The Hu Announces “The Warrior Souls” West Coast Headlining Dates; Shares Teaser Clip For Video For Its Single, ‘Sell The World’

The Hu’s North American tour in support of the deluxe edition of its latest album, Rumble of Thunder will make its way to the west coast this fall.

The band announced Wednesday, it is scheduled to launch “The Warrior Souls” tour Oct. 9 in San Francisco, CA. The tour which runs just shy of three weeks, is scheduled to run through Oct. 26 in Phoenix, AZ and includes stops in cities, such as Bellingham, WA; Missoula, MT and Eugene, OR.

The upcoming west coast run will come on the heels of a co-headlining tour alongside Asking Alexandria and Zero 9:36, which launched Wednesday in San Antonio, TX. Both tours’ schedules are noted below. Tickets for “The Warrior Souls” tour go on sale at 10 a.m. local time Friday.

THE HU’S 2023 TOUR DATES

8/30   San Antonio, TX – Boeing Center at Tech Port #

9/1     Dallas, TX – The Factory In Deep Ellum #

9/2     Pryor, OK – Rocklahoma &

9/3     Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall #

9/5     Atlanta, GA – The Eastern #

9/7     Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live #

9/8     Philadelphia, PA – Franklin Music Hall #

9/11   New York, NY – Terminal 5 #

9/12   Boston, MA – House of Blues #

9/13   Bethlehem, PA – The Wind Creek Event Center #

9/15   Harrisburg, PA – Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center #

9/16   Johnstown, PA – 1st Summit Arena at Cambria County War Memorial #

9/17   Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom #

9/19   Cleveland, OH – TempleLive #

9/20   Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit #

9/22   Ft Wayne, IN – Piere’s Entertainment Center #

9/23   Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life &

9/25   Chesterfield, MO – The Factory #

9/26   Chicago, IL – Riviera Theatre #

9/27   Green Bay, WI – EPIC Event Center #

9/29   Milwaukee, WI – The Rave/ Eagles Club #

10/1   Council Bluffs, IA – Harrah’s Stir Cove #

10/3   Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium #

10/4   Salt Lake City, UT – The Union #

10/6   Sacramento, CA – Aftershock &

10/7   Las Vegas, NV – The Industrial Sound #

10/8   Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern #

10/9   San Francisco, CA – The Warfield ^

10/12 Bellingham, WA – Bellingham Exit ^

10/14 Garden City, ID – Revolution Concert House ^

10/15 Bozeman, MT – The ELM ^

10/16 Missoula, MT – The Wilma ^

10/18 Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory ^

10/19 Portland, OR – Roseland Theater ^

10/20 Seattle, WA – The Crocodile ^

10/21 Seattle, WA – The Crocodile ^

10/22 Eugene, OR – McDonald Theatre ^

10/24 Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory OC ^

10/25 Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theater ^ 

10/26 Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren ^

# “Psycho Thunder” co-headlining tour with Asking Alexandria and special guests Zero 9:36

& Festival Date

^ “The Warrior Souls” headlining tour (support TBA)

In other news, The Hu debuted a teaser clip for an upcoming video for its single, ‘Sell The World‘ Wednesday. ‘Sell The World’ is featured in the deluxe expanded edition of Rumble of Thunder, which is available now.

More information on The Hu’s tour schedule and new video is available at:

Website: https://thehuofficial.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehuofficial

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thehuofficial

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

The Cranberries’ ‘To The Faithful Departed’ Getting Re-Issue Treatment

Courtesy: Island/UMe

The Cranberries’ 1996 album, To The Faithful Departed will receive renewed attention later this year in a new re-issue.

The record is scheduled for a deluxe, expanded re-issue Oct. 13 on separate vinyl and CD releases through Island/UMe. The album was the band’s highest charting record in the United States and sold more than 6 million copies worldwide. It reached No. 1 in six nations.

Cranberries drummer Fergal Lawler spoke fondly of the album and the band’s late singer Delores O’Riordan in a prepared statement:

“I hadn’t heard these tracks for a long time but have spent many days over the past year or so listening intently to these songs,” Lawler said. “As difficult as it was to hear Dolores’ voice, they brought back many fond memories. I was shocked at how powerful they sounded and the strong emotions that I felt as I listened.”

The expanded 3CD set features 12 rare live tracks, a handful of previously unreleased outtakes and early mixes of the album. The expanded 2LP and 3 LP re-issues will each feature three previously unreleased demo songs and new liner notes penned by the band’s surviving members as well as Eoin Devereux.

The re-issue’s track listing is noted below:

1LP
LP1 – Side A
1.        Hollywood
2.        Salvation
3.        When You’re Gone
4.        Free To Decide
5.        War Child
6.        Forever Yellow Skies
7.        The Rebels
LP1 – Side B
1.        Just Shot John Lennon
2.         Electric Blue
3.        I’m Still Remembering
4.        Will You Remember?
5.        Joe
6.        Bosnia
 
2LP
LP1 – Side A
1.        Hollywood
2.        Salvation
3.        When You’re Gone
4.        Free To Decide
5.        War Child
LP1 – Side B
1.        Forever Yellow Skies
2.        The Rebels
3.        Intermission
4.        Just Shot John Lennon
5.        Electric Blue
LP2 – Side C
1.        I’m Still Remembering
2.        Will You Remember?
3.        Joe
4.        Bosnia
5.         Cordell
LP2 – Side D
1.        The Picture I View
2.        Go Your Own Way
3.        When You’re Gone (Paris demo)
4.        I Just Shot John Lennon (Paris demo
5.        Free To Decide (Paris demo)
 
3CD / DIGITAL
Disc One – To The Faithful Departed – Deluxe Remaster
1.        Hollywood
2.        Salvation
3.        When You’re Gone
4.        Free To Decide
5.        War Child
6.        Forever Yellow Skies
7.        The Rebels
8.        Intermission
9.        I Just Shot John Lennon
10.       Electric Blue
11.       I’m Still Remembering
12.       Will You Remember?
13.       Joe
14.       Cordell
15.       Bosnia
16.       The Picture I View
17.       Go Your Own Way
 
Disc Two – Unreleased Demos and Outtakes
1.        When You’re Gone (Paris demo)
2.        I Just Shot John Lennon (Paris demo)
3.        Free To Decide (Paris demo)
4.        The Rebels (Outtake)
5.        Hollywood (Outtake)
6.        Cordell (Early mix)
7.        Bosnia (Early mix)
8.        Salvation (Early mix)
9.        When You’re Gone (Early mix)
10.       Electric Blue (Early mix)
11.       Intermission (Early mix)
12.       Joe (Early mix)
13.       Free To Decide (Alternate mix)
 
Disc Three – 1996 Free To Decide tour
1.        Intermission + Forever Yellow Skies (Live in Toronto)
2.        Sunday (Live in Toronto)
3.        Linger (Live in Toronto)
4.        The Rebels (Live in Toronto)
5.        Waltzing Back (Live in Toronto)
6.        I Can’t Be With You (Live in Toronto)
7.        Free To Decide (Live in Detroit)
8.        Dreams (Live in Detroit)
9.        Hollywood (Live in Detroit)
10.       Zombie (Live in Detroit)
11.       Dreaming My Dreams (Live in Detroit)
12.       The Icicle Melts (Live in Detroit)
13.       Salvation (Live at Milton Keynes Bowl)

More information on the re-issue is available along with all of The Cranberries’ latest news at https://www.facebook.com/TheCranberries.

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Foreigner Announces Dates For Las Vegas Residency

Foreigner is extending its already long goodbye to fans.

The band announced Monday, its farewell tour will now feature a pair of residencies at Las Vegas’ famed Venetian Resort in 2024. The first residency is scheduled to span March 22-April 6 and the second from Oct. 25- Nov. 9.

Foreigner fan club members can get in on a ticket pre-sale now. Pre-sales through Live Nation and Ticket Master will launch at 1 p.m. Wednesday. All pre-sales end at 1 a.m. Friday. General on-sale tickets for each residency are scheduled to go on sale at 1 p.m. ET Friday.

The exact dates for each residency are noted below:

March 2024: 22, 23, 27, 29, 30 

April 2024: 3, 5, 6

October 2024: 25, 26, 30 

November 2024: 1, 2, 6, 8, 9 

Foreigner announced last month, it had released a limited edition vinyl live recording dubbed Farewell: The Very Best Of Foreigner. The recording, limited to only 5,000 copies, was made available at each of the stops on the band’s farewell tour. The tour’s current schedule is noted below along with the recording’s track listing.

FAREWELL – THE VERY BEST OF FOREIGNER TRACK LIST: 

Side A:

1. Feels Like The First Time / 2. Cold As Ice / 3. Long, Long Way From Home / 4. Hot Blooded / 5. Double Vision / 6. Head Games 

Side B:

1. Dirty White Boy / 2. Urgent / 3. Waiting For A Girl Like You / 4. Juke Box Hero / 5. I Want To Know What Love Is 

Foreigner launched its career-ending tour Thursday in Alpharetta, GA. The tour is scheduled to run through Sept. 3 in Holmdel, NJ and includes stops in cities nationwide, such as St. Louis, MO; Raleigh, NC and Dallas, TX.

The tour’s current schedule is noted below. Tickets are available here:

Weds August 30^th     Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theater

Fri September 1^st      Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena

Sat September 2^nd    Syracuse, NY – St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview

Sun September 3^rd   Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center

More information on Foreigner’s farewell tour and its new special recording is available at:

Website: https://www.foreigneronline.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Foreigner

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ForeignerMusic

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Sevendust Announces Details For New Box Set

Courtesy: BMG

Sevendust is scheduled to re-issue five of its albums this fall in a new box set.

Seven of Sevendust is scheduled for release in October through BMG on separate nine-LP and seven-CD box sets. The vinyl collection will release first, Oct. 13 while the CD collection is scheduled for release later in the month on Oct. 27.

Both collections will feature the same five albums: Next (2005), Alpha (2007), Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow (2008), Cold Day memory (2010), Black Out The Sun (2013), Time Travelers & Bonfires (2014), and Kill The Flaw (2015). Alpha and Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow will each be spread across two LP discs, bringing the vinyl set’s total count to nine LPs.

The vinyl set will retail for MSRP of $199.98 while the CD set will retail for $69.98. The track listing for each album is noted below:

SEVEN OF SEVENDUST TRACKLISTING:
 
NEXT (2005) Hero / Ugly / Pieces / Silence / This Life / Failure / See and Believe The Last Song / Desertion / Never / Shadows in Red 
 
ALPHA (2LP) (2007) Deathstar / Clueless / Driven / Feed / Suffer / Beg to Differ / Under Story of Your Life / Confessions of Hatred / Aggression / Burn / Alpha 
 
CHAPTER VII: HOPE & SORROW (2LP) (2008) Inside / Enough Hope – feat. Mark Tremonti / Scapegoat / Fear The Past – feat. Chris Daughtry / Prodigal Son / Lifeless Sorrow – feat. Myles Kennedy / Contradiction / Walk Away 
 
COLD DAY MEMORY (2010) Splinter / Forever / Unraveling / Last Breath / Karma / Ride Insane Confessions (Without Faith) / Nowhere / Here and Now The End Is Coming / Better Place / Strong Arm Broken 
 
BLACK OUT THE SUN (2013) Memory / Faithless / Till Death / Mountain / Cold as War / Black Out the Sun Nobody Wants It / Dead Roses / Decay / Dark AM / Picture Perfect Got a Feeling / Murder Bar 
 
TIME TRAVELERS & BONFIRES (2014) Come Down / Under It All / The Wait / Upbeat Sugar / One Life / Bonfire Gone / Denial / Trust / Crucified / Karma / Black 
 
KILL THE FLAW (2015) Thank You / Death Dance / Forget / Letters / Cease and Desist / Not Today Chop / Kill the Flaw / Silly Beast / Peace and Destruction / Torched

Sevendust released its latest album, Truth Killer this month through Napalm Records. The record is the band’s 14th album.

More information on Sevendust’s forthcoming box set is available along with all of Sevendust’s latest news at:

Website: https://sevendust.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sevendustofficial

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sevendust

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Colossal Street Jam Announces New Record Deal

Courtesy: TAG Publicity

Colossal Street Jam officially has a new label home.

The band announced Monday, it has signed with independent record label Fretbar Records. Details of the deal were not announced in the news release announcing the new agreement. The band’s addition to the label’s roster makes it label mate to Bourbon House, Jimmy Warren, and In Theory.

The band released its latest album, No Way To Live independently in February. That record is among the year’s top new rock albums and independent albums.

Jimmy Warren, Fretbar Records President, spoke warmly of Colossal Street Jam in a brief statement.

“Colossal Street Jam is an amazing rock band that reminds me of why I love music,” Warren said.

More information on Colossal Street Jam’s new record deal and album is available along with all of Colossal Street Jam’s latest news at:

Website: http://www.colossalstreetjam.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/colossalstreetjam

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ColossalStreetJ

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Exmortus’ Latest LP Proves To Have Been Well Worth The Wait

Courtesy: Nuclear Blast Records

More than five years after the release of its then latest album, The Sound of Steel, Exmortus finally ended fans’ anxious wait for new material over the weekend.  The music in question came in the form of its brand-new and long-awaited album, Necrophony.  Spanning 12 songs and nearly an hour in time, the band’s latest album was well worth the wait.  That is proven in part through the record’s featured musical arrangements, which will be discussed shortly.  The lyrical themes that accompany that musical content adds its own share of appeal and will be examined a little later.  The record’s production brings everything full circle, completing the album’s picture.  It will also be addressed later.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of Necrophony.  All things considered they lead the album to make this year’s field of top new hard rock and metal albums that much more crowded.

Necrophony, the latest album from Exmortus (the band’s sixth), is a strong, welcome new offering from the metal outfit.  The record’s success comes in no small part through its featured musical arrangements.  For the most part, the arrangements are everything that audiences have come to expect from the band.  The speed and thrash metal style work from guitarist Chase Becker and front man and fellow guitarist  Jadran “Conan” Gonzalez  is as intense as ever.  Gonzalez’s powerhouse growling vocals make the punch from the guitars all the harder hitting.  Drummer Adrian Aguilar solidly keeps time throughout each song, adding his own fireworks to each work with expertly placed cymbal crashes and machine gun-fast hits on the snare and bass drum while bassist Phillip Nunez offers up just enough low-end through each of his performances, putting the final touch to each composition.  The whole gives listeners a sound throughout the majority of the album that is once again easily comparable to works from the likes of Arch Enemy, Exodus, and Raider, just to name a few similar acts.  The band’s familiar take on a well-known classical composition is present here, too.  ‘Storm of Strings,’ the album’s latest single, finds the band taking on Antonio Vivaldi’s timeless ‘Four Seasons’ and not only that, but it takes on famed clarinetist Yanni’s own cover of the composition for what is an incredibly powerful work.  That full-on instrumental comes across very much in the vein of something one might expect from Trans-Siberian Orchestra, only more intense.  The band also puts some classical guitar style work on display in the form of the album’s opener – another instrumental – ‘Masquerade’ and again later in the album in ‘Overture.’  The modern classical style shredding is certain to engage and entertain any true blooded speed and thrash metal fan.  All things considered the musical arrangements featured in Necrophony offer the noted audiences more than enough reason to hear this record.

The lyrical themes that accompany the album’s musical arrangements plays alongside said content to make the album even more appealing.  The lyrical themes featured in this record prove to be anything but just run-of-the-mill content.  Case in point is the lyrical content featured in the album’s single, ‘Mind of Metal.’  Gonzalez explained when the song premiered back in April, that the song’s lyrical theme was inspired by the works of author J.R.R. Tolkien.  He said of the song, “It’s a tribute to the wizard Saruman and other like characters in the legendarium, for their will to power and domination by crafty and industrial means.”  In other words, one could interpret the song’s lyrical message being a fantasy-inspired work that delivers a message of overcoming adversity.  Needless to say if that truly is the case then it is one of the most original ways in which such a familiar topic has been approached.  To that end it is proof positive of the importance of the album’s lyrical content.

Speaking of someone overcoming adversity, the band seems to address that message even more clearly in ‘Test of Time,’ which serves as the album’s midpoint.  This is inferred as Gonzalez sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “I’ve seen the depths of hell/Been lost within my mind/In darkness I have dwelt/Now leave it behind/Chains/Constrained/I’m oppressed/Defy/All’s forsaken/I fight on/My strength remains/Test my mettle/Never rest/In the dark resist/I see the dawn/Arise/I take to arms/Onward/Ride forth/My deeds shall stand the test of time/Foul tyranny has no remorse/My deeds will stand the test of time.”  This certainly comes across as the noted familiar message of battling one’s demons and overcoming that noted adversity.  The seeming message is enhanced even more in the song’s second, much briefer verse, which states, “Living many lives/Our reality’s a coil/Combat our inner strife/Our eternal toil.”  The message of battling inner strike certainly points to the noted message of overcoming those personal odds.  The whole herein leaves little if any doubt as to the song’s message.  To that end, the seeming theme here, coupled with the intensity of the song’s musical arrangement makes the song in whole its own fodder for another single as well as more proof of the importance of the album’s lyrical content.

Audiences who maybe want something a little more…unexpected get that too, in a pair of later entries, ‘Children of the Night’ and ‘Beyond The Grave.’  The songs are not singles, so one has to assume from the lyrical content as to what is being addressed in each.  In the case of ‘Children of the Night,’ the song’s lyrical content comes across as centering on vampires, believe it or not.  This is inferred through the mention of the “Children of the night/Waking from their tombs” in the song’s chorus and waking “with a bitten neck” in the song’s second verse.  The mentions of the “children” being “offspring of the blood moon” adds even more to that inference.  So again what is received here is, again, a presentation that seems to be about vampires.  If that is in fact the case then many if not most goth fans will appreciate this song.

In the case of ‘Beyond The Grave’ the seeming reference to zombies (which for whatever reason are still so popular today in movies and on television) comes as Gonzalez’s subject asks in the song’s lead verse, “Will I become as one of them?” before noting later in the song’s third verse of having that “vital need to kill” and how “they’ve sealed my fate” in the chorus’ reprise.  If in fact this song really does center on zombies then again, the noted goth fans are sure to appreciate this, too.  Between this apparent theme, that of ‘Children of the Night,’ those of the other two songs and of the rest of the album’s songs, the whole therein makes clear why the album’s lyrical content is just as important as its musical arrangements.  When the album’s musical and lyrical content are considered together, the whole makes for so much for Exmortus’ fans to appreciate.

Tas much as the album’s content does to make it appealing, its production is also its own important addition to its presentation.  The production is so important because of the fiery, energetic nature of each song.  There is so much energy in each song, and each takes the volume and turns it to 15.  That means that the utmost attention had to be paid to each of the album’s songs to ensure the instrumentation and vocals were perfectly balanced in each work.  The work put in to ensure no one element overpowered the others paid off, too.  Each musician’s part compliments those of his fellow performers in each work expertly.  The result is such a positive aesthetic to the overall presentation throughout the album.  When this positive result of the album’s production is considered along with all of the album’s content, the whole leaves Necrophony another positive offering from Exmortus.

Necrophony, the latest album from thrash outfit Exmortus, is a strong new offering from the well-established act.  The album succeeds in part through its featured musical arrangements.  The arrangements are everything audiences have come to expect from the band, considering the group’s output over the course of its five other albums.  At the same time, the arrangements here boast their own identity separate from those works and from one another even as subtle as the variances are from one another within this very record.  The record’s lyrical themes add their own touch to the album’s appeal.  That is because they touch on a variety of topics, both familiar and less commonplace.  The record’s production rounds out its most important elements, ensuring a positive aesthetic element to the whole.  Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of the album’s presentation.  All things considered they make Necrophony a welcome addition to this year’s field of new hard rock and metal albums.

Necorphony is available now.  More information on the album is available along with all of Exmortus’ latest news at:

Website: https://www.exmortusmusic.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/exmortusofficial

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

U.D.O.’s Latest LP Lives Up To Its Title

Courtesy: Atomic Fire Records

U.D.O. front man and namesake Udo Dirkschneider and his band mates have been notably busy in the past few years or so.  In 2020, the band released its then latest album, We Are 1.  Roughly a year later the band released a new live recording, Live in Bulgaria.  Front man and band namesake Udo Dirkschenider then followed up that release with his own solo recording under the moniker Dirkschneider and The Old Gang, Arising the same year. Very shortly after its release, Dirkschneider and his U.D.O. band mates dropped U.D.O.’s then latest album, Game Over.  Mere months later in early 2022, Dirkschneider released another solo release in his then new solo record, My Way.  Now as 2023 nears its end, U.D.O. has dropped yet another new release in its brand new album, Touchdown.  Released Friday through Atomic Fire Records, the 13-song record is another successful offering from the veteran metal outfit.  Considering how busy Dirkschneider and company have been in recent years, that does not seem to have had much impact on the band and its product, as this record shows.  The album’s musical arrangements are just as engaging and entertaining as ever.  They will be discussed shortly.  The lyrical themes that accompany the album’s musical content makes for its own interest and will be examined a little later.  The record’s production rounds out its most important elements and will also be examined later.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the album’s presentation.  All things considered they make Touchdown a fittingly titled new offering from one of hard rock and metal’s justifiably most respected acts.

Touchdown, the latest album from U.D.O., is a fittingly titled new offering from the veteran hard rock band.  That is because from beginning to end, the 13-song record scores plenty of points.  The record’s musical arrangements play a big role in that success.  Throughout the course of the 54-minute album, the arrangements in question are largely familiar power metal style works much in the vein of its own works, those from Judas Priest, Saxon and so many others.  At the same time though, the band also treads into some more modern, heavy waters at some points in the record.  One of the points at which the band dips its feet into those waters comes late in the album’s run in ‘Living Hell.’  Honestly, Dirkschneider’s vocals here pair with the instrumentation in the verses to make for easy comparison to works from the likes of Motorhead.  ‘The Flood,’ which comes earlier in the album’s run, lends itself to comparison to works from the likes of Metallica thanks to the tight guitar line featured in this son.  More specifically, the guitar line in this song lends the work to comparison to works that Metallica has composed from the days of its self-titled album forward.  ‘The Betrayer’ also finds the band taking on a more modern sound and style, this time all its own.  As if all of this is not, the band even goes in a classical direction in its latest single, ‘Fight for the Right,’ which the band also dropped Friday.  The blending of that classical power metal approach alongside the more traditional power metal approach and sound makes that song just as engaging and entertaining as the record’s other entries.  All things considered here, the power metal and harder edged content that the band put together for this record’s body leaves no doubt as to the importance of the album’s musical arrangements.  They collectively give listeners reason and then some to take in this record.

The musical arrangements featured throughout Touchdown are just one part of what makes the album worth hearing.  The lyrical themes that accompany said content gives listeners even more reason to take in the record.  The themes touch on familiar territory both for the band and in general.  Case in point is the album’s lead single, ‘Forever Free.’  No information was provided about the song’s lyrical theme upon its debut in June, but the lyrics made available hint at the presented message being one of individuality. Of living one’s own life and not just going along blindly with the masses.  This is a time-honored theme within the rock community and proves just as accessible, engaging and entertaining here as in so many cases from other acts past and present.  ‘Heroes Of Freedom’ takes the album’s lyrical themes in a totally different direction as it clearly pays tribute to the men who made the ultimate sacrifice in World War II and even more specifically, on D-Day on the beaches on Normandy, France.  Those men are part of the last great generation, and their sacrifices really should never be forgotten.  So, for the band to take the time to pay tribute to them here is so moving.  On yet another note, the band seems to take on the COVID-19 pandemic in the album’s opener, ‘Isolation Man.’  Speaking more specifically, how governments forced people into isolation during the pandemic.  As if taking on that topic is not enough, the album’s title track, which also closes out the record, is simply a tribute to the game of football (not soccer) according to Dirkschneider’s son, Sven, and to the band’s dedication to what it does.  So herein is another change of pace that continues to show the diversity in the album’s lyrical themes.  The band even openly protests war around the world in its latest single, ‘Fight For The Right.’  That is another familiar topic for rock acts throughout modern music history.  Simply put, the lyrical themes featured throughout Touchdown do just as much to make the album engaging and entertaining as the record’s musical content.  Collectively, that content scores plenty of points for the album.

Putting the final touch to the album’s presentation is its production.  The production is so important to the album’s presentation because of its role in the record’s general aesthetic presentation.  There is so much energy exuded through each song, and each is so intense in its overall sound and style.  Thanks to the work that went into the production, the vocals and instrumentation are expertly balanced throughout each song.  The result is the noted powerful energy and sound in each composition.  The positive aesthetic impact of the work that went into balancing it all and in turn, making the album that much more enjoyable.  When the positive impact of the production is considered along with the album’s content, the whole leaves no doubt that Touchdown lives up to its title.

Touchdown, the latest studio offering from U.D.O., is a strong new record from the veteran hard rock act and its namesake front man.  Its success is due in no small part to its musical arrangements.  Once again, the band’s power metal prowess is on full display throughout the arrangements.  At the same time, the band also treads into some more modern hard rock waters with the whole making for plenty of engagement and entertainment.  The lyrical themes presented with the album’s musical arrangements add to the album’s enjoyment in their own right.  That is because of their own diversity and accessibility.  The record’s production puts the finishing touch to the presentation, ensuring a positive aesthetic impact for listeners.  Each item examined here is important in its own way to the whole of the album.  All things considered they make the album a presentation that definitely is a touchdown.

Touchdown is available now through AFM Records.  More information on the album is available along with all of U.D.O.’s latest news at:

U.D.O. just finished the latest leg of its tour in support of Touchdown. The tour’s current schedule, which picks back up next month, is noted below.

U.D.O. / DIRKSCHNEIDER Live:

9/16/2023 Beast Of Rocks @ Stadthalle – Tuttlingen, DE

10/07/2023 Keep It True Rising III @ Posthalle – Würzburg, DE *

10/22/2023 Wildstyle & Tattoo @ Tabakfabrik – Linz, AT

10/29/2023 Wildstyle & Tattoo @ Messezentrum – Salzburg, AT

5/10-11/2024 Rock in Rautheim – Braunschweig, DE

*as DIRKSCHNEIDER

More information on Touchdown and U.D.O.’s new tour dates is available along with all of U.D.O.’s latest news at:

Website: https://www.udo-online.de

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/udoonline

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

U.D.O. Premieres Latest Single’s Lyric Video; Tour’s Next Leg To Launch Next Month

Courtesy: Atomic Fire Records

U.D.O. dropped its latest album, Touchdown, Friday, and along with it, premiered the lyric video for the record’s new single, ‘Fight For The Right.’

The video features the song’s socio-politically charged lyrics over various images of warfare around the world as the driving metal arrangement at the song’s base plays over the visualization. At the video’s end, the band presents the note that the song is a protest of sorts against war, openly condemning “all forms of violence” while hoping “for peace in Ukraine and everywhere else on Earth.” The message concludes with the band stating we as a whole around the world must unite against war.

The anti-war message is anything but new to the rock world but is just as welcome here as in any other case from so many other acts.

‘Fight For The Right’ is the third single from Touchdown. The album has also produced the singles, ‘Forever Free‘ and the album’s title track..

In other news, U.D.O. is taking some time to rest before launching the next leg of its tour in support of Touchdown. The tour’s current schedule is noted below.

U.D.O. / DIRKSCHNEIDER Live:

9/16/2023 Beast Of Rocks @ Stadthalle – Tuttlingen, DE

10/07/2023 Keep It True Rising III @ Posthalle – Würzburg, DE *

10/22/2023 Wildstyle & Tattoo @ Tabakfabrik – Linz, AT

10/29/2023 Wildstyle & Tattoo @ Messezentrum – Salzburg, AT

5/10-11/2024 Rock in Rautheim – Braunschweig, DE

*as DIRKSCHNEIDER

More information on Touchdown and U.D.O.’s new tour dates is available along with all of U.D.O.’s latest news at:

Website: https://www.udo-online.de

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/udoonline

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Foghat Announces New Album, Tour Details; Debuts Album’s Lead Single, Video

Courtesy: ABC PR

Foghat will tentatively release its 17th album, Sonic Mojo Nov. 10.

The band made the announcement Friday. The record will be the band’s first new album since the release of its 2016 album, Under The Influence. The band released a compilation record, a hits compilation titled Slow Ride in 2018 and a live recording — Live at the Belly Up — in 2017.

In anticipation of the record’s release, the band premiered its lead single, ‘Drivin’ On‘ and its video Friday. The song’s steady, bluesy mid-tempo arrangement immediately conjures thoughts of so many songs from fellow veteran rock band ZZ Top, though the band said in a video that can be viewed here, the group channeled blues musician Slim Harpo in crafting the song.

No information was provided about the song’s lyrical theme in the news release announcing the premiere of the song and its video. The lyrics provided with the video make clear the song is about a man making his way to see the woman he loves.

The video blends footage of Foghat on stage with an animated side that shows a car making its way along a winding mountain road late at night. It is a straight forward illustration of the song’s lyrics.

According to information in the provided press release, ‘Drivin’ On’ is one of three singles the band plans to release ahead of the album’s release. Two more singles — ‘She’s A Little Bit Of Everything’ and ‘I Don’t Appreciate You’ — are expected for release in the coming days. ‘She’s a Little Bit Of Everything’ is expected to premiere Sept. 23, according to the news release, while ‘I Don’t Appreciate You’ is scheduled to premiere Oct. 20.

In other news, Foghat also announced Friday, a series of live dates in support of Sonic Mojo. The tour’s dates are noted below. Ticket pre-sales open at 1 p.m. ET Wednesday while public on-sales start Sept. 1 at 10 a.m. local time.

DATE               CITY                                         VENUE

Sun 8/27           Riverhead, NY                           The Suffolk Theater

Sat 9/2              Manistee, MI                             Laborfest 2023

Mon 9/4            Syracuse, NY                            New York State Fair

Sat 9/9              Chama, NM                               Elevate Chama Drive-In

Wed 9/20          El Dorado, AR                           First Financial Music Hall

Thu 10/5           Topsfield, MA                           Topsfield Fair 2023

Fri 10/6             Las Vegas, NV                          Golden Nugget Casino & Hotel

Thu 10/12         Fort Myers, FL                           Caloosa Sound Amphitheater

Sat 10/28          Laughlin, NV                             The Edgewater Resort

Thu 11/2           Gary, IN                                    Hard Rock Live

Sat 11/4            Oshkosh, WI                             Oshkosh Arena

Fri 11/17           San Juan Capistrano, CA           The Coach House

Sat 12/9            Atlantic City, NJ                         Hard Rock Casino Hotel

Fri 1/26/24         Enoch, AB.                               River Cree Resort & Casino

Fri 2/2/24          Bremerton, WA                         Admiral Theater

Sat 2/17/24       Parker, CO                                Pace Center

* Sun 2/18/24    Solana Beach, CA                     Belly Up Tavern

More information on Foghat’s new album, singles, and tour is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:

Website: http://www.foghat.net

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/foghat

Twitter: http://twitter.com/foghat

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Ice Nine Kills Announces ‘Welcome To Horrorwood’ Vinyl Re-Issue Details

Courtesy: Fearless Records

The countdown to Halloween is officially on now that August is at its end.

With the unofficial beginning of the annual holiday season nearing, Ice Nine Kills has announced plans to re-issue its 2021 album, Welcome to Horrorwood. The band is scheduled to re-issue the album on a special 3LP vinyl pressing Oct. 20 through Fearless Records and has dubbed the re-issue.

Pre-orders for the forthcoming vinyl re-issue are open.

Ice Nine Kills front man Spencer Charnas talked about the deluxe re-issue in a prepared statement:

“Bigger, bloodier and more brutal! We’ve taken the ‘Silver Scream 2’ and literally set it ablaze!,” Charnas said. “Welcome To Horrorwood Under Fire is our most ambitious and intricately designed piece of horror memorabilia yet. The 3D, flame-engulfed artwork comes to life through real illuminated lightbulbs built into the packaging, encasing a nightmarish collection including the original album, a new song, reimaginings of fan favorites and the whole album played by an orchestra. Not only that, it also comes with a wearable Silence mask straight out of our nightmarish cinematic universe and a death certificate of authenticity signed by yours truly. This boxset is the ultimate collectible for INK fans and one of the most intricate releases we’ve put out to date.”

The track listing for the forthcoming vinyl re-issue is noted below:

Side A
1) Opening Night…
2) Welcome To Horrorwood
3) A Rash Decision
4) Assault & Batteries
5) The Shower Scene 

Side B
6) Funeral Derangements
7) Rainy Day
8) Hip To Be Scared (ft Jacoby Shaddix 

Side C
9)     Take Your Pick (ft Corpsegrinder)
10)   The Box (ft Brandon Saller and Ryan Kirby)
11)   F.L.Y.(ft Buddy Nielsen)
12)   Wurst Vacation

Side D
13)   Ex-Mørtis
14)   Farewell II Flesh
15)   Meat & Greet
16)   Rainy Day (Splinter Remix)
17)   The Shower Scene (Acoustic)

Side E
18) Welcome To Horrorwood (Orchestral Version)

19) A Rash Decision (Orchestral Version)

20) Assault & Batteries (Orchestral Version)

21) The Shower Scene (Orchestral Version)

22) Funeral Derangements (Orchestral Version)

23) Rainy Day (Orchestral Version) 

Side F

24) Hip To Be Scared (Orchestral Version)

25) Take Your Pick (Orchestral Version)

26) The Box (Orchestral Version)

27) F.L.Y. (Orchestral Version)

28) Wurst Vacation (Orchestral Version)

29) Ex-Mørtis (Orchestral Version)

30) Farewell II Flesh (Orchestral Version)

In other news, Ice Nine Kills recently announced an upcoming tour with In This Moment, Avatar, and New Year’s Day. The Tour is schedule to launch Nov. 3 in Gary, IN and to run through Dec. 2 in Wheeling, WV.

The tour’s schedule is noted below. Tickets are available now.

The Kiss of Death Tour

Co-Headlined By Ice Nine Kills and In This Moment

With Avatar and New Years Day

Fri/Nov-3 Gary, IN Hard Rock Live Northern Indiana

Sat/Nov 4 – Maplewood, MN – Myth Live #

Sat/Nov 5 – St Louis, MO @ Dome At America’s Center*

Sun/Nov 5 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater#

Tue/Nov-7 Indianapolis, IN Blue Ribbon Pavilion (Indiana Fairgrounds)

Wed/Nov-8 Cincinnati, OH The Andrew J Brady Music Center

Thu/Nov-9 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom

Sat/Nov 11- Green Bay, WI EPIC Events Center #

Sun/Nov 12- Detroit @ Ford Field *

Tue/Nov-14 Greenville, SC Bon Secours Arena

Thu/Nov-16 Estero, FL Hertz Arena

Fri/Nov-17 Jacksonville, FL Daily’s Place

Sat/Nov-18 Orlando, FL Orlando Amphitheater

Mon/Nov-20 Atlanta, GA Coca Cola Roxy

Tue/Nov-21 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum Complex

Wed/Nov-22 Reading, PA Santander Arena

Fri/Nov-24 Wallingford, CT Oakdale Theatre

Sat/Nov-25 Bangor, ME Cross Insurance Center

Tue/Nov-28 Washington, DC The Anthem

Thu/Nov-30 Norfolk, VA Chartway Arena

Fri/Dec-1 Johnstown, PA 1st Summit Arena

Sat/Dec-2 Wheeling, WV Wesbanco Arena

# In This Moment only

* Ice Nine Kills only w/ Metallica

Ice Nine Kills’ upcoming run with In This Moment will come on the heels of the band’s already announced “Fear The Premiere Tour”. The band announced the dates for the tour in May. The tour launched Aug. 6 in East Rutherford, NJ and is scheduled to run through Sept. 3 in Phoenix, AZ. August Burns Red, Set It Off, The Plot In You, Mike’s Dead, and Veil of Maya will share time as support for the tour, which is in support of INK’s latest album, The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood.

Tickets for the tour are available now. The tour’s remaining dates are noted below:

SUN 8/27 Los Angeles, CA @ SoFi Stadium*

TUE 8/29 Riverside, CA @ Riverside Municipal Auditorium

WED 8/30 Flagstaff, AZ @ Pepsi Amphitheater at Fort Tuthill**

FRI 9/1 Albuquerque, NM @ Revel

SUN 9/3 Phoenix, AZ @ State Farm Stadium*

*With Metallica (Ice Nine Kills only)

**With Lamb of God (Ice Nine Kills only)

More information on Ice Nine Kills’ new tour and its latest album is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:

Website: https://iceninekills.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IceNineKills

Twitter: https://twitter.com/iceninekills

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.