Monthly Archives: March 2023

Music News

Weathers Release New Single + Visualizer For “She Hates Me”

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Taken From Upcoming New Album ‘Are We Having Fun?’ Out May 5 via Sumerian Records

Los Angeles-based alt-rock trio Weathers has today released their latest single “She Hates Me“ and the accompanying visualizer. The track is taken from the band’s forthcoming new album ‘Are We Having Fun?’ set for release on Friday, May 5 via Sumerian Records. Speaking about the inspiration behind the track, frontman Cameron Boyer commented:

“‘She Hates Me’ is about those times you’re trying to work on yourself but someone comes along and completely ruins that. They flip everything upside down and make you question what you really want. And then you go back and forth till eventually, you piss that person off.“

Prior to today, Weathers released the album’s lead single “Where Do I Sign?“ and most recently “ALL CAPS” (co-produced and featuring John O’Callaghan, aka John The Ghost) which together have amassed 245,000 views on YouTube and over 1.3 million streams on Spotify alone. Stream “She Hates Me“ here, watch the visualizer at the below, and pre-order ‘Are We Having Fun?’ here.

ARE WE HAVING FUN?

Weathers

Tracklist:

1. One Of a Kind

2. ALL CAPS

3. She Hates Me

4. Interlude

5. I’m Just Sayin’

6. Where Do I Sign?

7. Nothing To Say

8. Carsick

9. Drama Queen

10. Take Me Home

11. Goodbye To My Friends

12. Little Castaway

Weathers fan will have their chance to see the band hit the stage across the United States starting next month in support of Meg Myers. For ticket information, please click here.

TZIA’S ARC US TOUR

4/20 – Denver, CO @ Marquis 

4/21 – Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room

4/22 – St. Louis, MO @ Delmar

4/25 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line

4/26 – Chicago, IL @ Park West

4/28 – Detroit, MI @ Loving Touch

4/29 – Cleveland, OH @ Mahall’s

4/30 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird

5/02 – New York, NY @ MHOW

5/03 – Boston, MA @ Sinclair 

5/05 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts

5/06 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Wonder Bar

5/07 – Washington, D.C. @ 9:30

5/09 – Nashville, TN @ Eastside Bowl 

5/10 – Birmingham, AL @ Zydeco

5/12 – Atlanta, GA @ The Loft

5/13 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room 

5/14 – Tampa, FL @ Crowbar

5/16 – New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues 

5/17 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues

5/19 – Dallas, TX @ Studio at The Factory

5/20 – Austin, TX @ The Parish

5/22 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Rebel Lounge

5/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent

5/24 – San Francisco, CA @ Independent

Dates With Set It Off

5/26 @ Sacramento, CA @ Ace Of Spades

5/27 @ Fresno, CA @ Sequoia Brewery

5/28 @ Anaheim, CA @ House Of Blues

Weathers cycle through vibes at the speed of life. Text messages to cheaters, actual conversations about mental health among friends, and a shared passion for eighties and nineties nostalgia (coming-of-age comedies, in particular) turn into fodder for their undeniable and unforgettable alternative anthems. The acclaimed Los Angeles trio—Cameron Boyer [vocals, guitar], Cameron Olsen [guitar] and Brennen Bates [bass]—infuse their third full-length offering, Are We Having Fun? [Sumerian Records], with gleeful unpredictability.

“It’s meant to be unpredictable,” affirms Boyer. “Since there’s a cohesive sound, you’re essentially living in the same universe, but you’re listening to a bunch of different stories. We dug into how relationships and love can fuck with your head as much as anything else can. We welcomed the changes in our lives, because it was time to evolve—which is also when you should do a new record.”

The band initially emerged back in 2015. A year later, they released the breakthrough single “Happy Pills”, amassing over 164 million Spotify streams and counting. They parlayed this momentum into Kids in the Night (2018) and Pillows & Therapy (2021). The latter boasted fan favorites such as “Rehab”, “Losing Blood”, and “C’est la vie”, which reeled in over 28 million Spotify streams and counting. Meanwhile, Billboard proclaimed, “Their message empowers through the acceptance of something we all consider flaws at some point.” Of Pillows & Therapy, Under The Radar noted, “The band married grungey alt rock and synth-laden pop rock, embracing newly anthemic sounds as well as revisiting their ‘90s influences,” while Beyond The Stage Magazine proclaimed, “Weathers’ Pills & Therapy is the best medicine.” 

Throughout 2022, they wrote and recorded what would become Are We Having Fun? with producer Jason Suwito (Sir Sly, Imagine Dragons). They absorbed the ebbs and flows of the Post-Pandemic season in their music as they sonically nodded to classic bands like My Chemical Romance and The Killers.

“We were kids in the two-thousands, so we love over-the-top emotional tunes with a heavier sound,” Boyer goes on. “When we were making the record, we were feeling a bit of rage and sort of doomed. So we asked ourselves, ‘Is this even fun anymore? Or, are we doing this because we’re stuck?’ Since the music encompasses a lot of raw emotion, we decided to be very honest with the title.”

“We want you to walk away feeling like you were heard, and it’s okay to not be okay,” Boyer leaves off. “At the same time, we’re trying to get out of the darkness, because no one wants to be in the dark for too long. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel. When you’re on the floor crying, you’re not the only one.”

“To us, Weathers is a lifestyle and a family,” Brennen concludes. “So, it’s important for the three of us to express ourselves, stick together, and support each other as well as everybody out there who supports us.”

Music News

HOT MILK Announce Debut Album “A CALL TO THE VOID”

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Drop Video For Lead Single “HORROR SHOW”

Hot Milk have announced their debut album ‘A CALL TO THE VOID‘ set for release 25th August 2023 on Music For Nations. Pre-order the album HERE. Highlighting today’s announcement is the release of lead single “HORROR SHOW” and it’s official music video. Listen HERE and watch the video below.

Speaking on the band’s new single, Han Mee shares

“To those on the outside of the lives that we lead, we may look odd, scary and different,,, so what? In their eyes we may be damned, lost, rebellious, and less than. This song accepts that difference, embraces it and shoves it back in their faces. Built to be obnoxious and written to be purposely aggressive, Horror show combines our loves of drum n bass n dirty riffs. fuck it, where are who are like it or lump it.”

For some, it might feel like a long time coming but Hot Milk always knew that when the time came to make their debut album, they had to be ready for it. It will be their loudest statement yet of who they are and what they stand for, an opportunity to show the world what they are made of.

The band have blossomed over the course of three self-produced EPs, this constant stream of releases has meant that Hot Milk were never away from the spotlight – or the stages they call home. Their rise kept accelerating, taking them to stadium support slots with Foo Fighters, the main stages of some of the best festivals Globally, an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel in the US to tours with bands like Pale Waves and their own headline sold-out shows to over 50 million streams of the EPs alone. Crucially, however, they were giving themselves space to find themselves as artists.

The band recorded the album between Manchester, Los Angeles and Stockholm with the bands very own Jim Shaw at the Producing helm for the majority of the record, much like all previous releases. An element that has become so important to the band and allowing them to control just exactly what they want to be as artists.

Tracks on the debut album walk on a tightrope between the humorous and the serious, brimming with what might be called positive nihilism. They’re not so much finding the light in the dark as they are laughing because if they don’t, they’ll cry.

The most important thing for the band, however, is that these songs are written to scream from the speakers of the stage, and for their refrains to be screamed back at them by the adoring, tight-knit community they’ve built. “Live is where I’m happiest, live is where it’s home,” says Han. “We wrote songs with the intention of people going off, making you feel good, opening the pit up, letting go, crying, getting on your mate’s shoulders.  It’s church for us.” 

HOT MILK

A CALL TO THE VOID

Album Tracklisting

WELCOME TO THE…

HORROR SHOW

BLOODSTREAM

PARTY ON MY DEATHBED

ALICE COOPER’S POOL HOUSE 

ZONED OUT

OVER YOUR DEAD BODY

MIGRAINE

BREATHING UNDERWATER

AMPHETAMINE (Feat. Julian Comeau of Loveless)

FORGET ME NOT

Hot Milk have just finished a tour of South America and will be playing a various festivals this Summer including Download and Reading + Leeds festivals

28 May 2023 – Adjacent Festival, Atlantic City US

09 June 2023 – Download Festival, Donington UK

30 June 2023 – Rock Werchter, Werchter Belgium

01 July 2023 – Main Square, Arras France

07 July 2023 – TRNSMT Festival, Glasgow UK

25 August 2023 – Leeds Festival, Leeds UK

27 August 2023 – Reading Festival, Reading UK

Music News

The Meffs Release New Single + Music Video “Dead in the City”

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British political punk duo The Meffs have released their new music video for “Dead In The City“. The track is taken from the band’s latest EP ‘Broken Britain Pt. 2’. Produced by legendary punk rocker and songwriter Frank Turner, the EP is the follow-up to their December 2022 drop ‘Broken Britain Pt. 1’. Both EPs were released via Bottles To The Ground, Fat Mike of NOFX‘s new label imprint of Fat Wreck Chords. Speaking on the inspiration behind “Dead In The City“, The Meffs commented:

“Sitting in the Commons, laughing in our faces; think it’s a joke – fuck their pompous airs and graces. An ode to the UK government, and politicians across the world.“

Stream “Dead In The City“ here, watch the music video at the thumbnail below and be sure to stay tuned for more news from The Meffs coming soon.

BROKEN BRITAIN PT. 2

The Meffs

Tracklisting:

1. No Future

2. Dead in the City

3. Sex Sells

4. Look At You

5. WAR

The Meffs will also be hitting the stage across the UK starting next week. For ticket information, please click here.

Upcoming Dates:

April 7-9 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Punk Festival UK

April 21 – Sheffield UK @ Corporation w/ Barstool Preachers 

Broken Britain UK Tour:

May 6 – Bury St Edmunds UK @ Hunter Club

May 8 – Brighton UK @ Prince Albert

May 9 – Cardiff UK @ Clwb Ifor Bach

May 11 – Glasgow UK @ King Tut’s

May 12 – Newcastle UK @ Zerox

May 13 – Blackpool UK @ Bootleg Social

May 14 – Manchester UK @ Star and Garter

May 16 – Norwich UK @ Waterfront Studio

May 17 – Birmingham UK @ Asylum

May 18 – London, UK @ Old Blue Last

Download Festival:

June 11 – Donnington UK

Since exploding onto the UK scene in 2019, The Meffs – aka Lily on vocals/guitar and Lewis on drums/backing vocals – have built up a reputation as purveyors of frantic punk bangers and an absolute must-see live sensation. 

A performance at Frank Turner‘s Lost Evenings Festival was followed by the band hitting the studio with Turner to record, arguably, their best work yet. Pulling no punches as ever, Lily calls out societal inequality at every opportunity over a wall of hard-hitting melodies. 

2022 saw The Meffs sign to Bottles to the Ground, imprint label of Fat Mike‘s Fat Wreck Chords. Described by Turner as “an absolute monster”, Broken Britain Pt.1 and Pt.2 are out now!

Following a multitude of festival appearances and sold-out shows across the UK, May 2023 sees the band embark on their first tour of the UK: BROKEN BRITAIN TOUR. Tickets are available on their website and most major ticket sites. 2023 also sees The Meffs join the likes of Buzzcocks, Grade 2, Barstool Preachers, and Dune Rats on the road, alongside making their Download Festival debut.

If there was ever a time society needed this band to make some noise, it’s now, and don’t the people know it.

UP THE MEFFS.

Music News

SHADOW OF INTENT Return To Their Roots Whilst Breaking Some Rules With New Single “THE MIGRANT”

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SHADOW OF INTENT, one of the most innovative and revered bands to emerge from the metal world in recent years, have released brand new stand alone single, “The Migrant“, today. Stream the new track HERE and watch the stunning accompanying music video below.

Commenting on the bands latest creative output, vocalist Ben Duerr shares

“Shadow Of Intent has always been about experimenting and expressing creativity freely, and making sure to have fun with it. With this song we’ve continued to do just that, reaching back to our roots and breaking some rules along the way, we made something we think you will definitely enjoy. To our oldest fans, and of course the new, The Migrant.”

The new single follows the release of Shadow Of Intent‘s 2022’s full length album, the critically acclaimed ‘Elegy‘ which spawned singles “Of Fury”, “Intensified Genocide”, “Where Millions Have Come to Die”, “From Ruin… We Rise”, “Blood In The Sands Of Time” and killer live video for “Saurian King”. Metal Injection raved in their 9/10 album review “Elegy is essential listening if you were one of those kids that spent high school rotating between Dimmu Borgir and Whitechapel. With flawless production and a masterful balancing of the two styles” with New Transcendence claiming, in their 9/10 review, that the album sees “Shadow of Intent continuing their growth, maturation and expansion into new territories of heavy music and the alchemy that comes with blending them.”
Since their formation in 2014, SHADOW OF INTENT have garnered a reputation for crafting mind-blowingly technical, prog tinged symphonic deathcore. Widely acknowledged as one of the forerunners of the current deathcore renaissance, the band’s debut album ‘Primordial‘ was named as one of Revolver Magazine‘s ’15 Essential Deathcore Albums’, with Metal Sucks giving their 2019 album ‘Melancholy‘ a perfect 5/5 review, stating “you can expect Shadow of Intent to send echoes across metal for as long as they feel like making music”. To date, they have clocked up 100 million streams, 42 million YouTube Views and have 229k monthly listeners on Spotify.

SHADOW OF INTENT kick off a huge run of US touring today with Lorna Shore, Brand of Sacrifice, Bodysnatcher, and Boundaries. Full routing is below. Tickets available from shadowofintent.com

Shadow of Intent W/ Lorna Shore, Brand Of Sacrifice, Bodysnatcher and Boundaries



3/30 Albany, NY @ Empire Live

4/01 Greensboro, NC @ Piedmont Hall

4/02 Jacksonville, NC @ Hooligans Music Hall

4/03 Charlotte, SC @ Music Farm

4/05 St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Live

4/06 Destin, FL @ Club LA

4/07 New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues

4/08 Little Rock, AR @ The Hall

4/10 Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection

4/11 Evansville, IN @ Evansville Coliseum

4/12 Cedar Rapids, IA @ Club 5

4/14 Billings, MT @ Pub Station

4/15 Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory

4/16 Seattle, WA @ Showbox

4/17 Portland, OR @ Peter’s Room*

4/19 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre*

4/20 Colorado Springs, CO @ The Black Sheep*

4/22 Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room*

4/23 Joliet, IL @ The Forge*

4/24 Indianapolis, IN @ HI-FI*

4/25 Cleveland, OH @ The Foundry*

4/26 Millvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls*

* = No Lorna Shore

ABOUT SHADOW OF INTENT

Shadow of Intent is an American metal band based in New England originally formed by Ben Duerr and Chris Wiseman in 2014. The band has released four albums independently since inception, including Primordial (2016), Reclaimer (2017), Melancholy (2019) and most recently their latest work Elegy (2022), which charted on Billboard at #4 Top New Artist Albums, #6 Current Hard Music Albums, and #16 on Current Rock Albums and Current Digital Albums.

The band name and lyrics were originally derived from lore from the Halo franchise and since then the band’s subject matter has become more dark and personal, focusing on the many evils in the world, whether myth or real-life events. Different genres of metal including death metal, black metal, symphonic metal, progressive metal, and metalcore are blended masterfully to create the unique sound that is Shadow of Intent.

Since their first live show at the end of 2017, Shadow of Intent have embarked on several US tours with bands such as Cannibal Corpse, The Black Dahlia Murder, Whitechapel, Carnifex, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Born of Osiris, Despised Icon, and more. The band’s lineup today consists of Ben Duerr (Vocals), Chris Wiseman (Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards), Bryce Butler (Drums) and Andrew Monias (Bass).

Music News

AFTER THE BURIAL Drop First New Music In 4 Years With Double Single “Embrace The Infinity”

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Progressive metal quartet, After The Burial, have released their first new music in 4 years today with the drop of double single ‘Embrace The Infinity‘ which consists of two new tracks – “Nothing Gold” and “Death Keeps Us From Living“. Watch the official music video for “Nothing Gold” below and stream both tracks HERE.

Reflecting on the harrowing new single which details the band’s unique experience with the COVID-19 lockdowns, vocalist Anthony Notarmaso reveals

“These songs were written during a hard time in my life. I went to a place that some of us have been before, and some have never come back from. They move on the impermanence of life, that nothing lasts forever and giving in to the loss of control we no longer have when something dear to us ends. But they also remind us that fear, and the past can’t keep us from living. 

“After the world turned upside down, like a lot of people, we found ourselves searching for inspiration. Exploring different avenues to express our creativity seemed to leave us lost. Instead, we found solace in going back to our roots and writing what we know and love. These songs are undeniably After The Burial, but with a modern twist. We hope you enjoy this next journey with us.”

The new tracks follow 2019’s monolithic effort ‘Evergreen’, and tackles the familiar themes of isolation, loss, and hopelessness that arise in such uncertain times. However, in true After The Burial fashion, they are brought to life with a healthy dose of resilience and perseverance that is palpable in every sense. The result is a triumphant step forward into the band’s future, set to the backdrop of evocative vocals, intricate guitar riffs, and inventive rhythms that further push the sonic boundaries of their core sound.

Even in crisis, After The Burial managed to craft compelling new music to not only keep the show rolling but provide solace and healing for themselves more than anything else. Today, they are happy to reveal that they have grown exponentially and gained a valuable new perspective.

Perhaps the more vulnerable song of the pair is “Death Keeps Us From Living,” which touches on the painful loss of several loved ones and, in many ways, Notarmaso’s intimate and personal ruminations on his mortality. “Fear will keep you from living your life and going after your dreams,” Notarmaso states. “This song is about healing and moving on. I think that’s why After The Burial is still a band. We’re resilient and all we can do is keep moving forward. If my pain can help even one person, I will make that sacrifice for the rest of my life.”

After The Burial are putting the finishing touches on their yet-to-be-announced seventh studio album, and will soon embark on a massive North American tour with Spiritbox and Intervals. The band will also be appearing at Milwaukee Metal Fest in May. Full routing below. For tickets and more info go to aftertheburial.co

Eternal Blue US Tour

Spritibox, After The Burial and Intervals

4/10 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom

4/11 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre

4/12 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater

4/14 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades

4/15 – San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park

4/16 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern

4/17 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren

4/19 – Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall

4/21 – Dallas, TX @ Echo Music Hall

4/22 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s

4/23 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues

4/25 – Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre

4/26 – Orlando, FL @ House of Blues

4/28 – Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore

4/29 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues

4/30 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza

5/02 – Philadelphia, PA @ TLA

5/04 – Toronto, ON @ The Danforth Music Hall

5/05 – Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrew’s Hall

5/06 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues

5/08 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues

5/10 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore

Milwaukee Metal Fest

5/26-5/28 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave / Eagles Club

Live Music, Live Reviews

Live Review: Pop Evil Skeletons Tour 2023

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Pop Evil headed out on their Skeletons Tour headlining U.S. dates that started on March 17, 2023, in Sault St. Marie at Kewadin Casino and will be concluding on April 23, 2023, in Milwaukee at The Rave. This tour is in support of their latest and seventh studio album Skeletons. Pop Evil Tours with special guests, The Word Alive and Avoid. Last Sunday bands came to Jersey City’s historic building The White Eagle Hall that is renovated into a live music venue.

Written by Andris Jansons

First on the night was the band that is exploding out of Seattle called Avoid. They hit hard and heavy. The crowd was given no chance to warm up and the band’s vocalist Benny Scholl’s constant summoning of mosh pit did not go unanswered. Crowd surfers were landing right on the stage as the venue does not have barricade, and lucky ones earned some high five from bands. Matter of the fact it was his birthday that night, and the crowd sang him the birthday song and he had a proper drink on stage. The band has a recent album out that is called Cult Mentality.

See Avoid performance photo gallery below.

Second on the bill where American Metalcore band from Phoenix, Arizona called The Word Alive. Fronted by enigmatic Tyler Smith, also known by his nickname Telle, who can do wide vocal range and is able to comprehensively alternate between melodic and screamed vocals. Band played decent set of ten songs and made sure to touch most of their previously released albums. There was also Kanye West cover of Heartless, and though the song is not my cup of tea, I believe The Word Alive did a good job on remaking it into a metal song. Band also performed their brand new single New Reality, and Telle found out that already all fans know how to sing a long to this song. He seemed very pleasantly surprised about that. Of course, the biggest hits were left for last, as band rounded up their set with such hit songs as – Life Cycles, Why Am I Like This? and Trapped.

See The Word Alive performance photo gallery below.

The night’s main attraction Pop Evil hit the stage with their hit single Paranoid (Crash & Burn) taken from latest release Skeletons. Tremendous energy kept flowing from one song to the next. Skeletons album was the most represented with six songs. Altogether the 11 tracks on the album include the “Eye of the Storm,” which landed at the #5 Most Played Song in 2022 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart, and recent singles, “Paranoid (Crash & Burn),” and, “Dead Reckoning (Ft. Fit For A King).” The album also includes guest performers such as Blake Allison from Devour the Day providing guest vocals on “Wrong Direction,” adding some metal, electronic, and hip-hop into Pop Evil’s mix. All new songs perfectly mixed up with the bands earlier works underscoring the bands hard hitting yet rhythmic style.

Other albums represented during the set were Versatile, Onyx, Pop Evil and Up. Onyx had two biggest hits in the bands encore – Torn To Pieces and Trenches. They rounded up the night with Breathe Again.

The band’s performance was full of energy and impeccable. The place was rocking, and I mean literally, every time bands vocalist Leigh Kakaty implied for fans to jump, the force of the jump reverberated through the whole building. It was incredible experience for all hard rock fans that night.

See Pop Evil performance photo gallery below.

You still have a chance to catch up with the tour through most major cities across US. Tickets are on sale now at http://www.popevil.com.

Skeletons U.S. Headlining Tour:

03/30 – Tampa, FL @ Hard Rock Event Center

03/31 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse

04/01 – Charlotte, NC @ The Underground *

04/02 – Nashville, TN @ Basement East

04/04 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Tower Theatre

04/05 – Dallas, TX @ Echo Lounge & Music Hall

04/07 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre

04/08 – Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee Theater

04/10 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory OC

04/11 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades

04/12 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues

04/14 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues

04/15 – Grand Junction, CO @ Mesa Theatre

04/16 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre

04/18 – Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre

04/19 – Kansas City, MO @ The Truman

04/21 – Pittsburg, KS @ Kansas Crossing Casino

04/22 – Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall

04/23 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave

* The Word Alive will not be performing

+ No Support

Rescheduled UK + EU 2023 Tour

05/05 – Manchester, UK @ Rebellion

05/06 – Birmingham, UK @ Institute 2

05/07 – London, UK @ The Dome

05/09 – Paris, FR @ Le Trabendo

05/10 – Cologne, DE @ Luxor

05/12 – Munich, DE @ Backstage Halle

05/13 – Frankfurt, DE @ Nachtleben

05/14 – Hamburg, DE @ Logo

05/15 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg

with Call Me Amour as support, plus Zillion

Music News

CODEFENDANTS Debut Album “This is Crime Wave” Out Now Via Bottles To The Ground

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The wait is over as Codefendants (Sam King, Ceschi Ramos and Fat Mike) emancipate their debut album ‘This Is Crime Wave‘ today. The highly anticipated album is released via Fat Wreck Chords imprint, Bottles To The Ground and is available to listen to on streaming platforms HERE with physical copies being available to purchase HERE.

Speaking on the album’s release, Ceschi Ramos shares

“ ‘This Is Crime Wave’ has a nostalgia about it that feels familiar to people our age but, in actuality, there is nothing quite like it.

It’s the album I needed at 16 that nobody ever created for me. We’ve made a record that feels classic & important for the times but could have been felt 20 years ago and will continue to be relevant 20 years from now. 

It’s exciting to finally share this with the public & hope people feel the amount of experiences, friendship & caring that went into its creation.”

With producer, accomplice and label boss, Fat Mike emphatically stating

“In forty years this is the most excited I’ve ever been about an album.” 

Codefendants released five singles prior to today’s release – “Suicide By Pigs“, “Abscessed” feat. Get Dead & Onry, “Bad Business” feat. N8NOFACE, “Def Cons” and “Fast Ones” featuring the first new verse from legendary rapper, The DOC in 19 years.

These tracks were each accompanied by a music video that when played in order, combine to create a short film written by Fat Mike that lays bare the hard hitting realities of police corruption and brutality in the USA today. The This Is Crime Wave Series features cameo appearances from Rick Thorne (Professional BMX Biker), Stacey Dee of Bad Cop Bad Cop, Jen Razavi of The Bombpops, Bettie Bondage (Pro Dominatrix), Zeta (also the backing band for Codefendants on their North American tour), 2MEX, MYKA9 and Awol One.

Codefendants will hit the road for their first ever US headline tour in April. The ‘This Is Crime Wave Tour’ will kick-off in San Francisco on April 14th and hit 10 further cities before culminating in Atlanta, GA on April 27th and will feature special guests, Zeta as support. Codefendants will also play several shows with NOFX on their Final Tour and will appear at Lost Festival in St Petersburg, FL on April 29th. The band also announced a handful of shows in the UK today. Tickets are on sale now from codefendantslegalfund.com Full routing below.

CODEFENDANTS

LIVE DATES 2023

April 14 – San Francisco, CA – Bottom Of The Hill

April 16 – Los Angeles, CA – Knitting Factory

April 17 – Anaheim, CA – Chain Reaction

April 18 – Mesa, AZ – The Underground

April 19 – Flagstaff, AZ -Yucca North

April 20 – El Paso, TX – Rockhouse Bar & Grill

April 22 – Austin, TX – Carson Creek Ranch (NOFX Final Tour)

April 23 – Houston, TX – The Secret Group

April 24 – Dallas, TX – Sundown at Granada

April 25 – Baton Rouge, LA – Chelsea’s Live

April 26 – Murfreesboro, TN – Hop Springs

April 27 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade

April 29 – St. Petersburg, FL – Lost In St Pete Festival

May 13 – San Diego, CA – Waterfront Park (NOFX Final Tour)

May 19 – Barcelona, ES – Poble Espanyol (NOFX Final Tour)

May 23 – London, UK – Old Blue Last

May 24 – Southampton, UK – Joiners

May 25 – Bristol, UK – Exchange

May 26 – Leeds, UK Temple Newsman (NOFX Final Tour)

May 31 – Eindhoven, NL – Dynamo

June 1 – Köln, DE – Luxor

June 3 – Rimini, Italy – Bay Arena – (Slam Dunk Festival Italy)

June 24 – Columbus, OH – Legend Valley (NOFX Final Tour)

July 23 – Tacoma, WA – LeMay – America’s Car Museum (NOFX Final Tour)

September 16 – San Francisco, CA – Cow Palace (NOFX Final Tour)

September 30 – St. Petersburg, FL – Vinoy Park (NOFX Final Tour)

On the subject of the US tour dates, Sam King adds

“With everything going on in the world right now, I just hope we don’t go to jail“

Codefendants

This Is Crime Wave

Track Listing

1.    Def Cons         

2.    Abscessed (feat. Get Dead and Onry Ozzborn)      

3.    Fast Ones (feat. The DOC)      

4.    Suicide By Pigs

5.    Disaster Scenes (feat Stacey Dee)         

6.    Prison Camp   

7.    Suckers           

8.    Brutiful           

9.    Sell Me Youth 

10.  Coda-fendants

ABOUT CODEFENDANTS

Sam King from Get Dead’s graffiti crew were giving tattoos and making flash art to raise money to help rapper Ceschi Ramos when he was incarcerated. Months later, they met at the Gilman Street Project in Berkeley, California. They bonded, talking about their love of hip-hop and punk rock over a bottle of Jameson. They didn’t know it yet, but they had just started Codefendants.

They began recording songs two years later in Los Angeles with Fat Mike from NOFX as producer. Soon after Fatty joined the band, they decided to make an album that sounded like nothing else – a completely genre-fluid album – a cross between hip hop, new-wave, flamenco, and the Beatles. And thus a whole new genre – Crime Wave – was born. That album entitled This Is Crime Wave will be released via Fat Wreck imprint, Bottles To The Ground.

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WORM SHEPHERD Drop Stand Alone Single “The Frozen Lake Pt II (The Ruined)”

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Symphonic deathcore titans, Worm Shepherd, have released stand alone single, “The Frozen Lake Pt II (The Ruined)” today. Accompanying the 8 minute masterpiece is an epic music video which can be watched  below. Stream the track on your platform of choice HERE.

Speaking on the new release, vocalist Devin Duarte shares

“The Frozen Lake Pt. II (The Ruined) is about forgiveness of self. We live in a world where perfection is expected of everyone at all times. No one is perfect whether they want to admit it or not and we all would be doing ourselves better to stop running from and ignoring all of these imperfections and mistakes. Once people learn to accept the reality of their humanity, we can start to focus on working through those mistakes, learning new lessons, and being better people overall. That’s what it’s about. Stop putting on a show. Stop being ashamed of yourself. Before there is no more you to speak of.

Be true to yourselves, and understanding of those around you. That is how learning, and improving is done.”

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Night Demon releases new video for “Beyond The Grave”

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Last week, Ventura, California’s heavy metal institution Night Demon unleashed their third full-length, OUTSIDER, via Century Media Records. For a preview of OUTSIDER, the new video for album track “Beyond The Grave” (directed by Ben Liepelt and the band’s own Jarvis Leatherby) can be viewed here:

Jarvis Leatherby (Vocals / Bass) comments: “‘Beyond the Grave’ marks a pivotal moment in the ‘OUTSIDER’ album. This concept record follows a storyline, and here our main character finds himself in a dire situation, having to confront the darkest aspects of his own psyche. It’s an ode to waging war and making peace with our own alter egos.

“The music video builds on these themes. We explore the darker aspects of ourselves, expressed on screen through magickal ritual and dark mirror gazing. We’re immensely proud of this next single and video, and we hope it strikes a chord with our fans.”

Purchase and stream OUTSIDER in full now at: https://nightdemonmusic.lnk.to/OUTSIDER. 

Night Demon are currently on the road as part of the “Hell’s Decibels Tour 2023”, also featuring Satan and Haunt. The trek concludes in Philly as the official Decibel Metal & Beer Fest pre-party; see below for all dates! Tickets are available at: nightdemon.net/tour

“Hell’s Decibels Tour 2023”

w/ Satan, Night Demon, Haunt

Mar. 29 – St Paul, MN @ Turf Club

Mar. 30 – Chicago, IL @ Reggies

Mar. 31 – Des Moines, IA @ Lefty’s Live Music

Apr. 1 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom (2 Minutes To Tulsa)

Apr. 4 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme

Apr. 5 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom

Apr. 6 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups

Apr. 7 – Mechanicsburg, PA @ Lovedraft’s

Apr. 8 – Cambridge, MA @ Sonia

Apr. 9 – Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus

Apr. 11 – Clifton, NJ @ Dingbatz

Apr. 13 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry (Decibel Metal & Beer Fest pre-party)

For more than a decade, Night Demon have defiantly flown the flag of traditional heavy metal, unwavering in the face of shifting industry trends and unscarred by global calamities. With new concept album OUTSIDER, the band have challenged themselves musically and lyrically, pushing creative boundaries and evolving their sound far beyond their NWOBHM-worshipping origins into something truly singular.

Night Demon line-up:

Jarvis Leatherby – Vocals / Bass

Dusty Squires – Drums

Armand John Anthony – Guitars

Music News

METAL CHURCH to Release “Congregation Of Annihilation” on May 26 via Rat Pak Records

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West coast thrash metal veterans Metal Church will release their 13th studio album, Congregation of Annihilation, on May 26th via Rat Pak Records (America) and Reaper Entertainment (Europe). The new album marks the first release since the tragic death of legendary front man Mike Howe who passed in July of 2021. It also marks the first album with new vocalist Marc Lopes (Ross the Boss / Let Us Prey) who came on board in the summer of 2022 and features the current lineup of founding guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, guitarist Rick Van Zandt, bassist Steve Unger and drummer Stet Howland. The new songs are a return to the band’s musical roots harkening back to the vibes of the self-titled first album and The Dark. Congregation of Annihilation was produced by Kurdt Vanderhoof and is now available for pre-order in various bundle configurations in North America here: https://lnk.to/KiCQKfn1.  

Of the album, Kurdt Vanderhoof comments: “This new album is starting a new chapter in the Metal Church legacy. I really love this album. It’s a fresh approach for us in one way, but also a return to the very beginnings of Metal Church as part of the New American Thrash Metal movement. This record contains some of the most aggressive songs we have recorded. I hope the fans will like it as much as we do.”

Marc Lopes adds: “I am beyond honored to be part of carrying on this legacy into a new era of Metal Church. Working with Kurdt and a band that was a huge influence of mine growing up was a surreal experience to say the least. For me there was no point in trying to imitate what was already done to perfection. So, with respect to the past, we moved forward to a new chapter and here we are!”

Congregation of Annihilation features nine all new tracks from Metal Church and continues to build upon their iconic sound the band established over three decades ago. Infused with intelligent lyrical content, thundering guitar riffs, and Marc’s aggressive soaring vocals, Congregation of Annihilation furthers the bands sonic evolution up to the next level and is guaranteed to enthrall metal music fans around the world. From the first guitar riff of album opener “Another Judgement Day” through the driving outro of album closer “All That We Destroy,” it is clear Metal Church is back and better than ever. “Congregation of Annihilation,” “Children of the Lie”  and “These Violent Thrills” showcase the sonically charged songwriting that made the early Metal Church albums such fan favorites. Haunting musical opuses “Me the Nothing” and “Making Monsters” each puts the musicianship that Metal Church was known for on full display in 2023. The album also features two bonus tracks: “My Favorite Sin” and “Salvation.” The band’s first single is the anthemic “Pick A God and Prey” and a lyric video for the song can be seen here: 

The tracklisting for Congregation Of Annihilation is: 

            1)    Another Judgement Day

            2)    Congregation of Annihilation

            3)    Pick A God and Prey

            4)    Children of the Lie

            5)    Me The Nothing

            6)    Making Monsters

            7)    Say a Prayer with 7 Bullets

            8)    These Violent Thrills

            9)    All That We Destroy

            10)  My Favorite Sin (Bonus Track)

            11)  Salvation (Bonus Track)

Born out of the West Coast Metal scene of the 80’s, Metal Church quickly became one of the standout talents of the genre. After signing a deal with Elektra records, they released two critically acclaimed albums, their self-titled release Metal Church and The Dark. With the heavy metal scene starting to rise in the U.S., Metal Church set out on a very successful tour with label mates Metallica. They tackled political and social issues of the day with the releases of Blessing In Disguise and The Human Factor with vocalist Mike Howe. At a time when heavy metal bands moved from the underground and became part of the hair band/pop fad, Metal Church stayed true to their roots. In March of 2016, Metal Church reunited with Mike Howe and released their eleventh studio album XI that reached #57 on the Billboard Top 200 and landed on several other charts around the globe. Metal Church’s next studio album Damned If You Dowas the follow up to XI and landed on numerous charts around the globe in 2018. Now with Marc Lopes taking over vocal duties, Metal Church is ready to start a new chapter in their impressive canon with Congregation Of Annihilation.