Mag Electric Debuts New Single, ‘Thorn In My Side’, Companion Video

Courtesy: Cowgirlzen Entertainment

A new week is here once again, but as another week gets underway, independent rock act Mag Electric is doing its part to help people get through another week.

The band did so with the premiere of its new single, ‘Thorn in My Side‘ and a companion video Sunday. It is fitting that the band premiered the new single and video late Sunday night, considering Monday is a thorn in the side of every person in this world.

He he did not specifically note Monday as that proverbial thorn, drummer Bill Peluso did say in regards to the song’s lyrical theme, it is a commentary about how we all deal with those proverbial thorns in our side, regardless of what they may be.

‘”Thorn in my Side’ is Mag Electric’s hard rock expression of life’s annoyances and problems,’ Peluso said. “Brought about by daily struggles most everyone experiences in all walks of life, the song expresses a response to the thorn in your side in your own life. All wrapped up in a psychedelic hard rock package, ‘Thorn’ figures to be a song rock fans can relate to as we go through life picking thorns out of our own sides.”

The musical arrangement featured in Mag Electric’s new single, which is the second from the band behind ‘Iron Horse,’ is an interesting presentation in its own right. The controlled guitar and bass pair with front man Jack Simchak’s vocals to make the whole a work that is easily comparable to works from Type O Negative, just not as melancholy in its mood. Simchak even sounds so much like Steele through his vocal delivery. The comparison is incredible.

The video for ‘Thorn in My Side’ is its own unique presentation. It features the band performing its new single against a very distinctly psychedelic video effect that harkens back, stylistically, to the kind of videos made in the 1960s and 70s.

More information on Mag Electric’s new single and video is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:

Website: https://magelectric.bandcamp.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/magelectricband

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com. Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Numan’s New Album Is A Musical Masterpiece

Courtesy: Machine Music USA, Inc.

Veteran musician Gary Numan has shaken up this critic’s list of the year’s best rock and hard rock albums with the release of his latest album, Splinter (Songs From a Broken Mind).  Numan’s new record, his twentieth full length studio release, takes listeners once again into the ever darkening world that he has crafted throughout his more recent releases.  Numan grabs audiences right from the album’s emotionally desolate opener ‘I Am Dust’ straight through to ‘My Last Day’, which closes out the album’s dozen tracks and never lets go.  It may not be the most uplifting album out there.  But the sonic landscapes crafted throughout this near hour-long record make it worth more than just a couple listens.  As a matter of fact, that landscape makes this album a darkhorse candidate to be one of the year’s best new rock or even hard rock albums.

Numan made the completely right choice opening his new album with ‘I Am Dust.’  There is so much that can be said of this song.  The first thing that listeners will take away from this song is the different musical and vocal influences obvious throughout the song.  Numan’s own vocal style in the verses conjures thoughts of Tool/A Perfect Circle/Puscifer front man Maynard James Keenan.  However, when he reaches the choruses, there is almost a mix of Peter Steele (Type O Negative) and Burton C. Bell (Fear Factory) in his voice as he sings, “We are yours/We’re waiting for you/We are yours/We’re waiting for you.”  The Fear Factory and Type O Negative influences can also be heard in the choruses in the song’s musical side.  Numan’s nihilistic lyrics in this song echo that of Trent Reznor circa The Downward Spiral.  He sings, “We all pray for the end/For the God to take us/We were falling down/One by one/We were weak/And the fear/Was all around us/The machines screamed from moon to sun.”  The musical and lyrical combination along with the obvious influences from across the rock world collectively make this song the perfect introduction to Numan for those that might be new to his music and an equally impressive re-introduction for those that are more familiar with his music.

For all of the dark, brooding songs that Gary Numan includes in his new album, he also tackles relationship issues in his own way.  He tackles the subject in the very Nine Inch Nails-esque ‘The Calling.’  Were a person to hear this song on the radio without knowing it was Gary Numan, one might actually think it was Nine Inch Nails because of how close it sounds to Trent Reznor’s work circa The Fragile.  The string arrangements and electronics set against Numan’s brooding lyrics make this song one of this album’s key moments.  Lyrically, there is little to this song.  But even in its few lyrics, Numan captures the emotion of someone that realizes that he or she has been nothing but a pawn in someone else’s game.  He writes in the song’s final verse, “You don’t love me/You don’t know me/Is this some kind of game for you/Is that why you’ve called me?” This is a situation to which plenty of audiences can relate.  Not everyone has gone through the situation presented in this song.

Splinter (Songs From a Broken Mind) is front loaded with more than its share of impressive new material from Gary Numan.  There is not one bad moment throughout the record’s near hour-long run time.  One of the highest of the records high points has already been noted here.  It isn’t the only of the album’s high points, either.  ‘We’re The Unforgiven’ is another of this album’s highest of points.  This song has a very obvious Nine Inch Nails influence both musically speaking and lyrically.  What’s so interesting about that is the contrast of the song’s musical and lyrical sides.  The song’s musical side is powerful to say the least.  That is thanks in large part to the manner in which each verse crescendos before dropping back.  That dynamic contrast alone would make this song work even without lyrics.  But set next to the song’s lyrical side, both the music and lyrics come together to make the song this album’s best song.  He writes about figures that were once great but are now pale shades of themselves.  He writes, “Once there was life/And we were strong/Full of pride/Once we bread fear/And we would take the flesh denied/Once we were gods/And all things knelt before our word/or died.”  Obviously, he is writing metaphorically here.  But the message is still the same. He goes on, writing in the song’s chorus, “Now we’re just a ruin/We were our undoing/We’re the unforgiven.”  This is a powerful statement.  And again, set alongside the song’s musical side, it becomes even more powerful.  Together, they make this song just one more of so many standout moments shared by Gary Numan throughout his new record.  Fans overseas in the Middle East and Europe will get to experience these songs and many more live beginning February 10^th in Tel Aviv, Israel.  From there, Numan will make his way into Belgium and across Europe for the next leg of his tour in support of his new album.  Fans can get Gary Numan’s latest tour dates, news, and more online at http://www.facebook.com/GaryNumanOfficial and http://www.garynuman.com.  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.

Korn Debuts Video For ‘Never Never’

Courtesy: Prospect Park

Veteran rock band Korn has released the video for the lead single from its new album, The Paradigm Shift.  The video for the song ‘Never Never’ can be viewed online now at http://www.vevo.com/watch/korn/never-never/US5Z51300396?syndicationid=bb8a16ab-1279-4f17-969b-1dba5eb60eda&shortlink=UaDV41&country=US.  For those that have yet to hear the band’s new single, it boasts an interesting mixed influence of Type O Negative throughout most of the song.  However, there is a slight Nine Inch Nails homage late in the song, too.  The Type O Negative influence can be credited to the work of returning guitarist David “Head” Welch and James Schaffer.  The video sees the band performing atop a CG clock that is turning and exploding all at once.  All the while a woman clad in an entirely black outfit that defies explanation sits in the center of the clock.

In celebration of the band’s tenth full length studio release, Jonathan Davis and company have announced the return of the “Family Values Festival.”  The festival kicks off Thursday, September 26^th at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Currently, ten total dates are listed.  The most current tour schedule is listed below.

DATE		CITY	VENUE
Thu	9/26	Philadelphia,   PA	Electric   Factory
Fri	9/27	New   York, NY	Roseland   Ballroom
Sat	9/28	Worcester,   MA	The   Palladium
Mon	9/30	Toronto,   ON	Sound   Academy
Tue	10/1	Detroit,   MI	The   Fillmore
Wed	10/2	Chicago,   IL	Riv
Thu	10/3	Minneapolis,   MN	The   Myth
Sat	10/5	Denver,   CO	1st   Bank Center – Family Values
Thu	10/10	Los   Angeles, CA	The   Wiltern
Sat	10/12	Las   Vegas, NV	Pearl

 

The Paradigm Shift will be released Tuesday, October 8^th, just as the band is wrapping up the “Family Values Festival.”  For more information on the release and the band’s upcoming tour, audiences can go online to http://www.korn.com, http://www.facebook.com/korn, http://twitter.com/korn, and http://www.myspace.com/korn.  And for all 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 http://phispicks.wordpress.com.