Husband and wife musical duo Faith & Branko is scheduled to release its new album, Duhovi next month through World Music Network and Riverboat Records.
In anticipation of its release, the couple premiered the record’s new single, ‘Techno‘ Friday. The song’s premiere comes more than a week after the pair premiered the single’s video. The video features the duo and its fellow musicians in a small countryside farm, performing the new single as local residents dance along to the music, which plays over the visualization.
The fully instrumental arrangement is a fun, infectious composition that blends elements of rock, ska, funk and the group’s own ethnic musical influences for a whole that is wholly unique and so engaging and entertaining.
Duhovi is scheduled for release Feb. 24. More information on Faith & Branco’s new album, single and video is available along with all of the couple’s latest news at:
Rock band The Reed Effect kicked off the weekend with the premiere of the video for its latest single.
The band debuted the video for its single, ‘Megalomania‘ Friday. The single is featured in the band’s album, 1973. The record has also produced the singles, ‘Rise Up‘ ‘Trampled Under,’ and ‘Fine Here.‘
The video for ‘Megalomania’ presents the band performing its new single on a stage setting. The presentation is meant to reflect what the band looks like in a live setting.
The musical arrangement featured in ‘Megalomania’ is a clear blues-rock style composition. The straight forward approach is immediately infectious. Throughout the composition, the classic rock influences are evident. At the same time, there is something about front man Kirk Reed’s vocal delivery that when set alongside the instrumentation, conjures thoughts of works from the likes of Collective Soul, too. The overall presentation is a fully engaging and entertaining work.
Reed explained the lyrical theme behind the new single, saying it stemmed from personal experiences.
This song, “Megalomania”has to do with some run-ins with a number of acquaintances over the years,” Reed said. “However, I don’t hold any grudges. There’s no point and a waste of my energy. We’re all human and make mistakes and hopefully learn from them. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t challenged with being a megalomaniacmyself. Although, I don’t want to make a career out of that.”
More information on The Reed Effect’s new video, single, and album is available along with all of The Reed Effect’s latest news at:
The Bamboozle Festival will return again this year and the annual festival will see the likes of Limp Bizkit, Motionless in White, and Papa Roach among the many acts on the bill.
This year’s festival is scheduled to take place May 5-7 at Bader Field in Atlantic City, NJ. Tickets are available now here. Along with the already noted bands, a multitude of others, such as Cane Hill, Say Anything, and Mayday Parade are scheduled as part of the festival’s lineup.
More information on the 20th annual Bamboozle Festival is available at:
Dead By Wednesday debuted the latest single from its album this week, along with the single’s companion video.
The band premiered its new single, ‘Mars In Exile‘ and its companion video Wednesday. The song is featured in Dead By Wednesday’s latest album, Capital Conspiracy, which is available now through Mindsnap Music.
The musical arrangement featured in ‘Mars In Exile’ is a heavy, intense composition that is one part thrash in the vein of Unearth, Whitechapel and Testament and one part Killswitch Engage. The KsE comparison comes in the song’s choruses, what with their more melodic sound and clean vocals.
No information was provided about the song’s lyrical theme in the news release announcing the debut of the new single and video. The lyrics provided with the video hint at a message of commitment in a relationship. It seems present a message of someone saying saying they will be there for that other person even despite doubt from that other person. This is just this critic’s interpretation.
The video for the new single was inspired by drummer Opus’ son, according to the release. It features the band on stage in Lego form along with a Lego audience.
Courtesy: O’Donnell Media Group
In other news, Dead By Wednesday is scheduled to launch what it has dubbed “The Sick As F*** Tour” in April. The tour’s dates are under consideration.
More information on Dead By Wednesday’s new single and video is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Unearth offered audiences their first preview of its next album this week with the record’s lead single and its companion video.
The band debuted its new single, ‘The Wretched; The Ruinous‘ Wednesday, along with the song’s companion video. The song is featured in the band’s as-yet untitled forthcoming album, which according to its video, will be released through Century Media Records.
The musical arrangement featured in Unearth’s new single is as intense as any of the band’s existing work. The machine-gun fast time keeping, the screaming vocals, thrash style guitars and rich low-end from the bass make it just as comparable to works from the likes of Testament as to As I Lay Dying. The overall heaviness and power in the arrangement will appeal not only to Unearth’s established audiences, but to metal fans across the board.
According to front man Trevor Phipps, the song’s lyrical theme delivers a message of ecological consciousness.
“‘The Wretched; The Ruinous’ is a summation of our upcoming album as a whole musically and lyrically as it showcases the aggression, power, melody, energy and darkness that is full-throttle Unearth,” Phipps said. “Thematically this lead track puts the full blame on Mankind for the destruction of our planet, and the mass extinction of millions of species, as well as the eventual eradication of man due to our negligence with the climate crisis.”
Phipps said the video for the new single was recorded in Tokyo, Japan. According to the information include in the video, it was recorded live Monday.
Speaking of live shows, Unearth is scheduled to launch the “Hell On Earth 2023 Tour” Apr. 1 in Dortmund, Germany. The European/UK tour is scheduled to run through April 21 in Stockholm, Sweden. Misery Index, Year of the Knife, Turbid North, and Leech are scheduled to share time on the tour, too.
The tour’s schedule is noted below:
Hell on Earth Tour 2023
with Misery Index, Year Of The Knife, Turbid North and Leech
04/01 Dortmund, GER – Junkyard
04/02 Antwerp, BEL – Trix
04/05 Munchen, GER – Backstage
04/04 Freiburg, GER – Crash
04/05 Eindhoven, NET – Dynamo
04/06 Sheffield, UK – Corporation
04/07 Leeds, UK – The Warehouse
04/08 London, UK – Islington Assembly Hall
04/09 Lille, FRA – The Black Lab
04/10 Paris, FRA – La Machine Du Moulin Rouge
04/11 Stuttgart, GER – Im Wizemann
04/12 Weinheim, GER – Cafe Central
04/13 Cottbus, GER – Gladhouse
04/14 Leer, GER – Zollhaus
04/15 Chemnitz, GER – AJZ Chemnitz
04/16 Ostrava, CZE – Barrak Music Club
04/17 Berlin, GER – SO36
04/18 Hamburg, GER – Bahnhof Pauli
04/19 Copenhagen, DEN – Pumpehuset
04/20 Gothenburg, SWE – Musikens Hus
04/21 Stockholm, SWE – Slaktkyrkan
More information on Unearth’s tour, album, single, and video is available at:
Dope will release its new album, Blood Money Part Zero next month, and in anticipation of its release, the band premiered the record’s latest single, ‘Dive‘ Wednesday.
‘Dive’ is the sixth single, behind the previously released singles, ‘Misery,’ ‘Believe,’ ‘Best Of Me,’ ‘No Respect,’ and ‘F*** It Up.’ The musical arrangement featured in ‘Dive’ continues the unique melodic hard rock stylistic approach and sound that the band has come to be known for overthe years, incorporating its familiar semi-industrial vibe to make it so engaging and entertaining.
No information was provided about the song’s lyrical theme in the news release announcing the single’s premiere. In listening, it comes across as being a story of someone who is at his lowest moment. That is just this critic’s interpretation.
In other news, Dope is scheduled to join Static-X for its upcoming “Rise Of The Machine Tour” starting Feb. 25 in San Francisco, CA. Also scheduled to take part in the tour are Mushroomhead, Fear Factory, Twiztid, Society 1, and Cultus Black.
The tour is scheduled to run through April 15 in Los Angeles, CA and includes scheduled performances in cities nationwide, such as Charlotte, NC; Milwaukee, WI and Columbus, OH. Tickets and VIP packages are available here.
More information on Dope’s new single and album is available along with all of its latest news at:
Veteran rock band Uriah Heep is released its latest album, Chaos & Colour Friday through Silver Lining Music.
Only days ahead of its release, the band premiered the album’s second single, ‘Hurricane,’ and its companion lyric video. The song and its video are the record’s second, behind the release of the album’s lead single, ‘Save Me Tonight,’ which the band premiered in November.
The musical arrangement featured in ‘Hurricane’ is, much like that of ‘Save Me Tonight,’ easily comparable to so much work from the likes of fellow veteran British hard rock band Deep Purple. That is evidenced through the stylistic approach used in the keyboards, vocals and guitars.
The lyrical theme featured in the new single is rooted in history, according to drummer Russell Gillbrook.
“Simon (Pinto) and I wrote the song about how our ancestors looked at storms and how these can be interpreted as being messages from the Gods…,” Gillbrook said. “Their power is awesome and a great inspiration for a rocking track!”
The lyric video that accompanies the song works in partner with the song’s lyrical theme. That is because it features footage of hurricanes and storms while the lyrics are presented over the visualization. The song plays over the whole as it progresses.
The track listing for Chaos & Colour is noted below:
Chaos & Colour Track List:
Save Me Tonight
Silver Sunlight
Hail the Sunrise
Age of Changes*
Hurricane
One Nation, One Sun
Golden Light
You’ll Never Be Alone
Fly Like an Eagle
Freedom to Be Free
Closer to Your Dreams*
Save Me Tonight (Demo)**
*CD and Digital only **Deluxe CD only
More information on Uriah Heep’s new album, single, and video is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Fear Factory is sticking with Nuclear Blast Records for the foreseeable future.
The label and band announced Monday, the two sides have agreed on a contract renewal 10 years after the band initially signed with the label. That initial agreement saw the band release three albums — Genexus, Aggression Continuum, and Recoded — through the label.
Recoded, Fear Factory’s label remix album, produced remixed takes of songs from Aggression Continuum, two of which came in the form of ‘Hatred Will Prevail – Monolith Remix‘ and ‘Disobey – Disruptor Remix.’ The remix of ‘Hatred Will Prevail was composed alongside longtime Fear Factory collaborator Rhys Fulber while the band’s remix of ‘Disobey’ was composed along famed electronic music artist Zardonic.
Specifics of the contract were not released through the news release announcing the contract renewal.
Dino Cazares, Fear Factory guitarist and founding member was upbeat as he talked about the contract renewal.
“This is a new year and a new chapter for Fear Factory,” Cazares said. “We are off to a great start because we have re-signed with Nuclear Blast Records and our A&R legend Monte Conner, who originally signed the band in 1992. It is a great feeling to be with a label that gets us and who has always had our backs, especially when we needed them the most. Prepare for the future of Fear Factory.”
Courtesy: Nuclear Blast Records
In other news, Fear Factory will join Static-X for its Rise of the Machine tour starting Feb. 25 in San Francisco, CA. The tour, which will also see Mushroomhead and Twiztid serve as support, is scheduled to run through April 15 in Los Angeles, CA. Stops in cities nationwide, such as Columbus, OH; Charlotte, NC and Fort Wayne, IN are also part of the tour’s schedule, which is noted below.
Feb 25: San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore Feb 27: Portland, OR – Roseland Feb 28: Seattle, WA – Showbox Mar 01: Vancouver, BC – Richshaw Theater – *SOLD OUT* Mar 02: Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory Mar 03: Boise, ID – Revolution Concert Hall Mar 04: Reno, NV – Virginia Street Brewhouse Mar 05: Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades Mar 07: Phoenix, AZ – Van Buren Mar 08: Albuquerque, NM – El Rey Theater * Mar 09: Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom * Mar 10: Dallas, TX – House of Blues * Mar 11: San Antonio, TX – The Aztec Theater * Mar 12: Houston, TX – House of Blues * Mar 14: Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theater * Mar 15: Orlando, FL – Plaza Live * Mar 16: Charlotte, NC – Underground – *SOLD OUT** Mar 17: Baltimore, MD – Soundstage – *SOLD OUT** Mar 18: Philly, PA – Theater of the Living Arts – *SOLD OUT** Mar 19: NYC, NY – Irving Plaza * Mar 21: Boston, MA – Big Night Live * Mar 22: New Haven, CT – Toad’s * Mar 23: Montreal, QC – MTELUS * Mar 24: Toronto, ON – The Danforth Music Hall * Mar 25: Detroit, MI – St Andrews Hall – *SOLD OUT** Mar 26: Cleveland, OH – House of Blues # Mar 28: Pittsburgh, PA – Roxian # Mar 29: Cincinnati, OH – Bogarts # Mar 30: Columbus, OH – The King of Clubs # Mar 31: Ft Wayne, IN – The Clyde * Apr 01: Milwaukee, WI – The Rave * Apr 02: Green Bay, WI – Epic Event Center* Apr 04: Grand Rapids, MI – Intersection * Apr 05: St Louis, MO – Del Mar Hall # Apr 06: Indy, IN – The Vogue # Apr 07: Chicago, IL – House of Blues # Apr 08: Minneapolis, MN – The Fillmore Minneapolis # Apr 09: Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theater # Apr 11: Denver, CO – The Summit # Apr 13: Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues# Apr 14: San Diego, CA – House of Blues # Apr 15: LA, CA – Belasco Theater – *SOLD OUT* #
* Featuring special guest Mushroomhead # Featuring special guest Twiztid
More information on Fear Factory’s new record deal and tour is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
This Friday, Mercury Studios will re-issue Marvin Gaye’s previously released live recording, Greatest Hits Live in ’76 on CD. Originally released in 2007 on DVD, the 23-song presentation is a welcome presentation for anyone who does not already own the recording’s aforementioned DVD presentation. That is due in large part to its featured songs, which will be discussed shortly. While the songs that make up the recording’s body are clearly of note in a positive way, the recording is not perfect in its new forthcoming presentation on CD. That is because of its lack of any liner notes. This will be discussed a little later. The recording’s production works with the songs to make for more engagement and entertainment and will be discussed later, too. When it is considered along with the songs, those two elements make the recording a presentation that Marvin Gaye fans and R&B fans in general will find positive.
Marvin Gaye: Greatest Hits Live in ’76, Mercury Studios’ forthcoming re-issue of the same recording originally released by the label – then known as Eagle Rock Entertainment – in 2007 on DVD, is a mostly positive companion piece to that recording. The engagement and entertainment that the recording offers audiences comes in large part through its featured songs. Totaling 23 in all, the songs present a rich cross section of Gaye’s catalog up to that point, reaching as far back as his sophomore 1963 album, That Stubborn Kinda Fellow and as far into his catalog as his 1976 album, I Want You. While so many people know Gaye primarily for his hit slow jam serenade, ‘Let’s Get It On,’ he also produced some more socially conscious content, such as the timeless classic ‘What’s Going On?’ Both those songs are here and were originally featured in two separate albums released by Gaye, Let’s Get It On (1973) and What’s Going On (1971). Also featured in this set is the equally iconic song of determination, ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,’ which Gaye released way back in 1967 in his album, United. Lots of people know Diana Ross’ take of the song, which was actually composed by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson in 1966, and Gaye then first made it a hit not long after its composition. At the time of the songs’ performances and recordings, only two of Gaye’s original albums – That’s The Way Love Is (1970), his 1961 debut record, The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye — and one tribute album – A Tribute to the Great Nat “King” Cole – were not represented in this collection. To that end, again, what audiences get in these songs are a relatively rich representation of Gaye’s catalog. This is something that is certain to appeal to so many audiences.
While the songs that make up the collection’s body are unquestionably important in the best way possible to Marvin Gaye: Greatest Hits Live in ’76, knowing when and where the songs were recording is impossible to know is impossible. That is because this new CD re-issue of the recording lacks any liner notes at all. That is at least the case with the review copy received by this critic. Hopefully consumer copies do not suffer from this issue, too. If they do, however, then that definitely will detract from the overall engagement and entertainment because it means audiences do not get that background on the songs. It means no stories on the performances or any other notable anecdotes and pieces of history that might otherwise enrich the listening experience even more for audiences. While the lack of any history on the performances featured here is undeniably problematic for the recording’s presentation, it is not enough to doom the recording. To that end, there is one more positive to examine here. That positive is the overall production presented here.
The production featured in these songs makes the listening experience so immersive. There is something about the quality of the sound that really makes audiences feel like they are right there in the concert hall(s), taking in the performances with everyone else. At times, given, Gaye’s vocals do get a little washed out against the instrumentations, but for the most part, what audiences get is a positive concert experience thanks to the positive general effect generated through the production. When this is considered along with the positive of the songs that make up the recording’s body, the whole makes this recording still well worth owning among Marvin Gaye fans and R&B fans alike.
Mercury Studios’ forthcoming CD re-issue of Marvin Gaye: Greatest Hits Live in ’76 is a largely successful presentation from the label’s previous 2007 DVD presentation. Its success comes in large part through its featured songs. The songs featured here represent such a rich portion of Gaye’s catalog up to that point, omitting only two of his original studio recordings. While the songs are clearly and collectively a positive to the recording, the seeming lack of any background on the performances’ histories detracts from the engagement and entertainment guaranteed through the songs themselves. It would have been nice to have at least some background, knowing whether the songs were all from one concert or multiple performances, and if so when and where they were recorded, as well as any other background on Gaye’s rising star through that portion of his career. The lack of that background is problematic but not enough to doom the recording. To that end, the positive general effect of the recording’s production works with the songs to make up for that issue of the lack of liner notes. That is because of the general effect that is guaranteed through the performances. Each item examined here is important in its own way to the whole of the recording. All things considered they make the recording a presentation that Marvin Gaye fans and R&B fans in general will find mostly enjoyable.
Marvin Gaye: Greatest Hits Live in ’76 is scheduled for release Friday through Mercury Studios. More information on this and other titles from Mercury Studios is available at:
O.S.I.’s 2009 album Blood has officially gotten the re-issue treatment courtesy of Metal Blade Records.
The label has re-issued the record, the band’s third, on vinyl, 2CD and digital platforms. The re-issue marks the first time since the album was originally released in 2009, that it has been re-issued by any label.
In celebration of the record’s re-issue, guitarist Jim Matheos (Fates Warning, Arch/Matheos, Gordian Knot), debuted a guitar play-through of Blood‘s single, ‘False Start.’ The video is available to stream here.
Blood Track Listing: 01. The Escape Artist 02. Terminal 03. False Start 04. We Come Undone 05. Radiologue 06. Be the Hero 07. Microburst Alert 08. Stockholm 09. Blood 10. No Celebrations 11. Christian Brothers 12. Terminal (Endless)
More information on this and other titles from Metal Blade Records is available at:
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