#New Heavy Rock Supergroup

[rockrevoltmagazine]

WORLD GONE COLD Joins Celebrated Roster at ROCK FEST RECORDS!

WORLD GONE COLD Joins Celebrated Roster at ROCK FEST RECORDS!

Nashville, TN based record label ROCKFEST RECORDS has announced the signing of melodic, heavy rock super group WORLD GONE COLD and the release of their debut single slated for November 2, 2023! “Rockfest Records is excited to announce the signing of World Gone Cold. The band members are all trailblazing rock industry veterans and have come together to produce some of the best music we’ve heard…

[fullaccessdetroit]

WORLD GONE COLD Joins Celebrated Roster at ROCK FEST RECORDS!

WORLD GONE COLD Joins Celebrated Roster at ROCK FEST RECORDS!

Debut Single Unveiling February 2, 2023! Nashville, TN based record label ROCKFEST RECORDS has announced the signing of melodic, heavy rock super group WORLD GONE COLD and the release of their debut single slated for November 2, 2023! “Rockfest Records is excited to announce the signing of World Gone Cold. The band members are all trailblazing rock industry veterans and have come together to…

[cherrylng]

100 Albums To Understand Muse - Part 2 [STYLE Series #004 - Muse (August 2010)]

ASIA Asia (1982) The first album by the supergroup that brought together ex-King Crimson's John Wetton, ex-Yes' Steve Howe & Jeffrey Downes and ex-ELP's Carl Palmer. The band's catchy melodies and dense sound were more important than their progressive experimentalism and grandeur. ‘Heat of the Moment’ was a big hit. -S

ASTOR PIAZZOLLA Tango: Zero Hour (1986) Produced by the brilliant Kip Hanrahan, the world's greatest bandoneon player and the most important figure who changed tango history with his unique compositions that added elements of classical and jazz. In the early days Matthew spoke of tango influences, but if you want to hear tango purely as music, start with this masterpiece. It is a whirlwind of intense sensuality and emotion. -S

BAUHAUS In The Flat Field (1979) The first masterpiece from Bauhaus, led by New Wave/Gothic Rock legend Peter Murphy. The band's songs such as the hauntingly intense ‘Double Dare’ and ‘Stigmata Mater’, with Daniel Ash's guitar sharply driving, do not sound old even today. Peter's ever-changing vocals are also a charm. -S

BIFFY CLYRO Only Revolutions (2009) The fifth album from the Scottish trio, two of the three brothers, who have often fronted Muse for their heavy guitars, emotional melodies and playing ability. Uplifting songs such as ‘Mountains’, with its piano intro and intense development, and ‘Many of Horror’, with its beautiful strings, shine. -S

BLACK SABBATH Paranoid (1970) I've never heard the Muse guys mention Sabbath directly as an influence, but for Matthew, who grew up on 90s grunge, it's a huge indirect influence. It's a great foundation for musicians who aspire to heavier music beyond the categories of hard rock and metal. The groove created by the throbbing bass riffs heard in the songs on this second album is similar to Matthew's music… -J

COLDPLAY A Rush Of Blood To The Head (2002) Matthew and Chris Martin are said to be friends, although both have been aware of each other since they were expected to be Radiohead's successor bands. It is clear that they have at least been checking each other and inspiring each other. The solemn, classical influences of this album give the impression of a worldview more in tune with Muse's. -H

THE CLASH London Calling (1979) The quartet at the heart of the London punk movement that erupted at the end of the 1970s broke down the framework of the formalised punk sound and expanded their musical range considerably by incorporating ska, dub/reggae rock ‘n’ roll, calypso and more on this eclectic third album. Tight, hard-hitting, yet catchy, this album is renowned as a masterpiece of 80s UK rock. -I

THE COOPER TEMPLE CLAUSE See This Through And Leave (2002) The first album from this talented multi-instrumentalist UK band, which split up in 2007. Loud guitars, bold synths and masculine vocals are fresh even today. Includes the exhilarating ‘Let's Kill Music’, reminiscent of Mansun, and ‘Been Training Dogs’ with its impressive three-beat riff. They also accompanied Muse on their ‘01 tour. -S

Translator's Note: I couldn't find the full album playlist for The Cooper Temple Clause's debut album on YouTube at all. Out of 11 songs, only 2 are available as music videos but the rest are hidden. So the Spotify link is my compromise. For what can be said, the debut album isn't available in my region on iTunes Store too.

[black-arcana]

EXIT EDEN Reveal New Single ‘Run!’ Feat. Marko Hietala + Announce New Album “Femmes Fatales”

[photo credit: Stephan Heilemann]

Symphonic metal supergroup EXIT EDEN, feat. Clémentine Delauney (Visions of Atlantis), Anna Brunner (League of Distortion) and Marina La Torraca (Phantom Elite), are back to mesmerize audiences with their second studio album – illustrating strength and female empowerment with the title Femmes Fatales – set for release on January 12, 2024 via Napalm Records. EXIT EDEN’s new masterpiece contains its own original compositions as well as covers of international hits, and refers to the “femme fatale” as a symbol of women taking control of their own narratives with autonomy, intelligence and independence, and bringing pure feminine energy back into the world. 

With their debut, Rhapsodies in Black (2017), entering the German album charts at #15 and millions of views on their previous official videos, the trio presents the new single “Run!”, featuring a magical guest appearance by matchless vocalist Marko Hietala (ex-Nightwish). Written by Anna Brunner and Hannes Braun (Kissin’ Dynamite), original track “Run!” showcases another astonishing facet of the album by bringing a folk-ish vibe alongside the outstanding appearance of Hietala, gracing the track with his distinctive voice. The haunting song arrives with a high quality official video, luring the listener into the mesmerizing world of EXIT EDEN.

EXIT EDEN state:                            “We are back and very excited to re-introduce EXIT EDEN, starting with the single ‘Run!’ – our very first original song ever. It features the legendary Marko Hietala (ex-Nightwish), and we couldn’t be more honored! This is only one of the many facets of our new album, ‘Femmes Fatales’, and we can’t wait to share all of them with you.”

When Clémentine Delauney, Anna Brunner, Marina La Torraca and Amanda Somerville came together to form EXIT EDEN, topped by the release of their first album, Rhapsodies in Black, in summer 2017, it became immediately clear that this combination would be both powerful and magical! These four outstanding and independent female vocalists proved that symphonic heaviness can go hand in hand with pop music – dressing well-known classics in a yet unheard soundscape, and evoking more than just a covers album!   Now performing as a trio, EXIT EDEN‘s new full-length follows the path of its predecessor, as it contains six cover versions of famous cross-generational super-hits, but this time also shines by offering six original compositions. With one exception (“Dying in my Dreams”, co-written by Marina La Torraca), the remaining five original songs were brought to life by Anna Brunner and Hannes Braun (Kissin’ Dynamite), who is also responsible for recording, production and mixing, whereas the album was mastered by Jacob Hansen (Delain, Amaranthe, Volbeat, Destruction and many more).

Pre-order your copy of Femmes Fatales NOW

Self-confidently leading straight into the tempting world of EXIT EDEN, opening “Femme Fatale”,  “Buried in the Past” and “Hold Back Your Fear” conjure a mystical atmosphere with strings and orchestral elements, topped by complementary vocals uniting the sonic diversity of the all-femme trio. “Dying In My Dreams” and album closing “Elysium” set the tone as captivating mid-tempo tracks with intense choruses that speak straight to the heart. Moving further along the path where Rhapsodies in Black left off, EXIT EDEN picked the next selection of international super-hits – transforming them into their very own creation, yet still paying reverence to the originals on Femmes Fatales. “It’s a Sin” (Pet Shop Boys), “Separate Ways” (Journey), “Desanchantée” (Mylène Farmer), “Poison” (Alice Cooper), “Alone” (Heart) and “Kayleigh” (Marilion), re-arranged as undoubtably striking rock/symphonic metal compositions, form the common thread between the debut and Femmes Fatales.

With stellar vocals, an exceptional concept and high-quality production, EXIT EDEN have crafted another standout album that absolutely succeeds in expanding the identity of the supergroup even more, and gives fans the chance to experience three of the most beautiful and talented women in metal united as one on Femmes Fatales.

Femmes Fatales tracklisting: 1    Femme Fatale 2    It’s a Sin 3    Run! (feat. Marko Hietala) 4    Separate Ways 5    Buried in the Past 6    Désenchantée 7    Dying in my Dreams 8    Poison 9    Alone 10  Hold Back Your Fear 11  Kayleigh 12  Elysium        

[the-prsc]

Day 5

Previously on PRSC... 

The second cross-band camp is formed, The Conglomerate. This is the combo of Rush (as a whole), Emerson and Palmer of ELP, and finally, Chris and Rick from Yes.

Keith has (for want of a better term) lost his shit following the murder of his friend and bandmate, Greg. He’s racked with guilt and angst. So far, this has led to attempts to loot the Rush camp. This makes the other bands put him into isolation.

Death Count: 1 

In the Conglomerate... 

The prog supergroup of a camp is flourishing with the increase of personnel. Chris (of the Yes group) has remembered that he brought his lighter with him into the arena and has had it with him all along. This has made a large number of differences. Chris has been making himself useful, making basic torches that he can light easily with his lighter. This of course means that the bands can work longer hours and then have more relaxing evenings afterwards. The others have democratically been assigned positions in the Conglomerate: 

 Alex oversees hunting/fishing, working (reluctantly) with Keith 

When Chris isn’t working on light sources, he and Geddy gather resources like wood, mushrooms and vegetables. 

When the four of them get back from these missions, Alex meets Rick around the fire, and they cook it all to be eaten later (while also having a great laugh!) 

Neil does all the heavy lifting jobs and manual labor. He is the strongest (in body and mind) of the guys at the conglomerate, and he rarely shows any sign of weakness. Carl (from ELP), helps him with these tasks and tries to make himself useful elsewhere 

They were visited by one of Fripp’s messengers earlier this morning. This caused something of an awkwardness as this messenger was Bill, previously of Yes, Bruford. Needless to say, Chris kept his distance, and the others didn’t give much information away to "The Court".

Over In Epping Forest... 

Genesis, are doing surprisingly well considering their somewhat rough start and two pretty much unusable members (Tony due to his boredom and Peter as he is too whimsy). Tony’s Etch-a-Sketch Mona Lisa is coming along nicely, with the hair pretty much complete now! They have the most efficient food gathering of any of the bands because of their new advancements in fishing "equipment". They are also cooking the fish properly on a cooking rack that Phil, Steve and Mike put their heads together to create. Not bad, Genesis! 

Politics In the Court... 

Robert Fripp has been sending scouts to various areas of the arena looking for other bands so he can learn of their progress (and make sure to be one step ahead of anything they may try). These chosen people are possibly his most brainwashed band mates, Bill and Jamie(referred to as James by Fripp). Fripp’s endless control over the arena is worrying David rather a lot. As you may know, he has been demanding to be referred to as "The Crimson King" for some time and now with his men in charge of "Foreign Intelligence" and "Defense", our violin playing friend is worried that The Court may not be as democratic as he was encouraged to believe... 

That’s all for today, so we’ll see you tomorrow for... 

The Prog Rock Survival Competition!

[concerthopperblog]

Pierce the Veil - The Jaws of Life Tour

With a slammed house (of blues), the lights dimmed and the Destroy Boys came out. Alexia Roditis first hit the stage and turned up the energy. Destroy Boys reminded me of why bands were formed in the first place, to play music and have fun. There was no shortage of jamming out, nor a shortage of smiles. Even once Violet Mayugba dropped the guitar, Violet was all smiles while screaming into the mic. The Destroy Boys is a band that is taking over the scene and I’m pumped to see them soar to new heights.

If you’re looking for a band with some powerful vocals combined with heavy lyrics that move you emotionally, then search bo further than Dayseeker. The whole set was full of a feeling that’s difficult to describe. It moved me. When Rory began discussing how the song “Neon Graves” was about his father who passed from cancer, it really resonated with me. My father had also passed from brain cancer a few years back and the performance of the song gave me a new sense of peace about it. Needless to say, Dayseeker has been playing nonstop around the house and is especially perfect for late-night drives.

Dayseeker is a post-hardcore band from California that formed in 2012. Their sound reminded me of when rock meets a small amount of synth wave, but only in the best ways. Dayseeker definitely has a bright future ahead of them!

L.S. Dunes wasted no time coming out swinging. With being a supergroup comprised of members from the gnarliest bands of the early 2000s, Coheed and Cambria, Saosin/Circa Survive, Thursday, and My Chemical Romance, it’s no wonder why they’re a true supergroup. Anthony Greens’ energy was never-ending, I assume he drank some of Frank Iero’s Hallowed Grounds coffee from La Paisa Bonita Coffee before the show. He was bouncing left and right and never slowed down. If Frank wasn’t burning down the house shredding, then the other members were. It was nonstop action delivered by each band member and a true success story of why supergroups are called such. These veterans of the scene were one of the best bands that I’ve ever seen.

Although the bill was stacked full of talented acts for support, once Pierce the Veil took the stage, it was obvious that’s who the crowd was pumped to see. I honestly wasn’t sure if I was in the year 2023 anymore, because the crowds attire was that of 2005. Your MySpace top 8 would have been proud. It was pretty awesome seeing young faces dawn on the emo/scene kid styles of the Millennial youth. Kicking off the show with confetti cannons and CO2 blasts, Pierce the Veil wasted no time giving the fans what they wanted. High kicks, high jumps, and a sold-out crowd made an unforgettable night. Even after a few songs had played there was still a veil, or curtains, draped over half the stage until a mid-song pickup dropped them down revealing the band’s banner and unleashing a newfound excitement from the crowd!

Pierce the Veil is an American rock group that was formed in 2006. Their sound has been widely described as metalcore, scene, post-hardcore, and about everything else under the sun. Today, they are still jamming hard and don’t appear to slow down anytime soon with the remaining tour dates below and accompanying Blink 182 next year on tour as support.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of their tour at these remaining dates and locations!

November 21 - Boston, MA - MGM Music Hall at Fenway 25 - Reading, PA - Santander Arena 26 - Columbus, OH - KEMBA Live! 28 - Chesterfield, MO - The Factory 30 - Chicago, IL - Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom

December 2 - Des Moines, IA - Vibrant Music Hall 3 - Minneapolis, MN - The Armory 5 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Criterion 7 - Las Vegas, NV - Brooklyn Bowl 8 - San Diego, CA - Viejas Arena

[lsdunesarchive]

Frank Iero ‘knew’ L.S. Dunes had to tour in Britain: ‘There’s something about the UK that just gets it’

Words by Rachael O'Connor Photo by Mark Beemer November 10, 2022

US Rock band L.S. Dunes is preparing to release a new album and head out on a tour of the UK

Amid the uncertainty of the pandemic and all of its devastating restrictions, Frank Iero didn’t know if he’d ever play music to a live audience again.

The guitarist and vocalist is best known for being a member of rock band My Chemical Romance, who made a surprise return in 2019 six years after they announced their split.

But while that reunion tour proved long delayed, and live audiences as a whole seemed to be a thing of the past, Frank joined fellow musicians and friends Travis Stever, Tucker Rule, Tim Payne and Anthony Green, to keep making music.

They had to, he explains: it was a ‘lifeline’ to them, while everything else was so uncertain.

Now the music put together by these five friends has a name: L.S. Dunes, billed as an ’emo supergroup’ as it features members of MCR, Saosin, Thursday and Coheed and Cambria.

Frank isn’t too fond of that phrasing – more on that later – but speaking to him, it is abundantly clear how excited he is to tour upcoming album Past Lives with L.S. Dunes, particularly in the UKr.

Why? Because the UK gets it.

L.S. Dunes are bringing their energetic live performances to the UK next year (Picture: Mark Beemer)

‘As soon as I heard this record I was immediately like, “We need to go to the UK,”‘ he tells Metro.co.uk.

‘I don’t know if it’s the sensibilities but I’ve always felt like, whether it was My Chemical Romance, Death Spells, there’s something about the UK that just kind of gets it. And they tend to get it before anybody else.

‘There’s a certain sensibility around some of the stuff that I make. [The UK] feels like, some might say a second home but it feels like a first home for the art.’

After performing in arenas across the world with My Chemical Romance – with more to come in Australia and New Zealand next year – the New Jersey native is ready to take it back to more intimate venues with the L.S. Dunes tour.

Frank, Tucker, Anthony, Tim and Travis are doing a short but sweet trip across the UK, with shows in Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and London’s Electric Ballroom at the end of January.

With four shows in a row, it doesn’t give the band much of a chance to explore, but as Frank puts it, ‘I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to play a lot of those places a bunch of times in the past.’

Guitarist Frank says there’s something about the UK that he ‘knew’ the band had to tour there (Picture: Luke Dickey)

‘I don’t think I’ve ever had a negative show. Even the hard ones, they teach you something. But we picked four great cities to have in a row.’

With Past Lives set for release on November 11, the guitarist says performing the songs live is his ‘biggest Want of this year,’ stressing it in such a way that you can hear the capitalisation of the word.

‘I’ve listened to this record countless times and I haven’t gotten sick of it. That’s not something that I think easily happens.

‘You get a real sense of what the band is, where it came from, and what we’re trying to put across. It’s not a light record, there are some heavy moments, musically but also emotionally in the subject matter.

‘It’s something that needs to be digested a little bit, and I am looking forward to people hearing the record the way we made it and then experiencing it live.’

The musicians desperately missed performing during the pandemic, leading to jam sessions which eventually became the new ‘supergroup' (Picture: Mark Beemer)

This is L.S. Dunes’ future: albums, touring, the roar of a live crowd. But back when it all started, in the darkest days of the early pandemic, none of it seemed possible.

‘Collectively we (the future L.S. Dunes band members) all felt the same way. Nobody knew what was going to come of it. You’re watching people lose their lives, lose their livelihoods all around you,’ Frank recalls.

‘People were scared to go outside and scared of other people. [Making music] was our way to still connect – and we didn’t even need to be in the same room together.

‘It became this lifeline of creating art and playing together and making something out of this craziness and this fear that we all had.’

A few of the future members had jammed together for a Thursday live stream in 2020, but L.S. Dunes really started life with bassist Tim and drummer Tucker contacting Frank and Travis and asking if they wanted to create original music.

‘I was never going to say no to that,’ Frank says. ‘”You want to write music with some of your best friends that are some of the best musicians you know?” Like, I definitely want to do that!’

Frank describes his bandmate as some of his ‘best friends’ and ‘the best musicians’ (Picture: Zachary Spangler)

In the basements of family homes, Dunes tracks were being created bit by bit, with the members emailing each other something new to work on every day.

At this point in its life, the group didn’t have a vocalist, and Frank admits none of the members were interested in taking on the role.

They even dabbled in the idea of being a fully instrumental band, but eventually ‘the name on all of our tongues was Anthony’ – and as soon as they heard him sing, Frank realised: ‘Oh… this is a real band.’

But Anthony had no idea what he was auditioning for: he didn’t even know who the other members of L.S. Dunes were. He simply heard the instrumental track – sent over email – and got to work.

‘The fact he jumped on it and started to write lyrics and sending tracks back immediately, without even knowing who was in the band, was testament to how much of an artist he is and how fearless he is to jump into anything,’ Frank praises the band’s frontman.

‘And how good the songs were! They moved him, without knowing who it was. So that was a big excitement for us as well.’

The result being breathtaking debut album Past Lives, with each of the 11 tracks offering something unique and, often, devastating.

Take for example 2022, the opening track and one of the three singles released from Past Lives so far. For a band founded in the middle of the pandemic, it’s to be expected there’ll be some reflection on those dark days, and the album’s opener is a gut-punch with its raw emotion: ‘If I can’t make it ’til 2022/ at least we’ll see how much I can take.’

The song was so personal, so ‘haunting and beautiful’ that Frank admits he was wary to work on Anthony’s demo at all ‘until he assured us over and over again that that’s what he wanted.’

‘It’s hard to take a song with that much weight to it and put your spin on it. You have to keep checking in and be like “Is this the right direction, how do you feel about this?”‘

But they persevered, and the final product on Past Lives is actually, Frank reveals, the first time he ever played 2022 in full.

‘I heard the song, I listened to it, I listened to what Tucker was doing, and then my first complete run-through of the song is what’s on the record,’

‘I knew I’d be chasing that performance,’ he explains, describing the song as ‘a real special one.’

And so the band is born. They have songs. An album. A name. And then they had to keep it quiet for the bones of two years.

‘It was an amazing feeling [to finally announce it] – it felt like a weight had been lifted,’ Frank grins.

‘It’s hard to keep that secret, especially when it’s something you’re so proud of and so into. It’s been hard to hold these songs in for as long as we have!’

L.S. Dunes made their debut performance at Riotfest, when they had just one single out in the world, and were playing to a crowd who had not necessarily come to see them.

‘It was like “This could be terrible,”‘ Frank recalls. ‘But it was the best first show of any band I’ve ever been in. It was insane.’

L.S. Dunes made their debut at Riotfest this year when they had just one single out, but it was ‘the best first show’ of any band Frank’s been in (Picture: Mark Beemer)

But because of this, ‘it’s hard to see what the fanbase is at the moment.’

‘It does feel like it runs the gamut of all of our bands, but also individuals that maybe weren’t fans of previous stuff but are fans of this project. That’s also what we’re trying to get across with the idea of Past Lives: this is where we’ve been, it got us to where we are now, but that’s not what this band is.

‘This band needs to be able to stand on its own two feet. I think we accomplish that in the record and it’s up to the listener to give it its chance. I think people are smart enough to do that.’

With each of the members already having stellar careers, their original bands being massive names in the scene for years, L.S. Dunes has been labeled an ’emo supergroup’ – and Frank is not exactly a fan.

‘I don’t mean to call anybody out, but it just feels lazy,’ he sighs.

‘People are way into labels of things and they like to put things in boxes. I love little containers for things, but not people and art.

‘The supergroup thing, I get it. We’ve all been in other successful bands. But really … this is just the friend group that I have. We all live kinda close to each other, and when you tour enough you become friends with people that do what you do.

‘Supergroup, I don’t know – they’re like my friends from work.’

Frank is currently on tour in the US with My Chemical Romance, after an incredible UK and Europe leg earlier this year, before L.S. Dunes was announced.

Now preparing to take Dunes on tour for the first time, Frank is ready to finish up with MCR and ‘dedicate my full brain space to all the Dunes songs.’

‘It’s been a lot!’ he reveals. ‘With My Chem, we had basically a bank of around 50 songs… and then the 11 Dunes songs were in my head. I would be rehearsing the songs we were going to do that night for My Chem, and then jump over to the Dunes set for the Riotfest Aftershock shows, then go back and forth… so my practice schedule was almost as long as the show.

‘I’m looking forward to scaling it down a little bit. I’m surprised I’m not having nosebleeds!’

L.S. Dunes’ debut album, Past Lives, is out on November 11. The UK tour kicks off in January.

[thisaintascenereviews]

L.S. Dunes - Past Lives The idea of supergroups is kind of a strange one, at least at its core, because it jut means a group of talented musicians from other bands come together to make something that should work on paper, but it doesn’t always work in practice. They’re also really interesting if the sound of the supergroup in question sounds any different from the musicians’ original bands, because what’s the point of listening to the supergroup if they sound like something they’ve already done or continue to do? A few months ago, supergroup L.S. Dunes was announced, including Anthony Green of Saosin and Circa Survive fame, along with Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance, and members of Thursday and Coheed & Cambria, so in other words, that’s a who’s who of 00s post-hardcore. I mean, Thursday is a pioneer of the early to mid-00s post-hardcore scene, along with Saosin’s 2003 EP that Green was apart of (until he rejoined the band in 2018 0r 2019), and My Chemical Romance doesn’t need an introduction, unless you’ve been living under a rock, because they’re one of the biggest bands in the entire world, who ultimately ended up as the poster children for that 00s scene, thanks to 2004′s Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge, and 2006′s The Black Parade. There’s a lot of pedigree here, and a lot of people, myself included, were wondering what this band is going to sound like. I never listened to any of the singles, because I wanted to check out the album as a whole to keep myself surprised. I was also kind of apprehensive about L.S. Dunes, because I’ve never been that big of an Anthony Green fan, at least after 2010, anyway. I do like some of his stuff, as the debut EP with Saosin is great, and his early work with Circa Survive, or his 2008 debut solo album is really solid, but he has an issue of all of his vocals sounding very similar. He’s got a great voice, but he just isn’t good with hooks, although it could just be Circa Survive, as that’s where he’s spent most of his time recently, and they were never a hook-heavy band, either. I don’t know, I just haven’t been a fan of his vocals for the last handful of years, so I didn’t know what to expect with Past Lives. I’ve given this album a handful of listens in the last few days that the album’s been out (as of writing this, anyway), and I have plenty of thoughts on it, but here’s the short version -- if you like post-hardcore from the early to mid-00s, you’ll like this, because it sounds like it came right out of 2005, but that’s it. Okay, that’s kind of unfair, because there are a few more things to talk about on this album, but yeah, there’s not much to this thing at all, which is both a good and a bad thing, In some respects, it works to its favor, but it also hinders the album, too. Let’s talk about what works, first and foremost, and there are a lot of good things here. This album is overall quite good, and although my dated post-hardcore comment was slightly in jest, there is some truth to that that I’ll talk about later on, but I digress. Funnily enough, its sound is one thing I do really like. They have that old-school post-hardcore sound that sounds great, especially on the song “Permanent Rebellion,” which might be the best song here, because it really showcases everything they do, including Green’s screams and cleans, a heavier and lighter post-hardcore sound, and Green’s abstract and poetic lyricism that he’s known for. Songs like “2022,” “Antibodies,” “Grey Veins,” and a few more that have that sound, but they showcase how good Green’s vocals are. He is one of the best singers of this style, and it shows; his voice has aged like fine wine, and if you love his voice, you’ll love it here. As much as I like its sound, that’s also its biggest hinderance, because this is a generic post-hardcore album at its, well, core. There’s nothing unique, special, or new about this. It’s interesting, and it keeps my attention, but the more I listen to it, the more I wonder why I’m listening to it when the members’ original bands exist. I could listen just listen to Circa Survive instead, and their earlier work is better, anyway. Not to diminish the effort that these guys have put in, but this is kind of just a typical post-hardcore album, and that’s it. Green sounds great, but he sounds like he’s on autopilot, too, as he seems to be recycling vocals from Circa, and it just doesn’t hold up too well over multiple listens. This is one of those albums that loses its sheen the more you listen, because it sounds great on first impressions, but you’re just like, “Why would I listen to this when it reminds me of better stuff?” Everything just sounds like something I’ve heard before, for better or worse, and you might not get bothered by that if you really love it, but if you’re picky or you want something better, you might feel the same way I do. I’ve gotten a few listens out of it, but not as much as I thought. I’m not dying to go back to it, minus a couple of songs, because most of it doesn’t do anything for me after multiple listens. I don’t know, folks, this record is good, and everyone sounds great here, but at the same time, it sounds like everyone is on autopilot and this just sounds like every other 2005 post-hardcore band, so take that as you will. It seems to lean too hard into its nostalgia, and that can be a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it. I’d recommend it, because it’s still very good, but your mileage will vary, depending on how you feel about post-hardcore as a whole. 

[dustedmagazine]

Alexander Von Schlippenbach — Globe Unity (Corbett Vs. Dempsey)

The Globe Unity Orchestra notched more than a few accolades. It was the first European free jazz big band, and in retrospect, the first improv supergroup. During a history that spanned over 20 years of fairly steady work and a more recent pattern of convening every ten years, it has carried a standard for concerted international effort to improve the world through the transmission of sonic energy. They didn’t call it Globe Unity for nothing; its ranks were a model of multi-national cooperation, and it traveled far from its birthplace in Germany, thrilling and outraging audiences in locales as distant as Chicago and New Delhi.

Composer, pianist and lead Alexander von Shlippenbach didn’t necessarily have all of that in mind when he put the first GUO together. He didn’t even call it that; “Globe Unity” was just the name of the first piece it played. In the mid-1960s, he was part of a circle of musicians who had already been contributing for some time to the loosening and intensifying of jazz’s strictures in Europe. But he was not one who chose to forsake all he had learned in the process. Born in 1938, his post-war education included tutelage in classical composition, as well as a personal affinity for modern jazz. The two side-long pieces on this LP represented attempts to incorporate the sounds of free music into extent jazz and classical orchestral forms. 

When this music was first performed at the 1966 Berlin Jazz Festival, Schlippenbach combined the top German free jazz combos — the Gunter Hampel Quartet, Manfred Schoof Quintet, and Peter Brötzmann Trio. The next month, he recorded “Globe Unity” and “Sun” in Cologne. The personnel list is a heavy who’s who, and some folks might zero in on the names of the two drummers, Jaki (then spelled Jackie) Liebezeit and Mani Neumeier. In times to come, each would shape the rhythmic content of freak-forward German rock music, in Can and Guru Guru respectively. But that’s not what they played here. In concert with Schlippenbach, who played tubular bells, gongs, and both the interior and keys of his piano, and vibraphonist Karl Berger, they provided a multi-hued manifestation of otherness and density. The two bassists added as much seething presence as pulse. Sometimes dramatic, other times exotic (which was not viewed then with the skepticism that it sometimes is now), and only very occasionally swinging, the rhythm section transcended its duties within the big band idiom to contribute immensely to the music’s orchestral qualities. 

The horns, however, are what made this music massive. You don’t need the back cover action shot of players in the studio, confronted by overflowing music stands, to know that their united projection was charted out. The time when the orchestra would take on instant composition at an ensemble-wide scale was still a ways off. But by incorporating the broader tonal and timbral resources of the contemporary avant-garde into organized blocks of sound, they achieved a complex and looming sound which was matched at the time only by Sun Ra’s Arkestra. When individual voices cut through, either as breakaway soloists or connecting joints in the multi-segmented compositions, they functioned both as foci for the energy and agents of structural cohesion. 56 years on, it’s still thrilling. 

Globe Unity has gone in and out of the print since its first release by SABA in 1967, and this its return to the physical realm is welcome. This edition, licensed by the historically astute Corbett Vs. Dempsey imprint, is confined to limited CD and LP editions that recreate the original LP’s gatefold sleeve. It’s gorgeous, but one has to point out that anyone who is likely to buy a CD is also unlikely to be able to read Schlippenbach’s much-reduced liner notes unless they supplement their normal corrective eyewear with a magnifying glass. Old eyes would benefit from either a fold-out insert or an online resource. But music like this is for hearing more than reading, and this reissue sounds gloriously present and alive.

Bill Meyer

[dankusner]

QUEEN FOR A DAY

That time I interviewed Queen for a Day's GREGORY FINSLEY

King of Queen

TAKING HIS BOW AND CURTAIN CALL: Finsley says Queen for a Day's last performance is Saturday at Club Dada. [PHOTOS: KUSNER] 

Gregory Finsley keeps Freddie Mercury’s spirit alive and well with Queen for a Day.

But the phenomenal Dallas tribute band is calling it quits

By DANIEL KUSNER | Sept. 3, 2004

Dallas is losing a remarkable cultural asset, since Saturday marks Queen for a Day’s last performance.

And apparently, our gay community missed out.

A lack of quality-paying gigs, differences about the group’s direction and other career commitments has led singer Gregory Finsley to call it quits.

It was a bitter decision.

“We could have done much more damage, made a lot more money and played a lot of other places. Unfortunately, because everyone else is so tied down with families and other career commitments, there’s no way we could have done it. It really pisses me off,” Finsley says.

When it comes to the tribute band genre, Queen for a Day is arguably one of the best.

There was no room for mediocrity in Freddie Mercury’s supergroup.

And to emulate the band’s magic is no easy task.

Queen was pompous.

Cheesily overdriven.

Faux-operatic.

Full of hot air.

And that’s why they were so magnificent.

Finsley’s lifelong dream was to be just like Freddie Mercury.

At 12, he attended Queen’s “News of the World” tour on Dec. 10, 1977, at the Tarrant County Convention Center.

His world took shape as he watched Mercury from the lower balcony off stage-left.

“It blew my mind — my first concert ever. I had already been playing drums. I looked at Freddie and Roger [Taylor, drummer] and decided that’s exactly what I want to do,” Finsley remembers.

Through high school, Finsley stuck with drums.

He even dabbled in bisexuality.

But he was a full-on Queen addict and constantly sang his heart out to Mercury’s compositions.

The flamboyant rock god had a profound influence.

“I think Freddie caused me to be a little braver, livelier, more daring. Eventually people would say, ‘You sound just like that dude from Queen,”’ he explains.

“By listening to all the songs over and over, it was like brainwashing. I emulated all those inflections that Freddie gave off.”

Finsley learned piano and became an accomplished signer, performer and drum teacher.

He formed with various groups, but didn’t delve into the Queen catalog until fairly recently.

A few years ago — while living in New Orleans and playing with a band on Bourbon Street — Finsley rocked the house with a cover version of “Tie Your Mother Down.”

A spot-on crowd pleaser.

In December 2001, he returned to Dallas and was working as a salesman at Brook Mays Music Co.

Co-worker Brian Harris overheard Finsley at the piano performing a rendition of “Somebody to Love.”

A light bulb went off.

Queen for a Day was born.

It takes a lot of work to nail Queen's over- reaching pastiche rock.

Finsley and Harris (a supreme guitarist) rounded up a tight rhythm section — drummer Alan Mouradian and bassist Jimmy Cleaver.

This talented foursome could handle the complex arrangements and intricate hooks.

You can’t have Queen without the charisma of Freddie Mercury.

And you can’t be Freddie “the entertainer” (who had an easily forgettable career as a solo artist) without the balls-to-the-wall musicianship of Queen.

Seb Hunter, author of “Hell Bent for Leather: Confessions of a Heavy Metal Addict’ (Harper Collins, 2004), brilliantly summed up Queen’s essence in a recent e-mail.

“The usual rock star ‘credibility trappings’ didn’t apply. Freddie didn’t care what people thought of him. So he was free to take his vaudeville vision as far as he could — which ended up being rather a long way! He was also lucky in that the rest of the band were able to act as his ‘foil.’ They supplied the traditional meat-and-potatoes while Freddie whirled and danced over the top of it. The po-faced seriousness of the rest of the band served as both a counterweight to Freddie’s outrageousness as well as a solid musical platform. Their ‘straightness’ was also handy in that it deflected a significant amount of Freddie’s natural ‘gayness,’ making it acceptable for your average homophobic rock fan to like the band.”

Like contact sports, rock music is astoundingly conservative.

In their day, Queen earned its stripes as a respected rock group.

And anti-gay fans simply overlooked Mercury’s macho flamboyance.

Finsley confirms that only Freddie Mercury can get away with his brand of absurd, high camp in the face of serious rock.

When Queen for a Day started to take shape, “I got ecstatic. Ideas started flowing about songs we could play. But a lot of those got turned down by Brian [Harris] because he thought they were ‘too gay,”’ Finsley explains. “And of course that was head-butt city right there.”

Harris’ vision was to only cull songs from a portion of group’s catalog: 1973-1981.

“But Queen is not just one period. There’s 25 years of material,” Finsley says.

So a dream come true is coming to an end.

Finsley is moving back to New Orleans in less than two weeks.

Queen for a Day’s rare performances are usually packed with area musicians who have memorized every hardcore note in the Queen catalog.

Finsley says the gay community never embraced Queen for a Day.

Saturday will probably be the last time to do so. 

Sept. 4. at 10:30p.m. Club Dada, 2720 Elm St. 214-744-3232.

https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:9180f7f4-ad07-4a70-9e37-31dc04393af2

[90363462]

The Motor City 5 kicked out the jams and politicized every bystander in sight.  They were an unapologetic garage band that influenced countless punk and heavy metal bands.

MC5 was an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan, in 1963. The classic line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramerand Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson. MC5 were listed by Parade as one of the best rock bands of all time and by VH1 as one of the greatest hard rock artists of all time. The band's first three albums are regarded by many as staples of rock music, and their 1969 song "Kick Out the Jams" is widely covered.

"Crystallizing the counterculture movement at its most volatile and threatening", according to AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine, MC5's leftist political ties and anti-establishment lyrics and music positioned them as emerging pioneers of the punk movement in the United States.[citation needed]Their loud, energetic style of back-to-basics rock and roll included elements of garage rock, hard rock, blues rock, and psychedelic rock. Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello described MC5 as having "basically invented punk rock."

“Brothers and sisters, the time has come for each and every one of you to decide whether you are gonna be the problem or whether you are gonna be the solution.” For the Motor City 5, there was never any doubt that the band’s unapologetic driving rock anthems would be anything but the solution – the fast-rocking truths, raw and revealing about a culture in turmoil.

Draped in red, white, and blue, the MC5 were a high-watt onslaught of musicians: guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred “Sonic” Smith, bassist Michael Davis, drummer Dennis Thompson, and brain-shattering lead singer Rob Tyner. The Motor City 5 kicked out the jams and politicized every bystander in sight. Their powerful sound was a unique combination of R&B, psychedelia, and garage rock with dominant political messages. Invited by Abbie Hoffman to play to the masses of young protestors outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, MC5 were the only band brazen enough to play onstage. They became the soundtrack to a cultural tipping point, played over scenes of tear gas and police brutality.

With proud anti-establishment credentials, the MC5 prefigured much of American punk rock and even influenced heavy metal. After releasing Kick Out the Jams, the band broke new ground with their second album, Back in the USA, produced by then-rock critic Jon Landau. The record combined Chuck Berry riffs with lyrics that remain prophetic to this day. Just listen to “High School” to hear the pop-punk sound later perfected by the Ramones. Each album’s relentless qualities drive listeners to the brink of sensory overload while remaining rooted in melody and groove.

In 2018, founder Wayne Kramer was back on the road with a supergroup of musicians playing thought-provoking music during another period of political unrest. The MC50 featured members of Faith No More, Fugazi, Soundgarden, and Zen Guerilla, encapsulating the continued broad influence and spirit of the original Motor City 5.

Selected Discography

“I Can Only Give You Everything,” “I Just Don’t Know” (1966)

• “Looking at You,” “Borderline,” (1968)

• “Kick Out the Jams,” “Ramblin’ Rose,” “Rocket Reducer No. 62 (Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa),” Kick Out the Jams (1969)

• “Tonight,” “Shakin’ Street,” Back in the USA (1970)

• “Sister Anne,” High Time (1971)

Favorite song?

[greensparty]

Concert Review: The Church / The Afghan Whigs

June 21, 2024 @ Royale (Boston, MA)

I am truly embarrassed to say how late to the party I am with The Church. The Australian rock band formed in 1980 and rode the wave of post-punk and new wave. The lineup has changed many times over the years but singer/bassist/songwriter Steve Kilbey is still going strong. I discovered the band with the 1990 single "Metropolis" when I heard it on WBCN. It was such a beautiful song and sounded not just like college rock, but what I'd be listening to on college radio if I had been in college at the time. I heard some of their songs here and there and always liked what I heard but never got heavy into them. Of course their big shining moment on U.S. charts was their 1988 single "Under the Milky Way", a Top 40 hit that found a whole new audience years later on the soundtrack to Donnie Darko, a 2001 movie that took place in 1988. In preparing for this concert review, I went back and listened to a lot of their albums and was blown away by how awesome so many of them were, especially the ones from the 80s and early 90s. The band is very prolific and has released a studio album every 1-2 years since 1981. I recently got to see them at Royale.

Afghan Whigs onstage

I missed opening act Ed Harcourt, but I made it for co-headliners The Afghan Whigs. Hailing from Cincinnati, OH, they burst out of the Alternative Nation of the early 90s. They were the first non-WA band on Sub Pop Records. I've always had the utmost respect for the band for their relationship with Ted Demme. A few years before I was an intern on Demme's film Monument Ave and at his production company Spanky Pictures, the band appeared as a bar band in Demme's film Beautiful Girls, which they contributed songs to. Singer/guitarist Greg Dulli was an executive producer on that soundtrack album. That was around the same time that Dulli appeared as part of the alt-rock supergroup for the soundtrack to Backbeat and was the only non-Dave Grohl musician to appear on the first Foo Fighters album. When I worked on Demme's film Monument Ave, Dulli had a small part in the film and Dulli's song "Black Love" appeared on the soundtrack. In Demme's film Blow, there was actually a character named Dulli too. That's a long way of saying I've always loved Dulli and Afghan Whigs' music. After the group reunited in 2011 after a decade hiatus, they have done some great albums. But this is actually my first time seeing them live and what a show it was. They always stuck out from the rest of the alt-rock movement at that time with a love for R&B. Dulli has still got it and had no problem calling out someone filming with a flash camera. They did some of their classics from the 90s like "Debonair", some off of their recent albums and some covers including Bad Company's "Bad Company" and "Amazing Grace". The current line-up also includes guitarist Christopher Thorn of Blind Melon. I am so happy this band is still bringing that 90s magic!

just some of the amazing visuals of The Church's show

Then The Church came out. I was surprised to see two drummers, but it added a serious heft to their sound. The group did a lot of songs off of last year's concept album The Hypnogogue. That is an album that gets better with each listen for sure, but I kind of wanted more off of the early albums. They, of course did "Metropolis" and "Under the Milky Way" and some off of the recent release Eros Zeta and the Perfumed Guitars. Not to sound like an aging Gen-Xer, but they don't make bands like The Church anymore. I mean you can hear the influence in bands like Alvvays, but the way The Church combines post-punk and dream pop in just the right way is not something you hear anywhere, let alone college radio in the 2020s. This band has such a robust discography that were was bound to be songs left off, but next time I hope they play the classics that didn't get played.

For info on The Church

[doomedandstoned]

Supergroup YOUNG ACID Unveil 3rd Single for ‘Murder at Maple Mountain’

~Doomed & Stoned~

By Billy Goate

We get a kick out of introducing you to new bands here at Doomed & Stoned, not that this band is really new per se.

Swedish punk rock supergroup YOUNG ACID are all set to release 'Murder at Maple Mountain' (2024) next month and today we reveal to you the third and final single, in the form of an intriguing new music video written and directed by Fred Burman (from Satan Takes A Holiday).

And what makes them a supergroup, you ask? Well, get a load of this line-up:

  • Mio Hällagård - Vocals (Greenleaf)   • Mio Stjernfeldt - Guitar (Grand Cadaver, Novarupta)   • Mio Wegeland - Bass (Domkraft)   • Mio Baier - Guitar (Besvärjelsen, Vordor)   • Mio Karlsson - Drums (The Moth Gatherer)

All of these bands we've introduced you to in these pages and on The Doomed & Stoned Show over the years. And if you like what any of them have to offer, particularly the vocals on Greenleaf, you'll find a lot to love here.

"Into The Depths" is a haunting number that takes us deep into the forests, dark streets, and solidary dwellings. Misty, stirring atmosphere, and sanguine guitars that waft and wail join with heartbeat drums and buzzing bass to set the stage for Arvid Hällagård's bittersweet vocals, making this one a must for late night drives along empty highways.

Young Acid's Murder at Maple Mountain, ten tracks in all, releases May 31st on Majestic Mountain Records pre-order here.

Give ear...

SOME BUZZ

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if you combined Greenleaf, Domkraft, Grand Cadaver, Besvärjelsen and The Moth Gatherer, chances are you would never have imagined anything quite like this.

Young Acid is a Vimmerby-based punk rock powerhouse that unites members of all previously aforementioned underground institutions into one blistering garage rock alliance. Packing raw guitar riffs, seismic energy, and a rebellious spirit, the quartet has already released two singles – ‘The Crust’ and ‘Run Boy Run’ – from their soon to be released debut album, Murder at Maple Mountain. With the latter song influenced by celebrated Swedish storyteller and Pippi Longstocking author, Astrid Lindgren.

Run Boy Run by Young Acid

With the band all donning the first name “Mio” in honour of Lindgren’s 1954 novel, Mio, My Son, the playful side of Young Acid is one that is as addictive as the fuzzy, blues heavy and inevitably grooving vibe of new single ‘Into the Depths’, which is premièring now over at Doomed & Stoned.

Voluminous in sound if not duration, clocking in at a punk-friendly thirty-four minutes, Young Acid is on a mission of their own making (their motto is “Nobody can ruin our day, ’cos we’re probably going to ruin it ourselves!”) but it’s one you don’t want to miss.

The Crust by Young Acid

Follow The Band

Get Their Music

[thirdworldrockout]

A to Z, Loud Rock to Heavy Metal

A pig in a dress is still a pig...

The case of Pantera Part 2:

It's not the same band. Dime was like Eddy Van Halen, his guitar playing had a signature sound, Dime's was the sound of chainsaw sawing through metal while Phil Anselmo screams about being addicted and miserable. Good times.

New Pantera? No! No Pantera! It's apples to oranges when you're comparing the original and this tribute lineup. Zakk Wylde's guitar playing is closer to Slash, if Slash was paying homage to Lynrd Skynyrd and Randy Rhoades. To me Slash was more garage rock, sloppy and fuzzy classic rock than straight up 80's metal like Zakk. Zakk's guitar sound is not in the same tone and vibe as Dime's, again, my opinion.

This is the Phil Anselmo Experience featuring the music of Pantera. You're not going there to crush your skull like the 90's Pantera concerts on video. Guys who grew up liking this band are now older, the band is now older, we are in a different time and head space, this is a rebrand of the original band, this was music from 20+ years ago, which makes it retro to the bone.

My honest opinion is we didn't need Pantera 2.0 after all the shit that went down from 2001-2004. Spare us, please, form a supergroup and play something else, call it something else because Pantera, it's not!

[metalshockfinland]

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION Announce Highly Anticipated New Album 'V' + Unleash Lead Single 'Stay Free'

Photography by Rob Bondurant BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, the iconic rock supergroup featuring the talents of Joe Bonamassa, Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham, and Derek Sherinian, is thrilled to announce the upcoming release of their highly anticipated fifth studio album, V, available worldwide on June 14. To celebrate, fans are treated to the immediate release of the album’s heavy funk lead single, “Stay…

[newmusicweekly]

Rock Mega Group World Gone Cold Release New Single "Burn"

World Gone Cold, featuring members of P.O.D, Demon Hunter, Disciple, The Letter Black, and Attack Attack!, release their brutal single “Burn,” an homage to the times of the Salem witch trials when accusations of witchcraft led to the burning of “witches.” This track is dark, haunting, and devious, with a hint of a pop melody that makes the song irresistible. This is the final single from their upcoming self-titled EP, which is set to release on March 17, 2023 via Rockfest Records.  “The song ‘Burn’ is a straight-up witch hunt. It’s dark and fiery leaving you with almost a sense of panic. The bridge of this song gives me visions of a nuclear reactor exploding. This track has tons of raw energy that keeps your heading banging.” - Ryland Raus, Vocalist of World Gone Cold WORLD GONE COLD, comprised of members from legacy bands: Traa Daniels (P.O.D), Tim “Yogi” Watts (Demon Hunter), Andrew Stanton (Disciple), Mark Anthony (The Letter Black), and Ryland Raus (Attack Attack! & Inhale/Exhale), deliver massive hard rock anthems with a huge wall of guitars, fluid bass rumble, monstrous drums, and soaring vocals, exploding into a mixture of heavy groove and melodic hooks. A combination of organic metal and radio-ready songwriting encompasses the foundation of a band that began as one man’s solo outlet and quickly transformed into an unprecedented supergroup. Read the full article