2022 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory *
Mar. 9, 2022 – Roseville, CA – Goldfield Trading Post *
Mar. 10, 2022 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre *
Mar. 11, 2022 – Seattle, WA – Neptune *
Mar. 13, 2022 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom *
Mar. 15, 2022 – Calgary, AB – Palace Theater *
Mar. 16, 2022 – Edmonton, AB – Union Hall *
Mar. 18, 2022 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory *
Mar. 19, 2022 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex *
Mar. 20, 2022 – Denver, CO – Oriental Theater
Mar. 22, 2022 – Lawrence, KS – Granada Theater
Mar. 23, 2022 – St. Louis, MO – Red Flag
Mar. 24, 2022 – Milwaukee, WI – Rave II
Mar. 25, 2022 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
Mar. 26, 2022 – Chicago, IL – Metro
Mar. 27, 2022 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrews Hall
Mar. 29, 2022 – Ft. Wayne, IN – Piere’s
Mar. 30, 2022 – Toronto, ON – Opera House
Mar. 31, 2022 – Montreal, QC – Corona Theatre
Apr. 1, 2022 – Quebec City, QC – Imperial Bell
Apr. 2, 2022 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium
Apr. 3, 2022 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza
Apr. 5, 2022 – Reading, PA – Reverb
Apr. 6, 2022 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theater
Apr. 7, 2022 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage
Apr. 8, 2022 – Pittsburgh, PA – Roxian Theater
Apr. 9, 2022 – Greensboro, NC – Arizona Petes
Apr. 10, 2022 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade (Heaven)
Apr. 12, 2022 – Tampa, FL – Orpheum
Apr. 13, 2022 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Revolution
Apr. 15, 2022 – Dallas, TX – Amplified Live
Apr. 16, 2022 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
Apr. 17, 2022 – Austin, TX – Come And Take It Live
Apr. 19, 2022 – Mesa, AZ – Nile Theater
Apr. 20, 2022 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blue
s Apr. 22, 2022 – Los Angeles, CA – Belasco Theater
Apr. 23, 2022 – Berkeley, CA – UC Theater
*=without Battle Beast

SERIOUS BLACK Release New Power Metal Hymn ‘Rock With Us Tonight’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on October 26, 2021
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One of the new songs on SERIOUS BLACK’s upcoming studio album ‘Vengeance Is Mine’ is called ‘Album Of Our Life’ and hits the nail on the head in several respects. On the one hand, the international power metal band surrounding bassist and founder Mario Lochert has succeeded in creating what is probably the most powerful and imaginative work of its career so far, with loads of great guitar riffs, grooving rhythms and anthemic melodies. On the other hand, the album’s lyrics venture into territories previously uncharted by the band. Lochert: “This time, I have allowed more insights into my emotions and private life than ever before, i.e. into how I think, how I feel, how I am, and how difficult it can be to keep a band going when you yourself aren’t well. The lyrics on ‘Vengeance Is Mine’ reflect the past four or five years. This, of course, has had an impact on the songwriting, which has become even more intense and emotional.”
 
SERIOUS BLACK’s mastermind is referring to an album that is scheduled for release on 25 Febuary 2022, but will provide plenty of appetisers beforehand in the shape of four lead singles. 17 September 2021 saw the arrival of ‘The Story’, including an official lyric video, followed just under a month later in October 2021 by the second single including the official music video for “Rock With Us Tonight”.
 
Listen to the song and watch the new videoclip below.

Lochert`s assessment that his band has succeeded in creating a masterpiece in ‘Vengeance Is Mine’ is based on the band’s latest addition: Nikola Mijic, a powerful singer from Serbia who, after a successful guest appearance with British act Eden`s Curse, has become SERIOUS BLACK’s new frontman. Mijić has replaced the group’s former vocalist Urban Breed, who had announced his departure in spring 2021. Lochert: “To be honest, we were pretty stunned when Urban left during the songwriting for ‘Vengeance Is Mine’, but of course, we wish him all the best for the future. Since we didn’t want to lose any time due to Urban’s departure, we immediately set about looking for a new singer while continuing to work on the new material.” Fortunately, help was at hand: SERIOUS BLACK`s vocalist friend Henning Basse (ex-Metalium, -Firewind) stepped in to help work out the vocal melodies and vocal phrasing of five songs, and Greek multi-instrumentalist Bob Katsionis(Firewind, Outloud) supported the writing of the new material. Lochert: “We have been close friends with Henning and Bob for years, so we were of course very happy that they helped out.”
 
And so what belongs together has at last come together in SERIOUS BLACK: Thanks to Nikola Mijić’s expressive timbre, guitarist Dominik Sebastian’s rapid riffs and hooks, drummer Ramy Ali’s driving grooves and bassist and bandleader Mario Lochert’s diverse songwriting, ‘Vengeance Is Mine’ has turned into a prime example of a deeply melodic and at the same time exudingly dynamic power metal album.

LORDI Release New Single ‘Borderline’ And Announce Own Ghost Train

Posted by tarjavirmakari on October 26, 2021
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Screaching towards Halloween, LORDI brings with them what is probably the most gruesome Halloween news of 2021: the Finnish ESC winners from 2006 (“Hard Rock Hallelujah”) now have their own ghost train!

All aboard The LORDI Ghost Train and experience gruelling terror in the truly unique LORDI style that is featured in the new music video for the bands 3rd single from the upcoming album “Lordiversity”.

The video, written and directed by Mr. Lordi himself, who was also responsible for the special effects, took place in that very same ghost train and can be viewed below.

From spring 2022, The LORDI Ghost Train will roll through Finland as a part of the country’s largest touring carnival Tivoli Sariola.
“The ghost train is the park’s original ride from Tivoli Sariola”, reveals Mr. Lordi. “It got an all new design, completely branded on us. She was quasi lordified.”
It is a great honour for the musician from Rovaniemi in northern Finland. “No other rock band on this planet has had its own ghost train!”

The music video, in which the train of horror can already be seen, is the back drop for the song “Borderline” from the bands new album. The word “album” is definitely an understatement regarding the latest release by LORDI:  On November 26th 2021, the band will be the first in music history to release a set of seven seperate studio albums of new music! This bold statement is titled “Lordiversity”.

These seven albums are essentially the missing recordings on which the last album “Killection” was based on. “Killection” was a concept album by LORDI that brilliantly envisioned the greatest hits of the monster rock band as if they had existed since the early 70s. Two years after this “Best Of” compilation, “Lordiversity” delivers the imagined back catalog to join the bands legacy.

Mr. Lordi explains: “In the week of March 2020 after our tour had to be cancelled, I thought I would have to use this additional time that is available to me. It quickly became clear that the time was perfect to start planning another album, even though “Killection” was not even three months old at the time. Then I realized, however, that there couldn’t be anything more boring than making a regular LORDI album. I had really enjoyed writing, recording and producing the different styles for “Killection”, but the idea of simply composing a second part of it also struck me as extremely boring. But since “Killection” was a fictional album based on a previously non-existent fictional back catalog of music, I had the idea: The only thing that could top “Killection” would be to record and publish the back catalog.”

“Skeletric Dinosaur“, “Superflytrap“, “The Masterbeast From The Moon“, “Abusement Park“, “Humanimals“, “Abracadaver” and “Spooky Sextravaganza Spectecular” all appear on the November 26th release. The complete work is called “Lordiversity”. Monster songs for the monster within us all!

IRON SAVIOR to Release “The Landing (10th Anniversary Edition)” in November

Posted by tarjavirmakari on October 26, 2021
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Right in time for its 10th anniversary, German power metal force IRON SAVIOR surprises the fans with a special edition of their classic album „The Landing“. This new „10th Anniversary Edition“ not only includes 3 bonus tracks but was also remixed and remastered by Piet Sielck himself and comes with a revised artwork by Felipe Machado Franco.

„The Landing“ became one of the most successful albums of the Hamburg-based band and was heralding a kind of resurgence for IRON SAVIOR back then. It contains several classic tracks such as „Starlight“, „Hall Of The Heroes“ and – of course – the metal hymn par excellence, „Heavy Metal Never Dies“ – a song which was streamed way more than 10.000.000 times until this day.

„The Landing 10th Anniversary Edition“ will be released on November 19th (CD and ltd. 2-Vinyl). 

Tracklisting:

01. Descending (Intro)
02. The Savior
03. Starlight
04. March Of Doom
05. Heavy Metal Never Dies
06. Moment In Time
07. Hall Of The Heroes
08. R. U. Ready
09. Faster Than All
10. Before The Pain
11. No Guts No Glory
12. Coming Home (re-recorded)
13. Atlantis Falling (re-recorded)
14. Underneath The Radar (Bonus Track)

ORDEN OGAN Release New Single “Fields Of Sorrow (Orchestral Version)”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on October 26, 2021
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German power metal kings ORDEN OGAN proudly present an epic orchestral version of the band’s classic song “Fields Of Sorrow”. The track is available on all digital platforms now.

“We were asked about this very version a lot, as it was our live outro on all our shows since the release of our ‘Gunmen’ album”, Orden Ogan singer Seeb states.
“So far it was only available as bonus track on the Japanese edition of ‘Gunmen’ and we’re happy to make it available to a bigger audience now finally.”

“Fields Of Sorrow (Orchestral Version)” will also be part of AFM Records’ upcoming 25th anniversary label  compilation “25 Years Metal Addiction”, which includes 30 rare or previously unreleased songs.