Hatebreed front man Jamey Jasta has partnered with Exodus front man Steve Souza for the latest single from Jasta’s upcoming solo record, And Jasta For All.
Jasta premiered the new single, ‘Assimilation Agenda‘ Friday, along with its companion lyric video. The musical arrangement featured in Jasta’s new single is an intense, driving composition. The blend of his own hardcore influence alongside Souza’s thrash leanings makes the song fully engaging and entertaining. Jasta’s own vocal delivery style and sound alongside that of Souza adds even more to the impact of the arrangement because of how surprisingly well it works.
No information was provided about the song’s lyrical theme in the news release announcing the song’s premiere. The lyrics provided with the video, which features footage of people in committees, a fingerprint with digital imprint, and digital map of the world, hint at the song being a sociopolitical commentary about the state of the world, especially as it relates to world governments. That is just this critic’s interpretation.
According to the information provided in the video, And Jasta For All is scheduled for release Aug. 18.
More information on Jamey Jasta’s new single and lyric video is available along with all of his latest news at:
The lineup for the 2023 Blue Ridge Rock Festival is now official.
Festival organizers announced the full lineup for the festival Thursday. This year’s festival, which is scheduled to take place Sept. 7-10 at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, VA, includes a number of established and up-and-coming acts.
Among the most notable of the acts set to perform at this year’s festival are the likes of Slipknot, Machine Head, Exodus, Testament, Overkill, Dope, Five Finger Death Punch, Lamb of God, Of Mice & Men, and Shinedown. Also on the bill for this year’s festival are the likes of Finger Eleven, Danzig, Megdeth, and I Prevail.
Among the most notable of the up-and-coming acts on the festival’s schedule this year are the likes of Psychostick, Heartsick, and Spiritbox.
Nonpoint, 10 Years, Scott Stapp, Tantric and others will perform as part of the festival’s pre-party.
Single-day passes, 3-day general admission, 4-day General Admission and VIP packages are all available now here. Audiences can also purchase weekend or single-day passes now for 25% down as part of the festival’s 3-month payment plan.
More information on the 2023 Blue Ridge Rock Festival is available at:
Late last week, up-and-coming independent metal outfit Raider announced a new tour schedule set to launch this month. The North American tour, which is scheduled to launch April 14 in Toronto, ON and to run through May 14 in St. Catherine’s ON, also features performances scheduled in cities, such as Boise, ID; Los Angeles, CA and Two Rivers, WI. The upcoming month-long tour is in support of the band’s forthcoming sophomore album, Trial By Chaos. Scheduled for independent release Friday by the band, this eight-song record shows promise for the band as potentially one of the next big names in the hard rock and metal community. That is proven in part through its featured musical arrangements, which will be discussed shortly. The lyrical themes that accompany the intense musical content adds even more to the album’s appeal and will be discussed a little later. The sequencing of the overall content across the album’s 39-minute run time rounds out the album’s most important elements and puts the finishing touch to its presentation. To that end it will also be addressed later. Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of Trial By Chaos. All things considered they make Trial By Chaos a sleeper hit among this year’s field of new hard rock and metal albums and independent albums.
Trial By Chaos, the forthcoming sophomore album from Raider is a presentation that metal fans and the band’s established audiences alike will appreciate. That is due in part to the record’s featured musical arrangements. From the record’s outset to its final bars, the arrangements featured across the album blend elements of thrash and death metal within each work, creating plenty of engagement and entertainment. While the style is relatively the same from one song to the next, leading to comparisons to works from the likes of Arch Enemy, Exodus, and Testament. The changes in the arrangements are just enough that the sounds actually change from song to song even as the general overarching thrash and death metal approach remains throughout the album. The result here is a collection of songs that both in terms of sound and style offer audiences plenty to appreciate right from the beginning. This forms a solid foundation for the album’s presentation.
Building on the foundation formed by the album’s musical content is the lyrical content that accompanies said material. From one song to the next, the themes presented in the record are mostly positive. Though there is also at least a little bit of sociopolitical commentary in the single, ‘Rite of Conquest.’ When the band premiered the single in early February, it noted in a collective, prepared statement, the theme is that of humanity being so driven toward conquest that it has turned that drive to other planets. In the bigger picture, this is a commentary about human greed and desire to control everything, especially through military force.
In regards to its positive, motivating content, audiences need look no further than ‘Fearless,’ which serves as the album’s midpoint, and the album’s title track, which opens the record. ‘Fearless’ finds front man Angelo Bonaccorso delivering a message of internal strength in the song’s lead verse and chorus as he sings/screams, “Binding round the mind/Fear does form a cage/Marvelous was the dream/But the terror was great/Binding nigh deep inside/Pulsing through the veins/Claws clutching my very fate/Under the gun I’ll never bend/I’m a thorn in the flesh of doom’s evil hand/Fearless to the end.” This message of facing off against all of that negativity in life, including in one’s own mind is not unfamiliar in the metal community, but even here it is just as hard hitting as in any other song. The impact of the message continues in the song’s second verse, in which Bonaccorso sings/screams, “Futile to resistance/The battle’s in the brain/Trapped between chaos within and the entropy of space/Unknown adversity lying in wait/Time slowly grinding away.” Even here, this comes across as a reference to battling mental health issues before the determination to overcome that negativity returns again in the chorus’ refrain. The sense of determination to fight on continues even more in-depth in the song’s third verse. There is a lot more in the third verse, but suffice it to say, the message here is entirely positive. Together with everything else in the song, the overall lyrical content presents a welcome theme of overcoming the battle and winning the fight. When that positive message is paired with the song’s equally fiery musical arrangement, the whole makes the power in the song’s lyrical message all the more impacting.
Moving backward to the album’s title track/opener, this song’s theme also centers on overcoming adversity, but in this case it is more of a generalized adversity, more so than mental health. This is inferred as Bonaccorso sings/screams in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “Everlasting awakened abomination/The maelstrom that devours all of creation/Opens wide its spiral maw/Guiding fire/Steel me against all destruction/From wisdom, let chaos crawl/No force of evil can break my resolve/I will outlast them all/Trial by chaos/Bound for glory/My purpose is one/Trial by chaos/Endure the fury/Or fall to oblivion.” This opener makes one think of perhaps the awakening of Cthulu or something similar, but the overall message is, again, quite clearly just that of facing negative in life; of being single-minded in overcoming that adversity, whatever it may be. The message is furthered in the song’s second verse, which states, “Unafraid/I’ll never fall/When chaos reigns/You’ll find me still standing tall/I vow to stand triumphant/Let courage bind my bones/In this should I fail/my soul will turn to stone/And so I descend deep into the unknown/Twisting through the darkness/With this ancient formless foe.” The song returns to its chorus again from here, reiterating that strength against that evil, that negative force. It is yet another example of the positive messages presented throughout the album. The album’s penultimate entry, ‘Juggernaut Cerebrivore’ is yet another positive message that is also a commentary.
The commentary and message presented in ‘Juggernaut Cerebrivore’ comes across as being that of promoting individuality and not letting businesses control us. This is inferred in the song’s lead verse and chorus, which state, “Spellbound human mind/New currency of greed/Boiled brains will oil the iron jaws of industry/High up on its throne/Spreading mighty wings/Juggernaut Cerebrivore deceives/All the world enslaved by this illusion/Bowing down, still, at the master’s feet/Another trophy for the empire of lies/Submission of your soul to their machine/From awakening to the end of our days/We are the offering. Buying their way/Bled on the altar of ill-gotten gain/The one million serve while the one gilds his grave.” This is a powerful, unique way to address the matter of the power that industry and capitalism has on the world. From the amount of focus we put on working and making money for others, to spending so those in higher positions can live comfortable lives (and deaths) this seeming theme is delivered in quite the engaging fashion here. The message continues as the band promotes the noted individuality in the song’s second verse, which states, “Autonomy of thought/Circling the drain/Infiltrator binding to your brain/Surrendered to the screen/Reprogrammed through the eyes/Juggernaut Cerebrivore divides.” In this case, the song is noting television and the internet is that juggernaut, and the role it has in dividing us, preventing us from thinking for ourselves. So between those forces and the impact of industry, the song is addressing the forces that control us and eliminate our individuality, turning us into a singularity of sorts. It is yet another powerful theme that while familiar in its own right, is certain to resonate with audiences because of the unique way in which it is presented. When it is considered along with the themes noted in the other songs examined here and with the rest of the album’s entries, the whole makes clear the power of the album’s lyrical themes.
When the overall lyrical content featured throughout Trial By Chaos is considered alongside the album’s overall musical content, that whole does more than enough to keep audiences engaged and entertained. The sequencing of said content puts the finishing touch to the presentation. As noted, the energy in this record is constant from the album’s outset to its end. Even in a moment such as the opening bars of ‘Juggernaut Cerebrivore’ the subtlety used in the song’s opening bars is only temporary and does so well to lead into the powerhouse presentation that follows. The constant energy in the songs that pairs with the constantly changing sounds in the arrangements joins with the constantly engaging lyrical themes to make the whole fully engaging and entertaining for the band’s audiences and metal fans alike. The overall presentation makes Trial By Chaos an easy candidate for one of this year’s top new hard rock and metal albums and even new independent albums.
Trial By Chaos, the forthcoming sophomore album from Raider, is a powerful new offering from the independent metal outfit. It is a record that is certain to appeal to a wide range of audiences. That is due in part to its featured musical arrangements. The arrangements are each full throttle compositions that expertly blend elements of thrash and death metal for a whole that impresses from beginning to end. That is because even as the style remains the same from song to song, the styles change just enough to keep things interesting in each song. The lyrical themes that accompany the record’s musical arrangements are all familiar topics but are presented in such fashion that they are original, and in turn just as engaging and entertaining as the album’s musical arrangements. The sequencing of said content brings everything together, completing the album’s presentation. Each item examined here is important in its own way to the whole of the album’s presentation. All things considered they make the album a sleeper hit among this year’s field of new hard rock and metal albums, and independent albums.
Trial By Chaos is scheduled for release independently by the band Friday. Pre-orders are open now here. The album’s track listing is noted below.
Trial By Chaos Track Listing:
Trial by Chaos
Rite of Conquest
New Dominion
Fearless
Labyrinth
Ark of Empyrea
Juggernaut Cerebrivore
Devour the Darkness
The schedule for Raider’s upcoming tour in support of its new album is noted below:
RAIDER Trial By Chaos North American Tour:
Friday, April 14 – Toronto, ON – Bovine Sex Club Saturday, April 15 – Windsor, ON – Chelsea Underground Sunday, April 16 – London, ON – Rum Runner’s Monday, April 17 – Jeffersonville, IN – Losers 812 Wednesday, April 19 – San Antonio, TX – HiTones Thursday, April 20 – Houston, TX – Acadia Friday, April 21 – Euless/Dallas, TX – Big Rob’s Saturday, April 22 – Albuquerque, NM – Ren’s Den Sunday, April 23 – Tempe, AZ – The Beast Monday, April 24 – Tucson, AZ – The Edge Wednesday, April 26 – Los Angeles, CA – The Redwood Thursday, April 27 – Fresno, CA – The Great Room Saturday, April 29 – San Francisco, CA – Thee Parkside Sunday, April 30 – Portland, OR – High Watermark Monday, May 1 – Vancouver, BC – Bully’s Tuesday, May 2 – Seattle, WA – Funhouse Wednesday, May 3 – Boise, ID – The Shredder Thursday, May 4 – Salt Lake City, UT – Aces High Saloon Friday, May 5 – Colorado Springs, CO – Vultures Sunday, May 7 – Des Moines, IA – Lefty’s Tuesday, May 9 – Menomonie, WI – Zymurgy Brewing Wednesday, May 10 – Two Rivers, WI – Whisky D’s Thursday, May 11 – Hamilton, ON – Doors Pub Saturday, May 13 – Kitchener, ON – Maxwell’s Sunday, May 14 – St. Catherine’s, ON – The Warehouse
More information on Raider’s new album and is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Machine Head is back. More than four years after the release of the band’s then latest album, Catharsis, the band released its 10th album, Of Kingdom and Crown Friday through Nuclear Blast Records. The 13-song album is a solid return to form for front man and founder Robb Flynn, who is now the band’s only original member. Over the course of the record’s 39-minute run time, its arrangements lift from all of the best of the band’s catalog, musically speaking, while also offering lyrical content that is engaging in its own right. Flynn and his new band mates – Waclaw Kieltkya (guitar, vocals), Jared MacEachern (bass, vocals), and Matt Alston (drums) – released roughly half of the album’s body in the months leading up to the record’s release, with a total of six of its song debuting between November 2020 and June of this year. One of the most powerful of those singles is ‘My Hands Are Empty.’ This song will be discussed shortly. ‘Rotten,’ which comes late in the album, is another notable addition to the record and will be discussed a little later. ‘Choke On The Ashes Of Your Hate,’ which comes early in the record’s run, is yet another notable addition to the album and will also be examined later. All three songs noted are key in their own way to the whole of this album’s presentation. When they are considered along with the album’s other entries, the whole makes this record one of the year’s top new hard rock and metal albums and potentially one of the year’s top new albums.
Of Kingdom and Crown, the latest album from Machine Head, is easily among the best of this year’s new hard rock and metal albums. There is no question about that. That is made clear from the record’s beginning to its end in its musical and lyrical content alike. One of the songs that does so well to make that clear is ‘My Hands Are Empty.’ While not recently considered the album’s lead single, it was, in hindsight, the first of the new songs that would end up on the album in its release way back in November 2020. It should be noted here that while Matt Alston is currently handling drumming duties for the band, the drums in this song’s arrangement were handled by Navene Koperweis (Animals As Leaders, Whitechapel, Entheos). The arrangement overall features a sound and stylistic approach that, as Flynn noted at the time of the single’s release, is comparable to works from the band’s 2003 album, Through The Ashes of Empires. That is evidenced through Flynn’s distinct growling vocals and the richness created through the pairing of the guitar and bass alongside those pummeling drums. The addition of the choral effect to the mix adds even more to that sense.
Lyrically speaking, Flynn explained that the song tackles the issue of opioid abuse.
“I have some family members who have beaten their opioid addiction, and have some still in the throes of addition,” Flynn said. “it is painful to watch, and I deal with it with great difficulty. It is a song of sadness, but there is hope as well. I have beaten my own drug addictions and we can fight through this together and share our pain with the world.” The mention in the song’s chorus that “My hands are empty/Lies so pretty/Kill me gently” points directly to the emotional struggle. It is an allusion to someone feeling left with nothing as a result of so many struggles. In this case the struggles are with addiction, being at the bottom of that proverbial barrel. The mention of powders and pills in the song’s second verse, along with watching someone slowly die is that direct reference to watching people Flynn knows struggling with addiction. Seeing them “Disintegrate/You/Right before my eyes” and the emptiness haunting him makes that painful picture all the fuller. That overall lyrical picture, along with the power and emotion in the song’s musical arrangement makes fully clear why this song stands out among the album’s singles.
‘My Hands Are Empty’ is just one of the songs that stands out in Machine Head’s new album. ‘Rotten’ is another notable addition to the record. Its musical arrangement immediately takes audiences back to the band’s debut 1994 album, Burn My Eyes. The crunch of the guitars, and the pairing of the bass and drums really leads even more to that comparison. Flynn himself is even quoted through Apple Music as saying the arrangement came about during the band’s recent tour in celebration of Burn My Eyes’ 25th anniversary while also making his own comparison to works from Exodus’ 1989 album, Fabulous Disaster.
Considering the fire in the song’s arrangement, it makes the song’s lyrical content all the more interesting. That is because Flynn left interpretation of the song’s lyrical content to audiences. The mention of sitting, holding the “gun in hand/Barrel to the temple” leads to the sense that this song is lyrically taking on the blend of anger and desperation that comes with such suicidal thoughts. The anger comes as Flynn screams, “Everything is rotten to the core” in the song’s chorus. His further mention of feeling such anxiety, “heart racing/My throat’s constricting” even more seems to hint at those mixed feelings. If in fact, this is the picture that Flynn is trying to paint here, that of someone sitting there, feeling so much anger and sadness, anxiety and confusion all at once, then he has done quite well. That is because mental health is such a prevalent matter, and that constantly deserves attention. To that end, the overall picture painted through the song’s musical and lyrical content makes the whole here stand out just as much as ‘Empty Hands’ and the rest of the album’s offerings.
As much as ‘Rotten’ does to make Of Kingdom and Crown a powerful new offering from Machine Head, it is hardly the last of the record’s most notable works. ‘Choke on the Ashes of Your Hate’ is yet another example of how much this record has to offer. The musical arrangement featured in this song is, again, influenced by Exodus according to Flynn. He compared the intensity of the song’s arrangement to that of works from Exodus’ debut 1985 album, Bonded by Blood. Interestingly enough, that album’s title track (and much of the album) actually sounds more akin to early Metallica than Machine Head. To that end one could argue that this song is just as much akin to early Metallica as early Exodus. That is meant in the most complimentary fashion, too.
Lyrically, this song goes in a completely different direction from those of the other songs examined here. Flynn said in an interview about the song, that it was influenced by the Japanese anime series, Attack on Titan. He said the song is part of what is apparently a bigger semi-conceptual approach to this album that is based on that series and that the lead song focuses on two characters who both start out good but turn bad because of the bad things that happened personally to them. It is an interesting concept of there really being that there is no real “good” or “bad” guy in stories or in life. That concept, together with the song’s powerful musical arrangement, makes it stand on its own unique merits. When it is considered along with the other songs examined here and with the rest of the album’s entries, the whole makes the album overall an unforgettable new offering from Machine Head that is among the best of the band’s albums to date.
Of Kingdom and Crown, the latest album from Machine Head, is an impressive return for the band, considering the stark departure that the band took on its predecessor, 2018’s Catharsis. The album is a full-on return to form for Flynn and his current band mates. That is evidenced through its musical and lyrical content alike. The songs examined here each make that clear. When they are considered along with the album’s other songs, the entirety of that body makes Of Kingdom and Crown one of Machine Head’s best albums to date and one of the year’s top new hard rock and metal albums.
Of Kingdom and Crown is available now through Nuclear Blast Records. The band is scheduled to join Amon Amarth on the road this fall in Europe, with each band promoting its own new album.
The first leg of “The Bay Strikes Back Tour” is well underway, and this fall, the tour will continue with even more dates.
The dates for the tour’s second leg were announced Friday. The second leg of the tour, which features Testament, Exodus, and Death Angel, is scheduled to launch Sept. 20 in Phoenix, AZ and to run through Oct. 15 in San Jose, CA. The schedule includes stops in cities, such as Hartford, CT; Fort Wayne, IN and Reno, NV.
The full schedule for the second leg of “The Bay Strikes Back Tour” is noted below.
Saturday, 10/8/2022 – Calgary, AB – Palace Theatre
Monday, 10/10/2022 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore
Wednesday, 10/12/2022 – Ventura, CA – Majestic Ventura Theater
Thursday, 10/13/2022 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
Friday, 10/14/2022 – Reno, NV – Cargo
Saturday, 10/15/2022 – San Jose, CA – San Jose Civic
The first leg of the tour is underway. It is scheduled to stop off in Baltimore, MD tonight. The current schedule for the first leg of the tour is noted below.
5/1/2022 – Baltimore, MD – Soundstage 5/2/2022 – Boston, MA – House of Blues 5/3/2022 – Philadelphia, PA – Theater of Living Arts 5/5/2022 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount 5/6/2022 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom 5/7/2022 – Cincinnati, OH – Madison Theater 5/9/2022 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE 5/10/2022 – Cleveland, OH – The Agora 5/11/2022 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall 5/12/2022 – Detroit, MI – The Majestic Theatre 5/14/2022 – Joliet, IL – The Forge 5/15/2022 – Joliet, IL – The Forge 5/17/2022 – Minneapolis, MN – Skyway Theatre 5/19/2022 – Denver, CO – Summit 5/20/2022 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot *More dates to be added
More information on the new tour announcement is available along with all of Testament’s latest news and more at:
Independent hard rock band Pierced will release its debut album, Cheers To Brutality this spring.
In anticipation of the record’s release, the band premiered the video for the album’s lead single, ‘You Can’t Play God With Me,’ Monday through BraveWords. The video is a straight forward presentation that features the band performing its new single on a simply lit sound stage.
The musical arrangement featured in ‘You Can’t Play God With Me’ is a composition that thrash metal fans will enjoy. More specifically, the arrangement will appeal to fans of bands, such as Testament, Exodus, and Overkill.
The lyrical theme featured in the band’s new song delivers a familiar sociopolitical message, said front man Rob Middleton.
“’You Can’t Play God with Me’ basically describes your modern day power trippers, the people who seek control over the majority of us, whether it’s corporations, so-called experts or our own government, telling us what they think is best for us,” he said. “They use the fear machine to force conformity which for a guy like me, immediately triggers resistance.”
Cheers To Brutality was produced by Mike Orlando (Adrenaline Mob, Her Chariot Awaits, Stereo Satellite).
More information on Pierced’s new single, video, and album is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Testament has parted ways with drummer Gene Hoglan.
The band released a statement on the lineup change in a prepared statement released Friday. The comment is noted below.
To all our Testament fans around the world, First off, we are beyond grateful to have had Gene Hoglan behind our drum throne for ten years, several albums and countless tour dates. Unfortunately, our brother Gene’s additional tours and solo endeavors in 2022 conflict insurmountably with Testament’s rescheduled dates after two years of lost time due to the pandemic. Rather than Testament having to reschedule upcoming dates (yet again) or Gene having to cancel his own plans, we have decided to amicably part ways. We understand that this announcement will cause some disappointment but rest assured: There is no drama, only the best of vibes between us. As Gene embarks upon a new chapter, we thank him from the bottom of our hearts for bringing the most powerful drum beats to Testament and heavy metal. We have no doubt he will continue to bring it as only he can. Gene will always be family and we ask all of you to join us in wishing him only the best of luck going forward!
Also rest assure that we will continue to deliver yet another top notch addition to Testament and will reveal soon! We will see you all on tour very soon! – Testament
Courtesy: Adrenaline PR
As Testament works to find a replacement for Hoglan, the band is preparing for its re-scheduled “The Bay Strikes Back Tour.” The tour, originally scheduled to take place last year, was postponed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now scheduled to launch April 9 in San Luis Obispo, CA and to run through May 20 in Salt Lake City, UT.
The tour, which will also feature performances from Exodus and Death Angel, has its schedule noted below.
Bay Strikes Back 2022 dates: 4/9/2022 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Fremont Theater 4/10/2022 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues 4/12/2022 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues 4/13/2022 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues 4/15/2022 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre 4/16/2022 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater 4/19/2022 – Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom 4/20/2022 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall 4/21/2022 – Austin, TX – Emo’s 4/22/2022 – Dallas, TX -Amplified Live 4/23/2022 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues 4/26/2022 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade 4/27/2022 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz 4/30/2022 – Sayreville, NJ -Starland Ballroom 5/1/2022 – Baltimore, MD – Soundstage 5/2/2022 – Boston, MA – House of Blues 5/3/2022 – Philadelphia, PA – Theater of Living Arts 5/5/2022 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount 5/6/2022 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom 5/7/2022 – Cincinnati, OH – Madison Theater 5/9/2022 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE 5/10/2022 – Cleveland, OH – The Agora 5/11/2022 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall 5/12/2022 – Detroit, MI – The Majestic Theatre 5/14/2022 – Joliet, IL – The Forge 5/15/2022 – Joliet, IL – The Forge 5/17/2022 – Minneapolis, MN – Skyway Theatre 5/19/2022 – Denver, CO – Summit 5/20/2022 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot *More dates to be added
More information on Testament’s lineup change and tour is available online along with all of Testament’s latest news and more at:
And then there were two. Phil’s Picks is officially down to two year-ender lists on the music side as the countdown to the year’s end itself continues. The first of this year’s last two music year-ender lists comes today in the form of the year’s top new hard rock and metal albums.
This year’s list is packed with content from so many established and new acts. From up-and-coming hard rock act Antisaint to veteran thrash band Exodus to guitar virtuosos Gus G. and John 5 and more, this year has seen so many great hard rock and metal records. Suffice it to say there has been so much great hard rock and metal this year that it has been extremely difficult to compile this list, but it was created.
As with every list from Phil’s Picks, this collection features the year’s top 10 new releases and five additional honorable mention titles for a total of 15. Those honorable mention titles are just as deserving of applause as the other featured works. Without any further ado, here for your consideration is Phil’s Picks’ 2021 Top 10 New Hard Rock & Metal Albums list.
PHIL’S PICKS’ 2021 TOP 10 NEW HARD ROCK & METAL ALBUMS
1. Accept – Too Mean To Die
2. Atreyu – Baptize
3. Exodus – Persona Non Grata
4. Michael Schenker Group – Immortal
5. U.D.O. – Game Over
6. Artillery – X
7. Gus G. – Quantum Leap
8. John 5 – Sinner
The Three Tremors – Guardians of the Void
Antisaint – Vaticinate
Bullet For My Valentine – Bullet For My Valentine
A Killer’s Confession – Remember
The CEO – Redemption
Tremonti – Marching in Time
Skarlett Riot – Invicta
That’s it for this year’s hard rock and metal albums. While even the hard rock and metal community has wrapped things for this year, things are already gearing up for 2022, with new releases already coming from the likes of up-and-coming hard rock act Bloodywood, veteran acts Hammerfall and Annihilator, and even from Saxon and Stabbing Westward. That’s all just in the first quarter of 2022, too.
In other words, the first half of the new year is already gearing up to be very exciting for all the hard rock and metal fans out there. Until then though, there’s still one more music year-ender list from Phil’s Picks this year before the attention turns over to the best of this year’s new TV and movie releases. Stay tuned!
The wait is finally over for Exodus’ new album, Persona Non Grata.
The long-awaited album released Friday. Along with its release, the band also premiered the lyric video for the album’s new single, ‘Prescribing Horror’ Friday. The song is the album’s third, following the release of ‘Clickbait‘ and ‘The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves).‘
The musical arrangement featured in ‘Prescribing Horror’ is different from that of most of the music featured in Persona Non Grata. Instead of the high-energy works for which the band is known, this song’s arrangement is a heavy, plodding composition. It is comparable to some of the works from the band’s first two albums, Burn My Eyes (1994) and The More Things Change… (1997). The vocals that accompany that heavy, rich guitar line give the song even more of an interesting presentation, as does the bass work.
According to comments made by guitarist Gary Holt, the song’s lyrical theme is a warning about drug use.
“As we have finally come to the day of Persona Non Grata’s release, something we’ve been eagerly awaiting for what seems like an eternity, we are pleased to share one last lyric video with you, my personal favorite song on the album, ‘Prescribing Horror,” said Holt. “A little tale of motherhood and a drug, and what happens when greed comes before life and safety. The story of Thalidomide.”
Courtesy: Nuclear Blast Records
In other news, Exodus is scheduled to launch “The Bay Strikes Back Tour” next spring alongside Testament and Death Angel. The tour was originally scheduled to take place last and this month, but was postponed last month due to impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The band announced the postponement early last month.
Holt offered the following statement on the postponement.
“We are saddened to announce that the Bay Strikes Back tour is being postponed, but the risk of canceled shows due to positive tests leading to tour personnel being quarantined and isolated is just too great at this time,” said Holt. “We want to feel safe, enjoy the tour and be able to hang out with our close friends. The silver lining in this is that Tom Hunting no longer needs chemo and will have more time to work his way back to doing a full tour. He will make his return behind the drums at Aftershock but a full tour requires more preparation, so that is the good part.”
Guitarist Eric Peterson expanded on Holt’s statements.
“We were really on the fence with this decision, but seeing other bands make it through with a few mild cases and other bigger bands just canceling their entire tours, we felt it is in our best interest to postpone these shows to ’22,” he said.
Fellow guitarist Alex Skolnick echoed his band mates’ sentiments in his own comments.
“It gives none of us any pleasure to be the bearers of bad news yet again, but here we are,” said Skolnick. “Although “Bay Strikes Back” is a top tour package for theaters, the reality is this: It can’t afford to take the risks that top-grossing larger venue tours have been taking. The type of disruptions Kiss and other large outdoor venue tours have experienced could cause our shows to be permanently canceled – a lose/lose for everyone. The fact that a lower-budget tour such as ours is limited to indoor venues with tight backstage space only adds to the risk. It should go without saying that calling off these dates was a ‘last resort’ decision, and everyone involved would much rather this weren’t the case. However, this is the new reality we’re all in. All we can do is hope for everyone’s understanding, which we ask for sincerely.”
Death Angel front man Mark Osegueda also chimed in on the negative news.
“Usually when I’m asked to contribute a quote to an announcement it pertains to something I’m extremely excited about,” he said. “In this case, I’m gutted… It pains me to announce that The Bay Strikes Back U.S. Tour is being postponed. No one was looking forward to this more than me. But, on the brighter side of things, the tour is in fact going to happen – just at a later time. And I can assure you that the already ravenous to play live members of Death Angel promise to provide a crushing set during a crushing tour. The Bay WILL Strike Back!”
The new dates for the “Bay Strikes Back Tour” are noted below.
Bay Strikes Back 2022 dates: 4/9/2022 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Fremont Theater 4/10/2022 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues 4/12/2022 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues 4/13/2022 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues 4/15/2022 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre 4/16/2022 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater 4/19/2022 – Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom 4/20/2022 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall 4/21/2022 – Austin, TX – Emo’s 4/22/2022 – Dallas, TX -Amplified Live 4/23/2022 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues 4/26/2022 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade 4/27/2022 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz 4/30/2022 – Sayreville, NJ -Starland Ballroom 5/1/2022 – Baltimore, MD – Soundstage 5/2/2022 – Boston, MA – House of Blues 5/3/2022 – Philadelphia, PA – Theater of Living Arts 5/5/2022 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount 5/6/2022 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom 5/7/2022 – Cincinnati, OH – Madison Theater 5/9/2022 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE 5/10/2022 – Cleveland, OH – The Agora 5/11/2022 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall 5/12/2022 – Detroit, MI – The Majestic Theatre 5/14/2022 – Joliet, IL – The Forge 5/15/2022 – Joliet, IL – The Forge 5/17/2022 – Minneapolis, MN – Skyway Theatre 5/19/2022 – Denver, CO – Summit 5/20/2022 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot *More dates to be added
More information on Exodus’ new album, live dates, comic book and action figure is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
The band is scheduled to release its 23rd album, Carpe Diem Feb. 4 through Silver Lining Music. The band made the announcement Tuesday in a news release. In anticipation of the album’s release, the band premiered the video for the album’s lead/title single Tuesday.
The video for ‘Carpe Diem’ presents front man Biff Byford along an unidentified coastal area performing his part of the song as a clearly stiff breeze blows. That footage is coupled with footage of what is meant to reflect the band performing live to enhance the experience.
The musical arrangement featured in ‘Carpe Diem’ is pure Saxon. It is everything that audiences have come to expect from the band throughout its life. The hard rock riffs are there as are the strong vocals, solid time keeping and equally solid, stead bass line.
The song’s lyrical theme and the inspiration for the album, said Byford, came from the events of the past year and a half or so.
“It’s been a difficult two years because I had the heart attack back in September 2019, so things went a bit pear-shaped for the band,” said Byford. “And then Covid hit two or three months later, but luckily, we started writing and recording this album before Covid. We did the drums in Germany and we did the guitars in various places. I was doing a lot of writing while I was in the hospital bed, and we spent quite a long time writing and arranging the ideas that we all had. I do think it’s a very intense album, and maybe some of that intensity comes from the frustration of not being able to do anything in the Covid period.”
Carpe Diem was produced by Andy Sneap (Fozzy, Skinlab, Exodus). Sneap mixed with album alongside Byford.
More information on Carpe Diem is available online now along with all of the band’s latest news and more at:
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