Max Portnoy Forms New Band, Tallah

Courtesy: O’Donnell Media Group

Max Portnoy is apparently following in his father’s footsteps.

The drummer, and son of famed drummer dad Mike Portnoy, has formed a new band.  The band, which goes by the moniker of Tallah, is made up of Portnoy and four others — Justin Bonitz (vocals), Derrick Schneider (guitar), Andrew Cooper (bass) and AJ Wisniewski (guitar) — and is influenced from the likes of Slipknot, Korn, Deftones and Code Orange.

Tallah has already started making an impact, having performed two shows at NAMM 2018.  The band is Portnoy’s second so far, as he also has recorded and performed with hard rock outfit Next To None, following a pattern set by his famed drummer father, who has recorded and performed with a variety of acts over his career including Dream Theater, Transatlantic, Liquid Tension Experiment, Yellow Matter Custard, Sons of Apollo and others.

More information on Tallah is available online now at:

 

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/tallah_

 

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Next To None Announces Sophomore Album’s Release Date

Courtesy: EMP Label Group/InsideOut Music

Next To None will release its sophomore album this summer.

Phases will be released July 7 via EMP Label Group in North America and InsideOut Music in Europe.  The announcement this week comes on the heels of the completion of the band’s European tour with Haken.

Work on the new record started last October and took approximately four months. Drummer Max Portnoy said the band in whole has been anticipating the album’s release.  He said that was because of the work put in by the band’s members in making the album become a reality.

“We’re so excited to finally be releasing our new album” Portnoy said.  “We feel it’s a huge step forward for the band and shows a much heavier and much more technical side.  This album is very special to us because it’s the first time we recorded and self-produced our entire album.  We were able to create music that is completely our own.  Every note, every sound, every word came from us, and we can’t wait for you all to hear it.  I suppose you could say what we’ve done here is do more of everything we did before but the greater experience we now have has helped us become better at what we want to do.”

Phases marks the debut for new guitarist Derrick Schneider with the band.  Schneider joined the band from a recommendation by former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Rob “Bumblefoot” Thal, who also made a guest appearance on the band’s debut album.  Ryland Holland left the band left the band last year to study at Berklee College of Music.

The band will hit the road alongside label mates Doll Skin this summer in celebration of the album’s release. The dates for that tour will be announced soon.  More information on those dates is available online now along with all of the band’s latest news and more at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.nexttonone.net

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/NextToNoneBand

 

 

 

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Next To None Debuts Lyric Video For New Single

Courtesy: InsideOut Music

Up-and-coming progressive rock band Next To None has debuted the lyric video for its new single ‘Blood on My Hands.’

Courtesy: InsideOut Music

The video’s premiere comes a week ahead of the band’s debut album A Light in the Dark (InsideOut Music). The song, which closes out the album, is a commentary on the recent outbreak of shootings that have plagued the country in recent months. As vocalist/keyboardist Thomas Cuce explains, “At the time [I wrote the lyrics] it seemed like every day there was a different person going crazy somewhere and shooting up a building or whatever, and I would ask myself ‘Why does this keep happening? What was that person thinking? What led them to do this?” He added, “So I tried to put myself in this person’s head. I created a character and started from the aftermath of the event, which is where we first hear about it in the news.” Of the song’s extended arrangement, he says, “It took us months to write this song and then months to learn it. We had a big dry erase board that we used to chart out all the parts with the time signatures until we had them memorized.” Audiences can check out the video online now via YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qFfHWrXyMk&feature=youtu.be. Audiences can also check out a stream of the song ‘You Are Not Me,’ online now via SoundCloud at https://soundcloud.com/officialinsideoutmusic/next-to-none-you-are-not-me/s-rVJzu. ‘You Are Not Me’ is also one of the tracks included in Next To None’s upcoming album. Pre-orders for A Light in the Dark are available now online at http://www.radiantrecords.com/products/577-next-to-none-a-light-in-the-dark-cd.aspx.

Next To None is: Thomas Cuce (keyboards, vocals), Ryland Holland (guitar), Kris Rank (bass) and Max Portnoy (drums). The band’s album was produced by Max Portnoy’s famed father Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater, Winery Dogs, Liquid Tension Experiment). It features guest appearances from Guns N’ Roses guitarist Bumblefoot on the song ‘A Lonely Walk’ and prog-rock legend Neal Morse (ex-Spock’s Beard, Transatlatic, Yellow Matter Custard). The complete track listing for A Light in the Dark is noted below.

A Light in the Dark’ tracklist:

1. The Edge Of Sanity
2. You Are Not Me
3. Runaway
4. A Lonely Walk
5. Control
6. Lost
7. Social Anxiety
8. Legacy
9. Blood On My Hands

Digital-only bonus tracks:

10. Fortune Cookie
11. Deafening

 

More information on Next To None, including its latest news, is available online now at:

 

Website: http://www.nexttonone.net

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

 

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.