Category Archives: Music News

Announcements from artists and their management.

Music News

OTTTO Release “Dance of the Dead” video feat. Pro Skateboarders & Special Effects from Norman Cabrera (The Walking Dead)

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OTTTO, the Los Angeles-based trio featuring Triko Chavez (drums), Bryan Noah Ferretti (vocals/guitar) and Tye Trujillo (bass), have released a second single from their forthcoming album, Life Is A Game (March 24, ORG), with today’s release of  “Dance of the Dead” and its accompanying video .

The elaborate, carnival-themed clip, 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 Trujjllo making a cameo as “Pa,” and Chloe Trujillo appearing as one of the dancers.

“’Dance of the Dead’ takes a more punk approach to the sound,” explains Bryan Noah Ferretti, adding: “This video is sick! We cannot wait for everyone to see it and a big thanks to those that made it happen.”

OTTTO previously previewed the forthcoming album with the release of “My Pain” , a track Revolver described as “a punchy, melodic, Helmet-esque cut.”

Life Is A Game, produced by Tim Harkins (Korn, Jerry Cantrell), was a new experience for the young band. “We were opening our eyes to what could be done,” says Bryan about the experience at Los Angeles’ famed Henson Studios. Tye explains further: “In 2020, our self-titled release included lots of tunes we had sitting around for a few years. With this record, the experience was different. We really took the time to find a vibe for each track.” 

OTTTO released their self-titled debut EP in 2020, followed by multiple live outings, including slots at Lollapalooza and Bottle Rock, opened for Suicidal Tendencies, and saw Tye contribute the guitar parts for cultural phenomenon, Eddie Munson in “Stranger Things.” Most recently, the band issued the Record Store Day exclusive EP, Locos Live In Venice, which was recorded at the venerable Juice Magazine headquarters, right off of the Venice Beach boardwalk.

The band returns to the road this Spring, with several festival outings including Welcome to Rockville, and Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival, as well as a pair of record release shows: March 23 at Grimey’s in Nashville and March 27 at The Echo in Los Angeles.

OTTTO tour dates:

March 26 Venice, CA Juice Magazine House

March 27 Los Angeles, CA The Echo

May 19 Daytona, FL Welcome to Rockville

May 25 Columbus, OH Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival

Life is a Game track list:

1.   My Pain

2.   Skyscraper

3.   Night Howlers

4.   Scopa

5.   Let Them Return

6.   Ride Low

7.   Dance of the Dead

8.   Trip

9.   Cosmos

10. The Void

Album pre-orders, including limited edition vinyl variants from Revolver and an indie retail exclusive, are available now via https://linktr.ee/otttoband.

Music News

Oceans Calling Festival Unveils 2023 Lineup With Headliners John Mayer, The Lumineers, Jack Johnson, And Alanis Morissette

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Oceans Calling Festival is pleased to announce its much-anticipated 2023 lineup with headliners John Mayer, The Lumineers, Jack Johnson, and Alanis Morissette, taking place September 29-October 1 on the iconic Ocean City, Maryland Boardwalk at Ocean City Inlet Beach. The festival’s second installment brings fans over 40 artists across three stages, featuring festival co-founders, partners, and local legends O.A.R. alongside performances by Weezer, Incubus, Noah Kahan, Sheryl Crow, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Dirty Heads, and many more. The entire lineup and by-day breakout can be found here, and tickets will be available via Presale on Thursday, March 16 at 10 am ET with a public on-sale to follow with any remaining tickets. Oceans Calling Festival is excited to return to the shores of Ocean City and looks forward to bringing fans top-tier live music as well as an incredible culinary experience that will be a weekend for the books!

Globally acclaimed chefs Robert Irvine and Amanda Freitag will present cooking demos that celebrate the region hosted by actor and epicurean Jason Biggs! Fans will also be offered concessions throughout the fest from local food vendors. Additionally, the iconic Jolly Roger at the Pier amusement park, located inside the festival grounds, will be fully operational for festival goers, as admission will be included within each Oceans Calling Festival ticket purchase, creating a one-of-a-kind experience.

Ticket types include 1-Day and 3-Day, GA, GA+, VIP and Platinum Tickets, and layaway payment plans start at $20 down. Premium ticket experiences begin with GA+, offering fans a private lounge with seating, air-conditioned restrooms, complimentary water, and a full-service bar for purchase. VIP Tickets deliver prime viewing at two stages including elevated sightlines at the Main Stage, along with air-conditioned restrooms, full-service bar for purchase at two Lounges, complimentary water, a dedicated entry lane, and more. Platinum Tickets bring the luxury with front-of-stage viewing areas at all stages, complimentary all-day dining and full-service bars, access to two Platinum Lounges with relaxed seating and air-conditioned restrooms plus all the amenities of VIP, GA+, and GA. For the full list of details, and to purchase 1-Day or 3-Day Tickets visit www.oceanscallingfestival.com/tickets.

Music News

Queen + Adam Lambert Return For The Rhapsody Tour Across North America

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Having first launched their universally acclaimed Rhapsody Tour with 25 epic shows across North America in 2019, Queen + Adam Lambert are bringing their highly acclaimed production, now expanded and updated, back to where it first began. After a 4-year long hiatus, Sir Brian May, Roger Taylor and their exceptional frontman Adam Lambert have announced they will set out on a spectacular North America run this fall. Produced by Live Nation, the tour kicks off on October 4 at Baltimore’s CFG Bank Arena making stops in Toronto, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas, Denver and more before concluding at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. See full routing below. 

Brian May says, “Our last tour featured our most ambitious production ever. So we decided to rip it apart and get even more ambitious. Watch out world.” 

And Adam Lambert says: “I can’t wait to tour North America one more time with the Rhapsody tour alongside the two unbelievably talented legends that are Brian May and Roger Taylor.” 

Queen + Adam Lambert’s 150-minute career-spanning set list celebrates the band’s extraordinary back catalogue, lining up wall-to-wall immortal anthems like “We Will Rock You”, “Don’t Stop Me Now”, “Radio Ga Ga”, and “Somebody To Love” alongside classic deep cuts and vintage fan favourites. Featuring a dazzling state-of-the-art stage design, incredible special effects and set pieces, this sense-swamping extravaganza has been blowing critics and fans away the world over. 

As with last year’s UK and European dates, the 2023 North American tour will see Queen + Adam Lambert supported on stage by their regular band members, long-serving Queen keyboard player and musical director Spike Edney, bass guitarist Neil Fairclough and percussionist Tyler Warren.  

Having extensively toured over the last few years, the Rhapsody show is forever evolving. But it remains at heart a tribute to Freddie Mercury’s majestic legacy, a confirmation of Brian and Roger’s undimmed musical prowess, plus a magnificent showcase for Adam’s vocal skills and electrifying stage charisma, all of which adds up to a glorious full-blooded celebration of one of the greatest songbooks in rock history. The story of The Rhapsody Tour so far, including the special performance opening the Platinum Jubilee concert with the late Queen herself tea cup tapping to the beat of “We Will Rock You” below.

After their explosive 2019 North American tour, the band just managed to skirt the arrival of the pandemic in early 2020 with epic concerts across South Korea, Japan, New Zealand and Australia. The latter saw the band perform to more than 70,000 people at the Sydney Fire Fight Australia benefit concert, raising funds for bushfire relief, at which for the first time in its history, the band reprised its entire fabled 22-minute Live Aid 1985 set.

While Covid shut down plans for further touring that year, Brian, Roger and Adam still found a way to go Live Around the World – just in a different physical format.  After seven years of officially touring all over the world, Queen + Adam Lambert finally released their first album together in October 2020.

The Live Around The World album highlighted favourite performances from the previous years of touring. “When we couldn’t tour this year, we wanted to give the fans something in place of that, and a Live album just felt right,” Lambert said at the time. The album debuted at No.1 on the UK Official Album Chart in its week of release providing Queen with their 10th No 1 record in the UK and giving Adam Lambert his first as they topped charts all around the world.

The Covid period did not stem the individual band members’ creative endeavours. Using the downtime, Brian May released two newly revisited solo projects in special Gold Series editions, “Back To The Light” (August 2021) and “Another World” (April 2022).  Roger Taylor released a new solo album “Outsider” (October 2021) his first in eight years, and a subsequent live tour album “The Outsider Tour Live” (September 2022). Adam Lambert is currently supporting his latest release, his covers “High Drama” album.

After the postponement of Queen + Adam Lambert’s highly anticipated European tour for two years, the trio finally got back on the road in 2022. 

The band’s sensational return last summer took in 36 shows across the UK and Europe, including a 10-day residency at London’s The O2 Arena. This was highlighted across the world when the band opened the Platinum Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace in recognition of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign. 

That special performance produced one of the most viewed TV moments in history as the late Queen herself and her tea time guest Paddington Bear heralded the band’s performance by tapping out the beat of We Will Rock You on their china teacups.

The incredible scene was impressively followed by a parade of military drummers beating out the song’s distinctive intro. This was just prior to Brian appearing above the Queen Victoria memorial to join Roger and Adam for their explosive event opener, a moment summed up by the guitarist himself as “one to treasure”, and a moment watched on television by more than 13.4 million viewers.

The band’s spectacular three-song performance in honour of H.M. the Queen in front of Buckingham Palace was a magnificent opener for its upcoming European tour which the following day saw the band take up residency of London’s The O2 Arena for ten nights before taking the Rhapsody show on to play a further 18 sold out concerts across 11 countries in Europe, for a total of 36 shows.

TICKETS: Tickets will be available via a general onsale beginning Friday, March 31st at 10AM local time at LiveNation.com.  

QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT THE RHAPSODY TOUR 2023 DATES:  

Wed Oct 04 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena 

Sun Oct 08 – Toronto, ON — Scotiabank Arena 

Tue Oct 10 — Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena 

Thu Oct 12 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden 

Sun Oct 15 – Boston, MA – TD Garden 

Wed Oct 18 — Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center 

Mon Oct 23 — Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena 

Wed Oct 25 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena 

Fri Oct 27 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center 

Mon Oct 30 — Chicago, IL – United Center 

Thu Nov 02 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center 

Sun Nov 05 — Denver, CO – Ball Arena 

Wed Nov 08 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center 

Sat Nov 11 – Los Angeles, CA – BMO Stadium 

Music News

Wolfgang Van Halen’s MAMMOTH WVH To Release “MAMMOTH II” On August 4th

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On the heels of a whirlwind debut that included a GRAMMY® Award nomination for his first-ever single, #1 debuts on multiple charts, television performances, and sold out shows over a two-year span, Mammoth WVH is back with its sophomore album Mammoth II. The 10-track record will be available worldwide on August 4th via the band’s new label, BMG. Recorded at the legendary 5150 studio, the album was produced by friend and collaborator Michael “Elvis” Baskette. Mammoth II is available for pre-order in multiple configurations here: https://MammothWVH.lnk.to/MammothIIPR.  

Continuing the tradition of writing all of the songs and performing all of the instrumentation and vocals himself, Wolfgang Van Halen set out to challenge himself to expand his sound beyond what people had already come to know him for. From the rocking opener “Right?” to Beatles-esque fade on closer “Better Than You” Mammoth II showcases the growth of Wolfgang as a songwriter, musician and especially vocalist.  Songs like “Like A Pastime,” “Take A Bow” and “Waiting” are all sonically different from each other but unique to what mastermind Wolfgang Van Halen and Mammoth WVH is. The debut single from Mammoth II is the upbeat rocker “Another Celebration At The End Of The World.” The single is currently impacting radio and the music video for “Another Celebration At The End Of The World” is an 8:25 introduction to the Mammoth WVH live band. Picking up where the #1 single “Don’t Back Down” music video left off, the new video showcases a frustrated Wolfgang firing the other Wolfgang’s from that video and replacing them with his now notorious live band featuring Frank Sidoris (guitars), Jon Jourdan (guitars), Ronnie Ficarro (Bass) and Garrett Whitlock (drums).  The video was directed by Gordy De St. Jeor and can be seen here: 

“I knew that I wanted the new album to contain elements of what people heard on the debut, but also giving me a chance to branch out a bit. ‘Another Celebration At The End Of the World’ is definitely a song that showcases what people can expect from the new album. It is a high-energy rocker with some fun guitar moments on it. I also pushed myself vocally and it is a song I can’t wait to get out and play live. I can see it being a fixture in our live set moving forward,” explains Wolfgang Van Halen

The track listing for Mammoth II is:

                  1.    Right?

                  2.    Like A Pastime

                  3.    Another Celebration At The End Of The World

                  4.    Miles Above Me

                  5.    Take A Bow

                  6.    Optimist

                  7.    I’m Alright

                  8.    Erase Me

                  9.    Waiting

                  10.  Better Than You

Mammoth WVH is planning to tour around the globe in support of Mammoth II. The live band – comprised of Wolfgang Van Halen, Frank Sidoris, Jon Jourdan, Ronnie Ficarro and Garrett Whitlock – is currently on the second leg of the US tour supporting Alter Bridge before moving to another massive tour playing alongside Metallica. Mammoth WVH will also be making various festival appearances around the globe as well as headline stops going in to 2024. More dates will be announced in the near future tickets for all Mammoth WVH appearances can be found here: https://www.mammothwvh.com.

Mar 23 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre *

Mar 25 – Airway Heights, WA  – Northern Quest Resort & Casino *

Mar 26 – Airway Heights, WA  – Northern Quest Resort & Casino *

Mar 28 – Anaheim, CA – House Of Blues *

Mar 29 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre *

Mar 31 – Reno, NV – Silver Legacy Resort Casino *

Apr 1 – Highland, CA – Yaamava Theater *

Apr 27 – Amsterdam, NL – Johan Cruijff ArenA #

May 19 – Paris, FR – Stade de France #

May 26 – Hamburg, DE – Volksparkstadion #

May 29 – Berlin, DE – Hole44

May 30 – Frankfurt, DE – Das Bett

Jun 1 – Köln, DE – Gebäude 9

Jun 3 – Tilburg, NL – Poppodium 013 *

Jun 6 – Edinburgh, UK – O2 Academy Edinburgh *

Jun 8 – Castle Donington, Derby, UK – Download Festival

Jun 10 – Sölvesborg, SE – Sweden Rock Festival

Jun 13 – Stockholm, SE – Gröna Lund *

Jun 15 – Dessel, BE – Graspop Metal Meeting

Jun 16 – Göteborg, SE – Ullevi #

Jun 17 – Copenhagen, DK – Copenhell Festival 2023

Jun 20 – Ludwigsburg, DE – Mhp Arena

Jun 21 – Graz, AT – Kasematten – Schlossbergbühne

Jun 23 – Naz-sciaves – Natz-schabs, ITA – Aspen Flair 2023

Jun 24 – Grenchen, CH – Summerside Festival

Jun 26 – Villeurbanne, FR – Transbordeur *

Jun 28 – Lisboa, PT – Evil Live Festival 

Jun 29 – Viveiro, ES – Resurrection Fest 2023

Jul 1 – London, UK – Wembley Stadium ^

Jul 4 – Rathfarnham, IE – Marlay Park ^

Jul 6 – Saltmarket, UK – Glasgow Green ^

Aug 4 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium #

Aug 11 – Montreal, CA – Olympic Stadium #

Aug 16 – Springfield, IL – Illinois State Fair 2023 *

Aug 18 – Arlington, TX – AT&T Stadium #

Aug 25 – Inglewood, CA – SoFi Stadium #

Sep 1 – Glendale, AZ – State Farm Stadium #

Sep 3 – Pryor, Ok – Rocklahoma

Nov 3 – St. Louis, MO – The Dome at America’s Center #

Nov 10 – Detroit, MI – Ford Field #

* Supporting Alter Bridge

# Supporting Metallica

^ Supporting Def Leppard/Motley Crüe

About Mammoth WVH:

With his solo band Mammoth WVH, Wolfgang Van Halen consistently challenges himself as a songwriter, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. After a monumental breakthrough – with a GRAMMY® Award nomination for his first-ever single, #1 debuts on multiple charts, television performances, and sold out shows over a two-year span – Mammoth WVH’s self-titled debut sent shockwaves through 21st century rock music. 

Mammoth WVH bowed at #1 on the Billboard Independent Albums Chart, Top Hard Rock Albums Chart, and Top Rock Albums Chart in addition to crashing the Billboard 200 at #12. He notched two #1 one entries at Rock Radio with “Don’t Back Down” and “Distance.” The latter also garnered a GRAMMY® Award nomination in the category of “Best Rock Song.” He appeared on The Howard Stern Show, NBC News TODAY, Jimmy Kimmel Live and on the cover of Guitar World where they dubbed him Guitarist Of The Year. Loudwire cited Mammoth WVH as one of “The 45 Best Rock + Metal Albums of 2021,” while Classic Rock rated it “4-out-of-5 stars” and People proclaimed, “With Mammoth WVH’s head-banging tracks and personal lyrics, Wolfgang successfully introduces himself as his own person.” The band supported Guns N’ Roses in stadiums stateside and Alter Bridge in arenas across the pond, while also headlining coast-to-coast in North America. Not to mention, he lit up the stage at the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts in London and Los Angeles at the invitation of Dave Grohl himself. 

Instead of choosing to settle on his breakout success, he consciously tested himself to further develop his sound from every angle on his second full-length offering, Mammoth II [BMG]. Coming out swinging, the hooks hit harder, the riffs roar louder, and the lyrics cut deeper as he delivers an urgent, undeniable, and unforgettable 10-song body of work.

Music News

Måneskin Announce Rush! World Tour

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Måneskin continue their skyrocketing rise around the world with the announcement of their RUSH! World Tour – which will see the band headline arenas in North America, South America, Japan, Europe, UK & Ireland, and their first ever shows in Australia, in Autumn / Winter 2023, bringing their raucous live set and phenomenal new live staging and astounding lighting that the band are currently touring in Europe. See the full list of tour dates along with ticketing details below. 

In the US, where last year the band embarked on their first headline North American tour that sold out 100,00 tickets across 25 shows, and saw the band receive their first Grammy nomination in 2023 for Best New Artist, Måneskin will be kicking it up a notch and returning to headline arenas across the US and Canada, including a landmark show at New York’s historic Madison Square Garden. After an incredible welcome in South America in 2022, Måneskin will return later this year, visiting Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Colombia for the first time. In Japan, where the band more than made their mark in 2022 with an incredible exclusive show and stand-out set at Summer Sonic, Måneskin will be returning to headline arenas in the country for the first time. The rock sensations will also be making their way down under to Australia for the very first time for shows in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. The tour is bookended with shows in Germany and France, and the UK and Ireland, where the band will head to Manchester and Dublin for the first time. 

The RUSH! World Tour will follow on from Måneskin’s ongoing LOUD KIDS World Tour which continues to see them sell out shows globally and play to over 500,000 fans. With over 20 sold out shows still to come, the LOUD KIDS tour continues tomorrow and travels across the band’s native Italy before journeying to countries across Europe including Spain, Denmark, Hungary, the UK and more.  

The full throttle Måneskin live show has already travelled to over 25 countries between Europe, North America, South America and Japan in 2022, saw the band go back to their beloved Rome for an extra special sold out show at the historic Circo Massimo with 70,000 tickets sold, and between headline shows the band dominated festival stages around the world including Coachella, Rock in Rio, Lollapalooza (Chicago, Paris and Sweden), Rock Im Park and Rock Am Ring, Rock Wertcher, Summer Sonic in Japan and more. 

Before hitting the road again for the RUSH! World Tour, the band will play 5 special stadium shows in their beloved Italy in July with more than 220.000 tickets already sold. And alongside both tours, Måneskin will be commanding stages at Glastonbury and Primavera Sound this summer. 

The RUSH! tour follows the band’s new album of the same name, released in January 2023 to global acclaim and chart domination, reaching #1 in 15 countries and Top 5 in 20 countries, and garnering over 800 million global album streams, adding to the band’s impressive 7.3 billion global artist streams.

RUSH! World Tour

***NEW tour dates***

September 3, 2023 – Hanover, Germany – EXPO Plaza

September 6, 2023  – Nancy, France – Nancy Open Air

September 21, 2023 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden 

September 23, 2023 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion 

September 25, 2023 – Boston, MA – TD Garden

September 27, 2023 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena  

September 29, 2023 – Chicago, IL – Allstate Arena 

October 1, 2023 – Detroit, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill

October 3, 2023 – Nashville, TN – Nashville Municipal Auditorium 

October 6, 2023 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory

October 10, 2023 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum 

October 13, 2023 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena 

October 15, 2023 – Vancouver, BC – Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre

October 20, 2023 – Mexico City, Mexico – Palacio De Los Deportes 

October 24, 2023 – Bogotá, Colombia – Movistar Arena 

October 27, 2023 – Santiago, Chile – Estadio Bicentenario La Florida 

October 29, 2023 – Buenos Aires, Argentina – Movistar Arena 

November 1, 2023 -Rio de Janeiro,  Brazil – Qualistage 

November 3, 2023 – San Paulo, Brazil – Espaço Unimed 

November 20, 2023 – Brisbane, QLD – BCEC

November 22, 2023 – Sydney, NSW – Hordern Pavilion 

November 23, 2023 – Melbourne, VIC – Margaret Court Arena 

November 25, 2023 – Adelaide, SA – AEC Theatre 

November 27, 2023 – Singapore 

December 2, 2023 –  Tokyo, Japan

December 3, 2023 –  Tokyo, Japan

December 7, 2023 – Kobe, Japan

December 14, 2023 – Dublin, Ireland –  3 Arena

December 19, 2023 – Manchester, UK – AO Arena

LOUD KIDS World Tour

2023 tour dates

February 23, 2023 – Pesaro, Italy – Vitrifrigo Arena SOLD OUT

February 25, 2023 – Turin, Italy – Pala Alpitour SOLD OUT

February 27, 2023 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome (previously at: AFAS LIVE) SOLD OUT

March 2, 2023 – Brussels, Belgium – Forest National SOLD OUT

March 3, 2023 – Brussels, Belgium – Forest National SOLD OUT

March 6, 2023 – Berlin, Germany – Mercedes Benz Arena SOLD OUT

March 10, 2023 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena SOLD OUT

March 13, 2023 – Paris, France – Accor Arena (previously at: Zenith) SOLD OUT

March 16, 2023 – Bologna, Italy – Unipol Arena SOLD OUT

March 17, 2023 – Bologna, Italy – Unipol Arena SOLD OUT

March 20, 2023 – Florence, Italy – Nelson Mandela Forum SOLD OUT

March 21, 2023 – Florence, Italy – Nelson Mandela Forum SOLD OUT

March 24, 2023 – Rome, Italy – Palazzo dello Sport SOLD OUT

March 25, 2023 – Rome, Italy – Palazzo dello Sport SOLD OUT

March 28, 2023 – Naples, Italy – Palapartenope SOLD OUT

March 29, 2023 – Naples, Italy – Palapartenope SOLD OUT

March 31, 2023 – Bari, Italy – Palaflorio SOLD OUT

April 3, 2023 – Milan, Italy – Mediolanum Forum SOLD OUT

April 4, 2023 – Milan, Italy – Mediolanum Forum SOLD OUT

April 6, 2023 – Milan, Italy – Mediolanum Forum SOLD OUT

April 11, 2023 – Barcelona, ​​Spain – Palau Saint Jordi SOLD OUT

26 April 2023 – Zurigo, Svizzera – Hallenstadion (previously at: Halle 622) SOLD OUT

April 28, 2023 – Vienna, Austria – Wiener Stadthalle SOLD OUT

30 April 2023 – Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg – Rockhal SOLD OUT

May 2, 2023 – Copenhagen, Denmark – The Royal Arena

May 5, 2023 – Milan, Italy – Mediolanum Forum SOLD OUT

May 8, 2023 – London, UK – The O2 Arena (previously at: O2 Academy Brixton) SOLD OUT

May 12, 2023 – Warsaw, Poland – Torwar Hall SOLD OUT

May 14, 2023 – Prague, Czech Republic – O2 Arena (previously at: Malá Sportovní Hala) SOLD OUT

May 16, 2023 – Budapest, Hungary – Budapest Arena (previously at: Barba Negra) SOLD OUT

May 18, 2023 – Riga, Latvia – Mežaparks Grand Stage (previously at Arena Riga) VENUE UPGRADE

19 May 2023 – Tallinn, Estonia – Saku Suurhall SOLD OUT

Stadium shows in Italy

16 July 2023 – Trieste, Italy – Stadio Nereo Rocco

20 July 2023 – Rome, Italy – Stadio Olimpico SOLD OUT

21 July 2023 – Rome, Italy – Stadio Olimpico 

24 July 2023 – Milan, Italy – Stadio San Siro SOLD OUT

25 July 2023 – Milan, Italy – Stadio San Siro

Music News

Matchbox Twenty Returns With New Single “Wild Dogs (Running In A Slow Dream)”

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And 50+ Date Spring/Summer “Slow Dream Tour” With Support From Matt Nathanson & Ben Rector

Multi-platinum, superstar hit making pop-rockers Matchbox Twenty return today with new single “Wild Dogs (Running In A Slow Dream),” marking their first new music release in over a decade. The song arrives alongside the announcement of the band’s forthcoming fifth studio album, Where The Light Goes, arriving May 26th via Atlantic Records. Produced by Gregg Wattenberg with Paul Doucette and Kyle Cook, the album finds the band surging with energy for another great batch of real, relevant, and relatable songs.  

The band – Rob Thomas, Brian Yale, Paul Doucette, and Kyle Cook — will be hitting the road this May for their 50+ date spring/summer tour, now officially named the “Slow Dream Tour.” Produced by Live Nation, the “Slow Dream Tour” will begin on Tuesday, May 16th at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC and conclude on Sunday, August 6th at Chicago’s Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre. The outing is the band’s first since 2017’s “A Brief History of Everything” tour which marked the 20th anniversary of their Diamond-certified debut album Yourself or Someone Like You. 

The “Slow Dream Tour” will feature newly announced support from Platinum-selling singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson for the first half of the tour and chart-topping singer-songwriter/producer Ben Rector on the second half. In addition to the tour dates currently on sale (see below and at matchboxtwenty.com), Matchbox Twenty is pleased to announce a pair of new concerts: Sunday, May 21st at Concord Pavilion in Concord, CA and Saturday, May 27th at The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, NV. Fan club members can purchase tickets for these newly added shows beginning Tuesday, March 21st at 10am local time, with general on sale starting Friday, March 24th at 10am local time at LiveNation.com. 

The band is also working with VNUE’s DiscLive to offer fans limited-edition “instant” collectible CD sets and digital downloads from each show of the tour. Fans may pre-order the CD sets via Ticketmaster for a $5 discount when they purchase tickets. VIP ticket buyers will receive a download card free with their purchase of every VIP package. Fans may also pre-order via Disclive.net to have CDs shipped or pick them up at the show(s) they attend. 

Matchbox Twenty have quietly woven their songs into the very fabric of American popular culture. The band has sold over 40 million records worldwide, dominated charts, garnered multiple GRAMMY Award nominations, and played to millions of fans in arenas, amphitheaters, and stadiums across continents. 

Earning hits in each of the last three decades, Matchbox has gone from perennially dominating radio airwaves and ruling MTV to piling up streams in the billions, speaking to the enduring appeal of their music. Fueled by such classic songs as “Real World,” “Back 2 Good” and the No. 1 smash hits “Push” and “3AM,” 1996’s Diamond-certified Yourself or Someone Like You proved a worldwide sensation and instantly established the band as global superstars. 2000 saw the band release the four-times Platinum Mad Season, containing the No. 1 singles “Bent” and “If You’re Gone.”  Their third release, More Than You Think You Are, also was certified double-Platinum and featured the No. 1 hit, “Unwell.” 2007’s greatest hits compilation album with six new songs, “Exile On Mainstream” yielded yet another No. 1 track, “How Far We’ve Come,” while 2012’s North, exploded into the top position on the Billboard 200 release – Matchbox Twenty’s first-ever chart-topper and No. 1 debut. 

Now nearly eleven years later, the band sounds refreshed as ever on Where The Light Goes, benefitting from the musicians’ respective solo journeys. Rob Thomas has proven one of the most highly decorated artists of recent years – releasing five solo albums and receiving three GRAMMY Awards, 11 BMI Awards, the first-ever Songwriters Hall of Fame Hal David Starlight Award, two Billboard “Songwriter of the Year” honors, and top 5 placement on Billboard’s Top 20 Hot 100 Songwriters (2000-2011). Meanwhile, Paul Doucette has scored and contributed original music to film and television series such asUtopia, For All Mankind, and more.  

Matchbox Twenty – “Slow Dream Tour” 

5/16 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena*  

5/18 – Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre* 

5/19 – Ridgefield, WA @ Sunlight Supply Amphitheater* 

5/21 – Concord, CA @ Concord Pavilion * 

5/ 22 – Hollywood, CA @ Hollywood Bowl* 

5/ 24 – Fresno, CA @ Save Mart Center* 

5/ 25 – Bakersfield, CA @ Mechanics Bank Arena* 

5/27— Las Vegas, NV @ The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan* 

5/28 – Irvine, CA @ FivePoint Amphitheatre* 

5/30 – San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre* 

5/ 31 – Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre* 

6/2 – Sparks, NV @ Nugget Event Center*# 

6/ 3 – West Valley City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre* 

6/4 – Boise, ID @Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater* 

6/ 6 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena* 

6/8 – Omaha, NE @ CHI Health Center Omaha* 

6/9 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford Premier Center* 

6/10 – Welch, MN @ Treasure Island*# 

6/13 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center* 

6/14 – Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Center* 

6/ 16 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center* 

6/17 – Moline, IL @ Vibrant Arena at The Mark* 

6/ 18 – Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre* 

6/ 20 – St. Louis, MO @Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre* 

6/ 21 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Zoo*# 

6/ 23 – Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP* 

6/ 27 – Birmingham, AL @ Oak Mountain Amphitheatre^ 

6/29 – Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion^ 

6/ 30 – Houston, TX @The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman^ 

7/2 – Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheatre^ 

7/3 – Nashville, TN @Bridgestone Arena^ 

7/ 5 – Jacksonville, FL @Daily’s Place^ 

7/7 – West Palm Beach, FL @ iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre^ 

7/ 8 – Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre at the FL State Fairground^ 

7/11 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion^ 

7/ 12 – Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek^ 

7/14 – Burgettstown, PA @ The Pavilion at Star Lake^ 

7/15 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center^ 

7/16 – Camden, NJ @ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion^ 

7/18 – Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater^ 

7/19 – Bethlehem, PA @ The Wind Creek Event Center^ 

7/21 – Gilford, NH @Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion^ 

7/22 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena^ 

7/23 – Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center^ 

7/26 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach^ 

7/27 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live^ 

7/29 – Syracuse, NY @ St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview^ 

7/30 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center^ 

8/1 – Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheater^ 

8/ 2 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage^ 

8/ 4 – Toledo, OH @ Toledo Zoo Amphitheater^ 

8/ 5 – Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center^ 

8/ 6 – Tinley Park, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre^ 

* Matt Nathanson supporting 

^ Ben Rector supporting 

~ Hudson Thames supporting 

# Non-Live Nation show, visit matchboxtwenty.com for ticketing links 

Music News

Pop Evil new Album Skeletons Out Now with Deluxe Digital Box Set

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Michigan-based hard rock group Pop Evil released their album, Skeletons, today alongside a visual for the title track via MNRK Heavy. The band also launched 601 deluxe digital box sets through VAULT with a three-tier option including the full album, setlists, lyric sheets, behind-the-scenes content, VIP packages, and more here.

“The decisions we make in our lifetime have an impact on the people around us,” Pop Evil said about the title track. “We have a choice to be kind or to be selfish on our journey. If you only think of yourself, you can end up alone. We owe it to each other to be kind. We are all human.”

The 11 tracks include the already released single, “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.

In discussing the album, frontman Leigh Kakaty said, “This is about us as a band stripping everything down to the bones. It’s more uptempo, it’s got bigger riffs, and we’re trying to capture the energy of our live show.”

“But it’s also a positive message,” he adds. “I know it’s a morbid visual, but behind every skeleton, there’s a story and something worth talking about. Overall, it’s about looking at something in a positive way. And I’m excited for everyone to hear that.”

Prior to the official release of Skeletons, the band’s new music is already going over well with fans. Notes Kakaty: “It’s great seeing people respond at our shows— I think they see what we sing about with something like ‘Eye of the Storm’ is very relatable. We all have hardships and mood swings; this is our way to show that you’re not alone. A lot of Pop Evil, it’s about inspiring positivity and giving back.”

Pop Evil worked with producer WZRD BLD (Disturbed, Papa Roach, Motionless in White), a friend and collaborator on a few previous albums that generated # hits. “With ‘Versatile,’ we had a bunch of producers, but for this album, we just wanted to work with one person and get back to our roots,” says Kakaty. “There’s an energy he and I have, and he’s been great at helping us build these songs and work around some collective themes.”

In discussing the Vault digital box set, Pop Evil said, “We joined up with The Vault to be able to offer our fans a unique and exclusive experience. Inside our Vault, fans will find exclusive behind-the-scenes videos, photos, new music, merch, and more. We’re also offering VIP packages for the Skeletons tour. Our fans are so awesome that the ‘Super Fan’ tier, complete with a private acoustic performance, sold out instantly. We’re looking forward to continuing to offer our fans exclusive access and opportunities through The Vault!”

Skeletons Tracklist:

1. Arrival

2. Paranoid (Crash & Burn)

3. Circles

4. Eye of The Storm

5. Sound of Glory

6. Skeletons

7. Worth It

8. Who Will We Become

9. Wrong Direction (Feat Devour the Day)

10. Dead Reckoning (Feat Fit For A King)

11. Raging Bull (Feat Zillion)

Pop Evil will head out on their Skeletons Tour headlining U.S. dates starting today, March 17 in Sault St. Marie at Kewadin Casino and concluding on April 23, in Milwaukee at The Rave. Special guests, The Word Alive and Avoid will join. Tickets are on sale now at www.popevil.com.

Skeletons U.S. Headlining Tour:

03/17 – Sault St. Marie, MI @ Kewadin Casino

03/18 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre

03/19 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Jergel’s

03/21 – Lititz, PA @ Mickey’s Black Box *

03/23 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium

03/24 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun – Wolf Den +

03/25 – Waterloo, NY @ Del Lago Casino *

03/26 – Jersey City, NJ @ White Eagle Hall

03/28 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Elevation27

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

05/04 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 Warehouse

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

Pop Evil has massive anthems and built a new rock’n’roll institution on a foundation of showmanship, raw relatability, and hard rock hooks, both forward-thinking and timeless from frontman, Leigh Kakaty, lead guitarist Nick Fuelling, rhythm guitarist Dave Grahs, bassist Joey “Chicago” Walser and drummer Hayley Cramer. No matter the headline-grabbing declarations from legendary icons, lamenting the changing of the guard, the slow-burning success of Pop Evil demonstrates the hunger for hard-hitting honest music persisting worldwide.

Their 2011 album, War of Angels debuted at #8 on Billboard Top Rock Albums with three singles landing on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Top 10 including “Last Man Standing”, “Monster You Made” and “Boss’s Daughter.” The momentum continued with their 2013 album Onyx, landing them on the Top 40 of the Billboard 200 for the first time, plus it was #9 on the Billboard Independent Albums in America and #25 on the Billboard 200. The album included three #1 Billboard Mainstream Rock singles, “Trenches” “Deal with the Devil” and “Torn to Pieces.” In 2015, the band released their album, UP, which would make its way to #1 on Billboard Independent Albums, with four Top 5 Billboard singles such as “Ways to Get High,” “Take It All,” and “If Only for Now”. The hit single “Footsteps” is still one of the biggest songs to date and returned Pop Evil to Billboard’s #1 spot for four weeks. Their 2018 self-titled album landed three singles on Billboard Mainstream Rock, “Waking Lions” at #1 with “Be Legendary” peaking at #2, and “A Crime to Remember” peaking at #7.

Pop Evil’s last #1 single include “Survivor,” which also topped Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart in late 2021, joining previous Top 10 single “Work,” and #1 single “Breathe Again,” from their album VERSATILE. Over the course of their career, the band has achieved four gold singles with “Torn to Pieces,” and “Trenches” from Onyx, “Footsteps” from UP, and, “100 in a 55” from their debut studio album, Lipstick on the Mirror.

Music News

CALAMITY premieres video for “Call to Me”

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Hard-hitting thrash metal gang Calamity returns with “Call to Me,” the first single from their upcoming third album, Lumina (scheduled for later this year). Calamity has not enjoyed a comfortable ride for the last couple of years; other than the departure of their bassist (which ultimately resulted in the band operating as a trio), the Caguas, Puerto Rico act also lost access to their official Facebook page. Regardless of these predicaments, Calamity, now equipped with new explosive numbers, continues making strides. 

Speaking of the song “Call to Me,” Calamity offers:
“In the past centuries, when something supernatural happened to you in real life, you would have to make a poem or a novel to portray it in an artistic way. Thank God we have video cameras these days.”

Puerto Rican thrashing outfit Calamity originally started off as a Metallica cover band under the moniker Silent Scream in 2009, and soon after having their own materials, they decided to continue under the name of Hush. They had their first local gig in 2010. After opening for Skeletonwitch in Puerto Rico, the band decided to adopt a full thrash metal style rooted in the sonic aesthetics of both old school overlords and modern revival acts. In 2014, months before releasing their first EP, Let em’ burn, Hush changed their name to Calamity to better represent their newly converted musical route.
  
The band released their first full-length, Imminent Disaster, in December 2015, accompanied by their first US tour from December 2015 to January 2016. This album and the next single, End of the Road, led Calamity the way to get exposure on local TV and later in Puerto Rico’s #1 radio station, La Mega. The same year saw their second US Tour, “Northern Disaster,” and a supporting performance at Nervosa’s 2016 show in Puerto Rico. In 2018, Calamity played at Illinois Open-Air Festival “Full Terror Assault”.
  
Calamity brought fire and fury with their sophomore album, Kairos, released in May 2019. Offering a reckless and lethal dose of headbanging tribulation throughout nine varied thrash metal anthems, Kairos earned praises from heavy metal media across the globe. 

Calamity’s upcoming third full-length, Lumina, will be out later this year.

Calamity is:
Berny Santos – Vocals and Guitars
Gonzalo Ortiz – Guitars
Eduardo Acevedo – Drums 

Music News

healthyliving drops video for “Dream Hive”

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healthyliving has dropped the explosive near-mania of “Dream Hive,” the second single off their debut full-length, Songs of Abundance, Psalms of Grief.  A tripped-out video (made with the help of Ana López Gómez) for the track is also available to view below. Funded by Creative Scotland, the album will be co-released on 7 April by the band and La Rubia Producciones.

The transnational collective, across Scotland, Spain, and Germany, consists of long-time collaborators and friends Amaya López-Carromero (Maud the moth), Scott McLean (Falloch, Ashenspire), and Stefan Pötzsch. The trio will make their live debut at the prestigious Roadburn Festival in Tilburg this April.

Vocalist Amaya comments on the new single, “Dream Hive”: 
“‘Dream Hive’ is one of the last songs we wrote for the album and one of the most colourful and energetic. We worked with our close friend Ana López Gómez who captured the energy of the song perfectly with a wild and wonderful video!

“The song in itself is about toxic positivity inundating our lives and how it hinders personal growth and perpetuates power imbalances. It attempts to capture a false perception of euphoria.”

Find “Dream Hive” on your preferred streaming media AT THIS LOCATION.

PRE-ORDERSongs of Abundance, Psalms of Griefon Vinyl, CD, or Digital RIGHT HERE.

Artistically, healthyliving draws from the beauty and horror of the banal to create a kaleidoscopic and evocative musical world which commutes across genre borders. The album, Songs of Abundance, Psalms of Grief, covers “everyday emotions which are apparently unrelated and mundane” but were chosen for their ability to represent common ground we all share as humans. Indeed, the band themselves describe their music as the soundtrack to “digesting our humanity”, coming to terms with the hopes and fears we all share.

A nocturnal haze of guitar layers lap like mammoth waves, as healthyliving taps into something primal and transfixing with their hypnotic sound. Amaya’s eerie and cosmic vocals sit atop the storm, leaving the listener to find pure human vulnerability and emotion in frequently turbulent and unfettered vocal turns.

Vocalist Amaya expands, “The magic of musical composition/songwriting for me lies in its capacity to create worlds outside of reality where both performers and listeners can explore and process things. A sort of microholiday from everyday life or an exciting meditative state, so I hope that we can share this experience with anyone who listens to the album.”

healthyliving honour this natural connection; something which is reflected in the simplicity, rawness and immediateness of their approach to songwriting. “Whenever an idea was found to be inspiring the whole song and structure needed to be written and finished within the same session.” says guitarist Scott. “Going back to work on it later or changing it was not allowed.” It’s a testament to the band’s conviction in instinct over pre-planning. Stefan confirms – I’m into things being quite straightforward and intuitive despite the distance between us.”

Amaya continues, “All of the lyrics were written using free-association of the music with memories, or emotions that popped into my head in a dream-like manner.” She continues, “I titled “To The Gallows” first, as a summary of the main and oppressive feeling of the song; being stuck in a seamless feedback cycle of abuse that keeps repeating itself in a sisyphus-like vein. “To The Fields” has an opposing energy, invoking growth, vulnerability and hope.”

The Scottish community from which the band mainly operate (and where Scott and Amaya still reside) is clearly of utmost importance to the band. The three members of Healthyliving appear in other Scottish musical projects – Ashenspire, Falloch, Maud the moth, All Men Unto Me – are included. “The community has taken a really long time to form and it’s amazing that now there is so much going on around it.” says Scott. “The best thing is being able to create such a wide variety of music with close friends. There is something happening nearly everyday in relation to our little community of musicians which is really incredible and exciting.”

Amaya adds, “Feeling part of an artist community is absolutely crucial to survive long term and have any chance of thriving as an independent artist. When I lived in Madrid, I would go to lots of local shows and felt a relevant part of the scene there, even if there were not many opportunities for us regarding international activity or funding. It was slightly heartbreaking having to start again from 0 when I moved to the UK. Although I stayed in contact with all my friends back in Spain it took me a long time to find my footing again and the right people with a shared vision here in the UK.”

Stefan adds, “lest we forget the connection I feel as a friend and fellow musician to Amaya and Scott.” He adds this answer from his home in Germany, “It feels really effortless and rewarding.”

Amaya concludes, “I love connecting people together, and collaborating with others, so I am hoping to build something across the two countries; a mega-scene defined by shared interests and motivations rather than by geographical location.”

*(Bio Written by Rosie Solomon)*

Track Listing:
1. Until
2. Dream Hive
3. Galleries
4. To the Fields
5. To the Gallows
6. Bloom
7. Back to Back
8. Ghost Limbs
9. Obey

healthyliving is:
Amaya López Carromero – Vocals
Scott McLean – Guitars, Bass, Synth
Stefan Pötzsch – Drums

Album Credits:
All songs written by heathyliving; Lyrics by Amaya López-Carromero. 

Recorded by Graeme Young (DVNE, Idlewild), Assisted by Simon McLaren at Chamber Studio, Edinburgh; Produced and Mixed by Scott McLean; Mastered by Brad Boatright (The Armed, Sleep, Stranger Things OST) at Audioseige.

Artwork Concept by Amaya López-Carromero.

Music News

STRIKER Posts Studio Update – Enter Studio To Work With Producer Josh Schroeder For 7th Full-Length

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Canadian shredders STRIKER are excited to share the news that they have entered the studio to work on their seventh album with producer Josh Schroeder (Lorna Shore, Tallah, King 810). The yet-to-be-titled album follows the band’s singles “Strange Love” (2022) and “Death Wish”(2021), which will be featured on the record that follows their Juno Award-winning self-released full-length “Play to Win” (2018) (Record Breaking). The forthcoming album will also feature the band’s latest lineup addition of long-time friend and guitarist John Simon Fallon (The Order of Chaos).

The band comments:

“We have arrived at shred central in Midland, MI. We’ll be spending the next 5 weeks WITH Josh Schroeder who will essentially be our 6th band member for the creative process. We are stoked to get into the studio with HIM. We are looking to do something different sonically with this album, more extreme, more over the top, and more punishing and we think he’s the right man for the job. It’s going to be a bit of an experiment for us but we are ready to push out of our comfort zone and lay down some caveman riffs and bigger hooks. Stay tuned for more updates and don’t forget to check out our Patreon for exclusive content!”

In additional news, STRIKER is confirmed to perform this summer in Europe at Bloodstock Festival in the UK and Headbangers Open Air in Germany. Canadian fans can also check out STRIKER at this year’s Hyperspace Metal Festival in Vancouver on April 14th at The Fox Cabaret.

Blending classic heavy metal, hard rock, and 80’s hair metal, Striker has been making shredtacular anthems since 2007. The band has toured multiple times across Europe and North America along with festival appearances at 70,000 Tons of Metal, Bang Your Head Festival (Germany), and more to add to their almost 1000 shows performed in their decade-plus career. The band has been honoured with multiple Best Album awards in their home country of Canada from the JUNO Awards, Western Canadian Music Awards, and the Edmonton Music Awards. Since their inception, Striker has released six studio albums Eyes in the Night (2010, Iron Kodex), Armed to The Teeth (2012, Napalm), City of Gold (2014, Napalm), Stand in the Fire (2016, Record Breaking), Striker (2017, Record Breaking), and Play to Win (2018, Record Breaking).