Streaming Now! Dig Into Tasty Breakdowns And Catchy Choruses With Circa Arcana’s Debut “Bridget Vīgintī”
EP Stream Premiere via IDIOTEQ
New EP “Bridget Viginti” Out Feb 18th, 2022
L-R – Ben Reyes (Bass), Kevin Cangas (Vocals), Francisco Loya (Drums), Johny Serna (Guitar), Felipe Jasso (Guitar)
Photo Credit – Bryan Castro
Circa Arcana, from Texas, formed during the pandemic, and after trial and error, lots of ups and downs, and adjusting to a new way of collaborating, have a debut EP ready for the world to hear. They have already released two of the five tracks as video singles, and listeners eagerly dove into the cacophony of breakdowns juxtaposed with infectious choruses that are easy to sing along to. Guitarist Johny Serna explains the record:
“This EP touches on a lot of deep concepts. I have always been a believer that a song should be interpreted by the listener and in one’s personal interpretation one can find their meaning to the song. We do touch on dark themes, some personal stuff, and some dark conceptual stuff. But honestly, if you want to figure out meanings to the songs, you’re gonna have to dig a little deeper to figure those out! We incorporate a lot of symbolism on our social accounts, our videos, photos, etc. All I can say is if you enjoyed “Esoteric” and “The Tower” then you are definitely going to enjoy this release!”
Musically, the EP takes you through a journey, as you go through the record you can listen to all the nuances that you heard in the opening song “Ten Of Swords”. It is followed by “The Chariot”, the reckless powerhouse on the EP, three minutes of nonstop in-your-face aggression. Then comes the “arena metal” anthem “The Tower”, which is quick to pick up. Things get a bit lighter with “Luna”, a beautiful song with few screams. Closing the record is “Esoteric” the first song written for the band and the first single. It’s an eerie song, lyrically touching on the topic of addiction and overcoming it.
As a whole musically, the EP is a fast-paced rollercoaster to the face with the songs flowing together and showing a strong diversity in their music styles. Circa Arcana presents a solid first effort and is recommended for fans of Wage War, Like Moths To Flames and We Came As Romans.
“Bridget Vīgintī” is streaming now in full via IDIOTEQ.com before it officially drops on February 18th.
Track Listing:
1. Ten of Swords (5:42)
2. The Tower (4:31)
3. The Chariot (3:00)
4. Luna (4:28)
5. Esoteric (4:40)
EP Length: 22:19
EP Recording & Live Band Line Up:
Kevin Cangas – Vocals
Johny Serna – Guitar
Felipe Jasso – Guitar
Frank Loya – Drums
Ben Reyes – Bass
EP Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: CIRCA ARCANA
• All songs written by: CIRCA ARCANA
• Produced by: CIRCA ARCANA / JTS STUDIO PRODUCTIONS
• Mixed by: CHRIS HARD / RESARTUS PRODUCTIONS
• Mastered by: CHRIS HARD / RESARTUS PRODUCTIONS
• EP Artwork by: Kavan the Kid
“Do you like melodic metalcore? If you do, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy what Texas metalcore band Circa Arcana are doing with their newest single, “Esoteric”. Formed last year during the COVID-19 pandemic, you might not think it a good time for a new band to form, but art often flourishes during the darkest times. It’s no different for Circa Arcana – the band is currently finishing their first EP entitled Bridget Viginti, slated for later release in 2022. A decent comparison might be mid-period Killswitch Engage, It Dies Today, or even the underrated Diecast album Internal Revolution, as the band’s combination of bright melodies and aggression will fit right at home to fans of that style.” – New Fury Media
“Circa Arcana may have gotten started last year, but some of the members have been around in the El Paso for a WHILE. Their sound has compared to It Dies Today, I See Stars, Blessthefall & Howard Jones-era Killswitch Engage.” – Daniel Paulus – KLAQ 95.5 FM – El Paso, TX
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Streaming Now! Debut Album From CHOREOMANIC (PESTILENCE Bassist Joost van der Graaf’s Experimental Prog/Funk Project)
Album Stream Premiere via TheProgSpace
Self-Titled Debut Out February 18, 2022
CHOREOMANIC is the experimental prog / funk project created by bassist Joost van der Graaf (Pestilence, Dew-Scented, I CHAOS) when the world came to a halt in spring 2020 due to the Covid pandemic. With canceled tours and no local gigs, Graaf started writing music in which different influences from his past came together. The final product was an album that features twelve bass-orientated tracks experimenting in realms of prog, funk, and everything else on the planet that has musically inspired Graaf over his thirty-plus year career. The full length’s lyrical concept explores Choreomania, an uncontrollable urge to dance, especially in a frenzied, convulsive manner also known as the Medieval Dancing plagues. Graaf explains in further detail:
“In 2019, I became pretty obsessed by the mysterious dancing plagues of the middle-ages. I started reading different studies, learning about the different theories about the cause. It’s still one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in history! One of the theories that made the most sense to me is that people had been suppressed by the ruling class (church, inquisition) for generations. There was collective fear of God and let’s not forget about the black plague! So there was this anxiety relief at a certain point that became infectious and caused convulsions and psychotic dancing, resulting in exhaustion, dehydration, and even death. It spread across Europe and there were large gatherings in towns and villages with frantically dancing people, accompanied by traveling musicians and all kinds of interested parties. These things sometimes became true festivals with people selling food, etc. With today’s reality, the phenomenon seems to have become relevant once again! This project is not only a musical statement, but also a call to action against (cultural) oppression. May everyone move and create in freedom!”
For the record’s guest musicians, Graaf recruited drummer Koen Herfst (VandenBerg, I CHAOS, Dew-Scented), keyboardist Thijs Ronteltap (Disuse, Epistulum), saxophonist Tommie Freke (Gallow Street), trombonist Jeroen Verberne (Sjef’s Special) along with trumpeter and bugler Gidon Nunes Vaz. Once the full-length was mixed and mastered at Nutsville Noiselab, The Hague, the self-titled debut “CHOREOMANIC” was a fact and ready to take on the world.
Today, before the debut full length officially drops on February 18th, CHOREOMANIC has teamed up TheProgSpace for its full stream premiere HERE.
“This was a very personal effort containing numerous musical and lyrical influences on top of a metal-related energy. At this point, this is what comes out when I write without thinking. In that sense, personally, for me, this album is already a success because that was exactly my intention. I’m not even sure if there ARE any fans for this Frankenstein… I do know that fans of Pestilence for instance, or of one of the other death metal bands I was in, will probably be a bit surprised at least. I like to think that crazy people (like myself) will appreciate this… That would actually mean I will have a loooot of fans!!” adds Graaf.
Track Listing:
1. This Is Not A Drill (3:50)
2. Spun Sugar (2:45)
3. What You Get (3:26)
4. Red Flags (2:26)
5. Choreomanic (2:17)
6. Walk With Urgency (2:33)
7. Off With The Figurehead (2:18)
8. Time To Let It Out (2:08)
9. Calling God (4:28)
10. Take The Money Give It To Me Now (2:31)
11. Story About The Moon (2:46)
12. Away From The Sun (5:52)
Album Length: 37:25
Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: CHOREOMANIC
• All songs written by: Joost van der Graaf
• Produced by: Michiel Eilbracht & Joost van der Graaf
• Mixed by: Michiel Eilbracht
• Mastered by: Michiel Eilbracht
• Album Artwork by: Yvo Sprey
Album Recording Band Line Up:
Thijs Ronteltap – Keys
Jeroen Verberne – Trombone
Tommie Freke – Saxophone
Gidon Nunes Vaz – Trumpet & Bugle
Koen Herfst – Drums
Joost van der Graaf – Bass, Sampling, Voice & Percussion
About:
Dutch bassist Joost van der Graaf (1973) has been active in music since he was fourteen years old. In the early 90’s he toured Europe for the first time, as a bass player/ vocalist in Creepmime (Mascot Records), to promote the album ‘Chiaroscuro’. After Creepmime he studied music in Amsterdam and became a working musician, performing and teaching.
In the new millennium, Joost co-formed I CHAOS (RITF records, Suburban distr.) The band released two albums: ‘The Human Repellent’ and ‘Masterbleeder’. In this period he was also a stand-in bassist for Sinister, touring Russia.
In 2012, he became a permanent member of GermanThrashers Dew-Scented (Metalblade), releasing three full-lengths with them up to 2018: ‘Icarus’, ‘Insurgent’ & ‘Intermination’. The band toured extensively through Europe but also in Japan, together with renowned bands from the international metal scene (Testament, Exodus, Death Angel, and others).
Joost teaches ‘Bass Skills’ and ‘Band Development’ at The Metal Factory in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Since 2019 he proudly plays with Dutch iconic act Pestilence (Agonia Records) appearing on the album ‘Exitivm’.
In 2020, he started working on his own project CHOREOMANIC, in which different musical influences from his past come together. Obviously one of these influences is metal, but also other styles like funk & prog.
His self-titled debut album CHOREOMANIC will be out on February 18, 2022.
Joost van der Graaf’s Discography:
2022 – Choreomanic – Self-Titled (Self-Release)
2021 – Pestilence – Exitivm (Agonia Records)
2015 – Dew-Scented – Intermination (Metal Blade Records)
2015 – Dew-Scented – Immersed – 7#split EP (Metal Blade Records)
2015 – I Chaos – Masterbleeder (RITF Records/Suburban Distribution)
2013 – Dew-Scented – Insurgent (Metal Blade Records)
2012 – Dew-Scented – Icarus (Metal Blade Records)
2011 – I Chaos – The Human Repellent (RITF Records/Suburban Distribution)
2009 – I Chaos – Self-Titled – EP (Self-Release)
2008 – Cypher – MMVIII – EP (Self-Release)
1995 – Creepmime – Chiaroscuro (Mascot Records)
Endorsed by:
Ibanez , Peavey, Tech 21, DR Strings, Rock n Soul
– 30 –
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Rockshots Records – ANNIKEN Unveils Debut Single / Title Track Off Upcoming Album “Climb Out of Hell” Due Out May 2022
Rockshots Records is proud to announce their signing of Norwegian solo metal artist Anniken for the release of her debut album “Climb Out of Hell” due out May 2022.
Anniken has been a part of the Norwegian heavy metal scene for years with her band Darkest Sins, the studio project Ana – Metal for Charity, as well as being a part of her husband Marius Danielsen’s trilogy Legend of Valley Doom, both in the studio and with the live band. While in Darkest Sins she opened for bands such as Anthrax, Jorn, TNT, and UDO along with Legend of Valley Doom she has worked with legendary musicians such as Ralf Scheepers, Amanda Somerville, Roland Grapow, Matt Barlow, Doogie White, Jennifer Batten, and also actor John Rhys-Davies from the Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones movies.
Writing her own songs and having a profound love of lyrics, Anniken is now progressing into her solo endeavours. A few of the songs on “Climb Out of Hell” are co-written with her husband Marius Danielsen.
Anniken comments about her first full-length:
“To release my solo album is both incredibly exciting and completely terrifying at the same time. As part of a band, you do not feel as vulnerable. But here I stand alone. Completely exposed and I really hope that people will love this album as much as I do. It is not quite the same as any of my former projects. This is just me, just Anniken. My songs, my stories. It doesn’t easily fit into one specific metal subgenre, but I don’t like being labeled anyway. I wanted the album to be melodic and heavy with hints of all my inspirations such as Metallica, Pink, Iron Maiden, and Linkin Park, while at the same time not sounding like any of them.”
Anniken‘s plan to become a solo artist has always been there. Some of the songs on this album were written years ago by her. She has enjoyed being a part of a band and therefore did not prioritize this project in the past.
“It is fun to write with other artists and see how the songs turn out both in the studio and live. But writing with others also means to compromise. And that is one of the main reasons behind starting my solo project. I wanted to show what I could do, without the guys (yes, the bands I’ve played with always consisted of all guys and me). It is, unfortunately, easy to underestimate female artists in metal. At least, that is my experience. There aren’t as many women within the genre as there are men. Very often I experienced that people just assumed everything was written by the men in the group. I don’t mind being “just the singer”, but I would love to show the world that I am, in fact, more.” adds Anniken.
Anniken‘s album features nine tracks to expose new fans to not only a musical experience, but also a lyrical one.
“Firstly, I want people to enjoy the music. Secondly, I want them to notice the lyrics. I love listening to music while reading them and trying to understand the stories that are being told. I hope that the listeners feel the same way. I like to also add, that some of the songs were written a while back. I had others that didn’t make the cut. The song Star was originally a song my husband and I wrote for our band Darkest Sins. It was part of our first release. I have always loved the song and I have wanted to do my own version of the song for a long time. The song No Name was the last song I wrote for the album. I had decided the album needed one more song, but kept postponing writing it. Since we didn’t have a title, we just wrote “No Name” in the plan for the studio, and eventually, I came to love that title, so I decided to write a song with the title No Name. I always have ideas for songs; in my head, on my phone, or written down in notebooks. There will be more music. As long as there is a want for it, I will make it.”
A varied metal album that is melodic, raw, and catchy, there are different types of songs for every kind of metal fan. Some slow, some fast, most of them heavy. Some of the songs have a deeper meaning to them, while others are just exactly what you think they are.
Today, in preview to the record’s release, Anniken is sharing the lyric video for its first single and its title track, which can be watched and heard at the following link:
“This song was born from the phrase “and because I’ve been broken too, I recognize the pieces of you”, which I wrote after someone asked me how I could tell that a person in our lives was hurting before they told us. It was supposed to be a ballad, but the results were a faster, more Iron Maiden-inspired song. That happens a lot, though. I think I am writing a ballad, but my songs just keep wanting to be heavy. And the results are better for it.”
Track Listing:
1. Spotlight (3:52)
2. Climb Out of Hell (3:58)
3. Back Then (4:12)
4. Just Walk (5:05)
5. Keep the Light (4:15)
6. Star (4:49)
7. No Name (4:04)
8. Save Us (4:48)
9. Amplified (3:17)
Album Length: 38:23
Album Credits:
– All songs are written by Anniken, tracks 6,7 and 8 are co-written with Marius Danielsen.
– Cover/art is a compilation of two paintings by Sylvie Rasmussen, Anniken’s grandmother.
– Album is produced by Marius Danielsen.
– All lyrics are written by Anniken, except for the lyrics for Star, which are co-written with Marius Danielsen
Vocals: Anniken
Guitar and Bass by: Marius Danielsen
Orchestrations by: Gabriels (Tracks 1,2,3,4,6,7,9), Peter Danielsen (Tracks 5,6)
Drums by: Alessandro Kelvin
Choirs by: Marius Danielsen, David Åkesson
Growl vocals by: Brandon Bordman
Solos by: Gabriels (Track 1), Bill Hudson (Tracks 2,5), Nick Giannakos (Track 3), Fredrik Enochson (Track 4), Tommy Johansson (Track 5), Jimmy Hedlund (Track 6), Nils Courbaron (Track 7), Marius Danielsen (Track 8), Terry Wapram (Track 9)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
“We play the kind of music that we want to listen to and see live. It’s why this band started and why it’s still going after all these years. “Lettin’ It Fly!” is the next phase of our love affair with rock ‘n’ roll. We need to write and perform rock ‘n’ roll in the same way people need to eat and sleep. It’s something we have to do and will always do. We’re extremely proud of the work that we put into this album, and we feel we’ve stepped up our game in terms of songwriting and our recorded performance. We’re excited to incorporate these songs into our live show and for a wider audience to hear what we feel is our strongest record to date.” – B.J. Lisko – Guitar/Vocals – Turbo Lovers
For fans AC/DC, Kiss, Danko Jones, Backyard Babies
Album / Single Title: Lettin’ It Fly! Release Date: February 4, 2022 Label: Self-Release Distribution: Self-Release
“These never-say-die soldiers are the sole sleazers in their luckless mid-US town, yet they make a genre-hopping trucker metal juggernaut that easily straddles The Supersuckers and Y&T in the same goddamn song. – Classic Rock Magazine
“The pride of Youngstown, Ohio. Their headbanging take on AC/DC, shit-kicker country and 80s metal is low-brow and rabble rousing. – Classic Rock Magazine
“Aging rock ‘n’ roll lifers from the guts of Ohio use their arena rock illusions to create an impressively overblown collection of balls-out chug, sort of like Guns N’ Roses with male pattern baldness, bills to pay, and a flabby with that won’t stop bitchin’ at them. Desperation rock lives. Here’s the proof. – Classic Rock Magazine
“Turbo Lovers are, officially, from the worst town in America: Youngstown, Ohio, known far and wide for its off-the-charts unemployment and high school dropout rates, to say nothing of the subsequent crime sprees such circumstances foster. Naturally, they sound like a trailer park Judas Priest robbing a gas station.” – Classic Rock Magazine
“Youngstown’s Turbo Lovers shake rock ‘n’ roll to its very foundation and deliver it in its most basic and timeless form. – Cleveland Free Times
“Fun rock that is light-hearted and unpretentious. Oozing bravado, you can’t help but enjoy the music from this extremely likeable trio.”– Powerplay Magazine
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STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS: 1. B.J. Lisko is a journalist of 20 years generally focusing on music, professional wrestling, stand-up comedy and other entertainment. He also writes for wrestling star and Fozzy frontman Chris Jericho’s wrestling and rock news site, WebIsJericho.com. In his career, he’s interviewed literally thousands of notable entertainers including Gene Simmons, Bill Maher, Chris Tucker, Mike Tyson, Chris Jericho, Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens, Lisa Lampanelli, Jim Norton, Doug Stanhope, Eddie Money, Belinda Carlisle, Phil Collen, LeAnn Rimes, Henry Rollins, Alan Thicke, Bruce Campbell, Lewis Black, Weird Al Yankovic, Tom Hamilton, Andrew Dice Clay, Lou Gramm, Norm Macdonald, Bob Saget, Louie Anderson and Jake “The Snake” Roberts to name a few.
2. Turbo Lovers are named after the Judas Priest song and sometimes get confused as a Judas Priest tribute band, especially when we play with tribute acts. The venue where this was most confusing to people was when we used to play at the bar owned by former Judas Priest singer, Tim “Ripper” Owens. So in certain situations, we have to really tag ourselves as “original rock” on posters and in social media posts, but they’re still is the occasional confusion.
3. Turbo Lovers was sort of a tongue-in-cheek name, to begin with. That’s a polarizing Judas Priest album to a lot of people, but we love it. The reason the name stuck was the band’s debut record unknowingly at the time received a good review in Classic Rock Magazine. So we sort of got stuck with it, but it’s always been a talking point, and a lot of time because that song and album is so polarizing with a lot of metal fans, it makes our name stand out and easier to remember.
4. At one show at the Agora in Cleveland, a crackhead wandered in, as they sometimes do, and stole a giant armful of our T-shirts. A week or so later, there was a news story about heroin deaths in Cleveland and the footage shot was of some random, sketchy folks walking down the street with their faces blurred. What wasn’t blurred was the matching Turbo Lovers shirts they were wearing. So, even though we lost about $100 in merch, I suppose we can chalk that up as an advertising expense. Not real sure what target audience that hits, but they say all press is good press, so what can ya do?
5. We kind of pride ourselves on being able to play with a giant variety of bands. In one particular 2-week stretch, we opened for 80s rock legends Loverboy at the Canton Palace, then we played with masked surf rock madmen, Daikaiju at a hole-in-the-wall dive, then we opened for an AC/DC tribute band at the bar owned by former Judas Priest singer, Tim “Ripper” Owens. And we went over great at all three shows!
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Album / Single Title: Lettin’ It Fly! Release Date: February 4, 2022 Label: Self-Release Distribution: Self-Release
Track Listing: 1. Should’ve Known Better (4:26) 2. Reasons That We Rhyme (3:19) 3. Too Cocky (4:27) 4. Lettin’ It Fly (3:45) 5. Gave Me A Sign (3:50) 6. Almost Great (3:22) 7. Finally Home (3:22) 8. Under Pressure (3:46) 9. Rockers Extraordinaire (4:23) Album Length: 34:42
Album Recording Credits: • All songs performed by: Turbo Lovers • All songs written by: Turbo Lovers • Produced by: Dave Piatek • Mixed by: Dave Piatek and Keith Dougherty • Mastered by: Dave Piatek • Album Artwork by: B.J. Lisko • Member of ASCAP
Album and Live Band Line Up: B.J. Lisko – Guitar/Vocals Keith Dougherty – Bass/Backing vocals Christian DeSantis – Drums
The album as a whole explained by the band:
Well, they’re complicated songs about complicated things. That’s obviously a joke. It’s 35 minutes of rocking, drinking, gambling, sex, and more rocking. We used to describe our live set as “35 minutes of ‘Whole Lotta Rosie,’ give or take. That’s still fairly accurate and is pretty apropos for “Lettin’ It Fly!”
Track by Track explained by the band:
1. Should’ve Known Better – A super anthemic, up-tempo and catchy tune. Lyrically, a lot of people will probably think that it references being in a bad relationship, and the lyrics could certainly read that way. It’s actually a really hooky tune about getting hooked on drugs, something that happened to me (and that’s happened to about a billion other people), after a bad car accident and more than a year’s worth of ultra-cheap painkiller prescriptions. It was pretty awesome until the drugs ran out. Then it was a total pain in the ass being hooked on something you once needed, but now we’re also physically dependent on.
2. Reasons That We Rhyme – If there’s a paint-by-numbers Turbo Lovers track, this is probably it. An AC/DC-influenced rocker that’s lyrically about falling for the wrong person, realizing it, then trying to break away. AC/DC is the band that inspired me to pick up a guitar in the first place, so naturally, a lot of what we do is rooted in their style.
3. Too Cocky – “Too Cocky” was a song I’m not sure we expected to come out as good as it did. It’s nice when you hear the final mix in the studio and it exceeds expectations. It’s an AC/DC-style tune with more cowbell that’s about people frowning upon bands that put on a bombastic stage show. People sometimes mistake confidence for arrogance. This song is about rock stars being rock stars and putting on a show. The video we shot for this reflects this attitude. It’s a slight nod to the “Bohemian Rhapsody” scene in Wayne’s World, and the whole goal was to make a ridiculous and fun video.
4. Lettin’ It Fly – The first song written for this album quickly stood out as the title track. It’s a Judas Priest/Turbonegro-inspired jam with lyrics that are about as subtle as a brick shithouse. It’s about getting down and dirty and quite literally letting it fly. A filthy song about filthy sex.
5. Gave Me A Sign – If there’s a track on the album that maybe leans a little more towards a modern rock sound, this is it. A hard-rocking song with a big catchy chorus, lyrically it’s about finding someone that makes you feel great about yourself.
6. Almost Great – The previous engineer we worked with used to have a nice way of saying when a recording take sucked. He’d say, “Well, it was almost great.” That sort of describes Turbo Lovers in the sense that we feel like we missed the rock scene that we love by a few decades. So, we love rocking in 2022, but we’d love for this band to be existing in 1987. So we started saying, “Well, it was almost great,” to describe shows where the crowd was weird or when we’ve almost gotten a big break with certain support dates. It’s a bit of an inside joke, but it kind of applies to the rock scene in general nowadays. A lot of the time it’s almost great. Musically, this one is inspired by classic AC/DC.
7. Finally Home – Finally home is directly inspired by UK rock band Massive Wagons, who are one of the best newer rock bands out there. It’s got a bit more of a punk rock feel, and lyrically it’s about getting back on stage after not being able to do so during the height of the pandemic. The idea was to write a big anthem for rocking out live again without any cares. Hopefully everyone can get back to that in 2022.
8. Under Pressure – A super catchy song about nearly having a mental breakdown, “Under Pressure,” was inspired by Rick Springfield and AC/DC. It’s really a simple tune but another with a big gang vocal chorus tailor-made for a singalong. We can’t wait to play this one live.
9. Rockers Extraordinaire – A rock song about rocking. This one has a bit of a Social Distortion-meets-Supersuckers feel, and lyrically it’s about a lifelong love affair with rock ‘n’ roll.
L-R: Keith Dougherty (Bass/Backing Vocals) | B.J. Lisko (Guitar/Vocals) | Christian DeSantis (Drums) Photo credit – Gary Leininger
Turbo Lovers is a rock ’n’ roll power trio from Youngstown, Ohio that’s equal parts bravado, swagger and fun. Often chastised for taking their name from what some consider the worst Judas Priest album in history, the band’s sound is more akin to AC/DC, The Wildhearts, and Kiss than the New Wave of British Heavy Metal Gods. But yeah, there’s a little Priest in ‘em, too.
“Lettin’ It Fly” is the band’s new 9-track album, and it’s straight-up, infectious, and unpretentious rock.
“We’re sort of like AC/DC and Danko Jones in that with each album we’ll have a few surprises here and there, but it’s reliable working-class rock ’n’ roll,” said guitarist/singer B.J. Lisko. “It’s all about hooks and solid songs, and we feel like we’ve got plenty of those on the new album.”
The band’s steady stream of support shows opening for the likes of Warrant, Kix, Loverboy, Sebastian Bach, Slaughter, Reverend Horton Heat, Blaze Bayley, and Stephen Pearcy, among others, has netted it a solid fan base, and the racket made by three Ohio rock lifers has turned quite a few heads, as well.
The band originally started as a recording project for Lisko before morphing into somewhat of a revolving door of drummers and bass players. Bassist Keith Dougherty and drummer Christian DeSantis joined the band in late 2011, and have been in tow ever since.
“Turbo Lovers didn’t really become Turbo Lovers, officially, until these guys joined,” Lisko said. “It’s a cohesive unit now, and I couldn’t imagine doing this with anybody else.”
Discography: 2018 – Almost Greatest Hits – EP/compilation 2015 – Over The Hump – LP 2013 – Hopelessly Addicted – LP 2013 – Classic Rock Magazine sampler issue No. 191 2011 – A Hot Minute – EP 2010 – Classic Rock Magazine sampler issue No. 150 2009 – Roll Your Vice – LP (Cracked Piston Recordings) 2008 – Outstanding – LP (Cracked Piston Recordings) 2006 – Cock of the Walk – LP (Cracked Piston Recordings) 2005 – Glamnation Vol. 2 compilation (272 Records) 2004 – No Longer Attractive – LP (Cracked Piston Recordings) 2003 – Snake Oil Supercharm, a tribute to Zodiac Mindwarp & the Love Reaction compilation (Sleazegrinder Records)
Shared Stage with: Loverboy, Kix, Sebastian Bach, Warrant, Jackyl, Slaughter, Stephen Pearcy, Sponge, Reverend Horton Heat, Blaze Bayley, Puddle of Mudd, Tantric, Fozy Shazam, Electric Frankenstein, The Hookers
Tours and Festivals: 2019 – Ribs-N-Rock Festival, Boardman, Ohio 2019 – It’s Only Rock Fest, Youngstown, Ohio 2018 – It’s Only Rock Fest, Youngstown, Ohio 2017 – It’s Only Rock Fest, Youngstown, Ohio 2009-2015 – Pabstolutely, Youngstown, Ohio
Experimental Extreme Music Norway’s YAWN Presents Their Futuristic, Chaotic “Tokamak IV : Critical Mass” Off “Materialism”
Debut Album “Materialism” Out Feb 18th via Mindsweeper Records
L-R – Mike McCormick – Guitar/Electronics, Simen Wie – Bass, Tarjei Kjerland Lienig – Synthesizer, Torfinn Lysne – Guitar, Oskar Johnsen Rydh – Drums
(Photographer Credit: Emil Vestre)
YAWN; coming from Norway, are releasing their second single off their upcoming debut “Materialism”, a fresh take on metal with jazz and prog overtones. Three pieces of music broken into shorter movements combine to make just over 37 minutes of a full continuous piece of music. The band explains what the listener can expect with “Tokamak IV : Critical Mass”:
“’Critical Mass’ is the second part of the piece titled ‘Tokamak’. The track is mostly based on a repetitive guitar phrase going over and over, printing itself in your memory whether you want it or not. The melody was based on a simple conversation between Oskar and Torfinn: “Why do we limit our tonal language to the chromatic scale, dividing notes only down to the semitones? Why not dive into the world of quartertones?” A few guitar-tunings later, we ended up with this simple, but catchy melody going on and on in both our heads, the following week. The melody continues on throughout the piece called ‘Tokamak’”
YAWN takes inspiration from their favourite artist and genres and then completely turns it upside down as they inject their improvisation into the mix. Taking it a step further they create their own software to digitally process the instruments. Prewritten music is composed by Oskar and Torfinn, all algorithms and code digitally treating/processing the music is written and performed by Mike McCormick and all three of them contribute to the improvised parts.
It is important to the band to discover and develop the most obscure song ideas that normally wouldn’t fit into the context of the common musical genres. All tools are allowed, with a common goal of creating interesting sounds. These 3-year-old preferences are the fundamentals of the final piece “Materialism”, which is recommended for fans of Car Bomb, Vildhjarta, and Gojira.
Listen to “Tokamak IV : Critical Mass” at the following links:
Track Listing:
1. Cement III : Gobsmack (2:35)
2. Cement III : Fall Out (1:50)
3. Cement III : Restart, Reload, Rebuild (3:35)
4. Chaos I : Artificial Superstition (2:34)
5. Chaos I : Greed (1:51)
6. Chaos I : ISM (3:21)
7. Chaos I : Untelligence (1:26)
8. Chaos I : Order (0:40)
9. Lachrymator II : Lignite (2:28)
10. Lachrymator II : Erebus & Terror (2:33)
11. Lachrymator II : Tripwire (2:36)
12. Lachrymator II : Unstoppable force (1:57)
13. Tokamak IV : Immovable Object (2:45)
14. Tokamak IV : Critical Mass (1:21)
15. Tokamak IV : Fluorescence & Entropy (3:48)
16. Tokamak IV : Confluence (2:03)
Album Length: 37:31
As 2022 begins, Yawn stands at the ready with their first full-length release: “Materialism.” The album reflects the band’s vision of bringing improvisation-based music to the fore in the context of modern concert production. The album features beautiful improvised soundscapes combined with aesthetics drawn from modern progressive metal bands like Meshuggah, Car Bomb, and Vildhjarta.
Yawn’s live performances have been described as a magical experience where improvised, open, and formless soundscapes seamlessly transform into and away from machine- precise rhythms, all without warning from the performers on stage.
Since the band’s debut in 2020, Yawn has released their first single “Cement,” toured across southern Norway, and played for 15000 housebound viewers during a streaming concert from Chateau Neuf in Oslo shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic reached Norway. After the release of Materialism on February 18th, 2022, the band will embark on a European release tour from February 25th to March 9th.
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Rockshots Records – THE HUMAN TORNADO’s New Music Video “What I’m Waiting For”
New Album “Love Is Démodé” Out March 11, 2022
THE HUMAN TORNADO will be unleashing their new album “Love Is Démodé” this coming March via Rockshots Records and in preview to its release, the band is sharing their third single “What I’m Waiting For” with a new music video.
“It’s so easy calling someone crazy for talking to themselves in front of a mirror. This song was born from the madness distinguishing each one of us and from the eternal struggle between body and mind. It musically represents the swing of moods and the physical and psychological natural consequences of this inner challenge someone may have.” adds the band.
Offering a slab of smashing knock-out heavy groove rock, The Human Tornado‘s “Love Is Démodé” follows their 2016 debut record “Storm In A Ketchup” (Hidden Stone Records). Since their inception in 2014, the band has been making shockwaves out of their home country of Italy supporting touring bands such as Twelve Foot Ninja, Destrage, and Crazy Town.
The album was self-produced by The Human Tornado with mixing and mastering done by Marco Paradisi at Boat Studio. The album features ten hurricane tour de force tracks that will leave fans breathless and eager to set the track listing on repeat from beginning to end. The lyrical concept behind the album is love, one of the strongest feelings of deep affection. It has different aspects and it can be addressed to another person, an animal, or a passion. But, if it’s pure, this doesn’t matter. The band explains further:
“For some years this feeling of love has been declining, going out of fashion. In fact, in our society finding people loving what they do is increasingly difficult and often image, power, success are the most important aspects of life. Moreover, these goals are more and more often achieved by means of questionable actions and negative feelings. In this album we want to express our idea of love in particular towards music, showing in every single song even the dark and negative sides coming from love in our life.”
“Love Is Démodé” will be available on March 11th via Rockshots Records and available for pre-order at https://bit.ly/THT_CD
“Hello everybody! We’re proud to announce the entry into The Human Tornado family of the super talented Gianmarco “Jam” Bognanni. We take this opportunity to thank and greet Maximiliano “Max” Giglio who decided, for personal reasons, to leave the project. We wish him the best whatever the path he decides to take.”
Track Listing:
1. It’s Never Too Late (3:11)
2. Dreamland (3:19)
3. What I’m Waiting For (3:45)
4. The Iron King (3:12)
5. Great Unknown (3:53)
6. Last Embrace (4:06)
7. Free (4:05)
8. Kill! Kill! Kill! (3:26)
9. Compromise (3:31)
10. Black Mind Hole (5:28)
Album Length: 38:03
Band Lineup:
Roberto “Rob” Montanari – Vocals
Simone “Goro” Gorini – Guitar
Maximiliano -”Max” Giglio – Guitar
Arash “Ash” Saboori – Bass
Lorenzo “Law” Trentin – Drums
Album Credits:
– All songs Written, Produced and Arranged by The Human Tornado
– Recorded at Boat Studio, Calderara di Reno (BO) – Italy
– Mixed and Mastered by Marco Paradisi at Boat Studio, Calderara di Reno (BO) – Italy
– Design, Artwork and Layout by Antonio “Mantra” Magro
More info:
Rockshots.eu
Facebook.com/THTofficial
Instagram.com/thehumantornadoband
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Caveat has been making music together for the better part of two decades and in that time they have put out five records, the most recent of which is the soon-to-be-released “Alchemy” that has been a few years in the making. This long-running band has made a name for themselves in the Canadian metal scene all the while refusing to be constricted to the genre rules and employing a vast array of influences and techniques in their music. This upcoming full-length is no different as it is progressive, aggressive and keeps the listener on their toes as they experience this complex and detailed musical offering.
The band says that they have been getting steadily more progressive since 2004 when guitarist Joe Sikorski joined the fray. With him, he brought many possibilities in the realm of guitar harmonies and his virtuosic skills as a soloist. They continue to say that they definitely peaked as far as technical prowess on 2006’s Red, but the twin guitars, cross vocalization and wide variety of styles and songs have been a trademark of Caveat for almost 20 years. There is still innovation to be had though which they explain further:
“The creation of Alchemy has been one that has taken a few years to come to fruition, due to the stage and challenges of the modern world, but with that, we feel like the subject matter and music is more relevant than ever dealing with subjects such as addiction, the loss of a loved one, personal growth and even finding that light at the end of the tunnel. Being the band is now going on two decades of making music together, Alchemy is the first album putting newest member Amanda Marie Bourdon on lead vocal duties. She joined during the recording of our last album showing a glimpse of her vocal potential; this time around Amanda steps into the limelight as the main vocalist, which still sharing vocal duties with Greg Musgrave, but offering a new, fresh take on the Caveat sound taking the listener to uncharted territories that have turned out amazing.”
Once again, Caveat proves that they still have a trick up their sleeves and are fully prepared to give fans something new and enticing, yet familiar to enjoy. Heavily focused on personal experiences, the lyrics on “Alchemy” are both dark and light with switches in feeling and; mood ever-changing throughout the album.
Recommended for fans of Devin Townsend, Megadeth, and Meshuggah, “Alchemy” releases officially on February 11th and can be heard in full via its album stream premiere on TheProgSpace HERE.
Caveat was formed in mid-2001 by founding members Greg Musgrave on guitar and vocals, Jawad Baloch on drums & Terry Baldwin on bass & backing vocals. Shortly afterward Casey Rogers was asked to join as the new drummer of Caveat. This lineup would go on to record and release the debut album ‘The Biggest Secret’, which they released on May 14th of 2003.
After supporting the album, Caveat decided to expand and recruited Joe Sikorski in 2004 to the second guitar, who had been playing with Thorazine since the mid-’90s.
During 2005 Caveat partnered up with Scarab Productions to record and release a self-titled EP, which ended up landing on numerous campus radio charts and found the band playing larger shows than ever before. After parting ways with Scarab Production in late 2006, the sound of the band evolved yet again, writing more progressive and technical sounding songs, resulting in their 2007 magnum opus full-length album entitled ‘Red’.
To release ‘Red’ Caveat partnered up with Toronto-based indie record label Cyclone Records. To the band’s delight, ‘Red’ was very well received in the metal community and the band played more than ever in & around Western Canada.
Just prior to the release of ‘Red’ several members would branch off and form the deathgrind side project Exit Strategy with Shane Hawco (ex-Thorazine). Exit Strategy quickly became popular in the Western Canadian extreme metal scene. In 2008, after a successful several-year run, Caveat would elect to go into indefinite hiatus to focus on Exit Strategy.
Five years later saw the brief reformation of the band when Calgary Metalfest organizer ‘Big’ Nate Reno asked Caveat to reform to play the inaugural festival in the summer of 2013, and the band obliged. Original bassist Terry Baldwin elected to not be involved with the reunion show, so Caveat turned to former Verbal Deception and current Illuminated Minerva bass player Matt Petti to handle bass duties for the Metalfest performance. After that short hiatus, the band officially reformed at the end of 2014 with Matt Petti replacing Terry Baldwin permanently on bass duties.
Songwriting began for a new album while playing a handful of shows and several metal festivals across western Canada. Recording began in May 2015 and the new album entitled ‘Consummation’ was released on June 24th, 2016. ‘Consummation’ was also a moment of further evolution of Caveat, as local musician Amanda Marie Bourden was asked to join the band as keyboard player and second lead vocalist. Amanda accepted the invitation, and her powerful vocals were featured throughout ‘Consummation’ providing a great contrast to Greg’s clean & brutal vocal attack.
In 2017 and 2018, writing commenced for the album and would feature new vocalist Amanda as more of the primary voice in the new material. This culminated into the most diverse ambitious collection of songs to date. Then in late 2019, recording began for the new album with both Joe and Casey handling main production duties this time. Production was completed in late 2020, but due to the Covid pandemic-related shutdowns, the band decided to shelve its release for the duration of 2021 as a result.
Now Caveat’s delayed fifth album, entitled ‘Alchemy’, is for release in early 2022, and once again Caveat promises to deliver a majestic metallic assault on the senses. Stay tuned and expect the unexpected.
Album and Live Band Line Up:
Amanda Marie Bourdon: Vocals & Keyboards
Greg Musgrave: Guitar & Vocals
Joe Sikorski: Guitars
Matt Petti: Bass
Casey Rogers: Drums
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Blasting “Alpha Particles” Toronto’s DEPLETED URANIUM Unleash New Animated Video
Video Premiere via Bravewords
New Album “Origins” Out Now!
L-R – Corey (Bass), Nick (Drums), Murray (Guitar, Vocals), Babak (Vocals)
Photo Credit – Heather E. Wilson
Toronto’s Depleted Uranium are blasting out a nuclear fallout of grindcore, math-metal, and power-violence with their new music video “Alpha Particles”, which is only the start of their two-part animated video story that will continue with “Beta Particles” later this month. The videos are in support of the band’s new album “Origins”, unleashed on Jan 28th of this year.
The band explains “Alpha Particles” in further detail:
“Alpha Particles was an early abomination from within the first 4 rehearsals as Depleted Uranium, prior to having a bass player. It was the song that defined us at that time and instantly became a favourite to play live and at rehearsal. It was also our first 5/4 time in a song, which aided future songwriting and it evolved our dual vocals, which are existential and abstract. First released on our 3 song demo in 2006, Alpha Particles was later recorded in Summer 2010 for the Origins recording, 1 take live off the floor.”
Watch and listen to the decay of the heaviest metal elements from “Alpha Particles” via its video premiere on Bravewords HERE.
“Origins” is a fast, aggressive 20-minute journey with existential lyrics delivered with full throttle vocals, coupled with technical melodies and harmonies that bring you to your bad place. It is meant to obliterate negative energy and make life a better place as everyone has something to scream for or about.
“It has been a long time since the recording of Origins. Life, death, and everything in between have blessed and burdened us along our journey. Some say “it is not relevant” or “why not release new material”; for us, this is unreleased material and it’s part of our journey of perspective, and accompanied by the pandemic lockdown. We’ve never been a band to do what people expect, so expect us to do things differently and to not fit in as that’s part of us. That being said, we will always attempt to deliver 100% in music and writing, rehearsing and performing our music, with or without a witness as to us, our time together is sacred, meaningful, and requires sacrifice from all members to exist.” adds the band.
“Origins” is Depleted Uranium‘s history of who they are and where they come from. It is meant to be listened to in reference to their self-titled, debut release; to give a perspective that will also further be referenced in their future releases. Both lyrics and music hold a high tension and are expressed without hesitation. Both are relevant to their time and space of creation and are embodied with existential yet direct meaning. The album as a whole is a statement of youth being dissatisfied with the existing conditions of reality and channeling our experience into what it is today. “If one cannot withstand the hot glow of anger upon the discovery of a wrong, then time is wasted thinking deeply”. Depleted Uranium‘s band name, their lyrics, and their music are a product of the system with the right individuals as the recipe. Their message on Origins” is to strive from personal freedom and to focus on what you want rather than what you don’t.
Loud, technical, and confident, “Origins” is recommended for fans of Converge, Charles Bronson, and Dillinger Escape Plan.
The album is available on all digital platforms along with the physical CD including an exclusive bonus track available on Depleteduranium238.bandcamp.com.
“The music (which could be thought of as a blending of powerviolence and math metal) genuinely sounds insane — furiously so — and yet something about the experience makes sense. Not just because it sounds like people throwing away mental shackles and conventions, but also because the music simultaneously gets its hooks in your head. There’s a sense of order and precision of execution in it, at the same time as it seems completely disruptive of order.” – No Clean Singing
“Aside from grind, you’re getting a decent dose of mathcore, but even more often, the music veers into territory that I think would appeal to screamo fans. These parts are governed by clean-ish, anguished vocals and additionally infused with melancholy by the guitar. While they do the most to define the mood of the album, I’d still hesitate to pigeonhole it, as the band pivots from style to style often enough to give the music a nicely weird, free-form feel. If you’d like a take on the post-nuclear apocalypse that isn’t filled with boring zombies and mutants, look no further.” – Toilet Ov Hell
“All in all, “Origins” pretty much kicked me in the balls and announces that here is a new force to be reckoned with in the grindcore world.” – Wormwood Chronicles
“It’s carnage but carnage you’ll want to experience over and over again.” – Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life
“Origins is a deliciously disgusting album, there transpires a form of sincerity, without artifice or make-up. In about twenty minutes, Depleted Uranium will take you apart like a puzzle! This music is so visceral that it explodes the stomach and the ears.” – Aux Portes du Metal
“‘Origins’ is not only an impressive feat for a one take live performance, but it really has a lot of violent energy and the twenty minutes or so flies in. You sometimes find that powerviolence/grindcore can be a little one note (I know, I know, it’s kinda the point) but Depleted Uranium’s work has a lot more variety to it and isn’t merely noise for music’s sake. If you like your music ugly, visceral and yet a bit thought provoking then Depleted Uranium are going to be for you!” – The Killchain Blog
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Rockshots Records – New Music Video – Ride SANDNESS’ Rock n’ Roll “High Tide”
New Album “Play Your Part” Out May 2022
Italian classic 80’s hair metal-inspired band SANDNESS will be releasing their fourth studio album entitled “Play Your Part” this coming May 2022 via Rockshots Records. The album follows their two previous released records on Rockshots Records, 2020 EP “Enter Please (2020) and 2019 LP “Untamed”.
The new album is produced, mixed and mastered by Michele Guaitoli and features twelve original tracks including a bonus cover version of KISS’ “Turn On The Night”. The lyrics written for the full length give an insight to how the band kept themselves busy and entertained during the first lockdown in the spring of 2020.
The band comments:
““Play Your Part” is a different kind of animal from our previous releases, due to the lockdown, we had more time to think and work on the songs. We also worked a lot more with our producer Michele, who helped us bring our music to the next level. The new album is more mature and inspired by different styles: hard rock, classic rock, heavy metal, 70’s rock n’ roll, but also pop music from different decades. Overall, we want people to feel good when they listen to our songs. We feel our music brings you to a dimension where everything is solvable with some dance moves or some headbanging. Give you the bright side of things to escape the difficult times.”
Today, SANDNESS shares the first single off the full length. Entitled “High Tide”, the record’s opening track is heavily influenced by the rock gods of the 70’s. Producer Michele Guaitoli came up with the idea to add rock piano on the track, which gives it an Elton John influence.
Since their first independent release in 2010, Sandness has toured Europe multiple times, playing small venues and festivals in Latvia, France, Slovakia, Austria, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Belgium, Netherlands and Croatia. Over the years, the band shared the stage with renowned musicians such as Adam Bomb, L.A. Guns, Tygers Of Pan Tang, Reckless Love, Nazareth and Lita Ford.
Track Listing:
1. High Tide (3:36)
2. Today Tonight (3:46)
3. Someone So Bad (3:46)
4. No Filter (3:15)
5. Supernova (2:51)
6. All I’ve Learnt (5:23)
7. Be The One (3:28)
8. Give It All (4:20)
9. Lights On (4:04)
10. The One Who Tricked The Devil (4:16)
11. Bad Company (3:56)
12. Go With The Flow (3:15)
13. Turn On The Night (Kiss Cover – Bonus Track) (3:47)
Album Length: 49:50
Band Line Up:
Mark Denkley – Bass guitar, lead and backing vocals
Metyou ToMeatyou – Drums and backing vocals
Robby Luckets – Guitars, lead and backing vocals
Discography:
2022 – Play Your Part (Rockshots Records)
2020 – Enter Please – EP – (Rockshots Records)
2019 – Untamed (Rockshots Records)
2016 – Higher & Higher (Sleaszy Rider Records)
2013 – Like An Addiction (Sleaszy Rider Records)
2011 – Life Without Control – EP – (Self-Release)
2010 – Return To Decadence – EP – (Self-Release)
Sandness is endorsed by Steve Clayton USA, Liuteria 69, Dogal Strings, Handyman Custom Guitars, Evo Straps
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