Manager & Concert Photographer of Burning Hot Events
Photographer, Web Designer & Developer, Video Producer, Graphic Designer, Entrepreneur, Freelancer, concert-junkie, musician, dancer, #1 fan of LOTR & the Spice Girls, cat-lover, & moar!
PRESALE STARTS MONDAY, JAN. 31 AT 10AM PT FOR FANS WHO SIGN UP FOR EARLY ACCESS TO PASSES ONLINE AT WHENWEWEREYOUNGFESTIVAL.COM
The When We Were Young Festival has announced a third date has been added to the highly anticipated fest, taking place on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022 at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds.
The festival will feature the same lineup on all three dates, with the exception of Alex G replacing Wolf Alice on Saturday, October 29th and La Dispute will not be performing on the newly added date.
The full lineup for October 29th includes:
My Chemical Romance, Paramore, AFI, The Used, Bring Me The Horizon, Taking Back Sunday, Dashboard Confessional, Alkaline Trio, Manchester Orchestra, A Day To Remember, Pierce The Veil, I Prevail, The Story So Far, Dance Gavin Dance, The All American Rejects, Boys Like Girls, Car Seat Headrest, Sleeping With Sirens, Knocked Loose, JXDN, Avril Lavigne, Motionless in White, Black Veil Brides, Ice Nine Kills, Senses Fail, Bayside, Mom Jeans, Mayday Parade, The Maine, Neck Deep, Silverstein, Palaye Royale, Bright Eyes, Poppy, Nessa Barrett, Wolf Alice, Acceptance, Story of the Year, Atreyu, PVRIS, Saosin, Glassjaw, Lilhuddy, TV Girl, The Starting Line, Thursday, Anberlin, Jimmy Eat World, 3OH!3, State Champs, Four Year Strong, We The Kings, The Wonder Years, Royal & The Serpent, The Ready Set, Kittie, Hawthorne Heights, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, The Garden, Horrorpops, Meet Me At The Altar, The Linda Lindas, Prentiss and Alex G.
There will be a presale beginning Monday, Jan. 31 at 10am PT for fans who sign up for early access to passes online at WhenWeWereYoungFestival.com. Following the presale, any remaining tickets still available will go on sale to the general public beginning Monday, Jan. 31 at 2 pm PT.
General Admission tickets start at $224.99, GA+ tickets start at $399.99 and VIP tickets start at $499.99. VIP cabanas will also be available to purchase for guests 21 years of age and older.
Due to overwhelming demand, a second date has been added to the When We Were Young Festival at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022. Tickets for the new date are on sale now.
The festival will run the majority of the day, from 11am to 12am. There will be multiple stages of varying sizes placed around the festival grounds with several bands performing at the same time. The length of set times will vary. Opening acts will have shorter set lengths while headlining performances can range up to an hour or more.
Full lineup details including set times and performances by stage will be released closer to the festival.
The festival will feature the same lineup on both dates, which includes:
My Chemical Romance
Paramore
AFI
The Used
Bring Me The Horizon
Taking Back Sunday
Dashboard Confessional
Alkaline Trio
Manchester Orchestra
A Day To Remember
Pierce The Veil
I Prevail
The Story So Far
Dance Gavin Dance
The All-American Rejects
Boys Like Girls
Car Seat Headrest
Sleeping With Sirens
Knocked Loose
JXDN
Avril Lavigne
Motionless in White
Black Veil Brides
Ice Nine Kills
Senses Fail
Bayside
Mom Jeans
Mayday Parade
The Maine
Neck Deep
Silverstein
Palaye Royale
Bright Eyes
Poppy
Nessa Barrett
Wolf Alice
Acceptance
Story of the Year
Atreyu
PVRIS
Saosin
Glassjaw
Lilhuddy
TV Girl
The Starting Line
Thursday
Anberlin
Jimmy Eat World
3OH!3
State Champs
Four Year Strong
We The Kings
The Wonder Years
Royal & The Serpent
The Ready Set
Kittie
Hawthorne Heights
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
The Garden
Horrorpops
Meet Me At The Altar
The Linda Lindas
Prentiss
General Admission tickets start at $224.99, GA+ tickets start at $399.99 and VIP tickets start at $499.99. VIP cabanas will also be available to purchase for guests 21 years of age and older.
What health & safety protocols will be implemented for the festival?
The safety of fans, artists and staff is thoroughly planned for among event organizers and in coordination with local authorities.
They will follow all guidelines as set forth by the city of Las Vegas and state of Nevada at the time of the festival. Preventative health measures (e.g. proof of negative COVID-19 test or full COVID-19 vaccination, etc.) may be required for this show. Details of any necessary measures will be communicated as early as possible and will be shared on the event/venue website and social media channels.
This article has been updated with the new venue for the Arizona date: instead of Big Surf Waterpark in Tempe, the festival will now take place at Bell Bank Park in Mesa, AZ.
The spring festival lineups have been announced for Brew Ha Ha Productions Presents : Punk In Drublic Craft Beer & Music Festival, featuring the best in punk rock music and craft beer tasting, with all shows featuring a lineup of punk rock icons, headlined by NOFX.
Lineups vary by city and feature bands including Pennywise, Face To Face, The Bouncing Souls, Me First And The Gimme Gimmes, Lagwagon and more on certain shows.
NOFX | Photographer: Jonathan Weiner
Spring Dates Announced, Summer & Fall Coming Soon
The Spring festival series includes: Saturday, March 19 at Bell Bank Park in Mesa, AZBig Surf Waterpark in Tempe, AZ (minutes from Phoenix), Saturday, March 26 at Petco Park in San Diego, CA, and Sunday, March 27 at Ventura Fairgrounds in Ventura, CA. Summer and fall Punk In Drublic Craft Beer & Music Festival dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets for these 21+ events go on sale Wednesday, January 19 at 10:00 AM local time at www.PunkInDrublicFest.com
General Admission tickets start at $45 and VIP tickets start at $99 (both plus fees). Details on VIP tickets below.
The Punk In Drublic Craft Beer & Music Festival was created from the mind and livers of NOFX‘s frontman Fat Mike and craft beer fanatic / festival promoter, Cameron Collins of Brew Ha Ha Productions–and named for NOFX’s classic Punk In Drublic album, which has sold over one million copies.
Music lineups for each festival date are as follows:
Mesa, AZ
Saturday, March 19 – Bell Bank Park
NOFX
Me First And The Gimme Gimmes
The Bouncing Souls
Lagwagon
Authority Zero
The Last Gang
The Venomous Pinks
San Diego, CA
Saturday, March 26 – Petco Park
NOFX
Pennywise
Face To Face
Lagwagon
Get Dead
The Last Gang
Urethane
Ventura, CA
Sunday, March 27 – Ventura Fairgrounds
NOFX
Pennywise
Face To Face
Lagwagon
Ill Repute
Dr. Know
The Last Gang
Fat Mike said, “I’m really looking forward to playing these shows for many reasons…I literally spent minutes calling bands and putting this line up together…So if you’re gonna go to one punk show this year…Go to one of these, they’re outdoors!“
Festival co-producer / co-creator Cameron Collins of Brew Ha Ha Productions said, “Punk In Drublic is one of the best touring festivals on the planet right now in my opinion. It’s pure, it’s organic and it’s everything punk rock should be. We’ve been doing it since 2017 and though we had a crap 2020 like everyone else with the pandemic, PID is back and better than ever. I can’t wait to get back out there with our people!”
Craft Beer Tasting
Each Punk In Drublic Craft Beer & Music Festival date will feature up to three hours of craft beer tasting showcasing an impressive selection of craft beers, including some of the region’s best. Participating craft breweries will be announced in the coming weeks. Attendees can also enjoy food for purchase from local food trucks and vendors, with vegan options available.
GA vs. VIP
Both General Admission and VIP tickets provide access to music performances and craft beer tasting from Noon-3:00 PM. VIP tickets also offer access to designated areas with shade, upgraded restrooms and a VIP Bar.
Brew Ha Ha Productions is the nation’s most successful and respected craft beer and music festival producer, known for their diverse, award-winning beer-centric events and music festivals across the United States, including Punk In Drublic Craft Beer & Music Festival; Silverado Showdown; Summer Roots; Punk In The Park; Sabroso Taco, Craft Beer & Music Festival; Driftwood Country, Craft Beer & BBQ Festival; BHHP’s flagship OC Brew Ha Ha; Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair; Brew Ho Ho Holiday Ale Festival; OC Boo Ha Ha Haunted Oktoberfest and more.
In February 2021, NOFX released Single Album (Fat Wreck Chords), their 14th full-length studio album. The band is also featured in the recently released Punk In Drublic documentary, which chronicles the first three years of the touring the Punk In Drublic Craft Beer & Music Festival since its 2017 debut. Visit https://punkrocktv.com to see the film.
The Punk In The Park Tempe, AZ show is produced by BHHP in collaboration with Arizona promoter Nancy Stevens.
As always, health and safety of festival patrons is of utmost importance. The festival producers are working with local health authorities to ensure that the event is safe and in compliance with all local regulations.
The festival producers encourage attendees to drink responsibly.
For more information on Punk In Drublic Craft Beer & Music Festival:
Formed in 2014, Once Human have steadily established themselves as one of the most distinctive and destructive metal bands of the modern era. Founded by guitarist Logan Mader (ex-Machine Head) and vocalist Lauren Hart, the LA-based quintet have had noses to the grindstone throughout their existence, exhibiting a tireless dedication to live performance and a meticulous approach to capturing their crushing anthems for posterity.
Over the course of two full-length albums – 2015’s widely hailed debut The Life I Remember, and 2017’s conceptual tour-de-force Evolution – Once Human have pursued a militantly individual path, eschewing contemporary cliché in favour of a versatile and sinewy new strain of brutal but accessible metal, with Lauren’s coruscating vocals providing an endlessly emotive and humane focal point.
Four years on from their last album, Once Human are primed and ready to launch a fresh assault on hearts and ears. With a line-up completed by long-time bassist Damien Rainaud, drummer Dillon Trollope and second guitarist (and now chief riff-writer) Max Karon, the band have mutated into an even more devastating beast, as demonstrated with face-ripping aplomb on the new album Scar Weaver.
Once Human Scar Weaver album artwork
“It was not an easy path to reach this point, I’ll tell you that,” says Logan Mader. “The original masterplan for the band was really passion-project driven. The first two albums, we were still finding our way. Where we’re at now is with a really strong posture and by far the best album we’ve done. Over the years we’ve done a lot of groundwork and some smaller tours, just grinding things out, sometimes even in a DIY fashion. But now we have legit team around us, the band is firing on all cylinders and everything seems to be lining up this time.”
Once Human
Pieced together over the last two years, Scar Weaver represents a massive step forward for Once Human. Blessed (or perhaps cursed) with plenty of additional time during the last year’s lockdown situation, the band have been able to refine and redefine their sound, inspired by a sudden creative surge from latest recruit, Max Karon. The result is an gloriously idiosyncratic modern metal record, with Lauren Hart’s career-best vocal performance just one of its dazzling revelations. With Once Human’s most intense and explosive music to work with, the singer has pushed herself to new heights, showcasing a vastly expanded vocal range in the process.
“I always had a tremendous amount of belief in Lauren’s ability to be a legit frontwoman, but when this began she was new, and so there was a lot of development to happen over time,” says Logan. “She’s really blossomed. She’s grown a lot as a vocalist, a performer and a lyricist through all of this.”
“Vocally, I’ve changed a lot since the last record,” Lauren notes. “My screams got lower and the cleans became stronger. I’ve become much more comfortable with clean singing through touring with (US power metal legends) Kamelot, because they really pushed me to do that. I’ve learned a lot about my voice since then. But a lot of this starts with Max’s melodies, and sometimes I felt like it would be cheating to just growl over these amazing pieces of music, and it’d be so much better to do something that complements it. So sometimes the growls have melody too!”
As its title suggests, Scar Weaver is an album that brims and bulges with notions of pain, trauma and darkness. Lauren has once again penned a stunning collection of emotionally raw diatribes, but in contrast to Evolution’s overriding concept, the new record takes a more scattershot approach, reflecting the chaos of the modern world along the way. From visceral opener “Eidolon” to the corrosive claustrophobia of the closing “Only In Death,” all human life is alive and screaming on Scar Weaver.
“The songs are all really individual,” Lauren explains. “One of them is about blood diamonds. ‘Deadlock’ is about the politics of everything that’s going on. A lot of them toy with my philosophy of death and all of that. But in comparison to Evolution, because of the energy of the world, these lyrics have a much more dire tone. Evolution was more triumphant, because I wanted people to feel uplifted. I really tried with this album to be positive, but then I’d look at what I’d written and it was a downer! I guess the energy of the world right now helped me to write those lyrics.”
One instant highlight of the new Once Human record is preview single “Deadlock,” featuring a typically imperious vocal cameo from Machine Head’s Robb Flynn. Logan Mader’s history with Machine Head is well documented, not least in recent times when he toured the globe with Robb for the Bay Area band’s Burn My Eyes 25th Anniversary Tour. As a result, this new collaboration needs no explanation, but Lauren remains thrilled by the whole experience.
“It was absolutely amazing, are you kidding?” she grins. “I didn’t believe it was happening until he sent something back and I heard his voice on our song. I was like, ‘Holy crap! This is real!’ He came back with a new chorus and it was so much better than mine, so my chorus was gone! [Laughs] But then performing with him in the video, that was insane. The energy he brings on stage, he brings in person too. It was a great experience and his energy is so powerful. The video came out amazing!”
As the world begins to open back up, Once Human, fresh off Cradle of Filth‘s Lustmord and Tourgasm tour,are in the strongest position of their careers so far. Scar Weaver is a manifestly superior piece of work, with countless unforgettable hooks, riffs and moments of warped savagery (if the riff at the end of “Deserted” doesn’t make you want to run through a brick wall, check your pulse!) colliding to create a record of true originality and rare intensity.
“We’ve gotten through so many things along the way, we’re in a really strong place,” Logan avows. “Nothing can fuck us up now. That’s an important factor in this band – that internal energy.”
The perfect, invigorating antidote to the state of stasis that we’ve all endured over the last two years, Scar Weaver is the sound of a great band becoming greater, hitting their stride and discovering new levels of power, passion and punch in the process. As the world begins to open its doors once more, Once Human are fully equipped to launch their biggest and most life-affirming assault on the world’s senses.
“We have an amazing record, we’re ready to crush it, we have a really good chemistry between all of us,” says Logan. “We’re really good friends, and that’s really important. I think you can feel that when you see us onstage, like, ‘These guys are actually happy to be here and they like each other!’ That’s a bonus. It doesn’t have to be like that. But luckily we have a really cool, strong bond. It’s so important for us to get out there and connect with people in a real life environment.”
LOS ANGELES – TOOL have announced a mammoth 2022 tour, with the Los Angeles-based band spending 3 months traversing the U.S. followed by a month of European dates.
TOOL elected to kick off the highly-anticipated trek in Eugene, Ore. as a nod to the abrupt halt to their 2020 Fear Inoculum tour. Slated to play the Matthew Knight Arena on March 12, 2020, the show, along with the band’s remaining tour dates, was canceled as nationwide lockdowns began to take effect that evening.
“It is with great pleasure I get to announce our return to the road,” said Danny Carey. “These past 18 months have been trying to say the least but from great trials come great lessons and great rewards. We are genuinely looking forward to sharing them with you.”
Tickets for all dates are on-sale this Friday, Oct. 1 at 10 am local time (UK and Irish dates are on-sale at 9 am local time). TOOL Army members can purchase pre-sale tickets for European dates on Sept. 28 at 10 am local time (24 hour pre-sale window), while U.S. pre-sale tickets are available on Sept. 29 at 10 am local time (36 hour pre-sale window). A selection of exclusive packages, which include a pre-sale ticket, will also be made available to TOOL Army members on Sept. 29 at 10 am local time.
TOOL’s 2022 U.S. & European Tour Dates
January 10 Eugene, OR Matthew Knight Arena
January 11 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome
January 13 Boise, ID Ford Idaho Center
January 15 Sacramento, CA Golden 1 Center
January 16 San Francisco, CA Chase Center
January 18 Anaheim, CA Honda Center
January 19 San Diego, CA Viejas Arena
January 21 Phoenix, AZ Footprint Center
January 22 Las Vegas, NV T-Mobile Arena
January 25 Salt Lake City, UT Maverik Center
January 27 Denver, CO Ball Arena
January 30 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
January 31 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
February 2 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center
February 4 Houston, TX Toyota Center
February 5 New Orleans, LA Smoothie King Center
February 8 Orlando, FL Amway Center
February 9 Tampa, FL Amalie Arena
February 10 Miami, FL FTX Arena
February 19 Boston, MA TD Garden
February 20 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
February 22 Washington, DC Capital One Arena
February 23 Belmont Park, NY UBS Arena
February 26 Newark, NJ Prudential Center
February 27 Buffalo, NY KeyBank Center
March 1 Pittsburgh, PA PPG Paints Arena
March 3 Detroit, MI Little Caesars Arena
March 4 Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Center
March 6 Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena
March 8 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
March 10 Chicago, IL United Center
March 12 Omaha, NE CHI Health Center Arena
March 13 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
March 15 Kansas City, MO T-Mobile Center
March 17 Moline, IL TaxSlayer Center
March 18 St. Louis, MO Enterprise Center
March 20 Cleveland, OH Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
April 23 Copenhagen, DK Royal Arena
April 25 Oslo, NO Spektrum
April 26 Stockholm, SE Avicii Arena
April 28 Hamburg, DE Barclaycard Arena
April 29 Frankfurt, DE Festhalle
May 2 Manchester, UK AO Arena Manchester
May 4 Birmingham, UK Resorts World Arena
May 6 Dublin, IE 3Arena
May 9 London, UK The O2 Arena
May 12 Paris, FR AccorHotels Arena
May 13 Antwerp, BE Sportpaleis
May 15 Berlin, DE Mercedes-Benz Arena
May 17 Cologne, DE Lanxess Arena
May 19 Amsterdam, NL Ziggo Dome
May 21 Krakow, PL Tauron Arena
May 23 Prague, CZ O2 Arena
May 24 Budapest, HU SportAréna
Blonde Redhead opens on dates from Jan. 10 to Feb. 10. The Acid Helps opens from Feb. 19 to March 20.
Fear Inoculumarrived in August of 2019, 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.”
TOOL formed in 1990, releasing five studio albums:
The band has won four GRAMMY Awards®: Best Metal Performance (1998, “Ænima”), Best Metal Performance (2002, “Schism”), Best Recording Package (2007, 10,000 Days) and Best Metal Performance (2020, “7empest”).
LA alternative metal band Gemini Syndrome have just announced dates for their first headline tour in support of their long-awaited new studio album 3RD Degree – The Raising. The band will be joined on the first leg of the tour by Ovtlier, and on the second leg by Oh! The Horror. Also joining the tour are Pushing Veronica and Them Damn Kings. All tour dates are listed below.
Gemini Syndromeare offering special VIP packages for the tour. These packages include a special private acoustic performance, a VIP ‘Synner’ laminate, autographed poster, and meet & greet session with the band. (*VIP Packages must be purchased in addition to a regular concert ticket.)
Tickets, and VIP Packages for all shows are available at: GeminiSyndrome.com
The band’s new studio album 3rd Degree – The Raising will be released worldwide on October 15, 2021 via Century Media. Special pre-order album configurations (limited edition vinyl, deluxe CD sets, etc) along with special merchandise are available now via the band’s official website: www.GeminiSyndrome.com Save, or pre-order the album digitally HERE.Save or pre-order the album digitally HERE.
“We’re very excited to be back out in the road again this fall. It’s a time of transformation on our planet and our lives in preparation for the rebirth of the approaching solstice. We’re grateful to share this INITIATION with all you Spiritual Soldiers on the frontline helping to bring music back to this fucked up world,” says Gemini Syndrome vocalist Aaron Nordstrom.
Drummer Brian Steele Medina continues, “We love nothing more than performing and creating a sacred space for transmutation with our brothers and sisters. Now more than ever, it feels like everything is trying to pull us apart and perpetuate the illusion that we are separate. That we are not ONE. It’s all bullshit. Give us your pandemics, your Pentagon UFO videos, and your barriers… It’s all fucking noise, but we’re louder and we will rise above it all.”
Direct support on the tour will be split between Rochester, New York’s Ovtlier, who will be on the first half of the tour (Oct. 28 – Nov. 13), and Sacramento, California’s Oh! The Horror, who will join the run for the second half of the dates (Nov. 14 – 27). Additional support comes from pop-punk rock powerhouse Pushing Veronica, and New Jersey hard rock wrecking machine Them Damn Kings.
Gemini Syndrome ‘Initiation’ USA Fall 2021 tour dates:
10/28 – Chippewa Falls, WI – Joel’s 4Corners *
10/29 – Green Bay, WI – EPIC Event Center *
10/30 – Racine, WI – Rt 20 (WIIL Rock Halloween Bash) *
10/31 – Battle Creek, MI – The Music Factory *
11/02 – Lakewood, OH – The Winchester Music Tavern *
11/04 – Flint, MI – The Machine Shop *
11/05 – Buffalo, NY – Buffalo Iron Works *
11/06 – Liverpool, NY – Sharkey’s *
11/07 – Poughkeepsie, NY – The Chance *
11/08 – New York City, NY – Mercury Lounge ****
11/09 – Albany, NY – Empire Underground *
11/10 – Reading, PA – Reverb *
11/12 – Johnson City, TN – Capones *
11/13 – Greensboro, NC – The Blind Tiger *
11/14 – Huntsville, AL – Sidetracks ***
11/16 – San Antonio, TX – The Rock Box **
11/17 – Dallas, TX – Gas Monkey **
11/20 – Houston, TX – Scout Bar
11/22 – El Paso, TX – Rockhouse **
11/23 – Scottsdale, AZ – Pub Rock **
11/24 – West Hollywood, CA – Whiskey a Go Go **
11/26 – Las Vegas, NV – Backstage Bar **
11/27 – Reno, NV – Reno Brewhouse **
* Direct support is Ovtlier ** Direct support is Oh! The Horror *** Show with Smile Empty Soul, Ovtlier, Sunflower Dead, Pushing V, Tommy Gibbons **** Gemini Syndrome and Ovtlier only
3rd Degree – The Raising is the long awaited, mind bending final chapter of Gemini Syndrome’s debut trilogy of albums; the first being 2013’s Lux, and the second being 2016’s Memento Mori (which hit #1 on Billboard Heatseakers Album Chart and spawned five singles). But whereas those first two albums dealt with the painful struggles of life and death, 3rd Degree – The Raising celebrates the extreme rituals of rebirth. Produced by Matt Good (Asking Alexandria, Memphis May Fire, Hollywood Undead) this is undeniably the heaviest, and darkest album of the band’s career; featuring the singles “Die With Me,” “IDK,” “Abandoned,” “Broken Reflection” and “Reintegration.”
“The album is about death and rebirth. Finding your true self and fostering its growth so as to help build the world better than we inherited it,” says Nordstrom. “In the process of this record I made some major life choices. Mainly to stop killing myself slowly with alcohol. Two years without a drink, and a couple near death experiences later, I think I have ample experience to talk about a subject as elusive as death.”
Drummer Brian Steele Medina adds, “The twist to the 3rd and ‘final’ degree, is that it’s not the end at all. Rather, it’s a rebirth contingent upon our growth and lessons learned from the suffering of our past mistakes. A spiritual growth that can only be attained through baptism by fire. A metaphorical, yet very real resurrection — THE RAISING.”
Nordstrom continues, “Our hope is that through sharing our experiences, lessons learned, and battles overcome, that we can help others to examine their own consciousness. Their role in the world in its almost infinite capacity, and to help remind each other that we are ALL in this together. We are a family, and when we are United in our commonality, we can achieve things worthy of the attention of the GODS. If you want to change the world, quietly go to work on yourself.”
Gemini Syndromespent the better part of 2018-2019 writing 3rd Degree – The Raising, the final installment of their long planned three album trilogy. They retreated to Brian Steele Medina’s Las Vegas home studio, where they meticulously crafted song after song, r Gemini Syndrome relocated to Good Sounds Studio in Tempe, AZ, where producer Matt Good would help realize the collection of songs.
Medina recalls, “We absolutely loved working with Matt and he completely understood where we wanted to take this album creatively and what it was going to take to bring the third chapter of this trilogy to light. Our actual collective blood, sweat and tears went into its creation.”
“It was a long, treacherous road to get here,” continues Nordstrom. “First working out an insane amount of songs before arriving in Arizona to record with Matt Good, and then writing a slew more while in the actual recording process, we approached this album with high intentions to evolve musically and internally as people. But then, once we had finally finished everything, and were ready to start releasing new music… everything was put on hold due to the global pandemic.”
Medina adds, “These past few years have definitely been an exercise in patience and acceptance. We had everything mixed and mastered and ready to go in early 2020 before everything shut down. We’re just stoked to FINALLY put this album out and get this post plague show on the road.”
3rd Degree – The Raising is the first album to feature guitarist “Meegs” Rascón (formerly of Coal Chamber).
To date, five singles have been released from 3rd Degree – The Raising: “Abandoned,” “Reintegration,” “IDK,” “Broken Reflection” and the currently Top 30 Active Rock Radio hit “Die With Me.” Currently four of the five singles feature visually stunning videos created by director Brian Cox (Bring Me The Horizon, The Struts, Starset).
3rd Degree – The Raising will be available in CD, Limited Edition vinyl, and digital download formats.
3rd Degree – The Raisingalbum art
3rd Degree – The Raising Tracklist:
Reintegration
IDK
Die With Me
Baptized In Fire
Children of the Sun
Abandoned
Broken Reflection
Sum Quod Eris
Best of Me
Absolution
Hold the Line
Where We Started From
Fiat Lux
Gemini Syndromeis: Aaron Nordstrom (vocals, keyboards), Brian Steele Medina (drums, programming), Alessandro “AP” Paveri (bass), Meegs Rascón (guitar) and Nicholas Paul Arnold (touring guitar).
Murder Mountain, CA – Mr. Bungle have released “Loss of Control”, a Van Halen cover that the band debuted during their Halloween 2020 streaming special, “The Night They Came Home” (June 11, Ipecac Recordings). The single is available now, while a live performance video of the song was unveiled earlier today via Guitar World.
“Mr. Bungle tried to play this song in the ’90s and we scrapped it because we sucked at it,” explains Trey Spruance. “I think it worked this time for a lot of reasons. My own is that, thanks to the newRaging Wrathera, I’ve had to re-approach the guitar like I did when I was 13 and 14. It was all about Eddie Van Halen for me back then, so circling back at this moment felt really natural. Those riffs and lead parts at least are super fun! I’m just glad Scott took the palm-mute breaks. Jesus!“
Scott Ian adds, “I generally don’t get nervous about learning someone else’s riffs. When it’s an EVH riff it’s a whole different story! I was terrified! With ‘Loss of Control’ I did my best to just hold on and go for the ride. What a riff!!! As a fan I’d have to say it’s a PERFECT SONG for Mr. Bungle to cover. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I did getting to play it.“
“The Night They Came Home” Concert Experience Arrives Physically & Digitally on June 11 via Ipecac Recordings
“The Night They Came Home,” which was directed by Jack Bennett, finds the Northern California-born band performing songs from their recently released album, The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo.
The two-hour film is available on CD + Blu-Ray, CD + DVD, VHS, and digitally. The film portion features Bungle’s performance, Neil Hamburger’s opening set, three official music videos (“Raping Your Mind,” “Eracist,” and “Sudden Death”), as well as extended behind-the-scenes footage including several surprise cameos. The VHS release, limited to 1000 collectible copies, is an edited, performance-only portion of the film.
News of The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo arrival, the band’s first new music in over 20 years, was met with great fanfare. The album news followed a spate of sold out 2020 live performances, which saw Mr. Bungle playing to some of its biggest audiences ever.
The album, which is a proper recording of Mr. Bungle’s much traded, yet unreleased, 1986 demo cassette of the same name, was declared “one of the best thrash albums of the year” by Decibel, Rolling Stone said “their reboot is a feast of ingenious riffs, unexpected tempo shifts, and pure manic energy…,” and Stereogum offered “…Mr. Bungle are reliving their very earliest days and kicking a whole lot of ass in the process.”
Revolver featured Mike Patton on their Fall cover, saying “After 15 years of inactivity and 21 since their last album, avant-metal weirdos Mr. Bungle reappeared from the mists of time to re-record their 1986 demo. Not content to merely rehash their high school days, core trio Mike Patton, Trey Spruance and Trevor Dunn enlisted help from Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian and former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo. The result is — in the words of super fan Eric Andre — pure, awesome ‘carve 666 into your desk and get in detention’ metal.“
Mr. Bungle Confirmed for Riot Fest
Mr. Bungle have also confirmed their first live outing of 2021, performing at Riot Fest (Chicago) in September. The festival marks the first time Mike Patton has performed on the same bill with both Mr. Bungle and Faith No More, and marks the band’s first tour date since the Fall album release.
Mr Bungle | Photo Credit: Buzz Osborne
About Mr. Bungle
Mr. Bungle was formed in an impoverished lumber and fishing town by a trio of curious, volatile teenagers. Trey Spruance, Mike Patton and Trevor Dunn beget the amorphous “band” in 1985 up in Humboldt County, Calif., sifting through a variety of members until around 1989 when they settled on a lineup that managed to get signed to Warner Bros. Records. No one really knows how this happened and it remains a complete mystery that even the algorithms of the internet can’t decode. Up until 2000 they released three albums (Mr. Bungle in 1991, Disco Volante in 1995 and California in 1999), toured a good portion of the Western hemisphere and avoided any sort of critical acclaim. Some argue that the band subsequently broke up but there is also no proof of this. What is true is that they took 20 years off from performing under said moniker while they pursued various other music that, in contrast, paid the rent.
For fans of Epica, Within Temptation, Sonata Arctica, Lacuna Coil, Evanescence
Rockshots Records is proud to announce their latest signing of Italian symphonic metallers Eternal Silence for the release of their next album Timegate Anathema due out in October 2021.
The band comments: “We hope fans will be excited as we are for this new record. It is the most complete and refined album we made so far, and we think that the introduction of new elements and musical inspirations will attract new ones. We plan for it to be a heavy and romantic experience.”
Recorded at The Groove Factory (Udine, Italy) and Line/Out Studio (Milano, Italy) with mixing and mastering by Michele Guaitoli (Visions of Atlantis, Temperance, Kaledon), Timegate Anathema will feature ten tracks of symphonic and power prog metal plus will see the band introduce new elements and experimentation into their sound. The album goes from power metal songs like “The Way Of Time” and “My Soul Sad Until Death” to heavy and dark ones like “Rain and Red Death Masquerade“, passing through the catchy melodies of tracks like “Glide In The Air” and acoustic moments on “Lonely and Firefly“. The main theme that inspired the album is the concept of Time.
Bassist Alessio Sessa adds: “Time as the pace of life, time that gives a rhythm to the music, time as the nerve of existence, the ticking of a clock that brings back distant memories. The future developing through uncertainty and hope that flies on the wings of time. Time giving life to seasons, during which we struggle to give a sense to our hurry. The album’s image is of time represented by the two-faces god Janus, the divinity that looks backward and forward, guardian of thresholds, passages, chances, and who holds the keys of the flow of events. Musically the album puts together a solid metal rhythmic section with real strings orchestra and a choir, which accompany the melodies by the duo vocalists.“
Formed in Varese, Italy in 2008, Eternal Silence combines powerful guitar riffs, a thunderous rhythmic section, catchy melodies, and bombastic orchestral tracks with the support of two vocalists, Marika Vanni and guitarist Alberto Cassina sharing the front stage. The band’s current line-up is completed by Alessio Sessa (bass), Andrea Zannin (drums) and Enzo Criscuolo (guitarist).
Since their formation, the band has unleashed three albums and two EPs. 2020’s Renegades(EP), 2018’s Metamorphosis (EP), and 2017’s Mastermind Tyranny were released on Sliptrick Records, and their earlier full-lengths Raw Poetry (2013) and Chasing Chimera (2015) were released on Underground Symphony Records.
Over the years, the band has been a consistent touring presence in Europe, performing in Germany, Switzerland, France, Czech Republic, Austria, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, and Hungary along with being support for bands such as Temperance, Therion, Haggard, Sound Storm, Timo Kotipelto (Stratovarius) and Jani Liimatainen (Insomnium) Blackoustic.
Chthonic has revealed a second clip, “Oceanquake,” from symphonic extreme metal masters’ upcoming live album and video, Chthonic Megaport 2021, scheduled for release on May 19.
“Oceanquake” features an appearance by Audrey Tang, a longtime Chthonicfan who currently holds the seat of Digital Minister in Taiwan’s cabinet.
“Audrey’s voice has been added with Machine Effect,” explains frontman Freddy Lim. “I’ve never known anybody’s voice that fit in so well with this kind of effect. It makes this CHTHONIC DrumNBass remix so unique!”
Chthonic Megaport 2021 Out May 19 + Limited “Anti-Epidemic Bundle” Including CD and Pandemic Gear Available ForPre-Order
Chthonic Megaport 2021 documents Chthonic‘s return to the stage to headline Taiwan’s massive Megaport Festival. The release will be available digitally and as a special limited “anti-epidemic bundle” including a physical CD, Chthonic medical-quality mask, a Chthonic mask lanyard, large and small Chthonic mask containers and a small Chthonic spray can for sanitizer will be available.
After making history by successfully managing the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan was able to move forward with the Megaport Festival, the first large-scale rock festival since the unprecedented global lockdown. Taking place March 27-28 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the festival featured more than 100 artists on 10 stages. Founded in 2006 by Chthonic‘s Freddy Lim, who left the organizing team after being elected as a member of Taiwanese Parliament in 2016, Megaport Festival attracts tens of thousands of people every year, with this year’s festival selling out its 20,000 tickets within five minutes.
While Taiwan is considered home of Austronesian peoples and a mystic island nation in the Orient, advanced technologies, modern cities, and upholding human rights and progressive values are also part of the image of Taiwan, and Chthonic gives the best interpretation of the contrasting images of the country. Chthonic‘s lyrics are inspired by Taiwanese mythology, folk stories and history, and the music incorporates elements of traditional Taiwanese folk music, enka and sorrowful melody from Taiwanese opera, accompanied by traditional Taiwanese musical instruments, such as hena, zheng – also known as “box zither”- and pgaku flute. Contemporary symphonic black metal, melodic death metal, blood-boiling riffs and solos are also integral parts of Chthonic‘s music.
Several of Chthonic‘s albums have entered the In Taiwanese pop-music charts, and the band has been awarded the Golden Melody Award, the Taiwanese version of the Grammy Award. With exception of its earlier works, Chthonic‘s albums include Seediq Bale (2007), Mirror of Retribution (2009), Takasago Army (2011) and Bú-Tik (2013) were all released worldwide, with positive feedback from music critics. The band took on a lower profile with a reduced number of performances after Lim’s election into the Parliament in 2016, but they still released the album Battlefields of Asura in 2018, which won the Golden Melody Award for Best Band, as well as a number of other nominations. In 2019, Chthonic held a concert with a symphony orchestra in the square in front of Taiwan’s Presidential Office. It attracted 50,000 people, and its live video and audio was digitally released in 2020.
From Fuji Rock and Summer Sonic in Japan to Ozzfest in the US, Download in the UK and WOA in Germany, Chthonic has performed at major music festivals around the world, and has had toured hundreds of shows in Europe, North America and Asia. The group has also worked with many internationally renowned artists, including Lamb Of God’s Randy Blythe, Trivium’s Matt Heafy, guitarist Marty Friedman, Japanese folk singer Hajime Chitose, and Hong Kong diva Dennise Ho.
Yesterday, the second Twitch Goes Emo musician streamer festival was held on the Twitch platform. In celebration of primarily early 2000’s emo and pop punk music, the line-up included artists from all over the world: Kintsuku, SabySpark, Sayanoe (dropped out), TylerLevsMusic, GabiStreams, JordinLaine, CERIANmusic, JulienBelhumeur, Andrewcore, AnnaCarmela, ClosureClub, and JonLiMusic.
The first Twitch Goes Emo took place on December 5th, 2020 and featured many of the same artists, as well as MattWaldenAC and Annelle:
Ellie, who goes by the alias Kintsuku, is a musician based in Manchester, Northern England. She writes, produces and performs atmospheric / experimental pop, playing guitar, keys and vocals. Kisuku has been streaming on Twitch since December 2019. Hoping for a release later this year, she is currently writing her debut album.
Saby is a singer-songwriter from Slovenia, “trying to spark some joy in the world”, who has played the guitar for 10 years, ukulele for 3, and is slowly learning piano. By starting to stream last year, she is conquering shyness and self-consciousness, and following her deepest dreams.
Budapest-based singer-songwriter Mimi – stage name Saya Noé (pronounced: sigh – ah – no – ay) – was unable to make the event (for reasons outside of her control). She plays the guitar and keyboard, and performs originals and covers, with acoustic, live production, and looping.
Tyler Levs is a singer/songwriter from Maine USA. With a taste for multiple genres and a passion for music, he performs live loop tracks as well as unplugged. Tyler has streamed live on Twitch.tv since 2017, and has been featured on the Twitch front page for approximately 23,000 people. He has performed for various causes through Saving Music Live (a Twitch charity stream) as well as talent shows (The Austin Talent Show and “Gamers Got Talent” Luminosity gaming). Twitch helped enable his transition to full-time musicianship in February of 2019.
Gabi Belle is from the East Coast of the US, and she has been streaming since February 2020. Not only does she produce her own music, sing, and play the keyboard and guitar, she also directs and edits her music videos. She was vocally trained for theatre, and she has experience playing the flute, trumpet, and saxophone. Gabistreams is also a gamer who loves Nintendo games – her favorite being The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Singer-songwriter JordinLaine has been focusing heavily on writing music, creating content, and live streaming since 2018. Through the universal language of music, she has shared that she found the power to express herself in the most open and authentic form.
Cerian is a singer-songwriter from London that plays harp, piano, and guitar. She plays a mixture of originals and covers, switching it up between instruments. Cerian(a Welsh name, pronounced: Kerry-Anne) released her debut EP in April 2020. She has worked as a musician for many years with an impressive resume, singing backing vocals and playing harp for lots of incredible artists, like Radiohead, U2, Sam Smith, Imogen Heap, Thom Yorke, David Attenborough, Neneh Cherry, Charlotte Church and games like The Sims, Guitar Hero Live and Those Who Remain. Although she has been streaming for a while on other platforms, she is new to Twitch.
Hailing from Québec, Canada, Julien Belhumeur is a singer, musician, and loop artist that plays both originals and covers. With a minimalist bio, he lets his prowess speak for itself!
Andrew has, in his humble words, ‘been faking his way through playing drums for about 20 years’ – beginning with learning completely by ear, and focusing on learning more basic principles and improving overall now that he’s streaming. He is a member of the band Fable Cry, which includes another popular music streamer, joplaysviolin. He began touring in 2006 and has hit the road and recorded with a number of metal, rock and hip hop artists.
Anna Carmela is a self-described “hyper-active singer/songwriter” and music student with musical theatre training as a youth in her background. She has toured in the US and Canada. A bit of an autodidact, Carmela is self-taught on guitar, bass, piano, ukulele, kazoo, and mouth trumpet. She certainly does have energy to be contended with, and with a voice well-suited for it, loves performing blues, rock, and soul music.
Full-time artist, songwriter, and musician Heathy goes by ClosureClub, and is referred to by many more names (ex. j, lostcause, jarebear, red, clo) as he has streamed across multiple platforms for several years. His experience shows through his performance, and his music is “inspired by 80’s tones, dreamy lo-fi aesthetics, and melodic intervals drawn from the moody years of never escaping ‘the punk phase’.”
Jon Li, arguably the headliner – if not co-headliner – of Twitch Goes Emo 2021, closed out the night with a respectable 4 hour and 40 minute stream, despite having performed a bachelor party gig prior. The expanse of his catalogue is impressive, to say the least, and what he doesn’t know, he can offer quite a decent Live Learn performance.
Li started performing by ear in high school after many years of studying and performing classical piano. While in the process of earning his math and music degrees in college, he was introduced to the world of Dueling Pianos that set him on a career path that led him to travel the world and play with hundreds of talented musicians. Li released Finding February in 2010. In 2020, COVID-19 began his live streaming journey on Facebook, followed by Twitch.
