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Albums & EPs, Kataklizmic Design, Music Videos, News, Speakeasy PR

Serj Tankian’s Elasticity EP Arrives March 19; Watch “Elasticity” Video Now 

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Los Angeles – Serj Tankian’s eagerly-awaited Elasticity EP arrives on March 19 via Alchemy Recordings/BMG. A preview of the five-song release comes via the Vlad Kaptur-directed video for the EP’s title track, “Elasticity”, which can be viewed here.

“When I conceived possibly doing another record with the guys from System of a Down a few years back, I started working on a set of songs that I arranged in rock format for that purpose,” Serj explains. “As we weren’t able to see eye to eye on the vision going forward with an SOAD album, I decided to release these songs under my moniker.”

With his trademark eclecticism and one-of-a-kind vocal style, Serj delivers a collection that runs the gamut from hard-driving, electronically enhanced anthems like the title track, a rallying cry for his beloved Armenia (“Electric Yerevan”), the tongue-in-cheek political mash-up of “Your Mom,” the piano-laden “How Many Times?” and “Rumi,” a song that Serj wrote both about his son Rumi and Rumi the poet.

One of the most multi-dimensional figures in modern music, the GRAMMY Award winning artist is profiled in the upcoming film, “Truth to Power” (Oscilloscope Laboratories/Live Nation Production). View the trailer here.

With exclusive interviews, adventures, and original footage personally filmed by Serj, “Truth To Power” (Feb. 19, truthtopowerfilm.com) allows audiences backstage access to an international rock star whose faith in music not only revolutionized heavy metal, but also world events. Throughout his life, the musician has pursued social justice, harnessing the power of his songs and celebrity for real political change. Serj’s voice is equally likely to take on American corporate greed as lambast the corrupt regime of his homeland. His decades-long campaign for formal U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide was finally approved by Congress in December of 2019.

Elasticity EP Cover

Elasticity EP tracklist:

  1. Elasticity
  2. Your Mom
  3. Rumi
  4. How Many Times?
  5. Electric Yerevan

Pre-orders, including limited-edition indie retail purple vinyl variant and a galaxy vinyl web exclusive, as well as an Elasticity-themed collection of merch, are available here.

Elasticity EP

About Serj Tankian

Serj Tankian | Photography: George Tonikian

A singer, poet, songwriter, visual artist, film producer, activist, and composer; Serj Tankian has always created music as an outlet to express his thoughts and feelings with a level of passion and consciousness that few in today’s world of music can rival. An Armenian born in Lebanon and re-rooted in Los Angeles, Tankian was introduced to the melding of cultures, ideas, and ideals from a very young age. The principles learned from this integration and adaptation have led to his understanding of the oneness of all things and have since maneuvered and transfigured into the music and art that he lives to create.

As the lead singer and songwriter for System of a Down, Serj has released five studio albums, winning a GRAMMY Award in 2006 for “B.Y.O.B.” and selling over 40 million albums worldwide. Despite this success, Serj has never grown complacent with his art, always striving to open up new channels of sound and arrangement to articulate his artistic expressions. He has released five albums of solo material, beginning with 2007’s chart-topping hard rock album Elect The Dead. His sophomore solo album Imperfect Harmonies was released in 2010, followed by Harakiri in 2012. 2013 saw two distinct releases from Serj, the first being the critically acclaimed Orca Symphony No. 1, released in June of that year, followed up with the very unique Jazz-Iz Christ one month later.

Over the past few years, his time spent in the recording studio has been focused on creating musical scores and compositions for film and video game projects. Serj recently lent his vocals to a modern-day cover of Blue Öyster Cult’s rock classic “Godzilla” for the blockbuster Michael Dougherty film “Godzilla: King Of The Monsters.” He also recorded a modern version of the Armenian folk song “Sari Siroun Yar” along with the Authentic Light Orchestra for the film “The Promise,” directed by Terry George and starring Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac. Serj was also brought on by Survival Pictures, the producers of the film, to serve as an Executive Music Consultant.

Most recently, Tankian composed the full musical score for award winning documentary “I Am Not Alone” directed by Garin Hovannisian and the upcoming Live Nation Productions film “Truth To Power,” which chronicles Serj’s own journey through the crossroads of music and activism. In 2017, Serj composed music for Emmy nominated “Intent To Destroy”, a gripping film directed by award winning documentarian Joe Berlinger. That same year, he created an intense score for the epic Russian action film “Furious – The Legend of Kolovrat,” followed by his 2018 musical score for award winning film “Spitak,” directed by Alexander Kott. Additionally, Tankian composed the full musical score for independent films “1915” and “The Last Inhabitant,” an original composition for Ilya Naishuller’s “Hardcore Henry” and video game musical scores for “Midnight Star” and its sequel, “Renegade,” which were created by one of the chief architects of the famed “Halo” game franchise.

Serj’s resume also includes the formation of a record label, Serjical Strike Records (established in 2001), which has released albums from many critically acclaimed artists, including Fair To Midland, Buckethead and Death By Stereo.

Along with fellow musician Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave), Serj co-founded the non-profit organization Axis Of Justice in 2002, which strives to bring together musicians, music fans and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice. He has also dabbled in the world of broadcasting as co-host of the Axis Of Justice Radio Network, which can be heard via Sirius Satellite Radio and KPFK in Los Angeles. With a mission of spreading diversity and understanding through music, poetry and activism, Serj Tankian will continue to surprise and enlighten those who listen to his music and hear his words.

In recent years, Tankian has split his time between holding a mic and a paintbrush, having feverishly created over 60 pieces of art since 2013. His journey into the world of fine art began with his Disarming Time Musical Paintings, which were exhibited at Project Gallery in Los Angeles. Since then, he has had multiple exhibitions at galleries in both the United States and New Zealand. In 2015, his artwork was exhibited at the grand opening of New Museum Los Gatos in Northern California as part of a group exhibit that ran from May through September of that year. Most recently, Serj’s artwork was exhibited at two notable galleries in New Zealand during February and March of 2019.

Serj Tankian Online:

Website | Facebook | Twitter
Instagram | YouTube

Featured photo (top) by George Tonikian


News, Speakeasy PR, Statements

System Of A Down Statement on Artsakh

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System Of A Down have issued a collective band statement and call to action on all their social platforms regarding a current crisis occurring in their cultural homeland of Armenia and Artsakh. In the early morning hours of Sunday, September 27, forces in Azerbaijan began a large scale pre-meditated offensive attack on Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabagh), an independent and autonomous country that borders Armenia, populated with a vast majority of ethnic Armenians. International peace keeping powers are doing very little to dissuade Azerbaijan’s advances and the people of Artaskh are doing everything they can to defend their lives and homeland, where they have lived for thousands of years. For them, this a matter of survival, and nothing more as Azeri forces are trying to do little less than eradicate the 150,000 people that these lands are home to.

Artsakh gained independence in the early 1990’s from Azerbaijan after years of war and conflict beginning soon after the 1988 collapse of the Soviet Union, of which both countries were a part of. After gaining its own independence from the Soviet Union, Armenia has been a guarantor of Artsakh’s security. A cease-fire was agreed to between the countries in 1994, but over the past 2 decades, Azerbaijan has frequently broken this pact via mostly minor to moderate advancements and skirmishes along the line of contact.

This time, Azerbaijan with the aid of Turkey’s Recep Erdogan regime and military forces, launched a large scale offensive attack along the full eastern border of Artsakh and has launched attacks within the borders of Armenia as well. International calls for a stop to Azeri advances have gone ignored, and the leader of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev is attacking with impunity.

All four members of System Of A Down are of Armenian heritage, and since the band’s inception have brought awareness to many human rights issues, none more prevalent than that of the Armenian Genocide at the hands of the Turkish leadership of the Ottoman Empire during WWI, when more than 1.5 million Armenians perished in the first genocide of the 20th century. To the band members and other Armenians all around the world, the war being waged on the people of Artsakh now is a continuation of the Armenian Genocide as the Turkic Azeris along with the support of Recep Erdogan’s Turkey are trying to eradicate the Armenians of Artsakh and claim these lands for themselves.

Their statement posted on their socials is below. It includes various calls to action and online petition links to raise awareness and a call on world leaders to insist Azerbaijan and Turkey stop the attacks immediately.

System Of A Down Statement:

The world turned a blind eye during:

  • the Armenian Genocide in 1915
  • the mass killings and pogroms of the 1980s and ‘90s
  • Azerbaijan’s invasion of Armenia in 2016

Now the world is turning a blind eye to 150,000 landlocked civilians under attack by Azerbaijan and Turkey.

SOAD has always stood for justice and peace. This notion comes from the suffering and injustice done to our people over centuries. Erdogan’s denialist Turkey is continuing the work of its genocidal ancestors, and allied with petro-corrupt Azerbaijan, are firing American made F-16 missiles into Artsakh and parts of Armenia killing soldiers as well as civilians. The world seems too busy with Covid and politics to care, but we HAVE to do something as this is an existential threat for our people and the first Christian Nation.

Since it seems difficult for the media, international organizations, and world powers to call out Azerbaijan on its war mongering, ethnic cleansing, and killing of innocent civilians, let’s help them. We are calling on everyone to join our efforts. Here is how…

Donate:

Armenia Fund

Armenian Wounded Heroes Fund

1000plusam

Armenian American Medical Society

Aid Beyond Borders

Sign Petitions:

Armenian Rights Watch –
Stop Against Azerbaijan and Turkey’s War Crimes

ANCA – Cut Off Military Aid to Baku

ANCA – Strengthen US-Armenia Ties

WhiteHouse.gov – Condemn Azeri and Turkish Aggression

Albums & EPs, Music Videos, News, Speakeasy PR

The OBGMs Set Oct. 30 Release for The Ends; Debut “Fight Song” Video

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TORONTO – The OBGMs, the Canadian trio who “spit fire” (Punk News) and “boast classic punk vibes with contemporary garage rock” (Alternative Press), have set an Oct. 30 release date for The Ends (Black Box Music).

“This album is about death, wanting to die, and fighting for something to live for — it’s the end of all things. I feel this is the one of the most important cross-genre albums this century,” says the always quotable singer/guitar player Densil McFarlane. “We are Nirvana, we are The Beatles, and The Stones. We are really changing the dimensions of which the game is played like the Steph Curry of this rock shit. We all have feelings of doubt, uncertainty, and I used to live there. I’m trying not to die there. If I’m going out, I’m going out shooting.”

News of the album’s release arrives as the band debut a new single from the 10-song collection, sharing a video for the cathartically combative single “Fight Song”. Watch here.

McFarlane says of the motivation behind the track: “You ever sitting in your 9-5 and someone talking reckless and you really want to punch them in their head top? You ever get that passive aggressive email from that disrespectful person and you want to walk to their cubicle and tell them about their mom? I wrote this song so I wouldn’t have to hold my tongue. We want the smoke. All of it. You don’t like us, fight me, or get the hell out of the way. You can’t stop us, this is how we die.”

The OBGMs (that’s The oOoh Baby Gimme Mores) — rounded out by drummer Colanthony Humphrey and bass player Joseph Brosnan — aren’t your typical rock band. “This is a black-fronted punk band, and that’s really important,” McFarlane says. “Rock n’ roll is mostly white suburban kids—that’s what gets promoted. But we are Black and we out here. I was inspired to make rock music when I saw a Black guy on stage, and if someone sees that in us, I hope it will inspire a new generation to go after this.”

The Ends was produced by GRAMMY and Juno award winning Dave Schiffman (Rage Against The Machine/The Bronx/Pup) and recorded at Dream House Studios (Toronto). Album pre-orders, which include a 180g red/yellow splatter vinyl variant, are available now here.

“You can love us or hate us,” says McFarlane. “I’m aiming for that. We’d prefer the love — we’re full of love — but I’d rather you hate me than feel indifference.”  

The Ends Track List:

  1. Outsah
  2. Cash
  3. All My Friends
  4. Fight Song
  5. Not Again
  6. Triggered
  7. WTFRU
  8. Karen O’s
  9. To Death
  10. Move On

“Densil McFarlane delivers his self-deprecating lyrics with the sneer and bulldozing attitude of Keith Morris-era Black Flag, but his riffing and hooks could give even the Billie Joe Armstrongs of the world a run for their money. Keep these guys on your radar for sure.” – Guitar World

“The OBGMs barrel through hook-laden, guitar forward, tracks reminiscent of the early aughts garage rock revival. Underpinning that sound is feverish punk energy coupled with shout sing vocals. It’s something like The Hives by way of The Germs. Or the Strokes covering The Stooges.” – Vice

The OBGMs Is:

  • Densil McFarlane (vocals/guitar)
  • Joseph Brosnan (bass)
  • Colanthony Humphrey (drums)

The OBGMs Online:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Featured photo (top) by Amanda Fotes

News, Speakeasy PR, Tracks

Failure Release Depeche Mode Cover “Enjoy The Silence” 

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LOS ANGELES – Failure have released a newly recorded cover of the Depeche Mode classic, “Enjoy The Silence”. Listen here:

“We originally recorded a cover of ‘Enjoy The Silence’ for the 1998 Depeche Mode tribute, For The Masses,” says Ken Andrews. “That album has all but disappeared, no longer in print and not available via streaming platforms but we as a band are proud of our take on that song and had wanted to re-record it for some time. With the blessing of both Martin Gore and Depeche Mode, we re-addressed our version and came up with this new version for 2020.”

The digital single arrives at a time when Failure had been slated to perform a series of live residencies in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City. Those dates have since been cancelled due to COVID-19.

FAILURE 1992-1996 Preorder Available

Failure 1992-1996 Cover
FAILURE 1992–1996 Cover Art

The band is taking pre-orders here for FAILURE 1992-1996, a four-piece vinyl box set featuring the three ‘90s-era albums. With the original masters finally being unearthed, Comfort, Magnified, and Fantastic Planet have been meticulously restored, remixed, and remastered by Ken Andrews to a new level of sonic fidelity that eclipses all previous iterations of the band’s early work.

“Almost everything people have heard from these albums has been sourced from 16bit digital files made in the ‘90s, which was state of the art at the time,” explains Andrews. “But when we found out we were getting our hands on the original analog master tapes, and with all the confusion and lack of quality control on several of the previous iterations, we set out to create the definitive versions of Comfort, Magnified and Fantastic Planet. Everything has been sourced directly from first generation multitrack and stereo master tapes. This is us finally getting to present our early work the way we’ve always wanted to.”

In addition to all the originally released songs from the three albums, the band has discovered several unreleased songs which have also been restored and will be included in the box set.

“These new versions have all the magic from the originals, but now, instead of looking through a hazy pane of glass, the window has been completely opened and you can hear all the elements in their full glory,” explains drummer Kellii Scott.

“Listening to the b-sides and outtakes from that first year of being a band takes me right back to playing the tiny stage at Jabberjaw in Los Angeles,” adds bassist/guitarist Greg Edwards. “It’s always surprising to me how much of the expansiveness and atmosphere of the later records exist in embryonic form on those earliest stripped-down recordings.”

“Stuck On You” was recently remastered both visually and sonically,
and can be viewed here:

Failure Is:

  • Ken Andrews (Vocals, Guitar)
  • Greg Edwards (Bass, Guitar)
  • Kellii Scott (Drums)

Failure Online:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram


Featured photo (top) by Priscilla C. Scott



Music Videos, News, Speakeasy PR

Puscifer Returns with Timely “Apocalyptical” Video

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Maynard James Keenan-fronted Band Releases First New Music since 2015

Jerome, AZ — Puscifer, the Arizona-born, “exceptionally groovy” (Entertainment Weekly) band that Revolver dubbed “Maynard James Keenan’s… indescribable musical/performance-art collective,” release the eerily topical “Apocalyptical” single and video:

A message from Keenan arrives alongside the track: “Manipulated information disseminated by kings, queens, dictators, so called leaders, supposed professionals or outliers and conspiracy theorists living underground, or in basements, is not new or unique to this generation. Misdirection is Power Struggles’ conjoined twin but the speed at which it now travels in this digital age is dangerous and destructive on many levels. This rapid distribution of poison and its immediate impact will be the hallmark of our generation. Even In light of all this, and all the noise the digital landscape generates, all I keep asking myself is ‘what is it with the whole hoarding toilet paper thing?’”

The ”Apocalyptical” release follows social media breadcrumbs hinting at imminent moves amongst the Puscifer camp. As had been speculated, and can now be confirmed, the band’s fourth full-length studio album will arrive this Fall via Alchemy Recordings, a partnership with BMG. Alchemy Recordings is a new record label created in partnership between Dino Paredes, former American Recordings Vice President of A&R, and Danny Wimmer, the founder of Danny Wimmer Presents, the premier production company for rock music festivals in the United States.

Vocalist Carina Round sheds light on the darkly prophetic timing of the song: “’Apocalyptical’ was one of the very first musical ideas for the new record that we put our voices on out in Arizona in late 2019. It was simultaneously very fresh and also felt like we had never been apart.”

“For the initial writing process of ‘Apocalyptical,” we relied heavily on a Fairlight IIx (an early musical computer using 8 bit samples), and a Synclavier II (another early digital workstation that relied on FM synthesis),” explains guitar player and co-producer Mat Mitchell of the behind-the-scenes creation of the song. “These were heavyweights in early digital music productions and defined a generation of music. We decided to set modern computers aside by working within the limitations of these early computer technologies. This created a unique space for us to explore and the results can be heard throughout this track.”

Puscifer has released three full-length studio albums: “V” is for Vagina (2007), Conditions of My Parole (2011) and Money Shot (2015). Maynard James Keenan initially used the moniker in a 1995 episode of “Mr. Show,” bringing the band to life in 2007. Keenan’s companions in the electro-rock outfit have been Mat Mitchell (guitar/production) and Carina Round (vocals/songwriting). The band brings a unique mix of recorded output and on-stage theatrics, pairing each release with a conceptual live show, from a “Hee Haw”-infused performance featuring recurring Puscifer characters Billy Dee and Hildy to 2017’s luchadores-themed outing.

Puscifer Online

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Music Videos, News, Speakeasy PR, Tracks

Baroness Share “Tourniquet (Socially Distant)” Video

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Baroness share a new video for the song “Tourniquet”. Dubbed “Tourniquet (Socially Distant)” the footage features the four band members playing the six-and-a-half minute song at their respective homes, showcasing the band’s ability to both socially isolate and come together to share the message of unity amidst the COVID-19 crisis. Watch the video here.

The band issued a collective comment:

“Hey everyone! Here’s an as-live-as-possible performance of ‘Tourniquet’ that we made over the course of a couple days during this period of isolation.

We have all maintained a rigid policy of social-distancing since becoming aware of this pandemic; which has unfortunately deprived us of our much preferred means of playing music. Throughout this crisis, the overall safety and responsibility of our global human community far outweighs the individual value of any show, festival or tour. We’re refocusing and redoubling our energy to adapt to this situation as it unfolds.

As difficult as it seems to navigate the effects of this virus, the isolation has not stripped us of our passion for Baroness’ music. Playing music so far from our bandmates will never be particularly natural. However, the experience of making this video through emails, texts and phone calls has been a powerful reminder of how inspiring and invigorating music can be in times of stress, struggle and confusion.

We hope you enjoy this performance. It isn’t meant to highlight musical perfection or precision. Personally, it serves as a reminder that, no matter what situation we face, we are still able to enjoy friendship, family and community through something as simple as a song. Isolated but never alone… Baroness.”

The video closes with a message to fans: “Be safe. Be good to each other. Act with personal and civic responsibility. We’ll see you again soon.”

“Tourniquet” is featured on the album Gold & Grey, which arrived in June of 2019 with Stereogum saying the collection “is the best thing Baroness has ever done… a masterpiece,” NME declaring it “a work of art in the truest sense of the word” and NPR, noting the synchronicity between Baroness’ music and imagery, observing that “Gold & Grey feels like a callback to the heyday of the rock album as art object.” The 17-track release debuted atop Billboard’s Hard Rock Albums Sales and Independent Albums’ Charts and found the band gracing the covers of both Revolver and Kerrang! magazines. Baroness has taken fans behind-the-scenes into the making of the Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, At War With The Mystics) produced album, releasing an 11-part web series dubbed “Making Gold & Grey”. Watch here.

The Philadelphia-meets-New York based band have grown to be one of rock music’s most critically-revered as well as one of the most inventive artists of the modern era with each release in their kaleidoscopic canon seeing the band further defining their unique musical vantage point. Baroness’ catalog of studio recordings is: Gold & Grey (2019), Purple (2015), Yellow & Green (2012), Blue Record (2009), Red Album (2007), A Grey Sigh in a Flower Husk (Split LP, 2007), Second (EP, 2004) and First (EP, 2004).

(Burning Hot Events earns from qualifying purchases.)

Baroness Is:

  • John Baizley (vocals/guitar)
  • Gina Gleason (guitar)
  • Nick Jost (bass)
  • Sebastian Thomson (drums)

Baroness Online:

Website | Facebook | Twitter
YouTube | Instagram



News, Speakeasy PR, Tours

Tool Announces Spring Tour Dates 

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LOS ANGELES – Tool, who recently took home the GRAMMY Award® for Best Metal Performance for the song “7empest,” has added an extensive Spring tour for North America.

The tour news arrives as the Los Angeles-based band wraps up a sold out Australasian tour, with the final two shows of the trek, back-to-back sold out performances at Auckland’s Spark Arena, happening later this week. The Sydney Morning Herald described the live offering as “an immersive art-rock experience that forced you to feel a little of everything. It was an intricate collage of light, sound and imagery.” The Fear Inoculum tour, which has seen the band performing in some cities for the first time in over a decade, has received widespread accolades with the Los Angeles Times calling it “impeccable,” the Chicago Tribune describing the performances as a “twisting multimedia rollercoaster of a concert” and The Arizona Republic describing the shows as “a visually breathtaking night of dystopian art-rock spectacle.”

Newly Announced Tour Dates

  • April 16 Miami, FL American Airlines Arena
  • April 17 Orlando, FL Amway Center
  • April 19 Tampa, FL Amalie Arena
  • April 21 Charlotte, NC Spectrum Center
  • April 22 Charlottesville, VA John Paul Jones Arena
  • April 24 Baltimore, MD Royal Farms Arena
  • April 25 Uniondale, NY Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
  • April 28 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
  • April 29 Quebec City, QC Videotron Centre
  • May 1 Wilkes Barre, PA Mohegan Sun Arena
  • May 2 Buffalo, NY KeyBank Centre
  • May 4 Toledo, OH Huntington Center
  • May 5 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
  • May 29 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome
  • May 31 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
  • June 2 Edmonton, AB Rogers Place
  • June 4 Winnipeg, MB Bell MTS Place
  • June 6 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
  • June 7 Sioux Falls, SD Denny Sanford Premier Center
  • June 9 Madison, WI Kohl Center
  • June 10 Moline, IL TaxSlayer Center
  • June 12 Manchester, TN Bonnaroo Festival
  • June 13 St. Louis, MO Enterprise Center
  • June 16 Wichita, KS INTRUST Bank Arena
  • June 17 Oklahoma City, OK Chesapeake Energy Center
  • June 19 Colorado Springs, CO Broadmoor World Arena
  • June 22 Sacramento, CA Golden 1 Center
  • June 23 San Francisco, CA Chase Center

Tickets for the above dates are on-sale this Friday, Feb. 28 at 10 am local time, with the exception of Sioux Falls and St. Louis which are on-sale at 12 noon local time. A limited number of VIP packages are available exclusively to Tool Army members here this Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 10 am local time. Blonde Redhead opens April 16 to May 5; The Acid Helps opens May 29 to June 23 (except Bonnaroo performance).

Fear Inoculum arrived on Aug. 30 following years of anticipation. The album debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top 200, shattering sales and radio records while also earning widespread critical praise. NPR said, “Fear Inoculum was worth the 13-year wait,” The Atlantic declared the release “precise and devastating,” Revolver dubbed the 10-track album “a masterpiece that will be dissected for years to come” and Consequence of Sound said Fear Inoculum finds “Tool in peak performance.”

Full List of Tool Tour Dates

  • February 28 Auckland, New Zealand Spark Arena
  • February 29 Auckland, New Zealand Spark Arena
  • March 9 Spokane, WA Spokane Arena
  • March 11 Portland, OR Moda Center
  • March 12 Eugene, OR Matthew Knight Center
  • March 14 Boise, ID Ford Idaho Center Arena
  • March 16 Salt Lake City, UT Maverik Center
  • April 16 Miami, FL American Airlines Arena
  • April 17 Orlando, FL Amway Center
  • April 19 Tampa, FL Amalie Arena
  • April 21 Charlotte, NC Spectrum Center
  • April 22 Charlottesville, VA John Paul Jones Arena
  • April 24 Baltimore, MD Royal Farms Arena
  • April 25 Uniondale, NY Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
  • April 28 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
  • April 29 Quebec City, QC Videotron Centre
  • May 1 Wilkes Barre, PA Mohegan Sun Arena
  • May 2 Buffalo, NY KeyBank Centre
  • May 4 Toledo, OH Huntington Center
  • May 5 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
  • May 29 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome
  • May 31 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
  • June 2 Edmonton, AB Rogers Place
  • June 4 Winnipeg, MB Bell MTS Place
  • June 6 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
  • June 7 Sioux Falls, SD Denny Sanford Premier Center
  • June 9 Madison, WI Kohl Center
  • June 10 Moline, IL TaxSlayer Center
  • June 13 St. Louis, MO Enterprise Center
  • June 16 Wichita, KS Intrust Bank Arena
  • June 17 Oklahoma City, OK Chesapeake Energy Center
  • June 19 Colorado Springs, CO Broadmoor World Arena
  • June 22 Sacramento, CA Golden 1 Center
  • June 23 San Francisco, CA Chase Center

Tool Online

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter


Featured photo (top) by Travis Shinn


Albums & EPs, News, Speakeasy PR

Talking Book (Faith No More/Gigante Sound) Set April 24 Release for Talking Book II  

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San Francisco – Talking Book, the San Francisco-born experimental trio whose music evokes the “distorted sepia tone imagery of a bygone era” (Cyclic Defrost), return with their first album in nine years, Talking Book II.

The group features Faith No More’s Bill Gould with Gigante Sound co-founders Jared Blum (Vulcanus 68, Vision Heat) and Dominic Cramp (Borful Tang, Lord Tang), crafting music that is antithetical to genre classifications. Though the approach to creating the record has been uniquely their own, there are obvious echoes of Eno’s earliest ambient projects and his Bowie collaborations, ‘60s Serbian and Czech soundtracks, English folk and coastal melodies, intertwining prog guitars met with dusty electro acoustic tape music and Lynch’s “Eraserhead” score.

“We had originally thought this would be an easy follow-up to our debut album from 2011,” said Gould. “But in fact, this was a journey that took years. It was a wild ride, but in my opinion was totally worth the effort, it enabled us to really dig deep, and get this the way we wanted it. I feel like we have created a soundtrack to a film that can only be seen through listening.”

An early listen to the 14-song collection comes with a stream of “Thermal Drift” here.

Talking Book II is a total listening experience, meant to be digested as two complete pieces, preferably with headphones. The tracks are meant to flow, one into the other, without gaps. The vinyl release will be limited to 500 copies and contains an entire piece per side. Pre-orders for the 12” vinyl version can be found here.

Talking Book II Track List:

  1. Blood Aurora
  2. Thermal Drift
  3. The Land Upright
  4. A Crumbling Mind Smiles
  5. Zastava
  6. Early Sorrows
  7. The Last Time She Died
  8. They Came at Dawn
  9. A Sea Turned to Stone
  10. Heritor
  11. Lost in Glass
  12. The War Was Better
  13. Dying Light
  14. Absent Horizon

Koolarrow Records Online

Website | Facebook

Featured photo (top) by Chuck Moseley


Albums & EPs, News, Speakeasy PR, Tracks

Grey Daze Set April 10 Release for Eagerly-awaited Album, Amends

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MARCH 24, 2020 UPDATE: With an abundance of concern for those that need to spend time with their loved ones over the coming weeks due to Covid-19, the band and label came to the difficult decision to postpone the album’s release. More Info Here

PHOENIX — Grey Daze, Chester Bennington’s pre-Linkin Park band, release Amends, the Phoenix-born band’s eagerly-awaited album featuring newly recorded music with re-mastered vocals from the group’s long out-of-print, and largely undiscovered, catalog, on April 10 via Loma Vista Recordings.

New Single & Music Video for “Sickness” Released

Accompanying the album announcement, Grey Daze have simultaneously released a second single from the 11-song collection, premiering “Sickness” today via Annie Mac’s BBC Radio 1 show (“Hottest Record”). A video for the track has also been released, with band founder and drummer, Sean Dowdell, explaining: “This is loosely based on a true story from when Chester was 15-years-old. He was being bullied at school and one day suffered a real beating. That was the day I assumed a role as protector and almost older brother figure to Chester that has lasted since, even after his passing.”

Amends is the origin story of one of modern rock’s most recognizable voices and also a full circle moment among friends. The album is the fulfillment of a planned Grey Daze reunion that Chester had announced prior to his untimely passing. The remaining band members – Dowdell (drums), Mace Beyers (bass) and Cristin Davis (guitar) – along with Talinda Bennington (Chester’s widow) and his parents, made it their mission to see the project through with assistance from Tom Whalley, the founder of Loma Vista Recordings and former Warner Bros. Records Chairman during Linkin Park’s tenure at the label.

Dowdell, Beyers and Davis selected the tracks from the band’s mid-90s, but largely unknown, catalog and re-recorded the music in 2019 to accompany Chester’s re-mastered vocals. Produced by Jay Baumgardner, several musicians leant their time and talent to the album, including Korn’s Brian “Head” Welch and James “Munky” Shaffer, Paige Hamilton (Helmet), Chris Traynor (Bush, Helmet, Orange 9MM), LP, Jasen Rauch (Breaking Benjamin) and Ryan Shuck (Orgy).

Earlier this week, Dowdell and Talinda Bennington spoke with Rolling Stone about the project, discussing how it came to fruition and the emotions of sharing this album with the world.

“He wanted to do Grey Daze again because the music was awesome, he loved it back then, and he was excited to be able to create,” Talinda shared in the Rolling Stone piece. “Doing it now that he had all this experience under his belt – he had accomplished so much and come so far since then – he was excited about it. I can hear him now. He’s like, ‘F**k yeah!’”

Dowdell appears on both KROQ (Los Angeles) and KUPD (Phoenix) this afternoon to discuss Amends and how meaningful this release is to both the circle of people who were intimately involved but also to the millions of fans who have been waiting to hear Chester’s voice once again.

“We started Grey Daze in 1993, the band ended up breaking up in 1998,” explains Dowdell in a recently released documentary. “Fast forward to 2015, Chester’s on the road and says, ‘I think we should put Grey Daze back together.’ Obviously, what happened, happened and Chester was tragically taken from us. Of course, as soon as he passed, it was like ‘oh my God, I lost my friend, my friend’s wife is now a widow and my friend’s kids are now fatherless.’ There were all of these emotions. About six or seven months later, I started some conversations and said I really want to finish this album. We’re not going to accept mediocrity, we’re going to do our friend proud, we’re going to make sure Chester is proud and we’re going to make sure this is something he would have been elated to put out.“

Amends is available in a variety of collectible formats with several iterations available exclusively via the band’s website. The CD comes as a 16-page case-bound book; a first pressing, ruby red vinyl variant exclusive to the band’s webstore; and a numbered deluxe edition featuring both a CD and LP, which includes the first ever disc tray designed for vinyl, as well as a 60-page book with never-before-seen photos and 180g red and white splattered vinyl. Digital and other standard versions of the album are available here.

Pre-orders include instant downloads of “What’s In The Eye” and “Sickness.” A CD single is also available today at independent record stores nationwide, featuring both new singles “What’s In The Eye” and “Sickness,” as well as a $3 off coupon for the full album.

Amends Track Listing

  1. Sickness
  2. Sometimes
  3. What’s In The Eye
  4. The Syndrome
  5. In Time
  6. Just Like Heroine
  7. B12
  8. Soul Song
  9. Morei Sky
  10. She Shines
  11. Shouting Out

About Grey Daze


Grey Daze formed in 1992. The Phoenix-based band went on to independently release two albums: Wake Me (1994) and no sun today (1996). Grey Daze parted ways in 1998, with Chester serendipitously auditioning for the Los Angeles band Xero, who later became Linkin Park.

In 2017, Chester announced Grey Daze’s reunion, which would see the band re-working and re-recording a collection of songs they had started two decades earlier. The project was shelved in July 2017 but with the blessing of Chester’s widow, Talinda, and his family, Grey Daze regrouped and finished the album. 

Amends represents an important yet unheard chapter – the origin story of one of modern rock’s most recognizable voices – and also a full circle moment along friends.

Grey Daze Is:

  • Chester Bennington (vocals)
  • Sean Dowdell (drums)
  • Mace Beyers (bass)
  • Cristin Davis (guitar).

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Grey Daze (Chester Bennington) Release “What’s In The Eye” Single

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Phoenix, AZ – Grey Daze, the ‘90s era band helmed by Chester Bennington and featuring drummer Sean Dowdell, bass player Mace Beyers and guitarist Cristin Davis, give fans an early listen to their as-of-yet untitled Loma Vista Recordings’ debut album with the release of the single, “What’s In the Eye”. Listen here:

“An honest voice of pain and anger for a generation” – Rolling Stone

Before he sang, screamed, and serenaded audiences of millions throughout his storied career in Linkin Park and a host of other projects, Chester cut his teeth in Grey Daze. The mid-‘90s band released a pair of albums (Wake Me and No Sun Today), but unsurprisingly, the young Phoenix-based band was lacking the expertise and financial resources to fulfill their vision.

Prior to his untimely passing, Chester personally announced a 2017 Grey Daze reunion on social media —which would see the band members, now with those previously lacking resources, re-working and re-recording a collection of songs from those early releases. The resulting music represents an important, yet unheard chapter—the origin story of one of modern rock’s most recognizable voices—and also a full circle moment among friends.

As he never got the chance to launch the reunion himself, his bandmates, friends, family, and various collaborators stepped up to give the music the second chance it deserved, finishing what the late singer started.

“Over the years we’d become more knowledgeable, more experienced, and had more resources, so we decided to pick a selection of songs from our previously released albums and re-record them the way they deserved to have been treated back in the ‘90s when we initially wrote and released them,” explained the band in an open letter posted to their social media channels in December. “By February 2017 we started recording and in June, Chester and Sean announced the reunion, with a live performance planned for that Fall. Unfortunately, as we all know, that never happened.”

Chester Bennington | Photography: Tom Preston

Originally recorded in 1993 and 1996, “What’s In the Eye” was re-written and modernized by Grey Daze under the guidance of producers Chris Traynor (Bush, Helmet, Orange 9MM), Kyle Hoffman, and Jay Baumgardner. Using Chester’s original vocals, the song showcases that, even at the age of 17, Chester was already “delivering intense, almost physically palpable emotion” (New York Times).

“What’s In The Eye” was written lyrically in different phases by both Sean and Chester collaboratively. The song focuses on a friend’s premature death in a car accident and trying to understand the loss, relaying an emotional intensity that every listener will not only understand, but instantly connect with. The beauty of Chester’s gifts were that he made others able to understand and cope with their own emotional pain, simply by listening to Chester’s vocal expression.

“As a teenager, when these recordings were done, he had this incredible raw and somewhat undeveloped voice that had an incredible tone. He had this ability to sing great rock melodies punctuated by that unmistakable guttural scream. Chester’s voice had a personality that made you a believer,” said Loma Vista Recordings founder and President Tom Whalley. “Listening to the new versions of these tracks, I think it represents everything that the band members and the family told me that Chester wanted to achieve with re-recording this body of work.”

“One of the finest male voices of a generation” – NME

Additional details about the album will be revealed in the coming weeks. A series of letters about the project and passion behind its release were posted on various social media channels in December. Aside from his Grey Daze bandmates, Chester’s widow, Talinda Bennington, his mother, Susan Eubanks, and his son Jamie Bennington, shared their thoughts about the forthcoming release:

Open Letter from Talinda Bennington (Chester’s Widow):

“One of Chester’s greatest gifts was music. The only thing he took more pride in was being a father to his children. Given how much he cared, he wanted fans to hear everything he did, and his musical journey started with Grey Daze.

“In February 2017, Chester and his bandmates began re-recording their music for a planned re-release of the band’s early music and by June, he announced that Grey Daze was reuniting and would be playing a 20th-anniversary reunion show that fall. He was so enthusiastic about doing this, and he was eager to play rock music with messages that he knew would be meaningful to fans. It also meant a lot to him to be working with his Grey Daze bandmates, Sean Dowdell (with whom he had a very special friendship, and was a business partner in Club Tattoo), along with Mace Beyers, and Cristin Davis. He’d known them more than half of his life.

“When Chester passed away, Grey Daze’s reunion seemed like an afterthought to everyone involved; they were suffering, I was suffering, and there were way too many emotions to work through before we could even think about what would happen to that project. Once the clouds lifted a bit, once we could focus on what Chester would want us to do, we looked for a way to continue what Chester was working on—the things he was proud of and wanted to share with his fans. The Grey Daze project is one of the ways we can continue to tell Chester’s story and connect with his fans.

“Through our foundation, 320, I endeavor every day making sure Chester’s legacy shines a light for positive change. For us, releasing a new Grey Daze album will shine a light on where my husband started and hopefully give his fans a better understanding of his art and a more full picture of his journey through this incredible music”.

Open Letter from Susan Eubanks (Chester’s Mom):

“It’s hard for me to remember a time when Chester didn’t tell me he was going to be a rock star. He had discovered music at a very young age, and I can even recall the first time I saw him sing: a two-year-old mimicking the songs to “Grease!” he loved to sing Olivia Newton John’s!

“Music was a constant for him. He was always listening to bands, but it was when he was 13 that he began to tell me that he was going to be a singer. He was trying out for local bands, playing with friends, and doing what normal teenage boys do when they dream about becoming a “rock star.” I was encouraging, but obviously wanted him to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground and focused on his education.

“At 15, he came home with his slightly older friend, who seemed immensely older to me in comparison to Chester, Sean Dowdell. I laugh now when I think that Sean was a mere 17 at the time. Sean was forming a local band that was in need of a singer, and Chester was eager to fill that role. That band would become Grey Daze. As any parent would be, I was reluctant to have my 15-year-old son going to clubs but I cautiously gave my permission once I saw how Sean treated Chester, not just as a new bandmate, but as a protective older brother. Over the past 25 years, Sean has become a part of our family.

“Missing Chester is now a part of my daily life but of course, grief comes in waves, so most of the time I try to remember the joy he brought to me, and the happiness his music brought to so many people. It was in that mindset that I gave Sean my blessing to continue the work he and Chester had begun on reimagining the Grey Daze music. A year later, Sean very proudly played me the results of his, Mace, and Cristin’s work, allowing me to be one of the first people to hear it. When that voice rang out, I remembered the teenage Chester and Sean and thought of how remarkable they would have found all of this. I am grateful that because of Sean’s efforts Chester’s fans have the opportunity to hear his music again.“

Open Letter from Jamie Bennington (Chester’s Son):

“To be honest, I didn’t know that Grey Daze was coming back. My dad was the type to keep his work private if it wasn’t finished, so I never heard about his reunion with Sean Dowdell and Mace Beyers to revitalize his first ever rock band. All that I knew was that my dad was looking, once again, to reinvent himself as an artist. Something that was far from unusual considering he was, and always will be, one of the most amoebic vocal talents to ever live. With that being said, to say that getting a call from Sean nearly two years after his death concerning an album they had been working on together in secret was a surprise is an understatement.

“Sean asked me to come down and record some backup vocals at NRG. I said yes. Of course, I said yes. And what an experience it was. In a lot of ways, I got to meet the teenage version of my father. I got to reconnect with my own childhood friends. And I got to pilgrimage to the very place that Linkin Park got their start.

“Most importantly though I got to work on one of the last things my dad ever made. Something I had so many questions about, like: ‘How were they going to continue to work on an album when the lead vocalist was no longer in the picture?‘

“I had been told that there were no plans to bring in another vocalist to replace my dad on the album, but I didn’t understand at the time what that actually meant. It was only when I stepped into the studio that I saw the magic being performed. And by magic, I mean magic. Sean Dowdell, Esjay Jones, and Lucas D’Angelo are miracle workers who not only had massive holes to fill in the production of album but had rather limited means of filling them. But they did it. They did it with only masters of old Grey Daze recordings and the goodwill of friends and family.

“Thank you so much for having me and congratulations on accomplishing the impossible.“

Open Letter from Grey Daze:

“We met Chester when he was a scrappy 15-year-old and we were “seasoned” 17-year-olds. We’ve been friends, bandmates, and in Sean’s case, business partners (via Club Tattoo), ever since. We were present for the highs, and witness to the lows. Chester was the heart and soul of Grey Daze, it was his enthusiasm, lyrical prowess and emotional integrity that propelled us to record and release two albums and a demo and it was with great pride that we watched the magic we knew was in him shared with the world.

“Reuniting Grey Daze was something that we’d been kicking around for years, but because of work and family commitments, we hadn’t had a chance to turn the idea into reality until early 2017. Over the years we’d become more knowledgeable, more experienced, and had more resources, so we decided to pick a selection of songs from our previously released albums and re-record them the way they deserved to have been treated back in the ‘90s when we initially wrote and released them. By February 2017 we started recording and in June, Chester and Sean announced the reunion, with a live performance planned for that Fall. Unfortunately, as we all know, that never happened.

“When Talinda, Chester’s widow, and his parents, gave us their blessing to move forward with the project, we did so with the utmost care, making sure to honor his legacy as well as handle the music we had written together with the utmost care.

“We all wanted to fulfill Chester’s dream of people hearing Grey Daze music as he always envisioned it.

“We also wanted to make sure we had the proper steward for this. We reached out to Tom Whalley, the person who had been the head of Warner Bros. Records for the first nine years of Linkin Park’s existence and someone who knew Chester well, with hopes he’d be interested in doing this release via his Loma Vista Recordings. Executive Producer Jay Baumgardner and Tom helped us to see our vision through, re-recording the music but keeping Chester’s vocals intact. The fact that we got to re-track and rewrite the music around his vocals was an amazing experience. This is what our good friend wanted. He wanted the music to feel fresh and relevant, so people who knew his music but not his original band, could relate to it. That’s what we’ve tried to do with this Grey Daze record now.

“We cannot wait for his fans and the world to hear this new album, we hope we made him, and you, proud.”

“Voice of a generation” – BBC

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