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Showing posts from August, 2012

Bonded By Blood Announce Fall 2012 Tour Dates

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Southern California’s BONDED BY BLOOD have just announced brand spanking new US tour dates in support of their critically acclaimed third album, The Aftermath. The band will begin making ears bleed all across the USA on Sept 22nd at Gilman Street in Berkeley, CA. Then they begin a run of headlining dates cross-country before going out to support DEATH ANGEL in Virginia on Oct. 7th. This powerhouse of a combination will last through the end of the October, culminating with a homecoming show at the Whisky in W. Hollywood on Oct. 19th. Drummer Carlos Regalado had this to say, “We are ecstatic to share the stage once again with our good friends in Death Angel! It is such an honor to be playing with these guys again; they influence us in every aspect of being in a band. They bring so much power and precision with their live set, as well as continuing to make killer albums and remain one of the top groups in their class. We look forward to seeing all our friends on the road and can

Judgement Day is Coming....

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Another gobsmackingly beautiful Judge Dredd promo! It brings a tear to my eye. I am amazed and humbled that men and women have the talent to write, block, film, and do post production like this. It is truly a work of art!

Orange Goblin News

Orange Goblin will support DOWN 's UK Tour Dates this Fall. Oct. 19 - Manchester, UK Oct. 20 - Birmingham, UK Oct. 21 - London, UK

Stratovarius DVD released in North America on August 28, 2012

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The news of drummer Jörg Michael's departure from the Finnish melodic metal brigade STRATOVARIUS in September 2011 was a shock for all of the band's fans. To say goodbye to a friend, hero and member who characterized STRATOVARIUS' sound for over a decade, the group embarked on a five-show farewell tour of Finland in November of last year. Before returning with a brand new studio album in 2013, STRATOVARIUS will release a two-hour 2-CD/DVD set filmed and recorded in Tampere, Finland on November 19, 2011. This is one of the very last shows the band played with Michael. Set for North American release on August 28, 2012 via Eagle Rock imprint Armoury Records, Under Flaming Winter Skies - Live In Tampere, which entered the Music DVD chart in Finland at position No. 1 upon its first week of release overseas, marks the end of an era as well as a new beginning. Hits and classics like "Under Flaming Skies", "Speed Of Light" and "Hunting High And Low"

Beastwars: Put some Heavy in your Metal

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Simple. Bombastic. Tribal. Headbanging. Wall. Of. Sound. And this is just the first track Damn the Sky . It’s chunky. It’s rumbly. It’s rock goodness. It’s Beastwars ! Releasing their debut album on September 11, Beastwars is already the most talked about metal band in New Zealand. They are ready to take the world by storm via the album Beastwars . Beastwars is for people who like their metal stripped down, raw, and edgy. Clayton Anderson on guitar and James Woods on bass create an enormous sound using just one guitar and one bass. They are heavier than most bands who need to employ multiple guitar players and hide their bass sound. They are augmented by Nathan Hickey on drums, who definitely went to the Animal school of drumming. He hits the drums hard. Matt Hyde is helming vocal duties and he’s got the most amazing metal voice ever. I usually get all OCD and do track by track reviews of albums but this is one disk you should just buy and be prepared to get thoroughl

Swallow the Sun – Labyrinth of London (Horror pt. IV)

Swallow the Sun released a single from their upcoming album, Emerald Forest and the Blackbird . Labyrinth of London is an eight minute forty one second opus that bobs and weaves through some rich musical tapestry. The vocals change from growly intensity to melodic beauty with ease. The music is both ethereal and doomy. The composition has elements of classical music that draw the listener in before coalescing into a more doom and metal laden fare. Five minutes in there is a wonderfully done spoken word over a basic waltz. This leads into a very metal guitar solo with bombastic drums and an impressive wall of sound.  Listen to the track here:  Labyrinth of London (Horror pt. IV) The album itself entered the Finnish charts at #2 on its European Release. Emerald Forest and the Blackbird was recorded by Mikko Karmilla who was also responsible for the aural pleasures of Children of Bodom and mixed by Hiili Hiilesmaa whose work you can hear on the most amazing albums of A

Musing on Music: Tonic Breed

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I have a weird hard on for Norwegian bands. They are infectious. Like a good bacon sarnie, you can't just eat one, you have to have them every day. Satisfying. Happiness. Norwegian bands are like that. You can't just have one band. You have to collect them. They are satisfying. They are happiness. I came across Tonic Breed and their single Impossible is Nothing . I like the bass guitar. That's the first thing I noticed. I like that it's loud! So a massive thank you to Rudi Golimo for providing me with much glee. Then the headbanging starts. Then the stock euro-metal vocals come in. Patrik Svendsen vacillates between clean eloquent perfect diction vocals; which don't fit the song and singing with more of an edge, a slight grrrrrr that is more fitting. I put that down to his age, a babe of 22. Get this young man on the road in a people carrier playing several nights in front of a rabid metal audience and he'll get hair on his chest and his voice will take on

Rival Sons - Keep On Swinging (video)

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Love me some Rival Sons !! They just released a new video Keep On Swinging from their upcoming album Head Down .  The album is due to be released on September 17th. If you like vintage soulful kick ass stripped down blues based rock and roll, then Rival Sons is your band. No pretensions here. They are as good as it gets! If Keep On Swinging is any indication of what Head Down will sound like, I'm jumping to the front of the queue to buy the album! RIVAL SONS guitarist SCOTT HOLIDAY comments: "Churches, people feelin' the spirit, and a handful of snakes!  That's a little taste of the new video - the first from our new record, Head Down.  The song?  'Keep On Swinging'.  Directed by our buddy Greg Ephraim, who did 'Pressure and Time' and 'All Over the Road', this idea was an easy choice when we read his treatment.  A little bit of southern baptist evangelical churchin' spirit and a big dose of rock 'n' roll.  We actually had a bu

Doro - Raise Your Fist In The Air (video)

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“Raise Your Fist In The Air” is the new video from DORO PESCH . She and the band premiered it last week in front of 75,000 very appreciative metalheads at the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany. The song is the first release from DORO’s EP of the same name, which is now available digitally on iTunes. The video was shot in The Bronx. No worries for a metal warrior like Doro. She once lived in the Oranges - a skip and hop from Newark, New Jersey. Give her mad props! “For Manhattan,” DORO explains, “we would have needed permissions to film for each and every street corner — in the Bronx, nobody cares.” “We purposely trudged around the most rundown quarters in our video truck,” DORO elaborates. “The gangs that hung around there were watching every step of ours suspiciously. We felt anything but safe. I explained to the guys who we were and that ‘Raise Your Fist’ can be considered quite a critical song that names and shames the constantly growing injustice in the world.” When DORO off

Ensiferum - In My Sword I Trust (video)

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Oh Happy Day!!! My all time favourite Viking Metal band, Ensiferum have released a new video entitled "In My Sword I Trust" from their upcoming album Unsung Heroes . The album will be released via Spinefarm Records on September 18, 2012. Comments bassist Sammi Hinka: “The ‘In My Sword I Trust’ shoot took place in really nice medieval castle and it went really well even though it rained pretty much the whole time. It was great to work with such a professional team and we were lucky to get such great actors to help us out. Thank you one more time! The video tells about how ordinary town people rise up to rebel against a greedy and cruel king and the upper class. There will be swords, corpses and drinking; pretty much all you need for a great video! We are happy to present this new ENSIFERUM anthem to our fans around the world with the best music video we have ever made. Folk on!” http://www.ensiferum.com http://www.facebook.com/Ensiferum https://www.facebook.com/Spin

EVILE - In Dreams of Terror (video)

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OK - my hard on for the band EVILE is well documented! I flat out love the band. They kill it live. Here is the third video from their album FIVE SERPENT'S TEETH . This one is called In Dreams of Terror . I must warn you, it is fast. It is furious. It is blistering. Ol is a monster on guitar! Ben smash! (that's layman speak for Ben is very competent on drums). Jajajajajajaaja  In Dreams of Terror will cause a massive circle pit to erupt in your living room! You have been warned! Pick up Five Serpent's Teeth on AMAZON on Earache Records USA Webstore or on iTunes

Tom Jones - Spirit in the Room

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OMFG... Yes, at 70+ this man is still making women throw their knickers on stage at him. Tom Jones has a new album called Spirit In The Room and it's smokin'. Tom Jones is still kicking ass and taking names. He's making singers half and even 2/3 his age look like rank amateurs. Spirit in the Room opens with Tower of Song . It's Tom and a guitar. It embodies a southern feel that is prevalent throughout the album. The style fits his voice and the execution is spine tingling. Hit or Miss is an upbeat southern type rock type pop tone. Slide guitar, tambourines, and bongos. It's a summer time ride along with the top down kind of song. The message is uplifting as well, "...you got to believe in yourself...". It's no where near preachy, it's very light and airy just... aaahhhh. Bad As Me starts out with this weirdo sultan type flute and then a very bombastic Tom Jones vocals that ride over it. It's wickedness personified. I can see Mata Hari da

August Dance Party - Better Late Than Never

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I'm sure it's still Friday some where in the world, just not in Daegu, South Korea. It's early Saturday afternoon and I've totally spaced the Friday Night Dance Party! So so sorry! I actually spent the night knee deep in 30 Rock re-runs - getting my funny on! LOL But don't dispair! I've got your metal right here! For August, I'm giving you some killer live tunes! That's right, what good is dancing if you are dancing by yourself? So here are some live tunes by some killer bands that are sharing the music love with their fans! You feel free to share too! We are one big happy metal family! Starting off is my all time favourite HATE SQUAD . This video is from their Dynamo appearance in 1995 - Self Defense (is No Offense) . The perfect song to start the mosh pit in your living room! Some damn dexterous bass work by Jessie Sanchez of Bonded By Blood . This is the title track The Aftermath from their album... The Aftermath. One of the hardest tourin