Silent Skies, the side project of Evergrey front man Tom S. Englund and pianist/composer Vikram Shankar (who are also members of the prog-metal band Redemption), is renewing interest from a classic Linkin Park song.
The duo premiered its take of Linkin Park’s hit song, ‘Numb‘ Monday, along with the song’s companion visualizer. The song is featured in the duo’s most recent studio recording, Nectar.
The duo’s take on Linkin Park’s song stays true to its source material while also making it even heavier in its deeply emotional approach to the song. The simplicity of the keyboard line alongside Englund’s vocals and the string arrangements makes the song a work that takes the original to a whole new emotionally hard hitting level.
Englund and Shankar talked at length about their take on LInkin Park’s song, saying in part, “This is our contribution to honor the legacy of Linkin Park and to celebrate the beauty and power of music. For in these troubled times, it is the one thing that can still bring us together, that can still lift us up and carry us forward towards a brighter tomorrow.”
The duo added, “In a world that often seems to delight in tearing us down, this song is a beacon of hope, a reminder that we are stronger than we think. Our arrangement seeks to amplify this message, to imbue it with the full force of emotion and meaning that it deserves. For when we connect through music, we tap into something deeper, something that transcends time and space and unites us all.”
The visualizer for the duo’s cover adds its own emotional depth to the song with imagery, such as a person covering his face behind bars. Fire fills the person, clearly illustrating a sense of feeling confined and burning up inside, emotionally. Another image — a person walking down a tunnel of sorts — also helps to illustrate that message of an emotional journey.
More information on Silent Skies’ take on ‘Numb’ and the duo’s album is available along with all of the pair’s latest news at:
Independent metal band Disconnected Souls debuted the video for its latest single this weekend.
The band unveiled the video for its single, ‘Dissonant Whispers’ Friday. The video features two young men (played by two of the band’s members) arguing with each other on a sunlit beach over an unknown topic while the band plays its song atop a rocky cliff on the seaside setting. AS the video progresses, one of the men walks away and encounters a group of young witch-type figures. In encountering the women
No information is provided about the video’s story in the news release announcing its debut.
The band debuted the single, which reaches back to the sessions for its 2021 EP, Warning Elements, last month.
The song’s musical arrangement is a unique that immediately exhibits influence from the likes of Epica and Mushroomhead. That is evidenced in its symphonic instrumentation and contrast of its growling male vocals and more gentle singing. Audiences could even argue that there is an influence of Evergrey in this single, too.
According to information provided about the new single, its lyrical theme blends references to magic and matters of the mind.
Vocalist Simon Fletcher talked about the band’s new single in a prepared statement.
“I’m delighted to share our new conceptual piece, “Dissonant Whispers” with you!,” Fletcher said. “The origins of this track date back to prior to the completion of our Warring Elements EP, so this has been gently stewing in the background for a while. It’s been nice to have a slower paced approach, contrasting some of our tracks that have been completed in only a few months!
Fletcher added, “I think this is noticeable in the careful crafting of both the orchestral parts and the textural FX layers. There are a lot of undulating parts which contribute to the wide dynamics – all with the aim of taking you on an emotional rollercoaster; as always, we intend to really make an experience for the listener. So, what are you waiting for? Come and take a spiritual voyage with us into an ethereal realm…”
More information on Disconnected Souls’ new single is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Independent metal band Disconnected Souls debuted its new single, ‘Dissonant Whispers’ this week.
The band debuted the single, which reaches back to the sessions for its 2021 EP, Warning Elements, Monday. The song’s musical arrangement is a unique that immediately exhibits influence from the likes of Epica and Mushroomhead. That is evidenced in its symphonic instrumentation and contrast of its growling male vocals and more gentle singing. Audiences could even argue that there is an influence of Evergrey in this single, too.
According to information provided about the new single, its lyrical theme blends references to magic and matters of the mind.
Vocalist Simon Fletcher talked about the band’s new single in a prepared statement.
“I’m delighted to share our new conceptual piece, “Dissonant Whispers” with you!,” Fletcher said. “The origins of this track date back to prior to the completion of our Warring Elements EP, so this has been gently stewing in the background for a while. It’s been nice to have a slower paced approach, contrasting some of our tracks that have been completed in only a few months!
Fletcher added, “I think this is noticeable in the careful crafting of both the orchestral parts and the textural FX layers. There are a lot of undulating parts which contribute to the wide dynamics – all with the aim of taking you on an emotional rollercoaster; as always, we intend to really make an experience for the listener. So, what are you waiting for? Come and take a spiritual voyage with us into an ethereal realm…”
More information on Disconnected Souls’ new single is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
The musical arrangement featured in the new single is a rich, deeply emotional composition. The use of the keyboards alongside the vocals, and the contrast thereof to the subtlety of the guitars makes for plenty of engagement and entertainment.
No information was provided about the song’s lyrical theme. No lyrics are available with the song’s visualizer.
The track listing for Evergrey’s new album is noted below along with the formats on which it will release.
A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament) tracklisting: 1. Save Us 2. Midwinter Calls 3. Ominous 4. Call Out the Dark 5. The Orphean Testament 6. Reawakening 7. The Great Unwashed 8. Heartless 9. Blindfolded 10.Wildfires
In other news, Evergrey has planned a European tour in support of its new album. The tour is scheduled to launch Sept. 16 in Eindhoven, NL and to run through Oct. 23 in Paris France. It also features performances in cities across Europe, such as Budapest, HU; Hannover, DE, and Dublin, IE.
The tour’s schedule is noted below. Tickets are available here.
EVERGREY – European Tour 2022 + special guest: Fractal Universe + Virtual Symmetry
16.09.22 NL – Eindhoven / Dynamo 17.09.22 GB – London / 229 venue 18.09.22 GB – Nottingham / Rescue Rooms 19.09.22 GB – Bristol / Thekla 20.09.22 GB – Manchester / Academy 3 21.09.22 IE – Dublin / Voodoo Lounge 22.09.22 GB – Glasgow / Cathouse 23.09.22 GB – Newcastle / St Dom’s Social Club 24.09.22 GB – Birmingham / The Asylum 2 25.09.22 NL – Leiden / Gebr. De Nobel 27.09.22 DE – Bremen / Tivoli 28.09.22 DE – Stuttgart / Im Wizemann Club 29.09.22 DE – Berlin / Columbia Theater 30.09.22 DE – Hamburg / Bahnhof Pauli 01.10.22 DE – Oberhausen / Resonanzwerk 02.10.22 DE – Lindau / Club Vaudeville 03.10.22 FR – Colmar / Le Grillen 04.10.22 DE – München / Backstage Halle 05.10.22 DE – Hannover / Faust 06.10.22 DE – Aschaffenburg / Colos-Saal 07.10.22 BE – Vosselaar / Biebob 08.10.22 DE – Mannheim / 7er Club 09.10.22 SI – Ljubljana / Orto Bar 11.10.22 HU – Budapest / Barba Negra 12.10.22 AT – Graz / Dom im Berg 13.10.22 PL – Wroclaw / Akademia 14.10.22 AT – Wien / Viper Room 15.10.22 DE – Nürnberg / Hirsch 16.10.22 DE – Trier / Mergener Hof 17.10.22 CH – Luzern / Schüür 18.10.22 FR – Lyon / CCO Villeurbanne 19.10.22 ES – Barcelona / Boveda 20.10.22 ES – Madrid / Shoko 21.10.22 ES – Pamplona / Totem 22.10.22 FR – Toulouse / L’Usine 23.10.22 FR – Paris / Petit Bain
More information on Evergrey’s new single, video, album, and tour is available along with all of the band’s latest news and more at:
Evergrey debuted the latest single from its new album and the song’s video this week.
The band premiered its new single, ‘Midwinter Calls’ and its video Thursday. The song is the second from the band’s forthcoming album, A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament), which is scheduled for release May 20 through Napalm Records. The band premiered the album’s lead single, ‘Save Us’ and its video last month.
The musical arrangement featured in ‘Midwinter Calls’ is a presentation that longtime Evergrey fans will find interesting. That is because in comparison to its existing catalog, this song takes the band in a more streamlined, almost mainstream direction. That is evidenced through its melodic hard rock approach. The keyboards and the familiar choral element are there once again, but the overall approach and sound does not come across as big and eventful as its existing works, for lack of better wording. That is not to say it is a bad song by any means. Rather, it is certain to engage and entertain audiences because it shows the band maintaining a certain familiarity while also seemingly treading into musical areas that it has rarely if ever touched on until now.
No information was provided about the song’s lyrical theme in the press release announcing the premiere of the new single and video. According to the band, the new video is the second chapter in a three-part story that is told from the end to the beginning. The band is shown blindfolded and restrained by a group of masked men before being placed in a van and being taken out in the middle of nowhere and left there. Meanwhile, the video’s other half shows the band performing its new single on a sound stage. The song plays over the whole as it all happens.
Evergrey’s new album will come a little more than a year after the release of the band’s then latest album, Escape of the Phoenix, which was released in February 2021 through AFM Records. It was followed up with the release of the band’s new live recording, Live: Before The Aftermath in January.
The track listing for Evergrey’s new album is noted below along with the formats on which it will release.
A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament) tracklisting: 1. Save Us 2. Midwinter Calls 3. Ominous 4. Call Out the Dark 5. The Orphean Testament 6. Reawakening 7. The Great Unwashed 8. Heartless 9. Blindfolded 10.Wildfires
A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament) will be available in the following formats: Deluxe Box (incl. Canvas, Pendant, Liner Notes on Pergament Paper) – limited to 500 copies worldwide 2LP Gatefold “Die Hard” Marbled Red/Black (incl. Slipmat + 7inch (black) w/ 2 exclusive Bonus Tracks) – limited to 500 copies worldwide 2LP Gatefold Glow in the Dark – limited to 500 copies worldwide 2LP Gatefold Black 2LP Gatefold Gold – Band exclusive, limited to 300 copies worldwide CD Digisleeve Digital Album
Courtesy: Napalm Records
In other news, Evergrey has planned a European tour in support of its new album. The tour is scheduled to launch Sept. 16 in Eindhoven, NL and to run through Oct. 23 in Paris France. It also features performances in cities across Europe, such as Budapest, HU; Hannover, DE, and Dublin, IE.
The tour’s schedule is noted below. Tickets are available here.
EVERGREY – European Tour 2022 + special guest: Fractal Universe + Virtual Symmetry
16.09.22 NL – Eindhoven / Dynamo 17.09.22 GB – London / 229 venue 18.09.22 GB – Nottingham / Rescue Rooms 19.09.22 GB – Bristol / Thekla 20.09.22 GB – Manchester / Academy 3 21.09.22 IE – Dublin / Voodoo Lounge 22.09.22 GB – Glasgow / Cathouse 23.09.22 GB – Newcastle / St Dom’s Social Club 24.09.22 GB – Birmingham / The Asylum 2 25.09.22 NL – Leiden / Gebr. De Nobel 27.09.22 DE – Bremen / Tivoli 28.09.22 DE – Stuttgart / Im Wizemann Club 29.09.22 DE – Berlin / Columbia Theater 30.09.22 DE – Hamburg / Bahnhof Pauli 01.10.22 DE – Oberhausen / Resonanzwerk 02.10.22 DE – Lindau / Club Vaudeville 03.10.22 FR – Colmar / Le Grillen 04.10.22 DE – München / Backstage Halle 05.10.22 DE – Hannover / Faust 06.10.22 DE – Aschaffenburg / Colos-Saal 07.10.22 BE – Vosselaar / Biebob 08.10.22 DE – Mannheim / 7er Club 09.10.22 SI – Ljubljana / Orto Bar 11.10.22 HU – Budapest / Barba Negra 12.10.22 AT – Graz / Dom im Berg 13.10.22 PL – Wroclaw / Akademia 14.10.22 AT – Wien / Viper Room 15.10.22 DE – Nürnberg / Hirsch 16.10.22 DE – Trier / Mergener Hof 17.10.22 CH – Luzern / Schüür 18.10.22 FR – Lyon / CCO Villeurbanne 19.10.22 ES – Barcelona / Boveda 20.10.22 ES – Madrid / Shoko 21.10.22 ES – Pamplona / Totem 22.10.22 FR – Toulouse / L’Usine 23.10.22 FR – Paris / Petit Bain
More information on Evergrey’s new single, video, album, and tour is available along with all of the band’s latest news and more at:
Veteran progressive metal act Evergrey is scheduled to release its new live recording, Live: Before The Aftermath Friday through AFM Records. Only the band’s second ever live recording in its decades-long career, the 16-song set is a mostly successful presentation. That is due in part to its featured set list, which will be discussed shortly. The band’s performance thereof is just as important to discuss as important to examine as the set list. It will be discussed a little later. The show’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 recording. All things considered, they make the recording a presentation that all of Evergrey’s fans will appreciate.
Live: Before The Aftermath is a mostly successful new offering from Evergrey. Its success comes in part through its featured set list. The 16-song list is not necessarily a career-defining show, but does represent a relatively healthy cross section of the band’s catalog. Of the band’s 12 total albums, the set list pulls from eight. Given, some albums – Hymns for the Broken, The Atlantic, and The Storm Within – get more nods than others here, but again it still pulls from a respectful number of the band’s albums. It reaches all the way back to the band’s 1999 sophomore album, Solitude, Dominance, Tragedy and as recent as The Atlantic (2019). Information about the new recording did not specify when the featured concert was recorded, but considering the set list’s timeline of sorts, one has to assume it was recorded before the release of the band’s latest album, Escape of the Phoenix (2021). Even the band’s breakout 2004 album, The Inner Circle is represented here, albeit with just one song. IF that is not enough, the band’s concept album about the search for aliens, In Search of Truth (2001) is represented here. Simply put, the set list featured in Live: Before The Aftermath is not perfect, but is still a solid starting point for the recording’s presentation. The band’s performance thereof is just as important to note.
The band’s performance of its set list is important to note especially considering what looks like such an intimate setting for the band. Instead of a huge arena setting, the performance featured in this recording looks like it was held at a club. Even with the setting in mind with a smaller audience, the band still gives its all from one song to the next. Yes, there is the occasional audience interaction, but even those cases are rare, with the band opting instead to let its energetic performance do the majority of the talking. There are even those moments in which the band gets the audience involved in the songs, with the familiar live chants and clapping that add in to the mix. The whole of that balanced interaction and fiery performance is sure to keep Evergey’s most devoted audiences engaged and entertained. For others who might be less familiar with the band, it serves as a solid starting point in understanding what to expect from Evergrey live. Keeping that in mind, it is just one more of the items that makes the recording successful. The concert’s production rounds out its most important elements.
Whether it be the camera angles, the audio, the cuts between cameras, or even the post production, every bit of the concert’s production plays into the overall production’s success. In the case of the camera work, audiences will love the moments when the cameras are bouncing up and down in time with drummer Jonas Ekdahl as he keeps the beat, headbanging in time. It is a simple aspect of the camera work, but there is something about such a simple move that serves to immerse audiences even more into the concert. At other times, the speed of the cuts from camera to camera right in time with the songs’ tempos serves to heighten the intense emotion in each composition. The balance of the vocals and instrumentation and its post production ensures each performer’s part gets its own attention. In other words, no one performance from the group overpowers its counterparts at any point throughout the concert. The positive general effect that results from that aesthetic element puts the finishing touch to the presentation. When this is considered along with the mostly positive aspect of the concert’s set list and even more positive that is the band’s performance thereof, the whole makes this new forthcoming live recording from Evergrey a welcome new offering that any of the band’s most devoted fans will appreciate.
Evergrey’s new, forthcoming live recording, Before The Aftermath, is a positive offering from the veteran progressive metal band. Its success comes in part through its featured set list, which pulls from a relatively wide swath of the band’s catalog. Given, some adjustments perhaps could have been made, considering the set list’s overall distribution. Regardless, it still does at least cover a wide range of the band’s catalog. The band’s performance of the concert’s set list is even more of a positive than the set list. That is because of the effort that the band clearly puts into the show, even with the venue and audience clearly being smaller and more intimate. The concert’s production puts the finishing touch to its presentation. The work that went into the camera work and the sound and video editing results in a successful general effect. Each item examined here is important in its own way to the whole of the recording’s presentation. All things considered, they make Before The Aftermath a mostly positive new live offering that Evergrey’s most devoted audiences will appreciate.
Live: Before The Aftermath is scheduled for release Friday through AFM Records. More information on Live: Before The Aftermath is available along with all of Evergrey’s latest news and more at:
Progressive metal band Evergrey has a new label home.
The band has signed a new record deal with Napalm Records. The announcement was made through a news release distributed Thursday. Specifics of the deal were not announced in the press release.
The band commented on the new deal through a statement noted below.
“We are very excited to announce that Evergrey signed with Napalm Records!,” the statement reads. “Given the success of our recent albums we feel certain that Napalm have the power that will bring us to the next level. We have lots of exciting news to share soon so stay tuned!”
Evergrey released its most recent album, Escape of the Phoenix in February through AFM Records. The record was the band’s fourth for that label, following the releases of Hymns for the Broken (2014), The Storm Within (2016), and The Atlantic (2016). Prior to the release of those records, Evergrey also release albums through Steamhammer/SPV and Insideout Music.
More information on Evergrey’s new record deal is available along with all of the band’s latest news and more at:
Veteran prog-metal band Evergrey returned Friday with its latest album, Escape of the Phoenix. Originally scheduled for release this past December, the band’s 12th album is everything that audiences have come to expect from the band. That is evidenced through the record’s musical and lyrical content alike, each of which will be discussed here. The record’s production puts the finishing touch to its presentation. Each item noted here plays its own crucial part to the whole of this record. All things considered, they make Escape of the Phoenix a powerful new offering from Evergrey that further cements the band’s place in the echelon of progressive metal.
Evergrey’s latest album Escape of the Phoenix is a powerful new offering from the veteran prog-metal outfit. It is a presentation that will appeal equally to the band’s established audience base as to prog-metal and metal fans alike. That is due in part to the musical arrangements that are featured throughout the record’s 11 total songs. The arrangements in question are at times just as heavy as anything the band has ever crafted. At other times, the arrangement turn deeply contemplative and soft, yet so heavy in that controlled approach. One of the most notable of the album’s heavier tracks is the record’s title track. Coming late in the record’s 58-minute run, the heavy, aggro approach to the guitars and the stop-on-a-dime precision of the time keeping pairs with the vocals and the heaviness of the bass to fully stand out. The fullness of the arrangement will completely envelope listeners, ensuring their engagement and entertainment. On the exact opposite end of the spectrum is ‘In Absence of Sun. The sense of melancholy established through the song’s gently flowing piano line will tug at any listener’s heart strings. Front man Tom Englund’s mournful, semi-operatic vocal delivery style here adds even more depth to the arrangement. As the song progresses, it builds, adding in some real heaviness in the guitars and drums. The whole lends itself to comparison to works from Dream Theater. Speaking of Dream Theater, James LaBrie, the band’s front man joins Evergrey in another of the album’s heavier moments, ‘The Beholder.’ There are some hints of Dream Theater’s influence here, but for the most part, this is more of an orchestral/metal hybrid whose heaviness and darkness gives the album even more depth. The synthesized strings and choral element join with the rest of the arrangement to make the song another unique composition that still bears a stylistic similarity for longtime listeners. Between this presentation, the others noted here and the rest of the album’s arrangements, what audiences get overall, is an overall musical presentation that is stylistically familiar for longtime listeners, but still exhibits unique new arrangements from one to the next. The foundation that this mix of the new and the familiar is rock solid and just one example of what makes the album stand out. The lyrical content that accompanies the record’s musical arrangements makes for its own share of engagement and entertainment.
The lyrical content that is featured in Evergrey’s new record is heavy in its own right. Englund noted during an interview promoting the album, that the lyrical content featured in the record comes from a personal place.
“I write lyrics for myself, to get things out of my system,” he said. “This has been my therapy, really, for the last 25 years. I’m very certain that if we didn’t do this, I would be a much more miserable person. I’ve got to thank music for everything, especially having the outlet to write lyrics.”
“There’s a theory that writing things to yourself is therapeutic, and I think that’s very true,” added Englund. “The composing of the lyrics is extremely important to me; just as important as writing the music. Even more, sometimes. For me it’s like painting a picture with words. I see really clearly what it’s about; it’s a world for me.”
‘Forever Outsider’ is among the most notable of the album’s works, in considering its lyrical side. Englund leaves no doubt here, the song touches on the familiar topic of trying to find one’s place in the world. That is made clear in the song’s chorus, which finds Englund singing, “What it all comes down to/Was that I never felt like one of you/Light changed and so did my soul/I went from broken to whole/Still knowing that I’d always be/Forever outsider.” The song’s second verse adds to the noted argument, as Englund sings, “Always felt like an orphan of shadows/Baptized at night/Always felt like a stranger to mankind/I lied across all borders to justify life/A born denier because life is a lie.” These are statements that will resonate with a wide range of listeners, not just angsty teens. On the exact opposite emotional end of things here is ‘Eternal Nocturnal.’ This full-on prog-metal opus actually presents some sense of hope in its lyrical content.
The noted sense of hope does not come right away. Rather, Englund sets the stage for the message in the song’s lead verse as he sings, “Hand in hand with the hopeless/I see you drowning in the harbor of the soulless/Your mind is like wild horses/Stampede/It rages/You’re distorted/And we were watching from afar/And we were hiding in our own dark/Hoping we would be brave enough for you.” From here, the noted message of hope is delivered in the song’s chorus, which states, “I’ll be your winds when you need a storm/Your sense of hope when you fall/I’ll be your shelter when you need a home/I’ll be your reasons to all/And when you’re feeling down and low/I’ll be your eyes in the dark/And I’ll be there when your time will come.” The translation is relatively simple. This is someone offering help to someone else who is going through some very difficult emotional times. The chorus’ refrain builds that message even more as Englund adds in the second time around, “And if you find yourself on the outside/You never need to feel that you’re all alone/Because I’ll be there in your times of twilight/Forever nocturnal/I’ll be your eyes in the dark.” This is collectively a strong statement that many listeners will find helpful when they have to navigate those emotional waters. It is just one more of the ways in which the album’s lyrical content proves integral to its overall presentation. ‘You From You,’ which comes even later in the album (and opens with a distinct 80s power ballad type approach) is another example of the importance of the record’s lyrical content.
‘You From You’ comes across as being a statement from someone who is fed up with being caught up in someone else’s misery; someone who it would seem does not want things to get better. This is inferred right from the song’s outset in which the main subject is making a comparison, pointing the finger at that other person. The subject sings here, “I fought since my youth/I scraped the pain away/I’ve come to a conclusion/That there are no words to say/Even though I’ve done all I could/There are so many things I can’t do/One is to save you from you.” He continues from there, “I offer me and all that’s true/My peace within might guide you through/Your darkest times and your loneliest days/But I can’t save you I can’t save you from you/Because you didn’t climb at all/And I didn’t want to fall/But I never needed more than your heart/That was all/You never gave it up and I didn’t want to fight/In a war on the inside.” The subject concludes his statement, singing, “I’m leaving you/I’m leaving you/From the dead lights/Through the dark nights and the insights/I cannot save you from you.” This is another overall statement that will resonate with listeners. Lots of people, if not everyone, has been in such a situation at one point or another in their lives, dealing with such a type of person. To that end, the song will help those listeners in those situation deal with those situations, too. When this is considered along with the other lyrical themes noted here and the album’s remaining lyrical content, that whole proves just as important as the album’s musical arrangements. The two elements together give listeners more than enough to appreciate. They are collectively still just a portion of what makes the record stand out. Its production rounds out its most important elements.
The production that went into the creation of Escape of the Phoenix is important to address because that work was responsible for balancing everything that happened in each arrangement. From the wall of sound that the guitars create in so many of the album’s arrangements to the emotional impact of the Englund’s vocals, to the subtleties of the keyboards, and other items, the fullest attention was paid to the record’s production. No one item overpowered another at any given point in the album. The result of the painstaking efforts to balance each element in each song is a record that will engage and entertain listeners just as much for its sound as for its content. Keeping this in mind, the whole of the production and overall content here makes Escape of the Phoenix a viable candidate for a spot among this year’s top new hard rock and metal albums.
Evergrey’s latest album Escape of the Phoenix presents its own escape that the band’s established audience base will find appealing and engaging just as much as metal and prog-metal fans. That is proven in part through its musical arrangements. The arrangements in question are their own unique works from one to the next. At the same time, each work still takes a stylistic approach that the noted established fan base will appreciate. The lyrical content that accompanies the record’s musical content is also important to the album’s presentation. That is due to their clear accessibility. Much of the lyrical content featured in the album will resonate with audiences, as the songs examined here show. The record’s production puts the finishing touch to its presentation, bringing everything full circle. It makes the record appealing just as much for its overall sound as for its content. Each item noted here is clearly important in its own way to the whole of this album. All things considered, they make the album a viable option for any critic’s list of this year’s top new hard rock and metal albums. Escape of the Phoenix is available now through AFM Records.
More information on Escape of the Phoenix is available along with all of Evergrey’s latest news and more at:
Independent hard rock act Tulip has a new cover of The Weekend/Kendrick Lamar’s song ‘Pray For Me.’
The band debuted the video for its cover of the song Aug. 11. The video features the band’s members performing their respective portion in four separate windows. The song’s arrangement displays the up-and-coming Texas-based band’s symphonic metal chops along the way.
Courtesy: O’Donnell Media Group
The band talked about the decision to cover ‘Pray For Me’ in a collective statement.
“‘Pray For Me’ is just a great song, and when we first heard it, we thought it would lend itself well to a bouncy metal remix,” the band said in the statement. “The lyrics conveniently fit our life story as well.”
The debut of the band’s video for ‘Pray For Me‘ comes almost two months after the band premiered the video for the latest single from its forthcoming self-titled EP, ‘Limited‘ and almost four months after the band debuted the video for the EP’s lead single ‘Total.’
The band’s EP is scheduled for release next month. Its precise release date will be announced soon. The EP’s track listing is noted below.
Tulip will promote its EP by joining Everygrey for its upcoming North American tour Aug. 23 in Los Angeles, CA. Tulip’s schedule runs through Sept. 8 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and features performances in cities, such as Denver, CO; Austin, TX and Seattle, WA.
Evergrey’s upcoming North American dates are in support of its latest album The Atlantic, which was released in January through Afm Records.
More information on Tulip’s upcoming tour dates, its new video and more is available online now at:
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Ozzy Osbourne guitarist and Firewind front man Gus G. will release his debut solo album this Spring. I Am The Fire is scheduled to be released March 18th in the United States. It will be released March 17th in Europe. It will be released worldwide via Century Media Records. Before he releases his debut, Gus G. has released a brand new EPK that offers audiences a look inside the making of the album. Fans can check out the new EPK online now via YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJd38EoTLkA&feature=youtu.be.
The album’s title track is impacting radio now. It is currently playing on Sirius RadioXM Octane. It will be added to mainstream radio stations’ playlists beginning next Tuesday, February 18th. It features the members of hard rock band Devour The Day as special guests. It will go on sale digitally via iTunes February 25th. The track listing for I Am The Fire is listed below.
‘I AM THE FIRE’ TRACK LISTING:
My Will Be Done (feat. Mats Levén)
Blame It On Me (feat. Mats Levén)
I Am The Fire (feat. Devour The Day)
Vengeance (feat. David Ellefson)
Long Way Down (feat. Alexia Rodriguez)
Just Can’t Let Go (feat. Jacob Bunton)
Terrified (feat. Billy Sheehan)
Eyes Wide Open (feat. Mats Levén)
Redemption (feat. Michael Starr)
Summer Days (feat. Jeff Scott Soto)
Dreamkeeper (feat. Tom S. Englund)
End Of The Line (feat. Mats Levén)
Gus G. handled all guitar, bass, and keyboard parts on his solo debut. Brought along for the record were drummers Jeff Friedl (A Perfect Circle, Puscifer, Devo) and, Daniel Erlandsson (Arch Enemy) bassists David Ellefson (Megadeth), Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big, David Lee Roth), and Marty O’Brien (Tommy Lee, We Are The Fallen), and vocalists Mats Leven (Candlemass, ex-Yngwie Malmstein/Therion), Blake Allison (Devour The Day), Michael Starr (Steel Panther), Alexia Rodriguez (Eyes Set To Kill),Tom S. Englund (Evergrey), Jacob Bunton (Adler) and Jeff Scott Soto (Trans-Siberian Orchestra, ex-Journey). The album was produced by Jay Ruston (Stone Sour, Anthrax, Steel Panther).
philspicks 