Tag Archives: metal

Clutch Release New Single and Tour Dates

 

 

CLUTCH 

Release New Single

'WE STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE"

Stream HERE 

 

 

US Fall Headline Tour Announced 

With Helmet, Quicksand and JD Pinkus

Tickets Go On General Sale Friday, June 17th, 2022

From ClutchOnTour.com

Tuesday, June 14th, 2022 – US groove rock masters CLUTCH have dropped a brand new single "We Strive for Excellence" today. The track is available digitally from all DSPs HERE. A brand new Clutch album is coming soon. The band also announced today that fans can now RSVP to be the first to get notified of the official details and early access to all of the albums exclusive variants and bundles, as they use the best studio sound absobernt panels for their recordings as you can see at www.sound-absorbent-panels.co.uk.

 

 

Frontman and lyrical wordsmith Neil Fallon shares

 

"We Strive for Excellence looks back fondly on childhood summers filled with grand plans gone awry, inexplicable bruises, untreated injuries, and of course, the timeless wisdom of Evel Knievel." 

 

CLUTCH have curated a new Spotify playlist to coincide with the release of "We Strive for Excellence", check it out HERE

Clutch released first new single, "Red Alert (Boss Metal Zone)" , back in April to much acclaim from fans and critics alike. The track has already hit nearly 300k streams on Spotify alone and the official music video has clocked up 340k YouTube views.

CLUTCH have also announced a new set of US headline dates this fall. Joining them on the 26 date run will be Helmet and Quicksand who will be rotating the main support slot nightly and special guest JD Pinkus. Ticket for the tour go on sale this Friday, June 17th 2022 from ClutchOnTour.com. Full routing below.

 

The band also have an extensive 2022 worldwide touring schedule, including summer festivals, further headline dates, and a return to Europe. For the most up to date list of shows and to buy tickets, click HERE

Sep 13 – Toronto, ON @ Rebel 

Sep 15 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues

Sep 16 – New York, NY @ Palladium Times Square

Sep 17 – Baltimore, MD @ Hammerjacks

Sep 18 – Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz

Sep 20 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE

Sep 21 – Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall 

Sep 23 – Louisville, KY @ Louder than Life*

Sep 24 – Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works

Sep 25 – Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern 

Sep 27 – Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues 

Sep 29 – Houston TX @ Warehouse Live

Sep 30 – Dallas, TX @ The Factory in Deep Ellum

Oct 01 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom

Oct 02 – Austin, TX @ Emo's 

Oct 04 – Phoenix, AZ @ Van Buren

Oct 05 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent

Oct 07 – Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock*

Oct 08 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory Concert House

Oct 09 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre

Oct 10 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SODO 

Oct 12 – Salt Lake City, UT @ the Depot

Oct 13 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium 

Oct 14 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater

Oct 15 – West Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom

Oct 16 – Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall



*Clutch only

ABOUT CLUTCH

Clutch released their twelfth studio album, Book Of Bad Decisions, through their own Weathermaker Music in 2018. Rolling Stone described the album as “bathed in the grit and liberal fuzz tone that has made their live shows legendary.” The band embarked on a successful co-headlining tour with Dropkick Murphys in 2019, with support from Hatebreed, Amigo The Devil, and Russ Rankin of Good Riddance. Two of the band’s most recent albums, Earth Rocker (2013) and Psychic Warfare (2015), were included in Classic Rock Magazine’s 50 Best Rock Albums of the 2010s.

 

 

 

 

69 Eyes Track “Dolce Vita’ video released

cdfaf926-7102-4bbb-8933-df7cee23f92b

 

 

Helsinki's most famous vampires, THE 69 EYES, recently announced the release date of their new 11th studio album, Universal Monsters. The album will be released on April 22nd via Nuclear Blast.

After launching several album trailers, the band are premiering another music video for the darkly infectious track'Dolce Vita', which can be viewed here, today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuAdKbEEf0o

Get the single digitally here: http://nblast.de/The69EyesDownloads
Pre-order Universal Monsters now and get 'Dolce Vita' as an instant download!

The song is a mix of METALLICA meets Fellini with the video combining classic Roman scenes and Helsinki vampires shot by Finland’s most famous rock and metal photographer Ville Juurikkala (NIGHTWISHHIM,AMORPHIS).

"The riff smelled a bit like good old METALLICA for me and I mixed it with Paolo Sorrentino's The Great Beauty movie in my head, so that's what it's all about. On Saturday afternoon during the midsummer weekend in the last June I recorded all those 12 o'clock church bells at the Capitoline Hill in Rome that you can hear in the beginning of the song, so that adds some Fellini there as well!,” explains singer Jyrki 69 about the song.

Check out the album trailers here:
#1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWC0309-hiY
#2https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFnYNNWs9Bc
#3https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UYUAL_H14E
#4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOkOjE5nsfA
#5https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ1gZ25peQ8
#6https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LioCq16vYrU

Ville Juurikkala is also be seen as an important part of the band, creating their photos and also the video for first single 'Jet Fighter Plane'.

“We do this from friendship and love for rock 'n' roll. THE 69 EYES, producer Johnny Lee Michaels and photographer Ville Juurikkala have done this together over two decades. This is our lifestyle. This is also how we see the world right now.”

Watch 'Jet Fighter Plane' here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDaN1JFAliY
Purchase 'Jet Fighter Plane' digitally here: http://nblast.de/The69EyesDownloads

"As I first heard the instrumental demo of the song, it immediately sounded for me like a song from the early 80’s new wave/post punk days. You know, like when the music was heavily inspired by David Bowie’s dark visions, the Cold War, the threat of nuclear war and 1984-kind of the future. So I wrote such lyrics from the past – and all of a sudden, the history started to repeat itself and the Cold War winds started to blow again! It was very strange – all of a suddenTHE 69 EYES have a song which is very "today" and even political, longing back to the days of peace," explains singer Jyrki 69. "We also wanted the video to be artistic and visually capture the vibe and theme of the song. There is hope but also darkness, violence and innocence. And it’s only goth 'n' roll."

The new album’s cover artwork was conceived by Ville Juurikkala – known for his work with NIGHTWISH,AMORPHISHIMAPOCALYPTICA and MICHAEL MONROE. As the album title »Universal Monsters« refers, the band are captured in movie monster lightning, showing them as well classic and timeless creatures. “The covers are planned and designed as an old-school CD covers – remember when the booklets used to be as exciting as the album itself?! It will actually have five different covers – each member of the band can be used as a cover creature of their own. Ville has really succeeded in capturing the classic movie vibe for the shots without any special make-up or photo shopping. THE 69 EYES are the universal rock ’n’ roll monsters – not so many of us left anymore,” saysTHE 69 EYES vocalist Jyrki. “So from real fans I wish they would get the actual CD in their hands to get the full album treatment as we want it to be experienced!”

Pre-order Universal Monsters here: http://nblast.de/The69EyesMonstersNB
 

Metal Allegiane Count Vamp’d 1/9/2016

imgres

 

 

 

 

Metal Allegiance played a very small tour on the West Coast and one of the few stops was at a tiny bar called Count Vamp's. The make up of this band is a super group of amazing metal musicians, and they played not only a few of their own songs but they also played a variety of covers that ranged from Black Sabbath to Van Halen which are hits that for us metal heads, are ones we have been wanting to see them cover.

The band being made up of some of the most important metal musicians in the industry only adds to how amazing the show was. By having Troy Sanders and Mark Osegueda switching vocals between songs had not only given a different feel to the night but had also showcased how talented the metal community is. Each band would in a way form their styles around not only the song but the energy and the vibe that each singer had put out which was like having more then one band playing at the same time. To have Sanders sing “Runnin with the Devil” was an amazing experience to have witness and heard. In fact this is by far the best cover of the song I have ever heard. The band had also played various songs from their album like “Let Darkness Fall”. Their songs had seamless fit into their set which is great because they were playing song that inspired them which in turn had produced their new music which we were able to hear.

The whole experience was over 2 amazing hours and it was like being in one of those music videos where they have the tiny stage with some audience and you wish you could have been there for that kind of show. Well this was that show. They need to not only have a full blown tour but they need to put out an album of just the cover they had sang. I feel like my music collection is lacking heavily because I can't come home and put on their version of “Heaven and Hell”. This was a show about fun and that is what came across from every single member. IF you get a chance to see this band do not think twice about it just go and enjoy the experience. Just to see the combination of guitarst like Alex Skolnick, Mark Menghi, Mike Portnoy with the vocalist is itself worth every single second and worth going to a show for. This is honestly one of those legendary shows that I will be talking about for years to come.

Cradle of Filth House of Blue 2/16/2016

 

Cradle of Filth had finally made their way back to America for their Witches of Hammer Tour. For those of you who do not know, the last time that Cradle was set to have an American tour they were not able to because America would not grant them visa's which is very confusing because their on stage performance does nothing that is offensive. Anyways the wait was well worth it, with an added date to Vegas it was quite a performance.

This was by far one of the barest sets I have seen, the only thing that was on stage was the very intense drum set, the amps that come with the venue, a rounded keyboard, a ramp underneath the banner and the banner itself. This is not to say that the stage was not full of entertainment, it just was not about the antics that the band could provide the audience but rather it was about what the band was playing. When you are listening to Cradle of Filth there is a certain type of expectation to hear the famous scream, much like Courtney Love, one expects to hear it and Filth did not let anyone down. In fact his vocals was so much better then any album he had put out. The fact that he can hit such high notes is amazing but to have the moment to check it off of a personal bucket list is always amazing. It is not only Filth that can those lovely notes but female vocalist and keyboard player Lindsay Schoolcraft. The two of them singing together for songs like “Nymphetamine”. This might have been an encore song but it by far stole the show. It is one thing to hear it on a record but another to hear it in person and the band had SLAYED this song. I was getting snapchats of this song from friends who went to other shows.

Aside from playing such classic the band had also played new songs off their album. For me one of the things I like is when the set seamless flows into one another, new and old, which is the case for the Cradle set. The way that it had flowed together was intertwining the old with the new which helps fans who have not had a chance to purchase the new album know what they are missing out on and that they need to go out and buy it 5 minutes ago. One of the nice thing about the guitarist and bass players is how they perform on stage. They did some of the head banging but they also played in a straight line stiffly but with creepy stares and smiles embodying the melody and lyrics of the song. It was pretty cool to see something different but something that had worked well with the flow of the music. It sets them apart from other bands who do nothing but head-bang.

The show was a great one to attend and it hurts my soul that this was not a sold out concert because by all means it should have been. Hearing songs like “Malice Through The Looking Glass” and “Gilded Cunt” where amazing and more people should have been there to witness such an event. On a side note I did buy the Jesus is a Cunt shirt and I will proudly wear that to various function and laugh at the gasp that it will receive.

 

 

 

cradle7 cradle8
cradle6 cradle2
cradle5 cradle3
   
   
   

 

Want to hear a new great metal band called Helloween?

image002

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then you are in for a real treat! 

HELLOWEEN are one of the most influential and internationally successful acts of the global metal scene. With the release of their 15th studio album My God-Given Right, due on May 29th(EU), June 1st (UK) and June 2nd (US), the pumpkin heads are set to further cement their title as the founding fathers of German melodic speed metal. The band's first self-titled EP was released in 1985, making their new album My God-Given Right the celebratory marker for their impressive 30 year career.

 

Today HELLOWEEN release their first single Battle’s Won” digitally, which you can order here:


AMZ MP3            http://geni.us/HelloweenBattleAMZMP3

Google Play        http://smarturl.it/HELLOWEEN-BattleGP

NB MP3                http://smarturl.it/HelloweenBattleNBMP3

 

Enjoy the brand-new lyric video of “Battle’s Won” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CyToN626E0

 

On April 24th the 7 inch will follow. Pre-order it exclusively at the Nuclear Blast Webshop here: http://smarturl.it/HELLOWEEN-GodgivenNB

John Olgeirsson of Lords of War interview plus brand new music video

945408_10151396929666954_1841252037_n

             For this first time I was able to interviewed someone outside of a phone and in a dinning room of a home. This seemed to have worked out well for Lord of War lead singer John Olgeirsson because he was able to be candid about where he thinks metal scene is going, joining a band while they have already recorder their record, being the lead singer who actually could make a difference and his fling with trance music.

 

H.S.- How do you feel the metal scene is going from a younger bandstand point?

Olgeirsson- It has become very over saturated. There are a lot of people trying to accomplish the same goal at the same time. I believe the scene itself is pitting people against each other that would other wise be friends or accomplices; they are musicians that are like minded and can be working together. Instead they are pitted against each other in this rat race that’s going on. It is part of the business. I don’t know, sometimes you just get some questionable folks that are really hindering things.

 

H.S.- Do you think that it is because you have less of an opportunity to work with a music producer to put things out?

Olgeirsson-  I strictly think that it is because the market is over saturated not because there is a lack of producers because there are plenty of people making music and producers as well and engineers that are talented. That is part of the problem everyone can record in their bedroom that is good enough to be distrupted.

 

H.S.- That is not the same thing or type of producer. I have talked to Chuck Billy (Testament go look at it) one of the problems he finds in the metal scene, the lack of producers are not giving back to the metal scene like they used to as opposed to the rap, hip hop scene.

Olgeirsson- That is not a perspective I have heard. If the kind of producers that cater to them are leaning that way, if we are talking about the big names in the industry then yes they are probably taking away from metal. It is defiantly not considered a mainstream thing. Even the Black Dahlia Murders, and the Lamb of Gods, those kinds of bands don’t really occupy that much market share in a main stream setting as much as they should in a musicianship.

 

H.S.- The metal world has never been like that though.  Even going all the way back to Motorhead it has always been an underground kind of thing.

Olgeirsson- That is true.  It has never been really commercially viable.

 

H.S.- You had mentioned the other night that you were not the first lead singer for Lords of War but the fans responded to you better, why do you think that is?

Olgeirsson- Primarily because I actually learned the material.  Of the 5 or 6 vocalist that they had before me I think only two of them actually learned the lyrics. When I started in the band they were really starting to pick up momentum, not really even touring, early on when I started we got signed and a management company represented us. That is the kind of stuff started to take off.

 

H.S.- Do you think it has something more to do then that, like your presents on stage and how you interact with your fans?

Olgeirsson- Defiantly. I know I get way more into the live show then any other vocalist. It’s a lot to do with my approach; I know I do it more then any of the former vocalists. I’ve seen videos of their old vocalist and they just kind of stood around and looked pissed.

 

H.S.- Do you think they were more doing it for the fame and the pussy?

Olgeirsson- I know that one of the vocalist we had left because it wasn’t brutal enough for him.

 

H.S.- What the hell is brutal enough? Like the few black metal Norwegian bands that burn done the churches? Is that brutal enough?

Olgeirsson- I don’t know the band he is in now is pretty fucking brutal. He is a guttural vocalist and that doesn’t really fit in as well with Lord of War. He found his nitch and he left to peruse it.  I know a couple of other guys were just in it for the pootang.

 

H.S.- Do you feel at all accomplished to have had you cd at Best Buy even if it was for a short time?

Olgeirsson- Oh yeah that was great.  What is funny is that a few months prior to that we were agonizing over having to pay 300 dollars to get 100 cds printed in a tiny little shitty jewel case with a one-page booklet. And then within in a couple months we had a full cd release with a four or six page booklet that was full with art and there is print on the disk. It was disrupted to Song, FYE, Best Buy,  it was a huge weight lifted off our shoulders to make our album available to fans.

 

H.S.- Did you take a picture with it?

Olgeirsson- Oh yeah I took a few pictures with it.  The first few weeks any time I saw it.

 

H.S.- Do you write any of the lyrics or music.

Olgeirsson-  I have been but I don’t write all of it. When I joined the band the entire album had already been written and recorded so I am not even on the recordings, the guitarist, Alex  Walshaw did all of the vocals for the album so the material was pretty much already set and for a year after I had joined they were not writing any new material and we were busy coordinating all of the stuff like getting signed and dealing with management. There wasn’t really any writing going on for the bulk of the time I have been in the band. On these past tours we have returned from, we have been playing new material I did write some of the lyrics for that. One song I wrote the lyrics to and the other one Walshaw and I wrote together, half and half.

 

H.S.- What inspire you to write?

Olgeirsson- I just follow suit as to what they were writing when I joined; which inspired by conspiracy theories. Its little works of fiction were we take popular conspiracy, which have to do with aliens, we have a lot of stuff which refers to aliens infiltrating the human race. I keep it with that theme. It is a subjected that is used a lot in bands that are of similar genre (space metal).

 

H.S.- I have never heard of space metal before. There are to many version of metal!

Olgeirsson- It is very much getting out of hand.

 

H.S.- It seems like there are a million different types of metal.

Olgeirsson- Every time someone does something different they have to go make a new genre for it.

 

H.S.-  What have you been listening to lately?

Olgeirsson-  I get into kicks every few months where I will start listening to Pandora again because I get kind of bored of the music selection I have on my phone. You can listen to it for a few a days and you get bored with it (Pandora) you have heard every song that they have. That’s what I have been doing. I have been going back to Through the Eyes of the Dead as well this past week.  I have actually been listening to a lot of trance, Base Hunter, Cosmic Gates for the past month. It is really good driving music.

 

H.S.- A little judgment.  Do you listen to industrial or is it only trance?

Olgeirsson- I don’t get to involve in categorizing my music. If it sounds good then I listen to it. That’s part of the reason why I started listening to Pandora because I like that stuff but I don’t care to know what it is or who makes it.  I will put in one artist that I know and then it will play a bunch of artist that I will never remember but it is what I am into at the moment.

 

H.S.- So you don’t know the history of your music?

Olgeirsson-  I do with the genres and bands I’m into. I just don’t consume it and let it go. It is more like a fling with me and trance its not a long term relationship. We are not committed to each other in the way that I am committed to metal.

 

Check out there first official music video that has just been released its their first one:

 http://youtu.be/A1Dn84tl92o