Portuguese progressive/alternative metallers Blame Zeus have revealed a new single, “Bloodstained Hands,” from their third album, Seethe, available today via Rockshots Records. Listen to “Bloodstained Hands” HERE.
“‘Bloodstained Hands’ is about regret,” the band explains. “Feeling like you can’t go back from the choices you make, and so you must face up to them and to your mistakes. It expresses the despair of looking for a way out, but also the relief of coming clean.”
With influences that range from progressive metal to alternative rock, Blame Zeus‘ music can be described as an intense and heavy rock with intimate and nostalgic ballads.
Blame Zeus previously released a lyric video for The Warden,” available HERE.
1. How to Successfully Implode (4:51) 2. Déjà Vu (4:50) 3. Down to Our Bones (5:26) 4. White (4:41) 5. Bloodstained Hands (5:46) 6. The Obsession Lullaby (3:11) 7. Into the Womb (4:32) 8. No (4:29) 9. The Warden (5:27) 10. The Crown and the Gun (4:23)
Los Angeles, CA – Multi-platinum rock band, Angels & Airwaves, have announced a new batch of North American winter tour dates. The first leg kicks off on Wednesday, December 4 and hits major cities including Phoenix, Chicago, Minneapolis, Houston, and more. After a short holiday break, the trek picks back up on Thursday, January 16 for a run of shows throughout Canada and the East Coast. The band will also be playing KROQ Acoustic Christmas at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, December 7. A complete touring itinerary is included below, with all tickets available for purchase HERE.
Earlier this week, Angels & Airwaves revealed the official music video for their latest song, “Kiss & Tell.” “So many issues in relationships revolve around needless miscommunication, and just missing each other’s point of view. This video represents how a few small negative moments between lovers can easily grow into much more destructive interactions over time,” explains frontman Tom DeLonge. Watch the new visual HERE.
Angels & Airwaves have also been working on their much-anticipated sixth full-length studio album, which is slated for release next year via Rise Records / BMG. The forthcoming effort will be the group’s first collection of new music since 2016’s Chasing ShadowsEP. Stay tuned for more information to be announced soon.
Angels & Airwaves North American Tour Dates:
Leg No. 1 12/4 – Phoenix, AZ @ Marquee Theatre 12/6 – Ventura, CA @ Ventura Theatre 12/7 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center (KROQ Acoustic Christmas) 12/10 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave / Eagles Club 12/11 – Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom 12/12 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue 12/14 – Louisville, KY @ Old Forester’s Paristown Hall 12/15 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s 12/16 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant 12/18 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom 12/19 – Kansas City, MO @ Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland 12/21 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Criterion 12/22 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues
Leg No. 2 1/16 – Toronto, ON @ Rebel 1/17 – Montreal, QC @ L’Olympia 1/19 – Wilkes Barre, PA @ F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts 1/21 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom 1/26 – Norfolk, VA @ The Norva
About Angels & Airwaves:
DeLonge, a founding member of seminal pop punk band blink-182, formed Angels & Airwaves in 2005. A year later came debut album, We Don’t Need To Whisper, which hit No. 4 on The Billboard 200 and featured Top 5 modern rock hit “The Adventure.” 2007’s I-Empire followed, hitting No. 9 on The Billboard 200 and featured rock radio hit “Everything’s Magic.” In 2010, AVA released Love and a year later, Love: Part Two accompanied by a critically acclaimed film,Love, which was shown in 460 theaters nationwide during a one-night film screening and live-streamed concert event titled Love Live. The band’s last full-length album was 2014’s The Dream Walker, which hit No. 1 on iTunes and No. 5 on Billboard’s Top Alternative Albums chart. A multimedia project, the album was accompanied by a graphic novel, comic books and a Blade Runner-meets Harry Potter short film, which won Best Animation at the Toronto International Short Film Festival. 2019 single, “Rebel Girl,” follows 2016’s Chasing Shadows EP, which was released alongside Sekret Machines, a novel DeLonge co-wrote with New York Times bestselling author A.J. Hartley.
In addition to his work with Angels & Airwaves, DeLonge created To The Stars, a multimedia entertainment company that creates original content across music, film, television, and publishing. To The Stars‘ content plays an essential role to DeLonge’s To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science, a think tank of artists, scientists, intelligence officers and technology experts that explore, engineer and educate the public about unexplained scientific phenomena. DeLonge currently has a television series (“Strange Times”) in development at TBS and executive produced a 6-part docuseries on The History Channel titled “Unidentified: Inside America’s UFO Investigation.”
Angels & Airwaves Is:
Tom DeLonge (lead vocals, guitar, keyboard, bass) David Kennedy (guitar, keyboard) Ilhan Rubin (drums, keyboard, bass, backing vocals)
Due to overwhelming demand, Cher has extended her phenomenally successful Here We Go Again Tour, announcing additional dates in 2020. A complete list of upcoming shows follows this release and includes previously announced 2019 dates. On the North American run alone Cher has already sold an astounding 540,000 tickets. Produced by Live Nation, the newly announced dates kick off March 6 in El Paso and will visit cities including Memphis, Miami, Kansas City before wrapping in Sacramento.
“Backed by a slick seven-piece band and ten dancers, Cher paraded around in skimpy clothing and ludicrous wigs, sang duets with her dead ex-husband, rode an animatronic elephant, cavorted with muscular gladiators and spanked lithe burlesque dancers, gossiped about life in Hollywood and belted her lungs out on a succession of crowd-pleasing hits all choreographed with a flamboyance that could make “Strictly Come Dancing” look shy and retiring. *****(Five Stars) – THE TELEGRAPH UK
Nile Rodgers & CHIC will continue as the special guest for the North American outing. Nile Rodgers is a multiple GRAMMY-winning composer, producer, arranger and guitarist and co-founder of CHIC. Rodgers pioneered a musical language that generated chart-topping hits like “Le Freak,” (the biggest selling single in the history of Atlantic Records!) and sparked the advent of hip-hop with “Good Times.” Nile Rodgers transcends all styles of music across every generation with a body of work that’s garnered him inductions into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016.
Citi is the official presale credit card of the tour. As such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning Tuesday, November 5th at 10am local time until Thursday, November 7th at 10pm local time through Citi EntertainmentSM. For complete presale details go HERE.
Cher will offer her fan club members access to tickets with a presale starting Tuesday, November 5th at 10am local time through Thursday, November 7th at 10pm local time. Tickets are on sale to the general public starting Friday, November 8th at 10am ET HERE.
“She was cheered to the rafters and she deserved it.. What a bonkers brilliant show” – FINANCIAL TIMES UK
Cher will also be performing on the season finale of Dancing With The Stars on November 25th.
Simultaneous to the announcement of additional tour dates, Cher has just released a new fragrance Eau de Couture which she has been working on for the last four years. It is available exclusively on Scent Beauty HERE. “I made it for people who love perfume, want to smell good who feel that it’s part of who they are, “ commented Cher.
Following the completion of 82 shows by the end of this year, the Oscar, Grammy, Emmy, Golden Globe, Billboard Icon Award recipient and Kennedy Center Honoree shows no signs of slowing down. The Here We Go Again Tour began September 2018 in conjunction with the release of her Warner Bros.Dancing Queen album which landed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Charts. Cher recently performed in Europe for the first time in 15 years and received many standing ovations nightly, several five star reviews along with the unanimous raves for her previous U.S. Tour dates.
“Here’s to another seven decades” – EXPRESS UK
Cher 2019 Tour Dates – Tickets on sale now:
11-19-19 Portland, OR – Moda Center 11-21-19 San Francisco, CA – Chase Center 11-23-19 Phoenix, AZ – Gila River Arena 11-25-19 Denver, CO – Pepsi Center 11-27-19 Chicago, IL – United Center 11-29-19 Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena 12-3-19 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden 12-6-19 Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center 12-8-19 Boston, MA – TD Garden 12-10-19 Washington, DC – Capital One Arena 12-13-19 New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center 12-15-19 Houston, TX – Toyota Center 12-17-19 San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center 12-19-19 Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Cher 2020 Tour Dates – Tickets on sale Friday, November 8:
3-6-20 El Paso, TX – UTEP Don Haskins Center 3-8-20 Edinburg, TX – Bert Ogden Arena 3-10-20 Bossier City, LA – CenturyLink Center 3-12-20 Oklahoma City, OK – Chesapeake Energy Arena 3-14-20 Little Rock, AR – Simmons Bank Arena 3-16-20 Memphis, TN – FedExForum 3-18-20 Birmingham, AL – Legacy Arena at BJCC 3-20-20 Charleston, SC – North Charleston Coliseum 3-22-20 Pensacola, FL – Pensacola Bay Center 3-24-20 Miami, FL – AmericanAirlines Arena 3-26-20 Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena 3-7-20 Cincinnati, OH – Heritage Bank Center 3-9-20 Madison, WI – Kohl Center 4-11-20 Fargo, ND – Fargodome 4-13-20 Green Bay, WI – Resch Center 4-16-20 Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena 4-18-20 Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center 4-20-20 Lincoln, NE – Pinnacle Bank Arena 4-22-20 Wichita, KS – INTRUST Bank Arena 4-24-20 Casper, WY – Casper Events Center 4-26-20 Billings, MT – First Interstate Arena 4-28-20 Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Smart Home Arena 4-30-20 Boise, ID – Ford Idaho Center 5-2-20 Spokane, WA – Spokane Arena 5-4-20 Everett, WA – Angel of the Winds Arena 5-6-20 Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
Released on October 18th, Surviving is the tenth studio album by Jimmy Eat World. Available in every imaginable format; it can be streamed, purchased as a download, a CD, vinyl pressing, and if you really wanted to throw it way back (as frontman Jim Adkins loves to do) it can be found as a cassette tape. Surviving is an expertly crafted journey, one that explores the time Adkins spent battling depression and self-doubt. There are ten songs on the record — a theme, perhaps, given the release in the tenth month of the year.
From the first notes of the driving guitars, before the kick of the drums, before the ever-recognizable voice of Adkins kicks in, it is apparent that this will be familiar but new ground. The first lines of the title track “Surviving” appear toconfirm this:
Don’t hide your face, what you were before it doesn’t have to be you anymore
The song“Surviving” could be considered a confrontation of sorts. One could interpret it as the singer confronting his past, and simultaneously the listener could perceive it as a confrontation of their own past. It is relatable in every line, and because of that, powerful.
“Criminal Energy” was my favorite to watch live at the Crescent Ballroom a few weeks ago, and the album version is just as good, if not somewhat muted compared to the live version. That is not to say it is bad in any way; rather, this is a song that is designed to get the blood pumping and the crowd dancing. And it is delightful — Adkins’ voice soaring behind the crashing guitars and drums. Just as quickly as it comes, it fades to a softer, slower song in “Delivery”.
While “Delivery” is paced more slowly than “Criminal Energy”, it is deep. There is a subtle beauty in the lyrics, an essence of yearning for the love of the years gone by. This is the genius of Adkins: the ability to relate to each listener even without meeting them, and to draw a picture in such a way that they don’t always realize the scope of the art.
Adkins continues this in “555”. The art could be lost if you got lost wading through the shock that longtime Jimmy Eat World fans will undoubtedly feel: the shock of a song that sounds more like it came from M83. However, it fits with the message from this song so very well. The expectation of Adkins, and in turn Jimmy Eat World, is that there will be an album that sounds much like what has been done before. There is a danger in that expectation, and it is daring to break it. That is exactly what they do, with synth clapping as the backing and one of the oddest and yet entertaining videos you will ever see.
“One Mil” starts the ramp up back into the heavier songs on the album. The story of wasted chances will resonate with the masses, though I would argue that most of them have never fallen for a camera girl.
Camera girl, you still there? If I look you’ll disappear Worse, you might wanna talk I’m so underprepared
To some it is the classic story of the introvert attempting to find love and upon finding a chance at it, wasting it. To others, it is like a remnant of teenage love, which we would all like to think that we eventually grow out of.
Wish I had mastery of wit, luck and fearless confidence Then shred majestically to your heart
This story changes in “All The Way (Stay)”, a song that is raw, raw in sound and lyrics, the clang of a guitar and then the echo of a snare drum your only companions at first. It is not comfortable in the first 30 or so seconds, and that discomfort draws you in to listen to lyrics like:
We get discouraged by the pointlessness And we’re pretty quick to judge things pointless There’s what I want and what I need And the latter takes a while to see
Behind it all, you realize that this is again urging the listener to show who they really are, to allow others, or possibly just one other, to see under the layers where you hide. While the song starts with a crashing drum that may force you to shift uneasily, by the end you will find yourself swaying to the catchy beat and powerful vocals. It is a great lead into a song that has a far more comfortable feel, “Diamond”.
“Diamond” is the song you didn’t know you needed to help you through a really rough time. Hopes, dreams and careers take time, and it’s easy to want to take the easy way out and get a quick payout. After over a quarter of a century playing with Jimmy Eat World, Adkins can say with the utmost confidence in the lyrics:
That’s how a diamond grows, yeah Give yourself the right chance over time Don’t believe them If they try to sell you something quicker, yeah
This theme extends to “Love Never”, where Adkins vocals are on display second only to “555”. This is another life lesson, this time a reminder about love, set over a near frantic beat. Depending on your stage in life, it either serves as a warning for those who still romanticize the ideal love and the idea that cute, fat angels will shoot you with an arrow shortly before you meet the perfect match, or a reminder that love looks a whole lot more like you summoning the strength to not murder your partner for not picking their socks up. At any rate, it is a fantastic, underrated song on this album.
“Recommit” feels like something that all of us have wanted to sing, or yell really, at that one person in our lives who sits on the fence when push comes to shove. To some, the music may feel a little underwhelming in comparison to the rest of the tracks. However, one can appreciate its beachy pop revivalist vibe that flows and ebbs from the verses to the contrasting heavier chorus that barrels in between them.
The album closes out with “Congratulations”, a song that seems so far out of place that it is a bit jarring. Unlike much of the rest of the album, this seems to almost take a political stance, with lyrics such as:
Suspiciously, through editing The facts are disappearing With discipline and message You’ll take awkward possession Of nothing you really wanted Welcome, congratulations
The defiance and air of dissonance present throughout the rest of the album melts into the background, as sarcasm seems to run rampant in this unusual and yet enjoyable song. It should also be noted that Davey Havok of AFI and Dreamcar lent his vocals to this song, something subtle you can pick up on once you know to listen for him.
Surviving is an incredibly solid album overall. It harkens back to the energy we all bore witness to in the fantastic journey that was Bleed American (later re-released as Jimmy Eat World). Adkins is a master of self-awareness, weaving life lessons into the verses in much the same way a master weaver would work threads into a rug. While the frontman has been given much praise in this review, the entirety of the band deserves recognition for this album. While it is the norm for the music world to decide to try to build an architectural masterpiece like the Empire State Building, often falling far short of that lofty goal, Adkins and his bandmates decided to build a comfortable mansion in the Midwest overlooking a lake. The band succeeded in doing exactly what they set out to do, giving the world a sometimes odd but overall enjoyable work that will stand the test of time.
Grammy award-winning heavyweights Korn and multi-platinum hard rockers Breaking Benjamin today announced their epic tour set for 2020. Fans will have the chance to see two of the biggest forces in rock perform on the same stage each night across North America in the new year. Special guests Bones UK will also join the tour on all dates.
Produced by Live Nation, the expansive 24-city outing will kick off January 23rd in Allentown, PA and make stops in Montreal, Columbus, St. Paul, Portland and more, before wrapping March 1st in Fresno, CA.
Citi is the official presale credit card of the tour. As such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning Tuesday, October 29th at 10am local time until Thursday, October 31st at 10PM local time through Citi EntertainmentSM. For complete presale details click HERE. Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, November 1st at 10am local time HERE.
Korn and Breaking Benjamin 2020 North American Tour Dates
1-23-20 Allentown, PA PPL Center* 1-25-20 Manchester, NH SNHU Arena 1-27-20 Québec, QC Videotron Centre 1-28-20 Montreal, QC Bell Centre 1-30-20 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena* 1-31-20 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center 2-3-20 Evansville, IN Ford Center 2-4-20 Fort Wayne, IN Allen County War Memorial Coliseum 2-6-20 Rockford, IL BMO Harris Bank Center 2-7-20 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center* 2-9-20 Green Bay, WI Resch Center+ 2-12-20 North Little Rock, AR Simmons Bank Arena 2-13-20 Springfield, MO JQH Arena 2-15-20 Cedar Rapids, IA U.S. Cellular Center 2-16-20 Wichita, KS INTRUST Bank Arena* 2-18-20 Lincoln, NE Pinnacle Bank Arena 2-20-20 Sioux Falls, SD Denny Sanford PREMIER Center 2-21-20 Rapid City, SD Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Ice Arena 2-23-20 Missoula, MT Adams Center Arena 2-24-20 Boise, ID Ford Idaho Center Arena 2-26-20 Spokane, WA Spokane Arena 2-27-20 Portland, OR Moda Center 2-29-20 Reno, NV Reno Events Center 3-1-20 Fresno, CA Save Mart Center* *on-sale starting 12pm local time
+on-sale starting 11am local time
About Korn
Earlier this year Korn shook the world with the release of their acclaimed new album The Nothing. The GRAMMY® Award-winning group’s latest effort is highlighted by singles “Can You Hear Me,” Cold,” and “You’ll Never Find Me,” the latter of which is joined by an official music video (watch HERE). “It continues Korn’s mission of probing the hidden corners and harsh realities of life within a shroud discordant darkness,” declared Noisey with The FADER adding, “Korn have never shied away from innovation… the icons have always looked forward.”Los Angeles Times applauded the “…deep and potent performances from the band, evoking their ever-present rage but also feelings of loss and isolation,” while NME affirmed, “This urgent and important record will ensure the veterans don’t get lost in the shuffle.”
Furthermore, Korn recently announced the imminent arrival of their groundbreaking dramatized anthology podcast series, ‘The Nothing,’ which was written and created by Adam Mason and Simon Boyes with Korn. ‘The Nothing,’ a six-part dramatized series, tells the story of journalist Matt Singer who travels to the small town of Wellden, Kansas to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a teenage girl. He soon discovers not everything is as it seems in the rural community, and finds himself heading into his own heart of darkness. Produced by Elizabeth Mason and directed by Adam Mason (Blood River, The Devil’s Chair), ‘The Nothing’ stars Keir O’Donnell (Wedding Crashers, Fargo, Legion), Darri Ingolfsson (Dexter, Black Antenna) and Mikayla S. Campbell. Fans can subscribe to ‘The Nothing’ HERE with additional details and airdates to be announced in the coming weeks.
Multi-platinum band Breaking Benjamin announced today they will be releasing Aurora, a collection of reimagined songs from the band’s vast catalogue, on January 24, 2020. Breaking Benjamin’s most recent release, Ember debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 200 and marked the multi-platinum band’s fourth Top 5 debut on the Billboard Top 200, following 2015’s #1 debut for Dark Before Dawn (Gold), 2009’s Dear Agony (Platinum) at #4 and 2006’s Phobia (Platinum) at #2. Additionally, the band has garnered nine #1 songs at rock radio, has charted Top 10 across numerous countries worldwide and topped #1 charts across multiple genres, including Top Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums, Top Hard Rock Albums and Top Digital Albums. Breaking Benjamin boasts an impressive 6.8 billion combined audio/video streams worldwide with a social imprint of over 6.5M, a testament to the band’s global influence and loyal fan base. Watch the music video for “Red Cold River” off of EmberHERE.
Bones UK consists of vocalist Rosie Bones and guitarist Carmen Vandenberg. Their self-titled debut album is out now via Sumerian Records. The group confronts everything from the beauty industrial complex to toxic masculinity to music-scene sexism, embedding each track with choruses primed for passionate shouting-along. True to the L.A.-based band’s anti-conformist spirit, Bones UK unfolds with an entirely uncontainable sound, a riff-heavy collision of rock-and-roll and rough-edged electronic music. After recruiting Filippo (a former classmate of Carmen’s at The Academy of Contemporary Music in Surrey), Bones UK began pushing toward the heady complexity that now defines their music. Joined onstage by their drummer Heavy, Bones UK now see their live set as the ideal medium for their ever-expanding message, a vehicle for both catharsis and transformation. Watch their music video for “Beautiful Is Boring” HERE.
Glendale, AZ — Tool stopped to play the Gila River Arena to an ocean of patiently adoring fans that could not have been more excited to hear the band rip into their ear drums. However, little did everyone in attendance know that what transpired next would be far beyond even what their lofty expectations could prepare them for.
One might think after a 13-year hiatus from recording new music, that a band might be well past their prime but fortunately for Tool, they’re clearly an exception to the rule. With the release of their latest album, Fear Inoculum, this is a band that has proven they won’t compromise their artistic vision for the sake of putting an album out every two years or so. They take their time perfecting a raw, mysterious sound that fans have come to revere over the years.
UK veterans Killing Joke kicked off the night and proved to be an excellent opening act, getting the crowd pumped up with their whiplash-inducing brand of quasi-metal and goth rock sounds. They were definitely an interesting choice for the opening band, but Tool has always brought their friends and greatest musical influences along with them on tour. It was fascinating to observe and clear how Killing Joke’s unique take on music clearly influenced Tool’s own iconic sound as their set went on. Notably, Killing Joke has had many lineup changes throughout the years. But recently, all of their original members are officially back in the band. This brought an inspiring energy to the night that would only flourish in intensity as the time grew closer for Tool to take the stage.
Fans of Tool know very well the law of the land at their concerts: no photos or videos. One might find this to be disappointing, but in many ways, it enhances the concert experience as people allow themselves and others to become fully engaged in the moment. As the lights fell to black, the sounds of cheering cut in front of the ambient noise with the swiftness of a starving octogenarian jumping to the front of the line at an early-bird dinner buffet. You could reach out and touch the energy in the room, and just when it seemed like the arena would burst from the crowd’s anticipation, guitarist Adam Jones played the opening swells to the new album’s title track, “Fear Inoculum.”
This was a very good choice for the opening number, not only because it’s the first song on the new album, but also because it represents the first example of new music they presented to the world after a 13-year drought. The song was recreated beautifully in the live setting, and it was accompanied by some of the most impressive Alex Gray-inspired visuals to date. Incredibly long threads formed around the stage in a circular formation as intensely colorful images were projected onto the screen towering behind the band. These threads also allowed the images projected on stage to glide across them in a pseudo-3D effect that was nothing less than spectacular for lucky enough to capture it firsthand.
Familiar clay aliens and faceless men in business suits adorned the screen as fans were treated to the corresponding music videos for each of the band’s older songs. One particular highlight included a full live rendition of “Parabol/Parabola” in all of its 9-minute glory, to the uncontainable delight of many fans in attendance. The drums punched through the mix with a primal fury not seen from many other bands around today, thanks to the incomparable Danny Carey behind the monstrous kit. His effortless playing and ad-libbing enhanced the songs without it sounding too busy or as if he was showing off. Every single drum strike was as tasteful as the last, which is no small feat when you have such a large kit at your disposal to tempt a less stoic individual into overplaying.
Guitarist Adam Jones and bassist Justin Chancellor were also both in exceptional form throughout the night, proving their playing only continues to improve. The ear-piercing squeals of Jones’ dark Les Paul mixed with Chancellor’s thunderous yet melodic bass lines are truly a match made in heaven.
Other notable highlights of the night included the second song of the set “Ænima”, introduced by singer Maynard James Keenan happily declaring “Alpha Omega. AZ. It’s good to be home. We just got back from LA.” Immediately followed by the familiarly breathy “hey” repeated throughout the intro of the song about a great flood of biblical proportions consuming the entirety of Los Angeles in all of its perceived decay and decadence. This was followed by excellent performances of “The Pot”, “Jambi”, and “Schism”, with the latter incorporating an unexpectedly sped-up bridge section that had to be heard to be believed.
Tool have achieved what so many other bands who have been together for as long as they have only dream of doing successfully: standing the test of time. So many bands of yesteryear lapse into obscurity or worse yet, self-parody, as they make their comebacks. Tool is not one of them. They continue to deliver unprecedented, phenomenal live shows and mind-blowing visuals that only get better as time flows onward. If you get the chance to see them live, do yourself a favor by not missing out, because they deliver every single time.
PHOENIX — AWOLNATION returned to Phoenix after a nearly year long absence, playing at the Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum for the first time. The energy and the noise that AWOLNATION brought with them felt like it would bring down the Coliseum. AWOLNATION took a bit of a break from touring in 2019, only playing a total of four concerts all year thus far. This does not mean they sat back and took a year off; rather, they used this time to record. A teaser clip of “The Best” was released on social media on October 15th, and it will be released on November 5th. Next year’s tour dates should be released soon, and per frontman Aaron Bruno, will include another stop in Phoenix. (UPDATE: Despite Bruno’s comments during the concert, Phoenix was not included when the tour dates were announced.)
‘The Best’ is coming Nov 5! click below and pre-save it to get exclusive content & tour info.
The Arizona State Fair concert series are unique in that they are shorter, are often only a single band and under an hour and a half in length. AWOLNATION only needed 70 minutes to nearly shake the roof off the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. There was a small crowd on hand when the lights dimmed and Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World” started to play. Halfway through, it was cut short by the start of “Run”, creating a juxtaposition of the peaceful and the loud, of the lyrics, “And I think to myself what a wonderful world,” and, “I am a human being, capable of doing terrible things.” It was attention-grabbing. it was jarring. It was fantastic.
There are very few artists who can control the energy of an audience like Bruno does. He spoke to the crowd throughout the show, inviting them to dance right before launching into “Hollow Moon (Bad Woof)”. Right after finishing up “Kill Your Heroes”, he announced that he, “Came to party with you tonight!”,as the first notes of “People” were being played. It was indeed a party, a dance party to be precise: “We’re trying to throw a dance party tonight! I’m looking for the best dancer in the building, someone doing something I’ve never seen before!”
If one were to scan the crowd while “Not Your Fault” was playing in the moments after that pronouncement, they would find the old and the young doing everything they could to show him something that he had not seen before. He slowed the dance party down from an all-out frenetic dance to what he called a “perfect opportunity to have an old school slow dance” with “Table for One” — a slower track that lends itself to just that.
AWOLNATION did not keep the energy down for long, quickly bringing it back up with “Miracle Man”. Bruno had another request midway through this song: “I want everybody to jump with me. You don’t have to, but it’d be a lot cooler if you did.” In a matter of seconds the stands were shaking.
While much of the focus is on Bruno and his ability to connect and energize the fans, it is very important to note that the rest of the band is incredibly talented. In fact, Bruno seemed to insist that we recognize this, stepping out of the spotlight a couple of times so the entire focus was on the band. The first was “The Buffoon”, a song that starts slow and works the tempo up until one must wonder if it is humanly possible for Isaac Carpenter to play the drums much faster. The second was for a cover of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck”, with Zach Irons absolutely shredding on the guitar, leaving many mouths agape.
The show ended with “KOOKSEVERYWHERE!!!”, played for the first time in concert since mid-2017, and finally Bruno looking out at the crowd and saying, “So. What should we do now?” “Sail”, of course. The song that really introduced the world to AWOLNATION closed out this incredible show.
If you missed out on this concert, fear not. AWOLNATION made it very clear that they will be back next summer, and you will not want to miss this one. Keep an eye out for the tour announcement, and buy your tickets to see this amazing band as soon as they go on sale.
SEATTLE — For nearly two decades, producer Daniel Graves’ attention-grabbing and infectious industrial pop project, Aesthetic Perfection, has defied the world’s demands for definitions by blending genres and reinventing what it means to be a dark electro artist.
Last year, Aesthetic Perfection announced the “Into The Black World Tour 2019” to support their fifth studio album, Into The Black. The European leg of the tour commenced in the month of April in the UK, and the North American leg began in the beginning of September in San Diego. For the second date of this leg, they performed in Mesa, AZ — home of Burning Hot Events. Aesthetic Perfection’s North American tour made one of its last stops at Highline Bar with supporting acts Empathy Test and LAZERPUNK.
LAZERPUNK
LAZERPUNK, from Budapest, set an apropos dark and gritty tone, with electronic music so heavy that it feels like it resonates with your flesh and courses through your veins. The intensity of the music, especially as it was coming from just one man wearing an Adidas baseball cap, was nearly beyond comprehension.
Stepping into the environment of the club that night and being smacked with the power of these beats was like being dragged into an alternate universe. It was easily a reminder of why so many of us go out to industrial shows for the cathartic experience — communally flipping a switch that turns on a stifled side of our souls that is screaming and clawing to get out and rage during the mundane day-to-day, as we dismally watch our world socially and environmentally corrode around us. It is here we are uplifted, escape, and achieve balance in a combination of commiseration, unadulterated passion for music, and unjudged embracement of our dark, but not necessarily evil, sides.
Empathy Test
With Isaac Howlett’s British vocals that feel longing and aching, and an ethereal touch, synthwave act Empathy Test has no doubt drawn some associations to Depeche Mode innumerable times. As a blend of 80s sci-fi soundtracks, 90s guitar bands, and modern underground dance as influences, they are a duo in the studio (Howlett and producer Adam Relf), and currently a trio performing live. The beautiful thing about electronic music, as demonstrated by LAZERPUNK and Empathy Test, is that something so big can come from so few people. With the aid of Angel Metro on keys and Christina “Chrisy” Lopez on drums, the trio pulled the entranced audience at Highline into a galaxy of emotion. In between songs, Howlett brought some levity back to the room with charming, good-humored banter. Teeming with talent, Empathy Test are also responsible for their breathtaking artwork.
When Aesthetic Perfection hit the stage, it wasn’t long before the integrity of the building structure was tested as the crowd unapologetically jumped with such force the floor could be felt bouncing under your feet — admittedly not the most comforting feeling when you’re on the second story of a building.
Consisting of the aforementioned vocalist and programmer Graves, Elliott Berlin on keys/guitar/bass, infamous drummer Joe Letz (formerly of Combichrist and a slew of other industrial bands), this trio contrasted Empathy Test with deliciously harsh aggrotech.
The band added a delightfully creative “speed dating” VIP upgrade experience for this tour in which fans got a guarantee to interact with every band number. Additionally, the package included a signed setlist, signed polaroid, signed poster, and VIP laminate — basically all of the essentials that any diehard fan is going to want to collect from a show, and a really smart offer on the band’s part to turn a profit on their tour.
The diversity of Graves’ vocal techniques shine in sexy transitions between a vicious growl and a timbre that might be described as an approximate blend of Jay Godon (Orgy) and the late Chester Bennington (Linkin Park) — this vocal flux is exemplified in the track “Ebb and Flow”; there is a broody and agonizing cover of ‘NSync’s “Bye Bye Bye” (featuring guitarist Nikki Misery of New Years Day) in which he hits an impressively powerful high note with chest voice at the bridge, a beautiful falsetto in the new Into the Black opening track “Gods & Gold”, and even an OTEP-like quality in the theatrical track “Dark Ages”.
Berlin jumped back and forth between instruments, with hair flying wildly to no end, and making himself an entertaining spectacle each time he climbed upon his keyboard and thrashed around amongst the rising smoke.
Meanwhile, Letz made apparent why his percussive skills are so acclaimed, as the vigorous force of the backing beats that he was responsible for nearly brought down the house.
“Holy shit,” was the sentiment that coursed through my head all night, and near the finale of their set, Graves showed that those in the crowd were not alone in sheer awe of the magnitude of the immense energy pervading the venue, as he let out a clearly sincere, “Holy shit Seattle!”
Aesthetic Perfection will go on to tour in Germany from October 25th through November 2nd, with alternating and combined support by Empathy Test and Iris on select dates. If you’ve lost touch, this lineup is a mind-blowing reminder of what there is to love about industrial shows, that they are alive and well, and it is still a scene worth supporting.
Rivals forthcoming 2-song EP Supernova is due out on November 8th on 7″ vinyl via Smartpunk Records and is now available for pre-order HERE. Limited edition pre-order items include ultra clear vinyl 7″ (500 units), 3’x3′ wall flag (100 units) and Supernova t-shirt.
“We’ve really started to step up the creativity with sounds and environments,” describes Wolfe. “Building and creating a world around a theme and trying to show everyone what we see and feel. Between “Supernova” and “Thunderstorms,” we really stepped out of our comfort zone for this.”
In addition, The band revealed their motion video for “Supernova” that captures the atmospheric textures of the music. “A long time ago I dumped a guy and later on, when my career started to take off, he tried to come back into my life,” explains Rivals vocalist Kalie Wolfe of their new single “Supernova“. “I sort of wrote this as a f*ck you song to him, that he won’t get me now after all the stuff between us happened.”
In support of their forthcoming EP, the band will be kicking off a run of dates with Slaves today in Dallas, TX. Their double outing with Slaves will be making stops throughout Texas (Dallas, San Antonio, Houston). Also, they’ll be joining back up on release day (November 8th) for a few more shows that includes three dates in California (Sacramento, Fresno, Los Angeles) and the final show of the tour at Club Red in Mesa, AZ.
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the barrio, METALACHI has announced another run of dates through the southwest this fall!
In addition to METALACHI, the world’s first – and only – heavy metal mariachi band, Shark in the Water will deliver a blistering tidal wave of non-stop, raw, gritty surf music.
“METALACHI is pumped to wrap up our tour schedule for 2019 at all our favorite venues across the southwest,” says METALACHI manager Warren Moscow. “This run is something we always look forward to, as the whole southwest corridor has been like a second home for us for years…and this time we are bringing even more insanity to the run with the addition of Shark in the Water to the tour.”
METALACHI‘s most recent full-length album, Tres, was released late last year and features covers of songs originally performed by artists such as Judas Priest, Dio, Journey, Guns N’ Roses, including METALACHI‘s popular cover of the Queen classic, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Watch the video for “Bohemian Rhapsody,” featuring a cameo by comedian Felipe Esparza, here:
METALACHI with Shark in the Water dates:
Click to Enlarge
11/8 – Denton, TX @ Backyard on Bell 11/9 – New Braunfels, TX @ Billy’s Ice 11/10 – Dallas, TX @ Trees 11/13 – Austin, TX @ Antone’s 11/14 – Austin, TX @ Antone’s 11/15 – Stafford, TX @ Republic Country Club 11/16 – Fort Worth, TX @ Lola’s Trailer Park 11/17 – San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger 11/20 – Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole 11/21 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room 11/22 – Cottonwood, AZ @ Main Stage*
*No Shark in the Water
Hailing from Hollywood, CA via Juarez, Mexico, METALACHI is a musical/comedy stage show that somehow seamlessly blends the world of Spinal Tap and Cheech & Chong into an over-the-top stage spectacle. The band is comprised of a five-piece ensemble of classically trained mariachi musician siblings, that have been fused together with the power of heavy metal. Fans can expect an unlikely meshing of metal classics from artist such as Metallica, Slayer, Ozzy Osbourne and more with traditional mariachi standards from the likes of Vicente Fernandez and Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan… all played with traditional mariachi instrumentation but with a stage show that strays far from traditional!
METALACHI takes their cues from outrageous stage shows like KISS, GWAR and Rob Zombie with outrageous costumes, stage production, personas and onstage antics. The band features Vega De La Rockha on vocals, Queen Kyla Vera on violin, Kiko Cane on guitarron, Paco Halen on guitar, El Cucuy on trumpet and is managed by mysterious impresario Warren Moscow.
METALACHI has garnered worldwide acclaim for their unique brand of raucous humor and innovative musical mastery, quickly amassing a loyal and diverse fan base of music lovers in addition to gaining praise from music royalty such as Dave Lombardo (Slayer), Vinnie Paul (Pantera, Hellyeah), Eric Wilson (Sublime), M. Shadows (Avenged Sevenfold), Billy Idol, and Howard Stern along the way (fun fact – for the past five years, Sublime has used METALACHI‘s debut album Uno to time their set changes, blasting the entire album over the PA at their live shows). On a previous leg of the current tour, METALACHI was personally invited by comedian George Lopez to perform at the grand opening of his Chingon Kitchen at the Vee Quiva Hotel in Arizona.
METALACHI has been featured on America’s Got Talent, CNN’s Great Big Story, Rolling Stone en Español, BBC’s Outlook via NPR, Huffington Post, and National Geographic, and their music has been heard on FX’s The Bridge and in a TV commercial for DirecTV.
METALACHI has been named one of the 10 best Mexican Metal Bands worldwide by OC Weekly, was named #4 on a list of the top 20 tribute bands based in Los Angeles by LA Weekly, and was voted as one of the best live shows in Southern California by Examiner.com.
