Photography by Don Marcelo Photography
Photo Gallery: HU3M3N at Whiskey A Go Go on June 24th
Monthly Archives: June 2023
LIVE REVIEW: 3 Doors Down “Away From The Sun” Anniversary Tour with Candlebox
PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ on June 28th
The summer is heating up and we are getting busy trekking around amphitheaters to catch all the big names in rock music touring. For some it is also the walk down memory lane. 3 Doors Down released Away from the Sun in November 2002, and it has subsequently sold 8 million copies worldwide. The LP reached No. 8 on the Billboard 200 on the strength of hit singles like “Here Without You” and “When I’m Gone.” Now 21 years later band embarked in the tour to relive those days. On June 28th 3 Doors Down with Candlebox came to New Jersey’s PNC Arts Center in Holmdel.
Written by Andris Jansons
As 3 Doors Down vocalist and founder Brad Arnold said that Candlebox has been his favorite band since his teenage years. What a moment it has to be for him to be touring with them. Candlebox comes from Seattle, Washington and was formed in 1990. While considered as hard rock band it has that grunge influence, from Seattle grunge scene in the beginning of 90’s that was bustling with likes as Soundgarden, Nirvana and more. For the Candlebox this tour marks 30-year anniversary of the self-titled debut album released in July of 1993. It went to be multi-Platinum certified.
Bands set was filled with songs from that album, including – Change, Blossom, Cover Me. Candlebox also finished off the set with the probably biggest hit from it – You. It was preceded by another fan favorite Far Behind, the song that bands vocalist Kevin Martin dedicated to all fellow musicians that are no longer with us to name just a few he mentioned – Scott Weiland and Chris Cornell.
Kevin also shared touching story of the Vietnam Vet that he used to see and played the song dedicated to him He Calls Home.
For the bands rhythm guitar player Island Styles it was a homecoming as he is New Jersey native.
See full gallery of Candlebox performance here.
For me it was the second time seeing 3 Doors Down live, and it is amazing experience. The atmosphere and the connection to the fans is truly unmatched.
Band opened the set with Pop Song which was a bonus track on special edition from Away From The Sun, but never made as part of the album and as Brad Arnold said “What a great way to open the set with a song that nobody knows!”, and promptly followed with the hit song When I’m Gone and title song along with The Road I’m On and Ticket To Heaven. Then they took a step back and played Let Me Go from their third studio album Seventeen Days, before lunging back into Away From The Sun songs.
One particular song caused quite a lot of excitement. Here Without You always stirs up the crowd’s excitement, and while maybe it is not considered as big of the hits as Kryptonite and When I’m Gone it’s very melodic, sing-along friendly and has that romantic touch for all couples in the audience.
Other notable songs within the set were Duck and Run and Loser, for encore fans were treated with Landing In London and bands biggest hit Kryptonite.
See full gallery of 3 Doors Down performance here.
The tour will go on for two and a half months across the U.S. Get your tickets for a show near you here.
3 Doors Down’s 2023 US Tour Dates with Candlebox:
06/30 – Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
07/01 – Bridgeport, CT @ Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater
07/05 – Traverse City, MI @ Cherry Festival
07/07 – Huber Heights, OH @ Rose Music Center
07/08 – Grantville, PA @ Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course
07/13 – Wheatland, CA @ Hard Rock Live Sacramento
07/15 – Costa Mesa, CA @ Orange County Fair
07/16 – Las Vegas, NV @ Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort
07/18 – Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre
07/20 – Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre
07/21 – Fort Hall, ID @ Shoshone-Bannock Casino
07/23 – Great Falls, MT @ Voyagers Stadium
07/25 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
07/27 – Airway Heights, WA @ BECU Live at Northern Quest
07/28 – Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater
08/04 – Corbin, KY @ The Corbin Arena
08/05 – Tuscaloosa, AL @ Tuscaloosa Amphitheater
08/09 – Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP
08/11 – Southaven, MS @ BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove
08/12 – Sedalia, MO @ Missouri State Fair
08/16 – Orange Beach, AL @ The Wharf Amphitheater
08/18 – Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater
08/19 – Atlanta, GA @ Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park
08/23 – New Orleans, LA @ Champions Square
08/25 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
08/26 – Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheater
08/30 – Simpsonville, SC @ CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park
09/01 – Charleston, SC @ Credit One Stadium
09/02 – Charlotte, NC @ Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre
09/06 – Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre
09/08 – North Little Rock, AR @ Simmons Bank Arena
09/09 – Brandon, MS @ Brandon Amphitheater
09/13 – Jacksonville, FL @ Daily’s Place
09/15 – Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre at the FL State Fairgrounds
09/16 – Boca Raton, FL @ Mizner Park Amphitheater
09/20 – Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheater
09/22 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
09/23 – Sugar Land, TX @ Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
10/21 – Cherokee, NC @ Harrah’s Cherokee (“The Better Life Foundation Concert”)
3 Doors Down at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ on June 28, 2023.
Candlebox at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ on JUne 28, 2023.
AMARANTHE Announce New Vocalist and drop fresh single “Damnation Flame”
It’s getting hot out there: Swedish modern metal heroes AMARANTHE deliver the soundtrack for a fiery festival summer with the release of their new single ‘Damnation Flame’ today! With its symphonic touch and uplifting chorus, the band once again showcases their outstanding songwriting skills while maintaining their image as Sweden’s most exciting metal export.
Mastermind Olof states about the new song:
“‘Damnation Flame’ breaks new ground for us in many ways, and in all the best ways possible. This is the very first AMARANTHE song to feature symphonic elements, something we’ve wanted to do for a long time, and the darkened vampiric theme melds together perfectly with our take on modern melodic metal! AMARANTHE has always been about being boundless and constantly reinventing ourselves, and by now you know to expect the unexpected. This is 100% pure passion poured into music, as you will no doubt experience yourself from the very first second – enjoy ‘Damnation Flame’, with the promise of much more to come SOON!”
‘Damnation Flame’ doesn’t only mark the start of some hot live shows this summer but also introduces AMARANTHE‘s new vocalist Mikael Sehlin to their internationally growing fanbase. Olof continues:
“After a practically global search, and several amazing guest growlers to help us out on shows and tours we finally found just the right person for the job, in our very own Swedish capital of Stockholm! Mikael Sehlin has EVERYTHING it takes to join the AMARANTHE line up, and his versatility and musicality completes and underscores our vision for our new album and the general future for AMARANTHE perfectly. From the deepest guttural grunts to soaring screams Mikael is growling perfection incarnate, so please give a roaring welcome to the new star upon the AMARANTHE firmament!”
Mikael Sehlin himself adds:
Hello everyone, Mike here! I am very thrilled to tell you I will fill the slot as the new Amaranthe growler and I can’t wait to meet you guys out there!
I hope you like the upcoming tracks to which I’ve had the honor recording growls to.
Take care and see you soon!”
The newest member of the AMARANTHE family can be seen in the music video for ‘Damnation Flame’, the band’s newest cinematic masterpiece. Hold your breath and follow the creatures of the night to their vampiric cave to witness the initiation of their latest victim…uhm… member.
AMARANTHE is:
Elize Ryd | vocals
Mikael Sehlin I growls
Olof Mörck | guitars, keyboards
Johan Andreassen | bass
Morten Løwe Sørensen | drums
Nils Molin | vocals
AMARANTHE LIVE 2023
01.07. ES Viveiro – Ressurection Fest
04.08. DE Wacken – Wacken Open Air
05.08. FI Lieto – Smuggler Rok
10.08. ES Villena – Leyendas Del Rock
17.-19.08. CZ Moravský Krumloch – Rock Castle
20. – 24.09. DE Berlin – Full Metal Cruise
01.12. FI Jyväskyla – John Smith Rock Frozen
02.12. FI Joensuu, Unholy Winter Fest
VORAATH’s Reenvisioned “Siren Head” w/ Music Video Ft. New Vocalist Chelsea Marrow
VORAATH, the brutal horror-inspired extreme metal band featuring members from Xael, Rapheumets Well, Implosive Disgorgence, and Sweet Blood announces new vocalist Chelsea Marrow (Visitant, The Monster Factory – Death Metal Choir for the video game DOOM Eternal to their lineup. To debut her vocal prowess they are unleashing a reenvisioned, remixed, and remastered version of the single and music video “Siren Head” along with the addition of guest melodic vocals from Taylor Presnell to be distributed by Exitus Stratagem Records.
Band founder and drummer Joshua Ward comments:
“This was the first song we wrote as a band, it was a fun song inspired by our children who were fans of the horror creature “Siren Head,” which is a creature developed by Trevor Henderson. So for us, this was a bonding song for us and our kids. Our lore features interdimensional deities anyways so it was not out of our conceptual scope to write a song about Siren Head. With our new vocalist bringing so much to the table and revitalizing the project, we wanted to remake the song to introduce her sound and stylistic approach to our music, setting the pace for what’s to come with the full album.”
Watch and listen to “Siren Head”
VORAATH is an otherworldly and experimental death metal band that brings together emotional yet brutal music and science fantasy appealing to both metal enthusiasts as well as those who appreciate the lore of the music. The band’s origin began with an idea to merge extreme metal with storytelling by band founder and drummer Joshua Ward (Xael).
“I wanted to create more than just another metal band but an intricate brand with lore to explore alongside the music. We are creating a metal multiverse,” adds Ward.
Integrating science fantasy, soundscapes, and metal, VORAATH looks forward to tantalizing audiences and leaving them anticipating their forthcoming debut album, which is currently in the works.
As they tour across the American midwest, they promise an onslaught of theatrics, bringing their stories of the music to life. Atmospheric and driving, the medley of blast beats, chugging bass, and heavily distorted solos will be both intense and immersive.
“Our stage wear is directly from the lore. Each one of us is a character in the lore of our music. Tactical dystopian armor, Alien-like helmets with red glowing lights, we try to represent the vibe we are writing about.”says Ward.
Band Lineup:
Chelsea Marrow – Vocals
Tylor Kohl – Guitar
Paul McBride – Bass
Joshua Ward – Drums, Keys, Vocals, Studio Guitars
About: Voraath is a Sci-fi horror-inspired extreme metal band featuring members from Xael, Visitant, Rapheumets Well, Implosive Disgorgence, and Sweet Blood. Crafting their own musical, the music serves to take you on an auditory odyssey.
An otherworldly and experimental metal act based out of the Carolinas, Voraath unifies epic soundscapes with bone-crushing brutal riffs. In September of 2021, Voraath began as an experimental project with Joshua Nassaru Ward (Xael, Rapheumets Well), Tylor Kohl, and Paul McBride. In April of 2023, Chelsea Marrow joined the team as the lead vocalist. The word Voraath itself refers to an act of vengeance as well as the deity of wrath.
Photo Gallery: Damnage at Whiskey A Go Go on June 24th
Photography by Don Marcelo Photography
Photo Gallery: TemperMental at Universal Bar & Grill on June 22nd
Photography by Don Marcelo Photography
Social links for TemperMental
DAMNAGE to take center stage soon
The music Tim Stewart and Jonny Goood create as DAMNAGE defies simple categorization. Having formed while working as support artist on a tour, these musicians and songwriters are now stepping out from the shadows to take center stage and deliver a sound that is all their own.
Working from a varied sonic palette. Tim and Jonny blend genre without restraint. Tim grew up a Bay Area punk kid with space in his heart for new wave and soul; for Pittsburgh-born Jonny, music was a foreign word outside of playing drums in church before he discovered the worlds of rock, punk and hip hop that lay beyond.
Marrying these musical influences, the forthcoming tracks reference elements of punk, post-punk, alternative, electronic and new wave with an urban through-line and an undeniable pop sensibility.
Trading off singing duties, Jonny delivers lyrics with the impassioned immediacy of HR from Bad Brains (“As a Black man in America, sometimes I just need to scream!”) while Tim’s vocals range a penetrating rasp to the cold throb of darkwave. Encompassing all sections of life, listening to Damnage allows you to feel the hot and the cold all at once.
Along with his own previous projects (TheBandKnives, 4th Avenue Jones), Tim Stewart has built a stellar career as a go-to studio and touring guitarist for many artists
Tim met Jonny while he was living as a nomad, having hung up his law enforcement badge back in Savannah, Georgia (he comes from a long line of police officers) to pursue music full-time in LA. Eventually Jonny got gigs working with many bands before he met Tim
After backing others, and now putting their own stories into song, DAMNAGE delivers a bloodletting of energy and emotion.
DAMNAGE will officially introduce themselves to the world with a first batch of songs this year.
Bands website here: https://www.madmacent.com/damnageepk
OTTTO & Bastardane Announce Summer Tour
Dates Include Metallica Weekend 2023 Takeover Performances
OTTTO and Bastardane join forces for a North American Summer tour that sees the bands trekking across the continent, including several performances as part of the Metallica Weekend 2023 Takeover.
“We are very excited to be going back out on the road and taking Life Is A Game to new audiences,” says OTTTO singer/guitar player Bryan Noah Ferretti, referring to the Venice, Calif.-based trio’s debut full-length album, which arrived this Spring.
Joining OTTTO for the month-long tour is Bastardane, with the two bands having played together a number of times in the past, including most recently at Welcome to Rockville and Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival. “We love music and we love the boys in OTTTO,” adds Bastardane drummer, Castor Hetfield. “WARNING: Mayhem, insanity, and ascension may occur.”
A selection of OTTTO and Bastardane’s performances will be part of the Metallica Weekend 2023 Takeover festivities, including New York, Montreal, Dallas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, St. Louis and Detroit.
Tickets for all shows are on-sale this Friday, June 30 at 10 am local time.
OTTTO have received widespread praise for their recently released debut studio album, Life Is A Game (listen here) with Consequence describing the 10-song album as “fun, unpretentious thrash,” and Revolver dubbing their music “punky thrash.” The band’s elaborate, carnival-themed video for “Dance of the Dead” , directed by special effects wizard Norman Cabrera (“The Walking Dead,” “Hellboy,” The Misfits), finds the young musicians visiting a muerte-infused side show. Professional skateboarders Andy Anderson, Matt Berger and Jake Familton play some of the key characters, with Robert Trujillo making a cameo as “Pa,” and Chloe Trujillo appearing as one of the dancers.
Bastardane released their debut album, Is This Rage? (listen here), last Spring, with the self-released, 10-song album deemed a “metal-inflected, psych-rock” collection by Revolver. Noise Pollution said “the very talented trio opt for a much heavier sludgy sound, full of groove, and powerful riffs,” while hometown paper, The Savannahian, bluntly stated “this is a band with big intentions and no time for bullshit.”
OTTTO/Bastardane tour dates:
August 5 New York, NY The Gramercy Theatre *
August 6 Hartford, CT Webster Underground
August 8 Boston, MA Sonia
August 9 Portland, ME Geno’s Rock Club
August 11 Quebec City, QC Bar L’Anti
August 12 Montreal, QC Theatre Fairmont *
August 13 Toronto, ON Hard Luck
August 15 Cincinnati, OH Madison Live!
August 16 Nashville, TN The Basement
August 17 Memphis, TN Growlers
August 19 Dallas, TX Three Links *
August 20 Lubbock, TX Jake’s Sports Café
August 22 Colorado Springs, CO The Black Sheep **
August 23 Denver, CO Larimer Lounge **
August 26 Los Angeles, CA TBA *
August 27 Bakersfield, CA Temblor Brewing Company
August 28 San Diego, CA Soda Bar
August 30 Sacramento, CA Goldfield Trading Post
August 31 Fresno, CA Strummers
September 2 Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom *
November 4 St. Louis, MO Delmar Hall *
November 11 Detroit, MI The Sanctuary *
*-Metallica Weekend 2023 Takeover performances
**-Bastardane only
