Sleeping With Sirens is scheduled to head out on the road this spring.
The band announced Tuesday, it is scheduled to launch the “Family Tree Tour” May 16 in Little Rock, AR. The tour, which is in support of the band’s lates album, Complete Collapse (2022), is scheduled to run through June 2 in Riverside, CA and also includes scheduled performances in cities, such as Columbus, OH; Charlotte, NC and Gran Junction, CO.
Tickets and VIP packages for the tour are available here. The tour’s schedule is noted below. Dayseeker and Mags will serve as support for the upcoming tour.
Family Tree Tour Dates
May 16 – Little Rock, AR @ The Hall*
May 17 – Mobile, AL @ Soul Kitchen Music Hall*
May 19 – Daytona Beach, FL @ Welcome to Rockville**
Rock band Through Fire gave audiences another preview of its new album this week with the premiere of the album’s latest single.
The band premiered its new single, ‘Devolution‘ Tuesday. The song is the third single from the band’s forthcoming album, Devil’s Got You Dreamin’, which is scheduled for release April 21. The record has also produced the singles, ‘Lose It‘ and ‘Karma Kills.’
The musical arrangement featured in ‘Devolution’ is similar to that of ‘Lose It’ what with its melodic hard rock approach. Yet again, the sound and stylistic approach taken here is easily comparable to works from the likes of Awake At Last, Three Days Grace and others of that ilk.
The song’s lyrical theme presents a familiar social commentary about the state of the world and how mankind is handling everything that has happened and is happening. The band addressed this in a prepared statement.
“Devolve, destruct, in God we trust… so many things in the world seem to be going in reverse,” the statement reads. “One step forward and two steps back. This song is about keeping our eyes open to everything going on around us.”
In other news, Through Fire has expanded its tour plans for the spring and summer. On top of already announced dates with Saliva, the band was recently announced as support for Ill Nino’s spring headlining tour in celebration of its classic album, Confession. Tickets are available here.
The tour is scheduled to launch May 4 in Jacksonville, NC and to run through June 4 in Tyler, TX. The upcoming tour will see Through Fire share time alongside Dropout Kings as support for Ill Nino and will take the bands largely through America’s heartland, with most of the dates in states, such as Montana, Colorado, Illinois, and Texas. The tour’s few east coast dates open its run between May 4 May 10.
Through Fire’s full schedule with Saliva and Ill Nino is noted below.
Through Fire Upcoming Tour Dates 3/17 – Amelia Island, FL @ Saddler Ranch 3/18 – Orlando, FL @ The Beacham Theatre 3/20 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl3/21 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Jergel’s 3/23 – Ft. Wayne, IN @ Piere’s 3/24 – Wyandotte, MI @ District 142 3/25 – Joliet, IL @ The Forge 3/26 – McHenry, IL @ The Vixen 3/27 – Des Moines, IA @ Wooly’s 3/29 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Sunshine Studios 3/30 – Ft. Collins, CO @ The Coast 4/2 – Phoenix, AZ @ Marquee Theatre 4/5 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Beer City Music Hall
The 20 Year Anniversary of ConfessionTour
5/4/2023 – Jacksonville, NC – Hooligans
5/5/2023 – Winchester, VA – Blue Fox Billiards
5/6/2023 – Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
5/7/2023 – Horseheads, NY - The L
5/9/2023 – Mechanicsburg, PA – Lovedraft’s
5/10/2023 – Pittsburgh, PA - Crafthouse
5/11/2023 – Lakewood, OH - Winchester Music Tavern
5/12/2023 – Flint, MI – The Machine Shop
5/13/2023 – Angola, IN - Eclectic Room
5/14/2023 – Joliet, IL – The Forge
5/16/2023 - Bloomington, IL – The Castle Theatre
5/17/2023 - Belvidere, IL – The Apollo Theater
5/18/2023 - Omaha NE – The Waiting Room
5/19/2023 - Sioux Falls, SD - Bigs Bar
5/20/2023 - Billings, MT – The Pub Station
5/21/2023 – Great Falls, MT - The Newberry
5/23/2023 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theater
5/24/2023 – Colorado Springs, CO - Sunshine Studios
5/25/2023 – Grand Junction, CO - Mesa Theater
5/26/2023 - Phoenix, AZ – Rebel Lounge
5/27/2023 - El Paso, TX – Rockhouse
5/30/2023 - Lubbock, TX – Jakes
5/31/2023 - Corpus Christi, TX - House Of Rock
6/1/2023 – Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
6/2/2023 – San Antonio, TX – The Rock Box
6/3/2023 – Fort Worth, TX – The Rail Club
6/4/2023 - Tyler, TX - Country River Club
More information on Through Fire’s new album, single, video, and tour is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Late last month, Black Veil Brides released its new EP, The Mourning through Sumerian Records. The four-song record’s release came Oct. 21, roughly a year after the release of the band’s then latest album, The Phantom Tomorrow, which was a musical and stylistic turning point for the band. The band continued that change with this, its ninth studio recording and third EP. The band is currently on the road with Ice Nine Kills and Motionless in White as part of the Trinity of Terror tour in support of the record, whose musical and lyrical content clearly shows that continued change of sound and style. ‘Better Angels,’ which closes the EP, is one of the most notable of the record’s entries. It will be discussed shortly. On the exact other end of the record is its opener, ‘Devil,’ which will be examined a little later. ‘Saviour II’ is yet another standout addition to the EP and will also be examined later. When it is considered alongside the other songs noted here and with the EP’s one remaining song, ‘The Revival,’ the whole makes The Mourning easily one of the year’s top new EPs.
The Mourning, the third new EP from Black Veil Brides (and the band’s ninth new studio recording), is a strong new offering from the band. That is proven through its musical and lyrical content alike. The record’s finale, ‘Better Angels’ is just one of the songs that makes that clear. The melodic hard rock approach that the band takes in the song’s musical arrangement makes the song just as accessible as works from so many other similar bands, mainstream and independent. Comparisons can be made to works from the likes of Awake At Last, Saint Asonia, and Bullet for my Valentine. This is not to say that BVB has not composed some melodic hard rock songs throughout its history, but comparing much of its early catalog to a work, such as this song, the difference is clear, and it makes the song here just as accessible as works from the noted bands and so many others.
The arrangement featured here actually works well with the song’s lyrical theme. That is because the song’s theme seems to come from the vantage overcoming one’s mental health struggles, to a point. This is inferred in the song’s lead verse and chorus, which state collectively, “I feel the hope turn into comfort/Like the death of my nerves/Your heart is stinging from the hatred/As humanity burns/So let me find the words just to say it/Your mind is a villain/Go back to hell with all your demons/Leave me alone/To find the pieces inside my mind/They came in to control my life/And all the devils devour/Your better angels devour. The song’s second verse adds even more to that thought pattern as it states, “Our fear is all we have to suffer/In the violent new world/These scars and vanity can’t save us/Now it’s time for the storm.” This seeming theme is certain to resonate with audiences, especially being that it seems to present a message of overcoming those negative thoughts and feelings that would otherwise control a person, not just thoughts of depression and self-hatred, either. When this seeming message pairs with the song’s powerful musical arrangement, the whole makes ‘Better Angels’ a clear example of what makes The Mourning worth hearing.
‘Better Angels’ is just one of the most notable additions to The Mourning. The EP’s opener, ‘Devil’ is notable in its own right. That is due in part because of its musical arrangement. Instead of the pure melodic hard rock approach used in ‘Better Angels,’ the band opts for a more metalcore style composition in this song’s verses while incorporating the melodic hard rock approach in the choruses. The cutting guitars, and machine-gun style rapidity of the metalcore style verses make the song immediately comparable to works from the likes of Killswitch Engage, The Black Dahlia Murder, and to a lesser extent, early As I Lay Dying. The vocals especially add to that comparison to works from KsE, as they are so comparable to that band’s former front man Howard Jones. The melodic hard rock side of the song is more comparable to works from the likes of Sevendust. The juxtaposition of those comparisons makes the overall arrangement so interesting and well worth hearing in its own right.
The energy and richness in the song’s arrangement does just as well to pair with its lyrical theme. That is because of the clear frustration exhibited in what comes across quite as a social commentary. The commentary opens with front man Andy Biersack sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “How the f*** is one so evil left to just proceed/All the luck and how deceitful that idle minds can be/Farewell to vanished fraud/So here comes the fall/Your blood has all been washed away/You left with a crawl/The end was worth the wasted days/The devil lies alone.” The commentary continues in the song’s second verse, “Come sell me useless greed/And swindle, lie and cheat/’Cause nothing matters when only truth is obsolete.” That last line about truth being obsolete leads to an inference that maybe the commentary centers on what has happened in the world with truth taking a back seat to people’s false realities. This is just this critic’s interpretation. The early note of wondering how one so evil could just progress, to that end, would seemingly be a commentary wondering how people like Donald Trump and his cult members could be left to go on doing what they do. Again, this is just this critic’s interpretation. Hopefully it is somewhere close to being right. Either way, the seeming message and the way in which it is delivered certainly makes for plenty of thought and discussion. To that end, the song shows even more why it stands out in The Mourning.
‘Saviour II,’ the EP’s second track and lead single, is yet another notable addition to the record. The song’s musical arrangement is continues the melodic hard rock approach taken by the band in the EP. The different here is that in this case, it is actually more of a throwback to some of the melodic hard rock compositions that the band had produced in its past records while also being just as radio ready as any of the other songs featured in this record. From Breaking Benjamin to Default to so many others, the arrangement here is just as accessible as their works and so many other of the band’s fellow mainstream bands.
The lyrical theme that accompanies the song’s musical arrangement makes for even more interest. The theme here comes across as something as a contemplative piece focusing on moving past experiences in life. This is inferred as Biersack sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “I never knew how to live alone/Holding my fear in the unknown/And if we only speak in tongues/How can we be heard/Are there songs to guard your heart/Let this be the one you use to start your own/And every word that came from you/Has carried me/So I’m trying my hardest to be what you made/Like a court jester/My smile won’t fade/Giving it all/Rising to fall to my grave/Answer the call/Living in thrall/You’re the one born to save.” That mention of trying to be what someone made, keeping the smile, it seems like the song’s subject is addressing having to live a lie, hiding so many thoughts and emotions behind that smile. It would certainly seem to point at the noted inferred theme. The inference continues in the song’s second verse, which states, “I grew this heart in a motor car/I wear a mask to be a star/All of the heat and anxiety that still lines the road/It is all I ever thought I’d live for/Now I know I’m more than all of my scars.” That mention of being more than one’s scars points to the song’s subject overcoming the emotional and mental damage caused by the past, moving on with life. It is a powerful seeming statement that even further hints at the noted theme. Keeping such a seeming theme (and one that is all too familiar with any rock fan) in mind, the contemplative nature of the theme and the equally contemplative nature of the song’s arrangement makes the song in whole all the more interesting. When the whole is considered overall, it makes ‘Saviour II’ clearly another important part of The Mourning. When the song is considered alongside the other two songs examined here and with the EP’s one remaining song, the whole makes The Mourning a complete success.
The Mourning, the latest studio recording from Black Veil Brides, is an impressive new offering from the veteran hard rock act. That is proven through its musical and lyrical content alike. The songs examined here make that clear. When the songs examined are considered along with the record’s one remaining track, the whole makes The Mourning a welcome addition to this year’s field of new EPs.
The Mourning is available now through Sumerian Records. More information on the EP is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
As the release of Animals As Leaders’ new album, Parrhesia, gets ever closer, the band has offered audiences another preview of the record.
The band premiered the album’s new single, ‘Gordian Naught‘ Wednesday. The song is the album’s third single behind ‘The Problem of Other Minds‘ and ‘Monomyth.’ The album is scheduled for release March 25 through Sumerian Records.
The musical arrangement featured in ‘Gordian Naught’ is everything that audiences have come to expect from Animals As Leaders. The prog/math metal style approach and sound is just as present as ever. It makes the song easily comparable to works from the likes of TesseracT. The grittier, heavier riffs in the song’s closing bars however, lend themselves to comparison to songs from Between The Buried and Me and Periphery.
Front man Tosin Abasi explained the concept behind the song.
“This song attempts to put a soundtrack to the metaphor of “untying an impossibly tangled knot; A sonic commentary on the seemingly sustained problems facing the world currently,” he said.
Courtesy: Sumerian Records
In other news, Animals As Leaders is scheduled to launch a tour in support of its new album this spring. The band is scheduled to launch its “Parrhesia Tour” March 30 in Denver, CO. The tour runs less than a month.
The tour is scheduled to run through April 22 in Los Angeles, CA and features scheduled performances in cities, such as Detroit, MI; Cincinnati, OH and Atlanta, GA.
The tour’s schedule is noted below. Tickets are available here.
Animals As Leaders will tentatively release its new album next spring.
The band made the announcement through a news release Thursday. The document states the band is scheduled to release its new album, Perrhesia March 25 through Sumerian Records. The album will feature nine new songs, including the record’s latest single, ‘The Problem of Other Minds.’
The band premiered the single, the album’s second song, Thursday along with its companion video. The band premiered the album’s lead single, ‘Monomyth‘ in September along with itsvideo.
The musical arrangement featured in ‘The Problem of Other Minds’ is another rich, distinctive work from the band. It stands apart well from ‘Monomyth’ as it is less percussive and more melodic in its approach and sound than that song. The use of the keyboards here and the production of the whole instrumentation gives the song such a strong, unique identity.
The video for ‘The Problem of Other Minds’ features various footage of a group of women performing their own unique choreographed routines to the music. at times hypnotic and at times chaotic, the routines are powerful visuals in their own right.
No comment was offered by the band in terms of the meaning behind the visualization and the song’s arrangement in the news release announcing all of the noted information.
The track listing for Perrhesia is noted below.
Animals As Leaders
PARRHESIA
Track Listing
1.Conflict Cartography
2. Monomyth
3. Red Miso
4. Gestaltzerfall
5. Asahi
6.The Problem of Other Minds
7.Thoughts and Prayers
8. Micro-Aggressions
9. Gordian Naught
More information on Animals As Leaders’ new single, video, and album is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Veteran rock band Black Veil Brides is scheduledto finally release its latest album this week in the form of The Phantom Tomorrow. The band’s sixth album, it was originally scheduled for release June 4. Its release was delayed in order to allow the comic book that will accompany the record to get up to speed with the album. The album stands out in part because of its general presentation, which will be discussed shortly. The record’s musical presentation works with its general presentation to make for more appeal. It will be discussed a little later. The album’s production rounds out its most important elements and will also be discussed later. Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the album. All things considered, they make the album another work that the band’s most devoted audiences will appreciate.
Black Veil Brides’ forthcoming album, The Phantom Tomorrow, is a presentation that audiences will find well worth hearing at least once. That is proven in part through the album’s general presentation. In regards to the general presentation, the album is presented not as just a collection of songs, but rather a concept album. Now while concept albums are typically reserved for the prog realm, this approach is nothing new for this band. The band has already released two other concept records in the forms of Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones (2013) and its “prequel,” Vale (2018). In the case of The Phantom Tomorrow, front man Andy Biersack noted in a March 2021 interview with Blabbermouth.net, that the album’s concept centers on essentially the human nature of idolatry. It just takes a bit of a darker turn in this case. Biersack is quoted as saying of the concept, “The story is essentially the idea…In our society, especially now, we have this love of building up heroes and obsessing over other people who often don’t give a s*** about you or anybody else and we kind of have these false idols and heroes. And so the story is about taking this mythological character and the people putting all of this power on to them, and ultimately turning their back on the character because nobody can fulfill the dreams and ideas that you put on somebody else.” He goes on from here to shorten the summary, pointing out that the story centers on humans’ obsession with those in positions of power and celebrity, and the resultant impact of that obsession. It is a timeless theme considering that, again, people have that tendency to idolize, and then react a certain way when they react that those they idolize are not who and what they thought. It makes the story here quite interesting and well worth hearing in itself. To that end, the general presentation is clearly in itself reason enough for audiences to give The Phantom Tomorrow a chance. It is just a part of what makes the album worth hearing, too. The record’s musical presentation builds on the interest and appeal generated through the general presentation to give the album even more reason for being heard.
The musical presentation featured in The Phantom Tomorrow is of note because of its approach. For the most part, the band takes a distinct metalcore style approach. The only real deviation comes in the album’s finale, ‘Fall Eternal,’ which comes across more as an emo type composition. All of this is important to note because the approach taken with the music here clearly shows the band’s continued growth and evolution away from the more glam rock/Motley Crue-esque sounds that made the band famous in its infancy. It shows that continued willingness to take risks and grow, as noted and is something that will appeal, again, to the band’s most devoted audiences and to more casual audiences. Keeping that in mind, it is one more way in which the album proves itself worth hearing at least once. The production of that musical content rounds out the most important of the album’s items and completes its presentation.
The production of The Phantom Tomorrow is important to examine because of how much it plays into the record’s musical content. As noted, the arrangements featured in this record continue to exhibit the growth and evolution of Black Veil Brides as a band and individually. While the album, for the most part, presents a distinct metalcore approach, the songs featured here still boast their own unique identity separate from so many other metalcore acts out there. The record’s production plays into that identity. It serves to accent the arrangements’ melodies, and the nuances therein, even within the vocals, to really bring out the fullest body of each composition. At the same time, the production ensures that no one part of each instrumentation overpowers its counterparts from one work to the next. The overall result of that attention to detail in the production is that the arrangements keep listeners fully engaged and entertained throughout the album. It puts the final touch to the whole and completes the presentation, showing once more why this record is worth hearing at least once.
Black Veil Brides’ new, forthcoming album, The Phantom Tomorrow, is a presentation that the band’s most devoted audiences will agree is another positive addition to the band’s catalog. Its success comes in part through its general presentation. In this case, the general presentation is that of a concept record, something to which the band is no stranger. The concept here will resonate with listeners, too, because of its accessibility. The album’s musical presentation adds to its appeal because it continues to show the band’s development and growth. The record’s production puts the finishing touch to its presentation, bringing everything full circle and bringing out the best in each song. Each item examined here is important in its own way to the album. All things considered, they make The Phantom Tomorrow a record that will have plenty of tomorrows in audiences’ libraries.
The Phantom Tomorrow is scheduled for release Friday through Sumerian Records. More information on the album is available along with all of Black Veil Brides’ news at:
Animals As Leaders premiered its first new music in five years this week.
The band premiered its new single, ‘Monomyth‘ and its companion video Thursday. The band’s new four-minute-plus single is a full-on instrumental track. Its musical arrangement presents its own trademark experimental math/prog metal approach while also lending comparison to works from the likes of TesseracT.
Band founder/guitarist Tosin Abasi, ina prepared statement, talked about the song and translated the message in the video’s presentation to the song’s message.
‘Monomyth’ is part fever dream, part ritual,” said Abasi. “Its imagery represents man’s ceaseless attempts to translate transcendent ideas into movement. The conflation of struggle with meaning. Pain with significance. The ultimate failure of distilling perceived patterns in the world into knowledge.”
The video translates the noted message in the song by having a group of men, bodies painted white, dance to the music. The dancers’ presentation can be considered to be interpretive in nature.
In other news, Animals As Leaders announced Thursday, it has re-signed with Sumerian Records. Details about the deal were not revealed, nor was information about the band’s next album.
More information on Animals As Leaders’ new single, video, and record deal is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Between The Buried and Me debuted the video for its latest single this week.
The band premiered the animated video for its song, ‘Fix The Error‘ Wednesday. The video’s premiere comes less than a month after the band debuted the song by itself. The song is the lead single from the band’s forthcoming album, Colors II , which is scheduled for release Aug. 20 through Sumerian Records. Pre-orders are open.
The track listing for Colors II is noted below.
Between The Buried And Me
Colors II
1. Monochrome
2. The Double Helix of Extinction
3. Revolution In Limbo
4. Fix The Error
5. Never Seen/Future Shock
6. Stare Into The Abyss
7. Prehistory
8. Bad Habits
9. The Future Is Behind Us
10. Turbulent
11. Sfumato
12. Human Is Hell (Another One With Love)
The video for ‘Fix The Error’ is, stylistically, a good match for the song. That is because just as the arrangement sounds more akin to something one might expect from Devin Townsend, so is the video. It features a figure making its way through a society following the toppling of the powers that be. The story’s end is a bit shocking, and will be left for audiences to discover for themselves.
Additionally, the video features footage of Mike Portnoy (Sons of Apollo, The Winery Dogs, Transatlantic, ex-Dream Theater), who provided his talents to the song.
Front man Tommy Rogers discussed the video treatment during a recent interview.
“We have finally taken our first steps into the world of animation, and it’s a sight to see!,” said Rogers. “As children of the 80’s and 90’s we wanted to encapsulate that feeling we had growing up watching the wacky world of cartoons in that era. It’s uneasy, unsettling, and somehow very fun! Let’s celebrate!”
Courtesy: Sumerian Records
In other news, Between The Buried and Me has announced a new tour in support of its new album. The tour is scheduled to launch Aug. 3 in Atlanta, GA and to run through Sept. 17 in Charlotte, NC. It features performances in cities, such as Denver, CO; Hartford, CT and Las Vegas, NV.
The tour’s schedule is noted below. Tickets and VIP Packages are available now.
Aug 3 Atlanta, Ga At Masquerade
Aug 4 Richmond, Va At Canal Club
Aug 5 Philadelphia, Pa At Tla
Aug 6 Washington, Dc At Black Cat
Aug 8 Nyc, Ny At Gramercy
Aug 9 Nyc, Ny At Gramercy
Aug 10 Worcester, Ma At Palladium
Aug 11 Hartford, Ct At Webster Theater
Aug 13 Poughkeepsie, Ny At The Chance
Aug 14 Rochester, Ny At Anthology
Aug 15 Pittsburgh, Pa At Mr. Smalls
Aug 16 Cleveland, Oh At Beachland Ballroom
Aug 17 Detroit, Mi At Magic Stick
Aug 19 St. Louis, Mo At Old Rock House
Aug 20 Chicago, Il At House Of Blues
Aug 21 Minneapolis, Mn At Lyric Theater
Aug 22 Lawrence, Ks At Granada
Aug 23 Denver, Co At Summit
Aug 25 Salt Lake City, Ut At The Complex
Aug 26 Boise, Id At Knitting Factory
Aug 28 Seattle, Wa At El Corazon
Aug 29 Portland, Or At Bossanova Ballroom
Aug 31 Sacramento, Ca At Ace Of Spades
Sep 1 Garden Grove, Ca At Garden Grove Amp.
Sep 2 Los Angeles, Ca At Teragram
Sep 3 Las Vegas, Nv At Fremont Country Club
Sep 4 Phoenix, Az At Crescent
Sep 6 Dallas, Tx At Trees
Sep 7 San Antonio, Tx At Rock Box
Sep 8 Houston, Tx At Rise
Sep 10 Pensacola, Fl At Vinyl
Sep 11 Tampa, Fl At Orpheum
Sep 12 Fort Lauderdale, Fl At The Culture Room
Sep 15 Nashville, Tn At Marathon Music Works
Sep 16 Charlotte, Nc At Underground
Sep 17 Charlotte, Nc At Underground
More information on Between The Buried and Me’s new album, single, and tour dates is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to https://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.
Between The Buried and Me will release its next album this summer.
The band is scheduled to release its new album Colors II Aug. 20 through Sumerian Records. It will come more than three years after the release of the band’s then most recent albums, Automata I and Automata II. Those albums were also release through Sumerian Records.
Colors II is the follow-up to the band’s 2007 album, Colors. Pre-orders are open now.
Guitarist Paul Waggoner said the decision to make Colors II a “sequel” to Colors was intentional on the part of the band.
“Colors was very much our attempt at a do-or-die statement,” he said. “We had to establish our identity and be who we really wanted to be in order to have a career. This time around, our industry was shutdown for a year. Once tours were cancelled due to the pandemic, we were like, ‘We’ve got to write a record, and it’s got to be good’. We had to do something next level.”
Front man Tommy Rogers echoed Waggoner’s comments in his own statements.
“Especially with 2020, we really wanted to give it all we could and show the world we’re still here,” said Rogers. “That’s part of the reason we named it Colors II. We were in a similar spot when we did the first Colors. Back then, we had just gotten done with Ozzfest. We were wondering, ‘Where do we belong in this music scene?’ We still struggle with that. At both of these moments in our career, we decided to just be ourselves and write the best album we can. We came out guns blazing, and I feel like it’s some of our most creative material in a long time.”
In anticipation of the release of Colors II, BTBAM premiered the album’s lead single, ‘Fix The Error‘ Friday. The single is a unique presentation that is completely unlike anything else that the band has ever crafted. Instead of the heavy, progressive/death metal hybrid sound for which it has come to be known over the years, the band instead opted for something in this arrangement more akin to works from Devin Townsend. That is evidenced in the use of the keyboards vintage shredding alongside Rogers’ more familiar guttural screams. At points, there is a hint of some progressive metal in the guitars, but it is nowhere near as pronounced as in the band’s existing works.
As an added bonus, Mike Portnoy (Sons of Apollo, Transatlantic, Winery Dogs, ex-Dream Theater) makes a guest appearance on the band’s new single.
No information on the song’s lyrical content was provided in the information provided to the press.
The track listing for Colors II is noted below.
Between The Buried And Me
Colors II
1. Monochrome
2. The Double Helix of Extinction
3. Revolution In Limbo
4. Fix The Error
5. Never Seen/Future Shock
6. Stare Into The Abyss
7. Prehistory
8. Bad Habits
9. The Future Is Behind Us
10. Turbulent
11. Sfumato
12. Human Is Hell (Another One With Love)
Courtesy: Sumerian Records
In other news, Between The Buried and Me has announced a new tour in support of its new album. The tour is scheduled to launch Aug. 3 in Atlanta, GA and to run through Sept. 17 in Charlotte, NC. It features performances in cities, such as Denver, CO; Hartford, CT and Las Vegas, NV.
The tour’s schedule is noted below. Tickets and VIP Packages are available now.
Aug 3 Atlanta, Ga At Masquerade
Aug 4 Richmond, Va At Canal Club
Aug 5 Philadelphia, Pa At Tla
Aug 6 Washington, Dc At Black Cat
Aug 8 Nyc, Ny At Gramercy
Aug 9 Nyc, Ny At Gramercy
Aug 10 Worcester, Ma At Palladium
Aug 11 Hartford, Ct At Webster Theater
Aug 13 Poughkeepsie, Ny At The Chance
Aug 14 Rochester, Ny At Anthology
Aug 15 Pittsburgh, Pa At Mr. Smalls
Aug 16 Cleveland, Oh At Beachland Ballroom
Aug 17 Detroit, Mi At Magic Stick
Aug 19 St. Louis, Mo At Old Rock House
Aug 20 Chicago, Il At House Of Blues
Aug 21 Minneapolis, Mn At Lyric Theater
Aug 22 Lawrence, Ks At Granada
Aug 23 Denver, Co At Summit
Aug 25 Salt Lake City, Ut At The Complex
Aug 26 Boise, Id At Knitting Factory
Aug 28 Seattle, Wa At El Corazon
Aug 29 Portland, Or At Bossanova Ballroom
Aug 31 Sacramento, Ca At Ace Of Spades
Sep 1 Garden Grove, Ca At Garden Grove Amp.
Sep 2 Los Angeles, Ca At Teragram
Sep 3 Las Vegas, Nv At Fremont Country Club
Sep 4 Phoenix, Az At Crescent
Sep 6 Dallas, Tx At Trees
Sep 7 San Antonio, Tx At Rock Box
Sep 8 Houston, Tx At Rise
Sep 10 Pensacola, Fl At Vinyl
Sep 11 Tampa, Fl At Orpheum
Sep 12 Fort Lauderdale, Fl At The Culture Room
Sep 15 Nashville, Tn At Marathon Music Works
Sep 16 Charlotte, Nc At Underground
Sep 17 Charlotte, Nc At Underground
More information on Between The Buried and Me’s new album, single, and tour dates is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to https://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.
Animals as Leaders will stay at Sumerian Records for the foreseeable future.
The band announced Thursday that it has renewed its deal with Sumerian Records. The band released its past two albums — The Madness of Many (2016) and The Joy of Motion (2014) — through Sumerian Records. The trio released its sophomore album Weightless (2011) and its self-titled debut (2009) through Prosthetic Records.
Sumerian Records CEO Ash Avildan said in a prepared statement, he was happy to have the deal renewed.
“I have known Tosin and Javier longer than anyone else in the music business,” he said. “We came up together as kids in DC figuring it out with the most DIY, take no prisoners approach we could. They have both played big parts in my life and career. I can honestly say my path could have ended up very differently had I not become so close with them when we were rookies. I am honored to continue our relationship on an artist/label level and couldn’t be more proud to have Animals As Leaders on the Sumerian roster. They are one of the most influential groups of our generation in this world of music. As for Matt G, he is a true G. As for his alter ego Dirty D, I am not at liberty to comment.”
Animals as Leaders guitarist Javier Reyes shared Avildan’s optimism.
“We are happy to announce that Animals As Leaders has re-signed to Sumerian Records,” said Reyes. “We have known the folks at Sumerian for years on both a personal and professional level and it honestly feels great to continue our journey together. Sumerian has been an integral part in the growth of Animals As Leaders, even before we ever signed to Sumerian. We look forward to working together with Sumerian for the next few years to continue growing our brands and legacies.”
Front man Tosin Abasi expanded on his band mate’s comments.
“I’ve seen the birth and ascension of Sumerian Records to one of the most important labels in modern metal and beyond,” he said. “Animals as Leaders is stoked to be continuing our journey with them.”
In other news, Abasi and Reyes are among many artists featured in the sound track to the long-awaited new Bill & Ted sequel Bill & Ted Face The Music. The duo joins with fellow musician Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah to form the fictional band Wyld Stallions and perform the song ‘Face The Music.’
Additionally, Abasi is credited with all of the air guitar sound effects that audiences hear throughout Bill & Ted Face The Music. Steve Vai previously handled the famed sound effect in the second of the Bill & Ted movies, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey.
Bill & Ted Face The Music Music Supervisor Jonathan Leahy had the following to say about Abasi taking on the franchise’s iconic musical role.
“Getting the right guitarist to handle Bill & Ted’s air shredding was one of my top priorities from the very beginning,” Leahy said. “The director asked me “what does shredding sound like in 2020?” and my answer was “it sounds like Tosin Abasi.” Tosin’s virtuosity is mind-blowing and he leads the vanguard of modern players who push the limits of what’s capable on electric guitar. Everything about his approach, from the compositions to the techniques to the physical instrument itself, seems like it arrived via time machine from the future.”
Bill & Ted Face The Music Director Dean Parisot expanded on Leahy’s comments.
“When Jonathan Leahy suggested Tosin Abasi for Bill and Ted, I have to admit my first response was “Are you kidding? Absolutely! But will he even do it?” Miraculously, he did, and as expected, he blew us all away!,” he said. “Absolutely brilliant virtuosity and musicianship, an artist of the highest caliber, and a very nice man. I still can’t believe he did it, so so grateful he did.”
Abasi was humble and brief as he talked about taking part in the movie’s soundtack.
“I’m thrilled to be part of the Bill & Ted Universe. Most excellent!,” he said.
Bill & Ted Face The Music is scheduled for release Aug. 28. The movie’s trailer is streaming below.
Courtesy: United Artists/Orion Pictures
More information on Animals as Leaders’ new record deal is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
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